An I quit Cairo and her pleasances * Where can I hope to find so gladsome ways?

Professor Palmer renders it: 

          Must I leave Egypt where such joys abound? 
          What place can ever charm me so again ?

In Arabic it scans: 

U - U | U - - - | U - U |  U - U - |
A-arhalu’en Misrin wa tibi na’imihil[FN#455]
U - U | U - - - | U - U |  U - U - |
Fa-ayyu makanin ba’daha li-ya shaiku.

In referring to iii.  A. I. p. 242, it will be seen that in the Hashw Fa’ulun (U — -) has become Fa’ulu (U — U) by a Zuhaf called Kabz (suppression of the fifth letter of a foot if it is quiescent) and that in the ’Aruz and Zarb Mafa’ilun (U — — -) has changed into Mafa’ilun (U — U -) by the same Zuhaf acting as ’Illah.  The latter alteration shows the couplet to be of the second Zarb of the first ’Aruz of the Tawil.  If the second line did terminate in Mafa’ilun, as in the original scheme, it would be the first Zarb of the same ’Aruz; if it did end in Fa’ulun (U - -) or Mafa’il (U — -) it would represent the third or fourth subdivision of this first class respectively.  The Tawil has one other ’Aruz, Fa’ulun, with a twofold Zarb, either Fa’ulun also, or Mafa’ilun.

The first instance of the Basit occurring in The Nights are the lines translated vol. i. p. 25: 

Containeth Time a twain of days, this of blessing, that of bane *
     And holdeth Life a twain of halves, this of pleasure, that
     of pain.

In Arabic (Mac.  N. i.  II): 

- - U - | - U - | - - U - | U U - |
Al-Dahru yaumani za amnun wa za hazaru

- - U - | - U - | - - U - | U U - |
Wa’l-’Ayshu shatrani za safwun wa za kadaru.

Turning back to p. 243, where the A’ariz and Azrub of the Basit are shown, the student will have no difficulty to recognise the Bayt as one belonging to the first Zarb of the first ’Aruz.

As an example of the Madid we quote the original of the lines (vol. v. 131):—­

I had a heart, and with it lived my life * ’Twas seared with fire
     and burnt with loving-lowe.

They read in Arabic:—­

- U - - | - U - | U U - |
Kana li kalbun a’ishu bihi

- U - - | - U - | U - |
Fa’ktawa bi’l-nari wa’htarak.

If we compare this with the formula (iii.  A. 2. p. 242), we find that either line of the couplet is shortened by a foot; it is, therefore, majzu.  The first ’Aruz of this abbreviated metre is Fa’ilatun (- U — -), and is called sahihah (perfect) because it consists of the normal third foot.  In the second ’Aruz, Fa’ilatun loses its end syllable tun by the ’Illah Hafz (suppression of a final Sabab khafif), and becomes Fa’ila (- U -), for which Fa’ilun is substituted.  Shortening the first syllable of Fa’ilun, i.e. eliminating the Alif by Khabn, we obtain the third ’Aruz Fa’ilun (U U -) as that of the present lines, which has two Azrub:  Fa’ilun, like the ’Aruz, and Fa’lun (- -), here, again by Khabn, further reduced to Fa’al (U -).