Then said the blacksmith, "By Allah, O my lord, since she fared forth from thy worshipful presence,[FN#366] I have not set eyes on her; no, not once. Indeed she took possession of my heart and wits and all my talk and thoughts are of her. I went to her lodging but found her not, nor found I any who could give me news of her, and it is as if she had dived into the depths of the sea or had ascended to the sky." Now when the Kazi heard this, he groaned a groan, that his soul was like to depart therefor, and he said, "By Allah, well it were had we never seen her!" Then the smith went away, whilst the Kazi fell down on his bed and became sick of langour for her sake, and on like wise fared it with the other three Kazis and assessors. The mediciners paid them frequent calls, but found in them no ailment requiring a leach: so the city-notables went in to the Chief Kazi and saluting him, questioned him of his case; whereupon he sighed and showed them that was in his heart, reciting these couplets, "Stint ye this blame; enough I suffer from Love's malady * Nor chide the Kazi frail who fain must deal to folk decree! Who doth accuse my love let him for me find some excuse: * Nor blame; for lovers blameless are in lover-slavery! I was a Kázi whom my Fate deigned aid with choicest aid * By writ and reed and raisčd me to wealth and high degree; Till I was shot by sharpest shaft that knows nor leach nor cure * By Damsel's glance who came to spill my blood and murther me. To me came she, a Moslemah and of her wrongs she 'plained * With lips that oped on Orient-pearls ranged fair and orderly: I looked beneath her veil and saw a wending moon at full * Rising below the wings of Night engloomed with blackest blee: A brightest favour and a mouth bedight with wondrous smiles; * Beauty had brought the loveliest garb and robed her cap-ŕ-pie. By Allah, ne'er beheld my eyes a face so ferly fair * Amid mankind whoever are, Arab or Ajamí. My Fair! What promise didst thou make what time to me thou said'st * 'Whenas I promise I perform, O Kazi, faithfully.' Such is my stead and such my case calamitous and dire * And ask me not, ye men of spunk, what dreadful teen I dree." When he ended his verse he wept with sore weeping and sobbed one sob and his spirit departed his body, which seeing they washed him and shrouded him and prayed over him and buried him graving on his tomb these couplets, "Perfect were lover's qualities in him was brought a-morn, * Slain by his love and his beloved, to this untimely grave: Kázi was he amid the folk, and aye 'twas his delight * To foster all the folk and keep a-sheath the Justice-glaive: Love caused his doom and ne'er we saw among mankind before * The lord and master louting low before his thrallčd slave."