Читать книгу One Thousand and One Nights (Complete Annotated Edition) - Richard Francis Burton - Страница 181

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She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the headsman raised his hand to smite off his head when behold, loud cries arose and the folk closed their shops; whereupon the King said to the headsman, “Wait awhile,” and despatched one to learn the news. The messenger fared forth and presently returned and reported, “I saw an army like the dashing sea with its clashing surge: and their horses curvetting till earth trembleth with the tramp; and I know no more of them.” When the King heard this, he was confounded and feared for his realm lest it should be torn from him; so he turned to his Minister and said, “Have not any of our army gone forth to meet this army?” But ere he had done speaking, his Chamberlains entered with messengers from the King who was approaching, and amongst them the Wazir who had accompanied Taj al-Muluk. They began by saluting the King, who rose to receive them and bade them draw near, and asked the cause of their coming; whereupon the Minister came forward from amongst them and stood before him and said “Know that he who hath come down upon thy realm is no King like unto the Kings of yore and the Sultans that went before.” “And who is he?” asked Shahriman, and the Wazir answered, “He is the Lord of justice and loyalty, the bruit of whose magnanimity the caravans have blazed abroad, the Sultan Sulayman Shah, Lord of the Green Land and the Two Columns and the Mountains of Ispahan; he who loveth justice and equity, and hateth oppression and iniquity. And he saith to thee that his son is with thee and in thy city; his son, his heart’s very core and the fruit of his loins, and if he find him in safety, his aim is won and thou shalt have thanks and praise; but if he have been lost from thy realm or if aught of evil have befallen him, look thou for ruin and the wasting of thy reign! for this thy city shall become a wold wherein the raven shall croak. Thus have I done my errand to thee and peace be with thee!” Now when King Shahriman heard from the messenger these words, his heart was troubled and he feared for his kingdom: so he cried out for his Grandees and Ministers, Chamberlains and Lieutenants; and, when they appeared, he said to them, “Woe to you! Go down and search for the youth.” Now the Prince was still under the headsman’s hands, but he was changed by the fright he had undergone. Presently, the Wazir, chancing to glance around, saw the Prince on the rug of blood and recognised him; so he arose and threw himself upon him, and so did the other envoys. Then they proceeded to loose his bonds and they kissed his hands and feet, whereupon Taj al-Muluk opened his eyes and, recognising his father’s Wazir and his friend Aziz, fell down a fainting for excess of delight in them. When King Shahriman made sure that the coming of this army was indeed because of this youth, he was confounded and feared with great fear; so he went up to Taj al-Muluk and, kissing his head, said to him, “O my son, be not wroth with me, neither blame the sinner for his sin; but have compassion on my grey hairs, and waste not my realm.” Whereupon Taj al-Muluk drew near unto him and kissing his hand, replied, “No harm shall come to thee, for indeed thou art to me as my father; but look that nought befal my beloved, the Lady Dunya!” Rejoined the King, “O my lord! fear not for her; naught but joy shall betide her;” and he went on to excuse himself and made his peace with Sulayman Shah’s Wazir to whom he promised much money, if he would conceal from the King what he had seen. Then he bade his Chief Officers take the Prince with them and repair to the Hammam and clothe him in one of the best of his own suits and bring him back speedily. So they obeyed his bidding and bore him to the bath and clad him in the clothes which King Shahriman had set apart for him; and brought him back to the presence chamber. When he entered the King rose to receive him and made all his Grandees stand in attendance on him. Then Taj al-Muluk sat down to converse with his father’s Wazir and with Aziz, and he acquainted them with what had befallen him; after which they said to him, “During that delay we returned to thy father and gave him to know that thou didst enter the palace of the Princess and didst not return therefrom, and thy case seemed doubtful to us. But when thy sire heard of this he mustered his forces; then we came to this land and indeed our coming hath brought to thee relief in extreme case and to us great joy.” Quoth he, “Good fortune hath attended your every action, first and last.” While this was doing King Shahriman went in to his daughter Princess Dunya, and found her wailing and weeping for Taj al-Muluk. Moreover, she had taken a sword and fixed the hilt in the ground and had set the point to the middle of her heart between her breasts; and she bent over the blade saying, “Needs must I slay myself and not survive my beloved.” When her father entered and saw her in this case, he cried out to her, saying, “O Princess of kings’ daughters, hold thy hand and have ruth on thy sire and the folk of thy realm!” Then he came up to her and continued, “Let it not be that an ill thing befal thy father for thy sake!” And he told her the whole tale that her lover was the son of King Sulayman Shah and sought her to wife and he added, “The marriage waiteth only for thy consent.” Thereat she smiled and said, “Did I not tell thee that he was the son of a Sultan? By Allah, there is no help for it but that I let him crucify thee on a bit of wood worth two pieces of silver!” Replied the King, “O my daughter, have mercy on me, so Allah have mercy on thee!” Rejoined she, “Up with you and make haste and go bring him to me without delay.” Quoth the King, “On my head and eyes be it!”; and he left her and, going in hastily to Taj al-Muluk, repeated her words in his ear.1287 So he arose and accompanied the King to the Princess, and when she caught sight of her lover, she took hold of him and embraced him in her father’s presence and hung upon him and kissed him, saying, “Thou hast desolated me by thine absence!” Then she turned to her father and said, “Sawest thou ever any that could do hurt to the like of this beautiful being, who is moreover a King, the son of a King and of the free born,1288 guarded against ignoble deeds?” There upon King Shahriman went out shutting the door on them with his own hand; and he returned to the Wazir and to the other envoys of Sulayman Shah and bade them inform their King that his son was in health and gladness and enjoying all delight of life with his beloved. So they returned to King Sulayman and acquainted him with this; whereupon King Shahriman ordered largesse of money and vivers to the troops of King Sulayman Shah; and, when they had conveyed all he had commanded, he bade be brought out an hundred coursers and an hundred dromedaries and an hundred white slaves and an hundred concubines and an hundred black slaves and an hundred female slaves; all of which he forwarded to the King as a present. Then he took horse, with his Grandees and Chief Officers, and rode out of the city in the direction of the King’s camp. As soon as Sultan Sulayman Shah knew of his approach, he rose and advanced many paces to meet him. Now the Wazir and Aziz had told him all the tidings, whereat he rejoiced and cried, “Praise be to Allah who hath granted the dearest wish of my son!” Then King Sulayman took King Shahriman in his arms and seated him beside himself on the royal couch, where they conversed awhile and had pleasure in each other’s conversation. Presently food was set before them, and they ate till they were satisfied; and sweetmeats and dried fruits were brought, and they enjoyed their dessert. And after a while came to them Taj al-Muluk, richly dressed and adorned, and when his father saw him, he stood up and embraced him and kissed him. Then all who were sitting rose to do him honour; and the two Kings seated him between them and they sat conversing a while, after which quoth King Sulayman Shah to King Shahriman, “I desire to have the marriage contract between my son and thy daughter drawn up in the presence of witnesses, that the wedding may be made public, even as is the custom of Kings.” “I hear and I obey,” quoth King Shahriman and thereon summoned the Kazi and the witnesses, who came and wrote out the marriage contract between Taj al-Muluk and the Lady Dunya. Then they gave bakhshish1289 of money and sweetmeats; and lavished incense and essences; and indeed it was a day of joy and gladness and all the grandees and soldiers rejoiced therein. Then King Shahriman proceeded to dower and equip his daughter; and Taj al-Muluk said to his sire, “Of a truth, this young man Aziz is of the generous and hath done me a notable service, having borne weariness with me; and he hath travelled with me and hath brought me to my desire. He ceased never to show sufferance with me and exhort me to patience till I accomplished my intent; and now he hath abided with us two whole years, and he cut off from his native land. So now I purpose to equip him with merchandise, that he may depart hence with a light heart; for his country is nearhand.” Replied his father, “Right is thy rede;” so they made ready an hundred loads of the richest stuffs and the most costly, and Taj al-Muluk presented them with great store of money to Aziz, and farewelled him, saying, “O my brother and my true friend! take these loads and accept them from me by way of gift and token of affection, and go in peace to thine own country.” Aziz accepted the presents and kissing the ground between the hands of the Prince and his father bade them adieu. Moreover, Taj al-Muluk mounted and accompanied him three miles on his homeward way as a proof of amity, after which Aziz conjured him to turn back, saying, “By Allah, O my master, were it not for my mother, I never would part from thee! But, good my lord! leave me not without news of thee.” Replied Taj al-Muluk, “So be it!” Then the Prince returned to the city and Aziz journeyed on till he came to his native town; and he entered it and ceased not faring till he went in to his mother and found that she had built him a monument in the midst of the house and used to visit it continually. When he entered, he saw her with hair dishevelled and dispread over the tomb, weeping and repeating these lines,

