down, senseless, and stood gazing upon her, till she revived and recited these couplets,[FN#169] "I have sorrowed on account of our disunion with a sorrow that made the tears to overflow from my eyelids; And I vowed that if Fortune reunite us, I would never again mention our separation; And I would say to the envious, Die ye with regret; By Allah I have now attained my desire! Joy hath overwhelmed me to such a degree that by its excess it hath made me weep. O eye, how hath weeping become thy habit? Thou weepest in joy as well, as in sorrows." When she ceased her verse the slave-girls went out from her and Hasan took off the cap; whereupon his wife said to him, "See, O man, all this befel me not save by reason of my having rebelled against thee and transgressed thy commandment and gone forth without thy leave.[FN#170] So, Allah upon thee blame me not for my sins and know that women never wot a man's worth till they have lost him. Indeed, I have offended and done evil; but I crave pardon of Allah Almighty for whatso I did, and if He reunite us, I will never again gainsay thee in aught, no, never!"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say. When it was the Eight Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night, She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Hasan's wife besought pardon of him saying, "Blame me not for my sin; and indeed I crave mercy of Allah Almighty." Quoth Hasan (and indeed his heart ached for her), "'Twas not thou that wast in fault; nay, the fault was mine and mine only, for I fared forth and left thee with one who knew not thy rank, neither thy worth nor thy degree. But know, O beloved of my heart and fruit of my vitals and light of mine eyes, that Allah (blessed be He!) hath ordained to me power of releasing thee; so, say me, wouldst thou have me carry thee to thy father's home, there to accomplish what Allah decreeth unto thee, or wilt thou forthright depart with me to mine own country, now that relief is come to thee?" Quoth she, "Who can deliver me save the Lord of the Heavens? Go to thy mother-land and put away from thee false hope; for thou knowest not the perils of these parts which, an thou obey me not, soon shalt thou sight." And she improvised these couplets, "On me and with me bides thy volunty; * Why then such anger such despite to me? Whate'er befel us Heaven forbid that love * Fade for long time or e'er forgotten be! Ceased not the spy to haunt our sides, till seen * Our love estranged and then estranged was he: In truth I trusted to fair thoughts of thine * Though spake the wicked spy maliciously. We'll keep the secret 'twixt us twain and hold * Although the brand of blame unsheathed we see. The livelong day in longing love I spend * Hoping acceptance- message from my friend."