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whereat she wept secretly, but presently stinted. After awhile, the Khalif ordered a damsel to sing, and she chanted the following verses:
Life, as I live, has not been sweet since I did part from thee; Would God I knew but how it fared with thee too after me!
If thou be weeping tears of brine for sev’rance of our loves, Ah, then, indeed, ’twere meet my tears of very blood should be.
Night clvii.When my lady heard this, she fell back on the sofa in a swoon, and I seized her hand and sprinkled rose-water on her face, till she revived, when I said to her, “O my lady, do not bring ruin on thyself and on all thy household, but be patient, by the life of thy beloved!” “Can aught befall me worse than death?” answered she. “That, indeed, I long for, for, by Allah, my ease is therein.” Whilst we were talking, another damsel sang the following words of the poet:
“Patience shall peradventure lead to solacement,” quoth they; and I, “Where’s patience to be had, now he is gone away?”
He made a binding covenant with me to cut the cords Of patience, when we two embraced upon the parting day.
When Shemsennehar heard this, she swooned away once more, which when the Khalif saw, he came to her in haste and commanded the wine-service to be removed and each damsel to return to her chamber. He abode with her the rest of the night, and when it was day, he sent for physicians and men of art and bade them medicine her, knowing not that her sickness arose from passion and love-longing. He tarried with her till he deemed her in a way of recovery, when he returned to his palace, sore concerned for her illness, and she bade me go to thee and bring her news of Ali ben Bekkar. So I came, leaving with her a number of her bodywomen; and this is what has delayed me from thee.’ When Aboulhusn heard her story, he marvelled and said, ‘By Allah, I have acquainted thee with his whole case; so now return to thy mistress;
