The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Caliph bade transport the money to Abu al-Hasan's house and charged the
young man not to absent himself from him, so he might enjoy his company
as a cup-companion. Accordingly he paid him frequent visits, till
Al-Rashid departed to the mercy of Almighty Allah; and glory be to Him
who dieth not the Lord of the Seen and the Unseen! And among tales
they tell is one touching
IBRAHIM AND JAMILAH.[FN#298]
Al-Khasнb,[FN#299] Wazir of Egypt, had a son named Ibrahнm, than whom
there was none goodlier, and of his fear for him, he suffered him not
to go forth, save to the Friday prayers. One day, as the youth was
returning from the mosque, he came upon an old man, with whom were many
books; so he lighted down from his horse and seating himself beside
him, began to turn over the tomes and examine them. In one of them he
espied the semblance of a woman which all but spoke, never was seen on
the earth's face one more beautiful; and as this captivated his reason
and confounded his wit, he said to the old man, "O Shaykh, sell me this
picture." The bookseller kissed ground between his hands and said, "O
my lord, 'tis thine without price.[FN#300]" Ibrahim gave him an hundred
dinars and taking the book in which was the picture, fell to gazing
upon it and weeping night and day, abstaining from meat and drink and
sleep. Then said he in his mind, "An I ask the bookseller of the
painter of this picture, haply he will tell me; and if the original be
living, I will seek access to her; but, if it be only a picture, I will
leave doting upon it and plague myself no more for a thing which hath
no real existence."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Fifty-third Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 (of 10) — John Shaqi
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