Restore to my eyelids the sleep which hath been ravished; and inform me of my reason, whither it hath fled. I discovered, when I took up my abode with love, that slumber had become an enemy to my eyes. They said, We saw thee to be one of the upright; what, then, hath seduced thee? I answered, Seek the cause from his glance. Verily I excuse him for the shedding of my blood, admitting that I urged him to the deed by vexation. He cast his sun-like image upon the mirror of my mind, and its reflection kindled a flame in my vitals.[34]
When the portress[35] had heard this song, she exclaimed, Allah approve thee!—and she rent her clothes, and fell upon the floor in a swoon; and when her bosom was thus uncovered, the Khaleefeh saw upon her the marks of beating, as if from miḳra'ahs[36] and whips; at which he was greatly surprised. The cateress[37] immediately arose, sprinkled water upon her face, and brought her another dress, which she put on. The Khaleefeh then said to Jaạfar, Seest thou not this woman, and the marks of beating upon her? I cannot keep silence respecting this affair, nor be at rest, until I know the truth of the history of this damsel, and that of these two bitches. But Jaạfar replied, O our lord, they have made a covenant with us that we shall not speak excepting of that which concerneth us, lest we hear that which will not please us.—The cateress then took the lute again, and, placing it against her bosom, touched the chords with the ends of her fingers, and thus sang to it:—
If of love we complain, what shall we say? Or consuming through desire, how can we escape? Or if we send a messenger to interpret for us, he cannot convey the lover's complaint. Or if we would be patient, short were our existence after the loss of those we love. Nought remaineth to us but grief and mourning, and tears streaming down our cheeks. O you who are absent from my sight, but constantly dwelling within my heart! Have you kept your faith to an impassioned lover, who, while time endureth, will never change? Or, in absence, have you forgotten that lover who, on your account, is wasting away? When the day of judgment shall bring us together, I will beg of our Lord a protractive trial.[38]
On hearing these verses of the cateress, the portress again rent her clothes, and cried out, and fell upon the floor in a swoon; and the cateress, as before, put on her another dress, after she had sprinkled some water upon her face.[39]
The mendicants, when they witnessed this scene, said, Would that we had never entered this house, but rather had passed the night upon the mounds;[40] for our night hath been rendered foul by an event that breaketh the back! The Khaleefeh, looking towards them, then said, Wherefore is it so with you? They answered, Our hearts are troubled by this occurrence.—Are ye not, he asked, of this house?—No, they answered; nor did we imagine that this house belonged to any but the man who is sitting with you:—upon which the porter said, Verily, I have never seen this place before this night; and I would that I had passed the night upon the mounds rather than here. They then observed, one to another, We are seven men, and they are but three women; we will, therefore, ask them of their history; and if they answer us not willingly they shall do it in spite of themselves:—and they all agreed to this, excepting Jaạfar, who said, This is not a right determination; leave them to themselves, for we are their guests, and they made a covenant with us which we should fulfil: there remaineth but little of the night, and each of us shall soon go his way. Then, winking to the Khaleefeh, he said, There remaineth but an hour; and to-morrow we will bring them before thee, and thou shalt ask them their story. But the Khaleefeh refused to do so, and said, I have not patience to wait so long for their history.—Words followed words, and at last they said, Who shall put the question to them?—and one answered, The porter.
