The whole was finished in five hundred years，and，when Shaddad prepared to enter it，the 'Cry of Wrath'from the Angel of Death slew him and all his many.It is mentioned in the Koran （chaps.Ixxxix.6-7） as 'Irem adorned with lofty buildings （or pillars）.' But Ibn Khaldun declares that commentators have embroidered the passage； Iram being the name of a powerful clan of the ancient Adites and 'imad' being a tent-pole： hence 'Iram with the numerous tents or tent-poles.' Al-Bayzawi tells the story of Abdullah ibn Kilabah （D'Herbelot's Colabah）.At Aden I met an Arab who had seen the mysterious city on the borders of Al-Ahkaf，the waste of deep sands，west of Hadramaut； and probably he had，the mirage or sun-reek taking its place.Compare with this tale 'The City of Brass' （Night dlxv.）.
[166]The biblical-'Sheba，' named from the great-grandson of Joctan，whence the Queen （Bilkis） visited Solomon It was destroyed by the Flood of Marib.
[167]The full title of the Holy City is 'Madinat al-Nab）' =the City of the Prophet，of old Yasrib （Yathrib） the Iatrippa of the Greeks （Pilgrimage，ii.119）.The reader will remember that there are two 'Yasribs：' that of lesser note being near Hujr in the Yamamah province.
[168]'Ka'ab of the Scribes，' a well-known traditionist and religious poet who died （A.H.32） in the Caliphate of Osman.He was a Jew who islamised； hence his name （Ahbar，plur.of Hibr，a Jewish scribe，doctor of science，etc.Jarrett's El-Siyuti，p.123）.He must not be confounded with another Ka'ab al-Ahbar the Poet of the （first） Cloak-poem or 'Burdah，' a noble Arab who was a distant cousin of Mohammed，and whose tomb at Hums （Emesa） is a place of pious visitation.According to the best authorities （no Christian being allowed to see them） the cloak given to the bard by Mohammed is still preserved together with the Khirkah or Sanjak Sherif （'Holy Coat' or Banner，the national oriflamme） at Stambul in the Upper Seraglio.（Pilgrimage，i.213.） Many authors repeat this story of Mu'awiyah，the Caliph，and Ka'ab of the Burdah，but it is an evident anachronism，the poet having been dead nine years before the ruler's accession （A.H.41）.
[169]Koran，lxxxix.6-7.
[170]Arab.'Kahraman' from Pers.，braves，heroes.
[171]The Deity in the East is as whimsical-a despot as any of his 'shadows' or 'vice regents.' In the text Shaddad is killed for mere jealousy a base passion utterly unworthy of a godhead； but one to which Allah was greatly addicted.
[172]Some traditionist，but whether Sha'abi，Shi'abi or Shu'abi we cannot decide.
[173]The Hazarmaveth of Genesis （x.26） in South Eastern Arabia.Its people are the Adramitae （mod.Hazrami） of Ptolemy who places in their land the Arabiae Emporium，as Pliny does his Massola.They border upon the Homeritae or men of Himyar，often mentioned in The Nights.Hazramaut is still practically unknown to us，despite the excursions of many travellers； and the hard nature of the people，the Swiss of Arabia，offers peculiar obstacles to exploration.
[174]i.e.the prophet Hud generally identified （？） with Heber.
He was commissioned （Koran，chaps.vii.） to preach Al-Islam to his tribe the Adites who worshipped four goddesses，Sakiyah （the rain-giver），Razikah （food-giver），Hafizah （the saviouress） and Salimah （who healed sickness）.As has been seen he failed，so it was useless to send him.
[175]Son of Ibraham al-Mosili，a musician poet and favourite with the Caliphs Harun al-Rashid and Al-Maamun.He made his name immortal-by being the first who reduced Arab harmony to systematic rules，and he wrote a biography of musicians referred to by Al-Hariri in the Seance of Singar.
[176]This must not be confounded with the 'pissing against the wall' of I Kings，xiv.10，where watering against a wall denotes a man as opposed to a woman.
[177]Arab.'Zambil' or 'Zimbil，' a limp basket made of plaited palm-leaves and generally two handled.It is used for many purposes，from carrying poultry to carrying earth.
[178]Here we have again the Syriac ''Bakhkh -un-Bakhkh-un-''=well done！ It is the Pers Aferin and means 'all praise be to him.'
[179]Arab.'A Tufayli？' So the Arab.Prov.（ii.838） 'More intrusive than Tufayl' （prob.the P.N.of a notorious sponger）.The Badawin call 'Warish' a man who sits down to meat unbidden and to drink Waghil； but townsfolk apply the latter to the 'Warish.'
[180]Arab.'Artal'=rotoli，pounds； and 'A pint is a pound All the world round；'
except in highly civilised lands where the pint has a curious power of shrinking.
[181]One of Al-Maamun's Wazirs.The Caliph married his daughter whose true name was Buran； but this tale of girl's freak and courtship was invented （？） by Ishak.For the splendour of the wedding and the munificence of the Minister see Lane，ii.350-352.
[182]I have described this scene，the wretch clinging to the curtain and sighing and crying as if his heart would break （Pilgrimage iii.216 and 220）.The same is done at the place Al-Multazam''the attached to；' （ibid.156） and various spots called Al-Mustajab，'where prayer is granted' （ibid.162）.At Jerusalem the Wailing place of the Jews' shows queer scenes； the worshippers embrace the wall with a peculiar wriggle crying out in Hebrew，'O build Thy House，soon，without delay，' etc.
[183]i.e.The wife.The scene in the text was common at Cairo twenty years ago； and no one complained of the stick.See Pilgrimage i.，120.
[184]Arab.'Udm，Udum' （plur.of Idam） = 'relish，' olives，cheese，pickled cucumbers，etc.
[185]I have noticed how the left hand is used in the East.In the second couplet we have 'Istinja'=washing the fundament after stool.The lines are highly appropriate for a nightman.Easterns have many foul but most emphatic expressions like those in the text I have heard a mother say to her brat，'I would eat thy merde！'
（i.e.how I love thee！）.
[186]Arab.'Harrak，' whence probably our 'Carack' and 'Carrack' （large ship），in dictionaries derived from Carrus Marinus.