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her, ‘O Tuhfeh, sing to me on this.’ ‘Hearkening and obedience,’ answered she and improvised and sang the following verses:
Most like a wand of emerald my shape it is, trow I; Amongst the fragrant flow’rets there’s none with me can vie.
The eyes of lovely women are likened unto me; Indeed, amongst the gardens I open many an eye.
When she had made an end of her song, Sherareh was moved to exceeding delight and drinking off her cup, said to her, ‘Well done, O gift of hearts!’ Then she ordered her an hundred dresses of brocade and an hundred thousand dinars and passed the cup to Queen Wekhimeh. Now she had in her hand somewhat of blood-red anemone; so she took the cup from her sister and turning to Tuhfeh, said to her, ‘O Tuhfeh, sing to me on this.’ Quoth she, ‘I hear and obey,’ and improvised the following verses:
The Merciful dyed me with that which I wear Of hues with whose goodliness none may compare.
The earth is my birth-place, indeed; but my place Of abidance is still in the cheeks of the fair.
Therewith Wekhimeh was moved to exceeding delight and drinking off the cup, ordered her twenty dresses of Greek brocade and a tray, wherein were thirty thousand dinars. Then she gave the cup to Queen Shuaaeh, Queen of the Fourth Sea, who took it and said, ‘O my lady Tuhfeh, sing to me on the gillyflower.’ Quoth she
