Now when it was the Five Hundred and Thirteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that, Janshah and the lady Shamsah abode three months with Shaykh Nasr, feasting and toying and making merry. And at the end of that time she said to Janshah, “I wish to go with thee to thy motherland, where thou shalt marry me and we will abide there.” “To hear is to obey,” answered he and took counsel with Shaykh Nasr, who said to him, “Go thou home, I commend her to thy care.” Then said she, “O Shaykh Nasr, bid him render me my feather-suit.” So the Shaykh bade Janshah give it to her, and he went straightways into the pavilion and brought it out for her. Thereupon she donned it and said to him, “Mount my back and shut thine eyes and stop thine ears, so thou mayst not hear the roar of the revolving sphere; and keep fast hold of my feathers, lest thou fall off.” He did as she bade him and, as she stretched her wings to fly, Shaykh Nasr said, “Wait a while till I describe to thee the land Kabul, lest you twain miss your way.” So she delayed till he had said his say and had bidden them farewell, commending the Prince to her care. She took leave of her sisters and bade them return to her folk and tell them what had befallen her with Janshah; then, rising into the air without stay or delay she flew off, like the wafts of the wind or the lamping leven. Her sisters also took flight and returning home delivered her message to their people. And she stayed not her course from the forenoon till the hour of mid-afternoon prayer (Janshah being still on her back), when she espied afar off a Wady abounding in trees and streams and she said to Janshah, “I am thinking to alight in this valley, that we may solace ourselves amongst its trees and herbage and here rest for the night.” Quoth he, “Do what seemeth meet to thee!” So she swooped down from the lift and alighted in the Wady, when Janshah dismounted and kissing her between the eyes,[[549]] sat with her awhile on the bank of a river there; then they rose and wandered about the valley, taking their pleasure therein and eating of the fruits of the trees, until nightfall, when they lay down under a tree and slept till the morning dawned. As soon as it was day, the Princess arose and, bidding Janshah mount, flew on with him till noon, when she perceived by the appearance of the buildings which Shaykh Nasr had described to her, that they were nearing the city Kabul. So she swooped down from the welkin and alighted in a wide plain, a blooming champaign, wherein were gazelles straying and springs playing and rivers flowing and ripe fruits growing. So Janshah dismounted and kissed her between the eyes; and she asked him, “O my beloved and coolth of mine eyes, knowest thou how many days’ journey we have come since yesterday?”; and he answered, “No,” when she said, “We have come thirty months’ journey.” Quoth he, “Praised be Allah for safety!” Then they sat down side by side and ate and drank and toyed and laughed. And whilst they were thus pleasantly engaged, behold, there came up to them two of the King’s Mamelukes of those who had been of the Prince’s company; one of them was he whom he had left with the horses, when he embarked in the fishing-boat and the other had been of his escort in the chase. As soon as they saw Janshah, both knew him and saluted him; then said they, “With thy leave, we will go to thy sire and bear him the glad tidings of thy coming.” Replied the Prince, “Go ye to my father and acquaint him with my case, and fetch us tents, for we will tarry here seven days to rest ourselves till he make ready his retinue to meet us, that we may enter in stateliest state.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Fourteenth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Janshah said to the two Mamelukes, “Go ye to my sire and acquaint him with my case and fetch us tents, for we will abide here seven days to rest ourselves, till he make ready his retinue to meet us, that we may enter in the stateliest state.” So the officers hastened back to King Teghmus and said to him, “Good news, O King of the age!” Asked he, “What good tidings bring ye: is my son Janshah come back?”; and they answered, “Yes, thy son Janshah hath returned from his strangerhood and is now near at hand in the Kirání mead.” Now when the King heard this, he joyed with great joy and fell down in a swoon for excess of gladness; then, coming to himself, he bade his Wazir give each of the Mamelukes a splendid suit of honour and a sum of money. The minister replied, “I hear and obey,” and forthright did his bidding and said to them, “Take this in turn for the good tidings ye bring, whether ye lie or say sooth.” They replied, “Indeed we lie not, for but now we sat with him and saluted him and kissed his hands and he bade us fetch him tents, for that he would sojourn in the meadow seven days, till such time as the Wazirs and Emirs and Grandees should come out to meet him.” Quoth the King, “How is it with my son?” and quoth they, “He hath with him a Houri, as he had brought her out of Paradise.” At this, King Teghmus bade beat the kettledrums and sound the trumpets for gladness, and despatched messengers to announce the good news to Janshah’s mother and to the wives of the Emirs and Wazirs and Lords of the realm: so the criers spread themselves about the city and acquainted the people