After the lapse of many more years the husband of Layla dies, and the beautiful widow passes the prescribed period of separation (’idda),[121] after which Majnun hastens to embrace his beloved.  Overpowered by the violence of their emotions, both are for a space silent; at length Layla addresses Majnun in tender accents; but when he finds voice to reply it is evident that the reaction has completely extinguished the last spark of reason:  Majnun is now a hopeless maniac, and he rushes from the arms of Layla and seeks the desert once more.  Layla never recovered from the shock occasioned by this discovery.  She pined away, and with her last breath desired her mother to convey the tidings of her death to Majnun, and to assure him of her constant, unquenchable affection.  When Majnun hears of her death he visits her tomb, and, exhausted with his journey and many privations, he lays himself down on the turf that covered her remains, and dies—­the victim of pure, ever-during love.

  [121] According to Muslim law, four months and ten days must
        elapse before a widow can marry again.

* * * * *

Possibly, readers of a sentimental turn—­oft inclined to the “melting” mood—­may experience a kind of pleasing sadness in perusing a rhythmical prose translation of the passage in Nizami’s poem in which

Majnun bewails the Death of Layla.

When Zayd,[122] with heart afflicted, heard that in the silent tomb that moon[123] had set, he wept and mourned, and sadly flowed his tears.  Who in this world is free from grief and tears?  Then, clothed in sable garments, like one oppressed who seeks redress, he, agitated, and weeping like a vernal cloud, hastened to the grave of Layla; but, as he o’er it hung, ask not how swelled his soul with grief; while from his eyes the tears of blood incessant flowed, and from his sight and groans the people fled.  Sometimes he mourned with grief so deep and sad that from his woe the sky became obscure.  Then from the tomb of that fair flower he to the desert took his way.  There sought the wanderer from the paths of man him whose night was now in darkness veiled, as that bright lamp was gone; and, seated near him, weeping and sighing, he beat his breast and struck upon the earth his head.  When Majnun saw him thus afflicted he said:  “What has befallen thee, my brother, that thy soul is thus overpowered? and why so pale that cheek? and why these sable robes?” He thus replied:  “Because that fortune now has changed:  a sable stream has issued from the earth, and even death has burst its iron gates; a storm of hail has on the garden poured, and not a leaf of all our rose-bower now remains.  The moon has fallen from the firmament, and prostrate on the mead that waving cypress lies!  Layla was, but from the world has now departed; and from the wound thy love had caused she died.”

  [122] An attendant, who had always befriended Majnun.