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[taking her for a Jinniyeh], and put out again to sea; but she cried out and made pressing signs to him to return, reciting the following verses:
Harkye, O fisherman, fear thou no injury; I’m but an earthly maid, a mortal like to thee.
I do implore thee, stay, give ear unto my prayer And hearken to my true and woeful history.
Pity, (so God thee spare,) the ardour [of my love,] And say if thou hast seen a loved one, fled from me.
I love a fair-faced youth and goodly; brighter far Of aspect than the face of sun or moon is he.
The antelope, that sees his glances, cries, “His slave Am I,” and doth confess inferiority.
Yea, beauty on his brow these pregnant words hath writ In very dust of musk, significant to see,
“Who sees the light of love is in the way of right, And he who strays commits foul sin and heresy.”
An thou have ruth on me and bring me to his sight, O rare! Whate’er thou wilt thy recompense shall be;
Rubies and precious stones and freshly gathered pearls And every kind of gem that is in earth and sea.
Surely, O friend, thou wilt with my desire comply; For all my heart’s on fire with love and agony.
When the fisherman heard this, he wept and sighed and lamented; then, recalling what had betided himself in the days of his youth, when love had the mastery over him and transport and love-longing and distraction were sore upon him and the fires of passion consumed him, replied with these verses:
Indeed, the lover’s excuse is manifest, Wasting of body and streaming tears, unrest,
Eyes, in the darkness that waken still, and heart, As ’twere a fire-box, bespeak him love-oppress.
Passion, indeed, afflicted me in youth, And I good money from bad learnt then to test.
My soul I bartered, a distant love to win; To gain her favours, I wandered East and West;
