THE TALE OF ZAYN AL-ASNAM.[FN#8]

It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that in Bassorah-city[FN#9] reigned a puissant Sultan, who was opulent exceedingly and who owned all the goods of life; but he lacked a child which might inherit his wealth and dominion.  So, being sorely sorrowful on this account, he arose and fell to doing abundant alms-deeds to Fakirs and the common poor, to the Hallows and other holy men and prayed their recourse to Allah Almighty, in order that the Lord (to whom belong Might and Majesty!) might of His grace bless him with issue.  And the Compassionate accepted his prayer for his alms to the Religious and deigned grant his petition; and one night of the nights after he lay with the Queen she went away from him with child.  Now as soon as the Sultan heard of the conception he rejoiced with exceeding great joyance, and when the days of delivery drew near he gathered together all the astrologers and sages who strike the sand-board,[FN#10]and said to them, “’Tis our desire that ye disclose and acquaint us anent the birth which is to be born during the present month whether it shall be male or female, and what shall befal it from the shifts of Time, and what shall proceed from it.”  Thereupon the geomantists struck their sand-boards and the astrophils ascertained their ascendants and they drew the horoscope of the babe unborn, and said to the sovran, “O King of the Age and Lord of the Time and the Tide, verily the child to which the Queen shall presently give birth will be a boy and ’t will be right for thee to name him Zayn al-Asnam—­Zayn of the Images.”  Then spake the geomantists, saying, “Know then, Ho though the King, that this little one shall approve him when grown to man’s estate valiant and intelligent; but his days shall happen upon sundry troubles and travails, and yet if he doughtily fight against all occurrence he shall become the most opulent of the Kings of the World.”  Exclaimed the Sultan, “An the child approve himself valorous, as ye have announced, then the toil and moil which shall be his lot may be held for naught, inasmuch as calamities but train and strengthen the songs of the Kings."[FN#11] Shortly after this the Queen gave birth to a man-child, and Glory be to Him who fashioned the babe with such peerless beauty and loveliness!  The King named his son Zayn al-Asnam, and presently he became even as the poets sang of one of his fellows in semblance,

“He showed; and they cried, ’Be Allah blest!’* And who made him
     and formed him His might attest! 
This be surely the lord of all loveliness; * And all others his
     lieges and thralls be confest.”