Alaeddin saw her favour he said, “In very truth her fashion magnifieth
her Almighty Fashioner and glory be to Him who created her and adorned
her with this beauty and loveliness.” His strength was struck down from
the moment he saw her and his thoughts were distraught; his gaze was
dazed, the love of her gat hold of the whole of his heart; and, when he
returned home to his mother, he was as one in ecstasy. His parent
addressed him, but he neither replied nor denied; and, when she set
before him the morning meal he continued in like case; so quoth she, “O
my son what is’t may have befallen thee? Say me, doth aught ail thee?
Let me know what ill hath betided thee for, unlike thy custom, thou
speakest not when I bespeak thee.” Thereupon Alaeddin (who used to think
that all women resembled his mother[130] and who, albeit he had heard of
the charms of Badr al-Budur, daughter of the Sultan, yet knew not what
“beauty” and “loveliness” might signify) turned to his parent and
exclaimed, “Let me be!” However, she persisted in praying him to come
forwards and eat, so he did her bidding but hardly touched food; after
which he lay at full length on his bed all the night through in
cogitation deep until morning morrowed. The same was his condition
during the next day, when his mother was perplexed for the case of her
son and unable to learn what had happened to him. So, thinking that
belike he might be ailing, she drew near him and asked him saying, “O my
son, an thou sense aught of pain or such like, let me know that I may
fare forth and fetch thee the physician; and to-day there be in this our
city a leech from the Land of the Arabs whom the Sultan hath sent to
summon and the bruit abroad reporteth him to be skilful exceedingly. So,
an be thou ill let me go and bring him to thee.”——And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Forty-first Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin,
hearing his parent’s offer to summon the mediciner, said, “O my mother,
I am well in body and on no wise ill. But I ever thought that all women
resembled thee until yesterday, when I beheld the Lady Badr al-Budur,
daughter of the Sultan, as she was faring for the Baths.” Then he
related to her all and everything that had happened to him adding,
“Haply thou also hast heard the crier a-crying:—Let no man open shop to
stand in street that the Lady Badr al-Budur may repair to the Hammam
without eye seeing her. But I have looked upon her even as she is, for
she raised her veil at the door; and, when I viewed her favour and
beheld that noble work of the Creator, a sore fit of ecstasy, O my
mother, fell upon me for love of her and firm resolve to win her hath
opened its way into every limb of me, nor is repose possible for me
except I win her. Wherefor I purpose asking her to wife from the Sultan
her sire in lawful wedlock.” When Alaeddin’s mother heard her son’s
words, she belittled his wits and cried, “O my child, the name of Allah
upon thee! meseemeth thou hast lost thy senses. But be thou rightly
guided, O my son, nor be thou as the men Jinn-maddened!” He replied,
“Nay, O mother mine, I am not out of my mind nor am I of the maniacs;
nor shall this thy saying alter one jot of what is in my thoughts, for
rest is impossible to me until I shall have won the dearling of my
heart’s core, the beautiful Lady Badr al-Budur. And now I am resolved to
ask her of her sire the Sultan.” She rejoined, “O my son, by my life
upon thee speak not such speech, lest any overhear thee and say thou be
insane: so cast away from thee such nonsense! Who shall undertake a
matter like this or make such request to the King? Indeed, I know not
how, supposing this thy speech to be soothfast, thou shalt manage to
crave such grace of the Sultan or through whom thou desirest to propose
it.” He retorted, “Through whom shall I ask it, O my mother, when thou
art present? And who is there fonder and more faithful to me than
thyself? So my design is that thou thyself shalt proffer this my
petition.” Quoth she, “O my son, Allah remove me far therefrom! What!
have I lost my wits like thyself? Cast the thought away and a long way
from thy heart. Remember whose son thou art, O my child, the orphan boy
of a tailor, the poorest and meanest of the tailors toiling in this
city; and I, thy mother, am also come of pauper folk and indigent. How
then durst thou ask to wife the daughter of the Sultan, whose sire would
not deign marry her with the sons of the Kings and the Sovrans, except
they were his peers in honour and grandeur and majesty; and, were they
but one degree lower, he would refuse his daughter to them.”——And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Forty-second Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin took
patience until his parent had said her say, when quoth he, “O my mother,
everything thou hast called to mind is known to me; moreover ’tis
thoroughly well known to me that I am the child of pauper parents;
withal do not these words of thee divert me from my design at all, at
all. Nor the less do I hope of thee, an I be thy son and thou truly love
me, that thou grant me this favour, otherwise thou wilt destroy me; and
present Death hovereth over my head except I win my will of my heart’s
dearling; and I, O my mother, am in every case thy child.” Hearing these
words, his parent wept of her sorrow for him and said, “O my child! Yes,
in very deed I am thy mother, nor have I any son or life’s blood of my
liver except thyself, and the end of my wishes is to give thee a wife
and rejoice in thee. But suppose that I would seek a bride of our likes
and equals, her people will at once ask an thou have any land or garden,
merchandise or handicraft, wherewith thou canst support her; and what is
the reply I can return? Then, if I cannot possibly answer the poor like
ourselves, how shall I be bold enough, O my son, to ask for the daughter
of the Sultan of China-land who hath no peer or behind or before him?
Therefore do thou weigh this matter in thy mind. Also who shall ask her
to wife for the son of a snip? Well indeed I wot that my saying aught of
this kind will but increase our misfortunes; for that it may be the
cause of our incurring mortal danger from the Sultan; peradventure even
death for thee and me. And, as concerneth myself, how shall I venture
upon such rash deed and perilous, O my son? and in what way shall I ask
the Sultan for his daughter to be thy wife; and, indeed, how ever shall
I even get access to him? And should I succeed therein, what is to be my
answer an they ask me touching thy means? Haply the King will hold me to
be a madwoman. And, lastly, suppose that I obtain audience of the
Sultan, what offering is there I can submit to the King’s
majesty?”[131]——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Forty-third Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin’s
mother continued to her son, “’Tis true, O my child, that the Sultan is
mild and merciful, never rejecting any who approach him to require
justice or ruth or protection, nor any who pray him for a present; for
he is liberal and lavisheth favour upon near and far. But he dealeth his
boons to those deserving them, to men who have done some derring-do in
battle under his eyes or have rendered as civilians great service to his
estate. But thou! do thou tell me what feat thou hast performed in his
presence or before the public that thou meritest from him such grace?
And, secondly, this boon thou ambitionest is not for one of our
condition, nor is it possible that the King grant to thee the bourne of
thine aspiration; for whoso goeth to the Sultan and craveth of him a
favour, him it besitteth to take in hand somewhat that suiteth the royal
majesty, as indeed I warned thee aforetime. How, then, shalt thou risk
thyself to stand before the Sultan and ask his daughter in marriage,
when thou hast with thee naught to offer him of that which beseemeth his
exalted station?” Hereto Alaeddin replied, “O my mother, thou speakest
to the point and hast reminded me aright and ’tis meet that I revolve in
mind the whole of thy remindings. But, O my mother, the love of Princess
Badr al-Budur hath entered into the core of my heart; nor can I rest
without I win her. However, thou hast also recalled to me a matter which
I forgot and ’tis this emboldeneth me to ask his daughter of the King.
Albeit thou, O my mother, declarest that I have no gift which I can
submit to the Sultan, as is the wont of the world, yet in very sooth I
have an offering and a present whose equal, O my mother, I hold none of
the Kings to possess; no, nor even aught like it.”——And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin said
to his mother, “Because verily that which I deemed glass or chrystal was
nothing but precious stones and I hold that all the Kings of the World
have never possessed any thing like one of the smallest thereof. For, by
frequenting the jeweller-folk, I have learned that they are the
costliest gems and these are what I brought in my pockets from the
Hoard, whereupon, an thou please, compose thy mind. We have in our house
a bowl of China porcelain; so arise thou and fetch it, that I may fill
it with these jewels, which thou shalt carry as a gift to the King, and
thou shalt stand in his presence and solicit him for my requirement. I
am certified that by such means the matter will become easy to thee;
and, if thou be unwilling, O my mother, to strive for the winning of my
wish as regards the Lady Badr al-Budur, know thou that surely I shall
die. Nor do thou imagine that this gift is of aught save the costliest
of stones and be assured, O my mother, that in my many visits to the
Jewellers’ Bazar I have observed the merchants selling for sums man’s
judgment may not determine jewels whose beauty is not worth one quarter
carat of what we possess; seeing which I was certified that ours are
beyond all price. So arise, O my mother, as I bade thee and bring me the
porcelain bowl aforesaid, that I may arrange therein some of these gems
and we will see what semblance they show.” So she brought him the China
bowl saying in herself, “I shall know what to do when I find out if the
words of my child concerning these jewels be soothfast or not;” and she
set it before her son who pulled the stones out of his pockets and
disposed them in the bowl and ceased not arranging therein gems of sorts
till such time as he had filled it. And when it was brimful she could
not fix her eyes firmly upon it; on the contrary, she winked and blinked
for the dazzle of the stones and their radiance and excess of
lightning-like glance; and her wits were bewildered thereat; only she
was not certified of their value being really of the enormous extent she
had been told. Withal she reflected that possibly her son might have
spoken aright when he declared that their like was not to be found with
the Kings. Then Alaeddin turned to her and said, “Thou hast seen, O my
mother, that this present intended for the Sultan is magnificent, and I
am certified that it will procure for thee high honour with him and that
he will receive thee with all respect. And now, O my mother, thou hast
no excuse; so compose thy thoughts and arise; take thou this bowl and
away with it to the palace.” His mother rejoined, “O my son, ’tis true
that the present is high-priced exceedingly and the costliest of the
costly; also that according to thy word none owneth its like. But who
would have the boldness to go and ask the Sultan for his daughter, the
Lady Badr al-Budur? I indeed dare not say to him:—I want thy daughter!
when he shall ask me:—What is thy want? for know thou, O my son, that my
tongue will be tied. And, granting that Allah assist me and I embolden
myself to say to him:—My wish is to become a connection of thine through
the marriage of thy daughter, the Lady Badr al-Budur, to my son
Alaeddin, they will surely decide at once that I am demented and will
thrust me forth in disgrace and despised. I will not tell thee that I
shall thereby fall into danger of death, for ’twill not be I only but
thou likewise. However, O my son, of my regard for thine inclination, I
needs must embolden myself and hie thither; yet, O my child, if the King
receive me and honour me on account of the gift and enquire of me what
thou desirest,”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin’s
mother said to her son, “And in reply I ask of him that which thou
desirest in the matter of thy marriage with his daughter, how shall I
answer him and he ask me, as is man’s wont, What estates hast thou, and
what income? And perchance, O my son, he will question me of this before
questioning me of thee.” Alaeddin replied, “’Tis not possible that the
Sultan should make such demand what time he considereth the jewels and
their magnificence; nor is it meet to think of such things as these
which may never occur. Now do thou but arise and set before him this
present of precious stones and ask of him his daughter for me, and sit
not yonder making much of the difficulty in thy fancy. Ere this thou
hast learned, O mother mine, that the Lamp which we possess hath become
to us a stable income and that whatso I want of it the same is supplied
to me; and my hope is that by means thereof I shall learn how to answer
the Sultan should he ask me of that thou sayest.”[132] Then Alaeddin and
his mother fell to talking over the subject all that night long and when
morning morrowed, the dame arose and heartened her heart, especially as
her son had expounded to her some little of the powers of the Lamp and
the virtues thereof; to wit, that it would supply all they required of
it. Alaeddin, however, seeing his parent take courage when he explained
to her the workings of the Lamp, feared lest she might tattle to the
folk thereof;[133] so he said to her, “O my mother, beware how thou talk
to any of the properties of the Lamp and its profit, as this is our one
great good. Guard thy thoughts lest thou speak over much concerning it
before others, whoso they be; haply we shall lose it and lose the boon
fortune we possess and the benefits we expect, for that ’tis of
him.”[134] His mother replied, “Fear not therefor, O my son,” and she
arose and took the bowl full of jewels, which she wrapped up in a fine
kerchief, and went forth betimes that she might reach the Divan ere it
became crowded. When she passed into the Palace, the levée not being
fully attended, she saw the Wazirs and sundry of the Lords of the land
going into the presence-room and after a short time, when the Divan was
made complete by the Ministers and high Officials and Chieftains and
Emirs and Grandees, the Sultan appeared and the Wazirs made their
obeisance and likewise did the Nobles and the Notables. The King seated
himself upon the throne of his kingship, and all present at the levée
stood before him with crossed arms awaiting his commandment to sit; and,
when they received it, each took his place according to his degree; then
the claimants came before the Sultan who delivered sentence, after his
wonted way, until the Divan was ended, when the King arose and withdrew
into the palace[135] and the others all went their ways.——And Shahrazad
was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin’s
mother, having come the earliest of all, found means of entering without
any addressing her or offering to lead her to the presence; and she
ceased not standing there until the Divan ended, when the Sultan arose
and withdrew into the palace and the others all went about their
business. And when she saw the throne empty and the King passing into
his Harem, she also wended her ways and returned home. But as soon as
her son espied her, bowl in hand, he thought that haply something
untoward had befallen her, but he would not ask of aught until such time
as she had set down the bowl, when she acquainted him with that had
occurred and ended by adding, “Alhamdolillah,—laud to the Lord!—O my
child, that I found courage enough and secured for myself standing-place
in the levée this day; and, albe I dreaded to bespeak the King yet
(Inshallah!) on the morrow I will address him. Even to-day were many
who, like myself, could not get audience of the Sultan. But be of good
cheer, O my son, and to-morrow needs must I bespeak him for thy sake;
and what happened not may happen.” When Alaeddin heard his parent’s
words, he joyed with excessive joy; and, although he expected the matter
to be managed hour by hour, for excess of his love and longing to the
Lady Badr al-Budur, yet he possessed his soul in patience. They slept
