"By the Five Shaykhs,[FN#38] O Lord, I pray deliver me; *
Let her for whom I suffer bear like misery:
Thou knowest how I fry in flaming lowe of love, *
While she I love hath naught of ruth or clemency:
How long shall I, despite my pain, her feelings spare? *
How long shall she wreak tyranny o'er weakling me?
In pains of never ceasing death I ever grieve: *
O Lord, deign aid; none other helping hand I see.
How fain would I forget her and forget her love! *
But how forget when Love garred Patience death to dree?
O thou who hinderest Love to 'joy fair meeting tide *
Say! art thou safe from Time and Fortune's jealousy?
Art thou not glad and blest with happy life, while I *
From folk and country for thy love am doomed flee?"

Then Aziz folded the letter and gave it to Taj al-Muluk, who read
it and was pleased with it. So he handed it to the old woman,
who took it and went in with it to Princess Dunya. But when she
read it and mastered the meaning thereof, she was enraged with
great rage and said, "All that hath befallen me cometh by means
of this ill omened old woman!" Then she cried out to the damsels
and eunuchs, saying, "Seize this old hag, this accursed
trickstress and beat her with your slippers!" So they came down
upon her till she swooned away; and, when she came to herself,
the Princess said to her, "By the Lord! O wicked old woman, did
I not fear Almighty Allah, I would slay thee." Then quoth she to
them, "Beat her again" and they did so till she fainted a second
time, whereupon she bade them drag her forth and throw her
outside the palace door. So they dragged her along on her face