Chapter II: Part 2

Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the waking hours of this our night,” and quoth Shahrazad:——“It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the Lord of the Jann said to the Prince, I will take thee under my safeguard and the Shaykh thou sawest in thy swevens was myself and I also ’twas who bade thee dig under thy palace down to the souterrain wherein thou sawest the crocks of gold and the figures of fine gems. I also well know wherefore thou art come hither and I am he who caused thee come and I will give thee what thou seekest, for all that I would not give it to thy sire. But ’tis on condition that thou return unto me bringing a damsel whose age is fifteen, a maiden without rival or likeness in loveliness; furthermore she must be a pure virgin and a clean maid who hath never lusted for male nor hath ever been solicited of man;[42] and lastly, thou must keep faith with me in safeguarding the girl whenas thou returnest hither and beware lest thou play the traitor with her whilst thou bringest her to me.” To this purport the Prince sware a mighty strong oath adding, “O my lord, thou hast indeed honoured me by requiring of me such service, but truly ’twill be right hard for me to find a fair one like unto this; and, grant that I find one perfectly beautiful and young in years after the requirement of thy Highness, how shall I weet if she ever longed for mating with man or that male never lusted for her?” Replied the King, “Right thou art, O Zayn al-Asnam, and verily this be a knowledge whereunto the sons of men may on no wise attain. However, I will give thee a mirror[43] of my own whose virtue is this. When thou shalt sight a young lady whose beauty and loveliness please thee, do thou open the glass[44], and, if thou see therein her image clear and undimmed, do thou learn forthright that she is a clean maid without aught of defect or default and endowed with every praiseworthy quality. But if, contrariwise, the figure be found darkened or clothed in uncleanness, do thou straightway know that the damsel is sullied by soil of sex. Shouldst thou find her pure and gifted with all manner good gifts, bring her to me but beware not to offend with her and do villainy, and if thou keep not faith and promise with me bear in mind that thou shalt lose thy life.” Hereupon the Prince made a stable and solemn pact with the King, a covenant of the sons of the Sultans which may never be violated.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Five Hundred and Sixth Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the waking hours of this our night,” and quoth Shahrazad:——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the Prince Zayn al-Asnam made a stable and trustworthy compact to keep faith with the King of the Jann and never to play traitor thereto, but to bring the maid _en tout bien et tout honneur_ to that potentate who made over to him the mirror saying, “O my son, take this looking-glass whereof I bespake thee and depart straightway.” Thereupon the Prince and Mubarak arose and, after blessing him, fared forth and journeyed back until they made the lakelet, where they sat but a little ere appeared the boat which had brought them bearing the Jinni with elephantine head and leonine body, and he was standing up ready for paddling.[45] The twain took passage with him (and this by command of the King of the Jann) until they reached Cairo and returned to their quarters, where they abode whilst they rested from the travails of travel. Then the Prince turned to his companion and said, “Arise with us and wend we to Baghdad[46]-city that we may look for some damsel such as the King describeth!” and Mubarak replied, “O my lord, we be in Cairo, a city of the cities, a wonder of the world, and here no doubt there is but that I shall find such a maiden, nor is there need that we fare therefor to a far country.” Zayn al-Asnam rejoined, “True for thee, O Mubarak, but what be the will and the way whereby to hit upon such a girl, and who shall go about to find her for us?” Quoth the other, “Be not beaten and broken down, O my lord, by such difficulty: I have by me here an ancient dame (and cursed be the same!) who maketh marriages, and she is past mistress in wiles and guiles; nor will she be hindered by the greatest of obstacles.”[47] So saying, he sent to summon the old trot, and informed her that he wanted a damsel perfect of beauty and not past her fifteenth year, whom he would marry to the son of his lord; and he promised her sumptuous Bakhshish and largesse if she would do her very best endeavour. Answered she, “O my lord, be at rest: I will presently contrive to satisfy thy requirement even beyond thy desire; for under my hand are damsels unsurpassable in beauty and loveliness, and all be the daughters of honourable men.” But the old woman, O Lord of the Age, knew naught anent the mirror. So she went forth to wander about the city and work on her well-known ways.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Five Hundred and Seventh Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the waking hours of this our night,” and quoth Shahrazad:——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the old woman went forth to work on her well-known ways, and she wandered about town to find a maiden for the Prince Zayn al-Asnam. Whatever notable beauty she saw she would set before Mubarak; but each semblance as it was considered in the mirror showed exceeding dark and dull, and the inspector would dismiss the girl. This endured until the crone had brought to him all the damsels in Cairo, and not one was found whose reflection in the mirror showed clear-bright and whose honour was pure and clean, in fact such an one as described by the King of the Jann. Herewith Mubarak, seeing that he had not found one in Cairo to please him, or who proved pure and unsullied as the King of the Jann had required, determined to visit Baghdad: so they rose up and equipped them and set out and in due time they made the City of Peace where they hired them a mighty fine mansion amiddlemost the capital. Here they settled themselves in such comfort and luxury that the Lords of the land would come daily to eat at their table, even the thirsty and those who went forth betimes,[48] and what remained of the meat was distributed to the mesquin and the miserable; also every poor stranger lodging in the Mosques would come to the house and find a meal. Therefore the bruit of them for generosity and liberality went abroad throughout the city and won for them notable name and the fairest of fame; nor did any ever speak of aught save the beneficence of Zayn al-Asnam and his generosity and his opulence. Now there chanced to be in one of the cathedral-mosques an Imám,[49] Abu Bakr hight, a ghostly man passing jealous and fulsome, who dwelt hard by the mansion wherein the Prince and Mubarak abode; and he, when he heard of their lavish gifts and alms deeds, and honourable report, smitten by envy and malice and hatred, fell to devising how he might draw them into some calamity that might despoil the goods they enjoyed and destroy their lives, for it is the wont of envy to fall not save upon the fortunate. So one day of the days, as he lingered in the Mosque after mid-afternoon prayer, he came forwards amidst the folk and cried, O ye, my brethren of the Faith which is true and who bear testimony to the unity of the Deity, I would have you to weet that housed in this our quarter are two men which be strangers, and haply ye have heard of them how they lavish and waste immense sums of money, in fact moneys beyond measure, and for my part I cannot but suspect that they are cutpurses and brigands who commit robberies in their own country and who came hither to expend their spoils.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eighth Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the waking hours of this our night,” and quoth Shahrazad:——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the Imam in his jealousy of Zayn al-Asnam and Mubarak said to the congregation, “Verily they be brigands and cutpurses;” adding, “O believers of Mohammed, I counsel you in Allah’s name that ye guard yourselves against such accurseds; for haply the Caliph shall in coming times hear of these twain and ye also shall fall with them into calamity,[50] I have hastened to caution you, and having warned you I wash my hands of your business, and after this do ye as ye judge fit.” All those present replied with one voice, “Indeed we will do whatso thou wishest us to do, O Abu Bakr!” But when the Imam heard this from them he arose and, bringing forth ink-case and reed-pen and a sheet of paper, began inditing an address to the Commander of the Faithful, recounting all that was against the two strangers. However, by decree of Destiny, Mubarak chanced to be in the Mosque amongst the crowd when he heard the address of the blameworthy Imam and how he purposed applying by letter to the Caliph. So he delayed not at all but returned home forthright and, taking an hundred dinars and packing up a parcel of costly clothes, silver-wrought all, repaired in haste to the reverend’s quarters and knocked at the door. The preacher came and opened to him, but sighting Mubarak he asked him in anger, “What is’t thou wantest and who art thou?” Whereto the other answered, “I am Mubarak and at thy service, O my master the Imam Abu Bakr; and I come to thee from my lord the Emir Zayn al-Asnam who, hearing of and learning thy religious knowledge and right fair repute in this city, would fain make acquaintance with thy Worship and do by thee whatso behoveth him. Also he hath sent me to thee with these garments and this spending-money, hoping excuse of thee for that this be a minor matter compared with your Honour’s deserts; but, Inshallah, after this he will not fail in whatever to thee is due.” As soon as Abu Bakr saw the coin and gold[51] and the bundle of clothes, he answered Mubarak saying, “I crave pardon, O my lord, of thy master the Emir for that I have been ashamed of waiting upon him and repentance is right hard upon me for that I failed to do my devoir by him; wherefore I hope that thou wilt be my deputy in imploring him to pardon my default and, the Creator willing, to-morrow I will do what is incumbent upon me and fare to offer my services and proffer the honour which beseemeth me.” Rejoined Mubarak, “The end of my master’s wishes is to see thy worship, O my lord Abu Bakr, and be exalted by thy presence and therethrough to win a blessing.” So saying he bussed the reverend’s hand and returned to his own place. On the next day, as Abu Bakr was leading the dawn-prayer of Friday, he took his station amongst the folk amiddlemost the Mosque and cried, “O, our brethren the Moslems great and small and folk of Mohammed one and all, know ye that envy falleth not save upon the wealthy and praiseworthy and never descendeth upon the mean and miserable. I would have you wot, as regards the two strangers whom yesterday I misspoke, that one of them is an Emir high in honour and son of most reputable parents, in lieu of being (as I was informed by one of his enviers) a cutpurse and a brigand. Of this matter I have made certain that ’tis a lying report, so beware lest any of you say aught against him or speak evil in regard to the Emir even as I heard yesterday; otherwise you will cast me and cast yourselves into the sorest of calamities with the Prince of True Believers. For a man like this of exalted degree may not possibly take up his abode in our city of Baghdad unbeknown to the Caliph.”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Five Hundred and Ninth Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the waking hours of this our night,” and quoth Shahrazad:——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Abu Bakr the Imam uprooted on such wise from the minds of men the evil which he had implanted by his own words thrown out against the Emir Zayn al-Asnam. But when he had ended congregational prayers and returned to his home, he donned his long gaberdine[52] and made weighty his skirts and lengthened his sleeves, after which he took the road to the mansion of the Prince; and, when he went in, he stood up before the stranger and did him honour with the highmost distinction. Now Zayn al-Asnam was by nature conscientious albeit young in years; so he returned the Imam Abu Bakr’s civilities with all courtesy and, seating him beside himself upon his high-raised divan, bade bring for him ambergris’d[53] coffee. Then the tables were spread for breakfast and the twain ate and drank their sufficiency, whereafter they fell to chatting like boon companions. Presently the Imam asked the Prince, saying, “O my lord Zayn al-Asnam, doth thy Highness design residing long in this our city of Baghdad?” and the other answered, “Yes indeed,[54] O our lord the Imam; ’tis my intention to tarry here for a while until such time as my requirement shall be fulfilled.” The Imam enquired, “And what may be the requirement of my lord the Emir? Haply when I hear it I may devote my life thereto until I can fulfil it.” Quoth the Prince, “My object is to marry a maiden who must be comely exceedingly, aged fifteen years; pure, chaste, virginal, whom man hath never soiled and who during all her days never lusted for male kind: moreover, she must be unique for beauty and loveliness.” The Imam rejoined, “O my lord, this be a thing hard of finding indeed, hard exceedingly; but I know a damsel of that age who answereth to thy description. Her father, a Wazir who resigned succession and office of his own freewill, now dwelleth in his mansion jealously overwatching his daughter and her education; and I opine that this maiden will suit the fancy of thy Highness, whilst she will rejoice in an Emir such as thyself and eke her parents will be equally well pleased.” The Prince replied, “Inshallah, this damsel whereof thou speakest will suit me and supply my want, and the furtherance of my desire shall be at thy hands. But, O our lord the Imam, ’tis my wish first of all things to look upon her and see if she be pure or otherwise; and, as regarding her singular comeliness, my conviction is that thy work sufficeth and thine avouchment is veridical. Of her purity, however, even thou canst not bear sure and certain testimony in respect to that condition.” Asked the Imam, “How is it possible for you, O my lord the Emir, to learn from her face aught of her and her honour; also whether she be pure or not: indeed, if this be known to your Highness you must be an adept in physiognomy.[55] However, if your Highness be willing to accompany me, I will bear you to the mansion of her sire and make you acquainted with him, so shall he set her before you.”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Five Hundred and Tenth Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the waking hours of this our night,” and quoth Shahrazad:——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the Imam Abu Bakr took the Prince and passed with him into the mansion of the Wazir; and, when they entered, both salam’d to the house-master and he rose and received them with greetings especially when he learned that an Emir had visited him and he understood from the Imam that Zayn al-Asnam inclined to wed his daughter. So he summoned her to his presence and she came, whereupon he bade her raise her face-veil; and, when she did his bidding, the Prince considered her and was amazed and perplexed at her beauty and loveliness, he never having seen aught that rivalled her in brightness and brilliancy. So quoth he in his mind, “Would to Heaven I could win a damsel like this, albeit this one be to me unlawful.” Thinking thus he drew forth the mirror from his pouch and considered her image carefully when, lo and behold! the crystal was bright and clean as virgin silver and when he eyed her semblance in the glass he saw it pure as a white dove’s. Then sent he forthright for the Kazi and witnesses and they knotted the knot and wrote the writ and the bride was duly throned. Presently the Prince took the Wazir his father-in-law into his own mansion, and to the young lady he sent a present of costly jewels and it was a notable marriage-festival, none like it was ever seen; no, never. Zayn al-Asnam applied himself to inviting the folk right royally and did honour due to Abu Bakr the Imam, giving him abundant gifts, and forwarded to the bride’s father offerings of notable rarities. As soon as the wedding ended, Mubarak said to the Prince, “O my lord, let us arise and wend our ways lest we lose our time in leisure, for that we sought is now found.” Said the Prince, “Right thou art;” and, arising with his companion, the twain fell to equipping them for travel and gat ready for the bride a covered litter[56] to be carried by camels and they set out. Withal Mubarak well knew that the Prince was deep in love to the young lady. So he took him aside and said to him, “O my lord Zayn al-Asnam, I would warn thee and enjoin thee to keep watch and ward upon thy senses and passions and to observe and preserve the pledge by thee plighted to the King of the Jann.” “O Mubarak,” replied the Prince, “an thou knew the love-longing and ecstasy which have befallen me of my love to this young lady, thou wouldst feel ruth for me! indeed I never think of aught else save of taking her to Bassorah and of going in unto her.” Mubarak rejoined, “O my lord, keep thy faith and be not false to thy pact, lest a sore harm betide thee and the loss of thy life as well as that of the young lady.[57] Remember the oath thou swarest nor suffer lust[58] to lay thy reason low and despoil thee of all thy gains and thine honour and thy life.” “Do thou, O Mubarak,” retorted the Prince, “become warden over her nor allow me ever to look upon her.”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eleventh Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the waking hours of this our night,” and quoth Shahrazad:——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Mubarak, after warning Zayn al-Asnam to protect the virgin-bride against himself, fell also to defending her as his deputy: also he prevented the Prince from even looking upon her. They then travelled along the road unto the Island of the Jann, after[59] they had passed by the line leading unto Misr.[60] But when the bride saw that the wayfare had waxed longsome nor had beheld her bridegroom for all that time since the wedding-night, she turned to Mubarak and said, “Allah upon thee; inform me, O Mubarak, by the life of thy lord the Emir, have we fared this far distance by commandment of my bridegroom Prince Zayn al-Asnam?” Said he, “Ah, O my lady, sore indeed is thy case to me, yet must I disclose to thee the secret thereof which be this. Thou imaginest that Zayn al-Asnam, the King of Bassorah, is thy bridegroom; but, alas! ’tis not so. He is no husband of thine; nay, the deed he drew up was a mere pretext in the presence of thy parents and thy people; and now thou art going as a bride to the King of the Jann who required thee of the Prince.” When the young lady heard these words, she fell to shedding tears and Zayn al-Asnam wept for her, weeping bitter tears from the excess of his love and affection. Then quoth the young lady, “Ye have nor pity in you nor feeling for me; neither fear ye aught of Allah that, seeing in me a stranger maiden ye cast me into a calamity like this. What reply shall ye return to the Lord on the Day of Reckoning for such treason ye work upon me?” However her words and her weeping availed her naught, for that they stinted not wayfaring with her until they reached the King of the Jann, to whom they forthright on arrival made offer of her. When he considered the damsel she pleased him, so he turned to Zayn al-Asnam and said to him, “Verily the bride thou broughtest me is exceeding beautiful and passing of loveliness; yet lovelier and more beautiful to me appear thy true faith and the mastery of thine own passions, thy marvellous purity and valiance of heart. So hie thee to thy home and the Ninth Statue, wherefor thou askedst me, by thee shall be found beside the other images, for I will send it by one of my slaves of the Jann.” Hereupon Zayn al-Asnam kissed his hand and marched back with Mubarak to Cairo, where he would not abide long with his companion but, as soon as he was rested, of his extreme longing and anxious yearning to see the Ninth Statue, he hastened his travel homewards. Withal he ceased not to be thoughtful and sorrowful concerning his maiden-wife and on account of her beauty and loveliness, and he would fall to groaning and crying, “O for my lost joys whose cause wast thou, O singular in every charm and attraction, thou whom I bore away from thy parents and carried to the King of the Jann. Alas, and woe worth the day!”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Five Hundred and Twelfth Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the waking hours of this our night,” and quoth Shahrazad:——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Zayn al-Asnam fell to chiding himself for the deceit and treason which he had practised upon the young lady’s parents and for bringing and offering her to the King of the Jann. Then he set out nor ceased travelling till such time as he reached Bassorah, when he entered his palace; and, after saluting his mother, he apprized her of all things that had befallen him. She replied, “Arise, O my son, that we may look upon the Ninth Statue, for I rejoice with extreme joy at its being in our possession.” So both descended into the pavilion where stood the eight images of precious gems and here they found a mighty marvel. ’Twas this. In lieu of seeing the Ninth Statue upon the golden throne, they found seated thereon the young lady whose beauty suggested the sun. Zayn al-Asnam knew her at first sight and presently she addressed him saying, “Marvel not for that here thou findest me in place of that wherefor thou askedst; and I deem that thou shalt not regret nor repent when thou acceptest me instead of that thou soughtest.” Said he, “No, by Allah, O life-blood of my heart, verily thou art the end of every wish of me nor would I exchange thee for all the gems of the universe. Would thou knew what was the sorrow which surcharged me on account of our separation and of my reflecting that I took thee from thy parents by fraud and I bore thee as a present to the King of the Jann. Indeed I had well nigh determined to forfeit all my profit of the Ninth Statue and to bear thee away to Bassorah as my own bride, when my comrade and councillor dissuaded me from so doing lest I bring about my death and thy death.” Nor had Zayn al-Asnam ended his words ere they heard the roar of thunderings that would rend a mount and shake the earth, whereat the Queen-mother was seized with mighty fear and affright. But presently appeared the King of the Jinns who said to her, “O my lady, fear not! ’Tis I, the protector of thy son whom I fondly affect for the affection borne to me by his sire. I also am he who manifested myself to him in his sleep; and my object therein was to make trial of his valiance and to learn an he could do violence to his passions for the sake of his promise, or whether the beauty of this lady would so tempt and allure him that he could not keep his promise to me with due regard.”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Five Hundred and Thirteenth Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the waking hours of this our night,” and quoth Shahrazad:——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the King of the Jann said to the Queen-mother, “Indeed Zayn al-Asnam hath not kept faith and covenant with all nicety as regards the young lady, in that he longed for her to become his wife. However, I am assured that this lapse befel him from man’s natural and inherent frailty albeit I repeatedly enjoined him to defend and protect her until he concealed from her his face. I now accept[61] this man’s valour and bestow her upon him to wife, for she is the Ninth Statue by me promised to him and she is fairer than all these jewelled images, the like of her not being found in the whole world of men save by the rarest of chances.” Then the King of the Jann turned to the Prince and said to him, “O Emir Zayn al-Asnam, this is thy bride: take her and enjoy her upon the one condition that thou love her only nor choose for thyself another one in addition to her; and I pledge myself that her faith thee-wards will be of the fairest.” Hereupon the King of the Jann disappeared and the Prince, gladdened and rejoicing, went forth with the maiden and for his love and affection to her he paid to her the first ceremonious visit that same night[62] and he made bride-feasts and banquets throughout his realm and in due time he formally wedded her and went in unto her. Then he stablished himself upon the throne of his kingship and ruled it, bidding and forbidding, and his consort became Queen of Bassorah. His mother left this life a short while afterwards and they both mourned and lamented their loss. Lastly he lived with his wife in all joyance of life till there came to them the Destroyer of delights and the Separator of societies.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her pleasant[63] say.

