What 'Isa ibn Hisham Told Us. Muhammad al-Muwaylihi

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СКАЧАТЬ me, proceeded to throw me out, and sent me away with a rebuke. However, my desperate needs forced me to persist, so I went to see him several times. He rid himself of my tiresome and persistent pleas by sending me to a European he had with him who had taken control of what was left of his wealth after the cash had dwindled and the well had run dry. The European sent me to the wine-shop owner. He had purloined the endowed property and taken it over. No one dared to do anything about it without his sanction for fear of litigation at court. So I went to the owner of the wine shop and agreed on a fixed rent with him. I’ve stayed in this shop struggling against a fate which in turn struggles with me, as I search for food that I can’t find and crave the hour of my death which keeps delaying me. God is almighty, alone in His might and outstanding in His wisdom.

       9.6

      PĀSHĀ Where’s this disobedient child who’s acting contrary to my wishes? The stipulations of the endower are as fixed as the text of the giver of the Shariah itself.

      GROOM At present, he’s staying at the “Hotel.”

      PĀSHĀ What’s a “hotel?”

      GROOM The locanda.

      PĀSHĀ And what’s the “locanda?”

      ʿĪSĀ IBN HISHĀM The hotel is a residence available to strangers, foreigners, and travelers with no home of their own to stay in for a fixed price. It’s like the hostel that you’d recognize from your times.

      PĀSHĀ Has this reprobate now stooped so low as to stay in a hostel? Praise be to the One whose deeds human minds cannot comprehend! How can the poor man lead an agreeable life under such conditions after living a life of great luxury and prosperity? Was this resurrection of mine, something decreed upon me by fate, meant to serve as a form of torture for the excessive offences I committed against God? May He be praised! Isn’t there something in the punishment of hellfire in the world to come? To me that’s preferable to shame in this world! O Lord, Hell is an easier punishment to endure than what I’m hearing about loss of both money and family.

      If only a child died at the hour of its birth

      and never suckled from its mother in childbed.⁶⁶

       9.7

      ʿĪSĀ IBN HISHĀM Today it’s not a sign of poverty and humiliation to live in a hotel. Quite the contrary, it’s an indication of considerable importance and wealth. The expenses for a few days spent there would be enough for a month’s stay in the very largest mansions, complete with maids, servants, courtiers, and retinue. Your children were attracted to this trend by their crazy desire to copy foreigners exactly and imitate everything they do as precisely as possible. Today fortunate and wealthy children of amirs sell their property and pawn their estates in order to afford a stay in this hostel. Some of them stay at home because they are scared that foreigners will raise cases against them, so they have food brought to their house from the hotel even though they have cooks downstairs and cooking maids upstairs.

      PĀSHĀ (to the Groom) I hope you’ll give my friend directions to this hotel so we can go there and meet this fellow. I must meet him.

      GROOM God forbid, my dear Amir! How can you talk to me about giving directions? Do you imagine that I’d leave your retinue or desert your company whatever changes may have been brought about by the vicissitudes of time? So come! It’s your prerogative to give instructions.

       9.8

      ʿĪsā ibn Hishām said:⁶⁷ The Pāshā asked me to go with him, and we set off with the Groom plodding along behind us. He had a smooth walking stick that he had used so much that it looked quite polished. Eventually we stopped by the lofty structure of one of the best-known hotels. As the Pāshā went in, he was amazed by the beautiful building itself, the lovely furniture, the splendid decorations, and the politeness of the waiters. He imagined we had made a mistake and entered a consular residence from his own era. I gave him details about the hotel and, after leaving the Groom outside, we inquired about his long-lost descendant. One of the waiters gave us the number of the suite. The Pāshā did not bother to ask for permission to enter or even wait for a response. He simply pushed the door open, and we entered. In front of us we discovered a group of amirs’ sons, divided up into different groups. Some were playing dice while others were looking at pictures of racing horses. A group of them were clustered round a middle-aged woman neither old and ugly nor young and beautiful; she made full use of what little beauty she possessed by embellishing herself to the maximum extent possible with all kinds of makeup and finery. Her face was almost aglow with the glint of necklaces and ornaments, while her forehead sparkled with the pearly glimmer of jewels and gems. The middle of the room was occupied by a table with different types of wine in flagons and glasses, along with various expensive vessels. Laid out on top were an inkwell and paper, a pen inlaid with diamonds, and foreign books adorned with gold—all prepared for display, not for learning or culture. Sheets of regulations were scattered all over the floor, and newspapers were strewn about under people’s feet still intact and unread save for the title or racing news. They all had their heads uncovered, and their hands were gloved. They were all jabbering away in foreign languages, making sure not to speak Arabic unless it involved the names of Arab horses, in which case the kāf sound was used instead of qāf and hāʾ instead of ḥāʾ.⁶⁸

       9.9

      When they noticed us, they started frowning and scowling and looked put out. A young boy left the woman’s side, hurried over to the door, and addressed us in French:

      YOUNG BOY How dare you enter without permission!

      ʿĪSĀ IBN HISHĀM We were prompted by a father’s desire to see his offspring.

      The youth asked me to explain.

      ʿĪSĀ IBN HISHĀM A is enquiring after B.

      YOUNG BOY The latter is my name, but who is this other person who is enquiring after me?

      I started telling him the entire story and the issues it raised, but he interrupted me with a scoff.

      YOUNG BOY Get out of here! I don’t have to listen to such childish lies. I have no father or mother, and no relatives close or otherwise. I am certainly not one of those people who’s going to believe such fairy stories or give credence to made-up tales. I’m someone who’s learned to deny the possibility of resurrection after death, so how am I supposed to believe in it when I’m still alive?

      With that he turned and addressed his brothers, interrupting his words with frequent guffaws:

      Come on, brothers, just listen to this weird tale! Just take a look at this scruffy bashibozuk beside him.⁶⁹ (He points at the Pāshā.) He’s claiming to be one of my ancestors and relatives; he’s demanding that I give him part of his bequeathed wealth and payment for his endowment. Have you ever heard anything more peculiar than the events of this morning? Fate isn’t satisfied any more merely to disturb our lives with creditors’ claims. Now it’s started raising the dead from their graves to demand back their wealth, inheritance, and endowments. My friends, isn’t that the best joke of all at the end of this century!

      And with that, the entire assembly burst out laughing.

       9.10

      When the Pāshā kept questioning me about his grandchild, I asked him to wait till the talking stopped. He had no idea of what was being said and could not feel the impact of the sarcastic barbs. СКАЧАТЬ