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Oh, show favour to one, who’s distracted for love, And his life from the deaths of thy cruelty free!
So may Allah increase thee in beauty and joy And grant that all creatures thy ransom may be!
At the last, neath my banner all lovers shall rise And all fair ones to gather neath thine shall agree.
Then he wept and recited these also:
All my desire is for a maid, who passeth all in charms; Within my inmost soul she dwells, my heart’s most secret core.
Lo, if I speak, my speech is of her charms, and if I’m dumb, She is the cynosure of all my thoughts for evermore.
Then he wept sore and recited the following:
A flame is in my liver, that rages ever higher; My wish art thou of wishes, and longsome is desire.
To thee and to none other I bend and crave thy grace, (For lovers are long-suffering,) so thou mayst turn from ire
And rigour and take pity on one whose body love Hath worn and racked, whose entrails with passion are on fire.
Relent, then; yea, be gracious, show favour and be kind; Ne’er, ne’er will I renounce thee nor of thy service tire.
And also these:
Cares on me came, what time there came the love of thee, And sleep as cruel is as thou thyself to me.
The messenger brings news to me that thou art wroth: Now God forfend the ill whereof he tells should be!
Presently Saïd grew weary of awaiting him and going forth in quest of him, found him walking in the garden, in a state of distraction, reciting the following verses:
