What drove me forth was that I found no means To fend awe, the
ills that pressed on me.
Then he wept, but presently wiped away his tears and ate of the
fruits of the earth. Then he made his ablutions and prayed the
ordained prayers that he had neglected all this time; after which
he sat in that place, resting, the whole day. When the night
came, he lay down and slept till midnight, when he awoke and
heard a man's voice repeating the following verses:
Life unto me is worthless, except I see the shine Of the flashing
teeth of my mistress and eke her face divine.
The bishops in the convents pray for her day and night And in the
mosques the imams fall prone before her shrine.
Death's easier than the rigours of a beloved one, Whose image
never cheers me, whenas I lie and pine.
O joy of boon-companions, when they together be And lover and
beloved in one embrace entwine!
Still more so in the season of Spring, with all its flowers, What
time the world is fragrant with blossoms sweet and fine.
Up, drinker of the vine-juice, and forth, for seest thou not
Earth gilt with blooms and waters all welling forth like
wine?
When Kanmakan heard this, it revived his sorrows; his tears ran
down his cheeks like rivers and flames of fire raged in his
heart. He rose to see who it was that spoke, but saw none, for
the thickness of the dark; whereupon passion increased on him and
he was alarmed and restlessness possessed him.
Pages:
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422