O ye who went and left my heart to pine alone fore'er, No spark of life remains in me, since ye away did fare! I have an eye that doth complain of sleeplessness alway; Tears have consumed it; would to God that sleeplessness would spare! When ye departed, after you the lover did abide; But question of him what of pain in absence he doth bear. But for the ceaseless flood of tears my eyes pour forth, the world Would at my burning all catch fire, yea, seas and lands and air. To God Most High I make my moan of dear ones loved and lost, That on my passion have no ruth nor pity my despair. I never did them wrong, except my love for them were such; But into blest and curst in love men aye divided were.
When she had finished, she sat down beside the princess Heyat en Nufous and kissed her on the mouth. Then, rising abruptly, she made the ablution and betook herself to her devotions, nor did she leave praying till Heyat en Nufous was asleep, when she slipt into bed and lay with her back to her till morning; then rose and went out. Presently, the old king and queen came in to their daughter and asked her how she did, whereupon she told them what had passed and repeated to them the verses she had heard.
Meanwhile, Budour seated herself upon the throne and all the Amirs and captains and officers of state came in to her and wished her joy of the kingship, kissing the earth before her and calling down blessings upon her. She smiled on them and clad them in robes of honour, augmenting the fiefs of the Amirs and giving largesse to the troops; wherefore all the people loved her and offered up prayers for the continuance of her reign, doubting not but that she was a man. She sat all day in the hall of audience, ordering and forbidding and dispensing justice, releasing those who were in prison and remitting the customs dues, till nightfall, when she withdrew to the apartment prepared for her. Here she found Heyat en Nufous seated; so she sat down by her and clapping her on the back, caressed her and kissed her between the eyes, repeating the following verses:
The secret that I cherished my tears have public made; The wasting of my body my passion hath bewrayed. I hid my love and longing; but on the parting-day My plight, alas! revealed it to spies; 'twas open laid. O ye who have departed the camp, ye've left behind My body worn with languor and spirit all decayed. Within my heart's recesses ye have your dwelling-place; My tears are ever running and lids with blood berayed. For ever will I ransom the absent with my soul; Indeed, for them my yearnings are patent and displayed. I have an eye, whose pupil, for love of them, rejects Sleep and whose tears flow ever, unceasing and unstayed. My foes would have me patient for him; but God forbid That ever of my hearing should heed to them be paid! I baulked their expectation. Of Kemerezzeman Sometime I did accomplish the joys for which I prayed. He doth, as none before him, perfections all unite; No king of bygone ages was in the like arrayed. His clemency and bounty Ben Zaïdeh's[FN#45] largesse And Muawiyeh's[FN#46] mildness have cast into the shade. But that it would be tedious and verse sufficeth not To picture forth his beauties, I'd leave no rhyme unmade.