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O thou whose forehead, like the radiant East, * Tells of the

stars of Heaven and bounteous dews: Endure thine honour to the

latest day, * And Time thy growth of glory ne'er refuse!

While he was sitting by his father's tomb behold, there came to

him a Jew as he were a Shroff, [FN#397] a money-changer, with a

pair of saddle-bags containing much gold, who accosted him and

kissed his hand, saying, "Whither bound, O my lord; 'tis late in

the day and thou art clad but lightly, and I read signs of

trouble in thy face?" "I was sleeping within this very hour,"

answered Hasan, "when my father appeared to me and chid me for

not having visited his tomb; so I awoke trembling and came hither

forthright lest the day should go by without my visiting him,

which would have been grievous to me." "O my lord," rejoined the

Jew, [FN#398] "thy father had many merchantmen at sea and, as

some of them are now due, it is my wish to buy of thee the cargo

of the first ship that cometh into port with this thousand dinars

of gold." "I consent," quoth Hasan, whereupon the Jew took out a

bag full of gold and counted out a thousand sequins which he gave

to Hasan, the son of the Wazir, saying, "Write me a letter of

sale and seal it." So Hasan took a pen and paper and wrote these

words in duplicate, "The writer, Hasan Badr al-Din, son of Wazir

Nur al-Din, hath sold to Isaac the Jew all the cargo of the first

of his father's ships which cometh into port, for a thousand

dinars, and he hath received the price in advance." And after he

had taken one copy the Jew put it into his pouch and went away;

but Hasan fell a-weeping as he thought of the dignity and

prosperity which had erst been his and he began reciting:-