Whereupon he wept with sore weeping and groaned and lamented and recited these couplets，[494]
'When e'er the Lord'gainst any man；Would fulminate some harsh decree；And he be wise，and skilled to hear；And used to see；
He stops his ears，and blinds his heart；And from his brain ill judgment tears；And makes it bald as'twere a scalp；Reft of its hairs；[495]
Until the time when the whole man Be pierced by this divine command；
Then He restores him intellect To understand.'
Then Nur al-Din began to excuse himself to his handmaid，saying；'By Allah，O my lady Miriam，verily runneth the Reed with whatso Allah hath decreed.The folk put a cheat on me to make me sell thee，and I fell into the snare and sold thee.Indeed，I have sorely failed of my duty to thee；but haply He who decreed our disunion will vouchsafe us reunion.'Quoth she，'I warned thee against this，for this it was I dreaded.'Then she strained him to her bosom and kissed him between the eyes，reciting these couplets；'Now，by your love！ your love I'll ne'er forget，* Though lost my life for stress of pine and fret：