with the coming of Prince Janshah. Then the King made ready, and, setting out for the Kirani meadow with his horsemen and footmen, came upon Janshah who was sitting at rest with the lady Shamsah beside him and, behold, all suddenly drew in sight. The Prince rose to his feet and walked forward to meet them; and the troops knew him and dismounted, to salute him and kiss his hands: after which he set out preceded by the men in single file till he came to his sire, who, at sight of his son threw himself from his horse’s back and clasped him to his bosom and wept flooding tears of joy. Then they took horse again with the retinue riding to the right and left and fared forward till they came to the river-banks; when the troops alighted and pitched their tents and pavilions and standards to the blare of trump and the piping of fife and the dub-a-dub of drum and tom-tom. Moreover the King bade the tent-pitchers set up a pavilion of red silk for the Princess Shamsah, who put off her scanty raiment of feathers for fine robes and, entering the pavilion, there took seat. And as she sat in her beauty, behold, the King and his son Janshah came in to her, and when she saw Teghmus, she rose and kissed ground before him. The King sat down and seating Janshah on his right hand and Princess Shamsah on his left, bade her welcome and said to his son, “Tell me all that hath befallen thee in this thy long strangerhood.” So Janshah related to him the whole of his adventures from first to last, whereat he marvelled with exceeding marvel and turning to the Princess, said, “Laud to Allah for that He hath caused thee to reunite me with my son! ‘Verily this is of His exceeding bounty!’”[[550]]——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Fifteenth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Teghmus said to the lady Shamsah, “Laud to Allah for that He hath caused thee to reunite me with my son! ‘Verily this is of His exceeding bounty.’ And now I would have thee ask of me what thou wilt, that I may do it in thine honour.” Quoth she, “I ask of thee that thou build me a palace in the midst of a flower-garden, with water running under it.” And the King answered, “I hear and obey.” And behold, up came Janshah’s mother, attended by all the wives of the Wazirs and Emirs and nobles and city notables. When her son had sight of her, he rose and leaving the tent, went forth to meet her and they embraced a long while, whilst the Queen wept for excess of joy and with tears trickling from her eyes repeated the following verses:—
Joy so o’ercometh me, for stress of joy ✿ In that which gladdeneth me I fain shed tears:—
Tears are become your nature, O my eyes, ✿ Who weep for joyance as for griefs and fears.
And they complained to each other of all their hearts had suffered from the long separation. Then the King departed to his pavilion and Janshah carried his mother to his own tent, where they sat talking till there came up some of the lady Shamsah’s attendants who said, “The Princess is now walking hither in order to salute thee.” When the Queen heard this, she rose and going to meet Shamsah, saluted her and seated her awhile by her side. Presently the Queen and her retinue of noble women, the spouses of the Emirs and Grandees, returned with Princess Shamsah to the tent occupied by her daughter-in-law and sat there. Meanwhile, King Teghmus gave great largesse to his levies and lieges and rejoiced in his son with exceeding joy, and they tarried there ten days, feasting and merry-making and living a most joyous life. At the end of this time, the King commanded a march and they all returned to the capital, so he took horse surrounded by all the troops with the Wazirs and Chamberlains to his right and left: nor ceased they faring till they entered the city, which was decorated after the goodliest fashion; for the folk had adorned the houses with precious stuffs and jewellery and spread costly brocades under the hoofs of the horses. The drums beat for glad tidings and the Grandees of the kingdom rejoiced and brought rich gifts and the lookers on were filled with amazement. Furthermore, they fed the mendicants and Fakirs and held high festival for the space of ten days, and the lady Shamsah joyed with exceeding joy whenas she saw this. Then King Teghmus summoned architects and builders and men of art and bade them build a palace in that garden. So they straightway proceeded to do his bidding; and, when Janshah knew of his sire’s command, he caused the artificers to fetch a block of white marble and carve it and hollow it in the semblance of a chest; which being done, he took the feather-vest of Princess Shamsah wherewith she had flown with him through the air: then, sealing the cover with melted lead, he ordered them to bury the box in the foundations and build over it the arches whereon the palace was to rest. They did as he bade them, nor was it long before the palace was finished: then they furnished it and it was a magnificent edifice, standing in the midst of the garden, with streams flowing under its walls.[[551]] Upon this the King caused Janshah’s wedding to be celebrated with the greatest splendour and they brought the bride to the castle in state procession and went their ways. When the lady Shamsah entered, she smelt the scent of her feather-gear——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Sixteenth Night,