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thou art! Leave thy staring in my face.” When Bedreddin heard this, he repeated the following verses:
Thy face excites in all men’s hearts a love they do not own; Folded in silence and concealed, it may not be made known.
O thou whose beauty puts to shame the splendour of the moon, Whose grace recalls the shining sight of morning newly blown,
In thy bright visage is a sign that may not be fulfilled, And there all beauties that incite to tenderness are shown.
Must I then die of thirst, what while thy lips with nectar flow? Thy face is Paradise to me; must I in hell-fire groan?
So they ate till they were satisfied, when Bedreddin rose and poured water on their hands, wiping them with a napkin of silk, which he loosed from his waist; after which he sprinkled rose-water on them from a casting-bottle he had by him. Then he went out and returned with a pitcher of sherbet, flavoured with rose-water and musk, which he set before them, saying, “Complete your favours to me, by drinking of this sherbet.” So Agib took the pitcher and drank and passed it to the eunuch, and it went round amongst them till their stomachs were full, for they had eaten and drunken beyond their wont. Then they went away and made haste in walking till they reached the tents, and Agib went in to his grandmother, who kissed him, and thinking of her son Bedreddin Hassan, wept and repeated the following verses:
But for my hope that God would yet our severed loves unite, I had not lived for life to me is void of all delight.
I swear there’s nothing in my heart but love of thee alone, By God, who reads the heart and brings the hidden things to light!
And she said to Agib, “O my son, where hast thou been?” Quoth he, “We have been in the city of Damascus.” Then she rose and set before him confection of pomegranate-seed and said to the eunuch, “Sit down and eat with thy young master.” The eunuch said to himself, “By Allah, we have no mind to eat!” but he sat down;
