The prince wondered greatly at his behaviour， and said to him，"What is that piece of linen？" "O my lord，" replied the merchant，"thou hast no concern with it." "Show it me，" said the prince；
and the merchant answered， "O my lord， it was on account of this piece of linen that I refused to show thee my goods； for I cannot let thee look on it." But Taj el Mulouk rejoined， "I must and will see it；" and insisted and became angry. So he drew it out from under his thigh， weeping and lamenting and redoubling his sighs and groans， and repeated the following verses：
Blame ye the lover not， for blame but irketh him to hear； Indeed，I spoke him truth， but he to me would lend no ear.
God have her in His care， my moon that rises far away， Down in the valley， midst the camp， from out the collars"
sphere！[FN#123]
I left her； would to God my love had left me peace of life！ So had I never parted been from her that held me dear.
O how she pleaded for my sake upon our parting day， What while adown her cheeks and mine tear followed upon tear！
May God belie me not！ The wede of my excuse from me Was all to rent for loss of her； but I will mend my cheer.
No bed is easy to my side， nor is her resting-place Ayemore reposeful unto her， now I"m no longer near.
For Fate with an ill-omened hand hath wrought upon our loves And hindered me from my delight and her from hers， yfere.
Indeed， what time it filled the cup， whereof she drank what I E"en made her drink， it poured us out grief， all unmixed and sheer.
Quoth Taj el Mulouk， "Thy conduct perplexes me； tell me why thou weepest at the sight of this piece of linen." When the young merchant heard speak of the piece of linen， he sighed and answered， "O my lord， my story is a strange and eventful one，with regard to this piece of linen and her from whom I had it and her who wrought the figures and emblems that be thereon." So saying， he unfolded the piece of linen， and behold， thereon were the figures of two gazelles， facing one another， one wrought in silk and gold and the other in silver with a ring of red gold and three bugles of chrysolite about its neck. When Taj el Mulouk saw the figures and the beauty of their fashion， he exclaimed， "Glory be to God who teacheth man that which he knoweth not！" And his heart was filled with longing to hear the merchant"s story； so he said to him， "Tell me thy story with her who gave thee these gazelles." "Know， O my lord，" replied the young man， "that Story of Aziz and Azizeh.
My father was one of the chief merchants （of my native town） and God had vouchsafed him no other child than myself； but I had a cousin， the daughter of my father"s brother， who was brought up with me in our house； for her father was dead and before his death， he had agreed with my father that I should marry her. So when I reached man"s estate and she became a woman， they did not separate us， and we ceased not to sleep on the same couch，knowing no evil， albeit she was more thoughtful， more intelligent and quicker-witted than I， till at last， my father spoke to my mother and said， "This very year we will draw up the contract of marriage between Aziz and Azizeh." So they agreed upon this， and he betook himself to preparing victual for the marriage festivities. When he had made an end of his preparations and there remained nought but to draw up the contract and consummate the marriage， he appointed the wedding for a certain Friday，after the congregational prayers， and going round to his friends among the merchants and others， acquainted them with this， whilst my mother invited her female friends and kindred. When the day came， they cleaned the guest-chamber and washed the marble floor，then spread carpets about the house and set out thereon what was needful， after they had hung the walls with cloth of gold.
Now the folk had agreed to come to our house after the Friday-prayers； so my father went and let make cates and dishes of sweetmeats， and there remained nothing to do but to draw up the contract. Then my mother sent me to the bath and sent after me a suit of new clothes of the richest kind which I put on， when I came out. The clothes were perfumed， and as I went along， there exhaled from them a delicious fragrance， that scented the way. I was about to repair to the mosque， when I bethought me of one of my friends and was minded to go in quest of him that he might be present at the drawing up of the contract， saying in myself，"This will occupy me till near the time of prayer." So I turned back and came to a by-street， that I had never before entered.
Now I was in a profuse perspiration， from the effects of the bath and the new clothes on my body， and the sweat streamed from me，whilst the perfume of my clothes was wafted abroad： so I sat down to rest on a stone bench at the upper end of the street，spreading under me an embroidered handkerchief I had with me. The heat redoubled on me， so that my forehead sweated and the drops ran down on to my cheeks； but I could not wipe my face with my handkerchief， because I lay upon it. So I was about to take the skirt of my gaberdine and wipe my cheeks with it， when suddenly there fell on me from above a white handkerchief， softer to the feel than the zephyr and pleasanter to the sight than recovery to the sick. I seized on it and looking up to see whence it came， my eyes met those of the lady who gave me these gazelles. She was looking out of a wicket in a lattice of brass and never saw my eyes a fairer than she； my tongue fails to picture her beauty.
