Between Farghânah and Ghânah.—Between the two extremi­ties of the Moslem world. Farghânah is the name of a region and city of Mawarannahr or Transoxiana, and is now contained in the Khanate of Kokan. It lies close to the borders of the Chinese Empire, between Kokan and Kashgar. It was in former times a place of much importance, having a or temple of the Sun, built by the Persians, which the Khalif Mo‘taṣim destroyed. It is described as being distant fifty-three parasangs from Samarcand, on which it was dependent. The building of it is ascribed to the Persian monarch Nushirvan, who transported to it people from other cities. Farghânah was conquered by the celebrated general Kotaybet ibn Muslim in the year 95 (a.d. 713), towards the end of the reign of Welîd ibn ‘Abd al Melik, and here too he was slain after he had thrown off his allegiance to Sulaymân. Ghânah, according to the Arab geographers, is a city of Sûdân and the utmost point to which merchants travel. According to Sherîshi the starting point is at Sejelmâseh, on the south of Mount Atlas, and to reach it requires three months’ travel, although to return from Ghânah to Sejelmâseh requires only a month and a half, or less; the reason of this being that the merchants trade to Ghânah with goods and heavy bales and return with gold; and he who journeys thither with thirty camels comes back with only three or even two, one to ride on, the other to carry water. The city has both Moslem and Pagan negro inhabitants, and its merchants are a prosperous body. Sherîshi praises the beauty and good disposition of the women in high terms, and quotes many poetical encomiums on negresses. One enthusiast, Ibn Muslimeh, exclaims, “If a mole be set in an ugly cheek it endows it with beauty and grace; how then should the heart-stricken be blamed for looking upon his mistress as a mole all over?”

The well-bred, the sagacious. — : This is a compound epithet, denoting an intelligent and educated gentle­man, something like the Greek <Greek>.

An ill-looking old man.—The word ‘Ifrît, so well known to the readers of the Arabian Nights, appears originally to have been associated with the ideas of strength, cunning, and malig­nity; the etymology of the word, as given by the Commentators, is very far-fetched. See note in De Sacy’s Chrestomathie. Its use in the sense of a powerful and gigantic genie is derived from Koran xxvii. 39: “Said an ‘Ifrît of the Jinn.” It is there ex­plained as wicked, rebellious. Bayḍâwi.

A young matron.—De Sacy, in his Chrestomathie, says, “On explique le mot de deux manières, selon Ocbari; il peut signifier une femme qui a de petits enfans, ou une femme dont la beauté ravit tous les cœurs.” The former translation has been adopted as supported by more numerous authorities, though the latter would give the better antithesis to the description of the husband.

Among his people: that is, among the people of my father, his male kindred. In the Durrah, Ḥarîri says that differs from in that the former is applied only to the descendants of the same father. Anthologie. Gram. Arabe., p. 42, Texte Arabe. Bayḍâwi (Koran xxvii. 49) says that is applied to a number of men from three or seven to ten, while is from three to nine. It seems in any case to be applied only to male persons.

His habitation.—The was originally the lower part of the tent, an attached curtain which came down to the ground. It was then applied to the side wall of a house, and generally to an abode.

Goodly show, etc.— is the enhancing of beauty or grace by elegant dress. According to Sherîshi is originally with hamzeh; that is, it is derived from , the teshîl and idghâm taking place that it may correspond with , the meaning being good condition, such as is produced by comfort and affluence. According to ‘Okbari, cited by De Sacy, it means a goodly aspect as if bedewed with water, which expresses nearly the same idea.

Greedy feeding.— signifies to eat with the back teeth, as when the mouth is filled; to eat with the front teeth, as is done when the food is scanty. The proverb, “Back-tooth eating is reached by front-tooth eating,” (Arab. Prov. II. 245) incul­cates patience and contentment with moderate success at the be­ginning of an enterprise; and in a verse of a poet is made equi­valent with, “Be content with old clothes till you can get new ones.” Ibn Abî Ṭarafeh said, “An Arab of the desert who came to visit one of his cousins at Mecca said to him, ‘This is a country where men eat with front teeth and not with back teeth,’” the meaning of which probably is that at Mecca moderation of conduct must be more regarded than in the desert.

Altogether destroyed.—, like , signifies literally “rope and all;” and is an idiomatic phrase, derived from the giving or selling of a beast. It means entirely or altogether.

There is no concealment after distress, no perfume after the medding.—i.e., it is now time for business, and to make an end of indolence and festivity. Ḥarîri, accidentally or intentionally, somewhat perverts the proverb (Arab. Prov. II, 482.) The story, which may be read there of a woman having married a man of the name of Nowfal, after the death of her husband ‘Arûs, and which De Sacy has given more at length in his Chrestomathy, and in the commentary to his edition of Ḥarîri, seems but a fabrication to explain a popular saying. At any rate, Ḥarîri clearly uses in the sense of wedding, and, perhaps, introduces the words of the proverb without regard to its original signification.

Through the violence that was abroad in the earth.—This is an allusion to Koran ii. 28, “Wilt thou set in it (the earth) one who will work violence in it?” It will be remembered that Abû Zayd represents his native town to have been ravaged by the Christians of the first Crusade, and the political disorders of the time might explain the little attention that was paid to learning and learned men.

Neither of us.—In connection with the disquisition on , given in De Sacy’s commentary, the student is referred to a passage in the Durrah (p. 51, Anthol. Gram. Arabe). The essence of Ḥarîri’s statement is that is a singular noun, ex­pressing the idea of duality, like our word “each.” You say of two men “each was blind.”

He looked down as looks the serpent.—This phrase is taken from a verse of Mutelemmis, “He looked down as looks down the snake, and if he had seen the chance to bite he would have bitten.” Arab. Prov. II. 30. has the meaning to look down in silence, as if considering to do or say something. The expression occurs again in the Fortieth Assembly.

Hear my story, for it is a wonder.—The metre of these verses is munsariḥ, which has been described in the notes to the last Assembly.

Honour deems base.— is thus defined: “Grounds of pre­tension to respect or honour consisting in any qualities (either of one’s self or of one’s ancestors) which are enumerated or re­counted as causes of glorifying;” and hence it signifies nobility, rank, or quality, honourableness or estimableness, from whatever source derived. It is said that and may apply to those who have not celebrated ancestors, but and only to those who have.

I burdened my neck.—Compare the Twenty-sixth Assembly, “I haltered myself with debt.”

I swear by Him to whose Ka‘beh the companies journey.— Rückert notices the propensity of Abû Zayd to swear on all occasions by objects connected with Mecca and the pilgrimage, and seems to regret this irreverent habit of the Arabs. Ḥarîri, however, makes his characters go much further in speaking familiarly of sacred things. Had it not been for the relaxation of religious discipline, such verses as those at the beginning of the Forty-fifth Assembly, which I shall have the task of translat­ing and explaining in my next volume, could never have been produced. It is wonderful, indeed, that they should have been permitted in any age of Islam.

Chaste ladies.—Of Mary it is said in the Koran (xxi. 91 and lxvi. 12) . Hence some read in Koran iv. 29 and v. 7, , with kesreh. In iv. 28, the word is read with fetḥah, and has the signification of “married.” In other places it means of free and lady-like condition, or continent and chaste of life. Technically has the meaning of being kept legally and honourably in the marriage state. The word corresponds nearly with our “lady.”