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sleep; but he called to mind his uncle’s description of the princess and her beauty and grace and shed copious tears, reciting the following verses:
If, whilst within mine entrails the fires of hell did stir And flames raged high about me, ’twere spoken in mine ear,
“Which wilt thou have the rather, a draught of water cold Or sight of her thou lovest?” I’d say, “The sight of her.”
Then he sighed and wept and lamented, reciting these verses also:
Ah, who shall be my helper in love of a gazelle, Even as the sun in visage, but fairer, sooth to tell?
My heart was free and careless; but now ’tis all on fire With passion for the daughter of King Es Semendel.
When Salih heard what his nephew said, he smote hand upon hand and said, ‘There is no god but God! Mohammed is the apostle of God and there is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme! O my son, didst thou hear what passed between thy mother and myself respecting the princess Jauhereh?’ ‘Yes, O my uncle,’ answered Bedr. ‘And I fell in love with her by report, through what I heard you say. Indeed, my heart cleaves to her and I cannot live without her.’ ‘O king,’ rejoined his uncle, let us return to thy mother and tell her how the case stands and ask her leave that I may take thee with me and seek the princess in marriage of her father; for I fear to take thee without her leave, lest she be wroth with me; and indeed the right would be on her side, for I should be the cause of her separation from thee, even as I was that of her separation from us. Moreover, the [people of the] city would be left without a king and there would be none to govern them and look to their affairs; so should the realm be disordered against thee and the kingship depart from thy hands.’ But Bedr said, ‘O my uncle, if I return to my mother and consult
