Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/314

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‘Welcome and fair welcome to thee, O Cout el Culoub!’ said Zubeideh. ‘Sit and divert us with thine accomplishments and the goodliness of thy fashion.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered the damsel and putting out her hand, took the tambourine, whereof one of its praisers speaks in the following verses:

Then she smote the tambourine briskly and sang thereto, that she arrested the birds in the air and the place danced with them; after which she laid down the tambourine and took the flageolet, whereof it is said:

And as the poet also says:

Then she laid down the flageolet, after she had charmed therewith all who were present, and took up the lute, whereof saith the poet: