he) that I am about to relate the



First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman."[FN#5]



My father was a merchant, one of the notables of my native place,
a monied man and ample of means, who died whilst I was yet a
child, leaving me much wealth in money and lands and farmhouses.
When I grew up, I laid hands on the whole and ate of the best and
drank freely and wore rich clothes and lived lavishly,
companioning and consorting with youths of my own age, and
considering that this course of life would continue for ever and
ken no change. Thus did I for a long time, but at last I awoke
from my heedlessness and, returning to my senses, I found my
wealth had become unwealth and my condition ill-conditioned and
all I once hent had left my hand. And recovering my reason I was
stricken with dismay and confusion and bethought me of a saying
of our lord Solomon, son of David (on whom be peace!), which I
had heard aforetime from my father, "Three things are better than
other three; the day of death is better than the day of birth, a
live dog is better than a dead lion and the grave is better than
want."[FN#6] Then I got together my remains of estates and
property and sold all, even my clothes, for three thousand
dirhams, with which I resolved to travel to foreign parts,
remembering the saying of the poet,

"By means of toil man shall scale the height; * Who to fame