Zaman rejoiced in this plan with great joy and cried，'It is good.'Then he stiffened his back and，going in to his father，sought his leave and spoke as he had been taught，and the King consented to his going forth ahunting and said，'O my son，blessed be the day that restoreth thee to health！ I will not gainsay thee in this；but pass not more than one night in the desert and return to me on the morrow；for thou knowest that life is not good to me without thee，and indeed I can hardly believe thee to be wholly recovered from what thou hadst，[296] because thou art to me as he of whom quoth the poet，'Albe by me I had through day and night Solomon's carpet and the Chosroes' might，Both were in value less than wing of gnat，Unless these eyne could hold thee aye in sight.'[297]
Then the King equipped his son Kamar al Zaman and Marzawan for the excursion，bidding make ready for them four horses，together with a dromedary to carry the money and a camel to bear the water and belly timber；and Kamar alZaman forbade any of his attendants to follow him. His father farewelled him and pressed him to his breast and kissed him，saying，'I ask thee in the name of Allah，be not absent from me more than one night，wherein sleep will be unlawful to me，for I am even as saith the poet，'Thou present，in the Heaven of heavens I dwell；
Bearing shine absence is of hells my Hell：
Pledged be for thee my soul！ If love for thee
Be crime，my crime is of the fellest fell.
Does lovelowe burn thy heart as burns it mine，
Doomed night and day Gehennafire to smell？'