Chapter 30

'Azeez and 'Azeezeh

I found my cousin with her hand placed to her cheek, and her eyelids pouring forth tears; and upon this, my anxieties and griefs increased, and I fell down in a corner of the chamber; but she sprang towards me, and lifted me up, and, having taken off from me my outer clothes, wiped my face with her sleeve, and asked me what hadhappened to me. I related to her, therefore, all that had happened on the part of the damsel: and she said to me, O son of my uncle, as to her sign with her hand and five fingers, its interpretation is, Come hither after five days:—and as to her sign with the mirror, and her putting forth her head from the lattice [and her actions with the red handkerchief],19the meaning is, Seat thyself at the shop of the dyer until my messenger shall come to thee.—When I heard her words, fire burned in my heart, and I replied, By Allah, O daughter of my uncle, thou sayest truly in this interpretation; for I saw in the by-street a Jewish dyer. I then wept, and my cousin said, Be resolute, and firm of heart; for others than thou are troubled with love for a period of years, and contend with the fierceness of passion, while thou hast but a week to endure: wherefore then should this impatience overcome thee? And she proceeded to cheer me with her conversation, and brought me food; and I took a morsel, and would have eaten it; but I could not. I abstained from drink and food, and renounced the delights of sleep, and my complexion became pallid, and my charms became changed; for I had never known love before that, nor tasted the fervency of that passion before; and I fell sick, and my cousin became sick on my account. She occupied herself in relating to me the sufferings of lovers, in order to enliven me, until I fell asleep; and I used to awake, and find her sleepless on my account, with her tears flowing upon her cheeks; and thus I remained until the five days had passed, when my cousin arose, and heated some water for me, and bathed me with it, and dressed me, and said to me, Repair to her, and may Allah accomplish thy wish, and grant thee what thou desirest of thy beloved.

So I went, and walked on until I came to the upper end of the by-street, and that day was Saturday; so I found the shop of the dyer shut: and I sat there till the call to afternoon-prayers; and the sun became yellow, and the call to evening-prayers was chanted; and night commenced, and I saw no trace of her, nor heard a voice, nor received any message: I therefore feared for myself, sitting alone; and I rose and walked away, like one intoxicated, until I entered the house.

There, on going in, I beheld my cousin 'Azeezeh with one of her hands holding a peg knocked into the wall, and her other hand upon her bosom; and she was groaning, and reciting verses; but when she had finished her recitation, she turned her eyes towards me, and beheld me; whereupon she wiped away her tears and mine with hersleeve, and, smiling in my face, said to me, O son of my uncle, Allah grant thee enjoyment of that which He hath given thee! Wherefore hast thou not visited thy beloved this night?—And when I heard her words, I kicked her with my foot upon her bosom, and she fell down upon the raised floor, and there was a peg there, and it wounded her forehead. On looking at her I saw that her forehead was cut open, and her blood was flowing; yet she was silent, and uttered not a single letter; but rose immediately, and burned some tinder of rags, and, having closed with it the wound, tied a bandage round her head, and wiped away the blood that had flowed upon the carpet; and it was as though this accident had not occurred. She then came to me, and, smiling in my face, said to me with a gentle voice, By Allah, O son of my uncle, I said not this to make a jest of thee or of her. I was troubled just now by the aching of my head, and with wiping away the blood: but at the present moment the pain of my head is alleviated, and that of my forehead: tell me therefore what hath happened to thee this day.—So I related to her all that had befallen me through the conduct of that damsel on this day; and after I had done so I wept; but she said to me, Rejoice at the announcement of the success of thy desire, and the accomplishment of thy hope. Verily this is a sign of acceptance: for she absented herself from thee because she desireth to try thee, and to know whether thou art patient or not, and whether thou art sincere in thy love of her or not. To-morrow go to her, and station thyself at thy first place, and see what sign she will make to thee; for thy happiness is near, and thy sorrow is dissipated.—And she proceeded to console me; but I ceased not to increase in anxiety and grief. She then placed the food before me; but I kicked it with my foot, and the contents of each saucer were scattered about; and I said, Every one who is in love is insane, and inclineth not to food, nor findeth pleasure in sleep.—By Allah, O son of my uncle, exclaimed my cousin 'Azeezeh, these are indeed symptoms of love! And her tears flowed, and she gathered together the fragments of the saucers, and wiped up the food that was spilt, and sat chatting to me, while I prayed to God that He would hasten the morning.

And when the morning came, and diffused its light, I repaired to the damsel, and entered hastily the by-street, where I seated myself upon the maṣṭabah before mentioned; and lo, the window was opened, and she put forth her head from it, laughing. She then retired, and returned bringing a mirror, and a bag, and a pot filled with greenplants, and having also in her hand a lamp: and the first thing that she did was this: she took the mirror in her hand, and put it into the bag: then she tied it up and threw it back into the chamber. After this, she let down her hair over her face, and put the lamp upon the top of the green plants for a moment, and then took all these things and departed with them, and closed the lattice. My heart was riven by her secret signs and her obscure intimations, for she addressed me not with a single word, and my passion grew more violent thereat, and my excitement and distraction increased.

I retraced my steps with weeping eye and sorrowful heart until I entered the house, where I saw my cousin sitting with her face to the wall: her heart was burning with anxiety and grief and jealousy; but her affection prevented her from acquainting me at all with the passion which she felt on witnessing my excessive love and distraction. I then looked at her again, and saw that she had, on her head, two bandages: one of them was on account of the accident that had happened to her forehead, and the other was upon her eye, on account of a pain that she suffered in consequence of the violence of her weeping. She was in a most miserable case, weeping, and reciting these verses:—

Wherever thou be, mayst thou be in safety, O thou who departest, and yet dwellest in my heart!May God be near thee wherever thou goest, to deliver thee from vicissitudes and from misfortunes!Thou hast gone, and mine eye is cheerless through thine absence, and my tears are flowing—O how abundantly!

And when she had ended her recitation, she looked towards me and saw me as she wept, and she wiped away her tears, and rose to me; but she could not speak, from the excessive love with which she was affected, and she remained for some time silent; after which, she said to me, O son of my uncle, tell me what thou hast experienced from her on this occasion. And I told her all that had happened to me; whereupon she said to me, Be patient; for the time of thy union is come, and thou hast attained the object of thy hopes. As to the sign that she made to thee with the mirror, and her putting it into the bag, it is equivalent to her saying to thee, Wait until the sun shall have set:—and as to her letting fall her hair over her face, it implieth her saying to thee, When night cometh, and letteth fall its black shade over the light of day, come hither:—and the sign that she made to thee with the pot containing the plants meant that she wouldsay to thee, When thou comest, enter the garden that is behind the by-street:—and the sign which she made to thee with the lamp denoted her saying to thee, When thou enterest the garden, to the place where thou findest the lighted lamp do thou repair, and seat thyself beneath it, and there wait for me; for the love of thee destroyeth me.—But when I heard these words of my cousin, I cried out from the excess of my passion, and said, How many times dost thou promise me, and I go to her and attain not my desire, nor find a true meaning to thine interpretation? And upon this, my cousin laughed, and replied, It remaineth for thee to have patience during the rest of this day, until the daylight is gone, and the night cometh with its deep darkness, and then shalt thou enjoy thy union and the accomplishment of thy hopes; and these words are true, without any falsehood. She then drew near to me, and comforted me with soft words, but dared not bring me any food, fearing that I should be angry with her, and hoping that I might incline to her with favour: she only came to me, and took off my outer clothes: after which she said to me, O son of my uncle, sit with me that I may converse with thee to amuse thee until the close of the day, and, if it be the will of God, the night shall not come without thy being in the company of thy beloved. But I took no notice of her, waiting for the night, and saying, O Allah, hasten the coming of the night! And when it arrived, my cousin wept violently, and gave me a grain of pure musk, saying to me, O son of my uncle, put this grain in thy mouth, and when thou hast met thy Beloved, and she hath accepted thy suit, recite to her this verse:—

O ye lovers, by Allah, inform me, how a youth should act when his love is intense.

She then kissed me, and desired me to swear that I would not recite this verse until my departure from the damsel; and I replied, I hear and obey.

