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bearers like moons, girt with zones of gold, who spread a cloth of siglaton[1] and set thereon flagons of chinaware and tall flasks of glass and cups of crystal and bottles and hanaps of all colours; and the flagons they filled with pure clear old wine, whose scent was as the fragrance of virgin musk and it was even as saith the poet:
Ply me and ply this mate of mine With cups of the first-pressed Grecian wine.
Daughter of nobles,[2] they her display[3] In raiment of goblets clear and fine.
They girdle her round with gems,[4] and pearls Of finest water therewith entwine;
So by these tokens in her, I trow, “The bride”[5] they style the juice of the vine.
And round about these vessels were sweetmeats and flowers, such as may not be surpassed. When Er Reshid saw this from Khelif, he showed favour to him and smiled upon him and invested him [with an office]; whereupon Khelif wished him long life and abiding glory and said, ‘Will the Commander of the Faithful give me leave to bring him a singing-girl, a lutanist, never was heard her like among mortals?’ Quoth the Khalif, ‘So be it.’
So he kissed the earth before him and going to a closet, called Cout el Culoub, who came, shuffling in her robes and trinkets, after she had veiled herself from head to foot, and kissed the earth before the Commander of the Faithful. Then she sat down and tuning the lute, swept
- ↑ A rich kind of brocade.
- ↑ A play is here intended upon the words kiram, nobles, and kurum, vines, which are derived from the same root.
- ↑ i.e. as a bride is displayed on her wedding-night.
- ↑ Syn. berries (hubub).
- ↑ El Arous, one of the innumerable tropical names given to wine by the Arabs. Cf. Grangeret de la Grange, Anthologie Arabe, p. 190.
