Quoth she (enkindling in my heart a flame that burned high
Speaking as one who cannot hide of longing love the sign),
'By thy life, this is no dye used for dyeing; so forbear
Thy blame, nor in charging me with falsing Love persist!
But when upon our parting-day I saw thee haste to fare,
The while were bared my hand and my elbow and my wrist;
'I shed a flood of blood-red tears and with fingers brushed away; Hence blood-reddened were the tips and still blood-red they remain.'
Had I wept before she wept, to my longing-love a prey,
Before repentance came, I had quit my soul of pain;
But she wept before I wept and I wept to see her care
And I said, 'All the merit to precedent;'[FN#291]
Blame me not for loving her, now on self of Love I swear
For her sake, for her only, these pains my soul torment.
She hath all the lere of Lukmán[FN#292] and Yúsuf's beauty lief;
Sweet singer David's voice and Maryam's chastity:
While I've all Jacob's mourning and Jonah's prison-grief,
And the sufferings of Job and old Adam's history:
Yet kill her not, albeit of my love for her I die;
But ask her why my blood to her was lawful. ask her why?"