سندبادنامه 374

English (machine translation) 374

Language: English

374.1

In her hand a cake, you would say, is a full moon / Like a radiant moon [emerging] from a cloud.
She found favor in the merchant's eyes and heart, acquiring great importance and a lofty place, and lodging in his nature
and disposition. He went home and at once gave a kerchief to a slave-girl and sent [her] to
the market, saying: "In such-and-such a place there is a slave-girl of such an appearance and form; give [her] gold
and buy the cakes, and instruct [her] not to sell cakes to anyone after this, so that for the duration
of our stay you buy cakes every day." In accordance with her master's wish, the slave-girl went to the market
and bought the cakes. For a long time he restricted himself to this, eating nothing but the cakes.
In the midst of this situation, one day the cake-selling slave-girl disappeared.

374.9

Since the merchant had grown accustomed to that food, and his constitution and temperament had formed a habit of it,
at the departure of the beloved thing and the loss of what was familiar he became sorrowful and distressed,

374.11

[...]

374.12

17. Tale of the Fastidious Merchant
[ordering her to search] and when she found her, to bring the slave-girl to him. The merchant's slave-girl
came at the accustomed time and familiar spot, and by careful inquiry and complete investigation from the inhabitants of that place,
she asked about the slave-girl's whereabouts and dwelling, and sought the directions to her house.
When it became known, she went to her quarters, and with the most perfect and comprehensive courtesy, and with the most complete modesty,
she said: "My master is asking for you."

374.18

The slave-girl replied: "Welcome to you and to the one who sent you," and she came with her to the merchant's house. The merchant
asked her: "What is the reason that you have not baked round cakes and have not brought any pastries?"

374.20

The slave-girl said: "Until today we had need of that; now that need has ceased,
and that necessity is no more." The merchant inquired into the nature of the malady and the reason for the need.

374.22

The slave-girl said: "Until now we had motives and incentives for that work, and today
those motives have been dispelled and those incentives have disappeared." The merchant asked about the nature of the malady
and the extent of the need. She said: "My master had a cankerous ailment on his foot, and on it
a strong swelling and huge tumor had appeared. The physicians ordered that of fine flour

374.26

[...]

374.27

17. Tale of the Fastidious Merchant
and honey a dough be prepared each day to apply as a poultice upon it, until it ripened the humors
and gradually dissolved them. For a period of two months I applied that paste and made that plaster;
and when I took it off, I mixed a little flour and fat with it,
baked cakes, and sold them. Now that swelling has subsided, the humors have been purged,
and there is no longer any need for that." When the merchant heard these words, his bile
was stirred, and he said: "May a curse be upon him and upon your master! And may shame be upon me and upon this
inappropriate question! Truly have they said: 'Seeking the ultimate truth is a misery!' Would that I had never seen you
and had never bought cakes from you!" And from the extremity of his loathing and revulsion he wished that all
the organs of his stomach along with his viscera and intestines would come up through his upper opening by way of vomiting and evacuation. Vomiting and diarrhea
fell upon him, and opened his lower and upper vents. For a long time he remained in the pain of that ailment
and the affliction of that torment; and however much he strove to have the image of this event veiled from his mind,
it was [not] possible, and every hour he would say to himself:

Linked texts (1)

سندبادنامه — Ẓahīrī Samarqandī, Persian