Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 2.djvu/30

12 Alf Laylah wa Laylah. And he pursued, <f Know, O Steward, it is my desire that so long as thou hast money enough for my breakfast, thou trouble me not with taking thought about my supper.'* Thereupon the Steward asked, "Must it be so?"; and he answered, " It must." So the honest man went his way and Nur al-Din AH devoted himself to extravagance ; and, if any of his cup-companions chanced to say, " This is a pretty thing ;" he would reply, " 'Tis a gift to thee ! " ; or if another said, " O my lord, such a house is handsome ; " he would answer, " Take it : it is thine ! " After this reckless fashion he continued to live for a whole year, giving his friends a banquet in the morning and a banquet in the evening and a banquet at midnight, till one day, as the company was sitting together, the damsel Anis al-Jalis repeated these lines : Thpu deemedst well of Time when days went weH, o And fea.edst not what ills might deal thee Fate: Thy nights so fair and restful cozened thee, o For peaceful nights bring woes ol heavy weight When she had ended her verse behold, somebody knocked at the door. So Nur al-Din rose to open it and one of his boon-com- panions followed him without being perceived. At the door he found his Steward and asked him, " What is the matter ? " ; and he answered, " O my lord, what I dreaded for thee hath -come to pass ! " " How so ? " " Know that there remains not a difhani's worth, less or more in my hands. Here are my Daftars and account books showing both income and outlay and the registers Of thine original property." When Nur al-Din heard 'these words he bowed his head and said, " There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah ! " When the man who had followed him privily to spy on him heard the Steward's words, he returned to his friends and warned them saying, " Look ye well to what ye do: Nur al- Din is penniless ; " and, as the young host came back to his guests, vexation showed itself in his face. Thereupon one of the intimates rose ; and, looking at the entertainer, said to him, " O my lord, may be thou wilt give me leave to retire ? " " And why so early retirement this day ? "; asked he and the other answered him, " My wife is in childbirth and I may not be absent from her : indeed I must return and see how she does." So he gave him leave, where- upon another rose and said, "O my lord Nur al-Din, 1 wish now to