Give o'er this unrelenting blame, that never lets me be! My heart loves her to whom it's thrall and may not struggle free. Look not to me for any jot of patience, for I swear By God His house, my patience all is clean divorced from me! Blamers to prudence me exhort; I heed them not, for I In my avouchment am sincere of love and constancy. They hinder me by very force from visiting my dear, Though, by the Merciful, nor rogue am I nor debauchee! Indeed, my bones, whenas they hear the mention of her name, Do quake and tremble even as birds from sparrow-hawks that flee. O daughter of my uncle, say to him who chides at love, That I, by Allah, am distraught with love-longing for thee.
And he said to his mother, "I can dwell no longer in my aunt's house nor among these people, but will go forth and abide in the corners of the city." So he and his mother left the palace and took up their abode in one of the quarters of the poorer sort: and she used to go from time to time to King Sasan's palace and take thence food for her own and her son's subsistence. One day, Kuzia Fekan took her aside and said to her, "Alas, my aunt, how is it with thy son?" "O my daughter," replied she, "sooth to say, he is tearful-eyed and mournful-hearted, being fallen into the snare of thy love." And she repeated to her the verses he had made; whereupon Kuzia Fekan wept and said, "By Allah, I rebuked not him for his words of ill-will or dislike to him, but because I feared the malice of enemies for him. Indeed, my passion for him is double that he feels for me; words fail to set out my yearning for him; and were it not for the extravagances of his tongue and the wanderings of his wit, my father had not cut off his favours from him nor decreed unto him exclusion and prohibition. However, man's fortune is nought but change, and patience in every case is most becoming; peradventure He who ordained our severance will vouchsafe us reunion!" And she repeated the following:
O son of mine uncle, the like of thine anguish I suffer, the like of thy passion I feel; Yet hide I from men what I suffer for longing, And shouldst thou not also thy passion conceal?
When his mother heard this, she thanked her and blessed her: then she left her and returning to her son, told him what his mistress had said; whereupon his desire for her increased. But he took heart, being eased of his despair, and the turmoil of his spirits was quelled. And he said, "By Allah, I desire none but her!" And he repeated the following verses: