第91章

At this I joyed with exceeding great joy and carried the letter to Jubayr，whom I found with his eyes fixed intently on the door，expecting the reply and as soon as I gave him the letter and he opened and read it and understood it，he uttered a great cry and fell down in a fainting fit.When he came to himself，he said to me，'O Ibn Mansur，did she indeed write this note with her hand and feel it with her fingers？'Answered I，'O my lord，do folk write with their feet？'And by Allah，O Commander of the Faithful，I had not done speaking these words，when we heard the tinkle-tinkle of her anklets in the vestibule and she entered.And seeing her he sprang to his feet as though nothing pained or ailed him and embraced her like the letter L embraceth the letter A；[345]

and the infirmity，that erst would not depart at once left him.[346] Then he sat down，but she abode standing and I said to her，'O my lady，why dost thou not sit？'Said she，'O Ibn Mansur，save on a condition that is between us，I will not sit.'

I asked，'And what is that？'； and she answered，'None may know lovers'secrets，'and putting her mouth to Jubayr's ear whispered to him； where upon he replied，'I hear and I obey.'Then he rose and said somewhat in a whisper to one of his slaves，who went out and returned in a little while with a Kazi and two witnesses.

Thereupon Jubayr stood up and taking a bag containing an hundred thousand dinars，said，O Kazi，marry me to this young lady and write this sum to her marriage-settlement.'Quoth the Kazi to her，'Say thou，I consent to this.''I consent to this，'quoth she，whereupon he drew up the contract of marriage and she opened the bag； and，taking out a handful of gold，gave it to the Kazi and the witnesses and handed the rest to Jubayr.Thereupon the Kazi and the witnesses withdrew，and I sat with them，in mirth and merriment，till the most part of the night was past，when I said in my mind，'These are lovers and they have been this long while separated.I will now arise and go sleep in some place afar from them and leave them to their privacy，one with other.'So I rose，but she caught hold of my skirts，saying，'What thinkest thou to do？''Nothing but so and so，'answered I； upon which she rejoined，'Sit thee down； and when we would be rid of thee，we will send thee away.'So I sat down with them till near daybreak，when she said to me，'O Ibn Mansur，go to yonder chamber； for we have furnished it for thee and it is thy sleeping-place.'

Thereupon I arose and went thither and slept till morning，when a page brought me basin and ewer，and I made the ablution and prayed the dawn-prayer.Then I sat down and presently，behold，Jubayr and his beloved came out of the bath in the house，and I saw them both wringing their locks.[347] So I wished them good morning and gave them joy of their safety and reunion，saying to Jubayr，'That which began with constraint and conditions hath ended in cordial-contentment.'He answered，'Thou sayest well，and indeed thou deservest thy honorarium；'and he called his treasurer，and said，'Bring hither three thousand dinars.'So he brought a purse containing the gold pieces and Jubayr gave it to me，saying，'Favour us by accepting this.'But I replied，'I will not accept it till thou tell me the manner of the transfer of love from her to thee，after so huge an aversion.'Quoth he，'Hearkening and obedience！ Know that we have a festival-called New Year's day，[348] when all the people fare forth and take boat and go a-pleasuring on the river.So I went out with my comrades，and saw a skiff，wherein were ten damsels like moons and amongst them，the Lady Budur lute in hand.She preluded in eleven modes，then，returning to the first，sang these two couplets，'Fire is cooler than fires in my breast，* Rock is softer than heart of my lord Marvel I that he's formed to hold*In water soft frame heart rock-hard！'

Said I to her，'Repeat the couplets and the air！'But she would not：''--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that 'Jubayr continued，'So cried I to her，Repeat the couplets and the air！'

But she would not； whereupon I bade the boatmen pelt her with oranges，and they pelted her till we feared her boat would founder Then she went her way，and this is how the love was transferred from her heart to mine.'So I wished them joy of their union and，taking the purse with its contents，I returned to Baghdad.'Now when the Caliph heard Ibn Mansur's story his heart was lightened and the restlessness and oppression from which he suffered forsook him.And they also tell the tale of THE MAN OF AI-YAMAN AND HIS SIX SlAVE-GIRLS.

The Caliph Al-Maamun was sitting one day in his palace，surrounded by his Lords of the realm and Officers of state，and there were present also before him all his poets and cup-companions amongst the rest one named Mohammed of Bassorah.