The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 9 | Page 4

Sinton, and Charles
Wilson.

This etext was scanned by JC Byers
(http://www.capitalnet.com/~jcbyers/index.htm) and proofread by
Nancy Bloomquist, J.C. Byers, Diane Doerfler, P.J. LaBrocca, Carrie R.
Lorenz, Laura Shaffer, Coralie Sheehan, Robert Sinton, and Charles
Wilson.

THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT A Plain
and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments
Translated and Annotated by Richard F. Burton VOLUME NINE
Privately Printed By The Burton Club To Alexander Baird of Urie. My
Dear Baird,
I avail my self of a privilege of authorship, not yet utterly obsolete, to
place your name at the head of this volume. Your long residence in
Egypt and your extensive acquaintance with its "politic," private and
public, make you a thouroughly competent judge of the merits and
demerits of this volume; and encourage me to hope that in reading it

you will take something of the pleasure I have had in writing it..
Ever yours sincerely,
Richard F. Burton.
Tangier, December 31, 1885.
Contents of the Ninth Volume
Ali Nur Al-Din and Miriam the Girdle-Girl (continued) 159. The Man
of Upper Egypt and His Frankish Wife 160. The Ruined Man of
Baghdad and his Slave-Girl 161. King Jali'ad of Hind and His Wazir
Shimas: Followed by the History of King Wird Khan, son of King
Jali'ad with His Women and Wizars a. The Mouse and the Cat b. The
Fakir and His Jar of Butter c. The Fishes and the Crab d. The Crow and
the Serpent e. The Wild Ass and the Jackal f. The Unjust King and the
Pilgrim Prince g. The Crows and the Hawk h. The Serpent-Charmer
and His Wife i. The Spider and the Wind j. The Two Kings k. The
Blind Man and the Cripple l. The Foolish Fisherman m. The Boy and
the Thieves n. The Man and his Wife o. The Merchant and the Robbers
p. The Jackals and the Wolf q. The Shepherd and the Rogue r. The
Francolin and the Tortoises 162. Abu Kir the Dyer and Abu Sir the
Barber 163. Abdullah the Fisherman and Abdullah the Merman 164.
Harun Al-Rashid and Abu Hasan, The Merchant of Oman 165. Ibrahim
and Jamilah 166. Abu Al-Hasan of Khorasan 167. Kamar Al-Zaman
and the Jeweller's Wife 168. Abdullah Bin Fazil and His Brothers

The Book Of The THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT

When it was the Eight Hundred and Eighty-ninth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Nur
al-Din heard the voice singing these verses he said in himself, "Verily
this be the Lady Miriam chanting without hesitation or doubt or

suspicion of one from without.[FN#1] Would Heaven I knew an my
thought be true and if it be indeed she herself or other self!" And
regrets redoubled upon him and he bemoaned himself and recited these
couplets,
"When my blamer saw me beside my love * Whom I met in a site that
lay open wide, I spake not at meeting a word of reproach * Though oft
it comfort sad heart to chide; Quoth the blamer, 'What means this
silence that bars * Thy making answer that hits his pride?' And quoth I,
'O thou who as fool dost wake, * To misdoubt of lovers and Love
deride; The sign of lover whose love is true * When he meets his
beloved is mum to bide.'"
When he had made an end of these verses, the Lady Miriam fetched
inkcase and paper and wrote therein: "After honour due to the
Basmalah,[FN#2] may the peace of Allah be upon thee and His mercy
and blessings be! I would have thee know that thy slavegirl Miriam
saluteth thee, who longeth sore for thee; and this is her message to thee.
As soon as this letter shall fall into thy hands, do thou arise without
stay and delay and apply thyself to that we would have of thee with all
diligence and beware with all wariness of transgressing her
commandment and of sleeping. When the first third of the night is past,
(for that hour is of the most favourable of times) apply thee only to
saddling the two stallions and fare forth with them both to the Sultan's
Gate.[FN#3] If any ask thee whither thou wend, answer, 'I am going to
exercise the steeds,' and none will hinder thee; for the folk of this city
trust to the locking of the gates." Then she folded the letter in a silken
kerchief and threw it out of the latticed window to Nur al-Din, who
took it and reading it, knew it for the handwriting of the Lady Miriam
and comprehended all its contents. So he kissed the letter and laid it
between his eyes; then, calling to mind that which had betided him with
her of the