One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  The wedding rejoicings continued all that day, with dancing-women and singing-women, and all the instruments of mirth and minstrelsy were smitten, whilst the queen and the Vizier and his son were exceeding assiduous in keeping up the festivities, so the Lady Bedrulbudour should rejoice and her chagrin be dispelled; nay, they left nought that day of that which exciteth unto liesse but they did it before her, so she should leave what was in her mind and be cheered. But all this had no effect on her and she was silent and thoughtful and confounded at that which had befallen her that night. True, the Vizier’s son had fared worse than she, for that he was couched in the draught-house; but he belied the matter and put away that tribulation from his thought, of his fear lest he should lose his bride and his rank, more by token that all the folk envied him his lot, for the much increase of honour it brought him, as also for the exceeding beauty and loveliness of the Lady Bedrulbudour.

  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, what befell him last night, that ye envy him.” Then, when the night came in and it was the season of sleep, Alaeddin arose and entering his chamber, rubbed the lamp, whereupon the genie appeared to him forthright and he bade him bring the princess and her bridegroom, as on the past night, ere the Vizier’s son should take her maidenhead. The genie delayed not, but was absent a little while; and when it was the appointed time, he returned with the bed and therein the Lady Bedrulbudour and the Vizier’s son. With the latter he did as he had done the past night, to wit, he took him and couched him in the draught-house, where he deft him parched for excess of fright and dismay; whilst Alaeddin arose and placing the sword between himself and the Lady Bedrulbudour, lay down and slept till the morning, when the genie appeared and restored the twain to their place, leaving Alaeddin full of joy at [the discomfiture of] the Vizier’s son.

  When the Sultan arose in the morning, he bethought himself to visit his daughter Bedrulbudour and see an she should do with him as she had done on the past day; so, as soon as he awoke from his sleep, he rose and donning his clothes, went to his daughter’s chamber and opened the door. Whereupon the Vizier’s son arose forthright and coming down from the bed, fell to donning his clothes, with ribs cracking for cold; for that, when the Sultan entered, it was no great while since the genie had brought them back. The Sultan went up to his daughter, the Lady Bedrulbudour, as she lay abed, and raising the curtain, gave her good morning and kissed her between the eyes and asked her how she did. She frowned and returned him no answer, but looked at him sullenly, as she were in sorry case. He was wroth with her, for that she made him no answer, and thought that something had betided her; so he drew the sword and said to her, “What hath befallen thee? Either thou shalt tell me what aileth thee or I will do away thy life this very moment. Is this the respect that is due to my rank and the honour in which thou holdest me, that I bespeak thee and thou answerest me not a word?”

  When the Lady Bedrulbudour knew that her father was angry and saw the naked sword in his hand, she was like to swoon for fear; so she raised her head and said to him, “Dear my father, be not wroth with me, neither be thou hasty in thine anger, for that I am excusable in that which thou hast seen from me. Do but hearken what hath betided me and I am well assured that, whenas thou hearest my story of that which hath happened to me these two nights past, thou wilt excuse me and Thy Grace will be moved to compassion upon me, as I know from thy love for me.” Then she acquainted him with all that had befallen her and said to him, “O my father, an thou believe me not, ask my bridegroom and he will resolve Thy Grace of everything, albeit I know not what they did with him, when they took him from my side, nor where they set him.” When the Sultan heard his daughter’s story, he was sore concerned and his eyes brimmed with tears; then, sheathing the sword and coming up to her, he kissed her and said to her, “O my daughter, why didst thou not tell me yesterday, so I might have warded off from thee the torment and affright which have befallen thee this night? But no matter; arise and put away from thee this thought, and to-night I will set over thee those who shall guard thee, so there shall not again befall thee that which befell yesternight.” Then he returned to his pavilion and sent at once for the Vizier, who came and stood before him, awaiting his commands; and the Sultan said to him, “O Vizier, how deemest thou of this affair? Most like thy son hath told thee what happened to him and to my daughter.” “O King of the Age,” answered the Vizier, “I have not seen my son or yesterday or to-day.” Whereupon the Sultan acquainted him with all that his daughter the Lady Bedrulbudour had told him and said to him, “It is now my will that thou enquire of thy son the truth of the case, for it may be my daughter knoweth not for fright what happened to her, though methinketh her tale is all true.” So the Vizier arose and sending for his son, asked him of all that the Sultan had told him, if it were true or not. Whereupon, “O my father the Vizier,” replied the youth, “[God] preserve the Lady Bedrulbudour from leasing! Indeed, all she saith is true and these two nights past have been for us the sorriest of nights, instead of being nights of pleasance and delight. Marry, that which befell me was yet worse, for that, instead of sleeping with my bride in bed, I lay in the draught-house, a place dark and frightful, noisome of smell and accursed, and my ribs were straitened with cold.” Brief, he told the Vizier all that had befallen him and ultimately said to him; “Dear my father, I beseech thee speak with the Sultan that he release me from this marriage. True, it is great honour for me to be the Sultan’s son-in-law, more by token that the love of the Lady Bedrulbudour hath gotten possession of my vitals, but I cannot avail to endure one more night like the two that are past.”

  When the Vizier heard his son’s words, he grieved and was exceeding chagrined, for that he had thought to greaten his son and advance him by making him the King’s son-in-law; so he bethought himself and was perplexed anent the matter and what was to do therein; and indeed it irked him sore that the marriage should be dissolved, for that he had long besought the Ten that he might compass the like of that affair; so he said to his son, “Have patience, O my son, so we may see [how it will be] to-night, and we will set over you guards to guard you; but do not thou let slip this great honour, for that it hath fallen to none other than thyself.” Therewith he left him and returning to the Sultan, told him that the Lady Bedrulbudour’s story was true; whereupon quoth the Sultan, “Since the case is thus, we need no wedding-festivities.” And he bade forthright break off the rejoicings and the marriage was dissolved. The folk and the people of the city marvelled at this strange thing, especially when they saw the Vizier and his son go forth the palace in a pitiable plight for stress of chagrin and despite, and they fell to asking, “What hath happened and why is the marriage avoided and the rejoicings broken off?” But none knew what was to do save Alaeddin, the suitor, who laughed in his sleeve. So the marriage was annulled; but the Sultan had forgotten his promise to Alaeddin’s mother and never again bethought him thereof, neither he nor the Vizier; nor knew they whence came that which had happened.

  Alaeddin waited till the three months had elapsed, after which the Sultan had promised that he would marry him to his daughter, the Lady Bedrulbudour, then despatched his mother to the Sultan to require him of the performance of his promise. So she repaired to the palace and when the Sultan came to the Divan and saw her standing before him, he remembered his promise to her, that after three months he would marry his daughter to her son, and turning to the Vizier, said to him, “O Vizier, yonder is the woman who presented us with the jewels and we gave her our word that after three months [we would marry our daughter to her son]. Bring her before me forthright.” So the Vizier went and brought Alaeddin’s mother before the Sultan; an
d when she came into the presence, she made her obeisance to him and prayed God to vouchsafe him glory and endurance of prosperity. The Sultan asked her if she had a need, and she said to him, “O King of the Age, the three months are ended, after which thou didst promise me thou wouldst marry my son Alaeddin to thy daughter the Lady Bedrulbudour.” The Sultan was perplexed at this her claim, more by token that he saw her in poor case, as she were the meanest of the folk; but the present which she had made him was exceeding magnificent [and indeed] beyond price; so he turned to the Vizier and said to him, “How deemest thou? What shall we do? It is true I gave her my word, but meseemeth they are poor folk and not of the chiefs of the people.”

  The Vizier, who was like to die of envy and chagrin for that which had befallen his son, said in himself, “How shall one like this marry the Sultan’s daughter and my son lose this honour?” So he said to the Sultan, “O my lord, it is an easy matter to rid ourselves of this vagabond, for that it would not beseem Thy Grace to give thy daughter to a man like this, of whom it is not known what he is.” Quoth the Sultan, “On what wise shall we rid ourselves of this man, seeing I have given him my word and a King’s word is his bond?” “O my lord,” answered the Vizier, “my counsel is that thou require of him forty dishes of pure virgin gold, full of jewels, such as she brought thee the other day, and forty slave-girls to bear the dishes and forty black slaves.” “By Allah, O Vizier,” rejoined the Sultan, “‘thou speakest rightly; for that this is a thing to which he may not avail and so we shall be rid of him by [fair] means.” So he said to Alaeddin’s mother, “Go and tell thy son that I abide by the promise which I made him, but an if he avail unto my daughter’s dowry; to wit, I require of him forty dishes of pure gold, which must all be full of jewels [such as] thou broughtest me [erst], together with forty slave-girls to carry them and forty male slaves to escort and attend them. If, then; thy son avail unto this, I will marry him to my daughter.”

  Alaeddin’s mother returned home, shaking her head and saying, “Whence shall my poor son get these dishes of jewels? Supposing, for the jewels and the dishes, that he return to the treasure and gather the whole from the trees, — and withal methinketh not it is possible to him; but say that he fetch them, — whence [shall he get] the slaves and slave-girls?” And she gave not over talking to herself till she reached the house, where Alaeddin awaited her, and when she came in to him, she said to him, “O my son, said I not to thee, ‘Think not to attain to the Lady Bedrulbudour’? Indeed, this is a thing that is not possible unto folk like ourselves.” Quoth he, “Tell me what is the news.” And she said to him, “O my son, the Sultan received me with all courtesy, according to his wont, and meseemeth he meant fairly by us, but [for] thine accursed enemy the Vizier; for that, after I had bespoken the Sultan in thy name, even as thou badest me, reminding him that the term for which he had appointed us was past and saying to him, ‘If Thy Grace would vouchsafe to give commandment for the marriage of thy daughter the Lady Bedrulbudour with my son Alaeddin,’ — he turned to the Vizier and spoke to him. The Vizier replied to him in a whisper and after that the Sultan returned me an answer.” Then she told him what the Sultan required of him and added, “O my son, he would fain have present answer of thee; but methinketh we have no answer to give him.”

  When Alaeddin heard his mother’s speech, he laughed and said, “O my mother, thou sayest we have no answer to make him and deemest the thing exceeding hard; but now be good enough to rise and fetch us somewhat to eat, and after we have dined, thou shalt (an it please the Compassionate) see the answer. The Sultan like thyself, thinketh he hath sought of me an extraordinary matter, so he may divert me from the Lady Bedrulbudour; but the fact is that he seeketh a thing less than I had looked for. But go now and buy us somewhat we may eat and leave me to fetch thee the answer.” Accordingly, she arose and went out to buy her need from the market, so she might make ready the morning-meal; whilst Alaeddin entered his chamber and taking the lamp, rubbed it. The genie immediately appeared to him and said, “Seek what thou wilt, O my lord;” whereupon quoth Alaeddin, “I seek the Sultan’s daughter in marriage and he requireth of me forty dishes of pure gold, each ten pounds in weight and full of the jewels which be in the garden of the treasure, the forty dishes to be borne by forty slave girls and each slave-girl to be accompanied by a male slave; wherefore I will have thee bring me this, all of it.” “Hearkening and obedience, O my lord,” replied the genie and disappearing, was absent awhile, then returned with the forty slave-girls, each attended by a male slave and bearing on her head a dish of pure gold, full of precious jewels. So he brought them before Alaeddin and said to him, “Here is that which thou soughtest. Tell me an thou need thing or service other than this.” Quoth Alaeddin, “I need nothing [more]; if I need aught, I will summon thee and tell thee.”

  Accordingly, the genie vanished and after a little, Alaeddin’s mother returned and entering the house, saw the slaves and slave-girls; whereat she marvelled and said, “All this is of the Lamp; God continue it unto my son!” Then, before she put off her veil, Alaeddin said to her, “O my mother, this is thy time, ere the Sultan enter his palace [and withdraw] to his harem. Take him what he seeketh, and that forthright, so he may know that I can avail unto that which he requireth, ay, and more, and that he was deluded by the Vizier; albeit he thought to baffle me, he and his Vizier.” Then he arose and opening the house-door, let out the damsels and the slaves, pair by pair, each damsel with a slave by her side, so that they filled the street. His mother forewent them and the people of the quarter, when they saw that rare and magnificent sight, stood looking and marvelling and gazing upon the faces of the slave-girls and their grace and goodliness [and their apparel], for that they were clad in clothes all inwoven with gold and studded with jewels; nay, the least one’s clothes of them were worth thousands. Moreover they looked at the dishes and saw flashing therefrom a radiance that outshone the light of the sun, albeit each dish was covered with a piece of brocade, gold-inwrought and studded eke with precious jewels. Alaeddin’s mother fared on and the damsels and slaves followed after her, in all fair ordinance and disposition, whilst the folk stood to gaze on the beauty of the slave-girls and extolled the perfection of the Almighty Creator, till she reached the palace and entered it with them.

