_Stanza 3._—According to the popular science of the East, the colouring
of precious stones, even of those which are buried deep in the earth, is
due to the action of rain and wind and of the rays of the sun.
_Stanza 4._—It is a favourite Persian image to describe the hair of the
beloved as entangling and entrapping the unfortunate lover. Her long
locks are often compared to deadly snakes, and her curls to hooks which
catch and tear her lover’s heart. One need go no further than the
_Merchant of Venice_ to find the same imagery used by a Western poet:
“Those crisped snaky golden locks,” and again, “A golden mesh to entrap
the hearts of men faster than gnats in cobwebs.”