第13章

'What be thy monthly wages？'asked the Wazir and he answered，'One diner and no more.'Then the Minister looked round about the garden and，seeing in its midst a pavilion tall and grand but old and disused，said to the keeper，'O elder，I am minded to do here a good work，by which thou shalt remember me.Replied the other，'O my lord，what is the good work thou wouldest do？'ake these three hundred diners，'rejoined the Wazir When the Keeper heard speak of the gold，he said，'O my lord，whatso thou wilt，do！'So the Wazir gave him the monies，saying，'Inshallah，we will make a good work in this place！'Then they left him and returned to their lodging，where they passed the night；and when it was the next day，the Minister sent for a plasterer and a painter and a skilful goldsmith and，furnishing them with all the tools they wanted，carried them to the garden，where he bade them whitewash the walls of the pavilion and decorate it with various kinds of paintings.Moreover he sent for gold and lapis lazuli[40] and said to the painter，'Figure me on the wall，at the upper end of this hall，a man fowler with his nets spread and birds falling into them and a female pigeon entangled in the meshes by her bill.'And when the painter had finished his picture on one side，the Wazir said，'Figure me on the other side a similar figure and represent the she pigeon alone in the snare and the fowler seizing her and setting the knife to her neck；and draw on the third side wall，a great raptor clutching the male pigeon，her mate，and digging talons into him.'The artist did his bidding，and when he and the others had finished the designs，they received their hire and went away.Then the Wazir and his companions took leave of the Gardener and returned to their place，where they sat down to converse.And Taj alMuluk said to Aziz，'O my brother，recite me some verses： perchance it may broaden my breast and dispel my dolours and quench the fire flaming in my heart.'So Aziz chanted with sweet modulation these couplets，'Whate'er they say of grief to lovers came，I，weakling I，can single handed claim：

An seek thou watering spot，[41] my streaming eyes

Pour floods that thirst would quench howe'er it flame Or wouldest view what ruin Love has wrought

With ruthless hands，then see this wasted frame.'

And his eyes ran over with tears and he repeated these couplets also，'Who loves not swanneck and gazellelike eyes，

Yet claims to know Life's joys，I say he lies：

In Love is mystery，none avail to learn

Save he who loveth in pure loving wise.

Allah my heart ne'er lighten of this love，

Nor rob the wakefulness these eyelids prize.'

Then he changed the mode of song and sang these couplets：

'Ibn Sina[42] in his Canon cloth opine

Lovers' best cure is found in merry song：

In meeting lover of a like degree，Dessert in garden，wine draughts long and strong：

I chose another who of thee might cure

While Force and Fortune aided well and long But ah！ I learnt Love's mortal ill，wherein Ibn Sina's recipe is fond and wrong.'

After hearing them to the end，Taj alMuluk was pleased with his verses and wondered at his eloquence and the excellence of his recitation，saying，'Indeed，thou hast done away with somewhat of my sorrow.'Then quoth the Wazir'Of a truth，there occurred to those of old what astoundeth those who hear it told.'Quoth the Prince，'If thou canst recall aught of this kind，prithee let us hear thy subtle lines and keep up the talk.'So the Minister chanted in modulated song these couplets，'Indeed I deemed thy favours might be bought

By gifts of gold and things that joy the sprite And ignorantly thought thee lighto'love，When can thy love lay low the highmost might；Until I saw thee choosing one，that one Loved with all favour，crowned with all delight：

Then wot I thou by sleight canst ne'er be won

And under wing my head I hid from sight And in this nest of passion made my wone，Wherein I nestle morning，noon and night.'

So far concerning them；but as regards the old woman she remained shut up from the world in her house，till it befel that the King's daughter was taken with a desire to divert herself in the garden.Now she had never been wont so to do save in company with her nurse；accordingly she sent for her and made friends with her and soothed her sorrow，saying，'I wish to go forth to the garden，that I may divert myself with the sight of its trees and Fruits，and broaden my breast with the scent of its flowers.'