menu_book Chapter 24

Section 24 of Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Volume 2. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Salim Siddiqui. Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Volume 2, Section 24. Conclusion of the Thousand Nights and a Night from the Arabian Nights

End of Section 24 Translation of Captain Sir Richard F. Burton Now, during this time, Scheherazade had borne the king three boy children. So when she had made an end of the story of Maruf, she rose to her feet and, kissing ground before him, said,

O king of the time and unique one of the age and the tide, I am thine handmaid, and these thousand nights and a night have I entertained thee with stories of folk gone before, and admonitory instances of the men of yore. May I then make a bold to crave a boon of thy highness? He replied, Ask, O Scheherazade, and it shall be granted to thee. Whereupon she cried out to the nurses and the eunuchs, saying, Bring me my children.

So they brought them to her in haste, and they were three boy children, one walking, one crawling, and one sucking. She took them, and setting them before the king, again kissed ground, and said, O king of the age, these are thy children, and I crave that thou release me from the doom of death.

as a dole to these infants for, and thou kill me, they will become motherless and will find none among women to rear them as they should be reared. When the king heard this, he wept and, straining the boys to his bosom, said, By Allah, O Sheherazad, I pardon thee before the coming of these children,

for that I found thee chaste, pure, ingenuous, and pious. Allah bless thee and thy father and thy mother and thy root and thy branch. I take the Almighty to witness against me that I exempt thee from aught that can harm thee. So she kissed his hands and feet and rejoiced with exceeding joy, saying, The Lord make thy life long and increase thee in dignity and majesty.

presently adding thou marvelest at that which befell thee on the part of women yet there betided the kings of the husros before thee greater mishaps and more grievous than that which hath befallen thee and indeed I have set forth unto thee that which happened to caliphs and kings and others with their women but the relation is longsome and hearkening groweth tedious and this is all sufficient warning for the man of wits and admonishment for the wise then she ceased to speak and when king Shehrear heard her speech and profited by that which she had said he summoned

up his reasoning powers and cleansed his heart and caused his understanding to revert, and turned to Allah Almighty and said to himself, Since there befell the kings of Khosros, more than that which hath befallen me, never whilst I live shall I cease to blame myself for the past. As for this Sheherazad, her like is not found in the lands. So praise be to him who appointed her a means for delivering his creatures from oppression and slaughter. Then he arose from his seance,

and kissed her head whereat she rejoiced, she and her sister Dunyazad, with exceeding joy. When the morning morrowed, the king went forth, and sitting down on the throne of the king summoned the lords of his land, whereupon the chamberlains and nababs and captains of the host went into him and kissed ground before him. He distinguished the wazir, Scheherazade's sire, with special favor, and bestowed on him a costly and splendid robe of honor, and entreated him

with the utmost kindness, and said to him, Allah protect thee, for that thou gavest me to wife thy noble daughter, who hath been the means of my repentance from slaying the daughters of folk. Indeed, I have found her pure and pious, chaste, ingenuous, and Allah hath vouchsafed me by her three boy children. Wherefore praised be he for his passing favor. Then he bestowed robes of honor upon his wazirs and emirs and chief officers.

And he set forth to them briefly that which had betided him with Scheherazade, and how he had turned from his former ways and repented him of what he had done, and proposed to take the wazir's daughter, Scheherazade, to wife,

and let draw up the marriage contract with her. When those who were present heard this, They kissed ground before him and blessed him and his betrothed Scheherazade, and the wazir thanked her. Then Scheherayar made an end of his sitting in all wheel, whereupon the folk dispersed to their dwelling places, and the news was brooded abroad that the king proposed to marry the wazir's daughter Scheherazade.

then he proceeded to make ready the wedding gear and presently he sent after his brother king shah zeman who came and king shahriar went forth to meet him with the troops furthermore they decorated the city after the goodliest fashion and diffused scents from censers and burnt aloes wood and other perfumes and all the markets and thoroughfares and rubbed themselves with saffron. What while the drums beat, and the flutes and pipes sounded, and mimes and mountbacks played and plied their arts, and the king lavished on them gifts and largesse,

and in very deed it was a notable day. When they came to the palace, King Shehrear commanded to spread the table with beasts roasted whole and sweet meats and all manner of viands, and bade the crier cry to the folk

that they should come up to the Diwan and eat and drink, that this should be a means of reconciliation between him and them. So high and low, great and small,

came up unto him, and they abode on that wise, eating and drinking, seven days with their knights. Then the king shut himself up with his brother and related to him that which had betided him with the wazir's daughter Scheherazade during the past three years,

and told him what he had heard from her of proverbs and parables, chronicles and pleasantries, quips and jests, stories and anecdotes, dialogues and histories, and elegies and other verses, whereat King Shazamon marveled with the utmost marvel and said, Fain would I take her younger sister to wife,

