whereat he was perplexed and knew not what answer to make him，for that his daughter was averse from men and did not desire to marry. So he bowed his head awhile， then raised it and calling one of his eunuchs， said to him， "Go to thy mistress， the princess Dunya， and repeat to her what thou hast heard and tell her this Vizier"s errand." So the eunuch went out and returning after a while， said to the King， "O King of the age， when I went to the lady Dunya and told her what I had heard， she was exceeding wroth and made at me with a staff， meaning to break my head； whereupon I fled from her， and she said to me， "If my father force me to marry， him whom I wed I will kill." Then said the King to the Vizier and Aziz， "Salute the King your master and tell him what ye have heard and that my daughter is averse from men and hath no mind to marry." So they returned， without having accomplished the object of their journey， and fared on till they rejoined the King and told him what had passed； whereupon he commanded the chief to summon the troops for war. But the Vizier said to him， "O King， do not this， for the King is not at fault，seeing that， when his daughter learnt our business， she sent to say that， if her father forced her to marry， she would kill her husband and herself after him： so the refusal comes from her."
When the King heard this， he feared for Taj el Mulouk and said，"If I make war on the King of the Camphor Islands and carry off his daughter， she will kill herself and it will profit me nothing." So he told his son how the case stood， and he said， "O my father， I cannot live without her； so I will go to her and cast about to get me access to her， though I die in the attempt."
"How wilt thou go to her？" asked his father； and he answered， "In the disguise of a merchant." Then said the King， "If thou must go and there is no help for it， take with thee Aziz and the Vizier."
He agreed to this， and the King took money from his treasuries and made ready for him merchandise， to the value of a hundred thousand dinars； and when the night came Taj el Mulouk went to Aziz"s lodging and passed the night there， heart-smitten and taking no delight in food nor sleep； for melancholy was heavy upon him and he was agitated with longing for his beloved. So he besought the Creator to unite him with her and wept and groaned and complained， repeating the following verses：
Shall union after estrangement betide us， perchance， some day？
Shall I ever make moan of my passion to thee， I wonder， and say，"How oft have I called thee to mind， whilst the night in its trances slept！ Thou hast made me waken， whilst all but I in oblivion lay.
Then he wept sore and Aziz wept with him， for that he remembered his cousin； and they both ceased not to do thus till the morning，when Taj el Mulouk rose and went in to his mother in his travelling dress. She asked him of his case， and he told her what was to do； so she gave him fifty thousand dinars and bade him farewell， offering up prayers for his safety and for his union with his beloved. Then he left her and betaking himself to his father， asked his leave to depart. The King granted him leave and presenting him with other fifty thousand dinars， let pitch a tent for him without the city， in which they abode two days， then set out on their journey. And Taj el Mulouk delighted in Aziz"s company and said to him， "O my brother， I can never bear to be parted from thee." "Nor I from thee，" replied Aziz； "and fain would I die at thy feet： but， O my brother， my heart is concerned for my mother." "When we have attained our wish，" said the prince， "all will be well." As for the Vizier， he exhorted Taj el Mulouk to patience， whilst Aziz entertained him with talk and recited verses to him and diverted him with stories and anecdotes； and so they fared on day and night for two whole months， till the way became tedious to the prince and the fires of passion redoubled on him. So he repeated the following verses：
Long is the road and restlessness and grief redouble aye， Whilst in my breast the fires of love rage ever night and day O thou， the goal of all my hopes， sole object of my wish， I swear by Him， the Most High God， who moulded man from clay，For love of thee I bear a load of longing and desire， Such as the mountains of Es Shumm might ne"er withal away！
Indeed， O lady of my world，[FN#140] love slayeth me outright； No breath of life in me is left， my fainting spright to stay But for the hope of union with thee， that lures me on， My weary body had no strength to furnish forth the way.
When he had finished， he wept and Aziz wept with him， from a lacerated heart， till the Vizier was moved to pity by their weeping and said to the prince， "O my lord， take courage and be of good cheer； all will yet be well." "O Vizier，" said Taj el Mulouk， "indeed I am weary of the length of the way. Tell me how far we are distant yet from the city." "But a little way，"
replied Aziz. Then they continued their journey， traversing valleys and plains and hills and stony wastes， till one night， as Taj el Mulouk was asleep， he dreamt that his beloved was with him and that he embraced her and pressed her to his bosom； and he awoke， trembling and delirious with emotion， and repeated the following verses：
My heart is maddened for love and my tears for ever flow， And longing is ever upon me and unrelenting woe.
My plaint is， for tears， as the mourning of women bereft of young， And I moan， when the darkness gathers， as the turtles， sad and low.
Yet， if the breezes flutter from the land where thou dost dwell，Their wafts o"er the earth， sun-weaned， a grateful coolness throw.
Peace be on thee， my beloved， as long as the cushat flies， As long as the turtles warble， as long as the zephyrs blow！
When he had finished， the Vizier came to him and said， "Rejoice；
