Arabian Society in the Middle Ages: Studies From The Thousand and One NightsLane, Edward William
Islamic
Arabian Society in the Middle Ages: Studies From The Thousand and One Nights
Lane, Edward William
Arabian nights; Egypt -- Social life and customs; Islamic Empire -- Social life and customs; Social history -- Medieval, 500-1500
"The sun went down upon me while I sat there; and at length there came
two handsome young men on asses, and they knocked at the door, and when
they were admitted, I entered with them; the master of the house
thinking that I was their companion, and they imagining that I was one
of his friends. A repast was brought up, and we ate, and washed our
hands, and were perfumed. The master of the house then said to the two
young men, 'Have ye any desire that I should call such a one?'
(mentioning a woman's name). They answered, 'If thou wilt grant us the
favour, well:'--so he called for her, and she came, and lo, she was the
maiden whom I had seen before, and who had abused me. A servant-maid
preceded her, bearing her lute, which she placed in her lap. Wine was
then brought, and she sang, while we drank, and shook with delight.
'Whose air is that?' they asked. She answered, 'My master
Mukháriḳ's.' She then sang another air, which she said was also mine;
while they drank by pints; she looking aside and doubtfully at me until
I lost my patience, and called out to her to do her best: but in
attempting to do so, singing a third air, she overstrained her voice,
and I said, 'Thou hast made a mistake:'--upon which she threw the lute
from her lap in anger, so that she nearly broke it, saying, 'Take it
thyself, and let us hear thee.' I answered, 'Well;' and, having taken it
and tuned it perfectly, sang the first of the airs which she had sung
before me; whereupon all of them sprang upon their feet and kissed my
head. I then sang the second air, and the third; and their reason almost
fled with ecstasy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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