UNS AL-WUJUD AND THE WAZIR’S DAUGHTER AL-WARD FI’L-AKMAM OR ROSE-IN-HOOD.[30]
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
Then he walked on a little and came to a goodly cage, than which was no goodlier there, and in it a culver of the forest, that is to say, a wood-pigeon,[63] the bird renowned among birds as the minstrel of love-longing, with a collar of jewels about its neck marvellous fine and fair. He considered it awhile and, seeing it absently brooding in its cage, he shed tears and repeated these couplets:—
O culver of copse,[64] with salams I greet; ✿ O brother of lovers who woe must weet!
I love a gazelle who is slender-slim, ✿ Whose glances for keenness the scymitar beat:
For her love are my heart and my vitals a-fire, ✿ And my frame consumes in love’s fever-heat.
The sweet taste of food is unlawful for me, ✿ And forbidden is slumber, unlawfullest sweet.
Endurance and solace have travelled from me, ✿ And love homes in my heart and grief takes firm seat:
How shall life deal joy when they flee my sight ✿ Who are joy and gladness and life and sprite?
As soon as Uns al-Wujud had ended his verse——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Seventy-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that as soon as Uns al-Wujud had ended his verse, the wood-culver awoke from its brooding and cooed a reply to his lines and shrilled and trilled with its thrilling notes till it all but spake with human speech;[65] and the tongue of the case talked for it and recited these couplets:—
O lover, thou bringest to thought a tide ✿ When the strength of my youth first faded and died;
And a friend of whose form I was ‘namourèd, ✿ Seductive and dight with beauty’s pride;
Whose voice, as he sat on the sandhill-tree, ✿ From the Nay’s[66] sweet sound turned my heart aside;
A fowler snared him in net, the while ✿ “O that man would leave me at large!” he cried:
I had hoped he might somewhat of mercy show ✿ When a hapless lover he so espied;
But Allah smite him who tore me away, ✿ In his hardness of heart, from my lover’s side;
But aye my desire for him groweth more, ✿ And my heart with the fires of disjunction is fried:
Allah guard a true lover, who strives with love, ✿ And hath borne the torments I still abide!
And, seeing me bound in this cage, with mind ✿ Of ruth, release me my love to find.
Then Uns al-Wujud turned to his companion, the Ispahahi, and said, “What palace is this? Who built it and who abideth in it?” Quoth the eunuch, “The Wazir of a certain King built it to guard his daughter, fearing for her the accidents of Time and the incidents of Fortune, and lodged her herein, her and her attendants; nor do we open it save once in every year, when their provision cometh to them.” And Uns al-Wujud said to himself, “I have gained my end, though I may have long to wait.” Such was his case; but as regards Rose-in-Hood, of a truth she took no pleasure in eating or drinking, sitting or sleeping; but her desire and passion and distraction redoubled on her, and she went wandering about the castle-corners, but could find no issue; wherefore she shed tears and recited these couplets:—
They have cruelly ta’en me from him, my beloved, ✿ And made me taste anguish in prison ta’en:
They have fired my heart with the flames of love, ✿ Barred all sight of him whom to see I’m fain:
In a lofty palace they prisoned me ✿ On a mountain placed in the middle main.
If they’d have me forget him, right vain’s their wish, ✿ For my love is grown of a stronger strain.
How can I forget him whose face was cause ✿ Of all I suffer, of all I ‘plain?
The whole of my days in sorrow’s spent, ✿ And in thought of him through the night I’m lain.
Remembrance of him cheers my solitude, ✿ While I lorn of his presence and lone remain.
Would I knew if, after this all, my fate ✿ To oblige the desire of my heart will deign.
When her verses were ended, she ascended to the terrace-roof of the castle after donning her richest clothes and trinkets and throwing a necklace of jewels around her neck. Then binding together some dresses of Ba’albak[67] stuff by way of rope, she tied them to the crenelles and let herself down thereby to the ground. And she fared on over wastes and waterless wilds, till she came to the shore, where she saw a fisherman plying here and there over the sea, for the wind had driven him on to the island. When he saw her, he was affrighted[68] and pushed off again, flying from her; but she cried out and made pressing signs to him to return, versifying with these couplets:—
O fisherman no care hast thou to fear, ✿ I’m but an earth-born maid in mortal sphere;
I pray thee linger and my prayer grant ✿ And to my true unhappy tale give ear:
Pity (so Allah spare thee!) warmest love; ✿ Say, hast thou seen him—my beloved fere?
I love a lovely youth whose face excels ✿ Sunlight, and passes moon when clearest clear:
The fawn, that sees his glance, is fain to cry ✿ “I am his thrall” and own himself no peer:
Beauty hath written, on his winsome cheek, ✿ Rare lines of pregnant sense for every seer;
Who sights the light of love his soul is saved; ✿ Who strays is Infidel to Hell anear:
An thou in mercy show his sight, O rare![69] ✿ Thou shalt have every wish, the dearest dear,
Of rubies and what likest are to them ✿ Fresh pearls and unions new, the sea-shell’s tear:
My friend, thou wilt forsure grant my desire ✿ Whose heart is melted in love’s hottest fire.
When the fisherman heard her words, he wept and made moan and lamented; then, recalling what had betided himself in the days of his youth, when love had the mastery over him and longing and desire and distraction were sore upon him and the fires of passion consumed him, replied with these couplets:—