Scholarship on Letter: MIAC 23973.90
Letter MIAC 23973.90- Bibliographic citation
- Geoffrey Khan, Arabic Documents from Medieval Nubia (University of Cambridge and Open Book Publishers, 2024).
- Location in source
- doc. 4
- Relation to document
- Digital Edition
- Digital Translation
- Edition
- Translation
Image
Transcription
Translation
Editor: Khan, Geoffrey
Translator: Khan, Geoffrey (in English)
MIAC 23973.90 recto
°
Geoffrey Khan, Arabic Documents from Medieval Nubia (University of Cambridge and Open Book Publishers, 2024).
Recto
- بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
- وصل كتاب الاكشيل وصاحب الخيل اطال الله بقاه وادام
- عزه وكبت عدوه ووقفت عليه وعلى ما ذكره من انه
- سير الي وصيفة ثم سير ⟦وصيفة⟧ جارية صحبة جوهر
- وانني لم اسير اليه الا عمامتين بجحوف ومجلس واما
- الوصيفة الاولة فلم تصلني بمحمله واخذها كرمى
- صاحب الخيل وانا ما اكاتبك واهاديك احمال
- قماش حتى تعدد على ما تسيره وانا ما اطلب
- الا صلاح البلاد والله ما احوجني اليك ولا الى
- احد الله رزقني وانما انا اطلب صلاح البلاد لا
Recto, right margin
- غير وكتبت اليك
- في حال عبيدي لم تجاوبنى ثم
- كتبت اليك في حال الراسين الرقيق
- الذي سيرهم الى غريمى
- ابوا الضباع ولم تسيرهم
- الي وما اعرف قسم لنا
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.
- The letter has arrived from the Ikshīl and the Master of the Horses, may God prolong his life, cause his
- power to endure and crush his enemy. I have taken note of it and the fact that he stated that he
- has sent to me a female slave, and has sent to me a slave girl with Jawhar,
- and that I have only been able to send to him two turbans with difficulty and a seat. As for
- the first (i.e., the aforementioned) female slave, she has not reached me in his consignment so that I may take possession of her, my honour,
- Master of the Horses, and I shall not correspond with you nor give you consignments
- of cloth as gifts until what you send is at my disposal. I seek
- only the wellbeing of the land. God has not made me needful of you nor of
- anybody else. God has provided for me. I only seek the wellbeing of the land and not
Recto, right margin
- anything else. I wrote to you
- concerning the condition of my slaves but you did not reply. Then
- I wrote to you concerning the condition of the two slaves
- who are to be sent to my creditor
- ʾAbū al-Ḍubāʿ, but you have not sent them
- to me and I do not know whether your servant has given us a share,
MIAC 23973.90 verso
°
Verso
- خادمك فقد سيرت غلامي ماريخرة فتكون تسلم اليه
- الراسين الذي لابوا الضباع ووصل الامير كنز الدولة
- بعد ظفر وقتل ونصرة الله وجواب كتابك يصل
- ان شا الله وان كان لك حاجة والله في جالبة غلامى
- ماريخرة ان شا الله عز وجل
- الحمد لله وحده وصلواته على سيدنا محمد نبينا وسلامه
- وخلي الناس ينحدروا فما عليهم خوف وقد اطلقنا الناس
- بعد وصل الامير ما بقي الا الخير
Verso, address, right column
- صاحب الخيل اروي خياخ ...
Verso, address, left column
- شاكره لامع بن حسن
- الكنزى
Verso
- and I have sent my slave boy Mārīḵura. Deliver to him
- the two slaves who are for ʾAbū al-Ḍubāʿ. The commander Treasure of the Dynasty (Kanz al-Dawla) arrived
- after victory, slaughter and God’s victory. Your response will arrive (soon),
- if God wills. If you need anything, then of course (take) from the goods conveyed by my slave boy
- Mārīkhura, if God, the Mighty and Glorious, wills.
- Praise be to God alone and His blessings on our lord Muḥammad, our prophet, and His peace.
- Let the people go down (the river) without fear. We have released the people.
- After the commander arrived, all was well.
Verso, address, right column
- The Master of the Horses, Uruwī Khiyākh …
Verso, address, left column
- The one grateful to him, Lāmiʿ ibn Ḥasan
- al-Kanzī