said to Sayf al-Muluk, “Rejoice in safety near hand; for the King of
this city is my uncle, my father’s brother and his name is ’Áli
al-Mulúk,”[430] adding, “Say thou then to the captain:—Is the Sultan of
the city, Ali al-Muluk, well?” He asked but the captain was wroth with
him and cried, “Thou sayest:—I am a stranger and never in my life came
hither. Who then told thee the name of the lord of the city?” When
Daulat Khatun heard this, she rejoiced and knew him for Mu’ín
al-Dín,[431] one of her father’s captains. Now he had fared forth in
search of her, after she was lost and finding her not, he never ceased
cruising till he came to her uncle’s city. Then she bade Sayf al-Muluk
say to him, “O Captain Mu’in al-Din, come and speak with thy mistress!”
So he called out to him as she bade, whereat he was wroth with exceeding
wrath and answered, “O dog, O thief, O spy, who art thou and how knowest
thou me?” Then he said to one of the sailors, “Give me an
ash[432]-stave, that I may go to yonder plaguing Arab and break his
head.” So he took the stick and made for Sayf al-Muluk, but, when he
came to the raft, he saw a something, wondrous, beauteous, which
confounded his wits and considering it straitly he made sure that it was
Daulat Khatun sitting there, as she were a slice of the moon; whereat he
said to the Prince, “Who is that with thee?” Replied he, “A damsel by
name Daulat Khatun.” When the captain heard the Princess’s name and knew
that she was his mistress and the daughter of his King, he fell down in
a fainting-fit, and when he came to himself, he left the raft and whatso
was thereon and riding up to the palace, craved an audience of the King;
whereupon the chamberlain went in to the presence and said, “Captain
Mu’in al-Din is come to bring thee good news; so bid he be brought in.”
The King bade admit him; accordingly he entered and kissing ground[433]
said to him, “O King, thou owest me a gift for glad tidings; for thy
brother’s daughter Daulat Khatun hath reached our city safe and sound,
and is now on a raft in the harbour, in company with a young man like
the moon on the night of its full.” When the King heard this, he
rejoiced and conferred a costly robe of honour on the captain. Then he
straightway bade decorate the city in honour of the safe return of his
brother’s daughter, and sending for her and Sayf al-Muluk, saluted the
twain and gave them joy of their safety; after which he despatched a
messenger to his brother, to let him know that his daughter was found
and was with him. As soon as the news reached Taj al-Muluk he gat him
ready and assembling his troops set out for his brother’s capital, where
he found his daughter and they rejoiced with exceeding joy. He sojourned
with his brother a week, after which he took his daughter and Sayf
al-Muluk and returned to Sarandib, where the Princess foregathered with
her mother and they rejoiced at her safe return; and held high festival
and that day was a great day, never was seen its like. As for Sayf
al-Muluk, the King entreated him with honour and said to him, “O Sayf
al-Muluk, thou hast done me and my daughter all this good for which I
cannot requite thee nor can any requite thee, save the Lord of the three
Worlds; but I wish thee to sit upon the throne in my stead and rule the
land of Hind, for I offer thee of my throne and kingdom and treasures
and servants, all this in free gift to thee.” Whereupon Sayf al-Muluk
rose and kissing the ground before the King, thanked him and answered,
“O King of the Age, I accept all thou givest me and return it to thee in
freest gift: for I, O King of the Age, covet not sovranty nor sultanate
nor desire aught but that Allah the Most High bring me to my desire.”
Rejoined the King, “O Sayf al-Muluk these my treasures are at thy
disposal: take of them what thou wilt, without consulting me, and Allah
requite thee for me with all weal!” Quoth the Prince, “Allah advance the
King! There is no delight for me in money or in dominion till I win my
wish: but now I have a mind to solace myself in the city and view its
thoroughfares and market-streets.” So the King bade bring him a mare of
the thoroughbreds, saddled and bridled; and Sayf al-Muluk mounted her
and rode through the streets and markets of the city. As he looked about
him right and left, lo! his eyes fell on a young man, who was carrying a
tunic and crying it for sale at fifteen dinars: so he considered him and
saw him to be like his brother Sa’id; and indeed it was his very self,
but he was wan of blee and changed for long strangerhood and the
travails of travel, so that he knew him not. However, he said to his
attendants, “Take yonder youth and carry him to the palace where I
lodge, and keep him with you till my return from the ride when I will
question him.” But they understood him to say, “Carry him to the
prison,” and said in themselves “Haply this is some runaway Mameluke of
his.” So they took him and bore him to the bridewell, where they laid
him in irons and left him seated in solitude, unremembered by any.
Presently Sayf al-Muluk returned to the palace, but he forgot his
brother Sa’id, and none made mention of him. So he abode in prison, and
when they brought out the prisoners, to cut ashlar from the quarries
they took Sa’id with them, and he wrought with the rest. He abode a
month’s space, in this squalor and sore sorrow, pondering his case and
saying in himself, “What is the cause of my imprisonment?”; while Sayf
al-Muluk’s mind was diverted from him by rejoicing and other things; but
one day, as he sat, he bethought him of Sa’id and said to his Mamelukes,
“Where is the white slave I gave into your charge on such a day?” Quoth
they, “Didst thou not bid us bear him to the bridewell?”; and quoth he,
“Nay I said not so; I bade you carry him to my palace after the ride.”
Then he sent his Chamberlains and Emirs for Sa’id and they fetched him
in fetters, and loosing him from his irons set him before the Prince,
who asked him, “O young man, what countryman art thou?”; and he
answered, “I am from Egypt and my name is Sa’id, son of Faris the
Wazir.” Now hearing these words Sayf al-Muluk sprang to his feet and
throwing himself off the throne and upon his friend, hung on his neck,
weeping aloud for very joy and saying, “O my brother, O Sa’id, praise be
Allah for that I see thee alive! I am thy brother Sayf al-Muluk, son of
King Asim.” Then they embraced and shed tears together and all who were
present marvelled at them. After this Sayf al-Muluk bade his people bear
Sa’id to the Hammam-bath: and they did so. When he came out, they clad
him in costly clothing and carried him back to Sayf al-Muluk who seated
him on the throne beside himself. When King Taj al-Muluk heard of the
reunion of Sayf al-Muluk and his brother Sa’id, he joyed with joy
exceeding and came to them, and the three sat devising of all that had
befallen them in the past from first to last. Then said Sa’id:—O my
brother, O Sayf al-Muluk, when the ship sank with all on board I saved
myself on a plank with a company of Mamelukes and it drifted with us a
whole month, when the wind cast us, by the ordinance of Allah Almighty,
upon an island. So we landed and entering among the trees took to eating
of the fruits, for we were anhungred. Whilst we were busy eating, there
fell on us unawares, folk like Ifrits[434] and springing on our
shoulders rode us[435] and said to us, “Go on with us; for ye are become
our asses.” So I said to him who had mounted me, “What art thou and why
mountest thou me?” At this he twisted one of his legs about my neck,
till I was all but dead, and beat upon my back the while with the other
leg, till I thought he had broken my backbone. So I fell to the ground
on my face, having no strength left in me for famine and thirst. From my
fall he knew that I was hungry and taking me by the hand, led me to a
tree laden with fruit which was a pear-tree[436] and said to me, “Eat
thy fill of this tree.” So I ate till I had enough and rose to walk
against my will; but, ere I had fared afar the creature turned and
leaping on my shoulders again drove me on, now walking, now running and
now trotting, and he the while mounted on me, laughing and saying,
“Never in my life saw I a donkey like unto thee!” We abode thus for
years till, one day of the days, it chanced that we saw there great
plenty of vines, covered with ripe fruit; so we gathered a quantity of
grape-bunches and throwing them into a pit, trod them with our feet,
till the pit became a great water-pool. Then we waited awhile and
presently returning thither, found that the sun had wroughten on the
grape-juice and it was become wine. So we used to drink it till we were
drunken and our faces flushed and we fell to singing and dancing and
running about in the merriment of drunkenness[437]; whereupon our
masters said to us, “What is it that reddeneth your faces and maketh you
dance and sing?” We replied, “Ask us not, what is your quest in
questioning us hereof?” But they insisted, saying, “You must tell us so
that we may know the truth of the case,” till we told them how we had
pressed grapes and made wine. Quoth they, “Give us to drink thereof”;
but quoth we, “The grapes are spent.” So they brought us to a Wady,
whose length we knew not from its breadth nor its beginning from its end
wherein were vines each bunch of grapes on them weighing twenty
pounds[438] by the scale and all within easy reach, and they said,
“Gather of these.” So we gathered a mighty great store of grapes and
finding there a big trench bigger than the great tank in the King’s
garden we filled it full of fruit. This we trod with our feet and did
with the juice as before till it became strong wine, which it did after
a month; whereupon we said to them, “’Tis come to perfection; but in
what will ye drink it?” And they replied, “We had asses like unto you;
but we ate them and kept their heads: so give us to drink in their
skulls.” We went to their caves which we found full of heads and bones
of the Sons of Adam, and we gave them to drink, when they became drunken
and lay down, nigh two hundred of them. Then we said to one another,
“Is’t not enough that they should ride us, but they must eat us also?
