A boy and a girl once learnt together in a school, and the boy
fell passionately in love with the girl. So, one day, when the
other boys were heedless, he took her tablet[FN#93] and wrote
on it the following verses:
Tell me, what sayst thou unto him, whom sickness for thy love
Hath worn and wasted, till he's grown distraught and
stupefied?
Him who of passion maketh moan; for love and longing pain, That
which is in his heart, indeed, no longer can he hide.
When the girl took her tablet, she read the verses and wept for
pity of him; then wrote thereunder these others:
An if we see one languishing for very love of us, Our favours,
surely, unto him shall nowise be denied.
Yea, and of us he shall obtain that which he doth desire Of
love-delight, whate'er to us in consequence betide.
Now it chanced that the teacher came in on them And taking the
tablet, unnoticed, read what was written thereon. So he was
moved to pity of their case and wrote on the tablet the
following verses, in reply to those of the girl:
Favour thy lover, for he's grown distracted for desire, And
reck thou not of punishment nor fear lest any chide.
As for the master, have no dread of his authority, For he with
passion an its pains aforetime hath been tried.
Presently, the girl's master entered the school and finding the
tablet, read the above verses and wrote under them the following:
May Allah never separate your loves, whilst time abide, And may
your slanderer be put to shame and mortified!
But, for the master of the school, by Allah, all my life, A
busier go-between than he I never yet espied.
Then he sent for the Cadi and the witnesses and married them on
the spot. Moreover, he made them a marriage-feast and entreated
them with exceeding munificence; and they abode together in joy
and contentment, till there came to them the Destroyer of
Delights and the Sunderer of Companies.