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him of his case; whereupon he sighed and discovered to them that which was in his heart, reciting the following verses:
Spare me your blame, for sickness’ pains enough on me are keen, And hold excused the Cadi who doth judge the folk between.
Let him who blameth me for love excuse me and not blame, For still unblameworthy the slain of passion are, I ween.
Cadi was I and fortune fair raised me to high estate, By script and pen, and life to me was pleasant and serene,
Till from a girl’s looks, who to shed my blood came, with a shaft I was transfixed, whose deadly stroke no leach might countervene.
A Muslim maid, she came to me, complaining of unright; Her mouth with teeth like strings of pearls unvalued was beseen.
Under her veil I looked and she a full moon straight displayed That through the middle dark of night breaks out in all its sheen.
A lustrous visage, sugared lips and smiling, wonder-sweet, Beauty indeed enveloped her from head to foot, my queen.
’Midst Arabs and barbarians, by Allah, to mine eyes, To see the like of her fair face hath ne’er vouchsafed been!
Sweet, what didst promise me and saidst, ‘O Cadi of the folk, Whenas I promise, I perform, and what I say I mean.’
This is my case and that wherewith I have afflicted been; So question me no more, good folk, of this my dole and teen.
Then he wept sore and gave one sob and his soul departed his body. When they saw this, they washed him and shrouded him and prayed over him and buried him, graving the following verses on his tomb:
The traits of lovers were fulfilled in him who comes, by her He loved and by her rigours slain, unto the sepulchre.
Cadi above the folk was he and him it did rejoice The sword of justice in its sheath to keep a prisoner.
But Fate against him did decree, nor e’er before his time Saw we the lord unto his slave abase him and defer.
Then they committed him to the mercy of God and went away to the second Cadi, in company with the physician, but found in him no hurt or ailment requiring
