Scholarship on Letter: CUL Or.1080 J180

Recto

1. I(n your name)
2. I previously sent letters to my lord, the most glorious
3. elder — may God prolong his existence in health and make eternal
4. his support, happiness, wellbeing, benefaction,
5. high rank, strength and splendor and vanquish with humiliation
6. and ignominy those who envy him and his enemies, and never deprive him
7. of the good of success — in which I explained to you all
8. the matters and circumstances. I won't expand on it except to say
9. that I long for you, may God bring our reunion near 
10. in the most preferable circumstances and the greatest expectations in his benefaction
11. and abundance of kindness, since He is responsible for this and has the power to bring it about, 
12. if God wills in his mercy. I also informed you 
13. in them of all the prices of the goods that
14. I need to send back to you. But I would like, if 
15. this is stuitable to you, for frankincense and brazilwood to be sent immediately after
16. the holiday, if the good brazilwood goes for 120 dinars
17. per bale and the frankincense for 20 dinars
18. per qinṭār and 20 raṭls. If you don't have anything
19. with you and frankincense is available, get a loan from

 

Recto - right margin

1. the dīwān
2. and buy some,
3. as well as a bit of camphor
4. for 20 dinars per mann. But 
5. prices are in the hands of God the exalted.
6. As for the rest, when 
7. whatever there was that was unloaded
8. from the boat of the Dībājī,
9. some of the items came to ʿAydhāb,
10. and some remained in Suwākin.
11. They ran out of time 
12. and Abū l-Karam the wakīl
13. took possession of the rest.
14. Each person's name
15. is on his qisṭ,
16. and Shemuʾel's name is
17. on all of them, and also 
18. on his own qisṭ.

Recto - top

1. Some news arrived
2. that pepper, lac and brazilwood
3. arrived in ʿAydhāb.
4. The wakīl claimed them,
5. and they're with him and with the Muslims
6. who are going up to claim
7. their qisṭ. Nahrāy
8. is also going up.
9. I would like for

Verso

1. you to claim what belongs to Shemuʾel from the qisṭ. Don't
2. slack on this. Also, regarding Zikrī
3. al-Ṭarābulusī, the wakīl wanted legal documents
4. showing that you entered into an agreement about claiming his (goods). Do it,
5.  and don't worry about it if all the merchants
6. know that the dirham in Shemuʾel's hands
7. belongs to you and you left Aden with it. I don't need
8. to urge you to help the elder Mufaḍḍal in bringing
9. this letter of mine to you and executing (the contents of) it with him. Whatever
10. accoutrements you request for the journey، you have
11. a right to claim them. Make the choice as well for
12. anyone whom you know he's taking care of. If you write letters to Aden,
13. let them know what he's capable of and the family he comes from. I'd' like his letters
14. to reach me letting me know of the kindness you've shown him.
15. Send best regards to all our colleagues who have left with the Kārim.
16.  

Verso, right margin

1. I send you best regards.
2. Also Sulaymān, Yiṣḥaq and my children — 
3. send them best regards.
4. Send Abū l-Ḥusayn and his two sisters
5. best regards.
6. Send the entire family
7. best regards.
8. Send anyone over whom you extend your concern
9. best regards. Send Musallam
10. and Shemuʾel best
11. regards. Utmost peace.
12. Ṭevet 1452 (Sel.)

Verso, address:

1. His honor my lord the most glorious elder Abū Zikrī
2. Yaḥyā b. Sulaymān, may his resting place be Eden, b. al-Shāmī, may God decree his wellbeing
3. (From) the one who is grateful for his benefactions, 
4. Abū Zikrī Kohen. Peace.