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seat, but fell down in a swoon, whereupon the Khalif threw the
cup from his hand and drew her to him, crying out. The damsels
clamoured and he turned her over and shook her, and behold, she
was dead. The Khalif grieved sore for her death and bade break
all the vessels and lutes and other instruments of mirth and
music in the place; then carrying her body to his closet, he
abode with her the rest of the night. When the day broke, he laid
her out and commanded to wash her and shroud her and bury her.
And he mourned very sore for her and questioned not of her case
nor what ailed her. And I beg thee in God s name, continued the
damsel, to let me know the day of the coming of Ali ben Bekkar s
funeral train, that I may be present at his burial. Quoth I,
For myself, thou canst find me where thou wilt; but thou, who
can come at thee where thou art? On the day of Shemsennehar s
death, answered she, the Commander of the Faithful freed all
her women, myself among the rest; and we are now abiding at the
tomb in such a place. So I accompanied her to the burial-ground
and visited Shemennehar s tomb;[FN18] after which I went my way
and awaited the coming of Ali ben Bekkar s funeral. When it
arrived, the people of Baghdad went forth to meet it and I with
them; and I saw the damsel among the women and she the loudest of
them in lamentation, crying out and wailing with a voice that
rent the vitals and made the heart ache. Never was seen in
Baghdad a greater funeral than his and we ceased not to follow in
crowds, till we reached the cemetery and buried him to the mercy
of God the most High; nor from that time to this have I ceased to
visit his tomb and that of Shemsennehar. This, then, is their
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story, and may God the Most High have mercy upon them!
KEMEREZZEMAN AND BUDOUR.
There was once, of old time, a king called Shehriman, who was
lord of many troops and guards and officers and reigned over
certain islands, known as the Khalidan Islands, on the borders of
the land of the Persians; but he was grown old and decrepit,
without having been blessed with a son, albeit he had four wives,
daughters of kings, and threescore concubines, with each of whom
he was wont to lie one night in turn. This preyed upon his mind
and disquieted him, so that he complained thereof to one of his
Viziers, saying, I fear lest my kingdom be lost, when I die, for
that I have no son to take it after me. O King, answered the
Vizier, peradventure God shall yet provide for this; do thou put
thy trust in Him and be constant in supplication to Him. So the
King rose and making his ablutions, prayed a two-bow prayer with
a believing heart; after which he called one of his wives to bed
and lay with her forthright. By God s grace, she conceived by
him and when her months were accomplished, she bore a male child,
like the moon on the night of its full. The King named him
Kemerezzeman and rejoiced in him with exceeding joy and bade
decorate the city in his honour. So they decorated the city
seven days, whilst the drums beat and the messengers bore the
glad tidings abroad. Meanwhile nurses and attendants were
provided for the boy and he was reared in splendour and delight,
until he reached the age of fifteen. He grew up of surpassing
beauty and symmetry, and his father loved him very dear, so that
he could not brook to be parted from him day or night. One day,
he complained to one of his Viziers of the excess of his love for
his son, saying, O Vizier, of a truth I fear the shifts and
accidents of fortune for my son Kemerezzeman and fain would I
marry him in my lifetime. O King, answered the Vizier,
marriage is one of the most honourable of actions, and thou
wouldst indeed do well to marry thy son in thy lifetime, ere
thou make him king. Quoth the King, Fetch me my son; so
Kemerezzeman came and bowed his head before his father, out of
modesty. O Kemerezzeman, said the King, I desire to marry
thee and rejoice in thee in my lifetime. O my father,
answered the prince, know that I have no wish to marry, nor doth
my soul incline to women; for that I have read many books and
heard much talk concerning their craft and perfidy, even as saith
the poet:
If ye would know of women and question of their case, Lo, I am
versed in their fashions and skilled all else above.
When a man s head grows grizzled or for the nonce his wealth
Falls from his hand, then, trust me, he hath no part in
their love.
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And again:
Gainsay women; he obeyeth Allah best who saith them nay, And he
prospers not who giveth them his bridle-rein to sway;
For they ll hinder him from winning to perfection in his gifts,
Though a thousand years he study, seeking after wisdom s
way.
Wherefore (continued Kemerezzeman) marriage is a thing to which I
will never consent; no, not though I drink the cup of death.
When the King heard this, the light in his sight became darkness
and he was excessively chagrined at his son s lack of obedience
to his wishes; yet, for the great love he bore him, he forbore to
press him and was not wroth with him, but caressed him and spoke
him fair and showed him all manner of kindness such as tends to
cultivate affection. He took patience with him a whole year,
during which time Kemerezzeman increased daily in beauty and
elegance and amorous grace, till he became perfect in eloquence
and loveliness. All men were ravished with his beauty and every
breeze that blew carried the tidings of his charms; he was a
seduction to lovers and a garden of delight to longing hearts,
for he was sweet of speech and his face put the full moon to
shame. Accomplished in symmetry as in elegance and engaging
manners, his shape was slender and graceful as the willow-wand or
the flowering cane and his cheeks might pass for roses or
blood-red anemones. He was, in fine, charming in all respects,
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