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SCENE II
The Pavilion of Pleasure.
Anice-Aljalice, Nureddene, Shaikh Ibrahim on couches, by a table
NUREDDENE These kabobs are indeed good, and the conserves look sweet and the fruit very glossy. But will you sit and eat nothing?
IBRAHIM Verily, my son, I have eaten at midday. Allah forbid me from gluttony!
ANICE-ALJALICE Old father, you discourage our stomachs. You shall eat a morsel from my fingers or I will say you use me hardly.
IBRAHIM No, no, no, no. Ah well, from your fingers, from your small slim rosy fingers. Allah! Only a bit, only a morsel: verily, verily! Allah! surely thy fingers are sweeter than honey. I could eat them with kisses.
ANICE-ALJALICE What, old father, you grow young?
IBRAHIM Oh, now, now, now! ‘Twas a foolish jest unworthy of my grey hairs. I take refuge with Allah! A foolish jest.
NUREDDENE But, my aged host, it is dry eating without wine. Have you never a flagon in all this palace ? It is a blot, a blot on its fair perfection.
IBRAHIM I take refuge with Allah. Wine! for sixteen years I have not Page – 677 touched the evil thing. When I was young indeed! Ah well, when I was young. But ’tis forbidden. What saith Ibn Batata? That wine worketh transmogrification. And Ibrahim Alhashhash bin Fuzfuz bin Bierbiloon al Sandilani of Bassora, he rateth wine sorely and averreth that the red glint of it is the shine of the red fires of Hell, its sweetness kisseth damnation and the coolness of it in the throat causeth bifurcation’. Ay, verily, the great Alhashhash.
ANICE-ALJALICE Who are these learned doctors you speak of, old father? I have read all the books, but never heard of them.
IBRAHIM Oh, thou hast read? These are very distant and mystic Sufis, very rare doctors. Their books are known only to the adepts.
ANICE-ALJALICE What a learned old man art thou, Shaikh Ibrahim! Now Allah save the soul of the great Alhashhash!
IBRAHIM Hm! ‘Tis so. Wine! Verily, the Prophet hath "cursed grower and presser, buyer and seller, carrier and drinker. I take refuge with Allah from the curse of the Prophet.
NUREDDENE Hast thou not even one old ass among all thy belongings ? And if an old ass is cursed, is it thou who art cursed ?
IBRAHIM Hm! My son, what is thy parable?
NUREDDENE I will show you a trick to cheat the devil. Give three denars of mine to a neighbour’s servant with a dirham or two for his trouble, let him buy the wine and clap it on an old ass, and let Page – 678 the old ass bring it here. So art thou neither grower nor presser, seller nor buyer, carrier or drinker, and if any be damned, it is an old ass that is damned. What saith the great Alhashhash?
IBRAHIM Hm! Well, I will do it. (aside) Now I need not let them know that there is wine galore in my cupboards, Allah forgive me! Exit.
NUREDDENE He is the very gem of hypocrites.
ANICE-ALJALICE
The fitter to laugh at. Dear my lord, be merry
NUREDDENE You are happy, Anice ?
ANICE-ALJALICE I feel as if I could do nothing else But laugh through life’s remainder. You’re safe, safe And that grim devil baffled. Oh, you’re safe!
NUREDDENE It was a breathless voyage up the river:
I think a price is on my head. Perhaps
ANICE-ALJALICE
But you are safe, my joy, She goes to him and kisses and clings about him.
NUREDDENE Anice, your eyes are full of tears! Page – 679 You are quite overwrought.
ANICE-ALJALICE
Let only you be safe
She again embraces and kisses him
IBRAHIM Allah! Allah! Allah!
ANICE-ALJALICE
Where’s that old sober learning?
NUREDDENE What a quick ass was this. Shaikh Ibrahim!
IBRAHIM No, no, the wineshop is near, very near. Allah forgive us, ours is an evil city, this Bagdad; it is full of winebibbers and gluttons and liars.
NUREDDENE Dost thou ever lie. Shaikh Ibrahim?
IBRAHIM Allah forbid! Above all sins I abhor lying and liars. O my son, keep thy young lips from vain babbling and unnecessary lying. It is of the unpardonable sins, it is the way to Jahannam. But I pray thee what is the young lady to thee, my son?
NUREDDENE She is my slave-girl. Page – 680
IBRAHIM Ah, ah! thy slave-girl? Ah, ah! a slave-girl! ah!
ANICE-ALJALICE Drink, my lord.
NUREDDENE (drinking’) By the Lord, but I am sleepy. I will even rest my head in thy sweet lap for a moment. He lies down.
IBRAHIM Allah! Allah! What, he sleeps?
ANICE-ALJALICE Fast. That is the trick he always serves me. After the first cup he dozes off and leaves me quite sad and lonely.
IBRAHIM Why, why, why, little one! Thou art not alone and why shouldst thou be sad? I am here, —old Shaikh Ibrahim; I am here.
ANICE-ALJALICE
IBRAHIM Fie, fie, fie!
ANICE-ALJALICE By my head and eyes!
IBRAHIM Well, well, well! Alas, ’tis a sin, ’tis a sin, ’tis a sin. (drinks) Verily, verily.
ANICE-ALJALICE Another. Page – 681
IBRAHIM No, no, no.
ANICE-ALJALICE By my head and eyes!
IBRAHIM Well, well, well, well! Tis a grievous sin, Allah forgive me! (drinks)
ANICE-ALJALICE Just one more.
IBRAHIM Does he sleep ? Now if it were the wine of thy lips, little one.
ANICE-ALJALICE Old father, old father! Is this thy sanctity and the chastity of thee and thy averseness to frivolity? To flirt with light-minded young hussies like me! Where is thy sanctification ? Where is thy justification ? Where is thy predestination ? O mystic, thou art biforked with an evil bifurcation. Woe’s me for the great Alhashhash!
IBRAHIM No, no, no.
ANICE-ALJALICE Art thou such a hypocrite? Shaikh Ibrahim! Shaikh Ibrahim!
IBRAHIM No, no, no! A fatherly jest! a little little jest! (drinks)
NUREDDENE (starting up) Shaikh Ibrahim, thou drinkest?
IBRAHIM Oh, ah! ‘Twas thy slave-girl forced me. Verily, verily! Page – 682
NUREDDENE Anice! Anice! Why wilt thou pester him? Wilt thou pluck down his old soul from heaven ? Fie! draw the wine this side of the table. I pledge you, my heart.
ANICE-ALJALICE To you, my dear one.
NUREDDENE You have drunk half your cup only; so, again; to Shaikh Ibrahim and his learned sobriety!
ANICE-ALJALICE To the shade of the great Alhashhash!
IBRAHIM Fie on you! What cursed unneighbourly manners are these, to drink in my face and never pass the bowl?
ANICE-ALJALICE and NUREDDENE (together) Shaikh Ibrahim! Shaikh Ibrahim! Shaikh Ibrahim!
IBRAHIM Never cry out at me. You are a Hour and she is a Houri come down from Heaven to ensnare my soul. Let it be ensnared! ‘Tis not worth one beam from under your eyelids. Hour, I will embrace thee, I will kiss thee, Houri.
NUREDDENE Embrace not. Shaikh Ibrahim, neither kiss, for thy mouth smelleth evilly of that accursed thing, wine. I am woeful for the mystic Alhashhash.
ANICE-ALJALICE Art thou transmogrified, O Sufi, O adept, O disciple of Ibn Batata? Page – 683
IBRAHIM Laugh, laugh! laughter is on your beauty like the sunlight on the fair minarets of Mazinderan the beautiful. Give me a cup. drinks) You are sinners and I will sin with you. I will sin hard, my beauties, (drinks)
ANICE-ALJALICE Come now, I will sing to you, if you will give me a lute. I am a rare singer, Shaikh Ibrahim.
IBRAHIM (drinks) There is a lute in yonder corner. Sing, sing, and it may be I will answer thee. (drinks)
ANICE-ALJALICE But wait, wait. To sing in this meagreness of light! Candles, candles. She lights the eighty candles of the great candelabrum.
IBRAHIM (drinks) Allah! it lights thee up, my slave-girl, my jewel, (drinks)
NUREDDENE Drink not so fast. Shaikh Ibrahim, but get up and light the lamps in the windows.
IBRAHIM (drinks) Sin not thou by troubling the coolness of wine in my throat. Light them, light them but not more than two.
Nureddene goes out lighting the lamps one
IBRAHIM Allah! hast thou lit them all?
ANICE-ALJALICE Shaikh Ibrahim, drunkenness sees but double, and dost thou Page – 684 see eighty-four? Thou art far gone in thy cups, O adept, O Ibn Batatist.
IBRAHIM I am not yet so drunk as that. You are bold youths to light them all.
NUREDDENE Whom fearest thou? Is not the pavilion thine?
IBRAHIM Surely mine; but the Caliph dwells near and he will be angry at the glare of so much light.
NUREDDENE Truly, he is a great Caliph.
IBRAHIM Great enough, great enough. There might have been greater if Fate had willed it. But ’tis the decree of Allah. Some He raiseth to be Caliphs and some He turned into gardeners. (drinks)
ANICE-ALJALICE I have found a lute.
NUREDDENE Give it me. Hear me improvise. Old Sobriety. (Sings) Saw you Shaikh Ibrahim the grave old man? Allah! Allah! I saw him drunk and drinking. What was he doing when the dance began ? He was winking; verily, verily, he was winking.
IBRAHIM Fie! What cobbler’s poetry is this? But thou hast a touch. Let me hear thee rather. Page – 685
ANICE-ALJALICE I have a song for you. (Sings)
White as winter is my beard, Yet I drink.
Hell-fire? judgment? who’s afraid? As soon as think.
IBRAHIM Allah! Allah! Nightingale! Nightingale! Page – 686 |