第151章 ABOULHUSN AND HIS SLAVE-GIRL TAWEDDUD.(17)

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！