Читать книгу One Thousand and One Nights (Complete Annotated Edition) - Richard Francis Burton - Страница 158

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She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the youth continued to Taj al-Muluk: “So I raised my head to see whence this kerchief had fallen, when my eyes met those of the lady who owned these gazelles. And lo! she was looking out of a wicket in a lattice of brass and never saw my eyes a fairer than she, and in fine my tongue faileth to describe her beauty. When she caught sight of me looking at her, she put her forefinger into her mouth, then joined her middle finger and her witness finger1182 and laid them on her bosom, between her breasts; after which she drew in her head and closed the wicket shutter and went her ways. There upon fire broke out in and was heaped upon my heart, and greater grew my smart; the one sight cost me a thousand sighs and I abode perplexed, for that I heard no word by her spoken, nor understood the meaning of her token. I looked at the window a second time, but found it shut and waited patiently till sundown, but sensed no sound and saw no one in view. So when I despaired of seeing her again, I rose from my place and taking up the handkerchief, opened it, when there breathed from it a scent of musk which caused me so great delight I became as one in Paradise.1183 Then I spread it before me and out dropped from it a delicate little scroll; whereupon I opened the paper which was perfumed with a delicious perfume, and therein were writ these couplets,

“I sent to him a scroll that bore my plaint of love,

Writ in fine delicate hand; for writing proves man’s skill:

Then quoth to me my friend, ‘Why is thy writing thus;

So fine, so thin drawn ’tis to read unsuitable?’

Quoth I, ‘for that I’m fine-drawn wasted, waxed thin,

Thus lovers’ writ Should be, for so Love wills his will.

And after casting my eyes on the beauty of the kerchief,1184 I saw upon one of its two borders the following couplets worked in with the needle,

“His cheek down writeth (O fair fall the goodly scribe!)

Two lines on table of his face in Rayhán-hand:1185 O the wild marvel of the Moon when comes he forth! And when he bends, O shame to every Willow wand!”

And on the opposite border these two couplets were traced,

“His cheek down writeth on his cheek with ambergris on pearl

Two lines, like jet on apple li’en, the goodliest design:

Slaughter is in those languid eyne whene’er a glance they deal,

And drunkenness in either cheek and not in any wine.”

When I read the poetry on the handkerchief the flames of love darted into my heart, and yearning and pining redoubled their smart. So I took the kerchief and the scroll and went home, knowing no means to win my wish, for that I was incapable of conducting love affairs and inexperienced in interpreting hints and tokens. Nor did I reach my home ere the night was far spent and I found the daughter of my uncle sitting in tears. But as soon as she saw me she wiped away the drops and came up to me, and took off my walking dress and asked me the reason of my absence, saying, “All the folk, Emirs and notables and merchants and others, assembled in our house; and the Kazi and the witnesses were also present at the appointed time. They ate and tarried awhile sitting to await thine appearance for the writing of the contract; and, when they despaired of thy presence, they dispersed and went their ways. And indeed,” she added, “thy father raged with exceeding wrath by reason of this, and swore that he would not celebrate our marriage save during the coming year, for that he hath spent on these festivities great store of money.” And she ended by asking, “What hath befallen thee this day to make thee delay till now?; and why hast thou allowed that to happen which happened because of thine absence?” Answered I, “O daughter of mine uncle, question me not concerning what hath befallen me.”1186 Then I told her all that had passed from beginning to end, and showed her the handkerchief. She took the scroll and read what was written therein; and tears ran down her cheeks and she repeated these cinquains,

“Who saith that Love at first of free will came,

Say him: Thou liest! Love be grief and grame:

Yet shall such grame and grief entail no shame;

All annals teach us one thing and the same

Good current coin clips coin we may not crepe!

An please thou, say there’s pleasure in thy pain,

Find

Fortune’s playful gambols glad and fain:

Or happy blessings in th’ unhappy’s bane,

That joy or grieve, with equal might and main:

Twixt phrase and antiphrase I’m all a heap!

But he, withal, whose days are summer bright,

Whom maids e’er greet with smiling lips’ delight;

Whom spicey breezes fan in every site

And wins whate’er he wills, that happy wight

White blooded coward heart should never keep!”

Then she asked me, “What said she, and what signs made she to thee?” I answered, “She uttered not a word, but put her fore finger in her mouth, then joining it to her middle finger, laid both fingers on her bosom and pointed to the ground. Thereupon she withdrew her head and shut the wicket; and after that I saw her no more. However, she took my heart with her, so I sat till sun down, expecting her again to look out of the window; but she did it not; and, when I despaired of her, I rose from my seat and came home. This is my history and I beg thee to help me in this my sore calamity.” Upon this she raised her face to me and said, “O son of mine uncle, if thou soughtest my eye, I would tear it for thee from its eyelids, and perforce I cannot but aid thee to thy desire and aid her also to her desire; for she is whelmed in passion for thee even as thou for her.” Asked I, “And what is the interpretation of her signs?”; and Azizah answered, “As for the putting her finger in her mouth,1187 it showed that thou art to her as her soul to her body and that she would bite into union with thee with her wisdom teeth. As for the kerchief, it betokeneth that her breath of life is bound up in thee. As for the placing her two fingers on her bosom between her breasts, its explanation is that she saith; ‘The sight of thee may dispel my grief.’ For know, O my cousin, that she loveth thee and she trusteth in thee. This is my interpretation of her signs and, could I come and go at Will, I would bring thee and her together in shortest time, and curtain you both with my skirt.” Hearing these words I thanked her (continued the young merchant) for speaking thus, and said to myself, “I will wait two days.” So I abode two days in the house, neither going out nor coming in; neither eating nor drinking but I laid my head on my cousin’s lap, whilst she comforted me and said to me, “Be resolute and of good heart and hope for the best!”— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say,