Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/72



Quoth I (while longing fires flame high and fierce *     In heart, and wasting life's vitality,   And tears like gouts of blood go railing down *     In torrents over cheeks now pale of blee), 'None e'er trod earth that was not born to woe, * But I will patient dree mine agony, So help me Allah! till that happy day * When with my mistress I unite shall be: Then will I spend my good on lover-wights, * Who're of my tribe and of the faith of me; And loose the very birds from jail set free, * And change my grief for gladdest gree and glee!'"

Then he went on to the third cage, wherein he found a mockingbird [FN#61] which, when it saw him, set up a song, and he recited the following couplets,

"Pleaseth me yon Hazar of mocking strain *     Like voice of lover pained by love in vain.   Woe's me for lovers! Ah how many men *     By nights and pine and passion low are lain!   As though by stress of love they had been made *     Morn-less and sleep-less by their pain and bane.   When I went daft for him who conquered me *     And pined for him who proved of proudest strain,   My tears in streams down trickled and I cried *     'These long-linkt tears bind like an adamant-chain:'   Grew concupiscence, severance long, and I *     Lost Patience' hoards and grief waxed sovereign:   If Justice bide in world and me unite *     With him I love and Allah veil us deign,   I'll strip my clothes that he my form shall sight *     With parting, distance, grief, how poor of plight!"

Then he went to the fourth cage, where he found a Bulbul [FN#62] which, at sight of him, began to sway to and fro and sing its plaintive descant; and when he heard its complaint, he burst into tears and repeated these couplets.

"The Bulbul's note, whenas dawn is nigh, *     Tells the lover from strains of strings to fly:   Complaineth for passion Uns al-Wujud, *     For pine that would being to him deny.