So he waited till the Wazir entered the stable，to look upon the steed，and said to him，'O my lord，what will be my due，an I heal this horse，and make his eyes whole again？'Replied the Wazir，'As my head liveth，an thou cure him，I will spare thy life and give thee leave to crave a boon of me！'And Nur al-Din said，'O my lord，bid my hands be unbound！'So the Wazir bade unbind him and he rose and taking virgin glass，[554] brayed it and mixed it with unslaked lime and a menstruum of onion-juice.
Then he applied the whole to the horse's eyes and bound them up；saying in himself，'Now will his eyes be put out and they will slay me and I shall be at rest from this woe-full life.'Then he passed the night with a heart free from the uncertainty[555]
of cark and care，humbling himself to Allah the Most High and saying，'O Lord，in Thy knowledge is that which dispenseth with asking and craving！'Now when the morning morrowed and the sun shone，the Wazir came to the stable and，loosing the bandage from the horse's eyes considered them and found them finer than before，by the ordinance of the King who openeth evermore.So he said to Nur al-Din，'O Moslem，never in the world saw I the like of thee for the excellence of thy knowledge.By the virtue of the Messiah and the Faith which is no liar，thou makest me with wonder to admire，for all the farriers of our land have failed to heal this horse！'Then he went up to Nur al-Din and，doing off his shackles with his own hand，clad him in a costly dress and made him his master of the Horse；and he appointed him stipends and allowances and lodged him in a story over the stables.So Nur al-Din abode awhile，eating and drinking and ****** merry and bidding and forbidding those who tended the horses；and whoso neglected or failed to fodder those tied up in the stable wherein was his service，he would thrown down and beat with grievous beating and lay him by the legs in bilboes of iron.Furthermore；he used every day to descend and visit the stallions and rub them down with his own hand，by reason of that which he knew of their value in the Wazir's eyes and his love for them；wherefore the Minister rejoiced in him with joy exceeding and his breast broadened and he was right glad，unknowing what was to be the issue of his case.Now in the new palace，which the one-eyed Wazir had bought for Princess Miriam，was a lattice-window overlooking his old house and the flat wherein Nur al-Din lodged.
The Wazir had a daughter，a virgin of extreme loveliness，as she were a fleeing gazelle or a bending branchlet，and it chanced that she sat one day at the lattice aforesaid and behold，she heard Nur al-Din，singing and solacing himself under his sorrows by improvising these verses；'O my Censor who wakest a-morn to see * The joys of life and its jubilee！
Had the fangs of Destiny bitten thee * In such bitter case thou hadst pled this plea；'Ah me，for Love and his case，ah me：
My heart is burnt by the fires I dree！'
But from Fate's despight thou art safe this day；- * From her falsest fay and her crying'Nay！'
Yet blame him not whom his woes waylay * Who distraught shall say in his agony；'Ah me，for Love and his case，ah me：
My heart is burnt by the fires I dree！'
Excuse such lovers in flight abhorr'd * Nor to Love's distreses thine aid afford：
Lest thy self be bound by same binding cord * And drink of Love's bitterest injury.
'Ah me，for Love and his case，ah me：
My heart is burnt by the fires I dree！'
In His service I wont as the days went by * With freest heart through the nights to lie；
Nor tasted wake，nor of Love aught reckt * Ere my heart to subjection summoned he：
'Ah me，for Love and his case，ah me：
My heart is burnt by the fires I dree！'
None weet of Love and his humbling wrong * Save those he sickened so sore，so long；Who have lost their wits'mid the lover-throng * Draining bitterest cup by his hard decree：
'Ah me，for Love and his case，ah me：
My heart is burnt by the fires I dree！'
How oft in Night's gloom he cause wake to rue * Lovers' eyne，and from eyelids their sleep withdrew；
Till tears to the railing of torrents grew，* Overflowing cheeks ，unconfined and free：
'Ah me，for Love and his case，ah me：
My heart is burnt by the fires I dree！'
How many a man he has joyed to steep * In pain，and for pine hath he plundered sleep，--
Made don garb of mourning the deepest deep * And even his dreaming forced to flee：
'Ah me，for Love and his case，ah me：
My heart is burnt by the fires I dree！'
How oft sufferance fails me！ How bones are wasted * And down my cheeks torrent tear-drops hasted：
And embittered She all the food I tasted * However sweet it was wont to be：
'Ah me，for Love and his case，ah me：
My heart is burnt by the fires I dree！'
Most hapless of men who like me must love，* And must watch when Night droops her wing from above；Who，swimming the main where affection drove * Must sign and sink in that gloomy sea：
'Ah me，for Love and his case，ah me：
My heart is burnt by the fires I dree！'
Who is he to whom Love e'er stinted spite * And who scaped his springes and easy sleight；
Who free from Love lived in life's delight？ * Where is he can boast of such liberty？
'Ah me，for Love and his case，ah me：
My heart is burnt by the fires I dree！'
Deign Lord such suffering wight maintain * Then best Protector；protect him deign！
Establish him and his life assain * And defend him from all calamity：
'Ah me，for Love and his case，ah me：
My heart is burnt by the fires I dree！'
And when Nur al-Din ended his say and ceased to sing his rhyming lay，the Wazir's daughter said to herself，'By the virtue of the Messiah and the Faith which is no liar，verily this Moslem is a handsome youth！ But doubtless he is a lover separated from his mistress.Would Heaven I wot an the beloved of this fair one is fair like unto him and if she pine for him as he for her！ An she be seemly as he is，it behoveth him to pour forth tears and make moan of passion；but，an she be other than fair，his days are wasted in vain regrets and he is denied the taste of delights.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
