Alaeddin

“ Now Alaeddin used every day to mount and ride through the town, with his mamelukes behind him and before him, strewing gold upon the people, right and left, and the folk, stranger and neighbour, near and far, were fulfilled with the love of him for the excess of his munificence and his bounty. ”

“ Marry, all this, O my son, is for thy good, for that this is an exceeding great treasure, the kings of the world possess not its like, and it is thine and mine.” So poor Alaeddin forgot fatigue and beating and weeping, of his amazement at the Maugrabin’s speech and joy that he should become rich after such a measure that even the kings would be no wealthier than he, and said to him, “O my uncle, command me all thou wilt, for I will be obedient unto thy commandment.” And the Maugrabin said to him, “O son of my brother, thou art as my very son, nay, dearer, for being my brother’s son. ”

“ The folk marvelled at Alaeddin’s bounty and at the excess of his munificence and were amazed when they saw that which graced him of beauty and goodliness and his courtliness and dignity; yea, they extolled the perfection of the Compassionate One for this His noble creature and all of them great and small [322] called down blessings on him, albeit they knew him for the son of such an one the tailor; yet none envied him, but all said, “He is deserving.” So [323] he fared on his way, with the mamelukes before him and behind him, scattering gold upon the folk, till he came to the palace. ”

“ When the time of the evening-meal came, she said to Alaeddin, “O my son, the supper [28] is ready and maybe thine uncle knoweth not the way to the house. Go thou and meet him.” And he answered her with “Hearkening and obedience.” But, whilst they were in talk, behold, there came a knocking at the door; whereupon Alaeddin went out and opening, found the Maugrabin enchanter, and with him a slave bearing wine and fruits. So he brought them in and the slave went his way, whilst the Maugrabin entered and saluted Alaeddin’s mother ”

“ Alaeddin, seeing her with the dish in her hand, knew that most like some mischance had betided her, but cared not to question her till she entered and setting down the dish, told him what had passed and finally said to him, "God be praised, O my son, I mustered courage to find myself a place in the Divan, albeit I could not win to speak with the Sultan to day; but to-morrow, an it please God the Most High, I will bespeak him. To-day there were many other folk, like myself, unable to get speech of the Sultan; but be easy, O my son ”

“ He passed no folk but they were descanting upon the palace and its magnificence and talking of Alaeddin’s grace and comeliness and his bounty and munificence and the goodliness of his manners and disposition; so [415] he went up to one of those who were extolling Alaeddin on this wise and said to him, “Prithee, fair youth, who is this whom you describe and praise? “O man,” replied the other, “meseemeth thou art a stranger and comest from afar ”

“ How is it thou hast heard nought of this nor of the name of Alaeddin, whom Our Lord increase in glory and prosper?” Quoth the Maugrabin, “Marry, it is the utmost of my wish to look upon the palace; so, an thou wouldst do me a kindness, direct me thither, for that I am a stranger.” “Hearkening and obedience,” replied the other and going before him, guided him to Alaeddin’s palace. ”

“ Alaeddin cannot return from the tomb and I have considered and believe 601 that which thou saidst to me yesterday, to wit, that most like my father the Sultan hath slain him, in the excess of his grief for my loss. Nay, marvel not at me to-day, that I am changed since yesterday, for that I have bethought me to take thee to beloved and companion in Alaeddin's stead, seeing there is left me no man other than thou. ”

“ 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 won for himself day by day a fairer fame and a rarer report, while affection for him increased in the hearts of all the lieges and he waxed greater in the eyes of men. Moreover it chanced that in those days certain enemies took horse and attacked the Sultan, who armed and accoutred an army to repel them and made Alaeddin commander thereof. ”

“ And most like, O my son, he will ask me of this ere he ask me of thyself." And Alaeddin said to her, "Nay, it cannot be that the Sultan will ask this, whenas he seeth the jewels and their magnificence, and it booteth not to think of a thing that will not happen. Do thou but rise and seek me his daughter of him and proffer him these jewels and sit not magnifying the affair in thy thought beforehand. Moreover, O my mother, thou knowest of the lamp which is with me and which presently provideth for our livelihood ”

“ The genie was absent the twinkling of an eye and [returning,] brought him a great costly tray of sheer silver, whereon were twelve platters of various kinds and colours [146] of rich meats and two silver cups and two flagons [147] of clarified old wine and bread whiter than snow; all which he set before him and disappeared. So Alaeddin arose and sprinkled rosewater on his mother’s face and made her smell to strong [148] perfumes; whereupon she revived and he said to her, “Rise, O my mother, so we may eat of this food that God the Most High hath vouchsafed us.” ”

“ Alaeddin [163] and his mother abode two days eating of the food which the genie had brought, and when it was finished and he knew that there was left them nothing to eat, he arose and taking a platter of those which the slave had brought on the tray (now they were of fine gold, but Alaeddin knew it not) went with it to the market, where a Jew, a man viler than devils themselves, accosted [164] him and he gave him the platter. ”

“ Then sherbets were brought him and coffee with ambergris and he drank and arose; whereupon there came to him a troop of slaves and clad him in those [309] sumptuous clothes [310] and he dressed and perfumed himself with essences and sweet-scented smoke. [311] Now thou knowest [312] that Alaeddin was the son of a poor man, a tailor: yet now none had thought it, [313] but had said, “This is the chiefest of the sons of the kings,” extolled be the perfection of Him who changeth and is not changed! ”

“ She pointed him to her husband's sitting-place, whereupon he went thither and prostrating himself, fell to kissing the earth and saying, "Alas, how scant is my delight and how sorry my fortune, since I have lost thee, O my brother and apple 170 of mine eye!" And the abode on this wise, weeping and lamenting, till Alaeddin's mother was certified that he was in earnest and that he was like to swoon of the excess of his wailing and his lamentation. So she came to him and raised him from the ground, saying, "What profiteth it that thou shouldst kill thyself?" ”

“ Marry, blood discovered unto me that [18] thou wast the son of my brother, and indeed I knew thee from amongst all the lads; although thy father, when I left him, was not yet married. And [19] now, O my son Alaeddin,” continued he, “I have lost my consolation [20] and my joy in thy father, my brother, whom I had hoped, after my strangerhood, to see ere I died; but separation hath afflicted me in him [21] and there is no fleeing from that which is [22] nor is there any resource against the ordinance of God the Most High.” ”

“ Now the Khalif set thee in high place about him and styled thee “Trusty” and “Faithful;” how then couldst thou deal thus with him and steal his goods?’ ‘By the Most Great Name, O my father,’ replied Alaeddin, ‘I had no hand in this, nor do I know who did it.’ Quoth Ahmed, ‘Of a surety none did this but a manifest enemy and whoso doth aught shall be requited for his deed; but, O Alaeddin, thou canst tarry no longer in Baghdad, for kings, O my son, may not be bought off and longsome is his travail whom they pursue.’ ‘Whither shall I go, O my father?’ asked Alaeddin. ”

“ It being congregation day, all the merchants will go out after prayers to the gardens and pleasaunces; but, God willing, on Saturday, an it please the Creator, we will do our business. To-morrow I will come to you and take Alaeddin, that I may show him the gardens and pleasaunces without the city,—it may be he hath not yet seen them,—and he shall see the merchant-folk and the notables a-pleasuring there, so he may become acquainted with them and they with him. ”

“ And Alaeddin answered him, saying, “Thou knowest how much it is worth.” The Jew was perplexed how much he should give Alaeddin for the platter, by reason of his having made him an adroit answer, and bethought himself to give him little, but feared lest he should be aware of its value and debated with himself if he should give him much. Then said he in himself, “Most like he knoweth not its value;” ”

“ As for Alaeddin, he went out that day and saw the rejoicings toward in the city and the palace and fell a-laughing, especially when he heard the folk speak of the honour which had betided the Vizier’s son and the greatness of his good luck, in that he was become the Sultan’s son-in-law, and the exceeding pomp used in his marriage and bridal festivities; and he said in himself, “Ye know not, good simple folk that ye are, [263] what befell him last night, that ye envy him.” ”

“ ALAEDDIN AND THE ENCHANTED LAMP. [1]
There [2] was [once] in a city of the cities of China a man, a tailor and poor, and he had a son by name Alaeddin, who was perverse and graceless from his earliest childhood. When he came to ten years of age, his father would fain have taught him his own craft, for that, because he was poor, he could not spend money upon him to have him taught [another] trade or art [3] or the like ”

“ Then, when thou hast filled him two or three cups of wine, [459] [watch] till thou take him off his guard; then put him this powder [460] in the cup and fill it up with wine, and an he drink it, he will straightway turn over on his back, like a dead man.” When the Lady Bedrulbudour heard Alaeddin’s words, she said! to him, “This is a thing exceeding hard on me to do; but it is lawful to slay this accursed, so we may be delivered from his uncleanness who hath made me rue thy separation and that of my father.” ”