Then the builders came before the King and said: "O my lord, king of the world,
your slaves have finished their work according to the commands of your
Majesty."
The King Haroun-er-Raschid gave thanks unto God the most high, worthy of all
praise, the true Lord who accords to his servants all their needs.
Then the festivals began. For forty days and forty nights the bands never stopped
playing. There were sports, banquets, amusements of all sorts. They gave
themselves noisily to pleasure, because the Sultan was going to proceed to the
ceremony of the bath of the two spouses, his children. When the watches were
finished and the favorable moment had come, the Sultan was arrayed in a
magnificent garment embroidered with gold, while the princess Djouher-
Manikam was adorned by her mother with superb veils and vestments trimmed
with jewels, with pearls and precious stones of an incomparable richness. The
spouses thus adorned, the Sultan made them mount a palanquin. His son,
Minbah-Cha-haz, was clad in a splendid costume.
The Sultan mounted his horse Sembaran, and his saddle was of carved gold.
Surrounded by young princes and lords, by officers of his court and the
standards, Haroun-er-Raschid marched at the head. He advanced, followed by
princes, ministers, and officers. The wives of the grandees accompanied the
Queen with her maids-of-honor, and all the musical instruments gave forth their
harmonious sounds. Seven times they made the circuit of the city. When the two
spouses had arrived at the foot of the Palace of Baths the Sultan made them
ascend. Then came the spouses of the grandees with the Queen, who showered
them with rice- powder mixed with amber and musk, and poured on their heads
spikenard and curcuma (turmeric). They were both plunged into a bath of rose-
water and extracts of all sorts of aromatic flowers, together with water from the
sacred fountain of Zemzem.
The ceremonies of the bath finished, the two spouses went out of the Palace of
Baths and went into the King's palace. On their arrival, they served a repast to
the princes, the orilemas, the doctors of the law, the priests, the ministers, the
officers, the common people, men and women. All without exception took part
in the feast. When it was ended one of the doctors of the law recited the prayer
asking God for perfect happiness, sheltered from all danger in this life and the
next. Then he sprinkled showers of the most charming perfumes.