The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15 by Anonymous
page 45 of 574 (07%)
page 45 of 574 (07%)
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her men are nor burghers nor Badawis." Quoth the youth, "I am not
of them," and quoth Al-Hajjaj, "Then whence art thou, O young man?"--"I am from the city of Syria." "Then art thou from the stubbornest of places and the feeblest of races."[FN#46] "Wherefore, O Hajjaj?"--For that it is a mixed breed I ween, nor Jew nor Nazarene." "I am not of them." "Then whence art thou, O young man?"--"I am of Khorasan of 'Ajami-land." "Thou art therefore from a place the fulsomest and of faith the infirmest. Wherefore, O Hajjaj?" "Because flocks and herds are their chums and they are Ajams of the Ajams from whom liberal deed never comes, and their morals and manners none to praise presumes and their speech is gross and weighty, and stingy are their rich and wealthy." "I am not of them." "Then whence art thou, O young man?" "I am from Mosul." "Then art thou from the foulest and filthiest of a Catamite race, whose youth is a scapegrace and whose old age hath the wits of an ass." "I am not of them." "Then whence art thou, O young man?" "I am from the land of Al-Yaman." "Then art thou from a clime other than delectable." "And why so, O Hajjaj?" "For that their noblest make womanly use of Murd[FN#47] or beardless boys and the meanest of them tan hides and the lowest amongst them train baboons to dance, and others are weavers of Burd or woollen plaids."[FN#48] "I am not of them." "Then whence art thou, O young man?" "I am from Meccah." "Then art thou from a mine of captious carping and ignorance and lack of wits and of sleep over-abundant, whereto Allah commissioned a noble Prophet, and him they belied and they rejected: so he went forth unto a folk which loved him and honoured him and made him a conqueror despite the nose of the Meccan churls." "I am not of them." "Then whence art thou, O young man? for verily thou hast been abundant of prate and my |
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