-19_The Viziers of Bassora Act-4 Sc-3.htm

The Gardens outside the Pavilion.
Haroun al Rasheed, Mesrour.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

See, Mesrour; the Pavilion’s all alight

.
‘Tis as I said. Where is the Barmeky?

MESROUR

The Vizier comes, my lord.

Enter Jaafar.

JAAFAR

Peace be with thee,
Commander of the Faithful.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Where is peace,
Thou faithless and usurping Vizier ? Hast thou
Filched my Bagdad out of my hands, thou rebel,
And told me nothing?

JAAFAR

What words are these, O Caliph?

HAROUN AL RASHEED

What mean these lights then ? Does another Caliph
Hold revel in my Palace of all Pleasure,
While Haroun lives and holds the sword ?

JAAFAR (to himself)

What Djinn

Plays me this antic?

HAROUN AL RASHEED

I am waiting. Vizier.

Page – 687

JAAFAR

Shaikh Ibrahim, my lord, petitioned me,
On circumcision of his child, for use
Of the pavilion. Lord, it had escaped
My memory, I now remember it.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Doubly thou erredst, Jaafar, for thou gavest him
No money, which was the significance
Of his request, neither wouldst suffer me
To help my servant. We will enter. Vizier,
And hear the grave Faqueers discoursing there
Of venerable things. The Shaikh’s devout
And much affects their reverend company.
We too shall profit by that holy talk
Which arms us against sin and helps to heaven.

JAAFAR (to himself)

Helps to the plague! (aloud) Commander of the Faithful,
Your mighty presence will disturb their peace
With awe or quell their free unhampered spirits.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

At least Fid see them.

MESROUR

From this tower, my lord,
We can look straight into the whole pavilion.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Mesrour, well thought of!

JAAFAR (aside to Mesrour)

A blister spoil thy tongue!

MESROUR (aside to Jaafar)

I’ll head you, Jaafar.

Page – 688

HAROUN AL RASHEED (listening)

Is not that a lute ?
A lute at such a grave and reverend meeting!

Shaikh Ibrahim sings within.

Chink-a-chunk-a-chink!

We will kiss and drink,

And be merry, O very very merry.

For your eyes are bright

Even by candle light

And your lips as red as the red round cherry.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Now by the Prophet! by my great forefathers!

He rushes into the tower/allowed by Mesrour.

JAAFAR

May the devil fly away with Shaikh Ibrahim and drop him upon a hill of burning brimstone!

He follows the Caliph, who now appears with
Mesrour on the platform of the tower.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Ho, Jaafar, see this godly ceremony
Thou gav’st permission for, and these fair Faqueers.

JAAFAR

Shaikh Ibrahim has utterly deceived me.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

The aged hypocrite! Who are this pair
Of heavenly faces ? Was there then such beauty
In my Bagdad, yet Haroun’s eyes defrauded
Of seeing it ?

JAAFAR

The girl takes up the lute.  

Page – 689

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Now if she play and sing divinely, Jaafar,
You shall be hanged alone for your offence,
If badly, all you four shall swing together.

JAAFAR

I hope she will play vilely.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Wherefore, Jaafar?

JAAFAR

I ever loved good company, my lord,
And would not tread my final road alone.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

No, when thou goest that road, my faithful servant,
Well do I hope that we shall walk together.

ANICE-ALJALICE (within)

Song
King of my heart, wilt thou adore me,

Call me goddess, call me thine ?

I too will bow myself before thee

As in a shrine,

Till we with mutual adoration
And holy earth-defeating passion

Do really grow divine.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

The mighty Artist shows his delicate cunning
Utterly in this fair creature. I will talk
With the rare couple.

JAAFAR

Not in your own dread person,
Or fear will make them dumb.

Page – 690

HAROUN AL RASHEED

I’ll go disguised.
Are there not voices by the river, Jaafar ?
Fishermen, I would wager. My commands
Are well obeyed in my Bagdad, O Vizier!
But I have seen too much beauty and cannot now
Remember to be angry. Come, descend.

As they descend, enter Kareem.

KAREEM

Here’s a fine fat haul! O my jumpers! my little beauties! O your
fine white bellies! What a joke, to catch the Caliph’s own fish and
sell them to him at thrice their value!

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Who art thou?

KAREEM

O Lord, ’tis the Caliph himself! I am a dead fisherman, (falling flat) O Commander of the Faithful! Alas, I am an honest fisherman.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Dost thou lament thy honesty?
What fish hast thou?

KAREEM

Only a few whitebait and one or two minnows. Poor thin rogues, all of them! They are not fit for the Caliph’s honourable stomach.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Show me thy basket, man.
Are these thy whitebait and thy two thin minnows ?

KAREEM

Alas, sir, ’tis because I am honest.

Page – 691

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Give me thy fish.

KAREEM

Here they are, here they are, my lord!

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Out! the whole basket, fellow.
Do I eat live fish, you thrust them in my face ?
And now exchange thy outer dress with me.

KAREEM

My dress ? Well, you may have it: I am liberal as well as honest. But ’tis a good gaberdine; I pray you, be careful of it. 

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Woe to thee, fellow! What’s this filthiness
Thou call’st a garment?

KAREEM

O sir, when you have worn it ten days, the filth will come easy to you and, as one may say, natural. And ’tis honest filth; it will keep you warm in winter.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

What, shall I wear thy gaberdine so long?

KAREEM

Commander of the Faithful! Since you are about to leave king-craft and follow an honest living for the good of your soul, you may wear worse than an honest fisherman’s gaberdine. ‘Tis a good craft and an honourable.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Off with thee. In my dress thou’lt find a purse
Crammed full of golden pieces. It is thine.

Page – 692

KAREEM

Glory to Allah! This comes of being honest.

Exit.

JAAFAR (coming up)

Who’s this? Ho, Kareem! wherefore here tonight?
The Caliph’s in the garden. You’ll be thrashed
And very soundly, fisher.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Jaafar, ’tis I.

JAAFAR

The Caliph?

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Now to fry these fish and enter.

JAAFAR

Give them to me. I am a wondrous cook.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

No, by the Prophet! My two lovely friends
Shall eat a Caliph’s cookery tonight.

Exeunt.