第23章(2 / 3)

When Nuzhat alZaman heard these words,she remembered her brother,Zau alMakan,and his son Kanmakan,and,making her draw near to her and showing her honour,she said,'Verily at this moment,by Allah,I am grown rich and thou art poor;now by the Lord! we did not cease to seek thee out,but we feared to wound thy heart lest thou shouldest fancy our gifts to thee an alms gift.Withal,whatso weal we now enjoy is from thee and thy husband;so our house is thy house and our place thy place,and thine is all our wealth and what goods we have belong to thee.'

Then she robed her in sumptuous robes and set apart for her a place in the Palace adjoining her own;and they abode therein,she and her son,in all delight of life.And Nuzhat alZaman clothed him also in Kings' raiment and gave to them both especial handmaids for their service.After a little,she related to her husband the sad case of the widow of her brother,Zau alMakan,whereat his eyes filled with tears and he said,'Wouldest thou see the world after thee,look thou upon the world after other than thyself.Then entreat her honourably and enrich her poverty.'And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When It was the One Hundred and Thirtyeighth Night,She said,It hath reached me,O auspicious King,that when Nuzhat AlZaman related to her husband the sad case of the widow of her brother,Zau alMakan,the Chamberlain said,'Entreat her honourably and enrich her poverty.'Thus far concerning Nuzhat alZaman and her consort and the relict of Zau alMakan;but as regards Kanmakan and his cousin Kuzia Fakan,they grew up and flourished till they waxed like unto two fruitladen boughs or two shining moons;and they reached the age of fifteen.And she was indeed the fairest of maids who are modestly veiled,lovely faced with smooth cheeks graced,and slender waist on heavy hips based;and her shape was the shaft's thin line and her lips were sweeter than old wine and the nectar of her mouth as it were the fountain Salsabil[65];even as saith the poet in these two couplets describing one like her,'As though ptisane of wine on her lips honey dew Dropt from the ripened grapes her mouth in clusters grew And,when her frame thou doublest,and low bends her vine,Praise her Creator's might no creature ever knew.'