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she did erst, and as for him, it shall cost him[1] his life.” Then he returned to the khan in a woeful state of chagrin and colour and despite, for envy of Alaeddin, and[2] taking his geomantic instruments,[3] smote his [tablet of] sand, so he might learn where the lamp was, and found that it was in the palace and not with Alaeddin;[4] whereat he rejoiced with an exceeding joy and said, “Now it will be an easy matter for me to bereave this accursed of his life and I have a way to come at the lamp.” Accordingly he went to a coppersmith and said to him, “Make me so many[5] lamps[6] and take of me their worth in full;[7] but I will have thee
- ↑ Lit. “I will make him lose.”
- ↑ Night DLXXV.
- ↑ Lit. “Instruments of astronomy or astrology” (tenjim); but tenjim is also used in the sense of geomancy, in which operation, as before explained, astrology plays an important part, and the context shows that the word is here intended to bear this meaning. Again, the implements of a geomancer of the higher order would include certain astrological instruments, such as an astrolabe, star-table, etc., necessary, as I have before explained, for the elucidation of the scheme obtained by the sand-smiting proper.
- ↑ He had apparently learned (though the Arabic author omits, with characteristic carelessness, to tell us so) that Alaeddin was absent a-hunting.
- ↑ Akemm, vulg. for kemm, a quantity.
- ↑ Minareh, lit. “alight-stand,” i.e. either a lamp-stand or a candlestick.
- ↑ Bi-ziyadeh, which generally means “in excess, to boot,” but is here used in the sense of “in abundance.”
