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 or
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