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

mind to company with him.” So he held his peace and forbore to press her and bade the waiting-women bring food and drink. Then he called the mockingbird but it knew not its lord and settled upon Masrur’s lap; and the Jew said to him, “O my master, what is thy name?” He answered, “My name is Masrur;” whereupon the Jew remembered that this was the name which his wife had repeated all night long in her sleep. Presently, he raised his head and saw her making signs[FN#348] with her forefingers to Masrur and motioning to him with her eyes, wherefore he knew that he had been completely cozened and cuckolded and said, “O my lord, excuse me awhile, till I fetch my kinsmen, so they may be present at our swearing brotherhood.” Quoth Masrur, “Do what seemeth good to thee;”

whereupon the Jew went forth the house and returning privily by a back way.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

 

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-third Night, She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Zayn alMawasif’s husband said to Masrur, “Excuse me awhile, till I fetch my cousins to witness the brother-bond between me and thee.” Then he went forth and, privily returning behind the sitting-room, there took his station hard by a window which gave upon the saloon and whence he could watch them without their seeing him. Suddenly quoth Zayn alMawasif to her maid Sukub, “Whither is thy master gone?”; and quoth she, “He is gone without the house.” Cried the mistress, “Lock the door and bar it with iron and open thou not till he knock, after thou hast told me.”

Answered Sukub, “So shall it be done.” Then, while her husband watched them, she rose and filling a cup with wine, flavoured with powdered musk and rosewater, went close to Masrur, who sprang up to meet her, saying, “By Allah, the water of thy mouth is sweeter than this wine!” “Here it is for thee,” said she and filling her mouth with wine, gave him to drink thereof, whilst he gave her the like to drink; after which she sprinkled him with rosewater from front to foot, till the perfume scented the whole place. All this while, the Jew was looking on and marvelling at the stress of love that was between them and his heart was filled with fury for what he saw and he was not only wroth, but jealous with exceeding jealousy. Then he went out again and coming to the door found it locked and knocked a loud knock of the excess of his rage; whereupon quoth Sukub, “O my lady, here is my master;”

and quoth Zayn alMawasif, “Open to him; would that Allah had not brought him back in safety!” So Sukub went and opened the door to the Jew, who said to her, “What ailed thee to lock the door?”

Quoth she, “It hath never ceased to be locked thus during thine absence; nor hath it been opened night nor day;” and cried he, “Thou hast done well; this pleaseth me.” Then he went in to Masrur, laughing and dissembling his chagrin, and said to him, “O

Masrur, let us put off the conclusion of our pact of brotherhood this day and defer it to another.” Replied Masrur, “As thou wilt,” and hied him home, leaving the Jew pondering his case and knowing not what to do; for his heart was sore troubled and he said in himself, “Even the mockingbird disowneth me and the slavegirls shut the door in my face and favour another.” And of his exceeding chagrin, he fell to reciting these couplets, “Masrur joys life made fair by all delight of days, * Fulfilled of boons, while mine the sorest grief displays.

The Days have falsed me in the breast of her I love And in my heart are fires which all-consuming blaze: Yea, Time was clear for thee, but now ‘tis past and gone While yet her lovely charms thy wit and senses daze: Espied these eyes of mine her gifts of loveliness: * Oh, hard my case and sore my woe on spirit weighs!

I saw the maiden of the tribe deal rich old wine * Of lips like Salsab�l to friend my love betrays: E’en so, O mockingbird, thou dost betray my breast And to a rival teachest Love and lover-ways: Strange things indeed and wondrous saw these eyne of me Which were they sleepdrowned still from Sleep’s abyss would raise: I see my best belov�d hath forsworn my love * And eke like my mockingbird fro’ me a-startled strays.

By truth of Allah, Lord of Worlds who, whatso wills * His Fate, for creatures works and none His hest gainsays, Forsure I’ll deal to that ungodly wight his due * Who but to sate his wicked will her heart withdrew!”

 

When Zayn alMawasif heard this, her side-muscles trembled and quoth she to her handmaid, “Heardest thou those lines?”; whereupon quoth the girl, “I never heard him in my born days recite the like of these verses; but let him say what he will.”

Then having assured himself of the truth of his suspicions, the Jew began to sell all his property, saying to himself, “Unless I part them by removing her from her mother land the twain will not turn back from this that they are engaged in, no, never!” So, when he had converted all his possessions into coin, he forged a letter and read it to Zayn alMawasif, declaring that it had come from his kinsmen, who invited him to visit them, him and his wife. She asked, “How long shall we tarry with them?” and he answered, “Twelve days.” Accordingly she consented to this and said, “Shall I take any of my maids with me?”; whereto he replied, “Take Hubub and Sukub and leave Khutub here.” Then he made ready a handsome camel-litter[FN#349] for his spouse and her women and prepared to set out with them; whilst she sent to her leman, telling him what had betided her and saying, “O Masrur, an the trysting-time[FN#350] that is between us pass and I come not back, know that he hath cheated and cozened us and planned a plot to separate us each from other, so forget thou not the plighted faith betwixt us, for I fear that he hath found out our love and I dread his craft and perfidy.” Then, whilst her man was busy about his march she fell a-weeping and lamenting and no peace was left her, night or day. Her husband saw this, but took no note thereof; and when she saw there was scant help for it, she gathered together her clothes and gear and deposited them with her sister, telling her what had befallen her. Then she farewelled her and going out from her, drowned in tears, returned to her own house, where she found her husband had brought the camels and was busy loading them, having set apart the handsomest dromedary for her riding, and when she saw this and knew that needs must she be separated from Masrur, she waxt clean distraught. Presently it chanced that the Jew went out on some business of his; so she fared forth to the first or outer door and wrote thereon these couplets,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

 

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night, She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn alMawasif saw her spouse summon the camels and knew that the march needs must be, she waxt clean distraught. Presently it chanced that the Jew went out on some business so she fared forth to the first door and wrote thereon these couplets, “Bear our salams, O Dove, from this our stead * From lover to beloved far sever�d!

Bid him fro’ me ne’er cease to yearn and mourn * O’er happy days and hours for ever fled:

Eke I in grief shall ever mourn and yearn, * Dwelling on days of love and lustihead;

Long was our joyance, seeming aye to last, * When night and morning to reunion led;

Till croaked the Raven[FN#351] of the Wold one day * His cursed croak and did our union dead.

We sped and left the homestead dark and void * Its gates unpeopled and its dwellers sped.”

 

Then she went to the second door and wrote thereon these couplets,

 

“O who passest this doorway, by Allah, see * The charms of my fere in the glooms and make plea

For me, saying, �I think of the Past and weep * Yet boot me no tears flowing full and free.’

Say, �An fail thee patience for what befel * Scatter earth and dust on the head of thee!

And o’er travel lands East and West, and deem * God sufficeth thy case, so bear patiently!’”

 

Then she went to the third door and wept sore and thereon wrote these couplets,

 

“Fare softly, Masr�r! an her sanctuary * Thou seek, and read what a-door writ she.

Ne’er forget Love-plight, if true man; how oft * Hast savoured Nights’ bitter and sweetest gree!

O Masr�r! forget not her neighbourhood * For wi’ thee must her gladness and joyance flee!

But beweep those dearest united days * When thou camest veil�d in secresy;

Wend for sake of us over farthest wone; * Span the wold for us, for us dive in sea;

Allah bless the past days! Ah, how glad they were * When in Gardens of Fancy the flowers pluckt we!

The nights of Union from us are fled * And parting-glooms dim their radiancy;

Ah! had this lasted as hop�d we, but * He left only our breasts and the rosery.

Will revolving days on Reunion dawn? * Then our vow to the Lord shall accomplisht be.

Learn thou our lots are in hand of Him * Who on lines of skull[FN#352] writes our destiny!”

 

Then she wept with sore weeping and returned to the house, wailing and remembering what had passed and saying, “Glory be to God who hath decreed to us this!” And her affliction redoubled for severance from her beloved and her departure from her motherland, and she recited these couplets, “Allah’s peace on thee, House of Vacancy! * Ceased in thee all our joys, all our jubilee.

O thou Dove of the homestead, ne’er cease to bemoan Whose moons and full moons[FN#353] sorest severance dree: Masr�r, fare softly and mourn our loss; Loving thee our eyes lose their brilliancy:

Would thy sight had seen, on our marching day, * Tears shed by a heart in Hell’s flagrancy!

Forget not the plight in the garth-shade pledged * When we sat enveil�d in privacy:”

 

Then she presented herself before her husband, who lifted her into the litter he had let make for her; and, when she found herself on the camel’s back, she recited these couplets, “The Lord, empty House! to thee peace decree * Long we bore therein growth of misery:

Would my life-thread were shorn in that safe abode * And o’ night I had died in mine ecstasy!

Home-sickness I mourn, and my strangerhood * Irks my soul, nor the riddle of future I ree.

Would I wot shall I ever that house resee * And find it, as erst, home of joy and glee!”

 

Said her husband, “O Zayn alMawasif grieve not for thy departure from thy dwelling; for thou shalt return to it ere long Inshallah!” And he went on to comfort her heart and soothe her sorrow. Then all set out and fared on till they came without the town and struck into the high road, whereupon she knew that separation was certain and this was very grievous to her. And