And what pained our heart to thy heart gave pain,
We had granted thee wished-for call and more; *
But hindered so doing the chamberlain.
When the night grows dark, through our love's excess *
Fire burns our vitals with might and main:
And sleep from our beds is driven afar, *
And our bodies are tortured by passion-bane.
'Hide Love!' in Love's code is the first command; *
And from raising his veil thy hand restrain:
I fell love-fulfilled by yon gazelle: *
Would he never wander from where I dwell!"

Then she folded the letter and gave it to the nurse, who took it
and went out from her mistress to seek the young man; but, as she
would fare forth, the chamberlain met her and said to her,
"Whither away?" "To the bath," answered she; but in her fear and
confusion, she dropped the letter, without knowing it, and went
off unrecking what she had done; when one of the eunuchs, seeing
it lying in the way, picked it up. When the nurse came without
the door, she sought for it, but found it not, so turned back to
her mistress and told her of this and what had befallen her.
Meanwhile, the Wazir came out of the Harim and seated himself on
his couch; whereupon behold, the eunuch, who had picked up the
letter, came in to him, hending it in hand and said, "O my lord,
I found this paper lying upon the floor and picked it up." So the
Minister took it from his hand, folded as it was, and opening it,
read the verses as above set down. Then, after mastering the
meaning, he examined the writing and knew it for his daughter's
hand; whereupon he went to her mother, weeping so abundant tears
that his beard was wetted. His wife asked him, "What maketh thee