fresh fruit. The Persians, a people who delight in gross practical
jokes, get the confectioner to coat with sugar the droppings of sheep
and goats and hand them to the bulk of the party. This pleasant
confection is called “Nukl-i-peshkil”—dung-dragées.
Footnote 256:
The older name of Madínat al-Nabi, the city of the Prophet; vulg.
called Al-Medinah _per excellentiam_. See vol. iv. 114. In the Mac.
and Bul. texts we have “Tayyibah” = the goodly, one of the many titles
of that Holy City: see Pilgrimage ii. 119.
Footnote 257:
Not “visiting the tomb of” etc. but visiting the Prophet himself, who
is said to have declared that “Ziyárah” (visitation) of his tomb was
in religion the equivalent of a personal call upon himself.
Footnote 258:
Arab. “Nafakah”; for its conditions see Pilgrimage iii. 224. I have
again and again insisted upon the Anglo-Indian Government enforcing
the regulations of the Faith upon pauper Hindi pilgrims who go to the
Moslem Holy Land as beggars and die of hunger in the streets. To an
“Empire of Opinion” this is an unmitigated evil (Pilgrimage iii. 256);
and now, after some thirty-four years, there are signs that the
suggestions of common sense are to be adopted. England has heard of
the extraordinary recklessness and inconsequence of the British-Indian
“fellow subject.”
Footnote 259:
The Ka’abah of Meccah.
Footnote 260:
When Moslems apply “Nabí!” to Mohammed it is in the peculiar sense of
“prophet” (προφήτης) = one who speaks _before_ the people, not one who
predicts, as such foresight was abjured by the Apostle. Dr. A.
Neubauer (The Athenæum No. 3031) finds the root of “Nabí!” in the
Assyrian Nabu and Heb. Noob (occurring in Exod. vii. i. “Aaron thy
brother shall be thy prophet.” _i.e._ orator, speaker before the
people), and holds it to be a Canaanite term which supplanted “Roeh”
(the Seer) _e.g._ 1 Samuel ix. 9. The learned Hebraist traces the cult
of Nebo, a secondary deity in Assyria to Palestine and Phœnicia,
Palmyra, Edessa (in the Nebok of Abgar) and Hierapolis in Syria or
Mabug (Nabog?).
Footnote 261:
I cannot find “Dandán” even in Lib. Quintus de Aquaticis Animalibus of
the learned Sam. Bochart’s “Hierozoïcon” (London, 1663) and must
conjecture that as “Dandán” in Persian means a tooth (vol. ii. 83) the
writer applied it to a sun-fish or some such well-fanged monster of
the deep.
Footnote 262:
A favourite proverb with the Fellah, when he alludes to the Pasha and
to himself.
Footnote 263:
An euphemistic answer, _unbernfen_ as the Germans say.
Footnote 264:
It is a temptation to derive this word from _bœuf à l’eau_, but I fear
that the theory will not hold water. The “buffaloes” of Alexandria
laughed it to scorn.
Footnote 265:
Here the writer’s zoological knowledge is at fault. Animals, which
never or very rarely see man, have no fear of him whatever. This is
well-known to those who visit the Gull-fairs at Ascension Island,
Santos and many other isolated rocks; the hen birds will peck at the
intruder’s ankles but they do not rise from off their eggs. For
details concerning the “Gull-fair” of the Summer Islands consult p. 4
“The History of the Bermudas,” edited by Sir J. H. Lefroy for the
Hakluyt Society, 1882. I have seen birds on Fernando Po peak quietly
await a second shot; and herds of antelopes, the most timid of
animals, in the plains of Somali-land only stared but were not
startled by the report of the gun. But Arabs are not the only
moralists who write zoological nonsense; witness the notable verse,
Birds in their little nests agree,
when the feathered tribes are the most pugnacious of breathing beings.
Footnote 266:
Lane finds these details “silly and tiresome or otherwise
objectionable,” and omits them.
Footnote 267:
Meaning, “Thou hast as yet seen little or nothing.” In most Eastern
tongues a question often expresses an emphatic assertion. See vol. i.
37.
Footnote 268:
Easterns wear as a rule little clothing but it suffices for the
essential purposes of decency and travellers will live amongst them
for years without once seeing an accidental “exposure of the person.”
In some cases, as with the Nubian thong-apron, this demand of modesty
requires not a little practice of the muscles; and we all know the
difference in a Scotch kilt worn by a Highlander and a cockney
sportsman.
