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[Footnote 582: Night DLXXX.]
[Footnote 583: Lit. "who hath a head with the head-seller or dealer in heads, etc." The word here employed (rewwas) commonly signifies "a man who cooks and sells sheepsheads, oxheads, etc." M. Zotenberg makes the following note on this passage in. his edition of Alaeddin; "Rewwas (for raa"s) signifies not only 'he who sells cooked heads,' but also 'he who makes a business of cooking heads.' Consequently whoso entrusteth a head to the rewwas is preoccupied and sleeps not." M. Zotenberg's note is unintelligible, in consequence of his having neglected to explain that the passage in question is a common Egyptian proverb, meaning (says Burckhardt), "the person whose fortune is entrusted to the hands of strangers cannot enjoy repose." "The poor," adds he, "at Cairo buy sheepsheads and for a trifle have them boiled in the bazaar by persons who are not only cooks, but sellers of sheepsheads, and are therefore called raa"s, or in the Egyptian dialect rewwas." The proverb is in the present case evidently meant as a play upon the literal meaning ("headsman," hence by implication "executioner") of the word rewwas, although I cannot find an instance of the word being employed in this sense. It is, however, abundantly evident from the general context that this is the author's intention in the passage in question, Alaeddin's head being metaphorically in the hands of (or pledged to) the headsman, inasmuch as he had engaged to return and suffer decapitation in case he should not succeed in recovering the princess within forty days.]
[Footnote 584: I suppose the verb which I render "caused [sleep] get the mastery," to be ghelleba, II of gheleba, as the only way of making sense of this passage, though this reading involves some irregularity from a grammatical point of view. This, however, is no novelty in the present text. Burton, "But whoso weareth head hard by the headsman may not sleep o'nights save whenas slumber prevail over him."]
[Footnote 585: Zeczekeh, a word which exactly renders the sparrow's dawn-cheep.]
[Footnote 586: Lit. "From (as Fr. des) the deep or remote dawn" (min el fejri 'l ghemic, Syr. for emic), cf. Matthew Arnold's "Resignation;" "The cockoo, loud on some high lawn, Is answered from the depth of dawn.."]
[Footnote 587: The terminal formula of the dawn-prayer.]
[Footnote 588: i.e. the magician]
[Footnote 589: Lit. "bride'' (arouseh). She is always, to the end of the tale, spoken of as Alaeddin's "bride," never as his "wife," whilst he, in like manner, is called her "bridegroom" (arous).]
[Footnote 590: This, at first sight, appears a contradiction, as we are distinctly told (see ante, p. 207) that the princess was unaware of the properties of the lamp; but the sequel shows that she had learned them, in the mean time. from the magician himself. See post.]
[Footnote 591: Ifrikiyeh.]
[Footnote 592: Night DLXXXI.]
[Footnote 593: Lit. "a spit (ric) of sweet." We may also read reic or reyyic, "the first part of anything" (especially "the first drop of rain").]
[Footnote 594: Lit. "having changed the clothes of this my dress."]
[Footnote 595: i.e. taking effect the moment of its administration.]
[Footnote 596: Night DLXXXII.]
[Footnote 597: Because white wine would have been visibly troubled by the drug.]
[Footnote 598: Ishebi bi-surrihi (lit. "drink by his pleasure or gladness;" surr or surour). Burton, "Pledge him to his secret in a significant draught."]
[Footnote 599: Kasein thelatheh, lit. two cups three (unusual way of putting it).]
[Footnote 600: Reshoush (for reshash), "anything sprinkled," i.e. powder or drops. I translate "powder," as I find no mention in the Nights of the use of this narcotic in a liquid form.]
[Footnote 601: Takkeltu, lit. "I have conceived in my mind." Sir R. Burton is apparently inclined to read tallectu by transposition, as he translates, "I depend upon thy say."]
[Footnote 602: Night DLXXXIII.]
[Footnote 603: Lit. "I will not delay upon thee."]
[Footnote 604: Lit. "Thou hast burdened or incommoded thyself" (kellefta khatiraka), see previous note, p. 120, {see FN#340} on this idiomatic expression.]
[Footnote 605: Ana atebtu mizajaka, lit. "I have wearied thy temperament."]
[Footnote 606: Lit. "pleasure" (surr), see ante, p. 223, note 2. {see FN#598}]
[Footnote 607: Or "playing the boon-companion."]
[Footnote 608: Syn. "equivocal, a double entente."]
[Footnote 609: Lit. "proceeded from her in truth."]
[Footnote 610: Tih, lit. pride, haughtiness, but, by analogy, "coquetry."]
[Footnote 611: Lit. "Gaiety, ecstasy or intoxication (keif) whirled (dara) in his head."]
[Footnote 612: Lit. "not itself exactly with him" (ma hiya bi-eimhi indahu.)]
[Footnote 613: Lit. "turned over" (kelebet, a clerical error for kebbelel).]
[Footnote 614: Tekeddemet lihi wa basethu fi kheddihi. Burton, "again she kissed its lip and offered it to him."]
[Footnote 615: Terakedsou, lit. raced with one another.]
[Footnote 616: Babu 'sz szeray.]
[Footnote 617: Night DLXXXIV.]
[Footnote 618: Keszr.]
[Footnote 619: Lit. "in" (fi); but fi is evidently used here in mistake for bi, the two prepositions being practically interchangeable in modern Arabic of the style of our present text.]
[Footnote 620: Burton, "his costliest raiment."]
[Footnote 621: Or chamber (keszr).]
