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
his head, till he came to himself and cried to his Wazir, “Write letters to all my Governors and Nabobs, and bid them leave not a smiter with the sword nor a lunger with the lance nor a bender of the bow, but bring them all to me in one body.” So he wrote letters and despatched them by runners to the Governors, who levied their power and joined the King with a prevailing host, whose number was one hundred and eighty-thousand men. Then they made ready tents and camels and noble steeds and were about to march when, behold, up came Jamrkan and Sa’adan the Ghul, with seventy thousand horse, as they were lions fierce-faced, all steel-encased. When Jaland saw the Moslems trooping on he rejoiced and said, “By the virtue of the Sun, and her resplendent light, I will not leave alive one of my foes; no, not one to carry the news, and I will lay waste the land of Al-Irak, that I may take my wreak for my son, the havoc-making champion bold; nor shall my fire be quenched or cooled!” Then he turned to Ajib and said to him, “O dog of Al-Irak, ’twas thou broughtest this calamity on us! But by the virtue of that which I worship, except I avenge me of mine enemy I will do thee die after foulest fashion!” When Ajib heard these words he was troubled with sore trouble and blamed himself; but he waited till nightfall, when the Moslems had pitched their tents for rest. Now he had been degraded and expelled the royal camp together with those who were left to him of his suite: so he said to them, “O my kinsmen, know that Jaland and I are dismayed with exceeding dismay at the coming of the Moslems, and I know that he will not avail to protect me from my brother nor from any other; so it is my counsel that we make our escape, whilst all eyes sleep, and flee to King Ya’arub bin Kahtán,20 for that he hath more of men and is stronger of reign.” They, hearing his advice exclaimed “Right is thy rede,” whereupon he bade them kindle fires at their tent-doors and march under cover of the night. They did his bidding and set out, so by daybreak they had already fared far away. As soon as it was morning Jaland mounted with two hundred and sixty thousand fighting-men, clad cap-à-pie in hauberks and cuirasses and strait-knit mail-coats, the kettle-drums beat a point of war and all drew out for cut and thrust and fight and fray. Then Jamrkan and Sa’adan rode out with forty-thousand stalwart fighting-men, under each standard a thousand cavaliers, doughty champions, foremost in champaign. The two hosts drew out in battles and bared their blades and levelled their limber lances, for the drinking of the cup of death. The first to open the gate of strife was Sa’adan, as he were a mountain of syenite or a Marid of the Jinn. Then dashed out to him a champion of the Infidels, and the Ghul slew him and casting him to the earth, cried out to his sons and slaves, saying, “Light the fire and roast me this dead one.” They did as he bade and brought him the roast and he ate it and crunched the bones, whilst the Kafirs stood looking on from afar; and they cried out, “Oh for aid from the light-giving Sun!” and were affrighted at the thought of being slain by Sa’adan. Then Jaland shouted to his men, saying, “Slay me yonder loathsome beast!” Whereupon another captain of his host drove at the Ghul; but he slew him, and he ceased not to slay horseman after horseman, till he had made an end of thirty men. With this the blamed Kafirs held back and feared to face him, crying, “Who shall cope with Jinns and Ghuls?” But Jaland raised his voice saying, “Let an hundred horse charge him and bring him to me, bound or slain.” So an hundred horse set upon Sa’adan with swords and spears, and he met them with a heart firmer than flint, proclaiming the unity of the Requiting King, whom no one thing diverteth from other thing. Then he cried aloud, “Allaho Akbar!” and, smiting them with his sword, made their heads fly and in one onset he slew of them four-and-seventy whereupon the rest took to flight. So Jaland shouted aloud to ten of his captains, each commanding a thousand men, and said to them, “Shoot his horse with arrows till it fall under him, and then lay hands on him.” Therewith ten thousand horse drove at Sa’adan who met them with a stout heart; and Jamrkan, seeing this, bore down upon the Miscreants with his Moslems, crying out, “God is Most Great!” Before they could reach the Ghul, the enemy had slain his steed and taken him prisoner; but they ceased not to charge the Infidels, till the day grew dark for dust and eyes were blinded, and the sharp sword clanged while firm stood the valiant cavalier and destruction overtook the faint-heart in his fear; till the Moslems were amongst the Paynims like a white patch on a black bull.