Antoine Galland, from the telling of Hannā Diyāb · Complete work
Morgiana and the Cobbler
Morgiana and the Cobbler of 14. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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Morgiane ne s’oublia pas; et elle sortit en même temps qu’Ali Baba, et alla chez un apothicaire qui étoit dans le voisinage: elle frappe à la boutique, on ouvre, elle demande d’une sorte de tablette très-salutaire dans les maladies les plus dangereuses. L’apothicaire lui en donna pour l’argent qu’elle avoit présenté, en demandant qui étoit malade chez son maître?
« Ah, dit-elle avec un grand soupir, c’est Cassim lui-même, mon bon maître! On n’entend rien à sa maladie, il ne parle, ni ne peut manger. »
Avec ces paroles, elle emporte les tablettes dont véritablement Cassim n’étoit plus en état de faire usage.
Le lendemain, la même Morgiane vient chez le même apothicaire, et demande, les larmes aux yeux, d’une essence dont on avoit coutume de ne faire prendre aux malades qu’à la dernière extrémité; et on n’espéroit rien de leur vie, si cette essence ne les faisoit revivre.
« Hélas, dit-elle avec une grande affliction, en la recevant des mains de l’apothicaire, je crains fort que ce remède ne fasse pas plus d’effet que les tablettes! Ah, que je perds un bon maître! »
D’un autre côté, comme on vit toute la journée Ali Baba et sa femme d’un air triste faire plusieurs allées et venues chez Cassim, on ne fut pas étonné sur le soir d’entendre des cris lamentables de la femme de Cassim, et sur-tout de Morgiane, qui annonçoient que Cassim étoit mort.
Le jour suivant de grand matin, le jour ne faisoit que commencer à paroître, Morgiane qui savoit qu’il y avoit sur la place un bon homme de savetier fort vieux, qui ouvroit tous les jours sa boutique le premier, long-temps avant les autres, sort, et va le trouver. En l’abordant, et en lui donnant le bonjour, elle lui mit une pièce d’or dans la main.
Baba Moustafa, connu de tout le monde sous ce nom, Baba Moustafa, dis-je, qui étoit naturellement gai, et qui avoit toujours le mot pour rire, en regardant la pièce d’or, à cause qu’il n’étoit pas encore bien jour, et en voyant que c’était de l’or: « Bonne étrenne! Dit-il, de quoi s’agit-il? Me voilà prêt à bien faire. »
« Baba Moustafa, lui dit Morgiane, prenez ce qui vous est nécessaire pour coudre, et venez avec moi promptement; mais à condition que je vous banderai les yeux, quand nous serons dans un tel endroit. »
À ces paroles, Baba Moustafa fit le difficile.
« Oh, oh, reprit-il, vous voulez donc me faire faire quelque chose contre ma conscience, ou contre mon honneur? »
En lui mettant une autre pièce d’or dans la main: « Dieu garde, reprit Morgiane, que j’exige rien de vous, que vous ne puissiez faire en tout honneur. Venez seulement, et ne craignez rien. »
Baba Moustafa se laissa mener; et Morgiane, après lui avoir bandé les yeux avec un mouchoir à l’endroit qu’elle avoit marqué, le mena chez défunt son maître, et elle ne lui ôta le mouchoir que dans la chambre où elle avoit mis le corps, chaque quartier à sa place. Quand elle le lui eut ôté: « Baba Moustafa, dit-elle, c’est pour vous faire coudre les pièces que voilà, que je vous ai amené. Ne perdez pas de temps; et quand vous aurez fait, je vous donnerai une autre pièce d’or. »
Quand Baba Moustafa eut achevé, Morgiane lui rebanda les yeux dans la même chambre; et après lui avoir donné la troisième pièce d’or qu’elle lui avoit promise, et lui avoir recommandé le secret, elle le remena jusqu’à l’endroit où elle lui avoit bandé les yeux en l’amenant; et là, après lui avoir encore ôté le mouchoir, elle le laissa retourner chez lui; en le conduisant de vue jusqu’à ce qu’elle ne le vit plus, afin de lui ôter la curiosité de revenir sur ses pas pour l’observer elle-même.
Morgiane avoit fait chauffer de l’eau pour laver le corps de Cassim. Ainsi Ali Baba, qui arriva comme elle venoit de rentrer, le lava, le parfuma d’encens, et l’ensevelit avec les cérémonies accoutumées. Le menuisier apporta aussi la bière, qu’Ali Baba avoit pris le soin de commander.
Afin que le menuisier ne pût s’apercevoir de rien, Morgiane reçut la bière à la porte; et après l’avoir payé et renvoyé, elle aida à Ali Baba à mettre le corps dedans; et quand Ali Baba eut bien cloué les planches par-dessus, elle alla à la mosquée avertir que tout étoit prêt pour l’enterrement. Les gens de la mosquée destinés pour laver les corps morts, s’offrirent pour venir s’acquitter de leur fonction; mais elle leur dit que la chose étoit faite.
Morgiane de retour, ne faisoit que de rentrer, quand l’iman et d’autres ministres de la mosquée arrivèrent. Quatre voisins assemblés chargèrent la bière sur leurs épaules; et en suivant l’iman, qui récitoit des prières, ils la portèrent au cimetière. Morgiane en pleurs, comme esclave du défunt, suivit la tête nue, en poussant des cris pitoyables, en se frappant la poitrine de grands coups, et en s’arrachant les cheveux; et Ali Baba marchoit après, accompagné des voisins qui se détachoient tour-à-tour, de temps en temps, pour relayer et soulager les autres voisins qui portoient la bière, jusqu’à ce qu’on arrivât au cimetière.
Pour ce qui est de la femme de Cassim, elle resta dans sa maison, en se désolant et en poussant des cris lamentables avec les femmes du voisinage, qui, selon la coutume, y accoururent pendant la cérémonie de l’enterrement, et qui en joignant leurs lamentations aux siennes, remplirent tout le quartier de tristesse bien loin aux environs.
De la sorte, la mort funeste de Cassim fut cachée et dissimulée entre Ali Baba, sa femme, la veuve de Cassim et Morgiane, avec un ménagement si grand, que personne de la ville, loin d’en avoir connoissance, n’en eut pas le moindre soupçon.
Trois ou quatre jours après l’enterrement de Cassim, Ali Baba transporta le peu de meubles qu’il avoit, avec l’argent qu’il avoit enlevé du trésor des voleurs, qu’il ne porta que la nuit dans la maison de la veuve de son frère, pour s’y établir, ce qui fit connoître son nouveau mariage avec sa belle-sœur. Et comme ces sortes de mariages ne sont pas extraordinaires dans notre religion, personne n’en fut surpris.
Quant à la boutique de Cassim, Ali Baba avoit un fils, qui depuis quelque temps avoit achevé son apprentissage chez un autre gros marchand, qui avoit toujours rendu témoignage de sa bonne conduite, il la lui donna avec promesse, s’il continuoit de se gouverner sagement, qu’il ne seroit pas long-temps à le marier avantageusement selon son état.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from Antoine Galland’s French text of “Histoire d’Ali Baba, et de quarante voleurs exterminés par une esclave” (Les Mille et une nuits, Le Normant edition of 1806, volume VI), paragraph for paragraph, and checked against the French before publication.
Morgiana did not forget her part. She went out at the same time as Ali Baba and made her way to an apothecary in the neighborhood. She knocked at the shop, they opened, and she asked for a kind of lozenge that was very good for the most dangerous illnesses. The apothecary gave her some for the money she held out and asked who was ill in her master's house.
"Ah," she said with a deep sigh, "it is Cassim himself, my good master! No one can make out his illness. He neither speaks nor can eat."
With these words she carried off the lozenges, which in truth Cassim was no longer in any state to use.
The next day the same Morgiana came to the same apothecary and, with tears in her eyes, asked for an essence that was usually given to the sick only at the very last extremity, when there was no more hope for their lives unless this essence revived them.
"Alas," she said in great sorrow as she took it from the apothecary's hands, "I am much afraid this remedy will do no more good than the lozenges! Ah, what a good master I am losing!"
Besides this, since people had seen Ali Baba and his wife going back and forth to Cassim's house all day long with sad faces, no one was surprised toward evening to hear the mournful cries of Cassim's wife, and above all of Morgiana, announcing that Cassim was dead.
Very early the following day, when daylight was only beginning to appear, Morgiana, who knew there was a good old cobbler, very aged, in the square, who opened his shop first every day, long before the others, went out to find him. As she came up to him and wished him good day, she put a gold piece in his hand.
Baba Mustafa, as everyone knew him, Baba Mustafa, I say, who was cheerful by nature and always had a joke ready, looked at the gold piece, for it was not yet full daylight, and seeing that it was gold, said, "A lucky first sale! What is it you want? Here I am, ready to serve you well."
"Baba Mustafa," Morgiana said to him, "take what you need for sewing and come with me quickly, but on condition that I blindfold you when we reach a certain place."
At these words Baba Mustafa raised difficulties.
"Oho," he said, "so you want to make me do something against my conscience, or against my honor?"
Putting another gold piece in his hand, Morgiana replied, "God forbid that I ask anything of you that you cannot do in all honor. Only come, and fear nothing."
Baba Mustafa let himself be led. At the place she had chosen, Morgiana blindfolded him with a handkerchief and led him to her late master's house, and she did not take the handkerchief off until they were in the room where she had laid out the body, each quarter in its place. When she had taken it off, she said, "Baba Mustafa, I brought you here to have you sew these pieces together. Lose no time, and when you have finished, I will give you another gold piece."
When Baba Mustafa had finished, Morgiana blindfolded him again in the same room. She gave him the third gold piece she had promised him and urged him to keep the secret, then led him back to the place where she had blindfolded him on the way there. There she took the handkerchief off again and let him go home, watching him until he was out of sight, to take away any curiosity he might have to retrace his steps and spy on her in turn.
Morgiana had heated water to wash Cassim's body. So Ali Baba, who arrived just as she came back in, washed the body, perfumed it with incense, and wrapped it in its shroud with the customary rites. The carpenter also brought the coffin, which Ali Baba had taken care to order.
So that the carpenter could notice nothing, Morgiana received the coffin at the door. After paying him and sending him away, she helped Ali Baba put the body inside, and when Ali Baba had nailed the boards down firmly over it, she went to the mosque to announce that all was ready for the burial. The men of the mosque whose office was to wash the dead offered to come and perform their duty, but she told them it was already done.
Morgiana had only just come home when the imam and other ministers of the mosque arrived. Four neighbors gathered, lifted the coffin onto their shoulders, and, following the imam, who recited prayers, carried it to the cemetery. Morgiana, weeping as the slave of the dead man, followed with her head bare, uttering pitiful cries, beating her breast hard, and tearing her hair. Ali Baba walked behind, accompanied by neighbors who stepped out by turns, now and then, to relieve the other neighbors carrying the coffin, until they reached the cemetery.
As for Cassim's wife, she stayed in her house, grieving and crying out mournfully with the women of the neighborhood, who, as custom required, came running there during the burial, and who, joining their laments to hers, filled the whole quarter with sorrow far and wide.
In this way Cassim's dreadful death was hidden and kept quiet among Ali Baba, his wife, Cassim's widow, and Morgiana, with such great care that no one in the city, far from knowing of it, had the slightest suspicion.
Three or four days after Cassim's burial, Ali Baba moved the little furniture he had, together with the money he had taken from the robbers' treasure, which he carried only by night, into the house of his brother's widow, to settle there. This made known his new marriage with his sister-in-law, and since such marriages are nothing unusual in our religion, no one was surprised.
As for Cassim's shop, Ali Baba had a son who had some time before finished his apprenticeship with another great merchant, who had always given good report of his conduct. Ali Baba gave him the shop, with the promise that if he went on conducting himself wisely, it would not be long before he found him an advantageous marriage suited to his station.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same French text of Galland’s 1806 Le Normant edition, paragraph for paragraph.
Morgiana knew what to do. She left the house when Ali Baba did and went to a pharmacist who had a shop nearby. She knocked, and he opened. She asked for a kind of pill that was very good for the most serious illnesses. The pharmacist gave her some in return for the money she handed him. He asked who was sick in her master's house.
"Oh," she said with a big sigh, "it's Cassim himself, my good master! Nobody understands what's wrong with him. He can't talk, and he can't eat."
With that, she took the pills. Of course, Cassim was in no condition to take them anymore.
The next day Morgiana went back to the same pharmacist. With tears in her eyes, she asked for a medicine that people were only given when they were close to death. If this medicine didn't bring them back, there was no hope left.
"Oh no," she said sadly as he handed it to her. "I'm really afraid this medicine won't work any better than the pills did. Oh, what a good master I'm losing!"
Meanwhile, people had seen Ali Baba and his wife going in and out of Cassim's house all day with sad faces. So in the evening, nobody was surprised to hear Cassim's wife, and Morgiana most of all, crying out and wailing. It was the sign that Cassim had died.
Very early the next morning, just as the sun was starting to come up, Morgiana went out. She knew that on the town square there was a kind old shoemaker, a very old man, who always opened his shop first every day, long before anyone else. She went to find him. When she came up to him, she said good morning and put a gold coin in his hand.
Everyone called him Baba Mustafa. He was a cheerful man who always had a joke to tell. It wasn't fully light yet, so he looked closely at the coin. When he saw that it was gold, he said, "What a great way to start the day! What can I do for you? I'm ready to do a good job."
"Baba Mustafa," Morgiana said, "bring what you need for sewing and come with me, fast. But you have to agree to let me cover your eyes when we get to a certain spot."
When he heard that, Baba Mustafa acted as if he didn't want to.
"Oh, now," he said, "so you want me to do something that's against my conscience, or that would hurt my good name?"
Morgiana put a second gold coin in his hand. "God forbid," she said, "that I'd ask you to do anything that isn't completely honorable. Just come with me, and don't be afraid."
Baba Mustafa let her lead him. When they got to the spot she had chosen, Morgiana tied a handkerchief over his eyes. She led him to her dead master's house. She didn't take the handkerchief off until they were in the room where she had laid out the body, each piece in the right place. Once she took it off, she said, "Baba Mustafa, I brought you here to sew these pieces together. Don't waste any time. When you're done, I'll give you another gold coin."
When Baba Mustafa had finished, Morgiana covered his eyes again, right there in the same room. She gave him the third gold coin she had promised him and told him to keep it secret. Then she walked him back to the spot where she had first covered his eyes. She took the handkerchief off again and let him go home. She watched him until he was out of sight. That way he wouldn't be tempted to turn around and follow her to find out where she went.
Morgiana had heated up water to wash Cassim's body. Ali Baba arrived just after she got back. He washed the body, perfumed it with incense, and wrapped it for burial with the usual ceremonies. The carpenter also brought the coffin that Ali Baba had made sure to order.
Morgiana took the coffin from the carpenter at the door, so that he couldn't notice anything. She paid him and sent him off. Then she helped Ali Baba put the body in the coffin. When Ali Baba had nailed the boards on top tightly, she went to the mosque to tell them everything was ready for the burial. The men at the mosque whose job was to wash the dead offered to come and do it. But she told them it had already been done.
Morgiana had barely gotten home when the imam and other officials from the mosque arrived. Four neighbors came together and lifted the coffin onto their shoulders. They followed the imam, who was saying prayers, and carried the coffin to the cemetery. Morgiana walked behind them, crying, as the dead man's slave. She had her head uncovered. She wailed pitifully, beat her chest hard, and pulled at her hair. Ali Baba walked after her with the neighbors. Every so often some of them would step in and take a turn carrying the coffin so the others could rest. They kept this up all the way to the cemetery.
Cassim's wife stayed at home. She mourned and wailed along with the women from the neighborhood. As was the custom, they had come running to her house during the burial. Their cries joined hers, and the whole area, far and wide, was filled with sadness.
This is how Ali Baba, his wife, Cassim's widow, and Morgiana kept Cassim's terrible death hidden. They were so careful that nobody in town knew about it. In fact, nobody even had the smallest suspicion.
Three or four days after the burial, Ali Baba moved into his brother's widow's house to live there. He brought what little furniture he had. He also brought the money he had taken from the robbers' treasure, but he only moved that at night. This let people know that he had married his sister-in-law. In our religion that kind of marriage is not unusual, so nobody was surprised.
Now, about Cassim's shop. Ali Baba had a son who had recently finished training with another important merchant. That merchant had always said the young man behaved well. Ali Baba gave him the shop. He promised his son that if he kept behaving sensibly, it wouldn't be long before Ali Baba found him a good marriage that suited his position.