You render me lovelorn, and remain at ease. You make my wounded eyelid to be restless, and you sleep. Your abode is between my heart and my eyes; and my heart will not relinquish you, nor my tears conceal my passion. You made a covenant with me that you would remain faithful; but when you had gained possession of my heart you deceived me. Will you not pity my love for you and my moaning? Have you yourself been secure from misfortunes? I conjure you, by Allah, if I die, that you write upon my tombstone, This was a slave of love. That, perchance, some mourner who hath felt the same flame may pass by the lover's grave, and pity her.[III_96] But on hearing these verses, and witnessing my weeping, he became more incensed, and replied in the words of this couplet:-- I reject not the beloved of my heart from weariness: her own guilty conduct is the cause of her punishment. She desired that another should share with me her love; but the faith of my heart inclineth not to partnership.[III_97] [Illustration] I continued to weep, and to endeavour to excite his compassion, saying within myself, I will humble me before him, and address him with soft words, that he may at least refrain from killing me, though he take all that I possess;--but he cried out to the slave, Cleave her in twain; for she is no longer of any value to us.--So the slave approached me, and I now felt assured of my death, and committed myself to God; but suddenly the old woman came and threw herself at my husband's feet, and, kissing them, exclaimed, O my son, by the care with which I nursed thee, I conjure thee to pardon this damsel, for she hath committed no offence that deserveth such a punishment: thou art young, and I fear the effect of the imprecations that she may utter against thee:--and after she had thus addressed him, she wept, and continued to importune him, until, at length, he said, I pardon her, but must cause her to bear upon her person such marks of her offence as shall last for the remainder of her life. So saying, he commanded the slaves to strip off my vest, and, taking a stick cut from a quince-tree, he beat me upon my back and my sides until I became insensible from the violence of the blows, and despaired of my life. He then ordered the slaves to take me away as soon as it was night, accompanied by the old woman, and to throw me into my house in which I formerly resided. They accordingly executed their lord's commands, and when they had deposited me in my house, I applied myself to the healing of my wounds; but, after I had cured myself, my sides still bore the appearance of having been beaten with miḳra'ahs. I continued to apply remedies for four months before I was restored, and then repaired to view the house in which this event had happened; but I found it reduced to ruin, and the whole street pulled down; the site of the house I found occupied by mounds of rubbish, and I knew not the cause.