On coming near the city
She veiled the sleeper in a woman's wrapper,
And, entering the palace privily
By night, preserved her secret. She prepared
A chamber and, impatient for Bízhan
To wake, poured in his ear a rousing potion
To bring his senses back. He woke and found
That jasmine-bosomed beauty in his arms,
His head and hers both resting on a pillow,
And in the palace of Afrásiyáb!
Distracted with himself he turned for refuge
To God from Áhriman and thus exclaimed:—
“As for myself there will be no escaping,
O God Almighty! hence. But oh! that Thou
Wouldst execute my vengeance on Gurgín,
And hear the pains and malisons that I
Invoke on him! He led me into this,
Reciting over me a thousand spells.”
Manízha said to him: “Be of good cheer,
And treat all save the present as mere wind.
They banqueted;
Before them was the gibbet or espousal:
They called the rose-cheeked damsels from their bowers,
And decked them in brocade of Chín; forthwith
These girls with fairy faces took the harp,
And fleeted day and night in merriment.
Anon the chamberlain got wind thereof,
And, since one acting on an idle rumour
Will shake the fruit down from the tree of bale,
He took upon him to investigate,
Inquiring who the man was, from what country,
And what he sought in coming to Túrán,
So learned the truth and, fearing for his life,
Went, as the only way to save himself,
Before Afrásiyáb and said to him:—
“Thy daughter hath a lover from Írán!”
The monarch called on God, and thou hadst said:—
“He trembled like the willow in a blast.”
Then from the lashes of his eyes he wiped
The tears of blood and raged, and spake this saw:—
“One with a daughter in his house to guard
May have a crown indeed but is ill-starred.”
He was confounded at Manízha's deed,
Called to him princely Kurákhán and said:—
“Advise me in the matter of this wanton.”
Then Kurákhán: “Examine with more care:
“If so it be there is no more to say,
But hearing is not seeing.”
Instantly
The monarch looked at Garsíwaz and said:—
“What we have borne and still bear from Írán!