The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume XVI Part 34

See vol. i. 234, where it is called Al-Hasa = the Plain of Pebbles.

[FN#318] Heron names him Chebib (Habib) also "Xakem Tai-Chebib"

= Hatim Tayy Habib.

[FN#319] The scene is described at full length in the Cotheal MS. with much poetry sung by a fair slave-girl and others.

[FN#320] Again showing the date of the tale to be modern. See my Terminal Essay, p. 85.

[FN#321] This might serve even in these days to ask a wors.h.i.+pful guest why he came, and what was his business--it is the address of a well-bred man to a stranger of whose rank and station he is ignorant. The vulgar would simply say, "Who art thou, and what is thy native country?"

[FN#322] In Heron the host learns everything by the book Al-Jafr.

[FN#323] In text "Muzawwa" which the Egyptian p.r.o.nounces "Mugawwaz."

[FN#324] Which would be necessary after car. cop. with his women.

[FN#325] In text "Kabr al-Sitt," wherein the Sitt Zaynab, aunt to Mohammed, is supposed to lie buried. Here the cultivation begins about half a mile's ride from the Bab-al-s.h.a.ghur or S.

Western gate of the city. It is mentioned by Baedeker (p. 439), and ignored by Murray, whose editor, Mr. Missionary Porter, prefers to administer the usual dainty dish of "hashed Bible."

[FN#326] Arab. "Jami' al-Amawi": for this Mosque, one of the Wonders of the Moslem World, consult any Guide Book to Damascus.

See Suppl. vol. iv. Night cccxlii. In Heron it becomes the "Giamah Illamoue," one of the three most famous mosques in the world.

[FN#327] M. houdas trasnlates "Tarz," "Markaz" or "Mirkaz" by Un pierrre en forme de dame, instrument qui sert a enfoncer les paves (= our "beetle"); c'est-a-dire en form de borne.

[FN#328] For this "window-gardening," an ancient practice in the East, see vol. i. 301.

[FN#329] Heron calls her "Negemet-il-Souper" = Najmat al-Sabah = Constellation of Morn. In the Cotheal MS. she uses very harsh language to the stranger, "O Bull (i.e. O stupid), this be not thy house nor yet the house of thy sire," etc.; "go forth to the curse of G.o.d and get thee to h.e.l.l," etc.

[FN#330] For "Kayf" = joy, the pleasure of living, see my Pligrimage i. 12-13.

[FN#331] In text, "'Ayyik," or "'Ayyuk" = a hinderer (of disease) from 'Ayk or 'Auk, whence also 'Ayyuk = Capella, a bright star proverbial for its alt.i.tude, as in the Turk, saw "to give praise to the 'Ayyuk" = skies.

[FN#332] Auspicious formulae. The Cotheal MS. calls the physician "Dubdihkan."

[FN#333] In text "Kullu Shayyin li mu'as'as"; the latter from "'As'as" = to complicate a matter.

[FN#334] A sign that he diagnosed a moral not a bodily disorder.

We often find in The Nights, the doctor or the old woman distinguis.h.i.+ng a love-fit by the pulse or similar obscure symptoms, as in the case of Seleucus, Stratonice and her step-son Antiochus--which seems to be the arch-type of these anecdotes.

[FN#335] Arab. "Kirsh," before explained; in Harun's day = 3 francs.

[FN#336] In the Cotheal MS. the recipe occupies a whole page of ludicrous items, e.g. Let him take three Miskals of pure "Union-with-the-lover," etc.

[FN#337] In the Cotheal MS. Attaf seeks his paternal uncle and father-in-law with the information that he is going to the Pilgrimage and Visitation.

[FN#338] Called in the old translation or rather adaptation "Scheffander-Ha.s.san" or simply "Scheffander" = Shahbandar Hasan, for which see vol. iv. 29. In the Cotheal MS. (p. 33) he becomes the "Emir Omar, and the Basha of Damascus" (p. 39).

[FN#339] The pa.s.sage is exceedingly misspelt. "Amma min Mayli Binti-ka shas.h.i.+ Ana Aswadu (for Shas.h.i.+ M. Houdas reads "Jas.h.i.+" = my heart) Wa Tana (read "Thana," reputation) Binti-ka abyazu min Shas.h.i.+."

[FN#340] One of the formulae of divorce.

[FN#341] In text "Muabalar min Shaani-ka." M. Houdas reads the first word "Muzabal" = zublan, wearied, flaccid, weak.

[FN#342] For "Al-'iddah," in the case of a divorcee three lunar months, for a widow four months and ten days and for a pregnant woman, the interval until her delivery, see vols. iii. 292; vi.

