The Merchant meeting his Family
He then looked aside, and, seeing me with my turban falling from my head, while I still cried out and wept violently and threw dust upon my head, he called out to me: so I approached him, and he said to me, Wo to thee! O malevolent slave! O misbegotten wretch! O thou of accursed race! What events hast thou brought about! But,by Allah, I will strip off thy skin from thy flesh, and cut thy flesh from thy bones!—By Allah, replied I, thou canst not do to me anything; for thou boughtest me with my fault, on this condition, the witnesses testifying that thou boughtest me with my fault, thou knowing it, and it was, that I was accustomed to tell one lie every year; and this is but half a lie, and when the year is complete I will tell the other half of it; so it will be an entire lie. But upon this, he cried out at me, O most accursed of slaves! is this but half a lie? Nay, it is an exceeding calamity! Depart from me; for thou art free!15—By Allah, I replied, if thou liberate me, I will not liberate thee until the year be complete, and I tell the remaining half of the lie; and when I have completed it, then take me to the market, and sell me as thou boughtest me with my fault, and liberate me not; for I have no trade by means of which to procure my subsistence: this is a legal proposition that I have stated to thee, laid down by the lawyers in the Chapter of Emancipation.16—While we were thus talking, the crowd approached, with the people of the quarter, women and men, come to mourn, and the Wálee with his attendants: and my master and the other merchants went to the Wálee, and acquainted him with the case, and that this was but half a lie; and when the people who were present heard this, they were astonished at this lie, and struck with the utmost wonder; and they cursed and reviled me; while I stood laughing, and saying, How can my master kill me when he bought me with this fault?
So when my master went to the house, he found it in a state of ruin (and it was I who destroyed the greater part, and broke in it things worth a large sum of money); and his wife said to him, It was Káfoor who broke the vessels and the China-ware. Upon this, his rage increased, and he exclaimed, By Allah! in my life I have never seen such a misbegotten wretch as this slave; yet he calleth it half a lie! What then would have been the result had it been a whole lie! In that case he had destroyed a city, or two cities!—Then, in the excess of his rage, he went to the Wálee, who inflicted upon me a severe beating, so that I became insensible, and swooned away; after which, my master contrived means of obtaining for me a high price, and I ceased not to excite disturbances in the places into which I was sold, and was transferred from Emeer to Emeer and from Grandee to Grandee, by sale and purchase, until I entered the palace of the Prince of the Faithful, and now my spirit is broken, and my strength hath failed.
When the other slaves had heard his story, they laughed at it, and said to him, Verily thou art a villain, the son of a villain: thou hast told an abominable lie. The first and second then said to the third slave, Relate to us thy story.—O sons of my uncle, he replied, all that hath just been related is nonsense: but my story is long, and this is not a time to tell it; for the morning, O sons of my uncle, is near, and perhaps it may overtake us with this chest still before us, and we shall be disgraced among the public, and our lives will be lost; haste then to work, and when we have finished, and returned home, I will relate to you my story. So they put down the light, and dug a trench of the size of the chest between four tombs; Káfoor digging, and Ṣawáb removing the earth in baskets, until they had dug to the depth of half a fathom, when they put the chest into the trench, and replaced the earth over it, and went forth from the enclosure, and, having closed the gate, disappeared from before the eyes of Ghánim the son of Eiyoob.
When, therefore, they had left the place vacant unto Ghánim, and he knew that he was alone, his mind became busied respecting the contents of the chest, and he said within himself, What can this chest contain? He waited until daybreak gleamed and shone forth, and then descended from the palm-tree, and removed the earth with his hand until he had uncovered the chest and disengaged it, when he took a stone, and struck with it the lock, and broke it; and lifting up the cover, he looked in, and beheld a sleeping damsel, stupified with benj,17but still breathing: she was of beautiful and lovely person, and decked with ornaments of gold, and necklaces of jewels, worth a kingdom, and of a value that no money would equal. When Ghánim the son of Eiyoob beheld her, he knew that she had been the object of a plot, and, being convinced of this, he pulled her up until he had lifted her out of the chest, and laid her upon her back; and as soon as she scented the breeze, and the air entered her nostrils and her mouth and throat, she sneezed, and then was choked, and coughed, whereupon there fell from her throat a round piece of benj, of such potency that if an elephant smelt it he would sleep from one night to another. She then opened her eyes, and, looking round, said, with an eloquent voice, Wo to thee, O wind! Thou neither satisfiest the thirsty, nor cheerest by thy presence the satisfied with drink! Where is Zahr-el-Bustán?—Butno one answered her. Then looking aside, she exclaimed, Ṣabeeḥah! Shejeret-ed-Durr! Noor-el-Hudà! Nejmet-eṣ-Ṣubḥ! Art thou awake?18Nuzheh! Ḥulweh! Ẓareefeh! Speak ye!—But no one answered her. And she looked round about her, and exclaimed, Alas for me, that I am transported to the tombs! O Thou who knowest the secrets of the breasts, and recompensest on the day of resurrection! who hath brought me from among the curtains and the veils, and placed me amid four tombs?
Koot-el-Kuloob awaking
While she was saying all this, Ghánim stood still; but he now said to her, O my mistress, there are neither veils nor palaces nor tombs for thee here: this is none other than thy slave Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, whom the King who is omniscient with respect to hidden things hath impelled hither that he may deliver thee from these troubles, and that the utmost of thy desires may be accomplished unto thee.—And he was silent; and when she became convinced of the truth of the case, she exclaimed, I testify that there is no deity but God, and I testify that Moḥammad is God's Apostle! Then looking towards Ghánim, with her hands placed upon her breast, she said to him, with a sweet voice, O auspicious youth, who brought me untothis place? For now I have recovered my senses.—O my mistress, he answered, three eunuchs came bearing this chest:—and he related to her all that had happened, and how the evening had overtaken him, so that he became the means of her preservation, and that otherwise she had died of suffocation; and he inquired of her respecting her history.—O youth, she replied, praise be to God who hath cast me into the hands of one like thee! Rise therefore now, and put me into the chest, and go forth to the road, and as soon as thou shalt find any one who lets out asses or other beasts, or a muleteer, hire him to transport this chest, and convey me to thy house; and when I am in thy abode it will be well, and I will relate to thee my story, and acquaint thee with my tale, and good fortune will accrue to thee through my means.—So Ghánim rejoiced, and he went forth into the desert tract.
The day had begun to gleam, the sun rose in splendour, and the people come walking forth; and Ghánim hired a man with a mule, and brought him to the burial-place. He then lifted the chest, after he had put the damsel into it, and, with his heart smitten by love for her, proceeded with her, full of joy, for she was a damsel worth ten thousand pieces of gold, and was decked with ornaments and apparel of enormous value. Scarcely had he found himself at his house when he put down the chest, and opened it, and took forth from it the damsel, who looked, and saw that the place was a handsome dwelling furnished with variegated carpets, and she observed the gay colours and various embellishments, and beheld stuffs packed up, and loads of goods, and other property: so she knew that he was a great merchant, and a man of wealth. She then uncovered her face, and looked at him, and observed him to be a handsome young man, and loved him; and she said to him, Bring us something to eat. He answered her, On the head and the eye be thy commands:—and went to the market, and bought a roasted lamb, and a dish of sweetmeat, and procured some dried fruits, and candles and wine, and the requisite apparatus for perfumes. Then returning to the house, he took in the things, and when the damsel saw him, she laughed, and kissed him, and embraced him, and began to caress him, so that the love which he felt increased, and took entire possession of his heart. They then ate and drank until the approach of night, and their love was mutual: for they were both of the same age, and both equal in comeliness; and when the night approached, the Distracted Slave of Love, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, rose and lighted the candles and lamps, and the chamber glistened: he then brought forth the wine-service, and prepared thetable, and sat down with her; he filling and handing to her, and she filling and handing to him, while they both toyed and laughed and recited verses: their gaiety increased, and they were engrossed by mutual love.—Extolled be the perfection of the Uniter of Hearts!— Thus they continued until it was near morning, when sleep overcame them, and each of them slept apart from the other till morning came.
Ghánim the son of Eiyoob then arose, and went forth to the market, and bought what was requisite of vegetables and meat and wine and other provisions, and brought them to the house; and he again sat with her to eat, and they ate until they were satisfied; after which he brought the wine, and they drank and toyed together till their cheeks reddened and their eyes became more intensely black;19and Ghánim said, O my mistress, have compassion on the captive of thy love, and him whom thine eyes have slain. I had remained sound of heart but for thee.—Then he wept a while; and she replied, O my master, and light of mine eye, By Allah, I love thee and confide in thee; but I know that thou canst not be united to me.—And what hindereth? said he. She answered, I will this night relate to thee my story, that thou mayest accept my excuse. But they continued thus a whole month; and after this, one night, when Ghánim was complaining to her of his passion, she said to him, I will now explain to thee my case, that thou mayest know my dignity, and that my secret may be revealed to thee, and my excuse become manifest to thee. He replied, Well. And she took hold of a band which confined a part of her dress, and said to him, O my master, read what is on this border. So he took the border in his hand, and looked at it, and found worked upon it in gold, I am thine, and thou art mine, O descendant of the Prophet's Uncle.20And when he had read this, he let fall his hand, and said to her, Reveal to me thy history. She answered, Well:—and thus began:—
Know that I am a favourite slave of the Prince of the Faithful, and my name is Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob.21The Prince of the Faithful, after he had reared me in his palace, and I had grown up, observed my qualities, and the beauty and loveliness with which my Lord had endowed me, and loved me excessively: he took me and lodged me in a private apartment, and appointed me ten female slaves to serve me, and then gave me those ornaments which thou seest with me. After this, the Khaleefeh went forth one day on a journey to one of the surrounding provinces, and the lady Zubeydeh came to one of the female slaves who were in my service, and said, When thy mistressḲoot-el-Ḳuloob sleepeth, put this piece of benj into her nose and her drink, and thou shalt receive from me a sum of money that will satisfy thee. The slave replied, Most willingly:—and she received the benj from her, rejoicing on account of the money, and because she had been originally Zubeydeh's slave; and she insinuated the benj into me, whereupon I fell upon the floor, with my head bent down to my feet, and seemed to be in another world. And when she could devise no other stratagem, she put me into that chest, and privily summoned the black slaves, and, after having given presents to them and to the door-keepers, sent me with the black slaves on the night when thou wast reposing at the top of the palm-tree: and they did with me as thou sawest, and my deliverance was effected through thy means. Then thou broughtest me unto this place, where thou hast treated me with the utmost kindness. This is my story; and I know not what hath happened to the Khaleefeh during my absence. Know, therefore, my dignity; and divulge not my case.
