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separation from you.” Then one of them came up to me and embraced me and repeated the following verses:
If but the days once more our severed loves unite, If but my eyes once more be gladdened by thy sight,
Then shall the face of Time smile after many a frown, And I will pardon Fate for all its past despite.
And I repeated the following:
When she drew near to bid farewell, upon our parting day, Whilst on her heart the double stroke of love and longing smote,
She wept pure pearls, and eke mine eyes did rain cornelians forth; And lo, they all combined and made a necklace for her throat!
When I saw her weeping, I said, “By Allah, I will never open the hundredth door!” Then they bade me farewell and departed, leaving me alone in the palace. When the evening drew near, I opened the first door and found myself in an orchard, full of blooming trees, laden with ripe fruit, and the air resounded with the loud singing of birds and the ripple of running waters. The sight brought solace to my soul, and I entered and walked among the trees, inhaling the odours of the flowers and listening to the warble of the birds, that sang the praises of God the One, the Almighty. I looked upon the apple, whose colour is parcel red and parcel yellow, as says the poet:
The apple in itself two colours doth unite, The loved one’s cheek of red, and yellow of despite.
Then I looked upon the quince and inhaled its fragrance that puts musk and ambergris to shame, even as says the poet:
The quince contains all pleasant things that can delight mankind, Wherefore above all fruits that be its virtues are renowned.
Its taste is as the taste of wine, its breath the scent of musk; Its hue is that of virgin gold, its shape the full moon’s round.
Thence I passed to the pear, whose taste surpasses rose-water and sugar, and the plum, whose beauty delights the eye, as it were a polished ruby. When I had taken my fill
