"Volume VII" - читать интересную книгу автора (Burtons Version)
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Gharib, after giving robes of honour to the citizens of Cufa and com mending the Ryots to their care, went out on a day of the days to hunt, with an hundred horse, and fared on till he came to a Wady, abounding in trees and fruits and rich in rills and birds It was a pasturing-place for roes and gazelles, to the spirit a delight whose scents reposed from the langour of fight. They encamped in the valley, for the day was dear and bright, and there passed the night. On the morrow, Gharib made the Wuzu-ablution and prayed the two-bow dawn-prayer, offering up praise and thanks to Almighty Allah; when, lo and behold! there arose a clamour and confusion in the meadows, and he bade Sahim go see what was to do. So Sahim mounted forthright and rode till he espied goods being plundered and horses haltered and women carried off and children crying out. Whereupon he questioned one of the shepherds, saying, УWhat be all this?Ф; and they replied, УThis is the Harim of Mardas, Chief of the Banu Kahtan, and his good and that of his clan; for yesterday Jamrkan slew Mardas and made prize of his women and children and household stuff and all the belonging of his tribe. It is his wont to go a raiding and to cut off highways and waylay wayfarers and he is a furious tyrant; neither Arabs nor Kings can prevail against him and he is the scourge and curse of the country.Ф Now when Sahim heard these news of his sireТs slaughter and the looting of his Harim and property, he returned to Gharib and told him the case, wherefore fire was added to his fire and his spirit chafed to wipe out his shame and his blood wit to claim: so he rode with his men after the robbers till he overtook them and fell upon them, crying out and saying, УAlmighty Allah upon the rebel, the traitor, the infidel!Ф and he slew in a single charge one-and-twenty fighting-men. Then he halted in mid-field, with no cowardТs heart, and cried out, УWhere is Jamrkan? Let him come out to me, that I may make him quaff the cup of disgrace and rid of him earthТs face!Ф Hardly had he made an end of speaking, when forth rushed Jamrkan, as he were a calamity of calamities or a piece of a mountain, cased in steel. He was a mighty hugeа[FN#10] Amalekite; and he crave at Gharib without speech or salute, like the fierce tyrant he was. And he was armed with a mace of China steel, so heavy, so potent, that had he smitten a hill he had smashed it. Now when he charged, Gharib met him like a hungry lion, and the brigand aimed a blow at his head with his mace; but he evaded it and it smote the earth and sank therein half a cubit deep. Then Gharib took his battle flail and smiting Jamrkan on the wrist, crushed his fingers and the mace dropped from his grasp; whereupon Gharib bent down from his seat in selle and snatching it up, swiftlier than the blinding leven, smote him therewith full on the flat of the ribs, and he fell to the earth like a long-stemmed palm-tree. So Sahim took him and pinioning him, haled him off with a rope, and GharibТs horsemen fell on those of Jamrkan and slew fifty of them: the rest fled; nor did they cease flying till they reached their tribal camp and raised their voices in clamour; whereupon all who were in the Castle came out to meet them and asked the news. They told the tribe what had passed; and, when they heard that their chief was a prisoner, they set out for the valley vying one with other in their haste to deliver him. Now when King Gharib had captured Jamrkan and had seen his braves take flight, he dismounted and called for Jamrkan, who humbled himself before him, saying, УI am under thy protection, O champion of the Age!Ф Replied Gharib, УO dog of the Arabs, dost thou cut the road for the servants of Almighty Allah, and fearest thou not the Lord of the Worlds?Ф УO my master,Ф asked Jamrkan, Уand who is the Lord of the Worlds?Ф УO dog,Ф answered Gharib, Уand what calamity dost thou worship?Ф He said, УO my lord, I worship a god made of datesа[FN#11] kneaded with butter and honey, and at times I eat him and make me another.Ф When Gharib heard this, he laughed till he fell backwards and said, УO miserable, there is none worship-worth save Almighty Allah, who created thee and created all things and provideth all creatures with daily bread, from whom nothing is hid and He over all things is Omnipotent.