The Thousand and One Nights Volume I Part 13

"On the eastern frontiers of Syria," says Burckhardt, "are several places allotted for the hunting of gazelles: these places are called 'masiade' [more properly, 'ma?yedehs']. An open s.p.a.ce in the plain, of about one mile and a half square, is enclosed on three sides by a wall of loose stones, too high for the gazelles to leap over. In different parts of this wall, gaps are purposely left, and near each gap a deep ditch is made on the outside. The enclosed s.p.a.ce is situated near some rivulet or spring to which, in summer, the gazelles resort. When the hunting is to begin, many peasants a.s.semble, and watch till they see a herd of gazelles advancing from a distance towards the enclosure, into which they drive them: the gazelles, frightened by the shouts of these people, and the discharge of fire-arms, endeavour to leap over the wall, but can only effect this at the gaps, where they fall into the ditch outside, and are easily taken, sometimes by hundreds. The chief of the herd always leaps first: the others follow him one by one. The gazelles thus taken are immediately killed, and their flesh is sold to the Arabs and neighbouring Fella?s."[166]

NOTE 25. In the Cairo edition, the word "jezeereh" (an island) is erroneously put for "kharabeh" (a ruin).

NOTE 26. "Ghooleh" is the feminine of "Ghool." The Ghool is a fabulous being, of which some account has been given in No. 21 of the notes to the Introduction.

NOTE 27. This epithet of the Deity appears to be used in preference to others in this instance, in order to imply that G.o.d always decrees what is best for a virtuous man, even when the reverse would seem to us to be the case. He is here described as appointing that the sage should die a violent death; but this death, being unmerited, raised him, according to Mohammadan notions, to the rank of a martyr.

In the edition from which my translation is chiefly made, four poetical quotations are here inserted on the subject of fate, and the inutility of anxious forebodings. The first of these is as follows:--

"O thou who fearest thy fate, be at ease; commit thine affairs unto Him who spread out the earth.

For what is predestined cannot be cancelled; and thou art secure from every thing that is not predestined."

NOTE 28.--_The Fable of the Crocodile._ Perhaps the reader may desire to know what is the story which the sage Dooban declined to relate; I will therefore supply the omission as well as my memory will allow me. I have heard this fable differently told by different persons; and it is sometimes spun out to a considerable length; but the princ.i.p.al points of it are these:--A crocodile, having crawled far from the Nile, over a desert tract, found his strength so exhausted by fatigue and thirst, that he despaired of being able to return to the river. While he was in this unhappy state, an Arab with his camel approached him, proceeding in the desired direction; and he appealed to his compa.s.sion, entreating that he would bind him on the back of the camel, and so convey him to the Nile, and promising that he would afterwards, in return for this favour, carry him across to the opposite bank. The Arab answered, that he feared the crocodile would, as soon as he was unbound, turn upon him, and devour him; but the monster swore so solemnly that he would gratefully requite the service he requested, that the man was induced to consent; and, making his camel lie down, bound the crocodile firmly upon his back, and brought him to the bank of the river. No sooner, however, was the horrid creature liberated, than, in spite of his vows, he opened his hideous jaws to destroy his benefactor, who, though he eluded this danger, was unable to rescue his camel. At this moment a fox drew near them. The man, accosting this cunning animal, related his tale; and the crocodile urged in his own excuse, that the man had spitefully bound him on the back of the camel in such a manner that he had almost killed him.

The fox replied that he could quickly pursue and capture the man, but that he must act fairly, and first see the whole transaction repeated before him. The crocodile, a.s.senting, and submitting to have a noose thrown over his jaws, was again bound on the back of the camel, and taken to the place whence he was brought; and as soon as this was done, the man, by the direction of the fox, holding with one hand the halter of his camel, with the other cut the ropes which secured his burden, and hasted away with his beast, leaving the ungrateful and treacherous monster in the same hopeless state in which he had found him.

