第92章

Thou knowest that，but for thee，the house would not now be void of its dwellers： so be consoled for her loss and leave her： what is past is past.'When he heard this，he wept bitterly and said to her，'O Nasim，if I could，I should fly for longing after her；

so how can I be comforted for her？'Quoth she，'Thou hast no device save patience；'and quoth he，'I beseech thee，for Allah's sake，write me a writ to her，as from thyself，and get me an answer from her，to comfort my heart and quench the fire in my vitals.'She replied，'With love and gladness，'and took inkcase and paper，whilst Masrur began to set out to her the violence of his longing and what tortures he suffered for the anguish of severance，saying，'This letter is from the lover despairing and sorrowful * the bereaved，the woeful * with whom no peace can stay * nor by night nor by day * but he weepeth copious tears alway.* Indeed，tears his eyelids have ulcerated and his sorrows have kindled in his liver a fire unsated.His lamentation is lengthened and restlessness is strengthened and he is as he were a bird unmated * While for sudden death he awaiteth * Alas，my desolation for the loss of thee * and alas，my yearning affliction for the companionship of thee！ * Indeed，emaciation hath wasted my frame * and my tears a torrent became * mountains and plains are straitened upon me for grame * and of the excess of my distress，I go saying；'Still cleaves to this homestead mine ecstasy，* And redoubled pine for its dwellers I dree；

And I send to your quarters the tale of my love * And the cup of your love gave the Cup-boy to me.

And for faring of you and your farness from home * My wounded lids are from tears ne'er free：

O thou leader of litters，turn back with my love * For my heart redoubleth its ardency：

Greet my love and say him that naught except * Those brown-red lips deals me remedy：

They bore him away and our union rent * And my vitals with Severance-shaft shot he：

My love，my lowe and my longing to him * Convey，for of parting no cure I see：

I swear an oath by your love that I * Will keep pact and covenant faithfully；To none I'll incline or forget your love * How shall love-sick lover forgetful be？

So with you be the peace and my greeting fair * In letters that perfume of musk-pod bear.'

Her sister Nasim admired his eloquence of tongue and the goodliness of his speech and the elegance of the verses he sang；and was moved to ruth for him.So she sealed the letter with virgin musk and incensed it with Nadd-scent and ambergris，after which she committed it to a certain of the merchants saying；'Deliver it not to any save to Zayn al-Mawasif or to her handmaid Hubub.'Now when the letter reached her sister，she knew it for Masrur's dictation and recognised himself in the grace of its expression.So she kissed it and laid it on her eyes，whilst the tears streamed from her lids and she gave not over weeping，till she fainted.As soon as she came to herself，she called for pencase and paper and wrote him the following answer；complaining the while of her desire and love-longing and ecstasy and what was hers to endure of pining for her lover and yearning to him and the passion she had conceived for him.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night； She pursued，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Zayn al-Mawasif wrote the following reply to Masrur's missive：'This letter to my lord and master I indite * the king of my heart and my secret sprite * Indeed，wakefulness agitateth me * and melancholy increaseth on me * and I have no patience to endure the absence of thee * O thou who excellest sun and moon in brilliancy * Desire of repose despoileth me * and passion destroyeth me * and how should it be otherwise with me，seeing that I am of the number of the dying？ *O glory of the world and Ornament of life，she whose vital spirits are cut off shall her cup be sweet to quaff？ * For that she is neither with the quick nor with the dead.'And she improvised these couplets and said；'Thy writ，O Masrār，stirred my sprite to pine * For by Allah；all patience and solace I tyne：

When I read thy ure，my vitals yearned * And watered the herbs of the wold these eyne.

On Night's wings I'd fly an a bird * And sans thee I weet not the sweets of wine：

Life's unlawful to me since thou faredst far * To bear parting-lowe is no force of mine.'