第69章 KEMEREZZEMAN AND BUDOUR.(31)

Then she folded up the silken tresses of her hair，whose cost swallowed up treasures，in the letter，and wrapping it in a piece of rich silk，scented with musk and ambergris，laid it in a handkerchief；after which she gave it to an eunuch and bade him carry it to prince Amjed.The eunuch took it，knowing not what the future hid for him，（for He who knoweth the hidden things ordereth events according to His will，） and going in to the prince，kissed the earth before him and gave him the letter.He opened it and reading it，was ware that his fathers wife was in intent an adulteress and a traitress to her husband；whereat he was exceeding wroth and railed at women and their works，saying，May God curse women，the traitresses，that lack reason and religion！'Then he drew his sword and said to the eunuch，Out on thee，thou wicked slave！Dost thou carry adulterous messages for thy lords wife？By Allah，there is no good in thee，O black of hue and heart，O foul of face and nature！'So saying，he smote him on the neck and severed his head from his body；then，folding the letter in the handkerchief，he thrust it into his pocket and went in to his own mother and told her what had passed，reviling and reproaching her and saying，Each one of you is worse than the other；and by God the Great，did I not fear to transgress against the rights of my father and my brother Asaad，I would assuredly go in to her and cut off her head，even as I cut off that of her eunuch！'Then he went out in a great rage；

and when the news reached Queen Heyat en Nufous of what he had done with her messenger，she reviled him and cursed him and plotted perfidy against him.He passed the night，sick with anger and disgust and concern，nor was meat nor drink nor sleep sweet to him.Next morning，prince Asaad went out in his turn to rule the folk in his fathers stead and sat in the audience-chamber，judging and administering justice，appointing and deposing，ordering and forbidding，giving and bestowing，till near the time of afternoon-prayer，when Queen Budour sent for a crafty old woman and discovering to her what was in her heart，wrote a letter to prince Asaad，complaining of the excess of her love and longing for him，as follows： From her who perisheth for passion and love-longing to the goodliest of mankind in form and nature，him who is conceited of his own loveliness and glories in his amorous grace，who turneth away from those that seek to enjoy him and refuseth to show favour unto the lowly and the self-abasing，him who is cruel and disdainful；from the despairing lover to prince Asaad，lord of surpassing beauty and excelling grace，of the moon-bright face and the flower-white brow and dazzling splendour.This is my letter to him whose love consumes my body and rends my skin and my bones.Know that my patience fails me and I am at a loss what to do： longing and wakefulness weary me and sleep and patience deny themselves to me；but mourning and watching stick fast to me and desire and passion torment me，and the extremes of languor and sickness.

Yet may my life be thy ransom，though it be thy pleasure to slay her who loveth thee，and may God prolong thy life and preserve thee from every ill！'After this，she wrote the following verses：

Fate hath so ordered it that I must needs thy lover be，O thou whose charms shine as the moon，when at the full is she！

All beauty and all eloquence thou dost in thee contain And over all the world of men thourt bright and brave to see.

That thou my torturer shouldst be，I am indeed content，So but thou wilt one glance bestow，as almous-deed，on me.

Happy，thrice happy is her lot who dieth for thy love！No good is there in any one that doth not cherish thee.

And these also：

To thee，O Asaad，of the pangs of passion I complain；Have pity on a slave of love，that burns for longing pain.

How long，I wonder，shall the hands of passion sport with me And love and dole and sleeplessness consume me，heart and brain？

Whiles do I plain me of a sea within my heart and whiles Of flaming；surely，this is strange，O thou my wish and bane！

Give oer thy railing，censor mine，and set thyself to flee From love that maketh eyes for aye with burning tears to rain.

How oft，for absence and desire，I cry，'Alas，my grief！'But all my crying and lament in this my case are vain.

Thou hast with rigours made me sick，that passed my power to bear： Thourt the physician；do thou me with what befits assain.

O thou my censurer，forbear to chide me for my case，Lest，of Loves cruel malady，perdition thee attain.

Then she scented the letter with odoriferous musk and winding it in the tresses of her hair，which were of Irak silk，with tassels of oblong emeralds，set with pearls and jewels，delivered it to the old woman，bidding her carry it to prince Asaad.She undertook the errand，to pleasure her，and going in straightway to the prince，found him in his closet and delivered him the letter；after which she stood waiting for the answer.When Asaad had read the letter and knew its purport，he wrapped it up again in the tresses and put it in his pocket，cursing false women；

then，for he was beyond measure wroth，he sprang up and drawing his sword，smote the old woman on the neck and cut off her head.

Then he went in to his mother，Queen Heyat en Nufous，whom he found lying on her bed，sick for that which had betided her with prince Amjed，and railed at her and cursed her；after which he left her and betook himself to his brother，to whom he related what had befallen him with Queen Budour，adding，By Allah，O my brother，but that I feared to grieve thee，I had gone in to her forthright and smitten her head off her shoulders！'By Allah，O my brother，'replied Amjed，the like of what hath befallen thee befell me also yesterday with thy mother Queen Heyat en Nufous.'