正文
有一日，哥哥對他說：「我正要出城狩獵、放犬來消遣娛樂，也許這能讓你心情好些。」
但舍赫‧扎曼回答道：「噢，哥哥，我的靈魂對這類事一點興趣都沒有，還懇請你允許我留在這裡安靜待著吧，我整個人都被自己的病佔據了。」
就此，舍赫‧扎曼王在宮裡度過一夜，隔日早晨，等哥哥出發之後，他離開自己的房間，走到一扇俯瞰御苑的花格窗邊坐下；他如是待著沉思，滿是遭自己妻子背叛的無比哀傷念頭，灼熱的嘆息從他煎熬的胸口湧出。
正當他仍處於那般情境，忽然──那扇向來嚴加隱閉、不許外人出入的暗門打開，裡面走出二十個女奴，簇擁著他哥哥的王后，她姿色絕倫，體態勻稱，柔婉動人，步履如渴望清泉的羚羊一樣優雅。於是舍赫‧扎曼王從窗邊退開，在不會被看見的地方繼續窺看那一群人。她們從那扇花格窗下走過，往御苑深處走去，直到一座中央噴湧泉水的大水池；她們脫去衣服；見那群人之中，有十個是女子，是國王的嬪妃，另外十個是白膚奴婢。她們兩兩交合，成雙成對：唯孤身一人的王后隨即高聲喊道：「到我這兒來吧，噢，我的主，薩伊德啊！」話音剛落，又見從一棵樹上縱身躍下來一個流涎欲滴的魁梧黑奴，雙目翻白、滾動不止，樣貌極其可怖。[7]他大步走向她，伸手摟住她的頸項，她也熱切地回抱著他；接著他俯身親吻她，雙腿纏繞上她的雙腿，如釦環緊扣上釦子，使她沉淪並享用她。其餘奴僕也與那些女子依樣葫蘆直到眾人情慾饜足，他們不斷親吻、相擁、交合、狂歡，直至白晝將盡；馬木路克們自女子的懷中起身，那黑奴也自王后的胸前退下；眾人穿回原先的衣裝；除了那攀上樹去的黑奴之外，其餘人皆回入宮中，如先前那樣闔上那扇暗門。當舍赫‧扎曼看見嫂嫂的行徑時，心中暗道：「安拉在上，我的苦難還比這輕微！我哥哥諸王之王的地位高貴於我，然而這樣的醜態竟在他自己的宮殿裡持續上演，且他的妻子竟癡戀那污穢至極的奴隸。但這一切只證明，她們全都如此[8]，世上沒有一個女人不會背棄她的丈夫，願安拉的詛咒降臨在她們所有人身上，也降臨在那些依附於女人，或將韁繩交在她們手中的愚人身上。」於是他拋卻了憂愁與鬱悶，懊悔與怨懟，不斷重複那些話來撫平心中的悲傷，又添上一句：「我深信，世上沒有一個男人能逃脫她們的奸詐！」到了晚膳時分，僕人端上托盤，他便大快朵頤，因他長久以來不嚥肉食，即便佳餚珍饈也難以入口。隨後他向全能的安拉獻上感謝，讚頌祂、祈福於祂；那一夜他睡得極為安祥，自許久以前，他便未再嚐過睡眠的甘美。翌日，他大快朵頤，氣色與精神漸漸恢復，不多時便重拾昔日的安康。
十日後，哥哥狩獵歸來，他騎馬出城相迎，彼此致禮問安；舍赫亞爾王望著舍赫‧扎曼王，見他氣色轉佳、面容帶著紅潤，食慾遠勝於先前的寡食模樣。他深感驚奇，說道：「噢，弟弟啊，我多麼盼著你能與我一起去狩獵、馳騁，在我的疆土中一同享福作樂！」他向哥哥道謝，又婉言推辭了；隨後兩人各自上馬，一同回城，他們待在宮中安坐妥當後，僕人便陳上食盤，二人各自吃得飽足。在菜餚被撤下，二人洗過手後，舍赫亞爾王轉身對弟弟說道：「你的狀況使我百思不解。我原本想帶你一同去狩獵，不過見你臉色變得蒼白憔悴，內心也受著煎熬。可如今——讚美真主——我見你本來的氣色已回到臉上，而你也恢回到了最好的狀態。我原以為你的病因，來自與家人和朋友的分離，並離開都城與故土，所以閉口不問，以免使你煩擾。但現在我懇求你向我細說你患病及臉色大變的原因，並解釋你痊癒且重新恢復我一向所見那紅潤氣色的理由。請如實道來，別再隱瞞！」舍赫‧扎曼聽完，頭低向地好一會兒，隨即抬起頭來說道：「我會告訴你我為何事而病，又為何失去氣色；但請原諒我無法向你說明，它為何會回到我身上，以及我完全康復的緣故：我懇求你，不要逼迫我回答。」
舍赫亞爾聽到這番話，非常驚訝，便說道：「那就先讓我聽聽，是什麼使你蒼白、身心憔悴。」
「那麼，噢，哥哥，你便聽我說。」舍赫‧扎曼答道，「當你派宰相來邀我前來託付於你時，我已準備就緒，離開自己的都城了；但不久後便忽然想起，自己遺落了一串原本打算送給你的珠寶在宮殿裡。我獨自折返去取它，卻發現我的妻子在我的地毯床上，雙臂還抱著一個醜陋的黑廚。於是我殺了兩人，繼而前來見你，然而一路上我心思全被此事纏住，因而失去血色，且日漸衰弱。但請原諒我，我依然不能向你說明我臉色恢復的緣由。」
舍赫亞爾搖了搖頭，驚異至極，怒火自胸口竄出，他失聲道：「的確，女人的惡意是強大的！」接著他向真主尋求庇護，說道：「的確如此，噢，弟弟——你因殺了你的妻子，才躲過了無數災禍，[9]以你所遭的那等橫逆來說，你的憤怒與悲痛無可厚非，從來沒有哪位戴冠爲王的人遭遇過這般不幸。安拉在上，若這樁事落在我身上，我恐怕殺上一千個女人都難以平息，而那條路最後只會走向瘋狂。但如今，讚美安拉，祂已替你緩和了這場苦難，因此你必須告訴我是什麼讓你的臉色與健康忽然恢復，並解釋你為何要將此事緘口不言。」
「噢，時代之王啊，我再次懇求你原諒我不能照辦！」
「不，你必須告訴我。」
「我擔心，噢，哥哥，我若說出來，你會比我當時所遭受的更加憤怒、更加悲傷。」
「那反倒是更好的理由，」舍赫亞爾答道，「你應該全盤告訴我，我以安拉之名懇求你，別對我隱瞞半句。」
舍赫‧扎曼因而將自己所見從頭到尾一一告訴了他，最後說道：「當我看見你所遭的災禍，以及你妻子的背叛時，噢，哥哥，我想到你年長於我，又身居比我更高的王位，我自己的悲傷相較之下便顯得微不足道，我的心智重獲協調與和諧：我得以拋開哀憂與消沉，終於能夠吃喝、入睡，因此很快便恢復健康與體力。這便是整件事情的真相。」
舍赫亞爾王聽完這番話，驟然大怒，怒氣幾乎令他窒息；但他當即恢復鎮定，說道：「噢，弟弟，我並非質疑你，只是這等事我實在難以置信，除非我親眼目睹。」
「若你想親眼看到自己的災禍，」舍赫‧扎曼答道：「那就立即起身，再一次準備狩獵和放犬，[10]然後與我一起躲藏起來，你便能目睹一切，親眼為證。」
「正好。」國王說；他下令宣佈自己將要出行；軍隊與帳幕遂先行離城，在視線可及之處紮營，舍赫亞爾也隨軍出城，坐鎮於部隊中央，並吩咐奴僕不得讓任何人前來求見。夜幕降臨後，他召來宰相，對他說：「你坐上我的位置，三日之內，不可讓任何人察覺我的缺席。」兄弟二人隨即變裝，夜裡悄然潛返王宮，在那裡熬過整個黑夜：天一亮，他們便坐到俯瞰御苑的花格窗前，不久，王后與侍女們就如先前那般走出來，從窗下經過，往噴水池的方向而去。他們在那兒脫去衣物；其中十人是男人，十人是女人，王后隨即高聲喚道：「你在哪裡，噢，薩伊德？」那醜陋的黑奴縱然從樹上躍下，毫不遲疑地撲進她懷裡，喊道：「我可是薩德‧艾汀‧薩烏德！」[11]那女人開懷大笑，眾人埋首滿足自身情欲，如此沉溺了幾個小時，直到白奴從侍女的胸脯起身，那黑奴也從王后的胸懷離開時，眾人又走入水池，在那裡行了潔淨全身的古斯勒[一]，才穿回衣物，如先前那般退回宮中。舍赫亞爾王見到王后與嬪妃如此醜行，彷彿神智錯亂地喊道：「唯有置身於絕對的孤寂，人才能不受於這污濁世道的行徑沾染！安拉在上，生命只是一場巨大的錯誤。噢，弟弟，不要阻攔我接下來想做的事。」
「我不會。」弟弟回答道。
於是他說：「那就照我們現在的模樣馬上離開此地，王位已與我們無關，讓我們走遍安拉的土地，敬拜全能的主，直到遇見另一個遭逢與我們同樣災禍的人；倘若我們找不到，那麼死亡便比存活更值得迎接。」
原文
