Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/235

213 Ye swore me constancy and truth, yet cruelly Forsook me and our love and friendship thus betrayed. When on the parting day ye went, abjection’s cup, For rigour and despite, unto my lips was laid. Wherefore, my heart, dissolve with longing for their sight And, O mine eyes, rain tears, unsparing and unstayed!

Then he wept till he swooned away and the old woman sprinkled water on him till he revived, when she said to him, ‘O my son, I have no shift left; for, if I carry thee to the city, thy life is lost and mine also; for, when the queen cometh to know of this, she will blame me for admitting thee into her islands, to which none of the sons of Adam hath access, and will slay me for bringing thee with me and for suffering thee to look upon these virgins, whom no male hath touched, neither hath husband come near them.’ And Hassan swore that he had never looked on them with an evil eye. ‘O my son,’ continued she, ‘hearken to me and return to thy country and I will give thee a girl of the best of them, beside wealth and treasures and things of price, such as shall suffice thee for all the women in the world. Give ear, then, to my words and return presently and imperil not thyself; indeed, I give thee good counsel.’ But he wept and rubbed his cheeks against her feet, saying, ‘O my lady and mistress and solace of mine eyes, how can I turn back without the sight of those I desire, now that I have made my way hither and come near to the abode of the beloved, hoping presently for meeting, so haply there may be for me a portion in reunion?’ And he recited the following verses:

Be kind, O kings of grace, to one who’s thrall to eyes And eyelids that have ta’en Chosroës’ realm to prize. Ye overpass the scent of musk in fragrancy And eke your beauty bright the full-blown rose outvies.