Bagh O Bahar, or Tales of the Four Darweshes Part 12

[57] The _Diwani' Amm_, or Public Hall of Audience in eastern palaces, is a grand saloon where Asiatic princes hold a more promiscuous court than in the _Diwani Kha.s.s_, or the Private Hall of Audience.

[58] The _Musalla_, is generally in Persia a small carpet, but frequently a fine mat in _Hindustan_, which is spread for the performance of prayer. The devotee kneels and prostrates himself upon it in his act of devotion. It is superfluous to remark that the _Muhammadans_ pray with their face turned towards _Mecca_, as far as they can guess its direction. Jerusalem was the original point, but the prophet, (it is said,) in a fit of anger, changed it to _Mecca_.

[59] _Khiradmand_ means wise; as a man's name it corresponds to our "Mr. Wiseman," or as the French have it "Monsieur le Sage." It does not necessarily follow, however, that every Mr. Wiseman is a sage.

[60] The _Diwani Kha.s.s_, or Private Hall of Audience, is a grand saloon, where only the king's privy councillors or select officers of state are admitted to an audience.

[61] As Asiatic princes in general pa.s.s the most part of their time in the _haram_ or in seclusion, eunuchs are the usual carriers of messages, &c.

[62] The posture of respect, as to stand motionless like a statue, the eyes fixed on the ground, and the arms crossed over the waist.

[63] Literally, "rings or circles had formed round his eyes, and his visage had turned yellow." The term "yellow" is used among the dark-complexioned people of the East in the same sense as our word "pale," or the Latin "pallidus," to indicate fear, grief, &c.

[64] The Asiatics reckon the animal species at 18,000; a number which even the fertile genius of Buffon has not attained. Yet the probability is, that the orientals arc nearer the true mark; and the wonder is, how they acquired such correct ideas on the subject.

[65] There is a well-known Eastern saying, that, "On the part of a king, one hour's administration of justice will be of more avail to him on the day of judgment than twenty years of prayer."

[66] Literally, "_Fakirs_ and _Jogis_;" either term denotes "hermit"

the former being applied to a _Musalman_, the latter to a _Hindu_.

[67] In India, the day was formerly divided into four equal portions, called _pahars_ or watches, of which the second terminated at noon; hence, _do-pahar-din_, mid-day. In like manner was the night divided; hence, _do-pahar-rat_, midnight. The first _pahar_ of the day began at sunrise, and of the night at sunset; and since the time from sunrise to noon made exactly two _pahars_, it follows that in the north of India the _pahar_ must have varied from three and a-half hours about the summer solstice, to two and a-half in winter, the _pahars_ of the night varying inversely. A shallow commentator has said that "the _pahar_ or watch is three hours, and that the day commences at six a.m.," which is altogether incorrect.

[68] The _Naubat-khana_, or the royal orchestra, is, in general, a large room over the outer gate of the palace for the martial music.

[69] _Nazars_, presents made to kings, governors, and masters, &c., on joyful occasions, and on public festivals, generally in silver and gold.

[70] Literally, "when two _pahars_ had elapsed."--V. note on _pahar_, supra.

[71] "On them," i.e., for the souls of the dead.

[72] A celebrated _Hindu_ poet of Upper _Hindustan_; his poetry is of a sombre hue, but natural and sympathetic; the simile here is, that no creature has yet survived the pressure of the heavens and the earth; the heavens, being in motion, representing the upper millstone, and the earth (supposed to be at rest), the lower millstone.

[73] A figurative expression, denoting, "I may yet have a son and heir."

[74] _Fakirs_ are holy mendicants, who devote themselves to the expected joys of the next world, and abstract themselves from those of this silly transitory scene; they are generally fanatics and enthusiasts--sometimes mad, and often hypocrites. They are much venerated by the superst.i.tious Asiatics, and are allowed uncommon privileges, which they naturally often abuse.

[75] The _kafni_ is a kind of short s.h.i.+rt without sleeves, of the colour of brick dust, which _Fakirs_ wear.

[76] Literally, "paintings on a wall."

[77] The _fa.n.u.s_ is a large gla.s.s shade open at the top, placed over a lamp or candle as a protection from wind, or bats, &c., when the windows are all open, as is generally the case in hot weather.

[78] The _Dev_ is a malignant spirit, one of the cla.s.s called _jinn_ by the Arabs, vide Lane's "Arabian Nights," vol. i. p. 30. The _jinn_ or genii, however, occasionally behave very handsomely towards the human race, more especially towards those of the _Muhammadan_ faith.

[79] The _Ghul_ is a foul and intensely wicked spirit, of an order inferior to the _jinn_. It is said to appear in the form of any living animal it chooses, as well as in any other monstrous and terrific shape. It haunts desert places, especially burying grounds, and is said to feed on dead human bodies.

[80] This is a general exclamation when Asiatics sneeze, and with them, as with the ancients, it is an ominous sign.

[81] _Kalandars_ are a more fanatic set of _Fakirs_. Their vow is to desert wife, children, and all worldly connexions and human sympathies, and to wander about with shaven heads.

[82] The introduction of the _hukka_ is an improvement of _Mir Amman's_; as that luxury was unknown in Europe and Asia at the time of _Amir Khusru_.

[83] The term _Azad_, "free, or independent," is applied to a cla.s.s of Darweshes who shave the beard, eyelashes and eyebrows. They vow chast.i.ty and a holy life, but consider themselves exempt from all ceremonial observances of the _Muhammadan_ religion.

[84] Literally, "is an immense mountain."

[85] The phrase _do zanu ho baithna_ denotes a mode of sitting peculiar, more especially, to the Persians. It consists in kneeling down and sitting back on one's heels, a posture the very reverse of _easy_, at least, so it appears to us good Christians, accustomed to the use of chairs &c.

[86] Arabia Felix, the south-west province of the peninsula.

[87] _Maliku-t-Tujjar_ means the chief of merchants; it is a Persian or Arab t.i.tle. The first t.i.tle the East India Company received from the court of _Dilli_ was _'Umdatu-t-Tujjar_, or the n.o.ble merchants.

_Haji Khalil_, the amba.s.sador from Persia to the Bengal government, who was killed at Bombay, was _Maliku-t-Tujjar_; and after him _Muhammad Nabi Khan_, who likewise was amba.s.sador from the Persian court, and came to Bengal; he has since experienced the sad uncertainty of Asiatic despotism; being despoiled of his property, blinded, and turned into the streets of _s.h.i.+raz_ to beg.

[88] The peculiar dress worn by _fakirs_. V. "_Qanooni Islam"_

[89] The _seli_, or _saili_, is a necklace of thread worn as a badge of distinction by a certain cla.s.s of _fakirs_.

[90] The fortieth day is an important period in _Muhammadan_ rites; it is the great day of rejoicing after birth, and of mourning after death. To dignify this number still more, sick and wounded persons are supposed, by oriental novelists, to recover and perform the ablution of cure on the fortieth day. The number "forty" figures much in the Sacred Scriptures, for example, "The flood was forty days upon the earth." The Israelites forty years in the wilderness, &c., &c.

[91] The _Fatiha_ is the opening chapter of the _Kur,an_, which, being much read and repeated, denotes a short prayer or benediction in general.

[92] This is the general mode of invest.i.ture in _Hindustan_ to offices, places, &c.; to which a _khil'at_, or honorary dress, is added.

[93] That part of a dwelling where male company are received.

[94] _Farrashes_ are servants whose duty it is to spread carpets, sweep them and the walls; place the _masnads_, and hang up the _pardas_ and _chicks_, pitch tents, &c.

[95] _Pardas_ are quilted curtains, which hang before doors, &c.

[96] _Chicks_ are curtains, or hanging screens, made of fine slips of _bamboos_, and painted and hung up before doors and windows, to prevent the persons inside from being seen, and to keep out insects; but they do not exclude the air, or the light from without. If there is no light in a room, a person may sit close to the _chick_, and not be seen by one who is without.--However, no description can convey an adequate idea of _pardas_ and _chicks_ to the mere European.

[97] I hope the reader will pardon me for the use of this old-fas.h.i.+oned Scottish expression which conveys the exact meaning of the original, viz., "_muft par khane-pine-wale"_, i.e, "gentlemen who eat and drink at another's cost." The English terms, "parasites," or "diners out,"

do not fully express the meaning, though very near it.

[98] Literally, "quaff the wine of the _Ketaki_, and pluck the flower of the rose." The _Ketaki_, a highly odoriferous flower, was used in giving fragrance to the wine.

[99] A Persian proverb, like our own "Lightly come, lightly go."

[100] A personage famed for his wealth, like the Croesus of the Greeks.

[101] The reader will observe, in the original, that the terms _rah-bat_, a "highway," and _bhent-mulakat_, "a meeting," consist each of two nouns denoting precisely the same thing, only one of them is of _Musalman_ usage, and the other _Hindu_. Such expressions are very common in the language.

[102] Literally, "black _takas_," or copper coins, in opposition to "white" or silver; an expression similar to what we, in the vernacular call "browns."

[103] _Sharbat_ is a well-known oriental beverage, made in general with vegetable acids, sugar and water; sometimes of sugar and rose water only; to which ingredients some good _Musalmans_, on the sly, add a _leettle_ rum or brandy.

[104] _Pulao_, (properly "_pilav_," as p.r.o.nounced by the Persians and Turks,) is a common dish in the East. It consists of boiled rice well dried and mixed with eggs, cloves and other spices, heaped up on a plate, and inside of this savoury heap is buried a well-roasted fowl, or pieces of tender meat, such as mutton, &c.; in short, any good meat that may be procurable.

[105] _Kabab_ is meat roasted or fried with spices; sometimes in small pieces, sometimes minced, sometimes on skewers, but never in joints as with us, though they make _kababs_ of a whole lamb or kid.