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She shone out in the garden in garments all of green, With open vest and collars and flowing hair beseen.
“What is thy name?” I asked her, and she replied, “I’m she Who roasts the hearts of lovers on coals of love and teen.”
Of passion and its anguish to her I made my moan; “Upon a rock,” she answered, “thy plaints are wasted clean.”
“Even if thy heart,” I told her, “be rock in very deed, Yet hath God made fair water well from the rock, I ween.”
When the maidens heard his verses, they laughed and played and sang and made merry. Then he brought them somewhat of fruit, and they ate and drank and lay with him till the morning, when they donned their feather-vests and becoming doves once more, flew away and disappeared from his sight. His reason well-nigh fled with them, and he gave a great cry and fell down in a swoon, in which he lay all that day.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Nesr returned from the assembly of the birds and sought for Janshah, that he might send him with the latter to his native land, but found him not and knew that he had entered the forbidden door. So he went thither and seeing it open, entered and found the prince lying aswoon under a tree. He fetched scented waters and sprinkled them on his face, Night dx.whereupon he revived and turned right and left, but seeing none by him, save the old man, sighed heavily and repeated the following verses:
Like the full moon she shines, upon a night of fortune fair, Slender of shape and charming all with her seductive air.
She hath an eye, whose sorcery enchanteth every wit, A mouth, as agates, set a-row midst roses red, it were.
The night-black torrent of her locks falls down unto her hips; Beware the serpents of her curls, I counsel thee beware!
Indeed, her glance, her sides are soft, but harder is her heart Than rock to him who loveth her; there is no softness there.
The arrows of her looks she darts from out her eyebrows’ bow; They hit and never miss the mark, though from afar they fare.
Alas, her beauty! it outdoes all other loveliness; No maid of mortal mould there is that can with her compare.
