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not look upon Kuzia Fekan nor return hither from this day forth.” When he heard this, he withdrew, without speaking a word, and betook himself to his mother, to whom he related what his aunt had said to him. Quoth she, “This all comes of thy much talk. Thou knowest that the news of thy passion for Kuzia Fekan is noised abroad everywhere and how thou eatest their victual and makest love to their daughter.” “And who should have her but I?” replied the prince. “She is the daughter of my father’s brother and I have the best of rights to her.” “These are idle words,” rejoined his mother. “Be silent, lest thy talk come to King Sasan’s ears and it prove the cause of thy losing her and of thy ruin and increase of affliction. They have not sent us the evening meal to-night and we shall die of want; and were we in any land other than this, we were already dead of the pangs of hunger or the humiliation of begging our bread.” When Kanmakan heard his mother’s words, his anguish redoubled; his eyes ran over with tears and he sobbed and complained and repeated the following verses:
Give o’er this unrelenting blame, that never lets me be! My heart loves her to whom it’s thrall and may not struggle free.
Look not to me for any jot of patience, for I swear By God His house, my patience all is clean divorced from me!
Blamers to prudence me exhort; I heed them not, for I In my avouchment am sincere of love and constancy.
They hinder me by very force from visiting my dear, Though, by the Merciful, nor rogue am I nor debauchee!
Indeed, my bones, whenas they hear the mention of her name, Do quake and tremble even as birds from sparrow-hawks that flee.
O daughter of my uncle, say to him who chides at love, That I, by Allah, am distraught with love-longing for thee.
And he said to his mother, “I can dwell no longer in my aunt’s house nor among these people, but will go forth and abide in the corners of the city.” So he and his mother left the palace and took up their abode in one of
