书城公版Volume Seven
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第9章

'When he heard her words,his heart fluttered and he knew not their inner meaning; but Aziz made a sign to him and he replied,'I have everything thou canst desire and especially I have goods that besit none but Kings and King's daughters; so tell me what stuff thou wantest and for whom,that I may show thee what will be fitting for him.'This he said,that he might learn the meaning of her words; and she rejoined,'I want a stuff fit for the Princess Dunya,daughter of King Shahriman.'Now when the Prince heard the name of his beloved,he joyed with great joy and said to Aziz,'Give me such a parcel.'So Aziz brought it and opened it before Taj alMuluk who said to the old woman,'Select what will suit her; for these goods are to be found only with me.'She chose stuffs worth a thousand dinars and asked,'How much is this?'; and she ceased not the while to talk with him and rub what was inside her thighs with the palm of her hand.

Answered Taj alMuluk,'Shall I haggle with the like of thee about this paltry price?Praised be Allah who hath acquainted me with thee!'The old woman rejoined,'Allah's name be upon thee!

I commend thy beautiful face to the protection of the Lord of the Daybreak.[29] Beautiful face and eloquent speech! Happy she who lieth in thy bosom and claspeth thy waist in her arms and enjoyeth thy youth,especially if she be beautiful and lovely like thyself!'At this,Taj alMuluk laughed till he fell on his back and said to himself,'O Thou who fulfillest desires human by means of pimping old women! They are the true fulfillers of desires!'Then she asked,'O my son,what is thy name?'and he answered,'My name is Taj alMuluk,the Crown of Kings.'Quoth she,'This is indeed a name of Kings and King's sons and thou art clad in merchant's clothes.'Quoth Aziz,'for the love his parents and family bore him and for the value they set on him,they named him thus.'Replied the old woman,'Thou sayest sooth,Allah guard you both from the evil eye and the envious,though hearts be broken by your charms!'Then she took the stuffs and went her way; but she was amazed at his beauty and stature and symmetry,and she ceased not going till she found the Lady Dunya and said to her,'O my mistress! I have brought thee some handsome stuffs.'Quoth the Princess,'Show me that same'; and the old woman,'O apple of my eye,here it is,turn it over and examine it.'Now when the Princess looked at it she was amazed and said,'O my nurse,this is indeed handsome stuff: I have never seen its like in our city.'O my lady,'replied the old nurse,'he who sold it me is handsomer still.It would seem as if Rizwan had left the gates of Paradise open in his carelessness,and as if the youth who sold me this stuff had come bodily out of Heaven.I would he might sleep this night with thee and might lie between thy breasts.[30] He hath come to thy city with these precious stuffs for amusement's sake,and he is a temptation to all who set eyes on him.'The Princess laughed at her words and said,'Allah afflict thee,O pernicious old hag!

Thou dotest and there is no sense left in thee.'Presently,she resumed,'Give me the stuff that I may look at it anew.'So she gave it her and she took it again and saw that its size was small and its value great.It pleased her,for she had never in her life seen its like,and she exclaimed,'By Allah,this is a handsome stuff!'Answered the old woman,'O my lady,by Allah!

if thou sawest its owner thou wouldst know him for the handsomest man on the face of the earth.'Quoth the Lady Dunya,'Didst thou ask him if he had any need,that he might tell us and we might satisfy it?'But the nurse shook her head and said,'The Lord keep thy sagacity! By Allah,he hath a want,may thy skill not fail thee.What! is any man free from wants?'Rejoined the Princess,'Go back to him and salute him and say to him,'Our land and town are honoured by thy visit and,if thou have any need,we will fulfil it to thee,on our head and eyes.' ' So the old woman at once returned to Taj alMuluk,and when he saw her his heart jumped for joy and gladness and he rose to his feet before her and,taking her hand,seated her by his side.As soon as she was rested,she told him what Princess Dunya had said; and he on hearing it joyed with exceeding joy; his breast dilated to the full; gladness entered his heart and he said to himself,'Verily,I have my need.'Then he asked the old woman,'Haply thou wilt take her a message from me and bring me her answer?'

and she answered,'I hear and I obey.'So he said to Aziz,'Bring me inkcase and paper and a brazen pen.'And when Aziz brought him what he sought,he hent the pen in hand and wrote these lines of poetry,'I write to thee,O fondest hope! a writ

Of grief that severance on my soul cloth lay:

Saith its first line,'Within my heart is [owe!'

Its second,'Love and Longing on me prey!'

Its third,'My patience waste is,fades my life!'

Its fourth,'Naught shall my pain and pine allay!'

Its fifth,'When shall mine eyes enjoy thy sight?'

Its sixth,'Say,when shall dawn our meetingday?'

And,lastly,by way of subion he wrote these words. 'This letter is from the captive of captivation prisoned in the hold of longing expectation wherefrom is no emancipation but in anticipation and intercourse and in unification after absence and separation.For from the severance of friends he loveth so fain he suffereth love pangs and pining pain. 'Then his tears rushed out,and he indited these two couplets,'I write thee,love,the while my tears pour down;Nor cease they ever pouring thick and fleet:

Yet I despair not of my God,whose grace Haply some day will grant us twain to meet.'

Then he folded the letter[31] and sealed it with his signet ring and gave it to the old woman,saying,'Carry it to the Lady Dunya.'Quoth she,'To hear is to obey;'whereupon he gave her a thousand dinars and said to her,'O my mother! accept this gift from me as a token of my affection.'She took both from him and blessed him and went her way and never stinted walking till she went in to the Lady Dunya.Now when the Princess saw her she said to her,'O my nurse,what is it he asketh of need that we may fulfil his wish to him?'Replied the old woman,'O my lady,he sendeth thee this letter by me,and I know not what is in it;'