第25章

At once entering his house he went in to his mother to salute her，but found her worn of body and wasted of bones，for excess of mourning and watching，weeping and wailing，till she was grown thin as a toothpick and could not answer him a word.So he dismissed the dromedaries then asked her of his wife and children and she wept till she fainted，and he seeing her in this state searched the house for them，but found no trace of them.Then he went to the store-closet and finding it open and the chest broken and the feather-dress missing，knew forthright that his wife had possessed herself thereof and flown away with her children.Then he returned to his mother and，finding her recovered from her fit，questioned her of his spouse and babes，whereupon she wept and said，'O my son，may Allah amply requite thee their loss！

These are their three tombs.'[99] When Hasan heard these words of his mother，he shrieked a loud shriek and fell down in a fainting-fit in which he lay from the first of the day till noon-tide；whereupon anguish was added to his mother's anguish and she despaired of his life.However，after a-while，he came to himself and wept and buffeted his face and rent his raiment and went about the house clean distraught，reciting these two couplets，[100]

'Folk have made moan of passion before me，of past years，* And live and dead for absence have suffered pains and fears；

But that within my bosom I harbour，with mine eyes * I've never seen the like of nor heard with mine ears.'

Then finishing his verses he bared his brand and coming up to his mother，said to her，'Except thou tell me the truth of the case；I will strike off thy head and kill myself.'She replied，'O my son，do not such deed： put up thy sword and sit down，till I tell thee what hath passed.' So he sheathed his scymitar and sat by her side，whilst she recounted to him all that had happened in his absence from first to last，adding，'O my son，but that I saw her weep in her longing for the bath and feared that she would go and complain to thee on thy return，and thou wouldst be wroth with me.I had never carried her thither；and were it not that the Lady Zubaydah was wroth with me and took the key from me by force，I had never brought out the feather-dress，though I died for it.But thou knowest，O my son，that no hand may measure length with that of the Caliphate.When they brought her the dress，she took it and turned it over，fancying that somewhat might be lost thereof，but she found it uninjured；wherefore she rejoiced and making her children fast to her waist，donned the feather-vest，after the Lady Zubaydah had pulled off to her all that was upon herself and clad her therein，in honour of her and because of her beauty.No sooner had she donned the dress than she shook and becoming a bird，promenaded about the palace；whilst all who were present gazed at her and marvelled at her beauty and loveliness.Then she flew up to the palace roof and perching thereon，looked at me and said：'Whenas thy son cometh to thee and the nights of separation upon him longsome shall be and he craveth reunion and meeting to see and whenas the breezes of love and longing shake him dolefully let him leave his native land and journey to the Islands of Wak and seek me.' This，then；is her story and what befel in thine absence.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety-eighth Night； She pursued，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that as soon as Hasan's mother had made an end of her story，he gave a great cry and fell down in a fainting fit which continued till the end of day，when he revived and fell to buffeting his face and writhing on the floor like a scotched snake.His mother sat weeping by his head until midnight，when he came to himself and wept sore and recited these couplets'，[101]

'Pause ye and see his sorry state since when ye fain withdrew；*

Haply，when wrought your cruelty，you'll have the grace to rue：

For an ye look on him，you'll doubt of him by sickness-stress *

As though，by Allah，he were one before ye never knew.

He dies for nothing save for love of you，and he would be *

Numbered amid the dead did not he moan and groan for you.

And deem not pangs of severance sit all lightly on his soul；*

'Tis heavy load on lover-wight；'twere lighter an ye slew.'

Then having ended his verse he rose and went round about the house，weeping and wailing，groaning and bemoaning himself，five days，during which he tasted nor meat nor drink.His mother came to him and conjured him，till he broke his fast，and besought him to leave weeping；but he hearkened not to her and continued to shed tears and lament，whilst she strove to comfort him and he heeded her not.Then he recited these couplets，[102]

'Beareth for love a burden sore this soul of me，* Could break a mortal's back however strong that be；

I am distraught to see my case and languor grows * Making my day and night indifferent in degree：

I own to having dreaded Death before this day： * This day I hold my death mine only remedy.'

And Hasan ceased not to do thus till daybreak，when his eyes closed and he saw in a dream his wife grief-full and repentant for that which she had done.So he started up from sleep crying out and reciting these two couplets；'Their image bides with me，ne'er quits me，ne'er shall fly；*

But holds within my heart most honourable stead；

But for reunion-hope，I'd see me die forthright，* And but for phantom-form of thee my sleep had fled.'

And as morning morrowed he redoubled his lamentations.He abode weeping-eyed and heavy-hearted，wakeful by night and eating little，for a whole month，at the end of which he bethought him to repair to his sisters and take counsel with them in the matter of his wife，so haply they might help him to regain her.