The Arabian Nights (New Deluxe Edition) (37 page)

The next day Nur al-Din went up to the king and, sitting in the vizier's seat, carried out all the usual duties of viziers, signing, instructing, judging, and granting, for nothing was beyond him. And the king took him into favor. Then Nur al-Din Ali al-Misri went home, happy and pleased with his position as vizier and with the powers and favors the king had bestowed on him.

The days and nights went by, and he continued to raise and rejoice in his son Badr al-Din Hasan, who grew and thrived, becoming ever more beautiful and charming. When the boy was four years old, his grandfather the old vizier, his mother's father, fell ill and willed all his wealth to him, and when the grandfather died, they mourned him and gave banquets for a whole month. Nur al-Din continued to be the vizier of Basra, as his son Badr al-Din continued to grow and thrive. When he was seven years old, Nur al-Din entered him in a school and charged the tutor to take care of him, saying, “Take care of this boy and give him a good education and teach him good manners.” At school everybody was as pleased with Badr al-Din as could be, for he was intelligent, perceptive, sensible, well-mannered, and articulate, and for two full years, under his tutor's guidance, he continued to read and learn.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O King, that Ja'far said to the caliph:

By the time Badr al-Din was twelve years old, he had learned to read and write the Arabic language, as well as calligraphy, mathematics, and jurisprudence; furthermore, the Almighty God had bestowed on his fine figure the robe of beauty, charm, and perfect grace, so that he was like the one of whom the poet eloquently said:

In perfect beauty he vies with the moon,

In his fine figure, with the slender bough.

The sun sets in his cheeks' anemones;

The rising moon shines in his radiant brow.

All grace is his, as if he does the earth

With beauty from his boundless grace endow.

Yet while he was growing up, he never ventured into the city until one day his father Nur al-Din Ali had him fully attired, placed him on a she-mule, and went with him through the city, on his way to the king. When the people looked at him and saw his face, they invoked God to save his beauty from harm, raising their voices in prayer for him and his father, as they crowded around him to look at his beauty, charm, and perfect grace. From that time on he rode with his father every day, and everyone who saw him marveled at his loveliness, for he was like the one of whom the poet said:

When he appeared, they said, “May he be blessed,

And glory to the God who fashioned such a one.”

Above all lovely men he was the king,

And they his subjects all, excepting none.

The nectar of his mouth tasted so sweet,

And like a row of pearls his white teeth shone.

He garnered all the beauty of the world,

Leaving all mortals helpless and undone.

And on his cheeks beauty for all to see,

Proclaimed, “No one is beautiful but he.”

He bent coquettishly like a willow bough, and his cheeks resembled roses and anemones. With sweet speech, and a smile so radiant as to put the full moon to shame, he was the lovers' trial and delight.

When he reached the age of twenty, his father, Nur al-Din Ali, having grown feeble, summoned him and said, “Son, you should know that this world is temporary while the next is eternal. I wish to instruct you in what I have learned and understood. I have five admonitions for you.” Then he recalled his home and country and, thinking of his brother Shams al-Din, began to weep over his separation from those he loved and from his distant home, and as passion raged within him, he sighed deeply and repeated the following verses:

I blame you and proclaim my ardent love.

My body is here, my heart with you still.

I did not wish to leave you, but our fate

And God's decree defeat the human will.

When he finished reciting the verses and stopped weeping, he said to his son, “Son, before I give you advice, you should know that you have an uncle who is a vizier in Egypt and whom I left without his consent, as it had been foreordained.” Then he took a roll of paper and wrote down what had happened between him and his brother before his departure. Then he wrote down what had happened to him in Basra and how he had become a vizier, recording the date of the day on which he got married and the night on which he consummated the marriage, noting that he was less than forty years old on the day of the quarrel. He concluded by stating that this was his letter to his brother whom he commended to God's care. Then he folded and sealed the scroll, saying, “O Hasan, my son, keep this scroll, and don't ever part with it.” Hasan took it and hid it by sewing it into the skullcap of his turban, while his eyes filled with tears for parting from his father, who was entering the throes of death.

But a while later his father opened his eyes and said, “O Hasan, my son, my first advice is that you should not mix or associate with anyone. If you do not, you will avoid trouble, for safety is in keeping aloof. I have heard the poet say:

There is no man whose friendship you can trust,

Nor is there true friend in adversity.

Then live alone and lean for help on none.

Let this advice of mine your lesson be.

Second, O my son, oppress no one, lest fortune oppress you, for fortune is for you one day but against you another, and its gifts are a loan to be repaid. I have heard the poet say:

Be careful and restrain your hasty wish;

Be merciful to all, and they will mercy show.

The hand of God is above every hand,

And every tyrant shall another know.

