منحة في رسالة: T-S 28.11

Recto, main text

1. In the name of the Merciful.

2. <<[Margin (20)] The servant Maḍmūn b. David—may the spirit of God grant him rest!>> greets his high and lofty excellency . . .

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9. I received

10. your distinguished letter in which you report the trouble

11. you encountered with the pepper carried with you. God, the Exalted, knows

12. that my intention in this matter was only to be useful to you.

13. May God, the Exalted, support you and grant you success! Amen, Amen.

14. I should like you to share this with your servant {lit., ‘What the servant has to share with him [= you] includes the following:’}: The troops

15. killed al-Malik al-Muʿizz, who had claimed to be caliph.

16. He is succeeded by al-Malik al-Nāṣir Ayyūb, the son of the Sultan

17. Sayf al-Islam, and his Atabeg is the Sultan Sayf al-Dīn Sunqur.

18. After his government had been settled, your servants submitted your case to him. {Alt. tr.: After his government had been settled, your servants submitted their case to him.}

19. He referred it to the administrative court. But your servants {Alt. tr.: He related to them with equitable justice. Your servants}

20. declared that this was a case belonging to the religious court. {Alt. tr.: openly proclaimed their acceptance of the religion (Judaism).} We obfuscated the matter before the divines {alt. tr.: put on the badge}

21. and paid the poll tax. All this happened in the month of

22. Sivan, one day before the eve of Pentecost. We celebrated the feast

23. in the proper way, in happiness and joy. Some Jew-baiters

24. formed menacing groups, but could not do a thing, thank God,

25. the Exalted. All that happened to us has come through the blessings of 

26. our lord, the Rayyis Moses—may memory of the righteous be for a blessing!—and the blessings of our lord,

27. the pious man, our master Isaac, and through your blessings. May God, the Exalted,

28. grant you good reward for your munificence {alt. tr.: courage, virtue}! Your distinguished

29. letter, containing several orders {lit., ‘instructions to your servant for many things’} has arrived.

30. Your servant hopes to be able to carry them out.

31. I do not doubt that you—may God make your honored position eternal!—

32. love me and are concerned with my well-being. May God, the Exalted, help me

33. to satisfy your wishes, as is my duty, God willing!

34. I renew my reliance on you for having the

35. two pieces {alt. tr.: items} sent with you co[llated]

36. and {add: please have} a third copy made

37. in good script and on fine paper. And have copied

38. for me the medical writings of my lord the Rayyis.

Recto, right margin

Recto, right margin

1. And buy for me any fine copies of

2. useful books you can lay your hands on and kindly send them to me. {Add: May God make your honored position eternal!}

3. May I never be deprived of you and never miss you!

Recto, right margin, in a different hand

1. The servant Maḍmūn b. Jacob—may the spirit of God
2. grant him rest!—present at the writing of this letter, sends his

3. best regards to his excellency, my master. Thanks to [God...],

4. the affair ended happily. May all Israel

5. be blessed with the sudden appearance of salvation! We were not worthy of this,

6. but the Holy One —may He be blessed!—did what He is worthy of, for the sake of

7. His great name, and brought relief to the Jews in

8. the entire country of Yemen. Relief was brought first, slightly before us,

9. to the people of the mountains. Finally the Sultan came to us,

10. and the relief became complete, by the help of God {read: the Creator } and through your

11. success. Let them praise the Lord for His steadfast love.

12. Kindest regards to his excellency my lord (= to you) and to all under his care

13. the kindest regards, and to all connected with him and

14. subordinated to him a million greetings of peace.

15. Written Tammuz 17 1513 E.D.

16. Salvation is near!

17. Two copies were made and sent by way of the Ḥijāz.