raised his hand to smite off his head when behold, loud cries arose and
the folk closed their shops; whereupon the King said to the headsman,
"Wait awhile," and despatched one to learn the news. The messenger fared
forth and presently returned and reported, "I saw an army like the
dashing sea with its clashing surge: and their horses curvetting till
earth trembleth with the tramp; and I know no more of them." When the
King heard this, he was confounded and feared for his realm lest it
should be torn from him; so he turned to his Minister and said, "Have
not any of our army gone forth to meet this army?" But ere he had done
speaking, his Chamberlains entered with messengers from the King who was
approaching, and amongst them the Wazir who had accompanied Taj
al-Muluk. They began by saluting the King, who rose to receive them and
bade them draw near, and asked the cause of their coming; whereupon the
Minister came forward from amongst them and stood before him and said,
"Know that he who hath come down upon thy realm is no King like unto the
Kings of yore and the Sultans that went before." "And who is he?" asked
Shahriman, and the Wazir answered, "He is the Lord of justice and
loyalty, the bruit of whose magnanimity the caravans have blazed abroad,
the Sultan Sulayman Shah, Lord of the Green Land and the Two Columns and
the Mountains of Ispahan; he who loveth justice and equity, and hateth
oppression and iniquity. And he saith to thee that his son is with thee
and in thy city; his son, his heart's very core and the fruit of his
loins, and if he find him in safety, his aim is won and thou shalt have
thanks and praise; but if he have been lost from thy realm or if aught
of evil have befallen him, look thou for ruin and the wasting of thy
reign! for this thy city shall become a wold wherein the raven shall
croak. Thus have I done my errand to thee and peace be with thee!" Now
when King Shahriman heard from the messenger these words, his heart was
troubled and he feared for his kingdom: so he cried out for his Grandees
and Ministers, Chamberlains and Lieutenants; and, when they appeared, he
said to them, "Woe to you! Go down and search for the youth." Now the
Prince was still under the headsman's hands, but he was changed by the
fright he had undergone. Presently, the Wazir, chancing to glance
around, saw the Prince on the rug of blood and recognised him; so he
arose and threw himself upon him, and so did the other envoys. Then they
proceeded to loose his bonds and they kissed his hands and feet,
whereupon Taj al-Muluk opened his eyes and, recognising his father's
Wazir and his friend Aziz, fell down a-fainting for excess of delight in
them. When King Shahriman made sure that the coming of this army was
indeed because of this youth, he was confounded and feared with great
fear; so he went up to Taj al-Muluk and, kissing his head, said to him,
"O my son, be not wroth with me, neither blame the sinner for his sin:
but have compassion on my grey hairs, and waste not my realm." Whereupon
Taj al-Muluk drew near unto him and kissing his hand, replied, "No harm
shall come to thee, for indeed thou art to me as my father; but look
that nought befal my beloved, the Lady Dunya!" Rejoined the King, "O my
lord! fear not for her; naught but joy shall betide her;" and he went on
to excuse himself and made his peace with Sulayman Shah's Wazir, to whom
he promised much money, if he would conceal from the King what he had
seen. Then he bade his chief Officers take the Prince with them and
repair to the Hammam and clothe him in one of the best of his own suits
and bring him back speedily. So they obeyed his bidding and bore him to
the bath and clad him in the clothes which King Shahriman had set apart
for him, and brought him back to the presence-chamber. When he entered
the King rose to receive him and made all his Grandees stand in
attendance on him. Then Taj al-Muluk sat down to converse with his
father's Wazir and with Aziz, and he acquainted them with what had
befallen him; after which they said to him, "During that delay we
returned to thy father and gave him to know that thou didst enter the
Palace of the Princess and didst not return therefrom; and thy case
seemed doubtful to us. But when thy sire heard of this he mustered his
forces; then we came to this land and indeed our coming hath brought to
thee relief in extreme case and to us great joy." Quoth he, "Good
fortune hath attended your every action, first and last." While this was
doing King Shahriman went in to his daughter, Princess Dunya, and found
her wailing and weeping for Taj al-Muluk. Moreover, she had taken a
sword and fixed the hilt in the ground and had set the point to the
middle of her heart between her breasts; and she bent over the blade
saying, "Needs must I slay myself and not survive my beloved." When her
father entered and saw her in this case, he cried out to her, saying, "O
Princess of kings' daughters, hold thy hand and have ruth on thy sire
and the folk of thy realm!" Then he came up to her and continued, "Let
it not be that an ill thing befal thy father for thy sake!" And he told
her the whole tale that her lover was the son of King Sulayman Shah and
sought her to wife and he added, "The marriage waiteth only for thy
consent," Thereat she smiled and said, "Did I not tell thee that he was
the son of a Sultan? By Allah, there is no help for it but that I let
him crucify thee on a bit of wood worth two pieces of silver!" Replied
the King, "O my daughter, have mercy on me, so Allah have mercy on
thee!" Rejoined she, "Up with you and make haste and go bring him to me
without delay." Quoth the King, "On my head and eyes be it!"; and he
left her and, going in hastily to Taj al-Muluk, repeated her words in
his ear.[53] So he arose and accompanied the King to the Princess, and
when she caught sight of her lover, she took hold of him and embraced
him in her father's presence and hung upon him and kissed him, saying,
"Thou hast desolated me by thine absence!" Then she turned to her father
and said, "Sawest thou ever any that could do hurt to the like of this
beautiful being, who is moreover a King, the son of a King, and of the
free-born,[54] guarded against ignoble deeds?" Thereupon King Shahriman
went out shutting the door on them with his own hand; and he returned to
the Wazir and to the other envoys of Sulayman Shah and bade them inform
their King that his son was in health and gladness and enjoying all
delight of life with his beloved. So they returned to King Sulayman and
acquainted him with this; whereupon King Shahriman ordered largesse of
money and vivers to the troops of King Sulayman Shah; and, when they had
conveyed all he had commanded, he bade be brought out an hundred
coursers and an hundred dromedaries and an hundred white slaves and an
hundred concubines and an hundred black slaves and an hundred female
slaves; all of which he forwarded to the King as a present. Then he took
horse, with his Grandees and Chief Officers, and rode out of the city in
the direction of the King's camp. As soon as Sultan Sulayman Shah knew
of his approach, he rose and advanced many paces to meet him. Now the
Wazir and Aziz had told him all the tidings, whereat he rejoiced and
cried, "Praise be to Allah who hath granted the dearest wish of my son!"
Then King Sulayman took King Shahriman in his arms and seated him beside
himself on the royal couch, where they conversed awhile and had pleasure
in each other's conversation. Presently food was set before them, and
they ate till they were satisfied; and sweetmeats and dried fruits were
brought, and they enjoyed their dessert. And after a while came to them
Taj al-Muluk, richly dressed and adorned, and when his father saw him,
he stood up and embraced him and kissed him. Then all who were sitting
rose to do him honour; and the two Kings seated him between them and
they sat conversing a while, after which quoth King Sulayman Shah to
King Shahriman, "I desire to have the marriage-contract between my son
and thy daughter drawn up in the presence of witnesses, that the wedding
may be made public, even as is the custom of Kings." "I hear and I
obey," quoth King Shahriman and thereon summoned the Kazi and the
witnesses, who came and wrote out the marriage-contract between Taj
al-Muluk and the Lady Dunya. Then they gave bakhshish[55] of money and
sweetmeats; and lavished incense and essences; and indeed it was a day
of joy and gladness and all the grandees and soldiers rejoiced therein.
Then King Shahriman proceeded to dower and equip his daughter; and Taj
al-Muluk said to his sire, "Of a truth, this young man Aziz is of the
generous and hath done me a notable service, having borne weariness with
me; and he hath travelled with me and hath brought me to my desire. He
ceased never to show sufferance with me and exhort me to patience till I
accomplished my intent; and now he hath abided with us two whole years,
and he cut off from his native land. So now I purpose to equip him with
merchandise, that he may depart hence with a light heart; for his
country is nearhand." Replied his father, "Right is thy rede;" so they
made ready an hundred loads of the richest stuffs and the most costly,
and Taj al-Muluk presented them with great store of money to Aziz, and
farewelled him, saying, "O my brother and my true friend! take these
loads and accept them from me by way of gift and token of affection, and
go in peace to thine own country." Aziz accepted the presents and
kissing the ground between the hands of the Prince and his father bade
them adieu. Moreover, Taj al-Muluk mounted and accompanied him three
miles on his homeward way as a proof of amity, after which Aziz conjured
him to turn back, saying, "By Allah, O my master, were it not for my
mother, I never would part from thee! But, good my lord! leave me not
without news of thee." Replied Taj al-Muluk, "So be it!" Then the Prince
returned to the city and Aziz journeyed on till he came to his native
town; and he entered it and ceased not faring till he went in to his
mother and found that she had built him a monument in the midst of the
house and used to visit it continually. When he entered, he saw her with
hair dishevelled and dispread over the tomb, weeping and repeating these
lines:—
Indeed I'm strong to bear whate'er befal; ✿ But weak to bear such
parting's dire mischance:
What heart estrangement of the friend can bear? ✿ What strength
withstand assault of severance?
Then sobs burst from her breast, and she recited also these couplets:—
What's this? I pass by tombs, and fondly greet ✿ My friends' last homes,
but send they no reply:
For saith each friend, "Reply how can I make ✿ When pledged to clay and
pawned to stones I lie?
Earth has consumed my charms and I forget ✿ Thy love, from kith and kin
poor banisht I."
While she was thus, behold, Aziz came in to her and when she saw him,
she fell down, fainting for very joy. He sprinkled water on her face
till she revived and rising, took him in her arms and strained him to
her breast, whilst he in like manner embraced her. Then he greeted her
and she greeted him, and she asked the reason of his long absence,
whereupon he told her all that had befallen him from first to last and
informed her how Taj al-Muluk had given him an hundred loads of monies
and stuffs. At this she rejoiced, and Aziz abode with his mother in his
native town, weeping for what mishaps had happened to him with the
daughter of Dalilah the Wily One, even her who had castrated[56] him.
Such was the case with Aziz; but as regards Taj al-Muluk he went in unto
his beloved, the Princess Dunya, and abated her maidenhead. Then King
Shahriman proceeded to equip his daughter for her journey with her
husband and father in-law, and bade bring them provaunt and presents and
rarities. So they loaded their beasts and set forth, whilst King
Shahriman escorted them, by way of farewell, three days' journey on
their way, till King Shah Sulayman conjured him to return. So he took
leave of them and turned back, and Taj al-Muluk and his wife and father
fared forwards night and day, with their troops, till they drew near
their capital. As soon as the news of their coming spread abroad, the
folk decorated for them the city,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,