The Barber's Sixth Brother taken by Bedawees
Now I have come unto thee, O Prince of the Faithful, continued the barber, and feared to return to my house without relating to thee these facts; for to neglect doing so had been an error. Thus thou hast seen that, although having six brothers, I am of a more upright character than they.—But when the Prince of the Faithful had heard my story, and all that I had related to him respecting my brothers, he laughed, and said, Thou hast spoken truth, O Ṣámit (O silent man); thou art a person of few words, and devoid of impertinence; now, however, depart from this city, and take up thine abode in another. So he banished me from Baghdád; and I journeyed through various countries, and traversed many regions, until I heard of his death, and of the succession of another Khaleefeh; when, returning to my city, I met with this young man, unto whom I did the best of deeds, and who, had it not been for me, had been slain: yet he hath accused me of that which is not in my character; for all that he hath related of me, with respect to impertinence, and loquacity, and dulness, and want of taste, is false, O people.
The tailor then proceeded thus:—When we heard the story of the barber, and were convinced of his impertinence and loquacity, and that the young man had been treated unjustly by him, we seized hold upon him, and put him in confinement, and, seating ourselves to keep watch over him, ate and drank; and the feast was finished in the most agreeable manner. We remained sitting together until the call to afternoon-prayers, when I went forth, and returned to my house; but my wife looked angrily at me, and said, Thou hast been all the day enjoying thy pleasure while I have been sitting at home sorrowful; now if thou go not forth with me and amuse me for the remainder of the day, thy refusal will be the cause of my separation from thee. So I took her and went out with her, and we amused ourselves until nightfall, when, returning home, we met this humpback, full of drink, and repeating verses; upon which I invited him to come home with us, and he consented. I then went forth to buy some fried fish, and having bought it and returned, we sat down to eat; and my wife took a morsel of bread and a piece of fish, and put them into his mouth, and choked him, so that he died; whereupon I took him up, and contrived to throw him into the house of this physician, and he contrived to throw him into the house of the steward, and the steward contrived to throw him in the way of the broker.—This is the story of what happened to me yesterday. Is it not more wonderful than that of the humpback?
When the King had heard this story, he ordered certain of his chamberlains to go with the tailor, and to bring the barber; saying to them, His presence is indispensable, that I may hear his talk, and it may be the cause of the deliverance of you all: then we will bury this humpback decently in the earth, for he hath been dead since yesterday; and we will make him a monument around his grave, since he hath been the occasion of our acquaintance with these wonderful stories.
The chamberlains and the tailor soon came back, after having gone to the place of confinement and brought the barber, whom they placed before the King; and when the King beheld him, he saw him to be an old man, passed his ninetieth year, of dark countenance, and white beard and eyebrows, with small ears, and long nose, and a haughty aspect. The King laughed at the sight of him, and said tohim, O silent man, I desire that thou relate to me somewhat of thy stories.—O King of the age, replied the barber, what is the occasion of the presence of this Christian and this Jew and this Muslim, and this humpback lying dead among you; and what is the reason of this assembly?—Wherefore dost thou ask this? said the King. The barber answered, I ask it in order that the King may know me to be no impertinent person, nor one who meddleth with that which doth not concern him, and that I am free from the loquacity of which they accuse me: for I am fortunate in my characteristic appellation, since they have surnamed me Eṣ-Ṣámit; and, as the poet hath said,—
Seldom hast thou seen a person honoured with a surname, but thou wilt find, if thou search, that his character is expressed by it.
Seldom hast thou seen a person honoured with a surname, but thou wilt find, if thou search, that his character is expressed by it.
The King therefore said, Explain to the barber the case of this humpback, and what happened to him yesterday evening, and explain to him also what the Christian hath related, and the Jew and the steward and the tailor. So they repeated to him the stories of all these persons.
The barber, thereupon, shook his head, saying, By Allah, this is a wonderful thing! Uncover this humpback, that I may examine him.—And they did so. He then seated himself at his head, and, taking it up, placed it upon his lap, and looked at his face, and laughed so violently that he fell backwards, exclaiming, For every death there is a cause; and the death of this humpback is most wonderful: it is worthy of being registered in the records, that posterity may be instructed by this event!—The King, astonished at his words, said, O Ṣámit, explain to us the reason of thy saying this.—O King, replied the barber, by thy beneficence, life is yet in the humpback! He then drew forth from his bosom a pot containing some ointment, and with this he anointed the neck of the humpback; after which he covered it up until it perspired; when he took forth an iron forceps, and put it down his throat, and extracted the piece of fish with its bone, and all the people saw them. The humpback now sprang upon his feet, and sneezed, and, recovering his consciousness, drew his hands over his face, and exclaimed, There is no Deity but God! Moḥammad is God's Apostle! God bless and save him!—and all who were present were astonished at the sight, and the King laughed until he became insensible; as did also the other spectators. The King exclaimed, By Allah, this accident is wonderful! I have never witnessed anything more strange!—and added, O Muslims! O assembly of soldiers! have ye ever in the course of your lives seen anyone die and after that come to life? But had not God blessed him with this barber, the humpback had been to-day numbered among the people of the other world; for the barber hath been the means of restoring him to life.—They replied, This is indeed a wonderful thing!
The King then gave orders to record this event; and when they had done so, he placed the record in the royal library; and he bestowed dresses of honour upon the Jew and the Christian and the steward; upon each of them, a costly dress: the tailor he appointed to be his own tailor, granting him regular allowances, and reconciling him and the humpback with each other: the humpback he honoured with a rich and beautiful dress, and with similar allowances, and appointed him his cup-companion; and upon the barber also he conferred the like favours, rewarding him with a costly dress of honour, regular allowances, and a fixed salary, and appointing him state-barber, and his own cup-companion: so they all lived in the utmost happiness and comfort until they were visited by the terminator of delights and the separator of friends.
Tail-piece to the Story of the Humpback
Head-piece to Notes to Chapter V.
Note1.As the story of the Humpback is one of the best in this collection, and purely Arab, I have been glad to find, in the Calcutta edition of the first two hundred nights, authority for deviating here from my usual standard copy, by substituting "El-Baṣrah" for a city of China. The Breslau edition, in the opening of the story, lays the scene at "El-BaṣrahandḲajḳár." By the latter, I suppose Káshghar to be meant.
Note2.In my original, they are said to have gone out early in the morning; but this is contradicted by the sequel.
Note3.The appeal to Ezra's ass, which alludes to a tradition believed by the Muslims, as it is mentioned in the Ḳur-án, is omitted in the Cairo edition. The story is this:—'Ozeyr, or Ezra, "riding on an ass by the ruins of Jerusalem, after it had been destroyed by the Chaldeans, doubted in his mind by what means God could raise the city and its inhabitants again; whereupon God caused him to die, and he remained in that condition a hundred years; at the end of which, God restored him to life, and he found a basket of figs and a cruise of wine that he had with him, not in the least spoiled or corrupted; but his ass was dead, the bones only remaining; and these, while the Prophet looked on, were raised and clothed with flesh, becoming an ass again, which, being inspired with life, began immediately to bray."323
Note4.Most Arab cities abound with cats, which are much favoured by the inhabitants. These animals are often seen leaping across from the terrace of one house to that of another on the opposite side of a narrow street; and often has my kitchen in Cairo been robbed by them. They are said to contribute greatly to the spreading of the plague.
Note5.Occurrences of this kind are said to have often happened in Arab towns, where dogs, though esteemed unclean by the Muslims, are, like cats, generally very numerous. Few of them have masters; but they compose distinct tribes; those of each tribe confining themselves to a particular quarter or district of the town, and suffering no strange dog to intrude among them and share with them in the offal thrown out from the butchers' shops and from private houses; or prowling about the mounds of rubbish in the environs, and, like the vultures, feeding upon the carcasses of camels, asses, and other beasts, thrown out by the inhabitants. I was once told that themaster of an English merchant-vessel, having fallen asleep in a state of intoxication on the shore of the harbour of Alexandria, at night, was devoured by dogs.
Note6.The snatching of turbans by night is still a frequent practice of Arab rogues, and one which is often very lucrative; many a turban being composed of a costly Kashmeer shawl wound round a ṭarboosh, which latter alone is worth eight or nine shillings, or more, and some also having money or other valuables secreted in them.
Note7.Watchmen are generally employed to guard by night the sooḳs, or market-streets, and other districts, in Arab towns. Those in Cairo carry a nebboot, or long staff, but no lantern. Their usual cries are of a religious nature; as, "I extol the perfection of the Living King, who sleepeth not nor dieth!" When they see a passenger approaching, they call out to him, "Attest the unity of God!" or merely, "Attest the unity!" and the reply is, "There is no deity but God!" It is supposed that a person bound on any unlawful undertaking would not dare to utter these words.
Note8.At the period when this work was composed, the Christians were distinguished from the Muslims by a black or blue turban, and this was wound in a peculiar manner.
Note9.—On the Title and Office ofWálee. "Wálee" is the title given to the chief magistrate of the police, and was so employed in the time of El-Maḳreezee, instead of the older appellation of "Ṣáḥeb esh-Shurṭah." The same officer was also called "Mutawellee." It was the duty of this magistrate to perambulate the streets at night, attended by a body of his officers, including an executioner; for he often inflicted capital punishment on criminals immediately after their detection. He was invested with a degree of despotic power, and often put to death persons accused of capital crimes without the formalities required by the law. It was also his duty to superintend the infliction of the punishments of criminals legally condemned. An officer was employed to perform the nightly rounds in El-Medeeneh in the reign of Aboo-Bekr; but it appears that the first regular guard for this purpose was appointed in the reign of 'Othmán.324
Note10.The ardebb, thus commonly pronounced, but properly written irdebb, varies in different places. In Cairo it is very nearly equivalent to five English bushels.
Note11.In the original, this building is called the Khán of El-Jawálee; but it evidently should be —— of El-Jáwalee; and the error is to be attributed to a copyist. The Khán of El-Jáwalee is mentioned by El-Maḳreezee,325as being situate at a short distance within the present gate called Báb en-Naṣr, and by the site of the older gate so called; and as existing in his time, in the former half of the ninth century of the Flight. [El-Maḳreezee also informs us, in his account of the Medreseh el-Jáwaleeyeh, that El-Jáwalee's full name was 'Alam-ed-Deen Senjer, and that he was originally a memlook of one Jáwalee (whence his surname), an Emeer of El-Melik eẓ-Ẓáhir Beybars. He died in the year of the Flight 745.—Ed.]
Note12.Báb en-Naṣr (the Gate of Victory, or —— of Aid) is the name of the easternmost of the northern gates of Cairo. It was built in the reign of the Khaleefeh El-Mustanṣir, in the year of the Flight 480 (A. D.1087-8).
Note13.The words "besides my brokerage," I have inserted as necessary to make the account correct.
Note14.It has been shewn in a former note that the Arabs consider it indecorous to eat with the left hand.
Note15.As it is held impolite to shew the hands, unless unavoidably, in the presence of a person of rank, the sleeve of the cloth coat, or that of the silk vest which is worn beneath it, is made sufficiently long to extend a little beyond the ends of the fingers; and so also, in general, is the sleeve of the shirt worn by persons of the lower orders.
Note16.This building is first called, in the Cairo edition, the Khán of Suroor; and afterwards, —— of Mesroor: the latter is the appellation given to it in the edition of Breslau; and is the correct name. The Khán of Mesroor is mentioned by El-Maḳreezee,326as situate at the southern extremity of Beyn el-Ḳaṣreyn (respecting which see the next note), adjacent to the site of the Great Palace of the Khaleefehs. There were two Kháns of this name near each other. El-Maḳreezee says, that, in his earlier days, the greater of these, which appears to be that here alluded to, was one of the finest and largest Kháns in Cairo, in a most flourishing state, the resort of the chief Syrian merchants, and the dépôt of their goods; but that latterly it had declined, and some portions of it were ruined.
Note17.Beyn el-Ḳaṣreyn (which signifies "Between the Two Palaces") is the name still applied to that part of the principal street of Cairo which intervenes between the sites of the two famous palaces of the Khaleefehs.
Note18.A Ḳeysáreeyeh is a superior kind of sooḳ, consisting of ranges of shops facing each other. That which is here mentioned (called in the Cairo edition, the Ḳeysereeyeh of Jirjis; in the edition of Breslau, the Ḳeysáreeyeh of Jarkash; and in the old English version, erroneously, the Circassian bezestein) is the Ḳeysáreeyeh of Jahárkas, which, as I learn from El-Maḳreezee,327was situate near the centre of what constituted the old city, on the east of the principal street. It existed in his time, and was built by the Emeer Fakhr-ed-Deen Jahárkas, in the year of the Flight 502 (A.D. 1108-9). Ibn-Khallikán,328as quoted by El-Maḳreezee, says of it, "I have seen a number of merchants who have traversed various countries, and who say, 'We have not seen in any country its equal in beauty and greatness, and compactness of construction.'" He explains also the orthography of the name of "Jahárkas," and states that it is Persian (Chahár-kas), and signifies "four persons."
Note19.The Egyptian fowls are much smaller than those of our country, and one is not too much for one man's breakfast. The eggs are usually hatched in ovens.
Note20.The appellation of "the Gardener" is here to be understood as a mere surname derived from the occupation of some ancestor of the merchant; it being a common custom of the Arabs to retain an appellation of this kind, however humble.
Note21.El-Maḳreezee329mentions a "sooḳ of the money-changers" as near to the Khán of Mesroor; and it seems to be the place here alluded to: the word "sooḳ" being often omitted.
Note22.The lady having offered up a prayer that the young merchant might be her husband, I have taken the liberty of inserting here a slight interpolation, which does not detract from the probability or consistency of the story; but rather the contrary.
Note23.—On one of the Passages in this Work indicating a very late Date.TheḤabbáneeyeh is the name now applied to a portion of a main street, a little to the west of the lake called Birket el-Feel, in the southern part of Cairo. It is evidently thus applied in the passage to which this note relates; but El-Maḳreezee, writing in the former half of the ninth century of the Flight,330says, "In this our time, bordering upon it [the Birket el-Feel] is agardencalled by the name of the Ḥabbáneeyeh, who were a family of Darmà the son of 'Amr the son of 'Owf the son of Thaạlebeh the son of Baạl the son of 'Amr the son of El-Ghóth the son of Ṭeiyi: so Darmà was a minor family of [the tribe of] Ṭeiyi, and the Ḥabbáneeyoon [or Ḥabbáneeyeh—for the terms are synonymous] were a family of Darmà; and the people have made a road between the garden of the Ḥabbáneeyeh and the lake." He proceeds to say, that on theeastof the Birket el-Feel thereweregardens; but thathousesandstreetshad been builtthere.—Now, in the work before us, the tract which was agardenin the time of El-Maḳreezee is mentioned as occupied byhousesandstreets. Many years must have elapsed since that period before such could have been the case; and surely at least a century before the houses could have presented such an appearance as would lead a writer to imagine them of "ancient times." It may be objected against an argument drawn from this passage, that it is perhaps an interpolation of a copyist; but it agrees with many evidences of a late date, and occurs in at least one other copy (that from which the Breslau edition is printed), with only this slight difference—that "Ḥabbáneeyeh," by the erroneous addition of a point beneath the first letter, is converted into "Jebbáneeyeh;" and it should be remarked that the latter copy varies considerably in other points from that of Cairo. It would imply that Cairo was almost as extensive a city at the time when this work was composed or modernized as it is at present; and would account for its being here called Miṣr, or Maṣr; a name which was retained by El-Fusṭáṭ at least as late as the commencement of the tenth century of the Flight, and probably until the year 1517 of our era or a little later, as I have remarked in a former note.
Note24."Ḳá'ah" is a term generally signifying "a lofty saloon;" but also often applied to an elegant house.
Note25."Naḳeeb" signifies "a chief," "a leader," &c., and has various applications. In the present instance, the office which it designates is doubtful, but is evidently of high dignity, as Naḳeeb of the Shereefs, the Chief, or Syndic, of the Descendants of the Prophet.
Note26.Báb Zuweyleh (the Gate of Zuweyleh, or, more properly, of Zaweeleh, which is the name of a tribe) is a gate that was built at the same period as Báb en-Naṣr, before mentioned. It marked the southern limit of Cairo; but is now in the heart of the metropolis. With two round-fronted towers, each surmounted by a lofty and elegant mád'neh, or menaret, pertaining to the adjoining great mosque of El-Mueiyad, it presents a very noble appearance.
Note27."Imperial gypsum" is a name given to the best kind of plaster used in Cairo. I have often admired the smoothness of its surface upon the walls of chambers in some of the older houses in that city; but, I need hardly say, never saw any that reflected like a mirror.
Note28.In the Cairo edition, "with pearls and jewels at its corners." Thedeficiency I have supplied from the edition of Breslau: but I may here remark, that it would have been more proper to describe the snakes asgilt.
Note29.—On the Crowns worn by Arab Ladies.From Eastern drawings and descriptions, it appears that the kind of crown here mentioned was generally a circle of jewelled gold (the lower edge of which was straight; and the upper, fancifully heightened to four or more points) surrounding the lower part of a dome-shaped cap with a jewel or some other ornament at the summit. This crown was worn by many Arab ladies of high rank or great wealth, probably until about two centuries ago. Another kind of crown is now more generally worn, called a "ḳurṣ." This is a round, convex ornament, generally about five inches in diameter, composed of gold set with a profusion of diamonds, of open work, representing roses, leaves, &c. It is sewed upon the top of the ṭarboosh; and is worn by most of the ladies of Cairo, at least in full dress. An engraving of a crown of this description, and another of one of a more common kind, may be seen in my work on the Modern Egyptians, vol. ii. Appendix A.
Note30.It is a common custom of the Arabs to give a present of money tied up in a corner of an embroidered handkerchief.
Note31.The mace is a weapon still used in the East; but not so commonly as it was in former times. There was a petty governor in Upper Egypt during my first visit to that country, who, in his daily rides, indulged a frequent habit of striking persons with a weapon of this kind, a tolerably-heavy steel mace; but he did it with a happy knack, so as never, I believe, to inflict a dangerous wound, unless intentionally. Maces, like other arms of steel, are often tastefully inlaid with arabesque ornaments and inscriptions in gold.
Note32.—On the Punishment of Theft.The Mohammadan law ordains that a person who is adult and of sound mind, if he steals an article of the value of a quarter of a deenár (or piece of gold) from a place to which he has not ordinary or free access, shall lose his right hand; but this punishment is not to be inflicted for stealing a free child, or anything which, in the eye of the law, is of no pecuniary value; as wine, or a musical instrument; and there are some other cases in which the thief is not to be so punished. For the second offence, the left foot is to be cut off; and for the third and subsequent offences, according to the Ḥanafee code, the culprit is to be punished by a long imprisonment; or, by the Sháfe'ee law, for the third offence, he is to lose his left hand; for the fourth, his right foot; and for further offences, he is to be flogged or beaten. The punishment is the same for a woman as for a man.—This law induced a freethinking Muslim to ask, "If the hand is worth five hundred deenárs, [this being the fine for depriving a man of that member,] why should it be cut off for a quarter of a deenár?" He was answered, "An honest hand is of great value; but not so is the hand that hath stolen."—Amputation for theft is now seldom practised: beating, or some other punishment, is usually inflicted in its stead for the first, second, and third offence; and, frequently, death for the fourth.
Note33.Capital punishment in this case would be contrary to the law; but it is often inflicted upon highway-robbers.
Note34.The meaning is, that the doer is God. An allusion is here conveyed to a verse (the 17th) in the Soorat el-Anfál (the eighth chapter of the Ḳur-án)—"Thou didst not cast [the gravel into their eyes] when thou didst [seem to] cast [it]; but God cast [it]."331
Note35.The honour that is due to the human body requires that any portion disunited from it be decently deposited in the earth.
Note36.As a hair, for instance, is drawn from paste.332
Note37.These verses are founded on a tradition of the Prophet.333
Note38.OnKhatmehs,or Recitations of the whole of theḲur-ánat Private Festivities.The most approved and common mode of entertaining guests at modern private festivities among the Arabs is by a Khatmeh, which is the recitation of the whole of the Ḳur-án. Three or more persons of the inferior class of the professors of religion and law, who are called faḳeehs (vulgarly, fiḳees), are usually hired for this purpose. Schoolmasters, and students of the collegiate mosques who devote themselves to religion and law, are the persons most commonly thus employed. Their mode of recitation is a peculiar kind of chanting,334which, when well executed, I found very agreeable, at least for an hour or so: but the guests seldom have to listen to the chanting of the whole of the Ḳur-án: the reciters usually accomplish the greater portion of their task, in a somewhat hurried manner, before the guests have assembled, each of them chanting, in turn, a certain portion, as a thirtieth part of the whole (called a "juz"), or half of one of these sections (a "ḥezb"), or, more commonly, a quarter (rubạ). Afterwards they chant more leisurely, and in a more musical manner; but still by turns.—These recitations of the whole of the Ḳur-án are performed on various festive occasions, but are most usual after a death; the merit of the performance being transferred to the soul of the deceased.
Note39.The mess termed "zirbájeh," by some called "zurbájeh," from the Persian "zeerbáj," is a kind of spoon-meat. Some of its ingredients are described in the sequel of the present story.
Note40.—On Atonements and other Services for the Dead.As filial piety is a general characteristic of the Arabs, and various services are believed by them to atone for the minor sins of the deceased, and thus to diminish his misery, or to increase his happiness, it is natural, and not uncommon, for a son to act in the manner here related. Recitations of the Ḳur-án are performed for the dead, to whom the merit of these works is transferred, and a sacrifice is often offered at the tomb after the burial; the flesh of the victim being distributed to the poor. But a more important service for the deceased is the payment of his debts; for it is affirmed by the Prophet, that even martyrdom will not atone for a debt unpaid.
Note41.A money-changer is very frequently employed to examine the money which a purchaser offers; and if it be old, to weigh it. The money-changers are mostly Jews and Christians.
Note42.Some mosques (as the Azhar, for instance, the principal mosque of Cairo) remain open all night; and many houseless persons sleep in them, upon the matting which covers the paved floor. Men are also often seen, at other times, but not at the hours of prayer, lounging, eating, or working, in the mosques; such practices not being deemed inconsistent with the high respect which the Muslims pay to these buildings.
Note43.The remainder of this paragraph, and the whole of the next two paragraphs, being omitted in the edition of Cairo, I translate from the Calcutta edition of the first two hundred nights, and the edition of Breslau; but almost entirely from the former.
Note44.The water of the well of Zemzem, in the temple of Mekkeh, is believed to possess miraculous virtues, and is therefore brought away in bottles or flasks by many of the pilgrims, to be used when occasion may require as medicine, or to be sprinkledon grave-linen. A bottle of it is a common and acceptable present from a pilgrim, and a guest is sometimes treated with a sip of this holy water.
Note45.A whip is sometimes used in the ḥareem of a great man; and its being attached to the waist of the damsel here mentioned marks her authority. It is generally formed of a strip of hippopotamus' hide, hammered into a round shape; and this kind is called a "kurbáj." I believe it is seldom used in the ḥareem with severity; but usually for intimidation. [I once saw some of the ladies of Názlee Khánim (thus vulgarly pronounced for Názloo Khánum) struck with a kurbáj, for too curiously looking in at the window of an apartment in that lady's palace, in which I and some friends happened to be, and which overlooked the private garden. They were speedily driven away by two or three black eunuchs, who appeared to use their heavy whips indiscriminately and severely; their excuse for this conduct undoubtedly being, that these ladies were guilty of a great impropriety in thus shewing themselves to men; for when riding abroad, it is usual for passengers in the streets to turn their faces to the wall on the approach of the women of a great man's household. Moreover, the ḥareem of Názlee Khánim was well known to be ruled with an iron hand, and its mistress herself to have acquired the character of her brutal husband, Moḥammad Bey, the Defterdár, whose cruelties are mentioned in the "Modern Egyptians."—Ed.]
Note46.It is a universal custom of the Arabs, on visiting the sick, to say, "May our Lord restore thee!" or, "No evil befall thee!" &c.
Note47.The first hospital built by a Muslim was that of Damascus, founded by El-Weleed the son of 'Abd-El-Melik, in the eighty-eighth year of the Flight (a. d. 706-7). The Arabs would deprive St. Ephrem Syrus of the honour of having been the author of the first institution of this kind; one of their historians ascribing it to an early Pharaoh, named Menáḳiyoosh; another, to Hippocrates.335
Note48.The remainder of the paragraph is translated from the Calcutta edition of the first two hundred nights.
Note49."The metropolis of the world," or literally, "the mother of the world" ("umm ed-dunyà"), is a title given to several cities, as well as to Cairo, by their respective inhabitants. This passage, therefore, and others of a similar kind, in which evenforeignersare made to rank Egypt and Cairo as superior to every other country and city, strongly favour the opinion that some of its tales were written, or altered, by an Egyptian.
Note50.A more ample eulogium upon Egypt and the Nile, but abounding with such gross errors that I could not confidently offer a translation, is found in the Breslau edition. It agrees better with the old translation; which, however, in this place, presents considerable unauthorized amplifications, and some misconceptions: "Birket el-Ḥabash" (for instance), the name of a lake on the south of Cairo, being mistaken for Ethiopia.
Note51.For this monthly rent (or about a guinea of our money), a large and handsome house may be hired at the present day in Cairo.
Note52.After the amputation of the hand for theft, the stump is usually plunged in boiling pitch or tar, or oil, to stanch the blood.
Note53.—On Retaliation and Fines for Wounds and Mutilations.Retaliation for intentional wounds and mutilations is allowed by the Mohammadan law, like as for murder; "eye for eye," &c.:336but a fine may be accepted instead, which the law allows also for unintentional injuries. The fine for a member that is single (as the nose) is the whole price of blood, as for homicide; namely a thousand deenárs (about 500l.) fromhim who possesses gold; or, from him who possesses silver, twelve thousand dirhems (about 300l.); for a member of which there are two, and not more (as a hand), half the price of blood; for one of which there are ten (a finger or toe), a tenth of the price of blood: but the fine of a man for maiming or wounding a woman is half of that for the same injury to a man; and that of a free person for injuring a slave varies according to the value of the slave. The fine for depriving a man of any of his five senses, or dangerously wounding him, or grievously disfiguring him for life, is the whole price of blood.
Note54.See No. 20 of the notes to Chapter ii.—"The women of Egypt have the character of being the most licentious in their feelings of all females who lay any claim to be considered as members of a civilized nation; and this character is freely bestowed upon them by theircountrymen, even in conversation with foreigners."337—In the work from which the above passage is quoted, I have expatiated upon this subject more than I need do in the present case.
Note55.The Arabs are generally of opinion that the innate dispositions of a child are inherited more from the mother than from the father. They believe that a daughter commonly resembles, in good or evil qualities, her mother; and a son, his maternal uncle. Hence they often address a man, "Yá ṭeiyib el-khál!"—"O thou who hast a good maternal uncle!"
Note56.'Abd-Allah Ibn-'Abbás was one of the most learned of the companions of his cousin Moḥammad, and one of the most celebrated of the relaters of his sayings and actions. He has received the titles of "Interpreter of the Ḳur-án" and "Sulṭán of Commentators." He died in the year of the Flight 68. His father, 'Abbás, the son of 'Abd-El-Muṭṭalib, was paternal uncle of Moḥammad, and ancestor of the 'Abbásee Khaleefehs.
Note57.—On the Astrolabe.The astrolabe is more commonly used by the Arabs than any other instrument for astronomical observations. It is generally between four and six inches in diameter. It consists of a circular plate with a graduated rim, within which fit several thinner plates, and of a limb, moving on a pivot in the centre, with two sights. The plates are engraved with complicated diagrams, &c., for various calculations. The instrument is held by a ring, or by a loop of cord attached to the ring, during an observation; and thus its own weight answers the same purpose as the plumb-line of the quadrant (which the Arabs sometimes use in its stead); the position of the moveable limb with the sights marking the required altitude.
Note58.Ṣafar is the second mouth of the Mohammadan year.
Note59.As different copies vary here as to the date, I have taken the liberty of putting 263 instead of 763 or 653, in order to avoid a glaring anachronism. It is probable, however, that the last of these is the author's date, as it is found both in the old translation, and in the Breslau edition. The date in the Cairo edition is 763.
Note60.A degree is four minutes; it would have been more proper, therefore, to have said, eight degrees and two minutes, than seven degrees and six minutes.
Note61."Eṣ-Ṣámit" signifies "the Silent."
Note62.This and the two following names, or rather, surnames, convey the same meaning. Baḳbooḳ, Heddár, and Baḳbaḳ (here, in my original, erroneously written Yaḳyaḳ), signify "Chatterer." "El-Kooz el-Aṣwánee" (not to be mistaken for "—— —— Aswánee," with asofts) seems to imply that the person thus named was always like a mug, with open mouth, and insensible as flint to rebuke. The two remaining names are different in different copies: "Shaḳáliḳ" is perhaps put erroneously for some other word, as "Shiḳáḳ," "Discord."
Note63.Ḳur-án, ch. iii. v. 128.
Note64.The Arabs generally carry their young children in this manner, seated astride upon the shoulder.
Note65.This expression is borrowed from the Ḳur-án, ch. xlviii. v. 10. The meaning is, "there is no power of man, but God's power is superior to it."
Note66.The Prophet (Moḥammad) is always alluded to when this form of benediction is used and the name of the person to whom it is applied is not mentioned.
Note67."Nedd" is a perfume composed of ambergris, musk, and aloes wood; or simply ambergris.
Note68.Two khuṭbehs are recited on the occasion of the congregational Friday-prayers. It is the first of these which is here alluded to. See the next note.
Note69.—On the Congregational Friday-prayers.The Selám (or Salutation) of Friday is a form of blessing on the Prophet and his family and companions, which is chanted by the muëddins from the mád'nehs (or towers) of the congregational mosques half an hour before noon. The worshippers begin to assemble in the mosque as soon as they hear it, and, ranging themselves in rows parallel to, and facing, that side in which is the niche, that marks the direction of Mekkeh, each performs, by himself, the prayers of two rek'ahs, which are supererogatory, and then sits in his place while a reader recites part or the whole of the 18th chapter of the Ḳur-án. At the call of noon, they all stand up, and each again performs, separately, the prayers of two rek'ahs, ordained by the Prophet. A minister, standing at the foot of the pulpit-stairs, then proposes to bless the Prophet: and accordingly, a second Selám is chanted by one or more other ministers stationed on an elevated platform. After this, the former minister, and the latter after him, repeat the call of noon (which the muëddins have before chanted from the mád'nehs); and the former enjoins silence. The chief minister (Khaṭeeb, or Imám,) has already seated himself on the top step or platform of the pulpit. He now rises, and recites a khuṭbeh of praise to God and exhortation to the congregation; and if in a country or town acquired by arms from unbelievers, he holds a wooden sword, resting its point on the ground.338Each of the congregation next offers up some private supplication; after which, the Khaṭeeb recites a second khuṭbeh, which is always the same, or nearly so; part, of a similar nature to the first, but chiefly, prayer for the Prophet and his family, &c., and for the general welfare of the Muslims. This finished, the Khaṭeeb or Imám descends from the pulpit, and, stationed before the niche, after a form of words339differing slightly from the call to prayer has been chanted by the ministers on the elevated platform before mentioned, recites the divinely-ordained prayers of Friday (two rek'ahs), while the people do the same silently, keeping time with him exactly in the various postures. Thus are completed the Friday-prayers; but some of the congregation remain, and perform the ordinary divinely-ordained prayers of noon.340
Note70.So in the Cairo edition. El-Muntaṣir bi-lláh was the great-grandson of Hároon Er-Rasheed, and acceded to the throne in the year of the Flight 247 (A.D.861). A slight anachronism, therefore, is here presented, unless we suppose that thehero of the story told by the Sulṭán's steward was an old man at the period of the misfortune of the humpback. The reign of El-Muntaṣir was somewhat less than six months. The copy from which the old translation was made, and the edition of Breslau, date the adventure of the barber, here related, more than three centuries and a half later, in the reign of El-Mustaṣir bi-lláh.
Note71.The practice of spunging, or the intrusion of strangers at entertainments, has long been very prevalent in Arab towns. An instance has been given towards the close of Note 22 to Chapter iii.
Note72.I have altered the order in which the brothers are described, and omitted two particulars, to agree with the sequel.
Note73.The next paragraph is translated from the Calcutta edition of the first two hundred nights; being omitted in the Cairo edition. An equal portion, later, is wanting in the old translation.
Note74.—On Augurations with respect to Marriage.This passage alludes to an astrological calculation made with the view of determining by what sign of the zodiac the two persons are influenced who contemplate becoming man and wife, and thence ascertaining whether they will agree. This is often done in the present day by adding together the numerical values of the letters composing his or her name and that of the mother, and, if I remember right, subtracting from 12 the whole sum if this is less than 12, or what remains after subtracting, or dividing by, 12. Thus is obtained the number of the sign. The twelve signs, commencing with Aries, correspond respectively with the elements of fire, earth, air, water, fire, earth, and so on; and if the signs of the two parties indicate the same element, it is inferred that they will agree; but if they indicate different elements, the inference is, that the one will be affected by the other in the same manner as the element of the one is by that of the other: thus, if the element of the man is fire, and that of the woman, water, he will be subject to her rule.
Among other calculations of the same kind is the following, which my sheykh has mentioned in a marginal note on this passage, in the copy from which I translate.—The numerical values of the letters composing the name of each of the two parties are added together, and one of these two sums is subtracted from the other: if the remainder is an uneven number, the inference is unfavourable; but if even, the reverse.
In the present instance, the dupe, knowing that there are various modes of divining whether he will be happy with his wife, is made to believe that his fortune depends upon the mode, instead of the result, of the calculation.
Note75.Here, in my original, "Baḳbaḳ;" but this, as before mentioned, was the name of thethirdbrother.
Note76."Ḳuffeh," signifying "a basket of palm-leaves," and "a dry gourd," seems to be here equivalent to "empty-head."
Note77.The blind in Egypt are notorious for their impudence.—It is related that Moses, while bathing one day in the Nile, saw a blind man pass by, and, being moved with pity, prayed that God would restore his sight. His prayer was answered; but as soon as the eyes of the blind man were opened, he seized the clothes of his benefactor, which were lying on the bank, and protested that they were his own. Moses, therefore, now prayed that the thief might be struck blind again; and God, answering his prayer, said, O Moses, know that I am wiser than thou with respect to my creatures.—This tradition was related to me in Cairo.
Note78.It is generally thus that an injured Muslim calls others to his aid.
Note79.Like the natives of Egypt in the period of the Roman domination,341itsmodern inhabitants, and the Arabs of other countries (though, I believe, in a less degree), are notorious for their obstinacy in refusing to pay their taxes until they have been severely beaten. They well know that, the more readily they pay, the more will be exacted from them; and are often heard to boast of the number of stripes which they have received before yielding their money. The same obstinacy is generally displayed by an Arab accused of any offence; and often, even by a witness: in either case the man fears that, should he tell at once all he can, the judge will try whether the stick or the kurbáj342will elicit a further confession.
Note80.—On the general Corruptness of Muslim Judges.Khiḍr Bey (whether he was a judge I do not know), conversing one day with his friends on the difficulties experienced in the exercise of judicature, one of the company remarked, "In my opinion, the greatest difficulty that is met with is, when one of the parties is rich, and the other, poor."—"In that case," replied Khiḍr Bey, "I find none; for it is clear that the rich will gain his cause, and the poor will lose: but the great difficulty is, when the two parties are equally rich and powerful. If thou, he continued, being a poor man, have a suit against one who is rich and powerful, beware of applying to the Ḳáḍee; for he will not fail to condemn thee: my advice is, that thou desist altogether from thy suit, and rather throw thyself at the feet of thine adversary; for thou wilt obtain more justice from him than from the Ḳáḍee."343—For a justification of the opinion here expressed, see my work on the Modern Egyptians, vol. i. ch. iv.
Note81.—On good and evil Omens.Of omens I have already treated, in Note 15 to Chapter i.: but a few words on this subject must be here added.—It is common to draw a lucky or unlucky omen from the first object seen on going out in the morning; and according as that object is pleasant or the contrary, the person says, "my morning is good," or "——bad." A one-eyed man is regarded as of evil omen; and especially one who is blind of thelefteye. Many a person is related to have suffered for having an unlucky countenance.
Note82.The portion of this story comprised in the first paragraph having been the subject of a specimen of the present publication, translated from the Calcutta edition of the first two hundred nights, and printed and distributed when I had not in my possession the copy of the original which I have taken as my general standard, it is here given nearly in the same words: I have only made a few slight additions and alterations derived from a comparison of the two editions. Some of the notes inserted in the specimen I omit in this place, as they relate to matters already explained.—Hole remarks (in page 223), that this part of the Barber's story of his Fifth Brother is derived "from an Indian fable of the remotest antiquity ... found in the Heeto-pades of Veeshnoo-Sarma," in which a Brahman "inadvertently breaks his pottery ware ... with a walking-stick ... in the act of suppressing the outrageous jealousy of four beautiful but turbulent wives."
Note83."El-Feshshár" signifies "the Foolish Talker," or "Vain Boaster." I have substituted this name for "El-'Ashshár," the reading in my original. In the Arabic characters, the latter differs from the former in little more than the want of a point, and has no appropriate meaning. It appears that, in most copies of the original, the barber's Fifth Brother is surnamed "En-Neshshár," or "the Sawyer," perhaps in allusion to his incessant loquacity: but this, also, in the Arabic characters, very nearly resembles "El-Feshshár," which I doubt not to be the right name.
Note84.There is nothing very extravagant in this hope of the barber's brother; for in the East, persons frequently rise from very low to very high stations; and it is remarkable that, notwithstanding their usual pride, they generally retain the appellation of the trade or craft which they or their fathers pursued, however ignoble, beforetheir elevation. It is common for a great man to distinguish himself by adding to his name the appellation of "the druggist or perfumer," or "the grocer," &c.; and he is not a whit the less respected on this account.
Note85.The Eastern grandee rides not at the head or rear of his attendants, but in the midst of them.
Note86.Persons distinguished by rank or wealth or learning are saluted by many of the shopkeepers and passengers as they pass through the streets of Eastern cities, and often greeted with a short ejaculatory prayer for the continuance of their life and happiness. When a very great man rides through the streets, most of the shopkeepers rise to him, and pay their respect to him by inclining the head, and touching the lips and forehead or turban with the fingers of the right hand.
Note87.See Note 12 to Chapter iii.
Note88.He could scarcely shew his pride more strongly; for it is an affront to reject a present.
Note89.An Arab lady of high rank seldom makes use of her feet but to move from one chamber to another; when she goes abroad, she always rides: to stand for many minutes together is, therefore, fatiguing to her.
Note90.See the close of Note 39 to Chapter iv.
Note91.This is said either to shew his vulgarity or that the weather was sultry.
Note92."El-Meleeḥah" signifies "the Beautiful:" it is derived from "milḥ" (salt, &c.).
Note93.An occurrence of a similar nature, which happened a few years ago in Cairo, was related to me by one of my friends there.—An old woman frequented the tomb of a saint in that city, near the eastern gate called the Báb el-Maḥrooḳ, to which many women afflicted with disease or barrenness often resorted to offer up prayers, believing their petitions would be effectual through the saint's intercession; and she was in the habit of enticing ladies from this tomb to the house of her husband, which was near by, under pretence of his serving them with medicines or with charms. The unsuspecting victim, being desired to go thither alone, was conducted by the old woman to an upper room, at the end of which the man was seated; and in walking over the matted floor to approach him, suddenly fell through a trap-door into a place so deep that the fall rendered her senseless. In this state, she was put to death; and as ladies in Cairo always wear valuable ornaments and costly clothes, the murderers were sure of obtaining considerable spoil.
Note94.This money, we are to understand, was prepared for the purpose of giving those presents which are customary from a guest at a marriage-festivity; but the mention of a smaller sum would have been more proper. It is given to the singing-women and tire-women who, in great houses, parade the bride through the different apartments, and display her in different rich suits of attire before the bridegroom.
Note95.—On the Handkerchief, and Signet, of Indemnity.Sometimes, the handkerchief, and sometimes, the signet, or seal-ring, is given as a pledge of indemnity.—It was a frequent custom of many a chief of the Memlooks of Egypt (there commonly called "the Ghuzz"), to bastinade men in the court of his mansion (when he desired to make a show of strict justice), in order that one of the women of the family, hearing the cries, might drop a handkerchief from a window, and so the punishment might soon cease, in respect for the ḥareem, whose protection is often appealed to by offenders.
Note96.The title of "Sulṭán" is here, and afterwards, given to the Khaleefeh; and it has been so employed by a celebrated historian, El-Maḳreezee.344
Note97.So, apparently, in most copies; but in the Cairo edition, "of the sons of the Kings." It is said to have been a custom of some of the Barmekees (the family so renowned for their generosity) to keep open house during the hours of meals, and to allow no one who applied at such times for admission to be repulsed.
Note98."Sikbáj" is a dish composed of meat, wheat-flour, and vinegar.
Note99."Ḳaṭáïf" is a name applied to various kinds of sweet pastry: particularly to a kind of small pancakes, made of a thin paste of fine flour and water, about three inches broad, and a sixth of an inch or less in thickness, baked upon a copper tray over a fire, like kunáfeh (the composition of which is the same), and eaten with honey or sugar: also to cakes composed of fine flour, treacle or honey, and sesame-oil. The sirup mentioned in the same sentence is (as my sheykh states in a marginal note) treacle thickened over the fire.—The proper singular of ḳaṭáïf, namely, "ḳaṭeefeh," is seldom used; one of these cakes being generally called "fard ḳaṭáïf." Sometimes, it appears, they were perfumed with musk.
Note100.The "mithḳál" is the weight of a deenár, or a dirhem and a half,—in Cairo, about 71-1/2 or 72 English grains.
Note101.See above, Note 96.
Note102.By "Arabs," we are here to understand Bedawees, or Arabs of the Desert, who are termed, by the older writers, "Aạráb," or "Aạrábees;" but in my original, as in other late works, "'Arab," which was theoldappellation of thetownspeopleandvillagers.