150 Lutz, Viticulture and Brewing. 



In 'Antara, ni. 23 the song of a man inebriated with wine 

 is likewise compared to the humming of the fly. In Lebid 

 XVII, 37 the song of the drinker is 'whining'. The singing- 

 girl accompanied her song sometimes with musical instru- 

 ments ^ As presents the qaine received the drinker's cloak, 

 which was torn apart in case tM'o singing-girls were present-. 

 In the description of the Ghassanid court by Hasan ibn 

 Thabit (Agani, XVI, 15, line 22 fif.) mention is made of ten 

 singing-girls, of whom five were Greeks, singing Greek songs 

 to the music of lutes, and five came from Hira, probably Chri- 

 stian girls, who had been presented to king Jabala by lyas 

 ibn Qabisa, who was the successor of Nu'man III. of Hira, 

 The Hira singing- girls sang Bab}-lonian airs. In addition, 

 Arabic 'singers were accustomed to come from Mecca. The 

 singing-girls 3 were disrespected (Diwan of the Hudhailites, 

 107, 30) and prostitutes (Lidzbarski, M., Das Johanjiesbuck der 

 Mandder, Giessen. 1915, p. 97 and 99). For the evil influence 

 of the tavern see, ibid., p. 99: "Einen jeden der in einer Schenke 

 Wein trinkt, sich bei Pauken und Liedern berauscht und in 

 diesem Zustande Unzucht treibt, wird man mit Kammen von 

 Ketten zerkammen und er wird seine Augen an Abathur nicht 

 sattigen." 



The tavern was often visited during the early morning- 

 hours. The morning draught is called sabiih {^y^)- Lebid, 

 m. 60, 61 : "Many a morning draught of pure wine I quaffed, 

 the singing-girl taking her stringed instrument, which her 

 thumb manages skilfull}-. I hastened in the early morning 

 before the cock for want of it, that I might take a second 

 draught from it, when the sleepers awoke"*. Kais ibn al- 

 Hatim, I, 3: "As often as I take m\' morning draught, four 



i) See Lebid, m. 60, 61; Imr. 63, 5, 6; 'Alq.ima XIII, 37. For the use 

 of the tambourine (duff) see Gabir ibn Hunay, Mufadd. XXXV, 9. 



2) 'Abda, Mufadd. XXV, 81; Kitab al-.agani. XV, 76. 



3) The omayyade caliphe Vazid II. was completely under the influence 

 of two singing-girls Hababa and Salama. When Hababa died, he worried 

 himself to death over her loss (Kremer, Culhirgeschichtc des Orients^ I, p. 150). 



4) See also 'Abda, Mufadd. XXV, 66 ff. ard Tha'laba, Mufadd. XXI, 17, 

 and 'Abid ibn al-Abras V, 14 iLyall, The diwdns of Adtd ibn al-Abras, 

 etc. 1913). 



