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earth for his treading and as dust to his shoes.” Night dcccclxiii.“In this intent may God deliver him!” replied her sister. “Thou shalt see,” added my mistress, “how I will do, so I may foregather with him in the way of law, and needs must I lavish my heart’s blood to contrive this.”
As we were in talk, we heard a great noise and turning, saw the Khalif making for her lodging, of the greatness of the store he set by her; whereupon she hid me in an underground chamber and shut down the trap-door upon me. Then she went out to meet the Khalif, who entered and sat down, whilst she stood before him, to serve him, and commanded to bring wine. Now the Khalif loved a damsel by name Benjeh, who was the mother of El Mutezz Billah;[1] but they had fallen out and in the pride of her beauty and grace, she would not [offer to] make peace with him, nor, for the dignity of the Khalifate and the Kingship, would he [offer to] make peace with her nor humble himself to her, albeit his heart was aflame with passion for her, but sought to divert his mind from her with her mates among the slave-girls and with going in to them in their chambers. Now he loved Shejeret ed Durr’s singing: so he bade her sing. Accordingly she took the lute and tuning it, sang the following verses:
I marvel at the ruthless stress of fate against us two And how it stinted, having wrought our union to undo.
I held aloof from thee, till, “Love he knoweth not,” ’twas said And did thee visit, till ’twas said, “He lacks of patience due.”
Add to my transport, love of her, each night, and solacement Of loves, the Resurrection be thy day of rendezvous!
She hath a skin like very silk and a soft speech and sweet: Gracious to all, her words are nor too many nor too few.
Two eyes she hath, quoth God Most High, “Be,” and forthright they were: Even with the reason as doth wine, so with the hearts they do.
- ↑ Son and third successor of El Mutawekkil and thirteenth Khalif of the house of Abbas, A.D. 866–9
