Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 3.djvu/137

119 The approof of my lord, so my stress and unease I may ban and mine enemies’ malice defy, Thine approof which shall clothe me in noblest attire And my rank in the eyes of the people raise high.

When she had made an end of her song, all who were in the assembly wept for the daintiness of her speech and the sweetness of her voice and El Abbas said to her, “Well done, O Merziyeh! Indeed, thou confoundest the wits with the goodliness of thy verses and the elegance of thy speech.” All this while Shefikeh abode gazing upon her, and when she beheld El Abbas his slave-girls and considered the goodliness of their apparel and the nimbleness of their wits and the elegance of their speech, her reason was confounded. Then she sought leave of El Abbas and returning to her mistress Mariyeh, without letter or answer, acquainted her with his case and that wherein he was of puissance and delight and majesty and venerance and loftiness of rank. Moreover, she told her what she had seen of the slave-girls and their circumstance and that which they had said and how they had made El Abbas desireful of returning to his own country by the recitation of verses to the sound of the strings.

When the princess heard this her slave-girl’s report, she wept and lamented and was like to depart the world. Then she clave to her pillow and said, “O Shefikeh, I will instruct thee of somewhat that is not hidden from God the Most High, and it is that thou watch over me till God the Most High decree the accomplishment of