# 020 - Six Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night to Six Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night

An episode of [Arabian Nights Volume 7 - Tales of Adventure and Intrigue](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1858984052), 4 Dec 2025, 20 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/68851075/020_six_hundred_and_ninety_fourth_night_to_six_hundred_and_ninety_sixth_night.mp3

Dive into the enchanting world of Arabian Nights, a mesmerizing collection of stories that have captivated audiences for centuries. This compilation, woven together through the artful storytelling of Shahrazad, features a rich tapestry of myths and folklore from the Indian subcontinent, Persia, and Arabia. Despite the absence of an original manuscript, this timeless collection is believed to have originated between AD 800-900. Among its many treasures are the iconic tales of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor. This volume is part of the renowned sixteen-volume translation by Richard Francis Burton, showcasing the allure of these age-old narratives. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia) This episode includes AI-generated content.

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: Section twenty of the Book of a Thousand Nights and
[0:03] Speaker 1: the Night Volume seven. This is a LibriVox recording. All
[0:08] Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
[0:12] Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. The Book
[0:17] Speaker 1: of a Thousand Knights and the Night Volume seven by Anonymous,
[0:22] Speaker 1: translated by Richard Francis Burton, Section twenty. When it was
[0:29] Speaker 1: the six hundred and ninety fourth night, she pursued it,
[0:33] Speaker 1: hath reached me, O auspicious king, that the damsel said, Oh, shake,
[0:38] Speaker 1: I am distracted from all thought of meat and drink,
[0:41] Speaker 1: quoth I continued Hussain, by what ailment, o, my lady?
[0:46] Speaker 1: And quoth she? I love one who dealeth not justly
[0:49] Speaker 1: by me, and I desire one who of me will none.
[0:54] Speaker 1: Wherefore I am afflicted with the wakefulness of those who
[0:57] Speaker 1: wake star gazing. I asked, O, my lady, is there
[1:01] Speaker 1: on the wide expanse of earth, one to whom thou
[1:04] Speaker 1: hast a mind, and who to thee hath no mind?
[1:08] Speaker 1: Answered she yes, And this for the perfection of beauty
[1:12] Speaker 1: and loveliness and goodliness, wherewith he is endowed. And why
[1:17] Speaker 1: standeth thou in this porch, inquired. I. This is his road,
[1:22] Speaker 1: replied she, and the hour of his passing by? I said, O,
[1:28] Speaker 1: my lady, have ye ever foregathered and had such commerce
[1:31] Speaker 1: and combers as might cause this passion? At this she
[1:36] Speaker 1: heaved a deep sigh. The tears rained down her cheeks
[1:39] Speaker 1: as they were dew falling upon roses, and she versified
[1:43] Speaker 1: with these couplets, we were like willow bows in garden,
[1:47] Speaker 1: shining and scented joys in happiest life, combining when as
[1:52] Speaker 1: one bow from other self would grand And O thou
[1:56] Speaker 1: seest this for that repining, quoth I, O maid. And
[2:01] Speaker 1: what betideth thee of thy love for this man? And
[2:05] Speaker 1: quoth she? I see the sun upon the walls of
[2:08] Speaker 1: his folk, and I think the sun is he? Or
[2:11] Speaker 1: haply I catch sight of him unexpectedly, and them confounded,
[2:16] Speaker 1: and the blood and the life fly my body, and
[2:19] Speaker 1: I abide in unreasoning plight A week or e'n acennight,
[2:23] Speaker 1: said I excuse me, for I also have suffered that
[2:27] Speaker 1: which is upon thee of love, longing and distraction of soul,
[2:32] Speaker 1: and wasting of frame, and loss of strength. And I
[2:35] Speaker 1: see in thee pallor of complexion and emaciation, such as
[2:39] Speaker 1: testify of the fever fits of desire. But how shouldst
[2:43] Speaker 1: thou be unsmitten of passion? And thou a sojourner in
[2:47] Speaker 1: the land of Bassorah, said she by Allah. Before I
[2:52] Speaker 1: fell in love of this youth, I was perfect in
[2:55] Speaker 1: beauty and loveliness and amorous grace, which ravished all the
[2:59] Speaker 1: princes of Bassorah. Till he fell in love with me.
[3:03] Speaker 1: I asked, o, maid, and who parted you? And she
[3:07] Speaker 1: answered the vicissitudes of fortune? But the manner of our
[3:11] Speaker 1: separation was strange. And twas on this wise one new
[3:16] Speaker 1: Year's day, I had invited the damsels of Bassorah, and
[3:19] Speaker 1: amongst them a girl belonging to Cyran, who had bought
[3:23] Speaker 1: her out of Oman for four or score thousand dirhams.
[3:26] Speaker 1: She loved me, and love me to madness. And when
[3:29] Speaker 1: she entered, she threw herself upon me, and well nigh
[3:33] Speaker 1: tore me in pieces, with bites and pinches. Then we
[3:37] Speaker 1: withdrew apart to drink wine at our ease, till our
[3:41] Speaker 1: meat was ready and our delight was complete. And she
[3:44] Speaker 1: toyed with me, and I with her, And now I
[3:47] Speaker 1: was upon her, and now she was upon me. Presently
[3:50] Speaker 1: the fumes of the wine moved her to strike her
[3:53] Speaker 1: hand on the inkle of my pettico trousers, whereby it
[3:57] Speaker 1: became loosened, unknown of either of us, and my trousers
[4:01] Speaker 1: fell down in our play. At this moment he came in, unobserved,
[4:05] Speaker 1: and seeing me, thus was wroth at the sight, and
[4:08] Speaker 1: made off as the Arab billy, hearing the tinkle of
[4:11] Speaker 1: her bridle, and Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
[4:17] Speaker 1: ceased saying her permitted say. When it was the six
[4:22] Speaker 1: hundred and ninety fifth night she resumed it. Hath reached me,
[4:26] Speaker 1: O auspicious King, that the maiden said to Houssain al Khalia,
[4:31] Speaker 1: when my lover saw me playing as I described to
[4:34] Speaker 1: thee with Sirran's girl, he went forth in anger, and
[4:38] Speaker 1: tis now o shaykh three years ago. And since then
[4:41] Speaker 1: I have never ceased to excuse myself to him and
[4:44] Speaker 1: coax him and crave his indulgence. But he will neither
[4:48] Speaker 1: cast a look at me from the corner of his eye,
[4:51] Speaker 1: nor write me a word, nor speak to me by messenger,
[4:54] Speaker 1: nor hear from me. Ought quoth I hark ye maid
[4:58] Speaker 1: is he an Arab or an Ajah? And quoth she
[5:02] Speaker 1: out on thee he is of the princess of Bassorah.
[5:06] Speaker 1: Is he old or young? Asked I? And she looked
[5:10] Speaker 1: at me laughingly and answered, thou art certainly a simpleton.
[5:16] Speaker 1: He is like the moon on the night of its
[5:18] Speaker 1: full smooth, cheeked and beardless. Nor is there any defect
[5:22] Speaker 1: in him except his aversion to me? Then I put
[5:26] Speaker 1: the question what is his name? And she replied, what
[5:31] Speaker 1: wilt thou do with him? I rejoined, I will do
[5:34] Speaker 1: my best to come at him, that I may bring
[5:37] Speaker 1: about reunion between you, said she, I will tell thee
[5:41] Speaker 1: on condition that thou carry him a note, And I said, um,
[5:46] Speaker 1: I have no objection to that. Then quoth she. His
[5:51] Speaker 1: name is Zamabin al Mugaira hait Abu al Saka, and
[5:55] Speaker 1: his palace is in d Mirbad. Therewith. She called those
[6:00] Speaker 1: within for ink, case and paper, and tucking up her sleeves,
[6:04] Speaker 1: showed two wrists like broad rings of silver. She then wrote,
[6:08] Speaker 1: after the basmaala as follows my lord, the omission of
[6:13] Speaker 1: blessings at the head of this my letter shows my insufficiency,
[6:17] Speaker 1: and know that had my prayer been answered, Thou hast
[6:20] Speaker 1: never left me. For how often have I prayed that
[6:24] Speaker 1: thou shouldst not leave me? And yet thou didst leave me?
[6:29] Speaker 1: Were it not that distress with me exceeded the bounds
[6:32] Speaker 1: of restraint that which thy servant hath forced herself to
[6:36] Speaker 1: do in writing this writ were in adence to her,
[6:39] Speaker 1: despite her despair of THEE, because of her knowledge of
[6:43] Speaker 1: THEE that thou wilt fail to answer. Do thou fulfill
[6:46] Speaker 1: her desire, my Lord, for a sight of THEE from
[6:49] Speaker 1: the porch as thou passest in the street, wherewith thou
[6:52] Speaker 1: wilt quicken the dead soul in her? Or far better
[6:56] Speaker 1: for her still than this, do thou write her a
[6:58] Speaker 1: letter with thine own hand, and Allah endow it with
[7:01] Speaker 1: all excellence and appointed in requital of the intimacy that
[7:06] Speaker 1: was between us in the knights of time passed, whereof
[7:09] Speaker 1: thou must preserve the memory, my Lord, was I not
[7:13] Speaker 1: to THEE a lover sick with passion? And thou answer
[7:16] Speaker 1: my prayer? I will give to THEE thanks and to
[7:19] Speaker 1: Allah praise, and so the peace. Then she gave me
[7:24] Speaker 1: the letter, and I went away. Next morning I repaired
[7:27] Speaker 1: to the door of the Viceroy Mohammed bin Sulaiman, where
[7:31] Speaker 1: I found an assembly of the notables of Bassorah, and
[7:34] Speaker 1: amongst them a youth who adorned the gathering and surpassed
[7:37] Speaker 1: in beauty and brightness all who were there, And indeed
[7:41] Speaker 1: the Emir Mohammed set him above himself. I asked who
[7:44] Speaker 1: he was, and behold, it was Zambra himself. So I
[7:48] Speaker 1: said in my mind, verily there hath befallen yonder unhappy
[7:52] Speaker 1: one that which hath befallen her. Then I betook myself
[7:56] Speaker 1: to the mirbad and stood waiting at the door of
[7:58] Speaker 1: his house till he came riding up in state. When
[8:01] Speaker 1: I accosted him, and, invoking more than usual blessings on him,
[8:05] Speaker 1: handed him the missive. When he read it and understood it,
[8:09] Speaker 1: he said to me, O, Shaykh, we have taken other
[8:12] Speaker 1: in her stead. Say me, wilt thou see the substitute?
[8:17] Speaker 1: I answered yes, whereupon he called out a woman's name,
[8:21] Speaker 1: and there came forth a damsel who shamed the two
[8:24] Speaker 1: greater lights, swelling, breasted, walking the gait of one who
[8:28] Speaker 1: hasteneth without fear, to whom he gave the note saying
[8:33] Speaker 1: do thou answer it. When she read it, she turned
[8:36] Speaker 1: pale at the contents and said to me, O, old man,
[8:39] Speaker 1: crave pardon of Allah for this that thou hast brought.
[8:43] Speaker 1: So I went out, a commander of the faithful, dragging
[8:46] Speaker 1: my feet, and returning to her, asked leave to enter.
[8:50] Speaker 1: When she saw me, she asked, what is behind thee?
[8:53] Speaker 1: And I answered, evil and despair. Quoth she have thou
[8:57] Speaker 1: no concern of him? Where are Allah and his power?
[9:00] Speaker 1: Then she ordered me five hundred dinars, and I took
[9:03] Speaker 1: them and went away. Some days after I passed by
[9:06] Speaker 1: the place and saw there horsemen and footmen. So I
[9:10] Speaker 1: went in and lo, these were the companions of Zamra,
[9:14] Speaker 1: who were begging her to return to him. But she said, no,
[9:17] Speaker 1: by Allah, I will not look him in the face.
[9:20] Speaker 1: And she prostrated herself in gratitude to Allah and exultation
[9:24] Speaker 1: over some blast defeat. Then I drew near her, and
[9:28] Speaker 1: she pulled out to me a letter wherein was written
[9:30] Speaker 1: after the Bismillah, my lady, but for my forbearance towards
[9:35] Speaker 1: thee whose life Allah lengthen I would relate somewhat of
[9:39] Speaker 1: what betided from THEE, and set out my excuse in
[9:42] Speaker 1: that thou transgressest against me, when as thou west manifestly
[9:46] Speaker 1: a sinner against thyself and myself in breach of vows
[9:50] Speaker 1: and lack of constancy and preference of another over us.
[9:53] Speaker 1: For by Allah, on whom we call for help against
[9:56] Speaker 1: that which was of thy free will, thou didst transgre
[10:00] Speaker 1: bress against the love of me, and so the peace.
[10:04] Speaker 1: Then she showed me the presents and rarities he had
[10:07] Speaker 1: sent her, which were of the value of thirty thousand dinars.
[10:11] Speaker 1: I saw her again after this, and Zambra had married
[10:14] Speaker 1: her Quoth al Rashid. Had not Zambra been beforehand with us,
[10:19] Speaker 1: I should certainly have had to do with her myself.
[10:22] Speaker 1: And men tell the tale of Ishak of Mussul and
[10:26] Speaker 1: his mistress and the devil quoth Ishak bin Ibrahim al Masili.
[10:32] Speaker 1: I was in my house one night in the winter time,
[10:35] Speaker 1: when the clouds had dispread themselves, and the rains poured
[10:38] Speaker 1: down in torrents as from the mouths of water skins,
[10:42] Speaker 1: and the folk forbore to come and go about the
[10:45] Speaker 1: ways for that which was therein of rain and slough.
[10:48] Speaker 1: Now I was traitened in breast, because none of my
[10:51] Speaker 1: brethren came to me, nor could I go to them
[10:54] Speaker 1: by reason of the mud and mire. So I said
[10:57] Speaker 1: to my servant, bring me wherewithal I may divert myself. Accordingly,
[11:02] Speaker 1: he brought me meat and drink. But I had no
[11:05] Speaker 1: heart to eat without some one to keep me company.
[11:08] Speaker 1: And I ceased not to look out of window and
[11:10] Speaker 1: watch the ways till nightfall. When I bethought myself of
[11:14] Speaker 1: a damsel belonging to one of the sons of al Mahdi,
[11:18] Speaker 1: whom I loved, and who was skilled in singing and
[11:21] Speaker 1: playing upon instruments of music, And said to myself, were
[11:25] Speaker 1: she here with us to night, my joy would be complete,
[11:28] Speaker 1: and my night would be abridged of the melancholy and
[11:31] Speaker 1: restlessness which are upon me. At this moment. One knocked
[11:35] Speaker 1: at the door, saying, shall a beloved enter in? Who
[11:38] Speaker 1: standeth at the door? Quoth I to myself, meseems, the
[11:43] Speaker 1: plant of my desire hath fruited. So I went to
[11:46] Speaker 1: the door and found my mistress with a long green
[11:49] Speaker 1: skirt wrapped about her and a kerchief of brocade on
[11:52] Speaker 1: her head to fend her from the rain. She was
[11:55] Speaker 1: covered with mud to her knees, and all that was
[11:58] Speaker 1: upon her was drenched with water from gargoyles and house spouts.
[12:03] Speaker 1: In short, she was in sorry plight. So I said
[12:06] Speaker 1: to her, O, my mistress, what bringeth THEE hither through
[12:09] Speaker 1: all this mud? Replied she, Thy messenger came and set
[12:14] Speaker 1: forth to me that which was with THEE of love
[12:17] Speaker 1: and longing, so that I could not choose but yield
[12:20] Speaker 1: and hasten to THEE. I marveled at this, and Shahrazad
[12:25] Speaker 1: perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
[12:28] Speaker 1: permitted say when it was the six hundred and ninety
[12:33] Speaker 1: sixth night, She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King,
[12:38] Speaker 1: that when the damsel came and knocked at Ishak's door,
[12:41] Speaker 1: he went forth to her and cried, O, my lady,
[12:44] Speaker 1: what bringeth THEE hither through all this mud? And she replied,
[12:48] Speaker 1: Thy messenger came and set forth to me that which
[12:52] Speaker 1: was with THEE of love and longing, so that I
[12:55] Speaker 1: could not choose but yield and hasten to THEE. I
[12:58] Speaker 1: marveled at this, but did not like to tell her
[13:01] Speaker 1: that I had sent no messenger. Wherefore, I said, praised
[13:05] Speaker 1: be Allah for that he hath brought us together. After
[13:08] Speaker 1: all I have suffered by the mortification of patience. Verily,
[13:12] Speaker 1: hast thou delayed an hour longer? I must have run
[13:15] Speaker 1: to THEE because of my much love for THEE and
[13:18] Speaker 1: longing for thy presence. Then I called to my boy
[13:22] Speaker 1: for water that I might better her plight, and he
[13:25] Speaker 1: brought a kettle full of hot water, such as she wanted.
[13:29] Speaker 1: I bade pour it over her feet, whilst I set
[13:32] Speaker 1: to work to wash them myself, after which I called
[13:36] Speaker 1: for one of my richest dresses and clad her therein,
[13:39] Speaker 1: after she had doffed the muddy clothes. Then, as soon
[13:42] Speaker 1: as we were comfortably seated, I would have called for food,
[13:46] Speaker 1: but she refused, and I said to her, art thou
[13:49] Speaker 1: for wine? And she replied yes. So I fetched cups,
[13:54] Speaker 1: and she asked me who shall sing? I O, my princess,
[13:59] Speaker 1: I care not for that one of my damsels. I
[14:04] Speaker 1: have no mind to that either. Then sing thyself not I?
[14:10] Speaker 1: Who then shall sing for THEE? I inquired, and she rejoined,
[14:14] Speaker 1: go out and seek some one to sing for me.
[14:18] Speaker 1: So I went out in obedience to her, though I
[14:21] Speaker 1: despaired of finding any one in such weather, and fared
[14:24] Speaker 1: on till I came to the main street, where I
[14:27] Speaker 1: suddenly saw a blind man, striking the earth with his
[14:31] Speaker 1: staff and saying, may Allah not requite with will those
[14:35] Speaker 1: with whom I was. When I sang, they listened not,
[14:39] Speaker 1: and when I was silent, they made light of me.
[14:42] Speaker 1: So I said to him, art thou a singer? And
[14:46] Speaker 1: he replied, yes, quoth I wilt thou finish thy night
[14:51] Speaker 1: with us in Jiras, with thy company, And quoth he,
[14:55] Speaker 1: if it be thy, will take my hand. So I
[14:58] Speaker 1: took his hand, and, leading him to my house, said
[15:00] Speaker 1: to the damsel, O, my mistress, I have brought a
[15:04] Speaker 1: blind singer with whom we may take our pleasure, and
[15:07] Speaker 1: he will not see us. She said, bring him to me.
[15:12] Speaker 1: So I brought him in and invited him to eat.
[15:15] Speaker 1: He ate but very little and washed his hands, after
[15:19] Speaker 1: which I brought him wine, and he drank three cupsful.
[15:23] Speaker 1: Then he said to me, who art thou? And I replied,
[15:27] Speaker 1: I am ishak bin Ilbrahim al Mausili quoth he I
[15:31] Speaker 1: have heard of thee and now I rejoice in thy company.
[15:35] Speaker 1: And I, O, my lord, I am glad in thy gladness,
[15:39] Speaker 1: he said, oh, is shack sing to me? So I
[15:43] Speaker 1: took the lute by way of jest, and cried, I
[15:46] Speaker 1: hear and I obey. When I had made an end
[15:49] Speaker 1: of my song, he said to me, O is shac
[15:52] Speaker 1: Thou comest nigh to be a singer? His words belittled
[15:55] Speaker 1: me in my own eyes, and I threw the lute
[15:57] Speaker 1: from my hand. Whereupon he said, hast thou not with
[16:01] Speaker 1: thee some one who is skilled in singing? Quoth I?
[16:05] Speaker 1: I have a damsel with me, And quoth he bid
[16:08] Speaker 1: her sing? I ask him, wilt thou sing when thou
[16:12] Speaker 1: hast had enough of her singing? And he answered yes.
[16:17] Speaker 1: So she sang, and he said, nay, thou hast shown
[16:21] Speaker 1: no art. Whereupon she flung the loute from her hand
[16:24] Speaker 1: in wrath, and cried, we have done our best, if
[16:28] Speaker 1: thou have aught favor us with it? By way of
[16:31] Speaker 1: an alms, quoth he bring me a loot hand hath
[16:35] Speaker 1: not touched. So I bade the servant bring him a
[16:39] Speaker 1: new lute, and he tuned it, and, preluding in a
[16:41] Speaker 1: mood I knew not, began to sing. Improvising these couplets,
[16:48] Speaker 1: clove through the shades, and came to me in nights
[16:51] Speaker 1: so dark and sore, the lover waiting of herself twas
[16:55] Speaker 1: trysting tide once more naught startled us, but her salam,
[17:00] Speaker 1: and first of words, she said, maya beloved enter in
[17:03] Speaker 1: who standeth at the door. When the girl heard this,
[17:07] Speaker 1: she looked at me as cans and said, what secret
[17:11] Speaker 1: was between us? Could not thy breast hold for one hour?
[17:15] Speaker 1: But thou must discover it? To this man, however, I
[17:18] Speaker 1: swore to her that I had not told him, and
[17:21] Speaker 1: excused myself to her, and fell to kissing her hands
[17:24] Speaker 1: and tickling her breasts and biting her cheeks, till she laughed, and,
[17:28] Speaker 1: turning to the blind man, said to him, sing, O,
[17:32] Speaker 1: my lord. So he took the lute and sang these
[17:35] Speaker 1: two couplets. Ah often have I sought the fair? How
[17:39] Speaker 1: often thief and faint? My palming felt the finger ends
[17:44] Speaker 1: that bare the varied stain, and tickled pouting breasts that
[17:48] Speaker 1: stand firm as pomegranates twain, and bit the apple of
[17:52] Speaker 1: her cheek, kissed over and over again. So I said
[17:56] Speaker 1: to her, O, my princess, who can have told him
[17:59] Speaker 1: what we want? About, replied she true, and we moved
[18:04] Speaker 1: away from him. Presently, quoth he, I must make water,
[18:08] Speaker 1: And quoth I, oh boy, take the candle and go
[18:11] Speaker 1: before him. Then he went out and tarried a long while.
[18:15] Speaker 1: So we went in search of him, but could not
[18:18] Speaker 1: find him. And behold, the doors were locked, and the
[18:21] Speaker 1: keys in the closet, and we knew not whether to
[18:24] Speaker 1: heaven he had flown, or into earth had sunk. Wherefore
[18:28] Speaker 1: I knew that he was a bliss, and that he
[18:31] Speaker 1: had done me pimp's duty. And I returned, recalling to
[18:35] Speaker 1: myself the words of Abu. Nowas in these couplets, I
[18:39] Speaker 1: marvel in I bliss such pride to see beside his
[18:43] Speaker 1: low intent and villainy he sinned to Adam, who, to Bao,
[18:47] Speaker 1: refused yet pimps for all of Adam's progeny. And they
[18:53] Speaker 1: tell a tale concerning the lovers of al Medina. Quoth Bhim,
[19:00] Speaker 1: the father of Ishak, I was ever a devoted friend
[19:03] Speaker 1: to the barmecid De family. And it so happened to
[19:07] Speaker 1: me one day, as I sat at home quite alone,
[19:10] Speaker 1: a knock was heard at the door. So my servant
[19:13] Speaker 1: went out and returned, saying a comely youth is at
[19:16] Speaker 1: the door, asking admission. I bade admit him. And there
[19:20] Speaker 1: came in to me a young man on whom were
[19:23] Speaker 1: signs of sickness. And he said, I have long wished
[19:27] Speaker 1: to meet THEE, for I have need of thine. Aid
[19:30] Speaker 1: what is it thou requirest asked I. Whereupon he pulled
[19:34] Speaker 1: out three hundred dinars, and laying them before me, said,
[19:38] Speaker 1: I beseech THEE to accept these and compose me an
[19:41] Speaker 1: heir to two couplets I have made, said, I repeat
[19:46] Speaker 1: them to me, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
[19:51] Speaker 1: and ceased, saying her permitted say. End of section twenty.
[19:58] Speaker 1: Recording by Marisel Hey

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