Eyes  with  their  black  and  white.—YmonB  definitions  are  given
otj^.  One  says  that  it  means  intense  blackness  of  the  black
of  the  eye,  with  intense  whiteness  of  the  white  thereof;  another,
that  it  is  the  blackness  of  all  that  appears  of  the  eye,  as  is
found  in  animals,  such  as  gazelles,  meaning,  I  presume,  that


N0TE8.  355

when  a  woman  has  the  black  of  her  eye  so  large  that  little  or
no  white  appears  she  possesses  this  qnality.  It  is  also  said  that
*\jj>^  is  a  woman  beautiful  as  to  the^ls^,  i.e.  the  parts  below
or  around  the  eyes,  which  appear  when  the  rest  of  the  face  is
veiled;  also  one,  the  white  of  whose  eye  appears  in  contrast
with  the  black  of  the  kohl.  The  first  opinion  is  probably  the
soundest,  and  has  been  adopted  in  the  translation.  Shertshi
remarks  that  the  poets  have  been  lavish  in  their  praises  of  black
eyes,  but  that  the  praises  of  a  'li^  or  woman  having  blue  or  light-
coloured  eyes  is  rare;  although  it  is  related  by  'Ayisheh  of  the
Prophet  that  he  said,  "Blue-eyed women  are  of  good  omen."  The
Arabs  appear  to  have  associated  softness  and  langour  with  the  Word
j^f  while  ^jj  expressed,  not  only  a  light-coloured,  but  a  glitter-
ing and  fierce  eye.  Thus,  when  it  was  said  to  one,  "  Thou  art
jjl,"  he  answered,  "  The  hawk  is  J;j'*'*  I«ir  al  Kays  says
(Diwfln,  p.  34,  Ar.  Text) :

And  there  rnshed  on  him  (a  stag)  in  the  morning,  at  the  rising  of  the
sun,  early,  the  dogs  of  Ibn  Morr,  or  the  dogs  of  Ibn  Sinbis,

Hungry,  fierce-eyed  (bH)>  as  if  from  ardour  and  hasting,  their  eyes
had  become  (bright  as}  the  flower  of  the'adras.
