# 039 - Seven Hundred and Fifty-first Night to Seven Hundred and Fifty-third Night

An episode of [Arabian Nights Volume 7 - Tales of Adventure and Intrigue](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1858984052), 23 Dec 2025, 17 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/68851120/039_seven_hundred_and_fifty_first_night_to_seven_hundred_and_fifty_third_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 thirty nine of the Book of A Thousand Knights
[0:03] Speaker 1: and a Knight, Volume seven. This is a LibriVox recording.
[0:08] Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
[0:12] Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
[0:18] Speaker 1: by Pam Castile. The Book of A Thousand Knights and
[0:22] Speaker 1: a Knight, Volume seven by Anonymous, translated by Richard Francis Burton,
[0:28] Speaker 1: section thirty nine. When it was the seven hundred and
[0:32] Speaker 1: fifty first night, she continued it Hath reached me o
[0:37] Speaker 1: auspicious king that when the king's wife said to the
[0:40] Speaker 1: King verily, this is no bird, but a man like thyself.
[0:45] Speaker 1: He is King ba Dear Bassim, son of King Shahriman,
[0:48] Speaker 1: and his mother is Julnar, the sea born, quoth the King,
[0:53] Speaker 1: And how came he in this shape? And quoth she,
[0:56] Speaker 1: Princess Jalhara, daughter of King al salmondal Hath enchanted him
[1:01] Speaker 1: and told him all that had passed with king by
[1:04] Speaker 1: dear Basim, from first to last. The king marveled exceedingly
[1:09] Speaker 1: at his wife's words and conjured her on his life
[1:12] Speaker 1: to free Badir from his enchantment, for she was the
[1:16] Speaker 1: notablest enchantress of her age, and not leave him in torments, saying,
[1:21] Speaker 1: may Almighty Allah cut off Jalhada's hand for a foul
[1:25] Speaker 1: which as she is, how little is her faith, and
[1:28] Speaker 1: how great her craft and perfidy, said the Queen, Do
[1:32] Speaker 1: thou say to him, O, by dear Basim, enter yonder closet.
[1:37] Speaker 1: So the king bade him enter the closet, and he
[1:40] Speaker 1: went in obediently. Then the queen veiled her face, and
[1:45] Speaker 1: taking in her hand a cup of water, into the closet,
[1:48] Speaker 1: where she pronounced over the water certain incomprehensible words, ending
[1:52] Speaker 1: with by the virtue of these mighty names and holy verses,
[1:57] Speaker 1: and by the majesty of Allah, Almighty, creator of Heaven
[2:01] Speaker 1: and Earth, the quickener of the dead, and appointer of
[2:04] Speaker 1: the means of daily bread, and the terms determined, quit
[2:08] Speaker 1: this thy form wherein thou art, and returned to the
[2:12] Speaker 1: shape in which the Lord created thee. Hardly had she
[2:15] Speaker 1: made an end of her words, when the bird trembled
[2:18] Speaker 1: once and became a man, and the king saw before
[2:22] Speaker 1: him a handsome youth than whom on Earth's face was
[2:26] Speaker 1: none goodlier. But when King Badr Basim found himself thus
[2:30] Speaker 1: restored to his own form. He cried, there is no
[2:34] Speaker 1: God but the God, and Mohammed is the apostle of God.
[2:38] Speaker 1: Glory be to the creator of all creatures and provider
[2:42] Speaker 1: of their provision and ordainer of their life terms preordained.
[2:47] Speaker 1: Then he kissed the king's hand and wished him long life.
[2:50] Speaker 1: And the King kissed his head and said to him, O,
[2:54] Speaker 1: bad der, Basim, tell me thy history from commencement to conclusion.
[2:59] Speaker 1: So he told him his whole tale, concealing naught. And
[3:03] Speaker 1: the king marveled thereat and said to him, O, Ba,
[3:06] Speaker 1: dear Basim, Allah hath saved thee from the spell. But
[3:10] Speaker 1: what hath thy judgment decided? And what thinkest thou to do?
[3:14] Speaker 1: Replied he, O, King of the Age, I desire thy bounty,
[3:19] Speaker 1: that thou equip me a ship with the company of
[3:22] Speaker 1: thy servants, and all that is needful. For tis long
[3:26] Speaker 1: since I have been absent, and I dread lest the
[3:29] Speaker 1: kingdom depart from me, And I misdoubt me. My mother
[3:32] Speaker 1: is dead of grief for my loss, and this doubt
[3:35] Speaker 1: is the stronger, for that she knoweth not what is
[3:38] Speaker 1: come of me, nor whether I am alive or dead.
[3:42] Speaker 1: Wherefore I beseech thee O King to crown thy favors
[3:46] Speaker 1: to me by granting me what I seek. The King,
[3:50] Speaker 1: after beholding the beauty and grace of Ba dear Basim,
[3:53] Speaker 1: and listening to his sweet speech, said I hear and obey.
[3:58] Speaker 1: So he fitted him out a sh ship to which
[4:01] Speaker 1: he transported all that was needful, and which he manned
[4:04] Speaker 1: with the company of his servants, and by Dear Bassim
[4:07] Speaker 1: set sail in it. After having taken leave of the King.
[4:12] Speaker 1: They sailed over the sea ten successive days with a
[4:15] Speaker 1: favoring wind, but on the eleventh day the ocean became troubled.
[4:20] Speaker 1: With exceeding trouble, the ship rose and fell, and the
[4:24] Speaker 1: sailors were powerless to govern her, so they drifted at
[4:27] Speaker 1: the mercy of the waves, till the craft neared a
[4:30] Speaker 1: rock in mid sea, which fell upon her and broke
[4:33] Speaker 1: her up, and all on board were drowned, save King
[4:37] Speaker 1: Ba der Basim, who got astride one of the planks
[4:40] Speaker 1: of the vessel, after having been nigh upon destruction. The
[4:45] Speaker 1: plank ceased not to be borne by the set of
[4:48] Speaker 1: the sea. Whilst he knew not whither he went, and
[4:51] Speaker 1: had no means of directing its motion, as the wind
[4:55] Speaker 1: and waves wrought for three whole days. But on the
[4:59] Speaker 1: fourth the plank rounded with him on the sea shore,
[5:02] Speaker 1: where he sighted a white city, as it were a
[5:05] Speaker 1: dove passing white builded upon a tongue of land that
[5:09] Speaker 1: jutted out into the deep, and it was goodly of ordnance,
[5:12] Speaker 1: with high towers and lofty walls against which the waves beat.
[5:17] Speaker 1: When Badar Bassim saw this, he rejoiced with exceeding joy,
[5:21] Speaker 1: for he was well nigh dead of hunger and thirst,
[5:25] Speaker 1: and dismounting from the plank, would have gone up the
[5:28] Speaker 1: beach to the city. But there came down to him
[5:31] Speaker 1: mules and asses and horses in number as the sea sends,
[5:36] Speaker 1: and fell to striking at him and staying him from landing.
[5:40] Speaker 1: So he swam round to the back of the city,
[5:43] Speaker 1: where he waded to shore, and entering the place, found
[5:46] Speaker 1: none therein, and marveled at this, saying, would I knew
[5:51] Speaker 1: to whom cloth the city belong? Wherein is no lord
[5:55] Speaker 1: nor any liege? And whence came these mules and asses
[5:58] Speaker 1: and horses that hindered me from landing? And he mused
[6:03] Speaker 1: over his case. Then He walked on at hazard till
[6:06] Speaker 1: he spied an old man, a grocer, so he saluted him,
[6:10] Speaker 1: and the other returned his salaam, and, seeing him to
[6:13] Speaker 1: be a handsome young man, said to him, O, youth,
[6:17] Speaker 1: whence cometh thou? And what brought thee to the city.
[6:20] Speaker 1: Bad Deir told him his story, at which the old
[6:23] Speaker 1: man marveled and said, O, my son, didst thou see
[6:27] Speaker 1: any on thy way? He replied, indeed, O, my father,
[6:32] Speaker 1: I wondered in good sooth to sight a city void
[6:35] Speaker 1: of folk? Quoth the shykh my son come up into
[6:39] Speaker 1: the shop, lest thou perish. So Badar Bassim went up
[6:43] Speaker 1: into the shop and sat down, whereupon the old man
[6:47] Speaker 1: set before him somewhat of food, saying, O, my son,
[6:51] Speaker 1: enter the inner shop. Glory be to him who hath
[6:55] Speaker 1: preserved thee from yonder she say thanus. King Badir Bas
[7:00] Speaker 1: was sore affrighted at the grocer's words, but he ate
[7:04] Speaker 1: his fill and washed his hands. Then glanced at his
[7:07] Speaker 1: host and said to him, O, my lord, what is
[7:10] Speaker 1: the meaning of these words? Verily thou hast made me
[7:14] Speaker 1: fearful of this city and its folk, replied the old man,
[7:18] Speaker 1: know o my son, that this is the city of
[7:21] Speaker 1: the magicians, and its queen is as she were. She Satan,
[7:26] Speaker 1: a sorceress and a mighty enchantress, passing crafty and perfidious exceedingly.
[7:32] Speaker 1: All thou sawest, of horses and mules and asses, were
[7:36] Speaker 1: once sons of Adam. Like THEE and me. They were
[7:40] Speaker 1: also strangers. For whoever entereth this city, being a young
[7:44] Speaker 1: man like thyself, this miscreant witch taketh him and hometh
[7:49] Speaker 1: him for forty days, after which she enchanteth him, and
[7:53] Speaker 1: he becometh a mule or a horse, or an ass
[7:57] Speaker 1: of those animals thou sawest on the sea shore, and
[8:01] Speaker 1: Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
[8:05] Speaker 1: her permitted say. When it was the seven hundred and
[8:11] Speaker 1: fifty second night, she pursued it. Hath reached me o
[8:16] Speaker 1: auspicious king, that the old grocer related to King Badr
[8:20] Speaker 1: Basim the history of the enchantress ending with all these people,
[8:26] Speaker 1: hath she spelled. And when it was thy intent to land,
[8:30] Speaker 1: they feared lest thou be transmute like themselves. So they
[8:34] Speaker 1: counseled thee by signs that said land not of their
[8:38] Speaker 1: solicitude for thee. Fearing that haply she should do with
[8:42] Speaker 1: thee like as she had done with them, she possessed
[8:46] Speaker 1: herself of this city and seized it from its citizens
[8:49] Speaker 1: by sorcery. And her name is Queen lab which being
[8:53] Speaker 1: interpreted meaneth in Arabic almanak of the Sun. When Badr
[8:58] Speaker 1: Basim heard what the o man said, he was affrighted
[9:02] Speaker 1: with sore affright, and trembled like reed and wind, saying
[9:05] Speaker 1: in himself, hardly do I feel me free from the
[9:09] Speaker 1: affliction wherein I was by reason of sorcery, when destiny
[9:14] Speaker 1: casteth me into yet sorrier case. And he fell amusing
[9:19] Speaker 1: over his condition and that which had betided him. When
[9:23] Speaker 1: the Sykh looked at him and saw the violence of
[9:26] Speaker 1: his terror, he said to him, O, my son, come
[9:30] Speaker 1: sit at the threshold of the shop, and look upon
[9:33] Speaker 1: yonder creatures, and upon their dress and complexion, and that
[9:37] Speaker 1: wherein they are by reason of grammary and dread not
[9:41] Speaker 1: for the queen and all in the city love and
[9:44] Speaker 1: tender me, and will not vex my heart or trouble
[9:47] Speaker 1: my mind. So King Badr Basim came out and sat
[9:52] Speaker 1: at the shop door, looking out upon the folk, and
[9:56] Speaker 1: there passed by him a world of creatures without number.
