>>> YOU ARE VIEWING A 200 LINE SAMPLE OF EBOOK# E00350 <<< TITLE: 1001 ARABIAN NIGHTS, V7 AUTHOR: RICHARD F. BURTON EBOOK: E00350 (O'Briens Book Cellar) THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments Translated and Annotated by Richard F. Burton VOLUME SEVEN Privately Printed By The Burton Club I Inscribe these pages to An Old And Valued Friend, John W. Larking (Whilome of Alexandria). In Whose Hospitable Home ("The Sycamores") I Made My Final Preparations For A Pilgrimage To Meccah and El-Medinah. R. F. Burton Contents of the Seventh Volume The History of Gharib and His Brother Ajib (continued) 138. Otbah and Rayya 139. Hind, Daughter of Al-Nu'man, and Al-Hajjaj 140. Khuzaymah Bin Bishr and Ikrimah Al-Fayyaz 141. Yunus the Scribe and the Caliph Walid Bin Sahl 142. Harun Al-Rashid and the Arab Girl 143. Al-Asma'i and the Three Girls of Bassorah 144. Ibrahim of Mosul and the Devil 145. The Lovers of the Banu Uzrah 146. The Badawi and His Wife 147. The Lovers of Bassorah 148. Ishak of Mosul and His Mistress and the Devil 149. The Lovers of Al-Medinah 150. Al-Malik Al-Nasir and His Wizir 151. The Rogueries of Dalilah the Crafty and Her Daughter Zaynab the Coney-Catcher a. The Adventures of Mercury Ali of Cairo 152. Ardashir and Hayat Al-nufus 153. Julnar the Sea-Born and Her Son King Badr Basim of Persia 154. King Mohammed Bin Sabaik and the Merchant Hasan a. Story of Prince Sayf Al-Muluk and the Princess Badi'a Al-Jamal The Book Of The THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night, Shahrazad continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sa'adan having broken into the palace of King Jamak and pounded to pieces those therein, the survivors cried out, "Quarter! Quarter!"; and Sa'adan said to them, "Pinion your King!" So they bound Jamak and took him up, and Sa'adan drove them before him like sheep and brought them to Gharib's presence, after the most part of the citizens had perished by the enemy's swords. When the King of Babel came to himself, he found himself bound and heard Sa'adan say, "I will sup to-night off this King Jamak:" whereupon he turned to Gharib and cried to him, "I throw myself on thy mercy." Replied Gharib, "Become a Moslem, and thou shalt be safe from the Ghul and from the vengeance of the Living One who ceaseth not." So Jamak professed Al-Islam with heart and tongue and Gharib bade loose his bonds. Then he expounded The Faith to his people and they all became True Believers; after which Jamak returned to the city and despatched thence provaunt land henchmen to Gharib; and wine to the camp before Babel where they passed the night. On the morrow, Gharib gave the signal for the march and they fared on till they came to Mayyafarikin,[FN#1] which they found empty, for its people had heard what had befallen Babel and had fled to Cufa-city and told Ajib. When he heard the news, his Doom-day appeared to him and he assembled his braves and informing them of the enemy's approach ordered them make ready to do battle with his brother's host; after which he numbered them and found them thirty-thousand horse and ten thousand foot.[FN#2] So, needing more, he levied other fifty- thousand men, cavalry and infantry, and taking horse amid a mighty host, rode forwards, till he came upon his brother's army encamped before Mosul and pitched his tents in face of their lines. Then Gharib wrote a writ and said to his officers, "Which of you will carry this letter to Ajib?" Whereupon Sahim sprang to his feet and cried, "O King of the Age, I will bear thy missive and bring thee back an answer." So Gharib gave him the epistle and he repaired to the pavilion of Ajib who, when informed of his coming, said, "Admit him!" and when he stood in the presence asked him, "Whence comest thou?" Answered Sahim, "From the King of the Arabs and the Persians, son-in-law of Chosroe, King of the world, who sendeth thee a writ; so do thou return him a reply." Quoth Ajib, "Give me the letter;" accordingly Sahim gave it to him and he tore it open and found therein, "In the name of Allah the Compassionating, the Compassionate! Peace on Abraham the Friend await! But afterwards. As soon as this letter shall come to thy hand, do thou confess the Unity of the Bountiful King, Causer of causes and Mover of the clouds;[FN#3] and leave worshipping idols. An thou do this thing, thou art my brother and ruler over us and I will pardon thee the deaths of my father and mother, nor will I reproach thee with what thou hast done. But an thou obey not my bidding, behold, I will hasten to thee and cut off thy head and lay waste thy dominions. Verily, I give thee good counsel, and the Peace be on those who pace the path of salvation and obey the Most High King!" When Ajib read these words and knew the threat they contained, his eyes sank into the crown of his head and he gnashed his teeth and flew into a furious rage. Then he tore the letter in pieces and threw it away, which vexed Sahim and he cried out upon Ajib, saying, "Allah wither thy hand for the deed thou hast done!" With this Ajib cried out to his men, saying, "Seize yonder hound and hew him in pieces with your hangers.''