Though repeatedly rebuked, still gross ignorance inciteth thee. How oft shall my hand write verses to forbid thee? Thou increasest in eagerness after each prohibition; but I will only permit thee to conceal thy secret. Conceal then thy love, and never more utter it; for if thou utter it, I will not regard thee. If thou repeat what thou hast said, the raven of separation will announce thy fate: In a little time will death overtake thee, and thy resting-place be beneath the earth: Thou shalt leave thy family, O deceived, in sorrow, when the swords of love have prevented thine escape.
Having then folded the paper, she gave it to the old woman, who took it, and went with it to Táj-el-Mulook, and gave it to him; and when he had read it, and was convinced that she was hard-hearted, and that he could not obtain access to her, he complained of his case to the Wezeer, and desired his prudent counsel. The Wezeer replied, Know that there remaineth for thee nothing that can be of avail, except thy writing to her another letter, and invoking retribution upon her. So he said, O my brother, O 'Azeez, write in my stead, according to thy knowledge. And 'Azeez took the paper, and wrote these verses:—
O my Lord, by the Five Elders,[63] deliver me; and to her who hath afflicted me transfer my anguish! For Thou knowest that I am suffering a tormenting flame, and my beloved hath oppressed me, and will not pity me. How long shall I feel tenderly to her in my affliction! And how long shall she tyrannize over my weakness! I wander in agonies never ending, and find not a person, O my Lord, to assist me.
'Azeez then folded the letter, and handed it to Táj-el-Mulook; and when he had read it, it pleased him, and he gave it to the old woman.
So she took it, and repaired with it to the lady Dunyà, who, as soon as she had read it, and understood its contents, fell into a violent rage, and exclaimed, All that hath befallen me hath been through the means of this ill-omened old woman! And she called out to the female slaves and eunuchs, and said, Seize this artful old woman, and beat her with your slippers.—So they fell to beating her with their slippers until she fainted; and when she recovered, the lady Dunyà said to her, O wicked old woman, were it not for my fear of God (whose name be exalted!) I had killed thee. She then said to her attendants, Beat her again. And they beat her again until she fainted; after which she ordered them to throw her outside the door; and they dragged her along upon her face and threw her down before the door.
When she recovered, therefore, she rose, and, walking and resting now and then, arrived at her abode. She waited until the morning, and then rose and proceeded to Táj-el-Mulook, whom she acquainted with all that had befallen her; and it vexed him, and he said to her, We are grieved, O my mother, for that which hath happened to thee: but everything is in accordance with fate and destiny. She replied, Be happy and cheerful; for I will not cease my endeavours until I procure thee an interview with her, and obtain for thee access to this vile woman who hath tortured me with beating. Táj-el-Mulook then said to her, Acquaint me with the cause of her hatred of men. She replied, It is in consequence of her having had a dream.—And what was that dream? he asked. She answered, She was sleeping one night, and saw a fowler who set his snare upon the ground, and sprinkled around it some wheat, and then seated himself near it; and there was not a single bird near it but it came to that snare. And she saw, among the birds, two pigeons, a male and a female; and while she was looking at the snare, the foot of the male bird became entangled in it, and he began to struggle; whereupon all the other birds flew away from him in alarm; but his mate returned to him, and flew around over him, and then, alighting upon the snare, while the fowler was inadvertent, began to peck at the mesh in which was the foot of the male, and pulled it with her beak, until she liberated his foot; and she flew away with him. Then, after this, the fowler came and readjusted the snare, and seated himself at a distance from it; and but a little while had elapsed when the birds descended, and the snare caught the female pigeon; upon which all the other birds flew away in alarm, and among them the male pigeon, who returned not to his mate: so the fowler came and took the female bird, and killed her. And the lady Dunyà awoke terrified by her dream, and said, Every male is like this, destitute of good; and men universally are devoid of goodness to women.—And when the old woman had finished her story to Táj-el-Mulook, he said to her, O my mother, I wish to obtain one glance at her, though my death be the consequence: contrive, therefore, some stratagem for me, that I may see her.—Know, then, said she, that she hath a garden adjacent to her palace, for her diversion, and she goeth out into it once in every month, from the private door, and remaineth in it ten days. The time of her thus going forth to divert herself hath now arrived, and when she is about to do so I will come to thee and inform thee, that thou mayest go thither and meet her; and do thou take care not to quit the garden: for probably, if she behold thy handsome and comely aspect, her heart will be captivated by love of thee; since love is the most powerful means of effecting union.