The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Volume II
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The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Volume II
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
We lay together till the morning, when I would have gone away,
but she stopped me, saying, "Stay, till I tell thee somewhat and
give thee a charge." So I waited, whilst she undid a handkerchief
and taking out this piece of linen, spread it out before me. I
saw worked on it these two figures of gazelles and admired it
exceedingly; and she said to me, "Keep this carefully, for it is
my sister's work." "What is thy sister's name?" asked I, and she
answered, "Nour el Huda." Then I took the piece of linen and went
away, joyful, after we had agreed that I should visit her every
night in the garden; but in my joy I forgot to repeat to her the
verse my cousin had taught me. When I reached home, I found
Azizeh lying down; but, as soon as she saw me, she rose, with the
tears running from her eyes, and coming up to me, kissed me on
the breast and said, "Didst thou repeat the verse to her, as I
enjoined thee?" "I forgot it," answered I; "and here is what made
me forget it." And I threw the piece of linen down before her.
She rose and sat down again, but was unable to contain herself
and her eyes ran over with tears, whilst she repeated the
following verses:
O thou that seekest severance, forbear; Let not the fair delude
thee with their sleight.
Softly, for fortune's nature is deceit And parting is the end of
love-delight.
Then she said, "O my cousin, give me this piece of linen." So I
gave it to her, and she took it and unfolding it, saw what was
therein. When the time came for my going to my mistress, she said
to me, "Go and peace be with thee; and when thou art about to
leave her, repeat to her the verse I taught thee and which thou
forgottest." Quoth I, "Repeat it to me." So she repeated it. Then
I went to the garden and entered the pavilion, where I found the
lady awaiting me. When she saw me, she rose and kissed me and
made me sit in her lap; and we ate and drank and did our desire
as on the previous night. In the morning, I repeated to her my
cousin's verse:
Tell me, O lovers, for God's sake I do entreat of you, When love
is sore upon a maid, alack! what shall she do?
When she heard this, her eyes filled with tears and she answered
with the following verse:
Against her passion she must strive and hide her case from view
And humble and submissive be, whatever may ensue.
This I committed to memory and returned home, rejoiced at having
done my cousin's errand. When I entered the house, I found Azizeh
lying on the bed and my mother at her head, weeping over her
condition. When the latter saw me, she said to me, "Out on thee
for a cousin! How couldst thou leave the daughter of thine uncle
in ill case and not ask what ailed her?" Azizeh, seeing me,
raised her head and sat up and said, "O Aziz, didst thou repeat
the verse to her?" "Yes," replied I; "and she wept and recited,
in answer, another verse, which I remember." "Tell it me," said
Azizeh. I did so; and she wept and repeated the following verses:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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