She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Kazis ordered the Jew to prison and on the morrow they looked for Zayn al-Mawasif coming to them, they and their assessors; but she presented herself not to any of them. Then said the Chief Kazi, “I wish to-day to make an excursion without the town on business there.” So he mounted his she-mule and taking his page with him, went winding about the streets of the town, searching its length and width for Zayn al-Mawasif, but never finding her. On this errand he came upon the other three Kazis, going about on the same, each deeming himself the only one to whom she had given tryst. He asked them whither they were riding and why they were going about the streets; when they told him their business, whereby he saw that their plight was as his plight and their quest as his quest. So they all four rode throughout the city, seeking her, but could hit on no trace of her and returned to their houses, sick for love, and lay down on the bed of langour. Presently the Chief Kazi bethought himself of the blacksmith; so he sent for him and said to him, “O blacksmith, knowest thou aught of the damsel whom thou didst direct to me? By Allah, an thou discover her not to me, I will whack thee with whips.” Now when the smith heard this, he recited these couplets[[364]]:—
She who my all of love by love of her hath won ✿ Owns every Beauty and for others leaves she none:
She gazes, a gazelle; she breathes, fresh ambergris ✿ She waves, a lake; she sways, a bough; she shines, a Sun.
Then said the blacksmith, “By Allah, O my lord, since she fared forth from thy worshipful presence,[[365]] I have not set eyes on her; no, not once. Indeed she took possession of my heart and wits and all my talk and thoughts are of her. I went to her lodging but found her not, nor found I any who could give me news of her, and it is as if she had dived into the depths of the sea or had ascended to the sky.” Now when the Kazi heard this, he groaned a groan, that his soul was like to depart therefor, and he said, “By Allah, well it were had we never seen her!” Then the smith went away, whilst the Kazi fell down on his bed and became sick of languor for her sake, and on like wise fared it with the other three Kazis and assessors. The mediciners paid them frequent calls, but found in them no ailment requiring a leach: so the city-notables went in to the Chief Kazi and saluting him, questioned him of his case; whereupon he sighed and showed them that was in his heart, reciting these couplets:—
Stint ye this blame; enough I suffer from Love’s malady ✿ Nor chide the Kazi frail who fain must deal to folk decree!
Who doth accuse my love let him for me find some excuse: ✿ Nor blame; for lovers blameless are in lover-slavery!
I was a Kázi whom my Fate deigned aid with choicest aid ✿ By writ and reed and raisèd me to wealth and high degree;
Till I was shot by sharpest shaft that knows nor leach nor cure ✿ By Damsel’s glance who came to spill my blood and murther me.
To me came she, a Moslemah and of her wrongs she ’plained ✿ With lips that oped on Orient-pearls ranged fair and orderly:
I looked beneath her veil and saw a wending moon at full ✿ Rising below the wings of Night engloomed with blackest blee: