第26章 STORY OF ALI BEN BEKKAR AND SHEMSENNEHAR.(6)

Then he said，O Aboulhusn，I am smitten with an affliction，from which I deemed myself in surety，and there is no greater ease for me than death.'Be patient，'answered his friend： peradventure God will heal thee.'Then he went out from him and repairing to his shop，opened it，nor had he sat long，when up came Shemsennehars hand-maid，who saluted him. He returned her salute and looking at her，saw that her heart was palpitating and that she was troubled and bore the traces of affliction： so he said to her，Thou art welcome. How is it with Shemsennehar？I will tell thee，'answered she；but first tell me how doth Ali ben Bekkar.'So he told her all that had passed，whereat she was grieved and sighed and lamented and marvelled at his case. Then said she，My ladys case is still stranger than this；for when you went away，I turned back，troubled at heart for you and hardly crediting your escape，and found her lying prostrate in the pavilion，speaking not nor answering any，whilst the Commander of the Faithful sat by her head，unknowing what aided her and finding none who could give him news of her. She ceased not from her swoon till midnight，when she revived and the Khalif said to her，'What ails thee，O Shemsennehar，and what has behllen thee this night？'May God make me thy ransom，O Commander of the Faithful！'answered she.'Verily，bile rose in me and lighted a fire in my body，so that I lost my senses for excess of pain，and I know no more.'What hast thou eaten to-day？'asked the Khalif. Quoth she，'I broke my fast on something I had never before eaten.'Then she feigned to be recovered and calling for wine，drank it and begged the Khalif to resume his diversion. So he sat down again on his couch in the pavilion and made her sit as before. When she saw me，she asked me how you fared；so I told her what I had done with you and repeated to her the verses that Ali ben BeLkar had recited at parting，whereat she wept secretly，but presently stinted. After awhile，the Khalif ordered a damsel to sing，and she chanted the following verses：

Life，as I live，has not been sweet since I did part from thee；

Would God I knew but how it fared with thee too after me！

If thou be weeping tears of brine for sevrance of our loves，Ah，then，indeed，twere meet my tears of very blood should be.

When my lady heard this，she fell back on the sofa in a swoon，and I seized her hand and sprinkled rose-water on her face，till she revived，when I said to her，'O my lady，do not bring ruin on thyself and on all thy house-hold，but be patient，by the life of thy beloved！'Can aught befall me worse than death？'answered she.'That，indeed，I long for，for，by Allah，my ease is therein.'Whilst we were talking，another damsel sang the following words of the poet：

'Patience shall peradventure lead to solacement，'quoth they；and I，'Wheres patience to be had，now he is gone away？'

He made a binding covenant with me to cut the cords Of patience，when we two embraced upon the parting day.

When Shemsennehar heard this，she swooned away once more，which when the Khalif saw，he came to her in haste and commanded the wine-service to be removed and each damsel to return to her chamber. He abode with her the rest of the night，and when it was day，he sent for physicians and men of art and bade them medicine her，knowing not that her sickness arose from passion and love-longing. He tarried with her till he deemed her in a way of recovery，when he returned to his palace，sore concerned for her illness，and she bade me go to thee and bring her news of Ali ben Bekkar. So I came，leaving with her a number of her bodywomen；

and this is what has delayed me from thee.'When Aboulhusn heard her story，he marvelled and said，By Allah，I have acquainted thee with his whole case；so now return to thy mistress；salute her for me and exhort her to patience and secrecy and tell her that I know it to be a hard matter and one that calls for prudent ordering.'She thanked him and taking leave of him，returned to her mistress，whilst he abode in his place till the end of the day，when he shut the shop and betaking himself to Ali ben Bekkars house，knocked at the door. One of the servants came out and admitted him；and when Ali saw him，he smiled and re-joiced in his coming，saying，O Aboulhusn，thou hast made a weary man of me by thine absence from me this day；for indeed my soul is pledged to thee for the rest of my days.'Leave this talk，answered the other. Were thy healing at the price of my hand，I would cut it off，ere thou couldst ask me；and could I ransom thee with my life，I had already laid it down for thee. This very day，Shemsennehars handmaid has been with me and told me that what hindered her from coming before this was the Khalifs sojourn with her mistress；and he went on to repeat to him all that the girl had told him of Shemsennehar；at which Ali lamented sore and wept and said to him，O my brother，I conjure thee by God to help me in this mine affliction and teach me how I shall do！Moreover，I beg thee of thy grace to abide with me this night，that I may have the solace of thy company.'Aboulhusn agreed to this；so they talked together till the night darkened，when Ali groaned aloud and lamented and wept copious tears，reciting the following verses：

My eye holds thine image ever；thy name in my mouth is aye And still in my heart is thy sojourn；so how canst thou absent be？

How sore is my lamentation for life that passes away Nor is there，alas！in union a part for thee and me！

And also these：

She cleft with the sword of her glance the helm of my courage in two And the mail of my patience she pierced with the spear of her shape through and through.

She unveiled to us，under the musk of the mole that is set on her cheek，carnphor-whlte dawning a-break through a night of the ambergris hue.[13]

Her spirit was stirred to chagrin and she bit on cornelian[14]

with pearls，[15] Whose unions unvalued abide in a lakelet of sugary dew.

She sighed for impatience and smote with her palm on the snows of her breast. Her hand left a scar；so I saw what never before met my view；