《一千零一夜-天方夜谭-1001 Nights(英文版)》

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一千零一夜-天方夜谭-1001 Nights(英文版)- 第18部分


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ill thou die。'

Then she turned to the broker and said to him; 'O filthiest of brokers; meseemeth thou art mad; for that; this hour past; thou slowest me; first to a pair of graybeards; in each of whom are two faults; and then to my lord Shihabeddin here; in whom are three defects; first; he is short of stature; secondly; he hath a big nose; and thirdly; he hath a long beard。 Of him quoth one of the poets:

  Ne'er saw we in our lives nor heard of such a wight Of all that live and be beneath the sun his light:
  A beard a cubit long and nose a span he hath; Whilst he himself is but a finger's breadth in height。 
And quoth another poet:

  The mosque's minaret from his visage doth spring; As the ringfinger juts from the round of the ring。
  If all it could house were to enter his nose; The world were soon void of each creature and thing。' 
When Shihabeddin heard this; he came down from his shop and seized the broker by the collar; saying; 'O scurviest of brokers; what ails thee to bring us a damsel to flout and make mock of us; one after other; with idle talk and verses?' So the broker took her and carried her away from before him; saying; 'By Allah; all my life long; since I have plied this craft; I never set eyes on the like of thee for unmannerliness nor aught more curst to me than thy star; for thou hast cut off my livelihood this day and I have gained nought by thee save cuffs on the neck and taking by the collar!' Then he brought her to the shop of another merchant; owner of slaves and servants; and stationing her before him; said to her; 'Wilt thou be sold to this my lord Alaeddin?' She looked at him and seeing him to be humpbacked; said; 'This fellow is a hunchback; and quoth the poet of him:

  Shoulders drawn in and spine thrust out; 'twould seem as if to find A tar that Satan promised him; indeed; he had a mind;
  Or as the first stroke of a whip he'd tasted of and stood Still for amaze; whilst of the stroke to e he felt the wind。 
And saith another:

  Whene'er a hunchback mounts a mule; straightway A laughingstock to all mankind are they。
  Is he not laughable? So marvel not If she take fright with him and run away。 
And another:

  A hunchback often foulness adds to his deformity; And all men's eyes upon the wight look with antipathy;
  As 'twere a dry distorted branch; whose citrons; perched upon Its back; have bowed it to the ground; for length of days; is he。' 
With this the broker hurried up to her and carrying her to another merchant; said to her; 'Wilt thou be sold to this man?' She looked at him and said; 'This man is blueeyed; how wilt thou sell me to him? Quoth one of the poets of him:

  Ophthalmia's disorders him ply; They have broken his strength down well nigh。 O people; I rede you arise And look at the mote in his eye。' 
Then the broker carried her to another and she looked at him and seeing that he had a long beard; said to the broker; 'Out on thee! This is a ram; whose tail has sprouted from his gullet。 Wilt thou sell me to him; O unluckiest of brokers? Hast thou not heard that all longbearded men are little of wit? Indeed; after the measure of the length of the beard is the lack of understanding; and this is a wellknown thing among men of sense。 As saith one of the poets:

  No man; whose beard is long; although he gain some whit In gravity of mien and dignity by it;
  There lives; but every inch that's added to his beard In length the like thereof is taken from his wit。 
And quoth another:

  I have a friend; who hath a beard that God Caused flourish without profit; till; behold;
  'Tis; as it were; to look upon; a night Of middle winter; long and dark and cold。' 
With this the broker took her and turned away with her; and she said to him; 'Whither guest thou with me?' 'Back to thy master the Persian;' answers he; 'it suffices me what hath befallen me because of thee this day; for thou hast spoilt both my trade and his by thine unmannerliness。' Then she looked about the market right and left and front and rear; till; as fate would have it; her eyes fell on Ali Noureddin。 So she looked at him and saw him to be a ely youth; fourteen years old; like the moon on the night of its full; surpassing in beauty and loveliness and elegance and amorous grace; smooth faced and slendershaped; with flowerwhite forehead and rosy cheeks; neck like alabaster and teeth like jewels and spittle sweeter than sugar; even as saith of him one of his describers:

  Full moons and fawns with him conclusions came to try In beauty and in grace; but 'Soft!' to them quoth I。
  'Forbear; gazelles; indeed; ye are no match for him; And spare your pains; O moons; 'tis vain with him to vie。 
And how well saith another :

  A slender one; from his brows and the night of his jetty hair; Mankind in alternate gloom and splendour of light do fare。
  Blame not the mole on his cheek; is an anemone's cup Perfect; except in its midst an eyelet of black it bear? 
When she saw him he interposed between her and her wit; the love of him sat stark hold upon her soul and her heart was taken with passion for him; so she turned to the broker and said to him; 'Will not yonder young merchant in the striped gown bid for me?' 'O lady of fair ones;' replied the broker; 'yonder young man is a stranger from Cairo; where his father is chief of the merchants and hath the pass over all the merchants and notables of the place。 He is but lately e to our city and lodgeth with one of his father's friends; but he hath made no bid for thee; more nor less。'

When she heard this; she drew from her finger a ruby ring of price and said to the broker; 'Carry me to yonder youth; and if he buy me; this ring shall be thine; in requital of thy toil with me this day。' The broker rejoiced at this and brought her up to Noureddin; and she considered him straitly and found him like the full moon; acplished in grace and elegance and symmetry; even as saith of him one of his describers:

  The waters of grace in his visage run clear And his glances cast arrows at all who draw near:
  Sweet his favours; but lovers still choke; if he give Them to drink of the gall of his rigours austere。
  His brow is perfection; perfection his shape; And my love is perfection; so true and sincere。
  The folds of his raiment the new moon (69) enclose; From his collars she Rises; as if from a sphere。
  His eyes and his moles and my tears are as nights Upon nights upon nights; full of blackness and fear;
  And his eyebrows and face and my body (70) new moon On new moon on new moon to the aspect appear。
  His eyes fill his lovers a goblet of wine; Which; though bitter; is sweet to my sorrowful cheer。
  With a smile of his mouth; on the day of delights My thirst he allayed with sweet water and clear。
  My slaughter's with him; ay; the shedding my blood Is thrice lawful to him whom I tender so dear。 
Then said she to Noureddin; 'God on thee; O my lord; am I not handsome?' And he answered; 'O princess of fair ones; is there in the world a goodlier than thou?' 'Then why;' rejoined she; 'seest thou the other merchants bid for me and art silent nor sayest a word neither addest one dinar to my price? It would seem I please thee not; O my lord!' Quoth he; 'O my lady; were I in mine own land; I had bought thee with all that my hand possesseth of good。' 'O my lord;' replied she; 'I would not have thee buy me against thy will; yet; didst thou but add somewhat to my price; it would fort my heart; though thou buy me not; so the merchants may say; 〃Were not this girl handsome; yonder merchant of Cairo had not bidden for her; for the people of Cairo are connoisseurs in slave girls。〃'

Her words abashed Noureddin and he blushed and said to the broker; 'How stand the biddings for her?' 'Her price hath reached nine hundred and sixty dinars;' answered he; 'besides brokerage。 As for the Sultan's dues; they fall on the seller。' Quoth Noureddin; 'Let me have her for a thousand dinars; price and brokerage。' And the damsel hastened to leave the broker; saying; 'I sell myself to this handsome young man for a thousand dinars。' Quoth one; 'We sell to him;' and another; 'He deserves her;' and a third; 'Accursed; son of accursed; is he who bids and does not buy!' and a fourth; 'By Allah; they befit one another!' Then; before Noureddin could think; the broker fetched cadis and witnesses; who drew up a contract of sale and purchase; which the broker handed to Noureddin; saying; 'Take thy slavegirl and may God make her a blessing to thee; for she beseemeth none but thee and none but thou beseemeth her。' And he recited the following verses:

  Unto him fair fortune all unbidden hies; Drags her skirts (71) tohimward on obsequious wise。

  None but she befitteth him and none but he Of the maid is worthy; underneath the skies。

Noureddin was abashed before the merchants; so he paid down the thousand dinars; that he had left with his friend the druggist; and taking the girl; carried her to the house in which the latter had lodged him。 When she entered and saw nothing but patched carpets and worn out rugs; she said to him; 'O my lord; have I no value in thine eyes and am I not worthy that thou shouldst carry me to thine own house wherein are thy goods; that thou bringest me into thy servant's lodging? Why dost thou not carry me to thy father's dwelling?' 'By Allah; O princess of fair ones;' answered he; 'this is my house wherein I dwell; but it belongs to an old man; a druggist of this city; who hath set it apart for me and lodged me therein。 I told thee that I was a stranger and that I am of the people of Cairo。' 'O my lord;' rejoined she; 'the least of houses will serve till thy return to thy native place; but; God on thee; O my lord; go now and fetch me somewhat of roast meat and wine and fruit and dessert。' 'By Allah; O princess of fair ones;' answered he; 'I had no money with me but the thousand dinars I paid down to thy price! The few dirhems I had I spent yesterday。' Quoth she; 'Hast thou no friend in the town; of whom thou mayst borrow fifty dirhems and bring them to me; that I may tell thee what thou shalt do therewith?' And he said; 'I have no friend but the druggist。'

Then he betook himself forthright to the druggist and said to him; 'Peace be on thee; O uncle!' He returned his s
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