（Quoth El Utbi ）I was sitting one day with a company of men of culturetelling stories of the folkwhen the talk turned upon anecdotes of lovers and each of us said his say thereon. Now there was in our company an old manwho remained silenttill we had all spoken and had no more to saywhen he said'Shall I tell you a thingthe like of which you never heard？'Yes，'answered we；and he said'Knowthenthat I had a daughterwho loved a youthbut we knew it not. The youth in question loved a singing-girlwhoin her turn，was enamoured of my daughter. One dayI was present at an assemblywhere were also the young man and the girl；when the latter sang the following verses：
Tears are the token by whichfor loveAbjection in lovers still is shown，And more by token in one who finds No friendto whom he may make his moan.
'By Allahthou hast said wellO my lady！'exclaimed the youth. 'Doss thou bid me die？'Yes，'answered the girl from behind the curtain'if thou be in love.'So he laid his head on a cushion and closed his eyes；and when the cup came round to himwe shook him and found that he was dead. Therewith we all flocked to himand our joy was troubled and we grieved and broke up forthright. When I came homemy people taxed me with returning before the appointed timeand I told them what had befallen the youththinking to surprise them. My daughter heard my words and risingwent into another chamberwhither I followed her and found her lyingwith her head on a cushion，as I had told of the young man. I shook her and beholdshe was dead. So we laid her out and set forth next morning with her funeralwhilst the friends of the young man carried him outlikewiseto bury him. As we were on the way to the burial-placewe met a third funeral and enquiring whose it waswere told that it was that of the singing-girlwho，hearing of my daughter's deathhad done even as she and was dead. So we buried them all three on one dayand this is the rarest story that ever was heard of lovers.'
