[344]. In the text “Úzbáshá” (اوضباشا) or “Uzbáshá,” a vile Egyptianism for Yúzbáshí = head of a hundred (men) centurion, captain.
[345]. Scil. the household, the Harem, etc. As usual, the masc. is used for the fem.
[346]. [Ar. “Al-Rashákah,” a word is not found in the common lexicons. In “Dozy and Engelmann’s Glossary of Spanish and Portuguese words derived from the Arabic,” it is said to be a fork with three prongs, here probably a hat-stand in the shape of such a fork.—St.]
[347]. In text “Shá’il” copyist’s error for “Shághil,” act. part. of “Shughl” = business, affairs. [Here it stands probably for the fuller “Shughl shághil,” an urgent business.—St.]
[348]. In text “Yá ’Ars, yá Mu’arras”: vol. i. 338.
[349]. In Syria most houses have a rain cistern or tank into which the terrace-roof drains and which looks from above like a well with a cover. The water must have been low when the lover hid himself in the reservoir.
[350]. [In the MS. “Min Hakk la-hu Asl an ’and-ná huná Rájil,” a thoroughly popular phrase. “Min Hakk” and “min Hakkan,” where in the adverbial meaning of Hakkan its grammatical form as an accusative is so far forgotten that it allows itself to be governed by the preposition “min,” is rendered by Bocthor “tout de bon,” “sérieusement.” “Asl” = root has here the meaning of foundation in fact. The literal translation of the passage would therefore be: “Forsooth, is there any truth in it that a man is here in our house?” “Min Hakk” has occurred page 235, where the text, quoted in the note, may perhaps be translated: “Of a truth, is this saying soothfast?”—St.]
[351]. [The MS. has: “Yá Gháratí a-Zay má huná Rájil;” “Yá Gháratí” will recur presently, p. 256, along with “yá Musíbatí” = Oh my calamity! I take it therefore to be an exclamation of distress from “Ghárat” = invasion, with its incidents of devastation, rapine and ruin. It would be the natural outcry of the women left helpless in an unprotected camp, when invaded by a hostile tribe. In “a-Zay má” the latter particle is not the negative, but the pronoun, giving to “a-Zay” = “in what manner,” “how?” the more emphatical sense of “how ever?” In the same sense we find it again, infra, Night 754, “a-Zay má tafút-ní” = how canst thou quit me? I would therefore render: “Woe me, I am undone, how ever should there be a man here?” or something to that purpose—St.]
[352]. In Persian he would be called “Parí-stricken,”—smitten by the Fairies.
[353]. A quarter-staff (vols. i. 234: viii. 186.) opp. to the “Dabbús” or club-stick of the Badawin, the Caffrés’ “Knob-kerry,” which is also called by the Arabs. “Kaná,” pron. “Ganá.”