Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/79

61 earth for his treading and as dust to his shoes.” “In this intent may God deliver him!” replied her sister. “Thou shalt see,” added my mistress, “how I will do, so I may foregather with him in the way of law, and needs must I lavish my heart’s blood to contrive this.”

As we were in talk, we heard a great noise and turning, saw the Khalif making for her lodging, of the greatness of the store he set by her; whereupon she hid me in an underground chamber and shut down the trap-door upon me. Then she went out to meet the Khalif, who entered and sat down, whilst she stood before him, to serve him, and commanded to bring wine. Now the Khalif loved a damsel by name Benjeh, who was the mother of El Mutezz Billah; but they had fallen out and in the pride of her beauty and grace, she would not [offer to] make peace with him, nor, for the dignity of the Khalifate and the Kingship, would he [offer to] make peace with her nor humble himself to her, albeit his heart was aflame with passion for her, but sought to divert his mind from her with her mates among the slave-girls and with going in to them in their chambers. Now he loved Shejeret ed Durr’s singing: so he bade her sing. Accordingly she took the lute and tuning it, sang the following verses: