In gloom I bide with fire that flames below my ribs，
Whose lowe I make comparison with heat of Hell：
I'm plagued with sorest stress of pine and ecstasy；
Nor clearest noon tide can that horrid pain dispel.'
Then she sighed and repeated these also，'Salams fro' me to friends in every stead；
Indeed to all dear friends do I incline：
Salams，but not salams that bid adieu；
Salams that growth of good for you design：
I love you dear，indeed，nor less your land，
But bide I far from every need of mine！'
And when the Lady Budur ceased repeating her poetry，she wept till her eyes waxed sore and her cheeks changed form and hue，and in this condition she continued three years. Now she had a fosterbrother，by name Marzawan，[283] who was travelling in far lands and absent from her the whole of this time. He loved her with an exceeding love，passing the love of brothers；so when he came back he went in to his mother and asked for his sister，the Princess Budur. She answered him，'O my son，thy sister hath been smitten with madness and hath passed these three years with a chain of iron about her neck；and all the physicians and men of science have failed of healing her.'When Marzawan heard these words he said，'I must needs go in to her；peradventure I may discover what she hath，and be able to medicine her；'and his mother replied，'Needs must thou visit her，but wait till to morrow，that I may contrive some thing to suit thy case.'Then she went afoot to the palace of the Lady Budur and，accosting the eunuch in charge of the gates，made him a present and said to him，'I have a daughter，who was brought up with thy mistress and since then I married her；and，when that befel the Princess which befel her，she became troubled and sore concerned，and I desire of thy favour that my daughter may go in to her for an hour and look on her；and then return whence she came，so shall none know of it.'Quoth the eunuch，'This may not be except by night，after the King hath visited his child and gone away；then come thou and thy daughter.'So she kissed the eunuch's hand and，returning home，waited till the morrow at nightfall；and when it was time she arose and sought her son Marzawan and attired him in woman's apparel；then，taking his hand in hers，led him towards the palace，and ceased not walking with him till she came upon the eunuch after the Sultan had ended his visit to the Princess. Now when the eunuch saw her，he rose to her，and said，'Enter，but do not prolong thy stay！'So they went in and when Marzawan beheld the Lady Budur in the aforesaid plight，he saluted her，after his mother had doffed his woman's garb：then he took out of their satchel books he had brought with him；and，lighting a wax