Found in 2 comments on Hacker News
tzs · 2014-09-07
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Another interesting Arab from that general period is Ahmad al-Tifashi [1]. He was a poet, writer, and anthologist, mainly known for his anthology "Promenade of the Hearts" of poetry, jokes, and anecdotes of an erotic nature or about sexual practices.
An English translation of the gay chapters is available: "The Delight of Hearts: Or What You Will Not Find in Any Book" [2]. I've got it, and it is an amusing, entertaining, and eye-opening read.
For a very very long time, I've had a little puzzle on my website. Someone is caught with the following items:
1. A large needle and thread
2. A roll of paper
3. Three small pebbles
4. A small bag of fine-grained dust
5. A small empty waterskin
6. A pair of scissors
7. A canteen full of cream
8. A fur cap
9. A purse full of counterfeit coins
10. A raw egg
For the first time, I will give a hint: the answer is in "The Delight of Hearts".
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_al-Tifashi
[2] http://www.amazon.com/The-Delight-Hearts-What-Will/dp/094056...
It was written in Arabic in the 13th century, and is a look at the sexual practices of the time. It was eventually, much later, translated into French, and the French to English, and then Gay Sunshine Press published the edition cited above, which is just the gay-related parts of the book.