Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (Arabian Nights) Volume 09 — Night 965 - 966

When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night, She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the merchant, the father of Kamar al-Zaman, heard the saying of the Dervish, "I am Allah's guest," he replied, "Welcome to the guest of God: enter, O Dervish!"

But he said to himself, "An the beggar be enamoured of the boy and sue him for sin, needs must I slay him this very night and bury him secretly.

But, an there be no lewdness in him, the guest shall eat his portion."

Then he brought him into a saloon, where he left him with Kamar al-Zaman, after he had said privily to the lad, "O my son, sit thou beside the Dervish when I am gone out and sport with him and provoke him to love-liesse and if he seek of thee lewdness, I who will be watching you from the window overlooking the saloon will come down to him and kill him."

So, as soon as Kamar al-Zaman was alone in the room with the Dervish, he sat down by his side and the old man began to look upon him and sigh and weep.

Whenever the lad bespake him, he answered him kindly, trembling the while and would turn to him groaning and crying, and thus he did till supper was brought in, when he fell to eating, with his eyes on the boy but refrained not from shedding tears.

When a fourth part of the night was past and talk was ended and sleep-tide came, Abd al-Rahman said to the lad, "O my son, apply thyself to the service of thine uncle the Dervish and gainsay him not:" and would have gone out; but the Dervish cried to him, "O my lord, carry thy son with thee or sleep with us."

Answered the merchant, "Nay, my son shall lie with thee: haply thy soul may desire somewhat, and he will look to thy want and wait upon thee."

Then he went out leaving them both together, and sat down in an adjoining room which had a window giving upon the saloon.

Such was the case with the merchant; but as to the lad, as soon as his sire had left them, he came up to the Dervish and began to provoke him and offer himself to him, whereupon he waxed wroth and said, "What talk is this, O my son?

I take refuge with Allah from Satan the Stoned!

O my Lord, indeed this is a denial of Thee which pleaseth Thee not!

Avaunt from me, O my son!"

So saying, the Dervish arose and sat down at a distance; but the boy followed him and threw himself upon him, saying, "Why, O Dervish, wilt thou deny thyself the joys of my possession, and I with a heart that loveth thee?"

Hereupon the Dervish's anger redoubled and he said, "An thou refrain not from me, I will summon thy sire and tell him of thy doings."

Quoth the lad, "My father knoweth my turn for this and it may not be that he will hinder me: so heal thou my heart.

Why dost thou hold off from me?

Do I not please thee?"

Answered the Dervish, "By Allah, O my son, I will not do this, though I be hewn in pieces with sharp-edged swords!"

; and he repeated the saying of the poet, "Indeed my heart loves all the lovely boys * As girls; nor am I slow to such delight, But, though I sight them every night and morn, * I'm neither of Lot's folk[FN#388] nor wencher-wight."

Then he shed tears and said, "Arise, open the door, that I may wend my way, for I will lie no longer in this lodging."

Therewith he rose to his feet; but the boy caught hold of him, saying, "Look at the fairness of my face and the cramoisy of my cheeks and the softness of my sides and the lusciousness of my lips."

Moreover he discovered to him calves that would shame wine and cupcarrier[FN#389] and gazed on him with fixed glance that would baffle enchanter and enchantments; for he was passing of loveliness and full of blandishment, even as saith of him one of the poets who sang, "I can't forget him, since he rose and showed with fair design * Those calves of legs whose pearly shine make light in nightly gloom: Wonder not an my flesh uprise as though 'twere Judgment-day * When every shank shall bared be and that is Day of Doom."

[FN#390]

Then the boy displayed to him his bosom, saying, "Look at my breasts which be goodlier than the breasts of maidens and my lip-dews are sweeter than sugar-candy.

So quit scruple and asceticism and cast off devoutness and abstinence and take thy fill of my possession and enjoy my loveliness.

Fear naught, for thou art safe from hurt, and leave this hebetude for 'tis a bad habit."

And he went on to discover to him his hidden beauties, striving to turn the reins of his reason with his bendings in graceful guise, whilst the Dervish turned away his face and said, "I seek refuge with Allah!

Have some shame, O my son!

[FN#391]

This is a forbidden thing I deem and I will not do it, no, not even in dream."

The boy pressed upon him, but the Dervish got free from him and turning towards Meccah addressed himself to his devotions.

Now when the boy saw him praying, he left him till he had prayed a two-bow prayer and saluted,[FN#392] when he would have accosted him again; but the Dervish again repeated the intent[FN#393] and prayed a second two-bow prayer, and thus he did a third and a fourth and a fifth time.

Quoth the lad, "What prayers are these?

Art thou minded to take flight upon the clouds?

Thou lettest slip our delight, whilst thou passest the whole night in the prayer-niche."

So saying, he threw himself upon the Dervish and kissed him between the eyes; but the Shaykh said, "O my son, put Satan away from thine estate and take upon thee obedience of the Compassionate."

Quoth the other, "An thou do not with me that which I desire, I will call my sire and say to him, The Dervish is minded to do lewdness with me.

Whereupon he will come in to thee and beat thee till thy bones be broken upon thy flesh."

All this while Abd al-Rahman was watching with his eyes and hearkening with his ears, and he was certified that there was no frowardness in the Dervish and he said to himself, "Were he a lewd fellow, he had not stood out against all this importunity."

The boy continued to beguile the Dervish and every time he expressed purpose of prayer, he interrupted him, till at last he waxed wroth with passing wrath and was rough with him and beat him.

Kamar al-Zaman wept and his father came in and having wiped away his tears and comforted him said to the Dervish, "O my brother, since thou art in such case, why didst thou weep and sigh when thou sawest my son?

Say me, is there a reason for this?"

He replied, "There is;" and Abd al-Rahman pursued, "When I saw thee weep at his sight, I deemed evil of thee and bade the boy do with thee thus, that I might try thee, purposing in myself, if I saw thee sue him for sin, to come in upon thee and kill thee.

But, when I saw what thou didst, I knew thee for one of those who are virtuous to the end.

Now Allah upon thee, tell me the cause of thy weeping!"

The Dervish sighed and said, "O my lord, chafe not a closed[FN#394] wound."

But the merchant said, "There is no help but thou tell me;" and the other began, "Know thou that I am a Dervish who wander in the lands and the countries, and take warning by the display[FN#395] of the Creator of Night and Day.

It chanced that one Friday I entered the city of Bassorah in the undurn."

--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night, She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Dervish said to the merchant, "Know, then, that I a wandering mendicant chanced one Friday to enter the city of Bassorah in the undurn and saw the shops open and full of all manner of wares and meat and drink; but the place was deserted and therein was neither man nor woman nor girl nor boy: nor in the markets and the main streets was there dog or cat nor sounded sound nor friend was found.

I marvelled at this end and said to myself, 'I wonder whither the people of the city be gone with their cats and dogs and what hath Allah done with them?'

Now I was anhungred so I took hot bread from a baker's oven and going into the shop of an oilman, spread the bread with clarified butter and honey and ate.

Then I entered the shop of a sherbet-seller and drank what I would; after which, seeing a coffee-shop open, I went in and found the pots on the fire, full of coffee;[FN#396] but there was no one there.

So I drank my fill and said, 'Verily, this is a wondrous thing!

It seemeth as though Death had stricken the people of this city and they had all died this very hour, or as if they had taken fright at something which befel them and fled, without having time to shut their shops.'

Now whilst pondering this matter, lo!

I heard a sound of a band of drums beating;

whereat I was afraid and hid myself for a while: then, looking out through a crevice, I saw damsels, like moons, come walking through the market, two by two, with uncovered heads and faces displayed.

They were in forty pairs, thus numbering fourscore and in their midst a young lady, riding on a horse that could hardly move his legs for that which was upon it of silvern trappings and golden and jewelled housings.

Her face was wholly unveiled, and she was adorned with the costliest ornaments and clad in the richest of raiment and about her neck she wore a collar of gems and on her bosom were necklaces of gold; her wrists were clasped with bracelets which sparkled like stars, and her ankles with bangles of gold set with precious stones.

