And melodious birdies sing madrigals * And the Full Moon[FN#309]
shineth in branchshade wan;
Its ring-dove, its culver, its mocking-bird * And its Philomel
sing my soul t' unman;
And the longing of love all my wits confuseth * For her charms,
as the man whom his wine bemuseth."

Now when Zayn al-Maw sif heard his verse, she glanced at him with
eyes which bequeathed a thousand sighs and utterly ravished his
wisdom and wits and replied to him in these lines,

"Hope not of our favours to make thy prey * And of what thou
wishest thy greed allay:
And cease thy longing; thou canst not win * The love of the Fair
thou'rt fain t' essay,
My glances to lovers are baleful and naught * I reek of thy
speech: I have said my say!"

"Ho, thou! Begone about thy business, for we are none of the
woman-tribe who are neither thine nor another's.[FN#310]" And he
answered, "O my lady, I said nothing ill." Quoth she, "Thou
soughtest to divert thyself[FN#311] and thou hast had thy
diversion; so wend thy ways." Quoth he, "O my lady, belike thou
wilt give me a draught of water, for I am athirst." Whereupon she
cried, "How canst thou drink of a Jew's water, and thou a
Nazarene?" But he replied, "O my lady, your water is not
forbidden to us nor ours unlawful to you, for we are all as one
creation." So she said to her slave-girl, "Give him to drink;"
and she did as she was bidden. Then she called for the table of
food, and there came four damsels, high-bosomed maids, bearing