King Shahriman had a son, Kamar al-Zaman, who “grew up of surpassing beauty ... and symmetry,” but was unwilling to marry. For this he is eventually cast into prison. A similar fate has befallen Princess Budur, daughter of King Ghayur, Lord of China Islands and Seas, and for a similar reason. The maiden is pictured as one “than whom Allah hath made none fairer in her time ... with cheeks like purple wine ... lips as coral ... breasts like two globes of ivory, from whose brightness the moons borrow light, and a stomach with little waves as it were a figured cloth ... with creases like folded scrolls, ending in a waist slender past all imagination; based upon back parts like a hillock of blown sand, that force her to sit when she would lief stand....”

Two genii, Maymunah, a woman, and Dahnash, a man, now come into the story, the former as a champion of Kamar, the latter as Princess Budur’s. After a long dispute as to the rival charms of Prince and Princess, they convey the latter to the Prince’s side, the test of beauty to be as follows:—

Each is to be awakened in turn, without knowledge of the other, and whichever is the more enamoured will be held inferior in comeliness.

Dahnash then changes himself into a flea, and bites Kamar al-Zaman, who wakes up. The text continues:—

... Then turning sideways, he found lying by him something whose breath was sweeter than musk and whose skin was softer than cream. Hereat he marvelled with great marvel, and he sat up and looked at what lay beside him; when he saw it to be a young lady like an union pearl, or a shining sun, or a dome seen from afar on a well-built wall: for she was five feet tall ... bosomed high and rosy-cheeked....

And when Kamar al-Zaman saw the lady Budur, daughter of King Ghayur, and her beauty and comeliness, she was sleeping clad in a shift of Venetian silk, without her petticoat trousers, and wore on her head a kerchief embroidered with gold and set with stones of price; her ears were hung with twin earrings which shone like constellations, and round her neck was a collar of union pearls, of size unique, past the competence of any king.

When he saw this, his reason was confounded and natural heat began to stir in him; Allah awoke in him the desire of coÏtion and he said to himself:

“Whatso Allah willeth, that shall be, and what he willeth not shall be!”

So saying, he put out his hand, turning her over, loosed the collar of her chemise; then arose before his sight her bosom, with its breasts like double globes of ivory; whereat his inclination for her redoubled and he desired her with exceeding hot desire. He would have awakened her but she would not awake, for Dahnash had made her sleep heavy; so he shook her and moved her, saying:

“O my beloved, awake and look on me; I am Kamar al-Zaman.”

But she awoke not, neither moved her head; whereupon he considered her case for a long hour and said to himself:

“If I guess aright, this is the damsel to whom my father would have married me, and these three years I have refused her; but Inshallah!—God willing—as soon as it is dawn, I will say to him: Marry me to her, that I may enjoy her; nor will I let half the day pass ere I possess her and take my fill of her beauty and loveliness.”

Then he bent over Budur to buss her, whereat the Jinniyah Maymunah trembled and was abashed and Dahnash, the Ifrit, was like to fly for joy. But as Kamar al-Zaman was about to kiss her on the mouth, he was ashamed before Allah and turned away his head and averted his face, saying to his heart: “Have patience.”

Then he took thought awhile and said:

“I will be patient; haply my father when he was wroth with me and sent me to this jail, may have brought my young lady and made her lie by my side to try me with her, and may have charged her not to be readily awakened when I would arouse her, and may have said to her:

“‘Whatever thing Kamar al-Zaman do to thee, make me ware thereof’;

“Or belike my sire standeth hidden in some stead whence (being himself unseen) he can see all I do with this young lady; and to-morrow he will scold me and cry:

“‘How cometh it that thou sayest, I have no mind to marry; and yet thou didst kiss and embrace yonder damsel?’

“So I will withhold myself lest I be ashamed before my sire; and the right and proper thing to do is not to touch her at this present, nor even to look upon her, except to take from her somewhat which shall serve as a token to me and a memorial of her; that some sign endure between me and her.”

Then Kamar al-Zaman raised the young lady’s hand and took from her little finger a seal-ring worth an immense amount of money, for that its bezel was a precious jewel ... and set it on his own; then, turning his back to her, went to sleep.54 ...

Thereupon Maymunah changed herself into a flea and entering into the raiment of Budur, the loved of Dahnash, crept up her calf and came upon her thigh and, reaching a place some four carats55 below her navel, there bit her. Thereupon she opened her eyes and sitting up in bed, saw a youth lying beside her and breathing heavily in his sleep, the loveliest of Almighty Allah’s creatures, with eyes that put to shame the fairest Houris of Heaven; and a mouth like Solomon’s seal, whose water was sweeter to the taste and more efficacious than a theriack, and lips the colour of coral-stone, and cheeks like blood-red anemone....

Now when Princess Budur saw him, she was seized by a transport of passion and yearning and love-longing, and she said to herself:

“Alas, my shame! This is a strange youth and I know him not. How cometh he to be lying by my side on one bed?”

Then she looked at him a second time and, noting his beauty and loveliness, said:

“By Allah, he is indeed a comely youth and my heart is well-nigh torn in sunder with longing for him! But alas, how am I shamed by him! By the Almighty, had I known it was this youth who sought me in marriage of my father, I had not rejected him, but had wived with him and enjoyed his loveliness!”

Then she gazed in his face and said:

“O my lord and light of mine eyes, awake from sleep and take thy pleasure in my beauty and grace.”

And she moved him with her hand; but Maymunah the Jinniyah let down sleep upon him as it were a curtain, and pressed heavily on his head with her wings so that Kamar al-Zaman awoke not. Then Princess Budur shook him with her hands and said:

“My life on thee, hearken to me; awake and up from thy sleep and look on the narcissus and the tender down thereon, and enjoy the sight of naked waist and navel; and touzle me and tumble me from this moment till break of day! Allah upon thee, O my lord, sit up and prop thee against the pillow and slumber not!”

Still Kamar al-Zaman made her no reply but breathed hard in his sleep. Continued she:

“Alas! Alas! thou art insolent in thy beauty and comeliness and grace and loving looks! But if thou art handsome, so am I handsome; what then is this thou dost? Have they taught thee to flout me or hath my father, the wretched old fellow, made thee swear not to speak to me to-night?”

But Kamar al-Zaman opened not his mouth neither awoke, whereat her passion for him redoubled and Allah inflamed her heart with love of him. She stole one glance of eyes that cost her a thousand sighs: her heart fluttered, and her vitals throbbed and her hands and feet quivered; and she said to Kamar al-Zaman:

“Talk to me, O my lord! Speak to me, O my friend! Answer me, O my beloved, and tell me thy name, for indeed thou hast ravished my wit!”

And during all this time he abode drowned in sleep and answered her not a word, and Princess Budur sighed and said:

“Alas! Alas! why art thou so proud and self-satisfied?”

Then she shook him and turning his hand over, saw her seal-ring on his little finger, whereat she cried a loud cry, and followed it with a sigh of passion and said:

“Alack! Alack! By Allah, thou art my beloved and thou lovest me! Yet thou seemest to turn thee away from me out of coquetry, for all, O my darling, thou camest to me, whilst I was asleep and knew not what thou didst with me, and tookest my seal-ring; and yet I will not pull it off thy finger.”

So saying, she opened the bosom of his shirt and bent over him and kissed him and put forth her hand to him, seeking somewhat that she might take as a token, but found nothing. Then she thrust her hand into his breast and, because of the smoothness of his body, it slipped down to his waist and thence to his navel and thence to his yard, whereupon her heart ached and her vitals quivered and lust was sore upon her, for that the desire of women is fiercer than the desire of men,56 and she was ashamed of her own shamelessness.

Then she plucked his seal-ring from his finger, and put it on her own instead of the ring he had taken, and bussed his inner lips and hands, nor did she leave any part of him unkissed; after which she took him to her breast and embraced him and, laying one of her hands under his neck and the other under his arm-pit, nestled close to him and fell asleep by his side.

... When Princess Budur fell asleep by the side of Kamar al-Zaman, after doing that which she did, quoth Maymunah to Dahnash:

“Sawst thou, O accursed, how proudly and coquettishly my beloved bore himself, and how hotly and passionately thy mistress showed herself to my dearling? There can be no doubt that my beloved is handsomer than thine; nevertheless I pardon thee.”

... The two Ifrits went forward to Princess Budur and upraising her flew away with her; then, bearing her back to her own place, they laid her on her own bed, while Maymunah abode alone with Kamar al-Zaman, gazing upon him as he slept, till the night was all but spent, when she went her way. As soon as morning morrowed, the Prince awoke from sleep and turned right and left, but found not the maiden by him and said in his mind:

“What is this business? It is as if my father would incline me to marriage with the damsel who was with me and have now taken her away by stealth, to the intent that my desire for wedlock may redouble.”

Then he called out to the eunuch who slept at the door, saying:

“Woe to thee, O damned one, arise at once!”

So the eunuch rose, bemused with sleep, and brought him basin and ewer, whereupon Kamar al-Zaman entered the water-closet and did his need;57 then, coming out, made the Wuzu-ablution and prayed the dawn-prayer, after which he sat telling on his beads the ninety-and-nine names of Almighty Allah....

Strictly speaking, the rest of the story, which is of great length, is somewhat out of place in this volume. The reader, however, may be interested to know the upshot of the stratagem adopted by the genii, so we take leave to give it, summarising where necessary.

Kamar al-Zaman and the Princess Budur, madly in love but grief-stricken by their separation, are eventually brought together and married. Later while on a journey, they are again separated by divers mischances, Kamar becoming an assistant to a gardener, while Budur, having adopted male garb to preserve her chastity, reaches the dominions of King Armanus. Here she is taken for a king’s son, and Armanus, who is old, gives her his daughter Hayat al-Nufus in marriage and makes her lord of his kingdom. An embarrassing situation now arises, Budur being unable to consummate the marriage or to explain her failure to the bride. Matters come to a crisis on the third night when Hayat speaks out. The text continues:—

... Hayat al-Nufus caught her by the skirt and clung to her, saying:

“O my lord, art thou not ashamed before my father, after all his favour, to neglect me at such a time as this”

When Queen Budur heard her words, she sat down in the same place and said:

“O my beloved, what is this thou sayest?”

She replied:

“What I say is that I never saw any so proud of himself as thou. Is every fair one so disdainful? I say not this to incline thee to me; I say it only of my fear for thee from King Armanus; because he purposeth, unless thou go in unto me this very night, and do away my maidenhead, to strip thee of the kingship on the morrow and banish thee his kingdom; and peradventure his excessive anger may lead him to slay thee. But I, O my lord, have ruth on thee and give thee fair warning; and it is thy right to reck.”

Now when Queen Budur heard her speak these words, she bowed her head groundwards awhile in sore perplexity and said in herself:

“If I refuse I’m lost; and if I obey I’m shamed. But I am now Queen of all the Ebony Islands and they are under my rule, nor shall I ever again meet my Kamar al-Zaman save in this place; for there is no way for him to his native land but through the Ebony Islands. Verily, I know not what to do in my present case, but I commit my care to Allah who directeth all for the best, for I am no man that I should arise and open this virgin girl.”

Then quoth Queen Budur to Hayat al-Nufus:

“O my beloved, that I have neglected thee and abstained from thee is in my own despite.”

And she told her her whole story from beginning to end and showed her person to her, saying:

“I conjure you by Allah to keep my counsel, for I have concealed my case only that Allah may re-unite me with my beloved Kamar al-Zaman and then come what may.”

... The Princess heard her with extreme wonderment and was moved to pity and prayed Allah to re-unite her with her beloved, saying:

“Fear nothing, O my sister; but have patience till Allah bring to pass that which must come to pass.... O my sister, verily the breasts of the noble and brave are of secrets the grave; and I will not discover thine.”

Then they toyed and embraced and kissed and slept till near the Mu’ezzin’s call to dawn-prayer, when Hayat al-Nufus arose and took a pigeon-poult,58 and cut its throat over her smock and besmeared herself with its blood. Then she pulled off her petticoat-trousers and cried aloud, whereupon her people hastened to her and raised the usual lullilooing and outcries of joy and gladness....

We can omit a description of the manner in which Kamar al-Zaman is at length brought to the Ebony Islands, where honour and dignity are heaped upon him, in particular by Queen Budur, whom he believes to be a man and the king of the dominion. Growing suspicious of these favours, Kamar asks permission to depart. The text continues:—

... Answered Kamar al-Zaman:

“O King, verily this favour, if there be no reason for it, is indeed a wonder of wonders, more by token that thou hast advanced me to dignities such as befit men of age and experience, albeit I am as it were a young child.”

And Queen Budur rejoined:

“The reason is that I love thee for thine exceeding loveliness and thy surpassing beauty; and if thou wilt but grant me my desire of thy body, I will advance thee yet farther in honour and favour and largesse; and I will make thee Wazir, for all thy tender age, even as the folk made me Sultan over them and I no older than thou....”

When Kamar al-Zaman heard these words, he was abashed and his cheeks flushed till they seemed aflame; and he said:

“I need not these favours which lead to the commission of sin; I will live poor in wealth but wealthy in virtue and honour.”

Quoth she:

“I am not to be duped by thy scruples, arising from prudery and coquettish ways; and Allah bless him who saith:—

To him I spake of coupling, but he said to me, ‘How long this noyous long persistency?’

But when gold piece I showËd him, he cried, ‘Who from the Almighty Sovereign e’er shall flee?’”

Now when Kamar al-Zaman heard these words and understood her verses and their import, he said:

“O King, I have not the habit of these doings, nor have I strength to bear these heavy burthens for which elder age than I have proved unable; then how will it be with my tender age?”

But she smiled at his speech and retorted:

“Indeed, it is a matter right marvellous how error springeth from the disorder of man’s intendiment! Since thou art a boy, why standest thou in fear of sin or the doing of things forbidden, seeing that thou art not yet come to the years of canonical responsibility; and the offences of a child incur neither punishment nor reproof? Verily, thou hast committed thyself to a quibble for the sake of contention, and it is thy duty to bow before a proposal of fruition, so henceforward cease from denial and coyness, for the commandment of Allah is a decree foreordained: indeed, I have more reason than thou to fear falling and by sin to be misled; and well-inspired was he who said:—

My prickle is big and the little one said, ‘Thrust boldly in vitals with lion-like stroke!’

Then I, ‘’Tis a sin!’; and he, ‘No sin to me!’ So I had him at once with a counterfeit poke.”59

When Kamar al-Zaman heard these words, the light became darkness in his sight and he said:

“O King, thou hast in thy household fair women and female slaves, who have not their like in this age: shall not these suffice thee without me? Do thy will with them and let me go!”

She replied:

“Thou sayest sooth, but it is not with them that one who loveth thee can heal himself of torment and can abate his fever; for, when tastes and inclinations are corrupted by vice, they hear and obey other than good advice. So leave arguing and listen to what the poet saith:—

Seest not the bazaar with its fruit in rows? These men are for figs and for sycamore those!60

“And what another saith:—

O beauty’s Union! love for thee’s my creed; free choice of Faith and eke my best desire:

Women I have forsworn for thee; so may deem me all men this day a shaveling friar.

“And yet another:—

A boy of twice ten is fit for a King!

“And yet another:—

The penis smooth and round was made with anus best to match it: Had it been made for cunnus’ sake it had been formed like hatchet!

“And yet another said:—

My soul thy sacrifice! I chose thee out who art not menstruous or oviparous:

Did I with women mell, I should beget brats till the wide wide world grew strait for us.

