At this Queen Kamariyah rejoiced with joy exceeding and drained her cup, crying, “Brava! O thou choice Gift of hearts!” Furthermore, she took off a sleeved robe of blue brocade, fringed with red rubies, and a necklace of white jewels worth an hundred thousand ducats, and gave them to Tohfah. Then she passed the cup to her sister Zalzalah, who hent in her hand herb basil, and she said to Tohfah, “Sing to me somewhat on this basil.” She replied, “Hearing and obeying,” and improvised and sang these couplets:—
I’m the Queen of herbs in the séance of wine ✿ And in Heaven Na’ím are my name and sign:
And the best are promised, in garth of Khuld, ✿ Repose, sweet scents and the peace divine:[[210]]
What prizes then with my price shall vie? ✿ What rank even mine, in all mortals’ eyne?
Thereat Queen Zalzalah rejoiced with joy exceeding and bidding her treasuress bring a basket, wherein were fifty pairs of bracelets and the same number of earrings, all of gold, crusted with jewels of price, whose like nor mankind nor Jinn-kind possessed, and an hundred robes of vari-coloured brocades and an hundred thousand ducats, gave the whole to Tohfah. Then she passed the cup to her sister Shararah, who had in her hand a stalk of narcissus; so she took it from her and turning to the Songstress, said to her, “O Tohfah, sing to me somewhat on this.” She replied, “Hearkening and obedience,” and improvised these couplets:—
With the smaragd wand doth my form compare; ✿ ’Mid the finest flowers my worth’s rarest rare:
My eyes are likened to Beauty’s eyne, ✿ And my gaze is still on the bright partèrre.
When she had made an end of her song, Shararah was moved to delight exceeding, and drinking off her cup, said to her, “Brava, O thou choice Gift of hearts!” Then she ordered her an hundred dresses of brocade and an hundred thousand ducats and passed the cup to Queen Wakhimah. Now she had in her hand somewhat of Nu’uman’s bloom, the anemone; so she took the cup from her sister and turning to the Songstress, said to her, “O Tohfah, sing to me on this.” Quoth she, “I hear and I obey,” and improvised these couplets:—
I’m a dye was dyed by the Ruthful’s might; ✿ And all confess me the goodliest sight:
I began in the dust and the clay, but now ✿ On the cheeks of fair women I rank by right.