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). Народное творчество

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went one year on the pilgrimage to the Holy House of Allah, and when I had accomplished my pilgrimage, I turned back for visitation of the tomb of the Prophet, whom Allah bless and keep! One night, as I sat in the garden,80 between the tomb and the pulpit, I heard a low moaning in a soft voice; so I listened to it and it said:—

      Have the doves that moan in the lotus-tree

      Woke grief in thy heart and bred misery?

      Or doth memory of maiden in beauty deckt

      Cause this doubt in thee, this despondency?

      O night, thou art longsome for love-sick sprite

      Complaining of Love and its ecstacy:

      Thou makest him wakeful, who burns with fire

      Of a love, like the live coal’s ardency.

      The moon is witness my heart is held

      By a moonlight brow of the brightest blee:

      I reckt not to see me by Love ensnared

      Till ensnared before I could reck or see.

      Then the voice ceased and not knowing whence it came to me I abode perplexed; but lo! it again took up its lament and recited:—

      Came Rayya’s phantom to grieve thy sight

      In the thickest gloom of the black-haired Night!

      And hath love of slumber deprived those eyes

      And the phantom-vision vexed thy sprite?

      I cried to the Night, whose glooms were like

      Seas that surge and billow with might, with might:

      “O Night, thou art longsome to lover who

      Hath no aid nor help save the morning-light!”

      She replied, “Complain not that I am long:

      ’Tis love is the cause of thy longsome plight!”

      Now, at the first of the couplets, I sprang up and made for the quarter whence the sound came, nor had the voice ended repeating them, ere I was with the speaker and saw a youth of the utmost beauty, the hair of whose side face had not sprouted and in whose cheeks tears had worn twin trenches.–And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

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

      She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abdullah ibn Ma’amar al-Kaysi thus continued:—So I sprang up and made for the quarter whence the sound came, nor had the voice ended repeating the verses, ere I was with the speaker and saw a youth on whose side face the hair had not sprouted and in whose cheeks tears had worn twin trenches. Quoth I to him, “Fair befal thee for a youth!”; and quoth he, “And thee also! Who art thou?” I replied, “Abdullah bin Ma’amar al-Kaysi;” and he said, “Dost thou want aught?” I rejoined, “I was sitting in the garden and naught hath troubled me this night but thy voice. With my life would I ransom thee! What aileth thee?” He said, “Sit thee down.” So I sat down and he continued, “I am Otbah bin al-Hubáb bin al-Mundhir bin al-Jamúh the Ansárí.81 I went out in the morning to the Mosque Al-Ahzáb82 and occupied myself there awhile with prayer-bows and prostrations, after which I withdrew apart, to worship privily. But lo! up came women, as they were moons, walking with a swaying gait, and surrounding a damsel of passing loveliness, perfect in beauty and grace, who stopped before me and said:—O Otbah, what sayst thou of union with one who seeketh union with thee? Then she left me and went away; and since that time I have had no tidings of her nor come upon any trace of her; and behold, I am distracted and do naught but remove from place to place.” Then he cried out and fell to the ground fainting. When he came to himself, it was as if the damask of his cheeks were dyed with safflower,83 and he recited these couplets:—

      I see you with my heart from far countrie

      Would Heaven you also me from far could see

      My heart and eyes for you are sorrowing;

      My soul with you abides and you with me.

      I take no joy in life when you’re unseen

      Or Heaven or Garden of Eternity.

      Said I, “O Otbah, O son of my uncle, repent to thy Lord and crave pardon for thy sin; for before thee is the terror of standing up to Judgment.” He replied, “Far be it from me so to do. I shall never leave to love till the two mimosa-gatherers return.”84 I abode with him till daybreak, when I said to him, “Come let us go to the Mosque Al-Ahzab.” So we went thither and sat there, till we had prayed the midday prayers, when lo! up came the women; but the damsel was not among them. Quoth they to him, “O Otbah, what thinkest thou of her who seeketh union with thee?” He said, “And what of her?”; and they replied, “Her father hath taken her and departed to Al-Samawah.”85 I asked them the name of the damsel and they said, “She is called Rayyá, daughter of Al-Ghitríf al-Sulami.”86 Whereupon Otbah raised his head and recited these verses:—

      My friends, Rayyá hath mounted soon as morning shone,

      And to Samáwah’s wilds her caravan is gone.

      My friends, I’ve wept till I can weep no more, Oh, say,

      Hath any one a tear that I can take on loan.

      Then said I to him, “O Otbah, I have brought with me great wealth, wherewith I desire to succour generous men; and by Allah, I will lavish it before thee,87 so thou mayst attain thy desire and more than thy desire! Come with me to the assembly of the Ansaris.” So we rose and went, till we entered their assembly, when I salam’d to them and they returned my greeting civilly. Then quoth I, “O assembly, what say ye of Otbah and his father?”: and they replied, “They are of the princes of the Arabs.” I continued, “Know that he is smitten with the calamity of love and I desire your furtherance to Al-Samawah.” And they said, “To hear is to obey.” So they mounted with us, the whole party, and we rode till we drew near the place of the Banu Sulaym. Now when Ghitrif heard of our being near, he hastened forth to meet us, saying, “Long life to you, O nobles!”; whereto we replied, “And to thee also! Behold we are thy guests.” Quoth he, “Ye have lighted down at a most hospitable abode and ample;” and alighting he cried out, “Ho, all ye slaves, come down!” So they came down and spread skin-rugs and cushions and slaughtered sheep and cattle; but we said, “We will not taste of thy food, till thou have accomplished our need.” He asked, “And what is your need?”; and we answered, “We demand thy noble daughter in marriage for Otbah bin Hubab bin Mundhir the illustrious and well-born.” “O my brethren,” said he, “she whom you demand is owner of herself, and I will go in to her and tell her.” So he rose in wrath88 and went in to Rayya, who said to him, “O my papa, why do I see thee show anger?” And he replied, saying, “Certain of the Ansaris have come upon me to demand thy hand of me in marriage.” Quoth she, “They are noble chiefs; the Prophet, on whom be the choicest blessings and peace, intercedeth for them with Allah. For whom among them do they ask me?” Quoth he, “For a youth known as Otbah bin al-Hubab;” and she said, “I have heard of Otbah that he performeth what he promiseth and findeth what he seeketh.” Ghitrif cried, “I swear that I will never marry thee to him; no, never, for there hath been reported to me somewhat of thy converse with him.” Said she, “What was that? But in any case, I swear that the Ansaris shall not be uncivilly rejected; wherefore do thou offer them a fair excuse.” “How so?” “Make the dowry heavy to them and they will desist.” “Thou sayst well,” said he, and going out in haste, told the Ansaris, “The damsel of the tribe89 consenteth; but she requireth a dowry worthy herself. Who engageth

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