Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/23

5 Unto its bearing in its cup the zephyr doth suffice: Didst e’er a full moon in its hand a star that bore espy? How many a night with its full moon I’ve held converse of yore, Whilst, o’er the Tigris shed, its light lit up the darkling sky! As to the westward she inclined, it was as if she drew A gilded sword that stretched athwart the water far and nigh.

When she had made an end of her song, she wept sore and all who were in the place cried out with weeping, till they were well-nigh dead; nor was there one of them but took leave of his senses and rent his clothes and buffeted his face, for the goodliness of her singing. Then said Er Reshid, ‘This damsel’s song denoteth that she is one parted from her beloved.’ Quoth her master, ‘She hath lost her father and mother.’ But the Khalif said, ‘This is not the weeping of one who hath lost her father and mother, but the affliction of one who hath lost her beloved.’ And he was delighted with her singing and said to Isaac, ‘By Allah, I never saw her like!’ ‘O my lord,’ answered Isaac, ‘indeed I marvel at her to the utterest and am beside myself for delight.’

Now with all this Er Reshid stinted not to look upon their host and observe his charms and the elegance of his fashion; but he saw on his face a pallor as he would die; so he turned to him and said, ‘Harkye!’ ‘At thy service, O my lord,’ answered he. ‘Knowest thou who we are?’ asked the Khalif; and he said ‘No.’ Quoth Jaafer, ‘Wilt thou that I tell thee the names of each of us?’ ‘Yes,’ answered the young man; and the vizier said, ‘This is the Commander of the Faithful, descendant of the uncle of the Prince of the Apostles,’ and told him the names of the others of the company; after which quoth Er Reshid,