concerning everything that is favourable to the act of coition

know, o vizir (god be good to you!), if you would have a pleasant coition, which ought to give an equal share of happiness to the two combatants and be satisfactory to both, you must first of all toy with the woman, excite her with kisses, by nibbling and sucking her lips, by caressing her neck and cheeks. turn her over in bed, now on her back, now on her stomach, till you see by her eyes that the time for pleasure is near, as i have mentioned in the preceding chapter, and certainly i have not been sparing with my observations thereupon.

then when you observe the lips of a woman to tremble and get red, and her eyes to become languishing, and her sighs to become quicker, know that she is hot for coition, then get between her thighs, so that your member can enter into her vagina. if you have followed my advice, you will have both a pleasant coition, which will give you the greatest satisfaction, and leave to you a delicious remembrance.

someone has said:

“if you desire the coition, place the woman on the ground, cling closely to her bosom, with her lips close to yours; then clasp her to you, such her breath, bite her; kiss her breasts, her stomach, her flanks, press her close in your arms, so as to make her faint with pleasure; when you see her so far gone, then push your member into her. if you have done as i said, the enjoyment will come to both of you simultaneously. this it is which makes the pleasure of the woman so sweet. but if you neglect my advice the woman will not be satisfied and you will not have procured her any pleasure.”

the coition being finished, do not get up at once, but come down softly on her right side, and if she has conceived, she will bear a male child, if it please god on high!

sages and savants (may god grant to all his forgiveness!) have said:

“if anyone placing his hand upon the vulva of a woman that is with child pronounces the following words. ‘in the name of god! may he grant salutation and mercy to his prophet (salutation and mercy be with him). oh! my god! i pray thee in the name of the prophet to let a boy issue from this conception,’ it will come to pass by the will of god, and in consideration for our lord mohammed (the salutation and grace of god be with him), the woman will be delivered of a boy.”

do not drink rain-water directly after copulation, because this beverage weakens the kidneys.

if you want to repeat the coition, perfume yourself with sweet scents, then close with the woman, and you will arrive at a happy result.

do not let the woman perform the act of coition mounted upon you, for fear that in that position some drops of her seminal fluid might enter the canal of your verge and cause a sharp uretritis.59 do not work hard directly after coition; this might affect your health badly, but go to rest for some time.

do not wash your verge directly after having withdrawn it from the vagina of the woman; until the irritattion has gone down somewhat; then wash it and its opening carefully. otherwise, do not wash your member frequently. do not leave the vulva directly after the emission, as this may cause canker.60

sundry poisons for the coitus

the ways of doing it to women are numerous and variable. and now is the time to make known to you the different positions which are usual.

god, the magnificent, has said:

“the women are your field. go upon your field as you like.”61 according to your wish you can choose the position you like best, of course provided that the coition takes place in the spot destined for it, that is, in the vulva.

manner the first. — make the woman lie upon her back, with her thighs raised, then getting between her legs, introduce your member into her. then pressing your toes to the ground, you can rummage her in a convenient, measured way.62 this is a good position for a man with a long verge.

manner the second. — if your member is a short one, let the woman lie on her back, lift her legs into the air, so that her right leg be near her right ear, and the left one near her left ear, and in this posture, with her buttock lifted up, her vulva will project forward. then put in your member.

manner the third. — let the woman stretch herself upon the ground, and place yourself between her thighs; then putting one of her legs upon your shoulder, and the other under your arm, near the armpit, get into her.

manner the fourth. — let her lie down, and put her legs on your shoulders; in this position your member will just face her vulva, which must not touch the ground. and then introduce your member.

manner the fifth. — let her lie down on her side, then lie yourself down by her on the side, and getting between her thighs, put your member into her vagina. but the sidelong coition predisposes for rheumatic pains and sciatica.63

manner the sixth. — make her get down on her knees and elbows, as if kneeling in prayer. in this position the vulva is projected backwards; you then attack her from that side, and put your member into her.64 manner the seventh. — place the woman on her side, and squat between her thighs, with one of her legs on your shoulder and the other between your thighs, while she remains lying on her side. then you enter her vagina, and make her move by drawing her towards your chest by means of your hands, with which you hold her embraced.

manner the eighth. — let her stretch herself upon the ground, on her back, with her legs crossed; then mount her like a cavalier on horseback, being on your knees, while her legs are placed under her thighs, and put your member into her vagina.

manner the ninth. — place the woman so that she leans with her front, or, if you prefer it, her back upon a moderate elevation, with her feet set upon the ground. she thus offers her vulva to the introduction of your member.65

manner the tenth. — place the woman near to a low divan, the back of which she can take hold of with her hands; then, getting under her, lift her legs to the height of your navel, and let her clasp you with her legs on each side of your body; in this position plant your verge into her, seizing with your hands the back of the divan. when you begin the action your movements must respond to those of the woman.

manner the eleventh. — let her lie upon her back on the ground with a cushion under her posterior; then getting between her legs, and letting her place the sole of her right foot against the sole of her left, introduce your member.

there are other positions besides the above named in use among the peoples of india. it is well for you to know that the inhabitants of those parts have multiplied the different ways to enjoy women, and they have advanced further than we in knowledge and investigation of the coitus. amongst those manners are the following, called:

el asemeud, the stopperage.

el modefeda, frog-fashion.

el mokefa, with the toes cramped.

el mokeurmeutt, with the legs in the air.

es setouri, he-goat-fashion.

el loulabi, the screw of archimedes.

ez zedjadja, piercing with the lance.

el hedouh, hanging.

el kelouci, the somerset.

hachou en nekanok, the tail of the ostrich.

lebeuss el djoureb, in head over heel.

kechef el astine, reciprocal sight of the posteriors.

neza el kouss, the bent of the rainbow.

nesedj el kheuzz, alternative boring.

dok el arz, pounding on the spot.

nik el kohoul, the coition at the back.

el keurchi, belly to belly.

el kepachi, ram-fashion.

el kouri, the camel’s hump.

dok el outed, driving the peg home.

sebek el heub, love’s fusion.

el morteseb, rape.

tred ech chate, sheep-fashion.

kaleb el miche, interchange in coition.

rekeud el air, the tilting of the member.

el modakheli, the fitter in.

el khouariki, the one who stops in the house.

nik el haddadi, the smith’s coition.

el moheundi, the seducer.

the first manner. — el asemeud (the stopperage). place the woman on her back with a cushion under her buttocks, then get between her legs, resting the points of your feet against the ground; bend her thighs against her chest as far as you can; place your hands under her arms so as to enfold her or cramp her shoulders. then introduce your member, and at the moment of ejaculation draw her towards you. this position is painful for woman, for her thighs being bent upwards and her buttocks raised by the cushion, the walls of her vagina tighten, and the uterus tending forward there is no much room for movement, and scarcely space enough for the intruder; consequently the latter enters with difficulty and strikes against the uterus. this position should therefore not be adopted, unless the man’s member is short or soft.

second manner. — el modefeda (frog fashion). place the woman on her back, and arrange her thighs so that they touch the heels, which latter are thus coming close to the buttocks; then you sit down in this kind of merry thought,66 facing the vulva, in which you insert your member; you then place her knees under your arm-pits; and taking firm hold of the upper part of her arms, you draw her towards you at the crisis.

third manner. — el mokefa (with the toes cramped). place the woman on her back, and squat on your knees, between her thighs, gripping the ground with the toes; raise her knees as high as your sides, in order that she may cross her legs over your back, and then pass her arms round your neck.

fourth manner. — el mokeurmeutt (the legs in the air). the woman lying on her back, you put her thighs together and raise her legs up until the soles of her feet look at the ceiling; then enfolding her within your thighs you insert your member, holding her legs up with your hands.

fifth manner. — es setouri (he-goat fashion67). the woman being crouched on her side, you let her stretch out the leg on which she is resting, and squat down between her thighs with your calves bent under you;68 then you lift her uppermost leg so that it rests on your back, and introduce your member. during the action you take hold of her shoulders, or, if you prefer it, by the arms.

sixth manner. — el loulabi (the screw of archimedes69). the man being stretched on his back the woman sits on his member, facing him; she then places her hands upon the bed so that she can keep her stomach from touching the man’s, she then moves up and downwards, and if the man is supple he assists her from below. if in this position she wants to kiss him, she need only stretch her arms along the bed.

seventh manner. — er zedjadja (piercing with the lance).70 you suspend the woman from the ceiling by means of four cords attached to her hands and feet; the middle of her body is supported by a fifth cord, arranged so as not to hurt her back. her position should be so that if you stand upright before her, her vagina should just face your member, which you introduce into her. you then communicate to the apparatus a swinging motion, first pushing it slightly from you and then drawing it towards you again; in this way your weapon will alternately enter and retire from its sheath, you taking care to hit the entrance on her approach. this action you continue till the ejaculation arrives.

eighth manner. — el hedouli (suspension). the man brings the woman’s hands and feet together in the direction of her neck, so that her vulva is standing out like a dome, and then raises her up by means of a pulley which is fixed in the ceiling. then he stretches himself out below her, holding in his hand the other end of the cord, by means of which he can lower her down upon himself, and so is able to penetrate into her. he thus causes her alternately to rise and descend upon his tool until the ejaculation takes place.

ninth manner. — el kelouci (the summerset). the woman must have a pair of pantaloons on, which she lets drop down upon her heels; she then stoops down, placing her head between her feet, so that her neck is in the pantaloons. at that moment the man, seizing her legs, turns her upon her back, making her perform a summerset; then he brings his member right against her vulva, and, slipping it between her legs, inserts it.

it is alleged that there are women who, lying on their back, can place their feet under the head without the help of pantaloons or of their hands.

tenth manner. — hacou en nekanok (the tail of the ostrich). the woman lying on her back along the bed, the man kneels in front of her, and lifts up her legs until her head and shoulders only are resting on the bed; his member sets into motion the buttocks of the woman who, on her part, twines her legs round his neck.71

eleventh manner. — lebeuss el djoureb (fitting on of the sock).72 the woman lies on her back, you sit down between her legs and place your member between the lips of her vulva, which you fit over it with your thumb and first finger; then you move so as to procure for your member as far as it is in contact with the woman a lively rubbing, which action you continue until her vulva gets moistened with the liquid emitted from your verge. when she is thus amply prepared for the enjoyment by the alternate coming and going of your weapon in her scabbard, put it into her full length.

twelfth manner. — kechef el astine (reciprocal sight of the posteriors).73 the man lying stretched out on his back, the woman sits down upon his member with her back to the man’s face, who presses her sides between his thighs and legs, whilst she places her hands upon the bed as a support for her movements, and stooping her head, her eyes are turned towards the buttocks of the man.74

thirteenth manner. — neza el kouss (the bend of the arch). the woman is lying on her side; the man also on his side, with his face towards her back, pushes in between her legs and introduces his member, with his hands lying on the upper part of her back. as to the woman, she then gets hold of the man’s feet, which she lifts up as far as she can, drawing him close to her; thus she forms with the body of the man an arch, of which she is the rise.

fourteenth manner. — nesedj el kheuzz (the alternate movement of piercing).75 the man in sitting attitude places the soles of his feet together, and lowering his thighs, draws his feet nearer to his member; the woman sits down upon his feet, which he takes care to keep firm together. in this position the two thighs of the woman are pressed against the man’s flanks, and she puts her arms round his neck. then the man clasps the woman’s ankles, and drawing his feet nearer to his body, brings also the woman sitting on them, within range of his member, which then enters her vagina. by moving his feet he sends her back and brings her forward again, without ever withdrawing his member entirely.

the woman makes herself as light as possible, and assists as well as she can in this come-and-go exercise; her cooperation is indispensable for it. if the man apprehends that his member may come out entirely, he takes her round the waist, and she receives otherwise no other impulse than that which is imparted to her by the feet of the man upon which she is sitting.

fifteenth manner. — dok el arz; (the pounding on the spot).76 the man sits down with his legs stretched out; the woman then places herself astride on his thighs, crossing her legs behind the back of the man, and places her vulva opposite his member, which latter she guides into her vagina; she then places her arms round his neck, and he embraces her sides and waist, and helps her to rise and descend upon his verge. she must assist in his work.

sixteenth manner. — nik el kohoul (coitus from the back). the woman lies down on her stomach and raises her buttocks by help of a cushion; the man approaches from behind, stretches himself on her back and inserts his tool, while the woman twines her arms round the man’s elbows. this is the easiest of all methods.

seventeenth manner. — el keurchi (belly to belly). the man and the woman are standing upright, face to face; she opens her thighs; the man then brings his feet forward between those of the woman, who also advances hers a little. in this position the man must have one of his feet somewhat in advance of the other. each of the two has the arms round the other’s hips, the man introduces his verge, and the two move thus intertwined after a manner called neza’ el dela, which i shall explain later on, please god the almighty. (see first manner.)

eighteenth manner. — el kebachi (after the fashion of the ram). the woman is on her knees, with her forearms on the ground; the man approaches from behind, kneels down, and lets his member penetrate into her vagina, which she presses out as much as possible; he will do well in placing his hands on the woman’s shoulders.

nineteenth manner. — el houri (the hump of the camel). the woman, standing on her feet, places her hands on the ground, and elevates her hinder parts; the man, standing behind her, explores her, taking hold of her thighs in front of her buttocks. if in this position the man, after having introduced his member, withdraws it, and the woman remains steady in her attitude, there will escape from her vagina a sound resembling the lowing of a calf. but this kind of coitus is not easy to obtain, as women who know that circumstance refuse to lend themselves for it.

twentieth manner. — dok el (driving the pin in). the woman enlaces with her legs the waist of the man, steadying herself by leaning against the wall. whilst she who is standing, with her arms passed round his neck, and is thus suspended the man inserts his pin into her vulva.

twenty-first manner. — sebek el heub (love’s fusion). while the woman is lying on her right side you extend yourself on your left side; your left leg remains extended, and you raise your right one till it is up to her flank, when you lay her upper leg upon your side. thus her uppermost leg serves the woman as a support for her back. after having introduced your member you move as you please, and she responds to your action as she pleases.

twenty-second manner. — el morteseb (the coition by violence). the man approaches the woman from behind, so as to take her unawares; he passes his hands under her armpits; and seizing hers, draws them up towards her throat, so as to paralyze all resistance on her part. he can intertwine his fingers with hers, and thus bring her hands behind her neck by making her bend her head down.

if she has no drawers on, he tries to raise her robe with his knees towards the middle of the body, fixing one of her legs with his, so that she cannot turn away her receptacle from his weapon, nor make any resistance to its introduction. if she has drawers on and is strong, the man will be obliged to hold her two hands with one of his while he undoes her drawers with the other.

this manner will prove convenient for a man who wants to enjoy a woman, and can only get her by force and against her will.

twenty-third manner. — tred ech chate (coitus of the sheep).77 the woman is on her hands and knees; the man behind her lifts her thighs till her vulva is on a level with his member, which he then inserts. in this position she ought to place her head between her arms.

twenty-fourth manner. — kaleb el miche (the inversion in coition). the man is lying on his back, and the woman gliding in between his legs, places herself upon him with her toe-nails against the ground; she lifts up the man’s thighs, turning them against his own body, so that his virile member faces her vulva, into which she glides it; she then places her hands upon the bed by the sides of the man. it is, however, indispensable that the woman’s feet rest upon a cushion to enable her to keep her vulva in accordance with his member.

