The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
When he had finished his verse, Nuzhat al-Zaman lifted up a skirt of the litter
curtain and looked at him. As soon as her eyes fell on his face, she knew him
for certain and cried out, "O my brother! O Zau al-Makan!" He also looked at
her and knew her and cried out, "O my sister! O Nuzhat al-Zaman!" Then she
threw herself upon him and he gathered her to his bosom and the twain fell down
in a fainting-fit. When the Eunuch saw this case, he wondered at them; and
throwing over them somewhat to cover them, waited till they should recover.
After a while they came to themselves, and Nuzhat al-Zaman rejoiced with
exceeding joy: oppression and depression left her and gladness took the mastery
of her, and she repeated these verses,
"Time sware my life should fare in woeful waste; * Forsworn art Time, expiate thy sin in haste![FN#318]
Comes weal and comes a welcome friend to aid; * To him who brings good news, rise, gird thy waist
I spurned old world tales of Eden bliss; * Till came I Kausar[FN#319] on those lips
When Zau al-Makan heard this, he pressed his sister to his breast; tears
streamed from his eyes for excess of joy and he repeated these
couplets,[FN#320]
"Long I lamented that we fell apart, * While tears repentant railed from these eyne;
And sware, if Time unite us twain once more, * 'Severance' shall never sound from tongue of mine:
Joy hath so overwhelmed me that excess * Of pleasure from mine eyes draws gouts of brine:
Tears, O mine eyes, have now become your wont * Ye weep for pleasure and you weep for pine!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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