so that we may be two brothers German to two sisters German, and they on likewise be sisters to us, for that the calamity which befell me was the cause of our discovering

that which befell thee, and all this time of three years past I have taken no delight in woman, but now I desire to marry thy wife's sister Dunyazad. When King Shehra'ar heard his brother's words, he rejoiced with joy exceeding, and arising forthright, went in to his wife Shehra'zad and acquainted her with that which his brother

proposed, namely, that he sought her sister Dunyazad in wedlock, whereupon she answered, O king of the age, we seek of him one condition to wit, that he take up his abode with us, for that I cannot brook to be parted from my sister an hour, because we were brought up together and may not endure separation each from another. If he accept this pact, she is his handmaid. King Sheheryar returned to his brother and acquainted him with that which Sheherazade

had said. And he replied, Indeed, this is what was in my mind, for that I desire nevermore to be parted from thee one hour. As for the kingdom, Allah the Most High shall send to it whom so he chooseth, for that I have no longer a desire for the kingship. When King Shahriar heard his brother's words, he rejoiced exceedingly and said, Verily this is what I wished. O my brother, so alhamdulillah, praise be Allah, who hath brought about union between us. Then he sent after the Qazis and

ulama, captains and nobles, and they married the two brothers to the two sisters. The contracts were written out, and the two kings bestowed robes of honour of silk and satin on those who were present, whilst the city was decorated, and the rejoicings were renewed. The king commanded each emir and wazir and chamberlain and nabob to decorate his palace, and the folk of the city were gladdened by the presage of happiness and contentment. King Shehriar also bade slaughter

sheep, and set up kitchens, and made bride feasts, and fed all comers high and low. And he gave alms to the poor and needy, and extended his bounty to great and small. Then the eunuchs went forth, that they might perfume the hammam for the brides. So they scented it with rose water, and willow flower water and pods of musk and fumigated it with kakili eagle wood and ambergris.

Then Scheherazade entered, she and her sister Dunyazade, and they cleansed their heads and clipped their hair. When they came forth of the Hammambath, they donned raiment and ornaments, such as men were wont to prepare for the kings of the husros and among shahrazad's apparel was a dress perfled with red gold and wrought with counterfeit presentments of birds and beasts the two sisters encircled their necks with necklaces of jewels of price

in the like whereof iskander rejoiced not for therein were great jewels such as amazed the wit and dazzled the eye and the imagination was bewildered at their charms for indeed each of them was brighter than the sun and the moon before them they lighted brilliant flambeaux of wax and candle-bras of gold but their faces outshone the flambeaux for that they had eyes sharper than unsheathed swords and the lashes of their eyelids bewitched all hearts their cheeks were rosy red and their necks and shapes gracefully swayed and their eyes wanton like the gazelles and the slave girls came to meet them with instruments of music then the two kings entered the hammam bath and when they came forth they sat down on a couch set with pearls and gems whereupon the two sisters came up to them and stood between their hands as they were moons bending and leaning from side to side in their beauty and loveliness presently they brought forward scheherazade and displayed her for the first dress

in a red suit whereupon king shehreyr rose to look upon her and the wits of all present men and women were bewitched for that she was even as saith of her one of her describers a sun on wand in knoll of sand she showed clad in her cremosie hued shimosette of her lips honey-dew she gave me drink and with her rosy cheeks quencheth fire she set then they attired dunyazad in a dress of blue brocade and she became as she were the full moon when it shineth forth so they displayed her in this for the first dress before king shazamon who rejoiced in her and well-nigh swooned away for love longing and amorous desire yea he was distraught with passion for her whenas he saw her because she was as saith of her one of her describers in these couplets she comes apparelled in an azure vest ultramarine as skies are decked and dight

i view the unperilled sight which showed my eyes a summer moon upon a winter night then they returned to shahrazad and displayed her in the second dress a suit of surpassing goodliness and veiled her face with her hair like a chin veil moreover they let down her side-locks and she was even as saith of her one of her describers in these couplets o hail to him whose locks his cheeks o'ershade who slew my life by cruel hard despite said i hast veiled the morn in night he said nay i but veiled the moon in hue of night then they displayed dunyazad in a second and a third and a fourth dress and she paced forward like the rising sun and swayed to and fro in the insolence of her beauty and she was even as saith the poet of her

in these couplets the sun of beauty she to all appears and lovely coy she mocks all loveliness and when he fronts her favour and her smile a morn the sun of day in clouds must dress then they displayed scheherazade in the third dress and the fourth and the fifth and she became as she were a band branch snell of a thirsting gazelle lovely of face and perfect in attributes of grace even as saith of her one in these couplets she comes like fullest moon on happy night tapper of waste with shape of magic might she hath an eye whose glances quell mankind and ruby on her cheeks reflect his light unveils her hips the blackness of her hair beware of curls that bite with viper bite her sides are silken soft what while the heart mere rock behind that surface scapes our sight