well that night and betimes next morning the mother of Alaeddin arose
and went with her bowl to the King’s court which she found closed. So
she asked the people and they told her that the Sultan did not hold a
levée every day but only thrice in the se’nnight; wherefor she
determined to return home; and, after this, whenever she saw the court
open she would stand before the King until the reception ended and when
it was shut she would go to make sure thereof; and this was the case for
the whole month. The Sultan was wont to remark her presence at every
levée, but, on the last day when she took her station, as was her wont,
before the Council, she allowed it to close and lacked boldness to come
forwards and speak even a syllable. Now as the King having risen was
making for his Harem accompanied by the Grand Wazir, he turned to him
and said, “O Wazir, during the last six or seven levée days I see yonder
old woman present herself at every reception and I also note that she
always carrieth a something under her mantilla. Say me, hast thou, O
Wazir, any knowledge of her and her intention?” “O my lord the Sultan,”
said the other, “verily women be weakly of wits, and haply this goodwife
cometh hither to complain before thee[136] against her goodman or some
of her people.” But this reply was far from satisfying the Sultan; nay,
he bade the Wazir, in case she should come again, set her before him;
and forthright the Minister placed hand on head and exclaimed, “To hear
is to obey, O our lord the Sultan!”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will:”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the mother of
Alaeddin, as she made a practice of repairing to the Divan every day and
passing into the room and standing opposite the King, albeit she was
sorrowful and sore aweary, withal for her son’s sake she endeavoured to
make easy all her difficulties. Now one day of the days, when she did
according to her custom, the Sultan cast his eyes upon her as she stood
before him, and said to his Grand Wazir, “This be the very woman whereof
I spake to thee yesterday, so do thou straightway bring her before me,
that I may see what be her suit and fulfil her need.” Accordingly, the
Minister at once introduced her and when in the presence she saluted the
King by kissing her finger tips and raising them to her brow;[137] and,
praying for the Sultan’s glory and continuance and the permanence of his
prosperity, bussed ground before him. Thereupon, quoth he, “O
woman,[138] for sundry days I have seen thee attend the levée sans a
word said; so tell me an thou have any requirement I may grant.” She
kissed ground a second time and after blessing him, answered, “Yea,
verily, as thy head liveth, O King of the Age, I have a want; but first
of all, do thou deign grant me a promise of safety that I may prefer my
suit to the ears of our lord the Sultan; for haply thy Highness[139] may
find it a singular.” The King, wishing to know her need, and being a man
of unusual mildness and clemency, gave his word for her immunity and
bade forthwith dismiss all about him, remaining without other but the
Grand Wazir. Then he turned towards his suppliant and said, “Inform me
of thy suit: thou hast the safeguard of Allah Almighty.” “O King of the
Age,” replied she, “I also require of thee pardon;” and quoth he, “Allah
pardon thee even as I do.” Then, quoth she, “O our lord the Sultan, I
have a son, Alaeddin hight; and he, one day of the days, having heard
the crier commanding all men to shut shop and shun the streets, for that
the Lady Badr al-Budur, daughter of the Sultan, was going to the Hammam,
felt an uncontrollable longing to look upon her, and hid himself in a
stead whence he could sight her right well, and that place was behind
the door of the Baths. When she entered he beheld her and considered her
as he wished, and but too well; for, since the time he looked upon her,
O King of the Age, unto this hour, life hath not been pleasant to him.
And he hath required of me that I ask her to wife for him from thy
Highness, nor could I drive this fancy from his mind because love of her
hath mastered his vitals and to such degree that he said to me: Know
thou, O mother mine, that an I win not my wish surely I shall die.
Accordingly I hope that thy Highness will deign be mild and merciful and
pardon this boldness on the part of me and my child and refrain to
punish us therefor.” When the Sultan heard her tale he regarded her with
kindness and, laughing aloud, asked her, “What may be that thou carriest
and what be in yonder kerchief?” And she seeing the Sultan laugh in lieu
of waxing wroth at her words, forthright opened the wrapper and set
before him the bowl of jewels, whereby the audience-hall was illumined
as it were by lustres and candelabra;[140] and he was dazed and amazed
at the radiance of the rare gems, and he fell to marvelling at their
size and beauty and excellence.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,