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drink the cup of death.’ When the King heard this, the light in his sight became darkness Night clxxi.and he was excessively chagrined at his son’s lack of obedience to his wishes; yet, for the great love he bore him, he forbore to press him and was not wroth with him, but caressed him and spoke him fair and showed him all manner of kindness such as tends to cultivate affection. He took patience with him a whole year, during which time Kemerezzeman increased daily in beauty and elegance and amorous grace, till he became perfect in eloquence and loveliness. All men were ravished with his beauty and every breeze that blew carried the tidings of his charms; he was a seduction to lovers and a garden of delight to longing hearts, for he was sweet of speech and his face put the full moon to shame. Accomplished in symmetry as in elegance and engaging manners, his shape was slender and graceful as the willow-wand or the flowering cane and his cheeks might pass for roses or blood-red anemones. He was, in fine, charming in all respects, even as the poet hath said of him:
He comes and “Blest be God!” say all men, high and base. “Glory to Him who shaped and fashioned forth his face!”
He’s monarch of the fair, wherever they may be; For, lo, they’re all become the liegemen of his grace.
The water of his mouth is liquid honey-dew And ’twixt his lips for teeth fine pearls do interlace.
Perfect in every trait of beauty and unique, His witching loveliness distracts the human race.
Beauty itself hath writ these words upon his cheek, “Except this youth there’s none that’s fair in any place.”
When the year came to an end, the King called his son to him and said, ‘O my son, wilt thou not hearken to me?’ Whereupon Kemerezzeman fell down for respect and shame before his father and replied, ‘O my father, how should I not hearken to thee, seeing that God commandeth me to obey thee and not gainsay thee?’ ‘O my
