I opened the first door, and entered an orchard, which I believe the
universe could not equal. I could not imagine anything to surpass it.
The symmetry, the neatness, the admirable order of the trees, the
abundance and diversity of unknown fruits, their freshness and beauty,
delighted me. Nor must I neglect to inform you that this delightful
garden was watered in a most singular manner; small channels, cut out
with great art and regularity, and of different lengths, carried
water in considerable quantities to the roots of such trees as
required much moisture. Others conveyed it in smaller quantities to
those whose fruits were already formed; some carried still less; to
those whose fruits were swelling; and others carried only so much as
was just requisite to water those which had their fruits come to
perfection, and only wanted to be ripened. They far exceeded in size
the ordinary fruits in our gardens. I shut the door, and opened the
next.
Instead of an orchard, I found here a flower garden, which was no less
extraordinary in its kind. The roses, jessamines, violets, daffodils,
hyacinths, anemones, tulips, pinks, lilies, and an infinite number of
flowers, which do not grow in other places except at certain times,
were there flourishing all at once; and nothing could be more
delicious than the fragrant smell which they emitted.
I opened the third door, and found a large aviary, paved with marble
of several fine and uncommon colors. The trellis work was made of
sandalwood and wood of aloes. It contained a vast number of
nightingales, goldfinches, canary birds, larks, and other rare singing
birds, and the vessels that held their seed were of the most sparkling
jasper or agate. The sun went down, and I retired, charmed with the
chirping notes of the multitude of birds, who then began to perch upon
such places as suited them for repose during the night. I went to my
chamber, resolving on the following days to open all the rest of the
doors, excepting that of gold.
The next day I opened the fourth door. I entered a large court,
surrounded with forty gates, all open, and through each of them was an
entrance into a treasury. The first was stored with heaps of pearls;
and, what is almost incredible, the number of those stones which are
most precious, and as large as pigeon's eggs, exceeded the number of
those of the ordinary size. In the second treasury,[24] there were
diamonds, carbuncles, and rubies; in the third, emeralds; in the
fourth, ingots of gold; in the fifth, money; in the sixth, ingots of
silver; and in the two following, money. The rest contained amethysts,
chrysolites, topazes, opals, turquoises, agate, jasper, cornelian, and
coral, of which there was a storehouse filled, not only with branches,
but whole trees.
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