Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 2.djvu/20

 4 A If Laylah wa Lay la k. behold, he was a Persian of whom there was left only what the days had left; for he was as a vulture bald and scald and a wall trembling to its fall. Time had buffetted him with sore smart, yet was he not willing this world to depart; even as said the poet: Time hath shattered all my frame, o Oh ! how time hath shattered roe* Time with lordly might can tame < Manly strength and vigour free. Time was in my youth, that none c Sped their way more fleet and fast : Time is and my strength is gone, o Youth is sped, and speed is past. 1 [The Wazir asked him, " Art thou content to sell this slave-girl to the Sultan for ten thousand dinars ? " ; and the Persian answered, "By Allah, if I offered her to the King for naught, it were but my devoir," 2 So the Minister bade bring the monies and saw them weighed out to the Persian, who stood up before him and said, " By the leave of our lord the Wazir, I have somewhat to say ;" and the Wazir replied, " Out with all thou hast ! " " It is my opinion," continued the slave-dealer, "that thou shouldst not carry the maid to the King this day; for she is newly off a journey; the change of air 3 hath affected her and the toils of trouble have fretted her. But keep her quiet in thy palace some ten days, that she may recover her looks and become again as she was. Then send her to the Hammam and clothe her in the richest of clothes and go up with her to the Sultan : this will be more to thy profit." The Wazir pondered the Persian's words and approved of their wisdom ; so he carried her to his palace, where he appointed her private rooms, and allowed her every day what- ever she wanted of meat and drink and so forth. And on this wise she abode a while. Now the Wazir Al-Fazl had a son like the full moon when shceniest dight, with face radiant in light, cheeks ruddy bright, and a mole like a dot of ambergris on a downy site; as said of him the poet and said full right : A moon which blights you 4 if you dare behold ; o A branch which folds you in its waving fold : The octave occurs in Night xv. I quote Torrens (p. 360) by way of variety. To express our "change of climate" Easterns say, " change of water and air,*' water coming first. "The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night" (Psalm cxxi. 6). Easterns still believe in the blighting effect of the moon's rays, which the Northerners of Europe, who view it under different conditions, are pleased to deny. I have seen a hale and hearty Arab, after sitting an hour in the moonlight, look like a man fresh from a sick bed ; and I knew an Englishman in India whose face was temporarily paralysed by sleeping with it exposed to the moon.
 * A courteous* formula of closing with the offer.