The Six Hundred and Eighty-ninth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that Ibn Ibrahim said to Al-Hayfa, "Do thou write to him and there is no help but that I return to thee with a reply, albe life depart from me." Then she asked for pen-case and paper and thereon indited the following couplets,
"Ah would thou knew what I of parting dree * When all my hiddens
show for man to see;
Passion and longing, pine and lowe o' love * Descend surchargèd
on the head of me:
God help the days that sped as branches lopt * I spent in Garden
of Eternity.[246] And I of you make much and of your love * By rights of you, while
dearest dear be ye:[247] May Allah save you, parted though we be, * While bide I parted
all unwillingly:
Then, O my lord, an come thou not right soon * The tomb shall
home me for the love of thee."
And when she had written her reply, she largessed Ibn Ibrahim with an hundred dinars, after which he returned[248] to the capital of Sind, where he found Yusuf issuing forth to hunt; so he handed to him the letter, and the Prince returning citywards set apart for him a fair apartment and spent the livelong night asking anent Al-Hayfa. And when it was morning he called for pen-case and paper whereupon he wrote these improvised couplets,
"You dealt to us a slender dole our love mote satisfy, * Yet nor
my gratitude therefor nor laud of me shalt gain:
I'm none of those console their hearts by couplets or by verse *
For breach of inner faith by one who liefly breaks the
chain:
When so it fortunes she I love a partner gives to me * I wone in
single bliss and let my lover love again:
Take, then, what youth your soul desires; with him forgather, for
* I aim not at your inner gifts nor woo your charms I deign:
You set for me a mighty check of parting and ill-will * In public
fashion and a-morn you dealt me bale and bane:
Such deed is yours and ne'er shall it, by Allah satisfy * A boy,
a slave of Allah's slaves who still to slave is fain."
Then Prince Yusuf robed Ibn Ibrahim in a robe of green; and giving him an hundred gold pieces, entrusted him with the letter which he carried to Al-Hayfa and handed it to her. She brake the seal and read it and considered its contents, whereupon she wept with sore weeping which ended in her shrieking aloud; and after she abode perplext as to her affair and for a time she found no sweetness in meat and drink, nor was sleep pleasant to her for the stress of her love-longing to Yusuf. Also her nature tempted her to cast herself headlong from the terrace of the Palace; but Ibn Ibrahim forbade her saying, "Do thou write to him replies, time after time; haply shall his heart be turned and he will return unto thee." So she again called for writing materials and indited these couplets, which came from the very core of her heart,
"Thou art homed in a heart nothing else shall invade; * Save thy
love and thyself naught shall stay in such stead;
O thou, whose brilliancy lights his brow, * Shaped like
sandhill-tree with his locks for shade,
Forbid Heaven my like to aught else incline * Save you whose
beauties none like display'd:
Art thou no amongst mortals a starless moon * O beauty the dazzle
of day hath array'd?"
These she committed[249] to Ibn Ibrahim who rode again on his route and forgathered with Prince Yusuf and gave him the letter, whose contents were grievous to him; so he took writing materials and returned a reply in the following verses,
"Cease then to carry missives others write, * O Son of Ibrahim,
shun silly plight:
I'm healed of longing for your land and I * Those days forget and
daysters lost to sight:
Let then Al-Hayfá learn from me I love * Distance from her and
furthest earthly site.
No good in loving when a rival shows * E'en tho' 'twere victual
shared by other wight;
These modes and fashions never mind arride * Save him unknowing
of his requisite."
Then he entrusted the writ to Ibn Ibrahim, after giving him an hundred dinars, and he fared forth and ceased not faring till he had reached the palace of the Princess. Presently he went in and handed to her the writ, and as soon as she had read it, the contents seemed to her sore and she wept until her vitals were torn with sobs. After this she raised her hand[250] heavenwards and invoked Allah and humbled herself before him and said, "My God, O my Lord, do Thou soften the heart of Yusuf ibn Sahl and turn him mewards and afflict him with love of me even as thou hast afflicted me with his love; for Thou to whatso Thou wishest canst avail, O bestest of Rulers and O forcefullest of Aiders." Anon she fell to writing and indited these verses,
"Love rules my bosom and a-morn doth moan * The Voice, ah Love,
who shows strength weakness grown!
His lashes' rapier-blade hath rent my heart; * That keen curved
brand my me hath overthrown:
That freshest cheek-rose fills me with desire: * Fair fall who
plucketh yonder bloom new-blown!
Since love befel me for that youth did I * Begin for charms of
him my pride to own:
O thou my hope, I swear by Him did share * Love and decreed thou
shouldst in longing wone,
In so exceeding grief why sight I thee * Jacob made Joseph by
the loss of me?"
She then handed the letter to Ibn Ibrahim, after giving him an hundred dinars; and he returned forthright to the city of Sind and, repairing to Yusuf, gave him the writ which he took and read. Hereupon the Prince waxed sore sorrowful and said to himself, "By Allah, indeed Al-Hayfa cleaveth to love."—And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was