رسالة: Unknown (excavation images 1974_P04_01A-02 and 1974_P04_00A-01)
رسالة Unknown (excavation images 1974_P04_01A-02 and 1974_P04_00A-01)What's in the PGP
- 1 Transcription
- 1 Translation
الوصف
Letter possibly from Manṣūr b. Lāmʿ b. Ḥasan by the order of Khalīfa b. Ḥasan to Abū Muḥammad ʿĪsā b. Muḥammad b. Ḥasan. Concerning the pursuit of two runaway slaves in Nubia. Alternate readings (ASE): - In recto l. 4, instead of في كتب, it is possible to read مترقب ("awaiting") - The sender may be [...] b. Khalīfa b. Ḥasan; the first line of the left column of the address may be a formula along the lines of min ṣafiyy mawaddithā wa-shākir inʿāmihā. Khan, Qaṣr Ibrīm, doc. 30
العلامات
صورة
النصوص المفرّغة
الترجمة
Editor: Khan, Geoffrey
Translator: Khan, Geoffrey (in English)
Unknown (excavation images 1974_P04_01A-02 and 1974_P04_00A-01) recto
°
Geoffrey Khan, Arabic Documents from Medieval Nubia (University of Cambridge and Open Book Publishers, 2024).
Recto
- بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم وصلواته على سيدنا محمد واله وسلم تسليما
- كتابى الى حضرة مولاى الشيخ الاجل اطال الله بقاه وادام عزه وعلاه و رفعته وسناه وتمكينه
- وكبت بالذل حسدته واعداه اعلمه ادام الله علاه اننى كثير الشوق الى حضرته المحروسة
- متطلع الى الطريق فى كتب اخباره وسايل عنه كثيرا وهو يعلم حرس الله عزه انه عندى مقام
- الوالد وانه ان يشتهى منى بحاجة ولا يستخدمنى شيا فاسر بقضاها وقد كنت قدمت الى صاحب
- الخيل وزير الملك كتاب اول صحبة طاعى فى معنا خادمين قد هربا من عندى هناك الى ابريم عند مسيركما
- متوجهين الىسوبة في مركز النوبة وانهيت عزمى وراهما الى ان تعديت امياه كركر واعلمت انكما لم تكونا
- بالقلعة المعروفة بابريم ولما انبئت وصولهما الى بلده رجعت عنهما وعلمت ان ما لى نفقته الا عند عودته وقد
- كان سير جمعيته الحالين حمدان وب نعمتى صلح باثر ذلك العبدين والناقة لو سا ظنك فلا عدمت اهتمامك ولا
- خلوت خيرك وما تركت الوصول الى ابريم عند ذلك الا انى لم اعلم ان لى بها صديق ولا معرفةذ بعد
- صعودك منها وطاعى غائب فمسكت بفسى عن الوصول الى الشريك لانى لم اجرء ولا عنده من نصرته بى
- وبعد ذلك فقد بلغنى ان الشريك انفذ الثلاثة خدم الهاربان الى اسوان وباعهما ولم اصحح ذلك
- الا بعد وصول كتابك الى علمت فيه ما تريد احياك الله بكثرة همتك وترك الغفلة عن ذلك فانت تعلم اننى من
- جماعة لا يعجزوا عن حقهم وانت اخبر الناس بى وبوالدى فلا تهمل الامر وكاتبنى بالجواب بسرعة بصحبة ما ظهر لك
- وتعلم صاحب الخيل من عندك وتذكر له انه ابن اخت ى القاض نور الدين وهو صاحب
- الـشركة التي نور الدين فيها
Recto - right margin
- وعرضت عليه وبركنا بحالة ثقة وشان
- لانه اكرم ثقة منى والان
- فما يحتاج وكتبت فى ذلك
- لتعلم من هو الثقة فانت تعلم
- وتعلم ان لى كل [ ] ولديه
- اشركت للزوجة ولغلامى
- رمضان وراشد البحار
- الذى صحبته والذين من النوبة
- ] عليهم تحية جعفر السلام
Recto - top margin
- والامير ما اعجز عن مكافاته المكرمة
- ومكافاتك باكرام سعيد فقد كنت
- اشتهى لو تعيد لى اكرام وجالبة كريمة
- ]ـها كله فهان على حبى اخذ حلاوة
- الظفر وانت اخير بحلاة اليوم
- فتخاطبه وتعلمه ان صاحب الكتاب
- المنفذ مع طاعى شيخ بعثه القاضى
- وهو ولد خليفة للقاضى الكنزى
- وتعرفه يكافى ما يفتح لك شى
- ان اشكل على انا عليك جميعا
- هو [ ]كريم
Geoffrey Khan, Arabic Documents from Medieval Nubia (University of Cambridge and Open Book Publishers, 2024).
Recto
- In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate. His blessings be upon our lord Muḥammad, and his family, and may He save (them).
- (This is) my letter to my honourable lord, the most illustrious elder, may God prolong his life and cause his strength, his ascendance, his elevation, his splendour and his power to endure,
- and crush in humility his enviers and his enemies. I inform him, may God cause his ascendance to endure, that I long greatly for his presence, may he be protected,
- and am looking out on the road for letters conveying his news, and I often ask about him. He knows, may God protect his power, that he has the status
- of a father for me and that if he wants me to do a task or needs my service for anything, then I would be happy to carry it out. I have sent in advance a first letter to the Master
- of the Horses, the vizier of the king, with Ṭāʿī concerning two servants who fled from me there, to Ibrīm, (where you are) during your trip,
- heading for Soba in the middle of Nubia. I did my utmost to pursue them until I crossed the waters of Kurkur. I was told that you were not
- in the citadel known as Ibrīm. When I was notified that they had arrived in his (the eparch’s) land, I turned back (from my pursuit of) them. I have been informed that I shall not have my wages from him (the addressee) until when he returns.
- Your current group, Ḥamdān and the son of my aunt, Ṣāliḥ, has sent in pursuit of those two servants and the camel (they fled on). If you had felt concern, I would not have been deprived of your attention,
- nor would I have lacked your kindness. Moreover, I would not have desisted from travelling to Ibrīm in the current situation, but I did not know whether I had a friend or acquaintance in it (Ibrīm)
- after you departed from it upriver and Ṭāʿī was absent. So I desisted from coming to the partner, because I did not dare, and, moreover, he could not have helped me (anyhow).
- It has subsequently been reported to me that the partner had sent the three fugitive servants to Aswan and has sold them there, but I was not able to verify this
- until your letter arrived, in which I was informed what you, may God preserve your life, wish, in your great solicitude and care for this matter. You know that I am from
- among those who are capable of obtaining their rights and you know me and my father best. Do not neglect the matter, but write to me with a response quickly together with what is new in your place.
- Inform the Master of the Horses about the person who is with you and tell him that he (the person with you) is the son of the sister of the judge Nūr al-Dīn and that he is a member
- of the partnership of which Nūr al-Dīn is a member.
Recto - right margin
- I explained (the affair) to him (Nūr al-Dīn?) and we were blessed with his trust and support,
- for he offers me very kind support. Now,
- this is what is needed. I have written concerning this
- so that you know who is a trustworthy support
- and you know that I have every [ ] and
- I have brought into partnership with him my wife and my slave boy,
- Ramaḍān and Rāshid, the mariner,
- who is with him and those of the Nubians
- [ ] upon them the greeting of Jaʿfar.
Recto - top margin
- The commander was able to recompense him generously
- and also recompense you with great generosity. I had hoped
- that you would return such generosity to me and generous merchandise
- all [ ] and my love (for you) makes me unwilling to take the sweet reward
- of victory, when you are more worthy of reward today.
- So, talk to him (the Master of the Horses?) and inform him that the author of the letter
- brought by Ṭāʿī is an elder sent by the judge.
- He is the son of the Kanzī judge deputising for him (the judge).
- Let him (the Master of the Horses?) know and he will recompense you with anything available for you,
- if either of us have difficulties.
- He is [ ] generous.
