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Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain." — Psalm Ixxiii. 12, 13. Neko, nek kar tah bad labih pdnai. O, good man, do good ; the wicked will receive his deserts. Nekndm ehhuh gatjhdn yeUkdli tah badndm chhuh gaUhdn jald. A good name comes after a while, but a bad name is soou obtained. Nekndm chheh bekh daulat. A good name is the root of wealth. Nemdz chh'jhfarz tah lut ehhuh lean. Prayer is a duty and plunder is a debt. A I'athan saying. Nt'indzi sunz unguj. The finger of the prayer. " Because sentence against an evO work is not ozoonted speedily , therefore the heart of the sons of men is folly set in them to do evil."— Eccl. Tiii. 11. .V Pathan of high family while saying his prayers in the Jnma Masjid iiore was very much annoyed by another man poking him frum behind. He gave him one riipi to desist. The man left off aniioyiiii< this worshipper, bnt was encouraged by the present to prosocuto his wickedness upon some other worshipper. The othur man, however, was not of such a quiet disposition as the Pathim, for ho at once rose up, drew his sword and struck off tho troabler't head with one stroke. Nigatas mujub diyih taa Khuddi, God will give a man according to his wish. " Delight thyself also in tho Lord ; and he shall give theo tho dcaires of thine heart." — Ps. zxxvii. 4. Noth gayih reti zan ds yeti. The daughter-in-law went for a month (to her father's house) and it was as if she had not been away at all (time passed so quickly because they were so much happier during her absence) . Dauphter-in-law8 are a continual stumbling-block to the other inhabitants of the house. 158 Nosh layiJi nah hdr tah Tchor pefh mdritos hund ! A daughter-in-law is not worth a cowrie ; and kill a ram for her over the feet ! Daughter-in-laws are altogether despised until they are grown up — they may develop into ugly and uncouth women, or they may die, or their aflBanced husband may die, &c. A certain daughter-in-law was sick and likely to die, and therefore her mother-in-law was advised to sacrifice a sheep for her. The woman replied in the words of the above saying, the plain meaning of which is " Let her die. What does it matter ? My son is not bound to her." *' Over the feet " refers to the custom of slaying the animal near to the closed feet of the person for whom it is sacrificed. Nosh luJcas, kur lukas, nd-hakk lukas mengah dag. Daughter-in-law to some, a daughter to others, but as far as the unconnected man is concerned she is only a headache. At a native marriage there is much feasting, music and dancing. A general hubbub prevails. The parents and relatives of course enjoy themselves ; but the other guests and friendf, especially those who have come out of pui-e friendship to help and congratulate, have a hard time of it ; to them the wedding is as one continued headache. NosM, lajoi •' mdlinih mali7iih" malin chdni hai, dit, Adah lajoi ^^dthih dthih " bastai phatit bit. O daughter-in-law you are always boasting of " my father's house." Look here, we have seen your father's house. You said, too, that you would receive some flour (from your father's house) ; but the skins must have burst (and the men who are bringing it) must be sitting down (on the way). Kashmiris carry their flour, rice, and other grain, tied up in a sheep's or goat's skin. Noshih dup hashih hun " Wastaibun." Phirit dupnas " Zan chhaham sun .'" The daughter-in-law said to her mother-in-law *'Come down." (The mother-in-law) answered, " As if you were my rival with my husband !" Nov golih gdv pydyih-hal kheyd kih nah wutsh trutvih ? The cow is about to be delivered of her first calf ; we do not know whether she will die, or give birth to a calf. General reply to the too -inquisitive dispositions which beset a house at the time of a woman in travail. • Hal khyun, to eat tlie after-birth, i.e., to die. 159 Nov natsai tah pardni diwai. New dancing and an old fair. When any man is seized on some charge, the kotwM comes, sip^hffl come, and a crowd gathers as if to an old-established fair; and the people almost dance with excitement. Nov nut kyuh. Like a new water-pot. A