The Arabian Nights (New Deluxe Edition) (93 page)

BOOK: The Arabian Nights (New Deluxe Edition)

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But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said to her sister, “O sister, what a strange and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if I stay alive!”

T
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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that King Badr dismounted from the she-mule and delivered her to the old woman, who, as soon as she received her, removed the bit from her mouth, took water in her hand, and sprinkled her with it, saying, “O my daughter, leave this form and return to your human form.” The queen was at once restored to, her original form, and the two women embraced and kissed each other. Then King Badr realized that the old woman was Queen Lab's mother and that he had been tricked, and he wanted to flee, but there was nowhere to go.

Then the old woman gave a loud whistle, and there appeared before her a demon, as huge as a mountain. She mounted on his back and placed her daughter behind her, and the demon, putting King Badr on his shoulder, flew off with them and soon brought them to the palace of Queen Lab. When the queen sat down on the throne, she looked at King Badr and said, “You worthless fellow, here I am; I have attained my wish and I will show you what I will do to you and to that wretched old fava-bean seller. O how many favors have I done him and how ill he has served me, for you succeeded with me only with his help!” Then she took water and sprinkled him with it, saying, “Leave this form and turn into the ugliest of birds, and he at once turned into an ugly bird. Then she put him in a cage and withheld from him all food and water.

But one of her women took pity on him and gave him food and water without the queen's knowledge. Then she went to the old man and told him what had happened and informed him that the queen intended to destroy his nephew. He thought it over, pondering what to do with the queen, and finally said, “I must take this city from her.” Then he gave a loud whistle, and there appeared before him a demon with four wings, to whom he said, “O Barq, take this girl, who has pitied King Badr and given him food and water, and carry her to the city of Jullanar of the Sea and her mother Farasha, who are the most powerful magicians on the face of the earth, and tell them that King Badr is Queen Lab's captive.”

The demon took her, and flying off with her, soon set her down on the roof of Queen Jullanar's palace. The girl descended from the roof and, going in to the queen, kissed the ground before her and told her what had happened to her son from beginning to end. Jullanar rose and kissed her face and thanked her. Then she ordered the drums to beat in the city in celebration and informed her family that King Badr had been found. Then Jullanar and her mother Farasha and her brother Sayih summoned all the tribes of demons and the troops of the sea, for the kings of the demons obeyed them ever since the capture of King al-Shamandal. Then they all flew up into the air and, descending on the City of the Magicians, attacked the city and the palace and killed all the inhabitants in the twinkling of an eye.

Then Jullanar asked the girl, “Where is my son?” The girl brought the cage and set it before her, and Jullanar took the bird out of the cage and, taking water in her hand, sprinkled the bird with it, saying, “Leave this form and return to your human form, by the power of the God of the world,” and no sooner had she finished than King Badr changed into “a full-fledged man.” Then she embraced him and wept, as did his uncle Sayih and his grandmother Farasha and his cousins, who fell on him, kissing his hands and feet. Then Jullanar sent for 'Abd-Allah, the old fava-bean seller, and when he presented himself to her, she thanked him for his kindness to her son and married him to the girl whom he had dispatched to her with King Badr's news.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that the old man married the girl, as Jullanar had wished.

Then King Badr said to his mother, “O mother, nothing remains, except that I should get married and unite us all.” His mother replied, “My son, this is an excellent idea, but wait until we inquire who is suitable from among the daughters of the kings.” His grandmother Farasha and his uncle Sayih and his cousins said, “O King Badr, we will endeavor at once to get you what you desire.” Then each of them went out to search throughout the country, while Jullanar sent out her waiting-women on the backs of demons, saying to them, “Leave not a province or a city or a king's palace without noting every beautiful girl there.” When King Badr saw what his mother Jullanar had done, he said to her, “Mother, stop this, for none will satisfy me.”

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that King Badr said to his mother Jullanar, “None will satisfy me, save Princess Jauhara, the daughter of King al-Shamandal, for she is, like her name, truly a jewel.” His mother replied, “Son, she is yours.” Then she sent at once for King al-Shamandal, who was immediately brought and kissed the ground before her. Then she sent for her son King Badr; informing him that al-Shamandal was in her presence. King Badr came and bade him welcome, and when he demanded his daughter Jauhara in marriage, King al-Shamandal replied, “She is your servant and at your disposal.” Then he dispatched some of his officers, bidding them go to his city, inform his daughter Jauhara that he was with King Badr, and bring her back with him. The officers flew up into the air and a while later returned with Princess Jauhara.

When she saw her father, she went up to him, embraced him, and wept. Then he turned to her and said, “O my daughter, I have given you in marriage to this gallant king and valiant lion, King Badr, for he is the best, the most handsome, and the most exalted man in this age, and none is worthy of him but you and none is worthy of you but him.” She replied, “O my father, I cannot disobey you; do as you wish.” So they summoned the legal witnesses and drew up the marriage contract. Then they beat the drums in celebration and opened the prisons and clothed the widows and orphans and bestowed robes of honor on the princes and lords of the realm. Then they held a wedding feast, giving banquets and celebrating, day and night, for ten days, at the end of which they unveiled the bride in seven different robes. Then King Badr went in to Princess Jauhara and took her virginity, and when he found that she had been a virgin, he rejoiced, and they loved one another exceedingly. Then he bestowed a robe of honor on her father King al-Shamandal, gave him riches, and sent him happy to his home and country. Then King Badr and his wife and mother and relatives continued to enjoy life until they were overtaken by the breaker of ties and destroyer of delights. And this is the completion and the end of their story.

8.
Gemstones cut with round unfaceted tops.

9.
A form of polo.

1.
See n. 1, p. 74.

Translator's Postscript

TRADITION HAS IT
that in the course of time Shahrazad bore Shahrayar three children and that, having learned to trust and love her, he spared her life and kept her as his queen.

Acknowledgments

My thanks to John Benedict, Marian Johnson, Muhsin Mahdi, Ann Ronald, and Jennings Woods for their generous reading of the text and their valuable suggestions, and to Nomi Victor for her help with the new edition. Thanks also to Dia Azzawi and N. Ramzi for the Arabic calligraphy.

Printed in the United States of America

First published as a Norton paperback 1995; reissued 2008

Manufacturing by Courier Westford

Book design by JAM Design

Production manager: Devon Zahn

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Arabian nights. English.

The Arabian nights / translated by Husain Haddawy based on the text of the fourteenth-century Syrian manuscript; edited by Muhsin Mahdi.

p. cm.

I. Haddawy, Husain. II. Mahdi, Muhsin. III. Title.

PJ7715.H33 Â Â 1990

398.22-dc20 Â Â Â Â Â 89-23144