第85章

When it was the One Hundred and Seventythird Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Shahriman having accepted the counsel of his Wazir，waited for another year and a great festival，a day of state when the audience hall was filled with his Emirs and Wazirs and Grandees of his reign and Officers of State and Captains of might and main. Thereupon he sent for his son Kamar alZaman who came，and kissing the ground before him three times，stood in presence of his sire with his hands behind his back the right grasping the left.[233] Then said the King to him，'Know O my son，that I have not sent for thee on this occasion and summoned thee to appear before this assembly and all these officers of estate here awaiting our orders save and except that I may lay a commandment on thee，wherein do thou not disobey me；and my commandment is that thou marry，for I am minded to wed thee to a King's daughter and rejoice in thee ere I die.'When the Prince heard this much from his royal sire，he bowed his head groundwards awhile，then raising it towards his father and being moved thereto at that time by youthful folly and boyish ignorance，replied，'But for myself I will never marry；no，not though I drink the cup of death！ As for thee，thou art great in age and small of wit：hast thou not，twice ere this day and before this occasion，questioned me of the matter of marriage and I refused my consent？ Indeed thou dotest and are not fit to govern a flock of sheep！'So saying Kamar alZaman unclasped his hands from behind his back and tucked up his sleeves above his elbows before his father，being in a fit of fury；moreover，he added many words to his sire，knowing not what he said in the trouble of his spirits. The King was confounded and ashamed，for that this befel in the presence of his grandees and soldierofficers assembled on a high festival and a state occasion；but presently the majesty of Kingship took him，and he cried out at his son and made him tremble. Then he called to the guards standing before him and said，'Seize him！'So they came forward and laid hands on him and，binding him，brought him before his sire，who bade them pinion his elbows behind his back and in this guise make him stand before the presence. And the Prince bowed down his head for fear and apprehension，and his brow and face were beaded and spangled with sweat；and shame and confusion troubled him sorely.

Thereupon his father abused him and reviled him and cried，'Woe to thee，thou son of adultery and nursling of abomination！[234] How durst thou answer me on this wise before my captains and soldiers？ But hitherto none hath chastised thee，'And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Seventyfourth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that King Shahriman cried out to his son Kamar alZaman，'How durst thou answer me on this wise before my captains and soldiers？ But hitherto none hath chastised thee. Knowest thou not that this deed thou hast done were a disgrace to him had it been done by the meanest of my subjects？'And the King commanded his Mamelukes to loose his elbow bonds and imprison him in one of the bastions of the citadel. So they took the Prince and thrust him into an old tower，wherein there was a dilapidated saloon and in its middle a ruined well，after having first swept it and cleansed its floorflags and set therein a couch on which they laid a mattress，a leathern rug and a cushion；and then they brought a great lanthorn and a wax candle，for that place was dark，even by day. And lastly the Mamelukes led Kamar alZaman thither，and stationed an eunuch at the door. And when all this was done，the Prince threw himself on the couch，sadspirited，and heavy hearted；blaming himself and repenting of his injurious conduct to his father，whenas repentance availed him naught，and saying，'Allah curse marriage and marriageable and married women，the traitresses all！ Would I had hearkened to my father and accepted a wife！ Had I so done it had been better for me than this jail.'

This is how it fared with him；but as regards King Shahri man，he remained seated on his throne all through the day until sundown；then he took the Minister apart and said to him 'Know thou，O Wazir，that thou and thou only west the cause of all this that hath come to pass between me and my son by the advice thou west pleased to devise；and so what dost thou counsel me to do now？'

Answered he，'O King，leave thy son in limbo for the space of fifteen days：then summon him to thy presence and bid him wed；and assuredly he shall not gainsay thee again.'And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Seventyfifth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the Wazir，said to King Shahriman，'Leave thy son in limbo for the space of fifteen days；then summon him to thy presence and bid him wed；and assuredly he shall not gainsay thee again.'The King accepted the Wazir's opinion and lay down to sleep that night troubled at heart concerning his son；for he loved him with dearest love because he had no other child but this；and it was his wont every night not to sleep，save after placing his arm under his son's neck. So he passed that night in trouble and unease on the Prince 's account，tossing from side to side，as he were laid on coals of Artemisiawood[235]：

for he was overcome with doubts and fears and sleep visited him not all that livelong night；

but his eyes ran over with tears and he began repeating ；

'While slanderers slumber，longsome is my night；

Suffice thee a heart so sad in partingplight；

I say，while night in care slow moments by，

'What！ no return for thee，fair morning light？'

And the saying of another，'When saw I Pleiadstars his glance escape

And Pole star draught of sleep upon him pour；

And the Bierdaughters[236] wend in mourning dight，

I knew that morning was for him no more！'