书城公版Volume Four
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第73章 UNS EL WUJOUD AND THE VIZIER$$$$$S DAUGHTER ROSE-I

When the embassy reached King Dirbashe gave the pair great store of treasure and despatched them to King Shamikh's court with an escort of his own troops. The day of their arrival was a notable daynever was seen a greater;for the King assembled all the singers and players on instruments of music and made banquets and held high festival seven days;and on each day he gave largesse to the folk and bestowed on them sumptuous dresses of honour. Then Uns el Wujoud went in to Rose-in-bud,and they embraced and sat weeping for excess of joy and gladnesswhilst she recited the following verses:

Gladness is comedispelling grief and putting care aside;We are united now and have our enviers mortified.

The fragrant breeze of union blows fresh and sweet for us,Whereby our bodiesvitalshearts are all revivified.

The splendour of fulfilled delight in all its glory shinesAnd for glad tidings beat the drums about us far and wide.

Think not we weep for stress Of grief or for affliction;nay,It is for joy our tears flow down and will not be denied.

How many terrors have we seenthat now are past away! Yet we each agonizing strait did patiently abide.

In one hour of delight have we forgotten all the woesWhose stresses made us twainwhilomgrey-haired and hollow-eyed.

Then they clipped each other and ceased not from their embrace,till they fell down in a swoonfor the ecstasy of reunion;and when they came to themselvesUns d Wujoud recited these verses:

Ahhow peerlessly sweet are the nights of delightWhen the loved one to me keeps the troth she did plight,When enjoyment enjoyment ensues and the bonds Of estrangement between us are sundered outright,And fortune is come to usfavouring and fairAfter turning away with aversion and spite!

Fair fortune hath set up her standards for us And we drink from her hand a cup pure of affright.

Unitedour woes each to each we recount And the nights when in torments we watched for the light.

But nowO my ladyforgotten have we Our griefsand God pardon the past its upright!

How pleasanthow lovesomehow joyous is life! Enjoyment my passion doth only excite.

Then they gave themselves up anew to the pleasures of the nuptial bed and passed seven whole days thuscarousing and conversing and reciting verses and telling pleasant tales and anecdotesin the intervals of amorous dalliance;for so drowned were they in the sea of passionthat they knew not night from day and it was to themfor very stress of joy and gladness and pleasure and delightas if the seven days were but one dayand that without a morrow. Nor did they know the seventh daybut by the coming of the singers and players on instruments of music;whereat Rose-in-bud was beyond measure wondered and improvised the following verses:

Despite the enviers'rage and malice of the spyI've won of him I love my wish to satisfy;Yeawe have crowned our loves with many a close embraceOn cushions of brocade and silken stuffs piled high Upon a couch full softof perfumed leather made And stuffed with down of birds of rarest kind that fly.

Thanks to the honeyed dews of my beloved's lipsIllustrious past compareno need of wine have I.

Yeafor the sweet excess of our fulfilled delightThe present from the past we knownor far from nigh.

A miracle indeed! Seven nights o'er us have passedWithout our taking note of how they flitted by;Tillon the seventh daythey wished us joy and said'Your union God prolong to all eternity!'

When she had finishedUns el Wujoud kissed hermore than a hundred timesand recited the following verses:

O day of pure delight and mutual happiness! The loved one came and set me free from loneliness.

She blest me with the sweets of all her glorious charmsWhat while her converse filled my spirit with liesse.

She plied me with the wine of amorous delightTill all my senses failedfor very drunkenness.

Yeamerry each with each we madetogether layThen fell to wine and didin songour cheer express;Nor knew weof the days that fleeted over usThe present from the pastfor very joy's excess.

Fair fall all those that love of ease and twinned delightAnd joy to them fulfil its promise none the less!

Ne'er may they know the taste of parting's bitter cup! God succour them as me He succoured in my stress!

Then they went forth and distributed to the folk alms and largesse of money and raiment and so forth;after which Rose-in-bud bade empty the bath for her and turning to Uns el Wujoudsaid to him'O solace of my eyesI have a mind to see thee in the bath;and we will be alone together therein.'He gladly consented to thisand she bade perfume the bath for them with all manner of scented woods and essences and light the candles. Thenof the excess of her contentmentshe recited the following Verses:

O thou aforetime of my heart that mad'st prize(And the present for us on the past still relies),Thouthe only companion I cravefor to me None other the want of thy presence supplies,To the bath,--that in midst of hell-fire we may see Even Paradise shining,--comelight of mine eyes!

We will scent it with ambergrisaloes and muskTill the fragrance in clouds from all quarters arise.

YeaFortune we'll pardon her sins and give thanksFor His graceto the Merciful Onethe All-Wise;And I'll saywhen I see thee therein'O my loveAll delights be thy lot in the earth and the skies!'

So they went to the bath and took their pleasure there in;after which they returned to their palace and there abode in the fulness of delighttill there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and the Sunderer of Companies;and glory be to Him who changeth not neither ceaseth and in whom all things have their term!