safety and blameth thee for that thou breakest her heart, alone of all the folk, because thy largesse embraceth great and small, yet hast thou not remembered her with anything of thy plunder, as if thou hadst hardened thy heart against her.” Quoth he, “Extolled be He who turneth hearts! By Allah, my vitals were consumed with the love of her; and, of my longing after her I came forth to her from my mother-land and left my people and my home and my wealth, and it was with her that began the hardheartedness and the cruelty. Natheless, for all this, I bear her no malice and there is no help but that I send her somewhat whereby she may remember me; for that I sojourn in her country but a few days, after which I set out for the land of Al-Yaman.” Then he called for a chest and thence bringing out a necklace of Greek workmanship, worth a thousand dinars, wrapped it in a mantle of Greek silk, set with pearls and gems and purfled with red gold, and joined thereto a couple of caskets containing musk and ambergris. He also put off upon the girl a mantle of Greek silk, striped with gold, wherein were divers figures and portraitures depictured, never saw eyes its like. Therewithal the girl’s wit fled for joy and she went forth from his presence and returned to her mistress. When she came in to her, she acquainted her with that which she had seen of Al-Abbas and that which was with him of servants and attendants and set out to her the loftiness of his station and gave her that which was with her. Mariyah opened the mantle, and when she saw that necklace (and indeed the place was illumined with the lustre thereof), she looked at her slave-girl and said to her, “By Allah, O Shafikah, one look at him were dearer to me than all that my hand possesseth! Oh, would Heaven I knew what I shall do, when Baghdad is empty of him and I hear of him no news!” Then she wept and calling for ink-case and paper and pen of brass, wrote these couplets: Longsome my sorrows are; my liver’s fired with ecstasy; ✿ And severance-shaft hath shot me through whence sorest pangs I dree: And howso could my soul forget the love I bear to you? ✿ You-wards my will perforce returns nor passion sets me free: I ’prison all desires I feel for fear of spies thereon ✿ Yet tears that streak my cheek betray for every eye to see. No place of rest or joy I find to bring me life-delight; ✿ No wine tastes well; nor viands please however savoury: Ah me! to whom shall I complain of case and seek its cure ✿ Save unto thee whose Phantom deigns to show me sight of thee? Then name me not or chide for aught I did in passion-stress, ✿ With vitals gone and frame consumed by yearning-malady! Secret I keep the fire of love which aye for severance burns; ✿ Sworn slave[406] to Love who robs my rest and wakes me cruelly: And ceaseth not my thought to gaze upon your ghost by night, ✿ Which falsing comes and he I love still, still unloveth me.