670 Ibn QotaybaKs Adah al KatiV on Arabic Astronomy. [Dec. 



stars disposed like a julha (i. e. a fire-place consisting of three stones 

 placed like a horse-shoe) ; opposite is the flying vulture which consists 

 of three stars in a line. The former is called the sitting vulture, for 

 two of its stars are considered as its wings ; and it is conceived that the 

 vulture has shut its wings like a bird that sits down. The latter is 

 called the flying vulture, for two stars are considered as expanded wings, 

 resembling those of a flying bird. The common people call this con- 

 stellation the balance. — The tattooed hand is the open hand of the 

 Pleiades. This constellation has another hand which is called the cut 

 hand and which is below the shara&in. The 'ayyiiq is on the right 

 (south) side of the milkyway, behind it are three clear stars called 

 marks. The lowest star of the 'ayyuq is called the foot of the 'ayyiiq. 

 Canopus is a red isolated star, as it is near the horizon it appears 

 always twinkling. The poet says " I see a board from the Canopus 

 which when it rises towards the end of the night, resembles a twinkling 

 eye. This is a southern star, a man who faces in the 'Iraq the qiblah 

 sees it to his left. It is visible in all Arabia but it is not visible in 

 Armenia. The Bear sets in Aden but never sets in Armenia. You see 

 the Canopus about ten days sooner in the ZTijaz than in the 'Iraq. The 

 heart of the Scorpion rises in the country of Rabadzah (which is four 

 days journey from Madynah) three days sooner than the vulture, but 

 at Kufah the vulture rises before the heart of the Scorpion by seven 

 days. On the track and behind the two feet of Canopus are large white 

 stars, which are not visible in 'Iraq, and which are called Ayar in the 

 TZijaz. Two constellations are called shi'rah (canis), one is called the 

 shi'ra of setting over (the river), (i. e. canis major), and is in the Gemi- 

 ni, the other is called the shi'ra with sore eyes (canis minor). The canis 

 major and minor have each a star called mirjam. 



Ten stars are called sa'd (luck) ; four of them are among the 

 mansions of the moon, and have been mentioned ; the remaining six are : 

 luck of the second grass, luck of the king, luck of the chickens, luck 

 of the hero, luck of the distinguished, luck of the rain. Every one of 

 these sa'd consists of two stars which are apparently one cubit from 

 each other. They are regular, and these stars and the mansions of the 

 moon are well known, and frequently mentioned by the ancient Arabic 

 poets. 



The Khonnas (retrograde) mentioned in the Qoran, is said to mean, 



