January is thirty-one days; the power of phlegm is strong in it; one must have a mouthful of warm water before breakfast; sexual intercourse is praiseworthy therein; one must have hot vegetables such as celery, watercress, and leek; entering the bathroom and massaging the body with ointment is useful in it; one must be careful of sweet things, eating for example fresh fish, and having yogurt.
February is twenty-eight days; the winds become different in it; rain increases; grass appears; water flows in the hollows; it is useful to eat garlic, the meat of bird and animals which are hunted and fruit; one must decrease eating sweet things; abundant sport and movement is praiseworthy therein.
March1
April; in this month day lengthens while night shortens; temper becomes strong, the blood moves; the east wind blows. One should have roasted foods and what is cooked in vinegar along with the meat of the birds and animals which are hunted, for such foods benefit the body.
May is thirty-one days; the winds become clear therein; it is at the end of the season of spring; one must refrain from salty foods, thick meat such as heads2 and beef, and yogurt; entering the bathroom at the beginning of day is useful therein; and sport before lunch is reprehensible therein.
June is thirty days; the power of phlegm terminates therein; the time of the yellow bile comes; one must refrain from tiredness and eating abundant meat; one must smell musk and ambergris; it is useful to eat cold vegetables such as endive and purslane, to eat greens such as cucumber, purgative manna3, ripe fruit, to use soured things; of the meat is goat and young goat; of the birds is chickens, dull-yellow partridge, francolins4; yogurt and fresh fish.
July is thirty-one days; heat becomes intense therein; water goes down; one must drink cold water before breakfast, eat cold, fresh things, and digestible foods (like those mentioned in June); one must smell cold, wet flowers with agreeable scent.
August is thirty-one days; the simoom5 becomes intense therein; cold becomes excited at night; the north wind blows; temper becomes good through patting and moistening; it is useful to drink yogurt; one must refrain from having sexual intercourse and laxatives; one should decrease sport, and smell cold flowers.
September is thirty days; the air becomes good therein; the power of the black bile becomes strong; having laxatives is good; it is useful to eat sweets and (in moderation) various kinds of meat such as that of young goats and mutton; one must refrain from beef, eat abundant roasted meat, enter the bathroom, use therein perfume with moderate temper, and refrain from eating melon and cucumber.
October is thirty-one days; various winds blow in it; one must breathe the east wind, avoid bloodletting and taking medicine; sexual intercourse is praiseworthy therein; it is useful to have meat with spices; one must decrease the drinking of water; and sport is praiseworthy in it.
November is thirty days; seasonal rain comes down in it; one must not drink water at night, decrease entering the bathroom and having sexual intercourse, take a mouthful of warm water in the early morning every day, and avoid eating vegetables such as celery, mint, and watercress.
December is thirty-one days; storms become strong and cold becomes intense in it; it is useful to have all that which has been mentioned in November; one must be cautious of having cold foods, and guard against cupping and bloodletting; and one must use therein foods which are potentially and actually hot.
- Imam Ali Al-Riza6