[39]. The original is intensely prosaic—and so am I.
[40]. Arab. “Sunnat,” the practice of the Prophet. For this prayer and other silly and superstitious means of discovering the “right direction” (which is often very wrongly directed) see Lane, M. E. chapt. xi.
[41]. Arab. “Bahr” (sea or river) al-Kunúz: Lane (ii. 576) ingeniously identifies the site with the Upper Nile whose tribes, between Assouan (Syene) and Wady al-Subú’a are called the “Kunúz”—lit. meaning “treasures” or “hoards.” Philæ is still known as the “Islet of Anas (for Uns) al-Wujud;” and the learned and accurate Burckhardt (Travels in Nubia p. 5,) records the local legend that a mighty King called Al-Wujúd built the Osirian temples. I can give no information concerning Jabal al-Sakla, (Thaklá) the Mount of the woman bereft of children, beyond the legend contained in Night ccclxxix.
[42]. A religious mendicant (lit. a pauper), of whom there are two great divisions. The Shara’í acts according to the faith: the others (Lá Shara’í, or irreligious) are bound by no such prejudices and are pretty specimen of scoundrels (Pilgrimage i. 22).
[43]. Meaning his lips and palate were so swollen by drought.
[44]. It is a pious act in time of mortal danger to face the Kiblah or Meccan temple, as if standing in prayer.
[45]. Still the belief of the Badawi who tries to work upon the beast’s compassion: “O great King I am a poor man, with wife and family, so spare me that Allah spare thee!” and so forth. If not famished the lion will often stalk off looking behind him as he goes; but the man will never return by the same path; “for,” says he, “haply the Father of Roaring may repent him of a wasted opportunity.” These lion-tales are very common, witness that of Androcles at Rome and a host of others. Una and her lion is another phase. It remained for M. Jules Gérard, first the chasseur and then the tueur, du lion, to assail the reputation of the lion and the honour of the lioness.
[46]. Abú Háris = Father of spoils: one of the lion’s hundred titles.
[47]. “They” again for “she.”
[48]. Jaxartes and Oxus. The latter (Jayhun or Amu, Oxus or Bactros) is famous for dividing Iran from Turan, Persia from Tartaria. The lands to its north are known as Má wará al-Nahr (Mawerannahar) or “What is behind the stream,” = Transoxiana and their capitals were successively Samarcand and Bokhara.