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[Ginger; amomum zinziber;] a certain well-known plant that grows in the country of the Arabs, in the land of 'Omán, and in El-Yemen.
[Or the root of it;] a certain root, or roots, creeping beneath the ground, burning, or biting, to the tongue, growing like the stalks of the papyrus and of the رَاسَن [mentioned below].
There is no wild sort of it, and it is not a tree that is eaten fresh as herbs, or leguminous plants, are eaten; it is used in a dry state, and its conserve is the best of conserves. The best of it is what is brought from the country of the Zinj and from China.
It has a property that is heating, or warming, digestive, slightly loosening to the bowels, strengthening to sexual power, clearing to the phlegm, sharpening to the intellect, and cheering. If mixed with the moisture of the liver of the goat, then dried and pulverized and used as an eye-salve, it removes the film [upon the eye] and dimness of the sight.
1.1[The admixture of it shall be زنجبيل: a fountain in it named Selsebeel]—كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا زَنْجَبِيلًا عَيْنًا فِيهَا تُسَمَّى سَلْسَبِيلًا
It is mentioned in the Kur-án, 76. 17 and 18.
That is, it shall have the flavour of زنجبيل [or ginger], which the Arabs consider very pleasant.
It may mean that زنجبيل is [essentially] in the wine of Paradise; or that it is the admixture of it; or that it is a name for the fountain from which this wine is taken, which is named Selsebeel also.
Some assert that it means wine [absolutely] as well.
1.2a certain herb, or leguminous plant, with red twigs—زَنْجَبِيلُ الكِلَابِ
Its leaves are like those of the خِلَاف [or salix Aegyptia].
It clears the [discoloration of the face termed] كَلَف and the [spots in the skin termed] نَمَش; and it kills dogs, which is why it is named in relation to them.
1.3the same as الأُشْتُرْغَازُ [a word of Persian origin, now applied by the Arabs to a species of carline thistle]—زَنْجَبِيلُ العَجَمِ
[According to Freytag, Horminum, or salvia silvestris: but this, I believe, is what is called in Persian أُشْتُرْغَان.]
1.4the same as الرَّاسَنُ [Inula helenium, common inula, or elecampane]—زَنْجَبِيلُ الشَّامِ
Show Lane's original text
[Ginger; amomum zinziber;] a certain plant growing in the country of the Arabs, in the land of 'Omán, (AHn, TA,) and in El-Yemen also; (TA;) well known: (S:) [or the root thereof;] a certain root, or roots, (accord. to different copies of the K,) creeping beneath the ground; (K, TA;) burning, or biting, to the tongue; (TA;) growing like the stalks of the papyrus, (K, TA,) and the رَاسَن [mentioned below]: there is no wild sort of it; nor is it a tree that is eaten fresh like as herbs, or leguminous plants, are eaten; but it is used in a dry state; and its conserve is the best of conserves; and the best thereof is what is brought from the country of the Zinj and China: (TA:) it has a property that is heating, or warming, digestive, lenitive in a small degree, strengthening to the venereal faculty, (K, TA,) clearing to the phlegm, (TA,) sharpening to the intellect, (K * TA,) and exhilarating: (TA:) if mixed with the moisture of the liver of the goat, and dried, and pulverized, and used as a collyrium, it removes the film [upon the eye], and obscurity of the sight. (K, TA.) It is mentioned in the Kur, where it is said, [lxxvi. 17 and 18,] كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا زَنْجَبِيلًا عَيْنًا فِيهَا تُسَمَّى سَلْسَبِيلًا [The admixture whereof shall be زنجبيل , a fountain therein named Selsebeel]: i. e. it shall have the flavour of زنجبيل [or ginger], which the Arabs esteem very pleasant: it may mean that زنجبيل is [essentially] in the wine of Paradise: or that it is the admixture thereof: or that it is a name for the fountain whence this wine is taken, and which is named Selsebeel also. (Az, O, TA.) As some assert, (ISd, TA,) it means also Wine [absolutely]. (S, ISd, K.) زَنْجَبِيلُ الكِلَابِ A certain herb, or leguminous plant, the leaves of which are like [those of] the خِلَاف [or salix Aegyptia], and the twigs are red: it clears the [discoloration of the face termed] كَلَف , and the [spots in the skin termed] نَمَش ; and it kills dogs; (K;) wherefore it is named in relation to them. (TA.) زَنْجَبِيلُ العَجَمِ i. q. الأُشْتُرْغَازُ [a word of Persian origin, now applied by Arabs to A species of carline thistle]. (K.) [Accord. to Freytag, Horminum, or salvia silvestris: but this, I believe, is what is called in Pers. أُشْتُرْغَان .] زَنْجَبِيلُ الشَّامِ i. q. الرَّاسَنُ [Inula helenium, common inula, or elecampane]. (K.)