第150章 ABOULHUSN AND HIS SLAVE-GIRL TAWEDDUD.(16)

Quoth she'Hear what I shall say in answer；then put off thy clothesthat I may expound to thee.'Then the Khalif said'Expoundand he shall put off his clothes.'So she said'Thatwhich is sweeter than honeyis the love of pious children to their parents；thatwhich is sharper than the swordis the tongue；thatwhich is swifter than poison，is the evil eye；the delight of a moment is coition and the contentment of three days is the depilatory for women；the pleasantest of days is that of profit on merchandise；the joy of a week is the bride；the debtwhich the worst payer denieth notis death；the prison of the tomb is an ill son；the joy of the heart is a woman obedient to her husband（and it is said also thatwhen fleshmeat descends upon the heartit rejoiceth therein）；the snare [or vexation] of the soul is a disobedient slave；death in life is poverty；the maladythat may not be healedis an ill nature and the reproachthat may not be done awayis an ill daughter；lastlythe beast that harbours not in cultivated fieldsbut lodges in waste places and hates mankind and hath in it somewhat of the make of seven strong beastsis the locustwhose head is as the head of the horse，its neck as the neck of the bullits wings as the wings of the vultureits feet as the feet of the camelits tail as the tail of the serpentits body as the body of the scorpion and its horns as the horns of the gazelle.'

The Khalif was astounded at her quickness and understanding and said to Ibrahim'Put off thy clothes.'So he rose and said'I call all who are present in this assembly to witness that she is more learned than I and all the learned men.'And he put off his clothes and gave them to hersaying'Take them and may God not bless them to thee！'The Khalif ordered him fresh clothes and said to Taweddud'There is one thing left of that for which thou didst engagenamelychess.'And he sent for professors of chess and draughts and backgammon. The chess-player sat down before herand they set the piecesand he moved and she moved；butevery move he made she speedily counteredtill she beat him and he found himself check-mated.

Quoth he'I did but lead thee onthat thou mightest think thyself skilful；but set up againand I will show thee.'So they placed the pieces a second timeand he said to himself，'Open thine eyesor she will beat thee.'And he fell to moving no piecesave after calculationand ceased not to playtill she said'Check-mate.'When he saw thishe was confounded at her quickness and skill；but she laughed and said'O master，I will make a wager with thee on this third game. I will give thee the queen and the right-hand rook and the left-hand knight；if thou beat metake my clothesand if I beat theeI will take thine.'I agree to this，'replied heand they replaced the piecesshe giving him the queenrook and knight. Then said she'MoveO master.'So he movedsaying in himself，'I cannot but winwith such an advantage，'and made a combination；but she moved onlittle by littletill she made one of her pawns a queen and pushing up to him pawns and other piecesto take off his attentionset one in his way and tempted him with it.

Accordinglyhe took it and she said to him'The measure is meted out and the equilibrium established. EatO mantill thou pass repletion；nought shall be thy ruin but greediness. Knowest thou not that I did but tempt theethat I might beguile thee？ See：

this is check-mate： put off thy clothes.'Leave me my trousers，'quoth he'so God requite thee；'and he swore by Allah that he would contend with noneso long as Taweddud abode at the Court of Baghdad. Then he took off his clothes and gave them to her and went away.

Then came the backgammon-playerand she said to him'If I beat theewhat wilt thou give me？'Quoth he'I will give thee ten suits of brocade of Constantinoplefigured with goldand ten suits of velvet and a thousand dinarsand if I beat thee，I ask nothing but that thou write me an acknowledgment thereof.'

'To itthen，'replied she'and do thy best.'So they played，and he lost and went awayjabbering in the Frank jargon and saying'By the bounty of the Commander of the Faithfulthere is not her like in all the world！'Then the Khalif summoned players on instruments of music and said to her'Dost thou know aught of music？'Yes，'answered she. So he bade bring a peeled and polished lutewhose owner [or maker] was ground down by exile [or estrangement from the beloved] and of which quoth onedescribing it：

God watered a land and straight a tree sprang up on its root：

It cast forth branches and throve and flourished with many a shoot.

The birdswhen the wood was greensang o'er itand when it was dryFair women sang to it in turnfor lo'twas a minstrel's lute！

So they brought a bag of red satinwith tassels of saffron-coloured silk： and she opened the bagand took out a luteon which were graven the following verses：

Full many a tender branch a lute for singing-girl has grown，Wherewith at banquets to her mates she makes melodious moan.

She sings；it follows on her songas 'twere to teach her how Heart's troubles in clear perfect speech of music to make known.

She laid her lute in her lap and letting her breasts hang over itbent to it as bends a mothersuckling her child；then preluded in twelve different modestill the whole assembly was agitated with delightand sang the following verses：

Leave your estrangementI prayand bid your cruelty hold，Forby your lifemy heart will never for you be consoled.

Have pity on one who weepsafflicted and ever sadA slave of passionwho burns for thee with longings untold.

The Khalif was ravished and exclaimed'May God bless thee and receive him who taught thee into His mercy！'Whereupon she rose and kissed the earth before him. Then he sent for money and paid her master Aboulhusn a hundred thousand dinars to her price；after which he said to her'O Taweddudask a boon of me.'O Commander of the Faithful，'replied she'I ask of thee that thou restore me to my lord who sold me to thee.'

'It is well，'answered the Khalif and restored her to her master and gave her five thousand dinars for herself. Moreover，he appointed Aboulhusn one of his boon-companions and assigned him a monthly stipend of a thousand dinars so long as he should liveand he abode with the damsel Taweddud in all delight of life.

Marvel thenO Kingat the eloquence of this damsel and the greatness of her learning and understanding and her perfect excellence in all branches of knowledgeand consider the generosity of the Khalif Haroun er Reshidin that he gave her master this money and said to her'Ask a boon of me；'and she besought him to restore her to her lord. So he restored her to him and gave her five thousand dinars for herself and made him one of his boon-companions. Where is such generosity to be found after the Abbaside Khalifsmay God the Most High have mercy upon them all！