第99章

Then they laid up the furniture in the store closets，and Zayn al-Mawasif removed to Masrur's lodging，where he and she abode eating and drinking，till the three days were past；at the end of which the Jew arrived and knocked at the door of his house.Quoth Hubub，'Who's at the door？'；and quoth he；'Thy master.'So she opened to him and he saw the tears railing down her cheeks and said，'What aileth thee to weep and where is thy mistress？'She replied，'My mistress is dead of chagrin on thine account.'When he heard this，he was perplexed and wept with sore weeping and presently said，'O Hubub，where is her tomb？'So she carried him to the Jews' burial-ground and showed him the grave she had dug；whereupon he shed bitter tears and recited this pair of couplets，[374]'Two things there are，for which if eyes wept tear on tear * Of blood，till they were like indeed to disappear；They never could fulfil the Tithe of all their due： * And these are prime of youth and loss of loveling dear.'

Then he wept again with bitter tears and recited these also；'Alack and Alas！ Patience taketh flight： * And from parting of friend to sore death I'm dight：

O how woeful this farness from dear one，and oh * How my heart is rent by mine own unright！

Would Heaven my secret I erst had kept * Nor had told the pangs and my liverblight：

I lived in all solace and joyance of life * Till she left and left me in piteous plight：

O Zayn al-Mawasif，I would there were * No parting departing my frame and sprite：

I repent me for troth-breach and blame my guilt * Of unruth to her whereon hopes I built.'

When he had made an end of this verse，he wept and groaned and lamented till he fell down a-swoon，whereupon Hubub made haste to drag him to the grave and throw him in，whilst he was insensible yet quick withal.Then she stopped up the grave on him and returning to her mistress acquainted her with what had passed；whereat she rejoiced with exceeding joy and recited these two couplets；'The world sware that for ever'twould gar me grieve： *Tis false；O world，so thine oath retrieve[375]！

The blamer is dead and my love's in my arms： * Rise to herald of joys and tuck high thy sleeve[376]！'

Then she and Masrur abode each with other in eating and drinking and sport and pleasure and good cheer，till there came to them the Destroyer of delights and Sunderer of societies and Slayer of sons and daughters.And I have also heard tell the following tale of ALI NUR AL-DIN AND MIRIAM THE

GIRDLE-GIRL[377]

There was once in days of yore and in ages and times long gone before in the parts of Cairo，a merchant named Taj al-Din who was of the most considerable of the merchants and of the chiefs of the freeborn.But he was given to travelling everywhere and loved to fare over wild and wold，waterless lowland and stony waste；and to journey to the isles of the seas，in quest of dirhams and dinars： wherefore he had in his time encountered dangers and suffered duresse of the way such as would grizzle little children and turn their black hair grey.He was possessed of black slaves and Mamelukes，eunuchs and concubines，and was the wealthiest of the merchants of his time and the goodliest of them in speech；owning horses and mules and Bactrian camels and dromedaries；

sacks great and small of size；goods and merchandise and stuffs such as muslins of Hums，silks and brocades of Ba'allak，cotton of Mery，stuffs of India，gauzes of Baghdad，burnouses of Moorland and Turkish white slaves and Abyssinian castratos and Grecian girls and Egyptian boys；and the coverings of his bales were silk with gold purfled fair，for he was wealthy beyond compare.Furthermore he was rare of comeliness，accomplished in goodliness，and gracious in his kindliness，even as one of his describers doth thus express；'A merchant I spied whose lovers * Were fighting in furious guise：

Quoth he，'Why this turmoil of people？' * Quoth I，'Trader，for those fine eyes！'

And saith another in his praise and saith well enough to accomplish the wish of him；'Came a merchant to pay us a visit * Whose glance did my heart surprise：

Quoth he，'What surprised thee so？' * Quoth I，'Trader，'twas those fine eyes.''

Now that merchant had a son called Ali Nur al-Din，as he were the full moon whenas it meeteth the sight on its fourteenth night，a marvel of beauty and loveliness，a model of form and symmetrical grace，who was sitting one day as was his wont，in his father's shop，selling and buying，giving and taking，when the sons of the merchants girt him around and he was amongst them as moon among stars，with brow flower-white and cheeks of rosy light in down the tenderest dight，and body like alabaster-bright even as saith of him the poet；''Describe me！' a fair one said.* Said I，'Thou art Beauty's queen.'

And，speaking briefest speech，*'All charms in thee are seen.'

And as saith of him one of his describers；'His mole upon plain of cheek is like * Ambergris-crumb on marble plate；And his glances likest the sword proclaim * To all Love's rebels'The Lord is Great！'[378]

The young merchants invited him saying，'O my lord Nur al-Din，we wish thee to go this day a-pleasuring with us in such a garden.'