Page:The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare.djvu/40

 But she, "Nay, verily ; so ye but fasten the hobbles."

And Salame heard their talk and smiled, this prince of deceivers,

And he said, " O maiden, hearken. I have a thing for thy hearing.

So thou but speakest truth, the mare is indeed of the coursers.

So thou but speakest truth, then are three flames extinguished,

But of the fourth, the fiercest, behold thou stirrest the embers."

And the damsel heard him speak and answered straight in anger :

"Bitter words are these, O Sheykh, as the edge of a dagger.

Nay, by thy tongue I know thee, thou art no Sheykh of the great ones ;

Rather a prowler around, a spying thief of the campfires;

One with a heart of blackness seeking our queen of coursers.

Verily this thy speech betrayeth thee for a traitor;

Verily she who hath ears hath heard thy words in amazement.

Spying the land thou art come a traitor-guest to our pastures,

Spying and stealing away the mare of Agheyli Jaber.

Thus have I read thy riddle, the sense of thy dark saying.