The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 8 by Sir Richard Francis Burton (great books for teens TXT) 📕

And melodious birdies sing madrigals * And the Full Moon[FN#309]

shineth in branchshade wan;

Its ringdove, its culver, its mockingbird * And its Philomel sing my soul t’ unman;

And the longing of love all my wits confuseth * For her charms, as the man whom his wine bemuseth.”

Now when Zayn al-Maw�sif heard his verse, she glanced at him with eyes which bequeathed a thousand sighs and utterly ravished his wisdom and wits and replied to him in these lines, “Hope not of our favours to make thy prey * And of what thou wishest thy greed allay:

And cease thy longing; thou canst not win * The love of the Fair thou’rt fain t’ essay,

My glances to lovers are baleful and naught * I reek of thy speech: I have said my say!”

“Ho, thou! Begone about thy business, for we are none of the woman-tribe who are neither thine nor another’s.[FN#310]” And he answered, “O my lady, I said nothing ill.” Quoth she, “Thou soughtest to divert thyself[FN#311] and thou hast had thy diversion; so wend thy ways.” Quoth he, “O my lady, belike thou wilt give me a draught of water, for I am athirst.” Whereupon she cried, “How canst thou drink of a Jew’s water, and thou a Nazarene?” But he replied, “O my lady, your water is not forbidden to us nor ours unlawful to you, for we are all as one creation.” So she said to her slavegirl, “Give him to drink;”

and she did as she was bidden. Then she called for the table of food, and there came four damsels, high-bosomed maids, bearing four trays of meats and four gilt flagons full of strong old-wine, as it were the tears of a slave of love for clearness, and a table around whose edge were graven these couplets, “For eaters a table they brought and set * In the banquet-hall and ‘twas dight with gold:

Like th’ Eternal Garden that gathers all * Man wants of meat and wines manifold.”

And when the high-breasted maids had set all this before him, quoth she, “Thou soughtest to drink of our drink; so up and at our meat and drink!” He could hardly credit what his ears had heard and sat down at the table forthright; whereupon she bade her nurse[FN#312] give him a cup, that he might drink. Now her slavegirls were called, one Hub�b, another Khut�b and the third Suk�b,[FN#313] and she who gave him the cup was Hubub. So he took the cup and looking at the outside there saw written these couplets,

“Drain not the howl but with lovely wight * Who loves thee and wine makes brighter bright.

And ‘ware her Scorpions[FN#314] that o’er thee creep * And guard thy tongue lest thou vex her sprite.”

Then the cup went round and when he emptied it he looked inside and saw written,

“And ‘ware her Scorpions when pressing them, * And hide her secrets from foes’ despight.”

Whereupon Masrur laughed her-wards and she asked him, “What causeth thee to laugh?” “For the fulness of my joy,” quoth he.

Presently, the breeze blew on her and the scarf[FN#315] fell from her head and discovered a fillet[FN#316] of glittering gold, set with pearls and gems and jacinths; and on her breast was a necklace of all manner ring-jewels and precious stones, to the centre of which hung a sparrow of red gold, with feet of red coral and bill of white silver and body full of Nadd-powder and pure ambergris and odoriferous musk. And upon its back was engraved,

“The Nadd is my wine-scented powder, my bread; * And the bosom’s my bed and the breasts my stead:

And my neck-nape complains of the weight of love, * Of my pain, of my pine, of my drearihead.”

Then Masrur looked at the breast of her shift and behold, thereon lay wroughten in red gold this verse,

“The fragrance of musk from the breasts of the fair * Zephyr borrows, to sweeten the morning air.”

Masrur marvelled at this with exceeding wonder and was dazed by her charms and amazement gat hold upon him. Then said Zayn al-Maw�sif to him, “Begone from us and go about thy business, lest the neighbours hear of us and even us with the lewd.” He replied, “By Allah, O my lady, suffer my sight to enjoy the view of thy beauty and loveliness.” With this she was wroth with him and leaving him, walked in the garden, and he looked at her shift-sleeve and saw upon it embroidered these lines, “The weaver-wight wrote with gold-ore bright * And her wrists on brocade rained a brighter light:

Her palms are adorned with a silvern sheen; * And favour her fingers the ivory’s white:

For their tips are rounded like priceless pearl; * And her charms would enlighten the nightiest night.”

And, as she paced the garth, Masrur gazed at her slippers and saw written upon them these pleasant lines, “The slippers that carry these fair young feet * Cause her form to bend in its gracious bloom:

When she paces and waves in the breeze she owns, * She shines fullest moon in the murkiest gloom.”

She was followed by her women leaving Hubub with Masrur by the curtain, upon whose edge were embroidered these couplets, “Behind the veil a damsel sits with gracious beauty dight, *

Praise to the Lord who decked her with these inner gifts of sprite!

Guards her the garden and the bird fain bears her company; *

Gladden her wine-draughts and the bowl but makes her brighter-bright.

Apple and Cassia-blossom show their envy of her cheeks; And borrows Pearl resplendency from her resplendent light; As though the sperm that gendered her were drop of marguerite[FN#317] Happy who kisses her and spends in her embrace the night.”

So Masrur entered into a long discourse with Hubub and presently said to her, “O Hubub, hath thy mistress a husband or not?” She replied, “My lady hath a husband; but he is actually abroad on a journey with merchandise of his.” Now whenas he heard that her husband was abroad on a journey, his heart lusted after her and he said, “O Hubub, glorified be He who created this damsel and fashioned her! How sweet is her beauty and her loveliness and her symmetry and perfect grace! Verily, into my heart is fallen sore travail for her. O Hubub, so do that I come to enjoy her, and thou shalt have of me what thou wilt of wealth and what not else.” Replied Hubub, “O Nazarene, if she heard thee speak thus, she would slay thee, or else she would kill herself, for she is the daughter of a Zealot[FN#318] of the Jews nor is there her like amongst them: she hath no need of money and she keepeth herself ever cloistered, discovering not her case to any.” Quoth Masrur, “O Hubub, an thou wilt but bring me to enjoy her, I will be to thee slave and foot page and will serve thee all my life and give thee whatsoever thou seekest of me.” But quoth she, “O

Masrur, in very sooth this woman hath no lust for money nor yet for men, because my lady Zayn alMawasif is of the cloistered, going not forth her house-door in fear lest folk see her; and but that she bore with thee by reason of thy strangerhood, she had not permitted thee to pass her threshold; no, not though thou wert her brother.” He replied, “O Hubub, be thou our go-between and thou shalt have of me an hundred gold dinars and a dress worth as much more, for that the love of her hath gotten hold of my heart.” Hearing this she said, “O man, let me go about with her in talk and I will return thee and answer and acquaint thee with what she saith. Indeed, she loveth those who berhyme her and she affecteth those who set forth her charms and beauty and loveliness in verse, and we may not prevail over her save by wiles and soft speech and beguilement.” Thereupon Hubub rose and going up to her mistress, accosted her with privy talk of this and that and presently said to her, “O my lady, look at yonder young man, the Nazarene; how sweet is his speech and how shapely his shape!” When Zayn alMawasif heard this, she turned to her and said, “An thou like his comeliness love him thyself. Art thou not ashamed to address the like of me with these words? Go, bid him begone about his business; or I will make it the worse for him.” So Hubub returned to Masrur, but acquainted him not with that which her mistress had said. Then the lady bade her hie to the door and look if she saw any of the folk, lest foul befal them. So she went and returning, said, “O my lady, without are folk in plenty and we cannot let him go forth this night.” Quoth Zayn alMawasif, “I am in dole because of a dream I have seen and am fearful therefrom.” And Masrur said, “What sawest thou? Allah never trouble thy heart!” She replied, “I was asleep in the middle of the night, when suddenly an eagle swooped down upon me from the highest of the clouds and would have carried me off from behind the curtain, wherefore I was affrighted at him. Then I awoke from sleep and bade my women bring me meat and drink, so haply, when I had drunken, the dolour of the dream would cease from me.” Hearing this, Masrur smiled and told her his dream from first to last and how he had caught the dove, whereat she marvelled with exceeding marvel. Then he went on to talk with her at great length and said, “I am now certified of the truth of my dream, for thou art the dove and I the eagle, and there is no hope but that this must be, for, the moment I set eyes on thee, thou tookest possession of my vitals and settest my heart a-fire for love of thee!” Thereupon Zayn alMawasif became wroth with exceeding wrath and said to him, “I take refuge with Allah from this! Allah upon thee, begone about thy business ere the neighbours espy thee and there betide us sore reproach,” adding, “Harkye, man! Let not thy soul covet that it shall not obtain.

Thou weariest thyself in vain; for I am a merchant’s wife and a merchant’s daughter and thou art a druggist; and when sawest thou a druggist and a merchant’s daughter conjoined by such sentiment?” He replied, “O my lady, never lacked love-liesse between folk[FN#319]; so cut thou not off from me hope of this and whatsoever thou seekest of me of money and raiment and ornaments and what not else, I will give thee.” Then he abode with her in discourse and mutual blaming whilst she still redoubled in anger, till it was black night, when he said to her, “O my lady, take this gold piece and fetch me a little wine, for I am athirst and heavy hearted.” So she said to the slavegirl Hubub, “Fetch him wine and take naught from him, for we have no need of his dinar.” So she went whilst Masrur held his peace and bespake not the lady, who suddenly improvised these lines, “Leave this thy design and depart, O man! * Nor tread paths where lewdness and crime trepan!

Love is a net shall enmesh thy sprite, * Make thee rise a-morning sad, weary and wan:

For our spy thou shalt eke be the cause of talk; * And for thee shall blame me my tribe and clan: