Page:The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare.djvu/76

And let my word be heard, " This Sheykh is of the great ones,
Else or a wise magician, whom Alia entertaineth
For some occult design — that, or a spy and prowler."
And Abu Zeyd was aware of these their words and guessings,
And his heart within him sank, and his head dropped, and his tears flowed,
And Alia, when she saw him downcast, " How now, Salame,
Art thou thus faint of heart ? " she cried to her sad lover.
But he, " The thing hath come of which I feared, O Lady,
And these light-minded girls make speech of us for evil.
This is a Sheykh, saith one, and that, a spy, a prowler.
But know a sherif am I, my grandsire was Mohammed.
The truth it is, O Lady, I am of this proud lineage."
And she called to them, < Shame on ye, and shame on your suspicions,
Ye daughters of my people, ye fair ones light of fancy.
List, I will tell ye all within my oath's prescription,
(Yet were a breaker of oaths but cast away to perish)
I am the Agheyli's daughter, the noble born, I Alia.
And whoso of ye all, ye fair ones, speaketh evil,
The same hath done me wrong. And which of ye, O damsels,
Is of my high condition ? And which hath longer hair-plaits,