一千零一夜-天方夜谭-1001 Nights(英文版)- 第43部分

'O　Meryem；'　answered　the　Khalif；　'God　forbid　that　I　should　do　this　ever！　How　can　I　send　back　a　Muslim　woman　and　a　true　believer　in　the　unity　of　God　and　in　His　Apostle　to　that　which　they　have　forbidden？'　Quoth　she；　'I　testify　that　there　is　no　god　but　God　and　that　Mohammed　is　His　Apostle！'　'O　Meryem；'　rejoined　the　Khalif；　'may　God　bless　and　stablish　thee　in　the　way　of　righteousness！　Since　thou　art　a　Muslim　and　a　believer　in　the　unity　of　God；　I　owe　thee　an　imperative　duty；　and　it　is　that　I　should　never　transgress　against　thee　nor　forsake　thee；　though　the　world　full　of　gold　and　jewels　be　lavished　unto　me　on　thine　account。　So　be　of　good　heart　and　cheerful　eye　and　be　thy　breast　dilated　and　thy　mind　at　ease。　Art　thou　willing　that　this　youth　Ali　of　Cairo　should　be　thy　husband　and　thou　his　wife？'　'How　should　I　be　other　than　willing；'　replied　Meryem；　'seeing　that　he　bought　me　with　his　money　and　hath　entreated　me　with　the　utmost　kindness　and　for　crown　of　his　good　offices；　he　hath　ventured　his　life　many　times　for　my　sake？'

So　the　Khalif　summoned　the　Cadi　and　the　witnesses　and　married　her　to　him。　Moreover；　he　assigned　her　a　dowry　and　caused　the　grandees　of　his　realm　be　present　at　their　marriage；　and　it　was　a　notable　day。　Then　he　turned　to　the　French　king's　vizier；　who　was　present；　and　said　to　him；　'Hast　thou　heard　her　words？　How　can　I　send　her　back　to　her　father　the　infidel；　seeing　that　she　is　a　Muslim　and　a　believer　in　the　Unity　of　God？　Belike　he　will　evil　entreat　her　and　deal　harshly　with　her；　more　by　token　that　she　hath　slain　his　sons；　and　I　shall　be　accountable　to　her　therefor　on　the　Day　of　Resurrection。　And　indeed　quoth　God　the　Most　High；　〃God　shall　in　nowise　give　the　infidels　power　over　the　truebelievers。'　（115）　So　return　to　thy　king　and　say　to　him；　〃Turn　from　this　thing　and　hope　not　to　e　at　thy　desire　thereof。〃'

Now　this　vizier　was　a　fool：　so　he　said　to　the　Khalif；　'O　mander　of　the　Faithful；　by　the　virtue　of　the　Messiah　and　the　true　faith；　were　she　forty　times　a　Muslim　and　forty　times　thereto；　I　may　not　depart　from　thee　without　Meryem！　And　if　thou　send　her　not　back　with　me　of　free　will；　I　will　return　to　her　father　and　cause　him　despatch　thee　an　army；　wherewith　I　will　e　upon　you　from　the　landward　and　the　seaward　and　the　van　whereof　shall　be　at　your　capital　city；　whilst　the　rear　is　yet　on　the　Euphrates；　and　they　shall　lay　waste　thy　dominions。'　When　the　Khalif　heard　these　words　from　the　vizier　of　the　King　of　France；　the　light　in　his　face　became　darkness　and　he　was　exceeding　wroth　at　his　speech　and　said　to　him；　'O　accursed　one；　O　dog　of　the　Nazarenes；　who　art　thou　that　thou　shouldst　dare　to　e　out　against　me　with　the　King　of　the　Franks？'　＇Then　to　his　guards；＇　'Take　this　accursed　fellow　and　put　him　to　death；'　and　he　repeated　the　following　verse：

　　This　is　the　repense　of　those　Who　their　superiors'　will　oppose。　
Then　he　manded　to　cut　off　the　vizier's　head　and　burn　his　body；　but　Meryem　said；　'O　mander　of　the　Faithful；　defile　not　thy　sword　with　the　blood　of　this　accursed　wretch。'　So　saying；　she　drew　her　sword　and　smote　him　and　made　his　head　fly　from　his　body；　and　he　went　to　the　house　of　perdition；　his　abode　was　Gehenna　and　evil　is　the　abidingplace　＇to　which　he　went＇。　The　Khalif　marvelled　at　the　power　of　her　arm　and　the　strength　of　her　mind；　and　they　carried　the　dead　vizier　forth　of　the　palace　and　burnt　him。　Then　the　mander　of　the　Faithful　bestowed　upon　Noureddin　a　splendid　dress　of　honour　and　assigned　them　a　lodging　in　his　palace。　Moreover；　he　appointed　them　stipends　and　allowances　and　manded　to　supply　them　with　all　that　they　needed　of　raiment　and　furniture　and　vessels　of　price。

They　sojourned　awhile　in　Baghdad　in　all　delight　and　solace　of　life；　till　Noureddin　longed　for　his　mother　and　father。　So　he　expounded　the　matter　to　the　Khalif　and　sought　his　permission　to　repair　to　his　native　land　and　visit　his　kinsfolk；　and　he　granted　him　the　leave　he　sought　and　calling　for　Meryem；　mended　them　to　each　other。　Moreover；　he　loaded　them　with　costly　presents　and　rarities　and　bade　write　letters　to　the　amirs　and　scribes　and　notables　of　Cairo　the　＇God＇guarded；　mending　Noureddin　and　his　wife　and　parents　to　their　care　and　charging　them　entreat　them　with　the　utmost　honour。

When　the　news　reached　Cairo；　the　merchant　Tajeddin　rejoiced　in　the　return　of　his　son　and　Noureddin's　mother　likewise　rejoiced　therein　with　an　exceeding　joy。　The　amirs　and　notables　of　the　city　went　forth　to　meet　him；　in　obedience　to　the　Khalif's　injunction；　and　indeed　it　was　for　them　a　notable　day；　wherein　the　lover　and　the　beloved　foregathered　and　the　seeker　attained　the　sought。　Moreover；　all　the　amirs　made　them　bridefeasts；　each　on　his　own　day；　and　rejoiced　in　them　with　an　exceeding　joy　and　vied　with　each　other　in　doing　them　honour。　When　Noureddin　foregathered　with　his　father　and　mother；　they　rejoiced　in　each　other　with　the　utmost　joy　and　care　and　affliction　ceased　from　them；　whilst　his　parents　rejoiced　no　less　in　the　Princess　Meryem　and　entreated　her　with　the　utmost　honour。　Every　day；　there　came　to　them　presents　from　all　the　amirs　and　great　merchants；　and　they　were　daily　in　new　delight　and　gladness　exceeding　the　gladness　of　festival。　Then　they　abode　in　joy　and　pleasance　and　good　cheer　and　abounding　prosperity；　eating　and　drinking　and　making　merry；　till　there　came　to　them　the　Destroyer　of　Delights　and　Sunderer　of　panies；　he　who　layeth　waste　houses　and　palaces　and　peopleth　the　bellies　of　the　tombs。　So　they　were　removed　from　the　world　and　became　of　the　number　of　the　dead；　and　glory　be　to　the　Living　One；　who　dieth　not　and　in　whose　hand　are　the　keys　of　the　Seen　and　the　Unseen！



THE　MAN　OF　UPPER　EGYPT　AND　HIS　FRANK　WIFE。

（Quoth　the　Amir　Shijaeddin；　Prefect　of　New　Cairo）　We　lay　one　night　in　the　house　of　a　man　of　Upper　Egypt；　and　he　entertained　us　and　entreated　us　with　the　utmost　hospitality。　Now　he　was　an　old　man；　exceeding　swarthy　of　favour；　and　he　had　little　children；　who　were　white；　of　a　white　mingled　with　red。　So　we　said　to　him；　'Harkye；　such　an　one；　how　es　it　that　these　thy　children　are　white；　whilst　thou　thyself　art　exceeding　sother　was　a　Frank　woman；　whom　I　took　in　the　days　of　El　Melik　en　Nasir　Selaheddin；　（116）　after　the　battle　of　Hittin；　（117）　when　I　was　a　young　man。'　'And　how　gottest　thou　her？'　asked　we；　and　he　said；　'I　had　a　rare　adventure　with　her。'　Quoth　we；　'Favour　us　with　it；'　and　he　answered；　'With　all　my　heart。

Know　that　I　once　sowed　a　crop　of　flax　in　these　parts　and　pulled　it　and　scutched　it　and　spent　five　hundred　dinars　on　it；　after　which　I　would　have　sold　it；　but　could　get　no　more　than　this　＇that　I　had　spent＇　for　it；　and　the　folk　said　to　me；　〃Carry　it　to　Acre：　for　there　thou　wilt　assuredly　make　a　good　profit　by　it。〃　Now　Acre　was　then　in　the　hands　of　the　Franks；　（118）　so　I　carried　my　flax　thither　and　sold　part　of　it　at　six　months'　credit。　One　day；　as　I　was　selling；　there　came　up　a　Frankish　woman；　（now　it　is　the　custom　of　the　women　of　the　Franks　to　go　about　the　marketplace　＇and　the　streets＇　with　unveiled　faces；）　to　buy　flax　of　me；　and　I　saw　of　her　beauty　what　dazzled　my　wit。　So　I　sold　her　somewhat　of　flax　and　was　easy　with　her　concerning　the　price；　and　she　took　it　and　went　away。　Some　days　after；　she　returned　and　bought　more　flax　of　me　and　I　was　yet　easier