第26章

Accordingly he summoned the dromedaries and loading fifty of them with rarities of Al-Irak，committed the house to his mother's care and deposited all his goods in safe keeping，except some few he left at home.Then he mounted one of the beasts and set out on his journey single handed，intent upon obtaining aidance from the Princesses，and he stayed not till he reached the Palace of the Mountain of Clouds，when he went in to the damsels and gave them the presents in which they rejoiced.Then they wished him joy of his safety and said to him，'O our brother，what can ail thee to come again so soon，seeing thou wast with us but two months since？' Whereupon he wept and improvised these couplets；'My soul for loss of lover sped I sight；* Nor life enjoying neither life's delight：

My case is one whose cure is all unknown；* Can any cure the sick but doctor wight？

O who hast reft my sleep-joys，leaving me * To ask the breeze that blew from that fair site，--

Blew from my lover's land （the land that owns * Those charms so sore a grief in soul excite）；'O breeze，that visitest her land，perhaps * Breathing her scent；thou mayst revive my sprite！'

And when he ended his verse he gave a great cry and fell down in a fainting-fit.The Princesses sat round him，weeping over him；till he recovered and repeated these two couplets；'Haply and happily may Fortune bend her rein * Bringing my love；for Time's a freke of jealous strain；[103]

Fortune may prosper me，supply mine every want，* And bring a blessing where before were ban and bane.'

Then he wept till he fainted again，and presently coming to himself recited the two following couplets；'My wish，mine illness，mine unease！ by Allah，own * Art thou content？ then I in love contented wone！

Dost thou forsake me thus sans crime or sin * Meet me in ruth，I pray，and be our parting gone.'

Then he wept till he swooned away once more and when he revived he repeated these couplets；'Sleep fled me，by my side wake ever shows * And hoard of tear-drops from these eyne aye flows；

For love they weep with beads cornelian-like * And growth of distance greater dolence grows：

Lit up my longing，O my love，in me * Flames burning'neath my ribs with fiery throes！

Remembering thee a tear I never shed * But in it thunder roars and leven glows.'

Then he wept till he fainted away a fourth time，and presently recovering，recited these couplets；'Ah！ for lowe of love and longing suffer ye as suffer we？ * Say；as pine we and as yearn we for you are pining ye？

Allah do the death of Love，what a bitter draught is his！ * Would I wot of Love what plans and what projects nurseth he！

Your faces radiant-fair though afar from me they shine，* Are mirrored in our eyes whatsoever the distance be；

My heart must ever dwell on the memories of your tribe；* And the turtle-dove reneweth all as oft as moaneth she：

Ho thou dove，who passest night-tide in calling on thy fere，*

Thou doublest my repine，bringing grief for company；

And leavest thou mine eyelids with weeping unfulfilled * For the dearlings who departed，whom we never more may see：

I melt for the thought of you at every time and hour，* And I long for you when Night showeth cheek of blackest blee.'

Now when his sister heard these words and saw his condition and how he lay fainting on the floor，she screamed and beat her face and the other Princesses hearing her scream came out and learning his misfortune and the transport of love and longing and the passion and distraction that possessed him they questioned him of his case.He wept and told them what had befallen in his absence and how his wife had taken flight with her children，wherefore they grieved for him and asked him what she said at leave-taking.

Answered he，'O my sisters，she said to my mother，'Tell thy son；whenas he cometh to thee and the nights of sever- ance upon him longsome shall be and he craveth reunion and meeting to see，and whenas the winds of love and longing shake him dolefully，let him fare in the Islands of Wak to me.'When they heard his words they signed one to other with their eyes and shook their heads，and each looked at her sister，whilst Hasan looked at them all.Then they bowed their heads groundwards and bethought themselves awhile；after which they raised their heads and said，'There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah，the Glorious，the Great！'；presently adding，'Put forth thy hand to heaven and when thou reach thither，then shalt thou win to thy wife.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night； She resumed，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when the Princesses said to Hasan，'Put forth thy hand to Heaven and when thou reach thither，then shalt thou win to wife and children，'thereat the tears ran down his cheeks like rain and wet his clothes，and he recited these couplets；'Pink cheeks and eyes enpupil'd black have dealt me sore despight；* And whenas wake overpowered sleep my patience fled in fright：

The fair and sleek-limbed maidens hard of heart withal laid waste * My very bones till not a breath is left for man to sight：

Houris，who fare with gait of grace as roes o'er sandy-mound： *

Did Allah's saints behold their charms they'd doat thereon forthright；

Faring as fares the garden breeze that bloweth in the dawn.* For love of them a sore unrest and troubles rack my sprite：

I hung my hopes upon a maid，a loveling fair of them，* For whom my heart still burns with lowe in Laz -hell they light；--

A dearling soft of sides and haught and graceful in her gait，*

Her grace is white as morning，but her hair is black as night：

She stirreth me！ But ah，how many heroes have her cheeks *

Upstirred for love，and eke her eyes that mingle black and white.'