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aloes-wood and rose-water, returned with her to Zein el Mewasif and saluted her. She returned his greeting with the sweetest of speech, and he was confounded at her beauty and improvised the following verses:
O sun, midmost the dark that shinest in the skies, O thou that hast benumbed my wit with great black eyes,
O loveling sweet, that com’st with neck surpassing fair, Whose cheek the garden-rose eclipses and outvies,
Blind not with thy disdain our sights, for thy disdain A grievous matter is, the heart that terrifies.
Passion took up its stead with me, and ’tis forbid To it to carry off the life’s last lingering sighs.
Indeed, the love of you doth lord it in my heart, And save to you, I find no issue anywise.
Yet haply thou’lt relent towards a lover sad; So shall his darkness flee and morning bright arise.
When she heard his verses, she cast at him a look, that bequeathed him a thousand regrets and his heart and soul were ravished thereby, and answered him as follows:
Think not from her, of whom thou art enamoured, aye To win delight; so put desire from thee away.
Leave that thou hop’st, for ’gainst her rigours whom thou lov’st Among the fair, in vain is all thou canst essay.
My looks to lovers bring discomfiture and woe: Indeed, I make no count of that which thou dost say.
When he heard this, he dissembled and took patience, saying in himself, ‘There is nothing for it but patience against calamity;’ and on this wise they abode till nightfall, when she called for food and they set before her a tray, wherein were all manner meats, quails and pigeons and mutton and so forth, of which they ate till they had enough. Then she bade take away the tables and they did so and brought washing gear. So they washed their hands, after which she ordered her women to bring the
