I’d heal thy longings (love-sick lover!) by return ✿ To site of beauty void sans friend or mate to scan:
But still it sickeneth me with parting’s ban and bane ✿ Minding mine olden plight with friend and partisan.
When he had made an end of these verses, he heard a raven croak beside the house and wept, saying, “Glory be to God! The raven croaketh not save over a ruined homestead.” Then he moaned and groaned and recited these couplets:—
What ails the Raven that he croaks my lover’s house hard by, ✿ And in my vitals lights a fire that flameth fierce and high?
For times now past and gone I spent in joyance of their love ✿ With love my heart hath gone to waste and I sore pain aby:
I die of longing love and lowe still in my liver raging ✿ And wrote to her but none there is who with the writ may hie:
Ah well-away for wasted frame! Hath farèd forth my friend ✿ And if she will o’ nights return Oh would that thing wot I!
Then, Ho thou Breeze of East, and thou by morn e’er visit her; ✿ Greet her from me and stand where doth her tribe encampèd lie!
Now Zayn al-Mawasif had a sister, by name Nasím—the Zephyr—who stood espying him from a high place; and when she saw him in this plight, she wept and sighed and recited these couplets:—
How oft bewailing the place shall be this coming and going, ✿ While the House bemoaneth its builder with tear-flood ever a-flowing?