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Ibn Sawy's house. A room in the women's
apartments.
Ameena, Doonya.
AMEENA
Has he come in ?
DOONYA
He has.
AMEENA
For three long days!
I will reprove him — call him to me, Doonya.
I will be stern.
DOONYA
That's right. Lips closer there!
And just try hard to frown. That's mildly grim
And ought to shake him. Now you spoil all by laughing.
AMEENA
Away, you madcap! Call him here.
DOONYA
The culprit
Presents himself unsummoned.
Enter Nureddene.
NUREDDENE
(at the door)
Ayoob, Ayoob!
A bowl of sherbet in my chamber.
(entering)
Well, mother,
Here I am back, your errant gadabout,
Your vagabond scapegrace, tired of truancy
And very hungry for my mother's arms.
Page – 595
It's good to see you smile!
AMEENA
My dearest son!
NUREDDENE
Why, Doonya, cousin, what wild face is this
?
DOONYA
This is a frown, a frown, upon my forehead.
Do you not tremble when you see it? No?
To tell you the plain truth, my wandering
brother,
We both were practising a careful grimness
And meant to wither you with darting flames
From basilisk eyes and words more sharp than
swords,
Burn you and frizzle into simmering cinders.
Oh, you'ld have been a dolorous spectacle
Before we had finished with you! Ask her
else.
AMEENA
Heed her not, Nureddene. But tell me, child,
Is this well done to wander vagrant-like
Leaving your mother to anxieties
And such alarms ? Oh, we will have to take
Some measure with you! „
DOONYA
Oh, now, now, we are stern!
NUREDDENE
Mother, I only range abroad and learn
Of manners and of men to fit myself
For the after-time.
DOONYA
True, true, and of the taste
Of different wines and qualities of girls;
Page – 596
What eyes Damascus sends, the Cairene sort,
Bagdad's red lips and Yemen's willowy
figures,
Who has the smallest waist in Bassora,
Or who the shapeliest little foot
moon-bright
Beneath her anklets. These are sciences
And should be learned by sober masculine
graduates.
Should they not, cousin?
NUREDDENE
These too are not amiss,
Doonya, for world-wise men. And do you think,
Dear Mother, I could learn the busy world
Here, in your lap, within the shadowy calm
Of women's chambers?
AMEENA
No, child, no. You see,
Doonya, it is not all so bad, this wandering.
And I am sure they much o'erstate his faults
Who tell of them.
DOONYA
Oh, this is very grim!
AMEENA
But, Nureddene, you must not be so wild;
Or when we are gone, what will you do, if
now
You learn no prudence ? All your patrimony
You'll waste, — and then ?
NUREDDENE
Then, mother, life begins.
I shall go forth, a daring errant-knight,
To my true country out in Faeryland;
Wander among the Moors, see Granada,
The delicate city made of faery stone,
Cairo, Tangier, Aleppo, Trebizond;
Page – 597
Or in the East, where old enchantment
dwells,
Find Pekin of the wooden piles, Delhi
Of the idolaters, its brazen pillar
And huge seven-storied temples
sculpture-fretted,
And o'er romantic regions quite unknown
Preach Islam, sword in hand; sell bales of
spice
From Bassora to Java and Japan;
Then on through undiscovered islands, seas
And Oceans yet unnamed; yes, everywhere
Catch Danger by the throat where I can find
him, —
DOONYA
Butcher blood-belching dragons with my
blade,
Cut ogres, chop giants, tickle cormorants, —
NUREDDENE
Then in some land, I have not settled which,
—
DOONYA
Call it Cumcatchia or Nonsensicum.
NUREDDENE
Marry a Soldan's daughter, sweet of eye .'
And crowned with gracious hair, deserving her
By deeds impossible: conduct her armies
Against her foemen, enter iron-walled
Cities besieged with the loud clang of war,
Rescue imperilled kingdoms, 'mid the smoke
Of desperate cities slay victorious kings,
And so extend my lady's empire wide —
DOONYA
From Bassora to the quite distant moon.
NUREDDENE
There I shall reign with beauty and
splendour round
Page – 598
In a great palace built of porphyry,
Marble and jasper, with strange columns made
Of coral and fair walls bright-arabesqued
On which the Koran shall be written out
In sapphires and in rubies. I will sit
Drinking from, cups of gold delightful wine,
Watching slow dances, while the immortal strain
Of music wanders to its silent home.
And I shall have bright concubines and slaves
Around me crowding all my glorious home
With beautiful faces, thick as stars in heaven.
My wealth shall be so great that I can spend
Millions each day nor feel the want. I'll give
Till there shall be no poor in all my realms,
Nor any grieved; for I shall every night,
Like Haroun al Rasheed, the mighty Caliph,
Wander disguised with Jaafar and Mesrour
Redressing wrongs, repressing Almuenes,
And set up noble men like my dear father
In lofty places, giving priceless boons,
An unseen Providence to all mankind.
DOONYA
And you will marry me, dear Nureddene
To Jaafar, your great Vizier, so that we
Shall never part, but every blessed night
Drink and be merry in your halls, and live
Felicitously for ever and for aye,
So long as full moons shine and brains go
wrong
And wine is drunk. I make my suit to you
from now,
Caliph of Faeryland.
NUREDDENE
Your suit is granted.
And meanwhile, Doonya, I amuse myself
With nearer kingdoms, Miriam's wavy locks
And Shazarath-al-Durr's sweet voice of song.
Page – 599
DOONYA
And meanwhile, brother, till you get your
kingdom,
We shall be grim, quite grim.
AMEENA
Your father's angry.
I have not known him yet so moved. My child,
Do not force us to punish you.
NUREDDENE
With kisses?
Look, Doonya, at these two dear hypocrites,
She with her gentle honey-worded threats,
He with his stormings. Pooh! I care not for you.
AMEENA
Not care!
NUREDDENE
No, not a jot for him or you,
My little mother, or only just so much
As a small kiss is worth.
AMEENA
I told you, Doonya,
He was the dearest boy in all the world,
The best, the kindest.
DOONYA
Oh yes, you told me that.
And was the dearest boy in all the world
Rummaging the regions for the dearest girl,
While the admiring sun danced round the welkin
A triple circuit?
NUREDDENE
I have found her, Doonya.
Page – 600
DOONYA
The backward glance ?
AMEENA
Your father!
Enter Ibn Sawy.
IBN
SAWY
Ameena,
I'm called to the palace; something is afoot.
Ah, rascal! ah, you villain! you have come?
NUREDDENE
Sir, a long hour.
IBN
SAWY
Rogue! scamp! what do you mean?
Knave, is my house a caravanserai
For you to lodge in when it is your pleasure ?
NUREDDENE
It is the happiest home in Bassora,
Where the two kindest parents in the world
Excuse their vagabond son.
IBN
SAWY
Hum! well! What, fellow,
You will buy trinkets ? You will have me dunned ?
And fleeced ?
NUREDDENE
Did he dun you ? I hope he asked
A fitting price; I told him to.
IBN
SAWY
Sir, sir,
What game is this to buy your hussies trinkets
Page – 601
And send your father in the bill ? Who
taught you
This rule of conduct ?
NUREDDENE
You, sir.
IBN
SAWY
I, rascal?
NUREDDENE
You told me
That debt must be avoided like a sin.
What other way could I avoid it, sir,
Yet give the trinket?
IBN
SAWY
Logic of impudence ?
Tell me, you curled wine-bibbing Aristotle,
Did I tell you also to have mistresses
And buy them trinkets ?
NUREDDENE
Not in so many words.
IBN
SAWY
So many devils!
NUREDDENE
But since you did not marry me
Nor buy a beautiful slave for home delight,
I thought you'ld have me range outside for pleasures
To get experience of the busy world.
If 'twas an oversight, it may be mended.
IBN
SAWY
I'm dumb!
Page – 602
NUREDDENE
There is a Persian Muazzim sells,
Whom buy for me, — her rate's ten thousand pieces —
IBN
SAWY
A Persian! Muazzim sells! ten thousand
pieces!
(to himself)
Where grows this tangle ? I become afraid.
NUREDDENE
Whom buy for me, I swear I'll be at home,
Quite four days out of seven.
IBN
SAWY
Hear me, young villain!
I'm called to the palace, but when I return,
Look to be bastinadoed, look to be curried
In boiling water, (aside) I must blind him well.
Ten days I shall be busy with affairs,
Then for your slave-girl. Bid the broker keep her.
Oh, I forgot! I swore to pull your curls
For your offences.
NUREDDENE
I must not let you, sir;
They are no longer my own property.
There's not a lock that has not been bespoken
For a memento.
IBN
SAWY
What! What! Impudent rascal!
(aside)
You handsome laughing rogue! Hear, Ameena,
Let Doonya sleep with Anice every night.
No, come, hear farther.
Exit with Ameena.
Page – 603
NUREDDENE
O Doonya, Doonya, tall, sweet, laughing
Doonya!
I am in love, — drowned, strangled, dead with longing.
DOONYA
For the world's .Persian? But she's sold by
now.
NUREDDENE
I asked Muazzim.
DOONYA
A quite absolute liar.
NUREDDENE
O if she is, I'll leave all other cares
And only seek her through an empty world.
DOONYA
What, could one backward glance sweep you so
forward ?
NUREDDENE
Why, Doonya!
DOONYA
Brother, I know a thing I know
You do not know. A sweet bird sang it to me
In an upper chamber.
NUREDDENE
Doonya, you're full of something,
And I must hear it. .
DOONYA
What will you give me for it?
None of your night-hawk kisses, cousin mine!
But a mild loving kind fraternal pledge
I'll not refuse.
Page – 604
NUREDDENE
You are the wickedest, dearest girl
In all the world, the maddest sweetest sister
A sighing lover ever had. Now tell me.
DOONYA
More,
more! I must be flattered.
NUREDDENE
No more. Come, mischief,
You'll keep me in suspense ?
Pulls her ears.
DOONYA
Enough, enough!
The Persian — listen and perpend, O lover!
Lend ear while I unfold my wondrous tale,
A tale long, curled and with a tip, — Oh Lord!
I'll clip my tale. The Persian's bought for you
And in the upper chambers.
NUREDDENE
Doonya, Doonya!
But those two loving hypocrites, —
DOONYA
All's meant
To be surprise.
NUREDDENE
Surprise me no surprises.
I am on fire, Doonya, I am on fire.
The upper chambers ?
DOONYA
Stop, stop! You do not know;
There is an ogre at her door, a black
Page – 605
White-tusked huge-muscled hideous grinning
giant,
Of mood uproarious, horrible of limb,
An Ethiopian fell yelped Harkoos.
NUREDDENE
The eunuch!
DOONYA
Stop, stop, stop. He has a sword,
A fearful, forceful, formidable blade.
NUREDDENE
Your eunuch and his sword! I mount to heaven
And who shall stop me ?
Exit.
DOONYA
Stop, stop! yet stop! He's off
Like bolt from bowstring. Now the game's afoot
And Bassora's Sultan, Mahomed Alzayni,
May whistle for his slave-girl. I am Fate,
For I upset the plans of Viziers and of Kings.
Exit.
Page – 606
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