Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/96

84 The railer saw her face and said (what while her charms that pass All other beauty did his wit with stupefaction fill,) ‘Is this then she for whom thou rav’st with longing for her love? Indeed, thou hast excuse.’ And I, ‘’Tis she who doth me thrill With arrows of her looks, nor can my abject, broken case Of strangerhood to pity move her unrelenting will.’ I am become a slave of love, with heart enchained; I groan Day long and night long, ay, and weep with tears, as ’twere a rill.

She marvelled at his eloquence and grace and taking her lute, smote thereon after the goodliest of fashions, repeating all the melodies, and sang the following verses:

Her song moved Noureddin to the utmost wonder and delight and he answered her as follows:

The face o’ the sun is not unveiled in the darkness of the night, But in the far horizon’s marge the full moon hides its light, Nor doth her forehead meet the eye o’ the morning, but, outfaced By contrast, to the break of day for refuge it takes flight. Take of the currents of my tears, as, chain on chain, they fall, And on the readiest way of ways, the tale of love recite. Oft unto her, who shoots at me her arrows, have I said, ‘Hold thou thy hand; indeed my heart is cleft in sunder quite.