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A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments, Now Entitled the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Vol. 10 (Classic Reprint)
A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments Now Entitled the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Vol 10 - Classic Reprint Author:Richard Francis Burton The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night. MA ARUF THE COBBLER AND HIS WIFE FATIMAH, THERE dwelt once upon a time in the God-guarded city of Cairo a cobbler who lived by patching old shoes.1 His name was Ma aruf2 and he had a wife called Fatimah, whom the folk had nicknamed The Dung ;3 for that she was a whorish, worthless wretch, scanty of sh... more »ame and mickle of mischief. She ruled her spouse and used to abuse him and curse him a thousand times a day ;and he feared her malice and dreaded her misdoings; for that he was a sensible man and careful of his repute, but poorconditioned. When he earned much, he spent it on her, and when he gained little, she revenged herself on his body that night, leaving him no peace and making his night black as her book ;4 for she was even as of one like her saith the poet: How manifold nights have I passed with my wife o Inthe saddest plight with all misery rife :W ould Heaven when first I went in to hero With a cup of cold poison Id ta en her life. A mongst other afflictions which befel him from her one day she said to him, OM a aruf, I wish thee to bring me this night a vermicelli-cake dressed with bees honey, 5H ereplied, So Allah 1A rab. Zarabm (pi. of zarbun), lit. slaves shoes or sandals (see vol. iii. p. 336) the chaussure worn by Mamelukes. Here the word is used in its modern sense of stout shoes or walking boots. 2T he popular word means goodness, etc., e.g. A mil al-M a arvif =have the kindness ;do me the favour. 3D ozy translates Urrah =. Une Megere :L ane terms it a vulgar word signifying a wicked, mischievous shrew. But it is the fem. form of Urr =dung ;not a bad name for a daughter of Billingsgate; and reminds us of the term Dung-beardlings applied by the amiable Hallgerda to her enemys sons. (T he Story of Burnt Njal, ii. 47-) 4i.e. black like the book of her actions which would be shown to her on Doomsday. (S ee
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)« less