Gherib

“ I will go forth to him.’ So he donned his battle-harness and spurring his charger into the midst of the field, cried out to Gherib, saying, ‘Out on thee, O dog of the Arabs! what art thou that thou shouldst defy me in the open field and slay my men?’ And Gherib answered, ‘Up and take thy wreak for the slaughter of thy braves!’ So Semsam ran at Gherib, who awaited him with a dilated breast and a heart well pleased, and they hewed at one another with maces, till the two hosts marvelled and every eye was fixed on them. ”

“ Tell us who thou art among the braves.’ So Gherib raised his vizor and Sehim knew him and cried out, saying, ‘This is your king and your lord Gherib, who is come back from the land of the Jinn!’ When the Muslims heard Gherib’s name, they threw themselves off their horses’ backs and crowding about him, kissed his feet in the stirrups and saluted him, rejoicing in his safe return. Then they carried him into the city of Oman, where he entered his palace and sat down on the throne of his kingship, whilst his officers stood around him, in the utmost joy. ”

“ Ho for the Faith of Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace!’ The unbelievers awoke in affright and snatching up their arms, fell upon each other till the morning, when the most part of them were dead men and but few remained. Then Gherib cried out to the true believers, saying, ‘Up and at the remnant of the infidels! Behold, I am with you, and God is your helper!’ So the Muslims drove at the enemy and Gherib drew his sword El Mahic and fell upon the foe, cutting off noses and sending heads flying. ”

“ Then they repaired on foot to Gherib’s tent and kissing the earth before him, wished him power and advancement, saying, ‘O our lord, we are become thy slaves; command us what thou wilt, for we hearken to thee and obey thee and will never leave thee, for God hath guided us into the right way at thy hands.’ ‘May God abundantly requite you!’ answered he. ”

“ When Gherib heard this, he said, ‘By the virtue of Abraham the Friend, I will assuredly go to yonder dog and destroy him and lay waste his kingdom!’ Then he sent letters to Jemrcan and to the governors of Mosul and Meyya Farikin and turning to Rustem, said to him, ‘How many men hadst thou in thine army?’ ‘A hundred thousand Persian horse,’ answered he. ”

“ Quoth he to them, ‘What made you leave fighting?’ ‘O my lord,’ answered they, ‘thou didst affright us with the words thou shoutedst out at us.’ Then said Gherib, ‘What calamity do ye worship?’ ‘We worship Wedd and Souwaa and Yeghouth,’ answered they, ‘lords of the tribe of Noah;’ and Gherib, ‘We serve none but God the Most High, Maker of all things and Provider of every living creature. He it is who created the heavens and the earth and stablished the mountains, who maketh water to well from the rocks and the trees to grow and feedeth the wild beasts in the deserts ”

“ When his brothers saw him a prisoner, they rushed upon Gherib, who took three of them captive and the fifth fled back to his father, who said to him, ‘What is behind thee and where are thy brothers?’ Quoth he, ‘A beardless youth, forty cubits high, hath taken them prisoner.’ ‘May the sun pour no blessing on you!’ replied Saadan and going down from his hold, tore up a huge tree, with which he went in quest of Gherib and his folk on foot, for that no horse might carry him, because of the bigness of his body. ”

“ When Siran heard this, he dismissed the Red King and conjuring up a Marid, by name Zuazia, gave him a drachm of powdered henbane and said to him, ‘Take the form of a sparrow and go to King Gherib’s palace at Isbanir. Wait till he is asleep and there is none with him; then put the henbane up his nostrils and bring him to me.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered the Marid and changing himself into a sparrow, flew to Isbanir, where he perched on a window of the palace and waited till all Gherib’s attendants retired and the King himself slept. ”

“ Now this was the host of the Ghoul of the Mountain, whom Gherib had despatched to Jemrcan’s aid, and Saadan himself rode in their van. So the two hosts of the true believers joined company and rushing upon the infidels, like a flame of fire, plied them with the keen sword and the straight and quivering spear, whilst the day was darkened and eyes blinded for the much dust. The valiant stood fast and the coward fled and sought the deserts, whilst the blood flowed like a tide over the earth ”

