iiiiiiilliii:'^!iiJii;i THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES THE ASSEMBLIES OF HARIRI STUDENT'S EDITION OF THE ARABIC TEXT WITH ENGLISH NOTES, GRAMMATICAL, CRITICAL, AND HISTORICAL. BY DR. F. STEINGASS AUTHOR OF " ENGLISH-ARABIC DICTIONARY FOR THE USE OF BOTH TRAVELLERS AND students"; "the student's ARABIC-ENGLISH DICTIONARY"; "a COMPREHENSIVE PERSIAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY." LONDON CROSBY LOCKWOOD AND SON 7, STATIONERS' HALL COURT, LUDGATE HILL, E.G. HF.HTFORT) I'RINTKI) HY STEl'llKN AUSTIN AM) SONS. PJ 11S5 H S?7 EDITOR'S PREFACE. Tins book, arranged on a progressive plan, is intended for the ^enefit of those who have an earnest and honest will to exert themselves. Their task will by no means be an easy one, but, if carried out resolutely and unflaggingly, will procure them the satisfaction of having acquired a more than average knowledge of Arabic, such as will enable them, not only to read almost any Arabic work without difficulty, but also to form a reasonable judgment as to which branch of Arabic learning and literature they might choose to greatest advantage for their special study, in accordance with their individual taste and predilection. This is owing to the exceptional character of Hariri's remarkable composition. In a quaint and frequently highly amusing form, sparkling with genuine wit, and in its best passages soaring to the loftiest summits of sublime thought and sentiment, it contains an encyclopaedia in nuce of the scholarship of his age and people, and is' couched in a language saturated with the classical idioms of the Qur'an, of Arabic poetry, and of the Proverbs of the desert Arabs. Hariri was born at Basrah, a.d. 1054, a few decades after the dominion of Muhammedanism had culminated in Mahmiid Ghaznawi's conquest of India, and he died in his native town, A.D. 1122, when its foundations were being assailed by the inroad of the Seljuk Turks on one hand, and the counter-movement, provoked by it, of the crusades on the other. His life, as far as it interests us now, is comprised in his works, which include, in ' ■». *^~ jf~>-. tT^ IV l.DlloK S I'Kl.l'AC K. fttlililion to the Assemblies, some valuable grammatical treatises ill prose niul verse, and many poetical pieces of considerable merit. As tlie best mctliod of using my work, far from dissuading, on the contrary I strongly advise the learner to have, at the outset, recourse to Chcnery's or Preston's translation, one or the other of which will no doubt be accessible to him in the public libraries, say as far as to the Fourth Assembly, which portion has been rendered into English by both these authors, lie should do so in order to make himself conversant with Hariri's style aud- manner, but merely as a stepping-stone towards the end, which the aspirant to the highest proficiency in the language must constantly keep in view ; that is, to become independent of all ailditional orthograjiliic devices beyond the consonantic outlines, or, in other words, to become able to read Arabic without the signs of vocalization and jjunctuation. For our elaborate system of the latter, the Arabs substitute simply the full stop in the shape of a more or less ornamental asterisk, and of this use has been made (instead of the comma and full stop employed by de Sacy), at first as in the Beyrout edition, between the constituent parts of a qarmak, then between the fjarhia/ts themselves, lastly between the principal component jmrtions of an Assembly (which we would distinguish by fresh alinoas), and from Assembly VIII onward it has been disposed of altogether. The fact of the case is, that Arabic can very well do without punctuation, because in elementary compositions the extreme simplicity of its construction scarcely requires such external signs of subdivision, while in works of a more elaborate style the saja, or rhymed prose, offers a sufficient equivalent for them. The rhyme, in its repetition or still more frequent recurrence, not only distinctly marks out the members of a pro- position, but is also, in combination with the parallelism of editor's preface. elevated Oriental diction, a great help to tbe reader for supplying the necessary vocalization. For this reason, in the earlier parts of our work such rhymes and parallel passages are printed with their vowel-points only at their first appearance, leaving the student to vocalize them on their reiteration after the same pattern, unless by poetical licence a change of vowel takes place, as, for instance, on p. 10, 1. 6, where zumari rhymes with qamari, and this with samari, wherefore the initial in the first word is printed with zammah, jn the second viiih fathah, and in the third without either, because here it has the same vowel as the pre- ceding* word. The matter of vocalization is by far more complicated than tliat of punctuation, and requires the consideration of several supplementary signs, besides those for the vowels themselves, all of which Nasif al-Yaziji in his excellent little grammar combines in the formula ^l-srf ' k^l , " I write down the alphabet." They are: the three vowel-points, ya^^a/i (_^, a), zammah iJ-,u), and ka&rah (— , i), called harakdt, "motions," because the consonant to which they are joined is, as it were, moved {mu- harrahah) or carried on by them towards the following letter ; the sign for the absence of a vowel {±-), called sukun^ " rest," because it renders the consonant quiescent iscikinah), ov jaz?nah, " cutting off," because it separates it from the following by a slight pause; the tashdid, "strengthening," as sign for the doubling of consonants ; the maddah, " lengthening," indicating the conjunction of \\ into one protracted sound ; lastly, the signs hamzal al-wasl (— ) and hamzat al-qat] i-L.), which show whether \ at the beginning of a word is to be pronounced with a vowel of its own, or depends for its vocalization on the preceding word, in accordance with the rules given in Palmer's Grammar, jjp. 12 and 1(3. vi editor's preface. Of these orthograpliical symbols the sukihi has been retained, almost without exception, throughout the text, as being most important for the division of Arabic into syllables, which forms the foundation of Arabic prosody, inasmuch as a muharrakah, or moved letter (for instance, the inseparable proposition l_j, " with," etc.), constitutes an open syllable and represents a short quantity, but wlion it is followed by a sd/dnah or quiescent letter (for instance, in the imperative c:-o , " pass the night ! "), the syllable thus closed is considered prosodically long. This applies also to syllables which we would call long by vowel, since y (fu\ \'i i/n), 3 i/i), nominative, objective, and oblique case respectively of ^, "mouth," in conjunction with pronominal suffixes, except that of the 1st person singular, are equivalent to ^, li, 'y , the quiescent letter here being one of the weak letters ,,\, and ^-, which in this case are called letters of prolongation ; but the sukun is dispensed with, and becomes thereby available for marking the diphthongs ^\ and Jj\ {aic and a'ty in colloquial Arabic (9 and r), as in cl:"-^ {faut), "distance," etc., and l::^-1j {bait), " tent," " house," as "place where the night is passed." The a///" of prolongation has a counterpart in the so-called alif maqsura/i, genevaWy written o — > fis in l.i {fata), "young man," "lad," which is prosodically equivalent to bi . Of this and the various ways of spelling it, I shall presently have some- tliing more to say. The exceptions in which the suhiin has been dropped in the unpointed part of this work are, firstly, upon the J of the article, in order to show at once that the word in question is a definite noun, and not some derivative of a root beginning with J. As the \ of the article has always the hamzat al-wad pronounced with fathah at the beginning of a sentence, and otherwise following the rules quoted above, this sign can likewise be editor's preface. vii omitted. Thus ^f:?^:^^? spelt without suMn, would indicate that the word is agent of the root ^Aj, having amongst other signifi- cations that of " an inhabitant of the desert," and rendered definite by the article. Spelt with sukiin it would be a derivative of the root Ju.!, with the pronominal suffix of tlie 1st person, and read either ^S^\ or ^jLM , the substantial part of the former being the plural of aiJ, " my saddle clothes," etc., of the latter the infinitive of the 4th conjugation, " my abidmg," etc. Here the hamzah is that of qat', and may also be omitted, together with its vowel-point, as the context generally will show which form is meant. Other verbal forms beginning with \ before a quiescent letter, which are not 1st person sing, of aorists, have the hamzat al-wad, and are either imperatives of the primary verb at the beginning of a proposition, pointed with zammah or kasrah on the hamzah (Gramm., top of p. 80), or they are preterites and infinitives of the seventh and following forms, with kasrah on it when inchoative. In the context their hamzah is pronounced with the final vowel of the preceding word, or, if this terminates in a quiescent letter, the second exception, previously alluded to, takes place, that is to say, this letter loses its sukun and is marked with one of the three vowel points as indicated (Gramm., p. 13, 1. 5, etc.). The tashdkl is retained as sign of reduplication of a consonant in derived verbs of the 2nd and oth conjugation, not only because it forms their characteristic, but also because it affects the metrical measure of the word : j^\ , "he commanded," for instance, being a tribrach (www), but ^^^ , "he appointed as commander," a dactyl (— w S). As a sign of assimilation of two letters it is preserved after the article in words beginning with a solar letter (Gramm., p. 11), to remind the student that here the J of the article takes the sound of the following letter, and in verbs of the ■viii editor's preface. 8th form, where for euphonic reasons the letter of increase, CJ^ assimilates a weak radical, or adapts itself to a strong one, in either case hlending with it into a double consonant. Instances are, jUJ\ for JUj■)^ v.n. 8 of jj., both meaning "a burning," and Xi->\ for ,^jj\ from original ,lCJ^, ditto of /J, both meaning "a remembering." The student must, however, be prepared to lind in many native prints, etc., the sign omitted. If, on the other hand, the servile c:-> belongs to the verbal inflection of tlie first person singular, or the second of the three numbers, and is preceded by one of the dentals, uij, j, J, ^i, 1?, 1?, I do not follow de Sacy's spelling, who marks the ci^' with tashdtd (for instance i.::^^), but that of the Beyrout and Bnlaq editions, which, as in other verbs, place merely a sukun upon the preceding letter (c:.^iJ). That this is the more correct style is also the view taken by Wright in his Grammar, i, p. 15. The maddah has been retained at the beginning of words like ^t, 4th form of ^\, "he believed, trusted, protected," but omitted at the end of feminine adjectives, broken plurals, and infinitives or preterites of weak verbs, as in these cases it is sufficiently indicated by the hamzah which follows it. I have now to speak of the system of Arabic vocalization in its proper sense, and of the principles on which its signs have been gradually eliminated, or at least reduced to a minimum, in our text. In Hariri's preface I have given a specimen of the plan followed by de Sacy, and editors of pointed texts in this country and in Europe in general, suppressing, however, even here i\\Qfathah, as supposed to be the vowel of any letter which is not pointed with zammak or kasrah, and observing to a certain extent the rule indicated on p. v of this preface, that additional orthographical signs can be spared in words which are preceded by a parallel form in ornate prose. In the first line of the editor's preface. ix muqaddamah, for instance, we find the outline c:-^!^, which de iSacy prints ci^^Jlj, but, to be strictly consistent, ought to have printed, with the Beyrout edition, Lj-^i^JU. Our spelling ci^i^ji^ dispenses with three of the signs employed by de Sacy, and with four of the native edition, to which in the following parallel form ci^i-i^^ the hamzat al-qat may be added, so that in two words seven, respectively nine, orthographical symbols ar'e thrown out, without compromising the correct reading of the words in question. The principle of the same vocalization for corresponding forms is as yet sparingly observed, but it becomes already evident how much more saving will be presently obtained when its application is carried out to the full, both for analogous forms and the rhymes of the saja or the poetical passages. The vocalization of Arabic depends partly on intlection, which is ruled by the Grammar, partly on etymological peculiarities, which must be gathered from the Dictionary. For references to the Grammar I have chosen Palmer's work, because it is less crowded with details than Wriglit's, and because the Glossary of grammatical terms, attached to it, will prove useful to those who may feel inclined to take up the study of the native Grammarians. References to the Dictionary apply to my own, which w^as the first published in England before Lane's monumental work was completed, where the change of vowel of the medial radical in the aorist from that of the preterite is noted. Johnson's Quarto, in spite of its bulk so handy for the well-grounded Arabist, was defective in this very essential point, and therefore did more harm than good to the incipient learner, whom it was apt to render neglectful of the distinction altogether. With regard to vocalization as determined by inflection, the student is, of course, supposed to have a general knowledge of Arabic Accidence on taking up the present work. In dropping editor's preface. the inflectional vowel points step by step, my object is to offer him an opportunity of recapitulating- at each step the grammatical point under •consideration in all its bearings. In the second Assembly, for instance, I omit the vowel of the raf or upright case in nouns and aorists, while giving that of the other two cases, even \\\e Jathah of the nafib, in order to emphasize the office of the raf as indicating the agent or subject ifail) of a verbal sentence or the inchoative {mub(ada) and predicate {khabar) of a nominal clause in the noun (Gramm. p. 234-288), and as distinguisliing the aorist proper from its apocopated form (ib., p. 173, 94) and the subjunctive (ib., p. 171, 93) in the verb. Concerning the declension in particular, the questions which tlic student should here answer to himself are : is the noun fully declined (Gramm,, p. 97, 4S), or a diptote (ib., p, 100, 51), or indeclinable (ib., 103, 52) ? If the former, has the final letter to be marked with the simple zammah or its tanwint When remains it without vowel-sign, and when takes it the tanrcm of kasrah, ox Jathah and its tanmn ? He can test the correctness of his answer to these last questions by referring to Gramm., p. 99, 50, where, however, I have now to add a few remarks on the weak letters, and the manner of spelling them, adopted in my text, especially up from this point with regard to a final o > which either may bey^' (^5), or allf maqmrah i^—, t^). It was mentioned above that one of the functions of the weak letters is to serve as letters of prolongation, in which case the preceding consonant is marked with the cognate short vowel, as L',y, J. If these combinations stand at the beginning or in the middle of a word, tbllowed by a consonant which has a vowel of its own, and consequently begins a new syllable, the vowel- points can evidently be omitted as implicitly understood. But ^ and ^ are also liquid consonants, like the English w and y, and editor's preface. xi we have seen that as such they can take the sukun, forming with the preceding ya^AaA the diphthongs au and ai, as in ^\''^\, "weights" (Ass. II, p. 16, 1. 3), and j^;, " except " (ib., I. 7). They can farther assume the tashdkl, or they may occur both as single and double consonants between two vowels. Their vocalization in this case, if internal in a word, will be spoken of on considering the etymological side of the question. Here they interest us as finals, and in their relation to the vowels of in- flection. If J and ^ are preceded hy a quiescent letter, as in infinitives of the measure JJ«i, or have the tashdid, as in Jj^£, " enemy," or the adjectives of relation in o— , they are pointed in the nominative with zammah or its tamchi^ like any other noun terminating in a consonant. But if the preceding radical has kasrah, as in^jU or ^^ , the ^ of the former changes into ^-, forming the stem i^^Vz, which like ^^Ijf, if preceded by the article, dispenses with the zammah of the raj'' : ^jUl^, jliijl, for o jl)t!\ , y^\i^\ . If, however, the noun is indefinite, both the ^^ and the zainma/i, inherent in the tanwhi of ^—, disappear, and the nunnation is transferred to the preceding /('a.sra/i, forming Again, if any nominal stem derived from a root with final ^- (those with final ^ change it in this case into ^) hsLsJatha/i on the preceding radical, the ^ is not pronounced, and the noun, if indefinite, takes the tanmin oifathah for the three cases : jii . If it is rendered definite by the article, i\\efathah alone represents its inflection, and if it is defined by a pronominal afiix, the ^ is changed into \ : a^^ . The ^ in this case is called alif maq- surah, and as its distinction from ya proper is of greatest importance both for declension and conjugation, I have simul' taneously with the omission of vowel-points adopted the plan of the Syrian, Tunesian, and other native publications, which leaves xii editor's preface. the former without any distinctive mark (^-), while it renders the latter by the dotted character (^). This has been done because Syria, in particular, supplies the student at a moderate price with a great number of texts thus {)rinted, not only of classical literature, but also of valuable works of grammatical, philological, and scientific interest produced by modern Arabic authors. For the sake of completeness I may add that in books printed or lithographed in India the aUf maqstirah is represented by <_>*, where the vertical stroke stands for \, indicating its eventual change into this letter, and the ya proper by ^, with or without hasrah under the preceding letter. The next step towards the total suppression of the vowel-points is the omission of the signs of nasb (objective in nouns, sub- junctive in verbs) and of Txhafz (oblique case). With regard to the former, the general principle comes again into operation, that a letter for which the Grammar or Dictionary does not prescribe another vowel, is to be read with fathah. The applicability of this principle, or, in other words, of the exclusion oi zammah and hasrah in favour of i\\Q fathah, will be easily recognized from the part which a nasbated noun acts in the sentence, either as object of a transitive or doubly transitive verb (Gramm., p. 188, 104), or as predicate after the abstract verb ^^ and its sister verbs (ib., p. 242), or as adverb under its various aspects (ib., p.' 189, 105-8) ; or as governed by negatives (ib., p. 153, 156-7), and by vocative particles in certain cases (ib., p. 199, 11 3). The 7i2^bated verb or subjunctive will be identified by its being preceded by any of the particles given, ib., p. 171, 93. The oblique case of the noun is equally well defined by its being either governed by a preposition or in construction with another noun (ib,, p. 195, 109-14). The only particulars, therefore, to be remembered, are the absence or presence of the tanwm (ib. p. 97, 48) ; the editor's preface. xiii fathah in the nasb after a nominal stem with final ^_j (^-f '^^ , C^'J, ib., p. 100, near the end), and in the subjunctive of a verb terminating thus i-^li^ ^^, ib,, p. 81) ; and, again, i\\Q fathah as sign for both cases, 7iasb and Jihafz, in imperfectly declined nouns, if not in construction or preceded by the article, when the oblique case takes kasrah (ib., p. 100, 51 ; p. 108, Note). Coming to the vocalization of other verbal forms as ruled by grammar, tlie student has above all to notice whether the first radical of a primitive preterite (or the moved servile letters of its derived forms) and the prefix of an aorist is to be marked with fathah or zammah (respectively kasrah under hamzat al-wasD. The zammah in the former case indicates that the preterite is passive, and it is followed by kasrah under the second radical ( -^j, •^JL-l'i). If the zammah stands over the prefix of an aorist, the latter is either active of a quadriliteral verb, whether original or derived from a triliteral by addition of a servile letter, when the penultima has kasrah for its vowel (j^JLiJL'; .^-dsS , 2nd form ; ,<-»Uj , 3rd form ; ^-^l , 4th form, which, however, is not in use with this verb) ; or it is passive, with fathah on the penultima and any moved servile letter preceding it ( ^iL' ; .^jc^). Other rules for the vocalization of the aorist are too elementary to need mention here. As to the imperative, the nouns of action, the participles, the infinitives with mim, the nouns of time, place, and instrument, a reference to Gramm., pp. 29, 32, 42, 46-50 will suffice. With regard to vocalization, as to be ascertained by the Dictionary, it is far more difficult to formulate guiding principles, for the Dictionary is capricious, and rc'ill be consulted, however tedious the process may appear to the learner. This applies in particular to the vowel of the second radical of a triliteral preterite and its change in the aorist, according to which the xiv editor's preface. trilitcral verb is ranged into the six classes described Gramm., p. 30, 2G. In all other respects the Grammar will again afford powerful assistance, if careful reference is made to its remarks on derived nouns (p. 51, 8-11), to its various tables of infinitives or nouns of action (p. 42-45), and especially to those of broken plurals (p. 114-138), together with the general view of the formation of such which follows them. The attentive student will soon find out many analogies for his direction, in which he will be greatly aided b}' noticing the division of thematic forms or of fully inflected words into syllables. Taking, for instance, the dissyllabic stems with a weak letter of prolongation in the second syllable, he will observe that derivatives of the measure JUi are nouns, of J'jti intensitives of the agent or Jj-li, denoting one who exercises a trade or handicraft, of JUi mostly infinitives of the 3rd form, of ^\\xi substantives, etc. ; that derivatives of the measure J-jts and J^ti are generally adjectives, of J^-o either broken plurals or infinitives. Again, if he meets with one of the five outlines lh^-^', o— ^.Jj, c:^i^J, ^..aJij, ^^JL' , the sukun on the final of the first word, evidently a 3rd person fern, of a preterite, would show him that the yd' stands between two vowels, and as the Dictionary has told liim that the preterite ^^ terminates in aiif maqmrah, and therefore would form the fem. c:^*i J , the word can only be the fem. of the passive mentioned above (p. xiii), and would read ij:^!^, where, in analogy with the plural 'L^\ and the v.n, 2 ^^.ij, the ya represents a w-eak consonant moved hjfathah. On the contrary, the absence of the sukun in the second outline shows that it is the final which is to be moved, either by zammah ov faihah, indicating the 1st or 2nd person sing, respectively of the same preterite passive ; while in u:: -'^^l'> , the corresponding forms of the active, the allf maq^urah, which we have seen in nouns EDITOR S PREFACE. XV before a pronominal affix chanf^ed into \ (see p. xi above), and which before the lu of the 3rd person fem. has disappeared entirely, becomes here a quiescent i/a, and forms with the pre- ceding* fathah the diphthong )* of Taibah . 33iiD f iy of TiHis . 34th , 1 * » of Zabid . 30TH , » »» of Sbiraz . 3GT1I , » M of Malatiyah 37tii , 1 ?> of Sa'dab . 38th , J »> of Merv 39th T 1 > of Oman 40th , » >♦ of Tabreez . 41st , J J» of Tinnees . 42nd y )i of Najran . 43rd , 7 fJ of Iladraniaut 41th , 1 1 1 of tbc "Winter- ni 5-ht . 45tu , > J) of llanilcb . 46th , ) M of Aleppo . 47th , 5 ') al-Hajriyah 48th ? )) of the Banu Har tlm . 49th > ) 7 of Sasan 50th , 7 7 7 of Basrah . VOCABULA RY TO the Last Ten Assemb] LIES . I'AGE 240 247 270 275 287 292 306 316 324 384 348 352 357 365 374 377 385 390 396 401 409 SY^^orSIS OF THE METRES. %* Tlie Roman number after the name of each Metro shows the 'Ar'i:, the Arabic one designates the Zarl>. In the References the Roman number indicates the Assembly. JBasU, i, 1 : -^ — I — ^' — I -^ — |wv^ — twice. ii, p. 19, n. 44 ; p. 20 (21), n. 51 ; xxv, p. 196, n. 63 ; xxxvii, p. 312, n. 54 ; xliv, p. 367, n. 2 ; xlvi, p. 381, n. 6 ; n. 8. -, 1, 2 : xxiv, p. 189, n. 60; xxxi, p. 243, n. 38 : xxxviii, p. 320, n. 45 ; xlvii, p. 386, n. 2 ; p. 388, n. 4. iii 2 • w— |— >_^ — 1^^ . twice. xxxvi, p. 299, n. 54; p. 300, n. 67; xlvi, p. 379, n. 3; L, p. 404, n. 2, Hazaj, i; 1 : w I w twice. vii, p. 53, n. 7 ; xlii, p, 355, n. 9. , 11 : ■^ I ^— ' twice. xi, p. 81, n. 32; p. 85, n. 62. Kdmil, i, 1 : w w — w — I ^J^ _ v^ _ I ^J^ _ w _ twice. xxi, p. 159, n. 49; xxii, p. 168, n. 59; xxxiv, p. 278, n. 40; xlvi, p. 381, 11. 7. XXU SYNOPSIS OF Till': MKTIU'.S. Jubnil, i. 2 xxiii, p. 172, n. 28 ; xxvi, p. 202, n. 45. — , ii, 1 : w-^ — w_| ^s^_w_ I WW — twice. xxxvi, p. 303, n. 84. vi, p. 49, n. 59; xvii, p. 131, n. G9 ; xxxvi, p. 298, n. 52; p. 299, n. 56; p. 301, n. 76; p. 302, n. 81; xlviii, p. 395, D. 5. -, iii, 3 twice. iv, p. 35, n. 80 ; xvi, p. 122, n. 29 ; xix, p. 150, n. 59 ; xxiii, p. 173, n. 43; p. 177, n. 87; xxix, p. 230, n. 77; xxxiv, p. 286, n. 113 ; xxxvi, p. 297, n. 45; p. 298, p. 49 ; p. 301, n. 72; xxxix, p. 333, n. Ill ; xlix, p. 400, n. 3. Khaf/f, i, 1 : — -w ^ — — s_/ twice. X, p. 78, n. 50 (see correction, Preface, p. xvi) ; xv, p. 112, n. 42; p. 114, n. 63; p. 117, n. 74; xviii, p. 140, n. 103; xxvi, p. 201, n. 38; xxvii, p. 209, n. 29; xxxv, p. 292, n. 46 ; xxxviii, p. 323, n. 77 ; xxxix, p. 330, n. 82 ; xlvi, p. 379, n. 2 ; p. 380, n. 4 ; p. 382, n. 10. , iii, 1 : — w |w_w_ twice. xii, p. 94, n. 89; xxxi, p. 240, u. 65; xxxvi, p. 302, u. 78; xlviii, p. 393, n. 4. SYNOPSIS OF THE METRES. , XXlll Mujtass majzu : w__w twice. i, p. 12, n. 55; p. 22, n. 60; xiii, p. 100, n. 40; xiv. p. 105, n. 27; p. 107, n. 50; xxxvi, p. 296, n. 43 ; p. 297, n. 44; p. 301, n. 74 ; p. 302, n. 79; xlii, p. 357, n. 13. Munsarih, i, 1 : viii, p. 61, n. 20; ix, p. 68, n. 32; xxxviii, p. 322. n. 65. ■,i, 2 xxviii, p. 220, n. 49. Ilutaqdrib, i, 1 : w twice. i, p. 14, n. 72 (where the metre is to be corrected accordingly) ; xix, p. 145, n. 17; xxxii, p, 268, n. 190; xxxiii, p. 274, n. 55; xlvi, p. 384, n. 11. — ,,i, 3 {inahzilf) : -^ ^ — — ^^ — — ^ \^-y — ) iii, p. 28, n. 65 ; \-i, p. 51, n. 75 ; xii, p. 92, n. 72 ; xvi, p. 124, n. 48 ; xxxiii, p. 272, n. 38 ; xlii, p. 356, n. 12 ; xliii, p. 363, n. 3. Rajaz, ii : ■^ — 1 w— twice. xiv, p. 103, n. 17 (where 2nd is to be read for 3rd) ; xvi, p. 121, n. 23 ; xxvi, p. 203, n. 57 ; xxxv, p. 300, n. 69 ; l, p. 405, n. 3. XXIV SYNOPSIS OF THE METRES, liaj'az, iii [Eajaz mashtur) : ^— w_|^ — ^— |— — w— , witli one rhyme running through all the lines, which are mostly of an odd number. iii, p. 25, n. 33 (sec Editor's Preface, p. xvii) ; p. 2G, n. 46 ; V, p. 37, n, 9; p. 39, n. 27; viii, p. 63, n. 41; xxi, p. 161, n. 81 ; xxxiv, p. 276, n. 22 ; p. 283, n. 82 ; xliii, p. 360, n. 2 ; xliv, p. 373, n. 4. V : I I XXV, p. 192, n. 8 (see Editor's Preface, p. xvii); xxxiv, p. 282, n. 77 ; xl, p. 344, n. 90 ; xliv, p. 365, n. 1 ; xlvii, p. 389, n. 6. All these arc masMur. SarV, i, 1 : ii. p. 19, n. 41 ; xiii, p. 98, n. 18 ; xx, p. 151, n. 8 ; xxi, p. 162, n. 88; xxxvii, p. 310, n. 37; xlv, p. 374, n. 1; xlvi, p. 378, n. 1. — i 2 • "^""I '^ — j — s--— twice. iv, p. 32, n. 50; xxxiii, p. 271, n. 22; xxxv, p. 290, n. 31 ; xli, p. 350, n. 2 ; p. 351, n. 3 ; xlvi, p. 380, n. 5. ^ — , i, 3 : xix, p. 146, n. 29; xxv, p. 194, n. 41 ; xxxvii, p. 314, n. 67; p. 315, n. 78 ; xl, p. 345, n. 101 ; xlv, p. 374, n. 1. Ramal, ii, 2 : — ^ |~^ twice. ix, p. 71, n. 69; xxvii, p. 214, n. 75; xxx, p. 238, n. 61; xxxii, p. 267, n. 182 ; xxxvi, p. 304, n. 96. SYNOPSIS OF THE METRES. XXV Tawil, i, 1 : xlii, p. 355, n. 8 ; xlviii, p. 393, n. 3. - i 2 • twice. Hariri's Preface, p. 5, n. 42 ; p. 7, n. 55 ; ii, p. 17, n. 21 ; p. 18, n. 31; vii, p. 57, n. 40; xviii, p. 138, n. 85; xxi, p. 157, n. 34; xxiii, p. 175, n. 65; xxv, p. 193, n. 30; xlii, p. 353, n. 3 ; xlv, p. 377, n. 2 ; xlvi, p, 382, n. 9 ; xlvii, p. 387, n. 3. — , i, 3 : xlii, p. 354, n. 6. Wafir, i : '^ — ^^^ — I ^-^ — x^-^ — I 'w twice. xxiv, p. 183, n. 20 ; xxxi, p. 241, n. 11 ; xxxiv, p. 279, n. 50 ; xlii, p. 354, n. 5 ; p. 355, n. 10; xlviii, p. 391, n. 2 (in cle Sacy, 2nd edition, wrongly described as Eajaz). , ii, 1 : v_^ — vj^ — I -^ — ^~^ _ twice. xlii, p. 354, n. 7 ; p. 356, n. 11. , ii, 2 : xxxvi, p. 297, n. 47; xlii, p. 353, n. 4. ADDENDA ET COREIGENDA. Page 5, last line, read Synopsis for Appendix. 14, note 72, see correction of the metre in the Preface. 37, line 1, read X^j for X^-jJ. 49, line 7, read ikL., Malatiyah, also Malatyah," for (iJua).^, Maltiyah, also Maltiyah," and see my note to the translation of Assembly XXXVI. XXviii ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA. Page 293, line 16, read " Lli^iUi::^^ for (-1-?^^ " instead of " LJ--ii.L::jl forc:.?^*." , 294, lines 4 and 17, read tuU for C^U, and substitute in note 22 "passed away," for "died, i.e." 307, line 15, read XIII for XXXIII. 309, note 30, read lU^ for CJ4 • 310, line 15, read pregnant for barren. 319, line 10, read /^^ for (4^1^^. 332, line 1, read ^Jj.: , adornment, especially of a showy and trumpery kind, tinselled speech. 20, (j^^j^ (jussive pass, of (j^j), may be come upon from behind, overtaken. 21. i" .Ju , hasty speech or action. 22. L.s*^ ^ (4 ^.s*^), let us not be in the forenoon away from, place us not outside of. 23. •j-^l^ aA^/*, a morsel for the masticator, an expression attributed by tradition to Muhammad, for assaults of slanderers." 24. liXsT, Ave have cut through the Hariri's preface. 3 ("Gi "^t ''''■■ ?r°-/i^'^v 25 •" ' ^ jjXisi u::^J'^ cji^ii * ^^^^'^ l_xjI^ t^ ''^^m * (i;:r-*-);-5 '-I '^-'^j'^ jx^ ^n^ Jui j^fui * ^--^Ui^ ^-^^j 5i llTiI-ji I. ^ * ^asiiLiT i ji jx uLCJi =;= ^-5^^! fS^>-^-^'*j ^-;?r^'*^ i:Jiii^^ * t^;-^ 5 o 27 * p:^. Aj;^bl ^^^l^ li * -'^y^ ^J ^^p^ * ^j^.) J^|^. Uiij throat (of a sheep in slaughtering it), here we have been thorough, 25. ^^■^p^ o. compare Qur'an, Ixxxiii. 18. 26. J^JtJj' *^^" "^^^ ^'^^ > and (but) after, i.e. and now to proceed," the formula of transition from the introductory prayer to the subject matter of a discourse, said to be originated by Quss, an eloquent Christian preacher of Hajran at the time of Muhammad. 27. c—^J^i, here learning, scholarship, especially that which is comprised in our term belles-lettres. 28. %..^w\J (j^l^jJt , Badi u 'z-zaman, the wonder of the age,"title of honour given to Abu'1-Fazl Ahmad ibn al-Husain al-Hamadani, who died a.h. 398 (a.d. 1008), and of whom more Avill be found in the Preface. 29. ^ i^ ( ijX^J , something indefinite not made known or particularized, as a noun is by the article. 30. ^ ^^ J-*^ ^■'* , what is said with regard 4 Hariri's treface. 'II I •• M * ' f. Ol I ■• C ! f'^j * ^j^''^; uW'i j^-^; * 4-lJ-^^ ^^^ J:ri>^ * ^i-*^ J^^' ^^ '^ J^\.^\ U-. * /cM ^* cLC^U ^JT, * a::<::^ir li^U^n. * . .::^^^T to him who, referring to the saying, that an author, if successful, is made a target for envious and malevolent criticism, if he fails, for opprobrium and derision. 31. L::->iA:x.li' , I wished redemption, asked C 9 to be released from, deprecated." 32. ^rs-l^-l (pi. of £L^.s*"\), riddles. 33. ji::^ (partic. pass. 8 oi jLi), what is eaten as the first ripe fruit, original. 34. ( C.:5-L?l (pi. of A^^s:'^]), laughable things, jests, plaisantries. 35. ,j;^iJjii (4 of ^L«), I dictated, I indited as by the tongue." 36. j^l^.^-' (v.n. 4 of ^^?-), a camel's changing its pasture-ground from sweet herbs to salt ones ; hence, HARIRI S PREFACE, * l^' ' •-' • • i_5- ^^- l3'- • ct ' J * ^-bjy ^iJT u\U'T5 * ■IJL^^il ^^jJt^ j^^lT 1 J.1& 4 ^,»il ^J ^;j;1 ^^jt^ ^s^LJ * dJ-^j iLiji ,.,,U cjl^T, * ctAllii .Ui>. ^^':,£ js-L!li , etc., like \ 6 HARim's PREFACE. the one (meaning a sheep) which scratched up its death (i.e. the knife with which its owner was to kill it) with its hoof, proverb applied to a man who brings about his own destruction (see Freytag's Arabum Proverbia, ii. 394). 44. Ll_:»-^ . . . ^^jjm^V\, quotation from Qur'an, xviii. 103. 45. ^jLi.-.^ji, one careless or indifferent. 46. jc-^ "^^^ 1 ■'^^ warded off from me, defended me; in translating the passage, remember that in a conditional sentence the preterite has the force of a future or subjunctive. 47. ,^i, inexperienced, raw, a simpleton. JX^ •J, full of rancour, spiteful. 48. j-«^^, here a literary composition." 49. ^jL^ (pi. of ^-'-^')i edifices, founda- tions. 50. c:-;^jl.^.s-^ (pi. of ^l^.s-'^), dumb brutes. 51. lu\S^^ (pi. of S^A.:^-'), inanimate objects. 52. i^l^^^ (v.n. 2 of ^^^ in the sense of mixing), gilding, glozing, making an idle display. 53. ^rsa^, place whither one turns, in the direction of which one moves, hence purpose. 54. i_^_jjlil (pi. of h^^\), lies, falsehoods, fablings. Hariri's preface. 55. U Hi ^Xs- ^, nothing is (scored) against me, and nothing (due) to me, * without any debt against me or to me." The metre of the verses is the same as above, (Jj jl? with j^iii in the final foot of either half -line, i.e. ^IxLL« (w _ w — ) for ^^^L^U,* (w ). The couplet is an allusion to one of the poet al-Ahnaf ibn al-'Abbas. 56. c yJu* , that which causes fear, and also a person or place to which one flees in fear, refuge. /« ASSEMBLY I. CALLED "OF SAN'A." ^^j^ ^if! * ^/^ '^i tJ^ ^^.^^ J^ * o^^^ ^^^ '^^S ■>; 1. <__>.l_i, a (camcl-)liump, here used for the beast itself. 2. culii (4 of ^U), removed. 3. <1J^ , poverty, misery, as making people to grovel in the dust (^-^', i—J\y). 4. C-^y i (pi. of <-r>}J'), of the same age, coevals, friends. 5. f^^^^ (pl- of ^^'J?), things falling down, calamities, assaults, shocks." 6. (^Ijj (pi- of ^LiJ.), quivers (of leather), wallets, bags. 7. j^liJ^l (»^<^V ? manifest of (i.e. in my) need. 8. *jI& (partic. of *^), one enamoured, be- wildered, crazed. 9. il^i>- , bulk of water or sand, depths." 10. »jI^ (partic. of (*y=^), circling round, as a thirsty bird. 11. ^l*u^ (pi. of d.£S^.JM^), roamings. 12. ijl Ai , a going or coming in the morning ; 10 ASSEMBLY I. = = f- ^ o -r I f. ^. i(^ct o ..c. ^1 ^. ,./X. ; 28 x(..-27 l>^ ^^►ij , a going or coming in the evening. 13. ^^\ (2 of ^.fol), made come, brought. 14. u-JlislVl -^^\ (ph of 'ij:>'\j), chidiugs, reproofs. 19. y*j (pi. of i'r-^j), crowds. 20. a\^^\ (pi. of *^), spathes, sheaths, shells. 21. /^-ci^ (8 of \j*>-^), that I might take a brand, or light from, i.e. profit by. 22. ^JlVs.^ (pi. of AJiAii.^), facial bags of the throats of camels, which protrude under the influence of rage or excitement with a roaring noise, here applied to the impetuosity of the speaker's improvised utterances. 23. jt)l-j, thunderstruck, not knowing or caring what he is about, ' reckless." 24. -sc^W , restive, running away with, "headstrong." 25. . , idle talk. 26. >^],, for \^ }\, until when, how long? 27. *liL:». , for l^ tc--^ > to what extent ? 28. ^JbU-J" (6 of ^■^), thou reachcst the utmost limit, art OF SAN'a. 11 29 c-c 33 ^ i; ^.^ * c_<:!U c/l^y * lKJI<;T ''J Ul * Lli:il= ** 1 — y*^ III ^ . ^ ^ . . ^ ^ ^^ . _^ 44 extreme. 29. ^J— j, mystery, secret thought, secret. 30. i^}\c3 (6 of i_> t^), thou withdrawest from sight, hidest thyself. 31. ^^ilri- , anything hidden. 32. j^l (pret. of j^^,^), the time has come. 33. /iitj (4 of (Jp,*), gives over to destruction. 34. CS^c ^^m^ (4 of g:.i), will suffice for thee, viz., as a protection. 35. lLCi^.s'*, thy gathering-place, i.e. resurrection to receive judgment. 36. ^,JL..^s.i''^\ (8 of J^), thou hast walked in, struck in. 37. Ma:;£.1 (8 of_jJ^£), \t^1f animosity against, enmity, transgression, iniquity. 38. C^\^s\ j^\ >^ thy greatest enemy, in the sense of Al-Asma i's saying to a man who had given him food — God confound all thy enemies except thyself." 39. (J-it*, sleep at noon, place for such, resting-place in general. 40. _»-.;2.^ , final destination. 41. ui^*La;l:J (6 of ^^.wjtj), thou hast feigned to he asleep. 42. L::-^-u-..cliiJ' (6 of ^^*»xi), thou hast feigned to protrude the breast and draw in the back, like a restive camel, thou hast strained against." 43. .^z (pi. of 'ij^^), examples, especially warning ones. 44. i.^:^j^UI' (6 of ^y), thou hast given 12 ASSEMBLY I. ^ y 56 way to doubts, hast questioned or disputed it. 45. cLxi^^^ (4 of ^x^), it lias enabled thee, has been possible to thee, has been in thy power. 46. j<-j^3^ (3 of »-j1), thou hast assisted another (from out of thy own substance, not thy superfluities). 47. L^ (aor. of ^r.), which thou mayest preserve, keep in mind. 48. culjjk.^1 i^U^, "the heightening of dowries." 49. tulaA^l ill^^,the uninter- rupted bestowal of alms, continuance of almsgivings." 50. < 5I.S-* (pi. of ^Ak*f ), platters, dishes. 51. s^^\ (pi. of (j^!), colours, many- coloured things ; metaphorically, various meats. 52. 4__c5l.s"^ (pi. of Ai-^*^), leaves of a book, pages. 53. u—it'it] 1 =._;...'«/♦.! 1 , what is known to be right, righteousness, opposed to : 54. .i^\ = .^^.^Ji, that which is objectionable, wrong, deceit. 55. J IJU , perdition to, woe to, out upon. These verses belong to the metre c^u.s^ _j Isr* , i.e. cut short of the last foot of each half -line, whose measure therefore is: w— |— -^ , here with the licence of shortening the first syllable of each foot. 56. ^l^^, scanty remainder of fluid .^.-^ ^^" OF SAN 'a. 13 * i^xi «_L>- ^'♦•-^5 ''•-^•^^•J * '^}j^ LS^^ ^rr^ t_^lw Li * ij^"* ..... I . .. ^ . ^. in a vessel or tank, a droplet. 57. l.*AJ 1 (7 of l_.--<5), he slipped, as a snake. 64. &::X^ , I granted him a delay, allowed him time. 65. The Beyrout edition, which in a note explains u Jl.s-^ as sitting on the right or left" (i.e. side by side, like a pair of shoes), reads 14 ASSEMBLY I. OF SAN'a. _=_:! ^-- L5_.' '... • — . _/^..,. •••_^^_, ,,v->^ • "^ , -' ^-^ ^;;l!i ^^^l-;JlT^LL lL^^ ^,.1^ j.:ijjT ^^j V^j ^^^^ L^-* L^-^y^ U^-i^-l 9j^-"* f^-^-^ ^i Li^-X;--- 3 J a^ajiiif jjsi ji^i ui^L* u d-^ji^ 4 j.^iiT ''^^i ]J^ in the text uill^, sitting opposite. 66. lLSj^:>-, thy tale, i.e. pro- fession. 67. (JJ^-,.s'*, what is tokl or experienced of thee, thy practice. 68. li-i! I Ijij , the puff of heat. 69. j^^^'-l i^'^, ' he went near to burst," all but burst. 70, L::^-kJ>- ( »*r5-), went down, was extinguished, 71. .y , glare of a fire or the sun, metaphorically applied to rage, fury. 72. ds^^^:>., a black robe, as worn by preachers. The metre of the verses is c_;jliix^, first l-j,^ of the first i^*t~ '• w — — |s^ — — |w— — , twice repeated, with the licences here indicated, and an occasional change of the last foot of the first half-line from w into w— . 73. j->)i (4 of c^.), I strive for, try to capture, steal against." 74. ^.^^-^ , and the following d.>2MiJ , the hunter or chaser and the game or chased, are explained by others less satisfactorily as the male and female game. 75. L_^iil *1 (aor. of L_^-Jb), I fear not, here with the force of the preterite on account of 1! . 76. i^i.^ , its (fortune's) change, its vicissitudes. 77. i-::.^r^-ij s^ , nor led me ; the subject to this verb in the fem. is cUaJ ,=>- (j*-a3 , a greedy mind, a covetous soul." 78, («jL;3l (4 of (»ji~2;), he took the half, divided into two e(][ual ASSEMBLY II. OF HULWAC^ 15 cr:? parts, hence he was just, equitable. 79. Some MSS. read ^u, and if not. 80. Aj «_ibk':..^j ^/♦.j , by Him from whom thou seekest pro- tection against. 81. i — ->.js:'^ ' cl^^^^J, I completed my wonderment, i.e. I was extreme in it. ASSEMBLY II. CALLED " OF HULWAK" 1. mAaj (pi. of ciA^^), amulets, which were tied round children's necks to protect them against the evil eye. 2. *jU.£ (pi. of tk^[^s.), turbans, the wearing of which marked the period of maturity reached by a boy. e:^^*.^ and Ci^-^LJ are pass, of k-,^ and l:y , here to doff" and to don" respectively. 3. [C-.^-J^ (4 of ^*2-3), I make lean, I jade. 4. ^*1^^, that I might cleave to ; notice in this and 0' J • / N r ■> I 16 ASSEMBLY n. ! y / 1 JlJt Jl !;,* ^j::^;j * ^^^j^-^^-- J'i' tlr? ^'^ %^'^ ^5^^^-* * ^l-:ii|T the two preceding verbs the c__^*^ , depending on ^jl in the former, and on the J in this. 5. ^yX^i\ (v.n. 8 of (_/**-j), borrowing fire from another, hence borrowing, taking as a loan in general. 6. j^^XiiJ' (v.n. .5 of ^X.i'), donning the garment ^_^-.^' , a kind of vest or tunic. 7. J.J^ u-^ mJ-^' "^^^"^ ^'^^ great or of small account. 8. J.j«J^ \^*^\ (5 of J.-^) J.L0I , I divert or beguile myself with perhaps" and might be," i.e. with hope and desire. 9. (j^ ♦!.:>- , Hulwan, a town about four stations east of Bagdad, noted for two palm trees to which a remarkable legend is attached (see Freytag, Prov. Arab. ii. 47). 10. i—^vJi:!.^ , shifting (in the moulds or forms of genealogy, in the varieties of pedigrees "). 11. k-s^, stumbling, groping, beating about " (the aor., as in the preceding phrase, here being best translated by the participle). 12. (^1.-jI^ Jl, race of Sasan, the son of Bahman, from whom the Sasanian dynasty of Persian kings descended, but who, from his early life as an exile amongst the Kurds became the prototype and patron of vagabonds and beggars (comp. the 49th Assembly). 13. ^^l-oli. a foot mounting to the heights (lit. mountains) of the sciences. 1 7. ^.1 \ , a tool, organ ; here attainment, as a means to wealth and rank. -^ > 18. \j^-^, (o^ ) lie was associated with, the close adherence of / garments to the body being made a simile for any intimate com- panionship, especially that between husband and wife. 19. ^JsXz, "* here eloquence, fecundity of speech, fair speaking." 20. ^ L::.^AMilj , ^ / I craved for. 21. ^Jj^l (8 of^l^), I beheld displayed to me (as a bride is to the bridegroom). The metre of these verses is (Jj^I? , as explained page 5, note 42. 22. (g-J 1-' , kinship. 23. Us*. , fertilizing rain, rich harvest. 24. 'va'^, also '*^Jj, a space of time. 25. \jSi (aor. of ^ j^), driving away, repelling, removing. 26. Jj'r-^, * a bone picked or to be picked by a dog, hence the lack or want of it ; . ■- a metaphor for poverty. 27. •.•l-v* (pi. of ;»/t,«), here failures 2 ^- /. \ 1 I '^^ y^ \% V ASSEMIU.Y II \jz a^j;JJ j^^' ^' jUl^j L^ j^ii- * jiipT uijCl^ 4 ^'^ dij:* ixj JUi * ^j:^^*^T *.^.jj ^£ 28. /^i'^^ (4 of (_^ii), profiting one, support, supply. 29. ^jU^l (v.n. 4 of (j^i-'), not obtaining one's object, failure, distress." 30. - is pi. of 'd^:>-, quality, natural disposition. 33. lA^i, aor. of Jk5»-^ . 34. c:^J^ , pret. of t-r*^^ • 35. ^^:^^ (8 of ^JJ), place of assembly, as the following JC^ (8 of Ji!) is a place of meeting. 36. (.l^j , worn out, shabby, squalid. 37. {j*^^^ (pi. of U^^^)> people sitting. 38. <-_>ll?j (pi. of (._^^), skin-bags for keeping milk, metaphorically receptacles for anything precious. 39. ^^^ discrimination of his address, his discriminate eloquence. 40. i'jLr »j1, "Walid ibn 'Ubaid, more generally knoAvn ^ ^ 0¥ HULWAN. 19 ^t^^ cr->Vf ^•^ as Al-Bohtori, born at Kufah early in the 3rd century of the Hijrah, f A.n. 283, called by some admirer the seal," i.e. last and chief of the later poets, whose merits and faults he possessed to a degree. 41. l.lj^ in pause for J(i\ (pi. of ^l..s' i), camomile flowers. The metre is *-.-ly-J, first i^»j^ , fii'st t_-y* (^!l^^_|^^^_|_^_, ^^^_|!i:^!l!!^_|_^_). 42. * ^-js*^ L| , an exclamation expressive of astonishment, in which the initial J may be read with 1 fathah or kasrah. 43. ^ , • . J , swollen, opposed to plump or fat. f This and the following expression : " thou hast blown on that which is no fuel," are borrowed from the proverbial language of the desert Arabs. 44. ^^ uliC-Jsl) , literally '' forbidding thee from," i.e. "fj a freshness and purity («__^i.-i)) which prohibits thee from asking for any other, to express the highest degree of perfection. The metre is Is-u^aJ , first (^_j r-c , first <— ^^s : ^^w— |— w— I— — w — |^^ — > twice. 45. cV« , for J^L^, which itself is a corruption of jl, ^y^, from V! 20 ASSEMBLY II. when, i.e. since. It is generally followed by a nominative or an oblique case, and here by the adverb of time /♦*-'', to-day, which it emphasizes, like the English this very day." 46. Lj , he quoted from the Quran (xlix. 12). 47. iU. (pi. of ^^j), reciters, as the following i'Lj\ is pi. of i^^, healers, physicians. 48. \-^^ (v.n. 8 of .-.i), consideration, minute inspection. 49. tIJuL* ^z- ^***'^. *' , there has been no weaving on its loom, i.e. nothing like it has been produced. 50. ('i^srV,* , natural disposition, creative genius. 51. c—^liUs, a red oval fruit, resembling the olive in shape, and here a simile for the henna-stained finger-tips, as ^^rs-y , narcissus, is simile for the eyes, lit! , pearls, for tear-drops, t) ,• , rose, for the cheek, and J^j , hailstones, for the teeth. The metre of the couplet, said to be com- posed by Abu'l-Faraj al-Wawa, is Basit, as above, and as in the four VtY HULWAN. 21 , ^JT ^ps ^ ^0.1, js£ \^ jl3 JL>;^ ^-l^U Ij; :^vt7- ' ^^ ^jiJC J}.LJT l:^>^^ ^^:ai ''U.^ 1^^^ ^,l£ JJiJ ^li 111! j^\ b^JI^ * J^rr^^.-UT l-ixi ji> 'i JLi * ^^>^^ 4 ^J^ distichs following next. 52. Mr. Ckenery translates this : and slie dropped pearls from a perfumed ring," and explains in the notes " tears from her eye." There is however, no occasion for tears, and "a perfumed ring" would scarcely be applied to the eyes: it is meant for the mouth, from which her words (^^ of the preceding line) fall lilve pearls. 53. Xa^J , spotless purity, loyalty, honesty." 54. " And a night (her glossy dark hair) gleamed upon a morn (her bright face), and a branch (her slender figure) bore them both." The extravagance of the similes in these and the preceding verses is evi- dently a stroke of fine irony on Abu Zaid's or rather Hariri's part, in which he criticises, what he had called the swollen style of the originally quoted couplet of Al-Bohtori, by out-doing it. 55. 'Uj^-S a steady fertile rain. 56. ij^^, rind, bark, shell, here apparel, " clothing." 57. ^\j (v.n. 5 of j:!^), brightness, gleam. 58. 'iy^ , y I \ ft \ 22 ASSEMBLY 11. OF IIULWAN. * i.v; l\b^T ^>\:f?Tj * i0^3^ ^^ cL'^i :?= ''j^f^^ijT 60 r '' . . ''■*!('' o ci • t 62 ■Si the display of a bride, unveiled beauty." 59. ^^:>-»:>- an - (pi. of ^^Jai-), calamities. ASSEMBLY III. CALLED ''OF THE DENAR," OR "OF QAILAH." 1. Jk-,JLl3l (pL of iJc>^Aj^), recitations. 2. i—j^ls (pL of Xsjli?), rarities, novelties. 3. Jk-.3l-jl (pi. of w^U^t;],), quotations referred to an authority, anecdotes. 4. J,^-j, a worn garment. 5. Jj-JJ, a limp. 6. jlri-\ (pi. of ^-.:>- or pi. of ~»c^^), best. 1, y\:>-J (pi. of i\^ri-L)), stores, hoards, treasures. 8. r^lAj (pi. of iXJl-.}), joyful tidings, joys." 9. J)\JLz (pi. of 'SjJLs.), blood-relations, kindred. 10. ls^l.-..<.5 l»^.c (imp. of *-^*), bid the morning to be fair to you. 11. li^LL.i» 1 ^^xA (imp. 4 of *xJ), may ye enjoy your morning draught. 12. ^j^ (pi. of ^iji), villages. 13. Xsu* (pi. of l^jLV), dishes, platters. 14. (_frJ , hospitable entertainment, 15. c_J^L:.sM <__;^l2J5 (v.n. of >^Ji-'s and pi. of w->L:i.), the frowning y^ ^\ ,^ 24 ASSEMBLY 111. A4.M21 "•■•';'., 0^X20 ^f . o (fi . . o if 19 I . ^■ ' - " — ^ »» of adversities. 16, .j^ (pi. of ij^-i), sparks, fire-flakes." 17. ^_JJ:»^ c__>l-.:xjl (v.n. 8 of '-r'y and pi. of tO.3 respectively), tlie coming or befalling one after another, the succession of vicissitudes. 18. i^:^£ji (3rd pret. fern.), was bald, bare. 19. .li (pret. of .^i), disappeared in tbo ground, sank. 20. i_5yi (4 of ^y), was "" ... .. " . void. 21. i^>i-5i (4 of i^-i), was strewn with pebbles, and therefore hard. 22. ij;,,.sy^\^\^ ^j!b\j}\ , what utters a sound and what is silent, for cattle and goods." 23. f-i^-^ (4 of j-^j), ■what makes fall, prostrates. 24. »_J5jk^ (4 of 5-i-^), what exposes to misery. 25. llla-*';^-;^ (10 of (j^), Ave filled our bellies. 26. ULsfL^l (8 of J..s^), we anointed our eyes with. 27. oUj (pi. of '^S%»), low grounds, pits. 28. Ij ^'i:^\ (10 of ll?_j), we found soft or smooth. 29. —U^'* (8 of j-%-=r)> destroying. 30. '*.i-l^ , Qailah, ancestress of the tribes Aus and Kliazraj, and daughter of al-Arqam, of the race of Ghassan, to which race therefore Abu Zai d refers himself, by claiming descent from her. The mention of her name has OF THE DENAK. 25 '' ^^ ■" ^l; .liT c_.ii;.^ ^f A^ lL.-K '%i^i d. i.l (v.n. 8 of j^^ used adverbially), by way of testing or proving. 33. yi^\ ijM^\, honour that yellow one, meaning how^ noble is that yellow one (see Gr. p. 278). The metre of the verses is j^-^Jl^ y>- , (i.e. Eajaz shortened by one of its normal four feet) : — — w— |— — s..^— |— — w— . 34. i'jL-ji (pi. of j^j-^), lines on the forehead or in the palm, from "which fortunes are told, here applied to the impression of the denar. 35. ^rl/.^^* (pi. of <.U*u^), endeavours. 36. 'ijij , molten gold or silver, molten ore. 37. \i^J!L::JL^ (10 of l^-.^), kindling (with anger). 38. J.^\ (4 of J— ;), he spoke secretly, he whispered to. 39. A.^\ (4 of *b), he betrayed, yielded up to an enemy 26 ASSEMBLY III. r Up ■-f/' 48 o^o - ^ t 'At,! 47 .. ;i ;, t , o ^1 it; .. 4.-1 Li ^j^^:>-^ t_fJJ-£-») ^JU.^ f'^L^*- mj-^ "^-^ ^r-* .. * 1 t' < * '^ ^ > . . . •• t-^rC ''1 '-;'' .*'»'' ^ ^ ' ' ' ^ or to destruction. 40. ^hi ^s:>^\ , whose creation lias first produced it. 41. \:f^\ (4 of Is^'), brought to conclusion, perfected, performed. For the origin of this saying see Prov. Arab. ii. 717. 42. J^^ , here rain-cloud," probably a cloud which by its thunder o is "supposed" (J-^^^) to be pregnant with rain. 43. (_i^-jLi»^i duLc, without its being grudged, imitation of iJkz L-J^^^JtM] j^, Qur'an i. 7. 44. H:.ij|. (v.n. 7 of ^^-j), departing. 45. >)y--c-^ i_Jl:JJ^ v.n. 8 of (-_cJl and *jZ respectively), incurring of indebtedness. VN '^ 46. ibsr'^-< (8 of J-5^ j), improvising (sfante pede). For the following aj liy , perdition on him, compare note 55 to Assembly i. and Qur'an cxi. 1. i__^ ^^\ ^'-V. t-^^^i' , uiay both the hands of Abu Lahab perish. The metre of the verses is the same as above. 47. -iiA^i^ (3 of •ijv^), one insincere in friendship (one who adulterates the milk of his love). 48. ^^^. ^J, double-faced, lit. owner of two faces, as ■^■<3^ ri :>' OF THE DENAR. 27 it -' . -^ j^^yt ^^i^ '^w^-^ ^^1 :^^ '' j!^^ :^ ^^^:'. ''^. ^^^j the following pi. ^jlisM j^ j means possessors of true notions, " they who think truly." 49. J;l=/».^ (part. pass, of Jli^*), one to whom payment is delayed. 50. ^jj\c (part. act. of J^-c), who obstructs, retards, puts off. 51. ^iJ^Ar^ (pi- of ajLI^), qualities ; similarly the following (J^y^ is pi. of (J^'-^'^ , a narrow place, therefore straits." 52. ^j^\ l^ilj , well done he. 53. J^ll:?- , a full udder, hence metaphorically a hill, height, mountain-top. 54. (J ^c!j3,there is no prospect in, I have no mind for. 55. i-l>ij^ jj^\ Ui, what has made thy shower (so) abundant, for how abundant is thy shower," a form of admiration, like l-j ^^\, q.v. note 27 above. 56. iU\^\ hyiW, stipulation holds fastest, is the stronger. See Prov. Arab. i. 669. 57. ^^li^ll (pi. of ^_^:-i'*), the twice recited, i e. the opening Surah of the Qur'an, because it is twice repeated in the ceremonial prayers. 58. --j^*^' (v.n, 6 of ^j^), shamming lameness. 59. J.jt\*:i^ 1 (10 of Jiy^), I wished him to return, 28 ASSEMBLY 111. OF THE DENAR. 1 •*" ^ I called him back." 60. ^J^^ (v.n. of ^J^C), embroidery, here applied to speech, hence eloquence." 01. Li_?u^U:>- (pi. of d.jjl?-), things happening, fortunes." Notice the t_^^ , depending on ^ , which is here <'i^>c^ j^^, having the force of «_-* with, amid" (see Gr. p. 192). 62. c^^jjuj (7 of ^Ji), I veer. 63. ^ CS^ U (JjJ^ , it is not the like of thee who plays buffoon." 64. jL*M^.lio \ (10 of %j), there secreted itself, disappeared, waned." 65. -^ ,i, joy after sorrow, comfort, relief. The metre is t_.j.lii:x^, with t_J^js'* '-rV* ; i-6. the final w changed into ^ — . 66. ^y«^i.i ^j.5- . . . , allusion to Qur'an xxiv. 60, no crime shall it be in the blind or the lame (to eat at your tables)." ASSEMBLY IV. CALLED "OF DAIIIETTA." ^^.s~=l * -^U^ll v_j-«j-* *'3L:>-jJl J_j-'V;-^ ^4-'*j-i ^■'Ij * ^k^-r^•'*j 7 1^ * • ' -^« 1. rl^^^^j - wb /»l;: , in a year of clamour (of people coming) and tu- mult (of people going), for of much coming and going." 2. /^s^'^y^ *l-i>-p\ , glanced after for my affluence." 3, *1:<-^1 ijy*5'*' ^^' sired in (brotherly) friendship." 4. l-s** (pi. of k_^^-l-tf), friends, companions. 5. slii>m Lar Lii-i , ' who had broken the stail of dissension," i.e. avoided or abandoned it. 6. J^l^^i^ (pi- of J^y^ , pi- of ^^J, pi. of -^JS> (fem. of — y.2>^), high-mettled, fleet. 9. l:^*^!:^^-! (3 of ^^ri~), we snatched. 10. (JhJ i! (4 of J%li'), wo lengthened not. 11. t__;ljbl, hide, skin, ^ ■^ ff s^"' 1 30 ASSEMBLY IV. ^^\ l4- ^^' * '''^M^ 4^^ S^^ '^^r- J;^^^ ^^ il^'^ Jl * 'n^!\ cLLjt; ''^,--;j^ a^i^* li^j lJjU * ^/!\ ji lL^ ^cjoM j!_j UJl J^^l; * JU ^^ JUjJJ jl^l^ *'^U '^^jj\J\ jJ>r-^_. * o;>:*^^ <5iJj-i'* 0;-'*-= Jj-J^^ '^^ Jr^^^:' J-'V^^y^^b * Jrly-^i ^'y ^. ^^_)1, * ^giin ^. JU- ^.y\, * juiJ JU. J\, ^A ^j^ * ^\ ^.^ ^lii'i :j^ * ^j^i\ ji\ '\^\ ^^ ^-1]^ * ^lifb . "complexion." 12. i,)[^^ , its dye, meaning here its dark hue. 13. -^J (pi. of i'^t), heights, hills, hillocks, here described as ilLiir^ (9 of J.^:>-), moistened, dewy. 14. \^\\ tLl^^ (8 of Jc), faint of east breeze, i.e. with a faint east breeze." 15. (_/*-..c (pi. of fjM~^\), the yellowish white (camels). 16. {j*>->r-'^'J (v.n. 2 of ij^f^), making a halt towards the end of the night. 17. Lz^l-a, loud- voiced. 18. Jl>-j (pi. of J.:>-.), here "camp." 19. ^^ (pi- of iL:>-), neighbours. For .1-.?- and (JL^ look out jy.:f^ and Q^-a . 20, ♦:^'*>^^ , kinsman, comrade, friend ; has also the meaning of hot water, "tepid draught." 21. il, aor. of 'iy 22. ^'^^. , aor. 3 of lii . 23. j^^, a companion, and also 'a tenth." 24. ( s^'^c (pi. of ^ A-), gifts. 25. (J.J^ ,'< , with Dhammah 3 of fj.ij , with Fathah pi. of J^J;'* • 26. JL (agent of ^l-j), who forgets, neglects, >i h r \ ■^ . >f r 'V^ \y Oft-^^i ■'■•• OF DAMIETTA. 31 M 0* ^.liJl. '';^ \Z\ ^l CSlj L-U I] JlJLi * ^p\ ^:^^>V *7 7 ^/"= jJiX s^.. ^J ^r^ ,^u cs:u\ ^^ * '' ji5^i^-i jL\! ^::j^ ^J^. - ^ ^ jlj! ^U ^ ^., * jw, ^;i; ^., Jx ju ='^^\ s, * jlc, Jj aIjTj 1' * s^=^^ j^j1j ^^_; ^;^'1j * ^J^=^^ e;^!^ CjJ"^^ withdraws from. 27. 'li^Hjhere my due." 28. jLi.^ (aor. pass, of A^), is or should be clung to. 29. wl (aor. of >*-=•), I mark, I dis- tinguish. 30. j^J'l^ (agent of yjsii), who exceeds bounds, is insolent or overbearing. 31. jc^^j^ , with Dhammah 3 of ^c^*^ with Fathah pi. of ^'^»is-K ties, tethers, tethering rope. 32. ,*JUi (3 of L«), I help, aid, assist. 33. (_ij^^^ (3 of ^Jj'^), I am courteous towards, treat kindly. 34. t)ljk*a\ (pi. of tX-i), adversaries, opponents. (In Grammar Sj is a word with opposite meanings.) 35. ct)i, aor. of cj^, the following jUjI v.n. 4 of tXr^ , q v. 36. l/'^V.^ (pl- o^ t_5JkM, pi. of Jo), in the sense of benefits; the following t/'->*-^l (ph of tS.£-), enemies. 37. 1^=-^ (pi. of t_^>-»*?-), dear ones, friends. 38. '\3^\ (pi. of cX;'.!-^), lovers, friends, intimates. 39. z ji\ (aor. 4 * --./^ 32 ASSEMBLY IV. 43 ^ ?. 'J o A 47 !C" -■( c^. ^-1 .« 4G -r '- '' .o/ »- .•: t/ j.0tO Sljj'^ToO II^J... ^OvP ,\ol t(._-c'l.i , -:».:?- i!l <^_JL^_i , c:»^>- ^-^^ » *^~' ^f* lJ-j^ cU*fl-J of c ji), I pour out; the following CjSiS_, aor. 2 of the same root, meaning he empties." 40. t_5jljsl) (6 of .j^;^), let us match (like a pair of shoes). 41. ^jUj (v.n. 6 of (^-i), defrauding each other, mutual deceit, a word consecrated as the title of Surah Ixi. 42. IJ , for U.J , for wliat, .why, sometimes further abbreviated into *J . 43. Jill (4 of J.i), here " I sicken, render diseased." 44. Ji\ (4 of j-jj), I bear, I support, I raise. 45. ^ Ji;>-i, 8 of -^j-^- q v. 46. t_->l::sr, pass. 8 of c-^i^r q v. 47. /ij^ , 4 of J^-^ , has the same meaning as the primitive form ^j^^'J , rises, but is of rarer use, and therefore more likely to be employed by Hariri. 48. d-kri. , circumstance, state, condition. 49. lL>«^^ t*.-^, to God belongs or is ascribed thy father, an expression of admiration, = how excellently says thy father." 50. i-i-3.i , Jl^, J^ii , 1st and 3rd person preterite, and v.n. of J.-.^ q.v. The metre of these verses is ^^ r-J, as p. 19, note 41, except that the t-^-V^ is like the i^jj^ (— ■^ —)• 5l.j^::^\ (comp. of^A«::s-), losing more, falling short." 52. tLlli- ti j^ta-.^-* , f^\i^^ / / f .. -~' I' OF DAMIETTA. 33 ''a_^jj j^ 3jJi L:-5._::.i "lt^^ ''^^-^^ J^^-* '^jj ^ 4 '^N^t^U^ '" ll^^ J3!^>^ LlTli-;^^ c^-;-?^^i Lm^ juj bi lL.^-^ ^^1 ji * ^yi^kijb ^^=rjji j^^ii^ j^un L:^U_j LT*^^ ^?^ ^'♦•l-j^ (.i-^o * jj;^-J; ^'^j4 W-r^^j u^'^^^-i one defrauded in his reason, a simpleton. 53. ^_s^.£■^ jj'^*, an adulterator of love, i.e. insincere in it. 54. jcJl.>- (pret. of <_)-.;>-), -f' he thought me, he fancied that I. 55. {j*>^ , dissembling, falsehood. '* 56. f^lj-^ , either of two persons between whom a money obligation exists, therefore debtor or creditor as the case may be, here the latter. 57. L--^ib, imper. of k— ^^j q.v. 58. J'^s^*, niched in, "entombed." 59. tLuJl ^z I— --jyj (pass, of e--^, is shrunk from), from whose intimacy people shrink. 60. c:-^JiJ , pret. of vJ q.v, 61. ^-.c-, here essence, reality, personality. 62. *lij (glowing coal) is used as a proper name (imperfectly declined) for the sun, hence the son of Zuka for the ruddiness of the morning, as produced by the sun. 63. Jl-Jcwj' (10 of (J-J), rising for departure. 64. *ljcil ^t, and not with the earliness of, i.e. with an earliness beyond that of, a local and modern extension, to express superiority, of an idiom, which in classic Arabic only indicates inferiority, as in the phrase i!j ^:j clioUi , a man and not like Malik, i.e. not equal to him in manliness. 3 -n 34 ASSEMBLY IV. ^^iktib ;^^ J3I jl * u^ i;^^^ «' j\;cJi j.y_^ \^lli s;^M^ ^.^ y — *''i:^=>-;n i;^:^)!i^ dx;i.!i ^^jiijii c^!^ \:^li^Sh * j^^^ 1^ jt5 * ti,L ''jUy^ ^^ c^-i uK.;;.u ^i.k^ u\s:i-: jiii jii cul jis^ '^^j^ *^1jj ^u; a;.^! jii^^uJ^i 4 j!^^^ ^^^1 ^1 ^^\tp\^ '''^>)S^^ i4i^:;j:.3^ "jU^v%iJ;p LLli *;^^ c^li^ For Malik comp. Prov. Arab. ii. 213, and Hamasah, p. 373. 65. ^ AS -f. ' ' i£^}} i^y abundance and my scantiness, my much and my little. 66. j^-j 1 (aor. 4 of _»-o), I spread abroad, tell forth (as, for instance, a proverb). 67. ^\y:.\ (pi. of t3»r), woods, trees, branches. 68. ^Ix^ , the place of the i/^>rX.'J, for which see note 16 above. 69. awj^ ^^csr^l (v.n.^of Ajj-), the wiping away, i.e. removal, of his distress. 70. ^***^'l (8 of ^j), has become dirty. 71. 1^::;| (10 of ♦=-), that I may take a bath. 72. ^x:>'J\\ ACj^W , "haste, haste, and return, return," for : make the utmost haste, and return as quickly as possible." 73. 4.M J*jj\ (8 of 5j), return ; the following i^yi-j) and (^liJi^l is the same form of "^, here coursing away." 74. JrsT*, aor. of J-oi-, q.v. 75. jLcl (pi. of S^), feasts, the watching of the feasts, meaning the watching of the fasters for the new moon at the Bairam feast. 76. •i-jills (pi. of djt^i\i), spies, scouts, as the following J^jJ (pi. of ^\j), means foragers, by means of whom they made search for him (^hxLj , 10 of j-il?). 77. i-Jj^ or < — y^, wasted bank, here applied to the remainder of the day, of OF DAMIETTA. " 35 1^-:s-^b * L^:^ U ^1^ ^2r* ^j^-^-^-5 ^.^oJi^l tiil^^ city li JU which it is said, that it "nigh had crumbled in" (jl^. ol^, 7 of .»Ji). With a similar bold metaphor the sun is said to shine in faded garments," i.e. near setting. 78. uiJ^o.J and uj JUJ , 6 of ^i and o-^'^j l-v. 79. ^^^JiH *1^^:5- (pi. of < '/> <-^ sl^,^ U Lwil-' J ^.ii-iaJ ^J j), being yery dense or dark. 9. *^j (pret. pass, of , Js.), may ye be guarded. The metre of these verses is ',:>-, , as p. 25, n. 33, with the exception that the last ^xJi.::.^*^ ( ^ ~) by the license ^\is becomes ^J.x.kx^^t = ^ yxi.^ ( ■). 10. y-^i^-J. (3 oilz^), has stretched itself, has been lengthened. The final fathah is pro- longed on account of the metre, as in several of the preceding and following verbs. 11. i—iJiiLs.-* (12 of l_cI:5-), bent," originally applied to winding sandhills (;__aii«-). 12. Jjix*, 8 of t^ , q.v. 13. J^~»-l, 12 of 4~>- , q. V. 14. t__-lr=-yj = (._,^j>-J, 2 of ^.^s^., bidding welcome. 15. l^i liii quick! quick! and lii>, come and bring ! are exclamations of frequent occurrence to urge the per- formance of a behest. 16. ^\ *iUiJ c:-4iXij' ^, I will not roll my tongue over your food, unless." For the use of the preterite in this and similar phrases, see Grammar, p. 170. 17. J.i l«, pi. of J^U for V 38 ^J' ASSEMBLY V c -c-^' ^^i::ln * ^^f ^3j^ ^an j^i .^^4^^ ^Vj^ ji-y 31"'%^-^ ^ ^^.iJl pLL-^^ ^.-^^^ ui^lli j^j ^A^ lili ^iT^lj- * ^5pl cL?)1j buiU JLiLJ * tl/;U.^1 ^W^ ^^ ^r:?^^/^ l15;;UL1 c^jU u [^\ ^ ^1, ^ ^v-j.^;-^^ '^v h u^^:?^ V. H ^ ^"^^^ ^ J^U, repasts. 18. .i^»-.-, pi. of Lil-j, clearly seen, referring to AJLs-, suppers, and meaning such that are taken before dark. Comp. Prov. Ar. i. 442. 19. %^\, in which the final /a M« A is said to be a substitute for the vocative particle, Allah," has before a re- strictive sentence the force of an asseveration : unless, by Allah." 20. ^jJiA^S jXi , the moon of Sirius, i.e. the moon of summer, nearly synonymous with the following 'i±L\\jS}, full moon of the Lion's nose, i.e. of the eighth of the twenty-eight lunar stations, which coincides with the beginning of summer. 21. ^^ t*, pi. of ^Jiy* = j; U , (inner) corners of the eye. 22. ^1? and the preceding ^y , are 3rd pi. pret. of ^*h and ^jy respectively, q v. 23. ^Jx k--.-X/« Jv^l, intent upon making to work, upon plying. 24. ^j^J'j and "J OF KUFAH. ' 39 ^] J\ * c^^i M ji the first preceded by the aor. with the force of a preterite on account of ^ , the second by the pret. itself of the respective verbs. 25. ^^^y* 1*^ "^^j-^ ? like the heart of /'j/r( the mother of Moses, meaning empty, a proverbial expression derived \ from Qur'an xxviii. 9 : and the heart of Moses' mother became void (through fear)," as we say the blood fled from her heart. 26. For Li\::3\ (8 of jJ), I might gain, some read jliil (8 of J.-.i), I might be profited by. 27. *:^£»- (pass, of ^^), may ye be made to live. The metre is again J=»- 1 , but without the license explained in note 9 above. 28. JJ^ J,i;l lijl>-, stumbling in a night, more benighted than night itself, in the night -dark night." 29. j'^'^^ , a young buffalo, metaphorically for a youth. 40 ASSEMBLY V. U ^:xi b i%^->^ -^j-Ls i-_i.J.>. Jjiw^^ -ft.j jp>^J_ %^] U L::-4..iLs 30. -^_^i' cv».s-j, by the reverence due to, or by the sanctity of tbe aged man, etc., meaning Abraham, who, on account of his entertaining the angels and poor men is in the eyes of Muhammadans the proto- type of a liberal host, and whom they consider as the founder of the temple of Mecca, here called ^4^-^'^, the place whither pil- grimage is made. 31, u?»b, hunger, here, of course, nom. to the verb 15^3. 32. t^Ji (7 of 4_^,J), presents itself to, comes upon, assails." 33. Jj^»^ -with, fat hah over *, ' place of alighting," with dhammah, one who invites to alight, a host. 34. S^ , name of a place in Najd, here with the tanwin, while in the Mu allaqah of Labid the word occurs imperfectly declined, an anomaly explained in the commentary to the latter passage, p. 96 of Arnold's edition. 35. /jJ^ y^i is the name of one of the most famous Arab tribes, which waged with its kindred tribe Thobyan the celebrated war known as the war of Dahis. 36. l:^Ax3 . (j^A.c, mayst thou live and be raised (from every fall), i.e. recover from every mis- fortune, or be rescued from the consequences of every transgression by the mercy of God. 37. ^X.^ is another place on the road to Najd. OF KUFAH. 41 38^ * jLitl 4 l^L.^-^ Ui * j^Jiil ^_»k; Uj4d.^ JUi^Jl i-^^Ul^ J^\ ^\ j,u ^^ jbj jli Ui JUi * iiixi .ulk^i 4 ''^lj>; ^2;^ .^Lii Jlil ^1 Ji * 'l.J\j ^J\ l.^\ Jt>. ^.^ Ll ji'i ^1. -^ _ ' \.* Hence the year of the foray on Ma wan, indicates a year of danger >j for the inhabitants of that country, which would induce a woman . . (, -.of Paid to marry for protection. 38. ^otib , a crafty bird, meta- -^ r phorically applied to any cunning person. 39. J^Ul (pi. of w>»il), black snakes, here meaning the reed pens. 40. ib^,-* ^ illlii-^l (10 of 1^^-), we wished to fathom his intention. Other copies read i'vX.k<^:;>I;j^ (10 of I2-J), we sought to draw from him his wish." 41. t_.>L2J , an amount of money liable to the zahdt, i.e. a sum of 20 denars of gold, or 200 dirhams of silver. 42. JJ-ls, her "present," or "bounty." iJ^kixljl and liUiiiiljl (10 of J^L^ and Jj respectively), we thought long," ' we considered small." 43. JLs^ (pi. of ij^), embroidered stuffs of Yaman. 44. .j^U, 44 (9 K ' ^<> 42 ASSEMBLY V. OF KUFAH. . \, ^1 4G j^J^x^.^ l:i;L!J1 ,^.-ii^J Uj C^-r-^^ J^ * .l]Jj^-Jlj_j.^^P^ ^ , u^-.s^l cf^]^ j^l^f lL^^^^Ji ^^1 j.^^'\ ».^L (pi. of <^kS), liappy auguries, lucky stars. 46. "l joined his wing" = I went with him hand in hand. 49. ^1 t^>i.Lc- 'xkAs^- , God is or maybe my substitute towards thee," meaning I cannot reward thee myself." 50. ^J^ , 5 of J^l?, q.v. The metre of these verses is i^^-uyj , as explained p. 19, n. 44, the last foot of each hemistich, however, being dropped, and the pre- ceding ^xkuo.^ ( '^~) changed into ^^!^*J (^ ). The scheme of the measure therefore is: ^"l""^"!^ twice. 51. c:-^!^:^! ^ (8 of ^'i), from whom I take a bye-name, i.e. after 9 ■I ASSEMBLY VI. CALLED " OF MAEAGHAH." l--.«i-L^J\ L^3l.-«.J\ I.^lJL^J\ r^ ^ 1. ^-i-K^, name of a town in Azerbijan. 2. i'-cLJl i^^-'r'jj knights ■■<.j' of the reed-pen, i.e. distinguished writers. 3, <:? •• ^'^ , who could ASSEMBLY VI. OF MARAGHAH. 43 l,^i-iJi .^^ ic-r^^ 9'^y} LS*^-? l5^"^^1^ ''^'i («-^ whom I should be called Jo: yl, Father of Zaid, 52. /^,vil*^l , whose full name is Abu Said Abdu'l- Malik ibn Q,uraibi-'1-Asma i (ad. 740-831), was the most famous man of letters of his time, and the greatest authority on traditional lore amongst the Arabs. 53. d^^/^xji , Al-Kumait ibn Zaid, born a.d. 679, well versed in the poetry, battle-days, and proverbs of the Arabs. 44 V( ' ASSEMBLY VI. ^<: (j-.l^b ^l^_, * ' J.5] ^Uk- ^:>.U ^J-,. ).L J.)\^i\ Ic ^*^^jj ^"^^^51^:11^ Li^Hi^ ^^'L^!ll ui^lJ Uli * JUJJl ^a;:j ^^j]^ [j r^.-> '■' prune, i.e. refine and polisii. 4. u-cLj, used as sing, and plur., j 'V>' here in tlie latter number, 'predecessors, men of old." 5. t'Jl-j. / '' V \\' Aj,S£ , a maiden composition, a treatise original in style. 6. ^^l^jJl, viT this age; some copies read (j'j^'. 7. iUljl ^^^ ^x^U/fll, who holds ,1/* a tight grasp of the reins. 8. Ju.5 (pi. of ^'^^), dependents. 9. J.J1. ^L^, see p. 37, n. 3. 10. cL-,Jl)l5^, in the first place, '':^ \y' J" edge, border, outskirts;" in the second, "attendants." 11. '^^^ \ are the finest kind of dates, i^s.'^Jl the worst kind, hence the phrase means "fruit, good and bad." 12. jj^s^ (6 oijjs>.), the contraction of the eye-lids, in looking askance or contemptuously, side-glance." 13. ,fcJ.s^ (3 of (j-ij^), looking to the ground in silence, as one preparing to leap; the following J.,4s^-^ has the similar meaning of /* "one contracting his body," in order to take a longer stride. 14. ^jldiJ\ c:^*lj, (moments of) silence had returned, ^^^ being the pi. of c<:^i^. 15. r=rl;-^\j • • • ^•::^^'^- This passage does not occur in De Sacy's edition, but is given in the edition of Beyrout, on the authority of some MSS. j^^\ (pl- of V?"'^j)' shouts of I >", ■r #. ' * \ y-^ 'y OF MARAGHAH. 45 .i.Jl^ c:.'^5^J^ ^^si^\ U^s ^'^'^^-P^ f-^5 r^:t^ ^..'^^^ f^^ '^ '^ J\j^\ ^}^^ '^jj^\ ^- J..L^J^^ J.J! i"3u^_j^j ^ji-U^ "^^''^iWV. >>^^ '^^'^ i\}.'^:;j.y^ 'Z%;^\ ci^\}^^\ ^ ^j\^\ J^ ''e-J^ ^^j?.3 *u^ilj j.ji^ .is^'^--^^^ ^1:^^% iJ'^J^^\ jJL-ojinj o3.ku^1 IP — — ''^'' -' . ' "' , ..." "U. jA-.g-x«-ji ^^ Jjj ../^-.:i/* -, pi. of 0^^=^ , wliich is the Arabic form of the Persian •y--<§ ,, a broker, hence one skilful in estimating. Similarly the following '^i\y* is pL of Jo^^, a priest J) of the Persian fire-worshippers, hence applied to a man of wisdom >-/ and authority. 19. pj^=r is a horse entering on the third year, _^lj one five years old and full-grown. 20. c^ri- , he cleaves or splits, metaphorically here he is incisive, or according to others, "he awes." 21. C-?lij (the initial letter is also read Avith /«<^«^ ASSEMBLY VI. l1<^^^ j^^\ ^MiJi i^'ij jjjL- ^^=< auji ^^ 4 ^:;^^ ju J,'^, jip^ uv^ ji;\ j\ p\ jii, j^ij^ jx jjii ^^__- .. .. •- I lu\j tL„^ -^ . J Xp , • > V^- ^ * J . ... j-^ tj— ; (^ ^^ II • ''''^((j ~ 50 it ^ ^1 « . ,52 ' t," p ■ii ^- u p , • \. JL <^ p VI 51 ■^•.. ^ ,« '^5j y^. *J, * ^lij jx^j l>^4j jj;i^ * t^jLi. ju^lj ^^ — o, 44. ic-H'. J aor. of jc-J^, qv. 45. jl (pi. of /^-il), benefits, bounties. 46. e^iJj (aor. 4 of »;.i), enriches. De Sacy reads here j^->r:'. ' builds up, but tbe former reading, •which is that of the Beyrout edition, seems preferable. 47. ^_^:^^J (aor. of j_^-»i.), it sinks away (as water in the ground), diminishes, is rare." 48. ^s slxs-, a shadoAV re- sembles him, for: he is like a shadow." 49. '>-^s^ l&j^^^, their dowries are deserved or incumbent on the receiver. 50. r->*i^^ (pi- of '. ij._-»_-^_,« , »«iL>'',— i l_i « j'^— '> •V iw ^ ^> •• -J ^ • r speech. 55. t^.LUi (4 of Is-.'*), averting. 56. dc,jj^ (4 of ^ ,), gratified him. 57. <--;^^-i (pi. of k_^x^), tribes, 58. t-jU.^ (pi. of k ->x.i), ravines, mountain-paths, valleys. 59. \L\z , see p. 16, n. 13, and p. 24, n. 30. The metre of these verses is the third ij£»j^ , first <--'^->i of J.^«li , the last foot of the s-7-^ undergoing the variation J'-Jy (see Grammar, p. 304), -whereby the measure of the verse becomes : w w — w — Sl^ — w — | C^-^ — ^ — ^J^ — w . 60. iJ^^-i], terminates by its first syllable the ^_/=«;^ and begins with its remaining part the ^-'^-i. Similar cases occur in the next and several more of the subsequent lines of the poem. 61. IS^., a formula of admiration, as ' bravo — to a life," for, "how excellent a life" (see Grammar, p. 277). 62. JUzi-l (8 of J«>-), I walked proudly, or I fancied myself somebody. 63. L^l, I looked upon, as a 4 50 ASSEMBLY VI. 67 . » 66 ^ o .. o t I ^ <. A M'^ \ ! -? t , W W AJ,.^J "cU-'l J.li ^" -sri" ^,£ l::J,£ ^li. ^yA\ JlJ * 'Lj5\ o bridegroom gazes upon his unveiled bride. 64. tJJa-ftJ (pass. 8 of ^wVJ), it is or could be redeemed. 65. .UJ:!^ i.j , the ring of sub- jection. 'iji_ is a ring of brass placed in the camel's nose to lead it by. If the ring is made of hair it is called ^^j^, and if of wood, ^i\jij>~. 66. k-^ii" 1), (apocopated aor. of *fj), missed not its aim or place. 67. ^^-.-i, natural disposition, innate qualities, cha- racter. 68. .e'^, reached, was reported to. 69. Jili (pi. of j-lU), pearls. He filled his mouth with pearls," is a proverbial ex- pi'ession of frequent occurrence, meaning he overwhelmed him with presents." 70. t_5»,^il> (siibj. 7 of i_^»Aa), should betake himself to, should join. 71. j^L (aor. of ^%), should direct or preside over. 72. .^=>-), made him say ^.-.-uu>- .,-juur>- , my sufficiency, my sufficiency, i.e. satisfied him. 73. cujI (v.n. 4 OF MARAGHAH. 51 of «— ^.), ripening. 74. <*>.-_>! <-::.;j*^, "l had nigli roused (the people)." 75. (Uix-t^ l^ b, Oh, for it as a fault-finding! for: Oh, what fault-finding," another formula of admiration, which the com- mentators explain by: ^^^\ U , "how great it is" (for this latter expression see Grammar, p. 278, 1, and compare n. 33, p. 25 above). The metre of these verses is c__j .Ui.-^ , asp, 14, n. 72. 76. ^.-^ ijjj U SlL^ ., who raises aloft that which he has sketched out. 77. L_^sJL::Aisr :' (energetic prohibitive of 5«.\:>-), let not beguile thee. 78. (^J i, prohibitive of jl , for the meaning of which, when governing the objective case, see Dictionary. ASSEMBLY YII. CALLED "OF BAPtQA'lD." OfyO 4 ^-H LiLjSti^ ^aI^^^ ^-U-^ ^^^3 '^^^^j ^•^>^ cfe^ ^-^^^ ^jJ^ . ..