Letter: T-S 6J1.8

Letter T-S 6J1.8

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Input date

In PGP since 2017

Description

Letter in which a notable to whom Abu al-'Izz b. Imran owed about 60 dirhams proposes, as a charitable act, to let him work off his obligation. A copyist had been copying quires of the Torah for the letter-writer, but had left for Palestine. Knowing that Abu al-'Izz has a good handwriting, the writer now wants to have him discharge his debt by taking over the project. He asks the Nagid to order him to do so, at a rate of at least two quires per week. (Information from Goitein's index cards and from Cohen)

T-S 6J1.8 1r

1r

Transcription

S. D. Goitein, unpublished editions.
  1. אלממלוך יקבל אלארץ טאיעא ללה תע אמאם מגלס סיידנא אלנגיד ירום
  2. הודו ויגדל כבודו יחייה חמודיו יברכם ישמרם ישימם לכבוד ולתהלה אמן
  3. וינהי אן לה ענד אלשיך אבו אלעז בן עמראן שצ פצה ואלממלוך
  4. יעלם אן מא מעה שי ואנה שכץ פקיר ולא שך באן אלממלוך
  5. אסתנסך כראריס מן אלתורה ומצי אלשכץ אלדי כתבהם אלי אלשאם
  6. ואלממלוך סמע באן אלשיך אלאגל אבו אלעז שצ יכתב כט גייד וקצד
  7. אלממלוך מן סיידנא ירום הודו אן יאמרה באן יכתב ולו כראסין
  8. כל אסבוע הדא אן אקר באנהא ענדה ואן נכר פנאיס מנהא ולא
  9. נאיס רחמה אללה תע והי נחו סתון דרהמא ינסך לי בהא אלי אן יופי
  10. מא עליה ואדא אופאה נדפע לה תקדמה חק נסך מן קבל אן ינסך
  11. שי והדא גמיעה נקצדה מן אללה תע ומן סיידנא ירום הודו פאללה
  12. סתרנא בחיאת סיידנא וגמיע מא נחן פיה מן אללה ומן סיידנא פאללה יגעלה

right margin, diagonal, at 45’ to main text, upside down

אבדא מקצוד לא קאצד אלא | לבאב רחמתה | ויגעלה מחצם

בין ידיה מע כלהם | ושלום

Translation

Mark Cohen, The Voice of the Poor in the Middle Ages (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2005).

Recto

The slave kisses the ground, paying obedience to God the ex(alted), before the seat of our lord the nagid, may your glory be exal[t]ed and your honor be increased and may (God) grant your sons long life, bless them, protect them, and see that they acquire great prestige. Amen. I inform you that the elder Abuʾl-ʿIzz b. ʿImrān, (may his R(ock) p(rotect him), owes me money. Your slave knows that he has nothing and that he is poor. The truth is that your slave was having quires of the Torah copied for him, but the person who was copying them left for Palestine (Shām). Your slave heard that the most illustrious elder Abuʾl-ʿIzz, (may his) R(ock) p(rotect hlm), has a good manuscript hand, so your slave asks our lord, may your glory be exalted, to order him to [c]opy at least two quires per week (he doesn't stipulate how many weeks), that is, if he confirms that he owes me. If he can only give a little, I shall drop the claim, though I shall not drop my hope for the mercy of God the ex(alted). It amounts to about sixty dirhems. Let him copy for me until he discharges what he owes. When he discharges it, I will forgive the advanced payment for his copying before he copied anything. This favor I ask from God the ex(alted) and from our lord, may your glory be exalted. May Go[d] bring redemption during the lifetime of our lord. Everything in our lives comes from God and from our lord. May God ma[k]e you ever the refuge for those seeking [r]efuge [...] in His mercy and make you [...] in His presence with all. And peace.

T-S 6J1.8 1v

1v
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