The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I. Commonly Called the...

O my Lord, by the Five Elders,63 deliver me; and to her who hath afflicted me transfer my anguish!For Thou knowest that I am suffering a tormenting flame, and my beloved hath oppressed me, and will not pity me.How long shall I feel tenderly to her in my affliction! And how long shall she tyrannize over my weakness!I wander in agonies never ending, and find not a person, O my Lord, to assist me.

So she took it, and repaired with it to the lady Dunyà, who, as soon as she had read it, and understood its contents, fell into a violent rage, and exclaimed, All that hath befallen me hath been through the means of this ill-omened old woman! And she called out to the female slaves and eunuchs, and said, Seize this artful old woman, and beat her with your slippers.—So they fell to beating her with their slippers until she fainted; and when she recovered, the lady Dunyà said to her, O wicked old woman, were it not for my fear of God (whose name be exalted!) I had killed thee. She then said to her attendants, Beat her again. And they beat her again until she fainted; after which she ordered them to throw her outside the door; and they dragged her along upon her face and threw her down before the door.

When she recovered, therefore, she rose, and, walking and resting now and then, arrived at her abode. She waited until the morning, and then rose and proceeded to Táj-el-Mulook, whom she acquainted with all that had befallen her; and it vexed him, and he said to her, We are grieved, O my mother, for that which hath happened to thee: but everything is in accordance with fate and destiny. She replied, Be happy and cheerful; for I will not cease my endeavours until I procure thee an interview with her, and obtain for thee access to this vile woman who hath tortured me with beating. Táj-el-Mulook then said to her, Acquaint me with the cause of her hatred of men. She replied, It is in consequence of her having had a dream.—And what was that dream? he asked. She answered, She was sleeping one night, and saw a fowler who set his snare upon the ground, and sprinkled around it some wheat, and then seated himself near it; and there was not a single bird near it but it came to that snare. And she saw, among the birds, two pigeons, a male and a female; and while she was looking at the snare, the foot of the male bird became entangled in it, and he began to struggle; whereupon all the other birds flew away from him in alarm; but his mate returned to him, and flew around over him, and then, alighting upon the snare, while the fowler was inadvertent, began to peck at the mesh in which was the foot of the male, and pulled it with her beak, until she liberated his foot; and she flew away with him.

Then, after this, the fowler came and readjusted the snare, and seated himself at a distance from it; and but a little while had elapsed when the birds descended, and the snare caught the female pigeon; upon which all the other birds flew away in alarm, and among them the male pigeon, who returned not to his mate: so the fowler came and took the female bird, and killed her. And the lady Dunyà awoke terrified by her dream, and said, Every male is like this, destitute of good; and men universally are devoid of goodness to women.—And when the old woman had finished her story to Táj-el-Mulook, he said to her, O my mother, I wish to obtain one glance at her, though my death be the consequence: contrive, therefore, some stratagem for me, that I may see her.—Know, then, said she, that she hath a garden adjacent to her palace, for her diversion, and she goeth out into it once in every month, from the private door, and remaineth in it ten days. The time of her thus going forth to divert herself hath now arrived, and when she is about to do so I will come to thee and inform thee, that thou mayest go thither and meet her; and do thou take care not to quit the garden: for probably, if she behold thy handsome and comely aspect, her heart will be captivated by love of thee; since love is the most powerful means of effecting union.

He replied, I hear and obey:—and he arose, and quitted the shop with 'Azeez, and they both, taking with them the old woman, repaired to their abode, and acquainted her with it; after which, Táj-el-Mulook said to 'Azeez, O my brother, I have no further want of the shop; for I have accomplished the purpose for which I took it; and I give it to thee, with all that it containeth, because thou hast come abroad with me, and absented thyself from thy country. And 'Azeez accepted his present, and they sat conversing together; Táj-el-Mulook asking him respecting his strange adventures, and 'Azeez relating what had happened to him. Then, addressing the Wezeer, they acquainted him with the purpose of Táj-el-Mulook, and asked him, What is to be done? He answered, Let us go to the garden. So each of them clad himself in the richest of his apparel, and they went forth, followed by three memlooks, and repaired to the garden. They beheld it abounding with trees, and with many rivulets, and saw the superintendent sitting at the gate. They saluted him, therefore, and he returned their salutation, and the Wezeer handed to him a hundred pieces of gold, saying to him, I beg thee to receive this money, and to buy for us something to eat; for we are strangers, and I have with me these children whom I wish to divert. So the gardener took the pieces of gold, and replied, Enter, and divert yourselves; for the whole of it is your property: and sit down until I return to you with something for you to eat.

He then went to the market, and the Wezeer and Táj-el-Mulook and 'Azeez entered the garden after the gardener had departed to the market; and soon the latter returned, bringing a roasted lamb, which he placed before them. And they ate, and washed their hands, and sat conversing together; and the Wezeer said, Inform me respecting this garden: doth it belong to thee, or dost thou rent it? The sheykh replied, It is not mine, but belongeth to the King's daughter, the lady Dunyà.—And what, said the Wezeer, is thy monthly salary? He answered, One piece of gold, and no more. And the Wezeer, taking a view of the garden, beheld there a lofty but old pavilion; and he said, O sheykh, I desire to perform here a good work by which thou wilt be reminded of me.—And what good thing dost thou desire to do? asked the sheykh. The Wezeer said, Take these three hundred pieces of gold. And when the superintendent heard the mention of the gold, he replied, O my master, do whatsoever thou wilt. So he took the pieces of gold; and the Wezeer said to him, If it be the will of God (whose name be exalted!), we will execute in this place a good work.

They then went forth from him, and returned to their abode, and passed the next night; and on the morrow, the Wezeer caused a whitewasher to be brought, and a painter, and an excellent goldsmith; and, having provided them with all the implements that they required, introduced them into the garden, and ordered them to whitewash that pavilion and to decorate it with various kinds of paintings. After which he gave orders to bring the gold, and the ultramarine pigment, and said to the painter, Delineate, at the upper end of this saloon, the figure of a fowler, as though he had set his snare, and a female pigeon had fallen into it, and had become entangled in it by her bill. And when the painter had finished his picture on one portion, the Wezeer said to him, Now paint, on this other portion, as before, and represent the female pigeon in the snare, and shew that the fowler hath taken her, and put the knife to her neck; and on the other side paint the figure of a great bird of prey, that hath captured the male pigeon, and fixed his talons into him. So he did this; and when he had finished these designs which the Wezeer had described to him, they took leave of the gardener, and returned to their abode.

There they sat conversing together; and Táj-el-Mulook said to 'Azeez, O my brother, recite to me some verses: perhaps my heart may thereby be dilated, and these troubling reflections may be dispelled, and the flame that is in my heart be quenched. And upon this, 'Azeez, with charming modulations, chanted these verses:—

Ibn-Seenà64 hath asserted that the lover's remedy consisteth in melodious sounds,And the company of one like his beloved, and the pleasures of a dessert and wine and a garden:But I have taken another in thy stead to cure myself, and fate and contingency aided me:Yet I found that love was a mortal disease, for which Ibn-Seenà's medicine was vain.

Meanwhile, the old woman remained alone in her house; and the lady Dunyà longed to divert herself in the garden; but she used not to go forth save with the old woman: so she sent to her, and conciliated her, and soothed her mind, and said to her, I desire to go out into the garden, to amuse myself with the sight of its trees and fruits, and that my heart may be dilated by its flowers. The old woman replied, I hear and obey; but I would first go to my house and dress myself, and I will be with thee again.—Go, then, to thy house, rejoined the lady Dunyà; but be not long absent from me. The old woman, therefore, went forth from her, and repaired to Táj-el-Mulook, and said to him, Make ready, and clothe thyself in the richest of thine apparel, and betake thyself to the garden, and go in to the gardener and salute him, and then conceal thyself in the garden. He replied, I hear and obey. And she agreed with him respecting a sign to be made; after which she returned to the lady Dunyà. And when she had gone, the Wezeer arose, and clad Táj-el-Mulook in a suit of the most magnificent of the apparel of Kings, worth five thousand pieces of gold, and girded him with a girdle of gold set with jewels, and repaired to the garden. On arriving at its gate, they found the superintendent sitting there; and when he saw Táj-el-Mulook, he rose to him, standing upon his feet, and, receiving him with reverence and honour, opened to him the gate, and said to him, Enter, and divert thyself in the garden. But the gardener knew not that the King's daughter would enter the garden that day.

And when Táj-el-Mulook had gone in, he waited but a short time, and heard a noise; and before he knew the cause, the eunuchs and female slaves came forth from the private door; and as soon as the superintendent beheld them, he went and acquainted Táj-el-Mulook with their coming, saying to him, O my lord, what is to be done, now that the King's daughter, the lady Dunyà, hath come? He answered, No harm will befall thee; for I will conceal myself in some place in the garden. So the gardener charged him to use the utmost caution in concealing himself, and left him, and departed.

And when the King's daughter, with her female slaves and the old woman, entered the garden, the old woman said within herself, If the eunuchs be with us, we shall not attain our wish. So she said to the King's daughter, O my mistress, I would propose to thee a thing productive of ease to thy heart. And the lady Dunyà replied, Propose what thou wilt. The old woman therefore said, O my mistress, thou hast no need of these eunuchs at the present time; nor will thy heart be dilated as long as they are with us: so dismiss them from us.—Thou hast spoken truly, replied the lady Dunyà:—and she dismissed them; and a little while after, as she was walking, Táj-el-Mulook beheld her, and gazed at her beauty and loveliness, while she knew it not; and every time that he looked at her he fainted, by reason of her surpassing beauty. The old woman in the meantime led her on by conversation to the pavilion which the Wezeer had ordered to be painted; and, entering this pavilion, the lady Dunyà took a view of its paintings, and saw the birds and the fowler and the pigeons; whereupon she exclaimed, Extolled be the perfection of God! Verily this is the representation of what I beheld in my dream!—And she continued gazing at the figures of the birds and the fowler and the snare, full of wonder; and said, O my nurse, I used to censure men, and hate them; but see the fowler, how he hath killed the female bird, and the male hath escaped, and desired to return to the female to liberate her, but the bird of prey hath met him and captured him.

The old woman, however, affected ignorance to her, and proceeded to divert her with talk until they both approached the place where Táj-el-Mulook was concealed; upon which she made a sign to him that he should walk beneath the windows of the pavilion; and while the lady Dunyà stood there, she looked aside, and saw him, and, observing the beauty of his face, and his elegant form, she said, O my nurse, whence is this handsome youth? The old woman answered, I know him not; but I imagine that he is the son of a great King; for he is of the utmost beauty and loveliness. And the lady Dunyà was enraptured with him. The spells that bound her were dissolved, her reason was overcome by his beauty and loveliness and his elegant person, and she was affected by violent love: so she said to the old woman, O my nurse, verily this young man is handsome. The old woman replied, Thou hast spoken truth, O my mistress. And she made a sign to the King's son to return to his house. The fire of desire flamed within him, and his rapture and distraction became excessive; but he went, and bade farewell to the superintendent, and departed to his abode, that he might not disobey the old woman, and acquainted the Wezeer and 'Azeez that she had made a sign to him to depart. And they both exhorted him to be patient, saying to him, If the old woman did not know that there was an object to be attained by thy return, she had not made a sign to thee to do so.

Now to return to the lady Dunyà.—Desire overcame her, and her rapture and distraction increased; so she said to the old woman, I know not how to obtain an interview with this young man but through thy means. The old woman exclaimed, I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed! Thou hast no desire for men; and how, then, have fears affected thee in consequence of the love of him? But, by Allah, none other than he is suited to thy youth.—O my nurse, rejoined the lady Dunyà, assist me to obtain an interview with him, and thou shalt receive from me a thousand pieces of gold, and a dress of the same value: if thou assist me not to gain him, I shall die inevitably. So the old woman replied, Go thou to thy palace, and I will devise means to bring you together, and give my life to satisfy you both. The lady Dunyà then returned to her palace, while the old woman repaired to Táj-el-Mulook; and when he saw her, he rose to her, and stood, and received her with respect and honour, seating her by his side; and she said to him, The stratagem hath succeeded. She then related to him what had occurred between her and the lady Dunyà; and he said to her, When shall be the interview? She answered, To-morrow. And he gave her a thousand pieces of gold, and a garment of the same value: and she took them, and departed, and stopped not until she went in to the lady Dunyà, who said to her, O my nurse, what news hast thou brought from the beloved?—I have discovered his abode, she answered; and to-morrow I will bring him to thee.

She passed the next night, and in the morning she went forth and repaired to Táj-el-Mulook, and, having clad him in women's apparel, said to him, Walk behind me, and incline thy body from side to side as thou steppest,65 and proceed not with a hasty pace, nor take notice of any one who may speak to thee. And after she had thus charged him, she went forth, and he behind her in his female attire; and she proceeded to instruct him, on the way, how to act, that he might not fear. She continued on her way, he following her, until they arrived at the entrance of the palace, when she entered, and he also after her, and she passed through successive doors and antechambers until she had conducted him through seven doors. And when she arrived at the seventh door, she said to Táj-el-Mulook, Fortify thy heart, and if I call out to thee, and say to thee, O slave-girl, advance!—be not tardy in thy pace, but hasten on, and when thou hast entered the antechamber beyond, look to thy left: thou wilt see a saloon with seven doors; and do thou count five doors, and enter the sixth; for within it is the object of thy desire.—And whither goest thou? said Táj-el-Mulook. She answered, I have no place to go to; but perhaps I may wait after thee and speak with the chief eunuch. She then proceeded, and he followed her, until they arrived at the door where was the chief eunuch; and he saw with her Táj-el-Mulook in the attire of a female slave, and said to her, What is the business of this slave-girl who is with thee?

She answered him, The lady Dunyà hath heard that this girl is skilled in different kinds of work, and she desireth to purchase her. But the eunuch replied, I know neither slave-girl nor any other person; and no one shall enter without being searched by me, as the King hath commanded me. Upon this, the old woman, manifesting anger, said to him, I knew that thou wast a man of sense and of good manners; and if thou art changed I will acquaint her with this, and inform her that thou hast offered opposition to her female slave. She then called out to Táj-el-Mulook, and said to him, Advance, O slave-girl! And immediately he entered the antechamber, as she had commanded him, and the eunuch was silent, and said no more. So Táj-el-Mulook counted five doors, and entered the sixth, and found the lady Dunyà standing expecting him.

As soon as she beheld him, she knew him, and pressed him to her bosom, and he embraced her in like manner; and the old woman, coming in to them, contrived a pretext to dismiss the female slaves; after which the lady Dunyà said to her, Be thou keeper of the door. She then remained alone with Táj-el-Mulook, and they passed the whole night in innocent dalliance.66 And on the following morning she closed the door upon him and the old woman, and entering another apartment, sat there according to her custom; and her female slaves came to her, and she transacted their affairs and conversed with them, and then said to them, Go forth from me now; for I desire to amuse myself in solitude. So they left her, and she returned to Táj-el-Mulook and the old woman, taking with her some food for them; and thus they ceased not to do for a whole month.

As to the Wezeer, however, and 'Azeez, when Táj-el-Mulook had gone to the palace of the King's daughter and remained all this time, they concluded that he would never return from it, and that he was inevitably lost; and 'Azeez said to the Wezeer, O my father, what wilt thou do? The Wezeer answered, O my son, this affair is one of difficulty, and if we return not to his father to acquaint him, he will blame us for our negligence. So they prepared themselves immediately, and journeyed towards El-Arḍ el-Khaḍrà and El-'Amoodeyn67 and the royal residence of the King Suleymán Sháh, and traversed the valleys night and day until they went in and presented themselves before the King Suleymán Sháh; and they informed him of that which had happened to his son, and that they had learnt no news of him since he had entered the palace of the King's daughter. On hearing this, he was as though the day of resurrection had surprised him: his sorrow was intense, and he gave orders to make a proclamation of war throughout his dominions. He then sent forth his troops outside the city, and caused the tents to be pitched for them, and remained in his pavilion until the forces had assembled from all the quarters of his kingdom. His subjects loved him for his great justice and beneficence, and he departed with an army that covered the earth as far as the eye could reach, for the purpose of demanding his son Táj-el-Mulook.

In the meantime, Táj-el-Mulook and the lady Dunyà continued together for half a year, every day increasing in mutual love; and the love and distraction and rapture of Táj-el-Mulook so augmented that he opened to her his mind, and said to her, Know, O beloved of my heart, that the longer I remain with thee, the more do my distraction and ecstasy and desire increase; for I have not altogether attained my wish. So she said, What dost thou wish, O light of my eye, and delight of my heart? He answered, I desire to acquaint thee with my true history: know, then, that I am not a merchant, but a King, son of a King, and the name of my father is the Supreme King Suleymán Sháh, who sent the Wezeer as ambassador to thy father to demand thee for me in marriage; and when the news came to thee thou refusedst to consent.—He then related to her his story from first to last; and added, I desire now to repair to my father, that he may send an ambassador again to thy father, to demand thee in marriage from him, and so we shall remain at ease.—And when she heard this, she rejoiced exceedingly: for it coincided with her wish; and they passed the next night determined upon this proceeding.

But it happened, in accordance with destiny, that sleep overcame them unusually that night, and they remained until the sun had risen. The King Sháh-Zemán was then upon his royal seat, with the emeers of his empire before him, and the chief of the goldsmiths presented himself, having in his hand a large round casket: and he advanced, and, opening it before the King, took forth from it an elegant box worth a hundred thousand pieces of gold for the jewels it contained, and rubies and emeralds, such as no King of the earth could procure. And when the King saw it, he wondered at its beauty; and he looked towards the chief eunuch, to whom the affair with the old woman had happened (as above described), and said to him, O Káfoor,68 take this box, and go with it to the lady Dunyà. So the eunuch took it, and proceeded until he arrived at the chamber of the King's daughter, when he found its door closed, and the old woman sleeping at its threshold, and he exclaimed, Until this hour are ye sleeping? And when the old woman heard what he said, she awoke from her sleep, and, in her fear of him, said, Wait until I bring the key. She then went forth and fled. The eunuch, therefore, knew that she was alarmed, and he displaced the door,69 and, entering the chamber, found the lady Dunyà asleep with Táj-el-Mulook. At the sight of this, he was perplexed at his case, and was meditating to return to the King, when the lady Dunyà awoke, and found him by her; and she was troubled, and her countenance became pale, and she said, O Káfoor, veil what God hath veiled.

But he replied, I cannot conceal anything from the King. And he closed the door upon them, and returned to the King. So the King said to him, Hast thou given the box to thy mistress? The eunuch answered, Take the box: here it is. I cannot conceal from thee anything. Know that I beheld, with the lady Dunyà, a handsome young man, sleeping in the same chamber. The King therefore ordered that they should be both brought before him; and when they had come into his presence, he said to them, What are these deeds? And he was violently enraged, and, seizing a dagger,70 was about to strike with it Táj-el-Mulook; but the lady Dunyà threw her head upon him, and said to her father, Slay me before him. The King, however, chid her, and ordered them to convey her back to her chamber. Then looking towards Táj-el-Mulook, he said to him, Wo to thee! Whence art thou, and who is thy father, and what hath emboldened thee to act thus towards my daughter?—Know, O King, answered Táj-el-Mulook, that, if thou put me to death, thou wilt perish, and thou and all in thy dominions will repent.—And why so? said the King. He answered, Know that I am the son of the King Suleymán Sháh, and thou wilt not be aware of the consequence when he will approach thee with his horsemen and his infantry.

And when King Sháh-Zemán heard this, he desired to defer putting him to death; and to imprison him until he should see whether his assertion were true; but his Wezeer said to him, O King of the age, it is my advice that thou hasten the execution of this young wretch, since he hath been guilty of presumption towards the daughters of Kings. So he said to the executioner, Strike off his head; for he is a traitor. And the executioner took him, and, having bound him firmly, raised his hand, and made a sign of consultation to the emeers a first and a second time, desiring by this that some delay might take place; but the King called out to him, How long wilt thou consult? If thou do so again I will strike off thy head.

The executioner, therefore, raised his hand until his arm-pit appeared, and was about to strike off his head, when loud cries were heard, and, the people closed their shops. So the King said to the executioner, Hasten not. And he sent a person to learn the news for him; and the messenger went, and, soon returning, said to the King, I beheld an army like the roaring sea agitated with waves; their horses are prancing, and the earth trembleth beneath them, and I know not wherefore they are come. And the King was amazed, and feared lest he should be deposed from his throne. He then said to his Wezeer, Have none of our troops gone forth to meet this army? But his words were not finished when his chamberlains came in to him accompanied by the messengers of the approaching King, and among them was the Wezeer who had been with Táj-el-Mulook. He commenced by salutation; and the King rose to him, and, calling them near to him, asked them respecting the cause of their coming: whereupon the Wezeer advanced from among them, and approached the King, and said to him, Know that he who hath alighted in thy territories is a King not like the Kings who have preceded him, nor like the Sulṭáns of former times.—And who is he? said the King.

The Wezeer answered, He is the lord of justice and security, the fame of whose magnanimity the caravans have spread abroad, the Sulṭán Suleymán Sháh, the lord of El-Arḍ el-Khaḍrà and El-'Amoodeyn and the mountains of Iṣpahán, who loveth justice and equity, and hateth tyranny and oppression; and he saith to thee, that his son is in thy dominions and in thy city, and he is the vital spirit of his heart, and its delight; and if he find him in safety, it is what he desireth, and thou wilt be thanked and praised; but if he be not found in thy country, or if any evil hath befallen him, receive tidings of destruction and of the ruin of thy territories; for thy country shall become a desert in which the raven shall croak. Thus I have delivered to thee the message; and peace be on thee.—When the King Sháh-Zemán heard these words of the envoy, his heart was troubled, and he feared for his kingdom, and called out to the lords of his empire, and his wezeers and chamberlains and lieutenants; and when they had come before him he said to them, Wo unto you! Go down and search for this young man.—But he was under the hand of the executioner, and his appearance was changed through the fear that he suffered. The Wezeer then, looking aside, found the King's son upon the skin of blood,71 and he recognised him, and arose, and threw himself upon him.

So also did the other messengers: they then unbound him, and kissed his hands and his feet; whereupon Táj-el-Mulook opened his eyes, and, recognising the Wezeer and his companion 'Azeez, fell down in a swoon through the excess of his joy at their presence.

The King Sháh-Zemán was perplexed at his situation, and in great fear, on discovering that the coming of the army was on account of this young man; and he arose and walked forward to Táj-el-Mulook, and kissed his head, and, with weeping eyes, said to him, O my son, be not angry with me: be not angry with the evil-doer for his deed; but have compassion on my gray hairs, and lay not waste my dominions. And Táj-el-Mulook approached him, and kissed his hand, saying to him, No harm shall befall thee; for thou art in my estimation as my father; but beware that no evil befall my beloved, the lady Dunyà.—O my lord, rejoined the King, fear not for her; for nought but happiness awaiteth her. And he proceeded to excuse himself to him, and to soothe the mind of the Wezeer of the King Suleymán Sháh, promising him a large sum of money that he might conceal from the King what he had seen; after which he ordered the grandees of his empire to take Táj-el-Mulook and to conduct him to the bath, to clothe him in a suit of the best of royal apparel, and bring him back quickly. So they did this: they conducted him into the bath, and, having clad him in the suit which the King Sháh-Zemán had allotted him, brought him back to the hall of audience; and when he came in, the King rose to him, he and all the lords of his empire, and they all stood to wait upon him.

Then Táj-el-Mulook sat and conversed with his father's Wezeer and with 'Azeez respecting the events which had happened to him; and they replied, During that period we went to thy father, and informed him that thou hadst entered the palace of the King's daughter, and not come forth from it, and that thy case appeared doubtful to us; and when he heard this, he made ready the troops, and we came to this country, and on our arrival have experienced joy and happiness. So he said to them, Good fortune hath attended your actions, first and last.

The King, in the meantime, had gone into his daughter, the lady Dunyà, and found her weeping for Táj-el-Mulook. She had taken a sword, and put its hilt to the floor, and its point to the middle of her bosom, and was leaning over it, saying, I must kill myself, and not live after my beloved. When her father, therefore, went in to her, and beheld her in this state, he called out to her, and said, O mistress of the daughters of Kings, do it not; but have mercy upon thy father and the people of thy country! Then advancing to her, he said to her, I conjure thee to abstain, lest evil befall thy father on thy account. And he acquainted her with the case, telling her that her beloved, the son of the King Suleymán Sháh, desired to celebrate his marriage with her, and adding, The affair of the betrothal and marriage is committed to thy judgment. And she smiled, and said to him, Did I not tell thee that he was the son of a Sulṭán? I will make him crucify thee upon a piece of wood worth a couple of pieces of silver.I conjure thee by Allah, he exclaimed, that thou have mercy upon thy father!—Go to him, she rejoined, and bring him to me. He replied, On the head and the eye. And he returned from her quickly, and, going in to Táj-el-Mulook, rejoiced him by what he said. He then arose with him, and went to her again; and when she beheld Táj-el-Mulook, she embraced him in the presence of her father, and clung to him, and said to him, Thou hast made me desolate by thine absence.

Then looking at her father, she said, Can any one act injuriously towards such a person as this handsome youth, and he a King, a son of a King? And upon this the King Sháh-Zemán went forth, and closed the door upon them, and, repairing to the Wezeer and the other messengers of the father of Táj-el-Mulook, ordered them to inform the Sulṭán Suleymán Sháh that his son was in prosperity and health, and enjoying a life of the utmost delight. He gave orders also to carry forth provisions and pay to the troops of the Sulṭán Suleymán Sháh; and after they had conveyed all that he commanded them to take forth, he brought out a hundred coursers, and a hundred dromedaries, and a hundred memlooks, and a hundred concubine slaves, and a hundred male black slaves, and a hundred female slaves, and sent them all to him as a present.

He then repaired to him, with the lords of his empire, and his chief attendants, and they proceeded until they arrived outside the city; and when the Sulṭán Suleymán Sháh became acquainted with this he advanced some paces to meet him. The Wezeer and 'Azeez had informed him of the news, and he rejoiced, and exclaimed, Praise be to God who hath granted my son the accomplishment of his wish! And he embraced the King Sháh-Zemán, and seated him by his side upon the couch, and they conversed together; after which the attendants placed before; them the food, and when they had eaten to satisfaction they brought them the sweetmeats. Soon after, Táj-el-Mulook came, approaching in his rich and ornamented dress; and when his father beheld him, he rose to him and kissed him, and all who were present rose to him; and after he had sat with them a while conversing, the King Suleymán Sháh said, I desire to perform my son's contract of marriage to thy daughter in the presence of witnesses. And King Sháh-Zemán replied, I hear and obey. So he summoned the Ḳáḍee and witnesses, and they came, and wrote the marriage-contract; and the troops rejoiced at this. And King Sháh-Zemán began to fit out his daughter.

Then Táj-el-Mulook said to his father, Verily, 'Azeez is a generous person; he hath performed for me a great service, and wearied himself, and journeyed with me, and enabled me to attain the object of my search, ceasing not to exhort me to patience until I accomplished my wish, and he hath been with us two years separated from his country: it is my desire, therefore, that we should prepare for him merchandise; for his country is near. His father replied, Thy opinion is excellent. So they prepared for him a hundred loads of the most costly stuffs; and Táj-el-Mulook bade him farewell, saying to him, O my brother, accept this as a present. And he accepted it, and kissed the ground before him and before his father. Táj-el-Mulook then mounted his horse, and proceeded with 'Azeez for the space of three miles; after which, 'Azeez conjured him to return, and said, Were it not for my mother, I could not endure thy separation; and by Allah, I entreat thee not to cease acquainting me with thy state. Having thus said, he bade him farewell, and repaired to his city. He found that his mother had built for him a tomb in the midst of the house, and she frequently visited it; and when he entered the house, he found that she had dishevelled her hair and spread it upon the tomb, and, with streaming eyes, was reciting these verses:—

She then groaned, and recited some other verses; but before she had finished, 'Azeez went in to her: and when she beheld him, she rose to him and embraced him, and asked him respecting his long absence: so he acquainted her with all the events that had happened to him from first to last, and told her that Táj-el-Mulook had given him, of wealth and stuffs, a hundred loads; and she rejoiced at this.—Such was the history of 'Azeez.

Now as to Táj-el-Mulook, he returned to his beloved, the lady Dunyà, and King Sháh-Zemán fitted her out for the journey with her husband and her father-in-law: he sent to them provisions and presents and rarities, and they loaded their beasts and departed; and King Sháh-Zemán accompanied them three days' journey to bid them farewell. The King Suleymán Sháh then conjured him to return: so he returned; and Táj-el-Mulook and his father and his wife continued their journey night and day until they came in sight of their country. The city was decorated for them, and they entered it; and the King Suleymán Sháh sat upon his throne with his son Táj-el-Mulook by his side; and he gave presents, and liberated the persons confined in the prisons; after which he celebrated for his son a second wedding-festivity: the songs and instrumental music were continued for a whole month, and the tire-women crowded around the lady Dunyà, and she was not tired with the display, nor were they with gazing at her. Táj-el-Mulook then took up his abode with her, after an interview with his father and mother together; and they passed a life of the utmost delight and enjoyment.