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the name of God encompass thee! Meseemeth thou hast lost thy wit; return to thy senses,[1] O my son, and be not like the madmen!” “Nay, O my mother,” replied he, “I have not lost my wits nor am I mad; and this thy speech shall not change that which is in my mind, nor is rest possible to me except I get the darling of my heart, the lovely Lady Bedrulbudour. And my intent is to demand her of her father the Sultan.” So she said to him, “O my son, my life upon thee, speak not thus, lest one hear thee and say of thee that thou art mad. Put away from thee this extravagance:[2] who shall undertake an affair like this and demand it of the Sultan? Meknoweth not how thou wilt do to make this request of the Sultan, and if thou speak sooth,[3] by whom wilt thou make it?” “O my mother,” rejoined Alaeddin, “by whom [should I make] a request like this, when thou art at hand, and whom have I trustier[4] than thyself? Wherefore my intent is that thou shalt make this request for me.” “O my son,” quoth she, “God deliver me from this! What, have I lost my wits like thee? Put away this thought from thy mind and bethink thee who thou art,
