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[ The same incident occurs in that pathetic tale with an ill name"How Abu al-Hasan brake Wind," vol. v. 135.]
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[ Arab. "Karkabah," clerical error (?) for "Karkarah" = driving (as wind the clouds); rumbling of wind in bowels. Dr. Steingass holds that it is formed by addition of a second "K," from the root "Karb," one of whose meanings is: "to inflate the stomach.">[
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[ For Ummu 'Amrin = mother of 'Amru, so written and pronounced " 'Amr," a fancy name, see vol. v. 118, for the Tale of the Schoolmaster, a well-known "Joe Miller." [Ummu 'Amrin, like Ummu 'Ámirin, is a slang term for "hyena." Hence, if Ass and Umm Amr went off together, it is more than likely that neither came back. St.]
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[ A slang name for Death. "Kash'am" has various sigs. esp. the lion, hence Rabí'at al-Faras (of the horses), one of the four sons of Nizár was surnamed Al-Kash'am from his cur de lion (Al-Mas'udi iii. 238). Another pleasant term for departing life is Abú Yáhyá = Father of John, which also means "The Living" from Hayy?Death being the lord of all: hence "Yamút" lit. = he dies, is an ill-omened name amongst Arabs. Kash'am is also a hyena, and Umm Kash'am is syn. with Umm 'Ámir (vol. i. 43). It was considered a point of good breeding to use these "Kunyah" for the purpose of varying speech (see al-Hariri Ass. xix.). The phrase in the text = meaning went to hell, as a proverb was first used by Zuhayr, one of the "Suspended Poets." Umm Kash'am was the P.N. of a runaway camel which, passing by a large fire, shied and flung its riding saddle into the flames. So in Al-Siyúti's "History of the Caliphs" (p. 447), the text has "And Malak Shah went to where her saddle was thrown by Umm Kash'am," which Major Jarrett renders "departed to hell-fire.">[
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[ Scott's "Story of the Bhang-eater and Cauzee," vi. 126: Gauttier, Histoire du Preneur d'Opium et du Cadi, vi. 268.]