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found her standing there; and she said to me, “O my brother, I am stricken with excessive hunger, and I lift mine eyes to thee, beseeching thee to feed me for God’s sake!” Quoth I, “Dost thou not know how I love thee and what I have suffered for thy sake! I will give thee no whit of food, except thou yield thyself to me.” But she said, “Better death than disobedience to God.” Then she went away and returned after two days with the same petition for food. I made her a like answer, and she entered and sat down, being nigh upon death. I set food before her, whereupon her eyes ran over with tears, and she said, “Give me to eat for the love of God, to whom belong might and majesty!” “Not so, by Allah,” answered I, “except thou yield thyself to me.” Quoth she, “Better is death to me than the wrath of God the Most High.” Night cccclxxii.And she left the food untouched and went away, repeating the following verses:
O Thou the Only God, whose grace embraceth all that be, Thine ears have heard my moan, Thine eyes have seen my misery;
Indeed, privation and distress are heavy on my head; I cannot tell of all the woes that do beleaguer me.
I’m like a man athirst, that looks upon a running stream, Yet may not drink a single draught of all that he doth see.
My flesh would have me buy its will: alack, its pleasures flee! The sin that pays their price abides to all eternity.
I saw no more of her for two days, when she came a third time and knocked at the door. I went out to her, and lo, hunger had taken away her voice; but, [after a little,] she said, “O my brother, I am worn out with want and know not what to do, for I cannot show my face to any but thee. Wilt thou feed me for the love of God the Most High?” “Not so,” answered I, “except thou yield to me.” And she entered and sat down. Now I had no food ready, [so I went out to prepare some]; but, when the meat was dressed and I had laid it in a platter, behold, the
