THERE was once of days of old and in ages and times long gone before, a merchant, who dwelt in the land of Bassorah and who owned two sons and wealth galore. But in due time Allah, the All hearing the All knowing, decreed that he should be admitted to the mercy of the Most High; so he died, and his two sons laid him out and buried him, after which they divided his gardens and estates equally between them and of his portion each one opened a shop. Presently, the elder son, Hasan called, a youth of passing beauty and loveliness, symmetry and perfect grace, betook himself to the company of lewd folk, women and low boys, frolicking with them in gardens and feasting them with meat and wine for months together and occupying himself not with his business like as his father had done, for that he exulted in the abundance of his good. After some time he had wasted all his ready money, so he sold all his father's lands and houses and played the wastrel until there remained in his hand nothing, neither little nor muchel, nor was one of his comrades left who knew him. He abode thus anhungred, he and his widowed mother, three days, and on the fourth day, as he walked along, unknowing where to go, there met him a man of his father's friends, who questioned him of his case. He told him what had befallen him and the other said, "O my son, I have a brother who is a goldsmith; If you will, you will be with him and learn his craft and become skilled within it."

Hasan consented and accompanied' him to his brother, to whom he commended him, saying, "In very truth this is my son; do you teach him for my sake." So Hasan abode with the goldsmith and busied himself with the craft; and Allah opened to him the door of gain and in due course he set up shop for himself. One day, as he sat in his booth in the bazar, there came up to him an 'Ajamí, a foreigner, a Persian, with a great white beard and a white turband on his head, having the semblance of a merchant who, after saluting him, looked at his handiwork and examined it knowingly. It pleased him and he shook his head, saying, "By God, you are a cunning goldsmith! What may be your name?" "Hasan," replied the other, shortly. The Persian continued to look at his wares, whilst Hasan read in an old book he seized in hand and the folk were taken up with his beauty and loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace, till the hour of mid afternoon prayer, when the shop became clear of people and the Persian accosted the young man, saying, "O my son, you are a comely youth! What book is that? You have no sire and I have no son, and I know an art, than which there is no goodlier in the world.—

When it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy ninth night

Hasan asked, "O my lord and when will you teach me this?";

Hasan Of Bassorah. 9 and the Persian answered, "Tomorrow, God willing, I will come to you early and make you in your presence fine gold of this copper." Whereupon Hasan rejoiced and sat talking with the Persian till nightfall, when he took leave of him and going in to his mother, saluted her with the salam and ate with her; but he was dazed, without memory or reason, for that the stranger's words had gotten hold upon his heart. So she questioned him and he told her what had passed between himself and the Persian, which when she heard, her heart fluttered and she strained him to her bosom, saying, "O my son, beware of hearkening to the talk of the folk, and especially of the Persians, and obey them not in anything; for they are sharpers and tricksters, who profess the art of alchemy and swindle people and take their money and devour it in vain." Replied Hasan, "O my mother, we are paupers and have nothing he may covet, that he should put a cheat on us. Indeed, this Persian is a right worthy Shaykh and the signs of virtue are manifest on him; Allah has inclined his heart to me and he has adopted me to son."

She was silent in her chagrin, and he passed the night without sleep, his heart being full of what the Persian had said to him; nor did slumber visit him for the excess of his joy within it. But when morning morrowed, he rose and taking the keys, opened the shop, whereupon behold, the Persian accosted him. Hasan stood up to him and would have kissed his hands; but he forbade him from this and suffered it not, saying, "O Hasan, set on the crucible and apply the bellows." So he did as the stranger bade him and lighted the charcoal. Then said the Persian, "O my son, have you any copper? " and he replied, "I have a broken platter." So he bade him work the shears and cut it into bittocks and cast it into the crucible and blow up the fire with the bellows, till the copper became liquid, when he put hand to turband and took from it a folded paper and opening it, sprinkled thereout into the pot about half a drachm of somewhat like yellow Kohl or eye powder. Then he bade Hasan blow upon it with the bellows, and he did so, till the contents of the crucible became a lump of gold.

When the youth saw this, he was stupefied and at his wits' end for the joy he felt and taking the ingot from the crucible handled it and tried it with the file and found it pure gold of the finest quality: whereupon his reason fled and he was dazed with excess of delight and bent over the Persian's hand to kiss it. But he forbade him, saying, "Are you married?" and when the youth replied, "No! " he said, "Carry this ingot to the market and sell it and take the price in haste and speak not." So Hasan went down into the market and gave the bar to the broker, who took it and rubbed it upon the touchstone and found it pure gold. So they opened the biddings at ten thousand dirhams and the merchants bid against one another for it up to fifteen thousand dirhams, at which price he sold it and taking the money, went home and told his mother all that had passed, saying, "O my mother, I have learnt this art and mystery." But she laughed at him, saying' "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! "—

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighties night

she laughed at him, saying, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! "; and she was silent for vexation. Then of his ignorance, he took a metal mortar and returning to the shop, laid it before the Persian, who was still sitting there and who asked him, "O my son, what will you do with this mortar? " Hasan answered, "Let us put it in the fire, and make of it lumps of gold." The Persian laughed and rejoined, "O my son, are you Jinn mad that

Hasan Of Bassorah. 11 you would go down into the market with two ingots of gold in one day? Know you not that the folk would suspect us and our lives would be lost? Now, O my son, If I teach you this craft, you must practise it but once in each year; for that will suffice you from year to year." Cried Hasan, "True, O my lord," and sitting down in his open shop, set on the crucible and cast more charcoal on the fire. the Persian said, "What will you, O my son? "; and Hasan said, " Teach me this craft." " There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" exclaimed the Persian, laughing; "truly, O my son, you are little of wit and in nowise fitted for this noble craft. Did ever any during all his life learn this art on the beaten way or in the bazars? If we busy ourselves with it here, the folk will say of us, These practise alchemy; and the magistrates will hear of us, and we shall lose our lives. Why, O my son, If you desire to learn this mystery directly, come you with me to my house."

So Hasan barred his shop and went with that Ajami; but by the way he remembered his mother's words and thinking in himself a thousand thoughts he stood still, with bowed head. The Persian turned and seeing him thus standing laughed and said to him, " Are you mad? What! I in my heart purpose you good and you misdoubtest I will harm you! " Presently, adding,'" But, if you fear to go with me to my house, I will go with you to yours and teach you there." Hasan replied, "'Tis well, O uncle," and the Persian rejoined, "Go you before me." So Hasan led the way to his own house, and entering, told his mother of the Persian's coming, for he had left him standing at the door. She ordered the house for them and when she had made an end of furnishing and adorning it, her son bade her go to one of the neighbours' lodgings. So she left her home to them and go on their way, whereupon Hasan brought in the Persian, who entered after asking leave. Then he took in hand a dish and going to the market, returned with food, which he set before the Persian, saying, "Eat, O my lord, that between us there may be bread and salt and may Almighty Allah do vengance upon the traitor to bread and salt! " The Persian replied with a smile,

"True, O my son! Who knows the virtue and worth of bread and salt?" Then he came forward and ate with Hasan, till they were satisfied; after which the Ajami said, "O my son Hasan, bring us something of sweetmeats." So Hasan went to the market, rejoicing in his words, and returned with ten saucers of sweetmeats, of which they both ate and the Persian said, "May Allah abundantly requite you, O my son! It is the like of you with whom folk company and to whom they discover their secrets and teach what may profit him! " Then he said, "O Hasan bring the gear." But hardly did Hasan hear these words than he went forth like a colt let out to grass in spring tide, and hastening to the shop, fetched the apparatus and set it before the Persian, who pulled out a piece of paper and said, "O Hasan, by the bond of bread and salt, were you not dearer to me than my son, I would not let you into the mysteries of this art, for I have none of the Elixir left save what is in this paper; but by and by I will compound the simples whereof it is composed and will make it before you. Know, O my son Hasan, that to every ten pounds of copper you must set half a drachm of that which is in this paper, and the whole ten will presently become unalloyed virgin gold;" presently adding, "O my son, O Hasan, there are in this paper three ounces, Egyptian measure, and when it is spent, I will make you other and more."

Hasan took the packet and finding within it a yellow powder, finer than the first, said to the Persian, "O my lord, what is the name of this substance and where is it found and how is it made?" But he laughed, longing to get hold of the youth, and replied," Of what do you question? Indeed you are a froward boy! Do your work and hold your peace." So Hasan arose and fetching a brass platter from the house, shore it in shreds and threw it into the melting pot; then he scattered on it a little of the powder from the paper

Hasan Of Bassorah. 13 and it became a lump of pure gold. When he saw this, he joyed with exceeding joy and was filled with amazement and could think of nothing save the gold; but, whilst he was occupied with taking up the lumps of metal from the melting pot, the Persian pulled out of his turband in haste a packet of Cretan Bhang, which if an elephant smelt, he would sleep from night to night, and cutting off a little of it, put it in a piece of the sweetmeat. Then he said, "O Hasan, you are become my very son and dearer to me than soul and wealth, and I have a daughter whose like never have eyes beheld for beauty and loveliness, symmetry and perfect grace. Now I see that you befittest none but her and she none but you; Why, if it be Allah's will, I will marry you to her." Replied Hasan, "I am your servant and whatever good you do with me will be a deposit with the Almighty!" And the Persian rejoined, "O my son, have fair patience and fair shall happen you." Therewith he gave him the piece of sweetmeat and he took it and kissing his hand, put it in his mouth, knowing not what was hidden for him in the after time for only the Lord of Futurity knows the Future. But hardly had he swallowed it, when he fell down, head foregoing heels, and was lost to the world; whereupon the Persian, seeing him in such calamitous case, rejoiced exceedingly and cried, "You has fallen into my snares, O gallows carrion, O dog of the Arabs! This many a year have I sought you and now I have found you, O Hasan! "—

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty first night

She pursued, when Hasan the goldsmith ate the bit of sweetmeat given to him by the Ajami and fell fainting to the ground, the Persian rejoiced exceedingly and cried, "This many a year have I sought you and now I have found you! " Then he girt himself and pinioned Hasan's arms and binding his feet to his hands laid him in a chest, which he emptied to that end and locked it upon him. Moreover, he cleared another chest and laying within it all Hasan's valuables, together with the piece of the first gold lump and the second ingot which he had made locked it with a padlock. Then he ran to the market and fetching a porter, 'took up the two chests and made off with them to a place within sight of the city, where he set them down on the sea shore, close by a vessel at anchor there. Now this craft had been freighted and fitted out by the Persian and her master was awaiting him; so, when the crew saw him, they came to him and bore the two chests on board Then the Persian called out to the Rais or Captain, saying, "Up and let us be off, for I have done my desire and won my wish." So the skipper sang out to the sailors, saying, "Weigh anchor and set sail!" And the ship put out to sea with a fair wind. So far concerning the Persian; but as regards Hasan's mother, she awaited him till supper time but heard neither sound nor news of him; so she went to the house and finding it thrown open, entered and saw none within it and missed the two chests and their valuables;. Why she knew that her son was lost and that doom had overtaken him; and she buffeted her face and rent her raiment crying out and wailing and saying, "Alas, my son, ah! Alas, the fruit of my vitals, ah! " And she recited these couplets:

My patience fails me and grows anxiety; And with your absence growth of grief I see. By God, Patience went what time you went! Loss of all Hope how suffer patiently? When lost my loved one how can' joy I sleep? Who shall enjoy such life of low degree? You 'rt gone and, desolating house and home, Have fouled the fount erst flowed from foulness free: You were my fame, my grace 'mid folk, my stay; My aid were you in all adversity! Perish the day, when from my eyes they bore My friend, till sight I your return to me!

And she did not stop to weep and wail till the dawn, when the neighbours came in to her and he asked of her son, and she told them what had befallen him with the Persian, assured that she should never, never see him again. Then she went round about the house, weeping, and going she espied two lines written upon the wall; so she sent for a scholar, who read them to her; and they were these:

Leyla's phantom came by night, when drowsiness had overcome me, towards morning while my companions were sleeping in the desert, But when we awoke to behold the nightly phantom, I saw the air vacant and the place of visitation was distant.

Hasan Of Bassorah. 15

When Hasan's mother heard these lines, she shrieked and said, "Yes, O my son! Indeed, the house is desolate and the visitation place is distant!" Then the neighbours took leave of her and after they had prayed that she might be vouchsafed patience and speedy reunion with her son went away; but she did not stop to weep all watches of the night and tides of the day and she built In the very middle of the house a tomb on which she let write Hasan's name and the date of his loss, and thenceforward she quitted it not, but made a habit of incessantly biding by that night and day. Such was her case; but touching her son Hasan and the Ajami, this Persian was a Magian, who hated Moslems with exceeding hatred and destroyed all who fell into his power. He was a lewd and filthy villain, a hankerer after alchemy, an astrologer and a hunter of hidden hoards, such an one as he of whom the poet said,:

A dog, dog fathered, by dog grandsire bred; No good in dog from dog race issued: even for a gnat no resting place gives he Who is composed of seed by all men shed.

The name of this accursed was Bahrám the Guebre, and he was wont, every year, to take a Moslem and cut his throat for his own purposes. So, when he had carried out his plot against Hasan the goldsmith, they sailed on from dawn till dark, when the ship made fast to the shore for the night, and at sunrise, when they set sail again, Bahram bade his black slaves and white servants bring him the chest in which were Hasan. They did so, and he opened it and taking out the young man, made him sniff up vinegar and blew a powder into his nostrils. Hasan sneezed and vomited the Bhang; then, opening his eyes, he looked about him right and left and found himself amiddleward the sea on aboard a ship in full sail, and saw the Persian sitting by him; Why he knew that the accursed Magian had put a cheat on him and that he had fallen into the very peril against which his mother had warned him. So he spoke the saying which shall never shame the sayer, to wit, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Truly, we are Allah's and unto Him we are returning! O my God, be You gracious to me in Yours appointment and give me patience to endure this Yours affliction, O Lord of the three Worlds! "

Then he turned to the Persian and bespoke him softly, saying, "O my father, what fashion is this and where is the covenant of bread and salt and the oath you swore to me? " But Bahram stared at him and replied, "O dog, knows the like of me bond of bread and salt? I have slain of youths like you a thousand, save one, and you will make up the thousand." And he cried out at him and Hasan was silent, knowing that the Fate shaft had shot him.—

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty second night

Hasan said, "You have foully betrayed bread and salt "; whereupon the Magus raised his hand and dealt him such a buffet that he fell and, biting the deck with his fore teeth, swooned away, whilst the tears trickled down his cheeks. Then the Guebre bade his servants light him a fire and Hasan said, "What will you do with it?" Replied the Magian, "This is the Fire, lady of light and sparkles bright! This it is I worship, and if you will worship her even as I, truly I will give you half my monies and marry you to my maiden daughter." Thereupon Hasan cried angrily at him, "Woe to you! You are a miscreant Magian who to Fire do pray in lieu of the King of Omnipotent sway, Creator of Night and Day; and this is nothing but

Hasan Of Bassorah. 17 a calamity among creeds! " At this the Magian was wroth and said to him, "Will you not then conform with me, O dog of the Arabs, and enter my faith? " But Hasan consented not to this: so the accursed Guebre arose and prostrating himself to the fire, bade his pages throw him flat on his face. They did so, and he beat him with a hide whip of plaited thongs till his flanks were laid open, whilst he cried aloud for aid but none aided him, and besought protection, but none protected him. Then he raised his eyes to the All powerful King and sought of Him succour in the name of the Chosen Prophet. And indeed patience failed him; his tears ran down his cheeks, like rain, and he repeated these couplets twain:

In patience, O my God, Your doom forecast I'll bear, an by that come Your grace at last: They've dealt us wrong, transgressed and ordered ill Perhaps Your Grace shall pardon what is past.

Then the Magian bade his negro slaves raise him to a sitting posture and bring him something of meat and drink. So they sat food before him; but he consented not to eat or drink; and Bahram did not stop to torment him day and night during the whole voyage, whilst Hasan took patience and humbled himself in supplication before Almighty Allah to whom belong Honour and Glory; by which the Guebre's heart was hardened against him. They did not stop to sail the sea three months, during which time Hasan was continually tortured till Allah Almighty sent forth upon them a foul wind and the sea grew black and rose against the ship, by reason of the fierce gale; whereupon the captain and crew said, "By God, this is all on account of that youth, who has been these three months in torture with this Magian. Indeed, this is not allowed of God the Most High." Then they rose against the Magian and slew his servants and all who were with him; which when he saw, he made sure of death and feared for himself. So he loosed Hasan from his bonds and pulling off the ragged clothes the youth had on, clad him in others; and made excuses to him and promised to teach him the craft and restore him to his native land, saying, "O my son, return me not evil for that

I have done with you." Hasan said, "How can I ever rely upon you again?"; and Bahram said, "O my son, but for sin, there were no pardon. Indeed, I did all these doings with you, but to try your patience, and you know that the case is altogether in the hands of Allah." So the crew and captain rejoiced in Hasan's release, and he called down blessings on them and praised the Almighty and thanked Him. With this the wind was stilled and the sky cleared and with a fair breeze they continued their voyage. Then said Hasan to Bahram, "O Master, where go you? " Replied the Magian, "O my son, I am bound for the Mountain of Clouds, where is the Elixir which we use in alchemy." And the Guebre swore to him by the Fire and the Light that he had no longer any cause to fear him. So Hasan's heart was set at ease and rejoicing at the Persian's words, he continued to eat and drink and sleep with the Magian, who clad him in his own raiment. They did not stop sailing on other three months, when the ship came to anchor off a long shore line of many coloured pebbles, white and yellow and sky blue and black and every other hue, and the Magian sprang up and said, "O Hasan, come, let us go ashore for we have reached the place of our wish and will."

So Hasan rose and landed with Bahram, after the Persian had commended his goods to the captain's care. They walked on inland, till they were far enough from the ship to be out of sight, when Bahram sat down and taking from his pocket a kettle drum of copper and a silken strap, worked in gold with characts, beat the drum with the strap, until there arose a cloud of dust from the further side of the waste. Hasan marvelled at the Magian's doings and was afraid of him: he repented of having come ashore with him and his colour changed. But Bahram looked at him and said, "What ails you, O my son? By the truth of the Fire and the Light, you have nothing to fear from me; and, were it not that my wish may never be won save by your means, I had not brought you ashore. So rejoice in all good; for that cloud of dust is the dust of somewhat we will mount and

Hasan Of Bassorah. 19 which will aid us to cut across this wold and make easy to us the hardships of it."—

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty third night

Presently, the dust lifted off three she dromedaries, one of which Bahram mounted and Hasan another. Then they loaded their victual on the third and fared on seven days, till they came to a wide champaign and, descending into its midst, they saw a dome vaulted upon four pilasters of red gold; so they alighted and entering thereunder, ate and drank and took their rest. soon Hasan chanced to glance aside and seeing from afar a something lofty said to the Magian, "What is that, O nuncle? " Bahram replied, "'Tis a palace," and Hasan said, "Will you not go there, that we may enter and there repose ourselves and solace ourselves with inspecting it?" But the Persian was wroth and said, "Name not to me that palace; for within it dwells a foe, with whom there befell me somewhat whereof this is no time to tell you." Then he beat the kettle drum and up came the dromedaries, and they mounted and fared on other seven days. On the eighth day, the Magian said, "O Hasan, what see you?" Hasan replied, "I see clouds and mists twixt east and west." Bahram said, "That is neither clouds nor mists, but a vast mountain and a lofty on which the clouds split, and there are no clouds above it, for its exceeding height and surpassing elevation. that mount is my goal and thereon is the need we seek. 'Tis for that I brought you here, for my wish may not be won save at your hands."

Hasan hearing this gave his life up for lost and said to the Magian, "By the right of that you worshippest and by the faith in which you believest, I conjure you to tell me what is the object wherefor you have brought me! " Bahram replied, "The art of alchemy may not be accomplished save by means of a herb which grows in the place where the clouds pass and on which they split. Such a site is that mountain upon whose head the herb grows and I purpose to send you up there to fetch it; and when we have it, I will show you the secret of this craft which you desire to learn." Hasan answered, in his fear, "'Tis well, O my master;" and indeed he despaired of life and wept for his parting from his parent and people and patrial stead repenting him of having gainsaid his mother and reciting these two couplets:

Consider but your Lord, His work shall bring. Comfort to you, with quick relief and near: Despair not when you sufferest sorest bane: In bane how many blessed boons appear!

They did not stop faring on till they came to the foot hills of that mountain where they halted; and Hasan saw thereon a palace and asked Bahram, "What be that palace?"; whereto he answered, "'Tis the abode of the Jann and Ghuls and Satans." Then the Magian alighted and making Hasan also dismount from his dromedary kissed his head and said to him, "Bear me no ill will anent that I did with you, for I will keep guard over you in yours ascent to the palace; and I conjure you not to trick and cheat me of anything you will bring from it; and I and you will share equally within it." And Hasan replied," I hear and I obey." Then Bahram opened a bag and taking out a handmill and a sufficiency of wheat, ground the grain and kneaded three round cakes of the flour; after which he lighted a fire and baked the bannocks. Then he took out the copper kettle drum and beat it with the broidered strap, whereupon up came the dromedaries. He chose out one and said," Hearken, O my son, O Hasan, to what I am about to enjoin on you;" and Hasan replied, "'Tis well." Bahram continued, "Lie down on this skin and I will sew you up within it and lay you on the ground; whereupon the Rakham birds will come to you and carry you up to the mountain top. Take this knife with you; and, when you feel that the birds have done flying and have set you down, slit open therewith the skin and come forth. The vultures will then take fright at you and fly away; whereupon do you look down from the mountain head and speak to me, and I will tell you

Hasan Of Bassorah. 21 what to do." So he sewed him up in the skin, placing within it three cakes and a leathern bottle full of water, and withdrew to a distance. Presently, a vulture pounced upon him and taking him up, flew away with him to the mountain top and there set him down. As soon as Hasan felt himself on the ground, he slit the skin and coming forth, called out to the Magian, who hearing his speech rejoiced and danced for excess of joy, saying to him, "Look behind you and tell me what you see." Hasan looked and seeing many rotten bones and much wood, told Bahram, who said to him, "This be what we need and seek. Make six bundles of the wood and throw them down to me, for this is wherewithal we do alchemy." So he threw him the six bundles and when he had gotten them into his power he said to Hasan, "O gallows bird, I have won my wish of you; and now, if you will, you may abide on this mountain, or cast yourself down to the earth and perish." So saying, he left him and went away, and Hasan exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! This hound has played the traitor with me." And he sat bemoaning himself and reciting these couplets:

When God upon a man possessed of reasoning, Hearing and sight His will in anything to pass would bring, He stops his ears and blinds his eyes and draws his wit, From him, as one draws out the hairs to paste that cling; Till, His decrees fulfilled, He gives him back His wit, That therewithal he may receive admonishing. So say you not of anything that haps, "How happened it?" For Fate and fortune fixed do order everything.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty fourth night

She pursued, when the Magian sent Hasan to the mountain top and made him throw down all he required he presently reviled him and left him and go on their way and the youth exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! This damned hound has played the traitor." Then he rose to his feet and looked right and left, after which he walked on along the mountain top, in mind making certain of death. He fared on thus till he came to the counterslope of the mountain, along which he saw a dark blue sea, dashing with billows clashing and yeasting waves each as it were a lofty mount. So he sat down and repeated what he might of the Koran and besought Allah the Most High to ease him of his troubles, or by death or by deliverance from such strait. Then he recited for himself the funeral prayer and cast himself down into the main; but, the waves bore him up By God's grace, so that he reached the water unhurt, and the angel in whose charge is the sea watched over him, so that the billows bore him safe to land, by the decree of the Most High.

Thereupon he rejoiced and praised Almighty Allah and thanked Him; after which he walked on in quest of something to eat, for stress of hunger, and came presently to the place where he had halted with the Magian, Bahram. Then he fared on awhile, till behold, he caught sight of a great palace, rising high in air, and knew it for that of which he had questioned the Persian and he had replied, "within it dwells a foe, of mine." Hasan said to himself, "By God, needs must I enter that palace; perchance relief awaits me there." So coming to it and finding the gate open, he entered the vestibule, where he saw seated on a bench two girls like twin moons with a chess cloth before them and they were at play. One of them raised her head to him and cried out for joy saying, "By God, here is a son of Adam, and I think 'tis he whom Bahram the Magian brought here this year! " So Hasan hearing her words cast himself at their feet and wept with sore weeping and said, "Yes, O my ladies, By God, I am indeed that unhappy." Then said the younger damsel to her elder sister, " Bear witness against me, O my sister, that this is my brother by covenant of Allah and that I will die for his death and live for his life and joy for his joy and mourn for his mourning." So saying, she rose and embraced him and

Hasan Of Bassorah. 23 kissed him and presently taking him by the hand and her sister with her, led him into the palace, where she did off his ragged clothes and brought him a suit of Kings' raiment wherewith she arrayed him. Moreover, she made ready all manner viands and set them before him, and sat and ate with him, she and her sister. Then they said to him, "Tell us your tale with that dog, the wicked, the wizard, from the time of your falling into his hands to that of your freeing you from him; and after we will tell you all that has passed between us and him, so you may be on your guard against him If you see him again." Hearing these words and finding himself thus kindly received, Hasan took heart of grace and reason returned to him and he related to them all that had befallen him with the Magian from beginning to end. Then they asked, "Did you ask him of this palace? "; and he answered, "Yes, but he said:—Name it not to me; for it belongs to Ghuls and Satans." At this, the two damsels grew wroth with exceeding wrath and said, "Did that Miscreant style us Ghuls and Satans?"

And Hasan answered, "Yes." Cried the younger sister, "By God, I will assuredly do him die with the foulest death and make him to lack the wind of the world! " Hasan said, "And how will you get at him, to kill him, for he is a crafty magician? "; and She said, "He is in a garden by name Al-Mushayyad, and there is no help but that I slay him before long." Then he said sister, " truth spoke Hasan in everything he has recounted to us of this cur; but now tell him our tale, that all of it may abide in his memory." So the younger said to him, "Know, O my brother, that we are the daughters of a King of the mightiest Kings of the Jann, having Marids for troops and guards and servants, and Almighty Allah blessed him with seven daughters by one wife; but of his folly such jealousy and stiff neckedness and pride beyond compare gat hold upon him that he would not give us in marriage to any one and, summoning his Wazirs and Emirs, he said to them:—Can you tell me of any place untrodden by the tread of men and Jinn and abounding in trees and fruits and rills? And They said, What will you therewith,? And He said, I desire there to lodge my seven daughters. Answered they, O King, the place for them is the Castle of the Mountain of Clouds, built by an Ifrit of the rebellious Jinn, who revolted from the covenant of our lord Solomon, on whom be the Peace! Since his destruction, none has dwelt there, nor man nor Jinni, for 'tis cut off and none may win to it. And the Castle is girt about with trees and fruits and rills, and the water running around it is sweeter than honey and colder than snow: none who is afflicted with leprosy or elephantiasis or what not else drinks of it but he is healed directly."

Hearing this our father sent us here, with an escort of his troops and guards and provided us with all that we need here. When he is minded to ride to us he beats a kettle drum, whereupon all his hosts present themselves before him and he chooses whom he shall ride and dismisses the rest; but, when he desires that we shall visit him, he commands his followers, the enchanters, to fetch us and carry us to the presence; so he may solace himself with our society and we accomplish our desire of him; after which they again carry us back here. Our five other sisters are gone a hunting in our desert, in which are wild beasts past compt or calculation and, it being our turn to do this we two abode at home, to make ready for them food. Indeed, we had besought Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) to vouchsafe us a son of Adam to cheer us with his company and praised be He who has brought you to us! So be of good cheer and keep yours eyes cool and clear, for no harm

Hasan Of Bassorah. 25 shall befall you." Hasan rejoiced and said, "praise be to God, laud to the Lord who guides us into the path of deliverance and inclins hearts to us! " Then his sister rose and taking him by the hand, led him into a private chamber, where she brought out to him linen and furniture that no mortal can avail unto. Presently, the other damsels returned from hunting and birding and their sisters acquainted them with Hasan's case; whereupon they rejoiced in him and going into him in his chamber, saluted him with the salam and gave him joy of his safety. Then he abode with them in all the solace of life and its joyance, riding out with them to the chase and taking his pleasure with them whilst they entreated him courteously and cheered him with converse, till his sadness ceased from him and he recovered health and strength and his body grew stout and fat, by dint of fair treatment and pleasant time among the seven moons in that fair palace with its gardens and flowers; for indeed he led the delightsomest of lives with the damsels who delighted in him and he yet more in them. And they used to give him drink of the honey dew of their lips, these beauties with the high bosoms, adorned with grace and loveliness, the perfection of brilliancy and in shape very symmetry. Moreover the youngest Princess told her sisters how Bahram the Magian had made them of the Ghuls and Demons and Satans, and they sware that they would surely slay him. Next year the accursed Guebre again made his appearance, having with him a handsome young Moslem, as he were the moon, bound hand and foot and tormented with grievous tortures, and alighted with him below the palace walls. Now Hasan was sitting under the trees by the side of the stream; and when he espied Bahram, his heart fluttered, his hue changed and he smote hand upon hand.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty fifth night

"We hear and we obey Allah and you, O our brother, O Hasan," replied they and binding chin veils, armed themselves and slung on their swords: after which they brought Hasan a steed of the best and equipped him in panoply and weaponed him with goodly weapons. Then they all sallied out and found the Magian who had slaughtered and skinned a camel ill using the young Moslem, and saying to him, "Sit you in this hide." So Hasan came behind him, without his knowledge, and cried out at him till he was dazed and amazed. Then he came up to him, saying, "Hold your hand, O accursed! O enemy of Allah and foe of the Moslems! O dog! O traitor! O you that flame do obey! O you that walkest in the wicked ones' ways, worshipping the fire and the light and swearing by the shade and the heat! " Herewith the Magian turned and seeing Hasan, thought to wheedle him and said to him, "O my son, how did you escape and who brought you down to earth? " Hasan replied, "He delivered me, who has appointed the taking of your life to be at my hand, and I will torture you even as you

Hasan Of Bassorah. 27 torturedst me the whole way long. O miscreant, O atheist, you have fallen into the twist and the way you have missed; and neither mother shall avail you nor brother, nor friend nor solemn covenant shall assist you; for you said, O accursed, whoever betrays bread and salt, may Allah do vengeance upon him! And you have broken the bond of bread and salt; Why the Almighty has thrown you into my grasp, and far is your chance of escape from me." Rejoined Bahram, "By God, O my son, O Hasan, you are dearer to me than my sprite and the light of my eyes! " But Hasan stepped up to him and hastily smote him between the shoulders, that the sword issued gleaming from his throat tendons and Allah hurried his soul to the fire, and abiding place dire. Then Hasan took the Magian's bag and opened it, then having taken out the kettle drum he struck it with the strap, whereupon up came the dromedaries like lightning. So he unbound the youth from his bonds and setting him on one of the camels, loaded him another with victual and water, saying, "go where you will."

So he departed, after Almighty Allah had thus delivered him from his strait at the hands of Hasan. When the damsels saw their brother slay the Magian they joyed in him with exceeding joy and gat round him, marvelling at his valour and prowess; and thanked him for his deed and gave him joy of his safety, saying, "O Hasan you have done a deed, by which you have healed the burning of him that thirsts for vengeance and pleased the King of Omnipotence!" Then they returned to the palace, and he abode with them, eating and drinking and laughing and making merry; and indeed his sojourn with them was joyous to him and he forgot his mother; but while he led with them this goodly life one day, behold, there arose from the further side of the desert a great cloud of dust that darkened the welkin and made towards them. When the Princesses saw this, they said to him, "Rise, O Hasan, run to your chamber and conceal yourself; or If you will, go down into the garden and hide yourself among the trees and vines; but fear not, for no harm shall befall you."

So he arose and entering his chamber, locked the door upon himself, and lay lurking in the palace. Presently, the dust opened out and showed beneath it a great and conquering host, as it were a surging sea, coming from the King, the father of the damsels. Now when the troops reached the castle, the Princesses received them with all honour and hospitably entertained them three days; after which they questioned them of their case and tidings and they replied saying, "We come from the King in quest of you." They asked, "And what would the King with us! "; and the officers answered, "One of the Kings makes a marriage festival, and your father would have you be present at that and take your pleasure therewith." The damsels enquired, "And how long shall we be absent, from our place!"; and they rejoined, "The time to come and go, and to sojourn may be two months." So the Princesses arose and going in to the palace sought Hasan, acquainted him with the case and said to him, "truly this place is your place and our house is your house; so be of good cheer and keep yours eyes cool and clear and feel nor grief nor fear, for none can come at you here; but keep a good heart and a glad mind, till we return to you. The keys of our chambers we leave with you; but, O our brother, we beseech you, by the bond of brotherhood, in very deed not to open such a door, for you have no need thereto." Then they farewelled him and fared forth with the troops, leaving Hasan alone in the palace. It was not long before his breast grew straitened and his patience shortened: solitude and sadness were heavy on him and he sorrowed for his severance from them with passing chagrin. The palace for all its vastness, grew small to him and finding himself sad and solitary, he bethought him of the damsels and their pleasant converse and recited these couplets:

The wide plain is narrowed before these eyes And the landscape troubles this heart of mine. Since my friends went forth, by the loss of them Joy fled and these eyelids rail floods of brine: Sleep shunned these eyeballs for parting woe And my mind is worn with sore pain and pine: Would I know an Time shall rejoin our lots a And the joys of love with night talk combine.

Hasan Of Bassorah. 29

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty sixth night

Then he took the key and, opening the door, saw within it no treasure but he espied a vaulted and winding staircase of Yamani onyx at the upper end of the chamber. So he mounted the stair, which brought him out upon the terrace roof of the palace, from where he looked down upon the gardens and vergiers, full of trees and fruits and beasts and birds warbling praises of Allah, the One, the All powerful; and said in himself "This is that they forbade to me." He gazed upon these pleasaunces and saw beyond a surging sea, dashing with clashing billows, and he did not stop to explore the palace right and left, till he ended at a pavilion builded with alternate courses, two bricks of gold and one of silver and jacinth and emerald and supported by four columns. And in the centre he saw a sitting room paved and lined with a mosaic of all kinds precious stones such as rubies and emeralds and balasses and other jewels of sorts; and in its midst stood a basin brimful of water, over which was a trellis work of sandal wood and aloes wood reticulated with rods of red gold and wands of emerald and set with various kinds of jewels and fine pearls, each sized as a pigeon's egg. The trellis was covered with a climbing vine, bearing grapes like rubies, and beside the basin stood a throne of lign aloes latticed with red gold, inlaid with great pearls and comprising vari coloured gems of every sort and precious minerals, each kind fronting each and symmetrically disposed. About it the birds warbled with sweet tongues and various voices celebrating the praises of Allah the Most High: brief, it was a palace such as nor Caesar nor Chosroes ever owned; but Hasan saw within it none of the creatures of Allah, at which he marvelled and said in himself, "I wonder to which of the Kings this place pertains, or is it Many Columned Iram whereof they tell, for who among mortals can avail to the like of this? " And indeed he was amazed at the spectacle and sat down in the pavilion and cast glances around him marvelling at the beauty of its ordinance and at the lustre of the pearls and jewels and the curious works which within it were, no less than at the gardens and orchards aforesaid and at the birds that hymned the praises of Allah, the One, the Almighty; and he abode pondering the traces of him whom the Most High had enabled to rear that structure, for indeed He is muchel of might. And presently, behold, he espied ten birds flying

Hasan Of Bassorah. 31 towards the pavilion from the heart of the desert and knew that they were making the palace and bound for the basin, to drink of its waters: so he hid himself, for fear they should see him and take flight. They lighted on a great tree and a goodly and circled round about it; and he saw amongst them a bird of marvel beauty, the goodliest of them all, and the nine stood around it and did it service; and Hasan marvelled to see it peck them with its bill and lord it over them while they fled from it. He stood gazing at them from afar as they entered the pavilion and perched on the couch; after which each bird rent open its neck skin with its claws and issued out of it; and to! It was but a garment of feathers, and there came forth from it ten virgins, maids whose beauty shamed the brilliancy of the moon. They all doffed their clothes and plunging into the basin, washed and fell to playing and sporting one with other; whilst the chief bird of them lifted up the rest and ducked them down, and they fled from her and dared not put forth their hands to her.

When Hasan beheld her thus he took leave of his right reason and his sense was enslaved, so he knew that the Princesses had not forbidden him to open the door save because of this; for he fell passionately in love with her, for what he saw of her beauty and loveliness, symmetry and perfect grace, as she played and sported and splashed the others with the water. He stood looking upon them whilst they saw him not, with eye gazing and heart burning and soul to evil prompting; and he sighed to be with them and wept for longing, because of the beauty and loveliness of the chief damsel. His mind was amazed at her charms and his, heart taken in the net of her love; lowe was loosed in his heart for her sake and there grew on him a flame, whose sparks might not be quenched, and desire, whose signs might not be hidden. Presently, they came up out of that basin, whilst Hasan marvelled at their beauty and loveliness and the tokens of inner gifts in the elegance of their movements. Then he cast a glance at the chief damsel who stood mother naked and there was manifest to him what was between her thighs a goodly rounded dome on pillars borne, like a bowl of silver or crystal, which recalled to him the saying of the poet:

When I took up her shift and discovered the terrace roof of her kaze, I found it as strait as my humour or eke my worldly ways: So I thrust it, incontinent, in, halfway, and she heaved a sigh. "For what do you sigh? " I said. " For the rest of it sure," she says.

Then coming out of the water they all put on their dresses and ornaments, and the chief maiden donned a green dress, in which she surpassed for loveliness all the fair ones of the world and the lustre of her face outshone the resplendent full moons: she excelled the branches with the grace of her bending gait and confounded the wit with apprehension of disdain; and indeed she was as says the poet;

A maiden 'twas, the dresser's art had decked with cunning sleight; The sun you 'd'st say had robbed her cheek and shone with borrowed light. She came to us apparelled fair in under vest of green, Like as the ripe pomegranate hides beneath its leafy screen; And when we he asked what might be the name of what she wore, She answered in a quaint reply that double meaning bore: The desert's heart we penetrate in such apparel dressed, And Pierce heart therefore is the name by which we call the vest.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty seventh night

And he continued to gaze on the charms of the chief damsel, who was the lovliest creature Allah had made in her day, and indeed she outdid in beauty all human beings. She had a mouth magical as Solomon's seal and hair blacker than the night of estrangement to the love despairing man; her brow was bright as the crescent moon of the Feast of Ramazán and her eyes were like eyes where with gazelles scan; she had a polished nose straight as a cane and cheeks like blood red anemones of Nu'uman, lips like coralline and teeth like strung pearls in carcanets of gold virgin to man, and a neck like an ingot of silver, above a shape like a wand of Bán: her middle was full of folds, a dimpled plain such as enforces the distracted lover to magnify Allah and extol His might and main, and her navel an ounce of musk, sweetest of savour could contain: she had thighs great and plump, like marble columns twain or bolsters stuffed with down from ostrich ta'en, and between them a somewhat, as it were a hummock great of span or a hare with ears back lain while terrace roof and pilasters completed the plan; and indeed she surpassed the bough of the myrobalan with her beauty and symmetry, and the Indian rattan, for she was even as says of them the poet whom love did unman:

Her lip dews rival honey sweets, that sweet virginity; Keener than Hindí scimitar the glance she casts at you: She shames the bending bough of Bán with graceful movement slow And as she smiles her teeth appear with leven's brilliancy:

When I compared with rose a bloom the tintage of her cheeks, She laughed in scorn and cried, "whoever compares with rosery My hue and breasts granados terms, is there no shame in him? How should pomegranates bear on bough such fruit in form or blee? Now by my beauty and my eyes and heart and eke by Heaven Of favours my and by the Hell of my unclemency, They say ` She is a garden rose in very pride of bloom '; And yet no rose can ape my cheek nor branch my symmetry! If any garden own a thing which unto me is like, What then is that he comes to crave of me and only me?"

They did not stop to laugh and play, whilst Hasan stood still a watching them, forgetting meat and drink, till near the hour of mid afternoon prayer, when the beauty, the chief damsel, said to her mates, " O Kings' daughters, it waxes late and our land is afar and we are weary of this stead. Come, therefore, let us depart to our own place." So they all arose and donned their feather vests, and becoming birds as they were before, flew away all together, with the chief lady in their midst. Then, Hasan, despairing of their return, would have arisen and gone down into the palace but could not move or even stand; Why the tears ran down his cheeks and passion was sore on him and he recited these couplets:

May God deny me boon of troth if I After your absence sweets of slumber know: Yea; since that sev'rance never close my eyes, Nor rest repose me since departed you! 'Twould seem as though you saw me in your sleep; Would Heaven the dreams of sleep were real true! Indeed I dote on sleep though needed not, For sleep may bring me that dear form to view.

Then Hasan walked on, little by little, heeding not the way he went, till he reached the foot of the stairs, from where he dragged himself to his own chamber; then he entered and shutting the door, lay sick eating not nor drinking and drowned in the sea of his solitude. He spent the night thus, weeping and bemoaning himself, till the morning, and when it morrowed he repeated these couplets:

The birds took flight at eve and winged their way; And sinless he who died of Love's death blow. I'll keep my love tale secret while I can But, an desire prevail, its needs must show: Night brought me nightly vision, bright as dawn; While nights of my desire lack morning glow.

Hasan Of Bassorah. 35

I mourn for them while they heart freest sleep And winds of love on me their plaything blow: Free I bestow my tears, my wealth, my heart My wit, my sprite:—most gain who most bestow! The worst of woes and banes is enmity Beautiful maidens deal us to our woe. Favour they say 's forbidden to the fair And shedding lovers' blood their laws allow; That nothing can love sicks do but lavish soul, And stake in love play life on single throw: I cry in longing ardour for my love: Lover can only weep and wail Love lowe.

When the sun rose he opened the door, went forth of the chamber and mounted to the stead where he was before: then he sat down facing the pavilion and awaited the return of the birds till night fall; but they returned not; Why he wept till he fell to the ground in a fainting fit. When he came to after his swoon, he dragged himself down the stairs to his chamber; and indeed, the darkness was come and straitened upon him was the whole world and he did not stop to weep and wail himself through the livelong night, till the day broke and the sun rained over hill and dale its rays serene. He ate not nor drank nor slept, nor was there any rest for him; but by day he was distracted and by night distressed, with sleeplessness delirious and drunken with melancholy thought and excess of love longing. And he repeated the verses of the love distraught poet:

O you who shame sun in morning sheen The branch confounding, yet with nescience blest; Would Heaven I know an Time shall bring return And quench the fires which flame unmanifest, Bring us together in a close embrace, Your cheek upon my cheek, your breast abreast! Who says, In Love dwells sweetness? when in Love Are bitterer days than Aloe's bitterest.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty eighth night

She pursued, when Hasan the goldsmith felt love redouble upon him, he recited those lines; and, as he abode thus in the stress of his love distraction, alone and finding none to cheer him with company, behold, there arose a dust cloud from the desert, Why he ran down and hid himself knowing that the Princesses who owned the castle had returned. Before long, the troops halted and dismounted round the palace and the seven damsels alighted and entering, put off their arms and armour of war. As for the youngest, she stayed not to doff her weapons and gear, but went straight to Hasan's chamber, where finding him not, she sought for him, till she lighted on him in one of the sleeping closets hidden, feeble and thin, with shrunken body and wasted bones and indeed his colour was changed and his eyes sunken in his face for lack of food and drink and for much weeping, by reason of his love and longing for the young lady. When she saw him in this plight, she was confounded and lost her wits; but presently she questioned him of his case and what had befallen him, saying, " Tell me what ails you, O my brother, that I may contrive to do away yours affliction, and I will be your ransom!" Whereupon he wept with sore weeping and by way of reply he began reciting:

Lover, when parted from the thing he loves, Has nothing save weary woe and bane to bear. Inside is sickness, outside living lowe, His first is fancy and his last despair.

When his sister heard this, she marvelled at his eloquence and loquent speech and his readiness at answering her in verse and said to him, "O my brother, when did you fall into this your case and what has happened you, that I find you speaking in song and shedding tears that throng? in God's name, O my brother, and by the honest love which is between us, tell me

Hasan Of Bassorah. 37 what ails you and discover to me your secret, nor conceal from me anything of that which has befallen you in our absence; for my breast is straitened and my life is troubled because of you." He sighed and railed tears like rain, after which he said, " I fear, O my sister, if I tell you, that you will not aid me to win my wish but will leave me to die wretchedly in my anguish." She replied, " No, By God, O my brother, I will not abandon you, though it cost me my life! " So he told her all that had befallen him, and that the cause of his distress and affliction was the passion he had conceived for the young lady whom he had seen when he opened the forbidden door; and how he had not tasted meat nor drink for ten days past. Then he wept with sore weeping and recited these couplets:

Restore my heart as 'twas within my breast, Let my eyes sleep again, then fly fro' me. Deem you the nights have had the might to change Love's vow? Who changes may he never be!

His sister wept for his weeping and was moved to ruth for his case and pitied his strangerhood; so she said to him, " O my brother, be of good cheer and keep yours eyes cool and clear, for I will venture being and risk existence to content you and devise you a device wherewith, though it cost me my dear life and all I hold dear, you may get possession of her and accomplish your desire, if such be the will of Allah Almighty. But I charge you, O my brother, keep the matter secret from my sisterhood and discover not your case to any one of them, lest my life be lost with your life. If they question you of opening the forbidden door, reply to them:—I opened it not; no, never; but I was troubled at heart for your absence and by my loneliness here and yearning for you." And he answered, " Yes: this is the right counsel." So he kissed her head and his heart was comforted and his bosom broadened. He had been almost death for excess of affright, for he had gone in fear of her by reason of his having opened the door; but now his life and soul returned to him.

Then he sought of her something of food and after serving it she left him, and went in to her sisters, weeping and mourning for him. They questioned her of her case and she told them how she was heavy at heart for her brother, because he was sick and for ten days no food had found way into his stomach. So they asked the cause of his sickness and she answered, " The reason was our severance from him and our leaving him desolate; for these days we have been absent from him were longer to him than a thousand years and scant blame to him, seeing he is a stranger, and solitary and we left him alone, with none to company with him or hearten his heart; more by token that he is but a youth and may be he called to mind his family and his mother, who is a woman in years, and bethought him that she weeps for him all whiles of the day and watches of the night, ever mourning his loss; and we used to solace him with our society and divert him from thinking of her." When her sisters heard these words they wept in the stress of their distress for him and said, "Wa'lláhi—'fore Allah, he is not to blame!"

Then they went out to the army and dismissed it, after which they went in to Hasan and saluted him with the salam. When they saw his charms changed with yellow colour and shrunken body, they wept for very pity and sat by his side and comforted him and cheered him with converse, relating to him all they had seen by the way of wonders and rarities and what had befallen the bridegroom with the bride. They abode with him thus a whole month, tendering him and caressing him with words sweeter than syrup; but every day sickness was added to his sickness, which when they saw, they bewept him with sore weeping, and the youngest wept even more than the rest. At the end of this time, the Princesses having made up their minds to ride forth a hunting and a birding invited their sister to accompany them but she said, " By God, O my sisters, I cannot go forth with you, whilst my brother is in this plight, nor indeed till he be restored to health and there cease from him that which is with him of affliction. Rather will I sit with him and comfort him." They thanked her for her kindness and said to her, "Allah will requite you all you do with this stranger." Then they left her with him in the palace and rode forth taking with them twenty days' victual;—

Hasan Of Bassorah. 39

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty ninth night

He rejoiced in her words, making sure of winning his wish, and replied, " Bismillah! On my head!" Then he essayed to rise and show her the place, but could not walk; so she took him up in her arms, holding him to her bosom between her breasts; and, opening the staircase door, carried him to the top of the palace, and he showed her the pavilion where he had seen the girls and the basin of water, in which they had bathed. Then she said to him, " Set forth to me, O my brother, their case and how they came." So he described to her whatever he had seen of them and especially the girl of whom he was enamoured; but hearing these words she knew her and her cheeks paled and her case changed. He said, " O my sister, what ails you to grow wan and be troubled? "; and She said, " O my brother, know you that this young lady is the daughter of a Sovran of the Jann, of one of the most powerful of their Kings and her father had dominion over men and Jinn and wizards and cohens and tribal chiefs and guards and countries and cities and islands galore and has immense wealth in store. Our father is a Viceroy and one of his vassals and none can avail against him, for the multitude of his many and the extent of his empire and the muchness of his monies. He has assigned to his offspring, the daughters you saw, a tract of country, a whole year's journey in length and breadth, a region girt about with a great river and a deep; and thereto none may attain, nor man nor Jann. He has an army of women, smiters with swords and lungers with lances, five and twenty thousand in number, each of whom, whenas she mounts steed and donns battle gear, evens a thousand knights of the bravest. Moreover, he has seven daughters, who in valour and prowess equal and even excel their sisters, and he has made the eldest of them, the damsel whom you saw, queen over the country aforesaid and who is the wisest of her sisters and in valour and horsemanship and craft and skill and magic excels all the folk of her dominions. The girls who companied with her are the ladies of her court and guards and grandees of her empire, and the plumed skins wherewith they fly are the handiwork of enchanters of the Jann.

Now If you would get possession of this queen and wed this jewel seld seen and enjoy her beauty and loveliness and grace, do you pay heed to my words and keep them in your memory. They resort to this place on the first day of every month; and you must take seat here and watch for them; and when you see them coming hide you near the pavilion sitting where you may see them, without being seen of them, and beware, again beware lest you show yourself, or we shall all lose our lives. When they doff their dress note which is the feather suit of her whom you love and take it, and it only, for this it is that carries her to her country, and when you have mastered it, you have mastered her. And beware lest she wile you, saying:—O you who have robbed my raiment, restore it to me, because here am I in yours hands and at your mercy! For, If you give it her, she will kill you and break down over us palace and pavilion and slay our sire: know, then, your case and how you will act. When her companions see that her feather suit is stolen, they will take flight and leave her to you, and beware lest you show yourself to them, but wait till they have flown away and she despairs of them: whereupon do you go in to her and hale her by the hair of her head and drag her to you; which being done, she will be at your mercy. And I counsel you discover not to her that you have taken the feather suit, but keep it with care; for, so long as you have it in hold, she is your prisoner and in your power, seeing that she cannot fly to her country save with it. And lastly carry her down to your chamber where she will be yours." When Hasan heard her words his heart became at ease, his trouble ceased and affliction left him; so he rose to his feet and kissing his sister's head, went down from the terrace with her into the palace, where they slept that night. He medicined himself till morning morrowed; and when the sun rose,

Hasan Of Bassorah. 41 he sprang up and opened the staircase door and ascending to the flat roof sat there till supper tide when his sister brought him up something of meat and drink and a change of clothes and he slept. And thus they continued doing, day by day until the end of the month. When he saw the new moon, he rejoiced and began to watch for the birds, and while he was thus, behold, up they came, like lightning. As soon as he espied them, he hid himself where he could watch them, unwatched by them, and they lighted down one and all of them, and putting off their clothes, descended into the basin. All this took place near the stead where Hasan lay concealed, and as soon as he caught sight of the girl he loved, he arose and crept under cover, little by little, towards the dresses, and Allah veiled him so that none marked his approach for they were laughing and playing with one another, till he laid hand on the dress. Now when they had made an end of their diversion, they came forth of the basin and each of them slipped on her feather suit. But the damsel he loved sought for her plumage that she might put it on, but found it not; whereupon she shrieked and beat her cheeks and rent her raiment. Her sisterhood came to her and asked what ailed her, and she told them that her feather suit was missing; Why they wept and shrieked and buffeted their faces: and they were confounded, knowing not the cause of this, and knew not what to do. Presently, the night overtook them and they feared to abide with her lest that which had befallen her should befall them also; so they farewelled her and flying away left her alone upon the terrace roof of the palace, by the pavilion basin.—

When it was the Seven Hundred and Nineties night

But when Hasan heard her speak thus, with speech sweeter than syrup, his love for her redoubled, passion got the mastery of his reason and he had not patience to endure from her. So springing up from his hiding place, he rushed upon her and laying hold of her by the hair dragged her to him and carried her down to the basement of the palace and set her in his own chamber, where he threw over her a silken cloak and left her weeping and biting her hands. Then he shut the door upon her and going to his sister, informed her how he had made prize of his lover and carried her to his sleeping closet, "And there," He said, " she is now sitting, weeping and biting her hands." When his sister heard this, she rose directly and betook herself to the chamber, where she found the captive weeping and mourning. So she kissed ground before her and saluted her with the salam and the young lady said to her, "O King's daughter, do folk like you do such foul deed with the daughters of Kings? You know that my father is a mighty Sovran and that all the liege lords of the Jinn stand in awe of him and fear his majesty: for that there are with him magicians and sages and Cohens and Satans and Marids, such as none may cope as well, and under his hand are folk whose number none knows save Allah. How then loth it become you, O daughters of Kings, to harbour mortal men with you and disclose to them our case and yours? Else how should this man, a stranger, come at us? " Hasan's sister made reply, "O King's daughter, in very truth this human is perfect in nobleness and purposes you no villainy; but he loves you, and women were not made save for men. Did he not love you, he had not fallen sick for your sake and well near given up the ghost for desire of you."

And she told her the whole tale how Hasan had seen her bathing in the basin with her attendants, and fallen in love with her, and none had pleased him but she, for the rest were all her handmaids, and none had availed to put forth a hand to her. When the Princess heard this, she despaired of deliverance and presently Hasan's sister went forth and brought her a costly dress, in which she robed her. Then she set before her something of meat and drink and ate with her and heartened her heart and soothed her sorrows. And she did not stop to speak her fair with soft and pleasant words, saying, " Have pity on him who saw you once and became as one slain by your love;" and continued

Hasan Of Bassorah. 43 to console her and caress her, quoting fair says and pleasant instances. But she wept till daybreak, when her trouble subsided and she left shedding tears, knowing that she had fallen into the net and that there was no deliverance for her. Then she said to Hasan's sister, "O King's daughter, with this my strangerhood and severance from my country and sisterhood which Allah wrote upon my brow, patience becomes me to support what my Lord has foreordained." Therewith the youngest Princess assigned her a chamber in the palace, than which there was none goodlier and did not stop to sit with her and console her and solace her heart, till she was satisfied with her lot and her bosom was broadened and she laughed and there ceased from her what trouble and oppression possessed her, by reason of her separation from her people and country and sisterhood and parents. Thereupon Hasan's sister repaired to him, and said, " Arise, go in to her in her chamber and kiss her hands and feet. " So he went in to her and did this and kissed her between the eyes, saying, " O Princess of fair ones and life of sprites and beholder's delight, be easy of heart, for I took you only that I might be your bonds man till the Day of Doom, and this my sister will be your servant; for I, O my lady, desire nothing but to take you to wife, after the law of Allah and the practice of His Apostle, and whenas you will, I will journey with you to my country and carry you to Baghdad city and abide with you there: moreover, I will buy you handmaidens and negro chattels; and I have a mother, of the best of women, who will do you service. There is no goodlier land than our land; everything within it is better than elsewhere and its folk are a pleasant people and bright of face."

Now as he bespake her thus and strave to comfort her, what while she answered him not a syllable, lo! there came a knocking at the palace gate. So Hasan went out to see who was at the door and found there the six Princesses, who had returned from hunting and birding, at which he rejoiced and went to meet them and welcomed them. They wished him safety and health and he wished them the like; after which they dismounted and going each to her chamber doffed their soiled clothes and donned fine linen. Then they came forth and demanded the game, for they had taken a store of gazelles and wild cows, hares and lions, hyaenas, and others; so their suite brought out some of it for butchering, keeping the rest by them in the palace, and Hasan girt himself and fell to slaughtering for them in due form, whilst they sported and made merry, joying with great joy to see him standing amongst them hale and hearty once more. When they had made an end of slaughtering, they sat down and addressed themselves to get ready somewhat for breaking their fast, and Hasan, coming up to the eldest Princess, kissed her head and on like wise did he with the rest, one after other. Whereupon they said to him, "Indeed, you humblest yourself to us passing measure, O our brother, and we marvel at the excess of the affection you showest us. But Allah forfend that you should do this thing, which it behoves us rather to do with you, seeing you are a man and therefor worthier than we, who are of the Jinn."

Thereupon his eyes brimmed with tears and he wept sore; so they said to him, "What causes you to weep? Indeed, you troublest our pleasant lives with your weeping this day. 'Twould seem you longest after your mother and native land. An things be so, we will equip you and carry you to your home and your friends." He replied, " By God, I desire not to part from you! " Then they asked," Which of us has vexed you, that you are thus troubled?" But he was ashamed to say, " nothing troubls me save love of the damsel," lest they should deny and disavow him: so he was silent and would tell them nothing of his case. Then his sister came forward and said to them, " He has caught a bird from the air and would have you help him to tame her." Whereupon they all turned to him and cried, "We are at your service every one of us and whatever you seek that will we do: but tell us your tale and conceal from us nothing of your case." So he said to his sister, "Do you tell them, for I am ashamed before them nor can I face them with these words."—

Hasan Of Bassorah. 45

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety first night

So she said to them, " O my sisters, when we went away and left alone this unhappy one, the palace was straitened upon him and he feared lest some one should come in to him, for you know that the sons of Adam are light of wits. So, he opened the door of the staircase leading to the roof, of his loneliness and trouble, and sat there, looking upon the Wady and watching the gate, in his fear lest any should come there. One day, as he sat thus, suddenly he saw ten birds, approach him, making for the palace, and they lighted down on the brink of the basin which is in the pavilion terrace. He watched these birds and saw, amongst them, one goodlier than the rest, which pecked the others and flouted them, whilst none of them dared not put out a claw to it. Presently, they set their nails to their neck collars and, rending their feather suits, came forth from it and became damsels, each and every, like the moon on fullest night. Then they doffed their dress and plunging into the water, fell to playing with one another, whilst the chief damsel ducked the others, who dared not lay a finger on her and she was fairest of favour and most famous of form and most feateous of finery. They did not stop to be in this case till near the hour of mid afternoon prayer, when they came forth of the basin and, donning their feather shifts, flew away home.

Thereupon he grew distracted, with a heart afire for love of the chief damsel and repenting him that he had not stolen her plumery. Why he fell sick and abode on the palace roof expecting her return and abstaining from meat and drink and sleep, and he did not stop to be so till the new moon showed, when behold, they again made their appearance according to custom and doffing their dresses went down into the basin. So he stole the chief damsel's feather suit, knowing that she could not fly save therewith, hiding himself carefully lest they sight him and slay him. Then he waited till the rest had flown away, when he arose and seizing the damsel, carried her down from the terrace into the castle." Her sisters asked, "Where is she? "; and she answered, " She is with him in such a chamber." They said, " Describe her to us, O our sister:"

so She said, " She is fairer than the moon on the night of fullness and her face is sheenier than the sun; the dew of her lips is sweeter than honey and her shape is straighter and slenderer than the cane; one with eyes black as night and brow flower white; a bosom jewel bright, breasts like pomegranates twain and cheeks like apples twain, a waist with dimples overlain, a navel like a casket of ivory full of musk in grain, and legs like columns of alabastrine vein. She ravishes all hearts with Nature kohl'd eyne, and a waist slender fine and hips of heaviest design and speech that heals all pain and pine: she is goodly of shape and sweet of smile, as she were the moon in fullest sheen and shine." When the Princesses heard these praises, they turned to Hasan and said to him, "Show her to us." So he arose with them, all love distraught, and carrying them to the chamber in which was the captive damsel, opened the door and entered, preceding the seven Princesses. Now when they saw her and noted her loveliness, they kissed the ground between her hands, marvelling at the fairness of her favour and the significance which showed her inner gifts, and said to her, "By God, O daughter of the Sovran Supreme, this is indeed a mighty matter: and had you heard tell of this mortal among women you had marvelled at him all your days. Indeed, he loves you with passionate love; yet, O King's daughter, he seeks not lewdness, but desires you only in the way of lawful wedlock. Had we known that maids can do without men, we had impeached him from his intent, albeit he sent you no messenger, but came to you in person; and he tells us he has burnt the feather dress; else had we taken it from him."

Then one of them agreed with the Princess and becoming her deputy in the matter of the wedding contract, performed the marriage ceremony between them, whilst Hasan clapped palms with her, laying his hand in hers, and she wedded him to the damsel by consent; after which they celebrated her bridal feast, as beseems Kings' daughters, and brought Hasan in to her. So he rose and rent the veil and oped the gate and pierced the forge and brake the seal, whereupon affection for her grew in him and he redoubled in love and longing for her. Then, since he had gotten that which he sought, he gave himself joy and improvised these couplets:

Hasan Of Bassorah. 47

Your shape's temptation, eyes as Houri's glad And shedds Beauty's sheen that radiance rare: My glance portrayed your glorious portraiture: Rubies one half and gems the third part were: Musk made a fifth: a sixth was ambergris The sixth a pearl but pearl with out compare. Eve never bare a daughter evening you Nor breathes your like in Khuld's celestial air. If you would torture me 'tis wont of Love And if you pardon 'tis your choice I swear: Then, O world bright'ner and O end of wish! Loss of your charms who could in patience bear?

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety second night

When she heard this she rejoiced and was glad and felt happy and Hasan abode with her forty days in all solace and delight, joyance and happiest plight, whilst the damsels renewed festivities for him every day and overwhelmed him with bounty and presents and rarities; and the King's daughter became reconciled to her sojourn amongst them and forgot her kith and kin. At the end of the forty days, Hasan saw in a dream, one night, his mother mourning for him and indeed her bones were wasted and her body had grew shrunken and her complexion had yellowed and her favour had changed the while he was in excellent case.

When she saw him in this state, she said to him, " O my son, O Hasan, how is it that you livest your worldly life at yours ease and forgettest me? Look at my plight since your loss! I do not forget you, nor will my tongue cease to name your name till I die; and I have made you a tomb in my house, that I may never forget you. Would Heaven I knew if I shall live, O my son, to see you by my side and if we shall ever again foregather as we were." Thereupon Hasan awoke from sleep, weeping and wailing, the tears railed down his cheeks like rain and he became mournful and melancholy; his tears dried not nor did sleep visit him, but he had no rest, and no patience was left to him. When he arose, the Princesses came in to him and gave him goodmorrow and made merry with him as was their wont; but he paid no heed to them; so they asked his wife concerning his case and she said, "I ken not." They said, " Question him of his condition." So she went up to him and said, "What ails you, O my lord? " Whereupon he moaned and groaned and told her what he had seen in his dream and repeated these two couplets:

Indeed afflicted sore are we and all distraught, Seeking for union; yet we find no way: And Love's calamities upon us grow And Love though light with heaviest weight does weigh.

His wife repeated to the Princesses what he said and they, hearing the verses, had pity on him and said to him, "In Allah's name, do as you will, for we may not hinder you from visiting your mother; nay, we will help you to your wish by what means we may. But it behoves that you desert us not, but visit us, though it be only once a year." And he answered, "I hear and I obey: be your behest on my head and eyes! " Then they arose directly and making him ready victual for the voyage, equipped the bride for him with raiment and ornaments and everything of price, such as defy description, and they bestowed on him gifts and presents which pens of ready writers

Hasan Of Bassorah. 49 lack power to set forth. Then they beat the magical kettle drum and up came the dromedaries from all sides. They chose of them such as could carry all the gear they had prepared; amongst the rest five and twenty chests of gold and fifty of silver; and, mounting Hasan and his bride on others, rode with them three days, in which they accomplished a march of three months. Then they bade them farewell and addressed themselves to return; whereupon his sister, the youngest damsel, threw herself on Hasan's neck and wept till she fainted. When she came to herself, she repeated these two couplets:

never dawn the severance day on any wise That robs of sleep these heavy lidded eyes. From us and you it has fair union torn It wastes our force and makes our forms its prize.

Her verses finished she farewelled him, straitly charging him, whenas he should have come to his native land and have foregathered with his mother and set his heart at ease, to fail not of visiting her once in every six months and saying, " If anything grieve you or you fear anything of vexation, beat the Magian's kettle drum, whereupon the dromedaries shall come to you; and do you mount and return to us and persist not in staying away." He swore thus to do and conjured them to go home. So they returned to the palace, mourning for their separation from him, especially the youngest, with whom no rest would stay nor would Patience her call obey, but she wept night and day. Thus it was with them; but as regards Hasan and his wife, they fared on by day and night over plain and desert site and valley and stony heights through noon tide glare and dawn's soft light; and Allah decreed them safety, so that they reached Bassorah city without hindrance and made their camels kneel at the door of his house. Hasan then dismissed the dromedaries and, going up to the door to open it, heard his mother weeping and in a faint strain, from a heart worn with parting pain and on fire with consuming bane, reciting these couplets:

How shall he taste of sleep who lacks repose Who wakes a night when all in slumber wone? He owned wealth and family and fame Yet fared from house and home an exile lone:

Live coal beneath his ribs he bears for bane, And mighty longing, mightier never was known: Passion has seized him, Passion mastered him; Yet is he constant while he makes moan: His case for Love proclaims aye that he, (As prove his tears) is wretched, woe begone.

When Hasan heard his mother weeping and wailing he wept also and knocked at the door a loud knock. She said, " Who is at the door? "; and He said, "Open!" Whereupon she opened the door and knowing him at first sight fell down in a fainting fit; but he did not stop to tend her till she came to herself, when he embraced her and she embraced him and kissed him, whilst his wife looked on mother and son. Then he carried his goods and gear into the house, whilst his mother, for that her heart was comforted and Allah had reunited her with her son versified with these couplets:

Fortune had ruth upon my plight Pitied my long long bane and blight; Gave me what I would liefest sight; And set me free from all affright. So pardon I the sin that sinnèd she in days evanisht quite; even to the sin she sinned when she Bleached my hair parting silvern white.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety third night

She pursued, Hasan with his mother then sat talking and she asked him, " How faredst you, O my son, with the Persian?" whereto he answered, "O my mother, he was no Persian, but a Magian, who worshipped the fire, not the All powerful Sire." Then he told her how he dealt with him, in that he had journeyed with him to the Mountain of Clouds and sewed him up in the camel's skin, and how the vultures had taken him up and set him down on the summit and what he had seen there of dead folk, whom the Magian had deluded and left to die on the crest after they had done his desire. And he told her how he had cast himself from the mountain top into the sea and Allah the Most High had preserved

Hasan Of Bassorah. 51 him and brought him to the palace of the seven Princesses and how the youngest of them had taken him to brother and he had sojourned with them, till the Almighty brought the Magian to the place where he was and he slew him. Moreover, he told her of his passion for the King's daughter and how he had made prize of her and of his seeing her in sleep and all else that had befallen him up to the time when Allah vouchsafed them reunion. She wondered at his story and praised the Lord who had restored him to her in health and safety. Then she arose and examined the baggage and loads and questioned him of them. So he told her what was in them, at which she joyed with exceeding joy. Then she went up to the King's daughter, to talk with her and bear her company; but, when her eyes fell on her, her wits were confounded at her brilliancy and she rejoiced and marvelled at her beauty and loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace: and she sat down beside her, cheering her and comforting her heart while she never ceased to repeat "praise be to God, O my son, for your return to me safe and sound I"

Next morning early she went down into the market and bought mighty fine furniture and ten suits of the richest raiment in the city, and clad the young wife and adorned her with everything seemly. Then she said to Hasan, " O my son, we cannot tarry in this town with all this wealth; for you know that we are poor folk and the people will suspect us of practising alchemy. So come, let us depart to Baghdad, the House of Peace, where we may dwell in the Caliph's Sanctuary, and you will sit in a shop to buy and sell, in the fear of Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty!) and He shall open to you the door of blessings with this wealth." Hasan approved her counsel and going forth At once, sold the house and summoned the dromedaries, which he loaded with all his goods and gear, together with his mother and wife. Then he went down to the Tigris, where he hired him a craft to carry them to Baghdad and embarked within it all his possessions and his mother and wife. They sailed up the river with a fair wind for ten days till they drew in sight of Baghdad, at which they all rejoiced, and the ship landed them in the city, where without delay Hasan hired a storehouse in one of the caravanserais and transported his goods there. He lodged that night in the Khan and on the morrow, he changed his clothes and going down into the city, enquired for a broker. The folk directed him to one, and when the broker saw him, he asked him what he lacked. He said, " I want a house, a handsome one and a spacious."

So the broker showed him the houses at his disposal and he chose one that belonged to one of the Wazirs and buying it of him for an hundred thousand golden dinars, gave him the price. Then he returned to his caravanserai and removed all his goods and monies to the house; after which he went down to the market and bought all the mansion needed of vessels and carpets and other household stuff, besides servants and eunuchs, including a little black boy for the house. He abode with his wife in all solace and delight of life three years, during which time he was vouchsafed by her two sons, one of whom he named Nasir and the other Mansur: but, at the end of this time he bethought him of his sisters, the Princesses, and called to mind all their goodness to him and how they had helped him to his desire. So he longed after them and going out to the market streets of the city, bought trinkets and costly stuffs and fruit confections, such as they had never seen or known. His mother asked him the reason of his buying these rarities and he answered, " I purpose to visit my sisters, who showed me every kind of kindness, and all the wealth that I at present enjoy is due to their goodness and munificence: Why I will journey to them and return soon, God willing!"

She said, " O my son, be not long absent from me;" and He said, " Know, O my mother, how you will do with my wife. Here is her feather dress in a chest, buried under ground in such a place; do you watch over it, lest Perhaps she hap on it and take it, for she would fly away, she and her children, and I should never hear of them again and should die of grieving for them; Why take heed, O my mother, while I warn you that you name this not to her. You must know that she is the daughter of a King of the Jinn, than whom there is not a greater among the Sovrans of the Jann nor a richer in troops and treasure, and she is mistress of her people and dearest to her father of all he has. Moreover, she is passing high spirited, so do you serve her yourself and suffer her not to go forth the door neither look out of window

Hasan Of Bassorah. 53 nor over the wall, for I fear the air for her when it blows, and if anything befell her of the calamities of this world, I should slay myself for her sake." She replied, " O my son, I take refuge with Allah from gainsaying you! Am I mad that you should lay this charge on me and I disobey you within it? Depart, O my son, with heart at ease, and please Allah, soon you will return in safety and see her and she shall tell you how I have dealt with her: but tarry not, O my son, beyond the time of travel."—

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety fourth night

Then she wept and Hasan's mother had pity on her condition and said to her, " O my daughter, here we are strangers and your husband is abroad. Were he at home, he would serve you himself, but, as for me, I know no one. However, O my daughter, I will heat you water and wash your head in the Hammam bath which is in the house." Answered the King's daughter, "O my lady, had you spoken thus to one of the slave girls, she had demanded to be sold in the Sultan's open market and had not abode with you. Men are excusable, because they are jealous and their reason tells them that, if a woman go forth the house, Perhaps she will do frowardness. But women, O my lady, are not all equal and alike and you know that, if woman have a mind to anything, whether it be the Hammam or what not else, none has power over her to guard her or keep her chaste or debar her from her desire; for she will do whatever she wills and nothing restrains her but her reason and her religion." Then she wept and cursed fate and bemoaned herself and her strangerhood, till Hasan's mother was moved to ruth for her case and knew that all she said was but truth and that there was nothing for it but to let her have her way.

So she committed the affair to Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) and making ready all that they needed for the bath, took her and went with her to the Hammam. She carried her two little sons with her, and when they entered, they put off their clothes and all the women fell to gazing on the Princess and glorifying God (to whom belong Might and Majesty!) for that He had created so fair a form, The women of the city, even those who were passing by, flocked to gaze upon her, and the report of her was noised abroad in Baghdad till the bath was crowded that there was no passing through it. Now it chanced there was present on that day and on that rare occasion with the rest of the women

Hasan Of Bassorah. 55 in the Hammam, one of the slave girls of the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, by name Tohfah the Lutanist, and she, finding the Hammam over crowded and no passing for the throng of women and girls, asked what was to do; and they told her of the young lady. So she walked up to her and, considering her closely, was amazed at her grace and loveliness and glorified God (magnified be His majesty!) for the fair forms He has created. The sight hindered her from her bath, so that she went not farther in nor washed, but sat staring at the Princess, till she had made an end of bathing and coming forth of the caldarium donned her raiment, whereupon beauty was added to her beauty. She sat down on the divan, whilst the women gazed upon her; then she looked at them and veiling herself, went out. Tohfah went out with her and followed her, till she saw where she dwelt, when she left her, and returned to the Caliph's palace; and did not stop going till she went in to the Lady Zubaydah and kissed ground between her hands; whereupon her mistress said, "O Tohfah, why have you tarried in the Hammam? " She replied, " O my lady, I have seen a marvel, never saw I its like amongst men or women, and this it was that distracted me and dazed my wit and amazed me, so that I forgot even to wash my head."

Asked Zubaydah, " And what was that?"; and Tohfah answered, "O my lady, I saw a damsel in the bath, having with her two little boys like moons, eye never espied her like, nor before her nor after her, neither is there the fellow of her form in the whole world nor her peer amongst Ajams or Turks or Arabs. By the munificence, O my lady, If you told the Commander of the Faithful of her, he would slay her husband and take her from him, for her like is not to be found among women. I asked of her mate and they told me that he is a merchant Hasan of Bassorah called. Moreover, I followed her from the bath to her own house and found it to be that of the Wazir, with the two gates, one opening on the river and the other on the land. Indeed, O my lady, I fear lest the Prince of True Believers hear of her and break the law and slay her husband and of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety fifth night

Zubaydah cried, "Woe to you, O Tohfah, say me, does this damsel display such passing beauty and loveliness that the Commander of the Faithful should, on her account, barter his soul's good for his worldly lust and break the Holy Law! By God, needs must I look on her, and if she be not as you say, I will bid strike off your head! O strumpet, there are in the Caliph's Serraglio three hundred and three score slave girls, after the number of the days of the year, yet is there none amongst them so excellent as you describest! " Tohfah replied, " No, By God, O my lady!: nor is there her like in all Baghdad; no, nor amongst the Arabs or the Daylamites nor has Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty!) created the like of her! " Thereupon Zubaydah called for Masrur, the eunuch, who came and kissed the ground before her, and she said to him, " O Masrur, go to the Wazir's house, that with the two gates, one giving on the water and the other on the land, and bring me the damsel who dwells there, also her two children and the old woman who is with her, and haste you and tarry not." Masrur said, " I hear and I obey," and repairing to Hasan's house, knocked at the door. the old woman said, " Who is at the door?" and He said, " Masrur, the eunuch of the Commander of the Faithful." So she opened the door and he entered and saluted her with the salam; whereupon she returned his salute and asked his need; and he replied, " The Lady Zubaydah, daughter of Al-Kasim and queen spouse of the Commander of the Faithful Harun al-Rashid sixth of the sons of Al-Abbas, paternal uncle of the Prophet (whom Allah bless and keep!) summons you to her, you and your son's wife and her children; for the women have told her anent her and her beauty"

Hasan Of Bassorah. 57

Rejoined the old woman, O my lord Masrur, we are foreigner folk and the girl's husband (my son) who is abroad and far from home has strictly charged me not to go forth nor let her go forth in his absence, neither show her to any of the creatures of Allah Almighty; and I fear me, if anything befall her and he come back, he will slay himself; Why of your favour I beseech you, O Masrur, require us not of that whereof we are unable." Masrur retorted, "O my lady, if I knew anything to be feared for you in this, I would not require you to go; the Lady Zubaydah desires but to see her and then she may return. So disobey not or you will repent; and like as I take you, I will bring you both back in safety, God willing!" Hasan's mother could not gainsay him; so she went in and making the damsel ready, brought her and her children forth and they all followed Masrur to the palace of the Caliphate where he carried them in and seated them on the floor before the Lady Zubaydah. They kissed ground before her and called down blessings upon her; and Zubaydah said to the young lady (who was veiled), "Will you not uncover your face, that I may look on it? "

So she kissed the ground between her hands and discovered a face which put to shame the full moon in the height of heaven. Zubaydah fixed her eyes on her and let their glances wander over her, whilst the palace was illumined by the light of her countenance; whereupon the Queen and the whole company were amazed at her beauty and all who looked on her became Jinn mad and unable to bespeak one another. As for Zubaydah, she rose and making the damsel stand up, strained her to her bosom and seated her by herself on the couch. Moreover, she bade decorate the palace in her honour and calling for a suit of the richest raiment and a necklace of the rarest ornaments put them upon her. Then she said to her, "O liege lady of fair ones, truly you astoundest me and fillest my eyes. What arts know you? " She replied, " O my lady, I have a dress of feathers, and could I but put it on before you, you would see one of the fairest of fashions and marvel at that, and all who saw it would talk of its goodliness, generation after generation." Zubaydah asked, " And where is this dress of yours?"; and the damsel answered, " 'Tis with my husband's mother. Do you seek it for me of her."

So Zubaydah said to the old woman, "O my lady the pilgrimess, O my mother, go forth and fetch us her feather dress, that we may solace ourselves by looking on what she will do, and after take it back again." Replied the old woman, " O my lady, this damsel is a liar. Have you ever seen any of womankind with a dress of feathers? Indeed, this belongs only to birds." But the damsel said to the Lady Zubaydah, " As you livest, O my lady, she has a feather dress of my and it is in a chest, which is buried in such a store closet in the house." So Zubaydah took off her neck a riviere of jewels, worth all the treasures of Chosroe and Caesar, and gave it to the old woman, saying, " O my mother, I conjure you by my life, take this necklace and go and fetch us this dress, that we may divert ourselves with the sight of it, and after take it again! " But she sware to her that she had never seen any such dress and wist not what the damsel meant by her speech. Then the Lady Zubaydah cried out at her and taking the key from her, called Masrur and said to him as soon as he came, " Take this key and go to the house; then open it and enter a store closet there whose door is such and such and In the very middle of it you will find a chest buried. Take it out and break it open and bring me the feather dress which is within it and set it before me."—

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety sixth night

"I hear and I obey," he replied and taking the key went forth, whereupon the old woman arose and followed him, weeping eyed and repenting her of having given ear to the damsel and gone with her to the bath, for her desire to go there was but a device. So she went with him to the house and opened the door of the closet, and he entered and brought out the chest. Then he took from it the feather dress and wrapping it in a napkin, carried it to the Lady Zubaydah, who took it and turned it about, marvelling at the beauty of its make; after which she gave it to the damsel, saying, " Is this your dress of feathers? " She replied, " Yes, O my lady, and at once putting forth her hand, took it joyfully. Then she examined it and rejoiced to find it whole as it was, not feather gone. So she rose and came down from beside the Lady Zubaydah and taking her sons in her bosom, wrapped herself in the feather dress and became a bird, by the ordinance of Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty!), at which Zubaydah marvelled as did all who were present. Then she walked with a swaying and graceful

Hasan Of Bassorah. 59 gait and danced and sported and flapped her wings, whilst all eyes were fixed on her and all marvelled at what she did. Then she said with fluent tongue, " Is this goodly, O my ladies? "; and they replied, "Yes, O Princess of the fair! All you do is goodly." She said, "And this, O my mistresses, that I am about to do is better yet." Then she spread her wings and flying up with her children to the dome of the palace, perched on the saloon roof whilst they all looked at her, wide eyed and said, " By God, this is indeed a rare and peregrine fashion! Never saw we its like." Then, as she was about to take flight for her own land, she bethought her of Hasan and said, " Hark you, my mistresses! " And she improvised these couplets

O who have quitted these abodes and faredst gladly and light To other objects of your love with glad and fastest flight! Deem'st you that 'bided I with you in solace and in joy Or that my days amid you all were clear of bane and blight? When I was captive ta'en of Love and snared in his snare, He made of Love my prison and he fared fro' me directly: So when my fear was hidden, he made sure that never should I Pray to the One, th' Omnipotent to render me my right: He charged his mother keep the secret with all the care she could, In closet shut and treated me with enemy's despight: But I o'erheard their words and held them fast in memory And hoped for fortune fair and weal and blessings infinite: My faring to the Hammam bath then proved to me the means Of making minds of folk to be confounded at my sight: Wondered the Bride of Al-Rashid to see my brilliancy When she beheld me right and left with all of beauty dressed Then I said " O our Caliph's wife, I once was wont to own A dress of feathers rich and rare that did the eyes delight: If it were now on me you should indeed see wondrous things That would efface all sorrows and disperse all sores of sprite:" Then deigned our Caliph's Bride to cry, " Where is that dress of yours?" And I replied, " In house of him kept darkling as the night." So down upon it pounced Masrur and brought it unto her, And when 'twas there each feather cast a ray of beaming light: Therewith I took it from his hand and opened it At once And saw its plumed bosom and its buttons pleased my sight: And so I clad myself within it and took with me my babes; And spread my wings and flew away with all my main and might; Saying, "O husband's mother mine tell him when comes he An ever would meet her you from house and home must flee.

When she had made an end of her verses, the Lady Zubaydah said to her, " Will you not come down to us, that we may take our fill of your beauty, O fairest of the fair? Glory be to Him who has given you eloquence and brilliance!" But she said, " Far be from me that the Past return should see! " Then she said to the mother of the hapless, wretched Hasan, " By God, O my lady, O mother of my husband, it irks me to part from you; but, whenas your son comes to you and upon him the nights of severance longsome shall be and he cravs reunion and meeting to see and whenas breezes of love and longing shake him dolefully, let him come in the islands of Wak to me." Then she took flight with her children and sought

Hasan Of Bassorah. 61 her own country, whilst the old woman wept and beat her face and moaned and groaned till she swooned away. When she came to herself, she said to the Lady Zubaydah, " O my lady, what is this you have done?" And Zubaydah said to her, "O my lady the pilgrimess, I knew not that this would happen and had you told me of the case and acquainted me with her condition, I had not gainsaid you. Nor did I know until now that she was of the Flying Jinn; else had I not suffered her to don the dress nor permitted her to take her children: but now, O my lady, words profit nothing; so do you acquit me of offence against you." And the old woman could do no otherwise than shortly answer, " You are acquitted! " Then she went forth the palace of the Caliphate and returned to her own house, where she buffeted her face till she swooned away. When she came to herself, she pined for her daughter in law and her grandchildren and for the sight of her son and versified with these couplets:

Your faring on the parting day drew many a tear fro' me, Who must your flying from the home long mourn in misery: And cried I for the parting pang in anguish like fire And tear floods chafed my eyelids sore that never of tears were free; "Yes, this is Severance, Ah, shall we ever joy return of you? For your departure has deprived my power of privacy!" Ah, would they had returned to me in covenant of faith If they return perhaps restore of past these eyne may see.

Then arising she dug in the house three graves and betook herself to them with weeping all whiles of the day and watches of the night; and when her son's absence was longsome upon her and grief and yearning and unquiet grew upon her, she recited these couplets:

Deep in my eye balls ever dwells the phantom form of you My heart when throbbing or at rest holds fast your memory: And love of you does never cease to course within my breast, As course the juices in the fruits which deck the branchy tree:

And every day I see you not my bosom straightened is And even censurers excuse the woes in me they see: O you whose love has gotten hold the foremost in the heart Of me whose fondness is excelled by my insanity: Fear the Compassionate in my case and some compassion show! Love of you makes me taste of death in bitterest pungency.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety seventh night

soon came forward the second Princess and embraced him and recited these two couplets;

Farewelling you indeed is like to bidding life farewell And like the loss of Zephyr 'tis to lose you far our sight: Yours absence is a flaming fire which burns up my heart And in your presence I enjoy the Gardens of Delight.

Presently, came forward the third and embraced him and recited these two couplets:

Hasan Of Bassorah. 63

We did not leave taking leave of you (when bound to other goal) From anything of ill intention or from weariness and dole: You are my soul, my very soul, the only soul of me: And how shall I fare? well myself and say, "Adieu my Soul?"

After her came forward the fourth and embraced him and recited these two couplets:

nothing garred me weep save where and when of severance spoke he Persisting in his cruel will with sore persistency: Look at this pearl like ornament I've hung upon my ear: 'Tis of the tears of me compact, this choicest jewelry!

In her turn came forward the fifth and embraced him and recited these two couplets:

Ah, fare you not; for I've no force your faring to endure, Nor even to say the word farewell before my friend is sped Nor any patience to support the days of severance, Nor any tears on ruined house and wasted home to shed.

Next came the sixth and embraced him and recited these two couplets

I cried, as the camels went off with them, And Love pained my vitals with sorest pain: Had I a King who would lend me rule I'd seize every ship that dares sail the Main.

Lastly came forward the seventh and embraced him and recited these couplets

When you see parting, be patient still, Nor let foreign parts deal your soul affright: But abide, expecting a swift return, For all hearts hold parting in sore despight.

And eke these two couplets

Indeed I'm heart broken to see you start, Nor can I farewell you before you depart; Allah knows I did not leave to say adieu Save for fear that saying would melt your heart.

Hasan also wept for parting from them, till he swooned, and repeated these couplets

Indeed, ran my tears on the severance day Like pearls I threaded In necklace way: The cameleer drove his camels with song But I lost heart, patience and strength and stay: I bade them farewell and retired in grief From tryst place and camp where my dearlings lay I turned me unknowing the way nor joyed My soul, but in hopes to return some day. Oh listen, my friend, to the words of love God forbid your heart forget all I say! O my soul when you partest wi' them, part too With all joys of life nor for living pray!

Then he farewelled them and fared on diligently night and day, till he came to Baghdad, the House of Peace and Sanctuary of the Abbaside Caliphs unknowing what had passed during his journey. At once entering his house he went in to his mother to salute her, but found her worn of body and wasted of bones, for excess of mourning and watching, weeping and wailing, till she was grown thin as a toothpick and could not answer him a word. So he dismissed the dromedaries then he asked of his wife and children and she wept till she fainted, and he seeing her in this state searched the house for them, but found no trace of them. Then he went to the store closet and finding it open and the chest broken and the feather dress missing, knew forth? right that his wife had possessed herself of it and flown away with her children. Then be returned to his mother and, finding her recovered from her fit, questioned her of his spouse and babes, whereupon she wept and said, " O my son, may Allah amply requite you their loss! These are their three tombs." When Hasan heard these words of his mother, he shrieked a loud shriek and fell down in a fainting fit in which he lay from the first of the day till noon tide; whereupon anguish was added to his mother's anguish and she despared of his life. However, after awhile, he came to himself and wept and buffeted his face and rent his raiment and went about the house clean distraught, reciting these two couplets.

Folk have made moan of passion before me, of past years, And live and dead for absence have suffered pains and fears; But that within my bosom I harbour, with my eyes I've never seen the like of nor heard with my ears.

Then finishing his verses he bared his brand and coming up to his mother, said to her, " Except you tell me the truth of the case, I will strike off your head and kill myself." She replied, " O my son, do not such deed: put up your sword and sit down, till I tell you what has passed." So he sheathed his scimitar and sat by her side, whilst she recounted to him all that had happened in his absence from beginning to end, adding, " O my son, but that I saw her weep in her longing for the bath and feared that she would go and complain to you on your return, and you would be wroth with me, I had never carried her there; and were it not that the Lady Zubaydah was wroth with me and took the key from me by force, I had never brought out the feather dress, though I died for it. But you know, O my son, that no hand may measure length with that of the Caliphate. When they brought her the dress, she took it and turned it over, fancying that somewhat might be lost of it, but she found it uninjured; Why she rejoiced and making her children fast to her waist, donned the feather vest, after the Lady Zubaydah had pulled off to her all that was upon herself and clad her within it, in honour of her and because of her beauty. No sooner had she donned the dress than she shook and becoming a bird, promenaded about the palace, whilst all who were present gazed at her and marvelled at her beauty and loveliness. Then she flew up to the palace roof and perching thereon, looked at me and said:—Whenas your son comes to you and the nights of separation upon him longsome shall be and he cravs reunion and meeting to see and whenas the breezes of love and longing shake him dolefully let him leave his native land and journey to the Islands of Wak and seek me. This, then, is her story and what betel in yours absence."—

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety eighth night

She pursued, as soon as Hasan's mother had made an end of her story, he gave a great cry and fell down in a fainting fit which continued till the end of day, when he revived and fell to buffeting his face and writhing on the floor like a scotched snake. His mother sat weeping by his head until midnight, when he came to himself and wept sore and recited these couplets:

Pause you and see his sorry state since when you glad withdrew; Perhaps, when wrought your cruelty, you'll have the grace to rue: For an you look on him, you'll doubt of him by sickness stress As though, By God, he were one before you never knew. He dies for nothing save for love of you, and he would be Numbered amid the dead did not he moan and groan for you. And deem not pangs of severance sit all lightly on his soul; 'Tis heavy load on lover people; 'twere lighter an you slew.

Then having ended his verse he rose and went round about the house, weeping and wailing, groaning and bemoaning himself, five days, during which he tasted nor meat nor drink. His mother came to him and conjured him, till he broke his fast, and besought him to leave weeping; but he hearkened not to her and continued to shed tears and lament, whilst she strove to comfort him and he heeded her not. Then he recited these couplets:

Bears for love a burden sore this soul of me, Could break a mortal's back however strong that be; I am distraught to see my case and languor grows Making my day and night indifferent in degree: I own to having dreaded Death before this day: This day I hold my death my only remedy.

And Hasan did not stop to do thus till daybreak, when his eyes closed and he saw in a dream his wife grief full and repentant for that which she had done. So he started up from sleep crying out and reciting these two couplets:

Their image bides with me, never quits me, never shall fly; But holds within my heart most honourable stead; But for reunion hope, I'd see me die directly, And but for phantom form of you my sleep had fled.

Hasan Of Bassorah. 67

And as morning morrowed he redoubled his lamentations. He abode weeping eyed and heavy hearted, wakeful by night and eating little, for a whole month at the end of which he bethought him to repair to his sisters and take counsel with them in the matter of his wife, so Perhaps they might help him to regain her. Accordingly he summoned the dromedaries and loading fifty of them with rarities of Al-Irak, committed the house to his mother's care and deposited all his goods in safe keeping, except some few he left at home. Then he mounted one of the beasts and set out on his journey single handed, intent upon obtaining aidance from the Princesses, and he stayed not till he reached the Palace of the Mountain of Clouds, when he went in to the damsels and gave them the presents, in which they rejoiced. Then they wished him joy of his safety and said to him, " O our brother, what can ail you to come again so soon, seeing you vast with us but two months since? " Whereupon he wept and improvised these couplets:

My soul for loss of lover sped I sight; Nor life enjoying neither life's delight: My case is one whose cure is all unknown; Can any cure the sick but doctor people? O who have reft my sleep joys, leaving me To ask the breeze that blew from that fair site, Blew from my lover's land (the land that owns Those charms so sore a grief in soul excite), "O breeze, that visitest her land, perhaps Breathing her scent, you may revive my sprite!"

And when he ended his verse he gave a great cry and fell down in a fainting fit. The Princesses sat round him, weeping over him, till he recovered and repeated these two couplets:

Perhaps and happily may Fortune bend her rein Bringing my love, for Time's a freke of jealous strain; Fortune may prosper me, supply my every want, And bring a blessing where before were ban and bane.

Then he wept till he fainted again, and presently coming to himself recited the two following couplets:

My wish, my illness, my unease! By God, own Are you content? then I in love contented wone! Do you forsake me thus sans crime or sin Meet me in ruth, I pray, and be our parting gone.

Then he wept till he swooned away once more and when he revived he repeated these couplets

Sleep fled me, by my side wake ever shows And hoard of tear drops from these eyne aye flows; For love they weep with beads cornelian like And growth of distance greater dolence grows: Lit up my longing. O my love, in me Flames burning 'neath my ribs with fiery throes! Remembering you a tear I never shed But in it thunder roars and leven glows.

Then he wept till he fainted away a fourth time, and presently recovering, recited these couplets:

Ah! for Lowe of love and longing suffer you as suffer we? Say, as pine we and as yearn we for you are pining you? Allah do the death of Love, what a bitter draught is his! Would I know of Love what plans and what projects nurses he! Your faces radiant fair though afar from me they shine, Are mirrored in our eyes whatsoe'er the distance be; My heart must ever dwell on the memories of your tribe; And the turtle dove renews all as oft as moans she: Ho you dove, who pass night tide in calling on your fere, You doublest my repine, bringing grief for company; And leave you my eyelids with weeping unfulfilled For the dearlings who departed, whom we never more may see: I melt for the thought of you at every time and hour, And I long for you when Night shows cheek of blackest blee.

Now when his sister heard these words and saw his condition and how he lay fainting on the floor, she screamed and beat her face and the other Princesses hearing her scream came out and learning his misfortune and the transport of love and longing and the passion and distraction that possessed him they questioned him of his case. He wept and told them what had befallen in his absence and how his wife had taken flight with her children, Why they grieved for him and asked him what she said at leave taking. Answered he, " O my sisters, she said to my mother, Tell your son, whenas he comes to you and the nights of severance upon him longsome shall be and he cravs reunion and meeting to see, and whenas the winds of love

Hasan Of Bassorah. 69 and longing shake him dolefully, let him fare in the Islands of Wak to me." When they heard his words they signed one to other with their eyes and shook their heads, and each looked at her sister, whilst Hasan looked at them all. Then they bowed their heads groundwards and bethought themselves awhile; after which they raised their heads and said, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! "; presently adding, "Put forth your hand to heaven and when you reach there, then will you win to your wife:"—

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety ninth night

at that the tears ran down his cheeks like rain and wet his clothes, and he recited these couplets:

Pink cheeks and eyes enpupil'd black have dealt me sore despight; And whenas wake overpowered sleep my patience fled in fright: The fair and sleek limbed maidens hard of heart as well laid waste My very bones till not a breath is left for man to sight: Houris, who fare with gait of grace as roes over sandy mound: Did Allah's saints behold their charms they'd doat thereon directly; Faring as fares the garden breeze that blows in the dawn. For love of them a sore unrest and troubles rack my sprite: I hung my hopes upon a maid, a loveling fair of them, For whom my heart still burns with lowe in Lazá hell they light; A dearling soft of sides and haught and graceful in her gait, Her grace is white as morning, but her hair is black as night: She stirrs me! But ah, how many heroes have her cheeks Upstirred for love, and eke her eyes that mingle black and white.

Then he wept, whilst the Princesses wept for his weeping, and they were moved to compassion and jealousy for him. So they fell to comforting him and exhorting him to patience and offering up prayers for his reunion with his wife; whilst his sister said to him, " O my brother, be of good cheer and keep yours eyes cool and clear and be patient; so will you win your will; for whoever has patience and waits, that he seeks attains. Patience holds the keys of relief and indeed the poet says:—

Let destiny with slackened rein its course appointed fare! And lie you down to sleep by night, with heart devoid of care; For 'twixt the closing of an eye and th' opening of it, God has it in His power to change a case from foul to fair.

So hearten your heart and brace up your resolve, for the son of ten years dies not in the ninth. Weeping and grief and mourning gender sickness and disease; Why do you abide with us till you be rested, and I will devise some device for your winning to your wife and children, God willing—so it please Allah the Most High! " And he wept sore and recited these verses:

If I be healed of disease in frame, I'm unhealed of illness in heart and sprite: There is no healing disease of love, Save lover and loved one to reunite.

Then he sat down beside her and she proceeded to talk with him and comfort him and question him of the cause and the manner of his wife's departure. So he told her and she said, " By God, O my brother, I was minded to bid you burn the feather dress, but Satan made me forget it." She did not stop to converse with him and caress him and company with him other ten days, whilst sleep visited him not and he delighted not in food; and when the case was longsome upon him and unrest grew in him, he versified with these couplets:

A beloved familiar o'erreigns my heart And Allah's ruling reigns evermore: She has all the Arabs' united charms This gazelle who feeds on my bosom's core. Though my skill and patience for love of her fail, I weep whilst I know that 'tis vain to deplore. The dearling has twice seven years, as though She were moon of five nights and of five plus four.

When the youngest Princess saw him thus distracted for love and longing for passion and the fever heat of desire, she went in to her sisterhood weeping eyed and woeful hearted, and shedding copious tears threw herself upon them, kissed their feet and besought them to devise some device for bringing Hasan to the Islands of Wak and effecting his reunion with his wife

Hasan Of Bassorah. 71 and wees. She did not stop to conjure them to further her brother in the accomplishment of his desire and to weep before them, till she made them weep and they said to her, " Hearten your heart: we will do our best endeavour to bring about his reunion with his family, God willing! " And he abode with them a whole year, during which his eyes never could retain their tears. Now the sisterhood had an uncle, brother german to their sire and his name was Abd al-Kaddús, or Slave of the Most Holy; and he loved the eldest with exceeding love and was wont to visit her once a year and do all she desired. They had told him of Hasan's adventure with the Magian and how he had been able to slay him; at which he rejoiced and gave the eldest Princess a pouch which contained certain perfumes, saying, " O daughter of my brother, If you be in concern for anything, or if anything irk you, or you stand in any need, cast of these perfumes upon fire naming my name and I will be with you directly and will do your desire."

This speech was spoken on the first of Moharram; and the eldest Princess said to one of the sisterhood, " Lo, the year is wholly past and my uncle is not come. Rise, bring me the fire sticks and the box of perfumes." So the damsel arose rejoicing and, fetching what she sought, laid it before her sister, who opened the box and taking thence a little of the perfume, cast it into the fire, naming her uncle's name; nor was it burnt out before appeared a dust cloud at the farther end of the Wady; and presently lifting, it discovered a Shaykh riding on an elephant, which moved at a swift and easy pace, and trumpeted under the rider. As soon as he came within sight of the Princesses, he began making signs to them with his hands and feet; nor was it long before he reached the castle and, alighting from the elephant, came in to them, whereupon they embraced him and kissed his hands and saluted him with the salam. Then he sat down, whilst the girls talked with him and questioned him of his absence. He said, " I was sitting but now with my wife, your aunt, when I smelt the perfumes and hastened to you on this elephant. What would you, O daughter of my brother? " She said, " O uncle, indeed we longed for you, as the year is past and 'tis not your wont to be absent from us more than a year." Answered he, " I was busy, but I purposed to come to you tomorrow." Why they thanked him and blessed him and sat talking with him.—

When it was the Eight Hundredth night

he replied, " Yes, and what befell him after that?" the Princess said, "She played him false after he was blest with two sons by her; for she took them in his absence and fled with them to her own country, saying to his mother: Whenas your son returns to you and asks for me and upon him the nights of severance longsome shall be and he cravs reunion and meeting to see and whenas the breezes of love and longing shake him dolefully, let him come in the Islands of Wak to me." When Abd al-Kaddus heard this, he shook his head and bit his forefinger; then, bowing his brow groundwards he began to make marks on the earth with his fingertips; after which he again shook his head and looked right and left and shook his head a third time, whilst Hasan watched him from a place where he was hidden from him. Then said the Princesses to their uncle, " Return us some answer, for our hearts are rent in sunder." But he shook his head at them, saying, " O my daughters, truly has this man wearied himself in vain and cast himself into grievous predicament and sore peril; for he may not gain access to the Islands of Wak." With this the Princesses called Hasan, who came forth and, advancing to Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus, kissed his hand and saluted him. The old man rejoiced in him and seated him by his side; whereupon the damsels said, "O uncle,

Hasan Of Bassorah. 73 acquaint our brother Hasan with that you have told us." So he said to Hasan, " O my son, put away from you this peine forte et dure; you can never gain access to the Islands of Wak, though the Flying Jinn and the Wandering Stars were with you; for that betwixt you and these islands are seven Wadys and seven seas and seven mighty mountains. How then can you come at this stead and who shall bring you there? Why, in God's name, O my son, do you reckon your spouse and sons as dead and turn back directly and weary not your sprite! Indeed, I give you good counsel, If you will but accept it." Hearing these words from the Shaykh, Hasan wept till he fainted, and the Princesses sat round him, weeping for his weeping, whilst the youngest sister rent her raiment and buffeted her face, till she swooned away. When Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus saw them in this transport of grief and trouble and mourning, he was moved to ruth for them and cried, "Be you silent!" Then he said to Hasan, "O my son, hearten your heart and rejoice in the winning of your wish, If it be the will of Allah the Most High;" presently adding, " Rise, O my son, take courage and follow me."

So Hasan arose directly and after he had taken leave of the Princesses followed him, rejoicing in the fulfilment of his wish. Then the Shaykh called the elephant and mounting, took Hasan up behind him and fared on three days with their nights, like the blinding leven, till he came to a vast blue mountain, whose stones were all of azure hue and In the very middle of which was a cavern, with a door of Chinese iron. Here he took Hasan's hand and let him down and alighting dismissed the elephant. Then he went up to the door and knocked, whereupon it opened and there came out to him a black slave, hairless, as he were an Ifrit, with brand in right hand and targe of steel in left. When he saw Abd al-Kaddus, he threw sword and buckler from his grip and coming up to the Shaykh kissed his hand. Thereupon the old man took Hasan by the hand and entered with him, whilst the slave shut the door behind them; when Hasan found himself in a vast cavern and a spacious, through which ran an arched corridor and they did not stop faring on within it a mile or so, till it abutted upon a great open space and thence they made for an angle of the mountain in which were two huge doors cast of solid brass.

The old man opened one of them and said to Hasan, " Sit at the door, whilst I go within and come back to you in haste, and beware lest you open it and enter." Then he fared inside and, shutting the door after him, was absent during a full sidereal hour, after which he returned, leading a black stallion, thin of flank and short of nose, which was ready bridled and saddled, with velvet housings; and when it ran it flew, and when it flew, the very dust in vain would pursue; and brought it to Hasan, saying, " Mount!" So he mounted and Abd al-Kaddus opened the second door, beyond which appeared a vast desert. Then the twain passed through the door into that desert and the old man said to him, " O my son, take this scroll and go you where this steed will carry you. When you see him stop at the door of a cavern like this, alight and throw the reins over the saddle bow and let him go. He will enter the cavern, which do you not enter with him, but tarry at the door five days, without being weary of waiting. On the sixth day there will come forth to you a black Shaykh, clad all in sable, with a long white beard, flowing down to his navel.

As soon as you see him kiss his hands and seize his skirt and lay it on your head and weep before him, till he take pity on you and he will ask you what you would have. When he says to you, " What is your want? " give him this scroll which he will take without speaking and go in and leave you. Wait at the door other five days, without wearying, and on the sixth day expect him; and if he come out to you himself, know that your wish will be won, but, if one of his pages come forth to you, know that he who comes forth to you, purposes to kill you; and—the Peace! For know, O my son, that whoever self imperills does himself to death; "—

When it was the Eight Hundred and First night

but also " who venturs nothing advantags nothing." However If you fear for your life, cast it not into danger of destruction; but, If you fear not, up and do your will, for I have expounded to you the whole case. Yet should you be

Hasan Of Bassorah. 75 minded to return to your friends the elephant is still here and he will carry you to my nieces, who will restore you to your country and return you to your home, and Allah will vouchsafe you a better than this girl, of whom you are enamoured." Hasan answered the Shaykh, saying, "And how shall life be sweet to me, except I win my wish? By God, I will never turn back, till I regain my beloved or my death overtake me!" And he wept and recited these couplets:

For loss of lover my and stress of love I dree, I stood bewailing self in deep despondency. Longing for him, the Spring camp's dust I kissed and kissed, But this bred more of grief and galling reverie. God guard the gone, who in our hearts must ever abide With nearing woes and joys which still the farther flee. They say me, " Patience! " But they bore it all away: On parting day, and left me nothing save tormentry. And nothing affrighted me except the word he said, "Forget me not when gone nor drive from memory." To whom shall turn I? hope in whom when you are lost? Who were my only hopes and joys and woes of me? But ah, the pang of home return when parting thus! How joyed at seeing me return my enemy. Then well away! this 'twas I guarded me against! And ah, you Lowe of Love double yours ardency! An fled for aye my friends I'll not survive the flight; Yet If they deign return, Oh joy! Oh ecstacy! Never, By God tears and weeping I'll contain For loss of you, but tears on tears and tears will rain.

When Abd al-Kaddus heard his verse he knew that he would not turn back from his desire nor would words have effect on him, and was certified that nothing would serve him but he must imperil himself, though it lose him his life. So he said to him, " Know, O my son, that the Islands of Wak are seven islands, in which is a mighty host, all virgin girls, and the Inner Isles are peopled by Satans and Marids and warlocks and various tribesmen of the Jinn; and whoever enters their land never returns thence; at least none has done so to this day. So, in God's name, return presently to your people, for know that she whom you seek is the King's daughter of all these islands; and how can you attain to her? Hearken to me, O my son, and Perhaps Allah will vouchsafe you in her stead a better than she." "O my lord," answered Hasan, " though for the love of her I were cut in pieces yet should I but redouble in love and transport! There is no help but that I enter the Wak Islands and come to the sight of my wife and children; and God willing, I will not return save with her and with them." Said the Shaykh, " Then nothing will serve you but you must make the journey?" Hasan replied, " Nothing! And I only ask of you your prayers for help and aidance; so Perhaps Allah will reunite me with my wife and children right soon." Then he wept for stress of longing and recited these couplets:

You are my wish, of creatures brightest light I deem you gladly as hearing, glad as sight: You hold my heart which has become your home And since you left me, lords, right sore's my plight: Then think not I have yielded up your love, Your love which set this wretch in fierce affright: You went and went my joy whenas you went; And waned and grew wan the brightest light: You left me lone to watch the stars in woe: Railing tears like rain drops infinite. You'rt longsome to the people, who pining lies On wake, moon gazing through the night, O Night! Wind! If you pass the tribe where they abide Give them my greeting, life is glad of flight. And tell them something of the pangs I bear: The loved one kenns not my case aright.

Then he wept with sore weeping till he fainted away; and when he came to himself, Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus said to him, "O my son, you have a mother; make her not taste the torment of your loss." Hasan replied, "By God, O my lord, I will never return except with my wife, or my death shall overtake me." And he wept and wailed and recited these couplets:

By Love's right! nothing of farness your slave can estrange Nor am I one to fail in my fealty: I suffer such pains did I tell my case To folk, they'd cry, " Madness! clean witless is he!" Then ecstasy, love longing, transport and Lowe! Whose case is such case how shall ever he be?

With this the old man knew that he would not turn from his purpose,

Hasan Of Bassorah. 77 though it cost him his life; so he handed him the scroll and prayed for him and charged him how he should do, saying " I have in this letter given a strict charge concerning you to Abú al-Ruwaysh, son of Bilkís, daughter of Mu'ín, for he is my Shaykh and my teacher, and all, men and Jinn, humble themselves to him and stand in awe of him. And now go with the blessing of God." Hasan directly set out giving the horse the rein, and it flew off with him swiftlier than lightning, and stayed not in its course ten days, when he saw before him a vast loom black as night, walling the world from East to West. As he neared it, the stallion neighed under him, whereupon there flocked to it horses in number as the drops of rain, none could tell their tale or against them prevail, and fell to rubbing themselves against it. Hasan was affrighted at them and fared forwards surrounded by the horses, without drawing rein till he came to the cavern which Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus had described to him. The steed stood still at the door and Hasan alighted and bridged the bridle over the saddle bow; whereupon the steed entered the cavern, whilst the rider abode without, as the old man had charged him, pondering the issue of his case in perplexity and distraction and unknowing what would befall him.—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Second night

She pursued, Hasan, dismounting from the steed, stood at the cavern mouth pondering the issue of his case and unknowing what might befall him. He abode standing on the same spot five days with their nights, sleepless, mournful, tearful eyed; distracted, perplexed, pondering his severance from home and family, comrades and friends, with weeping eyelids and heavy heart. Then he bethought him of his mother and of what might yet happen to him and of his separation from his wife and children and of all that he had suffered, and he recited these couplets:

With you is my heart cure a heart that goes; And from hill foot of eyelids the tear rill flows: And parting and sorrow and exile and dole And farness from country and throe that o'erthrows: nothing am I save a lover distracted by love, Far parted from loved one and wilted by woes. And 'tis Love that has brought me such sorrow, say where Is the noble of soul who such sorrow unknows?

Hardly had Hasan made an end of his verses, when out came the Shaykh Abu al-Ruwaysh, a blackamoor and clad in black raiment, and at first sight he knew him by the description that Abd al-Kaddus had given him. He threw himself at his feet and rubbed his cheeks on them and seizing his skirt, laid it on his head and wept before him. the old man said, " What want you, O my son?" Whereupon he put out his hand to him with the letter, and Abu al-Ruwaysh took it and reentered the cavern, without making him any answer. So Hasan sat down at the cave mouth in his place other five days as he had been bidden, whilst concern grew upon him and terror redoubled on him and restlessness gat hold of him, and he fell to weeping and bemoaning himself for the anguish of estrangement and much watching, And he recited these couplets:

Glory to Him who guides the skies! The lover sore in sorrow lies. Who has not tasted of Love's food Knows not what mean its miseries. Did I attempt to stem my tears Rivers of blood would fount and rise, How many an intimate is hard Of heart, and pains in sorest wise! If she with me her word would keep, Of tears and sighs I'd glad devise, But I'm forgone, rejected quite Ruin on me has cast her eyes. At my fell pangs fell wildlings weep And not a bird for me but cries.

Hasan did not stop to weep till dawn of the sixth day, when Shaykh Abu al-Ruwaysh came forth to him, clad in white raiment, and with his hand signed to him to enter. So he went in, rejoicing and assured of the winning of his wish, and the old man took him by the hand and leading him into the cavern, fared on with him half a day's journey, till they reached an arched doorway with a door of steel. The Shaykh opened the door and they two entered a vestibule vaulted with onyx stones and arabesqued with gold,

Hasan Of Bassorah. 79 and they stayed not walking till they came to a great hall and a wide, paved and walled with marble. In its midst was a flower garden containing all manner trees and flowers and fruits, with birds warbling on the boughs and singing the praises of Allah the Almighty Sovran; and there were four daises, each facing other, and in each dais a jetting fountain, at whose corners stood lions of red gold, spouting gerbes from their mouths into the basin. On each dais stood a chair, on which sat an elder, with exceeding store of books before him and censers of gold, containing fire and perfumes, and before each elder were students, who read the books to him. Now when the twain entered, the elders rose to them and did them honour; whereupon Abu al-Ruwaysh signed to them to dismiss their scholars and they did so. Then the four arose and seating themselves before that Shaykh, asked him of the case of Hasan to whom he said, "Tell the company your tale and all that has happened you from the beginning of yours adventure to the end." So Hasan wept with sore weeping and related to them his story with Bahram; whereupon all the Shaykhs cried out and said, " Is this indeed he whom the Magian caused to climb the Mountain of Clouds by means of the vultures, sewn up in the camel hide? " And Hasan said, " Yes."

So they turned to the Shaykh, Abu al-Ruwaysh and said to him, O our Shaykh of a truth Bahram contrived his mounting to the mountain top; but how came he down and what marvels saw he there? " And Abu al-Ruwaysh said, "O Hasan, tell them how you came down and acquaint them with what you saw of marvels." So he told them all that had befallen him, first and last; how he had gotten the Magian into his power and slain him, how he had delivered the youth from him and sent him back to his own country, and how he had captured the King's daughter of the Jinn and married her; yet had she played him false and taken the two boys she had borne him and flown away; brief, he related to them all the hardships and horrors he had undergone; at which they marvelled, each and every, and said to Abu al-Ruwaysh, " O elder of elders, truly By God, this youth is to be pitied! But Perhaps you will aid him to recover his wife and wees."—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Third night

He replied, " O my brothers, in very truth this is a grave matter and a perilous; and never saw I any loathe his life save this youth. You know that the Islands of Wak are hard of access and that none may come to them but at risk of life; and you know also the strength of their people and their guards. Moreover I have sworn an oath not to tread their soil nor transgress against them in anything; so how shall this man come at the daughter of the Great King, and who has power to bring him to her or help him in this matter?" Replied the other, "O Shaykh of Shaykhs, truly this man is consumed with desire and he has endangered himself to bring you a scroll from your brother Abd al-Kaddus; Why it behoves you to help him." And Hasan arose and kissed Abu al-Ruwaysh's feet and raising the hem of his garment laid it on his head, weeping and crying, " I beseech you, By God, to reunite me with my wife and children, though it cost me my life and my soul! " The four elders all wept for his weeping and said to Abu al-Ruwaysh, "Deal generously with this unhappy and show him kindness for the sake of your brother Abd al-Kaddus and profit by this occasion to earn reward from Allah for helping him."

He said, " This wilful youth weets not what he undertaks; but God willing! We will help him after the measure of our means, nor leave anything feasible undone." When Hasan heard the Shaykh's words, he rejoiced and kissed the hands of the five elders, one after other, imploring their aidance. Thereupon Abd al-Ruwaysh took inkcase and a sheet of paper and wrote a letter, which he sealed and gave to Hasan, together with a pouch of perfumed leather, containing incense and fire sticks and other needs, and said to him, " Take strictest care of this pouch, and whenas you fallest into any strait, burn a little of the incense within it and name my name, whereupon I will be with you directly and save you from your stress."

Hasan Of Bassorah. 81

Moreover, he bade one of those present fetch him an Ifrit of the Flying Jinn; and he did so incontinently; whereupon Abu al-Ruwaysh to the fire drake said, " What is your name! " Replied the Ifrit, " Your thrall is called Dahnash bin Faktash. And the Shaykh said, "Draw near to me! " So Dahnash drew near to him and he put his mouth to his ear and said something to him, at which the Ifrit shook his head and answered, " I accept, O elder of elders!" Then said Abu al-Ruwaysh to Hasan, " Arise, O my son, mount the shoulders of this Ifrit, Dahnash the Flyer; but, when he heavs you heaven wards and you hear the angels glorifying God a welkin with 'Subhána 'lláh; have a care lest you do the like; else will you perish and he too." Hasan replied, " I will not say a word; no, never; " and the old man continued, "O Hasan, after faring with you all this day, tomorrow at peep of dawn he will set you down in a land cleanly white, like unto camphor, whereupon do you walk on ten days by yourself, till you come to the gate of a city.

Then enter and enquire for the King of the city; and when you come to his presence, salute him with the salam and kiss his hand: then give him this scroll and consider well whatever he shall counsel you." Hasan replied, " Hearing and obeying," and rose up and mounted the Ifrit's shoulders, whilst the elders rose and offered up prayers for him and commended him to the care of Dahnash the Firedrake. And when he had perched on the Flyer's back the Ifrit soared with him to the very confines of the sky, till he heard the angels glorifying God in Heaven, and flew on with him a day and a night till at dawn of the next day he set him down in a land white as camphor, and went his way, leaving him there. When Hasan found himself in the land aforesaid with none by his side he fared on night and day for ten days, till he came to the gate of the city in question and entering, enquired for the King. They directed him to him and told him that his name was King Hassún, Lord of the Land of Camphor, and that he had troops and soldiers enough to fill the earth in its length and breadth.

So he sought audience of him and, being admitted to his presence, found him a mighty King and kissed ground between his hands. the King said, " What is your want?" Whereupon Hasan kissed the letter and gave it to him. The King read it and shook his head awhile, then said to one of his officers, " Take this youth and lodge him in the house of hospitality." So he took him and stablished him in the guest house, where he tarried three days, eating and drinking and seeing none but the eunuch who waited on him and who entertained him with discourse and cheered him with his company, questioning him of his case and how he came to that city; whereupon he told him his whole story, and the perilous condition in which he was. On the fourth day, that eunuch carried him before the King, who said to him, "O Hasan, you come to me, seeking to enter the Islands of Wak, as the Shaykh of Shaykhs advises me. O my son, I would send you there this very day, but that by the way are many perils and thirsty wolds full of terrors; yet do you have patience and nothing save fair shall befall you for needs must I devise to bring you to your desire, God willing! Know, O my son, that here is a mighty host, equipped with arms and steeds and warlike gear, who long to enter the Wak Islands and lack power thereto. But, O my son, for the sake of the Shaykh Abu al-Ruwaysh, son of Bilkis, the daughter of Mu'in, I may not send you back to him unfulfilled of yours affair. Presently, there will come to us ships from the Islands of Wak and the first that shall arrive I will send you on board of her and give you in charge to the sailors, so they may take care of you and carry you to the Islands. If any question you of your case and condition, answer him saying:—I am kinsman to King Hassun, Lord of the Land of Camphor; and when the ship shall make fast to the shore of the Islands of Wak and the master shall bid you land, do you land. Now as soon as you come ashore, you will see a multitude of wooden settles all about the beach, of which do you choose you one and crouch under it and stir not. And when dark night sets in, you will see an army of women appear and flock about the goods landed from the ship,

Hasan Of Bassorah. 83 and one of them will sit down on the settle, under which you have hidden yourself, whereupon do you put forth your hand to her and take hold of her and implore her protection. And know you, O my son, that If she accord you protection, you will win your wish and regain your wife and children; but, if she refuse to protect you, make your mourning for yourself and give up all hope of life, and make sure of death for indeed you are a dead man. Understand, O my son, that you adventurest your life and this is all I can do for you, and—the peace!—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fourth night

The youth wept till he swooned away, and when he recovered, he recited these two couplets

A term decreed my lot I 'spy; And, when its days shall end, I die. Though lions fought with me in lair If Time be my I'd beat them, I!

Then having ended his verse he kissed the ground before the Sovran and said to him, " O mighty King, how many days remain till the coming of the ships?" Replied the other, " In a month's time they will come and will tarry here, selling their cargueson, other two months, after which they will return to their own country; so hope not to set out save after three whole months." Then the King bade him return to the house of hospitality and bade supply him with all that he needed of meat and drink and raiment fit for Kings. Hasan abode in the guest house a month, at the end of which the vessels arrived and the King and the merchants went forth to them, taking Hasan with them. Amongst them he saw a ship with much people within it, like the shingles for number; none knew their tale save He who created them. She was anchored in mid harbour and had cocks which transported her lading to the shore. So Hasan abode till the crew had landed all the goods and sold and bought and to the time of departure there wanted but three days; whereupon the King sent for him and equipped him with all he required and gave him great gifts: after which he summoned the captain of the great ship and said to him, " Take this youth with you in the vessel, so none may know of him save you, and carry him to the Islands of Wak and leave him there; and bring him not back."

And the Rais said, " I hear and I obey: with love and gladness! " Then the King to Hasan said, " Look you tell none of those who are with you in the ship yours errand nor discover to them anything of your case; else you are a lost man; " and He said, " Hearing and obedience!" With this he farewelled the King, after he had wished him long life and victory over his enviers and his enemies; Why the King thanked him and wished him safety and the winning of his wish. Then he committed him to the captain, who laid him in a chest which he embarked in a dinghy, and bore him aboard, whilst the folk were busy in breaking bulk and no man doubted but the chest contained something of merchandise. After this, the vessels set sail and fared on without ceasing ten days, and on the eleventh day they made the land. So the Rais set Hasan ashore and, as he walked up the beach, he saw wooden settles without number, none knew their count save Allah, even as the King had told him. He went on, till he came to one that had no fellow and hid under it till nightfall, when there came up a mighty many of women, as they were locusts over swarming the land and they marched afoot and armed cap á pie in hauberks and strait knit coats of mail bending drawn swords in their hands, who, seeing the merchandise landed from the ships, busied themselves therewith. Presently, they sat down to rest themselves, and one of them seated herself on the settle under which Hasan had crouched: whereupon he took hold of the hem of her garment and laid it on his head and throwing himself before her, fell to kissing her hands and feet and weeping and crying, "Your protection! Your goodwill! " She said, " Ho, you! Arise and stand up, before any see you and slay you."

So he came forth and springing up kissed her hands and wept and said to her, " O my mistress, I am under your protection! "; adding, " Have ruth on one who is parted from his people and wife and children, one who has haste to rejoin them and one who adventurs life and soul for their sake I Take pity on me and be assured that therefor Paradise will be your reward; or, If you will not receive me, I beseech you, By God the Great,

Hasan Of Bassorah. 85 the Concealer, to conceal my case!" The merchants stared to see him talking with her; and she, hearing his words and beholding his humility, was moved to ruth for him; her heart inclined to him and she knew that he had not ventured himself and come to that place, save for a grave matter. So she said to him, "O my son, be of good cheer and keep yours eyes cool and clear, hearten your heart and take courage and return to your hiding place till the coming night, and Allah shall do as He will." Then she took leave of him and Hasan crept under the wooden settle as before, whilst the troops lighted flambeaux of grow mixed with aloes wood and Nadd perfume and crude ambergris and passed the night in sport and delight till the morning. At daybreak, the boats returned to the shore and the merchants busied themselves with buying and selling and the transport of the goods and gear till nightfall, whilst Hasan lay hidden beneath the settle, weeping eyed and woeful hearted, knowing not what was decreed to him in the secret preordainment of Allah. As he was thus, behold, the merchant woman with whom he had taken refuge came up to him and giving him a habergeon and a helmet, a spear, a sword and a gilded girdle, bade him don them and seat himself on the settle after which she left him, for fear of the troops. So he arose and donned the mail coat and helmet and clasped the girdle about his middle; then he slung the sword over his shoulder till it hung under his armpit, and taking the spear in his hand, sat down on that settle, whilst his tongue neglected not to name Allah Almighty and call on Him for protection.—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifth night

he armed himself and took his seat, whilst his tongue neglected not to name Allah Almighty and to call upon Him for protection. And behold, there appeared cressets and lanthorns and flambeaux and up came the army of women. So he arose and mingling with them, became as one of them: A little before daybreak, they set out, and Hasan with them, and fared on till they came to their camp, where they dispersed each to her tent, and Hasan followed one of them and lo! it was her's for whose protection he had prayed. When she entered, she threw down her arms and doffed her hauberk and veil. So Hasan did the like and looking at his companion, saw her to be a grizzled old woman, blue eyed and big nosed, a calamity of calamities, the foulest of all created things, with face pock marked and eyebrows bald, gap toothed and chap fallen, with hair hoary, nose running and mouth slavering; even as says the like of her the poet:

In her cheek corners nine calamities Wone, and when shown, each one Jehannam is: Hideous the face and favour foulest foul As cheek of hog; yea, 'tis a cesspool phiz.

And indeed she was like a pied snake or a scald she wolf. Now when the old woman looked at Hasan, she marvelled and said, " How came this one to these lands and in which of the ships was he and how arrived he here in safety?" And she fell to questioning him of his case and admiring at his arrival, whereupon he fell at her feet and rubbed his face on them and wept till he fainted; and, when he recovered himself, he recited these couplets:

When will Time grant we meet, when shall we be Again united after severance stark? And I shall win my choicest wish and view? Blame end and Love abide without remark? Were Nile to flow as freely as my tears, 'Twould leave no region but with water mark: 'Twould overthrow Hijaz and Egypt land 'Twould deluge Syria and 'twould drown Irák. This, O my love, is caused by your disdain, Be kind and promise meeting fair and glad!

Hasan Of Bassorah. 87

Then he took the crone's skirt and laid it on his head and fell to weeping and craving her protection. When she saw his ardency and transport and anguish and distress, her heart softened to him and she promised him her safeguard, saying, " Have no fear whatever." Then she questioned him of his case and he told her the manner of his coming there and all that had befallen him from beginning to end, at which she marvelled and said, "This that has happen you, I think, never happened any save yourself and except you had been vouchsafed the especial protection of Allah, you had not been saved: but now, O my son, take comfort and be of good courage; you have nothing more to fear, for indeed you have won your wish and attained your desire, if it please the Most High! " At that Hasan rejoiced with joy exceeding and she sent to summon the captains of the army to her presence, and it was the last day of the month. So they presented themselves and the old woman said to them, "Go out and proclaim to all the troops that they come forth tomorrow at daybreak and let none tarry behind, for whoever tarrys shall be slain."

They replied, "We hear and we obey," and going forth, made proclamation to all the host anent a review next morning, even as she bade them, after which they returned and told her of this; by which Hasan knew that she was the Commander in chief of the army and the Viceregent in authority over them; and her name was Shawahí the Fascinator, entituled Umm al-Dawáhi, or Mother of Calamities. She did not stop to bid and forbid and Hasan doffed not off his arms from his body that day. Now when the morning broke, all the troops fared forth from their places, but the old woman came not out with them, and as soon as they were sped and the stead was clear of them, she said to Hasan, "Draw near unto me, O my son." So he drew near unto her and stood between her hands. She said, " Why and Why have you adventured yourself so boldly as to enter this land, and how came your soul to consent to its own undoing? Tell me the truth and the whole truth and fear anything of ill come of it, for you have my plighted word and I am moved to compassion for your case and pity you and have taken you under my protection. So, if you tell me the truth, I will help you to win your wish, though it involve the undoing of souls and the destruction of bodies; and since you have come to seek me, no hurt shall happen you from me, nor will I suffer any to have at you with harm of all who be in the Islands of Wak."

So he told her his tale from beginning to end, acquainting her with the matter of his wife and of the birds; how he had captured her as his prize from amongst the ten and married her and abode with her, till she had borne him two sons, and how she had taken her children and flown away with them, whenas she knew the way to the feather dress. Brief, he concealed from her no whit of his case, from the beginning to that day. But when Shawahi heard his relation, she shook her head and said to him, " Glory be to God who has brought you here in safety and made you hap upon me! For, had you happened on any but myself, you had lost your life without winning your wish; but the truth of yours intent and your fond affection and the excess of your love longing for your wife and yearning for your children, these it was that have brought you to the attainment of yours aim. Did you not love her and love her to distraction, you had not thus imperilled yourself, and praise be to God—Praised be Allah—for your safety! Why it behoves us to do your desire and conduce to your quest, so you may presently attain that you seek, if it be the will of Almighty Allah. But know, O my son, that your wife is not here, but in the seventh of the Islands of Wak and between us and it is seven months' journey, night and day. From here we go to an island called the Land of Birds, in which, for the loud crying of the birds and the flapping of their wings, one cannot hear other speak."—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Sixth night

She pursued, the old woman said to Hasan, "Indeed your wife is in the Seventh Island, the greatest amongst the Islands of Wak and betwixt us and it is a seven months' journey. From here we fare for the Land of Birds, on which for the force

Hasan Of Bassorah. 89 of their flying and the flapping of their wings, we cannot hear one other speak. Over that country we journey night and day, eleven days, after which we come forth of it to another called the Land of Ferals where, for stress of roaring of lions and howling of wolves and laughing of hyaenas and the crying of other beasts of prey we shall hear nothing, and within it we travel twenty days' journey. Then we issue from it and come to a third country, called the Land of the Jann, where, for stress of the crying of the Jinn and the flaming of fires and the flight of sparks and smoke from their mouths and the noise of their groaning and their arrogance in blocking up the road before us, our ears will be deafened and our eyes blinded, so that we shall neither hear nor see, nor dare any look behind him, of he perishes: but there horseman bows head on saddle bow and raises it not for three days. After this, we abut upon a mighty mountain and a running river contiguous with the Isles of Wak, which are seven in number and the extent whereof is a whole year's journey for a well girt horseman. And you must know, O my son, that these troops are all virgin girls, and that the ruler over us is a woman of the Archipelago of Wak. On the bank of the river aforesaid is another mountain, called Mount Wak, and it is thus named by reason of a tree which bears fruits like heads of the Sons of Adam.

When the sun rises on them, the heads cry out all, saying in their cries:—Wak! Wak! Glory be to the Creating King, Al-Khallák! And when we hear their crying; we know that the sun is risen. In like manner, at sundown, the heads set up the same cry, Wak! Wak! Glory to Al-Khallak! And so we know that the sun has set. No man may abide with us or reach to us or tread our earth; and betwixt us and the abiding place of the Queen who rules over us is a month's journey from this shore, all the subjects whereof are under her hand, as are also the tribes of the Jinn, Marids and Satans, while of the warlocks none kenns the number save He who created them. Why, If you be afraid, I will send with you one who will convey you to the coast and there bring one who will embark you on board a ship that bear you to yours own land. But If you be content to tarry with us, I will not forbid you and you will be with me in my eye, till you win your wish, God willing I" He said, "O my lady, I will never quit you till I foregather with my wife or lose my life I"; and She said, "This is a light matter; be of good heart, for soon will you come to your desire, Allah willing; and there is no help but that I let the Queen know of you, that she may help you to attain yours aim." Hasan blessed her and kissed her head and hands, thanking her for her good deed and exceeding kindness and firm will. Then he set out with her, pondering the issue of his case and the horrors of his strangerhood; Why he fell a weeping and a wailing and recited these couplets:

A Zephyr blows from the lover's site; And you can view me in the saddest plight: The Night of Union is as brilliant morn; And black the Severance day as blackest night: Farewelling friend is sorrow sorest sore Parting from lover's merest un­delight. I will not blame her harshness save to her, And 'mid mankind nor friend nor fere I sight: How can I be consoled for loss of you? Base censor's blame shall not console my sprite! O you in charms unique, unique's my love; O peerless you, my heart has peerless might! Who makes semblance that he loves you And dreads blame is most blame worthy people.

Then the old woman bade beat the kettle drums for departure and the army set out. Hasan fared with her, drowned in the sea of solicitude and reciting verses like those above, whilst she strave to comfort him and exhorted him to patience; but he awoke not from his tristesse and heeded not her exhortations. They journeyed thus till they came to the boundaries of the Land of Birds and when they entered it, it seemed to Hasan as if the world

Hasan Of Bassorah. 91 were turned topsy turvy for the exceeding clamour. His head ached and his mind was dazed, his eyes were blinded and his ears deafened, and he feared with exceeding fear and made certain of death, saying to himself, "If this be the Land of Birds, how will be the Land of Beasts?" But, when the crone called Shawahi saw him in this plight, she laughed at him, saying, " O my son, if this be your case in the first island, how will it fare with you, when you come to the others?" So he prayed to Allah and humbled himself before the Lord, beseeching Him to assist him against that wherewith He had afflicted him and bring him to his wishes; and they did not stop going till they passed out of the Land of Birds and, traversing the Land of Beasts, came to the Land of the Jann which when Hasan saw, he was sore affrighted and repented him of having entered it with them. But he sought aid of Allah the Most High and fared on with them, till they were quit of the Land of the Jann and came to the river and set down their loads at the foot of a vast mountain and a lofty, and pitched their tents by the stream bank.

