_Maiden:_
By God, who openly and secretly
Is worshipped by men and fairies,
I swear that of all whom I see in the world
No one is dearer to me than thou.
_Youth:_
O thou who sawest me, and residest in my heart,
Soul and body, all now belong to thee.
If my heart inclines to thee it is no wonder;
It must be a stone, not a heart, which turns not to thee!
'The girl said that now her only wish in the world
was that they should put their hands round each
other's waists, and eat sugar from the lips of each
other. The youth replied: "My desire is the same,
but what can I do? As God the Most High says: 'The
intimate friends on that day shall be enemies unto
one another, except the pious,' which means that
on the day of resurrection friendship of friends
will become enmity, except the friendship of the
abstemious, which will increase the attachment. I do
not wish that on the morn of resurrection the edifice
of our love be impaired, and our friendship be turned
into enmity." After saying these words, he departed,
reciting the following:
O heart, abandon this love of two days,
Because a love of two days profits not;
Choose a love wherewith on the day of reckoning
Thou mayest abide in the eternal abode.