vitals for thy cruelty are all forspent and dead!
Fain, fain would I forget thy love. Alack, my heart denies To be
consoled, and 'gainst thy wrath nought standeth me in stead.
An thou'dst vouchsafe to favour me,'twould lighten my despair,
Though but in dreams thine image 'twere that visited my bed.
Persist not on my weakliness with thy disdain nor be Treason and
breach of love its troth to thee attributed;
For know that hither have I fared and come to this thy land, By
hopes of union with thee and near fruition led.
How oft I've waked, whilst over me my comrades kept the watch!
How many a stony waste I've crossed, how many a desert
dread!
From mine own land, to visit thee, I came at love's command, For
all the distance did forbid,'twixt me and thee that spread.
Wherefore, by Him who letteth waste my frame, have ruth on me And
quench my yearning and the fires by passion in me fed.
In glory's raiment clad, by thee the stars of heaven are shamed
And in amaze the full moon stares to see thy goodlihead.
All charms, indeed, thou dost comprise; so who shall vie with
thee And who shall blame me if for love of such a fair I'm
sped?

When he had made an end of his verses, he folded the letter and
delivering it to the nurse, charged her keep the secret. So she
took it and carrying it to Mariyeh, gave it to her. The princess
broke it open and read it and apprehended its purport. Then said
she, "By Allah, O nurse, my heart is burdened with an exceeding
chagrin, never knew I a dourer, because of this correspondence
and of these verses." And the muse made answer to her, saying, "O
my lady, thou art in thy dwelling and thy place and thy heart is