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Jubeir’s house, where I found the benches of the porch broken down and no pages at the door, as of wont, and said to myself, “Belike he too is dead.” Then I took up my station before the door of his house and with my eyes running over with tears, bemoaned it in the following verses:
Lords, that are gone, but whom my heart doth evermore ensue, Return; so shall my festal says return to me with you.
I stand before your sometime stead, bewailing your abodes, With quivering lids, from which the tears rain down, like summer dew.
Weeping, I question of the house and ruins, “Where is he Who was the source of benefits and bounties ever new?”
[They answer] “Go thy ways, for those thou lov’st from the abode Departed are and neath the dust are buried; so adieu!”
May God not stint us of the sight [in dreams] of all their charms Nor be their noble memories aye absent from men’s view!
As I was thus bewailing the folk of the house, there came a black slave thereout and said to me, “Hold thy peace, O old man! May thy mother be bereft of thee! What ails thee to bemoan the house thus?” Quoth I, “I knew it of yore, when it belonged to a good friend of mine.” “What was his name?” asked the slave. And I answered, “Jubeir ben Umeir the Sheibani.” “And what hath befallen him?” rejoined he. “Praised be God, he is yet in the enjoyment of wealth and rank and prosperity, except that God hath stricken him with love of a damsel called the lady Budour; and he is overcome with love of her, that, for the violence of his passion and torment, he is like a great rock overthrown. If he hunger, he saith not, ‘Feed me;’ nor, if he thirst, doth he say, ‘Give me to drink.’” Quoth I, “Ask leave me to go in to him.” “O my lord,” said the slave, “Wilt thou go in to him who understands or to him who understands not?” “I must needs see him, whatever be his case,” answered I.
So he went in and presently returned with permission for me to enter, whereupon I went in to Jubeir and found him like a rock overthrown, understanding neither sign
