The Wazir replied，'I know none，save that，three years ago，his father required him to wed，but he refused；whereat the King was wroth and imprisoned him. And when he awoke on the morrow，he fancied that during the night he had been roused from sleep and had seen by his side a young lady of passing loveliness，whose charms tongue can never express；and he assured us that he had plucked off her sealring from her finger and had put it on his own and that she had done likewise；but we know not the secret of all this business. So by Allah，O my son，when thou comest up with me into the palace，look not on the Prince，but go thy way；for the Sultan's heart is full of wrath against me.'So said Marzawan to himself，'By Allah；this is the one I sought！'Then he followed the Wazir up to the palace，where the Minister seated himself at the Prince's feet；but Marzawan found forsooth nothing to do but go up to Kamar alZaman and stand before him at gaze.
Upon this the Wazir，died of affright in his skin，and kept looking at Marzawan and signalling him to wend his way；but he feigned not to see him and gave not over gazing upon Kamar al Zaman，till he was well assured that it was indeed he whom he was seeking，And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the One Hundred and Ninetyseventh Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when Marzawan looked upon Kamar alZaman and knew that it was indeed he whom he was seeking，he cried，'Exalted be Allah，Who hath made his shape even as her shape and his complexion as her complexion and his cheek as her cheek！'' Upon this Kamar alZaman opened his eyes and gave earnest ear to his speech；and，when Marzawan saw him inclining to hear，he repeated these couplets[287]，'I see thee full of song and plaint and love's own ecstasy；Delighting in describing all the charms of loveliness：
Art smit by stroke of Love or hath shaftshot wounded thee？
None save the wounded ever show such signals of distress！
Ho thou！crown the wine cup and sing me singular Praises to Sulayma，AlRabab，Tan'oum addrest；[288]
Go round the grapevine sun[289] which for mansion hath a jar；
Whose East the cup boy is，and here my mouth that opes for West.
I'm jealous of the very clothes that dare her sides enroll When she veils her dainty body of the delicatest grace：
I envy every goblet of her lips that taketh toll When she sets the kissing cup on that sweetest kissingplace.
But deem not by the keenedged scymitar I'm slain The hurts and harms I dree are from arrows of her eyes.
I found her finger tips，as I met her once again，Deepreddened with the juice of the wood that ruddy dyes；[290]
And cried，'Thy palms thou stainedst when far away was I And this is how thou payest one distracted by his pine！'
Quoth she （enkindling in my heart a flame that burned high Speaking as one who cannot hide of longing love the sign），'By thy life，this is no dye used for dyeing；so forbear Thy blame，nor in charging me with falsing Love persist！
But when upon our partingday I saw thee haste to fare，The while were bared my hand and my elbow and my wrist；
'I shed a flood of bloodred tears and with fingers brushed away；
Hence bloodreddened were the tips and still bloodred they remain.'
Had I wept before she wept，to my longinglove a prey，Before repentance came，I had quit my soul of pain；
But she wept before I wept and I wept to see her care And I said，'All the merit to precedent；'[291]
Blame me not for loving her，now on self of Love I swear For her sake，for her only，these pains my soul torment.
She hath all the lere of Lukman[292] and Yusuf's beauty lief；
Sweet singer David's voice and Maryam's chastity：
While I've all Jacob's mourning and Jonah's prisongrief，And the sufferings of Job and old Adam's history：
Yet kill her not，albeit of my love for her I die；
But ask her why my blood to her was lawful. ask her why？'
When Marzawan recited this ode，the words fell upon Kamar al Zaman's heart as freshness after fever and returning health；and he sighed and，turning his tongue in his mouth，said to his sire，'O my father，let this youth come and sit by my side.'And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the One Hundred and Ninetyeighth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Kamar al
Zaman said to his sire，'O my father，allow this youth to come and sit by my side.'Now when the King heard these words from his son，he rejoiced with exceeding joy，though at the first his heart had been set against Marzawan and he had determined that the stranger's head needs must be stricken off：but when he heard Kamar alZaman speak，his anger left him and he arose and drawing Marzawan to him，seated him by his son and turning to him said，'Praised be Allah for thy safety！'He replied，'Allah preserve thee！and preserve thy son to thee！'and called down blessings on the King. Then the King asked，'From what country art thou？'；and he answered，'From the Islands of the Inland Sea，the kingdom of King Ghayur，Lord of the Isles and the Seas and the Seven Palaces.'Quoth King Shahriman，'Maybe thy coming shall be blessed to my son and Allah vouchsafe to heal what is in him.'
Quoth Marzawan，'Inshallah，naught shall be save what shall be well！'Then turning to Kamar alZaman，he said to him in his ear unheard of the King and his court，'O my lord！be of good cheer，and hearten thy heart and let shine eyes be cool and clear and，with respect to her for whose sake thou art thus，ask not of her case on shine account.
