The Seven Hundred and Third 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 King Yusuf and Ibrahim the Cup-companion hearing the song sung by Mubdi', the third handmaiden, both fell to the floor aswoon; and when they revived after an hour or so, Ibrahim largessed to her one thousand dinars and a robe purfled with glistening gold. Then she drained her cup and crowning it again passed it to her compeer whose name was Nasím[281] and who took it and set it in front of her. Then hending in hand the lute she played upon it with manifold modes and lastly spake these couplets,
"O Blamer, blaming me for draining lonely wine, * Stint carping,
I this day to Holy War incline:
Oh fair reflection she within her wine-cup shows * Her sight
makes spirit dullest earthly flesh refine:
How mention her? By Allah 'tis forbid in writ * To note the
meaner charms in Eden-garth divine."
When the fourth handmaiden had ended her verse, Ibrahim gifted her with one thousand dinars and presented a sumptuous robe to her owner, then she drank off her cup and passed it to her compeer hight Al-Badr[282] and she sang the following lines,
"One robbed of heart amid song and wine * And Love that smiteth
with babe of eyne:
His voice to the lute shall make vitals pain * And the wine shall
heal all his pangs and pine:
Hast e'er seen the vile drawing near such draught * Or miser
close-fisted thereto incline?
The wine is set free in the two-handed jar[283] * Like sun of
summer in Aries' sign."
When she had finished Ibrahim bade reward her like the rest with gold and gear and she passed her cup to her compeer whose name was Radáh.[284] The sixth handmaiden drained it and performed in four-and-twenty modes after which she sang these couplets,
"O thou wine-comrade languor cease to show; * Hand me the morning
draught and ne'er foreslow;
And prize fair poesy and sweet musick hear * And shun the 'say'
and naught of 'said' beknow:
The wine of day-dawn drunk with joyous throng * From house of
Reason garreth Grief to go:
The man of Kays aye loved his wine right well * And from his lips
made honey'd verse to flow;
And in like guise[285] came Isa singing sweet * For such was
custom of the long-ago."
When Radah ended her verse and her improvising of mysterious significance, and secret, King Yusuf and Ibrahim the Cup- companion tore their robes from their bodies until naught remained upon them save only the bag-breeches about their waists. Then the twain shrieked aloud and at one moment and they fell fainting to the floor, unheeding the world and their own selves from the excess of that was in their heads of wine and hearing of poetry spoken by the slave-girl. They remained in such condition for a while of time, after which they recovered though still amazed, a-drunken. Then they donned other dresses and sat down to listen as before, when Radah drained her goblet and filled and passed it to her compeer whose name was Na'ím;[286] and she taking her lute, improvised the following verses,
"My poesy-gem showeth clear of shine, * When appears that pearl
with cheek coralline:
'Tis marvel the cloud cannot quench the blaze * That fire in the
heart and this water of eyne!
Then alas for Love who hath made me woe! * Pine that rends and
racks limbs and vitals o' mine:
O thou Well of Poetry well forth thy gems * O'er our drink when
our cups overbrim with wine:
And sing in her presence, for Envy hath fled * And flies jealous
spite and all joys combine.
Oh the charms of wine which enthral the mind, * Clear and
clearing sprites by its sprite refined!"
When the seventh handmaiden had ended her verses, King Yusuf and Ibrahim rejoiced with exceeding joy and each of them bade gift her with a thousand gold pieces and quoth the courtier, "By Allah Almighty, none of the Emirs or of the Wazirs or of the Kings or of the Caliphs hath attained excellence like unto this handmaid." Hereupon Na'im passed her goblet to her compeer and she, whose name was Surúr,[287] tossed it off and taking in hand her lute, sang these couplets,
"How is't with heart of me all cares waylay * As drowned in
surging tears of Deluge-day?
I weep for Time endured not to us twain * As though Time's honour
did not oft betray.
O my lord Yúsuf, O my ending hope, * By Him who made thee lone on
Beauty's way,
I dread lest glorious days us twain depart * And youth's bright
world be dimmed to old and grey;
O Lord! be Parting's palm for us undyed[288] * Ere death, nor
carry this my lord away."
When the eighth handmaiden had ended her song, the twain marvelled at her eloquence and were like to rend that was upon them of raiment—And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, 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 King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was