Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/97

85 An if unto the River Nile my tears may likened be, Meseems the love I bear to thee El Melec should be hight.’ Quoth she, ‘Then bring me all thy good.’ ‘Take it,’ said I and she, ‘And thy sleep.’ ‘[Take it] from mine eyes,’ I answered her forthright.

When she heard Noureddin’s words and noted the beauty of his eloquence, she was transported and her wit was dazed and love of him got hold upon her whole heart. So she pressed him to her bosom and fell to kissing him after the manner of doves billing, whilst he returned her caresses; but the vantage is to the first comer. When she had made an end of kissing, she took the lute and recited the following verses:

And also these:

Noureddin marvelled at the fluency of her tongue and praised her grace and exceeding seductiveness; whereupon she rose and putting off all that was upon her of [outer] clothes and trinkets, sat down on his knees and kissed