“Indeed I’m strong to bear whate’er befal;

But weak to bear such parting’s dire mischance:

What heart estrangement of the friend can bear?

What strength withstand assault of severance?”

Then sobs burst from her breast, and she recited also these couplets,

“What’s this? I pass by tombs, and fondly greet

My friends’ last homes, but send they no reply:

For saith each friend, ‘Reply how can I make

When pledged to clay and pawned to stones I lie?

Earth has consumed my charms and I forget

Thy love, from kith and kin poor banisht I.’ ”

While she was thus, behold, Aziz came in to her and when she saw him, she fell down, fainting for very joy. He sprinkled water on her face till she revived and rising, took him in her arms and strained him to her breast, whilst he in like manner embraced her. Then he greeted her and she greeted him, and she asked the reason of his long absence, whereupon he told her all that had befallen him from first to last and informed her how Taj al-Muluk had given him an hundred loads of monies and stuffs. At this she rejoiced, and Aziz abode with his mother in his native town, weeping for what mishaps had happened to him with the daughter of Dalilah the Wily One, even her who had castrated1290 him. Such was the case with Aziz; but as regards Taj al-Muluk he went in unto his beloved, the Princess Dunya, and abated her maidenhead. Then King Shahriman proceeded to equip his daughter for her journey with her husband and father in law, and bade bring them provaunt and presents and rarities. So they loaded their beasts and set forth, whilst King Shahriman escorted them, by way of farewell, three days’ journey on their way, till King Shah Sulayman conjured him to return. So he took leave of them and turned back, and Taj al-Muluk and his wife and father fared for wards night and day, with their troops, till they drew near their capital. As soon as the news of their coming spread abroad, the folk decorated for them the city — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.