and now I have spent nigh a year and a half in seeking thee.'And he fell to kissing her hands and feet and humbling himself to her；but the more he kissed and grovelled she only redoubled in wrath against him，and said to him，'O accursed，may Almighty Allah not vouchsafe thee to win thy wish！'Presently his pages brought her a shemule with gold-embroidered housings and mounting her thereon，raised over her head a silken canopy，with staves of gold and silver，and the Franks walked round about her，till they brought her forth the city by the sea-gate，[504] where they took boat with her and rowing out to a great ship in harbor embarked therein.Then the monocular Wazir cried out to the sailors，saying，'Up with the mast！'So they set it up forthright and spreading the newly bent sails and the colours manned the sweeps and put out to sea.Meanwhile Miriam continued to gaze upon Alexandria，till it disappeared from her eyes，when she fell a-weeping in her privacy with sore weeping.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Eightieth Night； She continued，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when the Wazir of the Frankish King put out to sea in the ship bearing Miriam the Girdle-girl，she gazed Alexandria-wards till the city was hidden from her sight when she wailed and wept copious tears and recited these couplets；'O dwelling of my friends say is there no return * Uswards？ But what ken I of matters Allah made？
Still fare the ships of Severance，sailing hastily * And in my wounded eyelids tear have ta'en their stead；For parting from a friend who was my wish and will * Healed every ill and every pain and pang allay'd.
Be thou，O Allah，substitute of me for him * Such charge some day the care of Thee shall not evade.'
Then she could not refrain from weeping and wailing.So the patrician[505] knights came up to her and would have comforted her，but she heeded not their consoling words，being distracted by the claims of passion and love-longing.And she shed tears and moaned and complained and recited these couplets；'The tongue of Love within my vitals speaketh * Saying，'This lover boon of Love aye seeketh！'
And burn my liver hottest coals of passion * And parting on my heart sore suffering wreaketh.
How shall I face this fiery love concealing * When fro' my wounded lids the tear aye leaketh？
In this plight Miriam abode during all the voyage；no peace was left her at all nor would patience come at her call.Such was her case in company with the Wazir，the monocular，the lameter；but as regards Nur al-Din the Cairene，when the ship had sailed with Miriam，the world was straitened upon him and he had neither peace nor patience.He returned to the lodging where they twain had dwelt，and its aspect was black and gloomy in his sight.Then he saw the metier wherewith she had been wont to make the zones and her dress that had been upon her beauteous body；so he pressed them to his breast，whilst the tears gushed from his eyes and he recited these couplets；'Say me，will Union after parting e'er return to be * After long-lasting torments，after hopeless misery？
Alas！ Alas！ what wont to be shall never more return * But grant me still return of dearest her these eyne may see.
I wonder me will Allah deign our parted lives unite * And will my dear one's plighted troth preserve with constancy！
Naught am I save the prey of death since parting parted us；* And will my friends consent that I am a wierd so deadly dree？
Alas my sorrow！ Sorrowing the lover scant avails；* Indeed I melt away in grief and passion's ecstasy：
Past is the time of my delight when were we two conjoined： *
Would Heaven I wot if Destiny mine esperance will degree！
Redouble then，O Heart，thy pains and，O mine eyes，o'erflow *
With tears till not a tear remain within these eyne of me？
Again alas for loved ones lost and loss of patience eke！ * For helpers fail me and my griefs are grown beyond decree.
The Lord of Threefold Worlds I pray He deign to me return * My lover and we meet as wont in joy and jubilee.'
Then Nur al-Din wept with weeping galore than which naught could be more；and peering into ever corner of the room，recited these two couplets；'I view their traces and with pain I pine * And by their sometime home I weep and yearn；
And Him I pray who parting deigned decree * Some day He deign vouchsafe me their return！'
Then Nur al-Din sprang to his feet and locking the door of the house，fared forth running at speed，to the sea shore whence he fixed his eyes on the place of the ship which had carried off his Miriam whilst sighs burst from his breast and tears from his lids as he recited these couplets；'Peace be with you，sans you naught compensateth me * The near；the far，two cases only here I see：
I yearn for you at every hour and tide as yearns * For water-place wayfarer plodding wearily.
With you abide my hearing，heart and eyen-sight * And （sweeter than the honeycomb） your memory.
Then，O my Grief when fared afar your retinue * And bore that ship away my sole expectancy.'
And Nur al-Din wept and wailed，bemoaned himself and complained；crying out and saying，'O Miriam！ O Miriam！ Was it but a vision of thee I saw in sleep or in the allusions of dreams？'And by reason of that which grew on him of regrets，he recited these couplets，[506]
'Mazed with thy love no more I can feign patience；This heart of mine has held none dear but thee！
And if mine eye hath gazed on other's beauty；Ne'er be it joyed again with sight of thee！
I've sworn an oath I'll ne'er forget to love thee；And sad's this breast that pines to meet with thee！
Thou'st made me drink a love-cup full of passion；Blest time！ When I may give the draught to thee！
Take with thee this my form where'er thou goest；And when thou'rt dead let me be laid near thee！
Call on me in my tomb，my bones shall answer And sigh responses to a call from thee！
If it were asked，'What wouldst thou Heaven should order？'
'His will，' I answer，'First，and then what pleases thee.''
