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‘Hearkening and obedience,’ and improvised the following verses:
The season of my presence is never at an end ’Mongst all their time in gladness and solacement who spend,
Whenas the folk assemble for birling at the wine, Whether in morning’s splendour or when night’s shades descend.
The pitcher then of goblets filled full and brimming o’er With limpid wine we plunder, that pass from friend to friend.
Queen Shuaaeh was moved to exceeding delight and emptying her cup, gave Tuhfeh an hundred thousand dinars. Then arose Iblis (may God curse him!) and said, ‘Verily, the dawn gleameth.’ Whereupon the folk arose and disappeared, all of them, and there abode not one of them save Tuhfeh, who went forth to the garden and entering the bath, made her ablutions and prayed that which had escaped her of prayers. Then she sat down and when the sun rose, behold, there came up to her near an hundred thousand green birds; the branches of the trees were filled with their multitudes and they warbled in various voices, whilst Tuhfeh marvelled at their fashion. Presently, up came eunuchs, bearing a throne of gold, set with pearls and jewels and jacinths white and red and having four steps of gold, together with many carpets of silk and brocade and Egyptian cloth of silk welted with gold. These latter they spread amiddleward the garden and setting up the throne thereon, perfumed the place with virgin musk and aloes and ambergris.
After that, there appeared a queen, never saw eyes