One day his elder brother said to him, "I am going forth to hunt and course and to take my pleasure and pastime; maybe this would lighten thy heart." Shah Zaman, however, refused, saying, "O my brother, my soul yearneth for naught of this sort and I entreat thy favour to suffer me tarry quietly in this place, being wholly taken up with my malady." So King Shah Zaman passed his night in the palace and, next morning, when his brother had fared forth, he removed from his room and sat him down at one of the lattice-windows overlooking the pleasure grounds; and there he abode thinking with saddest thought over his wife's betrayal and burning sighs issued from his tortured breast. And as he continued in this case lo! a postern of the palace, which was carefully kept private, swung open and out of it came twenty slave girls surrounding his brother's wife who was wondrous fair, a model of beauty and comeliness and symmetry and perfect loveliness and who paced with the grace of a gazelle which panteth for the cooling stream. Thereupon Shah Zaman drew back from the window, but he kept the bevy in sight espying them from a place whence he could not be espied. They walked under the very lattice and advanced a little way into the garden till they came to a jetting fountain amiddlemost a great basin of water; then they stripped off their clothes and behold, ten of them were women, concubines of the King, and the other ten were white slaves. Then they all paired off, each with each: but the Queen, who was left alone, presently cried out in a loud voice, "Here to me, O my lord Saeed!" and then sprang with a drop-leap from one of the trees a big slobbering blackamoor with rolling eyes which showed the whites, a truly hideous sight.[7] He walked boldly up to her and threw his arms round her neck while she embraced him as warmly; then he bussed her and winding his legs round hers, as a button-loop clasps a button, he threw her and enjoyed her. On like wise did the other slaves with the girls till all had satisfied their passions, and they ceased not from kissing and clipping, coupling and carousing till day began to wane; when the Mamelukes rose from the damsels' bosoms and the blackamoor slave dismounted from the Queen's breast; the men resumed their disguises and all, except the negro who swarmed up the tree, entered the palace and closed the postern-door as before. Now, when Shah Zaman saw this conduct of his sister-in-law he said in himself, "By Allah, my calamity is lighter than this! My brother is a greater King among the kings than I am, yet this infamy goeth on in his very palace, and his wife is in love with that filthiest of filthy slaves. But this only showeth that they all do it[8] and that there is no woman but who cuckoldeth her husband, then the curse of Allah upon one and all and upon the fools who lean against them for support or who place the reins of conduct in their hands. So he put away his melancholy and despondency, regret and repine, and allayed his sorrow by constantly repeating those words, adding "'Tis my conviction that no man in this world is safe from their malice!" When supper-time came they brought him the trays and he ate with voracious appetite, for he had long refrained from meat, feeling unable to touch any dish however dainty. Then he returned grateful thanks to Almighty Allah, praising Him and blessing Him, and he spent a most restful night, it having been long since he had savoured the sweet food of sleep. Next day he broke his fast heartily and began to recover health and strength, and presently regained excellent condition. His brother came back from the chase ten days after, when he rode out to meet him and they saluted each other; and when King Shahryar looked at King Shah Zaman he saw how the hue of health had returned to him, how his face had waxed ruddy and how he ate with an appetite after his late scanty diet. He wondered much and said, "O my brother, I was so anxious that thou wouldst join me in hunting and chasing, and wouldst take thy pleasure and pastime in my dominion!" He thanked him and excused himself; then the two took horse and rode into the city and, when they were seated at their ease in the palace, the food-trays were set before them and they ate their sufficiency. After the meats were removed and they had washed their hands, King Shahryar turned to his brother and said, "My mind is overcome with wonderment at thy condition. I was desirous to carry thee with me to the chase but I saw thee changed in hue, pale and wan to view, and in sore trouble of mind too. But now Alhamdolillah—glory be to God!—I see thy natural colour hath returned to thy face and that thou art again in the best of case. It was my belief that thy sickness came of severance from thy family and friends, and absence from capital and country, so I refrained from troubling thee with further questions. But now I beseech thee to expound to me the cause of thy complaint and thy change of colour, and to explain the reason of thy recovery and the return to the ruddy hue of health which I am wont to view. So speak out and hide naught! When Shah Zaman heard this he bowed ground-wards awhile his head, then raised it and said, "I will tell thee what caused my complaint and my loss of colour; but excuse my acquainting thee with the cause of its return to me and the reason of my complete recovery: indeed I pray thee not to press me for a reply." Said Shahryar, who was much surprised by these words, "Let me hear first what produced thy pallor and thy poor condition." "Know, then, O my brother," rejoined Shah Zaman, "that when thou sentest thy Wazir with the invitation to place myself between thy hands, I made ready and marched out of my city; but presently I minded me having left behind me in the palace a string of jewels intended as a gift to thee. I returned for it alone and found my wife on my carpet-bed and in the arms of a hideous black cook. So I slew the twain and came to thee, yet my thoughts brooded over this business and I lost my bloom and became weak. But excuse me if I still refuse to tell thee what was the reason of my complexion returning." Shahryar shook his head, marvelling with extreme marvel, and with the fire of wrath flaming up from his heart, he cried, "Indeed, the malice of woman is mighty!" Then he took refuge from them with Allah and said, "In very sooth, O my brother, thou hast escaped many an evil by putting thy wife to death,[9] and right excusable were thy wrath and grief for such mishap which never yet befel crowned King like thee. By Allah, had the case been mine, I would not have been satisfied without slaying a thousand women and that way madness lies! But now praise be to Allah who hath tempered to thee thy tribulation, and needs must thou acquaint me with that which so suddenly restored to thee complexion and health, and explain to me what causeth this concealment." "O King of