The Five Hundred and Sixteenth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that Al-Hajjaj said, "O young man, inform me what women be the best and the most enjoyable."[91]—"One in winning ways excelling and in comeliness exceeding and in speech killing: one whose brow glanceth marvellous bright to whoso filleth his eyes with her sight and to whom she bequeatheth sorrow and blight; one whose breasts are small whilst her hips are large and her cheeks are rosy red and her eyes are deeply black and he lips are full-formed; one who if she look upon the heavens even the rocks will be robed in green, and if she look upon the earth her lips[92] unpierced pearls shall rain; one the dews of whose mouth are the sweetest of waters; one who in beauty hath no peer nor is there any loveliness can with hers compare: the coolth of the eyes to great and small; in fine, one whose praises certain of the poets have sung in these harmonious couplets,[93]
'A fair one to idolaters if she herself should show, * They'd
leave their idols and her face for only Lord would know.
If in the Eastward she appeared unto a monk, for once * He'd
cease from turning to the West and to the East bend low;
And into the briny sea one day she chanced to spit, * Assuredly
the salt sea's floods straight fresh and sweet would grow.'"
Hereupon quoth Al-Hajjaj, "Thou hast said well and hast spoken fair, O young man; and now what canst thou declare concerning a maiden of ten years old?" Quoth the youth, "She is a joy to behold." "And a damsel of twenty years old?"—"A coolth to eyes manifold." "And a woman thirty of age?"—"One who the hearts of enjoyers can engage." "And in her fortieth year?"—"Fat, fresh and fair doth she appear." "And of the half century?"—"The mother of men and maids in plenty." "And a crone of three score?"—"Men ask of her never more." "And when three score and ten?"—"An old trot and remnant of men." "And one who reacheth four score?"—"Unfit for the world and for the faith forlore." "And one of ninety?"—"Ask not of whoso in Jahím be."[94] "And a woman who to an hundredth hath owned?"—"I take refuge with Allah from Satan the Stoned." Then Al-Hajjaj laughed aloud and said, "O young man, I desire of thee even as thou describedst womankind in prose so thou show me their conditions in verse;" and the Sayyid, having answered, "Hearkening and obedience, O Hajjaj," fell to improvising these couplets,[95]
"When a maid owns to ten her new breasts arise * And like diver's
pearl with fair neck she hies:
The damsel of twenty defies compare * 'Tis she whose disport we
desire and prize:
She of thirty hath healing on cheeks of her; * She's a pleasure,
a plant whose sap never dries:
If on her in the forties thou happily hap * She's best of her
sex, hail to him with her lies!
She of fifty (pray Allah be copious to her!) * With wit, craft
and wisdom her children supplies.
The dame of sixty hath lost some force * Whose remnants are easy
to ravenous eyes:
At three score ten few shall seek her house * Age-threadbare made
till afresh she rise:
The fourscore dame hath a bunchy back * From mischievous eld whom
perforce Love flies:
And the crone of ninety hath palsied head * And lies wakeful o'
nights and in watchful guise;
And with ten years added would Heaven she bide * Shrouded in sea
with a shark for guide!"
Hereupon Al-Hajjaj laughed aloud and all who were with him in assembly; and presently he resumed, "O youth, tell me concerning the first man who spake in verse[96] and that was our common sire, Adam (The Peace be upon him!), what time Kábíl[97] slew Hábíl his brother when our forefather improvised these lines,
'Changed I see my country and all thereon; * Earth is now a
blackavice, ugly grown:
The hue and flavour of food is fled * And cheer is fainting from
fair face flown.
An thou, O Abel, be slain this day * Thy death I bemourn with
heart torn and lone.
Weep these eyes and 'sooth they have right to weep * Their tears
are as rills flowing hills adown.
Kábil slew Hábil—did his brother dead; * Oh my woe for that
lovely face, ochone!'"[98]
Hereat Al-Hajjaj asked, "O young man, what drove our ancestor to poetry?" whereto answered the youth--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was