THE SHIPWRECKED WOMAN AND HER CHILD.
"I was circuiting the Ka'abah one dark night, when I heard a
plaintive voice, speaking from a contrite heart and saying, 'O
Bountiful One, Thy past boon! Indeed, by my heart shall Thy
covenant never be undone.' Hearing this voice, my heart fluttered
so that I was like to die; but I followed the sound and behold,
it came from a woman, to whom I said, 'Peace be with thee, O
handmaid of Allah;' whereto she replied, 'And with thee be peace,
and the mercy of Allah and His blessings!' Quoth I, 'I conjure
thee, by Allah the Most Great, tell me what is the covenant to
which thy heart is constant.' Quoth she, 'But that thou adjurest
me by the Omnipotent, I would not tell thee my secrets. See what
is before me.' So I looked and lo! there was a child lying asleep
before her and breathing heavily in his slumber. Said she, "Know,
that I set forth, being big with this boy, to make the pilgrimage
to this House and took passage in a ship; but the waves rose
against us and the winds blew contrary and the vessel broke up. I
saved myself on a plank; and, on that bit of wood, I gave birth
to this child; and while he lay on my bosom and the waves beating
upon me,'"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the woman
continued, "'Now while the boy lay on my bosom and the waves beat
upon me, there swam up to me one of the sailors, who climbed on
the plank and said, 'By Allah, I desired thee whilst thou wast
yet in the ship, and now I have come at thee: so yield thy body
to me, or I will throw thee into the sea.' Said I, 'Out on thee!
hast thou no memory of that which thou hast seen and is it no
warning to thee?' Quoth he, 'I have seen the like of this many a
time and come off safe and care not.' Quoth I, 'O fellow, we are
now in a calamity, whence we hope to be delivered by obedience to
Allah and not by disobedience.' But he persisted with me, and I
feared him and thought to put him off; so I said to him, 'Wait
till this babe shall sleep'; but he took the child off my lap and
threw him into the sea. Now when I saw this desperate deed, my
heart sank and sorrow was sore upon me; so I raised my eyes
heavenwards and said, 'O Thou that interposest between a man and
his heart, intervene between me and this leonine brute; for Thou
over all things art Omnipotent!' And by Allah, hardly had I
spoken when a beast rose out of the sea and snatched him off the
plank. When I saw myself alone my sorrows redoubled and my grief
and longing for my child, and I recited,
'My coolth of eyes, the darling child of me * Is lost, and racked
my heart with agony;
My body wrecked, and red-hot coals of love * Burning my liver
with sore pangs, I see.
In this my sorrow shows no gleam of joy; * Save Thy high grace
and my expectancy:
Hast seen, O Lord, what unto me befel; * My son aye lost and
parting pangs I dree:
Take ruth on us and make us meet again; * For now my stay and
only hope's in Thee!'
I abode in this condition a day and a night; and, when morning
dawned, I caught sight of the sails of a vessel shining afar off,
nor did the waves cease to drive me and the winds to waft me on,
till I reached the ship, whose sails I had sighted. The sailors
took me up and I looked and behold, my babe was amongst them: so
I threw myself upon him and said, 'O folk, this is my child: how
and whence came ye by him?' Quoth they, 'Whilst we were sailing
along the seas the ship suddenly stood still and lo! that which
stayed us was a beast, as it were a great city, and this babe on
its back, sucking his thumbs. So we took him up.' Now when I
heard this, I told them my tale and all that had betided me and
returned thanks to my Lord for His goodness, and vowed to Him
that never, whilst I lived, would I stir from His House nor
swerve from His service; and since then I have never asked of Him
aught but He hath given it me.' Now when she had made an end of
her story (quoth the Sayyid), I put my hand to my alms-pouch and
would have given to her, but she exclaimed, "Away from me, thou
idle man! Have I not told thee of His mercies and the
graciousness of His dealings and shall I take an alms from other
than His hand?" And I could not prevail with her to accept aught
of me: so I left her and went away, reciting these couplets
'How many boons conceals the Deity, * Eluding human sight in
mystery:
How many graces come on heels of stresses, * And fill the burning
heart with jubilee:
How many a sorrow in the morn appears, * And turns at night-tide
into gladdest gree:
If things go hard with thee some day, yet trust * Th' Eterne, th'
Almighty God of Unity:
And pray the Prophet that he intercede; * Through intercession
every wish shalt see.'
And she left not the service of her Lord, cleaving unto His
House, till death came to her." And a tale is also told by Málik
bin Dínár[FN#467] (Allah have mercy on him!) of
