登陆注册
6605300000144

第144章

[450]Arab.'Tars Daylami,'a small shield of bright metal.

[451]Arab.'Kaukab al-durri,'see Pilgrimage ii.82.

[452]Arab.'Kusuf'applied to the moon;Khusuf being the solar eclipse.

[453]May Abu Lahab's hands perish...and his wife be a bearer of faggots!'Korau cxi.184.The allusion is neat.

[454]Alluding to the Angels who shoot down the Jinn.See vol.i.224.The index misprints'Shibah.'

[455]For a similar scene see Ali Shar and Zumurrud,vol.iv.187.

[456]i.e.of the girl whom as the sequel shows,her owner had promised not to sell without her consent.This was and is a common practice.See vol.iv.192.

[457]These lines have occurred in vol.iii.p.303.I quote Mr.Payne.

[458]Alluding to the erectio et distensio penis which comes on before dawn in tropical lands and which does not denote any desire for women.Some Anglo-Indians term the symptom signum salutis,others a urine-proud pizzle.

[459]Arab.'Mohtasib,'in the Maghrib'Mohtab,'the officer charged with inspecting weights and measures and with punishing fraud in various ways such as nailing the cheat's ears to his shop's shutter,etc.

[460]Every where in the Moslem East the slave holds himself superior to the menial freeman,a fact which I would impress upon the several Anti-slavery Societies,honest men whose zeal mostly exceeds their knowledge,and whose energy their discretion.

[461]These lines,extended to three couplets,occur in vol.iv.193.I quote Mr.Payne.

[462]'At this examination (on Judgment Day) Mohammedans also believe that each person will have the book,wherein all the actions of his life are written,delivered to him;which books the righteous will receive in their right hand,and read with great pleasure and satisfaction;but the ungodly will be obliged to take them,against their wills,in their left (Koran xvii.xviii.lxix,and lxxxiv.),which will be bound behind their backs,their right hand being tied to their necks.'Sale;Preliminary Discourse;Sect.iv.

[463]'Whiteness'(bayaz) also meaning lustre,honour.

[464]This again occurs in vol.iv.194.So I quote Mr.Payne.

[465]Her impudence is intended to be that of a captive Princess.

[466]i.e.bent groundwards.

[467]See vol.iv.192.In Marocco Za'ar is applied to a man with fair skin,red hair and blue eyes (Gothic blood?) and the term is not complimentary as'Sultan Yazid Za'ar.'

[468]The lines have occurred before (vol.iv.194).I quote Mr.Lane ii.440.Both he and Mr.Payne have missed the point in'ba'zu layali'a certain night when his mistress had left him so lonely.

[469]Arab.'Raat-hu.'This apparently harmless word suggests one simlar in sound and meaning which gave some trouble in its day.Says Mohammed in the Koran (ii.98)'O ye who believe! say not (to the Apostle) Ra'ina (look at us) but Unzurna (regard us).''Ra'ina'as pronounced in Hebrew means'our bad one.'

[470]By reason of its leanness.

[471]In the Mac.Edit.'Fifty.'For a scene which illustrates this mercantile transaction see my Pilgrimage i.88;and its deduction.'How often is it our fate,in the West as in the East,to see in bright eyes and to hear from rosy lips an implied,if not an expressed'Why don't you buy me?' or,worse still,'Why can't you buy me?''

[472]See vol.ii.165 dragging or trailing the skirts =

walking without the usual strut or swagger: here it means assuming the humble manners of a slave in presence of the master.

[473]This is the Moslem form of'boycotting': so amongst early Christians they refused to give one another God-speed.

Amongst Hindus it takes the form of refusing'Hukkah (pipe) and water'which practically makes a man an outcast.In the text the old man expresses the popular contempt for those who borrow and who do not repay.He had evidently not read the essay of Elia on the professional borrower.

[474]See note p.273.

[475]i.e.the best kind of camels.

[476]This first verse has occurred three times.

[477]Arab.'Surayya'in Dictionaries a dim.of Sarwa =

moderately rich.It may either denote abundance of rain or a number of stars forming a constellation.Hence in Job (xxxviii.31) it is called a heap (kimah).

[478]Pleiads in Gr.the Stars whereby men sail.

[479]This is the Eastern idea of the consequence of satisfactory coition which is supposed to be the very seal of love.Westerns have run to the other extreme.

[480]'Al-Rif'simply means lowland: hence there is a Rif in the Nile-delta.The word in Europe is applied chiefly to the Maroccan coast opposite Gibraltar (not,as is usually supposed the North-Western seaboard) where the Berber-Shilha race,so famous as the'Rif pirates'still closes the country to travellers.

[481]i.e.Upper Egypt.

[482]These local excellencies of coition are described jocosely rather than anthropologically.

[483]See vol.i.223: I take from Torrens,p.223.

[484]For the complete ablution obligatory after copulation before prayers can be said.See vol.vi.199.

[485]Arab.'Zunnar,'the Greek {Greek letters},for which;see vol.ii.215.

[486]Miriam (Arabic Maryam),is a Christian name,in Moslem lands.Abu Maryam'Mary's father'(says Motarrazi on Al-Hariri;Ass.of Alexandria) is a term of contempt,for men are called after sons (e.g.Abu Zayd),not after daughters.In more modern authors Abu Maryam is the name of ushers and lesser officials in the Kazi's court.

[487]This formality,so contrary to our Western familiarity after possession,is an especial sign of good breeding amongst Arabs and indeed all Eastern nations.It reminds us of the'grand manner'in Europe two hundred years ago,not a trace of which now remains.

[488]These lines are in Night i.ordered somewhat differently: so I quote Torrens (p.14).

同类推荐
  • 十二佛名神咒校量功德除障灭罪经

    十二佛名神咒校量功德除障灭罪经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • OXFORD

    OXFORD

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 圣安本纪

    圣安本纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 殿阁词林记

    殿阁词林记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 陆九渊文选

    陆九渊文选

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 八两当铺

    八两当铺

    南方偏远山区的小山村,一座小小八两当铺,一个小小小老板,却有着大大的本领。当铺有钱,取之不尽用之不竭。当铺有物,天上地下应有尽有。当铺有灵,仙魔佛妖齐聚一堂。当铺不大,却引来中外无数土豪熬夜排队典当……老板不大,却无利不起早、见财色也动心……天天喊着要娶漂亮老婆,生大胖儿子,安安稳稳过日子。
  • 领导口才

    领导口才

    本书针对领导者在工作中要面对的批评、赞美、谈判、演讲等内容,逐一加以评说,是领导者能说会道、受人欢迎、办事顺当的必备助手。
  • 现世之旅前世缘

    现世之旅前世缘

    这是一批冒险者,他们中来这里的人多数是因为好奇,却因着这份好奇,将他们卷入了一场狐族灭亡再世之争的局面,他们的命运该将如何。不是现在,是前世,其实你一直活在前世之中,而我,已经死去多时,不要忘记,如果还允许有来世,我会带这两世的记忆来找你,无论你能不能记得我,我都会找到你。这是一个故事,一个有着爱情、亲情、友情的故事,一个自古被我们所追寻的不变的爱之恒久的传奇。
  • 落樱纷飞不变的约定

    落樱纷飞不变的约定

    最倒霉的是她:和男神表白结果,男神让她还情书!最幸运的也是她:男神成功拐回家!他们是学校公认的“金童玉女”。她以为他们彼此会相伴永远,而现实却告诉她是她太天真了!当八年后她荣耀归来!物仍在,人却非!我爱的那个人,你,还好吗?那樱花树下的约定,你,是否还记得?
  • 我家反派可盐可甜

    我家反派可盐可甜

    金阳身为血日之灾,可谓是天底下头号的灾星。世人皆惧金阳,说她茹毛饮血,杀人如麻,残暴不堪。福临一战中,她不顾城中无辜的百姓,带着自己虎狼之军,一夜之间屠尽了城中的生灵,坐实了她天下第一灾星的名号。但崔九真却知道:神武皇帝生下她之后,畏惧她灾星的身份,将不足满月的她丢给了她的养父,扔去了离京城万里外的漠北。她在漠北横行霸道,养父只当她男儿来养。一晃眼十六年过去,养父却死在了福临一战中。她接过养父的军印,嘶叫着要杀光所有的敌人。“漠北军——给我杀!”后她得胜回朝,神武皇帝看中了她身后的漠北军,又将她安置在太子身边,让她以君臣的身份辅佐她的哥哥。金阳这一生都是个悲剧。但金阳没有作为一个头号灾星的觉悟,相反,脑壳里应该成天想着如何杀人夺位的她,却喜欢黏在崔九真身边,喝着他泡的好茶,与他插诨打科,闲来给他唱几首小曲,满门心思琢磨着怎么让他喜欢上自己。金阳宁愿负天下人,也不愿负崔九真一个。崔九真对她看的很透彻,他说金阳就是个疯子,他不会喜欢上金阳的。却不想她转身就嫁给了敌国的太子。崔九真懵了。金阳你个死孩子,你快给我滚回来!那太子不知道你的身份,不然定要杀了你!我喜欢你,我喜欢你……你给我回来!
  • 若水向东流

    若水向东流

    让舔狗悔悟,劝妓女从良,将赌狗送入正途,唤醒狗腿子的良知。若水向东流,莫要不回头。书友群:874190992,验证书名
  • 黄粱道君

    黄粱道君

    一觉醒来,天翻地覆。妖魔夜行,枯树白骨黑鸦,万人冢中人叹息。剑仙驰骋,晏晏剑光绵绵,红尘界中苦红尘
  • 不过一场清梦

    不过一场清梦

    如若做不了他的心上人,就做他的朱砂痣好了。“我要让他一辈子也忘不掉我,以死为代价。”“阿璟,我累了…”“王爷,奴家配不上您的。”
  • 明日非我

    明日非我

    如果可以预知未来?那你是否还会重复自己的选择?每一个轻微的举动,都让这个世界发生巨大的偏转。如果知晓好友的死亡,是否能挽回朋友的性命?死去之人却让风凌叶逐渐掀开这个隐藏在平凡世界下,光怪陆离的世界的面纱。如果我们只是能轻而易举覆灭我们的高维生命体的玩物?反抗还是接纳?是世界选择了我?还是我选择了这个世界?
  • 重生影后一带一

    重生影后一带一

    上一世,她脑子有坑埋自己,居然不屑国民男神,最后众叛亲离,被所有人算计至死。一睁眼,人生却按了重启键……这一世,她左手影后奖杯,右手重生剧本,势不可挡卷土重来。那个,老娘炮灰逆袭,各位悠着点作,否则演技吊打你祖宗十八代!