Meanwhile, El Abbas betook himself to his father’s camp, which was pitched in the Green Meadow, by the side of the Tigris, and none might make his way between the tents, for the much interlacement of the tent-ropes.  When the prince reached the first of the tents, the guards and servants came out to meet him from all sides and escorted him till he drew near the sitting-place of his father, who knew of his coming.  So he issued forth of his pavilion and coming to meet his son, kissed him and made much of him.  Then they returned together to the royal pavilion and when they had seated themselves and the guards had taken up their station in attendance on them, the king said to El Abbas, “O my son, make ready thine affair, so we may go to our own land, for that the folk in our absence are become as they were sheep without a shepherd.”  El Abbas looked at his father and wept till he swooned away, and when he recovered from his swoon, he improvised and recited the following verses: 

I clipped her[FN#118] in mine arms and straight grew drunken with
     the scent Of a fresh branch that had been reared in
     affluence and content. 
’Twas not of wine that I had drunk; her mouth’s sweet honeyed
     dews It was intoxicated me with bliss and ravishment. 
Upon the table of her cheek beauty hath writ, “Alack, Her charms! 
     ’Twere well thou refuge sought’st with God
     incontinent."[FN#119]
Since thou hast looked on her, mine eye, be easy, for by God Nor
     mote nor ailment needst thou fear nor evil accident. 
Beauty her appanage is grown in its entirety, And for this cause
     all hearts must bow to her arbitrament. 
If with her cheek and lustre thou thyself adorn,[FN#120] thou’lt
     find But chrysolites and gold, with nought of baser metal
     blent. 
When love-longing for her sweet sake I took upon myself, The
     railers flocked to me anon, on blame and chiding bent;
But on no wise was I affrayed nor turned from love of her; So let
     the railer rave of her henceforth his heart’s content. 
By God, forgetfulness of her shall never cross my mind, What
     while I wear the bonds of life nor when of death they’re
     rent
An if I live, in love of her I’ll live, and if I die Of love and
     longing for her sight, O rare!  O excellent!

When El Abbas had made an end of his verses, his father said to him, “I seek refuge for thee with God, O my son!  Hast thou any want unto which thou availest not, so I may endeavour for thee therein and lavish my treasures in quest thereof?” “O father mine,” answered El Abbas, “I have, indeed, an urgent want, on account whereof I came forth of my native land and left my people and my home and exposed myself to perils and stresses and became an exile from my country, and I trust in God that it may be accomplished by thine august endeavour.”  “And what is thy want?” asked the king.  Quoth El Abbas, “I would have thee go and demand me in marriage Mariyeh, daughter of the King of Baghdad, for that my heart is distraught with love of her.”  And he recounted to his father his story from first to last.