书城公版Volume Five
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第87章

Her bosom is a marble slab * Whence rise two breasts like towers on lea:

And on her stomach shows a crease * Perfumed with rich perfumery;

Beneath which same there lurks a Thing * Limit of mine expectancy.

A something rounded,cushioned-high * And plump,my lords,to high degree:

To me'tis likest royal throne * Whither my longings wander free;

There'twixt two pillars man shall find * Benches of high-built tracery.

It hath specific qualities * Drive sanest men t'insanity;

Full mouth it hath like mouth of neck * Or well begirt by stony key;

Firm lips with camelry's compare * And shows it eye of cramoisie.

An draw thou nigh with doughty will * To do thy doing lustily;Thou'll find it fain to face thy bout * And strong and fierce in valiancy.

It bendeth backwards every brave * Shorn of his battle-bravery.

At times imberbe,but full of spunk * To battle with the Paynimry.

'T will show thee liveliness galore * And perfect in its raillery:

Zayn al-Mawasif it is like * Complete in charms and courtesy.

To her dear arms one night I came * And won meed given lawfully:

I passed with her that self-same night * (Best of my nights!) in gladdest glee;

And when the morning rose,she rose * And crescent like her visnomy:

Then swayed her supple form as sway * The lances lopt from limber tree;

And when farewelling me she cried,*'When shall such nights return to me?'

Then I replied,'O eyen-light,* When He vouchsafeth His decree!''[342]

Zayn al-Mawasif was delighted with this Ode and the utmost gladness gat hold of her.Then said she,'O Masrur day-dawn draweth nigh and there is naught for it save to fly for fear of scandal and spy!'He replied,'I hear and obey,'and rising led her to her lodging,after which he returned to his quarters[343] and passed the rest of the night pondering on her charms.When the morning morrowed with its sheen and shone;he made ready a splendid present and carried it to her and sat by her side.And thus they abode awhile,in all solace of life and its delight,till one day there came to Zayn al-Mawasif a letter from her husband reporting to her his speedy return.Thereupon she said in herself,'May Allah not keep him nor quicken him! If he come hither,our life will be troubled: would Heaven I might despair of him!'Presently entered Masrur and sat with her at chat,as was his wont,whereupon she said to him,'O Masrur,I have received a missive from my mate,announcing his speedy return from his wayfaring.What is to be done,since neither of us without other can live?'He replied,'I know not;but thou art better able to judge,being acquainted with the ways of thy man;more by token that thou art one of the sharpest-witted of women and past mistress of devices such as devise that whereof fail the wise.'Quoth she,'He is a hard man and jealous of his household:

but,when he shall come home and thou hearest of his coming,do thou repair to him and salute him and sit down by his side;saying,'O my brother,I am a druggist.'Then buy of him somewhat of drugs and spices of sorts and call upon him frequently and prolong thy talks with him and gainsay him not in whatsoever he shall bid thee;so haply that I would contrive may betide,as it were by chance.''I hear and I obey,'quoth Masrur and fared forth from her,with heart a-fire for love.When her husband came home,she rejoiced in meeting him and after saluting him bade him welcome;but he looked in her face and seeing it pale and sallow (for she bad washed it with saffron,using one of women's arts);asked her of her case.She answered that she had been sick,she and her women,from the time of his wayfaring,adding,'Verily;our hearts have been engrossed with thoughts of thee because of the length of thine absence.'And she went on to complain to him of the misery of separation and to pour forth copious tears;saying,'Hadst thou but a companion with thee,my heart had not borne all this cark and care for thee.So,Allah upon thee,O my lord,travel not again without a comrade and cut me not off from news of thee,that my heart and mind may be at rest concerning thee!'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-second Night; She said,It hath reached me,O auspicious King,that when Zayn al-Mawasif said to her mate,'Travel not without comrade and cut me not off from news of thee,that my heart and mind may be at rest concerning thee,'he replied,'With love and gladness! By Allah thy bede is good indeed and right is thy rede! By thy life;it shall be as thou dost heed.'Then he unpacked some of his stock-in-trade and carrying the goods to his shop,opened it and sat down to sell in the Soko.[344] No sooner had he taken his place than lo and behold! up came Masrur and saluting him,sat down by his side and began talking and talked with him awhile.

Then he pulled out a purse and taking forth gold,handed it to Zayn al-Mawasif's man and said,'Give me the worth of these dinars in drugs and spices of sorts,that I may sell them in my shop.'The Jew replied,'I hear and I obey,'and gave him what he sought.And Masrur continued to pay him frequent visits till,one day,the merchant said to him,'I have a mind to take me a man to partner in trade.'Quoth Masrur,'And I also,desire to take a partner;for my father was a merchant in the land of Al-Yaman and left me great store of money and I fear lest it fare from me.'

Quoth the Jew,turning towards him,'Wilt thou be my partner,and I will be thy partner and a true friend and comrade to thee at home and abroad;and I will teach thee selling and buying,giving and taking?'And Masrur rejoined,'With all my heart.'So the merchant carried him to his place and seated him in the vestibule,whilst he went in to his wife and said to her,'I have provided me with a partner and have bidden him hither as a guest;