THE MAN’S DISPUTE WITH THE LEARNED WOMAN CONCERNING THE RELATIVE EXCELLENCE OF MALE AND FEMALE.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
Quoth a certain man of learning, I never saw amongst woman-kind one wittier, and wiser, better read and by nature more generously bred; and in manners and morals more perfected than a preacher of the people of Baghdad, by name Sitt al-Mashá’ikh.[229] It chanced that she came to Hamah-city in the year of the Flight five hundred and sixty and one[230]; and there delivered salutary exhortations to the folk from the professorial chair. Now there used to visit her house a number of students of divinity and persons of learning and polite letters, who would discuss with her questions of theology and dispute with her on controversial points. I went to her one day, with a friend of mine, a man of years and education; and when we had taken our seats, she set before us a dish of fruit and seated herself behind a curtain. Now she had a brother, a handsome youth, who stood behind us, to serve us. And when we had eaten we fell to disputing upon points of divinity, and I propounded to her a theological question bearing upon a difference between the Imams, the Founders of the Four Schools. She proceeded to speak in answer, whilst I listened; but all the while my friend fell to looking upon her brother’s face and admiring his beauties without paying any heed to what she discoursed. Now as she was watching him from behind the curtain; when she had made an end of her speech, she turned to him and said, “Methinks thou be of those who give men the preference over women!”
He replied, “Assuredly,” and she asked, “And why so?”; whereto he answered, “For that Allah hath made the masculine worthier than the feminine;”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Four Hundred and Twentieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Shaykh replied, “For that Allah hath made the masculine worthier than the feminine; and I like the excelling and mislike the excelled.” She laughed and presently said, “Wilt thou deal fairly with me in debate, if I battle the matter with thee?” and he rejoined, “Yes.” Then quoth she, “What is the evidence of the superiority of the male to the female?” Quoth he, “It is of two kinds, traditional and reasonable. The authoritative part deriveth from the Koran and the Traditions of the Apostle. As for the first we have the very words of Almighty Allah, ‘Men shall have the pre-eminence above women because of those advantages wherein Allah hath caused the one of them to excel the other;’[231] and again, ‘If there be not two men, let there be one man and two women;’[232] and again, when treating of inheritance, ‘If there be brothers and sisters let a male have as much as the portion of two females.’[233] Thus Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) hath in these places preferred the male over the female and teacheth that a woman is as the half of a man, for that he is worthier than she As for the Sunnah-traditions, is it not reported of the Prophet (whom Allah save and assain!) that he appointed the blood-money for a woman to be half that of a man?
And as for the evidence of reason, the male is the agent and active and the female the patient and passive.”[234] Rejoined she, “Thou hast said well, O my lord, but, by Allah, thou hast proved my contention with thine own lips and hast advanced evidence which telleth against thee, and not for thee. And thus it is: Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) preferred the male above the female solely because of the inherent condition and essential quality of masculinity; and in this there is no dispute between us. Now this quality of male-hood is common to the child, the boy, the youth, the adult and the old man; nor is there any distinction between them in this. If, then, the superior excellence of male masculant belong to him solely by virtue of manhood, it behoveth that thy heart incline and thy soul delight in the greybeard, equally with the boy; seeing that there is no distinction between them, in point of male-hood. But the difference between thee and me turneth upon the accident of qualities that are sought as constituting the pleasure of intercourse and its enjoyment; and thou hast adduced no proof of the superiority of the youth over the young girl in this matter of non-essentials.” He made answer, “O reverend lady, knowest thou not that which is peculiar to the youth of limber shape and rosy cheeks and pleasant smile and sweetness of speech?
Youths are, in these respects superior to women; and the proof of this is what they traditionally report of the Prophet (whom Allah bless and preserve!) that he said, ‘Stay not thy gaze upon the beardless, for in them is a momentary eye-glance at the black-eyed girls of Paradise.’ Nor indeed is the superiority of the lad over the lass hidden to any of mankind, and how well saith Abu Nowas:[235]—
The least of him is the being free ✿ From monthly courses and pregnancy.
And the saying of another poet:—
Quoth our Imam, Abu Nowas, who was ✿ For mad debauch and waggishness renowned:—
‘O tribe that loves the cheeks of boys, take fill ✿ Of joys in Paradise shall ne’er be found!’
So if any one enlarge in praise of a slave-girl and wish to enhance her value by the mention of her beauties, he likeneth her to a youth,”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Shaykh continued, “So if any one enlarge in praise of a slave-girl and wish to enhance her value by the mention of her beauties, he likeneth her to a youth, because of the illustrious qualities that belong to the male, even as saith the poet:—
Boy-like of backside, in the deed of kind, ✿ She sways, as sways the wand-like boughs a-wind.
An youths, then, were not better and fairer than girls, why should these be likened to them? And know also (Almighty Allah preserve thee!) that a youth is easy to be led, adapting himself to every rede, pleasant of converse and manners, inclining to assent rather than dissent, especially when his side-face is newly down’d and his upper lip is first embrowned, and the purple lights of youth on his cheeks abound, so that he is like the full moon sound; and how goodly is the saying of Abu Tammám[236]:—
The slanderers said There’s hair upon his cheeks; ✿ Quoth I, Exceed not; that’s no blemish there.
When he could bear that haling of his hips ✿ And pearl-beads shaded by mustachio-hair;[237]
And Rose swore solemn, holiest oath that is, ✿ From that fair cheek she nevermore would fare,
I spoke with eyelids without need of speech, ✿ And they who answered me his eyebrows were.
He’s even fairer than thou knewest him, ✿ And cheek-down guards from all would overdare.
Brighter and sweeter now are grown his charms, ✿ Since down robes lip and cheek before were bare.
And those who blame me for my love of him, ✿ When him they mention say of him, ‘Thy Fair’!
And quoth Al-Hariri[238] and quoth excellently well:—
My censors say, What means this pine for him? ✿ Seest not the flowing hair on cheeks a-flowing?
I say, By Allah, an ye deem I dote, ✿ Look at the truth in those fine eyes a-showing!
But for the down that veils his cheek and chin, ✿ His brow had dazed all eyes no sight allowing:
And whoso sojourns in a growthless land, ✿ How shall he move from land fair growths a-growing?
And quoth another:—
My blamers say of me, ‘He is consoled,’ And lie! ✿ No consolation comes to those who pine and sigh.
I had no solace when Rose bloomed alone on cheek, ✿ Now Basil blooms thereon and now consoled am I.
And again:—
Slim-waisted one, whose looks with down of cheek ✿ In slaughtering mankind each other hurtle:
With the Narcissus-blade he sheddeth blood, ✿ The baldrick of whose sheath is freshest myrtle.[239]
And again:—
Not with his must I’m drunk, but verily ✿ Those curls turn manly heads like newest wine[240]:
Each of his beauties envies each, and all ✿ Would be the silky down on side-face li’en.
Such are the excellencies of the youth which women do not own, and they more than suffice to give those the preference over these.” She replied, “Allah give thee health! verily, thou hast imposed the debate upon thyself; and thou hast spoken and hast not stinted and hast brought proofs to support every assertion. But, ‘Now is the truth become manifest;’[241] so swerve thou not from the path thereof; and, if thou be not content with a summary of evidence, I will set it before thee in fullest detail. Allah upon thee, where is the youth beside the girl and who shall compare kid and wild cow? The girl is soft of speech, fair of form, like a branchlet of basil, with teeth like chamomile-petals and hair like halters wherefrom to hang hearts. Her cheeks are like blood-red anemones and her face like a pippin: she hath lips like wine and breasts like pomegranates twain and a shape supple as a rattan-cane. Her body is well-formed and with sloping shoulders dight; she hath a nose like the edge of a sword shining bright and a forehead brilliant white and eyebrows which unite and eyes stained by Nature’s hand black as night. If she speak, fresh young pearls are scattered from her mouth forthright and all hearts are ravished by the daintiness of her sprite; when she smileth thou wouldst ween the moon shone out her lips between and when she eyes thee, sword-blades flash from the babes of her eyes. In her all beauties to conclusion come, and she is the centre of attraction to traveller and stay-at-home.
She hath two lips of cramoisy, than cream smoother and of taste than honey sweeter,”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the preacher-woman thus pursued her theme in the praise of fair maids, “She hath two lips of cramoisy, than cream smoother and than honey sweeter;” adding, “And she hath a bosom, as it were a way two hills between which are a pair of breasts like globes of ivory sheen; likewise, a stomach right smooth, flanks soft as the palm-spathe and creased with folds and dimples which overlap one another, and liberal thighs, which like columns of pearl arise, and back parts which billow and beat together like seas of glass or mountains of glance, and two feet and hands of gracious mould like unto ingots of virgin gold. So, O miserable! where are mortal men beside the Jinn? Knowest thou not that puissant princes and potent Kings before women ever humbly bend and on them for delight depend? Verily, they may say;—We rule over necks and rob hearts. These women! how many a rich man have they not paupered, how many a powerful man have they not prostrated and how many a superior man have they not enslaved! Indeed, they seduce the sage and send the saint to shame and bring the wealthy to want and plunge the fortune-favoured into penury. Yet for all this, the wise but redouble in affection of them and honour; nor do they count this oppression or dishonour. How many a man for them hath offended his Maker and called down on himself the wrath of his father and mother! And all this because of the conquest of their love over hearts.