A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments, now entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night. Volume 7 (of 17)

Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night,

She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the two hosts drew apart, Gharib and Mura’ash returned to their tents, after wiping their weapons, and supper being set before them, they ate and gave each other joy of their safety, and the loss of their Marids being so small. As for Barkan, he returned to his tent, grieving for the slaughter of his champions, and said to his officers, “O folk, an we tarry here and do battle with them on this wise in three days’ time we shall be cut off to the last wight.” Quoth they, “And how shall we do, O King?” Quoth Barkan, “We will fall upon them under cover of night whilst they are deep in sleep, and not one of them shall be left to tell the tale. So take your arms and when I give the word of command, attack and fall on your enemies as one.” Now there was amongst them a Marid named Jandal whose heart inclined to Al-Islam; so, when he heard the Kafirs’ plot, he stole away from them and going in to King Mura’ash and King Gharib, told the twain what Barkan had devised; whereupon Mura’ash turned to Gharib and said to him, “O my brother, what shall we do?” Gharib replied, “To-night we will fall upon the Miscreants and chase them into the wilds and the wolds if it be the will of the Omnipotent King.” Then he summoned the Captains of the Jann and said to them, “Arm yourselves, you and yours; and, as soon as ’tis dark, steal out of your tents on foot, hundreds after hundreds, and lie in ambush among the mountains; and when ye see the enemy engaged among the tents, do ye fall upon them from all quarters. Hearten your hearts and rely on your Lord, and ye shall certainly conquer; and behold, I am with you!” So, as soon as it was dark night, the Infidels attacked the camp, invoking aid of the fire and light; but when they came among the tents, the Moslems fell upon them, calling for help on the Lord of the Worlds and saying, “O Most Merciful of Mercifuls, O Creator of all createds!” till they left them like mown grass, cut down and dead. Nor did morning dawn before the most part of the unbelievers were species without souls and the rest made for the wastes and marshes, whilst Gharib and Mura’ash returned triumphant and victorious; and, making prize of the enemy’s baggage, they rested till the morrow, when they set out for the City of Carnelian and Castle of Gold. As for Barkan, when the battle had turned against him and most of his lieges were slain, he fled through the dark with the remnant of his power to his capital where he entered his palace and assembling his legionaries said to them, “O folk, whoso hath aught of price, let him take it and follow me to the Mountain Káf, to the Blue King, lord of the Pied Palace; for he it is who shall avenge us.” So they took their women and children and goods and made for the Caucasus-mountain. Presently Mura’ash and Gharib arrived at the City of Carnelian and Castle of Gold to find the gates open and none left to give them news; whereupon they entered and Mura’ash led Gharib that he might show him the city, whose walls were builded of emeralds and its gates of red carnelian, with studs of silver, and the terrace-roofs of its houses and mansions reposed upon beams of lign-aloes and sandal-wood. So they took their pleasure in its streets and alleys, till they came to the Palace of Gold and entering passed through seven vestibules, when they drew near to a building, whose walls were of royal balass-rubies and its pavement of emerald and jacinth. The two Kings were astounded at the goodliness of the place and fared on from vestibule to vestibule, till they had passed through the seventh and happened upon the inner court of the palace wherein they saw four daïses, each different from the others, and in the midst a jetting fount of red gold, compassed about with golden lions,42 from whose mouths issued water. These were things to daze man’s wit. The estrade at the upper end was hung and carpeted with brocaded silks of various colours and thereon stood two thrones of red gold, inlaid with pearls and jewels. So Mura’ash and Gharib sat down on Barkan’s thrones and held high state in the Palace of Gold.–And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night,

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Mura’ash and Gharib took seat on Barkan’s thrones and held high state. Then said Gharib to Mura’ash, “What thinkest thou to do?” And Mura’ash replied, “O King of mankind, I have despatched an hundred horse to learn where Barkan is, that we may pursue him.” Then they abode three days in the palace, till the scouting Marids returned with the news that Barkan had fled to the Mountain Kaf and craved protection of the Blue King who granted it; whereupon quoth Mura’ash to Gharib, “What sayest thou, O my brother?” and quoth Gharib, “Except we attack them they will attack us.” So they bade the host make ready for departure and after three days, they were about to set out with their troops, when the Marids, who had carried Sahim and the presents back to Oman, returned and kissed ground before Gharib. He questioned them of his people and they replied, “After the last affair, thy brother Ajib, leaving Ya’arub bin Kahtan, fled to the King of Hind and, submitting his case, sought his protection. The King granted his prayer and writing letters to all his governors, levied an army as it were the surging sea, having neither beginning nor end, wherewith he purposeth to invade Al-Irak and lay it waste.” When Gharib heard this, he said, “Perish the Misbelievers! Verily, Allah Almighty shall give the victory to Al-Islam and I will soon show them hew and foin.” Said Mura’ash, “O King of humans, by the virtue of the Mighty Name, I must needs go with thee to thy kingdom and destroy thy foes and bring thee to thy wish.” Gharib thanked him and they rested on this resolve till the morrow, when they set out, intending for Mount Caucasus and marched many days till they reached the City of Alabaster and the Pied Palace. Now this city was fashioned of alabaster and precious stones by Bárik bin Fáki’, father of the Jinn, and he also founded the Pied Palace, which was so named because edified with one brick of gold alternating with one of silver, nor was there builded aught like it in all the world. When they came within half a day’s journey of the city, they halted to take their rest, and Mura’ash sent out to reconnoitre a scout who returned and said, “O King, within the City of Alabaster are legions of the Jinn, for number as the leaves of the trees or as the drops of rain.” So Mura’ash said to Gharib, “How shall we do, O King of Mankind?” He replied, “O King, divide your men into four bodies and encompass with them the camp of the Infidels; then, in the middle of the night, let them cry out, saying;—God is Most Great! and withdraw and watch what happeneth among the tribes of the Jinn.” So Mura’ash did as Gharib counselled and the troops waited till midnight, when they encircled the foe and shouted, “Allaho Akbar! Ho for the Faith of Abraham the Friend, on whom be the Peace!” The Misbelievers at this cry awoke in affright and snatching up their arms, fell one upon other till the morning, when most part of them were dead bodies and but few remained. Then Gharib cried out to the True Believers, saying, “Up and at the remnant of the Kafirs! Behold I am with you, and Allah is your helper!” So the Moslems drave at the enemy and Gharib bared his magical blade Al-Mahik and fell upon the foe, lopping off noses and making heads wax hoary and whole ranks turn tail. At last he came up with Barkan and smote him and bereft him of life and he fell down, drenched in his blood. On like wise he did with the Blue King, and by undurn-hour not one of the Kafirs was left alive to tell the tale. Then Gharib and Mura’ash entered the Pied Palace and found its walls builded of alternate courses of gold and silver, with door-sills of crystal and keystones of greenest emerald. In its midst was a fountain adorned with bells and pendants and figures of birds and beasts spouting forth water, and thereby a daïs43 furnished with gold-brocaded silk, bordered or embroidered with jewels: and they found the treasures of the palace past count or description. Then they entered the women’s court, where they came upon a magnificent serraglio and Gharib saw, among the Blue King’s woman-folk a girl clad in a dress worth a thousand dinars, never had he beheld a goodlier. About her were an hundred slave-girls, upholding her train with golden hooks, and she was in their midst as the moon among stars. When he saw her, his reason was confounded and he said to one of the waiting-women, “Who may be yonder maid?” Quoth they, “This is the Blue King’s daughter, Star o’ Morn.”–And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-ninth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib asked the slave-women saying, “Who may be yonder maid,” they replied, “This is Star o’ Morn, daughter to the Blue King.” Then Gharib turned to Mura’ash and said to him, “O King of the Jinn, I have a mind to take yonder damsel to wife.” Replied Mura’ash, “The palace and all that therein is, live stock and dead, are the prize of thy right hand; for, hadst thou not devised a stratagem to destroy the Blue King and Barkan, they had cut us off to the last one: wherefore the treasure is thy treasure and the folk thy thralls.” Gharib thanked him for his fair speech and going up to the girl, gazed steadfastly upon her and loved her with exceeding love, forgetting Fakhr Taj the Princess and even Mahdiyah. Now her mother was the Chinese King’s daughter whom the Blue King had carried off from her palace and perforce deflowered, and she conceived by him and bare this girl, whom he named Star o’ Morn, by reason of her beauty and loveliness; for she was the very Princess of the Fair. Her mother died when she was a babe of forty days, and the nurses and eunuchs reared her, till she reached the age of seventeen; but she hated her sire and rejoiced in his slaughter. So Gharib put his palm to hers44 and went in unto her that night and found her a virgin. Then he bade pull down the Pied Palace and divided the spoil with the true-believing Jinn, and there fell to his share one-and-twenty thousand bricks of gold and silver and money and treasure beyond speech and count. Then Mura’ash took Gharib and showed him the Mountain Kaf and all its marvels; after which they returned to Barkan’s fortress and dismantled it and shared the spoil thereof. Then they repaired to Mura’ash’s capital, where they tarried five days, when Gharib sought to revisit his native country and Mura’ash said, “O King of mankind, I will ride at thy stirrup and bring thee to thine own land.” Replied Gharib, “No, by the virtue of Abraham the Friend, I will not suffer thee to weary thyself thus, nor will I take any of the Jinn save Kaylajan and Kurajan.” Quoth the King, “Take with thee ten thousand horsemen of the Jinn, to serve thee;” but quoth Gharib, “I will take only as I said to thee.” So Mura’ash bade a thousand Marids carry him to his native land, with his share of the spoil; and he commanded Kaylajan and Kurajan to follow him and obey him; and they answered, “Hearkening and obedience.” Then said Gharib to the Marids, “Do ye carry the treasure and Star o’ Morn;” for he himself thought to ride his flying steed. But Mura’ash said to him, “This horse, O my brother, will live only in our region, and, if it come upon man’s earth, ’twill die: but I have in my stables a sea-horse, whose fellow is not found in Al-Irak, no, nor in all the world is its like.” So he caused bring forth the horse, and when Gharib saw it, it interposed between him and his wits.45 Then they bound it and Kaylajan bore it on his shoulders and Kurajan took what he could carry. And Mura’ash embraced Gharib and wept for parting from him, saying, “O my brother, if aught befal thee wherein thou art powerless, send for me and I will come to thine aid with an army able to lay waste the whole earth and what is thereon.” Gharib thanked him for his kindness and zeal for the True Faith and took leave of him; whereupon the Marids set out with Gharib and his goods; and, after traversing fifty years’ journey in two days and a night, alighted near the city of Oman and halted to take rest. Then Gharib sent out Kaylajan, to learn news of his people, and he returned and said, “O King, the city is beleaguered by a host of Infidels, as they were the surging sea, and thy people are fighting them. The drums beat to battle and Jamrkan goeth forth as champion in the field.” When Gharib heard this, he cried aloud, “God is Most Great!” and said to Kaylajan, “Saddle me the steed and bring me my arms and spear; for to-day the valiant shall be known from the coward in the place of war and battle-stead.” So Kaylajan brought him all he sought and Gharib armed and belting in baldrick Al-Mahik, mounted the sea-horse and made toward the hosts. Quoth Kaylajan and Kurajan to him, “Set thy heart at rest and let us go to the Kafirs and scatter them abroad in the wastes and wilds till, by the help of Allah, the All-powerful, we leave not a soul alive, no, not a blower of the fire.” But Gharib said, “By the virtue of Abraham the Friend, I will not let you fight them without me and behold, I mount!” Now the cause of the coming of that great host was right marvellous.46——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixtieth Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib had bidden Kaylajan go and learn news of his people, the Jinn fared forth and presently returning said, “Verily around thy city is a mighty host!” Now the cause of its coming was that Ajib, having fled the field after Ya’arub’s army had been put to the rout, said to his people, “O folk, if we return to Ya’arub bin Kahtan, he will say to us:—But for you, my son and my people had not been slain; and he will put us to death, even to the last man. Wherefore, methinks we were better go to Tarkanán, King of Hind, and beseech him to avenge us.” Replied they, “Come, let us go thither; and the blessing of the Fire be upon thee!” So they fared days and nights till they reached King Tarkanan’s capital city and, after asking and obtaining permission to present himself, Ajib went in to him and kissed ground before him. Then he wished him what men use to wish to monarchy and said to him, “O King, protect me, so may protect thee the sparkling Fire and the Night with its thick darkness!” Tarkanan looked at Ajib and asked, “Who art thou and what dost thou want?”; to which the other answered, “I am Ajib King of Al-Irak; my brother hath wronged me and gotten the mastery of the land and the subjects have submitted themselves to him. Moreover, he hath embraced the faith of Al-Islam and he ceaseth not to chase me from country to country; and behold, I am come to seek protection of thee and thy power.” When Tarkanan heard Ajib’s words, he rose and sat down and cried, “By the virtue of the Fire, I will assuredly avenge thee and will let none serve other than my goddess the Fire!” And he called aloud to his son, saying, “O my son, make ready to go to Al-Irak and lay it waste and bind all who serve aught but the Fire and torment them and make example of them; yet slay them not, but bring them to me, that I may ply them with various tortures and make them taste the bitterness of humiliation and leave them a warning to whoso will be warned in this our while.” Then he chose out to accompany him eighty thousand fighting men on horseback and the like number on giraffes,47 besides ten thousand elephants, bearing on their backs seats48 of sandal-wood, latticed with golden rods, plated and studded with gold and silver and shielded with pavises of gold and emerald; moreover he sent good store of war-chariots, in each eight men fighting with all kinds of weapons. Now the Prince’s name was Ra’ad Sháh,49 and he was the champion of his time, for prowess having no peer. So he and his army equipped them in ten day’s time, then set out, as they were a bank of clouds, and fared on two months’ journey, till they came upon Oman city and encompassed it, to the joy of Ajib, who thought himself assured of victory. Jamrkan and Sa’adan and all their fighting-men sallied forth into the field of fight whilst the kettle-drums beat to battle and the horses neighed. At this moment up came King Gharib, who, as we have said, had been warned by Kaylajan; and he urged on his destrier and entered among the Infidels waiting to see who should come forth and open the chapter of war. Then out rushed Sa’adan the Ghul and offered combat, whereupon there issued forth to him one of the champions of Hind; but Sa’adan scarce let him take stand in front ere he smote him with his mace and crushed his bones and stretched him on the ground; and so did he with a second and a third, till he had slain thirty fighting men. Then there dashed out at him an Indian cavalier, by name Battásh al-Akrán,50 uncle to King Tarkanan and of his day the doughtiest man, reckoned worth five thousand horse in battle-plain and cried out to Sa’adan, saying, “O thief of the Arabs, hath thy daring reached that degree that thou shouldst slay the Kings of Hind and their champions and capture their horsemen? But this day is the last of thy worldly days.” When Sa’adan heard these words, his eyes waxed blood-red and he drave at Battash and aimed a stroke at him with his club; but he evaded it and the force of the blow bore Sa’adan to the ground; and before he could recover himself, the Indians pinioned him and haled him off to their tents. Now when Jamrkan saw his comrade a prisoner, he cried out, saying, “Ho for the Faith of Abraham the Friend!” and clapping heel to his horse, ran at Battash. They wheeled about awhile, till Battash charged Jamrkan and catching him by his jerkin51 tare him from his saddle and cast him to the ground; whereupon the Indians bound him and dragged him away to their tents. And Battash ceased not to overcome all who came out to him, Captain after Captain till he had made prisoners of four-and-twenty Chiefs of the Moslems, whereat the True Believers were sore dismayed. When Gharib saw what had befallen his braves, he drew from beneath his knee52 a mace of gold weighing six-score pounds which had belonged to Barkan King of the Jann–And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib beheld what had befallen his braves he drew forth a golden mace which had belonged to Barkan King of the Jann and clapped heel to his sea-horse, which bore him like the wind-gust into mid-field. Then he let drive at Battash, crying out, “God is Most Great! He giveth aid and victory and He abaseth whoso reject the Faith of Abraham the Friend!” and smote him with the mace, whereupon he fell to the ground and Gharib, turning to the Moslems, saw his brother Sahim and said to him, “Pinion me this hound.” When Sahim heard his brother’s words, he ran to Battash and bound him hard and fast and bore him off, whilst the Moslem braves wondered who this knight could be and the Indians said one to other, “Who is this horseman which came out from among them and hath taken our Chief prisoner?” Meanwhile Gharib continued to offer battle and there issued forth to him a captain of the Hindís whom he felled to earth with his mace, and Kaylajan and Kurajan pinioned him and delivered him over to Sahim; nor did Gharib leave to do thus, till he had taken prisoner two-and-fifty of the doughtiest Captains of the army of Hind. Then the day came to an end and the kettle-drums beat the retreat; whereupon Gharib left the field and rode towards the Moslem camp. The first to meet him was Sahim, who kissed his feet in the stirrups and said, “May thy hand never wither, O champion of the age! Tell us who thou art among the braves.” So Gharib raised his vizor of mail and Sahim knew him and cried out, saying, “This is your King and your lord Gharib, who is come back from the land of the Jann!” When the Moslems heard Gharib’s name, they threw themselves off their horses’ backs, and, crowding about him, kissed his feet in the stirrups and saluted him, rejoicing in his safe return. Then they carried him into the city of Oman, where he entered his palace and sat down on the throne of his kingship, whilst his officers stood around him in the utmost joy. Food was set on and they ate, after which Gharib related to them all that had betided him with the Jinn in Mount Kaf, and they marvelled thereat with exceeding marvel and praised Allah for his safety. Then he dismissed them to their sleeping-places; so they withdrew to their several lodgings, and when none abode with him but Kaylajan and Kurajan, who never left him, he said to them, “Can ye carry me to Cufa that I may take my pleasure in my Harim, and bring me back before the end of the night?” They replied, “O our lord, this thou askest is easy.” Now the distance between Cufa and Oman is sixty days’ journey for a diligent horseman, and Kaylajan said to Kurajan, “I will carry him going and thou coming back.” So he took up Gharib and flew off with him, in company with Kurajan; nor was an hour past before they set him down at the gate of his palace, in Cufa. He went in to his uncle Al-Damigh, who rose to him and saluted him; after which quoth Gharib, “How is it with my wives Fakhr Taj53 and Mahdiyah?” Al-Damigh answered, “They are both well and in good case.” Then the eunuch went in and acquainted the women of the Harim with Gharib’s coming, whereat they rejoiced and raised the trill of joy and gave him the reward for good news. Presently in came King Gharib, and they rose and saluting him, conversed with him, till Al-Damigh entered, when Gharib related to them all that had befallen him in the land of the Jinn, whereat they all marvelled. Then he lay with Fakhr Taj till near daybreak, when he took leave of his wives and his uncle and mounted Kurajan’s back, nor was the darkness dispelled before the two Marids set him down in the city of Oman. Then he and his men armed and he bade open the gates when, behold, up came a horseman from the host of the Indians, with Jamrkan and Sa’adan and the rest of the captive captains whom he had delivered, and committed them to Gharib. The Moslems, rejoicing in their safety, donned their mails and took horse, while the kettle drums beat a point of war; and the Miscreants also drew up in line.–And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-second Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Moslem host mounted and rode to the plain of cut and thrust, the first to open the door of war was King Gharib who, drawing his sword Al-Mahik, drove his charger between the two ranks and cried out, saying, “Whoso knoweth me hath enough of my mischief and whoso unknoweth me, to him I will make myself known. I am Gharib, King of Al-Irak and Al-Yaman, brother of Ajib.” When Ra’ad Shah, son of the King of Hind, heard this, he shouted to his captains, “Bring me Ajib.” So they brought him and Ra’ad Shah said to him, “Thou wottest that this quarrel is thy quarrel and thou art the cause of all this slaughter. Now yonder standeth thy brother Gharib middle-most the fight-field and stead where sword and spear we shall wield; go thou to him and bring him to me a prisoner, that I may set him on a camel arsy-versy, and make a show of him and carry him to the land of Hind.” Answered Ajib, “O King, send out to him other than I, for I am in ill-health this morning.” But Ra’ad Shah snarked and snorted and cried, “By the virtue of the sparkling Fire and the light and the shade and the heat, unless thou fare forth to thy brother and bring him to me in haste, I will cut off thy head and make an end of thee.” So Ajib took heart and urging his horse up to his brother in mid-field, said to him, “O dog of the Arabs and vilest of all who hammer down tent-pegs, wilt thou contend with Kings? Take what to thee cometh and receive the glad tidings of thy death.” When Gharib heard this, he said to him, “Who art thou among the Kings?” And Ajib answered, saying, “I am thy brother, and this day is the last of thy worldly days.” Now when Gharib was assured that he was indeed his brother Ajib, he cried out and said, “Ho, to avenge my father and mother!” Then giving his sword to Kaylajan,54 he drave at Ajib and smote him with his mace a smashing blow and a swashing, that went nigh to beat in his ribs, and seizing him by the mail-gorget tore him from the saddle and cast him to the ground; whereupon the two Marids pounced upon him and binding him fast, dragged him off dejected and abject; whilst Gharib rejoiced in the capture of his enemy and repeated these couplets of the poet:—