Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/163



And he ceased not travelling and voyaging and returned to India; and there abode in self exile till he died; and the mercy of Allah be upon him! [FN#196] And they tell another story ofTHE LOVERS OF THE BANU TAYY.

Kásim, son of Adi, was wont to relate that a man of the Banú Tamím spake as follows: "I went out one day in search of an estray and, coming to the waters of the Banu Tayy, saw two companies of people near one another, and behold, those of one company were disputing among themselves even as the other. So I watched them and observed, in one of the companies, a youth wasted with sickness, as he were a worn-out dried-up waterskin. And as I looked on him, lo! he repeated these couplets,

'What ails the Beauty she returneth not? *         Is't Beauty's irk or grudging to my lot? I sickened and my friends all came to call; * What stayed thee calling with the friendly knot? Hadst thou been sick, I had come running fast * To thee, nor threats had kept me from the spot: Mid them I miss thee, and I lie alone; * Sweetheart, to lose thy love sad loss I wot!'

His words were heard by a damsel in the other company who hastened towards him, and when her people followed her, she fought them off. Then the youth caught sight of her and sprang up and ran towards her, whilst the people of his party ran after him and laid hold of him. However he haled and freed himself from them, and she in like manner loosed herself; and, when they were free, each ran to other and meeting between the two parties, embraced and fell dead upon the ground."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred ante Eleventh Night,