crescent moon, and she was a Turkish girl from the land of the
Greeks and her name was Hafizeh) and said to her, "O Hafizeh,
close thine eyes and tune thy lute and sing to us upon the days
of separation." She answered him with "Hearkening and obedience"
and taking the lute, tuned its strings and cried out from her
head,[FN#107] in a plaintive voice, and sang the following
verses:

O friends, the tears flow ever, in mockery of my pain; My heart
is sick for sev'rance and love-longing in vain.
All wasted is my body and bowels tortured sore; Love's fire on me
still waxeth, mine eyes with tears still rain.
Whenas the fire of passion flamed in my breast, with tears, Upon
the day of wailing, to quench it I was fain.
Desire hath left me wasted, afflicted, sore afraid, For the spy
knows the secret whereof I do complain.
When I recall the season of love-delight with them, The sweet of
sleep forsakes me, my body wastes amain.
Those who our parting plotted our sev'rance still delights; The
spies, for fearful prudence, their wish of us attain.
I fear me for my body from sickness and unrest, Lest of the fear
of sev'rance it be betrayed and slain.

When Hafizeh had made an end of her song, El Abbas said to her,
"Well done! Indeed, thou quickenest hearts from sorrows." Then he
called another damsel of the daughters of the Medes, by name
Merjaneh, and said to her, "O Merjaneh, sing to me upon the days
of separation." "Hearkening and obedience," answered she and
improvising, sang the following verses: