Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra85861922roya).pdf/452

 The Grave-Stone of Sultan Mansur Shah of Malacca.

The following suggestions with reference to Mr. J. P. Mo- quette's scholaryscholarly [sic] paper on the above subject translated by Dr. Win- stedt in J.R.A.S., S.B. No. 85 may not be out of place here:—

(a) That the word الرحوم which comes after مظڤرشاه in Mr. Moquette's reading of Plate I be placed immediately before مظڤرشاه; firstly because that is the usual order (i. e, al-marham first and the name of the deceased following) when the expression is used, especially by the Malays; and secondly, seeing that the word الساطان which lies directly above the word, (see third line in Plate 1) is read before , it follows that the word الرحوم which lies also directly above the name مظڤرشاه can also be read first. As far as I can judge from the plate, nothing seems to be there that makes it particularly necessary to violate usage and read الرحوم last.

(b) That the reading of (dári-’l-ma’ál) be sub- stituted in place of دارامال (dári ámál). For this I have several reasons:-

(1) is not compatible, as far as rhythmic flow is concerned, with داراطال with which it ought to correspond; be- cause the latter (i.e. داراطال) has the article أل and the former has not. From a grammatical stand-point there does not appear to be reason enough that داراطال should have the article and