And one who sowed millet once, and when it came to be cut, it turned, for sooth, jujube shrub, which merry men dearly love.

(al-ghubairâ’, an intoxicating liquor prepared from millet, also called sakrakah, of which a tradition says: “beware of the ghubairâ’, it is the wine of the world,” and also the Arabic name of the plant Zizypha rubra Gilanensis.)

And one who was bound and rode upon a horse also bound, but never ceased all the while to fare along amblingly.

(maghlûl, put in chains, fettered, bound, and ghulla, he was bound, have also the meaning “thirsty,” and “he was suffering from thirst.”)

And one I saw, free of hand, who led a fine saddle-beast, in haste, although captive and a brother of misery.

(ma’sûr, one taken captive, made prisoner of war, and also “one suffering from strangury.”)

One sitting, while walking, and with whom his beast fell aground, though strange it seem what I tell, yet it admits naught of doubt.

(jâlis, one who is seated, and also “one who makes for Najd”; mâshî, a pedestrian, and also “owner of cattle,” in which latter sense some commentators explain imshû, in Koran, lxvii. 15, as a prayer in behalf of mankind for abundance of cattle and prosperity.)

A weaver too, both his hands cut off, I saw, deaf and dumb, if this you deem marvellous, well, wonders will never cease.

(ḥâ’ik, a weaver, and also “one who in walking moves his shoulders, and keeps his feet far apart.”)

One straight of build met I once, whose stature rose like a lance, on Mina mount, who complained to me of back-crookedness.

(al-ḥadab, being hump-backed, and also “rough rising ground”.)

One who exerted himself in giving all creatures joy, yet cheering them thought a sin like lying or tyranny.

(ifrâḥ, rendering cheerful, and also “burdening with debts,” as in the saying of Mohammed: “There is none left in Islâm

burdened with debt [mufraḥ] whose debt has not been paid.”)

And one who loved people to commune with him secretly, but never had any need for converse with humankind.

(ḥadîs̤u ’l-khalq, conversation with created beings, and also “the telling of a lie,” as in Koran passim: “this is but a lying tale of the ancients.”)

One scrupulous who redeemed always his word faithfully, lacked none the less conscience according to Arab ways.

(ẕimâm‘ conscientiousness, and also pl. of ẕimmah, “a well with scanty water,” when the words translated “according to Arab ways” would have to be taken in the sense of “on the road of the Arabs,” meaning in the desert.)

One full of strength, never was there yieldingness seen in him, his softness was manifest withal, and quite unconcealed.

(lîn, softness, smoothness, yieldingness, and also “a palm-tree or plantation,” whence Koran, lix. 5: “your cutting down some of their palm-trees.”)

And one prostrating himself on camel’s back, unconcerned at what he did, thinking it an act of prime piety.

(faḥl, a vigorous camel-stallion, and also “a mat made of the leaves of a male palm-tree” [fuḥḥâl].)

One who excuses, and pains him whose excuse he accepts, though coaxingly, while in screams is he who thus is excused.

(âẕir, one who accepts another man’s excuses, and also a “cir­cumciser”; ma‘ẕûr, one excused, and also “a boy being circumcised.”)

A town I saw, waterless for him who would scoop a draught, though water flows over it with torrent’s rush many times.

(baldah, a city, town, district, and also “the space between the eyebrows,” which is also called buljah.)

A village too, less in size than any nest built by birds, in which there lived Dailamites on plunder and robbery.

(qaryah, a village, and also an ant-hill; dailam, name of a people in Gîlân and extended to non-Arabs in general, and also “a swarm of ants”; khulsatu’s-salab, sudden robbery, and also “bark of a tree.”)

A star I saw, when it shows, a man is no longer seen, as though a veil covered him, a veil that naught penetrates.

(kaukab, a star, and also “a white speck in the eye producing blindness”; insân, man, and also metaphorically “the pupil of the eye.”)

A ball of dung, highly prized as part of one’s property, the owner though recks it not by any means much of wealth.

(raus̤ah, the excrement of any hoofed animal, and also “the tip of the nose.”)

A platter of purest gold, I saw it bought after much hard bargain­ing for a grain, a solitary silver grain.

(nuẓâr, pure gold, and also “wood of the na‘b tree,” of which trays, cups, bows, and similar objects are made.)

One gathering poppy-seed to ward from him off the foes assailing him, and he was not disappointed therein.

(khashkhâs, the plant called abû ’n-naum, father of sleep, i.e., poppy, and also a troop of armed and armoured men.)

And oftentimes passed me by a dog in whose mouth there was a bull, but know ye, it was a bull without any tail.

(s̤aur, a bullock, a bull, and also “a piece of soft cheese.”)

How many an elephant, I swear it, has seen my eye on camel’s back, perched upon a saddle and saddle-bags.

(fîl, an elephant, and also “a man of weak intellect, a dolt”.)

How many a man I met complaining in desert-tracts, and no complaint uttered he in earnest or pleasantry.

(mushtakî, one who complains, and also “one who uses the small water-bag, called shakwah.)

A pitcher I saw again, a shepherd’s girl in the wold was owning it, and it looked with twain of eyes bright as stars.

(karrâz, a pitcher with a narrow neck [the Qâmûs reads the word in this meaning kurrâz], and also “a he-goat on whose horns a herdsman carries his utensils.”)

How often times saw my eye two springs the water whereof, though in Aleppo they were, was flowing from farthest West.

(al-gharb, the distant West, applied to Maghrib or West Africa, and also “the lachrymal gland”; ‘ain, a fountain, source, spring, and also “the eye.”)

And one who pierces with spears, although his hands never held a lance, and he never leaped against a foe charging him.

(qanâ, pl. of qanât, a lance, a spear, and also “an aquiline nose,” applied to which ṣada‘bi-hi means “he disclosed or uncovered it.”)

How many times came I to a land without any palms, and on the morrow I saw dates newly grown in their sheaths.

(busr, dates beginning to ripen, and also “rain-water lately fallen”; qulub, pl. of qalb, pith of the palm-tree, and also of qalîb, “a well.”)

How often a spacious tray in desert tracts have I seen, that in the air was on wing and swooping down from on high.

(t̤abaq, a large tray, and also “a swarm of locusts.”)

How many old men I saw that lived in this world for aye, and who, I ask you, escaped destruction at any time?

(mukhallid, one who lasts eternally, and also “one whose hoari­ness is slow to come.”)

How many wild beasts I met complaining of hunger’s pangs with fluent speech and a tongue more piercing than cutting swords.