Footnote 269:
Arab. “Shíraj” = oil extracted from rape seed but especially from
sesame. The Persians pronounce it “Síraj” (apparently unaware that it
is their own word “Shírah” = juice in Arabic garb) and have coined a
participle “Musayrij” _e.g._, Bú-imusayrij, taint of sesame-oil
applied especially to the Jews who very wisely prefer, in Persia and
elsewhere, oil which is wholesome to butter which is not. The Moslems,
however, declare that its immoderate use in cooking taints the
exudations of the skin.
Footnote 270:
Arab. “Nakkárún,” probably congeners of the redoubtable “Dandán.”
Footnote 271:
Bresl. Edit. xi. 78. The Mac. says “They are all fish” (Kullu-hum) and
the Bul. “Their food (aklu-hum) is fish.”
Footnote 272:
Arab. “Az’ar,” usually = having thin hair. The general term for
tailless is “abtar.” See Koran cviii. 3, when it means childless.
Footnote 273:
A common formula of politeness.
Footnote 274:
Bresl. Edit. xi. 82; meaning, “You will probably keep it for
yourself.” Abdullah of the Sea is perfectly logical; but grief is not.
We weep over the deaths of friends mostly for our own sake:
theoretically we should rejoice that they are at rest; but practically
we are afflicted by the thought that we shall never again see their
pleasant faces.
Footnote 275:
_i.e._ about rejoicing over the newborns and mourning over the dead.
TALE OF HARUN AL-RASHID AND ABU HASAN, THE MERCHANT OF OMAN.
The Caliph Harun Al-Rashid was one night wakeful exceedingly; so he
called Masrur and said to him as soon as he came, “Fetch me Ja’afar in
haste.” Accordingly, he went out and returned with the Wazir, to whom
said the Caliph, “O Ja’afar wakefulness hath mastered me this night and
forbiddeth sleep from me, nor wot I what shall drive it away from me.”
Replied Ja’afar, “O Commander of the Faithful, the wise say:—Looking on
a mirror, entering the Hammam-bath and hearkening unto song banish care
and chagrin.” He rejoined, “O Ja’afar I have done all this, but it hath
brought me naught of relief, and I swear by my pious forbears unless
thou contrive that which shall abate from me this insomny, I will smite
thy neck.” Quoth Ja’afar, “O Commander of the Faithful, wilt thou do
that which I shall counsel thee?” whereupon quoth the Caliph, “And what
is that thou counselleth?” He replied, “It is that thou take boat with
us and drop down Tigris River with the tide to a place called Karn
al-Sirat, so haply we may hear what we never heard or see what we never
saw, for ’tis said:—The solace of care is in one of three things; that a
man see what he never before saw or hear what he never yet heard or
tread an earth he erst hath never trodden. It may be this shall be the
means of remedying thy restlessness, O Commander of the Faithful,
Inshallah! There, on either sides of the river, are windows and
balconies one facing other, and it may be we shall hear or see from one
of these somewhat wherewith our hearts may be heartened.” Ja’afar’s
counsel pleased the Caliph, so he rose from his place and taking with
him the Wazir and his brother Al-Fazl and Isaac[276] the boon-companion
and Abu Nowas and Abu Dalaf[277] and Masrur the Sworder——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Caliph
arose from his seat with Ja’afar and the rest of the party, all entered
the wardrobe, where they donned merchant’s gear. Then they went down to
the Tigris and embarking in a gilded boat, dropped down with the stream,
till they came to the place they sought, when they heard the voice of a
damsel singing to the lute and chanting these couplets:—
To him when the wine cup is near I declare, ✿ While in coppice loud
shrilleth and trilleth Hazár,
“How long this repining from joys and delight? ✿ Wake up for this life
is a borrowed ware!”
Take the cup from the hand of the friend who is dear ✿ With languishing
eyelids and languorous air.
I sowed on his cheek a fresh rose, which amid ✿ His side-locks the fruit
of granado-tree bare.
Thou wouldst deem that the place where he tare his fair cheek[278] ✿
Were ashes, while cheeks hues incendiary wear.
Quoth the blamer, “Forget him! But where’s my excuse ✿ When his
side-face is growing the downiest hair[279]?”
When the Caliph heard this, he said, “O Ja’afar, how goodly is that
voice!”; and the Wazir replied, “O our lord, never smote my hearing
aught sweeter or goodlier than this singing! But, good my lord, hearing
from behind a wall is only half hearing; how would it be an we heard it
from behind a curtain?” Quoth the Caliph, “Come, O Ja’afar, let us play
the parasites with the master of this house; and haply we shall look
upon the songstress, face to face;” and quoth Ja’afar, “I hear and I
obey.” So they landed and sought admittance; when behold, there came out
to them a young man, fair of favour, sweet of speech and fluent of
tongue, who said to them, “Well come and welcome, O lords that honour me
with your presence! Enter in all comfort and convenience!” So they went
in (and he with them) to a saloon with four faces, whose ceiling was
decorated with gold and its walls adorned with ultramarine.[280] At its
upper end was a daïs, whereon stood a goodly row of seats[281] and
thereon sat an hundred damsels like moons. The house-master cried out to
them and they came down from their seats. Then he turned to Ja’afar and
said to him “O my lord, I know not the honourable of you from the more
honourable: Bismillah! deign he that is highest in rank among you favour
me by taking the head of the room, and let his brethren sit each in his
several stead.” So they sat down, each according to his degree, whilst
Masrur abode standing before them in their service; and the host asked
them, “O my guests, with your leave, shall I set somewhat of food before
you?” and they answered, “Yes.” Hearing this he bade his handmaids bring
food, whereupon four damsels with girded waists placed in front of them
a table, whereon were rare meats of that which flieth and walketh earth
and swimmeth seas, sand-grouse and quails and chickens and pigeons; and
written on the raised edge of the tray were verses such as sorted with
the entertainment. So they ate till they had enough and washed their
hands, after which said the young man, “O my lords, if you have any
want, let us know it, that we may have the honour of satisfying it.”
They replied, “’Tis well: we came not to thy dwelling save for the sake
of a voice we heard from behind the wall of thy house, and we would fain
hear it again and know her to whom it belongeth. So, an thou deem right
to vouchsafe us this favour, it will be of the generosity of thy nature,
and after we will return whence we came.” Quoth the host, “Ye are
welcome;” and, turning to a black slave-girl, said to her, “Fetch me thy
mistress such an one.” So she went away and returning with a chair of
chinaware, cushioned with brocade, set it down: then withdrew again and
presently returned with a damsel, as she were the moon on the night of
its full, who sat down on the chair. Then the black girl gave her a bag
of satin wherefrom she brought out a lute, inlaid with gems and jacinths
and furnished with pegs of gold.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
damsel came forward, she took her seat upon the chair and brought out
from its case a lute and behold, it was inlaid with gems and jacinths
and furnished with pegs of gold. Then she tuned its strings, even as
saith the poet of her and her lute in these lines:—
She sits it in lap like a mother fond ✿ And she strikes the strings that
can make it speak:
And ne’er smiteth her right an injurious touch ✿ But her left repairs of
her right the wreak.[282]
Then she strained the lute to her bosom, binding over it as mother
bendeth over babe, and swept the strings which complained as child to
mother complaineth; after which she played upon it and began improvising
these couplets:—
An Time my lover restore me I’ll blame him fain, ✿ Saying, “Pass, O my
dear, the bowl and in passing drain
The wine which hath never mixed with the heart of man ✿ But he passes to
joy from annoy and to pleasure from pain.”
Then Zephyr arose to his task of sustaining the cup: ✿ Didst e’er see
full Moon that in hand the star hath ta’en?[283]
How oft I talked thro’ the night, when its rounded Lune ✿ Shed on
darkness of Tigris ’bank a beamy rain!
And when Luna sank in the West ’twas as though she’d wave ✿ O’er the
length of the watery waste a gilded glaive.
When she had made an end of her verse, she wept with sore weeping and
all who were in the place wept aloud till they were well-nigh dead; nor
was there one of them but took leave of his wits and rent his raiment
and beat his face, for the goodliness of her singing. Then said
Al-Rashid, “This damsel’s song verily denoteth that she is a lover
departed from her beloved.” Quoth her master, “She hath lost father and
mother;” but quoth the Caliph, “This is not the weeping of one who hath
lost mother and father, but the yearning of one who hath lost him she
loveth.” And he was delighted with her singing and said to Isaac, “By
Allah, never saw I her like!”; and Isaac said, “O my lord, indeed I
marvel at her with utterest marvel and am beside myself for delight.”
Now Al-Rashid with all this stinted not to look upon the house-master
and note his charms and the daintiness of his fashion; but he saw on his
face a pallor as he would die; so he turned to him and said, “Ho,
youth!” and the other said, “Adsum!—at thy service, O my lord,” The
Caliph asked, “Knowest thou who we are?”; and he answered, “No.” Quoth
Ja’afar, “Wilt thou that I tell thee the names of each of us?”; and
quoth the young man “Yes;” when the Wazir said, “This is the Commander
of the Faithful, descendant of the uncle of the Prince of the Apostles,”
and named to him the others of the company; after which quoth Al-Rashid,
“I wish that thou acquaint me with the cause of the paleness of thy
face, whether it be acquired or natural from thy birth-tide.” Quoth he,
“O Prince of True Believers, my case is wondrous and my affair
marvellous; were it graven with gravers on the eye-corners it were a
warner to whoso will be warned.” Said the Caliph, “Tell it to me: haply
thy healing may be at my hand.” Said the young man, “O Commander of the
Faithful, lend me thine ears and give me thy whole mind.” And he, “Come;
tell it me, for thou makest me long to hear it.” So the young man
began:—Know then, O Prince of True Believers, that I am a merchant of
the merchants of the sea and come from Oman city, where my sire was a
trader and a very wealthy trader having thirty ships trafficking upon
the main, whose yearly hire was thirty thousand dinars; and he was a
generous man and had taught me writing and all whereof a wight hath
need. When his last hour drew near, he called me to him and gave me the
customary charge; then Almighty Allah took him and admitted him to His
mercy and may He continue the Commander of the Faithful on life! Now my
late father had partners trading with his coin and voyaging on the
ocean. So one day, as I sat in my house with a company of merchants, a
certain of my servants came in to me and said, “O my lord, there is at
the door a man who craveth admittance to thee!” I gave leave and he came
in, bearing on his head a something covered. He set it down and
uncovered it, and behold it was a box wherein were fruits out of season
and herbs conserved in salt and fresh, such as are not found in our
land. I thanked him and gifted him with an hundred dinars, and he went
away grateful. Then I divided these things amongst my friends and guests
who were present and asked them whence they came. Quoth they, “They come
from Bassorah,” and praised them and went on to portray the beauties of
Bassorah and all agreed that there was naught in the world goodlier than
Baghdad and its people. Then they fell to describing Baghdad and the
fine manners of its folk and the excellence of its air and the beauty of
its ordinance, till my soul longed for it and all my hopes clave to
looking upon it. So I arose and selling my houses and lands, ships and
slaves, negroes and handmaids, I got together my good, to wit, a
thousand thousand dinars, besides gems and jewels, wherewith I freighted
a vessel and setting out therein with the whole of the property, voyaged
awhile. Then I hired a barque and embarking therein with all my monies
sailed up the river some days till we arrived at Baghdad. I enquired
where the merchants abode and what part was pleasantest for domicile and
was answered, “The Karkh quarter.” So I went thither and hiring a house
in a thoroughfare called the Street of Saffron, transported all my goods
to it and took up my lodging therein for some time. At last one day
which was a Friday, I sallied forth to solace myself taking with me
somewhat of coin. I went first to a cathedral-mosque, called the Mosque
of Mansur, where the Friday service was held, and when we had made an
end of congregational prayers, I fared forth with the folk to a place
hight Karn al-Sirat, where I saw a tall and goodly mansion, with a
balcony overlooking the river-bank and pierced with a lattice-window. So
I betook myself thither with a company of folk and sighted there an old
man sitting, handsomely clad and exhaling perfumes. His beard forked
upon his breast in two waves like silver-wire, and about him were four
damsels and five pages. So I said to one of the folk, “What is the name
of this old man and what is his business?”; and the man said, “His name
is Táhir ibn al-Aláa, and he is a keeper of girls: all who go into him
eat and drink and look upon fair faces.” Quoth I, “By Allah, this long
while have I wandered about in search of something like this!”——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young
merchant cried, “By Allah this long while I have gone about in search of
something like this!” So I went up to the Shaykh, O Commander of the
Faithful, and saluting him said to him, “O my lord, I need somewhat of
thee!” He replied, “What is thy need?” and I rejoined, “’Tis my desire
to be thy guest to-night.” He said, “With all my heart; but, O my son,
with me are many damsels, some whose night is ten dinars, some forty and
others more. Choose which thou wilt have.” Quoth I, “I choose her whose
night is ten dinars.” And I weighed out to him three hundred dinars, the
price of a month; whereupon he committed me to a page, who carried me to
a Hammam within the house and served me with goodly service. When I came
out of the Bath he brought me to a chamber and knocked at the door,
whereupon out came a handmaid, to whom said he, “Take thy guest!” She
met me with welcome and cordiality, laughing and rejoicing, and brought
me into a mighty fine room decorated with gold. I considered her and saw
her like the moon on the night of its fulness having in attendance on
her two damsels as they were constellations. She made me sit and seating
herself by my side, signed to her slave-girls who set before us a tray
covered with dishes of various kinds of meats, pullets and quails and
sand-grouse and pigeons. So we ate our sufficiency, and never in my life
ate I aught more delicious than this food. When we had eaten she bade
remove the tray and set on the service of wine and flowers, sweetmeats
and fruits; and I abode with her a month in such case. At the end of
that time, I repaired to the Bath; then, going to the old man, I said to
him, “O my lord, I want her whose night is twenty dinars.” “Weigh down
the gold,” said he. So I fetched money and weighed out to him six
hundred dinars for a month’s hire, whereupon he called a page and said
to him, “Take thy lord here.” Accordingly he carried me to the Hammam
and thence to the door of a chamber, whereat he knocked and there came
out a handmaid, to whom quoth he, “Take thy guest!” She received me with
the goodliest reception and I found in attendance on her four
slave-girls, whom she commanded to bring food. So they fetched a tray
spread with all manner meats, and I ate. When I had made an end of
eating and the tray had been removed, she took the lute and sang thereto
these couplets:—
O waftings of musk from the Babel-land! ✿ Bear a message from me which
my longings have planned:
My troth is pledged to that place of yours, ✿ And to friends there
’biding—a noble band;
And wherein dwells she whom all lovers love ✿ And would hend, but she
cometh to no man’s hand.
I abode with her a month, after which I returned to the Shaykh and said
to him, “I want the forty dinar one.” “Weigh out the money,” said he. So
I weighed out to him twelve hundred dinars, the mensual hire, and abode
with her one month as it were one day, for what I saw of the comeliness
of her semblance and the goodliness of her converse. After this I went
to the Shaykh one evening and heard a great noise and loud voices; so I
asked him, “What is to do?”; and he answered, saying, “This is the night
of our remarkablest nights, when all souls embark on the river and
divert themselves by gazing one upon other. Hast thou a mind to go up to
the roof and solace thyself by looking at the folk?” “Yes,” answered I,
and went up to the terrace-roof,[284] whence I could see a gathering of
people with flambeaux and cressets, and great mirth and merriment. Then
I went up to the end of the roof and beheld there, behind a goodly
curtain, a little chamber in whose midst stood a couch of
juniper[285]-wood plated with shimmering gold and covered with a
handsome carpet. On this sat a lovely young lady, confounding all
beholders with her beauty and comeliness and symmetry and perfect grace,
and by her side a youth, whose hand was on her neck; and he was kissing
her and she kissing him. When I saw them, O Prince of True Believers, I
could not contain myself nor knew where I was, so dazed and dazzled was
I by her beauty: but, when I came down, I questioned the damsel with
whom I was and described the young lady to her. “What wilt thou with
her?” asked she; and I, “She hath taken my wit.” “O Abu al-Hasan, hast
thou a mind to her?” “Ay, by Allah! for she hath captivated my heart and
soul.” “This is the daughter of Tahir ibn al-Alaa; she is our mistress
and we are all her handmaids; but knowest thou, O Abu al-Hasan, what be
the price of her night and her day?” “No!” “Five hundred dinars, for she
is a regret to the heart of Kings!”[286] “By Allah, I will spend all I
have on this damsel!” So saying I lay, heartsore for desire, through the
livelong night till the morning, when I repaired to the Hammam and
presently donned a suit of the richest royal raiment and betaking myself
to Ibn al-Alaa, said to him, “O my lord, I want her whose night is five
hundred dinars.” Quoth he, “Weigh down the money.” So I weighed out to
him fifteen thousand dinars for a month’s hire and he took them and said
to the page, “Carry him to thy mistress such an one!” Accordingly he
took me and carried me to an apartment, than which my eyes never saw a
goodlier on the earth’s face and there I found the young lady seated.
When I saw her, O Commander of the Faithful, my reason was confounded
with her beauty, for she was like the full moon on its fourteenth
night,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Fiftieth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young man
continued to describe before the Prince of True Believers the young
lady’s characteristics, saying:—She was like the full moon on her
fourteenth night, a model of grace and symmetry and loveliness. Her
speech shamed the tones of the lute, and it was as it were she whom the
poet meant in these verses:—