the anxiety of a person who keeps the
fast [of _Ramazan_]. [157] At last the evening came, and the heavy
day was removed from my heart. All at once the same eunuch who had
given me the directions to find out the lady's house, came to the
mosque. After finishing the evening prayer, having come up to me,
that obliging person, who was in all my secrets, gave me much comfort,
and taking me by the hand, led me along with him, proceeding onwards
at last having made me sit down in a small garden, he said: "Stay here
until your desire [of seeing your mistress] be accomplished." Then he
himself having taken his leave, went, perhaps, to impart my wishes to
the beautiful lady. I amused myself with admiring the beauty of the
flowers of the garden, and the brightness of the full moon, and the
play of the fountains in the canals and rivulets, a display like that
of the mouths of _Sawan_ and _Bhadon_; but when I beheld the roses,
I thought of the beautiful rose-like angel, and when I gazed on the
bright moon, I recollected her moon-like face. All these delightful
scenes without her were so many thorns in my eyes.

At last God made her heart favourable to me. After a little while
that lovely fair one entered from the [garden] door adorned like the
full moon, wearing a rich dress, enriched with pearls, and covered
from head to feet with an embroidered veil; she stepped along the
garden walk, and stood [at a little distance from me]. By her coming,
the beauties of that garden, and the joy of my heart revived. After
strolling for a few minutes about the garden, she sat down in the
alcove on a richly-embroidered _masnad_. I ran, and like the moth
that flutters around the candle, offered my life as a sacrifice to
her, and like a slave stood before her with folded arms. At this
moment the eunuch appeared, and began to plead for my pardon and
restoration to her favour. Addressing myself to him, I said, I am
guilty, and culpable; whatever punishment is fixed on me, let it be
executed. The lady, though she was displeased, said with _hauteur_,
"The best thing that can be done for him now is that he should receive
a hundred bags of gold pieces, and having got his property all right,
let him return to his native country."

On hearing these words, I became a block of withered wood; if any
one had cut my body, not a drop of blood would have issued; all the
world began to appear dark before my sight; a sigh of despair burst
involuntarily from my he