THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SEAMAN

KNOW, O company, that after my return from my sixth voyage, which
brought me abundant profit, I resumed my former life in all possible

joyance and enjoyment and mirth and making merry day and night. And
I tarried sometime in this solace and satisfaction, till my soul began

once more to long to sail the seas and see foreign countries and
company with merchants and hear new things. So, having made up my

mind, I packed up in bales a quantity of precious stuffs suited for
sea trade and repaired with them from Baghdad city to Bassorah town,

where I found a ship ready for sea, and in her a company of
considerable merchants. I shipped with them and, becoming friends,

we set forth on our venture in health and safety, and sailed with a
wind till we came to a city called Madinat-al-Sin.

But after we had left it, as we fared on in all cheer and
confidence, devising of traffic and travel, behold, there sprang up

a violent head wind and a tempest of rain fell on us and drenched us
and our goods. So we covered the bales with our cloaks and garments

and drugget and canvas, lest they be spoiled by the rain, and betook
ourselves to prayer and supplication to Almighty Allah, and humbled

ourselves before Him for deliverance from the peril that was upon
us. But the captain arose and, tightening his girdle, tucked up his

skirts, and after takingrefuge with Allah from Satan the Stoned,
clomb to the masthead, whence he looked out right and left, and gazing

at the passengers and crew, fell to buffeting his face and plucking
out his beard. So we cried to him, "O Rais, what is the matter?" and

he replied, saying: "Seek ye deliverance of the Most High from the
strait into which we have fallen, and bemoan yourselves and take leave

of one another. For know that the wind hath gotten the mastery of
us, and hath driven us into the uttermost of the seas world." Then

he came down from the masthead and opening his sea chest, pulled but a
bag of blue cotton, from which he took a powder like ashes. This he

set in a saucer wetted with a little water, and after waiting a
short time, smelt and tasted it. And then he took out of the chest a

booklet, wherein he read awhile, and said, weeping:
"Know, O ye passengers, that in this book is a marvelous matter,

denoting that whoso cometh hither shall surely die, without hope of
escape. For that this ocean is called the Sea of the Clime of the

King, wherein is the sepulcher of our lord Solomon, son of David (on
both be peace!), and therein are serpents of vast bulk and fearsome

aspect. And what ship soever cometh to these climes, there riseth to
her a great fish out of the sea and swalloweth her up with all and

everything on board her." Hearing these words from the captain,
great was our wonder, but hardly had he made an end of speaking when

the ship was lifted out of the water and let fall again, and we
applied to praying the death prayer and committing our souls to Allah.

Presently we heard a terrible great cry like the loud-pealing
thunderwhereat we were terror-struck and became as dead men, giving

ourselves up for lost. Then, behold, there came up to us a huge
fish, as big as a tall mountain, at whose sight we became wild for

affright and, weeping sore, made ready for death, marveling at its
vast size and gruesome semblance. When lo! a second fish made its

appearance, than which we had seen naught more monstrous. So we
bemoaned ourselves of our lives and farewelled one another. But

suddenly up came a third fish bigger than the two first, whereupon
we lost the power of thought and reason and were stupefied for the

excess of our fear and horror. Then the three fish began circling
round about the ship and the third and biggest opened his mouth to

swallow it, and we looked into its mouth and, behold, it was wider
than the gate of a city and its throat was like a long valley. So we

besought the Almighty and called for succor upon His Apostle (on
whom be blessing and peace!), when suddenly a violentsquall of wind

arose and smote the ship, which rose out of the water and settled upon
a great reef, the haunt of sea monsters, where it broke up and fell

asunder into planks, and all and everything on board were plunged into
the sea.

As for me, I tore off all my clothes but my gown, and swam a
little way, till I happened upon one of the ship's planks, whereto I

clung and bestrode it like a horse, whilst the winds and the waters
sported with me and the waves carried me up and cast me down. And I

was in most piteous plight for fear and stress" target="_blank" title="n.痛苦 vt.使苦恼">distress and hunger and
thirst. Then I reproached myself for what I had done and my soul was

weary after a life of ease and comfort, and I said to myself: "O
Sindbad, O Seaman, thou repentest not and yet thou art ever

suffering hardships and travails, yet wilt thou not renounce sea
travel, or an thou say, 'I renounce,' thou liest in thy

renouncement. Endure then with patience that which thou sufferest, for
verily thou deservest all that betideth thee!" And I ceased not to

humble myself before Almighty Allah and weep and bewail myself,
recalling my former estate of solace and satisfaction and mirth and

merriment and joyance. And thus I abode two days, at the end of
which time I came to a great island abounding in trees and streams.

There I landed and ate of the fruits of the island and drank of its
waters, till I was refreshed and my life returned to me and my

strength and spirits were restored and I recited:
"Oft when thy case shows knotty and tangled skein,

Fate downs from Heaven and straightens every ply.
In patience keep thy soul till clear thy lot,

For He who ties the knot can eke untie."
Then I walked about till I found on the further side a great river

of sweet water, running with a strong current, whereupon I called to
mind the boat raft I had made aforetime and said to myself: "Needs

must I make another. Haply I may free me from this strait. If I
escape, I have my desire and I vow to Allah Almighty to foreswear

travel. And if I perish, I shall be at peace and shall rest from
toil and moil." So I rose up and gathered together great store of

pieces of wood from the trees (which were all of the finest
sandalwood, whose like is not albe' I knew it not), and made shift

to twist creepers and tree twigs into a kind of rope, with which I
bound the billets together and so contrived a raft. Then saying, "An I

be saved, 'tis of God's grace," I embarked thereon and committed
myself to the current, and it bore me on for the first day and the

second and the third after leaving the island whilst I lay in the
raft, eating not and drinking, when I was athirst, of the water of the

river, till I was weak and giddy as a chicken for stress of fatigue
and famine and fear.

At the end of this time I came to a high mountain, whereunder ran
the river, which when I saw, I feared for my life by reason of the

straitness I had suffered in my former journey, and I would fain
have stayed the raft and landed on the mountainside. But the current

overpowered me and drew it into the subterranean passage like an
archway, whereupon I gave myself up for lost and said, "There is no

Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!"
However, after a little the raft glided into open air and I saw before

me a wide valley, whereinto the river fell with a noise like the
rolling of thunder and a swiftness as the rushing of the wind. I

held onto the raft, for fear of falling off it, whilst the waves
tossed me right and left, and the craft continued to descend with

the current, nor could I avail to stop it nor turn it shoreward till
it stopped me at a great and goodly city, grandly edified and

containing much people. And when the townsfolk saw me on the raft,
dropping down with the current, they threw me out ropes, which I had

not strength enough to hold. Then they tossed a net over the craft and
drew it ashore with me, whereupon I fell to the ground amidst them, as

I were a dead man, for stress of fear and hunger and lack of sleep.
After a while, there came up to me out of the crowd an old man of

reverend aspect, well stricken in years, who welcomed me and threw
over me abundance of handsome clothes, wherewith I covered my

nakedness. Then he carried me to the hammam bath and brought me
cordial sherbets and delicious perfumes. Moreover, when I came out, he

bore me to his house, where his people made much of me and, seating me
in a pleasant place, set rich food before me, whereof I ate my fill

and returned thanks to God the Most High for my deliverance. Thereupon
his pages fetched me hot water, and I washed my hands, and his