I trickt their deme of me, and won my wish ✿ Of Kamar al-Zaman's joys manifold:
He joins all perfect gifts like none before; ✿ Boasted such might and main no King of old:
Seeing his gifts, Bin Zá'ïdah's[[315]] largesse ✿ Forget we, and Mu'áwiyah mildest-soul'd:[[316]]
Were verse not feeble and o'er short the time ✿ I had in laud of him used all of rhyme.
Then Queen Budur stood up and wiped away her tears and, making the lesser ablution,[[317]] applied her to pray: nor did she give over praying till drowsiness overcame the Lady Hayat al-Nufus and she slept, whereupon the Lady Budur came and lay by her till the morning. At daybreak, she arose and prayed the dawn-prayer; and presently seated herself on the royal throne and passed the day in ordering and counterordering and giving laws and administering justice. This is how it fared with her; but as regards King Armanus he went in to his daughter and asked her how she did; so she told him all that had befallen her and repeated to him the verses which Queen Budur had recited, adding, "O my father, never saw I one more abounding in sound sense and modesty than my husband, save that he doth nothing but weep and sigh." He answered, "O my daughter, have patience with him yet this third night, and if he go not in unto thee and do away thy maidenhead, we shall know how to proceed with him and oust him from the throne and banish him the country." And on this wise he agreed with his daughter what course he would take——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Two Hundred and Tenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King Armanus had agreed with his daughter on this wise and had determined what course he would take and night came on, Queen Budur arose from the throne of her kingdom and betaking herself to the palace, entered the apartment prepared for her. There she found the wax-candles lighted and the Princess Hayat al-Nufus seated and awaiting her; whereupon she bethought her of her husband and what had betided them both of sorrow and severance in so short a space; she wept and sighed and groaned groan upon groan, and began improvising these couplets:—
News of my love fill all the land, I swear, ✿ As suns on Ghazá[[318]]-wold rain heat and glare:
Speaketh his geste but hard its sense to say; ✿ Thus never cease to grow my cark and care:
I hate fair Patience since I lovèd thee; ✿ E'er sawest lover hate for love to bear?