A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments, now entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 1 (of 17). Richard Francis Burton

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СКАЧАТЬ what harm have I done him, or what evil have I seen from him that I should compass his death? I would not do this thing, save to serve thee, and soon shalt thou sight that it is right; and if thou accept my advice thou shalt be saved, otherwise thou shalt be destroyed even as a certain Wazir who acted treacherously by the young Prince." Asked the King, "How was that?" and the Minister thus began

      THE TALE OF THE PRINCE AND THE OGRESS

      A certain King, who had a son over much given to hunting and coursing, ordered one of his Wazirs to be in attendance upon him whithersoever he might wend. One day the youth set out for the chase accompanied by his father's Minister; and, as they jogged on together, a big wild beast came in sight. Cried the Wazir to the King's son, "Up and at yon noble quarry!" So the Prince followed it until he was lost to every eye and the chase got away from him in the waste; whereby he was confused and he knew not which way to turn, when lo! a damsel appeared ahead and she was in tears. The King's son asked, "Who art thou?" and she answered, "I am daughter to a King among the Kings of Hind, and I was travelling with a caravan in the desert when drowsiness overcame me, and I fell from my beast unwittingly; whereby I am cut off from my people and sore bewildered." The Prince, hearing these words, pitied her case and, mounting her on his horse's crupper, travelled until he passed by an old ruin,95 when the damsel said to him, "O my master, I wish to obey a call of nature": he therefore set her down at the ruin where she delayed so long that the King's son thought that she was only wasting time; so he followed her without her knowledge and behold, she was a Ghúlah,96 a wicked Ogress, who was saying to her brood, "O my children, this day I bring you a fine fat youth97 for dinner;" whereto they answered, "Bring him quick to us, O our mother, that we may browse upon him our bellies full." The Prince hearing their talk, made sure of death and his side-muscles quivered in fear for his life, so he turned away and was about to fly. The Ghulah came out and seeing him in sore affright (for he was trembling in every limb) cried, "Wherefore art thou afraid?" and he replied, "I have hit upon an enemy whom I greatly fear." Asked the Ghulah, "Diddest thou not say: – I am a King's son?" and he answered, "Even so." Then quoth she, "Why dost not give thine enemy something of money and so satisfy him?" Quoth he, "He will not be satisfied with my purse but only with my life, and I mortally fear him and am a man under oppression." She replied, "If thou be so distressed, as thou deemest, ask aid against him from Allah, who will surely protect thee from his ill-doing and from the evil whereof thou art afraid." Then the Prince raised his eyes heavenwards and cried, "O Thou who answerest the necessitous when he calleth upon Thee and dispellest his distress; O my God! grant me victory over my foe and turn him from me, for Thou over all things art Almighty." The Ghulah, hearing his prayer, turned away from him, and the Prince returned to his father, and told him the tale of the Wazir; whereupon the King summoned the Minister to his presence and then and there slew him. "Thou likewise, O King, if thou continue to trust this leach, shalt be made to die the worst of deaths. He verily thou madest much of and whom thou entreatedest as an intimate, will work thy destruction. Seest thou not how he healed the disease from outside thy body by something grasped in thy hand? Be not assured that he will not destroy thee by something held in like manner!" Replied King Yunan, "Thou hast spoken sooth, O Wazir, it may well be as thou hintest O my well-advising Minister; and belike this Sage hath come as a spy searching to put me to death; for assuredly if he cured me by a something held in my hand, he can kill me by a something given me to smell." Then asked King Yunan, "O Minister, what must be done with him?" and the Wazir answered, "Send after him this very instant and summon him to thy presence; and when he shall come strike him across the neck; and thus shalt thou rid thyself of him and his wickedness, and deceive him ere he can deceive thee." "Thou hast again spoken sooth, O Wazir," said the King and sent one to call the Sage who came in joyful mood for he knew not what had appointed for him the Compassionate; as a certain poet saith by way of illustration: —

      O Thou who fearest Fate, confiding fare, ✿ Trust all to Him who built the world, and wait:

      What Fate saith "Be" perforce must be, my lord! ✿ And safe art thou from th' undecreed of Fate.

      As Duban the physician entered he addressed the King in these lines: —

      An fail I of my thanks to thee nor thank thee day by day ✿ For whom composed I prose and verse, for whom my say and lay?

      Thou lavishedst thy generous gifts ere they were craved by me ✿ Thou lavishedst thy boons unsought sans pretext or delay

      How shall I stint my praise of thee, how shall I cease to laud ✿ The grace of thee in secresy and patentest display?

      Nay; I will thank thy benefits, for aye thy favours lie ✿ Light on my thought and tongue, though heavy on my back they weigh.

      And he said further on the same theme: —

      Turn thee from grief nor care a jot! ✿ Commit thy needs to Fate and Lot!

      Enjoy the Present passing well ✿ And let the Past be clean forgot;

      For whatso haply seemeth worse ✿ Shall work thy weal as Allah wot:

      Allah shall do whate'er He wills ✿ And in His will oppose Him not.

      And further still: —

      To th' All-wise Subtle One trust worldly things ✿ Rest thee from all whereto the worldling clings:

      Learn wisely well naught cometh by thy will ✿ But e'en as willeth Allah, King of Kings.

      And lastly: —

      Gladsome and gay forget thine every grief ✿ Full often grief the wisest hearts outwore:

      Thought is but folly in the feeble slave ✿ Shun it and so be savèd evermore.

      Said the King for sole return, "Knowest thou why I have summoned thee?" and the Sage replied, "Allah Most Highest alone kenneth hidden things!" But the King rejoined, "I summoned thee only to take thy life and utterly to destroy thee." Duban the Wise wondered at this strange address with exceeding wonder and asked, "O King, and wherefore wouldest thou slay me, and what ill have I done thee?" and the King answered, "Men tell me thou art a spy sent hither with intent to slay me; and lo! I will kill thee ere I be killed by thee;" then he called to his Sworder, and said, "Strike me off the head of this traitor and deliver us from his evil practices." Quoth the Sage, "Spare me and Allah will spare thee; slay me not or Allah shall slay thee." And he repeated to him these very words, even as I to thee, O Ifrit, and yet thou wouldst not let me go, being bent upon my death. King Yunan only rejoined, "I shall not be safe without slaying thee; for, as thou healedst me by something held in hand, so am I not secure against thy killing me by something given me to smell or otherwise." Said the physician, "This then, O King, is thy requital and reward; thou returnest only evil for good." The King replied, "There is no help for it; die thou must and without delay." Now when the physician was certified that the King would slay him without waiting, he wept and regretted the good he had done to other than the good. As one hath said on this subject: —

      Of wit and wisdom is Maymúnah98 bare ✿ Whose sire in wisdom all the wits outstrippeth:

      Man may not tread on mud or dust or clay ✿ Save by good sense, else trippeth he and slippeth.

      Hereupon the Sworder stepped forward and bound the Sage Duban's eyes and bared his blade, saying to the King, "By thy leave;" while the physician wept and cried, "Spare me and Allah will spare thee, and slay me not or Allah shall slay thee," and began repeating: —

      I was kind and 'scapèd not, they were cruel and escaped; ✿ And my kindness only led me to Ruination Hall;

      If I live I'll ne'er be kind; if I die, then all be damned ✿ Who follow me, and curses their kindliness befal.

      "Is this," continued Duban, "the return I meet from thee? Thou givest СКАЧАТЬ