My nature is to pass from prey to prey.—The word , which is used several times by Ḥarîri, is made popular by the proverb attributed to a certain Abû Akhzam, for which see Arab. Prov. I. 658, and Ḥarîri’s explanation to the Forty-fourth Assembly.

From ‘Amr to Zayd.—That is, from one person to another. These two names, being very common among the Arabs, are used in stating grammatical or legal propositions; as we should say, “John struck William;” “John leased land to William.” They are used in the verses of Abû Odayneh; Schultens, Mon. Vetust. Arabiæ.

More coated than an onion.—This homely but expressive pro­verb is to be found in Maydâni. Arab. Prov. II. 385. A verb is formed from the noun, so that you say “I peeled or stripped (literally, I onioned) the man of his clothes,” that is, “I peeled them off like the coats of an onion.”

Glory to God who rusted thy mind.—This is an expression of wonder.

Rent the bottle of thy storing is equivalent to “made thee incapable of remembering anything.” I have rendered on the authority of Sherîshi, who says that it signifies to cover with rust and dirt, as a sword is covered. The word is used in the Koran as at iv. 154; xvi. 110, to signify an action of God on the hearts of the wicked, by which He keeps them from know­ledge of the truth, and abandons them to evil deeds. Originally, no doubt, the meaning was simply to “mould” or “stamp” the heart or understanding; but from these passages it acquired an evil signification, so that it is said, “We take refuge with God from (sinful desire) which is akin to (vice or that state of the mind which is reprobate of God).” The derivative signification of foulness, or uncleanness, is easily understood. is manṣûb as a maṣdar; but see also Bayḍâwi, Koran xvii. 1. It is the word used whenever some indignity to God is to be repudiated; as that he has a Son, or a female companion, or partners in the Godhead.

Deskereh was a place between Ḥolwân and Bagdad, sixteen parasangs from the latter.

Ibn Sukkereh.—Abû ’l Ḥasan Moḥammed the Hâshimi, sur­named Ibn Sukkereh, was an elegant poet of the fourth century of the Hijra. He was descended from ‘Ali, son of the Khalif Al Mahdi, and was consequently of the blood of Hâshim. He excelled in light and humorous writing, as may be supposed from the verses in the text. His collected works amount to about fifty thousand verses. He was the rival of Ibn al Ḥajjâj, a contemporary poet of the same style; and the two were com­pared to Jerîr and Al Farazdaḳ in a former ag/e. Ibn Sukkerehe. Ibn Sukkereh died in 385 (a.d. 996).

Winter comes.—These are the pair of verses of which Ḥarîri speaks in his Preface as having been taken from an extraneous source. The metre is basîṭ. For the two plurals of , which occur in the first line, see Lane’s Lexicon, and Ḥarîri in the Durrah (Anthol. Gramm. Arabe, p. 42, Arab. Text.) It may be necessary to remind the reader that the seven things here described as necessary for winter all begin with the letter kâf. A wit remarking on these verses has said that if a man has one kâf, namely , a purse, he can easily supply himself with the other six.