第18章 THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE NIGHT(16)

How then should I omit to give your praise its full desert And celebrate with heart and voice your goodness ever new？

I will indeed proclaim aloud the boons I owe to youFavours，thatheavy to the hackare light the thought unto.

And also the following：

Avert thy face from trouble and from care And trust in God to order thine affair.

Rejoice in happy fortune near at handIn which thou shalt forget the woes that were.

Full many a weary and a troublous thing Isin its issue，solaceful and fair.

God orders all according to His will： Oppose Him not in what He doth prepare.

And these also：

Trust thine affairs to the Subtleto God that knoweth allAnd rest at peace from the worldfor nothing shall thee appal.

Know that the things of the world notas thou wiltbefallBut as the Great God ordersto whom all kings are thrall！

And lastly these：

Take heart and rejoice and forget thine every woeFor even the wit of the wise is eaten away by care.

What shall thought-taking profit a helplesspowerless slave？

Leave it and be at peace in joy enduring fore'er！

When he had finishedthe King said to him'Dost thou know why I have sent for thee？'And the physician answered'None knoweth the hidden things save God the Most High.'Quoth the King'I have sent for thee to kill thee and put an end to thy life.'

Douban wondered greatly at these words and said'O King，wherefore wilt thou kill me and what offence have I committed？'

'I am told，'replied Younan'that thou art a spy and comest to kill mebut I will kill thee first.'Then he cried out to his swordbearersaying'Strike off the head of this traitor and rid us of his mischief！'Spare me，'said Douban；'so may God spare thee；and kill me notlest God kill thee！'And he repeated these words to himeven as I did to theeO Afritand thou wouldst not spare mebut persistedst in thine intent to put me to death.

Then the King said to Douban'Verily I shall not be secure except I kill thee： for thou curedst me by means of a handle I held in my handand I have no assurance but thou wilt kill me by means of perfumes or otherwise.'O King，'said Douban'is this my reward from thee？Thou returnest evil for good？'The King replied'It boots not： thou must die and that without delay.'

When the physician saw that the King was irrevocably resolved to kill himhe wept and lamented the good he had done to the undeservingblaming himself for having sown in an ungrateful soil and repeating the following verses：

Maimouneh has no wit to guide her byAlthough her sire among the wise ranks high.

The manwho has no sense to rule his stepsSlipshe the ground he treads on wet or dry.

Then the swordbearer came forward and bandaged his eyes and baring his swordsaid to the King'Have I thy leave to strike？'

Whereupon the physician wept and said'Spare meso God may spare thee： and kill me notlest God kill thee！'And he recited the following verses：

I acted in good faith and they betrayed： I came to nought：They prosperedwhilst my loyalty brought me to evil case.

If that I liveI will to none good counsel give again： And if I diegood counsellors be curst of every race！

And he said to the King'Is this my reward from thee？Thou givest me the crocodile's recompense.'Quoth the King'What is the story of the crocodile？'I cannot tell it，'answered Douban，'and I in this case；butGod on theespare meso may He spare thee！'And he wept sore. Then one of the King's chief officers rose and said'O Kinggrant me this man's lifefor we see not that he has committed any offence against thee nor that he has done aught but cure thee of thy disorderwhich baffled the doctors and sages.'Ye know not why I put him to death，'answered the King： 'it is because I believe him to be a spywho hath been suborned to kill me and came hither with that intent：