The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
replied, "I will not do it till thou do it before I do." And they began
disputing about futtering her. Then quoth she to the twain, "How is it
I see you disputing and demurring; if ye do not come forward like men
and do the deed of kind ye two, I will arouse upon you the Ifrit." At
this, by reason of their sore dread of the Jinni, both did by her what
she bade them do; and, when they had dismounted from her, she said,
"Well done!" She then took from her pocket a purse and drew out a
knotted string, whereon were strung five hundred and seventy[FN#17]
seal rings, and asked, "Know ye what be these?" They answered her
saying, "We know not!" Then quoth she; "These be the signets of five
hundred and seventy men who have all futtered me upon the horns of this
foul, this foolish, this filthy Ifrit; so give me also your two seal
rings, ye pair of brothers." When they had drawn their two rings from
their hands and given them to her, she said to them, "Of a truth this
Ifrit bore me off on my bride night, and put me into a casket and set
the casket in a coffer and to the coffer he affixed seven strong
padlocks of steel and deposited me on the deep bottom of the sea that
raves, dashing and clashing with waves; and guarded me so that I might
remain chaste and honest, quotha! that none save himself might have
connexion with me. But I have lain under as many of my kind as I
please, and this wretched Jinni wotteth not that Des tiny may not be
averted nor hindered by aught, and that whatso woman willeth the same
she fulfilleth however man nilleth. Even so saith one of them.—
Rely not on women; * Trust not to their hearts,
Whose joys and whose sorrows * Are hung to their parts!
Lying love they will swear thee * Whence guile ne'er departs:
Take Yusuf[FN#18] for sample * 'Ware sleights and 'ware smarts!
Iblis[FN#19] ousted Adam * (See ye not?) thro' their arts.
And another saith:—
Stint thy blame, man! 'Twill drive to a passion without bound; * My
fault is not so heavy as fault in it hast found.
If true lover I become, then to me there cometh not * Save what
happened unto many in the bygone stound.
For wonderful is he and right worthy of our praise * Who fromwiles of
female wits kept him safe and kept him sound."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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