Richard Burton - A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments, now entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4 (of 17)

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Chamberlain accosted the old woman, saying, “What damsel is this?”; quoth the ancient dame, “Our lady hath a mind to buy her;” and he rejoined, “None may enter save by leave of the Commander of the Faithful; so do thou go back with her. I cannot let her pass for thus am I commanded.” Replied the old woman, “O Chief Chamberlain, use thy reason. Thou knowest that Naomi, the Caliph’s slave-girl, of whom he is enamoured, is but now restored to health and the Commander of the Faithful hardly yet crediteth her recovery. She is minded to buy this handmaid; so oppose thou not her entrance, lest haply it come to Naomi’s knowledge and she be wroth with thee and suffer a relapse and this cause thy head to be cut off.” Then said she to Ni’amah, “Enter, O damsel; pay no heed to what he saith and tell not the Queen-consort that her Chamberlain opposed thine entrance.” So Ni’amah bowed his head and entered the palace, and would have turned to the left, but mistook the direction and walked to his right; and, meaning to count five doors and enter the sixth, he counted six and entering the seventh, found himself in a place whose floor was carpeted with brocade and whose walls were hung with curtains of gold-embroidered silk. And therein stood censers of aloes-wood and ambergris and strong-scented musk, and at the upper end was a couch bespread with cloth of gold on which he seated himself, marvelling at the magnificence he saw and knowing not what was written for him in the Secret Purpose. As he sat musing on his case, the Caliph’s sister, followed by her handmaid, came in upon him; and, seeing the youth seated there took him for a slave-girl and accosted him and said, “Who art thou O damsel? and what is thy case and who brought thee hither?” He made no reply, and was silent, when she continued, “O damsel! if thou be one of my brother’s concubines and he be wroth with thee, I will intercede with him for thee and get thee grace.” But he answered her not a word; so she said to her slave-girl, “Stand at the door and let none enter.” Then she went up to Ni’amah and looking at him was amazed at his beauty and said to him, “O lady, tell me who thou art and what is thy name and how thou camest here; for I have never seen thee in our palace.” Still he answered not, whereat she was angered and, putting her hand to his bosom, found no breasts and would have unveiled him, that she might know who he was; but he said to her, “O my lady, I am thy slave and I cast myself on thy protection: do thou protect me.” She said, “No harm shall come to thee, but tell me who thou art and who brought thee into this my apartment.” Answered he, “O Princess, I am known as Ni’amah bin al-Rabi’a of Cufa and I have ventured my life for the sake of my slave-girl Naomi, whom Al-Hajjaj took by sleight and sent hither.” Said she, “Fear not: no harm shall befal thee;” then, calling her maid, she said to her, “Go to Naomi’s chamber and send her to me.” Meanwhile the old woman went to Naomi’s bedroom and said to her, “Hath thy lord come to thee?” “No, by Allah!” answered Naomi, and the other said, “Belike he hath gone astray and entered some chamber other than thine and lost himself.” So Naomi cried, “There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Our last hour is come and we are all lost.” And while they were sitting and sadly enough pondering their case, in came the Princess’s handmaid and saluting Naomi said to her, “My lady biddeth thee to her banquet.” “I hear and I obey,” answered the damsel and the old woman said, “Belike thy lord is with the Caliph’s sister and the veil of secrecy hath been rent.” So Naomi at once sprang up and betook herself to the Princess, who said to her, “Here is thy lord sitting with me; it seemeth he hath mistaken the place; but, please Allah, neither thou nor he has any cause for fear.” When Naomi heard these words, she took heart of grace and went up to Ni’amah; and her lord when he saw her – And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ni’amah saw his handmaid Naomi, he rose to meet her and strained her to his bosom and both fell to the ground fainting. As soon as they came to themselves, the Caliph’s sister said to them, “Sit ye down and take we counsel for your deliverance from this your strait.” And they answered, “O our lady, we hear and obey; it is thine to command.” Quoth she, “By Allah, no harm shall befal you from us!” Then she bade her handmaids bring meat and drink which was done, and they sat down and ate till they had enough, after which they sat drinking. Then the cup went round amongst them and their cares ceased from them; but Ni’amah said, “Would I knew how this will end.” The Princess asked, “O Ni’amah, dost thou love thy slave Naomi?”; and he answered, “Of a truth it is my passion for her which hath brought me to this state of peril for my life.” Then said she to the damsel, “O Naomi, dost thou love thy lord Ni’amah?”; and she replied, “O my lady, it is the love of him which hath wasted my body and brought me to evil case.” Rejoined the Princess, “By Allah, since ye love each other thus, may he not be who would part you! Be of good cheer and keep your eyes cool and clear.” At this they both rejoiced and Naomi called for a lute and, when they brought it, she took it and tuned it and played a lively measure which enchanted the hearers, and after the prelude sang these couplets: —

Then Naomi gave the lute to her master, Ni’amah, saying, “Sing thou to us some verse.” So he took it and playing a lively measure, intoned these couplets: —

Now when he had made an end of his song, Naomi filled the cup and gave it to him, and he took it and drank it off; then she filled again and gave the cup to the Caliph’s sister who also emptied it; after which the Princess in her turn took the lute and tightened the strings and tuned it and sang these two couplets: —

Then she filled the cup and gave it to Naomi, who drank it off and taking the lute, sang these two couplets: —

And they ceased not to sing verses and drink to the sweet sound of the strings, full of mirth and merriment and joy and jollity till behold, in came the Commander of the Faithful. Now when they saw him, they rose and kissed the ground before him; and he, seeing Naomi with the lute in her hand, said to her, “O Naomi, praised be Allah who hath done away from thee sickness and suffering!” Then he looked at Ni’amah (who was still disguised as a woman), and said to the Princess, “O my sister, what damsel is this by Naomi’s side?” She replied, “O Commander of the Faithful, thou hast here a handmaid, one of thy concubines and the bosom friend of Naomi who will neither eat nor drink without her.” And she repeated the words of the poet: —