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me, methought it was thyself and I was perplexed about my case. Would we had never seen this merchant nor companied with him and would he had never left his own country and we had not known him, for he hath troubled my life, that before was serene, causing unkindness to succeed good faith and making doubt to enter into my heart!’ ‘Look in my face,’ said she. ‘Belike I am she who was with him and he is my lover and I disguised myself as a slave-girl and agreed with him that he should show me to thee, so he might lay a snare for thee.’ ‘What words are these?’ answered he. ‘Indeed, I never thought that thou wouldst do the like of this thing.’
Now this jeweller was unversed in women’s wiles and knew not how they do with men, nor had he heard the saying of the poet:
A heart that is eath of moving hath carried thee off in chase Of the fair, when youth hath left thee and hoariness comes apace.
Leila to me is costly and her enjoyment remote And many a foe and peril ’twixt her and me have place.
If thou wouldst ask of women and question of their concerns, Lo, I am versed in their fashions, a leach well skilled in their case.
When a man’s head grows grizzled or for the nonce his wealth Fails from his hand, believe me, he hath no part in their grace.
Nor that of another:
Gainsay women; he obeyeth Allah best, who saith them nay And he prospers not who giveth them his bridle-rein to sway;
For they’ll hinder him from winning to perfection in his gifts, Though a thousand years he study, seeking after wisdom’s way.
And a third:
Women are very devils, made to work us dole and death: Refuge I seek with God Most High from all their craft and scaith.
Prime source are they of all the ills that overtake mankind, Both in the fortunes of this world and matters of the faith.
‘Here am I sitting in my chamber,’ said she. So go
