Book: Supplemental Nights, Volume 1

R >> Richard F. Burton >> Supplemental Nights, Volume 1




"Haste not to that thou dost desire, for haste is still unblest;
* Be merciful to men, as thou on mercy reckonest:
For no hand is there but the hand of God is over it * And no
oppressor but shall be with worse than he opprest."

Quoth the Kitchener, "There is no help save that I slay thee, O
fellow; for an I spare thee, I shall myself be slain." But Salim
said, "O my brother, I will advise thee somewhat[FN#535] other
than this." Asked the Cook, "What is it? Say and be brief, ere I
cut thy throat;" and Salim answered, "Suffer me to live and keep
me as thy Mameluke, thy white slave, and I will work at a craft
of the skilled workmen, wherefrom there shall result to thee
every day two dinars." Quoth the Kitchener, "What is the craft?"
and quoth Salim, "The cutting of gems and jewels." When the man
heard this, he said to himself, "'Twill do me no hurt if I
imprison him and fetter him and bring him that whereat he may
work. An he tell truth, I will let him live, and if he prove a
liar, I will kill him." So he took a pair of stout shackles and
fitting them on Salim's legs, jailed him within his house and
charged a man to guard him. Then he asked him what tools he
needed for work; and Salim described to him whatso he required,
and the Cook went out from him awhile and brought him all he
wanted. Then Salim sat and wrought at his craft; and he used
every day to earn two dinars; and this was his wont and custom
with the Kitchener, who fed him not but half his fill. Thus befel
it with Salim; but returning to his sister Salma, she awaited him
till the last of the day, yet he appeared not; and she expected
him a second day and a third and a fourth, yet there came no news
of him. So she wept and beat hand on breast and bethought her of
her affair and her strangerhood and the disappearance of her
brother; and she improvised these couplets,--

"Salam t'you! Would I could see you again, * To the joy of my
heart and the coolth of my eyes:
You are naught but my hope and the whole of my hope * And under
my ribs[FN#536] love for you buried lies."

She tarried on this wise awaiting him till the end of the month,
but no tidings of him came nor happened she upon aught of his
trace; wherefore she was troubled with exceeding trouble and
sending her servants hither and thither in search of him, abode
in the sorest that might be of chagrin and concern. When it was
the beginning of the new month, she arose in the morning and
bidding one of her men cry her brother throughout the city, sat
to receive visits of condolence, nor was there any in town but
made act of presence to condole with her; and they were all sorry
for her, doubting not her being a man. When three nights had
passed over her with their days of the second month, she
despaired of him and her tears never dried: then she resolved to
take up her abode in that city, and making choice of a dwelling,
removed thither. The folk resorted to her from all parts, to sit
with her and hear her speech and witness her fine breeding; nor
was it but a little while ere the king died and the folk differed
anent whom they should invest with the kingship after him, so
that civil war was like to befal them. However, the men of
judgment and the folk of understanding and the people of
experience directed them to crown the youth who had lost his
brother, for that they still held Salma to be a man. They
consented to this one and all; and, betaking themselves to her,
offered the kingship.[FN#537] She refused, but they were urgent
with her, till she consented, saying within herself, "My sole
desire in the kingship is to find my brother." Then they seated
her upon the throne of the realm and set the crown upon her head,
after which she undertook the business of governance and
ordinance of affairs; and they rejoiced in her with the utmost
joy. On such wise fared it with her; but as for Salim he abode
with the Cook a whole year's space, bringing him two dinars a
day; and when his affair waxed longsome, the man felt for him and
pitied him. Presently he promised him release on condition that,
if he let him go, he should not discover his illdeeds to the
Sultan; for that it was his wont now and then to entrap a man and
carry him to his house and slay him and take his money and cook
his flesh and give it to the folk to eat.[FN#538] So he asked
him, "O youth, wilt thou that I release thee from this thy
misery, on condition that thou be reasonable and never discover
aught of thine affair?" Salim answered, "I will swear to thee by
whatsoever oath thou wilt administer that I will keep thy secret
and will not speak one syllable anent thee, what while l am in
the land of the living." Quoth the Kitchener, "I purpose to send
thee forth with my brother and cause thee voyage with him over
the sea, on condition that thou be to him a Mameluke, a boughten
slave; and when he cometh to the land of Hind, he shall sell thee
and thus wilt thou be delivered from prison and slaughter." And
quoth Salim, "'Tis well: be it as thou sayst, may Allah the Most
High requite thee with weal!" Accordingly the Cook equipped his
brother and freighting him a craft, stowed therein a cargaison of
merchandise. Then he committed Salim to him and they set out with
the ship. The Lord decreed them safety, so that they arrived at
the first city of Hind, which is known as AlMansurah,[FN#539] and
cast anchor there. Now the king of that city had died, leaving a
daughter and a widow who, being the quickest-witted of women and
cleverest of the folk of her day, gave out that the girl was a
boy, so that the kingship might be established unto them. The
troops and the Emirs gave credit that the case was as she
avouched and that the Princess was a Prince; wherefore they
obeyed her bidding and the Queenmother took order for the matter
and used to dress the girl in man's habit and seat her on the
throne of the kingship, so that the Lords of the land and the
chief officers of the realm used to go in to her and salute her
and do her service and depart, nothing doubting but she was a
boy. After this fashion they fared for months and years and the
Queen-mother ceased not to do thus till the Cook's brother came
to the town in his ship, and with him Salim. He landed with the
youth and displayed him for sale to the Queen who, when she saw
him, prognosticated well of him; presently she bought him and was
kind to him and entreated him with honour. Then began she to
prove him in his moral parts and make assay of him in his
affairs, and she found in him all that is in kings' sons of
understanding and fine breeding and good manners and qualities.
Thereupon she sent for him in private and said to him, "I am
minded to do thee a service, so thou canst keep a
secret."[FN#540] He promised her all that she desired and she
discovered to him her mystery in the matter of her daughter,
saying, "I will marry thee to her and commit to thee the
governance and constitute thee king and ruler over this city." He
thanked her and promised to carry out all she should order him,
and she said to him, "Go forth to such-an-one of the neighbouring
provinces privily." So he went forth and on the morrow she made
ready loads and gear and gifts and bestowed on him abundant
substance, all of which they loaded on the backs of
baggage-camels. Then she gave out among the folk that the nephew
of the king, the son of his brother, was come and bade the
Grandees and troops go forth to meet him in a body: she also
decorated the city in his honour and the kettle-drums of good
tidings beat for him whilst all the king's household went out and
dismounting before him, escorted him into, and lodged him with
the Queen-mother in the palace. Then she bade the Headmen of the
state attend his assembly; so they obeyed and witnessed of his
breeding and good parts that which amazed them and made them
forget the breeding of the kings who had preceded him. When they
were grown to like him, the Queenmother began sending privily for
the Emirs and Councillors, one by one, and swearing them to
conceal her project; and when she was assured of their
discretion, she discovered to them that the king had left naught
save a daughter and that she had done this only that she might
continue the kingship in his family and that the rule should not
go forth from them; after which she informed them that she was
minded to marry her daughter with her nephew, the new-comer; and
that he should be the holder of the kingship. They approved her
proposal and when she had discovered the secret to the last of
them and assured herself of their aid, she published the news
abroad and threw off all concealment. Then she sent for the Kazis
and Assessors, who drew up the contract of marriage between Salim
and the Princess, and they lavished gifts upon the soldiery and
overwhelmed them with largesse. The bride was incontinently
carried in procession to the young man and the kingship was
established to him. They tarried after this fashion a whole year
when Salim said to the Queen-mother, "Know that my life is not
pleasing to me nor can I abide with you in content till I get me
tidings of my sister and learn how her affair hath ended and how
she hath fared after me. So I will go forth and be absent from
you a year's space; then will I return to you, Inshallah--an it
please God the Most High--and I win of this that which I hope."
Quoth she, "I will not trust to thy word, but will go with thee
and help thee to whatso thou wishest and further thee myself
therein." Then she took a ship and loaded it with all manner
things of price, goods and monies and the like. Furthermore, she
appointed one of the Wazirs, a man in whom she trusted for his
conduct and contrivance, to rule the realm, saying to him, "Abide
in governance a full year and ordain all thou needest." Presently
the Queenmother and her daughter and son-in-law Salim went down
to the ship and sailed on till they made the land of Makran.
Their arrival there befel at the last of the day; so they nighted
in their ship, and when the morn was near to dawn, the young king
landed, that he might go to the Hammam, and walked marketwards.
As he drew near the bath, the Cook met him on the way and knew
him; so he seized him and pinioning him straitly, carried him to
his house, where he clapped the old fetters on his feet and cast
him back into his former place of durance vile.[FN#541] Salim,
finding himself in that sorry condition and considering that
wherewith he was afflicted of tribulation and the reverses of his
fair fortune, in that he had been a king and was now returned to
fetters and prison and hunger, wept and groaned and lamented and
improvised these couplets,

"My God, no patience now can aid afford; * Strait is my breast, O
Thou of Lords the Lord:
My God, who in resource like thine hath force? * And Thou, the
Subtle, dost my case record."

On this wise fared it with Salim; but as regards his wife and her
mother, when she awoke in the morning and her husband returned
not to her with break of dawn, she forebode all manner of
calamity and, straightway arising, she despatched her servants
and all who were with her in quest of her spouse; but they
happened not on any trace of him nor could they hear aught of his
news. So she bethought herself concerning the case and plained
and wept and groaned and sighed and blamed Fortune the fickle,
bewailing the changes of Time and reciting these
couplets,[FN#542]

"God keep the days of love-delight! How passing sweet they were!
* How joyous and how solaceful was life in them whilere!
Would he were not, who sundered us upon the parting-day! * How
many a body hath he slain, how many a bone laid bare!
Sans fault of mine, my blood and tears he shed and beggared me *
Of him I love yet for himself gained nought thereby
whate'er."

When she had made an end of her verses, she considered her affair
and said within herself, "By Allah, all these things have betided
by the predestination of Almighty Allah and His decree and this
upon the forehead was written in lines." Then she landed and
walked on till she came to a spacious place, and an open, where
she asked of the folk and hired a house. Thither she transported
forthright all that was in the ship of goods and sending after
brokers, sold all that was with her. Presently she took part of
the price and began enquiring of the folk, so haply she might
scent out tidings of the lost one; and she addressed herself to
lavishing alms and preparing medicines for the sick, clothing the
naked and watering the dry ground[FN#543] of the forlorn. She
ceased not so doing a whole year, and little by little she sold
off her goods and gave charitable gifts to the sick and sorry;
whereby her report was bruited abroad in the city and the folk
abounded in her praise. All this while Salim lay in fetters and
strait prison, and melancholy gat hold of him by reason of that
whereinto he had fallen of this affliction. At last, when care
waxed on him and calamity grew longsome, he fell sick of a sore
sickness. Then the Kitchener, seeing his plight (and verily he
was like to sink for much suffering), loosed him from the fetters
and bringing him forth of the prison, committed him to an old
woman, who had a nose the bigness of a gugglet,[FN#544] and bade
her nurse him and medicine him and serve him and entreat him
kindly, so haply he might be made whole of that his sickness.
Accordingly the old woman took him and carrying him to her
lodging, began nursing him and giving him to eat and drink; and
when he was delivered of that torment, he recovered from the
malady which had afflicted him. Now the old woman had heard from
the folk of the lady who gave alms to the sick, and indeed the
news of her bounties reached both poor and rich; so she arose and
bringing out Salim to the door of her house, laid him upon a mat
and wrapped him in an Aba-gown and sat over against him.
Presently, it befel that the lady passed by them, and the old
woman seeing her rose to her and blessed her, saying, "O my
daughter, O thou to whom belong goodness and beneficence and
charity and almsdoing,[FN#545] know that this young man is a
foreigner, and indeed lack and lice and hunger and nakedness and
cold slay him." When the lady heard this, she gave her alms and
presented her with a part of that which was with her; and indeed
her charitable heart inclined to Salim, but she knew him not for
her spouse. The old woman received the alms from her and carrying
it to Salim, took part for herself and with the rest bought him
an old shirt,[FN#546] in which she clad him, after she had
stripped him of that he had on. Then she threw away the frock she
had taken from off him and arising forthwith, washed his body of
that which was thereon of grime and scented him with somewhat of
scent. She also bought chickens and made him broth; so he ate and
his life returned to him and he abode with her in all comfort of
condition till the morrow. Next morning the old woman said to
Salim, "When the lady cometh to thee, arise and buss her hand and
say to her, 'I am a homeless man and indeed cold and hunger kill
me;' so haply she may give thee somewhat that thou mayest expend
upon thy case." And he answered, "To hear is to obey." Then she
took him by the hand and carrying him without her house, seated
him at the door; and as he sat, behold, the lady came up to him,
whereupon the old woman rose to her and Salim kissed her hand
and, looking at her the while, blessed her. But when he saw her,
he knew her for his wife; so he shrieked and shed tears and
groaned and plained, at which she came up to him and threw
herself upon him; for indeed she knew him with all knowledge,
even as he knew her. So she hung to him and embraced him and
called to her serving-men and attendants and those who were about
her; and they took him up and carried him forth of that stead.
When the old woman saw this, she cried out to the Cook within the
house, and he said to her, "Fare thou before me." So she forewent
him and he ran after her and ceased not running till he overtook
the party and seizing Salim, exclaimed "What aileth you to take
my slave-lad?" Whereupon the Queen cried out at him, saying,
"Know that this is my husband, whom I had lost;" and Salim also
cried out, saying, "Mercy! Mercy! I appeal to Allah and to the
Sultan against this Satan!" Therewith a world of folk straightway
gathered together and loud rose the cries and the clamours
between them; but the most part of them said, "Carry their case
up to the Sultan." So they referred the matter to the king, who
was none other than Salim's sister Salma. Then they repaired to
the palace and the dragoman went in to Salma and said to her, "O
king of the age, here is a Hindi woman, who cometh from the land
of Hind, and she hath laid hands on a servant, a young man,
claiming him as her husband, who hath been lost to her these two
years, and she journeyed not hither save for his sake, and in
very sooth these many days she hath done almsdeeds in thy city.
And here is a fellow, a Kitchener, who declareth that the young
man is his slave."[FN#547] When the Queen heard these words, her
vitals quivered and she groaned from a grieving heart and called
to mind her brother and that which had betided him. Then she bade
those around her bring them between her hands, and when she saw
them, she knew her brother and was about to cry aloud; but her
reason restrained her; yet she could not prevent herself rising
up and sitting down.[FN#548] At last, however, she enforced her
soul to patience and said to them, "Let each and every of you
acquaint me with his case." So Salim came forward and kissing
ground before the king, lauded him and related to him his story
from first to last, until the time of their coming to that city,
he and his sister, telling him how he had entered the place and
had fallen into the hands of the Cook and that which had betided
him and whatso he had suffered from him of beating and collars,
of fetters and pinioning, till the man had made him his brother's
Mameluke, a boughten slave, and how the brother had sold him in
Hind and he had become king by marrying the Princess: and how
life was not lovesome to him till he should foregather with his
sister and now the same Cook bad fallen in with him a second time
and had pinioned and fettered him. Brief, he acquainted her with
that which had betided him of sickness and sorrow for the space
of a whole year. When he had made an end of his speech, his wife
straightways came forward and told her story, from incept to
termination, how her mother bought him[FN#549] from the Cook's
partner and the people of the kingdom came under his rule; nor
did she cease telling till she came, in her history, to that city
and acquainted the king with the manner of her meeting her
husband. When she had made an end of her adventure, the Kitchener
exclaimed, "Alack, what befals us from lying rascals. By Allah, O
king, this woman lieth against me, for this youth is my
rearling[FN#550] and he was born of one of my slave-girls. He
fled from me and I found him again." When the Queen heard the
last of the talk, she said to the Cook, "The decree between you
shall not be save in accordance with justice." Then she dismissed
all those who were present and turning to her brother, said to
him, "Indeed thy truth is stablished with me and the sooth of thy
speech, and praised be Allah who hath brought about reunion
between thee and thy wife! So now begone with her to thy country
and cease to seek thy sister Salma and depart in peace." But,
hearing this, Salim replied, "By Allah, by the might of the
All-knowing King, I will not turn back from seeking my sister
till I die or I find her, Inshallah!" Then he called his sister
to mind and improvised from a heart disappointed, troubled,
afflicted these couplets,

"O thou who blam'st me for my heart, in anger twitting me, *
Hadst tasted what my heart did taste, thou wouldst be
pitying me!
By Allah, O my chider for my sister leave, ah! leave * My heart
to moan its grief and feel the woes befitting me.
Indeed I grew to hold her dear privily, publicly; * And in my
bosom bides a pang at no time quitting me;
And in my vitals burns a flame that ne'er was equalled by * The
fire of hell and blazeth high to Death committing me."

Now when his sister Salma heard what he said, she could no longer
restrain her soul, but threw herself upon him and discovered to
him her case. When he knew her, he threw himself upon her
swooning awhile; after which he came to himself and cried,
"Lauded be the Lord, the Bountiful, the Beneficent!" Then they
plained each to other of that they had suffered from the pangs of
parting, whilst Salim's wife wondered at this and Salma's
patience and endurance pleased her. So she saluted her with the
Salam, and thanked her for her fair boons, saying, "By Allah, O
my lady, all that we are in of gladness never befel us save by
thy blessing; so praised be Allah who deigned vouchsafe us thy
sight!" Then they tarried all three, Salma, Salim and his wife,
in joy and happiness and delight three days, veiled from the
folk; and it was bruited abroad in the city that the king had
found his brother, who was lost for many a year, and had saved
him from the Cook's house. On the fourth day, all the troops and
the lieges assembled together to see the King and standing at his
gate, craved leave to enter. Salma bade admit them; so they
entered and paid her royal suit and service and gave her joy of
her brother's safe return. She bade them do homage to Salim, and
they consented and sware fealty to him; after which they kept
silence awhile, so they might hear what the king should command.
Then quoth Salma, "Ho, ye gathering of soldiers and subjects, ye
wot that ye forced me willy-nilly to accept the kingship and
besought me thereof and I consented to your desires anent my
being raised to rule over you; and I did this against my will;
for I would have you know that I am a woman and that I disguised
myself and donned man's dress, so peradventure my case might be
concealed when I lost my brother. But now Allah hath deigned
reunite me with my brother, and it is no longer lawful to me that
I be king and Sultan over the people, and I a woman; because
there is no Sultanate for women, whenas men are present.[FN#551]
For this reason, an it suit you, set my brother on the throne of
the kingdom, for this is he; and I will busy myself with the
worship of Allah the Most High and thanksgiving to Him for my
reunion with my brother. Or, an ye prefer it, take your kingship
and make whom ye will ruler and liege lord thereof." Upon this
the folk all cried out, saying, "We accept him to king over us;"
and they did him suit and service and gave him joy of the
kingship. So the preachers preached the sermon[FN#552] in his
name and the court-poets praised him; and he lavished largesse
upon the soldiery and the suite and overwhelmed them with favours
and bounties and was prodigal to the Ryots of justice and equity,
with goodly policy and polity. When he had effected this much of
his affect, he caused bring forth the Cook and his household to
the divan, but spared the old woman who had nursed him, because
she had been the cause of his deliverance. Then all assembled
without the town and he tormented the Cook and those who were
with him with all manner torments, after which he did him to die
by the foulest of deaths[FN#553] and burning him with fire,
scattered his ashes far and wide in the air. After this Salim
abode in the governance, invested with the Sultanate, and ruled
the people a whole year, when he returned to Al-Mansurah and
sojourned there another year. And he and his wife ceased not to
go from city to city and tarry in this a year and that a year,
till he was vouchsafed children and they grew up, whereupon he
appointed him of his sons, who was found fitting, to be his
deputy in one kingdom and he ruled in the other; and he lived, he
and his wife and children, what while Almighty Allah
willed.[FN#554] "Nor" (continued the Wazir), "O King of the age,
is this story rarer or stranger than the King of Hind and his
wronged and envied Minister." When the King heard this, his mind
was occupied,[FN#555] and he bade the Wazir hie to his own house.

The Twenty-eighth and Last Night of the Month.

When the evening evened, the King summoned the Minister and bade
him tell the story of the King of Hind and his Wazir. So he said,
"Hearkening and obedience. Give ear, O auspicious King, to




The Tale of the King of Hind and his Wazir.



There was once in the Hind-land a king illustrious of worth,
endowed with understanding and policy, and his name was Shah
Bakht. He had a Minister, a godly man and a sagacious, right
prudent in rede, conformable to him in governance and just in
judgment; for which cause his enviers were many and many were the
hypocrites who sought faults in him and set snares for him, so
that they insinuated into King Shah Bakht's eyes hatred against
him and sowed in his heart despite towards him; and plot followed
plot, and their rancour waxed until the king was brought to
arrest him and lay him in jail and to confiscate his wealth and
degrade him from his degree. When they knew that there was left
him no possession for which the king might lust, they feared lest
the sovran release him, by the influence of the Wazir's good
counsel upon the king's heart, and he return to his former case,
so should their machinations be marred and their degrees
degraded, for that they knew that the king would heed whatso he
had known from that man nor would forget aught wherewith he was
familiar in him. Now it came to pass that a certain person of
perverted belief[FN#556] found a way to the adorning of falsehood
with a semblance of fair-seeming and there proceeded from him
that whereby the hearts of the folk were occupied, and their
minds were corrupted by his lying tales; for that he made use of
Indian quiddities[FN#557] and forged them into proof for the
denial of the Maker the Creator, extolled be His might and
exalted be He and glorified and magnified above the speech of the
deniers. He avouched that it is the planets which order all
worldly affairs and he set down twelve mansions[FN#558] to twelve
Zodiacal signs and made each sign thirty degrees,[FN#559] after
the number of the days of the month, so that in twelve mansions
there are three hundred and sixty, after the number of the days
of the year; and he wrought a work, wherein he lied and was an
infidel and denied the Deity, be He for ever blessed! Then he
laid hold of the king's heart and the enviers and haters aided
him against the Minister and won the royal favour and corrupted
his intent against the Wazir, so that he got of him that which he
got and at last his lord banished him and thrust him away. By
such means the wicked man obtained that which he sought of the
Minister and the case was prolonged till the affairs of the
kingdom became disordered, by dint of ill government, and the
most part of the king's reign fell off from him and he came nigh
unto ruin. On this wise he was assured of the loyalty of his
whilome, sagacious Wazir and the excellence of his ordinance and
the rectitude of his rede. So he sent after him and brought him
and the wicked man before him and summoning to his presence the
Lords of his land and the Chiefs of his chieftainship, gave them
leave to talk and dispute and forbade the wicked man from his
perverted belief. [FN#560] Then arose that wise Minister and
skilful and praised Allah Almighty and lauded Him and glorified
Him and hallowed Him and attested His unity and disputed with the
miscreant and overcame him and silenced him; nor did he cease
from him till he compelled him to make confession of repentance
from that which he had misbelieved. Therewith King Shah Bakht
rejoiced with exceeding great joy and cried, "Praise be to the
Lord who hath saved me from this man and hath preserved me from
the loss of my kingship and my prosperity!" So the affair of the
Wazir returned to order and stablishment and the king restored
him to his place and raised him to higher rank. Lastly, he
assembled the folk who had striven against him and destroyed them
all, to the last man. "And how like" (continued the Wazir), "is
this story to that of myself and King Shah Bakht, with regard to
that which befel me of the changing of the King and his crediting
others against me; but now is the fairness of my fashion
fulfilled in thine eyes, for that Allah Almighty hath inspired
thee with wisdom and endowed thee with longanimity and patience
to hear from me whatso He allotted to those who forewent us, till
He hath shown forth my innocence and made manifest unto thee the
truth. For lo and behold! the days are now past, wherein it was
declared to the king that I should labour for the loss of my
soul,[FN#561] that is within the month; and lookye, the
probation-time is gone by, and past is the season of evil and it
hath ceased by the protection of the King and his good fortune."
Then he bowed his head and was silent. When King Shah Bakht heard
his Wazir's speech, he was abashed before him and confounded, and
he marvelled at the gravity of his intellect and his
long-suffering. So he sprang up to him and embraced him and the
Minister kissed his feet. Then the King called for a costly robe
of honour and cast it over Al-Rahwan and honoured him with the
highmost honour and showed him especial favour and restored him
to his degree and Wazirate. Furthermore he imprisoned those who
had devised his destruction with lies and leasing and gave him
full leave and license to pass judgment upon the Interpreter who
had expounded to him the dream. So the Wazir abode in the
ordering of the realm until Death came to them; "And this" (added
Shahrazad) "is all, O king of the age, that hath come down to us
of King Shah Bakht and his Wazir."

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