Pagina 286 di 1116

When the damsel heard this elegy in quatrains she cried out

"Alas! Alas!" and rent her raiment, and fell to the ground

fainting; and the Caliph saw scars of the palm rod[FN#179] on her

back and welts of the whip; and marvelled with exceeding wonder.

Then the portress arose and sprinkled water on her and brought

her a fresh and very fine dress and put it on her. But when the

company beheld these doings their minds were troubled, for they

had no inkling of the case nor knew the story thereof; so the

Caliph said to Ja'afar, "Didst thou not see the scars upon the

damsel's body?