At this Queen Kemeriyeh was moved to exceeding delight and drank off her cup, saying, ‘Well done, O queen of hearts!’ Moreover, she took off a surcoat of blue brocade, fringed with red rubies, and a necklace of white jewels, worth an hundred thousand dinars, and gave them to Tuhfeh.  Then she passed the cup to her sister Zelzeleh, who had in her hand sweet basil, and she said to Tuhfeh, ‘Sing to me on this sweet basil.’  ’Hearkening and obedience,’ answered she and improvised and sang the following verses: 

The crown of the flow’rets am I, in the chamber of wine, And Allah makes mention of me ’mongst the pleasures divine; Yea, ease and sweet basil and peace, the righteous are told, In Eternity’s Garden of sweets shall to bless them combine.[FN#223] Where, then, is the worth that in aught with my worth can compare And where is the rank in men’s eyes can be likened to mine?

Thereat Queen Zelzeleh was moved to exceeding delight and bidding her treasuress bring a basket, wherein were fifty pairs of bracelets and the like number of earrings, all of gold, set with jewels of price, the like whereof nor men nor Jinn possessed, and an hundred robes of coloured brocade and an hundred thousand dinars, gave the whole to Tuhfeh.  Then she passed the cup to her sister Sherareh, who had in her hand a stalk of narcissus; so she took it from her and turning to Tuhfeh, said to her, ’O Tuhfeh, sing to me on this.’  ‘Hearkening and obedience,’ answered she and improvised and sang the following verses: 

Most like a wand of emerald my shape it is, trow I; Amongst the
     fragrant flow’rets there’s none with me can vie. 
The eyes of lovely women are likened unto me; Indeed, amongst the
     gardens I open many an eye.

When she had made an end of her song, Sherareh was moved to exceeding delight and drinking off her cup, said to her, ’Well done, O gift of hearts!’ Then she ordered her an hundred dresses of brocade and an hundred thousand dinars and passed the cup to Queen Wekhimeh.  Now she had in her hand somewhat of blood-red anemone; so she took the cup from her sister and turning to Tuhfeh, said to her, ‘O Tuhfeh, sing to me on this.’  Quoth she, ‘I hear and obey,’ and improvised the following verses: 

The Merciful dyed me with that which I wear Of hues with whose
     goodliness none may compare. 
The earth is my birth-place, indeed; but my place Of abidance is
     still in the cheeks of the fair.

Therewith Wekhimeh was moved to exceeding delight and drinking off the cup, ordered her twenty dresses of Greek brocade and a tray, wherein were thirty thousand dinars.  Then she gave the cup to Queen Shuaaeh, Queen of the Fourth Sea, who took it and said, ‘O my lady Tuhfeh, sing to me on the gillyflower.’  Quoth she ‘Hearkening and obedience,’ and improvised the following verses: