第68章

answered the host，and studied to do them honour；so the twain abode with him the rest of their night and as soon as the daylight dawned，they left him and made their way back without aught of delay to the city. When they came to the house of Abu alHasan，he conjured his comrade to enter；so they went in and lying down on the bed，slept awhile. As soon as they awoke，Abu alHasan bade his servants spread the house with rich carpets，saying in his mind，'Needs must I divert this youth and distract him from thinking of his affliction，for I know his case better than another.'Then he called for water for Ali bin Bakkar who，when it was brought，rose up from his bed and making his ablutions，prayed the obligatory prayers which he had omitted for the past day and night[194]；after which he sat down and began to solace himself by talking with his friend. When Abu alHasan saw this，he turned to him and said，'O my lord，it were fitter for thy case that thou abide with me this night，so thy breast may be broadened and the distress of lovelonging that is upon thee be dispelled and thou make merry with us，so haply the fire of thy heart may thus be quenched.'Ali replied，'O my brother，do what seemeth good to thee；for I may not on any wise escape from what calamity hath befallen me；so act as thou wilt.'

Accordingly，Abu alHasan arose and bade his servants summon some of the choicest of his friends and sent for singers and musicians who came；and meanwhile he made ready meat and drink for them；so they sat eating and drinking and making merry through the rest of the day till nightfall. Then they lit the candles，and the cups of friendship and good fellowship went round amongst them and the time passed pleasantly with them. Presently，a singingwoman took the lute and began singing，'I've been shot by Fortune，and shaft of eye Down struck me and parted from fondest friend：

Time has proved him foe and my patience failed，Yet I ever expected it thus would end.'

When Ali bin Bakkar heard her words，he fell to the earth in a swoon and ceased not lying in his fainting fit till daybreak；

and Abu alHasan despaired of him. But，with the dawning，he came to himself and sought to go home；nor could his friend hinder him，for fear of the issue of his affair. So he made his servants bring a shemule and，mounting Ali thereon，carried him to his lodgings，he and one of his men. When he was safe at home，Abu alHasan thanked Allah for his deliverance from that sore peril and sat awhile with him，comforting him；but Ali could not contain himself，for the violence of his love and longing. So Abu alHasan rose to take leave of him and return to his own place.And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Fiftysixth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when Abu alHasan rose to take leave of him，Ali son of Bakkar exclaimed，'O my brother，leave me not without news.''I hear and obey，'

replied the other；and forthwith went away and，repairing to his shop，opened it and sat there all day，expecting news of Shams alNahar. But none came. He passed the night in his own house and，when dawned the day，he walked to Ali bin Bakkar's lodging and went in and found him thrown on his bed，with his friends about him and physicians around him prescribing something or other，and the doctors feeling his pulse. When he saw Abu alHasan enter he smiled，and the visitor，after saluting him，enquired how he did and sat with him till the folk withdrew，when he said to him，'What plight is this？'Quoth Ali bin Bakkar，'It was bruited abroad that I was ill and my comrades heard the report；and I have no strength to rise and walk so as to give him the lie who noised abroad my sickness，but continue lying strown here as thou seest. So my friends came to visit me；say，however，O my brother，hast thou seen the slavegirl or heard any news of her？'He replied，'I have not seen her，since the day we parted from her on Tigris'bank；'and he presently added，'O my brother，beware thou of scandal and leave this weeping.'Rejoined Ali，'O my brother，indeed，I have no control over myself；'and he sighed and began reciting，'She gives her woman's hand a force that fails the hand of me，And with red dye on wrist she gars my patience fail and flee：

And for her hand she fears so sore what shafts her eyes discharge，She's fain to clothe and guard her hand with mailring panoply：[195]

The leach in ignorance felt my pulse the while to him I cried，

'Sick is my heart，so quit my hand which hath no malady：'

Quoth she to that fair nightly vision favoured me and fled，

'By Allah picture him nor add nor'bate in least degree！'

Replied the Dream，'I leave him though he die of thirst，'

I cry，'Stand off from waterpit and say why this persistency.'

Rained tearpearls her Narcissuseyes，and rose on cheek belit

She made my sherbet，and the lote with bits of hail she bit.'[196]

And when his recital was ended he said，'O Abu alHasan，I am smitten with an affliction from which I deemed myself in perfect surety，and there is no greater ease for me than death.'Replied he，'Be patient，haply Allah will heal thee！'Then he went out from him and repairing to his shop opened it，nor had he sat long，when suddenly up came the handmaid who saluted him. He returned her salam and looking at her，saw that her heart was palpitating and that she was in sore trouble and showed signs of great affliction： so he said to her，'Thou art welcome and well come！ How is it with Shams alNahar？'She answered，'I will presently tell thee，but first let me know how doth Ali bin Bakkar.'