Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/65

 me." So he followed him, and the beast ceased not leading him on for a while till he brought him up a mountain, and guided him to the farther side, where he came upon the track of a caravan over the desert, and knew it to be that of Rose-in-Hood and her company. Then he took the trail and, when the lion saw that he knew the track for that of the party which escorted her, he turned back and went his way; whilst Uns al-Wujud walked along the foot-marks day and night, till they brought him to a dashing sea, swollen with clashing surge. The trail led down to the sandy shore and there broke off; whereby he knew that they had taken ship and had continued their journey by water. So he lost hope of finding his lover and with hot tears he repeated these couplets,

"Far is the fane and patience faileth me; *     How can I seek them [FN#47] o'er the abyssmal sea;   Or how be patient, when my vitals burn *     For love of them, and sleep waxed insomny?   Since the sad day they left the home and fled, *     My heart's consumed by love's ardency:   Sayhun, Jayhun, [FN#48] Euphrates-like my tears, *     Make flood no deluged rain its like can see:   Mine eyelids chafed with running tears remain, *     My heart from fiery sparks is never free;   The hosts of love and longing pressed me *     And made the hosts of patience break and flee.   I've risked my life too freely for their love; *     And risk of life the least of ills shall be.   Allah ne'er punish eye that saw those charms *     Enshrined, and passing full moon's brilliancy!   I found me felled by fair wide-opened eyes, *     Which pierced my heart with stringless archery:   And soft, lithe, swaying shape enraptured me * As sway the branches of the willow-tree: Wi' them I covet union that I win, * O'er love-pains cark and care, a mastery. For love of them aye, morn and eve I pine, * And doubt all came to me from evil eyne."

And when his lines were ended he wept, till he swooned away, and abode in his swoon a long while; but as soon as he came to himself,