“Ho, thou! Begone about thy business, for we are none of the woman-tribe who are neither thine nor another’s.[[309]]” And he answered, “O my lady, I said nothing ill.” Quoth she, “Thou soughtest to divert thyself[[310]] and thou hast had thy diversion; so wend thy ways.” Quoth he, “O my lady, belike thou wilt give me a draught of water, for I am athirst.” Whereupon she cried, “How canst thou drink of a Jew’s water, and thou a Nazarene?” But he replied, “O my lady, your water is not forbidden to us nor ours unlawful to you, for we are all as one creation.” So she said to her slave-girl, “Give him to drink;” and she did as she was bidden. Then she called for the table of food, and there came four damsels, high-bosomed maids, bearing four trays of meats and four gilt flagons full of strong old-wine, as it were the tears of a slave of love for clearness, and a table around whose edge were graven these couplets:—
For eaters a table they brought and set ✿ In the banquet-hall and ’twas dight with gold:
Like th’ Eternal Garden that gathers all ✿ Man wants of meat and wines manifold.
And when the high-breasted maids had set all this before him, quoth she, “Thou soughtest to drink of our drink; so up and at our meat and drink!” He could hardly credit what his ears had heard and sat down at the table forthright; whereupon she bade her nurse[[311]] give him a cup, that he might drink. Now her slave-girls were called, one Hubúb, another Khutúb and the third Sukúb,[[312]] and she who gave him the cup was Hubub. So he took the cup and looking at the outside there saw written these couplets:—
Drain not the bowl but with lovely wight ✿ Who loves thee and wine makes brighter bright.
And ’ware her Scorpions[[313]] that o’er thee creep ✿ And guard thy tongue lest thou vex her sprite.
Then the cup went round and when he emptied it he looked inside and saw written:—
And ’ware her Scorpions when pressing them, ✿ And hide her secrets from foes’ despight.
Whereupon Masrur laughed her-wards and she asked him, “What causeth thee to laugh?” “For the fulness of my joy,” quoth he. Presently, the breeze blew on her and the scarf[[314]] fell from her head and discovered a fillet[[315]] of glittering gold, set with pearls and gems and jacinths; and on her breast was a necklace of all manner ring-jewels and precious stones, to the centre of which hung a sparrow of red gold, with feet of red coral and bill of white silver and body full of Nadd-powder and pure ambergris and odoriferous musk. And upon its back was engraved:—
The Nadd is my wine-scented powder, my bread; ✿ And the bosom’s my bed and the breasts my stead: