Lo! the Compassionate hath made no fairer thing to see Than when
one couch in its embrace enfoldeth lovers twain,
Each to the other's bosom clasped, clad in their own delight,
Whilst hand with hand and arm with arm about their necks
enchain.
Lo! when two hearts are straitly knit in passion and desire, But
on cold iron smite the folk that chide at them in vain.
If in thy time thou find but one to love thee and be true, I rede
thee cast the world away and with that one remain.
As soon as Bedreddin was asleep, the Afrit said to the Afriteh,
"Come, let us take up the young man and carry him back to his
place, ere the dawn overtake us, for the day is near." So she
took up Bedreddin, as he lay asleep, clad only in his shirt and
skull-cap, and flew away with him, accompanied by the Afrit. But
the dawn overtook them midway and the muezzins began to chant the
call to morning-prayer. Then God let His angels cast at the Afrit
with shooting-stars, and he was consumed; but the Afriteh escaped
and lighted down with Bedreddin, fearing to carry him further,
lest he should come to harm. Now as fate would have it, she had
reached the city of Damascus, so she laid Bedreddin down before
one of its gates and flew away. As soon as it was day, the gate
was thrown open and the folk came out, and seeing a handsome
young man, clad in nothing but a shirt and skull-cap, lying on
the ground, drowned in sleep by reason of his much swink of the
night before, said, "Happy she with whom this youth lay the
night! Would he had waited to put on his clothes!" Quoth another,
"A sorry race are young men of family! Belike, this fellow but
now came forth of the tavern on some occasion or other, but being
overcome with drunkenness, missed the place he was making for and
strayed till he came to the city gate, and finding it shut, lay
down and fell asleep.
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