Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/174



"Houris, and highborn Dames who feel no fear of men, *         Like Meccan game forbidden man to slam: [FN#219]    Their soft sweet voices make you deem them whores, *         But bars them from all whoring Al-Islam."

When she had finished, al-Maamun cried, "favoured of Allah art thou!"-- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred and Sixteenth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the slave girl finished her song, al-Maamun cried, "Favoured of Allah art thou! Whose is this verse?" and she answered, "Jarír's [FN#220] and the air is By Ibn Surayj." Then the Caliph and his company drank, whilst the girls went away and there came forth yet other ten, as they were rubies, robed in red brocade inwoven with gold and purfled with pearls and jewels whilst all their heads were bare. They sat down on the stools and sang various airs; so the Caliph looked at one of them, who was like the sun of the day, and asked her, "What is thy name, O damsel?"; and she answered, "O Commander of the Faithful, my name is Fátin." "Sing to us, O Fatin," quoth he; whereat she played a lively measure and sang these couplets,

"Deign grant thy favours; since 'tis time I were engraced; *         Tnough of severance hath it been my lot to taste.    Thou'rt he whose face cloth every gift and charm unite, *         Yet is my patience spent for that 'twas sore misplaced:    I've wasted life in loving thee; and would high Heaven *         Grant me one meeting hour for all this wilful waste."

"Well sung, O Fatin!" exclaimed the Caliph; "whose verse is this?" And she answered, "Adi bin Zayd's, and the air is antique." Then all three drank, whilst the damsels retired and