Upon the parting day our loves from us did fare And left us to
     endure estrangement and despair. 
Whenas the burdens all were bounden on and shrill The
     camel-leader’s call rang out across the air,
Fast flowed my tears; despair gat hold upon my soul And needs
     mine eyelids must the sweet of sleep forbear. 
I wept, but those who spied to part us had no ruth On me nor on
     the fires that in my vitals flare. 
Woe’s me for one who burns for love and longing pain!  Alas for
     the regrets my heart that rend and tear! 
To whom shall I complain of what is in my soul, Now thou art gone
     and I my pillow must forswear? 
The flames of long desire wax on me day by day And far away are
     pitched the tent-poles of my fair. 
O breeze of heaven, from me a charge I prithee take And do not
     thou betray the troth of my despair;
Whenas thou passest by the dwellings of my love, Greet him for me
     with peace, a greeting debonair,
And scatter musk on him and ambergris, so long As time endures;
     for this is all my wish and care.

When the damsel had made an end of her song, El Abbas swooned away and they sprinkled on him rose-water, mingled with musk, till he came to himself, when he called another damsel (now there was on her of linen and clothes and ornaments that which beggareth description, and she was endowed with brightness and loveliness and symmetry and perfection, such as shamed the crescent moon, and she was a Turkish girl from the land of the Greeks and her name was Hafizeh) and said to her, “O Hafizeh, close thine eyes and tune thy lute and sing to us upon the days of separation.”  She answered him with “Hearkening and obedience” and taking the lute, tuned its strings and cried out from her head,[FN#107] in a plaintive voice, and sang the following verses: 

O friends, the tears flow ever, in mockery of my pain; My heart
     is sick for sev’rance and love-longing in vain. 
All wasted is my body and bowels tortured sore; Love’s fire on me
     still waxeth, mine eyes with tears still rain. 
Whenas the fire of passion flamed in my breast, with tears, Upon
     the day of wailing, to quench it I was fain. 
Desire hath left me wasted, afflicted, sore afraid, For the spy
     knows the secret whereof I do complain. 
When I recall the season of love-delight with them, The sweet of
     sleep forsakes me, my body wastes amain. 
Those who our parting plotted our sev’rance still delights; The
     spies, for fearful prudence, their wish of us attain. 
I fear me for my body from sickness and unrest, Lest of the fear
     of sev’rance it be betrayed and slain.

When Hafizeh had made an end of her song, El Abbas said to her, “Well done!  Indeed, thou quickenest hearts from sorrows.”  Then he called another damsel of the daughters of the Medes, by name Merjaneh, and said to her, “O Merjaneh, sing to me upon the days of separation.”  “Hearkening and obedience,” answered she and improvising, sang the following verses: