burton--1001-nights--sample

Chamberlain and great officers, and he bade me be seated, and I sat
respectfully on shins and knees, and all who were present marvelled at
my fine manners, and the King most of all. Thereupon he ordered the
lieges to retire; and, when none remained save the King’s majesty, the
Eunuch on duty and a little white slave, he bade them set before me the
table of food, containing all manner of birds, whatever hoppeth and
flieth and treadeth in nest, such as quail and sand-grouse. Then he
signed me to eat with him; so I rose and kissed ground before him,
then sat me down and ate with him. And when the table was removed
I washed my hands in seven waters and took the reed-case and reed;
and wrote instead of speaking these couplets: —
Wail for the little partridges on porringer and plate; * Cry for the
ruin of the fries and stews well marinate:
Wail for the little partridges on porringer and plate; * Cry for the
ruin of the fries and stews well marinate:
Keen as I keen for loved, lost daughters of the Katá-grouse, * And
omelette round the fair enbrownèd fowls agglomerate:
O fire in heart of me for fish, those deux poissons I saw, * Bedded on
new made scones and cakes in piles to laniate.
For thee, O vermicelli! aches my very maw! I hold * Without thee every
taste and joy are clean annihilate.
Those eggs have rolled their yellow eyes in torturing pains of fire * Ere
served with hash and fritters hot, that delicatest cate.
Praisèd be Allah for His baked and roast and ah! how good * This
pulse, these pot-herbs steeped in oil with eysill combinate!
When hunger sated was, I elbow-propt fell back upon * Meatpudding
55 wherein gleamed the bangles that my wits amate.
55
Arab. “Harísah,” a favourite dish of wheat (or rice) boiled and reduced to a paste
182