第96章 (96)

Presently the Chief Kazi bethought himself of the blacksmith；so he sent for him and said to him，'O blacksmith，knowest thou aught of the damsel whom thou didst direct to me？ By Allah，an thou discover her not to me，I will whack thee with whips.'Now when the smith heard this，he recited these couplets[365]；'She who my all of love by love of her hath won * Owns every Beauty and for others leaves she none：

She gazes，a gazelle；she breathes，fresh ambergris * She waves；a lake；she sways，a bough；she shines，a Sun.'

Then said the blacksmith，'By Allah，O my lord，since she fared forth from thy worshipful presence，[366] I have not set eyes on her；no，not once.Indeed she took possession of my heart and wits and all my talk and thoughts are of her.I went to her lodging but found her not，nor found I any who could give me news of her，and it is as if she had dived into the depths of the sea or had ascended to the sky.'Now when the Kazi heard this，he groaned a groan，that his soul was like to depart therefor，and he said，'By Allah，well it were had we never seen her！'Then the smith went away，whilst the Kazi fell down on his bed and became sick of langour for her sake，and on like wise fared it with the other three Kazis and assessors.The mediciners paid them frequent calls，but found in them no ailment requiring a leach：

so the city-notables went in to the Chief Kazi and saluting him；questioned him of his case；whereupon he sighed and showed them that was in his heart，reciting these couplets；'Stint ye this blame；enough I suffer from Love's malady * Nor chide the Kazi frail who fain must deal to folk decree！

Who doth accuse my love let him for me find some excuse： * Nor blame；for lovers blameless are in lover-slavery！

I was a K zi whom my Fate deigned aid with choicest aid * By writ and reed and rais？d me to wealth and high degree；

Till I was shot by sharpest shaft that knows nor leach nor cure *

By Damsel's glance who came to spill my blood and murther me.

To me came she，a Moslemah and of her wrongs she'plained * With lips that oped on Orient-pearls ranged fair and orderly：

I looked beneath her veil and saw a wending moon at full * Rising below the wings of Night engloomed with blackest blee：

A brightest favour and a mouth bedight with wondrous smiles；*

Beauty had brought the loveliest garb and robed her cap-…-pie.

By Allah，ne'er beheld my eyes a face so ferly fair * Amid mankind whoever are，Arab or Ajami.

My Fair！ What promise didst thou make what time to me thou said'st *'Whenas I promise I perform，O Kazi，faithfully.'

Such is my stead and such my case calamitous and dire * And ask me not，ye men of spunk，what dreadful teen I dree.'

When he ended his verse he wept with sore weeping and sobbed one sob and his spirit departed his body，which seeing they washed him and shrouded him and prayed over him and buried him graving on his tomb these couplets；'Perfect were lover's qualities in him was brought a-morn，*

Slain by his love and his beloved，to this untimely grave：

K zi was he amid the folk，and aye'twas his delight * To foster all the folk and keep a-sheath the Justice-glaive：

Love caused his doom and ne'er we saw among mankind before * The lord and master louting low before his thrall？d slave.'

Then they committed him to the mercy of Allah and went away to the second Kazi，in company with the physician，but found in him nor injury nor ailment needing a leach.Accordingly they questioned him of his case and what preoccupied him；so he told them what ailed him，whereupon they blamed him and chid him for his predicament and he answered them with these couplets；'Blighted by her yet am I not to blame；* Struck by the dart at me her fair hand threw.

Unto me came a woman called Hubāb * Chiding the world from year to year anew：

And brought a damsel showing face that shamed * Full moon that sails through Night-tide's blackest hue；She showed her beauties and she'plained her plain * Which tears in torrents from her eyelids drew：

I to her words gave ear and gazed on her * Whenas with smiling lips she made me rue.

Then with my heart she fared where'er she fared * And left me pledged to sorrows soul subdue.

Such is my tale！ So pity ye my case * And this my page with Kazi's gear indue.'

Then he sobbed one sob and his soul fled his flesh；whereupon they gat ready his funeral and buried him commending him to the mercy of Allah；after which they repaired to the third Kazi and the fourth，and there befel them the like of what befel their brethren.[367] Furthermore，they found the Assessors also sick for love of her，and indeed all who saw her died of her love or；an they died not，lived on tortured with the lowe of passion.--

And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Sixty-first Night； She pursued，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the city folk found all the Kazis and the Assessors sick for love of her；and all who saw her died lovesick or，an they died not，lived on tortured with the lowe of passion for stress of pining to no purpose--Allah have mercy on them one and all！ Meanwhile Zayn al-

Mawasif and her women drave on with all diligence till they were far distant from the city and it so fortuned that they came to a convent by the way，wherein dwelt a Prior called Danis and forty monks.[368] When the Prior saw her beauty，he went out to her and invited her to alight，saying，'Rest with us ten days and after wend your ways.'So she and her damsels alighted and entered the convent；and when Danis saw her beauty and loveliness，she debauched his belief and he was seduced by her：

wherefore he fell to sending the monks，one after other with love-messages；but each who saw her fell in love with her and sought her favours for himself，whilst she excused and denied herself to them.But Danis ceased not his importunities till he had dispatched all the forty，each one of whom fell love-sick at first sight and plied her with blandishments never even naming Danis；whilst she refused and rebuffed them with harsh replies.