By my life and by Him who made men of you * And the spy tell aught I complain of you He lies，by Allah，in foulest way！
May the Lord my sickness never dispel，* Nor ever my heart of its pains be well；What day I regret that in love I fell * Or laud any land but wherein ye dwell：
Wring my heart and ye will or make glad and gay！
I have vitals shall ever be true to you * Though racked by the rigours not new to you Ere this wrong and this right I but sue to you： * Do what you will to thrall who to you Shall ne'er grudge his life at your feet to lay.'
When Nur al-Din ceased to sing，the Princess Miriam marvelled at his song and thanked him therefor，saying，'Whoso's case is thus it behoveth him to walk the ways of men and never do the deed of curs and cowards.'Now she was stout of heart and cunning in the sailing of ships over the salt sea，and she knew all the winds and their shiftings and every course of the main.So Nur al-Din said，'O my lady，hadst thou prolonged this case on me，[538] I had surely died for stress of affright and chagrin，more by token of the fire of passion and love-longing and the cruel pangs of separation.'She laughed at his speech and rising without stay or delay brought out somewhat of food and liquor；and they ate and drank and enjoyed themselves and made merry.Then she drew forth rubies and other gems and precious stones and costly trinkets of gold and silver and all manner things of price，light of weight and weighty of worth，which she had taken from the palace of her sire and his treasuries，and displayed them to Nur al-Din，who rejoiced therein with joy exceeding.All this while the wind blew fair for them and merrily sailed the ship nor ceased sailing till they drew near the city of Alexandria and sighted its landmarks；old and new，and Pompey's Pillar.When they made the port，Nur al-Din landed forthright and securing the ship to one of the Fulling-Stones，[539] took somewhat of the treasures that Miriam had brought with her，and said to her，'O my lady，tarry in the ship，against I return and carry thee up into the city in such way as I should wish and will.'Quoth she，'It behoveth that this be done quickly，for tardiness in affairs engendereth repentance.'Quoth he，'There is no tardiness in me；'and；leaving her in the ship，went up into the city to the house of the druggist his father's old fried，to borrow of his wife for Miriam veil and mantilla，and walking boots and petticoat-trousers after the usage of the women of Alexandria；unknowing that there was appointed to betide him of the shifts of Time，the Father of Wonders，that which was far beyond his reckoning.Thus it befel Nur al-Din and Miriam the Girdle-girl；