Would Heaven ye wist the blight that I for you are doomed to bear ✿ For love of you, which tortures me with parting agony! Then read between the lines I wrote, and mark and learn their sense ✿ For such my tale, and Destiny made me an outcast be: Learn eke the circumstance of Love and lover’s woe nor deign ✿ Divulge its mysteries to men nor grudge its secrecy. Then she folded the scroll and giving it to her slave-girl, bade her bear it to Al-Abbas and bring back his reply. So Shafikah took the letter and carried it to the Prince, after the doorkeeper had sought leave of him to admit her. When she came in to him, she found with him five damsels, as they were moons, clad in rich raiment and ornaments; and when he saw her, he said to her, “What is thy need, O hand-maid of good?” Presently she put out her hand to him with the writ, after she had kissed it, and he bade one of his slave-girls receive it from her.[407] Then he took it from the girl and breaking the seal, read it and comprehended its contents; whereupon he cried, “Verily, we be Allah’s and unto Him we shall return!” and calling for ink-case and paper, wrote these improvised couplets:— I wonder seeing how thy love to me ✿ Inclined, while I in heart from love declined: Eke wast thou wont to say in verseful writ, ✿ “Son of the Road[408] no road to me shall find! How oft kings flocked to me with mighty men ✿ And bales on back of Bukhti[409] beast they bind: And noble steeds of purest blood and all ✿ They bore of choicest boons to me consigned; Yet won no favour!” Then came I to woo ✿ And the long tale o’ love I had designed. I fain set forth in writ of mine, with words ✿ Like strings of pearls in goodly line aligned:—— Set forth my sev’rance, griefs, tyrannic wrongs, ✿ And ill device ill-suiting lover-kind. How oft love-claimant, craving secrecy, ✿ How oft have lovers ’plained as sore they pined, “How many a brimming bitter cup I’ve quaffed, ✿ And wept my woes when speech was vain as wind!” And thou:—“Be patient, ’tis thy bestest course ✿ And choicest medicine for mortal mind!” Then unto patience worthy praise cleave _thou_; ✿ Easy of issue and be lief resigned: Nor hope thou aught of me lest ill alloy ✿ Or aught of dross affect my blood refined: Such is my speech. Read, mark, and learn my say! ✿ To what thou deemest ne’er I’ll tread the way. Then he folded the scroll and sealing it, entrusted it to the damsel, who took it and bore it to her mistress. When the Princess read the letter and mastered its meaning, she said, “Meseemeth he recalleth bygones to me.” Then she called for pens, ink, and paper, and wrote these couplets: