sick of body and whose heart is wasted all away.
The fire of love-longing I hide; severance consumeth me, A thrall
of care, for long desire to wakefulness a prey.
Midmost the watches of the night I see thee, in a dream; A lying
dream, for he I love my love doth not repay.
Would God thou knewest that for love of thee which I endure! It
hath indeed brought down on me estrangement and dismay.
Read thou my writ and apprehend its purport, for my case This is
and fate hath stricken me with sorrows past allay.
Know, then, the woes that have befall'n a lover, neither grudge
Her secret to conceal, but keep her counsel still, I pray.

Then she folded the letter and giving it to her slave-girl, bade
her carry it to El Abbas and bring back his answer thereto.
Accordingly, Shefikeh took the letter and carried it to the
prince, after the doorkeeper had sought leave of him to admit
her. When she came in to him, she found with him five damsels, as
they were moons, clad in [rich] apparel and ornaments; and when
he saw her, he said to her, "What is thine occasion, O handmaid
of good?" So she put out her hand to him with the letter, after
she had kissed it, and he bade one of his slave-girls receive it
from her. Then he took it from the girl and breaking it open,
read it and apprehended its purport; whereupon "We are God's and
to Him we return!" exclaimed he and calling for ink- horn and
paper, wrote the following verses:

I marvel for that to my love I see thee now incline, What time my
heart, indeed, is fain to turn away from thine.
Whilere, the verses that I made it was thy wont to flout, Saying,
"No passer by the way[FN#105] hath part in me or mine.