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Stories Of Es-SindibadFirst Voyage of Es-Sindibad of the Sea
First Voyage of Es-Sindibad of the Sea
Know, O master, O noble persons, that I had a father; a merchant, who was
one of the first in rank among the people and the merchants, and who possessed
abundant wealth and ample fortune. He died when I was a young child, leaving
to me wealth and buildings and fields; and when I grew up, I put my hand upon
the whole of the property, ate well and drank well, associated with the young
men, wore handsome apparel, and passed my life with my friends and companions,
feeling confident that this course would continue and profit me; and I ceased
not to live in this manner for a length of time. I then returned to my reason,
and recovered from my heedlessness, and found that my wealth had passed away,
and my condition had changed, and all [the money] that I had possessed had
gone. I recovered not to see my situation but in a state of fear and confusion
of mind, and remembered a tale that I had heard before, the tale of our lord
Suleyman the son of Da`ud (on both of whom be peace!), respecting his saying,
Three things are better than three: the day of death is better than the day of
birth; and a living dog is better than a dead lion; and the grave is better
than the palace^2. Then I arose, and collected what I had, of effects and
apparel, and sold them; after which I sold my buildings and all that my hand
possessed, and amassed three thousand pieces of silver; and it occurred to my
mind to travel to the countries of other people; and I remembered one of the
sayings of the poets, which was this: -
[Footnote 2: Eccles., vii. I; ix. 4.]
In proportion to one`s labour, eminences are gained; and he who seeketh
eminence passeth sleepless nights.
He diveth in the sea who seeketh for pearls, and succeedeth in acquiring
lordship and good fortune.
Whoso seeketh eminence without labouring for it loseth his life in the search
of vanity.
Upon this, I resolved, and arose, and bought for myself goods and
commodities and merchandise, with such other things as were required for
travel; and my mind had consented to my performing a sea-voyage. So I
embarked in a ship, and it descended to the city of El-Basrah, with a
company of merchants; and we traversed the sea for many days and nights. We
had passed by island after island, and from sea to sea, and from land to land,
and in every place by which we passed we sold and bought, and exchanged
merchandise. We continued our voyage until we arrived at an island like one of
the gardens of Paradise, and at that island the master of the ship brought her
to anchor with us. He cast the anchor, and put forth the landing-plank, and
all who were in the ship landed upon that island. They had prepared for
themselves fire-pots, and they lighted the fires in them; and their
occupations were various: some cooked; others washed; and others amused
themselves. I was among those who were amusing themselves upon the shores of
the island, and the passengers were assembled to eat and drink and play and
sport. But while we were thus engaged, lo, the master of the ship, standing
upon its side, called out with his loudest voice, O ye passengers, whom may
God preserve! come up quickly in to the ship, hasten to embark, and leave your
merchandise, and flee with your lives, and save yourselves from destruction;
for this apparent island, upon which ye are, is not really an island, but it
is a great fish that hath become stationary in the midst of the sea, and the
sand hath accumulated upon it, so that it hath become like an island, and
trees have grown upon it since times of old; and when ye lighted the fire upon
it, the fish felt the heat, and put itself in motion, and now it will descend
with you into the sea, and ye will all be drowned: then seek for yourselves
escape before destruction, and leave the merchandise. - The passengers,
therefore, hearing the words of the master of the ship, hastened to go up into
the vessel, leaving the merchandise, and their other goods, and their copper
cooking-pots, and their fire-pots; and some reached the ship, and others
reached it not. The island had moved, and descended to the bottom of the sea,
with all that were upon it, and the roaring sea, agitated with waves, closed
over it.
I was among the number of those who remained behind upon the island; so I
sank in the sea with the rest who sank. But God (whose name be exalted!)
delivered me and saved me from drowning and supplied me with a great wooden
bowl, of the bowls in which the passengers had been washing, and I laid hold
upon it and got into it, induced by the sweetness of life, and beat the water
with my feet as with oars, while the waves sported with me, tossing me to the
right and left. The master of the vessel had caused her sails to be spread,
and pursued his voyage with those who had embarked, not regarding such as had
been submerged; and I ceased not to look at that vessel until it was concealed
from my eye. I made sure of destruction, and night came upon me while I was in
this state; but I remained so a day and a night, and the wind and the waves
aided me until the bowl came to a stoppage with me under a high island,
whereon were trees overhanging the sea. So I laid hold upon a branch of a
lofty tree, and clung to it, after I had been at the point of destruction; and
I kept hold upon it until I landed on the island, when I found my legs
benumbed, and saw marks of the nibbling of fish upon their hams, of which I
had been insensible by reason of the violence of the anguish and fatigue that
I was suffering.
I threw myself upon the island like one dead, and was unconscious of my
existence, and drowned in my stupefaction; and I ceased not to remain in this
condition until the next day. The sun having then risen upon me, I awoke upon
the island, and found that my feet were swollen, and that I had become reduced
to the state in which I then was. Awhile I dragged myself along in a sitting
posture, and then I crawled upon my knees. And there were in the island fruits
in abundance, and springs of sweet water: therefore I ate of those fruits; and
I ceased not to continue in this state for many days and nights. My spirit had
then revived, my soul had returned to me, and my power of motion was renewed;
and I began to meditate, and to walk along the shore of the island, amusing
myself among the trees with the sight of the things that God (whose name be
exalted!) had created; and I had made for myself a staff from those trees, to
lean upon it. Thus I remained until I walked, one day, upon the shore of the
island, and there appeared unto me an indistinct object in the distance. I
imagined that it was a wild beast, or one of the beasts of the sea; and I
walked towards it, ceasing not to gaze at it; and, lo, it was a mare, of
superb appearance, tethered in a part of the island by the sea-shore. I
approached her; but she cried out against me with a great cry, and I trembled
with fear of her, and was about to return, when, behold, a man came forth from
beneath the earth, and he called to me and pursued me, saying to me, Who art
thou, and whence hast thou come, and what is the cause of thine arrival in
this place? So I answered him, O my master, know that I am a stranger, and I
was in a ship, and was submerged in the sea with certain others of the
passengers; but God supplied me with a wooden bowl, and I got into it, and it
bore me along until the waves cast me upon this island. And when he heard my
words, he laid hold of my hand and said to me, Come with me. I therefore went
with him, and he descended with me into a grotto beneath the earth, and
conducted me into a large subterranean chamber, and, having seated me at the
upper end of that chamber, brought me some food. I was hungry; so I ate until
I was satiated and contented, and my soul became at ease. Then he asked me
respecting my case, and what had happened to me; wherefore I acquainted him
with my whole affair from beginning to end; and he wondered at my story.
And when I had finished my tale, I said, I conjure thee by Allah, O my
master, that thou be not displeased with me: I have acquainted thee with the
truth of my case and of what hath happened to me, and I desire of thee that
thou inform me who thou art, and what is the cause of thy dwelling in this
chamber that is beneath the earth, and what is the reason of thy tethering
this mare by the sea-side. So he replied, Know that we are a party dispersed
in this island, upon its shores, and we are the grooms of the King El-Mihraj,
having under our care all his horses; and every month, when moonlight
commenceth, we bring the swift mares, and tether them in this island, every
mare that has not foaled, and conceal ourselves in this chamber beneath the
earth, that they may attract the sea-horses. This is the time of the coming
forth of the sea-horse; and afterwards, if it be the will of God (whose name
be exalted!), I will take thee with me to the King El-Mihraj, and divert thee
with the sight of our country. Know, moreover, that if thou hadst not met with
us, thou hadst not seen any one in this place, and wouldst have died in
misery, none knowing of thee. But I will be the means of the preservation of
thy life, and of thy return to thy country. - I therefore prayed for him, and
thanked him for his kindness and beneficence; and while we were thus talking,
the horse came forth from the sea, as he had said. And shortly after, his
companions came each leading a mare; and, seeing me with him, they inquired of
me my story, and I told them what I had related to him. They then drew near to
me, and spread the table, and ate, and invited me: so I ate with them; after
which, they arose, and mounted the horses, taking me with them, having mounted
me on a mare.
We commenced our journey, and proceeded without ceasing until we arrived
at the city of the King El-Mihraj, and they went in to him and acquainted him
with my story. He therefore desired my presence, and they took me in to him,
and stationed me before him; whereupon I saluted him, and he returned my
salutation, and welcomed me, greeting me in an honourable manner, and inquired
of me respecting my case. So I informed him of all that had happened to me,
and of all that I had seen, from beginning to end; and he wondered at that
which had befallen me and happened to me, and said to me, O my son, by Allah
thou hast experienced an extraordinary preservation, and had it not been for
the predestined length of thy life, thou hadst not escaped from these
difficulties; but praise be to God for thy safety! Then he treated me with
beneficence and honour, caused me to draw near to him, and began to cheer me
with conversation and courtesy; and he made me his superintendent of the sea -
port, and registrar of every vessel that came to the coast. I stood in his
presence to transact his affairs, and he favoured me and benefited me in every
respect; he invested me with a handsome and costly dress, and I became a
person high in credit with him in intercessions, and in accomplishing the
affairs of the people. I ceased not to remain in his service for a long time;
and whenever I went to the shore of the sea, I used to inquire of the
merchants and travellers and sailors respecting the direction of the city of
Baghdad, that perchance some one might inform me of it, and I might go with
him thither and return to my country; but none knew it, nor knew any one who
went to it. At this I was perplexed, and I was weary of the length of my
absence from home; and in this state I continued for a length of time, until I
went in one day to the King El-Mihraj, and found with him a party of Indians.
I saluted them, and they returned my salutation, and welcomed me, and asked me
respecting my country; after which, I questioned them as to their country, and
they told me that they consisted of various races. Among them are the
Shakiriyeh, who are the most noble of their races, who oppress no one, nor
offer violence to any. And among them are a class called the Brahmans, a
people who never drink wine; but they are persons of pleasure and joy and
sport and merriment, and possessed of camels and horses and cattle. They
informed me also that the Indians are divided into seventy-two classes; and I
wondered at this extremely. And I saw, in the dominions of the King El-Mihraj,
an island, among others, which is called Kasil, in which is heard the beating
of tambourines and drums throughout the night, and the islanders and
travellers informed us that Ed-Dejjal^3 is in it. I saw too, in the sea in
which is that island, a fish two hundred cubits long, and the fishermen fear
it; wherefore they knock some pieces of wood, and it fleeth from them; and I
saw a fish whose face was like that of the owl. I likewise saw during that
voyage many wonderful and strange things, such that, if I related them to you,
the description would be too long.
[Footnote 3: Antichrist of the Muslims.]
I continued to amuse myself with the sight of those islands and the
things that they contained, until I stood one day upon the shore of the sea,
with a staff in my hand, as was my custom, and lo, a great vessel approached,
wherein were many merchants; and when it arrived at the harbour of the city
and its place of anchoring, the master furled its sails, brought it to an
anchor by the shore, and put forth the landing-plank; and the sailors brought
out every thing that was in that vessel to the shore. They were slow in taking
forth the goods, while I stood writing their account, and I said to the master
of the ship, Doth aught remain in thy vessel? He answered, Yes, O my master; I
have some goods in the hold of the ship; but their owner was drowned in the
sea at one of the islands during our voyage hither, and his goods are in our
charge; so we desire to sell them, and to take a note of their price, in order
to convey it to his family in the city of Baghdad, the Abode of Peace. I
therefore said to the master, What was the name of that man, the owner of the
goods? He answered, His name was Es-Sindibad of the Sea, and he was drowned on
his voyage with us in the sea. And when I heard his words, I looked at him
with a scrutinizing eye, and recognized him; and I cried out at him with a
great cry, and said, O master, know that I am the owner of the goods which
thou hast mentioned, and I am Es-Sindibad of the Sea, who descended upon the
island from the ship, with the other merchants who descended; and when the
fish that we were upon moved, and thou calledst out to us, some got into the
vessel, and the rest sank, and I was among those who sank. But God (whose name
be exalted!) preserved me and saved me from drowning by means of a large
wooden bowl, of those in which passengers were washing, and I got into it, and
began to beat the water with my feet, and the wind and the waves aided me
until I arrived at this island, when I landed on it, and God (whose name be
exalted!) assisted me, and I met the grooms of the King El-Mihraj, who took me
with them and brought me to this city. They then led me in to the King
El-Mihraj, and I acquainted him with my story; whereupon he bestowed benefits
upon me, and appointed me clerk of the harbour of this city, and I obtained
profit in his service, and favour with him. Therefore these goods that thou
hast are my goods and my portion.
But the master said, There is no strength nor power but in God, the High,
the Great! There is no longer faith nor conscience in any one! - Wherefore, O
master, said I, when thou hast heard me tell thee my story? He answered,
Because thou heardest me say that I had goods whose owner was drowned:
therefore thou desirest to take them without price; and this is unlawful to
thee; for we saw him when he sank, and there were with him many of the
passengers, not one of whom escaped. How then dost thou pretend that thou art
the owner of the goods? - So I said to him, O master, hear my story, and
understand my words, and my veracity will become manifest to thee; for
falsehood is a characteristic of the hypocrites. Then I related to him all
that I had done from the time that I went forth with him from the city of
Baghdad until we arrived at that island upon which we were submerged in the
sea, and I mentioned to him some circumstances that had occurred between me
and him. Upon this, therefore, the master and the merchants were convinced of
my veracity, and recognized me; and they congratulated me on my safety, all of
them saying, By Allah, we believed not that thou hadst escaped drowning; but
God hath granted thee a new life. They then gave me the goods, and I found my
name written upon them, and nought of them was missing. So I opened them, and
took forth from them something precious and costly; the sailors of the ship
carried it with me, and I went up with it to the King to offer it as a
present, and inform him that this ship was the one in which I was a passenger.
I told him also that my goods had arrived all entire, and that this present
was a part of them. And the King wondered at this affair extremely; my
veracity in all that I had said became manifest to him, and he loved me
greatly, and treated me with exceeding honour, giving me a large present in
return for mine.
Then I sold my bales, as well as the other goods that I had, and gained
upon them abundantly; and I purchased other goods and merchandise and
commodities of that city. And when the merchants of the ship desired to set
forth on their voyage, I stowed all that I had in the vessel, and, going in to
the King, thanked him for his beneficence and kindness; after which I begged
him to grant me permission to depart on my voyage to my country and my family.
So he bade me farewell, and gave me an abundance of things at my departure, of
the commodities of that city; and when I had taken leave of him, I embarked in
the ship, and we set sail by the permission of God, whose name be exalted!
Fortune served us, and destiny aided us, and we ceased not to prosecute our
voyage night and day until we arrived in safety at the city of El-Basrah.
There we landed, and remained a short time; and I rejoiced at my safety, and
my return to my country; and after that, I repaired to the city of Baghdad,
the Abode of Peace, with abundance of bales and goods and merchandise of great
value. Then I went to my quarter, and entered my house, and all my family and
companions came to me. I procured for myself servants and other dependants,
and memluks and concubines and male black slaves, so that I had a large
establishment; and I purchased houses and other immovable possessions, more
than I had at first. I enjoyed the society of my companions and friends,
exceeding my former habits, and forgot all that I had suffered from fatigue,
and absence from my native country, and difficulty, and the terrors of travel.
I occupied myself with delights and pleasures, and delicious meats and
exquisite drinks, and continued in this state. Such were the events of the
first of my voyages; and to-morrow, if it be the will of God (whose name be
exalted!), I will relate to you the tale of the second of the seven voyages.
Es-Sindibad of the Sea then made Es-Sindibad of the Land to sup with
him; after which he gave orders to present him with a hundred pieces of gold,
and said to him, Thou hast cheered us by thy company this day. So the porter
thanked him, and took from him what he had given him, and went his way,
meditating upon the events that befell and happened to mankind, and wondering
extremely. He slept that night in his abode; and when the morning came, he
repaired to the house of Es-Sindibad of the Sea, and went in to him; and he
welcomed him, and treated him with honour, seating him by him. And after the
rest of his companions had come, the food and drink were set before them, and
the time was pleasant to them, and they were merry. Then Es-Sindibad of the
Sea began his narrative thus: -^4
[Footnote 4: A paragraph similar to the preceding occurs at the end of the
narrative of each of Es-Sindibad`s voyages, but, as in the case of Shahrazad`s
repetitions each night, it is not here repeated.]
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