^ -T '^ : " 1 1 -' -ii "^ r i ^ "i ^ ^ • <- n f * £ ^ >> \ I . ; 1. uX-.rJ^j , imperfectly declined, name of a considerable town north of Mosul and south of JSTasibin. The festival, spoken of in the following lines, is that of Sa.'s,^\ or the conclusion of the fast of Eamadan celebrated by the Muhammadans with great pomp and ceremony. 2, ^i-^.^ • . . ik\.^\, brought up its horsemen and footmen, a phrase borrowed from Qu'ran, xvii. 65, meaning with all its attending circumstances," as we would say with all its might and main." 3. i'L^j, a female Ghul, the male being called -tS^z , who assume various forms to frighten or entice travellers in the desert. 4. L::^\.f^ (6 of L::^ki>), tottering, about to fall. 5. cUlalJl ^y\, colours or various kinds of dyes. 6. i^)j-j^=^ > old / :^ ASSEMBLY VII. OF BARQ4'lD. 53 ^—llj 3, JT ^_11 ^LJ cij>.=r U^ ^331 ^-i- ^i.. ^Uii ci,;;;;.^ 3_, and wily. 7. <-^y^'-» , crushed, or pelted as with stones. The metre is t}'^'* — j-^, which consists of mafd ilun mafd ilun (^ w ) twice, with the license of i^"^ and ^J^, mafd then becom- ing mafd'ihm, w — w — , or mafd'U, ^ -. 8. Jl:ii^-# (8 of f^^), one who entices another to a lonely spot and kills him, like a Ghul. 9. (v)'^^^' , terminates with its first three syllables the first half-line, while the last syllable ^-begins the second hemistich. In similar manner the final syllables of Jl/*.i: , X^ , JL-i)l and (__£-.isr' in the 4th, 7th, 8th and 11th lines belong to the second half -lines. 10. Jb, here ' mind," while the preceding Jb means a ragged garment " ; accordingly the first .kri-l, I tramp," the second I occur" (to the mind, i.e. I am thought of). 11. ^Ubl \^\ (pret. 4 of Uls and pi. of ^il? respectively), had extinguished ( slain") my babes. 12. Jlii (pi. of Ji-), iron collars or chains for the neck ; Jilx^ 54 ASSEMBLY VII. c f ^1 C^U:.!, ^._. ^\ :^A,.^ \ '3 J:j ui jixi ^uj.n j.^1^ %u. j^^^J-} hj[j ;^i\\ j\ LS\j o.aj1^ ^Dl- Si iji ^^ J)^ ^J^ ill Jl ^^;il ^j/^^ (pi. of (J.i-£ , pi. of - (related to ^1>- , sweet), a gratification, present, fee. Compare the French douceur," in the sense of drink-money." 17. ^c.iiilJ , aor. 10 of ^jS , q.v. 18. t_2i^::^.w*j (10 of *— ai^), she seeks for a driplet, begs a dole. 19. c\—^j—:-~J^\ (v.n. 10 of «__=>-j), pronouncing the formula : To Allah we belong, and to Him Ave shall return," an expression of resignation to the Divine will, used by the Mu- hammadans on every tiying emergency. 20, ^^ (aor. of —^.2 , here with the force of the pret. on account of l\), turned aside. 21. ^j-^'* , with fathah, a spring [^^z), with dJiammah, agent 4 of OF barqa'id. 55 Jliii ^•;J^ ^3^1 Li^lU bj; ^iJl J.J ^'^^i iJboc!.-! UJ 1^-5 Ail ijClll/^^lju'^ ill Jlj ^\^ui^j J.;^l 'Y^^' ^:'.''^'^-^ ^-^' ^yull 4 S^r^; ul y ^::->-J4 ^■^^ C^Jj I-«Ji!Ij JJjjS ^J^\^ ' fx]\ /j.2\ ^^I^^ Jl L:LJUi ^,>-_;:.r^ L.k:]'( ^ii-* ''^^>:? ^\S'' l^k::,'J diO ^jJ Uc JJ^ tl^lU^ ^^3 uLsiij ''jT^l ^.% ^^Ui S^i: ^^^j 4^1^'^ '%^^i'^ U^ ^:>jL ^y^W ^^-^rl ^> ^_^(i_j:), a helper. The verses are of the 3rd j^j.-^ of L_-^-«*_j (— — w — I — ^ — I v^ ). 22, \lS-j L*«.Jt.J" , perdition on thee. Compare the phrase, -.AJ' ^ji, that thou (fem.) explain, from —J^-ij, the well-known word for "commentary." 26. ♦i), originally meaning an old man, is here applied to the dirham of ancient coinage. 27. (.::.-^^dki.i;^ (10 of «-ll?), I investigated into, asked for, the object being «_1^ , insight into a secret, knowledge, which here may be translated all about." 28. J*^.-* ci^J;'^, she darted away with the darting (as darts). 29. iXp^\i\ (3 of Ls.'*), I come J (j6 assembly yii. 30 ^ '- ^i-v ^l 4\ Jf^J ^■^^-^'^ S ^i b II 32 .1 ' o" -^ ' ■'• ••• f- .1/ 33 ^)S\. ^^ ^x^^ i-^y^Ki ^i5i cOj j^Jjj u^\;^ j::\ '.^-;.^1ji iU)!l ^-^j ^Llijl. J)\,L£.j p suddenly or unexpectedly upon him. The following r, q.v. 32. ^^\^ '^■f:^ ^-^si-^ l::^\xs>- , I made his person the fetter of my sight, i.e. I kept my eye on him. 33. ^^-'^'♦-j') from «_^1 (root «_/♦.! ), very bright, is applied to a sagacious person ; hence the abstract ^^xa..)], sagacity, penetration. As proverbial for acuteness are quoted Ibn Abbas, cousin of Muhammad, and one of the most valued traditionists, born 3 years before the Hijrah, f between 67 and 74 A.n., and lyas al-Muzani, a learned Cadi of Basrah, at the end of the 2nd century of the Hijrah, of whose marvellous sagacity instances will be found in his life by Ibn Khalli qan, and in the com- f. . . mentary to Arab. Prov. i. 593. 34. t/i'ji, a disc, is applied to almost everything round and flat, or seemingly flat, from a wafer to the sun ; here it means a loaf. 35. olj^ \ <5^i!lj (pi. of j^, as p. 5, n. 42, and p. 7, n. 55. 41. J^*;ui is explained by ^^\uj^\ , with kasrah or dhammah, alkali or soda used for washing. 42. ^icU, a toothpick, held in much higher estimation among the Arabs than amongst us, on account of the misicdh, or cleansing of the teeth forming part of the ceremonial ablutions before prayers. /, 58 ASSEMBLY VIII. .di; ,.^\ iiuu.^ ci^\ lii:^ i^ ^'i\ j\ ''t[^'x^ j.c2li\ aj\ ij^z \plj^\ W cLJ^-:.i JIJ * c-^>ll ^^*J^ l3jA ^^^^'^ ^ c. ^5 '> *^^ " *^ r " r ^^ 43. i'lx-jk^ , an invitation, for " wliicli invites." 44. L::_-^i2AuJi' , 10 of li^ , qv. 45. j_^.*A./»j (pass, of {j^), is sunk; some copies read ^j.«^ , with the same meaning. ASSEMBLY VIII. CALLED " OE MA'ARRAH." ^ .s- ^ 1. ^j^aj^^jS ijX^, Bane of Nu man, is the name given to a town in Syria, formerly called Zaiu H-Qusur, by al-Nu man ibn Bashir, one of Muhammad's companions, and governor of Hims (Edessa), when he had lost a son in the former city. 2. j^LJs')! i , the two excellencies, viz. appetite and sexual desire, according to others, sleep and coitus, or plumpness and youth. 3. ,^uJl , the Ben tree, Hyperanthera ASSEMBLY VIII. OF MA'aRRAH. 59 Jx '^^ ^iJ^ ^J^ m\ U^j l<^ J J^ili^ dJl ^\1:xa1\ JL^J^- 4 A^_, j.^1 4 9A'^ '^O-'^ 4^^ ^'^^^ ^^'^ '^^^ C.>JLJ' j^lil:! \lj *i_j j^^-t^ ' ^-^^ cjW;^ "^"^"^ (^'^''•5^ (J-^-^ CL-'lj '^r-^^ t__>N_;..>c uiL^iJ i<^? <.:i-^L^j k,^i^x_2J iJi, ^laJ! ^j|, when thou hadst cut (her, or the cloth), she joined (thee, or the pieces into a garment). t 60 ASSEMBLY VIII. l^j jUrj. lz\:^. l^-,J J)i- l^i^j 11 VIC 1'^ l^.rL ^-:>4C il)'^ J^ JU.1^ ^^.^1 j^lt- L-^i 11^ L.J ^^1 1:;! ^A^\ U| jlLi * ^'^luJ •^ \y 19 C 11. l^-.x^wVsXil;^ (10 of *S^), lie asked her service of me. 12. l^l^jfi^ (4 of ....ii), he lacerated her parts, or he spoiled it by breaking its eye. The double-meaning of the preceding sentences will be gathered from this. 13. lkii!l, the sand-grouse, proverbial for truthfulness, because it detects water in the desert with unerring instinct, or because its continual cry qata, qata, after which it is called, tells truthfully its name. 14. ^^i^l , name of a branch tribe of the Banu A sad; applied to the X'MA?-pencil, ^^^^-i means a blacksmith or cutler. 15. (^l-aJJl ^^Isru, he set guard on the tongue, i.e. bewared of it, came not near it. 16. J K-ll , supply, provision; the following j'j (root >-V. i), he increased, added. 17. ^i.i^, two by two. 18. :iyl^ Lj^j jk.r»- IjU ^-':* y-^^ ^J^ ^^i s? '-^^==*^*-)^^ ljb.>];_j. dXlj" ^1 ^^^ j-^^ ^^\} f-^-J i_5-J^> ^^4-'^^^-' neither in de Sacy's nor tlie Beyrout edition, but taken from a good MS. in my possession. 20. \jl.^.l?l (pi. of ^X.L), tattered garments, rags. The last two syllables of ^jU-Wl belong to the second half-line, the metre being ^j-^JiJ* , first i^»j~^ , fii'st ^j-^ '. >^ — | . s^ %,.• , ^^ s«/ ■».• \— ' . ^1 . VJit^J Vj (v.n. 5 of t).^), its being broken. 22, ^j^-^-j:^ (8 of J^--), he kept back, retained. 23. LlJ^ \^ Ci^-J^lj , suflficient of it for thee with regard to shame, i.e. oh, the excessive shame ! Compare p. 19, n. 44. To lLa-..2>Ij applies the same remark as to 'jl.4..»i above. 24. LJ-^i♦.^il , fur which de Sacy reads *.^ \ , is the reading of the Beyrout edition and of my MS., and seems preferable to me, because the rythmical movement of the words aqsamtu hPl ( "-^ — ) is more suitable to the solemnity of an oath, than the choreambic uqsimu bi'l {— ^^ —). 62 ASSEMBLY VIII. K^ 25 -^ ^- . ^. !> , i^ . f > . >". ^ 2G L:^_;';_f* ^-:lj J Lv.i I.XJ io.';.,* l^^j ^...ki^^jjb :J ^. 28 J li.^: ^A^^ jii^ u^^xi\ ^i j.J^ ^^^ jx ^J^i-^j^ ^sJ\ " o . ^ o;- 1 » ". St { ^1 •• M .-.to I i: / c ..»> ' c i^W^ ^ j^.L^\^ cfjl-^il (jLicV?- l/*.J Ji-^Jk^M i_5r*i * (J.-./*.Ji i^-^-j 25. , 5^^-^, lingering sickness. 26. \j\ ^%^, and lie (of) I, for .Jfcj ^ .-.lij , he is the like of me, a rare and highly idiomatical expression, which should he noted. 27. »i*Lj ^lljs^^, lit. and there is no power of mine on account of the narrowness of my means, in which there is room for forgiveness, i.e. it is not within my bounds to forgive." 28. Ll^ r— J^> so look upon us (with compassion), and between us (judge us with leniency), and for us (aiding us with your alms). 29. ^'^^^ (in construction \^,^), any place where prayers are offered, an oratory, here a prayer cushion or carpet," commonly called i'u^lls-'. 30. i ciiij" (5 of ( L'i\), he seized swiftly, snatched away, caught up. 31. t_jU:xi\ (v.n. 8 of c_jLi), grief, sadness. 32. <__>l.s*^ ''j^.'siS\^, and there lowered a cloud upon his sky. These words, although apparently required by the qarinah, are omitted in de Sacy's edition, probably from over-sight. 33. ^& (2 of ^^), it stirred, the nominative being i A.: , the objective OF ma'arrah. \, 63 i^j:lO Azli\ UiirL ^J ^Uj l^U L4j1 ^J.^ ij^^^P^ ^^^-^ ^j)^j ajyij l)^ Is JU-j Uj&j1^ ^V^'^ U^^.i^ ^_j!i J-f-^^^ J'Jj ^„iJ\ ^jJlj Jlib^lj l^'aJI j^'^Ci U^^ d*-J- ^ L-iaA. 34. Cl^'U^j 6, pi. of ^ij^ , diminiitive of ♦■^j^ , tore in the sense of ' a few dirhams." 35. c:jL*.iJl ij*>-^ , a purse of fine- money. 36, SSaL^- .^j S^ ^.> s'^ , after his stone had dripped, .... after his rock had oozed," proverbial metaphors, ex- pressive of liberality, like moistness of hand," etc. Eefcr to note 59, p. 13. 37. iT'^'^-^ '^j-'^^^ '^y perception is given to drink, is imbued, somewhat like our saying to drink in wisdom." 38. ij\j^ &jJX:>- , the spark of his live coal or fire-brand, i.e. the sharpest amongst his attendants, the word iJX^ implying also a body of men held together by tribal ties. 39. ^^^^, a servant, satellite, henchman. 40. U^.JLj ^^ jLJIjkJtfl, tell me truly your camel's age, a proverb for the origin of which various stories are told in the Commentary to Arab. Prov. i. 710. 41. ."-s^t,-^! ul. The metre of these verses is j^^JL,-* \z>-. , as of the verses on the Denar in the Third Assembly (see p. 25, n. 33). The great number of short syllables in the poetical - \jj JL« ^jJck^Jl *vu*^n ..JbJkJl l.,«._i|.. ''jj\ ^^. cJ£jl ik:^ jf, ^pl L>lz ^M^yi ^ J .V.CJ1 JL-^ jji_43l s.kiSf ''o-^^ i^'J^ ju-^;^^ '^^^ ? tKJ l^^^j L^i c^U.iJ L^3..il Ui ''cl/Jj aj ^jUll 1] jLiLi ^^ JaJ^I^^ f j;^^A^ clJ^ ^b ^aIJI Lviblx^. JUJ^ i^.. uV li^ ^J Jlj iii the sense of seeking a gift (^.jk^s-). 43. J.^^l .... ^_vj , moist of palm, sweet of fountain ; see note 36 above. 44. Jv--.Jl >\.ks>- , close-fisted, whose hand is fettered (by avarice). 45. ,_j,-Ju*aJ^ li.sM, our thirsty lot, i.e. our need craving for assistance. 46. (JJjJ ajj , to Allah (belongs) thy milk-flow, another formula of admiration, for which sec Gramm. p. 277, and ib. note, p. 194. 47. .k*-u*^, a guardian, governor, minister, 48. clj^ijl (v.n. 8 of f^j), here ' abstention." 49. t_i.-jl*2j (pi. of eJ-^^J'), compositions, here records." ASSEMBLY IX. CALLED "OF ALEXANDRIA." ^^\j^\A,i\\ ^^l -^luSl ^^1 ^uli^ IjUji ^ij U cLi^ ^1 J^^ .UUll .l)il ^ e^li! ^I, 'J.vp\ ^ ^ ^li^^\ 1 . tlJ Uj -iJ li^.i , the two extremities of the Muslim world, Ear- ghanah being a region and city in Transoxiana, near the border of China, which was conquered by Qutaibah ibn Muslim, A.n. 95 (a.d. 713), and Ghanah, a city of the Sudan, and the utmost point to which merchants travelled. 2. Ka^L (pi. of i'^i-), deep waters, depths. 3. jl^jl (pi. of^^), needs. 4. J,*^-.^_j (aor. 10 of J^), he makes to lean towards him, he conciliates. 5. c-^^r-^ (root y^\), good will. 6. ^it£-, originally a lion's den, here a dangerous place. V. Lii^jJ-iLj (5 of i_5%-j), I strengthened myself. 8. iJjSJ^SJiL^, Alexandria, the famous city of Egypt. 9. oy-c, very cold, chilled by a cold wind, therefore selected as an occasion for almsgiving. 5 y^^ 66 ASSEMBLY IX. 4^i^^Uj i! ^jl |ii^ JU; il\ jjj>lc iJb I^-^^_j i^-L?; Xt-^-^j i}5 ji i;;3 *ii3 UUL^ Ifi ^.i^ij ^y^ ^J^ .ui ^%j ^,^ ^^fii I .. '^ { 1 ^ ^ > . >^ 1 u *'« r •''''. ^ ; ,. v( . 22 .. o 1^1 . 10. Cl-'Uil' ^J, an owner of poverty, a needy person. 11. iJ^jks^, of repulsive aspect, ill-looking, tlie feminine termination here being applied to a man, to denote excessiveness. 12. cU-..^^, either = Ll.^ CliiJ, possessed of young children, a matron," or agent 4 of •-»-tf, love-inspiring, lovely. 13. ^..JL.J' (v.n. 6 of »«*.), mutual agreement, concord. 14. ^i»j\, root of a tree, stock.' 15. 'U^»£i. ^ty^s. t, maternal and paternal kinship. 16. ♦'^-.'«, iron for brand- ing, mark produced by it, metaphorically characteristic, character. 17. ^J*x\\ aJu ^iiid- , my nature is a good help-meet is she," for: my nature is to be a goodly help-meet" (see Gram. p. 247). 18. {JjJ , difference. 19. ilij (pi. of ^^jIj), such as had built up. 20. Ci^xj (2 of c:-nL'), he refuted by arguments, he repelled, chid away. 21. A£.s^, an arch-impostor. 22. i .tw , a purse contain- ing 10,000 dirharas, in general, a large sum of money." 23. ^~;Ij1, my men, here = ^liil, my people. 24. j^, a tent-flap, then the wall of a house, lastly, the house itself. 25. A^y .... OF ALEXANDRIA. 67 27 ^ ''d ; f '-,.-.'". ,...■: ^ . 26 ,. . ^. o ^ ' <.> i Axi , a sitter-at-home, etc. To these words of the measure Ajj^.: comp. p. 55, n. 23. 26. ,l^j (ph of ^j^-^j), feathers, plumage, for rich appareL 27. ^-^^^ lJT' ' ^ losing market. 28. Sjt>\j ^ \^, what helonged to me together with its rope, i.e. all of it, a phrase originally used in selling a horse or camel. 29. ()-«r^ '^^ A=5^j an allusion to a proverb (Arab. Prov. ii. 482), and the tale which explains its origin, and in which Arus is the name of a man. Hariri has, however, evidently taken the word in its literal sense of bridegroom, bride, and the meaning of the phrase is, there is no perfume, i.e. glozing of matters, after thou hast ceased to be a bridegroom, or I a bride." It therefore may be free!// translated "no perfume after the wedding," although I doubt, what Chenery and Preston seem to take for granted, that ^r'*;^ by itself has ever the meaning of wedding. 30. ^IL, anything drawn out of another, sperm, offspring, a boy." 31. ijj^*£- applied to <-r'^^ means a war arising out of another war, and therefore more embittered 68 ASSEMBLY IX. Jl ^^^ J^LJ. jJ:/i\j Lg-j cLbJj j::i\ ^j\^ ^jj.^ ^■^u^.-^ .>^^ ^,4-; Jj-^'^ ^ i-^J^ tiW^^ ^r-^^l' c_^_js>j a._J\ J.^ ^:;^i_i. L^ mLj d_^_j ii_A.)Jl Jk_=-ij ^^— J I U^.J»-J j^_;.k*~-J u*^!..^ ^^.^^.S? ^*a/*>r>-| -i2.;w»-J« and sanguinary. 32. <_^rsaJiJ, pass. 8 of l— -^ q.v. The metre ^ " ' i of the verses is —j^-^% as above, p. 61, n, 20. 33. j-^^^J' (v.n. of .ssT), a diving in the sea. 34. c_,J2<- (pi. of d^.L-^), here prose compositions, opposed to ^^j ,J , poetry. 35. t^^.L.:;..^^ , 8 of i_^k.>-, q.v. Other copies read c^-^kix^r^, making the sentence nominal instead of verbal. 36. tJr--^^j f^or. 8 of i^j^ , q-v. 37. k:iXi_, ditto of ^l^-^, q.v. 38. »— ^Jj (pi. of ''•^j), steps, grades, degrees. 39. l::->jj (pass. pret. 2 of 1 sj), were led in processioa like a bride, were brought in pomp. 40. c_^^.> , aor. of i_^>J5>., q.v. 41. c_^j!j, pass. aor. of k ^j,, q.v. The following Jl. and < >^ mean here relationship, the former by alliance (covenant or con- tract), the latter by birth. 42. «— c^ (pi. of (Li;-*^), carcases, OF ALEXANDRIA. 7 69 y^\^\ ^^ J j^ ^^j j^^ ^\^ c^ujl ^,1^ '' cJ^:ii^ P o 49 ' -" ■^- ^^uLj j^iiUL ^jU. j:,! L^.^J^_; l^L^U ^_L ^IJ ,^\ l.^.^::..; ^.-j.^i ^_\\ jl.i;.n cj,L- oa^I^j ^'^^i-^uj ^^\^.ju,^j^ ^J AJliJl ^:iJ ^^;^L: j.. corpses. 43. JL! (pi. of Jl^), niglits, for times in general. 44. ^jJ^jLs (3 of j^-^), assailed me. 45. C^^L is translated by Chcnery with "paths," as pi. of a!$3«-j ; but it seems preferable to take it for the verbal noun "entering upon." 46. A J , a flake of wool, is the reading of de Sacy, for which the Beyrout edition has <^^ , goat's hair ; either reading is taken from the proverbial phrase, ^^J i!j A-«; (Li Ln, to denote extreme denudation. 47. c:^5]. (8 of ^^l^), I contracted debts. 48. u>^.^\= ij^\, burnt or scorched me. 49. i— .-^sc^ (pi. of c_^-^), fleet camels, noble steeds. 50, uSj\^ , the garment next my skin, metaphorically my nature. 51. 1^-^^^-^ (pi. fern, of |— JU), swiftly moving. For c^..j sec p. 43, n. 2. 52. c-^^s:"^ (pi. of (-_;ls::^), necklaces of aromatic 70 ASSEMBLY IX. j^ i'biJl Jl ^UlI^ ^-1^ i-^^lAjl J^'^^^ ijl-i U j*^^l Uli JU =' Jl^J J\^ ^\^\ Jl ^g;!l Jl.^ ^\p^ J,:^ _^5^L3l ^^^1^:^11 jlJi^Ji^ ' i'jljisj JLiJl (j^l^^ii^. ' tUC'L* _«J«^J' fjjJ:^^ it*l.^ jSxXj\ hz:^ CLj[ij.:k}\ 4 U|J ^_^i iJi p lKjj *UjiJ ^Lj C,<,;;i ^^^^ &^I~^.^jj izL> j^j ^A -l, I fancy, imagine, an idiom of the tribe Taiy. 57. J), originally rolling, like a stone, here bounding in." 66. V-.* L'l L J , father of lEaryam, according to the commentators, a nickname given to the officers and ushers of a Cadi's court. 69. The metre of these verses is J.^«,, 2nd ^%-z, 2nd l__?'^^, consisting of Jd ilatxui fa ildtun {~ ^ I ~ ^ ) twice. 70. i-J!JJ, the cap 72 ASSEMBLY IX. OF ALEXANDRIA. -<' ' o " > J;, ^ " • r ' > of a judge, so-called from its resembling a wine-cask (^jt)). 71. M ski , after his tarrying a while, for simply * after a while." 72. ^Sji\ . . . . ^\, allusion to QurTm, xciii. 4. 73. . . . ci^\sJ .1^2;!^, the repentance of al-Farazdaq when he put away Nahar, or of al-Kusa i when the daylight appeared. The poet Farazdaq, born about A.H. 46, f about 110, had been commissioned to ask Nawar, the daughter of Ain ibn Zubai , in marriage ; but becoming enamoured of her, he took her for himself. She afterwards forced him to divorce her, and when he found that the parting was irrevocable, he exclaimed : I feel a repentance like that of al-Kusa i, now that Nawar has been put away by me." Al-Kusa i, whose full name is given by some as Muharib ibn Qais, by others as Amir ibn Harith, had fashioned a bow of a fine nahd tree, and tried it by shooting in the night at wild asses. The bow was so strong, that the arrows went through their bodies and struck on the rock behind. Hearing the sound, he thought he had missed his aims, and after shooting thus five times, he broke the bow in a rage, to his bitter repentance, ■when on the dawn of the morning he saw five asses lying dead, pierced by his arrows. 4 ASSEMBLY X. CALLED "OF RAHBAH." ZJ^ ^^^il ^Tj^ ;^j'^; JuJl 'u^Jli- 4 '^^-^ U^i l::^;([, '^\j jrrrH f "^^ ^'*'^" (*^^J J jIt!^^^ j^y^^* ^l-**^ (*^*^4 J ^jlj'i'H} c^4;.Ji jx ^-Oi ^^ c^Ii;^ "L^^::ib ^r^j ^x^ j^^ j.LJi 1. 'U:*.. Eahbali, a town on the Euphrates between Anah and Eaqqah, restored and embellished by Malik ibn Tauq, who in his youth had been an officer under Harun ar-Rashid, and died under the Caliphate of Mu tamid, a.d. 873. 2. UK^i.::^^ (agent 8 of ^^^), unsheathing. 3. ^^\y , pi. of 'i\^j^ , q.v. 4. iJ^j^\, pi. of iri;^ , q-v. 5. {jmU l::^^ , shaving of the head, a practice observed by the people of the East when taking a bath. 6. c .i\ (pass. 4 of Cj'i), he was cast (lit. poured out). 7. i -\\s , with kasrah ov fathah on the J , mould, form. 8. dijj , here suspicion, accusation. 9. ^yi .jLk::^ (6 of .J? and pi. of ijU^^ respectively), scattering sparks. 10. .iLj (v.n. 6 of J6), disputing for superior birth or merit and referring such dispute to an arbitrator, here simply referring or appealing to. 11. ci.?ljb, things, matters, especially /4: ASSEMBLY X. i\^^ ^aUI jtx^ l\^^=^ Uii ij^nl 4 '-Ll^dlll^ ctjjbJ Jl U^U Jl:;^- i^^^ C/IL: Jli ^''cLnil ^il 1^1 JUi Ai-;1 ^x^^ ; ^^ ^rj.c uliG s^ ^\ ^>.iJ Jl^)l JU.i JL^^. j^;:j ^. J^ V -' ^ji.tii_, e^,jL!ij cN_..\i5^; j^^iL ^/i\^''^ ^.ii\j ^.^i4s -f^^'^: of a bad description, may here be translated by peccadillos, if not turpitudes. 12. CS^.'lXZi, Sulaik, a vagrant robber and famous runner, for whom see Arab. Prov. ii. 152. 13. ^^ jlc , help, as- sistance. 14. i.li, blaze on a horse's forehead, anything bright, here bright face or brow. 15. cLilil <^^-^'i\ , lie of a great liar. 16. ( 'iy^\ (imper. 10 of ^y), demand, exact. 17. «lil (pret. 4 of — »i), he shed. 18. ^l^>- , pi- of t^^ir=-, .^b, pi. of ipi^ , re- spectively, q.v. The mentioning and re-mentioning of the attri- butes of female beauty in the oath dictated by the old man, is intended to inflame the Governor's passion for the boy and thus dispose him for his purchase. 19, Jl^ is explained by most com- mentators as the intense blackness of the pupil contrasting with the intenseness of the white surrounding it. 20. wL^« (pi. of ffjM^), the parts conspicuous in a smile, i.e. lips and teeth. The word ^ , principally applying to the teeth, with regard to which it means their slightly standing apart by nature, may perhaps imply also the parting of the lips, 21. *ii-;, illness, when speak- OF RAH BAH. 75 ^'^LJl. Jj;^ ^i^4 '■'^..l^ ^Ml. ^i;j;^ j^^:il. ^:i..u^ ,>^Jl. r^h ^ 1^\J\ U jyi aJ JUJ ^-'^i^. ^^.j1 ^j ^Tr-* ^'^\ 'i'^ji ^ji, and aor. of jZ^ respectively, q.v. 31. ^i»^j (5 of ♦•2>.), te had taken into his fancy. 32. i-_£J!l, aor. of t_£j. , q.v. 33. c-^y ^. J.-,^^! , the robe of the evening waxed thin, metaphor for the declining of the day, and the approaching of the sun-set. 34. ^ixi (4 of ji.-), he has paid in full, made up. 35 L::^*iiJ.£ir* t_>»i^) ^\ , Shell may get clear of chick, and he may go guilt- less as the wolf went guiltless of the blood of the son of Jacob," the former an Arab proverb, the latter an allusion to Qur'an, xii. 17. 36. Lsr±]\ ^^ li, _^f.«^ji ^L=^ vj, as the pleadings of (ibn) Suraij," a learned doctor of the rite of ash-Shafi'i (to which Hariri himself belonged), whose full name is Abu'l'Abbas Ahmad ibn 'Umar ibn Suraij, and who died a.h. 306, at the age of seventy-five, leaving Si OF RAHBAH. 77 > o ''^^1 l^S- )^ j^ j! Jliii ^;.L ^l:^^|l 'J\^\ ^^^ ^.i;P4 ^ Jl;l3 ^^JJ ^s^ ILLI^ "c^j Jli jd ^^\^\ ^hhJ U J,;,^^! ^.^li.. ^.Mpl j\S\j J.;^L]\ JU ^ij''j.:^;/J\ Jij\ behind about four hundred -works of his composition on various questions of the Muhammadan law. 37. -), is here in- terpreted by the commentators with Jyi^, understandings. 42. ^^'j my springe, in conformity with his above-mentioned hunting propensities. The preceding i_^*u-C< is here v.n. 8 of t_-^-uu^, in the sense of making gain. 43. i^r^^\ , the letter Sin, with whose shape love-locks" are compared by the poets, as the eye-brows are likened to the letter Nun, a small mouth to the Mim in its medial form, a straight figure to the Alif, etc. 44. l::^j , imper. of u::-^-J , q.v. 45. ^J^^-XJ (aor. 4 of J^t)), that we may give a turn (to enjoyment after separation). 46. ^^W.*i;Il k ^JJ, the wolf's tail, a name given to the first, or so-called lying" dawn. 47. ,^' and (jU-, pret. of ^^ and fj-^=>- respectively, for whose 78 ASSEMBLY X. OF RAH BAH. w •• •• '^ •• '^ Li ••• • > >-f J^ >-^ Ji:'^ji^^ ^y ^i^Jil-j ^4^ ^Uj_j LlL* ii-lJl c^J_-. ^-^jULx. ^j ^i,_i._jLi 'i ^^,^'^ i letter of Mutalammis, an Arabic counterpart of the classic literae Belleropliontis. Mutalammis and his nephew Tarafah, both poets of the ignorance, the latter being the gifted author of one of the Mu allaqahs, were sent by the vindictive king *Amr bin Hind of Hirah, whom they had offended, to Abu Kimb, Governor of Bahrain, with letters req[uesting him to put them to death. The elder poet mistrusted the sender and his missive, and having made himself acquainted with the contents of his letter, escaped, but could not prevail on his nephew to fly with him. Tarafah continued his journey, and, on his arrival at the court of Abu Xarib, was buried alive, when scarcely the son of twice ten years." 50. J'^J J-i, tell a certain Governor. Chenery trans- lates the next two lines with that the old man," etc., but these sentences are evidently relative clauses, explaining the reason for the Governor's biting his hands in repentance, and the message to him begins with j_^-2i.^ in the fourth line. Metre ^^Jls^, 1. ^»j^ , 1. i^j^ ("^ I ~^ I "^ twice). 51. (j^-i^-, either 'ain, the first meaning coin," the second "eye." 52. ^a^\ ^jj, .I>^^ .\/^ ASSEMBLY XI. OF SAWAH. / Of ^^;:^j j^J 5l.4-S^ J^;^^ ^\ Xii^^ j-^*lk^'l^ UbJ..^^ ^?;^ t^^li cT^'"*" L5'^^ Jrf-^ ci-^-! (*-'^ "^--—^^ jl.k^^ .^x^ ^ ^.Lj^ the ill-fate of al-Husain, allusion to the tragic end of All's younger son. 53. (.r^^ is"*^' ^^^ shoes of Hunain, a proverbial expression which will be explained in the notes to Assembly XXVI. ASSEMBLY XI. CALLED "OF SAWAH." ^ii'j^ U^^ l::^^_[, c^-lijJl ""^^i^ o;Uti Li.sr'' Jl c^^j^ 1. i.l-!, name of a town between Kaiy and Hamadan, twenty -two parasangs distant from the former. 2. i^A/*, v.n. 3 of ^^^ , q.v. 3. ci.;Li_i, place where anything is collected, store-house. 4. yJZ^j:^\, pret. 7 of ;»5»-, q.v. 5. J t« , return (to Clod), end of 80/ /, ASSEMBLY XI. j.L^ JULj ^>UjJ L:1-^^L_5 fjby ^~;-j ^l! bJ5_j iy_^^ '^si;„ ^ikp\ 4 s^.-1 and the preceding i-L^^Ap-I, pi. of iJl:S>- and C_?A»- respectively, q.v. 13. ^^.Ji'xL'j ^ (aor. 10 of^r), ye are not moved to tears. 14. ^^^UIj "i (aor. 8 of c J), ye are not burnt with grief, saddened. 15. J^il^' (pass. aor. of •sss-', here "is gathered." 16. 'lab", v.n. of a1 , meeting, encounter, here used as an adverbial accusative in the sense of set towards." 17. '^^j^y*, v.n. 3 of i^jj , q v. 18. ^^-.j |i^j::kiv^ cast down. 22. *--^^ (pret. 10 of ^ijis), ye have made little of. 23, *.Ck.s** ^^. , and not your laughter, for "as ye laughed not" (comp. p. 33, n. 64). 24. Jj'_j=r (p^ <^f ^"j^^")? costly presents. 25. iAJw\.xj, v.n. 2 of uV^ , enumeration, especially of the merits of the dead, in which sense, however, the form Ci\sxi is more usual. 26. *^ji»j (pi. of 'i^.'w^U), mourning women. The following < -Ot* is pi. of t{jJU, q V. 27. Ji^y (pi. of J^U, or jJi^J), the bereaved in general, or women bereaved of their children. 28. ^iLi U (v.n. 5 of ^iJ\), the pursuit of things pleasant (^^1), ' daintiness." 29. |*t*J, clientship, claim for protection. 30. CI-jUvIH ^d\ib , the destroyer of delights, i e. death, a designation frequently occurring in the Arabian JSTights. 31. ^^^a^jo . . . ii , quotation from the Qur'an cii. 4. 32. ^^.^^ , aor. 2 of »^jt , q.v. The metre of the verses --JJi>, 2nd i^*j^ [mafdilun, faulun: ^ | ^ ) with the same u_> -«s . The poem is moreover of a kind called L^^^f*, in which the usual d.^l*ji or distichs are divided into stanzas, the first of which has the same rhyme all through, a rhyme which also termi- nates the final lines of the subsequent stanzas, while their preceding 6 >5 82 ASSEMBLY XI. ^_^ Jk .^\ ^1 CJ^'^1^ u'^ -J- :-^4-; ''i^^ ; ^V^j^"" o^— J^— -^""j / JJ^ ^JjL]^ CS^ Jl ^.l -_^wi«\ «i . ^1 38 [»— ' er^^ ^^ cr-'^^ c c;ij ( . .. 37 ,. o„j It ^ / . >^ o» -J) • o ^ t 39 1 .. o •. lines have a different rhyme of their own. Here all the inflectional vowels of the rhyming words are suppressed, and each one is closed hy tasMid ("") or by two consonants wath sulcun (''), whereby the fa ulun of each subdivision of the line becomes mafuil (^ — — )• 33. LLuirCi (subj. 8 of 1?^=^), so that thou be wary. 34. kJW* (v.n. 6 of %'si.:>-), moving about restlessly, swerving. 35. o^J'*, v.n. 6 of ^i), q.v. 36. l^A, pret. 7 of *J , q.v. 37. ^^ (jliiij ^La^^, the graving of the yellow one, i.e. the dcnar (see Ass. III.). In (j!uAJ , as in various of the preceding and following end rhymes it seems that the two quiescent consonants are to be read with a kind of idghdm, as here ^JuJ , so as to rhyme with ^JJ^J , and similarly in similar cases. For the Student it will be a good exer- cise to point each of these words with its proper haralcah of inflection. 38. l::^.^^Uj" (pret, 6 of li), thou feignest grief. 39. ... ^J[kj OF SAWAH. 83 ''f5 1_^ ^l^ ^'^ ^^yj^ iJli ^^'l:j^ ^V-^^^^-4^- means company, congregation (of friends and relations). 42. fJ-^\ t^ \^, (a place) narrower than a needle's eye, i.e. the grave, rendered so to the entombed sinner through anguish and fear. 43. ji; bJ ^^*M/ij, turn rotten, moulder. For ^^^\, as one of the verbs called ^li CLj\^:>~\ , sisters of j^li, see Grammar, p. 242. 44. rU^, a path, here the path, like a bridge, as narrow as a hair and as sharp as a sword, over which men must pass after death. 84 ASSEMBLY XI. 45. L^fti-J' (pass. aor. 4 of ^>), thou wilt be found. 46. (Jy (v.n. 6 of jcJ ,), overbearingness. The following ^J>\y is pi. of iyy , collar-bones. 47. jij ^^ ^^x^jI Ui, for how happy is he who bridleth (his speech). See Grammar, p. 278, and the preceding notes passim. 48. j^j, imper. of ^ij, q.v. 49. ^s:^}, pret. 7 of \J^»~ , q-v. 50. 1^^ . . . U.J , with what is great and small (of gifts). 51. jj-ij'^, prohibitive of ^^\ , q.v. 52. jlx- (imp. 3 of jj>.c), resist. 53. ^-^j-J (imp. 2 of ^-J), keep it from, the pronoun referring to i—ii , hand, which, as denoting one of the double parts of the body, is of the feminine gender (see Grammar, p. 92, 7). 54. L_^iixj (aor. 4 of c—^ix.), brings on. 55. i-_a:>., imper. of OF SAWAH. 85 ^ (j>J>iii '^^^j '^-^^^ "^ti ^^^ ^--^-^ J"'^ <-. " «« .. 63 o , 1 " o "Si , >> ^ v. ^ . ''wl.^ Li:^:^jl3^ JUl]^ c^M j jllJlj ^.^Jl c^lJ Li^Ilkili Li;:i3- ( J^^, q-v. 56. „lo l), apocopated vocative for i5'=rbtf b (see Gramm. p 201). 57. Lii-^sT and ^b , 1st and 3rd pret. of ^ »j , q.v. 58. *J l> aor. 8 of *1 , liere to be translated by following tbem," ruling himself thereby. 59. tjb:>- (pi. of i*-*-.^), ban-dages, splints. 60. &.:>-\a:^^ , v.n. 10 of ^.'* , q.v. 61. U.w:;.^,^ (10 of *1.~j), surrendering, submitting, here submissively." 62. (^-.i^l (pi. of (^i»iii , derivative of ~.i), kinds, sorts. The metre of this and the next following verse is the same as above, and, as Chenery remarks^ a pretty effect is produced by making Harith address the im- postor in verses like his own, and Abu Zayd reply in the same manner." 63. («i.-%-Jt), Persian for 'hand," here of a game at cards, for opportunity. 64. L^\.£., outward show, seeming." 65. C-^^, quarter from which the wind blows. ASSEMBLY XII. CALLED "OF DAMASCUS." U^l ^tJl ^Uil^ j^ItSl J^ ^^ l^iiAb l::ai '^)2il J^i^ J:^i 'j^\ j\ ^Ji^ j^i^\^^^^i i-%^ ^^^ui ^ji^^ii ^. 1. «iJr._i., a low, well watered plain, with the article especially applied to the rich and beautiful plain in which Damascus is situated, and "which, with the yalley of Bauwan, the TJbullah of Basrah, and the Sughd of Samarcand, is considered one of the four paradises of the earth. Abu Bakr al-Khwarazmi says : I have seen them all, and found the Ghutah to be the most fertile, luxuriant, and beauti- ful of them." 2. c .a!1 ^l:>-, "freedom of arm," i.e. leisure and unconcern. 3. c ^-^Ji J »J;j=>-, fulness of udder, i.e. afEuence. 4. t_^»i-i 'Aj , the hand of separation, for the bounty of travel." 5. (jMs , a course, career, race. 6. .a-j, a company of travellers. 7. ^^r-^L "^■^- 4 of ijy-i, a drowning, diving, here into pleasures. The preceding L::-Jijbll!|. is pret. 10 of v^i, q.v. 8. (^1^^, originally the place of kneeling of the camels round the water, here fold," ASSEMBLY XII. OF DAMASCUS. 87 9 i> ILJ Ji ^,/H3j;i^.iJl c^U"^--^! ^j^y-'-'^^-J^ ^^-.''l:^^^ jl^^l^ ''^^5;:=*^ c_>l^ ^jjcJ^^. .^l;^^ '^4;^ ^J^-^ ^j^^'' ^^^-'^ c?-* l^ ^''^ ^'^.rl^^ 4^ u^ J^ J-^^j j>-j J-^ ^^' c^ y^ ' ^ i^^^^l:) ^_^»-«,l .^U pl- of ~_c^^ , in the sense of a living one." 13. ^^yz (pi. /^-c), resolutions, resolves. 14. ^^^.Ji-^ ^-'V > the gate of Jairun, either a gate of the celebrated Mosque of Damascus, or, more probably one of the city gates on the eastern side, called after Jairun, a son of the builder of Damascus, whose own name is Dimashq, son of ]S"imrod, according to others, son of Batir, son of Malik, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of IN^oah. 15. ^\uj , v.n. 6 of ^s:^, q.v. 16. ^^'*AJ , one intoxicated, here one in a state of giddiness produced by watching and contemplation. 1 7. ^l-xij^ ^/♦..^l (v.n. of /»;-^), to steal a hearing, phrase borrowed from Qur'an xv. 18, and xxxvii. 10. 18. A.kS^j\ , v.n. 7 of l-i.^, q.v. 19. ^j-kLj, imp. 4 of -■ r-J, in the sense of the primitive verb, q.v. 20. ^^-j, here ' mind." 21. >-^j^ i'^-^.t displays obedience to ./ 88 ASSEMBLY XII. / / •> (._Jji.;_5 ^^x) ^ ^^.^^l L^5L> Jx^- ^\j i\ wCi ^ l^J L^y-^j . ^jjj^ ,^i >-\'iki ^'^ (_S'^^" Ujkk~jl^ ,_s-\jt-: ut>.:>-\i c-f-^^J >xJJu9 N '" " "^ U\J\ Li\^ l^U^ i:jl;j^ ^;U^'MJji.i;:l J^31 uJjl^ Jl^l you, i.e. ' shows itself in accord with you." 22. \jJLi^\, pret. 4 of ♦^wJ, q[.v. 23. 4-Jij (pass. pret. of ^^), which he had been taught. 24. ^^i;^ lis^ (^;^' , " between glances sideward and down- ward," in perplexed incredulity. 25. ,/^sm U^xAix^', we conceived its weakness, considered it to be futile. 26. ( fjls:'" , pi. of a.il.s^, q.v. 27. ^^UL*, j)1. of Aa^s^, q.v. 28. JUi^^^, ^.iM, subj. 3 of (J.i» and (J-i, respectively, q.v. 29. i("^l.*.*LSl , the Samawah, the desert tract between Syria and Iraq. 30. u^^Ji (pass. 4 of *-i^), we were inspired. 31. \..u^..^.^Jli\ , pret. 8 of j*-^-*^, q.v. 32. dJjU/< (v.n. 3 of JOv.2-), "balancing one's self with another," especially riding side by side on the same camel." 33. ^_J.s:. ti-Jbj!^ (pi. of iV^ and ^^j respectively), the loops of hindrances or impediments. 34. ''Uu'l, v.n. 8 of ,Jy q-v. 35. l^^jIx., one who trifles; ^.::^JU (root ti.-^-£.), one who harms (also one of the names of the lion). 36. L:^^*isi:, pass, of f^, q.v. 37. uJ;:cJ^i OF DAMASCUS. 89 ^14.. jll,^ j^i*j\ ji^i uli ''J/^\ 'f\ ^^>UJ1 i'bU.._^ ^ll!l ''i'UU;^ ^-^Ul c^'L^l^ ij:r^^^ J;;i^ Ji^^\ ''^^; ^^JUl cJUj ^--Jl^l u^U^ c;:!-^^^'^^ ^j:^t>f5 ^.^^l.L!l ci,'U.n^ ;;;^ L5^^^b ^^'^^^ ^-^^ ^<^ ..^-. ^,„ 48 ; o^ o >• ^^^^} ^^.U^_j S?r^^>' S?y^-'^' v^--"^^;j Li^*- -^ LT^'^b L5^-^^ (10 of JjJ), we demanded (generally used with regard to payment), 38. i^l^iJ' i\, the mother of the Qur'dn, the Fatihah or opening chapter, as containing the fundamental doctrines of the whole book. 39. i'lilC^, v.n. 3 of ^ii, q.y. 40. i'lii: (pi. of j^'U), seekers of bounties, supplicants. 41. iLil;J* (v.n. of ijjl iLil.c, may God keep him in good health), protecting care. 42. aj" J:j1 -si^_'l.o.< (pi. of —L.*.^), the lights of his kindred, alluding to the companions (^-3l.s:**l) of Muhammad, perhaps on account of the tajnis of the two roots t__-..s»^ and ^o . 43. A'Jj^j ^'li,« (pi. of _l:u.*), the keys of his victory, allusion to the auxiliaries ( .L^jl), that is the allies, which Muhammad found in Madinah. 44. ilijj , temptation, evil suggestion. 45. 'i[j\xJ* and the following i1jU^, v.n. 3 of ^s. and tSs. respectively, q.v. 46. J^s- and the following ^^£ , pi. of <^-.=^ and iJ^-Lx. respectively. 47. ^J-id~ (imp. of 1?*=^), keep me. 48. 1 !j.^2jJ* and the following t_^liiJ'«, v.n. 7 or so called masdar m Mim of u-J^ and l_^j respectively for i__5i^3]_ and 90 ASSEMBLY XI I. , i ^ l/ .* s/'-^v' 4-^--^; Li-V^J L5**^-? Li^^'-J o"^ "^ sT^^^ -J ciio^z. ,i<::4:o ^^1 ji^i^'iJiy:! lj^^^n]"^ j" J.^V\5-x^ ijj , ,;2:^ Hill -s=^ ^!. ui^' yjj ^ v>l ;i -UiJi ^.^-: ti<::i Jl:«, A^Ui^ wVw. ^-;\, ^Jl i;; .Lli cd-o,!k-^ i^ Ll^^ \lljj\ bJj c__;^ijK 49. ^^Uj, pi. of (}w^^kj , q.v. 50. JJ*£ (pi. of i'Ji), preparations, stores, means." For the preceding i^Sz see p. 46, n. 26. 51.^Jl« (agent 4 of j.i), invader. 52. ^-.^aJ . . . jj(.»~.\j , but give me from thyself helping power, (][uotation from Qur'an xvii. 82. 53. ,c-Jy (imp. 5 of ^^), befriend me. 54. ^^^ ^ (prohib. of iji^), consign me not. 55. < .Jb , imp. of L_-^J^• , q v. 56. ^"^ilc, health. The second 'UiU is fern, of oU , that Avhich weareth away ; similarly -Uiblj Jli. in the following line signifies : that perisheth not." 57. j-il.sL"* and the following c-l^»i, pi. of ::.^\ .... |*JJUj1, the exposed and the hidden, the corded and the sealed, i.e. the various kinds of goods thjy brought with them, both what was open to view and what was corded in bales or sealed up in boxes" (Chenery). 63. ^li ^ji^j] l^ ij^\, decide what thou art decidiug, i.e. ' as thou wilt." C4. i— is-i ^Jlj-'^}, the light and the ornament, i.e. what is portable and precious. 65, y'pa (from .Jr, he cut), a cut-purse. 66. y.i , a fugitive nick-name given to a certain poet who stole from the ranks and fled from battle ; also a name of quicksilver, which is here perhaps more appropriate, and preferred by Chenery. 67. L5 • ^J, -'J ' J J ^ j^ ^^^Jl_j L-wliJl J_j_,0_^.s-i J^jr^sM l::-^j^ J^-^^ L:^-^r;^_j ^W JJ;^ jl,.xJl ^/^ jU;Jl ^\^^^ jl_^ ^1^ ^j them, here testing." 69. iLiLl (pi. of <;jI«-j), cup-bearers. ' 70. J;.ii;.iL.t, aor. 10 of J p , q.v. 71. ^^ly-f (pi- of J^i), gazelles, for beautiful boys and women. 72. .^i-^ (v.n. 3 of .i-j), travelling, journeying. The meti'c of these verses, which are inusammatat (comp. p. 81, n. 32), is i^\'ku^, as p. 28, n. 65. 73. .lii (pi. of .ij), deserts. 74. Xis. with fathah, estate, land, with dhammah, wine. 75. -c'" (pi. of i-.s^*'), elegancies. 76. JV»^*J" • • • (Tj-'-i^J ^, be not angry, nor cry aloud, nor chide, energetic prohibitives of L_-"*2i, c_^.s:**, and v ii£ respectively. 77. ^\ (4 of /%i^), re- sounds with the hum (here of visitors). 78. ^J^\, 8 of ^ r^ , \ ■'' ;, OF DAMASCUS. 93 ^ — o ^ ^i *_) ,_^ ( >l_J , -O ,.r-^-i < jLink!^ '^t«^ < — jl-iiwi-lL) ^.], •• •• TT O q.v. 79. *l^-*^.^, patient 10 of *-Jb, q.v. 80. _w\i' . . . . *AJ^, or else tlie fire-staff of tliy grief -will kindle thereat, rub a spark on it. 81. .IJ (imp. 3 of >^*S), cure, heal. 82. J...J (imp. 2 of al-j), divert, console. Chenery, who translates draw out thy cares," seems to take the word for the imp. of (J—-, he drew out the sword, but I believe him to be mistaken in this, as the follow- ing metaphor of ''the daughter of the vine" appears to prove. 83. vy>i-, evening-draught, opposed to ^^--^j wine drunk in the morning. 84. S^ (3rd fem. sing. aor. of S^ referring to the broken plural JV^)> ^^"e moved, oscillate, thrill. 85. *->-:! ^ {^^'^' 4 of), will not permit. 86. Jlsr^ with hasrah, "craft, cunning," with dhammah, " an impossibility," meaning here to thy utmost bent." 87. ^\^ (pi. of ''-sx*), gifts. The preceding verbs are all, 94 ASSEMBLY XII. OF DAMASCUS. '.}j^/.^. L.^-i^'i^j ^;ij^^ j^ ^^.j )^} <>^^ ^"^^ ^->' ^-j^p^ ji^ \^:^^i, c^^ ^ ^^^ J,-^-^ i^^ Ji^ p/i,^Lj,^, J\ |.j.iiJl J^k Jf J-^ ^J^r^jlj^ U.1' ^Ul uL.j/'Ai-j.,n. like the first u_jl*ff, to be read -witli Jcasrah, and arc imp. of verbs terminating in ^. 88. ^NJ (imp. of bj-); take refuge, 89. *_«i ,.^ ? _ ... ' (pi. of 'V« i), nations. Tlie metre is t_ji-.i_>-, 3rd ^»jJ^, 1st < >^.-i : — ""^ I ^— ^— twice. It must be kept in mind that Ij], I, forms two short syllables (see Grammar, p. 294). 90. ♦^t, a butcher's board on wdiich the meat is laid out. 91. Aj Ji (aor. pass, of ^y), is not blamed. 92. cliCS ^^b 111 (apoc. aor. of J)\), has not the time come for thee? 93. _U^ (v.n. 3 of .f ), con- tention. 94. *.xr,imp. 2 of jAr , q.v. 95. \:.! (adverbial ace), through fear. 96. i^—^-j:, the quarrelsomeness of one drunk, drunken humour." 97. iSz (root J^*.), promise, 98. jlj*>., ASSEMBLY XIII. OF BAGDAD. 95 100 ^ 'j^ij ^ij ^-^.^ jr^^^y mourning apparel. 99. ^j^^^xj (v.n. 2 of ^y-Ai), tlie setting forth on a journey after the {j^lXi or halt which is made in the later part of the night. It takes place either before dawn, or between the first dawn and the rising of the sun. 100. ijm^\j\, Iblis, the devil (comp. Qur'an ii. 28), probably derived from Sta/3oXo^ J5U11 '^\^. ^. J\ U^^.^^UJl Uj ^LJ )^.li ^Jji3l^ Jl.J^J\ ^j1^:s:Hj ^^^3 c^U^^l ^j^^ lJ:^:J^.^ J^jj-H wvl.^_j As-ljlll CDS'i:, ^-l-**'^ L::---K>ij i_--:>-l^J\ jLs^ Jy::^Jl ^j)i j^l-..^!^ ^.-.;^!1 ^,,.]j j^ly^^Il c^^.-k'^i jji_j ^jV' ''^^^^ ^V cJ'^ s/^^:^'>r^^^-^ ^'C^}^1 Uls.' jjj^Jl jxJl J ^J, q.v. 4. .^s^'\ (uor. 4 of .^:>-), she rises iu her course, is trotting. 5. i,s~^\j^::^\ , pret. 10 of ^Ij, q.v. 6. Jj^^rs- (pi. of Jj^=^), the young of doves. 7. tj>>}^ ^ (pret. 2 of c_Jw\i), she belied not herself, i.e. she failed not. 8. ( J^U^ (pi. of i .'..'t.«), the features of a "woman not covered by the veil, faces; the second « >,\x.t is pi. of ^jX.i, acquaintance. 9. (Jl:\,j^ (pi. of iU~j, pi. of C>j^), lords, princes. 10. cijo..^ (pi. fem. of i_>^_-j), great ladies. 11. J.5Ui.c (pi. of ) , my people and my husband ceased not, etc. The point of this speech lies in the double-meanings of the words employed, which it will suffice to mention, in order to make the intelligent reader understand and appreciate it; .t\^, breast and seat of honour ; i_-.J..j , heart and centre of an army ; J^ , a man's back and the back of a saddle-beast or beast of burden ; also assist- ance ; J^J , hand and benefit ; J^^ir , upper part of the arm and helper ; _ .Lc*- , the extremities of the body, by which a man earns OF BAGDAD. - 97 ^__-.jI:j ♦Llj ■'I'^^^l 'LJ\jS jJiJjlj dJ^x^l *^a:^ "-^y ijW ^^t*^^" ^^ U^^L^ A'^l^J Uzi |*U> ^j c^^U!^ Jli ^^d^A\ U'jJb.^ j^l his living, hence, metaphorically useful servants ; jl-i^l , livers, as seats of affection, and hence children ; ijl) , the organ of vision, and one who looks at another with respect; t_,v?-l»-, eye-brow and doorkeeper, attendant in general; ^t^, eye and coin; ^^s, palm of the hand and ease, tranquility, comfort ; Ju ; , fore-arm and fire-staff; ^-».-«--Jl , the right hand and power (the Beyrout edition adds here, .Ia«-.Ji 9^^> and the left was lost, were (l***j» may also have the meaning of wealth) ; (j^^y , elbows and cushions to lean upon, i.e. comforts ; -\ , green, signifies with regard to life plenti- ful ; j.sJa\, yellow, applied to the beloved one," the golden coLa ; jjjji, blue, with reference to enemy, the blue-eyed Greek, as the inveterate enemy of the Arab ; r^^^- ' , red, speaking of death, death in battle. The literal and metaphorical meanings of the verbs which accompany these nouns, will be gathered from the Dictionary. 13. ^>- is explained by the commentators as ^:>-^\ •*L^, water (brightness) of the face, i.e. face in general, cheek. 14. iiy^\ l^^A^iij , " into which parsimony sets a mote, while bounty plucks it out." 15. ^l.s-^1 (v.n. 4 of ♦-.s'), weaving, here for versifying. 16. ^"^1 .J:''V. , "it 98 ASSEMBLY XllT. -li/j u^j^ C-^ ti^^j ^y^'^' ^^^^ r^'P p ^M -5^ r^j'^ 21 ^ '* ^ 22 would make a rock to gush forth. " 17. SU. (pi. of lJ*^j), reciters, allusion to a class of persons who in the times of early Arabic poetry, when the art of writing was unknown, corresponded to the Rhapsodists of ancient Greece. 18. c^^j., doubt, here doubtful state, uncertainty, insecurity. The metre is %-:\j^, as explained p. 19, n. 41. 19. ^ybd, time, here for a long time ; the second .A'l) stands in the sense of vicissitudes of time, fortune, whose downcast eye-lid" means that she withheld from them her evil eye. 20. l^^\ *Ui^' , the ashy year, i.e. a year of drought and scarcity. 21. iJlU-iiJ, pass. aor. of (J!L-i) , k vAj , q.v. The fern, refers to the broken plural ij;VJ, fires, which by generous and hospitable persons were kindled at night-time to attract the attention of stray wanderers. 22. ^_^^\ J^j choking hinders (in the full form of the proverb "hinders from verso," ^_^_>^ii]l ^^S), reply of the poet Ilbaid ibn Abras to Nu man (according to others Munsir), king of Hirah, who had doomed him to death, but wished him, before dying, to recite one of his most celebrated poems (see Arab. Prov. i. 340, where also OF BAGDAD. 99 26 L^'^^j ^<-^ z**^' u-^*^ cT? ^^-v^ c;'* i*"?-^-^' ^^ '^' 2^ • . "^^ -Ji . - >1 28 ( >- It .c.. ;"it • -:pl\j\:^\ UL;^ c^^.v^ .\ii! ally ^j\^\ JU another story on the origin of the saying is related). 23. ui^^Jjl , pret. 4 of Ss.^, q.v., is the reading of de Sacy, confirmed by my MS., while the Beyrout edition has