Arabian Society in the Middle Ages: Studies From The Thousand and One NightsLane, Edward William
Islamic
Arabian Society in the Middle Ages: Studies From The Thousand and One Nights
Lane, Edward William
Arabian nights; Egypt -- Social life and customs; Islamic Empire -- Social life and customs; Social history -- Medieval, 500-1500
The anemone[192] was monopolized for his own enjoyment by Noạmán
Ibn-El-Mundhir (King of El-Ḥeereh, and contemporary of Moḥammad),
as the rose was afterwards by El-Mutawekkil.[193]
Another flower much admired and celebrated in the East is the
gilliflower (menthoor or kheeree). There are three principal kinds; the
most esteemed is the yellow, or gold-coloured, which has a delicious
scent both by night and day; the next, the purple, and other dark kinds,
which have a scent only in the night; the least esteemed, the white,
which has no scent. The yellow gilliflower is an emblem of a neglected
lover.[194]
The narcissus (narjis) is very highly esteemed. Galen says, "He who has
two cakes of bread, let him dispose of one of them for some flowers of
the narcissus; for bread is the food of the body, and the narcissus is
the food of the soul." Hippocrates gave a similar opinion.[195]
The following flowers complete the list of those celebrated as most
appropriate to add to the delights of wine:--the jasmine, eglantine,
Seville-orange-flower, lily, sweet-basil, wild thyme, buphthalmum,
chamomile, nenuphar, lotus, pomegranate-flower, poppy, ketmia, crocus or
saffron, safflower, flax, the blossoms of different kinds of bean, and
those of the almond.[196]
A sprig of Oriental willow[197] adds much to the charms of a bunch of
flowers, being the favourite symbol of a graceful woman.
But I have not yet mentioned all that contributes to the pleasures of an
Eastern carousal. For what is the juice of the grape without melodious
sounds? "Wine is as the body; music, as the soul; and joy is their
offspring."[198] All the five senses should be gratified. For this
reason an Arab toper, who had nothing, it appears, but wine to enjoy,
exclaimed,--
"Ho! give me wine to drink; and tell me 'This is wine;'"
for in drinking his sight and smell and taste and touch would all be
affected; but it was desirable that his hearing should also be
pleased.[199]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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