Said the Narrator:
And when the Agheyli Jaber heard this talk he was overcome with trouble, and it seemed as though his understanding had flown from him and his senses. And he said, ``Bring Alia before me.'' And they made haste and went to her, and bade her, ``Go, for thy father calleth thee.'' And she obeyed, and went with them before her father. And he said, ``O wicked one, what is this that I learn of thee and thy deceits, and that thou art the reason of the loss of our mare, and that thou didst call down a blessing of victory on our foeman when he had wounded thy brother Sulyman, and that thou gavest him in ransom and all our people for that other?'' And she said to him, ``Yea verily, for I know this enemy, and it is I that gave to him the mare; and wert thou acquainted with his worth, thou wouldst surely give him (and it would be a pleasure to thee) all thy wealth and thy possessions and everything that thou hast.'' But when he heard these words of her, the matter appeared to him still more of moment. And he called on those near him to bind the girl by the shoulders, and to bring wood and lighted coals to burn her withal, that she might presently taste of the cup of death. And at his word they fell upon her, and bound her; and they kindled a fire, and brought her to it, and it remained only that they should cast her thereon. And Alia beheld this that was prepared for her, and her heart fainted with fear.
This, then, is what happened to Alia, and between her and her father. And the Narrator once more singeth:
Lament the men of Agheyl, the men of Helal ibn Amer:
Lo, there is nought of good in the world, and nought of pleasure,
If that children deceive their sires, and be of the wicked.
And, as they talked, behold a wise man spoke to Fadel:
``Lo, the thing thy daughter hath done is known to the people,
Yet is the cause of it hid. Now therefore send for thy daughter,
That thou mayest know thy foeman. Let her his name discover,
Since that she knoweth him thus, and thou shalt find assuagement.''
And Fadel heard him speak, and all his wrath was kindled,
And his mind was shaken sore, and his soul set in confusion.
Yet sent he forth for Alia, and bade her appear before him.
And they brought the girl to his tent, and she came to the Assembly.
And he said, ``What dost thou, my daughter, and what are these thy dealings,
That thou betrayest thy tribe? Thou art a shame to the Arabs.
They say thou knowest this man, this enemy of thy people,
Ay, and didst give him the mare. Thus speak of thee the great ones.''
And she answered, ``Yes and yes. I know him, the adversary,
And gave him, too, the mare; nor do I seek to deny it.''
And Fadel's wrath grew hot, for now her guilt was proven.
And he bade them bind her fast, and bring the wood for the kindling.
And even so did they. And they bound her right and her left hand,
And they heaped the wood, O people, even in their hour of anger,
And they set a spark to the heap, even in the midst of the desert.
And Alia's eyes beheld, yet bore she her fear in patience,
Nor spoke she any word, nor gave reins to her terror.
Said the Narrator:
And when they had lit the fire, while Alia watched the kindling, behold, her fear was great, and her eyes looked to the right and to the left hand, because that Abu Zeyd had promised her that he would return to the camp; and while she was in this wise, suddenly she saw Abu Zeyd standing in the midst of the Arabs who were around her. And he was in disguisement as a dervish, or one of those who ask alms. And he saw that she was about to speak. But he signed to her that she should be silent: as it were he would say, ``Fear not, for I am here.'' And when she was sure that it was indeed he Abu Zeyd and none other, then smiled she on him very sweetly, and said, ``Thine be the victory, and I will be thy ransom. Nor shall thy enemies prevail against thee.'' But he answered with a sign, ``Of a surety thou shalt see somewhat that shall astonish thee.'' And this he said as the flames of the fire broke forth.
Now the cause of the coming of Abu Zeyd to the place was in this wise. After that he had gone away, and had taken with him the mare, and that his mind had entered into its perplexity as to what might befall Alia from her father, lest he should seize on her and inquire what had happened, and why she had cared nothing for her own people or for her wounded brother, and why she had cried to Abu Zeyd, then said he to himself, ``Of a surety I must return to her, and ascertain the event.'' And looking about him, he made discovery of a cave known as yet to no man, and he placed in it the mare, and gathered grass for her, and closed the door of the cave with stones. Then clothing himself as a dervish, he made his plan how he should return to the tents of Agheyl. And forthwith he found Alia in the straits already told, and he made his thought known to her by signs, and by signs she gave him to understand her answers.
And at this point the Narrator began again to sing, and it was in the following verses:
So returneth my tale to the Hejazi Salameh,
The hero Abu Zeyd, bearer of all men's burthens.
When that these had returned, the foemen from their fighting,
And she of the jewels had called aloud on his head a blessing,
Then came back the hero Salameh, he grieving for Alia,
Much in pain came he, and pondering his black fortune.
And to himself he said, ``O thou, Hejazi Salameh,
Wilt thou return to thy people, or wilt thou return to Alia?
I have reckoned the hour of judgment, and made account of its terrors,
When all is meted to men, the good with the evil dealing.''
And I counsel took with myself how I should turn me towards her,
And learn the truth of her way, and how it sped with her fortune.
And I feared lest evil men should stir the anger of Fadel,
And pain should be her lot, and grief in the day of evil.
Yet was my mind distraught for the mare, how I might dispose her,
Till of a secret cave I thought, deep dug in the mountains,
And there I placed her close, and grass I brought her and water,
And gathered stones from the hill, and sealed the cavern with boulders,
Troubled in mind, O people, and left her there and departed
Uttering verses of power to hide it from eyes curious.
And thus I eased my grief, and soothed my soul in its anguish.
And I passed on foot through the waste by the ways my steps had trodden.
And I sat alone with myself in the empty breadth of the desert,
And I took from my back my wallet, and shook the dust from its leather,
And loosed the buttons all, and searched its inner recesses,
And took from it a dress should serve me for disguisement,
Unguents and oil of salghan, and red beans and essalkam,
And I roasted them on the fire till they were ripe and ruddy.
And I whitened my beard with chalk, and pulled down my mustachios,
And dyed my face with saffron till my cheeks glowed like apples;
And I wrinkled the skin of my brows and crooked my back like a bent bow,
And leaned upon my staff. For am I not, O people,
A man of infinite wiles, a cunning man, a deceiver?
And over the rest of my clothes I set the garb of a dervish,
And held a pot in my hand, even of the pots of the beggars.
And thus in my disguisement I sought his tents, the Agheyli,
Troubled still in my heart for Alia and her trouble,
Nor ceased I to walk and run till I came to the tents of Jaber,
And found there Alia bound, with wood made red for the kindling.
And she cried, ``Alack--a--day! for the men of evil dealing.
Call I to God above, the God of power and compassion,
Him whom no eye may see, to hasten back the dark one.
Ho, in what place are thy eyes, thou foolish man, Salameh,
That thou comest not to her help from these which stand around her?
Why dost thou leave her to these, the insolent men of evil?
What didst thou say, O Abu Zeyd, when forth thou wentest?
Or was thy talk a deceit to her, O Abu Mukheymer?
Wert thou false and untrue, O beautiful one, O hero?
If that thy speech were truth, then come thou to her succour.''
And I called to her with a sign, ``Nay, be not wrath in thy anger;
Only the foolish are wrath.'' And she answered with a gesture,
``Victory be to thee, O Prince, and a life of glory;
Mayest thou still of thy foes the snares outwit, the deceptions.
Lo, my soul is a ransom for thine, and love I this anguish
So but I know thee true, and minded not to betrayal.''
And I called to her with a sign, for we needed not more language:
``Traitors and evil men shall have their payment of evil.
Fear not, for I am here, and, not though the fire be kindled,
Be thou disturbed in mind, for lo, I stand at thy right hand;
And when the flames shall rise, then look for thy deliverance.''
Thus did I comfort her grief. ``God make thee,'' she said, ``victorious.''
Said the Narrator:
And when Alia perceived the Emir Abu Zeyd, and when he had made himself known to her, and they had spoken each by signs to the other, so that her heart was quieted, and her mind lightened of its fear, then Abu Zeyd left her, and went on further a short space, until he came to where a holy man stood up in prayer. And he stood up with him, and made his recitation, until the Assembly was at an end. And the fire was ready kindled, and they brought Alia towards it, and they were about to place her thereon, when the Emir Abu Zeyd came near to Alia, and set aside the people who were pressing round her, and stooped down towards the fire, and having called in a loud voice upon the Prophet, he beat out the fire until it was extinguished. Then went he back to Alia and loosened her bonds, the people the while standing silent in wonder at his doing. And presently they went to the Emir Fadel and told him of what had been. And the Emir said, ``Let him even do as he is minded and as it pleaseth him, for it is not meet I should set myself against any doing whatsoever of an holy man. And for the holy man's sake will I grant Alia her forgiveness. And tell her to return to her own place. But for myself need is that I go forward to greet him.'' And the Emir Fadel arose quickly and approached the fakir, and he kissed his hand and said to him, ``O my Lord, there hath befallen me a great and redoubtable illfortune. Make thou thy prayer for me to our Lord that He give me back my mare; for is He not the giver? And, if that thou shouldst desire to remain with us, surely there shall be to thee a fair welcome; and, shouldst thou die in this country, be assured we will make to thee a fair sepulchre whither at all hours will we come both of the night and of the day.'' And when Abu Zeyd heard him say this he answered him, ``Of a surety this matter shall be made clear to thee and thou shalt know the truth and behold it with thine own eyes.'' Then the Emir Fadel took the fakir with him, and he made Abu Zeyd to sit in the seat of honour; nor said he aught further nor spoke more of that which had happened on the yesterday nor of the matter of the mare.
And the Narrator began again to sing in the following verses; and he said:
Now doth my tale return to the hero Hejazi Salameh:
When that Abu Zeyd had seen the sorrow of Alia,
And had said, ``O Alia, trust me, trust me and be thou patient,
Swift will I bring thee succour in the sight of all beholders,''
Then went I for a space to the place of recitation,
The place of fakirs in prayer, of holy men who were chaunting.
And I found a man of God in his prayer, O people, enraptured,
And around him many more who prayed in the Assembly.
And I said to myself, ``O Abu Zeyd Hejazi Salameh,
Go thou down unto these, so shalt thou win a blessing.''
And I went down to the throng and joined in the recitings,
And stood as one of themselves, as one of those that are holy,
I who had stolen the mare, even I to chaunt among them,
And all the while my heart was as iron heated for Alia,
While we recited aloud from the most noble Koran.
And when we had prayed we returned. And the princess was in danger,
For the people had led her forth to where the fire was enkindled,
And right and left she looked if any should come with succour.
Then sprang I to her side like a lion roused in his anger,
And I took her by the hand, while the crowd beheld in wonder.
And I thrust them back with my hands and stood beside the burning,
Committing my cause to Him, the Lord God, the Almighty,
And I cried out, ``Burn me not, O fire, nor seek thou to shame me!
Burn not, O noble fire, nor do thou hurt to my garments,
For if thou work me ill, I bear to the Lord my witness,
I who am nobly born, a man of illustrious lineage.''
And I passed out thus through the fire, and by the Lord's permission
The flames died and fell down, and I walked forth from them scathless.
And I came to the side of Alia, of her with the plaited tresses,
And I undid her bonds while all the world beheld us:
And they said, ``He is a Sheykh, a holy man of wonder.''
And I said to Alia, ``See, in what plight do I find thee!
I have returned to thee who gavest me my asking.
And lo, the flames of fire beneath thy feet extinguished.
And my heart is sore for thee, and dazed my understanding:
Fearful am I for thee for sake of these thy kinsmen;
For thee would I destroy them with the sword's edge for ever.''
But when the people saw, as all men saw, my doings,
Then came they to my side and kissed they my five fingers,
And they said, ``O holy Sheykh, do thou procure a blessing.''
And I undid Alia's bonds while all the world beheld us.
Then quickly sent they forth to the Emir Agheyli Jaber,
And they said, ``There hath come to us a holy man, a Wely,
Long bearded, untrimmed he, one rapt in contemplation,
He hath quenched the flames of fire and made an end of the burning,
Loosening Alia's bonds, her's of the many jewels.''
And he told them, ``Let him be, I have no mind to oppose him,
Being of the fakirs.'' And he the Sheykh came to me
Barefooted, with respect, and shoeless kissed my fingers.
