Love’s tongue within my heart speaks plain to thee, ✿ Telling thee clearly I am fain of thee;
Witness the fevers of a tortured heart, ✿ And ulcered eyelid tear-flood rains for thee;
God’s fate o’ertaketh all created things! ✿ I knew not love till learnt Love’s pain of thee.
Now when the mock Caliph heard these lines sung by the damsel, he cried with a great cry and rent his raiment to the very skirt, whereupon they let down a curtain over him and brought him a fresh robe, handsomer than the first. He put it on and sat as before, till the cup came round to him, when he struck the gong a second time and lo! a door opened and out of it came a eunuch with a chair of gold, followed by a damsel fairer than the first, bearing a lute, such as would strike the envious mute. She sat down on the chair and sang to her instrument these two couplets:—
How patient bide, with love in sprite of me, ✿ And tears in tempest[[190]] blinding sight of me?
By Allah, life has no delight of me! ✿ How gladden heart whose core is blight of me?
No sooner had the youth heard this poetry than he cried out with a loud cry and rent his raiment to the skirt: whereupon they let down the curtain over him and brought him another suit of clothes. He put it on and, sitting up as before, fell again to cheerful talk, till the cup came round to him, when he smote once more upon the gong and out came a eunuch with a chair, followed by a damsel fairer than she who forewent her. So she sat down on the chair, with a lute in her hand, and sang thereto these couplets:—
Cease ye this farness; ‘bate this pride of you, ✿ To whom my heart clings, by life-tide of you!
Have ruth on hapless, mourning, lover-wretch, ✿ Desire-full, pining, passion-tried of you:
Sickness hath wasted him, whose ecstasy ✿ Prays Heaven it may be satisfied of you;