Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp Part 15

[Footnote 428: Fr. "... l'aimable." Lit. "by a way or means"

(bi-terikeh). It may be we should read bi [hatheti'll] terikeh, "by [this] means;" but the rendering in the text seems the more probable one, the Sultan meaning that he would thus get rid of Alaeddin's importunity by practice, without open breach of faith or violence.]

[Footnote 429: Night DLVIII.]

[Footnote 430: Lit. "Burden thyself (prenez la peine) and rise", (kellifi khatiraki, etc., as before).]

[Footnote 431: Here szewani (trays) instead of, as before, szuhoun (dishes).]

[Footnote 432: Night DLIX.]

[Footnote 433: i.e. "look with open eyes"]

[Footnote 434: En nuwwab, i.e. those whose turn it was to be on guard.]

[Footnote 435: Need (lit. coin), a vulgar Syrian corruption of neket, customary gift of money or otherwhat to a bride on the marriage-day.]

[Footnote 436: The whole of the foregoing pa.s.sage is so confused that I think it well to add here (l) a literal translation, as I read it: "So the Vizier, yea, indeed, he marvelled at the greatness of that wealth more than the Sultan, but envy was killing him and waxed on him more and more when he saw the Sultan that he was satisfied with (or accepted of) the bride-gift and the dowry; however, it was not possible to him that he should gainsay the truth and should say to the Sultan, 'He is not worthy;' only, he practised with a device upon the Sultan so he should not let him give his daughter the Lady Bedrulbudour to Alaeddin, and this [Footnote was] that he said to him, etc,"--and also (2) the version given by Sir K. F. Burton, who takes a different view of the pa.s.sage: "Then the Minister (although he marvelled at these riches even more than did the Sultan), whose envy was killing him and growing greater hour by hour, seeing his liege lord satisfied with the moneys and the dower and yet being unable to fight against fact, made answer, 'Tis not worthy of her.' Withal he fell to devising a device against the King, that he might withhold the Lady Badr-al-Budur from Alaeddin, and accordingly he continued, etc."]

[Footnote 437: Or "in comparison with her" (ent hhedsretuk istatsemet hatha aleiha). This is an ambiguous pa.s.sage and should perhaps be read, "Thou magnifiest this (i.e. the gift) over her."]

[Footnote 438: Night DLX.]

[Footnote 439: Lit. "swiftly, the winds overtook her not."]

[Footnote 440: Aksen. Burton, "more suitable to thee."]

[Footnote 441: Kethir[an]. Burton, "And right soon (Inshallah!) O my daughter, thou shalt have fuller joy with him."]

[Footnote 442: Muebbed. Burton, "alone."]

[Footnote 443: Sic (k.u.m),]

[Footnote 444: Or "commission" (mishwar).]

[Footnote 445: Bekia ma bekia hatha shey aleik, lit. "remaineth what remaineth this is a thing upon (or for) thee." Burton, "Happen whatso may happen; the rest is upon thy shoulders." The first bekia is perhaps used in the common colloquial sense of "then."]

[Footnote 446: Shekeraha wa istekthera bi-kheiriha. See ante, p. 155, note 3. Burton, "enhancing her kindly service."]

[Footnote 447: Surname of the ancient Kings of Persia, vulg. Chosroes.]

[Footnote 448: Night DLXI.]

[Footnote 449: Lit. "the."]

[Footnote 450: Burton, "the costliest of clothes."]

[Footnote 451: Generally that of aloes-wood.]

[Footnote 452: Quoth Shehrzad to Shehriyar.]

[Footnote 453: Yetsunnuhu; quare a clerical error for yentsuruku ("had seen him" )?]

[Footnote 454: i.e. male white slaves (memlouk, whence our "mameluke,"

sing. for plural memalik).]

[Footnote 455: Lit. "and let there be with each slave-girl a suit, etc."

Burton "And let every handmaid be robed in raiment that befitteth queens wearing." The twelve suits of clothes to be brought by the slave-girls were of course intended for the wearing of Alaeddin's mother; see post, p. 167. {see FN#457 in text}]

[Footnote 456: i.e. the genuine Arabs of the unmixed blood.]

[Footnote 457: See ante, p. 166, note 2. {see FN#455}]

[Footnote 458: Likai telbesa (tetelebbesa?) hiya. Burton, "she should wear."]

[Footnote 459: Sic, the meaning seeming to be that kings' sons were out of comparison with Alaeddin, as who should say (in c.o.c.kney parlance) "Don't talk to me about kings' sons."]

[Footnote 460: Lit. "upon."]

[Footnote 461: El kendil el ajib.]

[Footnote 462: Syn. "old and young."]

[Footnote 463: Night DLXII.]

[Footnote 464: Ictedsa an tesmuha li bi, lit. "decided (or demanded) that thou be bountiful to (or grace) me with;" but icledsa is here used in the colloquial sense of "willed, vouchsafed."]

[Footnote 465: i.e. that of his tongue, lit. "its bounds or reach"

(kheddahu). Burton, "pa.s.sing all measure."]

[Footnote 466: Lit. "acquired, gotten, come by thee" (khetsitu bika).]

[Footnote 467: Night DLXIII.]

[Footnote 468: Nuweb (properly naubat).]

[Footnote 469: Musica.]

[Footnote 470: Acamou el fereh el atsim. Burton, "a mighty fine marriage-feast was dispread in the palace."]

[Footnote 471: Muashir.]

[Footnote 472: Netser.]

[Footnote 473: Lit. "but the behoving on me for her service engageth (or enforceth) me to apply myself hereunto."]

[Footnote 474: i.e. at thy disposition.]

[Footnote 475: Night DLXIV.]