The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 8 - Sir Richard Francis Burton (best e reader for epub .TXT) 📗

to thee a black Shaykh, clad all in sable, with a long white beard, flowing down to his navel. As soon as thou seest him, kiss his hands and seize his skirt and lay it on thy head and weep before him, till he take pity on thee and he will ask thee what thou wouldst have. When he saith to thee, ‘What is thy want?’ give him this scroll which he will take without speaking and go in and leave thee. Wait at the door other five days, without wearying, and on the sixth day expect him; and if he come out to thee himself, know that thy wish will be won, but, if one of his pages come forth to thee, know that he who cometh forth to thee, purposeth to kill thee; and—the Peace![FN#110] For know, O my son, that whoso self imperilleth doeth himself to death;”—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

 

When it was the Eight Hundred and First Night, She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that after handing the scroll to Hasan, Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus told him what would befal him and said, “Whoso self imperilleth doeth himself to death; but also who ventureth naught advantageth naught.

However an thou fear for thy life, cast it not into danger of destruction; but, an thou fear not, up and do thy will, for I have expounded to thee the whole case. Yet shouldest thou be minded to return to thy friends, the elephant is still here and he will carry thee to my nieces, who will restore thee to thy country and return thee to thy home, and Allah will vouchsafe thee a better than this girl, of whom thou art enamoured.” Hasan answered the Shaykh, saying, “And how shall life be sweet to me, except I win my wish? By Allah, I will never turn back, till I regain my beloved or my death overtake me!” And he wept and recited these couplets,

 

“For loss of lover mine and stress of love I dree, * I stood bewailing self in deep despondency.

Longing for him, the Spring-camp’s dust I kissed and kissed, *

But this bred more of grief and galling reverie.

God guard the gone, who in our hearts must e’er abide * With nearing woes and joys which still the farther flee.

They say me, ‘Patience!’ But they bore it all away: * On parting-day, and left me naught save tormentry.

And naught affrighted me except the word he said, * ‘Forget me not when gone nor drive from memory.’

To whom shall turn I? hope in whom when you are lost? * Who were my only hopes and joys and woes of me?

But ah, the pang of home-return when parting thus! * How joyed at seeing me return mine enemy.

Then well-away! this ‘twas I guarded me against! * And ah, thou lowe of Love double thine ardency![FN#111]

An fled for aye my friends I’ll not survive the flight; * Yet an they deign return, Oh joy! Oh ecstacy!

Never, by Allah tears and weeping I’ll contain * For loss of you, but tears on tears and tears will rain.”

 

When Abd al-Kaddus heard his verse he knew that he would not turn back from his desire nor would words have effect on him, and was certified that naught would serve him but he must imperil himself, though it lose him his life. So he said to him, “Know, O my son, that the Islands of Wak are seven islands, wherein is a mighty host, all virgin girls, and the Inner Isles are peopled by Satans and Marids and warlocks and various tribesmen of the Jinn; and whoso entereth their land never returneth thence; at least none hath done so to this day. So, Allah upon thee, return presently to thy people, for know that she whom thou seekest is the King’s daughter of all these islands: and how canst thou attain to her? Hearken to me, O my son, and haply Allah will vouchsafe thee in her stead a better than she.” “O my lord,”

answered Hasan, though for the love of her I were cut in pieces yet should I but redouble in love and transport! There is no help but that I enter the Wak Islands and come to the sight of my wife and children; and Inshallah, I will not return save with her and with them.” Said the Shaykh, “Then nothing will serve thee but thou must make the journey?” Hasan replied “Nothing! and I only ask of thee thy prayers for help and aidance; so haply Allah will reunite me with my wife and children right soon.” Then he wept for stress of longing and recited these couplets, “You are my wish, of creatures brightest-light * I deem you lief as hearing, fain as sight:

You hold my heart which hath become your home * And since you left me, lords, right sore’s my plight: Then think not I have yielded up your love, * Your love which set this wretch in fierce affright:

You went and went my joy whenas you went; * And waned and wax’ed wan the brightest light:

You left me lone to watch the stars in woe: * Railing tears likest rain-drops infinite.

Thou’rt longsome to the wight, who pining lies * On wake, moon-gazing through the night,

O Night! Wind! an thou pass the tribe where they abide * Give them my greeting, life is fain of flight.

And tell them somewhat of the pangs I bear: * The loved one kenneth not my case aright.”

 

Then he wept with sore weeping till he fainted away; and when he came to himself, Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus said to him, “O my son, thou hast a mother; make her not taste the torment of thy loss.”

Hasan replied, “By Allah, O my lord, I will never return except with my wife, or my death shall overtake me.” And he wept and wailed and recited these couplets,

 

“By Love’s right! naught of farness thy slave can estrange * Nor am I one to fail in my fealty:

I suffer such pains did I tell my case * To folk, they’d cry, ‘Madness! clean witless is he!’

Then ecstasy, love-longing, transport and lowe! * Whose case is such case how shall ever he be?”

 

With this the old man knew that he would not turn from his purpose, though it cost him his life; so he handed him the scroll and prayed for him and charged him how he should do, saying “I have in this letter given a strict charge concerning thee to Ab�

al-Ruwaysh,[FN#112] son of Bilk�s, daughter of Mu’in, for he is my Shaykh and my teacher, and all, men and Jinn, humble themselves to him and stand in awe of him. And now go with the blessing of God.” Hasan forthright set out giving the horse the rein, and it flew off with him swiftlier than lightning, and stayed not in its course ten days, when he saw before him a vast loom black as night, walling the world from East to West. As he neared it, the stallion neighed under him, whereupon there flocked to it horses in number as the drops of rain, none could tell their tale or against them prevail, and fell to rubbing themselves against it. Hasan was affrighted at them and fared forwards surrounded by the horses, without drawing rein till he came to the cavern which Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus had described to him. The steed stood still at the door and Hasan alighted and bridged the bridle over the saddle-bow[FN#113]; whereupon the steed entered the cavern, whilst the rider abode without, as the old man had charged him, pondering the issue of his case in perplexity and distraction and unknowing what would befal him.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

 

When it was the Eight Hundred and Second Night, She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Hasan, dismounting from the steed, stood at the cavernmouth pondering the issue of his case and unknowing what might befal him. He abode standing on the same spot five days with their nights, sleepless, mournful, tearful-eyed; distracted, perplexed, pondering his severance from home and family, comrades and friends, with weeping eyelids and heavy heart. Then he bethought him of his mother and of what might yet happen to him and of his separation from his wife and children and of all that he had suffered, and he recited these couplets, “With you is my heart-cure a heart that goes; * And from hill-foot of eyelids the tear-rill flows: And parting and sorrow and exile and dole And farness from country and throe that o’erthrows: Naught am I save a lover distracted by love, Far parted from loved one and wilted by woes.

And ‘tis Love that hath brought me such sorrow, say where * Is the noble of soul who such sorrow unknows?”

 

Hardly had Hasan made an end of his verses, when out came the Shaykh Abu al-Ruwaysh, a blackamoor and clad in black raiment, and at first sight he knew him by the description that Abd al-Kaddus had given him. He threw himself at his feet and rubbed his cheeks on them and seizing his skirt, laid it on his head and wept before him. Quoth the old man, “What wantest thou, O my son?” Whereupon he put out his hand to him with the letter, and Abu al-Ruwaysh took it and reentered the cavern, without making him any answer. So Hasan sat down at the cave-mouth in his place other five days as he had been bidden, whilst concern grew upon him and terror redoubled on him and restlessness gat hold of him, and he fell to weeping and bemoaning himself for the anguish of estrangement and much watching. And he recited these couplets, “Glory to Him who guides the skies! * The lover sore in sorrow lies.

Who hath not tasted of Love’s food * Knows not what mean its miseries.

Did I attempt to stem my tears * Rivers of blood would fount and rise.

How many an intimate is hard * Of heart, and pains in sorest wise!

An she with me her word would keep, * Of tears and sighs I’d fain devise,

But I’m forgone, rejected quite * Ruin on me hath cast her eyes.

At my fell pangs fell wildlings weep * And not a bird for me but cries.”

 

Hasan ceased not to weep till dawn of the sixth day, when Shaykh Abu al-Ruwaysh came forth to him, clad in white raiment, and with his hand signed[FN#114] to him to enter. So he went in, rejoicing and assured of the winning of his wish, and the old man took him by the hand and leading him into the cavern, fared on with him half a day’s journey, till they reached an arched doorway with a door of steel. The Shaykh opened the door and they two entered a vestibule vaulted with onyx stones and arabesqued with gold, and they stayed not walking till they came to a great hall and a wide, paved and walled with marble. In its midst was a flower-garden containing all manner trees and flowers and fruits, with birds warbling on the boughs and singing the praises of Allah the Almighty Sovran; and there were four daises, each facing other, and in each dais a jetting fountain, at whose corners stood lions of red gold, spouting gerbes from their mouths into the basin. On each dais stood a chair, whereon sat an elder, with exceeding store of books before him[FN#115] and censers of gold, containing fire and perfumes, and before each elder were students, who read the books to him.