If I must die, then welcome death to heal My woes; ’twere lighter
     than the pangs I feel. 
What if the sabre cut me limb from limb!  No torment ’twere for
     lovers true and leal.

Then the Khalif went in to the Lady Zubeideh, pale with anger, and she noted this in him and said to him, “How cometh it that I see the Commander of the Faithful changed of colour?” “O daughter of my uncle,” answered he, “I have a beautiful slave-girl, who reciteth verses and telleth stories, and she hath taken my whole heart; but she loveth other than I and avoucheth that she loveth her [former] master; wherefore I have sworn a great oath that, if she come again to my sitting-chamber and sing for other than I, I will assuredly take a span from her highest part."[FN#21]Quoth Zubeideh, “Let the Commander of the Faithful favour me with her presence, so I may look on her and hear her singing.”  So he bade fetch her and she came, whereupon the Lady Zubeideh withdrew behind the curtain, whereas she saw her not, and Er Reshid said to her, “Sing to us.”  So she took the lute and tuning it, sang the following verses: 

Lo, since the day I left you, O my masters, Life is not sweet, no
     aye my heart is light. 
Yea, in the night the thought of you still slays me; Hidden are
     my traces from the wise men’s sight,
All for a wild deer’s love, whose looks have snared me And on
     whose brows the morning glitters bright
I am become, for severance from my loved one, Like a left hand,
     forsaken of the right. 
Beauty on his cheek hath written, “Blest be Allah, He who created
     this enchanting wight!”
Him I beseech our loves who hath dissevered, Us of his grace once
     more to reunite.

When Er Reshid heard this, he waxed exceeding wroth and said, “May God not reunite you twain in gladness!” Then he summoned the headsman, and when he presented himself, he said to him, “Strike off the head of this accursed slave-girl.”  So Mesrour took her by the hand and [led her away; but], when she came to the door, she turned and said to the Khalif, “O Commander of the Faithful, I conjure thee, by thy fathers and forefathers, give ear unto that I shall say!” Then she improvised and recited the following verses: 

O Amir of justice, be kind to thy subjects; For justice, indeed,
     of thy nature’s a trait. 
O thou my inclining to love him that blamest, Shall lovers be
     blamed for the errors of Fate? 
Then spare me, by Him who vouchsafed thee the kingship; For a
     gift in this world is the regal estate.

Then Mesrour carried her to the other end of the sitting-chamber and bound her eyes and making her sit, stood awaiting a second commandment; whereupon quoth the Lady Zubeideh, “O Commander of the Faithful, with thy permission, wilt thou not vouchsafe this damsel a share of thy clemency?  Indeed, if thou slay her, it were injustice.”  Quoth he, “What is to be done with her?” And she said, “Forbear to slay her and send for her lord.  If he be as she describeth him in grace and goodliness, she is excused, and if he be not on this wise, then slay her, and this shall be thy justification against her."[FN#22]