Then he wept， but presently wiped away his tears and ate of the fruits of the earth. Then he made his ablutions and prayed the ordained prayers that he had neglected all this time； after which he sat in that place， resting， the whole day. When the night came， he lay down and slept till midnight， when he awoke and heard a man"s voice repeating the following verses：
Life unto me is worthless， except I see the shine Of the flashing teeth of my mistress and eke her face divine.
The bishops in the convents pray for her day and night And in the mosques the imams fall prone before her shrine.
Death"s easier than the rigours of a beloved one， Whose image never cheers me， whenas I lie and pine.
O joy of boon-companions， when they together be And lover and beloved in one embrace entwine！
Still more so in the season of Spring， with all its flowers， What time the world is fragrant with blossoms sweet and fine.
Up， drinker of the vine-juice， and forth， for seest thou not Earth gilt with blooms and waters all welling forth like wine？
When Kanmakan heard this， it revived his sorrows； his tears ran down his cheeks like rivers and flames of fire raged in his heart. He rose to see who it was that spoke， but saw none， for the thickness of the dark； whereupon passion increased on him and he was alarmed and restlessness possessed him. So he descended to the bottom of the valley and followed the banks of the stream，till he heard one sighing heavily， and the same voice recited the followed verses：
Though thou have used to dissemble the love in thy heart for fear， Give on the day of parting， free course to sob and tear.
"Twixt me and my beloved were vows of love and troth； So cease I for her never to long and wish her near.
My heart is full of longing； the zephyr， when it blows， To many a thought of passion stirs up my heavy cheer.
Doth she o" the anklets hold me in mind， whilst far away， Though between me and Saada were solemn vows and dear？
Shall the nights e"er unite us， the nights of dear delight， And shall we tell our suff"rings， each in the other"s ear？
"Thou seduced by passion for us，" quoth she， and I， "God keep Thy lovers all！ How many have fallen to thy spear？"
If mine eyes taste the pleasance of sleep， while she"s afar， May God deny their vision her beauties many a year！
O the wound in mine entrails！ I see no cure for it Save love-delight and kisses from crimson lips and clear.
When Kanmakan heard this， yet saw no one， he knew that the speaker was a lover like unto himself， debarred the company of her whom he loved； and he said to himself； "It were fitting that this man should lay his head to mine and become my comrade in this my strangerhood." Then he hailed the speaker and cried out to him， saying "O thou that goest in the sombre night， draw near to me and tell me thy history. Haply thou shalt find in me one who will succour thee in shine affliction." "O thou that answerest my complaint and wouldst know my history，" rejoined the other， "who art thou amongst the cavaliers？ Art thou a man or a genie？ Answer me speedily ere thy death draw near， for these twenty days have I wandered in this desert and have seen no one nor heard any voice but thine." When Kanmakan heard this， he said to himself， "His case is like unto mine， for I also have wandered twenty days in the desert and have seen none nor heard any voice：
but I will make him no answer till the day." So he was silent and the other called out to him， saying， "O thou that callest， if thou be of the Jinn， go in peace， and if thou be a man， stay awhile， till the day break and the night flee with the dark." So they abode each in his own place， reciting verses and weeping with abundant tears， till the light of day appeared and the night departed with the darkness. Then Kanmakan looked at the other and found him a youth of the Bedouin Arabs， clad in worn clothes and girt-with a rusty sword， and the signs of passion were apparent on him. So he went up to him and accosting him， saluted him. The Bedouin returned the salute and greeted him courteously， but made little account of him， for what he saw of his tender years and his condition， which was that of a poor man. So he said to him，"O youth， of what tribe art thou and to whom art thou kin among the Arabs？ What is thy history and wherefore goest thou by night，after the fashion of champions？ Indeed， thou spokest to me in the night words such as are spoken of none but magnanimous cavaliers and lionhearted warriors； and now thy life is in my hand. But I have compassion on thee by reason of thy tender age； so I will make thee my companion， and thou shalt go with me， to do me service." When Kanmakan heard him speak thus unseemly， after what he had shown him of skill in verse， he knew that he despised him and thought to presume with him； so he answered him with soft and dulcet speech， saying， "O chief of the Arabs， leave my tenderness of age and tell me thy story and why thou wanderest by night in the desert， reciting verses. Thou talkest of my serving thee； who then art thou and what moved thee to speak thus？" "Harkye， boy！"
