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So hasten forthright to enjoy my possession, fair fall thee thereof! And tarry not neither neglect, lest my folk come to know of us two.
Then come to us quickly, I pray, and loiter not neither delay, And eat of the fruits of delight, whilst my husband is absent, the Jew.
Then she folded the letter and gave it to Huboub, who carried it to Mesrour and found him weeping and reciting the following verses, in a transport of passion and love-longing:
There blew upon my heart a breeze of love and wantonness, And all my entrails crumbled were with passion pitiless.
My longing, since my loved one’s loss, is passing sore on me And still mine eyelids overflow for very tears’ excess.
My heart with doubts and fears is racked, which did I but reveal Unto hard rocks and stones, forthright they’d soften for distress.
Ah, would I knew if I shall live to win to my delight, if, in th’ enjoyment of my wish, my hope I shall possess!
Shall parting’s nights, the wide outspread, be folded up again And shall Night dcccxlix.I e’er of that be healed which doth my heart oppress?
As he was repeating these verses, Huboub knocked at the door; so he rose and opened to her, and she entered and gave him the letter. He read it and said to her, ‘O Huboub, what news bringest thou of thy mistress?’ ‘O my lord,’ answered she, ‘in this letter is what dispenses me from answering, for thou art of the folk of understanding.’ And he rejoiced with an exceeding joy and repeated the following verses:
The letter came, and its contents rejoiced us, heart and brain, And in my very heart of hearts to keep it I were fain.
Yea, I redouble in desire, whene’er the writ I kiss; For ’tis as if ’t the very pearl of passion did contain.
Then he wrote a letter in answer and gave it to Huboub, who returned with it to her mistress and fell to extolling his charms to her and expatiating on his generosity and good qualities; for she was become a helper to him, to
