Behind the curtain there was a face like a moon
Like the shining sun, full of color and scent
Rustam spoke to her, asked her name:
‘What are you seeking in the darkness of night? What is your desire?’
‘Tahmina is my name’ was how she replied.
‘Sorrow has cut my heart in two.
Daughter of the king of Samangan am I, and
From the stock of leopards and panthers.
There is none so royal in the whole world as me –
Beneath the wheel of the firmament there are very few like me.
No man has ever seen me beyond the curtain
No man has ever heard my voice.’
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