  When the eunuchs and chamberlains and captains of the guard saw them, wonder took them and they were breathless for amaze at this sight, the like whereof they had never in their lives seen, and especially at the slave girls, each one of whom would ravish the wit of an anchorite. Withal, the chamberlains and captains of the Sultan’s guards were all of them sons of grandees and Amirs; and they marvelled yet more at the damsels’ costly raiment and the dishes which they bore on their heads and on which they might not open their eyes, for the excess of their flashing and radiance. Then the guards entered and told the Sultan, who bade bring them before him forthright into the Divan. So Alaeddin’s mother entered with them and when they came before the Sultan, they all did obeisance to him with the utmost courtliness and gravity and invoked on him glory and prosperity; then, raising the dishes from their heads, they set them down before him and stood with their hands clasped behind them, after they had removed the covers.

  The Sultan wondered with an exceeding wonderment and was confounded at the beauty of the girls and their loveliness, which overpassed description; his wit was bewildered, when he saw the golden dishes, full of jewels that dazzled the sight, and he was amazed at this marvel, so that he became as one dumb, unable to speak aught, of the excess of his wonderment; nay, his wit was the more perplexed, forasmuch as this had all been accomplished in an hour’s time. Then he bade carry the slave-girls and their burdens to the pavilion of the Lady Bedrulbudour; so the damsels took up the dishes and entered; whereupon Alaeddin’s mother came forward and said to the Sultan, “O my lord, this is no great matter for the Lady Bedrulbudour’s exalted rank; nay, she deserveth manifold this.” So the Sultan turned to the Vizier and said to him, “How sayst tho
u, O Vizier? He that can in so short a time avail unto riches like these, is he not worthy to be the Sultan’s son-in-law and to have his daughter to bride?” Now the Vizier marvelled at the greatness of these riches yet more than the Sultan, but envy was killing him and waxed on him more and more, when he saw that the Sultan was content with the bride-gift and the dowry; withal he could not gainstand the [manifest] truth and say to the Sultan, “He is not worthy;” so he cast about to work upon him by practice, that he might hinder him from giving his daughter the Lady Bedrulbudour to Alaeddin, and accordingly said to him, “O my lord, all the treasures of the world were not worth a paring of thy daughter Bedrulbudour’s nails; indeed, Thy Highness overrateth this upon her.”

  When the Sultan heard the Vizier’s words, he knew that this his speech arose from the excess of his envy; so he turned to Alaeddin’s mother and said to her, “O woman, go to thy son and tell him that I accept of him the marriage-gift and abide by my promise to him and that my daughter is his bride and he my son-in-law; so bid him come hither, that I may make acquaintance with him. There shall betide him from me nought but all honour and consideration and this night shall be the beginning of the bridal festivities. But, as I said to thee, let him come hither to me without delay.” So she returned home swiftlier than the wind, of her haste to bring her son the good news; and she was like to fly for joy at the thought that her son was to become the Sultan’s son-in-law. As soon as she had taken her leave, the Sultan bade break up the Divan and entering the Lady Bedrulbudour’s pavilion, commanded to bring the damsels and the dishes before his daughter and himself, so she should see them. So they brought them and when the Lady Bedrulbudour saw the jewels, she was amazed and said, “Methinketh there is not one of these jewels found in the treasuries of the world.” Then she looked at the damsels and marvelled at their beauty and grace and knew that this was all from her new bridegroom and that he had proffered it to her service. So she rejoiced, albeit she had been sad and sorry for her [whilom] bridegroom the Vizier’s son, — she rejoiced, [I say], with an exceeding joy, when she saw the jewels and the beauty of the damsels, and was cheered; whilst her father rejoiced exceedingly in her joy, in that he saw her put off chagrin and dejection. Then he said to her, “O my daughter Bedrulbudour, doth this please thee? Indeed, methinketh this thy bridegroom is goodlier than the Vizier’s son, and God willing, O my daughter, thou shalt rejoice with him abundantly.”