found her husband had brought the camels and was busy loading them, having set apart the handsomest dromedary for her riding, and when she saw this and knew that needs must she be separated from Masrur, she waxt clean distraught. Presently it chanced that the Jew went out on some business of his; so she fared forth to the first or outer door and wrote thereon these couplets,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say. When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night, She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn al-Mawasif saw her spouse summon the camels and knew that the march needs must be, she waxt clean distraught. Presently it chanced that the Jew went out on some business so she fared forth to the first door and wrote thereon these couplets, "Bear our salams, O Dove, from this our stead * From lover to beloved far severčd! Bid him fro' me ne'er cease to yearn and mourn * O'er happy days and hours for ever fled: Eke I in grief shall ever mourn and yearn, * Dwelling on days of love and lustihead; Long was our joyance, seeming aye to last, * When night and morning to reunion led; Till croaked the Raven[FN#351] of the Wold one day * His cursed croak and did our union dead. We sped and left the homestead dark and void * Its gates unpeopled and its dwellers sped." Then she went to the second door and wrote thereon these couplets, "O who passest this doorway, by Allah, see * The charms of my fere in the glooms and make plea For me, saying, 'I think of the Past and weep * Yet boot me no tears flowing full and free.' Say, 'An fail thee patience for what befel * Scatter earth and dust on the head of thee! And o'er travel lands East and West, and deem * God sufficeth thy case, so bear patiently!'" Then she went to the third door and wept sore and thereon wrote these couplets, "Fare softly, Masrúr! an her sanctuary * Thou seek, and read what a-door writ she. Ne'er forget Love-plight, if true man; how oft * Hast savoured Nights' bitter and sweetest gree! O Masrúr! forget not her neighbourhood * For wi' thee must her gladness and joyance flee! But beweep those dearest united days * When thou camest veilčd in secresy; Wend for sake of us over farthest wone; * Span the wold for us, for us dive in sea; Allah bless the past days! Ah, how glad they were * When in Gardens of Fancy the flowers pluckt we! The nights of Union from us are fled * And parting-glooms dim their radiancy; Ah! had this lasted as hopčd we, but * He left only our breasts and the rosery. Will revolving days on Re-union dawn? * Then our vow to the Lord shall accomplisht be. Learn thou our lots are in hand of Him * Who on lines of skull[FN#352] writes our destiny!"