The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 9 | Page 5

sweets of love-liesse, he poured forth his tears whilst he
recited these couplets,
"Came your writ to me in the dead of the night * And desire for you
stirred heart and sprite; And, remembered joys we in union joyed, *
Praised the Lord who placed us in parting plight."

As soon as it was dark Nur al-Din busied himself with making ready
the stallions and patiented till the first watch of the night was past;
when, without a moment delay, Nur al-Din the lover full of teen,
saddled them with saddles of the goodliest, and leading them forth of
the stable, locked the door after him and repaired with them to the
city-gate, where he sat down to await the coming of the Princess.
Meanwhile, Miriam returned forthright to her private apartment, where
she found the one-eyed Wazir seated, elbow-propt upon a cushion
stuffed with ostrich-down; but he was ashamed to put forth his hand to
her or to bespeak her. When she saw him, she appealed to her Lord in
heart, saying, "Allahumma-O my God-bring him not to his will of me
nor to me defilement decree after purity!" Then she went up to him and
made a show of fondness for him and sat down by his side and coaxed
him, saying, "O my lord, what is this aversion thou displayest to me? Is
it pride or coquetry on thy part? But the current byword saith, 'An the
salam-salutation be little in demand, the sitters salute those who
stand."[FN#4] So if, O my lord, thou come not to me neither accost me,
I will go to thee and accost thee." Said he, "To thee belong favour and
kindness, O Queen of the earth in its length and breadth; and what am I
but one of thy slaves and the least of thy servants. Indeed, I was
ashamed to intrude upon thine illustrious presence, O unique pearl, and
my face is on the earth at thy feet." She rejoined, "Leave this talk and
bring us to eat and drink." Accordingly he shouted to his eunuchs and
women an order to serve food, and they set before them a tray
containing birds of every king that walk and fly and in nests increase
and multiply, such as sand-grouse and quails and pigeon-poults and
lambs and fatted geese and fried poultry and other dishes of all sorts
and colours. The Princess put out her hand to the tray and began to eat
and feed the Wazir with her fair finger-tips and kiss him on the mouth.
They ate till they had enough and washed their hands, after which the
handmaidens removed the table of food and set on the service of wine.
So Princess Miriam filled the cup and drank and gave the Wazir to
drink and served him with assiduous service, so that he was like to fly
for joy and his breast broadened and he was of the gladdest. When she
saw that the wine had gotten the better of his senses, she thrust her
hand into her bosom and brought out a pastil of virgin Cretan-Bhang,
which she had provided against such an hour, whereof if an elephant

smelt a dirham's weight, he would sleep from year to year. She
distracted his attention and crumbled the drug into the cup: then, filling
it up, handed it to the Wazir, who could hardly credit his senses for
delight. So he took it and kissing her hand, drank it off, but hardly had
it settled in his stomach when he fell head foremost to the ground. Then
she rose and filling two great pairs of saddle-bags with what was light
of weight and weighty of worth of jewels and jacinths and precious
stones, together with somewhat of meat and drink, donned harness of
war and armed herself for fight. She also took with her for Nur al-Din
what should rejoice him of rich and royal apparel and splendid arms
and armour, and shouldering the bags (for indeed her strength equalled
her valiancy), hastened forth from the new palace to join her lover. On
this wise fared it with the Lady Miriam; but as regards Nur
al-Din,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninetieth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Lady Miriam left the new palace, she went straightways to meet her
lover for indeed she was as valiant as she was strong; but Nur al-Din
the distracted, the full of teen, sat at the city-gate hending the horses'
halters in hand, till Allah (to whom belong Majesty and Might) sent a
sleep upon him and he slept-glory be to Him who sleepeth not! Now at
that time the Kings of