صفحة 715 من 788

She went to the table to pour wine for the guests.

The sun was already setting, the evening was warm and quiet; the

circle of the heavens, here and there strewn with little clouds,

was azure on high, but rosy in the west; the little clouds

foretold fine weather, being light and shining-here like flocks

of sheep sleeping on the greensward, there of somewhat smaller

size, like coveys of teal. In the west was a cloud in shape like

the drapery curtains of a couch, transparent and with many folds,

pearly at the summit, gilded on the margin, purple in the centre;

it still burned and glowed with the western gleams; at last it

slowly turned yellow, then pale and grey; the sun dropped its

head, drew the cloud about it, and sighing a single time with a

warm breath-it fell asleep.230