th' assaults of grief and woes abide?
Thou, thou enjoy'st repose and comfortable sleep, Nor of the
mis'ries reckst by which my heart is wried.
I watch the stars for wake and pray that the belov'd May yet to
me relent and bid my tears be dried.
The pains of long desire have wasted me away; Estrangement and
disdain my body sore have tried.
"Be thou not hard of heart," quoth I. Had ye but deigned To visit
me in dreams, I had been satisfied.
But when ye saw my writ, the standard ye o'erthrew Of faith, your
favours grudged and aught of grace denied.
Nay, though ye read therein discourse that sure should speak To
heart and soul, no word thereunto ye replied,
But deemed yourself secure from every changing chance Nor recked
the ebb and flow of Fortune's treacherous tide.
Were my affliction thine, love's anguish hadst thou dreed And in
the flaming hell of long estrangement sighed.
Yet shall thou suffer that which I from thee have borne And with
love's woes thy heart shall yet be mortified.
The bitterness of false accusing shall thou taste And eke the
thing reveal that thou art fain to hide;
Yea, he thou lov'st shall be hard-hearted, recking not Of
fortune's turns or fate's caprices, in his pride.
Wherewith farewell, quoth I, and peace be on thee aye, What while
the branches bend, what while the stars abide.

When he had made an end of his verses, he folded the letter and
gave it to the nurse, who took it and carried it to Mariyeh. When
she came into the princess's presence, she saluted her; but
Mariyeh returned not her salutation and she said, "O my lady, how