The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume VIII Part 32

[FN#270] Arab. "Nabbut"=a quarterstaff: see vol. i. 234.

[FN#271] Arab. "Banni," vulg. Benni and in Lane (Lex. Bunni) the Cyprinus Bynni (Forsk.), a fish somewhat larger than a barbel with l.u.s.trous silvery scales and delicate flesh, which Sonnini believes may be the "Lepidotes" (smooth-scaled) mentioned by Athenaeus. I may note that the Bresl. Edit. (iv. 332) also affects the Egyptian vulgarism "Farkh-Banni" of the Mac. Edit. (Night dcccx.x.xii.).

[FN#272] The story-teller forgets that Khalif had neither basket nor knife.

[FN#273] Arab. "Rayhan" which may here mean any scented herb.

[FN#274] In the text "Fard Kalmah," a vulgarism. The Mac. Edit.

(Night dcccx.x.xv.) more aptly says, "Two words" (Kalmatani, vulg.

Kalmatayn) the Twofold Testimonies to the Unity of Allah and the Mission of His Messenger.

[FN#275] The lowest Cairene chaff which has no respect for itself or others.

[FN#276] Arab. "Karrat azla hu": alluding to the cool skin of healthy men when digesting a very hearty meal.

[FN#277] This is the true Fellah idea. A peasant will go up to his proprietor with the "rint" in gold pieces behind his teeth and undergo an immense amount of flogging before he spits them out. Then he will return to his wife and boast of the number of sticks he has eaten instead of paying at once and his spouse will say, "Verily thou art a man." Europeans know nothing of the Fellah. Napoleon Buonaparte, for political reasons, affected great pity for him and horror of his oppressors, the Beys and Pashas; and this affectation gradually became public opinion. The Fellah must either tyrannise or be tyrannised over; he is never happier than under a strong-handed despotism and he has never been more miserable than under British rule, or rather, misrule.

Our attempts to const.i.tutionalise him have made us the laughing-stock of Europe.

[FN#278] The turban is a common subst.i.tute for a purse with the lower cla.s.ses of Egyptians; and an allusion to the still popular practice of turban-s.n.a.t.c.hing will be found in vol. i. p. 259.

[FN#279] Arab. "Salih," a devotee; here, a naked Dervish.

[FN#280] Here Khalif is made a conspicuous figure in Baghdad like Boccaccio's Calandrino and Co. He approaches in type the old Irishman now extinct, destroyed by the reflux action Of Anglo-America (U.S.) upon the miscalled "Emerald Isle." He blunders into doing and saying funny things whose models are the Hibernian "bulls" and acts purely upon the impulse of the moment, never reflecting till (possibly) after all is over.

[FN#281] Arab. "Kaylulah," explained in vol. i. 51.

[FN#282] i.e. thy bread lawfully gained. The "Bawwak"

(trumpeter) like the "Zammar" (piper of the Mac. Edit.) are discreditable craftsmen, a.s.sociating with Almahs and loose women and often serving as their panders.

[FN#283] i.e. he was indecently clad. Man's "shame" extends from navel to knees. See vol vi. 30.

[FN#284] Ras.h.i.+d would be=garden-cresses or stones: Ras.h.i.+d the heaven-directed.

[FN#285] Arab. "Uff 'alayka"=fie upon thee! Uff=lit. Sordes Aurium and Tuff (a similar term of disgust)=Sordes unguinum. To the English reader the blows administered to Khalif appear rather hard measure. But a Fellah's back is thoroughly broken to the treatment and he would take ten times as much punishment for a few piastres.

[FN#286] Arab. "Zurayk" dim. of Azrak=blue-eyed. See vol. iii.

104.

[FN#287] Of Baghdad.

[FN#288] Arab. "Hasil," i.e. cell in a Khan for storing goods: elsewhere it is called a Makhzan (magazine) with the same sense.

[FN#289] The Bresl. text (iv. 347) abbreviates, or rather omits; so that in translation details must be supplied to make sense.

[FN#290] Arab. "Kaman," vulgar Egyptian, a contraction from Kama' (as) + anna (since, because). So " Kaman shuwayh"=wait a bit; " Kaman marrah"=once more and "Wa Karmana-ka"=that is why.

[FN#291] i.e. Son of the Eagle: See vol. iv. 177. Here, however, as the text shows it is hawk or falcon. The name is purely fanciful and made mnemonically singular.

[FN#292] The Egyptian Fellah knows nothing of boxing like the Hausa man; but he is fond of wrestling after a rude and uncultivated fas.h.i.+on, which would cause shouts of laughter in c.u.mberland and Cornwall. And there are champions in this line, See vol. iii. 93.

[FN#293] The usual formula. See vol. ii. 5.

[FN#294] As the Fellah still does after drinking a cuplet ("fingan" he calls it) of sugared coffee.

[FN#295] He should have said "white," the mourning colour under the Abbasides.

[FN#296] Anglice, "Fine feathers make fine birds"; and in Eastern parlance, "Clothe the reed and it will become a bride."

(Labbis al-Busah tabki 'Arusah, Spitta Bey, No. 275.) I must allow myself a few words of regret for the loss of this Savant, one of the most singleminded men known to me. He was vilely treated by the Egyptian Government, under the rule of the Jew-Moslem Riyaz; and, his health not allowing him to live in Austria, he died shortly after return home.

[FN#297] Arab. " Saub (Tobe) 'Atabi": see vol. iii. 149.

[FN#298] In text "Kimkha," which Dozy also gives k.u.mkh=chenille, tissu de soie veloutee: Damasquete de soie or et argent de Venise, du Levant , a fleurs, etc. It comes from Kamkhab or Kimkhab, a cloth of gold, the well-known Indian "Kimcob."

[FN#299] Here meaning=Enter in Allah's name!

[FN#300] The Arabs have a saying, "Wine breeds gladness, music merriment and their offspring is joy."

[FN#301] Arab. "Jokh al-Saklat," rich kind of brocade on broadcloth.

[FN#302] Arab. "Hanabat," which Dozy derives from O. German Hnapf, Hnap now Napf: thence too the Lat. Hanapus and Hanaperium: Ital. Anappo, Nappo; Provenc. Enap and French and English "Hanap"= rich bowl, basket, bag. But this is known even to the dictionaries.

[FN#303] Arab. " Kiram," n.o.bles, and " Kurum," vines, a word which appears in Carmel=Karam-El (G.o.d's vineyard).

[FN#304] Arab. "Sulaf al-Khandarisi," a contradiction. Sulaf=the ptisane of wine. Khandarisi, from Greek , lit. gruel, applies to old wine.

[FN#305] i.e. in bridal procession.

[FN#306] Arab. "Al-'Arus, one of the innumerable tropical names given to wine by the Arabs. Mr. Payne refers to Grangeret de la Grange, Anthologie Arabe, p, 190.

[FN#307] Here the text of the Mac. Edition is resumed.

[FN#308] i.e. "Adornment of (good) Qualities." See the name punned on in Night dcccli. Lane omits this tale because it contains the illicit "Amours of a Christian and a Jewess who dupes her husband in various abominable ways." The text has been taken from the Mac. and the Bresl. Edits. x. 72 etc. In many parts the former is a mere Epitome.

[FN#309] The face of her who owns the garden.

[FN#310] i.e. I am no public woman.

[FN#311] i.e. with the sight of the garden and its mistress-- purposely left vague.

[FN#312] Arab. "Dadat." Night dcclxxvi. vol. vii. p. 372.

[FN#313] Meaning respectively "Awaking" (or blowing hard), "Affairs" (or Misfortunes) and "Flowing" (blood or water). They are evidently intended for the names of Jewish slave-girls.

[FN#314] i.e. the brow-curls, or accroche-c?urs. See vol. i.

168.

[FN#315] Arab. "Wishah" usually applied to woman's broad belt, stomacher (Al-Hariri a.s.s. af Rayy).