Said the Narrator:
And when Abu Zeyd had sat him down beneath the tree, hehold him in a great anguish and trepidation and sorrow. And to him presently waiting thus there came a form approaching through the darkness, and he was astonished, and he said to himself, ``What can this thing be? Climb rather, thou, O Abu Zeyd, into this tree, so that thou be hidden and learn that which shall come about.'' And he climbed into the tree's branches like unto a raging leopard and watched narrowly the coming of the man, who stopped beneath the tree. And the comer was Sahel ibn Aäf; and Sahel waited looking ever to the right and to the left, and so till a third of the night was over. But at the last there came to him a lady, an exceedingly fair woman, and her name was Zohwa, the daughter of Nasser the Agheyli. And these two had between them an understanding of love, and he had promised that he would come that night to the tree, and she that she would meet him there. And he had waited long for her coming, until his heart was on the boil with his love and with the fire kindled within him. And he, even when she was come to him, believed hardly that he saw her with his eyes. And he went out to meet her and he asked her the reason of her delay. And she answered, ``I waited for the eyes to sleep and until my father and my mother should be in their dreams, and as soon as they slept I came to thee. And now do with me all that thou wilt, for I am here before thee, nor am I miserly of my regard.'' And on hearing this he forgave her, and he kissed her face, and she kissed his face, and they sat down and began to discourse together, Abu Zeyd the while crouching above and listening to their words. And he had a mind, for shame's sake, to slay them both; but he said to himself, ``Let us first see how it shall happen.'' And they fell to talking of the gossip of the Arabs, and presently they spoke of Alia. And Sahel became troubled and he said to Zohwa, ``O that I could behold her! O that thou couldst bring her hither!'' And she asked of him, ``Why so? Is she then more beautiful than I? Are her eyes more fairly painted?'' And he said, ``Not so. But listen. I have had with her an adventure. It happened to me thus, that I was abroad in the desert and that I came to a certain fountain of sweet water, even that fountain in the which if one shall wash his garments he shall remain ever in health. And, as I approached it, behold the daughters of the princes of Agheyl seated on the banks of the stream, and their hair was loosened from the plaits, and I saw that their hair was dark as the descending night and that their eyes were painted with kohl. And looking thus and perceiving their beauty I became as one bewildered, nor could I turn away my eyes but remained staring and gazing, until at the last one of them was aware of me and called to the others, ``Cover your faces, O girls, for there is a man hard by and I have seen him.'' And Alia turned and saw me. And her anger was lit and she unloosed her tongue against me. And the others besought her that she should tell all to her father; and so turning they left me in great fear and apprehension of the trouble that might come of it. And I threw myself upon my face in the desert and I resolved that I would not return to the tents, for I mistrusted that Alia would give news of it to her father, and that he would seek my life and give me to taste of the cup of evil things. And so truly spake she of it to her father and told him all as it had happened. And he went out against me and came to my tent, and finding me not he slew my father in my place, and afterwards made it known that whosoever should find and kill Sahel the same should receive of him a reward, even all that he should ask for. And now, O Zohwa, I have but this one desire, to avenge the blood of my father by her destruction and to soothe my soul with slaying her, and after that I care not what may come, not though they hew me to pieces with their swords. And surely the news of her death at my hand would travel abroad and grieve the heart of Fadel and wound him so that he too should die.''
And when Zohwa heard this story she bade him to be of good comfort, for that she would bring him to his heart's desire. And she said, ``I will fetch thee Alia hither, and in a short space, for this is no far--off matter. Wait only until I return to thee, for see, my soul is not niggardly to thee of its regard.''
