Thousand & One Nights: 178th Night: The Wealthy Man & The Slave Girl - 8

The following night Dinarzad said to her sister Shahrazad, "Tell us the rest of the story."  She continued the story:

I heard, O happy King, that the girl seated them in the gallery and went away, and they remained seated until it was dark, not knowing what to do or how to get away.  Suddenly, as they were looking, into the garden came more than hundred eunuchs who looked like bridegrooms dressed with colourful costumes, girdled with gold belts, and girded with swords.

With them came more than hundred pages, each bearing a camphor candle, and with them came Caliph Harun al Rashid swaying between Masrur and Wasif, intoxicated.  He was followed by twenty lovely girls 

wearing fine clothes, and adorned with jewels glittered around their necks and on their heads.  They were met by Shams al-Nahar, under the trees followed by girls bearing musical instruments.  She kissed the ground before the Caliph.  He said, "Welcome, my joy, my life's bliss, and my heart's delight."  Then he leaned on her arm and walked with her until he reached the silver couch, where he seated herself.  Then they set the other couches before him by the sides of the ponds, and he bade the girls who came with him be seated, and each of them sat in her proper place, while Shams al-Nahar sat on a chair beside him.

After he enjoyed the sights of garden for a while, he bade the drapes of the alcove be drawn open and bade the candles be placed to his right and left, so that the dark became light and the night day, while the pages began to bring in the wine service.

Abu al-Hasan al-Attar related later: "I saw jewels the likes of which had never before graced my eyes, or even my imagination, dazzling my mind and making my heart beat with excitement, until I thought that I was in a dream, while Ali ibn Bakkar, feeling weak and dejected, lay prostrate on the ground, loath to see what I saw, and depressed to think what I thought.  I said to him, "Do you see Caliph?" and he replied, 'He is the cause of our misfortune, and I am certain to perish, but I will be undone only by what has overcome me, love and the separation after union, the danger of the situation and the impossibility of escape, as well as my own fear and helplessness.

May God the deliverer deliver me from my predicament.' 

I replied, 'There is no recourse, but to be patient, until the Almighty God sends you relief.'  Then he turned to look at the scene again.

When everything was ready before Harun al Rashid, he turned to one of the damsels who had come with him 

and said, 'Sweetheart sing me a song.'  The damsel played the lute and sang the following verses:

If water turns cheeks into greenfield 

My tears might have covered my Cheeks with green. And turned my

Face into a verdant scene. I have 

Shed nothing but tears. When my

Departing soul bade me adieu

Finding no relief but death, I said

'Welcome O death' when the hour drew near.

Shams al-Nahar was so agitated that

she slumped and fell off the chair to the ground, while the girls rushed to her and lifted her up.  Abu al-Hasan kept looking at her, and when he turned to her beloved, he found him unconscious lying on his face unconscious.  He said to himself, "Fate has proved kind to them, by treating them equally."  Soon, a girl came and said, "Rise, for we do not have much leeway, and I fear that all hell will break loose tonight."  The druggist asked her, "Who can arouse

this young man in his condition?"  The girl sprinkled rose water on the face of Nur al-Din Ali and rubbed his hands until he came to himself.  His friend said to him, "Wake up at once or you will be destroy us with you."

Then they carried him and went down with him from the gallery, and the girl opening a small iron gate, brought them out to a jetty on the river.  She clapped her hands softly, and a rawboat appeared with a boatman, who rowed the boat until the boat touched jetty.

Abu al-Hasan related later:

As we entered the boat, the young lover, stretching one hand towards the palace and the young lady's apartment, and placing the other on his heart, recited in faint voice the following verses:

I stretched my hand to bid adieu

And placed the other on my heart

Let this nourishment be not my last

Nor this parting keep us ever apart.

The boatman rowed us away together with the damsel.

Morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence.