One thousand and one nig.., p.760
One Thousand and One Nights, page 760
When it was the Five Hundred and Eighteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that “King Kafid delivered the answering letter to the messenger who carried it to King Teghmus and delivered it, after kissing the ground between his hands. Then he reported all that he had seen, saying, ‘O King of the age, I espied warriors and horsemen and footmen beyond count nor can I assist thee to the amount.’ When Teghmus read the reply and comprehended its contents, he was with furious rage enraged and bade his Wazir Ayn Zar take horse and fall upon the army of Kafid with a thousand cavaliers, in the middle watch of the night when they would easily ride home and slay all before them. Ayn Zar replied, ‘I hear and I obey,’ and at once went forth to do his bidding. Now King Kafid had a Wazir, Ghatrafαn554 by name, whom he bade take five thousand horse and attack the host of King Teghmus in like manner. So Ghatrafan did his bidding and set out on his enterprise marching till midnight. Thus the two parties met halfway and the Wazir Ghatrafan fell upon the Wazir, Ayn Zar. Then man cried out against man and there befell sore battle between them till break of day, when Kafid’s men were routed and fled back to their King in confusion. As Kafid saw this, he was wroth beyond measure and said to the fugitives, ‘Woe to you! What hath befallen you, that ye have lost your captains?’ and they replied, ‘O King of the age, as the Wazir Ghatrafan rode forth to fall upon King Teghmus, there appeared to us halfway and when night was half over, the Wazir, Ayn Zar, with cavaliers and champions, and we met on the slopes of Wady Zahran; but ere we were where we found ourselves in the enemy’s midst, eye meeting eye; and we fought a fierce fight with them from midnight till morning, many on either side being slain. Then the Wazir and his men fell to shouting and smiting the elephants on the face till they took fright at their furious blows, and turning tail to flee, trampled down the horsemen, whilst none could see other for the clouds of dust. The blood ran like a rain torrent and had we not fled, we had all been cut off to the last man.’ When King Kafid heard this, he exclaimed, ‘May the sun not bless you and may he be wroth with you and sore be his wrath!’ Meanwhile Ayn Zar, the Wazir, returned to King Teghmus and told him what had happened. The King gave him joy of his safety and rejoiced greatly and bade beat the drums and sound the trumpets, in honour of the victory; after which he called the roll of his troops and behold, two hundred of his stoutest champions had fallen. Then King Kafid marched his army into the field and drew them out ordered for battle in fifteen lines of ten thousand horses each, under the command of three hundred captains, mounted on elephants and chosen from amongst the doughtiest of his warriors and his champions. So he set up his standards and banners and beat the drums and blew the trumpets whilst the braves sallied forth, offering battle. As for King Teghmus, he drew out his troops line after line and lo! there were ten of ten thousand horses each, and with him were an hundred champions, riding on his right hand and on his left. Then fared forward to the fight each renowned knight, and the hosts clashed together in their might, whilst the earth for all its wideness was straitened because of the multitude of the cavaliers and ears were deafened by drums and cymbals beating and pipes and hautboys sounding and trumpets blaring and by the thunder of horse-tramp and the shouting of men. The dust arched in canopy over their heads and they fought a sore fight from the first of the day till the fall of darkness, when they separated and each army drew off to its own camp.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Nineteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that “each army drew off to its own camp. Then King Kafid called the roll of his troops and, finding that he had lost five thousand men, raged with great rage; and King Teghmus mustered his men and seeing that of them were slain three thousand riders, the bravest of his braves, was wroth with exceeding wrath. On the morrow King Kafid again pushed into the plain and did duty as before, while each man strove his best to snatch victory for himself; and Kafid cried out to his men, saying, ‘Is there any of you will sally forth into the field and open us the chapter of fray and fight?’ And behold came out from the ranks a warrior named Barkayk, a mighty man of war who, when he reached the King, alighted from his elephant and kissing the earth before him, sought of him leave to challenge the foe to combat singular. Then he mounted his elephant and driving into mid-field, cried out, ‘Who is for duello, who is for derring do, who is for knightly devoir?’ When King Teghmus heard this, he said to his troops, ‘Which of you will do single battle with this sworder?’ And behold, a cavalier came out from the ranks, mounted on a charger, mighty of make, and driving up to the King kissed the earth before him and craved his permission to engage Barkayk. Then he mounted again and charged at Barkayk, who said to him, ‘Who art thou and what art thou called, that thou makest mock of me by coming out against me and challenging me, alone?’ ‘My name is Ghazanfar555 son of Kamkhνl,’ replied the Kabul champion; and the other, ‘I have heard tell of thee in my own country; so up and do battle between the ranks of the braves!’ Hearing these words Ghazanfar drew a mace of iron from under his thigh and Barkayk took his good sword in hand, and they laid on load till Barkayk smote Ghazanfar on the head with his blade, but the morion turned the blow and no hurt befell him therefrom; whereupon Ghazanfar, in his turn, dealt Barkayk so terrible a stroke on the head with his mace, that he levelled him down to his elephant’s back and slew him. With this out sallied another and crying to Ghazanfar, ‘Who be thou that thou shouldst slay my brother?’; hurled a javelin at him with such force that it pierced his thigh and nailed his coat of mail to his flesh. Then Ghazanfar, feeling his hurt, hent his sword in hand and smote at Barkayk’s brother and cut him in sunder, and he fell to the earth, wallowing in his life blood, whilst the challenger of Kabul galloped back to King Teghmus. Now when Kafid saw the death of his champions, he cried out to his troops, saying, ‘Down with you to the plain and strike with might and main!’ as also did King Teghmus, and the two armies fought the fiercest of fights. Horse neighed against horse and man cried out upon man and brands were bared, whilst the drums beat and the trumpets blared; and horseman charged upon horseman and every brave of renown pushed forward, whilst the faint of heart fled from the lunge of lance and men heard nought but slogan-cry and the clash and clang of armoury. Slain were the warriors that were slain556 and they stayed not from the mellay till the decline of the sun in the heavenly dome, when the Kings drew off their armies and returned each to its own camp.557 Then King Teghmus took tally of his men and found that he had lost five thousand, and four standards had been broken to bits, whereat he was sore an-angered; whilst King Kafid in like manner counted his troops and found that he had lost six hundred, the bravest of his braves, and nine standards were wanting to the full tale. The two armies ceased joining battle and rested on their arms three days’ space, after which Kafid wrote a letter and sent it by messenger to a King called Fakun al-Kalb (with whom he claimed kinship by the spindle side): and this kinsman forthwith mustered his men and marched to meet the King of Hind.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twentieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that “King Fakun mustered his men and marched to meet the King of Hind: and whileas King Teghmus was sitting at his pleasance, there came one in to him and said, ‘I see from afar a cloud of dust spireing high in air and overspreading the lift.’ So he commanded a company to fare forth and learn the meaning of this; and, crying, ‘To hear is to obey,’ they sallied out and presently returned and said to him, ‘O King, when we drew near the cloud of dust, the wind rent it and it lifted and showed seven standards and under each standard three thousand horse, making for King Kafid’s camp.’ Then King Fakun joined himself to the King of Hind and saluting him, asked, ‘How is it with thee, and what be this war in which thou arrest?’; and Kafid answered, ‘Knowest thou not that King Teghmus is my enemy and the murtherer of my father and brothers? Wherefore I am come forth to do battle with him and take my brood wreak on him.’ Quoth Fakun, ‘The blessing of the sun be upon thee!’; and the King of Hind carried King Fakun al-Kalb to his tent and rejoiced in him with exceeding joy. Such was the case of the two hostile Kings; but as regards King Janshah, he abode two months shut up in his palace, without seeing his father or allowing one of the damsels in his service to come in to him; at the end of which time he grew troubled and restless and said to his attendants, ‘What aileth my father that he cometh not to visit me?’ They told him that he had gone forth to do battle with King Kafid, whereupon quoth Janshah, ‘Bring me my steed, that I may go to my sire.’ They replied, ‘We hear and obey,’ and brought his horse; but he said in himself, ‘I am taken up with the thought of myself and my love and I deem well to mount and ride for the city of the Jews, where haply Allah shall grant me the boon to meet the merchant who hired me for the ruby business and may be he will deal with me as he dealt before, for none knoweth whence good cometh.’ So he took with him a thousand horse and set out, the folk saying, ‘At last Janshah hath fared forth to join his father in the field, and to fight by his side;’ and they stinted not pushing on till dusk, when they halted for the night in a vast meadow. As soon as he knew that all his men were asleep, the Prince rose privily and girding his waist, mounted his horse and rode away intending to make Baghdad, because he had heard from the Jews that a caravan came thence to their city once in every two years and he made up his mind to journey thither with the next cafilah. When his men awoke and missed the Prince and his horse, they mounted and sought him right and left but, finding no trace of him, rejoined his father and told him what his son had done; whereat he was wroth beyond measure and cast the crown from his head, whilst the sparks were like to fly from his mouth, and he said ‘There is no Majesty and there is no Might but in Allah! Verily I have lost my son, and the enemy is still before me.’ But his Wazirs and vassals said to him, ‘Patience, O King of the age! Patience bringeth weal in wake.’ Meanwhile Janshah, parted from his lover and pained for his father, was in sore sorrow and dismay, with heart seared and eyes tear-bleared and unable to sleep night or day. But when his father heard the loss his host had endured, he declined battle, and fled before King Kafid, and retiring to his city, closed the gates and strengthened the walls. Thereupon King Kafid followed him and sat down before the town; offering battle seven nights and eight days, after which he withdrew to his tents, to tend his wounded while the citizens defended themselves as they best could, fortifying the place and setting up mangonels and other engines on the walls. Such was the condition of the two Kings, and war raged between them for a space of seven years.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that “Kings Teghmus and Kafid continued in this condition for seven years; but, as regards Janshah, he rode through wild and wold and when ever he came to a town he asked anent Takni, the Castle of Jewels, but none knew of it and all answered, ‘Of a truth we never heard of such place, not even by name.’ At last he happened to enquire concerning the city of the Jews from a merchant who told him that it was situated in the extreme Orient, adding, ‘A caravan will start this very month for the city of Mizrakαn in Hind; whither do thou accompany us and we will fare on to Khorasan and thence to the city of Shima’ϊn and Khwαrazm, from which latter place the City of the Jews is distant a year and three months’ journey.’ So Janshah waited till the departure of the caravan, when he joined himself thereto and journeyed, till he reached the city of Mizrakan whence, after vainly asking for Takni, the Castle of Jewels, he set out and enduring on the way great hardships and perils galore and the extreme of hunger and thirst, he arrived at the town of Shima’un. Here he made enquiry for the City of the Jews, and they directed him to the road thither. So he fared forth and journeyed days and nights till he came to the place where he had given the apes the slip, and continued his journey thence to the river, on the opposite bank of which stood the City of the Jews. He sat down on the shore and waited till the Sabbath came round and the river dried up by decree of Allah Almighty, when he crossed over to the opposite bank and, entering the city, betook himself to the house wherein he had lodged on his former journey. The Jew and his family saluted him and rejoiced in his return and, setting meat and drink before him, asked, ‘Where hast thou been during thine absence?’; and he answered, ‘In the kingdom of Almighty Allah!’558 He lay with them that night and on the morrow he went out to solace himself with a walk about the city and presently heard a crier crying aloud and saying, ‘O folk, who will earn a thousand gold pieces and a fair slave-girl and do half a day’s work for us?’ So Janshah went up to him and said, ‘I will do this work.’559 Quoth the crier, ‘Follow me,’ and carrying him to the house of the Jew merchant, where he had been afore time, said, ‘This young man will do thy need.’ The merchant not recognising him gave him welcome and carried him into the Harim, where he set meat and drink before him, and he ate and drank. Then he brought him the money and formally made over to him the handsome slave-girl with whom he lay that night. As soon as morning dawned, he took the diners and the damsel and, committing them to his Jew host with whom he had lodged afore time, returned to the merchant, who mounted and rode out with him, till they came to the foot of the tall and towering mountain, where the merchant, bringing out a knife and cords, said to Janshah, ‘Throw the mare.’ So he threw her and bound her four legs with the cords and slaughtered her and cut off her head and four limbs and slit her belly, as ordered by the Jew; whereupon quoth he, ‘Enter her belly, till I sew it up on thee; and whatsoever thou seest therein, tell me of it, for this is the work whose wage thou hast taken.’ So Janshah entered the mare’s belly and the merchant sewed it up on him; then, withdrawing to a fair distance, hid himself. And after an hour a great bird swooped down from the lift and, snatching up the carcass in his pounces soared high toward the sky. Then he perched upon the mountain peak and would have eaten the prey, but Janshah sensing his intent took out his knife and slit the mare’s belly and came forth. The bird was scared at his sight and flew away, and Janshah went up to a place whence he could see below, and looking down, espied the merchant standing at the foot of the mountain, as he were a sparrow. So he cried out to him, ‘What is thy will, O merchant?’ Replied the Jew, ‘Throw me down of the stones that lie about thee, that I may direct thee in the way down.’ Quoth Janshah, ‘Thou art he who didst with me thus and thus five years ago, and through thee I suffered hunger and thirst and sore toil and much trouble; and now thou hast brought me hither once more and thinkest to destroy me. By Allah, I will not throw thee aught!’ So saying, he turned from him and set out for where lived Shaykh Nasr, the King of the Birds.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that “Janshah took the way for where lived Shaykh Nasr, the King of the Birds. And he ceased not faring on many days and nights, tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted; eating, when he was anhungered, of the growth of the ground and drinking, when he thirsted, of its streams, till he came in sight of the Castle of the lord Solomon and saw Shaykh Nasr sitting at the gate. So he hastened up to him and kissed his hands; and the Shaykh saluted him and bade him welcome and said to him, ‘O my son, what aileth thee that thou returnest to this place, after I sent thee home with the Princess Shamsah, cool of eyes and broad of breast?’ Janshah wept and told him all that had befallen him and how she had flown away from him, saying, ‘An thou love me, come to me in Takni, the Castle of Jewels;’ at which the old man marvelled and said, ‘By Allah, O my son, I know it not, nor, by the virtue of our lord Solomon, have I ever in my life heard its name!’ Quoth Janshah, ‘What shall I do? I am dying of love and longing.’ Quoth Shaykh Nasr, ‘Take patience until the coming of the birds, when we will enquire at them of Takni, the Castle of Jewels; haply one of them shall wot thereof.’ So Janshah’s heart was comforted and, entering the Palace, he went straight to the chamber which gave upon the Lake in which he had seen the three maidens. After this he abode with Shaykh Nasr for a while and, one day as he was sitting with him, the Shaykh said, ‘O my son, rejoice for the time of the birds’ coming draweth nigh.’ Janshah gladdened to hear the news; and after a few days the birds began to come and Shaykh Nasr said to him, ‘O my son, learn these names560 and address thyself with me to meet the birds.’ Presently, the fowls came flying up and saluted Shaykh Nasr, kind after kind, and he asked them of Takni, the Castle of Jewels, but they all made answer, ‘Never heard we of such a place.’ At these words Janshah wept and lamented till he swooned away; whereupon Shaykh Nasr called a huge volatile and said to him, ‘Carry this youth to the land of Kabul,’ and described to him the country and the way thither. Then he set Janshah on the bird’s back, saying, ‘Be careful to sit straight and beware of leaning to either side, else thou wilt be torn to pieces in the air; and stop thine ears from the wind, lest thou be dazed by the noise of the revolving sphere and the roaring of the seas.’ Janshah resolved to do his bidding and the bird took flight high in sky and flew with him a day and a night, till he set him down by the King of the Beasts, whose name was Shαh Badrν, and said to his rider, ‘We have gone astray from the way directed by Shaykh Nasr.’ And he would have taken him up again and flown on with him; but Janshah said, ‘Go thy ways and leave me here; till I die on this spot or I find Takni, the Castle of Jewels, I will not return to my country.’ So the fowl left him with Shah Badri, King of the Beasts and flew away. The King thereupon said to him, ‘O my son, who art thou and whence comest thou with yonder great bird?’ So Janshah told him his story from beginning to end, whereat Shah Badri marvelled and said, ‘By the virtue of the lord Solomon, I know not of this castle; but if any one of the beasts my subjects know it, we will reward him bountifully and send thee by him thither.’ Hereat Janshah wept bitterly but presently he took patience and abode with Shah Badri, and after a short time the King of the Beasts said to him, ‘O my son, take these tablets and commit to memory that which is therein; and when the beasts come, we will question them of the Castle of Jewels.’ “ — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
