The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume VIII Part 12

And 'ware her Scorpions[FN#314] that o'er thee creep * And guard thy tongue lest thou vex her sprite."

Then the cup went round and when he emptied it he looked inside and saw written,

"And 'ware her Scorpions when pressing them, * And hide her secrets from foes' despight."

Whereupon Masrur laughed her-wards and she asked him, "What causeth thee to laugh?" "For the fulness of my joy," quoth he.

Presently, the breeze blew on her and the scarf[FN#315] fell from her head and discovered a fillet[FN#316] of glittering gold, set with pearls and gems and jacinths; and on her breast was a necklace of all manner ring-jewels and precious stones, to the centre of which hung a sparrow of red gold, with feet of red coral and bill of white silver and body full of Nadd-powder and pure ambergris and odoriferous musk. And upon its back was engraved,

"The Nadd is my wine-scented powder, my bread; * And the bosom's my bed and the b.r.e.a.s.t.s my stead: And my neck-nape complains of the weight of love, * Of my pain, of my pine, of my drearihead."

Then Masrur looked at the breast of her s.h.i.+ft and behold, thereon lay wroughten in red gold this verse,

"The fragrance of musk from the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of the fair * Zephyr borrows, to sweeten the morning air."

Masrur marvelled at this with exceeding wonder and was dazed by her charms and amazement gat hold upon him. Then said Zayn al-Mawasif to him, "Begone from us and go about thy business, lest the neighbours hear of us and even us with the lewd." He replied, "By Allah, O my lady, suffer my sight to enjoy the view of thy beauty and loveliness." With this she was wroth with him and leaving him, walked in the garden, and he looked at her s.h.i.+ft-sleeve and saw upon it embroidered these lines,

"The weaver-wight wrote with gold-ore bright * And her wrists on brocade rained a brighter light: Her palms are adorned with a silvern sheen; * And favour her fingers the ivory's white: For their tips are rounded like priceless pearl; * And her charms would enlighten the nightiest night."

And, as she paced the garth, Masrur gazed at her slippers and saw written upon them these pleasant lines,

"The slippers that carry these fair young feet * Cause her form to bend in its gracious bloom: When she paces and waves in the breeze she owns, * She s.h.i.+nes fullest moon in the murkiest gloom."

She was followed by her women leaving Hubub with Masrur by the curtain, upon whose edge were embroidered these couplets,

"Behind the veil a damsel sits with gracious beauty dight, *

Praise to the Lord who decked her with these inner gifts of sprite!

Guards her the garden and the bird fain bears her company; *

Gladden her wine-draughts and the bowl but makes her brighter-bright.

Apple and Ca.s.sia-blossom show their envy of her cheeks; * And borrows Pearl resplendency from her resplendent light; As though the sperm that gendered her were drop of marguerite[FN#317] * Happy who kisses her and spends in her embrace the night."

So Masrur entered into a long discourse with Hubub and presently said to her, "O Hubub, hath thy mistress a husband or not?" She replied, "My lady hath a husband; but he is actually abroad on a journey with merchandise of his." Now whenas he heard that her husband was abroad on a journey, his heart l.u.s.ted after her and he said, "O Hubub, glorified be He who created this damsel and fas.h.i.+oned her! How sweet is her beauty and her loveliness and her symmetry and perfect grace! Verily, into my heart is fallen sore travail for her. O Hubub, so do that I come to enjoy her, and thou shalt have of me what thou wilt of wealth and what not else." Replied Hubub, "O Nazarene, if she heard thee speak thus, she would slay thee, or else she would kill herself, for she is the daughter of a Zealot[FN#318] of the Jews nor is there her like amongst them: she hath no need of money and she keepeth herself ever cloistered, discovering not her case to any." Quoth Masrur, "O Hubub, an thou wilt but bring me to enjoy her, I will be to thee slave and foot page and will serve thee all my life and give thee whatsoever thou seekest of me." But quoth she, "O Masrur, in very sooth this woman hath no l.u.s.t for money nor yet for men, because my lady Zayn al-Mawasif is of the cloistered, going not forth her house-door in fear lest folk see her; and but that she bore with thee by reason of thy strangerhood, she had not permitted thee to pa.s.s her threshold; no, not though thou wert her brother." He replied, "O Hubub, be thou our go-between and thou shalt have of me an hundred gold dinars and a dress worth as much more, for that the love of her hath gotten hold of my heart." Hearing this she said, "O man, let me go about with her in talk and I will return thee and answer and acquaint thee with what she saith. Indeed, she loveth those who berhyme her and she affecteth those who set forth her charms and beauty and loveliness in verse, and we may not prevail over her save by wiles and soft speech and beguilement." Thereupon Hubub rose and going up to her mistress, accosted her with privy talk of this and that and presently said to her, "O my lady, look at yonder young man, the Nazarene; how sweet is his speech and how shapely his shape!" When Zayn al-Mawasif heard this, she turned to her and said, "An thou like his comeliness love him thyself. Art thou not ashamed to address the like of me with these words? Go, bid him begone about his business; or I will make it the worse for him." So Hubub returned to Masrur, but acquainted him not with that which her mistress had said. Then the lady bade her hie to the door and look if she saw any of the folk, lest foul befal them. So she went and returning, said, "O my lady, without are folk in plenty and we cannot let him go forth this night." Quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, "I am in dole because of a dream I have seen and am fearful therefrom." And Masrur said, "What sawest thou? Allah never trouble thy heart!" She replied, "I was asleep in the middle of the night, when suddenly an eagle swooped down upon me from the highest of the clouds and would have carried me off from behind the curtain, wherefore I was affrighted at him. Then I awoke from sleep and bade my women bring me meat and drink, so haply, when I had drunken, the dolour of the dream would cease from me." Hearing this, Masrur smiled and told her his dream from first to last and how he had caught the dove, whereat she marvelled with exceeding marvel. Then he went on to talk with her at great length and said, "I am now certified of the truth of my dream, for thou art the dove and I the eagle, and there is no hope but that this must be, for, the moment I set eyes on thee, thou tookest possession of my vitals and settest my heart a-fire for love of thee!" Thereupon Zayn al-Mawasif became wroth with exceeding wrath and said to him, "I take refuge with Allah from this! Allah upon thee, begone about thy business ere the neighbours espy thee and there betide us sore reproach," adding, "Harkye, man! Let not thy soul covet that it shall not obtain.

Thou weariest thyself in vain; for I am a merchant's wife and a merchant's daughter and thou art a druggist; and when sawest thou a druggist and a merchant's daughter conjoined by such sentiment?" He replied, "O my lady, never lacked love-liesse between folk[FN#319]; so cut thou not off from me hope of this and whatsoever thou seekest of me of money and raiment and ornaments and what not else, I will give thee." Then he abode with her in discourse and mutual blaming whilst she still redoubled in anger, till it was black night, when he said to her, "O my lady, take this gold piece and fetch me a little wine, for I am athirst and heavy hearted." So she said to the slave-girl Hubub, "Fetch him wine and take naught from him, for we have no need of his dinar." So she went whilst Masrur held his peace and bespake not the lady, who suddenly improvised these lines,

"Leave this thy design and depart, O man! * Nor tread paths where lewdness and crime trepan!

Love is a net shall enmesh thy sprite, * Make thee rise a-morning sad, weary and wan: For our spy thou shalt eke be the cause of talk; * And for thee shall blame me my tribe and clan: Yet scant I marvel thou lovest a Fair:-- * Gazelles hunting lions we aye shall scan!"

And he answered her with these,

"Joy of boughs, bright branch of Myrobalan! * Have ruth on the heart all thy charms unman: Death-cup to the dregs thou garrest me drain * And don weed of Love with its bane and ban: How can soothe I a heart which for stress of pine * Burns with living coals which my longings fan?"

Hearing these lines she exclaimed, "Away from me! Quoth the saw ?Whoso looseth his sight wearieth his sprite.' By Allah, I am tired of discourse with thee and chiding, and indeed thy soul coveteth that shall never become thine; nay, though thou gave me my weight in gold, thou shouldst not get thy wicked will of me; for, I know naught of the things of the world, save pleasant life, by the boon of Allah Almighty!" He answered, "O my lady Zayn al-Mawasif, ask of me what thou wilt of the goods of the world." Quoth she, "What shall I ask of thee? For sure thou wilt fare forth and prate of me in the highway and I shall become a laughing-stock among the folk and they will make a byword of me in verse, me who am the daughter of the chief of the merchants and whose father is known of the notables of the tribe. I have no need of money or raiment and such love will not be hidden from the people and I shall be brought to shame, I and my kith and kin." With this Masrur was confounded and could make her no answer; but presently she said, "Indeed, the master-thief, if he steal, stealeth not but what is worth his neck, and every woman who doth lewdness with other than her husband is styled a thief; so, if it must be thus and no help[FN#320], thou shalt give me whatsoever my heart desireth of money and raiment and ornaments and what not." Quoth he, "An thou sought of me the world and all its regions contain from its East to its West, 'twere but a little thing, compared with thy favour;" and quoth she, "I will have of thee three suits, each worth a thousand Egyptian dinars, and adorned with gold and fairly purfled with pearls and jewels and jacinths, the best of their kind. Furthermore I require that thou swear to me thou wilt keep my secret nor discover it to any and that thou wilt company with none but me; and I in turn will swear to thee a true oath that I will never false thee in love."

So he sware to her the oath she required and she sware to him, and they agreed upon this; after which she said to her nurse Hubub, "To-morrow go thou with Masrur to his lodging and seek somewhat of musk and ambergris and Nadd and rose-water and see what he hath. If he be a man of condition, we will take him into favour; but an he be otherwise we will leave him." Then said she to him, "O Masrur, I desire somewhat of musk and ambergris and aloes-wood and Nadd; so do thou send it me by Hubub;" and he answered, "With love and gladness; my shop is at thy disposal!"

Then the wine went round between them and their seance was sweet: but Masrur's heart was troubled for the pa.s.sion and pining which possessed him; and when Zayn alMawasif saw him in this plight, she said to her slave-girl Sukub, "Arouse Masrur from his stupor; mayhap he will recover." Answered Sukub, "Hearkening and obedience," and sang these couplets,

"Bring gold and gear an a lover thou, * And hymn thy love so success shalt row; Joy the smiling fawn with the black-edged eyne * And the bending lines of the Ca.s.siabough: On her look, and a marvel therein shalt sight, * And pour out thy life ere thy life-term show: Love's affect be this, an thou weet the same; * But, an gold deceive thee, leave gold and go!"

Hereupon Masrur understood her and said, "I hear and apprehend.

Never was grief but after came relief, and after affliction dealing He will order the healing." Then Zayn al-Mawasif recited these couplets,

"From Love-stupor awake, O Masrur, 'twere best; * For this day I dread my love rend thy breast; And to-morrow I fear me folks' marvel-tale * Shall make us a byword from East to West: Leave love of my like or thou'lt gain thee blame; * Why turn thee us-wards? Such love's unblest!

For one strange of lineage whose kin repel * Thou shalt wake ill-famed, of friends dispossest: I'm a Zealot's child and affright the folk: * Would my life were ended and I at rest!"

Then Masrur answered her improvisation and began to say these lines,

"To grief leave a heart that to love ne'er ceased; * Nor blame, for your blame ever love increased: You misrule my vitals in tyrant-guise; * Morn and Eve I wend not or West or East; Love's law forbids me to do me die; * They say Love's victim is ne'er released: Well-away! Could I find in Love's Court a judge * I'd 'plain and win to my rights at least."

They ceased not from mutual chiding till morning morrowed, when Zayn al-Mawasif said, "O Masrur 'tis time for thee to depart, lest one of the folk see thee and foul befal us twain." So he arose and accompanied by nurse Hubub fared on, till they came to his lodging, where he talked with her and said to her, "All thou seekest of me is ready for thee, so but thou wilt bring me to enjoy her." Hubub replied, "Hearten thy heart;" whereupon he rose and gave her an hundred dinars, saying "O Hubub, I have by me a dress worth an hundred gold pieces." Answered she, "O Masrur, make haste with the trinkets and other things promised her, ere she change her mind, for we may not take her, save with wile and guile, and she loveth the saying of verse." Quoth he, "Hearing and obeying," and bringing her the musk and ambergris and lign-aloes and rosewater, returned with her to Zayn al-Mawasif and saluted her. She returned his salam with the sweetest speech, and he was dazed by her beauty and improvised these lines,

"O thou sheeniest Sun who in night dost s.h.i.+ne! * O who stole my soul with those large black eyne!

