"Payne Volume VIII" - читать интересную книгу автора (Paynes Versions)

ааааа By reason of a lovely maid, who came into our land: The full moon in the height of heaven is as her counterpart.
ааааа She went and left me by her charms cast down and done to death, Slain of a shaft that from her lids death-dealing she did dart.
Then another monk recited the following verses:
ааааа O ye that with my soul have fled, on your unhappy swain Have pity and to his despair your blest returning deign.
ааааа They fared away and my repose departed after them; But still the sweetness of their speech doth in mine ears remain.
ааааа They're distant, yea, and distant is their visitation-place: Would they'd vouchsafe, though but in dreams, their sight to us again!
ааааа When they departed hence, they took my heart with them and left Me all dissolved in floods of tears, that from mine eyes did rain.
A third monk followed with these lines:
ааааа Heart, eyes and ears to set thee in the highest room agree; For, lo, my heart and all of me's a dwelling-place for thee.
ааааа Sweeter than honey in my mouth thy name is and thy thought Runs, as the vital spirit runs, in every rib of me.
ааааа Lean as a skewer hast thou made my frame for languishment; Yea, and thou'st drowned me with my tears in very passion's sea.
ааааа Let me but look on thee in sleep; mayhap thy lovely sight Shall from the torment of my tears avail my cheeks to free.
Then a fourth recited the following verses:
ааааа Dumb is my tongue for sorrow; my speech of thee doth fail; Of passion comes my anguish, my sickness and my bale.
ааааа O thou full moon, whose place is in heaven, sore for thee Love-longing and distraction my spirit do assail.
And a fifth these:
ааааа I love a moon, shapely and slim and well-grown; Her waist of the weight of her buttocks makes moan.
ааааа Like the first pressed-out wine are the dews of her mouth And her lips to mankind for distraction are known.
ааааа My heart burns with passion; the lover lies slain, Midst the dark, whence the moon and its lustre are flown,
ааааа And his tears like the rains flow, nor ever run dry, For a cheek that is red as cornelian-stone.
And a sixth these:
ааааа Thou, whose exceeding rigour hath slain me for desire, O cassia-branch, whose planet mounts ever high and higher,
ааааа To thee of my affliction, my passion, I complain, O thou whose cheeks consume me with roses red as fire!
ааааа Is there his like for lover, who damns his soul for thee, Prayers and prostrations leaving, for all he is a friar?
And a seventh these:
ааааа My heart she prisoned and the tears from out mine eyes set free, My patience rent and love-longing she fortified in me.
ааааа Sweet are her attributes, but, ah, how sour her rigour is! The hearts of all, who light on her, with arrows shooteth she.
ааааа O thou who blamest me, desist; repent thee for the past; For, in the case of passion, thou mayst not believщd be.
And on like wise all the rest of the monks repeated verses and wept. As for Danis, lamentation and weeping redoubled on him, for that he found no way to her enjoyment, and he chanted the following verses:
ааааа My patience failed me, when my loves took leave and fared away, When they, my wish and my desire, forsook me, sooth to say.
ааааа Soft with their camels, O thou guide o' the litters! Haply yet They to my dwelling to return may deign some blessed day.
ааааа Slumber forsook my lids the day we parted; my delight Departed with them and my woes waxed on me for dismay.
ааааа To God I make my moan of that I suffer for her love; My body's wasted sore and she hath caused my strength decay.
Then, despairing of her, they took counsel together and agreed to fashion her image [and set it up] with them, and applied themselves to this till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and Sunderer of Companies.
Meanwhile, Zein el Mewasif fared on, without ceasing, till she reached her own house and opened the doors. Then she entered and sent to her sister Nesim, who rejoiced exceedingly at the news of her return and brought her the furniture and precious stuffs [she had left in her charge]. So she furnished the house and hung up the curtains over the doors and burnt aloes-wood and musk and ambergris and other perfumes, till the whole house reeked with the most delightful fragrance: after which she donned her finest clothes and ornaments and sat talking with her maids, whom she had left behind, and relating to them all that had befallen her. Then she turned to Huboub and giving her money, bade her fetch them something to eat. So she brought meat and drink and when they had made an end of eating and drinking, Zein el Mewasif bade Huboub go and see where Mesrour was and how it fared with him.
Now Mesrour knew not of her return, but abode in sore concern and sorrow that might not be overpast; no peace remained to him nor was patience possible to him. Whenas love and passion and yearning and distraction waxed on him, he would solace himself by reciting verses and go to the house and kiss its walls. It chanced that he went out that day to the place where he had parted from his mistress and repeated the following verses:
ааааа That which for thee I suffer I would have hid; but, nay, 'Twould out, and sleep for waking mine eyes have bartered aye.
ааааа Since that wanhope doth canker my heart both night and day, I cry aloud, 'O Fortune, hold back thy hand, I pray,
ааааа For lo, my soul is straitened 'twixt peril and dismay.
ааааа If but the Lord of passion were just, indeed, to me, Sure slumber from mine eyelids he had not bidden flee.
ааааа Have ruth upon a lover, who languishes for thee, The great one of people, cast down by Love's decree,
ааааа The rich, whom love hath beggared and brought him to decay.
ааааа The censors still revile thee; I heed them not, not I, But stop mine ears against them and give them back the lie.
ааааа Still will I keep my troth-plight with her I love. They cry, 'Thou lovest one departed and gone;' and I reply,
ааааа 'Enough; when Fate descendeth, the sight is blinded aye.'
Then he returned to his lodging and sat there weeping, till sleep overcame him, when he saw in a dream as if Zein el Mewasif were come to the house, and awoke, weeping. So he set off to go thither, repeating the following verses:
ааааа How shall I be consoled for her whose am I, every jot, When all my heart's aglow with flames than coals of fire more hot?
ааааа To Allah of the shifts of Fate, the nights' vicissitudes And of her absence I complain, whom well I love, God wot.
ааааа When shall we meet, O term of heart's desire? O full-moon face, When shall the favouring Fates to me reunion allot?
As he made an end of his recitation, he found himself in Zein el Mewasif's street and smelt the sweet savour of the perfumes with which she had incensed the house; wherefore his heart fluttered and was like to leave his breast and desire flamed up in him and distraction redoubled upon him, when, behold, up came Huboub, on her way to do her mistress's errand. When she saw him, she went up to him and saluting him, gave him the glad news of her mistress's return, saying, 'She hath sent me to bid thee to her.' Whereat he rejoiced with an exceeding joy and she took him and returned with him to the house.