in this position the parts are exchanged, the woman fulfilling that of the man, and vice versa.

there is a variation to this manner. the man stretches himself out upon his back, while the woman kneels with her legs under her between his legs. the remainder conforms exactly to what has been said above.

twenty-fifth manner. — rekeud el air (the race of the member). the man on his back supports himself with a cushion under his shoulders, but his posterior must keep touch of the bed. thus placed, he draws up his thighs until his knees are on a level with his face; then the woman sits down, impaling herself on his member; she must not lie down, but keep seated as if on horseback, the saddle being represented by the knees and the stomach of the man. in that position she can by the play of her knees work up and down and down and up. she can beside place her knees on the bed, in which case the man accentuates the movement by plying his thighs, whilst she holds with her left hand on to his right shoulder.

twenty-sixth manner. — el modakheli (the fitter-in). the woman is seated on her coccyx, with only the points of her buttocks touching the ground; the man takes the same position, her vulva facing his member, then the woman puts her right thigh over the left thigh of the man, whilst he on his part puts his right thigh over her left one.

the woman, seizing with her hands the man’s arms, gets his member into her vulva; and each of them leaning alternately a little back, and holding each other by the upper part of the arms, they get into a swaying movement, acting by way of little concussions,78 and keeping their movements in exact rhythm by the assistance of their heels, which are resting on the ground.

twenty-seventh manner. — el khouariki (the one that stops at home). the woman being couched on her back, the man lies down on her, with cushions held in his hands.

after the member has got in, the woman raises her buttocks as high as she can off the bed, the man following her up with his member well inside; then the woman lowers herself again upon the bed, giving some short shocks, and although they do not embrace, the man must stick like glue to her. this movement they continue, but the man must make himself light and must not be ponderous, and the bed must be soft; in default of which the exercise cannot be kept up without break.

twenty-eighth manner. — nik el haddadi (the coition of the blacksmith). the woman lies on her back with a cushion under her buttocks, with her knees raised as far as possible towards her chest, so that her vulva stands out as a target; she then guides his member in. the man then executes for some time the usual action of the coition, then draws his tool out of the vulva, and glides it for a moment between the thighs of the woman, as the smith withdraws the glowing iron from the furnace in order to plunge it into cold water. this manner is called sferdgeli, position of the quince.

twenty-ninth manner. — el moheundi (the seductive). the woman lying on her back, the man sits between her legs, with his croupe on his feet; then he raises and separates the woman’s thighs, placing her legs under his arms or over his shoulders; he then takes her round the waist, or seizes her shoulders.

the preceding descriptions furnish a large number of procedures that cannot well be all put to the proof; but with such a variety to choose from, the man who finds one of them difficult to practise can easily find plenty of others more to his convenience.

i have not made mention of positions which appeared to me to be impossible to realize, and if there be any body who thinks that those which i have described are not exhaustive he has only to look for new ones.

it cannot be gainsaid that the indians have surmounted the greatest difficulties in respect to coition. as a grand exploit, originating with them, the following may be cited:

“the woman being stretched out on her back, the man sits down on her chest with his back turned to her face, his knees turned forward and his nails gripping the ground; he then raises her hips, arching her back until he has brought her vulva to face with his member, which he then inserts, and thus gains his purpose.”

this position, as you perceive, is very fatiguing and very difficult to attain. i even believe that the only realization of it consists in words and designs. with regard to the other methods, as described above, they can only be practised if both man and woman are free from physical defects, and of analogous construction; for instance, one or the other of them must not be humpbacked or very little, or very tall, or too fat. and i repeat, that both must be in perfect health.

i shall now treat of the coition between two persons of different conformation. i shall particularize the positions that will suit them in treating each of them severally.

i shall first discourse of the coition of a lean man and a corpulent woman, and the different postures they can take for the operation, assuming the woman to be lying down, and being turned successively over on her four sides.

if the man wants to work her sideways he takes the thigh of the woman which is uppermost, and raises it as high as possible on his flank, so that it rests over his waist; he employs her undermost arm as a pillow for the support of his head, and he takes care to place a stout cushion under his undermost hip, so as to elevate his member to the necessary height, which is indispensable on account of the thickness of the woman’s thighs.

but if the man has an enormous stomach, projecting by reason of its obesity, over her thighs and flanks it will be best to lay her on her back, and to lift up her thighs toward her belly; the man kneels between them, with his hands having hold of her waist, and drawing her towards him, and if he cannot manage her in consequence of the obesity of her belly and thighs, he must with his two arms encircle her buttocks. but it is impossible for him to work her conveniently, owing to the want of mobility as to her thighs, which are impeded by her belly. he may, however, support them with his hands, but let him take care not to place them over his own thighs, as, owing to their weight, he would not have the power nor the facility to move. as the poet has said:

“if you have to explore her, lift up her buttocks,

in order to work like the rope thrown to a drowning man.

you will then seem between her thighs

like a rower seated at the end of the boat.”

the man can likewise couch the woman on her side, with the undermost leg in front; then he sits down on the thigh of that leg, his member being opposite her vulva, and lets her raise the upper leg, which she must bend at the knee. then, with his hands seizing her legs and thighs, he introduces his member, with his body lying between her legs, his knees bent, and the points of his feet between the ground, so that he can elevate his posterior, and prevent her thighs from impeding the entrance. in this attitude they can enter into action.

if the woman’s belly is enlarged by reason of her being with child, the man lets her lie down on one of her sides; then placing one of her thighs over the other, he raises them both towards the stomach, without their touching the latter; he then lies down behind her on the same side, and thus can fit his member in. he can in this way get his tool in entirely, particularly by raising his foot, which is under the woman’s leg, to the height of her thigh. the same may be done with a barren woman; but it is particularly to be recommended for the woman who is enceinte, as the above position offers the advantage of procuring her the pleasure she wants without exposing her to danger.

in case of the man being obese, with a very pronounced rotundity of stomach, and the woman being thin, the best course to take is to let the woman take the active part. to this end, the man lies down on his back with his thighs close together, and the woman lets herself down upon his member, astride of him; she rests her hands upon the bed, and he seizes her arms with his hands. if she knows how to move, she can thus, in turn, rise and sink upon his member; if she is not adroit enough for that movement, the man imparts a movement to her buttocks by the play of one of his thighs behind them. only, if the man takes that position it may become sometimes prejudicial to him, insamuch, as some of the female sperm may penetrate into his urethra, and grave malady may ensue that the man’s sperm cannot pass out, and returns into therefrom. it may also happen that the man’s sperm cannot pass out, and returns into the urethra.

if the man prefers that the woman should lie on her back, he places himself, with his legs folded under him, between her legs, which she parts only moderately. thus, his buttocks are between the women’s legs, with his heels touching them. in doing that way he will, however, feel fatigue, owing to the position of his stomach resting upon the woman’s and the inconvenience resulting therefrom; and, besides, he will not be able to get his whole member in the vulva.

it will be about the same when both lie on their sides as mentioned above in the case of pregnant women, where the manner is described.

when both man and woman are fat, and are wanting to unite themselves in coition, they cannot contrive to do it without trouble, particularly when both have prominent stomachs. in these circumstances the best way to go about it is for the woman to be on her knees with her hands on the ground, so that her posterior is elevated; then the man separates her legs, leaving the points of the feet close together and the heels parted asunder; he then attacks her from behind, kneeling and holding up his stomach with his hand, and so introduces his member. resting his stomach upon her buttocks he holds during the act the thighs or the waist of the woman with his, hands. if the posterior of the woman is too low for his stomach to rest upon, he must place a cushion under her knees, to remedy this.

i know of no other position so favourable as this for coition of a fat man and a fat woman.

in fact, if the man gets between the legs of the woman on her back under the above named circumstances, his stomach, encountering the woman’s thighs, will not allow him to make free use of his tool. he cannot even see her vulva, or only in part; it may be almost said that it will be impossible for him to accomplish the act.

on the other hand, if the man makes the woman lie upon her side and he places himself, with his legs bent behind her, pressing his stomach upon the upper part of her posterior, she must draw her legs and thighs up to her stomach, in order to lay bare her vagina and allow the introduction of his member; but if she cannot sufficiently bend her knees, the man can neither see her vulva, nor explore it.

if, however, the stomach of each person is not extremely large, they can manage very well all positions. only they must not be too long in coming to the crisis, as they will soon feel fatigue and lose their breath.

in the case of a very big man and a very little woman, the difficulty to be solved is how to contrive that their organs of generation and their mouths can meet at the same time. to gain this end the woman had best lie on her back; the man places himself on his side near her, passes one of his hands under her neck, and with the other raises her thighs till he can put his member against her vulva from behind, the woman remaining still on her back. in this position he holds her up with his hands by the neck and the thighs. he can then enter her body, while the woman on her part puts her arms round his neck, and approaches her lips to his.

if the man wishes the woman to lie on her side he gets between her legs, and placing her thighs so that they are in contact with his sides, one above and one under, he glides in between them till his member is facing her vulva from behind; he then presses his thighs against her buttocks, which he seizes with one hand in order to import movement to them; the other hand he has round her neck. if the man then likes, he can get his thighs over those of the woman, and press her tp’ wards him; this will make it easier for him to move.

as regards the copulation of a very small man and a tall woman, the two actors cannot kiss each other while in action unless they take one of the three following positions, and even then they will get fatigued.

first position. — the woman lies on her back, with a thick cushion under her buttocks, and a similar one under her head; she then draws up her thighs as far as possible towards her chest. the man lies down upon her, introduces his member, and takes hold of her shoulders, drawing himself up towards them. the woman winds her arms and legs round over his back, whilst he holds on to her shoulders, or, if he can, to her neck.

second position. — man and woman both lie on their sides, face to face; the woman slips her undermost thigh under the man’s flank, drawing it at the same time higher up; she does the like with her other thigh over his; then she arches her stomach out, while his member is penetrating into her. both should have hold of the other’s neck, and the woman, crossing her legs over his back, should draw the man towards her.

third position. — the man lies on his back, with his legs stretched out; the woman sits on his member, and. stretching herself down over him, draws up her knees to the height of her stomach; then, laying her hands over his shoulders, she draws herself up, and presses her lips to his.

all these postures are more or less fatiguing for both; they can, however, choose any other position they like, only they must be able to kiss each other during the act.

i will now speak to you of people who are little, in consequence of being humpbacked. of these there are several kinds.

first, there is the man who is crookbacked, but whose spine and neck are straight. for him it is most convenient to unite himself with a little woman, but not otherwise than from behind. placing himself behind her posterior, he thus introduces his member into her vulva. but if the woman is in a stooping attitude, on her hands and feet, he will do still better. if the woman be afflicted with a hump and the man is straight, the same position is right.

if both of them are crookbacked they can take what position they like for the coition. they cannot, however, embrace; and if they lie on their side, face to face, there will be left an empty space between them. and if one or the other lies down on the back, a cushion must be placed under the head and the shoulder, to hold them up, and fill the place which is left vacant.

in the case of a man whose malformation is only affecting his neck, so as to press the chin towards his chest, but who is otherwise straight, he can take any position he likes for doing the business, and give himself up to any embraces and caresses, always excepting the kisses on the mouth. if the woman is lying on her back, he will appear in the action as if he was butting at her like a ram. it the woman has her neck deformed in similar manner, their coition will resemble the mutual attack of two horned beasts with their heads. the most convenient position for them will be that the woman should stoop down, and he attack her from behind. the man whose hump appears on his back in the shape of only the half of a jar is not so much disfigured as the one of whom the poet has said —

“lying on his back he is a dish;

turn him over, and you have a dish-cover.”

in his case the coition can take place as with any other man who is small in stature and straight; he can, however, not well lie on his back. if a little woman is lying on her back, with such a humpbacked man upon her belly, he will look like the cover over a vase. if, on the contrary, the woman is large-sized, he will have the appearance of a carpenter’s plane in action. i have made the following verses on this subject:

“the humpback is vaulted like an arch;

in seeing him you cry, ‘glory be to god!’

you ask him how he manages the coitus?

‘it is the retribution for my sins,’ he says,

the woman under him is hke a board of deal;

the humpback, who explores her, does the planing.”

i have also said in verse:—

“the humpback’s dorsal cord is tied in knots,

the angels tire with writing all his sins:79

in trying for a wife of proper shape;

and for her favours, she repulses him.

and says, ‘who bears the wrongs we shall commit?’

and he, ‘i bear them well upon my hump!’

and then she mocks him saying, ‘oh, you plane!

destined for making shavings, take a deal board;’”

if the woman has a hump as well as the man, they may take any of the various positions for the coition, always observing that if one of them lies on the back, the hump must be environed with cushion, as with a turban, thus having a nest to lie in, which guards its top, which is very tender. in this way they can embrace closely.

if the man is humped both on back and chest he must renounce the embrace and clinging, and can otherwise take any position he likes for coition. but, generally speaking, the action must always be troublesome for himself and the woman. i have written on this subject:

“the humpback engaged in the act of coition

is like a vase provided with two handles.

if he is burning for a woman, she will tell him,

‘your hump is in the way; you cannot do it;

your verge would find a place to rummage in.

but on your chest the hump, where would it be?’”

if both the woman and the man have double humps, the best position they can take for the coitus is the following. “whilst the woman is lying on her side, the man introduces his member after the fashion described previously in respect to pregnant women. thus the two humps do not encounter. both are lying on their sides, and the man attacks from behind. should the woman be on her back, her hump must be supported by a cushion, whilst the man kneels between her legs, she holding up her posterior. thus placed, their two humps are not near each other, and all inconvenience is avoided.

the same is the case if the woman stoops down with her head, with her croup in the air, after the manner of el kouri, which position will suit both of them, if they have the chest malformed, but not the back. one of them then performs the action of come-and-go.

but the most curious and amusing description in this respect which i have ever met is contained in these verses.

“their two extremities are close together.

and nature made a laughing stock of them;

foreshortened he appears as if cut off;

he looks like someone bending to escape a blow,

or like a man who has received a blow

and shrivels down so as to miss a second.”

if a man’s spine is curved about the hips and his back is straight, so that he looks as though he was in prayer, half prostrated, coition is for him very difficult; owing to the reciprocal positions of his thighs and his stomach, he cannot possibly insert his member entirely, as it lies so far back between his thighs. the best for him to do is to stand up. the woman stoops down before him with her hands to the ground, and her posterior in the air; he can thus introduce his member as a pivot for the woman to move upon, for, be it observed, he cannot well move himself. it is the manner el kouri, with the difference, that it is the woman who moves.

a man may be attacked by the illness called ikaad, or zamana (paralysis), which compels him to be constantly seated. if this malady only affects his knees and legs, his thighs and spinal column remaining sound, he can use all the sundry positions for coition, except those where he would have to stand up. in case his buttocks are affected, even if he is otherwise perfectly well, it is the woman who will have to make all the movements.

know, that the most enjoyable coitus does not always exist in the manners described here; i only gave them so as to render the work as complete as possible. sometimes most enjoyable coition takes place between lovers, who, not quite perfect in their proportions, find their own means for their mutual gratification.

it is said that there are women of great experience who, lying with a man, elevate one of their feet vertically in the air, and upon that foot a lamp is set full of oil, and with the wick burning. while the man is ramming them, they keep the lamp burning, and the oil is not spilled.

their coition is in no way impeded by this exhibition, but it must require great practice on the part of both.

assuredly the indian writers have in their works described a great many ways of making love, but the majority of them do not yield enjoyment, and give more pain than pleasure. that which is to be looked for in coition, the crowning point of it, is the enjoyment, the embrace, the kisses. this is the distinction between the coitus of men and that of animals. no one is indifferent to the enjoyment which proceeds from the difference between the sexes, and man finds his highest felicity in it.

if the desire of love in man is roused to its highest pitch, all the pleasures of coition become easy for him, and he satisfies his yearning in any way.

it is well for the lover of coition to put all these manners to the proof, so as to ascertain which is the position that gives the greatest pleasure to both combatants. then he will know which to choose for the tryst, and in satisfying his desires retain the woman’s affection.

many people have essayed all the positions i have described, but none has been as much approved of as the dok el arz.

a story is told on this subject of a man who had a mistress of incomparable beauty, graceful and accomplished. he used to explore her in the ordinary manner, never having recourse to any other. the woman experienced none of the pleasure which ought to accompany the act, and was consequently generally very moody after the coition was over.

the man complained about this to an old dame, who told him, “try different ways in uniting yourself to her, until you find the one which best satisfies her. then work her in this fashion only, and her affection for you will know no limit.”

the man then tried upon his wife various manners of coition, and when he came to the one called dok el arz he saw her in violent transports of love, and at the crisis of the pleasure he felt her womb grasp his verge energetically, and she said to him, biting his lips, “this is the veritable manner of making love!”

these demonstrations proved to the lover, in fact, that his mistress felt in that position the most lively pleasure and he always after worked with her in that way. thus he attained his end, and made the woman love him to folly.

therefore try different manners; for every woman likes one in preference to all others for her pleasure. the majority of them have, however, a predilection for the dok el arz, as, in the application of the same, belly is pressed to belly, mouth glued to mouth, and the action of the womb is rarely absent.

i have now only to mention the various movements practised for the coitus, and shall describe some of them.

first movement, called neza el dela (the bucket in the well). the man and woman join in close embrace after the introduction. then he gives a push, and withdraws a little; the woman then follows him with a push, and also retires. they continue their alternate movement, keeping proper time. placing foot against foot, and hand against hand, they keep up the motion of a bucket in a well.

second movement. — en netahi (the mutual shock). after the introduction, they each draw back, but without dislodging the member completely. then they both push tightly together, and thus go on keeping time.

third movement. — el motadani (the approach). the man moves as usual, and then stops. then the woman, with the member in her receptacle, begins to move like the man, and then stops. and they continue this way until the ejaculation comes.

fourth movement. — khiate el heub (love’s tailor). the man, with his member being only partially inserted in the vulva, keeps first up a sort of quick friction with the part that is in, and then suddenly plunges his whole member in up to its root. this is the movement of the needle in the hands of the tailor, of which the man and woman must take cognisance.

this movement only suits such men and women who can at will retard the crisis. with those who are other’ wise constituted it would act too quickly.

fifth movement. — souak et feurdj (the toothpick in the vulva). the man introduces his member between the walls of the vulva, and then drives it up and down, and right and left. only a man with a very vigorous member can execute this movement.

sixth movement. — tachik el heub (the boxing up of love). the man introduces his member entirely into the vagina, so closely that his hairs are completely mixed up with the woman’s. in that position he must now move forcibly, without withdrawing his tool in the least.

this is the best of all the movements, and is particularly well adapted to the position dok el arz. the women prefer it to any other kind, as it procures them the extreme pleasure of seizing the member with their womb; and appeases their lust most completely.

the woman called tribades always use this movement in their mutual caresses. and it provokes prompt ejaculation both with man and woman.

without kissing, no kind of position or movement procures the full pleasure; and the positions in which the kiss is not practicable are not entirely satisfactory, considering that the kiss is one of the most powerful stimulants to the work of love.

i have said in verse:—

“the languishing eye

puts in connection soul with soul,

and the tender kiss

takes the message from member to vulva.”

the kiss is assumed to be an integral part of the coition. the best kiss is the one impressed on humid lips combined with the suction of the lips and tongue, which latter particularly provokes the flow of sweet and fresh saliva. it is for the man to bring this about by slightly and softly nibbling her tongue, when her saliva will flow sweet and exquisite, more pleasant than refined honey, and which will not mix with the saliva of her mouth. this manouevre will give the man a trembling emotion, which will run all through his body, and is more intoxicating than wine drunk to excess.

a poet has said:—

“in kissing her, i have drunk from my mouth

like a camel that drinks from the redir;80

her embrace and the freshness of her mouth

give me a languor that goes to my marrow.”

the kiss should be sonorous; it originates with the tongue touching the palate, lubricated by saliva. it is produced by the movement of the tongue in the mouth and by the displacement of the saliva, provoked by the suction.

the kiss given to the superficial outer part of the lips, and making a noise comparable to the one by which you call your cat, gives no pleasure. it is well enough thus applied to children and hands.

the kiss i have described above is the one for the coitus and is full of voluptuousness.

a vulgar proverb says:—

“a humid kiss

is better than a hurried coitus.”

i have composed on this subject the following lines:

“you kiss my hand — my mouth should be the place!

o woman, thou who art my idol!

it was a fond kiss you gave me, but it is lost,

the hand cannot appreciate the nature of a kiss.”

the three words, kobla, letsem, and bouss are used indifferently to indicate the kiss on the hand or mouth. the word ferame means specially the kiss on the mouth.

an arab poet has said:—

“the heart of love can find no remedy

in witching sorcery nor amulets.

nor in the fond embrace without a kiss,

nor in kiss without the coitus.”

and the author of the work, “the jewels of the bride and the rejoicing of souls,” has added to the above as complement and commentary the two following verses:

“nor in converce, however unrestrained.

but by the placing legs on legs (the coition).”

remember that all caresses and all sorts of kisses, as described, are of no account without the introduction of the member. therefore abstain from them, if you do not want action; they only fan a fire at no purpose. the passion which is getting excited resembles in fact a fire which is being lighted; and just as water only can extinguish the latter, so the emission of the sperm only can calm the lust and appease the heat.

the woman is not more advantaged than the man by caresses without coition.

it is said that dahama bent mesedjel appeared before the governor of the province of yamama, with her father and her husband, el adjadje, alleging that the latter was impotent, and did not cohabit with her nor come near her.

her father, who assisted her in her case, was reproached for mixing himself up with her plaint by the people of yamama, who said to him, “are you not ashamed to help your daughter bring a claim for coition?”

to which he answered, “it is my wish that she should have children; if she loses them it will be by god’s will; if she brings them up they will be useful to her.”

dahama formulated her claim thus in coming before the governor: “there stands my husband, and until now he has never touched me.” the governor interposed, saying, “no doubt this will be because you have been unwilling?” “on the contrary,” she replied, “it is for him that i open my thighs and he down on my back.” then cried the husband, “o emir, she tells untruth; in order to possess her i have to fight with her.” the emir pronounced the following judgment: “i give you, he said, a year’s time to prove her allegation to be false.” he decides thus out of regard for the man. el adjadje then went away reciting these verses:

“dahama and her father mesedjel thought,

the emir would decide upon my impotence.

is not the stallion sometimes lazy-minded?

and yet he is so large and vigorous.”

returned to his house he began to kiss and caress his wife; but his efforts went no farther, he remained incapable of giving proofs of his virility. dahama said to him, “keep your caresses and embraces; they do not satisfy love. what i desire is a solid and stiff member, the sperm of which will flow into my matrix.” and she recited to him the following verses:

“before god! it is in vain to try with kisses

to entertain me, and with your embracings!

to still my torments i must feel a member,

ejaculating sperm into my uterus.”

el adjadje, in despair, conducted her forthwith back to her family, and, to hide his shame, repudiated her that very night.

a poet said on that occasion:

“what are caresses to an ardent woman,

or costly vestments and fine jewelry,81

if the man’s organs do not meet her own.

and she is yearning for the virile verge!”

know then that the majority of women do not find full satisfaction in kisses and embraces without coition. for them it resides only in the member, and they only like the man who rummages them, even if he is ugly.

a story also goes on this subject that moussa ben mesab betook himself one day to a woman in the town who had a female slave, an excellent singer, whom he wanted to buy from her. the woman was resplendently beautiful, and independent of her charming appearance, she had a large fortune. he saw at the same time in the house a young man of bad shape and ungainly appearance, who went to and fro giving orders.

moussa having asked who that man was, she told him, “this is my husband, and for him i would give my life!” “this is a hard slavery,” he said, “to which you are reduced, and i am sorry for you. we belong to god, and shall return to him!82 but what a misfortune it is that such incomparable beauty and such delightful forms as i see in you should be for such a man!”

she made answer, “o son of my mother,83 if he could do to you from behind what he does for me in front, you would sell your lately acquired fortune as well as your patrimony. he would appear to you beautiful, and his plain looks would be changed into beauty.”

“may god preserve him to you!”84 said moussa.

it is also said that the poet farazdak met one day a woman on whom he cast a glance burning with love, and who for that reason thus addressed him: “what makes you look at me in this fashion? had i a thousand vulvas there would be nothing to hope for you!” “and why?” said the poet. “because your appearance is not prepossessing,” she said, “and what you keep hidden will be no better.” he replied, “if you would put me to the proof, you would find that my interior qualities are of a nature to make you forget my outer appearance.” he then uncovered himself, and let her see a member the size of the arm of a young girl. at that sight she felt herself getting burning hot with amorous desire. he saw it, and asked her to let him caress her. then she uncovered herself and showed him her mount of venus, vaulted like a cupola.85 he then did the business for her, and then recited these verses:—

“i have plied in her my member, big as a virgin’s arm:

a member with a round head, and prompt to attack;

measuring in length a span and a half.

and, oh! i felt as though i had put it in a brazier.”

he who seeks the pleasure a woman can give must satisfy her amorous desires after hot caresses as described. he will see her swooning with lust, her vulva will get moist, her womb will stretch forward, and the two sperms will come together.