And she left him and returned to the tents, and she sought the pavilion of the Princess Alia. And Alia, when she saw Zohwa, rose and went forward to meet her and made her sit beside her and inquired the cause of her coming. And Zohwa said, ``O my lady, I am in a great perplexity, and therefore am I come to thee.'' And she sat down beside her and told her a long tale of trouble and kept her thus talking through the night, and soothed her with soft words, deceiving her and flattering her with fair speeches of praise until she touched her heart with her cunning, nor did she cease from discoursing until a second third of the night was spent and there remained but these two awake of all the camp which was sleeping. Then Zohwa arose as if to go and she asked for leave to depart, but Alia besought her that she should stay with her and sleep there in the tent beside her. And Zohwa said, ``Of a truth that would be before all things pleasant and for an honour to me, but I have been at pains to escape unperceived from my people and to them must I return.'' And Alia hearing, was moved to pity and she said, ``Go then.'' And Zohwa went out of the tent and on a little way, but presently returned trembling as a ship trembles when it is struck by the wind, and she showed manifold signs of terror. And Alia asked her, ``What aileth thee then?'' And she answered, ``O lady, I am overcome with lack of courage. And surely thou are responsible for me; but wilt thou not come with me a little way?'' But Alia said, ``Nay. For if I should go with thee, who afterwards should return with me? And see, the guards are sleeping, and my damsels every one of them. Nor am I too without danger of enemies who might do me a hurt, and, more than the rest, of that dog Sahel ibn Aäf.'' And Zohwa answered quickly, ``Say not so, O lady. And how should Sahel hurt thee, or how should any other, seeing that thou art the daughter of the prince of our tribe, the greatest of the princes, whose fame is in all the valleys? And yet thou speakest thus, thou daughter of the generous? Nay, it is no far journey. Listen: between thy tents and ours are but ten furlongs, for the space hath been stepped by the trackers, and if thou wilt come but one--half the road thou canst then turn back and I will go forward, and the way will have been thus divided between us and each will have accompanied the other and fear shall have been outwitted.'' And Alia stopped at this agreement, for her wit failed her. And she arose and went with Zohwa out of the camp. And Zohwa's tongue wagged as they walked so that the way seemed short, and Alia lost reckoning in the darkness. And thus they came to the headland which stood at their mid--journey. And Alia knew nothing until, coming near the tree, suddenly Sahel leaped forth upon them. And Alia knew that it was he, and she cried aloud in fear. But Sahel seized hold of her by her neck ornaments and swore that if she cried out he would even cut off her head. And he began to use base language, and he said, ``Now will I be avenged of the blood: and by the faith of the Arabs need is that I shall slay thee.'' And she said, ``To thy honour I appeal, O Sahel. So may God requite thee and save thee from the rage of Abu Zeyd the Helali.''
And her heart became straitened, and her tears overran her cheeks, and she knew that that traitress had entrapped her. And she entreated him, saying, ``First only let me recite the prayer, that the pang of death be assuaged.'' But he laughed at her words, and said, ``If thou be of the blameless, pray on.'' And he went to Zohwa and kissed her, and Alia beheld it and wept at what had befallen her, appealing still to his honour. But he treated her scornfully, saying, ``Dost thou not know him, this dog, this dog of dogs, this wolf, this slave, this jackal of the great? If thou hadst him in thy hand thou wouldst surely make him to drink of the cup of evil things. Now, therefore, behold, there is no escape for thee from the hand of the slayer.''
And when Alia heard this she sundered herself from created things and turned her soul to the Recompenser and the Avenger, and her prayer was not hidden from the Maker of the Earth and from Him who upholdeth the skies. And she prayed with her arms extended. And the Princess Alia did not cease from her prayer to her Lord until Sahel had drawn his sword from his sheath and was pressing on her to seize her.
And she cried out: ``To my help, O Arabs! To my help, O strangers!'' And suddenly a semblance and a form swooped down on them from above, as it were the coming of a lion from the tree. And behold, one with a drawn sword exceeding sharp, who cried, ``Haass! Haass! Hold off from her, thou base born of the Arabs!'' And when Sahel saw him his understanding left him and he was as one dazed and Zohwa with him, and they trembled. But Alia rejoiced, though she knew not from whence this champion had come down to her. And Abu Zeyd struck Sahel ibn Aäf so that his head fell back behind him. And the girl too he took and slew, and cast their bodies into a hollow place that the beasts of the field might devour them. And when he had done this he returned to Alia and undid her hands. And he bade her return to her tent and tell no man what had happened to her, of her people.
And the Narrator once more singeth:
Saith the hero Abu Zeyd Salameh Helali:
For that which befell that night have my tears flowed unceasing,
For that which that night befell, as I alone in the desert
Turned to the right and the left my eyes (they are no deceivers),
For I saw one come to the tree as though in search for a shelter.
And I said to my soul: ``O soul, climb thou and watch the achievement.''
And my soul swung lightly aloft, and lay in wait in the branches.
And he came as if to a tryst with one of the daughters of Adam,
Even a tryst, O people, with one of our fairest daughters.
And an hour passed, and behold a lady too in the darkness,
Who said ``Be thy evening good, O son of a noble father.''
And he, ``Two thousand greetings to thee and tokens of fortune.
These--but what hath delayed thee, alas! thou daughter of Nasser?''
And she said, ``O worthy of praise, O Sahel, I watched and I waited,
Even till all should sleep, my father first and my mother,
And one by one my sisters and brothers. But when night held them,
And all lay fast in the fetters of sleep, I arose for thy pleasure.''
And Zohwa came to his side, and they sat on a mound together.
And he, the dog, looked into her face, and each the other's
Neck with their arms embraced. And I said to myself ``Salameh,
Wait thou in patience on (for he who hath seen is the wiser),
And hear of them their tale and learn the fate and the judgment.''
And their talk was of their neighbours. And anon he spoke of Alia.
And she said, ``I will bring her hither that thou mayst fill thy vengeance.
Thou shalt be quits with her, with her of the plaited tresses:
Even to--night will I bring her. But tell me first, and truly,
Are her eyes darker rimmed than mine, more kohled, more painted?''
But he, ``Nay, nought of this. The trouble is far other.
Rather list to my tale of woe and of strange adventure,
A tale of fear and pain, a brimming over of trouble.
For thus it was, to my hurt one day on my best courser
Rode I forth to the spring, the fountain of Ridaä,
There be there pleasant winds, full scented with rich odours,
Sweeter than scent of flowers; and if a garment touch it,
Ten days and more with musk shall it remain in fragrance.
Forth by the dales I rode and travelled in my yearning,
Till to my gladdened eyes behold, the fount Ridaä,
And at the waterside the damsels and the daughters,
Alia with all her band. And hence my earliest trouble.
For I saw them there unseen, this goodly band of damsels,
Dark, with their hair unbound, and those fair moons, their faces,
(For some were as crescent moons, some half moons and some full moons)
With brows divinely knit for their sad lovers' dooming,
And eyes aflame to smite and pierce his soul like lances,
And red cheeks, every one a rosebud newly blossomed,
And noses curved and keen and finely shaped as sabres,
Sabres upheld aloft in the skilled hands of swordsmen,
And mouths like lover's knots, and teeth agleam like jewels,
And necks, the wild roe's neck, on lavender new pastured
And shih and all the herbs, the sweetest of the desert.
By this was I undone. And one of the maidens saw me,
Sprang like a fawn in fear, and called to her companions,
`Alia! Ho, ye damsels, daughters of the great ones!
Here is one watching us, one spying in the desert.'
And all looked up and saw where I stood plain, unhidden.
And Alia cursing, cried, `O base son of perdition,
Evil be on thy head.' And they called to her and questioned
`Who, then, is this bold man, hath dared be thus familiar
With us the noble ones, the daughters of the Sultans?'
And she said, `He is none but Sahel, Sahel the son of Aäf,
He of the evil word with sole shame for his fortune.'
And they bade her go to her father for that the prince might know it,
And so take vengeance due. And Alia straight departed.
And the sun had hardly risen ere he, the lady's father,
Fell on my sire with the sword. And I fled before his anger,
Weeping, to lands afar, and stripped of all, an outcast;
For Jaber took our herds and servants and possessions,
Two hundred fair milch camels, and my red mare, the swift one;
And twenty months have gone since I beheld my people
Or knew the sweets of home. O Zohwa, shouldst thou bring her,
This Alia, to my power, thou shouldst behold a judgment,
A tale of death for her, and for her father sorrow,
Noised on the tongues of men till the last day of dooming.''
And she, ``I hear and obey, a thousand times obedient.
Death shall be surely hers, and a supreme destruction.''
And he, ``Then compass thou the occasion of her coming.''
And she, ``So shall it be, thou glory of beholders.''
And he, ``Be up and doing, for lo, the short night waneth.''
And she quickened her pace and went and came to the tent of Alia.
And she drew the curtain aside and Alia rose to greet her:
``Welcome to thee, O Zohwa, welcome, thou daughter of Nasser,
How doth it fare with thee? Thou comest on what errand?
Speak, what thou wilt is thine, even all thy heart desireth.''
And Zohwa spoke dissembling, ``My duty brought me hither,
This and my love for thee and my great debt of reverence.
I came to--night to thee in thought to do thee service,
For fair discourse of friends is to the soul an unguent.''
And Alia bade her welcome, ay, even eighty welcomes,
And made her entertainment, for her heart smiled within her.
And Zohwa clothed her words in garments of affection,
And so talked through the night, two thirds of the night; but after
Rose she and bade farewell. And Alia pressed her nearly,
``Wilt thou not bide with me, for see, the short night turneth,
Hardly an end is left, thy couch shall be spread quickly.''
And she protested, ``Nay, of a truth I dare not linger.
None know that I am here, of my own house and people;
Rather, if there be kindness, come with me thou a little,
Half of my road, with me, O thou of the beautiful necklace.''
And Alia, ``Nay, in the night I too have cause of danger;
The son of Aäf is my foe. Sahel, I fear him, the plotter.''
And she, ``Who is he, this man, this dog of the sons of the Arabs,
That thou shouldst fear his intent who art the daughter of Jaber?''
And Alia, hearing, arose and went and stood by the tent ropes
And lingered there without, while Zohwa with false phrases,
Wiled her still to her way. And she said, ``My heart forebodeth,
There is one lying in wait, even he the son of perdition.
Let me return within.'' But Zohwa, ``Wherefore fear him?
Is not thy father's name a terror in all the marches?
Shall it not shield thee from ill, though sooth the wicked be many?''
So they went forth together. And Alia's eyes misgave her
Seeing a form in the dark. And she called out ``What thing art thou?
Art thou a passer by, or one with intent a prowler?''
And he, the approacher, said, ``Now truly art thou taken,
Captured as in a net, and the Maker of Earth and Heaven
Yieldeth thee to my hand and blindeth thee to thy peril.''
And Sahel began to curse her, and to the tree he drew her.
And she knew her hour was come, and her heart within was shaken.
And he clutched with violent hands at her necklace as for strangling,
Till at his feet on the stones she fell. Ah! pitiful maiden.
And he bound her with cords and cried, ``Confess thy faith ere thou diest.''
And she entreated him, saying, ``O Sahel, wilt thou not spare me?
So may the Lord requite thee.'' But he, ``There is no sparing.''
And to Zohwa she cried ``This is he I feared, the son of perdition,
And thou thyself art deceiver.'' But she answered her with tauntings,
``Be it so, I deceived thee. Go to. We shall see this Sahel
Prove himself of his skill when he loppeth thee, legs and shoulders.''
But Alia prayed to Sahel, ``Do thou recite the Fatha,
So shall the cup of death to my lips be found less bitter.''
But he answered, ``Wert thou blameless, so truly would I recite it;
The Fatha is not for thee.'' But she wailed aloud and lamented,
``Alas, what death is mine. And, if he were here, my father!''
And he asked: ``Who then is he, thy father, O thou proud one?
Nay, but humble thyself.'' But she called the more, ``Oh, hear me!
God will visit this sin on thee and on her, ye traitors.
Do thou but grant my demand and make my death less bitter.
For he who dieth not on the day shall fall on the morrow,
And he who scapeth the sword, the same by the spear is smitten,
For all things have their days and courses and appointments.''
And he said, ``I grant thee respite. And after will I smite thee
And give the death thou fearest.'' And he spoke aside to Zohwa,
``Sit we awhile apart.'' And Alia raised up weeping
Her beautiful eyes to Heaven, and she prayed to Him who hath pity,
``O Thou searcher of hearts,'' she said, ``who knoweth the secrets
Even of every heart, to Thee I look for compassion.
Thou the merciful One, the Eternal, the most Mighty,
Thou who art of Thyself, the giver of consolation,
Thou the pitiful One, to Thee I come in my sorrow,
Calling on Thee by the name of Thy deeds, the might of Thy wonders
Done for those Thou didst choose to Thyself against unbelievers.
To the prayers of the just I appeal that Thou protect me and succour,
Staying the hand of the wicked man the son of perdition.''
And to Ibn Aäf she said, ``I appeal to thee of thy honour,
So may the Lord thee spare, and heal thy soul of its blindness,
Guarding thy head from the day of wrath, the spear of Salameh,
From Abu Zeyd the dealer of blows, the lion avenger.''
But Sahel answered, ``Nay, by the Prophet I will not spare thee,
Not though Abu Zeyd were here himself the Helali.
For what is Abu Zeyd? Let him help thee, thou dog's daughter!
Let him deliver thee from my hand, thou daughter of Jaber!
Are we not, we the Agheylat, secure in our pastures?
He, the Helali foe, where is he? In some far dirra,
Pasturing flocks of his own. He shall not help thee nor succour.''
But she, ``Yet if God so willed he were here even now upon thee.''
And Sahel, ``Hold thy peace, for to--night thy life hath ending.
What shall Salameh do to thy help in these our pastures?
The wolf is not as the lion in the manner of his seizing.
Were he here, Abu Zeyd, even now in this hour of speaking,
Him would I smite to death and leave in his blood to perish.''
And Abu Zeyd from the tree heard all the words between them,
And my mind rose to her help as a full pot boiling over,
And I heard my name in their mouths, and my heart grew hot within me,
Like a pitcher from the well which brims and spills with fulness.
For why should Sahel slay her, and I not stand between them?
Sahel his sword hath drawn and leapt on her with cursings
The while she cryeth aloud. But I too cried, ``Take courage.
Lo, I am here to thy hand, one able for thy burden.''
And of a sudden I dropped and ran to the three that struggled.
And Sahel I seized by the throat and dragged towards destruction.
And he cried, ``Who art thou and whence and what the way of thy sending?''
And I, ``From Death the King am I come to take possession.
Life is weary of thee, and Death's edge presseth nearly.''
And he, ``O Sheykh of Afrits, wilt thou not spare the sword stroke?
Lo, I turn from my sin in thought of the day of judgment.''
But I, ``Thou art but a heathen. Thou didst refuse the verses.
Thou hast denied Our Lord. Thy heart is an unbeliever's.
Thou hast done a treacherous deed. Thou hast angered thy Creator,
Purposing death to souls, and therefore will I slay thee.
For were it not for this, thy infidel denial
Thus in act of thy God, my hand should spare to smite thee,
Since that I love not strife nor is there blood between us.''
And I put my hand to my sword and drew it from the scabbard,
And it flashed as lightning flasheth, making a flame in the darkness,
And I smote him with its edge and his head flew from his shoulders.
And turning next on Zohwa I smote her too, while Alia
Watched with the eyes of thanks the issue of the sword stroke.
And I severed the cord from her wrists, and she rose and took her bracelets.
And I bade her go in peace nor speak a word of the doings,
When morning light should come, to tribesman or to kinsman,
For ever the mouth is blest that holdeth its own counsel.
