第94章

I'd rather ride a colt that's darn upon the day*Of race，and set my friends upon the elephant.'

And a sixth，My lover came to me one night，* And clips we both with fond embrace；

And lay together till we saw*The morning come with swiftest pace.

Now I pray Allah and my Lord*To reunite us of His grace And make night last me long as he*Lies in the arms that tightly lace.'

Were I to set forth all the praises of blackness，my tale would be tedious； but little and enough is better than too much of unfilling stuff.As for thee，O blonde，thy colour is that of leprosy and thine embrace is suffocation；[368] and it is of report that hoar-frost and icy cold[369] are in Gehenna for the torment of the wicked.Again，of things black and excellent is ink，wherewith is written Allah's word； and were it not for black ambergris and black musk，there would be no perfumes to carry to Kings.How many glories I may not mention dwell in blackness，and how well saith the poet，'Seest not that musk，the nut brown musk，e'er claims the highest price*Whilst for a load of whitest lime none more than dirham bids？

And while white speck upon the eye deforms the loveliest youth，*

Black eyes discharge the sharpest shafts in lashes from their lids.'

Quoth her master，'Sit thee down： this much sufficeth.'So she sat down and he signed to the fat girl，who rose'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Thirty-sixth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that 'the man of Al-Yaman，the master of the handmaids，signed to the fat girl who rose and，pointing her finger at the slim girl，bared her calves and wrists and uncovered her stomach，showing its dimples and the plump rondure of her navel.Then she donned a shift of fine stuff，that exposed her whole body，and said： 'Praised be Allah who created me，for that He beautified my face and made me fat and fair of the fattest and fairest； and likened me to branches laden with fruit，and bestowed upon me abounding beauty and brightness： and praised be He no less，for that He hath given me the precedence and honoured me，when He mentioneth me in His holy Book！ Quoth the Most High，'And he brought a fatted calf.'[370] And He hath made me like unto a vergier full of peaches and pomegranates.In very sooth even as the townsfolk long for fat birds and eat of them and love not lean birds，so do the sons of Adam desire fat meat and eat of it.How many vauntful attributes are there not in fatness，and how well saith the poet，'Farewell thy love，for see，the Cafilah's[371] on the move：*

O man，canst bear to say adieu and leave thy love？

'Tis as her going were to seek her neighbour's tent，* The gait of fat fair maid，whom hearts shall all approve.'

Sawest thou ever one stand before a flesher's stall but sought of him fat flesh？ The wise say，'Joyance is in three things，eating meat and riding meat and putting meat into meat.'[372] As for thee，O thin one，thy calves are like the shanks of sparrows or the pokers of furnaces； and thou art a cruciform plank of a piece of flesh poor and rank； there is naught in thee to gladden the heart； even as saith the poet，'With Allah take I refuge from whatever driveth me*To bed with one like footrasp[373] or the roughest ropery：

In every limb she hath a horn that butteth me whene'er*I fain would rest，so morn and eve I wend me wearily.'

Quoth her master，'Sit thee down： this much sufficeth.'So she sat down and he signed to the slender girl，who rose，as she were a willow-wand，or a rattan-frond or a stalk of sweet basil，and said： 'Praised be Allah who created me and beautified me and made my embraces the end of all desire and likened me to the branch，whereto all hearts incline.If I rise，I rise lightly； if I sit，I sit prettily； I am nimble-witted at a jest and merrier-souled than mirth itself.Never heard I one describe his mistress，saying，'My beloved is the bigness of an elephant or like a mountain long and broad；'but rather，'My lady hath a slender waist and a slim shape.'[374] Furthermore a little food filleth me and a little water quencheth my thirst； my sport is agile and my habit active； for I am sprightlier than the sparrow and lighter-skipping than the starling.My favours are the longing of the lover and the delight of the desirer； for I am goodly of shape，sweet of smile and graceful as the bending willow-wand or the rattan-cane[375] or the stalk of the basil-plant； nor is there any can compare with me in loveliness，even as saith one of me，'Thy shape with willow branch I dare compare，* And hold thy figure as my fortunes fair：

I wake each morn distraught，and follow thee，* And from the rival's eye in fear I fare.'

It is for the like of me that amourists run mad and that those who desire me wax distracted.If my lover would draw me to him，I am drawn to him； and if he would have me incline to him，I incline to him and not against him.But now，as for thee，O fat of body，thine eating is the feeding of an elephant，and neither much nor little filleth thee.When thou liest with a man who is lean，he hath no ease of thee； nor can he anyways take his pleasure of thee； for the bigness of thy belly holdeth him off from going in unto thee and the fatness of thy thighs hindereth him from coming at thy slit.What goodness is there in thy grossness，and what courtesy or pleasantness in thy coarseness？

Fat flesh is fit for naught but the flasher，nor is there one point therein that pleadeth for praise.If one joke with thee，thou art angry； if one sport with thee，thou art sulky； if thou sleep，thou snorest if thou walk，thou lollest out thy tongue！ if thou eat，thou art never filled.Thou art heavier than mountains and fouler than corruption and crime.Thou hast in thee nor agility nor benedicite nor thinkest thou of aught save meat and sleep.When thou pissest thou swishes'； if thou turd thou gruntest like a bursten wine skin or an elephant transmogrified.