When it was the One Hundred and Seventh Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when King Zau Al-Makan summoned the Wazir and the Chamberlain and Rustam and Bahram，he turned towards the Minister Dandan and said，'Know，O Wazir，that night is come and hath let down over us its veil of gloom，and we desire that thou tell us those tales which thou promisedst us.' Replied the Wazir，'With love and gladness！
Know，O auspicious King，that there reached my ears a relation of a lover and a loved one and of the discourse between them and what befel them of things rare and fair，a story such as repelleth care from the heart and dispelleth sorrow like unto that of the patriarch Jacob[459]；and it is as follows'：
Tale of Taj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunya （The Lover and the Loved）.
There stood in times long gone by behind the Mountains of Ispahan，a city highs the Green City，wherein dwelt a King named Sulayman Shah.Now he was a man of liberality and beneficence，of justice and integrity，of generosity and sincerity，to whom travellers repaired from every country，and his name was noised abroad in all regions and cities and he reigned many a year in high worship and prosperity，save that he owned neither wives nor children.He had a Minister who rivalled him in goodness and generosity and it so happened that one day，he sent for him and when he came into the presence said to him，'O my Wazir，my heart is heavy and my patience is past and my force faileth me，for that I have neither wife nor child.This is not the way of Kings who rule over all men，princes.and paupers；for they rejoice in leaving behind them children and successors whereby are doubled their number and their strength.Quoth the Prophet （whom Allah bless and keep！）；'Marry ye，increase ye，and multiply ye，that I may boast me of your superiority over the nations on the Day of Resurrection.' So what is thy rede，O Wazir？Advise me of what course and contrivance be advisable！' When the Minister heard these words，the tears sprang from his eyes in streams，and he replied，'Far be it from me，O King of the Age，that I debate on that which appertaineth to the Compassionate One！Wilt thou have me cast into the fire by the All powerful King's wrath and ire？
Buy thee a concubine.' Rejoined the King，'Know，O Wazir，that when a sovereign buyeth a female slave，he knoweth neither her rank nor her lineage and thus he cannot tell if she be of ****** origin that he may abstain from her，or of gentle strain that he may be intimate in her companionship.So，if he have commerce with her，haply she will conceive by him and her son be a hypocrite，a man of wrath and a shedder of blood.Indeed the like of such woman may be instanced by a salt and marshy soil，which if one till for ever it yieldeth only worthless growth and no endurance show eth；for it may be that her son will be obnoxious to his Lord's anger，doing not what He biddeth him or abstaining from what He for biddeth him.Wherefore will I never become the cause of this through the purchase of a concubine；and it is my desire that thou demand for me in marriage the daughter of some one of the Kings，whose lineage is known and whose loveliness hath renown.If thou can direct me to some maiden of birth and piety of the daughters of Moslem Sovranty，I will ask her in marriage and wed her in presence of witnesses，so may accrue to me the favour of the Lord of all Creatures.' Said the Wazir，'O King，verily Allah hath fulfilled thy wish and hath brought thee to thy desire；' presently adding，'Know，O King，it hath come to my knowledge that King Zahr Shah，[460] Lord of the White Land，hath a daughter of surpassing loveliness whose charms talk and tale fail to express： she hath not her equal in this age，for she is perfect in proportion and symmetry，black eyed as if Kohl dyed and long locked，wee of waist and heavy of hip.When she draweth nigh she seduceth and when she turneth her back[461] she slayeth；she ravisheth heart and view and she looketh even as saith of her the poet，'A thin waist maid who shames the willow wand；Nor sun nor moon can like her rising shine：
'Tis as her honey dew of lips were blent With wine，and pearls of teeth were bathed in wine：
Her form，like heavenly Houri's，graceful slim；Fair face；and ruin dealt by glancing eyne：
How many a dead done man her eyes have slain Upon her way of love in ruin li'en：
An live I she's my death！I'll say no more But dying without her vain were life of mine.'
Now when the Wazir had made an end of describing that maiden，he said to Sulayman Shah，'It is my counsel，O King，that thou despatch to her father an ambassador，sagacious，experienced and trained in the ways of the world，who shall courteously demand her in marriage for thee of her sire；for in good sooth she hath not her equal in the far parts of the world nor in the near.So shalt thou enjoy her lovely face in the way of grace，and the Lord of Glory be content with thy case；for it is reported of the Prophet （whom Allah bless and preserve！） that he said，'There be no monkery in Al-Islam.'' At this the King was transported to perfect joy；his breast was broadened and lightened；care and cark ceased from him and he turned to the Wazir and said，'Know thou，O Minister，that none shall fare about this affair save thou，by reason of thy consummate intelligence and good breeding；wherefore hie thee home and do all thou hast to do and get thee ready by the morrow and depart and demand me in marriage this maiden，with whom thou hast occupied my heart and thought；and return not to me but with her.' Replied the Wazir，'I hear and I obey.'
