a garden of the garths of Paradise we lay,
Whose streams beneath the myrtle's shade and cassia's welled
amain And birds made carol jubilant from every blossomed
spray.
Quoth he, what while from out his hair the morning glimmered
white, "This, this is life indeed, except, alas! it doth not
stay."

"O elder," added she, "if Muslims and Jews and Nazarenes drink
wine, who are we [that we should abstain from it]?" "By Allah, O
my lady," answered he, "spare thine endeavour, for this is a
thing to which I will not hearken." When she knew that he would
not consent to her desire, she said to him, "O elder, I am of the
slave-girls of the Commander of the Faithful and the food waxeth
on me[FN#34] and if I drink not, I shall perish,[FN#35] nor wilt
thou be assured against the issue of my affair. As for me, I am
quit of blame towards thee, for that I have made myself known to
thee and have bidden thee beware of the wrath of the Commander of
the Faithful."

When the old man heard her words and that wherewith she menaced
him, he arose and went out, perplexed and knowing not what he
should do, and there met him a Jew, who was his neighbour, and
said to him, "O Sheikh, how cometh it that I see thee strait of
breast? Moreover, I hear in thy house a noise of talk, such as I
use not to hear with thee." Quoth the Muezzin, "Yonder is a
damsel who avoucheth that she is of the slave-girls of the
Commander of the Faithful Haroun er Reshid; and she hath eaten
food and now would fain drink wine in my house, but I forbade
her. However she avoucheth that except she drink thereof, she