When the damsel had made an end of her song, Al-Abbas swooned away and they sprinkled on him musked rose-water, till he recovered from his fainting-fit, when he called another damsel (now there was on her of linen and raiment and ornaments that which undoeth description, and she was a model of beauty and brightness and loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace, such as shamed the crescent moon, and she was a Turkish girl from the land of the Roum and her name was Háfizah) and said to her, “O Hafizah, close thine eyes and tune thy lute and sing to us upon the days of severance.” She answered him, “To hear is to obey” and taking the lute, tightened its strings and cried out from her head,[411] in a plaintive voice, and sang these couplets:— My friends! tears flow in painful mockery, ✿ And sick my heart from parting agony: My frame is wasted and my vitals wrung ✿ And love-fires grow and eyes set tear-floods free: And when the fire burns high beneath my ribs ✿ With tears I quench it as sad day I see. Love left me wasted, baffled, pain-begone, ✿ Sore frighted, butt to spying enemy: When I recall sweet union wi’ their loves ✿ I chase dear sleep from the sick frame o’ me. Long as our parting lasts the rival joys ✿ And spies with fearful prudence gain their gree. I fear me for my sickly, langourous frame ✿ Lest dread of parting slay me incont’nently. When Hafizah had ended her song, Al-Abbas cried to her, “Brava! Verily, thou quickenest hearts from griefs.” Then he called another maiden of the daughters of Daylam, by name Marjánah, and said to her, “O Marjanah, sing to me upon the days of parting.” She said, “Hearing and obeying,” and recited these couplets:— “Cleave to fair Patience! Patience ’gendereth weal”: ✿ Such is the rede to us all sages deal: How oft I plained the lowe of grief and love ✿ Mid passions cast my soul in sore unheal. How oft I waked and drained the bitter cup ✿ And watched the stars, nor sleep mine eyes would seal! Enough it were an deal you grace to me ✿ In writ a-morn and garred no hope to feel. But Thoughts which probed its depths would sear my heart ✿ And start from eye-brows streams that ever steal: Nor cease I suffering baleful doom and nights ✿ Wakeful, and heart by sorrows rent piece-meal: But Allah purged my soul from love of you ✿ When all knew secrets cared I not reveal. I march to-morrow from your country and ✿ Haply you’ll speed me nor fear aught unweal; And, when in person you be far from us, ✿ Would heaven we knew who shall your news reveal. Who kens if home will e’er us two contain ✿ In dearest life with union naught can stain!