Page:The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare.djvu/102

 we will make to thee a fair sepulchre whither at all hours will we come both of the night and of the day." And when Abu Zeyd heard him say this he answered him, '" Of a surety this matter shall be made clear to thee and thou shalt know the truth and behold it with thine own eyes." 'Then the Emir Fadel took the fakir with him, and he made Abu Zeyd to sit in the seat of honour; nor said he aught further nor spoke more of that which had happened on the yesterday nor of the matter of the mare.

And the narrator began again to sing in the following verses; and he said:

Now doth my tale return to the hero Hejazi Salame:

When that Abu Zeyd had seen the sorrow of Alia,

And had said, " O Alia, trust me, trust me and be thou patient,

Swift will I bring thee succour in the sight of all beholders,"

Then went I for a space to the place of recitation,

The place of fakirs in prayer, of holy men who were chaunting.

And I found a man of God in his prayer, O people, enraptured,

And around him many more who prayed in the assembly.

And I said to myself, " O Abu Zeyd Hejazi Salame,

Go thou down unto these, so shalt thou win a blessing."

And I went down to the throng and joined in the recitings,