Scholarship on Letter: Bodl. MS heb. a 2/11

Statement of account by Abū l-Bishr, as follows: A bale of lac weighing

two qinṭars gross and 89 raṭls minus the containers and tare, 14

raṭl. Net: two qinṭars 75 raṭls, at the rate of 16 dinars

per qinṭar. The price is 44 of the al-Mahdī dinars (minted 909–34 in Qayrawān), subtracting

two habbas from each dinar that will enter into my liability later. Because of the yellow color it contained

he received a discount of a half dinar. The balance is 43½ dinars after

the deduction, less weighing and transport, one and a half qīrāṭs. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A bale the gross weight of which is two qinṭārs 85 raṭls minus the tare

and the "spittle" (defect?) in it, 17 raṭls. Net: two qinṭārs and 71

raṭls. The rate is 16 dinars per qinṭār, the cost is 43⅓ dinars

after the discount and the deduction of two habbas from the [total]

price. Two bales: 85 dinars, the weight of which is ... 

I paid 1¼ for the brokerage (juʿl), weighing and packing [

The balance is 83½ dinars and a qīrāṭs and a habba. I paid

for the price of the wax. With the improvement in the face of the ʿAzīzī dinars,

a dinar and a half minus half a qīrāṭ. The balance to his credit, after that

is ten dinars and two qīrāṭs less one habba. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

I sold a jar of sindānī indigo the weight of which is 69 raṭls less

the container, 3 raṭls, net 66 raṭls. The rate:

33 rubāʿīs per qinṭār, deducting two habbas from each dinar.

The cost: 22 dinars minus a quarter-dinar. After the discount, its weight will be

21 dinars and five qīrāṭs and a habba. Subtract

from this the brokerage, weighing and freight, half a dinar; the balance

is 21 dinars less seven qīrāṭs. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

I sold a jar of ʿAmtānī indigo, net weight 57½ raṭls.

The rate is 30 dinars per qinṭār. The cost is

17¼ dinars less the brokerage, weighing and packing for a quarter-dinar

The remaining cost is 17 dinars minus one-eighth. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

I sold a jar of ʿAmtānī indigo. The weight is 17 raṭls net,

the rate 30 dinars per qinṭār, the price after brokerage

14 dinars minus seven qīrāṭs. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

I sold a jar of Sindānī indigo, net weight after tare

4 raṭls, 63 raṭls, at the rate of 35 dinars per qinṭar of weight.

The cost after brokerage and discount is 21½

dinars. 

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I sold a jar of Sindānī indigo, net final weight 85 raṭl, at the rate

of 33 dinars per qinṭār of weight. The cost, after brokerage and discount,

is 21 dinars less one eighth and a habba. 

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The total: 94 dinars minus one-third. To your credit, the price of the

lac was 10 dinars and two qīrāṭs. The cost is 104 dinars

minus one-quarter. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Received in the weight of the bale of maḥlab: 3 net qinṭars

after the tare of the container; the rate is 12 dinars and half a qinṭār, the cost

A bale of rose (petals? marmalade?) was received the weight of which was 2 qinṭārs and 30 raṭls at a rate of

22 dinars per qinṭar, subtracting two habbas per dinar. The cost is

49½ dinars weighed, less the brokerage, weighing and transport, which is 1½ dinars

minus a qīrāṭ. THe total is 85½ dinars minus a qīrāṭ after the discount. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A bale of sugar weighing two qinṭārs, 39 raṭls clarified, at a rate of

10 dinars minus a quarter-dinar for the exchange rate (?): its cost is 23⅔ dinars. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Received for the sugar that was with the roses: 68 raṭls, a rate of 9½

dinars and a price of 6½ dinars.  –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Received for refined sugar: 47¼ raṭls, a rate of 12½ dinars

less a qīrāṭ, the cost 3½ dinars and two qīrāṭs,

a total of 33½ dinars minus two qīrāṭs minus brokerage of ½

dinar. The balance is 33 dinars minus two qīrāṭs and a habba because of the

basket, because it has absorbed moisture. If it weren't for Abū Yaʿqūb's sugar

we wouldn't have been able to get rid of it, because we sold it together with him.

A cloth, cotton and ropes: ⅔ dinar and a qīrāṭ, a total of

119 dinars and two qīrāṭs. To your credit from the proceeds of the indigo and the balance from the proceeds

of the lac: 103¾ dinars. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

The sum of the funds due to you in total will be 223 dinars less

one-sixth. I received a quarter-dinar from you minus a kharrūba

from the Mahdī dinars. They charged us a commission of a kharrūba for each

dinar that we bought. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

You have three jars of nīl indigo for which we have not found a arrangement. You offered them at

18 dinars per qinṭār, but no one bought them from me. You left them

until God eased our affairs; if God hadn't eased

our affairs regarding the roses and maḥlab all of which I sold for you,

I would not have succeeded in selling them in the market, even in a year.

As God lives, my brother, I tried my best for your goods

and I made the biggest effort I could. If there had arrived