a little slave-boy came out and opened to us.  The host entered and we followed him;[FN#214] when he called for a bundle of clothes and muslins for turbands, and gave us each a suit and a piece; so we dressed and turbanded ourselves and sat us down.  Presently, in came a damsel with a tray of food and set it before us, saying, ‘Eat.’  We ate some small matter and she took away the tray:  after which we abode with our host till nightfall, when Ali bin Bakkar sighed and said to me, ’Know, O my brother, that I am a dying man past hope of life and I would charge thee with a charge:  it is that, when thou seest me dead, thou go to my parent[FN#215] and tell her of my decease and bid her come hither that she may be here to receive the visits of condolence and be present at the washing of my corpse, and do thou exhort her to bear my loss with patience.’  Then he fell down in a fainting fit and, when he recovered he heard a damsel singing afar off and making verses as she sang.  Thereupon he addressed himself to give ear to her and hearken to her voice; and now he was insensible, absent from the world, and now he came to himself; and anon he wept for grief and mourning at the love which had befallen him.  Presently, he heard the damsel who was singing repeat these couplets,

     ’Parting ran up to part from lover-twain *
          Free converse, perfect concord, friendship fain: 
     The Nights with shifting drifted us apart, *
          Would heaven I wot if we shall meet again: 
     How bitter after meeting ’tis to part, *
          May lovers ne’er endure so bitter pain! 
     Death-grip, death-choke, lasts for an hour and ends, *
          But parting-tortures aye in heart remain: 
     Could we but trace where Parting’s house is placed, *
          We would make Parting eke of parting taste!’

When Ali son of Bakkar heard the damsel’s song, he sobbed one sob and his soul quitted his body.  As soon as I saw that he was dead” (continued the jeweller), “I committed his corpse to the care of the house-master and said to him ’Know thou, that I am going to Baghdad, to tell his mother and kinsfolk, that they may come hither and conduct his burial.’  So I betook myself to Baghdad and, going to my house, changed my clothes; after which I repaired to Ali bin Bakkar’s lodging.  Now when his servants saw me, they came to me and questioned me of him, and I bade them ask permission for me to go in to his mother.  She gave me leave; so I entered and saluting her, said, ’Verily Allah ordereth the lives of all creatures by His commandment and when He decreeth aught, there is no escaping its fulfilment; nor can any soul depart but by leave of Allah, according to the Writ which affirmeth the appointed term.’[FN#216] She guessed by these words that her son was dead and wept with sore weeping, then she said to me, ’Allah upon thee! tell me, is my son dead?’ I could not answer her for tears and excess of grief, and when she saw me thus, she