When it was the Two Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Amjad
reached the approaching host, he found it to be that of his
grandsire, Lord of the Isles and the Seas and the Seven Castles;
and when he went into the presence, he kissed the ground between
his hands and delivered to him the message. Quoth the King, "My
name is King Ghayur and I come wayfaring in quest of my daughter
Budur whom fortune hath taken from me, for she left me and
returned not to me, nor have I heard any tidings of her or of her
husband Kamar al-Zaman. Have ye any news of them?" When Amjad
heard this, he hung his head towards the ground for a while in
thought till he felt assured that this King was none other than
his grandfather, his mother's father; where upon he raised his
head and, kissing ground before him, told him that he was the son
of his daughter Budur; on hearing which Ghayur threw himself upon
him and they both fell a weeping.
FN#22 Then said Ghayur,
"Praised be Allah, O my son, for safety, since I have
foregathered with thee," and Amjad told him that his daughter
Budur was safe and sound, and her husband Kamar al-Zaman
likewise, and acquainted him that both abode in a city called the
City of Ebony. Moreover, he related to him how his father, being
wroth with him and his brother, had commended that both be put to
death, but that his treasurer had taken pity on them and let them
go with their lives. Quoth King Ghayur, "I will go back with thee
and thy brother to your father and make your peace with him." So
Amjad kissed the ground before him in huge delight and the King
bestowed a dress of honour upon him, after which he returned,
smiling, to the King of the City of the Magians and told him what
he had learnt from King Ghayur, whereat he wondered with
exceeding wonder. Then he despatched guest-gifts of sheep and
horses and camels and forage and so forth to King Ghayur, and did
the like by Queen Marjanah; and both of them told her what
chanced; whereupon quoth she, "I too will accompany you with my
troops and will do my endeavour to make this peace." Meanwhile
behold, there arose another dust cloud and flew and grew till it
walled the view and blackened the day's bright hue; and under it
they heard shouts and cries and neighing of steeds and beheld
sword glance and the glint of levelled lance. When this new host
drew near the city and saw the two other armies, they beat their
drums and the King of the Magians exclaimed, "This is indeed
naught but a blessed day. Praised be Allah who hath made us of
accord with these two armies; and if it be His will, He shall
give us peace with yon other as well." Then said he to Amjad and
As'ad, "Fare forth and fetch us news of these troops, for they
are a mighty host, never saw I a mightier." So they opened the
city gates, which the King had shut for fear of the beleaguering
armies, and Amjad and As'ad went forth and, coming to the new
host, found that it was indeed a mighty many. But as soon as they
came to it behold, they knew that it was the army of the King of
the Ebony Islands, wherein was their father, King Kamar al-Zaman
in person. Now when they looked upon him, they kissed ground and
wept; but, when he beheld them, he threw himself upon them
weeping, with sore weeping, and strained them to his breast for a
full hour. Then he excused himself to them and told them what
desolation he had suffered for their loss and exile; and they
acquainted him with King Ghayur's arrival, whereupon he mounted
with his chief officers and taking with him his two sons,
proceeded to that King's camp. As they drew near, one of the
Princes rode forward and informed King Ghayur of Kamar al-Zaman's
coming, whereupon he came out to meet him and they joined
company, marvelling at these things and how they had chanced to
foregather in that place. Then the townsfolk made them banquets
of all manner of meats and sweetmeats and presented to them
horses and camels and fodder and other guest-gifts and all that
the troops needed. And while this was doing, behold, yet another
cloud of dust arose and flew till it walled the view, whilst
earth trembled with the tramp of steed and tabors sounded like
stormy winds. After a while, the dust lifted and discovered an
army clad in coats of mail and armed cap-à-pie; but all were in
black garb, and in their midst rode a very old man whose beard
flowed down over his breast and he also was clad in black. When
the King of the city and the city folk saw this great host, he
said to the other Kings, "Praised be Allah by whose omnipotent
command ye are met here, all in one day, and have proved all
known one to the other! But what vast and victorious army is this
which hemmeth in the whole land like a wall?" They answered,
"Have no fear of them; we are three Kings, each with a great
army, and if they be enemies, we will join thee in doing battle
with them, were they three times as many as they now are."
Meanwhile, up came an envoy from the approaching host, making for
the city. So they brought him before Kamar al-Zaman, King Ghayur,
Queen Marjanah and the King of the city; and he kissed the ground
and said, "My liege lord cometh from Persia-land; for many years
ago he lost his son and he is seeking him in all countries. If he
find him with you, well and good; but if he find him not, there
will be war between him and you and he will waste your city."
Rejoined Kamar al-Zaman, "It shall not come to that; but how is
thy master called in Ajam land?" Answered the envoy, "He is
called King Shahriman, lord of the Khálidan Islands; and he hath
levied these troops in the lands traversed by him, whilst seeking
his son." No-vv when Kamar al-Zaman heard these words, he cried
out with a great cry and fell down in a fainting fit which lasted
a long while; and anon coming to himself he wept bitter tears and
said to Amjad and As'ad, "Go ye, O my sons, with the herald,
salute your grandfather and my father, King Shahriman and give
him glad tidings of me, for he mourneth my loss and even to the
present time he weareth black raiment for my sake." Then he told
the other Kings all that had befallen him in the days of his
youth, at which they wondered and, going down with him from the
city, repaired to his father, whom he saluted, and they embraced
and fell to the ground senseless for excess of joy. And when they
revived after a while, Kamar al-Zaman acquainted his father with
all his adventures and the other Kings saluted Shahriman. Then,
after having married Marjanah to As'ad, they sent her back to her
kingdom, charging her not to cease correspondence with them; so
she took leave and went her way. Moreover they married Amjad to
Bostan, Bahram's daughter, and they all set out for the City of
Ebony. And when they arrived there, Kamar al-Zaman went in to his
father-in-law, King Armanus, and told him all that had befallen
him and how he had found his sons; whereat Armanus rejoiced and
gave him joy of his safe return. Then King Ghayur went in to his
daughter, Queen Budur,
FN#23 and saluted her and quenched his
longing for her company, and they all abode a full month's space
in the City of Ebony; after which the King and his daughter
returned to their own country.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say,
When it was the Two Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Ghayur
set out with his daughter and his host for his own land, and they
took with them Amjad and returned home by easy marches. And when
Ghayur was settled again in his kingdom, he made his grandson
King in his stead; and as to Kamar al-Zaman he also made As'ad
king in his room over the capital of the Ebony Islands, with the
consent of his grandfather, King Armanus and set out himself,
with his father, King Shahriman, till the two made the Islands of
Khálidan. Then the lieges decorated the city in their honour and
they ceased not to beat the drums for glad tidings a whole month;
nor did Kamar al-Zaman leave to govern in his father's place,
till there overtook them the Destroyer of delights and the
Sunderer of societies; and Allah knoweth all things! Quoth King
Shahryar, "O Shahrazad, this is indeed a most wonderful tale!"
And she answered, "O King, it is not more wonderful than that of
ALA AL-DIN ABU AL-SHAMAT.
FN#24
