Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/226

204 Egypt and Syria all and Irak ’twould o’erflow and o’er the Hejaz pour its fertilizing rain: And this, my love, because of thine abandonment. Be kind, then, and vouchsafe me union again.

Then he took the old woman’s skirt and laid it on his head and fell to weeping and craving her protection. When she saw his passion and transport and anguish and distress, her heart inclined to him and she promised him her protection, saying, ‘Have no fear.’ Then she questioned him of his case and he told her the manner of his coming thither, whereat she wondered and said, ‘This that hath betided thee, methinks, never betided any but thyself and except thou hadst been vouchsafed the [especial] protection of God the Most High, thou hadst not been saved: but now, O my son, take comfort and be of good courage; thou hast nothing more to fear, for indeed thou hast reached thy goal and attained thy desire, if it please God the Most High!’

Thereat Hassan rejoiced with an exceeding joy and she sent to summon the captains of the army to her presence, and it was the last day of the month. So they presented themselves and the old woman said to them, ‘Go out and proclaim to the troops that they come forth, all, to-morrow at daybreak and let none tarry behind, on pain of death.’ ‘We hear and obey,’ answered they and going forth, made proclamation as she bade them, after which they returned and told her of this; wherefore Hassan knew that she was the commander of the army and the chief in authority over them; and she was called Shewahi, hight Mother of Calamities. She ceased not to command and forbid and Hassan put not off his arms from his body that day.