THE STORY OF THE VIZIER NOUREDINE, HIS BROTHER THE VIZIER CHAMSEDDINE, AND HASSAN BADREDDINE
Harun al-Rashid
Source
Two genies argued about which of Hassan or El-Hosn, the daughter of Chamseddine, is the most beautiful creature in the world.
To decide, they transport Hassan to Cairo, where El-Hosn is getting married to a hunchback, by order of the sultan of Egypt.
Note: El-Hosn means "The Sovereign of Beauty".
ON THE SIXTH NIGHT
Sheherazade said:
Now, this cemetery was a place haunted by genies of the right kind, Muslim genies, and believers. And, by chance also, a charming female genie was taking the air at this hour, under the rays of the moon, and, in her walk, passed by the sleeping Hassan, saw him, and noticed his beauty and his beautiful proportions. And she was very amazed and said: “Glory be to Allah! oh, the beautiful boy! In truth, I am in love with his beautiful eyes, because I guess they are black! and white!…" Then she said to herself: “While waiting for him to wake up, I am going to take off a bit to continue my walk in the air." And she took her flight, and climbed very high to catch the air; up there, on her way, she was charmed to meet one of her comrades on the way, a male genie, also a believer. She greeted him kindly and he returned the greeting with deference. So she said to him: "Where are you from, mate?" He replied: "From Cairo." She said to him: "Are the good believers in Cairo well?" He replied: “Thanks be to Allah, they are fine." Then she said to him: "Will you, companion, come with me to admire the beauty of a young man who is asleep in the cemetery of Basra?" The genie said to her: "At your command!" So they took each other's hands and went down together to the cemetery and stopped in front of the sleeping young Hassan. And the female genie said to the other one, winking at him: “Hein! wasn't I right?" And the male genie, stunned by the marvelous beauty of Hassan Badreddine, exclaimed: “Allah! God! he has no equal; he is created to put in combustion all the vulvas." Then he thought for a moment and added: “Yet, my sister, I must tell you that I have seen someone who can be compared to this charming young boy." And the female genie exclaimed: “Not possible!" The genni said: “By Allah! I saw it! and it is under the climate of Egypt, in Cairo! and she is the daughter of the vizier Chamseddine!" The female genie said to him: "But I don't know her!" The genni said, “Listen. Here is her story:
“The vizier Chamseddine, her father, is in misfortune because of her. Indeed, the Sultan of Egypt, having heard from his wives of the extraordinary beauty of the vizier's daughter, asked the vizier to marry her. But the vizier Shamseddine, who had decided something else for his daughter, was in great perplexity and said to the sultan: "O my suzerain and master, have the kindness to accept my humblest apologies and forgive me in this matter. Because you know the story of my poor brother Noureddine who was your vizier with me. You know he left one day and we never heard from him again. And it was, in truth, for a not serious reason at all!" And he told the sultan the motive in detail. Then he added: “So, afterward, I swore before Allah, on the day of the birth of my daughter, that, whatever might happen, I would marry her only to the son of my brother Noureddine. And that was already eighteen years ago. But, fortunately, I learned, only a few days ago, that my brother Noureddine had married the daughter of the vizier of Basra, and that he had had a son by her. Also, my own daughter, who was born of my works with her mother, is destined and written in the name of her cousin, the son of my brother Noureddine! As for you, O my lord and overlord, you can have any maiden! Egypt is full of them! And some are pieces fit for kings!"
“But, at these words, the sultan was in a great rage, and cried: “What, wretched vizier! I wanted to do you the honor of marrying your daughter, and of descending to you, and you, you dare, under a very stupid and very cold pretext, to refuse me her! But, by my head! I will force you to give her in marriage, despite your nose, to the most miserable of my people!" Now, the sultan had a little counterfeit, hunchbacked groom, with a hump in front and a hump in back. The sultan summoned him at once, and had his marriage contract written with the daughter of the vizier Chamseddine, despite the father's entreaties; then he ordered the little hunchback to sleep that very night with the young girl. In addition, the sultan ordered a great wedding to be held with music.
"As for me, my sister, in the meantime, I left them like that, while the young slaves of the palace surrounded the little hunchback, and told him very funny Egyptian jokes, and were already holding, each in their hands, the candles lit to accompany the groom. As for the groom, I left him taking his bath in the hammam, amid the jeers and laughter of the young slaves who said: "For us, we would rather hold the tool of a skinned donkey than the pitiful zebb of this hunchbacked!" And, indeed, my sister, he is very ugly, this hunchback, and very disgusting." And the genie, at this memory, spat on the ground, making a horrible grimace. Then he added: “As for the young girl, she is the most beautiful creature that I have seen in my life. I assure you that she is even more beautiful than this boy. Her name is Sett El-Hosn, and she is that, indeed! I left her crying bitterly, away from her father who was forbidden to attend the party. She is all alone, in the party, in the middle of the players of instruments, the dancers, and the singers; the wretched groom will soon leave the hammam; we're just waiting for that to get the party started! »
The female genie said: “Yes! but, companion, I strongly believe that you are very much mistaken in asserting to me that Sett El-Hosn is more beautiful than this boy. It is not possible. Because I affirm to you that he is the most beautiful of this time! But the male genie replied: “By Allah! O my sister, I assure you that the young girl is even more beautiful. Besides, you just have to come and see her with me. It's easy. We will take the opportunity to frustrate the cursed hunchback of this marvel of flesh. The two young people are worthy of each other, and they resemble each other so much that they look like two brothers or at least two cousins. What a pity it would be if the hunchback could copulate with Sett El-Hosn!"
Then the female genie answered: “You are right, my brother. Yes, let us carry on our arms the sleeping boy and unite him to the young girl of whom you speak. In this way, we will do something beautiful, and, moreover, we will see which is the more beautiful of the two!" And the male genie answered: “I listen and I obey, for your words are full of good sense and justice! Let's go!" With that, the male genie took the young man on his back and flew away, followed closely by the female genie who was helping him to go faster; and both, thus laden, ended up arriving at Cairo, at full speed. There they unloaded the handsome Hassan, and laid him, still asleep, on a bench in a street near the court of the palace which was filled with people; and they woke him up.
Hassan awoke and was in the most extreme amazement to see himself no longer stretched out in the türbe, on his father's tomb, at Basra. He looked to the right. He looked to the left. And everything was unknown to him. It was no longer the same city, but a city quite different from Basra. He was so startled that he opened his mouth to scream; but immediately he saw before him a very tall, bearded man, who winked at him to tell him not to shout. And Hassan restrained himself. This man (he was the male genie!) presented him with a lighted candle, and enjoined him to mingle with the crowd of people who all carried lighted candles to accompany the wedding, and said to him: "Know that I am a genie, a believer! It was I who carried you here, while you slept. This city is Cairo. I transported you here because I want you well, and I want to do you a favor for nothing, simply for the love of Allah and for your beauty! So take this lighted candle, mingle with the crowd, and go with it to this hammam you see. There, you will see a kind of little hunchback come out, who will be taken to the palace; you will follow! or rather you will walk alongside the hunchback, who is a newlywed, and you will enter this palace with him, and, having arrived in the large meeting hall, you will stand on the right of the newlywed hunchback, as if you were from the house. And then, each time you see an instrument player or a dancer or a singer arrive in front of you, you will plunge your hand into your pocket which, thanks to me, you will always find full of gold; and thou shall take the gold in large handfuls without hesitation, and throw it carelessly to all! And don't be afraid to see the gold run out: I'll take care of it! You will therefore give a handful of gold to all who approach you. And assume an air of self-confidence, and fear nothing! And trust in Allah who created you so beautiful, and in me too who loves you! Besides, everything that happens to you there happens to you by the will and power of Allah Most High!" At these words, the genie disappeared.
At this point in her narration, Sheherazade saw the morning appear and quietly fell silent.*
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