Arabian Nights

by Richard Burton

  When Aladdin’s mother heard her son’s words, she told him he was out of his mind and cried, “My child, may Allah protect you! It seems you’ve lost your head. You must try to regain your senses and stop acting like a madman.”

  “No, Mother,” he responded, “I’m not out of my mind, nor am I a maniac. There is nothing that you have said or can say that will change how I feel and think. I can’t rest until I’ve won the darling of my heart, the beautiful Lady Badar al-Budur. Believe me, I’m determined to seek her hand from her sire, the sultan.”

  “If you value my life,” his mother replied, “don’t talk this way! Somebody might hear you and declare you insane. Get rid of all these foolish ideas! Who would ever dare request such a thing from the king? Indeed, even if you persist, how would you go about making such a request? Who would represent you at the court?”

  “Nobody else but you, Mother,” Aladdin stated. “There’s nobody fonder of me than you. And there’s nobody whom I trust more than you. So my plan is that you will present my petition for me to the sultan.”

  “May Allah protect me and keep me from doing anything of the sort!” she exclaimed. “Do you think that I’ve lost my mind like you? Get that idea out of your head! Remember whose son you are, my child. You’re the orphan boy of a tailor, the poorest of the tailors who toiled in this city. And I, your mother, also come from a poor family. How then can you dare to ask to marry the daughter of the sultan, who would never let his daughter marry anyone except a prince of the same rank and majesty? Even if a suitor were noble but a degree lower than his daughter, he would forbid a marriage!”

  “Mother, everything you’ve told me is common knowledge,” said Aladdin. “Moreover, I’m quite aware that I’m the child of poor parents. Despite all this, I’m not going to let myself be deterred. If you truly love me, I hope that you’ll grant me this favor and present my petition. Otherwise, you’ll destroy me. I shall die if I can’t win the darling of my heart. Remember, Mother, I am your son.”

  Upon hearing these words, his mother wept and said, “Yes, indeed, I am your mother, and you are my only son. And my greatest desire is for you to marry. But even here, let us suppose that I would try to find a wife for you from a family that is our equal. Her parents would ask at once whether you have any property, merchandise, or trade to support their daughter. What can I reply then? I would be at a loss for words. And if I cannot possibly answer the poor like ourselves, how can I be so bold as to ask for the daughter of the sultan of China, who has no peer? Think about this. Who would ever dare ask the sultan to wed his daughter to the son of a tailor! If I ever did such a thing, our misfortunes would increase, and our lives would be in mortal danger from the sultan. It might even mean death for you and me. As far as I am concerned, how could I possibly gain access to the sultan? And even if I should succeed, what could I say when they ask me about your livelihood? The king would probably think that I’m a madwoman. And lastly, suppose that I obtain an audience with the sultan, what gift could I possibly bring to his majesty?”

  And Scheherazade noticed that dawn was approaching and stopped telling her story. When the next night arrived, however, she received the king’s permission to continue her tale and said,

  After pausing a moment, Aladdin’s mother continued trying to persuade her son to abandon his plan to marry the sultan’s daughter, and she said, “It’s true, my son, that the sultan is mild and merciful. He never rejects anyone who requests justice or protection from him, nor anyone who asks him for alms. He is most generous and kind and bestows favors on people near and far. But he grants favors only to those who deserve them, to men who have proved themselves in battle under his eyes or men who have rendered great service as civilians to his estate. But you haven’t done anything! What deed have you performed before him or in public that merits his grace? Moreover, this favor that you intend to request from him cannot be granted to anyone of our rank. As I told you before, whoever goes to the sultan and asks for his daughter in marriage must offer him something that suits his exalted position.”

  “Mother, everything you’ve said thus far is true,” Aladdin replied. “And it’s a good thing that you’ve reminded me of all these things and made me think about them. However, my love for the Princess Badar al-Budur has inflamed my heart, and I can’t rest unless I win her. When you brought up the subject of a gift, it was something I had not thought about, but it is this very thing that I can indeed offer the sultan. You see, Mother, I can offer the king something that no other monarch in the world has ever seen or possessed. If you remember, I brought back some glass and crystal from the cave that I thought was worth nothing. Well, it turns out that they are precious stones, and there is not a king in the world who can match even the smallest gem that I possess. Ever since I began associating with the jewelers, I’ve learned that they are priceless gems. So you don’t have to worry whether we have an appropriate gift. There is a porcelain bowl in our house, and I’d like you to fetch it for me so that I may fill it with these jewels, which you will carry to the king as a gift. Then you will submit my petition to him, and I am sure that with such a gift as this, you will have no trouble. If you are unwilling to do this, Mother, I shall surely die. Just remember that this gift is one of the priceless gems, and in my many visits to the jewelers’ bazaar, I observed the merchants selling jewels, whose beauty was not worth one quarter carat of what we possess. Therefore, I know for sure how priceless our gems are. Now, please bring me the bowl so that I can put some of them in there and arrange them in a splendid way.”

  So she stood up and fetched the bowl. As she was bringing it back to him, she said to herself, “I’ll be able to know what to do after I see whether he was telling me the truth.” Then she set the bowl before her son, who pulled some of the stones out of his pockets and put them into the bowl. He arranged all sorts of gems in the bowl until he had filled it, and his mother was astonished by the sight. Indeed, their radiance was so dazzling that she was bewildered. However, she was still not certain that they were indeed priceless, even though her son might have been telling the truth when he said that nothing like them could be found even among kings.

  Then Aladdin turned to her and said, “You see how magnificent this present is for the sultan? I’m sure that it will enable you to be received with respect and honor by the king. Now you have no excuse. So, collect yourself and arise. Take this bowl, and bring it to the palace.”

  But his mother responded, “My son, it’s true that the present is extremely valuable and precious, and that there is nothing like it in the world. But who can be so bold as to go and ask the sultan for his daughter? I can’t imagine myself saying to him, ‘I would like to request the hand of your daughter for my son.’ I’d be tongue-tied in front of him. And even granting that Allah comes to my aid and gives me enough courage to say to him, ‘I’d like to arrange a marriage between your daughter, the Lady Badar al-Budur, and my son, Aladdin,’ they will surely think that I’m demented and cast me out in disgrace and disgust. Moreover, both you and I will be in danger of losing our lives from then on. Nevertheless, because I love you so much, I shall summon my courage and go to the court. Perhaps the king will receive me and honor me on account of the gift, but what shall I say when he asks me how much property you own and what you do for a living?”

  “I don’t think that the sultan will ask such questions when he gets a look at the jewels,” Aladdin answered. “Don’t worry yourself about things that may never happen. All you have to do is set this present of precious stones before him and ask his permission to wed me to his daughter. Don’t make things difficult. Remember, I have the lamp that provides us with a stable income and whatever else I need. If indeed the sultan does ask you those questions, my hope is that the lamp will furnish me with the right answers.”

  Then Aladdin and his mother talked all night long about what she was to do, and when the next morning came, she arose and mustered up all her courage. Indeed, she felt somewhat better after Aladdin
had explained to her how powerful the lamp was and that it could supply them with whatever they needed. However, now Aladdin was worried that his mother might tell people about the lamp and all its magical powers. So he said to her, “Mother, beware that you don’t tell anyone about the powers of the lamp, since this is our most important possession. Be on your guard so that you don’t tell anyone about it, no matter who it is. Otherwise, we shall probably lose it and lose the fortune and benefits that we expect from it.”

  “Have no fear,” his mother said, and she arose and took the bowl full of jewels, which she wrapped up in a fine kerchief, and went straight to the divan before it became too crowded. When she entered the palace, she saw the viziers and various nobles go into the audience chamber, and after a short time, the divan was filled by the ministers, high officials, chieftains, and emirs. Finally, the sultan entered, and everyone bowed in respect. Then the king seated himself on the throne, and all who were present at the audience stood before him with crossed arms waiting for his command to sit down. When they received it, each man took his place according to his rank. Then the petitioners went before the sultan, and he judged each case according to its merits in his customary way until the divan came to an end. At this point the king arose and withdrew into the palace, and the people went their way.

  And Scheherazade noticed that dawn was approaching and stopped telling her story. However, when the next night arrived, she received the king’s permission to continue her tale and said,

  Even though Aladdin’s mother had been among the earliest to arrive at the sultan’s court, she had not been able to find anyone to intercede for her before the king and was unfamiliar with the way the divan was held. Therefore, she was obliged to leave the palace and return home. As soon as Aladdin spotted her with the bowl in her hands, he thought that something unfortunate had happened, but he did not want to ask her until she came into the apartment and sat down. Thereupon, she told him what had occurred and said, “Praise be to Allah, my child, that I had enough courage to attend the audience today. And even though I was too scared to speak to the king today, I shall definitely do so tomorrow. There were many people like me today who could not get an audience with the sultan. Don’t fret, my son, tomorrow I shall speak to him, and let come what may come.”

  When Aladdin heard his mother’s words, he was relieved with joy, and although he had hoped the matter would be settled by then, he controlled himself with patience. They slept well that night, and early the next morning, Aladdin’s mother went with the bowl to the king’s court, which she found closed. So she asked the people what the matter was, and they told her that the sultan did not hold an audience every day but only three times a week. So she had to return home. After this, whenever the sultan held court, she appeared there and waited for someone to help her. However, nobody came to her assistance, and she continued to attend the audiences without success for one whole month.

  Now, the king had noticed her presence at every audience, and on the last day of the month, when she took her usual place, her courage failed her, and she allowed the divan to come to a close without uttering a syllable. In the meantime, while the king was preparing himself to enter the harem accompanied by the grand vizier, he turned to him and said, “For the past few weeks I’ve noticed that old woman over there at every session, and she always seems to be carrying something under her mantilla. Do you know anything about her or what she wants?”

