Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/59

 messages and doing their desires and keeping their secrets; and much good shall befal thee.' So now I have told thee my vision and it is thine to decide." Quoth Rose-in-Hood, after she heard of the dream, -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Seventy-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Rose-in-Hood asked her nurse after hearing of the dream, "Tell me, canst thou keep a secret, O my nurse?"; whereto she answered, "And how should I not keep secrecy, I that am of the flower of the free?" [FN#38] Then the maiden pulled out the scroll, whereon she had written the verses and said, "Carry me this my letter to Uns al-Wujud and bring me his reply." The nurse took the letter and, repairing to Uns al-Wujud, kissed his hands and greeted him right courteously, then gave him the paper; and he read it and, comprehending the contents, wrote on the back these couplets,

"I soothe my heart and my love repel; *         But my state interprets my love too well:     When tears flow I tell them mine eyes are ill, *         Lest the censor see and my case fortell,     I was fancy-free and unknew I Love; *         But I fell in love and in madness fell.     I show you my case and complain of pain, *         Pine and ecstasy that your ruth compel:     I write you with tears of eyes, so belike *         They explain the love come my heart to quell;     Allah guard a face that is veiled with charms, *         Whose thrall is Moon and the Stars as well:     In her beauty I never beheld the like; *         From her sway the branches learn sway and swell:     I beg you, an 'tis not too much of pains, *         To call; [FN#39] 'twere boon without parallel.     I give you a soul you will haply take. *         To which Union is Heaven, Disunion Hell."

Then he folded the letter and kissing it, gave it to the go-between