O slim-shaped fair with the graceful neck! * O who shamest Rose wi' those checks o' thine!

Blind not our sight wi' thy fell disdain, * Disdain, that shall load us with pain and pine; Pa.s.sion homes in our inmost, nor will be quenched * The fire of yearning in vitals li'en: Your love has housed in heart of me * And of issue but you see I ne'er a sign: Then haply you'll pity this hapless wight * Thy sad lover and then--O the Morn divine!"

When Zayn al-Mawasif heard his verses, she cast at him a glance of eyes, that bequeathed him a thousand regrets and sighs and his wits and soul were ravished in such wise, and answered him with these couplets[FN#321],

"Think not from her, of whom thou art enamoured aye * To win delight; so put desire from thee away.

Leave that thou hop'st, for 'gainst her rigours whom thou lov'st * Among the fair, in vain is all thou canst essay.

My looks to lovers bring discomfiture and woe: Indeed, * I make no count of that which thou dost say."

When Masrur heard this, he hardened his heart and took patience, concealing his case and saying in himself, "There is nothing for it against calamity save longsuffering;" and after this fas.h.i.+on they abode till nightfall when Zayn al-Mawasif called for food and they set before her a tray wherein were all manner of dishes, quails and pigeons and mutton and so forth, whereof they ate their sufficiency. Then she bade take away the tables and they did so and fetched the lavatory gear; and they washed their hands, after which she ordered her women to bring the candlesticks, and they set on candelabra and candles therein of camphorated wax. Thereupon quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, "By Allah, my breast is straitened this night and I am afevered;" and quoth Masrur, "Allah broaden thy breast and banish thy bane!" Then she said, "O Masrur, I am used to play at chess: say me, knowest aught of the game?" He replied, "Yes; I am skilled therein;"

whereupon she commanded her handmaid Hubub fetch her the chessboard. So she went away and presently returning with the board, set it before her, and behold, it was of ivory-marquetried ebony with squares marked in glittering gold, and its pieces of pearl and ruby.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn al-Mawasif bade the chessboard be brought, they set it between her hands; and Masrur was amazed at this, when she turned to him and said, "Wilt have red or white?" He replied, "O Princess of the fair and adornment of morning air, do thou take the red for they formous are and fitter for the like of thee to bear and leave the white to my care." Answered she, "So be it;" and, taking the red pieces, ranged them opposite the white, then put out her hand to a piece purposing the first pa.s.s into the battle-plain. Masrur considered her fingers, which were white as paste, and was confounded at their beauty and shapely shape; whereupon she turned to him and said, "O Masrur, be not bedazed, but take patience and calm thyself." He rejoined, "O thou whose beauty shameth the moon, how shall a lover look on thee and have patience-boon?" And while this was doing she cried, "Checkmate[FN#322]!" and beat him; wherefore she knew that he was Jinn-mad for love of her and said to him, "O Masrur, I will not play with thee save for a set stake." He replied, "I hear and obey," and she rejoined, "Swear to me and I will swear to thee that neither of us will cheat[FN#323] the adversary." So both sware this and she said, "O Masrur, an I beat thee, I will have ten dinars of thee, but an thou beat me, I will give thee a mere nothing." He expected to win, so he said, "O my lady, be not false to thine oath, for I see thou art an overmatch for me at this game!" "Agreed," said she and they ranged their men and fell again to playing and pus.h.i.+ng on their p.a.w.ns and catching them up with the queens and aligning and matching them with the castles and solacing them with the onslaught of the knights. Now the "Adornment of Qualities" wore on head a kerchief of blue brocade so she loosed it off and tucking up her sleeve, showed a wrist like a shaft of light and pa.s.sed her palm over the red pieces, saying to him, "Look to thyself." But he was dazzled at her beauty, and the sight of her graces bereft him of reason, so that he became dazed and amazed and put out his hand to the white men, but it alit upon the red. Said she, "O Masrur, where be thy wits?

The red are mine and the white thine;" and he replied, "Whoso looketh at thee perforce loseth all his senses." Then, seeing how it was with him, she took the white from him and gave him the red, and they played and she beat him. He ceased not to play with her and she to beat him, whilst he paid her each time ten dinars, till, knowing him to be distraught for love of her, she said, "O Masrur, thou wilt never win to thy wish, except thou beat me, for such was our understanding; and henceforth, I will not play with thee save for a stake of an hundred dinars a game." "With love and gladness," answered he and she went on playing and ever beating him and he paid her an hundred dinars each time; and on this wise they abode till the morning, without his having won a single game, when he suddenly sprang to his feet. Quoth she, "What wilt thou do, O Masrur?"; and quoth he, "I mean to go to my lodging and fetch somewhat of money: it may be I shall come to my desire." "Do whatso seemeth good to thee," said she; so he went home and taking all the money he had, returned to her improvising these two couplets,

"In dream I saw a bird o'er speed (meseem'd), * Love's garden decked with blooms that smiled and gleamed: But I shall ken, when won my wish and will * Of thee, the truthful sense of what I dreamed."

Now when Masrur returned to her with all his monies they fell a-playing again; but she still beat him and he could not beat her once; and in such case they abode three days, till she had gotten of him the whole of his coin; whereupon said she, "O Masrur, what wilt thou do now?"; and he replied, "I will stake thee a druggist's shop." "What is its worth?" asked she; and he answered, "Five hundred dinars." So they played five bouts and she won the shop of him. Then he betted his slave-girls, lands, houses, gardens, and she won the whole of them, till she had gotten of him all he had; whereupon she turned to him and said, "Hast thou aught left to lay down?" Cried he, "By Him who made me fall into the snare of thy love, I have neither money to touch nor aught else left, little or much!" She rejoined, "O Masrur, the end of whatso began in content shall not drive man to repent; wherefore, an thou regret aught, take back thy good and begone from us about thy business and I will hold thee quit towards me."

Masrur rejoined, "By Him who decreed these things to us, though thou sought to take my life 'twere a wee thing to stake for thine approof, because I love none but thee!" Then said she, "O Masrur, fare forthright and fetch the Kazi and the witnesses and make over to me by deed all thy lands and possessions." "Willingly,"

replied he and, going forth without stay or delay, brought the Kazi and the witnesses and set them before her. When the judge saw her, his wits fled and his mind was amazed and his reason was dazed for the beauty of her fingers, and he said to her, "O my lady, I will not write out the writ of conveyance, save upon condition that thou buy the lands and mansions and slave-girls and that they all pa.s.s under thy control and into thy possession." She rejoined, "We're agreed upon that. Write me a deed, whereby all Masrur's houses and lands and slave-girls and whatso his right hand possesseth shall pa.s.s to Zayn al-Mawasif and become her property at such a price." So the Kazi wrote out the writ and the witnesses set hands thereto; whereupon she took it.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn al-Mawasif took from the Kazi the deed which made over her lover's property to her, she said to him, "O Masrur, now gang thy gait." But her slave-girl Hubub turned to him and said, "Recite us some verses." So he improvised upon that game of chess these couplets,

"Of Time and what befel me I complain, * Mourning my loss by chess and eyes of bane.

For love of gentlest, softest-sided fair * Whose like is not of maids or mortal strain: The shafts of glances from those eyne who shot * And led her conquering host to battle-plain Red men and white men and the clas.h.i.+ng Knights * And, crying ?Look to thee!' came forth amain: And, when down charging, finger-tips she showed * That gloomed like blackest night for sable stain, The Whites I could not rescue, could not save * While ecstasy made tear, floods rail and rain: The p.a.w.ns and Castles with their Queens fell low * And fled the Whites nor could the brunt sustain: Yea, with her shaft of glance at me she shot * And soon that shaft had pierced my heart and brain: She gave me choice between her hosts, and I * The Whites like moonlight first to choose was fain, Saying, ?This argent folk best fitteth me * I love them, but the Red by thee be ta'en!'

She played me for free accepted stake * Yet amorous mercy I could ne'er obtain: O fire of heart, O pine and woe of me, * Wooing a fair like moon mid starry train: Burns not my heart O no! nor aught regrets * Of good or land, but ah! her eyes' disdain!

Amazed I'm grown and dazed for drearihead * And blame I Time who brought such pine and pain.

Quoth she, ?Why art thou so bedazed!' quoth I * ?Wine-drunken wight shall more of wine a.s.sain?'

That mortal stole my sense by silk-soft shape, * Which doth for heart-core hardest rock contain.

I nerved self and cried, ?This day she's mine' * By bet, nor fear I prove she unhumane: My heart ne'er ceased to seek possession, till * Beggared I found me for conditions twain: Will youth you loveth shun the Love-dealt blow, * Tho' were he whelmed in Love's high-surging main?

So woke the slave sans e'en a coin to turn, * Thralled to repine for what he ne'er shall gain!"

Zayn al-Mawasif hearing these words marvelled at the eloquence of his tongue and said to him, "O Masrur, leave this madness and return to thy right reason and wend thy ways; for thou hast wasted all thy moveables and immoveables at the chessgame, yet hast not won thy wish, nor hast thou any resource or device whereby thou mayst attain to it." But he turned to her and said, "O my lady, ask of me whatso thou wilt and thou shalt have it; for I will bring it to thee and lay it at thy feet." Answered she, "O Masrur, thou hast no money left." "O goal of all hopes, if I have no money, the folk will help me." "Shall the giver turn asker?" "I have friends and kinsfolk, and whatsoever I seek of them, they will give me." "O Masrur, I will have of thee four pods of musk and four vases of civet[FN#324] and four pounds of ambergris and four thousand dinars and four hundred pieces of royal brocade, purfled with gold. An thou bring me these things, O Masrur, I will grant thee my favours." "This is a light matter to me, O thou that puttest the moons to shame," replied he and went forth to fetch her what she sought. She sent her maid Hubub after him, to see what worth he had with the folk of whom he had spoken to her; but, as he walked along the highways he turned and seeing her afar off, waited till she came up to him and said to her, "Whither away, O Hubub?" So she said to him, "My mistress sent me to follow for this and that," and he replied, "By Allah, O Hubub, I have nothing to hand!" She asked, "Then why didst thou promise her?"; and he answered, "How many a promise made is unkept of its maker! Fine words in love-matters needs must be."

When she heard this from him, she said, "O Masrur, be of good cheer and eyes clear for, by Allah, most a.s.suredly I will be the means of thy coming to enjoy her!" Then she left him nor ceased walking till she stood before her mistress weeping with sore weeping, and said, "O my lady, indeed he is a man of great consideration, and good repute among the folk." Quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, "There is no device against the destiny of Almighty Allah! Verily, this man found not in me a pitiful heart, for that I despoiled him of his substance and he got of me neither affection nor complaisance in granting him amorous joy; but, if I incline to his inclination, I fear lest the thing be bruited abroad." Quoth Hubub, "O my lady, verily, grievous upon us is his present plight and the loss of his good and thou hast with thee none save thyself and thy slave-girl Sukub; so which of us two would dare prate of thee, and we thy handmaids?" With this, she bowed her head for a while ground-wards and the damsels said to her, "O my lady, it is our rede that thou send after him and show him grace and suffer him not ask of the sordid; for how bitter is such begging!" So she accepted their counsel and calling for inkcase and paper, wrote him these couplets,

"Joy is nigh, O Masrur, so rejoice in true rede; * Whenas night shall fall thou shalt do kind-deed: Crave not of the sordid a loan, fair youth, * Wine stole my wits but they now take heed: All thy good I reft shall return to thee, * O Masrur, and I'll add to them amorous meed; For indeed th' art patient, and sweet of soul * When wronged by thy lover's tyrannic greed.