And if thou bid me be consoled for thee， "By God，" I say， "I"ll ne"er forget thee till the Day that calls up small and great！"
"Leave this weeping and lamenting，" said the stoker， "for we are near the Chamberlain"s tent." Quoth Zoulmekan， "Needs must I recite somewhat of verse， so haply it may allay the fire of my heart." "God on thee，" cried the stoker， "leave this lamentation，till thou come to thine own country； then do what thou wilt， and I will be with thee， wherever thou art." "By Allah，" replied Zoulmekan， "I cannot forbear from this！" Then he set his face towards Baghdad and began to repeat verses. Now the moon was shining brightly and shedding her light on the place， and Nuzhet ez Zeman could not sleep that night， but was wakeful and called to mind her brother and wept. Presently， she heard Zoulmekan weeping and repeating the following verses：
The southern lightning gleams in the air And rouses in me the old despair，The grief for a dear one， loved and lost， Who filled me the cup of joy whilere.
It minds me of her who fled away And left me friendless and sick and bare.
O soft-shining lightnings， tell me true， Are the days of happiness past fore"er？
Chide not， O blamer of me， for God Hath cursed me with two things hard to bear，A friend who left me to pine alone， And a fortune whose smile was but a snare.
The sweet of my life was gone for aye， When fortune against me did declare；
She brimmed me a cup of grief unmixed， And I must drink it and never spare.
Or ever our meeting "tide， sweetheart， Methinks I shall die of sheer despair，I prithee， fortune， bring back the days When we were a happy childish pair；
The days， when we from the shafts of fate， That since have pierced us， in safety were！
Ah， who shall succour the exiled wretch， Who passes the night in dread and care，And the day in mourning for her whose name， Delight of the Age[FN#62]， bespoke her fair？
The hands of the baseborn sons of shame Have doomed us the wede of woe to wear.
Then he cried out and fell down in a swoon， and when Nuzhet ez Zeman heard his voice in the night， her heart was solaced and she rose and called the chief eunuch， who said to her， "What is thy will？" Quoth she， "Go and fetch me him who recited verses but now." "I did not hear him，" replied he； "the people are all asleep." And she said， "Whomsoever thou findest awake， he is the man." So he went out and sought， but found none awake but the stoker； for Zoulmekan was still insensible， and， Nuzhet ez Zeman，going up to the former， said to him， "Art thou he who recited verses but now， and my lady heard him？" The stoker concluded that the lady was wroth and was afraid and replied， "By Allah， "twas not I！" "Who then was it？" rejoined the eunuch. "Point him out to me. Thou must know who it was， seeing that thou art awake." The stoker feared for Zoulmekan and said in himself， "Maybe the eunuch will do him some hurt." So he answered， "I know not who it was." "By Allah，" said the eunuch， "thou liest， for there is none awake here but thou！ So needs must thou know him." "By Allah，"
replied the stoker， "I tell thee the truth！ It must have been some passer-by who recited the verses and disturbed me and aroused me， may God requite him！" Quoth the eunuch， "If thou happen upon him， point him out to me and I will lay hands on him and bring him to the door of my lady"s litter； or do thou take him with thine own hand." "Go back，" said the stoker， "and I will bring him to thee." So the eunuch went back to his mistress and said to her， "None knows who it was； it must have been some passer-by." And she was silent. Meanwhile， Zoulmekan came to himself and saw that the moon had reached the zenith and felt the breath of the breeze that goes before the dawn； whereupon his heart was moved to longing and sadness， and he cleared his throat and was about to recite verses， when the stoker said to him，"What wilt thou do？" "I have a mind to repeat somewhat of verse，"
answered Zoulmekan， "that I may allay therewith the fire of my heart." Quoth the other， "Thou knowest not what befell me， whilst thou wert aswoon， and how I only escaped death by beguiling the eunuch." "Tell me what happened，" said Zoulrnekan. "Whilst thou wert aswoon，" replied the stoker， "there came up to me but now an eunuch， with a long staff of almond-tree wood in his hand， who looked in all the people"s faces， as they lay asleep， and finding none awake but myself， asked me who it was recited the verses. I told him it was some passer-by； so he went away and God delivered me from him； else had he killed me. But first he said to me， "If thou hear him again， bring him to us."" When Zoulmekan heard this， he wept and said， "Who is it would forbid me to recite？ I will surely do so， come what may； for I am near my own country and care for no one." "Dost thou wish to destroy thyself？" asked the stoker； and Zoulmekan answered， "I cannot help reciting verses." "Verily，" said the stoker， "I see this will bring about a parting between us here though I had promised myself not to leave thee， till I had brought thee to thy native city and re-united thee with thy mother and father. Thou hast now been with me a year and a half， and I have never baulked thee or harmed thee in aught. What ails thee then， that thou must needs recite， seeing that we are exceeding weary with travel and watching and all the folk are asleep， for they need sleep to rest them of their fatigue." But Zoulmekan answered， "I will not be turned from my purpose." Then grief moved him and he threw off disguise and began to repeat the following verses：
Halt by the camp and hail the ruined steads by the brake， And call on her name aloud； mayhap she will answer make.
And if for her absence the night of sadness darken on thee， Light in its gloom a fire with longings for her sake.
Though the snake of the sand-hills hiss， small matter is it to me If it sting me， so I the fair with the lips of crimson take.
O Paradise， left perforce of the spirit， but that I hope For ease in the mansions of bliss， my heart would surely break！
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