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Noureddin wondered at the beauty of her song and the sweetness of her voice and the eloquence of her speech and his wit fled for stress of love and longing and distraction, so that he could not refrain from her a moment, but bent to her and strained her to his bosom; and she in like manner abandoned herself to his caresses and kissed him between the eyes. Then he kissed her on the mouth and they played at kisses with one another, after the manner of the billing of doves, till the others were distracted and rose to their feet; whereupon Noureddin was abashed and held his hand from her. Then she took her lute and preluding thereon in many different modes, returned to the first and sang the following verses:
A moon, he draws from out his lids, whenas he turns and sways, A sword and puts gazelles to shame, whenas he stands at gaze.
A king, his all-surpassing charms his troops are, and for arms, His shape is like the spear of cane, whose straightness all men praise.
An if his heart were but as soft as is his waist, no more Would he against his lovers sin nor fright them with affrays.
Alas the hardness of his heart and softness of his waist! Why is not this to that transferred? Is there no way of ways?
O thou that blam’st me for his love, excuse me rather thou: Thine be his beauty’s part etern and mine that which decays![1]
When Noureddin heard the sweetness of her voice and the beauty of her verses, he inclined to her for delight and could not contain himself for excess of wonderment; so he recited these lines:
Methought she was the very sun of morning’s self, until She veiled her; but the fire she lit flames in my entrails still.
What had it irked her, had she signed and with her finger-tips A friendly salutation waved to us? Where were the ill?
- ↑ i.e. Thou mayst have his company in the life to come, provided I enjoy it in this life.
