Note 367
TALE OF NUR AL-DIN AND HIS SON.
Arab. "Bassak," half Pers. (bas = enough) and—ak = thou; for thee. "Bas" sounds like our "buss" (to kiss) and there are sundry good old Anglo-Indian jokes of feminine mistakes on the subject.
Quoth Shams al-Din, "Basta! [FN#367] I see thee fail in respect to me by making thy son of more account than my daughter; and 'tis plain that thine understanding is of the meanest and that thou lackest manners. Thou remindest me of thy partnership in the Wazirate, when I admitted thee to share with me only in pity for thee, and not wishing to mortify thee; and that thou mightest help me as a manner of assistant. But since thou…
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