Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/62

 and despatched them to the mountain, where they builded her an impregnable castle, never saw eyes the like thereof. Then he made ready vivers and carriage for the journey and, going in to his daughter by night, bade her prepare to set out on a pleasure-excursion. Thereupon her heart presaged the sorrows of separation and, when she went forth and saw the preparations for the journey, she wept with sore weeping and wrote that upon the door which might acquaint her lover with what had passed and with the transports of passion and grief that were upon her, transports such as would make the flesh to shiver and hair to stare, and melt the hardest stone with care, and tear from every eye a tear. And what she wrote were these couplets,

By Allah, O thou house, if my beloved a morn go by, * And greet with signs and signals lover e'er is wont to fly, I pray thee give him our salams in pure and fragrant guise, * For he indeed may never know where we this eve shall lie. I wot not whither they have fared, thus bearing us afar * At speed, and lightly-quipt, the lighter from one love to fly: When starkens night, the birds in brake or branches snugly perched * Wail for our sorrow and announce our hapless destiny: The tongue of their condition saith, 'Alas, alas for woe, * And heavy brunt of parting-blow two lovers must aby': When viewed I separation-cups were filled to the brim * And us with merest sorrow-wine Fate came so fast to ply, I mixed them with becoming share of patience self to excuse, * But Patience for the loss of you her solace doth refuse."

Now when she ended her lines, she mounted and they set forward with her, crossing and cutting over wold and wild and riant dale and rugged hill, till they came to the shore of the Sea of Treasures; here they pitched their tents and built her a great ship, wherein they went down with her and her suite and carried them over to the mountain. The Minister had ordered them, on reaching the journey's end, to set her in the castle and to make their way back to the shore, where they were to break up the vessel. So they did his bidding and returned home, weeping over what had befallen. Such was their case; but as regards Uns al-Wujud, he arose from sleep and prayed the dawn-prayer, after which he took horse and rode forth to attend upon the Sultan. On his way, he passed by the Wazir's house, thinking perchance to see some of his followers as of wont; but he saw no one and, looking upon the door, he read written thereon the verses aforesaid. At this sight, his senses