Theres one that still holdeth a heart，a heart sore tormented of mine；Ah，would shed have ruth on my plight and pity the soul that she slew！
Not every ones eye is as mine，worn wounded and cankered with tears，And hearts that are，even as mine，the bondslaves of passion，are few.
Ye acted the tyrant with me，saying，'Love is a tyrant，I trow.'
Indeed，ye were right，and the case has proved what ye said to be true.
Alack！Theyve forgotten outright a passion-distraught one，whose faith Time minisheth not，though the fires in his entrails rage ever anew.
If my foeman in love be my judge，to whom shall I make my complaint？To whom of injustice complain，to whom for redress shall I sue？
Were it not for my needing of love and the ardour that burns in my breast，I had not a heart love-enslaved and a soul that for passion must rue.
To return to the princess Budour.When she awoke，she sought her husband and found him not： then she saw the ribbon of her trousers undone and the talisman missing and said to herself，By Allah，this is strange！Where is my husband？It would seem as if he had taken the talisman and gone away，knowing not the secret that is in it.Whither can he have gone？It must have been some extraordinary matter that drew him away，for he cannot brook to leave me an hour.May God curse the talisman and its hour！'Then she considered awhile and said in herself，If I go out and tell the servants that my husband is lost，they will covet me： I must use stratagem.'So she rose and donned some of her husbands clothes and boots and spurs and a turban like his，drawing the loose end across her face for a chin-band.Then setting a slave-girl in her litter，she went forth the tent and called to the servants，who brought her Kemerezzemans horse；and she mounted and bade load the beasts and set forward.So they bound on the burdens and departed，none doubting but she was Kemerezzeman，for she resembled him in face and form；nor did they leave journeying，days and nights，till they came in sight of a city overlooking the sea，when they halted to rest and pitched their tents without the walls.The princess asked the name of the place and was told，It is called the City of Ebony：
its king is named Armanous，and he hath a daughter called Heyat en Nufous.'Presently，the King sent to learn who it was that had encamped without his city；so the messenger，coming to the tents，enquired of Budours servants and was told that she was a kings son，bound for the Khalidan Islands，who had strayed from his road；whereupon he returned and told the King，who straightway took horse and rode out，with his nobles，to meet the strange prince.As he drew near the tents，the princess came to meet him on foot，whereupon the King alighted and they saluted each other.Then he carried her into the city and bringing her to the palace，let spread a banquet and bade transport her company and baggage to the guest-house，where they abode three days；at the end of which time the King came in to Budour （Now she had that day gone to the bath and her face shone as the moon at its full，enchanting all beholders，and she was clad in robes of silk，embroidered with gold and jewels） and said to her，Know，O my son，that I am a very old man and am grown unable for the conduct of the state.Now God has blessed me with no child save one daughter，who resembles thee in beauty and grace；so，O my son，if this my country please thee and thou be willing to make thine abode here，I will marry thee to my daughter and give thee my kingdom and so be at rest.'When Budour heard this，she bowed her head and her forehead sweated for shame，and she said to herself，How shall I do，and I a woman？If I refuse and depart，I cannot be safe but that he may send after me troops to kill me；and if I consent，belike I shall be put to shame.I have lost my beloved Kemerezzeman and know not what is come of him；wherefore I see nothing for it but to hold my peace and consent and abide here，till God accomplish what is to be.'
So she raised her head and made submission to King Armanous，saying，I hear and obey，'whereat he rejoiced and bade make proclamation，throughout the Ebony Islands，to hold high festival and decorate the houses.Then he assembled his chamberlains and Amirs and Viziers and other officers of state and the Cadis of the city，and putting off the kingship，invested Budour therewith and clad her in the royal robes.Moreover，the Amirs and grandees went in to her and did her homage，nothing doubting but that she was a young man，and all who looked on her berayed their hose for the excess of her beauty and grace；then，after the lady Budour had been made Sultan and the drums had been beaten，in announcement of the joyful event，Armanous proceeded to equip his daughter for marriage，and in a few days，they brought Budour in to her，when they seemed as it were two moons risen at one time or two suns foregathering.So they entered the bridal-chamber and the doors were shut and the curtains let down upon them，after the attendants had lighted the candles and spread the bed for them.When Budour found herself alone with the princess Heyat en Nufous，she called to mind her beloved Kemerezzeman and grief was sore upon her.So she wept for his loss and absence and repeated the following verses：
O ye who went and left my heart to pine alone foreer，No spark of life remains in me，since ye away did fare！
I have an eye that doth complain of sleeplessness alway；Tears have consumed it；would to God that sleeplessness would spare！
When ye departed，after you the lover did abide；But question of him what of pain in absence he doth bear.
But for the ceaseless flood of tears my eyes pour forth，the world Would at my burning all catch fire，yea，seas and lands and air.
To God Most High I make my moan of dear ones loved and lost，That on my passion have no ruth nor pity my despair.
I never did them wrong，except my love for them were such；But into blest and curst in love men aye divided were.
