The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 8 by Richard F. Burton

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They ceased not from mutual chiding till morning morrowed, when
Zayn al-Mawasif said, "O Masrur 'tis time for thee to depart,
lest one of the folk see thee and foul befal us twain." So he
arose and accompanied by nurse Hubub fared on, till they came to
his lodging, where he talked with her and said to her, "All thou
seekest of me is ready for thee, so but thou wilt bring me to
enjoy her." Hubub replied, "Hearten thy heart;" whereupon he rose
and gave her an hundred dinars, saying "O Hubub, I have by me a
dress worth an hundred gold pieces." Answered she, "O Masrur,
make haste with the trinkets and other things promised her, ere
she change her mind, for we may not take her, save with wile and
guile, and she loveth the saying of verse." Quoth he, "Hearing
and obeying," and bringing her the musk and ambergris and
lign-aloes and rosewater, returned with her to Zayn al-Mawasif
and saluted her. She returned his salam with the sweetest speech,
and he was dazed by her beauty and improvised these lines,

"O thou sheeniest Sun who in night dost shine! * O who stole my
soul with those large black eyne!
O slim-shaped fair with the graceful neck! * O who shamest Rose
wi' those checks o' thine!
Blind not our sight wi' thy fell disdain, * Disdain, that shall
load us with pain and pine;
Passion homes in our inmost, nor will be quenched * The fire of
yearning in vitals li'en:
Your love has housŠd in heart of me * And of issue but you see I
ne'er a sign:
Then haply you'll pity this hapless wight * Thy sad lover and
then--O the Morn divine!"

When Zayn al-Mawasif heard his verses, she cast at him a glance
of eyes, that bequeathed him a thousand regrets and sighs and his
wits and soul were ravished in such wise, and answered him with
these couplets[FN#321],

"Think not from her, of whom thou art enamoured aye * To win
delight; so put desire from thee away.
Leave that thou hop'st, for 'gainst her rigours whom thou lov'st
* Among the fair, in vain is all thou canst essay.
My looks to lovers bring discomfiture and woe: Indeed, * I make
no count of that which thou dost say."

When Masrur heard this, he hardened his heart and took patience,
concealing his case and saying in himself, "There is nothing for
it against calamity save longsuffering;" and after this fashion
they abode till nightfall when Zayn al-Mawasif called for food
and they set before her a tray wherein were all manner of dishes,
quails and pigeons and mutton and so forth, whereof they ate
their sufficiency. Then she bade take away the tables and they
did so and fetched the lavatory gear; and they washed their
hands, after which she ordered her women to bring the
candlesticks, and they set on candelabra and candles therein of
camphorated wax. Thereupon quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, "By Allah, my
breast is straitened this night and I am afevered;" and quoth
Masrur, "Allah broaden thy breast and banish thy bane!" Then she
said, "O Masrur, I am used to play at chess: say me, knowest
aught of the game?" He replied, "Yes; I am skilled therein;"
whereupon she commanded her handmaid Hubub fetch her the
chessboard. So she went away and presently returning with the
board, set it before her, and behold, it was of ivory-marquetried
ebony with squares marked in glittering gold, and its pieces of
pearl and ruby.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn
al-Mawasif bade the chessboard be brought, they set it between
her hands; and Masrur was amazed at this, when she turned to him
and said, "Wilt have red or white?" He replied, "O Princess of
the fair and adornment of morning air, do thou take the red for
they formous are and fitter for the like of thee to bear and
leave the white to my care." Answered she, "So be it;" and,
taking the red pieces, ranged them opposite the white, then put
out her hand to a piece purposing the first pass into the
battle-plain. Masrur considered her fingers, which were white as
paste, and was confounded at their beauty and shapely shape;
whereupon she turned to him and said, "O Masrur, be not bedazed,
but take patience and calm thyself." He rejoined, "O thou whose
beauty shameth the moon, how shall a lover look on thee and have
patience-boon?" And while this was doing she cried,
"Checkmate[FN#322]!" and beat him; wherefore she knew that he was
Jinn-mad for love of her and said to him, "O Masrur, I will not
play with thee save for a set stake." He replied, "I hear and
obey," and she rejoined, "Swear to me and I will swear to thee
that neither of us will cheat[FN#323] the adversary." So both
sware this and she said, "O Masrur, an I beat thee, I will have
ten dinars of thee, but an thou beat me, I will give thee a mere
nothing." He expected to win, so he said, "O my lady, be not
false to thine oath, for I see thou art an overmatch for me at
this game!" "Agreed," said she and they ranged their men and fell
again to playing and pushing on their pawns and catching them up
with the queens and aligning and matching them with the castles
and solacing them with the onslaught of the knights. Now the
"Adornment of Qualities" wore on head a kerchief of blue brocade
so she loosed it off and tucking up her sleeve, showed a wrist
like a shaft of light and passed her palm over the red pieces,
saying to him, "Look to thyself." But he was dazzled at her
beauty, and the sight of her graces bereft him of reason, so that
he became dazed and amazed and put out his hand to the white men,
but it alit upon the red. Said she, "O Masrur, where be thy wits?
The red are mine and the white thine;" and he replied, "Whoso
looketh at thee perforce loseth all his senses." Then, seeing how
it was with him, she took the white from him and gave him the
red, and they played and she beat him. He ceased not to play with
her and she to beat him, whilst he paid her each time ten dinars,
till, knowing him to be distraught for love of her, she said, "O
Masrur, thou wilt never win to thy wish, except thou beat me, for
such was our understanding; and henceforth, I will not play with
thee save for a stake of an hundred dinars a game." "With love
and gladness," answered he and she went on playing and ever
beating him and he paid her an hundred dinars each time; and on
this wise they abode till the morning, without his having won a
single game, when he suddenly sprang to his feet. Quoth she,
"What wilt thou do, O Masrur?"; and quoth he, "I mean to go to my
lodging and fetch somewhat of money: it may be I shall come to my
desire." "Do whatso seemeth good to thee," said she; so he went
home and taking all the money he had, returned to her improvising
these two couplets,

"In dream I saw a bird o'er speed (meseem'd), * Love's garden
decked with blooms that smiled and gleamed:
But I shall ken, when won my wish and will * Of thee, the
truthful sense of what I dreamed."

Now when Masrur returned to her with all his monies they fell
a-playing again; but she still beat him and he could not beat her
once; and in such case they abode three days, till she had gotten
of him the whole of his coin; whereupon said she, "O Masrur, what
wilt thou do now?"; and he replied, "I will stake thee a
druggist's shop." "What is its worth?" asked she; and he
answered, "Five hundred dinars." So they played five bouts and
she won the shop of him. Then he betted his slave-girls, lands,
houses, gardens, and she won the whole of them, till she had
gotten of him all he had; whereupon she turned to him and said,
"Hast thou aught left to lay down?" Cried he, "By Him who made me
fall into the snare of thy love, I have neither money to touch
nor aught else left, little or much!" She rejoined, "O Masrur,
the end of whatso began in content shall not drive man to repent;
wherefore, an thou regret aught, take back thy good and begone
from us about thy business and I will hold thee quit towards me."
Masrur rejoined, "By Him who decreed these things to us, though
thou sought to take my life 'twere a wee thing to stake for thine
approof, because I love none but thee!" Then said she, "O Masrur,
fare forthright and fetch the Kazi and the witnesses and make
over to me by deed all thy lands and possessions." "Willingly,"
replied he and, going forth without stay or delay, brought the
Kazi and the witnesses and set them before her. When the judge
saw her, his wits fled and his mind was amazed and his reason was
dazed for the beauty of her fingers, and he said to her, "O my
lady, I will not write out the writ of conveyance, save upon
condition that thou buy the lands and mansions and slave-girls
and that they all pass under thy control and into thy
possession." She rejoined, "We're agreed upon that. Write me a
deed, whereby all Masrur's houses and lands and slave-girls and
whatso his right hand possesseth shall pass to Zayn al-Mawasif
and become her property at such a price." So the Kazi wrote out
the writ and the witnesses set hands thereto; whereupon she took
it.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Zayn al-Mawasif took from the Kazi the deed which made over her
lover's property to her, she said to him, "O Masrur, now gang thy
gait." But her slave-girl Hubub turned to him and said, "Recite
us some verses." So he improvised upon that game of chess these
couplets,

"Of Time and what befel me I complain, * Mourning my loss by
chess and eyes of bane.
For love of gentlest, softest-sided fair * Whose like is not of
maids or mortal strain:
The shafts of glances from those eyne who shot * And led her
conquering host to battle-plain
Red men and white men and the clashing Knights * And, crying
'Look to thee!' came forth amain:
And, when down charging, finger-tips she showed * That gloomed
like blackest night for sable stain,
The Whites I could not rescue, could not save * While ecstasy
made tear, floods rail and rain:
The Pawns and Castles with their Queens fell low * And fled the
Whites nor could the brunt sustain:
Yea, with her shaft of glance at me she shot * And soon that
shaft had pierced my heart and brain:
She gave me choice between her hosts, and I * The Whites like
moonlight first to choose was fain,
Saying, 'This argent folk best fitteth me * I love them, but the
Red by thee be ta'en!'
She playŠd me for free accepted stake * Yet amorous mercy I could
ne'er obtain:
O fire of heart, O pine and woe of me, * Wooing a fair like moon
mid starry train:
Burns not my heart O no! nor aught regrets * Of good or land, but
ah! her eyes' disdain!
Amazed I'm grown and dazed for drearihead * And blame I Time who
brought such pine and pain.
Quoth she, 'Why art thou so bedazed!' quoth I * 'Wine-drunken
wight shall more of wine assain?'
That mortal stole my sense by silk-soft shape, * Which doth for
heart-core hardest rock contain.
I nervŠd self and cried, 'This day she's mine' * By bet, nor fear
I prove she unhum…ne:
My heart ne'er ceased to seek possession, till * Beggared I found
me for conditions twain:
Will youth you loveth shun the Love-dealt blow, * Tho' were he
whelmed in Love's high-surging main?
So woke the slave sans e'en a coin to turn, * Thralled to repine
for what he ne'er shall gain!"

Zayn al-Mawasif hearing these words marvelled at the eloquence of
his tongue and said to him, "O Masrur, leave this madness and
return to thy right reason and wend thy ways; for thou hast
wasted all thy moveables and immoveables at the chessgame, yet
hast not won thy wish, nor hast thou any resource or device
whereby thou mayst attain to it." But he turned to her and said,
"O my lady, ask of me whatso thou wilt and thou shalt have it;
for I will bring it to thee and lay it at thy feet." Answered
she, "O Masrur, thou hast no money left." "O goal of all hopes,
if I have no money, the folk will help me." "Shall the giver turn
asker?" "I have friends and kinsfolk, and whatsoever I seek of
them, they will give me." "O Masrur, I will have of thee four
pods of musk and four vases of civet[FN#324] and four pounds of
ambergris and four thousand dinars and four hundred pieces of
royal brocade, purfled with gold. An thou bring me these things,
O Masrur, I will grant thee my favours." "This is a light matter
to me, O thou that puttest the moons to shame," replied he and
went forth to fetch her what she sought. She sent her maid Hubub
after him, to see what worth he had with the folk of whom he had
spoken to her; but, as he walked along the highways he turned and
seeing her afar off, waited till she came up to him and said to
her, "Whither away, O Hubub?" So she said to him, "My mistress
sent me to follow for this and that," and he replied, "By Allah,
O Hubub, I have nothing to hand!" She asked, "Then why didst thou
promise her?"; and he answered, "How many a promise made is
unkept of its maker! Fine words in love-matters needs must be."
When she heard this from him, she said, "O Masrur, be of good
cheer and eyes clear for, by Allah, most assuredly I will be the
means of thy coming to enjoy her!" Then she left him nor ceased
walking till she stood before her mistress weeping with sore
weeping, and said, "O my lady, indeed he is a man of great
consideration, and good repute among the folk." Quoth Zayn
al-Mawasif, "There is no device against the destiny of Almighty
Allah! Verily, this man found not in me a pitiful heart, for that
I despoiled him of his substance and he got of me neither
affection nor complaisance in granting him amorous joy; but, if I
incline to his inclination, I fear lest the thing be bruited
abroad." Quoth Hubub, "O my lady, verily, grievous upon us is his
present plight and the loss of his good and thou hast with thee
none save thyself and thy slave-girl Sukub; so which of us two
would dare prate of thee, and we thy handmaids?" With this, she
bowed her head for a while ground-wards and the damsels said to
her, "O my lady, it is our rede that thou send after him and show
him grace and suffer him not ask of the sordid; for how bitter is
such begging!" So she accepted their counsel and calling for
inkcase and paper, wrote him these couplets,

"Joy is nigh, O Masr£r, so rejoice in true rede; * Whenas night
shall fall thou shalt do kind-deed:
Crave not of the sordid a loan, fair youth, * Wine stole my wits
but they now take heed:
All thy good I reft shall return to thee, * O Masr£r, and I'll
add to them amorous meed;
For indeed th' art patient, and sweet of soul * When wronged by
thy lover's tyrannic greed.
So haste to enjoy us and luck to thee! * Lest my folk come
between us speed, love, all speed!
Hurry uswards thou, nor delay, and while * My mate is far, on
Love's fruit come feed."

Then she folded the paper and gave it to Hubub the handmaid, who
carried it to Masrur and found him weeping and reciting in a
transport of passion and love-longing these lines,

"A breeze of love on my soul did blow * That consumed my liver
for stress of lowe;
When my sweetheart went all my longings grew; * And with tears in
torrent mine eyelids flow:
Such my doubt and fears, did I tell their tale * To deaf rocks
and pebbles they'd melt for woe.
Would Heaven I wot shall I sight delight, * And shall win my wish
and my friend shall know!
Shall be folded up nights that doomed us part * And I be healed
of what harms my heart?"

--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that while
Masrur, transported by passion and love-longing, was repeating
his couplets in sing-song tone Hubub knocked at his door; so he
rose and opened to her, and she entered and gave him the letter.
He read it and said to her, "O Hubub, what is behind thee of thy
lady's news[FN#325]?" She answered, "O my lord, verily, in this
letter is that dispenseth me from reply, for thou art of those
who readily descry!" Thereat he rejoiced with joy exceeding and
repeated these two couplets,

"Came the writ whose contents a new joy revealed, * Which in
vitals mine I would keep ensealed:
And my longings grew when I kissed that writ, * As were pearl of
passion therein concealed."

Then he wrote a letter answering hers and gave it to Hubub, who
took it and returned with it to her mistress and forthright fell
to extolling his charms to her and expiating on his good gifts
and generosity; for she was become a helper to him, to bring
about his union with her lady. Quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, "O Hubub,
indeed he tarrieth to come to us;" and quoth Hubub, "He will
certainly come soon." Hardly had she made an end of speaking when
behold, he knocked at the door, and she opened to him and brought
him in to her mistress, who saluted him with the salam[FN#326]
and welcomed him and seated him by her side. Then she said to
Hubub, "Bring me a suit of brocade;" so she brought a robe
broidered with gold and Zayn al-Mawasif threw it over him, whilst
she herself donned one of the richest dresses and crowned her
head with a net of pearls of the freshest water. About this she
bound a fillet of brocade, purfled with pearls, jacinths and
other jewels, from beneath which she let down two tresses[FN#327]
each looped with a pendant of ruby, charactered with glittering
gold, and she loosed her hair, as it were the sombrest night; and
lastly she incensed herself with aloes-wood and scented herself
with musk and ambergris, and Hubub said to her, "Allah save thee
from the evil eye!" Then she began to walk, swaying from side to
side with gracefullest gait, whilst Hubub who excelled in
verse-making, recited in her honour these couplets,

"Shamed is the bough of B n by pace of her; * And harmed are
lovers by the gaze of her.
A moon she rose from murks, the hair of her, * A sun from locks
the brow encase of her:
Blest he she nights with by the grace of her, * Who dies in her
with oath by days of her!"

So Zayn al-Mawasif thanked her and went up to Masrur, as she were
full moon displayed. But when he saw her, he rose to his feet and
exclaimed, "An my thought deceive me not, she is no human, but
one of the brides of Heaven!" Then she called for food and they
brought a table, about whose marge were written these
couplets,[FN#328]

"Dip thou with spoons in saucers four and gladden heart and eye *
With many a various kind of stew and fricassee and fry.
Thereon fat quails (ne'er shall I cease to love and tender them)
* And rails and fowls and dainty birds of all the kinds that
fly.
Glory to God for the Kabobs, for redness all aglow, * And
potherbs, steeped in vinegar, in porringers thereby!
Fair fall the rice with sweet milk dressed, wherein the hands did
plunge * And eke the forearms of the fair were buried,
bracelet-high!
How my heart yearneth with regret over two plates of fish * That
by two manchet-cakes of bread of Tewarij[FN#329] did lie!"

Then they ate and drank and made mirth and merriment, after which
the servants removed the table of food and set on the wine
service; so cup and tasse[FN#330] passed round between them and
they were gladdened in soul. Then Masrur filled the cup and
saying, "O whose thrall am I and who is my mistress!"[FN#331]
chanted these improvised couplets,

"Mine eyes I admire that can feed their fill * On charms of a
girl rising worlds to light:
In her time she hath none to compare for gifts * Of spirit and
body a mere delight.
Her shape breeds envy in Cassia-tree * When fares she forth in
her symmetry dight:
With luminous brow shaming moon of dark * And crown-like crescent
the brightest bright.
When treads she earth's surface her fragrance scents * The Zephyr
that breathes over plain and height."

When he ended his extempore song she said, "O Masrur, whoso
religiously keepeth his faith and hath eaten our bread and salt,
it behoveth us to give him his due; so put away from thee all
thought of what hath been and I will restore thee thy lands and
houses and all we have taken from thee." He replied, "O my lady,
I acquit thee of that whereof thou speakest, though thou hadst
been false to the oath and covenant between us; for I will go and
become a Moslem." Zayn al-Mawasif protested that she would follow
suit[FN#332] when Hubub cried to her, "O my lady, thou art young
of years and knowest many things, and I claim the intercession of
Almighty Allah with thee for, except thou do my bidding and heal
my heart, I will not lie the night with thee in the house." And
she replied, "O Hubub, it shall be as thou wilt. Rise and make us
ready another sitting-room." So she sprang to her feet and gat
ready a room and adorned and perfumed it after fairest fashion
even as her lady loved and preferred; after which she again set
on food and wine, and the cup went round between them and their
hearts were glad.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fiftieth Night,

She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Zayn al-Mawasif bade her maid Hubub make ready a private
sitting-room she arose and did her bidding, after which she again
set food and wine before them and cup and tasse went round
gladdening their hearts. Presently quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, "O
Masrur, come is the time of Union and favour; so, as thou
studiest my love to savour recite us some verses surpassing of
flavour. " Upon this he recited the following ode[FN#333],

"I am taken: my heart bums with living flame
For Union shorn whenas Severance came,
In the love of a damsel who forced my soul
And with delicate cheeklet my reason stole.
She hath eyebrows united and eyes black-white
And her teeth are leven that smiles in light:
The tale of her years is but ten plus four;
Tears like Dragon's blood[FN#334] for her love I pour.
First I saw that face 'mid parterre and rill,
Outshining full Lune on horizon-hill;
And stood like a captive for awe, and cried,
'Allah's Peace, O who in demesne[FN#335] doth hide!'
She returned my salam, gaily answering
With the sweetest speech likest pearls a-string.
But when heard my words, she right soon had known
My want and her heart waxed hard as stone,
And quoth she, 'Be not this a word silly-bold?'
But quoth I, 'Refrain thee nor flyte and scold!
An to-day thou consent such affair were light;
They like is the loved, mine the lover-wight!'
When she knew my mind she but smiled in mirth
And cried, 'Now, by the Maker of Heaven and Earth!
I'm a Jewess of Jewry's driest e'er seen
And thou art naught save a Nazarene.
Why seek my favours? Thine's other caste;
An this deed thou do thou'lt repent the past.
Say, does Love allow with two Faiths to play?
Men shall blame thee like me, at each break of day!
Wilt thou laugh at beliefs and deride their rite,
And in thine and mine prove thee sinful sprite?
An thou lovedest me thou hadst turnŠd Jew,
Losing worlds for love and my favours due;
And by the Evangel strong oath hadst sworn
To keep our secret intact from scorn!'
So I took the Torah and sware strong oath
I would hold to the covenant made by both.
Then by law, religion and creed I sware,
And bound her by oaths that most binding were;
And asked her, 'Thy name, O my dear delight?'
And she, 'Zayn al-Maw sif at home I'm hight!'
'O Zayn al-Mawasif!' (cried I) 'Hear my call:
Thy love hath made me thy veriest thrall!'
Then I peeped 'neath her chin-veil and 'spied such charms
That the longing of love filled my heart with qualms.
'Neath the curtain I ceased not to humble me,
And complain of my heart-felt misery;
But when she saw me by Love beguiled
She raised her face-veil and sweetly smiled:
And when breeze of Union our faces kiss'd
With musk-pod she scented fair neck and wrist;
And the house with her essences seemed to drip,
And I kissed pure wine from each smiling lip:
Then like branch of B n 'neath her robe she swayed
And joys erst unlawful[FN#336] she lawful made:
And joined, conjoined through our night we lay
With clip, kiss of inner lip, langue fourr‚e.
The world hath no grace but the one loved fere
In thine arms to clasp with possession sheer!
With the morn she rose and she bade Good-bye
While her brow shone brighter than moon a-sky;
Reciting at parting (while tear-drops hung
On her cheeks, these scattered and other strung),[FN#337]
'Allah's pact in mind all my life I'll bear
And the lovely nights and strong oath I sware.'"

Zayn al-Mawasif was delighted and said to him, "O Masrur, how
goodly are thy inner gifts! May he live not who would harm thy
heart!" Then she entered her boudoir and called him: so he went
in to her and taking her in his arms, embraced her and hugged her
and kissed her and got of her that which he had deemed impossible
and rejoiced in winning the sweet of amorous will. Then said she,
"O Masrur, thy good is unlawful to me and is lawfully thine again
now that we are become lovers." So she returned to him all she
had taken of him and asked him, "O Masrur, hast thou a
flower-garden whither we may wend and take our pleasure?";
whereto he answered, "Yes, O my lady, I have a garden that hath
not its like." Then he returned to his lodgings and bade his
slave-girls make ready a splendid banquet and a handsome room;
after which he summoned Zayn al-Mawasif who came surrounded by
her damsels, and they ate and drank and made mirth and merriment,
whilst the cup passed round between them and their spirits rose
high. Then lover withdrew with beloved and Zayn al-Mawasif said
to Masrur, "I have bethought me of some dainty verses, which I
would fain sing to the lute." He replied, "Do sing them"; so she
took the lute and tuning it, sang to a pleasant air these
couplets,

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