Four things that meet not, save they here unite * To shed my heart
blood and to rape my sprite:
Brilliantest forehead; tresses jetty bright; * Cheeks rosy red and
stature beauty dight.
When I looked upon her I prostrated myself before Him who had created
her, for the beauty and loveliness He had shaped in her, and she looked
at me and said, "Art thou man or Jinni?" "I am a man," answered I, and
she, "Now who brought thee to this place where I have abided five and
twenty years without even yet seeing man in it?" Quoth I (and indeed I
found her words wonder sweet, and my heart was melted to the core by
them), "O my lady, my good fortune led me hither for the dispelling of
my cark and care." Then I related to her all my mishap from first to
last, and my case appeared to her exceeding grievous; so she wept and
said, "I will tell thee my story in my turn. I am the daughter of the
King Ifitamus, lord of the Islands of Abnus,[FN#207] who married me to
my cousin, the son of my paternal uncle; but on my wedding night an
Ifrit named Jirjís[FN#208] bin Rajmús, first cousin that is, mother's
sister's son, of Iblís, the Foul Fiend, snatched me up and, flying away
with me like a bird, set me down in this place, whither he conveyed all
I needed of fine stuffs, raiment and jewels and furniture, and meat and
drink and other else. Once in every ten days he comes here and lies a
single night with me, and then wends his way, for he took me without
the consent of his family; and he hath agreed with me that if ever I
need him by night or by day, I have only to pass my hand over yonder
two lines engraved upon the alcove, and he will appear to me before my
fingers cease touching. Four days have now passed since he was here;
and, as there remain six days before he come again, say me, wilt thou
abide with me five days, and go hence the day before his coming?" I
replied "Yes, and yes again! O rare, if all this be not a dream!"
Hereat she was glad and, springing to her feet, seized my hand and
carried me through an arched doorway to a Hammam bath, a fair hall and
richly decorate. I doffed my clothes, and she doffed hers; then we
bathed and she washed me; and when this was done we left the bath, and
she seated me by her side upon a high divan, and brought me sherbet
scented with musk. When we felt cool after the bath, she set food
before me and we ate and fell to talking; but presently she said to me,
"Lay thee down and take thy rest, for surely thou must be weary." So I
thanked her, my lady, and lay down and slept soundly, forgetting all
that had happened to me. When I awoke I found her rubbing and
shampooing my feet;[FN#209] so I again thanked her and blessed her and
we sat for awhile talking. Said she, "By Allah, I was sad at heart, for
that I have dwelt alone underground for these five and twenty years;
and praise be to Allah, who hath sent me some one with whom I can
converse!" Then she asked, "O youth, what sayest thou to wine?" and I
answered, "Do as thou wilt." Whereupon she went to a cupboard and took
out a sealed flask of right old wine and set off the table with flowers
and scented herbs and began to sing these lines:—
"Had we known of thy coming we fain had dispread * The cores of our
hearts or the balls of our eyes;
Our cheeks as a carpet to greet thee had thrown * And our eyelids had
strown for thy feet to betread."
Now when she finished her verse I thanked her, for indeed love of her
had gotten hold of my heart and my grief and anguish were gone. We sat
at converse and carousel till nightfall, and with her I spent the
night—such night never spent I in all my life! On the morrow delight
followed delight till midday, by which time I had drunken wine so
freely that I had lost my wits, and stood up, staggering to the right
and to the left, and said "Come, O my charmer, and I will carry thee up
from this underground vault and deliver thee from the spell of thy
Jinni." She laughed and replied "Content thee and hold thy peace: of
every ten days one is for the Ifrit and the other nine are thine."
Quoth I (and in good sooth drink had got the better of me), "This very
instant will I break down the alcove whereon is graven the talisman and
summon the Ifrit that I may slay him, for it is a practice of mine to
slay Ifrits!" When she heard my words her colour waxed wan and she
said, "By Allah, do not!" and she began repeating:—
"This is a thing wherein destruction lies * I rede thee shun it an thy
wits be wise."