Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/250

228 Nay, since your parting-day, my lords, I swear it by your life, No sweet of life delighteth me; all pleasance I abjure; And if God order that I die for love of you, I die Chiefest of all the martyrs slain of love unblent and pure. Within my heart a fawn hath made her grazing-stead, whose form, Like sleep, hath fled mine eyes and nought can back to me allure. If she in lists of law deny the shedding of my blood, Lo, in her cheeks against herself it beareth witness sure.

When Nour el Huda was certified that the little ones were indeed Hassan’s children and that her sister, the princess Menar es Sena, was his wife, of whom he was come in quest, she was beyond measure enraged against her and railed at Hassan and reviled him and kicked him in the breast, so that he fell on his back in a swoon. Then she cried out at him, saying, ‘Arise, fly for thy life! But that I swore no evil should betide thee from me, if thy story proved true, I would slay thee with mine own hand forthright!’ And she cried out at the old woman, who fell on her face for fear, and said to her, ‘By Allah, but that I am loath to break the oath that I swore, I would put both thee and him to death after the foulest fashion!’ [Then, turning to Hassan,] ‘Arise,’ [added she,] ‘go out from before me in safety and return to thine own country, for I swear by my fortune, if ever mine eye behold thee or if any bring thee in to me after this, I will smite off thy head and that of whoso bringeth thee!’ Then she cried out to her officers, saying, ‘Put him out from before me!’ So they put him out; and when he came to himself, he recited the following verses:

You’re far away, yet to my thought you’re nearest of all folk; You’re absent, yet within my heart for evermore you dwell. By Allah, ne’er have I inclined to other than to you! I’ve borne with patience the unright of fortune foul and fell. My nights in love-longing for you for ever pass and end, And in my heart a flame there is and raging fires of hell.