第24章 STORY OF ALI BEN BEKKAR AND SHEMSENNEHAR.(4)

when do thou make shift to carry them forth.'Accordingly，the girl carried them up to the gallery and locking the door upon them，went away. As they sat looking on the garden，the Khalif appeared，preceded by near a hundred eunuchs with drawn swords and compassed about with a score of damsels，as they were moons，holding each a lighted flambeau. They were clad in the richest of raiment and on each ones head was a crown set with diamonds and rubies. The Khalif walked in their midst with a majestic gait，whilst Mesrour and Afif and Wesif went before him and Shemsennehar and all her damsels rose to receive him and meeting him at the garden door，kissed the earth before him；nor did they cease to go before him，till they brought him to the couch，whereon he sat down，whilst all the waiting-women and eunuchs stood before him and there came fair maids and slave-girls with lighted flambeaux and perfumes and essences and instruments of music. Then he bade the singers sit down，each in her room，and Shemsennehar came up and seating herself on a stool by the Khalifs side，began to converse with him，whilst Ali and the jeweller looked on and listened，unseen of the prince. The Khalif fell to jesting and toying with Shemsennehar and bade throw open the （garden） pavilion. So they opened the doors and windows and lighted the flambeaux till the place shone in the season of darkness even as the day. The eunuchs removed thither the wine-service and （quoth Aboulhusn），I saw drinking-vessels and rarities，whose like mine eyes never beheld，vases of gold and silver and all manner precious stones and jewels，such as beggar deion，till indeed meseemed I was dreaming，for excess of amazement at what I saw！'But as for Ali ben Bekkar，from the moment Shemsennehar left him，he lay prostrate on the ground for excess of passion and desire and when he revived，he fell to gazing upon these things that had not their like，and saying to Aboulhusn，O my brother，I fear lest the Khalif see us or come to know of us；but the most of my fear is for thee. For myself，I know that I am surely lost past recourse，and the cause of my destruction is nought but excess of passion and love-longing and desire and separation from my beloved，after union with her；but I beseech God to deliver us from this predicament.'Then they continued to look on，till the banquet was spread before the Khalif，when he turned to one of the damsels and said to her，Gheram，let us hear some of thine enchanting songs.'So she tool：

the lute and tuning it，sang as follows：

The longing of a Bedouin maid，whose folk are far away，Who yearns after the willow of the Hejaz and the bay，--Whose tears，when she on travellers lights，might for their water serve And eke her passion，with its heat，their bivouac-fire purvey，--Is not more fierce nor ardent than my longing for my love，Who deem： that I commit a crime in loving him alway.

When Shemsennehar heard this，she slipped off the stool on which she sat and fell to the earth insensible；where upon the damsels came and lifted her up. When Ali ben Bekkar saw this from the gallery，he also fell down senseless，and Aboulhusn said，Verily Fate hath apportioned passion equally between you！'As he spoke，in came the damsel who had brought them thither and said to him，O Aboulhusn，arise and come down，thou and thy friend，for of a truth the world is grown strait upon us and I fear lest our case be discovered or the Khalif become aware of you： so，except you descend at once，we are dead folk. How shall this youth descend，'replied he，seeing that he hath not strength to rise？

With this she fell to sprinkling rose-water on Ali ben Bekkar，till he came to himself，when Aboulhusn lifted him up and the damsel stayed him. So they went down from the gallery and walked on awhile，till they came to a little iron door，which the damsel opened，and they found themselves on the Tigris bank. Here they sat down on a stone bench，whilst the girl clapped her hands and there came up a man with a little boat，to whom said she，Carry these two young men to the other bank.'So they all three entered the boat and the man put off with them；and as they launched out into the stream，Ali ben Bekkar looked back towards the Khalifs palace and the pavilion and the garden and bade them farewell with these verses：

I stretch forth a feeble hand to bid farewell to thee，With the other upon my burning breast，beneath the heart of me.

But be not this the last of the love betwixt us twain And let not this the last of my souls refreshment be.