forth a light like the light of stars. The voice came from behind the curtain: so I raised it and discovered a gilded door, whose beauty amazed the mind. I passed through the door and found myself in a saloon as it were a hoard upon earth's surface[FN#511] and therein a girl as she were the sun shining fullest sheen in the zenith of a sky serene. She was robed in the costliest of raiment and decked with ornaments the most precious that could be and withal she was of passing beauty and loveliness, a model of symmetry and seemliness, of elegance and perfect grace, with waist slender and hips heavy and dewy lips such as heal the sick and eyelids lovely in their languor, as it were she of whom the sayer spake when he said, 'My best salam to what that robe enrobes of symmetry, * And what that blooming garth of cheek enguards of rosy blee: It seems as though the Pleiades depend upon her brow; * And other lights of Night in knots upon her breast we see: Did she but don a garment weft of Rose's softest leaf, * The leaf of Rose would draw her blood[FN#512] when pluckt that fruit from tree: And did she crache in Ocean's face, next Morn would see a change * To sweeter than the honeycomb of what was briny sea: And did she deign her favours grant to grey-beard staff-enpropped * He'd wake and rend the lion's limbs for might and valiancy.'" Then Abdullah continued, "O Prince of True Believers, as soon as I saw that girl I fell passionately in love with her and going straight up to her, found her seated on a high couch, reciting by heart and in grateful memory the Book of Allah, to whom belong honour and glory! Her voice was like the harmony of the gates of Heaven, when Rizwan openeth them, and the words came from her lips like a shower of gems; whilst her face was with beauty dight, bright and blossom-white, even as saith the poet of a similar sight, 'O thou who gladdenest man by speech and rarest quality; * Grow longing and repine for thee and grow beyond degree! In thee two things consume and melt the votaries of Love; * The dulcet song of David joined with Joseph's brilliancy.' When I heard her voice of melody reciting the sublime Koran, my heart quoted from her killing glances, 'Peace, a word from a compassionating Lord;'[FN#513] but I stammered[FN#514] in my speech and could not say the salam-salutation aright, for my mind and sight were confounded and I was become as saith the bard, 'Love-longing urged me not except to trip in speech o'er free; * Nor, save to shed my blood I passed the campment's boundary: I ne'er will hear a word from those who love to rail, but I * Will testify to love of him with every word of me.'