Page:The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare.djvu/72

 And on her cheek a dimple guarded near with roses.

And wrists and hands how soft! Glory to Him in heaven,

Who fashioned thus her beauty, this daughter of the great ones.

At the break of dawn she came, her countenance all shining,

And she brought me the ewer filled, and I made my supplication.

And praised the Lord of Might, the Merciful, the Creator.

Said the Narrator:

And when the day broke and Abu Zeyd had made his prayer, and Alia had entered and bidden him good morrow, and had said, "Thou hast made us glad, O Abu Zeyd, with thy presence," and he had answered her, "God bless thee," then came she to him with food and he ate, and he arose. And she set out the couches and put all in order, and commanded that the drums should be beaten to summon her young companions, and she said to them, " Rejoice with me, and prepare of all things in abundance, for a great happiness hath come to me and the extreme of favour." Then sat they all around her and made display of joy, and all care vanished. And when the damsels were complete in their number, then returned she to the Hejazi Salame and said to him, "Come, take thy place with me in the Assembly of the daughters of the Arabs." But he said to her, "O Alia,