Then he folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, bringing out at the same time a purse of four hundred dinars. She took the whole and returning to the palace sought the Princess to whom she gave the letter; but the King’s daughter refused to take it and cried, “What is this?” Replied the old woman, “O my lady, this is only the answer to the letter thou sentest to that merchant dog.” Quoth Hayat al-Nufus, “Didst thou forbid him as I told thee?”; and quoth she, “Yes, and this is his reply.” So the Princess took the letter and read it to the end; then she turned to the old woman and exclaimed, “Where is the result of thy promise?” “O my lady, saith he not in his letter that he repenteth and will not again offend, excusing himself for the past?” “Not so, by Allah!: on the contrary, he increaseth.” “O my lady, write him a letter and thou shalt presently see what I will do with him.” “There needeth nor letter nor answer.” “I must have a letter that I may rebuke him roughly and cut off his hopes.” “Thou canst do that without a letter.” “I cannot do it without the letter.” So Hayat al-Nufus called for pen-case and paper and wrote these verses:—
Long have I chid thee but my chiding hindereth thee not ✿ How often would my verse with writ o’ hand ensnare thee, ah!
Then keep thy passion hidden deep and ever unrevealed, ✿ And if thou dare gainsay me Earth shall no more bear thee, ah!
And if, despite my warning, thou dost to such words return ✿ Death’s Messenger[[275]] shall go his rounds and dead declare thee, ah!
Soon shall the wold’s fierce chilling blast o’erblow that corse o’ thine; ✿ And birds o’ the wild with ravening bills and beaks shall tear thee, ah!
Return to righteous course; perchance that same will profit thee; ✿ If bent on wilful aims and lewd I fain forswear thee, ah!
When she had made an end of her writing this, she cast the writ from her hand in wrath, and the old woman picked it up and went with it to Ardashir. When he read it to the last he knew that she had not softened to him, but only redoubled in rage against him, and that he would never win to meet her, so he bethought himself to write her an answer invoking Allah’s help against her. Thereupon he indited these couplets:—
O Lord, by the Five Shaykhs, I pray deliver me ✿ From love, which gars me bear such grief and misery.
Thou knowest what I bear for passion’s fiery flame; ✿ What stress of sickness for that merciless maid I dree.
She hath no pity on the pangs to me decreed ✿ How long on weakly wight shall last her tyranny?