THE TALE OF ZAYN AL-ASNAM.
(_TURKISH._)

_NOTE I._

I. The following version has been kindly made for me by Mr. E. J. W. Gibb, of Glasgow, author of “Ottoman Poems,” the “Story of Jewad,” and an excellent translation of the “Book of the Forty Wazirs.” It is alluded to in Vol. i., p. 46, of “Popular Tales and Fictions” (London: Blackwoods, 1887), etc., etc., by my collaborator, Mr. W. A. Clouston, a most valuable recueil, with whose dedication he honoured me. I now proceed to quote from Mr. Gibb’s “Foreword.”

The book from which the following story has been translated was printed at Constantinople in A.H. 1268; and is entitled _Mukhayyalāt-i Ledun-i illāhī-i Giridli ‘Ali ‘Aziz Efendi_. = Phantasms from the Divine Presence, by ‘Ali ‘Aziz Efendi of Crete. The printer has given the following note at the beginning of the volume; it appears to have occurred in the MS. copy which he had.

“_Phantasms from the Divine Presence, of ‘Ali ‘Aziz Efendi the
Cretan._ 1211 (= 1796–7).

“In the year aforesaid did the above-named Efendi complete this
book; and at that (same) time he went to Prussia along with an
embassy, and there he passed away. As he was versed in the mystic
and philosophic sciences, and mighty in giving answers, clear and
silencing, on obscure questions in every branch of learning, he
arranged and wrote down, in the form of a special treatise, the
erudite replies which he afforded to the interrogations of certain
distinguished persons among the philosophers of Europe, concerning
the revolving of the spheres, the strata of the elements, and other
matters natural: such (a work was it) that from the perusal thereof
the extent of his learning might have been known unto men of
science. And he had a work on mysticism, entitled Vāridāt, and other
writings (as well). But his heirs knowing not their value, destroyed
and lost them; however, some among them came into the hands of
certain of his friends, who have edited and published them.”

“_Such is written on the back of this book._”

This last line is the printer’s note.

The Author’s Preface may be translated as follows:—

“Rolling up the observances of preamble and cancelling the rules of entitulation, it is humbly declared that, while for a certain season turning over the sheets of these pages of revelations and inspirations, in the college of desire and the library of imagination, a well-worn book with a lengthy appendix, entitled Khulāsat-al-Khayāl, (compiled) from the Syriac and Hebrew and other languages laid by in the vault of oblivion, was seen of my warning-beholding eye. When it had been entirely perused and its strange matter considered, as they would form an esoteric scrip, a philosophic volume, such as would cause heedfulness and consideration, and yield counsel and admonition, like the ·Ibret-Numā of Lami’ī and the Elf Leyle of Asma’ī, certain of the strange stories and wonderful tales of that book were selected and separated, and having been arranged, dervish-fashion, in simple style, were made the adornment of the reed-pen of composition, and offered to the notice of them of penetration. For all that this book is of the class of phantasms, still, as it has been written in conformity with the position of the readers of (these) times, it is of its virtues that its perusal will of a surety dispel sadness of heart; and when this has been proved, saying:—

Unworthy though the reed-pen’s labour be,
A blessing may it gain, ‘Azíz! for thee,

I implore that my poor name be raised aloft on the tongues of prayers.”