[10:00] Speaker 1: But when the people saw him, they accosted the grocer
[10:03] Speaker 1: and said to him, O, elder, is this thy captive
[10:07] Speaker 1: and thy pray gotten in these days? The old man replied,
[10:12] Speaker 1: he is my brother's son. I heard that his father
[10:15] Speaker 1: was dead, so I sent for him and brought him here,
[10:18] Speaker 1: that I might quench with him the fire of my homesickness.
[10:22] Speaker 1: Quoth they verily, he is a comely youth. But we
[10:26] Speaker 1: fear for him from Queen. Lab Lest she turn on
[10:29] Speaker 1: thee with treachery and take him from thee. For she
[10:33] Speaker 1: loveth handsome young men, quoth the Shykh. The queen will
[10:37] Speaker 1: not gainsay my commandment, for she loveth and tendereth me.
[10:42] Speaker 1: And when she shall know that he is my brother's son,
[10:45] Speaker 1: she will not molest him or afflict me in him,
[10:48] Speaker 1: neither trouble my heart on his account. Then King Badar
[10:52] Speaker 1: Bassim abode some months with the grocer, eating and drinking,
[10:57] Speaker 1: and the old man loved him with exceeding love. One day,
[11:01] Speaker 1: as he sat in the shop according to his custom,
[11:04] Speaker 1: behold there came up a thousand eunuchs, with drawn swords
[11:08] Speaker 1: and clad in various kinds of raiment and girt with
[11:11] Speaker 1: jeweled girdles. All rode Arabian steeds and bore in Baldric
[11:16] Speaker 1: Indian blades. They saluted the grocer as they passed his shop,
[11:21] Speaker 1: and were followed by a thousand damsels like moons, clad
[11:25] Speaker 1: in various raiments of silks and satins, fringed with gold
[11:29] Speaker 1: and embroidered with jewels of sorts, and spears were slung
[11:32] Speaker 1: to their shoulders. In their midst rode a damsel mounted
[11:37] Speaker 1: on a rabbite mare saddle with the saddle of gold,
[11:40] Speaker 1: set with various kinds of jewels and jacinths, and they
[11:44] Speaker 1: reached in a body the shike's shop. The damsels saluted
[11:48] Speaker 1: him and passed on till lo and behold up came
[11:52] Speaker 1: Queen lab in great state, and seeing King Badir Basim
[11:56] Speaker 1: sitting in the shop as he were the moon at
[11:59] Speaker 1: its full, was amazed at his beauty and loveliness, and
[12:03] Speaker 1: became passionately enamored of him and distraught with desire of him.
[12:08] Speaker 1: So she alighted in sitting down by King Badr Basim
[12:12] Speaker 1: said to the old man, whence hadst thou this handsome one.
[12:16] Speaker 1: And the Shykh replied, he is my brother's son, and
[12:20] Speaker 1: is lately come to me. Quoth lab let him be
[12:24] Speaker 1: with me this night, that I may talk with him.
[12:27] Speaker 1: And quoth the old man, wilt thou take him from
[12:30] Speaker 1: me and not enchant him? Said she yes, and said
[12:34] Speaker 1: he swear to me. So she swore to him that
[12:38] Speaker 1: she would not do him any hurt or ensorcele him, and,
[12:42] Speaker 1: bidding bring him a fine horse, saddled and bridled with
[12:46] Speaker 1: a golden bridle, and decked with trappings all of gold
[12:50] Speaker 1: set with jewels, gave the old man a thousand dinars,
[12:54] Speaker 1: saying use this. Then she took bad Dear Basim and
[12:58] Speaker 1: carried him off as he were the full moon on
[13:00] Speaker 1: its fourteenth night, whilst all the folk, seeing his beauty,
[13:05] Speaker 1: were grieved for him, and said, by Allah Verili, this
[13:09] Speaker 1: youth deserveth not to be bewitched by yonder sorceress. The
[13:13] Speaker 1: accursed now king by dear Basim heard all they said,
[13:17] Speaker 1: but was silent, committing his case to Allah Almighty, till
[13:21] Speaker 1: they came to and Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
[13:26] Speaker 1: and ceased, saying her permitted say when it was the
[13:33] Speaker 1: seven hundred and fifty third night she resumed it hath
[13:38] Speaker 1: reached me o auspicious King. That king by dear Basim ceased,
[13:42] Speaker 1: not faring with Queen lab at her suite till they
[13:45] Speaker 1: came to her palace gate, where the emirs and eunuchs
[13:49] Speaker 1: and lords of the realm took foot, and she bade
[13:52] Speaker 1: the chamberlains dismiss her officers and grandees, who kissed ground
[13:57] Speaker 1: and went away, whilst she entered the palace with Badr
[14:00] Speaker 1: Basim and her eunuchs and women. Here he found a
[14:04] Speaker 1: place whose like he had never seen at all, for
[14:07] Speaker 1: it was builded of gold, and in its midst was
[14:10] Speaker 1: a great basin brim full of water, midmost a vast
[14:14] Speaker 1: flower garden. He looked at the garden and saw it
[14:18] Speaker 1: abounding in birds of various kinds and colors, warbling in
[14:22] Speaker 1: all manner, tongues and voices pleasurable and plaintive, And everywhere
[14:27] Speaker 1: he beheld great state and dominion, and said, glory be
[14:31] Speaker 1: to God, who, of his bounty and long suffering, provideth
[14:35] Speaker 1: those who serve other than himself. The queen sat down
[14:39] Speaker 1: at a latticed window, overlooking the garden. On a couch
[14:42] Speaker 1: of ivory, whereon was a high bed, and King Badr
[14:46] Speaker 1: Basim seated himself by her side. She kissed him, and,
[14:50] Speaker 1: pressing him to her breast, bade her women bring a
[14:53] Speaker 1: tray of food. So they brought a tray of red
[14:56] Speaker 1: gold inlaid with pearls and jewels, and spread with all
[15:00] Speaker 1: manner of viands, and he and she ate till they
[15:04] Speaker 1: were satisfied, and washed their hands, after which the waiting
[15:08] Speaker 1: women set on flagons of gold and silver and glass,
[15:11] Speaker 1: together with all kinds of flowers and dishes of dried fruits.
[15:16] Speaker 1: Then the queen summoned the singing women, and there came
[15:19] Speaker 1: ten maidens, as they were moons, bending all manner of
[15:23] Speaker 1: musical instruments. Queen lab crowned a cup, and drinking it off,
[15:27] Speaker 1: filled another and passed it to King Badir Bassim, who
[15:31] Speaker 1: took and drank, and they ceased not to drink till
[15:34] Speaker 1: they had their sufficiency. Then she bade the damsel sing,
[15:38] Speaker 1: and they sang all manner modes till it seemed to
[15:41] Speaker 1: Badir Basim as if the palace danced with him for joy.
[15:45] Speaker 1: His sense was ecstasied, and his breast broadened, and he
[15:49] Speaker 1: forgot his strangerhood and said in himself, verily, this queen
[15:53] Speaker 1: is young and beautiful, and I will never leave her,
[15:56] Speaker 1: for her kingdom is vaster than my kingdom, and she
[15:59] Speaker 1: is fairer than Princess Jalhara. So he ceased not to
[16:05] Speaker 1: drink with her till even tide came, when they lighted
[16:08] Speaker 1: the lamps and waxen candles and diffused censer perfumes. Nor
[16:13] Speaker 1: did they leave drinking till they were both drunken, and
[16:16] Speaker 1: the singing women sang the while. Then Queen lab being
[16:20] Speaker 1: in liquor, rose from her seat and lay down on
[16:22] Speaker 1: a bed, and, dismissing her women, called to Badr Basim
[16:26] Speaker 1: to come and sleep by her side. So he lay
[16:29] Speaker 1: with her in all delight of life till the morning,
[16:33] Speaker 1: and Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
[16:36] Speaker 1: say her permitted say. End of section thirty nine. Recording
[16:42] Speaker 1: by Pam Castile

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