The slave-girls walked before her and behind and on her right and left and in front of her was a damsel bearing in baldric a great sword, with grip of emerald and tassels of jewel-encrusted gold.

When that young lady came to where I lay hid, she pulled up her horse and said, 'O damsels, I hear a noise of somewhat within yonder shop: so do ye search it, lest haply there be one hidden there, with intent to enjoy a look at us, whilst we have our faces unveiled.'

So they searched the shop opposite the coffee-house[FN#397] wherein I lay hid, whilst I abode in terror; and presently I saw them come forth with a man and they said to her, 'O our lady, we found a man there and here he is before thee.'

Quoth she to the damsel with the sword, 'Smite his neck.'

So she went up to him and struck off his head; then, leaving the dead man lying on the ground, they passed on.

When I saw this, I was affrighted; but my heart was taken with love of the young lady.

After an hour or so, the people reappeared and every one who had a shop entered it;

whilst the folk began to come and go about the bazars and gathered around the slain man, staring at him as a curiosity.

Then I crept forth from my hiding place by stealth, and none took note of me, but love of that lady had gotten possession of my heart, and I began to enquire of her privily.

None, however, gave me news of her; so I left Bassorah, with vitals yearning for her love; and when I came upon this thy son, I saw him to be the likest of all creatures to the young lady; wherefore he reminded me of her and his sight revived the fire of passion in me and kindled anew in my heart the flames of love-longing and distraction.

And such is the cause of my shedding tears!"

Then he wept with sore weeping till he could no more and said, "O my lord, I conjure thee by Allah, open the door to me, so I may gang my gait!"

Accordingly Abd al-Rahman opened the door and he went forth.

Thus fared it with him; but as regards Kamar al-Zaman, when he heard the Dervish's story, his heart was taken with love of the lady and passion gat the mastery of him and raged in him longing and distraction; so, on the morrow, he said to his sire, "All the sons of the merchants wander about the world to attain their desire, nor is there one of them but his father provideth for him a stock-in-trade wherewithal he may travel and traffic for gain.

Why, then, O my father, dost thou not outfit me with merchandise, so I may fare with it and find my luck?"

He replied, "O my son, such merchants lack money; so they send their sons to foreign parts for the sake of profit and pecuniary gain and provision of the goods of the world.

But I have monies in plenty nor do I covet more: why then should I exile thee?

Indeed, I cannot brook to be parted from thee an hour, more especially as thou art unique in beauty and loveliness and perfect grace and I fear for thee."

But Kamar al-Zaman said, "O my father, nothing will serve but thou must furnish me with merchandise wherewithal to travel; else will I fly from thee at unawares though without money or merchandise.

So, an thou wish to solace my heart, make ready for me a stock-in-trade, that I may travel and amuse myself by viewing the countries of men."

Abd al-Rahman, seeing his son enamoured of travel, acquainted his wife with this, saying, "Verily thy son would have me provide him with goods, so he may fare therewith to far regions, albeit Travel is Travail."

[FN#398]

Quoth she, "What is there to displease thee in this?

Such is the wont of the sons of the merchants and they all vie one with other in glorifying globe-trotting and gain."

Quoth he, "Most of the merchants are poor and seek growth of good; but I have wealth galore."

She replied, "More of a good thing hurteth not; and, if thou comply not with his wish, I will furnish him with goods of my own monies."

Quoth Abd al-Rahman, "I fear strangerhood for him, inasmuch as travel is the worst of trouble;" but she said, "There is no harm in strangerhood for him when it leadeth to gaining good; and, if we consent not, our son will go away and we shall seek him and not find him and be dishonoured among the folk."

The merchant accepted his wife's counsel and provided his son with merchandise to the value of ninety thousand gold pieces, whilst his mother gave him a purse containing forty bezel-stones, jewels of price, the least of the value of one of which was five hundred ducats, saying, "O my son, be careful of this jewellery for 'twill be of service to thee."

Thereupon Kamar al-Zaman took the jewels and set out for Bassorah,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.