Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/42

24 longing and consternation entered into him and the tongue of his case recited the following verses:

At nightfall, the gaoler left his men to watch him and went to his house. On the morrow, when he repaired to the prison, he found the prisoner gone and the fetters lying on the ground; whereat he was affrighted and made sure of death. So he returned to his house and bade his family farewell, after which he took his shroud and the perfumes for his corpse, in his sleeve, and went in to El Hejjaj. The latter smelt the perfumes and said, ‘What is that?’ ‘O my lord,’ replied the gaoler, ‘it is I who have brought it.’ ‘And what moved thee to that?’ asked the governor; whereupon he told him his case, and El Hejjaj said, ‘Out on thee! Didst thou hear him say aught?’ ‘Yes,’ answered the gaoler. ‘Whilst the blacksmith was riveting his irons, he ceased not to look up to heaven and say, “Verily to Him belong creation and commandment.”’ ‘Woe to thee!’ rejoined El Hejjaj. ‘Dost thou not know that He, on whom he called in thy presence, delivered him in thine absence?’ And the tongue of the case recited the following verses on the subject: