Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (Arabian Nights) Volume 09 — Night 978

When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventy-eighth Night, She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Kamar al-Zaman said to Master Obayd the jeweller, "Verily I entered thy city naked and thou clothedst me and I owe thee many a kindness.

But I will requite thee and do with thee even as thou didst with me; nay, more: so be of good cheer and eyes clear of tear."

And he went on to soothe him and hinder him from speech, lest he should name his wife and what she had done with him; nor did he cease to ply him with saws and moral instances and verses and conceits and stories and legends and console him, till the jeweller saw his drift and took the hint and kept silence concerning the past, diverting himself with the tales and rare anecdotes he heard and repeating in himself these lines, "On the brow of the World is a writ; an thereon thou look, * Its contents will compel thine eyes tears of blood to rain: For the World never handed to humans a cup with its right, * But with left it compelled them a beaker of ruin to drain."

Then Kamar al-Zaman and his father took Obayd and carrying him into the saloon of the Harim, shut themselves up with him; and Abd al-Rahman said to him, "We did not hinder thee from speaking before the folk, but for fear of dishonour to thee and to us: but now we are private; so tell me all that hath passed between thee and thy wife and my son."

So he told him all, from beginning to end, and when he had made an end of his story, Abd al-Rahman asked him, "Was the fault with my son or with thy wife?"

He answered, "By Allah, thy son was not to blame, for men must needs lust after women, and 'tis the bounden duty of women to defend themselves from men.

So the sin lieth with my wife, who played me false and did with me these deeds."

[FN#464] Then Abd al-Rahman arose and taking his son aside, said to him, "O my son, we have proved his wife and know her to be a traitress; and now I mean to prove him and see if he be a man of honour and manliness, or a wittol."

[FN#465] "How so?"

asked Kamar al-Zaman; and Abd al- Rahman answered, "I mean to urge him to make peace with his wife, and if he consent thereto and forgive her, I will smite him with a sword and slay him and kill her after, her and her maid, for there is no good in the life of a cuckold and a queen;[FN#466] but, if he turn from her with aversion I will marry him to thy sister and give him more of wealth than that thou tookest from him."

Then he went back to Obayd and said to him, "O master, verily, the commerce of women requireth patience and magnanimity and whoso loveth them hath need of fortitude, for that they order themselves viper-wise towards men and evilly entreat them, by reason of their superiority over them in beauty and loveliness: wherefore they magnify themselves and belittle men.

This is notably the case when their husbands show them affection; for then they requite them with hauteur and coquetry and harsh dealing of all kinds.

But, if a man be wroth whenever he seeth in his wife aught that offendeth him, there can be no fellowship between them; nor can any hit it off with them who is not magnanimous and long-suffering; and unless a man bear with his wife and requite her foul doing with forgiveness, he shall get no good of her conversation.

Indeed, it hath been said of them, 'Were they in the sky, the necks of men would incline themwards';

and he who hath the power and pardoneth, his reward is with Allah.

Now this woman is thy wife and thy companion and she hath long consorted with thee; wherefore it behoveth that thou entreat her with indulgence which in fellowship is of the essentials of success.

Furthermore, women fail in wit and Faith,[FN#467] and if she have sinned, she repenteth and Inshallah she will not again return to that which she whilome did.

So 'tis my rede that thou make peace with her and I will restore thee more than the good she took; and if it please thee to abide with me, thou art welcome, thou and she, and ye shall see naught but what shall joy you both; but, an thou seek to, return to thine own land.

For that which falleth out between a man and his wife is manifold, and it behoveth thee to be indulgent and not take the way of the violent."

Said the jeweller, "O my lord, and where is my wife?"

and said Abd al-Rahman, "She is in that upper chamber, go up to her and be easy with her, for my sake, and trouble her not; for, when my son brought her hither, he would have married her, but I forbade him from her and shut her up in yonder room, and locked the door upon her saying in myself, 'Haply her husband will come and I will hand her over to him safe; for she is fair of favour, and when a woman is like unto this one, it may not be that her husband will let her go.'

What I counted on is come about and praised be Allah Almighty for thy reunion with thy wife!

As for my son, I have sought him another woman in marriage and have married him to her: these banquets and rejoicings are for his wedding, and to-night I bring him to his bride.

