Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/76



Pity (so Allah spare thee!) warmest love; * Say, hast thou seen him-my beloved fere? I love a lovely youth whose face excels * Sunlight, and passes moon when clearest clear: The fawn, that sees his glance, is fain to cry * 'I am his thrall' and own himself no peer: Beauty hath written, on his winsome cheek, * Rare lines of pregnant sense for every seer; Who sights the light of love his soul is saved; * Who strays is Infidel to Hell anear: An thou in mercy show his sight, O rare! [FN#69] * Thou shalt have every wish, the dearest dear, Of rubies and what likest are to them * Fresh pearls and unions new, the seashell's tear: My friend, thou wilt forsure grant my desire * Whose heart is melted in love's hottest fire.

When the fisherman heard her words, he wept and made moan and lamented; then, recalling what had betided himself in the days of his youth, when love had the mastery over him and longing and desire and distraction were sore upon him and the fires of passion consumed him, replied with these couplets, "What fair excuse is this my pining plight, *     With wasted limbs and tears' unceasing blight;   And eyelids open in the nightly murk, *     And heart like fire-stick [FN#70] ready fire to smite;   Indeed love burdened us in early youth, *     And true from false coin soon we learned aright:   Then did we sell our soul on way of love, *     And drunk of many a well [FN#71] to win her sight;   Venturing very life to gain her grace, *     And make high profit perilling a mite.   'Tis Love's religion whoso buys with life *     His lover's grace, with highest gain is dight."

And when he ended his verse, he moored his boat to the beach and said to her, "Embark, so may I carry thee whither thou wilt."