HKB
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.
Now as to Táj-el-Mulook, he returned to his beloved, the lady Dunyà, and King Sháh-Zemán fitted her out for the journey with her husband and her father-in-law: he sent to them provisions and presents and rarities, and they loaded their beasts and departed; and King Sháh-Zemán accompanied them three days' journey to bid them farewell. The King Suleymán Sháh then conjured him to return: so he returned; and Táj-el-Mulook and his father and his wife continued their journey night and day until they came in sight of their country. The city was decorated for them, and they entered it; and the King Suleymán Sháh sat upon his throne with his son Táj-el-Mulook by his side; and he gave presents, and liberated the persons confined in the prisons; after which he celebrated for his son a second wedding-festivity: the songs and instrumental music were continued for a whole month, and the tire-women crowded around the lady Dunyà, and she was not tired with the display, nor were they with gazing at her. Táj-el-Mulook then took up his abode with her, after an interview with his father and mother together; and they passed a life of the utmost delight and enjoyment.
NOTES TO CHAPTER EIGHTH.
NOTE 1. The next story to that of Ghánim, in my original, is one of very great length, comprising the greater part of the forty-fourth night and extending to the end of the hundred and forty-fifth; but interrupted by the contents of my eighth chapter, which consists of two stories of a very different kind, that appear to have been introduced to relieve its tediousness. With these, it occupies nearly 162 pages, or not much less than an eighth part of the whole work. It is the story of the King 'Omar En-Noạmán, and his two sons Sharr-kán[360] and Ḍó-el-Mekán,[361] and his daughter Nuzhet-ez-Zemán,[362] &c. It is entirely a fiction, professedly relating to the first century of the Mohammadan era, "before the reign of the Khaleefeh 'Abd-El-Melik the son of Marwán;" and its main subject is a war with two Greek Kings. Taken altogether, I deem it unworthy of a place in the present series of tales; and so much of it depends upon incidents of a most objectionable nature, that I cannot attempt to abridge it; but a pleasant tale might be composed from it by considerable alterations.
One of the two stories which I have extracted from it, that of Táj-el-Mulook and the Lady Dunyà, bears apparent indications of a Persian origin; but in their present state, the manners and customs &c. which both exhibit are Arab. The scenes of the events narrated in the story of Táj-el-Mulook are in Persia and, probably, in India; but imaginary names appear to be given to the several kingdoms mentioned in it: the kingdom of El-Arḍ el-Khaḍrà ("the Green Country") and El-'Amoodeyn (which signifies "the Two Columns") is said to include the mountains of Iṣpahán, and its locality is thereby sufficiently indicated: that of El-Arḍ el-Beyḍà ("the White Country") I suppose to be in Persia or India: and as to the Islands of Camphor, I fancy we must be content to consider them vaguely as appertaining to India: the country in which 'Azeez and 'Azeezeh resided is said to have been near to the Islands of Camphor; but their story is perfectly Arab.--The Island of Camphor is also mentioned in the Story of Ḥasan of El-Baṣrah.
NOTE 2. "El-Medeeneh el-Khaḍrà" signifies "the Green City." See the above note.
NOTE 3. "The Compassionate" is an epithet here applied to God.
NOTE 4. See the first note in this series.--"Zahr," in Arabic, signifies "a Flower."