第67章 NOUREDDIN ALI OF CAIRO AND HIS SON BEDREDDIN HASSA

So the chamberlains let him passand he entered the bridal saloon with the singerswho made him sit downin defiance of the humpbacked bridegroom. The wives of the Viziers and Amirs and chamberlains were rangedeach veiled to the eyes and holding a great lighted flambeauin two ranksextending right and left from the bride's throne to the upper end of the daisin front of the door from which she was to issue. When the ladies saw Bedreddin and noted his beauty and grace and his face that shone like the new moonthey all inclined to himand the singers said to all the women present'You must know that this handsome youth has handselled us with nought but red gold，so fail ye not to wait on him and comply with all that he says.'

So all the women crowded round Bedreddinwith their torchesand gazed on his beauty arid envied him his grace；and each would gladly have lain in his bosom an hour or a year. In their intoxicationthey let fall their veils from their faces and said'Happy she who belongs to him or to whom he belongs！'And they cursed the humpbacked groom and him who was the cause of his marriage to that lovely lady；and as often as they invoked blessings on Bedreddinthey followed them up with imprecations on the hunchbacksaying'Indeedthis youth and he alone deserves our bride. Alasthe pity of her with this wretched hunchbackGod's curse be on him and on the Sultan who will have her marry him！'Then the singers beat their tambourines and raised cries of joyannouncing the coming of the bride；and the Vizier's daughter enteredsurrounded by her tire-womenwho had perfumed her with essences and incensed her and decked her hair and dressed her in costly robes and ornaments such as were worn by the ancient kings of Persia. Over all she wore a robe embroidered in red gold with figures of birds and beasts with eyes and beaks of precious stones and feet and claws of red rubies and green beryland about her neck was clasped a necklace of Yemen workworth many thousands of dinarswhose beazels were all manner jewelsnever had Caesar or King of Yemen its like.

She seemed as it were the full moonwhen it shines out on the fourteenth nightor one of the houris of Paradiseglory be to Him who made her so splendidly fair！The women encompassed her as they were starsand she in their midst as the moon breaking through the clouds. As she came forwardswaying gracefully to and frothe hunchback rose to kiss herbut she turned from him and seeing Bedreddin Hassan seatedwith all the company gazing on himwent and stood before him. When the folk saw her thus attracted towards Bedreddinthey laughed and shouted and the singers raised their voiceswhereupon he put his hand to his pocket and cast gold by handsful into the tambourines of the singing-womenwho rejoiced and said'Would this bride were thine！'At this he smiledand the people came round himwith the flambeaux in their handswhilst the hunchback was left sitting alonelooking like an ape；for as often as they lighted a candle for himit went out and he abode in darkness，speechless and confounded and grumbling to himself. When Bedreddin saw the bridegroom sitting moping alone and all the lights and people collected round himselfhe was confounded and marvelled；but when he looked at his cousinthe Vizier's daughterhe rejoiced and was gladfor indeed her face was radiant with light and brilliancy. Then the tire-women took off the veil and displayed the bride in her first dress of red satin，and she moved to and fro with a languorous gracetill the heads of all the men and women were turned by her lovelinessfor she was even as says the excellent poet：

Like a sun at the end of a cane in a hill of sandShe shines in a dress of the hue of pomegranate-flower.

She gives me to drink of her cheeks and her honeyed lipsAnd quenches the flaming fires that my heart devour.

Then they changed her dress and displayed her in a robe of blue；and she reappeared like the moon when it bursts through the cloudswith her coal-black hair and her smiling teethher delicate cheeks and her swelling bosomeven as says the sublime poet：

She comes in a robe the colour of ultramarineBlue as the stainless sky unflecked with white.

I view her with yearning eyesand she seems to me A moon of the summer set in a winter's night.

Then they clad her in a third dress and letting down her long black ringletsveiled her face to her eyes with the super-abundance of her hairwhich vied with the murkiest night in length and blackness；and she smote all hearts with the enchanted arrows of her glances. As says the poet：

With hair that hides her rosy cheeks ev'n to her speaking eyes，She comes；and I her locks compare unto a sable cloud And say to her'Thou curtainest the morning with the night.'But she'Not so；it is the moon that with the dark I shroud.'

Then they displayed her in the fourth dressand she shone forth like the rising sunswaying to and fro with amorous languor and turning from side to side with gazelle-like grace. And she pierced hearts with the arrows of her eyelashes；even as says the poet：

A sun of beauty she appears to all that look on herGlorious in arch and amorous gracewith coyness beautified；And when the sun of morning sees her visage and her smile，Conqueredhe hasteneth his face behind the clouds to hide.

Then they displayed her in the fifth dresswith her ringlets let down. The downy hair crept along her cheeksand she swayed to and frolike a willow-wand or a gazelle bending down to drink，with graceful motions of the neck and hips. As says the poet，describing her：

Like the full moon she doth appearon a calm night and fair；Slender of shape and charming all with her seductive air.

She hath an eyewhose glances pierce the hearts of all mankind，Nor can cornelian with her cheeks for ruddiness compare.