The Caliph Harun al-Rashid was walking one day with Ja'afar the
Barmecide, when he espied a company of girls drawing water and
went up to them, having a mind to drink. As he drew near, one of
them turned to her fellows and improvised these lines,
"Thy phantom bid thou fleet, and fly
Far from the couch whereon
I lie;
So I may rest and quench the fire,
Bonfire in bones aye flaming
high;
My love-sick form Love's restless palm
Rolls o'er the rug
whereon I sigh:
How 'tis with me thou wottest well
How long, then, union wilt
deny?"
The Caliph marvelled at her elegance and eloquence.--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-sixth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Caliph, hearing the girl's verses, marvelled at her elegance and
eloquence, and said to her, "O daughter of nobles, are these
thine own or a quotation?" Replied she, "They are my very own,"
and he rejoined, "An thou say sooth keep the sense and change the
rhyme." So she said,
"Bid thou thy phantom distance keep
And quit this couch the
while I sleep;
So I may rest and quench the flames
Through all my body rageful
creep,
In love-sick one, whom passion's palms
Roll o'er the bed where
grief I weep;
How 'tis with me thou wottest well;
All but thy union hold I
cheap!"
Quoth the Caliph, "This also is stolen"; and quoth she, "Nay,
'tis my very own." He said, "If it be indeed thine own, change
the rhyme again and keep the sense." So she recited the
following,
"Unto thy phantom deal behest
To shun my couch the while I
rest,
So I repose and quench the fire
That burns what lieth in my
breast,
My weary form Love's restless palm
Rolls o'er with boon of
sleep unblest.
How 'tis with me thou wottest well
When union's bought 'tis
haply best!"
Quoth Al-Rashid, "This too is stolen"; and quoth she, "Not, so,
'tis mine." He said, "If thy words be true change the rhyme once
more." And she recited,
"Drive off the ghost that ever shows
Beside my couch when I'd
repose,
So I may rest and quench the fire
Beneath my ribs e'er flames
and glows
In love-sick one, whom passion's palms
Roll o'er the couch
where weeping flows.
How 'tis with me thou wottest well
Will union come as union
goes?"
Then said the Caliph, "Of what part of this camp art thou?"; and
she replied, "Of its middle in dwelling and of its highest in
tentpoles."
[FN#113] Wherefore he knew that she was the daughter
of the tribal chief. "And thou," quoth she, "of what art thou
among the guardians of the horses?"; and quoth he, "Of the
highest in tree and of the ripest in fruit." "Allah protect thee,
O Commander of the Faithful!" said she, and kissing ground called
down blessings on him. Then she went away with the maidens of the
Arabs, and the Caliph said to Ja'afar, "There is no help for it
but I take her to wife." So Ja'afar repaired to her father and
said to him, "The Commander of the Faithful hath a mind to thy
daughter." He replied, "With love and goodwill, she is a gift as
a handmaid to His Highness our Lord the Commander of the
Faithful." So he equipped her and carried her to the Caliph, who
took her to wife and went in to her, and she became of the
dearest of his women to him. Furthermore, he bestowed on her
father largesse such as succoured him among Arabs, till he was
transported to the mercy of Almighty Allah. The Caliph, hearing
of his death, went in to her greatly troubled; and, when she saw
him looking afflicted, she entered her chamber and doffing all
that was upon her of rich raiment, donned mourning apparel and
raised lament for her father. It was said to her, "What is the
reason of this?"; and she replied, "My father is dead." So they
repaired to the Caliph and told him and he rose and going in to
her, asked her who had informed her of her father's death; and
she answered "It was thy face, O Commander of the Faithful!" Said
he, "How so?"; and she said, "Since I have been with thee, I
never saw thee on such wise till this time, and there was none
for whom I feared save my father, by reason of his great age; but
may thy head live, O Commander of the Faithful!" The Caliph's
eyes filled with tears and he condoled with her; but she ceased
not to mourn for her father, till she followed him--Allah have
mercy on the twain! And a tale is also told of
AL-ASMA'I AND THE THREE GIRLS OF BASSORAH.
