' So they kissed
his hand and going away, ceased not to dwell together, till
death parted them; and glory be to Him whom death overtaketh
not!
THE LOVERS OF THE BENOU UDHREH.
There was once, among the Benou Udhreh, a handsome and
accomplished man, who was never a day out of love, and it
chanced that he became enamoured of a beautiful woman of his
own tribe and sent her many messages; but she ceased not to use
him with cruelty and disdain, till, for stress of passion and
longing and distraction, he fell exceeding sick and took to his
bed and forswore sleep. His sickness grew on him and his
anguish redoubled upon him, till he was all but dead; and his
case became known and his passion noised abroad among the folk.
His family and hers were instant with her to visit him, but she
refused, till he was at the point of death, when, being told of
this, she relented towards him and vouchsafed him a visit. When
he saw her, his eyes ran over with tears and he repeated the
following verses, from a broken heart:
If, by thy life, there pass thee by my funeral train, to wit, A
bier borne on the necks of four, wilt grudge to follow it?
Wilt thou not follow in its track, that so thou mayst salute
The sepulchre of one who's dead, committed to the pit?
When she heard this, she wept sore and said to him, 'By Allah,
I thought not that passion had come to such a pass with thee,
as to cast thee into the arms of death! Had I known this, I had
been favourable to thee, and thou shouldst have enjoyed thy
desire.
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