Of passion and its anguish to her I made my moan; ✿ “Upon a rock,” she answered, “thy plaints are wasted clean.”
“Even if thy heart,” I told her, “be rock in very deed, ✿ Yet hath God made fair water well from the rock, I ween.”[[547]]
When the maidens heard his verses, they laughed and played and sang and made merry. Then he brought them somewhat of fruit, and they ate and drank and slept with him till the morning, when they donned their feather-suits, and resuming dove shape flew off and went their way. But as he saw them disappearing from sight, his reason well-nigh fled with them, and he gave a great cry and fell down in a fainting fit and lay a-swooning all that day. While he was in this case Shaykh Nasr returned from the Parliament of the Fowls and sought for Janshah, that he might send him with them to his native land, but found him not and knew that he had entered the forbidden room. Now he had already said to the birds, “With me is a young man, a mere youth, whom destiny brought hither from a distant land; and I desire of you that ye take him up and carry him to his own country.” And all answered, “We hear and we obey.” So he ceased not searching for Janshah till he came to the forbidden door and seeing it open he entered and found the Prince lying a-swoon under a tree. He fetched scented waters and sprinkled them on his face, whereupon he revived and turned——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Tenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Shaykh Nasr saw Janshah lying a-swoon under the tree he fetched him somewhat of scented waters and sprinkled them on his face. Thereupon he revived and turned right and left, but seeing none by him save the Shaykh, sighed heavily and repeated these couplets:—
“Like fullest moon she shines on happiest night, ✿ Soft-sided fair, with slender shape bedight.
Her eye-babes charm the world with gramarye; ✿ Her lips remind of rose and ruby light.
Her jetty locks make night upon her hips; ✿ Ware, lovers, ware ye of that curl’s despight!
Yea, soft her sides are, but in love her heart ✿ Out-hardens flint, surpasses syenite:
And bows of eyebrows shower glancey shafts ✿ Despite the distance never fail to smite.