English
Section 8
The lovely girls arrived at the palace gate, each carrying two sprigs of flowers in her hands.
The gatekeeper looked at them and picked a quarrel; he loosed a rude tongue and grew short-tempered.
'Leave the gate now, it is too late,' he said. 'I wonder what will become of you.'
The beauties readied their answer and rose to their feet, stung and vexed at heart.
'Today is no ordinary day; no evil demon blocks the flower-gatherers' path.
Spring has come; we go to the garden to pick flowers, to gather hyacinth stems from the earth.'
The keeper of the gate said, 'Today's affair should not be reckoned like other days,
for Zal the commander was not in Kabul, and the tent-pavilion of the king of Zabul was not here.
Do you not see how the lord of Kabul's palace mounts his saddle at daybreak?
If he sees you with flowers in hand like this, he will at once dash you to the ground.'
The graceful beauties entered the great hall; they sat and shared their secrets with the moon-like Rudabeh.
They set gold coins and jewels before her, and Rudabeh asked them for every detail.
'How did things go with the son of Sam? To see him is better than to know him only by voice and name.'
All five fairy-faced girls hurried on once they found the chance to speak with the moon.
'He is a man like a tall, straight cypress, graced with beauty and the majesty of kings.
He has fine color and scent, fine stature and form; a rider slim at the waist and broad in the chest.
His two eyes are like two dark narcissus flowers, his lips like coral, his cheeks red as blood.
His palm and forearm are like a fierce lion's paw; strong-thighed, wise of heart, and kingly in bearing.
His hair is entirely white in color; that is his only flaw, and it is no shame.
The curls upon that champion of the world's head are like silver chainmail laid over a purple blossom.
You would think it was meant to be exactly so; without it, his charm would be no less.'
'We have promised him the sight of you; he has gone back with his heart full of hope.
Now arrange the matter of your guest; tell us how we should turn to it next.'
The cypress-like girl said to her servants, 'You have changed in your counsel and your words.
That same Zal who was raised by a bird, whom you called so old and so withered,
has now become, in your eyes, like a purple blossom: tall of stature, fair of face, and a hero.'
'You praised my face before him with your words, and then you asked for a reward.'
She spoke with her lips full of laughter, her cheeks flushed like pomegranate blossoms.
The servant said to the moon-faced lady, 'Now seek out a plan,
for God has given you everything you desired; may this affair end in blessing.'
She had a chamber like joyful spring, painted with the images of the great.
They adorned it with Chinese silk brocade and decked it out with golden trays.
They scattered agate and peridot throughout, and mingled wine with musk and amber.
All their cups were of gold and turquoise; their drink was bright, clear rosewater.
Violet, rose, narcissus, and purple blossom on one side; jasmine sprigs and hyacinth on the other.
From that chamber of the sun-faced girl a fragrance rose up all the way to the sun.