第63章 KEMEREZZEMAN AND BUDOUR.(25)

Then he returned with the troops to his capital，giving up his son for lost and deeming that wild beasts or highwaymen had set on him and torn him in pieces，and made proclamation that all in the Khalidan Islands should don black in mourning for him.

Moreover，he built a pavilion in his memory，naming it House of Lamentations，and here he was wont to spend his days，（with the exception of Mondays and Thursdays，which he devoted to the business of the state），mourning for his son and bewailing him with verses，of which the following are some：

My day of bliss is that whereon thou drawest near to me，And that，whereon thou turnst away，my day of death and fear.

What though I tremble all the night and go in dread of death，Yet thine embraces are to me than safety far more dear.

And again：

My soul redeem the absent，whose going cast a blight On hearts and did afflict them with anguish and affright！

Let gladness then accomplish its purification-time，[47] For，by a triple divorcement，[48] Ive put away delight.

Meanwhile，the princess Budour abode in the Ebony Islands，whilst the folk would point to her and say，Yonder is King Armanouss son-in-law；and every night she lay with Heyat en Nufous，to whom she made moan of her longing for her husband Kemerezzeman，weeping and describing to her his beauty and grace and yearning to enjoy him，though but in a dream.And bytimes she would repeat these verses：

God knows that，since my severance from thee，full sore Ive wept，So sore that needs my eyes must run for very tears in debt.

'Have patience，'quoth my censurer，'and thou shalt win them yet，'And I，'O thou that blamest me，whence should I patience get？'

All this time，Kemerezzeman abode with the gardener，weeping and repeating verses night and day，bewailing the seasons of enjoyment and the nights of delight，whilst the gardener comforted him with the assurance that the ship would set sail for the land of the Muslims at the end of the year.One day，he saw the folk crowding together and wondered at this；but the gardener came in to him and said，O my son，give over work for to-day neither water the trees；for it is a festival day，on which the folk visit one another.So rest and only keep thine eye on the garden，whilst I go look after the ship for thee；for yet but a little while and I send thee to the land of the Muslims.'So saying，he went out，leaving Kemerezzeman alone in the garden，who fell to musing upon his condition，till his courage gave way and the tears streamed from his eyes.He wept till he swooned away，and when he recovered，he rose and walked about the garden pondering what fate had done with him and bewailing his long estrangement from those he loved.As he went thus，absorbed in melancholy thought，his foot stumbled and he fell on his face，striking his forehead against the stump of a tree.The blow cut it open and his blood ran down and blent with his tears.He rose and wiping away the blood，dried his tears and bound his forehead with a piece of rag；then continued his melancholy walk about the garden.Presently，he saw two birds quarrelling on a tree，and one of them smote the other on the neck with its beak and cut off its head，with which it flew away，whilst the slain birds body fell to the ground before Kemerezzeman.As it lay，two great birds flew down and alighting，one at the head and the other at the tail of the dead bird，drooped their wings over it and bowing their heads towards it，wept；and when Kemerezzeman saw them thus bewail their mate，he called to mind his wifeand father and wept also.Then he saw them dig a grave and bury the dead bird；

after which they flew away，but presently returned with the murderer and alighting on the grave，stamped on him till they killed him.Then they rent his belly and tearing out his entrails，poured the blood on the grave.Moreover，they stripped off his skin and tearing his flesh in pieces，scattered it hither and thither.All this while Kemerezzeman was watching them and wondering；but presently，chancing to look at the dead birds crop，he saw therein something gleaming.So he opened it and found the talisman that had been the cause of his separation from his wife.At this sight，he fell down in a swoon for joy；and when he revived，he said，Praised be God！This is a good omen and a presage of reunion with my beloved.'Then he examined the jewel and passed it over his eyes；after which he bound it to his arm，rejoicing in coming good，and walked about，awaiting the gardeners return，till nightfall；when，as he came not，he lay down and slept in his wonted place.At daybreak he rose and girding himself with a cord of palm-fibre，took hoe and basket and went out to his work in the garden.Presently，he came to a carob-tree and struck the hoe into its roots.The blow resounded [as if it had fallen on metal]；so he cleared away the earth and discovered a trap-door of brass.He raised the trap and found a winding stair，which he descended and came to an ancient vault of the time of Aad and Themoud，[49]hewn out of the rock.Round the vault stood many brazen vessels of the bigness of a great oil-jar，into one of which he put his hand and found it full of red and shining gold；whereupon he said to himself，Verily，the days of weariness are past and joy and solace are come！'Then he returned to the garden and replacing the trap-door，busied himself in tending the trees till nightfall，when the gardener came back and said to him，O my son，rejoice in a speedy return to thy native land，for the merchants are ready for the voyage and in three days time the ship will set sail for the City of Ebony，which is the first of the cities of the Muslims；and thence thou must travel by land six months journey till thou come to the Islands of Khalidan，the dominions of King Shehriman.'

At this Kemerezzeman rejoiced and repeated the following verses：

Forsake not a lover unused aversion from thee，Nor punish the guiltless with rigour and cruelty.

Another，when absence was long，had forgotten thee And changed from his faith and his case；not so with me.