Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/28

10 and grace and symmetry, and by her side a youth, whose hand was on her neck; and he was kissing her and she him. When I saw them, O Commander of the Faithful, I could not contain myself nor knew I where I was, so dazzled was I by her beauty: but, when I came down, I questioned the damsel with whom I was and described the young lady to her. “What wilt thou with her?” asked she; and I said, “She hath taken my wit.” She smiled and said, “O Aboulhusn, hast thou a mind to her?” “Ay, by Allah!” answered I; “for she hath captived my heart and soul.” Quoth she, “This is the daughter of Tahir ibn el Alaa; she is our mistress and we are all her handmaids; but knowest thou, O Aboulhusn, what is the price of her night and day?” And I said, “No.” “Five hundred dinars,” answered she; “for she is one for whom kings might sigh in vain.”

“By Allah,” quoth I, “I will spend all I have on this damsel!” And I lay, heartsore for desire, till the morning, when I donned a suit of the richest royal raiment and betaking myself to Ibn el Alaa, said to him, “O my lord, I want her whose night is five hundred dinars.” Quoth he, “Pay the money.” So I counted out to him fifteen thousand dinars for a month’s hire and he took them and said to the page, “Carry him to thy mistress such an one.” So he took me and carried me to a saloon, than which my eyes never saw a goodlier on the face of the earth, and there I found the young lady seated. When I saw her, O Commander of the Faithful, my reason was dazed with her beauty, for she was like the full moon on its fourteenth night, full of grace and symmetry and loveliness. Her speech put to shame the tones of the lute, and it was as it were she to whom the poet referred in the following verses: