There lived in the city of Baghdad, during the reign of the
Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, a man named Sindbád
the Hammál,
[FN#2] one in poor case who bore burdens on his head
for hire. It happened to him one day of great heat that whilst he
was carrying a heavy load, he became exceeding weary and sweated
profusely, the heat and the weight alike oppressing him.
Presently, as he was passing the gate of a merchant's house,
before which the ground was swept and watered, and there the air
was temperate, he sighted a broad bench beside the door; so he
set his load thereon, to take rest and smell the air,--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Hammal set his load upon the bench to take rest and smell the
air, there came out upon him from the court-door a pleasant
breeze and a delicious fragrance. He sat down on the edge of the
bench, and at once heard from within the melodious sound of lutes
and other stringed instruments, and mirth-exciting voices singing
and reciting, together with the song of birds warbling and
glorifying Almighty Allah in various tunes and tongues; turtles,
mocking-birds, merles, nightingales, cushats and stone-
curlews,
[FN#3] whereat he marvelled in himself and was moved to
mighty joy and solace. Then he went up to the gate and saw within
a great flower-garden wherein were pages and black slaves and
such a train of servants and attendants and so forth as is found
only with Kings and Sultans; and his nostrils were greeted with
the savoury odours of all manner meats rich and delicate, and
delicious and generous wines. So he raised his eyes heavenwards
and said, "Glory to Thee, O Lord, O Creator and Provider, who
providest whomso Thou wilt without count or stint! O mine Holy
One, I cry Thee pardon for all sins and turn to Thee repenting of
all offences! O Lord, there is no gainsaying Thee in Thine
ordinance and Thy dominion, neither wilt Thou be questioned of
that Thou dost, for Thou indeed over all things art Almighty!
Extolled be Thy perfection: whom Thou wilt Thou makest poor and
whom Thou wilt Thou makest rich! Whom Thou wilt Thou exaltest and
whom Thou wilt Thou abasest and there is no god but Thou! How
mighty is Thy majesty and how enduring Thy dominion and how
excellent Thy government! Verily, Thou favourest whom Thou wilt
of Thy servants, whereby the owner of this place abideth in all
joyance of life and delighteth himself with pleasant scents and
delicious meats and exquisite wines of all kinds. For indeed Thou
appointest unto Thy creatures that which Thou wilt and that which
Thou hast foreordained unto them; wherefore are some weary and
others are at rest and some enjoy fair fortune and affluence,
whilst others suffer the extreme of travail and misery, even as I
do." And he fell to reciting,
"How many by my labours, that evermore endure,
All goods of
life enjoy and in cooly shade recline?
Each morn that dawns I wake in travail and in woe,
And strange
is my condition and my burden gars me pine:
Many others are in luck and from miseries are free,
And Fortune
never loads them with loads the like o' mine:
They live their happy days in all solace and delight;
Eat,
drink and dwell in honour 'mid the noble and the digne:
All living things were made of a little drop of sperm,
Thine
origin is mine and my provenance is thine;
Yet the difference and distance 'twixt the twain of us are far
As the difference of savour 'twixt vinegar and wine:
But at Thee, O God All-wise! I venture not to rail
Whose
ordinance is just and whose justice cannot fail."
When Sindbad the Porter had made an end of reciting his verses,
he bore up his burden and was about to fare on, when there came
forth to him from the gate a little foot-page, fair of face and
shapely of shape and dainty of dress who caught him by the hand
saying, "Come in and speak with my lord, for he calleth for
thee." The Porter would have excused himself to the page but the
lad would take no refusal; so he left his load with the
doorkeeper in the vestibule and followed the boy into the house,
which he found to be a goodly mansion, radiant and full of
majesty, till he brought him to a grand sitting-room wherein he
saw a company of nobles and great lords, seated at tables
garnished with all manner of flowers and sweet-scented herbs,
besides great plenty of dainty viands and fruits dried and fresh
and confections and wines of the choicest vintages. There also
were instruments of music and mirth and lovely slave-girls
playing and singing. All the company was ranged according to
rank; and in the highest place sat a man of worshipful and noble
aspect whose beard-sides hoariness had stricken; and he was
stately of stature and fair of favour, agreeable of aspect and
full of gravity and dignity and majesty. So Sindbad the Porter
was confounded at that which he beheld and said in himself, "By
Allah, this must be either a piece of Paradise or some King's
palace!" Then he saluted the company with much respect praying
for their prosperity, and kissing the ground before them, stood
with his head bowed down in humble attitude.--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
Porter, after kissing ground between their hands stood with his
head bowed down in humble attitude. The master of the house bade
him draw near and be seated and bespoke him kindly, bidding him
welcome. Then he set before him various kinds of viands, rich and
delicate and delicious, and the Porter, after saying his
Bismillah, fell to and ate his fill, after which he exclaimed,
"Praised be Allah whatso be our case!
[FN#4]" and, washing his
hands, returned thanks to the company for his entertainment.
Quoth the host, "Thou art welcome and thy day is a blessed. But
what is thy name and calling?" Quoth the other, "O my lord, my
name is Sindbad the Hammal, and I carry folk's goods on my head
for hire." The house-master smiled and rejoined, "Know, O Porter
that thy name is even as mine, for I am Sindbad the Seaman; and
now, O Porter, I would have thee let me hear the couplets thou
recitedst at the gate anon." The Porter was abashed and replied,
"Allah upon thee! Excuse me, for toil and travail and lack of
luck when the hand is empty, teach a man ill manners and boorish
ways." Said the host, "Be not ashamed; thou art become my
brother; but repeat to me the verses, for they pleased me whenas
I heard thee recite them at the gate. Hereupon the Porter
repeated the couplets and they delighted the merchant, who said
to him, "Know, O Hammal, that my story is a wonderful one, and
thou shalt hear all that befel me and all I underwent ere I rose
to this state of prosperity and became the lord of this place
wherein thou seest me; for I came not to this high estate save
after travail sore and perils galore, and how much toil and
trouble have I not suffered in days of yore! I have made seven
voyages, by each of which hangeth a marvellous tale, such as
confoundeth the reason, and all this came to pass by doom of
fortune and fate; for from what destiny doth write there is
neither refuge nor flight. Know, then, good my lords (continued
he) that I am about to relate the
First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