Third, hold your tongue and let your faults distract you from the faults of others. Preserve silence, for it is said, ‘In silence safety.' I have heard the poet say:

Silence is fair, safe taciturnity,

So, if you speak, do not a babbler be.

For if your silence may once bother you,

Your uttered words you will forever rue.

Fourth, O my son, beware of drinking wine, for wine is the root of all evil, because it robs man of reason. Beware, beware of drinking wine. I have heard the poet say:

I have all wine forsworn

And joined its many detractors,

For wine leads man astray

And opens all the evil doors.

Last, O my son, protect your wealth, so that it may protect you, and watch over it, so that it may watch over you. Do not squander your substance, lest you become dependent on the meanest of men, and guard your money, for money is a salve. I have heard the poet say:

When my wealth dwindles, all friends disappear;

When it increases, all are friends to me.

How many men for money were my friends,

And when it went, how many left my company!

Follow my advice.” He continued to exhort his son until his soul left his body. Then they burned incense around him and buried him.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what an entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if I stay alive!”

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The following night Dinarzad said, “O sister, tell us the rest of the story.” Shahrazad replied, “With the greatest pleasure”:

It is related, O King, that Ja'far said to the caliph:

After the vizier died, his son Badr al-Din sat in mourning for two full months, without riding out or attending on the king until the king finally grew angry at him, summoned one of his chamberlains, and made him vizier. Then he bade him take chamberlains and envoys, seize the assets of the deceased Vizier Nur al-Din Ali, confiscate all his money, and seal up all his houses, goods, and possessions, without leaving a penny. The new vizier took with him chamberlains, envoys, guards, clerks, and treasury inspectors, and proceeded to the house of the Vizier Nur al-Din Ali. It happened that there was among the troops a man who had been one of the Mamluks of the Vizier Nur al-Din Ali, and when he heard this order, he spurred his horse and hurried to Badr al-Din Hasan. He found him sitting at the gate of his house, with downcast head and broken heart. He dismounted and, kissing his hand, said, “O my lord and son of my lord, hurry up, hurry up before death catches up with you.” Badr al-Din Hasan trembled and asked, “What is the matter?” The Mamluk replied, “The king is angry with you. He has ordered your arrest, and calamity is behind me on its way to you. Run for your life, and don't fall into their hands, for they will not spare you.” Badr al-Din Hasan was terribly alarmed, and he paled and asked, “Brother, is there time for me to go into the house?” The Mamluk replied, “No, my lord. Rise this instant and flee your house.” Badr al-Din rose, repeating the following verses:

If you suffer injustice, save yourself,

And leave the house behind to mourn its builder.

Your country you'll replace by another,

But for yourself you'll find no other self.

Nor with a mission trust another man,

For none is as loyal as you yourself.

And did the lion not struggle by himself,

He would not prowl with such a mighty mane.

He put on his shoes, and, covering his head with the hem of his outer robe, left in confusion, full of anxiety and fear, not knowing where he was proceeding or in which direction he was heading. At last he decided to go to his father's sepulcher, and as he made his way among the tombs, he let fall from his head the hem of his outer robe, which was adorned with bands of brocaded taffeta embroidered with the following lines in gold:

You who with the dew and stars

Do with face so radiant vie,

May your fortune stay the same

And your glory ever high.

As he was walking, he met a Jew on his way to the city. He was a moneychanger carrying a basket, and when he saw Badr al-Din, he greeted him.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “What an entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you if I live!”

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The following night, Dinarzad said to her sister, “Tell us the rest of the story.” Shahrazad said:

It is related, O King, that Ja'far said to the caliph:

When the Jew saw Badr al-Din, he kissed his hand and said, “My lord, where are you going, for it is near the end of the day; and you are lightly dressed and you look unhappy?” Badr al-Din replied, “I was asleep a while ago and saw my father in a dream. I woke up and came to visit him before nightfall.” The Jew replied, “My lord and master, before he died, your father had a seafaring trade, and many of his ships have just arrived with his goods. I would like to ask you as a favor not to sell the cargo to anyone but me.” Badr al-Din Hasan replied, “Very well.” The Jew said, “I will this instant buy from you the cargo of the first ship to arrive, for a thousand dinars.” Then he took out of the basket a sealed purse, opened it, and, setting up the scales, weighed twice until he had a thousand dinars. Badr al-Din Hasan said, “It is sold to you.” Then the Jew said, “My lord, write me an acknowledgment on a piece of paper.” Badr al-Din Hasan took a piece of paper and wrote on it, “Badr al-Din Hasan al-Basri has sold to Isaac the Jew the cargo of the first ship to arrive, for a thousand dinars, and has received the money.” The Jew said, “Put the paper into the purse,” and Badr al-Din placed the paper into the purse, tied it, sealed it, and attached it to his belt. Then he left the Jew and continued to make his way among the tombs until he reached his father's sepulcher. There he sat and wept for a while and recited the following verses: