To lovers, "What see ye?" he saith, and to hearts of stone, "What
love ye," quoth he, "[if to love me ye disdain?"]
I supplicate Him, who parted us and doomed Our separation, that
we may meet again.

When she had made an end of her song, the Commander of the
Faithful said to her, "O damsel, thou art in love." "Yes,"
answered she. And he said, "With whom?" Quoth she, "With my lord
and my master, my love for whom is as the love of the earth for
rain, or as the love of the female for the male; and indeed the
love of him is mingled with my flesh and my blood and hath
entered into the channels of my bones. O Commander of the
Faithful, whenas I call him to mind, mine entrails are consumed,
for that I have not accomplished my desire of him, and but that I
fear to die, without seeing him, I would assuredly kill myself."
And he said, "Art thou in my presence and bespeakest me with the
like of these words? I will assuredly make thee forget thy lord."

Then he bade take her away; so she was carried to her chamber and
he sent her a black slave-girl, with a casket, wherein were three
thousand dinars and a carcanet of gold, set with pearls, great
and small, and jewels, worth other three thousand, saying to her,
"The slave-girl and that which is with her are a gift from me to
thee." When she heard this, she said, "God forbid that I should
be consoled for the love of my lord and my master, though with
the earth full of gold!" And she improvised and recited the
following verses:

I swear by his life, yea, I swear by the life of my love without
peer, To please him or save him from hurt, I'd enter the