My friends! tears flow in painful mockery, ✿ And sick my heart from parting agony:
My frame is wasted and my vitals wrung ✿ And love-fires grow and eyes set tear-floods free:
And when the fire burns high beneath my ribs ✿ With tears I quench it as sad day I see.
Love left me wasted, baffled, pain-begone, ✿ Sore frighted, butt to spying enemy:
When I recall sweet union wi’ their loves ✿ I chase dear sleep from the sick frame o’ me.
Long as our parting lasts the rival joys ✿ And spies with fearful prudence gain their gree.
I fear me for my sickly, langourous frame ✿ Lest dread of parting slay me incont’nently.
When Hafizah had ended her song, Al-Abbas cried to her, “Brava! Verily, thou quickenest hearts from griefs.” Then he called another maiden of the daughters of Daylam, by name Marjánah, and said to her, “O Marjanah, sing to me upon the days of parting.” She said, “Hearing and obeying,” and recited these couplets:—
“Cleave to fair Patience! Patience ’gendereth weal”: ✿ Such is the rede to us all sages deal:
How oft I plained the lowe of grief and love ✿ Mid passions cast my soul in sore unheal.