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THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT - VOLUME 2
THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT - VOLUME 2 RICHARD F. BURTON Queen's College Oxford
August 1 1885.
Contents of the Second Volume
7. Nur Al-Din Ali and the Damsel Anis Al-Jalis
8. Tale of Ghanim Bin Ayyub The Distraught The Thrall O' Love
a. Tale of the First Eunuch Bukhayt
b. Tale of the Second Eunuch Kafur
9. Tale of King Omar Bin Al-Nu'uman and His Sons Sharrkan and
Zau Al-Makan
a. Tale of Taj Al-Muluk and the Princess Dunya
aa. Tale of Aziz and Azizah
The Book Of The
THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT
Nur Al-Din Ali and the Damsel Anis Al-Jalis
Quoth Shahrazad [FN#1]:--It hath reached me O auspicious King of
intelligence penetrating that there was amongst the Kings of
Bassorah[FN#2] a King who loved the poor and needy and cherished
his lieges and gave of his wealth to all who believed in
Mohammed (whom Allah bless and assain!) and he was even as one
of the poets described him
"A King who when hosts of the foe invade * Receives them with
lance-lunge and sabre-sway;
Writes his name on bosoms in thin red lines * And scatters the
horsemen in wild dismay."[FN#3]
His name was King Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Zayni and he had two
Wazirs one called Al-Mu'?n son of S?w? and the other Al-Fazl
son of Kh?k?n. Now Al-Fazl was the most generous of the people of
his age upright of life so that all hearts united in loving him
and the wise flocked to him for counsel; whilst the subjects used
to pray for his long life because he was a compendium of the
best qualities encouraging the good and lief and preventing
evil and mischief. But the Wazir Mu'?n bin S?w? on the contrary
hated folk [FN#4] and loved not the good and was a mere compound
of ill; even as was said of him
"Hold to nobles sons of nobles! 'tis ever Nature's test * That
nobles born of nobles shall excel in noble deed:
And shun the mean of soul meanly bred for 'tis the law * Mean
deeds come of men who are mean of blood and breed."
And as much as the people loved and fondly loved Al-Fazl bin
Kh?k?n so they hated and thoroughly hated the mean and miserly
Mu'?n bin S?w?. It befel one day by the decree of the Decreer
that King Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Zayni being seated on his
throne with his officers of state about him summoned his Wazir
Al-Fazl and said to him "I wish to have a slave-girl of passing
beauty perfect in loveliness exquisite in symmetry and endowed
with all praiseworthy gifts." Said the courtiers "Such a girl
is not to be bought for less than ten thousand gold pieces:"
whereupon the Sultan called out to his treasurer and said "Carry
ten thousand dinars to the house of Al-Fazl bin Kh?k?n." The
treasurer did the King's bidding; and the Minister went away
after receiving the royal charge to repair to the slave-bazar
every day and entrust to brokers the matter aforesaid. Moreover
the King issued orders that girls worth above a thousand gold
pieces should not be bought or sold without being first displayed
to the Wazir. Accordingly no broker purchased a slave-girl ere
she had been paraded before the minister; but none pleased him
till one day a dealer came to the house and found him taking
horse and intending for the palace. So he caught hold of his
stirrup saying
"O thou who givest to royal state sweet savour * Thou'rt a
Wazir shalt never fail of favour!
Dead Bounty thou hast raised to life for men; * Ne'er fail of
Allah's grace such high endeavour!"
Then quoth he "O my lord that surpassing object for whom the
gracious mandate was issued is at last found; [FN#5]" and quoth
the Wazir "Here with her to me!" So he went away and returned
after a little bringing a damsel in richest raiment robed a
maid spear-straight of stature and five feet tall; budding of
bosom with eyes large and black as by Kohl traced and dewy lips
sweeter than syrup or the sherbet one sips a virginette smooth
cheeked and shapely faced whose slender waist with massive hips
was engraced; a form more pleasing than branchlet waving upon the
top-most trees and a voice softer and gentler than the morning
breeze even as saith one of those who have described her
"Strange is the charm which dights her brows like Luna's disk
that shine; * O sweeter taste than sweetest Robb[FN#6] or
raisins of the vine.
A throne th'Empyrean keeps for her in high and glorious state *
For wit and wisdom wandlike form and graceful bending line:
She in the Heaven of her face[FN#7] the seven-fold stars
displays * That guard her cheeks as satellites against
the spy's design:
If man should cast a furtive glance or steal far look at her *
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