United States or Jamaica ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
He passed the night, sick with rage, wrath and concern; nor found he pleasure in meat, drink or sleep. And when the next morning dawned Prince As'ad fared forth in his turn to rule the folk in his father's stead, whilst his mother, Hayat al-Nufus, awoke in feeble plight because of what she had heard from Prince Amjad concerning the slaughter of her eunuch.
Thou didst knock out my grinders and saidst to me, 'Let none make mention to me aught of men and their ways!" So saying, he disengaged himself from her grasp and running out, locked the door on them and set another eunuch to guard it. Then he went in to the King who said to him "Hast thou given the necklace to Hayat al-Nufus?"
Then she said to the old woman, "O my nurse, whence came yonder handsome youth?"; and the nurse asked, "Where is he, O my lady?" "There he is," answered Hayat al-Nufus; "near hand, among the trees." The old woman turned right and left, as if she knew not of his presence, and cried, "And pray, who can have taught this youth the way into this garden?"
And when Hayat al-Nufus had ended her verses, she said, "O my sister, verily the breasts of the noble and brave are of secrets the grave; and I will not discover shine." Then she pulled off her petticoat-trousers and cried aloud, where-upon her people hastened to her and raised the usual lullilooing and outcries of joy and gladness.
So they mixed him drugs, which he used and knew his wife carnally, and she conceived by leave of the Most High Lord, who saith to a thing, "Be," and it becometh. Now there was in Al-Irak a King called Abd al-Kadir who had a daughter, by name Hayat al-Nufus, and she was like the rising full moon, but she had an hatred for men and the folk very hardly dared name mankind in her presence.
I told her what thou didst in the matter of repairing the ruined pavilion, and she rejoiceth in this and bestoweth on thee two thousand dinars in requital of thy pains; so take them from the purse-keeperess and kiss the earth before the King's daughter and bless her and wend thy way." Hearing these words he took the gold and kissed the ground before Hayat al-Nufus, calling down blessings on her.
She replied, "Pardon me! for I did this by way of jest, and that pleasure and gladness might be increased." And when dawned the morn and day arose with its sheen and shone, she sent to King Armanus, sire of the Lady Hayat al-Nufus, and acquainted him with the truth of the case and that she was wife to Kamar al-Zaman.
Then Hayat al-Nufus commanded them to beat her, and they lashed her till her whole body flowed with blood and she fainted away, whereupon the King's daughter caused her slave-women to drag her forth by the feet and cast her without the palace and bade one of them stand by her head till she recovered, and say to her, "The Princess hath sworn an oath that thou shalt never return to and re-enter this palace; and she hath commanded to slay thee without mercy an thou dare return hither."
And Queen Hayat al-Nufus, choking with tears, told him respecting Prince Amjad a story like that of her sister-wife. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say. When it was the Two Hundred and Twentieth Night,
And every night she lay with Hayat al-Nufus, to whom she lamented her desolate state and longing for her husband Kamar al-Zaman; weeping and describing to her his beauty and loveliness, and yearning to enjoy him though but in a dream: And at times she would repeat,
Word Of The Day