  “My lord,” the vizier responded, “women are very often petty-minded, and most likely this woman has come to make a complaint about her husband or one of her relatives and neighbors.”

  However, the sultan was not satisfied by this reply, and he told the vizier to bring the woman before him if she attended the next audience.

  “As you command, your majesty,” replied the vizier, placing his hand on his brow.

  So the next time that Aladdin’s mother attended the divan, the king caught sight of her and said to his grand vizier, “That’s the woman we were talking about yesterday. Bring her to me so that I can find out what she wants and grant her request.”

  Accordingly, the minister brought her forward to be introduced to the sultan, and she kissed the ground before him in respect, wishing him glory, prosperity, and long life.

  “Woman,” said the king, “for some days now I’ve seen you at my audiences, and yet you’ve yet to say a word. So tell me now if there is a request that I may fulfill.”

  Aladdin’s mother kissed the ground a second time, and, after blessing him, she said, “Truly, my lord, there is something I would like to request, but before I do this, I would like you to grant me immunity, because your highness may find my petition highly unusual.”

  Since the king wanted to know her request and was a man of exceptional mildness and clemency, he gave her his word that she would have immunity. Furthermore, he dismissed everyone at the court and allowed only his grand vizier to remain. Then he turned toward his petitioner and said, “Tell me your request, for you are under the protection of Allah Almighty.”

  “Your majesty, I also need your pardon,” she said.

  “May Allah pardon you as I myself do,” he replied.

  “Great king,” she resumed, “I have a son named Aladdin, and one day some time ago, when he heard the town crier commanding all the people to close their shops and get off the streets because the Lady Badar al-Budur, the sultan’s daughter, was going to the Hammam, he felt an uncontrollable urge to look at her and hid himself in a place behind the doors of the baths to catch sight of her. When she entered, he saw her, but it was too much for him. Ever since the time he looked at her, your majesty, he has not had a moment’s peace. Moreover, he has demanded that I go and ask permission from your highness for him to wed your daughter. I tried to get him to drive this idea out of his head, but it was impossible. His love for your daughter has gripped him so deeply that he’s told me he’ll die if he cannot win your daughter for his bride. Therefore, I hope your highness will be merciful and mild and pardon my boldness and that of my son, and I beg you not to punish us.”

  After the sultan heard her tale, he regarded her with compassion, and laughing aloud, he asked her, “Tell me, what is that you’ve been carrying in your mantilla?”

  Relieved that the sultan was laughing and was not angry at her, she immediately opened the mantilla and set the bowl of jewels before him. All at once, the audience hall was illuminated as though the chandeliers and torches had been lit. Indeed, the king was dazed and amazed by the radiance of the rare gems, and he marveled at their size, beauty, and quality.

  “Never in my life have I seen anything as beautiful and superb as these jewels!” cried the king. “I don’t think that I have a single one in my treasury like these.” Then he turned to his minister and said, “What do you say? Have you ever seen such fine jewels as these before?”

  “Never,” replied the vizier. “I don’t think you have anything in your treasury to match these.”

  “Indeed,” resumed the king, “whoever makes a present like this to me deserves to become the bridegroom of my daughter. As far as I can see, nobody is more worthy than this man.”

  When the vizier heard the sultan’s words, he was tongue-tied and highly distressed, for the sultan had promised to allow his son to marry the princess. So, after a while, he whispered, “Great king, your highness promised me that the Lady Badar al-Budur would wed my son. Therefore, I find it only just that your highness grant my son a delay of three months during which time he might find a gift more valuable than this.”

  Although the king knew that such a thing could not be done, not even by the vizier himself or any of his nobles, he granted him the desired delay out of kindness. Then he turned to Aladdin’s mother and said, “Go to your son and tell him that I’ve pledged my word that my daughter shall marry him. First, however, he shall have to wait three months while I make the proper preparations for the wedding.”

  Aladdin’s mother thanked the king and blessed him, and af
ter leaving the palace, she rushed home in joy. When her son saw her enter the apartment with a smile on her face, he knew it was a sign of good news, especially since she had returned without the bowl.

  “Allah willing, I hope you’ve brought me good news, Mother,” he said. “Perhaps the jewels have done their job, and the king has received you with kindness and granted your request.”

  In response, she told him the whole story—how the sultan had treated her favorably and had marveled at the extraordinary size of the jewels and their superb quality, as had the vizier. Then she concluded by saying, “And he promised his daughter would be yours. However, I heard the vizier whisper something about a private contract made between him and the sultan. So the king granted him a delay of three months, and I am somewhat fearful that the vizier will not be kindly disposed toward you and will attempt to change the sultan’s mind.”

  And Scheherazade noticed that dawn was approaching and stopped telling her story. When the next night arrived, however, she received the king’s permission to continue her tale and said,