When Ghánim the son of Eiyoob heard these words of Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, and discovered that she was the favourite of the Khaleefeh, he drew back, in his awe of the Khaleefeh, and sat alone at one side of the chamber, blaming himself, and reflecting upon his situation, perplexed by love of her to whom he could not be united; and he wept from the violence of his desire, and the fierceness of his passion and distraction, and began to complain of fortune and its injustice.—Extolled be the perfection of Him who causeth the hearts of the generous to be troubled with love, and endueth not the mean with so much of it as equalleth the weight of a grain!—And upon this, Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob rose to him, and embraced and kissed him, and, her heart being entirely captivated by his love, she revealed what she had hidden of the extent of her passion, and encircled his neck with her arms, and kissed him again; but he withdrew from her embrace, in his fear of the Khaleefeh. They then conversed a while, drowned in the sea of mutual love, and so remained until day, when Ghánim arose, and went forth to the market as usual, and procured what was requisite, and, returning to the house, found Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob weeping: but as soon as she beheld him, she ceased from her tears, and smiled, and said to him, Thou hast made me desolate by thine absence, O beloved of my heart! By Allah, this hour during which thou hast been away from me hath appeared as a year; for I cannot endure thy separation; and see, I have thus shewn thee my state, through the violence of my passion. Arise therefore now, and mind not what hath happened, buttake me as thy wife.—But he replied, I seek refuge with Allah! This is a thing that cannot be. How should the dog sit in the place of the lion? What belongeth to my lord is forbidden me to approach.—He then tore himself from her, and sat apart; and she increased in love through his refusal.—In this manner they passed three long months; and whenever she made any advances to him he withdrew from her, and said, Whatever belongeth to the master is forbidden to the slave.—Such was the case of the Distracted Slave of Love, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob.
Meanwhile, Zubeydeh, during the absence of the Khaleefeh, having acted thus with Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, became perplexed, saying within herself, What shall I say to the Khaleefeh when he cometh and inquireth respecting her; and what shall be my answer to him? She then called for an old woman who resided with her, and acquainted her with her secret, and said to her, What shall I do, now that Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob is no more? The old woman answered, when she understood the affair, Know, O my mistress, that the return of the Khaleefeh is near; but I will send to a carpenter, and desire him to make a wooden image of a corpse, and they shall dig for it a grave, and thou shalt light candles and lamps around it, and command every one who is in the palace to wear black,22and order thy female slaves and eunuchs, as soon as they know of the Khaleefeh's return from his journey, to raise lamentations in the vestibules, and when he enters and asks the news, they shall answer him, Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob is dead; and may God abundantly compensate thee for the loss of her!—and from the esteem with which she was regarded by our mistress, she hath buried her in her own palace. So when he heareth this, he will weep, and the event will distress him. Then he will cause the readers to sit up by night at her tomb to perform recitations of the Ḳur-án: and if he say within himself, Surely the daughter of my uncle, through her jealousy, hath been led to destroy Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob,—or the distraction of love overpower him, and he give orders to take her forth from the tomb, fear not from that; for if they dig down to the image in the form of a human being, and take it forth, shrouded in costly grave-clothes, and the Khaleefeh desire to remove the grave-clothes from it, to behold her, do thou prevent him, and the fear of the world to come will withhold him; and do thou say to him, To behold her corpse uncovered is unlawful. Then he will believe her death, and will return her image to its place, and thank thee for thy conduct, and thou shalt escape, if it please God, from this difficulty.—When the lady Zubeydeh, therefore, heardwhat she said, she approved it, and bestowed upon her a dress of honour, and commanded her to do this, having given her a sum of money. So the old woman set about the business immediately, and ordered the carpenter to make for her an image as above described; and when it was finished, she brought it to the lady Zubeydeh, and she shrouded it, and lighted the candles and lamps, and spread the carpets around the tomb, and clad herself in black, ordering the female slaves to do the same; and the news was spread through the palace, that Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob had died.
Pretended Tomb of Koot-el-Kuloob
Some time after this, the Khaleefeh returned from his journey, and went up to his palace; but his mind was occupied only with Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob; and seeing the pages and eunuchs and female slaves all clad in black, his heart was agitated; and when he entered the palace of the lady Zubeydeh, and beheld her also clad in black, heinquired the reason of it, and they informed him of the death of Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob. Upon hearing this, he fell down in a swoon; and when he recovered, he asked where was her tomb; and the lady Zubeydeh answered, Know, O Prince of the Faithful, that, on account of the esteem in which she was held by me, I buried her in my palace. So the Khaleefeh, entering the palace in his travelling-dress, proceeded to visit the tomb of Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, and found the carpets spread, and the candles and lamps lighted; and when he beheld this, he thanked her for what she had done. But afterwards he became perplexed, and wavered a while between belief and disbelief, until suspicion overcame him, and he gave orders to open the tomb and to take her out: when, however, he saw the grave-clothes, and was about to remove them that he might behold her, he feared God (whose name be exalted!), and the old woman said, Restore her to her place. Then immediately the Khaleefeh commanded to bring the professors of religion and law, and the readers, and they performed recitations of the whole of the Ḳur-án at her tomb, while he sat by the side of it weeping until he became insensible.
He continued to frequent the tomb for the space of a month; after which it happened that he entered the Ḥareem, after the emeers and wezeers had dispersed from before him to their houses, and he slept a while, and a female slave sat at his head, and another at his feet; and after sleep had overcome him he awoke, and opened his eyes, and heard the damsel who was at his head say to her who was at his feet, Wo to thee, O Kheyzurán!—Wherefore, O Ḳaḍeeb?23said the other.—Our lord, rejoined the first, is ignorant of what hath happened; so he sitteth up by night at a tomb in which there is nothing but a carved image, the work of the carpenter.—And what then, asked the other damsel, hath befallen Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob? Her companion answered, Know that our mistress Zubeydeh sent some benj by a female slave, and she stupified her with it, and when the benj had taken effect upon her, she put her in a chest, and sent her away with Ṣawáb and Káfoor, commanding them to throw her into the tomb. Upon this, Kheyzurán said, Wo to thee, O Ḳaḍeeb! Is not the lady Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob dead?—Heaven preserve her youth from death! answered Ḳaḍeeb: I heard the lady Zubeydeh say that Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob was with a young merchant named Ghánim of Damascus, and that she had been with him, including this day, four months; and our lord here weepeth and passeth sleepless nights at a tomb in which there is no corpse.—Thus they conversed together, while the Khaleefeh heard their words; andwhen they had finished their conversation, and he had become acquainted with the event, that this tomb was a false one, and that Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob had been with Ghánim the son of Eiyoob for the space of four months, he was violently incensed, and arose, and summoned the emeers of his court; whereupon the Wezeer Jaạfar El-Barmekee presented himself and kissed the ground before him, and the Khaleefeh said to him, in anger, Descend, O Jaạfar, with a body of men, and inquire for the house of Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, and assault it suddenly, and bring him hither with my female slave Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob; and I will assuredly torture him.
Jaạfar replied, I hear and obey;—and he went forth with his attendants, the Wálee also accompanying him, and they proceeded until they arrived at Ghánim's house. Ghánim had just before gone out and brought a pot of meat, and was about to stretch forth his hand to eat of it with Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, when she looked out, and found that the house was beset on all sides, and the Wezeer and the Wálee and the officers of violence and the memlooks with drawn swords were surrounding it as the black surrounds the pupil of the eye; and upon this she knew that tidings of her situation had reached the ears of the Khaleefeh her lord, and she made sure of destruction; her countenance became pale, and her beauty changed, and, looking towards Ghánim, she said to him, O my beloved, save thyself!—How shall I do, said he, and whither shall I flee, when my wealth and means of subsistence are in this house? But she answered, Delay not, lest thou perish, and thy wealth also be lost.—O my mistress, and light of mine eye, rejoined he, how can I contrive to go forth when they are surrounding the house?—Fear not, she answered:—and she pulled off his clothes, and clad him in worn-out, ragged garments, and, taking the pot that had contained the meat, placed it upon his head, and put in it a little bread and a saucer of meat, and said to him, Go forth by the help of this stratagem, and thou hast nothing to fear with respect to me, for I know what I am able to do with the Khaleefeh. When Ghánim, therefore, heard the words of Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, and the advice which she gave him, he went forth through the midst of them, bearing the pot, and Providence protected him so that he escaped from the snares and injuries which menaced him, by the blessing of his good conscience.
And when the Wezeer Jaạfar arrived at the house, he dismounted from his horse, and entered, and looked at Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, who had adorned herself, and filled a chest with gold and ornaments and jewelsand rarities, such as were light to carry and of great value; and when Jaạfar came in to her, she rose upon her feet, and kissed the ground before him, saying to him, O my master, the Pen hath written what God hath decreed.24But Jaạfar, when he beheld her situation, replied, By Allah, O my mistress, he gave me no order but to arrest Ghánim the son of Eiyoob. And she said, Know that he hath packed up some bales of merchandise, and gone with them to Damascus, and I know nothing more than this; and I request thee to take care of this chest for me, and to convey it to the palace of the Prince of the Faithful. So Jaạfar answered, I hear and obey:—and he took the chest, and gave orders that it should be conveyed, together with Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, to the palace of the Khaleefeh, treating her with honour and respect. This took place after they had plundered the house of Ghánim; and they went to the Khaleefeh, and Jaạfar related to him all that had happened; whereupon the Khaleefeh appointed to Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob a dark chamber, and there lodged her, commissioning an old woman to serve her; for he imagined that Ghánim had acted dishonestly towards her.
He then wrote a letter to the Emeer Moḥammad the son of Suleymán Ez-Zeynee, who was viceroy of Damascus, containing as follows:—As soon as this letter cometh to thy hands, thou shalt arrest Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, and send him unto me.—So when the mandate was brought to him, he kissed it, and put it upon his head, and caused it to be proclaimed through the market-street, Whosoever desireth to plunder, let him repair to the house of Ghánim the son of Eiyoob. And they came to the house, and found that the mother of Ghánim, and his sister, had made for them a tomb, and sat by it weeping; and they laid hold upon them, and plundered the house, and the mother and sister knew not the cause: and when they brought them before the Sulṭán,25he inquired of them respecting Ghánim the son of Eiyoob; and they answered him, For the space of a year we have obtained no tidings of him.—And they restored them to their place.26
Ghánim sick in a Mosque
In the mean time, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love, when his wealth had been seized, was perplexed, and began to weep for himself so as to break his heart. He walked on, and ceased not on his way to the close of day, suffering from excessive hunger and fatigue, until he arrived at a village, where he entered a mosque, and seated himself upon a round mat,27and he leaned his back against one of the walls of the building, and then threw himself down, under the influence of extreme hunger and weariness. Therehe remained until the morning, his heart palpitating from want of food; vermin attacked his body, his breath became fetid, and he was altogether changed; and the people of that village, coming to perform the morning-prayers, found him lying there sick through want of food, yet exhibiting evident traces of former affluence; and when they approached him, they found him cold and hungry. They clad him, therefore, with an old garment having ragged sleeves, and said to him, Whence art thou, O stranger, and what is the cause of thine infirmity? And Ghánim opened his eyes and looked at them and wept; but he returned them no answer. Then one of them, knowing the violence of his hunger, went and brought him a saucer of honey and two cakes of bread, and he ate, while they sat around him until the sun rose, when they departed to their several occupations.—In this state he remained among them for a month, and his infirmity and disease increased; so the people, commiserating him, consulted togetherrespecting his case, and agreed to transport him to the hospital at Baghdád.
Now while they were thus conversing, lo, two women, beggars, came in to him; and they were his mother and sister; and when he beheld them, he gave them the bread that was at his head, and they slept by him the next night; but he knew them not. And on the following day, the people of the village came to him, bringing a camel, and said to its owner, Convey this sick person on the camel, and when thou hast arrived at Baghdád, put him down at the door of the hospital: perhaps he may recover his health, and thou wilt receive a recompense. He answered them, I hear and obey. So they brought forth Ghánim the son of Eiyoob from the mosque, and placed him, with the round mat upon which he was sleeping, on the camel; and his mother and sister came to look at him among the other people; but they knew him not. Then observing him attentively, they said, Verily he resembleth our Ghánim! Can he be this sick person or not?—But as to Ghánim, he awoke not until he was mounted on the camel, and he began to weep and moan; and the people of the village saw his mother and sister weeping for him, though they did not know him. Then his mother and sister journeyed onwards to Baghdád, while the camel-driver also proceeded without stopping until he had deposited Ghánim at the door of the hospital, when he took his camel, and returned.
Ghánim remained lying there until the morning; and when the people began to pass along the street, they beheld him. He had become so emaciated that his form resembled that of a toothpick, and the people ceased not to gaze at him until the Sheykh of the market came and repelled them from him, and said, I will gain Paradise by means of this poor person; for if they take him into the hospital they will kill him in one day. He then ordered his young men to carry him, and they conveyed him to his house, where he spread for him a new bed, and put for him a new cushion, and said to his wife, Serve him faithfully. She replied, On the head:—and she tucked up her sleeves, and, having heated for him some water, washed his hands and feet and body, and clothed him in a vest of one of her female slaves. She then gave him to drink a cup of wine, and sprinkled rose-water upon him: so he recovered his senses; and he remembered his beloved, Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, and his anguish increased.—Thus did it happen to Ghánim.
Now as to Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob,—when the Khaleefeh, incensed againsther, had lodged her in the dark chamber, she remained there in the same state for eighty days; and it happened that the Khaleefeh passed one day by that place, and heard her reciting verses; and when she had finished her recitation of them, she exclaimed, O my beloved! O Ghánim! How kind art thou, and how chaste is thy disposition! Thou hast acted with kindness unto him who hath injured thee, and hast guarded the honour of him who hath violated thine, and hast protected his ḥareem and he hath enslaved both thee and thy family; but thou wilt assuredly stand, with the Prince of the Faithful, before a Just Judge, and thou wilt obtain justice against him on the day when the judge shall be God; and the witnesses, the angels!—And when the Khaleefeh heard her words, and understood her complaint, he knew that she was injured; and he entered his palace, and sent the eunuch to her, and when she came before him she hung down her head, with weeping eye, and sorrowful heart; and he said to her, O Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, I see that thou complainest of my oppression, and accusest me of tyranny, and thinkest that I have injured him who hath acted kindly unto me. Who then is he who hath guarded my honour and I have violated his; and who hath protected my ḥareem and I have enslaved his?28—She answered him, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob; for he hath not attempted any dishonest action towards me, by thy beneficence, O Prince of the Faithful!—Upon this the Khaleefeh exclaimed, There is no strength nor power but in God!—and then added, O Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, desire of me what thou wilt, and I will grant thy wish. So she replied, I desire of thee my beloved, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob. And when he heard her words, he said, I will cause him to be brought hither, if it be the will of God, in honour.—O Prince of the Faithful, she rejoined, when thou shalt have caused him to be brought, wilt thou present me to him? He answered, When I have had him brought, I will present thee to him, the present of a generous man who will not revoke his gift. So she said, O Prince of the Faithful, permit me to search about for him: perhaps God may unite me with him. And he replied, Do as thou wilt.
Upon this she rejoiced, and went forth, taking with her a thousand pieces of gold and visited the sheykhs, and gave alms for the sake of Ghánim:29and on the following day she went to the market of the merchants, and gave to the chief of the market some money, saying to him, Bestow it in alms upon the strangers. Then again, in the following week, she went forth, taking with her a thousand pieces of gold, and, entering the market of the goldsmiths and jewellers, summoned the chief of the market, and he came, and she gave him the thousand pieces of gold, and said to him, Bestow it in alms upon the strangers: whereupon the chief, who was the Sheykh of the market before mentioned, looked at her, and said to her, Wilt thou go with me to my house, to look at a young stranger there, and see how elegant he is, and how perfectly charming? For it is probable that he is Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love.—But the chief had no knowledge of him, and imagined that he was a poor person involved in debt, whose wealth had been taken from him, or a lover parted from his beloved. And when she heard his words, her heart beat, and her affections were engrossed by him, and she answered, Send with me some one to conduct me to thy house. So he sent with her a young boy, who conducted her to the house where the stranger was lodged, and she thanked him for doing so; and when she entered the house, and saluted the chief's wife, the latter arose, and kissed the ground before her; for she knew her. Then Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob said to her, Where is the sick person who is with you? And she wept, and answered, Here he is, O my mistress: but he is of a respectable family, and exhibiteth traces of former affluence. And Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob looked towards the bed upon which he was lying, and, regarding him narrowly, beheld him as though he were Ghánim himself; but his condition was changed, and he had become so emaciated that he resembled a toothpick, and the truth of his case was disguised from her, so that she did not discover him to be the person whom she sought; but she was moved with compassion for him, and she wept, and exclaimed, Verily, strangers are objects of pity, though they be emeers in their own countries! She then ordered for him supplies of wine and medicines, and sat at his head a while, and mounted, and returned to her palace; and she continued to go forth to every market for the purpose of searching for Ghánim.
Ghánim's Mother and Sister as Beggars
Soon after, the chief of the market brought the mother of Ghánim, and his sister Fitneh, and went with them to Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, and said to her, O most charitable lady, there have entered our city this day a woman and a girl of respectable origin, bearing evident traces of former affluence, but they are clad in garments of hair-cloth, and each of them hath a wallet hung to her neck, and their eyes are weeping, and their hearts sorrowful: so I have brought them unto thee, that thou mayest give them refuge, and preserve them from the disgrace of beggary; for they are not persons suited to ask alms of the sordid; and if it please God, we shall enter Paradise by their means.—ByAllah, O my master, she replied, thou hast made me long to behold them! Where are they? Order them to come in.—So, upon this, Fitneh and her mother came in to Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, who, when she saw them, and observed that they were both distinguished by beauty, wept for them, and said, By Allah, they are persons of an affluent family, and traces of wealth are conspicuous in their appearance.—O my mistress, replied the chief of the market, we love the poor and indigent for the sake of future recompense;30and probably the extortioners have oppressed these two persons, and plundered them of their wealth, and ruined their houses. Then these two females wept violently, and, remembering Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love, their wailing increased, and Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob wept with them; and the mother of Ghánim exclaimed, We pray God to unite us with him whom we seek, and he is my son Ghánim the son of Eiyoob. When Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, therefore, heard these words, she knew that this woman was the mother of her beloved, and that the other was his sister, and she wept until she fell down in a swoon; and when she recovered, she approached them, and said to them, Ye have nothing to fear; for this day is the first of your prosperity, and the last of your adversity:therefore grieve not. She then ordered the chief of the market to take them to his house, and to let his wife conduct them into the bath, and attire them in handsome clothing, and take care of them, and treat them with the utmost honour; and she gave him a sum of money.
Then, on the following day, Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob mounted and went again to the house of the chief of the market, and went in to visit his wife, who rose to her, and kissed the ground before her, and thanked her for her charity; and she saw that his wife had conducted the mother of Ghánim, and his sister, to the bath, and taken off their former clothes, and that the traces of their original affluence had become more conspicuous in consequence; and she sat a while conversing with them; after which she asked the wife of the chief of the market respecting the sick person who was with her. She answered, He is in the same state. And Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob said, Arise, and let us look at him and visit him. So they both arose, with Ghánim's mother and sister, and went in to him, and seated themselves by him; and when Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love, heard one of them mention Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, emaciated as he was in body and limbs, his soul returned to him, and he raised his head from the pillow, and called out, O Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob! She looked at him, therefore, and knew him, and cried, saying, Yes, O my beloved! He then said to her, Draw near to me. And she asked him, Art thou Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love? He answered her, Yes: I am he. And upon this, she fell down in a swoon; and when his sister and his mother heard their words, they cried out, Oh, our joy!—and in like manner fainted. And when they recovered, Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob said to Ghánim, Praise be to God who hath united us with thee and with thy mother and sister! Then, approaching him, she related to him all that had happened to her with the Khaleefeh, adding, I said to him, I have declared to thee the truth, O Prince of the Faithful:—and he believed my words, and approved thee; and he is now desiring to see thee. And she said to him, The Khaleefeh hath given me to thee:—whereupon he was filled with the utmost joy: and Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob said to them all, Quit not this place until I come again.
She then arose immediately, and departed to her palace, and removed thence the chest that she had brought from Ghánim's house, and took forth from it some pieces of gold, which she gave to the chief of the market, saying to him, Take these pieces of gold, and buyfor each of them four complete suits of dress of the best kinds of stuff, and twenty handkerchiefs, and whatever else they require. And after this, she conducted them to the bath, and gave orders to wash them, and prepared for them boiled meats, and infusion of galangal, and apple-water, after they had come forth from the bath and dressed themselves. For three days she remained with them, feeding them with fowls and with boiled meats, and giving them sherbet of refined sugar to drink; and after the three days their spirits returned to them. Then she conducted them again to the bath, and they came forth, and she changed their clothes, and, leaving them in the house of the chief of the market, went to the Khaleefeh, and kissed the ground before him, and related to him the story, telling him that her master, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love, had come, and that his mother and sister also had arrived. When the Khaleefeh, therefore, heard these words of Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, he said to the eunuchs, Bring hither to me Ghánim. And Jaạfar went down with them to bring him: but Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob had gone before him; and she went in unto Ghánim, and said to him, The Khaleefeh hath sent to thee to bring thee before him: have a care then to display eloquence of tongue, and firmness of heart, and sweetness of speech. And she attired him in a magnificent dress, and gave him pieces of gold in abundance, saying to him, Bestow plentifully upon the domestics of the Khaleefeh as thou goest in to him. And lo, Jaạfar approached him, mounted upon his mule, and Ghánim advanced to meet him, and greeted him with a prayer for long life, kissing the ground before him.
The planet of his prosperity had appeared, and the star of his glory had risen aloft, and Jaạfar took him, and they proceeded until they entered into the presence of the Prince of the Faithful; and when Ghánim came before him, he looked towards the wezeers and emeers and chamberlains and lieutenants and the other officers of the court, and the warriours, and, being eloquent of tongue, firm of heart, delicate in the style of his language, and pleasing in the allusions it conveyed, he hung down his head towards the ground, and then looked towards the Khaleefeh, and addressed him in a series of complimentary verses. And when he had finished his recitation, the Khaleefeh was delighted with the graces of his person, and pleased with the eloquence of his tongue and the sweetness of his speech; and he said to him, Approach me. He therefore approached him, and the Khaleefeh said to him, Explain to me thy tale, and acquaint me with the truth of thy history. So Ghánim sat, and related to the Khaleefeh all that hadhappened to him from beginning to end; and when the Khaleefeh knew that he spoke truth, he bestowed upon him a dress of honour, and admitted him into his favour, and said to him, Acquit me of responsibility.31And he did so, and said to him, O Prince of the Faithful, the slave and all that his hands possess belong to his master:—and the Khaleefeh rejoiced. He then gave orders to appropriate a palace to him exclusively, and appointed him abundant pensions and allowances, and removed to him his mother and his sister. And the Khaleefeh, hearing that his sister Fitneh was, in beauty (as her name imported), a temptation, demanded her of him in marriage. Ghánim therefore replied, She is thy handmaid,32and I am thy memlook. And the Khaleefeh thanked him, and gave him a hundred thousand pieces of gold,33and summoned the Ḳáḍee and witnesses, and they performed the marriage-contract. Then he and Ghánim visited their wives on the same day, the Khaleefeh going to Fitneh, and Ghánim the son of Eiyoob to Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob; and on the following morning, the Khaleefeh ordered that all that had happened to Ghánim, from first to last, should be committed to writing and inserted in the records, that his posterity might consider it, and wonder at the disposals of destiny, and commit their affairs unto the Creator of the night and the day.34
Tail-piece to Chapter VII.
Head-piece to Notes to Chapter VII.--Damascus
Note1.Damascus is afterwards mentioned in the original as the abode of this merchant's family; but not here.
Note2."Ghánim" signifies "a taker of spoil," "a fortunate acquirer of anything;" and "Eiyoob" is the name whichwecall "Job."
Note3."Fitneh" signifies "temptation," "seduction," "disturbance," &c.
Note4.By the term "loads" we are always to understand "camel-loads," unless it is otherwise expressed. A camel-load is generally about three hundred-weights.
Note5.Or vesicles of musk. In the original, "nawáfeḥ" is put for "nawáfij."
Note6.A great recompense in the world to come is to be the lot of him who takes part in a funeral-procession.
Note7.The ablution was necessary to qualify Ghánim for joining in the prayer over the dead.
Note8."Ṣawáb" signifies "rectitude."
Note9."Káfoor" is the Arabic for "camphor." Instances of antiphrasis in the names given to black slaves are very common.
Note10."Bakheet" signifies "fortunate," from "bakht" ("fortune"), a word borrowed from the Persian.
Note11.I am not sure that this is to be understood as a jest; for I have been assured, by a slave-dealer and other persons in Cairo, that sometimes slaves brought to that city are found to be cannibals; and that a proof lately occurred there; an infant having been eaten by its black nurse. I was also told that these cannibals are generally distinguished by an elongation of the os coccygis; or in other words, that they have tails!
Note12.The story here alluded to is inserted in the original; but, being extremely objectionable, and too short and simple to be abridged, I have been compelled to omit it altogether.
Note13.This story is not in the old version; but I think the reader will consider it worthy of insertion in the present series, as an amusing illustration of the customs which are often observed by the Arabs on the occasion of the death of the master of a family. I can bear testimony to the general correctness of the picture which it presents; or rather state, that the greatest of the extravagances which it describes are not unfrequently practised in the present day.
Note14.As the Arab women are much more reluctant to uncover the upper and back part of the head than they are to shew the face, before strange men, such a scene as that which is here described is very seldom witnessed; but I have seen not so unfrequently a woman with her face uncovered, and besmeared with mud, on her receiving the news of the sudden death of a near relation.
Note15.This, to some readers, may require explanation. To free a slave who has no means of providing for himself, and not to grant him any means to do so, is almost the heaviest punishment that can be inflicted upon him; and to do this, unless for a heinous crime, is considered disgraceful.
Note16.This is not just; for as soon as the slave is emancipated he is legally free, without doubt: but it is inserted in the tale as a jest.354
Note17.See Note 46 to Chapter ii.—This mode of disposing of a rival in the ḥareem is said to have been not very unfrequently adopted.
Note18.I suspect that the original presents here an error, which I have endeavoured to correct.—The names which the lady ejaculates are to be understood as those of female slaves, her attendants. "Zahr-el-Bustán" signifies "Flower of the Garden;" "Ṣabeeḥah," "Beautiful;" "Shejeret-ed-Durr," "Tree of Pearls" (this is the vulgar mode of pronouncing "Shejer-ed-Durr," which was the name of the wife of the Sulṭán Eṣ-Ṣáleḥ Nejm-ed-Deen, afterwards Queen of Egypt); "Noor-el-Hudà," "Light of Day," or "Light of Guidance;" "Nejmet-eṣ-Ṣubḥ," "Star of the Morning;" "Nuzheh," "Delight;" "Ḥulweh," "Sweet;" and "Ẓareefeh," "Elegant."
Note19.From this point, to the relation of the stratagem employed by Zubeydeh, I omit much that is unsuitable for insertion in the translation, as approaching to licentiousness.
Note20.Perhaps it is unnecessary to mention, that "the Prophet's Uncle" here alluded to was El-'Abbás; and that the "descendant" was Hároon Er-Rasheed.
Note21."Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob" signifies "Food (or Sustenance) of Hearts."
Note22.As black, which was the distinguishing colour of the banners and dress of the 'Abbásee Khaleefehs, was originally assumed in token of mourning for such of their relations as were victims of the Umawees, it may have continued for a long time to be used for a similar purpose: but the modern colour of mourning among the Arabs is blue; and it is remarkable that the term which properly signifies "black" is commonly applied by them to dark blue.—On the subject of mourning, see Note 52 to Chapter ii.
Note23."Kheyzurán" and "Ḳaḍeeb" signify respectively, "a Cane" (particularly "Indian Cane"), and "a Rod," or "a long and slender Branch."
Note24.See note 85 to Chapter iii.
Note25.By "the Sulṭán" is meant the Viceroy of Damascus, though the title is improperly used in this sense.
Note26.The account of the disgusting treatment of Ghánim's mother and sister, which follows in this place in the old version, is not in either of the copies of the original which I possess, containing this tale. Hence, and as it is extremely inconsistent with Arab customs and feelings, I have little doubt of its being an interpolation by some ignorant copyist.
Note27.See Note 18 to Chapter vi.
Note28.By Ghánim's ḥareem, we are here to understand his mother and sister; the term "ḥareem" being often used to signify a man's female relations residing in his house.
Note29.It is implied that she visited the sheykhs (by which are here meant the devotees) to request the aid of their prayers; and gave alms for the sake (or in the name) of Ghánim in order to propitiate Providence in his favour.
Note30.—On the Charitable Disposition of the Arabs.Some remarks which I have made on this subject with reference to the Egyptians, in a former work, are equally applicable to the Arabs in general. "Benevolence and charity to the poor are virtues which the Egyptians possess in an eminent degree, and which are instilled into their hearts by religion; but from their own profession it appears that they are as much excited to the giving of alms by the expectation of enjoying corresponding rewards in heaven, as by pity for the distresses of their fellow-creatures, or a disinterested wish to do the will of God. It may be attributed, in some measure, to the charitable disposition of the inhabitants, that beggars are so numerous in Cairo. The many handsome Sebeels, or public fountains (buildings erected and endowed for the gratuitous supply of water to passengers), which are seen in this city, and the more humble structures of the same kind in the villages and fields, are monuments of the same virtue."355So also the numerous Kháns for the reception of travellers, in countries occupied by the Arabs, bear testimony to the charity of this people.
Note31.This is often said by an Arab to a person against whom he knows or fears himself to have committed an offence. The most urgent reason for doing so may be seen by reverting to No. 9 of the notes to Chapter iv.
Note32.This compliment has occasioned, in the old version, an error of the most serious kind, by its having been understood in its literal sense. Ghánim is made to propose that the Khaleefeh should take his sister as one of his favourites (i. e.concubines); which, as she was a free woman, would be a crime of the foulest nature.
Note33.We are to understand this sum of money as being Fitneh's dowry.—Here it may be mentioned, that the Khaleefeh, by marrying Fitneh, severely punished Zubeydeh: for he thus gave her a wife, instead of a concubine, as a rival.
Note34.—On the Passion of Love among the Arabs.A few remarks on this subject may be inserted to justify the picture of love presented in the foregoing tale. That sensual passion is most prevalent among the Arabs cannot be doubted; but I think it unjust to suppose them generally incapable of a purer feeling, worthy, if constancy be a sufficient test, of being termed true love. That they are not so, appears evident to almost every person who mixes with them in familiar society; for such a person must have opportunities of being acquainted with many Arabs sincerely attached to wives whose personal charms have long vanished, and who have neither wealth nor influence of their own, nor wealthy nor influential relations, to induce their husbands to refrain from divorcing them. It very often happens, too, that an Arab is sincerely attached to a wife possessed, even in the best portion of her age, of few charms; and that the lasting favourite among two or more wives is not the most handsome. This opinion, I am sorry to observe, is at variance, as far as the Arabs of thetownsare concerned, with that entertained by one of the most intelligent and experienced of modern travellers, who long resided among this people,—the justly-celebrated Burckhardt:356butit is confirmed by numerous facts related by respectable Arab authors (and therefore not regarded by them as of an incredible nature), as well as by cases which have fallen under my own observation. The tale of Leylà and Mejnoon, "the Juliet and Romeo of Arabia," is too well known to be here repeated; but among many other anecdotes of strong and constant love, the following may be inserted:—
The Khaleefeh Yezeed the son of 'Abd-El-Melik, it is said, had two female slaves; One of whom was named Ḥabbábeh, and the other, Selámeh; to the former of whom he was most ardently attached: he had purchased her for a hundred thousand dirhems; and the other, for ten thousand. In the company of these two females he sometimes shut himself up for three months together, utterly neglecting the affairs of his people. At length, being reproved for this conduct by his brother Meslemeh, he promised to return to his duty: but the two slaves diverted him from his purpose; and on the following morning, excited by their songs and caresses, and by wine, he became frantic with pleasure, and danced and sang like a madman, till a fatal accident put a stop to his joy: Ḥabbábeh, eating a pomegranate, was choked by one of the grains, and immediately died. The grief of Yezeed was so poignant that he would not quit the corpse, but continued to kiss and fondle it until it became putrid. Being then admonished by his attendants that proper respect required its burial, he consented to commit it to the earth: after five days, however, his desire again to behold the object of his love induced him to open the grave, and though the corpse had become hideous, he declared that it was lovely as ever in his eyes. At the earnest request of Meslemeh, he ordered the grave to be closed again; but he was unable to exist when deprived of the sight of the remains of her who was at the same time his slave and his mistress: he threw himself upon his bed, speechless; and after lingering seventeen nights, expired, and was buried by the side of Ḥabbábeh. "May God," says the narrator, "have mercy on them both!"357
In the same work from which the above is taken, it is related that Hároon Er-Rasheed, visiting Suleymán the son of Aboo-Jaạfar, one of his chief officers, sawwith him a female slave, named Ḍa'eefeh, of excessive beauty, and being smitten by her charms, demanded her as a present. His request was granted; but Suleymán from grief at the loss of his mistress, fell sick; and during his illness was heard to exclaim,—