The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 08 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 08 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Zayn al-Mawasif was delighted and said to him, "O Masrur, how goodly
are thy inner gifts! May he live not who would harm thy heart!" Then
she entered her boudoir and called him: so he went in to her and taking
her in his arms, embraced her and hugged her and kissed her and got of
her that which he had deemed impossible and rejoiced in winning the
sweet of amorous will. Then said she, "O Masrur, thy good is unlawful
to me and is lawfully thine again now that we are become lovers." So
she returned to him all she had taken of him and asked him, "O Masrur,
hast thou a flower-garden whither we may wend and take our pleasure?";
whereto he answered, "Yes, O my lady, I have a garden that hath not its
like." Then he returned to his lodgings and bade his slave-girls make
ready a splendid banquet in a handsome room; after which he summoned
Zayn al-Mawasif who came surrounded by her damsels, and they ate and
drank and made mirth and merriment, whilst the cup passed round between
them and their spirits rose high. Then lover withdrew with beloved and
Zayn al-Mawasif said to Masrur, "I have bethought me of some dainty
verses, which I would fain sing to the lute." He replied, "Do sing
them"; so she took the lute and tuning it, sang to a pleasant air these
couplets,
"Joy from stroke of string doth to me incline, * And sweet is
a-morning our early wine;
Whenas Love unveileth the amourist's heart, * And by rending the
veil he displays his sign,
With a draught so pure, so dear, so bright, * As in hand of
Moons[FN#338] the Sun's sheeny shine
O' nights it cometh with joy to 'rase * The hoar of sorrow by
boon divine."
Then ending her verse, she said to him, "O Masrur, recite us somewhat
of thy poetry and favour us with the fruit of thy thought." So he
recited these two couplets,
"We joy in full Moon who the wine bears round, * And in concert
of lutes that from gardens sound;
Where the dove moans at dawn and where bends the bough * To Morn,
and all pathways of pleasure are found."
When he had finished his recitation she said to him, "Make us some
verses on that which hath passed between us an thou be occupied with
love of me."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-first Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn
al-Mawasif said to Masrur, "An thou be occupied with love of me, make
us some verses on that hath passed between us," "With love and
gladness," he replied and improvised the following Kasídah[FN#339],
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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