University of Virginia Library

One day, at Mecca, in the Sanctuary,
When all the folk were busied silently
In compassing the Holy House about,
A man unto the Kaabeh-cloth put out
His hand and seizing by the corner-ring
Upon the border of the covering,
Cried, “O my God, I do entreat of Thee,
Of Thy great grace and magnanimity,
My lady's husband to the serving wench
Cause Thou return, so I once more may quench
My love and longing on her body fair!”
All, hearing this, awhile astonied were;
But, presently, recovering their sense,
They loaded him with blows and bore him thence
In bonds unto the Amir of the Hajj,
(To wit, the Prefect of the Pilgrimage,)
And “O my lord,” to him said they, “this man
Hath such and such things done, as all we can
Attest, and in the Holy House this wise
Hath open scandal wrought in all men's eyes.”
The Prefect, hearing that which he had said,
Was angered passing sore with him and bade
Bear him forthright without the Temple-close
And hang him up for warning unto those
Who should in time to come affected be,
Like him, to violate the Sanctuary.
But he, demanding speech before he died,
For his excusement, thus to him replied;
“O Prefect, by the Prophet, whom God bless
And save! I do conjure thee, in my stress,
That thou wilt first my story hearken to
And after what thou willest with me do.”
“Say on,” rejoined the Prefect; and the man,
“Know then, o Amir of the Hajj,” began,
“That I a scavenger in old Baghdad
Was late and for my occupation had
The offal from the slaughterhouses there
Unto the heaps without the walls to bear.
One day, as with my laden ass I went,
I saw the people in bewilderment
Hither and thither running, as it were
To shun some danger, though I saw none there;
And unto me, unknowing what this meant,
“Enter this alley here in haste,” quoth one,
“Thee lest they kill.” “What ails the folk to run?”
Quoth I; and he, “It is the eunuchs, trow,
Attendant on the wife of so-and-so,
One of the notables, who from her road
The people thrust and drive away and load
Their shoulders and their backs with cuffs and blows,
Without distinction made of these and those.”
Withal aside I turned me with the ass
And stood expecting till the crowd should pass
Me by. Then presently up came a band
Of half a score of eunuchs, staff in hand,
With well nigh thirty women after them;
And in their midst a lady like a gem,
Clad all in gold-wrought silk from feet to face,
Perfect in elegance and amorous grace,
Beyond all telling excellently fair,
As she a willow wand for slimness were,
Ay, or a thirsting, languorous gazelle.
Her glance upon me in the passage fell
And she, an eunuch calling, in his ear
Some order whispered that I could not hear;
Wherewith to me, as it would seem she bade,
He came and seizing me without word said,
He bound me with a rope and haled me on
After himself; whilst yet another one,
Taking my ass, made off with it, I knew
Not whither, neither that which was to do;
And all the people followed after us,
Calling for help on God the Glorious
And saying, “`Tis unlawful in God's sight!
What hath this fellow done that he, poor wight,
Should bounden be with cords? For heaven's sake,”
Quoth they unto the eunuchs, “pity take
On him and let him go, so God with you
As you with him shall of His mercy do!”
And “Doubtless,” said I in myself the while,
“The eunuch seized on me, for that the vile
Stench of the offal, as she passed by here,
His mistress scented and it sickened her;
And she belike with child or ailing is.
But neither virtue neither power, ywis,
Is, save in God, exalted be His name!”
So I fared on behind them till they came
Unto a great house-door and entering there,
Into a high hall carried me, with fair
And goodly furniture beset, God wot,
How I shall tell its fairness I know not.
The women, to the harem faring all,
Bound left me with the eunuch in the hall;
And in myself, “Assuredly,” quoth I,
“Here will they torture me until I die
And no one of my death aware shall be.”
However, by and by, they carried me
Into a bath-room that adjoined thereto;
And as I sat and wondered what to do
Might be, in came three damsels fair and feat,
Who round me in a ring themselves did seat
And said, “Put off thy rags from thee.” So I
My threadbare clothes at their behest laid by
And one to rub my feet herself bestirred
And one to wash my head, whilst yet a third
With soap to scrubbing all my body fell.
Then, when they throughly washed me had and well,
A parcel of rich clothes they brought and bade
Me don them: but, “By Allah, nay!” I said;
“I know not how to do it.” So the three
Invested me withal and laughed at me
The while; and after casting-bottles brought,
With rose- and willow-blossom-water fraught,
And sprinkled me therewith. Then must I go
With them into a great saloon, I know
Indeed not how to tell its graciousness,
For all the goodly paintings and the press
Of fair-wrought furniture that all around
Therein I saw. Here I the lady found,
Upon a couch of Indian cane a-seat
With legs of ivory, and at her feet
A score of damsels. She, on me her eye
Casting, arose and called to me; so I
Went up to her and she beside her made
Me sit and presently her servants bade
Bring food; and they all manner brought rich meats,
Lambs, fowls, kebábs and curries, pasties, sweets,
Such as I never in my life had seen,
Nor half the different dishes knew I e'en
By name. I ate my fill and presently,
The dishes being cleared away, when we
Had washed our hands, she called for fruits and bade
Me eat thereof; then one her waiting-maid
Commanded bring the wine-service. So they
A table full of flagons did array
With divers kinds of wines and burned in all
The censers perfumes. Then, upon her call,
A damsel like the moon at full rose up
And with the wineflask waited on our cup,
Whilst others came with chants and carollings
And dances, measured by the smitten strings:
And I with her did sit the while and drink,
Till we were warm with wine, and could not think
That this than a delusion of the mind
In dreams was otherwhat. Anon she signed
To one of those her serving-maids a bed
For us in such and such a place to spread,
Which being presently, with her command
Accordant, done, she took me by the hand
And led me thither. So with her I lay
In all delight until the risen day;
And still, as in my arms I did her press,
Caress fore'er ensuing on caress
And clips and kisses still on clip and kiss,
The fragrances of musk and ambergris,
That from her body sweet exhaled, I smelt,
Nor ever otherwhat I thought nor felt
But that in Paradise I was and through
The mazes of a dream did still pursue
The shapes of slumber. Then, when night was gone
And day drew back the curtains of the dawn,
She asked me where I lodged and her I told,
“In such a place.” Wherewith a kerchief, gold
And silver wrought, she gave me, where somewhat
Was in the corner knotted with a knot,
And “To the bath with this go,” saying, bad
Me get me gone. And I withal was glad
And in myself, “If here there be,” quoth I,
“But farthings five, the morning-meal 'twill buy.”
Then forth from her, as if from Paradise,
Homeward I fared and opening in a trice
The kerchief, fifty golden dinars found
Therein and straightway buried underground;
Then bought two farthings' worth of meat and bread
And at the door sat down and breakfasted;
And after, pondering my case, sat there
Until the hour of afternoontide prayer,
Whenas there came a slave-girl in to me
And greeting, said, “My mistress calls for thee.”
So I unto the mansion aforesaid,
Without word spoken, followed, as she bade,
Till me unto the lady in she brought,
With whom I ate and drank and lay and wrought
In all things as I did the day before,
In joy and wonder waxing evermore.
And when with morning-light I must bestir
And get me gone again, I had of her
Another handkerchief and therein tied
Yet fifty dinars, wherewithal I hied
Me home in haste and buried these as those.
Thus did I eight days running, at the close
Of light her visiting and with new day
Departing still from her. But, as we lay
On the eighth night together, one her maid
Came running in to us in haste and bade
Me “Rise and into yonder closet go;”
And I betook me thither evenso.
There was a window giving on the street;
And presently the tramp of horses' feet
I heard and forth, to see what should betide,
Looking, amiddleward the way espied
A young man, fair of countenance and bright
As is the full moon of the fourteenth night,
Come riding up, attended by a score
Of slaves and soldiers. Halting at the door,
He lighted down and entering thereby,
In the saloon the lady seated high
In sullen state upon the dais found.
So, going up to her, he kissed the ground
Before her, then her hands upon like wise;
But she to him uplifted not her eyes
Nor answered him. Withal he did not spare
To soothe her with soft words and speak her fair
Until he made his peace with her and they
That night till break of dawn together lay,
When those same soldiers came for him and he
Mounted and rode with them away. Then she
Came in to me and “Sawst thou yonder man?”
Quoth she. “Yes,” answered I; and she began,
“He is my husband and I will thee tell
That which betwixt myself and him befell.
It chanced one day that in the garden we
Within the courtyard sitting were, when he,
Arising thence, into the house withdrew
And absent was so long that tired I grew
Of waiting him and sought him everywhere
About the house; but, finding him not there,
Unto the kitchen, seeking him, I went
And saw a slave-girl, who incontinent
To me, in quest of him, at my demand,
Discovery made of him, where nigh at hand
He with a slave-wench of the cookmaids lay.
This when I saw, an oath I swore straightway
That with the foulest and the filthiest wight,
On whom in all the city I could light,
Adultery I'd do; and when on thee
The eunuch seized and brought thee in to me,
I had four days gone all Baghdad about
In quest of one among the rabble-rout
Apt to my oath; nor in the city's round
A fouler nor a filthier I found
Than thee. So thee I took and there befell
Between us that whereof thou wottest well,
Even as to us had God foreordered it.
And presently of that mine oath I'm quit;
But, should my husband evermore be fain
Unto the cookmaid to return again
And lie with her anew, I will once more
Thee to my favours,” added she, “restore.”
When from her lovesome lips this cruel word
(The scavenger went on to say) I heard
And with the arrows of her looks the while
My heart and soul at once she did beguile
And pierce, my tears ran down upon my cheek
Till red mine eyes with weeping were and weak,
And sore I did bewail me of her scorn
And cursed the sorry day when I was born.
Then other fifty dinars gave she me,
(Making in all four hundred which had she
On me bestowed), and bade me go my ways.
So I went forth and after sundry days,
Took up my pilgrimage and hither came,
That I might pray God (Blesséd be His name!)
Her husband cause return unto the maid,
So haply I might yet, as she had said,
Once more admitted be unto her grace.”
The Prefect of the Pilgrims on his case
Compassion took and unto that which he
To tell had having hearkened, set him free
And in the name of God the Lord Most High,
Omnipotent, conjured the standers-by,
Bidding them “Pray for him; for, wot ye well,
In this he did he was excusable.”