Note 323 — THE BOOK OF THE MESNEVĪ (continued 3)

Von Hammer, in his History of the Ottoman Empire, so entirely misunderstood this beautiful Arabian proverb, “Es sabru miftāhu ’l faraj,” as to read “farj” (pudendum), for “faraj” (success); and cloaked his blunder by the remark: “Too pungent for literal translation.”