Lane, in the Notes to his translation of the Thousand and One Nights, thus describes the Arabian (or modern Egyptian) mode of paying respect to superiors: touching the ground, and then the lips and forehead, or turban, with the right hand.—The Khalif Hakim Biamri ’llah (11th century) issued an order that no one in future should kiss the ground in his presence, or salute him in the highway, or kiss his hand or stirrup; because to prostrate oneself before a human being was an act of worship introduced by the Greeks; and the only formula of salutation should be: “May protection be vouchsafed to the Prince of the Faithful! May the mercy and blessings of God rest upon him!”
Page [5]. “Fixed by the fascinating beauty of the damsel,” &c.—The lithographed text says: “From the effect of her glance the heart became lost, and the bird of his soul began to take flight in the atmosphere of love.... He pushed forward his courser, and recited this gazal [or ode]:
My heart has fallen into the hand of a sprightly lover, of marvellous beauty;
This intelligent countenance, bright as the moon, has stolen my heart from the hand of the Creator;
So that when I beheld the cypress form my unhappy heart began to bleed.
Her rose-like countenance has placed in a sorrowful soul a rankling thorn!”
Page [5]. “Ruler of the world.” The text gives the address of the litter-attendants to the King as follows:
“Whatever may be the advice of the Pādishāh who adorns the world, it is the eye [i.e. the essence] of correct judgment.
Quatrain.
O mighty King of the chief city,