[286]. The whole of the nurse’s speech is admirable: its naïve and striking picture of conjugal affection goes far to redeem the grossness of The Nights.
[287]. The bitterness was the parting in the morning.
[288]. English “Prin´cess,” too often pronounced in French fashion Princess.
[289]. In dictionaries “Bán” (Anglice ben-tree) is the myrobalan which produces gum benzoin. It resembles the tamarisk. Mr. Lyall (p. 74 Translations of Ancient Arab Poetry, Williams and Norgate, 1885), calls it a species of Moringa, tall, with plentiful and intensely green foliage used for comparisons on account of its straightness and graceful shape of its branches. The nut supplies a medicinal oil.
[290]. A sign of extreme familiarity: the glooms are the hands and the full moons are the eyes.
[291]. Arab. “Khal’a al-’izár”: lit. = stripping off jaws or side-beard.
[292]. Arab. “Shimál” = the north wind.
[293]. An operation well described by Juvenal—
Illa supercilium, modicâ fuligine tactum,
Obliquâ producit acu, pingitque, trementes