[Footnote 622: Night DLXXXV.]
[Footnote 623: Sic (raihh), a common vulgarism in this text.]
[Footnote 624: Night DLXXXVI.]
[Footnote 625: Lit. "also" (eidsan).]
[Footnote 626: i.e. the two were as like as two halves of a bean.]
[Footnote 627: i.e. the world.]
[Footnote 628: Or death (Saturn), the eighth division of the common astrological figure.]
[Footnote 629: Menkeleh. See my Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol. I. p. 129, note 1. {see Vol. 1 of Payne's Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, FN#41}]
[Footnote 630: Dsameh.]
[Footnote 631: Liha keramat kethireh. Kerameh (sing. of keramat), properly a favour or mark of grace, a supernatural gift bestowed by God upon His pious servants, by virtue whereof they perform miracles, which latter are also by derivation called keramat. Cf. Acts viii. 28: "Thou hast thought that the gift of God," i.e. the power of performing miracles, "may be purchased with money."]
[Footnote 632: Night DLXXXVII.]
[Footnote 633: Weliyeh.]
[Footnote 634: Fe-ain (where), probably a mistranscription for fe-men (who).]
[Footnote 635: Sitti, fem. of Sidi, "my lord," the common title of a saint among modern Arabic-speaking peoples.]
[Footnote 635: Meskin, lit. "poor wretch," but used as our "good man" and the French "bonhomme," in a sense of somewhat contemptuous familiarity.]
[Footnote 636: Lit. "wished the man increase of his good (istekthera bi-kheirihi, for which idiomatic expression= "he thanked him," see ante, p. 135, note 3 {see FN#383}), and thanked his excellence" (favour or kindness, fedsl).]
[Footnote 637: Sherabati. Burton, "vintner."]
[Footnote 638: Keniz, a word which I cannot find in any dictionary, but which appears to be the past participle (in the secondary form for mecnouz, as ketil, slain, for mertoul,) of keneza, a lost verb of which only the fourth form acneza, he drank from a cup (kinz), survives, and to mean "something drunk from a cup." Burton, "wine."]
[Footnote 639: Ca"da. Burton translates "he mounted," apparently reading szfida for ca"da.]
[Footnote 640: Lit. "belly" (betn); but that "breast" is meant is shown by the next line, which describes Fatimeh as finding the enchanter seated on her heart.]
[Footnote 641: Lit. "heart" (kelb).]
[Footnote 642: The text adds here, "she went not and came not" (la rahet wa la jaet). Burton translates, "as though she had never gone or come" and adds, in a note, by way of gloss, "i.e. as she was in her own home;" but I confess that his explanation seems to me as obscure as the text.]
[Footnote 643: Night DLXXXVIll.]
[Footnote 644: Keszr.]
[Footnote 645: The first or "opening" chapter of the Koran.]
[Footnote 646: En nas bi 'l ghewali kethir an, lit. "The folk in (things) precious (or dear or high-priced, ghewali, pl. of ghalin, also of ghaliyeh, a kind of perfume) are abundant anent." This is a hopelessly obscure passage, and I can only guess at its meaning. Bi 'l ghewali may be a clerical error for bi 'l ghalibi, "for the most part, in general," in which case we may read, "Folk in general abound [in talk] anent her virtues;" or bi 'l ghewali may perhaps be used in the sense (of which use, however, I know no instance) of 'in excessive estimation,' in which latter case the passage might be rendered, "Folk abound in setting a high value on (or extolling) her virtues." Burton boldly amplifies, "the folk recount her manifestations in many cases of difficulty."]
[Footnote 647: Lit. "That he might complete his deceit the more." The meaning is that he dissembled his satisfaction at the princess's proposal and made a show of refusal, so he might hoodwink her the more effectually.]
[Footnote 648: Keszr.]
[Footnote 649: Night DLXXXIX.]
[Footnote 650: Teyyareh.]
[Footnote 651: Lit. "openings for passage" (mejous). See ante, p. 176, note. {see FN#480}]
[Footnote 652: Keszr.]
[Footnote 653: Lit. "an extreme" (ghayeh).]
[Footnote 654: Szeraya.]
[Footnote 655: Szeraya.]
[Footnote 656: i.e. "O thou that art dear to me as mine eyes."]
[Footnote 657: Keszr.]
[Footnote 658: Night DLXC.]
[Footnote 659: Keszr.]
[Footnote 660: i.e. its apparent from its real import.]
[Footnote 661: Mustekim.]
[Footnote 662: Minka. Burton, "of me."]
[Footnote 663: Lit. "for that secret that she healed." Burton, "for the art and mystery of healing."]
[Footnote 664: Min wejaihi.]
[Footnote 665: Szeraya.]
[Footnote 666: Terehhhheba bihi.]
[Footnote 667: Lit. "believed not in."]
[Footnote 668: Night DLXCI.]
[Footnote 669: Ghereza (i.q.. gheresa).]
[Footnote 670: Lit. "Out of regard to or respect for thine eyes." (Keramet[an] li-uyouniki), i.e. "Thanks to the favourable influence of thine eyes." When "the eye" is spoken of without qualification, the "evil eye" is commonly meant; here, however, it is evident that the reverse is intended.]
[Footnote 671: Lit. "I had no news or information (ma indi kkeber) [of the matter]."]
[Footnote 672: Lit. "neglectful of the love of thee." This is a difficult passage to translate, owing to its elliptical form; but the meaning is that the princess wished to assure Alaeddin that what had happened was not due to any slackening in the warmth of her affection for him.]
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