Then deign thou grant me union, for such wise ✿ Shall rest my heartstrings and dark care wax bright:
From none, except that Lion o’ men Ali[[255]] ✿ Comes pardon proving to mankind his might.”
Then she passed her missive to Ibn Ibrahim giving him an hundred gold pieces and he pushed his pace till he reached the city of Sind, where he went in to Yusuf and kissed his hands and feet. The Prince taking the letter smiled and laughed and said, “O Ibn Ibrahim, when Allah (be He extolled and exalted!) shall decree my faring I will fare to them[[256]] within a short while; but do thou return and let know that I intend forgathering with them.” Quoth the other, “Ah! O my lord, do thou indite her a reply, otherwise she will have no trust in me;” so the Prince fell to penning these lines:—
“My vitals restless bide for very jealousy ✿ The while my heart must ever show unfriendly gree:
Yet I obeyed my heart and tore it out for him ✿ Albe man ever holds his heart in amity;
And I have heard my lover drives me forth from him ✿ But Allah grant my prayer of benedicite.
In anxious care I came and sought your side this day ✿ Naught shall the youth exalt save generosity.”
Then Prince Yusuf passed the letter to Ibn Ibrahim who, after receiving his hundred dinars, repaired to Al-Hayfa and greeted her[[257]] informing her the while that her lover was about to make act of presence.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Six Hundred and Ninety-third Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that Ibn Ibrahim said to Al-Hayfa, “Verily Yusuf purposeth to visit thee after a little while.” But when the Princess heard his words she would not believe him albeit her heart palpitated with pleasure; whereupon Ibn Ibrahim improvised to her as follows:—