Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/249

227 her and kissed her hands and saluted her. She returned not his greeting, but said to him, ‘Come; speak with the queen. Did I not forbid thee from all this, saying, “Return presently to thine own country and I will give thee that to which no mortal may avail?”avail”? [sic] But thou wouldst not obey me nor hearken to my words, but rejectedst my counsel and chosest to bring destruction on thyself and me. Up, then, and take that which thou hast chosen; for death is at hand. Arise: speak with yonder wicked tyrannical baggage.’ So Hassan arose, broken-spirited, mournful-hearted and fearful, despairing of life and saying, ‘O Preserver, preserve Thou me! O my God, be gracious to me in that which Thou hast decreed to me of Thine affliction and protect me, O Thou the most merciful of those that show mercy!’ Then he followed the old woman and the chamberlain and the guards to the queen’s presence, where he found his two sons Nasir and Mensour sitting in her lap, whilst she played and made merry with them. As soon as his eyes fell on them, he knew them and giving a great cry, fell down in a swoon for excess of joy at their sight. They also knew him and natural affection moved them, so that they freed themselves from the queen’s lap and fell upon Hassan, and God (to whom belong might and majesty) made them speak and say to him, ‘O our father!’ Whereupon the old woman and all who were present wept for pity and tenderness over them and said, ‘Praised be God, who hath reunited you with your father!’ Presently, Hassan came to himself and embracing his children, wept till he fainted again, and when he revived, he recited the following verses:

Now, by your life, my heart may not ’gainst severance endure, Though certain ruin union were and sure discomfiture! ‘To-morrow,’ quoth your wraith to me, ‘reunion shall betide;’ And who to-morrow, ’spite the foe, shall life to me ensure?