Volume 2 — TALE OF KING OMAR BIN AL-NU'UMAN AND HIS SONS SHARRKAN AND ZAU AL-MAKAN, AND WHAT BEFEL THEM OF THINGS SELD-SEEN AND PEREGRINE.[138] (continued 3)

Now when it was the Sixty-fourth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Nuzhat al-Zaman continued, "It is related that Omar passed by a flock of sheep, kept by a Mameluke, and asked him to sell him a sheep. He answered, They are not mine. Thou art the man I sought, said Omar, and bought him and freed him; whereupon the slave exclaimed, O Allah, as thou hast bestowed on me the lesser emancipation; 165so vouchsafe me the greater!^[279] It is also said that Omar bin Al-Khattab was wont to give his servants sweet milk and himself eat coarse fare, and to clothe them softly and himself wear rough garments. He rendered unto all men their due, and exceeded in his giving to them. He once gave a man four thousand dirhams and added thereto a thousand, wherefore it was said to him, Why dost thou not increase to thy son as thou increasest to this man? He answered, This man's father stood firm at the battle-day of Ohod.^[280] Al-Hasan relates that Omar once came back from foray with much money, and that Hafsah^[281] approached him and said, O Commander of the Faithful, the due of kinship! O Hafsah! replied he, verily Allah hath enjoined us to satisfy the dues of kinship, but not with the monies of the True Believers. Indeed, thou pleasest thy family, but thou angerest thy father. And she went away trailing her skirts.^[282] The son of Omar said, I implored the Lord to show me my father one year after his death, till at last I saw him wiping the sweat from his brow and asked him, How is it with thee, O my father? He answered, But for my Lord's mercy thy father surely had perished." Then said Nuzhat al-Zaman, "Hear, O auspicious King, the second division of the first chapter of the instances of the followers of the Apostle and other holy men. Saith Al-Hasan al-Basrí,^[283] Not a soul of the sons of Adam goeth forth of the world without regretting three things, failure to enjoy what he hath amassed, failure to compass what he hoped, failure to provide himself with sufficient viaticum for that whereto he goeth.^[284] It was said to Sufyan,^[285] Can a man be a religious and yet possess wealth? He replied, Yes, so he be patient when grieved and be thankful when he hath received. Abdullah bin Shaddád, being about to die, sent for his son Mohammed and admonished him, saying, O my son, I see the Summoner of Death 166summoning me, and so I charge thee to fear Allah both in public and private, to praise Allah and to be soothfast in thy speech, for such praise bringeth increase of prosperity, and piety in itself is the best of provision for the next world; even as saith one of the poets:—

I see not happiness lies in gathering gold; ✿ The man most pious is man happiest:

In truth the fear of God is best of stores, ✿ And God shall make the pious choicely blest."

Then quoth Nuzhat al-Zaman, "Let the King also give ear to these notes from the second section of the first chapter." He asked her what be they?; and she answered, "When Omar bin Abd al-Aziz^[286] succeeded to the Caliphate, he went to his household and laying hands on all that was in their hold, put it into the public treasury. So the Banu Umayyah flew for aid to his father's sister, Fátimah, daughter of Marwán, and she sent to him saying, I must needs speak to thee. So she came to him by night and, when he had made her alight from her beast and sit down, he said to her, O aunt, it is for thee to speak first, since thou hast something to ask: tell me then what thou wouldst with me. Replied she, O Commander of the Faithful, it is thine to speak first, for thy judgment perceiveth that which is hidden from the intelligence of others. Then said Omar, Of a verity Allah Almighty sent Mohammed as a blessing to some and a bane to others; and He elected for him those with him, and commissioned him as His Apostle and took him to Himself,"——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Sixty-fifth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Nuzhat al-Zaman continued thus, "Said Omar, Verily Allah commissioned as His Apostle Mohammed (upon whom be the benediction of Allah and His salvation!), for a blessing to some and a bane to others; and He elected for him those with him and took him to 167Himself, leaving the people a stream whereof they might drink. After him Abu Bakr^[287] the Truth-teller became Caliph and he left the river as it was, doing what was pleasing to Allah. Then arose Omar and worked a work and strove in holy war and strife whereof none might do the like. But when Othman arose to power he diverted a streamlet from the stream, and Mu'awiyah in his turn diverted from it several streamlets; and without ceasing in like manner, Yezid and the Banu Marwán such as Abd al-Malik and Walíd and Sulaymán^[288] drew away water from the stream, and the main course dried up, till rule devolved upon me, and now I am minded to restore the stream to its normal condition. When Fatimah heard this, she said, I came wishing only to speak and confer with thee, but if this be thy word, I have nothing to say to thee. Then she returned to the Ommiades and said to them, Now take ye the consequences of your act when ye allied yourselves by marriage with Omar bin Al-Khattab^[289]." And it is also said that when Omar was about to die, he gathered his children round him, and Maslamah^[290] bin Abd al-Malik said to him, O Prince of the Faithful, how wilt thou leave thy children paupers and thou their protector? None can hinder thee in thy lifetime from giving them what will suffice them out of the treasury; and this indeed were better than leaving the good work to him who shall rule after thee. Omar looked at him with a look of wrath and wonder and presently replied, O Maslamah, I have defended them from this sin all the days of my life, and shall I make them miserable after my death? Of a truth my sons are like other men, either obedient to Almighty Allah who will prosper them, or disobedient and I will not help them in their disobedience. Know, O Maslamah, 168that I was present, even as thou, when such an one of the sons of Marwán was buried, and I fell asleep by him and saw him in a dream given over to one of the punishments of Allah, to whom belong Honour and Glory! This terrified me and made me tremble, and I vowed to Allah, that if ever I came to power, I would not do such deeds as the dead man had done. I have striven to fulfil this vow all the length of my life and I hope to die in the mercy of my Lord. Quoth Maslamah:—A certain man died and I was present at his burial, and when all was over I fell asleep and I saw him as a sleeper seeth a dream, walking in a garden of flowing waters clad in white clothes. He came up to me and said: O Maslamah, it is for the like of this that rulers should rule. Many are the instances of this kind, and quoth one of the men of authority, I used to milk the ewes in the Caliphate of Omar bin Abd al-Aziz, and one day I met a shepherd, among whose sheep I saw a wolf or wolves. I thought them to be dogs, for I had never before seen wolves; so I asked, What dost thou with these dogs? They are not dogs, but wolves, answered the shepherd. Quoth I, Can wolves be with sheep and not hurt them? Quoth he, When the head is whole, the body is whole.^[291] Omar bin Abd al-Aziz once preached from a pulpit of clay and, after praising and glorifying Allah Almighty, said three words as follows, O folk, make clean your inmost hearts, that your outward lives may be clean to your brethren, and abstain ye from the things of the world. Know that between us and Adam there is no one man alive among the dead. Dead are Abd al-Malik and those who forewent him, and Omar also shall die and those who forewent him. Asked Maslamah, O Commander of the Faithful, an we set a pillow behind thee, wilt thou lean on it a little while? But Omar answered, I fear lest it be a fault about my neck on Resurrection Day. Then he gasped with the death rattle and fell back in a faint; whereupon Fatimah cried out, saying, Ho, Maryam! Ho, Muzáhim!^[292] Ho, such an one! Look to this man! And she began to pour water on him weeping, till he revived from his swoon; and, seeing her in tears said to her, What causeth thee to weep, O Fatimah? She replied, O Commander of the Faithful, I saw thee lying prostrate before us and thought of thy prostration in death before Almighty Allah, of thy departure from the world 169and of thy separation from us. This is what made me weep. Answered he, Enough, O Fatimah, for indeed thou exceedest. Then he would have risen, but fell down and Fatimah strained him to her and said, "Thou art to me as my father and my mother, O Commander of the Faithful! We cannot speak to thee, all of us." Then quoth Nuzhat al-Zaman to her brother Sharrkan and the four Kazis, "Here endeth the second section of the first chapter."——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Sixty-sixth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Nuzhat al-Zaman said to her brother Sharrkan and the four Kazis, "Here endeth the second section of the first chapter. And it so happened that Omar bin Abd al-Aziz wrote to the people of the festival at Meccah as follows:—I call Allah to witness, in the Holy Month, in the Holy City and on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage,^[293] that I am innocent of your oppression and of his wrongs that doth wrong you, in that I have neither commanded this nor purposed it, neither hath any report of aught thereof hitherto reached me, nor have I compassed any knowledge thereof; and I trust that a cause for pardon will be found in that none hath authority from me to oppress any man, for I shall assuredly be questioned concerning every one opprest. And if any of my officers swerve from the right and act otherwise than the Holy Book and the Traditions of the Apostle do authorise, obey him not so that he may return to the way of righteousness. He said also (Allah accept of him!), I do not wish to be relieved from death, because it is the supreme thing for which the True Believer is rewarded. Quoth one of 170authority, I went to the Prince of the Faithful, Omar bin Abd al-Aziz, who was then Caliph, and saw before him twelve dirhams, which he ordered for deposit in the public treasury. So I said to him, O Commander of the Faithful, thou impoverishest thy children and reducest them to beggary having nothing whereon to live. An thou wouldst appoint somewhat by will to them and to those who are poor of the people of thy house, it were well. Draw near to me, answered he: so I drew near to him and he said, Now as for thy saying, Thou beggarest thy children; provide for them and for the poor of thy household, it is without reason; for Allah of a truth will replace me to my children and to the poor of my house, and He will be their guardian. Verily, they are like other men; he who feareth Allah, right soon will Allah provide for him a happy issue, and he that is addicted to sins, I will not uphold him in his sin against Allah. Then he summoned his sons who numbered twelve, and when he beheld them his eyes dropped tears and presently he said to them, Your Father is between two things; either ye will be well to do, and your parent will enter the fire, or ye will be poor and your parent will enter Paradise; and your father's entry into Paradise is liefer to him than that ye should be well to do.^[294] So arise and go, Allah be your helper, for to Him I commit your affair! Khálid bin Safwán^[295] said, Yúsuf bin Omar^[296] accompanied me to Hishám bin Abd al-Malik,^[297] and as I met him he was coming forth with his kinsmen and attendants. He alighted and a tent was pitched for him. When the people had taken their seats, I came up to the side of the carpet whereon he sat reclining and looked at him; and, waiting till my eyes met his eyes, bespoke him thus, May Allah fulfil His bounty to thee, O Commander of the Faithful, I have an admonition for thee, which hath come down to us from the history of the Kings preceding thee! At this, he 171sat up whenas he had been reclining and said to me, Bring what thou hast, O son of Safwan! Quoth I, O Commander of the Faithful, one of the Kings before thee went forth in a time before this thy time, to this very country and said to his companions, Saw ye ever any state like mine and say me, hath such case been given to any man even as it hath been given unto me? Now there was with him a man of those who survive to bear testimony to Truth; upholders of the Right and wayfarers in its highway, and he said to him, O King, thou askest of a grave matter. Wilt thou give me leave to answer? Yes, replied the King, and the other said, Dost thou judge thy present state to be short-lasting or everlasting? It is temporary, replied the King. How then, rejoined the man, do I see thee exulting in that which thou wilt enjoy but a little while and whereof thou wilt be questioned for a long while, and for the rendering an account whereof thou shalt be as a pledge which is pawned? Quoth the King, Whither shall I flee and what must I seek for me? That thou abide in thy kingship, replied the other, or else robe thee in rags^[298] and apply thyself to obey Almighty Allah thy Lord until thine appointed hour. I will come to thee again at daybreak. Khalid bin Safwan further relates that the man knocked at the door at dawn and behold, the King had put off his crown and resolved to become an anchorite, for the stress of his exhortation. When Hishám bin Abd al-Malik heard this, he wept till his beard was wet; and, bidding his rich apparel be put off, shut himself up in his palace. Then the grandees and dependants came to Khalid and said, What is this thou hast done with the Commander of the Faithful? Thou hast troubled his pleasure and disturbed his life!" Then quoth Nuzhat al-Zaman, addressing herself to Sharrkan, "How many instances of admonition are there not in this chapter! Of a truth I cannot report all appertaining to this head in a single sitting"——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Sixty-seventh Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Nuzhat al-Zaman continued, speaking to Sharrkan, "Know, O King, that 172in this chapter be so many instances of admonition that of a truth I cannot report all appertaining to this head in a single sitting but, with length of days, O King of the age, all will be well." Then said the Kazis, "O King, of a truth this damsel is the wonder of the world, and of our age the unique pearl! Never heard we her like in the length of time or in the length of our lives." And they called down blessings on the King and went away. Then Sharrkan turned to his attendants and said, "Begin ye to prepare the marriage festival and make ready food of all kinds." So they forthright did his bidding as regards the viands, and he commanded the wives of the Emirs and Wazirs and Grandees depart not until the time of the wedding-banquet and of the unveiling of the bride. Hardly came the period of afternoon-prayer when the tables were spread with whatso heart can desire or eye can delight in of roast meats and geese and fowls; and the subjects ate till they were satisfied. Moreover, Sharrkan had sent for all the singing-women of Damascus and they were present, together with every slave-girl of the King and of the notables who knew how to sing. And they went up to the palace in one body. When the evening came and darkness starkened they lighted candles, right and left, from the gate of the citadel to that of the palace; and the Emirs and Wazirs and Grandees marched past before King Sharrkan, whilst the singers and the tire-women took the damsel to dress and adorn her, but found she needed no adornment. Meantime King Sharrkan went to the Hammam and coming out, sat down on his seat of estate, whilst they paraded the bride before him in seven different dresses: after which they eased her of the weight of her raiment and ornaments and gave such injunctions as are enjoined upon virgins on their wedding-nights. Then Sharrkan went in unto her and took her maidenhead;^[299] and she at once conceived by him and, when she announced it, he rejoiced with exceeding joy and commanded the savants to record the date of her conception. On the morrow he went forth and seated himself on his throne, and the high officers came in to him and gave him joy. Then he called his private secretary and bade him write a letter to his father, King Omar bin al-Nu'uman, saying that he had bought him a damsel, who excels in learning and good breeding and who is mistress of all kinds of knowledge. Moreover he 173wrote, "There is no help but that I send her to Baghdad to visit my brother Zau al-Makan and my sister Nuzhat al-Zaman. I have set her free and married her and she hath conceived by me." And he went on to praise her wit and salute his brother and sister together with the Wazir Dandan and all the Emirs. Then he sealed the letter and despatched it to his father by a post-courier who was absent a whole month, after which time he returned with the answer and presented it in the presence. Sharrkan took it and read as follows, "After the usual Bismillah, this is from the afflicted distracted man, from him who hath lost his children and home by bane and ban, King Omar bin al-Nu'uman, to his son Sharrkan. Know that, since thy departure from me, the place is become contracted upon me, so that no longer I have power of patience nor can I keep my secret: and the cause thereof is as follows. It chanced that when I went forth to hunt and course Zau al-Makan sought my leave to fare Hijaz-wards, but I, fearing for him the shifts of fortune, forbade him therefrom until the next year or the year after. My absence while sporting and hunting endured for a whole month"——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Sixty-eighth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Omar bin al-Nu'uman wrote in his letter, "My absence while sporting and hunting endured for a whole month, and when I returned I found that thy brother and sister had taken somewhat of money and had set out with the pilgrim-caravan for pilgrimage by stealth. When I knew this, the wide world narrowed on me, O my son! but I awaited the return of the caravan, hoping that haply they would come back with it. Accordingly, when the palmers appeared I asked concerning the twain, but they could give me no news of them; so I donned mourning for them, being heavy at heart, and in sleep I have no part and I am drowned in the tears of my eyes." Then he wrote in verse:—

That pair in image quits me not one single hour, ✿ Whom in my heart's most honourable place I keep:

Sans hope of their return I would not live one hour, ✿ Without my dreams of them I ne'er would stretch me in sleep.

The letter went on, "And after the usual salutations to thee and 174thine, I command thee neglect no manner of seeking news of them, for indeed this is a shame to us." When Sharrkan read the letter, he felt grief for his father and joy for the loss of his brother and sister. Then he took the missive and went in with it to Nuzhat al-Zaman who knew not that he was her brother, nor he that she was his sister, albeit he often visited her both by night and by day, till the months were accomplished and she sat down on the stool of delivery. Allah made the child-birth easy to her and she bare a daughter, whereupon she sent for Sharrkan and seeing him she said to him, "This is thy daughter: name her as thou wilt." Quoth he, "It is usual to name children on the seventh day after birth."^[300] Then he bent over the child to kiss it and he saw, hung about its neck, a jewel, which he knew at once for one of those which Princess Abrizah had brought from the land of the Greeks. Now when he saw the jewel hanging from his babe's neck he recognised it right well, his senses fled and wrath seized on him; his eyes rolled in rage and he looked at Nuzhat al-Zaman and said to her, "Whence hadst thou this jewel, O slave girl?" When she heard this from Sharrkan she replied, "I am thy lady, and the lady of all in thy palace! Art thou not ashamed to say to me, Slave-girl? I am a Queen, daughter of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman." Hearing this, he was seized with trembling and hung his head earthwards,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Sixty-ninth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious king, that when Sharrkan heard these words, his heart fluttered and his colour waxed yellow and he was seized with trembling and he hung his head earthwards, for he knew that she was his sister by the same father. Then he lost his senses; and, when he revived, he abode in amazement, but did not discover his identity to her and asked, "O my lady, say, art thou in sooth the daughter of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman?" "Yes," answered she; and he continued, 175"Tell me the cause of thy leaving thy sire and of thy being sold for a slave." So she related to him all that had befallen her from beginning to end, how she had left her brother sick in the Sanctified City, Jerusalem, and how the Badawi had kidnapped her and had sold her to the trader. When Sharrkan heard this, he was certified of her being his sister on the sword-side and said to himself, "How can I have my sister to wife? By Allah, needs must I marry her to one of my chamberlains; and, if the thing get wind, I will declare that I divorced her before consummation and married her to my Chief Chamberlain." Then he raised his head and sighing said, "O Nuzhat al-Zaman, thou art my very sister and I cry:—I take refuge with Allah from this sin whereinto we have fallen, for I am Sharrkan, son of Omar bin al-Nu'uman." She looked at him and knew he spoke the truth; and, becoming as one demented, she wept and buffetted her face, exclaiming, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah! Verily have we fallen into mortal sin!^[301] What shall I do and what shall I say to my father and my mother when they ask me, Whence hadst thou thy daughter?" Quoth Sharrkan, "It were meetest that I marry thee to my Chamberlain and let thee bring up my daughter in his house, that none may know thou be my sister. This hath befallen us from Almighty Allah for a purpose of his own, and nothing shall cover us but thy marriage with this Chamberlain, ere any know." Then he fell to comforting her and kissing her head and she asked him, "What wilt thou call the girl?" "Call her Kuzia-Fakan,"^[302] answered he. Then he gave the mother in marriage to the Chief Chamberlain, and transferred her to his house with the child, which they reared on the laps of the slave-girls, and fed with milk and dosed with powders. Now all this occurred whilst the brother, Zau al-Makan, still tarried with the Fireman at Damascus. One day there came to King Sharrkan a courier from his father, with a letter which he took and read and found therein, "After the Bismillah know, O beloved King, that I am afflicted with sore affliction for the loss of my children: sleep ever faileth me and wakefulness ever assaileth me. I send thee this letter that, as soon 176as thou receivest it, thou make ready the monies and the tribute, and send them to us, together with the damsel whom thou hast bought and taken to wife; for I long to see her and hear her discourse; more especially because there hath come to us from Roum-land an old woman of saintly bearing and with her be five damsels, high-bosomed virgins, endowed with knowledge and good-breeding and all arts and sciences befitting mortals to know; and indeed tongue faileth me to describe this old woman and these who with her wend; for of a truth they are compendiums of perfections in learning and accomplishments. As soon as I saw them I loved them, and I wished to have them in my palace and in the compass of my hand; for none of the Kings owneth the like of them; so I asked the old woman their price and she answered:—I will not sell them but for the tribute of Damascus. And I, by Allah, did not hold this price exorbitant, indeed it is but little, for each one of them is worth the whole valuation. So I agreed to that and took them into my palace, and they remain in my possession. Wherefore do thou forward the tribute to us that the woman may return to her own country; and send to us the damsel to the end that she may dispute with them before the doctors; and, if she prevail over them, I will return her to thee accompanied by the tribute of Baghdad."——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the full Seventieth Night,

She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Omar son of Al-Nu'uman said in his letter, "And send to us the damsel to the end that she may dispute with them before the doctors; and, if she prevail over them, I will return her to thee accompanied with the tribute of Baghdad." As soon as Sharrkan knew the contents, he went in to his brother-in-law and said to him, "Bring the damsel to whom I married thee;" and when she came he showed her the letter and said, "O my sister! what answer wouldst thou advise me make to this letter?" Replied she, "Seek advice from thyself!" and presently added (for she yearned after her people and her native land), "Send me together with my husband the Chamberlain, to Baghdad, that I may tell my father my tale and let him know whatso befel me with the Badawi who sold me to the merchant, and that I also inform him how thou boughtest me 177of the trader and gavest me in marriage to the Chamberlain, after setting me free." "Be it so," replied Sharrkan. Then Sharrkan took his daughter, Kuzia Fakan, and committed her to the charge of the wet-nurses and the eunuchs, and he made ready the tribute in haste, bidding the Chamberlain travel with the Princess and the treasure to Baghdad. He also furnished him two travelling litters; one for himself and the other for his wife. And the Chamberlain replied, "To hear is to obey." Moreover Sharrkan collected camels and mules and wrote a letter to his father and committed it to the Chamberlain; then he bade farewell to his sister, after he had taken the jewel from her and hung it round his daughter's neck by a chain of pure gold; and she and her husband set out for Baghdad the same night. Now it so happened that Zau al-Makan and his friend the Fireman had come forth from the hut in which they were, to see the spectacle, and they beheld camels and Bukhti^[303] dromedaries and bât-mules and torches and lanterns alight; and Zau al-Makan enquired about the loads and their owner and was told that it was the tribute of Damascus going to King Omar bin al-Nu'uman, Lord of the City of Baghdad. He then asked, "Who be the leader of the caravan?" and they answered, "The Head Chamberlain who hath married the damsel so famous for learning and science." Thereupon Zau al-Makan wept with bitter weeping and was minded of his mother and his father and his sister and his native land, and he said to the Stoker, "I will join this caravan and, little by little, will journey homewards." Quoth the Fireman, "I would not suffer thee to travel single-handed from the Holy City to Damascus, then how shall I be sure of thy safety when thou farest for Baghdad? But I will go with thee and care for thee till thou effectest thine object." "With joy and good will," answered Zau al-Makan. Then the Fireman gat him ready for the journey and hired an ass and threw saddle-bags over it and put therein something of provaunt; and, when all was prepared, he awaited the passage of the caravan. And presently the Chamberlain came by on a dromedary and his footmen about him. Then Zau al-Makan mounted the ass and said to his companion, "Do thou mount with me." But he replied, "Not so: I will be thy servant." Quoth 178Zau al-Makan, "There is no help for it but thou ride awhile." "'Tis well," quoth the Stoker; "I will ride when I grow tired." Then said Zau al-Makan, "O my brother, soon shalt thou see how I will deal with thee, when I come to my own folk." So they fared on till the sun rose and, when it was the hour of the noonday sleep^[304] the Chamberlain called a halt and they alighted and reposed and watered their camels. Then he gave the signal for departure and, after five days, they came to the city of Hamah,^[305] where they set down and made a three day's halt;——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Seventy-first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that they halted in the city of Hamah three days; they then fared forwards and ceased not travelling till they reached another city. Here also they halted three days and thence they travelled till they entered the province Diyár Bakr. Here blew on them the breezes of Baghdad, and Zau al-Makan bethought him of his father and mother and native land, and how he was returning to his sire without his sister: so he wept and sighed and complained, and his regrets grew on him, and he began improvising these couplets:—

Sweetheart! How long must I await by so long-suffering tried? ✿ Nor cometh messenger to tell me where thou dost abide:

Ah me! in very sooth our meeting-time was short enow: ✿ Would Heaven shorter prove to me the present parting-tide!

Now hend my hand and ope my robe and thou within shall sight ✿ How wasted are the limbs of me and yet the waste I hide:

When say they "Comfort take for loss of love" I but reply ✿ "By Allah, till the Day of Doom no comfort shall betide!"

179Thereupon said to him the Fireman, "Leave this weeping and wailing, for we are near the Chamberlain's tent." Quoth Zau al-Makan, "Needs must I recite somewhat of verse; haply it may quench the fire of my heart." "Allah upon thee," cried the other, "cease this lamentation till thou come to thine own country; then do what thou wilt, and I will be with thee wherever thou art." Replied Zau al-Makan, "By Allah! I cannot forbear from this!" Then he turned his face towards Baghdad and the moon was shining brightly and shedding her light on the place, and Nuzhat al-Zaman could not sleep that night, but was restless and called to mind her brother and wept. And while she was in tears, she heard Zau al-Makan weeping and improvising the following distichs:—

"Al-Yaman's^[306] leven-gleam I see, ✿ And sore despair despaireth me

For friend who erst abode wi' me ✿ Crowning my cup with gladdest gree;

It minds me o' one who jilted me ✿ To mourn my bitter liberty.

Say sooth, thou fair sheet-lightning! shall ✿ We meet once more in joy and glee?

O blamer! spare to me thy blame ✿ My Lord hath sent this dule to dree,

Of friend who left me, fain to flee; ✿ Of Time that breeds calamity:

All bliss hath fled the heart of me ✿ Since Fortune proved mine enemy.

He^[307] brimmed a bowl of merest pine, ✿ And made me drain the dregs, did he:

I see me, sweetheart, dead and gone ✿ Ere I again shall gaze on thee.

Time! prithee bring our childhood back, ✿ Restore our happy infancy,

When joy and safety 'joyed we ✿ From shafts that now they shoot at me!

Who aids the hapless stranger-wight, ✿ That nights in fright and misery,

That wastes his days in lonely grief, ✿ For "Time's Delight"^[308] no more must be?

Doomed us despite our will to bear ✿ The hands of base-borns cark and care.

When he ended his verse he cried out and fell down in a fainting-fit. 180This is how it fared with him; but as regards Nuzhat al-Zaman, when she heard that voice in the night, her heart was at rest and she rose and in her joy she called the Chief Eunuch, who said to her, "What is thy will?" Quoth she, "Arise and bring me him who recited verses but now." Replied he, "Of a truth I did not hear him"——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Seventy-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Nuzhat al-Zaman heard her brother reciting, she called the Chief Eunuch and said to him, "Go, fetch me the man who is repeating this poetry!" Replied he, "Of a truth I heard him not and I wot him not and folks are all sleeping." But she said, "Whomsoever thou seest awake, he is the reciter." So he went, yet found none on wake save the Stoker; for Zau al-Makan was still insensible, and when his companion saw the Eunuch standing by his head he was afraid of him. Then said the Eunuch, "Art thou he who repeated poetry but now and my lady heard him?" The Stoker fancied that the dame was wroth with the reciter; and, being afraid, he replied, "By Allah, 'twas not I!" Rejoined the Eunuch, "Who then was the reciter?: point him out to me. Thou must know who it was, seeing that thou art awake." The Fireman feared for Zau al-Makan and said in himself, "Haply the Eunuch will do him some hurt"; so he answered, "By Allah, I know not who it was." Said the Eunuch, "By Allah, thou liest, for there is none on wake here but thou! So needs must thou know him." "By Allah," replied the Fireman, "I tell thee the truth!: some passer-by, some wayfarer must have recited the verses and disturbed me and kept me awake; Allah requite him!" Quoth the Eunuch, "If thou happen upon him, point him out to me and I will lay hands on him and bring him to the door of our lady's litter;^[309] or do thou take him with thine own hand." Said the Fireman, "Go thou back and I will bring him to thee." So the Eunuch left him and went his ways; and, going in to his mistress, told her all this and said to her, "None knoweth who it was; it must have been some passer-by, some wayfarer." And she was silent. Meanwhile, Zau 181al-Makan came to himself and saw that the moon had reached the middle Heavens; the breath of the dawn-breeze^[310] breathed upon him and his heart was moved to longing and sadness; so he cleared his throat and was about to recite verses, when the Fireman asked him, "What wilt thou do?" Answered Zau al-Makan, "I have a mind to repeat somewhat of poetry, that I may quench therewith the fire of my heart." Quoth the other, "Thou knowest not what befel me whilst thou wast a-faint, and how I escaped death only by beguiling the Eunuch." "Tell me what happened," quoth Zau al-Makan. Replied the Stoker, "Whilst thou wast aswoon there came up to me but now an Eunuch, with a long staff of almond-tree wood in his hand, who took to looking in all the people's faces, as they lay asleep, and asked me who it was recited the verses, finding none awake but myself. I told him in reply it was some passer-by, some wayfarer; so he went away and Allah delivered me from him; else had he killed me. But first he said to me:—If thou hear him again, bring him to us." When Zau al-Makan heard this he wept and said, "Who is it would forbid me to recite? I will surely recite, befal me what may; for I am near mine own land and care for none." Rejoined the Fireman, "Thy design is naught save to lose thy life;" and Zau al-Makan retorted, "Needs must I recite verses." "Verily," said the Stoker, "Needs must there be a parting between me and thee in this place, albeit I had intended not to leave thee, till I had brought thee to thy native city and reunited thee with thy mother and father. Thou hast now tarried with me a year and a half and I have never harmed thee in aught. What ails thee, then, that thou must needs recite verses, seeing that we are tired out with walking and watching and all the folk are asleep, for they require sleep to rest them of their fatigue?" But Zau al-Makan answered, "I will not be turned away from my purpose."^[311] Then grief moved him and he threw off concealment and began repeating these couplets:—

182Stand thou by the homes and hail the lords of the ruined stead; ✿ Cry thou for an answer, belike reply to thee shall be sped:

If the night and absence irk thy spirit kindle a torch ✿ Wi' repine; and illuminate the gloom with a gleaming gleed:

If the snake of the sand-dunes hiss, I shall marvel not at all! ✿ Let him bite so I bite those beauteous lips of the luscious red:

O Eden, my soul hath fled in despite of the maid I love: ✿ Had I lost hope of Heaven my heart in despair were dead.

And he also improvised the two following distichs:

We were and were the days enthralled to all our wills, ✿ Dwelling in union sweet and homed in fairest site:

Who shall restore the home of the beloved, where showed ✿ Light of the Place for aye conjoined with Time's Delight?^[312]

And as he ceased his verses, he shrieked three shrieks and fell senseless to the ground and the Fireman rose and covered him. When Nuzhat al-Zaman heard the first improvisation, she called to mind her father and her mother and her brother and their whilom home; then she wept and cried at the Eunuch and said to him, "Woe to thee! He who recited the first time hath recited a second time and I heard him hard by. By Allah, an thou fetch him not to me, I will assuredly rouse the Chamberlain on thee, and he shall beat thee and cast thee out. But take these hundred dinars and give them to the singer and bring him to me gently, and do him no hurt. If he refuse, hand to him this purse of a thousand dinars, then leave him and return to me and tell me, after thou hast informed thyself of his place and his calling and what countryman he is. Return quickly and linger not."——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Seventy-third Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Nuzhat al-Zaman sent the Eunuch to make enquiries concerning the singer and said, "Beware how thou come back to me and report, I could not find him." So the Eunuch went out and laid about the people and trod in their tents, but found none awake, all being asleep for weariness, till he came to the Stoker and saw him sitting up, with his head uncovered. So he drew near and seizing him by the hand, said to him, "It was thou didst recite the verses!" The Fireman was afeard for his life and replied, "No, by Allah, O chief of the people, it was not I!" But the Eunuch said, "I will not leave thee till thou show me who it was that recited the verses, for 183I dread returning to my lady without him." Now when the Fireman heard these words he feared for Zau al-Makan and wept with exceeding weeping and said to the Eunuch, "By Allah, it was not I, and I know him not. I only heard some passer-by, some wayfarer, recite verses: so do not thou commit sin on me, for I am a stranger and come from the Holy City of Jerusalem; and Abraham, the friend of Allah, be with you all." "Rise up and fare with me," rejoined the Eunuch, "and tell my lady this with thine own mouth, for I have seen none awake save thyself." Quoth the Stoker, "Hast thou not come and seen me sitting in the place where I now am, and dost thou not know my station? Thou wottest none can stir from his place, except the watchmen seize him. So go thou to thy station and if thou again meet any one after this hour reciting aught of poetry, whether he be near or far, it will be I or some one I know, and thou shalt not learn of him but by me." Then he kissed the Eunuch's head and spake him fair till he went away; but the Castrato fetched a round and, returning secretly, came and stood behind the Fireman, fearing to go back to his mistress without tidings. As soon as he was gone, the Stoker arose and aroused Zau al-Makan and said to him, "Come, sit up, that I may tell thee what hath happened." So Zau al-Makan sat up, and his companion told him what had passed, and he answered, "Let me alone; I will take no heed of this and I care for none, for I am near mine own country."^[313] Quoth the Stoker, "Why wilt thou obey thy flesh and the devil? If thou fear no one, I fear for thee and for my life, so Allah upon thee! recite nothing more of verses till thou come to thine own land. Indeed, I had not deemed thee so ill-conditioned. Dost thou not know that this lady is the wife of the Chamberlain and is minded to chastise thee for disturbing her? Belike, she is ill or restless for fatigue of the journey and the distance of the place from her home, and this is the second time she hath sent the Eunuch to look for thee." However Zau al-Makan paid no heed to the Fireman's words but cried out a third time and began versifying with these couplets:—

184I fly the carper's injury, ✿ Whose carping sorely vexeth me:

He chides and taunts me, wotting not ✿ He burns me but more grievously.

The blamer cries "He is consoled!" ✿ I say, "My own dear land^[314] to see:"

They ask, "Why be that land so dear?" ✿ I say "It taught me in love to be:"

They ask, "What raised its dignity?" ✿ I say, "What made my ignomy:"

Whate'er the bitter cup I drain, ✿ Far be fro' me that land to flee:

Nor will I bow to those who blame, ✿ And for such love would deal me shame.

Hardly had he made an end of his verses and come to a conclusion, when the Eunuch (who had heard him from his hiding-place at his head) came up to him; whereupon the Fireman fled and stood afar off to see what passed between them. Then said the Eunuch to Zau al-Makan, "Peace be with thee, O my lord!" "And on thee be peace," replied Zau al-Makan, "and the mercy of Allah and His blessings!" "O my lord," continued the Eunuch——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Seventy-fourth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Eunuch said to Zau al-Makan, "O my lord, I have sought thee these several times this night, for my mistress biddeth thee to her." Quoth Zau al-Makan, "And who be this bitch that seeketh for me? Allah curse her and curse her husband with her!"^[315] And he began to revile the Eunuch, who could make him no answer, because his mistress had charged him to do Zau al-Makan no hurt, nor bring him save of his own especial free will; and, if he would not accompany him, to give him the thousand dinars. So the Castrato began to speak him fair and say to him, "O my lord, take this purse and go with me. We will do thee no unright, O my son, nor wrong thee in aught; but our object is that thou bend thy gracious steps with me to my mistress, to receive her answer and return in weal and safety: and thou shalt have a handsome present as one who bringeth good news." When Zau al-Makan heard this, he arose and went with the Eunuch and walked among the sleeping folk, stepping over them; whilst the Fireman followed after them from afar, and kept his eye upon him and said to himself, "Alas the pity of his youth! To-morrow they will hang him." And he ceased not following them till he approached their station,^[316] without any 185observing him. Then he stood still and said, "How base it will be of him, if he say it was I who bade him recite the verses!" This was the case of the Stoker; but as regards what befel Zau al-Makan, he ceased not walking with the Eunuch till he reached his station and the Castrato went in to Nuzhat al-Zaman and said, "O my lady, I have brought thee him whom thou soughtest, and he is a youth, fair of face and bearing the marks of wealth and gentle breeding." When she heard this, her heart fluttered and she cried, "Let him recite some verses, that I may hear him nearhand, and after ask him his name and his condition and his native land." Then the Eunuch went out to Zau al-Makan and said to him, "Recite what verses thou knowest, for my lady is here hard by, listening to thee, and after I will ask thee of thy name and thy native country and thy condition." Replied he, "With love and gladness but, an thou ask my name, it is erased and my trace is unplaced and my body awaste. I have a story, the beginning of which is not known nor can the end of it be shown, and behold, I am even as one who hath exceeded in wine-drinking and who hath not spared himself; one who is afflicted with distempers and who wandereth from his right mind, being perplexed about his case and drowned in the sea of thought." When Nuzhat al-Zaman heard this, she broke out into excessive weeping and sobbing, and said to the Eunuch, "Ask him if he have parted from one he loveth even as his mother or father." The Castrato asked as she bade him, and Zau al-Makan replied, "Yes, I have parted from every one I loved: but the dearest of all to me was my sister, from whom Fate hath separated me." When Nuzhat al-Zaman heard this, she exclaimed, "Allah Almighty reunite him with what he loveth!"——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Seventy-fifth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Nuzhat al-Zaman heard his words she said, "Allah reunite him with what he loveth!" Then quoth she to the Eunuch, "Tell him to let me hear somewhat anent his separation from his countrymen and his country." The Eunuch did so, and Zau al-Makan sighed heavily and began repeating these couplets^[317]:—

186Is not her love a pledge by all mankind confest? ✿ The house that hometh Hinda be for ever blest!

Her love all levels; man can reck of naught beside; ✿ Naught or before or after can for man have zest.

'Tis though the vale is paved with musk and ambergris ✿ That day when Hinda's footstep on its face is prest:

Hail to the beauty of our camp, the pride of folk, ✿ The dearling who enslaves all hearts by her behest:

Allah on "Time's Delight" send large-dropped clouds that teem ✿ With genial rain but bear no thunder in their breast.

And also these:—

I vow to Allah if at home I sight ✿ My sister Nuzhat al-Zamáni hight,

I'll pass the days in joyance and delight ✿ Mid bashful minions, maidens soft and white:

To sound of harps in various modes they smite ✿ Draining the bowl, while eyes rain lively light

'Neath half-closed lids, a-sipping lips red-bright ✿ By stream-bank flowing through my garden-site.

When he had finished his verse, Nuzhat al-Zaman lifted up a skirt of the litter-curtain and looked at him. As soon as her eyes fell on his face, she knew him for certain and cried out, "O my brother! O Zau al-Makan!" He also looked at her and knew her and cried out, "O my sister! O Nuzhat al-Zaman!" Then she threw herself upon him and he gathered her to his bosom and the twain fell down in a fainting fit. When the Eunuch saw this case, he wondered at them and throwing over them somewhat to cover them, waited till they should recover. After a while they came to themselves, and Nuzhat al-Zaman rejoiced with exceeding joy: oppression and depression left her and gladness took the mastery of her, and she repeated these verses:—

Time sware my life should fare in woeful waste; ✿ Forsworn art Time, expiate thy sin in haste!^[318]

Comes weal and comes a welcome friend to aid; ✿ To him who brings good news, rise, gird thy waist:

I spurnèd old-world tales of Eden-bliss; ✿ Till came I Kausar^[319] on those lips to taste.

187When Zau al-Makan heard this, he pressed his sister to his breast; tears streamed from his eyes for excess of joy and he repeated these couplets^[320]:—

Long I lamented that we fell apart, ✿ While tears repentant railèd from these eyne;

And sware, if Time unite us twain once more, ✿ "Severance" shall never sound from tongue of mine:

Joy hath so overwhelmed me that excess ✿ Of pleasure from mine eyes draws gouts of brine:

Tears, O mine eyes, have now become your wont ✿ Ye weep for pleasure and you weep for pine!

They sat awhile at the litter-door till she said to him, "Come with me into the litter and tell me all that hath befallen thee, and I will tell thee what happened to me." So they entered and Zau al-Makan said, "Do thou begin thy tale." Accordingly she told him all that had come to her since their separation at the Khan and what had happened to her with the Badawi; how the merchant had bought her of him and had taken her to her brother Sharrkan and had sold her to him; how he had freed her at the time of buying; how he had made a marriage-contract with her and had gone in to her and how the King, their sire, had sent and asked for her from Sharrkan. Then quoth she, "Praised be Allah who hath vouchsafed thee to me and ordained that, even as we left our father together, so together shall we return to him!" And she added, "Of a truth my brother Sharrkan gave me in marriage to this Chamberlain that he might carry me to my father. And this is what befel me from first to last; so now tell me how it hath fared with thee since I left thee." Thereupon he told her all that had happened to him from beginning to end; and how Allah vouchsafed to send the Fireman to him, and how he had journeyed with him and spent his money on him and had served him night and day. She praised the Stoker for this and Zau al-Makan added, "Of a truth, O my sister, this Fireman hath dealt with me in such benevolent wise as would not lover with lass nor sire with son, for that he fasted and gave me to eat, and he walked whilst he made me ride; and I owe my life to him." Said she, "Allah willing, we will requite him for all this, according to our power." Then she called 188the Eunuch, who came and kissed Zau al-Makan's hand, and she said, "Take thy reward for glad tidings, O face of good omen! It was thy hand reunited me with my brother; so the purse I gave thee and all in it are thine. But now go to thy master and bring him quickly to me." The Castrato rejoiced and, going in to the Chamberlain, summoned him to his mistress. Accordingly, he came in to his wife and finding Zau al-Makan with her, asked who he was. So she told him all that had befallen them both, first and last, and added, "Know, O Chamberlain, that thou hast married no slave-girl; far from it, thou hast taken to wife the daughter of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman for I am Nuzhat al-Zaman, and this is my brother, Zau al-Makan." When the Chamberlain heard the story he knew it to be sooth, and its manifest truth appeared to him and he was certified that he was become King Omar bin al-Nu'uman's son-in-law, so he said to himself, "'Twill be my fate to be made viceroy of some province."^[321] Then he went up to Zau al-Makan and gave him joy of his safety and reunion with his sister, and bade his servants forthwith make him ready a tent and one of the best of his own horses to ride. Thereupon said Nuzhat al-Zaman, "We are now near our country and I would be left alone with my brother, that we may enjoy each other's company and take our fill of it ere we reach Baghdad; for we have been parted a long, long time." "Be it as thou biddest," replied the Chamberlain, and, going forth from them, sent them wax-candles and various kinds of sweetmeats, together with three suits of the costliest for Zau al-Makan. Then he returned to the litter and related the good he had done and Nuzhat al-Zaman said to him, "Bid the Eunuch bring me the Fireman and give him a horse to ride and ration him with a tray of food morning and evening, and let him be forbidden to leave us." The Chamberlain called the Castrato and charged him to do accordingly; so he replied, "I hear and I obey;" and he took his pages with him and went out in search of the Stoker till he found him in the rear of the caravan, girthing his ass and preparing for flight. The tears were running adown his cheeks, out of fear for his life and grief for his separation from Zau al-Makan; and he was saying to himself, "Indeed, I warned him for the love of Allah, but he would not listen to me; Oh would I knew what is become of him!" Ere he had done speaking the Eunuch was standing by his head whilst the pages surrounded him. 189The Fireman turned and seeing the Eunuch and the pages gathered around him became yellow with fear——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Seventy-sixth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Stoker girthed his ass for flight and bespake himself, saying, "Oh would I knew what is become of him!"; ere he had done speaking the Castrato was standing by his head and his side-muscles quivered for fear and he lifted up his voice and cried, "Verily he knoweth not the value of the good offices I have done him! I believe he hath denounced me to the Eunuch (hence these pages get about me) and he hath made me an accomplice in his crime." Then the effeminated one cried at him, saying, "Who was it recited the verses? O liar! why didst thou say:—I never repeated these couplets, nor do I know who repeated them; when it was thy companion? But now I will not leave thee between this place and Baghdad, and what betideth thy comrade shall betide thee." Quoth the Fireman, "What I feared hath befallen me." And he repeated this couplet:—

'Twas as I feared the coming ills discerning: ✿ But unto Allah we are all returning.

