Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 2 (of 6)
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 2 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
All those present laughed at her mockery of Iblis and wondered at the
wittiness of her visnomy[190] and her readiness in versifying, whilst
the Shaykh himself rejoiced and said to her, “O Tohfat al-Sudur, verily,
the night be gone; so arise and rest thyself ere the day; and to-morrow
there shall be naught save weal.” Then all the kings of the Jinn
departed, together with those who were present of guards; and Tohfah
abode alone, pondering the case of Al-Rashid and bethinking her of how
it went with him after her going, and of what had betided him for her
loss, till the dawn lightened, when she arose and walked about the
palace. Suddenly she saw a handsome door; so she opened it and found
herself in a flower-garden finer than the first—ne’er saw eyes of seer a
fairer than it. When she beheld this garth, she was moved to delight and
she called to mind her lord Al-Rashid and wept with sore weeping and
cried, “I crave of the bounty of Allah Almighty that my return to him
and to my palace and to my home may be nearhand!” Then she walked about
the parterres till she came to a pavilion, high-builded of base and wide
of space, never espied mortal nor heard of a grander than it. So she
entered and found herself in a long corridor, which led to a Hammam
goodlier than that aforetime described, and its cisterns were full of
rose-water mingled with musk. Quoth Tohfah, “Extolled be Allah! Indeed,
this[191] is none other than a mighty great king.” Then she pulled off
her clothes and washed her body and made her Ghusl-ablution of the whole
person[192] and prayed that which was due from her of prayer from the
evening of the previous day.[193] When the sun rose upon the gate of the
garden and she saw the wonders thereof, with that which was therein of
all manner blooms and streams, and heard the voices of its birds, she
marvelled at what she beheld of the rareness of its ordinance and the
beauty of its disposition and sat musing over the case of Al-Rashid and
pondering what was come of him after her. Her tears coursed down her
cheeks and the zephyr blew on her; so she slept and knew no more till
she suddenly felt a breath on her side-face, whereat she awoke in
affright and found Queen Kamariyah kissing her, and she was accompanied
by her sisters, who said, “Rise, for the sun hath set.” So Tohfah arose
and making the Wuzu-ablution, prayed her due of prayers[194] and
accompanied the four queens to the palace, where she saw the wax candles
lighted and the kings sitting. She saluted them with the salam and
seated herself upon her couch; and behold, King Al-Shisban had shifted
his semblance, for all the pride of his soul. Then came up Iblis (whom
Allah damn!) and Tohfah rose to him and kissed his hands. He also kissed
her hand and blessed her and asked, “How deemest thou? Is not this place
pleasant, for all its desertedness and desolation?” Answered she, “None
may be desolate in this place;” and he cried, “Know that this is a site
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account