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“Yes,” answered she; “but his love for me was of the tongue, not of the heart; for he kept not his covenant nor was faithful to his troth.” “And what was the cause of your separation?” asked I.
“I was sitting one day,” replied she, “whilst my maid here combed my hair. When she had made an end of combing it, she plaited my tresses, and my beauty and grace pleased her; so she bent down to me and kissed my cheek. At that moment, he came in, unawares, and seeing her kiss my cheek, turned away in anger, vowing eternal separation and repeating the following verses:
If any share with me in her I love, incontinent, I’ll cast her off from me and be to live alone content.
A mistress, sure, is nothing worth, if, in the way of love, She wish for aught but that to which the lover doth consent.
And from that time to this, O Ibn Mensour,” continued she, “he hath neither written to me nor answered my letters.” “And what thinkest thou to do?” asked I. Quoth she, “I have a mind to send him a letter by thee. If thou bring me back an answer, thou shalt have of me five hundred dinars; and if not, then a hundred for thy pains.” “Do what seemeth good to thee,” answered I. So she called for inkhorn and paper and wrote the following verses:
Whence this estrangement and despite, belovéd of my soul? Whither have kindliness and love between us taken flight?
What makes thee with aversion turn from me? Indeed, thy face Is not the face I used to know, when we our troth did plight.
Belike, the slanderers have made a false report of me, And thou inclin’dst to them, and they redoubled in despite.
If thou believedst their report, far, far it should have been From thee, that art too whole of wit at such a bait to bite!
Yea, I conjure thee by thy life, tell me what thou hast heard: For lo! thou knowest what was said and wilt not do unright.
If aught I’ve said that angered thee, a speech of change admits; Ay, and interpreting, I trow, may change its meaning quite,
