Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 3.djvu/40

24 hear and I obey." So he said to Aziz, "Bring me ink-case and paper and a brazen pen." And when Aziz brought him what he sought, he hent the pen in hand and wrote these lines of poetry:—

And, lastly, by way of subscription he wrote these words. "This letter is from the captive of captivation ● prisoned in the hold of longing expectation ● wherefrom is no emancipation ● but in anticipation and intercourse and in unification ● after absence and separation. ● For from the severance of friends he loveth so fain ● he suffereth love pangs and pining pain. ●" Then his tears rushed out, and he indited these two couplets:—

Then he folded the letter and sealed it with his signet ring and gave it to the old woman, saying, "Carry it to the Lady Dunya." Quoth she, "To hear is to obey;" whereupon he gave her a thousand dinars and said to her, "O my mother! accept this gift from me as a token of my affection." She took both from him and blessed him and went her way and never stinted walking till she went in to the Lady Dunya. Now when the Princess saw her she said to her, "O my nurse, what is it he asketh of need that we may fulfil his wish to him?" Replied the old woman, "O my