[FN#76] M. Houdas explains this miswritten passage, Quand le soleil fut levé et qu'il pénétra par ces ouvertures (lis. abkhásh, trou de flûte), il répandit le sable dans ces cylindres formés par la lumière du soleil. It is not very intelligible. I understand that the Sage went behind the Palace and drove through a mound or heap of earth a narrow hole bearing east–-west, which he partially filled up with sand; and so when the sun rose the beams fell upon it and made it resemble a newly made cord of white flax. M. Agoub (in Gauttier vol. vi. 344) shirks, as he is wont to do, the whole difficulty. [The idea seems to me to be, and I believe this is also the meaning of M. Houdas, that Haykar produced streaks of light in an otherwise dark room by boring holes in the back wall, and scattered the sand over them, so that, while passing through the rays of the sun, it assumed the appearance of ropes. Hence he says mockingly to Pharaoh, "Have these ropes taken up, and each time you please I will twist thee the like of them"--reading "Aftilu," lst p. aor. instead of "Iftil", 2nd imper.--ST.) [FN#77] Gauttier (vi. 347), Ces présens ne sont pas dignes de lui; mais peu de chose contents les rois. [FN#78] Haykar is a Sage who follows the religion of nature, "Love thy friends and hate thy foes." Gauttier (vii. 349) embroiders all this with Christian and French sentiment-- L'intention secrète de Heycar était de sauver la vie à l'ingrat qui avait conspiré contre la sienne. Il voulait pour toute vengeance, le mettre désormais dans l'impossibilité de nuire et l'abandonner ensuite à ses remords, persuadé que le remords n'est pas le moindre châtiment du coupable. True nonsense this when talking of a character born bad: its only remorse is not to have done worse than bad. [FN#79] Striking the nape being the Moslem equivalent for "boxing ears." [FN#80] With this formula compare Chaucer, "The Manciple's Tale." [FN#81] In the text "Znnákt-ha," which is unintelligible, although the sense be clear. [FN#82] A bird unknown to the dictionaries, apparently a species of hawk. [FN#83] In the text "Júrah Syán" for "Júrah Sayyál." [FN#84] The tree having furnished the axe-helve. [FN#85] M. Houdas translates Tu as médit de moi et tu m'as accablé de tes méchancetés. [FN#86] In text "Alif, bá, tá, sá," the latter written with a Sin instead of a Thá, showing the vulgar use which extends from Alexandria to Meccah. [FN#87] So in French, deriding the difference between written and spoken English, Ecrivez Salmonassar, prononcez crocodile. [FN#88] Because he owes thee more than a debt of life. [FN#89] i.e. "Tammat"=She (the tale) is finished. [FN#90] MSS. pp.217-265. See the "Arabian Tales," translated by Robert Heron (Edinburgh M.DCC.XCII.), where it is "The Robber- Caliph; or Adventures of Haroun Alraschid, with the Princess of Persia, and the fair Zutulbé," vol. i. pp. 2-69. Gauttier, Histoire du Khalyfe de Baghdad, vol. vii. pp.117-150.