第27章 STORY OF ALI BEN BEKKAR AND SHEMSENNEHAR.(7)

Pens fashioned of coral （her nails），that，dinting the book of her breast Five lines，scored in ambergris ink，on a table of crystal drew，O ye that go girded with steel，O swordsmen，I rede you beware Of the stroke of her death-dealing eyes，that never looked yet but they slew！

And guard yourselves，ye of the spears，and fence off her thrust from your hearts，If she tilt with the quivering lance of her shape straight and slender at you.

Then he gave a great cry and fell down in a swoon. Aboulhusn thought that his soul had departed his body and he ceased not from his swoon till daybreak，when he came to himself and talked with his friend，who sat with him till the forenoon. Then he left him and repaired to his shop. Hardly had he opened it，when the damsel came and stood before him. As soon as he saw her，she made a sign of salutation to him，which he returned；and she greeted him for her mistress，saying，How doth Ali ben BeLkar？O good damsel，'replied he，ask me not how he doth nor what he suffers for excess of passion；for he sleeps not by night neither rests by day；wakefulness wasteth him and affliction hath gotten the mastery of him and his case is distressful to his friend.'Quoth she，My lady salutes thee and him，and indeed she is in worse case than he. She hath written him a letter and here it is. When she gave it me，she said to me，'Do not return save with the answer.'So wilt thou go with me to him and get his reply？I hear and obey，'answered Aboulhusn，and shutting his shop，carried her，by a different way to that by which he came，to Ali ben Bekkars house，where he left her standing at the door and entered. When Ali saw him，he rejoiced，and Aboulhusn said to him，The reason of my coming is that such an one hath sent his handmaid to thee with a letter，containing his greeting to thee and excusing himself for that he hath tarried by reason of a certain matter that hath betided him. The girl stands even now at the door： shall she have leave to enter？And he signed to him that it was Shemsennehars slave-girl. Ali understood his sign and answered，Bring her in.'So she entered and when he saw her，he shook for joy and signed to her，as who should say，How doth thy lord，may God grant him health and recovery！'He is well，

answered she and pulling out the letter，gave it to him. He took it and kissing it，opened and read it；after which he handed it to Aboulhusn，who found written therein what follows：

The messenger of me will give thee news aright；So let his true report suffice thee for my sight.

A lover hast thou left，for love of thee distraught；Her eyes cease never-more from watching，day or night.

I brace myself to bear affliction，for to foil The buffets of ill-fate is given to no wight.

But be thou of good cheer；for never shall my heart Forget thee nor thy thought be absent from my spright.

Look on thy wasted frame and what is fallen thereon And thence infer of me and argue of my plight.

To proceed： I have written thee a letter without fingers and speak to thee without tongue；to tell thee my whole state，I have an eye from which sleeplessness is never absent and a heart whence sorrowful thought stirs not. It is with me as I had never known health nor let sadness，neither beheld a fair face nor spent an hour of pleasant life；but it is as I were made up of love-longing and of the pain of passion and chagrin. Sickness is unceasing upon me and my yearning redoubles ever；desire increases still and longing rages in my heart. I pray God to hasten our union and dispel the trouble of my mind： and I would fain have thee write me some words，that I may solace myself withal. Moreover，I would have thee put on a becoming patience，till God give relief；and peace be on thee.'When Ali ben Bekkar had read this letter，he said，With what hand shall I write and with what tongue shall I make moan and lament？Indeed she addeth sickness to my sickness and draweth death upon my death！'Then he sat up and taking inkhorn and paper，wrote the following reply：

In the name of God，the Compassionate，the Merciful. O my lady，thy letter hath reached me and hath given ease to a mind worn out with passion and desire and brought healing to a wounded heart，cankered with languishment and sickness；for indeed I am become even as saith the poet：

Bosom contracted and grievous thought dilated，Eyes ever wakeful and body wearied aye；

Patience cut off and separation ever present，Reason disordered and heart all stolen away.

Know that complaining quenches not the fire of calamity；but it eases him whom love-longing consumes and separation destroys；and so I comfort myself with the mention of the word'union；'for how well saith the poet：

If love had not pain and pleasure，satisfaction and despite，Where of messengers and letters were for lovers the delight？

When he had made an end of this letter，he gave it to Aboulhusn，saying，Read it and give it to the damsel.'So he took it and read it and its words stirred his soul and its meaning wounded his vitals. Then he gave it to the girl，and Ali said to her，Salute thy lady for me and tell her of my passion and longing and how love is blent with my flesh and my bones；and say to her that I need one who shall deliver me from the sea of destruction and save me from this dilemma；for of a truth fortune oppresseth me with its vicissitudes；and is there any helper to free me from its defilements？So saying，he wept and the damsel wept for his weeping. Then she took leave of him and Aboulhusn went out with her and bade her farewell. So she went her way and he returned to his shop，which he opened，and sat down there，according to his wont；but as he sat，he found his bosom straitened and his heart oppressed and was troubled about his case. He ceased not from melancholy thought the rest of that day and night，and on the morrow he betook himself to Ali ben Bekkar，with whom he sat till the folk withdrew，when he asked him how he did. Ali began to complain of passion and descant upon the longing and distraction that possessed him，ending by repeating the following words of the poet：