say the Arabs, who have no remembrance of antiquity. I should not wonder if they were effigies of those mortuary owls of the old Arabians, in the sense of their ancient poets-a fact which was lately brought to the notice of this Society by our friend the learned Mr. Rehatsek; and these are proper to Medyn Çaliḥ, as well as in a high degree are the inscriptions. [NOTE.-The specimens of inscriptions were not pertinent to this notice. It were better that all the inscriptions should be published entire in a body together.] ART. XII.--Wine among the ancient Arabs.-By E. REHATSEK. [Read January 25th, 1879.] Before the promulgation of Islam, the Arabs indulged in wine freely; on certain occasions, however, they made vows to abstain from it. Thus Amrulkays, who had composed his Diván-except perhaps the first and the third poem of it-before the year 564 of the Christian era, and therefore seven years before the birth of Muḥammad,' swore that he would not drink wine until he had avenged the death of his father on the Banu Asad; strangely enough, however, on receiving the sad news of it he recited some verses, and among them also the following: O my two friends! Nothing is this day to sober the drinker from his intoxication. But also to-morrow, whatever may happen, he will not drink." After this he drank continually for a whole week, and when he had recovered from his intoxication, he swore that he would not eat meat, nor drink wine, nor use perfumes, nor have intercourse with any woman until he had accomplished his vengeance. After having fulfilled he said : his vow, Wine has become licit to me, and I was a man 1 MacGuckin de Slane, p. XXIV. of the Pref. to his Ed. of the Diván of that poet. 5/ كان مشرب لا في اليوم مصحي لشارب ولا في غد وكان ما كا خليلي = Ibid., Life of Amrulkays, extracted from the Kitáb Allaghany, p. 15. = وں عن شربها في شغل شاغل الخمر و كنت امراً 3 حلت فاليوم لي = مستحقب انما من الله ولا واغل 3 .Ibid, p أسفي غير Also another pre-islamitic poet, Tábat Sharrá, says, after taking vengeance on the Hoḍaylys : Wine has become licit and it was forbidden; but with difficulty it scarcely became licit.* Wine sellers used to travel about even in the deserts among the various tribes, and a flag being the sign by which a tent where wine was sold, could be recognised. Like the Greeks and Romans, also the ancient Arabs coated the inside of their vessels with pitch for the purpose of curing their wine. These and some other points about wine are elegantly set forth by the celebrated pre-islamitic poet Lebid in the following verses of his Moa'llaķah :— (57) Ah! Thou knowest not how many serene nights, with sweet sport and mirthful revelry (58) I pass in gay conversation; and often return to the flag of the wine merchant, when he spreads it in the air, ، حلت الخمر وكانت حراماً ألمت تحل Hamasa, p. A v. 5.. It may be observed that A. H. 2 (which began on the 2nd June 623), when Abu Sofyan wished to avenge the defeat he had suffered at Bedr from those who had made their profession of Islám under the leadership of Muhammad, he made a vow that he would abstain from perfumes and intercourse with women, until he had attacked Muhammad (see Abulfed Annales Muslemici, t. I., p 86). Another poet who lived before the time of Muhammad, namely Al-Raby' Ben Zyád, bears witness that many warriors of a tribe had vowed to have nothing to do with their wives, till they had avenged the death of Málek Ben Zuhayr, and asks:- ا فبعد مقتل مالک بن زهير ترجو النساء عواقب الاطهار "Do the women hope for the end of their pure state after the murder of Málek Ben Zuhayr."--(Hamasa, p. v.) Lebid was the only one of the seven authors of the seven suspended poems who made a profession of Islám; he did so to Muhammad himself, after having lived ninety years in paganism. He established himself in Kufah during the reign of O'mar, and died towards the end of the reign of Moa'vyah, at the age of one hundred and forty-five years. (Notice sur le poete Lebid, p. 112, by Sylvestre de Sacy in his Calila et Dimna.) and sells his wine at a high price. (59) I purchase the old liquor at a decanter in dark leathern bottles long reposited, or in casks, black with pitch, whose seals I break, and then fill the cheerful goblet. (60) How often do I quaff pure wine in the morning, and draw towards me the fair lutanist whose delicate fingers skilfully touch the strings. (61) I rise before the cock, to take my morning draught, which I sip again and again when the sleepers of dawn awake.-Transl. Sir W. Jones." Another pre-islamitic poet, Alburj Ben Mus-har, says : (1) How often have I quenched the thirst of a boon companion who enhances the delights of the goblet, when the stars were about to set! (2) I lifted up his head and by pure wine removed from him the blame of cavillers. (6) Then he filled [with wine] his boon companions, and carried to them ewers, the bowls of which overflowed. (7) Thou seest it [the wine] in the vessel, strong, of a reddish black like leather, (8) which made the drinkers stumble, that they appeared like men enfeebled by wounds, (12) and among us there were songstresses among the drinkers, and gazelles [nice girls] for whom warm water is prepared.' 101 أو جونة قدحت وفي ختامها السباً بكل ادكن عاتق ه 39 اغلي 7 59 نيا مها 61 باكرت حاجتها الدجاج بسحرة لا على منها حين هب بمعرفة ملامة من يلوم 2 رفعت براسه و كشفت عنه 6 فا شبع شربه و سعي عليهم با بریقین کا سهما رزوم 017 7 تراها في الأنا لها حميا كمينا مثل ما فتح الأديم = Ham., p. The scholiast observes to the last verse, that only for wealthy ladies warm water is prepared in cold weather, to wash their faces, so as not to spoil their skin; and their presence is implied by this allusion of the poet. |