literary analysis

,ii

The Arabian Nights and Daysi Shahriyar

Following the dawn prayer, with clouds of darkness defying the vigorous thrust of light, the vizier Dandan2 was called to a meeting with the sultan Shahriyar. Dandan's composure vanished. The heart of a father quaked within him as, putting on his clothes, he mumbled, "Now the outcome will be resolved-your fate, Shahrza<,l."

He went by the road that led up to the mountain on an old jade, followed by a troop of guards; preceding them was a man bearing a torch, in weather that radiated dew and a gentle chilliness. Three years3 he had spent between fear and hope, be- tween death and expectation; three years spent in the telling of stories; and, thanks to those stories, Shahrzad's life span had been extended. Yet, like everything, the stories had come to an end, had ended yesterday. So what fate was lying in wait for you, 0 beloved daughter of mine?

He entered the palace that perched on top of the mountain. The chamberlain led him to a rear balcony that overlooked a vast garden. Shahriyar was sitting in the light shed by a single lamp, bare-headed,4 his hair luxuriantly black, his eyes gleam- ing in his long face, his large beard spreading across the top of his chest. Dandan kissed the ground before him, feeling, despite their long association, an inner fear for a man whose history had been filled with harshness, cruelty, and the spilling of innocent blood.

The sultan signaled for the sole lamp to be extinguished. Darkness took over and the specters of the trees giving out a fragrant aroma were cast into semi-obscurity.

"Let there be darkness so that I may observe the effusion of the light," Shahriyar muttered.

Dandan felt a certain optimism. "May God grant Your Majesty enjoyment of everything that is best in the night

and the day." Silence. Dandan could discern behind his expression neither contentment nor dis-

pleas,ure, .until the.sultan quietly said, "It is our wish that Shahrzad remain our wife." D~dan jumped to his feet and bent over the .sultan's head, kissing it with a sense

of gratitude that brought tears from deep inside him. "May God support yqu in your rul.e forever and ever."

1. Translated by Denys Johnson-Davies. 2. In Mahfouz's fllndering of The.Arabian Nights, Dandan is the vizier and the father ofShahrzad in the frame story. 3. "Three years" is the period that Mahfouz assigns to the

1,001 ·nights of the tales of Shaluzad, during which she manages to aliate the brutality of Shahriyar. 4. The Suliaii ls not wearing his turban, the symbol of power and authority.

The Arabian Nights and Days 577

"Justice," said the sultan, as though remembering his victims, "possesses dis- parate methods, among them the sword and among them forgiveness. God has His own wisdom."

"May God direct your steps to His wisdom, Your Majesty." "Her stories are white magic," he said delightedly. "They open up worlds that in-

vite reflection." The vizier was suddenly intoxicated with joy. "She bore me a son and my troubled spirits were put at peace." "May Your Majesty enjoy happiness both here and in the here-after." "Happiness!" muttered the sultan sharply. Dandan felt anxious for some reason. The crowing of the roosters rang out. As

though talking to himself, the sultan said, "Existence itself is the most inscrutable thing in existence."

But his tone of perplexity vanished when he exclaimed, "Look. Over there!" Dandan looked toward the horizon and saw it aglow with hallowed joy.

Shahrzad

Dandan asked permission to see his daughter Shahrzad. A handmaid led him to the rose room with its rose-colored carpet and curtains, and the divans and cushions in shades of red. There he was met by Shahrzad and her sister Dunyazad.

"I am overwhelmed with happiness, thanks be to God, Lord of the Worlds." Shahrzad sat him down beside her while Dunyazad withdrew to her closet. "I was saved from a bloody fate by our Lord's mercy," said Shahrzad. But the man was barely mumbling his thanks as she added bitterly, "May God

have mercy on those innocent virgins." "How wise you are and how courageous!" "But you know, father," she said in a whisper, "that I am unhappy." "Be careful, daughter, for thoughts assume concrete forms in palaces and give

voice." "I sacrificed myself," she said sorrowfully, "in order to stem the torrent of blood." "God has His wisdom," he muttered. "And the Devil his supporters," she said in a fury. "He loves you, Shahrzad," he pleaded. "Arrogance and love do not come together in one heart. He loves himself first

and last." "Love also has its miracles." "Whenever he approaches me I breathe the smell of blood." "The sultan is not like the rest of humankind." "But a crime is a crime. How many virgins has he killed! 5 How many pious and

God-fearing people has he wiped out! Only hypocrites are left in the kingdom." "My trust in God has never been shaken," he said sadly. "As for me, I know that my spiritual station lies in patience, as the great sheikh

taught me." To this Dandan said with a smile, "What an excellent teacher and what an excel-

lent pupil!"

5. Before his marriage to Shahrzad, every night the Sultan would marry a new virgin, deflower her, and kill her the follow- ing morning.