An thou fain disremember me beyond our parting day，Allah will know，that thee and thee my memory never shall tyne.
Thou blamest me with bitter speech yet sweetest 'tis to me；Wilt generous be and deign one day to show of love a sign？
I had not reckoned Love contained so much of pine and pain；And soul distress until I came for thee to pain and pine Never my heart knew weariness，until that eve I fell In love wi' thee，and prostrate fell before those glancing eyne！
My very foes have mercy on my case and moan therefor； But thou，O heart of Indian steel，all mercy dost decline.
No，never will I be consoled，by Allah，an I die，Nor yet forget the love of thee though life in ruins lie！'
When I read these couplets，I wept with sore weeping and buffeted my face； then I unfolded the scroll，and there fell from it an other paper.I opened it and behold，I found written therein，'Know，O son of my uncle，that I acquit thee of my blood and I beseech Allah to make accord between thee and her whom thou lovest； but if aught befal thee through the daughter of Dalilah the Wily，return thou not to her neither resort to any other woman and patiently bear thine affliction，for were not thy fated life tide a long life，thou hadst perished long ago； but praised be Allah who hath appointed my death day before thine！ My peace be upon thee； preserve this cloth with the gazelles herein figured and let it not leave thee，for it was my companion when thou was absent from me；'And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the One Hundred and Twentyeighth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the Wazir Dandan pursued to King Zau alMakan，And the youth Aziz continued to Taj alMuluk： So I read what my cousin had written and the charge to me which was，'Preserve this cloth with the gazelles and let it not leave thee，for it was my companion when thou west absent from me and，Allah upon thee！ if thou chance to fall in with her who worked these gazelles，hold aloof from her and do not let her approach thee nor marry her； and if thou happen not on her and find no way to her，look thou consort not with any of her ***.Know that she who wrought these gazelles worketh every year a gazelle cloth and despatcheth it to far countries，that her report and the beauty of her broidery，which none in the world can match，may be bruited abroad.As for thy beloved，the daughter of Dalilah the Wily，this cloth came to her hand，and she used to ensnare folk with it，showing it to them and saying，'I have a sister who wrought this.' But she lied in so saying，Allah rend her veil！ This is my parting counsel； and I have not charged thee with this charge，but because I know[6] that after my death the world will be straitened on thee and，haply，by reason of this，thou wilt leave thy native land and wander in foreign parts，and hearing of her who wrought these figures，thou mayest be minded to fore gather with her.Then wilt thou remember me，when the memory shall not avail thee； nor wilt thou know my worth till after my death.And，lastly，learn that she who wrought the gazelles is the daughter of the King of the Camphor Islands and a lady of the noblest.'Now when I had read that scroll and understood what was written therein，I fell again to weeping，and my mother wept because I wept，and I ceased not to gaze upon it and to shed tears till night fall.I abode in this condition a whole year，at the end of which the merchants，with whom I am in this cafilah，prepared to set out from my native town； and my mother counseled me to equip myself and journey with them，so haply I might be consoled and my sorrow be dispelled，saying，'Take comfort and put away from thee this mourning and travel for a year or two or three，till the caravan return，when perhaps thy breast may be broadened and thy heart heartened.'And she ceased not to persuade me with endearing words，till I provided myself with merchandise and set out with the caravan.But all the time of my wayfaring，my tears have never dried； no，never！ and at every halting place where we halt，I open this piece of linen and look on these gazelles and call to mind my cousin Azizah and weep for her as thou hast seen；for indeed she loved me with dearest love and died，oppressed by my unlove.I did her nought but ill and she did me nought but good.When these merchants return from their journey，I shall return with them，by which time I shall have been absent a whole year： yet hath my sorrow waxed greater and my grief and affliction were but increased by my visit to the Islands of Camphor and the Castle of Crystal.Now these islands are seven in number and are ruled by a King，by name Shahriman，[7] who hath a daughter called Dunya；[8] and I was told that it was she who wrought these gazelles and that this piece in my possession was of her embroidery.When I knew this，my yearning redoubled and I burnt with the slow fire of pining and was drowned in the sea of sad thought； and I wept over myself for that I was become even as a woman，without manly tool like other men，and there was no help for it.From the day of my quitting the Camphor Islands，I have been tearful eyed and heavy hearted，and such hath been my case for a long while and I know not whether it will be given me to return to my native land and die beside my mother or not； for I am sick from eating too much of the world.Thereupon the young merchant wept and groaned and complained and gazed upon the gazelles； whilst the tears rolled down his cheeks in streams and he repeated these two couplets，'Joy needs shall come，'a prattler 'gan to prattle：
'Needs cease thy blame！'I was commoved to rattle：
'In time，' quoth he： quoth I ' 'Tis marvellous！
Who shall ensure my life，O cold of tattle！'[9]
And he repeated also these，'Well Allah weets that since our severance day I've wept till forced to ask of tears a loan：
'Patience！ （the blamer cries）： thou'lt have her yet！'
Quoth I，'O blamer where may patience wone？'
