章节正文
saw a number of eunuchs with staves in their hands, followed by nigh
thirty women slaves, and amongst them a lady as she were a willow wand
or a thirsty gazelle, perfect in beauty and grace and amorous languor,
and all were attending upon her.
"Now when she came to the mouth of the passage where I stood, she
turned right and left and calling one of the castratos, whispered in
his ear, and behold, he came up to me and laid hold of me, whilst
another eunuch took my ass and made off with it. And when the
spectators fled, the first eunuch bound me with a rope and dragged
me after him, till I knew not what to do, and the people followed us
and cried out, saying: 'This is not allowed of Allah! What hath this
poor scavenger done that he should be bound with ropes?' and praying
the eunuchs, 'Have pity on him and let him go, so Allah have pity on
you!' And I the while said in my mind: 'Doubtless the eunuchry
seized me because their mistress smelt the stink of the offal and it
sickened her. Belike she is with child or ailing, but there is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!"
"So I continued walking on behind them till they stopped at the door
of a great house, and, entering before me, brought me into a big
hall- I know not how I shall describe its magnificence- furnished with
the finest furniture. And the women also entered the hall, and I bound
and held by the eunuch and saying to myself, 'Doubtless they will
torture me here till I die and none know of my death.' However,
after a while they carried me into a neat bathroom leading out of
the hall, and as I sat there, behold, in came three slave girls, who
seated themselves round me and said to me, 'Strip off thy rags and
tatters.' So I pulled off my threadbare clothes and one of them fell
a-rubbing my legs and feet whilst another scrubbed my head and a third
shampooed my body. When they had made an end of washing me, they
brought me a parcel of clothes and said to me, 'Put these on,' and I
answered, 'By Allah, I know not how!' So they came up to me and
dressed me, laughing together at me the while. After which they
brought casting bottles full of rose-water, and sprinkled me
therewith.
"Then I went out with them into another saloon- by Allah, I know
not how to praise its splendor for the wealth of paintings and
furniture therein- and entering it, I saw a person seated on a couch
of Indian rattan with ivory feet, and before her a number of damsels.
When she saw me, she rose to me and called me, so I went up to her and
she seated me by her side. Then she bade her slave girls bring food,
and they brought all manner of rich meats, such as I never saw in
all my life. I do not even know the names of the dishes, much less
their nature. So I ate my fill, and when the dishes had been taken
away and we had washed our hands, she called for fruits, which came
without stay or delay, and ordered me eat of them. And when we had
ended eating she bade one of the waiting women bring the wine
furniture. So they set on flagons of divers kinds of wine and burned
perfumes in all the censers, what while a damsel like the moon rose
and served us with wine to the sound of the smitten strings. And I
drank, and the lady drank, till we were swized with wine and the whole
time I doubted not but that all this was an illusion of sleep.
"Presently, she signed to one of the damsels to spread us a bed in
such a place, which being done, she rose and took me by the hand and
led me hither" target="_blank" title="ad.到那里 a.那边的">thither, and lay down and I lay with her till the morning,
and as often as I pressed her to my breast I smelt the delicious
fragrance of musk and other perfumes that exaled from her, and could
not think otherwise but that I was in Paradise, or in the vain
phantasies of a dream. Now when it was day, she asked me where I
lodged and I told her, 'In such a place,' whereupon she gave me
leave to depart, handing to me a kerchief worked with gold and
silver and containing somewhat tied in it, and took leave of me,
saying, 'Go to the bath with this.' I rejoiced and said to myself, 'If
there be but five coppers here, it will buy me this day my morning
meal.'
