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thou hast nothing to live on and the fifty dirhems will [soon] be spent and thou wilt come to me and I shall lend thee once or twice and thrice and so on up to ten times; but, if thou come to me after this, I will not return thee the legal salutation[1] and our friendship with thy father will come to nought.’ Noureddin took the fifty dirhems and returned with them to the damsel, who said to him, ‘O my lord, go straight to the market and fetch me twenty dirhems’ worth of silk of five colours and with the other thirty buy meat and bread and wine and fruit and flowers.’ So he went to the market and buying her all she sought, returned to her therewith, whereupon she rose and tucking up her sleeves, cooked food after the most skilful fashion, and set it before him. He ate and she ate with him, till they had enough, after which she set on the wine, and they drank, and she ceased not to ply him with drink and entertain him with talk, till he became drunken and fell asleep: whereupon she arose and taking out of her budget a sachet of Taïfi leather,[2] opened it and brought out a pair of knitting-pins, with which she fell to work and stinted not, till she had made a beautiful girdle. She cleaned it and ironed it and folding it in a piece of rag, laid it under the pillow.
Then she put off her clothes and lying down beside Noureddin, kneaded him till he awoke and found by his side a girl like virgin silver, softer than silk and more delicate than a fat sheep’s tail, more conspicuous than a standard[3] and goodlier than the red camels,[4] low of stature, with swelling breasts, eyes like gazelles’ eyes and brows like bended bows and cheeks like blood-red anemones, slender belly, full of dimples, and a navel
- ↑ i.e. the greeting of “Peace be on thee!” due from one Muslim to another.
- ↑ i.e. scented leather of Et Taïf. See suprà, note, p. 72.
- ↑ Syn. waymark.
- ↑ i.e. the best kind of camels.
