The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume XIV Part 16

"Oda" whence "Odalisque"), a popular word in Egypt and Syria.

[FN#60] Arab. "Al Afandiyah" showing the late date or reduction of the tale. The Turkish word derives from the Romaic Afentis ({Greek}) the corrupted O.G.{Greek}=an absolute commander, and "authentie." The word should not be written as usual "Effendi,"

but "Efendi," as Prof. Galland has been careful to do.

[FN#61] Arab. "Al-dakhlah"; repeatedly referred to in The Nights.

The adventure is a replica of that in "Abu Mohammed highs Lazybones," vol. iv., pp. 171-174.

[FN#62] Usual in the East, not in England, where some mothers are idiots enough not to tell their daughters what to expect on the wedding night. Hence too often unpleasant surprises, disgust and dislike. The most modern form is that of the chloroform'd bride upon whose pillow the bridegroom found a paper pinned and containing the words, "Mamma says you're to do what you like."

[FN#63] Arab. "Akhaztu dam wajhhi ha."

[FN#64] Arab. "Dilk" more commonly "Khirkah," the tattered and pieced robe of a religious mendicant.

[FN#65] Arab. "Darbalah." Scott (p. 24) must have read "Gharbalah" when he translated "A turban full of holes as a sieve." In cla.s.sical Arabic the word is written "Darbalah," and seems to correspond with the Egyptian "Darabukkah," a tabor of wood or earthenware figured by Lane (M.E. chapt. xviii.). It is, like the bowl, part of the regular Darwaysh's begging gear.

[FN#66] Vulg. Maghribi. For this word see the story of Alaeddin, Supplem., vol. iii. 31. According to Heron, "History of Maugraby," the people of Provence, Languedoc and Gascony use Maugraby as a term of cursing: Maugrebleu being used in other parts of France.

[FN#67] In text "Fanarat"; the Arab. plur. of the Pers. "Fanar"=a light-house, and here equiv. to the Mod. Gr. {Greek}, a lantern, the Egypt. "Fa.n.u.s."

[FN#68] This Sultan of the Jann preceded by sweepers, flag-bearers and tent-pitchers always appears in the form of second-sight called by Egyptians "Darb al Mandal"=striking the magic circle in which the enchanter sits when he conjures up spirits. Lane (M. E. chapt. xii.) first made the "Cairo Magician"

famous in Europe, but Herklots and others had described a cognate practice in India many years before him.

[FN#69] Arab, "Jawush" for Chawush (vulg. Chiaush) Turk.=an army serjeant, a herald or serjeant at arms; an apparitor or officer of the Court of Chancery (not a "Mace-bearer or Messenger,"

Scott). See vol. vii. 327.

[FN#70] Arab. from Persian "Bimaristan," a "sick-house,"

hospital, a mad-house: see vol. i. 288.

[FN#71] The text says only that "he was reading:" sub. the Holy Volume.

[FN#72] MS. vol. iii., pp. 142-168. Scott, "Story of the First Lunatic," pp. 31 44. Gauttier, Histoire du Premier Fou, vol. vi.

187. It is identical with No. ii. of Chavis and Cazotte, translated by C. de Perceval, Le Bimaristan (i.e. the Hospital), ou Histoire du jeune Marchand de Bagdad et de la Dame inconnue (vol. viii. pp. 179-180). Heron terms it the "Story of Halechalbe (Ali Chelebi?) and the Unknown Lady," and the narrative is provided with a host of insipid and incorrect details, such as "A gentleman enjoying his pipe." The motif of this tale is common in Arab. folk lore, and it first appears in the "Tale of Aziz and Azizah," ii. 328. A third variant will occur further on.

[FN#73] Spelt in vol. iii. 143 and elsewhere, "Khwaja" for "Khwajah."

[FN#74] Arab. "Hubban li-raasik,"=out of love for thy head, i.e.

from affection for thee. Dr. Steinga.s.s finds it a.n.a.logous with the Koranic "Hubban li 'llahi" (ii. 160), where it is joined with "Ashaddu"=stronger, as regards love to or for Allah, more Allah loving. But it can stand adverbially by itself=out of love for Allah, for Allah's sake.

[FN#75] Arab. "Zahr," lit. and generically a blossom; but often used in a specific sense throughout The Nights.

[FN#76] Arab. "Kursi" here=a square wooden seat without back and used for sitting cross-legged. See Suppl. vol. i. 9.

[FN#77] Arab. "Sujjadah"=lit. a praying carpet, which Lane calls "Seggadeh."

[FN#78] Arab. "Wakil," lit.=agent: here the woman's representative, corresponding roughly with the man who gives away the bride amongst ourselves.

[FN#79] The mention of coffee and sherbet, here and in the next page, makes the tale synchronous with that of Ma'aruf or the xviith. century.

[FN#80] The MS. writes "Zardakat" for "Zardakhan": see below.

[FN#81] Scott (p. 36) has "mahazzim (for mahazim), al Zerdukkaut (for al-Zardakhan)" and "munnaskif (for manas.h.i.+f) al fillfillee."

Of the former he notes (p. 414) "What this composition is I cannot define: it may be translated compound of saffron, yoke of egg or of yellowish drugs." He evidently confounds it with the Pers. Zard-i-Khayah=yoke of egg. Of the second he says "compound of peppers, red, white and black." Lane (The Nights, vol. i. p.

8) is somewhat scandalised at such misrepresentation, translating the first "ap.r.o.n-napkins of thick silk," and the second "drying towels of Lif or palm-fibre," further suggesting that the text may have dropped a conjunction=drying towels and fibre.

[FN#82] Arab. "Liwan al-barrani," lit.=the outer bench in the "Maslahk" or apodyterium.

[FN#83] Arab. "Ma'jun," pop. applied to an electuary of Bhang (Cannabis sativa): it is the "Maagoon" sold by the "Maagungee" of Lane (M.E. chapt. xv.). Here, however, the term may be used in the sense of "confections" generally, the sweetmeats eaten by way of restoratives in the Bath.

[FN#84] He speaks of taking her maidenhead as if it were porter's work and so defloration was regarded by many ancient peoples. The old Nilotes incised the hymen before congress; the Ph?nicians, according to Saint Athanasius, made a slave of the husband's abate it. The American Chibchas and Caribs looked upon virginity as a reproach, proving that the maiden had never inspired love.

For these and other examples see p. 72, chap. iii. "L'Amour dans l'Humanite," by P. Mantegazza, a civilised and unprejudiced traveller.

[FN#85] Arab. "Zill," lit. "shadow me."

[FN#86] Arab. "Istinshak," one of the items of the "Wuzu" or lesser ablution: see vol. v. 198.

[FN#87] In Chavis her name is "Zaliza" and she had "conceived an unhappy pa.s.sion" for her master, to whom she "declared her sentiments without reserve."

[FN#88] Arab. "Armaghanat," the Arab. plur. of "Armaghan,"

Pers.=a present.

[FN#89] In the text, "jumlatun min al-mal," which Scott apparently reads "Hamlat al-jamal" and translates (p. 38) "a camel's load of treasure."

[FN#90] The learned man was to exorcise some possible "evil spirit" or "the eye," a superst.i.tion which seems to have begun, like all others, with the ancient Egyptians.

[FN#91] The MS., I have said, always writes "Khwaja" instead of "Khwajah" (plur. "Khwajat"): for this word, the modern Egyptian "Howajah," see vol. vi. 46. Here it corresponds with our "goodman."

[FN#92] Arab. "Yatazawadu"=increasing.

[FN#93] By which she accepted the offer.

[FN#94] This incident has already occurred in the tale of the Portress (Second Lady of Baghdad, vol. i. 179), but here the consequences are not so tragical. In Chavis the vulgar c.o.c.k becomes "a golden Censer ornamented with diamonds, to be sold for two thousand sequins" (each=9 s.h.i.+ll.).

[FN#95] A royal sign of wrath generally denoting torture and death. See vols. iv. 72; vi. 250.

[FN#96] Arab. "Ya Sallam," addressed to Allah.

[FN#97] Here more is meant than meets the eye. When a Moslem's head was struck off, in the days of the Caliphate, it was placed under his armpit, whereas that of a Jew or a Christian was set between his legs, close to the seat of dishonour.

[FN#98] In Chavis and Cazotte the lady calls to "Morigen, her first eunuch, and says, Cut off his head!" Then she takes a theorbo and "composed the following couplets"--of which the first may suffice:

Since my swain unfaithful proves, Let him go to her he loves, etc., etc.

[FN#99] The device has already occurred in "Ali Baba."

[FN#100] Arab. "Al-ma'hud min ghayr wa'd."

[FN#101] In Chavis and Cazotte the king is Harun al-Ras.h.i.+d and the masterfl young person proves to be Zeraida, the favourite daughter of Ja'afar Bermaki; whilst the go-between is not the young lady's mother but Nemana, an old governess. The over- jealous husband in the Second Lady of Baghdad (vol. i. 179) is Al-Amin, son and heir of the Caliph Marun al-Ras.h.i.+d.

[FN#102] Vol. iii. pp. 168-179: and Scott's "Story of the Second Lunatic," pp. 45-51. The name is absurdly given as the youth was anything but a lunatic; but this is Arab symmetromania. The tale is virtually the same as "Women's Wiles," in Supplemental Nights, vol. ii. 99-107.