THE HUMILIATION OF ZULEIKHA BEFORE HER NURSE, AND HER PLOTTING FOR UNION WITH JOSEPH.

By Joseph's longing slain, when to her sense
Beyond all bounds passed his indifference,
Secret one night she called her nurse apart,
And seating, with caresses soothed her heart.
She said: “Thou power to my frame dost give;
“Thou lightest my soul's lamp that I may live.
“Nourished by thee each breath my spirit gives;
“On mercy's milk through thee my body lives.
“Such love I from my mother never knew;
“Through thy love to this dignity I grew.
“In parting's woe how long must I be left,
“Of that life of my world so long bereft?
“Oh! would that thou to me wouldst once be kind,
“And my desire's abode that I might find!
“In this way if my love a stranger be,
“In the same house to dwell what gain to me?
“The loved to flee from should her love appear,
“In presence is he far though he be near.
“If heart from spirit still be far away,
“What comes of water's union with its clay?”
The nurse replied: “O thou of Paris' kind,
“Hurí not Pari with whom comes to mind.
“God did create thee in this beauteous wise
“To rob of heart and of his Faith the wise.
“If China's limner longing for thy face,
“Should in a temple e'er thy likeness place,
“The idols with desire at once would live,
“Seeing thy face, to thee their souls would give.
“If on the hill thou shouldst thy cheek reveal,
“The hard rock in itself would love conceal.
“Tread thou the grove with graceful languishing,
“Dead trees thou wouldst into movement bring,
“And in the desert should the deer thee see
“With eyelash they would sweep the road for thee.
“With thy sweet lip shouldst thou intone a spell,
“Birds came from air, from rivers fish as well.
“Why with such beauty dost thou feel such woe,
“And why at last such weakness dost thou show?
“Eyebrows thy bow, thy arrow thy eye's ray,
“Of that enchanting beauty make thy prey.
“Shew but thy cheek and turn his face to thee,
“This secret's thine, and he shall kneel with thee.
“Bring into motion that date-bearing palm,
“Bring him with pleasing gait to road of calm.
“Convert into a noose one lock of thine,
“And round his feet the snare of union twine.
“With thy own silver ball ope thou his eye,
“And like a man raise up his head on high.
“Shed honey round him from thy smiling lip,
“That he in honey may thy sweetness sip.
“Go: to thy face heart-nearing smiles impart,
“And with desire for those smiles scar his heart.”
“Mother, what shall I say,” Zuleikha cried;
“Or what to me from Joseph may betide?
“Since his eye never looks upon my face,
“Before him how can I appear in grace?
“Circling like moon, me he will never see,
“Nor on the ground my sun in brilliancy.
“Should Surma give my eye a brighter ray,
“Scarce to his close-shut orb 'twould find a way.
“If ever he would cast one glance at me,
“He might sometimes my sad condition see.
“If care for me he ever had at heart,
“Of his own care when had he felt the smart?
“Not in his beauty only my misfortune lies;
“It is that I am worthless in his eyes,
“For had that charmer ever cared for me,
“How could he heedless and indifferent be?”
The nurse in answer thus again replied:
“Thou from whose beauty the sun draws fresh pride,
“A thought has just arisen in my breast,
“From which I trust thy heart may find some rest,
“But only then wilt thou this thing behold,
“When camels bear silver and asses gold.
“I will construct a house as Iram fair,
“And will appoint a skilful painter there,
“Who shall with skill portray in every place
“Thee and thy Joseph in a close embrace.
“When Joseph for a while is seated there,
“And in his arms shall see thee everywhere,
“His heart shall stir that beauteous form of thine,
“And towr'ds thy union he will thus incline.
“Him will on all sides then affection move,
“And matters turn out as thou wouldst approve.”
This secret story when the nurse had told,
Zuleikha all her silver brought and gold;
All this in her possession then she placed,
As with the capital her nurse she graced.