Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/176



The handmaiden walked, with the gait of a gazelle in flight and fit to damn a devotee, till she came to a chair, whereon she seated herself.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred and Seventeenth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the hand maiden walked with the gait of a gazelle in flight, fit to damn a devotee, till she came to a chair whereon she seated herself. And Al- Maamun marvelled at her beauty and loveliness; but, when Abu Isa saw her, his heart throbbed with pain, his colour changed to pale and wan and he was in evil case. Asked the Caliph, "O Abu Isa, what aileth thee to change thus?"; and he answered, "O Commander of the Faithful, it is because of a twitch that seizeth me betimes." Quoth the Caliph, "Hast thou known yonder damsel before to day?" Quoth he, "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful, can the moon be concealed?" Then said al-Maamun to her, "What is thy name, O damsel?"; and she replied, "My name is Kurrat al-Ayn. O Commander of the Faithful," and he rejoined, "Sing to us, O Kurrat al-Ayn." So she sang these two couplets,

"The loved ones left thee in middle night, *         And fared with the pilgrims when dawn shone bright:    The tents of pride round the domes they pitched, *         And with broidered curtains were veiled fro' sight."

Quoth the Caliph, "Favoured of Heaven art thou, O Kurrat al-Ayn! Whose song is that?"; whereto she answered "The words are by Di'ibil al-Khuza'i, and the air by Zurzúr al-Saghír." Abu Isa looked at her and his tears choked him; so that the company marvelled at him. Then she turned to al-Maamun and said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful, wilt thou give me leave to change the words?" Said he, "Sing what thou wilt;" so she played a merry measure and carolled these couplets,

"If thou should please a friend who pleaseth thee *         Frankly, in public practise secrecy.    And spurn the slanderer's tale, who seldom [FN#222] *         seeks Except the severance of true love to see.