But Julnar said, “Speak out and be brief and fear not, O my brother.” So he said, “By Allah, O my sister, none is worthy of thy son save the Princess Jauharah, daughter of King Al-Samandal,[FN#321] for that she is like unto him in beauty and loveliness and brilliancy and perfection; nor is there found, in sea or on land, a sweeter or pleasanter of gifts than she; for she is prime in comeliness and seemlihead of face and symmetrical shape of perfect grace; her cheek is ruddy dight, her brow flower-white, her teeth gem-bright, her eyes blackest black and whitest white, her hips of heavy weight, her waist slight and her favour exquisite. When she turneth she shameth the wild cattle[FN#322] and the gazelles and when she walketh, she breedeth envy in the willow branch: when she unveileth her face outshineth sun and moon and all who look upon her she enslaveth soon: sweet-lipped and soft-sided indeed is she.” Now when Julnar heard what Salih said, she replied, “Thou sayest sooth, O my brother! By Allah, I have seen her many and many a time and she was my companion, when we were little ones; but now we have no knowledge of each other, for constraint of distance; nor have I set eyes on her for eighteen years. By Allah, none is worthy of my son but she!” Now Badr heard all they said and mastered what had passed, first and last, of these praises bestowed on Jauharah daughter of King Al-Samandal; so he fell in love with her on hearsay, pretending sleep the while, wherefore fire was kindled in his heart on her account full sore and he was drowned in a sea without bottom or shore.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King Badr Basim heard the words of his uncle Salih and his mother Julnar, praising the daughter of King Al-Samandal, a flame of fire burnt in his heart full sore and he was drowned in a sea which hath nor bottom nor shore. Then Salih, looking at his sister, exclaimed, “By Allah, O my sister, there is no greater fool among the Kings of the sea than her father nor one more violent of temper than he! So name thou not the girl to thy son, till we demand her in marriage of her father. If he favour us with his assent, we will praise Allah Almighty; and if he refuse us and will not give her to thy son to wife, we will say no more about it and seek another match.” Answered Julnar, “Right is thy rede;” and they parleyed no more: but Badr passed the night with a heart on fire with passion for Princess Jauharah. However he concealed his case and spake not of her to his mother or his uncle, albeit he was on coals of fire for love of her. Now when it was morning, the King and his uncle went to the Hammam-bath and washed, after which they came forth and drank wine and the servants set food before them, whereof they and Julnar ate their sufficiency, and washed their hands. Then Salih rose and said to his nephew and sister, “With your leave, I would fain go to my mother and my folk for I have been with you some days and their hearts are troubled with awaiting me.” But Badr Basim said to him, “Tarry with us this day;” and he consented. Then quoth the King, “Come, O my uncle, let us go forth to the garden.” So they sallied forth and promenaded about the pastures and took their solace awhile, after which King Badr lay down under a shady tree, thinking to rest and sleep; but he remembered his uncle’s description of the maiden and her beauty and loveliness and shed railing tears, reciting these two couplets[FN#323],
“Were it said to me while the flame is burning within me, *
And the fire blazing in my heart and bowels,
‘Wouldst thou rather that thou shouldest behold them * Or a
draught of pure water?’—I would answer, ‘Them.’”
Then he sighed and wept and lamented, reciting these verses also,
“Who shall save me from love of a lovely gazelle, * Brighter
browed than the sunshine, my bonnibel!
My heart, erst free from her love, now burns * With fire for
the maid of Al-Samandal.”
When Salih heard what his nephew said, he smote hand upon hand and said, “There is no god but the God! Mohammed is the Apostle of God and there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!” adding, “O my son, heardest thou what passed between me and thy mother respecting Princess Jauharah?” Replied Badr Basim, “Yes, O my uncle, and I fell in love with her by hearsay through what I heard you say. Indeed, my heart cleaveth to her and I cannot live without her.” Rejoined his uncle, “O King, let us return to thy mother and tell her how the case standeth and crave her leave that I may take thee with me and seek the Princess in marriage of her sire; after which we will farewell her and I and thou will return. Indeed, I fear to take thee and go without her leave, lest she be wroth with me; and verily the right would be on her side, for I should be the cause of her separation from us. Moreover, the city would be left without king and there would be none to govern the citizens and look to their affairs, so should the realm be disordered against thee and the kingship depart from thy hands.” But Badr Basim, hearing these words, cried, “O my uncle, if I return to my mother and consult her on such matter, she will not suffer me to do this; wherefore I will not return to my mother nor consult her.” And he wept before him and presently added, “I will go with thee and tell her not and after will return.” When Salih heard what his nephew said, he was confused anent his case and said, “I crave help of the Almighty in any event.” Then, seeing that Badr Basim was resolved to go with him, whether his mother would let him or no, he drew from his finger a seal-ring, whereon were graven certain of the names of Allah the Most High, and gave it to him, saying, “Put this on thy finger, and thou shalt be safe from drowning and other perils and from the mischief of sea beasts and great fishes.” So King Badr Basim took the ring and set it on his finger. Then they dove into the deep——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Badr Basim and his uncle, after diving into the deep, fared on till they came to Salih’s palace, where they found Badr Basim’s grandmother, the mother of his mother, seated with her kinsfolk and, going in to them, kissed their hands. When the old Queen saw Badr, she rose to him and embracing him, kissed him between the eyes and said to him, “A blessed coming, O my son! How didst thou leave thy mother Julnar?” He replied, “She is well in health and fortune, and saluteth thee and her uncle’s daughters.” Then Salih related to his mother what had occurred between him and his sister and how King Badr Basim had fallen in love with the Princess Jauharah daughter of Al-Samandal by report and told her the whole tale from beginning to end adding, “He hath not come save to demand her in wedlock of her sire;” which when the old Queen heard, she was wroth against her son with exceeding wrath and sore troubled and concerned and said, “O Salih, O my son, in very sooth thou diddest wrong to name the Princess before thy nephew, knowing, as thou dost, that her father is stupid and violent, little of wit and tyrannical of temper, grudging his daughter to every suitor; for all the Monarchs of the Main have sought her hand, but he rejected them all; nay, he would none of them, saying, ‘Ye are no match for her in beauty or in loveliness or in aught else.’ Wherefore we fear to demand her in wedlock of him, lest he reject us, even as he hath rejected others; and we are a folk of high spirit and should return broken-hearted.” Hearing these words Salih answered, “O my mother what is to do? For King Badr Basim saith, ‘There is no help but that I seek her in marriage of her sire, though I expend my whole kingdom’; and he avoucheth that, an he take her not to wife, he will die of love for her and longing.” And Salih continued, “He is handsomer and goodlier than she; his father was King of all the Persians, whose King he now is, and none is worthy of Jauharah save Badr Basim. Wherefore I purpose to carry her father a gift of jacinths and jewels befitting his dignity, and demand her of him in marriage. An he object to us that he is a King, behold, our man also is a King and the son of a King; or, if he object to us her beauty, behold our man is more beautiful than she; or, again, if he object to us the vastness of his dominion, behold our man’s dominion is vaster than hers and her father’s and numbereth more troops and guards, for that his kingdom is greater than that of Al- Samandal. Needs must I do my endeavour to further the desire of my sister’s son, though it relieve me of my life; because I was the cause of whatso hath betided; and, even as I plunged him into the ocean of her love, so will I go about to marry him to her, and may Almighty Allah help me thereto!” Rejoined his mother, “Do as thou wilt, but beware of giving her father rough words, whenas thou speakest with him; for thou knowest his stupidity and violence and I fear lest he do thee a mischief, for he knoweth not respect for any.” And Salih answered, “Hearkening and obedience.” Then he sprang up and taking two bags full of gems such as rubies and bugles of emerald, noble ores and all manner jewels gave them to his servants to carry and set out with his nephew for the palace of Al-Samandal. When they came thither, he sought audience of the King and being admitted to his presence, kissed ground before him and saluted him with the goodliest Salam. The King rose to him and honouring him with the utmost honour, bade him be seated. So he sat down and presently the King said to him, “A blessed coming: indeed thou hast desolated us, O Salih! But what bringeth thee to us? Tell me thine errand that we may fulfil it to thee.” Whereupon Salih arose and, kissing the ground a second time, said, “O King of the Age, my errand is to Allah and the magnanimous liege lord and the valiant lion, the report of whose good qualities the caravans far and near have dispread and whose renown for benefits and beneficence and clemency and graciousness and liberality to all climes and countries hath sped.” Thereupon he opened the two bags and, displaying their contents before Al-Samandal, said to him, “O King of the Age, haply wilt thou accept my gift and by showing favour to me heal my heart.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,