Then he wepttill he swooned awayand abode in his swoon a long while. When he came to himselfhe looked right and left and seeing none in the desertwas fearful of the wild beasts；so he climbed to the top of a high mountainwhere he heard a man's voice speaking within a cavern. He listened and found it to be that of a devoteewho had forsworn the world and given himself up to pious exercises. So he knocked thrice at the cavern door；but the hermit made him no answerneither came forth to him；wherefore he sighed heavily and recited the following verses：
What way is open unto meto my desire to get And put off weariness and toil and trouble and regret？
All pains and terrors have combined on meto make me hoar And old of head and heartwhilst I a very child am yet.
I find no friend to solace me of longing and unease'Nor one'gainst passion and its stress to aid me and abet.
Alasthe torments I endure for waste and wistful love！
Fortunemeseems'gainst me is turned and altogether set.
Ahwoe's me for the lover's painunrestingpassion-burnt，Him who in parting's bitter cup his lips perforce hath wet！
His wit is ravished clean away by separation's woeFire in his heart and all consumed his entrails by its fret.
Ahwhat a dreadful day it waswhen to her stead I came And thatwhich on the door was writmy eyes confounded met！
I weptuntil I gave the earth to drink of my despair；But still from friend and foe I hid the woes that me beset.
Then strayed I forth tillin the wastea lion sprang on me And would have slain me straight；but him with flattering words I met And soothed him. So he spared my life and succoured meas'twere He too had known love's taste and been entangled in its net.
Yetfor all thiscould I but win to come to my desireAll，that I've suffered and enduredstraightway I should forget.
O thouthat harbour'st in thy cavedistracted from the world，Meseems thou'st tasted love and been its slaveO anchoret！
Hardly had he made an end of these verses whenbeholdthe door of the cavern opened and he heard one say'Alasthe pity of it I'So he entered and saluted the hermitwho returned his greeting and said to him'What is thy name？'Uns el Wujoud，'answered the young man. 'And what brings thee hither？'asked the hermit. So he told him his whole storywhereat he wept and said'O Uns el Wujoudthese twenty years have I dwelt in this placebut never beheld I any heretill the other daywhen I heard a noise of cries and weepingand looking forth in the direction of the soundsaw much people and tents pitched on the sea-shore. They built a shipin which they embarked and sailed away. Then some of them returned with the ship and breaking it upwent their way；and methinks thosewho embarked in the ship and returned notare they whom thou seekest. In that casethy trouble must needs be grievous and thou art excusable；though never yet was lover but suffered sorrows.'Then he recited the following verses：
Uns el Wujoudthou deem'st me free of heartbutwel-a-way！
Longing and transport and desire fold and unfold me aye.
Yealove and passion have I known even from my earliest years，Since at my mother's nursing breast a suckling babe I lay.
I struggled sore and long with Lovetill I his power confessed. If thou enquire at him of mehe will me not unsay.
I quaffed the cup of passion outwith languor and diseaseAnd as a phantom I became for pining and decay.
Strong was Ibut my strength is gone and neath the swords of eyesThe armies of my patience broke and vanished clean away.
Hope not to win delight of lovewithout chagrin and woe；For contrary with contrary conjoined is alway.
But fear not change from lover true；do thou but constant be Unto thy wishand thou shalt sure be happy yet some day：
For unto lovers passion hath ordained that to forget Is heresy，forbidden all its mandates that obey.
Then he rose and coming to the youthembraced himand they wept togethertill the hills rang with their crying and they fell down in a swoon. When they revivedthey swore brotherhood in God the Most Highand the hermit said to Uns el Wujoud，'This night will I pray to God and seek of Him direction what thou shouldst do to attain thy desire.'
To return to Rose-in-bud. When they brought her into the castle and she beheld its ordinanceshe wept and exclaimed'By Allahthou art a goodly placesave that thou lackest the presence of the beloved in thee！'Thenseeing [many] birds in the islandshe bade her people set snares for them and hang up all they caught in cages within the castle；and they did so. But she sat at a window of the castle and bethought her of what had passedand passion and transport and love-longing redoubled upon hertill she burst into tears and repeated the following verses：
To whomof my desire complainingshall I cryTo whomfor loss of loves and parting's sorrowsigh？
Flames rage within my breastbut I reveal them notFor fear lest they my case discover to the spy.
I'm grown as thin as e'er a bodkin's woodso worn With absence and lament and agony am I.
Where is the loved one's eyeto see how I'm become Even as a blasted treestripped bare and like to die？
They wronged mewhen they shut me prisoner in a placeWherein my lovealas I may never come me nigh.
Greetings a thousandfold I beg the sun to bearWhat time he riseth up and setteth from the sky，To a beloved onewho puts the moon to shameFor loveliness，and doth the Indian cane outvie.
If the rose ape his cheek'Now God forfend，'I say'That of my portion aught to pilfer thou shouldst try.'
Loin his mouth are springs of limpid water sweetRefreshment that would bring to those in flames who lie.
How shall I one forget who is my heart and soulMy malady and he that healing can apply？
Thenas the shadows darkened upon herher longing increased and she called to mind the past and recited these verses also：
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.
