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bride in bed, I lay in the draught-house, a place dark and frightful, noisome of smell and accursed, and my ribs were straitened[1] with cold.” Brief, he told the Vizier all that had befallen him and ultimately said to him; “Dear[2] 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[3] 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;[4] and indeed it irked him sore that the marriage should be dissolved, for that he had long besought[5] the Ten[6] that
- ↑ Or “shrunken” (kusziret). Burton, “bursten.”
- ↑ Or “honoured” (aziz).
- ↑ Night DLVI.
- ↑ Lit. “how [was] the device therein;” i.e. how he should do for an expedient thereanent. Burton, “the device whereby he should manage it.”
- ↑ Or “called upon” (nedeh).
- ↑ El ashreh [mubeshshereh understood], “the ten [who were rejoiced with glad tidings],” i.e. ten of Mohammed’s companions (Abou Bekr, Omar, Othman, Ali, Telheh, Zubeir, Saad ibn Abi Weccas, Abdurreh-
