HKB
dromedaries, and a hundred memlooks, and a hundred concubine slaves, and a hundred male black slaves, and a hundred female slaves, and sent them all to him as a present.
He then repaired to him, with the lords of his empire, and his chief attendants, and they proceeded until they arrived outside the city; and when the Sulṭán Suleymán Sháh became acquainted with this he advanced some paces to meet him. The Wezeer and 'Azeez had informed him of the news, and he rejoiced, and exclaimed, Praise be to God who hath granted my son the accomplishment of his wish! And he embraced the King Sháh-Zemán, and seated him by his side upon the couch, and they conversed together; after which the attendants placed before; them the food, and when they had eaten to satisfaction they brought them the sweetmeats. Soon after, Táj-el-Mulook came, approaching in his rich and ornamented dress; and when his father beheld him, he rose to him and kissed him, and all who were present rose to him; and after he had sat with them a while conversing, the King Suleymán Sháh said, I desire to perform my son's contract of marriage to thy daughter in the presence of witnesses. And King Sháh-Zemán replied, I hear and obey. So he summoned the Ḳáḍee and witnesses, and they came, and wrote the marriage-contract; and the troops rejoiced at this. And King Sháh-Zemán began to fit out his daughter.
Then Táj-el-Mulook said to his father, Verily, 'Azeez is a generous person; he hath performed for me a great service, and wearied himself, and journeyed with me, and enabled me to attain the object of my search, ceasing not to exhort me to patience until I accomplished my wish, and he hath been with us two years separated from his country: it is my desire, therefore, that we should prepare for him merchandise; for his country is near. His father replied, Thy opinion is excellent. So they prepared for him a hundred loads of the most costly stuffs; and Táj-el-Mulook bade him farewell, saying to him, O my brother, accept this as a present. And he accepted it, and kissed the ground before him and before his father. Táj-el-Mulook then mounted his horse, and proceeded with 'Azeez for the space of three miles; after which, 'Azeez conjured him to return, and said, Were it not for my mother, I could not endure thy separation; and by Allah, I entreat thee not to cease acquainting me with thy state. Having thus said, he bade him farewell, and repaired to his city. He found that his mother had built for him a tomb in the midst of the house, and she frequently visited it; and when he entered the house, he found that she had dishevelled her hair and spread it upon the tomb, and, with streaming eyes, was reciting these verses:--
By Allah, O tomb, have his charms perished; and hath that brilliant countenance changed? O tomb, thou art neither a garden nor a firmament: how then can the full moon and flowers be united in thee?
She then groaned, and recited some other verses; but before she had finished, 'Azeez went in to her: and when she beheld him, she rose to him and embraced him, and asked him respecting his long absence: so he acquainted her with all the events that had happened to him from first to last, and told her that Táj-el-Mulook had given him, of wealth and stuffs, a hundred loads; and she rejoiced at this.--Such was the history of 'Azeez.