The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 (of 10)
Fairy tales -- Arab countries; Folklore -- Arab countries
The pre-Islamític dynasty of Al-Yaman in Arabia Felix, a region
formerly famed for wealth and luxury. Hence the mention of Yamani
work. The caravans from Sana'á, the capital, used to carry patterns
of vases to be made in China and bring back the porcelains at the end
of the third year: these are the Arabic inscriptions which have
puzzled so many collectors. The Tobba, or Successors, were the old
Himyarite Kings, a dynastic name like Pharaoh, Kisra (Persia), Negush
(Abyssinia), Khakan or Khan (Tartary), etc., who claimed to have
extended their conquests to Samarcand and made war on China. Any
history of Arabia (as Crichton I., chapt iv.) may be consulted for
their names and annals. I have been told by Arabs that "Tobba" (or
Tubba) is still used in the old Himyar-land=the Great or the Chief.
Footnote 411:
Lane and Payne (as well as the Bres. Edit.) both render the word "to
kiss her," but this would be clean contrary to Moslem usage.
Footnote 412:
_i.e._ he was full of rage which he concealed.
Footnote 413:
The Hindus (as the Katha shows) compare this swimming gait with an
elephant's roll.
Footnote 414:
Arab. "Fitnah," a word almost as troublesome as "Adab." Primarily,
revolt seduction, mischief: then a beautiful girl (or boy), and
lastly a certain aphrodisiac perfume extracted from mimosa-flowers
(Pilgrimage i., 118).
Footnote 415:
Lit. burst the "gall-bladder:" In this and in the "liver" allusions I
dare not be baldly literal.
Footnote 416:
Arab. "Usfur" the seeds of Carthamus tinctorius=Safflower (Forskål,
Flora, etc. lv.). The seeds are crushed for oil and the flowers,
which must be gathered by virgins or the colour will fail, are
extensively used for dyeing in Southern Arabia and Eastern Africa.
Footnote 417:
On such occasions Miss Modesty shuts her eyes and looks as if about
to faint.
Footnote 418:
After either evacuation the Moslem is bound to wash or sand the part;
first however he should apply three pebbles, or potsherds or clods of
earth. Hence the allusion in the Koran (chapt. ix.), "men who love to
be purified." When the Prophet was questioning the men of Kuba, where
he founded a mosque (Pilgrimage ii., 215), he asked them about their
legal ablutions, especially after evacuation; and they told him that
they used three stones before washing. Moslems and Hindus (who prefer
water mixed with earth) abhor the unclean and unhealthy use of paper
without ablution; and the people of India call Europeans
draught-houses, by way of opprobrium, "Kághaz-khánah"=paper closets.
Most old Anglo-Indians, however, learn to use water.
Footnote 419:
"Miao" or "Mau" is the generic name of the cat in the Egyptian of the
hieroglyphs.
Footnote 420:
Arab. "Ya Mash'úm" addressed to an evil spirit.
Footnote 421:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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