The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume XI Part 13

[FN#12] Arab. "Ta'am," in Egypt and Somaliland = millet seed (Holcus Sorghum) cooked in various ways. In Barbary it is applied to the local staff of life, Kuskusu, wheaten or other flour damped and granulated by hand to the size of peppercorns, and lastly steamed (as we steam potatoes), the cullender-pot being placed over a long-necked jar full of boiling water. It is served with clarified b.u.t.ter, shredded onions and meat; and it represents the Risotto of Northern Italy. Europeans generally find it too greasy for digestion. This Barbary staff of life is of old date and is thus mentioned by Leo Africa.n.u.s in early sixth century. "It is made of a lump of Dow, first set upon the fire, in a vessel full of holes and afterwards tempered with b.u.t.ter and Pottage." So says good Master John Pory, "A Geographical Historie of Africa, by John Leo, a Moor," London, 1600, impensis George Bishop.

[FN#13] Arab. "Bi al-Salam" (p.r.o.n. "Bissalam") = in the Peace (of Allah).

[FN#14] And would bring him bad luck if allowed to go without paying.

[FN#15] i.e., of the first half, as has been shown.

[FN#16] Arab. "k.u.majah" from the Persian k.u.mash = bread unleavened and baked in ashes. Egyptians use the word for bannocks of fine flour.

[FN#17] Arab. "Kali," our "alcali" ; for this and other abstergents see vol. i. 279.

[FN#18] These lines have occurred twice in vol. i. 117 (Night xii.); I quote Mr. Payne.

[FN#19] Arab. "Ya 'llah, ya 'llah;" vulg. Used for "Look sharp!" e.g., "Ya 'llah jari, ya walad" = Be off at once, boy."

[FN#20] Arab. "Banj akritashi," a term which has occurred before.

[FN#21] A natural clock, called West Africans c.o.kkerapeek = c.o.c.k-speak. All the world over it is the subject of superst.i.tion: see Giles's "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio"

(i. 177), where Miss Li, who is a devil, hears a c.o.c.k crow and vanishes.

[FN#22] In Lane Al-Rashid "found at the door his young men waiting for him and ordered them to convey Abu-l-Hasan upon a mule and returned to the palace; Abu-l-Hasan being intoxicated and insensible. And when the Khaleefah had rested himself in the palace, he called for," etc.

[FN#23] Arab. "Kursi," a.s.syrian "Kussu" = throne; and "Korsai"

in Aramaic (or Nabathean as Al-Mas'udi calls it), the second growth-period of the "Semitic" family, which supplanted a.s.syrian and Babylonian, and became, as Arabic now is, the common speech of the "Semitic" world.

[FN#24] Arab. "Makan mahjub," which Lane renders by "a private closet," and Payne by a "privy place," suggesting that the Caliph slept in a numero cent. So, when starting for the "Trakki Campaign," Sir Charles Napier (of Sind), in his zeal for lightening officers' baggage, inadvertently chose a water-closet tent for his head-quarters--magno c.u.m risu not of the staff, who had a strange fear of him, but of the mult.i.tude who had not.

[FN#25] Arab. "Dar al-Salam," one of the seven "Gardens" into which the Mohammedan Paradise is divided. Man's fabled happiness began in a Garden (Eden) and the suggestion came naturally that it would continue there. For the seven Heavens, see vol. viii., 111.

[FN#26] Branch of Pearl, see vol. ii. 57.

[FN#27] Arab. "Kahbah," the lowest word (vol. i. 70), effectively used in contrast with the speaker's surroundings.

[FN#28] Arab. "Ya kabiri," = mon brave, my good man.

[FN#29] This exaggeration has now become familiar to English poets.

[FN#30] Like an Eastern he goes to the water-closet the first thing in the morning, or rather dawn, and then washes ceremonially before saying the first prayer. In Europe he would probably wait until after breakfast. See vol. iii. 242.

[FN#31] I have explained why an Eastern does not wash in the basin as Europeans do in vol. i. p. 241.

[FN#32] i.e., He was confused that he forgot. All Moslems know how to pray, whether they pray or not.

[FN#33] The dawn-prayer consists of only four inclinations (raka'at); two "Farz" (divinely appointed), and two Sunnah (the custom of the Apostle). For the Raka'ah see Lane, M.E. chapt.

iii.; it cannot be explained without ill.u.s.trations.

[FN#34] After both sets of prayers, Farz and Sunnah, the Moslem looks over his right shoulder and says, "The Peace (of Allah) be upon you and the ruth of Allah," and repeats the words over the left shoulder. The salutation is addressed to the Guardian Angels or to the bystanders (Moslems), who, however, do not return it.

[FN#35] i.e., Ibrahim of Mosul the musician. See vol. iv. 108.

[FN#36] Arab. "Liyuth" plur. of "layth," a lion: here warriors are meant.

[FN#37] The Abbasides traced their descent from Al-Abbas, Mohammed's uncle, and justly held themselves as belonging to the family of the Prophet. See vol. ii. 61.

[FN#38] Arab. "Nimshah" = "half-sword." See vol. ii. p. 193.

[FN#39] i.e., May thy dwelling-place never fall into ruin. The prayer has, strange to say, been granted. "The present city on the eastern bank of the Tigris was built by Haroun al-Rashid, and his house still stands there and is an object of reverent curiosity." So says my friend Mr. Grattan Geary (vol. i. p. 212, "Through Asiatic Turkey," London: Low, 1878). He also gives a sketch of Zubaydah's tomb on the western bank of the Tigris near the suburb which represents old Baghdad; it is a pineapple dome springing from an octagon, both of brick once revetted with white stucco.

[FN#40] In the Bresl. Edit. four hundred. I prefer the exaggerated total.

[FN#41] i.e., the raised recess at the upper end of an Oriental saloon, and the place of honour, which Lane calls by its Egyptian name "Liwan." See his vol. i. 312 and his M.E. chapt. i.: also my vol. iv. p. 71.

[FN#42] "Bit o'Musk."

[FN#43] "A gin," a snare.

[FN#44] "A gift," a present. It is instructive to compare Abu al-Hasan with Sancho Panza, sprightly Arab wit with grave Spanish humour.

[FN#45] i.e., he fell down senseless. The old version has "his head knocked against his knees."

[FN#46] Arab. "Waddi" vulg. Egyptian and Syrian for the cla.s.sical "Addi" (ii. of Adu = preparing to do). No wonder that Lane complains (iii. 376) of the vulgar style, abounding in errors."

[FN#47] O Apple, O Repose o' Hearts, O Musk, O Choice Gift.

[FN#48] Arab. "Doghri," a pure Turkish word, in Egypt meaning "truly, with truth," straightforwardly; in Syria = straight (going), directly.

[FN#49] Arab. "Maristan," see vol. i. 288.

[FN#50] The scene is a rechauffe of Badr al-Din Hasan and his wife, i. 247.

[FN#51] Arab. "Janzir," another atrocious vulgarism for "Zanjir," which however, has occurred before.

[FN#52] Arab. "Arafshah."

[FN#53] In the "Mishkat al-Masabih" (ii. 341), quoted by Lane, occurs the Hadis, "Shut your doors anights and when so doing repeat the Basmalah; for the Devil may not open a door shut in Allah's name." A pious Moslem in Egypt always e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.es, "In the name of Allah, the Compa.s.sionating," etc., when he locks a door, covers up bread, doffs his clothes, etc., to keep off devils and daemons.

[FN#54] An Arab idiom meaning, "I have not found thy good fortune (Ka'b = heel, glory, prosperity) do me any good."

[FN#55] Arab. "Ya Nakbah" = a calamity to those who have to do with thee!

[FN#56] Koran cxii., the "Chapter of Unity." See vol. iii. 307

[FN#57] See vol. iii. 222.

[FN#58] Here the author indubitably speaks for himself, forgetting that he ended Night cclx.x.xi. (Bresl. Iv. 168), and began that following with Shahrazad's usual formula.

[FN#59] i.e., "Delight of the vitals" (or heart).

[FN#60] The trick is a rechauffe of the trick played on Al- Rashid and Zubaydah.