and flagons and beakers of gold and silver and bowls of crystal and gold; and they poured out the wines and they filled the flagons. Then Iblis took the bowl and signed to Tohfah to sing: and she said, “To hear is to obey!” So she hent the lute in hand and tuning it, sang these couplets:— Drink wine, O ye lovers, I rede you alwày, ✿ And praise his worth who loves night and day; ’Mid the myrtle, narcissus and lavender, ✿ And the scented herbs that bedeck the tray. So Iblis the Damned drank and said, “Brava, O desire of hearts! But thou owest me still another aria.” Then he filled the cup and signed to her to sing. Quoth she, “Hearkening and obedience,” and chanted these couplets:— Ye wot, I am whelmed in despair and despight, ✿ Ye dight me blight that delights your sight: Your wone is between my unrest and my eyes; ✿ Nor tears to melt you, nor sighs have might. How oft shall I sue you for justice, and you ✿ With a pining death my dear love requite? But your harshness is duty, your farness near; ✿ Your hate is Union, your wrath is delight: Take your fill of reproach as you will: you claim ✿ All my heart, and I reck not of safety or blame. All present were delighted and the sitting-chamber was moved like a wave with mirth, and Iblis said, “Brava, O Tohfat al-Sudur!” Then they left not liquor-bibbing and rejoicing and making merry and tambourining and piping till the night waned and the dawn waxed near; and indeed exceeding delight entered into them. The most of them in mirth was the Shaykh Iblis, and for the stress of that which befel him of joyance, he doffed all that was on him of coloured clothes and cast them over Tohfah, and among the rest a robe broidered with jewels and jacinths, worth ten thousand dinars. Then he kissed the earth and danced and he thrust his finger up his fundament and hending his beard in hand, said to her, “Sing about this beard and endeavour after mirth and pleasance, and no blame shall betide thee for this.” So she improvised and sang these couplets:— Barbe of the olden, the one-eyed goat! ✿ What words shall thy foulness o’ deed denote? Be not of our praises so pompous-proud: ✿ Thy worth for a dock-tail dog’s I wot. By Allah, to-morrow shall see me drub ✿ Thy nape with a cow-hide[189] and dust thy coat!