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
them, but cried out at the top of his voice, saying, "I am the Doctor,
the Scrivener! I am the Astrologer, the Calculator!" And all the
townsfolk forbade him from this, but he regarded them not at all,
saying in his mind, "None knoweth desire save whoso suffereth it." Then
he began again to cry his loudest, shouting, "I am the Scrivener, I am
the Astrologer!"—And Shahrazad per ceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Kamar al- Zaman
in no wise heeded the words of the citizens, but continued to cry out,
"I am the Calculator! I am the Astrologer!" Thereupon all the townsfolk
were wroth with him and said to him, "Thou art nothing but an imbecile,
silly, self-willed lad! Have pity on shine own youth and tender years
and beauty and loveliness." But he cried all the more, "I am the
Astrologer, I am the Calculator! Is there any one that seeketh?" As he
was thus crying and the people forbidding him, behold, King Ghayur
heard his voice and the clamour of the lieges and said to his Wazir,
"Go down and bring me yon Astrologer." So the Wazir, went down in
haste, and taking Kamar al-Zaman from the midst of the crowd led him up
to the King; and when in the presence he kissed the ground and began
versifying,
"Eight glories meet, all, all conjoined in thee, *
Whereby may Fortune aye thy servant be:
Lere, lordliness, grace, generosity; *
Plain words, deep meaning, honour, victory!"
When the King looked upon him, he seated him by his side and said to
him, "By Allah, O my son, an thou be not an astrologer, venture not thy
life nor comply with my condition; for I have bound myself that whoso
goeth in to my daughter and healeth her not of that which hath befallen
her I will strike off his head; but whoso healeth her him I will marry
to her. So let not thy beauty and loveliness delude thee: for, by
Allah! and again, by Allah! If thou cure her not, I will assuredly cut
off thy head." And Kamar al-Zaman replied, "This is thy right; and I
consent, for I wot of this ere came I hither." Then King Ghayur took
the Kazis to witness against him and delivered him to the eunuch,
saying, "Carry this one to the Lady Budur." So the eunuch took him by
the hand and led him along the passage; but Kamar al-Zaman outstripped
him and pushed on before, whilst the eunuch ran after him, saying, "Woe
to thee! Hasten not to shine own ruin: never yet saw I astrologer so
eager for his proper destruction; but thou weetest not what calamities
are before thee." Thereupon Kamar al-Zaman turned away his face from
the eunuch,—And Shah razed perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the eunuch
thus addressed Kamar al-Zaman, "Patience, and no indecent hurry!"; the
Prince turned away his face and began repeating these couplets,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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