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followed the bird, eating of the fruits of the earth and drinking of its waters, for ten days’ space, and every night the bird roosted on a tree. At the end of this time, he came in sight of an inhabited city, whereupon the bird darted off like the glance of the eye and entering the town, was lost to view: and Kemerezzeman marvelled at this and exclaimed, ‘Praised be God, who hath brought me hither in safety!’ Then he sat down by a stream and washed his hands and feet and face and rested awhile: and recalling his late easy and pleasant life of union with his beloved and contrasting it with his present plight of trouble and weariness and hunger and strangerhood and severance, the tears streamed from his eyes and he repeated the following cinquains:
I strove to hide the load that love on me did lay; In vain, and sleep for me is changed to wake alway.
Whenas wanhope doth press my heart both night and day, I cry aloud, “O Fate, hold back thy hand, I pray.
For all my soul is sick with dolour and dismay!”
If but the Lord of Love were just indeed to me, Sleep had not fled mine eyes by his unkind decree.
Have pity, sweet, on one that is for love of thee Worn out and wasted sore; once rich and great was he,
Now beggared and cast down by love from his array.
The railers chide at thee full sore; I heed not, I, But stop my ears to them and give them back the lie.
“Thou lov’st a slender one,” say they; and I reply, “I’ve chosen her and left all else beneath the sky.”
Enough; when fate descends, the eyes are blinded aye.
Night ccviii.As soon as he was rested, he rose and walked on, little by little, till he came to the city-gate and entered, knowing not whither he should go. He traversed the city from end to end, without meeting any of the townsfolk, entering by the land-gate and faring on till he came out at the sea-gate, for the city stood on the sea-shore. Presently, he found himself among the orchards and gardens of the place and passed among the trees, till he came to a garden-gate
