第38章 STORY OF ALI BEN BEKKAR AND SHEMSENNEHAR.(18)

answered I；whereupon he pulled off a part of his own clothes and covered us therewith and made his excuses to us and spoke kindly to us. Then we accompanied him to his house and he knocked at the door，whereupon a little servant came out and opened to us. We entered after our host，who called for a parcel of clothes and muslin for turbans，and gave us each a suit of clothes and a piece of muslin；so we made us turbans and sat down. Presently，in came a damsel with a tray of food and set it before us，saying，Eat.'We ate a little and she took away the tray；after which we abode with our host till nightfall，when Ali ben Bekkar sighed and said to me，Know，O my brother，that I am a dead man and I have a charge to give thee： it is that，when thou seest me dead，thou go to my mother and tell her and bid her come hither，that she may be present at the washing of my body and take order for my funeral；and do thou exhort her to bear my loss with patience.'Then he fell down in a swoon and when he revived，he heard a damsel singing afar off and addressed himself to give ear to her and hearken to her voice；and now he was absent from the world and now came to himself，and anon he wept for grief and mourning at what had befallen him. Presently，he heard the damsel sing the following verses：

Parting hath wrought in haste our union to undo After the straitest loves and concord twixt us two.

The shifts of night and day have torn our lives apart. When shall we meet again？Ah，would to God I knew！

After conjoined delight，how bitter sevrance is！Would God it had no power to baffle lovers true！

Deaths anguish hath its hour，then endeth；but the pain Of sevrance from the loved at heart is ever new.

Could we but find a way to come at partings self，Wed surely make it taste of partings cup of rue.

When he heard this，he gave one sob and his soul quitted his body. As soon as I saw that he was dead，I committed his body to the care of the master of the house and said to him，I go to Baghdad，to tell his mother and kinsfolk，that they may come hither and take order for his burial So I betook myself to Baghdad and going to my house，changed my clothes，after which I repaired to Ali ben Bekkars lodging. When his servants saw me，they came to me and questioned me of him，and I bade them ask leave for me to go in to his mother. She bade admit me；so I entered and saluting her，said，Verily God orders the lives of all creatures by His commandment and when He decreeth aught，there is no escaping its fulfilment，nor can any soul depart but by His leave，according to the Writ which prescribeth the appointed terms.'She guessed by these words that her son was dead and wept sore，then she said to me，I conjure thee by Allah，tell me，is my son dead？I could not answer her for tears and much grief，and when she saw me thus，she was choked with weeping and fell down in a swoon. As soon as she came to herself，she said to me，Tell me how my son died.'May God abundantly requite thee for him！'answered I and told her all that had befallen him，from first to last. Did he give thee any charge？

asked she. Yes，'answered I and told her what he had said，adding，Hasten to take order for his funeral.'When she heard this，she swooned away again；and when she recovered，she addressed herself to do as I bade her. Then I returned to my house；and as I went along，musing sadly upon his fair youth，a woman caught hold of my hand. I looked at her and behold，it was Shemsennehars slave-girl，broken for grief. When we knew each other，we both wept and gave not over weeping till we reached my house，and I said to her，Knowest thou the news of Ali ben Bekkar？No，by Allah，'replied she；so I told her the manner of his death and all that had passed，whilst we both wept；after which I said to her，And how is it with thy mistress？Quoth she，The Khalif would not hear a word against her，but saw all her actions in a favourable light，of the great love he bore her，and said to her，'O Shemsennehar，thou art dear to me and I will bear with thee and cherish thee，despite thine enemies.'Then he bade furnish her a saloon decorated with gold and a handsome sleeping-chamber，and she abode with him in all ease of life and high favour. One day，as he sat at wine，according to his wont，with his favourites before him，he bade them be seated in their places and made Shemsennehar sit by his side. （Now her patience was exhausted and her disorder redoubled upon her.） Then he bade one of the damsels sing： so she took a lute and tuning it，preluded and sang the following verses：

One sought me of lore and I yielded and gave him that which he sought. And my tears write the tale of my transport in furrows upon my cheek.

Meseemeth as if the teardrops were ware，indeed，of our case And hide what Id fain discover and tell what to hide I seek.

How can I hope to be secret and hide the love that I feel，Whenas the stress of my longing my passion for thee doth speak？

Death，since the loss of my loved ones，is sweet to me： would I knew What unto them is pleasant，now that theyve lost me eke！

When Shemsennehar heard these verses，she could not keep her seat，but fell down in a swoon，whereupon the Khalif threw the cup from his hand and drew her to him，crying out. The damsels clamoured and he turned her over and shook her，and behold，she was dead. The Khalif grieved sore for her death and bade break all the vessels and lutes and other instruments of mirth and music in the place；then carrying her body to his closet，he abode with her the rest of the night. When the day broke，he laid her out and commanded to wash her and shroud her and bury her.

And he mourned very sore for her and questioned not of her case nor what ailed her. And I beg thee in Gods name，'continued the damsel，to let me know the day of the coming of Ali ben Bekkars funeral train，that I may be present at his burial.'Quoth I，For myself，thou canst find me where thou wilt；but thou，who can come at thee where thou art？On the day of Shemsennehars death，'answered she，the Commander of the Faithful freed all her women，myself among the rest；and we are now abiding at the tomb in such a place.'So I accompanied her to the burial-ground and visited Shemennehars tomb；[18] after which I went my way and awaited the coming of Ali ben Bekkars funeral. When it arrived，the people of Baghdad went forth to meet it and I with them；and I saw the damsel among the women and she the loudest of them in lamentation，crying out and wailing with a voice that rent the vitals and made the heart ache. Never was seen in Baghdad a greater funeral than his and we ceased not to follow in crowds，till we reached the cemetery and buried him to the mercy of God the most High；nor from that time to this have I ceased to visit his tomb and that of Shemsennehar.'This，then，is their story，and may God the Most High have mercy upon them！