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Tears have mine eyelids wounded sore, and wonder-fast they flow Adown my cheek for parting’s pain and memory and woe,
For a beloved’s sake, who dwells for ever in my heart, Though to foregather with himself I cannot win, heigho!
Fair, bright and brilliant is his face, in loveliness and grace, Turk, Arab and barbarian he doth indeed o’ercrow.
The full moon and the sun contend in deference to him, And when he rises into sight, they, lover-like, bend low.
His eyes with wondrous witchery are decked, as ’twere with kohl; Even as a bow, that’s bent to shoot its shafts, to thee they show.
O thou, to whom I have perforce revealed my case, have ruth On one with whom the shifts of love have sported long eno’.
Lo, broken-hearted, Love hath cast me up upon thy coast, Wherefore I trust that thou on me fair favour wilt bestow.
The noble who, when folk of worth alight within their bounds, Do honour and protect them, win increase of glory so.
Cover thou then, my lord, my hope, two lovers’ follies up And let them to thy succouring hand their loves’ reunion owe.
Then she shed plenteous tears and recited these verses also:
I lived, a marvel till I saw in love, then lived no mo’; Each month to thee as Rejeb[1] be, as free from fear of foe!
Is it not strange that, on the morn they went away, I lit Fire in my vitals with the tears that from mine eyes did flow?
Indeed, mine eyelids ran with blood, and on the wasted plain Of my sad cheek, that therewithal was watered, gold did grow.
Yea, for the safflower hue, that thence o’erspread my cheeks, they seem The shirt of Joseph, steeped in blood, to make a lying show.
When the King heard this, he was certified of her passion and love-longing and was moved to compassion for her; so he said to her, ‘Fear nothing and be not troubled; thou hast attained the term of thy wishes; for needs must I bring thee to thy desire.’ And he recited the following verses:
- ↑ One of the months in which war was forbidden to the pagan Arabs and a sort of Trève de Dieu prevailed.