–And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that battle raged between the Moslems and the Paynims till the True Believers were like a white patch on a black bull. Nor did they stint from the mellay till the darkness fell down, when they drew apart, after there had been slain of the Infidels men without compt. Then Jamrkan and his men returned to their tents; but they were in great grief for Sa’adan, so that neither meat nor sleep was sweet to them, and they counted their host and found that less than a thousand had been slain. But Jamrkan said, “O folk, to-morrow I will go forth into the battle-plain and place where cut and thrust obtain, and slay their champions and make prize of their families after taking them captives and I will ransom Sa’adan therewith, by the leave of the Requiting King, whom no one thing diverteth from other thing!” Wherefore their hearts were heartened and they joyed as they separated to their tents. Meanwhile Jaland entered his pavilion and sitting down on his sofa of estate, with his folk about him, called for Sa’adan and forthright on his coming, said to him, “O dog run wood and least of the Arab brood and carrier of firewood, who was it slew my son Kurajan, the brave of the age, slayer of heroes and caster down of warriors?” Quoth the Ghul, “Jamrkan slew him, captain of the armies of King Gharib, Prince of cavaliers, and I roasted and ate him, for I was anhungered.” When Jaland heard these words, his eyes sank into his head for rage and he bade his swordbearer smite Sa’adan’s neck. So he came forward in that intent, whereupon Sa’adan stretched himself mightily and bursting his bonds, snatched the sword from the headsman and hewed off his head. Then he made at Jaland who threw himself down from the throne and fled; whilst Sa’adan fell on the bystanders and killed twenty of the King’s chief officers, and all the rest took to flight. Therewith loud rose the crying in the camp of the Infidels and the Ghul sallied forth of the pavilion and falling upon the troops smote them with the sword, right and left, till they opened and left a lane for him to pass; nor did he cease to press forward, cutting at them on either side, till he won free of the Miscreants’ tents and made for the Moslem camp. Now these had heard the uproar among their enemies and said, “Haply some calamity hath befallen them.” But whilst they were in perplexity, behold, Sa’adan stood amongst them and they rejoiced at his coming with exceeding joy; more especially Jamrkan, who saluted him with the salam as did other True Believers and gave him joy of his escape. Such was the case with the Moslems; but as regards the Miscreants, when, after the Ghul’s departure, they and their King returned to their tents, Jaland said to them, “O folk, by the virtue of the Sun’s light-giving ray and by the darkness of the Night and the light of the Day and the Stars that stray, I thought not this day to have escaped death in mellay; for, had I fallen into yonder fellow’s hands, he had eaten me, as I were a kernel of wheat or a barley-corn or any other grain.” They replied, “O King, never saw we any do the like of this Ghul.” And he said, “O folk, to-morrow do ye all don arms and mount steed and trample them under your horses’ hooves.” Meanwhile the Moslems had ended their rejoicings at Sa’adan’s return and Jamrkan said to them, “To-morrow, I will show you my derring-do and what behoveth the like of me, for by the virtue of Abraham the Friend, I will slay them with the foulest of slaughters and smite them with the bite of the sword, till all who have understanding confounded at them shall stand. But I mean to attack both right and left wings; so, when ye see me drive at the King under the standards, do ye charge behind me with a resolute charge, and Allah’s it is to decree what thing shall be!” Accordingly the two sides lay upon their arms till the day broke through night and the sun appeared to sight. Then they mounted swiftlier than the twinkling of the eyelid; the raven of the wold croaked and the two hosts, looking each at other with the eye of fascination, formed in line-array and prepared for fight and fray. The first to open the chapter of war was Jamrkan who wheeled and careered and offered fight in field; and Jaland and his men were about to charge when, behold, a cloud of dust up-rolled till it walled the wold and overlaid the day. Then the four winds smote it and away it floated torn to rags, and there appeared beneath it cavaliers, with helms black and garb white and many a princely knight and lances that bite and swords that smite and footmen who lion-like knew no affright. Seeing this both armies left fighting and sent out scouts to reconnoitre
The name I have said of a quasi historical personage, son of Joktan, the first Arabist and the founder of the Tobbá (“successor”) dynasty in Al-Yaman; while Jurham, his brother, established that of Al-Hijaz. The name is probably chosen because well-known.