And she， whose enjoyment I hoped for， alack！ is far distant from me； Mine eyes watch the hours of the dark， whilst she passes the night in repose.
So the days and nights went by， whilst Kanmakan lay tossing upon coals of fire， till he reached the age of seventeen： and indeed his beauty was now come to perfection and his wit had ripened.
One night， as he lay awake， he communed with himself and said，"Why should I keep silence， till I consume away， and see not my love？ My only fault is poverty： so， by Allah， I will go out from this land and wander afar in the plains and valleys； for my condition in this city is one of misery and I have no friend nor lover in it to comfort me； wherefore I will distract myself by absence from my native land， till I die and am at peace from abasement and tribulation." And he repeated the following verses：
Though my soul weary for distress and flutter fast for woe， Yet of its nature was it ne"er to buckle to a foe.
Excuse me； for indeed my heart is like a book， whereof The superscription"s nought but tears， that aye unceasing flow.
Behold my cousin， how she seems a maid of Paradise， A houri come，by Rizwan"s grace， to visit us below！
Who seeks the glances of her eyes and dares the scathing stroke Of their bright swords， shall hardly "scape their swift and deadly blow.
Lo， I will wander o"er the world， to free my heart from bale And compensation for its loss upon my soul bestow！
Yea， I will range the fields of war and tilt against the brave And o"er the champions will I ride roughshod and lay them low.
Then will I come back， glad at heart and rich in goods and store，Driving the herds and flocks as spoil before me， as I go.
So he went out in the darkness of the night， barefoot， wearing a short-sleeved tunic and a skull-cap of felt seven years old and carrying a cake of dry bread， three days stale， and betook himself to the gate El Arij of Baghdad. Here he waited till the gate opened， when he was the first to go forth； and he went out at random and wandered in the deserts day and night. When the night came， his mother sought him， but found him not， whereupon the world， for all its wideness， was straitened upon her and she took no delight in aught of its good. She looked for him a first day and a second and a third， till ten days were past， but no news of him reached her. Then her breast became contracted and she shrieked and lamented， saying， "O my son， O my delight， thou hast revived my sorrows！ Did not what I endured suffice， but thou must depart from the place of my abiding？ After thee， I care not for food nor delight in sleep， and but tears and mourning are left me. O my son， from what land shall I call thee？ What country hath given thee refuge？" And her sobs burst up， and she repeated the following verses：
We know that， since you went away， by grief and pain we"re tried.
The bows of severance on us full many a shaft have plied.
They girt their saddles on and gainst the agonies of death Left me to strive alone， whilst they across the sand-wastes tried.
Deep in the darkness of the night a ring-dove called to me，Complaining of her case； but I， "Give o"er thy plaint，"
replied.
For， by thy life， an if her heart were full of dole， like mine，She had not put a collar on nor yet her feet had dyed.
My cherished friend is gone and I for lack of him endure All manner sorrows which with me for ever will abide.
Then she abstained from food and drink and gave herself up to weeping and lamentation. Her grief became known and all the people of the town and country wept with her and said， "Where is thine eye， O Zoulmekan？" And they bewailed the rigour of fate，saying， "What can have befallen him， that he left his native town and fled from the place where his father used to fill the hungry and do justice and mercy？" And his mother redoubled her tears and lamentations， till the news of Kanmakan"s departure came to King Sasan through the chief amirs， who said to him， "Verily， he is the son of our （late） King and the grandson of King Omar ben Ennuman and we hear that he hath exiled himself from the country." When King Sasan heard these words， he was wroth with them and ordered one of them to be hanged， whereat the fear of him fell upon the hearts of the rest and they dared not speak one word. Then he called to mind all the kindness that Zoulmekan had done him and how he had commended his son to his care； wherefore he grieved for Kanmakan and said "Needs must I have search made for him in all countries." So he summoned Terkash and bade him choose a hundred horse and go in quest of the prince. Accordingly he went out and was absent ten days， after which he returned and said， "I can learn no tidings of him and have come on no trace of him， nor can any tell me aught of him." With this， King Sasan repented him of that which he had done with Kanmakan； whilst his mother abode without peace or comfort， nor would patience come at her call： and thus twenty heavy days passed over her.
To return to Kanmakan. When he left Baghdad， he went forth，perplexed about his case and knowing not whither he should go： so he fared on alone into the desert for the space of three days and saw neither footman nor horseman. Sleep deserted him and his wakefulness redoubled， for he pined for his people and his country. So he wandered on， eating of the herbs of the earth and drinking of its waters and resting under its trees at the hour of the noontide heats， till he came to another road， into which he turned and following it other three days， came to a land of green fields and smiling valleys， abounding in the fruits of the earth.
It had drunken of the beakers of the clouds， to the sound of the voices of the turtle and the ring-dove， till its hill-sides were enamelled with verdure and its fields were fragrant. At this sight， Kanmakan recalled his father"s city Baghdad， and for excess of emotion repeated the following verses：
I wander on， in hope I may return Some day， yet know not when that day shall be.
What drove me forth was that I found no means To fend awe， the ills that pressed on me.