Thy grace and grandeur may our Lord increase ✿ And aye Th’ Almighty aid thee o’er thy foe!”

When he ended his verse Nur al-Huda bade the old woman ask him questions before her, that she might hear his answers: so she said to him, “The Queen returneth thy salam-greeting and saith to thee, What is thy name and that of thy country, and what are the names of thy wife and children, on whose account thou art come hither?” Quoth he, and indeed he had made firm his heart and destiny aided him, “O Queen of the age and tide and peerless jewel of the epoch and the time, my name is Hasan the fulfilled of sorrow, and my native city is Bassorah. I know not the name of my wife[[142]] but my children’s names are Násir and Mansúr.” When the Queen heard his reply and his provenance, she bespoke him herself and said, “And whence took she her children?” He replied, “O Queen, she took them from the city of Baghdad and the palace of the Caliphate.” Quoth Nur al-Huda, “And did she say naught to thee at the time she flew away?;” and quoth he, “Yes; she said to my mother:—Whenas thy son cometh to thee and the nights of severance upon him longsome shall be and he craveth meeting and reunion to see, and whenas the breezes of love and longing shake him dolefully let him come in the Islands of Wak to me.” Whereupon Queen Nur al-Huda shook her head and said to him. “Had she not desired thee she had not said to thy mother this say, and had she not yearned for reunion with thee, never had she bidden thee to her stead nor acquainted thee with her abiding-place.” Rejoined Hasan, “O mistress of Kings and asylum of prince and pauper, whatso happened I have told thee and have concealed naught thereof, and I take refuge from evil with Allah and with thee; wherefore oppress me not, but have compassion on me and earn recompense and requital for me in the world to come, and aid me to regain my wife and children. Grant me my urgent need and cool mine eyes with my children and help me to the sight of them.” Then he wept and wailed and lamenting his lot recited these two couplets:—

Yea, I will laud thee while the ring-dove moans, ✿ Though fail my wish of due and lawful scope:

Ne’er was I whirled in bliss and joys gone by ✿ Wherein I found thee not both root and rope.[[143]]

The Queen shook her head and bowed it in thought a long time; then, raising it, she said to Hasan (and indeed she was wroth), “I have ruth on thee and am resolved to show thee in review all the girls in the city and in the provinces of my island; and in case thou know thy wife, I will deliver her to thee; but, an thou know her not and know not her place, I will put thee to death and crucify thee over the old woman’s door.” Replied Hasan, “I accept this from thee, O Queen of the Age, and am content to submit to this thy condition. There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!” And he recited these couplets:—

You’ve roused my desire and remain at rest,— ✿ Waked my wounded lids while you slept with zest.

And ye made me a vow ye would not hang back ✿ But your guile when you chained me waxt manifest.

I loved you in childhood unknowing Love; ✿ Then slay me not who am sore opprest.

Fear ye not from Allah when slaying a friend ✿ Who gazeth on stars when folk sleep their best?

By Allah, my kinsmen, indite on my tomb ✿ “This man was the slave of Love’s harshest hest!”