第114章

[65]i.e.a correspondence of size，concerning which many rules are given in the Ananga-Rangha Shastra which justly declares that discrepancy breeds matrimonial-troubles.

[66]Arab.'Ghurab al-Bayn'= raven of the waste or the parting： hence the bird of Odin symbolises separation （which is also called Al-bayn）.The Raven （Ghurab = Heb.Oreb and Lat.

Corvus，one of the prehistoric words） is supposed to be seen abroad earlier than any other bird； and it is entitled 'Abu Zajir，' father of omens，because lucky when flying towards the right and v.v.It is opposed in poetry to the （white） pigeon，the emblem of union，peace and happiness.The vulgar declare that when Mohammed hid in the cave the crow kept calling to his pursuers，'Ghar！ Ghar！' （cavern，cavern）： hence the Prophet condemned him to wear eternal-mourning and ever to repeat the traitorous words.This is the old tale of Coronis and Apollo （Ovid，lib.ii.）.

----------' who blacked the raven o'er And bid him prate in his white plumes no more.'

[67]This use of a Turkish title 'Efendi' being=our esquire，and inferior to a Bey，is a rank anachronism，probably of the copyist.

[68]Arab.'Samn'=Hind.'Ghi' butter melted，skimmed and allowed to cool.

[69]Arab.'Ya Wadud，' a title of the Almighty： the Mac.

Edit.has 'O David！'

[70]Arab.'Muwashshahah；' a complicated stanza of which specimens have occurred.Mr.Payne calls it a 'ballad，' which would be a 'Kunyat al-Zidd.'

[71]Arab.'Bahaim' （plur.of Bahimah=Heb.Behemoth），applied in Egypt especially to cattle.A friend of the 'Oppenheim' house，a name the Arabs cannot pronounce was known throughout Cairo as 'Jack al-bahaim' （of the cows）.

[72]Lit.'The father of side-locks，' a nickname of one of the Tobba Kings.This 'Hasan of： the ringlets' who wore two long pig-tails hanging to his shoulders was the Rochester or Piron of his age： his name is still famous for brilliant wit，extempore verse and the wildest debauchery.D'Herbelot's sketch of his life is very meagre.His poetry has survived to the present day and （unhappily） we shall] hear more of 'Abu Nowas.' On the subject of these patronymics Lane （Mod.Egypt，chaps.iv.） has a strange remark that 'Abu Daud i' not the Father of Daud or Abu Ali the Father of Ali，but whose Father is （or was） Daud or Ali.' Here，however，he simply confounds Abu = father of （followed by a genitive），with Abu-h （for Abu-hu） = he，whose father.

[73]Arab.'Samur，' applied in slang language to cats and dogs，hence the witty Egyptians converted Admiral-Seymour （Lord Alcester）

into 'Samur.'

[74]The home-student of Arabic may take this letter as a model even in the present day； somewhat stiff and old-fashioned，but gentlemanly and courteous.

[75]Arab.'Salim' （not Se-lim） meaning the 'Safe and sound.'

[76]Arab.'Halawah'=sweetmeat，meaning an entertainment such as men give to their friends after sickness or a journey.it is technically called as above，'The Sweetmeat of Safety.'

[77]Arab.'Salat' which from Allah means mercy，from the Angels intercession and pardon； and from mankind blessing.

Concerning the specific effects of blessing the Prophet，see Pilgrimage （ii.70）.The formula is often slurred over when a man is in a hurry to speak： an interrupting friend will say ' Bless the Prophet！' and he does so by ejaculating 'Sa'am.'

[78]Persian，meaning originally a command： it is now applied to a Wazirial-order as opposed to the ' Iradah，' the Sultan's order.

[79]Arab.' Masha'ili' lit.the cresses-bearer who has before appeared as hangman.

[80]Another polite formula for announcing a death.

[81]As he died heirless the property lapsed to the Treasury.

[82]This shaking the kerchief is a signal to disperse and the action suggests its meaning.Thus it is used in an opposite sense to 'throwing the kerchief，' a pseudo-Oriental practice whose significance is generally understood in Europe.

[83]The body-guard being of two divisions.

[84]Arab.'Hadba，' lit.'hump-backed；' alluding to the Badawi bier； a pole to which the corpse is slung （Lane）.It seems to denote the protuberance of the corpse when placed upon the bier which before was flat.The quotation is from Ka'ab's Mantle-Poem （Burdah v .37），'Every son of a female，long though his safety may be，is a day borne upon a ridged implement，' says Mr.Redhouse，explaining the latter as a 'bier with a ridged lid.' Here we differ： the Janazah with a lid is not a Badawi article： the wildlings use the simplest stretcher； and I would translate the lines，'The son of woman，whatso his career One day is borne upon the gibbous bier.'

[85]This is a high honour to any courtier.

[86]'Khatun' in Turk.means any lady： mistress，etc.，and follows the name，e.g.Fatimah Khatun.Habzalam Bazazah is supposed to be a fanciful compound，uncouth as the named； the first word consisting of 'Habb' seed，grain； and 'Zalam' of Zulm=seed of tyranny.Can it be a travesty of 'Absalom' （Ab Salam，father of peace）？ Lane （ii.284） and Payne （iii.286） prefer Habazlam and Hebezlem.

[87]Or night.A metaphor for rushing into peril.

[88]Plur.of kumkum，cucurbite，gourd-shaped vessel，jar.

[89]A popular exaggeration for a very expert thief.

[90]Arab.'Buka'at Ad-bum'： lit.the 'low place of blood'

（where it stagnates）： so Al-Buka'ah = Coelesyria.

[91]That common and very unpleasant phrase，full of egotism and self-esteem，'I told you so，' is even more common in the naive East than in the West.In this case the son's answer is far superior to the mother's question.

[92]In order to keep his oath to the letter.

[93]'Tabannuj； ' literally 'hemping' （drugging with hemp or henbane） is the equivalent in Arab medicine of our 'anaesthetics.'

These have been used in surgery throughout the East for centuries before ether and chloroform became the fashion in the civilised West.