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

saith right well, “The Jujube-tree each Day * Robeth in bright array.

As though each pome thereon * Would self to sight display.

Like falcon-bell of gold * Swinging from every spray.”

 

And in that garth grew blood oranges, as they were the Khaulanj�n,[FN#402] whereof quoth the enamoured poet,[FN#403]

 

“Red fruits that fill the hand, and shine with sheen * Of fire, albe the scarf-skin’s white as snow.

‘Tis marvel snow on fire doth never melt * And, stranger still, ne’er burns this living lowe!”

 

And quoth another and quoth well,

 

“And trees of Orange fruiting ferly fair * To those who straitest have their charms surveyed;

Like cheeks of women who their forms have decked * For holiday in robes of gold brocade.”

 

And yet another as well,

 

“Like are the Orange-hills[FN#404] when Zephyr breathes * Swaying the boughs and spray with airy grace, Her cheeks that glow with lovely light when met * At greeting-tide by cheeks of other face.”

 

And a fourth as fairly,

 

“And fairest Fawn, we said to him ‘Portray * This garth and oranges thine eyes survey:’

And he, ‘Your garden favoureth my face * Who gathereth orange gathereth fire alway.’”

 

In that garden too grew citrons, in colour as virgin gold, hanging down from on high and dangling among the branches, as they were ingots of growing gold;[FN#405] and saith thereof the ‘namoured poet,

 

“Hast seen a Citron-copse so weighed adown * Thou fearest bending roll their fruit on mould;

And seemed, when Zephyr passed athwart the tree * Its branches hung with bells of purest gold?”

 

And shaddocks,[FN#406] that among their boughs hung laden as though each were the breast of a gazelle-like maiden, contenting the most longing wight, as saith of them the poet and saith aright,

 

“And Shaddock mid the garden-paths, on bough * Freshest like fairest damsel met my sight;

And to the blowing of the breeze it bent * Like golden ball to bat of chrysolite.”

 

And the lime sweet of scent, which resembleth a hen’s egg, but its yellowness ornamenteth its ripe fruit, and its fragrance hearteneth him who plucketh it, as saith the poet who singeth it, “Seest not the Lemon, when it taketh form, * Catch rays of light and all to gaze constrain;

Like egg of pullet which the huckster’s hand * Adorneth dyeing with the saffron-stain?”

 

Moreover in this garden were all manner of other fruits and sweet-scented herbs and plants and fragrant flowers, such as jessamine and henna and water-lilies[FN#407] and spikenard[FN#408] and roses of every kind and plantain[FN#409]

and myrtle and so forth; and indeed it was without compare, seeming as it were a piece of Paradise to whoso beheld it. If a sick man entered it, he came forth from it like a raging lion, and tongue availeth not to its description, by reason of that which was therein of wonders and rarities which are not found but in Heaven: and how should it be otherwise when its doorkeeper’s name was Rizman? Though widely different were the stations of those twain! Now when the sons of the merchants had walked about gazing at the garden after taking their pleasure therein, they say down in one of its pavilions and seated Nur al-Din in their midst.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

 

When it was the Eight Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night, She resume, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the sons of the merchants sat down in the pavilion they seated Nur al-Din in their midst on a rug of gold-purfled leather of Al-T�if,[FN#410] leaning on a pillow[FN#411] of minever, stuffed with ostrich down. And they gave him a fan of ostrich feathers, whereon were written these two couplets, “A fan whose breath is fraught with fragrant scent; * Minding of happy days and times forspent,

Wafting at every time its perfumed air * O’er face of noble youth on honour bent.”

 

Then they laid by their turbands and outer clothes and sat talking and chatting and inducing one another to discourse, while they all kept their eyes fixed on Nur al-Din and gazed on his beauteous form. After the sitting had lasted an hour or so, up came a slave with a tray on his head, wherein were platters of china and crystal containing viands of all sorts (for one of the youths had so charged his people before coming to the garden); and the meats were of whatever walketh earth or wingeth air or swimmeth waters, such as Kat�-grouse and fat quails and pigeon-poults and mutton and chickens and the delicatest fish.

So, the tray being sat before them, they fell to and ate their fill; and when they had made an end of eating, they rose from meat and washed their hands with pure water and musk-scented soap, and dried them with napery embroidered in silk and bugles; but to Nur al-Din they brought a napkin laced with red gold whereon he wiped his hands. Then coffee[FN#412] was served up and each drank what he would, after which they sat talking, till presently the garden-keeper who was young went away and returning with a basket full of roses, said to them, “What say ye, O my masters, to flowers?” Quoth one of them, “There is no harm in them,[FN#413] especially roses, which are not to be resisted.”

Answered the gardener, “‘Tis well, but it is of our wont not to give roses but in exchange for pleasant converse; so whoever would take aught thereof, let him recite some verses suitable to the situation.” Now they were ten sons of merchants of whom one said, “Agreed: give me thereof and I will recite thee somewhat of verse apt to the case.” Accordingly the gardener gave him a bunch of roses[FN#414] which he took and at once improvised these three couplets,

 

“The Rose in highest stead I rate * For that her charms ne’er satiate;

All fragrant flow’rs be troops to her * Their general of high estate:

Where she is not they boast and vaunt; * But, when she comes, they stint their prate.”

 

Then the gardener gave a bunch to another and he recited these two couplets,

 

“Take, O my lord, to thee the Rose * Recalling scent by mush be shed.

Like virginette by lover eyed * Who with her sleeves[FN#415]

enveileth head.”

 

Then he gave a bunch to a third who recited these two couplets, “Choice Rose that gladdens heart to see her sight; * Of Nadd recalling fragrance exquisite.

The branchlets clip her in her leaves for joy, * Like kiss of lips that never spake in spite.”

 

Then he gave a bunch to a fourth and he recited these two couplets,

 

“Seest not that rosery where Rose a-flowering displays * Mounted upon her steed of stalk those marvels manifold?

As though the bud were ruby-stone and girded all around * With chrysolite and held within a little hoard of gold.”

 

Then he gave a posy to a fifth and he recited these two couplets, “Wands of green chrysolite bare issue, which * Were fruits like ingots of the growing gold.[FN#416]

And drops, a dropping from its leaves, were like * The tears my languorous eyelids railed and rolled.”

 

Then he gave a sixth a bunch and he recited these two couplets, “O Rose, thou rare of charms that dost contain * All gifts and Allah’s secrets singular,

Thou’rt like the loved one’s cheek where lover fond * And fain of Union sticks the gold dinar.”[FN#417]

 

Then he gave a bunch to a seventh and he recited these two couplets,

 

“To Rose quoth I, ‘What gars thy thorns to be put forth * For all who touch thee cruellest injury?’

Quoth she, ‘These flowery troops are troops of me * Who be their lord with spines for armoury.’”

 

And he gave an eighth a bunch and he recited these two couplets, “Allah save the Rose which yellows a-morn * Florid, vivid and likest the nugget-ore;

And bless the fair sprays that displayed such fowers * And mimic suns gold-begilded bore.”

 

Then he gave a bunch to a ninth and he recited these two couplets,

 

“The bushes of golden-hued Rose excite * In the lovesick lover joys manifold:

‘Tis a marvel shrub watered every day * With silvern lymph and it fruiteth gold.”

 

Then he gave a bunch of roses to the tenth and last and he recited these two couplets,

 

“Seest not how the hosts of the Rose display * Red hues and yellow in rosy field?

I compare the Rose and her arming thorn * To emerald lance piercing golden shield.”

 

And whilst each one hent bunch in hand, the gardener brought the wine-service and setting it before them, on a tray of porcelain arabesqued with red gold, recited these two couplets, “Dawn heralds day-light: so wine pass round, * Old wine, fooling sage till his wits he tyne:

Wot I not for its purest clarity * An ‘tis wine in cup or ‘tis cup in wine.”[FN#418]

 

Then the gardener filled and drank and the cup went round, till it came to Nur al-Din’s turn, whereupon the man filled and handed it to him; but he said, “This thing I wot it not nor have I ever drunken thereof, for therein is great offence and the Lord of All-might hath forbidden it in His Book.” Answered the gardener, “O my Lord Nur al-Din, an thou forbear to drink only by reason of the sin, verily Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) is bountiful, of sufferance great, forgiving and compassionate and pardoneth the mortalest sins: His mercy embraceth all things, Allah’s ruth be upon the poet who saith,

 

‘Be as thou, wilt, for Allah is bountiful * And when thou sinnest feel thou naught alarm:

But ‘ware of twofold sins nor ever dare * To give God partner or mankind to harm.’”

 

Then quoth one of the sons of the merchants, “My life on thee, O

my lord Nur al-Din, drink of this cup!” And another conjured him by the oath of divorce and yet another stood up persistently before him, till he was ashamed and taking the cup from the gardener, drank a draught, but spat it out again, crying, “‘Tis bitter.” Said the young gardener, “O my lord Nur al-Din, knowest thou not that sweets taken by way of medicine are bitter? Were this not bitter, ‘twould lack of the manifold virtues it possesseth; amongst which are that it digesteth food and disperseth cark and care and dispelleth flatulence and clarifieth the blood and cleareth the complexion and quickeneth the body and hearteneth the hen-hearted and fortifieth the sexual power in man; but to name all its virtues would be tedious. Quoth one of the poets,

 

‘We’ll drink and Allah pardon sinners all * And cure of ills by sucking cups I’ll find:

Nor aught the sin deceives me; yet said He * ‘In it there be advantage[FN#419] to mankind.’”

 

Then he sprang up without stay or delay and opened one of the cupboards in the pavilion and taking out a loaf of refined sugar, broke off a great slice which he put into Nur al-Din’s cup, saying, “O my lord, an thou fear to drink wine, because of its bitterness, drink now, for ‘tis sweet.” So he took the cup and emptied it: whereupon one of his comrades filled him another, saying, “O my lord Nur al-Din, I am thy slave,” and another did the like, saying, “I am one of thy servants,” and a third said, “For my sake!” and a fourth, “Allah upon thee, O my lord Nur al-Din, heal my heart!” And so they ceased not plying him with wine, each and