presents. The favorable moment having arrived, the Sultan Haroun-er-Raschid
departed from Roum, directing his way to the country of Bagdad, from plain to
plain, and from halting-place to halting-place. After journeying some time, they
rejoicing all the way, they arrived at the country of Bagdad.
The ministers, the chiefs, and the soldiers came out to meet the Sultan Haroun-
er-Raschid, and they entered the palace. Then the Queen hastened to find the
Sultan and her daughter, the princess Djouher-Manikam. Meeting her daughter,
she pressed her in her arms and covered her with kisses. She said in tears: "Alas,
my child! the fruit of my heart! I, your mother thought that she would never see
you again." And she covered her body with tears and kisses, while she kept
repeating, "Alas, my child! I thought you lost forever." Then the Queen bowed
before the Sultan Haroun-er-Raschid. Her son, Minbah-Chahaz, then came to
bow before his mother, but the latter pressed him in her arms and kissed him.
Then her son-in-law, King Chah Djouhou, advanced and bowed before the
Queen in his turn. And she pressed him in her arms and kissed him. All were in
tears.
The Sultan Haroun-er-Raschid started for the hall of audience, and gave orders
to one of his heralds to assemble his ministers, his warriors, and his subjects.
When they were all gathered together the Sultan said: "Now I wish to entertain
the ministers, the chiefs, and the officers who escorted us here." When the Sultan
had finished entertaining them they desired to take leave and return to the
country of Roum. The Sultan Haroun-er-Raschid made them gifts of vestments
of honor, to each according to his rank. They prostrated themselves at his feet,
and then returned in peace to the country of Roum.
Afterward, the Sultan Haroun-er-Raschid ordered one of his heralds to assemble
his ministers, his officers, and his subjects. Once gathered together, the prince
said: "O all of you, my ministers and my officers, you must build me a house of
baths seven stories high, on the public square of Bagdad."
All responded, "O my lord, king of the world, whatever your commands may be,
your servants place them above their heads." And all, ministers, officers, and
subjects, gave themselves to the work, each of them doing what was directed by
the architect. After some time, the palace of baths was finished. It was
sumptuously adorned with curtains of silk, canopies, tapestries woven with gold
and fringed with pearls. Rugs embroidered with gold were stretched on the
different floors, and there was a quantity of torches and lanterns.