The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Wherefore do thou leave this weeping and wailing and hearten thy heart to bear
arms." He replied, "O Wazir, my heart is heavy for the death of my father and
my brother and for our absence from hearth and home; and my mind is concerned
for my subjects." Thereupon the Wazir and the bystanders wept; but they ceased
not from pushing forward the siege of Constantinople for a length of days. And
they being thus, behold, news arrived from Baghdad, by one of the Emirs to the
effect that the King's wife had been blessed with a boy, and that his sister,
Nuzhat al-Zaman, had named him Kánmákán.[FN#454] Moreover, that the boy bid
fair to be famous, already showing wondrous signs and marvellous tokens; and
that she had commanded the Olema and the preachers to pray for mother and child
from the pulpits and bless them in all wise; furthermore that the twain were
well, that the land had enjoyed abundant rains, and that his comrade the
Fireman was established in all prosperity, with eunuchs and slaves to wait upon
him; but that he was still ignorant of what had befallen him. And she ended
with the greeting of peace. Then quoth Zau al- Makan to the Wazir Dandan, "Now
is my back strengthened for that I have been blest with a son whose name is
Kanmakan."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the One Hundred and Sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when they brought him the
news of his wife having borne him a boy child, Zau al- Makan rejoiced with
great joy and cried, "Now is my back strengthened, for that I have been blessed
with a son[FN#455] whose name is Kanmakan." And he spake to the Wazir Dandan,
saying, "I am minded to leave this mourning and order perlections of the Koran
for my brother and command almsdeeds on his account." Quoth the Wazir, "Thy
design is good." Thereupon he caused tents to be pitched over his brother's
tomb; so they raised them; and gathered together such of the men at arms as
could repeat the Koran; and some began reciting the Holy volume; whilst others
chanted litanies containing the names of Allah, and thus they did till the
morning. Then Zau al-Makan went up to the grave of his brother Sharrkan and
poured forth copious tears, and improvised these couplets,
"They bore him bier'd, and all who followed wept * With Moses' shrieks what day o'erhead shook Tor;[FN#456]
Till reached the grave which Pate had made his home, * Dug in men's souls who one sole God adore:
Ne'er had I thought before to see my joy * Borne on the bier which heads of bearers bore:
Ah no! nor ere they homed thee in the dust * That stars of heaven earth ever covered o'er.
Is the tomb dweller hostage of a stead, * Where light and splendour o'er thy face shall pour?
Praise to restore his life her word hath pledged: * Cribbed and confined he shall dispread the more!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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