Pagina 310 di 1116

He rejoiced with extreme joyance to hear news of his son and

said, "Come now and show me the tomb;" but I replied, "By Allah,

O my uncle, I know not its place, though I sought it carefully

full many times, yet could not find the site." However, I and my

uncle went to the graveyard and looked right and left, till at

last I recognised the tomb and we both rejoiced with exceeding

joy. We entered the sepulchre and loosened the earth about the

grave; then, upraising the trap door, descended some fifty steps

till we came to the foot of the staircase when lo! we were

stopped by a blinding smoke. Thereupon said my uncle that saying

whose sayer shall never come to shame, "There is no Majesty and

there is no Might, save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" and

we advanced till we suddenly came upon a saloon, whose floor was

strewed with flour and grain and provisions and all manner

necessaries; and in the midst of it stood a canopy sheltering a

couch.