Chapter 17

[Footnote 601: Takkeltu, lit. "I have conceived in my mind." Sir R. Burton is apparently inclined to read tallectu by transposition, as he translates, "I depend upon thy say."]

[Footnote 602: Night DLXXXIII.]

[Footnote 603: Lit. "I will not delay upon thee."]

[Footnote 604: Lit. "Thou hast burdened or incommoded thyself" (kellefta khatiraka), see previous note, p. 120, {see FN#340} on this idiomatic expression.]

[Footnote 605: Ana atebtu mizajaka, lit. "I have wearied thy temperament."]

[Footnote 606: Lit. "pleasure" (surr), see ante, p. 223, note 2. {see FN#598}]

[Footnote 607: Or "playing the boon-companion."]

[Footnote 608: Syn. "equivocal, a double entente."]

[Footnote 609: Lit. "proceeded from her in truth."]

[Footnote 610: Tih, lit. pride, haughtiness, but, by analogy, "coquetry."]

[Footnote 611: Lit. "Gaiety, ecstasy or intoxication (keif) whirled (dara) in his head."]

[Footnote 612: Lit. "not itself exactly with him" (ma hiya bi-eimhi indahu.)]

[Footnote 613: Lit. "turned over" (kelebet, a clerical error for kebbelel).]

[Footnote 614: Tekeddemet lihi wa basethu fi kheddihi. Burton, "again she kissed its lip and offered it to him."]

[Footnote 615: Terakedsou, lit. raced with one another.]

[Footnote 616: Babu 'sz szeray.]

[Footnote 617: Night DLXXXIV.]

[Footnote 618: Keszr.]

[Footnote 619: Lit. "in" (fi); but fi is evidently used here in mistake for bi, the two prepositions being practically interchangeable in modern Arabic of the style of our present text.]

[Footnote 620: Burton, "his costliest raiment."]

[Footnote 621: Or chamber (keszr).]

[Footnote 622: Night DLXXXV.]

[Footnote 623: Sic (raihh), a common vulgarism in this text.]

[Footnote 624: Night DLXXXVI.]

[Footnote 625: Lit. "also" (eidsan).]

[Footnote 626: i.e. the two were as like as two halves of a bean.]

[Footnote 627: i.e. the world.]

[Footnote 628: Or death (Saturn), the eighth division of the common astrological figure.]

[Footnote 629: Menkeleh. See my Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol. I. p. 129, note 1. {see Vol. 1 of Payne's Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, FN#41}]

[Footnote 630: Dsameh.]

[Footnote 631: Liha keramat kethireh. Kerameh (sing. of keramat), properly a favour or mark of grace, a supernatural gift bestowed by God upon His pious servants, by virtue whereof they perform miracles, which latter are also by derivation called keramat. Cf. Acts viii. 28: "Thou hast thought that the gift of God," i.e. the power of performing miracles, "may be purchased with money."]

[Footnote 632: Night DLXXXVII.]

[Footnote 633: Weliyeh.]

[Footnote 634: Fe-ain (where), probably a mistranscription for fe-men (who).]

[Footnote 635: Sitti, fem. of Sidi, "my lord," the common title of a saint among modern Arabic-speaking peoples.]

[Footnote 635: Meskin, lit. "poor wretch," but used as our "good man" and the French "bonhomme," in a sense of somewhat contemptuous familiarity.]

[Footnote 636: Lit. "wished the man increase of his good (istekthera bi-kheirihi, for which idiomatic expression= "he thanked him," see ante, p. 135, note 3 {see FN#383}), and thanked his excellence" (favour or kindness, fedsl).]

[Footnote 637: Sherabati. Burton, "vintner."]

[Footnote 638: Keniz, a word which I cannot find in any dictionary, but which appears to be the past participle (in the secondary form for mecnouz, as ketil, slain, for mertoul,) of keneza, a lost verb of which only the fourth form acneza, he drank from a cup (kinz), survives, and to mean "something drunk from a cup." Burton, "wine."]

[Footnote 639: Ca"da. Burton translates "he mounted," apparently reading szfida for ca"da.]

[Footnote 640: Lit. "belly" (betn); but that "breast" is meant is shown by the next line, which describes Fatimeh as finding the enchanter seated on her heart.]

[Footnote 641: Lit. "heart" (kelb).]

[Footnote 642: The text adds here, "she went not and came not" (la rahet wa la jaet). Burton translates, "as though she had never gone or come" and adds, in a note, by way of gloss, "i.e. as she was in her own home;" but I confess that his explanation seems to me as obscure as the text.]

[Footnote 643: Night DLXXXVIll.]

[Footnote 644: Keszr.]

[Footnote 645: The first or "opening" chapter of the Koran.]

[Footnote 646: En nas bi 'l ghewali kethir an, lit. "The folk in (things) precious (or dear or high-priced, ghewali, pl. of ghalin, also of ghaliyeh, a kind of perfume) are abundant anent." This is a hopelessly obscure passage, and I can only guess at its meaning. Bi 'l ghewali may be a clerical error for bi 'l ghalibi, "for the most part, in general," in which case we may read, "Folk in general abound [in talk] anent her virtues;" or bi 'l ghewali may perhaps be used in the sense (of which use, however, I know no instance) of 'in excessive estimation,' in which latter case the passage might be rendered, "Folk abound in setting a high value on (or extolling) her virtues." Burton boldly amplifies, "the folk recount her manifestations in many cases of difficulty."]

[Footnote 647: Lit. "That he might complete his deceit the more." The meaning is that he dissembled his satisfaction at the princess's proposal and made a show of refusal, so he might hoodwink her the more effectually.]

[Footnote 648: Keszr.]

[Footnote 649: Night DLXXXIX.]

[Footnote 650: Teyyareh.]

[Footnote 651: Lit. "openings for passage" (mejous). See ante, p. 176, note. {see FN#480}]

[Footnote 652: Keszr.]

[Footnote 653: Lit. "an extreme" (ghayeh).]

[Footnote 654: Szeraya.]

[Footnote 655: Szeraya.]

[Footnote 656: i.e. "O thou that art dear to me as mine eyes."]

[Footnote 657: Keszr.]

[Footnote 658: Night DLXC.]

[Footnote 659: Keszr.]

[Footnote 660: i.e. its apparent from its real import.]

[Footnote 661: Mustekim.]

[Footnote 662: Minka. Burton, "of me."]

[Footnote 663: Lit. "for that secret that she healed." Burton, "for the art and mystery of healing."]

[Footnote 664: Min wejaihi.]

[Footnote 665: Szeraya.]

[Footnote 666: Terehhhheba bihi.]

[Footnote 667: Lit. "believed not in."]

[Footnote 668: Night DLXCI.]

[Footnote 669: Ghereza (i.q.. gheresa).]

[Footnote 670: Lit. "Out of regard to or respect for thine eyes." (Keramet[an] li-uyouniki), i.e. "Thanks to the favourable influence of thine eyes." When "the eye" is spoken of without qualification, the "evil eye" is commonly meant; here, however, it is evident that the reverse is intended.]

[Footnote 671: Lit. "I had no news or information (ma indi kkeber) [of the matter]."]

[Footnote 672: Lit. "neglectful of the love of thee." This is a difficult passage to translate, owing to its elliptical form; but the meaning is that the princess wished to assure Alaeddin that what had happened was not due to any slackening in the warmth of her affection for him.]

End of Project Gutenberg's Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp, by John Payne