When it was the Seven Hundred and Sixty-third Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sa’id, son of the Wazir Faris, had read to Sayf al-Muluk, son of King Asim, the writ on the tunic, which showed the portraiture of Badi’a al-Jamal, daughter of Shahyal bin Sharukh, a King of the Kings of the Moslem Jinns dwelling in Babel-city and in the Garden of Iram, son of ‘Ad the Greater, he cried, “O my brother, knowest thou of what woman this is the presentment, that we may seek for her?” Sayf al-Muluk replied, “No, by Allah, O my brother, I know her not!” and Sa’id rejoined, “Come, read this writing on the crown.” So Sayf al-Muluk read it and cried out from his heart’s core and very vitals, saying, “Alas! Alas! Alas!” Quoth Sa’id, “O my brother, an the original of the portrait exist and her name be Badi’a al-Jamal, and she abide in the world, I will hasten to seek her, that thou mayst win thy will without delay. But, Allah upon thee, O my brother, leave this weeping and ascend thy throne, that the Officers of the State may come in to do their service to thee, and in the undurn, do thou summon the merchants and fakirs and travellers and pilgrims and paupers and ask of them concerning this city and the garden of Iram; haply by the help and blessing of Allah (extolled and exalted be He!), some one of them shall direct us thither.” So, when it was day, Sayf al-Muluk went forth and mounted the throne, clasping the tunic in his arms, for he could neither stand nor sit without it, nor would sleep visit him save it were with him; and the Emirs and Wazirs and Lords and Officers came in to him. When the Divan was complete all being assembled in their places he said to his Minister, “Go forth to them and tell them that the King hath been suddenly struck by sickness and he, by Allah, hath passed the night in ill case.” So Sa’id fared forth and told the folk what he said; which when old King Asim heard, he was concerned for his son and, summoning the physicians and astrologers, carried them in to Sayf al-Muluk. They looked at him and prescribed him ptisanes and diet-drinks, simples and medicinal waters and wrote him characts and incensed him with Nadd and aloes-wood and ambergris three days’ space; but his malady persisted three months, till King Asim was wroth with the leaches and said to them, “Woe to you, O dogs! What? Are all of you impotent to cure my son? Except ye heal him forthright, I will put the whole of you to death.” The Archiater replied, “O King of the Age, in very sooth we know that this is thy son and thou wottest that we fail not of diligence in tending a stranger; so how much more with medicining thy son? But thy son is afflicted with a malady hard to heal, which, if thou desire to know, we will discover it to thee.” Quoth Asim, “What then find ye to be the malady of my son?”; and quoth the leach, “O King of the Age, thy son is in love and he loveth one to whose enjoyment he hath no way of access.” At this the King was wroth and asked, “How know ye that my son is in love and how came love to him?”; they answered, “Enquire of his Wazir and brother Sa’id, for he knoweth his case.” The King rose and repaired to his private closet and summoning Sa’id said to him, “Tell me the truth of thy brother’s malady.” But Sa’id replied, “I know it not.” So King Asim said to the Sworder, “Take Sa’id and bind his eyes and strike his neck.” Whereupon Sa’id feared for himself and cried, “O King of the Age, grant me immunity.” Replied the King, “Speak and thou shalt have it.” “Thy son is in love.” “With whom is he in love?” “With a King’s daughter of the Jann.” “And where could he have espied a daughter of the Jinns?” “Her portrait is wroughten on the tunic that was in the bundle given thee by Solomon, prophet of Allah!” When the King heard this, he rose, and going in to Sayf al-Muluk, said to him, “O my son, what hath afflicted thee? What is this portrait whereof thou art enamoured? And why didst thou not tell me.” He replied, “O my sire, I was ashamed to name this to thee and could not bring myself to discover aught thereof to any one at all; but now thou knowest my case, look how thou mayest do to cure me.” Rejoined his father, “What is to be done? Were this one of the daughters of men we might devise a device for coming at her; but she is a King’s daughter of the Jinns and who can woo and win her, save it be Solomon David-son, and hardly he?[FN#390] However, O my son, do thou arise forthright and hearten thy heart and take horse and ride out a-hunting or to weapon-play in the Maydan.