第44章 KEMEREZZEMAN AND BUDOUR.(6)

Yet，for that thou art a knavish devil，I will not go with thee nor shalt thou come with me，save upon surety and condition of pledge.If thy beloved prove handsomer than mine，the pledge shall be thine against me；but if my beloved prove the fairer，the pledge shall be mine against thee.'O my lady，'said Dehnesh，I accept this thy condition；so come with me to the Islands.'Not so，'replied Maimouneh；for the abode of my beloved is nearer than that of thine： here it is under us；so come down with me and see my beloved，and after we will go look upon thy mistress.'I hear and obey，'said Dehnesh.So they descended and alighting on the tower，entered the saloon，where Maimouneh stationed Dehnesh beside the bed and putting out her hand，drew back the silken coverlet，whereupon Kemerezzemans face shone out like the sun.She looked at him a moment，then turning to Dehnesh，said，Look，O accursed one，and be not the vilest of madmen；I am a maiden and am ravished with him.'So Dehnesh looked at the prince and gazed steadfastly on him awhile，then，shaking his head，said to Maimouneh，By Allah，O my lady，thou art excusable；but there is another thing to be considered，and that is that the female estate differs from the male.By the virtue of God，this thy beloved is the likest of all created things to my mistress in beauty and loveliness and grace and it is as though they were both cast alike in the mould of perfection！'When Maimouneh heard these words，the light in her sight became darkness and she dealt him so fierce a buffet on the head with her wing as well-nigh made an end of him. Then，I conjure thee，'said she，by the light of his glorious countenance，go at once，O accursed one，and bring hither thy mistress in haste that we may lay them together and look on them both，as they lie asleep side by side；so will it appear to us whether is the goodlier and more beautiful of the two.Except thou obey me forthright，I will dart my sparks at thee and consume thee with my fire；yea，I will rend thee in pieces and cast thee into the deserts，as an example to stay-at-home and wayfarer.'O my lady，'answered the Afrit，I will do thy bidding，for I know that my mistress is the fairer and sweeter.'

So saying，he flew away and Maimouneh flew with him，to guard him.They were absent awhile and presently returned，bearing the young lady，who was clad in a shift of fine Venetian silk，laced with gold and wrought with the most exquisite broidery and having the following verses worked upon the ends of the sleeves：

Three things for ever hinder her to visit us，for fear Of the intriguing spy and eke the rancorous envier；

Her foreheads lustre and the sound of all her ornaments And the sweet scent her creases hold of ambergris and myrrh.

Grant with the border of her sleeve she hide her brows and doff Her ornaments，how shall she do her scent away from her？

They carried her into the saloon and laying her beside Kemerezzeman，uncovered both their faces，and behold，they were the likest of all folk，one to the other，as they were twins or an only brother and sister；and indeed they were a temptation to the pious，even as says of themthe poet El Mubin：

Be not thy love，O heart，to one alone confined，Lest，for that one，amaze and doting thee enwind；

But love thou rather all the fair，and thou shalt find，If one contrarious prove，another will be kind.

And quoth another：

Two fair ones lying on the earth I did of late espy；Two that I needs must love，although they lay upon mine eye.

Dehnesh and Maimouneh gazed on them awhile，and the former said，By Allah，O my lady，it is good！My mistress is assuredly the fairer.'Not so，'answered she，my beloved is the fairer.Out on thee，O Dehnesh！Thou art blind of eye and heart and distinguishest not between good and bad.[25] Wilt thou hide the truth？Dost thou not see his beauty and grace and symmetry？

Out on thee，hear what I purpose to say in praise of my beloved，and do thou the like for her thou lovest，an thou be a true lover.'Then she kissed Kemerezzeman again and again between the eyes and repeated the following ode：

Ah me，what ails the censurer that he at thee should flite？How shall I be consoled for thee，and thou a sapling slight？

Thou of the black and languorous eye，that casteth far and wide Charms，whose sheer witchery compels to passions utmost height，Whose looks，with Turkish languor fraught，work havoc in the breast，Leaving such wounds as neer were made of falchion in the fight，Thou layst on me a heavy load of passion and desire，On me that am too weak to bear a shift upon me dight.

My love for thee，as well thou knowst，my very nature is，And that for others which I feign dissembling but and sleight.

An if my heart were like to thine，Id not refuse；alack！'Tis but my bodys like thy waist，worn thin and wasted quite.

Out on him for a moon thats famed for beauty far and near，That for th exemplar of all grace men everywhere do cite！

The railers say，'Whos this for love of whom thou art distressed？'And I reply，'An if ye can，describe the lovely wight.'

O learn to yield，hard heart of his，take pattern by his shape！

So haply yet he may relent and put away despite.

Thou，that my prince in beauty art，a steward[26] hast，whose rule Aggrieves me and a chamberlain[27] that doth me foul upright.

He lies who says，'All loveliness in Joseph was comprised.'How many a Joseph is there not within thy beauty bright！

The Jinn do fear me，whenas I confront them face to face；But when I meet with thee，my heart doth tremble for affright.

I feign aversion unto thee，for fear of slanderous tongues；The more I feign，the more my love to madness I excite.

Black hair and smooth and glistening brows，eyes languorous and soft，As of the maids of Paradise，and slender shape and slight！