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 -- Arab countries; Folklore -- Arab countries
She rose like the morn as she shone through the night ✿ And she gilded
the grove with her gracious sight:
From her radiance the sun taketh increase when ✿ She unveileth and
shameth the moonshine bright.
Bow down all beings between her hands ✿ As she showeth charms with her
veil undight.
And she floodeth cities[13] with torrent tears ✿ When she flasheth her
look of leven-light.
[Illustration]
The Jinni seated her under the tree by his side and looking at her
said, "O choicest love of this heart of mine! O dame of noblest line,
whom I snatched away on thy bride night that none might prevent me
taking thy maidenhead or tumble thee before I did, and whom none save
myself hath loved or hath enjoyed: O my sweetheart! I would lief sleep
a little while." He then laid his head upon the lady's thighs; and,
stretching out his legs which extended down to the sea, slept and
snored and snarked like the roll of thunder. Presently she raised her
head towards the tree-top and saw the two Kings perched near the
summit; then she softly lifted off her lap the Jinni's pate which she
was tired of supporting and placed it upon the ground; then standing
upright under the tree signed to the Kings, "Come ye down, ye two, and
fear naught from this Ifrít."[14] They were in a terrible fright when
they found that she had seen them and answered her in the same manner,
"Allah upon thee[15] and by thy modesty, O lady, excuse us from coming
down!" But she rejoined by saying, "Allah upon you both that ye come
down forthright, and if ye come not, I will rouse upon you my husband,
this Ifrit, and he shall do you to die by the illest of deaths;" and
she continued making signals to them. So, being afraid, they came down
to her and she rose before them and said, "Stroke me a strong stroke,
without stay or delay, otherwise will I arouse and set upon you this
Ifrit who shall slay you straightway." They said to her, "O our lady,
we conjure thee by Allah, let us off this work, for we are fugitives
from such and in extreme dread and terror of this thy husband. How then
can we do it in such a way as thou desirest?" "Leave this talk: it
needs must be so;" quoth she, and she swore them by Him[16] who raised
the skies on high, without prop or pillar, that, if they worked not her
will, she would cause them to be slain and cast into the sea. Whereupon
out of fear King Shahryar said to King Shah Zaman, "O my brother, do
thou what she biddeth thee do;" but he 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
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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