THE STORY OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR
ON THE FIRST NIGHT
Sheherazade started:
THE STORY OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR
It has come down to me that there was, at the time of the caliph Harun Al-Rashid, in the city of Baghdad, a man called Sindbad the Porter. He was a poor man of condition who used to carry loads on his head to earn his living. It happened to him, one day among days, to carry a very heavy load; and that very day was excessively hot, so the porter grew very tired of that load, and perspired. The heat had become intolerable when at last the porter passed the door of a house which must have belonged to some wealthy merchant, to judge by the ground which, all around, was well swept and sprinkled with rose water. A very agreeable breeze blew there, and there was a large bench near the door to sit on. The porter Sindbad, to rest and breathe the fresh air, deposited his load on the bench in question, and immediately felt a breeze which from that door came to him, pure and mingled with a delicious smell; so he reveled in it all, and sat down at the end of the bench. Then he perceived a concert of various instruments and lutes which accompanied lovely voices singing songs in learned language, and he also heard the voices of songbirds glorifying Allah Most High in charming modes. He distinguished, among others, the voice of doves, nightingales, blackbirds, bulbuls, ring-necked pigeons, and tamed partridges. Then he marveled in his soul and, because of the enormous pleasure he felt, he stuck his head through the opening of the door and saw, at the bottom, an immense garden where pressed young servants, and slaves, and people of every quality, and there were things there that could only be found in the palaces of kings and sultans.
After that, came to him a puff of odors of certainly admirable and delicious dishes, a puff in which mingled all kinds of exquisite aromas of all the various victuals and drinks of good quality. Then he could not help sighing; and he turned his eyes to heaven and exclaimed: “Glory to You, Lord Creator, O Giver! You make your donations to whoever you like, without calculation! O my God! if I cry out to you, it is not to ask you to account for your actions or to question you about your justice and your will, because the creature does not have to question its almighty master! But, simply, I observe. Glory to you! You enrich or you impoverish, you raise or you lower, according to your desires, and it is always logical, although we cannot always understand! So, here is the master of this rich house. He is happy to the extreme limits of bliss! He is in the delights of these charming smells, these pleasant aromas, these savory dishes, these superiorly delicious drinks! He is happy and fit and very content, while others, me for example, are at the extreme limits of fatigue and misery!"
Then the porter leaned his hand against his cheek and, with all his voice, sang these verses, which he improvised as he went along:
“Often an unfortunate homeless person wakes up in the shadow of a palace created by his destiny.
Me, I wake up, alas! every morning more miserable than the day before!
My misfortune increases further from moment to moment with the burden burdening my weary back,
While in the middle of the goods that fate lavishes on them, others are happy and content!
Has fate ever loaded the back of a man with a burden like that of my back?
Yet others, gorged with honors and rest, are only my equals in short.
They are only like me, but it is in vain: fate between them and me puts some difference
Since I resemble them as much as bitter and rancid vinegar resembles wine.
But if I have never enjoyed your generosity, O Lord, do not believe that I accuse you of anything!
You are great, magnanimous, and just! And I know well that you judge wisely!"
When Sindbad the Porter had finished singing these verses, he got up and wanted to put the load back on his head and continue on his way, when from the palace door came out towards him a little slave with a kind face, with a pretty thin shape, in very beautiful clothes, who came to take him gently by the hand, saying to him: "Come in and talk to my master, because he wants to see you." The porter, very intimidated, did try to find some excuse that could dispense him from following the young slave, but in vain. He therefore deposited his load with the gatekeeper, in the vestibule, and he entered with the child into the interior of the dwelling.
He saw a splendid house, full of serious and respectful people, in the center of which opened a large hall where he was introduced. There he noticed a large assembly composed of honorable-looking personages and very notable guests. He also noticed flowers of all sorts, perfumes of all kinds, dried jams of all qualities, sweets, marzipans, marvelous fruits, and a prodigious number of trays laden with roast lambs and sumptuous dishes, and other trays laden with drinks extracted from the juice of the grapes. He also noticed the instruments of harmony held on their knees by beautiful slaves seated in good order, each according to the rank assigned to them.
In the center of the room, the porter saw, amid the other guests, a man with an imposing and dignified face, whose beard was white with years, whose features were very handsome and very pleasant to look at, and whose whole physiognomy was imbued with gravity, kindness, nobility, and greatness.
Seeing all this, the porter Sindbad was taken aback and said to himself: “By Allah! this residence is some palace of the country of the powerful geniuses or the residence of a very large king or a sultan!" Then he hastened to assume the attitude demanded by politeness and good manners, made his wishes of peace to all those present, made wishes for them, kissed the earth between their hands, and finally stood upright, head bowed, with respect and modesty.
Then the master of the house told him to come closer and invited him to sit down by his side, then, after welcoming him in a very friendly tone, he served him food, offering him what was more delicate and more delicious and more skillfully prepared among all the dishes that covered the trays. And Sindbad the Porter did not fail to honor the invitation, however after pronouncing the invocative formula. So he ate until he was full; then he thanked Allah saying: “Praise be to Him on all occasions!" After which, he washed his hands and thanked all the guests for their kindness.
At this point in her narration, Sheherazade saw the morning appear and quietly fell silent.
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