Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/130

110 him, since the day of his departure, when the runner came up and said, ‘O my lords, which of you is called the merchant Abdurrehman?’ ‘What wouldst thou with him?’ asked they; and he said, ‘I have a letter for him from his son Kemerezzeman, whom I left at El Arish.’

At this Abdurrehman rejoiced and his heart was lightened and the merchants rejoiced for him and gave him joy of [his son’s] safety. Then he opened the letter and read as follows: ‘From Kemerezzeman to the merchant Abdurrehman. Peace be upon thee and upon all the merchants! If ye ask concerning us, to God be the praise and the thanks! Indeed we have sold and bought and profited and are come back in health and wealth and safety.’ Whereupon Abdurrehman opened the chapter of rejoicing and made banquets and gave feasts and entertainments galore, sending for instruments of music and addressing himself to hold high festival after the rarest fashion. When Kemerezzeman came to Es Salehiyeh, his father and all the merchants went forth to meet him, and Abdurrehman embraced him and strained him to his bosom and wept till he swooned away. When he came to himself, he said, ‘O my son, [this is] a blessed day, since the Omnipotent Protector hath reunited us with thee!’ And he repeated the following verses:

Then, for excess of joy, the tears flowed from his eyes and he recited these verses also: