268 



TRANSLATIONS FROM THE ARABIC. 



The method pursued with the followhig translations, (which are as 

 literal as the difference of the tv/o languages will allow them to be) was 

 to inquire of our Marrabout, Dongo Kary, for the most interesting tradi- 

 tions of his own country. He accordingly brought us the manuscripts 

 in Arabic, which we translated, and then, as he spoke English very 

 tolerably, we read them to him for the sake of his corrections. For their 

 veracity then I can safely vouch, but still retain the originals, for the in- 

 spection of those who may be desirous of other proof than that of my 

 assertion. 1 could not publish them, as the expense of a new type 

 would have been beyond my means. The difference of character, how- 

 ever, is presented to the public in the annexed lithographic plate. The 

 pronunciations of Richardson, De Sacy, and EUious Bochtor, (the Copt 

 who was interpreter to the French army in Egypt) are given on the right 

 of each letter, and the African on the left. One or two of the differences 

 have been noticed by De Sacy, but the rest are now published for the 

 first time. 



The western dialect (as I have already stated) approaches nearer to the 

 learned Arabic than the modern Oriental, but our half-enlightened Moors 

 rarely understand the pure language in all its inflexions and forms, and their 

 want of knowledge in this respect renders their manuscripts very puzzling. 

 For instance, they frequently use the word " kala," which is the third 

 person singular, of the preterite, (or root) not only for " he said," which 

 is the real signification, but for they said, they say, I say, I said, &c. 

 Nor are they more exact in their formation of the plural number, which 

 at all times is difficult in the Arabic. For example, they write " radjool" 

 for men, as well as man ; " radjal" I believe is the occidental substitution 

 for the oriental plural " nasoo." Great confusion also arises from their 

 omission of servile letters, when they ought to be inserted as radicals. 



