The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume I Part 19

See Vol. ii. p. 1.

[FN#22] Probably she proposed to "Judith" the King. These learned and clever young ladies are very dangerous in the East.

[FN#23] In Egypt, etc., the bull takes the place of the Western ox. The Arab. word is "Taur" (Thaur, Saur); in old Persian "Tore"

and Lat. "Taurus," a venerable remnant of the days before the "Semitic" and "Aryan" families of speech had split into two distinct growths. "Taur" ends in the Saxon "Steor" and the English "Steer "

[FN#24] Arab. "Abu Yakzan" = the Wakener, because the a.s.s brays at dawn.

[FN#25] Arab. "Tibn"; straw crushed under the sledge: the hay of Egypt, Arabia, Syria, etc. The old country custom is to pull up the corn by handfuls from the roots, leaving the land perfectly bare: hence the "plucking up" of Hebrew Holy Writ. The object is to preserve every atom of "Tibn."

[FN#26] Arab. "Ya Aftah": Al-Aftah is an epithet of the bull, also of the chameleon.

[FN#27] Arab. "Balid," a favourite Egyptianism often pleasantly confounded with "Wali" (a Santon), hence the latter comes to mean "an innocent," a "ninny."

[FN#28] From the Calc. Edit., Vol. 1., p. 29.

[FN#29] Arab. "Abu Yakzan" is hardly equivalent with "Pere l'Eveille."

[FN#30] In Arab. the wa (x) is the sign of parenthesis.

[FN#31] In the nearer East the light little plough is carried afield by the bull or a.s.s.

[FN#32] Ocymum basilic.u.m, the "royal herb," so much prized all over the East, especially in India, where, under the name of "Tulsi," it is a shrub sacred to the merry G.o.d Krishna. I found the verses in a MS. copy of The Nights.

[FN#33] Arab. "Sadaf," the Kauri, or cowrie, brought from the Maldive and Lakdive Archipelago. The Kamus describes this "Wada'"

or Concha Veneris as "a white sh.e.l.l (whence to "sh.e.l.l out") which is taken out of the sea, the fissure of which is white like that of the date-stone. It is hung about the neck to avert the evil eye." The pearl in Arab. is "Murwarid," hence evidently "Margarita" and Margaris (woman's name).

[FN#34] Arab. "Kat'a" (bit of leather): some read "Nat'a;" a leather used by way of table-cloth, and forming a bag for victuals; but it is never made of bull's hide.

[FN#35] The older "Cadi," a judge in religious matters. The Shuhud, or a.s.sessors, are officers of the Mahkamah or Kazi's Court.

[FN#36] Of which more in a future page. He thus purified himself ceremonially before death.

[FN#37] This is Christian rather than Moslem: a favourite Maltese curse is "Yahrak Kiddisak man rabba-k!" = burn the Saint who brought thee up!

[FN#38] A popular Egyptian phrase: the dog and the c.o.c.k speak like Fellahs.

[FN#39] i. e. between the last sleep and dawn when they would rise to wash and pray.

[FN#40] Travellers tell of a peculiar knack of jerking the date-stone, which makes it strike with great force: I never saw this "Inwa" practised, but it reminds me of the water splashing with one hand in the German baths.

[FN#41] i.e., sorely against his will.

[FN#42] Arab. "Shaykh"=an old man (primarily), an elder, a chief (of the tribe, guild, etc.), and honourably addressed to any man.

Comp. among the neo Latins "Sieur," "Signora," "Senor," "Senhor,"

etc. from Lat. "Senior," which gave our "Sire" and "Sir." Like many in Arabic the word has a host of different meanings and most of them will occur in the course of The Nights. Ibrahim (Abraham) was the first Shaykh or man who became grey. Seeing his hairs whiten he cried, "O Allah what is this?" and the answer came that it was a sign of dignified gravity. Hereupon he exclaimed, "O Lord increase this to me!" and so it happened till his locks waxed snowy white at the age of one hundred and fifty. He was the first who parted his hair, trimmed his mustachios, cleaned his teeth with the Miswak (tooth-stick), pared his nails, shaved his pecten, snuffed up water, used ablution after stool and wore a shirt (Tabari).

[FN#43] The word is mostly plural = Jinnis: it is also singular = a demon; and Jan bin Jan has been noticed.

[FN#44] With us moderns "liver" suggests nothing but malady: in Arabic and Persian as in the cla.s.sic literature of Europe it is the seat of pa.s.sion, the heart being that of affection. Of this more presently.

[FN#45] Originally in Al-Islam the concubine (Surriyat, etc.) was a captive taken in war and the Koran says nothing about buying slave-girls. But if the captives were true believers the Moslem was ordered to marry not to keep them. In modern days concubinage has become an extensive subject. Practically the disadvantage is that the slave-girls, knowing themselves to be the master's property, consider him bound to sleep with them; which is by no means the mistress's view. Some wives, however, when old and childless, insist, after the fashion of Sarah, upon the husband taking a young concubine and treating her like a daughter--which is rare. The Nights abound in tales of concubines, but these are chiefly owned by the Caliphs and high officials who did much as they pleased. The only redeeming point in the system is that it obviated the necessity of prost.i.tution which is, perhaps, the greatest evil known to modern society.

[FN#46] Arab. "Al-Kahanah"=the craft of a "Kahin" (Heb. Cohen) a diviner, soothsayer, etc.

[FN#47] Arab. "Id al-kabir = The Great Festival; the Turkish Bayram and Indian Bakar-eed (Kine-fete), the pilgrimage-time, also termed "Festival of the Kurban" (sacrifice) because victims are slain, Al-Zuha (of Undurn or forenoon), Al-Azha (of serene night) and Al-Nahr (of throat-cutting). For full details I must refer readers to my "Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to El-Medinah and Meccah" (3 vols. 8vo, London, Longmans, 1855). I shall have often to refer to it.

[FN#48] Arab. "Kalam al-mubah," i.e., that allowed or permitted to her by the King, her husband.

[FN#49] Moslem Kings are expected, like the old Gabble Monarchs, to hold "Darbar" (i.e., give public audience) at least twice a day, morning and evening. Neglect of this practice caused the ruin of the Caliphate and of the Persian and Moghul Empires: the great lords were left uncontrolled and the lieges revolted to obtain justice. The Guebre Kings had two levee places, the Rozistan (day station) and the Shabistan (night-station - istan or stan being a nominal form of istadan, to stand, as Hindo-stan). Moreover one day in the week the sovereign acted as "Mufti" or Supreme Judge.

[FN#50] Arab. "Al-Basharah," the gift everywhere claimed in the East and in Boccaccio's Italy by one who brings good news. Those who do the reverse expose themselves to a sound strappado.

[FN#51] A euphemistic formula, to avoid mentioning unpleasant matters. I shall note these for the benefit of students who would honestly prepare for the public service in Moslem lands.

[FN#52] Arab. "Dinar," from the Latin denarius (a silver coin worth ten ounces of bra.s.s) through the Greek {Greek Letters}: it is a Koranic word (chaps. iii.) though its Arab equivalent is "Miskal." It also occurs in the Katha before quoted, clearly showing the derivation. In the "Book of Kalilah and Dimnah" it is represented by the Daric or Persian Dinar, {Greek Letters}, from Dara= a King (whence Darius). The Dinar, sequin or ducat, contained at different times from 10 and 12 (Abu Hanifah's day) to 20 and even 25 dirhams or drachmas, and, as a weight, represented a drachma and a half. Its value greatly varied, but we may a.s.sume it here at nine shillings or ten francs to half a sovereign. For an elaborate article on the Dinar see Yule's "Cathay and the Way Thither" (ii., pp. 439-443).

[FN#53] The formula used in refusing alms to an "asker" or in rejecting an insufficient offer: "Allah will open to thee!" (some door of gain - not mine)! Another favourite e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n is "Allah Karim" (which Turks p.r.o.nounce "Kyereem") = Allah is All-beneficent! meaning Ask Him, not me.

[FN#54] The public bath. London knows the word through "The Hummums."

[FN#55] Arab. "Dirham" (Plur. dirahim, also used in the sense of money, "siller"), the drachuma of Plautus (Trin. 2, 4, 23). The word occurs in the Panchatantra also showing the derivation; and in the Syriac Kalilah wa Dimnah it is "Zuz." This silver piece was = 6 obols (9 3/4d.) and as a weight = 66 1/2 grains. The Dirham of The Nights was worth six "Danik," each of these being a fraction over a penny. The modern Greek Drachma is=one franc.

[FN#56] In Arabic the speaker always puts himself first, even if he address the King, without intending incivility.

[FN#57] A she-Ifrit, not necessarily an evil spirit.

[FN#58] Arab. "Kullah" (in Egypt p.r.o.n. "gulleh"), the wide mouthed jug, called in the Hijaz "baradlyah," "daurak" being the narrow. They are used either for water or sherbet and, being made of porous clay, "sweat," and keep the contents cool; hence all old Anglo Egyptians drink from them, not from bottles. Sometimes they are perfumed with smoke of incense, mastich or Kafal (Amyris Kafal). For their graceful shapes see Lane's "Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians" (chaps. v) I quote, here and elsewhere, from the fifth edition, London, Murray, 1860.

[FN#59] "And what is?" etc. A popular way of expressing great difference. So in India: - "Where is Rajah Bhoj (the great King) and where is Ganga the oilman?"

[FN#60] Here, as in other places, I have not preserved the monorhyme, but have ended like the English sonnet with a couplet; as a rule the last two lines contain a "Husn makta'" or climax.

[FN#61] Lit. "he began to say (or speak) poetry," such improvising being still common amongst the Badawin as I shall afterwards note. And although Mohammed severely censured profane poets, who "rove as bereft of their senses through every valley"

and were directly inspired by devils (Koran xxvi.), it is not a little curious to note that he himself spoke in "Rajaz" (which see) and that the four first Caliphs all "spoke poetry." In early ages the verse would not be written, if written at all, till after the maker's death. I translate "inshad" by "versifying" or "repeating" or "reciting," leaving it doubtful if the composition be or be not original. In places, however, it is clearly improvised and then as a rule it is model doggrel.

[FN#62] Arab. "Allahumma"=Ya Allah (O Allah) but with emphasis the Fath being a subst.i.tute for the voc. part. Some connect it with the Heb. "Alihim," but that fancy is not Arab. In Al-Hariri and the rhetoricians it sometimes means to be sure; of course; unless indeed; unless possibly.

[FN#63] Probably in consequence of a vow. These superst.i.tious practices, which have many a parallel amongst ourselves, are not confined to the lower orders in the East.

[FN#64] i.e., saying "Bismillah!" the pious e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n which should precede every act. In Boccaccio (viii., 9) it is "remembering Iddio e' Santi."

[FN#65] Arab. Nahas asfar = bra.s.s, opposed to "Nahas" and "Nahas ahmar," = copper.

[FN#66] This alludes to the legend of Sakhr al-Jinn), a famous fiend cast by Solomon David son into Lake Tiberias whose storms make it a suitable place. Hence the "Bottle imp," a world-wide fiction of folk-lore: we shall find it in the "Book of Sindibad,"

and I need hardly remind the reader of Le Sage's "Diable Boiteux," borrowed from "El Diablo Cojuelo," the Spanish novel by Luiz Velez de Guevara.

[FN#67] Marid (lit. "contumacious" from the Heb. root Marad to rebel, whence "Nimrod" in late Semitic) is one of the tribes of the Jinn, generally but not always hostile to man. His female is "Maridah."