Volume 4 — TALE OF MA’AN THE SON OF ZAIDAH.[133]
Richard Francis Burton translation
TALE OF MA’AN THE SON OF ZAIDAH.[133]
It is told of Ma’an bin Záidah that, being out one day a-chasing and a-hunting, he became athirst but his men had no water with them; and while thus suffering behold, three damsels met him bearing three skins of water;——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Two Hundred and Seventy-first Night,[134]
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that three girls met him bearing three skins of water; so he begged drink of them, and they gave him to drink. Then he sought of his men somewhat 97to give the damsels but they had no money; so he presented to each girl ten golden-piled arrows from his quiver. Whereupon quoth one of them to her friend, “Well-a-day! These fashions pertain to none but Ma’an bin Zaidah! so let each one of us say somewhat of verse in his praise.” Then quoth the first:—
He heads his arrows with piles of gold, ✿ And while shooting his foes is his bounty doled:
Affording the wounded a means of cure, ✿ And a sheet for the bider beneath the mould!
And quoth the second:—
A warrior showing such open hand, ✿ His boons all friends and all foes enfold:
The piles of his arrows of or are made, ✿ So that battle his bounty may not withhold!
And quoth the third:—
From that liberal hand on his foes he rains ✿ Shafts aureate-headed and manifold:
Wherewith the hurt shall chirurgeon pay, ✿ And for slain the shrouds round their corpses roll’d.[135]
And there is also told a tale of