Wak！' （God！ God！） till their hair is cut，and when it is cut they die；and the islanders understand this cry wherefrom they augure ill.'The Aj ib al-Hind （chapt.xv.） places in Wak-land the Samandal，a bird which enters the fire without being burnt evidently the Egyptian'Pi-Benni，'which the Greeks metamorphised to'Phoenix.'It also mentions a hare-like animal，now male then female，and the Somal behind Cape Guardafui tell the same tale of their Cynhy‘nas.
[128]i.e.I will keep thee as though thou wert the apple of my eye.
[129]A mere exaggeration of the'Gull-fairs'noted by travellers in sundry islands as Ascension and the rock off Brazilian Santos.
[130]Arab.'K mil wa Basit wa W fir'= the names of three popular metres，for which see the Terminal Essay.
[131]Arab.'Man shif'= drying towels，Plur.of Minshafah；and the popular term which Dr.Jonathan Swift corrupted to'Munnassaf.'Lane （Nights，Introduct.p.ix.）.
[132]Arab.'Shafaif'opposed to'Shafah'the mouth-lips.
[133]Fountains of Paradise.This deion is a fair instance of how the Saj'a （prose-rhyme） dislocates the order；an Arab begins with hair，forehead，eyebrows and lashes and when he reaches the nose，he slips down to the toes for the sake of the assonance.If the latter be neglected the whole list of charms must be otherwise ordered；and the student will compare Mr.
Payne's version of this passage with mine.
[134]A fair specimen of the Arab logogriph derived from the Abjad Alphabet which contains only the Hebrew and Syriac letters not the six Arabic.Thus 4 X 5=20 which represents the Kaf （K）and 6 X 10=60，or Sin （S）.The whole word is thus'Kos'，the Greek {Greek letters} or {Greek letters}，and the lowest word，in Persian as in Arabic，for the female pudenda，extensively used in vulgar abuse.In my youth we had at the University something of the kind； To five and five and fifty-five The first of letters add To make a thing to please a King And drive a wise man mad.
Answer VVLVA.Very interesting to the anthropological student is this excursus of Hasan，who after all manner of hardships and horrors and risking his life to recover his wife and children；breaks out into song on the subject of her privities.And it can hardly be tale-teller's gag as both verse and prose show considerable art in composition.（See p.348.）
Supplementary Note To Hasan of Bassorah.
Note（p.93）--There is something wondrous naive in a lover who；when asked by his mistress to sing a song in her honour，breaks out into versical praises of her parts.But even the classical Arab authors did not disdain such themes.See in Al-Hariri （Ass.
of Mayyafarikin） where Abu Zayd laments the impotency of old age in form of a Rasy or funeral oration （Preston p.484，and Chenery p.221）.It completely deceived Sir William Jones，who inserted it into the chapter'De Poesi Funebri，'p.527 （Poeseos Asiaticae Commentarii），gravely noting，'Haec Elegia non admodum dissimilis esse videtur pulcherrimi illius carminis de Sauli et Jonathani obitu；at que adeo versus iste'ubi provocant adversarios nunquam rediit a pugnae contentione sine spiculo sanguine imbuto，'ex Hebraeoreddi videtur； A sanguine occisorum，a fortium virorum adipe；Arcus Jonathani non rediit irritus.'
I need hardly say with Captain Lockett （226） that this'Sabb warrior，'this Arabian Achilles，is the celebrated Bonus Deus or Hellespontiacus of the Ancients.The oration runs thus：--O folk I have a wondrous tale，so rare Much shall it profit hearers wise and ware！
I saw in salad-years a potent Brave And sharp of edge and point his warrior glaive；
Who entered joust and list with hardiment Fearless of risk，of victory confident；His vigorous onset straitest places oped And easy passage through all narrows groped：
He ne'er encountered foe in single fight But came from tilt with spear in blood stained bright；
Nor stormed a fortress howso strong and stark--
With fenced gates defended deep and dark--
When shown his flag without th' auspicious cry'Aidance from Allah and fair victory nigh！'
Thus wise full many a night his part he played In strength and youthtide's stately garb arrayed；Dealing to fair young girl delicious joy And no less welcome to the blooming boy.
But Time ne'er ceased to stint his wondrous strength （Steadfast and upright as the gallow's length）
Until the Nights o'erthrew him by their might And friends contemned him for a feckless wight；
Nor was a wizard but who wasted skill Over his case，nor leach could heal his ill.
Then he abandoned arms abandoned him Who gave and took salutes so fierce and grim；
And now lies prostrate drooping haughty crest；
For who lives longest him most ills molest.
Then see him，here he lies on bier for bet；--
Who will a shroud bestow on stranger dead？
A fair measure of the difference between Eastern and Western manners is afforded by such a theme being treated by their gravest writers and the verses being read and heard by the gravest and most worshipful men，whilst amongst us Preston and Chenery do not dare even to translate them.The latter，indeed；had all that immodest modesty for which English professional society is notable in this xixth century.He spoiled by needlessly excluding from a scientific publication （Mem.R.A.S.）
all of my Proverbia Communia Syriaca （see Unexplored Sryia，i.
364） and every item which had a shade of double entendre.But Nemesis frequently found him out： during his short and obscure rule in Printing House Square，The Thunderer was distinguished by two of the foulest indecencies that ever appeared in an English paper.
The well-known Koranic verse，whereby Allah is introduced into an indecent tale and'Holy Writ'is punned upon.I have noticed （iii.206） that victory Fat'h lit.=opening everything （as e.g.a maidenhead）.
[135]Egyptian and Syrian vulgar term for Maw liyah or Maw liyah，a short poem on subjects either classical or vulgar.