Then they rested and ate and drank and slept in security, for they were come to their own country. On the morrow the old woman set Hasan a couch of alabaster, inlaid with pearls and jewels and nuggets of red gold, by the river side, and he sat down thereon, having first bound his face with a chin kerchief, that discovered nothing of him but his eyes. Then she bade proclaim among the troops that they should all assemble before her tent and put off their clothes and go down into the stream and wash; and this she did that she might parade before him all the girls, so Perhaps his wife should be amongst them and he know her. So the whole army mustered before her and putting off their clothes, went down into the stream, and Hasan seated on his couch watched them washing their white skins and frolicking and making merry, whilst they took no heed of his inspecting them, deeming him to be of the daughters of the Kings. When he beheld them stripped of their clothes, his chord stiffened for that looking at them mother naked he saw what was between their thighs, and that of all kinds, soft and rounded, plump and cushioned; large lipped, perfect, redundant and ample, and their faces were as moons and their hair as night upon day, for that they were of the daughters of the Kings. When they were clean, they came up out of the water, stark naked, as the moon on the night of fullness and the old woman questioned Hasan of them, company by company, if his wife were among them; but, as often as she asked him of a troop, he made answer, " She is not among these, O my lady."—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Seventh night

Last of all, there came up a damsel, attended by ten slave girls and thirty waiting women, all of them high bosomed maidens. They put off their clothes and went down into the river, where the damsel fell to riding the high horse over her women, throwing them down and ducking them. in this way she continued for a full hour, after which all came up out of the water and sat down; and they brought her napkins of gold purfled silk, with which she dried herself. Then they brought her clothes and jewels and ornaments of the handiwork of the jinn, and she donned them and rose and walked with graceful pace among the troops, she and her maidens. When Hasan saw her, his heart was ready to fly from his breast and he said, " truly this girl is the like of all folk to the bird I saw in the basin atop of the palace of my sisters the Princesses, and she lorded it over her subjects even as does this one." The old woman asked, ` O Hasan, is this your wife? "; and he answered, " No, by your life, O my lady; this is not my wife, nor ever in my life have I set eyes on her; neither among all the girls I have seen in these islands is there the like of my wife nor her match for symmetry and grace and beauty and loveliness!" Then said Shawaki, " Describe her to me and acquaint me with all her attributes, that I may have her in my mind; for I know every girl in the Islands of Wak,

Hasan Of Bassorah. 93 being commander of the army of maids and governor over them; Why, If you describe her to me, I shall know her and will contrive for you to take her." He said, " My wife has the fairest face and a form all grace; smooth is she of cheeks and high of breasts with eyes of liquid light, calves and thighs plump to sight, teeth snowy white, with dulcet speech dressed; in speech soft and bland as she were a willow wand; her gifts are a moral and lips are red as coral; her eyes wear natural Kohl dye and her lower labia in softness lie. On her right cheek is a mole and on her waist, under her navel, is a sign; her face shines as the rondure of the moon in sheen, her waist is slight, her hips a heavy weight, and the water of her mouth the sick does heal, as it were Kausar or Salsabil." Said the old woman, " Give me an increased account of her, Allah increase you of passion for her!" He said, " My wife has a face the fairest fair and oval cheeks the rarest rare; neck long and spare and eyes that Kohl wear; her side face shows the Anemones of Nu'uman, her mouth is like a seal of cornelian and flashing teeth that lure and stand one in stead of cup and ewer. She is cast in the mould of pleasantness and between her thighs is the throne of the Caliphate, there is no such sanctuary among the Holy Places; as says in its praise the poet:

The name of what drave me distraught Has letters renowned among men: A four into five multiplied And a multiplied six into ten

Then Hasan wept and chanted the following Mawwal:

O heart, an lover false you, shun the parting bane Nor to forgetfulness your thoughts constrain: Be patient; you will bury all your foes; Allah never falses man of patience glad.

And this also

An would be life long safe, vaunt not delight; Never despair, nor wone o'erjoyed in sprite! Forbear, rejoice not, mourn not over your plight And in ill day "Have not we oped? "—recite.

Thereupon the old woman bowed her head groundwards awhile, then, raising it said, "Laud be to the Lord, the Mighty of Award! Indeed I am afflicted with you, O Hasan! Would Heaven I had never known you! This woman, whom you describest to me as your wife, I know by description and I know her to be none other than the eldest daughter of the Supreme King, she who rules over all the Islands of Wak. So open both eyes and consider your case; and if you be asleep, awake; for, if this woman be indeed your wife, it is impossible for you ever to obtain her, and though you come to her, yet could you not avail to her possession, since between you and her the distance is as that between earth and Heaven. Why, O my son, return presently and cast not yourself into destruction nor cast me with you; for It seems to me you have no lot in her; so return from where you came lest our lives be lost." And she feared for herself and for him. When Hasan heard her words, he wept till he fainted and she did not leave sprinkling water on his face, till he came to himself, when he continued to weep, so that he drenched his dress with tears, for the much cark and care and chagrin which happened him

Hasan Of Bassorah. 95 by reason of her words. And indeed he despaired of life and said to the old woman, "O my lady, and how shall I go back, after having come here? truly, I thought not you would forsake me nor fail of the winning of my wish, especially as you are the Commander in chief of the army of the girls." Answered Shawahi, "O my son, I doubted not but your wife was a maid of the maids, and had I known she was the King's daughter, I had not suffered you to come here nor had I shown the troops to you, for all the love I bear you. But now, O my son, you have seen all the girls naked; so tell me which of them pleases you and I will give her to you, in lieu of your wife, and do you put it that your wife and children are dead and take her and return to yours own country in safety, before you fall into the King's hand and I have no means of delivering you. So, in God's name, O my son, hearken unto me. Choose yourself one of these damsels, in the stead of that woman, and return presently to your country in safety and cause me not quaff the cup of yours anguish! For, By God, you have cast yourself into affliction sore and peril galore, wherefrom none may avail to deliver you ever more!" But Hasan hung down his head and wept with long weeping and recited these couplets

"Blame not!" said I to all who blamed me; "My eye lids nothing but tears were made to dree:" The tears that brim these orbs have overflowed My cheeks, for lovers and love's cruelty. Leave me to love though waste this form of me! For I of Love adore the insanity: And, Oh my dearling, passion grows on me For you— and you, why grudge me clemency? You wronged me after swearing troth and plight, Falsed my companionship and turned to flee: And cup of humbling for your rigours sore You made me drain what day departed you: Then melt, O heart, with longing for their sight And, O my eyes, with crowns of tears be dressed.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Eighth night

he hung down his head and recited the couplets quoted above. Then he wept till he swooned away and Shawahi sprinkled water on his face till he revived, when she addressed him, "O my lord, I have no shift left; because if I carry you to the city your life is lost and my also: for, when the Queen comes to know of this, she will blame me for admitting you into her lands and islands, whereto none of Adam's sons has access, and will slay me for bringing you with me and for suffering mortal to look upon the virgins seen by you in the sea, whom never touched male, neither approached mate." And Hasan sware that he had never looked on them with evil of eye. She resumed, " O my son, hearken to me and return to your country and I will give you wealth and treasures and things of price, such as shall suffice you for all the women in the world. Moreover, I will give you a girl of the best of them, so lend an ear to my words and return presently and imperil not yourself; indeed I counsel you with good counsel." But he wept and rubbed both cheeks against her feet, saying, " O my lady and mistress and coolth of my eyes, how can I turn back now that I have made my way here, without the sight of those I desire, and now that I have come near the beloved's site, hoping for meeting directly, so Perhaps there may be a portion in reunion to my plight? " And he improvised these couplets:

O Kings of beauty, grace to prisoner ta'en Of eyelids fit to rule the Chosroes' reign: You pass the wafts of musk in perfumed breath; Your cheeks the charms of blooming rose disdain. The softest Zephyr breathes where pitch you camp And thence far scattered sweetness fills the plain: Censor of me, leave blame and stint advice! You bring wearying words and wisdom vain: Why heat my passion with this flame and up braid me when nothing you know of its bane? Captured me eyes with passion maladifs, And overthrew me with Love's might and main: I scatter tears the while I scatter verse; You are my theme for rhyme and prosy strain. Melted my vitals glow of rosy checks And in the Lazá love my heart is lain: Tell me, If I leave to discourse of you, What speech my breast shall broaden? Tell me deign! Life long I loved the lovelings fair, but ah, To grant my wish eke Allah must he glad!

Hasan Of Bassorah. 97 Hearing his verses the old woman was moved to ruth for him and Allah planted the seed of affection for him in her heart; so coming up to him she consoled him, saying. " Be of good cheer and keep yours eyes cool and clear and put away trouble from your thought, for, By God, I will venture my life with you, tilt you 'attain yours aim or death undo me! " With this, Hasan's heart was comforted and his bosom broadened and he sat talking with the old woman till the end of the day, when all the girls dispersed, some entering their town mansions and others nighting in the tents. Then the old woman carried him into the city and lodged him in a place apart, lest any should come to know of him and tell the Queen of him and she should slay him and slay her who had brought him there. Moreover, she served him herself and strave to put him in fear of the awful majesty of the Supreme King, his wife's father; whilst he wept before her and said, " O my lady, I choose death for myself and loathe this worldly life, if I foregather not with my wife and children: I have set my existence on the venture and will either attain my aim or die."

So the old woman fell to pondering the means of bringing him and his wife together and casting about how to do in the case of this unhappy one, who had thrown himself into destruction and would not be diverted from his purpose by fear or anything else; for, indeed he reeked not of his life and the sayer of bywords says, " Lover in nowise hearkens he to the speech of the man who is fancy free." Now the name of the Queen of the island in which they were was Núr al-Hudá, eldest daughter of the Supreme King, and she had six virgin sisters, abiding with their father, whose capital and court were in the chief city of that region and who had made her ruler over all the lands and islands of Wak. So when the ancient dame saw Hasan on fire with yearning after his wife and children, she rose up and repaired to the palace and going in to Queen Nur al-Huda kissed ground before her; for she had a claim on her favour because she had reared the King's daughters one and all and had authority over each and every of them and was high in honour and consideration with them and with the King. Nur al-Huda rose to her as she entered and embracing her, seated her by her side and he asked of her journey. She answered, "By God, O my lady 'twas a blessed journey and I have brought you a gift which I will presently present to you," adding, "O my daughter, O Queen of the Age and the time, I have a favour to crave of you and I Gladly would discover it to you, that you may help me to accomplish it, and but for my confidence that you will not gainsay me within it, I would not expose it to you."

Asked the Queen, " And what is your need? Expound it to me, and I will accomplish it to you, for I and my kingdom and troops are all at your commandment and disposition." Therewithal the old woman quivered as quivers the reed on a day when the storm wind is abroad and saying in herself, " O Protector, protect me from the Queen's mischief!" Fell down before her and acquainted her with Hasan's case, saying, " O my lady, a man, who had hidden himself under my wooden settle on the sea shore, sought my protection; so I took him under my safeguard and carried him with me among the army of girls armed and accoutred so that none might know him, and brought him into the city; and indeed I have striven to affright him with your fierceness, giving him to know of your power and prowess; but, as often as I threatened him, he weeps and recits verses and says:—Needs must I have my wife and children or die, and I will not return to my country without them. And indeed he has adventured himself and come to the Islands of Wak, and never in all my days saw I mortal heartier of heart than he or doughtier of derring do, save that love has mastered him to the utmost of mastery.—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninth night

the Queen, after lending an attentive ear and comprehending the case, grew wroth at her with exceeding wrath and bowed her head awhile groundwards; then, raising it, she looked at Shawahi

Hasan Of Bassorah. 99 and said to her, "O ill omened beldam, are you come to such a pass of lewdness that you carriest males, men, with you into the Islands of Wak and bring them into me, unfearing of my mischief? Who has foregone you with this fashion, that you should do thus? By the head of the King, but for your claim on me for fosterage and service, I would immediately do both him and you to die the foulest of deaths, that travellers might take warning by you, O accursed, lest any other do the like of this outrageous deed you have done, which none durst hitherto! But go and bring him here directly, that I may see him; or I will strike off your head, O accursed." So the old woman went out from her, confounded unknowing where she went and saying, "All this calamity has Allah driven upon me from this Queen because of Hasan! " And going in to him said, " Rise, speak with the Queen, O people whose last hour is at hand!" So he rose and went with her, whilst his tongue did not stop to call upon Almighty Allah and say, " O my God, be gracious to me in Your decrees and deliver me from this Yours affliction!" And Shawahi went with him charging him by the way how he should speak with the Queen. When he stood before Nur al-Huda, he found that she had donned the chinveil; so he kissed ground before her and saluted her with the salam, improvising these two couplets:

God make your glory last in joy of life:. Allah confirm the boons he deigned bestow: Your grace and grandeur may our Lord increase And aye Th' Almighty aid you over your foe!"

When he ended his verse Nur al-Huda bade the old woman ask him questions before her, that she might hear his answers: so she said to him, " The Queen returns your salam greeting and says to you," What is your name and that of your country, and what are the names of your wife and children, on whose account you are come here?" He said, and indeed he had made firm his heart and destiny aided him, " O Queen of the age and tide and peerless jewel of the epoch and the time, my name is Hasan the fullfilled of sorrow, and my native city is Bassorah. I know not the name of my wife but my children's names are Násir and Mansúr." When the Queen heard his reply and his provenance, she bespoke him herself and said, "And from where took she her children?" He replied, "O Queen, she took them from the city of Baghdad and the palace of the Caliphate." Nur al-Huda said, "And did she say nothing to you at the time she flew away?" and He said, "Yes; she said to my mother:—Whenas your son comes to you and the nights of severance upon him longsome shall be and he cravs meeting and reunion to see, and whenas the breezes of love and longing shake him dolefully let him come in the Islands of Wak to me."

Whereupon Queen Nur al-Huda shook her head and said to him. "Had she not desired you she had not said to your mother this say, and had she not yearned for reunion with you, never had she bidden you to her stead nor acquainted you with her abiding place." Rejoined Hasan, "O mistress of Kings and asylum of prince and pauper, whatever happened I have told you and have concealed nothing of it, and I take refuge from evil with Allah and with you; Why oppress me not, but have compassion on me and earn recompense and requital for me in the world to come, and aid me to regain my wife and children. Grant me my urgent need and cool my eyes with my children and help me to the sight of them." Then he wept and wailed and lamenting his lot recited these two couplets:

Yea, I will laud you while the ring dove moans, Though fail my wish of due and lawful scope: never was I whirled in bliss and joys gone by in which I found you not both root and rope.

The Queen shook her head and bowed it in thought a long time; then, raising it, she said to Hasan (and indeed she was wroth), "I have ruth on you and am resolved to show you in review all the girls in the city and in the provinces of my island; and in case you know your wife, I will deliver her to you; but, If you know her not and know not her place, I will put you to death and crucify you over the old woman's door." Replied Hasan,

Hasan Of Bassorah. 101

"I accept this from you, O Queen of the Age, and am content to submit to this your condition. There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" And he recited these couplets:

You've roused my desire and remain at rest,— Waked my wounded lids while you slept with zest. And you made me a vow you would not hang back But your guile when you chained me grow manifest. I loved you in childhood unknowing Love; Then slay me not who am sore opprest. Fear you not from Allah when slaying a friend Who gazes on stars when folk sleep their best? By God, my kinsmen, indite on my tomb "This man was the slave of Love's harshest hest! " Haps a noble youth, like me Love's own thrall, When he sees my grave on my name shall call.

Then Queen Nur al-Huda commanded that not a girl should abide in the city but should come up to the palace and pass in review before Hasan and moreover she bade Shawahi go down in person and bring them up herself. Accordingly all the maidens in the city presented themselves before the Queen, who caused them to go in to Hasan, hundred after hundred, till there was no girl left in the place, but she had shown her to him; yet he saw not his wife amongst them. Then she said to him, "See you her amongst these? "; and he replied, "By your life, O Queen, she is not amongst them." With this she was sore enraged against him and said to the old woman, "Go in and bring out all who are in the palace and show them to him." So she displayed to him every one of the palace girls, but he saw not his wife among them and said to the Queen, "By the life of your head, O Queen, she is not among these." at which the Queen was wroth and cried out at those around her, saying, "Take him and hale him along, face to earth, and cut off his head, least any adventure himself after him and intrude upon us in our country and spy out our estate by thus treading the soil of our islands."

So they threw him down on his face and dragged him along; then, covering his eyes with his skirt, stood at his head with bared brands awaiting royal permission. Thereupon Shawahi came forward and kissing the ground before the Queen, took the hem of her garment and laid it on her head, saying, "O Queen, by my claim for fosterage, be not hasty with him, more by token of your knowledge that this poor wretch is a stranger, who has adventured himself and suffered what none ever suffered before him, and Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty,) preserved him from death, for that his life was ordained to be long. He heard of yours equity and entered your city and guarded site; Why, if you put him to death, the report will dispread abroad of you, by means of the travellers, that you hatest strangers and slay them. He is in any case at your mercy and the slain of your sword, if his wife be not found in your dominions; and whenever you desires his presence, I can bring him back to you. Moreover, in very truth I took him under my protection only of my trust in your magnanimity through my claim on you for fosterage, so that I engaged to him that you would bring him to his desire, for my knowledge of your justice and quality of mercy. But for this, I had not brought him into your kingdom; for I said to myself:—The Queen will take pleasure in looking upon him, and hearing him speak his verses and his sweet discourse and eloquent which is like unto pearls strung on string. Moreover, he has entered our land and eaten of our meat; Why he has a claim upon us."—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Tenth night

The Queen smiled and said, "How can he be my husband and have had children by me, that I should show him my face? "Then she made them bring Hasan before her and when he stood in the presence, she unveiled her face, which when he saw,

Hasan Of Bassorah. 103 he cried out with a great cry and fell down fainting. The old woman did not stop to tend him, till he came to himself and as soon as he revived he recited these couplets:

O breeze that blowest from the land Irak And from their corners whoever cry "Wak! Wak!" Bear news of me to friends and say for me I've tasted passion food of bitter smack. O dearlings of my love, show grace and ruth My heart is melted for this severance rack.

When he ended his verse he rose and looking on the Queen's face, cried out with a great cry, for stress whereof the palace was like to fall upon all within it. Then he swooned away again and the old woman did not stop to tend him till he revived, when she asked him what ailed him and he answered, "In very truth this Queen is either my wife or else the like of all folk to my wife."—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Eleventh night

She pursued, when the old woman asked Hasan what ailed him, he answered, "In very truth this Queen is either my wife or else the like of all folk to my wife." Nur al-Huda to the old woman said, "Woe to you, O nurse! This stranger is either Jinn mad or out of his mind, for he stars me in the face with wide eyes and says I am his wife." the old woman said, "O Queen, indeed he is excusable; so blame him not, for the saying says:—For the love sick is no remedy and alike are the madman and he." And Hasan wept with sore weeping and recited these two couplets,

I sight their track and pine for longing love; And over their homesteads weep I and I yearn: And I pray Heaven who willed we should part, Will deign to grant us boon of safe return.

Then said Hasan to the Queen once more, "By God, you are not my wife, but you are the like of all folk to her!" Hereupon Nur al-Huda laughed till she fell backwards and rolled round on her side. Then she said to him, "O my friend, take your time and observe me attentively: answer me at your leisure what I shall ask you and put away from you insanity and perplexity and inadvertency for relief is at hand." Answered Hasan, "O mistress of Kings and asylum of all princes and paupers, when I looked upon you, I was distracted, seeing you to be either my wife or the like of all folk to her; but now ask me whatever you will." She said, "What is it in your wife that resembls me? "; and He said, "O my lady, all that is in you of beauty and loveliness, elegance and amorous grace, such as the symmetry of your shape and the sweetness of your speech and the blushing of your cheeks and the jutting of your breasts and so forth, all resembls her and you are her very self in your faculty of parlance and the fairness of your favour and the brilliancy of your brow."

When the Queen heard this, she smiled and gloried in her beauty and loveliness and her cheeks reddened and her eyes wantoned; then she turned to Shawahi Umm Dawahi and said to her, "O my mother, carry him back to the place where he tarried with you and tend him yourself, till I examine into his affair; for, If he be indeed a man of manliness and mindful of friendship and love and affection, it behoves we help him to win his wish, more by token that he has sojourned in our country and eaten of our victual, not to speak of the hardships of travel he has suffered and the travail and horrors he has undergone. But, when you have brought him to your house, commend him to the care of your dependents and return to me in all haste; and Allah Almighty willing! All shall be well." Thereupon Shawahi carried him back to her lodging and charged her handmaids and servants and suite wait upon him and bring him all he needed nor fail in what was his due. Then she returned to Queen Nur al-Huda, who bade her don her arms and set out, taking with her a thousand doughty horsemen. So she obeyed and donned her war gear and having collected the thousand riders reported them ready to the Queen, who bade her march upon the city of the Supreme King, her father, there to alight at the abode of her youngest sister, Manár al-Saná, and say to her, "Clothe your two sons in the coats of mail which their aunt has made them and send them to her; for she longs

Hasan Of Bassorah. 105 for them." Moreover the Queen charged her keep Hasan's affair secret and say to Manar al-Sana, after securing her children, "Your sister invits you to visit her." "Then," she continued, "bring the children to me in haste and let her follow at her leisure. Do you come by a road other than her road and journey night and day and beware of discovering this matter to any. And I swear by all manner oaths that, if my sister prove to be his wife and it appear that her children are his, I will not hinder him from taking her and them and departing with them to his own country."—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twelfth night

O my mother, an my thought tell me true, my sister Manar al-Sana is his wife, but Allah alone is All knowing! Seeing that these traits of surpassing beauty and excelling grace, of which he spoke, are found in none except my sisters and especially in the youngest." The old woman kissed her hand and returning to Hasan, told him what the Queen had said, at which he was like to fly for joy and coming up to her, kissed her head. She said, "O my son, kiss not my head, but kiss me on the mouth and be this kiss by way of sweetmeat for your salvation. Be of good cheer and keep yours eyes cool and clear and grudge not to kiss my mouth, for I and only I was the means of your foregathering with her. So take comfort and hearten your heart and broaden your breast and gladden your glance and console your soul for, Allah willing, your desire shall be accomplished at my hand." So saying, she bade him farewell and departed, whilst he recited these two couplets:

Witnesses unto love of you I've four; And wants each case two witnesses; no more! A heart aye fluttering, limbs that ever quake, A wasted frame and tongue that speech forswore.

And also these two:

Two things there be, an blood tears thereover Wept eyes till not one trace you could discover, Eyes never could pay the tithe to them is due The prime of youth and severance from lover.

Then the old woman armed herself and, taking with her a thousand weaponed horsemen, set out and journeyed till she came to the island and the city where dwelt the Lady Manar al-Sana and between which and that of her sister Queen Nur al-Huda was three days' journey. When Shawahi reached the city, she went in to the Princess and saluting her, gave her sister's salam and acquainted her with the Queen's longing for her and her children and that she reproached her for not visiting her. Manar al-Sana said, "truly, I am beholden to my sister and have failed of my duty to her in not visiting her, but I will do so directly." Then she bade pitch her tents without the city and took with her for her sister a suitable present of rare things. Presently, the King her father looked out of a window of his palace, and seeing the tents pitched by the road, asked of them, and they answered him, "The Princess Manar al-Sana has pitched her tents by the way side, being minded to visit her sister Queen Nur al-Huda." When the King heard this, he equipped troops to escort her to her sister and brought out to her from his treasuries meat and drink and monies and jewels and rarities which beggar description. Now the King had seven daughters, all sisters german by one mother and father except the youngest: the eldest was called Núr al-Hudá, the second Najm al-Sabáh; the third Shams al-Zuhà, the fourth Shajarat al-Durr, the fifth Kút al-Kulúb, the sixth Sharaf al-Banát and the youngest Manar al-Sana, Hasan's wife, who was their sister by the father's

Hasan Of Bassorah. 107 side only. soon the old woman again presented herself and kissed ground before the Princess, who said to her, "Have you any need, O my mother?" Shawahi said, "Your sister, Queen Nur al-Huda, bids you clothe your sons in the two habergeons which she fashioned for them and send them to her by me, and I will take them and forego you with them and be the harbinger of glad tidings and the announcer of your coming to her." When the Princess heard these words, her colour changed and she bowed her head a long while, after which she shook it and looking up, said to the old woman, "O my mother, my vitals tremble and my heart flutters when you name my children; for, from the time of their birth none has looked on their faces either Jinn or man, male or female, and I am jealous for them of the zephyr when it breaths in the night." Exclaimed the old woman, "What words are these, O my lady? Do you fear for them from your sister?—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Thirteenth night

And she did not stop to urge her, till she gave way, fearing her sister's fury and unknowing what lurked for her in the dark future, and consented to send them with the old woman. So she called them and bathed them and equipped them and changed their apparel. Then she clad them in the two little coats of mail and delivered them to Shawahi, who took them and sped on with them like a bird, by another road than that by which their mother should travel, even as the Queen had charged her; nor did she cease to fare on with all diligence, being fearful for them, till she came in sight of Nur al-Huda's city, when she crossed the river and entering the town, carried them in to their aunt. The Queen rejoiced at their sight and embraced them, and pressed them to her breast; after which she seated them, one upon the right thigh and the other upon the left; and turning round said to the old woman, "Fetch me Hasan directly, for I have granted him my safeguard and have spared him from my sabre and he has sought asylum in my house and taken up his abode in my courts, after having endured hardships and horrors and passed through all manner mortal risks, each terribler than other; yet hitherto is he not safe from drinking the cup of death and from cutting off his breath."—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fourteenth night

Replied Shawahi, "If I bring him to you, will you reunite him with these his children? Or, if they prove not his, will you pardon him and restore him to his own country?" Hearing these her words the Queen grew exceeding wroth and cried to her, "Fie upon you, O ill omened old woman! How long will you false us in the matter of this strange man who has dared to intrude himself upon us and has lifted our veil and pried into our conditions? Say me: think you that he shall come to our land and look upon our faces and betray our honour, and after return in safety to his own country and expose our affairs to his people, Why our report will be bruited abroad among all the Kings of the quarters of the earth

Hasan Of Bassorah. 109 and the merchants will journey bearing tidings of us in all directions, saying:—A mortal entered the Isles of Wak and traversed the Land of the Jinn and the Lands of the Wild Beasts and the Islands of Birds and set foot in the country of the Warlocks and the Enchanters and returned in safety?" This shall never be; no, never; and I swear by Him who made the Heavens and builded them; yea, by Him who dispread the earth and smoothed it, and who created all creatures and counted them, that, If they be not his children, I will assuredly slay him and strike his neck with my own hand!" Then she cried out at the old woman, who fell down for fear; and set upon her the Chamberlain and twenty Mamelukes, saying, "Go with this crone and fetch me in haste the youth who is in her house." So they dragged Shawaki along, yellow with fright and with side muscles quivering, till they came to her house, where she went in to Hasan, who rose to her and kissed her hands and saluted her. She returned not his salam, but said to him, "Come; speak the Queen. Did I not say to you:—Return presently to yours own country and I will give you that to which no mortal may avail? And did I forbid you from all this? But you would not obey me nor listen to my words; nay, you rejectedst my counsel and chosest to bring destruction on me and on yourself. Up, then, and take that which you have chosen; for death is near hand. Arise: speak with that vile harlot and tyrant that she is!"

So Hasan arose, broken spirited, heavy hearted, and full of fear, and crying, "O Preserver, preserve You me! O my God, be gracious to me in that which You have decreed to me of Yours affliction and protect me, O You the most Merciful of the Mercifuls!" Then, despairing of his life, he followed the twenty Mamelukes, the Chamberlain and the crone to the Queen's presence, where he found his two sons Nasir and Mansur sitting in her lap, whilst she played and made merry with them. As soon as his eyes fell on them, he knew them and crying a great cry fell down a fainting for excess of joy at the sight of his children.—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifteenth night

Whereupon the old woman and all who were present wept for pity and tenderness over them and said, "Praised be Allah, who has reunited you with your Sire!" Presently, Hasan came to himself and embracing his children, wept till again he swooned away, and when he revived, he recited these verses

By rights of you, this heart of mine could never aby Severance from you albeit Union death imply! Your phantom says to me, "A morrow we shall meet!" Shall I despite the foe the morrow day espy? By rights of you I swear, my lords, that since the day Of severance never the sweets of lips enjoyèd I! An Allah bade me perish for the love of you, Mid greatest martyrs for your love I gladly will die. Oft a gazelle does make my heart her browsing stead The while her form of flesh like sleep eludes my eye: If in the lists of Law my bloodshed she deny, Prove it two witnesses those cheeks of ruddy dye.

