登陆注册
12108400000065

第65章 NOUREDDIN ALI OF CAIRO AND HIS SON BEDREDDIN HASSA

Thirdlypreserve silence and let thy faults distract thee from those of other men;for it is said that in silence is safety;and thereon I have heard the following verses:

Silence is fair and safety lies in taciturnity. Sowhen thou speak'stI counsel theegive not thy tongue the rein.

Sincefor one time that thou repent the having held thy tongue,Thou shalt of having spoke repent again and yet again.

FourthlyO my sonbeware of drinking winefor wine is the root of all evils and the thief of wit. Guard thyself from itfor the poet says:

Wine and the drinkers of wine I have put awayAnd am become of those that of it mis-say.

For wine indeed diverts from the road of rightAnd to all kinds of evil opens the way.

LastlyO my sonkeep thy wealththat it may keep theeand watch over itthat it may watch over thee. Squander not thy substanceor thou wilt come to need the meanest of folk. Guard well thy moneyfor it is a sovereign salve for the wounds of lifeeven as says the poet:

If wealth should failthere is no friend will bear thee company,But whilst thy substance still aboundsall men are friends to thee.

How many a foe for money's sake hath companied with me!But when wealth failed beneath my handmy dearest friend did flee.'

And Noureddin ceased not to exhort his son till his spirit departed and his house became the abode of mourning. The King and all the Amirs grieved for him and buried him;but Bedreddin ceased not to bewail his father for two whole monthsduring which time he never left the housenor did he attend the Divan or present himself before the Sultan. At last the latter became wroth with him and made one of his chamberlains Vizier in his stead and bade him seize on all Noureddin's houses and goods and possessions and seal them up. So the new Vizier went forth to do this and take Bedreddin Hassan and bring him before the Sultan,that he might deal with him as he thought fit. Now there was among the troops one who had been a servant of the deceased Vizierand when he heard this order he spurred his steed and rode at full speed to Bedreddin's housewhere he found him sitting at the gatewith downcast headbroken-hearted. So he dismounted and kissing his handsaid to him'O my lord and son of my lordhastenere destruction light on thee!'When Bedreddin heard thishe trembled and said'What is the matter?'

'The Sultan is wroth with thee,'answered the other'and has given orders for thine arrestand calamity follows hard upon me,so flee for thy life.'Quoth Bedreddin'Is there time for me to go in and take somewhat to stand me in stead in my strangerhood?'

But the other answered'O my lordrise at once and save thyself whilst it is yet timeand leave thy house.'So Bedreddin covered his face with his skirt and went out and walked on till he came without the city. On his wayhe heard the people saying that the Sultan had sent the new Vizier to the late Vizier's houseto seize on his possessions and take his son Bedreddin Hassan and bring him before himthat he might put him to deathand they grieved for him by reason of his beauty and grace. When he heard thishe fled forth at hazardnot knowing whitherand chance led him to the cemetery where his father was buried. So he passed among the tombstill he came to his father's sepulchre and enteringsat down and let fall from over his head the skirt of his cassockwhich was made of brocadewith the following lines embroidered in gold on the hem:

Thou whose face with the rainbow might vieThat art bright as the stars of the sky,May thy fortune ne'er fail to be fair And thy glory for ever be high!

As he sat by his father's tombthere came up a Jewas he were a money-changerwith a pair of saddle-bags full of goldand accosted himsaying'Whither awayO my lord? It is near the end of the day and thou art lightly clad and bearest the marks of chagrin on thy countenance.'I was asleep but now,'answered Bedreddin'when my father appeared to me and reproached me for not having visited his tomband I awoketremblingand came hither at oncefearing lest the day should passwithout my paying him a visitwhich would have been grievous to me.'O my lord,'said the Jew'thy father had many ships at seawhereof some are now due;and it is my wish to buy of thee the cargo of the first that comes into port for a thousand dinars.'I will well,'answered Bedreddin;whereupon the Jew took out a purse of gold and counted out a thousand dinarswhich he gave to Bedreddinsaying'Write me an acknowledgment and seal it.'So Bedreddin took pen and paper and wrote the following in double:

'The writerBedreddin Hassanson of the Vizier Noureddin of Bassorahas sold to Isaac the Jew all the cargo of the first of his father's ships that comes into portat the price of a thousand dinarswhich he has received in advance.'Then he gave one copy to the Jewwho took it and went awayand put the other in the pursewhich he thrust into his waistcloth. And he bethought him of his former estate of honour and consideration and wept and repeated the following verses:

Home is no longer home to menow ye are gone awayNor are the neighbours neighbours nowafter our parting-day,The comradewhom I loved whilereno more a comrade isAnd even the very sun and moon'no longer bright are they.

Ye went away and all the world was saddened for your lossAnd all the hills and plains grew dark with sorrow and dismay.

O that the raven of ill-luckthat croaked our parting hourMay lose his plumes nor find a nest in which his bead to lay!

My patience fails me for desiremy body wasteth sore;How many a veil the hands of death and parting rend in tway!

I wonderwill our happy nights come ever back againOr one house hold us two once moreafter the olden way!

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 嬷嬷出嫁,公子要吗

    嬷嬷出嫁,公子要吗

    桃谷有一女,名叫容默默,上能掀瓦堂,下能闯男房…明明自己长的如花似玉,可妖孽二、妖孽三都不喜欢自己。呜呜…这都不说了,闯江湖居然闯进了皇宫,一不小心成了嬷嬷!!某女内心呐喊着:“天啊。我有那么老吗?难道就注定没人要了么?不行,再怎么不济也要绑个帅哥回去!”于是在某个月黑风高的晚上,某女拿着一把刀子抵押某男的背上说:“你从还是不从??”某男羞涩得转过身去,说到:“我还是从了啊。”某女看了一下来人,刀子哐当一掉。鬼哭狼嚎得立刻抱住来人的大腿,吼道:“师兄,我错了啊……”
  • tfboys之王俊凯虐恋之旅

    tfboys之王俊凯虐恋之旅

    “我王俊凯,在此对世界昭告,王萱便是我的底线,触我底线者,死!”为了和她在一起,他曾对世界这样说。她爱他,他亦爱她。可天不想让他们在一起,又怎么能违背呢?她失忆,他守护。他背叛,她信任。他和她什么都好,就是命运坎坷,相爱的两人最终还是不得已在一起。她出车祸,身亡,他开始颓废,无望。他再不打开心门,有人问他:"为什么那么久了,你还不找女朋头?"他怔住,回答道:"我有喜欢的女孩了。"他再问:"那为什么不表白,追呀。"他搭理了,追?怎么追,人都不知道去哪了,他苦笑一声,跟着她去了,可能在哪里就能看见她了,就可以表白了......
  • TFBOYS与团子

    TFBOYS与团子

    八月,一个神奇的月份,在这天,苏团子遇到了改变她一生的少年们,四个人的爱情纠葛,纷争,兄弟反目,苏团子闭上眼,宁愿这一切都没有发生。
  • 霸道校草的小巫婆

    霸道校草的小巫婆

    不轻易的爬到了他的车上,就要她李若璇死定。在开学第一天,又遇到他,还成为他的未婚妻,没想到他居然是高氏集团的继承人‘天,死都没想到遇到这样一人’李若璇的日子不好过了。。。。
  • 进化者之路

    进化者之路

    一个顶尖杀手,每天却只想着混吃混喝,快快乐乐的过一辈子。然而当他穿越后,却发现这个世界并不能让他像以前一样混下去。于是,为了让自己能够继续过着混吃等死的颓废日子,他开始了回归的旅程。ps:背景类似《辐射》,但肯定有改动,有兴趣的来看看吧。
  • 决定传说

    决定传说

    历史的走向?由我决定!种族的兴旺?由我决定朝代的更迭?由我决定!传说的编写?只有我有那个实力——决定!
  • 复仇公主的坎坷爱恋

    复仇公主的坎坷爱恋

    她,雪琳依婷。她,雪琳陌诺。她,雪琳颖思。仇恨改变了她们,爱情却又改变了她们。爱情的背叛让她们心灰意冷,从新来过,是否能再次与自己的白马王子在一起呢?
  • 腹黑的异界之行

    腹黑的异界之行

    想知道这世界上什么可以穿越吗?没错,来这里告诉你!想知道贱人穿越后的腹黑表现吗?没错,来这里为你展现!本小说自带官方(码子汉子)吐槽,欢迎大家以各种形式继续吐,小说主人公王小凡将张开血盆大口,开心的迎接。严重声明,本小说纯粹为了轻松开心,内容局部重口,不喜,请跳着看,如果感觉不错,请留下推荐,收藏等各类激励手段,新人作者将不胜感激。
  • 情见乎辞

    情见乎辞

    当18岁的萧咏辞踏进A中大门,撞见贸贸然冲出校门口的乔以见......
  • 孤欲成魔

    孤欲成魔

    他的命运从出生那一刻就已注定他本善良,却被一步步逼入成魔的道路魔女为他而生,为了她,他成魔又如何!