STORY OF PRINCE SAYF AL-MULUK AND THE PRINCESS BADI’A AL-JAMAL.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
Then he wept and recited these also:—
That rarest beauty ever bides my foe ✿ Who holds my heart and lurks in secresy:
Speaking, I speak of nothing save her charms ✿ And when I’m dumb in heart-core woneth she.
Then he wept sore and recited the following:—
And in my liver higher flames the fire; ✿ You are my wish and longsome still I yearn:
To you (none other!) bend I and I hope ✿ (Lovers long-suffering are!) your grace to earn;
And that you pity me whose frame by Love ✿ Is waste and weak his heart with sore concern:
Relent, be gen’rous, tender-hearted, kind: ✿ From you I’ll ne’er remove, from you ne’er turn!
Then he wept and recited these also:—
Came to me care when came the love of thee, ✿ Cruel sleep fled me like thy cruelty:
Tells me the messenger that thou art wroth: ✿ Allah forefend what evils told me he!
Presently Sa’id waxed weary of awaiting him and going forth in quest of him, found him walking in the garden, distraught and reciting these two couplets:—
By Allah, by th’ Almighty, by his right[450] ✿ Who read the Koran-Chapter “Fátir”[451] hight;
Ne’er roam my glances o’er the charms I see; ✿ Thy grace, rare beauty, is my talk by night.
So he joined him and the twain walked about the garden together solacing themselves and ate of its fruits. Such was their case;[452] but as regards the two Princesses, they came to the pavilion and entering therein after the eunuchs had richly furnished it, according to command, sat down on the couch of gold, beside which was a window that gave upon the garden. The castratos then set before them all manner rich meats and they ate, Daulat Khatun feeding her foster-sister by mouthfuls,[453] till she was satisfied; when she called for divers kinds of sweetmeats, and when the neutrals brought them, they ate what they would of them and washed their hands. After this Daulat Khatun made ready wine and its service, setting on the ewers and bowls and she proceeded to crown the cups and give Badi’a al-Jamal to drink, filling for herself after and drinking in turn. Then Badi’a al-Jamal looked from the window into the garden and gazed upon the fruits and branches that were therein, till her glance fell on Sayf al-Muluk, and she saw him wandering about the parterres, followed by Sa’id, and she heard him recite verses, raining the while railing tears. And that glance of eyes cost her a thousand sighs,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.