Then come the three Mukhayyalāt, or Phantasms, each consisting of a principal story with several subordinate tales.

The First Mukhayyal is largely made up of incidents from the following stories in the Thousand and One Nights: Kamer-uz-Zemān, Zeyn ul Esnām, Prince Amjad, and the Enchanted Horse. Here are all woven into one connected whole, along with a lot about a king of the Jinn and the City of Jábulqá, and some stories that are new to me.

The Second Mukhayyal I have translated and published under the title of the “Story of Jewád.”

The Third consists of a number of stories that I have never met before.

The object of the entire work appears to be the exaltation of the supernatural powers claimed by holy men. I meditate making a complete translation some day. Meanwhile the following is my version of

_THE TALE OF ZAYN AL-ASNAM._

Then he (‘Abd-us-Samed, King of Serendib or Ceylon) requested the Prince Asīl, first to go along with him to the harem in order that he might show him a strange thing. The Prince consented; so they entered through the harem door, and after crossing the vestibule and hall they came to a garden at the end of which was the door of a subterranean vault, whither they went. The door was of hard steel; and the king drew the key thereof from his pocket and opened it, and they descended by twelve steps into the interior of the vault. Then they entered a place in the midst thereof shaped like the cupola of a bath; and the Prince saw that in the middle of this place was a circular tank, some fifteen cubits round, wrought and fashioned of Cathayan jasper, and filled to overflowing with diamonds and emeralds, and spinels and red rubies, the very least of which were a rarity of the age. And round about the tank were ten bejewelled stands, on each of which (save one) was set an image, every one more splendid than the other, and all of pure gold. And they were adorned with thousands of costly jewels, treasures of the age, such that all the gems that were in the tank could not have bought those upon one image. While they were looking at these things, King ‘Abd-us-Samed, with utmost lowliness, begged the Prince to accept this treasure; but as he replied, saying, “Let us go forth and think about it,” they went out and returned to their chamber. Again the King urged the Prince to accept it; but the latter, turning the conversation into another course, said: “My King, while the stands be ten, the images are nine; how comes it that one stand has no image? Have you given it to anyone?” The King replied, “My Lord, my Prince, it is a wondrous tale.” And as the Prince begged him to relate it, King ‘Abd-us-Samed thus began to speak:

_THE STORY OF ‘ABD-US-SAMED, KING OF CEYLON._

“I, your slave, Sultan of this Ceylon, am son of the late Murtazá Sháh. I was twenty years old when I ascended my ancestral throne on the death of my father, I strove earnestly in the ordinance of the realm, and wrought manfully and skilfully to perform the duties of kingship. One night my father came (in a vision) to my side and addressed me, saying, ‘My son, I have a last request to make of thee; but I will not tell it thee save thou undertake to accomplish it without knowing what it be; but if thou swear by God to accomplish it, I will declare it to thee.’ As it is beyond doubt that fathers or mothers would not urge their children to unbecoming deeds, I without hesitation swore to accomplish it. Then my father took me by the hand and led me to the treasure which thou hast seen. When I beheld it I abode bewildered at the greatness of the riches. On that empty stand was a paper in my father’s handwriting; this I took and read, and these words were inscribed thereon: ‘My son, in that thou hast undertaken to fulfil it, if thou accomplish not this my last request, be my two hands upon thy collar. Thou shalt go hence to Cairo; there in the Roumelia Square, hard by the Erdebíl Fountain, is a revered personage whom they call the Shaykh Mubarak. He is master of the secret sciences, and he it is who hath given me all this treasure. Lay thy face in the dust at his feet, and with uttermost humbleness beg of him this lacking image; for the image which still remains is worth many treasures like to this. If thou sit upon my throne without having procured that image, thou shalt be a rebel against me.’ I marvelled at these words of my father, and seeing he had heaped up such vast riches, he should still even after his death be so driven as to urge upon me the toils of a journey and the many dangers that must attend it, only that that stand might not remain empty. But as no escape was possible, I constrainedly determined to set out, and having appointed my vezir regent, I disguised myself and started for Cairo.

“When I reached Cairo, I went to the aforesaid place, and having enquired for the Shaykh Mubarak, went up to his door, at which I knocked. A slave-girl came and opened the door, and taking me in, led me into the presence of the Shaykh. I saw him to be a man of about five-and-forty years of age, from whose countenance beamed the rays of the light of God. I went forward and kissed his feet reverently, whereon he said, ‘Upon thee be peace, my son ‘Abd-us-Samed; I rejoice for that thou hast fulfilled the last request of thy father, well done!’ And he motioned me to be seated. Straightway they brought food, and after I had eaten and been nobly entreated, he, leaving not to me the need of declaring my want, said, ‘My son, thy desire will not be withheld; but thy father rendered me many services ere he gained that treasure, and until thou likewise have done me a service, thou canst not win to thy wish. I have a service for thee to perform; if thou be able to perform it, I will give thee the image that thou seekest. What sayest thou?’ I replied, ‘Do thou command; whatsoever thy service be, I shall not fail to strive therein so far as in me lies.’ He answered, ‘Good; but if thou act contrary to my pleasure, then thou shalt die.’ When I had likewise undertaken not to act contrary to his pleasure, he continued, ‘Thou shalt abide three days in Cairo, then thou shalt go forth and wander from country to country, and from city to city, and from village to village, until thou find an exceeding fair and pure girl in her fourteenth or fifteenth year, who, besides being a virgin, has never so much as longed for the pleasures of love: and thou shalt bring her to me without ever letting even thy hand touch hers; and I will give thee the image. But if thou purpose treachery, or to obtain delight by returning not to me, know that thy death is certain.’ I made answer, ‘I may seek and find the things visible; but I am not skilled in the secrets of the heart that I should know that no impure thoughts have ever come into the mind; this part of the matter is hard.’ Thereon he gave into my hand a mirror and a purse, and said, ‘When thou hast found a girl answering in beauty and other such particulars to my description, hold this mirror to her face, and if it become clouded, she is not the desired one, for her mind is sullied; but if the mirror remain bright, she is the chaste one we desire. However, the accomplishment of this matter will require much outlay, so spend from this purse; with God’s permission it will not become exhausted.’

“Accordingly, I took the mirror and the purse, and having kissed the Shaykh’s feet, and bade him farewell, and after resting three days in a Khan, I set out on the road to Damascus. I wandered through Damascus, Aleppo, Syria, the islands of the Mediterranean, Constantinople, Rumelia, Frankland, and many many kingdoms and cities; and although I found some perfect in beauty, I found none whose chastity could abide the trial of the mirror. A certain man told me that there were in Baghdād many beauties perfect in loveliness, and said, ‘If you go thither, belike you may find the fair one whom you seek.’ So I went to Baghdād and rented a house in a certain quarter and having taken up my abode there, began the search. The Imām of the quarter was an old man named Haji Bekr, who used to come to my house at nights to converse with me. One night I told him the secret of my heart and said, ‘If thou canst find a girl such as I wish, that is, such as were acceptable to my taste, I will give thee ten purses; and from that may be judged how I shall treat the girl and her relations. But even if, through the favour of God Most High, she be found, I may not marry her until I have gone and kissed the feet of my father who is grand Vezir of Egypt. If they will give me the girl whom I approve with this condition, I will cover her parents and relations with favours.’ Then the Imām, after pondering a while, thus made answer, ‘The Khalif has a Vezir named Nāsir, whom he dismissed from his service, having been displeased at certain of his actions; this Vezir has for a long time sat in the nook of retirement, and he has fallen a prey to exceeding poverty and indigence. He has a daughter named Mihr-i-Dil,[64] who is now in her fourteenth or fifteenth year. She is well known among the women, who say that her like has never been created upon earth. If she suit your taste, she may do; if not, it will be vain to look for another, hoping to find one better than she.’ When I heard these words I put ten florins into the Imām’s hand, saying, ‘Be this shoe-money: go to-morrow to the girl’s father and tell him of the affair; and if he be willing to give her, bring me word.’

“He came next day and told me that he had spoken to the girl’s father, that he was willing, and that they were awaiting my going to their house. So I straightway set out in all haste for the desired quarter, and reached their abode. After I had met her father and conversed with him, he took me into another room where his daughter was standing covered with a veil. Her father went up to her, and when he had raised the veil from his daughter’s face, I saw that she was a loveling of the soul, such that not merely was the Shaykh’s description insufficient, but that never heart or imagination had conceived her like. The glance of her eyes was a disturber of the world such that with one look it made my soul like to hell through the fire of love, and maddened me, taking me out of myself. Forthwith I pulled out the mirror and held it to her face, and when I saw that there was thereon no trace of dullness, even as the Shaykh had said, I made sure of her chastity. When I came forth I kissed her father’s hand and prayed him to accept me to son-in-law, and he blessed me, saying, ‘There is no refusal; may the Lord of the worlds grant to both of you life and fortune.’ The Imām, the Mu’ezzin and the assembly were straightway summoned, and when the marriage-ceremony was completed, I gave the ten purses I had promised, and also ten thousand sequins for the wedding expenses, and things proper to women to the value of two hundred purses, which I had prepared before hand. I took from the purse to the amount of about two hundred purses, and giving it to the Imām Efendi, sent him off with it, that they might buy whatsoever dresses they should wish. And I gave them notice, saying, ‘I may not tarry longer than a week, then I must set out whither I mean to go; let them be ready.’

