My looks to lovers bring discomfiture and woe: ✿ Indeed, I make no count of that which thou dost say.

When Masrur heard this, he hardened his heart and took patience concealing his case and saying in himself, “There is nothing for it against calamity save long-suffering;” and after this fashion they abode till nightfall when Zayn al-Mawasif called for food and they set before her a tray, wherein were all manner of dishes, quails and pigeons and mutton and so forth, whereof they ate their sufficiency. Then she bade take away the tables and they did so and fetched the lavatory gear; and they washed their hands, after which she ordered her women to bring the candlesticks, and they set on candelabra and candles therein of camphorated wax. Thereupon quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, “By Allah, my breast is straitened this night and I am a-fevered;” and quoth Masrur “Allah broaden thy breast and banish thy bane!” Then she said, “O Masrur, I am used to play at chess: say me, knowest aught of the game?” He replied, “Yes; I am skilled therein;” whereupon she commanded her handmaid Hubub fetch her the chessboard. So she went away and presently returning with the board, set it before her, and behold, it was of ivory-marquetried ebony with squares marked in glittering gold, and its pieces of pearl and ruby.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn al-Mawasif bade the chessboard be brought, they set it between her hands; and Masrur was amazed at this, when she turned to him and said, “Wilt have red or white?” He replied, “O Princess of the fair and adornment of morning air, do thou take the red for they formous are and fitter for the like of thee to bear and leave the white to my care.” Answered she, “So be it;” and, taking the red pieces, ranged them opposite the white, then put out her hand to a piece purposing the first pass into the battle-plain. Masrur considered her fingers, which were white as paste, and was confounded at their beauty and shapely shape; whereupon she turned to him and said, “O Masrur, be not bedazed, but take patience and calm thyself.” He rejoined, “O thou whose beauty shameth the moon, how shall a lover look on thee and have patience-boon?” And while this was doing she cried, “Checkmate[[321]]!” and beat him; wherefore she knew that he was Jinn-mad for love of her and said to him, “O Masrur, I will not play with thee save for a set stake.” He replied, “I hear and obey,” and she rejoined, “Swear to me and I will swear to thee that neither of us will cheat[[322]] the adversary.” So both sware this and she said, “O Masrur, an I beat thee, I will have ten dinars of thee, but an thou beat me, I will give thee a mere nothing.” He expected to win, so he said, “O my lady, be not false to thine oath, for I see thou art an overmatch for me at this game!” “Agreed,” said she and they ranged their men and fell again to playing and pushing on their pawns and catching them up with the queens and aligning and matching them with the castles and solacing them with the onslaught of the knights. Now the “Adornment of Qualities” wore on head a kerchief of blue brocade so she loosed it off and tucking up her sleeve, showed a wrist like a shaft of light and passed her palm over the red pieces, saying to him, “Look to thyself.” But he was dazzled at her beauty, and the sight of her graces bereft him of reason, so that he became dazed and amazed and put out his hand to the white men, but it alit upon the red. Said she, “O Masrur, where be thy wits? The red are mine and the white thine;” and he replied, “Whoso looketh at thee perforce loseth all his senses.” Then, seeing how it was with him, she took the white from him and gave him the red, and they played and she beat him. He ceased not to play with her and she to beat him, whilst he paid her each time ten dinars, till, knowing him to be distraught for love of her, she said, “O Masrur, thou wilt never win to thy wish, except thou beat me, for such was our understanding; and henceforth, I will not play with thee save for a stake of an hundred dinars a game.” “With love and gladness,” answered he and she went on playing and ever beating him and he paid her an hundred dinars each time; and on this wise they abode till the morning, without his having won a single game, when he suddenly sprang to his feet. Quoth she, “What wilt thou do, O Masrur?”; and quoth he, “I mean to go to my lodging and fetch somewhat of money: it may be I shall come to my desire.” “Do whatso seemeth good to thee,” said she; so he went home and taking all the money he had, returned to her improvising these two couplets:—

In dream I saw a bird o’er speed (meseem’d), ✿ Love’s garden decked with blooms that smiled and gleamed:

But I shall ken, when won my wish and will ✿ Of thee, the truthful sense of what I dreamed.

Now when Masrur returned to her with all his monies they fell a-playing again; but she still beat him and he could not beat her once; and in such case they abode three days, till she had gotten of him the whole of his coin; whereupon said she, “O Masrur, what wilt thou do now?”; and he replied, “I will stake thee a druggist’s shop.” “What is its worth?” asked she; and he answered, “Five hundred dinars.” So they played five bouts and she won the shop of him. Then he betted his slave-girls, lands, houses, gardens, and she won the whole of them, till she had gotten of him all he had; whereupon she turned to him and said, “Hast thou aught left to lay down?” Cried he, “By Him who made me fall into the snare of thy love, I have neither money to touch nor aught else left, little or much!” She rejoined, “O Masrur, the end of whatso began in content shall not drive man to repent; wherefore, an thou regret aught, take back thy good and begone from us about thy business and I will hold thee quit towards me.” Masrur rejoined, “By Him who decreed these things to us, though thou sought to take my life ’twere a wee thing to stake for thine approof, because I love none but thee!” Then said she, “O Masrur, fare forthright and fetch the Kazi and the witnesses and make over to me by deed all thy lands and possessions.” “Willingly,” replied he and, going forth without stay or delay, brought the Kazi and the witnesses and set them before her. When the judge saw her, his wits fled and his mind was amazed and his reason was dazed for the beauty of her fingers, and he said to her, “O my lady, I will not write out the writ of conveyance, save upon condition that thou buy the lands and mansions and slave-girls and that they all pass under thy control and into thy possession.” She rejoined, “We’re agreed upon that. Write me a deed, whereby all Masrur’s houses and lands and slave-girls and whatso his right hand possesseth shall pass to Zayn al-Mawasif and become her property at such a price.” So the Kazi wrote out the writ and the witnesses set hands thereto; whereupon she took it.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn al-Mawasif took from the Kazi the deed which made over to her lover’s property she said to him, “O Masrur, now gang thy gait.” But her slave-girl Hubub turned to him and said, “Recite us some verses.” So he improvised upon that game of chess these couplets:—

Of Time and what befel me I complain, ✿ Mourning my loss by chess and eyes of bane.