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THE GRECO-SYRIAC AND ARABIC SOURCES OF BARHEBRAEUS' MINERALOGY 239<br />
The verb "methbes" used in clause (3) in its primary sense means "to be pressed,<br />
compressed'"8 and BakoS duly translates the phrase "methbes ... I-meppaq" as<br />
"est comprimke de manikre qu'elle sort"P9 which, however, makes for rather<br />
awkward syntax. The lexica tell us that the verb "methbes" can also mean "to<br />
endeavour"50 and the phrase "qasada ... al-khunija" in the corresponding clause<br />
of Mab. tells us that this must be the sense in which the word is used here.<br />
This, however, is not quite the whole story, since we find the following<br />
sentence at the end of the account of how earthquakes are generated in ~ic."<br />
Nic. 37.9-10:<br />
=a&l,e/&:edeqd*Uhd-rLe...<br />
. d d h.&<br />
... mii hake1 d-l-appay ltaht nestle tennini d-etemar, kulleh -1 I-tamman w-kad rnethbes<br />
mzi' lah I-ar'a wa-mnid !ah.<br />
When, therefore, the smoke mentioned inclines downwards, all of it goes to that place,<br />
and when it becomes compressed, it moves~he.~akes it.<br />
Although the word "methbes" in Cand. must correspond in meaning to the "qu&a"<br />
of Mab., the choice of the word was perhaps influenced by the occurrence the<br />
word in Nic. This sentence of Nic. also explains the wording in clause (3, which<br />
is not quite in agreement with the corresponding clause of Mab.<br />
In clause (4), the phrase, "the density of the pores of the earth" is a little<br />
awkward, but it may at least be seen that the word "pores (@r6)" has been<br />
transferred here from "mascSmm" in clause (2) of Mab.<br />
Correction of the text of Mabcihith: Cand. 121.10<br />
There are occasions where the text of Cand. allows us to hazard making corrections<br />
to the text of Mab&ith. We take as anexample here the lists of objects to which<br />
the shapes of comets etc. are compared in a number of related works.<br />
Ibn Sin4 Shi;fa3 Mete. 73.13, 13-14, 17; Mahihith 11.189.4-5; Cand. 121.10; Bar<br />
Shakko, Dial ., ms. Gottingen 18c, 302r b 1 1- 15; Qazwini, 'Aja'ib 91 B..<br />
below; note how Bar Shakko retains the Arabic word order).<br />
48 The very instance here (ms. Paris, fol. 31r) is indeed cited as a case where the verb is used in<br />
the sense 'compressus est" at Payne Smith. Thes. syr. col. 1 182.<br />
49 Cf. also tr. Jijswi 65.25: cJ,& ,L;rl b;bl&<br />
50 Payne Smith, Thes. syr., col. 1182, Audo, Lex. 304, Cardahi, Lobab 375b (LA*<br />
,Yl j44 +).<br />
51 The account of earthquakes at Nic. 37.4- 10 as a whole goes back to Arist. Mete. 365b 21-28.
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