第68章 KEMEREZZEMAN AND BUDOUR.(30)

Then he went out and seating himself in his chair of estate，assembled all the Viziers and Amirs and chamberlains and grandees，to whom he related the whole story and acquainted them with his desire to marry his daughter to Kemerezzeman and make him king in the stead of the princess Budour.Whereupon said they all，Since he is the husband of the princess Budour，who hath been our Sultan till now，whilst we deemed her King Armanouss son-in-law，we are all content to have him to Sultan over us and will be his servants，nor will we swerve from his allegiance.'At this Armanous rejoiced and summoning Cadis and witnesses and the chief officers of state，let draw up the contract of marriage between Kemerezzeman and his daughter，the princess Heyat en Nufous.Then he held high festival，giving sumptuous banquets and bestowing costly dresses of honour upon the Amirs and captains；moreover，he gave alms to the poor and needy and freed the prisoners.All the folk rejoiced in the coming of Kemerezzeman to the throne，wishing him abiding glory and prosperity and happiness and renown，and as soon as he became king，he remitted the customs-dues and released all that remained in prison.Thus he abode a long while，ordering himself worthily towards his subjects，and lived with his wives in peace and happiness and content，lying the night with each of them in turn.And indeed all his troubles and afflictions were blotted out from him and he forgot his father King Shehriman and his former estate of honour and worship with him.

After awhile，God the Most High blessed him with two sons，as they were two shining moons，the elder，whose name was prince Amjed，by Queen Budour，and the younger，whose name was prince Asaad and who was comelier than his brother，by Queen Heyat en Nufous.They were reared in splendour and delight and were instructed in penmanship and science and the arts of government and horsemanship and other polite arts and accomplishments，till they attained the extreme of perfection and the utmost limit of beauty and grace，and both men and women were ravished by their charms.They grew up together，till they reached the age of seventeen，and loved one another so dear that they were never apart，eating and drinking together and sleeping in one bed；and all the people envied them their beauty and concord.When they came to mans estate and were endowed with every perfection，their father was wont，as often as he went on a journey，to make them sit in his stead by turns in the place of judgment，and each did justice among the folk one day at a time.Now，as unalterable fate and foreordained destiny would have it，Queen Budour fell in love with Asaad，son of Queen Heyat en Nufous，and the latter became enamoured of Amjed；and each of them used to sport and play with the others son，kissing him and straining him to her bosom，whilst each thought that the others behaviour arose but from motherly affection.On this wise，passion got the mastery of the two womens hearts and they became madly enamoured of the two youths，so that when the others son came in to either of them，she would press him to her bosom and long for him never to be parted from her；till，at last，when waiting grew tedious to them and they found no way to enjoyment，they refused meat and drink and forewent the solace of sleep.Presently，the King went out to hunt，bidding his sons sit to do justice in his stead，each one day in turn，according to their wont.So prince Amjed sat on the throne the first day，ordering and forbidding，appointing and deposing，giving and denying；and Queen Heyat en Nufous took a scroll and wrote to him the following letter，suing for his favour and discovering to him her passion，in fine，altogether putting off the mask and giving him to know that she desired to enjoy him.'From the wretched lover，the sorrowful severed one，whose youth is wasted in the love of thee and whose torment for thee is prolonged.Were I to recount to thee the extent of my affliction and what I suffer for sadness，the passion that is in my breast and all that I endure for weeping and groaning and the rending of my sorrowful heart，my unremitting cares and my ceaseless griefs and all my suffering for severance and sadness and the ardour of desire，no letter could contain it nor calculation compass it. Indeed，earth and heaven are straitened upon me，and I have no hope and no trust but in thee.I am come nigh upon death and suffer the horrors of dissolution；burning is sore upon me，and the pangs of separation and estrangement.Were I to set out the yearnings that possess me，no scrolls would suffice thereto： and of the excess of my affliction and wasting away，I have made the following verses：

Were I to set down all I feel of heart-consuming dole And all the transport and unease that harbour in my soul，Nor ink nor pen in all the world thereafter would remain，Nor aught from east to west were left of paper or of scroll.'