Ali understood his sign
and answered, 'Bring her in.' So she entered and when he saw her,
he shook for joy and signed to her, as who should say, 'How doth
thy lord, may God grant him health and recovery!' 'He is well,'
answered she and pulling out the letter, gave it to him. He took
it and kissing it, opened and read it; after which he handed it
to Aboulhusn, who found written therein what follows:
The messenger of me will give thee news aright; So let his true
report suffice thee for my sight.
A lover hast thou left, for love of thee distraught; Her eyes
cease never-more from watching, day or night.
I brace myself to bear affliction, for to foil The buffets of
ill-fate is given to no wight.
But be thou of good cheer; for never shall my heart Forget thee
nor thy thought be absent from my spright.
Look on thy wasted frame and what is fallen thereon And thence
infer of me and argue of my plight.
To proceed: I have written thee a letter without fingers and
speak to thee without tongue; to tell thee my whole state, I have
an eye from which sleeplessness is never absent and a heart
whence sorrowful thought stirs not. It is with me as I had never
known health nor let sadness, neither beheld a fair face nor
spent an hour of pleasant life; but it is as I were made up of
love-longing and of the pain of passion and chagrin.
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