The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02...

241. The word has been explained (vol. i. 112). It is trivial, not occurring in the Koran which uses "Arabs of the Desert;" "Arabs who dwell in tents," etc. (chapt. ix. and xxxiii.). "A'arábi" is the classical word and the origin of "Arab" is disputed. According to Pocock (Notæ Spec. Hist. Arab.): "Diverse are the opinions concerning the denomination of the Arabs; but the most certain of all is that which draws it from Arabah, which is part of the region of Tehamah, (belonging to Al-Medinah, Pilgrimage ii. 118), which their father Ismail afterwards inhabited." Tehamah (tierra caliente) is the maritime region of Al-Hijaz, the Moslem's Holy Land; and its "Arabah," a very small tract which named a very large tract, must not be confounded, as some have done, with the Wady Arabah, the ancient outlet of the Dead Sea. The derivation of "Arab" from "Ya'arab" a fancied son of Joktan is mythological. In Heb. Arabia may be called "Eretz Ereb" (or "Arab")=land of the West; but in Arabic "Gharb" (not Ereb) is the Occident and the Arab dates long before the Hebrew.

242. "When thine enemy extends his hand to thee, cut it off if thou can, or kiss it," wisely said Caliph al-Mansúr.

243. The Tartur was a peculiar turban worn by the Northern Arabs and shown in old prints. In modern Egypt the term is applied to the tall sugar-loaf caps of felt affected mostly by regular Dervishes. Burckhardt (Proverbs 194 and 398) makes it the high cap of felt or fur proper to the irregular cavalry called Dely or Delaty. In Dar For (Darfour) "Tartur" is a conical cap adorned with beads and cowries worn by the Manghwah or buffoon who corresponds with the Egyptian "Khalbús" or "Maskharah" and the Turkish "Sutari." For an illustration see Plate iv. fig. 10 of Voyage au Darfour par Mohammed El-Tounsy (The Tunisian), Paris, Duprat, 1845.

244. The term is picturesque and true; we say "gnaw" which is not so good.

245. Here, meaning an Elder, a Chief, etc.; the word has been almost naturalised in English. I have noted that Abraham was the first "Shaykh."

246. This mention of weighing suggests the dust of Dean Swift and the money of the Gold Coast. It was done, I have said, because the gold coin, besides being "sweated" was soft and was soon worn down.

247. Fem. of Nájí (a deliverer, a saviour)=Salvadora.

248. This, I have noted, is according to Koranic command (chapt. iv. 88). "When you are saluted with a salutation, salute the person with a better salutation." The longer answer to "Peace be with (or upon) thee!" is still universally the custom. The "Salám" is so differently pronounced by every Eastern nation that the observant traveller will easily make of it a Shibboleth.

249. The Badawi, who was fool as well as rogue, begins to fear that he has kidnapped a girl of family.

250. These examinations being very indecent are usually done in strictest privacy. The great point is to make sure of virginity.

251. This is according to strict Moslem law: the purchaser may not look at the girl's nakedness till she is his, and he ought to manage matters through an old woman.

252. Lit. wrath; affliction which chokes; in Hindustani it means simply anger.

253. i.e., Heaven forbid I be touched by a strange man.

254. Used for fuel and other purposes, such as making "Joss stick."

255. Arab. "Yaftah' Allah" the offer being insufficient. The rascal is greedy as a Badawi and moreover he is a liar, which the Badawi is not.

256. The third of the four great Moslem schools of Theology, taking its name from the Imam al-Sháfi'í (Mohammed ibn Idris) who died in Egypt A.H. 204, and lies buried near Cairo (Sale's Prel. Disc. sect. viii.).

257. The Moslem form of Cabbala, or transcendental philosophy of the Hebrews.

258. Arab. "Bakh" the word used by the Apostle to Ali his son-in-law. It is the Latin "Euge."

259. Readers, who read for amusement, will do well to "skip" the fadaises of this highly educated young woman.

260. There are three Persian Kings of this name (Artaxerxes) which means "Flour and milk," or "high lion." The text alludes to Ardeshir Babegan, so called because he married the daughter of Babak the shepherd, founder of the Sassanides in A.D. 202. See D'Herbelot, and the Dabistan.

261. Alluding to the proverb, "Folk follow their King's faith," "Cujus regio ejus religio," etc.

262. Second Abbaside, A.H. 136-158 (=754-775).

263. The celebrated companion of Mohammed who succeeded Abu Bakr in the Caliphate (A. H. 13-23=634-644). The Sunnis know him as Al-Adil, the Just; and the Shiahs detest him for his usurpation, his austerity and harshness. It is said that he laughed once, and wept once. The laugh was caused by recollecting how he ate his dough-gods (the idols of the Hanifah tribe) in The Ignorance. The tears were drawn by remembering how he buried alive his baby daughter who, while the grave was being dug, patted away the dust from his hair and beard. Omar was doubtless a great man, but he is one of the most ungenial figures in Moslem history which does not abound in genialities. To me he suggests a Puritan, a Covenanter of the sourest and narrowest type; and I cannot wonder that the Persians abhor him, and abuse him on all occasions.

264. The austere Caliph Omar whose scourge was more feared than the sword was the author of the celebrated saying "Consult them (feminines) and do clear contrary-wise." The dictum is illustrated by a dozen Joe Millers known throughout the East.

265. Our "honour amongst thieves."

266. The sixth successor of Mohammed and founder of the Banu Umayyah or Ommiades, called the "sons of the little mother" from their eponymus (A.H. 41-60=661-680). For his Badawi wife Maysun, and her abuse of her husband, see Pilgrimage iii. 262.

267. Shaykh of the noble tribe, or rather nation, Banu Tamím and a notable of the day, surnamed, no one knows why, "Sire of the Sea."

268. This is essential for cleanliness in hot lands: however much the bath may be used, the body-pile and lower hair, if submitted to a microscope, will show more or less sordes adherent. The axilla-hair is plucked because if shaved the growing pile causes itching and the depilatories are held deleterious. At first vellication is painful but the skin becomes used to it. The pecten is shaved either without or after using depilatories, of which more presently. The body-pile is removed by "Takhfíf"; the Libán Shámi (Syrian incense), a fir-gum imported from Scio, is melted and allowed to cool in the form of a pledget. This is passed over the face and all the down adhering to it is pulled up by the roots (Burckhardt No. 420). Not a few Anglo-Indians have adopted these precautions.

269. This Caliph was a tall, fair, handsome man of awe-inspiring aspect. Omar used to look at him and say, "This is the Cæsar of the Arabs," while his wife called him a "fatted ass."

270. The saying is attributed to Abraham when "exercised" by the unkindly temper of Sarah; "woman is made hard and crooked like a rib;" and the modern addition is, "whoso would straighten her, breaketh her."

271. i.e., "When ready and in erection."

272. "And do first (before going in to your wives) some act which may be profitable unto your souls"—or, for your soul's good. (Koran, chapt. ii. 223.). Hence Ahnaf makes this prayer.

273. It was popularly said that "Truth-speaking left Omar without a friend." Entitled "The Just" he was murdered by Abu Lúlúah, alias Fírúz, a (Magian?) slave of Al-Maghírah for denying him justice.

274. Governor of Bassorah under the first four Caliphs. See D'Herbelot s. v. "Aschári."

275. Ziyad bin Abi Sufyan, illegitimate brother of the Caliph Mu'awiyah afterwards governor of Bassorah, Cufa and Al-Hijaz.

276. The seditions in Kufah were mainly caused by the wilful nepotism of Caliph Othman bin Asákir which at last brought about his death. His main quality seems to have been personal beauty: "never was seen man or woman of fairer face than he and he was the most comely of men:" he was especially famed for beautiful teeth which in old age he bound about with gold wire. He is described as of middling stature, large-limbed, broad shouldered, fleshy of thigh and long in the fore-arm which was hairy. His face inclined to yellow and was pock-marked; his beard was full and his curly hair, which he dyed yellow, fell below his ears. He is called "writer of the Koran" from his edition of the MS., and "Lord of the two Lights" because he married two of the Prophet's daughters, Rukayyah and Umm Kulthum; and, according to the Shi'ahs who call him Othman-i-Lang or "limping Othman," he vilely maltreated them. They justify his death as the act of an Ijmá' al-Muslimin, the general consensus of Moslems which ratifies "Lynch law." Altogether Othman is a mean figure in history.

277. "Nár" (fire) is a word to be used delicately from its connection with Gehenna. You say, e.g. "bring me a light, a coal (bassah)" etc.; but if you say "bring me fire!" the enemy will probably remark "He wanteth fire even before his time!" The slang expression would be "bring the sweet:" (Pilgrimage i. 121.)

278. Omar is described as a man of fair complexion, and very ruddy, but he waxed tawny with age, when he also became bald and grey. He had little hair on the cheeks but a long mustachio with reddish ends. In stature he overtopped the people and was stout as he was tall. A popular saying of Mohammed's is, "All (very) long men are fools save Omar, and all (very) short men are knaves save Ali." The Persians, who abhor Omar, compare every lengthy, ungainly, longsome thing with him; they will say, "This road never ends, like the entrails of Omar." We know little about Ali's appearance except that he was very short and stout, broad and full-bellied with a tawny complexion and exceedingly hairy, his long beard, white as cotton filling all the space between his shoulders. He was a "pocket-Hercules," and incredible tales, like that about the gates of Khaybar, are told of his strength. Lastly, he was the only Caliph who bequeathed anything to literature: his "Cantiloquium" is famous and he has left more than one mystical and prophetic work. See Ockley for his "Sentences" and D'Herbelot s. v. "Ali" and "Gebr." Ali is a noble figure in Moslem history.

279. The emancipation from the consequences of his sins; or it may mean a holy death.

280. Battle fought near Al-Medinah A.D. 625. The word is derived from "Ahad" (one). I have described the site in my Pilgrimage, vol. ii. 227.