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the wine is without the cup or the cup without the wine.
Mahw is a white stone, also called busaq al-qamar and burraq alqainar. In Roman it is called afrusalinus, which means the froth of the
moon. The moon is salini in Roman. Dioscorides has also given a similar description. He writes:
This stone when the moon is in the ascendant appears white and
transparent and, if the moon is on the wane, shines like fire but it
does not shine in the day-time.
Amir Shahid Mas'ud had given me some rarities as gifts. Among
them was a stone the size of a lentil and which seemed to have become compounded of black gravel. I was told that this stone was found near Ghaznah, close to the fortress of Na'in. It is visible on the nights, the earlier part of which is dark, i.e., towards the end of the last fortnight of the month. One of the Hindus appointed to that fortress confirmed this fact and told me that the Hindus in the eastern region transport the stone to their temples. On persistent enquiries by me it was also revealed that this stone is employed for chemical purposes. In India the moonstone is known to all the sundry, as we have already described. But this stone is not that which has been mentioned by Yahya Nahwi, and which is inclined towards the colour of the dervish's garments. This is in the centre and the whiteness follows the waxing and waning of the moon. It is hidden during the waning period and asserts itself on the third day. Some people say that moonstone is jaza' and that its whiteness is enhanced by the brightness of the moon. It is, therefore, associated with
the moon. In any case, the characteristics of this stone and those of similar stones can be established through further observation. However, this stone is not the one described by Yahya. Crystal is among those excellent stones from which vessels are made
but, being plentifully available, it has become less esteemed. The people of India call it patak. It is quite hard and can be employed for cutting jewels. It is for them what steel is for iron. If its sections are rubbed against each other, they give off sparks. It is regarded noble because of its transparency and clarity, and also because it is like the essential elements of life, i.e., air and water. God has said: White, delicious to the drinkers Wherein there is no headache nor are they made mad thereby. 99
Wine, because of its after-effects, becomes revolting. But, if there is no harm in it for the present and no inebriation at the end, it can become acceptable to the temperament. Whiteness is a characteristic of the cup, not of the wine, since in wine whiteness is not desirable. The whiteness signified here is freedom from all kinds of hues, just as the white crystal and pure milk are devoid of all colours. White and black are contradictory to each other and are not characterised by transparency. It is quite |
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