The Book Of The Thousand Nights And A Night, Vol 1 Page-165

The Book Of The Thousand Nights And A Night, Vol 1

A plain and literal translation of the arabian nights entertainments

eyelids Sagittarius threw: Dowered him Mercury with bright mercurial wit; Bore off the Bear[FN#315] what all man’s evil glances grew: Amazed stood Astrophil to sight the marvel birth When louted low the Moon at full to buss the Earth. And of a truth Allah the Most High had robed him in the raiment of perfect grace and had purfled and fringed it with a cheek all beauty and loveliness, even as the poet saith of such an one:— By his eyelids shedding perfume and his fine slim waist I swear, * By the shooting of his shafts barbed with sorcery passing rare; By the softness of his sides,[FN#316] and glances’ lingering light, * And brow of dazzling day-tide ray and night within his hair; By his eyebrows which deny to who look upon them rest, Now bidding now forbidding, ever dealing joy and care; By the rose that decks his cheek, and the myrtle of its moss,[FN#317] By jacinths bedded in his lips and pearl his smile lays bare; By his graceful bending neck and the curving of his breast, * Whose polished surface beareth those granados, lovely pair; By his heavy hips that quiver as he passeth in his pride, * Or he resteth with that waist which is slim beyond compare; By the satin of his skin, by that fine unsullied sprite; By the beauty that containeth all things bright and debonnair; By that ever open hand; by the candour of his tongue; By noble blood and high degree whereof he’s hope and heir; Musk from him borrows muskiness she loveth to exhale And all the airs of ambergris through him perfume the air; The sun, methinks, the broad bright sun, before my love would pale And sans his splendour would appear a paring of his nail.[FN#318] I glanced at him with one glance of eyes which caused me a thousand sighs; and my heart was at once taken captive wise, so I asked him, “O my lord and my love, tell me that whereof I questioned thee;” and he answered, “Hearing is