第54章 KEMEREZZEMAN AND BUDOUR.(16)

indeed he is nigh upon death and we have lost hope of his recovery.Beware lest thou look too long on him or on any place other than that where thou settest thy feet： else thou art a lost man and I also.'O Vizier，'said Merzewan，I conjure thee by Allah，tell me of thy favour，the cause of this youths malady.'

I know none，'answered the Vizier，save that，three years ago，his father pressed him to marry，but he refused；whereat the King was wroth and imprisoned him.On the morrow，he would have it that he had had，for a bedfellow，the night before，a young lady of surpassing beauty，beggaring deion，with whom he had exchanged rings；but we know not the meaning of all this.So by Allah，O my son，when thou comest up into the palace，look not on the prince，but go thy way；for the Kings heart is full of anger against me.'By Allah，'said Merzewan in himself，this is he whom I sought！'Then he followed the Vizier up to the palace，where the latter seated himself at the princes feet；but Merzewan must needs go up to Kemerezzeman and stand before him，gazing on him.At this，the Vizier was like to die of affright and signed to Merzewan to go his way；but he feigned not to see him and gave not over gazing upon Kemerezzeman，till he was assured that it was indeed he of whom he was in search. Then，Glory be to God，'cried he，who hath made his shape even as her shape and his complexion as her complexion and his cheek as her cheek！'At this Kemerezzeman opened his eyes and gave ear to his speech；and when Merzewan saw him listening，he repeated the following verses：

I see thee full of song and plaint and ecstasy amain，And to the setting forth in words of charms I find thee fain.

Can it be love hath wounded thee or art thou shot with shafts？

For sure these fashions but belong unto a smitten swain.

Ho，pour me out full cups of wine and sing me eke，in praise Of Tenam，Suleyma，Reb？b，[35] a glad and lovesome strain！

Yea，let the grape-vines sun[36] go round，whose mansion is its jar，Whose East the cupbearer and West my thirsty mouth I feign.

Im jealous of the very clothes she dights upon her side，For that upon her body soft and delicate theyve lain；

And eke Im envious of the cups that touch her dainty lips，When to the kissing-place she sets them ever and again.

Think not that I in anywise with sword am done to death；Tis by the arrows of a glance，alack！that I am slain.

Whenas we met again，I found her fingers dyed with red，As twere the juice of tragacanth had steeped them in its stain.

Said I to her，'Thoust dyed thy palms，[37] whilst I was far away. This then is how the slave of love is quited for his pain.'

Quoth she （and cast into my heart the flaming fires of love，Speaking as one who hath no care loves secret to contain），'No，by thy life，this is no dye Ive used！So haste thou not To heap accusings on my head and slander me in vain.

For，when I saw thee get thee gone upon our parting day，My eyes，for very dreariment，with tears of blood did rain.

I wiped them with my hand，and so my fingers with my blood Were all to-reddened and do yet their ruddy tint retain.'

Had I for very passion wept，or eer my mistress did，I should，before repentance came，have solaced heart and brain；

But she before my weeping wept；her tears drew mine and so Quoth I，'Unto the precedent the merit doth pertain.'

Chide not at me for loving her，for by Loves self I swear，My heart with anguish for her sake is well-nigh cleft in twain.

I weep for one whose face is decked by Beautys self；theres none，Arab or foreigner，to match with her，in hill or plain.

The lore of Locman[38] hath my love and Marys chastity，with Josephs loveliness to boot and Davids songful vein；

Whilst Jacobs grief to me belongs and Jonahs dreariment，Ay，and Jobs torment and despite and Adams plight of bane.

Slay ye her not，although I die for love of her，but ask，How came it lawful unto her to shed my blood in vain.

When Kemerezzeman heard these verses，they brought refreshment and healing to his heart，and he sighed and turning his tongue in his mouth，said to the King，O my father，let this young man come and sit by my side.'The King，hearing these words from his son，rejoiced exceedingly，though at the first he had been wroth with Merzewan and thought in himself to have stricken off his head： but when he heard Kemerezzeman speak，his anger left him and he arose and drawing Merzewan to him，made him sit down by his son and said to him，Praised be God for thy safety！'May God bless thee，'answered Merzewan，and preserve thy son to thee！'Then said the King，From what country comest thou？

From the Islands of the Inland Sea，'replied he，the kingdom of King Gha？our，lord of the Islands and the seas and the Seven Palaces.'Quoth the King，Maybe thy coming shall be blessed to my son and God vouchsafe to heal him of his malady.'God willing，'rejoined Merzewan，all shall yet be well.'Then turning to Kemerezzeman，he said to him in his ear，unheard of the King and his court，Be of good cheer，O my lord，and take heart and courage.As for her for whose sake thou art thus，ask not of her condition on thine account.Thou keptest thy secret and fellest sick，but she discovered hers and they said she was mad；and she is now in prison，with an iron chain about her neck，in most piteous case；but，God willing，the healing ofboth of you shall be at my hand.'When Kemerezzeman heard this，his life returned to him and he took heart and courage and signed to his father to help him sit up；at which the King was like to lose his reason for joy and lifting him up，set two pillows for him to lean upon.Then，of his fear for his son，he shook the handkerchief of dismissal and all the Amirs and Viziers withdrew；