50
Great-grand-daughter of the Imam Hasan, buried in Cairo and famed for Kirámát. Her father, governor of Al-Medinah, was imprisoned by Al-Mansur and restored to power by Al-Mahdi. She was married to a son of the Imam Jaafar al-Sadik and lived a life of devotion in Cairo, dying in A.H. 218 = 824. The corpse of the Imam al-Shafii was carried to her house, now her mosque and mausoleum: it stood in the Darb al-Sabúa which formerly divided Old from New Cairo and is now one of the latters suburbs. Lane (M. E. chapt. x.) gives her name but little more. The mention of her shows that the writer of the tale or the copyist was a Cairene: Abd al-Kadir is world-known: not so the Sitt.
51
Arab. Farkh akrab for Ukayrib, a vulgarism.
52
The usual Egyptian irreverence: he relates his abomination as if it were a Hadis or Tradition of the Prophet with due ascription.
53
A popular name, dim. of Zubdah, cream, fresh butter, creamkin.
54
Arab. Mustahall, Mustahill and vulg. Muhallil (= one who renders lawful). It means a man hired for the purpose who marries pro formâ and after wedding, and bedding with actual consummation, at once divorces the woman. He is held the reverse of respectable and no wonder. Hence, probably, Mandevilles story of the Islanders who, on the marriage-night, make another man to lie by their wives, to have their maidenhead, for which they give great hire and much thanks. And there are certain men in every town that serve for no other thing; and they call them cadeberiz, that is to say, the fools of despair, because they believe their occupation is a dangerous one. Burckhardt gives the proverb (No. 79), A thousand lovers rather than one Mustahall, the latter being generally some ugly fellow picked up in the streets and disgusting to the wife who must permit his embraces.
55
This is a womans oath, not used by men.
56
Pronounced Yá Sín (chapt. xxxvi.) the heart of the Koran much used for edifying recitation. Some pious Moslems in Egypt repeat it as a Wazífah, or religious task, or as masses for the dead, and all educated men know its 83 versets by rote.
57
Arab. Ál Dáúd = the family of David, i. e. David himself, a popular idiom. The prophets recitation of the Mazámir (Psalter) worked miracles.
58
There is a peculiar thickening of the voice in leprosy which at once betrays the hideous disease.
59
These lines have occurred in Night clxxxiii. I quote Mr. Payne (in loco) by way of variety.
60
Where the Juzám (leprosy, elephantiasis, morbus sacrum, etc. etc.) is supposed first to show: the swelling would alter the shape. Lane (ii. 267) translates her wrist which was bipartite.
61
Arab. Zakariyá (Zacharias): a play upon the term Zakar = the sign of masculinity. Zacharias mentioned in the Koran as the educator of the Virgin Mary (chapt. iii.) and repeatedly referred to (chapt. xix. etc.), is a well-known personage amongst Moslems and his church is now the great Cathedral-Mosque of Aleppo.
62
Arab. Ark al-Haláwat = vein of sweetness.
63
Arab. Futúh, which may also mean openings, has before occurred.
64
i. e. four times without withdrawing.
65
i. e. a correspondence of size, concerning which many rules are given in the Ananga-ranga Shastra which justly declares that discrepancy breeds matrimonial troubles.
66
Arab. Ghuráb 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 Zájir, 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, Ghár! Ghár! (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 oer
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 Wadúd; 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. Baháim (plur. of Bahímah = 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-baháim (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. DHerbelots sketch of his life is very meagre. His poetry has survived to the present day and (unhappily) we shall hear more of Abu Nowás. On the subject of these patronymics Lane (Mod. Egypt, chapt. iv.) has a strange remark that Abu Dáúd is not the Father of Dáúd or Abu Ali the Father of Ali, but whose Father is (or was) Dáúd 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. Samúr, applied in slang language to cats and dogs, hence the witty Egyptians converted Admiral Seymour (Lord Alcester) into Samúr.
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. Salím (not Sé-lim) meaning the Safe and sound.
76
Arab. Haláwah = 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
77
Arab. Salát 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 hurry to speak: an interrupting friend will say Bless the Prophet! and he does so by ejaculating Saam.
78
Persian, meaning originally a command: it is now applied to a Wazirial order as opposed to the Irádah, the Sultans order.
79
Arab. Masháilí: lit. the cresset-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. Hadbá, 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 Kaabs 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 Janázah 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. Fátimah 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 Salám, 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. Bukaat al-dam: lit. the low place of blood (where it stagnates): so Al-Bukáah = Cœlesyria.
91
That common and very unpleasant phrase, full of egotism and self-esteem, I told you so, is even more common in the naïve East than in the West. In this case the sons answer is far superior to the mothers 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 anæsthetics. These have been used in surgery throughout the East for centuries before ether and chloroform became the fashion in the civilised West.
94
Arab. Durkáah, the lower part of the floor, opposed to the liwan or daïs. Liwán = Al-Aywán (Arab. and Pers.) the hall (including the daïs and the sunken parts).
95
i. e. he would toast it as he would a mistress.
96
This till very late years was the custom in Persia; and Fath Ali Shah never appeared in scarlet without ordering some horrible cruelties. In Dar-For wearing a red cashmere turban was a sign of wrath and sending a blood-red dress to a subject meant that he would be slain.
97
That is, this robbery was committed in the palace by some one belonging to it. References to vinegar are frequent; that of Egypt being famous in those days. Optimum et laudatissimum acetum a Romanis habebatur Ægyptum (Facciolati); and possibly it was sweetened: the Gesta (Tale xvii.) mentions must and vinegar. In Arab Proverbs, One mind by vinegar and another by wine = each mind goes its own way. (Arab. Prov. ii. 628); or, with good and bad, vinegar being spoilt wine.
98
We have not heard the last of this old dowsing rod: the latest form of rhabdomancy is an electrical rod invented in the United States.
99
This is the procès verbal always drawn up on such occasions.
100
The sight of running water makes a Persian long for strong drink as the sight of a fine view makes the Turk feel hungry.
101
Arab. Min wahid aduww a peculiarly Egyptian or rather Cairene phrase.
102
Al-Danaf = the Distressing Sickness: the title would be Ahmad the Calamity. Al-Zaybak (the Quicksilver) = Mercury Ali: Hasan Shuuman = a pestilent fellow. We shall meet all these worthies again and again: see the Adventures of Mercury Ali of Cairo, Night dccviii., a sequel to The Rogueries of Dalilah, Night dcxcviii.
103
For the Sacrifice-place of Ishmael (not Isaac) see my Pilgrimage (iii. 306). According to all Arab ideas Ishmael, being the eldest son, was the chief of the family after his father. I have noted that this is the old old quarrel between the Arabs and their cousins the Hebrews.
104
This black-mail was still paid to the Badawin of Ramlah (Alexandria) till the bombardment in 1881.
105
The famous Issus of Cilicia, now a port-village on the Gulf of Scanderoon.
106
Arab. Wadaá = the concha veneris, then used as small change.
107
Arab. Sakati = a dealer in castaway articles, such as old metal, damaged goods, the pluck and feet of animals, etc.
108
The popular tale of Burckhardts death in Cairo was that the names of the three first Caliphs were found written upon his slipper-soles and that he was put to death by decree of the Olema. It is the merest nonsense, as the great traveller died of dysentery in the house of my old friend John Thurburn and was buried outside the Bab al-Nasr of Cairo, where his tomb was restored by the late Rogers Bay (Pilgrimage i. 123).
109
Prob. a mis-spelling for Arslán, in Turk, a lion, and in slang a piastre.
110
Arab. Makaad; lit. = sitting-room.