No help for it but Envier the twain of us espy * With evil eye and win to us his lamentable way.
For naught to us is sorer than the jealousy of men * And the backbiter's eyne that with calumny affray.'
He said，'O my lady Miriam，[487] what aileth thee to weep？'
and she replied，'I weep for the anguish of parting for my heart presageth me thereof.'Quoth he，'O lady of fair ones，and who shall interpose between us，seeing that I love thee above all creatures and tender thee the most？'；and quoth she，'And I love thee twice as well as thou me；but fair opinion of fortune still garreth folk fall into affliction，and right well saith the poet，[488]
'Think'st thou thyself all prosperous，in days which prosp'rous be；Nor fearest thou impending ill，which comes by Heaven's decree？
We see the orbs of heav'n above，how numberless they are；But sun and moon alone eclips'd，and ne'er a lesser star！
And many a tree on earth we see，some bare，some leafy green；Of them，not one is hurt with stone save that has fruitful been！
See'st not th' refluent ocean，bear carrion on its tide；While pearls beneath its wavy flow，fixed in the deep，abide？''
Presently she added，'O my lord Nur al-Din，an thou desire to nonsuit separation，be on thy guard against a swart-visaged oldster，blind of the right eye and lame of the left leg；for he it is who will be the cause of our severance.I saw him enter the city and I opine that he is come hither in quest of me.'Replied Nur al-Din，'O lady of fair ones，if my eyes light on him，I will slay him and make an example of him.'Rejoined she，'O my lord；slay him not；but talk not nor trade with him，neither buy nor sell with him nor sit nor walk with him nor speak one word to him，no，not even the answer prescribed by law，[489] and I pray Allah to preserve us from his craft and his mischief.'