The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 9 | Page 8

Richard Burton

steadfastness of the stake in bran."[FN#9] And he improvised and said,
"O Miriam thy chiding I pray, forego; * Nor drive me to death or
injurious blow: How e'er can I hope to bear fray and fight * Who quake
at the croak of the corby-crow? I who shiver for fear when I see the
mouse * And for very funk I bepiss my clo'! I loveno foin but the poke
in bed, * When coynte well knoweth my prickle's prow; This is rightful
rede, and none other shows * Righteous as this in my sight, I trow."
Now when Miriam heard his speech and the verse he made, she
laughed and smilingly said, "O my lord Nur al-Din, abide in thy place
and I will keep thee from their ill grace, though they be as the sea-sands
in number. But mount and ride in rear of me, and if we be defeated and
put to flight, beware of falling, for none can overtake thy steed." So
saying, she turned her lance-head towards foe in plain and gave her
horse the rein, whereupon he darted off under her, like the stormy gale
or like waters that from straitness of pipes outrail. Now Miriam was the
doughtiest of the folk of her time and the unique pearl of her age and
tide; for her father had taught her, whilst she was yet little, on steeds to
ride and dive deep during the darkness of the night in the battle tide.
When the King saw her charging down upon them, he knew her but too
well and turning to his eldest son, said, "O Bartaut,[FN#10] thou who
art surnamed Ras al-Killaut[FN#11] this is assuredly thy sister Miriam
who chargeth upon us, and she seeketh to wage war and fight fray with
us. So go thou out to give her battle: and I enjoin thee by the Messiah
and the Faith which is no liar, an thou get the better of her, kill her not
till thou have propounded to her the Nazarene faith. An she return to
her old creed, bring her to me prisoner; but an she refuse, do her die by

the foulest death and make of her the vilest of examples, as well as the
accursed which is with her." Quoth Bartaut, "Hearkening obedience";
and, rushing out forthright to meet his sister, said to her, "O Miriam,
doth not what hath already befallen us on thine account suffice thee, but
thou must leave the faith of thy fathers and forefathers and follow after
the faith of the Vagrants in the lands, that is to say, the faith of
Al-Islam? By the virtue of the Messiah and the Faith which is no liar,
except thou return to the creed of the Kings thy Forebears and walk
therein after the goodliest fashion, I will put thee to an ill death and
make of thee the most shameful of ensamples!" But Miriam laughed at
his speech and replied, "Well-away! Far be it that the past should
present stay or that he who is dead should again see day! I will make
thee drink the sourest of regrets! By Allah, I will not turn back upon the
faith of Mohammed son of Abdullah, who made salvation general; for
his is the True Faith; nor will I leave the right road though I drain the
cup of ruin!"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninety-second Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Miriam
exclaimed to her brother, "Well-away! Heaven forfend that I turn back
from the faith of Mohammed Abdullah-son who made salvation
general; for his is the Right Road nor will I leave it although I drain the
cup of ruin." When the accursed Bartaut heard this, the light in his eyes
became night, the matter was great and grievous to him and between
them there befel a sore fight. The twain swayed to and fro battling
throughout the length and breadth of the valley and manfully enduring
the stress of combat singular, whilst all eyes upon them were fixed in
admiring surprise: after which they wheeled about and foined and
feinted for a long bout and as often as Bartaut opened on his sister
Miriam a gate of war,[FN#12] she closed it to and put it to naught, of
the goodliness of her skill and her art in the use of arms and her
cunning of cavalarice. Nor ceased they so doing till the dust overhung
their heads vault-wise and they were hidden from men's eyes; and she
ceased not to baffle Bartaut and stop the way upon him, till he was
weary and his courage wavered and his resolution was worsted and his

strength weakened;
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