第22章 THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE NIGHT(20)

Midmost the courtyard was a great basin of waterfrom which sprang a fountainand at the corners stood four lions of red goldspouting forth water as it were pearls and jewels；and the place was full of birdswhich were hindered from flying away by a network of gold stretched overhead. The King looked right and leftbut there was no one to be seen；whereat he marvelled and was vexed to find none of whom he might enquire concerning the lake and the fish and the palace itself. So he returned to the vestibule and sitting down between the doorsfell to musing upon what he had seenwhen lohe heard a moaning that came from a sorrowful heartand a voice chanted the following verses：

I hid what I endured from thee： it came to lightAnd sleep was changed to wake thenceforward to my sight.

O Fatethou sparest not nor dost desist from me；Lofor my heart is racked with dolour and affright！

Have pitylady mineupon the great laid lowUpon the rich made poor by love and its despite！

Oncejealous of the breeze that blew on theeI wasAlas！on whom Fate fallshis eyes are veiled with night.

What boots the archer's skillifwhen the foe draws nearHis bow-string snap and leave him helpless in the fight？

So when afflictions press upon the noble mindWhere shall a man from Fate and Destiny take flight？

When the King heard thishe rose and followed the sound and found that it came from behind a curtain let down before the doorway of a sitting-chamber. So he raised the curtain and saw a young man seated upon a couch raised a cubit from the ground. He was a handsome well-shaped youthwith flower-white forehead and rosy cheeks and a black molelike a grain of ambergrison the table of his cheekas says the poet：

The slender one！From his brow and the night of his jetty hair，The world in alternate gloom and splendour of day doth fare.

Blame not the mole on his cheek. Is an anemone's cup Perfect，except in its midst an eyelet of black it wear？

He was clad in a robe of silklaced with Egyptian goldand had on his head a crown set with jewelsbut his face bore traces of affliction. The King rejoiced when he saw him and saluted him；and the youth returned his salute in the most courteous wise，though without risingand said to him'O my lordexcuse me if I do not rise to theeas is thy due；indeedI am unable to do so.'I hold thee excusedO youth！'answered the King. 'I am thy guest and come to thee on a pressing errandbeseeching thee to expound to me the mystery of the lake and the fish and of this palaceand why thou sittest here alone and weeping.'When the young man heard thisthe tears ran down his cheeks and he wept soretill his breast was drenchedand repeated the following verses：

Say unto those that grieveat whom doth Fate her arrows cast，'How many an one hath she raised up but to lay low at last！

Loif ye sleepthe eye of God is never closed in sleep. For whom indeed is life serenefor whom is Fortune fast？'

Then he gave a heavy sigh and repeated the following：

Trust thine affair to the Ruler of all that be And put thought-taking and trouble away from thee：

Say not of aught that is past'How came it so？'All things depend upon the Divine decree.

The King marvelled and said to him'What makes thee weepO youth？'How should I not weep，'answered he 'being in such a plight？'Then he put out his hand and lifted the skirt of his robeand beholdhe was stone from the waist downward. When the King saw this his conditionhe grieved sore and lamented and cried out'Alas！alas！'and said'VerilyO youththou addest trouble to my trouble. I came to enquire concerning the fish；and now I am concerned to know thy history also. But there is no power and no virtue save in God the Most Highthe Supreme！

Hasten thereforeO youthand expound to me thy story.'Quoth the youth'Give me thine ears and understanding：'and the King replied'I am all attention.'Then said the youth'There hangs a strange story by these fish and by myselfa story whichwere it graven with needles on the corners of the eyewould serve as a warning to those who can profit by example. 'How so ？'

asked the King and the youth replied'KnowO my lordthat Story of the Enchanted Youth.

My father was King of the city that stood in this placeand his name was MohammedLord of the Black Islandswhich are no other than the four hills of which thou wottest. He reigned seventy yearsat the end of which time God took him to Himselfand I succeeded to his throne and took to wife the daughter of my father's brotherwho loved me with an exceeding loveso that，whenever I was absent from hershe would neither eat nor drink till she saw me again. With her I lived for five yearstill one day she went out to go to the bathand I bade the cook hasten supper for us against her return. Then I entered the palace and lay down on the bed where we were wont to lie and ordered two slave-girls to sitone at my head and the other at my feetand fan me. Now I was disturbed at my wife's absence and could not sleepbut remained awakealthough my eyes were closed.

Presently I heard the damsel at my head say to the other one'Mesoudehhow unhappy is our lord and how wretched is his youth，and ohthe pity of him with our accursed harlot of a mistress！'

'Yesindeed，'replied Mesoudeh；'may God curse all unfaithful women and adulteresses！Indeedit befits not that the like of our lord should waste his youth with this harlotwho lies abroad every night.'Quoth the other'Is our lord then a foolthat，when he wakes in the night and finds her not by his sidehe makes no enquiry after her？'Out on thee，'rejoined Mesoudeh；

'has our lord any knowledge of this or does she leave him any choice？ Does she not drug him every night in the cup of drink she gives him before he sleepsin which she puts henbane？ So he sleeps like a dead man and knows nothing of what happens. Then she dresses and scents herself and goes forth and is absent till daybreakwhen she returns and burns a perfume under his nose and he awakes.'When I heard the girls'talkthe light in my eyes became darknessand I thought the night would never come.