“When I had delivered poor Nāsir and his belongings from all need, I got ready all things necessary for the journey, and we started on the way to Egypt. While on the journey, I assisted the maiden in mounting into and alighting from the litter and as the poor girl thought I was her husband, she took no heed but disclosed her fair face to me, whereupon my wit and understanding were ravished, and passion and longing brought me to such a pass that I would have abandoned wealth and hoard, image and treasure, nay, even the world itself, but that dread of the Shaykh and fear for my life held me back from accomplishing my desire; for I knew that if I touched but so much as her hand with mine, my death was certain. Accordingly I endured it as I might, and sighed and groaned night and day. When we were come to within an hour’s journey of Cairo, I went up to the side of the girl’s litter, and caused her to alight. I made them pitch a sun-tent in the shade of which we sat down, and then I laid bare to her the secret that was in my heart, and told her that I was taking her for the Shaykh; whereupon her wailing and lamentations ascended to the heavens, and she fainted and became senseless. We placed her in this plight in the litter; and when we reached the Shaykh’s house I knocked at the door thereof. Again a slave-girl came and opened the door and took us in. I caused the girl to alight, and took her into the presence of the Shaykh, whose feet I kissed. He said, ‘Upon thee be peace, my son; thy service is accepted and thy endeavour thanked; lo, manfulness is the name of this. I rejoice exceedingly for that thou has borne up against the urging of passion in such a case. Thou shalt live long and reap great good from this service.’ Then he asked for the purse and the mirror, which I laid before him. He continued, ‘Now, do thou again abide in Cairo during three days, and then go to thine own country and thou shalt find the wished for image placed upon the empty stand.’

“Again I kissed his feet and bade him farewell, and after tarrying for three days in Cairo, returned to my own country. When I arrived there I foregathered with my mother, and after I had related to her all that had happened, we hastened together to the buried treasure. We opened the door, and when we entered we saw upon that oft mentioned stand my darling, my beloved, Mihr-i-Dil. My senses and understanding forsook me, and I abode for a while confounded. When she saw me she arose; and there was a paper in her hand which she presented to me. It was signed with the Shaykh’s signature, and there was written thereon: ‘My son, ‘Abd-us-Samed, the reason why thy father and myself deemed it good to subject thee to these trials is this, that having therefore endured toil and trouble, thou mightest know that a virtuous wife is worth many treasures such as this, and consider whether it were more desirable to find upon this stand an image which were worth the world, or better to find thereon the lovely Mihr-i-Dil. Now thou shalt know the value of the latter to the end of thy life; and she is thy wedded wife.’

“Now, my lord (Prince Asīl), that is the reason of one of the stands being empty; the image belonging to that stand is the mistress of our harem, the mother of Shīve-Zād.”[65]

ALAEDDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP.

Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, how rare is thy tale and delectable!” whereto quoth Shahrazad, “And what is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night concerning Alaeddin[66] and the Enchanted Lamp, an this my lord the King leave me on life?” The King said to himself, “By Allah, I will not slay her until she tell me the whole tale.”

Now when it was the Five Hundred and Fourteenth Night,

Quoth Dunyazad,[67] to Shahrazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us some of thy pleasant tales;” and quoth she “With love and good will: I will relate to you the story of

_ALAEDDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP._”

It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that there dwelt in a city of the cities of China a man which was a tailor, withal a pauper, and he had one son, Alaeddin hight. Now this boy had been from his babyhood a ne’er-do-well, a scapegrace; and, when he reached his tenth year, his father inclined to teach him his own trade; and, for that he was over indigent to expend money upon his learning other work or craft or apprenticeship, he took the lad into his shop that he might be taught tailoring. But, as Alaeddin was a scapegrace and a ne’er-do-well and wont to play at all times with the gutter boys of the quarter, he would not sit in the shop for a single day; nay, he would await his father’s leaving it for some purpose, such as to meet a creditor, when he would run off at once and fare forth to the gardens with the other scapegraces and low companions, his fellows. Such was his case; counsel and castigation were of no avail, nor would he obey either parent in aught or learn any trade; and presently, for his sadness and sorrowing because of his son’s vicious indolence, the tailor sickened and died. Alaeddin continued in his former ill courses and, when his mother saw that her spouse had deceased, and that her son was a scapegrace and good for nothing at all[68] she sold the shop and whatso was to be found therein and fell to spinning cotton yarn. By this toilsome industry she fed herself and found food for her son Alaeddin the scapegrace who, seeing himself freed from bearing the severities of his sire, increased in idleness and low habits; nor would he ever stay at home save at meal-hours while his miserable wretched mother lived only by what her hands could spin until the youth had reached his fifteenth year.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Five Hundred and Fifteenth Night,