When spring winds wakened the mountain floods, And kindled the flame of the tulip buds, When bees grew loud and the days grew long, And the peach groves thrilled to the oriole's song,Queen Gulnaar sat on her ivory bed, Decking with jewels her exquisite head;And still she gazed in her mirror and sighed: "O King, my heart is unsatisfied."Queen Gulnsar's daughter two spring times old, In blue robes bordered with tassels of gold,Ran to her knee like a wildwood fay, And plucked from her hand themirror away.
Quickly she set on her own light curls Her mother's fillet with fringes of pearls;Quickly she turned with a child's caprice And pressed on the mirror a swift, glad kiss.
Queen Gulnaar laughed like a tremulous rose: "Here is my rival, O King Feroz."