The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
"Indeed my heart loves all the lovely boys * As girls; nor am I
slow to such delight,
But, though I sight them every night and morn, * I'm neither of
Lot's folk[FN#388] nor wencher-wight."
Then he shed tears and said, "Arise, open the door, that I may wend my
way, for I will lie no longer in this lodging." Therewith he rose to
his feet; but the boy caught hold of him, saying, "Look at the fairness
of my face and the cramoisy of my cheeks and the softness of my sides
and the lusciousness of my lips." Moreover he discovered to him calves
that would shame wine and cupcarrier[FN#389] and gazed on him with
fixed glance that would baffle enchanter and enchantments; for he was
passing of loveliness and full of blandishment, even as saith of him
one of the poets who sang,
"I can't forget him, since he rose and showed with fair design *
Those calves of legs whose pearly shine make light in
nightly gloom:
Wonder not an my flesh uprise as though 'twere Judgment-day *
When every shank shall bared be and that is Day of
Doom."[FN#390]
Then the boy displayed to him his bosom, saying, "Look at my breasts
which be goodlier than the breasts of maidens and my lip-dews are
sweeter than sugar-candy. So quit scruple and asceticism and cast off
devoutness and abstinence and take thy fill of my possession and enjoy
my loveliness. Fear naught, for thou art safe from hurt, and leave this
hebetude for 'tis a bad habit." And he went on to discover to him his
hidden beauties, striving to turn the reins of his reason with his
bendings in graceful guise, whilst the Dervish turned away his face and
said, "I seek refuge with Allah! Have some shame, O my son![FN#391]
This is a forbidden thing I deem and I will not do it, no, not even in
dream." The boy pressed upon him, but the Dervish got free from him and
turning towards Meccah addressed himself to his devotions. Now when the
boy saw him praying, he left him till he had prayed a two-bow prayer
and saluted,[FN#392] when he would have accosted him again; but the
Dervish again repeated the intent[FN#393] and prayed a second two-bow
prayer, and thus he did a third and a fourth and a fifth time. Quoth
the lad, "What prayers are these? Art thou minded to take flight upon
the clouds? Thou lettest slip our delight, whilst thou passest the
whole night in the prayer-niche." So saying, he threw himself upon the
Dervish and kissed him between the eyes; but the Shaykh said, "O my
son, put Satan away from thine estate and take upon thee obedience of
the Compassionate." Quoth the other, "An thou do not with me that which
I desire, I will call my sire and say to him, The Dervish is minded to
do lewdness with me. Whereupon he will come in to thee and beat thee
till thy bones be broken upon thy flesh." All this while Abd al-Rahman
was watching with his eyes and hearkening with his ears, and he was
certified that there was no frowardness in the Dervish and he said to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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