The Worth of the Beloved in the Lover's Eyes

A marriage was arranged between two cousins, two children of a noble line, each bright as the sun. One of them was delighted with the match; the other was unwilling and rebellious. One had the grace and beauty of an angel; the other had turned his face to the wall. One dressed and adorned himself for the day; the other begged God to let him die. The village elders sat the unwilling young man down and said, 'You feel no love for her, so give her a marriage payment and let her go.' He laughed and said, 'For a hundred sheep, freedom from this bond is no bad bargain at all.' The angel faced bride tore at her skin with her nails, crying, 'How could I ever bear to be parted from my love?' 'Not a hundred sheep, but three hundred thousand, none of it is worth not seeing my beloved's face.' Whatever keeps you from your beloved, if you want the truth, that thing has become your comfort instead of the friend. Someone wrote to a heart lost in love: 'Do you long for hell or for paradise?' He answered, 'Do not ask me such things. I want only what my beloved wants for me.'