The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume XVI Part 33

[FN#278] In text "Al-Kawani"=the spears, plur. of "Kanat." ["Al- Kawani" as plural of a singular "Kanat"=spear would be, I think, without a.n.a.logy amongst the plural formations, and its translation by "punishment" appears somewhat strained. I propose to read "al-Ghawani" and to translate "and whoever lags behind of the singing birds will not be safe" ("la yaslimu," it will not go well with him). In the mouth of the fox this implies a delicate compliment for the c.o.c.k, who might feel flattered to be numbered amongst the same tribe with the nightingale and the thrush.--ST.]

[FN#279] In text "ya zayn" =Oh, the beautiful beast!

[FN#280] In text "Abu Sahih"=(flight to) a sure and safe place.

[FN#281] MS. pp. 725-739.

[FN#282] Arab. "Zabit," from "Zabt"=keeping in subjection, holding tight, tying. Hence "Zabtiyah" = a constable and "Zabit"

= a Prefect of Police. See vol. i. 259. The rhyming words are "Rabit" and "Habit."

[FN#283] In text "Rahib" = monk or lion.

[FN#284] The lines are wholly corrupt.

[FN#285] The "Bahalul" of D'Herbelot. This worthy was a half-witted Sage (like the Iourodivi of Russia and the Irish Omadhaun), who occupies his own place in contemporary histories flourished under Harun al-Rashid and still is famous in Persian Story. When the Caliph married him perforce and all the ceremonies were duly performed and he was bedded with the bride, he applied his ear to her privities and forthwith ran away with the utmost speed and alarm. They brought him back and questioned him concerning his conduct when he made answer, " If you had only heard what it said to me you would have done likewise." In the text his conduct is selfish and ign.o.ble as that of Honorius

"Who strove to merit heaven by making earth a h.e.l.l."

And he shows himself heartless and unhuman as the wretched St.

Alexius of the Gesta Romanorum (Tale xv.), a warning of the intense selfishness solemnly and logically inculcated by Christianity. See vol. v. 150.

[FN#286] Koran, ch. li. v. 17.

[FN#287] Koran xx. 57: it is the famous "Ta-Ha" whose first 14-16 verses are said to have converted the hard-headed Omar. In the text the citation is garbled and imperfect.

[FN#288] In text "Mas'h."

[FN#289] "Hisaban tawil" = a long punishment.

[FN#290] The rod of Moses (see pp. 76-77) is the great prototype in Al-Islam of the staff or walking stick, hence it became a common symbol of dignity and it also served to administer ready chastis.e.m.e.nt, e.g. in the hands of austere Caliph Omar.

[FN#291] An onomatopy like "Couic, Couic." For "Maksah," read "Fa-saha" = and cried out.

[FN#292] "Zindik" = Atheist, Agnostic: see vols. v. 230; viii.

27.

[FN#293] "Harisah" = meat-pudding. In Al-Hariri (a.s.s. xix.) where he enumerates the several kinds of dishes with their metonomies it is called the "Mother of Strengthening" (or Restoration) because it contains wheat--"the Strengthener" (as opposed to barley and holcus). So the "Mother of Hospitality" is the Sikbaj, the Persian Sikba, so ent.i.tled because it is the princ.i.p.al dish set before guests and was held to be royal food. (Chenery pp.

218, 457.) For the latter see infra.

[FN#294] This pa.s.sage in the MS. (p. 733) is apparently corrupt.

I have done my best to make sense of it.

[FN#295] In text " Kamburisiyah."

[FN#296] In the Dicts. a plant with acid flavour, dried, pounded and peppered over meat.

[FN#297] In text "Najas" = a pear.

[FN#298] "Tutmajiyah" for "Tutmaj."

[FN#299] "Sikbaj," a marinated stew like "Zirbajah" (vol. iii.

278): Khusrau Parwez, according to the historians, was the first for whom it was cooked and none ate of it without his permission.

See retro.

[FN#300] Kishk=ground wheat, oatmeal or barley-flour eaten with soured sheep's milk and often with meat.

[FN#301] So in text: I suspect for "'Ajinniyah" = a dish of dough.

[FN#302] The Golden Calf is alluded to in many Koranic pa.s.sages, e.g. Surah ii. (the Cow) 48; vii. (Al-Aaraf) 146; S. Iiv. (Woman) 152; but especially in S. xx. (Ta Ha) 90, where Samiri is expressly mentioned. Most Christian commentators translate this by "Samaritan" and unjustly note it as " a grievous ignorance of history on the part of Mohammed." But the word is mysterious and not explained. R. Jehuda (followed by Geiger) says upon the text (Exod. x.x.xii. 24), "The calf came forth lowing and the Israelites beheld it"; also that "Samael entered into it and lowed in order to mislead Israel" (Pirke R. Eliezer, 45). Many Moslems identify Samiri with Micha (Judges xvii.), who is said to have a.s.sisted in making the calf (Raschi, Sanhedr. cii. 2; Hottinger, Hist.

