Then, ah, her beauty! all the fair it passes; ✿ Nor any rival her who see the light.”
When Shaykh Nasr heard these verses, he said, “O my son, did I not warn thee not to open that door and enter that room? But now, O my son, tell me what thou sawest therein and acquaint me with all that betided thee.” So Janshah related to him all that had passed between him and the three maidens, and Shaykh Nasr, who sat listening in silence said, “Know, O my son, that these three maidens are of the daughters of the Jann and come hither every year for a day, to divert themselves and make merry until mid-afternoon, when they return to their own country.” Janshah asked, “And where is their country?”; and the old man answered, “By Allah, O my son, I wot not:” presently adding, “but now take heart and put away this love from thee and come with me, that I may send thee to thine own land with the birds.” When Janshah heard this, he gave a great cry and fell down in a trance; and presently he came to himself, and said, “O my father, indeed I care not to return to my native land: all I want is to foregather with these maidens and know, O my father, that I will never again name my people, though I die before thee.” Then he wept and cried, “Enough for me that I look upon the face of her I love, although it be only once in the year!” And he sighed deeply and repeated these couplets:—
Would Heaven the Phantom[[548]] spared the friend at night ✿ And would this love for man were ever dight!
Were not my heart a-fire for love of you, ✿ Tears ne’er had stained my cheeks nor dimmed my sight.
By night and day, I bid my heart to bear ✿ Its griefs, while fires of love my body blight.
Then he fell at Shaykh Nasr’s feet and kissed them and wept sore, crying, “Have pity on me, so Allah take pity on thee and aid me in my strait so Allah aid thee!” Replied the old man, “By Allah, O my son, I know nothing of these maidens nor where may be their country; but, O my son, if thy heart be indeed set on one of them, tarry with me till this time next year for they will assuredly reappear; and, when the day of their coming draweth near, hide thyself under a tree in the garden. As soon as they have alighted and doffed their feather-robes and plunged into the lake and are swimming about at a distance from their clothes, seize the vest of her whom thy soul desireth. When they see thee, they will come a-bank and she, whose coat thou hast taken, will accost thee and say to thee with the sweetest of speech and the most witching of smiles, “Give me my dress, O my brother, that I may don it and veil my nakedness withal.” But if thou yield to her prayer and give her back the vest thou wilt never win thy wish: nay, she will don it and fly away to her folk and thou wilt nevermore see her again. Now when thou hast gained the vest, clap it under thine armpit and hold it fast, till I return from the Parliament of the Fowls, when I will make accord between thee and her and send thee back to thy native land, and the maiden with thee. And this, O my son, is all I can do for thee, nothing more.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eleventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth Shaykh Nasr to Janshah, “Hold fast the feather-robe of her thy soul desireth and give it not back to her till I return from the Parliament of the Fowls. And this, O my son, is all I can do for thee, nothing more.” When Janshah heard this, his heart was solaced and he abode with Shaykh Nasr yet another year, counting the days as they passed until the day of the coming of the birds. And when at last the appointed time arrived the old man said to him, “Do as I enjoined thee and charged thee with the maidens in the matter of the feather-dress, for I go to meet the birds;” and Janshah replied, “I hear and I obey, O my father.” Then the Shaykh departed whilst the Prince walked into the garden and hid himself under a tree, where none could see him. Here he abode a first day and a second and a third, but the maidens came not; whereat he was sore troubled and wept and sighed from a heart hard tried; and he ceased not weeping and wailing till he fainted away. When he came to himself, he fell to looking now at the basin and now at the welkin, and anon at the earth and anon at the open country, whilst his heart grieved for stress of love-longing. As he was in this case, behold, the three doves appeared in the firmament, eagle-sized as before, and flew till they reached the garden and lighted down beside the basin. They turned right and left; but saw no one, man or Jann; so they doffed their feather-suits and became three maidens. Then they plunged into the basin and swam about, laughing and frolicking; and all were mother-naked and fair as bars of virgin silver. Quoth the eldest, “O my sister, I fear lest there be some one lying ambushed for us in the pavilion.” Answered the second, “O sister, since the days of King Solomon, none hath entered the pavilion, be he man or Jann;” and the youngest added, laughing, “By Allah, O my sisters, if there be any hidden there, he will assuredly take none but me.” Then they continued sporting and laughing and Janshah’s heart kept fluttering for stress of passion: but he hid behind the tree so that he saw without being seen. Presently they swam out to the middle of the basin leaving their clothes on the bank. Hereupon he sprang