when the smith heard this, he recited these couplets[FN#365],

"She who my all of love by love of her hath won * Owns every
Beauty and for others leaves she none:
She gazes, a gazelle; she breathes, fresh ambergris * She waves,
a lake; she sways, a bough; she shines, a Sun."

Then said the blacksmith, "By Allah, O my lord, since she fared
forth from thy worshipful presence,[FN#366] I have not set eyes
on her; no, not once. Indeed she took possession of my heart and
wits and all my talk and thoughts are of her. I went to her
lodging but found her not, nor found I any who could give me news
of her, and it is as if she had dived into the depths of the sea
or had ascended to the sky." Now when the Kazi heard this, he
groaned a groan, that his soul was like to depart therefor, and
he said, "By Allah, well it were had we never seen her!" Then the
smith went away, whilst the Kazi fell down on his bed and became
sick of langour for her sake, and on like wise fared it with the
other three Kazis and assessors. The mediciners paid them
frequent calls, but found in them no ailment requiring a leach:
so the city-notables went in to the Chief Kazi and saluting him,
questioned him of his case; whereupon he sighed and showed them
that was in his heart, reciting these couplets,

"Stint ye this blame; enough I suffer from Love's malady * Nor
chide the Kazi frail who fain must deal to folk decree!
Who doth accuse my love let him for me find some excuse: * Nor
blame; for lovers blameless are in lover-slavery!
I was a K zi whom my Fate deigned aid with choicest aid * By writ
and reed and raisŠd me to wealth and high degree;