Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/213

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Then said he to the treasurer, ‘I conjure thee by the One God the Omnipotent King and Protector, kill me before my brother Asaad and allay the fire of my heart!’ But Asaad wept and exclaimed, ‘Not so: I will die first;’ whereupon said Amjed, ‘It were best that we embrace each other, so the sword may fall upon us and kill us both at one stroke.’ So they embraced, face to face, and clipped each other straitly, whilst the treasurer bound them fast with cords, weeping the while. Then he drew his sword and said to them, ‘By Allah, O my lords, it is indeed hard to me to kill you! But have ye no last wishes or injunctions that I may fulfil or message that I may carry?’ ‘We have no wish,’ replied Amjed, ‘and my only injunction to thee is that thou set my brother undermost, that the blow may fall on me first; and when thou hast slain us and returnest to the King and he asks thee, “What said they before their death?” do thou answer, “Thy sons salute thee and say to thee, ‘Thou knewest not if we were innocent or guilty, yet hast thou put us to death and hast not certified thyself of our guilt nor looked into our case.’” Then do thou repeat to him these verses:

‘WeWe [sic] desire of thee nought but this,’ continued Amjed, ‘except that thou have patience with us, whilst I repeat other two lines to my brother.’ Then he wept sore and recited the following verses:

VOL. III.