s if he had received all the delights of the
world. That hag also clung round the neck of that angelic youth. The
[ludicrous] sight appeared, in plain truth, such as when over the
moon of the fourteenth night, an eclipse comes. As many people as
were in the assembly began to put their fore-fingers between their
teeth, [151] saying [to themselves] "How could such a hag subdue the
affections of this young man!" The eyes of all were turned in that
direction. Disregarding the amusements of the entertainment, they
began to attend only to this strange spectacle. Some apart observed, "O
friends, there is an antagonism between love and reason! what judgment
cannot conceive, this cursed love will show. You must behold _Laili_
with the eyes of _Majnun._ [152] All present exclaimed, "Very true,
that is the fact."

According to the directions of the lady, I devoted myself to
attending on my guests; and although the young merchant pressed me
to eat and drink equally with himself, yet I refrained from fear of
the fair [one's displeasure], and did not give myself up to eating
and drinking, or the pleasures of the entertainment. I pleaded the
duties of hospitality as my excuse for not joining him [in the good
cheer]. In this scene of festivity three nights and days passed
away. On the fourth night, [153] the young merchant said to me with
extreme fondness, "I now beg to take my leave; for your good sake I
have utterly neglected my affairs these three days, and have attended
you. Pray do you also sit near me for a moment, and rejoice my heart,"
I in my own heart imagined that "if I do not comply with his request
at this moment, then he will be grieved; and it is necessary I should
please my new friend and guest;" on which account I replied, "it is
a pleasure to me to obey the command of your honour;" for "a command
is paramount to ceremony" [154]. On hearing this, the young merchant
presented me a cup of wine, and I drank it off; then the cup moved in
such quick successive rounds, that in a short time all the guests in
the assembly became inebriated and stupefied; I also became senseless.

When the morning came, and the sun had risen the height of two spears,
[155] my eyes opened, but I saw nothing of the preparations, the
assembly, or the beautiful lady--only the empty house remained--but
in a corner [of the hall] something lay folded up in a blanket;
I unfolded it, and saw the corpses of the young merchant and of his
[black] woman,