"Fare softly, Masr£r! an her sanctuary * Thou seek, and read what
a-door writ she.
Ne'er forget Love-plight, if true man; how oft * Hast savoured
Nights' bitter and sweetest gree!
O Masr£r! forget not her neighbourhood * For wi' thee must her
gladness and joyance flee!
But beweep those dearest united days * When thou camest veilŠd in
secresy;
Wend for sake of us over farthest wone; * Span the wold for us,
for us dive in sea;
Allah bless the past days! Ah, how glad they were * When in
Gardens of Fancy the flowers pluckt we!
The nights of Union from us are fled * And parting-glooms dim
their radiancy;
Ah! had this lasted as hopŠd we, but * He left only our breasts
and the rosery.
Will revolving days on Re-union dawn? * Then our vow to the Lord
shall accomplisht be.
Learn thou our lots are in hand of Him * Who on lines of
skull[FN#352] writes our destiny!"

Then she wept with sore weeping and returned to the house,
wailing and remembering what had passed and saying, "Glory be to
God who hath decreed to us this!" And her affliction redoubled
for severance from her beloved and her departure from her
mother-land, and she recited these couplets,

"Allah's peace on thee, House of Vacancy! * Ceased in thee all
our joys, all our jubilee.