The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 03 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 03 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
"Now Love hast banished all that bred delight; *
With that heart-nibbling fawn my joys took flight:
Lightest of trifles lover's blood to him *
Who wastes the vitals of the hapless wight!
For him I'm jealous of my sight and thought; *
My heart acts spy upon my thought and sight:
Those long-lashed eyelids rain on me their shafts *
Guileful, destroying hearts where'er they light:
Now, while my portion in the world endures, *
Shall I behold him ere I quit world-site?
What bear I for his sake I'd hide, but tears *
Betray my feelings to the spy's despight.
When near, our union seemeth ever far; *
When far, my thoughts to him aye nearest are."
And presently she continued, "See then, O my brother, how thou mayest
aid me in mine affliction." So Marzawan bowed his head ground-wards
awhile, wondering and not knowing what to do, then he raised it and
said to her, "All thou hast spoken to me I hold to be true, though the
case of the young man pass my understanding: but I will go round about
all lands and will seek for what may heal thee; haply Allah shall
appoint thy healing to be at my hand. Meanwhile, take patience and be
not disquieted." Thereupon Marzawan farewelled her, praying that she
might be constant and left her repeating these couplets,
"Thine image ever companies my sprite, *
For all thou'rt distant from the pilgrim's sight:
But my heart-wishes e'er attract thee near: *
What is the lightning's speed to Thought's swift flight?
Then go not thou, my very light of eyes *
Which, when thou'rt gone, lack all the Kohl of light."
Then Marzawan returned to his mother's house, where he passed the
night. And when the morrow dawned, having equipped himself for his
journey, he fared forth and ceased not faring from city to city and
from island to island for a whole month, till he came to a town named
Al-Tayrab.[FN#285] Here he went about scenting news of the townsfolk,
so haply he might light on a cure for the Princess's malady, for in
every capital he entered or passed by, it was reported that Queen
Budur, daughter of King Ghayur, had lost her wits. But arriving at
Al-Tayrab city, he heard that Kamar al-Zaman, son of King Shahriman,
was fallen sick and afflicted with melancholy madness. So Marzawan
asked the name of the Prince's capital and they said to him, "It is on
the Islands of Khalidan and it lieth distant from our city a whole
month's journey by sea, but by land it is six months' march." So he
went down to the sea in a ship which was bound for the Khalidan Isles,
and she sailed with a favouring breeze for a whole month, till they
came in sight of the capital; and there remained for them but to make
the land when, behold, there came out on them a tempestuous wind which
carried away the masts and rent the canvas, so that the sails fell into
the sea and the ship capsized, with all on board,—And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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