The master rejoiced and drank and gave the girls to drink; then he filled the cup and taking it in hand, signed to the black girl, saying, “O pupil of the eye, let us have a taste of thy quality, though it be but two words.” So she took the lute and tuning it and tightening the strings, preluded in various modes, then returned to the first and sang to a lively air these couplets:—
Ho ye, mine eyes, let prodigal tears go free; ✿ This ecstasy would see my being unbe:[[351]]
All ecstasies I dree for sake of friend ✿ I fondle, maugre enviers’ jealousy:
Censors forbid me from his rosy cheek, ✿ Yet e’er inclines my heart to rosery:
Cups of pure wine, time was, went circuiting ✿ In joy, what time the lute sang melody,
While kept his troth the friend who madded me, ✿ Yet made me rising star of bliss to see:
But—with Time, turned he not by sin of mine; ✿ Than such a turn can aught more bitter be?
Upon his cheek there grows and glows a rose, ✿ Nay two, whereof grant Allah one to me!
An were prostration[[352]] by our law allowed ✿ To aught but Allah, at his feet I had bowed.
Thereupon rose the six girls and, kissing the ground before their lord, said to him, “Do thou justice between us, O our lord!” So he looked at their beauty and loveliness and the contrast of their colours and praised Almighty Allah and glorified Him. Then said he, “There is none of you but hath learnt the Koran by heart, and mastered the musical art and is versed in the chronicles of yore and the doings of peoples which have gone before; so it is my desire that each one of you rise and, pointing finger at her opposite, praise herself and dispraise her co-concubine; that is to say, let the blonde point to the brunette, the plump to the slender and the yellow to the black girl; after which the rivals, each in her turn, shall do the like with the former; and be this illustrated with citations from Holy Writ and somewhat of anecdotes and verse, so as to show forth your fine breeding and elegance of your pleading.” And they answered him, “We hear and we obey!”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.