SAj^ I Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2007 witii funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation littp://www.arcliive.org/details/dictionaryoforieOOfieluoft A DICTIONARY OF ORIENTAL QUOTATIONS SONNENSCHEIN'S REFERENCE SERIES 1. English Quotations (4th Edition), P. H. Dalbiac. 2. Classical Quotations (3rd Edition), T. B. Harbottle. 3. French and Italian Quotations (2nd Edition), T. B. Harbottle. P. H. Dalbiac. 4. German Quotations, . Lilian Dalbiac. 5. Contemporary (English) Quotations, H. Swan. 6. Famous Sayings and their Authors, E. Latham. 7. Dictionary of Historical Allusions, (2nd Edition), . T. B. Harbottle. 8. Dictionary of Battles, . T. B. Harbottle. 9. Dictionary of Indian Biography, C. E. BUCKLAND, CLE. 10. Dictionary of Political Phrases and Allusions, Hugh Montgomery. P. G. Cambray. 11. Spanish Quotations, . T, B. Harbottle. Major Martin Hume. 12. Oriental Quotations, . Claud Field. 13. Dictionary of Abbreviations, W.T.Rogers. [/« prep. iS2?&df' A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations {(^raSic an^ (p^reian) CLAUD'^FIELD, M.A. a' LONDON SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & Co., Lim. NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN CO. 1911 7F6 " PREFACE. In presenting these specimens from the still hitherto largely unworked mines of the Orient, the compiler <iesires to thank warmly the following Oriental scholars who have allowed him to make use of their translations : Professor Margoliouth of Sir C. J. Lyall, K.C.S.I., Ox- ford, Professors Browne and Nicholson of Cambridge, Mr. Whinfield, and the owners of the copyright of the late Col. Wilberforce Clarke's works. He also wishes to thank Messrs. Kegan, Paul, Trench & Co. for allowing him to quote from Redhouse's translation of the Masnavi and Bicknell's translation of Hafiz, and Mr. T. Fisher Unwin for permitting quotations to be made from Professor Browne's Literary History of Persia. In transliterating Arabic the compiler has adopted the system of Professor Palmer in his Arabic Manual. In transliterating Persian he has for the most part adopted that of Mr. Tolbort in the Persian trans- lation of " Robinson Crusoe." No better motto for the student of Oriental verse, whether in the original or in a translation, can be found than the words of Goethe in the " West-oestlicher Diwan : Herrlich ist der Orient Ubers Mittelmeer gedrungen ; Nur wer Hafiz liebt und kennt Weiss was Calderon gesungen. C. F. Arabic and Persian Sayings ' Ab-i-hayat astishq, dar dil wa janash pazir." Diwan-i-Shams-i-Tabriz. " Ixive is the water of life ; receive it in thy heart and soul." Nicholson. 'Ab-i-hayat tira-grun shud, Khizr farrukh pai kijjast? " Khun chakid az shakh-i-gul ; bad-i-baharanra che shud ? Anwar-i-Si/'heili. ' Dark have grown life's fairy waters ; where is holy Khizr say ? From the ruse-bough blood is dropping ; where do spring's soft breezes stray?" (Eastvvick). * Abar amad wa baz bar sar-i-sabza eririst Be bada argbawan na mi bayad zist, In sabza ki imroz tamashagah'e mast Ta sabza'e khak-i-ma tamashagah'e kist." Omar Khayyam. " Down rain the tears from skies enwrapt in gloom Without this wine the tulips could not bloom. As now the.se flowerets yield delight to mc So shall my dust yield flowers, God knows for whom." Whinkiei.d. ' Abar gar ab-i-zindagi barad Hargiz az shakh-i-bed bar na khori Bar faromaya rozgrar mabar Kaz nai boriya shakar nakhori." Gulisian, chap. i. " What though life's water from the clouds descend Thou'llt neer pluck fruit from off" the willow-bough ; Not on the base thy precious moments spend Thou'llt ne'er taste sugar from the reed I trow." (Eastwick). I 2 ARABIC AND PERSIAN SAYINGS Abasa wa tawalla 'an ja'ahu 'I'ama, wa ma yudrika la'allahu yazzakka au yadhahakkaru fatanfa'hu' Idhdhikra, 'amma mani 'staghna fa'anta lahu tasadda "wa ma 'alaika 'alia yazzakka wa amma mian jaaka yas'a wa huwa yakhsha fa'anta 'anhu talaha kalla innaha tadhkiratun." Kokan, chap. 80. v. / ' " He (Muhammad) frowned and he turned his hack because the blind man came to him, but what made thee know whether he would not aim at holiness, or be warned and the warning profit him.) But as to him who has become wealthy, him thou didst receive wiih honour, yet it is not thy concern that he endeavours not to be pure, but as to him who cometh to thee earnest and full of fears him dost thou neglect. Do not so ; verily it is a warning." Rodwell. " Ablahe k'u roz-i-roshan sham'a-i-kafuri nihad Zud bashad k'ash bashab raugan na bashad dar chiragh." GuLisTAN, chap. I. " The dolt who in bright day sets up a camphor light Soon thou wilt see his lamp devoid of oil at night." (Eastwick). " Adam che serahe buad w^a ruh chu mai Qallb chu nai buad sada'e dar w^ai Dani che buad adam-i-khaki Khayyam Fanus-1-khiyall wa chiraghe dar wai." Omar Khayyam. '* Man is a cup, his soul the wine therein, Flesh is a pipe, spirit the voice therein, O Khayyam have you fathomed what man is ? A magic lantern with a light therein." (Whinfield). " 'A'da 'aduwwlka nafsuka 'llati baina jambaika." GuLiSTAN, chap. 7. " The most malignant of thine enemies is the lust which abides within thee." (Eastwick). " Addaxxlat rihun qullabun w'alqudrata barqun khuUabun." Maqamat of Hariri, chap. 21. " Dominion is a breeze that changes, and power is a lightning that deceives." (Chenery). " Adl wa insaf dan na kufr wa na din Anche dar hifz-i-mulk dar kar ast Adl be din nizam 'alam ra Bihtar az zulm-i-Shah dindar ast." Jami. Biharistan. " Be aware that justice and equity not unbelief nor religion Are needed for the maintenance of the kingdom. Justice without religion is for the next world Belter than the tyranny of a religious Shah." (Rehatsek). ; " ARABIC AND PERSIAN SAYINGS 5 " 'Aftda yatadabbaxuna 'Iqiirana, am 'ala qvilubln aqfaluha." KoKAN, chap. 47. "Will they not then meditate on the Koran? Are locks upon their hearts?" Kodvveli.. " 'Afalam yaslru fl'l'ardhi fatakuna lahum qulubun ya'qiluna biha, au adhanun yasma'una biha, falnnaha la ta'ma'rabsaru walakin ta'ma 'Iqulubu 'Uatl fl'ssuduri." Kokan, chap. 32. *' Have they not then journeyed throuj;h the land ? Have they not hearts to understand with, or ears to hear with ? But it is not verily that their eyes are blind, but the hearts that are in their breasts are blind." RODWELL. " 'Afaman 'assasa bunyanahu ala taqwa mina 'llahi waridh^vanin kbairun 'am man 'assasa bunyanahu ala shafa jurufln harln fa'nhara bihi fl nari Jahannama? Kokan, chap. 9. " Which of these two is best ? He who hath founded his building on the fear of God and the desire to please Him, or he who hath founded his buildinjj on the brink of a tottering water-worn bank so that it faileth in ruin with him into the fire of hell?" (Rodvvell). " 'Afaman wa'adnahu wa'dan hasanan fahuwa laqihi kaman matt a'nahu mata'a 'Ihayati 'ddunya thiunma hu'wa yauma 'Iqiyamati mina 'Imuhdharin." Koran, chap. 28, " Shall he then to whom we have promised a goodly promise which he shall meet with, be as he on whom we have bestowed the conveniences of ihis life present, and who on the day of resurrection shall be'brought for- ?"' ward for punishmen (Rodwell). " 'Afani 'llahu vra shukran lahu min lllatin kadat tu 'afiBni wa manna bi'lburan 'ala 'Innahu la budda min hatfln sayabrini ma yatanasani wa lakinnahu ila taqadhdhi I'ukli yunsini. In humma, lam yugui hamimum wa la hirna Kulaybin minahu yahjini." "God has saved me, thanks be to Him from a sickness that went near to blot me out And has granted me recovery ; though it must needs be that death will one day waste me. Death forgets me not yet He gives me a delay before the end of my feeding If it be decreed, then will no friend avail, nay not even the guarded domain of Kolayb to guard me from Him." Hakiri Maqa.mat. 19. " " 'Afa'anta tukrihu 'nnasa hatta yakunu muminin ? Kokan, chap. lo. "Wilt thou then compel men to become believers?" (Rodvvell). ; 4 ARABIC AND PERSIAN SAYINGS "'Afa'anta tusmi'u 'ssumma au tahdi 'I'unia wa man kana fl dhalalin mubin." Kokan, chap. 43. *' Canst thou make the deaf to hear, or canst thou direct the blind and " him who is in a manifest error ? (Sale). •" 'Afati 'Iddiyaru mahalluha famuqamuha Biminan ta'abbada ghauluha farijamuha Pamadaafl'u 'rraiyyani 'urriya rasmuha Khalaqan kama dhamina 'Iwuhiyya silamuha Dimanun tajarrama ba'da 'ahdi anisiha Hijajjun khalauna halaluha waharamuha." Mu'all\qah of Lebid. " Desolate are the mansions of the fair, the stations in Mina where they rested and those where they fixed their abodes. Bare are the hils of Ghaul and deserted is the summit of Rijam. " laid The canals of Raiyyan are destroyed : the remains of them are bare and smooth by the floods, like characters engraven on the solid rocks. " holy Dear ruins ! many a year has been closed, many a month and unhallowed has elapsed since I exchanged tender vows with their fair inhabitants." SiR W. Jones. ^'Aftabamaddalil-i-aftab." Jalalludin Rumi. " None but the sun can display the sun." Whin Kl ELD. " Agrarat inurad.basliad ki namiri wa bimani Birihan bi jihad khudra za jahan dun fani Za tan wa za jan w^a az dil bugzar, masaz manzil Ki shawad sifat hasil bimurad wa kamrani." Di\van-i-Shams-i-Tabkiz. " Pants thy spirit to be gifted With a deathless life, Let it seek to be uplifted O'er earth's storm and strife.