Then the Eunuch cried upon the pages, saying, "Take him off the ass." So they carried him along with the caravan, surrounded by the pages, as the white contains the black of the eye; and the Castrato said to them, "If a hair of him be lost, you will be lost with it." And he bade them privily treat him with honour and not humiliate him. But when the Stoker saw himself beset by the pages, he despaired of his life and turning to the Eunuch, said to him, "O Chief, I am neither this youth's brother nor am I akin to him, nor is he sib to me; but I was a Fireman in a Hammam and found him cast out, in his sickness, on the dung-heap." Then the caravan fared on and the Stoker wept and imagined in himself a thousand things, whilst the Eunuch walked by his side and told him nothing, but said to him, "Thou disturbedst our mistress by reciting verses, thou and this youth: but fear nothing for thyself;" and kept laughing at him the while to himself. Whenever the caravan halted, they served him with food, and he and the Castrato 190ate from one dish.^[322] Then the Eunuch bade his lads bring a gugglet of sugared sherbet and, after drinking himself, gave it to the Fireman, who drank; but all the while his tears never dried, out of fear for his life and grief for his separation from Zau al-Makan and for what had befallen them in their strangerhood. So they both travelled on with the caravan, whilst the Chamberlain now rode by the door of his wife's litter, in attendance on Zau al-Makan and his sister, and now gave an eye to the Fireman; and Nuzhat al-Zaman and her brother occupied themselves with converse and mutual condolence; and they ceased not after this fashion till they came within three days' journey from Baghdad. Here they alighted at eventide and rested till the morning morrowed; and as they awoke and they were about to load the beasts, behold, there appeared afar off a great cloud of dust that darkened the firmament till it became black as gloomiest night.^[323] Thereupon the Chamberlain cried out to them, "Stay, and your loading delay!"; then, mounting with his Mamelukes, rode forward in the direction of the dust-cloud. When they drew near, suddenly appeared under it a numerous conquering host like the full-tide sea, with flags and standards, drums and kettledrums, horsemen and footmen. The Chamberlain marvelled at this; and when the troops saw him, there detached itself from amongst them a plump of five hundred cavaliers, who fell upon him and his suite and surrounded them, five for one; whereupon said he to them, "What is the matter and what are these troops, that ye do this with us?" Asked they, "Who art thou; and whence comest thou, and whither art thou bound?" and he answered, "I am the Chamberlain of the Emir of Damascus, King Sharrkan, son of Omar bin al-Nu'uman, Lord of Baghdad and of the land of Khorasan, and I bring tribute and presents from him to his father in Baghdad." When the horsemen heard his words they let their head-kerchiefs fall over their faces and wept, saying, "In very sooth King Omar is dead and he died not but of poison. So fare ye forwards; no harm shall befal you till you join his Grand Wazir, Dandan." Now when the Chamberlain heard this, he wept sore and exclaimed, "Oh for our disappointment in this our journey!" Then he and all his suite wept till they had come 191up with the host and sought access to the Wazir Dandan, who granted an interview and called a halt and, causing his pavilion to be pitched, sat down on a couch therein and commanded to admit the Chamberlain. Then he bade him be seated and questioned him; and he replied that he was Chamberlain to the Emir of Damascus and was bound to King Omar with presents and the tribute of Syria. The Wazir, hearing the mention of King Omar's name, wept and said, "King Omar is dead by poison, and upon his dying the folk fell out amongst themselves as to who should succeed him, until they were like to slay one another on this account; but the notables and grandees and the four Kazis interposed and all the people agreed to refer the matter to the decision of the four judges and that none should gainsay them. So it was agreed that we go to Damascus and fetch thence the King's son, Sharrkan, and make him Sultan over his father's realm. And amongst them were some who would have chosen the cadet, Zau al-Makan, for, quoth they, his name be Light of the Place, and he hath a sister Nuzhat al-Zaman hight, the Delight of the Time; but they set out five years ago for Al-Hijaz and none wotteth what is become of them." When the Chamberlain heard this, he knew that his wife had told him the truth of her adventures; and he grieved with sore grief for the death of King Omar, albeit he joyed with exceeding joy, especially at the arrival of Zau al-Makan, for that he would now become Sultan of Baghdad in his father's stead.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Seventy-seventh Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sharrkan's Chamberlain heard of the death of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman he mourned, but he rejoiced because of his wife and her brother Zau al-Makan who would become Sultan of Baghdad in his father's stead. So he turned to the Wazir Dandan and said to him, "Verily your tale is a wonder of wonders! Know, O Chief Wazir, that here, where you have encountered me, Allah hath given you rest from fatigue and bringeth you your desire after the easiest of fashions, for that His Almighty Will restoreth to you Zau al-Makan and his sister Nuzhat al-Zaman; whereby we will settle the matter as we easily can." When the Minister heard these 192words he rejoiced with great joy and said, "O Chamberlain, tell me the tale of the twain and what befel them and the cause of their long absence." So he repeated to him the whole story and told him that Nuzhat al-Zaman was his wife and related to him the adventures of Zau al-Makan from first to last. As soon as he had ended his tale, the Wazir sent for the Emirs and Wazirs and Chief Officers and acquainted them with the matter; whereat they rejoiced with great joy and wondered at the happy chance. Then they gathered in a body and went in to the Chamberlain and did their service to him, kissing the ground between his hands; and the Wazir Dandan also rose and went out to meet him and stood before him in honour. After this, the Chamberlain held on that day a Divan-council; and he and the Wazir sat upon a throne, whilst all the Emirs and Grandees and Officers of State took their places before them, according to their several ranks.^[324] Then they melted sugar in rose-water and drank, after which the Emirs sat down to hold council and permitted the rest of the host to mount and ride forward leisurely, till they should make an end of their debate and overtake them. So the officers kissed the ground between their hands and mounting, rode onwards, preceded by the standards of war. When the grandees had finished their conference, they took horse and rejoined the host; and the Chamberlain approached the Wazir Dandan and said, "I deem it well to ride on before you, and precede you, that I may get ready a place for the Sultan and notify him of your coming and of your choosing him as Sultan over the head of his brother Sharrkan." "Aright thou reckest," answered the Wazir. Then the Chamberlain rose up in haste and Dandan also stood up to do him honour and brought him presents, which he conjured him to accept. In similar guise did all the Emirs and Grandees and Officers of State, bringing him gifts and calling down blessings on him and saying to him, "Haply thou wilt mention our case to Sultan Zau al-Makan and speak to him to continue us in our dignities."^[325] The Chamberlain promised all they required and bade his pages be ready to march, whereupon the Wazir Dandan sent with him tents and bade the tent-pitchers set them up at a day's journey from the city. And they did his bidding. Then the Chamberlain mounted and rode forward, full of joy and saying to himself, "How blessed is this 193journey!"; and indeed his wife was exalted in his eyes, she and her brother Zau al-Makan. They made all haste over their wayfare, till they reached a place distant a day's journey from Baghdad, where the Chamberlain called a halt for rest, and bade his men alight and make ready a sitting place for the Sultan Zau al-Makan, son of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman, while he rode forward with his Mamelukes and, alighting at a distance from Nuzhat al-Zaman's litter, commanded the eunuchs to ask leave of admission to the presence. They did so and she gave permission; whereupon he went in to her and conversed with her and her brother; and told them of the death of their father; and of Zau al-Makan, how the heads of the people had made him King over them in the stead of his sire; and he gave them joy of the kingdom. They both wept for their father and asked the manner of his being killed; but the Chamberlain answered, "The news rests with the Wazir Dandan who will be here to-morrow leading all the host; and it only remaineth for thee, O King, to do what they counsel, since they have unanimously chosen thee Sultan; for if thou do not this, they will choose some one else and thou canst not be sure of thy life with another Sultan. Haply he will kill thee, or discord may befal between you twain and the kingdom pass out of the hands of both." Zau al-Makan bowed his head awhile and then said, "I accept this position;" for indeed there was no refusing; and he was certified that the Chamberlain had counselled him well and wisely and set him on the right way. Then he added, "O my uncle, how shall I do with my brother Sharrkan?" "O my son," replied the Chamberlain, "thy brother will be Sultan of Damascus and thou Sultan of Baghdad; so take heart of grace and get ready thy case." Zau al-Makan accepted this and the Chamberlain presented him with a suit of royal raiment and a dagger^[326] of state, which the Wazir Dandan had brought with him; then leaving him he bade the tent-pitchers choose a spot of rising ground and set up thereon a spacious pavilion, wherein the Sultan might sit to receive the Emirs and Grandees. Moreover he ordered the kitcheners to cook rich viands and serve them and he commanded the water-carriers to dispose the water-troughs. They did as he bade them and presently arose a cloud of dust from the ground and spread till it walled the 194horizon round. After awhile, the dust dispersed and there appeared under it the army of Baghdad and Khorasan, a conquering host like the full-tide sea.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Seventy-eighth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Chamberlain bade the tent-pitchers set up a pavilion spacious enough to receive the subjects flocking to their Sultan, they planted a splendid Sháhmiyánah^[327] befitting Kings. And as they ended their labours behold, a dust cloud spired aloft and the breeze made it lift and beneath it showed a conquering host; and presently it appeared that this was the army of Baghdad and Khorasan preceded by the Wazir Dandan. And in it all rejoiced at the accession of the "Light of the Place." Now Zau al-Makan had donned robes of royal estate and girt himself with the sword of state: so the Chamberlain brought him a steed and he mounted, surrounded by the Mamelukes and all the company from the tents on foot, to do him service, and he rode on until he came to the great pavilion, where he sat down and he laid the royal dagger across his thighs, whilst the Chamberlain stood in attendance on him and his armed slaves stationed themselves under the entrance-awning of the Sháhmiyánah, with drawn swords in their hands. Presently, up came the troops and the host and craved admission; so the Chamberlain went in to Zau al-Makan and asked his leave, whereupon he bade admit them, ten by ten. The Chamberlain acquainted them with the King's commands, to which they replied, "We hear and we obey;" and all drew up before the pavilion-entrance. Then he took ten of them and carried them through the vestibule into the presence of Sultan Zau al-Makan, whom when they saw, they were awed; but he received them with most gracious kindness and promised them all good. So they gave him joy of his safe return and invoked Allah's blessings upon him, after which they took the oath of fealty never to gainsay him in aught and they kissed ground before him and withdrew. Then other ten entered and he entreated them as he had entreated the others; and they ceased not to enter, ten by ten, till none was left 195but the Wazir Dandan. Lastly the Minister went in and kissed the ground before Zau al-Makan, who rose to meet him, saying, "Welcome, O Wazir and sire sans peer! Verily, thine acts are those of a counsellor right dear, and judgement and foreseeing clear are in the hands of the Subtle of Lere." Then bade he the Chamberlain forthwith go out and cause the tables to be spread and order all the troops thereto. So they came and ate and drank. Moreover the Sultan commanded his Wazir Dandan call a ten days' halt of the army, that he might be private with him and learn from him how and wherefore his father had been slain. The Wazir obeyed the commands of the Sultan with submission and wished him eternity of glory and said, "This needs must be!" He then repaired to the heart of the encampment and ordered the host to halt ten days. They did as he bade them and, moreover, he gave them leave to divert themselves and ordered that none of the lords in waiting should attend upon the King for service during the space of three days. Then the Wazir went to the Sultan and reported all to him, and Zau al-Makan waited until nightfall, when he went in to his sister Nuzhat al-Zaman and asked her, "Dost thou know the cause of my father's murder or not?" "I have no knowledge of the cause," she answered, and drew a silken curtain before herself, whilst Zau al-Makan seated himself without the curtain and commanded the Wazir to the presence and, when he came, said to him, "I desire thou relate to me in detail the cause of the killing of my sire, King Omar bin al-Nu'uman!" Know then, O King, replied Dandan, that King Omar bin al-Nu'uman, when he returned to Baghdad from his chasing and hunting and entered the city, enquired for thee and thy sister, but could not find you and knew that you twain had gone on the Pilgrimage; whereat he was greatly grieved and much angered, and his breast was straitened and he abode thus half a year, seeking news of you from all who came and went, but none could give him any tidings. Now while we were in attendance upon him one day, after a whole year had sped since ye were lost to his sight, lo! there came to us an ancient dame with signs of being a devotee, accompanied by five damsels, high-bosomed virgins like moons, endowed with such beauty and loveliness as tongue faileth to describe; and, to crown their perfections of comeliness, they could read the Koran and were versed in various kinds of learning and in the histories of bygone peoples. Then that old woman sought audience of the King, and he bade admit her; whereupon she entered the presence 196and kissed the ground between his hands. I was then sitting by his side and he, seeing in her the signs of asceticism and devoutness, made her draw near and take seat hard by him. And when she had sat down she addressed him and said, "Know, O King, that with me are five damsels, whose like no King among the Kings possesseth; for they are endowed with wit and beauty and loveliness and perfection. They read the Koran and the Traditions and are skilled in all manner of learning and in the history of bygone races. They stand here between thy hands to do thee service, O King of the Age, and it is by trial that folk are prized or despised." Thy father, who hath found mercy;^[328] looked at the damsels and their favour pleased him; so he said to them, "Let each and every of you make me hear something of what she knoweth anent the history of the folk of yore and of peoples long gone before!"——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Seventy-ninth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir Dandan said unto King Zau al-Makan:—Thy father, who hath found mercy, glanced at the damsels and their favour pleased him and he said to them, "Let each and every of you make me hear something of what she knoweth anent the history of the folk of yore and of peoples long gone before!" Thereupon one of them came forward and, kissing the ground before him, spake as follows.^[329] "Know, O King, that it behoveth one of good-breeding to eschew impertinence and adorn himself with excellencies, and observe the Divine injunctions and avoid mortal sins; and to this he should apply himself with the assiduity of one who, if he stray therefrom, falleth into perdition; for the foundation of good breeding is virtuous behaviour. And know that the chief cause and reason of man's existence is the endeavour after life everlasting, and the right way thereto is the service of Allah. Wherefore it behoveth thee to deal beneficently with the people: and swerve not from this canon, 197for the mightier men are in dignity, the more their need of prudence and foresight; and indeed Monarchs need this more than the many, for the general cast themselves into affairs, without taking thought to the issue thereof. Be thou prodigal of thy life and thy good in the way of Allah, and know that, if an enemy dispute with thee, thou mayst dispute with him and refute him with proofs and be proof against him; but as for thy friend, there is none can judge between thee and him save righteousness and fair-dealing. Choose, therefore, thy friend for thyself, after thou hast proved him. If he be of the brotherhood of futurity,^[330] let him be zealous in observing the externals of the Holy Law and versed in its inner meaning, as far as may be; and if he be of the brotherhood of the world, let him be free-born, sincere, neither a fool nor a perverse, for the fool man is such that even his parents might well flee from him, and a liar cannot be a true friend. Indeed the word, Siddík^[331] ('friend') deriveth from Sidk ('truth') that welleth up from the bottom of the heart; and how can this be the case, when falsehood is manifest upon the tongue? And know, that the observance of the Law profiteth him who practiseth it: so love thy brother, if he be of this quality and do not cast him off, even if thou see in him that which irketh thee, for a friend is not like a wife, whom one can divorce and re-marry: nay, his heart is like glass: once broken, it may not be mended. And Allah bless him who saith:—

Ware how thou hurtest man with hurt of heart; ✿ 'Tis hard to win thee back the heart offended:

For hearts indeed, whence love is alien made, ✿ Like broken-glass may nevermore be mended."

The maiden continued and concluded with pointing out to us what sages say, "The best of brethren is he who is the most constant in good counsel; the best of action is that which is fairest in its consequence, and the best of praise is not that which is in the mouths of men. It is also said:—It behoveth not the servant to neglect thanking Allah especially for two favours, health and reason. Again it is said:—Whoso honoureth himself, his lust is a light matter to him, and he who maketh much of his small troubles, 198Allah affiicteth him with the greater; he who obeyeth his own inclination neglecteth his duties and he who listeneth to the slanderer loseth the true friend. He who thinketh well of thee, do thou fulfill his thought of thee. He who exceedeth in contention sinneth, and he who against unright standeth not on ward, is not safe from the sword. Now will I tell thee somewhat of the duties of Kazis and judges. Know, O King, that no judgement serveth the cause of justice save it be given after proof positive, and it behoveth the judge to treat all people on the same level, to the intent that the great may not hunger for oppression nor the small despair of justice. Furthermore he should extract proof from the complainant and impose an oath upon the defendant; and mediation is admissible between Moslems, except it be a compromise sanctioning the unlawful or forbidding the lawful.^[332] If thou shalt have done aught during the day, of which thy reason is doubtful but thy good intention is proved, thou (O Kazi) shouldst revert to the right, for to do justice is a religious obligation and to return to that which is right is better than persistence in wrong. Then (O judge) thou shouldest study precedents and the law of the case and do equal justice between the suitors, withal fixing thine eyes upon the truth and committing thine affair to Allah (be He extolled and exalted!). And require thou proof of the complainant, and if he adduce evidence let him have due benefit of it; and if not, put the defendant to his oath; for this is the ordinance of Allah. Receive thou the testimony of competent Moslem witnesses, one against other, for Almighty Allah hath commanded judges to judge by externals, He Himself taking charge of the inner and secret things. It behoveth the judge also to avoid giving judgement, whilst suffering from stress of pain or hunger,^[333] and that in his decisions between folk he seek the face of Allah Almighty, for he whose intent is pure and who is at peace with himself, Allah shall guarantee him against what is between him and the people. Quoth al-Zuhri^[334]:—There are three things for which, if they be found in a Kazi, he should be deposed; namely, if he honour the base, if he love praise and if he fear dismissal. And Omar bin Abd al-Aziz once deposed a Kazi, who asked him, Why hast thou dismissed me? It hath reached me, answered Omar, that thy converse 199is greater than thy condition. It is said also that Iskandar^[335] said to his Kazi:—I have invested thee with this function and committed to thee in it my soul and mine honour and my manliness; so do thou guard it with thy sense and thine understanding. To his Cook he said, Thou art the Sultan of my body; so look thou tender it as thine own self. To his Secretary he said, Thou art the controller of my wit: so do thou watch over me in what thou writest for me and from me." Thereupon the first damsel backed out from the presence and a second damsel came forward.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the full Eightieth Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir Dandan said to Zau al-Makan:—Thereupon the first damsel backed out from the presence and a second damsel came forward and, kissing the ground seven times before the King thy father, spake as follows, "The sage Lukmán^[336] said to his son, There be three who are known only in three several cases; the merciful man is unknown save in time of wrath, the brave only in battle, and thy friend in time of need. It is said that the oppressor shall be deprest though by people praised, and that the opprest is at rest though by people blamed. Quoth Allah Almighty,^[337] Assuredly deem not that those who rejoice in what they have done, and who love to be praised for what they have not done, shall escape reckoning of punishment: indeed there is reserved for them a grievous penalty. And he said^[338] (on whom be salvation and salutation!):—Works are according to intention and to each man is attributed that which he intendeth. He said also:—In the body is a part which being sound the rest is sound, and which being unsound the whole is unsound. And this is the heart. Now this heart is the most marvellous of what is in man, since it is that 200which ordereth his whole affair: If covetise stir in it, desire destroyeth him; and if affliction master it, anguish slayeth him; if anger rage in it, danger is hard upon him; if it be blest with contentment, he is safe from discontent; if fear surprise it, he is full of mourning; and if calamity overtake it, affliction betideth him. If a man gain the use of wealth, peradventure he is diverted thereby from the remembrance of his Lord; if poverty choke him, his heart is distracted by woe, or if disquietude waste his heart, weakness causeth him to fall. Thus, in any case, nothing profiteth him but that he be mindful of Allah and occupy himself with gaining his livelihood in this world and securing his place in the next. It was asked of a certain sage, Who is the most ill-conditioned of men?; and he answered, The man whose lusts master his manhood and whose mind soareth over high, so that his knowledge dispreadeth and his excuse diminisheth; and how excellently saith the poet:—

Freest am I of all mankind fro' meddling wight ✿ Who, seeing others err, self-error ne'er can sight:

Riches and talents are but loans to creature lent; ✿ Each wears the cloak of that he bears in breast and sprite:

If by mistaken door attempt on aught thou make, ✿ Thou shalt go wrong; and if the door be right, go right!"

Continued the maiden, "As for anecdotes of devotees, quoth Hishám bin Bashar:—I asked Omar bin Ubayd, What is true piety?; and he answered, The Apostle of Allah (to whom be salutation and salvation!) hath explained it when he sayeth, The pious is he who forgetteth not the grave nor calamity and who preferreth that which endureth to that which passeth away; who counteth not the morrow as of his days but reckoneth himself among the dead. And it is related that Abu Zarr^[339] used to say, Want is dearer to me than wealth, and unheal is dearer to me than health. Quoth one of the listeners, May Allah have mercy on Abu Zarr! For my part, I say, Whoso putteth his trust in the goodness of the election of Almighty Allah should be content with that condition which Allah hath chosen for him. Quoth one of the Companions of the Prophet, Ibn Abi Aufa^[340] once prayed with us the dawn-prayer. When he had done, he recited, O Thou 201Enwrapped!^[341] till he came to where Allah saith, When there shall be a trumping on the trumpet, and fell down dead. It is said that Sabit al-Banáni wept till he well-nigh lost his eyes. They brought him a man to medicine him who said to him, I will cure thee, provided thou obey my bidding. Asked Sabit, In what matter? Quoth the leach, In that thou leave weeping! What is the worth of mine eyes?, rejoined Sabit, if they do not weep? Quoth a man to Mohammed bin Abdillah, Exhort thou me!"——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Eighty-first Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir Dandan said to Zau al-Makan:—Thus spake the second handmaid to the King who hath found mercy, Omar bin al-Nu'uman. "Quoth a man to Mohammed bin Abdillah, Exhort thou me! I exhort thee, replied he, to be a self-ruler, an abstainer in this world, and in the next a greedy slave. How so? asked the other and Mohammed answered, The abstinent man in this world conquereth both the world that is and the world to come. And quoth Ghaus bin Abdillah, There were two brothers among the sons of Israel, one of whom said to the other, What be the most perilous^[342] thing thou hast done? Replied the brother, I once came upon a nest of young birds; so I took out one and threw it back into the nest; but among the chickens were some which drew apart from it. This is the most perilous thing I ever did; now what be the most perilous thing thou hast ever done? He rejoined, When I arise for prayer I am fearful that it is only for the sake of the reward. Now their father heard these words and exclaimed, O Allah, an say they sooth take them to Thyself! It was declared by one of the wise men, Verily, these were of the most virtuous of children. Quoth Sa'id bin Jubayr,^[343] I was once in company with Fuzalah 202bin 'Ubayd and said to him, Exhort thou me! Replied he, Bear in mind these two necessaries, Shun syntheism^[344] and harm not any of Allah's creatures. And he repeated these two couplets:—

Be as thou wilt, for Allah still is bounteous Lord, ✿ And care-dispeller; dread not therefore bane and ban

To two things only never draw thee nigh, nor give ✿ Partner to Allah, trouble to thy brother-man."

And how well saith the poet:—

An thou of pious works a store neglect ✿ And after death meet one who did collect,

Thou shalt repent thou diddest not as he, ✿ Nor madest ready as he did elect."

Then the third damsel came forward, after the second had withdrawn, and said, "Of a truth, the chapter of piety is exceeding wide; but I will mention what occurreth to me thereof, concerning the pious of old. Quoth a certain holy man, I congratulate myself in death, though I am not assured of rest therein, save that I know death interveneth between a man and his works; so I hope for the doubling of good works and the docking off of ill works. And Itá'a al-Salamí, when he had made an end of an exhortation, was wont to tremble and grieve and weep sore; and as they asked him why he did this he answered, I desire to enter upon a grave matter, and it is the standing up before Almighty Allah to do in accordance with my exhortation. In similar guise Zayn al-Abidín,^[345] son of Al-Husayn, was wont to tremble when he rose to pray. Being asked the cause of this, he replied, Know ye not before whom I stand and whom I address? It is said that there lived near Sufyán al-Thauri^[346] a blind man who, when the month of Ramazán came, went out with the folk to pray,^[347] but remained silent and hung 203back. Said Sufyan, On the Day of Resurrection he shall come with the people of the Koran and they will be distinguished by increase of honour from their fellows. Quoth Sufyan, Were the soul established in the heart as befitteth, it would fly away for joy and pining for Paradise, and for grief and fear of hell-fire. It is related also of Sufyan al-Thauri that he said, To look upon the face of a tyrant is a sin." Then the third damsel retired and came forward the fourth, who said, "Here am I to treat of sundry traditions of pious men which suggest themselves to me. It is related that Bishr Barefoot^[348] said, I once heard Khálid say, Beware of secret polytheism. I asked, What may secret polytheism be?; and he answered, When one of you in praying prolong his inclinations and prostrations till a cause of impurity^[349] come upon him. And one of the sages said, Doing works of weal expiateth what is ill. Quoth Ibrahim,^[350] I supplicated Bishr Barefoot to acquaint me with some theological mysteries; but he said, O my son, this knowledge it behoveth us not to teach to every one; of every hundred five, even as the legal alms upon money. Said Ibrahim, I thought his reply excellent and approved of it and while I was praying behold, Bishr was also praying: so I stood behind him^[351] making the prayer-bow till the Mu'ezzin called his call. Then rose a man of tattered appearance and said, O folk, beware of a truth which bringeth unweal, for there is no harm in a lie bringing weal,^[352] and in 204time of need no choice we heed: speech booteth not in the absence of good qualities even as silence hurteth not in the presence of good. Presently I saw Bishr drop a danik,^[353] so I picked it up and exchanged it for a dirham which I gave him. Quoth he, I will not take it. Quoth I, It is perfectly lawful change; but he rejoined I cannot take in exchange the riches of the present world for those of the future world. It is related also that Bishr Barefoot's sister once went to Ahmad bin Hanbal"^[354]——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Eighty-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir Dandan continued to bespeak Zau al-Makan on this wise:—And quoth the maiden to thy father, "Bishr Barefoot's sister once went to Ahmad bin Hanbal and said to him, O Imam of the Faith, we are a family that spin thread by night and work for our living by day; and oftentimes the cressets of the watch of Baghdad pass by and we on the roof spinning by their light. Is this forbidden to us? Asked Ahmad:—Who art thou? I am the sister of Bishr Barefoot, answered she. Rejoined the Imam, O household of Bishr, I shall never cease to drink full draughts of piety from your hearts. Quoth one of the sages, When Allah willeth well to His servant He openeth upon him the gate of action. Malik bin Dinár,^[355] when he passed through the bazar and saw aught he desired, was wont to say:—O soul, take patience, for I will not accord to thee what thou desirest. He said also (Allah accept him!), The salvation of the soul lies in resistance to it and its damnation in submission to it. Quoth Mansúr bin Ammár,^[356] I made a pilgrimage and was faring Meccahwards by way of Cufa, and the night was overcast, when I heard a voice crying out from the deeps of the darkness saying, O Allah, I swear by Thy Greatness 205and Thy Glory, I meant not through my disobedience to transgress against Thee; for indeed I am not ignorant of Thee; but my fault is one Thou didst foreordain to me from eternity without beginning;^[357] so do Thou pardon my transgression, for indeed I disobeyed Thee of my ignorance! When he had made an end of his prayer he recited aloud the verse, O true believers, save your souls and those of your families from the fire whose fuel is men and stones.^[358] Then I heard a fall, but not knowing what it was I passed on. When the morning morrowed, as we went our way, behold, we fell in with a funeral-train, followed by an old woman whose strength had left her. I asked her of the dead, and she answered:—This is the funeral of a man who passed by us yesterday whilst my son was standing at prayer and after his prayers he recited a verse from the Book of Allah Almighty when the man's gall-bladder burst and he fell dead." Therewith the fourth damsel retired and the fifth came forward and said, "I here will also repeat what occurreth to me regarding the acts of devotees in olden time. Maslamah bin Dinár used to say:—By making sound the secret thoughts, sins great and small are covered; and, when the servant of Allah is resolved to leave sinning, victory cometh to him. Also quoth he, Every worldly good which doth not draw one nearer to Allah is a calamity, for a little of this world distracteth from a mickle of the world to come and a mickle of the present maketh thee forget the whole of the future. It was asked of Abú Házim,^[359] Who is the most prosperous of men?; and he answered, Whoso spendeth his life in submission to Allah. The other enquired, And who is the most foolish of mankind? Whoso selleth his future for the worldly goods of others, replied Abu Házim. It is reported of Moses^[360] (on whom be peace!) that when he came to the waters of Midian he exclaimed:—O Lord, verily I stand in need of the good which thou shalt send down to me.^[361] And he asked of his Lord and not of his folk. There came 206two damsels and he drew water for them both and allowed not the shepherds to draw first. When the twain returned, they informed their father Shu'ayb (on whom be peace!) who said, Haply, he is hungry, adding to one of them, Go back to him and bid him hither. Now when she came to Moses, she veiled her face and said, My father biddeth thee to him that he may pay thee thy wage for having drawn water for us. Moses was averse to this and was not willing to follow her. Now she was a woman large in the back parts, and the wind blowing upon her garment^[362] discovered the hinder cheeks to Moses; which when Moses saw, he lowered his eyes and said to her, Get thee behind while I walk in front. So she followed him till he entered the house of Shu'ayb where supper was ready,"——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.