The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
[FN#441] Here "Kahwah" (coffee) is used in its original sense of strong old
wine. The derivation is "Akhá"=fastidire fecit, causing disinclination for
food, the Matambre (kill- hunger) of the Iberians. In old days the scrupulous
called coffee "Kihwah" in order to distinguish it from 'Kakwah," wine.
[FN#442] i.e. Mohammed, a common title.
[FN#443] That is, fatal to the scoffer and the impious.
[FN#444] Equivalent to our "The Devil was sick," etc.
[FN#445] i.e. to the enemy: the North American Indians (so called) use similar
forms of "inverted speech"; and the Australian aborigines are in no way behind
them.
[FN#446] See Vol. i., p. 154 (Night xvi.).
[FN#447] Arab. "Sauf," a particle denoting a near future whereas
"Sa-" points to one which may be very remote.
[FN#448] From the root "Shanh"=having a fascinating eye, terrifying. The Irish
call the fascinater "eybitter" and the victim (who is also rhymed to death)
"eybitten."
[FN#449] i.e., not like the noble-born, strong in enduring the stress of fight.
[FN#450] i.e., of Abraham. For the Well Zemzem and the Place of Abraham see my
Pilgrimage (iii. 171-175, etc.), where I described the water as of salt-bitter
taste, like that of Epsom (iii. 203). Sir William Muir (in his excellent life
of Mahomet, I. cclviii.) remarks that "the flavour of stale water bottled up
for months would not be a criterion of the same water freshly drawn;" but
soldered tins-full of water drawn a fortnight before are to be had in Calcutta
and elsewhere after Pilgrimage time; and analysis would at once detect the
salt.
[FN#451] Racing was and is a favourite pastime with those hippomanists, the
Arabs; but it contrasts strongly with our civilised form being a trial of
endurance rather than of speed. The Prophet is said to have limited betting in
these words, "There shall be no wagering save on the Kuff (camel's foot), the
Hafir (hoof of horse, ass, etc.) or the Nasal (arrow-pile or lance head)."
[FN#452] In the Mac. Edit. "Arman"=Armenia, which has before occurred. The
author or scribe here understands by "Cæsarea" not the old Turris Stratonis,
Herod's city called after Augustus, but Cæsareia the capital of Cappadocia
(Pliny, vi. 3), the royal residence before called Mazaca (Strabo).
[FN#453] An idiom meaning "a very fool."
[FN#454] i.e. Kána (was) má (that which) was (kána).
[FN#455] A son being "the lamp of a dark house."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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