quickly thou hast forgotten the nights we have lain together!" Then she made herself known to him, and he knew her for his wife, the Lady Budur, daughter of King al-Ghayur, Lord of the Isles and the Seas. So he embraced her and she embraced him, and he kissed her and she kissed him; then they lay down on the bed of pleasure voluptuous, repeating the words of the poet, "When his softly bending shape bid him close to my embrace * Which clips him all about like the tendrils of the vine And shed a flood of softness on the hardness of his heart, * He yielded though at first he was minded to decline; And dreading lest the railer's eye should light upon his form, * Came armoured with caution to baffle his design: His waist makes moan of hinder cheeks that weigh upon his feet * Like heavy load of merchandise upon young camel li'en; Girt with his glances scymitar which seemed athirst for blood, * And clad in mail of dusky curls that show the sheeniest shine, His fragrance wafted happy news of footstep coming nigh, * And to him like a bird uncaged I flew in straightest line: I spread my cheek upon his path, beneath his sandal-shoon, * And lo! the stibium[FN#350] of their dust healed all my hurt of eyne. With one embrace again I bound the banner of our loves[FN#351] * And loosed the knot of my delight that bound in bonds malign: Then bade I make high festival, and straight came flocking in * Pure joys that know not grizzled age[FN#352] nor aught of pain and pine: The full moon dotted with the stars the lips and pearly teeth * That dance right joyously upon the bubbling face of wine: So in the prayer-niche of their joys I yielded me to what * Would make the humblest penitent of sinner most indign. I swear by all the signs[FN#353] of those glories in his face * I'll ne'er forget the Chapter entituled Al-Ikhlas."[FN#354]