One thousand and one nig.., p.386
One Thousand and One Nights, page 386
Then we transported to the ship all that was in the cavern of stuffs and sheep and treasure, together with provision of the fruits of the island, such as should serve us days and months, and embarking, sailed on with a fair wind three days; at the end of which time the wind veered round against us and the sky became exceeding dark, nor had an hour passed, before the wind drove the vessel on to a rock, where it broke up and its planks were rent asunder. However, God the Most High decreed that I should lay hold of one of the planks, which I bestrode, and it bore me along two days, for the wind had fallen fair again, and I paddled with my feet awhile, till God the Most High brought me safe to shore and I landed and came to this city, where I found myself a stranger, alone and friendless. And indeed I knew not what to do; for hunger was sore upon me and I was in great straits.
So I hid myself and pulling off my tunic, carried it to the market, saying in myself, “I will sell it and live on its price, till God accomplish His will of me.” Then I took the tunic in my hand and cried it for sale, and the folk were looking at it and bidding for it, when, O my brother, thou camest up and seeing me, commandest me to the palace; but thine attendants took me and carried me to prison, where I abode till thou bethoughtest thee of me and badst bring me before thee. So now I have told thee what befell me, and praised be God for reunion!’
The two kings marvelled exceedingly at Saïd’s story and Taj el Mulouk made ready a goodly dwelling for Seif el Mulouk and his vizier. [So they took up their abode therein] and Dauleh Khatoun used to visit Seif el Mulouk there and thank him for his favours and talk with him. One day, he foregathered with her and said to her, ‘O my lady, where is the promise thou madest me, in the palace of Japhet son of Noah, saying, “Were I with my people, I would make shift to bring thee to thy desire?”’ And Saïd said to her, ‘O princess, I crave thine aid to enable him to compass his desire.’ ‘It is well,’ answered she. ‘I will do my endeavour for him, that he may attain his wish, if it please God the Most High.’ And she turned to Seif el Mulouk and said to him, ‘Take comfort and be of good courage.’ Then she rose and going in to her mother, said to her, ‘Arise with me forthright and let us purify ourselves and make fumigations, to the intent that Bediya el Jemal and her mother may come and see me and rejoice in me.’ ‘With all my heart,’ answered the queen and rising, betook herself to the garden and burnt of the perfumes [which Bediya’s mother had given her to that intent]; nor was it long before Bediya el Jemal and her mother made their appearance.
The Queen of Hind foregathered with the other queen and acquainted her with her daughter’s safe return, whereat she rejoiced; and Bediya el Jemal and Dauleh Khatoun foregathered likewise and rejoiced in each other. Then they pitched the pavilions and dressed rich meats and made ready the place of entertainment; whilst the two princesses withdrew to a tent apart and ate and drank and made merry together; after which they sat down to converse, and Bediya said, ‘What hath befallen thee in thy strangerhood?’ ‘O my sister,’ replied Dauleh Khatoun, ‘ask me not what hath befallen me. Alas, what hardships mortals suffer!’ ‘How so?’ asked Bediya. So she told her how the son of the Blue King had carried her off to the Castle of Japhet son of Noah and how Seif el Mulouk had slain the genie and brought her back to her father; and she told her also all that the prince had undergone of hardships and terrors, before he came to the castle.
Bediya marvelled at her story and said, ‘O my sister, this is a wonder of wonders! By Allah, this Seif el Mulouk is indeed a man! But why did he leave his father and mother and betake himself to travel and expose himself to these perils?’ Quoth Dauleh Khatoun, ‘I have a mind to tell thee the first part of his story; but shame of thee hinders me therefrom.’ Quoth Bediya, ‘Why shouldst thou have shame of me, seeing that thou art my sister and my friend and there is much between thee and me and I know thou seekest me nought but good? Tell me then what thou hast to say and be not abashed at me and conceal nothing from me.’ ‘By Allah,’ answered Dauleh Khatoun, ‘all the calamities that have betided this poor fellow have been on thine account and because of thee!’ ‘ How so, O my sister?’ asked Bediya; and the other said, ‘Know that he saw thy portrait wroughten on a tunic that thy father sent to Solomon son of David (on whom be peace!) and he opened it not neither looked at it, but despatched it, with other presents, to Aasim ben Sefwan, King of Egypt, who gave it, still unopened, to his son Seif el Mulouk. The latter unfolded the tunic, thinking to put it on, and seeing thy portrait, became enamoured thereof; wherefore he came forth, love-distraught, in quest of thee, and left his people and kingdom and suffered all these perils and hardships on thine account.’
When Bediya heard this, she blushed and was confounded at Dauleh Khatoun and said, ‘This may never be; for mankind accord not with the Jinn.’ Then Dauleh Khatoun went on to praise Seif el Mulouk and extol his beauty and fashion and prowess and qualities, saying, ‘For God’s sake and mine, O my sister, come and speak with him, though but one word!’ But Bediya el Jemal said, ‘This that thou sayest I will not hear, neither will I assent to thee therein;’ and it was as if she heard nought of what the other said and as if no love of Seif el Mulouk and his beauty and fashion and prowess had gotten hold upon her heart. Then said Dauleh Khatoun, ‘O Bediya el Jemal, by the milk we have sucked, I and thou, and by that which is graven on the seal of Solomon (on whom be peace!), hearken to these my words; for I pledged myself, in the Castle of Japhet, to show him thy face. So, God on thee, show thyself to him once, for the love of me, and look thyself on him!’ And she ceased not to weep and implore her and kiss her hands and feet, till she consented and said, ‘For thy sake, I will show him my face once.’
With that Dauleh Khatoun’s heart was glad and she kissed her hands and feet. Then she went to the great pavilion in the garden and bade her women spread it with carpets and set up a couch of gold and place the wine-vessels in order; after which she went in to Seif and Saïd, whom she found seated in their lodging, and gave the former the glad tidings of the accomplishment of his wish, saying, ‘Go to the pavilion in the garden, thou and thy brother, and hide yourselves there, so none in the palace may see you, till I come to you with Bediya el Jemal.’ So they rose and repaired to the pavilion, where they found the couch of gold set and furnished with cushions, and meat and wine set ready. So they sat awhile, whilst Seif bethought him of his beloved and his breast was straitened and love and longing beset him: wherefore he rose and went forth from the vestibule of the pavilion. Saïd would have followed him, but he said to him, ‘O my brother, follow me not, but abide in thy place, till I return to thee.’ So Saïd abode seated, whilst Seif went down into the garden, drunken with the wine of desire and distracted for excess of passion and love-longing: yearning agitated him and transport overcame him and he recited the following verses:
O thou gloriously fair, I have no one but thee; I’m the thrall of thy love. Oh, have pity on me!
Thou’rt all that I seek, my desire and my joy, And mine entrails refuse to love other than thee.
Would I knew if thou knowst of my night-long lament, Sleepless-lidded and weeping with tears like a sea.
Bid slumber alight on my lids, so perchance In the visions of dreams I thine image may see.
Oh, show favour to one, who’s distracted for love, And his life from the deaths of thy cruelty free!
So may Allah increase thee in beauty and joy And grant that all creatures thy ransom may be!
At the last, neath my banner all lovers shall rise And all fair ones to gather neath thine shall agree.
Then he wept and recited these also:
All my desire is for a maid, who passeth all in charms; Within my inmost soul she dwells, my heart’s most secret core.
Lo, if I speak, my speech is of her charms, and if I’m dumb, She is the cynosure of all my thoughts for evermore.
Then he wept sore and recited the following:
A flame is in my liver, that rages ever higher; My wish art thou of wishes, and longsome is desire.
To thee and to none other I bend and crave thy grace, (For lovers are long-suffering,) so thou mayst turn from ire
And rigour and take pity on one whose body love Hath worn and racked, whose entrails with passion are on fire.
Relent, then; yea, be gracious, show favour and be kind; Ne’er, ne’er will I renounce thee nor of thy service tire.
And also these:
Cares on me came, what time there came the love of thee, And sleep as cruel is as thou thyself to me.
The messenger brings news to me that thou art wroth: Now God forfend the ill whereof he tells should be!
Presently Saïd grew weary of awaiting him and going forth in quest of him, found him walking in the garden, in a state of distraction, reciting the following verses:
By Allah, by Allah the Great and eke by His virtue, the wight The chapter who chanteth aloud of the Koran, “Creator” that hight,
The eyes of me range not at will o’er the beauties of those that I see, But thine image, Bediya, alone, is my bosom-companion by night!
So he joined him and they walked about the garden together and ate of its fruits.
Meanwhile, the two princesses came to the pavilion and entering, sat down on the couch of gold, beside which was a window that gave upon the garden. The eunuchs set before them all manner rich meats and they ate, Dauleh Khatoun feeding her foster-sister by mouthfuls, till they were satisfied; when the former called for divers kinds of sweetmeats, and they ate what they would of them and washed their hands. After this, Dauleh Khatoun made ready wine and set on the drinking-vessels and flagons and proceeded to fill and give Bediya to drink, filling for herself and drinking in turn. Then Bediya looked from the window into the garden and gazed upon the fruits and branches that were therein, till her eyes fell on Seif el Mulouk, as he wandered about the garden, followed by Saïd, and she heard him recite verses, pouring forth copious tears the while.
The sight cost her a thousand sighs and she turned to Dauleh Khatoun and said to her (and indeed the wine sported with her senses), ‘O my sister, who is that young man I see in the garden, distraught, love-lorn, melancholy, sighing?’ Quoth Dauleh Khatoun, ‘Dost thou give me leave to bring him hither, that we may look on him?’ And Bediya answered, ‘If thou canst avail to bring him, do so.’ So Dauleh Khatoun called to him, saying, ‘O king’s son, come up hither and bring us thy beauty and thy grace!’ Seif knew her voice and came up into the pavilion; but no sooner had he set eyes on Bediya el Jemal, than he fell down in a swoon; whereupon Dauleh Khatoun sprinkled a little rose-water on him and he came to himself.
Then he rose and kissed the earth before Bediya, who was amazed at his beauty and loveliness; and Dauleh Khatoun said to her, ‘Know, O princess, that this is Seif el Mulouk, to whom, by the ordinance of God the Most High, I owe my deliverance, and he it is who hath endured all manner of afflictions on thine account: wherefore I would have thee look on him with favour.’ With this Bediya laughed and said, ‘And who keeps faith, that this youth should do so? For there is no [true] love in men.’ ‘O princess,’ answered Seif, ‘never shall lack of faith be in me, and all men are not created alike.’ And he wept before her and recited these verses:
Harkye, Bediya el Jemal, have ruth upon a wight, Whom thine enchanting, wicked eye hath brought to parlous plight.
By the fair colours in thy cheeks so featly that combine, The colour of the anemone, rose-ruddy, ay, and white,
Afflict not with abandonment one who is sick to death; For long estrangement, see, my frame is worn away outright.
This is the utmost of my wish, the end of my desire, Though unto union should I strive to win, if but I might.
Then he wept sore and love and longing got the mastery over him and he greeted her with the following verses:
Peace from a lover be on thee, a slave of love in vain, Still do the generous the approof of [God] the Generous gain.
Peace be upon thee! Never fail thine image to my dreams Nor hall nor chamber ever cease thy presence to contain!
Indeed, I’m jealous over thee; I may not name thy name. Surely belovéd, come what may, to lover should be fain.
Cut thou not off thy kindnesses from him who loves thee dear; For grief destroys him; yea, he is for suffering all forslain.
I watch the shining stars, and they affright me; ay, my night, For stress of yearning and desire, is long on heart and brain.
What words of asking shall I speak, to help me to my wish? Resource nor patience any dele doth unto me remain.
Upon thee be the peace of God, in time of rigour; peace Be on thee from the lover sad, long-suffering, ‘spite his pain!
Then, for the stress of his passion and desire, he repeated these verses also:
If any other be my aim, my lords, but you, Ne’er may I gain of you the grace for which I sue!
Who is there but yourselves doth loveliness comprise? Who else could e’er stir up my soul to love anew?
How should I be consoled for passion, I, indeed, Who’ve wasted all my life and all my breath for you?
When he had made an end of his verses, he wept sore and she said to him, ‘O prince, I fear to grant thee entire acceptance, lest I find in thee neither love nor affection; for oftentimes men’s virtues are few and their perfidy great and thou knowest how the lord Solomon, son of David (on whom be peace!), took Belkis to his love, but forsook her whenas he saw another fairer than she.’ ‘O my eye and my soul,’ replied Seif, ‘God hath not made all men alike, and I, if it be His will, will keep my troth and die at thy feet. Thou shalt see what I will do in accordance with my words and God is my warrant for that I say.’ Quoth Bediya, ‘Sit and be of good heart and swear to me by thy religion and let us covenant together that we will not be false to each other; and may God the Most High punish whichever of us breaketh faith!’
So he sat down and laid his hand in hers and they swore to each other that neither of them would ever prefer to the other any one, either of mankind or of the Jinn. Then they embraced awhile and wept for excess of joy, whilst passion overcame Seif el Mulouk and he recited the following verses:
I weep for passion and for love and longing passing sore; Ay, and desire of her my heart and soul do weary for.
Sore is my suffering for the length of severance from thee And all too short my arm and weak to reach my wishes’ shore.
