Art thou not content
with spunging, but thou must meddle, to boot? Verily, in thee
is the saying made true, 'A parasite and a meddler.'" I hung
down my head for shame and made him no answer, whilst his
companion would have restrained him from me; but he would not
be restrained. Presently, they rose to pray, but I hung behind
a little and taking the lute, tuned it after a particular
fashion and stood up to pray with the rest. When we had made an
end of prayer, the same man fell again to flouting and reviling
me and persisted in his churlishness, whilst I held my peace.
Then the damsel took the lute and touching it, knew that it was
other than as she had left it and said, "Who hath touched my
lute?" Quoth they, "None of us hath touched it." "Nay, by
Allah," rejoined she, "some one hath touched it, and he a past
master in the craft; for he hath ordered the strings and tuned
them after the fashion of one who is right skilled in the art."
Quoth I, "It was I tuned it." "Then, God on thee," answered
she, "take it and play on it!" So I took it and playing a rare
and difficult measure, that came nigh to deaden the live and
raise the dead, sang thereto the following verses:
I had a heart, wherewith of yore I lived: 'Twas seared with
fire and all consumed indeed.
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