burton--1001-nights--sample

swam and dived, sported and washed; and the Porter looked at her
naked figure as though she had been a slice of the moon and at her
face with the sheen of Luna when at full, or like the dawn when it
brighteneth, and he noted her noble stature and shape, and those
glorious forms that quivered as she went; for she was naked as the
Lord made her. Then he cried “Alack! Alack!” and began to address
her, versifying in these couplets: —
“If I liken thy shape to the bough when green * My likeness errs and I
sore mistake it;
For the bough is fairest when clad the most * And thou art fairest
when mother-naked.”
When the lady heard his verses she came up out of the basin and,
seating herself upon his lap and knees, pointed to her genitory and
said, “O my lordling, what be the name of this?” Quoth he, “The basil
of the bridges;” but she said, “Bah, bah!” Quoth he, “The husked
sesame;” quoth she, “Pooh, pooh!” Then said he, “Thy womb;” and
she cried, “Fie, Fie! art thou not ashamed of thyself?” and cuffed him
on the nape of the neck. And whatever name he gave declaring “’Tis
so,” she beat him and cried “No! no!” till at last he said, “O my sisters,
and what is its name?” She replied, “It is entitled the Khan 45 of Abu
Mansur;” whereupon the Porter replied, “Ha! ha! O Allah be praised
for safe deliverance! O Khan of Abu Mansur!” Then she came forth
and dressed and the cup went round a full hour.
At last the Porter rose up, and stripping off all his clothes, jumped
into the tank and swam about and washed under his bearded chin and
armpits, even as they had done. Then he came out and threw himself
45
Better known to us as Caravanserai, the “Travellers’ Bungalow” of India: in the
Khan, however, shelter is to be had, but neither bed nor board.
136