Tales from the Arabic, vol 3 | Page 6

"God forbid that I
should be a thief!" But the prefect answered, "Thou liest." So they
stripped him of his clothes and taking the ring from his finger, beat him
grievously, what while he cried out for succour, but none succoured
him, and besought protection, but none protected him. Then said he to
them, "O folk, ye are quit of[FN#12] that which ye have taken from me;
but now restore me to my lodging." But they answered, saying, "Leave
this knavery, O cheat! Thine intent is to sue us for thy clothes on the
morrow." "By Allah, the One, the Eternal," exclaimed he, "I will not
sue any for them!" But they said, "We can nowise do this." And the
prefect bade them carry him to the Tigris and there slay him and cast
him into the river.
So they dragged him away, what while he wept and spoke the words
which whoso saith shall nowise be confounded, to wit, "There is no
power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Sublime!" When
they came to the Tigris, one of them drew the sword upon him and El

Muradi said to the swordbearer, "Smite off his head." But one of them,
Ahmed by name, said, "O folk, deal gently with this poor wretch and
slay him not unjustly and wickedly, for I stand in fear of God the Most
High, lest He burn me with his fire." Quoth El Muradi, "A truce to this
talk!" And Ahmed said, "If ye do with him aught, I will acquaint the
Commander of the Faithful." "How, then, shall we do with him?" asked
they; and he answered, "Let us deposit him in prison and I will be
answerable to you for his provision; so shall we be quit of his blood,
for indeed he is wrongfully used." So they took him up and casting him
into the Prison of Blood,[FN#13]went away.
Meanwhile, they carried the damsel into the Commander of the Faithful
and she pleased him; so he assigned her a lodging of the apartments of
choice. She abode in the palace, eating not neither drinking and ceasing
not from weeping night nor day, till, one night, the Khalif sent for her
to his sitting-chamber and said to her, "O Sitt el Milah, be of good heart
and cheerful eye, for I will make thy rank higher than [any of] the
concubines and thou shall see that which shall rejoice thee." She kissed
the earth and wept; whereupon the Khalif called for her lute and bade
her sing. So she improvised and sang the following verses, in
accordance with that which was in her heart:
Say, by the lightnings of thy teeth and thy soul's pure desire, Moan'st
thou as moan the doves and is thy heart for doubt on fire? How many a
victim of the pangs of love-liking hath died! Tired is my patience, but
of blame my censors never tire.
When she had made an end of her song, she cast the lute from her hand
and wept till she swooned away, whereupon the Khalif bade carry her
to her chamber. Now he was ravished with her and loved her with an
exceeding love; so, after awhile, he again commanded to bring her to
his presence, and when she came, he bade her sing. Accordingly, she
took the lute and spoke forth that which was in her heart and sang the
following verses:
What strength have I solicitude and long desire to bear? Why art thou
purposed to depart and leave me to despair? Why to estrangement and
despite inclin'st thou with the spy? Yet that a bough[FN#14] from side
to side incline[FN#15] small wonder 'twere. Thou layst on me a load
too great to bear, and thus thou dost But that my burdens I may bind
and so towards thee fare.

Then she cast the lute from her hand and swooned away; so she was
carried to her chamber and indeed passion waxed upon her. After a
long while, the Commander of the Faithful sent for her a third time and
bade her sing. So she took the lute and sang the following verses:
O hills of the sands and the rugged piebald plain, Shall the bondman of
love win ever free from pain! I wonder, shall I and the friend who's far
from me Once more be granted of Fate to meet, we twain! Bravo for a
fawn with a houri's eye of black, Like the sun or the shining moon
midst the starry train! To lovers, "What see ye?" he saith, and to hearts
of stone, "What love ye," quoth he, "[if to love me ye disdain?"] I
supplicate Him, who parted us and doomed Our separation, that we
may meet again.
When she had made