Then they put their veils over their heads, and they put their hands over their mouths, and they tiptoed back to the Palace most mousy-quiet.

 

Then Balkis — The Most Beautiful and Excellent Balkis (тогда Балкис — Прекраснейшая и Великолепнейшая Балкис) — went forward through the red lilies into the shade of the camphor-tree and laid her hand upon Suleiman-bin-Daoud’s shoulder and said (пошла вперед среди красных лилий в тень камфорного дерева и положила свою руку на плечо Сулеймана-ибн-Дауда, и сказала), ‘O my Lord and Treasure of my Soul (О мой Владыка и Сокровище моей Души), rejoice, for we have taught the Queens of Egypt and Ethiopia and Abyssinia and Persia and India and China with a great and a memorable teaching (возрадуйся, ибо мы преподали Царицам Египта, и Эфиопии, и Абиссинии, и Персии, и Индии, и Китая великолепный и памятный урок; to rejoice — ликовать, торжествовать; бурно радоваться).’

 

excellent ['eksqlqnt], Persia ['pWSq], memorable ['memqrqbl]

 

Then Balkis — The Most Beautiful and Excellent Balkis — went forward through the red lilies into the shade of the camphor-tree and laid her hand upon Suleiman-bin-Daoud’s shoulder and said, ‘O my Lord and Treasure of my Soul, rejoice, for we have taught the Queens of Egypt and Ethiopia and Abyssinia and Persia and India and China with a great and a memorable teaching.’

 

And Suleiman-bin-Daoud, still looking after the Butterflies where they played in the sunlight, said (и Сулейман-ибн-Дауд, все еще смотря вслед Бабочкам туда, где они играли в солнечном свете, сказал), ‘O my Lady and Jewel of my Felicity, when did this happen (О моя Госпожа и Драгоценность моего Блаженства, когда это случилось)? For I have been jesting with a Butterfly ever since I came into the garden (ибо я шутил с Мотыльком с тех пор, как /я/ вошел в сад).’ And he told Balkis what he had done (и он рассказал Балкис, что он сделал).

Balkis — the Tender and Most Lovely Balkis — said (Балкис — Нежная и Красивейшая Балкис — сказала), ‘O my Lord and Regent of my Existence (О мой Владыка и Властитель моего Бытия), I hid behind the camphor-tree and saw it all (я спряталась за камфорным деревом и видела все это). It was I who told the Butterfly’s Wife to ask the Butterfly to stamp (именно я велела Жене Мотылька попросить Мотылька топнуть), because I hoped that for the sake of the jest my Lord would make some great magic (потому что я надеялась, что ради шутки мой Повелитель сотворит какое-нибудь великое волшебство) and that the Queens would see it and be frightened (а Царицы увидят это и испугаются).’ And she told him what the Queens had said and seen and thought (и она рассказала ему, что сказали, и увидели, и подумали Царицы).

 

jewel ['GHql], felicity [fI'lIsqtI], regent ['rJGqnt]

 

And Suleiman-bin-Daoud, still looking after the Butterflies where they played in the sunlight, said, ‘O my Lady and Jewel of my Felicity, when did this happen? For I have been jesting with a Butterfly ever since I came into the garden.’ And he told Balkis what he had done.

Balkis — the Tender and Most Lovely Balkis — said, ‘O my Lord and Regent of my Existence, I hid behind the camphor-tree and saw it all. It was I who told the Butterfly’s Wife to ask the Butterfly to stamp, because I hoped that for the sake of the jest my Lord would make some great magic and that the Queens would see it and be frightened.’ And she told him what the Queens had said and seen and thought.

 

Then Suleiman-bin-Daoud rose up from his seat under the camphor-tree (тогда Сулейман-ибн-Дауд поднялся со своего сидения под камфорным деревом; to rise up — подниматься), and stretched his arms and rejoiced and said (и простер руки, и возликовал, и сказал), ‘O my Lady and Sweetener of my Days (О моя Госпожа и Услада моих Дней), know that if I had made a magic against my Queens for the sake of pride or anger (знай, что если бы я сотворил волшебство против моих Цариц ради гордыни или в гневе), as I made that feast for all the animals (как я приготовил пир для всех животных), I should certainly have been put to shame (я конечно был бы пристыжен; to put to shame — устыдить, пристыдить). But by means of your wisdom I made the magic for the sake of a jest and for the sake of a little Butterfly (но с помощью твоей мудрости я сотворил волшебство ради шутки и ради маленького Мотылька), and — behold — it has also delivered me from the vexations of my vexatious wives (и — вот смотри! это избавило меня и от притеснения моих беспокойных жен; to vex — досаждать, раздражать; возмущать, сердить)! Tell me, therefore, O my Lady and Heart of my Heart (скажи мне поэтому, О моя Госпожа и Сердце моего Сердца), how did you come to be so wise (как ты оказалась столь мудрой)?’

 

certainly ['sWtqnlI], wisdom ['wIzdqm], vexatious [vek'seISqs]

 

Then Suleiman-bin-Daoud rose up from his seat under the camphor-tree, and stretched his arms and rejoiced and said, ‘O my Lady and Sweetener of my Days, know that if I had made a magic against my Queens for the sake of pride or anger, as I made that feast for all the animals, I should certainly have been put to shame. But by means of your wisdom I made the magic for the sake of a jest and for the sake of a little Butterfly, and — behold — it has also delivered me from the vexations of my vexatious wives! Tell me, therefore, O my Lady and Heart of my Heart, how did you come to be so wise?’

 

And Balkis the Queen, beautiful and tall, looked up into Suleiman-bin-Daoud’s eyes and put her head a little on one side (а Царица Балкис, прекрасная и величественная, посмотрела вверх в глаза Сулеймана-ибн-Дауда и склонила /свою/ голову набок), just like the Butterfly, and said (в точности как Бабочка и сказала), ‘First, O my Lord, because I love you (во-первых, О мой Владыка, потому что я люблю тебя); and secondly, O my Lord, because I know what women-folk are (а во-вторых, О мой Владыка, потому что я знаю, каковы женщины).’

Then they went up to the Palace and lived happily ever afterwards (потом они поднялись во Дворец и жили всегда счастливо потом). But wasn’t it clever of Balkis (но разве это было не ловко со стороны Балкис; clever — проворный, ловкий, шустрый, остроумный)?

 

tall [tLl], secondly ['sekqndlI], afterwards ['Rftqwqdz]

 

And Balkis the Queen, beautiful and tall, looked up into Suleiman-bin-Daoud’s eyes and put her head a little on one side, just like the Butterfly, and said, ‘First, O my Lord, because I love you; and secondly, O my Lord, because I know what women-folk are.’