Note 409
This is a solemn "chaff;" such liberties being permitted at weddings and festive occasions.
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Notes to The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 1 — Page 18
698 notes in Richard Francis Burton translation. Follow a thought back to its place in the book.
698 notes
Note 410
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 …
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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.
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i.e. he was full of rage which he concealed.
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The Hindus (as the Katha shows) compare this swimming gait with an elephant's roll.
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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 f…
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Lit. burst the "gall-bladder:" In this and in the "liver" allusions I dare not be baldly literal.
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Arab. "Usfur" the seeds of Carthamus tinctorius = Safflower (Forskal, Flora, etc. lv.). The seeds are crushed for oil and the flowers, which must be gathered by virgins or the colo…
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On such occasions Miss Modesty shuts her eye and looks as if about to faint.
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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 (…
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"Miao" or "Mau" is the generic name of the cat in the Egyptian of the hieroglyphs.
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Arab. "Ya Mash'úm" addressed to an evil spirit.
Read the noteNote 421
"Heehaw!" as we should say. The Bresl. Edit. makes the cat cry "Nauh! Nauh!" and the ass-colt "Manu! Manu!" I leave these onomatopoeics as they are in Arabic; they are curious, sho…
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It is usually a slab of marble with a long slit in front and a round hole behind. The text speaks of a Kursi (= stool); but this is now unknown to native houses which have not adop…
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This again is chaff as she addresses the Hunchback. The Bul. Edit. has "O Abu Shiháb" (Father of the shooting-star = evil spirit); the Bresl. Edit. "O son of a heap! O son of a Som…
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As the reader will see, Arab ideas of "fun" and practical jokes are of the largest, putting the Hibernian to utter rout, and comparing favourably with those recorded in Don Quixote…
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Arab. "Saráwil" a corruption of the Pers. "Sharwál"; popularly called "libás" which, however, may also mean clothing in general and especially outer-clothing. I translate "bag-trou…
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The turban out of respect is not put upon the ground (Lane, M. E., chapt. i.).
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Arab. "Madfa" showing the modern date or the modernization of the tale. In Lebid "Madáfi" (plur. of Madfa') means water-courses or leats.
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In Arab. the "he" is a "she;" and Habíb ("friend") is the Attic {Greek Letters}, a euphemism for lover. This will occur throughout The Nights. So the Arabs use a phrase correspondi…
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Part of the Azán, or call to prayer.
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Arab. "Shiháb," these meteors being the flying shafts shot at evil spirits who approach too near heaven. The idea doubtless arose from the showers of August and November meteors (T…
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Arab. "Tákiyah" = Pers. Arak-chin; the calotte worn under the Fez. It is, I have said, now obsolete and the red woollen cap (mostly made in Europe) is worn over the hair; an unclea…
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Often the effect of cold air after a heated room.
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