My soul for loss of lover sped I sight; ✿ Nor life enjoying neither life’s delight: My case is one whose cure is all unknown; ✿ Can any cure the sick but doctor wight? O who hast reft my sleep-joys, leaving me ✿ To ask the breeze that blew from that fair site,— Blew from my lover’s land (the land that owns ✿ Those charms so sore a grief in soul excite), “O breeze, that visitest her land, perhaps ✿ Breathing her scent, thou mayst revive my sprite!”

And when he ended his verse he gave a great cry and fell down in a fainting-fit. The Princesses sat round him, weeping over him, till he recovered and repeated these two couplets:—

A Plain and Literal Translation of The Arabian Nights Entertainments, Now Entitled The Book Of The Thousand Nights and A — Part 33

Haply and happily may Fortune bend her rein ✿ Bringing my love, for Time’s a freke of jealous strain;[103] Fortune may prosper me, supply mine every want, ✿ And bring a blessing where before were ban and bane.

A Plain and Literal Translation of The Arabian Nights Entertainments, Now Entitled The Book Of The Thousand Nights and A — Part 33

Then he wept till he fainted again, and presently coming to himself recited the two following couplets:—

A Plain and Literal Translation of The Arabian Nights Entertainments, Now Entitled The Book Of The Thousand Nights and A — Part 33

My wish, mine illness, mine unease! by Allah, own ✿ Art thou content? then I in love contented wone! Dost thou forsake me thus sans crime or sin ✿ Meet me in ruth, I pray, and be our parting gone.

Then he wept till he swooned away once more and when he revived he repeated these couplets:—

Sleep fled me, by my side wake ever shows ✿ And hoard of tear-drops from these eyne aye flows; For love they weep with beads cornelian-like ✿ And growth of distance greater dolence grows: Lit up my longing, O my love, in me ✿ Flames burning ’neath my ribs with fiery throes! Remembering thee a tear I never shed ✿ But in it thunder roars and leven glows.

Then he wept till he fainted away a fourth time, and presently recovering, recited these couplets:—

Ah! for lowe of love and longing suffer ye as suffer we? ✿ Say, as pine we and as yearn we for you are pining ye? Allah do the death of Love, what a bitter draught is his! ✿ Would I wot of Love what plans and what projects nurseth he! Your faces radiant-fair though afar from me they shine, ✿ Are mirrored in our eyes whatsoe’er the distance be; My heart must ever dwell on the memories of your tribe; ✿ And the turtledove reneweth all as oft as moaneth she: Ho thou dove, who passest night-tide in calling on thy fere, ✿ Thou doublest my repine, bringing grief for company; And leavest thou mine eyelids with weeping unfulfilled ✿ For the dearlings who departed, whom we never more may see: I melt for the thought of you at every time and hour, ✿ And I long for you when Night showeth cheek of blackest blee.