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cover her, fell to pouring the water over herself from an ewer of silver.
The Khalif heard she was in the pool; so he left his palace and came down to spy upon her, through the screen of the leaves. He stood behind the trees and saw her naked, with all her secret charms displayed. Presently, she became aware of him and turning, saw him behind the trees and was ashamed that he should see her naked. So she laid her hands on her kaze, but it escaped from between them, by reason of its much greatness and plumpness; and the Khalif turned and went away, wondering and reciting the following verse:
I looked on her whom I adore And longing rose in me full sore.
But he knew not what to say next; so he sent for Abou Nuwas and bade him make a piece of verse commencing with the above line. ‘I hear and obey,’ replied the poet and in a twinkling extemporized the following lines:
I looked on her whom I adore, And longing rose in me full sore
For a gazelle that ravished me, By double lote-trees shaded o’er.
The water on her dainty part With silver ewer did she pour
And would have hidden it, seeing me, But all too small her hands therefor.
Would I were on it, wel-a-way, An hour or liefer two or more!
The Khalif smiled and made him a handsome present, and he went away rejoicing.
HAROUN ER RESHID AND THE THREE POETS.
The Khalif Haroun er Reshid was exceeding restless one night; so he rose and walked about his palace, till he happened on a damsel overcome with wine. Now he was greatly enamoured of this damsel; so he toyed with her and pulled her to him, whereupon her girdle fell down and her trousers were unloosed and he besought her of amorous dalliance. But she said to him, ‘O Commander of the
