the Living, the Eternal, and unto Him I repent. There is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the
Great! Whatso He willeth is and whatso He nilleth is not! Upon
Allah (to whom belong Honour and Glory!) dependeth daily bread!
Whenas He giveth to His servant, none denieth him; and whenas He
denieth a servant, none giveth to him." And of the excess of his
distress, he recited these two couplets,

"An Fate afflict thee, with grief manifest, * Prepare thy
patience and make broad thy breast;
For of His grace the Lord of all the worlds * Shall send to wait
upon unrest sweet Rest."

Then he sat awhile pondering his case, and with his head bowed
down recited also these couplets,

"Patience with sweet and with bitter Fate! * And weet that His
will He shall consummate:
Night oft upon woe as on abscess acts * And brings it up to the
bursting state:
And Chance and Change shall pass o'er the youth * And fleet from
his thoughts and no more shall bait."

Then he said in his mind, "I will make this one more cast,
trusting in Allah, so haply He may not disappoint my hope;" and
he rose and casting into the river the net as far as his arm
availed, gathered the cords in his hands and waited a full hour,
after which he pulled at it and, finding it heavy,--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.