The Six Hundred and Ninety-first Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that Prince Yusuf said, “By Allah, had Al-Hayfa any save myself she had not sent me these letters; but the outgoings of the heart conciliate lovers and correspond each with other.” Then he took writing materials and after thinking awhile he improvised these couplets:—
“O thou of stature fair with waist full slight[[251]] ✿ Surpassing sandhill-branch and reedlet light;
I deal in words and gems of speech that melt, ✿ By none ’mid all of mortal kind indite;
From my tribe’s lord, a lion rending foes ✿ Moon of Perfections and ’The Yusuf’ hight:
Homed in thy home I joyed my joys with maids ✿ High-breasted,[[252]] virgins weakening forceful sprite;
Your songs and touch of lute ’mid trembling wine ✿ Consoled all sorrows, made all hearts delight,
Till you to other deignèd union grant ✿ And I your nature learnt and learnt aright,
Whereat my vitals failed, sore bane befel, ✿ Pine, disappointment, and injurious blight.
No virtue dwelleth in the fairest forms ✿ But forms the fairest are by goodness dight.