When Nur al-Huda was assured that the little ones were indeed Hasan's children and that her sister, the Princess Manar al-Sana, was his wife, of whom he was come in quest, she was wroth against her with wrath beyond measure.—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Sixteenth night

She pursued, when Nur al-Huda was certified that the little ones were Hasan's children and that her sister

Hasan Of Bassorah. 111

Manar al-Sana was his wife of whom he had come in quest, she raged with exceeding rage, too great to be assuaged and screamed in Hasan's face and reviled him and kicked him in the breast, so that he fell on his back in a swoon. Then she cried out at him, saying, "Arise! Fly for your life. But that I swore that no evil should happen you from me, should your tale prove true, I would slay you with my own hand directly!" And she cried out at the old woman, who fell on her face for fear, and said to her, "By God, but that I am loath to break the oath that I swore, I would put both you and him to death after the foulest fashion! "; presently adding, "Arise, go out from before me in safety and return to yours own country, for I swear by my fortune, if ever my eye espy you or if any bring you in to me after this, I will smite off your head and that of whoever brings you!" Then she cried out to her officers, saying, "Put him outfrom before me!" So they thrust him out, and when he came to himself, he recited these couplets:

You're far, yet to my heart you're nearest near; Absent yet present in my sprite you appear: By God, never to other I've inclined But tyranny of Time in patience bear! Nights pass while still I love you and they end, And burns my breast with flames of fell Sa' fr; I was a youth who parting for an hour Bore not, then what of months that make a year? Jealous am I of breeze breath fanning you; Yea jealous mad of fair soft sided fere!

Then he once more fell down in a swoon, and when he came to himself, he found himself without the palace where they had dragged him on his face; so he rose, stumbling over his skirts and hardly crediting his escape from

Nur al-Huda. Now this was grievous to Shawahi; but she dared not remonstrate with the Queen by reason of the violence of her wrath. And directly Hasan went forth, distracted and knowing not from where to come or where to go; the world, for all its wideness, was straitened upon him and he found none to speak a kind word with him and comfort him, nor any to whom he might resort for counsel or to apply for refuge; Why he made sure of death for that he could not journey to his own country and knew none to travel with him, neither wist he the way there nor might he pass through the Wady of the Jann and the Land of Beasts and the Islands of Birds. So giving himself up for lost he bewept himself, till he fainted, and when he revived, he bethought him of his children and his wife and of that might befall her with her sister, repenting him of having come to those countries and of having hearkened to none, and recited these couplets:

Suffer my eye babes weep lost of love and tears express: Rare is my solace and increases my distress: The cup of Severance chances to the dregs I've drained; Who is the man to bear love loss with manliness? You spread the Carpet of Disgrace betwixt us twain; Ah, when will be uprolled, O Carpet of Disgrace? I watched the while you slept; and if you deemed that I Forgot your love I but forget forgetfulness: Woe's me! indeed my heart is pining for the love Of you, the only leaches who can cure my case: See you not what befell me from your fell disdain? Debased am I before the low and high no less. I hid my love of you but longing laid it bare, And burns my heart wi' fire of passion's sorest stress: Ah! deign have pity on my piteous case, for I Have kept our troth in secresy and patent place! Would Heaven I know shall Time ever deign us twain rejoin! You are my heart's desire, my sprite's sole happiness: My vitals bear the Severance wound: would Heaven that you With tidings from your camp would deign my soul to bless!

Then he went on, till he came without the city, where he found the river, and walked along its bank, knowing not where he went. Such was Hasan's case; but as regards his wife Manar al-Sana, as she was about to carry out

Hasan Of Bassorah. 113 her purpose and to set out, on the second day after the departure of the old woman with her children, behold, there came in to her one of the chamberlains of the King her sire, and kissed ground between his hands, —

When it was the Eight Hundred and Seventeenth night

So she rose and accompanied the chamberlain to learn what was required by her father, who seated her by his side on the couch, and said to her, "O my daughter, know that I have this night had a dream which makes me fear for you and that long sorrow will happen you from this your journey." She said, "How so, O my father, and what did you see in your dream?" and He said, "I dreamt that I entered a hidden hoard, in which was great store of monies, of jewels, of jacinths and of other riches; but 'twas as if nothing pleased me of all this treasure and jewelry save seven bezels, which were the finest things there. I chose out one of the seven jewels, for it was the smallest, finest and most lustrous of them and its water pleased me; so I took it in my hand palm and fared forth of the treasury. When I came without the door, I opened my hand, rejoicing, and turned over the jewel, when, behold, there swooped down on me out of the welkin a strange bird from a far land (for it was not of the birds of our country) and, snatching it from my hand, returned with it from where it came Whereupon sorrow and concern and sore vexation overcame me and my exceeding chagrin so troubled me that I awoke, mourning and lamenting for the loss of the jewel. At once on awaking I summoned the interpreters and expounders of dreams and declared to them my dream and they said to me:—You have seven daughters, the youngest of whom you will lose, and she will be taken from you Of necessity, without your will.

Now you, O my girl, art the youngest and dearest of my daughters and the most affectionate of them to me, and look'you you are about to journey to your sister, and I know not what may befall you from her; so go you not; but return to your palace." But when the Princess heard her father's words, her heart fluttered and she feared for her children and bent earthwards her head awhile: then she raised it and said to her sire, "O King, Queen Nur al-Huda has made ready for me an entertainment and awaits my coming to her, hour by hour. These four years she has not seen me and if I delay to visit her, she will be wroth with me. The utmost of my stay with her shall be a month and then I will return to you. Besides, who is the mortal who can travel our land and make his way to the Islands of Wak? Who can gain access to the White Country and the Black Mountain and come to the Land of Camphor and the Castle of Crystal, and how shall he traverse the Island of Birds and the Wady of Wild Beasts and the Valley of the Jann and enter our Islands? If any stranger came here, he would be drowned in the seas of destruction: so be of good cheer and eyes without a tear anent my journey; for none may avail to tread our earth." And she did not stop to persuade him, till he deigned give her leave to depart.—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Eighteenth night

Then rising up she went forth and he with her and farewelled her. Now his words had sunken deep into her heart and she feared for her children; but it avails not to fortify herself by any device against the onset of Destiny. So she set out and fared on diligently three days, till she came to the river and pitched her tents on its bank. Then she crossed the stream, with some of

Hasan Of Bassorah. 115 her counsellors, pages and suite and, going up to the city and the palace, went in to Queen Nur al-Huda, with whom she found her children who ran to her weeping and crying out, "O our father!" At this, the tears railed from her eyes and she wept; then she strained them to her bosom, saying, "What! Have you seen your sire at this time? Would the hour had never been, in which I left him! If I knew him to be in the house of the world, I would carry you to him." Then she bemoaned herself and her husband and her children weeping and reciting these couplets:

My friends, despite this distance and this cruelty, I pine for you, incline to you where'er you be. My glance for ever turns towards your hearth and home And mourns my heart the bygone days you woned with me, How many a night foregathered we withouten fear One loving, other faithful ever glad and free!

When her sister saw her fold her children to her bosom, saying, "'Tis I who have done thus with myself and my children and have ruined my own house!" She saluted her not, but said to her, "O whore, from where had you these children? Say, have you married unbeknown to your sire or have you committed fornication? If you have played the piece, it behoves you be exemplarily punished; and if you have married sans our knowledge, why did you abandon your husband and separate your sons from your sire and bring them here? "—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Nineteenth night

Then she bade her guards seize her and pinion her elbows and shackle her with shackles of iron. So they did as she commanded and she beat her with a grievous beating, so that her skin was torn, and hanged her up by the hair; after which she cast her in prison and wrote the King her father a writ acquainting him with her case and saying, "There has appeared in our land a man, a mortal, by name Hasan, and our sister Manar al-Sana avouches that she is lawfully married to him and bare him two sons, whom she has hidden from us and you; nor did she discover anything of herself till there came to us this man and informed us that he wedded her and she tarried with him a long while; after which she took her children and departed, without his knowledge, bidding as she went his mother tell her son, whenas longing began to rack to come to her in the Islands of Wak. So we laid hands on the man and sent the old woman Shawahi to fetch her and her offspring, enjoining her to bring us the children in advance of her. And she did so, whilst Manar al-Sana equipped herself and set out to visit me.

When the boys were brought to me and before the mother came, I sent for Hasan the mortal who claims her to wife, and he on entering and at first sight knew them and they knew him; by which was I certified that the children were indeed his children and that she was his wife and I learned that the man's story was true and he was not to blame, but that the reproach and the infamy rested with my sister. Now I feared the rending of our honour veil before the folk of our Isles; so, when this wanton, this traitress, came in to me, I was incensed against her and cast her into prison and bastinado'd her grievously and hanged her up by the hair. Behold, I have acquainted you with her case and it is yours to command, and whatever you orderest us that we will do. You know that in this affair is

Hasan Of Bassorah. 117 dishonour and disgrace to our name and to yours, and Perhaps the islanders will hear of it, and we shall become amongst them a byword; Why it besitts you return us an answer with all speed." Then she delivered the letter to a courier and he carried it to the King who, when he read it, was wroth with exceeding wrath with his daughter Manar al-Sana and wrote to Nur al-Huda, saying, "I commit her case to you and give you command over her life; so, if the matter be as you say, kill her without consulting me." When the Queen had received and read her father's letter, she sent for Manar al-Sana and they set before her the prisoner drowned in her blood and pinioned with her hair, shackled with heavy iron shackles and clad in hair cloth; and they made her stand in the presence abject and abashed. When she saw herself in this condition of passing humiliation and exceeding abjection, she called to mind her former high estate and wept with sore weeping and recited these two couplets,

O Lord my foes are glad to slay me in despight Nor deem I anywise to find escape by flight: I have recourse to You t' annul what they have done; You are th' asylum, Lord, of fearful suppliant people.

Then she wept grievously, till she fell down in a swoon, and presently coming to herself, repeated these two couplets:

Troubles familiar with my heart are grown and I with them, erst shunning; for the generous are sociable still. Not one mere kind alone of woe does lieger with me lie; Praised be God! There are with me thousands of kinds of ill.

And also these:

Oft times Mischance shall straiten noble breast With grief, from where issue is for Him to shape: But when the meshes straitest, tightest, seem They loose, though deemed never to find escape.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twenties night

She pursued, when Queen Nur al-Huda ordered into the presence her sister Princess Manar al-Sana, they set her between her hands and she, pinioned as she was recited the verses aforesaid. Then the Queen sent for a ladder of wood and made the eunuchs lay her on her back, with her arms spread out and bind her with cords thereto; after which she bared her head and wound her hair about the ladder rungs and indeed all pity for her was rooted out from her heart. When Manar al-Sana saw herself in this state of abjection and humiliation, she cried out and wept; but none succoured her. Then she said to the Queen, "O my sister, how is your heart hardened against me? Has you no mercy on me nor pity on these little children?" But her words only hardened her sister's heart and she insulted her, saying, "O Wanton! O harlot! Allah have no ruth on whoever sus for you! How should I have compassion on you, O traitress?" Replied Manar al-Sana who lay stretched on the ladder, "I appeal from you to the Lord of the Heavens, concerning that wherewith you revilest me and whereof I am innocent! By God, I have done no whoredom, but am lawfully married to him, and my Lord knows If I speak truth or not! Indeed, my heart is wroth with you, by reason of yours excessive hardheartedness against me! How can you cast at me the charge of harlotry, without knowledge? But my Lord will deliver me from you and if that whoredom whereof you accusest me be true, may He presently punish me for it!" Nur al-Huda after a few moments of reflection said,"How durst you bespeak me thus?" and rose and beat her till she fainted away; whereupon they sprinkled water on her face till she revived; and in truth her charms were wasted for excess of beating and the straitness of her bonds and

Hasan Of Bassorah. 119 the sore insults she had suffered. Then she recited these two couplets:

If anything I've sinned in sinful way, Or done ill deed and gone astray, The past repent I and I come To you and for your pardon pray!

When Nur al-Huda heard these lines, her wrath redoubled and she said to her, "Will speak before me in verse, O whore, and seek to excuse yourself for the mortal sins you have sinned? 'Twas my desire that you should return to your husband, that I might witness your wickedness and matchless brazen facedness; for you gloriest in your lewdness and wantonness and mortal heinousness." Then she called for a palm stick and, whenas they brought the Jaríd, she arose and baring arms to elbows, beat her sister from head to foot; after which she called for a whip of plaited thongs, wherewith if one smote an elephant, he would start off at full speed, and came down therewith on her back and her stomach and every part of her body, till she fainted. When the old woman Shawahi saw this, she fled forth from the Queen's presence, weeping and cursing her; but Nur al-Huda cried out to her eunuchs, saying, "Fetch her to me!" So they ran after her and seizing her, brought her back to the Queen, who bade throw her on the ground and making them lay hold of her, rose and took the whip, with which she beat her, till she swooned away, when she said to her waiting women, "Drag this ill omened beldam forth on her face and put her out," And they did as she bade them. So far concerning them; but as regards Hasan, he walked on beside the river, in the direction of the desert, distracted, troubled, and despairing of life; and indeed he was dazed and knew not night from day for stress of affliction. He did not stop faring on thus, till he came to a tree whereto he saw a scroll hanging: so he took it and found written thereon these couplets:

When in your mother's womb you avast, I cast your case the bestest best; And turned her heart to you, so she Fostered you on fondest breast. We will suffice you in whate'er Shall cause you trouble or unrest; We'll aid you in yours enterprise So rise and bow to our behest.

When he had ended reading this scroll, he made sure of deliverance from trouble and of winning reunion with those he loved. Then he walked forward a few steps and found himself alone in a wild and perilous wold in which there was none to company with him; upon which his heart sank within him for horror and loneliness and his side muscles trembled, for that fearsome place, and he recited these couplets: -

O Zephyr of Morn, If you pass where the dear ones dwell, Bear greeting of lover who ever in love longing wones! And tell them I'm pledged to yearning and pawned to pine And the might of my passion all passion of lovers unthrones. Their sympathies Perhaps shall breathe in a Breeze like you And quicken forth right this framework of rotting bones.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twenty first night

So Hasan interposed and parted them, saying, "What is the cause of your contention?" and they replied, O uncle, be you judge of our case, for Allah the Most High has surely sent you to do justice between us." Hasan said, "Tell me your case, and I will judge between you;" and one of them said, "We twain are brothers german and

Hasan Of Bassorah. 121 our sire was a mighty magician, who dwelt in a cave on that mountain. He died and left us this cap and rod; and my brother says None shall have the rod but I, whilst I say the like; so be you judge between us and deliver us each from other." Hasan asked, "What is the difference between the rod and the cap and what is their value? The rod appears to be worth six coppers and the cap three;" whereto they answered, "You know not their properties." "And what are their properties?" "Each of them has a wonderful secret virtue, Why the rod is worth the revenue of all the Islands of Wak and their provinces and dependencies, and the cap the like!" "By God, O my sons, discover to me their secret virtues." So they said, "O uncle, they are extraordinary; for our father wrought an hundred and thirty and five years at their contrivance, till he brought them to perfection and ingrafted them with secret attributes which might serve him extraordinary services and engraved them after the likeness of the revolving sphere, and by their aid he dissolved all spells; and when he had made an end of their fashion, Death, which all needs must suffer, overtook him. Now the hidden virtue of the cap is, that whoever setts it on his head is concealed from all folk's eyes, nor can any see him, whilst it remains on his head; and that of the rod is that whoever owns it has authority over seven tribes of the Jinn, who all serve the order and ordinance of the rod; and whenever he who possesses it smits therewith on the ground, their Kings come to do him homage, and all the Jinn are at his service."

Now when Hasan heard these words, he bowed his head groundwards awhile, then said in himself, "By God, I shall conquer every foe by means of this rod and cap, God willing! And I am worthier of them both than these two boys. So I will go about directly to get them from the twain by craft, that I may use them to free myself and my wife and children from that tyrannical Queen, and then we will depart from this dismal stead, from where there is no deliverance for mortal man nor flight. Doubtless, Allah caused me not to fall in with these two lads, but that I might get the rod and cap from them." Then he raised his head and said to the two boys, "If you would have me decide the case, I will make trial of you and see what each of you deserves. He who overcomes his brother shall have the rod and he who fails shall have the cap." They replied,

"O uncle, we depute you to make trial of us and do you decide between us as you deems fit." Hasan asked, "Will you hearken to me and have regard to my words? "; and they answered, "Yes." Then he said, "I will take a stone and throw it and he who outrunns his brother thereto and picks it up shall take the rod, and the other who is outraced shall take the cap." And they said, "We accept and consent to this your proposal." Then Hasan took a stone and threw it with his might, so that it disappeared from sight. The two boys ran under and after it and when they were at a distance, he donned the cap and hending the rod in hand, removed from his place that he might prove the truth of that which the boys had said, with regard to their scant properties. The younger outran the elder and coming first to the stone, took it and returned with it to the place where they had left Hasan, but found no signs of him. So he called to his brother, saying, "Where is the man who was to be umpire between us?" the other said, "I espy him not neither know I whether he has flown up to heaven above or sunk into earth beneath."

Then they sought for him, but saw him not, though all the while he was standing in his stead close by them. So they abused each other, saying, "Rod and Cap are both gone; they are neither mine nor yours: and indeed our father warned us of this very thing; but we forgot whatever he said." Then they retraced their steps and Hasan also entered the city, wearing the cap and bearing the rod; and none saw him. Now when he was thus certified of the truth of their speech, he rejoiced with exceeding joy and making the palace, went up into the lodging of Shawahi, who saw him not, because of the cap. Then he walked up to a shelf over her head upon which were vessels of glass and chinaware, and shook it with his hand, so that what was thereon fell to the ground. The old woman cried out and beat her face; then she rose and restored the fallen things to their places, saying in herself, "By God, I think Queen Nur al-Huda has sent a Satan to torment me, and he has tricked me this trick! I beg Allah Almighty deliver me from her and preserve

Hasan Of Bassorah. 123 me from her wrath, for, O Lord, if she deal thus abominably with her half sister, beating and hanging her, dear as she is to her sire, how will she do with a stranger like myself, against whom she is incensed? "—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twenty second night

Then she said, "I conjure you, O devil, by the Most Compassionate, the Bountiful great, the High of Estate, of Dominion Elate who man and Jinn did create, and by the writing upon the seal of Solomon David son (on both be the Peace!) speak to me and answer me; "Hasan said, "I am no devil; I am Hasan, the afflicted, the distraught." Then he raised the cap from his head and appeared to the old woman, who knew him and taking him apart, said to him, "What is come to your reason, that you returnest here? Go hide you; for, if this wicked woman have tormented your wife with such torments, and she her sister, what will she do, If she light on you?" Then she told him all that had befallen his spouse and that in which she was of travail and torment and tribulation, and straitly described all the pains she endured adding, "And indeed the Queen repents her of having let you go and has sent one after you, promising him an hundred weight of gold and my rank in her service; and she has sworn that, if he bring you back, she will do you and your wife and children dead." And she shed tears and discovered to Hasan what the Queen had done with herself, at which he wept and said, "O my lady, how shall I do to escape from this land and deliver myself and my wife and children from this tyrannical Queen and how devise to return with them in safety to my own country?" Replied the old woman, "Woe to you! Save yourself." He said, "There is no help but I deliver her and my children from the Queen Of necessity and in her despite;" and Shawahi said, "How can you forcibly rescue them from her? Go and hide yourself, O my son, till Allah Almighty empower you." Then Hasan showed her the rod and the cap, at which she rejoiced with joy exceeding and cried, "Glory be to Him who quickens the bones, though they be rotten!

By God, O my son, you and your wife were but of lost folk; now, however, you are saved, you and your wife and children! For I know the rod and I know its maker, who was my Shaykh in the science of Gramarye. He was a mighty magician and spent an hundred and thirty and five years working at this rod and cap, till he brought them to perfection, when Death the Inevitable overtook him. And I have heard him say to his two boys:—O my sons, these two things are not of your lot, for there will come a stranger from a far country, who will take them from you by force, and you shall not know how he takes them." Said they:—O our father, tell us how he will avail to take them. But he answered:—I know not." "And O my son," added she, "how availedst you to take them?" So he told her how he had taken them from the two boys, at which she rejoiced and said, "O my son, since you have gotten the by which to free your wife and children, give ear to what I shall say to you. For me there is no woning with this wicked woman, after the foul fashion in which she durst use me; so I am minded to depart from her to the caves of the Magicians and there abide with them until I die. But do you, O my son, don the cap and bend the rod in hand and enter the place where your wife and children are. Unbind her bonds and smite the earth with the rod saying:—Be you present, O servants of these names! Whereupon the servants of the rod will appear; and if there present himself one of the Chiefs of the Tribes, command him whatever you will wish and will."

So he farewelled her and went forth donning the cap and hending the rod and entered the place where his wife was. He found her wellnigh lifeless bound to the ladder by her hair, tearful eyed and woeful hearted, in the sorriest of plights, knowing no way to deliver herself. Her children were playing under the ladder, whilst she looked at them and wept for them and herself, because of the barbarities and sore treatings and bitter penalties which had befallen her; and he heard her repeat these couplets:

There remains not anything save a fluttering, breath and an eye whose owner is confounded. And a desirous lover whose bowels are burned with fire notwithstanding which she is silent. The exulting foe pities her at the sight of her. Alas for her whom the exulting foe pities!

Hasan Of Bassorah. 125

When Hasan saw her in this state of torment and misery and ignominy and infamy, he wept till he fainted; and when he recovered, he saw his children playing and their,mother aswoon for excess of pain; so he took the cap from his head and the children saw him and cried out, "O our father!" Then he covered his head again and the Princess came to herself, hearing their cry, but saw only her children weeping and shrieking, "O our father!" When she heard them name their sire and weep, her heart was broken and her vitals rent asunder and she said to them, "What makes you in mind of your father at this time?" And she wept sore and cried out, from a bursten liver and an aching bosom, "Where are you and where is your father?" Then she recalled the days of her union with Hasan and what had befallen her since her desertion of him and wept with sore weeping till her cheeks were seared and furrowed and her face was drowned in a briny flood. Her tears ran down and wetted the ground and she had not a hand loose to wipe them from her cheeks, whilst the flies fed their fill on her skin, and she found no helper but weeping and no solace but improvising verses. Then she repeated these couplets:

I call to mind the parting day that rent our loves in twain, When, as I turned away, the tears in very streams did rain. The cameleer urged on his beasts with them, what while I found Nor strength nor fortitude, nor did my heart with me remain. Yea, back I turned, unknowing of the road nor might shake off The trance of grief and longing love that numbed my heart and brain; And worst of all happened me, on my return, was one Who came to me, in lowly guise, to glory in my pain. Since the beloved's gone, O soul, forswear the sweet of life Nor covet its continuance, for, wanting him, 'twere vain. List, O my friend, unto the tale of love, and God forbid That I should speak and that your heart to hearken should not deign! As 'twere El Asmai himself, of passion I discourse Fancies rare and marvellous, linked in an endless chain.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twenty third night

but saw no one and marvelled that her sons should name their sire at that time and call upon him. But when Hasan heard her verses, he wept till he swooned away and the tears railed down his cheeks like rain. Then he drew near the children and raised the cap from his head unseen of his wife, whereupon they saw him and they knew him and cried out, saying, "O our father!" Their mother fell a weeping again, when she heard them name their sire's name and said, "There is no avoiding the doom which Almighty Allah has decreed!" Adding, "O Strange! What garrs them think of their father at this time and call upon him, albeit it is not of their wont?" Then she wept and recited these couplets:

The land of lamping moon is bare and drear; O eyne of me pour forth the brimming tear! They marched: how shall I now be patient? That I nor heart nor patience own I swear! O you, who marched yet bide in heart of me, Will you, O lords of me, return to that we were? What harm if they return and I enjoy Meeting, and they had ruth on tears of care? Upon the parting day they dimmed these eyne, For sad surprise, and lit the flames that flare. Sore longed I for their stay, but Fortune stayed Longings and turned my hope to mere despair. Return to us (O love!) By God, deign! Enow of tears have flowed for absence bane.

Then Hasan could no longer contain himself, but took the cap from his head; whereupon his wife saw him and recognising him screamed a scream which startled all in the palace, and said to him, "How came you here? From the sky have you dropped or through the earth have you come up?" And her eyes brimmed with tears and Hasan also wept. She said, "O man, this be

Hasan Of Bassorah. 127 no time for tears or blame. Fate has had its course and the sight was blinded and the Pen has run with what was ordained of Allah when Time was begun: so, in God's name, whencesoever you come, go hide, lest any espy you and tell my sister and she do you and me die!" Answered he, "O my lady and lady of all Queens, I have adventured myself and come here, and either I will die or I will deliver you from this strait and travel with you and my children to my country, despite the nose of this your wickedest sister." But as she heard his words she smiled and for awhile fell to shaking her head and said, "Far, O my life, far is it from the power of any except Allah Almighty to deliver me from this my strait! Save yourself by flight and go your ways and cast not yourself into destruction; for she has conquering hosts none may withstand. Given that you took me and went forth, how can you make your country and escape from these islands and the perils of these awesome places? truly, you have seen on your way here, the wonders, the marvels, the dangers and the terrors of the road, such as none may escape, not even one of the rebel Jinns. Depart, therefore, directly and add not cark to my cark and care to my care, neither do you pretend to rescue me from this my plight; for who shall carry me to your country through all these vales and thirsty wolds and fatal steads?"

