When I heard this， fires raged in my entrails and grief redoubled upon my heart and I cried out， saying， "God ordained sleep to me，of my ill-fortune！" Then I said to her， "O my cousin， I conjure thee by my life， contrive me some device whereby I may win to her！" She wept and answered， "O Aziz， O my cousin， verily my heart is full of melancholy thought and I cannot speak： but go thou again to-night to the same place and look that thou sleep not， and thou shalt surely attain thy desire. This is my counsel and peace be on thee." "God willing，" said I， "I will not sleep，but will do as thou biddest me." Then she rose and set food before me， saying， "Eat now what may suffice thee， that thy heart may be free." So I ate my fill， and when the night came， my cousin rose and bringing me a sumptuous suit of clothes， clad me therein. Then she made me promise to repeat the verse aforesaid to my mistress and bade me beware of sleeping. So I left her and repairing to the garden， went up into the pavilion， where I occupied myself with gazing on the garden， holding my eyes open with my fingers and wagging my head from side to side， as the night darkened on me. Presently I grew hungry with watching， and the smell of the meats， being wafted towards me， increased my hunger： so I went up to the table and taking off the cover， ate a piece of meat and a mouthful of every dish； after which I turned to the vessel of wine， saying in myself， "I will drink one cup."
So I drank one cup and a second and a third， till I had drunk full half a score， when the air smote me and I fell to the earth like a dead man. I lay thus till day， when I awoke and found myself without the garden， with a large sharp knife and an iron dirhem[FN#132] on my stomach. I arose trembling and taking the knife and the dirhem， went home where I found my cousin saying，"Verily， I am in this house wretched and sorrowful， having no helper but weeping." When I entered， I fell down at full length and fainted， throwing the knife and the dirhem from my hand. As soon as I came to myself， I told her what had passed and said，"Indeed， I shall never enjoy my desire." The sight of my tears and my passion redoubled her distress on my account， and she said， "Verily， I can no more. I warned thee against sleeping； but thou wouldst not listen to my counsel， and my words profited thee nothing." "By Allah，" cried I， "I conjure thee to explain to me the meaning of the knife and the dirhem." "By the dirhem，"
replied she， "she alludes to her right eye， and it is as if she said to thee， "I swear， by the Lord of all creatures and by my right eye， that， if thou come here again and sleep， I will slay thee with this knife！" And indeed， O my cousin， I fear for thee from her malice； my heart is full of anguish for thee and I cannot speak. Nevertheless， if thou canst be sure of thyself not to sleep， return to her and thou shalt attain thy desire； but if thou sleep， according to thy wont， she will surely slay thee." "O my cousin，" said I， "what shall I do？ I conjure thee， by Allah，to help me in this my affliction！" "On my head and eyes，" replied she. "If thou wilt hearken to me and do as I say， thou shalt have thy will." Quoth I， "I will indeed hearken to thee and do thy bidding." And she said， "When it is time for thee to go， I will tell thee." Then she pressed me to her bosom and laying me on the bed， rubbed my feet， till drowsiness overcame me and I was drowned in sleep； when she took a fan and seating herself at my head， ceased not to fan my face till the end of the day. Then she awoke me， and I found her sitting at my head weeping， with the fan in her hand and her clothes wet with tears. When she saw that I was awake， she wiped away her tears and fetching food， set it before me. I refused it， but she said to me， "Didst thou not promise to do my bidding？ Eat." So I ate and did not cross her，and she proceeded to put the food into my mouth and I to eat，till I was full. Then she made me drink sherbet of jujube-fruit and sugar and washed my hands and dried them with a napkin； after which she sprinkled me with rose-water， and I sat with her awhile， restored to health and spirits. When the night had closed in， she dressed me and said to me， "O my cousin， watch all night and sleep not； for she will not come to thee this time till the last of the night， and God willing， thou shalt foregather with her this night： but do not forget my charge." Then she wept， and my heart was sore for her by reason of her much weeping， and I said to her， "What is the charge thou gavest me？" "When thou art about to take leave of her，" replied she， "repeat to her the verse I taught thee." So I left her， full of gladness， and repairing to the garden， entered the pavilion， where I sat down satiated with food， and watched till a fourth part of the night was past. The night was tedious to me as it were a year： but I remained awake， till it was three quarters spent and the cocks cried out and I became sore an hungred for long watching. So I went up to the table and ate my fill， whereupon my head grew heavy and I was on the point of falling asleep， when I espied a light ****** towards me from afar. So I sprang up and washed my hands and mouth and roused myself； and before long， up came the lady， accompanied by ten damsels， in whose midst she shone， like the full moon among the stars. She was clad in a dress of green satin， embroidered with red gold， and she was as says the poet：
She lords it over her lovers in garments all of green， With open vest and collars and flowing hair beseen.
"What is thy name？" I asked her， and she replied， "I"m she Who burns the hearts of lovers on coals of love and teen."
I made my moan unto her of passion and desire； "Upon a rock，" she answered， "thy plaints are wasted clean."
"Even if thy heart，" I told her， "be rock in very deed， Yet hath God made fair water well from the rock， I ween."
