and other part he divided among the officers of his court. He passed the night in that place， and when it was morning， there came up a caravan of merchants， with their slaves and servants，and halted by the water and the verdure. When Taj el Mulouk saw this， he said to one of his companions， "Go， bring me news of yonder folk and ask them why they have halted here." So the man went up to them and said， "Tell me who ye are， and answer quickly." "We are merchants，" replied they， "and have halted here to rest， for that the next station is distant and we have confidence in King Suleiman Shah and his son Taj el Mulouk，knowing that all who alight in their dominions are in peace and safety； and we have with us precious stuffs， that we have brought for the prince." The messenger returned with this news to the prince， who said， I will not depart hence till I see what they have brought for me. Then he mounted and rode to the caravan，followed by his servants. The merchants rose to receive him and invoked on him the aid and favour of God， with continuance of glory and virtues； after which they pitched him a pavilion of red satin， emblazoned with pearls and jewels， in which they spread him a royal divan， upon a silken carpet embroidered at the upper end with emeralds. The prince seated himself on the divan， whilst his servants stood in attendance upon him， and bade the merchants bring out all that they had with them. Accordingly， they produced all their merchandise， and he viewed it and took of it what liked him， paying them the price. Then he remounted and was about to ride onward， when his eyes fell on a handsome young man， well dressed and elegantly made， with flower-white forehead and face brilliant as the moon， save that his beauty was wasted and that pallor had invaded his cheeks by reason of separation from those he loved： sighing and lamentation were grievous upon him and the tears streamed from his eyelids， as he repeated the following verses：
Absence is long and care and fear are heavy on my soul， Whilst from mine eyes the tears， O friend， without cessation roll.
Alas， I left my heart behind upon the parting day， And now sans heart， sans hope， abide all lonely in my dole.
Pause with me， O my friend， what while I take my leave of one By whose sweet speech diseases all and sorrows are made whole.
Having said this， he wept awhile and fell down in a swoon， whilst Taj el Mulouk looked at him wonderingly then coming to himself，he stared fixedly before him， with distracted air， and repeated these other verses：
I rede thee beware of her glance， for， lo， "tis a wizard， I ween！
None "scapeth unscathed of the shafts of her eyes， that has gazed on their sheen.
For， trust me， black eyes， that are armed with the grace of a languorous look， Are swifter and sharper to wound than scimitars， tempered and keen.
And let not thy mind be beguiled by the sweet and the soft of her words； For the fever that springs from her speech o"ermasters the senses， demesne.
Soft-sided， were silk but to press on her skin， it would cause it to bleed， So delicate-bodied she is and so nesh， as forsooth thou hast seen.
Right chary she is of the charms "twixt her neck and her anklets that lie， And what is the sweetest of scents to the fragrance that breathes from my queen！
Then he gave a sob and swooned away a second time. When Taj el Mulouk saw him thus， he was perplexed about his case and went up to him. So when he came to himself and saw the prince standing by him， he sprang to his feet and kissed the earth before him； and Taj el Mulouk said to him， "Why didst thou not show us thy merchandise？" "O my lord，" answered the young merchant， "there is nought among my stock worthy of thine august highness." "It matters not，" said the prince， "thou must show me what thou hast and acquaint me with thy case； for I see thee weeping-eyed and mournful-hearted. If thou hast been wronged， we will do away thine oppression， and if thou be in debt， we will discharge thy debt； for my heart aches for thee， since I first set eyes on thee." Then he called for seats and they set him a chair of ebony and ivory， netted with gold and silk， and spread him a silken carpet. So he sat down on the chair and bidding the young merchant seat himself on the carpet， again commanded him to show him his merchandise. "O my lord，" said he， "do not name this to me； for I have nought worthy of thee." "I will have it so，"
rejoined Taj el Mulouk and bade some of the servants fetch the goods. So they brought them in spite of the merchant； and when he saw this， the tears streamed from his eyes and he wept and sighed and lamented； sobs rose from his bosom and he repeated the following verses：
By the witching amorous sweetness and the blackness of thine eyes， By the tender flexile softness in thy slender waist that lies，By the graces and the languor of thy body and thy shape， By the fount of wine and honey from thy coral lips that rise，O my hope， to see thine image in my dreams were sweeter far Than were safety to the fearful， languishing in woful wise！
Then he opened his bales and displayed their contents to Taj el Mulouk， piece by piece， till he came to a mantle of satin brocaded with gold， worth two thousand dinars from which， when he opened it， there fell a piece of linen. As soon as he saw this，he caught up the piece of linen in haste and hid it under his thigh； and indeed he seemed as though he had lost his reason， and he repeated the following verses：
When shall my sad tormented heart be healed， alas， of thee？ The Pleiades were nearer far than is thy grace to me.
Distance estrangement， longing pain and fire of love laid waste，Procrastination and delay， in these my life doth flee.
For no attainment bids me live nor exile slays me quite， Travel no nigher doth me bring， nor wilt thou nearer be.
There is no justice to be had of thee nor any ruth In thee； no winning to thy grace and yet no breaking free.
Alack， for love of thee， the ways are straitened all on me； So that I know not where I go nor any issue see！
