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وصلى الله على سيدنا ومولانا محمد الذي أوضح للخلق منهاجًا، وطلع نور هدايته وَهَّاجًا، بعثه الله تعالى رحمة للعالمين، واختاره خاتمًا للنبيين، وأمكن صوارمه من رِقَاب المشركين، حتى دخل الناس في دين الله أفواجًا، وأيده بالمعجزات الباهرات، وأَنْطَقَ بتصديقه الجمادات، وأحيا بدعوته الرمم الباليات، وفجَّرَ من بين أنامله ماء ثجاجًا،,"May God visit with His Blessing our lord and master Muhammad, His Apostle, who made plain for His creatures an Highway and brought the light of His guidance to shine forth in splendour; whom God Most High sent as a token of mercy to the worlds and chose to be seal to the Prophets; whose falchions He empowered over the necks of the polytheists so that the peoples entered into the Faith of God in multitudes; whom He aided by surpassing miracles, giving speech to inanimate things that they might testify to the truth of his mission, restoring life at his prayer to rotten bones, and causing water to gush forth from between his fingers."
ورضي الله تعالى عن المتشرفين بالانتماء إليه أصحابًا وآلًا وأزواجًا، المقيمين قتاة الدين فلا تخشى بعدهم اعوجاجًا، فهم الذين آزَرُوهُ على جهاد الأعداء، وظاهَرُوهُ على إظهار الملة البيضاء، وقاموا بحقوقها الكريمة من الهجرة والنصرة والأبواء، واقتحموا دونه البأس حامية، وخاضوا بحر الموت عجاجًا،,"May God Most High be pleased with those who are ennobled by claim to association with him, as companions, descendants, and wives; who made straight the lance of the Faithso that we should not fear crookedness after them; for these are they who seconded him in striving against the enemies of the Faith, and aided him to the triumph of the unspotted religion; who carried out its noble obligations of emigration, succour, and asylum, and who threw themselves in his defence into a burning fire of war and plunged into a boisterous sea of death."
ونستوهب الله تعالى لمولانا الإمام الخليفة أمير المؤمنين، المتوكل على رب العالمين، المجاهد في سبيل الله، المؤيَّد بنصر الله، أبي عنان فارس ابن موالينا الأئمة المهتدين، الخلفاء الراشدين، نصرًا يوسع الدنيا وأهلها ابتهاجًا، وسعدًا يكون لزمانة الزمان علاجًا. كما وهبه الله بأسًا وجودًا لم يدع طاغيًا ولا محتاجًا، وجعل بسيفه وسيبه لكل ضيقة انفراجًا،,"We pray God Most High for our master, the Caliph-Imam, the Commander of the Faithful, who places his trust in God the Lord of the Universe, who strives [against the infidels] in the Path of God, who is strengthened by the help of God, Abu ‘Inan Paris, the descendant of our masters the rightly guided Imams and orthodox Caliphs, that He will bestow upon him such succour as will fill the world and its peoples with joy, and such prosperity as will prove a remedy for the crippling disease of the age, as He hath bestowed upon him might which hath spared no oppressor and generosity which hath neglected no needy one, and hath made by his sword and his beneficence a means of issue from every distress."
«وبعد»؛ فقد قضت العقول، وحكم المعقول والمنقول، بأن هذه الخلافة العلية، المجاهدة المتوكلية الفارسية، هي ظل الله الممدود على الأنام، وحبله الذي له الاعتصام وفي سلك طاعته يجب الانتظام،,"To proceed, it has been pronounced by all intellects and determined by arguments which appeal to reason and to traditional lore that this sublime and Faith-championing Caliphate of Paris al-Mutawakkil is indeed the Shadow of God which is extended over mankind, and His rope whereon to lay hold, and in the ranks of obedience to whom it is incumbent to range oneself."
فهي التي أَبْرَأَت الدين عند اعتلاله، وأَغْمَدَت سيف العدوان عند انسلاله، وأصلحت الأيام بعد فسادها، ونفقت سوق العلم بعد كسادها، وأوضحت طرق البر عند إنهاجها، وسكنت أقطار الأرض عند ارتجاجها، وأحيت سُنَن المكارم بعد مماتها، وأماتت رسوم المظالم بعد حياتها، وأخمدَتْ نار الفتنة عند اشتعالها، ونقضت أحكام البغي عند استقلالها، وشادت مباني الحق على عماد التقوى، واستمسكَتْ من التوكل على الله بالسبب الأقوى،,"For this Caliphate it is which has brought healing to the Faith in its hour of sickening, and has forced back into its scabbard the sword of hostility in its hour of unsheathing, which has restored soundness to the days after they had fallen into disorder, and brought back prosperity to the bazaar of learning after it had grown sluggish, which has made plain the ways of piety when they were obliterated, and restored tranquillity to the regions of the earth when they were in commotion, which has brought to life the ancient usages of generosity after their death, and has put to death the practices of tyranny after their flourishing life, which has extinguished the fire of discord at its moment of flaming, and overthrown the judgments of iniquity in their hour of undisputed rule, which has raised the edifices of e rectitude upon the pillars of God-fearing, and has laid firm hold of the strongest stay by placing its trust in God."
فلها العز الذي عَقَدَ تاجه على مفرق الجوزاء، والمجد الذي جَرَّ أذياله على مجرة السماء، والسعد الذي رَدَّ على الزمان غض شبابه، والعدل الذي مد على أهل الإيمان مديد أطنابه، والجود الذي قَطْر سحابه اللجين والنضار، والبأس الذي فَيْض غمامه الدم الموار، والنصر الذي تفض كتائبه الأجل، والتأييد الذي بعض غنائمه الدول، والبطش الذي سَبَقَ سيفه العذل، والأناة التي لا يمل عندها الأمل، والحزم الذي يسد على الأعداء وجوه المسارب، والعزم الذي يفلُّ جموعها قبل قراع الكتائب، والحلم الذي يجني العفو من ثمر الذنوب، والرفق الذي جَمَعَ على محبته بنات القلوب، والعلم الذي يجلو نوره دياجي المشكلات، والعمل المقيد بالإخلاص والأعمال بالنيات.,"Wherefore it is conjoined with majesty whose crown is bound upon the temples of the Twins, and with glory that sweeps with its skirts the Galaxy of heaven; with fortune that has restored to time the freshness of its youth, and with justice that has extended its protection to the household of the Faith; with generosity the distillation of whose clouds is fine silver and pure gold, and with might the outpouring of whose mists is a ram of streaming blood; with divine aid the scatterings of whose squadrons are doom, and with heavenly support but a part of whose spoils are empires; with vigour whose sword anticipates reproach, and with patience in whose presence hope grows not weary; with resolution which forbids to its enemies the well-watered pasturages, and with firmness of purpose which scatters their hosts ere the shock of its squadrons; with forbearance which gathers a harvest of righteousness from the fruit-trees of misdeeds, and with compassion which moves the thoughts of all hearts to unite in affection towards it; with knowledge whose light dispels the glooms of enigmas, and with an equity which is bounded by singleness of mind, since ‘actions are to be judged by their intentions’."
ولما كانت حضرته العلية مطمح الآمال، ومسرح هِمَم الرجال، ومحطَّ رحال الفضائل، ومثابة أمن الخائف ومُنْية السائل، توخى الزمان خدمتها ببدائع تُحَفه وروائع طُرَفه، فانثال عليها العلماء انثيال جودها على الصفات، وتسابَقَ إليها الأدباء تسابُق عزمانا إلى العدات،,"When his Sublime Residence became the cynosure of hopes and the pasturage of men’s aspirations, the depository of the merchandise of the virtues and concourse of the security of the affrighted and of the desire of the suppliant, the age sought to do homage to it by offering the choicest of its gifts and the rarest of its treasures, so that men of learning streamed to it as its copious rains [of generosity] stream down upon noble qualities, and men of letters contended in hastening to it as its resolves contend with one another [in bounty] towards the fulfilling of promises."
وحج العارفون حَرَمَهَا الشريف، وقَصَدَ السائحون استطلاع معناها المنيف، ولجأ الخائفون إلى الامتناع بعز جنابها، واستجارت الملوك بخدمة أبوابها،,"The enlightened made pilgrimage to its illustrious sanctuary, and travellers set themselves to seek access to its high-storied abode; the fearful sought a citadel of refuge in the might of its majesty, and kings sought for protection by homage to its gates."
فهي القطب الذي عليه مدار العالم، وفي القطع بتفضيلها تَسَاوَتْ بديهة عقل الجاهل والعالم، وعن مآثرها الفائقة يسند صحاح الآثار كل مسلم، وبإكمال محاسنها الرائقة يفصح كل معلم،,"It is the pole upon which revolves the axis of the world, and in conviction of its pre-eminence the intuitive judgment s of ignorant and learned is unanimous; its surpassing glories are related in unimpeachable narratives for which every Muslim stands guarantor, and the perfection of its transparent virtues is eloquently attested by every informer."
وكان ممن وَفَدَ على بابها السامي، وتَعَدَّى أوشال البلاد إلى بحرها الطامي، الشيخ الفقيه السائح الثقة الصدوق جوال الأرض، ومخترق الأقاليم بالطول والعرض، أبو عبد الله محمد بن عبد الله بن محمد بن إبراهيم اللواتي الطنجي، المعروف بابن بطوطة، المعروف في بلاد الشرقية بشمس الدين،,"There was, among those who resorted to its illustrious Gate, and who passed over the trickles of other lands to approach its swelling sea, the Shaikh learned in the Law, the most trustworthy and veracious traveller, the ranger of the earth and traverser of its climes in length and breadth, Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Lawati al-Tanji, known as Ibn Battuta, and in the Eastern lands as Shams al-Din."
وهو الذي طاف الأرض مُعْتَبِرًا، وطوى الأمصار مُخْتَبِرًا، وباحث فرق الأمم، وسَبَرَ سير العرب والعجم، ثم ألقى عصا التسيار بهذه الحضرة العليا لما علم أن لها مزية الفضل دون شرط ولا ثنيا، وطوى المشارق إلى مطلع بَدْرها بالغرب، وآثرها على الأقطار إيثار التبر على الترب، اختيارًا بعد طول اختبار البلاد والخلق، ورغبة في اللحاق بالطائفة التي لا تزال على الحق،,"He, who had encompassed the earth with attentive mind and travelled through its cities with observant eye, and who had investigated the diversities of nations and probed the ways of life of Arabs and non-Arabs, thereafter laid down the staff of the muchtravelled in this Sublime Residence, by reason of his knowledge that to it belonged the distinction of superiority without qualification or exception; he journeyed through the Eastern lands towards the rising-place of its full moon in the West, and gave it in comparison with other regions the preference which is given to gold dust over sand, by free choice after long experience of countries and of men, and from a desire to attach himself to that community which remains attached to the True Faith."
فغمره من إحسانه الجزيل، وامتنانه الحفي الحفيل، ما أنساه الماضي بالحال، وأغناه عن طول الترحال، وحَقَّرَ عنده ما كان مَنْ سواه يستعظمه، وحَقَّقَ لديه ما كان مَنْ فضله يتوهمه، فنسي ما كان أَلِفَه من جولان البلاد، وظفر بالمرعى الخصب بعد طول الارتياد.,"Whereupon there overwhelmed him such a portion of his copious beneficence and of his solicitous and unstinted favour as caused him to forget the past in the present and relieved him of the need for distant travel, which made contemptible in his eyes that which he was wont to find imposing from the hands of others and confirmed in him the belief which he had formed of his preeminence; wherefore he forsook the wandering existence to which he had become habituated and after long search for pasture gained at length the fruitful meadow."
ونفذت الإشارة الكريمة بأن يملي ما شاهده في رحلته من الأمصار، وما علق بحفظه من نوادر الأخبار، ويَذْكُرُ مَنْ لَقِيَه من ملوك الأقطار، وعلمائها الأخيار، وأوليائها الأبرار،,"A gracious direction was transmitted that he should dictate an account of the cities which he had seen in his travel, and of the interesting events which had clung to his memory, and that he should speak of those whom he had met of the rulers of countries, of their distinguished men of learning, and of their pious saints."
فأملى من ذلك ما فيه نزهة الخواطر، وبهجة المسامع والنواظر، من كل غريبة أفاد باجتلائها، وعجيبة أطرف بانتحائها،,"Accordingly, he dictated upon these subjects a narrative which gave entertainment to the mind and delight to the ears and eyes, with a variety of curious particulars by the exposition of which he gave edification and of marvellous things by adverting to which he aroused interest."
وصدر الأمر العالي لعبد مقامهم الكريم المنقطع إلى بابهم، المتشرف بخدمة جنابهم، محمد بن محمد بن جزي الكلبي أعانه الله على خدمتهم، وأوزعه شُكْر نِعْمتهم، أن يضم أطراف ما أملاه، الشيخ أبو عبد الله، من ذلك في تصنيف يكون على فوائده مشتملًا، ولِنَيْل مقاصده مكملًا، متوخيًا تنقيح الكلام وتهذيبه، معتمدًا إيضاحه وتقريبه؛ ليقع الاستمتاع بتلك الطُّرَف، ويعظم الانتفاع بدُرِّها عند تجريده عن الصَّدَف،,"The exalted command issued to the slave of their illustrious Highness, who has attached himself with singleness of mind to their Gate, and is honoured with employment in the service of their Majesty, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi (may God aid him to serve them and inspire him to gratitude for their bounty), that he should assemble that which the Shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah had dictated on these subjects into a compilation which should comprehend what was of profit in them and ensure the full attainment of their objects, giving care to the pruning and polishing of its language and applying himself to its clarification and adaptation to the taste [of readers], that they might find enjoyment in these curiosities and that the profit to be derived from their pearls should be increased in stripping them from their shell."
فامتثل ما أُمِرَ به مبادرًا، وشَرَعَ في منهله ليكون بمعونة الله عن توفيةِ الغرض منه صادرًا،,"He therefore set himself straightway to execute the command laid upon him, and went down to draw from his [Ibn Battuta’s] spring, that he might by the aid of God faithfully accomplish this design."
ونَقَلْتُ معاني كلام الشيخ أبي عبد الله بألفاظ موفية للمقاصد التي قَصَدَها، موضحة للمناحي التي اعتمدها،,I have rendered the sense of the narrative of the Shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah in language which adequately expresses the purposes that he had in mind and sets forth clearly the ends which he had in view.
وربما أوردْتُ لَفْظَه على وضْعِه، فلم أُخِلَّ بأصله ولا فرْعِه،,"Frequently I have reported his words in his own phrasing, without omitting either root or branch."
وأوردت جميع ما أورده من الحكايات والأخبار، ولم أَتَعَرَّض لبحث عن حقيقة ذلك ولا اختبار، على أنه سَلَكَ في إسناد صحاحها أَقْوَمَ المسالك، وخرج عن عهدة سائرها بما يُشْعِر من الألفاظ بذلك،,"I have related all the anecdotes and historical narratives which he related, without applying myself to investigate their truthfulness or to test them, since he himself has adopted the soundest methods of authenticating those of them that are wholly acceptable, and has disclaimed responsibility for the rest of them by expressions which give warning to that effect."
وقَيَّدَ المُشْكِل من أسماء المواضع والرجال بالشكل والنقْط؛ ليكون أنفعَ في التصحيح والضبط، وشَرَحْتُ ما أمكنني شَرْحُه من الأسماء العجمية؛ لأنها تلتبس بعجمتها على الناس، ويخطئ في فك معماها معهودُ القياس،,"I have registered by means of vowel signs and diacritical points [the pronunciation of] those names of places and of men which offer difficulties, in order that it might be more useful in ensuring accuracy and in fixing the orthography, and I have expounded in detail all those that I could expound of the non-Arabic names, since they are confusing to people by reason of their foreignness, and the ordinary rules of analogy lead to error in solving their cryptographs."
وأنا أرجو أن يقع ما قَصَدْتُه من المقام العلي أيده الله بمحل القبول، وأَبْلُغ من الأعضاء عن تقصيره المأمول، فعوائدهم في السماح جميلة، ومكارمهم بالصفح عن الهفوات كفيلة، والله تعالى يديم لهم عادة النصر والتمكين، ويُعَرِّفهم عوارف التأييد والفتح المبين.,"And I for my part hope that what I have sought to do will meet with acceptance from his Sublime Majesty, God be his strength, and that I may obtain the indulgence which I crave in overlooking its deficiencies, for they have accustomed men to look for kindly forbearance from them, and their generous qualities are a guarantee for the forgiveness of faults. May God Most High confirm to them for ever His wonted help and empowering, and requite them with the benefits of His support and with glorious victory."
قال الشيخ أبو عبد الله: كان خروجي من طنجة مسقط رأسي في يوم الخميس الثاني من شهر الله رجب الفرد عام خمسة وعشرين وسبعمائة، معتمدًا حج بيت الله الحرام، وزيارةَ قبر الرسول عليه أفضل الصلاة والسلام،,"THE Shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah [Ibn Battuta] related as follows: My departure from Tangier, my birthplace, took place on Thursday the second of the month of God, Rajab the Unique, in the year seven hundred and twenty-five, with the object of making the Pilgrimage to the Holy House [at Mecca] and of visiting the tomb of the Prophet, God’s richest blessing and peace be on him [at Madina]."
منفردًا عن رفيق آنس بصحبته، وركب أكون في جملته، لباعث على النفس شديد العزائم، وشوْق إلى تلك المعاهد الشريفة كامِنٍ في الحيازم،,"I set out alone, having neither fellow-traveller in whose companionship I might find cheer, nor caravan whose party I might join, but swayed by an overmastering impulse within me and a desire long-cherished in my bosom to visit these illustrious sanctuaries."
فجزمْتُ أمري على هجْر الأحباب من الإناث والذكور، وفارقت وطني مفارقة الطيور للوكور،,"So I braced my resolution to quit all my dear ones, female and male, and forsook my home as birds forsake their nests."
وكان والديَّ بقيد الحياة فتحملْتُ لبُعْدِهما وَصَبًا، ولقيت كما لَقِيَا من الفراق نصبًا،,"My parents being yet in the bonds of life, it weighed sorely upon me to part from them, and both they and I were afflicted with sorrow at this separation."
وسِنِّي يومئذٍ ثنتان وعشرون سنة،,My age at that time was twenty-two [lunar] years.
قال ابن جزي: أخبرني أبو عبد الله بمدينة غرناطة أن مولده بطنجة في يوم الإثنين السابع عشر من رجب الفرد سنة ثلاث وسبعمائة.,(Note by Ibn Juzayy. Abu ‘Abdallah told me in the city of Granada that he was born at Tangier on Tuesday I th Rajab al-Fard of the year seven hundred and three [ February ].)
(رجع) وكان ارتحالي في أيام أمير المؤمنين وناصر الدين المجاهد في سبيل رب العالمين، الذي رُوِيَتْ أخبارُ جُوده موصولةَ الإسنادِ بالأسناد، وشُهِرَتْ آثار كرمه شهرةً واضحةَ الأشهاد، وتحلت الأيام بحُلِيِّ فضله، ورَتَعَ الأنام في ظِلِّ رفقه وعدله، الإمام المقدس أبو سعيد، ابن مولانا أمير المؤمنين وناصر الدين، الذي فَلَّ حَدَّ الشرك صِدْقُ عزائمه، وأطفأت نارَ الكفر جداولُ صوارمه، وفَتَكَتْ بعُبَّاد الصليب كتائبُه، وكَرُمَتْ في إخلاص الجهاد مذاهبُه، الإمام المقدس أبو يوسف بن عبد الحق، جَدَّدَ الله عليهم رضوانه، وسقى ضرائحهم المقدسة من صوب الحيا طَلُّه وتنهانه، وجزاهم أفضل الجزاء عن الإسلام والمسلمين، وأبقى المُلْك في عقبهم إلى يوم الدين،,"(Resumes.) The beginning of my journey was in the days of the Commander of the Faithful, the Defender of the Faith, the Warrior in the cause of the Lord of the Worlds, the reports of whose bounty have been handed down by linked chains of first-hand authorities and the traditions of whose munificence have acquired a celebrity which bears clear testimony, by the ornaments of whose merit the days were i adorned and in the shadow of whose clemency and justice all men enjoyed abundance, the sanctified Imam Abu Sa’id, son of our master, the Commander of the Faithful, the Defender of the Faith, the straightness of whose resolves notched the blade of polytheism and the channels of whose scimitars extinguished the fire of infidelity, whose squadrons wrought havoc among the worshippers of the Cross and whose actions were nobly governed by single-minded devotion to the Holy War, the sanctified Imam Abu Yusuf, son of ‘Abd al-Haqq— may God renew His gracious pleasure with them and from the clouds of His liberality may His soft dews and gentle rains water their sanctified tombs, may He reward them with richest reward on behalf of Islam and the Muslims and maintain the kingship in their posterity until the Day of Judgment."
فوصَلْتُ مدينة تلمسان وسلطانها يومئذٍ أبو تاشفين عبد الرحمن بن موسى بن عثمان بن يغمراسن بن زيان، ووافَقْتُ بها رسولَيْ مَلِك إفريقية السلطان أبي يحيى رحمه الله،,"I came then to the city of Tilimsan [TlemsenJ, the sultan of which at that time was Abu Tashifm ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Musa b. ‘Othman b. Yaghmurasan Ibn Zayyan, and my arrival chanced to coincide with the visit of the two envoys of the king of Africa, the sultan Abu Yahya (God’s mercy upon him)."
وهما قاضي الأنكحة بمدينة تونس أبو عبد الله محمد بن أبي بكر بن علي بن إبراهيم النفزاوي، والشيخ الصالح أبو عبد الله محمد بن الحسين بن عبد الله القرشي الزُّبَيْدِيُّ — بضم الزاي نسبة إلى قرية بساحل المهدية —,"These were the qadi for marriages in the city of Tunis, namely Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Abi Bakr b. Ibrahim al-Nafzawi, and the pious shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. al-Husain b. ‘Abdallah al-Qurashi al-Zubaidl, an ethnic derived from a village [Zubaid] on the coast near al-Mahdiya."
