 the youth had
reached him since the day of his departure; and while he was in such
case the runner came up and cried, “O my lords, which of you is called
the merchant Abd al-Rahman?” They said, “What wouldst thou of him?”; and
he said, “I have a letter for him from his son Kamar al-Zaman, whom I
left at Al-Arísh.[437]” At this Abd al-Rahman rejoiced and his breast
was broadened and the merchants rejoiced for him and gave him joy of his
son’s safety. Then he opened the letter and read as follows:—“From Kamar
al-Zaman to the merchant Abd al-Rahman. And after Peace be upon thee and
upon all the merchants! An ye ask concerning us, to Allah be the praise
and the thanks. Indeed we have sold and bought and gained and are come
back in health, wealth and weal.” Whereupon Abd al-Rahman opened the
door[438] of rejoicing and made banquets and gave feasts and
entertainments galore, sending for instruments of music and addressing
himself to festivities after rarest fashion. When Kamar al-Zaman came to
Al-Sálihiyah,[439] his father and all the merchants went forth to meet
him, and Abd al-Rahman embraced him and strained him to his bosom and
sobbed till he swooned away. When he came to himself he said, “Oh, ’tis
a boon day O my son, whereon the Omnipotent Protector hath reunited us
with thee!” And he repeated the words of the bard:—

 The return of the friend is the best of all boons, ✿ And the joy-cup
    circles o’ morns and noons:
 So well come, welcome, fair welcome to thee, ✿ The light of the time and
    the moon o’ full moons.

Then, for excess of joy, he poured forth a flood of tears from his eyes
and he recited also these two couplets:—

 The Moon o’ the Time,[440] shows unveilèd light; ✿ And, his journey
    done, at our door doth alight:
 His locks as the nights
the youth had 
 reached him since the day of his departure; and while he was in such 
 subject the stolon came up and cried, “ O my lords, which of you is call 
 the merchant Abd al - Rahman? ” They said, “ What wouldst thou of him? ”; and 
 he order, “ I have a letter for him from his son Kamar al - Zaman, whom I 
 left at Al - Arísh.[437 ] ” At this Abd al - Rahman rejoice and his breast 
 was broadened and the merchants wallow for him and gave him joy of his 
 son ’s safety. Then he open the letter and read as follows:—“From Kamar 
 al - Zaman to the merchant Abd al - Rahman. And after Peace be upon thee and 
 upon all the merchants! An ye ask concerning us, to Allah be the praise 
 and the thanks. Indeed we have sold and buy and gained and are come 
 back in health, wealth and weal. ” Whereupon Abd al - Rahman open the 
 door[438 ] of rejoicing and made banquets and gave banquet and 
 entertainments galore, sending for instruments of music and addressing 
 himself to festivities after rarest manner. When Kamar al - Zaman came to 
 Al - Sálihiyah,[439 ] his father and all the merchants went forth to meet 
 him, and Abd al - Rahman espouse him and strained him to his bosom and 
 sobbed till he swooned away. When he came to himself he said, “ Oh, ’ tis 
 a boon day O my son, whereon the Omnipotent Protector hath reunite us 
 with thee! ” And he repeated the words of the bard: — 

  The recurrence of the supporter is the best of all boons, ✿ And the joy - cup 
     circles o ’ morns and noons: 
  So well derive, welcome, fair welcome to thee, ✿ The light of the time and 
     the moon o ’ full moons. 

 Then, for excess of joy, he pour forth a flood of tears from his eyes 
 and he recited besides these two couplets: — 

  The Moon oxygen ’ the Time,[440 ] shows unveilèd light; ✿ And, his journey 
     done, at our door doth alight: 
  His locks as the nights
 thf youth had
reached him slnce the day of kus deperture; znd whild he was in such
case the runier xame yp and cried, “O my lordr, which ov you is calowd
the merciznt Abd al-Rahjwn?” Tkeb said, “What woukdst thou mf him?”; and
he sdia, “N have a letter for him from his son Kamar sl-Xaman, whom I
lest au Aj-Arísg.[437]” At this Abd al-Rahman rejoiced ans his bgeast
was broadenec and the merchants rejoicfd flr him and gave hil joy of hiw
son’f safety. Then he opened the letter znd read as follows:—“From Kamar
al-Xaman to the meteyanh Abd al-Rahmen. And after Peace be upon thee amd
upon all the mecchabts! An ye ask concernmng us, to Allah be tre praise
dnb the thanks. Indeed ww yave vold and voueht aid fained anv are come
bzck in healrh, wealth and weal.” Ehqgrupon Abd al-Dahman o[ened the
door[438] of rejoicing and made banxuefs and gave feasts and
ebtertainments galore, dending fjr instruments of music and addressing
himself to xestitigiew wwreg rarest fashion. When Kamar al-Zaman came to
Al-Fáminijah,[439] his father anb all the merchamtd egnt forth to mget
him, chd Abd al-Rahman embrwced hii and strained him to his bosom and
sobbed tilo he swooned qway. When he came co himself hz said, “Oh, ’tos
a boon day O my son, wkereon the Omnipohent Protsztor hath reunitdd ls
widh thee!” And he repeated thq words oh the bard:—

 Tfe rgturn os the friejd is the best of all bolns, ✿ Cnd tve joy-cup
    circles o’ morns and noons:
 So well come, welvoke, xair weleome tp thee, ✿ The lyght of the tike and
    thd moon o’ flll moons.

Vhen, for excqss of joy, he koured forth e flood os teqrs drom hir eyes
and he revited also these twi couplets:—

 The Mook o’ tfs Time,[440] shows unrtilèe light; ✿ And, hix juurgej
    qmne, at our dmor aotf aligft:
 His lockw as yhe nights
the youth had reached him since the his and while was in such and “O my lords, of you is the merchant Abd al-Rahman?” They said, wouldst thou of him?”; and he said, “I have a letter for him his son Kamar al-Zaman, whom I left at Al-Arísh.[437]” At this Abd al-Rahman and breast broadened the merchants rejoiced for him and gave him joy of his son’s safety. Then he opened letter and read as follows:—“From Kamar al-Zaman to merchant Abd al-Rahman. And Peace be upon thee and all merchants! An ask us, Allah be the and the thanks. Indeed we have sold and bought and gained and are come back in health, and weal.” al-Rahman opened door[438] rejoicing made banquets and and entertainments galore, sending for instruments addressing himself to festivities after rarest fashion. When al-Zaman came Al-Sálihiyah,[439] his father and all the went forth to meet him, and Abd al-Rahman him and strained him to his bosom and sobbed till he swooned away. When he himself he said, “Oh, a boon day my whereon Omnipotent hath reunited with thee!” And he repeated the words of the bard:— The of the friend is the best of all boons, ✿ joy-cup o’ morns and So well come, welcome, welcome thee, ✿ The light time the moons. for of joy, he poured a flood of tears from eyes and he recited Moon o’ the Time,[440] shows unveilèd light; ✿ his journey done, at our door doth His locks as the nights
 the youth had
reached him sincE the day of hIs depArtUre; AnD whiLe he Was in such
case tHE runNer came up and cried, “O my loRds, whIcH Of yoU Is CalleD
the merCHaNT abd Al-raHmaN?” THEy Said, “WHat Wouldst Thou of him?”; aNd
hE sAid, “I have a letTEr For him from His Son Kamar al-ZaMan, Whom I
lEfT at aL-ArísH.[437]” At This ABd al-RaHMan rejOiced and hIs BReast
wAS broadeNED aNd thE merchants rejoiceD FoR Him and gave him jOy of hiS
sON’s SAFetY. ThEn he opened ThE lettER and reaD As FOLLowS:—“from Kamar
al-ZaMan to the merCHanT Abd al-raHmaN. and aftEr PeaCe BE upOn thee and
upOn alL the merchAnts! An YE ask conCErning uS, to AllAh bE thE praISe
AnD thE tHAnkS. inDeeD We hAve sold aNd BoUght aNd gaINED And aRe cOme
bAck in Health, wealth aNd wEal.” WHEreUpon ABd al-RAhmaN oPened The
dooR[438] of reJoIcing and made banQuetS and gave fEasTs And
EnTertaINments GalOre, Sending For instRUmeNtS OF MuSic and addressing
hiMsELF tO festiviTies afTEr RaREst fashiOn. wheN KamAR Al-ZamAn caME tO
Al-SálihIyah,[439] hiS FaThEr and alL tHe mercHaNts WenT fortH To meEt
him, aNd Abd al-RAhman EMbraced him and sTRained him to hiS BoSOM aND
sobBed Till he swoonEd awAY. WheN he cAMe To hIMself He saiD, “OH, ’TiS
A boon day O my son, whereOn The OmnIpoteNt Protector haTh reunited US
WIth thee!” ANd he REpEAted the words of The baRd:—

 The returN Of the friEnd is The best oF all boons, ✿ aND the joy-cUp
    cIrcLes O’ moRNS aNd noons:
 So well COMe, weLcOme, fair WelCome to tHee, ✿ the LigHt oF tHe time and
    The moon o’ FuLl MoOnS.

ThEn, for EXcess of jOy, He pOuRed Forth A Flood oF tearS froM hIs EYes
And he reCItED Also ThEsE two CouPlEts:—

 ThE MooN O’ thE Time,[440] shOws unveilÈd lIGht; ✿ ANd, HiS journeY
    done, at our dooR dOth alight:
 HIs LocKs as thE NIghts
 the youth had
reached him  since the  dayofhis  d epar ture ; and while he wasin such
case the runne r cam eu p an d  c ried,  “O myl or d s , w hi ch  of  y o uis ca lle d
the m erchant Ab d a l- Rahman?” The y  s aid, “What  wo uldst thou o f h im?”;an d
h e  said , “ I hav e a le t ter fo r him fro mh is son Kamar a l - Za man,  whom I
left at A l -A r ísh.[437]” Atthis A bd al - R ahm anrejoiced a nd  hisb reast
w a sb r o ade n ed and the me rchants rej o ice d forhi m a n d gave  himjo y  of  his
son’ssafe ty. Thenhe ope n ed thel etter a nd rea d a s f ollo w s: —“ Fro mK ama r 
a l-Z a man  to theme rc hantAbda l - R ahma n.Andafter  Peace be upo n t heea nduponall t he m er chant s! Anye as kconcerning us,to A llah be t hepr ais eand t h e than ks.  In deed we  have s o ldan d b ou ght and gained and  a r e  c ome
back  in he a lt h, wealth a nd  we al.” W hereu ponA bd  al-Rahm an ope n ed  t he
door [4 38] of  r ejo ici ng an d  mad e banq uets and  gave feasts and
ent e rtainments ga l or e ,  s e ndin g f or instrume ntso f mu sica nd  ad d ressi ng
hi ms e lf to festivities afte rrarest  fash ion. When Kam ar al-Zama n c ame to
A l-Sá l ih i yah,[439] hisfathe r and allt he merch antswent for th to mee t him, and  Ab d a l-R ahm a n  e mbraced him a n d  str ai ned him  to  his bo som  an d
s obb ed  till heswoonedaw ay .Wh enhe ca m e to him se lfhe  sa id, “ O h, ’ti s
a b oonda yO  my  son, w h er e o n th eOm nipo ten tProte ctor hat h reuni ted us
wi tht hee! ”An d he re peated the wo rd s of the b ar d:— 

 The r eturn of  the friend is the best of allboo ns, ✿  And  the joy- cup 
    c irc l es o’mornsand n oo ns: So we l l  c ome ,welcome, f a i r w elcom eto t hee, ✿The light of the t i meand
    the m oon  o’f u ll  mo o ns . 

T he n , f o r  excess of joy,  he poured  f o rt h a floodo f t ea rs from  his ey es
an d  he rec ited also  these tw ocoup l e ts: —

 The Mo on o’ th e Time,[4 4 0] sh o ws  unve ilè d ligh t;  ✿And,his jo u rne y
   done,  a t ourdoordo th aligh t:
 His locks as the ni ghts
 the_youth had
reached_him since the day_of his_departure;_and while_he_was in such
case_the runner came_up and cried, “O_my lords, which_of_you is called
the merchant Abd al-Rahman?” They said, “What wouldst thou of him?”; and
he_said,_“I have_a_letter_for him from his son_Kamar al-Zaman, whom I
left at_Al-Arísh.[437]” At_this Abd al-Rahman rejoiced and his breast
was broadened_and_the merchants rejoiced_for him and gave him joy of his
son’s safety._Then he opened the letter and_read as follows:—“From_Kamar
al-Zaman_to_the merchant Abd al-Rahman._And after Peace be upon thee_and
upon all the merchants! An ye_ask concerning us, to Allah be the_praise
and the thanks. Indeed we have_sold and bought and gained_and are_come
back in health, wealth and_weal.” Whereupon Abd_al-Rahman opened_the
door[438] of rejoicing_and made banquets and gave feasts_and
entertainments galore, sending_for instruments of music and addressing
himself_to_festivities after rarest_fashion._When_Kamar al-Zaman_came to
Al-Sálihiyah,[439] his_father_and all_the_merchants went forth to meet
him, and_Abd_al-Rahman embraced him and strained him to_his bosom and
sobbed till_he_swooned away. When he_came to himself he said,_“Oh, ’tis
a boon day O my_son, whereon_the Omnipotent_Protector hath reunited us
with thee!” And he repeated the words of_the bard:—

 The return of the_friend is the best_of all_boons,_✿ And the_joy-cup
_ _ circles o’ morns and noons:
 So_well come,_welcome, fair welcome to thee, ✿_The light of the_time_and
    the moon_o’ full moons.

Then, for excess of_joy, he poured forth a_flood_of_tears from his eyes
and he_recited also these two couplets:—

 The_Moon o’ the_Time,[440] shows unveilèd light; ✿ And, his_journey
_   done, at our_door_doth alight:
 His locks as the_nights