Bagh O Bahar, or Tales of the Four Darweshes Part 14

[154] By sitting and drinking with the young merchant, when he ought to wait on his guests, and attend to their entertainment.

[155] A figurative and highly poetic expression as old as Homer. In this instance it is said to signify that the sun had been two _gharis_ above the horizon.

[156] Literally, "a friendship of two days," where the number two is employed indefinitely to denote "few."

[157] The month of _Ramazan_ consisting of thirty days, is the Lent of the _Muhammadans_. During tgat whole period, a good _Musalman_ or "true believer," is not allowed either to eat, or drink, or smoke from sunrise to sunset. This naturally explains the anxiety they must feel for the arrival of evening; more especially in high lat.i.tudes, should the _Ramazan_ happen in the middle of summer. As a mere religions observance this same fast, enjoined by _Muhammad_, is the most absurd, the most demoralizing, and the most hurtful to health that ever was invented by priestcraft. The people are forced to starve themselves during the whole day, and consequently they overeat themselves during the whole night, when they ought to be asleep in their beds, as nature intended. Hence they fall by thousands an easy prey to cholera, as happened in Turkey a few years ago. The fast of Lent among tho followers of the Pope of Rome is, though in a less degree, liable to the same censure. Why, instead of these unwholesome observances, do not the priests, whether of Mecca or of Rome, preach unto the people temperance and regularity of living? Ah, I forgot, the priests both of Mecca and of Rome can always grant _dispensations_ and _indulgences_ to such good people as can adduce _weighty_ reasons to that effect.

[158] As frogs live in wet, they are not supposed to be extremely subject to catch cold; the simile is introduced to ridicule the extravagant idea of a merchant's son presuming to be in love with a princess. The simile is a proverb.

[159] Washermen in India, in general, wash their linen at the _ghats_, and their dogs of course wander thither from home after them, and back again. This is one of their proverbs, and answers to ours of "Kicked from piller to post."

[160] The _Khutba_ is a brief oration delivered after divine service every Friday (the _Musalman_ Sabbath,) in which the officiating priest blesses _Muhammad_, his successors, and the reigning sovereign.

[161] A kind of sedan chair, or _palki_.

[162] The _Khabar-dars_ are a species of spies stationed in various parts of oriental kingdoms in order to forward intelligence to head quarters.

[163] A mode of humble address, when the inferior presumes to state something contrary to what the superior maintains or desires; and as human life in India was, in olden times, not only precarious, but considered as insignificant, the oriental slave acts prudently by begging his life before he presumes to be candid.

[164] Literally, "He who is the changer of hearts."

[165] Here the first _Darwesh_ addresses himself directly to the other three, who were his patient listeners.

[166] The _jama_ is an Asiatic dress, something like a modern female gown, only much more full in the skirts. It is made of white cloth or muslin.

[167] A superst.i.tious custom in India; it implies that the person who goes round, sacrifices his life at the shrine of the love, prosperity and health of the beloved object.

[168] The _kazi_ is the judge and magistrate in Asiatic cities; he performs the rites of marriage, settles disputes, and decides civil and criminal causes. As the _Muhammadan_ laws are derived from their religious code, the _Kuran_, the _kazi_ possesses both secular and ecclesiastical powers.

[169] All good _Musalmans_ bathe after performing the rites of Venus, hence the purport of the princess's _simple question_ is obvious enough.

[170] Called _warku-l-khiyal_; it is made from the leaves of the _charas_, a species of hemp; it is a common inebriating beverage in India; the different preparations of it is called _ganja, bhang_, &c.

[171] Literally a "weighty _khil'at_," owing to the quant.i.ty of embroidery on it. The perfection of these oriental dresses is, to be so stiff as to stand on the floor unsupported.

[172] The _paisa_ is the current copper coin of India; it is the 64th part of a rupee, and is in value as nearly as possible 3/4 of our halfpenny, or a farthing and a-half.

[173] The word _kafir_ denotes literally, "infidel," or "heathen." It is here used as a term of endearment, just as we sometimes use the word "wicked rogue."

[174] Literally, "_lakhs_ of rupees." In India money accounts are reckoned by hundreds, thousands, _lakhs_ and _crores_, instead of hundreds, thousands, and millions, as with us. A hundred thousands make a _lakh_, and a hundred _lakhs_, a _crore_. As the Indian mode of reckoning, though simple enough, is apt to perplex the beginner, let us take for example the number 123456789, which we thus point off,--123,456,789; but in India it would be pointed as follows:--12,34,56,789, and read 12 _crores_, 34 _lakhs_, fifty-six thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

[175] The _muwazzin_ is a public crier, who ascends the turret or minaret of a mosque and calls out to the inhabitants the five periods of prayers; more especially the morning, noon and evening prayers.

[176] This is a proverb, founded on a short story, viz.: "A certain Arab lost his camel; he vowed, if he found it, to sell it for a dinar, merely as a charitable deed. The camel was found, and the Arab sorely repented him of his vow. He then tied a cat on the camel's neck, and went through the city of _Baghdad,_ exclaiming, 'O, true believers, here is a camel to be sold for a _dinar_, and a cat for a thousand _dinars_; but they cannot be sold the one without the other.'"

[177] _Taks_ are small recesses in the walls of apartments in Asia, for holding flower-pots, phials of wine, fruits, &c.

[178] In the original it is a proverb, "When evil comes, the dog will bite even the man that is mounted on a camel," said of a person who is extremely unfortunate.

[179] The term _barah-dari_ is applied either to a temporary pavilion, or a permanent summer-house; it is so called from the circ.u.mstance of its having "twelve doors," in honour of the twelve _Imams_.--Vide note, page 4.

[180] The various kinds of fire-works here enumerated admit not of translation.--Vide vocabulary.

[181] A proverb meaning that people or things are well matched; as the soul, at the hour of death, is committed to the charge of good or evil angels, according to its dessert.

[182] A proverb applied to those who act in a manner utterly at variance with their condition.

[183] The _patka_ is a long and narrow piece of cloth or silk, which is wrapped round the waist; among the rich a _shawl_ is the general _patka_. The act of throwing one's _patka_ round the neck and prostrating one's self at another's feet, is a most abject mark of submission.

[184] Literally, "a collar or yoke, round my neck."

[185] The _Mughal_ princes in the days of their splendour had guards of _Kalmuc_, or _Kilmak_, women for their seraglios; they were chosen for their size and courage, and were armed; other Tartar women were likewise taken, but they all went by the general name of _Kilmakini_.

[186] Here the first _Darwesh_ resumes his address to his three companions.

[187] In a note to my edition of Mr. F. Smith's translation of the _Baghobahar_, 1851, I inserted the following "pet.i.tion." "May I request some friend in India, for auld lang syne, to ask any intelligent _munshi_ the exact meaning of _panchon hathiyar bandhna_, showing him at the same time the original where the expression occurs." To this request I received, a few months ago, a very kind and satisfactory reply from Lieut. J.C. Bayley, 36th Regt., M.N.I., which I have the pleasure here to insert; and at the same time, I beg to return my best thanks to that gentleman. "The _five weapons_ are, 1st, the _talwar_ or sword; 2nd, the _pesh-kabz_ or dagger; 3rd, the _tabar_ or battle-axe; 4th, the _barchhi_ or lance; 5th, the _tir o kaman_ or the bow and arrows. The phrase, _panchon hathiyar bandhna_ is very nearly equivalent to our expression, 'to be armed cap a pie.'" I may add to Lieut. B.'s obliging account that in more recent times, the "bow and arrows" are very naturally superseded by "a pair of pistols." Still the meaning of the phrase is the same in either case.

[188] The word _chikmak_ or _chikmak_, is wrongly called "a flint"

in the dictionaries. It merely denotes the piece of steel used in striking a fire. The flint is called _chikmak ka pathar_.

[189] Literally, "at the seeing of which the liver would be turned into water."

[190] The _pipal_ or "ficus religiosa," is a large tree venerated by the _Hindus_; it affords a most agreeable shade, as its leaves are large, in the shape of a heart. Many writers confound it with the "_ficus Indicus_" or "_baniyan_ tree," or rather, they devise an imaginary tree compounded of the two species, investing it with the heart-shaped leaves of the former, and the dropping and multiplying stems of the latter.

[191] Respecting the ceremony called the _tasadduk_, vide note 3, p. 66.

[192] Literally, "much dust did I sift the dust."

[193] _Murtaza 'Ali_, the son-in-law of the prophet; one of his surnames is _Mushkil-kusha,_ or " the remover of difficulties." The _Saiyids_, who pretend to be descended from _'Ali_, wear green dresses, which is a sacred colour among the _Muhammadans_.

[194] The phrase _char-zanu ho-baithna_, signifies "to sit down with the legs crossed in front as our tailors do when at work." It is the ordnary mode of sitting among the Turks.

[195] The _dalk_, or _dilk_, is a garment made of patches and shreds worn by _darweshes_; the epithet _dolk-posh_, "a _dalk_ wearer,"

denotes a "darwesh," or "mendicant."

[196] _Ispahan_ was once a fine city. In the time of the Chevalier Chardin, nearly two centuries ago, it was p.r.o.nounced by that traveller to be the largest in the world. It is now about the size of Brighton; yet a few weeks ago, we saw in the "Ill.u.s.trated London News," an account of it by a _Frenchman_ (a fire-side traveller), who declares it to be, still, "the largest city in the world!"

[197] The _Muhammadans_ divide the world into seven climes, and suppose that a constellation presides over the destiny of each clime.

[198] The Arabic phrase _lantarani_, a corruption of _la-an-tarani_, literally signifies "egad, if you saw me [do so and so];" hence _lantarani-wala_ is equivalent to our terms, "an egregious egotist,"

or "great boaster."

[199] A novice in the language would say, "Here a distinction seems to be drawn between the words _zaban_ and _jibh_. Both signify 'tongue,'

but the former applies to men and the latter to animals." To this profound bit of criticism I should reply--Not so fast, Mr. Novice; a distinction there is, but that is not it. The word _zaban_ in Persian and _Hindustani_ means both the fleshy member of the body, called the tongue, and also language or speech, just like our word "tongue," which has both significations. In the former sense it applies alike to man and beast; in the latter it is mere truism to say that it applies to man only. _Jibh_, in _Hindi_ and _Hindustani_, means the tongue only in the sense of the member of the body, never in the sense of speech; hence it is equally applicable to man or brute. Ask any physician who has practised in India the _Hindustani_ for "show the tongue,"

he will tell you _jibh dikla,o_, or _zaban dikla,o_; and if he was a man of discernment, he would use _jibh_ with a _Hindu_, and _zaban_ with a _Musalman_; but I believe he would be perfectly understood, whichever word he used to either party.

[200] The case is _Hatim's_ philanthropy in respect to the old woodman, which on the part of any other than _Hatim_ might seem super-human.

[201] It is related by grave historians, that _Hatim_ actually built an alms-house of this description. On _Hatim_'s death, his younger brother, who succeeded him, endeavoured to act the generous in the above manner. His mother dissuaded him, saying, "Think not, my son, of imitating _Hatim_: it is an effort thou canst not accomplish;"