Rejoined Hasan, "By your life, O light of my eyes, I will not depart this place nor fare but with you! She said, "O man! How can you avail unto this thing and what manner of man are you? You know not what you say! None can escape from these realms, even had he command over Jinns, Ifrits, magicians, chiefs of tribes and Marids. Save yourself and leave me; perchance Allah will bring about good after ill." Answered Hasan," O lady of fair ones, I came not save to deliver you with this rod and with this cap." And he told her what had befallen him with the two boys; but, whilst he was speaking, behold, up came the Queen and heard their speech. Now when he was ware of her, he donned the cap and was hidden from sight, and she entered and said to the Princess, "O wanton, who is he with whom you were talking?" Answered Manar al-Sana, "Who is with me that should talk with me, except these children?" Then the Queen took the whip and beat her, whilst Hasan stood by and looked on, nor did she leave beating her till she fainted; whereupon she bade transport her to another place. So they loosed her and carried her to another chamber whilst Hasan followed unseen. There they cast her down, senseless, and stood gazing upon her, till she revived and recited these couplets:—

I have sorrowed on account of our disunion with a sorrow that made the tears to overflow from my eyelids; And I vowed that if Fortune reunite us, I would never again mention our separation; And I would say to the envious, Die you with regret; By God I have now attained my desire! Joy has overwhelmed me to such a degree that by its excess it has made me weep. O eye, how has weeping become your habit? You weepest in joy as well as in sorrows.

When she ceased her verse the slave girls went out from her and Hasan took off the cap; whereupon his wife said to him, "See, O man, all this befell me not save by reason of my having rebelled against you and transgressed your commandment and gone forth without your leave So, in God's name blame me not for my sins and know that women never know a man's worth till they have lost him. Indeed, I have offended and done evil; but I crave pardon of Allah Almighty for whatever I did, and if He reunite us, I will never again gainsay you in anything, no, never!"—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twenty fourth night

She pursued, Hasan's wife besought pardon of him saying, "Blame me not for my sin; and indeed I crave mercy of Allah Almighty." Hasan said,(and indeed his heart ached for her), "'Twas not you that were in fault; nay, the fault was my and my only, for I fared forth and left you with one who knew not your rank, neither your worth nor your degree. But know, O beloved of my heart and fruit of my vitals and light of my eyes, that Allah (blessed be He!) has ordained to me power of releasing you; so, say me, would you have me carry you

Hasan Of Bassorah. 129 to your father's home, there to accomplish what Allah decres unto you, or will you directly depart with me to my own country, now that relief is come to you? "She said, "Who can deliver me save the Lord of the Heavens? Go to your motherland and put away from you false hope; for you know not the perils of these parts which, If you obey me not, soon will you sight." And she improvised these couplets:

On me and with me bides your volunty; Why then such anger such despite to me? Whate'er befell us Heaven forbid that love Fade for long time or ever forgotten be! did not stop the spy to haunt our sides, till seen Our love estranged and the estranged was he: In truth I trusted to fair thoughts of yours Though spoke the wicked spy maliciously. We'll keep the secret 'twist us twain and hold Although the brand of blame unsheathed we see. The livelong day in longing love I spend Hoping acceptance message from my friend.

Then she wept and her children, and the handmaidens heard them: so they came in to them and found them weeping, but saw not Hasan with them; Why they wept for ruth of them and damned Queen Nur al-Huda. Then Hasan took patience till night came on and her guards had gone to their sleeping places, when he arose and girded his waist; then went up to her and loosing her kissed her on the head and between the eyes and pressed her to his bosom, saying," How long have we wearied for our motherland and for reunion there! Is this our meeting in sleep, or on wake?" Then he took up the elder boy and she took up the younger and they went forth the palace; and Allah veiled them with the veil of His protection, so that they came safe to the outer gate which closed the entrance to the Queen's Serraglio. But finding it locked from without, Hasan said, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Truly we are Allah's and unto Him shall we return!" With this they despaired of escape and Hasan beat hand upon hand, saying, O Dispeller of dolours! Indeed, I had bethought me of every thing and considered its conclusion but this; and now, when it is daybreak, they will take us, and what device have we in this case?" And he recited the following two couplets

You made fair your thought of Fate, whenas the days were fair, And fearedst not the unknown ills that they to you might bring. The nights were fair and calm to you; you were deceived by them, For in the peace of night is born full many a troublous thing.

Then Hasan wept and his wife wept for his weeping and for the abasement she had suffered and the cruelties of Time and Fortune:

Baulks me my Fate as tho' she were my foe; Each day she shows me new cark and care: Fate, when I aim at good, brings clear reverse, And lets foul morrow wait on day that's fair.

And also these:

Irks me my Fate and clean unknows that I Of my high worth her shifts and shafts despise. She nights parading what ill will she works: I night parading Patience to her eyes.

Then his wife said to him, "By God, there is no relief for us but to kill ourselves and be at rest from this great and weary travail; else we shall suffer grievous torment on the morrow." At this moment, behold, they heard a voice from without the door say, "By God, O my lady Manar al-Sana, I will not open to you and your husband Hasan, except you obey me in whatever I shall say to you!" When they heard these words they were silent for excess of fright and would have returned from where they came; when lo! the voice spoke again saying, "What ails you both to be silent and answer me not?" Therewith they knew the speaker for the old woman Shawahi, Lady of Calamities, and said to her, "whatever you bid us, that will we do; but first open the door to us; this being no time for talk." she replied, "By God, I will not open to you until you both swear to me that you will take me with you and not leave me with that whore: so, whatever befalls you shall befall me and if you escape, I shall escape, and if you perish, I shall perish: for that abominable woman, tribade that she is! Entreats

Hasan Of Bassorah. 131 me with indignity and still torments me on your account; and you, O my daughter, know my worth." Now recognising her they trusted in her and sware to her an oath such as contented her, whereupon she opened the door to them and they fared forth and found her riding on a Greek jar of red earthenware with a rope of palm fibres about its neck, which rolled under her and ran faster than a Najdi colt, and she came up to them, and said, "Follow me and fear nothing, for I know forty modes of magic by the least of which I could make this city a dashing sea, swollen with clashing billows, and ensorcel each damsel within it to a fish, and all before dawn. But I was not able to work anything of my mischief, for fear of the King her father and of regard to her sisters, for that they are formidable, by reason of their many guards and tribesmen and servants. However, soon will I show you wonders of my skill in witchcraft; and now let us on, relying upon the blessing of Allah and His good aid." Now Hasan and his wife rejoiced in this, making sure of escape,—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twenty fifth night

Thereupon the earth clave asunder and out came ten Ifrits, with their feet in the bowels of the earth and their heads in the clouds. They kissed the earth three times before Hasan and said as with one voice, "Adsumus! Here are we at your service, O our lord and ruler over us! What do you bid us do? For we hear and obey your commandment. If you will, we will dry you up seas and remove mountains from their places." So Hasan rejoiced in their words and at their speedy answer to his evocation;

then taking courage and bracing up his resolution, he said to them, "Who are you and what be your names and your races, and to what tribes and clans and companies appertain you?" They kissed the earth once more and answered as with one voice, saying, "We are seven Kings, each ruling over seven tribes of the Jinn of all conditions, and Satans and Marids, flyers and divers, dwellers in mountains and wastes and wolds and haunters of the seas: so bid us do whatever you will; for we are your servants and your slaves, and whoever possesses this rod has dominion over all our necks and we owe him obedience."

Now when Hasan heard this, he rejoiced with joy exceeding, as did his wife and the old woman, and presently he said to the Kings of the Jinn, "I desire of you that you show me your tribes and hosts and guards." "O our lord," answered they," if we show you our tribes, we fear for you and these who are with you, for their name is legion and they are various in form and fashion, figure and favour. Some of us are heads sans bodies and others bodies sans heads, and others again are in the likeness of wild beasts and ravening lions. However, if this be your will, there is no help but we first show you those of us who are like unto wild beasts. But, O our lord, what would you of us at this present?" Hasan said, "I would have you carry me immediately to the city of Baghdad, me and my wife and this honest woman." But, hearing his words they hung down their heads and were silent, whereupon Hasan asked them, "Why do you not reply?" And they answered as with one voice, "O our lord and ruler over us, we are of the covenant of Solomon son of David (on the twain be Peace!) and he sware us in that we would bear none of the sons of Adam on our backs; since which time we have borne no mortal on back or shoulder: but we will At once harness you horses of the Jinn, that shall carry you and your company to your country."

Hasan enquired, "How far are we from Baghdad?" and they," Seven years' journey for a diligent horseman." Hasan marvelled at this and said to them, "Then how came I here in less than a year?"; and they said, "Allah softened to you the hearts of His pious servants else had you never come to this country nor had you set eyes on these regions; no, never! For the Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus, who mounted you on the elephant and the magical horse, traversed with you, in ten days, three years' journey for a well girt rider, and the Ifrit Dahnash, to whom the Shaykh committed you, carried you a three years' march in a day and a night; all which was

Hasan Of Bassorah. 133 of the blessing of Allah Almighty, for that the Shaykh Abu al-Ruwaysh is of the seed of Ásaf bin Barkhiyá and knows the Most Great name of Allah. Moreover, from Baghdad to the palace of the damsels is a year's journey, and this makes up the seven years." When Hasan heard this, he marvelled with exceeding marvel and cried, "Glory be to God, Facilitator of the hard, Fortifier of the weak heart, Approximator of the far and Humbler of every froward tyrant, Who has eased us of every accident and carried me to these countries and subjected to me these creatures and reunited me with my wife and children! I know not whether I am asleep or awake or if I be sober or drunken!" Then he turned to the Jinn and asked, "When you have mounted me upon your steeds, in how many days will they bring us to Baghdad?"; and they answered, "They will carry you there under the year, but not till after you have endured terrible perils and hardships and horrors and you have traversed thirsty Wadys and frightful wastes and horrible steads without number; and we cannot promise you safety, O our lord, from the people of these islands,—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twenty sixth night

adding, "Were you alone with us the thing were light; but He who conveyed you here is capable to carry you back to your country and reunite you with yours own people directly and in readiest plight. So take heart and put your trust in Allah and fear not; for we are at your service, to convey you to your country." Hasan thanked them therefor and said, "Allah requite you with good! But now make haste with the horses;" they replied, "We hear and we obey," and struck the ground with their feet, whereupon it opened and they disappeared within it and were absent awhile, after which they suddenly reappeared with three horses, saddled and bridled, and on each saddle bow a pair of saddle bags, with a leathern bottle of water in one pocket and the other full of provisions. So Hasan mounted one steed and took a child before him, whilst his wife mounted a second and took the other child before her. Then the old woman alighted from the jar and bestrode the third horse and they rode on, without ceasing, all night. At break of day, they turned aside from the road and made for the mountain, whilst their tongues did not stop to name Allah.

Then they fared on under the highland all that day, till Hasan caught sight of a black object afar as it were a tall column of smoke a twisting skywards; so he recited something of the Koran and Holy Writ, and sought refuge with Allah from Satan the Stoned. The black thing grew plainer as they drew near, and when close by it, they saw that it was an Ifrit, with a head like a huge dome and tusks like grapnels and jaws like a lane and nostrils like ewers and ears like leathern targes and mouth like a cave and teeth like pillars of stone and hands like winnowing forks and legs like masts: his head was in the cloud and his feet in the bowels of the earth had plowed. Whenas Hasan gazed upon him he bowed himself and kissed the ground before him, saying, "O Hasan, have no fear of me; for I am the chief of the dwellers in this land, which is the first of the Isles of Wak, and I am a Moslem and an adorer of the One God. I have heard of you and your coming and when I knew of your case, I desired to depart from the land of the magicians to another land, void of inhabitants and far from men and Jinn, that I might dwell there alone and worship Allah till my fated end came upon me.

So I wish to accompany you and be your guide, till you fare forth of the Wak Islands; and I will not appear save at night; and do you hearten your hearts on my account; for I am a Moslem, even as you are Moslems." When Hasan heard the Ifrit's words, he rejoiced with exceeding joy and made sure of deliverance; and he said to him, "Allah requite you weal! Go with us relying upon the blessing of Allah!" So the Ifrit forewent them and they followed, talking and making merry, for their hearts were pleased and their breasts were eased and Hasan fell to telling his wife all that had befallen

Hasan Of Bassorah. 135 him and all the hardships he had undergone, whilst she excused herself to him and told him, in turn, all she had seen and suffered. They did not stop faring all that night—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twenty seventh night

Hasan asked, "What shall I do, O my mother?'; and she answered, "Strike the earth with the rod." He did so whereupon the Seven Kings presented themselves and saluted him with the salam, kissing ground before him and saying,

"Fear not neither grieve." Hasan rejoiced at these words and answered them, saying, "Well said, O Princes of the Jinn and the Ifrits! This is your time!" They said, "Get you up to the mountain top, you and your wife and children and she who is with you and leave us to deal with them, for we know that you all are in the right and they in the wrong and Allah will aid us against them." So Hasan and his wife and children and the old woman dismounted and dismissing the horses, ascended the flank of the mountain.—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twenty eighth night

Your recompense, O harlot, O tyrant, shall be that two bitches be starved and two mares stinted of water, till they be athirst: then will you be bound to the mares' tails and these driven to the river, with the bitches following you that they may rend your skin; and after, your flesh shall be cut off and given them to eat. How could you do with your sister such deed, O strumpet, seeing that she was lawfully married, after the ordinance of Allah and of His Apostle? For there is no monkery in Al-Islam and marriage is one of the institutions of the Apostles (on whom be the Peace!) nor were women created but for men." Then Hasan commanded to put all the captives to the sword and the old woman cried out, saying, "Slay them all and spare none!" But, when Princess Manar al-Sana saw her sister in this plight, a bondswoman and in fetters, she wept over her and said, "O my sister, who is this has conquered us and made us captives in our own country?" Nur al-Huda said, "truly, this is a mighty matter. Indeed this man Hasan has gotten the mastery over us and Allah has given him dominion over us and over all our realm and he has overcome us, us and the Kings of the Jinn."

And her sister said, "Indeed, Allah aided him not against you nor did he overcome you nor capture you save by means of this cap and rod." So Nur al-Huda was certified and assured that he had conquered her by means of it and humbled herself to her sister, till she was moved to ruth for her and said to her husband, "What will you do with my sister? Behold, she is in your hands and she has done you no misdeed that you should punish her." Replied Hasan, "Her torturing of you was misdeed enow." But she answered, saying, "She has excuse for all she did with me. As for you, you have set my father's heart on fire for the loss of me, and what will be his case, if he lose my sister also?" And he said to her, "'Tis yours to decide; do whatever you will." So she bade loose her sister and the rest of the captives, and they did her bidding. Then she went up to

Queen Nur al-Huda and embraced her, and they wept together a long while; after which the Queen said, "O my sister, bear me not malice for that I did with you;" and Manar al-Sana said, "O my sister, this was foreordained to me by Fate." Then they sat on the couch talking and Manar al-Sana made peace between the old woman and her sister, after the goodliest fashion, and their hearts were set at ease. Thereupon Hasan dismissed the servants of the rod, thanking them for the succour which they had afforded him against his foes, and Manar al-Sana related to her sister all that had befallen her with Hasan her husband and every thing he had suffered for her sake, saying, "O my sister, since he has done these deeds and is possessed of this might and Allah Almighty has gifted him with such exceeding prowess, that he has entered our country and beaten yours army and taken you prisoner and defied our father, the Supreme King, who has dominion over all the Princes of the Jinn, it behoves us to fail not of what is due to him." Replied Nur al-Huda, "By God, O my sister, you say truth in whatever you tellest me of the marvels which this man has seen and suffered; and none may fail of respect to him. But was all this on yours account, O my sister?"—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twenty ninth night

She pursued, when Princess Manar al-Sana repeated to her sister these praises of Hasan, the other replied, "By God, this man can claim all respect more by token of his generosity. But was all this on yours account?" "Yes," answered Manar al-Sana, and they passed the night in converse till the morning morrowed and the sun rose and they were minded to depart. So they farewelled one another and Manar al-Sana gave God speed to the ancient dame after the reconciling her with Queen Nur al-Huda. Thereupon Hasan smote the earth with the rod and its servants the Jinn appeared and saluted him, saying, "Praised be Allah, who has set your soul at rest! Command us what you will, and we will do it for you in less than the twinkling of an eye." He thanked them for their saying and said to them, "Allah requite you with good!

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Saddle me two steeds of the best." So they brought him immediately two saddled coursers, one of which he mounted, taking his elder son before him, and his wife rode the other, taking the younger son in front of her. Then the Queen and the old woman also backed horse and departed, Hasan and his wife following the right and Nur al-Huda and Shawahi the left hand road. The spouses fared on with their children, without stopping, for a whole month, till they drew in sight of a city, which they found compassed about with trees and streams and making the trees dismounted beneath them thinking to rest there. As they sat talking, behold, they saw many horsemen coming towards them, whereupon Hasan rose and going to meet them, saw that it was King Hassun, lord of the Land of Camphor and Castle of Crystal, with his attendants. So Hasan went up to the King and kissed his hands and saluted him; and when Hassun saw him, he dismounted and seating himself with Hasan upon carpets under the trees returned his salam and gave him joy of his safety and rejoiced in him with exceeding joy, saying to him, "O Hasan, tell me all that has befallen you, first and last."

So he told him all of that, whereupon the King marvelled and said to him, "O my son, none ever reached the Islands of Wak and returned thence but you, and indeed your case is wondrous; but praise be to God—praised be God—for safety!" Then he mounted and bade Hasan ride with his wife and children into the city, where he lodged them in the guest house of his palace; and they abode with him three days, eating and drinking in mirth and merriment, After which Hasan sought Hassun's leave to depart to his own country and the King granted it. Accordingly they took horse and the King rode with them ten days, after which he farewelled them and turned back, whilst Hasan and his wife and children fared on a whole month, at the end of which time they came to a great cavern, whose floor was of brass. Hasan to his wife said, "Kennest you that cave? "; and She said, "No." He said, "within it dwells a Shaykh, Abu al-Ruwaysh called, to whom I am greatly beholden, for that he was the means of my becoming acquainted with King Hassun." Then he went on to tell her all that had passed between him and Abu al-Ruwaysh, and as he was thus engaged, behold, the Shaykh himself issued from the cavern mouth.

When Hasan saw him, he dismounted from his steed and kissed his hands, and the old man saluted him and gave him joy of his safety and rejoiced in him. Then he carried him into the antre and sat down with him, whilst Hasan related to him what had befallen him in the Islands of Wak; at which the Elder marvelled with exceeding marvel and said, "O Hasan, how did you deliver your wife and children?" So he told them the tale of the cap and the rod, hearing which he wondered and said, "O Hasan, O my son, but for this rod and the cap, you had never delivered your wife and children." And he replied, "Even so, O my lord." As they were talking, there came a knocking at the door and Abu al-Ruwaysh went out and found Abd al-Kaddus mounted on his elephant. So he saluted him and brought him into the cavern, where he embraced Hasan and congratulated him on his safety, rejoicing greatly in his return. Then said Abu al-Ruwaysh to Hasan, Tell the Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus all that has befallen you, O Hasan." He repeated to him every thing that had passed, first and last, till he came to the tale of the rod and cap,—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Thirties night

When Hasan heard this, he hung down his head, being ashamed to reply, "I will not give them to you," and said in his mind, "Indeed these two Shaykhs have done me great kindness and were the means of my winning to the Islands of Wak, and but for them I had never made the place, nor delivered my children, nor had I gotten me this rod and cap." So he raised his head and answered, "Yes, I will give them to you: but, O my lords, I fear lest the Supreme King, my wife's father, come upon me with his commando and combat with me in my own country, and I be unable to repel them, for want of the rod and the cap." Replied Abd al-Kaddus,

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"Fear not, O my son; we will continually succour you and keep watch and ward for you in this place; and whoever shall come against you from your wife's father or any other, him we will fend off from you; Why be you of good cheer and keep yours eyes cool of tear, and hearten your heart and broaden your breast and feel nothing whatever of fear, for no harm shall come to you." When Hasan heard this he was abashed and gave the cap to Abu al-Ruwaysh, saying to Abd al-Kaddus, "Accompany me to my own country and I will give you the rod." At this the two elders rejoiced with exceeding joy and made him ready riches and treasures which beggar all description. He abode with them three days, at the end of which he set out again and the Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus made ready to depart with him. So he and his wife mounted their beasts and Abd al-Kaddus whistled when, behold, a mighty big elephant trotted up with fore hand and feet on amble from the heart of the desert and he took it and mounted it. Then they farewelled Abu al-Ruwaysh who disappeared within his cavern; and they fared on across country traversing the land in its length and breadth wherever Abd al-Kaddus guided them by a short cut and an easy way, till they drew near the land of the Princesses; whereupon Hasan rejoiced at finding himself once more near his mother, and praised Allah for his safe return and reunion with his wife and children after so many hardships and perils; and thanked Him for His favours and bounties, reciting these couplets:

Perhaps shall Allah deign us twain unite And lockt in strict embrace we'll hail the light: And wonders that befell me I'll recount, And all I suffered from the Severance blight: And glad I'll cure my eyes by viewing you For ever yearned my heart to see your sight: I hid a tale for you my heart within Which when we meet o' morn I'll glad recite: I'll blame you for the deeds by you were done But while blame ends love shall stay in site.

Hardly had he made an end of these verses, when he looked and behold, there rose to view the Green Dome and the Jetting Fount and the Emerald Palace, and the Mountain of Clouds showed to them from afar;

whereupon Abd al-Kaddus said, "Rejoice, O Hasan, in good tidings: tonight will you be the guest of my nieces!" At this he joyed with exceeding joy and as also did his wife, and they alighted at the domed pavilion, where they took their rest and ate and drank; after which they mounted horse again and rode on till they came upon the palace. As they drew near, the Princesses who were daughters of the King, brother to Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus, came forth to meet them and saluted them and their uncle who said to them, "O daughters of my brother, behold, I have accomplished the need of this your brother Hasan and have helped him to regain his wife and children." So they embraced him and gave him joy of his return in safety and health and of his reunion with his wife and children, and it was a day of festival with them. Then came forward Hasan's sister, the youngest Princess, and embraced him, weeping with sore weeping, whilst he also wept for his long desolation: after which she complained to him of that which she had suffered for the pangs of separation and weariness of spirit in his absence and recited these two couplets:

After your faring never chanced I'spy A shape, but did your form within it descry: Nor closed my eyes in sleep but you I saw, even as though dwelling 'twist the lid and eye.

When she had made an end of her verses, she rejoiced with joy exceeding and Hasan said to her, "O my sister, I thank none in this matter save yourself over all your sisters, and may Allah Almighty vouchsafe you aidance and countenance!" Then he related to her all that had past in his journey, from beginning to end, and all that he had undergone, telling her what had happened him with his wife's sister and how he had delivered his wife and wees and he also described to her all that he had seen of marvels and grievous perils, even to how Queen Nur al-Huda would have slain him and his spouse and children and none saved them from her but the Lord the Most High. Moreover, he related to her the adventure of the cap and the rod and how

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Abd al-Kaddus and Abu al-Ruwaysh had asked for them and he had not agreed to give them to the twain save for her sake; Why she thanked him and blessed him wishing him long life; and he cried, "By God, I shall never forget all the kindness you have done me from incept to conclusion.—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Thirty first night

Then she turned to his wife Manar al-Sana and embraced her and pressed her children to her breast, saying to her, "O daughter of the Supreme King, was there no pity in your bosom, that you partedst him and his children and settedst his heart on fire for them? Say me, did you desire by this deed that he should die?" The Princess laughed and answered, "Thus was it ordained of Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) and whoever beguils folk, him shall Allah beguile;" Then they set on something of meat and drink, and they all ate and drank and made merry. They abode thus ten days in feast and festival, mirth and merry making, at the end of which time Hasan prepared to continue his journey. So his sister rose and made him ready riches and rarities, such as defy description. Then she strained him to her bosom, because of leave taking, and threw her arms round his neck whilst he recited on her account these couplets:

The solace of lovers is nothing but far, And parting is nothing save grief singular: And ill will and absence are nothing but woe, And the victims of Love nothing but martyrs are; And how tedious is night to the loving people From his true love parted 'neath evening star! His tears course over his cheeks and so He cries, "O tears be there more to flow?"

With this Hasan gave the rod to Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus, who joyed within it with exceeding joy and thanking him and securing it mounted and returned to his own place. Then Hasan took horse with his wife and children and departed from the Palace of the Princesses, who went forth with him, to farewell him. Then they turned back and Hasan fared on, over wild and wold, two months and ten days, till he came to the city of Baghdad, the House of Peace, and repairing to his home by the private postern which gave upon the open country, knocked at the door. Now his mother, for long absence, had forsworn sleep and given herself to mourning and weeping and wailing, till she fell sick and ate no meat, neither took delight in slumber but shed tears night and day. She did not stop to call upon her son's name albeit she despaired of his returning to her; and as he stood at the door, he heard her weeping and reciting these couplets:

By God, heal, O my lords, the unwhole Of wasted frame and heart worn with dole: An you grant her a meeting 'tis but your grace Shall whelm in the boons of the friend her soul: I despair not of Union the Lord can grant And to weal of meeting our woes control

When she had ended her verses, she heard her son's voice at the door, calling out, "O mother, mother ah! fortune has been kind and has vouchsafed our reunion! "Hearing his cry she knew his voice and went to the door, between belief and misbelief; but, when she opened it she saw him standing there and with him his wife and children; so she shrieked aloud, for excess of joy, and fell to the earth in a fainting fit. Hasan did not stop soothing her, till she recovered and embraced him; then she wept with joy, and presently she called his slaves and servants and bade them carry all his baggage into the house. So they brought in every one of the loads, and his wife and children entered also, whereupon Hasan's mother went up to the Princess and kissed her head and kissed her feet, saying, "O daughter of the Supreme King, if I have failed of your due, behold, I crave pardon of Almighty Allah." Then she turned to Hasan and said to him, "O my son, what was the cause of this long strangerhood?" He related to her all his adventures from beginning to end; and when she heard tell of all that had

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 145 befallen him, she cried a great cry and fell down a fainting at the very mention of his mishaps. He solaced her, till she came to herself and said, "By God, O my son, you have done unwisely in parting with the rod and the cap for, had you kept them with the care due to them, you were master of the whole earth, in its breadth and length; but praised be Allah, for your safety, O my son, and that of your wife and children!" They passed the night in all pleasance and happiness, and on the morrow Hasan changed his clothes and donning a suit of the richest apparel, went down into the bazar and bought black slaves and slave girls and the richest stuffs and ornaments and furniture such as carpets and costly vessels and all manner other precious things, whose like is not found with Kings. Moreover, he purchased houses and gardens and estates and so forth and abode with his wife and his children and his mother, eating and drinking and pleasuring: nor did they cease from all joy of life and its solace till there came to them the Destroyer of delights and the Severer of societies. And Glory be to Him who has dominion over the Seen and the Unseen, who is the Living, the Eternal, Who dies not at all! And men also recount the adventures of