people, and they embarked aboard the ship, which dropped down the
river with them. Presently the Hashimi brought out food and ate
with the damsel, whilst the rest ate amidships. Then said he to
her, 'How long this abstinence from singing and permanence in
this wailing and weeping? Thou art not the first that hath been
parted from a beloved!' Wherefore I knew what she suffered for
love of me. Then he hung a curtain before her along the gunwale
and calling those who ate apart, sat down with them without the
curtain; and I enquired concerning them and behold they were his
brethren.[FN#43] he set before them what they needed of wine and
dessert, and they ceased not to press the damsel to sing, till
she called for the lute and tuning it, intoned these two
couplets,

'The company left with my love by night, * Nor forbore to fare
with heart's delight:
And raged, since their camels off paced, a fire * As of
Ghaza[FN#44]-wood in the lover's sprite.'

Then weeping overpowered her and she threw down the elute and
ceased singing; whereat the folks were troubled and I slipped
down a-swoon. They thought I was possessed[FN#45] and one of them
began reciting exorcisms in my ear; nor did they cease to comfort
her and beseech her to sing, till she tuned the lute again and
chaunted these couplets twain,

'I stood and bewailed who their loads had bound * And far yode
but still in my heart are found;
I drew near the ruins and asked of them * And the camp was void
and lay waste the ground.'