I embraced him,[422] and straight I waxt drunk wi’ the smell ✿ Of a fresh young branch wont in wealth to dwell. Yea, drunken, but not by the wine; nay, ’twas ✿ By draughts from his lips that like wine-cups well: For Beauty wrote on his cheek’s fair page ✿ “Oh, his charms! take refuge fro’ danger fell!”[423] Mine eyes, be easy, since him ye saw; ✿ Nor mote nor blearness with you shall mell: In him Beauty showeth fro’ first to fine ✿ And bindeth on hearts bonds unfrangible: An thou kohl thyself with his cheek of light ✿ Thou’ll find but jasper and or in stelle:[424] The chiders came to reproach me when ✿ For him longing and pining my heart befel: But I fear not, I end not, I turn me not ✿ From his life, let tell-tale his tale e’en tell: By Allah, forgetting ne’er crossed my thought ✿ While by life-tie bound, or when ends my spell: An I live I will live in his love, an I die ✿ Of love and longing, I’ll cry, “’Tis well!” Now when Al-Abbas had ended his verses, his father said to him, “I seek refuge for thee with Allah, O my son! Hast thou any want thou art powerless to win, so I may endeavour for thee therein and lavish my treasures in its quest.” Cried Al-Abbas, “O my papa, I have, indeed, an urgent need, on whose account I came forth of my mother-land and left my people and my home and affronted perils and horrors and became an exile, and I trust in Allah that it may be accomplished by thy magnanimous endeavour.” Quoth the King, “And what is thy want?” and quoth Al-Abbas, “I would have thee go and ask for me to wife Mariyah, daughter of the King of Baghdad, for that my heart is distracted with love of her.” Then he recounted to his father his adventure from first to last. When the King heard this from his son, he rose to his feet and calling for his charger of parade, took horse with four-and-twenty Emirs of the chief officers of his empire. Then he betook himself to the palace of the King of Baghdad who, when he saw him coming, bade his chamberlains open the doors to them and going down himself to meet him, received him with all honour and hospitality and carried him and his into the palace; then causing make ready for them carpets and cushions, sat down upon his golden throne and seated the guest by his side upon a chair of gold, framed in juniper-wood set with pearls and jewels. Presently he bade bring sweetmeats and confections and scents and commanded to slaughter four-and-twenty head of sheep and the like of oxen and make ready geese and chickens and pigeons stuffed and boiled, and spread the tables; nor was it long before the meats were served up in vessels of gold and silver. So they eat their sufficiency and when they had eaten their fill, the tables were removed and the wine-service set on and the cups and flagons ranged in ranks, whilst the Mamelukes and the fair slave-girls sat down, with zones of gold about their waists, studded