Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/90



Then he pointed to the third and, after kissing him half a score times repeated these couplets,

"Melted pure gold in silvern bowl to drain *         The youth, whose fingers wore a winey stain:    He with the drawers [FN#89] served one cup of wine, *         And served his wandering eyes the other twain.    A loveling, of the sons of Turks, [FN#90] a fawn *         Whose waist conjoins the double Mounts Honayn. [FN#91]    Could Eve's corrupting daughers [FN#92] tempt my heart *         Content with two-fold lure 'twould bear the bane.    Unto Diyar-I-Bakr ('maid-land ' [FN#93] this one lures; *         That lures to two-mosqued cities of the plain." [FN#94]

Now each of the youths had drunk two cups, and when it came to the turn of Abu Nowas, he took the goblet and repeated these couplets,

"Drink not strong wine save at the slender dearling's hand; *         Each like to other in all gifts the spirt grace:    For wine can never gladden toper's heart and soul, *         Unless the cup-boy show a bright and sparkling face."

Then he drank off his cup and the bowl went round, and when it came to Abu Nowas again, joyance got the mastery of him and he repeated these couplets,

"For cup-friends cup succeeding cup assign, *         Brimming with grape-juice, brought in endliess line,    By hand of brown-lipped [FN#95] Beauty who is sweet *         At wake as apple or musk finest fine. [FN#96]    Drink not the wine except from hand of fawn *         Whose cheek to kiss is sweeter than the wine."

Presently the drink got into his noddle, drunkenness mastered him and he knew not hand from head, so that he lolled from