The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 15 - Sir Richard Francis Burton (world best books to read txt) 📗

Then, O my lord, an come thou not right soon * The tomb shall home me for the love of thee.”

And when she had written her reply, she largessed Ibn Ibrahim with an hundred dinars, after which he returned[FN#248] to the capital of Sind, where he found Yusuf issuing forth to hunt; so he handed to him the letter, and the Prince returning citywards set apart for him a fair apartment and spent the livelong night asking anent Al-Hayfa. And when it was morning he called for pencase and paper whereupon he wrote these improvised couplets, “You dealt to us a slender dole our love mote satisfy, * Yet nor my gratitude therefor nor laud of me shalt gain: I’m none of those console their hearts by couplets or by verse *

For breach of inner faith by one who liefly breaks the chain:

When so it fortunes she I love a partner gives to me * I wone in single bliss and let my lover love again: Take, then, what youth your soul desires; with him forgather, for I aim not at your inner gifts nor woo your charms I deign: You set for me a mighty check of parting and ill-will In public fashion and a-morn you dealt me bale and bane: Such deed is yours and ne’er shall it, by Allah satisfy * A boy, a slave of Allah’s slaves who still to slave is fain.”

Then Prince Yusuf robed Ibn Ibrahim in a robe of green; and giving him an hundred gold pieces, entrusted him with the letter which he carried to Al-Hayfa and handed it to her. She brake the seal and read it and considered its contents, whereupon she wept with sore weeping which ended in her shrieking aloud; and after she abode perplext as to her affair and for a time she found no sweetness in meat and drink, nor was sleep pleasant to her for the stress of her love-longing to Yusuf. Also her nature tempted her to cast herself headlong from the terrace of the Palace; but Ibn Ibrahim forbade her saying, “Do thou write to him replies, time after time; haply shall his heart be turned and he will return unto thee.” So she again called for writing materials and indited these couplets, which came from the very core of her heart,

“Thou art homed in a heart nothing else shall invade; * Save thy love and thyself naught shall stay in such stead; O thou, whose brilliancy lights his brow, Shaped like sandhill-tree with his locks for shade, Forbid Heaven my like to aught else incline Save you whose beauties none like display’d:

Art thou no amongst mortals a starless moon * O beauty the dazzle of day hath array’d?”

These she committed[FN#249] to Ibn Ibrahim who rode again on his route and forgathered with Prince Yusuf and gave him the letter, whose Contents were grievous to him; so he took writing materials and returned a reply in the following verses, “Cease then to carry missives others write, * O Son of Ibrahim, shun silly plight:

I’m healed of longing for your land and I * Those days forget and daysters lost to sight:

Let then Al-Hayf� learn from me I love * Distance from her and furthest earthly site.

No good in loving when a rival shows * E’en tho’ ‘twere victual shared by other wight;

These modes and fashions never mind arride * Save him unknowing of his requisite.

Then he entrusted the writ to Ibn Ibrahim, after giving him an hundred dinars, and he fared forth and ceased not faring till he had reached the palace of the Princess. Presently he went in and handed to her the writ, and as soon as she had read it, the contents seemed to her sore and she wept until her vitals were torn with sobs. After this she raised her hand[FN#250]

heavenwards and invoked Allah and humbled herself before him and said, “My God, O my Lord, do Thou soften the heart of Yusuf ibn Sahl and turn him mewards and afflict him with love of me even as thou hast afflicted me with his love; for Thou to whatso Thou wishest canst avail, O bestest of Rulers and O forcefullest of Aiders.” Anon she fell to writing and indited these verses, “Love rules my bosom and a-morn doth moan The Voice, ah Love, who shows strength weakness grown! His lashes’ rapier-blade hath rent my heart; That keen curved brand my me hath overthrown: That freshest cheek-rose fills me with desire: Fair fall who plucketh yonder bloom new-blown! Since love befel me for that youth did I Begin for charms of him my pride to own: O thou my hope, I swear by Him did share Love and decreed thou shouldst in longing wone, In so exceeding grief why sight I thee Jacob made Joseph by the loss of me?”

She then handed the letter to Ibn Ibrahim, after giving him an hundred dinars; and he returned forthright to the city of Sind and, repairing to Yusuf, gave him the writ which he took and read. Hereupon the Prince waxed sore sorrowful and said to himself, “By Allah, indeed Al-Hayfa cleaveth to love.”—And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was The Six Hundred and Ninety-first Night, Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that Prince Yusuf said, “By Allah, had Al-Hayfa any save myself she had not sent me these letters; but the outgoings of the heart conciliate lovers and correspond each with other.” Then he took writing materials and after thinking awhile he improvised these couplets, O thou of stature fair with waist full slight[FN#251] *

Surpassing sandhill-branch and reedlet light; I deal in words and gems of speech that melt, * By none ‘mid all of mortal kind indite;

From my tribe’s lord, a lion rending foes * Moon of Perfections and ‘The Yusuf’ hight:

Homed in thy home I joyed my joys with maids *

High-breasted,[FN#252] virgins weakening forceful sprite; Your songs and touch of lute ‘mid trembling wine * Consoled all sorrows, made all hearts delight,

Till you to other deign�d union grant * And I your nature learnt and learnt aright,

Whereat my vitals failed, sore bane befel, * Pine, disappointment, and injurious blight.

No virtue dwelleth in the fairest forms * But forms the fairest are by goodness dight.

How many a maiden deckt with crescent brow * Hath nature dealing injury and despite?

Man hath no merit save in kindly mind * And loquent tongue with light of wits unite.”[FN#253]

And when Yusuf had ended his poetry he presented an hundred dinars to Ibn Ibrahim, who took the letter and fell to cutting through the wilds and the wolds, after which he went in to the presence of Al-Hayfa and gave her the missive. She wept and wailed and cried, “O Ibn Ibrahim, this letter is indeed softer than all forewent it; and as thou hast brought it to me, O Ibn Ibrahim, I will largesse thee with two honourable robes of golden brocade and a thousand dinars.” So saying, she called for pencase and paper whereupon she indited these couplets, “O my lord, these words do my vitals destroy, * O thou gem of the earth and full moon a-sky!

How long this recourse to denial and hate * With heart whose hardness no rocks outvie?

Thou hast left my spirit in parting-pangs * And in fires of farness that flame on high:

How long shall I ‘plain of its inner pains? * Haps thy grace shall grant me reunion-joy:

Then pity, my vitals and whatso homed * Thy form within me before I die.

She then handed the paper to Ibn Ibrahim who again set out and sought the Prince and kissed his hand and gave him the letter; whereupon said he, “O Ibn Ibrahim, come not thou again bringing me aught of missive—ever or any more after this one.” Quoth Ibn Ibrahim, “Wherefore, O my lord, shall I not do on such wise?” and quoth Yusuf “Suffer her to learn the fates of menkind.” Said the other, “I conjure thee, by Allah Almighty, ho thou the King, inasmuch as thou art of the seed of mighty monarchs, disappoint her not of her question; and Allah upon thee, unless thou show pity to her heart it haply will melt away with melancholy and love and madness for thy sake; and all of this is for the truth of her affection.” Hereupon Yusuf smiled and taking up his pen wrote these couplets,

“Stay thy tears; for hindrance and parting hie, * And the endless of Empire aye glorify:

From my core of heart fly all cark and care * After parting that seemed all Time defy.

A Lion am I for the love of him * Whom the slanderer’s part ne’er can satisfy:

My mind and soul be this day with you * But my heart and thought are at enmity:

Thought and mind delight in Love’s cruelty * While heart and soul for reunion cry:

And if mind and thought e’er can overcome * Soul and heart, Reunion thou ne’er shalt ‘spy.”

And when Yusuf had finished his writing, he gifted Ibrahim with an hundred dinars and sent him again to Al-Hayfa with the letter, and she on receiving it shed tears and said, “O Ibn Ibrahim, seeing that his soul and heart be with us, Allah Almighty availeth to turn his thoughts and his fancy and the mind of him.”

Hereupon she took writing materials and wrote, “Calm, O my lord, thy vitals’ painful plight, * O thou whose semblance lighteth sooty night:

O gladding heart, O sweet of union, Oh * Whose charms the tribe in festal hours delight:

O high in honour passing height of Kings, * O thou with purest blood ‘mid Kings bedight,

Fear’st not the Throne[FN#254] of God (O hope of me!) * When harming heart whereon all pains alight?

Then deign thou grant me union, for such wise * Shall rest my heartstrings and dark care wax bright: From none, except that Lion O’ men Ali[FN#255] * Comes pardon proving to mankind his might.”

Then she passed her missive to Ibn Ibrahim giving him an hundred gold pieces and he pushed his pace till he reached the city of Sind, where he went in to Yusuf and kissed his hands and feet.

The Prince taking the letter smiled and laughed and said, “O Ibn Ibrahim, when Allah (be He extolled and exalted!) shall decree my faring I will fare to them[FN#256] within a short while; but do thou return and let know that I intend forgathering with them.”

Quoth the other, “Ah! O my lord, do thou indite her a reply, otherwise she will have no trust in me; so the Prince fell to penning these lines,

“My vitals restless bide for very jealousy * The while my heart must ever show unfriendly gree:

Yet I obeyed my heart and tore it out for him * Albe man ever holds