Le devin dit: Indiquez-moi exactement ce que votre père a donné à chacun de vous et ce qu'il a laissé. Notre père, dirent-ils, a laissé de l'or, de l'argent, des chevaux, des moutons, des tapis et des vases de toute espèce et en grand nombre. Ils racontèrent ensuite ce que leur père avait donné à chacun d'eux. Le devin dit: Laissez à Modhar tout ce que votre père avait en fait d'or et de chameaux; car ces objets sont rouges. Donnez les chevaux, les esclaves et les vêtements noirs à Rabî'a; les esclaves blancs, l'argent et les vêtements blancs à Iyâd, et les tapis et les moutons à Anmâr. Les quatre frères acceptèrent cette sentence, et s'en retournèrent. [FN#4] In the W. M. MS. the sisters are called "Shahrzádeh" (= City-born) and "Dinárzádeh" (= ducat-born) and the royal brothers Shahrbáz (= City-player or City-falcon) and Kahramán (vol. i. p. 1) alias Samarbán (ibid.). I shall retain the old spelling. [FN#5] I have hitherto translated "wa adraka (masc.) Shahrázáda al-Sabáh," as = And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day; but it is more correct as well as more picturesque to render the phrase "was surprised (or overtaken) by the dawn." [FN#6] Arab. "'Adrán," the root being 'Adr = much and heavy rain. [FN#7] For "Halwá" see vol. ii. pp. 47-212. Scott (vol. vi. 413) explains "Hámiz" as "a species of small grain," probably confounding it with Hummus (or Himmis) = vetches. It is the pop. term for pickles, "sour meat" as opposed to "sweetmeats." The Arabs divide the camel's pasture into "Khullah" which means sweet food called bread and into "Hámiz" termed fruit: the latter is composed mainly of salsolaceæ, and as camels feed upon it during the hot season it makes them drink. Hence in Al-Hariri (Preface) "I change the pasture," i.e., I pass from grave to gay, from light to dignified style. (Chenery, p. 274). [FN#8] This is the modern version of the tale which the author of "Zadig" has made familiar to Europe. The hero is brought before the King and Queen of Babylon for stealing a horse and a dog; and, when held by the chief "Destour" (priest) to be a thief, justifies himself. I have given in full the older history from Tabari, the historian (vixit A.D. 839-923). For the tracker ("Paggí") and the art of tracking see Sind Revisited, i. 180-183. I must again express my wonder that the rural police of Europe still disdain the services of trained dogs when these are about to be introduced into the army. [FN#9] Arab. "Bitá'i"=my own. I have already noticed that this is the Egypt. form and the Nilotes often turn the 'Ayn into an H, e.g. Bitáht for Bitá'at, e.g. Ash Shabakah bitáht as-Sayd, thy net for fishing. (Spitta Bey, Contes Arabes Modernes, p. 43.) [FN#10] Arab. "Mukabbab;" prop. vaulted, arched, domed in Kubbah (or cupola)-shape.