There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious,
the Great! But we will ply them with wine, till they are overcome by
drunkenness, when we will slay them and be at rest from them.”
Accordingly, we awoke them and fell to filling the skulls and gave them
to drink, but they said, “This is bitter.” We replied, “Why say ye ’tis
bitter? Whoso saith thus, except he drink of it ten times, he dieth the
same day.” When they heard this, they feared death and cried to us,
“Give us to drink the whole ten times.” So we gave them to drink, and
when they had swallowed the rest of the ten draughts they waxed drunken
exceedingly and their strength failed them and they availed not to mount
us. Thereupon we dragged them together by their hands and laying them
one upon another, collected great plenty of dry vine-stalks and branches
and heaped it about and upon them: then we set fire to the pile and
stood afar off, to see what became of them.——And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-second Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sa’id
continued:—When we set fire to the pile wherein were the Ghuls, I with
the Mamelukes stood afar off to see what became of them; and, as soon
the fire was burnt out, we came back and found them a heap of ashes,
wherefore we praised Allah Almighty who had delivered us from them. Then
we went forth about the island and sought the sea-shore, where we parted
and I and two of the Mamelukes fared on till we came to a thick copse
full of fruit and there busied ourselves with eating, and behold,
presently up came a man tall of stature long of beard and lengthy of
ear, with eyes like cressets driving before him and feeding a great
flock of sheep:[439] When he saw us he rejoiced and said to us, “Well
come, and fair welcome to you! Draw near me that I may slaughter you an
ewe of these sheep and roast it and give you to eat.” Quoth we, “Where
is thine abode?” And quoth he, “Hard by yonder mountain; go on towards
it till ye come to a cave and enter therein, for you will see many
guests like yourselves; and do ye sit with them, whilst we make ready
for you the guest-meal.” We believed him so fared on, as he bade us,
till we came to the cavern, where we found many guests, Sons of Adam
like ourselves, but they were all blinded[440]; and when we entered, one
said, “I’m sick”; and another, “I’m weak.” So we cried to them, “What is
this you say and what is the cause of your sickness and weakness?” They
asked, “Who are ye?”; and we answered, “We are guests.” Then said they,
“What hath made you fall into the hands of yonder accursed? But there is
no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great?
This is a Ghul who devoureth the Sons of Adam and he hath blinded us and
meaneth to eat us.” Said we, “And how did he blind you?” and they
replied, “Even as he will blind yourselves anon.” Quoth we, “And how
so?” And quoth they, “He will bring you bowls of soured milk[441] and
will say to you:—Ye are weary with wayfare: take this milk and drink it.
And when ye have drunken thereof, ye will become blind like us.” Said I
to myself, “There is no escape for us but by contrivance.” So I dug a
hole in the ground and sat over it. After an hour or so in came the
accursed Ghul with bowls of milk, whereof he gave to each of us, saying,
“Ye come from the desert and are athirst: so take this milk and drink
it, whilst I roast you the flesh.” I took the cup and carried it to my
mouth but emptied it into the hole; then I cried out, “Alas! my sight is
gone and I am blind!” and clapping my hand to my eyes, fell a-weeping
and a-wailing, whilst the accursed laughed and said, “Fear not, thou art
now become like mine other guests.” But, as for my two comrades, they
drank the milk and became blind. Thereupon the Ghul arose and stopping
up the mouth of the cavern came to me and felt my ribs, but found me
lean and with no flesh on my bones: so he tried another and finding him
fat, rejoiced. Then he slaughtered three sheep and skinned them and
fetching iron spits, spitted the flesh thereon and set them over the
fire to roast. When the meat was done, he placed it before my comrades,
who ate and he with them; after which he brought a leather-bag full of
wine and drank thereof and lay down prone and snored. Said I to myself,
“He’s drowned in sleep: how shall I slay him?” Then I bethought me of
the spits and thrusting two of them into the fire, waited till they were
as red-hot coals: whereupon I arose and girded myself and taking a spit
in each hand went up to the accursed Ghul and thrust them into his eyes,
pressing upon them with all my might. He sprang to his feet for sweet
life and would have laid hold of me; but he was blind. So I fled from
him into the inner cavern, whilst he ran after me; but I found no place
of refuge from him nor whence I might escape into the open country, for
the cave was stopped up with stones; wherefore I was bewildered and said
to the blind men, “How shall I do with this accursed?” Replied one of
them, “O Sa’id, with a run and a spring mount up to yonder niche[442]
and thou wilt find there a sharpened scymitar of copper: bring it to me
and I will tell thee what to do.” So I clombed to the niche and taking
the blade, returned to the blind man, who said to me, “Smite him with
the sword in his middle, and he will die forthright.” So I rushed after
the Ghul, who was weary with running after me and felt for the blind men
that he might kill them and, coming up to him smote him with the sword a
single stroke across his waist and he fell in twain. Then he screamed
and cried out to me, “O man, an thou desire to slay me, strike me a
second stroke.” Accordingly, I was about to smite him another cut; but
he who had directed me to the niche and the scymitar said, “Smite him
not a second time, for then he will not die, but will live and destroy
us.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-third Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sa’id
continued:—Now when I struck the Ghul with the sword he cried out to me,
“O man, an thou desire to slay me, strike me a second stroke!” I was
about so to do when he who had directed me to the scymitar said, “Smite
him not a second time, for then he will not die but will live and
destroy us!” So I held my hand as he bade me, and the Ghul died. Then
said the blind man to me, “Open the mouth of the cave and let us fare
forth; so haply Allah may help us and bring us to rest from this place.”
And I said, “No harm can come to us now; let us rather abide here and
repose and eat of these sheep and drink of this wine, for long is the
land. Accordingly we tarried there two months, eating of the sheep and
of the fruits of the island and drinking the generous grape-juice till
it so chanced one day, as we sat upon the beach, we caught sight of a
ship looming large in the distance; so we made signs for the crew and
holla’d to them.” They feared to draw near, knowing that the island was
inhabited by a Ghul[443] who ate Adamites, and would have sheered off;
but we ran down to the marge of the sea and made signs to them, with our
turband-ends and shouted to them, whereupon one of the sailors, who was
sharp of sight, said to the rest, “Harkye, comrades, I see these men
formed like ourselves, for they have not the fashion of Ghuls.” So they
made for us, little by little, till they drew near us in the dinghy[444]
and were certified that we were indeed human beings, when they saluted
us and we returned their salam and gave them the glad tidings of the
slaying of the accursed, wherefore they thanked us. Then we carried to
the ship all that was in the cave of stuffs and sheep and treasure,
together with a viaticum of the island-fruits, such as should serve us
days and months, and embarking, sailed on with a fair breeze three days;
at the end of which the wind veered round against us and the air became
exceeding dark; nor had an hour passed before the wind drave the craft
on to a rock, where it broke up and its planks were torn asunder.[445]
However, the Great God decreed that I should lay hold of one of the
planks, which I bestrode, and it bore me along two days, for the wind
had fallen fair again, and I paddled with my feet awhile, till Allah the
Most High brought me safe ashore and I landed and came to this city,
where I found myself a stranger, solitary, friendless, not knowing what
to do; for hunger was sore upon me and I was in great tribulation.
Thereupon I, O my brother, hid myself and pulling off this my tunic,
carried it to the market, saying in my mind, “I will sell it and live on
its price, till Allah accomplish to me whatso he will accomplish.” Then
I took the tunic in my hand and cried it for sale, and the folk were
looking at it and bidding for it, when, O my brother, thou camest by and
seeing me commandedst me to the palace; but thy pages arrested and
thrust me into the prison and there I abode till thou bethoughtest thee
of me and badst bring me before thee. So now I have told thee what befel
me, and Alhamdolillah—Glorified be God—for reunion! Much marvelled the
two Kings at Sa’id’s tale and Taj al-Muluk having made ready a goodly
dwelling for Sayf al-Muluk and his Wazir, Daulat Khatun used to visit
the Prince there and thank him for his favours and talk with him. One
day, he met her and said to her, “O my lady, where is the promise thou
madest me, in the palace of Japhet son of Noah, saying:—Were I with my
people, I would make shift to bring thee to thy desire?” And Sa’id said
to her, “O Princess, I crave thine aid to enable him to win his will.”
Answered she, “Yea, verily; I will do my endeavour for him, that he may
attain his aim, if it please Allah Almighty.” And she turned to Sayf
al-Muluk and said to him, “Be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and
clear.” Then she rose and going in to her mother, said to her, “Come
with me forthright and let us purify ourselves and make fumigations[446]
that Badi’a al-Jamal and her mother may come and see me and rejoice in
me.” Answered the Queen, “With love and goodly gree;” and rising, betook
herself to the garden and burnt off these perfumes which she always had
by her; nor was it long before Badi’a al-Jamal and her mother made their
appearance. The Queen of Hind foregathered with the other Queen and
acquainted her with her daughter’s safe return, whereat she rejoiced;
and Badi’a al-Jamal and Daulat Khatun foregathered likewise and rejoiced
in each other. Then they pitched the pavilions[447] and dressed dainty
viands and made ready the place of entertainment; whilst the two
Princesses withdrew to a tent apart and ate together and drank and made
merry; after which they sat down to converse, and Badi’a al-Jamal said,
“What hath befallen thee in thy strangerhood?” Replied Daulat Khatun, “O
my sister how sad is severance and how gladsome is reunion; ask me not
what hath befallen me! Oh, what hardships mortals suffer!” cried she,
“How so?” and the other said to her, “O my sister, I was immured in the
High-builded Castle of Japhet son of Noah, whither the son of the Blue
King carried me off till Sayf al-Muluk slew the Jinni and brought me
back to my sire;” and she told her to boot all that the Prince had
undergone of hardships and horrors before he came to the Castle.[448]
Badi’a al-Jamal marvelled at her tale and said, “By Allah, O my sister,
this is the most wondrous of wonders! This Sayf al-Muluk is indeed a
man! But why did he leave his father and mother and betake himself to
travel and expose himself to these perils?” Quoth Daulat Khatun, “I have
a mind to tell thee the first part of his history; but shame of thee
hindereth me therefrom.” Quoth Badi’a al-Jamal, “Why shouldst thou have
shame of me, seeing that thou art my sister and my bosom-friend and
there is muchel a matter between thee and me and I know thou willest me
naught but well? Tell me then what thou hast to say and be not abashed
at me and hide nothing from me and have no fear of consequences.”
Answered Daulat Khatun, “By Allah, all the calamities that have betided
this unfortunate have been on thine account and because of thee!” Asked
Badi’a al-Jamal, “How so, O my sister?”; and the other answered, “Know
that he saw thy portrait wrought on a tunic which thy father sent to
Solomon son of David (on the twain be peace!) and he opened it not
neither looked at it, but despatched it, with other presents and
rarities to Asim bin Safwan, King of Egypt, who gave it, still unopened,
to his son Sayf al-Muluk. The Prince unfolded the tunic, thinking to put
it on, and seeing thy portrait, became enamoured of it; wherefore he
came forth in quest of thee, and left his folk and reign and suffered
all these terrors and hardships on thine account.”——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Daulat Khatun
related to Badi’a al-Jamal the first part of Sayf al-Muluk’s history;
how his love for her was caused by the tunic whereon her presentment was
wrought; how he went forth, passion-distraught, in quest of her; how he
forsook his people and his kingdom for her sake and how he had suffered
all these terrors and hardships on her account. When Badi’a al-Jamal
heard this, she blushed rosy red and was confounded at Daulat Khatun and
said, “Verily this may never, never be; for man accordeth not with the
Jann.” Then Daulat Khatun went on to praise Sayf al-Muluk and extol his
comeliness and courage and cavalarice, and ceased not repeating her
memories of his prowess and his excellent qualities till she ended with
saying, “For the sake of Almighty Allah and of me, O sister mine, come
and speak with him, though but one word!” But Badi’a al-Jamal cried, “By
Allah, O sister mine, this that thou sayest I will not hear, neither
will I assent to thee therein;” and it was as if she heard naught of
what the other said and as if no love of Sayf al-Muluk and his beauty
and bearing and bravery had gotten hold upon her heart. Then Daulat
Khatun humbled herself and said, “O Badi’a al-Jamal, by the milk we have
sucked, I and thou, and by that which is graven on the seal-ring of
Solomon (on whom be peace!) hearken to these my words for I pledged
myself in the High-builded Castle of Japhet, to show him thy face. So
