Ho thou the Moon in a moment gone ✿ From sight, wilt thou rise to a glance so blest?
An thou be ’stranged of estrangement who ✿ Of men shall save me? Would God I wist!
Fate hath won the race in departing me ✿ And who with Fate can avail contest?”
Then, O Commander of the Faithful, my longings grew and I poured fast tears in torrents and I was like to choke with my sobs, so I arose to walk about the city highways and I clung from wall to wall for what befel me of despight and affright at the disappearance of them,[[147]] and as I wandered about I repeated these verses:—
“To man I’m humbled when my friends lost I ✿ And missed the way of right where hardships lie:
Sorrow and sickness long have been my lot ✿ To bear, when need was strong to justify:
Say me, shall any with their presence cheer— ✿ Pity my soul? Then bless my friend who’s nigh!
I kiss your footprints for the love of you, ✿ I greet your envoy e’en albeit he lie.”
After this, O Prince of True Believers, I remained immersed in cark and care and anxious thought, and as ever I wandered about behold, a man met me and said, “’Tis now three days since they marched away and none wotteth where they have alighted.”[[148]] So I returned once more to the mansion door and I sat beside it to take my rest when my glance was raised and fell upon the lintel and I saw attached to it a folded paper which I hent in hand and found written therein these lines:—
“Scant shall avail with judgement just the tear ✿ When at love-humbled heart man dareth jeer: