第44章

Beholding this I marvelled with great marvel and thought the case mighty wondrous； then entering the citadel in a flutter of fear and dazed with surprise and affright，I found it long and wide，about equalling Al-Medinah[167] in point of size； and therein were lofty palaces laid out in pavilions all built of gold and silver and inlaid with many-coloured jewels and jacinths and chrysolites and pearls.And the door-leaves in the pavilions were like those of the castle for beauty； and their floors were strewn with great pearls and balls，no smaller than hazel nuts，of musk and ambergris and saffron.Now when I came within the heart of the city and saw therein no created beings of the Sons of Adam I was near swooning and dying for fear.Moreover，I looked down from the great roofs of the pavilion-chambers and their balconies and saw rivers running under them； and in the main streets were fruit-laden trees and tall palms； and the manner of their building was one brick of gold and one of silver.So I said in myself，'Doubtless this is the Paradise promised for the world to come.'Then I loaded me with the jewels of its gravel and the musk of its dust as much as I could carry and returned to my own country，where I told the folk what I had seen.After a time the news reached Mu'awiyah，son of Abu Sufyan，who was then Caliph in Al-Hijaz； so he wrote to his lieutenant in San'a of Al-Yaman to send for the teller of the story and question him of the truth of the case.Accordingly the lieutenant summoned me and questioned me of my adventure and of all appertaining to it； and I told him what I had seen，whereupon he despatched me to Mu'awiyah，before whom I repeated the story of the strange sights； but he would not credit it.So I brought out to him some of the pearls and balls of musk and ambergris and saffron，in which latter there was still some sweet savour； but the pearls were grown yellow and had lost pearly colour.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy-seventh Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Abdullah son of Abu Kilabah continued，'But the pearls were grown yellow and had lost pearly colour.Now Mu'awiyah wondered at this and，sending for Ka'ab al-Ahbar[168] said to him，'O Ka'ab，I have sent for thee to ascertain the truth of a certain matter and hope that thou wilt be able to certify me thereof.'Asked Ka'ab，'What is it，O Commander of the Faithful？'；and Mu'awiyah answered，'Wottest thou of any city founded by man which is builded of gold and silver，the pillars whereof are of chrysolite and rubies and its gravel pearls and balls of musk and ambergris and saffron？'

He replied，'Yes，O Commander of the Faithful，this is 'Iram with pillars decked and dight，the like of which was never made in the lands，'[169] and the builder was Shaddad son of Ad the Greater.'Quoth the Caliph，'Tell us something of its history，'

and Ka'ab said，'Ad the Greater[170] had two sons，Shadid and Shaddad who，when their father died，ruled conjointly in his stead，and there was no King of the Kings of the earth but was subject to them.After awhile Shadid died and his brother Shaddad reigned over the earth alone.Now he was fond of reading in antique books； and，happening upon the deion of the world to come and of Paradise，with its pavilions and galleries and trees and fruits and so forth，his soul moved him to build the like thereof in this world，after the fashion aforesaid.Now under his hand were an hundred thousand Kings，each ruling over an hundred thousand chiefs，commanding each an hundred thousand warriors； so he called these all before him and said to them，'I find in ancient books and annals a deion of Paradise，as it is to be in the next world，and I desire to build me its like in this world.Go ye forth therefore to the goodliest tract on earth and the most spacious and build me there a city of gold and silver，whose gravel shall be chrysolite and rubies and pearls；

and for support of its vaults make pillars of jasper.Fill it with palaces，whereon ye shall set galleries and balconies and plant its lanes and thoroughfares with all manner trees bearing yellow-ripe fruits and make rivers to run through it in channels of gold and silver.'Whereat said one and all，'How are we able to do this thing thou hast commanded，and whence shall we get the chrysolites and rubies and pearls whereof thou speakest？'Quoth he，'What！ weet ye not that the Kings of the world are subject to me and under my hand and that none therein dare gainsay my word？'

Answered they，'Yes，we know that.''--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.