prospereth not who sleepeth." He rejoined, "O my lady, I slept
not but because of the cooling of my heart by reason of thy
promise. But what hath happened, O my lady?" So she told him her
adventure with the black, first and last, and he said, "Praised
be Allah for safety!" Then they fared on at full speed,
committing their affair to the Subtle, the All-wise and
conversing as they went, till they came to the place where the
black lay prostrate in the dust, as he were an Ifrit, and Miriam
said to Nur al-Din, "Dismount; strip him of his clothes and take
his arms." He answered, "By Allah, O my lady, I dare not dismount
nor approach him." And indeed he marvelled at the blackamoor's
stature and praised the Princess for her deed, wondering the
while at her valour and stout-heartedness. They fared on lustily
and ceased not so doing all that night and halted not till the
day broke with its shine and sheen and the sun shone bright upon
plain and height when they came to a wide riverino lea wherein
the gazelles were frisking gracefully. Its surface was clothed
with green and on all sides fruit trees of every kind were seen:
its slopes for flowers like serpents' bellies showed, and birds
sang on boughs aloud and its rills in manifold runnels flowed.
And indeed it was as saith the poet and saith well and
accomplisheth the hearer's desire,

"Rosy red Wady hot with summer-glow, * Where twofold tale of
common growth was piled.
In copse we halted wherein bent to us * Branches, as bendeth
nurse o'er weanling-child.
And pure cold water quenching thirst we sipped: * To cup-mate
sweeter than old wine and mild:
From every side it shut out sheen of sun * Screen-like, but wooed