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receive the Lady Bedrulbudour, his bride. Then, when it was the time of the midafternoon prayer[1] and the air grew cool and the heat of the sun abated,[2] the Sultan bade the troops and the Amirs and the Viziers go down to the horse-course. So they all repaired thither and with them the Sultan himself; whereupon Alaeddin also arose and mounting with his mamelukes, went down into the plain and showed his horsemanship; then he fell to playing[3] in the tilting-ground and there was none could stand before him. Now he was riding a stallion whose like is not among the horses of the Arabs of the Arabs[4] and his bride the Lady Bedrulbudour was looking upon him from the window of her pavilion, and when she saw his grace and goodliness and knightly prowess, she was overcome with his love and was like to fly for joy in him. Then, after they had played [some] bouts[5] in the plain and each had shown what was in him of horsemanship, (but Alaeddin overpassed them all,) the Sultan went to his palace and Alaeddin on like wise returned home.
- ↑ Wectu ’l asr, i.e. midway between noon and nightfall.
- ↑ Lit. “was broken” (inkeseret).
- ↑ Burton, “with the jerid,” but I find no mention of this in the text. The word used (leïba, lit. “he played”) applies to all kinds of martial exercises; it may also mean simply, “caracoling.”
- ↑ See ante, p. 167, note 1.
- ↑ Or “turns” (adwar).
