Awhile ago， I was sore wakeful one night and thought the dawn would never break： so， as soon as it was day， I rose and girding on my sword， mounted my steed and set my lance in rest. Then I rode out to hunt， and as I went along， a company of men accosted me and asked me whither I went. I told them， and they said， "We will bear thee company." So we all fared on together， and presently we saw an ostrich and gave chase； but it evaded us and spreading its wings， fled before us and drew us on after it， till it brought us to a desert， wherein there was neither grass nor water， nor was aught to be heard there save the hissing of serpents， the wailing of Jinn and the howling of ghouls. Here we lost sight of the ostrich， nor could we tell whether it had flown up into the sky or sunk into the ground. Then we turned our horses" heads and thought to go back； but found that our return would be toilsome and dangerous at that time of exceeding heat；
for the heat was grievous to us， so that we were sore athirst and our horses stood still. So we made sure of death； but as we were in this case， we espied a spacious meadow afar off， wherein were gazelles frisking. There was a tent pitched and by the tent-side a horse tethered and a spear stuck in the earth， whose head glittered in the sun. When we saw this， our hearts revived， after we had despaired， and we turned our horses" heads towards the meadow and rode on， till we came to a spring， where we alighted and drank and watered our beasts. Then I was seized with a frenzy of curiosity and went up to the door of the tent， where I saw a young man like the new moon， without hair on his cheeks， and on his right hand a slender damsel， as she were a willow wand. No sooner did I set eyes on the girl， than love of her got hold upon my heart and I saluted the young man， who returned my greeting.
Then said I to him， "O brother of the Arabs， tell me who thou art and what is this damsel to thee？" With this， he bent down his head awhile， then raised it and replied， "Tell me first who thou art and what are these horsemen with thee." "I am Hemmad， son of El Fezari，" answered I， "the renowned cavalier， who is reckoned as five hundred horse among the Arabs. We went forth this morning to hunt and were overcome by thirst； so I came to the door of this tent， thinking to get of thee a draught of water." When he heard this， he turned to the fair maiden and said to her， "Bring this man water and what there is of food." So she went in，trailing her skirts， whilst her feet stumbled in her long hair and the golden bangles tinkled on her ankles， and returned after a little， bearing in her right hand a silver vessel of cold water and in her left a bowl full of milk and dates and flesh of wild cattle. But， of the excess of my passion for her， I could take of her nor meat nor drink， and I recited to her the following verses， applying them to her：
The dye of the henna upon her hand doth show， As "twere a raven new lighted on fresh-fall"n snow；
And see the full moon and the sun beside her face， This dim and the other fearful for shame and woe.
Then， after I had eaten and drunk， I said to the youth， "O chief of the Arabs， I have told thee truly who and what I am， and now I would fain have thee do the like by me and tell me the truth of thy case." "As for this damsel，" replied he， "she is my sister."
Quoth I， "It is my desire that thou give her to me to wife of free will： else will I slay thee and take her by force." With this， he bowed his head awhile， then raised his eyes to me and answered， "Thou sayest sooth in avouching thyself a renowned cavalier and a famous champion and the lion of the desert； but if ye all attack me treacherously and slay me and take my sister by force， it will be a stain upon your honour. If ye be， as thou sayest， cavaliers that are counted among the champions and fear not the shock of battle， give me time to don my armour and gird on my sword and set my lance in rest and mount my horse. Then will we go forth into the field and fight； and if I conquer you，I will kill you， every man of you； and if you overcome me and slay me， this damsel my sister is thine." "This is but just，"
answered I， "and we oppose it not." Then I turned my horse"s head， mad for love of the damsel， and rode back to my companions，to whom I set forth her beauty and grace， as also the comeliness of the young man and his valour and strength of soul and how he avouched himself a match for a thousand horse. Moreover， I described to them the tent and all the riches and rarities it contained and said to them， "Be sure that this youth would not have taken up his abode alone in this desert place， were he not a man of great prowess： so I propose that whoso slays him shall take his sister." And they agreed to this. Then we armed ourselves and mounting， rode to the tent， where we found the young man armed and mounted； but his sister ran up to him， with her veil drenched with tears， and laying hold of his stirrup，cried out， saying， "Alas！" and "Woe worth the day！" in her fear for her brother， and recited the following verses：
To God above I make my moan of sorrow and affright. Mayhap， the empyrean"s Lord will smite them with dismay.
They fain would kill thee， brother mine， with malice aforethought， Though never cause of anger was nor fault forewent the fray.
Yet for a champion art thou known among the men of war， The doughtiest knight that East or West goes camping by the way.
Thou wilt thy sister"s honour guard， whose might is small， for thou Her brother art and she for thee unto the Lord doth pray Let not the foe possess my soul nor seize on me perforce And work their cruel will on me， without my yea or nay.
By God His truth， I"ll never live in any land where thou Art not albeit all the goods of plenty it display！
But I will slay myself for love and yearning for thy sake And in the darksome tomb I"ll make my bed upon the clay.
When he heard her words， he wept sore and turning his horse"s head towards her， made answer with the following verses：
Stand by and see the wondrous deeds that I will do this day，Whenas we meet and I on them rain blows in the mellay.
