The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume III Part 37

[FN#349] This is a mere phrase for our "dying of laughter": the queen was on her back. And as Easterns sit on carpets, their falling back is very different from the same movement off a chair.

[FN#350] Arab. "Ismid," the eye-powder before noticed.

[FN#351] When the Caliph (e.g. Al-Ta'i li'llah) bound a banner to a spear and handed it to an officer, he thereby appointed him Sultan or Viceregent.

[FN#352] Arab. "Shaib al-inghaz"=lit. a gray beard who shakes head in disapproval.

[FN#353] Arab. "Ayat" = the Hebr. "Ototh," signs, wonders or Koranic verses.

[FN#354] The Chapter "Al-Ikhlas" i.e. clearing (oneself from any faith but that of Unity) is No. cxii. and runs thus:--

Say, He is the One G.o.d!

The sempiternal G.o.d, He begetteth not, nor is He begot, And unto Him the like is not.

It is held to be equal in value to one-third of the Koran, and is daily used in prayer. Mr. Rodwell makes it the tenth.

[FN#355] The Lady Budur shows her n.o.ble blood by not objecting to her friend becoming her Zarrat (sister-wife). This word is popularly derived from "Zarar"=injury; and is vulgarly p.r.o.nounced in Egypt "Durrah" sounding like Durrah = a parrot (see Burckhardt's mistake in Prov. 314). The native proverb says, "Ayshat al-durrah murrah," the sister-wife hath a bitter life. We have no English equivalent; so I translate indifferently co-wife, co-consort, sister-wife or sister in wedlock.

[FN#356] Lane preserves the article "El-Amjad" and "El-As'ad;"

which is as necessary as to say "the John" or "the James,"

because neo-Latins have "il Giovanni" or "il Giacomo." In this matter of the article, however, it is impossible to lay down a universal rule: in some cases it must be preserved and only practice in the language can teach its use. For instance, it is always present in Al-Bahrayn and al-Yaman; but not necessarily so with Irak and Najd.

[FN#357] It is hard to say why this ugly episode was introduced.

It is a mere false note in a tune pretty enough.

[FN#358] The significance of this action will presently appear.

[FN#359] An "Hadis."

[FN#360] Arab. "Sabb" = using the lowest language of abuse.

chiefly concerning women-relatives and their reproductive parts.

[FN#361] The reader will note in the narration concerning the two Queens the parallelism of the Arab's style which recalls that of the Hebrew poets. Strings of black silk are plaited into the long locks (an "idiot-fringe" being worn over the brow) because a woman is cursed "who joineth her own hair to the hair of another"

(especially human hair). Sending the bands is a sign of affectionate submission; and, in extremes" cases the hair itself is sent.

[FN#362] i.e., suffer similar pain at the spectacle, a phrase often occurring.

[FN#363] i.e., when the eye sees not, the heart grieves not.

[FN#364] i.e., unto Him we shall return, a sentence recurring in almost every longer chapter of the Koran.

[FN#365] Arab. "Kun," the creative Word (which, by the by, proves the Koran to be an uncreated Logos); the full sentence being "Kun fa kana" = Be! and it became. The origin is evidently, "And G.o.d said, Let there be light: and there was light" (Gen. i. 3); a line grand in its simplicity and evidently borrowed from the Egyptians, even as Yahveh (Jehovah) from "Ankh"=He who lives (Brugsch Hist. ii. 34).

[FN#366] i.e. but also for the life and the so-called "soul."

[FN#367] Arab. "Layali"=lit. nights which, I have said, is often applied to the whole twenty-four hours. Here it is used in the sense of "fortune" or "fate ;" like "days" and "days and nights."

[FN#368] Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr a nephew of Ayishah, who had rebuilt the Ka'abah in A.H. 64 (A.D. 683), revolted (A.D. 680) against Yezid and was proclaimed Caliph at Meccah. He was afterwards killed (A.D. 692) by the famous or infamous Hajjaj general of Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, the fifth Ommiade, surnamed "Sweat of a stone" (skin-flint) and "Father of Flies," from his foul breath. See my Pilgrimage, etc. (iii. 192-194), where are explained the allusions to the Ka'abah and the holy Black Stone.

[FN#369] These lines are part of an elegy on the downfall of one of the Moslem dynasties in Spain, composed in the twelfth century by Ibn Abdun al-Andalusi. The allusion is to the famous conspiracy of the Kharijites (the first sectarians in Mohammedanism) to kill Ah, Mu'awiyah and Amru (so written but p.r.o.nounced "Amr") al-As, in order to abate intestine feuds m Al-Islam. Ali was slain with a sword-cut by Ibn Muljam a name ever d.a.m.nable amongst the Persians; Mu'awiyah escaped with a wound and Kharijah, the Chief of Police at Fustat or old Cairo was murdered by mistake for Amru. After this the sectarian wars began.

[FN#370] Arab. "Sarab"= (Koran, chaps. xxiv.) the reek of the Desert, before explained. It is called "Lama," the s.h.i.+ne, the loom, in Al-Hariri. The world is compared with the mirage, the painted eye and the sword that breaks in the sworder's hand.

[FN#371] Arab. "Dunya," with the common alliteration "daniyah"

(=Pers. "dun"), in prose as well as poetry means the things or fortune of this life opp. to "Akhirah"=future life.

[FN#372] Arab. "Walgh," a strong expression primarily denoting the lapping of dogs; here and elsewhere "to swill, saufen."

[FN#373] The lines are repeated from Night ccxxi. I give Lane's version (ii. 162) by way of contrast and--warning.

[FN#374] "Sahirah" is the place where human souls will be gathered on Doom-day: some understand by it the h.e.l.l Sa'ir (No.

iv.) intended for the Sabians or the Devils generally.

[FN#375] His eyes are faded like Jacob's which, after weeping for Joseph, "became white with mourning" (Koran, chaps. xxi.). It is a stock comparison.

[FN#376] The grave.

[FN#377] Arab. "Sawwan" (popularly p.r.o.nounced Suwan) ="Syenite"

from Syrene; generally applied to silex, granite or any hard stone.

[FN#378] A proceeding fit only for thieves and paupers: "Alpinism" was then unknown. "You come from the mountain"

(al-Jabal) means, "You are a clod-hopper"; and "I will sit upon the mountain"=turn anchorite or magician. (Pilgrimage i. 106.)

[FN#379] Corresponding with wayside chapels in Catholic countries. The Moslem form would be either a wall with a prayer niche (Mibrab) fronting Meccah-wards or a small domed room. These little oratories are often found near fountains, streams or tree-clumps where travellers would be likely to alight. I have described one in Sind ("Scinde or the Unhappy Valley" i. 79), and have noted that scrawling on the walls is even more common in the East than in the West; witness the monuments of old Egypt bescribbled by the Greeks and Romans. Even the paws of the Sphinx are covered with such graffiti; and those of Ipsambul or Abu Simbal have proved treasures to epigraphists.

[FN#380] In tales this characterises a Persian; and Hero Rustam is always so pictured.

[FN#381] The Parsis, who are the representatives of the old Guebres, turn towards the sun and the fire as their Kiblah or point of prayer; all deny that they wors.h.i.+p it. But, as in the case of saints' images, while the educated would pray before them for edification (l.a.b.i.a) the ignorant would adore them (Dulia); and would make scanty difference between the "reverence of a servant" and the "reverence of a slave." The human sacrifice was quite contrary to Guebre, although not to Hindu, custom; although hate and vengeance might prompt an occasional murder.

[FN#382] These oubliettes are common in old eastern houses as in the medieval Castles of Europe, and many a stranger has met his death in them. They are often so well concealed that even the modern inmates are not aware of their existence.

[FN#383] Arab. "Bakk"; hence our "bug" whose derivation (like that of "cat" "dog" and "hog") is apparently unknown to the dictionaries, always excepting M. Littre's.

[FN#384] i.e. thy beauty is ever increasing.

[FN#385] Alluding, as usual, to the eye-lashes, e.g.

An eyelash arrow from an eyebrow bow.

[FN#386] Lane (ii. 168) reads:--"The n.i.g.g.ardly female is protected by her n.i.g.g.ardness;" a change of "Nahilah" (bee-hive) into "Bakhilah" (she skin flint).

[FN#387] Koran iv. 38. The advantages are bodily strength, understanding and the high privilege of Holy War. Thus far, and thus far only, woman amongst Moslems is "lesser

[FN#388] Arab. "Amir Yakhur," a corruption of "Akhor"=stable (Persian).

[FN#389] A servile name in Persian, meaning "the brave," and a t.i.tle of honour at the Court of Delhi when following the name.

Many English officers have made themselves ridiculous (myself amongst the number) by having it engraved on their seal-rings, e.g. Brown Sahib Bahadur. To write the word "Behadir" or "Bahadir" is to adopt the wretched Turkish corruption.

[FN#390] "Jerry Sneak" would be the English reader's comment; but in the East all charges are laid upon women.