Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 2.djvu/266

242 in less than the twinkling of an eye.’ Quoth she, ‘I will sing thee an hundred songs, so thou wilt bring me news of my lord and that which hath befallen him after me.’ And the head answered, saying, ‘Do thou favour me and sing me a song, so I may go to thy lord and bring thee news of him, for that I desire, before I go, to hear thy voice, so haply my thirst may be quenched.’ So she took the lute and tuning it, sang the following verses:

The head wept exceeding sore and said, ‘O my lady, indeed thou hast solaced my heart, and I have nought but