Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6)
Science
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-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 when dinner was done, Alaeddin rose and, farewelling
the Sultan, took horse with his Mamelukes and rode to his own
pavilion that he might prepare to receive therein his bride, the
Lady Badr al-Budur. And as he passed, all the folk shouted their
good wishes with one voice and their words were, "Allah gladden
thee! Allah increase thy glory. Allah grant thee length of life!"
while immense crowds of people gathered to swell the marriage
procession and they conducted him to his new home, he showering
gold upon them during the whole time. When he reached his
pavilion, he dismounted and walked in and sat him down on the
divan, whilst his Mamelukes stood before him with arms afolded;
also after a short delay they brought him sherbets and, when
these were drunk, he ordered his white slaves and handmaids and
eunuchs and all who were in the pavilion to make ready for
meeting the Lady Badr al-Budur. Moreover, as soon as mid-
afternoon came and the air had cooled and the great heat of the
sun was abated, the Sultan bade his Army-officers and Emirs and
Wazirs go down into the Maydán plain[FN#176] whither he likewise
rode. And Alaeddin also took horse with his Mamelukes, he
mounting a stallion whose like was not among the steeds of the
Arab al-Arbá,[FN#177] and he showed his horsemanship in the
hippodrome and so played with the Jaríd[FN#178] that none could
withstand him, while his bride sat gazing upon him from the
latticed balcony of her bower and, seeing in him such beauty and
cavalarice, she fell headlong in love of him and was like to fly
for joy. And after they had ringed their horses on the Maydan and
each had displayed whatso he could of horsemanship, Alaeddin
proving himself the best man of all, they rode in a body to the
Sultan's palace and the youth also returned to his own pavilion.
But when it was evening, the Wazirs and Nobles took the
bridegroom and, falling in, escorted him to the royal Hammam
(known as the Sultání), when he was bathed and perfumed. As soon
as he came out he donned a dress more magnificent than the former
and took horse with the Emirs and the soldier-officers riding
before him and forming a grand cort⁄ge, wherein four of the
Wazirs bore naked swords round about him.[FN#179] All the
citizens and the strangers and the troops marched before him in
ordered throng carrying wax-candles and kettle drums and pipes
and other instruments of mirth and merriment, until they
conducted him to his pavilion. Here he alighted and walking in
took his seat and seated the Wazirs and Emirs who had escorted
him, and the Mamelukes brought sherbets and sugared drinks, which
they also passed to the people who had followed in his train. It
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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