"Then I left her, as though I were leaving Paradise, and returned to
my poor crib, where I opened the kerchief and found in it fifty
miskals of gold. So I buried them in the ground and, buying two
farthings' worth of bread and "kitchen," seated me at the door and
broke my fast. After which I sat pondering my case, and continued so
doing till the time of afternoon prayer, when lo! a slave girl
accosted me saying, 'My mistress calleth for thee.' I followed her
to the house aforesaid and, after asking permission, she carried me
into the lady, before whom I kissed the ground, and she commanded me
to sit and called for meat and wine as on the previous day. After
which I again lay with her all night. On the morrow, she gave me a
second kerchief, with other fifty dinars therein, and I took it and,
going home, buried this also. In such pleasant condition I continued
eight days running, going in to her at the hour of afternoon prayer
and leaving her at daybreak, but on the eighth night, as I lay with
her, behold, one of her slave girls came running in and said to me,
'Arise, go up into yonder closet.'
"So I rose and went into the closet, which was over the gate, and
presently I heard a great clamor and tramp of horse, and, looking
out of the window which gave on the street in front of the house, I
saw a young man as he were the rising moon on the night of fullness
come riding up attended by a number of servants and soldiers who
were about him on foot. He alighted at the door and entering the
saloon, found the lady seated on the couch. So he kissed the ground
between her hands, then came up to her and kissed her hands, but she
would not speak to him. However, he continued patiently to humble
himself, and soothe her and speak her fair, till he made his peace
with her, and they lay together that night. Now when her husband had
made his peace with the young lady, he lay with her that night, and
next morning the soldiers came for him and he mounted and rode away,
whereupon she drew near to me and said, 'Sawest thou yonder man?' I
answered, 'Yes,' and she said, 'He is my husband, and I will tell thee
what befell me with him.'
"It came to pass one, day that we were sitting, he and I, in the
garden within the house, and behold, he rose from my side and was
absent a long while, till I grew tired of waiting and said to
myself, 'Most like, he is in the privy.' So I arose and went to the
watercloset, but not finding him there, went down to the kitchen,
where I saw a slave girl, and when I enquired for him, she showed
him to me lying with one of the cookmaids. Hereupon I swore a great
oath that I assuredly would do adultery with the foulest and filthiest
man in Baghdad, and the day the eunuch laid hands on thee, I had
been four days going round about the city in quest of one who should
answer to this description, but found none fouler nor filthier than
thy good self. So I took thee and there passed between us that which
Allah foreordained to us, and now I am quit of my oath.'
"Then she added, 'If, however, my husband return yet a pin to the
cookmaid and lie with her, I will restore thee to thy lost place in my
favors.' Now when I heard these words from her lips, what while she
pierced my heart with the shafts of her glances, my tears streamed
forth till my eyelids were chafed sore with weeping. Then she made
them give me other fifty dinars (making in all four hundred gold
pieces I had of her) and bade me depart. So I went out from her and
came hither, that I might pray Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) to
make her husband return to the cookmaid, that haply I might be again
admitted to her favors."
When the Emir of the pilgrims heard the man's story, he set him free
and said to the bystanders, "Allah upon you, pray for him, for
indeed he is excusable."
thirty women slaves, and amongst them a lady as she were a willow wand
or a thirsty gazelle, perfect in beauty and grace and amorous languor,
and all were attending upon her.
"Now when she came to the mouth of the passage where I stood, she
turned right and left and calling one of the castratos, whispered in
his ear, and behold, he came up to me and laid hold of me, whilst
another eunuch took my ass and made off with it. And when the
spectators fled, the first eunuch bound me with a rope and dragged
me after him, till I knew not what to do, and the people followed us
and cried out, saying: 'This is not allowed of Allah! What hath this
poor scavenger done that he should be bound with ropes?' and praying
the eunuchs, 'Have pity on him and let him go, so Allah have pity on
you!' And I the while said in my mind: 'Doubtless the eunuchry
seized me because their mistress smelt the stink of the offal and it
sickened her. Belike she is with child or ailing, but there is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!"
"So I continued walking on behind them till they stopped at the door
of a great house, and, entering before me, brought me into a big
hall- I know not how I shall describe its magnificence- furnished with
the finest furniture. And the women also entered the hall, and I bound
and held by the eunuch and saying to myself, 'Doubtless they will
torture me here till I die and none know of my death.' However,
after a while they carried me into a neat bathroom leading out of
the hall, and as I sat there, behold, in came three slave girls, who
seated themselves round me and said to me, 'Strip off thy rags and
tatters.' So I pulled off my threadbare clothes and one of them fell
a-rubbing my legs and feet whilst another scrubbed my head and a third
shampooed my body. When they had made an end of washing me, they
brought me a parcel of clothes and said to me, 'Put these on,' and I
answered, 'By Allah, I know not how!' So they came up to me and
dressed me, laughing together at me the while. After which they
brought casting bottles full of rose-water, and sprinkled me
therewith.
"Then I went out with them into another saloon- by Allah, I know
not how to praise its splendor for the wealth of paintings and
furniture therein- and entering it, I saw a person seated on a couch
of Indian rattan with ivory feet, and before her a number of damsels.
When she saw me, she rose to me and called me, so I went up to her and
she seated me by her side. Then she bade her slave girls bring food,
and they brought all manner of rich meats, such as I never saw in
all my life. I do not even know the names of the dishes, much less
their nature. So I ate my fill, and when the dishes had been taken
away and we had washed our hands, she called for fruits, which came
without stay or delay, and ordered me eat of them. And when we had
ended eating she bade one of the waiting women bring the wine
furniture. So they set on flagons of divers kinds of wine and burned
perfumes in all the censers, what while a damsel like the moon rose
and served us with wine to the sound of the smitten strings. And I
drank, and the lady drank, till we were swized with wine and the whole
time I doubted not but that all this was an illusion of sleep.
"Presently, she signed to one of the damsels to spread us a bed in
such a place, which being done, she rose and took me by the hand and
led me hither" target="_blank" title="ad.到那里 a.那边的">thither, and lay down and I lay with her till the morning,
and as often as I pressed her to my breast I smelt the delicious
fragrance of musk and other perfumes that exaled from her, and could
not think otherwise but that I was in Paradise, or in the vain
phantasies of a dream. Now when it was day, she asked me where I
lodged and I told her, 'In such a place,' whereupon she gave me
leave to depart, handing to me a kerchief worked with gold and
silver and containing somewhat tied in it, and took leave of me,
saying, 'Go to the bath with this.' I rejoiced and said to myself, 'If
there be but five coppers here, it will buy me this day my morning
meal.'
"Then I left her, as though I were leaving Paradise, and returned to
my poor crib, where I opened the kerchief and found in it fifty
miskals of gold. So I buried them in the ground and, buying two
farthings' worth of bread and "kitchen," seated me at the door and
broke my fast. After which I sat pondering my case, and continued so
doing till the time of afternoon prayer, when lo! a slave girl
accosted me saying, 'My mistress calleth for thee.' I followed her
to the house aforesaid and, after asking permission, she carried me
into the lady, before whom I kissed the ground, and she commanded me
to sit and called for meat and wine as on the previous day. After
which I again lay with her all night. On the morrow, she gave me a
second kerchief, with other fifty dinars therein, and I took it and,
going home, buried this also. In such pleasant condition I continued
eight days running, going in to her at the hour of afternoon prayer
and leaving her at daybreak, but on the eighth night, as I lay with
her, behold, one of her slave girls came running in and said to me,
'Arise, go up into yonder closet.'
"So I rose and went into the closet, which was over the gate, and
presently I heard a great clamor and tramp of horse, and, looking
out of the window which gave on the street in front of the house, I
saw a young man as he were the rising moon on the night of fullness
come riding up attended by a number of servants and soldiers who
were about him on foot. He alighted at the door and entering the
saloon, found the lady seated on the couch. So he kissed the ground
between her hands, then came up to her and kissed her hands, but she
would not speak to him. However, he continued patiently to humble
himself, and soothe her and speak her fair, till he made his peace
with her, and they lay together that night. Now when her husband had
made his peace with the young lady, he lay with her that night, and
next morning the soldiers came for him and he mounted and rode away,
whereupon she drew near to me and said, 'Sawest thou yonder man?' I
answered, 'Yes,' and she said, 'He is my husband, and I will tell thee
what befell me with him.'
"It came to pass one, day that we were sitting, he and I, in the
garden within the house, and behold, he rose from my side and was
absent a long while, till I grew tired of waiting and said to
myself, 'Most like, he is in the privy.' So I arose and went to the
watercloset, but not finding him there, went down to the kitchen,
where I saw a slave girl, and when I enquired for him, she showed
him to me lying with one of the cookmaids. Hereupon I swore a great
oath that I assuredly would do adultery with the foulest and filthiest
man in Baghdad, and the day the eunuch laid hands on thee, I had
been four days going round about the city in quest of one who should
answer to this description, but found none fouler nor filthier than
thy good self. So I took thee and there passed between us that which
Allah foreordained to us, and now I am quit of my oath.'
"Then she added, 'If, however, my husband return yet a pin to the
cookmaid and lie with her, I will restore thee to thy lost place in my
favors.' Now when I heard these words from her lips, what while she
pierced my heart with the shafts of her glances, my tears streamed
forth till my eyelids were chafed sore with weeping. Then she made
them give me other fifty dinars (making in all four hundred gold
pieces I had of her) and bade me depart. So I went out from her and
came hither, that I might pray Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) to
make her husband return to the cookmaid, that haply I might be again
admitted to her favors."
When the Emir of the pilgrims heard the man's story, he set him free
and said to the bystanders, "Allah upon you, pray for him, for
indeed he is excusable."
- willow [´wiləu]
n.柳树 (初中英语单词) - mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)
- glorious [´glɔ:riəs] a.光荣的；辉煌的 (初中英语单词)
- parcel [´pɑ:sl] n.包裹；一批 vt.区分 (初中英语单词)
- splendor [´splendə] n.壮丽 =splendour (初中英语单词)
- wealth [welθ] n.财富，财产 (初中英语单词)
- indian [´indiən] a.印度的 n.印度人 (初中英语单词)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- damsel [´dæmzəl] n.姑娘，未婚少女 (初中英语单词)
- thither [´ðiðə] ad.到那里 a.那边的 (初中英语单词)
- otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)
- paradise [´pærədais] n.天堂；乐园 (初中英语单词)
- permission [pə´miʃən] n.允许；同意；许可 (初中英语单词)
- previous [´pri:viəs] a.先，前，以前的 (初中英语单词)
- running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)
- closet [´klɔzit] n.橱；私室；盥洗室 (初中英语单词)
- description [di´skripʃən] n.描写 (初中英语单词)
- restore [ri´stɔ:] vt.(使)恢复；修复 (初中英语单词)
- hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)
- amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- whilst [wailst] conj.当...时候；虽然 (高中英语单词)
- illusion [i´lu:ʒən] n.幻觉；幻影；错觉 (高中英语单词)
- therein [ðeə´rin] ad.在那里，在其中 (高中英语单词)
- patiently [´peiʃəntli] ad.有耐心地；坚韧地 (高中英语单词)
- soothe [su:ð] vt.安慰；镇定；减轻 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- bathroom [´bɑ:θrum, -ru:m] n.浴室；盥洗室 (英语四级单词)
- whereupon [,weərə´pɔn] ad.在什么上面；因此 (英语四级单词)
- morrow [´mɔrəu] n.翌日 (英语四级单词)
- daybreak [´deibreik] n.黎明，拂晓 (英语四级单词)
- befell [bi´fel] befall的过去式 (英语四级单词)
- assuredly [ə´ʃuəridli] ad.确实地；确信地 (英语四级单词)
- calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)
- eunuch [´ju:nək] n.太监 (英语六级单词)
- divers [´daivə(:)z] a.&pron.若干个 (英语六级单词)
- smitten [´smitn] smite的过去分词 (英语六级单词)
- kerchief [´kə:tʃif] n.头巾，围巾 (英语六级单词)
- weeping [´wi:piŋ] a.&n.哭泣(的) (英语六级单词)
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