The World’s Most Beauteous Damsel

There was once upon a time a Padishah who had an only son. His father guarded him as the apple of his eye, and there was not a desire of his heart that was not instantly gratified.

むかしむかし、一人息子を持つ王(パーディシャー)がいた。父は息子を目に入れても痛くないほど大切にし、息子の心の望みで、すぐにかなえられないものはひとつもなかった。

One night a dervish appeared to the King’s son in a dream, and showed him the World’s most beauteous Damsel, and there he drained with her the cup of love. After that the prince became another man. He could neither eat nor drink. Sleep brought him neither pleasure nor refreshment, and he all at once grew sallow and withered. They sent for doctor after doctor, they sent for wizard after wizard, but they could not tell the nature of the malady or find a cure for it.

ある夜、一人の托鉢僧(デルヴィーシュ)が王の息子の夢に現れて、世界でいちばん美しい娘を見せ、息子はそこで娘とともに愛の杯を飲み干した。それからというもの、王子は別人になってしまった。食べることも飲むこともできなかった。眠っても楽しみも安らぎも得られず、たちまち顔色が黄ばんでやつれてしまった。人々は医者を次々に呼び、魔法使いを次々に呼んだが、その病がどういうものなのかも、治し方も誰にもわからなかった。

Then the sick prince said to his father: “My lord Padishah and father, no leech, no wise man can help me, wherefore weary them in vain? The World’s most beauteous Damsel is the cause of my complaint, and she will be either the life or the death of me.”

すると病気の王子は父に言った。「わが君、父上、医者も賢者もわたしを救えません。どうしてむだに彼らを煩わせるのです。世界でいちばん美しい娘こそ、わたしの病のもとです。あの娘がわたしを生かすか殺すか、どちらかです。」

The Padishah was frightened at the words of his son, and his chief care was to drive the damsel out of the lad’s head. “‘Tis dangerous to even think of such a thing,” said he, “for her love will be thy death.” But his son continued to pine away daily, and life had no joy for him. Again and again the father begged his son to tell him his heart’s desire and it should be instantly fulfilled, and the eternal reply of the son was: “Let me seek the World’s most beauteous Damsel.” Then the Padishah thought to himself: “If I do not let him go he will only perish, and he cannot therefore be worse off if he goes.” Then said he: “Go, my son, after thy love, and may the righteous Allah be merciful to thee.”

王は息子の言葉に驚き、何よりもまず、その娘を若者の頭から追い払おうと心を砕いた。「そんなことは考えるだけでも危ない」と王は言った。「その娘への恋はおまえの命取りになるだろう。」けれども息子は日ごとにやつれていき、生きていることに何の喜びもなくなった。父は何度も何度も、心の望みを言えばすぐにかなえてやると息子に頼んだが、息子の答えはいつも決まって「世界でいちばん美しい娘を探しに行かせてください」だった。そこで王は心のなかで思った。「行かせなければ、あの子は死んでしまうだけだ。だから行かせたところで、今より悪くなりはしない。」そして王は言った。「行け、息子よ、恋しい人を追って。正しきアッラーがおまえを憐れんでくださいますように。」

So the next day the prince set out on his journey. He went up hill and down dale, he crossed vast deserts, he traversed rugged wildernesses in search of his beloved, the World’s most beauteous Damsel. On and on he went, till he came at last to the sea-shore, and there he saw a poor little fish writhing in the sand, and the fish besought him to throw it back into the sea again. The youth had compassion upon the fish, and threw it back into the sea again. Then the little fish gave him three scales, and said to him: “If ever thou dost get into any trouble, burn these scales.”

そこで次の日、王子は旅に出た。王子は丘を越え谷を下り、広大な砂漠を渡り、険しい荒れ野を越えて、恋しい人、世界でいちばん美しい娘を探した。どこまでも進んでいくと、とうとう海辺に着き、そこでかわいそうな小さな魚が砂の上でのたうっているのを見た。魚は海へ戻してくれと王子に頼んだ。若者は魚を憐れんで、海へ投げ戻してやった。すると小さな魚は若者に三枚の鱗を与えて言った。「もし困ったことになったら、この鱗を燃やしてください。」

Again the youth went on his way till he came to a vast desert, and there on the ground in front of him he saw a lame ant. The little creature told him that he was going to a wedding, but could not overtake his comrades because they hastened so quickly. Then the youth took up the ant and carried him to his comrades. As they parted the ant gave him a little piece of its wing and said: “If ever thou shouldst get into any trouble, burn this bit of wing.”

若者はまた道を進んで、広大な砂漠に着いた。するとその目の前の地面に、足の悪い蟻が一匹いた。その小さな生き物は、婚礼に行くところだが、仲間があまり急いで行ってしまうので追いつけないのだと若者に言った。そこで若者は蟻を拾い上げて、仲間のところへ運んでやった。別れぎわに、蟻は自分の羽の小さなかけらを若者に与えて言った。「もし困ったことになったら、この羽のかけらを燃やしてください。」

Again the youth followed his road, full of weary woefulness, and reaching the borders of a large forest he there saw a little bird struggling with a large serpent. The little bird asked help of the youth, and with one blow he cut the serpent in two. The bird then gave him three feathers. “If ever thou shouldst get into trouble,” it said, “burn these little feathers.”

若者はまた道をたどり、疲れと悲しみでいっぱいになって、大きな森のはずれに着くと、そこで小さな鳥が大きな蛇ともがいているのを見た。小さな鳥が若者に助けを求めたので、若者はひと打ちで蛇をまっぷたつに切った。すると鳥は若者に三枚の羽根を与えた。「もし困ったことになったら」と鳥は言った。「この小さな羽根を燃やしてください。」

Again he took up his pilgrim’s staff and went beyond the mountains, beyond the sea, till he came to a large city. It was the realm of the father of the World’s most beauteous Damsel. He went straight into the palace to the Padishah, and begged the hand of his daughter in the name of Allah. “Nay,” said the Padishah, “thou must first of all accomplish three tasks for me. Only after that canst thou make known thy wishes to my daughter.”

若者はまた巡礼の杖をとって山の向こう、海の向こうへ行き、とうとう大きな都に着いた。それは世界でいちばん美しい娘の父の国だった。若者はまっすぐ宮殿の王のもとへ行き、アッラーの名にかけて娘を嫁にくださいと願った。「いや」と王は言った。「まずわしのために三つの仕事をやり遂げなければならん。そのあとでなければ、娘に望みを打ち明けることはできぬ。」

With that he took a ring, cast it into the sea, and said to the King’s son: “If thou canst not find it for me in three days, thou art a dead man.” Then the King’s son fell a-thinking till he bethought him of the three scales, and he had no sooner burnt them than the little fish stood before him and said: “What dost thou command, O my Sultan?”--“The ring of the World’s most beauteous Damsel hath been cast into the sea, and I want it back again,” said the prince. Then the fish sought for the ring but couldn’t find it; it dived down a second time and still it couldn’t find it; a third time it descended right down into the seventh ocean, drew up a fish, cut it open, and there was the ring. So the youth gave the ring to the Padishah, and the Padishah gave it to his daughter.

そう言うと王は指輪を取って海に投げ込み、王の息子に言った。「三日のうちにこれを見つけてこられなければ、おまえの命はない。」すると王の息子は考え込み、やがて三枚の鱗のことを思い出した。それを燃やすやいなや、小さな魚が目の前に現れて言った。「何をお命じですか、おおわがスルタンさま。」——「世界でいちばん美しい娘の指輪が海に投げ込まれた。それを取り戻したいのだ」と王子は言った。そこで魚は指輪を探したが見つけられなかった。二度目にもぐってもまだ見つけられなかった。三度目に魚は第七の海の底までもぐり、一匹の魚を引き上げて腹を裂くと、そこに指輪があった。そこで若者は指輪を王に渡し、王はそれを娘に渡した。

Now there was a cave near the palace full of gravel and grain. “My second task,” said the Padishah, “is that thou dost separate the grain from the gravel.” Then the youth entered the cave, took out the ant’s wing and burned it, whereupon the whole cave was swarming with ants, and they set to work upon the grain in hot haste. The day was now nearly over, and the same evening the youth sent word to the Padishah that the second task also was accomplished.

さて、宮殿の近くに、砂利と穀物でいっぱいの洞穴があった。「二つ目の仕事は」と王は言った。「砂利から穀物をより分けることだ。」そこで若者は洞穴に入り、蟻の羽を取り出して燃やした。すると洞穴じゅうに蟻がうようよとわいて、大急ぎで穀物に取りかかった。その日はもうほとんど暮れていて、その同じ晩に、若者は二つ目の仕事もすんだと王に知らせを送った。

“The third task still remains,” said the Padishah, “and then thou mayest have my daughter.” With that he sent for a maid-servant, had her head cut off straightway, and then said to the youth: “Thus shall be done to thy head also if thou restore not this damsel to life again.” The youth quitted the palace in deep thought, and at last he bethought him that the bird’s feathers might help him. So he took them out and burned them, and lo! the bird stood before him ere yet his lips had commanded it to appear. And the youth complained bitterly to the bird of the task that was set him.

「まだ三つ目の仕事が残っている」と王は言った。「それがすめば娘をやろう。」そう言うと王は侍女を一人呼んで、すぐさまその首をはねさせ、それから若者に言った。「この娘を生き返らせなければ、おまえの首も同じようにしてやる。」若者は深く考え込みながら宮殿を出て、とうとう鳥の羽根が助けてくれるかもしれないと思いついた。そこで羽根を取り出して燃やすと、なんと! 若者のくちびるが呼び出す言葉を言い終えもしないうちに、鳥が目の前に立っていた。そして若者は課された仕事のことを鳥にひどく嘆いた。

Now the bird had friends among the Peris, and, flying up into the air, in no very long time was back again with a cruse of water in its beak. “I have brought thee heavenly water which can give life even to the dead,” said the bird. So the prince entered the palace, and no sooner had he sprinkled the damsel with the water than she sprang up as if she had never been dead at all.

さて、その鳥はペリたちのなかに友があったので、空へ舞い上がり、まもなくくちばしに水の小瓶をくわえて戻ってきた。「死人さえ生き返らせる天の水を持ってきました」と鳥は言った。そこで王子は宮殿に入り、その水を娘にふりかけるやいなや、娘は一度も死んだことがなかったかのように跳ね起きた。

Now the rumour of all these things reached the ears of the World’s most beauteous Damsel, and she ordered the prince to be brought before her. The damsel dwelt in a little marble palace, and before the palace was a golden basin which was fed by the water of four streams. The courtyard of this palace also was a vast garden wherein were many great trees and fragrant flowers and singing-birds, and to the youth it seemed like the gate of Paradise.

さて、こうしたことの噂が世界でいちばん美しい娘の耳に届き、娘は王子を自分の前に連れてくるよう命じた。娘は小さな大理石の宮殿に住んでいて、宮殿の前には四つの流れの水で満たされる金の水盤があった。この宮殿の中庭もまた広大な庭で、大きな木々や香り高い花々や歌う鳥がたくさんいて、若者には楽園の門のように思えた。

Suddenly the door of the palace was opened, and the garden was so flooded with light that the eyes of

突然、宮殿の扉が開いて、庭がまばゆい光であふれたので、

the youth were dazzled even to blindness. It was the World’s most beauteous Damsel who had appeared in the door of the palace, and the great light was the rosiness of her two radiant cheeks. She approached the prince and spoke to him, but scarcely did the youth perceive her than he fainted away before her eyes. When he came to himself again they brought him into the damsel’s palace, and there he rejoiced exceedingly in the World’s most beauteous Damsel, for her face was as the face of a Houri, and her presence was as a vision of Peris.

若者の目はくらんで、見えなくなるほどだった。宮殿の戸口に現れたのは世界でいちばん美しい娘で、その大きな光は、娘の輝く両頬のばら色だったのである。娘は王子に近づいて話しかけたが、若者は娘を見るやいなや、その目の前で気を失ってしまった。若者が気がつくと、人々は若者を娘の宮殿へ運び込んだ。そこで若者は世界でいちばん美しい娘をこの上なく喜んだ。その顔は天女(フーリー)の顔のようで、その姿はペリたちの幻のようだったからである。

“Oh, prince!” began the damsel, “thou that art the son of Shah Suleiman, canst aid me in my deep distress. In the vast garden of the Demon of Autumn there is a bunch of singing-pomegranates: if thou canst get them for me I will be thine for ever and ever.”

「おお、王子さま!」と娘は切り出した。「シャー・スレイマンの子であるあなたなら、わたしの深い苦しみを救ってくださることができます。秋の魔王の広大な庭に、歌う柘榴の房があります。もしそれを取ってきてくださったら、わたしは永遠にあなたのものになります。」

Then the youth gave her his hand upon it, the hand of loyal friendship, and departed far far away. He went on and on without stopping, he went on, and for months and months he crossed deserts where man had never trod, and mountains over which there was no path. “Oh, my Creator,” he sighed, “wilt thou not show me the right way?” and he rose up again each morning from the place where he had sunk down exhausted the night before, and so he went on and on from day to day till the path led him right down to the roots of the mountains. There it seemed to him as if it were the Day of Judgment. Such a noise, such a hubbub, such a hurly-burly of sounds arose that all the hills and rocks around him trembled. The youth knew not whether it was friend or foe, man or spirit, and as he went on further, trembling with fear, the noise grew louder and the dust rose up round about him like smoke. He knew not where he was going, but he might have known from what he heard that the smaller garden of the Demon of Autumn was now but a six-months’ journey off, and all this great hubbub and clamour was the talisman of the gate of the garden.

そこで若者は、まことの友情の手を娘に差し出してそれを誓い、はるかはるか遠くへ出発した。若者は休まずどこまでも進み、何か月も何か月も、人が一度も足を踏み入れたことのない砂漠や、道のない山々を越えていった。「おお、わが創り主よ」と若者はため息をついた。「正しい道を示してはくださいませんか。」そして若者は毎朝、前の晩に疲れ果てて倒れ込んだ場所からまた起き上がり、こうして来る日も来る日も進んでいって、とうとう道は若者を山々のふもとまで導いた。そこで若者には審判の日が来たかのように思われた。すさまじい物音、騒ぎ、ごちゃごちゃの音が起こって、まわりの丘や岩がみな震えた。若者にはそれが友か敵か、人か精霊かわからず、恐ろしさに震えながらさらに進んでいくと、音はますます大きくなり、まわりには煙のように土ぼこりが立ちのぼった。若者は自分がどこへ向かっているのかわからなかったが、聞こえてくるものから、秋の魔王の小さいほうの庭がもう六か月の道のりしか離れていないこと、そしてこの大騒ぎとわめき声がみな庭の門の護符なのだと気づいてもよかったのである。

And now he drew still nearer and could see the gate of the smaller garden, and could hear the roaring of the talismans in the gate, and could perceive the guardian of the gate also. Then he went up to him and told him of his trouble. “But art thou not afraid of this great commotion?” asked the guardian of the gate. “Is it not because of thee that all the talismans are so impatient? even I am afraid thereat!”

そして今、若者はさらに近づいて、小さいほうの庭の門が見え、門の護符がうなる音が聞こえ、門番の姿も見えた。そこで若者は門番のところへ行って、自分の悩みを話した。「だが、おまえはこの大騒ぎが怖くないのか」と門番は尋ねた。「護符がみなこんなにいらだっているのは、おまえのせいではないのか。わしでさえそれが怖いのだぞ!」

But the youth did nothing but inquire continually about the cluster of singing-pomegranates.

けれども若者は、歌う柘榴の房のことばかりしきりに尋ねた。

“‘Tis a hard task to reach that,” said the guardian, “yet if thou art not afraid, perhaps thou mayest get it after all. Three-months’ journey from hence thou wilt come to such another place of talismans, there also there is a garden, and the guardian of that garden is my own mother. But whatever thou dost, take care not to draw nigh to her, nor let her draw nigh to thee. Give her my salaams, but tell her nothing of thy trouble unless she ask thee.”

「そこへたどり着くのは難しい仕事だ」と門番は言った。「だが、もしおまえが恐れないのなら、ひょっとすると手に入れられるかもしれない。ここから三か月の道のりのところに、同じような護符の場所がある。そこにも庭があって、その庭の番人はわしの母親だ。だが、何をするにせよ、母に近づかぬよう、母を近づけぬよう気をつけよ。母にわしのサラームを伝えよ。だが、母に尋ねられないかぎり、おまえの悩みは何も話すな。」

So the youth went on towards the second garden, and after a three-months’ journey such a monstrous din and racket arose around him as to make the former noise seem nothing. This was the greater garden of the Demon of Autumn, and the great din proceeded from the talismans of the garden. The youth lay down beside a rock, and when he had waited a little he saw something like a man approaching him, but as it came nearer he perceived that it was an old woman, a little beldame of thrice thirty winters. The hairs of her head were as white as snow, red circles were round her eyes, her eyebrows were like pointed darts, the fire of hell was in her eyes, her nails were two ells long, her teeth were like faggots, her two lips had only one jaw, she shuffled along leaning on a stick, drew in her breath through her nose, and coughed and sneezed at every step she took. “Oh-oh! oh-oh!” she groaned, shuffling painfully along in her large slippers, till it seemed as if she would never be able to reach the new-comer. This was the mother of the guardian of the lesser garden, and she herself was the guardian of the larger one.