the Age, again I pray thee excuse my so doing!" "Nay, but thou must." "I fear, O my brother, lest the recital cause thee more anger and sorrow than afflicted me." "That were but a better reason," quoth Shahryar, "for telling me the whole history, and I conjure thee by Allah not to keep back aught from me." Thereupon Shah Zaman told him all he had seen, from commencement to conclusion, ending with these words, "When I beheld thy calamity and the treason of thy wife, O my brother, and I reflected that thou art in years my senior and in sovereignty my superior, mine own sorrow was belittled by the comparison, and my mind recovered tone and temper: so throwing off melancholy and despondency, I was able to eat and drink and sleep, and thus I speedily regained health and strength. Such is the truth and the whole truth." When King Shahryar heard this he waxed wroth with exceeding wrath, and rage was like to strangle him; but presently he recovered himself and said, "O my brother, I would not give thee the lie in this matter, but I cannot credit it till I see it with mine own eyes." "An thou wouldst look upon thy calamity," quoth Shah Zaman, "rise at once and make ready again for hunting and coursing,[10] and then hide thyself with me, so shalt thou witness it and thine eyes shall verify it." "True," quoth the King; whereupon he let make proclamation of his intent to travel, and the troops and tents fared forth without the city, camping within sight, and Shahryar sallied out with them and took seat amidmost his host, bidding the slaves admit no man to him. When night came on he summoned his Wazir and said to him, "Sit thou in my stead and let none wot of my absence till the term of three days." Then the brothers disguised themselves and returned by night with all secrecy to the palace, where they passed the dark hours: and at dawn they seated themselves at the lattice overlooking the pleasure grounds, when presently the Queen and her handmaids came out as before, and passing under the windows made for the fountain. Here they stripped, ten of them being men to ten women, and the King's wife cried out, "Where art thou, O Saeed?" The hideous blackamoor dropped from the tree straightway; and, rushing into her arms without stay or delay, cried out, "I am Sa'ad al-Din Saood!"[11] The lady laughed heartily, and all fell to satisfying their lusts, and remained so occupied for a couple of hours, when the white slaves rose up from the handmaidens' breasts and the blackamoor dismounted from the Queen's bosom: then they went into the basin and, after performing the Ghusl, or complete ablution, donned their dresses and retired as they had done before. When King Shahryar saw this infamy of his wife and concubines he became as one distraught and he cried out, "Only in utter solitude can man be safe from the doings of this vile world! By Allah, life is naught but one great wrong." Presently he added, "Do not thwart me, O my brother, in what I propose;" and the other answered, "I will not." So he said, "Let us up as we are and depart forthright hence, for we have no concern with Kingship, and let us over-wander Allah's earth, worshipping the Almighty till we find some one to whom the like calamity hath happened; and if we find none then will death be more welcome to us than life."