NOTE 29. This comparison is perfectly just. My first visit to Egypt was not too late for me to witness such a scene as that which is here alluded to; but now, throughout the Turkish dominions, the officers of government are obliged, more or less, to a.s.similate their style of dress to that which commonly prevails in Europe; gaudy colours are out of fas.h.i.+on among them, and silk embroidery is generally preferred to gold: in Egypt, however, the dress worn by this cla.s.s of persons has not been so much altered as in Turkey, still retaining an Oriental character, though wanting the shawl which was wound round the red cap, and formed the turban; while the dress worn by other cla.s.ses has undergone no change. [This note still applies to the inhabitants of Egypt, with the exception of the Turks, who have very generally adopted the modern Turkish, or semi-European dress.--ED.]

NOTE 30. This story of the head speaking after it was cut off is not without a parallel in the writings of Arab historians. The head of Sa'eed, the son of Jubeyr, is said to have uttered the words, "There is no deity but G.o.d," after it had been severed from his body by order of El-?ajjaj, who is related to have killed a hundred and twenty thousand persons of note, besides those whom he slew in war.

NOTE 31. I do not remember to have read or heard the story of Umameh and 'atikeh, who, as their names import, were two females.

NOTE 32. The words here quoted are part of the 36th verse of the 17th chapter of the ?ur-an.

NOTE 33. The t.i.tle of "Sul?an" is higher than that of "Melik" (or King): a Sul?an, properly speaking, being a monarch who has kings or viceroys under his authority.

NOTE 34.--_On_ Ko?l, _and the mode of applying it_. Ko?l is a black powder, with which most of the Arab, and many other, women blacken the edges of the eyelids. The most common kind is the smoke-black which is produced by burning a kind of frankincense. An inferior kind is the smoke-black produced by burning the sh.e.l.ls of almonds. These are believed to be beneficial to the eyes; but are generally used merely for the sake of ornament. Among other kinds which are particularly employed for their beneficial effect upon the eye are several ores of lead, reduced to a fine powder. Antimony is said to have been, in former times, the most esteemed kind of ko?l. The powder is applied by means of a small probe of wood, ivory, or silver, the end of which is moistened, and then dipped in the powder, and drawn along the edges of the eyelids.[167]

NOTE 35. The Koofeeyeh is described in a great Arabic Lexicon (Taj el-'Aroos) as "a thing worn on the head; so called because of its roundness:" and this is the only description of it that I have been able to find. I was told in Cairo, that "koofeeyeh" is the correct appellation of the head-kerchief commonly called "keffeeyeh:" but this is a mistake. The latter is a square kerchief, which is worn on the head, measuring about a yard in each direction, and of various colours, generally a dull, brownish red, bright green, and yellow, composing broad and narrow stripes, and having a deep fringe of strings and ta.s.sels along two opposite edges. The most common kind is entirely of cotton; another, of cotton interwoven with silk; and a third, of silk interwoven with gold. It is now chiefly worn by the Wahhabees and several tribes of Bedawees; but the former wear only the first kind, as they hold articles of dress composed wholly or partly of silk or gold to be unlawful. In former times it was in common use among the inhabitants of the towns. It is mostly worn by men, and is doubled diagonally, and placed over the cap in such a manner that the two corners which are folded together hang down the back; and the other two corners, in front.

A piece of woollen rope, or a strip of rag, or a turban, is generally wound round it; and the corners, or those only which usually hang down in front, are sometimes turned up, and tucked within the upper edge of the turban. The inhabitants of the towns usually wear the turban over the keffeeyeh. Burckhardt, who calls this head-kerchief "keffie,"

mentions, that the Bedawees of Mekkeh and El-Yemen tie over it, instead of the woollen rope which is used by the Northern Bedawees, "a circle made of wax, tar, and b.u.t.ter, strongly kneaded together: this," he adds, "is pressed down to the middle of the head, and looks like the airy crown of a saint. It is about the thickness of a finger; and they take it off very frequently to press it between their hands, so that its shape may be preserved."[168] The better kinds of keffeeyeh above mentioned are worn by some of the Turks, but not in the Arab manner; being wound tight round the cap.

NOTE 36.--_Anecdote of a Miraculous Fish._ This story of the miraculous fish reminds me of one of a similar kind which is related as authentic.

A certain just judge of the Israelites, in the time of Solomon, had a wife who, every time that she brought him his food, used to e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.e a prayer that disgrace might befall every unfaithful wife. One day, this woman having placed before her husband a fried fish, and repeated her usual e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n, the fish leaped from the dish, and fell upon the floor. This happened three times; and, in consequence of a suspicion expressed by a devotee, who was consulted respecting the meaning of this strange event, the judge discovered that a supposed maid, whom he had purchased as a slave, was a disguised man.[169]

NOTE 37. This comparison is not intended to be understood in its literal sense, for the smallest of the tribe of 'ad is said to have been sixty cubits high: the largest, a hundred! The tribe of 'ad were a race of ancient Arabs, who, according to the ?ur-an and Arab historians, were destroyed by a suffocating wind, for their infidelity, after their rejection of the admonitions of the prophet Hood.

NOTE 38. The Arabs generally calculate distances by time. The average distance of a day's journey is from twenty to twenty-five miles; the former being the usual rate of caravan-travelling.

NOTE 39.--_On the Privacy of Arab Dwellings._ In a palace, or large house, there is generally a wide bench of stone, or a wooden couch, within the outer door, for the accommodation of the door-keeper and other servants. The entrance-pa.s.sage leads to an open court, and, for the sake of preventing persons at the entrance, or a little within it, from seeing into the court, it usually has two turnings. We may, therefore, understand the motive of the King in seating himself in the place here described to have been a desire that he might not, if discovered, be supposed to be prying impertinently into the interior of the palace. Respect for the privacy of another's house is a point that is deemed of so much importance that it is insisted upon in the ?ur-an, in these words:--"O ye who have become believers, enter not any houses, besides your own houses, until ye shall have asked leave, and saluted their inhabitants; this will be better for you: peradventure ye will be admonished. And if ye find not in them any person, enter them not, until leave be granted you; and if it be said unto you, Return, then do ye return; this will be more decent for you; and G.o.d knoweth what ye do.

But it shall be no crime in you that ye enter uninhabited houses wherein ye may find a convenience."[170] When a visiter finds the door open, and no servant below, he usually claps his hands as a signal for some person to come to him; striking the palm of his left hand with the fingers of the right: and even when leave has been granted him to enter, it is customary for him, when he has to ascend to an upper apartment, to repeat several times some e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n, such as "Permission!" or, "O Protector!" (that is, "O protecting G.o.d!"), as he goes up, in order that any female of the family, who may chance to be in the way, may have notice of his approach, and either retire or veil herself. Sometimes the servant who precedes him does this in his stead.

NOTE 40. These verses are translated from the Calcutta edition of the first two hundred nights, as more apposite than those which are inserted in their place in the edition of Cairo.

NOTE 41. That the reader may not form wrong conceptions of the characters of many persons portrayed in this work, it is necessary to observe, that weeping is not regarded by the Arabs as an evidence of an effeminate disposition, or inconsistent with even a heroic mind; though the Muslims in general are remarkable for the calmness with which they endure the heaviest afflictions.

NOTE 42. It is, perhaps, unnecessary to mention, that it is a common custom of the Orientals, as of other natives of warm climates, to take a nap in the afternoon. A tradesman is not unfrequently seen enjoying this luxury in his shop, and seldom, excepting in this case, is it considered allowable to wake a person.

NOTE 43.--_Description of Arab Fans._ The kind of fan most commonly used by the Arabs has the form of a small flag. The flap, which is about six or seven inches in width, and somewhat more in length, is composed of split palm-leaves of various colours, or some plain and others coloured, neatly plaited or woven together. The handle is a piece of palm-stick, about twice the length of the flap. This fan is used by men as well as women, and for the double purpose of moderating the heat and repelling the flies, which, in warm weather, are excessively annoying. It is more effective than the ordinary European fan, and requires less exertion.

Arabian fans of the kind here described, brought from Mekkeh to Cairo as articles of merchandise, may be purchased in the latter city for a sum less than a penny each; they are mostly made in the ?ejaz. Another kind of fan, generally composed of black ostrich-feathers, of large dimensions, and ornamented with a small piece of looking-gla.s.s on the lower part of the front, is often used by the Arabs. A kind of fly-whisk made of palm-leaves is also in very general use. A servant or slave is often employed to wave it over the master or mistress during a meal or an afternoon nap.

NOTE 44. Mes'oodeh is the feminine of Mes'ood, a name before explained, as signifying "happy," or "made happy."

NOTE 45. The word which I have here rendered "wine" namely, "sharab" is applied to any drink, and particularly to a sweet beverage; but, in the present case, the context shews that its signification is that which I have given it. The description of a carousal in the next chapter will present a more fit occasion for my considering at large the custom of drinking wine as existing among the Arabs.

NOTE 46.--_On the Use of Hemp to induce Intoxication._ The name of "benj," or "beng," is now, and, I believe, generally, given to henbane; but El-?azweenee states that the leaves of the garden hemp (?inneb bustanee, or shahdanaj,) are the benj which, when eaten, disorders the reason. This is an important confirmation of De Sacy's opinion respecting the derivation of the appellation of "a.s.sa.s.sins" from ?ashshasheen (hemp-eaters, or persons who intoxicate themselves with hemp); as the sect which we call "a.s.sa.s.sins" are expressly said by the Arabs to have made frequent use of benj.[171] To this subject I shall have occasion to revert. I need only add here, that the custom of using benj, and other narcotics, for purposes similar to that described in this tale, is said to be not very unfrequently practised in the present day; but as many Arab husbands are extremely suspicious of the character of women in general, perhaps there is but little ground for this a.s.sertion.

NOTE 47. Most Eastern cities and towns are partly or wholly surrounded by mounds of rubbish, close to the walls; and upon these mounds are thrown the carca.s.ses of camels, horses, and other beasts, to be devoured by dogs and vultures. Immense mounds of this unsightly description entirely surrounded the city of Cairo; but those which extended along its western side, and, in a great measure, screened it from the view of persons approaching from the Nile, have lately been removed by order of the present Basha of Egypt. [This note was written in the year 1838, in the time of Mo?ammad 'Alee.--ED.]

NOTE 48. "?ubbeh" generally signifies either a dome or a cupola, or a building or apartment surmounted by a dome. In the present instance it is to be understood in the latter sense. It is also applied to a closet, and to a tent.

NOTE 49. "?af" is generally to be understood, as it is in the present case; to signify the chain of mountains believed, by the Muslims, to encircle our earth, as mentioned in a former note. It is also the name of the chain of Caucasus, and hence it has been supposed that the fable respecting the mountains before mentioned, originated from an early idea that the chain of Caucasus was the limit of the habitable earth; but it is possible that the latter mountains may have derived their name from an imaginary resemblance to the former.

NOTE 50. Rats, though unlawful food to the Muslim, are occasionally eaten by many of the peasants of the province of Lower Egypt called El-Bo?eyreh, on the west of the western branch of the Nile. The extraordinary abundance of these animals, and mice, throughout Egypt, gave rise to an absurd fable, which is related by Diodorus Siculus[172]

as a matter worthy of serious consideration:--that these creatures are generated from the alluvial soil deposited by the Nile. The inundation drives many of them from the fields to the houses and deserts, and destroys the rest; but soon after the waters have subsided, vast numbers of them are seen again, taking refuge in the deep clefts of the parched soil.

NOTE 51.--_On the Beverage called_ Boo?ah. Boo?ah, or boozeh, is a favourite beverage of the boatmen, and other persons of the lower cla.s.s, in Egypt; and more especially of the Nubians and negroes; as it was, according to Herodotus[173] and other writers, of the ancient Egyptians.

It is an intoxicating liquor, a kind of beer, most commonly prepared from barley-bread, crumbled, mixed with water, strained, and left to ferment. It is also prepared from wheat and from millet in the same manner. The account of Herodotus has been confirmed by the discovery of large jars, containing the dregs of the barley-beer in ancient tombs at Thebes.

NOTE 52.--_On the Apparel, &c., of Mourning._ The wearing of mourning appears to have been a custom of both s.e.xes among the Arabs in earlier times, for the black clothing which distinguished the 'Abbasee Khaleefehs and their officers was originally a.s.sumed in testimony of grief for the death of the Imam Ibraheem Ibn-Mo?ammad. It has, however, ceased to be worn by men, as indicating a want of resignation to the decrees of Providence, and is only a.s.sumed by women on the occasion of the death of a husband or near relation, and not for an elderly person.

In the former cases they dye their s.h.i.+rts, head-veils, face-veils, and handkerchiefs, of a blue or almost black colour, with indigo; and sometimes, with the same dye, stain their hands and arms as high as the elbows, and smear the walls of their apartments. They generally abstain from wearing any article of dress of a bright colour, leave their hair unbraided, and deck themselves with few or no ornaments. They also cease to make use of perfumes, ko?l, and ?enna; and often turn upside-down the carpets, mats, cus.h.i.+ons, and coverings of the deewans.

NOTE 53. "Houses of Lamentations," erected in burial-grounds for the accommodation of ladies on the occasions of their visiting the tombs of their relations, have been mentioned in a former note respecting the two grand annual festivals.

NOTE 54. The kind of tomb here alluded to is generally a square building crowned by a dome.

NOTE 55. This pa.s.sage deserves particular notice, as being one of those which a.s.sist us to form some opinion respecting the period when the present work, in the states in which it is known to us, was composed or compiled or remodelled. It is the same in all the copies of the original work that I have seen, and bears strong evidence of having been written subsequently to the commencement of the eighth century of the Flight, or fourteenth of our era, at which period, it appears, the Christians and Jews were first compelled to distinguish themselves by wearing, respectively, blue and yellow turbans, in accordance with an order issued by the Sultan of Egypt, Mo?ammad Ibn-Kala-oon.[174] Thus the white turban became peculiar to the Muslims.--An eminent German critic has been unfortunate in selecting the incident of the four fish as affording an argument in favour of his opinion that the Tales of a Thousand and One Nights are of Indian origin, on the mere ground that the same word (_varna_) is used in Sanscrit to signify both "colour" and "caste."

NOTE 56. The Muslims often implore the intercession of their prophet, and of various members of his family and other holy persons, though their ordinary prayers are addressed solely to G.o.d. The regard which they pay to their reputed saints, both living and deceased, as mediators, is one of the heresies which the Wahhabees most vehemently condemn.

NOTE 57. This verse, translated from my usual prototype, the Cairo edition, is there followed by another, which I omit as being inapposite.

NOTE 58. In the first of the notes to the Introduction, I have mentioned that it is a general custom of the Muslims to repeat this phrase, "In the name of G.o.d!" on commencing every lawful action that is of any importance; it is, therefore, here employed, as it is in many similar cases, to express a readiness to do what is commanded or requested; and is equivalent to saying, "I this instant begin to execute thy orders."

NOTE 59. The condition and offices of memlooks, who are male white slaves, have been mentioned in the thirteenth note to the first chapter.

NOTE 60. Eastern histories present numerous instances of marriages as unequal as those here related; the reader, therefore, must not regard this part of the story as inconsistent.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[150] Sale's Koran, note to chap. x.x.xviii.

[151] El-Ma?reezee's "Khi?a?;" chapter ent.i.tled "Khizanet el-Kisawat."

[152] Fakhr-ed-Deen, in De Sacy's Chrestomathie Arabe, vol. i.

p. 32 of the Arabic text, 2nd ed.

[153] Idem, p. 4 of the Arabic text.