Prevod

She said: It has reached me, O fortunate King, that in the days of the Commander of the Faithful, Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik, there lived a man named Khuzaymah ibn Bishr, of the Banu Asad. He was renowned for his noble character, his abundant wealth, and his kindness and generosity to his friends. So he continued until fortune brought him low and he found himself in need of those friends whom he had once helped and comforted. For a time they supported him, but then they grew weary of him. When he perceived the change in them, he went to his wife, who was his cousin, and said, “Cousin, I have seen how my friends have changed toward me, and I have resolved to remain in my house until death comes for me.” He shut his door and lived on what he had until it was exhausted, leaving him at his wits’ end. Now Ikrimah al-Fayyad al-Raba‘i, the governor of al-Jazirah, knew him. One day, as Ikrimah sat in his assembly, Khuzaymah ibn Bishr was mentioned, and he asked, “How does he fare?” They answered, “He has fallen into indescribable distress. He has shut his door and keeps to his house.” Ikrimah al-Fayyad said, “It is only his boundless generosity that has brought him to this. How is it that Khuzaymah ibn Bishr has found no one to comfort him or repay his kindness?” They replied, “He has found no such person.” When night came, Ikrimah took four thousand dinars and put them into a single purse. Then he ordered his mount saddled and went out without his household’s knowledge, accompanied by a servant carrying the money. He rode until he reached Khuzaymah’s door, took the purse from his servant, and sent him some distance away. Then he approached the door and knocked upon it himself. Khuzaymah came out, and Ikrimah handed him the purse, saying, “Set your affairs in order with this.” Khuzaymah took it, found it heavy, and set it down. Then he seized the bridle of the mount and said, “Who are you? May my life be your ransom!” Ikrimah replied, “My good man, would I have come to you at such an hour if I wished you to know me?” “I will not let you go,” said Khuzaymah, “until you tell me who you are.” He answered, “I am the Mender of Noble Men’s Misfortunes.” “Tell me more.” “No,” he said, and rode away. Khuzaymah carried the purse inside to his cousin and said, “Rejoice! God has brought us swift relief and good fortune. If these are silver dirhams, there are a great many of them. Rise and light the lamp.” She answered, “We have nothing with which to light it.” So he spent the night feeling the coins with his hand, sensing the roughness of gold dinars, yet unable to believe that dinars they truly were.

As for Ikrimah, he returned home to find that his wife had missed him and asked after him, and had been told that he had ridden out. She took exception to this and grew suspicious. “The governor of al-Jazirah,” she said, “does not ride out well into the night, apart from his servants and without his household’s knowledge, unless it is to visit a wife or a concubine.” He replied, “God knows that I went out for neither.” “Then tell me why you went.” He said, “I went at such an hour only so that no one should know of it.” “You must tell me,” she insisted. “Will you keep it secret if I do?” “Yes.” So he told her the whole story exactly as it had happened, then said, “Would you like me to swear an oath to you as well?” “No, no,” she answered. “My heart is at peace now, and I am content with what you have told me.”

When morning came, Khuzaymah settled with his creditors and put his affairs in order. Then he made ready to visit Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik, who was staying in Palestine at the time. When he reached the palace gate and asked the chamberlains for permission to enter, the chamberlain went in and announced his presence. Khuzaymah was renowned for his noble character, and Sulayman knew him, so he granted him admission. Khuzaymah entered and greeted him with the salutation due to the caliph. Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik said, “Khuzaymah, what has kept you away from us so long?” “My straitened circumstances.” “And what prevented you from setting out to us?” “My lack of means, O Commander of the Faithful.” “What has enabled you to come now?” Khuzaymah replied, “Know, O Commander of the Faithful, that I was in my house late one night when a man knocked at my door. Such and such then happened.” And he told him the story from beginning to end. Sulayman asked, “Do you know the man?” “I do not, O Commander of the Faithful. He held himself aloof, and all I heard him say of himself was, ‘I am the Mender of Noble Men’s Misfortunes.’” Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik burned with eagerness to know who he was and said, “If we knew him, we would reward him for his noble deed.” Then he invested Khuzaymah ibn Bishr with a banner of office and appointed him governor of al-Jazirah in place of Ikrimah al-Fayyad. Khuzaymah set out for al-Jazirah, and when he drew near, Ikrimah went out to meet him, as did the people of the province. The two men exchanged greetings, then all proceeded together into the city. Khuzaymah took up residence in the governor’s palace and ordered that Ikrimah provide a guarantor and submit his accounts for examination. When the accounts were examined, a large sum was found owing from him, and Khuzaymah demanded payment. Ikrimah said, “I have no means of paying any of it.” “It must be paid,” said Khuzaymah. “I do not have it,” Ikrimah replied. “Do what you will.” So he ordered him sent to prison. And dawn overtook Shahrazad, and she fell silent, leaving her tale untold.

When it was the six hundred and eighty-fourth night

She said: It has reached me, O fortunate King, that Khuzaymah ordered Ikrimah al-Fayyad imprisoned. He sent to demand what he owed, and Ikrimah sent back word, “I am not one to preserve my wealth at the expense of my honor. Do as you please.” Khuzaymah ordered him shackled in iron and kept in prison. There he remained for a month or more, until his confinement had worn him down and grievously harmed him. At last news of his condition reached his cousin, his wife, and she was overcome with sorrow. She summoned a serving woman of great intelligence and understanding, and said to her, “Go at once to the gate of the governor, Khuzaymah ibn Bishr, and say, ‘I have counsel to offer.’ If anyone asks you what it is, say, ‘I will tell it to none but the governor.’ When you are admitted, ask to speak with him alone. Then say to him, ‘What is this you have done? Was the only reward you could find for the Mender of Noble Men’s Misfortunes a harsh imprisonment and the misery of iron fetters?’” The woman did as she was instructed. When Khuzaymah heard her words, he cried at the top of his voice, “Oh, my shame! Can it truly be he?” “Yes,” she answered. He immediately ordered his mount saddled and summoned the leading men of the city. Gathering them about him, he brought them to the prison gate and had it opened. Khuzaymah and his companions entered and found Ikrimah sitting there, sadly changed, worn down by beatings and pain. When Ikrimah saw him, he was ashamed and bowed his head. Khuzaymah hurried forward, bent over him, and kissed his head. Ikrimah looked up and said, “What has brought this about in you?” “The nobility of your deeds,” he replied, “and the baseness of my repayment.” Ikrimah said, “May God forgive us and you.” Then Khuzaymah ordered the jailer to remove Ikrimah’s fetters and put them on his own legs. “What do you mean to do?” Ikrimah asked. “I mean to suffer as you have suffered.” “I implore you by God not to do so,” said Ikrimah. They left together and went to Khuzaymah’s house. There Ikrimah bade him farewell and would have departed, but Khuzaymah would not let him. “What do you wish?” Ikrimah asked. He answered, “I wish to restore you to a better condition, for I am even more ashamed before your cousin than I am before you.”

Then he ordered the bathhouse cleared, and when it was empty, the two entered together. Khuzaymah rose and attended to Ikrimah with his own hands. When they came out, he bestowed a costly robe of honor upon him, provided him with a mount, and sent a great sum of money with him. Then he accompanied him to his house and asked permission to apologize to his cousin, which he did. Afterward, he asked Ikrimah to accompany him to Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik, who was then staying at al-Raml. Ikrimah agreed, and they traveled together until they reached Sulayman’s court. The chamberlain entered and announced the arrival of Khuzaymah ibn Bishr. Sulayman was alarmed and said, “Does the governor of al-Jazirah come here without our command? This can only mean that something grave has happened.” He granted him admission, and before Khuzaymah could greet him, he asked, “What news do you bring, Khuzaymah?” “Good news, O Commander of the Faithful.” “Then what has brought you here?” “I have found the Mender of Noble Men’s Misfortunes, and wished to bring you the joy of meeting him, having seen your eagerness to learn his identity and your longing to behold him.” “Who is he?” “Ikrimah al-Fayyad.” Sulayman gave Ikrimah leave to approach. He came forward and greeted him with the salutation due to the caliph. Sulayman welcomed him, seated him close beside him, and said, “Ikrimah, your kindness to him has brought you nothing but affliction.” Then Sulayman said, “Write down all your wishes and everything you need upon a sheet of paper.” Ikrimah did so, and Sulayman ordered them fulfilled at once. He also ordered that he receive ten thousand dinars beyond the needs he had listed, and twenty chests of clothing in addition to what he had requested. Then he called for a lance and fastened a banner to it, investing Ikrimah with authority over al-Jazirah, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. He said, “Khuzaymah’s appointment is in your hands. You may retain him if you wish, or dismiss him.” Ikrimah answered, “Rather, I shall restore him to his post, O Commander of the Faithful.” Then the two departed together, and both remained in the service of Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik throughout his caliphate.