第12章

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty-sixth Night； She said，it hath reached me，O auspicious King，that after the departure of the damsels，Hasan sat in the palace sad and solitary and his breast was straitened by severance.He used to ride forth a-hunting by himself in the wold and bring back the game and slaughter it and eat thereof alone： but melancholy and disquiet redoubled on him，by reason of his loneliness.So he arose and went round about the palace and explored its every part；he opened the Princesses' apartments and found therein riches and treasures fit to ravish the beholder's reason；but he delighted not in aught thereof，by reason of their absence.His heart was fired by thinking of the door they had charged him not to approach or open on any account and he said in himself，'My sister had never enjoined me not to open this door，except there were behind it somewhat whereof she would have none to know；but；by Allah，I will arise and open it and see what is within，though within it were sudden death！'Then he took the key and，opening the door，[50] saw therein no treasure but he espied a vaulted and winding staircase of Yamani onyx at the upper end of the chamber.So he mounted the stair，which brought him out upon the terrace- roof of the palace，whence he looked down upon the gardens and vergiers，full of trees and fruits and beasts and birds warbling praises of Allah，the One，the All-powerful；and said in himself'This is that they forbade to me.' He gazed upon these pleasaunces and saw beyond a surging sea，dashing with clashing billows，and he ceased not to explore the palace right and left，till he ended at a pavilion builded with alternate courses，two bricks of gold and one of silver and jacinth and emerald and supported by four columns.And in the centre he saw a sitting- room paved and lined with a mosaic of all manner precious stones such as rubies and emeralds and balasses and other jewels of sorts；and in its midst stood a basin[51]

brimful of water，over which was a trellis-work of sandalwood and aloes-wood reticulated with rods of red gold and wands of emerald and set with various kinds of jewels and fine pearls，each sized as a pigeon's egg.The trellis was covered with a climbing vine；bearing grapes like rubies，and beside the basin stood a throne of lign-aloes latticed with red gold，inlaid with great pearls and comprising vari-coloured gems of every sort and precious minerals each kind fronting each and symmetrically disposed.

About it the birds warbled with sweet tongues and various voices celebrating the praises of Allah the Most High： brief，it was a palace such as nor C‘sar nor Chosro‰s ever owned；but Hasan saw therein none of the creatures of Allah，whereat he marvelled and said in himself，'I wonder to which of the Kings this place pertaineth，or is it Many-Columned Iram whereof they tell，for who among mortals can avail to the like of this？' And indeed he was amazed at the spectacle and sat down in the pavilion and cast glances around him marvelling at the beauty of its ordinance and at the lustre of the pearls and jewels and the curious works which therein were，no less than at the gardens and orchards aforesaid and at the birds that hymned the praises of Allah，the One，the Almighty；and he abode pondering the traces of him whom the Most High had enabled to rear that structure，for indeed He is muchel of might.[52] And presently，behold，he espied ten birds[53] flying towards the pavilion from the heart of the desert and knew that they were making the palace and bound for the basin，to drink of its waters： so he hid himself，for fear they should see him and take flight.They lighted on a great tree and a goodly and circled round about it；and he saw amongst them a bird of marvel-beauty，the goodliest of them all，and the nine stood around it and did it service；and Hasan marvelled to see it peck them with its bill and lord it over them while they fled from it.He stood gazing at them from afar as they entered the pavilion and perched on the couch；after which each bird rent open its neck-skin with its claws and issued out of it；and lo！

it was but a garment of feathers，and there came forth therefrom ten virgins，maids whose beauty shamed the brilliancy of the moon.They all doffed their clothes and plunging into the basin；washed and fell to playing and sporting one with other；whilst the chief bird of them lifted up the rest and ducked them down and they fled from her and dared not put forth their hands to her.When Hasan beheld her thus he took leave of his right reason and his sense was enslaved，so he knew that the Princesses had not forbidden him to open the door save because of this；for he fell passionately in love with her，for what he saw of her beauty and loveliness，symmetry and perfect grace，as she played and sported and splashed the others with the water.He stood looking upon them whilst they saw him not，with eye gazing and heart burning and soul[54] to evil prompting；and he sighed to be with them and wept for longing，because of the beauty and loveliness of the chief damsel.His mind was amazed at her charms and his heart taken in the net of her love；lowe was loosed in his heart for her sake and there waxed on him a flame；whose sparks might not be quenched，and desire，whose signs might not be hidden.Presently，they came up out of that basin，whilst Hasan marvelled at their beauty and loveliness and the tokens of inner gifts in the elegance of their movements.Then he cast a glance at the chief damsel who stood mother- naked and there was manifest to him what was between her thighs a goodly rounded dome on pillars borne，like a bowl of silver or crystal，which recalled to him the saying of the poet，[55]

'When I took up her shift and discovered the terrace-roof of her kaze，I found it as strait as my humour or eke my worldly ways：

So I thrust it，incontinent，in，halfway，and she heaved a sigh.

'For what dost thou sigh？' quoth I.'For the rest of it sure，' she says.'