Noureddin

“ When Noureddin foregathered with his father and mother, they rejoiced in each other with the utmost joy and care and affliction ceased from them, whilst his parents rejoiced no less in the Princess Meryem and entreated her with the utmost honour. Every day, there came to them presents from all the amirs and great merchants, and they were daily in new delight and gladness exceeding the gladness of festival. ”

“ Whereupon said Noureddin, ‘I make thee a present of her, the present of a generous man who does not go back on his giving nor will revoke his gift.’ Then he sprang to his feet and taking a mantle, threw it over the pretended fisherman and bade him take the damsel and begone. But she looked at him and said, ‘O my lord, art thou going away without bidding me adieu? If it must be so, at least, stay whilst I bid thee farewell and make known my case.’ And she repeated the following verses:
I am filled full of longing pain and memory and dole, Till I for languor am become a body without soul. ”

“ So I said to Noureddin, "O my son, sell her to me for four thousand dinars." He looked at me and replied, "O pestilent old man, I will sell her to a Jew or a Christian rather than to thee!" "I do not buy her for myself," said I, "but for our lord and benefactor the Sultan." When he heard my words, he flew into a passion and dragging me off my horse, for all I am an old man, beat me till he left me as thou seest; and all this has befallen me but because I thought to buy the girl for thee.' Then the Vizier threw himself on the ground and lay there, weeping and trembling. ”

“ When Noureddin came in presence of the King, he kissed the ground before him and repeated the following verses, for he was facile of speech, firm of soul and abounding in good parts and natural gifts:
May all delights of life attend thee, O my lord, And mayst thou
live as long as night and morning be!
Lo! when meets tongues recall thy magnanimity, The age doth leap
for Joy and Time claps hands for glee.
The Sultan rose to receive them and after thanking Noureddin for his compliment, asked the Vizier who he was. The Vizier replied, "This is my brother's son." ”

“ So Mesrour drew his sword and smote off the Vizier’s head. Then said the Khalif to Noureddin, ‘Ask a boon of me.’ ‘O my lord,’ answered he, ‘I have no need of the sovereignty of Bassora: all my desire is to have the honour of serving thee and looking on thy face.’ ‘With all my heart,’ replied the Khalif. Then he sent for Enis el Jelis and bestowed plentiful favours upon them both, assigning them a palace at Baghdad and regular allowances. Moreover, he made Noureddin one of his boon-companions, and the latter abode with him in the enjoyment of the most delectable life, till Death overtook him. ”

“ He had a son called Ali Noureddin, as he were the full moon whenas it waxeth on its fourteenth night, a marvel of beauty and grace, elegant of shape and accomplished in symmetry, who was sitting one day in his father’s shop, selling and buying and giving and taking, as was his wont, when the sons of the merchants encompassed him about and he was amongst them as the moon among stars, with flower-white forehead and rosy cheeks, covered with tender down, and body like alabaster, even as saith of him the poet:
A fair one said, ‘Describe me well;’ And I, ‘In grace thou dost excel. ”

“ When he heard the Sultan’s order and saw the enemies intent upon killing his master’s son, it was grievous to him; so he went out from before the Sultan and mounting his steed, rode to Noureddin’s house and knocked at the door. Noureddin came out and knowing him, would have saluted him: but he said, ‘O my lord, this is no time for greeting or converse.’ ‘O Ilmeddin,’ asked Noureddin, ‘what is the matter?’ ‘Arise and flee for your lives, thou and the damsel,’ replied he: ‘for Muïn ben Sawa hath laid a snare for you; and if you fall into his hands, he will kill you. ”

“ Then said Noureddin, “I have five behests to lay on thee: and the first is that thou be not too familiar with any one, neither frequent him nor foregather with him over-much; so shalt thou be safe from his mischief, for in retirement is safety, and I have heard it said by a poet:
There is no man in all the world, whose love is worth thy trust, No friend who, if fate play thee false, will true and constant be. ”

“ When the druggist heard this, the light in his eyes became darkness and he grieved sore for Noureddin and said to him, ‘O my son, why didst thou not bring her out of the ship into the city without a veil? But talk availeth not at this season; so rise, O my son, and come up with me to the city; it may be God will vouchsafe thee a girl fairer than she, who shall console thee for her. Praised be God who hath not made thee lose aught by her! Nay, thou hast gained by her. ”

“ Or a blow may fall on your lord, and you will all die the foulest of deaths; so you would do wisely not to interfere.’ So they held aloof and when Noureddin had made an end of beating the Vizier, he took his slave-girl and went home; and Muïn rose, with his white clothes dyed of three colours with black mud, red blood and ashes. ”

“ Noureddin--for so the vizir's son was named--went freely in and out of his mother's apartments. He was young, well-made and agreeable, and had the gift of charming all with whom he came in contact. As soon as he saw the beautiful Persian, though aware that she was destined for the king, he let himself be carried away by her charms, and determined at once to use every means in his power to retain her for himself. The Persian was equally captivated by Noureddin, and said to herself: "The vizir does me too great honour in buying me for the king. ”

“ For several days after Noureddin's departure with the letter the Caliph had forgotten to send the express with the patent, without which the letter was useless. Hearing a beautiful voice one day in the women's part of the palace uttering lamentations, he was informed that it was the voice of the fair Persian, and suddenly calling to mind the patent, he sent for Giafar, and ordered him to make for Balsora with the utmost speed--if Noureddin were dead, to hang Saouy; if he were still alive, to bring him at once to Bagdad along with the king and Saouy. ”

“ None but she befitteth him and none but he Of the maid is worthy, underneath the skies.
Noureddin was abashed before the merchants; so he paid down the thousand dinars, that he had left with his friend the druggist, and taking the girl, carried her to the house in which the latter had lodged him. When she entered and saw nothing but patched carpets and worn-out rugs, she said to him, ‘O my lord, have I no value in thine eyes and am I not worthy that thou shouldst carry me to thine own house wherein are thy goods, that thou bringest me into thy servant’s lodging? ”

“ When Noureddin heard this, he said, “What dowry is this thou wouldst impose on my son? Knowest thou not that we are brothers and both by God’s grace Viziers and equal in rank? It behoves thee to offer thy daughter to my son, without dowry: or if thou must have a dower, it should be something of nominal value, for mere show; for thou knowest the male to be more worthy than the female, and my son is a male, and our memory will be preserved by him, not by thy daughter ”

“ The king's wrath was kindled against Noureddin. He ordered the captain of the guard to take with him forty men, to pillage Noureddin's house, to rase it to the ground, and to bring Noureddin and the slave to him. A doorkeeper, named Sangiar, who had been a slave of Khacan's, hearing this order given, slipped out of the king's apartment, and hastened to warn Noureddin to take flight instantly with the beautiful Persian. ”

“ This was done during the rest of the day, and when the night came, she despatched the eunuch with the mule and a suit of clothes, to fetch Noureddin from the Muezzin’s lodging. So the young man donned the clothes and mounting; rode to the house, where he abode in luxury and delight a full-told month, what while she solaced him with four things, to wit, the eating of fowls and the drinking of wine and the lying upon brocade and the entering the bath after copulation. ”

“ Then he kissed her on the mouth and they played at kisses with one another, after the manner of the billing of doves, till the others were distracted and rose to their feet; whereupon Noureddin was abashed and held his hand from her. Then she took her lute and preluding thereon in many different modes, returned to the first and sang the following verses:
A moon, he draws from out his lids, whenas he turns and sways, A sword and puts gazelles to shame, whenas he stands at gaze. ”

“ When they were arrived at Balsora, Noureddin Ali alighted, and thanked the courier for the favour he had done him. As he walked along the streets seeking for a lodging, he saw a person of great quality and distinction coming, accompanied by a numerous train, to whom all the inhabitants paid great respect, by waiting to let him pass; and Noureddin Ali stopped like the rest. It was the grand vizier of the sultan of Balsora, who was parading the city to preserve peace and good order by his presence. ”

“ So saying the doorkeeper led the way into the Caliph's garden, the beauties of which filled them with wonder and amazement. Noureddin took out two gold pieces, and giving them to Scheih Ibrahim said,
"I beg you to get us something to eat that we may make merry together." Being very avaricious, Scheih Ibrahim determined to spend only the tenth part of the money and to keep the rest to himself. While he was gone Noureddin and the Persian wandered through the gardens and went up the white marble staircase of the pavilion as far as the locked door of the saloon. ”

“ Though to their forest dens the lions should me drag, Whilst but
an hour remains, they have no power to kill.'
Then they proceeded to proclaim before Noureddin, 'This is the least of the punishment of those who impose upon kings with forgery!' And they paraded him round about Bassora, till they came beneath the windows of the palace, where they made him kneel down on the carpet of blood and the headsman came up to him and said, 'O my lord, I am but a slave commanded in this matter: if thou hast any desire, let me know, that I may fulfil it ”

“ While Noureddin lived, these ambitious Kurds were the most humble of his slaves; and the indiscreet murmurs of the divan were silenced by the prudent Ayub, who loudly protested that at the command of the sultan he himself would lead his son in chains to the foot of the throne. “Such language,” he added in private, “was prudent and proper in an assembly of your rivals; but we are now above fear and obedience, and the threats of Noureddin shall not extort the tribute of a sugar-cane.” ”

“ Schemseddin rose very early next morning, and goes to the palace to attend the sultan, who went to hunt about Cairo, near the pyramids. As for Noureddin, he was very uneasy all night, and considering that it would not be possible for him to live longer with a brother who treated him with so much haughtiness, he provided a good mule, furnished himself with money, jewels, provisions, and victuals ”

“ If they be aswoon for this their foregathering and embracement, they will come to themselves, and if otherwise, do thou flee."
The old man took the casting-bottle from the Jew and going up to Noureddin and the damsel, sprinkled their faces, whereupon they came to themselves and fell to relating to each other that which they had suffered, since their separation, for the anguish of severance. Moreover, Noureddin acquainted Sitt el Milah with that which he had endured from the folk who would have slain him and made away with him ”

“ He sought and obtained help from the Latin king of Jerusalem, in whose mind, too, there was the ambition to pluck this rotten-ripe plum on the Nile. After a war of five years duration, in which king Almeric was encouraged and but slightly helped by the Byzantine emperor, while Noureddin was approved and supported by the caliph of Bagdad, Noureddin's Koord general, Shiracouh, secured the prize. Grand vizier Shawer was put to death, and the wretched Fatimite caliph made young Saladin his vizier, fancying he had chosen a young man too fond of pleasure to be dangerously ambitious. ”

“ Sir, I must own it, said the vizier, but his guilt is not irremissible; I remember a strange story of a vizier of Cairo, called Noureddin [Footnote: Noureddin signifies, in Arabic, the light of religion.] Ali and of his son Bedreddin [Footnote: Bedreddin signifies the full moon of religion.] Hassan of Balsora; and as your majesty delights to hear such things, I am ready to tell it on this condition, that if your majesty find it more astonishing than that which gives me occasion to tell it, you will be pleased to pardon my slave. I am content, said the caliph ”

“ In 1163 one of these viziers, Shawer, finding himself expelled from his post by a rival, sought refuge at the court of Aleppo, and applied to the sultan for assistance. Noureddin eagerly embraced an opportunity for obtaining a footing in Egypt, and sent two persons, Chyrkouh and his nephew Saladin, to displace the usurping vizier and re-establish Shawer. They, however, usurped the government, and Shawer applied to the King of Jerusalem, Amalric, for assistance. Amalric in turn attempted usurpation, and again the officers of Noureddin came to the aid of Shawer. ”