“And yet another:—

She saith (sore hurt in sense the most acute, for she had proffered what did not besuit):—

‘Unless thou stroke as man should swive his wife, blame not when horns thy brow shall incornute!

‘Thy wand seems waxen, to a limpo grown: and more I palm it, softer grows the brute!’

“And yet another:—

Quoth she (for I to lie with her forbore), ‘O folly-following fool, O fool to core:

‘If thou my coynte for Kiblah61 to thy coigne reject, we’ll show thee what shall please thee more.’62

“And yet another:—

She proffered me a tender coynte: Quoth I, ‘I will not roger thee!’

She drew back, saying, ‘From the Faith he turns, who’s turned by Heaven’s decree!63

’And front-wise futtering, in one day, is obsolete persistency!’

Then swung she round and shining rump like silvern lump she showËd me!

I cried: ‘Well done, O mistress mine! No more am I in pain for thee;

’O thou of all that Allah oped64 showest me fairest victory!’

“And yet another:—

Men craving pardon will uphold their hands; women pray pardon with their legs on high:65

Out on it for a pious, prayerful work! The Lord shall raise it in the depths to lie.”66

When Kamar al-Zaman heard her quote this poetry, and was certified that there was no escaping compliance with what willed she, he said:

“O King of the age, if thou must needs have it so, make covenant with me that thou wilt do this thing with me but once, though it avail not to correct thy depraved appetite; and that thou wilt never again require this thing of me to the end of time; so perchance shall Allah purge me of the sin.”

She replied:

“I promise thee this same, hoping that Allah of His favour will relent toward us and blot out our mortal offence; for the girdle of Heaven’s forgiveness is not indeed so strait, but it may compass us around and absolve us of the excess of our heinous sins and bring us to the light of salvation out of the darkness of error; and indeed excellently well saith the poet:—

Of evil thing the folk suspect us twain; and to this thought their hearts and souls are bent:

Come, dear! let’s justify and free their souls that wrong us; one good bout and then—repent!”

Thereupon she made with him an agreement and a covenant and swore a solemn oath by Him who is Self-existent, that this thing should befall betwixt them but once and never again for all time, and that the desire of him was driving her to death and perdition. So he rose up with her, on this condition, and went with her to her own boudoir, that she might quench the lowe of her lust, saying:

“There is no Majesty, and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! This is the fated decree of the All-powerful, the All-wise!”

And he doffed his bag-trousers, shameful and abashed, with the tears running from his eyes from stress of affright. Thereat she smiled and making him mount upon a couch with her, said to him:

“After this night, thou shalt see naught that will offend thee.”

Then she turned to him bussing and bosoming him and bending calf over calf, and said to him:

“Put thy hand between my thighs to the accustomed place; so haply it may stand up to prayer after prostration.”

He wept and cried:

“I am not good at aught of this.”

But she said:

“By my life, an thou do as I bid thee, it shall profit thee!”

So he put out his hand, with vitals afire for confusion, and found her thighs cooler than cream and softer than silk. The touching of them pleasured him and he moved his hand hither and thither, till it came to a dome abounding in good gifts and movements and shifts, and said in himself:

“Perhaps this King is an hermaphrodite,67 neither man nor woman quite.”

So he said to her:

“O King, I cannot find that thou hast a tool like the tools of men; what then moved thee to do this deed?”

Then loudly laughed Queen Budur till she fell on her back,68 and said:

“O my dearling, how quickly thou hast forgotten the nights we have lain together!”

Then she made herself known to him, and he knew her for his wife, the Lady Budur, daughter of King al-Ghayur, Lord of the Isles and the Seas. So he embraced her and she embraced him, and he kissed her and she kissed him; then they lay down on the bed of pleasure voluptuous....

Here we end our extract from the Tale of Kamar al-Zaman, although the story runs on for another forty odd pages in Sir Richard Burton’s translation. A situation similar to that just described occurs in another story in ‘The Nights,’ and we shall have occasion to quote from that in a subsequent volume.