from the fringed curtains of her sign she shoots shafts that at furthest range on mark a light then they returned to dunyazad and displayed her in the fifth dress and in the sixth which was green when she surpassed with her loveliness the fair of the four quarters of the world and outvied with the brightness of her countenance the full moon at rising tide for she was even as saith of her the poet in these couplets a damsel twas the tirer's art had decked with snare and sleight and robed with rays as though the sun from her had borrowed light she came before us wondrous clad in chemisette of green as veiled by his leafy screen pomegranate hides from sight and when he said how callest thou the fashion of thy dress she answered us in pleasant way with double meaning

we call this garment crevecoeur and rightly it is height for many a heart with this we break and harried many a sprite then they displayed scheherazade in the sixth and the seventh dresses and clad her in youth's clothing whereupon she came forward swaying from side to side and coquettishly moving and indeed she ravished wits and hearts and ensorcelled all eyes with her glances she shook her sides and swayed her haunches then put her hair on sword-hilt and went up to king who embraced her as hospitable host embraceth guest and threatened her in her ear with the taking of the sword and she was even as saith of her the poet in these words

were not the murk of gender male than feminine surpassing fair tire woman they had grudged the bride who made her beard and whiskers wear thus also they did with her sister dunyazad and when they had made an end of the display the king bestowed robes of honour on all who were present and sent the brides to their own apartments then scheherazade went in to the king and dunyazade to king shazaman and each of them solaced himself with the company of his beloved consort and the hearts of the folk were comforted when morning morrowed the wazir came in to the two kings and kissed ground before them wherefore they thanked him and were large of bounty to him presently they went forth and sat down upon couches of kingship whilst all the wazirs and emirs and grandees and lords of the land presented themselves and kissed ground

king shehrair ordered them dresses of honor and largess and they prayed for the permanence and prosperity of the king and his brother then the two sovrons appointed their sire-in-law the wazir to be viceroy in samarcand and assign him five of the chief emirs to accompany him charging them attend him and do him service the minister kissed ground and prayed that they might be vouchsafed length of life then he went in to his daughters whilst the eunuchs and ushers walked before him and saluted them and farewelled them they kissed his hands and gave him joy of the kingship and bestowed on him immense treasure after which he took leave of them and setting out fared days and nights till he came near summercund where the townspeople met him at a distance of three marches and rejoiced in him with exceeding joy so he entered the city and they decorated the houses and it was a notable day

he sat down on the throne of his kingship and the wazirs did him homage and the grandees and emirs of samarcand and all prayed that he might be vouchsafed justice and victory and length of continuance so he bestowed on them robes of honour and entreated them with distinction and they made him sultan over them as soon as his father-in-law had departed for summer kund king shahriar summoned the grandees of his realm and made them a stupendous banquet of all manner of delicious meats and exquisite sweetmeats he also bestowed on them robes of honour and gordoned them and divided the kingdoms between himself and his brother in their presence whereat the folk rejoiced then the two kings abode each ruling a day in turn and they were ever in harmony with each other while on similar wise their wives continued in the love of allah almighty and in thanksgiving to him

and the peoples and the provinces were at peace and the preachers prayed for them from the pulpits and their report was brooded abroad and the travellers bore tidings of them to all lands in due time king shehrear summoned chronicles and copyist and bade them write all that had betided him with his wife first and last so they wrote this and named it the stories of the thousand nights and a night the book came to thirty volumes and these the king laid up in his treasure and the two brothers abode with their wives in all pleasuance and solace of life and its delights for that indeed allah the most high had changed their annoy into joy and on this wise they continued till there took them the destroyer of delights, the severer of societies,

the desolator of dwelling-places, and garnerer of graveyards. And they were translated to the Ruth of Almighty Allah. Their houses fell waste, and their palaces lay in ruins, and the kings inherited their riches. Then there reigned, after them, a wise ruler,

who was just, keen-witted, and accomplished, and loved tales and legends, especially those which chronicle the doings of Sovrans and Sultans, and he found in the treasury these marvellous stories and wondrous histories contained in the thirty volumes aforesaid. so he read in them a first book and a second

and a third and so on to the last of them and each book astounded and delighted him more than that which preceded it till he came to the end of them

then he admired what he had read therein of description and discourse and rare traits and anecdotes and moral instances and reminiscences

and bade the folk copy them and spread them over all lands and climes, wherefore their report was brooded abroad, and the people named them the marvels and wonders of the thousand nights and a night. This is all that hath come down to us of the origin of this book, and Allah is all-knowing

so glory be to him who the shifts of time waste not away nor doth aught of chance or change affect his sway

whom one case diverteth not from other case and who is sole in the attributes of perfect grace and prayer and the peace

be upon the Lord's pontiff and chosen one among his creatures our Lord Muhammad, the prince of mankind through whom we supplicate him for a goodly and godly end.