The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, vol 4 | Page 4

Bean-Seller 37. Abu Mohammed Hight Lazybones 38. Generous Dealing of Yahya Bin Kh��lid The Barmecide with Mansur 39. Generous Dealing of Yahya Son of Kh��lid with a Man Who Forged a Letter in his Name 40. Caliph Al-Maamum and the Strange Scholar 41. Ali Shar and Zumurrud 42. The Loves of Jubayr Bin Umayr and the Lady Budur 43. The Man of Al-Yaman and His Six Slave-Girls 44. Harun Al-Rashid and the Damsel and Abu Nowas 45. The Man Who Stole the Dish of Gold Wherein The Dog Ate 46. The Sharper of Alexandria and the Chief of Police 47. Al-Malik Al-Nasir and the Three Chiefs of Police a. Story of the Chief of Police of Cairo b. Story of the Chief of the Bulak Police c. Story of the Chief of the Old Cairo Police 48. The Thief and the Shroff 49. The Chief of the Kus Police and the Sharper 50. Ibrahim Bin Al-Mahdi and the Merchant's Sister 51. The Woman Whose Hands were Cut Off For Giving Alms to the Poor 52. The Devout Israelite 53. Abu Hassan Al-Ziyadi and the Khorasan 54. The Poor Man and His Friend in Need 55. The Ruined Man Who became Rich Again Through A Dream 56. Caliph Al-Mutawakkil and His Concubine Mahbubah 57. Wardan the Butcher; His Adventure With the Lady and the Bear 58. The King's Daughter and the Ape

The Book of the Thousand Nights and A Night

Ni'amah bin al-Rabi'a and Naomi his Slave-girl.

There lived once in the city of Cufa[FN#1] a man called Al-Rab��'a bin H��tim, who was one of the chief men of the town, a wealthy and a healthy, and Heaven had vouchsafed him a son, whom he named Ni'amah Allah.[FN#2] One day, being in the slave-brokers' mart, he saw a woman exposed for sale with a little maid of wonderful beauty and grace on her arm. So he beckoned to the broker and asked him, "How much for this woman and her daughter?" He answered "Fifty dinars." Quoth Al-Rabi'a "Write the contract of sale and take the money and give it to her owner." Then he gave the broker the price and his brokerage and taking the woman and her child, carried them to his house. Now when the daughter of his uncle who was his wife saw the slave, she said to her husband, "O my cousin, what is this damsel?" He replied, "Of a truth, I bought her for the sake of the little one on her arm; for know that, when she groweth up, there will not be her like for beauty, either in the land of the Arabs or the Ajams." His wife remarked, "Right was thy rede", and said to the woman "What is thy name?" She replied, "O my lady, my name is Taufl��k.[FN#3]" "And what is thy daughter's name?" asked she? Answered the slave, "Sa'ad, the happy." Rejoined her mistress; "Thou sayst sooth, thou art indeed happy, and happy is he who hath bought thee." Then quoth she to her husband, "O my cousin, what wilt thou call her?"; and quoth he, "Whatso thou chooses"; so she said, "Then let us call her Naomi," and he rejoined "Good is thy device." The little Naomi was reared with Al-Rabi'a's son Ni'amah in one cradle, so to speak, till the twain reached the age of ten and each grew handsomer than the other; and the boy used to address her, "O my sister!" and she, "O my brother!", till they came to that age when Al-Rabi'a said to Ni'amah, "O my son, Naomi is not thy sister but thy slave. I bought her in thy name whilst thou wast yet in the cradle; so call her no more sister from this day forth." Quoth Ni'amah, "If that be so, I will take her to wife." Then he went to his mother and told her of this, and she said to him, "O my son, she is thy handmaid." So he wedded and went in unto Naomi and loved her; and two[FN#4] years passed over them whilst in this condition, nor was there in all Cufa a fairer girl than Naomi, or a sweeter or a more graceful. As she grew up she learnt the Koran and read works of science and excelled in music and playing upon all kinds of instruments; and in the beauty of her singing she surpassed all the folk of her time. Now one day as she sat with her husband in the wine chamber, she took the lute, tightened the strings, and sang these two couplets,
"While thou'rt my lord whose bounty's my estate, * A sword whereby my woes to annihilate, Recourse I never need to Amru or Zayd,[FN#5] * Nor aught save thee if way to me grow strait!"
Ni'amah was charmed with these verses