そこで若者は二つ目の庭へ向かい、三か月の旅のあと、まわりにとてつもない騒ぎとがやがやした音が起こって、前の騒ぎなど何でもないように思えた。これが秋の魔王の大きいほうの庭で、その大騒ぎは庭の護符から出ていた。若者は岩のそばに横になり、しばらく待っていると、人のようなものが近づいてくるのが見えた。けれども近づいてくるにつれて、それは年とった女、三十の冬を三たび越した小さな老婆だとわかった。頭の髪は雪のように白く、目のまわりは赤く縁どられ、眉はとがった矢のようで、目には地獄の火があり、爪は二エルもの長さで、歯は薪の束のようで、二つのくちびるにあごはひとつしかなかった。老婆は杖にすがって足を引きずって歩き、鼻から息を吸い込み、ひと足ごとに咳をしてくしゃみをした。「おうおう! おうおう!」と老婆は大きなスリッパで苦しそうに足を引きずりながらうめいたので、とても新しく来た者のところまでたどり着けないのではないかと思われた。これが小さいほうの庭の番人の母親で、老婆自身は大きいほうの庭の番人だった。

At last she got up to the youth, and asked him what he was doing in those parts? The prince gave her the compliments of her son. “Ah, the vagabond!” said the old woman, “where didst thou meet with him? That wicked lad of mine knew that I would have compassion on thee, so he sent thee hither. Very well, let us make an end of thee.” And with that she seized hold of him, and cried: “Hi, Earless!” and something came running up to him, and before he knew where he was, the youth found himself seated on its back. He looked down upon it and saw beneath him a creature like a shrunken huddled toad, that had neither eyes nor ears. This was Earless, and away it went with him. When he first saw it, it was as small as a worm, but the moment he was on its back it took such leaps that every three of them covered as much space as a vast ocean. Suddenly Earless stopped short and said to him: “Whatever thou mayest see, whatever thou mayest hear, take care not to speak, or it will be all up with thee,” and with that it vanished.

とうとう老婆は若者のところまでやって来て、こんなところで何をしているのかと尋ねた。王子は老婆の息子からの挨拶を伝えた。「ああ、あのならず者め!」と年とった女は言った。「どこであいつに会ったんだい。あの悪たれ息子は、わたしがおまえを憐れむとわかっていて、ここへよこしたんだね。よし、おまえを片づけてしまおう。」そう言うと老婆は若者をつかんで叫んだ。「おい、耳なし!」すると何かが若者のところへ駆けてきて、気がつくと若者はその背中に乗っていた。若者が見下ろすと、目も耳もない、しなびてうずくまったひき蛙のような生き物が下にいた。これが耳なしで、若者を乗せて駆けだした。はじめ見たときは虫ほどの大きさだったが、若者が背に乗ったとたん、ひと跳びごとに、三度跳べば広大な海ひとつ分を越えるほど跳ねた。突然、耳なしはぴたりと止まって若者に言った。「何を見ても、何を聞いても、けっして口をきくなよ。さもないとおまえはおしまいだ。」そう言うと耳なしは消えてしまった。

There in the rippling water in front of the prince, like a dream-shape, lay a large garden. This garden had neither beginning nor end, and within it were such trees and flowers and sweet fruit as the eye of man hath never seen. Whithersoever one turned nothing was to be heard but the rustling of soft wings and the songs of nightingales, so that the whole atmosphere of that garden seemed to be an eternal song. The youth looked all about him, his reason died away within him, he entered the garden. But then he heard quite near to him such a woeful wailing that his heart was like to break, and the thought of the cluster of pomegranates occurred to his mind. His eyes sought for them in every direction but in vain, till he came to the centre of the garden, where was a fountain and a little palace made of flowers, and the pomegranates hung down from the flowery palace like so many shining lamps. The youth plucked a branch, but no sooner had he done so than there was a horrible cry, and a warning voice exclaimed--

そこには、王子の前のさざ波立つ水のなかに、夢の姿のように大きな庭が横たわっていた。この庭には始まりも終わりもなく、そのなかには人の目が一度も見たことのないような木々や花々や甘い果物があった。どちらを向いても、やわらかな羽ばたきの音とナイチンゲールの歌しか聞こえず、この庭の空気全体が永遠の歌のように思われた。若者はあたりを見まわし、正気が消え失せて、庭に入っていった。けれどもそのとき、すぐ近くで胸が張り裂けそうなほど悲しげな泣き声が聞こえて、柘榴の房のことが頭に浮かんだ。若者の目はあらゆる方向にそれを探したがむだで、とうとう庭のまんなかに来ると、そこには噴水と花でできた小さな宮殿があり、柘榴がたくさんの輝くランプのように花の宮殿から垂れ下がっていた。若者がひと枝摘み取ると、そのとたん恐ろしい叫び声が起こり、警告する声が叫んだ——

“A son of man of us hath ta’en, We by a son of man are slain!”

「人の子がわれらのひとつを奪った。われらは人の子に殺される!」

The youth scarce had time to escape from the garden. “Hasten! fly!” cried Earless, who was waiting again at the gate. The youth jumped on its back, and in a couple of leaps they were beyond the ocean. Then only did the youth think of looking at the cluster of pomegranates. There were fifty pomegranates on it, and each one had a different voice, and each voice had a different song--it was just as if all the music in the wide world was gathered together in one place. By this time they had reached the old grandmother, the old old beldame of thrice thirty winters.

若者は庭から逃げ出すのがやっとだった。「急げ! 逃げろ!」と、また門で待っていた耳なしが叫んだ。若者がその背に跳び乗ると、ふた跳びで海の向こうに出ていた。そのときになってはじめて、若者は柘榴の房を見てみようと思いついた。房には柘榴が五十あって、それぞれがちがう声を持ち、それぞれの声がちがう歌を歌っていた——まるで広い世界じゅうの音楽が一か所に集まったかのようだった。このころには、二人は年とった祖母、三十の冬を三たび越した年老いた老婆のところに着いていた。

“Guard well thy pomegranate cluster,” said the old woman, “never leave it out of thy sight. If on the first night of thy wedding thou and thy bride are able to listen to their music all night without going to sleep once, these pomegranates will love thee, and after that thou wilt have nothing more to fear, for they will deliver thee from every ill.” Then they went from the old mother to the son; he also bade them take to heart his mother’s words, and then the youth went on his way to his sole-beloved, the World’s most beauteous Damsel.

「その柘榴の房をよく守りなさい」と年とった女は言った。「けっして目を離してはいけないよ。婚礼の最初の夜に、おまえと花嫁が一度も眠らずにひと晩じゅうその音楽を聞いていられたら、この柘榴たちはおまえを愛するようになる。そうなったらもう何も恐れることはない。柘榴たちがあらゆる災いからおまえを救ってくれるからね。」それから一同は年とった母のところから息子のところへ行った。息子もまた母の言葉を心に留めるように言い、それから若者はただ一人の恋人、世界でいちばん美しい娘のもとへ向かった。

The girl was awaiting him with the greatest impatience, for she also dearly loved the prince, and her days were passed in anxiety lest some mischief should befall the youth. All at once she heard the sound of music, the fifty pomegranates were singing fifty different songs with fifty different voices, and she opened her heart to the beautiful music. The damsel rushed forth to meet the youth, and at their joyous embrace the pomegranates rang out with a melody so sweet that the like of it is not to be found in this world, but only in Allah’s world beyond the grave. Forty days and forty nights did the wedding-feast last, and on the fortieth day the King’s son went in unto his bride, and they lay down and listened to the pomegranates. Then when the day was born again they arose, and the pomegranate cluster rejoiced again in their love, and so they went on their way to the prince’s own kingdom. There all the feasting began again, and in his joy the old Padishah resigned his kingdom to his son, the Padishah of the cluster of Pomegranates.

娘はこの上なく待ちこがれて若者を待っていた。娘もまた王子を深く愛していて、若者の身に何か災いがふりかかりはしないかと、心配しながら日々を過ごしていたのである。突然、娘は音楽の音を聞いた。五十の柘榴が五十のちがう声で五十のちがう歌を歌っていて、娘はその美しい音楽に心を開いた。娘は若者を迎えに駆け出し、二人が喜んで抱き合うと、柘榴たちはこの世には見つからない、墓の向こうのアッラーの世にしかないほど甘い調べを響かせた。婚礼の宴は四十日四十夜続き、四十日目に王の息子は花嫁のもとに入り、二人は横になって柘榴に耳を傾けた。そしてまた日が生まれると二人は起き上がり、柘榴の房は二人の愛をまた喜んだ。こうして二人は王子自身の国へ向かった。そこでまたすべての宴が始まり、年とった王は喜びのあまり、柘榴の房の王である息子に国を譲った。