[251]. Lit. “Smoke” pop. applied, like our word, to tobacco. The latter, however, is not here meant.
[252]. Arab. “Ghuráb al-bayn,” of the wold or of parting. See vol. vii. 226.
[253]. Arab. “Haláwah”: see vol. iv. 60.
[254]. Here the vocative particle “Yá” is omitted.
[255]. Lit. “The long-necked (bird)” before noticed with the Rukh (Roc) in vol. v. 122. Here it becomes a Princess, daughter of Bahrám-i-Gúr (Bahram of the Onager, his favourite game), the famous Persian king in the fifth century, a contemporary of Theodosius the younger and Honorius. The “Anká” is evidently the Iranian Símurgh.
[256]. “Chamber” is becoming a dangerous word in English. Roars of laughter from the gods greeted the great actor’s declamation “The bed has not been slept in! Her little chamber is empty!”
[257]. Choice Gift of the breast (or heart).
[258]. From the Calc. Edit. (1814–18), Nights cxcvi.-cc., vol. ii., pp. 367–378. The translation has been compared and collated with that of Langlès (Paris, 1814), appended to his Edition of the Voyages of Sindbad. The story is exceedingly clever and well deserves translation.
[259]. It is regretable that this formula has not been preserved throughout The Nights: it affords, I have noticed, a pleasing break to the long course of narrative.
[260]. Arab. “Banát-al-hawá,” lit. daughters of love, usually meaning an Anonyma, a fille de joie; but here the girl is of good repute, and the offensive term must be modified to a gay, frolicsome lass.