Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/129

111 Then, for the stress of his passion and desire, he re peatedrepeated [sic] these verses also:

When he had made an end of his verses, he wept sore and she said to him, ‘O prince, I fear to grant thee entire acceptance, lest I find in thee neither love nor affection; for oftentimes men’s virtues are few and their perfidy great and thou knowest how the lord Solomon, son of David (on whom be peace!), took Belkis to his love, but forsook her whenas he saw another fairer than she.’ ‘O my eye and my soul,’ replied Seif, ‘God hath not made all men alike, and I, if it be His will, will keep my troth and die at thy feet. Thou shalt see what I will do in accordance with my words and God is my warrant for that I say.’ Quoth Bediya, ‘Sit and be of good heart and swear to me by thy religion and let us covenant together that we will not be false to each other; and may God the Most High punish whichever of us breaketh faith!’

So he sat down and laid his hand in hers and they swore to each other that neither of them would ever prefer to the other any one, either of mankind or of the Jinn. Then they embraced awhile and wept for excess of joy, whilst passion overcame Seif el Mulouk and he recited the following verses:

I weep for passion and for love and longing passing sore; Ay, and desire of her my heart and soul do weary for. Sore is my suffering for the length of severance from thee And all too short my arm and weak to reach my wishes’ shore. Yea, and my grief for that whereby my fortitude’s made strait, Unto the railer doth reveal my bosom’s secret sore.