Then he redoubled his weeping， and the stoker said to him， "Weep not， but rather praise God for safety and recovery." Quoth Zoulmekan， "How far is it hence to Damascus？" "Six days"
journey，" answered the stoker "Wilt thou send me thither？" asked Zoulmekan. "O my lord，" replied the stoker， "how can I let thee go alone， and thou a young lad and a stranger？ If thou be minded to make the journey to Damascus， I will go with thee； and if my wife will listen to me and accompany me， I will take up my abode there； for it goes to my heart to part with thee." Then said he to his wife， "Wilt thou go with me to Damascus or wilt thou abide here， whilst I bring this my lord thither and return to thee？ For he is bent upon， going to Damascus， and by Allah， it is hard to me to part with him， and I fear for him from the highway robbers." Quoth she， "I will go with you." And he said， "Praised be God for accord！" Then he rose and selling all his own and his wife"s gear， bought a camel and hired an ass for Zoulmekan； and they set out and reached Damascus at nightfall after six days"
journey. They alighted there， and the stoker went to the market and bought meat and drink. They had dwelt but five days in Damascus， when his wife sickened and after a few days" illness，was translated to the mercy of God. The stoker mourned for her with an exceeding grief， and her death was no light matter to Zoulmekan， for she had tended him assiduously and he was grown used to her. Presently， he turned to the stoker and finding him mourning， said to him， "Do not grieve， for we must all go in at this gate."[FN#24] "God requite thee with good， O my son！"
replied the stoker. "Surely He will compensate us with his bounties and cause our mourning to cease. What sayst thou， O my son？ Shall we walk abroad to view Damascus and cheer our spirits？" "Thy will is mine，" replied Zoulmekan. So the stoker took him by the hand， and they sallied forth and walked on， till they came to the stables of the Viceroy of Damascus， where they found camels laden with chests and carpets and brocaded stuffs and saddle-horses and Bactrian camels and slaves， white and black， and folk running to and fro and a great bustle. Quoth Zoulmekan， "I wonder to whom all these camels and stuffs and servants belong！" So he asked one of the slaves， and he replied，"These are presents that the Viceroy of Damascus is sending to King Omar ben Ennuman， with the tribute of Syria." When Zoulmekan heard his father"s name， his eyes filled with tears and he repeated the following verses：
Ye that are far removed from my desireful sight， Ye that within my heart are sojourners for aye，Your comeliness is gone and life no more for me Is sweet， nor will the pains of longing pass away.
If God one day decree reunion of our loves， How long a tale of woes my tongue will have to say！
Then he wept and the stoker said to him， "O my son， thou art hardly yet recovered； so take heart and do not weep， for I fear a relapse for thee." And he applied himself to comfort him and cheer him， whilst Zoulmekan sighed and bemoaned his strangerhood and separation from his sister and his family and repeated the following verses， with tears streaming from his eyes：
Provide thee for the world to come， for needs must thou be gone；
Or soon or late， for every one the lot of death is drawn.
Thy fortune in this world is but delusion and regret； Thy life in it but vanity and empty chaff and awn.
The world， indeed， is but as "twere a traveller"s halting-place，Who makes his camels kneel at eve and fares on with the dawn.
And he continued to weep and lament， whilst the stoker wept too for the loss of his wife， yet ceased not to comfort Zoulmekan till the morning. When the sun rose， he said to him， "Meseems thou yearnest for thy native land？" "Even so，" replied Zoulmekan，"and I may not tarry here； so I will commend thee to God"s care and set out with these people and journey with them， little by little， till I come to my country." "And I with thee，" said the stoker； "for I cannot bear to part with thee. I have done thee service， and I mean to complete it by tending thee on the way."
At this， Zoulmekan rejoiced and said， "May God abundantly requite thee for me！" Then the stoker went out and selling the camel，bought another ass， which he brought to Zoulmekan， saying， "This is for thee to ride by the way； and when thou art weary of riding， thou canst dismount and walk." "May God bless thee and help me to requite thee！" said Zoulmekan. "Indeed， thou hast dealt with me more lovingly than one with his brother." Then the stoker provided himself with victual for the journey， and they waited till it was dark night， when they laid their provisions and baggage on the ass and set out on their journey.
To return to Nuzhet ez Zeman， when she left her brother in the khan and went out to seek service with some one， that she might earn wherewith to buy him the roast meat he longed for， she fared on， weeping and knowing not whither to go， whilst her mind was occupied with concern for her brother and with thoughts of her family and her native land. And she implored God the Most High to do away these afflictions from them and repeated the following verses：
The shadows darken and passion stirs up my sickness amain， And longing rouses within me the old desireful pain.
The anguish of parting hath taken its sojourn in my breast， And love and longing and sorrow have maddened heart and brain.
Passion hath made me restless and longing consumes my soul And tears discover the secret that else concealed had lain.
I know of no way to ease me of sickness and care and woe， Nor can my weak endeavour reknit love"s severed skein.
The fire of my heart with yearnings and longing grief is fed And for its heat， the lover to live in hell is fain.
O thou that thinkest to blame me for what betides me， enough； God knows I suffer with patience whate"er He doth ordain.
I swear I shall ne"er find solace nor be consoled for love， The oath of the children of passion， whose oaths are ne"er in vain！
Bear tidings of me， I prithee， O night， to the bards of love And that in thee I sleep not be witness yet again！
