She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn al-Mawasif heard these lines she knew that it was Masrur and wept, she and her handmaids, and said to him, "O Masrur, I conjure thee by Allah, turn back, lest my husband see us twain together!" At her words he swooned away; and when he revived, they took leave each of other and he recited the following couplets,
"The Caravan-chief calleth loud o' night * Ere the Breeze bear
his cry in the morning-light:
They girded their loads and prepared to fare, * And hurried while
murmured the leader-wight.
They scent the scene on its every side, * As their march through
the valley they expedite.
After winning my heart by their love they went * O' morn when
their track could deceive my sight.
O my neighbour fair, I reckt ne'er to part, * Or the ground
bedewed with my tears to sight!
Woe betide my heart, now hath Severance hand * To heart and
vitals dealt bane and blight."
Then he clung to the litter, weeping and wailing, whilst she besought him to turn back ere morn for fear of scorn. So he came up to her Haudaj and farewelling her a second time, fell down in a swoon. He lay an hour or so without life, and when he revived he found the caravan had fared forth of sight. So he turned in the direction of their wayfare and scenting the breeze which blew from their quarter, chanted these improvised lines,
"No breeze of Union to the lover blows * But moan he maketh burnt
with fiery woes:
The Zephyr fans him at the dawn o' day; * But when he wakes the
horizon lonely shows:
On bed of sickness strewn in pain he lies, * And weeps he bloody
tears in burning throes,
For the fair neighbour with my heart they bore * 'Mid travellers
urging beasts with cries and blows.
By Allah from their stead no Zephyr blew * But sniffed I as the
wight on eyeballs goes;[FN#355]
And snuff the sweetest South as musk it breathes * And on the
longing lover scent bestows."
Then Masrur returned, mad with love-longing, to her house, and finding it lone from end to end[FN#356] and forlorn of friend, wept till he wet his clothes; after which he swooned away and his soul was like to leave his body. When he revived, he recited these two couplets,
"O Spring-camp have ruth on mine overthrowing * My abjection, my
leanness, my tears aye flowing,
Waft the scented powder[FN#357] of breezes they breathe * In hope
it cure heart of a grief e'er growing."
Then he returned to his own lodging confounded and tearful-eyed, and abode there for the space of ten days. Such was his case; but as regards the Jew, he journeyed on with Zayn al-Mawasif half a score days, at the end of which he halted at a certain city and she, being by that time assured that her husband had played her false, wrote to Masrur a letter and gave it to Hubub, saying, "Send this to Masrur, so he may know how foully and fully we have been tricked and how the Jew hath cheated us." So Hubub took it and despatched it to Masrur, and when it reached, its news was grievous to him and he wept till he watered the ground. Then he wrote a reply and sent it to his mistress, subscribing it with these two couplets,
"Where is the way to Consolation's door * How shall console him
flames burn evermore?
How pleasant were the days of yore all gone: * Would we had
somewhat of those days of yore!"
When the missive reached Zayn al-Mawasif, she read it and again gave it to her handmaid Hubub, saying to her, "Keep it secret!" However, the husband came to know of their correspondence and removed with her and her two women to another city, at a distance of twenty days' march. Thus it befel Zayn al-Mawasif; but as regards Masrur, sleep was not sweet to him nor was peace peaceful to him or patience left to him, and he ceased not to be thus till, one night, his eyes closed for weariness and he dreamt that he saw Zayn al-Mawasif come to him in the garden and embrace him; but presently he awoke and found her not: whereupon his reason fled and his wits wandered and his eyes ran over with tears; love-longing to the utterest gat hold of his heart and he recited these couplets,
"Peace be to her, who visits me in sleeping phantasy * Stirring
desire and growing love to uttermost degree:
Verily from that dream I rose with passion maddenčd * For sight
of fairest phantom come in piece to visit me:
Say me, can dreams declare the truth anent the maid I love, * And
quench the fires of thirst and heal my love-sick malady?
Anon to me she is liberal and she strains me to her breast; *
Anon she soothes mine anxious heart with sweetest
pleasantry:
From off her dark-red damask lips the dew I wont to sip * The
fine old wine that seemed to reek of musk's perfumery.
I wondered at the wondrous things between us done in dreams, *
And won my wish and all my will of things I hoped to see;
And from that dreamery I rose, yet ne'er could hope to find *
Trace of my phantom save my pain and fiery misery:
And when I looked on her a-morn, 'twas as a lover mad * And every
eve was drunken yet no wine brought jollity.
O breathings of the northern breeze, by Allah fro' me bear *
Them-wards the greetings of my love and best salams that be:
Say them, 'The wight with whom ye made that plight of fealty *
Time with his changes made him drain Death's cup and slain
is he!'"