רשומה קשורה ל-מכתב: T-S 10J15.15

Recto

The letter of Ismaʿīl b. Faraḥ, from Alexandria to the Banū Faraḥ in Fusṭāṭ

1. Nahray wrote to you, may God perpetuate his glory, regarding what remained for us in Fusṭāṭ, and I acquainted you with what it was, if nothing is kept for me

2. I will travel to Fusṭāṭ, and do not be distressed in yourself for our condition if

3. You hear about the condition of people [...], the sons of Tāhartī, Abū Saʿīd, swore to his father’s penny will not remain with us, and we perished

4. And they do not know where he went or towards where he should go, and whosoever left its gate, either wished for death or was eaten, and if he sat, he died

5. Of hunger. And I ask you to purchase two dīnārs worth of flour, grind them in their bags, and remove its husks and wrap it in a waist cloth 

6.  Or in two waist cloths, and release yourself of prickings of conscience in this type of business…and half 

7. Buy it with 2 dīnārs, or with one dīnār, whatever you deem fit, the errand boy (ṣabīyy) who took the letter will go up with 

8. his master and my letters will be delivered to you at his hands with the news. Your uncle Yusuf has sold pepper for you, at the price [...], qinṭar (100 pounds)

9. Which was ransomed (?) by Maimūn at a very inferior price. A bag containing approximately 60 dīnārs has arrived for you from the consignment of Barūk/kh, and the price of 

10. A bale of flax and oil of al-Qābisī has arrived. May God free/save us from the people as they were saved/freed from us. al-Kohen hasn’t brought me anything except a single bag (of coins?) 

11. from the first year from Abū Yūsuf. And the ones that arrived safely from our colleagues are Abū l-Faḍl b. Khalfa and his friend al-Qābisī, and Ibn al-Ḥajjāj

12. And his nephew Abū Ibraham b. Khalaf, and the son of the Sicilian/Palermitan judge and the errand boy (ṣabiyy) of Ibn Yusuf al-Baysānī. I know most of these people who have arrived

13. And the Muḥabbab (ship) whose freight/cargo is from Barqa and Sicily contains 6,000 skins of olive oil, if I had money,  I would have purchased it, because olive oil according to your uncle in Sūsa 

14.  sells (in Egypt) for 4 for a dīnār and in Mahdīyya for 5 for a dīnār. The epidemic/plague has spread across coastal cities, as for Qayrawān, no one remains, may God keep you in safety.

15. Do not roam about the villages for these are trying times. By God, be vigilant in yourself, 'who is called wise? He who sees the consequences' [Tamud 32a].

16. Be vigilant in all things before you enter into them. Do not trust in [the belief that] he who [is destined to] survive, will survive, for in my view this time does not call for nothing can be done [except for the trust in God]. And if I reaffirm

17. My will/intention, I will travel to Fusṭāt after the holiday, according to what I see in your letters. May God only acquaint me of your well-being and keep you in safety

18. And fulfill in you my prayers and desires. May God fulfill in you so that you will “judge the nation”. And I have to purchase, in earnest,

19. Two skins of oil in the quantity of [....] on Mawhūb (name of a person), and I have weighed every single dīnār for you of the 5 dīnārs that were received from ʿAbd al-Qādir. And they said [...]

20. We purchased it for a dīnār less [..] 6 dīnārs….

Right margin

But God eased it, do not get anxious

Top Margin

1. last year a man would have to sell himself, and purchase. Now . . . . . . . . for a small amount, and even so nobody knows. . . . 

Verso

1. What was written for him, and my letters which were supposed to reach Kohen al-Ramlī

2. In the ḍubāra binding, reached Maimūn, which I had pierced with a hole

3. And I have sent them towards Kohen with the messenger carrying this letter

4. Give him one silver for all of it.

Verso (Address)

1. For my beloved son, Abū Surūr Faraḥ b. Ismaʿīl b. Faraḥ                 

2. May God prolong his life and perpetuate his help, safety, and glory

3. Let it arrive/be delivered to my Master Abī Yaḥyā Nahray b. Nissīm

4.  from Ismaʿīl b. Faraḥ