第23章

When he had ended repeating these verses，he laid his head on his pillow and closed his eyes and slept.Then saw he in his sleep one who said to him，'Rejoice，for thy son shall fill the lands with justest sway；and he shall rule them and him shall the lieges obey.'；Then he awoke from his dream gladdened by the good tidings he had seen，and after a few days，Death smote him，and because of his dying great grief fell on the people of Baghdad，and simple and gentle mourned for him.But Time passed over him，as though he had never been[63] and Kanmakan's estate was changed；for the people of Baghdad set him aside and put him and his family in a place apart.Now when his mother saw this，she fell into the sorriest of plights and said，'There is no help but that I go to the Grand Chamberlain，and I must hope for the aidance of the Subtle，the AllWise！'Then she rose from her place and betook herself to the house of the Chamberlain who was now become Sultan，and she found him sitting upon his carpet.So she went in to his wife，Nuzhat alZaman，and wept with sore weeping and said unto her，'Verily the dead hath no friend！ May Allah never bring you to want as long as your age and the years endure，and may you cease not to rule justly over rich and poor.

Thine ears have heard and thine eyes have seen all that was ours of kingship and honour and dignity and wealth and fair fortune of life and condition；and now Time hath turned upon us，and fate and the world have betrayed us and wrought in hostile way with us，wherefore I come to thee craving thy favours，I from whom favours were craved： for when a man dieth，women and maidens are brought to despisal.'And she repeated these couplets，'Suffice thee Death such marvels can enhance，

And severed lives make lasting severance：

Man's days are marvels，and their stations are

But waterpits[64] of misery and mischance.

Naught wrings my heart save loss of noble friends，Girt round by rings of hard，harsh circumstance.'

When Nuzhat alZaman heard these words，she remembered her brother，Zau alMakan，and his son Kanmakan，and，making her draw near to her and showing her honour，she said，'Verily at this moment，by Allah，I am grown rich and thou art poor；now by the Lord！ we did not cease to seek thee out，but we feared to wound thy heart lest thou shouldest fancy our gifts to thee an alms gift.Withal，whatso weal we now enjoy is from thee and thy husband；so our house is thy house and our place thy place，and thine is all our wealth and what goods we have belong to thee.'

Then she robed her in sumptuous robes and set apart for her a place in the Palace adjoining her own；and they abode therein，she and her son，in all delight of life.And Nuzhat alZaman clothed him also in Kings' raiment and gave to them both especial handmaids for their service.After a little，she related to her husband the sad case of the widow of her brother，Zau alMakan，whereat his eyes filled with tears and he said，'Wouldest thou see the world after thee，look thou upon the world after other than thyself.Then entreat her honourably and enrich her poverty.'And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When It was the One Hundred and Thirtyeighth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when Nuzhat AlZaman related to her husband the sad case of the widow of her brother，Zau alMakan，the Chamberlain said，'Entreat her honourably and enrich her poverty.'Thus far concerning Nuzhat alZaman and her consort and the relict of Zau alMakan；but as regards Kanmakan and his cousin Kuzia Fakan，they grew up and flourished till they waxed like unto two fruitladen boughs or two shining moons；and they reached the age of fifteen.And she was indeed the fairest of maids who are modestly veiled，lovely faced with smooth cheeks graced，and slender waist on heavy hips based；and her shape was the shaft's thin line and her lips were sweeter than old wine and the nectar of her mouth as it were the fountain Salsabil[65]；even as saith the poet in these two couplets describing one like her，'As though ptisane of wine on her lips honey dew Dropt from the ripened grapes her mouth in clusters grew And，when her frame thou doublest，and low bends her vine，Praise her Creator's might no creature ever knew.'

Of a truth Allah had united in her every charm： her shape would shame the branch of waving tree and the rose before her cheeks craved lenity；and the honey dew of her lips of wine made jeer，however old and clear，and she gladdened heart and beholder with joyous cheer，even as saith of her the poet，'Goodly of gifts is she，and charm those perfect eyes，With lashes shaming Kohl and all the fair ones Kohl'd[66]And from those eyne the glances pierce the lover's heart，Like sword in Mir alMuminina Ali's hold.'

And （the relator continueth） as for Kanmakan，he became unique in loveliness and excelling in perfection no less；none could even him in qualities as in seemliness and the sheen of velour between his eyes was espied，testifying for him while against him it never testified.The hardest hearts inclined to his side；his eyelids bore lashes black as by Kohl；and he was of surpassing worth in body and soul.And when the down of lips and cheeks began to sprout bards and poets sang for him far and near，'Appeared not my excuse till hair had clothed his cheek，And gloom o'ercrept that sideface （sight to stagger！）

A fawn，when eyes would batten on his charms，

Each glance deals thrust like point of Khanjardagger.'

And saith another，'His lovers' souls have drawn upon his cheek

An ant that perfected its rosy light：

I marvel at such martyrs Lazapent

Who yet with greeny robes of Heaven are dight.''[67]