第39章

By Allah，my kinsmen，indite on my tomb *'This man was the slave of Love's harshest best！'

Haps a noble youth，like me Love's own thrall，* When he sees my grave on my name shall call.'

Then Queen Nur al-Huda commanded that not a girl should abide in the city but should come up to the palace and pass in review before Hasan and moreover she bade Shawahi go down in person and bring them up herself.Accordingly all the maidens in the city presented themselves before the Queen，who caused them to go in to Hasan，hundred after hundred，till there was no girl left in the place，but she had shown her to him；yet he saw not his wife amongst them.Then said she to him，'Seest thou her amongst these？'；and he replied，'By thy life，O Queen，she is not amongst them.'With this she was sore enraged against him and said to the old woman，'Go in and bring out all who are in the palace and show them to him.'So she displayed to him every one of the palace-girls，but he saw not his wife among them and said to the Queen，'By the life of thy head，O Queen，she is not among these.'Whereat the Queen was wroth and cried out at those around her，saying，'Take him and hale him along，face to earth，and cut off his head，least any adventure himself after him and intrude upon us in our country and spy out our estate by thus treading the soil of our islands.'So they threw him down on his face and dragged him along；then，covering his eyes with his skirt，stood at his head with bared brands awaiting royal permission.

Thereupon Shawahi came forward and kissing the ground before the Queen，took the hem of her garment and laid it on her head；saying，'O Queen，by my claim for fosterage，be not hasty with him，more by token of thy knowledge that this poor wretch is a stranger，who hath adventured himself and suffered what none ever suffered before him，and Allah （to whom belong Might and Majesty，） preserved him from death，for that his life was ordained to be long.He heard of thine equity and entered thy city and guarded site；[144] wherefore，if thou put him to death，the report will dispread abroad of thee，by means of the travellers，that thou hatest strangers and slayest them.He is in any case at thy mercy and the slain of thy sword，if his wife be not found in thy dominions；and whensoever thou desireth his presence，I can bring him back to thee.Moreover，in very sooth I took him under my protection only of my trust in thy magnanimity through my claim on thee for fosterage，so that I

engaged to him that thou wouldst bring him to his desire，for my knowledge of thy justice and quality of mercy.But for this，I had not brought him into thy kingdom；for I said to myself：'The Queen will take pleasure in looking upon him，and hearing him speak his verses and his sweet discourse and eloquent which is like unto pearls strung on string.' Moreover，he hath entered our land and eaten of our meat；wherefore he hath a claim upon us.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Tenth Night； She continued，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when Queen Nur al-Huda bade her pages seize Hasan and smite his neck；the old woman，Shawahi，began to reason with her and say，'Verily he hath entered our land and eaten of our meat，wherefore he hath a claim upon us，the more especially since I promised him to bring him in company with thee；and thou knowest that，parting is a grievous ill and severance hath power to kill，especially separation from children.Now he hath seen all our women，save only thyself；so do thou show him thy face？'The Queen smiled and said，'How can he be my husband and have had children by me，that I should show him my face？'Then she made them bring Hasan before her and when he stood in the presence，she unveiled her face；which when he saw，he cried out with a great cry and fell down fainting.The old woman ceased not to tend him，till he came to himself and as soon as he revived he recited these couplets；'O breeze that blowest from the land Irak * And from their corners whoso cry'Wak！ Wak！'

Bear news of me to friends and say for me * I've tasted passion-food of bitter smack.

O dearlings of my love，show grace and ruth * My heart is melted for this severance-rack.'

When he ended his verse he rose and looking on the Queen's face；cried out with a great cry，for stress whereof the palace was like to fall upon all therein.Then he swooned away again and the old woman ceased not to tend him till he revived，when she asked him what ailed him and he answered，'In very sooth this Queen is either my wife or else the likest of all folk to my wife.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Eleventh Night； She pursued，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when the old woman asked Hasan what ailed him，he answered，'In very sooth this Queen is either my wife or else the likest of all folk to my wife.'Quoth Nur al-Huda to the old woman，'Woe to thee，O nurse！

This stranger is either Jinn-mad or out of his mind，for he stareth me in the face with wide eyes and saith I am his wife.'

Quoth the old woman，'O Queen，indeed he is excusable；so blame him not，for the saying saith，'For the lovesick is no remedy and alike are the madman and he.''And Hasan wept with sore weeping and recited these two couplets；'I sight their track and pine for longing love；* And o'er their homesteads weep I and I yearn：

And I pray Heaven who will'ed we should part，* Will deign to grant us boon of safe return.'

Then said Hasan to the Queen once more，'By Allah，thou art not my wife，but thou art the likest of all folk to her！'Hereupon Nur al-Huda laughed till she fell backwards and rolled round on her side.[145] Then she said to him，'O my friend，take thy time and observe me attentively： answer me at thy leisure what I shall ask thee and put away from thee insanity and perplexity and inadvertency for relief is at hand.'