Payne Burton

Then he set out and             Then he set out nor
gave not over journeying        ceased travelling till such
till he came to Bassora,        time as he reached Bassorah,
and entering his palace,        when he entered
saluted his mother and          his palace; and after
told her all that had           saluting his mother, he
befallen him; whereupon         apprized her of all things
quoth she to him “Arise,        that had befallen him. 
O my son, so thou mayst         She replied, “Arise, O
see this ninth image, for       my son, that we may look
that I am exceedingly           upon the Ninth statue,
rejoiced at its presence with   for I rejoice with extreme
us.   So they both               joy at its being in our
descended into the underground  possession.”   So both
hall wherein were               descended into the pavilion
the eight images, and           where stood the eight
found there a great marvel;     images of precious gems,
to wit, instead of the          and here they found a
ninth image, they beheld        mighty marvel.   ’Twas
the young lady resembling       this:  In lieu of seeing the
the sun in her loveliness.       Ninth Statue upon the
The prince knew her             golden throne, they found
when he saw her, and            seated thereon the young
she said to him, “Marvel        lady whose beauty suggested
not to find me here in          the sun.   Zayn
place of that which thou        al-Asnam knew her at
soughtest; me thinketh          first sight and presently
thou wilt not repent thee       she addressed him saying,
an thou take me in the          “Marvel not for that
stead of the ninth image.”      here thou findest me
“No, by Allah, Oh my            in place of that wherefor
beloved!” replied Zein          thou askedst; and I
ul Asnam.   “For that thou       deem that thou shalt not
art the end of my seeking,      regret nor repent when
and I would not exchange        thou acceptest me instead
thee for all the jewels in      of that thou soughtest.”
the world.   Didst thou          Said he, “No, verily,
but know the grief which        thou art the end of every
possessed me for thy            wish of me nor would
separation, thou whom I         I exchange thee for all the
took from thy parents           gems of the universe.
by fraud and brought thee       Would thou knew what
to the King of the Jinn!”       was the sorrow which
surcharged me on account of
our separation and of my
reflecting that I took thee
from thy parents by fraud
and I bore thee as a present
to the King of the Jinn.

Indeed I had well nigh determined to forfeit all my profit of the Ninth Statue and to bear thee away to Bassorah as my own bride, when my comrade and councillor dissuaded me from so doing lest I bring about my death."[FN#567]

Scarce had the prince           Nor had Zayn al Asnam
made an end of his speech       ended his words ere they