'To hear is to obey，'replied the jailor and，taking Nur al-Din into the prison，locked the door upon him.Then he gave orders to sweep a bench behind the door and，spreading on it a sitting-rug and a leather-cloth，seated Nur al-Din thereon and loosed his shackles and entreated him kindly.The Wazir sent every day enjoining the jailor to beat him，but he abstained from this，and so continued to do for forty days.On the forty-first day there came a present from the Caliph； which when the Sultan saw，it pleased him and he consulted his Ministers on the matter，when one of them said，'Perchance this present was for the new Sultan.' Cried Al-Mu'in，'We should have done well had we put him to death at his first coming；'and the Sultan cried 'By Allah，thou hast reminded me of him！Go down to the prison and fetch him，and I will strike off his head.''To hear is to obey，'replied Al-Mu'in： then he stood up and said，'I will make proclamation in the city：--Whoso would solace himself with seeing the beheading of Nur al-Din bin al-Fazl bin Khakan，let him repair to the palace！So follower and followed，great and small will flock to the spectacle，and I shall heal my heart and harm my foe.''Do as thou wilt，'said the Sultan.The Wazir went off （and he was glad and gay），and ordered the Chief of Police to make the afore-mentioned proclamation. When the people heard the crier，they all sorrowed and wept，even the little ones at school and the traders in their shops； and some strove to get places for seeing the sight，whilst others went to the prison with the object of escorting him thence.Presently，the Wazir came with ten Mamelukes to the jail and Kutayt the jailor asked him，'Whom seekest thou，O our lord the Wazir？'； whereto he answered，'Bring me out that gallows- bird.' But the jailor said，'He is in the sorriest of plights for the much beating I have given him.' Then he went into the prison and found Nur al-Din repeating these verses，'Who shall support me in calamities，When fail all cures and greater cares arise？
Exile hath worm my heart，my vitals torn；The World to foes hath turned my firm allies.
O folk，will not one friend amidst you all Wail o'er my woes，and cry to hear my cries？
Death and it agonies seem light to me，Since life has lost all joys and jollities：
O Lord of Mustafa，[73] that Science-sea，Sole Intercessor，Guide all-ware，all-wise！
I pray thee free me and my fault forego，And from me drive mine evil and my woe.'
The jailor stripped off his clean clothes and，dressing him in two filthy vests，carried him to the Wazir.Nur al-Din looked at him and saw it was his foe that sought to compass his death； so he wept and said，'Art thou，then，so secure against the World？
Hast thou not heard the saying of the poet，'Kisras and Caesars in a bygone day Stored wealth； where it is，and ah！ where are they？'
O Wazir，'he continued，'know that Allah （be He extolled and exalted！） will do whatso He will！''O Ali，'replied he，'thinkest thou to frighten me with such talk？I mean this very day to smite thy neck despite the noses of the Bassorah folk and I care not； let the days do as they please； nor will I turn me to thy counsel but rather to what the poet saith，'Leave thou the days to breed their ban and bate，And make thee strong t'upbear the weight of Fate.'
And also how excellently saith another，'Whoso shall see the death-day of his foe，One day surviving，wins his bestest wish.''
Then he ordered his attendants to mount Nur al-Din upon the bare back of a mule； and they said to the youth （for truly it was irksome to them），'Let us stone him and cut him down thou our lives go for it.' But Nur al-Din said to them，'Do not so： have ye not heard the saying of the poet，'Needs must I bear the term by Fate decreed，And when that day be dead needs must I die：
If lions dragged me to their forest-lair，Safe should I live till draw my death-day nigh.
Then they proceeded to proclaim before Nur al-Din，'This is the least of the retribution for him who imposeth upon Kings with forgeries.' And they ceased not parading him round about Bassorah，till they made him stand beneath the palace-windows and set him upon the leather of blood，[74] and the sworder came up to him and said，'O my lord，I am but a slave commanded in this matter： an thou have any desire，tell it me that I may fulfil it，for now there remaineth of they life only so much as may be till the Sultan shall put his face out of the lattice.' Thereupon Nur al-Din looked to the right and to the left，and before him and behind him and began improvising，'The sword，the sworder and the blood-skin waiting me I sight，And cry，Alack，mine evil fate！ ah，my calamity！
How is't I see no loving friend with eye of sense or soul？
What！ no one here？ I cry to all： will none reply to me？
The time is past that formed my life，my death term draweth nigh，Will no man win the grace of God showing me clemency；And look with pity on my state，and clear my dark despair，E'en with a draught of water dealt to cool death's agony？'
