He comes and shows me, all in one, fawn, moon and sapling slight: Foul fall the heart for thought of him that watches not the night! A fair one, Allah had a mind t' extinguish from his cheek One ravishment, and straight, instead, another sprang to light. Whenas my censors speak of him, I cavil at their word, Feigning as if I did mislike the mention of the wight; Yea, and I hearken, when they speak of other than of him, Though for the thought of him, nathelesse, I am consumed outright. Prophet of beauty, all in him 's a very miracle Of grace, and greatest of them all his face's splendid sight. The sable mole upon his cheek hath taken up its stead, Against the troubles of this life to ward his forehead bright. The censors, of their ignorance, bid me forget; but I From true- believer cannot turn an infidel forthright.
We were ravished by the sweet music she made and the beauty of the verses she sang and the other damsels went on to sing, one after another, till ten had done so; when the lady Dunya took the lute and playing a lively measure, sang these verses:
By the softness of thy graceful-gaited shape I swear, For estrangement from thy presence the pangs of hell I bear. Have pity on a heart that burns i' the hell-fire of thy love, O full moon in the darkness of the night that shinest fair! Vouchsafe to me thy favours, and by the wine-cup's light To blazon forth thy beauties, henceforth, I'll never spare. A rose hath ta'en me captive, whose colours varied are, Whose charms outvie the myrtle and make its thorns despair.
When she had finished, I took the lute and playing a quaint prelude, sang the following verses:
Glory to Him who gave thee all beauty in earth and skies So I'm become of thy bondsmen for ever and thy prize. Thou that art gifted with glances that make mankind thy slaves, Pray we may come off scathless from the sorcery of thine eyes. Two opposites, fire, incarnate in shining splendour of flame, And water, thy cheek uniteth, conjoined in wondrous wise. How dulcet and yet how bitter thou art to my heart, alack! To which thou at once and ever art Hell and Paradise!
When she heard this, she rejoiced with an exceeding joy; then, dismissing her women, she brought me to a most goodly place, where they had spread us a bed of various colours. She did off her clothes and I had a lover's privacy of her and found her an unpierced pearl and a filly no man had ridden. So I rejoiced in her and repeated the following verses: