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And a sixth these:
Thou, whose exceeding rigour hath slain me for desire, O cassia-branch, whose planet mounts ever high and higher,
To thee of my affliction, my passion, I complain, O thou whose cheeks consume me with roses red as fire!
Is there his like for lover, who damns his soul for thee, Prayers and prostrations leaving, for all he is a friar?
And a seventh these:
My heart she prisoned and the tears from out mine eyes set free, My patience rent and love-longing she fortified in me.
Sweet are her attributes, but, ah, how sour her rigour is! The hearts of all, who light on her, with arrows shooteth she.
O thou who blamest me, desist; repent thee for the past; For, in the case of passion, thou mayst not believéd be.
And on like wise all the rest of the monks repeated verses and wept. As for Danis, lamentation and weeping redoubled on him, for that he found no way to her enjoyment, and he chanted the following verses:
My patience failed me, when my loves took leave and fared away, When they, my wish and my desire, forsook me, sooth to say.
Soft with their camels, O thou guide o’ the litters! Haply yet They to my dwelling to return may deign some blessed day.
Slumber forsook my lids the day we parted; my delight Departed with them and my woes waxed on me for dismay.
To God I make my moan of that I suffer for her love; My body’s wasted sore and she hath caused my strength decay.
Then, despairing of her, they took counsel together and agreed to fashion her image [and set it up] with them, and applied themselves to this till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and Sunderer of Companies.
Meanwhile, Zein el Mewasif fared on, without ceasing, till she reached her own house and opened the doors. Then she entered and sent to her sister Nesim, who rejoiced exceedingly at the news of her return and brought