The Mak'ad

I went forth at the hour of nightfall, and proceeded until I came to the garden. I found its gate open, and entered, and beheld a light in the distance; so I advanced towards it, and when I arrived at it, I found there a large maḳ'ad,20over which was constructed a dome of ivory and ebony, and the lamp was suspended in the midst of the dome. The maḳ'ad was furnished with silken carpets embroidered with gold and silver; and there was a great lighted candle in a candlestick of gold beneath the lamp: in the midst of the chamber was a fountain ornamented with various designs:21by the side of thisfountain was a table of viands covered with a silk napkin, near which was a large china bottle full of wine, with a cup of crystal adorned with gilding; and by the side of all these things was a great tray of silver, covered over. I uncovered it, and beheld in it a variety of fruits, such as figs and pomegranates and grapes and oranges and citrons of different kinds, together with various flowers, as roses and jasmine and myrtle and eglantine and narcissus, and all kinds of sweet scents. I was astonished at this place, and affected with the utmost delight, and my anxiety and grief were dissipated; but I found not in this abode any being of the creatures of God (whose name be exalted!); not even a male or female slave did I see, nor the person who thus neglected these things. I sat in this chamber, waiting for the coming of the beloved of my heart, until the first hour of the night had passed, and the second hour, and the third; but she came not; and hunger began to torment me violently, for a long time had elapsed without my eating food, through the excess of my passion;but when I beheld this place, and my cousin's correct understanding of the signs made by my beloved became manifest to me, I felt at ease; yet I still experienced the torment of hunger, and the savoury odours of the food upon the table had excited my desire on my arrival there. Feeling secure, therefore, of the attainment of my object, and longing to eat, I approached the table, and took off the cover, and found in the midst of it a dish of china containing four fricandoed fowls seasoned with spices, around which were four saucers; one containing sweetmeats; and another, conserve of pomegranate-grains; and a third, baḳláweh;22and the fourth, ḳaṭáïf:23the contents of these saucers consisting both of sweet and acid. So I ate of the ḳaṭáïf, and a piece of meat, and I put my hand to the baḳláweh and ate of it as much as was agreeable, and then turned to the sweetmeat and ate a spoonful, or two, or three, or four, and I ate a portion of a fowl, and a morsel of another dish: and when I had done this, my stomach was full, and my joints became loose, and I was too lazy to remain awake; so I laid my head upon a cushion, after I had washed my hands, and sleep overcame me, and I knew not what happened to me after this. I awoke not until the sun scorched me (for some days had passed without my having tasted sleep); and when I awoke, I found upon my stomach some salt and charcoal; and I stood up and shook my clothes, and looked to the right and left, but found no one: I discovered that I had been sleeping upon the marble pavement without anything spread beneath me, and I was perplexed in my mind, and mourned greatly; my tears ran down upon my cheeks, and I lamented for myself.

I then returned to the house, and when I arrived there I found my cousin striking her hand upon her bosom, and weeping with tears like raining clouds; but when she beheld me she arose quickly, and wiped away her tears, and, addressing me with her soft speech, said to me, O son of my uncle, God hath been gracious to thee in thy passion, since the person whom thou lovest loveth thee, whileIremain weeping and mourning for the separation of thee who findest fault with me; but may God not chastise thee on my account! She then smiled in my face with the smile of one in anger, and caressed me, and took off my outer clothes, and spread them out, and said, By Allah, these are not the odours of one who hath enjoyed the company of his beloved! Tell me, then, what hath happened to thee, O son of my uncle.—And I told her all that had befallen me; whereupon she smiled a second time with the smile of one in anger,and said, Verily, my heart is full and in pain! But may the person who paineth thy heart cease to exist! This woman maketh herself extravagantly difficult to thee. By Allah, O son of my uncle, I fear what she may do to thee. Know that the meaning of the salt is, Thou art drowned in sleep, and seemest insipid, so that the soul regardeth thee with loathing, and thou requirest to be salted, that the stomach may not eject thee: thou pretendest that thou art of the number of generous lovers; but sleep, unto lovers, is forbidden; and thy pretension to love is false.—Such, however, is her pretension: her love for thee is false, for when she saw thee sleeping she did not rouse thee; and had her love for thee been true she would have roused thee.—And as to the charcoal, the meaning indicated by it is, May God blacken thy face,24since thou hast made false pretensions to love, when thou art only a child, and hast no care but for eating and drinking and sleeping. This is the interpretation of her sign; and may Allah (whose name be exalted!) deliver thee from her.—Now when I heard what she said, I struck my hand upon my breast, and exclaimed, By Allah, this is the truth; for I slept; and lovers sleep not: so I have wronged mine own self. What could have been more injurious to me than eating and sleeping? And what is to be done?—I then wept exceedingly, and said to my cousin, Direct me what to do, and have mercy upon me; so may God have mercy upon thee; otherwise I shall die. My cousin, therefore, having a very great love for me, replied, On my head and my eye! But, O son of my uncle, I have told thee several times, that, if I had the privilege of coming in and going out when I pleased, I would accomplish thy union with her in the shortest time, and cover you both with my skirt; and this I would not do but from the desire of obtaining thine approval. If God permit, I will employ my utmost endeavours to bring you together; but hear my words, and comply with my directions, and go to that same place, and seat thyself there: when the hour of nightfall is come, seat thyself in the place where thou wast, and beware of eating anything; for eating induceth sleep: have a care then that thou sleep not; for she will not come to thee until a quarter of the night hath passed: and may God avert from thee her wickedness!—So, when I heard her words, I rejoiced, and prayed God to hasten the night; and when night came, I desired to depart; and my cousin said to me, When thou hast met her, repeat to her the verse before mentioned, at the time of thy departure. I replied, On the head and the eye.

And when I went forth and repaired to the garden, I found the place prepared, in the same state in which I had seen it before; in it was everything requisite, of food and drink and dried fruits and sweet scents and other things; and I went up into the maḳ'ad, and, smelling the odour of the food, I longed for it. I refrained from it several times; but at length I could not withstand it: so I arose and went to the table, and took off its cover, and found a dish of fowls, around which were four saucers of food of four different kinds; and I ate of each kind a morsel, and as much as was agreeable of the sweetmeat, and a piece of meat, and drank some zardeh,25and, finding it pleasant to me, I drank again of it plentifully by the spoonful until I was satiated and my stomach was full. And after this, my eyelids closed; so I took a pillow and put it beneath my head, saying, Perhaps I may recline upon it without sleeping. But I closed my eyes and slept, and awoke not until the sun had risen, when I found upon my stomach a play-bone and a ṭáb-stick26and a date-stone and a locust-seed; and there was no furniture nor anything else in the place and it seemed as if nothing had been there on the preceding night.

I rose, and shook off all these things from me, and went forth enraged, and, arriving at the house, I found my cousin groaning; and I chid her and abused her; whereupon she wept, and, having wiped away her tears, approached and kissed me, and pressed me to her bosom; but I drew back from her, blaming myself. She then said to me, O son of my uncle, it seemeth that thou hast slept again this last night. I replied, Yes; and when I awoke I found a play-bone laid upon my stomach, and a ṭáb-stick and a date-stone and a locust-seed; and I know not wherefore she did this. Then I wept, and approached her, and said to her, Explain to me the meaning of her doing this, and tell me how I shall act, and assist me in my trouble. She replied, On the head and the eye. As to the ṭáb-stick [and the play-bone], which she placed upon thy stomach, she meaneth thereby, that thou camest there and thy heart was absent; as though she would say to thee, Love is not thus; therefore reckon not thyself among lovers.27And as to the date-stone, she indicated by it, that, if thou wert a lover, thy heart had been burning with passion, and thou wouldst not taste the delight of sleep; for the sweetness of love is like a date, which kindleth a fire in the heart.28And as to the locust-seed, she intimated to thee by it, that the heart of the lover is fatigued; and she would say to thee thereby, Endureour separation with the patience of Job.29—When I heard this interpretation, fire darted into my heart, and my grief increased, and I cried out and exclaimed, God had decreed that I should sleep, on account of my little fortune! I then said to her, O daughter of my uncle, by my life I conjure thee to contrive for me some stratagem by means of which I may obtain an interview with her. And I wept.—O 'Azeez, O son of my uncle, she replied, verily my heart is full of thoughts, and I cannot talk; but go thou to-night to that place, and beware of sleeping, and so shalt thou attain thy desire. This is my counsel, and peace be on thee.—I said, If it please God, I will not sleep; but I will do as thou chargest me. And my cousin arose, and brought me food, saying to me, Eat now what will satisfy thee, that thou mayest have no desire remaining. So I ate what satisfied me: and when night came, my cousin arose, and brought me a superb suit of clothing, and clad me with it, and conjured me to repeat to the damsel the verse before mentioned, and cautioned me against sleeping.

I then departed from her, and, having repaired to the garden, went up into the maḳ'ad; and I gazed at the garden, and kept opening my eyes with my fingers, and shaking my head, as the night grew dark. But I became hungry from watching, and the odours of the food were wafted towards me, and my hunger in consequence increased: so I went to the table, and removed its cover, and ate a morsel of every dish, and a piece of meat, and I went to the bottle of wine, saying within myself, I will drink a cup:—and I drank it, and then drank the second, and the third, and so on to the number of ten; and being already stricken by love, I fell upon the floor as one slain. Thus I remained until day came, and I awoke, and found myself outside the garden, with a large sharp knife upon my stomach, and an iron dirhem;30and I trembled with fear, and took them with me and returned to the house.

'Azeez returned with the Knife and Dirhem

I found my cousin saying, I am in this house wretched and sorrowful, with no relief but weeping. And as I entered, I fell down prostrate, throwing the knife and dirhem from my hand, and fainted; and when I recovered, I acquainted her with that which had befallen me, and said to her, I shall not attain my desire. Her grief increased at witnessing my weeping and my excessive passion, and she said to me, I have failed of success in cautioning thee against sleeping; for thou wouldst not attend to my advice: my words profit thee nothing. But I replied, I conjure thee by Allah that thouexplain to me the meaning of the knife and the iron dirhem. So she said, As to the dirhem, she alluded by it to her right eye,31and intimated that she swore by it, and said, By the Lord of all creatures, and by my right eye,32if thou come again and sleep I will assuredly slaughter thee with this knife!—I fear for thee, therefore, O son of my uncle, from her malice; and my heart is full of grief on thine account, and I cannot talk. If, then, thou art confident in thyself that, if thou return to her, thou wilt not sleep, return to her, and beware of sleeping, and so shalt thou attain thy desire; but if thou know that, shouldst thou go to her again, thou wilt sleep as usual, and so go to her and sleep, she will slaughter thee.—What then, said I, is to be done, O daughter of my uncle? I conjure thee by Allah to help me in this affliction.—She replied, On my head and my eye: and if thou attend to my words and comply with my directions thou wilt accomplish thy desire. I said, I will do so. And she rejoined, When the time of departure cometh I will tell thee. She then pressed me to her bosom, and laid me on the bed, and continued gently kneading my limbs until slumber overcame me, and I sank into sleep;33and she took a fan, and, seating herself at my head, fanned my face until the close of day, when she roused me; and on my awaking, I found her at my head with the fan in her hand, and weeping so that her tears had wetted her clothes. Butwhen she saw me that I had awoke, she wiped away her tears, and brought me some food. I refrained from it; but she said to me, Did I not tell thee that thou must attend to my directions? Eat, therefore.—So I ate, and would not oppose her; and she proceeded to put the food into my mouth, while I chewed it, until my stomach was full. She then gave me to drink some infusion of jujubes34with sugar, and washed my hands, and dried them with a handkerchief, and sprinkled some rose-water upon me; after which I sat with her, in healthy frame; and when the night became dark, she put on me my clothes, and said, O son of my uncle, watch all night, and sleep not; for she will not come to thee this night until near its close; and, if it be the will of God, thou shalt meet her this night; but forget not my charge. Then she wept, and my heart was pained for her, on account of her excessive weeping; and I said to her, What is the charge which thou gavest me? She answered, When thou departest from her, repeat to her the verse before mentioned.

I then went forth from her full of joy, and proceeded to the garden, and went up to the maḳ'ad, satiated with food. I remained sleepless a quarter of the night, and the night seemed as long to me as though it were a year; and I continued watching until two thirds of it had passed, and the cocks crew, and I became violently hungry from watching: so I went up to the table, and ate until I was satisfied; and my head became heavy, and I desired to sleep; but suddenly I heard a noise in the distance; whereupon I arose, and washed my hands and mouth, and roused myself; and soon after, she came. She was accompanied by ten female slaves, and she appeared among them like the full moon among the planets: she was attired in a garment of green satin embroidered with red gold; and when she saw me, she laughed, and said, How is it that thou hast remained awake, and that sleep hath not overcome thee? Now that thou hast passed the night sleepless I am convinced that thou art a lover; for among the characteristics of lovers is the watching by night in the resolute endurance of desire.—She then turned towards her female slaves, and made a sign to them; whereupon they departed from her; and she approached me, and pressed me to her bosom, and kissed me, and we conversed together until the morning, when I desired to depart; but she held me, and said to me, Stop, that I may acquaint thee with something, and give thee a charge.—So I stopped; and she unfolded a handkerchief, and, taking forth from it this piece of linen, spread it open beforeme; and I found in it the design of the gazelles, as thou seest, and I admired it exceedingly, and took it; after which I made a promise to her that I would pay her a visit every night in that garden, and departed from her, full of joy; but in my joy I forgot the verse which my cousin had charged me to repeat. And when she gave me the piece of linen containing the design of the gazelles, she said to me, This is the work of my sister.—And what, said I, is the name of thy sister? She answered, Her name is Noor-el-Hudà:35and do thou take care of this piece of linen.

'Azeezeh weeping over the Design of the Gazelles

After this, when I had taken leave of her and departed, full of joy, I returned and went in to my cousin, and found her lying down, and when she saw me she rose, her tears dropping, and approached me, and, kissing my bosom, said, Hast thou recited the verse as I charged thee? I answered, I forgot it; and nothing drove it from my mind but the design of these gazelles. And I threw down the piece of linen before her. She arose, and then seated herself again, and, in her impatience, shed tears, and said, O son of my uncle, make a present to me of this piece of linen. So I gave it her, and she took it and spread it open, and saw what was in it. And when the time of my departure came, she said, Go, and may safety attend thee; but when thou retirest from her, recite to her the verse that I taught thee before, and which thou didst forget.—Repeat it to me, said I. And she did so.

I then repaired to the garden, and entered the maḳ'ad. I found the damsel waiting for me, and when she beheld me she arose and kissed me and seated me, and we ate and drank, and in the morning I repeated to her the verse, which was this:—

O ye lovers, by Allah, inform me, how a youth should act when his love is intense.

And when she heard it, her eyes filled with tears, and thus she replied:—

He should hide his love, and conceal his secret, and be patient under every event, and submissive.

I committed this to memory, and, glad at having done what my cousin desired, went forth and returned to her. I found her lying down, with my mother, at her head, weeping for her unhappy state; and when I went in to her, my mother said to me, Perdition to such a cousin as thou! How canst thou leave the daughter of thine uncle indisposed and not inquire respecting her disease?—But my cousin, on beholding me, raised her head, and sat up, and said to me, O 'Azeez, hast thou repeated to her the verse that I taught thee? I answered, Yes: and when she heard it, she wept, and recited to me another verse, which I retain in my memory.—Let me hear it, said my cousin. And when I had repeated it to her she wept violently, and recited this other verse:—

He hath sought to attain a becoming patience; but found nought save a heart pining with desire.

She then said to me, When thou goest to her as usual, repeat to her this verse which thou hast heard. I replied, I hear and obey.

So I went to the garden according to my custom, and when I was about to return, I recited to the damsel that verse; and when she heard it, tears poured from her eyes, and she replied,—

Then, if he have not patience to conceal his secret, I know nothing better for him than death.

Retaining this in my memory, I returned to the house; and when I went in to my cousin, I found her fallen down in a fit, and my mother sitting at her head; and when my cousin heard my voice, she opened her eyes, and said, O 'Azeez, hast thou repeated to her the verse? I answered, Yes: and when she heard it, she wept, and recited to me this other verse. And I repeated it to her; and as soon as she heard it she fainted again, and, on her recovering, recited another verse, which was this:—

We hear and obey, and we die; then convey my salutation to the person who hath prevented our union.36

At the approach of the following night I went again to the garden as usual, and found the damsel expecting me; and we ate and drank; and in the morning, when I was about to depart, I repeatedto her what my cousin had said; whereupon she uttered a loud cry, and was agitated, and exclaimed, By Allah, she who uttered this verse hath died! She then wept, and said to me, Wo to thee! Is not she who uttered this verse related to thee?—I answered, She is the daughter of my paternal uncle.—Thou liest, replied she: by Allah, if she were the daughter of thy uncle thou hadst borne her the same love that she bore thee. Thou art he who hath destroyed her, and may God destroy thee in like manner! By Allah, if thou hadst told me of thy having a cousin, I had not admitted thee into my favour.—Verily, said I, she is my cousin, and she explained to me the signs that thou madest me, and it was she who taught me how to proceed with thee: I had not obtained access to thee but through her good management.—And did she know of our affair? said she. I answered, Yes.—May Allah, she exclaimed, cause thee to bewail thy youth, as thou hast caused her to bewail hers! She then said to me, Go and see her.

'Azeezeh dead

I departed, therefore, troubled in mind, and proceeded until I came to our street, when I heard a wailing, and, asking respecting it, was answered, We found 'Azeezeh lying behind the door, dead. I entered the house, and when my mother beheld me, she exclaimed, The crime of destroying her is on thy neck, and may God not pardon thee her blood! Perdition to such a cousin as thou!—My father then came, and we prepared her body for interment, and performed the funeral-ceremonies, and buried her; and we caused recitations of the whole of the Ḳur-án to be performed at her tomb, and remained there three days, after which I returned to the house, sorrowing for her. And my mother addressed me, and said, I desire to know what thou didst to her, so that thou brokest her heart. I asked her continually, O my son, respecting the cause of her disorder; but she would not acquaint me with it. I conjure thee, therefore, by Allah, that thou inform me what thou didst unto her,to cause her death.—I replied, I did nothing. But she said, May God avenge her upon thee! for she mentioned to me nothing, but concealed the truth of her case until she died, still preserving her affection for thee; and when she died I was with her, and she opened her eyes, and said to me, O wife of my uncle, may God hold thy son guiltless of my blood, and not punish him for that which he hath done unto me; and now God transporteth me from the perishable world to the world of eternity. And I replied, O my daughter, may God preserve thee, and preserve thy youth! And I asked her respecting the cause of her disorder: but she answered not. Then she smiled, and said, O wife of my uncle, if thy son desire to go to the place which he is accustomed to frequent, tell him to repeat these two phrases on departing from it:—Fidelity is good, and treachery is base:—and this I desire in my compassion for him, that I may shew him compassion in my life and after my death. She then gave me something for thee, and took an oath of me that I would not give it to thee until I should see thee weeping for her and lamenting: this thing I have, and when I see thee in the state that she hath described I will give it to thee.—I said to her, Shew it me. But she would not.

I then gave myself up to my pleasures, and thought not of the death of my cousin; for I was unsettled in mind, and wished that I were passing the whole of every night and day with my beloved; and scarcely had the next night approached when I repaired again to the garden. I found the damsel sitting there, burning with impatience to see me; and as soon as she beheld me, she hastened to me and clung to my neck, and asked me respecting my cousin. I answered her, She is dead, and we have performed zikrs37and recitations of the Ḳur-án for her, and four nights have passed since her death, and this is the fifth. When she heard this, she cried out and wept, and said, Did I not tell thee that thou hadst killed her? Hadst thou informed me of her, before her death, I had requited her for the kindness that she hath shewn me; for she hath been of service to me in giving thee access to me: had it not been for her, I should not have had an interview with thee, and I fear thou wilt fall into a calamity on account of her disaster.—I replied, She acquitted me before her death. And I related to her what my mother had told me; upon which she exclaimed, By Allah, I conjure thee, when thou goest to thy mother, learn what it is that she hath.—My mother, said I, told me, Thy cousin, before she died, chargedme saying, If thy son desire to go to the place which he is accustomed to frequent, tell him to repeat these two phrases:—Fidelity is good, and treachery is base.—And when the damsel heard this, she exclaimed, The mercy of God (whose name be exalted!) be upon her, for she hath saved thee from me: I was meditating an injury to thee; but now I will not hurt thee nor trouble thee. And I wondered at this, and said to her, What didst thou purpose before this to do to me, after mutual love had taken place between us? She answered, Thou art devoted to me; but thou art young, and thy mind is free from deceit, and thou knowest not our malice nor our deceit: were she still in the bonds of life, she would assist thee; for she is the cause of thy safety, and hath delivered thee from destruction: and now I charge thee that thou speak not with any female, nor answer any of our sex, young or old. Beware, beware; for thou art ignorant of the deceit of women, and their malice: she who used to interpret the signs to thee is dead; and I fear for thee lest thou fall into a calamity and find none to deliver thee from it after the death of thy cousin. O my sorrow for the daughter of thy uncle! Would that I had known her before her death, that I might have requited her for the kindness that she hath done me! The mercy of God (whose name be exalted!) be upon her, for she concealed her secret, and revealed not what she felt; and but for her, thou wouldst never have had access to me. And now I have a service to demand of thee.—What is it? said I. She answered, That thou conduct me to her tomb, that I may visit her at her grave, and inscribe some verses upon it. I replied, To-morrow, if it be the will of God, whose name be exalted!—So I remained with her that night, and frequently she said to me, Would that thou hadst told me of thy cousin before her death! And I asked her, What is the meaning of these words which she said—Fidelity is good, and treachery is base? But she answered me not.

'Azeez and his Mistress at the Grave of 'Azeezeh

In the morning, therefore, she arose, and, taking a purse containing some pieces of gold, said to me, Arise, and shew me the tomb, that I may visit it, and write upon it some verses, and build over it a cupola, and pray for mercy upon her, and bestow these pieces of gold in alms for her soul. I replied, I hear and obey. And I walked before her, and she followed me, and employed herself in giving alms on the way as she went, and every time that she did so she said, This is an alms for the soul of 'Azeezeh, who concealed her secret until she drank the cup of death, and revealednot her love. Thus she continued to give of the contents of the purse, and to say, For the soul of 'Azeezeh,—until we arrived at the tomb, and the contents of the purse were exhausted; and when she beheld the tomb, she threw herself upon it, and wept violently. She then took forth a pointed instrument of steel, and a small mallet, and engraved upon the stone at the head of the tomb, in small characters, these verses:—

I passed by an undistinguished tomb in the midst of a garden, with seven anemones upon it;38And I said, Whose tomb is this? The soil answered, Be respectful, for this is the resting-place of a lover.So I said, God keep thee, O victim of love, and lodge thee in the highest stage of Paradise!How miserable are lovers among the creation, when even their tombs are covered with vile dust!Were I able [O tomb], I would make of thee a garden, and water it with my streaming tears!

She then again wept violently, and arose, and I arose with her; and after we had returned to the garden, she said to me, I conjure thee by Allah that thou never forsake me. And I replied, I hear and obey. So I resumed my visits to her as before, and she treated me with kindness and honour, and used to ask me respecting the two phrases which my cousin 'Azeezeh had mentioned to my mother, and I repeated them to her. Thus I remained, eating and drinking, and enjoying her conversation, and attiring myself in changes of delicate clothing, until I became stout and fat, and I experienced neither anxiety nor grief nor sorrow, and forgot my cousin.

I continued drowned in these pleasures for a whole year; and at the commencement of the new year, I entered the bath, and refreshed myself, and put on a handsome suit; and after I had gone forth from the bath, I drank a cup of wine, and smelt the odours of my clothes, which were richly perfumed with various scents. My heart was unoppressed by calamities or misfortunes; and when the hour of nightfall came, I desired to repair to the damsel; but I was intoxicated, and knew not my way; and, in going to her, intoxication led me aside into a by-street called the street of the Naḳeeb:39and as I was proceeding along it, lo, an old woman came, with a lighted candle in one of her hands, and in her other hand a folded letter. I advanced towards her, and she, with weeping eye, said to me, O my son, art thou able to read? I answered her, Yes, my old aunt. And she said, Take this letter, and read it to me. And she handed me the letter; so I took it from her and opened it, and read to her its contents, informing her that it was a letter from the absent, with salutations to the beloved. And when she heard this, she rejoiced at the good news, and ejaculated a prayer for me, saying, May God dispel thine anxiety as thou hast dispelled mine! She then took the letter, and proceeded a few steps; but presently she returned to me, and, kissing my hand, said, O my lord, may God (whose name be exalted!) give thee enjoyment of thy youth, and not disgrace thee. I beg that thou wilt walk with me a few paces, to that door; for I have told them what thou hast read to me of the letter, and they do not believe me: come with me, therefore, two steps, and read to them the letter outside the door, and accept my prayer for thee.—And what, said I, is the history of this letter? She answered, O my son, this letter hath come from my son, who hath been absent from us for the space of ten years; for he journeyed with merchandise, and hath remainedabroad during that period, and we relinquished all hope of his return, thinking that he was dead: then came to us this letter from him; and he hath a sister who hath wept for him during his absence night and day; and I told her that he was in health and prosperity; but she believed me not, and said to me, Thou must bring me a person to read this letter and to acquaint me with its contents, that my heart may be set at ease and my mind comforted.—Thou knowest, O my son, that the loving is prepossessed with evil anticipations: favour me, therefore, by reading this letter while thou shalt stand outside the curtain, and his sister shall hear it within the door, that the recompense of him who accomplisheth a want for a Muslim, and dispelleth from his mind a trouble, may be thine: for the Apostle of God (may God bless and save him!) hath said, Whoso dispelleth from the mind of a sorrowful person one of the troubles of this world, God will dispel from his mind one of the troubles of the world to come:—and in another tradition, Whoso dispelleth from the mind of his brother one of the troubles of this world, God will dispel from his mind seventy-two of the troubles of the day of resurrection:—and now I have desired thee, do not disappoint me.—So I replied, I hear and obey: proceed before me.

She therefore walked before me, and I followed her a little way, until she arrived at a great door overlaid with copper; and she stopped at this door, and called out in Persian, and immediately a damsel approached, with light and nimble step. Her trousers were tucked up to her knees, and I beheld a pair of legs that confounded the mind and the eye by their beauty: they were like two columns of alabaster, and ornamented with anklets of gold set with jewels. The skirts of her outer clothes were tucked up under her arms, and her sleeves were turned up from her arms, and I looked at her white wrists, and upon them were two pairs of bracelets: in her ears were two ear-rings of pearls; and upon her neck was a necklace of costly jewels; and on her head, a koofeeyeh,40quite new, adorned with precious gems. She had tucked the skirt of her inner tunic within the band of her trousers, and appeared as though she had been employed in some active work. And when she beheld me, she said, with an eloquent and sweet tongue that I had never heard surpassed in sweetness, O my mother, is this he who hath come to read the letter? She answered, Yes. And the damsel stretched forth her hand to me with the letter. There was, between her and the door, a distance of about half a rod;41and Iextended my hand to take the letter from her, and put my head and shoulders within the door to draw near to her; but before I knew what she was about to do, the old woman placed her head against my back, and pushed me forward, while my hand was holding the letter, and I looked around, and found myself in the midst of the house; that is, within the vestibule. The old woman entered more quickly than the blinding lightning, and had nothing to do but to shut the door: and when the damsel beheld me within the vestibule, she approached me, and pressed me to her bosom, and, taking me by the hand, unable to extricate myself from her grasp, led me, preceded by the old woman with the lighted candle, until she had passed through seven vestibules; after which she conducted me into a large saloon, with four leewáns,42in which a horseman might play at goff.43She then seated me, and said to me, Open thine eye. And I did so, giddy from the violence that I had experienced, and saw that the whole construction of the saloon was of the most beautiful alabaster, and all its furniture, including the cushions and mattresses, of brocade. In it were also two benches of brass, and a couch of red gold set with pearls and jewels, not suitable to any but a King like thee.

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