Then rose the six girls and kissing the ground before their lord，said to him'Judge thou between usO our lord！'He looked at their beauty and grace and the difference of their colours and praised God the Most High and glorified Him： then said he'There is none of you but has read the Koran and learnt to sing and is versed in the chronicles of the ancients and the doings of past peoples；so it is my desire that each of you rise and pointing to her oppositepraise herself and dispraise her rival；that is to saylet the blonde point to the blackthe plump to the slender and the yellow to the brunette；and afterthe latter shalleach in turndo the like with the former；and be this illustrated with citations from the Holy Koran and somewhat of anecdotes and verseso as to show forth your culture and elegance of discourse.'Quoth they'We hear and obey.'
So the blonde rose first and pointing at the blacksaid to her，'Out on theeblackamoor！ It is told that whiteness saith'I am the shining lightI am the rising full moon.'My colour is patent and my forehead is resplendentand of my beauty quoth the poet：
A blonde with smooth and polished cheeksright delicate and fairAs if a pearl in beauty hidas in a shellshe were.
Her shape a splendid Alif isher smile a medial Mim And over it her eyebrows make inverted Nounsa pair.
Yesand the glances of her eyes are arrowsand her brows A bow that therewithal is horned with death and with despair.
If to her cheeks and shape thou passher cheeks are roses red，Sweet basilayand eglantine and myrtles rich and rare.
'Tis of the saplings'wontto be implanted in the meads Butin the saplings of thy shapehow many meads are there！
My colour is like the wholesome day and the newly-gathered orange-blossom and the sparkling star；and indeed quoth God the Most Highin His precious bookto His prophet Moses（on whom be peace）'Put thy hand into thy bosom and it shall come forth white without hurt.'And again He saith'As for those whose faces are made whitethey are in the mercy of God and dwell for ever therein.'My colour is a miracle and my grace an extreme and my beauty a term. It is in the like of me that clothes show fair and to the like of me that hearts incline.