And he bade me welcome, nobly, even to eighty welcomes.
And he said, ``I guess thy worth, and I will do thee honour;
My heart is with the fakirs, I seek them night and morning,
And I would pardon Alia were it to do thee pleasure.
Yet see, one grief is mine, one all--consuming sorrow,
O Sheykh, 'tis she, my mare, the fair mare which I rode on;
Glorious she was to see, the envy of beholders,
Light--footed--she is gone--you might say a bird's in its flying.
Yet are her footsteps known to thee, thou master of wisdom.''
And Abu Zeyd made answer, ``In the day of hasty judgment
The eyes of men are blind; wait rather till the morrow,
So shall the truth be seen, and thou rejoice, O Jaber.''
And he said to him, ``O Sheykh, if thou wilt do me pleasure,
Lodge with me here to--night, and wouldst thou tarry longer
A dweller in our land, behold each night and morning
To thee shall be of the best the meat that thou desirest,
Garments of amber silk (and all good things in order),
And if that Death should thee o'ertake within our dwelling,
Lo, I will build for thee a monument of honour,
And yearly make for thee a feast and celebration,
And brave men at thy tomb shall keep thee in remembrance.''
And the Emir Agheyli Jaber took by the hand Salameh,
And brought him to his tent and set him with the great ones.
And the people pressed around as it were in the market of Amer,
And with them the fakir, until the dawn was breaking,
While still they chaunted on, and thus to the full morning,
With song and recitation and noble wealth of feasting.
Said the Narrator:
And when they had made the morning prayer, talking and reciting, and Abu Zeyd with them in great delight, then to them came a swift horseman, and his name was Bedr ibn Saleh er Ramal, the sand--diviner, and he came from the land of Bagdad, a knower of things hidden. And when he had alighted he sat him down with the Arabs, and the Agheyli Jaber saluted him with a fair salutation, and the man said, ``O Prince of the people, the news hath reached me of the loss of thy mare, nor have I come to thee save for her sake and to discourse to thee of her welfare if thou shouldst desire it.'' And the Emir said to him, ``If thine be an honest business, the time favoureth.'' And the Ramal struck the sand and made on it his figure fairly, and he said, ``Know that he who stole the mare hath set her in a desert place, and he then came back to thee, and is now with thee beholding all thou doest, and hearing all thou sayest.'' But Fadel el Agheyli said to him, ``There be no strangers here save only this Sheykh and thee, thou man of contemplation.'' Then the Emir Abu Zeyd went to the diviner and he said, ``Know that the sand is at all times forbidden, as is spoken by the Prophet, even though the diviners should speak sooth, `take them as liars.' If, therefore, thou hast other knowledge than by the sand make it known to all here.'' And the diviner said, ``Nay, that should be for thee rather.'' And he commanded that they should bring him a stone vessel, and wine, and oil, and honey and milk, and roasted flesh, a little of each. And they brought him all that he desired. Then he took from his wallet an image of gold with names inscribed thereon, and the names were names of wonder, and the image was in the form of a son of Adam. And he placed the image in the vessel and poured on it the wine and the oil, and the honey and the milk, and all those things of which we have spoken, and he made invocations with incense, and a smoke rose. And there came to him of the Jinns crowding around him. And the image began to speak to and salute the Arabs, and tell them the story which had been told by the sand. And he said, ``Know that none other hath taken the mare, save only he who is called Abu Zeyd Helali Salameh, and he is with you in this place.'' And upon this the Emir sought through all the crowd, but found no man a stranger there save only Abu Zeyd and the man of contemplation. And upon this the Emir Fadel shouted to the tribesmen, and bade them ``Seize hold of the two, and put them in fetters and take them to Alia, who may haply recognise the wrongdoer, and give us news of the truth of the matter.'' And they did all that he bade them, and they went into the presence of Alia, and showed to her Abu Zeyd. And when she saw the Emir Abu Zeyd, she made shift to speak to him by signs. And she said, ``If thou hadst obeyed me and gotten thee hence home, it had been better for thee than now.'' But he said, ``Fear not, for thou shalt see that of me which shall astonish thee.'' And he began to recite, and rejoicing quoted verses from the book, and leaping strenuously upward burst the chains that bound him, and it seemed as though he were light as the cotton--seed which floateth in the air. And he took the chains in his hands, and broke them to pieces from his neck and wrists and ankles. And when the tribesmen saw this they went to the Emir Fadel and told him all that had happened. And he said to them, ``Not for my own pleasure did I this thing, but being over--persuaded by the diviner. Bring therefore the Sheykh to me that I may beg pardon of him, but take ye the diviner, and place him in his stead in irons. And burn him with fire, and be careful that ye leave him not alive.''
Said the Narrator:
And upon this they obeyed and went to Bedr ibn Saleh that they might bind him. But he said to them: ``O warriors, have patience until the Sheykh shall be here, and I will then show you the mare and the reason of all. And if I show you not the mare then do with me as ye list.'' And they consented to his wish. Then brought they to him the Emir Abu Zeyd, and they said to Bedr, ``Now is the time for thee to perform thy word, and let us see how thou wilt fare in the business.'' And he answered them: ``I hear and obey.'' Then again he took forth the image, and he began to inquire of it what should be.
And the Narrator once more singeth:
Now doth my song return to the Emir Agheyli Fadel,
The while he sat with his tribe at the forenoon hour, the Doha,
And around him stood his people, his mighty men of valour.
In pleasant talk sat they, and brave discourse of heroes,
Until one came to the camp Bedr ibn Saleh the cunning,
Skilled in the sand, a man of power and favoured of fortune,
Bred in youth at Bagdad, his father slain by the spearpoints,
Even the spears of Nathahir, and he an orphan among them.
And when the tribesmen saw him, ``Good luck,'' said they, ``attendeth.''
And they cried ``Salaam aleyk, O Bedr, searcher of secrets.''
And Fadel too saluted, even the Emir Agheyli.
And he said, ``I have come, O Sultan, in doubt of the grey mare's fortune,
Therefore I came from afar, from the lands of the sun's rising,
Seeking to serve thy need though I journeyed west to the ocean,
Or, if she eastwards be, to the furthest tribes of the Orient.''
And Fadel answered fairly, ``Thou cheerest me with thy coming,
And this one too saith sooth, being a searcher of secrets,
For he told me yesternight of thy coming and thy fortune,
And the news that thou wouldst bring.'' And to Abu Zeyd Salameh
He said, ``Thou speakest sooth, for lo, this sand--diviner
The like to him is not for the sand's signs and fortunes.''
And Fadel called to Bedr, ``Behold me and my trouble.
I will reward thee well.'' And he said, ``I hear in obedience.''
Then drew he of the grey mare a horoscope and figure,
And he saw within the lines a semblance in reversal.
``An archer leadeth the mare, in the black night doth he hide her,
Guised as a holy man, a man of contemplation,
And he is here with you and the name of him Salameh,
Hidden among you all, to Agheyl a threat and a danger.''
And he turned to Abu Zeyd, ``O Sheykh, give ear and hearken.''
And Abu Zeyd took up the word and gave God praises:
``The sand is sand,'' said he, ``but further hast thou nothing?
If thou hast ought beside leave it no longer hidden.''
But when the diviner heard this word, his ire was kindled:
``The sand,'' he said, ``O Prince, hath spoken all things truly,
It hath made known the sooth and shown the grey mare's robber;
Behold he sitteth here, one of the crowd around thee,
And the mare's self in a cave close shut behind thee lieth.
This is a certain truth. Praise be to God the knower.
Yet shall it plainer speak, so thou, O son of the great ones,
Give but the word they bring stone jars with wine and honey,
All that thou canst procure, with milk and meat and butter.''
And they brought him all he desired, and he took from his bag an image,
An image made of gold, with talismans and figures,
Made in the likeness of man, with legs and arms and shoulders,
And on its hand a ring, a seal--ring set with jewels.
And he made the image stand in the vessel, and poured upon it
Of wine and milk and honey, regarding it intently.
And he covered it with a lid, and set coals in a censer,
And threw thereon of incense and fragrant wood and rosin,
And spake words of enchantment, and called as if entreating.
And there came to him the Red One with a sound of broken thunder,
Jarish, king of the Jinns, encompassed with his whirlwind,
And the Princes of the Jinns in their cohorts and their legions.
And a cry rose from the jar, and the image moved within it.
And the Arabs beheld these things. And he breathed above the image,
And made signs with a wand. And he called aloud to the image,
Saying, ``O image, hear me, and sooth be in thy sayings.
Who was it robbed the mare and rode her forth in the night time?
Nay, if thou tell me not, I will cast thee to the people.''
And the image moved in the jar and rose aloft in the vessel,
And called aloud to the crowd, ``To all men salutation,
And salutation to him, Ibn Saleh, the obedient,
Him who hath sworn by the Name the Compeller of all secrets.
And salutation to Fadel, the prince of Agheyl, the chieftain.
Hearken to me, ye great ones. Give ear to me, O Fadel.
Strange is the tale of thy mare (ay, write it in thy ledgers),
For he who robbed her from thee is with thee here in Council.''
And when the Emir had heard, then turned he rightwards and leftwards,
Looking around in his pride like a pawn made queen on a chess--board,
Yet saw he none but the Sheykh and the man of contemplation.
They alone, these two, stood strange among the tribesmen.
And he called aloud to the Arabs, and bade them bind them in irons,
And lead them straight to Alia, to her of the plaited tresses.
``For she,'' he said, ``shall know and tell us of our foeman.''
And they took and bound Salameh and the man of contemplation,
And they ringed their necks with iron and brought them bound to Alia,
Crying aloud, ``Behold the offenders of the great ones.''
And Alia rose and came, and straightway saw Salameh,
And her spirit fell in trouble, and she wept at what had fallen.
And she let him know by signs known only to the dark one:
``Have I not wished thee good, and victory o'er my tribesmen,
When that we sat by the fire? Why didst thou not obey me
When I bade thee straight begone? For lo, the grief, the trouble!
Alas for thee, my people! alas for thee, Salameh!
Would that my eyes had seen it not, this day of sorrow.''
But he answered her with signs: ``Nay, but much speech is foolish.
Rail not at fortune's hand, since all, even my abasement,
Is by permission of Him who knoweth the heart's secrets.
Yet will I show thee a thing shall be to thee a wonder,
Only do thou have patience, and wait on heaven's justice.
And the hero, Abu Zeyd, vowed vows and chaunted verses,
And the chains fell from his hands, as it were in handfuls of cotton.
Which when the Arabs saw, they told the Agheyli Jaber.
And they said, ``Thou didst obey this sayer of sooth, this Bedr,
And so did also we, since clear it was thy bidding.
Yet what things we have seen, O Prince, what mighty wonders!
For we saw the chains from his neck fall down, and the fetters sundered,
As the cotton flies in the wind, when the light wind sends it driven.
And now for ourselves we fear lest his wrath for us be kindled.
Think of the day of account.'' But Fadel, ``As God pleaseth!
I flout not the fakir, nor set myself with the stiff--necked.
Rather take ye this other, this sayer of sooths untimely,
Boaster and cheat is he. Nay, cast him straightway in fetters,
And bring to me the Sheykh, that I may crave his pardon.''
So they went forth for the man, the sayer of sooths untimely,
And seized and bound him with bonds. But Bedr aloud protested,
``Do not this deed, oh men, and be not ill in your dealings.
Yet were it well, O Prince, thou shouldst ask of the Sheykh his pardon,
Make him a place at thy side. And I will reveal thee all things,
And show thee of the mare, and tell thee sooth of the Wely.''
And when Fadel heard these words he bade them again to bring him,
Saying, ``Mayhap he will spare, and so my mind find comfort.''
And they went again and returned and brought with them Salameh;
And the holy man they brought, the man of contemplation.
And to him the Agheyli rose and joyfully embraced him:
Barefoot he stood and kissed his hands, the in and the outside.
And he said, ``O Sheykh, thy pardon I ask for that which I did thee;
See, I have borne much grief, do thou forbear with my dealings,
Grief on account of the mare and desolation of spirit;
And, when that the image spoke, I did thee a thing unseemly,
Yet, oh, the gracious dealing of him that pardoneth sinners!''
And Abu Zeyd assented, ``Ay, truly do I forgive thee.''
And he made him sit by his side. And Jaber bade them loosen
The chains of the holy man. And they sat, they three together,
Making cheer and rejoicing. And all the sons of the Arabs
Called to them, ``Pray, O Sheykhs, we too have grace and fortune,
Since of a truth we perceive that ye are the men of wonder.''
Said the Narrator:
And when the Sheykh had come, and the man of contemplation, and the soothsayer, and the sons of the great ones, and there had been prepared for them places in the tent, then Fadel the Agheyli turned to the soothsayer, and he said to him, ``Now is the hour come for thee to show thy skill and to speak plainly, and if thou dost not speak sooth then will I slay thee and overwhelm thee with destruction.'' But the soothsayer said, ``I hear and obey.'' Then went he once more to his image and began to upbraid it with angry words, and he swore great oaths over it, and said to it, ``Verily it was no treaty I made with thee that thou shouldest lie.'' And the image began again to move and to speak to Fadel and to those around him, and to tell the tale once more from the beginning, both that which was without and that which was within. And it said, ``O Fadel, how hath the Prince Abu Zeyd saved thy daughter from that traitor and hath slain Sahel and Zohwa for her sake, and how did she then help him to obtain thy mare and to gain that which he desired of thee! For his is a wondrous case, and the circumstances of it how strange!'' And in making an end of speaking it said, ``But if thou wouldst hearken to my bidding, then wouldst thou make fellowship and friendship with him, and wouldst listen to his words and wouldst follow his counsel, nor be his adversary for ever. For to thee he were the truest of companions and of helpers. And he were of more advantage to thee than all the tribes, even than thine own Arabs.''
Said the Narrator:
And when the Emir Fadel heard these words of the image, then cried he with a loud voice, and his cry filled the Assembly and all the tribes heard it, and he swore a great oath and said, ``Yea, verily will I, though he be the first of my foemen, that Abu Zeyd the Helali, the valiant one in fight, who slew my brethren and my kinsmen and my people.'' And when he swore that oath, the Prince Abu Zeyd started to his feet and cried with a loud cry which filled the whole Assembly: ``I am here, even I Salameh.'' And he recited again the tale from the beginning, and all men heard and listened to the manner of his verses. And the Emir Fadel arose and pressed him to his heart, and all his trouble passed from him, and the tribesmen rejoiced at that which had come about. And thereupon the Narrator began to sing and he said:
Now returneth my tale and my singing and my verses
To that which him befell the Emir Agheyli Jaber.
For when they had sat them down, the chiefs in the pavilion,
And Abu Zeyd with them, and Fadel and Ibn Saleh:
``Act,'' said he, ``by thy word, if thou art a man of knowledge,
But if thou doest it not, know well that I shall slay thee.''
And the soothsayer cried, ``Ay truly, to all be there rejoicing.''
And he turned him to the image with words like trickling honey,
And he struck the jar with his wand and he called aloud to the image,
``Wilt thou be proved a liar? And what is this thou doest?
Long have we been together, and now thou wouldst me evil
Shame and a bitter fortune in face of these the great ones?
All thy life wert thou true to me, nor didst thou deceive me.
Marvel it were to--day if thou shouldst be proved a traitor,
Working thus for my death to bring me evil fortune.
What have I done that thou thus shouldst stir their hatred against me?
Tell me rather the truth of the mare of Agheyli Jaber,
So shall his rage be stilled and he bring me forth with honour.
But, if thou tellest it not, with my hand will I destroy thee,
And cast thee forth to the flames to be a fuel for burning.
Resolved am I on this, so be not thou of the stiff--necked.
By this and by that I swear, even by the valley of Barhut.''
And the image rose in its place, and it called out clear to the people,
``Peace be to ye, O people, and peace to Agheyli Jaber.
Listen awhile, O Fadel. The tale of thy mare is a wonder.
This was its cause and reason: the ancient Lady Ghanimeh,
She the mother of Amer, who went to the Helali.
She came in the early morn, and found them sitting in council,
Appealed to Salameh's honour, his, Abu Zeyd the Hejazi,
His the lion, the dealer of blows, of wrongs the avenger.
She asked of him the grey mare, and he vowed to do her bidding,
Promised before them all, the great ones there with the least ones.
And they heard him speak. And to him is life less dear than honour.
And she said she would wait his coming with the mare, among the camp--fires.
And Abu Zeyd arose and dight him for the journey,
Mounted his running camel, and went from them a wanderer.
And he cut a road through the void, the empty plains and the mountains,
Till that he reached your land and housed within your dwellings.
Clad as a poet he came and entered in disguisement.
And he learned the way of you all, unknown to you, in secret.
And he waited the coming of night till the dark should spread its curtain,
Sitting thus in your midst with beating heart till the night time.
For he is a master of wiles, perplexing with disguisements.
For whiles as a Syrian he comes, and whiles as a Mogrebbin,
Whiles as from Egypt's land, or a black slave, or from Berber,
Or as a singer of songs from the utmost lands of the Persians.
And the day he came to thy tribe, he slew Sahel Ibn Aäf,
Him, O Prince, who is known to men for his deeds of evil.
And with him he slew Zohwa Bint Nasser, his companion,
He, the thief of thy mare, protecting thus thy daughter,
Slaying the traitors twain, and dealing sure destruction.
For they were together there for a foul deed in the darkness,
And Abu Zeyd gave ear when they complained of thy doing,
How thou hadst slain his father and seized upon his riches,
And how he desired a vengeance, even on thy daughter Alia.
And when that Zohwa heard him, she said, `I will bring her to thee.'
And to Alia's tent came she and remained with her the night through,
Talking till well two--thirds of the night were spent in discourses.
And afterwards she said, `And who is this dog of the Arabs?
Is not thy father king, and lord, and sheykh of the Arabs?'
So she went with her through the night, and fate shut fast her eyelids,
And when they were come to the desert, then Sahel, the dog, assailed her,
Seized her strait by the throat, and clutched her necklace of jewels.
And she called to him, `Nay, spare me.' But he denied her pleadings.
And she cried aloud to her Lord, and made her supplication.
And when that she had prayed then spake she the name of Salameh,
Even of Abu Zeyd, the hero, the right arm of Amer,
And at her voice he came and slew those two in the darkness.
And the dark one loosed her bonds and cut her bindings asunder,
And bade her begone to her people and see that none should know it.
And she answered him, `Nay truly, but first I would know thy lineage.'
And they made an oath together, and they went to the pavilion,
And twenty nights and days were they two there rejoicing.''
Thus then spoke the image as though it had seen and heard them.
And lastly the image said, ``O prince, O thou of the great ones,
If thou wouldst do my bidding, let there be peace between ye.''
Then was the image silent. But Fadel, ``God be my witness
That there is peace between us, even though he be the Helali,
Abu Zeyd the destroyer, the enemy of our people.
What though he slew my kin, eight men of them together,
Even eight of my kin, with Zohwa Ibn Talh, and Faher,
Yet may God give him peace, and may the tribes befriend him.''
And Abu Zeyd arose and he spoke to the Assembly,
And he cried aloud, ``Behold me, Abu Zeyd of Helal Ibn Amer,
I in truth was the slayer of these eight men of thy people,
Taking them thus from their joy and dealing them destruction.
And lo, thou art here to--day in the midst of these thy great ones,
And I one man alone. Yet if thou stand indebted,
Take thy due of the lion's blood and all that are with thee.
Now is their time to strike. Let none hold back to spare me.''
But Fadel the Agheyli spoke, and thus aloud he addressed him,
``Welcome to thee, O Prince, O thou the right arm of Amer.''
And he rose up and embraced him and made him sit at his right hand,
And Abu Zeyd made known the hiding--place of the grey mare.
And the Arabs pressed around, and the poets sang of his praises.
And the heart of the Agheyli was soothed and he cried, ``O right arm of Amer,
Lo, thou shalt have thy wish, though thou ask my soul I will give it.''
And this their story is, the true tale of their doings.
