The Arabian Nights (New Deluxe Edition) (91 page)

One day, as King Badr sat at the door of the shop as usual, there appeared a thousand officers riding Arabian horses with gilded saddles, dressed in all kinds of uniforms, girded with jeweled girdles, and holding drawn swords. When they passed by the shop, they saluted the old man and he returned their salute. Then they were followed by a thousand Mamluks dressed in the uniforms of attendants and holding drawn gilded swords, and when they passed by the old man, they saluted him and he returned their salute. Then they were followed by a thousand girls like moons, dressed in silk and satin robes embroidered with gold, and armed with shields and spears. In their midst rode the queen on an Arabian horse with a saddle of gold set with rubies and all kinds of jewels. The girls halted before the old man and saluted him, and he returned their salute. Then the queen came up to him and saluted him, and he rose and kissed the ground before her. Then she looked at him and said, “O Abu 'Abd-Allah, is this handsome, charming, and graceful young man your captive, and when did you catch him?” The old man replied, “No by God, O Queen, he is my brother's son, who had been long absent. When I could no longer live without seeing him, I brought him here to satisfy my longing and dispel my loneliness, for I love him very much; besides, I am an old man and his father is dead, and if he stays with me, he will help me during my lifetime and inherit my estate after my death.” The queen replied . . .

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that the queen said to the old man, “Father, will you give him to me as a gift, for I love him? By the fire and the light, by the hot wind and the cool shade, I will make him my lot in life. Do not fear for him, for I may harm everyone on the face of the earth, but I will not harm him, for you know the mutual esteem you and I hold for each other.” The old man replied, “O my Queen, I can neither give him to you as a gift nor surrender him to you.” She said, “By the fire and the light, by the hot wind and the cool shade, and by my faith, I will not leave without him. I will not betray him or enchant him, and I will do only what will please him.” The old man, who did not dare cross her, fearing for himself and for King Badr, secured an oath from her that she would not harm the young man and that she would return him as she received him. Then he said to her, “When you return from the square tomorrow, I will give him to you.” She thanked him and returned to her palace.

Then the old man turned to King Badr and said, “This is the woman I had feared and worried about, but she swore by her Magian
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faith that she would not harm you or enchant you, and were it not that she respected me and liked me, she would have taken you by force, for it is the custom of this blasphemous witch and queen to do with strangers what I have already told you. May God shame her and curse her and her great malice, wickedness, and depravity.” When King Badr heard what the old man said, he replied, “My lord, by God, I am terrified of her, for I tasted enchantment for an entire month, when Princess Jauhara, the daughter of King al-Shamandal, cast a spell over me and made me a lesson to others, until the wife of one of the kings delivered me from the spell. I have tasted the most bitter torments and I know how the enchanted suffers,” and he wept. The old man felt sorry for him and said to him, “Do not be afraid, for she may hurt even her relatives, but she will not dare hurt me.”

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that the old man said to King Badr, “She may hurt even her relatives, but she will not dare hurt me. Have you not seen how her troops and retinue stood at my shop and saluted me? By God, son, this infidel refuses to salute even kings, yet whenever she passes by my shop, she stops to salute me and speak with me, as you have seen and heard.”

They slept that night, and when it was morning, Queen Lab came with her girls, Mamluks, and attendants, who were armed with swords and spears, stopped at the door of the shop, and saluted the old man. He rose and kissed the ground before her, returning the salute. Then she said to him, “Father, fulfill your pledge and do at once what you have promised me.” The old man replied, “Swear to me again that you will never harm him, enchant him, or do to him anything he abhors.” She swore again by her faith and unveiled a face like the moon, saying, “Father, how you procrastinate in giving me your handsome nephew! Am I not more beautiful than he?” When King Badr saw her beauty, he was bewitched and said to himself, “By God, she is more beautiful than Jauhara. If she marries me, I will leave my kingdom and stay with her, without returning to my mother; if not, I will at least enjoy her in bed for forty days and nights, and I do not care if she enchants me or kills me afterward. By God, a single night with her is worth a lifetime.” Then the old man took King Badr by the hand, saying to her, “Receive from me my nephew Badr and return him to me as you receive him. Do not harm him or take him away from me.” She swore for the third time that she would not harm him or enchant him; then she ordered for Badr a handsome, saddled horse, bedecked with gold trappings, and gave the old man a thousand dinars.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that the queen gave the old fava-bean seller a thousand dinars and, saying “May God give you more,” took King Badr and departed. He rode beside her, looking like the moon, and whenever the people looked at him and at his beauty, they felt sorry for him, saying “By God, such a handsome young man does not deserve to be enchanted by that cursed witch,” while he rode silently, having committed himself to the Almighty God. They rode on to the palace, and when they reached the gate, the princes and nobles and servants dismounted and stood in attendance, while she and King Badr dismounted and sat on the throne. Then she dismissed all the princes and chamberlains and notables, and they kissed the ground before her and departed.

Then she took King Badr by the hand and with her maids and male servants went into the palace. It was like a palace in Paradise, with walls adorned with gold, with storerooms full of clothes and vessels, and with a beautiful garden in the middle, with a large pond and birds singing in all kinds of voices and tongues. When King Badr saw this opulent palace, he said to himself, “Glory be to God who in His generosity and clemency blesses those who worship other than Himself.” Then Queen Lab sat at a window overlooking the garden, on a couch of ivory with high cushions, and, seating King Badr beside her, embraced him and kissed him. Then she called for food, and the maids brought a table of red gold set with jewels and pearls and spread with all kinds of food and sweets, and the queen and King Badr ate, until they were satisfied, and washed their hands. Then the maids brought the wine service, vessels of gold and silver and crystal, as well as dishes full of dried fruits and nuts, and flowers and perfumes. Then, at her order, they ushered in ten girls like moons, with all kinds of musical instruments in their hands.

Then the queen filled a cup and drank it off and filled another.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that the queen gave the cup to King Badr, who took it and drank it off, and they continued to drink until they began to get drunk. Then she ordered the girls to sing, and they sang all kinds of songs until King Badr imagined that the palace danced with him in delight, and he became lightheaded and happy and forgot his separation from home, saying to himself, “By God, this queen is young and beautiful, and I will never leave her, for her kingdom is vaster than mine and she is fairer than Princess Jauhara.” He continued to drink till nightfall, when they lighted the candles and burned the incense until the banquet was as joyous as the one of which the poet said:

O what a day we spent under the trees,

Enjoying every pleasure and delight,

The shining rivulet, the myrtle blue,

The starry narcissus and roses bright,

The glittering wine and the brimming cup

And crackling incense rising in the light!

Queen Lab and King Badr continued to drink, while the singers sang, until most of the night was gone and the queen was completely drunk. Then she dismissed the singing women and, lying in bed, ordered King Badr to lie beside her. Then the maids took off all the clothes they had made him wear, except for a gold-embroidered shirt, like the one Queen Lab was left with, and the two spent the happiest of nights till the morning. Then Queen Lab rose and took King Badr to the bath inside the palace, and they washed themselves, and when they came out, the maids dressed them and brought them cups of wine, which they drank. Then she took King Badr by the hand and with her maids . . .

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.