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whenas I set eyes on thee, thou tookest possession of my vitals and settest my heart on fire for love of thee!’ Thereupon Zein el Mewasif became exceeding wroth and said to him, ‘God forfend that this should be! God on thee, begone about thy business, ere the neighbours see thee and there betide us sore reproach.’ Then, ‘Harkye, fellow!’ added she. ‘Let not thy soul covet that it shall not attain to. Thou weariest thyself [in vain]; for I am a merchant’s wife and a merchant’s daughter and thou art a druggist; and when sawst thou a druggist and a merchant’s daughter on this wise?’ ‘O my lady,’ answered he, ‘never lacked love between folk [of different condition]; so cut thou not off from me hope of this and whatsoever thou seekest of me of money and raiment and trinkets and what not else, I will give thee.’
Then he abode with her in discourse and chiding, whilst she still redoubled in anger, till nightfall, when he said to her, ‘O my lady, take this dinar and fetch me a little wine, for I am athirst and heavy at heart.’ So she said to Huboub, ‘Fetch him wine and take nought from him, for we have no need of his dinar.’ [So she went to fetch the wine, whilst] Mesrour held his peace and bespoke not Zein el Mewasif, who improvised the following verses:
Harkye, O man! Desist from this thou dost design Nor to the crooked ways of frowardness incline.
Love is a net, and if thou fall into its snare, The day thereafterward for weariness thou’lt pine
Occasion to our spy thou’lt give for talk and all The people will reproach me with this love of thine.
Small marvel ’tis if thou a fair one love: gazelles Thou seest lions chase and in their snares entwine.
And he answered her with these:
