So they entered the first chamber; and they found it filled with gold and with white silver, and pearls and jewels, and jacinths and precious minerals. He answered, When I reached the top of the wall, I beheld ten damsels, like moons, who made a sign with their hands, as though they would say, Come to us. The Emir Musa, when he heard these words, again wept so violently that he became insensible; and after he had recovered, he wrote all that he saw, and was admonished by what he witnessed. The City of Brass | Photo by goodreads.com Growing up, most children are read stories before bed of far off lands and the creatures that inhabit them. gone before, at Damascus of Syria, a Caliph known as Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, Hearken, therefore, to my words and put thy trust in the Lord of Lords; for in the world there is no stability; it is but as a spider's web to thee." And the Prince of the Faithful said to him, Would that I had been with you, that I might have beheld what ye beheld! So Abd al-Samad drew near to the pillar and said to him which was therein, "O creature, what is thy name and what art thou and how camest thou here in this fashion?" May God bless thee! And a second ascended, and a third, and a fourth, and a fifth; and they ceased not to ascend by that ladder to the top of the wall, one after another, until twelve men of them had gone, acting as acted the first. Now this Harun was a man of great prowess and a renowned warrior and a doughty knight, and the Shaykh Abd al-Samad feigned to him that the place they sought was distant but four months' journey along the shore of the sea, with camping-places all the way, adjoining one another, and grass and springs, adding, "Allah will assuredly make the matter easy to us through thy blessing, O Lieutenant of the Commander of the Faithful!" And at the foot of the tablet were written these couplets, "Where is the man who did those labours ply * And based and built and reared these walls on high? "; and the guide answered, "Rejoice O Emir, for this is the City of Brass, as it is described in the Book of Hidden Treasures which I have by me. This, then, is all that hath come down to us of the story of the City of Brass, and God is All-knowing! But in my ignorance I transgressed to obtain things wished for, which proved at last to be frail. This if thou do, thou shalt have pardon and peace; but if not, it will avail thee nothing to fortify thyself in this island, for Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) Then Talib [the son of Sahl] related, that a man embarked in a ship with a company of others, and they voyaged to the island of Sicily, and ceased not in their course until there arose against them a wind which bore them away to one of the lands of God, whose name be exalted! So when they saw the ship and those who were in her, he came forth to them attended by a party of his companions, and saluted them and welcomed them, and inquired of them respecting their religion. From all that thy hands have reassured thou shalt be removed. But the Deity would nought save the execution of his purpose; and thus I became separated from my brethren. When they saw the troops they were startled like shying steeds and fled into the caverns, whilst their women and children stood at the cave doors, looking on the strangers. Where are the faces which were veiled and curtained, and on which, for their beauty, proverbs were composed?—. They therefore acquainted him with their state; and he said to them, No harm shall befall you. Then they fared on without ceasing till they drew near the city and behold, it was as it were a piece of a mountain or a mass of iron cast in a mould and impenetrable for the height of its walls and bulwarks; while nothing could be more beautiful than its buildings and its ordinance. At this Musa wept with sore weeping and, going on to the fourth tablet, he read inscribed thereon, "O son of Adam, how long shall thy Lord bear with thee and thou every day sunken in the sea of thy folly? The Emir answered, Advance and read. These Jann who obeyed him were under my command and authority, following my words when I ordered them: all of them were in rebellion against Suleyman the son of Da’ud (on both of whom be peace! * The built and peopled left they e'er and aye! But Talib the son of Sahl said to the Emir, May God amend thy state. ); and I used to enter the body of the idol, and command them and forbid them. And how often have I ordered! There is no life in her. I am the son of Sheddad, who held dominion over mankind and each tract of the whole earth. ; for all that betideth us in this journey dependeth upon thy blessing." X. asked Musa, and the Shaykh answered, "It is a journey of two years and some months going and the like returning; and the way is full of hardships and terrors and things wondrous and marvellous. And Death, that sunders man, exchanged my lot * To pauper hut from grandeur's mansion Then quoth he to the Emir, "Are ye men or Jinn?" Gutenberg They then proceeded along the sea-coast until they came in sight of a high mountain overlooking the sea. Upon her was a garment of brilliant pearls, on her head was a crown of red gold, with a fillet of jewels, on her neck was a necklace of jewels in the middle of which were refulgent gems, and upon her forehead were two jewels the light of which was like that of the sun; and she seemed as though she were looking at the people, and observing them to the right and left. One of the sons of Iblis had an idol of red carnelian, whereof I was guardian, and there served it a King of the Kings of the sea, a Prince of puissant power and prow of prowess, over-ruling a thousand thousand warriors of the Jann who smote with swords before him and answered his summons in time of need. ", and the Shaykh answered. "I am an Ifrit of the Jinn," replied he, "by name Dahish, son of Al-A'amash, and am confined here by the All-might, prisoned here by the Providence and punished by the judgement of Allah, till it pleases Him, to whom belong Might and Majesty, to release me." So he turned back to the guard-room and seeing amongst the dead an old man seated upon a high wooden bench, who seemed the chiefest of them, said in his mind, "Who knows but they are with this Shaykh? Then he said, O Emir, the easiest place in it is this place at which ye have alighted. She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shaykh Abd al-Samad, having read the aforesaid, also found the following, "O thou who comest to this place, take warning by that which thou seest of the accidents of Time and the vicissitudes of Fortune and be not deluded by the world and its pomps and vanities and fallacies and falsehoods and vain allurements, for that it is flattering, deceitful end treacherous, and the things thereof are but a loan to us which it will borrow back from all borrowers. Where be the peoples of old time? The City of Brass . Wilt thou, therefore, go with me and help me to accomplish the Caliph's need? So the Emir went up to the palace, with the Shaykh and his officers, and coming to the gate, found it open. O my Lord, to crave succour here I stand * Command and I bow to thy high command!'. Then he deemed it best to assemble his chief officers and when all were present he acquainted them with the contents of the Caliph's letter and sought counsel of them how he should act. The party had not beheld, in all that they had seen, any thing more beautiful than it. And we seek not access to God (to whom be ascribed might and glory!) I repent! If the Shaykh fall, we are dead men one and all." So they began to take what suited them of those things, and each of the soldiers carried off what he could. All are entombed, in pledge against the day * When every sin shall show to every eye. Quoth my grandfather:--'This was in the darkness of the night and as soon as it was day, there came forth to us, from the caves of the mountain, folk black of colour and naked of body, as they were wild beasts, understanding not one word of what was addressed to them; nor was there any of them who knew Arabic, save their King who was of their own kind. So the Commander of the Faithful invested his son Harun with the government and Musa repaired to the Glorious and Holy City, where he died. As to the people of the ship, their hearts were almost eradicated; but the blacks thought nothing of the event. If all our men do on this wise, we shall have none left and shall fail of our errand and that of the Commander of the Faithful. Then he fared on with his host three days' space, under the guidance of the Shaykh Abd al-Samad, till they came to a high hill, whereon stood a horseman of brass. Then he called to the carpenters and blacksmiths, and ordered them to make straight some pieces of wood, and to construct a ladder covered with plates of iron. "And how came ye by the knowledge of this," questioned the Emir, "seeing that no prophet was inspired to visit this country?" I mean, seriously, when was the last time you read a fantasy set in Egypt in the 19th century? Enter this palace-gate and ask the news * Of greatness fallen into dust and clay: Fall not thou into its snares neither take hold upon its skirts, but be warned by my example. And at the foot of the tablet were written the following verses, "Where are the Kings earth-peopling, where are they? So when money-bags are bloated, and dinar unto dinar * Thou addest, all may leave thee with fleeting of the night: Armies they led and puissant men and gained them gold galore; * Then left their wealth and palaces by Pate compelled to flee, The Emir therefore replied, Mount. replied Talib, "let us make a ladder and mount the wall therewith, so peradventure we may come at the gate from within." Should Guns Be Banned From College University Campuses? Here was a people whom, after their works, thou shalt see wept over for their lost dominion; And in this palace is the last information respecting lords collected in the dust. and what food did they eat! How many a king they humbled in their day! We told him all concerning ourselves and he said, 'Be of good cheer for no harm shall befal you.' Quoth the Emir, "Needs must we carry some of these to the Caliph, for the sight of them will please him more than the cucurbites of Solomon." They then passed on, and found a saloon constructed of polished marble adorned with jewels. Now this King's daughter loved the idol and was frequent in prostration to it and assiduous in its service; and she was the fairest woman of her day, accomplished in beauty and loveliness, elegance and grace. and now * In dust they're eaten, for the worm a prey.". 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