Unknown (excavation images 1974_P04_01A-02 and 1974_P04_00A-01) verso
°
Verso
- وما تركت الوصول اليكم بعد وصولكم الا لصيام رمضان عند اهلى وانا انفا ارحل طاعى يجى
- بجواب كتابى وكان بعد هروب الخادم ركبت جملا نوبى بحر يوم وليلة ر[كبـ]ـت ولم اتكل على احد
- من الغلمان ليتخذوا فى البحث عليهم فركبت الى جهت كركر فرجعت منها وعلمت انهم رحلوا الى ابريم
- ولم تكن تامر حق شى فاصل اليه اقضى من حقى امكن قصرى الى حين وصول الامير من السفر اليه وقد عرفته لك لتعلم
- انى سالته الجواب سرعة ومهما جاوب لك تامر لابى الوالد بن حاضر فيطالعنى بما راى سيدنا موفقا ان شا الله
- اجرت مكارى ووصلت الى من خليفته ولقى برييس كلنا فى الكل رايه الراى وقر وان رايت قر فخذ منى
- هذا الخادم فتعلمه انه قادر على نهب قريتين ثلاثة من قرا بلدك ادا ليد غلمانه لانى وجهت عبد
- موالى وهو صحيح لا تترك له فسحة فان خاننى يهينون القوم منك وان ضيعهم التبديل فتشترى مثلهم
- تسيرهم لى وله ثلث ثمنهم ان شا حجتى وان فعل معى جميل كما افعله مع غيرى يمكنه الله فى سببه
- انا قادر على بيعه وضمنه جميل الصافى والموالى والقاضى واكثر لانى من اهل البلد وحكمت فى البلد
- تحكمى اكثر منهم من بنى عم واخوان وجماعة عرفته ذلك وانا اسير اكرا الخادمين بمزيدهم يكونوا جماعة
- ] . . . . والسلام عليك برحمته وجميع من حضرتك المحروسة تحيى افضل اكثر التحيات وعلى من يحرس
- حياتك . . . والحمد لله وحده حسبنا الله نعم الوكيل
Verso - margin
- والزوجة وجهت سلامها . . .
Verso - address
- حضرة مولاى الشيخ ابو محمد عيسى بن محمد بن حسن
- حرسها الله من حسدتها وكبت اعداها بالذل الحقير ليصل ابريم
- منصور مويدها بن شاكره لامع بن
- حسن بامر من خليفة بن حسن
Verso
- The only reason I did not come to you after you arrived was that I wanted to spend the fast of Ramaḍān with my family. I will immediately send Ṭāʿī to bring back
- the reply to my letter. After the flight of the servants, I rode a Nubian camel throughout the day and night and I did not rely on any
- of the servants to undertake the search for them. I rode in the direction of Kurkur and then returned from there. Then I learnt that they had gone to Ibrīm.
- You did not give instructions for any power to be granted to me so that I could go there to exercise this and overcome my current inability to act until the time of the arrival of the commander from his journey there. I have informed you of this so that you know
- that I have asked him to respond quickly. Whatever he replies to you, give instructions to ʾAbū al-Wālid ibn Ḥāḍir to inform me of the decision of our lord (the commander), may you be granted success, if God wills.
- I hired a muleteer and travelled to the person who is his (the commander’s?) lieutenant and he met with the Head of all of us, presiding over everything, whose decision is the (supreme) decision and it is fixed. If you make a decision, it is (likewise) fixed. So take from me
- this servant and inform him that he is able to extract payment from two or three villages of your district to deliver into the hand of his (the commander’s?) slave boys. For I have sent the slave
- of my freedmen. He is sound, but do not allow him any dispensation, and if he betrays me, the people will despise you. If he misses the opportunity for them to be exchanged, then buy similar ones\
- and send them to me, and he should have a third of their price, if he wants my written certification. If he does me a good turn, as I do with others, let God enable him in his enterprise.
- I can sell it and guarantee him a good net income, also the freedmen, the judge and more, because I am from among the people of the town and I get my way in the town.
- I get my way more than cousins and brothers and family. I have informed him and I shall bring about the increase of the servants, and through this increase they will become a group.
- […… ] and greetings to you, with his mercy, and everybody in you presence, may it be protected, greet with the best greetings, and those who protect
- your life. …. Praise be to God alone. Our sufficiency is God. What a fine keeper is He!
Verso - right margin
- And the wife has sent her greetings.
Verso - address
- My honourable lord, the elder ʾAbū Muḥammad ʿĪsā ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan,
- may God protect him from his enviers and crush his enemies in vile humiliation. It should go to Ibrīm.
- Manṣūr, his supporter, son of the one grateful to him, Lāmiʿ ibn
- Ḥasan, by the order of Khalīfa ibn Ḥasan.