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When he came to the city of the sultanate,[1] wherein was Alaeddin, he entered and alighting at one of the khans, heard the folk talking of nought but the magnificence of Alaeddin’s palace; then, after he was rested from his journey, he changed[2] his clothes and went down to go round about in the thoroughfares of the city. He passed no folk but they were descanting upon the palace and its magnificence and talking of Alaeddin’s grace and comeliness and his bounty and munificence and the goodliness of his manners and disposition; so[3] he went up to one of those who were extolling Alaeddin on this wise and said to him, “Prithee, fair youth, who
- ↑ Medinetu ’s seltaneh, i.e. the seat of government or capital.
- ↑ Lit. “donned” (lebesa).
- ↑ Here Galland says, “Il entra dans le lien le plus fameux et le plus fréquenté par les personnel de grande distinction, ou l’on s’assembloit pour boire d’une certaine boisson chaude qui luy etoit connue dès son premier voyage. Il n’y eût pas plustôt pris place qu’on luy versa de cette boisson dans une tasse et qu’on la luy présenta. En la prenant, comme il prestoit l’oreille à droite et à gauche, il entendit qu’on s’entretenoit du palais d’Aladdin.” The Chavis MS. says, “He entered a coffee-house (kehweh, Syrian for kehawi), and there used to go in thereto all the notables of the city, and he heard a company, all of them engaged in (ammalin bi, a very vulgar expression) talking of the Amir Alaeddin’s palace, etc.” This (or a similar text) is evidently the original of Galland’s translation of this episode and it is probable, therefore, that the French translator inserted the mention “of a certain warm drink” (tea), out of that mistaken desire for local colouring at all costs
