第98章

In gloom I bide with fire that flames below my ribs，

Whose lowe I make comparison with heat of Hell：

I'm plagued with sorest stress of pine and ecstasy；

Nor clearest noon tide can that horrid pain dispel.'

Then she sighed and repeated these also，'Salams fro' me to friends in every stead；

Indeed to all dear friends do I incline：

Salams，but not salams that bid adieu；

Salams that growth of good for you design：

I love you dear，indeed，nor less your land，

But bide I far from every need of mine！'

And when the Lady Budur ceased repeating her poetry，she wept till her eyes waxed sore and her cheeks changed form and hue，and in this condition she continued three years. Now she had a fosterbrother，by name Marzawan，[283] who was travelling in far lands and absent from her the whole of this time. He loved her with an exceeding love，passing the love of brothers；so when he came back he went in to his mother and asked for his sister，the Princess Budur. She answered him，'O my son，thy sister hath been smitten with madness and hath passed these three years with a chain of iron about her neck；and all the physicians and men of science have failed of healing her.'When Marzawan heard these words he said，'I must needs go in to her；peradventure I may discover what she hath，and be able to medicine her；'and his mother replied，'Needs must thou visit her，but wait till to morrow，that I may contrive some thing to suit thy case.'Then she went afoot to the palace of the Lady Budur and，accosting the eunuch in charge of the gates，made him a present and said to him，'I have a daughter，who was brought up with thy mistress and since then I married her；and，when that befel the Princess which befel her，she became troubled and sore concerned，and I desire of thy favour that my daughter may go in to her for an hour and look on her；and then return whence she came，so shall none know of it.'Quoth the eunuch，'This may not be except by night，after the King hath visited his child and gone away；then come thou and thy daughter.'So she kissed the eunuch's hand and，returning home，waited till the morrow at nightfall；and when it was time she arose and sought her son Marzawan and attired him in woman's apparel；then，taking his hand in hers，led him towards the palace，and ceased not walking with him till she came upon the eunuch after the Sultan had ended his visit to the Princess. Now when the eunuch saw her，he rose to her，and said，'Enter，but do not prolong thy stay！'So they went in and when Marzawan beheld the Lady Budur in the aforesaid plight，he saluted her，after his mother had doffed his woman's garb：then he took out of their satchel books he had brought with him；and，lighting a wax

candle，he began to recite certain conjurations Thereupon the Princess looked at him and recognising him，said，'O my brother，thou hast been absent on thy travels' and thy news have been cut off from us.'He replied，'True！but Allah hath brought me back safe and sound，I am now minded to set out again nor hath aught delayed me but the news I hear of thee；wherefore my heart burned for thee and I came to thee，so haply I may free thee of thy malady.'She rejoined，O my brother，thinkest thou it is madness aileth me？''Yes.'answered he，and she said，'Not so，by Allah！

'tis even as saith the poet，'Quoth they 'Thou rav'st on him thou lov'st'：quoth I，'The sweets of love are only for th' insane！'

Love never maketh Time his friend befriend；

Only the Jinnstruck wight such boon can gain：

Well！yes，I'm mad：bring him who madded me

And，if he cure m：madness，blame restrain！'

Then she let Marzawan know that she was lovedaft and he said 'Tell me concerning thy tale and what befel thee：haply there may be in my hand something which shall be a means of deliverance for thee.'And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of da，and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Ninetyfourth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Marzawar thus addressed Princess Budur，'Tell me concerning thy tale and what befel thee：haply Allah may inspire me with a means of deliverance for thee.'Quoth she，'O my brother，hear my story which is this. One night I awoke from sleep，in the last third of the night[284] and，sitting up，saw by my side the handsomest of youths that be，and tongue faileth to describe him，for he was as a willowwand or an Indian rattancane. So methought it was my father who had done on this wise in order thereby to try me，for that he had consulted me concerning wedlock，when the Kings sought me of him to wife，and I had refused. It was this though withheld me from arousing him，for I feared that，if I did aught of embraced him，he would peradventure inform my father of m，doings. But in the morning，I found on my finger his sealring，in place of my own which he had taken. And，O my brother，m，heart was seized with love of him at first sight；and，for the violence of my passion and longing，I have never savoured the taste of sleep and have no occupation save weeping alway and repeating verses night and day. And this，O my brother，is my story and the cause of my madness.'Then she poured forth tears and repeated these couplets，'Now Love hast banished all that bred delight；With that heartnibbling fawn my joys took flight：

Lightest of trifles lover's blood to him

Who wastes the vitals of the hapless wight！

For him I'm jealous of my sight and thought；

My heart acts spy upon my thought and sight：

Those longlashed eyelids rain on me their shafts

Guileful，destroying hearts where'er they light：

Now，while my portion in the world endures，

Shall I behold him ere I quit worldsite？

What bear I for his sake I'd hide，but tears

Betray my feelings to the spy's despight.

When near，our union seemeth ever far；

When far，my thoughts to him aye nearest are.'