Moreover, in that garden were birds of all breeds, ring-dove and cushat and nightingale and culver, each singing his several song, and amongst them the lady, swaying gracefully to and fro in her beauty and grace and symmetry and loveliness and ravishing all who saw her. Presently quoth she to Masrur, "Hola man! what bringeth thee into a house other than thy house and wherefore comest thou in unto women other than thy women, without leave of their owner?" Quoth he, "O my lady, I saw this garden, and the goodliness of its greenery pleased me and the fragrance of its flowers and the carolling of its birds; so I entered, thinking to gaze on it awhile and wend my way." Said she, "With love and gladness!"; and Masrur was amazed at the sweetness of her speech and the coquetry of her glances and the straightness of her shape, and transported by her beauty and seemlihead and the pleasantness of the garden and the birds. So in the disorder of his spirits he recited these couplets,
"As a crescent-moon in the garth her form * 'Mid Basil and
jasmine and Rose I scan;
And Violet faced by the Myrtle-spray * And Nu'umán's bloom and
Myrobalan:
By her perfume the Zephyrs perfumčd breathe * And with scented
sighings the branches fan.
O Garden, thou perfect of beauty art * All charms comprising in
perfect plan;
And melodious birdies sing madrigals * And the Full Moon[FN#309]
shineth in branchshade wan;
Its ring-dove, its culver, its mocking-bird * And its Philomel
sing my soul t' unman;
And the longing of love all my wits confuseth * For her charms,
as the man whom his wine bemuseth."
Now when Zayn al-Mawásif heard his verse, she glanced at him with eyes which bequeathed a thousand sighs and utterly ravished his wisdom and wits and replied to him in these lines,
"Hope not of our favours to make thy prey * And of what thou
wishest thy greed allay:
And cease thy longing; thou canst not win * The love of the Fair
thou'rt fain t' essay,
My glances to lovers are baleful and naught * I reek of thy
speech: I have said my say!"
"Ho, thou! Begone about thy business, for we are none of the woman-tribe who are neither thine nor another's.[FN#310]" And he answered, "O my lady, I said nothing ill." Quoth she, "Thou soughtest to divert thyself[FN#311] 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[FN#312] give him a cup, that he might drink. Now her slave-girls were called, one Hubúb, another Khutúb and the third Sukúb,[FN#313] 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[FN#314] 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."