to his feet, and running like the darting leven to the basin’s brink, snatched up the feather-vest of the youngest damsel, her on whom his heart was set and whose name was Shamsah the Sun-maiden. At this the girls turned and seeing him, were affrighted and veiled their shame from him in the water. Then they swam near shore and looking on his favour saw that he was bright faced as the moon on the night of fullness and asked him, “Who art thou and how camest thou hither and why hast thou taken the clothes of the lady Shamsah?”; and he answered, “Come hither to me and I will tell you my tale.” Quoth Shamsah, “What deed is this, and why hast thou taken my clothes, rather than those of my sisters?” Quoth he, “O light of mine eyes, come forth of the water, and I will recount thee my case and acquaint thee why I chose thee out.” Quoth she, “O my lord and coolth of my eyes and fruit of my heart, give me my clothes, that I may put them on and cover my nakedness withal; then will I come forth to thee.” But he replied, “O Princess of beautiful ones, how can I give thee back thy clothes and slay myself for love-longing? Verily, I will not give them to thee, till Shaykh Nasr, the king of the birds, shall return.” Quoth she, “If thou wilt not give me my clothes withdraw a little apart from us, that my sisters may land and dress themselves and lend me somewhat wherewithal to cover my shame.” “I hear and obey,” answered he, and walked away from them into the pavilion, whereupon the three Princesses came out and the two elder, donning their dress, gave Shamsah somewhat thereof, not enough to fly withal, and she put it on and came forth of the water, and stood before him, as she were the rising full-moon or a browsing gazelle. Then Shamsah entered the pavilion, where Janshah was still sitting on the throne; so she saluted him and taking seat near him, said, “O fair of face, thou hast undone thyself and me; but tell us thy adventures that we may ken how it is with thee.” At these words he wept till he drenched his dress with his tears; and when she saw that he was distracted for love of her, she rose and taking him by the hand, made him sit by her side and wiped away the drops with her sleeve; and said she, “O fair of face, leave this weeping and tell us thy tale.” So he related to her all that had befallen him and described to her all he had seen,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Twelfth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the lady Shamsah said to Janshah, “Tell us thy tale;” so he related to her all that had befallen him; and, after she had lent attentive ear she sighed and said, “O my lord, since thou art so fondly in love with me, give me my dress, that I may fly to my folk, I and my sisters, and tell them what affection thou hast conceived for me, and after I will come back to thee and carry thee to thine own country.” When he heard this, he wept sore and replied, “Is it lawful to thee before Allah to slay me wrongfully?” She asked, “O my lord, why should I do such wrongous deed?”; and he answered, “If I give thee thy gear thou wilt fly away from me, and I shall die forthright.” Princess Shamsah laughed at this and so did her sisters; then said she to him, “Be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear, for I must needs marry thee.” So saying, she bent down to him and embraced him and pressing him to her breast kissed him between the eyes and on his cheeks. They clipped and clasped each other awhile, after which they drew apart and sat down on the throne. Then the eldest Princess went out into the garden and, plucking somewhat of fruits and flowers, brought them into the pavilion; and they ate and drank and laughed and sported and made merry. Now Janshah was singular in beauty and loveliness and slender shape and symmetry and grace, and the Princess Shamsah said to him, “O my beloved, by Allah, I love thee with exceeding love and will never leave thee!” When he heard her words, his breast broadened and he laughed for joy till he showed his teeth; and they abode thus awhile in mirth and gladness and frolic. And when they were at the height of their pleasure and joyance, behold, Shaykh Nasr returned from the Parliament of the Fowls and came in to them; whereupon they all rose to him and saluted him and kissed his hands. He gave them welcome and bade them be seated. So they sat down and he said to Princess Shamsah, “Verily this youth loveth thee with exceeding love; Allah upon thee, deal kindly with him, for he is of the great ones of mankind and of the sons of the kings, and his father ruleth over the land of Kabul and his reign compasseth a mighty empire.” Quoth she, “I hear and I obey thy behest”; and, kissing the Shaykh’s hands, stood before him in respect. Quoth he, “If thou say sooth, swear to me by Allah that thou wilt never betray him, what while thou abidest in the bonds of life.” So she swore a great oath that she would never betray Janshah, but would assuredly marry him, and added, “Know, O Shaykh Nasr, that I never will forsake him.” The Shaykh believed in her oath and said to Janshah, “Thanks be to Allah, who hath made you arrive at this understanding!” Hereupon the Prince rejoiced with exceeding joy, and he and Shamsah abode three months with Shaykh Nasr, feasting and toying and making merry.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.