AMONG THE FELLAHIN OF PALESTINE.
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mourning song (see Quarterly Statement, 1893, pp. 208, 209). I have often heard the men curse the women for wailing, الله ينعلهم. Still nobody attempts to put a stop to it. The next of kin, female relations, dishevel their hair, wave their handkerchiefs above the head, and whilst shrieking pull them out straight with their hands.
The following is a song for a man : —
طلة البروده والسبع ماطل Talât il barudé wal sabe' matal |
The gun appeared but the lion is hid. |
يا بوز البروده من الندا منبل Ya buz il barudé min il nada numbal |
The mouth of the gun is wet by the dew |
و طلة البروده والسبع ماجاش Wa talat il barudé wal sabe' ma jash |
The gun appeared, and the lion did come! |
و بوز البوده من الندا ما اجلاش Wa buz il barudé min il nada ma jalash |
Nobody cleansed the mouth of the gun |
يا شب يا محروم نسمة الهوا Ya Shab! ya muhawam nismet il hawa |
O youth! of the gentle breeze you are deprived |
القبر ما فى عليل لالغوى Il Kaber ma fi 'ekal lal eghuwa |
The grave has no head-band (like Beduin) for seduction |
ولابروده ان تشكله يا عيني Wal barudé in shaklat ya 'einey |
And no gun to ornament my darling. |
For a woman: — | |
اتر فرفي يا امحواشى بين رجليها At arafrafi ya im'hosha bene rijleha |
Take it easy, thou hast gathered (the shroud) round her feet |
حمده فضي غليه حسن واشريها Hamdé, fadha ghalié Hassan washriha |
Hamdé is silver, very dear oh! Hassan (her husband) buy her! |
حط المال فى القبان واشريها 'Hot il mal fi il kaban washriha |
Put money in the scales and buy her! |
كل المال ما يسواش خشوشها الدار Kul il mal yeswash khushushha il dar. |
All money is not worth her enter- ing into the house. |
Question 25. How soon after death are corpses buried? How long does the famiiy mourn?
Answer. If possible the corpse is buried before sunset on the day of death, never after sunset, as the Jân are then astir. Should the person die late in the afternoon the burial is postponed to the next day,