YUNUS THE SCRIBE AND THE CALIPH WALID BIN
SAHL.
There lived in the reign of the Caliph Hishám, [FN#110] son of
Abd al-Malik, a man called Yúnus the Scribe well-known to the
general, and he set out one day on a journey to Damascus, having
with him a slave-girl of surpassing beauty and loveliness, whom
he had taught all that was needful to her and whose price was an
hundred thousand dirhams. When they drew near to Damascus, the
caravan halted by the side of a lake and Yunus went down to a
quiet place with his damsel and took out some victual he had with
him and a leather bottle of wine. As he sat at meat, behold, came
up a young man of goodly favour and dignified presence, mounted
on a sorrel horse and followed by two eunuchs, and said to him,
"Wilt thou accept me to guest?" "Yes," replied Yunus. So the
stranger alighted and said, "Give me to drink of thy wine." Yunus
gave him to drink and he said, "If it please thee, sing us a
song." So Yunus sang this couplet extempore,
"She joineth charms were never seen conjoined in mortal dress: *
And for her love she makes me love my tears and
wakefulness."
At which the stranger rejoiced with exceeding joy and Yunus gave
him to drink again and again, till the wine got the better of him
and he said, "Bid thy slave-girl sing." So she improvised this
couplet,
"A houri, by whose charms my heart is moved to sore distress: *
Nor wand of tree nor sun nor moon her rivals I confess!"
The stranger was overjoyed with this and they sat drinking till
nightfall, when they prayed the evening-prayer and the youth said
to Yunus, "What bringeth thee to our city?" He replied, "Quest of
wherewithal to pay my debts and better my case." Quoth the other,
"Wilt thou sell me this slave-girl for thirty thousand dirhams?"
Whereto quoth Yunus, "I must have more than that." He asked,
"Will forty thousand content thee?"; but Yunus answered, "That
would only settle my debts, and I should remain empty-handed."
Rejoined the stranger, "We will take her of thee of fifty
thousand dirhams[FN#111] and give thee a suit of clothes to boot
and the expenses of thy journey and make thee a sharer in my
condition as long as thou livest." Cried Yunus, "I sell her to
thee on these terms." Then said the young man, "Wilt thou trust
me to bring thee the money to-morrow and let me take her with me,
or shall she abide with thee till I pay down her price?" Whereto
wine and shame and awe of the stranger led Yunus to reply, "I
will trust thee; take her and Allah bless thee in her!" Whereupon
the visitor bade one of his pages sit her before him on his
beast, and mounting his own horse, farewelled of Yunus and rode
away out of sight. Hardly had he left him, when the seller
bethought himself and knew that he had erred in selling her and
said to himself, "What have I done? I have delivered my slave-
girl to a man with whom I am unacquainted, neither know I who he
is; and grant that I were acquainted with him, how am I to get at
him?" So he abode in thought till the morning, when he prayed the
dawn-prayers and his companions entered Damascus, whilst he sat,
perplexed and wotting not what to do, till the sun scorched him
and it irked him to abide there. He thought to enter the city,
but said in his mind, "If I enter Damascus, I cannot be sure but
that the messenger will come and find me not, in which case I
shall have sinned against myself a second sin." Accordingly he
sat down in the shade of a wall that was there, and towards the
wane of day, up came one of the eunuchs whom he had seen with the
young man, whereat great joy possessed Yunus and he said in
himself, "I know not that aught hath ever given me more delight
than the sight of this castrato." When the eunuch reached him, he
said to him, "O my lord, we have kept thee long waiting"; but
Yunus disclosed nothing to him of the torments of anxiety he had
suffered. Then quoth the castrato, "Knowest thou the man who
bought the girl of thee?"; and quoth Yunus, "No," to which the
other rejoined, "'Twas Walid bin Sahl,[FN#112] the Heir
Apparent." And Yunus was silent. Then said the eunuch, "Ride,"
and made him mount a horse he had with him and they rode till
they came to a mansion, where they dismounted and entered. Here
Yunus found the damsel, who sprang up at his sight and saluted
him. He asked her how she had fared with him who had bought her
and she answered, "He lodged me in this apartment and ordered me
all I needed." Then he sat with her awhile, till suddenly one of
the servants of the houseowner came in and bade him rise and
follow him. So he followed the man into the presence of his
master and found him yesternight's guest, whom he saw seated on
his couch and who said to him, "Who art thou?" "I am Yunus the
Scribe." "Welcome to thee, O Yunus! by Allah, I have long wished
to look on thee; for I have heard of thy report. How didst thou
pass the night?" "Well, may Almighty Allah advance thee!"
"Peradventure thou repentedest thee of that thou didst yesterday
and saidst to thyself: I have delivered my slave-girl to a man
with who I am not acquainted, neither know I his name nor whence
he cometh?" "Allah forbid, O Emir, that I should repent over her!
Had I made gift of her to the Prince, she were the least of the
gifts that are given unto him,"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-fifth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Yunus the Scribe said to Walid, "Allah forbid I should repent
over her! Had I made gift of her to the Prince, she were the
least of gifts that are given to him, nor indeed is she worthy of
his rank," Walid rejoined, "By Allah, but I repented me of having
carried her away from thee and said to myself, 'This man is a
stranger and knoweth me not, and I have taken him by surprise and
acted inconsiderately by him, in my haste to take the damsel!'
Dost thou recall what passed between us?" Quoth Yunus, "Yes!" and
quoth Walid, "Dost thou sell this damsel to me for fifty thousand
dirhams?" And Yunus said, "I do." Then the Prince called to one
of his servants to bring him fifty thousand dirhams and a
thousand and five hundred dinars to boot, and gave them all to
Yunus, saying, "Take the slave's price: the thousand dinars are
for thy fair opinion of us and the five hundred are for thy
viaticum and for what present thou shalt buy for thy people. Art
thou content?" "I am content," answered Yunus and kissed his
hands, saying, "By Allah, thou hast filled my eyes and my hands
and my heart!" Quoth Walid, "By Allah, I have as yet had no
privacy of her nor have I taken my fill of her singing. Bring her
to me!" So she came and he bade her sit, then said to her,
"Sing." And she sang these verses,
"O thou who dost comprise all Beauty's boons! * O sweet of
nature, fain of coquetry!
In Turks and Arabs many beauties dwell; * But, O my fawn, in none
thy charms I see.
Turn to thy lover, O my fair, and keep * Thy word, though but in
visioned phantasy:
Shame and disgrace are lawful for thy sake * And wakeful nights
full fill with joy and glee:
I'm not the first for thee who fared distraught; * Slain by thy
love how many a many be!
I am content with thee for worldly share * Dearer than life and
good art thou to me!"
When he heard this, he was delighted exceedingly and praised
Yunus for his excellent teaching of her and her fair education.
Then he bade his servants bring him a roadster with saddle and
housings for his riding, and a mule to carry his gear, and said
to him, "O Yunus, when it shall reach thee that command hath come
to me, do thou join me; and, by Allah, I will fill thy hands with
good and advance thee to honour and make thee rich as long as
thou livest!" So Yunus said, "I took his goods and went my ways;
and when Walid succeeded to the Caliphate, I repaired to him; and
by Allah, he kept his promise and entreated me with high honour
and munificence. Then I abode with him in all content of case and
rise of rank and mine affairs prospered and my wealth increased
and goods and farms became mine, such as sufficed me and will
suffice my heirs after me; nor did I cease to abide with Walid,
till he was slain, the mercy of Almighty Allah be on him!" And
men tell a tale concerning
