Tales from the Arabic | Page 4

and
good cheer, till there remained with me nought [of the first half of my
good]; whereupon I betook myself to the comrades and
cup-companions upon whom I had wasted my wealth, so haply they
might provide for my case; but, when I resorted to them and went
round about to them all, I found no avail in one of them, nor broke any
so much as a crust of bread in my face. So I wept for myself and
repairing to my mother, complained to her of my case. Quoth she, 'On
this wise are friends; if thou have aught, they make much of thee and
devour thee, but, if thou have nought, they cast thee off and chase thee
away.' Then I brought out the other half of my money and bound
myself by an oath that I would never more entertain any, except one
night, after which I would never again salute him nor take note of him;

hence my saying to thee, 'Far be it that what is past should recur!' For
that I will never again foregather with thee, after this night."
When the Khalif heard this, he laughed heartily and said, "By Allah, O
my brother, thou art indeed excused in this matter, now that I know the
cause and that the cause hath a tail. Nevertheless if it please God, I will
not sever myself from thee." "O my guest," replied Aboulhusn, "did I
not say to thee, 'Far be it that what is past should recur! For that I will
never again foregather with any'?" Then the Khalif rose and Aboulhusn
set before him a dish of roast goose and a cake of manchet-bread and
sitting down, fell to cutting off morsels and feeding the Khalif
therewith. They gave not over eating thus till they were content, when
Aboulhusn brought bowl and ewer and potash[FN#16] and they
washed their hands.
Then he lighted him three candles and three lamps and spreading the
drinking-cloth, brought clarified wine, limpid, old and fragrant, the
scent whereof was as that of virgin musk. He filled the first cup and
saying, "O my boon-companion, by thy leave, be ceremony laid aside
between us! I am thy slave; may I not be afflicted with thy loss!" drank
it off and filled a second cup, which he handed to the Khalif, with a
reverence. His fashion pleased the Khalif and the goodliness of his
speech and he said in himself, "By Allah, I will assuredly requite him
for this!" Then Aboulhusn filled the cup again and handed it to the
Khalif, reciting the following verses:
Had we thy coming known, we would for sacrifice Have poured thee
out heart's blood or blackness of the eyes; Ay, and we would have
spread our bosoms in thy way, That so thy feet might fare on eyelids,
carpet-wise.
When the Khalif heard his verses, he took the cup from his hand and
kissed it and drank it off and returned it to Aboulhusn, who made him
an obeisance and filled and drank. Then he filled again and kissing the
cup thrice, recited the following verses:
Thy presence honoureth us and we Confess thy magnanimity; If thou
forsake us, there is none Can stand to us instead of thee.

Then he gave the cup to the Khalif, saying, "Drink [and may] health
and soundness [attend it]! It doth away disease and bringeth healing
and setteth the runnels of health abroach."
They gave not over drinking and carousing till the middle of the night,
when the Khalif said to his host, "O my brother, hast thou in thy heart a
wish thou wouldst have accomplished or a regret thou wouldst fain do
away?" "By Allah," answered he, "there is no regret in my heart save
that I am not gifted with dominion and the power of commandment and
prohibition, so I might do what is in my mind!" Quoth the Khalif, "For
God's sake, O my brother, tell me what is in thy mind!" And Aboulhusn
said, "I would to God I might avenge myself on my neighbours, for that
in my neighbourhood is a mosque and therein four sheikhs, who take it
ill, whenas there cometh a guest to me, and vex me with talk and
molest me in words and threaten me that they will complain of me to
the Commander of the Faithful, and indeed they oppress me sore, and I
crave of God the Most High one day's dominion, that I may beat each
of them with four hundred lashes, as well as the Imam of the mosque,
and parade them about the city of Baghdad and let call before them,
'This is the reward and the least of the reward of whoso exceedeth [in
talk] and spiteth the folk and troubleth