Hassan: The Story of Hassan of Baghdad and How He Came to Make the Golden Journey to Samarkand | Page 6

As he disappears YASMIN peeps inquisitively,
unveiled, through the little window in the partition.)
SELIM What an impudent little beauty.... Why, she had a widow's scarf
on. She must be the princess! (Rocks with laughter) The unattainable
ideal! And I have her address. It requires a frenzied lover to pay cash
for a flask of coloured water. But I doubt if Hassan's sweets mingled
with coloured water will do aught but can make her sick. Whereas a
cake stuffed with those very dinars.... Allah, the dinars would not choke
her! O thou fool Hassan!
Tell not thy shirt who smiled and answered "Yes": Dream not her name,
nor fancy her address.
(Enter Hassan, pale and staggering.)
HASSAN Selim, in the name of friendship, take these ten dinars and
buy me that philtre, and return with speed.
SELIM (Feigning irritation) Allah! Am I your messenger? Go yourself
to the Jew.
HASSAN I must prepare the sweetmeats this very hour, to send them
to her before sunset. In the name of friendship, Selim, take the dinars
and purchase me that philtre.
SELIM (Rising and taking dinars) Do not make me chargeable, O
Hassan, if the philtre is without effect. I only repeat what I have heard.
HASSAN No, I will not blame you. But go quickly for the magic that
nothing may be left unsampled that may prove beneficial.
(Exit SELIM; HASSAN makes up the fire and prepares his caldron,
saying meanwhile)
That young man weareth out my carpet apace. I begin to think also he
doth fray the braid of my affection. But if he buys me a good philtre I
will forgive him. Oh, cruel destiny, thou hast made me a common man
with a common trade. My friends are fellows from the market, and all
my worthless family is dead. Had I been rich, ah me! how deep had
been my delight in matters of the soul, in poetry and music and pictures,
and companions who do not jeer and grin, and above all, and in the
colours of rich carpets and expensive silks. But be content, O artist:
thou hast one carpet; be content, O confectioner: thou hast one
love--one love, but unattained...yet hadst thou been rich, O confectioner,
never hadst thou found her.
Now I will make her sweets, such sweets, ah me! as never I made in my

life before. I will make her sweets like globes of crystal, like cubes of
jade, like polygons of ruby. I will make her sweets like flowers. Great
red roses, passionate carnations, raying daisies, violets, and curly
hyacinths. I will perfume my roses (may they melt sweetly in her lips)
with the perfume of roses, so that she shall say "a rose"! and smell
before she tastes. And in the heart of each flower I will distil one drop
of the magic of love. Did I not say "they shall be flowers"?

SCENE II
Moonlight. The Street of Felicity by the Fountain of the Two Pigeons.
A house with a balcony on either side of the street. In front of one of
the houses, HASSAN, cloaked: a PORTER.
HASSAN Has she received the box, O guardian of the door of
separation?
PORTER From my hands, O dispenser of bounty.
HASSAN What did thy mistress say?
PORTER Sir, the hands of mediation are empty.
HASSAN (Giving a dinar) I have filled them. What honey dropped
from that golden mouth?
PORTER She said--may thy servant find grace--"Curses on that fat
sugar cook and his love-sick eyes. Allah be praised, his confectionery is
better than his countenance!"
HASSAN (Aside) If she likes the confectionery, all may be well. And
what didst thou reply?
PORTER: I said: "His sweets sparkle like diamonds and rubies in the
crown of OUR Caliph, and his sugar is as pure as his intentions." And
she answered--the protection on thy slave--"his intentions may be pure,
but his coat is greasy."
HASSAN And did she eat the confectionery?
PORTER I do not know. But within the hour I removed the box, and it
was empty.
HASSAN Ah! Salaam and thanks.
PORTER And to thee the Salaam.
HASSAN But tell me what is the name of thy mistress?
PORTER Yasmin is her name, Sir.
HASSAN A sweet name for a moonlight night. Salaam aleikum.
PORTER Ya Hawaja, v'aleikum assalam!

(The PORTER returns and shuts the gate.)
HASSAN (To himself) What if the Jews are an older race than we and
know old forgotten secrets? Alas, I believe no more in these Israelitish
sweets. Could those drops of purple liquid command the spirit of love?
And yet, who can say? the young men of the market-place laugh at all
enchantments--but do they know how to spin the sun? On a night like
this, does not the very fountain sing in tune and