“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
     mail-ring panoply:[FN#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 water-pit and say why this
     persistency.’ 
Rained tear-pearls her Narcissus-eyes, and rose on cheek belit *
     She made my sherbet, and the lote with bits of hail she
     bit."[FN#196]

And when his recital was ended he said, “O Abu al-Hasan, 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 al-Nahar?” She answered, “I will presently tell thee, but first let me know how doth Ali bin Bakkar.”  So he told her all that had passed and how his case stood, whereat she grieved and sighed and lamented and marvelled at his condition.  Then said she, “My lady’s case is still stranger than this; for when you went away and fared homewards, I turned back, my heart beating hard on your account and hardly crediting your escape.  On entering I found her lying prostrate in the pavilion, speaking not nor answering any, whilst the Commander of the Faithful sat by her head not knowing what ailed her and finding none who could make known to him aught of her ailment.  She ceased not from her swoon till midnight, when she recovered and the Prince of the Faithful said to her, ’What harm hath happened to thee, O Shams al-Nahar, and what hath befallen thee this night?’ Now when she heard the Caliph’s words she kissed his feet and said, ’Allah make me thy ransom, O Prince of True Believers!  Verily a sourness of stomach lighted a fire in my body, so that I lost my senses for excess of pain, and I know no more of my condition.’  Asked the Caliph, ’What hast thou eaten to-day?’; and she answered, ’I broke my fast on something I had never tasted before.’  Then she feigned to be recovered and calling for a something of wine, drank it, and begged the Sovereign to resume his diversion.  So he sat down again on his couch in the pavilion and the sitting was resumed, but when she saw me, she asked me how you fared.  I told her what I had done with you both and repeated to her the verses which Ali bin Bakkar had composed at parting-tide, whereat she wept secretly, but presently held her peace.  After awhile, the Commander of the Faithful ordered a damsel to sing, and she began reciting,