"And indeed it is reported，" added she， "that Azzeh was endowed with the extreme of beauty and grace." Then she said to Sherkan，"O king"s son， dost thou know aught of Jemil"s[FN#14] verses to Butheineh？" "Yes，" replied he； "none knows Jemil"s verses better than I." And he repeated the following：
"Up and away to the holy war， Jemil！" they say； and I， "What have I to do with waging war except among the fair？"
For deed and saying with them alike are full of ease and cheer，And he"s a martyr[FN#15] who tilts with them and falleth fighting there.
If I say to Butheineh， "What is this love， that eateth my life away？" She answers， "Tis rooted fast in thy heart and will increase fore"er."
Or if I beg her to give me back some scantling of my wit，Wherewith to deal with the folk and live， she answereth，"Hope it ne"er！"
Thou willst my death， ah， woe is me！ thou willst nought else but that； Yet I， I can see no goal but thee， towards which my wishes fare.
"Thou hast done well， O king"s son，" said she， "and Jemil also did excellently well. But what would Butheineh have done with him that he says， "Thou wishest to kill me and nought else？"" "O my lady，" replied he， "she sought to do with him what thou seekest to do with me， and even that will not content thee." She laughed at his answer， and they ceased not to carouse till the day departed and the night came with the darkness. Then she rose and went to her sleeping-chamber， and Sherkan slept in his place till the morning. As soon as he awoke， the damsels came to him with tambourines and other instruments of music， according to their wont， and kissing the earth before him， said to him， "In the name of God， deign to follow us； for our mistress bids thee to her."
So he rose and accompanied the girls， who escorted him， smiting on tabrets and other instruments of music， to another saloon，bigger than the first and decorated with pictures and figures of birds and beasts， passing description. Sherkan wondered at the fashion of the place and repeated the following verses：
My rival plucks， of the fruits of the necklets branching wide，Pearls of the breasts in gold enchased and beautified With running fountains of liquid silver in streams And cheeks of rose and beryl， side by side.
It seemeth， indeed， as if the violet"s colour vied With the sombre blue of the eyes， with antimony dyed.[FN#16]
When the lady saw Sherkan， she came to meet him， and taking him by the hand， said to him， "O son of King Omar ben Ennuman， hast thou any skill in the game of chess？" "Yes，" replied he； "but do not thou be as says the poet." And he repeated the following verses：
I speak， and passion， the while， folds and unfolds me aye； But a draught of the honey of love my spirits thirst could stay.
I sit at the chess with her I love， and she plays with me， With white and with black； but this contenteth me no way.
Meseemeth as if the king were set in the place of the rook And sought with the rival queens a bout of the game to play.
And if I looked in her eyes， to spy the drift of her moves， The amorous grace of her glance would doom me to death straightaway.
Then she brought the chess-board and played with him； but instead of looking at her moves， he looked at her face and set the knight in the place of the elephant[FN#17] and the elephant in the place of the knight. She laughed and said to him， "If this be thy play，thou knowest nothing of the game." "This is only the first bout，"
replied he； "take no count of it." She beat him， and he replaced the pieces and played again with her； but she beat him a second time and a third and a fourth and a fifth. So she fumed to him and said， "Thou art beaten in everything." "O my lady，" answered he， "how should one not be beaten， who plays with the like of thee？" Then she called for food， and they ate and washed their hands， after which the maids brought wine， and they drank.
Presently， the lady took the dulcimer， for she was skilled to play thereon， and sang to it the following verses：
Fortune is still on the shift， now gladness and now woe； I liken it to the tide， in its ceaseless ebb and flow.
So drink， if thou have the power， whilst it is yet serene， Lest it at unawares depart， and thou not know.
They gave not over carousing till nightfall， and this day was pleasanter than the first. When the night came， the lady went to her sleeping-chamber， leaving Sherkan with the damsels. So he threw himself on the ground and slept till the morning， when the damsels came to him with tambourines and other musical instruments， according to their wont. When he saw them， he sat up； and they took him and carried him to their mistress， who came to meet him and taking him by the hand， made him sit down by her side. Then she asked him how he had passed the night， to which he replied by wishing her long life； and she took the lute and sang the following verses：
Incline not to parting， I pray， For bitter its taste isalway.
The sun at his setting grows pale， To think he must part from the day.
Hardly had she made an end of singing， when there arose of a sudden a great clamour， and a crowd of men and knights rushed into the place， with naked swords gleaming in their hands， crying out in the Greek tongue， "Thou hast fallen into our hands，Sherkan！ Be sure of death！" When he heard this， he said to himself， "By Allah， she hath laid a trap for me and held me in play， till her men should come！ These are the knights with whom she threatened me： but it is I who have thrown myself into this peril." Then he turned to the lady to reproach her， but saw that she had changed colour； and she sprang to her feet and said to the new-comers， "Who are ye？" "O noble princess and unpeered pearl，" replied the knight their chief， "dost thou know who is this man with thee？" "Not I，" answered she. "Who is he？" Quoth the knight， "He is the despoiler of cities and prince of cavaliers， Sherkan， son of King Omar ben Ennuman. This is he who captures the citadels and masters the most impregnable strengths.
