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
shook him again and, lifting him from the ground, made with him towards
the stream, that he might throw him therein: where upon the Badawi
roared out, saying, "O thou valiant man, what wilt thou do with
me?"[FN#84] Quoth he, "I mean to throw thee into this stream: it will
bear thee to the Tigris. The Tigris will bring thee to the river Isa
and the Isa will carry thee to the Euphrates, and the Euphrates will
land thee in shine own country; so thy tribe shall see thee and know
thy manly cheer and how thy passion be sincere." Then Sabbah cried
aloud and said, "O Champion of the desert lair, do not with me what
deed the wicked dare but let me go, by the life of thy cousin, the
jewel of the fair!" Hearing this, Kanmakan set him on the ground, but
when he found him self at liberty, he ran to his sword and targe and
taking them up stood plotting in himself treachery and sudden assault
on his adversary.[FN#85] The Prince kenned his intent in his eye and
said to him, "I con what is in thy heart, now thou hast hold of thy
sword and thy targe. Thou hast neither length of hand nor trick of
wrestling, but thou thinkest that, wert thou on thy mare and couldst
wheel about the plain, and ply me with thy skene, I had long ago been
slain. But I will give thee thy requite, so there may be left in thy
heart no despite; now give me the targe and fall on me with thy
whinger; either thou shalt kill me or I shall kill thee." "Here it is,"
answered Sabbah and, throwing him the targe, bared his brand and rushed
at him sword in hand; Kanmakan hent the buckler in his right and began
to fend himself with it, whilst Sabbah struck at him, saying at each
stroke, "This is the finishing blow!" But it fell harmless enow, for
Kanmakan took all on his buckler and it was waste work, though he did
not reply lacking the wherewithal to strike and Sabbah ceased not to
smite at him with his sabre, till his arm was weary. When his opponent
saw this, he rushed upon him and, hugging him in his arms, shook him
and threw him to the ground. Then he turned him over on his face and
pinioned his elbows behind him with the baldrick of his sword, and
began to drag him by the feet and to make for the river. Thereupon
cried Sabbah, "What wilt thou do with me, O youth, and cavalier of the
age and brave of the plain where battles rage?" Answered he, "Did I not
tell thee that it was my intent to send thee by the river to thy kin
and to thy tribe, that thy heart be not troubled for them nor their
hearts be troubled for thee, and lest thou miss thy cousin's
bride-feast!" At this Sabbah shrieked aloud and wept and screaming
said, "Do not thus, O champion of the time's braves! Let me go and
make me one of thy slaves!" And he wept and wailed and began reciting
these verses,
"I'm estranged fro' my folk and estrangement's long: *
Shall I die amid strangers? Ah, would that I kenned!
I die, nor my kinsman shall know where I'm slain, *
Die in exile nor see the dear face of my friend!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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