said to the painter, "Figure me on the wall, at the upper end of
this hall, a man fowler with his nets spread and birds falling
into them and a female pigeon entangled in the meshes by her
bill." And when the painter had finished his picture on one side,
the Wazir said, "Figure me on the other side a similar figure and
represent the she pigeon alone in the snare and the fowler
seizing her and setting the knife to her neck; and draw on the
third side wall, a great raptor clutching the male pigeon, her
mate, and digging talons into him." The artist did his bidding,
and when he and the others had finished the designs, they
received their hire and went away. Then the Wazir and his
companions took leave of the Gardener and returned to their
place, where they sat down to converse. And Taj al-Muluk said to
Aziz, "O my brother, recite me some verses: perchance it may
broaden my breast and dispel my dolours and quench the fire
flaming in my heart." So Aziz chanted with sweet modulation these
couplets,

"Whate'er they say of grief to lovers came, *
I, weakling I, can single handed claim:
An seek thou watering spot,[FN#41] my streaming eyes *
Pour floods that thirst would quench howe'er it flame
Or wouldest view what ruin Love has wrought *
With ruthless hands, then see this wasted frame."

And his eyes ran over with tears and he repeated these couplets
also,

"Who loves not swan-neck and gazelle-like eyes, *
Yet claims to know Life's joys, I say he lies: