therewith." The damsels enquired, "And how long shall we be
absent from our place?"; and they rejoined, "The time to come and
go, and to sojourn may be two months." So the Princesses arose
and going in to the palace sought Hasan, acquainted him with the
case and said to him, "Verily this place is thy place and our
house is thy house; so be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool
and clear and feel nor grief nor fear, for none can come at thee
here; but keep a good heart and a glad mind, till we return to
thee. The keys of our chambers we leave with thee; but, O our
brother, we beseech thee, by the bond of brotherhood, in very
deed not to open such a door, for thou hast no need thereto."
Then they farewelled him and fared forth with the troops, leaving
Hasan alone in the palace. It was not long before his breast
grew straitened and his patience shortened: solitude and sadness
were heavy on him and he sorrowed for his severance from them
with passing chagrin. The palace for all its vastness, waxed
small to him and finding himself sad and solitary, he bethought
him of the damsels and their pleasant converse and recited these
couplets,

"The wide plain is narrowed before these eyes * And the landscape
troubles this heart of mine.
Since my friends went forth, by the loss of them * Joy fled and
these eyelids rail floods of brine:
Sleep shunned these eyeballs for parting woe * And my mind is
worn with sore pain and pine:
Would I wot an Time shall rejoin our lots * And the joys of love
with night-talk combine."

--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her