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65. That is, Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznah.
66. The text has Abu Sa'd which is probably a corruption of Abu Sa'Td has been
quoted by Al-Bayruni in his writings. 67. Khurdad is third Persian month.
68. This is, a'tfaMd" (adamant).
69. 'Abqar is the name of a solitary place where demons are supposed to dwell, and
to which in Arabic literature is attributed everything that is choice and wonderful. 70. That is, dates cooked with flour and butter.
71. Situated in district Jhelum, Pakistan,
72. Smyris.
73. That is red sulphur or brimstone.
74. Surah Al-Rahman, LV: 58.
75. Surah Al-Rahman, LV: 22.
76. A perfume-box; musk; a market where perfumes are sold.
77. This couplet is by 'Antarah bin Shaddad, a pre-Islamic poet. In his Diwan,
however, du'a', occurs in place of buka' and badarat instead of dhurufat. In the glass it has been pointed out that it is surprising that Beruni should have read jummanah in place of hammamah (pigeon or dove). One could apologise on behalf of Beruni by pointing to the fact that he has quoted this verse because of reference to tears in the manner of Imr'al-Qays who has in the preceding verse used the expression, raqraqah al-munhadir. 78. Surah Al-Saffar, XXXVII: 49.
79. Surah Al-Dahr, LXXVI: 19.
80. Surah Al-Tur, LII: 24.
81. The Qadi of Basrah (d. 122 A.H.).
82. A kind of grain resembling cherry-stones growing in Adharbijan.
83. Surah/lZ-Qts<w, XXVIII: 40.
84. Surah Al-Qisas, XXVIII: 7.
85. Surah Ta-ha, XX: 97.
86. Bahr al-Akhdar is the Caspian Sea. The description here is, however, ambiguous,
and possibly the Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean is meant. 87. The day on which the sun enters the Aries.
88. Kawsaj is the sword-fish.
89. Surah Al-Noor, XXIV: 35.
90. Sur&h Al-Duha, XCIII: 6.
91. In Persian Akhdar-i-Talkh (Sour Green).
92. That is Amin al-Pvashid 'Abbasi since the bay'ah with him had made null and
void. 93. This has been also said by Naslbi in refutation of Abu Bakr Zakariyya RazT in the
Kitab al-Bataghim, which is a theological work. Mashhur Qaramatf also experimented upon it, but Al-Bayruni experimented upon it to the full. Many such beliefs have been proved to be false. (Gloss). 94. One awqiyah = 33.8 grammes.
95. The Lapidary is an apocryphal work attributed to Aristotle.
96. The word, mil, here was used for devoting a bodkin.
97. That is, Selene (moon). Aphros in Greek means the foam. Hence Aphrodite
(Venus) means foam-born. 98-99.Surah Al-Saffat, XXXVIII: 46-47.
100. Surah Al-Dahr, LXXVI: 16.
101. This would be quartz which comprises massive hexagonal crystals.
102. Plutarchos or Plutarch.
103. Gloss. — Marjan is soft before ripening and hardens upon ripening. This is prob-'
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