I die my death, but He alone is great who dieth not! ✿ And well I wot, soon shall I die, for death was made my lot:
A King there's not that dies and holds his kingdom in his hand, ✿ For Sovranty the Kingdom is of Him who dieth not.
Then he continued, "O my son, I have no charge to leave thee save that thou fear Allah and look to the issues of thine acts and bear in mind my injunctions anent Anis al-Jalis." "O my father!" said Nur al-Din, "who is like unto thee? Indeed thou art famed for well doing and preachers offer prayers for thee in their pulpits!" Quoth Al-Fazl, "O my son, I hope that Allah Almighty may grant me acceptance!" Then he pronounced the Two Testimonies,21 or Professions of the Faith, and was recorded among the blessed. The palace was filled with crying and lamentation and the news of his death reached the King, and the city-people wept, even those at their prayers and women at household cares and the schoolchildren shed tears for Bin-Khakan. Then his son Nur al-Din Ali arose and made ready his funeral, and the Emirs and Wazirs and high Officers of State and city-notables were present, amongst them the Wazir al-Mu'in bin Sawi. And as the bier went forth from the house some one in the crowd of mourners began to chant these lines: —
On the fifth day I quitted all my friends for evermore, ✿ And they laid me out and washed me on a slab without my door:22
They stripped me of the clothes I was ever wont to wear, ✿ And they clothed me in the clothes which till then I never wore.
On four men's necks they bore me and carried me from home ✿ To chapel; and some prayed for him on neck they bore:
They prayed for me a prayer that no prostration knows;23 ✿ They prayed for me who praised me and were my friends of yore;
And they laid me in a house with a ceiling vaulted o'er, ✿ And Time shall be no more ere it ope to me its door.
When they had shovelled in the dust over him and the crowd had dispersed, Nur al-Din returned home and he lamented with sobs and tears; and the tongue of the case repeated these couplets: —
On the fifth day at even-tide they went away from me: ✿ I farewelled them as faring they made farewell my lot:
But my spirit as they went, with them went and so I cried, ✿ "Ah return ye!" but replied she, "Alas! return is not
To a framework lere and lorn that lacketh blood and life, ✿ A frame whereof remaineth naught but bones that rattle and rot:
Mine eyes are blind and cannot see quencht by the flowing tear! ✿ Mine ears are dull and lost to sense: they have no power to hear!"
He abode a long time sorrowing for his father till, one day, as he was sitting at home, there came a knocking at the door; so he rose in haste and opening let in a man, one of his father's intimates and who had been the Wazir's boon-companion. The visitor kissed Nur al-Din's hand and said to him, "O my lord, he who hath left the like of thee is not dead; and this way went also the Chief of the Ancients and the Moderns.24 O my lord Ali, be comforted and leave sorrowing." Thereupon Nur al-Din rose and going to the guest-saloon transported thither all he needed. Then he assembled his companions and took his handmaid again; and, collecting round him ten of the sons of the merchants, began to eat meat and drink wine, giving entertainment after entertainment and lavishing his presents and his favours. One day his Steward came to him and said, "O my lord Nur al-Din, hast thou not heard the saying, Whoso spendeth and reckoneth not, to poverty wendeth and recketh not?" And he repeated what the poet wrote: —
I look to my money and keep it with care, ✿ For right well I wot 'tis my buckler and brand:
Did I lavish my dirhams on hostilest foes,25 ✿ I should truck my good luck by mine ill luck trepanned:
So I'll eat it and drink it and joy in my wealth; ✿ And no spending my pennies on others I'll stand:
I will keep my purse close 'gainst whoever he be; ✿ And a niggard in grain a true friend ne'er I fand:
Far better deny him than come to say: – Lend, ✿ And five-fold the loan shall return to thy hand!
And he turns face aside and he sidles away, ✿ While I stand like a dog disappointed, unmanned.
Oh, the sorry lot his who hath yellow-boys none, ✿ Though his genius and virtues shine bright as the sun!
"O my master," continued the Steward, "this lavish outlay and these magnificent gifts waste away wealth." When Nur al-Din Ali heard these words he looked at his servant and cried, "Of all thou hast spoken I will not heed one single word, for I have heard the saying of the poet who saith; —
An my palm be full of wealth and my wealth I ne'er bestow, ✿ A palsy take my hand and my foot ne'er rise again!
Show me niggard who by niggardise e'er rose to high degree, ✿ Or the generous in gifts generosity hath slain."
And he pursued, "Know, O Steward, it is my desire that so long as thou hast money enough for my breakfast, thou trouble me not with taking thought about my supper." Thereupon the Steward asked, "Must it be so?"; and he answered, "It must." So the honest man went his way and Nur al-Din Ali devoted himself to extravagance; and, if any of his cup-companions chanced to say, "This is a pretty thing;" he would reply, "'Tis a gift to thee!"; or if another said, "O my lord, such a house is handsome;" he would answer, "Take it: it is thine!" After this reckless fashion he continued to live for a whole year, giving his friends a banquet in the morning and a banquet in the evening and a banquet at midnight, till one day, as the company was sitting together, the damsel Anis al-Jalis repeated these lines:
Thou deemedst well of Time when days went well, ✿ And fearedst not what ills might deal thee Fate:
Thy nights so fair and restful cozened thee, ✿ For peaceful nights bring woes of heavy weight.
When she had ended her verse behold, somebody knocked at the door. So Nur al-Din rose to open it and one of his boon-companions followed him without being perceived. At the door he found his Steward and asked him, "What is the matter?"; and he answered, "O my lord, what I dreaded for thee hath come to pass!" "How so?" "Know that there remains not a dirham's worth, less or more in my hands. Here are my Daftars and account books showing both income and outlay and the registers of thine original property." When Nur al-Din heard these words he bowed his head and said, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah!" When the man who had followed him privily to spy on him heard the Steward's words, he returned to his friends and warned them saying, "Look ye well to what ye do: Nur al-Din is penniless;" and, as the young host came back to his guests, vexation showed itself in his face. Thereupon one of the intimates rose; and, looking at the entertainer, said to him, "O my lord, may be thou wilt give me leave to retire?" "And why so early retirement this day?"; asked he and the other answered him, "My wife is in child-birth and I may not be absent from her: indeed I must return and see how she does." So he gave him leave, whereupon another rose and said, "O my lord Nur al-Din, I wish now to go to my brother's for he circumciseth his son to day."26 In short each and every asked permission to retire on some pretence or other, till all the ten were gone leaving Nur al-Din alone. Then he called his slave-girl and said to her, "O Anis al-Jalis, hast thou seen what case is mine?" And he related to her what the Steward had told him. Then quoth she, "O my lord, for many nights I had it in my mind to speak with thee of this matter, but I heard thee repeating: —
When