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Resurrection. Take all thou hast given me and let me go to my own
city. And he wept and lamented. But she said, Put off thy
trousers and lie down on thy face, or I will strike off thy
head. So he did as she bade him and she mounted upon his back.
And he felt what was softer than silk and fresher than cream and
said in himself, Of a truth, this King is better than all the
women!
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She abode a while on his back, then turned over on to the ground,
and he said [in himself], Praised be God! It seems his yard is
not in point. Then said she, O Ali, it is of the wont of my
yard that it standeth not on end, except it be rubbed with the
hand; so, some, rub it with thy hand, till it be in point, else
will I kill thee. So saying, she lay down on her back and taking
his hand, set it to her kaze, and he found it a kaze softer than
silk, white, plump and great, resembling for heat the hot room of
the bath or the heart of a lover, whom passion hath wasted. Quoth
Ali in himself, Verily, this King hath a kaze. This is a wonder
of wonders! And desire got hold on him and his yard stood on end
to the utmost; which when Zumurrud saw, she burst out laughing
and said to him, O my lord, all this betideth and yet thou
knowest me not! And who art thou, O King? asked he; and she
said, I am thy slave-girl Zumurrud.
When he knew this and was certified that she was indeed his very
slave-girl Zumurrud, he threw himself upon her, as the lion upon
the sheep, and kissed her and embraced her. Then he thrust his
yard into her poke and stinted not to play the porter at her door
and the Imam[FN24] at her prayer-niche, whilst she with him
ceased not from inclination and prostration and rising up and
sitting down,[FN25] accompanying her canticles of praise[FN26]
with motitations and other amorous gestures, till the [two
little] eunuchs [aforesaid] heard [the noise]. So they came and
peeping out from behind the curtains, saw the King lying [on his
back] and Ali Shar upon him, thrusting and thronging amain,
whilst she puffed and blew and wriggled. Quoth they, This is no
man s wriggle; belike this King is a woman. But they concealed
their affair and discovered it to none.
On the morrow, Zumurrud summoned all the troops and the grandees
of the realm and said to them, I am minded to journey to this
man s country; so choose a deputy, who shall rule over you, till
I return to you. And they answered, We hear and obey. Then she
applied herself to making ready for the journey and furnished
herself with victual and treasure and camels and mules and so
forth; after which she set out with Ali Shar, and they fared on,
till they arrived at his native place, where he entered his house
and gave alms and largesse. God vouchsafed him children by her,
and they both lived the happiest of lives, till there came to
them the Destroyer of Delights and Sunderer of Companies. Glory
be to God, the Eternal without cease, and praised be He in every
case!
THE LOVES OF JUBEIR BEN UMEIR AND THE LADY
BUDOUR
It is related the Khalif Haroun er Reshid was restless one night
and could not sleep; so that he ceased not to toss from side to
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side for very restlessness, till, growing weary of this, he
called Mesrour and said to him, O Mesrour, look what may solace
me of this my restlessness. O Commander of the Faithful,
answered Mesrour, wilt thou walk in the garden of the palace and
divert thyself with the sight of its flowers and gaze upon the
stars and note the beauty of their ordinance and the moon among
them, shining on the water? O Mesrour, replied the Khalif, my
heart inclines not to aught of this. O my lord, continued
Mesrour, there are in thy palace three hundred concubines, each
of whom hath her separate lodging. Do thou bid retire each into
her own apartment and then go thou about and divert thyself with
gazing on them, without their knowledge. O Mesrour, answered
Haroun, the palace is mine and the girls are my property:
moreover, my soul inclineth not to aught of this. O my lord,
said Mesrour, summon the doctors and sages and poets and bid
them contend before thee in argument and recite verses and tell
thee tales and anecdotes. My soul inclines not to aught of
this, answered the Khalif; and Mesrour said, O my lord, bid the
minions and wits and boon-companions attend thee and divert thee
with witty sallies. O Mesrour, replied the Khalif, indeed my
soul inclineth not to aught of this. Then, O my lord, rejoined
Mesrour, strike off my head; maybe, that will dispel thine
unease and do away the restlessness that is upon thee.
At this the Khalif laughed and said, See which of the boon-
companions is at the door. So Mesrour went out and returning,
said, O my lord, he who sits without is Ali ben Mensour of
Damascus, the Wag. Bring him to me, quoth Haroun; and Mesrour
went out and returned with Ibn Mensour, who said, on entering,
Peace be on thee, O Commander of the Faithful! The Khalif
returned his salutation and said to him, O Ibn Mensour, tell us
one of thy stories. O Commander of the Faithful, said the
other, shall I tell thee what I have seen with my eyes or what I
have only heard tell? If thou have seen aught worth telling,
replied the Khalif, let us hear it; for report is not like eye-
witness. O Commander of the Faithful, said Ibn Mensour, lend
me thine ear and thy heart. O Ibn Mensour, answered the
Khalif, behold, I am listening to thee with mine ears and
looking at thee with mine eyes and attending to thee with my
heart.
Know then, O Commander of the Faithful, began Ibn Mensour,
that I receive a yearly allowance from Mohammed ben Suleiman el
Hashimi, Sultan[FN27] of Bassora; so I went to him, once upon a
time, as usual, and found him about to ride out a-hunting. I
saluted him, and he returned my salute and would have me mount and
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