“ So Gherib mounted with his troops and rode, till he came to the town of Babel, whose folk took fright at him. Now there was in this town a king called Jemek, under whose hand were twenty thousand horsemen, and there gathered themselves together to him from the villages [round about] other fifty thousand horse, who pitched their tents under the walls of the city. ”

“ Dismount and put thy hands behind thy back and kiss my feet and set my warriors free and go with me in chains to my kingdom, that I may pardon thee and make thee an elder in our country, so mayst thou eat a morsel of bread there.’ When Gherib heard this, he laughed till he fell backward and answered, saying, ‘O raging dog and scurvy wolf, thou shalt soon see against whom the shifts of Fate will turn!’ Then he cried out to Sehim to bring him the prisoners ”

“ Then pricked out the Ghoul of the Mountain, with a mace on his shoulder, two hundred pounds in weight, and advanced and retreated, saying, ‘Ho, worshippers of idols, come ye out to-day, for it is a day of battle! Whoso knoweth me hath enough of my mischief and whoso knoweth me not, I will make myself known to him. I am Saadan, servant of King Gherib. Who is for jousting? Who is for fighting? ”

“ Then Muraash took Gherib by the hand and showed him the palace and its ordinance and all the marvels it contained, till they came to the armoury, wherein were the arms of Japhet son of Noah. Here Gherib saw a sword hanging to a peg of gold and said, ‘O King, whose sword is that?’ Quoth Muraash, ‘It is the sword of Japhet son of Noah, wherewith he was wont to do battle against men and Jinn. The sage Jerdoun forged it and graved on its back names of might. It is named El Mahic, [19] for that it never descends upon a man, but it annihilates him, nor upon a genie, but it crushes him ”

“ When the two men, whom Sabour had charged to drown his daughter Fekhr Taj, let her go, bidding her flee for her life, she went forth distracted, knowing not whither to go and saying, ‘Where is thine eye, O Gherib, that thou mayst see my case?’ and wandered on from place to place and country to country, till she came to a valley abounding in trees and streams, in whose midst stood a lofty and strong-builded castle, as it were one of the pavilions of Paradise. ”

“ The foemen everywhere do dread my sabre and my spear.
I’m Jemrcan, whose whole delight is in the press of war, And all the champions of the world my lance-thrust know and fear.
Gherib my lord and sultan is, the high-priest of my faith, That is the lion of the fight, when hosts to strife draw near!
Devout and full of pious dread, a doughty chief is he; Midmost the tented field he slays his enemies like deer. ”

“ Thereupon Gherib rose and kissed the earth, saying, ‘O King of the age, thou art a king and I am but a poor man, and belike thou wilt ask a heavy dowry.’ ‘O my son,’ replied the King, ‘know that Khired Shah, lord of Shiraz, seeks her in marriage and hath appointed a hundred thousand dinars to her dower ”

“ He entered his palace and sat down on his throne, with his officers standing on either hand. Then the spies entered and informed him that his brother Agib had made his escape and taken refuge with Julned ben Kerker, the lord of the city of Oman and land of Yemen; whereupon Gherib bade his troops make ready to set out in three days’ time. Then he expounded Islam to the thirty thousand men he had taken in the first battle and exhorted them to profess and take service with him. Twenty thousand embraced the faith, but the rest refused and he slew them. ”

“ Go and bring me news of yonder dust!’ So one of them took horse and riding off, returned after awhile and said, ‘O King, this is the dust of a hundred horse, and the name of their chief is Sehim el Leil.’ Quoth Gherib, ‘O my lord, this is my brother, whom I had sent on an errand, and I will go forth to meet him.’ So saying, he mounted, with his hundred men of the Benou Kehtan and a thousand Persians, and rode forth to meet his brother in great state, [that is to say if greatness may be attributed to the creature] for [real] greatness belongeth to God alone. ”

“ Moreover, the Marids sought for him all round the town, but returned after three days, without having come on any tidings of him. So the people donned black and made their complaint to the Lord of all Creatures, who doth what pleaseth Him.
Meanwhile, the current bore the raft along for five days, till it brought it to the salt sea, where the waves played with Gherib and his stomach, being troubled, threw up the henbane. Then he opened his eyes and finding himself in the midst of the sea, tossed about by the waves, said, ‘There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High, the Supreme! ”

“ But He who hath power over all things hath given us the victory over thee. Wherefore do thou embrace Islam and thou shalt be saved, and I will forbear to avenge my father and mother on thee. Moreover, I will make thee King again as thou wast and will myself be under thy hand.’ But Agib said, ‘I will not leave my faith.’ So Gherib bade lay him in irons and appointed a hundred stalwart slaves to guard him ”

“ We are the henchmen of King Gherib, the friend of Muraash, 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 Afrits, loaded their tents and treasure and baggage upon camels and made off; and the first to fly was Agib. Night dcliii.The Marids ceased not from the pursuit, till they had driven them far away into the hills and deserts; and but fifty thousand infidels of two hundred thousand escaped with their lives and made for their own land, wounded and discomfited. ”

“ Then he opened out his mind to one of the elders of his tribe and took counsel with him of killing Gherib. ‘O Amir,’ replied he, ‘it was but yesterday that he freed thy daughter from captivity. If thou must needs kill him, let it be by the hand of another than thyself, so the folk may not misdoubt of thee.’ Quoth Merdas, ‘Advise me how I may compass his death, for I look to none but thee for this.’ ‘O Amir,’ answered the other. ‘wait till he goes forth to hunt, when do thou take a hundred horse and lie in wait for him in the caves, till he passes ”

“ Next morning, as soon as it was day, Murad Shah mounted and rode forth, with the two hundred Marids on his right hand and the kings of men on his left, whilst the drums beat a point of war. When Gherib heard this, he also took horse and calling his people to battle, rode out, with the Jinn on his right hand and the men on his left. Then came forth Murad Shah, armed cap-a-pie, and spurred his charger right and left, saying, ‘O folk, let none come forth to me but your King. ”

“ If we prove the victors, we shall be free to kill him, and if we be beaten, his being alive in our hands will be a strength to us.’ And the Amirs said, ‘The vizier says sooth.’ Night dcxxxix.So Agib bade lay Gherib in irons and chain him up in his own tent and appointed a thousand stout warriors to guard him. ”

“ Except I overtake him and take my wreak of him, I shall die of despite.’ Whereupon Sehim came forward and kissing the earth before him, said, ‘O King, I will go to the army of the infidels and find out what is come of the perfidious dog Agib.’ ‘Go,’ answered Gherib, ‘and learn the truth regarding the hog.’ So Sehim disguised himself in the habit of the infidels and became as he were of them; then, making for the enemy’s camp, he found them all asleep, drunken with war and battle, and only the guards awake. Presently he came to the King’s pavilion, where he found Julned asleep and unattended ”

“ Kailjan caught up the Prince and Courjan the King and flew back with them to Gherib, who caused beat them, till they fainted. Then the Marids returned to the Shirazi camp and drawing their swords, which no mortal man might wield, fell upon the infidels, and God hurried their souls to the fire and evil was the abiding-place [to which they went] , whilst they saw nothing but two swords flashing and reaping men, as a husbandman reaps corn. So they forsook their tents and mounting their horses bare-backed, fled for their lives. ”

“ Gharib rejoiced in them and said to them, “O folk, return to your people and expound Al-Islam to them;” but all replied, “O our lord, we will never leave thee, whilst we live; but we will go and fetch our families and return to thee.” And Gharib said, “Go, and join me at the city of Cufa.” So Jamrkan and his comrades returned to their tribal camp and offered Al-Islam to their women and children, who all to a soul embraced the True Faith, after which they dismantled their abodes and struck their tents and set out for Cufa, driving before them their steeds, camels and sheep. ”

“ Now she was five hundred years old, and every man who entered the city, they brought to her and she made him sleep with her, and when he had done his work, she slew him and so had she slain many men. When she saw Gharib, he pleased her mightily; so she asked him, “What be thy name and Faith and whence comest thou?” and he answered, “My name is Gharib King of Irak, and I am a Moslem.” Said she, “Leave this Creed and enter mine and I will marry thee and make thee King.” But he looked at her with eyes of ire and cried, “Perish thou and thy faith!” ”