第78章

and she kissed ground before the Commander of the Faithful.Then she sat down and tuning the lute，touched its strings and played upon it，till all present were like to faint for excess of delight；after which she improvised these verses；'Would Heaven I wot，will ever Time bring our beloveds back again？ * And，ah！ will Union and its bliss to bless two lovers deign？

Will Time assure to us united days and join？d joy，* While from the storms and stowres of life in safety we remain？

Then O Who bade this pleasure be，our parting past and gone，*

And made one house our meeting-stead throughout the Nights contain；

By him，draw near me，love，and closest cling to side of me *

Else were my wearied wasted life，a vanity，a bane.'

When the Caliph heard this，he could not master himself，but rent his raiment and fell down a-swoon；whereupon all who were present hastened to doff their dress and throw it over him，whilst Kut al-Kulub signed to Khalif and said to him，'Hie to yonder chest and bring us what is therein；'for she had made ready therein a suit of the Caliph's wear against the like of such hour as this.

So Khalif brought it to her and she threw it over the Commander of the Faithful，who came to himself and knowing her for Kut al-Kulub，said，'Is this the Day of Resurrection and hath Allah quickened those who are in the tombs；or am I asleep and is this an imbroglio of dreams？'Quoth Kut al-Kulub，'We are on wake，not on sleep，and I am alive，nor have I drained the cup of death.'

Then she told him all that had befallen her，and indeed，since he lost her，life had not been light to him nor had sleep been sweet，and he abode now wondering，then weeping and anon afire for longing.When she had made an end of her story，the Caliph rose and took her by the hand，intending for her palace，after he had kissed her inner lips，and had strained her to his bosom；

whereupon Khalif rose and said，'By Allah，O Commander of the Faithful！ Thou hast already wronged me once，and now thou wrongest me again.'Quoth Al-Rashid，'Indeed thou speakest sooth；O Khalif，'and bade the Wazir Ja'afar give him what should satisfy him.So he straightway gifted him with all for which he wished and assigned him a village，the yearly revenues whereof were twenty thousand dinars.Moreover Kut al-Kulub generously presented him the house and all that was therein of furniture and hangings and white slaves and slave-girls and eunuchs great and small.So Khalif became possessed of this passing affluence and exceeding wealth and took him a wife，and prosperity taught him gravity and dignity，and good fortune overwhelmed him.The Caliph enrolled him among his equerries and he abode in all solace of life and its delights till he deceased and was admitted to the mercy of Allah.Furthermore they relate a tale anent[307]

MASRUR AND ZAYN AL-MAWASIF.[308]

There was once in days of yore and in ages and times long gone before a man and a merchant Masrār hight，who was of the comeliest of the folk of his tide，a wight of wealth galore and in easiest case；but he loved to take his pleasure in vergiers and flower-gardens and to divert himself with the love of the fair.Now it fortuned one night，as he lay asleep，he dreamt that he was in a garth of the loveliest，wherein were four birds，and amongst them a dove，white as polished silver.That dove pleased him and for her grew up in his heart an exceeding love.

Presently，he beheld a great bird swoop down on him and snatch the dove from his hand，and this was grievous to him.After which he awoke and not finding the bird strave with his yearnings till morning，when he said in himself，'There is no help but that I go to-day to some one who will expound to me this vision.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-sixth Night； She continued，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when the merchant awoke，he strave with his yearnings till morning when he said to himself，'There is no help but that I go this day to some one who will expound to me this vision.'So he went forth and walked right and left，till he was far from his dwelling-place，but found none to interpret the dream to him.

Then he would have returned，but on his way behold，the fancy took him to turn aside to the house of a certain trader，a man of the wealthiest，and when he drew near to it，suddenly he heard from within a plaintive voice from a sorrowful heart reciting these couplets；'The breeze o' Morn blows uswards from her trace * Fragrant，and heals the love-sick lover's case.

I stand like captive on the mounds and ask * While tears make answer for the ruined place：

Quoth I，'By Allah，Breeze o' Morning，say * Shall Time and Fortune aye this stead regrace？

Shall I enjoy a fawn whose form bewitched * And langourous eyelids wasted frame and face？'

When Masrur heard this，he looked in through the doorway and saw a garden of the goodliest of gardens，and at its farther end a curtain of red brocade，purfled with pearls and gems，behind which sat four damsels，and amongst them a young lady over four feet and under five in height，as she were the rondure of the lune and the full moon shining boon： she had eyes Kohl'd with nature's dye and joined eyebrows，a mouth as it were Solomon's seal and lips and teeth bright with pearls and coral's light；and indeed she ravished all wits with her beauty and loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace.When Masrur espied her，he entered the porch and went on entering till he came to the curtain：