[275] Literally, made excuses from the surface of his heart," i.e., not serious excuses.
[276] That is, "completely armed." Vide note 2, page 87.
[277] On the exact meaning ofdastar-khwan,see note, page 104.
[278] TheMusalmanconfession of faith, see note 3, page 156.
[279] The idiom "do mahine ek," about two months, similar to the phrase, "pachas ek baras,"v.note 1, page 161.
[280] Literally, "began to smack his lips;" denoting his satisfaction.
[281] Tartar, African, and Turkish slaves.
[282] Literally, "I have not proved false in what you have entrusted to me."
[283] The coffee and pipe are always presented to visitors in Turkey, Arabia, and Persia, and they are considered as indispensable in good manners.
[284] "dant kholne" is fully explained in my Grammar, page 129. It appears to have sadly puzzled a learned critic, to whom I have occasionally alluded.
[285] Literally, "middle brother;" as there were three in number, of course the "second" and "middle" are identical.
[286] TheSiyumare the rites performed for the dead on the third day after demise; it is called thetijainHinduwi.
[287] Alluding to God.
[288] Or it may mean, "my blood boiled" [with resentment].
[289] TheMuhammadansabbath is Friday.
[290] Akafilameans a company of merchants who assemble and travel together for mutual protection. It is synonymous with caravan.
[291]Bukharais a celebrated city in Tartary; it was formerly the capital of the province calledMawaralnahr, orTransoxiana, before the Tartar conquerors fixed onSamarkand. It lies to the northward of the riverOxusorGihun, which divides Tartary from Persia, or as the Persian geographers term it,Iran, fromTuran.Bukharais celebrated by Persian poets for its climate, its fruits, and its beautiful women.
[292] Thebozais an intoxicating drink made of spirits, the leaves of thecharasplant,tari, and opium.Tari, erroneously calledtodee, is the juice of the palm tree.
[293] Literally, ale-house, or tippling-house. One is strongly led to believe that this is the origin of our cant wordboozing-ken, imported from the East by the gipsies some four or five centuries ago.
[294] A grateful and luxurious operation in the warm climate of India, more especially after the fatigue of travelling.Shampooingis a word of uncertain etymology; the French have a better term,masser. The natives say it has a physical advantage, as it quickens their languid circulation; perhaps they are right.
[295] Akosis nearly two English miles, being about fifteen furlongs.
[296] Literally, "the fire was kindled in my stomach."
[297] Pointing to his two brothers who were present, and heard his tale.
[298] The stake was a common mode of punishment in India in former days, and, until recently, was practised among theSikhs,Marhattas, and other Asiatic princes, who were independent of our government.
[299] Addressing himself to the kingAzad Bakht.
[300] The termkiblasignifies the "point of adoration," and is generally applied to theKa'ba, or holy edifice, situated in the sacred inclosure of Mecca. To this point allMuhammadansmust turn when they pray.
[301] The prayer of martyrdom among theMusalmans.It is often repeated when they go into action against Christians and Pagans
[302] According to theMuhammadanbelief,NakirandMunkirare two angels who attend at the moment of death, and call to an account the spirit of the deceased.
[303] Literally, "satiated the dog of my stomach."
[304] Literally, to perform the act of "rubbing the nose on the earth," expressive of extreme humility.
[305] Literally, "having fastened [on his person] the four mirrors."
[306] The termzuhrstrictly denotes the period devoted to the mid-day prayer, which is offered up after the sun has perceptibly declined from the meridian. Vide note 4, in page 14.
[307] The name of the countries which lie, as the people ofHindustanterm it, below Bengal, i.e., to the south-east of it; the name includes the kingdoms of Ava and Pegu.
[308]Kunwaris theHinduname for the son of araja.
[309] Thechauganis a Persian sport performed on horseback, with a large ball like a foot-ball, which is knocked about with a long stick like a shepherd's crook; it is precisely the game called in Scotland "shintey," and in England "hockey," only that the players are mounted.
[310]Raniis theHinduname of araja'swife.
[311] Literally, "without a partner." TheMusalmansconsider our doctrine of the Trinity as a deadly error.
[312]Sarandipis the name for the island of Ceylon among the Arabs and Persians, as well as theMusalmansof India. The ancientHinduname wasLanka, applied both to the island and its capital.
[313] The termkisrais evidently applied here toNaushirwan, not to Cyrus, as is stated in some books.
[314]Iranis the ancient name of Persia in its more extended sense, that is, the Persian Empire.Farsis sometimes used in the same sense. Strictly speaking, it denotes Persia proper, which is only a province ofIran.
[315] Thekafila-bashiis the head man of thekafila, or company of merchants, who travel in a body for mutual safety, and compose what is commonly called a caravan, properly akarwan; the richest and most respectable merchant of the party is generally electedbashi; all the rest obey his orders, and he directs the movements, &c., of the whole company, and moreover, acts, in all cases of dispute, as judge and magistrate.
[316] Thefarsakh, orfarsang, orparsang, is a measure of distance in Persia, and contains at the present day about 3 3/4 English miles. Herodotus reckoned the[Greek: pasasaggaes]; in his time at 30 Grecian stadia.
[317]Salsabilis the name of a fountain of Paradise, according toMuhammadanbelief.
[318] The student is of course aware that in most languages a question is frequently equivalent to a negative, as in this sentence. A sapient critic, to whom I have more than once alluded, was pleased to honour me with the following profound remark on the reading given in the original, viz.—"There is a slip here in Forbes's edition, as well as the Calcutta one. The wordnahin, 'not,' is omitted, which destroys the whole sense!!!"
[319] Thekaliyan(or as the moderns say,kaliyun) is the Persianhukka.
[320] This is, as the vulgate hath it, "coming it a little too strong;" but be it remembered that Oriental story-tellers do not mar the interest of their narrative by a slavish adherence to probability.
[321] Here the kingAzad Bakhtspeaks in his own person, and addresses himself to the fourdarweshes.
[322] With regard to the essence ofbed-mushkvide note 2, page 42.
[323] The image of the Divine power in that country of Pagans.
[324] Vide note 3, page 30, respecting thechilla, or "period of forty."
[325] That is to say, she had never seen aMuhammadanat his prayers.
[326]LatandManatwere the two great idols ofHinduworship in former times.
[327] In the languages of southern India,Turkis the general appellation for aMusalman.
[328] Thechamanis a small garden orparterre, which is laid out before the sitting room in the interior of the women's apartments; it means in general,parterresof flowers.
[329] The original uses a much stronger expression.
[330] Literally, the poison of thehalahal, as expression used to denote poison of the strongest kind. Thehalahalis a fabulous poison, said to have been produced from the ocean on the churning of it by the gods anddaityas.Our critic says, on this word, that it means "deadly!!!" will he favour us with some authority on that point, better than his own?
[331] On the phrase,do mahine men, our critic comes out in great force. He says, "Mir Amman here sins against grammar; it should be,do mahinon men!!!" The critic is not aware, that when a noun follows a numeral it never requires the inflection plural en, except when it is to be rendered more definite? In reality, Mir Amman would be wrong if he had employed the reading recommended by the sapient critic;do mahine menmeans "in two months;"do mahinon men"inthetwo months" (previously determined upon).
[332] Thechor-mahallis a private seraglio.
[333] The twelveImams.—Vide note 3, page 4.
[334] The threshold of a pagoda or mosque. The oriental people uncover their feet, as we do our heads, on entering a place of worship.
[335] Asiatics do not sign their names, but put their seals to letters, bonds, paper, &c.; on the seal is engraven their names, titles, &c.; which absurd practice has frequently given rise to much roguery, and even bloodshed, as it is so easy, by bribes, to get a seal-cutter to forge almost any seal, a notorious instance of which appeared some twenty years ago in the case of theRajaofSattara. Though theMuhammadanlaws punish with severe penalties such transgressions, yet seal-cutters are not more invulnerable to the powers of gold than other men. Kings, princes,nawwabs&c., have a private mark, as well as a public seal, to official papers; and a private seal and mark for private or confidential papers.
[336] Akhil'ator honorary dress is generally bestowed on a person when he is appointed to a new situation.
[337] Literally, "who could hit akaurisuspended by a hair." Thekauriis a small round shell used to denote the minutest denomination of money. In Bengal it is about the hundredth part of apaisa.
[338] Thenazarorpesh-kashis a sum of money, &c., which, all oriental officials pay to the prince of the country, or to his favourites, &c., when appointed to their situations. Some people say that such things are done nearer home, with this difference, that among us it is a private transaction; whereas, in the East, it is an open one.
[339]ja-girsare donations of lands, or, rather, of the revenues arising from a certain portion of land; strictly speaking, such a grant is a reward for military service, though it is sometimes bestowed without that condition.
[340] As theMusalmansreckon their day from sun-set, this is nobull.
[341] Literally, "the third fault is that of the mother."
[342] The king here resumes his address to the four darweshes.
[343] A proverb synonymous to ours, of "What is bred in the bone, will never come out of the flesh."
[344] Thetawais a circular plate of malleable or cast iron, used for baking cakes or bannocks. It is slightly convex, like a watch-glass, on the upper side, where the bread is laid on; the under or concave side being, of course perfectly black. In Scotland, and in the northern counties of England, this domestic implement is called "the girdle," and is still in common use in places remote from towns.
[345] Till recently a province of Persia; the northern part of ancient Media. It is now, alas! fallen into the deadly grasp of the unholy Muscovite.
[346] A kind of pea common in India; it is the ordinary food of horses, oxen, camels, &c., likewise of the native. By Europeans it is generally calledgrumor "graum."
[347] TheMuhammadansbelieve that on the day of judgment all who have died will assemble on a vast plain, to hear their sentences from the mouth of God; so the reader may naturally conceive the size of the plain.
[348] Thesurmais a black powder made of antimony, which the Asiatic women use on their eyelids, to give a superior lustre to their black or hazel eyes; when applied with taste, it certainly has that effect. It is likewise used for sore eyes, but I cannot say with what success.
[349]Chummakis the Turkish name for a kind ofbatonset with precious stones, and used by some of the officers of the palace as an insignia of state, like our rods, wands, &c.
[350] This ludicrous idea is to be found in the veracious "Voiage and Travaile" of Sir John Maundevile, Kt. Speaking of the "Yles abouten Ynde," he says, "men fynden there an Ile that is clept Crues," where "for the grete distresse of the hete, mennes ballokkes hangen down to their knees, for the grete dissolucioun of the body."
[351] TheHurare celestial females, and theGhilmanbeautiful youths, who are to attend upon all good Mahometans in Paradise.
[352] Thenakkar-khanais the place at the portico of a temple or palace where drums are beaten at stated intervals. It is somewhat akin to the "belfry," of a Romish church, the childish and everlasting noise of which is supposed to constitute an important part of Christianity.
[353]Padmini, the highest and most excellent of the four classes of women among theHindus.
[354] The prime minister, or first officers of state, under theMughalemperors.
[355] Literally, "instant of an instant." With regard to this idiomatic use of the genitive case, vide "Grammar," page 96, paragraphb.
[356] Here thekhwajaresumes his own story toAzad Bakht.
[357] The king,Azad Bakht, speaks in his own person.
[358] The son of akhwajaor merchant of the highest grade.
[359] WhenMusalmansgo on pilgrimage toMecca, they shave their heads on their arrival there; the ridicule is, to have incurred the shaving without the merit of the pilgrimage.
[360] Called thekhil'at sarafrazi, i.e. of exaltation.
[361] Thefarshis the carpet or cloth which is spread in the room, where company is received, or the king's audience is held; for the king to advance to the end of thefarshto receive thewazir, is a mark of respect, which Asiatic princes seldom pay, even to their equals.
[362] The insignia of thewazir'soffice in India and Persia, is thekalumdan.
[363] The abode of afakiris called atakiya.
[364] The phrasekot bundh baithnasignifies to squat down as a person does when easing nature, the two hands being clasped together round the legs a little below the knees.
[365]Chauparis a very ancient Indian game of the nature of backgammon, played by four people, each having four men or pieces. A full description of it is given in the Ayeeni Akbary, London, 1800, vol. 1st, page 253.
[366]Azur, the father of Abraham, was a famous statuary and idol-worshipper, according to the ideas ofMuhammadans.
[367] Alluding to theHinducustom of the wife's burning herself with the corpse of her husband; in these cases, perhaps, fear of the priesthood, &c., is a stronger motive than love for the defunct.
[368] By the Island of the Franks, it is most probable that the author means Britain. The description of the capital is more adapted to London sixty years ago than to any other European city. This,Mir Ammanmight have learned from some of the resident Europeans, while he filled up the rest from his own luxuriant imagination.
[369] The "eunuch" is of course out of place in a Christian city; at least he does not hold the same rank as in the East.
[370] In the original it is water; the meaning is obvious enough.
[371] Most probably the name of some famous armourer.
[372] A Persian proverb.
[373] That is poison of the strongest kind.—Vide note on this word in page 213.
[374] Meaning in this world and the next.
[375] Barbers in Asia not only shave but wash persons in the private and public baths.
[376] A prince ofKhurasan, who quitted a throne in order to lead a life of piety.
[377] A celebrated city ofKhurasan, famous in former times for its riches.
[378] The attitude of respect, common in the East, when a servant has a request to make of his master; or a very inferior person of one who is greatly his superior.
[379] Meaning, "of surpassing speed."
[380] In the original, the word iskai, or the green scum that floats on stagnant water. "Bihzad Khan, dispersed the enemy askaiis dispersed when a stone is thrown into the water," is nearly the original simile.
[381] Literally, "merely continued bringing up the soil from the bottom."
[382] The first and secondDarweshes.
[383] One of the many epithets applied toDarweshesin the East.
[384] A Persian proverb.
[385] The regent; the fourthDarwesh'suncle.
[386] According to the fabulous system ofjinns, divs, paris, &c.,in Asia, it is supposed that thejinnsandparislive on essences, &c. Thedivsare malignant spirits or beings, and live on less delicate food.
[387]Divsor demons; the malignant race ofjinns.
[388]ChinandMachin,is the general name of China among the Persians.
[389]Bukhuris a kind of frankincense.
[390]Abu-Jahal, or "the father of obstinacy," or "of brutality," was the name of an Arab. He was uncle to the prophetMuhammad, and an inveterate opposer of the latter's new religion.
[391] The forty figures of monkeys would give the possessor a power over thedivsandjinns, and having them at his command, he could easily overset the usurper,aliashis uncle.
[392] TheIsmi A'zam, or great name of God.—See note 2, p. 145.
[393] Alluding to the Asiatic custom of the women being concealed from the view of all, except their husbands or very near relations.
[394] Thekazisandmuftisare the judges in Turkey, Arabia, Persia andHindustan, of all civil and religious causes; they likewise marry, divorce, &c.
[395] Thetijais the same as thesiyum.—See note 2, page 187.
[396] A kind of litter for the conveyance of women and the sick.
[397] A kind of litter for travelling in Persia and Arabia; two of them are slung across a camel or a mule; those for camels carry four persons.
[398] Viz., his state of castration.
[399]Zu-l-fakar, the name of a famous sword that'Aliused to wear.
[400] The veiled horseman,'Ali Mushkil-Kusha.
[401] In the original there is a play on the wordshamlandhamal.
[402] Literally, "he made the man in want of akaurithe master of alakh[of rupees].
[403]Ryots(a corruption of the wordra'iyat) are the husbandmen in India; the tillers of the soil who rent small parcels of land from the government, through the medium of thezamin-dar, who is a servant of government and not the proprietor of the land, as some have erroneously supposed. The word means keeper of the land, and not the proprietor. In fact, he is like the Irish middleman, in every sense of the word.
[404] A famous garden in Arabia Felix; it is also applied to the garden in Paradise, in which all good Mahometans, according to their belief, are to revel after death.
[405]'Ummanis the name of the southern part ofYamanor Arabia Felix; the country which lies between the mouth of the Persian Gulf and the mouth of the Red Sea; the sea which washes this coast is called the sea of'Ummanin Persia and Arabia, as the Red Sea is called the sea ofKulzum.
[406] A mode of punishment used in former times in Persia, India, and Arabia, against great enemies or atrocious delinquents. Such treatment the poor emperor Valerian experienced from the haughtyShapurorShabar(the Sapores of the Greeks), king of Persia or Parthia.
[407] The firstdarwesh.
[408] The seconddarwesh.
[409] The thirddarwesh.
[410] The fourthdarwesh.
[411] The five pure bodies areMuhammad, the prophet;Fatima, his daughter;Ali, her husband; andHazanandHusain, their chidren.
[412] The fourteen innocents are the children ofHazanandHusain.
[413] By an arithmetical operation called in PersianAbjad; as Persian letters have arithmetical powers, the letters which compose the wordsBagh O Baharadded up, produce the sum 1217. From the inscription on mostMuhammadantombs, and those on the gates of mosques, the dates of demise and erection can be ascertained. We had the same barbarous custom in Europe about the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries; see the Spectator (No. 60,) on this ridiculous subject, which was considered as a proof of great ingenuity.
[414] A pun on the wordBahar, which means spring, when flowers are in full bloom; but the French wordprintempsconveys more exactly the compound signification; forBaharnot only means spring, but an agreeable spring. The Persians are as fond of thesedouble entendresas any other people; their poetry is strewed with them, and so is their prose. It is not, however, to be considered as a model of pure taste.