رسالة: T-S Ar.40.126
رسالة T-S Ar.40.126What's in the PGP
- صورة
- 1 Transcription
- 1 Translation
الوصف
Business letter from ʿUmar b. ʿIwaḍ, in Qalyūb, to the notary and qāḍī Ṣadr al-Dīn, at the Dār al-Wakāla in Fustat. Discussing a shipment of palm branches from Qalyūb and their transport on the Nile. Dating: ca. 1150–1250 CE. English translation in Goitein, LMJT, 270–71. Goitein's introduction: "The Islamic dar wakala, or warehouse, like the Roman basilica, was a hall where goods were traded and stored and where judges and notaries had their seats for the settlement of disputes and arrangement of formalities connected with business transactions (see Med. Soc., i, 187-189, and here, introduction, sec. 3, above). Even a small town like Qalyub (northwest of Cairo) possessed such a semipublic building. Palm branches are frequently mentioned in building operations, and in our letter this type rather than the one used for religious purposes is intended. It is interesting that the permission of the chief of the police was required, probably because payment of a tax was involved. The letter is written in beautiful, clear Arabic characters, in many cases even equipped with diacritical marks. ... The verso contains also the beginning of the draft of a petition in Arabic language and Hebrew characters of the dyers in Qalyub. The words are crossed out, probably because the clerk realized that the sheet would not be sufficient for the text dictated to him. On the same page there is also a calligraphic trial of the pen: "Said the Khazari." "Said the scholar." This shows that in this little town there was a scribe who tried to copy the theological magnum opus of the Spanish Hebrew poet Judah ha-Levi. Learned scribes were often found in small towns, where life was less expensive than in the big cities. See Med. Soc., 11, 239.)
العلامات
Editor: Aodeh, Sabih
Translator: Goitein, S. D. (in English)
T-S Ar.40.126 1r
Recto:
- الله خير معين
- المملوك عمر بن عوض يخدم مجلس سيدنا ومولانا
- المالك صدر الدين اسعده الله وادامه وينهي
- ان المملوك توجه لقليوب فلم يجد الوالي
- فاجتمع المملوك بالشيخ العلم العامل
- فتفضل وقضى الشغل بعد تعب
- ولم نجد عند احد جريد مشمع والجريد
- الاخضر باعوه بسبعين للالف وقد
- دفعنا الدراهم الورق ناخذ من كل
- بستان قليل دفعنا له ستين درهما
- على شرط انه يحملها للبحر وجينا
- قليوب ما بقي يحمله البحر وما عندهم
Recto, right margin:
- الا مركب صغير ما يحمل غير نفقات
- يسيرة فنسير للمولى رسول
- ومركب يسيره المولى للشيخ العلم
- فانت تسلم له الجريد ويجعله
- للمملوك في قليوب
Recto
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God is the best of helpers.
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Your servant Omar b. ʿIwaḍ serves the high seat of our master
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and lord, my master Ṣadr al-Dīn, may God let him prosper all his days, and informs him
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that your servant went to Qalyūb, but did not find the chief of police.
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Then your servant met with the "Learned and Practicing" sheikh and he kindly settled
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the matter after great exertion.
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We did not find any waxed palm branches, and the green
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branches are sold for 70 (dirhems) a thousand.
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I paid the waraq dirhems and he took a few branches from each
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orchard. I paid him 60 dirhems,
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on condition that he transport the palm branches to the (Nile) river. But when I arrived again
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in Qalyūb, he still had to bring them to the river, and there they had only
Recto, right margin
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a small boat able to carry just a few victuals.
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I am sending now a messenger to my lord,
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and ask you to send him to the sheikh "The Learned"
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with a request that he deliver the palm branches to you,
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and you will keep them for your servant in Qalyub.
T-S Ar.40.126 1v
Verso
- لثاني نهار فلم يصل من عند سيدنا احد
- وقد عرفت سيدنا هذا والسلام
Verso, address
- يصل لدار الوكالة يسلم للقاضي الاجل الاوحد
- الريس صدر الدين الشاهد بها ادام الله توفيقه
Verso, address
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To the warehouse, to be delivered to the illustrious and
excellent qadi
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Ṣadr al-Dīn, who acts there as a notary, may God
always give him success.