256; and x. 43: also Lane (M.E.) chap. iii.

[FN#343] In text "Alfi (4th form of 'Lafw') Hajatan," the reading is that of M. Houdas; and the meaning would be "what dost thou want (in the way of amus.e.m.e.nt)? I am at thy disposal."

[FN#344] Heron has here interpolated an adventure with a Bazar-cook and another with a Confectioner: both discover Ja'afar also by a copy of the "Giaffer" (Al-Jafr). These again are followed by an episode with a fisherman who draws in a miraculous draught by p.r.o.nouncing the letters "Gim. Bi. Ouaow" (waw = J. B.

W.), i.e. Ja'afar, Barmecide, Wazir; and discovers the Minister by a geomantic table. Then three Darvishes meet and discourse anent the virtues of "Chebib" (i.e. Attaf); and lastly come two blind men, the elder named Benphises, whose wife having studied occultism and the Dom-Daniel of Tunis, discovers Ja'afar. All this is to marshal the series of marvels and wonders upon wonders predicted to Ja'afar by his father when commanding him to visit Damascus; and I have neither s.p.a.ce nor inclination to notice their enormous absurdities.

[FN#345] This Governor must not be confounded with the virtuous and parsimonious Caliph of the same name the tenth of the series (reign A.D. 692-705) who before ruling studied theology at Al-Medinah and won the sobriquet of "Mosque-pigeon." After his accession he closed the Koran saying, "Here you and I part," and busied himself wholly with mundane matters. The Cotheal MS.

mentions only the "Nabob" (Naib = lieutenant) of Syria.

[FN#346] "Kapu" (written and p.r.o.nounced Kapi in Turk.) is a door, a house or a government office and Kapuji = a porter; Kapuji-bas.h.i.+ = head porter; also a chamberlain in Arab. "Hajib"; and Kapu Katkhudasi (p.r.o.n. Kapi-Kyayasi) = the agent which every Governor is obliged to keep at Constantinople.

[FN#347] In text "Al-buyurdi," clerical error for "Buyuruldi"

(p.r.o.n. Buyuruldu) = the written order of a Governor.

[FN#348] "Al-Yamaklak" = vivers, provaunt; from the T. "Yamak" = food, a meal.

[FN#349] Meaning that he waived his right to it.

[FN#350] In text "Zawadah" (gen. "Azwad" or "Azwi'dah") = provisions, viatic.u.m.

[FN#351] In text "Takhtrawun"; see vols. ii. 180; v. 175. In the Cotheal MS. it is a "Haudaj" = camel-litter (vol. viii. 235).

[FN#352] "Kubbat al-'Asafir," now represented by the "Khan al-Asafir," on the road from Damascus to Palmyra, about four hours' ride from and to the N. East of the Bab Tuma or N. Eastern gate. The name is found in Baedeker (p. 541). IN the C. MS. it becomes the "Thaniyyat al-'Ukab" = the Vulture's Pa.s.s.

[FN#353] Meaning that Attaf had not the heart to see his cousin-wife leave her home.

[FN#354] Written in Turkish fas.h.i.+on with the Jim (j) and three dots instead of one. This Persian letter is still preserved in the Arabic alphabets of Marocco, Algiers, etc.

[FN#355] In Arab. "Jinn" = spirit or energy of a man, which here corresponds with the Heb. "Aub"; so in the Hamasah the poet says, "My Jinn have not fled; my life is not blunted; my birds never drooped for fear," where, say commentators, the Arabs compare an energetic man with a Jinni or Shaytan. So the Prophet declared of Omar, "I never saw such an 'Abkari amongst men,"

'Abkar, in Yamamah, like Yabrin and Wabar near Al-Yaman, being a desolate region, the home of wicked races destroyed by Allah and now haunted by gruesome hosts of non-human nature. Chenery, pp.

478-9.

[FN#356] In the C. MS. it is an Emir of the Emirs.

[FN#357] Arab. "Tabah."

[FN#358] This excellent episode is omitted in the C. MS. where Attaf simply breaks gaol and reaching Aleppo joins a caravan to Baghdad.

[FN#359] In text "Katalu-ni": see vols. v. 5; vi. 171.

[FN#360] In the C. MS. he enters a mosque and finds a Ja'idi (vagabond) who opens his bag and draws out a loaf, a roast food, lemons, olives, cuc.u.mbers and date-cake, which suggest to Attaf, who had not eaten such things for a month, "the table of Isa bin Maryam." For the rest see Mr. Cotheal's version.

[FN#361] The C. MS. gives the short note in full.