As he and his father were thus engaged in talk, in came his mother and caught hold of him; and he said to her, “God on thee, let me go my gait and strive not to turn me from my purpose, for that needs must I go.”  “O my son,” answered she, “if it must be so and there is no help for it, swear to me that them wilt not be absent from me more than a year.”  And he swore to her.  Then he entered his father’s treasuries and took therefrom what he would of jewels and jacinths and everything heavy of worth and light of carriage.  Moreover, he bade his servant Aamir saddle him two horses and the like for himself, and whenas the night darkened behind him,[FN#65] he rose from his couch and mounting his horse, set out for Baghdad, he and Aamir, whilst the latter knew not whither he intended.

He gave not over going and the journey was pleasant to him, till they came to a goodly land, abounding in birds and wild beasts, whereupon El Abbas started a gazelle and shot it with an arrow.  Then he dismounted and cutting its throat, said to his servant, “Alight thou and skin it and carry it to the water.”  Aamir answered him [with “Hearkening and obedience”] and going down to the water, kindled a fire and roasted the gazelle’s flesh.  Then they ate their fill and drank of the water, after which they mounted again and fared on diligently, and Aamir still unknowing whither El Abbas was minded to go.  So he said to him, “O my lord, I conjure thee by God the Great, wilt thou not tell me whither thou intendest?” El Abbas looked at him and made answer with the following verses: 

In my soul the fire of yearning and affliction rageth aye; Lo, I
     burn with love and longing; nought in answer can I say. 
To Baghdad upon a matter of all moment do I fare, For the love of
     one whose beauties have my reason led astray. 
Under me’s a slender camel, a devourer of the waste; Those who
     pass a cloudlet deem it, as it flitteth o’er the way. 
So, O Aamir, haste thy going, e’en as I do, so may I Heal my
     sickness and the draining of the cup of love essay;
For the longing that abideth in my heart is hard to bear.  Fare
     with me, then, to my loved one.  Answer nothing, but obey.

When Aamir heard his lord’s verses, he knew that he was a slave of love [and that she of whom he was enamoured abode] in Baghdad.  Then they fared on night and day, traversing plains and stony wastes, till they came in sight of Baghdad and lighted down in its suburbs[FN#66] and lay the night there.  When they arose in the morning, they removed to the bank of the Tigris and there they encamped and sojourned three days.