登陆注册
12108200000141

第141章

[301] Amongst Moslems as amongst Christians there are seven deadly sins:idolatry,murder,falsely charging modest women with unchastity,robbing orphans,usury,desertion in Holy War and disobedience to parents. The difference between the two creeds is noteworthy. And the sage knows only three,intemperance,ignorance and egoism.

[302] Meaning,'It was decreed by Destiny;so it came to pass,'appropriate if not neat.

[303] The short,stout,dark,long-haired and two-bunched camel from 'Bukhtar'(Bactria),the 'Eastern'(Bakhtar) region on the Amu or Jayhun (Oxus) River;afterwards called Khorasan. The two-humped camel is never seen in Arabia except with northern caravans,and to speak of it would be a sore test of Badawi credulity.

[304] 'Kaylulah'is the 'forty-winks'about noon:it is a Sunnat or Practice of the Prophet who said,'Make the mid-day siesta,for verily at this hour the devils sleep not.''Aylulain'is slumbering after morning prayers (our 'beauty-sleep'),causing heaviness andid leness:'Ghaylulah'is dozing about 9 a.m. engendering poverty and wretchedness:'Kaylulah'(with the guttural Kaf) is sleeping before evening prayers and 'Faylulah'is slumbering after sunset--both held to be highly detrimental. (Pilgrimage ii 49.)

[305] The Biblical 'Hamath'(Hightown) too well known to require deion. It is still famous for the water-wheels mentioned by al-Hariri (assembly of the Banu Haram).

[306] When they say,'The levee flashes bright on the hills of Al-Yaman,'the allusion is to the south quarter,where summer-lightning is seen. Al-Yaman (always with the article) means,I have said,the right-hand region to one facing the rising sun and Al-Sham (Syria) the left-hand region.

[307] Again 'he'for 'she,'in delicacy and jealousy of making public the beauty or conditions of the 'veiled sex.'Even public singers would hesitate to use a feminine pronoun. As will be seen however,the rule is not invariably kept and hardly ever in Badawi poetry.

[308] The normal pun on 'Nuzhat al-Zaman'= Delight of the Age or Time.

[309] The reader will find in my Pilgrimage (i. 305) a sketch of the Takht-rawan or travelling-litter,in which pilgrimesses are wont to sleep.

[310] In poetry it holds the place of our Zephyr;end the 'Bad-i-Saba'=Breeze o'the morn,Is much addressed by Persian poets.

[311] Here appears the nervous,excitable,hysterical Arab temperament which is almost phrensied by the neighbourhood of a home from which he had run away.

[312] Zau al-Makan and Nuzhat al-Zaman.

[313] The idea is essentially Eastern,'A lion at home and a lamb abroad'is the popular saying.

[314] Arab. 'Hubb al-Watan'(= love of birthplace,patriotism)

of which the Tradition says 'Min al-Iman'(=is part of man's religion).

[315] He is supposed to speak en prince;and he yields to a prayer when he spurns a command.

[316] In such caravans each party must keep its own place under pain of getting into trouble with the watchmen and guards.

[317] Mr. Payne (ii. 109) borrows this and the next quotation from the Bull Edit. i. 386.

[318] For the expiation of inconsiderate oaths see Koran (chaps.v.). I cannot but think that Al-Islam treats perjury too lightly:

all we can say is-that it improves upon Hinduism which practically seems to leave the punishment to the gods.

[319] 'Kausar,'as has been said,represents the classical nectar,the Amrita of the Hindus.

[320] From Bull Edit. i. 186. The couplet in the Mac. Edit. i.457 is very wildly applied.

[321] The 'insula'of Sancho Panza.

[322] This should have assured him that he stood in no danger.

[323] Here ends the wearisome tale of the brother and sister,and the romance of chivalry begins once more with the usual Arab digressions.

[324] I have derived this word from the Persian 'rang'=colour,hue,kind.

[325] Otherwise all would be superseded,like U. S. officials under a new President.

[326] Arab. 'Nimshah'from the Pers. Nimchah,a 'half-sword,'a long dagger worn in the belt. Richardson derives it from Namsh,being freckled (damasked).

[327] The Indian term for a tent large enough to cover a troop of cavalry.

[328] Arab. 'Marhum'a formula before noticed. It is borrowed from the Jewish,'of blessed memory'(after the name of the honoured dead,Prov. x. 17.);with the addition of 'upon whom be peace,'as opposed to the imprecation,'May the name of the wicked rot!'

[329] The speeches of the five damsels should be read only by students.

[330] i.e. Those who look for 'another and a better.'

[331] The title of Caliph Abu Bakr because he bore truthful witness to the Apostle's mission or,others say,he confirmed the 'Mi'raj'or nocturnal journey to Heaven.

[332] All this is Koranic (chaps. ii.,etc.).

[333] This may have applied more than once to 'hanging judges'in the Far West.

[334] A traditionist and jurisconsult of Al-Medinah in the seventh and eighth centuries.

[335] The Alexander of the Koran and Eastern legends,not to be confounded with the Alexander of Macedon. He will be noticed in a future Night.

[336] Aesop,according to the Arabs:of him or rather of the two Lukmans,more presently.

[337] Koran ii. 185.

[338] Mohammed.

[339] One of the Ashab or Companions of Mohammed.

[340] A noted traditionist at Cufa in the seventh century.

[341] Koran,chaps. lxxiv. I (and verse 8 follows). The Archangel Gabriel is supposed to address Mohammed and not a few divines believe this Surah (chapter) to have been first revealed.

Mr. Rodwell makes it No. ii. following the Fatrah or silent interval which succeeded No. xcvi. 'Clots of Blood.'See his 2nd Edit. p. 3 for further details.

[342] i.e. dangerous to soul-health.

[343] In the Mac. Edit. 'Abd'for 'Sa'id.'The latter was a black and a native of Cufa during the first century (A.H ) and is still famous as a traditionist.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 魔鬼在末日

    魔鬼在末日

    当整个世界迎来进化之日,人类陷入了恐惧。默示录纪元人命变得廉价,食物变得宝贵。可是对于墨菲斯来说,人类的灵魂要比那所谓的食物更加宝贵。于是......
  • 反向先行

    反向先行

    每个男孩子心中都有个大侠梦,每个大侠都忘不掉的武林,每个武林是不是真实的大碗喝酒大口吃肉,这些,你看看就知道了
  • 坤猿家主

    坤猿家主

    浩瀚元气世界,人族全世尽皆;荒古百万历史,人族无比辉煌!当知道了历史的真相,自己那扑朔迷离的身世,他,会放下男儿的担当,家国的责任吗?远古时代的人族秘辛;低吟呜咽的荒古巨兽;林坤,究竟有着什么…身份…………
  • 神罗纪元

    神罗纪元

    宫九歌第一次穿越,穿到了仙道文明繁盛至极的异世界,一头撞进了包罗万象,遍收一切神通道法的神域藏书楼里,但随后便是一场世纪灾劫,连神域也因此破灭了。接下来居然第二次穿越,灵魂来到了同一个世界,不知多少年后的时代。人们发掘承载破灭之后残存的遗留,这里的仙道文明重新起步,还处于新一代的发展期。装了一脑子神域秘籍宝典的宫九歌,二次穿越到当前的时代,简直就如同一个人玩惯了地狱模式之后,突然被丢去玩简单模式。简直不要太爽!
  • 白雪帝姬

    白雪帝姬

    《白雪公主》改编,古装生死大爱,你值得拥有。
  • tfboy之爱恨情仇

    tfboy之爱恨情仇

    他们,她们,两大势力的主宰,呼风唤雨,无所不能。直到,她们|他们,一场轰轰烈烈的缘分,让他们走在了一起,命运的齿轮,从他们相识的一天开始转动,一次次的离别,一次次的欢聚,让一切愁怨灰飞烟灭,夕阳无限好,只是近黄昏。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 穿越之女扮男装惑天下

    穿越之女扮男装惑天下

    从小,女扮男装的身份生活在偏远小镇。穿越前的记忆模糊不清,却总有人在脑海中呼唤,那人似是眷恋却也满怀恨意。一一一一一他们的话“诚诚,若是可以,此生我愿策马相随。”“你若还是执迷不悟,不要怪为师不念之间的情分。”“你究竟有哪一句是真话,还是,你说的爱,也都是骗人的。”……
  • 秦时明月之参商错

    秦时明月之参商错

    星魂同人文,《星途漫漫》姊妹篇。齐建王三十八年,荆轲刺秦。昭明星堕,帝星稳。这件事拨动了很多豪杰的星轨命途,神州大地一时风起云涌。那些注定要来的聚散离合,牢牢裹挟住了当时少年的命运,包括我们的男女主人公。五年之间,国破家亡,穿过烽火狼烟,洗尽腥风血雨,他狠辣尤甚以往,她狡慧不减当年。他们的成长,已不能用简单的对错来划定,然而,用一句话可以完全概括:生逢乱世,身不由己。
  • 老鼠仓

    老鼠仓

    在股市里,庄家经常扮演股民的上帝,其实只是魔鬼。庄家让股民进地狱的办法,总是万变不离其宗,先让大家嗨起来,跟上他的步伐,但就在大家望见天堂的那一刻,他会釜底抽薪,让一切美景瞬间崩塌。资本市场其实就是一个屠宰场,看起来一团迷雾,但想赚钱并不难,因为一切纷争皆起源于人的欲望。