man fresh and strong, "spick and span." Nun ndbad tah til phalilah tah zm tjandun tah hatah muJch^ tah. Salt as rare as sugar, oil as scarce as ointment, wood as if sandal, and dinner (*. e.y food) like eating pearls (so expen- sive). Uard times. Nun nizen nah hazzitah'todn tah huehh nizen nah wdzah-wdn. Take not the naked man to the cloth-shop, or the hungry man to the cook-shop. Another version is : — Buchh gaUhih nah nyun wdzah-wdn tah nun ffatjhih nah nyun dubi-wdn. The hungry man must not be taken to the cook-shop, and the naked man must not be taken to the washerman's house. Nufiy til zyuty athah myon myut. More salt and oil, and my hand is Bweet. Give me the money, and 1 will transact the basiness ; giro me the tools, and I will do the work. N^nan mun. Wool is obtained by giving salt (to the sheep). Money is not wasted on some people and things. Nunih nunih hund fjinih-dshndv. A supposed grandmother's charcoal-relations or acquaintances. A cousin of the fifth or sixth remove. Charcoal-acquaintances. People from the villages often pay a visit to the city during the winter season bringing with them charcoal for sale. They sell their loafi, put up for a night in some person's housej and are off again the following morning. Nurah achhhi Uurah toll. A heavy look about the bright eyes. Grief. 10 Nurah buthis chhuh gaUhdn surah buth yatimas. The bright face becomes ash-colour, when the child is left an orphan. God protect the fatherless. Nurah mydnih tur Ualdn. (At the look of) my bright face fever runs away. Always carry a pleasing countenance. Nut tah hammdm. Just a water-pot and a bath. Hardly a stick in the honse. Nyuh chhuh dsdn truh* A lean man is clever. 161 Padig tal tungul. Fire under the sole of the foot. " All ! when jou get a red hot coal under yoor foot, 700 will know what fire is." PdfUhdh aihdis dewdn-khdnas. Tit o cherdg dazdn chhu$. Sari ffatjhdn pdnas^ pdnat ; Kunui Zand rozdn ehhus. In the palace of the monarch. Oil and lamps are burning (burning). All are to their own place going ; Only one (man) is remaining. This is metaphorical language. The monarch is God, the palace is tho world, and the people are the inhabitants thereof; the oil and lamps are tho son and moon, which are constantly coming and going : tho people are also temporary — gradually they dio off, until at last only one, and that God, will bo left. This is also a Kashmiri riddle, of which the answer is the Sun and Moon. Pddahdhaa pdsbdnt. To the king the work of a watchman is difficult. A man who has come down in the world, and is not cqua( to his redaoed oiroomstances. Pahar gav^ wahar gav ; doh gav^ koh gav ; Pachh gaVy wachh gav ; ret gav, kh't gav ; A watch (i.e., a space of three hours) gone is as if a year had passed ; One day gone is as if a mountain had become ; Fifteen days passed by is as if (the debt) had been forgotten ; ' And a month elapsed (without payment) is as if the money had been eaten (i.^., irretrievably lost). Pakanah pdz ; gandanah gosdni ; khhiah bulbul. Like a hawk in his walk, a jogi in clothing, and a bulbul ia eating. Some people want servants manufactured to order. 21 162 Pakharporik hakhar. The oxen of Pakharpur. Like a tantony pig. Saiyid Muhammad 'Ali, a very holy man, came all the way froia Baghdad to Kashmir to be Shekh Nur-ud-udin's disciple. He took up his abode in PakbarpQr, about fifteen miles from the city of Sri- nagar. He was one of the Shekh's favourite followers. After a time he became so enraptured with the country that he begged to be permitted to remain there altogether. Nur-ud-din consented to this, and to save him expense and trouble, he miraculously brought all his house, ground and family, from Baghd&d to Kashmir in a moment of time. There was no doubt about this in olden times ; because there was the man's wife and children standing before him ; and there is no hesitation in believing this in the present day, for you can examine for yourself the different style of building of the house, the different nature of the soil, the different trees and plants, &c. This Saiyid Muhammad 'Al!, in consequence of this especial favour, became a very celebrated character.