Yea, and my grief for that whereby my fortitude’s made strait, Unto the railer doth reveal my bosom’s secret sore.
The compass of my patience, once so wide, is narrow grown, Nor is there left me any strength with trouble to wage war.
I wonder, will God e’er reknit our sundered lives and heal My heart of all the pain and care that rankle at its core!
Then Seif el Mulouk arose and walked in the garden and Bediya el Jemal arose also and went forth a-walking, followed by a slave-girl bearing food and a flask of wine. The princess sat down and the damsel set the food and wine before her: nor was it long before they were joined by Seif el Mulouk, whom Bediya received with open arms and they sat awhile, eating and drinking. Then said she to him, ‘O king’s son, [thou must now go to the garden of Irem, where dwells my grandmother, and seek her consent to our marriage. My slave-girl Merjaneh will convey thee thither and there] thou wilt see a great pavilion of red satin, lined with green silk. Take courage and enter the pavilion boldly and thou wilt see therein an old woman sitting on a couch of red gold set with pearls and jewels. Salute her with courtesy and worship; then look at the foot of the couch, where thou wilt see a pair of sandals of cloth of gold, embroidered with jewels. Take them and kiss them and lay them on thy head; then put them under thy right armpit and stand before the old woman, in silence and with thy head bowed down. If she ask thee who thou art and how thou camest thither, make her no answer, but abide silent till Merjaneh enter, when she will speak with her and seek to win her approof for thee and cause her look on thee with favour; so haply God the Most High may incline her heart to thee and she may grant thee thy wish.’
Then she called Merjaneh and said to her, ‘As thou lovest me, do my errand this day and be not slothful therein! If thou accomplish it, thou shalt be free, for the sake of God the Most High, and I will deal bounteously by thee and there shall be none dearer to me than thou, nor will I discover my secrets to any but thee. So, by my love for thee, do this my occasion and be not slothful therein.’ ‘O my lady and light of mine eyes,’ replied Merjaneh, ‘tell me what is it thou requirest of me, that I may accomplish it on my head and eyes.’ Quoth Bediya, ‘Take this mortal on thy shoulders and carry him to the garden of Irem and the pavilion of my grandmother, my father’s mother, and be careful of him. When thou hast brought him into her presence and seest him take the slippers and do them worship, and hearest her ask him who he is and how and why he came thither, do thou come forward in haste and salute her and say to her, “O my lady, I am she who brought him hither and he is the king’s son of Egypt. It is he who slew the son of the Blue King and delivered the princess Dauleh Khatoun from the Castle of Japhet son of Noah and brought her back safe to her father: and I have brought him to thee, that he may give thee the glad news of her safety: so be thou gracious to him.”
Then do thou say to her, “God on thee, O my lady, is not this young man handsome?” She will reply, “Yes:” and do thou rejoin, “O my lady, indeed he is accomplished in honour and manhood and valour and he is lord and King of Egypt and possesseth all praiseworthy qualities.” If she say to thee, “What is his occasion?” do thou make answer, “My lady saluteth thee and saith to thee, how long shall she abide at home, a maid and unmarried? Indeed, the time is long upon her. What then is thine intent in leaving her without a husband and why dost thou not marry her in thy lifetime and that of her mother, like other girls?” If she say, “How shall we do to marry her? An she have any one in mind, let her tell us of him, and we will do her will as far as may be,” do thou answer, “O my lady, thy daughter saith to thee, ‘Ye were minded aforetime to marry me to Solomon (on whom be peace!) and wrought him my portrait on a tunic. But he had no lot in me; so he sent the tunic to the King of Egypt and he gave it to his son, who saw my portrait wroughten thereon and fell in love with me: wherefore he left kingdom and father and mother and turning his back on the world and all that is therein, went forth at a venture, a wanderer, love-distraught, and hath suffered the utmost perils and hardships for my sake.’ Now thou seest his beauty and grace, and her heart is enamoured of him; so, if ye have a mind to marry her, marry her to this young man and forbid her not from him, for he is a passing goodly youth and King of Egypt, nor wilt thou find a comelier than he; and if ye will not give her to him, she will slay herself and marry none, neither man nor genie.” ‘And look, O my minnie Merjaneh,’ continued Bediya el Jemal, ‘how thou mayst do with my grandmother, to win her consent, and beguile her with soft words, so haply she may do my desire.’ Quoth the damsel, ‘O my lady, upon my head and eyes, I will serve thee and do what shall content thee.’
