Quoth Abu Ishak Ibrahim al-Mausili:--I asked Al-Rashid once to
give me a day's leave that I might be private with the people of
my household and my brethren, and he gave me leave for Saturday
the Sabbath. So I went home and betook myself to making ready
meat and drink and other necessaires and bade the doorkeepers
shut the doors and let none come in to me. However, presently, as
I sat in my sitting-chamber, with my women who were looking after
my wants, behold, there appeared an old man of comely and
reverend aspect,
[FN#119] clad in white clothes and a shirt of
fine stuff with a doctor's turband on his head and a silver-
handled staff in his hand, and the house and porch were full of
the perfumes wherewith he was scented. I was greatly vexed at his
coming in to me and thought to turn away the doorkeepers; but he
saluted me after the goodliest fashion and I returned his
greeting and bade him be seated. So he sat down and began
entertaining me with stories of the Arabs and their verses, till
my anger left me and methought my servants had sought to pleasure
me by admitting a man of such good breeding and fine culture.
Then I asked him, "Art thou for meat?"; and he answered, "I have
no need of it." "And for drink?" quoth I, and quoth he, "That is
as thou wilt." So I drank off a pint of wine and poured him out
the like. Then said he, "O Abu Ishak, wilt thou sing us somewhat,
so we may hear of thine art that wherein thou excellest high and
low?" His words angered me; but I swallowed my anger and taking
the lute played and sang. "Well done, O Abu Ishak!"
[FN#120] said
he; whereat my wrath redoubled and I said to myself, "Is it not
enough that he should intrude upon me, without my leave, and
importune me thus, but he must call me by name, as though he knew
not the right way to address me?" Quoth he, "An thou wilt sing
something more we will requite thee." I dissembled my annoyance
and took the lute and sang again, taking pains with what I sang
and rising thereto altogether, in consideration of his saying,
"We will requite thee."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-eighth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Shaykh said to Abu Ishak, "If thou wilt sing something more
we will requite thee," I dissembled my annoyance (continued
Ibrahim) and, taking the lute, sang again with great attention to
my singing and rising altogether thereto, in consideration of his
saying, "We will requite thee." He was delighted, and cried,
"Well done, O my lord!"; presently adding, "Dost thou give me
leave to sing?" "As thou wilt," answered I, deeming him weak of
wit, in that he should think to sing in my presence, after that
which he had heard from me. So he took the lute and swept the
strings, and by Allah, I fancied they spoke in Arabic tongue,
with a sweet and liquid and murmurous voice; then he began and
sang these couplets,
"I bear a hurt heart, who will sell me for this
A heart whole
and free from all canker and smart?
Nay, none will consent or to barter or buy
Such loss, ne'er
from sorrow and sickness to part:
I groan wi' the groaning of wine-wounded men
And pine for the
pining ne'er freeth my heart."
And by Allah, meseemed the doors and the walls and all that was
in the house answered and sang with him, for the beauty of his
voice, so that I fancied my very limbs and clothes replied to
him, and I abode amazed and unable to speak or move, for the
trouble of my heart. Then he sang these couplets,
"Culvers of Liwa![FN#121] to your nests return;
Your mournful
voices thrill this heart of mine
Then back a-copse they flew, and well-nigh took
My life and
made me tell my secret pine.
With cooing call they one who's gone, as though
Their breasts
were maddened with the rage of wine:
Ne'er did mine eyes their like for culvers see
Who weep yet
tear-drops never dye their eyne."
And also these couplets,
"O Zephyr of Najd, when from Najd thou blow,
Thy breathings
heap only new woe on woe!
The turtle bespake me in bloom of morn
From the cassia-twig an
the willow-bough
She moaned with the moaning of love-sick youth
And exposed
love-secret I ne'er would show:
They say lover wearies of love when near
And is cured of love
an afar he go:
I tried either cure which ne'er cured my love;
But that
nearness is better than farness I know:[FN#122]
Yet,--the nearness of love shall no 'vantage prove
An whoso
thou lovest deny thee of love."
Then said he, "O Ibrahim, sing this song after me, and preserving
the mode thereof in thy singing, teach it to thy slave-girls."
Quoth I, "Repeat it to me." But he answered, "There needs no
repetition; thou hast it by heart nor is there more to learn."
Then he suddenly vanished from my sight. At this I was amazed and
running to my sword drew it and made for the door of the Harim,
but found it closed and said to the women, "What have ye heard?"
Quoth they, "We have heard the sweetest of singing and the
goodliest." Then I went forth amazed, to the house-door and,
finding it locked, questioned the doorkeepers of the old man.
They replied, "What old man? By Allah, no one hath gone in to
thee this day!" So I returned pondering the matter, when, behold,
there arose from one of the corners of the house, a Vox et
praeterea nihil, saying, "O Abu Ishak, no harm shall befal thee.
'Tis I, Abú Murrah,
[FN#123] who have been thy cup-companion this
day, so fear nothing!" Then I mounted and rode to the palace,
where I told Al-Rashid what had passed, and he said, "Repeat to
me the airs thou heardest from him." So I took the lute and
played and sang them to him; for, behold, they were rooted in my
heart. The Caliph was charmed with them and drank thereto, albeit
he was no confirmed wine-bibber, saying, "Would he would some day
pleasure us with his company, as he hath pleasured thee!"
[FN#124]
Then he ordered me a present and I took it and went away. And men
relate this story anent THE LOVERS OF THE BANU UZRAH.
