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the Faithful. When they saw him, they rose and kissed the ground before him; and he, seeing Num with the lute in her hand, said to her, “O Num, praised be God who hath done away from thee pain and affliction!” Then he looked at Nimeh (who was still disguised as a woman) and said to the princess, “O my sister, what damsel is this by Num’s side?” “O Commander of the Faithful,” answered she, “she is one of thy slave-girls and the bosom friend of Num, who will neither eat nor drink without her.” And she repeated the words of the poet:
Two opposites, dissevered still in charms and straitly knit, And each one’s beauty brightlier shows against its opposite.
“By the Great God,” said the Khalif, “she is as handsome as Num, and to-morrow, I will appoint her a separate chamber beside that of Num and send her furniture and linen and all that befits her, in honour of Num.” Then, the princess called for food and set it before her brother, who ate and filling a cup, signed to Num to sing. So she took the lute, after drinking two cups, and sang the following verses:
Whenas my cup-companion hath poured me out of wine Three foaming cups, brimmed over with nectar from the vine,
I trail my skirts in glory all night, as if o’er thee, Commander of the Faithful, the empery were mine.
The Khalif was delighted and filling another cup, gave it to Num and bade her sing again. So she drank off the cup, and sweeping the strings of the lute, sang as follows:
O thou, the noblest man of men that live in this our day, Whose equal none may boast himself in power and mightiness,
O all unpeered in pride of place, to whom munificence Is as a birthright, Lord and King, whom all in all confess,
Thou, that dost lord it, sovran-wise, o’er all the kings of earth And without grudging or reproach, giv’st bountiful largesse,
God have thee ever in His guard, despite thine every foe, And be thy fortune ever bright with victory and success!
