Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 3.djvu/340

312 As'ad fared forth in his turn to rule the folk in his father's stead, whilst his mother, Hayat al-Nufus, awoke in feeble plight because of what she had heard from Prince Amjad concerning the slaughter of her eunuch. So Prince As'ad sat in the audience-chamber that day, judging and administering justice, appointing and deposing, bidding and forbidding, giving and bestowing. And he ceased not thus till near the time of afternoon-prayer, when Queen Budur sent for a crafty old woman and, discovering to her what was in her heart, wrote a letter to Prince As'ad, complaining of the excess of her affection and desire for him in these cadenced lines, "From her who perisheth for passion and love-forlorn ● to him who in nature and culture is goodliest born ● to him who is conceited of his own loveliness ● and glories in his amorous grace ● who from those that seek to enjoy him averteth his face ● and refuseth to show favour unto the self abasing and base ● him who is cruel and of disdainful mood ● from the lover despairing of good ● to Prince As'ad ● with passing beauty endowed ● and of excelling grace proud ● of the face moon bright ● and the brow flower-white ● and dazzling splendid light ● This is my letter to him whose love melteth my body ● and rendeth my skin and bones! ● Know that my patience faileth me quite ● and I am perplexed in my plight ● longing and restlessness weary me ● and sleep and patience deny themselves to me ● but mourning and watching stick fast to me ● and desire and passion torment me ● and the extremes of languor and sickness have sheet me ● Yet may my life be a ransom for thee ● albeit thy pleasure be to slay her who loveth thee ● and Allah prolong the life of thee ● and preserve thee from all infirmity!" And after these cadences she wrote these couplets:—

Fate hath commanded I become thy fere, ○ O shining like full moon when clearest clear! All beauty dost embrace, all eloquence; ○ Brighter than aught within our worldly sphere: Content am I my torturer thou be: ○ Haply shalt alms me with one lovely leer! Happy her death who dieth for thy love! ○ No good in her who holdeth thee unclear!

And also the following couplets,