第123章 NOUREDDIN ALI AND THE DAMSEL ENIS EL JELIS.(12)
O thouwhose love from out my heart shall nevermore departO son of Khacanthou my wishmy hope unshared and whole，On my account thou didst transgress against our lord and king And left'st thy native land for meto seek a foreign goal.
Thou givest me unto Kerimmay he for aye be praised！And may th'Almighty for my loss my dearest lord console！
When she had finishedNoureddin answered her by repeating the following：
She bade me adieu on the day of our parting And saidwhilst for anguish she wept and she sighed，'Ahwhat wilt thou dowhen from me thou art severed？'Ask that of the man who'll survive，'I replied.
When the Khalif heard what she said in her verses'Thou hast given me to Kerim，'his interest in her redoubled and it was grievous to him to separate them；so he said to Noureddin'O my lordverily the damsel said in her verses that thou hadst transgressed against her master and him who possessed her；so tell meagainst whom didst thou transgress and who is it that has a claim on thee？'By AllahO fisherman，'replied Noureddin'there hangs a rare story by me and this damsela storywhich，were it graven with needles on the corners of the eyewould serve as a lesson to him who can profit by example.'Said the Khalif'Wilt thou not tell us thy story and acquaint us with thy case？ Peradventure it may bring thee relieffor the help of God is near at hand.'O fisher man，'said Noureddin'wilt thou hear our story in prose or verse？'Prose is but words，'replied the Khalif'but verse is strung pearls.'Then Noureddin bowed his head and spoke the following verses.
O my friendI have bidden farewell to reposeAnd the anguish of exile has doubled my woes I once had a fatherwho loved me right dearBut left me，to dwell in the tombswhere all goes.
There fell on me after him hardship and pain And Fate broke in pieces my heart with its blows.
He bought me a slave-girlthe fairest of maids；Her shape shamed the branch and her colour the rose.
I wasted the substance he left mealas！And lavished it freely on these and on those，Till for need I was minded to sell the fair maidThough sorely I grudged at the partingGod knows！
But lo！when the crier 'gan call her for saleA scurvy old skin-flint to bid for her chose.
At this I was angered beyond all control And snatched her away ere the crier could close；
Whereupon the old rancorous curmudgeon flamed up With despite and beset me with insults and blows.
In my passion I smote him with right hand and leftTill my wrath was assuaged；after which I arose And returningbetook me in haste to my houseWhere I hid me for feat of the wrath of my foes.
Then the king of the city decreed my arrest： But a kind-hearted chamberlain pitied my woes And warned me to flee from the city forthrightEre my enemies'springes my life should enclose.
So we fled from our house in the dead of the night And came to Baghdad for a place of repose.
I have nothing of valuenor treasures nor goldOr I'd handsel theefishermanfreely with those！
But I give theeinsteadthe beloved of my soulAnd in her thou hast gotten my heart's bloodGod knows！
When he had finishedthe Khalif said to him'O my lord Noureddinexplain to me thy case more fully！'So he told him the whole story from beginning to endand the Khalif said to him，'Whither dost thou now intend？'God's world is wide！'replied he. Quoth the Khalif'I will write thee a letter to carry to the Sultan Mohammed ben Suleiman ez Zeiniwhich when he readshe will do thee no hurt.'Who ever heard of a fisherman writing to kings？'said Noureddin. 'Such a thing can never be.'True，'replied the Khalif；'but I will tell thee the reason. Know that he and I learnt in the same schoolunder one masterand that I was his monitor. Since that timefortune has betided him and he is become a Sultanwhilst God hath abased me and made me a fisherman： yet I never send to him to seek aughtbut he does my desire；naythough I should ask of him a thousand favours a day，he would comply.'When Noureddin heard thishe said'Good：
write that I may see.'So the Khalif took pen and inkhorn and wrote as follows： 'In the name of Godthe Compassionatethe Merciful！This letter is from Haroun er Reshid son of el Mehdi to His Highness Mohammed ben Suleiman ez Zeiniwhom I have compassed about with my favour and made governor for me in certain of my dominions. The bearer of these presents is Noureddin son of Felz ben Khacan the Vizier. As soon as they come to thy handdo thou put off thy kingly dignity and invest him therewithand look thou oppose not my commandmentso peace be on thee.'Then he gave the letter to Noureddinwho took it and kissed itthen put it in his turban and set out at once on his journey. As soon as he was goneGaffer Ibrahim fumed to the Khalif and said to him'O vilest of fishermenthou hast brought us a couple of fishworth a score of parasand hast gotten three dinars for them；and thinkest thou to take the damsel also？'When the Khalif heard thishe cried out at him and made a sign to Mesrourwho discovered himself and rushed upon him. Now Jaafer had sent one of the gardeners to the doorkeeper of the palace for a suit of the royal raiment for the Commander of the Faithful；so he went and returning with the suitkissed the earth before the Khalif and gave it to him. Then he threw off the clothes he had on and dressed himself in those which the gardener had broughtto the great amazement of Gaffer Ibrahimwho bit his nails in bewilderment and exclaimed'Am I asleep or awake？'
'O Gaffer Ibrahim，'said the Khalif'what state is this in which I see thee？'With thishe recovered from his drunkenness and throwing himself on the groundrepeated the following verses：
Forgive the error into which my straying feet did fallFor the slave sues for clemency from him to whom he's thrall！
Loby confessing I have done what the offence requires！Where then is that for which good grace and generous mercy call？