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know this.’ So Heyat en Nufous called for inkhorn and paper and wrote the following verses:
Thou that, heedless, letst the lessons of experience pass by, Thou whose amorous heart and doating doth for my possession sigh,
Hopest thou, O self-deluder, to the heavens to attain? Dost thou think the moon to come at, shining in the distant sky?
With a fire whose flames are quenchless I will surely burn thee up, And one day with swords destroying slain and slaughtered shalt thou lie!
Yea, before thee the extremest of affliction hidden lies, Such as e’en the parting-places shall with white for terror dye.
Wherefore take a friendly warning and from love-liking abstain, Nor to that which is not seemly evermore thyself apply.
Then she folded the letter and gave it to the old woman, who carried it to Ardeshir, leaving the princess sore incensed by reason of this affair. The prince read the letter and bowed his head to the earth, making as if he wrote with his fingers and speaking not. Quoth the old woman, ‘O my son, what ails thee that thou sayst nought?’ ‘O my mother,’ answered he, ‘what shall I say, seeing that she doth but threaten me and redoubleth in hard-heartedness and aversion?’ ‘Write her a letter of what thou wilt,’ rejoined the nurse. ‘I will protect thee, and let not thy heart be cast down, for needs must I bring you together.’ He thanked her for her kindness and kissing her hand, wrote the following verses:
A heart that unto him who loves no prayers may mollify Yea, and a lover for his love’s possession who doth sigh
And lids that ever ulcered are with burning tears, what time The shrouding blackness of the dark falls on them from the sky!
Be charitable, then; have ruth on one with passion worn, A lover parted from his love, that may not come her nigh.
Drowned in the sea of tears and burnt with longing, knowing not Slumber nor peace, the whole night long unresting doth he lie.
Cut thou not off my heart’s desire; for ’tis afflicted sore, Wasted and palpitating aye, for passion like to die.
Then he folded the letter and gave it to the old woman, together with three hundred dinars, saying, ‘This is for
