it would
seem that he has a mystery in his head and a flame in his heart, for he
appears to be distractedly in love." The princess was aware that she had
become the object of his attachment, and that this whirlwind of calamity
was raised by himself, and spurred her horse toward him. Now that the
youth saw that it was the princess' intention to approach him, he wept,
and said:--"That personage who inflicted upon me a mortal wound again
presented herself before me; perhaps she took compassion upon her own
victim." However, kindly she spoke, and asked, saying: "Who are you, and
whence come you? what is your name, and what your calling?" the youth
was so entirely overwhelmed in the ocean of love and passion that he
absolutely could not utter a word:--"Couldst thou in fact repeat the
seven Saba, or whole Koran by heart, if distracted with love, thou
wouldst forget the alphabet":--the princess continued: "Why do you not
answer me? for I too am one of the sect of dervishes, nay, I am their
most devoted slave." On the strength of this sympathizing encouragement
of his beloved, the youth raised his head amidst the buffeting waves of
tempestuous passion, and answered:--"It is strange that with thee
present I should remain in existence; that after thou camest to talk, I
should have speech left me."--This he said, and, uttering a loud groan,
surrendered his soul up to God:--No wonder if he died by the door of his
beloved's tent; the wonder was, if alive, how he could have brought his
life back in safety.

V

A boy at school possessed much loveliness of person and sweetness of
conversation; and the master, from the frailty of human nature, was
enamoured of his blooming skin. Like his other scholars, he would not
admonish and correct him, but when he found him in a corner he would
whisper in his ear:--"I am not, O celestial creature! so occupied with
thee, that I am harboring in my mind a thought of myself. Were I to
perceive an arrow coming right into it, I could not shut my eye from
contemplating thee."

On one occasion the boy said: "In like manner, as you inspect my duties,
also animadvert on my tendency to vice, in order that if you discern any
immorality in my behavior, which has met my own approbation, you can
warn me against it, that I may correct it." He replied: "O my child!
propose this task to somebody else; for the light in which I view you
reflects nothing but virtue." That malignant eye, let it be plucked out
in