decreed!  My heart is grown hoar, ere eld’s snows have left
     on my tresses their trail. 
The fires in my vitals that rage if I did but discover to view,
     Their ardour the world to consume, from the East to the
     West, might avail. 
But now unto me of my loves accomplished are joyance and cheer
     And those whom I cherish my soul with the wine of
     contentment regale. 
Our Lord, after sev’rance, with them hath conjoined us, for he
     who doth good Shall ne’er disappointed abide and kindnesses
     kindness entail.

When King El Aziz heard the damsel’s song, her speech and her verses pleased him and he said to El Abbas, “O my son, verily, these damsels are weary with long versifying, and indeed they make us yearn after the dwellings and the homesteads with the goodliness of their songs.  Indeed, these five have adorned our assembly with the excellence of their melodies and have done well in that which they have said before those who are present; wherefore we counsel thee to enfranchise them for the love of God the Most High.”  Quoth El Abbas, “There is no commandment but thy commandment;” and he enfranchised the ten damsels in the assembly; whereupon they kissed the hands of the king and his son and prostrated themselves in thanksgiving to God the Most High.  Then they put off that which was upon them of ornaments and laying aside the lutes [and other] instruments of music, clave to their houses, veiled, and went not forth.[FN#144]

As for King El Aziz, he lived after this seven years and was admitted to the mercy of God the Most High; whereupon his son El Abbas carried him forth to burial on such wise as beseemeth unto kings and let make recitations and readings of the Koran, in whole or in part, over his tomb.  He kept up the mourning for his father a full-told month, at the end of which time he sat down on the throne of the kingship and judged and did justice and distributed silver and gold.  Moreover, he loosed all who were in the prisons and abolished grievances and customs dues and did the oppressed justice of the oppressor; wherefore the people prayed for him and loved him and invoked on him endurance of glory and kingship and length of continuance [on life] and eternity of prosperity and happiness.  Moreover, the troops submitted to him and the hosts from all parts of the kingdom, and there came to him presents from all the lands.  The kings obeyed him and many were his troops and his grandees, and his subjects lived with him the most easeful and prosperous of lives.

Meanwhile, he ceased not, he and his beloved, Queen Mariyeh, in the most delightsome of life and the pleasantest thereof, and he was vouchsafed by her children; and indeed there befell friendship and love between them and the longer their companionship was prolonged, the more their love waxed, so that they became unable to endure from each other a single hour, save the time of his going forth to the Divan, when he would return to her in the utterest that might be of longing.  Aud on this wise they abode in all solace and delight of life, till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and the Sunderer of Companies.  So extolled be the perfection of Him whose kingdom endureth for ever, who is never heedless neither dieth nor sleepeth!  This is all that hath come down to us of their story, and so peace [be on you!]