Ajib

“ The Eunuch was angered and said to Ajib, "This is just what I feared! we ate that unlucky mouthful (which we are bound to respect) , and here is the fellow following us from place to place; for the vulgar are ever the vulgar." Ajib, turning and seeing the Cook just behind him, was wroth and his face reddened with rage and he said to the servant; "Let him walk the highway of the Moslems; but, when we turn off it to our tents, and find that he still follows us, we will send him about his business with a flea in his ear." Then he bowed his head and walked on, the Eunuch walking behind him. ”

“ He rejoined, “She is one of thine handmaids: I give her to thee to wife, and I am thy slave.” Said Ajib, “I desire to look upon this son of an adulteress, Gharib, that I may destroy him and cause him taste all manner of torments.” Then he bade give Mardas, to his daughter’s dowry, thirty thousand dinars and an hundred pieces of silk-brocaded and fringed with gold and an hundred pieces of silk bordered stuffs and kerchiefs and golden collars. So he went forth with this mighty fine dowry and set himself to equip Mahdiyah in all diligence. ”

“ Indeed I keep off the folk from thee with this quarter-staff lest they even look upon thee; and I dare not suffer thee to enter this shop at all." When Hasan of Bassorah heard his speech he marvelled and turned to the Eunuch with the tears pouring down his cheeks; and Ajib said, "Verily my heart loves him!" But he answered, "Leave this talk, thou shalt not go in." Thereupon the father turned to the Eunuch and said, "O worthy sir, why wilt thou not gladden my soul by entering my shop? O thou who art like a chestnut, dark without but white of heart within! ”

“ She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King that Mardas coming into the presence of Ajib, said to him, “I come to place myself under thy protection!” Quoth Ajib, “Tell me who hath wronged thee, that I may protect thee against him, though it were Sabur, King of the Persians and Turcomans and Daylamites.” Quoth Mardas, “O King of the Age, he who hath wronged me is none other than a youth whom I reared in my bosom. ”

“ So he waited awhile and presently crept to the tent and taking Ajib, who was senseless for the pain of the bastinado, on his back, made off with him into the open country and fared on at the top of his speed from early night to the next day, till he came to a spring of water, under an apple tree. There he set down Ajib from his back and washed his face, whereupon he opened his eyes and seeing Sayyar, said to him, “O Sayyar, carry me to Cufa that I may recover there and levy horsemen and soldiers wherewith to overthrow my foe: and know, O Sayyar, that I am anhungered.” ”

“ Quoth Ajib, "Even so, O nuncle mine; my heart burns for the loss of a beloved one who is none other than my father; and indeed I come forth, I and my grandfather, [FN#459] to circle and search the world for him. Oh, the pity of it, and how I long to meet him!" Then he wept with exceeding weeping, and his father also wept seeing him weep and for his own bereavement, which recalled to him his long separation from dear friends and from his mother; and the Eunuch was moved to pity for him. Then they ate together till they were satisfied; and Ajib and the slave rose and left the shop. ”

“ So, needing more, he levied other fifty thousand men, cavalry and infantry, and taking horse amid a mighty host, rode forwards, till he came upon his brother’s army encamped before Mosul and pitched his tents in face of their lines. Then Gharib wrote a writ and said to his officers, “Which of you will carry this letter to Ajib?” Whereupon Sahim sprang to his feet and cried, “O King of the Age, I will bear thy missive and bring thee back an answer.” So Gharib gave him the epistle and he repaired to the pavilion of Ajib who, when informed of his coming, said, “Admit him!” ”

“ Meanwhile the Kafirs sought for Ajib and finding him not among them nor in their tents, told Jaland of his flight, whereat his Doomsday rose and he bit his fingers, saying, “By the Sun’s light-giving round, he is a perfidious hound and hath fled with his rascal rout to desert-ground. But naught save force of hard fighting will serve us to repel these foes; so fortify your resolves and hearten your hearts and beware of the Moslems.” ”

“ When Ajib heard his father's words his heart also yearned himwards and he looked at the Eunuch and said to him, "Of a truth, O my good guard, my heart yearns to this cook; he is as one that hath a son far away from him: so let us enter and gladden his heart by tasting of his hospitality. Perchance for our so doing Allah may reunite me with my father." When the Eunuch heard these words he cried, "A fine thing this, by Allah! Shall the sons of Wazirs be seen eating in a common cook-shop? ”

“ So they snatched up their arms and fell one upon other, whilst the Marids shore off their heads, as a reaper eareth grain, crying, “God is Most Great! We are the lads of King Gharib, the friend of Mura’ash, King of the Jinn!” The sword ceased not to go round amongst them till the night was half spent, when the Misbelievers, imagining that the mountains were all Ifrits, loaded their tents and treasure and baggage upon camels and made off; and the first to fly was Ajib.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say. ”

“ When Ra’ad Shah saw how evilly Ajib fared with his brother, he called for his charger and donning his harness and habergeon, mounted and dashed out a-field. As soon as he drew near King Gharib, he cried out at him, saying, “O basest of Arabs and bearer of scrubs, [55] who art thou, that thou shouldest capture Kings and braves? Down from thy horse and put elbows behind back and kiss my feet and set my warriors free and go with me in bond of chains to my reign that I may pardon thee and make thee a Shaykh in our own land, so mayst thou eat there a bittock of bread.” ”

“ Then King Gharib and his folk returned, rejoicing in their victory; and on the morrow they divided the loot and rested five days; after which King Gharib sat down on the throne of his kingship and sending for his brother Ajib, said to him, “O dog, why hast thou assembled the Kings against us? But He who hath power over all things hath given us the victory over thee. So embrace the Saving Faith and thou shalt be saved, and I will forbear to avenge my father and mother on thee therefor, and I will make thee King again as thou wast, placing myself under thy hand.” ”

“ We ate in thy house a mouthful when we were here before and thou madest us repent of it, for that thou followedst us and wouldst have disgraced us; so now we will not eat aught with thee save on condition that thou make oath not to go out after us nor dog us. Otherwise we will not visit thee again during our present stay; for we shall halt a week here, whilst my grandfather buys certain presents for the King." Quoth Hasan of Bassorah, "I promise you this." So Ajib and the Eunuch entered the shop, and his father set before them a saucer-full of conserve of pomegranate-grains. ”

“ He entered his palace and sat down on his sire’s throne with his champions ranged on either hand. Then the spies came forwards, and informed him that his brother Ajib had made his escape and had taken refuge with Jaland [12] bin Karkar, lord of the city of Oman and land of Al-Yaman; whereupon Gharib cried aloud to his host, “O men, make you ready to march in three days.” Then he expounded Al-Islam to the thirty thousand men he had captured in the first affair and exhorted them to profess and take service with him. Twenty thousand embraced the Faith, but the rest refused and he slew them. ”

“ Quoth Gharib, “O King, I have many foes and I fear for my folk from them.” Then he related to him his history with his brother Ajib from first to last, and the King of the Jinns said, “O King of men, I will send one who shall bring thee news of thy people, for I will not let thee go till I have had my fill of thy face.” Then he called two doughty Marids, by name Kaylaján and Kúraján, and after they had done him homage, he bade them repair to Al-Yaman and bring him news of Gharib’s army. They replied, “To hear is to obey,” and departed. ”

“ With this Ajib cried out to his men, saying, “Seize yonder hound and hew him in pieces with your hangers.” [FN#4] So they ran at Sahim; but he bared blade and fell upon them and slew of them more than fifty braves; after which he cut his way out, though bathed in blood, and won back to Gharib, who said, “What is this case, O Sahim?” And he told him what had passed, whereat he grew livid for rage and crying “Allaho Akbar God is most great!” bade the battle-drums beat. So the fighting-men donned their hauberks and coats of straitwoven mail and baldrick’d themselves with their swords ”

“ They cut his navel-string [FN#445] and Kohl'd his eyelids to strengthen his eyes, and gave him over to the nurses and nursery governesses, [FN#446] naming him Ajib, the Wonderful. His day was as a month and his month was as a year; [FN#447] and, when seven years had passed over him, his grandfather sent him to school, enjoining the master to teach him Koran-reading, and to educate him well. he remained at the school four years, till he began to bully his schoolfellows and abuse them and bash them and thrash them and say, "Who among you is like me? I am the son of Wazir of Egypt!" ”

“ O Sa’adan, what case is this?” “O my lord,” replied Sa’adan, “it is Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) who ordaineth joy and annoy and there is no help but this and that betide.” And Gharib rejoined, “Thou speakest sooth, O 7Sa’adan!” But Ajib passed the night in joy and he said to his men, “Mount ye on the morrow and fall upon the Moslems so shall not one of them be left alive.” And they replied, “Hearkening and obedience!” This is how it fared with them; but as regards the Moslems, they passed the night, dejected and weeping for their King and Sa’adan ”

“ So Agib took the pitcher and drank and passed it to the eunuch, and it went round amongst them till their stomachs were full, for they had eaten and drunken beyond their wont. Then they went away and made haste in walking till they reached the tents, and Agib went in to his grandmother, who kissed him, and thinking of her son Bedreddin Hassan, wept and repeated the following verses:
But for my hope that God would yet our severed loves unite, I had
not lived for life to me is void of all delight. ”

“ And when He hides His face, who will go to Him, either on behalf of a nation or on behalf of an individual ; because of a king who is a profane fellow, a snare of the people ?
14. For to God one should say: I was at fault; I am not wilfully perverse. That I see not, shew Thou. If I wrought perversity I will not add to it. Did he recompense according to Thy mind ? It is for Thee to reject ; for Thou puttest to the test, not I. And who can see anything?
15. Men of heart will say to me ; and hear me, oh, wise man. Ayub has not spoken intelligently, and his words are thoughtless. ”

“ This answer did not satisfy the eunuch, who turning to Agib, said, “See what you have brought on me; I foresaw, that I should repent of my compliance; you would go into this man’s shop, but indeed I was a fool to suffer it.”—“Perhaps,” said Agib, “he may really have business out of the city, and the road is free for every one.” They then continued walking, without looking behind them, till they were arrived at the tents of the grand vizier; they then looked back, and saw that Bedreddin followed close. ”

“ Ayub seems to have, so far, at least, discerned between the Almighty and the god- ling Satan as to feel that any paltering with the latter would be fatal to him.
19. Only two things do not against me, then I shall not be hidden from thy presence : Remove thy hand from off me ; and thy terror shall not overwhelm me. But call and I will reply, or I will speak and do Thou restore me.
20. For what are my crimes and shortcomings ? Shew me my transgression and my failure. Why wilt Thou turn away Thy face and count me as Thine enemy? Wilt shake a leaf driven by the wind, and hunt a dry straw? ”

“ WHEN Ahab had let Naboth be stoned that he might get his vineyard, the Prophet Elijah said that Ahab would be greatly punished, and that where the dogs licked up Naboth's blood there they would lick up Ahab's; and that cruel Jezebel should be eaten up by dogs, so that no one could say, This is Jezebel.
Some time after, Ahab went out to fight a battle. He was afraid, because his conscience troubled him, and he thought he should be safer if he did not go out to fight dressed like a king, for he knew the enemies would all come and try to kill him if they saw him in his robes. ”

“ Is it by thine understanding that the hawk hovers, spreading out his wings to the South wind ? Or will the vulture mount at thy bidding, and make her nest on high ? The precipice is her abode, and she hangs on the fang and snare of the rock. There she will feel the sting of hunger, from afar her eye will make search ; and her brood will guzzle blood, and where the wounded fall there is she.
27. And Jehovah answered Ayub, and said : He who impeaches a mighty one is a censor. One who criticises God shall answer it. ”

“ In fact, he says it is no wonder if Ayub reverences the gods, seeing how high he stands in the favour of their King.↑ Will he bless thee to thy face? Or it may be rendered also : Lo, he will not bless thee to thy face. A.V. renders not bless by a single word, which is at least an honest and straightforwad if not a very delicate way of turning the difficulty. R.V. shirks it altogether. The real point seems to be that Satan sees that the Almighty cannot submit to be patronised by Ayub ; but he had yet to learn that Jehovah does not lack resource, and can deliver those who trust Him.↑ Eat him up ”