And when she ended her recitation, passion overcame her and she was distraught for love and wept copious tears, rain-like streaming down. This burnt the Prince’s heart and he in turn became troubled and distracted for love of her. So he drew nearer to her and kissed her hands and wept with sore weeping and they ceased not from lover-reproaches and converse and versifying, until the call to mid-afternoon prayer (nor was there aught between them other than this), when they bethought them of parting and she said to him, “O light of mine eyes and core of my heart, the time of severance has come between us twain: when shall we meet again?” “By Allah,” replied he (and indeed her words shot him as with shafts), “to mention of parting I am never fain!” Then she went forth of the pavilion, and he turned and saw her sighing sighs would melt the rock and weeping shower-like tears; whereupon he for love was sunken in the sea of desolation and improvised these couplets:—
O my heart’s desire! grows my misery ✿ From the stress of love, and what cure for me? By thy face, like dawn when it lights the dark, ✿ And thy hair whose hue beareth night-tide’s blee, And thy form like the branch which in grace inclines ✿ To Zephyr’s[292] breath blowing fain and free, By the glance of thine eyes like the fawn’s soft gaze, ✿ When she views pursuer of high degree,
And thy waist down borne by the weight of hips, ✿ These so heavy and that lacking gravity, By the wine of thy lip-dew, the sweetest of drink, ✿ Fresh water and musk in its purity, O gazelle of the tribe, ease my soul of grief, ✿ And grant me thy phantom in sleep to see!