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

“Look on the lute that ‘minds of Mangonel; * Whose strings are ropes that make each shot to tell:

And note the pipes that sound with shriek and cry, * The pipes that cast a fearful joyful spell;

Espy the flagons ranged in serried rank * And crops becrowned with wine that longs to well.”

But when Takna had finished her poetry Yusuf and Ibrahim were gladdened and the King bade largesse her with a sumptuous robe and a thousand dinars and she tossed off her cup and passed it to her successor the third handmaiden Mubdi’[FN#280] hight. She accepted it and setting it before her took the lute and smote it after manifold fashions and presently she spake these couplets, “Love with his painful pine doth rack this frame of me; * Melts heart and maims my vitals cruel agony; And rail my tears like cloud that rains the largest drops; And fails my hand to find what seek I fain to see: Thee I conjure, O Y�suf, by Him made thee King O Sahl-son, Oh our dearest prop, our dignity,

This man methinks hath come to part us lovers twain * For in his eyes I see the flame of jealousy.”

And when Mubdi’ had sung her song, Ibrahim the Cup-companion and King Yusuf smiled and rejoiced and anon there befel them what there befel and the two slipt down aswoon;—And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying 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 Sovran suffer me to survive?”

Now when it was the next night and that was The Seven Hundred and Third 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 King Yusuf and Ibrahim the Cup-companion hearing the song sung by Mubdi’, the third handmaiden, both fell to the floor aswoon; and when they revived after an hour or so, Ibrahim largessed to her one thousand dinars and a robe purfled with glistening gold. Then she drained her cup and crowning it again passed it to her compeer whose name was Nas�m[FN#281] and who took it and set it in front of her. Then hending in hand the lute she played upon it with manifold modes and lastly spake these couplets, “O Blamer, blaming me for draining lonely wine, * Stint carping, I this day to Holy War incline:

Oh fair reflection she within her wine-cup shows Her sight makes spirit dullest earthly flesh refine: How mention her? By Allah ‘tis forbid in writ To note the meaner charms in Eden-garth divine.”

When the fourth handmaiden had ended her verse, Ibrahim gifted her with one thousand dinars and presented a sumptuous robe to her owner, then she drank off her cup and passed it to her compeer hight Al-Badr[FN#282] and she sang the following lines, “One robbed of heart amid song and wine * And Love that smiteth with babe of eyne:

His voice to the lute shall make vitals pain * And the wine shall heal all his pangs and pine:

Hast e’er seen the vile drawing near such draught * Or miser close-fisted thereto incline?

The wine is set free in the two-handed jar[FN#283] * Like sun of summer in Aries’ sign.

When she had finished Ibrahim bade reward her like the rest with gold and gear and she passed her cup to her compeer whose name was Rad�h.[FN#284] The sixth handmaiden drained it and performed in four-and-twenty modes after which she sang these couplets, “O thou wine-comrade languor cease to show; * Hand me the morning draught and ne’er foreslow;

And prize fair poesy and sweet musick hear * And shun the ‘say’

and naught of ‘said’ beknow:

The wine of day-dawn drunk with joyous throng * From house of Reason garreth Grief to go:

The man of Kays aye loved his wine right well * And from his lips made honey’d verse to flow;

And in like guise[FN#285] came Isa singing sweet * For such was custom of the long-ago.

When Radah ended her verse and her improvising of mysterious significance, and secret, King Yusuf and Ibrahim the Cup-companion tore their robes from their bodies until naught remained upon them save only the bag-breeches about their waists.

Then the twain shrieked aloud and at one moment and they fell fainting to the floor, unheeding the world and their own selves from the excess of that was in their heads of wine and hearing of poetry spoken by the slave-girl. They remained in such condition for a while of time, after which they recovered though still amazed, a-drunken. Then they donned other dresses and sat down to listen as before, when Radah drained her goblet and filled and passed it to her compeer whose name was Na’�m;[FN#286] and she taking her lute, improvised the following verses, “My poesy-gem showeth clear of shine, * When appears that pearl with cheek coralline:

‘Tis marvel the cloud cannot quench the blaze * That fire in the heart and this water of eyne!

Then alas for Love who hath made me woe! * Pine that rends and racks limbs and vitals o’ mine:

O thou Well of Poetry well forth thy gems * O’er our drink when our cups overbrim with wine:

And sing in her presence, for Envy hath fled * And flies jealous spite and all joys combine.

Oh the charms of wine which enthral the mind, * Clear and clearing sprites by its sprite refined!”

When the seventh handmaiden had ended her verses, King Yusuf and Ibrahim rejoiced with exceeding joy and each of them bade gift her with a thousand gold pieces and quoth the courtier, “By Allah Almighty, none of the Emirs or of the Wazirs or of the Kings or of the Caliphs hath attained excellence like unto this handmaid.”

Hereupon Na’im passed her goblet to her compeer and she, whose name was Sur�r,[FN#287] tossed it off and taking in hand her lute, sang these couplets,

“How is’t with heart of me all cares waylay * As drowned in surging tears of Deluge-day?

I weep for Time endured not to us twain * As though Time’s honour did not oft betray.

O my lord Y�suf, O my ending hope, * By Him who made thee lone on Beauty’s way,

I dread lest glorious days us twain depart * And youth’s bright world be dimmed to old and grey;

O Lord! be Parting’s palm for us undyed[FN#288] * Ere death, nor carry this my lord away.”

When the eighth handmaiden had ended her song, the twain marvelled at her eloquence and were like to rend that was upon them of raiment—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 Seven Hundred and Fifth 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 goodwill!” 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 King Yusuf and Ibrahim the Cup-companion were like to rend that was upon them of raiment and they joyed with extreme joy after hearing what Surur had sung to them. Hereupon she passed her cup to her fellow, hight Zahrat al-Hayy,[FN#289] who took it and recited as follows,

“O cup-boy, I crave thee cup-comrade to be * And hearten my heart of its malady;

Nor pass me the bowls for I sorely dread * when drunken all dolours of Love-lowe to dree,

To be vilely reviled in the sittings of men, * To be frowardly treated where zephyrs play free.

God-blest is the Lute for her melodies * Which pain me with painfullest penalty,

With the jewels of speech whose transcendent charms * Like fires of Jah�m[FN#290] burn the vitals of me.

By Allah, show ruth, be compassionate, * For Allah deals pardon compassionately.

Yusuf and Ibrahim, hearing her words, were gladdened with excessive gladness and cried to the ninth handmaid, “May the lord be copious to thee like the fruitful years!” Then the Cup-companion bade gift her with one thousand gold pieces as likewise did her lord. Hereupon she passed her cup to the tenth handmaiden known as Muhjat al-Kul�b[FN#291] who fell to improvising these couplets,

“O Blamer, who canst not my case explain; * Cease, for who blame friends shall of blame complain;

And whoso unknoweth the workings of Love * Mankind shall reckon him mean and vain:

Alas for Love, O ye tribe-landers, I * Am weaned that wont nipples of union to drain.

I have learnt the whole of Love’s governance * Since my baby days amid cradles lain.

Forbear by Allah to ask of my state * How shall morn one banned with debtor bane?

O thou jewel of speech, O thou Y�suf, laud * To the Lord who robed thee with charms amain!

Deign the God of ‘Arsh make thy days endure * In wealth and honour sans pause or wane;

E’en as Ishak’s son[FN#292] every gift conjoined * Amid men, making rulers to serve him fain.”

When Muhjat al-Kulub ended her song, Yusuf gifted her with a splendid robe and a thousand gold pieces as eke did Ibrahim and presently the courtier said to the handmaiden, “Who is Ibrahim that thou shouldst sing of him in song?” She replied, “Wall�hi, O

my lord, he is son of Ishak, amongst the pleasant ones sans peer and a cup-companion to the Caliphs dear and the pearl concealed and the boon friend of our lord the Commander of the Faithful Al-Maam�n and his familiar who to him joy and enjoyment maketh known. Ah! happy the man who can look upon him and forgather with him and company with him before his death; and verily by Allah he is the Master of the Age and the one Wonder of the World.

Moreover, by the Almighty, O my lord, wert thou to see this lute fall into his hands, thou wouldst hear it converse in every language with the tongues of birds and beasts and of the sons of Adam: and well nigh would the place dance ere he had improvised a word. And he the horizons can make to joy and lovers with overlove can destroy, nor shall any after his decease such excellence of speech employ.” All this, and Muhjat al-Kulub knew not who was sitting beside them as she went on to praise Ibrahim.

Hereupon he took the lute from her hand and smote it till thou hadst deemed that within the instrument lurked babes of the Jinns[FN#293] which were crying and wailing while spake the strings, and in fine King Yusuf imagined that the palace had upflown with them between heaven and earth. And the handmaidens sang to his tunes in sore astonishment; when Ibrahim designed to talk but King