of the face moon bright * and the brow flower-white * and dazzling splendid light * This is my letter to him whose love melteth my body * and rendeth my skin and bones! * Know that my patience faileth me quite * and I am perplexed in my plight * longing and restlessness weary me * and sleep and patience deny themselves to me * but mourning and watching stick fast to me * and desire and passion torment me * and the extremes of languor and sickness have sheet me * Yet may my life be a ransom for thee * albeit thy pleasure be to slay her who loveth thee * and Allah prolong the life of thee * and preserve thee from all infirmity!” And after these cadences she wrote these couplets,

“Fate hath commanded I become thy fere, *
     O shining like full moon when clearest clear! 
All beauty dost embrace, all eloquence; *
     Brighter than aught within our worldly sphere: 
Content am I my torturer thou be:  *
     Haply shalt alms me with one lovely leer! 
Happy her death who dieth for thy love! *
     No good in her who holdeth thee unclear!”

And also the following couplets,

“Unto thee, As’ad!  I of passion-pangs complain; *
     Have ruth on slave of love so burnt with flaming pain: 
How long, I ask, shall hands of Love disport with me, *
     With longings, dolour, sleepliness and bale and bane? 
Anon I ’plain of sea in heart, anon of fire *
     In vitals, O strange case, dear wish, my fairest fain! 
O blamer, cease thy blame, and seek thyself to fly *
     From love, which makes these eyne a rill of tears to rain. 
How oft I cry for absence and desire, Ah grief! *
     But all my crying naught of gain for me shall gain: 
Thy rigours dealt me sickness passing power to bear, *
     Thou art my only leach, assain me an thou deign! 
O chider, chide me not in caution, for I doubt *
     That plaguey Love to thee shall also deal a bout.”

Then Queen Budur perfumed the letter-paper with a profusion of odoriferous musk and, winding it in her hairstrings which were of Iraki silk, with pendants of oblong emeralds, set with pearls and stones of price, delivered it to the old woman, bidding her carry it to Prince As’ad.[FN#361] She did so in order to pleasure her, and going in to the Prince, straightway and without stay, found him in his own rooms and delivered to him the letter in privacy; after which she stood waiting an hour or so for the answer.  When As’ad had read the paper and knew its purport, he wrapped it up again in the ribbons and put it in his bosom-pocket:  then (for he was wrath beyond all measure of wrath) he cursed false women and sprang up and drawing his sword, smote the old trot on the neck and cut off her pate.  Thereupon he went in to his mother, Queen Hayat al-Nufus, whom he found lying on her bed in feeble case, for that which had betided her with Prince Amjad, and railed at her and cursed her; after which he left her and fore-gathered with his brother,