Читать книгу 1001 Nights - Richard Francis Burton - Страница 220

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She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Abu al-Hasan rose to take leave of him, Ali son of Bakkar exclaimed, “O my brother, leave me not without news.” “I hear and obey,” replied the other; and forthwith went away and, repairing to his shop, opened it and sat there all day, expecting news of Shams al-Nahar. But none came. He passed the night in his own house and, when dawned the day, he walked to Ali bin Bakkar’s lodging and went in and found him thrown on his bed, with his friends about him and physicians around him prescribing something or other, and the doctors feeling his pulse. When he saw Abu al-Hasan enter he smiled, and the visitor, after saluting him, enquired how he did and sat with him till the folk withdrew, when he said to him, “What plight is this?” Quoth Ali bin Bakkar, “It was bruited abroad that I was ill and my comrades heard the report; and I have no strength to rise and walk so as to give him the lie who noised abroad my sickness, but continue lying strown here as thou seest. So my friends came to visit me; say, however, O my brother, hast thou seen the slave-girl or heard any news of her?” He replied, “I have not seen her, since the day we parted from her on Tigris’ bank;” and he presently added, “O my brother, beware thou of scandal and leave this weeping.” Rejoined Ali, “O my brother, indeed, I have no control over myself;” and he sighed and began reciting,

“She gives her woman’s hand a force that fails the hand of me,

And with red dye on wrist she gars my patience fail and flee:

And for her hand she fears so sore what shafts her eyes discharge,

She’s fain to clothe and guard her hand with mail-ring panoply:1429 The leach in ignorance felt my pulse the while to him I cried, ‘Sick is my heart, so quit my hand which hath no malady:’ Quoth she to that fair nightly vision favoured me and fled, ‘By Allah picture him nor add nor ‘bate in least degree!’ Replied the Dream, ‘I leave him though he die of thirst,’ I cry, ‘Stand off from water-pit and say why this persistency.’ Rained tear-pearls her Narcissus-eyes, and rose on cheek belit She made my sherbet, and the lote with bits of hail she bit.”1430

And when his recital was ended he said, “O Abu al-Hasan, I am smitten with an affliction from which I deemed myself in perfect surety, and there is no greater ease for me than death.” Replied he, “Be patient, haply Allah will heal thee!” Then he went out from him and repairing to his shop opened it, nor had he sat long, when suddenly up came the handmaid who saluted him. He returned her salam and looking at her, saw that her heart was palpitating and that she was in sore trouble and showed signs of great affliction: so he said to her, “Thou art welcome and well come! How is it with Shams al-Nahar?” She answered, “I will presently tell thee, but first let me know how doth Ali bin Bakkar.” So he told her all that had passed and how his case stood, whereat she grieved and sighed and lamented and marvelled at his condition. Then said she, “My lady’s case is still stranger than this; for when you went away and fared homewards, I turned back, my heart beating hard on your account and hardly crediting your escape. On entering I found her lying prostrate in the pavilion, speaking not nor answering any, whilst the Commander of the Faithful sat by her head not knowing what ailed her and finding none who could make known to him aught of her ailment. She ceased not from her swoon till midnight, when she recovered and the Prince of the Faithful said to her, ‘What harm hath happened to thee, O Shams al-Nahar, and what hath befallen thee this night?’ Now when she heard the Caliph’s words she kissed his feet and said, ‘Allah make me thy ransom, O Prince of True Believers! Verily a sourness of stomach lighted a fire in my body, so that I lost my senses for excess of pain, and I know no more of my condition.’ Asked the Caliph, ‘What hast thou eaten to-day?’; and she answered, ‘I broke my fast on something I had never tasted before.’ Then she feigned to be recovered and calling for a something of wine, drank it, and begged the Sovereign to resume his diversion. So he sat down again on his couch in the pavilion and the sitting was resumed, but when she saw me, she asked me how you fared. I told her what I had done with you both and repeated to her the verses which Ali bin Bakkar had composed at parting-tide, whereat she wept secretly, but presently held her peace. After awhile, the Commander of the Faithful ordered a damsel to sing, and she began reciting,

‘Life has no sweet for me since forth ye fared;

Would Heaven I wot how fare ye who forsake:

’Twere only fit my tears were tears of blood,

Since you are weeping for mine absence sake.’

But when my lady heard this verse she fell back on the sofa in a swoon,”— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.