Ф Quoth Jamrkan, УAnd where is this great god, that I may worship him?Ф Quoth Gharib, УO fellow, know that this godТs name is Allah--the God--and it is He who fashioned the heavens and the earth and garred the trees to grow and the waters to flow. He created wild beasts and birds and Paradise and Hell-fire and veileth Himself from all eyes seeing and of none being seen. He, and He only, is the Dweller on high. Extolled be His perfection! There is no god but He!Ф When Jamrkan heard these words, the ears of his heart were opened; his skin shuddered with horripilation and he said, УO my lord, what shall I say that I may become of you and that this mighty Lord may accept of me?Ф Replied Gharib, УSay, СThere is no god but the God and Abraham the Friend is the Apostle of God!ТФ У So he pronounced the profession of the Faith and was written of the people of felicity. Then quoth Gharib, У Say me, hast thou tasted the sweetness of Al-Islam?Ф; and quoth the other, УYes;Ф whereupon Gharib cried, УLoose his bonds!Ф So they unbound him and he kissed ground before Gharib and his feet. Now whilst this was going on, behold, they espied a great cloud of dust that towered till it walled the word. --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Forty-third Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jamrkan islamised and kissed the ground between the hands of Gharib, and, as they were thus, behold, a great cloud of dust towered till it walled the wold and Gharib said to Sahim, УGo and see for us what it be.Ф So he went forth, like a bird in full flight, and presently returned, saying, УO King of the Age, this dust is of the Banu Amir, the comrades of Jamrkan.Ф Whereupon quoth Gharib to the new Moslem, УRide out to thy people and offer to them Al-Islam: an they profess, they shall be saved; but, an they refuse, we will put them to the sword.Ф So Jamrkan mounted and driving steed towards his tribesmen, cried out to them; and they knew him and dismounting, came up to him on foot and said, УWe rejoice in thy safety, O our lord!Ф Said he, УO folk, whoso obeyeth me shall be saved; but whoso gainsayeth me, I will cut him in twain with this scymitar.Ф And they made answer, saying, УCommand us what thou wilt, for we will not oppose thy commandment.Ф Quoth he, УThen say with me, СThere is no god but the God and Abraham is the Friend of God!Т У They asked, УO our lord, whence haddest thou these words?Ф And he told them what had befallen him with Gharib, adding, УO folk, know ye not that I am your chief in battle-plain and where men of cut and thrust are fain; and yet a man single-handed me to prisoner hath taТen and made me the cup of shame and disgrace to drain?Ф When they heard his speech, they spoke the word of Unity and Jamrkan led them to Gharib, at whose hands they renewed their profession of Al-Islam and wished him glory and victory, after they had kissed the earth before him. Gharib rejoiced in them and said to them, УO folk, return to your people and expound Al-Islam to them;Ф but all replied, УO our lord, we will never leave thee, whilst; we live; but we will go and fetch our families and return to thee.Ф And Gharib said, УGo, and join me at the city of Cufa.Ф So Jamrkan and his comrades returned to their tribal camp and offered Al-Islam to their women and children, who all to a soul embraced the True Faith, after which they dismantled their abodes and struck their tents and set out for Cufa, driving before them their steeds, camels and sheep. During this time Gharib returned to Cufa, where the horsemen met him in state. He entered his palace and sat down on his sireТs throne with his champions ranged on either hand. Then the spies came forwards, and informed him that his brother Ajib had made his escape and had taken refuge with Jalandа[FN#12] bin Karkar, lord of the city of Oman and land of Al-Yaman; whereupon Gharib cried aloud to his host, УO men, make you ready to march in three days.Ф Then he expounded Al-Islam to the thirty-thousand men he had captured in the first affair and exhorted them to profess and take service with him. Twenty-thousand embraced the Faith, but the rest refused and he slew them. Then came forward Jamrkan and his tribe and kissed the ground before Gharib, who bestowed on him a splendid robe of honour and made him captain of his vanguard, saying, УO Jamrkan, mount with the Chiefs of thy kith and kin and twenty-thousand horse and fare on before us to the land of Jaland bin Karkar.Ф УHearkening and obedience,Ф answered Jamrkan and, leaving the women and children of the tribe in Cufa, he set forward. Then Gharib passed in review the Harim of Mardas and his eye lit upon Mahdiyah, who was among the women, wherewith he fell down fainting. They sprinkled rose-water on his face, till he came to himself, when he embraced Mahdiyah and carried her into a sitting-chamber, where he sat with her; and they twain lay together that night without fornication. Next morning he went out and sitting down on the throne of his kingship, robed his uncle Al-Damigh with a robe of honour; and appointed him his viceroy over all Al-Irak, commending Mahdiyah to his care, till he should return from his expedition against Ajib; and, when the order was accepted, he set out for the land of Al-Yaman and the City of Oman with twenty-thousand horse and ten thousand foot. Now, when Ajib and his defeated army drew in sight of Oman, King Jaland saw the dust of their approach and sent to find out its meaning, scouts who returned and said, УVerily this is the dust of one highs Ajib, lord of Al-Irak.Ф And Jaland wondered at his coming to his country and, when assured of the tidings, he said to his officers, УFare ye forth and meet him.Ф So they went out and met him and pitched tents for him at the city-gate; and Ajib entered in to Jaland, weeping eyed and heavy-hearted. Now JalandТs wife was the daughter of AjibТs paternal uncle and he had children by her; so, when he saw his kinsman in this plight, he asked for the truth of what ailed him and Ajib told him all that had befallen him, first and last, from his brother and said, УO King, Gharib biddeth the folk worship the Lord of the Heavens and forbiddeth them from the service of simulacres and other of the gods.Ф When Jaland heard these words he raged and revolted and said, УBy the virtue of the Sun, Lord of Life and Light, I will not leave one of thy brotherТs folk in existence! But where didst thou quit them and how many men are they?Ф Answered Ajib, УI left them in Cufa and they be fifty-thousand horse.Ф Whereupon Jaland called his Wazir Jawсmard,а[FN#13] saying, УTake thee seventy-thousand horse and fare to Cufa and bring me the Moslems alive, that I may torture them with all manner of tortures.Ф So Jawamard departed with his host and fared through the first day and the second till the seventh day, when he came to a Wady abounding in trees and rills and fruits. Here he called a halt --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Jaland sent Jawamard with his army to Cufa, they came upon a Wady abounding in trees and rills where a halt was called and they rested till the middle of the Night, when the Wazir gave the signal for departure and mounting, rode on before them till hard upon dawn, at which time he descended into a well-wooded valley, whose flowers were fragrant and whose birds warbled on boughs, as they swayed gracefully to and fro, and Satan blew into his sides and puffed him up with pride and he improvised these couplets and cried,
УI plunge with my braves in the seething sea; * Seize the foe in my strength and my valiancy;
And the doughtiest knights wot me well to be * Friend to friend and fierce foe to mine enemy.
I will load Ghanb with the captiveТs chains * Right soon, and return in all Joy and glee;
For IТve donned my mail and my weapons wield * And on all sides charge at the chivalry.Фа[FN#14]
Hardly had Jawamard made an end of his verses when there came out upon him from among the trees a horseman of terrible mien covered and dad in steely sheen, who cried out to him, saying, УStand, O riff-raff of the Arabs! Doff thy dress and ground shine arms gear and dismount thy destrier and be off with thy life!Ф When Jawamard heard this, the light in his eyes became darkest night and he drew his sabre and drove at Jamrkan, for he it was, saying, УO thief of the Arabs, wilt thou cut the road for me, who am captain of the host of Jaland bin Karkar and am come to bring Gharib and his men in bond?Ф When Jamrkan heard these words, he said, УHow cooling is this to my heart and liver!Ф And he made at Jawamard versifying in these couplets,
УIТm the noted knight in the field of fight, * Whose sabre and spear every foe affright!
Jamrkan am I, to my foes a fear, * With a lance lunge known unto every knight:
Gharib is my lord, nay my pontiff, my prince, * Where the two hosts dash very lion of might:
An Imam of the Faith, pious, striking awe * On the plain where his foes like the fawn take flight;
Now Jamrkan had fared on with his tribesmen ten daysТ journey from Cufa city and called a halt on the eleventh day till midnight, when he ordered a march and rode on devancing them till he descended into the valley aforesaid and heard Jawamard reciting his verses. So he crave at him as the driving of a ravening lion, and smiting him with his sword, clove him in twain and waited till his captains came up, when he told them what had passed and said to them. УTake each of you five thousand men and disperse round about the Wady, whilst I and the Banu Amir fall upon the enemyТs van, shouting, Allaho Akbar God is Most Great! When ye hear my slogan, do ye charge them, crying like me upon the Lord, and smite them with the sword.Ф УWe hear and we obey,Ф answered they and turning back to their braves did his bidding and spread themselves about the sides of the valley in the twilight forerunning the dawn. Presently, lo and behold! up came the army of Al-Yaman, like a flock of sheep, filling plain and steep, and Jamrkan and the Banu Amir fell upon them, shouting, УAllaho Akbar!Ф till all heard it, Moslems and Miscreants. Whereupon the True Believers ambushed in the valley answered from every side and the hills and mountains responsive cried and all things replied, green and dried, saying, УGod is Most Great! ,Aidance and Victory to us from on High! Shame to the Miscreants who His name deny!Ф And the Kafirs were confounded and smote one another with sabres keen whilst the True Believers and pious fell upon them like flames of fiery sheen and naught was seen but heads flying and blood jetting and faint-hearts hieing. By the time they could see one anotherТs faces, two-thirds of the Infidels had perished and Allah hastened their souls to the fire and abiding-place dire. The rest fled and to the deserts sped whilst the Moslems pursued them to slay and take captives till middle-day, when they returned in triumph with seven thousand prisoners; and but six and twenty-thousand of the Infidels escaped and the most of them wounded. Then the Moslems collected the horses and arms, the loads and tents of the enemy and despatched them to Cufa with an escort of a thousand horse; --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jamrkan in his battle with Jawamard slew him and slew his men; and, after taking many prisoners and much money and many horses and loads, sent them with an escort of a thousand riders, to Cufa city. Then he and the army of Al-Islam dismounted and expounded The saving Faith to the prisoners, who made profession with heart and tongue; whereupon they released them from bonds and embraced them and rejoiced in them. Then Jamrkan made his troops, who had swelled to a mighty many, rest a day and a night and marched with the dawn, intending to attack Jaland bin Karkar in the city Of Oman; whilst the thousand horse fared back to Cufa with the loot. When they reached the city, they went in to King Gharib and told him what had passed, whereat he rejoiced and gave them joy and, turning to the Ghul of the Mountain, said, УTake horse with twenty-thousand and follow Jamrkan.Ф So SaТadan and his sons mounted and set out, amid twenty-thousand horse for Oman. Meanwhile, the fugitives of the defeated Kafirs reached Oman and went in to Jaland, weeping and crying, УWoe!Ф and УRuin!Ф whereat he was confounded and said to them, УWhat calamity hath befallen you?Ф So they told him what had happened and he said, УWoe to you! How many men were they?Ф They replied, УO King, there were twenty standards, under each a thousand men.Ф When Jaland heard these words he said, УMay the sun pour no blessing on you! Fie upon you! What, shall twenty-thousand overcome you, and you seventy-thousand horse and Jawamard able to withstand three thousand in field of fight?Ф Then, in the excess of his rage and mortification, he bared his blade and cried out to those who were present, saying, УFall on them!Ф So the courtiers drew their swords upon the fugitives and annihilated them to the last man and cast them to the dogs. Then Jaland cried aloud to his son, saying, УTake an hundred thousand horse and go to Al-Irak and lay it waste altogether.Ф Now this sonТs name was K·rajсn and there was no doughtier knight in all the force; for he could charge single handed three thousand riders. So he and his host made haste to equip themselves and marched in battle-array, rank following rank, with the Prince at their head, glorying in himself and improvising these couplets,
УIТm Al-Kurajan, and my name is known * To beat all who in wold or in city wone!
How many a soldier my sword at will * Struck down like a cow on the ground bestrown?
How many a soldier IТve forced to fly * And have rolled their heads as a ball is thrown?
Now IТll drive and harry the land Irakа[FN#15] * And like rain IТll shower the blood of fone;
And lay hands on Ghanb and his men, whose doom * To the wise a warn ing shall soon be shown!Ф
The host fared on twelve daysТ journey and, while they were still marching, behold, a great dust cloud arose before them and walled the horizon and the whole region. So Kurajan sent out scouts, saying, УGo forth and bring me tidings of what meaneth this dust.Ф They went till they passed under the enemyТs standards and presently returning said, УO King, verily this is the dust of the Moslems.Ф Whereat he was glad and said, УDid ye count them?Ф And they answered, УWe counted the colours and they numbered twenty.Ф Quoth he, УBy my faith, I will not send one man-at-arms against them, but will go forth to them alone by myself and strew their heads under the horsesТ hooves!Ф Now this was the army of Jamrkan who, espying the host of the Kafirs and seeing them as a surging sea, called a halt; so his troops pitched the tents and set up the standards, calling upon the name of the All-wise One, the Creator of light and gloom, Lord of all creatures, Who seeth while Him none see, the High to infinity, extolled and exalted be He! There is no God but He! The Miscreants also halted and pitched their tents, and Kurajan said to them УKeep on your arms, and in armour sleep, for during the last watch of the night we will mount and trample yonder handful under feet!Ф Now one of JamrkanТs spies was standing nigh and heard what Kurajan had contrived; so he returned to the host and told his chief who said to them, УArm yourselves and as soon as it is Night, bring me all the mules and camels and hang all the bells and clinkets and rattles ye have about their necks.Ф Now they had with them more than twenty-thousand camels and mules. So they waited till the Infidels fell asleep, when Jamrkan com-mended them to mount, and they rose to ride and on the Lord of the Worlds they relied. Then said Jamrkan, УDrive the camels and mules to the MiscreantsТ camp and push them with your spears for goads!Ф They did as he bade and the beasts rushed upon the enemyТs tents, whilst the bells and clinkets and rattles jangledа[FN#16] and the Moslems followed at their heels, shouting, УGod is Most Great!ТТ till all the hills and mountains resounded with the name of the Highmost Deity, to whom belong glory and majesty! The cattle hearing this terrible din, took fright and rushed upon the tents and trampled the folk, as they lay asleep. --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Jamrkan fell upon them with his men and steeds and camels, and the camp lay sleeping, the idolaters started up in confusion and, snatching up their arms, fell upon one another with smiting, till the most part was slaughtered. And when the day broke, they looked and found no Moslem slain, but saw them all on horseback, armed and armoured; wherefore they knew that this was a sleight which had been played upon them, and Kurajan cried out to the remnant of his folk, УO sons of whores, what we had a mind to do with them, that have they done with us and their craft hath gotten the better of our cunning.Ф And they were about to charge when, lo and behold! a cloud of dust rose high and walled the horizon-sky, when the wind smote it, so that it spired aloft and spread pavilion-wise in the lift and there it hung; and presently appeared beneath it the glint of helmet and gleam of hauberk and splendid warriors, baldrickТd with their tempered swords and holding in rest their supple spears. When the Kafirs saw this, they held back from the battle and each army sent out, to know the meaning of this dust, scouts, who returned with the news that it was an army of Moslems. Now this was the host of the Mountain-Ghul whom Gharib had despatched to JamrkanТs aid, and SaТadan himself rode in their van. So the two hosts of the True Believers joined company and rushing upon the Paynimry like a flame of fire, plied them with keen sword and Rudaynian spear and quivering lance, what while day was darkened and eyes for the much dust starkened. The valiant stood fast and the faint-hearted coward fled and to the wilds and the words swift sped, whilst the blood over earth was like torrents shed; nor did they cease from fight till the day took flight and in gloom came the night. Then the Moslems drew apart from the Miscreants and returned to their tents, where they ate and slept, till the darkness fled away and gave place to smiling day; when they prayed the dawn prayer and mounted to battle. Now Kurajan had said to his men as they drew off from fight (for indeed two thirds of their number had perished by sword and spear), УO folk, to-morrow, I will champion it in the stead of war where cut and thrust jar, and where braves push and wheel I will take the field.Ф So, as soon as light was seen and morn appeared with its shine and sheen, took horse the hosts twain and shouted their slogans amain and bared the brand and hent lance in hand and in ranks took stand. The first to open the door of war was Kurajan, who cried out, saying, УLet no coward come out to me this day nor craven!Ф Whereupon Jamrkan and SaТadan stood by the colours, but there ran at him a captain of the Banu Amir and the two crave each at other awhile, like two rams butting. Presently Kurajan seized the Moslem by the jerkin under his hauberk and, dragging him from his saddle, dashed him to the ground where he left him; upon which the Kafirs laid hands on him and bound him and bore him off to their tents; whilst Kurajan wheeled about and careered and offered battle, till another captain came out, whom also he took prisoner; nor did he leave to do thus till he had made prize of seven captains before mid day. Then Jamrkan cried out with so mighty a cry, that the whole field made reply and heard it the armies twain, and ran at Kurajan with a heart in rageful pain, improvising these couplets,
УJamrkan am I! and a man of might, * Whom the warriors fear with a sore affright:
I waste the forts and I leave the walls * To wail and weep for the wights I smite:
Then, O Kurajan, tread the rightful road * And quit the paths of thy foul upright:
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