The Arabian Nights (New Deluxe Edition) (69 page)

Alas, with you I have not had my wish,

Nor had the pleasure your favor to woo.

Parted we were by fate, and now alone

I sit and shed my bitter tears for you.

May the Almighty God reunite all yearning lovers and unite us again. In the meantime, write me some words to keep me company, and bless me with your precious answer to aid me and comfort me. And wait with becoming patience until God grants us a way to meet again. Peace be with Abu al-Hasan.

“What I read was so heartfelt that it would have moved even a light heart, let alone a heavy one, and I was so touched that I almost began to read it aloud, revealing everything, were it not for my fear of exposure. I said to Ali ibn-Bakkar, ‘This writer has written a beautiful, tender, and moving letter. Give him a prompt reply and write him a beautiful letter.' Ali ibn-Bakkar replied with a faint voice, ‘With what hand shall I write and with what voice shall I lament and mourn? For she has added sickness to my sickness and death to my death.' Then he sat up and, taking a sheet of paper, said . . .”

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said to her sister, “What a strange and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if the king spares me and lets me live!”

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that Ali ibn-Bakkar sat up and, taking a sheet of paper, said to Abu al-Hasan, “Hold the letter open before me.” Abu al-Hasan held it, while Ali ibn-Bakkar proceeded, now reading Shams al-Nahar's letter and replying, now pausing to weep, until he finished writing. Then he gave the letter to Abu al-Hasan, saying, “Read it and give it to the girl.” Abu al-Hasan related later: “I took it and read the following:

In the Name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful:

A love letter has come to me

From the moon, a gift of light,

Whose words increase in loveliness,

Like the blossoms of delight.

It has lightened my heavy load

And eased my sore affliction,

Which had, O lady, cast my heart

Between pity and caution.

O lady, you know my great love

And you know my great desire,

My eyes that sleepless burn with love

My heart that lies on the pyre,

My tears that never cease to flow

And my everburning fire.

O by my sacred love for you,

By my unholy wish, I say

That my poor heart has love for none

Harbored, since you went away.

O my lady, your letter has reached me, bringing rest to a mind worn out with passion and desire and healing to a wounded heart torn by sickness and grief. It has delighted the eyes and gladdened the heart with its beautiful bloom, and after long silence and worry, it has moved the tongue to speak. The more I contemplated its words and understood their meaning, the more I enjoyed what I read, and the more I read and reread what with unequaled art it expressed, the more relief I felt. For I have been suffering all the torments of separation, a raging passion and an incurable sickness, an overwhelming desire and an all-consuming longing. Indeed, I feel as the poet says:

With saddened feelings and with helpless thoughts,

With sleepless eyes and with exhausted frame,

With confused heart and with demented mind,

With patience gone but loneliness the same,

I feel that I, after you did retreat,

In every grievance have tasted defeat.

No complaint can extinguish the fire of passion, but it may console one whom longing consumes and separation destroys until he quenches his desire in reunion and finds the means to recovery. Peace be with you.

“The words of the letter stirred my soul and tore my vitals, moving me so deeply that I was numb with pain and making me weep so much that I could not stop without a great effort. Finally I gave the letter to the girl, and when she took it, Ali ibn-Bakkar said to her, ‘Come closer.' She stepped forward, and he said to her, ‘Convey my greetings to your master, acquaint him with my sickness and grief and with my love for him, which is in my flesh and bones, and tell him that I am a miserable man whom life has dealt with heavy blows,' and he asked her to fly to her master with the answer; then he began to cry and made me and the girl cry with him. I took my leave of him and went out with the girl, who was still crying.” Abu al-Hasan walked with her part of the way and took his leave and went to his shop.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said to her sister, “What a strange and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if the king spares me and lets me live!”

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that when Abu al-Hasan took his leave of the girl and went to his shop, feeling depressed, he began to think about his situation and what the two lovers had done to him, and he became convinced that because of them he was going to lose his business, ruin himself, and come to no good. He continued in such thoughts the rest of that day and night. The next day he went to visit Ali ibn-Bakkar and found people congregated there as usual. He waited until everybody left, and he approached Ali ibn-Bakkar and asked him how he felt. When he began to complain, Abu al-Hasan said to him, “Listen! I have never seen or heard of one like you in your love. Such torment, sickness, and weariness befit the case of one whose lover is insincere and unfaithful, whereas the woman you love and wish to possess loves you and wishes to be with you. What would happen to you if the one you loved was contrary, disdainful, and perfidious? If you continue like this, your case will be discovered and you will be exposed. Rise, mix with people, and keep yourself busy. Go riding, exercise, and keep your heart at bay, or else you will surely destroy yourself.” Abu al-Hasan related later: “Having trust in me, he listened to my advice and thanked me, and I took my leave and went to my shop. What he did afterward, I was not to find out until much later.

“It happened that I had a friend, a jeweler by trade, who used to visit me in my shop and who knew of my involvement in the affair between Ali ibn-Bakkar and Shams al-Nahar. One day he asked me about her, and I answered him evasively, saying, ‘All I know is that she is not herself. I am keeping nothing from you, save perhaps what only God knows. But yesterday I resolved on a plan on which I would like to consult you. As you know, I am a well-known man, with much dealing among the notables, both men and women, and I fear that the affair of these two may be disclosed and may become the cause of my death, the seizure of my goods, and the ruin of my family. Nor can I disengage from them after having spent such good times with them; therefore, I have resolved to settle my debts, set my affairs in order, and prepare myself to go to the city of Basra, where I will live, unknown to anyone, until I see how God determines their fate and what comes of their affair. For love has so possessed them that it will not leave them alone until they perish. Their go-between is a maid who till now has kept their secret, but I fear that she may get vexed with them or find herself in a fix and divulge their secret, make the affair public, and cause my ruin. Should this happen, my own daring and rash meddling would be the cause of my destruction and death, for I have no excuse before God or man.'”

Abu al-Hasan's friend replied, “You have acquainted me with a grave matter, the like of which should worry the discerning and frighten the wise. Your resolve is a sound one; may God protect you from the harm you dread and reward you with a good solution.” The jeweler related later, “Abu al-Hasan asked me to keep this conversation secret.”

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said to her sister, “What a strange and 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 Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that the druggist related later, “After I told the jeweler my plan and asked him to keep it secret, I prepared myself at once and set out for Basra.”

Four days later, the jeweler came to the shop and found it closed. He related later: “Then I began to think of a way to gain Ali ibn-Bakkar's confidence, and, going to his house, I said to one of his servants, ‘Ask your master Ali ibn-Bakkar to grant me leave to go in.' The leave was granted, and when I went in, I found Ali ibn-Bakkar lying back on a pillow. When he saw me, he raised himself and, standing up, received me with a cheerful mien and bade me welcome. I inquired about his health and apologized for the delay of my visit, and he thanked me profusely and said, ‘Perhaps there is something you would like me to give you or do for you?' I replied, ‘For some time there has been between me and Abu al-Hasan al-'Attar—may God save him—a business as well as a personal relationship based on friendship and mutual affection. I have liked him and trusted him and have confided in him and received his confidence. It happened that I had to be away from him for several days on some business with some colleagues, and when I carne back and went to his shop as usual, I found it closed and was told by one of his neighbors that he had gone to Basra on some business that required his personal attention. But I am not satisfied with this explanation, and, knowing what close friends you two have been, tell me truly and in detail all you know, for I have come to you to plead, investigate, and find out.' When Ali ibn-Bakkar heard what I said, his color changed, and, looking visibly shaken, he replied, ‘I have never heard or had any inkling of his departure until you told me. What you say, if it is true, makes me feel sobered, alarmed, discouraged, and worn-out.' Then he sobbed and recited the following verses:

I used to weep for errors of the past,

While those I love were present with me still,

But now that fate has taken them away,

I shed my tears for them and always will.

The tears of no man can like mine be said

To be shared by the living and the dead.

“He lowered his head pensively, and a while later he turned to one of his servants and said, ‘Go to Abu al-Hasan ibn-Tahir's house and inquire whether he is at home or whether, as has been claimed, he is gone on a journey. If so, find out where he went and for what purpose.' The servant went out, while I sat conversing with Ali ibn-Bakkar, who seemed perplexed as he asked and answered questions, now paying attention to me, now listening absentmindedly. After a while, the servant came back and said, ‘My lord, when I inquired about Abu al-Hasan, his people told me that he went to Basra two days ago. There I saw a girl standing at the door, and she too was inquiring about him. When she saw me, she recognized me, although I myself did not recognize her. She inquired whether I was a servant of Ali ibn-Bakkar, and I said that I was. Then she claimed that she was carrying a message for you from one who is the dearest to you. She is now standing at the door.' Ali ibn-Bakkar said ‘Bring her in,'” and in came a girl whom the jeweler recognized from an earlier description of her by Abu al-Hasan ibn-Tahir al-'Attar, except that she looked even lovelier. She advanced and greeted Ali ibn-Bakkar.