to his service Mesrur the sword-bearer of grace who came immediately into his presence and said to him, O Mesrur, the night is very oppressive and I wish thee to dispel my uneasiness.  Then Mesrur said to him, O Commander of the Faithful, arise now and go to the terrace-roof of the palace and look upon the canopy of heaven and upon the twinkling stars and the brightness of the moon, while listening to the music of the rippling streams and the creaking norias as they are spoken of by the poet who said:—­

A Noria that discharges by the spouts of her tears resembles the actions of a distracted lover:  She is the lover of her branches (sweeps or levers) by the magic in her heart until she laughs:  She complains and the tears run from her eyes, she rises in the morning to find herself weeping and complaining.

Then he said, O Commander of the Faithful, the streams also are thus mentioned by one of them:—­

My favorite is a damsel dispensing drink, and my recreation is a running stream; A damsel whose eyes are a garden of Paradise, and a garden whose springs make a running brook.

Then again said Harun er-Rashid, O Mesrur, such is not my wish, and Mesrur replied, O Commander of the Faithful, in thy palace are three hundred and sixty damsels, they are thy concubines and thy slaves, and they are as if they were rising moons and beautiful gazelles, and in elegant robes they are dressed like the flowers.  Walk around in the midst of the palaces and from thy hiding-place see each of them enter by herself in her own apartment admiring her beauty and her magnificent dresses, all showing their joy and mirth since they will not know of thee; then listen to their singing and their playing and their joyous company in their apartments and perhaps you’ll attach yourself to one of them who’ll play with thee, keep thee awake and be thy cup-companion, dispelling what may remain of thy restlessness.  But he replied, O Mesrur, bring to me my cousin Ja’afar the Barmeky immediately.  So he answered, Hearing is obedience.  Then Mesrur went out to the house of Ja’afar and said to him, Come to the Commander of the Faithful, and he answered, To hear is to obey.  Then Ja’afar dressed himself and went with Mesrur to the Caliph and kissing the ground before him he said, May it be good!  O Commander of the Faithful.  It is not other than good, he answered, but I am wearied this night with a great weariness and I sent for you to divert me so that my unrest may be dissipated.  Then Ja’afar said, Let’s get up, O Commander of the Faithful, and we’ll go out into the garden of the palace and listen to the warbling of the birds and smell of the odours of the flowers, and the cool zephyr with its gentle breath will pass over us, dispelling our uneasiness and gladdening the heart.  The Rawi says that Ja’afar was very familiar with the Caliph by reason of the endearment between them.  Then the Caliph arose and with Ja’afar and Mesrur went to the garden.