whose soil no mortal dare tread;” but she rejoined, “I have dared and trodden it, and this is one of thy many favours.” Then they brought tables and dishes and viands and fruits and sweetmeats and other matters, whose description passeth powers of mortal man, and they ate their sufficiency; after which the tables were removed and the dessert-trays and platters set on, and they ranged the bottles and flagons and vessels and phials, together with all manner fruits and sweet-scented flowers. The first to raise the bowl was Iblis the Accursed, who said, “O Tohfat al-Sudur, sing over my cup.” So she took the lute and touching it, carolled these couplets:— Wake ye, Ho sleepers all! and take your joy ✿ Of Time, and boons he deignèd to bestow; Then hail the Wine-bride, drain the wine-ptisane ✿ Which, poured from flagon, flows with flaming glow: O Cup-boy, serve the wine, bring round the red[195] ✿ Whose draught gives all we hope for here below: What’s worldly pleasure save my lady’s face, ✿ Draughts of pure wine and song of musico? So Iblis drained his bowl and, when he had made an end of his draught, waved his hand to Tohfah; then, throwing off that which was upon him of clothes, delivered them to her. The suit would have brought ten thousand dinars and with it was a tray full of jewels worth a mint of money. Presently he filled again and gave the cup to his son Al-Shisban, who took it from his hand and kissing it, stood up and sat down again. Now there was before him a tray of roses; so he said to her, “O Tohfah, sing thou somewhat upon these roses.” She replied, “Hearkening and obedience,” and chanted these two couplets:— It proves my price o’er all the flowers that I ✿ Seek you each year, yet stay but little stound: And high my vaunt I’m dyèd by my lord ✿ Whom Allah made the best e’er trod on ground.[196] So Al-Shisban drank off the cup in his turn and said, “Brava, O desire of hearts!” and he bestowed on her that was upon him, to wit, a dress of cloth-of-pearl, fringed with great unions and rubies and purfled with precious gems, and a tray wherein were fifty thousand dinars. Then Maymun the Sworder took the cup and began gazing intently upon Tohfah. Now there was in his hand a pomegranate-flower and he said to her, “Sing thou somewhat, O queen of mankind and Jinn-kind upon this pomegranate-flower; for indeed thou hast dominion over all hearts.” Quoth she, “To hear is to obey;” and she improvised and sang these couplets:— Breathes sweet the zephyr on fair partèrre; ✿ Robing lute in the flamings that fell from air: And moaned from the boughs with its cooing rhyme ✿ Voice of ring-doves plaining their love and care: The branch dresses in suit of fine sendal green ✿ And in wine-hues borrowed from bloom Gulnare.[197]