Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/125

107 she consented and said, ‘For thy sake, I will show him my face once.’

With that Dauleh Khatoun’s heart was glad and she kissed her hands and feet. Then she went to the great pavilion in the garden and bade her women spread it with carpets and set up a couch of gold and place the wine-vessels in order; after which she went in to Seif and Saïd, whom she found seated in their lodging, and gave the former the glad tidings of the accomplishment of his wish, saying, ‘Go to the pavilion in the garden, thou and thy brother, and hide yourselves there, so none in the palace may see you, till I come to you with Bediya el Jemal.’ So they rose and repaired to the pavilion, where they found the couch of gold set and furnished with cushions, and meat and wine set ready. So they sat awhile, whilst Seif bethought him of his beloved and his breast was straitened and love and longing beset him: wherefore he rose and went forth from the vestibule of the pavilion. Saïd would have followed him, but he said to him, ‘O my brother, follow me not, but abide in thy place, till I return to thee.’ So Saïd abode seated, whilst Seif went down into the garden, drunken with the wine of desire and distracted for excess of passion and love-longing: yearning agitated him and transport overcame him and he recited the following verses:

O thou gloriously fair, I have no one but thee; I’m the thrall of thy love. Oh, have pity on me! Thou’rt all that I seek, my desire and my joy, And mine entrails refuse to love other than thee. Would I knew if thou knowst of my night-long lament, Sleepless-lidded and weeping with tears like a sea. Bid slumber alight on my lids, so perchance In the visions of dreams I thine image may see.