So here is the key of the chamber where thy wife is: take it and open the door and go in to her and her handmaid and be buxom with her.

There shall be brought you meat and drink and thou shalt not come down from her till thou have had thy fill of her."

Cried Obayd, "May Allah requite thee for me with all good, O my lord!"

and taking the key, went up, rejoicing.

The other thought his words had pleased him and that he consented thereto; so he took the sword and following him unseen, stood to espy what should happen between him and his wife.

This is how it fared with the merchant Abd al-Rahman; but as for the jeweller, when he came to the chamber-door, he heard his wife weeping with sore weeping for that Kamar al-Zaman had married another than her, and the handmaid saying to her, "O my lady, how often have I warned thee and said, 'Thou wilt get no good of this youth: so do thou leave his company.'

But thou heededst not my words and spoiledst thy husband of all his goods and gavest them to him.

After the which thou forsookest thy place, of thine fondness and infatuation for him, and camest with him to this country.

And now he hath cast thee out from his thought and married another and hath made the issue of thy foolish fancy for him to be durance vile."

Cried Halimah, "Be silent, O accursed!

Though he be married to another, yet some day needs must I occur to his thought.

I cannot forget the nights I have spent in his company and in any case I console myself with his saying who said, 'O my lords, shall he to your mind occur * Who recurs to you only sans other mate?

Grant Heaven you ne'er shall forget his state * Who for state of you forgot own estate!'

It cannot be but he will bethink him of my affect and converse and ask for me, wherefore I will not turn from loving him nor change from passion for him, though I perish in prison; for he is my love and my leach[FN#468] and my reliance is on him that he will yet return to me and deal fondly with me."

When the jeweller heard his wife's words, he went in to her and said to her, "O traitress, thy hope in him is as the hope of Iblis[FN#469] in Heaven.

All these vices were in thee and I knew not thereof; for, had I been ware of one single vice, I had not kept thee with me an hour.

But now I am certified of this in thee, it behoveth me to do thee die although they put me to death for thee, O traitress!"

and he clutched her with both hands and repeated these two couplets, "O fair ones forth ye cast my faithful love * With sin, nor had ye aught regard for right: How long I fondly clung to you, but now * My love is loathing and I hate your sight."

Then he pressed hardly upon her windpipe and brake her neck, whereupon her handmaid cried out "Alas, my mistress!"

Said he, "O harlot, 'tis thou who art to blame for all this, for that thou knewest this evil inclination to be in her and toldest me not."

[FN#470] Then he seized upon her and strangled her.

All this happened while Abd al-Rahman stood, brand in hand, behind the door espying with his eyes and hearing with his ears.

Now when Obayd the ]eweller had done this, apprehension came upon him and he feared the issue of his affair and said to himself, "As soon as the merchant learneth that I have killed them in his house, he will surely slay me; yet I beseech Allah that He appoint the taking of my life to be while I am in the True Belief!"

And he abode bewildered about his case and knew not what to do, but, as he was thus behold, in came Abd al-Rahman from his lurking-place without the door and said to him, "No harm shall befal thee, for indeed thou deservest safety.

See this sword in my hand.

'Twas in my mind to slay thee, hadst thou made peace with her and restored her to favour, and I would also have slain her and the maid.

But since thou hast done this deed, welcome to thee and again welcome!

And I will reward thee by marrying thee to my daughter, Kamar al-Zaman's sister."

Then he carried him down and sent for the woman who washed the dead: whereupon it was bruited abroad that Kamar al-Zaman had brought with him two slave-girls from Bassorah and that both had deceased.

So the people began to condole with him saying, "May thy head live!"

and "May Allah compensate thee!"

And they washed and shrouded them and buried them, and none knew the truth of the matter.

Then Abd al-Rahman sent for the Shaykh al-Islam and all the notables and said, "O Shaykh, draw up the contract of marriage between my daughter Kaukab al-Salah[FN#471] and Master Obayd the jeweller and set down that her dowry hath been paid to me in full."

So he wrote out the contract and Abd al-Rahman gave the company to drink of sherbets, and they made one wedding festival for the two brides the daughter of the Shaykh al-Islam and Kamar al-Zaman's sister;

and paraded them in one litter on one and the same night; after which they carried Kamar al-Zaman and Obayd in procession together and brought them in to their brides.

[FN#472] When the jeweller went in to Abd al-Rahman's daughter, he found her handsomer than Halimah and a thousand-fold lovelier.

So he took her maidenhead and on the morrow, he went to the Hammam with Kamar al-Zaman.

Then he abode with them awhile in pleasance and joyance, after which he began to yearn for his native land; so he went in to Abd al-Rahman and said to him, "O uncle, I long for my own country, for I have there estates and effects, which I left in charge of one of my prentices; and I am minded to journey thither that I may sell my properties and return to thee.

So wilt thou give me leave to go to my country for that purpose?"

Answered the merchant, "O my son, I give thee leave to do this and there be no fault in thee or blame to thee for these words, for 'Love of mother-land is a part of Religion'; and he who hath not good in his own country hath none in other folks' country.

But, haply, an thou depart without thy wife, when thou art once come to thy native place, it may seem good to thee to settle there, and thou wilt be perplexed between returning to thy wife and sojourning in thine own home; so it were the righter rede that thou carry thy wife with thee; and after, an thou desire to return to us, return and welcome to you both; for we are folk who know not divorce and no woman of us marrieth twice, nor do we lightly discard a man."

[FN#473] Quoth Obayd, "Uncle, I fear me thy daughter will not consent to journey with me to my own country."

Replied Abd al-Rahman, "O my son, we have no women amongst us who gainsay their spouses, nor know we a wife who is wroth with her man."

The jeweller cried, "Allah bless you and your women!"

and going in to his wife, said to her, "I am minded to go to my country: what sayst thou?"

Quoth she, "Indeed, my sire had the ordering of me, whilst I was a maid, and when I married, the ordering all passed into the hands of my lord and master, nor will I gainsay him."

Quoth Obayd, "Allah bless thee and thy father, and have mercy on the womb that bare thee and the loins that begat thee!"

Then he cut his thongs[FN#474] and applied himself to making ready for his journey.

His father-in- law gave him much good and they took leave each of other, after which tile jeweller and his wife journeyed on without ceasing, till they reached Bassorah where his kinsmen and comrades came out to meet him, doubting not but that he had been in Al-Hijaz.

Some rejoiced at his return, whilst others were vexed, and the folk said one to another, "Now will he straiten us again every Friday, as before, and we shall be shut up in the mosques and houses, even to our cats and our dogs."

On such wise it fared with him; but as regards the King of Bassorah, when he heard of his return, he was wroth with him; and sending for him, upbraided him and said to him, "Why didst thou depart, without letting me know of thy departure?

Was I unable to give thee somewhat wherewith thou mightest have succoured thyself in thy pilgrimage to the Holy House of Allah?"

Replied the jeweller, "Pardon, O my lord!

By Allah, I went not on the pilgrimage!

but there have befallen me such and such things."

Then he told him all that had befallen him with his wife and with Abd al-Rahman of Cairo and how the merchant had given him his daughter to wife, ending with these words, "And I have brought her to Bassorah."

Said the King, "By the Lord, did I not fear Allah the Most High, I would slay thee and marry this noble lady after thy death, though I spent on her mints of money, because she befitteth none but Kings.

But Allah hath appointed her of thy portion and may He bless thee in her!

So look thou use her well."

Then he bestowed largesse on the jeweller, who went out from before him and abode with his wife five years, after which he was admitted to the mercy of the Almighty.

Presently the King sought his widow in wedlock; but she refused, saying, "O King, never among my kindred was a woman who married again after her husband's death; wherefore I will never take another husband, nor will I marry thee, no, though thou kill me."

Then he sent to her one who said, "Dost thou seek to go to thy native land?"

And she answered, "An thou do good, thou shalt be requited therewith."

So he collected for her all the jeweller's wealth and added unto her of his own, after the measure of his degree.

Lastly he sent with her one of his Wazirs, a man famous for goodness and piety, and an escort of five hundred horse, who journeyed with her, till they brought her to her father; and in his home she abode, without marrying again, till she died and they died all.

