Pagina 571 de 1116

Veiling her cheeks with hair a-morn she comes, * And I her

mischiefs with the cloud compare: Saying, "Thou veilest morn with

night!" "Ah, no!" * Quoth she, "I shroud full moon with darkling

air!"

Then they displayed her in the fourth bridal dress and she came

forward shining like the rising sun and swaying to and fro with

lovesome grace and supple ease like a gazelle-fawn. And she clave

all hearts with the arrows of her eyelashes, even as saith one

who described a charmer like her:-

The sun of beauty she to sight appears * And, lovely-coy, she

mocks all loveliness; And when he fronts her favour and her smile

* A-morn, the Sun of day in clouds must dress.

Then she came forth in the fifth dress, a very light of

loveliness like a wand of waving willow or a gazelle of the

thirsty wold. Those locks which stung like scorpions along her

cheeks were bent, and her neck was bowed in blandishment, and her

hips quivered as she went. As saith one of the poets describing

her in verse:-