Tales from the Arabic | Page 9

the Khalif [and Mesrour] to him; but Aboulhusn saluted them not and
said to them, "No welcome and no greeting to the perverters![FN#31]
Ye are no other than devils." However, the Khalif accosted him and
said to him, "O my brother, did I not say to thee that I would return to
thee?" Quoth Aboulhusn, "I have no need of thee; and as the byword
says in verse:
'Twere fitter and better my loves that I leave, For, if the eye see not, the
heart will not grieve.
And indeed, O my brother, the night thou camest to me and we
caroused together, I and thou, it was as if the Devil came to me and
troubled me that night." "And who is he, the Devil?" asked the Khalif.
"He is none other than thou," answered Aboulhusn; whereat the Khalif
smiled and sitting down by him, coaxed him and spoke him fair, saying,
"O my brother, when I went out from thee, I forgot [to shut] the door
[and left it] open, and belike Satan came in to thee." Quoth Aboulhusn,
"Ask me not of that which hath betided me. What possessed thee to
leave the door open, so that the Devil came in to me and there befell me
with him this and that?" And he related to him all that had befallen him,
from first to last, aud there is no advantage in the repetition of it; what
while the Khalif laughed and hid his laughter.
Then said he to Aboulhusn, "Praised be God who hath done away from
thee that which irked thee and that I see thee in weal!" And Aboulhusn
said, "Never again will I take thee to boon-companion or sitting-mate;
for the byword saith, 'Whoso stumbleth on a stone and returneth thereto,
blame and reproach be upon him.' And thou, O my brother, nevermore
will I entertain thee nor use companionship with thee, for that I have
not found thy commerce propitious to me."[FN#32] But the Khalif
blandished him and conjured him, redoubling words upon him with
"Verily, I am thy guest; reject not the guest," till Aboulhusn took him
and [carrying him home], brought him into the saloon and set food
before him and friendly entreated him in speech. Then he told him all

that had befallen him, whilst the Khalif was like to die of hidden
laughter; after which Aboulhusn removed the tray of food and bringing
the wine-tray, filled a cup and emptied it out three times, then gave it to
the Khalif, saying, "O boon-companion mine, I am thy slave and let not
that which I am about to say irk thee, and be thou not vexed, neither do
thou vex me." And he recited these verses:
No good's in life (to the counsel list of one who's purpose-whole,) An if
thou be not drunken still and gladden not thy soul. Ay, ne'er will I leave
to drink of wine, what while the night on me Darkens, till drowsiness
bow down my head upon my bowl. In wine, as the glittering sunbeams
bright, my heart's contentment is, That banishes hence, with various
joys, all kinds of care and dole.
When the Khalif heard these his verses, he was moved to exceeding
delight and taking the cup, drank it off, and they ceased not to drink
and carouse till the wine rose to their heads. Then said Aboulhusn to
the Khalif, "O boon-companion mine, of a truth I am perplexed
concerning my affair, for meseemed I was Commander of the Faithful
and ruled and gave gifts and largesse, and in very deed, O my brother,
it was not a dream." "These were the delusions of sleep," answered the
Khalif and crumbling a piece of henbane into the cup, said to him, "By
my life, do thou drink this cup." And Aboulhusn said, "Surely I will
drink it from thy hand." Then he took the cup from the Khalifs hand
and drank it off, and no sooner had it settled in his belly than his head
forewent his feet [and he fell down senseless].
Now his parts and fashions pleased the Khalif and the excellence of his
composition and his frankness, and he said in himself, "I will assuredly
make him my cup- companion and sitting-mate." So he rose forthright
and saying to Mesrour, "Take him up," [returned to the palace].
Accordingly, Mesrour took up Aboulhusn and carrying him to the
palace of the Khalifate, set him down before Er Reshid, who bade the
slaves and slave- girls encompass him about, whilst he himself hid in a
place where Aboulhusn could not see him.
Then he commanded one of the slave-girls to take the lute and strike it
at Aboulhusn's head, whilst the rest smote upon their instruments. [So

they played and sang,] till