Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/89

71 Yea, in the way of passion experienced was he, Sharp-witted in Love’s matters and quick indeed to see. He’d prove Love’s hard and easy, its valley and its sea, And buck and doe delighted to clip indiff’rently; He burnt alike when beardless and when his beard was white.

Then he came up to the boy and gave him a sprig of sweet basil, whereupon his father put his hand to his pouch and gave him some small matter of money, saying, ‘Take thy portion, O dervish, and go thy ways.’ He took the money, but sat down on the bench before the shop, opposite the lad, and fell to gazing upon him and heaving sigh upon sigh, whilst the tears flowed like springs welling forth. The folk began to look at him and remark upon him, some saying, ‘All dervishes are lewd fellows,’ and other some, ‘Verily, this dervish’s heart is set on fire for love of this youth.’

When Abdurrehman saw this, he said to the boy, ‘Come O my son, let us shut the shop and go home, for it boots not to buy and sell this day; and may God requite thy mother that which she hath done with us, for it is she who hath brought all this about!’ Then said he to the dervish, ‘Rise, that I may shut my shop.’ So the dervish rose and Abdurrehman shut his shop and taking his son, went away. The dervish and the folk followed them, till they reached their dwelling, when Kemerezzeman went in and his father, turning to the dervish, said to him, ‘What wouldst thou, O dervish, and why do I see thee weep?’ ‘O my lord,’ answered he, ‘I would fain be thy guest this night, for the guest is the guest of God.’ Quoth the merchant, ‘Welcome to the guest of God! Enter,