Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 2.djvu/97

 The Tale of Ghanim bin Ayyub. 75 the Caliph heard this, he turned to the eunuchs and said, " Here with Ghanim to me." So Ja'afar went to fetch him ; but Kut al-Kulub forewent him and told Ghanim, " The Caliph hath sent to fetch thee before him," and charged him to show readiness of tongue and firmness of heart and sweetness of speech. Then she robed him in a sumptuous dress and gave him dinars in plenty, saying, " Be lavish of largesse to the Caliph's household as thou goest in to him." Presently Ja'afar, mounted on his Nubian mule, came to fetch him ; and Ghanim advanced to welcome the Wazir and, wishing him long life, kissed the ground before him. Now the star of his good fortune had risen and shone brightly ; and Ja'afar took him ; and they ceased not faring together, he and the Minister, till they went in to the Commander of the Faithful. When he stood in the presence, he looked at the Wazirs and Emirs and Chamberlains, and Viceroys and Grandees and Captains, and then at the Caliph. Hereupon he sweetened his speech and his eloquence and, bowing his head to the ground, broke out in these extempore couplets : May that Monarch's life span a mighty span, o Whose lavish of largesse all lieges scan : None other but he shall be Kaysar hight, o Lord of lordly hall and of haught Divan : Kings lay their gems on his threshold-dust o As they bow and salam to the mighty man ; And his glances foil them and all recoil, o Bowing beards aground and with faces wan : Yet they gain the profit of royal grace, o The rank and station of high soldan. Earth's plain is scant for thy world of men, o Camp there in Kaywan's 1 Empyrean I May the King of Kings ever hold thee dear ; o Be counsel thine and right steadfast plan, Till thy justice spread o'er the wide-spread earth o And the near and the far be of equal worth. When he ended his improvisation the Caliph was pleased by it and marvelled at the eloquence of his tongue and the sweetness of his speech, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say. The Pers. name of the planet Saturn in the Seventh Heaven. Arab. "Zuhl"; die Kiun or Chiun of Amos vi. 26.