Allah upon thee, show it to him once, for the love of me, and look
thyself on him!” And she ceased not to weep and implore her and kiss her
hands and feet, till she consented and said, “For thy sake I will show
him my face once and he shall have a single glance.” With that Daulat
Khatun’s heart was gladdened and she kissed her hands and feet. Then she
went forth and fared to the great pavilion in the garden and bade her
slave-women spread it with carpets and set up a couch of gold and place
the wine-vessels in order; after which she went into Sayf al-Muluk and
to his Wazir Sa’id, whom she found seated in their lodging, and gave the
Prince the glad tidings of the winning of his wish, saying, “Go to the
pavilion in the garden, thou and thy brother, and hide yourselves there
from the eyes of men so none in the palace may espy you, till I come to
you with Badi’a al-Jamal.” So they rose and repaired to the appointed
pavilion, where they found the couch of gold set and furnished with
cushions, and meat and wine ready served. So they sat awhile, whilst
Sayf al-Muluk bethought him of his beloved and his breast was straitened
and love and longing assailed him: wherefore he rose and walked forth
from the vestibule of the pavilion. Sa’id would have followed him, but
he said to him, “O my brother, follow me not, but sit in thy stead till
I return to thee.” So Sa’id abode seated, whilst Sayf al-Muluk went down
into the garden, drunken with the wine of desire and distracted for
excess of love-longing and passion-fire: yearning agitated him and
transport overcame him and he recited these couplets:—
O passing Fair[449] I have none else but thee; ✿ Pity this slave in thy
love’s slavery!
Thou art my search, my joy and my desire! ✿ None save thyself shall love
this heart of me:
Would Heaven I knew thou knewest of my wails ✿ Night-long and eyelids
oped by memory.
Bid sleep to sojourn on these eyen-lids ✿ Haply in vision I thy sight
shall see.
Show favour then to one thus love-distraught: ✿ Save him from ruin by
thy cruelty!
Allah increase thy beauty and thy weal; ✿ And be thy ransom every enemy!
So shall on Doomsday lovers range beneath ✿ Thy flag, and beauties
’neath thy banner be.
Then he wept and recited these also:—
That rarest beauty ever bides my foe ✿ Who holds my heart and lurks in
secresy:
Speaking, I speak of nothing save her charms ✿ And when I’m dumb in
heart-core woneth she.
Then he wept sore and recited the following:—
And in my liver higher flames the fire; ✿ You are my wish and longsome
still I yearn:
To you (none other!) bend I and I hope ✿ (Lovers long-suffering are!)
your grace to earn;
And that you pity me whose frame by Love ✿ Is waste and weak his heart
with sore concern:
Relent, be gen’rous, tender-hearted, kind: ✿ From you I’ll ne’er remove,
from you ne’er turn!
Then he wept and recited these also:—
Came to me care when came the love of thee, ✿ Cruel sleep fled me like
thy cruelty:
Tells me the messenger that thou art wroth: ✿ Allah forefend what evils
told me he!
Presently Sa’id waxed weary of awaiting him and going forth in quest of
him, found him walking in the garden, distraught and reciting these two
couplets:—
By Allah, by th’ Almighty, by his right[450] ✿ Who read the
Koran-Chapter “Fátir”[451] hight;
Ne’er roam my glances o’er the charms I see; ✿ Thy grace, rare beauty,
is my talk by night.
So he joined him and the twain walked about the garden together solacing
themselves and ate of its fruits. Such was their case;[452] but as
regards the two Princesses, they came to the pavilion and entering
therein after the eunuchs had richly furnished it, according to command,
sat down on the couch of gold, beside which was a window that gave upon
the garden. The castratos then set before them all manner rich meats and
they ate, Daulat Khatun feeding her foster-sister by mouthfuls,[453]
till she was satisfied; when she called for divers kinds of sweetmeats,
and when the neutrals brought them, they ate what they would of them and
washed their hands. After this Daulat Khatun made ready wine and its
service, setting on the ewers and bowls and she proceeded to crown the
cups and give Badi’a al-Jamal to drink, filling for herself after and
drinking in turn. Then Badi’a al-Jamal looked from the window into the
garden and gazed upon the fruits and branches that were therein, till
her glance fell on Sayf al-Muluk, and she saw him wandering about the
parterres, followed by Sa’id, and she heard him recite verses, raining
the while railing tears. And that glance of eyes cost her a thousand
sighs,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-fifth Night,