State document: BL OR 5566B.19
State document BL OR 5566B.19What's in the PGP
- 1 Transcription
- 1 Translation
Description
Petition from al-Ḥasan b. Abū Saʿd probably to a vizier (several of the titles are similar to those of Ṭalāʾiʿ Ibn Ruzzīk). He complains of his poverty and weak state and seems to be asking for protection against the behaviors of the brokers in the drug/perfume trade in Fustat, who have cornered the market and are preventing merchants from doing business with the petitioner. On verso there is the qiddush for Passover in large 'childish' letters. (Information in part from Goitein's index card, MR, ASE.)
Tags
Editors: Umrethwala, Yusuf; Elbaum, Alan; Rustow, Marina
Translators: Rustow, Marina; Elbaum, Alan; Umrethwala, Yusuf (in English)
BL OR 5566B.19 recto
1. المملوك
2. الحسن بن ابو سعد
3. بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
4. خلد الله تعالى ايام المجلس السامي السيدي الاجلي الناصري
5. الـعادلي ناصر الائمة كاشف الغمة امير الجيوش سيف الاسلام
6. غياث الانام سيد ملوك العرب والعجم مالك فضلتي السيف والقلم
7. [كـ]ـافل لقضاة المسلمين والـهادي لدعاة المومنين عضد الله به الدين
8. [و]امتع بطول بقاىه امير المؤمنين وادام قدرته واعلا كلمته
9. [و]ينهي ضعفه ورقة حاله وكثرة عائلته ويسل الانعام عليه
10. والاحسان اليه باستخدامه في جملة دلالين العطر بالدار الوكالة بمصر بحكم
11. خبرته ونهضته (alt: حتومه ومضيته) وكون التجار يفنون اليه ويشتهون معاملته وان الدلالين
12. يصدونه بالاذية بحكم محتوم وليس لغم صار شهد من للبيوت
13. الا ما يشتهونه من التجار لا غير ويسل جميع الاربع وثلثمية التي
14. سائر الـقادة المستخدم بمصر بكف يد الدلالين عنه ومراعاته
15. مظل احسانه والاشتمال عليه ليحيى بذلك حياة مجددة انعاما عليه واحسان بيد ….
16. وللمجلس السامي السيدي الاجلي العادلي الناصري فضل الراي في ذلك ان شا الله
17. والحمد لله وصلواته على سيدنا محمد سلم تسليما
- The slave
- al-Ḥasan b. Abū Saʿd
- In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate
- May God, may he be exalted, prolong the days of the lofty, lordly, most noble, victorious,
- just chamber, helper of the imāms, dispeller of sorrow, commander of the armies, sword of Islam,
- succor of mankind, lord of the kings of the Arabs and non-Arabs, ruler of the two distinctions, the sword and the pen,
- guarantor of the judges of the Muslims and guide of the emissaries of the believers, may God support the religion through him,
- [and] benefit the commander of the believers by prolonging his existence, make his strength eternal and exalt his command.
- He reports his weak state, delicate situation, and abundance of dependents and asks for a gracious
- benefaction in employing him in the company of the brokers of pharmaceuticals as a merchant in the dār al-wakkāla in Fusṭāṭ on account of
- of his experience and vigor (alt: by means of an injunction and its execution), since the (other) merchants are ruining him out of envy for his business (alt: query him on account of his expertise), and since the brokers
- are discouraging him from carrying out (his tasks) by means of imposed rules. He is not undermining them something serving as witness for the something,
- but rather what some of the merchants are greedy for, nothing more. He asks for the entire 304 (?) that
- the rest of the leaders employed in Fusṭāṭ in restraining the hand of the brokers from this, protecting him,
- enfolding him in his favor and protecting him so that he may thereby live a new life as a benefaction to him and a favor …
- To the lofty, lordly, most exalted, just, victorious chamber belongs the lofty opinion in this, if God wills.
- Praise be to God, and his prayers upon our lord Muḥammad, and peace