رسالة: T-S Ar.54.39
رسالة T-S Ar.54.39العلامات
الوصف
Letter in the hand of Ḥalfon ha-Levi b. Netanʾel, writing from Aden. This is the preliminary draft of a letter, written in the form of an account, a 'long daftar' or bifolio folded the long way. In which Ḥalfon gives instructions about managing relationships in the community and the arrival and sending of goods and letters. Dating: 1131. Begins in the middle of a sentence, suggesting that at least one page is missing. Refers to Maḍmūn b. Ḥasan, Ibn Jamāhir, Ḥalfon's doubts about whether to return to Egypt or go to India, the arrival of foreigners in Aden, and Yaʿqūb’s letter, probably Yaʿqūb b. Sālim. Based on all the above, Goitein and Friedman date the letter to 1131.(Information from Goitein and Friedman, India Book IV) IB ח6 (ד9).
Edition: Goitein, S. D.; Friedman, Mordechai Akiva
Translation: Rustow, Marina (in English)
T-S Ar.54.39 1v
النصوص المفرّغة
S. D. Goitein and Mordechai Akiva Friedman, Ḥalfon the Traveling Merchant Scholar : Cairo Geniza Documents (in Hebrew) (Jerusalem: Ben Zvi Institute, 2013), vol. 4.Verso, left
- אלי חאלהא תום מן אול
- אלדכול יקצד אלמגאלטה
- פי כתב אלגמיע ויקאל
- אן מא וצל מעי כתאב
- בל הי תצל מע ̇גירי
- חתי כתב יוסף וכלף
- ואלגמיע וכתאב ̇ר יעקב
- אי̇צא ען אמרה אן כאן
- תם שעת גמ[יעהם]
(continued on recto, right)
Verso, right
- ואי̇צא חאגהִ
- בכמסִה עִ[שר] דינר
- מלכי לולו וִ[...]ל
- ללתכליל אן חִ[צל]
- וכאן רכיץ ואלא [תרך]
- ואי̇צא תחציל עבדִ ל[ר]ייס
- אמא צגיר מליח או
- בִרדיג ̇גייד אמא [...]
- [..]הדיה ענד אלפדאִ
- מן בעץ אל̇גדִ[ל]אִת איצא
- יחצל לה מן מ̇צמון
- פץ מליח ויכון גאיה
- ואלא תרך
(end)
الترجمة
Marina Rustow, [طبعة وثيقة جينيزا رقمية].Verso, left
- according to his situation. Also, from the beginning
- after their/our arrival (in Aden), his intent was to deceive
- regarding everyone's letters. And it may be said
- that I did not bring a letter.
- Rather, someone else is bringing them,
- even the letters of Yosef and Khalaf
- and everyone (else), and R. Yaʿaqov's letter
- as well, as he ordered, if there was one.
- Then they all dispersed.
(continued on recto, right)
Verso, right
- Also, he wanted
- fifteen Malikī
- dīnārs, pearls and [...]l
- to pierce, if it can be d[one]
- inexpensively. If not, [let it go].
- Also, buy a slave for the [R]ayyis,
- whether a young, pleasant one or
- a good
- [ . . ] at the time of redemption
- from one of the bat[t]les (?). In addition,
- a precious stone should arrive from Maḍmūn
- for the purposes of a ring,
- If not, let it go.
(end)
T-S Ar.54.39 1r
Recto, right
- ואן דפע למ̇צמון ולו כתאב
- ואחד יקצד אן ידפע
- כתאב ̇ר יעק[ב ע]ן אמר
- מ̇צמון וראיה וכדלך
- כתב אלגמאעה ואן יחִצל
- מן ברא שיّ ען אמרה
- ויחרץ כל אלחרץ פי אלשלום
- בינהם וכדלך אלאתנין
- יקצד אלצפח ענהם
- וימינהם ועדרהם
- יכתב מח̇צר באלחאל
- ובאלצפח ענהם ויחרִץ
- אן יוכד כט מ̇צמון בידה
- פי אן יُסאל פיהם ויבאדר
- בדלך גמיעה תאני לילהִ
- אלדכול וכתאב בן גמיהר
- אן אחו̇גת אל̇צרורה אליה
- ואלא תרך וכתאב אכר
- יצל ליוסף מע אלפתיחי
(continued on recto, left)
Recto, left
- מע כתב אלנזר מע
- מתאע [בו] סעיד
- ויח[רץ] פי מא יתחצל
- אִלי [אלרי]יס אמא ב̇צאעה
- [או ד]נאניר תסמיה פי
- [אלא]גִתמאע ויכון בכוני
- אמא אן עדת או סאפרת
- [אלי] אלהנד והו ען אמרה
- בעד כתב כתאב יעלמה
- במא חצל ובמא ̇גרא
- ואמא מא חצל ללנזר
- פירסל אליה מע תקהִ
- וכדלך כתב אלרייס אן
- קדר עלי גוי יוצלהא
- ואלא תכון מע טייّ
- כתבי אלי אכי ויוצא
- אן לא יקף עליהא אלא
- הו
(continued on verso, right)
Recto, right
- If even one letter is delivered to Maḍmūn,
- he will try to deliver
- the letter of Rabbi Yaʿaqov letter according to Maḍmūn's
- order and decision, as well as
- the letters of the entire group, even if something arrives
- from elsewhere, on his order,
- and he will endeavor as much as possible to make *peace*
- between them. Thus will both of them
- aim to forgive,
- take an oath and apologize.
- He will write a testimony about the situation
- and (about) forgiving them. He will endeavor
- to get Maḍmūn to sign with his own hand
- if he is asked about them. He will hurry to
- it all, the night after
- he arrives. Ibn Jamāhir's letter,
- if it is necessary,
- and (even) if it isn't, should be put aside. Another letter
- will reach Yosef in the hands of al-Futīḥī
(continued on recto, left)
Recto, left
- with the letters of the Nezer with
- goods from [Bū] Saʿīd.
- He will try to do what [the ray]yis deserves.
- As for the goods
- [or m]oney of a refund during
- [the g]athering — and it will take place with me present,
- whether I go back to Egypt or whether I go
- [to] India — according to his opinion,
- after writing a letter informing him
- of what was concluded and what happened.
- As for what happened to the Nezer,
- it will be sent to him with a trustworthy person
- along with the letters of the rayyis, f
- you can find a gentile to bring them,
- If not, they will be enclosed in
- my letters to my brother. He must be instructed
- that no one must read them except for
- him.
(continued on verso, right)
