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Then passed with me the night, embracing, cheek to cheek, A loveling midst mankind unpeered and past compare.
The full moon gazed on us all night; pray then to her, So to his brother she to tell of us forbear.
Now the Vizier was a merry man; so, when he heard this, he said, ‘By Allah, I will not betray you!’ And he went away and left them to their diversion.
THE LOVES OF THE BOY AND GIRL AT SCHOOL.
A boy and a girl once learnt together in a school, and the boy fell passionately in love with the girl. So, one day, when the other boys were heedless, he took her tablet[1] and wrote on it the following verses:
Tell me, what sayst thou unto him, whom sickness for thy love Hath worn and wasted, till he’s grown distraught and stupefied?
Him who of passion maketh moan; for love and longing pain, That which is in his heart, indeed, no longer can he hide.
When the girl took her tablet, she read the verses and wept for pity of him; then wrote thereunder these others:
An if we see one languishing for very love of us, Our favours, surely, unto him shall nowise be denied.
Yea, and of us he shall obtain that which he doth desire Of love-delight, whate’er to us in consequence betide.
Now it chanced that the teacher came in on them and taking the tablet, unnoticed, read what was written thereon. So he was moved to pity of their case and wrote on the tablet the following verses, in reply to those of the girl:
Favour thy lover, for he’s grown distracted for desire, And reck thou not of punishment nor fear lest any chide.
As for the master, have no dread of his authority, For he with passion and its pains aforetime hath been tried.
- ↑ Oriental substitute for slate.