Orient. p. 84). Selden (de Diis Syr. Syn. 1. cap.4) supposes that Samiri is Aaron himself, the Shomeer or keeper of Israel during the absence of Moses. Mr. Rodwell (Koran, 2nd Edit. p. 90) who cleaves to the " Samaritan" theory, writes, " It is probable (?) that the name and its application, in the present instance, is to be traced to the old national feud between the Jews and the Samaritans"--of which Mohammed, living amongst the Jews, would be at least as well informed as any modern European. He quotes De Sacy (Chrest. i. 189) who states that Abu Rayhan Mohammed Biruni represents the Samaritans as being nicknamed (not Al-limsahsit as Mr. Rodwell has it, but) "La Mesas" or "La Mesasiyah" = the people who say "no touch" (i.e. touch me not, from Surah xx. 97), and Juynboll, Chron. Sam. p. 113 (Leid. 1848). Josephus (Ant.

xii. cap. 1) also mentions a colony of Samaritans settled in Egypt by Ptolemy Lagus, some of whose descendants inhabited Cairo as late as temp. Scaliger (De Emend. Temp. vii. 622). Sale notices a similar survival on one of the islands of the Red Sea.

In these days the Samaritans or, as their enemies call them the Cuthim ("men from Cutha," Cus.h.i.tes), in physical semblance typical Jews, are found only at Nablus where the colony has been reduced by intermarriage of cousins and the consequent greater number of male births to about 120 souls. They are, like the Shi'ah Moslems, careful to guard against ceremonial pollution: hence the epithet "Noli me tangere."

[FN#303] Alluding to the "Sayyad," lit. = a fisherman.

[FN#304] In text "Al-Zahr."

[FN#305] "Ajdar."

[FN#306] In text "Al-Malaya."

[FN#307] In text "Sinaubar," which may also mean pistachio-tree.

[FN#308] i.e. 475 to 478 Eng. grains avoir., less than the Ukiyyah or Wukiyyah=ounce = 571.5 to 576 grains. Vol. ix. 216.

[FN#309] Not more absurd than an operatic hero singing while he dies.

[FN#310] MS. pp. 588-627. In Gauttier's edit. vii. (234-256), it appears as Histoire de l'Habitant de Damas. His advertis.e.m.e.nt in the beginning of vol. vii. tells us that it has been printed in previous edits., but greatly improved in his; however that may be, the performance is below contempt. In Heron it becomes The POWER OF DESTINY, or Story of the Journey of Giafar to Damascus, comprehending the adventures of Chebib and his Family (Vol. i.

Pp. 69-175).

[FN#311] Damascus-city (for which see the tale of Nur al-Din Ali and his Son, The Nights, vol. i. 239-240) derives its name from Dimishk who was son of Batir, i. Malik, i. Arphaxed, i.

Sham, i. Nuh (Noah); or son of Nimrod, son of Canaan. Sham = Syria (and its capital) the land on the left, as opposed to Al-Yaman the land on the right of one looking East, is noticed in vol. i. 55. In Mr. Cotheal's MS. Damascus is ent.i.tled "Sham"

because it is the "Shamat" cheek-mole (beauty-spot) of Allah upon earth. "Jalak" the older name of the "Smile of the Prophet," is also noted: see vol. ii. 109.

[FN#312] Hatim of the Tayy-tribe, proverbial for liberality.

See vols. iv. 95, and vii. 350.

[FN#313] In Mr. Cotheal's MS. the Caliph first laughs until he falls backwards, and then after reading further, weeps until his beard in bathed.

[FN#314] Heron inserts into his text, "It proved to be a Giaffer, famous throughout all Arabia," and informs us (?) in a foot-note that it is "Ascribed to a prince of the Barmecide race, an ancestor of the Gran Vizier Giafar." The word "Jafr" is supposed to mean a skin (camel's or dog's), prepared as parchment for writing; and Al-Jafr, the book here in question, is described as a cabalistic prognostication of all that will ever happen to the Moslems. The authorship is attributed to Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet. There are many legendary tales concerning its contents; however, all are mere inventions as the book is supposed to be kept in the Prophet's family, nor will it be fully explained until the Mahdi or Forerunner of Doomsday shall interpret its difficulties. The vulgar Moslems of India are apt to confuse Al-Jafr with Ja'afar bin Tayyar, the Jinni who is often quoted in talismans (see Herklots, pp. 109-257).

D'Herbelot gives the sum of what is generally known about the "Jafr" (wa Jami'a) under the articles "Ali" and "Gefru Giame."

[FN#315] The father (whom Heron calls "Hichia Barmaki") spoke not at random, but guessed that the Caliph had been reading the book Al-Jafr.

[FN#316] Heron calls Ja'afar's wife "Fatme" from the French.

[FN#317] This is the open gra.s.sy s.p.a.ce on the left bank of the Baradah River, first sighted by travellers coming from Bayrut.