Tales from the Arabic/Story of King Bekhtzeman

by Unknown

STORY OF KING BEKHTZEMAN.

“There was once a king of the kings, whose name was Bekhtzeman, and he was a great eater and drinker and carouser. Now enemies of his made their appearance in certain parts of his realm and threatened him; and one of his friends said to him, ‘O king, the enemy maketh for thee: be on thy guard against him.’ Quoth Bekhtzeman, ‘I reck not of him, for that I have arms and wealth and men and am not afraid of aught.’ Then said his friends to him, ‘Seek aid of God, O king, for He will help thee more than thy wealth and thine arms and thy men.’ But he paid no heed to the speech of his loyal counsellors, and presently the enemy came upon him and waged war upon him and got the victory over him and his trust in other than God the Most High profited him nought. So he fled from before him and seeking one of the kings, said to him, ‘I come to thee and lay hold upon thy skirts and take refuge with thee, so thou mayst help me against mine enemy.’

The king gave him money and men and troops galore and Bekhtzeman said in himself, ‘Now am I fortified with this army and needs must I conquer my enemy therewith and overcome him;’ but he said not, ‘With the aid of God the Most High.’ So his enemy met him and overcame him again and he was defeated and put to the rout and fled at a venture. His troops were dispersed from him and his money lost and the enemy followed after him. So he sought the sea and passing over to the other side, saw a great city and therein a mighty citadel. He asked the name of the city and to whom it belonged and they said to him, ‘It belongeth to Khedidan the king.’ So he fared on till he came to the king’s palace aud concealing his condition, passed himself off for a horseman^[1] and sought service with King Khedidan, who attached him to his household and entreated him with honour; but his heart still clave to his country and his home.

Presently, it chanced that an enemy attacked King Khedidan; so he sent out his troops to him and made Bekhtzeman head of the army. Then they went forth to the field and Khedidan also came forth and ranged his troops and took the spear and sallied out in person and fought a sore battle and overcame his enemy, who fled, he and his troops, ignominiously. When the king and his army returned in triumph, Bekhtzeman said to him, ‘Harkye, O king! Meseemeth this is a strange thing of thee that thou art compassed about with this vast army, yet dost thou apply thyself in person to battle and adventurest thyself.’ Quoth the king, ‘Dost thou call thyself a cavalier and a man of learning and deemest that victory is in abundance of troops?’ ‘Ay,’ answered Bekhtzeman; ‘that is indeed my belief.’ And Khedidan said, ‘By Allah, then, thou errest in this thy belief! Woe and again woe to him whose trust is in other than God! Indeed, this army is appointed only for adornment and majesty, and victory is from God alone. I too, O Bekhtzeman, believed aforetime that victory was in the multitude of men, and an enemy came out against me with eight hundred men, whilst I had eight hundred thousand. I trusted in the number of my troops, whilst mine enemy trusted in God; so he defeated me and routed me and I was put to a shameful flight and hid myself in one of the mountains, where I met with a recluse, [who had] withdrawn [himself from the world]. So I joined myself to him and complained to him of my case and acquainted him with all that had befallen me. Quoth he, “Knowest thou why this befell thee and thou wast defeated?” “I know not,” answered I, and he said, “Because thou puttest thy trust in the multitude of thy troops and reliedst not upon God the Most High. Hadst thou put thy trust in God and believed in Him that it is He [alone] who advantageth and endamageth thee, thine enemy had not availed to cope with thee. Return unto God.” So I returned to myself and repented at the hands of the solitary, who said to me, “Turn back with what remaineth to thee of troops and confront thine enemies, for, if their intents be changed from God, thou wilt overcome them, wert thou alone.” When I heard these words, I put my trust in God the Most High, and gathering together those who remained with me, fell upon mine enemies at unawares in the night. They deemed us many and fled on the shamefullest wise, whereupon I entered my city and repossessed myself of my place by the might of God the Most High, and now I fight not but [trusting] in His aid.’

When Bekhtzeman heard this, he awoke from his heedlessness and said, ‘Extolled be the perfection of God the Great! O king, this is my case and my story, nothing added and nought diminished, for I am King Bekhtzeman and all this happened to me; wherefore I will seek the gate of God[’s mercy] and repent unto Him.’ So he went forth to one of the mountains and there worshipped God awhile, till one night, as he slept, one appeared to him in a dream and said to him, ‘O Bekhtzeman, God accepteth thy repentance and openeth on thee [the gate of succour] and will further thee against thine enemy.’ When he was certified of this in the dream, he arose and turned back, intending for his own city; and when he drew near thereunto, he saw a company of the king’s retainers, who said to him, ‘Whence art thou? We see that thou art a stranger and fear for thee from this king, for that every stranger who enters this city, he destroys him, of his fear of King Bekhtzeman.’ Quoth Bekhtzeman, ‘None shall hurt him nor advantage him save God the Most High.’ And they answered, saying, ‘Indeed, he hath a vast army and his heart is fortified in the multitude of his troops.’

When King Bekhtzeman heard this, his heart was comforted and he said in himself, ‘I put my trust in God. If He will, I shall overcome mine enemy by the might of God the Most High.’ So he said to the folk, ‘Know ye not who I am?’ and they answered, ‘No, by Allah.’ Quoth he, ‘I am King Bekhtzeman.’ When they heard this and knew that it was indeed he, they dismounted from their horses and kissed his stirrup, to do him honour, and said to him, ‘O king, why hast thou thus adventured thyself?’ Quoth he, ‘Indeed, my life is a light matter to me and I put my trust in God the Most High, looking to Him for protection.’ And they answered him, saying, ‘May this suffice thee! We will do with thee that which is in our power and whereof thou art worthy: comfort thy heart, for we will succour thee with our goods and our lives, and we are his chief officers and the most in favour with him of all folk. So we will take thee with us and cause the folk follow after thee, for that the inclination of the people, all of them, is to thee.’ Quoth he, ‘Do that unto which God the Most High enableth you.’

So they carried him into the city and hid him with them. Moreover, they agreed with a company of the king’s chief officers, who had aforetime been those of Bekhtzeman, and acquainted them with this; whereat they rejoiced with an exceeding joy. Then they assembled together to Bekhtzeman and made a covenant and handfast [of fealty] with him and fell upon the enemy at unawares and slew him and seated King Bekhtzeman again on the throne of his kingship. And his affairs prospered and God amended his estate and restored His bounty to him, and he ruled his subjects justly and abode in the obedience of the Most High.

Return to The Ten Viziers; or the History of King Azadbekht and His Son.

---

1. i.e. a soldier of fortune, going about from court to court, in quest of service.