第66章 KEMEREZZEMAN AND BUDOUR.(28)

Our time is，meseems，of the lineage of Lot；It craves the advancement of younglings，God wot.'

When Kemerezzeman heard this，he was confounded and his cheeks flushed till they seemed on fire；and he said，I reck not of favours that involve the commission of sin；I will live poor in wealth but rich in virtue and honour.'Quoth she，I am not the dupe of thy scruples，arising from prudery and coquetry： and God bless him who says：

I mentioned to him the pact of fruition，and he，'How long with vexatious discourse wilt thou set upon me？'

I showed him a dinar and straightway he sang out and said，'O whither shall one from Fate irresistible flee！'

O King，'replied Kemerezzeman，I have not the wont of these doings，nor have I strength，who am but of tender years，to bear these heavy burdens，for which elder than I have proved unable.'

She smiled and rejoined，Indeed，it is wonderful how error springs from the disorder of the wit.Since thou art but a boy，why standest thou in fear of sin or the doing of forbidden things，seeing that thou art not yet come to years of discretion and the offences of a child incur neither punishment nor reproof？

Verily，thou committest thyself to an argument advanced but for the sake of contention，and it behoves thee to bow to the ordinance of fruition，which has been given against thee.

Wherefore，henceforward，give over denial and coyness，for the commandment of God is a foreordained decree：[51] indeed，I have more reason than thou to fear falling into error；and well-inspired was he who said：

My pintle is big and the little one said unto me，'Tilt boldly therewith at my inwards and quit thee thy need.'

Quoth I，'Tis unlawful；'but he，'It is lawful with me；'So to it I fell，supporting myself by his rede.'

When Kemerezzeman heard these words，the light in his eyes became darkness and he said，O King，thou hast in thy palace women and female slaves，that have not their like in this age： may not these suffice thee without me？Do thy will with them and leave me.'Thou speakest truth，'answered she；but it is not with them that one who loves thee can heal himself of torment and fever；for when tastes and inclinations are corrupted，they hearken to other than good counsel.So leave arguing and hear what the poet says：

Seest not the fruits of the market，how of two kinds they be？

Some are for figs，[52] but more for the fruit of the sycamore-tree.[53]

And what another says：

Full many an one，whose ankle-rings are dumb，her girdle sounds；

So this one is content and that a tale of need must tell.

Thoudst have me，foolwise，in her charms forget thee. God forfend I，that a true believer am，should turn an infidel！

No，by a whisker that makes mock of all her curls，I swear，Nor maid nor strumpet from thy side shall me by guile compel！

And a third：

O pearl of loveliness，to love thee is my faith；Yea，and my choice of all the faiths that have been aye.

Women I have forsworn，indeed，for thy sweet sake，So that the folk avouch Im grown a monk to-day And a fourth：

Compare not a wench with a boy and to the spy，Who says to thee，'This is wrong，'pay thou no heed.

Twixt a woman whose feet ones lips kiss and a smooth-faced fawn，Who kisses the earth，the diffrence is great indeed.

And a fifth：

My soul be thy ransom！Indeed，Ive chosen thee out with intent，Because thou layest no eggs and dost not menstruate.

For，an I inclined to foregather with harlots，upon my faith，The wide，wide world for the brats I should get would prove too strait.

And a sixth：

Quoth she to me，--and sore enraged for wounded pride was she，For she in sooth had bidden me to that which might not be，--'An if thou swive me not forthright，as one should swive his wife，If thou be made a cuckold straight，reproach it not to me.

Meseems thy yard is made of wax，for very flaccidness；For，when I rub it with my hand，it softens instantly.'

And a seventh：

Quoth she （for I to lie with her would not consent），'O fool，that followest on thy folly to the extent，If thou reject my kaze for Kibleh[54] to thy yard，Well show thee one wherewith thou shalt be sure content.'

And an eighth：

She proffered me a tender kaze；But I，'I will not swive，'replied.

She drew back，saying，'From the truth Needs must he turn whos turned aside；[55]

And swiving frontwise in our day Is all abandoned and decried；'

Then turned and showed me，as it were A lump of silver，her backside.

'Well done，O mistress mine！No more Am I in pain for thee，'I cried，'Whose poke of all Gods openings[56] Is sure the amplest and most wide！'

And a ninth：

Men crave forgiveness with uplifted hands；But women pray with lifted legs，I trow.[57]

Out on it for a pious piece of work！God shall exalt it to the deeps below.[58]

When Kemerezzeman heard these verses and was certified that there was no escaping compliance with her will，he said，O King，if thou must needs have it so，swear to me that thou wilt use me thus but once，though it avail not to stay thy debauched appetite；and that thou wilt never again require me of this to the end of time；so it may be God will purge me of the sin.'I promise thee that，'replied she，hoping that God of His favour will relent towards us and blot out our mortal sins；for the compass of the Divine forgiveness is not indeed so strait，but it may altogether embrace us and absolve us of the excess of our transgressions and bring us to the light of righteousness out of the darkness of error.As most excellent well saith the poet：

The folk imagine of us twain an evil thing，I ween，And with their hearts and souls，indeed，they do persist therein.

Come，let us justify their thought and free them thus from guilt，This once，gainst us；and then will we repent us of our sin.'