uy
sheepsheads and for a trifle have them boiled in the bazaar by persons
who are not only cooks, but sellers of sheepsheads, and are therefore
called raa"s, or in the Egyptian dialect rewwas." The proverb is in
the present case evidently meant as a play upon the literal meaning
("headsman," hence by implication "executioner") of the word rewwas,
although I cannot find an instance of the word being employed in this
sense. It is, however, abundantly evident from the general context that
this is the author's intention in the passage in question, Alaeddin's
head being metaphorically in the hands of (or pledged to) the headsman,
inasmuch as he had engaged to return and suffer decapitation in case he
should not succeed in recovering the princess within forty days.]

[Footnote 584: I suppose the verb which I render "caused [sleep] get the
mastery," to be ghelleba, II of gheleba, as the only way of making sense
of this passage, though this reading involves some irregularity from a
grammatical point of view. This, however, is no novelty in the present
text. Burton, "But whoso weareth head hard by the headsman may not sleep
o'nights save whenas slumber prevail over him."]

[Footnote 585: Zeczekeh, a word which exactly renders the sparrow's
dawn-cheep.]

[Footnote 586: Lit. "From (as Fr. des) the deep or remote dawn" (min
el fejri 'l ghemic, Syr. for emic), cf. Matthew Arnold's "Resignation;"
"The cockoo, loud on some high lawn, Is answered from the depth of
dawn.."]

[Footnote 587: The terminal formula of the dawn-prayer.]

[Footnote 588: i.e. the magician]

[Footnote 589: Lit. "bride'' (arouseh). She is always, to the end of the
tale, spoken of as Alaeddin's "bride," never as his "wife," whilst he,
in like manner, is called her "bridegroom" (arous).]

[Footnote 590: This, at first sight, appears a contradiction, as we are
distinctly told (see ante, p. 207) that the princess was unaware of the
properties of the lamp; but the sequel shows that she had learned them,
in the mean time. from the magician himself. See post.]

[Footnote 591: Ifrikiyeh.]

[Footnote 592: Night DLXXXI.]

[Footnote 593: Lit. "a spit (ric) of sweet." We may also read reic or
reyyic, "the first part of anything" (especially "the first drop of
rain").]

[Footnote 594: Lit. "having changed the clothes of this my dress."]

[Footnote 595: i.e. taking effect the moment of its administration.]

[Footnote 596: Night DLXXXII.]

[Footnote 597: Becau