[FN#4] So they ran at Sahim; but he bared blade and fell upon them and slew of them more than fifty braves; after which he cut his way out, though bathed in blood, and won back to Gharib, who said, "What is this case, O Sahim?" And he told him what had passed, whereat he grew livid for rage and crying "Allaho Akbar God is most great!" bade the battle-drums beat. So the fighting-men donned their hauberks and coats of straitwoven mail and baldrick'd themselves with their swords; the footmen drew out in battle-array, whilst the horsemen mounted their prancing horses and dancing camels and levelled their long lances, and the champions rushed into the field. Ajib and his men also took horse and host charged down upon host. -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say. When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night, She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib and his merry men took horse, Ajib and his troops also mounted and host charged down upon host. Then ruled the Kazi of Battle, in whose ordinance is no wrong, for a seal is on his lips and he speaketh not; and the blood railed in rills and purfled earth with curious embroidery; heads grew gray and hotter waxed battle and fiercer. Feet slipped and stood firm the valiant and pushed forwards, whilst turned the faint-heart and fled, nor did they leave fighting till the day darkened and the night starkened Then clashed the cymbals of retreat and the two hosts drew apart each from other, and returned to their tents, where they righted. Next morning, as soon as it was day, the cymbals beat to battle and derring-do, and the warriors donned their harness of fight and baldrick'd[FN#5] their blades the brightest bright and with the brown lance bedight mounted doughty steed every knight and cried out, saying, "This day no flight!" And the two hosts drew out in battle array, like the surging sea. The first to open the chapter[FN#6] of war was Sahim, who crave his destrier between the two lines and played with swords and spears and turned over all the Capitula of combat till men of choicest wits were confounded. Then he cried out, saying, "Who is for fighting? Who is for jousting? Let no sluggard come out nor weakling!" Whereupon there rushed at him a horseman of the Kafirs, as he were a flame of fire; but Sahim let him not stand long before him ere he overthrew him with a thrust. Then a second came forth and he slew him also, and a third and he tare him in twain, and a fourth and he did him to death; nor did they cease sallying out to him and he left not slaying them, till it was noon, by which time he had laid low two hundred braves. Then Ajib cried to his men, "Charge once more," and sturdy host on sturdy host down bore and great was the clash of arms and battle-roar. The shining swords out rang; the blood in streams ran and footman rushed upon footman; Death showed in van and horse-hoof was shodden with skull of man; nor did they cease from sore smiting till waned the day and the night came on in black array, when they drew apart and, returning to their tents, passed the night there. As soon as morning morrowed the two hosts mounted and sought the field of fight; and the Moslems looked for Gharib to back steed and ride under the standards as was his wont, but he came not. So Sahim sent to his brother's pavilion a slave who, finding him not, asked the tent-pitchers,[FN#7] but they answered, "We know naught of him." Whereat he was greatly concerned and went forth and told the troops, who refrained from battle, saying, "An Gharib be absent, his foe will destroy us." Now there was for Gharib's absence a cause strange but true which we will set out in order due. And it was thus. When Ajib returned to his camp on the preceding Night, he called one of his guardsmen by name Sayyar and said to him, "O Sayyar, I have not treasured thee save for a day like this; and now I bid thee enter among Gharib s host and, pushing into the marquee of their lord, bring him hither to me and prove how wily thy cunning be." And Sayyar said, "I hear and I obey." So he repaired to the enemy's camp and stealing into Gharib's pavilion, under the darkness of the Night, when all the men had gone to their places of rest, stood up as though he were a slave to serve Gharib, who present! being athirst, called to him for water. So he brought him a pitcher of water, drugged with Bhang, and Gharib could not fulfill his need ere he fell down with head distancing heels, whereupon Sayyar wrapped him in his cloak and carrying him to Ajib's tent, threw him down at his feet. Quoth Ajib, "O Sayyar, what is this?" Quoth he, "This be thy brother Gharib;" whereat Ajib rejoiced and said, "The blessings of the Idols light upon thee! Loose him and wake him." So they made him sniff up vinegar and he came to himself and opened his eyes; then, finding himself bound and in a tent other than his own, exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious the Great!" Thereupon Ajib cried out at him, saying, "Dost thou draw on me, O dog, and seek to slay me and take on me thy blood-wreak of thy father and thy mother? I will send thee this very day to them and rid the world <<< END OF SAMPLE... (THE FULL EBOOK HAS 942793 TOTAL CHARACTERS) >>>