So, if this woman would not consent to replace her dead husband with a Sultan, how shall she be compared with one who replaced her husband, whilst he was yet alive, with a youth of unknown extraction and condition, and especially when this was in lewd carriage and not by way of lawful marriage?

So he who deemeth all women alike,[FN#475] there is no remedy for the disease of his insanity.

And glory be to Him to whom belongeth the empire of the Seen and the Unseen and He is the Living, who dieth not!

And among the tales they tell, O auspicious King, is one of ABDULLAH BIN FAZIL AND HIS BROTHERS.

[FN#476]

The Caliph Harun al-Rashid was one day examining the tributes of his various provinces and viceroyalties, when he observed that the contributions of all the countries and regions had come into the treasury, except that of Bassorah which had not arrived that year.

So he held a Divan because of this and said, "Hither to me with the Wazir Ja'afar;" and when they brought him into the presence he thus bespoke him, "The tributes of all the provinces have come into the treasury, save that of Bassorah, no part whereof hath arrived."

Ja'afar replied, "O Commander of the Faithful, belike there hath befallen the governor of Bassorah something that hath diverted him from sending the tribute."

Quoth the Caliph, "The time of the coming of the tribute was twenty days ago; what then, can be his excuse for that, in this time, he hath neither sent it nor sent to show cause for not doing so?"

And quoth the Minister, "O Commander of the Faithful, if it please thee, we will send him a messenger.

Rejoined the Caliph, "Send him Abu Ishak al-Mausili,[FN#477] the boon companion," and Ja'afar, "Hearkening and obedience to Allah and to thee, O Prince of True Believers!"

Then he returned to his house and summoning Abu Ishak, wrote him a royal writ and said to him, "Go to Abdullah bin Fazil, Viceroy of Bassorah, and see what hath diverted him from sending the tribute.

If it be ready, do thou receive it from him in full and bring it to me in haste, for the Caliph hath examined the tributes of the provinces and findeth that they are all come in, except that of Bassorah: but an thou see that it is not ready and he make an excuse to thee, bring him back with thee, that he may report his excuse to the Caliph with his own tongue."

Answered Abu Ishak, "I hear and I obey;" and taking with him five thousand horse of Ja'afar's host set out for Bassorah.

Now when Abdullah bin Fazil heard of his approach, he went out to meet him with his troops, and led him into the city and carried him to his palace, whilst the escort encamped without the city walls, where he appointed to them all whereof they stood in need.

So Abu Ishak entered the audience-chamber and sitting down on the throne, seated the governor beside himself, whilst the notables sat round him, according to their several degrees.

After salutation with the salam Abdullah bin Fazil said to him "O my lord, is there for thy coming to us any cause?

;" and said Abu Ishak, "Yes, I come to seek the tribute; for the Caliph enquireth of it and the time of its coming is gone by."

Rejoined Abdullah bin Fazil, "O my lord, would Heaven thou hadst not wearied thyself nor taken upon thyself the hardships of the journey!

For the tribute is ready in full tale and complete, and I purpose to despatch it to-morrow.

But, since thou art come, I will entrust it to thee, after I have entertained thee three days; and on the fourth day I will set the tribute between thine hands.

But it behoveth us now to offer thee a present in part requital of thy kindness and the goodness of the Commander of the Faithful."

"There is no harm in that," said Abu Ishak.

So Abdullah bin Fazil dismissed the Divan and carrying him into a saloon that had not its match, bade set a tray of food before him and his companions.

They ate and drank and made merry and enjoyed themselves; after which the tray was removed and there came coffee and sherbets.

They sat conversing till a third part of the night was past, when they spread for Abu Ishak bedding on an ivory couch inlaid with gold glittering sheeny.

So he lay down and the viceroy lay down beside him on another couch; but wakefulness possessed Abu Ishak and he fell to meditating on the metres of prosody and poetical composition, for that he was one of the primest of the Caliph's boon-companions and he had a mighty fine fore-arm[FN#478] in producing verses and pleasant stories; nor did he leave to lie awake improvising poetry till half the night was past.

Presently, behold, Abdullah bin Fazil arose, and girding his middle, opened a locker,[FN#479] whence he brought out a whip; then, taking a lighted waxen taper, he went forth by the door of the saloon.

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