University of Virginia Library

Haroun el Abbasi, hight Er Reshíd,
(Which is to say the Orthodox,) decreed,
Whenas he Jaafer slew, the Barmecide,
That whoso mourned him should be crucified;
Wherefore the folk, affrighted, at the least
From open tears and public mourning ceased;
But in their hearts they sorrowed none the less
For the great house of Bermek, and the stress
Of their resentment, waxing day by day,
Drove from Baghdad Haroun at last away.

Now in a far-off desert there abode
A Bedouin, who every year an ode
In Jaafer's honour made and therewithal
Came to the mighty Vizier's presence-hall
And to reward of Jaafer having had
A thousand dinars of largesse, full glad,
Unto his desert gat him back again
And there with all his family was fain
To live in plenty till the coming year.
So, when the end of the twelfth month was near,
The man his desert, with the wonted rhyme,
Departed and at the accustomed time
Came to Baghdad and finding Jaafer dead,
Betook himself to where, without a head,
His body hung upon the gallows-tree,
And there, his camel causing bend the knee
And lighting thence the gibbet down before,
Wept grievously and sorrowed passing sore.
Then, in the honour of his patron dead,
His ode he did rehearse and with his head
Upon the bare earth pillowed, there down lay,
Thinking to watch. But, with the travelled way
And grief forwearied inexpressible,
At unawares and fast on sleep he fell.
And as he slept and nothing saw or heard,
Jaafer the Barmecide to him appeared,
As in a dream it had been, and “Behold,
Thyself thou hast forwearied, as of old,
To come to us and honour us,” said he,
“And findest us, alack! as thou dost see.
But, when thou wakest, to Bassora go
And there for such an one, hight so and so,
Among the merchants of the place enquire
And having sought him out, of my desire
Possess him, saying unto him from me,
Jaafer the Barmecide saluteth thee
And bids thee, by the token of the bean,
Since he himself is dead and beggared clean,
A thousand dinars give of thine avail
Unto this Bedouin and do not fail!”
Then with his hand to him, as who should say,
“Farewell!” he signed and melted clean away.

The Bedouin, awaking, of his dream
Remembered him and on the Tigris stream
Forthright embarking, to Bassora fared
And there, the merchant found, to him repaired
And him of Jaafer's words and will possessed.
Which when he heard, he wept, as if his breast
The soul for sorrow should depart; then he,
The stranger bringing to his house, days three
Him for an honoured guest did entertain,
And him, unto departure being fain,
A thousand dinars gave and having laid
Thereto five hundred other, “These,” he said,
Are that which is commanded unto thee
And the five hundred are a gift from me:
And still, as thou from Jaafer hadst of old
Each year a thousand dinars of good gold,
So, whilst I live, imbursement of the same
Thou shalt of me receive, in Jaafer's name.”
The Bedouin for all his gifts and grace
Rendered him thanks; then, ere he set his face
His desert-ward, conjured him by God's sheen
The history to tell him of the bean,
So he might know the manner of the thing.
“With all my heart,” the merchant, answering,
Began and told him what is here set down.

“Know that of days bygone in Baghdad town
I dwelt and being miserably poor,
By hawking hot boiled beans from door to door,
Was fain to earn my dole of daily bread.
Now, one cold rainy day, when overhead
Was nought but clouds and all the streets about
Were mud and mire-water, I sallied out;
And as I went, with cold and hunger pined,
And shivered in the freezing rain and wind,
For I upon my body clothes enough
Had not to fend me from the weather rough,
Now stumbling in the pools of fallen rain,
Now splashing through the mire and out again,
And altogether in such piteous plight,
As whoso saw must shudder at the sight,
It chanced that Jaafer, from an upper room,
Where, with his officers and cupmates, whom
He most affected, he that day did sit,
Looked forth; and as his eyes upon me lit,
He took compassion on my sorry case
And sending out a servant, of his grace,
To bring me in to him, he bade me sell
My beans to those his people. So I fell
My merchandise to meting presently
Out with a measure which I had with me;
And each who took a measureful did fill
The empty vessel with gold pieces, till
The basket empty was of all I had.
Then, as to gather up the money, glad
In that which I had gotten, I bethought
Myself and go, quoth Jaafer, “Hast thou aught
Of beans yet left?” “I know not,” I replied
And in the basket sought on every side,
But found, however straitly I might look,
One only bean remained. This Jaafer took
And splitting with his finger-nail in twain,
Did for himself one half thereof retain
And to his favourite, who sat therenigh,
The other gave, “For how much wilt thou buy,”
Saying, “this half-a-bean?” And “For the tale
Of all this coin twice-told it shall avail,”
Quoth she. Whereat to wondering I fell
And in myself, “This is impossible,”
Said; but as I, confounded, there did stand,
She unto one her handmaid gave command,
Who brought me presently the whole in gold.
“And I,” said Jaafer, “for the tale twice-told
Of this and that my half thereof I e'en
Will buy.” Then, “Take the price of this thy bean,”
He said to me. Therewith, at his behest,
One of his servants, adding to the rest
The sum thereof twice measured, as he bade,
The heaped-up monies in my basket laid;
And I, o'ermuch amazed by word or look
To show my gratitude, the basket took
And back withal unto my lodging fared.
Thereafter to Bassora I repaired,
Where with the bounty of the Barmecide
Myself to trade and commerce I applied;
And God the Lord Most High hath prospered me,
To Him the praise, to Him the glory be!
So, if a thousand dinars I a year
Of Jaafer's bounties give thee, never fear
'Twill straiten neither irk me anywhat.”
And he who tells the tale (I mind me not
His name) for ending adds, “Consider now
The nobleness of Jaafer's soul and how
Extolled and glorified, alive and dead,
He was, God's mercies be upon his head!”