A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments, now entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4 (of 17)

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Richard Francis Burton. A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments, now entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4 (of 17)

To FOSTER FITZGERALD ARBUTHNOT

NI’AMAH BIN AL-RABI’A AND NAOMI HIS SLAVE-GIRL

ALA AL-DIN ABU AL-SHAMAT.”24

HATIM OF THE TRIBE OF TAYY

TALE OF MA’AN THE SON OF ZAIDAH.133

MA’AN SON OF ZAIDAH AND THE BADAWI

THE CITY OF LABTAYT.139

THE CALIPH HISHAM AND THE ARAB YOUTH

IBRAHIM BIN AL-MAHDI AND THE BARBER-SURGEON

THE CITY OF MANY-COLUMNED IRAM AND ABDULLAH SON OF ABI KILABAH.165

ISAAC OF MOSUL

THE SWEEP AND THE NOBLE LADY

THE MOCK CALIPH

ALI THE PERSIAN

TALE OF HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE SLAVE-GIRL AND THE IMAM ABU YUSUF

TALE OF THE LOVER WHO FEIGNED HIMSELF A THIEF

JA’AFAR THE BARMECIDE AND THE BEAN-SELLER

ABU MOHAMMED HIGHT LAZYBONES

GENEROUS DEALING OF YAHYA BIN KHALID THE BARMECIDE WITH MANSUR

GENEROUS DEALING OF YAHYA SON OF KHALID WITH A MAN WHO FORGED A LETTER IN HIS NAME

CALIPH AL-MAAMUN AND THE STRANGE SCHOLAR

ALI SHAR254 AND ZUMURRUD

THE LOVES OF JUBAYR BIN UMAYR AND THE LADY BUDUR

THE MAN OF AL-YAMAN AND HIS SIX SLAVE-GIRLS

HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE DAMSEL AND ABU NOWAS

THE MAN WHO STOLE THE DISH OF GOLD WHEREIN THE DOG ATE

THE SHARPER OF ALEXANDRIA AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE

AL-MALIK AL-NASIR AND THE THREE CHIEFS OF POLICE

THE STORY OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE OF CAIRO

THE STORY OF THE CHIEF OF THE BULAK POLICE

THE STORY OF THE CHIEF OF THE OLD CAIRO POLICE

THE THIEF AND THE SHROFF

THE CHIEF OF THE KUS POLICE AND THE SHARPER

IBRAHIM BIN AL-MAHDI AND THE MERCHANT’S SISTER

THE WOMAN WHOSE HANDS WERE CUT OFF FOR GIVING ALMS TO THE POOR

THE DEVOUT ISRAELITE

ABU HASSAN AL-ZIYADI AND THE KHORASAN MAN

THE POOR MAN AND HIS FRIEND IN NEED

THE RUINED MAN WHO BECAME RICH AGAIN THROUGH A DREAM.423

CALIPH AL-MUTAWAKKIL AND HIS CONCUBINE MAHBUBAH

WARDAN429 THE BUTCHER HIS ADVENTURE WITH THE LADY AND THE BEAR

THE KING’S DAUGHTER AND THE APE

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There lived once in the city of Cufa1 a man called Al-Rabí’a bin Hátim, who was one of the chief men of the town, a wealthy and a healthy, and Heaven had vouchsafed him a son, whom he named Ni’amat Allah.2 One day, being in the slave-brokers’ mart, he saw a woman exposed for sale with a little maid of wonderful beauty and grace on her arm. So he beckoned to the broker and asked him, “How much for this woman and her daughter?” He answered “Fifty dinars.” Quoth Al-Rabi’a “Write the contract of sale and take the money and give it to her owner.” Then he gave the broker the price and his brokerage and taking the woman and her child, carried them to his house. Now when the daughter of his uncle who was his wife saw the slave, she said to her husband, “O my cousin, what is this damsel?” He replied, “Of a truth, I bought her for the sake of the little one on her arm; for know that, when she groweth up, there will not be her like for beauty, either in the land of the Arabs or the Ajams.” His wife remarked, “Right was thy rede”; and said to the woman, “What is thy name?” She replied, “O my lady, my name is Taufík.3” “And what is thy daughter’s name?” asked she. Answered the slave, “Sa’ad, the happy.” Rejoined her mistress, “Thou sayst sooth, thou art indeed happy, and happy is he who hath bought thee.” Then quoth she to her husband, “O my cousin, what wilt thou call her?”; and quoth he, “Whatso thou choosest”; so she, “Then let us call her Naomi;” and he rejoined, “Good is thy device.” The little Naomi was reared with Al-Rabi’a’s son Ni’amat in one cradle, so to speak, till the twain reached the age of ten and each grew handsomer than the other; and the boy used to address her, “O my sister!” and she, “O my brother!”, till they came to that age when Al-Rabi’a said to Ni’amah, “O my son, Naomi is not thy sister but thy slave. I bought her in thy name whilst thou wast yet in the cradle; so call her no more sister from this day forth.” Quoth Ni’amah, “If that be so, I will take her to wife.” Then he went to his mother and told her of this, and she said to him, “O my son, she is thy handmaid.” So he wedded and went in unto Naomi and loved her; and two4 years passed over them whilst in this condition, nor was there in all Cufa a fairer girl than Naomi, or a sweeter or a more graceful. As she grew up she learnt the Koran and read works of science and excelled in music and playing upon all kinds of instruments; and in the beauty of her singing she surpassed all the folk of her time. Now one day, as she sat with her husband in the wine-chamber, she took the lute, tightened the strings, and sang these two couplets: —

Ni’amah was charmed with these verses and said to her, “By my life, O Naomi, sing to us with the tambourine and other instruments!” So she sang these couplets to a lively measure: —

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And they ceased not to sing verses and drink to the sweet sound of the strings, full of mirth and merriment and joy and jollity till behold, in came the Commander of the Faithful. Now when they saw him, they rose and kissed the ground before him; and he, seeing Naomi with the lute in her hand, said to her, “O Naomi, praised be Allah who hath done away from thee sickness and suffering!” Then he looked at Ni’amah (who was still disguised as a woman), and said to the Princess, “O my sister, what damsel is this by Naomi’s side?” She replied, “O Commander of the Faithful, thou hast here a handmaid, one of thy concubines and the bosom friend of Naomi who will neither eat nor drink without her.” And she repeated the words of the poet: —

Quoth the Caliph, “By Allah Omnipotent, verily she is as handsome as Naomi, and to-morrow I will appoint her a separate chamber beside that of her friend and send her furniture and stuffs and all that befitteth her, in honour of Naomi.” Then the Princess called for food and set it before her brother, who ate and made himself at home in their place and company. Then filling a cup he signed to Naomi to sing; so she took the lute, after draining two of them and sang these two couplets: —

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