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
When it was the Two Hundred and Second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Marzawan
said "Look! these be the Islands of King Ghayur;" Kamar al-Zaman joyed
with exceeding joy and thanked him for what he had done and kissed him
between the eyes and strained him to his bosom. And after reaching the
Islands and entering the city they took up their lodging in a khan,
where they rested three days from the fatigues of their wayfare; after
which Marzawan carried Kamar al-Zaman to the bath and, clothing him in
merchant's gear, provided him with a geomantic tablet of gold,[FN#299]
with a set of astrological instruments and with an astrolabe of silver,
plated with gold. Then he said to him, "Arise, O my lord, and take thy
stand under the walls of the King's palace and cry out, 'I am the ready
Reckoner; I am the Scrivener; I am he who weeteth the Sought and the
Seeker; I am the finished man of Science; I am the Astrologer
accomplished in experience! Where then is he that seeketh?' As soon as
the King heareth this, he will send after thee and carry thee in to his
daughter the Princess Budur, thy lover; but when about going in to her
do thou say to him, 'Grant me three days' delay, and if she recover,
give her to me to wife; and if not, deal with me as thou dealest with
those who forewent me.' He will assuredly agree to this, so as soon as
thou art alone with her, discover thyself to her; and when she seeth
thee, she will recover strength and her madness will cease from her and
she will be made whole in one night. Then do thou give her to eat and
drink. and her father, rejoicing in her recovery, will marry thee to
her and share his kingdom with thee; for he hath imposed on himself
this condition and so peace be upon thee." Now when Kamar al-Zaman
heard these words he exclaimed, "May I never lack thy benefits!", and,
taking the set of instruments aforesaid, sallied forth from the
caravanserai in the dress of his order. He walked on till he stood
under the walls of King Ghayur's palace, where he began to cry out,
saying, "I am the Scribe, I am the ready Reckoner, I am he who knoweth
the Sought and the Seeker; I am he who openeth the Volume and summeth
up the Sums;[FN#300] who Dreams can expound whereby the sought is
found! Where then is the seeker?" Now when the city people heard this,
they flocked to him, for it was long since they had seen Scribe or
Astrologer, and they stood round him and, looking upon him, they saw
one in the prime of beauty and grace and perfect elegance, and they
marvelled at his loveliness, and his fine stature and symmetry.
Presently one of them accosted him and said, "Allah upon thee, O thou
fair and young, with the eloquent tongue! incur not this affray; nor
throw thy life away in thine ambition to marry the Princess Budur. Only
cast shine eyes upon yonder heads hung up; all their owners have lost
their lives in this same venture." Yet Kamar al-Zaman paid no heed to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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