and streams, and heard the voices of its birds, she marvelled at what she saw of the surpassing goodliness of its ordinance and the beauty of its disposition and sat meditating the affair of Er Reshid and pondering what was come of him after her.  Her tears ran down upon her cheek and the zephyr blew on her; so she slept and knew no more till she felt a breath on her cheek, whereupon she awoke in affright and found Queen Kemeriyeh kissing her face, and with her her sisters, who said to her, ‘Arise, for the sun hath set.’

So she arose and making the ablution, prayed that which behoved her of prayers[FN#213] and accompanied the four queens to the palace, where she saw the candles lighted and the kings sitting.  She saluted them and seated herself upon her couch; and behold, King Es Shisban had changed his favour, for all the pride of his soul.  Then came up Iblis (whom God curse!) and Tuhfeh rose to him and kissed his hands.  He in turn kissed her hand and called down blessings on her and said, ’How deemest thou?  Is [not] this place pleasant, for all its loneliness and desolation?’ Quoth she, ‘None may be desolate in this place;’ and he said, ’Know that no mortal dare tread [the soil of] this place.’  But she answered, ’I have dared and trodden it, and this is of the number of thy favours.’  Then they brought tables and meats and viands and fruits and sweetmeats and what not else, to the description whereof mortal man availeth not, and they ate till they had enough; after which the tables were removed and the trays and platters[FN#214] set on, and they ranged the bottles and flagons and vessels and phials, together with all manner fruits and sweet-scented flowers.

The first to take the cup was Iblis the Accursed, who said, ’O Tuhfet es Sudour, sing over my cup.’  So she took the lute and touching it, sang the following verses: 

Awaken, O ye sleepers all, and profit, whilst it’s here By what’s
     vouchsafed of fortune fair and life untroubled, clear. 
Drink of the first-run wine, that shows as very flame it were,
     When from the pitcher ’tis outpoured, or ere the day appear. 
O skinker of the vine-juice, let the cup ’twixt us go round, For
     in its drinking is my hope and all I hold most dear. 
What is the pleasance of the world, except it be to see My lady’s
     face, to drink of wine and ditties still to hear?

So Iblis drank off his cup, and when he had made an end of his draught, he waved his hand to Tuhfeh, and putting off that which was upon him of clothes, delivered them to her.  Amongst them was a suit worth ten thousand dinars and a tray full of jewels worth a great sum of money.  Then he filled again and gave the cup to his son Es Shisban, who took it from his hand and kissing it, stood up and sat down again.  Now there was before him a tray of roses; so he said to her ‘O Tuhfeh sing upon these roses.’  Hearkening and obedience,’ answered she and sang the following verses: