mistress, till I should be about to leave her. Then I went out
and walked on till I came to the garden. I found the door open;
so I entered, and seeing a light in the distance, made towards it
and came to a great pavilion, vaulted over with a dome of ivory
and ebony, from the midst of which hung the lamp. The floor was
spread with silken carpets, embroidered in gold and silver, and
under the lamp stood a great candle, burning in a stand of gold.
Midmost the pavilion was a fountain, adorned with all manner of
figures; and by it stood a table of food, covered with a silken
napkin, and a great porcelain vase full of wine, with a goblet of
crystal, sprayed with gold. Near these was a great covered dish
of silver, which I uncovered and found therein fruits of all
kinds, figs and pomegranates and grapes and oranges and citrons
and shaddocks, together with all manner sweet-scented flowers,
such as roses and jasmine and myrtle and eglantine and narcissus
and all kinds of sweet-smelling herbs; but I saw there not a
living soul, no, not even a slave, male or female, to guard these
things. I was transported with delight at what I saw, and my
grief and anxiety ceased from me. So I sat down to await the
coming of the beloved of my heart: but the first hour of the
night passed by, and the second and the third, and still she came
not. Then I grew sore an hungred, for that it was long since I
had tasted food by reason of the violence of my passion: but when
I found the garden even as my cousin had told me and saw the
truth of her interpretation of my mistress's signs, my mind was
set at rest and I made sure of attaining my desire, so that
nature resumed its sway and I felt the pangs of hunger. Moreover
the odour of the viands on the table excited in me a longing to
eat: so I went up to the table, and lifting the cover, found in
the middle a porcelain dish, containing four fricasseed fowls,
seasoned with spices, round which were four smaller dishes, one
containing sweetmeats, another conserve of pomegranate-seeds, a
third almond patties and a fourth honey fritters, and the
contents of these dishes were part sweet and part acid. So I ate
of the fritters and a piece of meat, then went on to the almond
patties and ate what I would of them; after which I attacked the
sweetmeats, of which I ate a spoonful or two or three or four,
ending with part of a fowl and a mouthful of bread. With this my
stomach became full and my limbs heavy and I grew drowsy; so I
laid my head on a cushion, after having washed my hands, and
sleep overcame me; and I knew not what happened to me after this
nor did I awake till the sun's heat burnt me, for that I had not
tasted sleep for days. When I awoke, I found myself lying on the
naked marble, with a piece of salt and another of charcoal on my
stomach; so I stood up and shook my clothes and turned right and
left, but could see no one. At this I was perplexed and
afflicted; the tears ran down my cheeks and I mourned grievously
for myself. Then I returned home, and when I entered, I found my
cousin beating her bosom and weeping like the rain-clouds, as she
repeated the following verses:
From out my loved one's land a breeze blows cool and sweet: The
fragrance of its wafts stirs up the ancient heat.
Blow, zephyr of the East! Each lover hath his lot, His
heaven-appointed doom of fortune or defeat.
Lo, if we might, we would embrace thee for desire, Even as a
lover clips his mistress, when they meet.
Whenas my cousin's face is absent, God forbids All pleasance
[unto me] and all life has of sweet.
Ah, would I knew his heart was even as is mine, All wasted and
consumed by passion's flaming feet!
When she saw me, she rose in haste and wiping away her tears,
accosted me with her soft speech, saying, "O my cousin, verily
God hath been gracious to thee in thy love, in that she whom thou
lovest loves thee, whilst I pass my time in weeping and lamenting
my separation from thee that blamest and chidest me; but may God
not reproach thee for my sake!" Then she smiled in my face, a sad
smile, and caressed me; then taking off my outer clothes, she
spread them out and said, "By Allah, this is not the scent of one
who hath enjoyed his mistress! Tell me what has befallen thee, O
my cousin." So I told her all that had passed, and she smiled
again, a sad smile, and said, "Verily, my heart is full of pain;
but may he not live who would hurt thy heart! Indeed, this woman
makes herself extravagantly difficult to thee, and by Allah, I
fear for thee from her. Know that the meaning of the salt is that
thou wert drowned in sleep and she likens thee to insipid food,
at which the soul sickens; and it is as if she said to thee, 'It
behoves that thou be salted, lest nature reject thee. Thou
professest to be of the true lovers, but sleep is forbidden to a
lover; therefore, thy love is false.' But it is her love for thee
that is false; for she saw thee asleep, yet awoke thee not, and
were her love for thee sincere, she had aroused thee. As for the
charcoal, it means, 'God blacken thy face, for that thou makest
a lying presence of love, whereas thou art but a child and
hast no concern but to eat and drink and sleep!' This is the
interpretation of her signs, and may God the Most High deliver
thee from her!" When I heard my cousin's words, I beat my breast
with my hand and cried out, "By Allah, this is the truth, for I
slept and lovers sleep not! Indeed, I have sinned against myself,
for nought could have done me more hurt than eating and sleeping.
What shall I do!" Then I wept sore and said to her, "Have
compassion on me and tell me what to do, so may God have
compassion on thee: else I shall die." Now my cousin loved me
very dearly; so she replied, "On my head and eyes. But, O my
cousin, as I have told thee often, could I go in and out at will,
I would very soon bring you together and cover you both with my
skirt: nor would I do this but hoping to win thy favour. God
willing, I will do my utmost endeavour to bring about your union;
but hearken thou to me and do as I bid thee. Go to the garden at
nightfall and sit down in the same place and look thou eat not,
for eating induces sleep; and beware of sleeping, for she will
not come to thee, till a fourth part of the night be passed. And
may God save thee from her mischief!" When I heard this, I
rejoiced and besought God to hasten the night. As soon as it was
dark, I rose to go, and my cousin said to me, "If thou foregather
with her, repeat to her the verse I taught thee, at the time of
leave-taking." "On my head and eyes," replied I, and going out,
repaired to the garden, where I found all as on the previous
night, with meat and drink spread ready, and dessert and flowers
and so forth. I went up into the pavilion and smelt the odour of
the viands and my soul lusted after them; but I forbore awhile,
till at last I could no longer restrain my appetite. So I went up
to the table, and raising the cover, found a dish of fowls,
surrounded by four smaller dishes, containing various meats. I
ate a mouthful of each dish and a piece of meat and as much as I
would of the sweetmeat: then I tasted a dish of rice dressed with
honey and saffron and liking it, supped of it by the spoonful,
till I was satisfied and my belly was full. With this, my eyelids
became heavy; so I took a cushion and put it under my head,
saying, "Surely I can recline upon it, without going to sleep."
Then I closed my eyes and slept, nor did I wake till the sun had
risen, when I found myself lying on the bare marble, with a die
of bone, a play-stick,[FN#130] a green date-stone[FN#131] and a
carob-bean on my stomach. There was no furniture nor aught else
in the place, and it was as if there had been nothing there
yesterday. So I rose and shaking all these things off me, went
out in a rage, and going home, found my cousin sighing and
repeating the following verses:
Wasted body and heart a-bleeding for despair And tears that down
my cheeks stream on and on for e'er,
And a beloved one persistent in disdain; Yet all a fair one does
must needs be right and fair.
O cousin mine, thou'st filled my heart with longing pain And
wounded are mine eyes with tears that never spare.
I chid her and reviled her, at which she wept; then wiping away
her tears, she came up to me and kissed me and pressed me to her
bosom, whilst I held back from her and blamed myself. Then she
said to me, "O my cousin, meseems thou didst sleep again last
night?" "Yes," replied I; "and when I awoke, I found on my
stomach a die of bone, a play-stick, a green date-stone and a
carob-bean, and I know not why she did this." Then I wept and
said to her, "Expound to me her meaning in this and tell me what
I shall do and help me in this my strait." "On my head and eyes,"
answered she. "Know then that, by the figure of the die and the
play-stick, she says to thee, 'Thy body is present, but thy heart
absent. Love is not thus: so do not reckon thyself among lovers.'
As for the date-stone, it is as if she said to thee, 'If thou
wert in love, thy heart would be on fire with passion and thou
wouldst not taste the delight of sleep; for the sweet of love is
like a green date and kindles a fire in the entrails.' As for the
carob-bean, it signifies, 'The lover's heart is wearied; so be
thou patient under our separation, even as Job was patient.'"
When I heard this, fires raged in my entrails and grief redoubled
upon my heart and I cried out, saying, "God ordained sleep to me,
of my ill-fortune!" Then I said to her, "O my cousin, I conjure
thee by my life, contrive me some device whereby I may win to
her!" She wept and answered, "O Aziz, O my cousin, verily my
heart is full of melancholy thought and I cannot speak: but go
thou again to-night to the same place and look that thou sleep
not, and thou shalt surely attain thy desire. This is my counsel
and peace be on thee." "God willing," said I, "I will not sleep,
but will do as thou biddest me." Then she rose and set food
before me, saying, "Eat now what may suffice thee, that thy heart
may be free." So I ate my fill, and when the night came, my
cousin rose and bringing me a sumptuous suit of clothes, clad me
therein. Then she made me promise to repeat the verse aforesaid
to my mistress and bade me beware of sleeping. So I left her and
repairing to the garden, went up into the pavilion, where I
occupied myself with gazing on the garden, holding my eyes open
with my fingers and wagging my head from side to side, as the
night darkened on me. Presently I grew hungry with watching, and
the smell of the meats, being wafted towards me, increased my
hunger: so I went up to the table and taking off the cover, ate a
piece of meat and a mouthful of every dish; after which I turned
to the vessel of wine, saying in myself, "I will drink one cup."
So I drank one cup and a second and a third, till I had drunk
full half a score, when the air smote me and I fell to the earth
like a dead man. I lay thus till day, when I awoke and found
myself without the garden, with a large sharp knife and an iron
dirhem[FN#132] on my stomach. I arose trembling and taking the
knife and the dirhem, went home where I found my cousin saying,
"Verily, I am in this house wretched and sorrowful, having no
helper but weeping." When I entered, I fell down at full length
and fainted, throwing the knife and the dirhem from my hand. As
soon as I came to myself, I told her what had passed and said,
"Indeed, I shall never enjoy my desire." The sight of my tears
and my passion redoubled her distress on my account, and she
said, "Verily, I can no more. I warned thee against sleeping; but
thou wouldst not listen to my counsel, and my words profited thee
nothing." "By Allah," cried I, "I conjure thee to explain to me
the meaning of the knife and the dirhem." "By the dirhem,"
replied she, "she alludes to her right eye, and it is as if she
said to thee, 'I swear, by the Lord of all creatures and by my
right eye, that, if thou come here again and sleep, I will slay
thee with this knife!' And indeed, O my cousin, I fear for thee
from her malice; my heart is full of anguish for thee and I
cannot speak. Nevertheless, if thou canst be sure of thyself not
to sleep, return to her and thou shalt attain thy desire; but if
thou sleep, according to thy wont, she will surely slay thee." "O
my cousin," said I, "what shall I do? I conjure thee, by Allah,
to help me in this my affliction!" "On my head and eyes," replied
she. "If thou wilt hearken to me and do as I say, thou shalt have
thy will." Quoth I, "I will indeed hearken to thee and do thy
bidding." And she said, "When it is time for thee to go, I will
tell thee." Then she pressed me to her bosom and laying me on the
bed, rubbed my feet, till drowsiness overcame me and I was
drowned in sleep; when she took a fan and seating herself at my
head, ceased not to fan my face till the end of the day. Then she
awoke me, and I found her sitting at my head weeping, with the
fan in her hand and her clothes wet with tears. When she saw that
I was awake, she wiped away her tears and fetching food, set it
before me. I refused it, but she said to me, "Didst thou not
promise to do my bidding? Eat." So I ate and did not cross her,
and she proceeded to put the food into my mouth and I to eat,
till I was full. Then she made me drink sherbet of jujube-fruit
and sugar and washed my hands and dried them with a napkin; after
which she sprinkled me with rose-water, and I sat with her
awhile, restored to health and spirits. When the night had closed
in, she dressed me and said to me, "O my cousin, watch all night
and sleep not; for she will not come to thee this time till the
last of the night, and God willing, thou shalt foregather with
her this night: but do not forget my charge." Then she wept, and
my heart was sore for her by reason of her much weeping, and I
said to her, "What is the charge thou gavest me?" "When thou art
about to take leave of her," replied she, "repeat to her the
verse I taught thee." So I left her, full of gladness, and
repairing to the garden, entered the pavilion, where I sat down
satiated with food, and watched till a fourth part of the night
was past. The night was tedious to me as it were a year: but I
remained awake, till it was three quarters spent and the cocks
cried out and I became sore an hungred for long watching. So I
went up to the table and ate my fill, whereupon my head grew
heavy and I was on the point of falling asleep, when I espied a
light making towards me from afar. So I sprang up and washed my
hands and mouth and roused myself; and before long, up came the
lady, accompanied by ten damsels, in whose midst she shone, like
the full moon among the stars. She was clad in a dress of green
satin, embroidered with red gold, and she was as says the poet:
She lords it over her lovers in garments all of green, With open
vest and collars and flowing hair beseen.
"What is thy name?" I asked her, and she replied, "I'm she Who
burns the hearts of lovers on coals of love and teen."
I made my moan unto her of passion and desire; "Upon a rock," she
answered, "thy plaints are wasted clean."
"Even if thy heart," I told her, "be rock in very deed, Yet hath
God made fair water well from the rock, I ween."
When she saw me, she laughed and said, "How is it that thou art
awake and that sleep hath not overcome thee. Now that thou hast
passed the night without sleep, I know that thou art in love, for
it is the mark of a lover to watch the night for stress of
longing." Then she signed to her women and they went away,
whereupon she came up to me and strained me to her bosom and
kissed me and sucked my upper lip, whilst I kissed her and sucked
her lower lip. I put my hand to her waist and pressed it and we
came to the ground at the same moment. Then she undid her
trousers and they fell down to her anklets and we fell to
clipping and toying and cricketing and speaking softly and biting
and intertwining of legs and going round about the House and the
corners thereof,[FN#133] till her senses failed her for delight
and she swooned away. And indeed that night was heart-gladdening
and eye-refreshing, even as says the poet:
The sweetest of all the nights that ever the world can show! The
cup in it stinted never from hand to hand to go.
Therein I did dissever mine eyes from sleep and made The
ear-drop[FN#134] and the anklet[FN#135] foregather evermo'.
We lay together till the morning, when I would have gone away,
but she stopped me, saying, "Stay, till I tell thee somewhat and
give thee a charge." So I waited, whilst she undid a handkerchief
and taking out this piece of linen, spread it out before me. I
saw worked on it these two figures of gazelles and admired it
exceedingly; and she said to me, "Keep this carefully, for it is
my sister's work." "What is thy sister's name?" asked I, and she
answered, "Nour el Huda." Then I took the piece of linen and went
away, joyful, after we had agreed that I should visit her every
night in the garden; but in my joy I forgot to repeat to her the
verse my cousin had taught me. When I reached home, I found
Azizeh lying down; but, as soon as she saw me, she rose, with the
tears running from her eyes, and coming up to me, kissed me on
the breast and said, "Didst thou repeat the verse to her, as I
enjoined thee?" "I forgot it," answered I; "and here is what made
me forget it." And I threw the piece of linen down before her.
She rose and sat down again, but was unable to contain herself
and her eyes ran over with tears, whilst she repeated the
following verses:
O thou that seekest severance, forbear; Let not the fair delude
thee with their sleight.
Softly, for fortune's nature is deceit And parting is the end of
love-delight.
Then she said, "O my cousin, give me this piece of linen." So I
gave it to her, and she took it and unfolding it, saw what was
therein. When the time came for my going to my mistress, she said
to me, "Go and peace be with thee; and when thou art about to
leave her, repeat to her the verse I taught thee and which thou
forgottest." Quoth I, "Repeat it to me." So she repeated it. Then
I went to the garden and entered the pavilion, where I found the
lady awaiting me. When she saw me, she rose and kissed me and
made me sit in her lap; and we ate and drank and did our desire
as on the previous night. In the morning, I repeated to her my
cousin's verse:
Tell me, O lovers, for God's sake I do entreat of you, When love
is sore upon a maid, alack! what shall she do?
When she heard this, her eyes filled with tears and she answered
with the following verse:
Against her passion she must strive and hide her case from view
And humble and submissive be, whatever may ensue.
This I committed to memory and returned home, rejoiced at having
done my cousin's errand. When I entered the house, I found Azizeh
lying on the bed and my mother at her head, weeping over her
condition. When the latter saw me, she said to me, "Out on thee
for a cousin! How couldst thou leave the daughter of thine uncle
in ill case and not ask what ailed her?" Azizeh, seeing me,
raised her head and sat up and said, "O Aziz, didst thou repeat
the verse to her?" "Yes," replied I; "and she wept and recited,
in answer, another verse, which I remember." "Tell it me," said
Azizeh. I did so; and she wept and repeated the following verses:
How shall she temper her desire, It doth her fire undo, And still
with each recurring day her heart is cleft in two.
Indeed, she strives for patience fair, but findeth nought in her
Except a heart too weak to bear the love that makes her rue.
"When thou goest to thy mistress as of wont," added she, "repeat
to her these verses also." "I hear and obey," answered I and
betook myself, at the wonted time, to the garden, where there
passed between my mistress and myself what the tongue fails to
describe. As I was about to leave her, I repeated to her my
cousin's verses; whereupon the tears streamed from her eyes and
she replied:
If she her secret cannot hide and lack of patience due, I see no
help for her but death, of all things old and new.
Then I returned home, where I found Azizeh fallen of a swoon and
my mother sitting at her head. When she heard my voice, she
opened her eyes and said, "O Aziz, didst thou repeat the verses
to her?" "Yes," answered I; "and she replied with this verse."
And I repeated it; whereupon my cousin swooned again, and when
she came to herself, she recited the following verses:
"I hearken, I obey, I die; yet bear to one who slew My hopes of
union and delight, my greeting and adieu.
Fair fall the happy of their joy, alack! and fair befall The
wretched lover of the cup that's set her lips unto."