I accept the emendation of Lane’s Shaykh, “Nasím” (Zephyr) for “Nadím” (cup-companion.)
“Jannat al-Ná’im” = Garden of Delights is No. V Heaven, made of white diamond.
This is the “House of Sadness” of our old chivalrous Romances. See chapt. vi. of “Palmerin of England,” by Francisco de Moraes (ob. 1572), translated by old Anthony Munday (dateless, 1590?) and “corrected” (read spoiled) by Robert Southey. London, Longmans, 1807.
The lines have occurred in Night clix. (vol. iii. 183), I quote Mr. Payne who, like Lane, prefers “in my bosom” to “beneath my ribs.”
In this tale the Bresl. Edit, more than once adds “And let us and you send a blessing to the Lord of Lords” (or to “Mohammed,” or to the “Prophet”); and in vol. v. p. 52 has a long prayer. This is an act of contrition in the tale-teller for romancing against the expressed warning of the Founder of Al-Islam.
From Bresl. Edit. (vi. 29): the four in the Mac. Edit. are too irrelevant.
Arab. Ghayúr = jealous, an admirable epithet which Lane dilutes to “changeable”—making a truism of a metaphor.
These lines have occurred before. I quote Mr. Payne.
This poetical way of saying “fourteen” suggests Camoens (The Lusiads) Canto v. 2.
Arab. “Surrah,” lit. = a purse: a few lines lower down it is called “’Ulbah” = a box which, of course, may have contained the bag.
As an Arab often does when deep in thought. Lane appositely quotes John viii. 6. “Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.” Mr. Payne translates, “He fell a-drumming on the earth with his fingers,” but this does not complete the sense.
_i.e._ “And the peace of Allah be upon thee! that will end thy story.” The Arab formula, “Wa al-Salám” (pron. Wassalám) is used in a variety of senses.
Like Camoens, one of the model lovers, he calls upon Love to torment him still more—ad majorem Dei (amoris) gloriam.
Pron. Aboor-Ruwaysh. “The Father of the little Feather”: he is afterwards called “Son of the daughter of the accursed Iblis”; yet, as Lane says, “he appears to be a virtuous person.”
Arab. “Kantara al-lijám fí Karbús (bow) sarjih.”
I do not translate “beckoned” because the word would give a wrong idea. Our beckoning with the finger moved towards the beckoner makes the so-beckoned Eastern depart in all haste. To call him you must wave the hand from you.