“O thou wine-comrade languor cease to show; ✿ Hand me the morning draught and ne’er foreslow;
And prize fair poesy and sweet musick hear ✿ And shun the ’say’ and naught of ’said’ beknow:
The wine of day-dawn drunk with joyous throng ✿ From house of Reason garreth Grief to go:
The man of Kays aye loved his wine right well ✿ And from his lips made honey’d verse to flow;
And in like guise[[285]] came Isà singing sweet ✿ For such was custom of the long-ago.”
When Radah ended her verse and her improvising of mysterious significance, and secret, King Yusuf and Ibrahim the Cup-companion tore their robes from their bodies until naught remained upon them save only the bag-breeches about their waists. Then the twain shrieked aloud and at one moment and they fell fainting to the floor, unheeding the world and their own selves from the excess of that was in their heads of wine and hearing of poetry spoken by the slave-girl. They remained in such condition for a while of time, after which they recovered though still amazed, a-drunken. Then they donned other dresses and sat down to listen as before, when Radah drained her goblet and filled and passed it to her compeer whose name was Na’ím;[[286]] and she taking her lute, improvised the following verses:—
“My poesy-gem showeth clear of shine, ✿ When appears that pearl with cheek coralline:
’Tis marvel the cloud cannot quench the blaze ✿ That fire in the heart and this water of eyne!
Then alas for Love who hath made me woe! ✿ Pine that rends and racks limbs and vitals o’ mine:
O thou Well of Poetry well forth thy gems ✿ O’er our drink when our cups overbrim with wine: