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A merchant’s unfaithful wife in the company of her lover’s slave (from this book) Walters Art Museum Ms. W.599, fol.68a

Hosayn Wa’ez Kasefi: Anwar I Sohayli (Light of Canopus) (15^th) Persia

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Between 1143 and 1146, Abu'l-Ma'ali Nasrallah translated the already into Arabic translated Indian fable story Kalila wa Dimna to Persian. Another slightly different translation (1502) from Arabic to Persian got made by Kamal Al-Din Husayn VaIz Ali Al-Kashifi, (d1505) and is known as Anwar I- Suhayli. It is a Persian mirror-for-princes fables book. The book became very popular in India. No stories that concern East-Africa. However African people appear in the paintings accompanying  in some stories.

Taken from: The Anvari Suhaili ; Or, The Lights of Canopus: Being the Persian ...by Bidpai ‎Vishnu Sharma

 

Note: most times when the author uses the word Zang it simply means darkness, and is mostly given in a contrast to a mirror symbol of light.

Because of that the translator translated it always as: rust. I changed it back into Zang.

P106

The mirror-yaulted heavens brightness gain,

And China's glass was cleansed from Zang (=darkness) and stain.

P217

….When the mirror of his command is purified from the Zang of self-interest and bias, ….. all respects be established,

….., like the dawning of the light of the real morning, will shine luminously to all.

P286

It would befit thee with the file of thy kind gentleness,

To free the mirror of my mind from the Zang-stains of distress.

P325

And, thanks be to God ! the Zang of interest has not darkened the mirror of thy pure heart,

and the eye of thy conscience has not been dimmed by the rays of the fire of bribery.

 

P333

But when night, which is the day of the market of the power and might of the owls, had robed itself with the garment of darkness and the apparel of sable hue, and had gained possession of the throne of dominion over the world, and the leader of the hosts of Zanzabar, set up his black banner with the purpose of making an onslaught, by night, on the horsemen and tribe of the Tatars,

 

P340

……and are ignorant that though a foe shew himself in a thousand forms,

the Zang of hatred will still remain in the tablet of his heart.

 

P355

Hope not that evil natures good will show,

For the Zangi, through washing, white will never grow.

 

P421

Let him look as much as he will into the mirror of his heart,

in as much as it is disturbed and darkened by the Zang of doubt,

he cannot see in it the face of his desired object,

P434

Do not approach, therefore, to the ruinous practice of deceit and fraud,

nor impair and deform the beauty of thy virtues and the mirror of thy good qualities with the Zang of fraud and perfidy.

P469

and that thou wouldest rub out, by the polisher of friendly admonition,

the Zang of neglect from the mirror of my mind, which has been clouded by the dust of grief.

P539

till this moment, when the mirror of my heart has been purified from the Zang of cares

by the furbishing instrument of proximity to your honor,

p546

From the veritable to the imitator there are [great] differences :

the former is like David and the latter is a Zangi.

 

P572

A base man’s mind with science to expand,

Is to put weapons in a robber's hand.

Better to arm a drunken Zangi, than

To lavish learning on a wicked man.

 

P594

The delicate trills of the harp imitated the warblings of the bird of a thousand songs,

and the ravishing and tender tones of the lute effaced the Zang

from the mirror of the breasts of the intoxicated.

 

P614

That was a night, like Zangi's visage, black ;

Its gloom spread up and darkened the moon's back

The most important story seems to be: The Lover and his slave.

Taken from: Kalila and Dimna; By Nasrullah Munshi

 

………..It has been said that anyone who rushes into something and neglects the benefits of reflection and deliberation will suffer the fate of the woman who was so eager she couldn’t tell the difference between her lover and his slave.

 

The Lover and His Slave

it is related that there was a merchant in Kashmir named Hamir. he had a beautiful wife the likes of whom had never been seen. she had cheeks as radiant as a day of victory and tresses as twisted and endless as a night of separation. A master painter who put all others to shame was their neighbor, and he was having an affair with the merchant's wife. One day the wife said to him: Every time you go to so much trouble to come here it takes so much time for you to call out and throw a stone. Why don't you use your skill to make something that will be a sign for me? I will make a sheet of two colors, he said. The white will glisten like stars shining on water, and the black will shine like curly ebony hair on the necks of Turks. When you see it you can quickly come out. A servant of his heard these words. The painter made the sheet, and some time. One day the painter went out on business and was gone for a long time. The servant borrowed the sheet from the painter's daughter and deceived the merchant's wife with it and went in to her. After satisfying his lust he returned the sheet. When the painter came and wanted to see his beloved he threw the sheet over his shoulder and went there. The woman ran out to him and said, My beloved, you have just left. I hope nothing has happened that you have returned so soon. The man realized what had happened. He chastised his daughter soundly and burned the sheet.

Note: in some translations is added that the man never visited the women again. But nowhere that the servant got punished.