When the merchant Abd al-Rahman saw the folk thus crowding about him and standing in rows, both women and men, to fix eyes upon his son, he was sore ashamed and confounded and knew not what to do; but presently there came up from the end of the bazar a man of the wandering Dervishes, clad in haircloth, the garb of the pious servants of Allah and seeing Kamar al-Zaman sitting there as he were a branch of Bán springing from a mound of saffron, poured forth copious tears and recited these two couplets:—
A wand uprising from a sandy knoll, ✿ Like full moon shining brightest sheen, I saw; And said, “What is thy name?” Replied he “Lúlú” ✿ “What (asked I) Lily?” and he answered “Lá, lá!”[379]
Then the Dervish fell to walking, now drawing near and now moving away,[380] and wiping his gray hairs with his right hand, whilst the heart of the crowd was cloven asunder for awe of him. When he looked upon the boy, his eyes were dazzled and his wit confounded, and exemplified in him was the saying of the poet:—
While that fair-faced boy abode in the place, ✿ Moon of breakfast-fête he lit by his face,[381] Lo! there came a Shaykh with leisurely pace ✿ A reverend trusting to Allah’s grace, And ascetic signals his gait display’d. He had studied Love both by day and night ✿ And had special knowledge of Wrong and Right; Both for lad and lass had repined his sprite, ✿ And his form like toothpick was lean and slight, And old bones with faded skin were o’erlaid. In such arts our Shaykh was an Ajamí[382] ✿ With a catamite ever in company; In the love of woman, a Platonist he[383] ✿ But in either versed to the full degree, And Zaynab to him was the same as Zayd.[384] Distraught by the Fair he adored the Fair ✿ O’er Spring-camp wailed, bewept ruins bare.[385]
Dry branch thou hadst deemed him for stress o’ care, ✿ Which the morning breeze swayeth here and there, For only the stone is all hardness made! In the lore of Love he was wondrous wise ✿ And wide awake with all-seeing eyes. Its rough and its smooth he had tried and tries ✿ And hugged buck and doe in the self-same guise And with greybeard and beardless alike he play’d.[386]
Then he came up to the boy and gave him a root[387] of sweet basil, whereupon his father put forth his hand to his pouch and brought out for him some small matter of silver, saying, “Take thy portion, O Dervish, and wend thy ways.” He took the dirhams, but sat down on the masonry-bench alongside the shop and opposite the boy and fell to gazing upon him and heaving sigh upon sigh, whilst his tears flowed like springs founting. The folk began to look at him and remark upon him, some saying, “All Dervishes are lewd fellows,” and other some, “Verily, this Dervish’s heart is set on fire for love of this lad.” Now when Abd al-Rahman saw this case, he arose and said to the boy, “Come, O my son, let us lock up the shop and hie us home, for it booteth not to sell and buy this day; and may Almighty Allah requite thy mother that which she hath done with us, for she was the cause of all this!” Then said he, “O Dervish, rise, that I may shut my shop.” So the Dervish rose and the merchant shut his shop and taking his son, walked away. The Dervish and the folk followed them, till they reached their place, when the boy went in and his father, turning to the Dervish, said to him, “What wouldst thou, O Dervish, and why do I see thee weep?” He replied, “O my lord, I would fain be thy guest this night, for the guest is the guest of Almighty Allah.” Quoth the merchant, “Welcome to the guest of God: enter, O Dervish!”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.