"How many by my labors, that evermore endure,
All goods of life enjoy and in cooly shade recline?
Each morn that dawns I wake in travail and in woe,
And strange is my condition and my burden gars me pine.
Many others are in luck and from miseries are free,
And Fortune never load them with loads the like o' mine.
They live their happy days in all solace and delight,
Eat, drink, and dwell in honor 'mid the noble and the digne.
All living things were made of a little drop of sperm,
Thine origin is mine and my provenance is thine,
Yet the difference and distance 'twixt the twain of us are far
As the difference of savor 'twixt vinegar and wine.
But at Thee, O God All-wise! I venture not to rail,
Whose ordinance is just and whose justice cannot fail."
When Sindbad the Porter had made an end of reciting his verses, he
bore up his burden and was about to fare on when there came forth to
him from the gate a little foot page, fair of face and shapely of
shape and dainty of dress, who caught him by the hand saying, "Come in
and speak with my lord, for he calleth for thee." The porter would
have excused himself to the page, but the lad would take no refusal,
so he left his load with the doorkeeper in the vestibule and
followed the boy into the house, which he found to be a goodly
mansion, radiant and full of majesty, till he brought him to a grand
sitting room wherein he saw a company of nobles and great lords seated
at tables garnished with all manner of flowers and sweet-scented
herbs, besides great plenty of dainty viands and fruits dried and
fresh and confections and wines of the choicest vintages. There also
were instruments of music and mirth and lovely slave girls playing and
singing. All the company was ranged according to rank, and in the
highest place sat a man of worshipful and noble aspect whose beard
sides hoariness had stricken, and he was stately of stature and fair
of favor, agreeable of aspect and full of gravity and dignity and
majesty. So Sindbad the Porter was confounded at that which he
beheld and said in himself, "By Allah, this must be either a piece
of Paradise or some king's palace!"
Then he saluted the company with much respect, praying for their
prosperity, and kissing the ground before them, stood with his head
bowed down in humble attitude. The master of the house bade him draw
near and be seated and bespoke him kindly, bidding him welcome. Then
he set before him various kinds of viands, rich and delicate and
delicious, and the porter, after saying his Bismillah, fell to and ate
his fill, after which he exclaimed, "Praised be Allah, whatso be our
case!" and, washing his hands, returned thanks to the company for
his entertainment. Quoth the host: "Thou art welcome, and thy day is a
blessed. But what thy name and calling?" Quoth the other, "O my
lord, my name is Sindbad the Hammal, and I carry folk's goods on my
head for hire." The housemaster smiled and rejoined: "Know, O
Porter, that thy name is even as mine, for I am Sindbad the Seaman.
And now, O Porter, I would have thee let me hear the couplets thou
recitedst at the gate anon.' The porter was abashed and replied:
"Allah upon thee! Excuse me, for toil and travail and lack of luck
when the hand is empty teach a man ill manners and boorish ways." Said
the host: "Be not ashamed. Thou art become my brother. But repeat to
me the verses, for they pleased me whenas I heard thee recite them
at the gate."
Hereupon the Porter repeated the couplets and they delighted the
merchant, who said to him: "Know, O Hammal, that my story is a
wonderful one, and thou shalt hear all that befell me and all I
underwent ere I rose to this state of prosperity and became the lord
of this place wherein thou seest me. For I came not to this high
estate save after travail sore and perils galore, and how much toil
and trouble have I not suffered in days of yore! I have made seven
voyages, by each of which hangeth a marvelous tale, such as
confoundeth the reason, and all this came to pass by doom of Fortune
and Fate. For from what Destiny doth write there is neither refuge nor
flight. Know, then, good my lords," continued he, "that I am about
to relate the
First Voyage Of Sindbad Hight The Seaman.