وهو أحد الفضلاء وفاته عام أربعين،,He was one of the eminent scholars [of his time] and died in the year [ ].
وفي يوم وصولي إلى تلمسان خرج عنها الرسولان المذكوران، فأشار عليَّ بعض الإخوان بمرافقتهما،,"On the day of my arrival at Tilimsan these two envoys left the town, and one of the brethren advised me to travel in their company."
فاستخرت الله عز وجل في ذلك، وأقمت بتلمسان ثلاثًا في قضاء مأربي، وخرجت أُجِدُّ السير في آثارهما، فوصَلْتُ مدينة مليانة وأدركتهما بها,"I consulted the will of Almighty God in regard to this and after a stay of three nights in Tilimsan to procure what I needed, I left, riding after them with all speed, and on reaching the town of Milyana overtook them there."
وذلك في إبان القيظ، فلحق الفقيهين مَرَضٌ أَقَمْنَا بسببه عشرًا,"This was in the time of the summer heats, and both of the doctors of the law fell sick, on account of which we stopped for a space of ten nights."
ثم ارتحلنا، وقد اشتد المرض بالقاضي منهما فأقمنا ببعض المياه على مسافة أربعة أميال من مليانة ثلاثًا,"We then set out again, but the illness of one of them, the qadi, had taken a serious turn, so we stopped for three nights by a stream at a distance of four miles from Milyana."
وقضى القاضي نحبه ضحى اليوم الرابع، فعاد ابنه أبو الطيب ورفيقه أبو عبد الله الزبيدي إلى مليانة فقبروه بها،,"The qadi breathed his last in the forenoon of the fourth day, and his son Abu’l-Tayyib and colleague Abu ‘Abdallah al-Zubaidi returned to Milyana and buried him there."
وتركْتُهُمْ هنالك وارتحلْتُ مع رفقة من تجار تونس منهم الحاج مسعود بن المنتصر والحاج العدولي ومحمد بن الحجر،,"I left them at this point and pursued my journey with a company of merchants from Tunis, amongst them being al-Hajj Mas’ud b. al-Muntasir, al-Hajj al’Aduli, and Muhammad b. al-Hajar."
فوصلنا مدينة الجزائر وأقمنا بخارجها أيامًا إلى أن قدم الشيخ أبو عبد الله وابن القاضي، فتوجهنا جميعًا على منبجة إلى جبل الزان. ثم وَصَلْنَا إلى مدينة بجاية,"On reaching the town of al-Jaza’ir [Algiers] we camped outside it for some days, until the shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah and the son of the qadi arrived, when we went on together through the Mitija to the Mountain of Oaks and so reached the town of Bijaya [Bougie]."
فنزل الشيخ أبو عبد الله بدار قاضيها أبي عبد الله الزواوي، ونزل أبو الطيب ابن القاضي بدار الفقيه أبي عبد الله المفسر،,"The shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah lodged in the house of the qadi of the town, Abu ‘Abdallah al-Zawawi, and Abu’l-Tayyib, the son of the qadi, in the house of the jurist Abu ‘Abdallah, the teacher of the exegesis of the Qur’an."
وكان أمير بجاية إذ ذاك أبا عبد الله بن محمد بن سيد الناس الحاجب،,The governor of Bijaya at this time was the chamberlain Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad Ibn Sayyid al-Nas.
وكان قد تُوُفِّيَ من تجار تونس الذين صحبتهم من مليانة محمد بن الحجر الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه، وترك ثلاثة آلاف دينار من الذهب،,"Now one of the Tunisian merchants with whom I had travelled from Milyana, namely the Muhammad b. al-Hajar already referred to, had died, leaving three thousand dinars of gold."
وأوصى بها لرجل من أهل الجزائر يُعْرَف بابن حديدة؛ ليوصلها إلى ورثته بتونس،,"This money he had given into the custody of a certain man of al-Jaza’ir, named Ibn Hadida, to deliver to his heirs in Tunis."
فانتهى خَبَرُه لابن سيد الناس المذكور، فانتزعها من يده،,"Ibn Sayyid al-Nas came to hear of this, and seized it from him."
وهذا أول ما شاهدْتُه مِنْ ظُلْم عمال الموحدين وولاتهم،,This was the first example that I witnessed of the tyranny of the agents and governors of the Muwahhids.
ولما وصلنا إلى بجاية كما ذَكَرْتُه أصابتني الحمى، فأشار عليَّ أبو عبد الله الزبيدي بالإقامة فيها حتى يتمكن البرء مني،,"When we reached Bijaya, as I have related, I was attacked by fever, and Abu ‘Abdallah al-Zubaidi advised me to stay there until I was fully recovered."
فأبيت وقُلْتُ: إن قضى الله عز وجل بالموت فتكون وفاتي بالطريق وأنا قاصد أَرْضَ الحجاز،,"But I refused saying, Tf God decrees my death, then my death shall be on the road, with my face set towards the land of the Hijaz’."
فقال لي: أما إنْ عَزَمْتَ فبِعْ دابتك وثَقِّل المتاع وأنا أُعِيرُك دابة وخباء,"‘Well then’, he replied, ‘if you are resolved, sell your ass and your heavy baggage, and I shall lend you ass and tent."
وتصحبنا خفيفًا، فإننا نجد السير خوف غارة العرب في الطريق،,"In this way you IB travel with us light, for we must move with all speed for fear of molestation by roving Arabs on the road’."
ففعلت هذا، وأعارني ما وَعَدَ به جزاه الله خيرًا، وكان ذلك أول ما ظهر لي من الألطاف الإلهية في تلك الوجهة الحجازية،,"I did as he suggested, and he lent me what he had promised—may God reward him with good! This was the first of the divine mercies which were manifested to me in the course of that journey to the Hijaz."
وسرنا إلى أن وصلنا إلى مدينة قسنطينة، فنزلنا خارجها,"Continuing our journey, we reached the town of Qusantma [Constantine] and halted outside it."
وأصابنا مطرُ جودٍ اضطرنا إلى الخروج عن الأخبية ليلًا إلى دور هنالك،,"We were caught by heavy rain, which forced us to leave our tents during the night for the shelter of some buildings there."
فلما كان من الغد تلقانا حاكم المدينة وهو من الشرفاء الفضلاء يسمى بأبي الحسن، فنظر إلى ثيابي وقد لوثها المطر فأَمَرَ بغسلها في داره،,"Next morning the governor of the town, an eminent sharif named Abu’l-Hasan, came to meet us, and seeing my clothes, for they were all soiled by the rain, he gave orders that they should be washed at his house."
وكان الإحرام منها خُلُقًا فبعث مكانه إحرامًا بعلبكيًّا وصر في أحد طرفيه دينارين من الذهب،,"The mantle which was amongst them was in rags, so he sent me in its place a mantle of fine Ba’albek cloth, in one of whose corners he had tied two gold dinars."
فكان ذلك أول ما فُتِحَ به علي في وجهتي،,This was the first alms which was bestowed upon me on my journey.
ورحلنا إلى أن وَصَلْنا مدينة بونة,We set out again and came next to the town of Buna [Bone].
ونزلنا بداخلها وأقمنا بها أيامًا، ثم تركنا بها من كان في صحبتنا من التجار لأجل الخسوف في الطريق، وتجردنا للسير وواصلنا الجد،,"We lodged inside the city, and after we had stopped in it for some days we left there the merchants who had been in our company, on account of the dangers of the road, and travelled light with the utmost speed, pushing on night and day without stopping."
وأصابتني الحمى، فكنت أشد نفسي بعمامة فوق السرج خوف السقوط بسبب الضعف،,"was [again] attacked by the fever, and I actually tied myself on the saddle with a turban-cloth in case I should fall off by reason of my weakness."
ولا يمكنني النزول من الخوف،,"It was impossible for me to dismount, on account of the danger."
إلى أن وصلنا مدينة تونس فبرز أهلها للقاء الشيخ أبي عبد الله الزبيدي، ولقاء أبي الطيب ابن القاضي أبي عبد الله النفزاوي،,"So at last we reached the town of Tunis, and the townsfolk came out to welcome the shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah az-Zubaidi and to welcome Abu’l-Tayyib, the son of the qadi Abu ‘Abdullah al-Nafzawi."
فأقبل بعضهم على بعض بالسلام والسؤال، ولم يسلم عليَّ أحد لعدم معرفتي بهم،,"On all sides they came forward with greetings and questions to one another, but not a soul said a word of greeting to me, since there was none of them that I knew."
فوجدت من ذلك في النفس ما لم أَمْلُك معه سوابق العبرة، واشتد بكائي,"I felt so sad at heart on account of my loneliness that I could not restrain the tears that started to my eyes, and wept bitterly."
فشعر بحالي بعض الحجاج فأقبل عليَّ بالسلام والإيناس، وما زال يؤنسني بحديثه حتى دخلت المدينة ونزلْتُ منها بمدرسة الكتبيين.,"But one of the pilgrims, realizing the cause of my distress, came up to me with a greeting and friendly welcome, and continued to comfort me with friendly talk until I entered the city, where I lodged in the college of the Booksellers."
قال ابن جزي: أخبرني شيخي قاضي الجماعة أخطب الخطباء أبو البركات محمد بن محمد بن إبراهيم السلمي هو ابن الحاج البلفيقي، أنه جرى له مثل هذه الحكاية،,"Ibn Juzayy adds: My teacher, the qadi-in-chief and most eloquent of preachers Abu’l-Barakat Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Sulami (he was the man known as Ibn al-Hajj al-Balfiqi), told me that an incident of this kind happened to him."
قال: قصدْتُ مدينة بلش من بلاد الأندلس في ليلة عيد برسم رواية الحديث المسلسل بالعيد عن أبي عبد الله ابن الكماد،,"These were his words: ‘I went to the town of Ballash [Velez] in the land of al-Andalus on the eve of a festival day, for the purpose of [hearing] the recitation of the hadtth handed down concerning the festival on the authority of Abu ‘Abdallah ibn al-Kamad."
وحضرْتُ المصلى مع الناس، فلما فرغَت الصلاة والخطبة أَقْبَلَ الناس بعضهم على بعض بالسلام، وأنا في ناحية لا يسلم عليَّ أحد،,"I went to the festival praying-ground with all the people, and when the prayer and allocution were finished they all began to exchange greetings with one another, while I remained apart, without anyone to say a word of greeting to me."
فقصد إليَّ شيخ من أهل المدينة المذكورة وأَقْبَلَ عليَّ بالسلام والإيناس، وقال: نَظَرْتُ إليك فرأيتُكَ منتبَذًا عن الناس لا يُسَلِّم عليك أحدٌ، فعَرَفْتُ أنك غريب فأحببت إِينَاسَكَ، جزاه الله خيرًا,"Then an old man, one of the inhabitants of this town, made towards me and came up to me with a greeting and friendly welcome saying: “I looked at you and saw that you were standing apart from all the others, with no one to greet you, so I knew that you were a stranger, and thought I would say a friendly word to you”—may God reward him with good!’"
(رجع).,(Resumes.)
ذِكْر سلطان تونس,The Sultan of Tunis.
وكان سلطان تونس عند دخولي إليها السلطان أبا يحيى ابن السلطان أبي زكريا يحيى ابن السلطان أبي إسحاق إبراهيم ابن السلطان أبي زكريا يحيى بن عبد الواحد بن أبي حفص رحمه الله،,"The sultan of Tunis at the time of my entry was the sultan Abu Yahya, son of the sultan Abu Zakariya Yahya [II], son of the sultan Abu Ishaq Ibrahim, son of the sultan Abu Zakariya Yahya [I], son of ‘Abd al-Wahid, son of Abu Hafs—God’s mercy on him."
وكان بتونس جماعة من أعلام العلماء، منهم قاضي الجماعة بها أبو عبد الله محمد بن قاضي الجماعة أبي العباس أحمد بن محمد بن حسن بن محمد الأنصاري الخزرجي البلنسي الأصل ثم التونسي هو ابن الغماز،,"There was at Tunis a body of notable scholars. Among them was the chief qadi of the town, ‘Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad, son of the chief qadi Abu’ -‘Abbas Ahmad, son of Muhammad b. Hasan b. Muhammad al-Ansari al-Khazraji, of Valencia by origin, and subsequently of Tunis [by residence]; the latter was known as Ibn al-Ghammaz."
ومنهم الخطيب أبو إسحاق إبراهيم بن حسين بن علي بن عبد الرفيع الربعي، وولي أيضًا قضاء الجماعة في خمس دول، ومنهم الفقيه أبو علي عمر بن علي بن قداح الهواري، وولي أيضًا قضاءها وكان من أعلام العلماء،,"Others were the preacher Abu Ishaq Ibrahim b. Husain b. ‘AH b. ‘Abd al-Raff alRib’i, who also held the appointment of chief qadi under five reigns, and the jurist Abu ‘AH ‘Omar b. ‘All b. Qaddah al-Hawari; he too held the qadi-ship of Tunis and was one of the most eminent of scholars."
ومن عوائده أنه يَسْتَنِدُ كلَّ يوم جمعة بعد صلاتها إلى بعض أساطين الجامع الأعظم المعروف بجامع الزيتونة، ويستفتيه الناس في المسائل،,"It was a custom of his, every Friday after the service of the day, to seat himself with his back against one of the columns of the principal mosque, known as the mosque of the Olive, while the people came to ask him to give a decision on various questions."
فلما أفتى في أربعين مسألة انصرف عن مجلسه ذلك،,When he had stated his opinion on forty questions he ended that session.
وأظلني بتونس عيدُ الفطر فحضرْتُ المصلى،,While still at Tunis I was overtaken by the feast of the Fast-breaking and I joined the company at the Musalld.
وقد احتفل الناس لشهود عيدهم وبرزوا في أَجْمَل هيئة وأَكْمل شارة،,The inhabitants had already assembled in large numbers to celebrate their festival and had come out in brave show and in their richest apparel.
ووافى السلطان أبو يحيى المذكور راكبًا وجميع أقاربه وخواصه وخدام مملكته مشاةً على أقدامهم في ترتيب عجيب،,"The sultan Abu Yahya arrived on horseback, accompanied by all his relatives and courtiers and guards of his kingdom walking on foot in a magnificent procession."
وصَلَّيْتُ الصلاة وانقضت الخطبة وانصرف الناس إلى منازلهم.,"The prayers were recited, the allocution was discharged, and the people returned to their homes."
وبعد مدة تَعَيَّنَ لركب الحجاز الشريف شيخُه يُعْرَف بأبي يعقوب السوسي من أهل أقل من بلاد إفريقية,"Some time later the caravan [of pilgrims] for the noble Hijaz was organized [and designated as] its shaikh [a man] called Abu Ya’qub al-Susi, belonging to Iqllbiya, one of the towns of Ifriqiya."
وأكثره المصامدة فقد موني قاضيًا بينهم،,The greater number of the party were men of Masmuda and they put me forward as qadi of their company.
وخرجنا من تونس في أواخر شهر ذي القعدة سالكين طريق الساحل، فوصلنا إلى بلدة سوسة وهي صغيرة حسنة مبنية على شاطئ البحر بينها وبين مدينة تونس أربعون ميلًا،,"We left Tunis in the last days of the month of Dhu’l-Qa’da [beginning of November ], following the coast road, and came to the township of Susa, which is small but pretty and built on the seashore, forty miles distant from Tunis."
ثم وصلنا إلى مدينة صفاقس وبخارج هذه البلدة قبر الإمام أبي الحسن اللخمي المالكي مؤلف كتاب التبصرة في الفقه،,"We came next to the town of Safaqus [Sfax]. Outside this place there is the grave of the imam Abu’l-Hasan alLakhmi, the Malikite jurist and author of the book called Al-Tabsirafi’l-Fiqh [i.e. ‘The Exposition of Jurisprudence’]."
"قال ابن جزي في بلدة صفاقس: يقول علي بن حبيبٍ التنوخي (كامل):
سقيًا لأرض صفاقسٍذات المصانع والمُصَلَّى
محمي القصير إلى الخليــج فقصْرها السامي المُعَلَّى
بلد يكاد يقول حيــن تزوره أهلًا وسهلَا
وكأنه والبحر يحــسر تارة عنه ويملَا
صب يريد زيارةفإذا رأى الرقباء ولَّى","Ibn Juzayy adds: It is of the town of Safaqus that [the poet] ‘Ali b. Habib al-Tanukhi says— [God send] refreshing rain to the land of Safaqus, city of cisterns and place of prayer!
His protection be on the bay [and extend] to the channel, and on its lofty castle of highest fortune!
A town which seems to say when thou comest to it ‘Welcome to home and ease’.
Methinks the sea, as it now slips away from it, now fills up, Is like a lover, seeking to pay a visit, but when it sees the guardians draws back."
"وفي عكس ذلك يقول الأديب البارع أبو عبد الله محمد بن أبي تميم، وكان من المجيدين المكثرين (بسيط):
صفاقسٌ لا صفا عيشٌ لساكنهاولا سقى أَرْضَها غيثٌ إذا انسكبَا
ناهيك من بلدة مَنْ حَلَّ ساحَتَهَاعانى بها العاديين الروم والعربَا
كم ضَلَّ في البر مسلوبًا بضاعتهوبات في البحر يشكو الأَسْر والعَطَبَا
قد عَايَنَ البحر من لوم لقاطنهافكلما هَمَّ أن يدنو لها هَرَبَا","Precisely the opposite of these sentiments is expressed in the verses of Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Abi Tarmm, a finished man of letters, and a copious poet: Safaqus! may life not be sweet (safd) to the dweller therein, and no rain outpouring refresh her soil!
Out on a town where he who alights in her court is assailed by both foes, the Christian and the Arab!
How many there are who wander distraught on the land, despoiled of their goods! How many who spend their nights on the sea bewailing captivity and perdition ! The sea itself hath beheld such villainy in her dwellers that as oft as it makes to approach her it turns back in flight."
(رجع)، ثم وصلنا إلى مدينة قابس، ونزلنا بداخلها,"(Resumes.) We came next to the town of Qabis [Gabes], and put up inside it."
وأَقَمْنَا بها عشرًا لتوالي نزول الأمطار،,"We stopped there over ten nights, on account of incessant rains."
"قال ابن جزي في ذِكْر قابس: يقول بعضهم (رجز):
لهفي على طيب ليال خَلَتْبجانب البطحاء من قابسِ
كأن قلبي عند تذكارهاجذوة نار بيد قابسِ","Ibn Juzayy adds: In reference to Qabis a certain poet says: Alas for the sweetness of long-past nights by the side of the fertile valley of Qabis!
Methinks my heart, at their memory, is a brand of fire in the hands of a brand-bearer (qdbis)."
(رجع)، ثم خرجنا من مدينة قابس قاصدين طرابلس، وصَحِبْنا في بعض المراحل إليها نحو مائة فارس أو يزيدون،,"(Resumes.) We then left the town of Qabis, making for Atrabulus [Tripoli], and were escorted for some stages of our journey thither by about a hundred or more horsemen."
وكان بالركب قوم رماة فهابَتْهُم العرب، وتحامت مكانهم وعصمنا الله منهم،,"There was also in the caravan a troop of archers, with the result that the roving Arabs, in fear of them, avoided their vicinity, and God preserved us from them."
وأَظَلَّنَا عيد الأضحى في بعض تلك المراحل، وفي الرابع بعده وَصَلْنا إلى مدينة طرابلس، فأقمنا بها مدة،,"We celebrated the Feast of Sacrifice on one of the stages of this journey, and on the fourth day following came to the city of Atrabulus, where we stayed for some time."
وكنت عقدت بصفاقس على بنت لبعض أمناء تونس، فبنيت عليها بطرابلس،,"I had made a contract of marriage at Safaqus with the daughter of one of the syndics at Tunis, and she was conducted to me at Atrabulus."
ثم خرجت من طرابلس أواخر شهر المحرم من عام ستة وعشرين ومعي أهلي، وفي صحبتي جماعة من المصامدة، وقد رفعت العلم، وتقدمت عليهم، وأقام الركب في طرابلس خوفًا من البرد والمطر،,"I then left Atrabulus, at the end of the month of Muharram of the year [seven hundred and] twenty-six taking my wife with me, and accompanied by a party of the men of Masmuda, for I had raised the flag and set out at their head, while the main caravan remained at Atrabulus for fear of the cold and rain."
وتجاوزنا مسلاتة ومسراتة وقصور سرت، وهنالك أرادت طوائف العرب الإيقاع بنا، ثم صَرَفَتْهُم القدرة وحالت دون ما راموه من إذايتنا،,"We passed through Mislata, Misrata, and Qusur Surt, where the dromedary-men of some bands of nomad Arabs sought to attack us, but eventually the Divine Will diverted them and prevented them from doing us the harm that they had intended."
ثم توسَّطْنا الغابة وتجاوزناها إلى قصر برصيصا العابد إلى قبة سلام،,"Our way then lay through the midst of the ghdba *, and we traversed it to the fort of the anchorite Barsis and thence to Qubbat Sallam."
وأدركنا هنالك الركب الذين تخلفوا بطرابلس، ووَقَعَ بيني وبين صهري مشاجرة أَوْجَبَتْ فراق بنته،,"There we were overtaken by the body of the caravan who had stayed behind at Atrabulus, and I became involved in a dispute with my father-in-law which made it necessary for me to separate from his daughter."
وتزوجْتُ بنتًا لبعض طلبة فاس، وبنيْتُ بها بقصر الزعافية، وأولمْتُ وليمة حبسْتُ لها الركب يومًا وأطعمْتُهم،,"I then married the daughter of a tdlib of Fez, and when she was conducted to me at Qasr al-Za’afiya I gave a wedding feast, at which I detained the caravan for a whole day, and entertained them all."
ثم وصلنا في أول جمادى الأولى إلى مدينة الإسكندرية حَرَسَها الله، وهي الثغر المحروس، والقطر المأنوس، العجيبة الشان، الأصيلة البنيان، بها ما شِئْتَ من تحسين وتحصين، ومآثر دنيا ودِين،,"After that, on the ist of First Jumada [ April ], we arrived at the city of al-Iskandariya [Alexandria], may God protect her! She is a well-guarded frontier citadel and a friendly and hospitable region, remarkable in appearance and solid of construction, furnished with all that one could wish for in the way of embellishment and embattlement, and of memorable edifices both secular and religious."
كَرُمَتْ مغانيها، ولَطُفَتْ معانيها، وجمعت بين الضخامة والإحكام مبانيها،,"Noble are her dwellings, graceful her qualities and to imposing size her buildings unite architectural perfection."
فهي الفريدة تجلى سناها، والخريدة تجلى في حلاها، الزاهية بجمالها المُغْرِب، الجامعة لمفترق المحاسن لتوسطها بين المشرق والمغرِب،,"She is a unique pearl of glowing opalescence, and a secluded maiden arrayed in her bridal adornments, glorious in her surpassing beauty, uniting in herself the excellences that are shared out [by other cities between themselves] through her mediating situation between the East and the West."
فكل بديعة بها اجتلاؤها، وكل طرفة فإليها انتهاؤها،,"Every fresh marvel has there its unveiling, every novelty finds its way thither."
وقد وَصَفَها الناس فأطنبوا، وصَنَّفُوا في عجائبها فأغربوا، وحسب المشرف إلى ذلك ما سطره أبو عبيد في كتاب المسالك.,"Men have already described it and descanted at length; they have compiled volumes on its marvellous features, and exceeded all bounds; but for one who would acquire a detailed knowledge of this subject it is enough [to read] what Abu ‘Ubaid [al-Bakri] has written in The Book of Ways.*”"
ذِكْر أبوابها ومرساها,Its gates and harbour.
ولمدينة الإسكندرية أربعة أبواب، باب السدرة وإليه يشرع طريق المغرب، وباب رشيد، وباب البحر، والباب الأخضر،,"The city of Alexandria has four gates: the gate of the Lote-tree, and it is to it that the Maghrib road leads; the gate of Rashid [Rosetta]; the Seagate; and the Green gate."
وليس يُفْتَح إلا يوم الجمعة، فيخرج الناس منه إلى زيارة القبور،,"This gate is opened only on Fridays, and the people go out through it to visit the tombs."
ولها المرسى العظيم الشأن، ولم أرَ في مراسي الدنيا مثله إلا ما كان من مرسى كولم وقاليقوط ببلاد الهند، ومرسى الكفار بسرادق ببلاد الأتراك، ومرسى الزيتون ببلاد الصين، وسيقع ذكرها.,"It has also the magnificent port, and among all the ports in the world I have seen none to equal it, except the ports of Kawlam [Quilon] and Qaliqut [Calicut] in India, the port of the infidels [Genoese] at Sudaq in the land of the Turks, and the port of Zaitun in China, all of which will be mentioned later."
ذكر المنار,The lighthouse.
قصدت المنار في هذه الوجهة فرأيت أحد جوانبه متهدِّمًا،,I went to see the lighthouse on this journey and found one of its faces in ruins.
وصِفَتُه أنه بناء مُرَبَّع ذاهب في الهواء،,One would describe it as a square building soaring into the air.
وبابه مرتفع على الأرض، وإزاء بابه بناء بقدر ارتفاعه، وُضِعَتْ بينهما ألواحُ خشب يُعْبَر عليها إلى بابه،,"Its door is high above the level of the ground, and opposite its door and of the same height is another building; wooden planks are laid from one to the other, and on these one crosses to the doorway."
فإذا أُزِيلَتْ لم يكن له سبيل،,When they are removed there is no means of approach to it.
وداخِلُ الباب موضع لجلوس حارس المنار، وداخل المنار بيوت كثيرة،,"Inside the door there is a place for the guardian of the lighthouse to sit in, and within the lighthouse itself there are many chambers."
وعَرْض الممر بداخله تسعة أشبار، وعَرْض الحائط عشرة أشبار، وعَرْض المنار من كل جهة من جهاته الأربعِ مائةٌ وأربعون شبرًا،,The breadth of the passage in its interior is nine spans; and the breadth of the wall ten spans; the breadth of the lighthouse on each of its four faces is spans.
وهو على تل مرتفع، ومسافةُ ما بينه وبين المدينة فرسخ واحد في بَرٍّ مستطيل يحيط به البحر من ثلاث جهات إلى أن يتصل البحر بسور البلد، فلا يمكن التوصل إلى المنار في البر إلا من المدينة،,"It is situated on a high mound and lies at a distance of one farsakh [three miles] from the city on a long tongue of land, encompassed on three sides by the sea up to the point where the sea is immediately adjacent to the city wall, so that the lighthouse cannot be reached by land except from the city."
وفي هذا البَرِّ المتصل بالمنار مقبرة الإسكندرية،,On this peninsula connected with the lighthouse is the cemetery of Alexandria.
وقصدْتُ المنارَ عند عودي إلى بلاد المغرب عام خمسين وسبعمائة، فوجدته قد استولى عليه الخراب؛ بحيث لا يمكن دخوله ولا الصعود إلى بابه،,"I visited the lighthouse [again] on my return to the Maghrib in the year [ ], and found that it had fallen into so ruinous a condition that it was impossible to enter it or to climb up to the doorway."
وكان الملك الناصر رحمه الله قد شَرَعَ في بناء منار مثله بإزائه، فعاقه الموت عن إتمامه.,"Al-Malik alNasir (God’s mercy on him) had started to build a similar lighthouse alongside it, which he was prevented by death from completing."
ذكر عمود السواري,The Pillar of Columns.
ومن غرائب هذه المدينة عمود الرخام الهائل الذي بخارجها المسمى عندهم بعمود السواري،,"Another of the marvels of this city is the awe-inspiring marble column outside it, called by them the Pillar of Columns."
وهو متوسط في غابة نخل، وقد امتاز عن شجراتها سموًّا وارتفاعًا،,"It is in the midst of a grove of datepalms, but it stands out from amongst its trees, over-topping them in height."
وهو قطعة واحدة مُحْكَمة النحت، قد أقيم على قواعد حجارة مربعة أمثال الدكاكين العظيمة، ولا تُعْرف كيفية وَضْعه هنالك ولا يُتَحَقَّق مَنْ وَضَعَهُ،,"It is a single block, skillfully hewn, erected on a plinth of square stones like enormous platforms, and no one knows how it was erected there nor for certain who erected it."
قال ابن جزي: أخبرني بعض أشياخي الرحالين أن أحد الرماة بالإسكندرية صعد إلى أعلى ذلك العمود ومعه قوسه وكنانته، واستقر هنالك,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: I have been told by one of my teachers, a much-travelled man, that a man of the corps of archers at Alexandria climbed to the top of this column, taking his bow and quiver with him, and sat himself down there."
وشاع خبره، فاجتمع الجم الغفير لمشاهدته,"When the news of this spread, a huge crowd assembled to gaze at him."
وطال العجب منه، وخفي على الناس وَجْه احتياله،,Everyone was greatly astonished at his feat and puzzled to know how he had contrived to do it.
وأظنه كان خائفًا أو طالب حاجة، فأنتج له فعله الوصول إلى قصده لغرابة ما أتى به،,"I think that he was either in fear of something or wanting to get something, and his action enabled him to attain his object, on account of the strangeness of his performance."
وكيفية احتياله في صعوده,This was the way in which he contrived to ascend the column.
أنه رمى بنشابة قد عقد فوقها خيطًا طويلًا وعقد بطرف الخيط حبلًا وثيقًا فتجاوزَت النشابة أعلى العمود معترضة عليه ووقعت من الجهة الموازية للرامي,"He shot an arrow, to the end of which he had tied a long thread, and to the end of the thread a stout rope, so that the arrow passed over the top of the column and exactly transverse to it, and fell on the side opposite to the archer."
فصار الخيط معترضًا على أعلى العمود فجذَبَه حتى توسَّطَ الحبل أعلى العمود مكان الخيط,"Thus the thread lay transversely across the top of the column, and he pulled on it until the middle of the rope came to the top of the column in place of the thread."
فأوسطه من إحدى الجهتين في الأرض وتَعَلَّقَ به صاعدًا من الجهة الأخرى واستقر بأعلاه، وجذب الحبل,"He then secured the rope firmly in the ground at one end and climbed up from the other end, and having taken up his position on top pulled away the rope."
واستصحب من احتمله فلم يهتدِ الناسُ لحيلته، وعجبوا من شأنه,"He had someone with him who carried it away, so that people had nothing to guide them to his trick and were astonished by his feat."
(رجع)، وكان أمير الإسكندرية في عهد وصولي إليها يسمى بصلاح الدين، وكان فيها أيضًا في ذلك العهد سلطان إفريقية المخلوع وهو زكرياء أبو يحيى بن أحمد بن أبي حفص المعروف باللحياني، وأَمَرَ الملك الناصر بإنزاله بدار السلطنة من إسكندرية، وأجرى له مائة درهم في كل يوم،,"(Resumes.) The governor of Alexandria at the time of my arrival was named Salah al-Din. Living there too at that time was the deposed sultan of Ifriqiya, Zakariya Abu Yahya b. Ahmad b. Abu Hafs, known as al-Lihyam. AlMalik al-Nasir gave orders to lodge him in the palace of the sultanate at Alexandria, and assigned him a pension of a hundred dirhams a day."
وكان معه أولاده عبد الواحد ومصري وإسكندري وحاجبه أبو زكرياء بن يعقوب ووزيره أبو عبد الله بن ياسين،,"Along with him were his sons, ‘Abd al-Wahid, Misri, and Iskandari, his chamberlain Abu Zakariya b. Ya’qub, and his wazir Abu ‘Abdallah b. Yasm."
وبالإسكندرية توفي اللحياني المذكور وولده الإسكندري وبقي المصري بها إلى اليوم،,"It was at Alexandria that this man al-Lihyani died, and his son al-Iskandari also, while Misri is still there to this day."
قال ابن جزي: من الغريب ما اتَّفَقَ من صِدْق الزجر في اسمَيْ ولدَي اللحياني الإسكندري والمصري، فمات الإسكندري بها وعاش المصري دهرًا طويلًا بها وهي من بلاد مصر,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: It is a strange thing how close to the truth the auguries derived from the names of the two sons of al-Lihyani, al-Iskandari and Misri, fell out, for al-Iskandari died at al-Iskandariya, while Misri lived there for a long time and it is in the land of Misr [Egypt]."
(رجع)، وتَحَوَّلَ عبد الواحد لبلاد الأندلس والمغرب وإفريقية، وتوفي هنالك بجزيرة جرية.,"(Resumes.) Abd al-Wahid travelled to the country of alAndalus, and [subsequently] to the Maghrib and Ifriqiya, and died there in the island of Jarba."
ذكر بعض علماء الإسكندرية,Some of the learned men of Alexandria.
فمنهم قاضيها عماد الدين الكندي إمام من أئمة علم اللسان، وكان يَعْتَمُّ بعمامة خَرَقَتْ المعتاد للعمائم،,"One of these was the qadi of the city, ‘Imad al-Din al-Kindi, a master of the arts of speech, who used to wear a turban of extraordinary size."
لم أرَ في مشارق الأرض ومغاربها عمامة أعظم منها،,Never either in the eastern nor in the western lands have I seen a more voluminous headgear than this.
رأيته يومًا قاعدًا في صدر محراب، وقد كادت عمامته أن تملأ المحراب،,"I saw him one day sitting in the forepart of a prayer-niche, and his turban was not far short of filling it up completely."
ومنهم فخر الدين بن الريغي، وهو أيضًا من القضاة بالإسكندرية فاضل من أهل العلم.,"Another was Fakhr al-Din b. al-Righi, who also was one of the qadis at Alexandria, and a worthy and learned man."
حكاية,Anecdote.
يُذْكَر أن جد القاضي فخر الدين الريغي كان من أهل ريغة، واشتغل بطلب العلم، ثم رحل إلى الحجاز,"It is related that the grandfather of the qadi Fakhr al-Din al-Righi belonged to the town of Righa, and and after devoting himself to the pursuit of learning he set out to go to the Hijaz."
فوصل الإسكندرية بالعشي وهو قليلُ ذاتِ اليد، فأَحَبَّ ألَّا يدخلها حتى يسمع فأْلًا حسنًا، فقعد قريبًا من بابها إلى أن دخل جميع الناس، وجاء وقْت سد الباب,"He reached Alexandria in the evening, having but little in his hand; and being unwilling to enter the town until he should hear some good omen, he remained seated close to the gate until everybody had gone in, and the hour for closing the gate had arrived."
ولم يبقَ هنالك سواه، فاغتاظ الموكل بالباب من إبطائه وقال متهكمًا: ادخل يا قاضٍ،,"There was no one left there but himself, and the keeper of the gate, annoyed at his lingering, said to him sarcastically ‘Come in, O qadi’."
فقال قاضٍ إن شاء الله، ودَخَلَ إلى بعض المدارس ولازم القراءة وسَلَكَ طريق الفضلاء،,"‘Qadi, it God will’ he replied and entered into one of the colleges, where he studied assiduously and followed the ‘way’ of the virtuous."
فعَظُمَ صيته وشُهِرَ اسمه، وعُرِفَ بالزهد والورع، واتصلت أخباره بمَلِك مصر،,"His name and fame spread abroad, and he acquired such a reputation for asceticism and piety that at length the reports about him reached the [ears of the] king of Egypt."
واتفق أن توفي قاضي الإسكندرية وبها إذ ذاك الجم الغفير من الفقهاء والعلماء، وكلهم متشوف للولاية وهو من بينهم لا يتشوف لذلك،,"It happened that the qadi of Alexandria died, and in it at that time were a great multitude of learned jurists and theologians, all of whom aspired to the appointment, while he alone amongst them had no ambitions in this direction."
فبعث إليه السلطان بالتقليد وهو ظهير القضاء,"Thereupon the sultan sent him the ‘investiture’, that is to say, the diploma of appointment as qadi."
وأتاه البريد بذلك، فأمر خديمه أن ينادي في الناس من كانت له خصومة فليحضر لها، وقَعَدَ للفصل بين الناس،,"When the courier delivered this to him, he ordered his servant to make public proclamation that any person who had a dispute should present himself for its investigation, and he held sittings for the settling of cases between the inhabitants."
فاجتمع الفقهاء وسواهم إلى رجل منهم كانوا يظنون أن القضاء لا يتعداه، وتفاوضوا في مراجعة السلطان في أَمْرِهِ ومخاطَبَتِهِ بأن الناس لا يرتضونه،,"The jurists and others met in the house of one of their number, whose claim to the qadi-ship, they had thought, could not be passed over, and discussed the possibility of inducing the sultan to reconsider al-Righi’s appointment and of addressing a remonstrance to him to the effect that the population were dissatisfied with al-Righl."
وحضر لذلك أحد الحذاق من المنجمين، فقال لهم: لا تفعلوا ذلك، فإني عدلْتُ طالع ولايته وحققته فظَهَرَ لي أنه يحكم أربعين سنة،,"There was present at this meeting, however, an astrologer, a man of great perspicacity, who said to them: ‘Do not do that, for I have cast the horoscope of his appointment and taken pains to assure myself of it, and it has appeared to me that he will hold judicial office for forty years."
فأَضْرَبُوا عما هموا به من المراجعة في شأنه، وكان أَمْرُه على ما ظَهَرَ للمنجم، وعُرِفَ في ولايته بالعدل والنزاهة،,"‘ So they gave up their idea of having his case reconsidered, and his fortunes were as the astrologer had foreseen, and he was noted during the tenure of the qadi-ship for even justice and purity of character."
ومنهم وجيه الدين الصنهاجي من قضاتها مُشْتَهِر بالعلم والفضل، ومنهم شمس الدين ابن بنت التنيسي، فاضلٌ شهيرُ الذكر،,"Others of the scholars at Alexandria were Wajfti al-Dm al-Sanhaji, one of the qadls of the town, celebrated for his learning and personal worth, and Shams al-Din, son of Bint al-Tinnisi, a worthy man of wide reputation."
ومن الصالحين بها الشيخ أبو عبد الله الفاسي من كبار أولياء الله تعالى,"Amongst the devotees there was the shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah al-FasI, who was one of the greatest of God’s saints."
يُذْكَر أنه كان يُسْمَعُ رُدُّ السلام عليه إذا سَلَّمَ من صلاته،,It is said that he used to hear the word of peace returned to him when he gave it at the conclusion of his ritual prayers.
ومنهم الإمام العالم الزاهد الخاشع الورع «خليفة صاحب المكاشفات».,"Another was the learned, self-denying, humble and pious Imam, Khalifa, to whom ecstatic revelations were granted."
كرامة له,A miracle™ of his.
أخبرني بعض الثقات من أصحابه قال: رأى الشيخ خليفةُ رسولَ الله ﷺ في النوم،,"I was told by a trustworthy person, one of his associates, that the shaikh Khalifa saw the Prophet of of God (upon him be God’s blessing and peace) in his sleep."
فقال: يا خليفةُ زُرْنَا، فرحل إلى المدينة الشريفة وأتى المسجد الكريم فدخل من باب السلام وحَيَّا المسجد وسلم على رسول الله ﷺ،,"The Prophet said to him: ‘ Khalifa, visit us.’ So he journeyed to al-Madina the Noble, and having come to the illustrious mosque he entered by the Gate of Peace, saluted the mosque, and gave the word of peace to [the tomb of] the Prophet of God."
وقَعَدَ مستندًا إلى بعض سواري المسجد، ووَضَعَ رأسه على ركبتيه، وذلك يسمى عند المتصوفة الترفيق،,"He then sat down with his back against one of the columns of the mosque and placed his head upon his knees, in the posture which is termed al-tazyiq™ amongst the adepts of Sufism."
فلما رَفَعَ رأسه وَجَدَ أربعة أرغفة وآنية فيها لبن وطبقًا فيه تمر,"When at length he raised his head, he found [before him] four loaves, some jugs of milk, and a plate of dates."
فأكل هو وأصحابه وانصرف عائدًا إلى الإسكندرية ولم يَحُجَّ تلك السنة.,"He and his companions ate, and he set out to return to Alexandria without making the pilgrimage that year."
ومنهم الإمام العالم الزاهد الورع الخاشع برهان الدين الأعرج من كبار الزهاد وأفراد العباد،,"Another of them was the learned, self-denying, pious and humble imam Burhan al-Dm the Lame, one of the greatest of ascetics and a devotee of outstanding personality."
لَقِيتُه أيام مُقامي بالإسكندرية، وأقمت في ضيافته ثلاثًا.,I met him during my stay in Alexandria and I spent three days as his guest.
ذكر كرامة له,A miracle of his.
دخلْتُ عليه يومًا فقال لي: أراك تحب السياحة والجولان في البلاد،,"One day, when I had entered his room, he s said to me: ‘I see that you are fond of travelling and wandering from land to land’."
فقلت له: نعم إني أحب ذلك، ولم يكن حينئذٍ خطر بخاطري التوغل في البلاد القاصية من الهند والصين،,"‘Yes’, I replied, ‘I am fond of it’, although there had not as yet entered my mind any thought of penetrating to such distant lands as India and China."
فقال: لا بد لك إن شاء الله من زيارة أخي فريد الدين بالهند، وأخي ركن الدين زكرياء بالسند، وأخي برهان الدين بالصين، فإذا بَلَغْتَهُم فأبلغهم مني السلام، فعَجِبْتُ من قوله، وأُلْقِيَ في روعي التوجه إلى تلك البلاد، ولم أَزَلْ أجول حتى لقيت الثلاثة الذين ذَكَرَهُمْ وأَبْلَغْتُهُمْ سلامه،,"Then he said: ‘You must certainly, if God will, visit my brother Farid al-Din in India, and my brother -Rukn al-Din Zakariya in Sind, and my brother Burhan al-DIn in China, and when you reach them convey to them a greeting from me.’ I was amazed at his prediction, and the idea of going to these countries having been cast into my mind, my wanderings never ceased until I had met these three that he named and conveyed his greeting to them."
ولما وادعته زَوَّدَنِي دراهم,"When I bade him farewell, he gave me some coins as a travelling provision."
لم تَزَلْ عندي محوطة، ولم أَحْتَجْ بعدُ إلى إنفاقها إلى أن سَلَبَهَا مني كفار الهنود فيما سلبوه لي في البحر،,"I kept them as a treasured possession, and never afterwards had need to spend them, until the infidel Indians took them from me at sea with all the other things of which they stripped me."
ومنهم الشيخ ياقوت الحبشي من أفراد الرجال، وهو تلميذ أبي العباس المرسي، وأبو العباس المرسي تلميذ ولي الله تعالى أبي الحسن الشاذلي الشهير ذي الكرامات الجليلة والمقامات العالية.,"Another of the religious at Alexandria was the shaikh Yaqut al-Habashi (‘the Ethiopian’), a man of outstanding gifts, who had been the pupil of Abu’ -‘Abbas of Murcia, who in his turn was the pupil of the famous saint Abu’l-Hasan al-Shadhili, noted for his great miracles and his high degrees of mystical attainment."
كرامة لأبي الحسن الشاذلي أخبرني الشيخ ياقوت عن شيخه أبي العباس المرسي أن أبا الحسن كان يحج في كل سنة،,"A miracle of Abu’l-Hasan al-Shddhili. The shaikh Yaqut informed me on the authority of his shaikh, Abu’ -‘Abbas al-Mursi, that Abu’l-Hasan used to go on pilgrimage every year."
ويجعل طريقه على صعيد مصر، ويجاور بمكة شهر رجب وما بعده إلى انقضاء الحج، ويزور القبر الشريف ويعود على الدرب الكبير إلى بلده،,"His custom was to make his way there through Upper Egypt, stay at Mecca, fasting and engaging in pious exercises, during the month of Rajab and the following months until the close of the Pilgrimage, visit the Holy Tomb [of Muhammad at al-Madina], and return by the main pilgrim road to the town where he resided."
فلما كان في بعض السنين وهي آخر سنة خرج فيها قال لخديمه: استصحب فأسًا وقفة وحنوطًا وما يُجَهَّز به الميت،,"One year, however (it was the last year in which he set out), he said to his attendant ‘Take with you a pickaxe, a basket, aromatics for embalming, and all that is necessary for burying the dead’."
فقال له الخديم: ولِمَ ذا يا سيدي؟ فقال له: في حميثرا سوف ترى،,"The servant said to him ‘Why so, O my master?’, and he replied ‘In Humaithira you shall see’."
وحميثرا في صعيد مصر في صحراء عيذاب وبها عين ماء زعاق وهي كثيرة الضباع،,"Now Humaithira is in the region of Upper Egypt, in the desert of ‘Aidhab, and there is a well of brackish water there and a great many hyenas."
فلما بَلَغَا حميثرا اغتسل الشيخ أبو الحسن وصلى ركعتين,"When they reached Humaithira, the shaikh Abu’l-Hasan made a complete ablution, and said a prayer of two prostrations."
وقبضه الله عز وجل في آخر سجدة من صلاته ودُفِنَ هناك،,At the final prostration in his prayers God (Great and Mighty is He) took him and he was buried there.
وقد زُرْتُ قَبْرَه وعليه تبرية مكتوب فيها اسمه ونسبه متصلًا بالحسن بن علي رضي الله عنه.,"I have visited his tomb; there is a tombstone over it, upon which is inscribed his name and his lineage back to al-Hasan the son of ‘All (on him be peace)."
ذكر حزب البحر المنسوب إليه,The Litany of the Sea attributed to al-ShddhilT.
كان يسافر في كل سنة كما ذكرناه على صعيد مصر وبحر جدة، فكان إذا رَكِبَ السفينة يقرؤه في كل يوم,"He made a journey every year, as we have just said, through Upper Egypt and across the sea of Judda [Red Sea], and when he was on board ship he used to recite this litany every day."
وتلامذته إلى الآن يقرءونه في كل يوم وهو هذا: يا الله يا علي يا عظيم يا حليم يا عليم أنت ربي، وعلمك حسبي،,"His disciples still recite it everyday, and it runs as i follows: O God, O Exalted, O Mighty, O Forbearing, O All-knowing, Thou art my Lord and Thy knowledge is my sufficiency."
فنعم الرب ربي، ونعم الحسب حسبي،,"How excellent a lord is my Lord, how excellent a sufficiency my sufficiency."
تنصر من تشاء وأنت العزيز الرحيم، نسألك العصمة في الحركات والسكنات، والكلمات والإرادات، والخطرات من الشكوك والظنون، والأوهام الساترة للقلوب عن مطالعة الغيوب،,"Thou aidest whom Thou wilt, for Thou art the Powerful, the Compassionate. We pray Thee to guard us from sin in our movements and stillnesses, our words and designs, and in the stirring of doubts, of unworthy suggestions and of vain imaginings, that veil from our hearts the perception of things unseen."
فقد ابتلي المؤمنون وزُلْزِلوا زلزالًا شديدًا ليقول المنافقون والذين في قلوبهم مرض: ما وعدنا الله ورسوله إلا غرورًا، فثبتنا وانصرنا وسَخِّر لنا هذا البحر كما سَخَّرْتَ البحر لموسى عليه السلام، وسَخَّرْتَ النار لإبراهيم عليه السلام، وسَخَّرْتَ الجبال والحديد لداود عليه السلام، وسَخَّرْتَ الريح والشياطين والجن لسليمان عليه السلام،,"Verily the Believers have been tried and grievously shaken, and when the time-servers and the sick-hearted say ‘The promises of God and His Apostle to us are naught but delusion’, do Thou establish us and succour us, and subject to us this sea as Thou didst subject the sea unto Moses, and as Thou didst subject the fire to Abraham, and as Thou didst subject the mountains and the iron to David, and as Thou didst subject the wind and the demons and the jinn to Solomon."
وسَخِّرْ لنا كل بحر هو لك في الأرض والسماء، والملك والملكوت، وبحر الدنيا وبحر الآخرة،,"Subject to us every sea that is Thine on earth and in heaven, in the world of sense and in the invisible world, the sea of this life and the sea of the life to come."
وسَخِّرْ لنا كل شيء، يا من بيده ملكوت كل شيء،,"Subject to us everything, O Thou in Whose Hand is the rule over all."
كهيعص، حم، عسق، انصرنا فإنك خير الناصرين، وافتح لنا فإنك خير الفاتحين، واغفر لنا فإنك خير الغافرين، وارحمنا فإنك خير الراحمين، وارزقنا فإنك خير الرازقين،,"Kaf-Ha-Ya-Ain-Sad. * Succour us, for Thou art the best of those that succour, hear our prayers, for Thou art the best of those that open the way, forgive us our sins, for Thou art the best ofpardoners’, show mercy upon us, for Thou art the best of those that show mercy; give us our daily bread, for Thou art the best of sustainers."
واهْدِنا ونَجِّنا من القوم الظالمين، وهَبْ لنا ريحًا طيبة كما هي في عِلْمك، وانشرها علينا من خزائن رحمتك، واحملنا بها حَمْل الكرامة، مع السلامة والعافية في الدين والدنيا والآخرة، إنك على كل شيء قدير،,"Guide us, and deliver us from the hand of the evildoers, and grant us a fair wind according to Thy knowledge; waft it upon us from the treasures of Thy Mercy, and carry us thereon with conveyance of Thy favour, [granting us] therewith preservation from sin and wellbeing in our spiritual and our material life and in the life to come; verily Thou art disposer of all things."
اللهم يسر لنا أمورنا مع الراحة لقلوبنا وأبداننا، والسلامة والعافية في ديننا ودنيانا،,"O God, smoothfor us our affairs; give peace to our hearts and our bodies, and grant us health and wellbeing in our spiritual and our material life."
وكن لنا صاحبًا في سَفَرِنا، وخليفة في أهلنا.,"Be Thou our Companion in our journey, and Guardian of our households in our absence."
واطمس على وجوه أعدائنا، وامسخهم على مكانتهم، فلا يستطيعون المضي ولا المجيء إلينا،,"Blot out the faces of our enemies, and transform them into vile creatures in the place where they be; then shall they not be able to go nor to come against us."
وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَطَمَسْنَا عَلَى أَعْيُنِهِمْ فَاسْتَبَقُوا الصِّرَاطَ فَأَنَّى يُبْصِرُونَ * وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَمَسَخْنَاهُمْ عَلَى مَكَانَتِهِمْ فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مُضِيًّا وَلَا يَرْجِعُونَ، يس إلى فَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ، شاهت الوجوه، وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا، طس طسم حم عسق مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ * بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَا يَبْغِيَانِ حم حم حم حم حم حم حم حم الأمر وجاء النصر فعلينا لا يُنْصَرون حم * تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ * غَافِرِ الذَّنْبِ وَقَابِلِ التَّوْبِ شَدِيدِ الْعِقَابِ ذِي الطَّوْلِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ إِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ، باسم الله بابنا تبارك حيطاننا يس سقفنا كهعيص كفايتنا حم عسق حمايتنا فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللهُ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ، ستر العرش مسبول علينا، وعين الله ناظرة إلينا، بحول الله لا يُقْدَر علينا، وَاللهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ مُحِيطٌ * بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَجِيدٌ * فِي لَوْحٍ مَحْفُوظٍ، فَاللهُ خَيْرٌ حَافِظًا وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ، إِنَّ وَلِيِّيَ اللهُ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْكِتَابَ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى الصَّالِحِينَ، فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ حَسْبِيَ اللهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، باسم الله الذي لا يضر مع اسمه شيء في الأرض ولا في السماء وهو السميع العليم، ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم، وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم.,"// We will, We shall blot out their sight, and they shall hasten one with another to the Bridge; how then shall they perceive? If We will, We shall transform them in their place and they shall not be able to go forth nor shall they return. Yd-Sin. Faces shall be deformed. ‘Ain-Mim. Faces shall be humbled before the Living, the Self-Subsistent, and frustrated is he who bears a burden of wrong-doing. Td-Sin. Hd-MTm. ‘Ain-Sin-Qdf. He hath let loose the two seas that meet together, between them is a barrier, they cannot pass. Hd-Mim (seven times). The matter is decreed, Divine aid is at hand, against us they shall not be victorious. Hd-Mim. The revelation of the Book is from God, the Mighty, the All-knowing, Who pardoneth sin and accepteth repentance, Whose chastisement is heavy, the Long-suffering’, there is no god but He, to Him is the way [of all flesh]. In the name of God is our door, Blessed is He is our walls, Yd-Sin is our roof, Kdf-Hd-Yd-Ain-Sad is our sufficiency, Hd-Mim ‘Ain-Sm-Qdf is our defence. And God will suffice thee against them, for He is the Hearing, the Knowing. The curtain of the Throne is extended over us, the Eye of God is watching us, in the Might of God none can harm us. God is behind them, encompassing! Nay, it is a glorious Qur’dn in a Preserved Tablet. God is the best in keeping, and He is the most Merciful of them that show mercy. Verily my patron is God, who hath sent down the Book, and He upholdeth the cause of the righteous. My sufficiency is God, other than He there is no god; upon Him have I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Glorious Throne. In the Name of God, with Whose Name nothing that is on earth or in heaven shall suffer harm, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing. Each one has attendant angels before him, watching over him at the command of God. ‘There is no Power nor Might save in God, the High, the Great.’"
حكاية,Anecdote.
ومما جرى بمدينة الإسكندرية سنة سبع وعشرين، وبَلَغَنَا خبر ذلك بمكة — شَرَّفَها الله —,"The following incident occurred in the city of Alexandria in the year [ ], and we received the report of it at Mecca (God ennoble her !)."
أنه وَقَعَ بين المسلمين وتجار النصارى مشاجرة،,A quarrel broke out between the Muslims and the Christian traders.
وكان والي الإسكندرية رجلًا يُعْرَف بالكركي، فذهب إلى حماية الروم,"The chief of police in Alexandria was a man called al-Karaki, and he adopted the policy of protecting the Europeans."
وأَمَرَ بالمسلمين فحضروا بين فصيلي باب المدينة، وأَغْلَقَ دونهم الأبواب نكالًا لهم،,"He gave orders to the Muslims to assemble between the two outer walls protecting the gate of the city, and he shut them out of the city as a penalty for their action."
فأَنْكَرَ الناس ذلك وأعظَموه وكسروا الباب وثاروا إلى منزل الوالي،,The population disapproved of this and thought it monstrous; they broke down the gate and made a riotous assault on the governor’s dwelling.
فتحصن منهم وقاتَلَهُم من أعلاه، وطيَّر الحمام بالخبر إلى الملك الناصر،,"He protected himself against them and fought with them from the roof, at the same time despatching pigeons with the news to al-Malik al-Nasir."
فبعث أميرًا يُعْرَف بالجمالي، ثم أَتْبَعَهُ أميرًا يُعْرَف بطوغان جبار قاسي القلب متهم في دينه يقال: إنه كان يعبد الشمس،,"The sultan sent an amir named al-Jamali and followed him up by another amir known as Tughan, a stony-hearted tyrant and suspect in his religion—it was said that he used to worship the sun."
فدخلا إسكندرية وقبضا على كبار أهلها وأعيان التجار بها كأولاد الكوبك وسواهم، وأخذ منهم الأموال الطائلة،,"These two entered Alexandria, arrested the notables among the civil population and the principal merchants of the city, such as the family of al-Kubak and others, and took large sums of money from them."
وجُعِلَتْ في عنق عماد الدين القاضي جامعة حديد.,‘Imad al-Dm the qadi had an iron shackle to which his hands were attached put on his neck.
ثم إن الأميرين قَتَلَا من أهل المدينة ستة وثلاثين رجلًا، وجعلوا كل رجل قطعتين وصلبوهم صفين،,"Subsequently the two amirs put to death thirty-six of the men of the city, and had each man cut in two and the bodies placed on crosses in two rows."
وذلك في يوم جمعة، وخرج الناس على عادتهم بعد الصلاة لزيارة القبور، وشاهدوا مصارع القوم فعظمت حَسْرَتُهم وتضاعفت أحزانهم،,"This was done on a Friday; the population, going out as usual after the [midday] prayer to visit the cemetery, found their executed fellow-citizens hanging there, and were greatly distressed and their sorrows redoubled."
وكان في جملة أولئك المصلوبين تاجر كبير القدر يُعْرَف بابن رواحة،,Amongst the number of those who were crucified was a merchant of substantial fortune known as Ibn Rawaha.
وكان له قاعة مُعَدَّة للسلاح، فمتى كان خوفٌ أو قتال جَهَّزَ منها المائة والمائتين من الرجال بما يكفيهم من الأسلحة،,"He had a hall fitted out as an armoury, and at any time of alarm or of fighting he equipped from his store a hundred or two hundred men with what weapons they required."
وبالمدينة قاعات على هذه الصورة لكثير من أهلها،,In this city there are halls of this kind possessed by many of the inhabitants.
فزل لسانه وقال للأميرين: أنا أضمن هذه المدينة، وكل ما يحدث فيها أطالب به وأحوط على السلطان مرتبات العساكر والرجال،,"Ibn Rawaha, letting his tongue run away with him, said to the two amirs, T shall guarantee [the maintenance of order in] this city; at any time that disorder breaks out in it, let me be given the responsibility for dealing with it, and I shall spare the Sultan the pay of the regular horsemen and footsoldiers’."
فأنكر الأميران قوله وقالا: إنما تريد الثورة على السلطان، وقتلاه،,"The two amirs, however, were angered by his remark, and saying ‘What you are really aiming at is rebellion against the Sultan’ they put him to death, whereas his object (God’s mercy upon him) was only to show his loyalty and fidelity to the Sultan."
وإنما كان قَصْدُه رحمه الله إظهار النصح والخدمة للسلطان فكان فيه حَتْفُه.,But it was through that that he came to his death.
وكُنْتُ سمعت أيام إقامتي بالإسكندرية بالشيخ الصالح العابد المنقطع المنفق من الكون أبي عبد الله المرشدي، وهو من كبار الأولياء المكاشفين,"During my stay at Alexandria I heard tell of the pious shaikh Abu’Abdallah al-Murshidi, who lived a life of devotion in retirement from the world, and bestowed gifts from the divine store, for he was indeed one of the great saints who enjoy the vision of the unseen."
أنه منقطع بمنية بني مرشد،,I was told that he was living in solitary retreat at the village of Munyat BanI Murshid.
له هنالك زواية هو منفرد فيها لا خديم له ولا صاحب،,"He had a hermitage there in which he lived alone, with neither servant nor companion."
ويقصده الأمراء والوزراء، وتأتيه الوفود من طوائف الناس في كل يوم فيطعمهم الطعام، وكل واحد منهم ينوي أن يأكل عنده طعامًا أو فاكهة أو حلوى، فيأتي لكل واحد بما نواه، وربما كان ذلك في غير إبانه،,"Every man of them would express his desire to eat some flesh or fruit or sweetmeat at his cell, and to everyone he would bring what he had desired, though that was often out of s season."
ويأتيه الفقهاء لطلب الخطبة فيولي ويعزل،,"Doctors of the law used to come to him to ask for appointment to office, and he gave appointments or dismissed from office."
وذلك كله مِنْ أَمْرِه مستفيض متواتر. وقد قَصَدَهُ الملك الناصر مرات بموضعه،,"All these stories were carried from mouth to mouth far and wide, and al-Malik al-Nasir too had visited him several times in his retreat."
فخَرَجْتُ من مدينة الإسكندرية قاصدًا هذا الشيخ نَفَعَنَا الله به، ووصَلْتُ قرية تروجة (وضَبْطُها بفتح التاء الفوقية والراء وواو وجيم مفتوحة)، وهي على مسيرة نصف يوم من مدينة الإسكندرية،,"I set out then from the city of Alexandria to seek this shaikh (God profit us by him), and came to the village of Tarawja, which is a half-day’s journey from Alexandria."
قرية كبيرة بها قاضٍ ووالٍ وناظر، ولأهلها مكارم أخلاق ومروءة،,"It is a large village, having a qadi, a chief of police, and a financial inspector, and its people are hospitable and courteous."
صَحِبْتُ قاضيها صفي الدين وخطييها فخر الدين وفاضلًا من أهلها يُسَمَّى بمبارك ويُنْعَت بزين الدين،,"I enjoyed the company of its qadi Safi al-Dm, its preacher Fakhr al-Din, and a worthy resident of the place named Mubarak and addressed as Zain al-Dm."
ونَزَلْتُ بها على رَجُل من العُبَّاد الفضلاء كبير القدر يُسَمَّى عبد الوهاب،,"I lodged in the village with a worthy man, zealous in his religious devotions, and highly esteemed, named ‘Abd al-Wahhab."
وأضافني ناظرها زين الدين بن الواعظ وسألني عن بلدي وعن مجباه،,The local financial inspector Zain al-Din ibn al-Wa’i? entertained me and questioned me about my native town and its taxation.
فأخبرْتُه أن مجباه نحو اثني عشر ألفًا من دينار الذهب، فعَجِبَ وقال لي: رأيتُ هذه القرية، فإن مجباها اثنان وسبعون ألف دينار ذهبًا، وإنما عَظُمَتْ مجابي ديار مصر؛ لأن جميع أملاكها لبيت المال.,"When I told him that it amounted to about twelve thousand gold dinars, he was astonished and said to me ‘What do you think of this village, for its taxation yields seventy-two thousand gold dinars?’ The reason why the revenues of the land of Egypt are so large is that all the landed estates belong to the Treasury."
ثم خرجْتُ من هذه القرية فوصلْتُ مدينة دمنهور، وهي مدينة كبيرة جبايتها كثيرة ومحاسنها أثيرة، أم مدن البحيرة بأَسْرِها وقُطْبُها الذي عليه مدار أمرها,"I went on from this village and reached the town of Damanhur, which is a big town, yielding large revenues and possessed of remarkable attractions, the metropolis of the entire district of al-Buhaira and pole upon which the axis of its affairs revolves."
وكان قاضيها في ذلك العهد فخر الدين بن مسكين من فقهاء الشافعية، وتولى قضاء الإسكندرية لما عُزِلَ عنها عماد الدين الكندي بسبب الواقعة التي قصصناها،,"Its qadi at this time was Fakhr al-Dm ibn Miskin, a Shafi’ite jurist, who was [subsequently] appointed to the qadi-ship of Alexandria, when ‘Imad al-Dm al-Kindi was divested of it on account of the disturbance the story of which we have related above."
وأخبرني الثقة أن ابن مسكين أُعْطِيَ خمسة وعشرين ألف درهم وصَرَفَها من دنانير الذهب ألف دينار على ولاية القضاء بالإسكندرية،,"I heard from a trustso worthy source that Ibn Miskin gave twenty-five thousand dirhams, which, exchanged into gold dinars, is equal to a thousand dinars, for the appointment to the qadi-ship of Alexandria."
ثم رحلنا إلى مدينة فوا، وهذه المدينة عجيبة المنظر حسنة المخبر، بها البساتين الكثيرة والفوائد الخطيرة الأثيرة،,"We then travelled to the town of Fawwa. This town has an attractive appearance, and is as fair as it looks; it has a great many orchards and a remarkable supply of valuable products."
بها قبر الشيخ الولي أبي النجاة الشهير الاسم خبير تلك البلاد,"In it is the grave of the saintly shaikh Abu’l-Najah, of celebrated name, the seer of that country."
وراوية الشيخ أبي عبد الله المرشدي، الذي قصدْتُه بمقربة من المدينة يفصل بينها خليج هنالك،,"The retreat of the shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah al-Murshidi, whom I had come to visit, lies close by the town and separated from it by a canal."
فلما وصلْتُ المدينة تعدَّيْتُها ووصلت إلى زاوية الشيخ المذكور قبل صلاة العصر وسلَّمْتُ عليه،,"On reaching the town I passed through it, and arriving at the cell of this shaikh before the hour of afternoon prayer, I saluted him."
ووجدْتُ عنده الأمير سيف الدين يَلْمَلَك، وهو من الخاصكية,"I found with him the amir Saif al-Dm Yalmalak, one of the officers of the Khdssikiya [the sultan’s bodyguard]."
(وأول اسمه ياء آخر الحروف ولامه الأولى مسكنة والثانية مفتوحة مثل الميم، والعامة تقول فيه الملك فيخطئون)،,His name begins with yaland the following m and / are both pronounced with an a;  the people call him ‘almalik’ [‘the king’] but they are wrong.
ونزل هذا الأمير بعسكره خارج الزاوية،,This amir had encamped with his troops outside the cell.
ولما دخلْتُ على الشيخ رحمه الله قام إلي وعانَقَنِي وأحضر طعامًا فواكلني، وكانت عليه جبة صوف سوداء،,"When I entered the shaikh’s presence (God’s mercy upon him) he rose to meet me, embraced me, and calling for food invited me to eat. He was dressed in a black woollen tunic."
فلما حضَرَتْ صلاة العصر قَدَّمَنِي للصلاة إمامًا، وكذلك لكل ما حضرني عنده حين إقامتي معه من الصلاة،,"When the hour of the afternoon prayer arrived, he set me in front as prayer-leader (imam), and did the same on every occasion when I was at his cell at the times of prayer during my stay with him."
ولما أردْتُ النوم قال لي: اصعد إلى سطح الزاوية فنَمْ هنالك، وذلك أوان القيظ،,"When I prepared to sleep, he said to me ‘Go up to the roof of the cell and sleep there’, for this was during the summer heats."
فقلت للأمير: باسم الله، فقال لي: وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم،,I said to the amir ‘In the name of God’ but he replied ‘There is none of us but has an appointed place’.
فصعدت السطح فوجدت به حصيرًا ونطعًا وآنية للوضوء وجرة ماء وقدحًا للشرب، فنمت هنالك.,"So I ascended to the roof and found there a straw mattress and a leather mat, vessels for ritual ablutions, a jar of water and a drinking-cup, and I lay down there to sleep."
كرامة لهذا الشيخ,A miracle of this shaikh.
رأيت ليلتي تلك وأنا نائم بسطح الزاوية كأني على جناح طائر عظيم يطير بي في سمت القبلة يتيامَنُ ثم يشرق ثم يذهب في ناحية الجنوب ثم يبعد الطيران في ناحية الشرق، وينزل في أرض مظلمة خضراء ويتركني بها،,"That night, as I was sleeping on the roof of the cell, dreamed that I was on the wing of a huge bird which flew with me in the direction of the qibla,** then made towards the Yaman, then eastwards, then went towards the south, and finally made a long flight towards the east, alighted in some dark and greenish country, and left me there."
فعجبت من هذه الرؤيا وقُلْتُ في نفسي: إن كاشفني الشيخ برؤياي فهو كما يُحْكَى عنه،,"I was astonished at this dream and said to myself, ‘If the shaikh shows me that he knows of my dream, he is all that they say that he is’."
فلما غَدَوْتُ لصلاة الصبح قَدَّمَنِي إمامًا لها، ثم أتاه الأمير يَلْمَلَك فوادعه وانصرف،,"When I rose in the morning for the dawn prayer, he bade me go in front to direct it as imam, after which the amir Yalmalak came to him, bade him farewell, and went on his way."
ووادعه من كان هناك من الزوار، وانصرفوا أجمعين من بعد أن زَوَّدَهُم كُعَيْكَاتٍ صغارًا،,"All the other visitors who were there also took leave of him and departed, after he had furnished them with a travelling-provision of small cakes."
ثم سبحت سبحة الضحى ودعاني وكاشفني برؤياي,"Later on, when I had prayed the forenoon prayer, he called me and revealed to me his knowledge of my dream."
فقصصتها عليه، فقال: سوف تحج وتزور النبي ﷺ، وتجول في بلاد اليمن والعراق وبلاد الترك وبلاد الهند,"So I related it to him and he said: ‘You shall make the Pilgrimage [to Mecca] and visit [the tomb of] the Prophet [at al-Madina], and you shall travel through the lands of al-Yaman and al’Iraq, the land of the Turks, and the land of India."
وتبقى بها مدة طويلة، وستلقى بها أخي دلشاد الهندي ويُخَلِّصُك من شدة تَقَعُ فيها، ثم زودني كعيكاتٍ ودراهم ووادعته وانصرفتُ،,"You will stay there for a long time and you will meet there my brother Dilshad the Indian, who will rescue you from a danger into which you will fall.’ He then gave me a travelling-provision of some small cakes and silver coins, and I bade him farewell and departed."
ومنذ فارقْتُه لم أَلْقَ في أسفاري إلا خيرًا، وظَهَرَتْ عليَّ بركاته، ثم لم ألقَ فيمن لقيته مثله إلا الولي سيدي محمدًا الموله بأرض الهند.,"Never since parting from him have I met on my journeys aught but good fortune, and his blessed powers have stood me in good stead; besides, I have never met his equal amongst all whom I have seen, except the saint Sldi Muhammad al-Mulah in the land of India."
ثم رحلنا إلى مدينة النحرارية وهي رحبة الفناء حديثة البناء أسواقها حسنة الرؤيا,"We rode after that to the town of al-Nahrarlya, a place of wide extent and recent construction, the bazaars of which are a fine sight."
وأميرها كبير القدر يُعْرَف بالسعدي وولده في خدمة ملك الهند وسنذكره،,"Its amir was a man of high rank, named al-Sa’di; his son was in the service of the king of India, and we shall speak of him later."
وقاضيها صَدْر الدين سليمان المالكي من كبار المالكية،,"Its qadi was Sadr al-Din Sulaiman al-Maliki, one of the leading jurists of the Maliki school."
سفر عن الملك الناصر إلى العراق ووَلِيَ قضاء البلاد الغربية،,"He travelled to al-‘Iraq as an ambassador from al-Malik alNasir, and was [subsequently] appointed to the qadi-ship of the towns belonging to the province of al-Gharbiya."
وله هيئة جميلة وصورة حسنة،,He has a beautiful appearance and a fine figure.
وخطيبها شرف الدين السخاوي من الصالحين،,"Its preacher was Sharaf al-Din al-Sakhawi, a saintly man."
ورحلْتُ منها إلى مدينة أبيار وهي قديمة البناء أرجة الأرجاء كثيرة المساجد ذات حُسْن زائد,"From there I rode to the town of Abyar, a place of ancient construction and fragrant environment, with many mosques and of exceeding beauty."
وهي بمقربة من النحرارية ويَفْصِل بينهما النيل،,"It is in the vicinity of al-Nahrariya, and separated from it by the Nile."
وتُصْنَع بأبيار ثياب حسان تعلو قيمتها بالشام والعراق ومصر وغيرها. ومن الغريب قُرْب النحرارية منها، والثياب التي تُصْنَع بها غير معتبَرة ولا مستحسَنة عند أهلها،,"At Abyar are manufactured fine cloths, which fetch a high price in Syria, al’Iraq, Cairo and elsewhere, but it is an odd thing that by the people of al-Nahrariya, which is so close to Abyar, the cloths which are manufactured there are thought nothing of and disliked."
ولَقِيتُ بأبيارَ قاضِيَها عز الدين المليحي الشافعي، وهو كريم الشمائل كبير القدر،,"I met at Abyar the qadi of the town, ‘Izz al-Din al-Malihl al-Shafi’I, a man of kindly nature and greatly esteemed."
حضرْتُ عنده مرة يوم الركبة،,I was present with him once on the day of the Cavalcade.
وهم يُسَمُّون ذلك يومَ ارتقاب هلال رمضان،,This is the name which they give to the day of observing the new moon of [the month of] Ramadan.
وعادتهم فيه,The custom they observe on this occasion is as follows.
أن يجتمع فقهاء المدينة ووجوهها بعد العصر من اليوم التاسع والعشرين لشعبان بدار القاضي،,The scholars (fuqaha)  and men of note in the town assemble at the qadi’s house after the afternoon prayer on the twenty-ninth of the month of Sha’ban.
ويقف على الباب نقيب المتعممين وهو ذو شارة وهيئة حسنة،,"The naqib of the turban-wearers, richly dressed and in fine array, stands at the door."
فإذا أتى أحد الفقهاء أو الوجوه تلقاه ذلك النقيب ومشى بين يديه قائلًا: باسم الله سيدنا فلان الدين،,As each scholar or notable arrives this functionary meets him and ushers him in with the words ‘In the name of God! Our Master So-and-so al-Dln’.
فيسمع القاضي ومن معه فيقومون له ويُجْلِسُه النقيب في موضع يليق به،,"The qadi and those present with him, on hearing this, rise for the newcomer, while the naqib guides him to his seat in a place befitting his rank."
فإذا تكاملوا هنالك رَكِبَ القاضي ورَكِبَ من معه أجمعين وتبعهم جميع من بالمدينة من الرجال والنساء والصبيان،,"When they are fully assembled there, the qadi mounts, and all those with him mount too [and ride off in procession] followed by the entire population of the town, men, women and children."
وينتهون إلى موضع مرتفع خارج المدينة وهو مُرْتَقَب الهلال عندهم، وقد فُرِشَ ذلك الموضع بالبسط والفرش، فينزل فيه القاضي ومن معه فيرتقبون الهلال,"They make their way to an eminence outside the town, called by them the ‘Observatory of the Crescent Moon’, this place having previously been furnished with carpets and rugs, and there the qadi and his cortege alight and observe the crescent moon."
ثم يعودون إلى المدينة بعد صلاة المغرب وبين أيديهم الشمع والمشاعل والفوانيس،,"This done, they return to the town after the sunset prayer, preceded by candles, torches, and folding lanterns."
ويوقد أهل الحوانيت بحوانيتهم الشمع، ويَصِلُ الناس مع القاضي إلى داره ثم ينصرفون،,"The shopkeepers put lighted candles in their stalls, and the people accompany the qadi to his residence before dispersing."
هكذا فِعْلُهم في كل سنة.,This custom they carry out every year.
ثم توجَّهْتُ إلى مدينة المحلة الكبيرة، وهي جليلة المقدار حسنة الآثار، كثيرٌ أهلُها جامع بالمحاسن شَمْلُها واسمها بيِّن،,"I went next to the town of al-Mahalla al-Kabira, a place of great importance and impressive buildings, with a large population whose community combines all agreeable qualities."
ولهذه المدينة قاضي القضاة ووالي الولاة،,This town has a chief qadi and a governor-general.
وكان قاضي قضاتها أيام وصولي إليها في فراش المرض ببستان له على مسافة فرسخين من البلد، وهو عز الدين بن الأشمرين،,"The chief qadi, who was ‘Izz al-Din Ibn Khatib al-Ushmunain, was lying on a bed of sickness when I arrived there, in an orchard which he possessed at a distance of two farsakhs from the town."
فقصدْتُ زيارته صحبة نائبه الفقيه أبي القاسم بن بنون المالكي التونسي وشرف الدين الدميري قاضي محلة منوف،,"I set out to visit him in the company of his substitute, the jurist Abu’l-Qasim b. Bannun al-Maliki of Tunis, and Sharaf al-Din al-Damm, the qadi of Mahallat Manuf."
وأقمنا عنده يومًا,We spent a day with him.
وسمعت منه. وقد جرى ذِكْرُ الصالحين أن على مسيرة يومٍ من المحلة الكبيرة بلاد البرلس ونسترو وهي بلاد الصالحين، وبها قبر الشيخ مرزوق صاحب المكاشفات،,"I heard from him, when the conversation turned to the subject of religious ascetics, that at a day’s journey from al-Mahalla al-Mabira was the district of alBurlus and Nastaraw, which was the land of the ascetics, and where the tomb of shaikh Marzuq, one of those who enjoyed ecstatic visions, was to be found."
فقَصَدْتُ تلك البلاد ونزلت بزاوية الشيخ المذكور،,"set out therefore to visit the district, and stopped at the hermitage (zdwiya) of the shaikh just mentioned."
وتلك البلاد كثيرة النخل والثمار والطير البحري والحوت المعروف بالبوري، ومدينتهم تسمى ملطين وهي على ساحل البحيرة المجتمعة من ماء النيل وماء البحر المعروفة ببحيرة تنيس ونسترو بمقربة منها،,"That district abounds in date palms and fruit-trees, in sea fowl, and the fish known as al-burL ” Their town is called Maltm; it is situated on the shore of the lake formed by the junction of the water of the Nile and the water of the sea, known as the Lake of Tinnis,” and Nastaraw is not far from it."
نزلت هناك بزاوية الشيخ شمس الدين القلوي من الصالحين،,"I stopped in the latter place at the hermitage of Shaikh Shams ad-Din al-Falawi, one of the religious."
وكانت تنيس بلدًا عظيمًا شهيرًا وهي الآن خراب،,"Tinnis was formerly a great and famous town, but it is now in ruins."
"قال ابن جزي: «تِنِّيس بكسر التاء المثناة والنون المشددة وياء وسين مهمل»، وإليه يُنْسَب الشاعر المُجِيد أبو الفتح بن وكيع، وهو القائل في خليجها (بسيط):
قم فاسقني والخليج مضطربوالريح تثني ذوائب القصب
كأنها والرياح تعطفهاصب قنا سندسية العذب
والجو في حلة ممسكةقد طرزتْها البروق بالذهب","Ibn Juzayy remarks: From this town of Tinnis is derived the designation of the celebrated poet Abu’ -Fath ibn Waqi’ [al-Timrisi], who was the author of these lines on its channel: Rise, bear me the cup, for the strait is in tumult, and the gale sets astreaming the locks of the rushes; How like, as they bend in the wind’s caresses, to a lover s who dons a silk-tasselled turban, And the sky is clothed in a musky mantle which the lightnings have broidered in thread of gold."
والبرلس (بباء موحدة وراء وآخره سين مهملة، وقيده بعضهم بضم حروفه الأول الثلاث وتشديد اللام، وقيده أبو بكر بن نقطة بفتح الأولين),"Al-Burlus is sometimes spelt al-Burullus, and by Abu Bakr ibn Nuqta al-Barallus."
وهو على البحر، ومن غريب ما اتفق به ما حكاه أبو عبد الله الرازي عن أبيه:,"It is on the sea-coast, and a strange event which happened in it is related by Abu ‘Abdallah al-Razi, who had it from his father."
"أن قاضي البرلس وكان رجلًا صالحًا، خرج ليلة إلى النيل، فبينما أسبغ الوضوء وصلى ما شاء أن يصلي، إذ سمع قائلًا يقول:
لولا رجال لهم سرْد يصومونا وآخرون لهم وِرْد يقومونا
لَزُلْزِلَتْ أَرْضُكُمْ من تحتكم سَحَرًا لأنكم قومُ سوء لا تبالونا
قال: فتجَوَّزْتُ في صلاتي وأَدَرْتُ طرفي فما رأيتُ أحدًا ولا سمعت حسًّا، فعلمت أن ذلك زاجر من الله تعالى","The qadi of al-Burlus, who was a pious man, went out one night to the Nile, and while he performed his ablution with scrupulous care and prayed whatever it was he might be praying, he heard someone saying: Save for your men who fast from day to day, And those who watch their dues of prayer to pay, Your earth at morn would quake beneath your feet, For evil folk are ye and heedless aye. The qadi said: ‘I cut short my prayer and cast my eyes around me, but I saw no one and heard not a sound, so I realized that it was a messenger of reproof sent from God Most High.’"
(رجع)، ثم سافرْتُ في أرض رملة إلى مدينة دمياط،,(Resumes.) I travelled next through a sandy region to the city of Dimyat [DamiettaJ.
وهي مدينة فسيحة الأقطار متنوعة الثمار عجيبة الترتيب آخذة من كل حسن بنصيب،,"It is a city of spacious quarters and with a diversity of fruits, admirably laid out, and enjoying a share of every good thing."
والناس يضبطون اسمها بإعجام الذال، وكذلك ضَبَطَهُ الإمام أبو محمد عبد الله بن علي الرشاطي،,"Its name is generally written as Dhimyat, and it is so spelled by the imam Abu Muhammad ‘Abdallah b. ‘AH al-Rushatl."
وكان شرف الدين الإمام العلامة أبو محمد عبد المؤمن بن خلف الدمياطي إمام المحدثين يضبطها بإهمال الدال، ويُتْبِع ذلك بأن يقول خلاف الرشاطي وغيره، وهو أعرف بضبط اسم بلده،,"But the learned imam Sharaf al-Dm Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Mu’min b. Khalaf al-Dimyati, the doyen of the Traditionalists, used to spell it with a plain D, and follow that up by contradicting al-Rushati and others, and he knows best the way to spell the name of his own town."
ومدينة دمياط على شاطئ النيل وأهل الدور الموالية له يستقون منه الماء بالدلاء،,"The city of Dimyat lies on the bank of the Nile, and the people in the houses next to the river draw eo water from it in buckets."
وكثير من دورها بها دركات يُنْزَل فيها إلى النيل،,Many of the houses have steps leading down to the Nile.
وشجر الموز بها كثير يُحْمَل ثمره إلى مصر في المراكب،,"Banana trees are especially abundant there, and their fruit is carried to Cairo in boats."
وغنمها سائمة هملًا بالليل والنهار؛ ولهذا يقال في دمياط: سورها حلوى وكلابها غنم،,"Its sheep and goats are allowed to pasture at liberty day and night, and for this reason the saying goes of Dimyat, ‘Its wall is a sweetmeat and its dogs are sheep’."
وإذا دخلها أحد لم يكن له سبيل إلى الخروج عنها إلا بطابع الوالي،,No one who enters the city may afterwards leave it except by the governor’s seal.
فمن كان من الناس معتبرًا طبع له في قطعة كاعد يستظهر به لحراس بابها، وغيرهم يطبع على ذراعه فيستظهر به،,"Persons of repute have a seal stamped on a piece of paper, which they show to the gatekeepers; other persons have the seal stamped on their forearms and must show that."
والطير البحري بهذه المدينة كثير متناهي السمن، وبها الألبان الجاموسية التي لا مثل لها في عذوبة الطعم وطيب المذاق، وبها الحوت البوري يُحْمَل منها إلى الشام وبلاد الروم ومصر،,"Sea-fowl [are sold] in this city in large quantities and are exceedingly fat; in it there are to be had also various preparations of buffalo milk, which are unequalled for sweetness and delicious taste, and the fish called al-buri™ which is exported from there to Syria, Anatolia, and Cairo."
وبخارجها جزيرة بين البحرين والنيل تسمى البرزخ,"Outside the town there is an island lying between the sea and the river, called al-Barzakh."
بها مسجد وزاوية، لقيت بها شيخها المعروف بابن قفل، وحضرت عنده ليلة جمعة،,"On this island there is a mosque j and a hermitage, in which I met its shaikh, known as Ibnei Qufl, and I spent the night preceding a Friday in his company."
ومعه جماعة من الفقراء الفضلاء المتعبدين الأخيار قطعوا ليلتهم صلاة وقراءة وذكرًا،,"With him were a number of pious poor brethren, devoted to the religious life and of excellent character, who passed the night in prayers, recitation of the Qur’an, and liturgical exercises."
ودمياط هذه حديثة البناء، والمدينة القديمة هي التي خَرَّبَها الإفرنج على عهد الملك الصالح، وبها زاوية الشيخ جمال الدين الساوي قدوة الطائفة المعروفة بالقرندرية، وهم الذين يحلقون لحاهم وحواجبهم،,"The present town of Dimyat is of recent construction; the old city was that destroyed by the Franks in the time of alMalik al-Salih. In it is the hermitage of Shaikh Jamal al-Din al-Sawi, who set the example which is followed by the group known as the Qarandarfya; these are the persons who shave off their beards and eyebrows."
ويسكن الزاوية في هذا العهد الشيخ فتح التكروري.,At this time there was living in the hermitage the Shaikh Fat’h al-Takruri.
حكاية,Anecdote.
يُذْكَر أن السبب الداعي للشيخ جمال الدين الساوي إلى حَلْق لحيته وحاجبيه أنه,It is said that the reason which led Shaikh Jamal al-Din al-Sawi to shave off his beard and eyebrows was this.
كان جميل الصورة حَسَنَ الوجه، فعَلِقَتْ به امرأة من أهل ساوة، وكانت تراسله وتعارضه في الطرق، وتدعوه لنفسها,"He was a man of fine figure and handsome face, and a woman belonging to Sawa conceived a passion for him, and made a habit of sending him letters, of intercepting him in the streets, and inviting him to fulfil her desires."
وهو يمتنع ويتهاون،,He for his part rejected all her advances with scorn.
فلما أعياها أَمْرُه دَسَّت له عجوزًا تصدَّتْ له إزاء دار على طريقه إلى المسجد وبيدها كتاب مختوم،,"When she was baffled by his refusals, she tricked him by sending an old woman who posted herself with a sealed letter in her hand outside a certain house on his way to the mosque."
فلما مر بها قالت له: يا سيدي أتُحْسِن القراءة؟ قال: نعم،,"As he passed by her, she said to him ‘Sir, can you read?’ He said ‘Yes’."
قالت له: هذا الكتاب وَجَّهَهُ إلي ولدي وأحب أن تقرأه علي، فقال لها: نعم، فلما فتح الكتاب قالت له: يا سيدي، إن لولدي زوجة وهي بأسطوان الدار، فلو تفضلت بقراءته بين بابي الدار بحيث تُسْمِعُها، فأجابها لذلك، فلما تَوَسَّطَ بين البابين غَلَّقَت العجوز البابَ وخرجت المرأة وجواريها,"‘This letter’, she told him, ‘has reached me from my son; I wish you would read it to me.’ He consented, but when he opened the letter she said to him: ‘Sir, my son has a wife, and she is in the vestibule of the house. Would you be so kind as to read it between the outer and inner doors of the house, so that she may hear it?’ He agreed to do as she asked, and when he was between the two doors the old woman locked the outer door, and the woman herself came out with her attendants."
فتعلقْن به وأدخلْنَه إلى داخل الدار، وراودته المرأة عن نفسه،,"They seized him and carried him into the inner apartments, where the woman tried to seduce him."
فلما رأى أن لا خلاص له، قال لها: إني حيث تريدين، فأريني بيت الخلاء، فأَرَتْه إياه،,"When he saw that there was no way out for him, he said ‘I shall do as you wish, so show me the closet’, and she showed it to him."
فأدخل معه الماء، وكانت عنده موسى حديدة، فحلق لحيته وحاجبيه وخرج عليها،,"He took water in with him, and as he had in his possession a sharp razor, he shaved off his beard and eyebrows and came out before her."
فاستقْبَحَتْ هيئته واستنكَرَتْ فِعْلَه، وأَمَرَتْ بإخراجه،,"She, horrified at his appearance and indignant at what he had done, ordered him to be put out."
وعَصَمَهُ الله بذلك، فبقي على هيئته فيما بعد، وصار كُلُّ من يسلك طريقته يحلق رأسه ولحيته وحاجبيه.,"Since God preserved him from temptation by this means, he retained the same appearance ever after, and all those who follow his Way shave the head, beard, and eyebrows."
كرامة لهذا الشيخ,A miracle of this shaikh.
يُذْكَر أنه لما قَصَدَ مدينة دمياط لزم مقبرتها،,The story goes that when he came to the city of Dimyat he never quitted its cemetery.
وكان بها قاضٍ يُعْرَف بابن العميد، فخرج يومًا إلى جنازةِ بعض الأعيان، فرأى الشيخ جمال الدين بالمقبرة، فقال له: أنت الشيخ المبتدع،,"There was in the town a qadi known as Ibn al-‘Amid, who went out one day to the funeral of one of the notables, and seeing the Shaikh Jamal al-Din in the cemetery said to him ‘You are the innovating shaikh’."
فقال له: وأنت القاضي الجاهل، تَمُرُّ بدابتك بين القبور، وتعلم أن حرمة الإنسان ميتًا كحرمته حيًّا،,"He replied ‘And you are the ignorant qadi, riding on your mule among the tombs, although you know that a man should be shown the same respect in death as in life’."
فقال له القاضي: وأَعْظَمُ من ذلك حلقك للحيتك،,The qadi said to him ‘But worse than that is your shaving off your beard’.
فقال له: إياي تعني؟ وزعق الشيخ ثم رفع رأسه فإذا هو ذو لحية سوداء عظيمة،,"‘Is it to me that you refer?’ said the shaikh; then bowing his head to his knees he raised it again, and lo! he had a magnificent black beard."
فعجب القاضي ومن معه ونزل إليه عن بغلته،,"The qadi was astonished, as were all those who were in his company, and dismounted from his mule [as a mark of respect] to him."
ثم زعق ثانية، فإذا هو ذو لحية بيضاء حسنة،,The shaikh then bowed his head a second time and lo! he had a a fine white beard.
ثم زعق ثالثة ورفع رأسه، فإذا هو بلا لحية كهيئته الأولى،,"Then he bowed his head a third time, and when he raised it again, he had no beard, just as he appeared to begin with."
فقَبَّلَ القاضي يده وتتلمذ له وبنى له الزواية حسنة وصحبه أيام حياته،,"The qadi kissed his hand, and becoming his pupil, built him a fine hermitage and spent the rest of his life in his company."
ثم مات الشيخ فدُفِنَ بزاويته، ولما حضرت القاضي وفاته أوصى أن يُدْفَن بباب الزاوية حتى يكون كلُّ داخلٍ إلى زيارة الشيخ يطأ قبره،,"When at length the shaikh died he was buried in his hermitage, and the qadi, when his own death was at hand, gave instructions that he should be buried at the door of the hermitage, so that every visitor to the tomb of the shaikh should tread upon his grave."
وبخارج دمياط المزار المعروف بشطا (بفتح الشين المعجمة والطاء المهملة)، وهو ظاهر البَرَكَة,"Outside Dimyat is the sanctuary known as Shata, a place where the divine power is manifested."
يقصده أهل الديار المصرية، وله أيام في السنة معلومة لذلك،,It is visited by people from all parts of Egypt. For this pilgrimage there are certain fixed days in the year.
وبخارجها أيضًا بين بساتينها موضع يُعْرَف بالمنية فيه شيخ من الفضلاء يُعْرَف بابن النعمان قَصَدْتُ زاويته وبِتُّ عنده،,"Also in the environs of the city and in the midst of its groves, there is a place called alMunya; living there was a worthy shaikh known as Ibn al-Nu’man, whose hermitage I visited and with whom I spent one night."
وكان بدمياط أيام إقامتي بها والٍ يُعْرَف بالمُحْسِنِيِّ من ذوي الإحسان والفضل،,"There was in Dimyat, at the time of my stay there, a governor known as al-Muhsini, a charitable and excellent man."
بنى مدرسة على شاطئ النيل، بها كان نزولي في تلك الأيام، وتأكَّدَتْ بيني وبينه مودة،,"He had built a college on the bank of the Nile; it was in this college that I lodged on that occasion, and a firm friendship grew up between us."
ثم سافرت إلى مدينة فارسكور، وهي مدينة على ساحل النيل (والكاف الذي في اسمها مضموم)، ونَزَلْتُ بخارجها،,"I went on from there to the town of Fariskur, which is a town on the banks of the Nile, and stopped outside it."
ولَحِقَنِي هنالك فارس وَجَّهَهُ إليَّ الأمير المحسني،,Here I was overtaken by a horseman who had been sent after me by the amir al-Muhsini.
فقال لي: إن الأمير سَأَلَ عنك وعَرَفَ بسيرتك، فبعث إليك بهذه النفقة.ودَفَعَ إليَّ جملة دراهم جزاه الله خيرًا. ثم سافرت إلى مدينة أشمون الرمان (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة وإسكان الشين المعجم)، ونُسِبَتْ إلى الرمان لكثرته بها، ومنها يُحْمَل إلى مصر،,"He said to me The amir asked for you, and on learning of your departure he sent you this provision’, and handed me a number of coins—may God ee reward him! Thence I travelled to the town of Ashmiin alRumman, which owes the second part of its name to the abundance of pomegranates (rummdn) which grow there and are exported thence to Cairo."
وهي مدينة عتيقة كبيرة على خليج من خُلُج النيل، ولها قنطرة خشب ترسو المراكب عندها،,"It is a large and ancient town on one of the canals derived from the Nile, and it has a wooden bridge by which all vessels anchor."
فإذا كان العصر رُفِعَتْ تلك الخُشُب وجازت المراكب صاعدة ومنحدرة،,About mid-afternoon the baulks are lifted and the vessels pass up and down.
وبهذه البلدة قاضي القضاة ووالي الولاة،,In this town there is a chief qadi and a chief of police.
ثم سافرت عنها إلى مدينة سمنود، وهي على شاطئ النيل، كثيرة المراكب، حسنة الأسواق،,"From there I went next to the town of Samannud, which is on the bank of the Nile, and has much shipping and fine markets."
وبينها وبين المحلة الكبيرة ثلاثة فراسخ,The distance from Samannud to al-Mahalla alKabira is three farsakhs.
ومن هذه المدينة رَكِبْتُ النيل مصعدًا إلى مصر ما بين مدائن وقرًى منتظمة متصل بعضها ببعض،,"From this town I took ship on the Nile upstream to Cairo, between a succession of towns and villages which join on to one another."
ولا يفتقر راكب النيل إلى استصحاب الزاد؛ لأنه مهما أراد النزول بالشاطئ نزل للوضوء والصلاة وشراء الزاد وغير ذلك،,"There is no need for a traveller on the Nile to take any provision with him, because whenever he wishes to descend on the bank he may do so, for ablutions, prayers, purchasing provisions, or any other purpose."
والأسواق متصلة من مدينة الإسكندرية إلى مصر، ومن مصر إلى مدينة أسوان من الصعيد.,"There is a continuous series of bazaars from the city of Alexandria to Cairo, and from Cairo to the city of Uswan [Assuan] in Upper Egypt."
ثم وصلْتُ إلى مدينة مصر، هي أم البلاد، وقرارة فرعون ذي الأوتاد، ذات الأقاليم العريضة والبلاد الأريضة، المتناهية في كثرة العمارة، المتباهية بالحسن والنضارة، مجمع الوارد والصادر، ومحطُّ رَحْل الضعيف والقادر،,"I arrived at length at the city of Misr [Cairo], mother of cities and seat of Pharaoh the tyrant, mistress of broad provinces and fruitful lands, boundless in multitude of buildings, peerless in beauty and splendour, the meetingplace of comer and goer, the stopping-place of feeble and strong."
وبها ما شئْتَ من عالِم وجاهل، وجادٍّ وهازِل، وحليم وسفيه، ووضيع ونبيه، وشريف ومشروف، ومنكَر ومعروف، تموج مَوْج البحر بسُكَّانها، وتكاد تضيق بهم على سعة مكانها وإمكانها،,"Therein is what you will of learned and simple, grave and gay, prudent and foolish, base and noble, of high estate and low estate, unknown and famous; she surges as the waves of the sea with her throngs of folk and can scarce contain them for all the capacity of her situation and sustaining power."
شبابها يجد على طول العهد، وكوكب تعديلها لا يبرح عن منزل السعد، قَهَرَتْ قاهِرَتُها الأمم، وتمكَّنَتْ ملوكها نواصي العرب والعجم،,"Her youth is ever new in spite of length of days, es and the star of her horoscope does not move from the mansion of fortune; her conquering capital (al-Qdhira) has subdued the nations, and her kings have grasped the forelocks of both Arab and non-Arab."
ولها خصوصية النيل التي جل خطرها وأغناها عن أن يستمد القطر قطرها وأرضها مسيرة شهر لمُجِدِّ السير، كريمة التربة، مؤنسة لذوي الغربة،,"She has as her peculiar possession the majestic Nile, which dispenses her district from the need of entreating the distillation [of the rain]; her territory is a month’s journey for a hastening traveller, of generous soil, and extending a friendly welcome to strangers."
"قال ابن جزي: وفيها يقول الشاعر (طويل):
لعمرك ما مصر بمصر وإنما هي الجنة الدنيا لمن يَتَبَصَّرُ
فأولادها الولدان والحور عِينُها وروضتها الفردوس والنيل كَوْثَرُ","Ibn Juzayy remarks: Of Cairo the poet says— No common town is Cairo, by thy life! Nay, she Is heaven on earth for those with eyes to see; Her youth those boys and maids with lustrous eyes, Kawtharher Nile, her Rawda Paradise."
"وفيها يقول ناصر الدين بن ناهض:
شاطئ مصر جنة ما مثلها من بَلَدِ
لا سيما مذ زخرفت بنيلها المطردِ
وللرياح فوقه سوابغٌ من زردِ
مسرودة ما مسها داودها بمبردِ
سائلة هواؤها يرعد عاري الجسدِ
والفلك كالأفلاك بيــن حادر ومصعد","Of Cairo too [the poet] Nasir al-Din ibn Nahid says: The shore of Misr a garden is—unrivalled she by other town, And yet more lovely she appears, bedecked by everflowing Nile.
The winds upon its surface weave long-skirted coats of linked mail— Of woven mail whose perfect rings owe naught to David’s skilful file.
The flowing current of her air shivers the wretch with tattered gown, And vessels like celestial spheres, some upwards and some downwards, sail. m"
(رجع) ويقال: إن بمصر من السقَّائين على الجمال اثني عشر ألف سقاء، وإن بها ثلاثين ألف مكارٍ، وإن بنيلها من المراكب ستة وثلاثين ألفًا للسلطان والرعية تَمُرُّ صاعدة إلى الصعيد ومنحدرة إلى الإسكندرية ودمياط بأنواع الخيرات والمرافق،,"(Resumes.) It is said that in Cairo there are twelve thousand water-carriers who transport water on camels, and thirty thousand hirers of mules and donkeys, and that on its Nile there are thirty-six thousand vessels belonging to the Sultan and his subjects, which sail upstream to Upper Egypt and downstream to Alexandria and Damietta, laden with goods and commodities of all kinds."
وعلى ضفة النيل مما يواجه مصر الموضع المعروف بالروضة، وهو مكان النزهة والتفرج، وبه البساتين الكثيرة الحسنة،,"On the bank of the Nile opposite Cairo is the place known as al-Rawda [‘the Garden’], which is a pleasure park and promenade, containing many beautiful gardens."
وأهل مصر ذوو طرب وسرور ولهو،,The people of Cairo are fond of pleasure and amusement.
شاهَدْتُ بها مرة فرجة بسبب برء الملك الناصر من كَسْر أصاب يده،,I once witnessed a fete there which was held for al-Malik al-Nasir’s recovery from a fracture which he had suffered in his hand.
فَزَيَّنَ كلُّ أهل سوقٍ سُوقَهُمْ، وعَلَّقُوا بحوانيتهم الحلل والحلي وثياب الحرير، وبقوا على ذلك أيامًا.,"All the merchants decorated their bazaars and had rich stuffs, ornaments, and silken fabrics hung up in their shops for several days."
ذِكْر مسجد عمرو بن العاص والمدارس والمارستانات والزوايا,"The Mosque of ‘Amr b. al-‘As, and the colleges, hospital, and convents."
ومسجد عمرو بن العاص مسجد شريف، كبير القدر، شهير الذكر،,"The Mosque of ‘Amr b. al-‘As is a noble mosque, highly venerated and widely celebrated."
تقام فيه الجمعة، والطريق يعترضه من شرق إلى غرب،,"The Friday service is held in it, and the road runs right through it from east to west."
وبِشَرْقه الزاوية حيث كان يدرس الإمام أبو عبد الله الشافعي،,To the west of it is the cell where the Imam Abu ‘Abdallah al-Shafi’I used to teach.
وأما المدارس بمصر فلا يحيط أحد بحصرها لكثرتها، وأما المارستان الذي بين القصرين عند تربة الملك المنصور قلاون فيعجز الواصف عن محاسنه،,"As for the madrasas in Cairo, they are too many for anyone to count; and as for the Maristan, which is ‘between the two castles’ near the mausoleum of al-Malik al-Mansur Qala’un, no description is adequate to its beauties."
وقد أُعِدَّ فيه من المرافق والأدوية ما لا يُحْصَر، ويُذْكَر أن مجباه ألف دينار كل يوم,"It is equipped with innumerable conveniences and medicaments, and its revenue is reported to be a thousand dinars a day."
وأما الزوايا فكثيرة،,The convents too are numerous.
وهم يسمونها الخوانق واحدتها خانقة، والأمراء بمصر يتنافسون في بناء الزوايا،,"The people there call them khawdniq, the singular being khdnqa, and the amirs in Cairo vie with one another in building them."
وكل زاوية بمصر معينة لطائفة من الفقراء، وأكثرهم الأعاجم، وهم أهل أدب ومعرفة بطريقة التصوف،,"Each convent in Cairo is affected to the use of a separate congregation of poor brethren, most of whom are Persians, men of good education and adepts in the ‘way’ of Sufism."
ولكل زاوية شيخ وحارس، وترتيب أمورهم عجيب،,"Each has a shaikh [as superior] and a warden, and the organization of their affairs is admirable."
ومن عوائدهم في الطعام أنه يأتي خديم الزاوية إلى الفقراء صباحًا، فيُعَيِّن له كل واحد ما يشتهيه من الطعام،,"It is one of their customs in the matter of their food that the steward of the house comes in the morning to the faqirs, each of whom then specifies what food he desires."
فإذا اجتمعوا للأكل جَعَلُوا لكل إنسان خُبْزَه ومرقه في إناء على حدة، لا يشاركه فيه أحد،,"When they assemble for meals, each person is given his bread and soup in a separate dish, none sharing with another."
وطعامهم مرتان في اليوم،,They eat twice a day.
ولهم كسوة الشتاء وكسوة الصيف ومرتب شهري من ثلاثين درهمًا للواحد في الشهر إلى عشرين،,They receive winter clothing and summer clothing and a monthly allowance varying from twenty to thirty dirhams each.
ولهم الحلاوة من السكر في كل ليلة جمعة، والصابون لغسل أثوابهم، والأجرة لدخول الحمام، والزيت للاستصباح,"Every Thursday night they are given sugar cakes, soap to wash their clothes, the price of admission to the bath-house, and oil to feed their lamps."
وهم أعزاب، وللمتزوجين زوايا على حدة، ومن المشترط عليهم حضور الصلوات الخمس والمبيت بالزاوية واجتماعهم بقبة داخل الزاوية.,"These men are celibate; the married men have separate convents. Amongst the stipulations required of them are attendance at the five daily prayers, spending the night in the convent, and assembly in mass in a chapel within the convent."
ومن عوائدهم أن يجلس كل واحد منهم على سجادة مختصة به،,Another of their customs is that each one of them sits [for prayers] upon a prayer-carpet reserved for his exclusive use.
وإذا صلوا صلاة الصبح قرءوا سورة الفتح وسورة المُلْك وسورة عم،,"When they pray the dawn prayer they recite the chapters of Victory, of the Kingdom, and of ‘Amma."
ثم يؤتى بنسخ من القرآن العظيم مجزأة فيأخذ كل فقير جزءًا,"After this copies of the Holy Qur’an are brought, divided into sections, and each faqir takes a section."
ويختمون القرآن ويَذْكُرون، ثم يقرأ القُرَّاء على عادة أهل المشرق،,"After ‘sealing’ the Qur’an and reciting a dhikr, the Qur’an-readers give a recital according to the custom of the Easterners."
ومثل ذلك يفعلون بعد صلاة العصر،,They hold a similar service following the mid-afternoon prayer.
ومن عوائدهم مع القادم,They have a regular ritual for the admission of newcomers.
أنه يأتي باب الزاوية فيقف به مشدود الوسط وعلى كاهله سجادة وبِيُمْناه العكاز وبيسراه الإبريق،,"The applicant comes to the gate of the convent and takes up his stand there, with his waist girt, a prayer mat on his shoulder, the staff in his right hand and the jug in his left."
فيعلم البواب خديم الزاوية بمكانه,The gatekeeper informs the steward of the convent that he is there.
فيخرج إليه ويسأله من أي البلاد أتى، وبأي الزوايا نزل في طريقه ومَنْ شيخه،,"The steward then comes out to him and asks him from what country he has come, what convents he has stayed in on his way, and who was his spiritual director (shaikh)."
فإذا عَرَفَ صحة قوله أَدْخَلَهُ الزاوية وفَرَشَ له سجادته في موضع يليق به، وأراه موضع الطهارة,"When he has ascertained the truth of his answers, he admits him into the convent, spreads his prayer-mat for him in a place befitting his station, and shows him the lavatory."
فيجدد الوضوء ويأتي إلى سجادته فيحل وسطه ويصلي ركعتين ويصافح الشيخ ومن حضر ويقعد معهم،,"The newcomer renews his ablutions and, returning to his mat, ungirds his waist, and prays two prostrations, then he clasps the hand of the shaikh [of the convent] and those of the others present, and takes his seat amongst them."
ومن عوائدهم أنهم إذا كان يوم الجمعة أَخَذَ الخادم جميع سجاجيدهم، فيذهب بها إلى المسجد ويفرشها لهم هنالك،,"Another custom of theirs is that on Fridays the servant collects all their prayer-mats and takes them to the mosque, where he spreads them in readiness for their coming."
ويخرجون مجتمعين ومعهم شيخهم، فيأتون المسجد ويصلي كل واحد على سجادته،,"The faqirs come out in a body, accompanied by their shaikh, proceed to the mosque, and pray each on his own mat."
فإذا فرغوا من الصلاة قرءوا القرآن على عادتهم، ثم ينصرفون مجتمعين إلى الزاوية ومعهم شيخهم.,"When they have finished the prayer they recite the Qur’an according to their custom, and thereafter return in a body to the convent, accompanied by their shaikh."
ذكر قرافة مصر ومزاراتها,The Qardfa of Cairo and its sanctuaries.
ولمصر القرافة العظيمة الشأن في التبرك بها، وقد جاء في فَضْلها أَثَر أَخْرَجه القرطبي وغيره؛ لأنها من جملة الجبل المقطم الذي وَعَدَ الله أن يكون روضة من رياض الجنة،,"At [Old] Cairo too is [the cemetery called] al-Qarafa, a place of vast repute for blessed power, whose special virtue is affirmed in a tradition related by al-Qurtubi amongst others, for it is a part of the amount al-Muqattam, of which God has promised that it shall be one of the gardens of Paradise."
وهم يبنون بالقرافة القباب الحسنة ويجعلون عليها الحيطان فتكون كالدور ويبنون بها البيوت ويُرَتِّبُون القراء يقرءون ليلًا ونهارًا بالأصوات الحسان،,"These people build in the Qarafa beautiful domed chapels and surround them by walls, so that they look like houses, and they construct chambers in them and hire the services of Qur’an-readers, who recite night and day in beautiful voices."
ومنهم من يبني الزاوية والمدرسة إلى جانب التربة،,There are some of them who build a religious house or a madrasa by the side of the mausoleum.
ويَخْرُجون في كل ليلةِ جمعة إلى المبيت بها بأولادهم ونسائهم، ويطوفون على المزارات الشهيرة،,They go out every Thursday evening to spend the night there with their children and womenfolk and make a circuit of the famous sanctuaries.
ويخرجون أيضًا للمبيت بها ليلة النصف من شعبان، ويخرج أهل الأسواق بصنوف المآكل،,"They go out also to spend the night there on the night of mid-Sha’ban, and the market-people take out all kinds of eatables."
ومن المزاراتِ الشريفةِ المشهدُ المُقَدَّسُ العظيمُ الشأنِ، حيث رأس الحسين بن علي عليهما السلام،,Among the celebrated sanctuaries [in the city of Cairo] is the imposing holy shrine where rests the head of al-Husain b. ‘AH (on both be peace).
وعليه رباط ضَخْم عجيب البناء على أبوابه حلق الفضة وصفائحها أيضًا كذلك,"Beside it is a vast convent, of wonderful workmanship, on the doors of which there are silver rings, and plates also on them of the same metal."
وهو موفَى الحق من الإجلال والتعظيم،,This shrine is paid its full meed of respect and veneration.
ومنها تربة السيدة نفيسة بنت الحسن الأنور بن زيد بن علي بن الحسين بن علي عليهم السلام،,"Amongst the monuments [in the Qarafa] is the tomb of the Lady (Sayyida) Naflsa, daughter of Zaid b. ‘AH b. al-Husain b. ‘All (upon them be peace)."
وكانت مجابة الدعوة، مجتهدة في العبادة،,She was a woman answered in prayer and zealous in her devotions.
وهذه التربة أنيقة البناء مُشْرِقَة الضياء عليها رباط مقصود،,"This mausoleum is of elegant construction and resplendent brightness, and beside it is a convent which is visited by a great concourse [during the days of the feast dedicated to her]."
ومنها تربة الإمام أبي عبد الله محمد بن إدريس الشافعي رضي الله عنه، وعليها رباط كبير،,"Another is the tomb of the Imam Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Idris al-Shafi’i, close by which is a large convent."
ولها جراية ضخمة، وبها القبة الشهيرة البديعة الإتقان، العجيبة البنيان، المتناهية الإحكام، المفرطة السمو، وسِعَتُها أَزْيَد من ثلاثين ذراعًا،,"The mausoleum enjoys an immense revenue and is surmounted by the famous dome, of admirable workmanship and marvellous construction, an exceedingly fine piece of architecture and exceptionally lofty, the diameter of which exceeds thirty cubits."
وبقرافة مصر من قبور العلماء والصالحين ما لا يضبطه الحصر، وبها عدد جمٌّ من الصحابة وصدور السلف والخلف رضي الله تعالى عنهم، مثل: عبد الرحمن بن القاسم، وأشهب بن عبد العزيز، وأصبغ بن الفرج، وابني عبد الحكم، وأبي القاسم بن شعبان، وأبي محمد عبد الوهاب،,"The Qarafa of Cairo contains also an incalculable number of graves of men eminent for learning and religion, and in it lie a goodly number of the Companions and of the leading figures of both earlier and later generations (God be pleased with them), for example: ‘Abd al-Rahman b. al-Qasim, Ashhab b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, Asbagh b. al-Faraj, the two sons of ‘Abd al-Hakam, Abu’l-Qasim b. Sha’ban, and Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhhab."
لكن ليس لهم بها اشتهار، ولا يَعْرِفهم إلا من له بهم عناية، والشافعي رضي الله عنه ساعَدَهُ الجدُّ في نفسه وأتباعه وأصحابه في حياته ومماته،,"But these persons enjoy no celebrity there, and are unknown except to those who have a special interest in them; whereas al-Shafi’I has been favoured by fortune in regard to himself and his followers and adherents, both in his own lifetime and after his death."
"فظهر مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مصداق قوله (كامل):
الجدُّ يدْنِي كُلَّ أَمْر شاسع والجد يفتح كل باب مُغْلَقِ",Everything about him provides a clear testimony to the truth of his own verse: Diligence (al-jidd) brings near each distant aim And fortune (al-jadd) opens every bolted door.
ذِكْر نيل مصر,The Egyptian Nile.
ونيل مصر يَفْضُل أنهار الأرض عذوبةَ مذاقٍ واتساعَ قُطْرٍ وعِظَمَ منفعة،,"The Egyptian Nile surpasses all rivers of the earth in sweetness of taste, breadth of channel and magnitude of utility."
والمدن والقرى بضفتيه منتظمة ليس في المعمور مثلها، ولا يُعْلَم نهر يُزْدَرَعُ عليه ما يُزْدَرَعُ على النيل،,"Cities and villages succeed one another along its banks without interruption and have’no equal in the inhabited world, nor is any river known whose basin is so intensively cultivated as that of the Nile."
وليس في الأرض نهر يُسَمَّى بحرًا غيره، قال الله تعالى: فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ، وسماه يمًّا، وهو البحر،,"There is no river on earth but it which is called a sea; God Most High has said ‘If thou fearest for him, cast him into the yamm’, * thus calling it yamm, which means ‘sea’ (bahr)."
وفي الحديث الصحيح: أن رسول الله ﷺ وَصَلَ ليلة الإسراء إلى سدرة المنتهى، فإذا في أصلها أربعة أنهار: نهران ظاهران، ونهران باطنان، فسأل عنها جبريل عليه السلام فقال: أما الباطنان ففي الجنة، وأما الظاهران فالنيل والفرات،,"It is related in an unimpeachable Tradition that the Prophet of God (God’s blessing and peace upon him) reached on the night of his Ascension the Lote-Tree of the Extremity, and lo, at its base were four streams, two outer streams and two inner streams. He asked Gabriel (peace be upon him) what streams these were, and he replied The two inner streams flow through Paradise, and as for the two outer streams they are the Nile and Euphrates’."
وفي الحديث أيضًا: أن النيل والفرات وسيحون وجيحون كل من أنهار الجنة.,"It is also related in the Traditions of the Prophet that the Nile, Euphrates, Saihan and Jaihan are, each one, rivers of Paradise."
ومجرى النيل من الجنوب إلى الشمال خلافًا لجميع الأنهار،,"The course of the Nile is from south to north, contrary to all the [great] rivers."
ومن عجائبه أن ابتداء زيادته في شدة الحر عند نقص الأنهار وجفوفها، وابتداء نقصه حين زيادة الأنهر وفيضها،,"One extraordinary thing about it is that it begins to rise in the extreme hot weather, at the time when rivers generally diminish and dry up, and begins to subside at the time when rivers increase in volume and overflow."
ونهر السند مثله في ذلك، وسيأتي ذِكْرُه،,"The river of Sind [Indus] resembles it in this respect, and will be mentioned later."
وأول ابتداء زيادته في حزيران وهو يونيو، فإذا بَلَغَتْ زيادته ستة عشر ذراعًا تم خراج السلطان،,"The first beginning of the Nile flood is in Haziran, that is June; and when its rise amounts to sixteen cubits, the land-tax due to the Sultan is payable in full."
فإن زاد ذراعًا كان الخصب في العام والصلاح التام،,"If it rises another cubit, there is plenty in that year, and complete well-being."
فإن بلغ ثمانية عشر ذراعًا أَضَرَّ بالضياع وأعقب الوباء،,But if it reaches eighteen cubits it does damage to the cultivated lands and causes an outbreak of plague.
وإن نقص ذراعًا عن ستة عشر نَقَصَ خراج السلطان، وإن نَقَصَ ذراعين استسقى الناس وكان الضرر الشديد،,"If it falls short of sixteen by a cubit, the Sultan’s land-tax is diminished, and if it is two cubits short the people make solemn prayers for rain and there is the greatest misery."
والنيل أَحَدُ أنهار الدنيا الخمسة الكبار، وهي: النيل والفرات والدجلة وسيحون وجيحون، وتُمَاثِلُها أنهار خمسة أيضًا: نهر السند ويُسَمَّى ينج آب، ونهر الهند ويُسَمَّى الكنك، وإليه تَحُجُّ الهنود، وإذا حرقوا أمواتهم رموا برمادهم فيه، ويقولون: هو من الجنة، ونهر الجون بالهند أيضًا، ونهر أتل بصحراء قفجق وعلى ساحله مدينة السرا، ونهر السرو بأرض الخطا وعلى ضفته مدينة خان بالق، ومنها ينحدر إلى مدينة الخنسا ثم إلى مدينة الزيتون بأرض الصين،,"The Nile is one of the five great rivers of the world, which are the Nile, Euphrates, Tigris, Saihun [Syr DaryaJ and Jaihun [Amu Darya]; five other rivers rival these, the river of Sind, which is called Panj Ab [i.e. Five Rivers], the river of Hindustan which is called the Kank [or Gang, i.e. Ganges]— to it the Hindus go on pilgrimage, and when they burn their dead they throw the ashes of them into it, and they say that it comes from Paradise—the river Jun, also in Hindustan, the river Itil [Volga] in the Qifjaq [Kipchak] steppe, on the shore of which is the city of al-Sara, and the river Saru in the land of al-Khita [Cathay], on the banks of which is the city of Khan-Baliq [Peking], whence it descends to the city so of al-Khansa [Hang-chow] and from there to the city of al-Zaitun [Zayton] in the land of China."
وسيُذْكَر ذلك كله في مواضعه إن شاء الله،,"We shall speak of all these in their proper places, if God will."
والنيل يفترق بعد مسافة من مصر على ثلاثة أقسام، ولا يُعْبَر نهر منها إلا في السفن شتاء وصيفًا،,"Some distance below Cairo the Nile divides into three sections, and none of these streams can be crossed except by boat, winter or summer."
وأهل كل بلد لهم خلجان تخرج من النيل، فإذا مد أترعها فاضت على المزارع.,The inhabitants of every township have canals led off the Nile; when it is in flood it fills these and they inundate the cultivated fields.
ذكر الأهرام والبرابي,The pyramids and berbas.
وهي من العجائب المذكورة على مر الدهور، وللناس فيها كلام كثير وخوض في شأنها وأَوَّلِية بنائها،,"These are among the marvels which have been celebrated through the course of ages, and there is much talk and theorizing amongst men about them, their significance and the origin of their construction."
ويزعمون أن جميع العلوم التي ظَهَرَتْ قبل الطوفان أُخِذَتْ عن هرمس الأول الساكن بصعيد مصر الأعلى، ويسمى أخنوخ وهو إدريس عليه السلام،,"They aver that all branches of knowledge which came into existence before the Deluge were derived from Hermes the Ancient, who lived in the remotest part of the Sa’id [Upper Egypt]; he is also called by the name of Khanukh [Enoch] that is Idrls (on him be peace)."
وأنه أَوَّل من تَكَلَّم في الحركات الفلكية والجواهر العُلْوِيَّة، وأول من بنى الهياكل ومَجَّدَ الله تعالى فيها، وأنه أَنْذَرَ الناس بالطوفان وخاف ذهاب العلم ودروس الصنائع، فبنى الأهرام والبرابي، وصَوَّرَ فيها جميع الصنائع والآلات ورَسَمَ العلوم فيها لتبقى مُخَلَّدة،,"It is said that he was the first to speculate on the movements of the spheres and the celestial bodies, and the first to construct temples and glorify God in them; and that he warned men of the coming of the Deluge, and fearing for the disappearance of knowledge and destruction of the practical arts built the pyramids and berbas, in which he depicted all the practical arts and their tools, and made diagrams of the sciences, in order that they might remain immortalized."
ويقال: إن دار العلم والملك بمصر مدينة مَنْف، وهي على بريد من الفسطاط، فلما بُنِيَت الإسكندرية انتقل الناس إليها، وصارت دارَ العلم والملك إلى أن أتى الإسلام، فاخْتَطَّ عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنه مدينة الفسطاط، فهي قاعدة مصر إلى هذا العهد،,"It is said also that the seat of learning and kingship in Egypt was the city of Manuf [Memphis], which is one band from al-Fustat. When Alexandria was built, the people removed to it, and it became the seat of learning and kingship until the coming of Islam, when ‘Amr b. al-‘As (God be pleased with him) laid out the city of al-Fustat, which remains the capital of Egypt to this day."
والأهرام بناء بالحجر الصلد المنحوت متناهي السمو مستدير متسع الأسفل ضيِّق الأعلى كالشكل المخروط،,"The pyramids is an edifice of solid hewn stone, of immense height and circular plan, broad at the base and narrow at the top, like the figure of a cone."
ولا أبواب لها ولا تعلم كيفية بنائها،,They have no doorways and the manner of their erection is unknown.
ومما يُذْكَر في شأنها أن ملكًا من ملوك مصر قبل الطوفان رأى رؤيا هالَتْه، وأَوْجَبَتْ عنده أنه بنى تلك الأهرام بالجانب الغربي من النيل؛ لتكون مستودعًا للعلوم ولجثة الملوك،,"One of the tales related about them is that a certain king of Egypt before the Flood dreamed a dream which filled him with terror and determined him to build these pyramids on the western side of the Nile, as a depository for the sciences and for the bodies of the kings."
وأنه سأل المنجمين هل يُفْتَح منها موضع؟ فأخبروه أنها تُفْتَح من الجانب الشمالي، وعَيَّنُوا له الموضع الذي تُفْتَح منه ومَبْلَغ الإنفاق في فَتْحه،,"He asked the astrologers whether they would be opened in the future at any spot, and they told him that an opening would be made on the north side, and informed him of the exact spot where the opening would begin, and of the sum of money which would be expended in making the opening."
فأمر أن يُجْعَل بذلك الموضع من المال قَدْر ما أخبروه أنه يُنْفَق في فَتْحه،,He then ordered to be deposited in that place the sum of money which they had told him would be spent in breaching it.
واشتد في البناء فأتمه في ستين سنة، وكتب عليها: بنينا هذه الأهرام في ستين سنة، فليَهْدِمْها من يريد ذلك في ستمائة سنة، فإن الهدم أَيْسَر من البناء، فلما أَفْضَت الخلافة إلى أمير المؤمنين المأمون أراد هَدْمها، فأشار عليه بعض مشايخ مصر أن لا يفعل، فلَجَّ في ذلك، وأَمَرَ أن تُفْتَح من الجانب الشمالي، فكانوا يوقدون عليها النار ثم يرشونها بالخل ويرمونها بالمنجنيق، حتى فُتِحَت الثلمة التي بها إلى اليوم،,"By pressing forward its construction, he completed it in sixty years, and wrote [this inscription] upon them: ‘We erected these pyramids in the space of sixty years; let him who will, pull them down in the space of six hundred years; yet to pull down is easier than to build.’ Now when the Caliphate devolved upon the Commander of the Faithful al-Ma’mun, he proposed to pull them down, and although one of the Egyptian shaikhs advised him not to do so he persisted in his design and ordered that they should be breached from the north side. So they set about lighting fires up against them and then sprinkling them with vinegar and battering them with a mangonel, until the breach which is still to be seen in them was opened up."
ووجدوا بإزاء النقب مالًا أَمَرَ أمير المؤمنين بوزنه،,"There they found, facing the hole, a sum of money which the Commander of the Faithful ordered to be weighed."
فحَصَرَ ما أَنْفَقَ في النقب فوجدهما سواء، فطال عَجَبُه من ذلك،,"He then calculated what had been spent on making the breach, and finding the two sums equal, was greatly astonished."
ووجدوا عَرْض الحائط عشرين ذراعًا.,At the same time they found the breadth of the wall to be twenty cubits.
ذكر سلطان مصر,The Sultan of Egypt.
وكان سلطان مصر على عهد دخولي إليها الملك الناصر أبو الفتح محمد بن الملك المنصور سيف الدين قلاون الصالحي،,"The Sultan of Egypt at the time of my entry was al-Malik al-Nasir Abu’ -Fath Muhammad, son of al-Malik al-Mansur Saif al-Dln Qala’un al-Salihi."
وكان قلاوون يُعْرَف بالألفي؛ لأن الملك الصالح اشتراه بألف دينار ذهبًا،,Qala’un was known as al-Alfl [‘the Thousand-man’] because al-Malik alSalih bought him for a thousand dinars of gold.
وأَصْله من قفجق،,He came originally from Qifjaq [Kipchak].
وللملك الناصر رحمه الله السيرة الكريمة والفضائل العظيمة، وكفاه شرفًا انتماؤه لخدمة الحرمين الشريفين، وما يَفْعَله في كل سنة من أفعال البر التي تُعِينُ الحُجَّاج من الجِمال التي تَحْمل الزاد والماء للمنقطعين والضعفاء، وتحمل من تأخر أو ضعف المشي في الدربين المصري والشامي،,"Al-Malik al-Nasir (God’s mercy upon him) was a man of generous character and great virtues, and sufficient proof of his nobility is furnished by his devotion to the service of the two holy sanctuaries [of Mecca and MadinaJ and the works of beneficence which he does every year to assist the pilgrims, in furnishing camels loaded with provisions and water for those without means and the helpless, and for carrying those who cannot keep up with the caravan or are too weak to walk on foot, both on the Egyptian pilgrim-road and on that from Damascus."
وبنى زاوية عظيمة بسرياقص خارج القاهرة،,"He also built a great convent at Siryaqus, in the outskirts of Cairo."
لكن الزاوية التي بناها مولانا أمير المؤمنين، وناصر الدين، وكهف الفقراء والمساكين، خليفة الله في أرضه، القائم من الجهاد بنفله وفرضه، أبو عنان أَيَّدَ الله أَمْره وأَظْهَرَه، وسنى له الفتح المبين ويَسَّرَه، بخارج حَضْرَتِه العلية المدينة البيضاء حَرَسَها الله لا نظير لها في المعمور في إتقان الوضع وحُسْن البناء والنقش في الجص، بحيث لا يَقْدر أهل المشرق على مِثْله،,"But the convent built by our lord the Commander of the Faithful and Defender of the Faith, the refuge of the poor and needy, Caliph of God upon earth, whose zeal in the Holy War transcends its obligations, Abu ‘Inan (God be his strength and aid, and grant him the signal victory, and prosper him), in the outskirts of his sublime residence, the luminous city (God guard it), has no equal to it in the inhabited world for perfection of architecture, beauty of construction, and plaster carving such as none of the Easterners can accomplish."
وسيأتي ذِكْر ما عَمَرَهُ — أيده الله — من المدارس والمرستان والزوايا ببلاده حرسها الله وحفظها بدوام مُلْكِه.,"We shall speak in due course of the schools, hospitals, and convents which he (God be his strength) has founded in his land (God guard it and preserve it by the prolongation of his reign)."
ذكر بعض أمراء مصر,Some of the amirs of Cairo.
منهم ساقي الملك الناصر وهو الأمير بكتمور (وضبط اسمها بضم الباء الموحدة وكاف مُسَكَّن وتاء معلوة مضمومة وآخره راء)، وهو الذي قَتَلَهُ الملك الناصر بالسم، وسيُذْكَر ذلك،,"Amongst them was the cupbearer of al-Malik al-Nasir, the amir Buktumur; it was he whom al-Malik al-Nasir put to death by poison, as will be related subsequently."
ومنهم نائب الملك الناصر أرغون الدودار وهو الذي يلي بكتمور في المنزلة,"Another was al-Malik al-Nasir’s deputy, Arghun the Dawadar, and it is he who comes next to Buktumur in rank."
ومنهم طشط المعروف بحمص أخضر (واسمه بطاءين مهملين مضمومين وبينهما شين معجم)، وكان من خيار الأمراء وله الصدقات الكثيرة على الأيتام من كسوة ونفقة وأجرة لمن يُعَلِّمُهم القرآن،,"Another was Tushtu, who was known as ‘Green Chickpeas’; he was one of the best of the amirs and had to his credit many charities to orphans for clothing and upkeep, and payment of a salary to a teacher to instruct them in the Qur’an."
وله الإحسان العظيم للحرافيش، وهم طائفة كبيرة أهل صلابة وجاه ودعارة،,"He also made large benefactions to the [vagabonds known as] hardfish, who are a large organized body, hard-faced folk and lewd."
وسجنه الملك الناصر مرة، فاجتمع من الحرافيش آلاف، ووقفوا بأسفل القلعة، ونادوا بلسان واحد: يا أعرج النحس — يعنون الملك الناصر — أَخْرِجْه، فأخرجه من محبسه,"Al-Malik al-Nasir once imprisoned Tushtu, and the hardfish assembled in thousands, took up their stand below the citadel and shouted as with a single tongue: ‘Ho, thou ill-starred limper (meaning alMalik al-Nasir), fetch him out!’ So he released him from his place of confinement."
وسجنه مرة أخرى، ففعل الأيتام مثل ذلك فأطلقه،,"He imprisoned him a second time, but the orphans made a like scene, and he set him free [again]."
ومنهم وزير الملك الناصر يُعْرَف بالجمالي بفتح الجيم، ومنهم بدر الدين بن البابه، ومنهم جمال الدين نائب الكرك، ومنهم تقزدمور (واسمه بضم التاء المعلوة وضم القاف وزاء مسكن ثم دال مضموم وميم مثله وآخره راء)، ودمور بالتركية الحديد، ومنهم بهادر الحجازي (واسمه بفتح الباء الموحدة وضم الدال المهمل وآخره راء)، ومنهم قوصون (واسمه بفتح القاف وصاد مهمل مضموم)، ومنهم بَشْتَك (واسمه بفتح الباء الموحدة وإسكان الشين المعجم وتاء معلوة مفتوحة)، وكل هؤلاء يتنافسون في أفعال الخيرات وبناء المساجد والزوايا،,"Others of the amirs are the wazir of al-Malik al-Nasir, known by the name of al-Jamali; Badr al-Din ibn al-Babah; Jamal al-DIn, the sultan’s lieutenant at al-Karak; Tuquz Dumur (dumur in Turkish means ‘iron’); Bahadur al-Hijazi; Qawsun; s? and Bashtak. All these amirs vie with one another in charitable works and the founding of mosques and religious houses."
ومنهم ناظر جيش الملك الناصر وكاتبه القاضي فَخْر الدين القبطي، وكان نصرانيًّا من القبط، فأسلم وحَسُن إسلامه،,"Of their number also is the intendant of the army of alMalik al-Nasir, who is at the same time his secretary, the qadi Fakhr al-Dm al-Qibti. He was a Coptic Christian, but afterwards embraced Islam and made an exemplary Muslim."
وله المكارم العظيمة والفضائل التامة، ودَرَجَتُه من أعلى الدرجات عند الملك الناصر،,"He is a man of the most generous qualities and possessed of all the virtues, and his rank is one of the highest at the court of al-Malik al-Nasir."
وله الصدقات الكثيرة والإحسان الجزيل،,He has to his credit many charities and large benefactions.
ومن عادته أن يجلس عشي النهار في مجلس له بأسطوان داره على النيل ويليه المسجد،,"It is his custom to sit in the evening in a reception room which he has in the portico of his mansion on the Nile, and next to which is the mosque."
فإذا حَضَرَ المغرب صلى في المسجد وعاد إلى مجلسه وأوتي بالطعام،,"When the hour of the sunset prayer arrives, he prays in the mosque, and then returns to his reception room and food is served."
ولا يُمْنَع حينئذٍ أحد من الدخول كائنًا من كان، فمن كان ذا حاجة تَكَلَّم فيها فقضاها له، ومن كان طالِبَ صدقة أَمَرَ مملوكًا له يُدْعَى بدر الدين واسمه لؤلؤ بأن يصحبه إلى خارج الدار، وهنالك خازنه معه صرر الدراهم، فيعطيه ما قدر له،,"During this time no one, whosoever he may be, is prevented from coming in; anyone who has a request to make may speak on it, and he settles it for him; if anyone asks for alms he commands one of his mamluks, addressed as Badr al-Din (his name being Lu’lu’) to go with him outside the house where ss his treasurer is in waiting with purses of silver, and gives him the sum which has been fixed for him."
ويحضر عنده في ذلك الوقت الفقهاء، ويقرأ بين يديه كتاب البخاري، فإذا صلى العشاء الأخيرة انصرف الناس عنه.,"At the same time also the doctors of the law come into his presence and the book of al-Bukhari is read before him; then, when he has prayed the last evening prayer, the assembly withdraws and leaves him."
ذكر القضاة بمصر في عهد دخولي إليها,The qddis in Cairo at the time of my arrival there.
فمنهم قاضي القضاة الشافعية، وهو أعلاهم منزلة وأكبرهم قدرًا، وإليه ولاية القضاة بمصر وعَزْلهم،,"Amongst them was the Shafi’ite Grand jQadi [‘Qadi of Qadis’], who is the highest of them in rank and enjoys the greatest esteem, and in whose hands lies the appointment and dismissal of the qadis in Cairo."
وهو القاضي الإمام العالم بدر الدين بن جماعة وابنه عز الدين، هو الآن متولي ذلك،,"He was the learned qadi and imam Badr al-Dm Ibn Jama’a, but it is his son ‘Izz al-Dm who at present exercises that function."
ومنهم قاضي القضاة المالكية الإمام الصالح تقي الدين الأخنائي، ومنهم قاضي القضاة الحنفية الإمام العالم شمس الدين الحريري،,"Others were the Malikite Grand Qadi, the pious imam Taqi al-Dm al-Akhna’i, and the Hanafite Grand Qadi, the learned imam Shams al-DIn al-Hariri."
وكان شديد السطوة لا تأخذه في الله لومة لائم،,"The latter was exceedingly severe, and no person could find fault with him in [the execution of his duties toward] God."
وكانت الأمراء تخافه، ولقد ذُكِرَ لي أن الملك الناصر قال يومًا لجلسائه: إني لا أخاف من أحد إلا من شمس الدين الحريري،,"The amirs went in fear of him, and it was even told me that al-Malik al-Nasir said one day to his private circle ‘I have no fear of anyone but of Shams al-Din alHariri’."
ومنهم قاضي القضاة الحنبلية ولا أعرفه الآن، إلا أنه كان يُدْعَى بعز الدين.,"Amongst them also was the Hanbalite Grand Qadi, of whom I know no more than that he was called ‘Izz al-Din."
حكاية,Anecdote.
كان الملك الناصر رحمه الله يقعد للنظر في المظالم ورَفْع قصص المتشكين كل يوم اثنين وخميس،,Al-Malik al-Nasir (God’s mercy upon him) used to hold sittings every Monday and Thursday to investigate complaints of injustice and receive the petitions of complainants.
ويقعد القضاة الأربعة عن يساره وتُقْرَأ القصص بين يديه، ويعين من يسأل صاحب القصة عنها،,"The four [Grand] Qadls sat on his left, and as the petitions were read before him he would nominate someone to question the petitioner on the subject of his petition."
وقد سلك مولانا أمير المؤمنين ناصر الدين أيده الله في ذلك مسلكًا لم يُسْبَق إليه، ولا مزيد في العدل والتواضع عليه، وهو سؤاله بذاته الكريمة لكل مُتَظَلِّم، وعرضه بين يديه المستقيمة أبى الله أن يحضرها سواء أدام الله أيامه،,"Our lord the Commander of the Faithful and Defender of the Faith [Abu ‘Inan] (God be his strength) has followed in this respect a line of conduct unprecedented and unsurpassed in equity and humility, namely, that he in his noble person questions every complainant,and investigates every petition brought before his upright presence—God forbid that any but he (God lengthen his days) should preside over these sessions."
وكان رسم القضاة المذكورين أن يكون أعلاهم منزلة في الجلوس قاضي الشافعية، ثم قاضي الحنفية، ثم قاضي المالكية، ثم قاضي الحنبلية،,"Now it was the practice of the judges above-mentioned that the one who ranked highest among them when in session was the qadi of the Shafi’ites, then the qadi of the Hanafites, then the qadi of the Malikites, and lastly the qadi of the Hanbalites."
فلما توفي شمس الدين الحريري وولي مكانه برهان الدين بن عبد الحق الحنفي، أشار الأمراء على الملك الناصر بأن يكون مجلس المالكي فوقه، وذَكَرُوا أن العادة جَرَتْ بذلك قديمًا، إذ كان قاضي المالكية زيد الدين بن مخلوف يلي قاضي الشافعية تقي الدين بن دقيق العيد، فأمر الملك الناصر بذلك،,"When Shams al-Dm al-Hariri died and Burhan al-Dm b. ‘Abd al-Haqq al-Hanafi was appointed in his place [as Grand Qadi of the Hanafites], the amirs advised al-Malik al-Nasir that the Malikite qadi should be given the seat above him, recalling that this had been the custom formerly, as the Malikite qadi Zain al-Din b. Makhluf used to sit next to the Shafi’ite qadi Taqi al-Din ibn Daqiq al-‘ld. Al-Malik alNasir gave orders accordingly."
فلما عَلِمَ به قاضي الحنفية غاب عن شهود المجلس أَنَفَة من ذلك،,"When the Hanafite qadi learned of it, he absented himself from the sitting out of pique at this decision."
فأنكر الملك الناصر مَغِيبَه وعَلِمَ ما قَصَدَهُ فأَمَرَ بإحضاره،,"Al-Malik al-Nasir was displeased at his absence and, having learnt his reason for it, ordered him to be fetched."
فلما مَثُلَ بين يديه أَخَذَ الحاجب بيده وأقعده، حيث نفذ أمر السلطان مما يلي قاضي المالكية واستمر حاله على ذلك.,"When he appeared before him, the chamberlain took him by the hand and made him sit where the sultan had ordered, that is, next below the qadi of the Malikites, and in this position he remained."
ذكر بعض علماء مصر وأعيانها,Some of the scholars and notables of Cairo.
فمنهم شمس الدين الأصبهاني إمام الدنيا في المعقولات، ومنهم شرف الدين الزواوي المالكي، ومنهم برهان الدين بن بنت الشاذلي نائب قاضي القضاة بجامع الصالح، ومنهم ركن الدين بن القوبع التونسي من الأئمة في المعقولات، ومنهم شمس الدين بن عدلان كبير الشافعية، ومنهم بهاء الدين بن عقيل فقيه كبير، ومنهم أثير الدين أبو حيان محمد بن يوسف بن حيان الغرناطي وهو أعلمهم بالنحو، ومنهم الشيخ الصالح بدر الدين عبد الله المنوفي، ومنهم برهان الدين الصفاقسي، ومنهم قوام الدين الكرماني، وكان سكناه بأعلى سطح الجامع الأزهر,"Amongst them are Shams al-Din al-Isbahani, the foremost authority in the world on logic and metaphysics; Sharaf al-Dm al-Zawawi, the Malikite; Burhan al-Din, the son of al-Shadhill’s daughter, deputy of the Grand Qadi in the congregational mosque of al-Salih; Rukn al-Din b. al-Qawba’ al-TunisI, an authority on logic and metaphysics; Shams al-Dm b. ‘Adlan, the chief of the Shafi’ites; Baha’ al-Din b. ‘Aqil, a leading jurist; Athir al-Dln Abu Hayyan Muhammad b. Yusuf b. Hayyan al-Gharnati [i.e. of Granada], who is the most learned of them in grammar; the pious shaikh Badr al-Dln ‘Abdallah al-Manufl; Burhan al-Din al-Safaqusi; Qiwam al-Din al-Kirmam, whose dwelling place was on top of the roof of the alAzhar mosque."
وله جماعة من الفقهاء والقراء يلازمونه ويدرس فنون العلم ويفتي في المذاهب،,"He had a company of jurists and Qur’anreaders always in attendance on him, and he taught various branches of theology and gave decisions on points of law according to the different schools."
ولباسه عباءة صوف خشنة وعمامة صوف سوداء،,His dress was a coarse woollen mantle and a black woollen turban.
ومن عادته أن يذهب بعد صلاة العصر إلى مواضع الفرج والنزاهات منفردًا عن أصحابه،,"It was his custom to go, when the afternoon prayer was over, to places of amusement and entertainments, unaccompanied by his disciples."
ومنهم السيد الشريف شمس الدين ابن بنت الصاحب تاج الدين بن حناء، ومنهم شيخ شيوخ القراء بديار مصر مجد الدين الأقصرائي نسبة إلى أقصرا من بلاد الروم ومسكنه سرياقص، ومنهم الشيخ جمال الدين الحويزائي، والحويزا على مسيرة ثلاثة أيام من البصرة، ومنهم نقيب الأشراف بديار مصر السيد الشريف المعظم بدر الدين الحسيني من كبار الصالحين، ومنهم وكيل بيت المال المدرس بقبة الإمام الشافعي مجد الدين بن حرمي، ومنهم المحتسب بمصر نجم الدين السهرتي من كبار الفقهاء، وله بمصر رياسة عظيمة وجاه.,"Besides these there were the Sayyid Sharif Shams al-Din, son of the daughter of the Sahib Taj al-Din b. Hanna’; the Grand Shaikh of the Poor Brethren in Egypt, Majd al-DIn al-Aqsara’I, whose designation is derived from Aqsara in the land of Rum [Anatolia], and who lives in Siryaqus; the Shaikh Jamal al-Dm al-Huwaiza’I (al-Huwaiza is distant three days’ journey from Basra); the marshal of the sharifs in Egypt, the revered Sayyid Sharif Badr al-DIn alHusainl, one of the most pious of men; the intendant of the treasury and lecturer in the mausoleum of the Imam alShafi% Majd al-Dm Harmi, and the Muhtasib of Cairo, Najm al-DIn al-Saharti, one of the principal jurists, who enjoys a great position of leadership and prestige in Cairo."
ذكر يوم المحمل بمصر,The day of the Mahmil at Cairo.
وهو يوم دوران الجمل، يوم مشهود,"This is the day of the procession of the Mahmil round [the city], a festival day."
وكيفية ترتيبهم فيه,Their ceremonial on this day is as follows.
أنه يَرْكَب فيه القضاة الأربعة ووكيل بيت المال والمحتسب، وقد ذكرنا جميعهم، ويركب معهم أعلام الفقهاء وأمناء الرؤساء وأرباب الدولة،,"The four Grand Qadis, the Intendant of the Treasury, and the Muhtasib (all of whom we have mentioned above) are mounted, and along with them ride the principal jurists, the syndics of the heads of corporations, and the officers of state."
ويقصدون جميعًا باب القلعة دار الملك الناصر، فيخرج إليهم المحمل على جَمَل، وأمامه الأمير المعين لسفر الحجاز في تلك السنة ومعه عسكره،,"They all proceed together to the gate of the citadel, the residence of al-Malik al-Nasir, whereupon the mahmil comes out to meet them, borne on a camel, and preceded by the amir who has been designated for the journey to the Hijaz in that year."
والسقاءون على جمالهم،,With him are his troops and a number of water-carriers mounted on their camels.
ويجتمع لذلك أصناف الناس من رجال ونساء، ثم يطوفون بالمحمل، وجميع مَنْ ذَكَرْنا معه بمدينتي القاهرة ومصر والحُدَاة يَحْدُون أمامهم،,"All classes of the population, both men and women, assemble for this ceremony, then they go in procession with the mahmil round the two cities of al-Qahira and Misr [al-Fustat], accompanied by all those whom we have mentioned, and with the camel-drivers singing to their camels in the lead."
ويكون ذلك في رجب، فعند ذلك تهيج العزمات وتنبعث الأشواق وتتحرك البواعث، ويلقي الله العزيمة على الحج في قَلْب من يشاء من عباده، فيأخذون في التأهب لذلك والاستعداد،,"This takes place in Rajab, and thereupon resolves are inflamed, desires are excited, and impulses are stirred up, and God Most High casts into the heart of whom He will of His servants the determination to set out upon the Pilgrimage, so they start to equip themselves and to make preparations for it."
ثم كان سفري من مصر على طريق الصعيد برسم الحجاز الشريف،,"Next came my journey from Cairo by the route of the Sa’id, with the object of [crossing to] the noble Hijaz."
فبِتُّ ليلة خروجي بالرباط الذي بناه الصاحب تاج الدين بن حناء بدير الطين، وهو رباط عظيم بناه على مفاخر عظيمة وآثار كريمة أودعها فيه، وهي قطعة من قصعة رسول الله ﷺ والميل الذي كان يكتحل به، والدرفش وهو الأشفا الذي كان يَخْصِف به نعله، ومصحف أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب الذي بِخَطِّ يده رضي الله عنه،,"I stayed on the night following my departure at the convent which the Sahib Taj al-Dln ibn Hanna’ built at Dair al-Tm. fl It is an enormous convent built by him for the sake of certain possessions of great pride and illustrious relics that he deposited in it, namely, a fragment of the wooden basin of the Prophet (God’s blessing and peace upon him), the pencil with which he used to apply kohl to his eyes, the dirafsh, that is to say, the awl, which he used for sewing his sandals, and the Qur’an of the Commander of the Faithful ‘All b. Abi Talib, written in his own hand (God be pleased with him)."
ويقال: إن الصاحب اشترى ما ذكرناه من الآثار الكريمة النبوية بمائة ألف درهم، وبنى الرباط، وجَعَلَ فيه الطعام للوارد والصادر والجراية لخدام تلك الآثار الشريفة، نفعه الله تعالى بقصده المبارك.,"The Sahib, it is said, bought the illustrious relics of the Prophet which we have mentioned for a thousand dirhams, and built the convent, and endowed it with funds to supply food to all comers and goers and to maintain the guardians of these sacred relics—God Most High profit him by his blessed purpose."
ثم خَرَجْتُ من الرباط المذكور، ومررْتُ بمنية القائد، وهي بلدة صغيرة على ساحل النيل، ثم سِرْتُ منها إلى مدينة بوش,"After leaving this convent I passed by Munyat al-Qa’id, a small village on the bank of the Nile, and from there I went on to the town of Bush."
وهذه المدينة أكثر بلاد مصر كتانًا، ومنها يُجْلَب إلى سائر الديار المصرية وإلى إفريقية،,"This town is the chief centre of the Egyptian linen industry, and it is exported thence to all parts of Egypt and to Africa."
ثم سافرت منها فوصلت إلى مدينة دَلاص (وضبط اسمها بفتح الدال المهملة وآخره صاد مهمل)، وهذه المدينة كثيرة الكتان أيضًا كمثل التي ذَكَرْنا قبلها، ويُحْمَل أيضًا منها إلى ديار مصر وإفريقية،,"After leaving this place I reached the town of Dalas; this town also is a centre of the linen industry, like that we have just mentioned, and from there too it is carried to [all parts of] Egypt and to Africa."
ثم سافرت منها إلى مدينة بِبَا (وضبط اسمها بباءين موحدتين أولاهما مكسورة)، ثم سافرت منها إلى مدينة البهنسا، وهي مدينة كبيرة وبساتينها كثيرة (وضبط اسمها بفتح الموحدة وإسكان الهاء وفتح النون والسين)، وتُصْنَع بهذه المدينة ثياب الصوف الجيدة،,"Thence I continued my journey to the town of Biba, and from there to the town of al-Bahnasa which is a large town, with extensive gardens, and in which are manufactured excellent woollen fabrics."
وممن لَقِيتُه بها قاضيها العالم شرف الدين، وهو كريم النفس فاضل، ولقيت بها الشيخ الصالح أبا بكر العجمي، ونزَلْتُ عنده وأضافني،,"Amongst those whom I met there was the learned qadl, Sharaf al-Din, a noble-minded and worthy man, and I met there also the pious shaikh Abu Bakr al-‘Ajami, with whom I lodged and who made me his guest."
ثم سافرت منها إلى مدينة منية ابن خصيب، وهي مدينة كبيرة الساحة متسعة المساحة مبنية على شاطئ النيل،,"Thence I went on to the town of Munyat Ibn Khaslb, a widely spaced town covering an extensive area, and built on the bank of the Nile."
وحق حقيق لها على بلاد الصعيد التفضيل بها المدارس والمشاهد والزوايا والمساجد،,"And in truth, in truth, it excels all the other towns of the Sa’id, having colleges and sanctuaries, religious houses and mosques."
وكانت في القديم منية عامل مصر لخصيب.,"In ancient times it was a village belonging to Khaslb, the governor of Egypt."
حكاية خصيب,The story of Khasib.
يُذْكَر أن أحد الخلفاء من بني العباس رضي الله عنهم غَضِبَ على أهل مصر، فآلى أن يُوَلِّي عليهم أَحْقَرَ عبيده وأصغرهم شأنًا قصدًا لإرذالهم والتنكيل بهم،,"It is told that one of the caliphs of the house of al-‘Abbas (God be pleased with them), angered with the people of Egypt, swore to appoint as governor over them the most contemptible and abject of his slaves, with the object of humiliating them and inflicting upon them a signal punishment."
وكان خصيب أَحْقَرَهم إذ كان يتولى تسخين الحمام،,"Now Khaslb was the lowest of the slaves, since he was charged with the duty of heating the bath."
فخَلَعَ عليه وأَمَّرَه على مصر وظَنَّه أنه يسير فيهم سيرةَ سوء ويقصدهم بالإذاية حسبما هو المعهود ممن ولي عن غير عَهْدٍ بالعز،,"The caliph conferred upon him a robe of honour and made him amir over Egypt, thinking that he would conduct himself towards them in an evil manner and seek occasions to injure them, as usually happens in the case of those who are given authority with no previous experience of high office."
فلما استقرَّ خصيب بمصر سار في أهلها أحسن سيرة وشُهِرَ بالكرم والإيثار،,"When, however, Khasib found himself settled in Egypt, he conducted himself towards its inhabitants with the utmost magnanimity, and acquired a name for liberality and openhandedness."
فكان أقارب الخلفاء وسواهم يقصدونه فيجزل العطاء لهم ويعودون إلى بغداد شاكرين لما أَوْلَاهُم.,"The relatives of the caliphs, amongst others, used to visit him, when he would make them munificent gifts, and they returned to Baghdad full of gratitude for his generosity towards them."
وإن الخليفة افْتَقَدَ بعض العباسيين وغاب عنه مدة، ثم أتاه,"The story goes on that the caliph remarked the absence of a certain member of the ‘Abbasid family, and that he was away from him for some time and then came back."
فسأله عن مغيبه فأخبره أنه قَصَدَ خصيبًا، وذَكَرَ له ما أعطاه خصيب، وكان عطاء جزيلًا،,"So the caliph asked him the reason of his absence, and he told him that he had gone to visit Khasib, and stated what Khasib had given him, which was a considerable gift."
فغضب الخليفة وأَمَرَ بسمل عيني خصيب وإخراجه من مصر إلى بغداد، وأن يُطْرَح في أسواقها،,"The caliph was enraged, and commanded that Khasib should have his eyes put out, be fetched up from Egypt to Baghdad, and thrown into the bazaars there."
فلما وَرَدَ الأمر بالقبض عليه حِيلَ بَيْنَه وبين دخول منزله، وكانت بيده ياقوتة عظيمة الشأن فخبأها عنده وخاطها في ثوب له ليلًا،,"When the order to arrest him arrived, he was denied entrance into his house, but he had on his hand a jewel of great value, which he hid on his person and sewed up by night into one of his garments."
وسُمِلَتْ عيناه وطُرِحَ في أسواق بغداد، فمر به بعض الشعراء فقال له: يا خصيب، إني كنت قَصَدْتُك من بغداد إلى مصر مادحًا لك بقصيدة، فوافَقْتُ انصرافك عنها، وأُحِبُّ أن تَسْمَعَهَا،,"After he had suffered the loss of his eyes and was thrown into the bazaars of Baghdad, he was accosted by a certain poet who said to him, ‘O Khasib, I went from Baghdad to seek you in Egypt, in order to sing your praises in an ode, but my arrival there happened to coincide with your departure; still I should like you to hear it’."
فقال: كيف بسماعها وأنا على ما تراه؟ فقال: إنما قصدي سماعك لها، وأما العطاء فقد أَعْطَيْتَ الناس وأَجْزَلْتَ جزاك الله خيرًا،,"‘What use is there in my hearing it’, exclaimed Khasib, ‘when I am as you see me?’ ‘All that I want’, said the poet, ‘is that you should hear it; as for the gift, you have given to others, and that lavishly—God reward you with good’."
"قال: فافعل، فأنشده (كامل):
أنت الخصيب وهذه مَصْرُ فتدفقا فكلاكما بَحْرُ","‘Go on then’, said he, and the poet recited: Khasib, the fruitful to bestow, by Egypt’s Nile alights; Let high the golden tide o’erflow, since sea with sea unites."
فلما أتى على آخرها، قال له: افتُق هذه الخياطة، ففَعَل ذلك، فقال له: خذ الياقوتة،,"When he came to the end of the ode, Khasib said to him, ‘Unpick this piece of sewing’, and when he had done so bade him take the jewel."
فأبى، فأَقْسَمَ عليه أن يأخذها فأخذها وذَهَبَ بها إلى سوق الجوهريين،,"He refused, but Khasib adjured him to take it, so he took it and went off with it to the jewellers’ bazaar."
فلما عَرَضَها عليهم قالوا له: إن هذه لا تَصْلُح إلا للخليفة، فرفعوا أَمْرَها إلى الخليفة، فأمر الخليفة بإحضار الشاعر واستَفْهَمه عن شأن الياقوتة،,"When he displayed it to them they said ‘Such a jewel is fitting for none but the caliph’; they brought it therefore to the notice of the caliph, who commanded that the poet should be sent for, and questioned him on the subject of the jewel."
فأخبره بخبرها، فتَأَسَّفَ على ما فَعَلَهُ بخصيب، وأَمَرَ بمثوله بين يديه وأَجْزَلَ له العطاء وحَكَّمَه فيما يريد،,"The poet told him the story of it, whereupon the caliph repented of what he had done to Khasib, and commanding him to be brought into his presence, gave him a large sum of money and bade him choose what he would like."
فرغب أن يعطيه هذه المنية، ففعل ذلك وسكنها خصيب إلى أن توفي وأَوْرَثَها عَقِبَه إلى أن انقرضوا،,"He requested the caliph to give him this village, the request was granted, and Khasib lived in it until hisioo death, bequeathing it to his descendants until they became extinct."
وكان قاضي هذه المنية أيام دخولي إليها فخر الدين النويري المالكي، وواليها شمس الدين أمير خيِّر كريم،,"The qadi of this Munya at the time of my arrival there was Fakhr al-Dfn al-Nuwairi al-Maliki and its governor was Shams al-Din, an excellent and generous amir."
دَخَلْت يومًا الحمام بهذه البلدة فرأيت الناس بها لا يستترون،,"One day I entered the bath-house in this township, and found the men in it wearing no covering."
فعَظُمَ ذلك عليَّ وأتيْتُه فأعلمته بذلك،,"This appeared a shocking thing to me, and I went to the governor and informed him of it."
فأَمَرَنِي أن لا أبرح، وأَمَرَ بإحضار المكترين للحمامات،,He told me not to leave and ordered the lessees of [all] the bathhouses to be brought before him.
وكتبت عليهم العقود أنه متى دخل أحد الحمام دون مئزر فإنهم يؤاخذون على ذلك، واشتد عليهم أَعْظَمَ الاشتداد، ثم انْصَرَفْتُ عنه,"Articles were formally drawn up [there and then] making them subject to penalties if any person should enter a bath without a waist-wrapper, and the governor behaved to them with the greatest severity, after which I took leave of him."
وسافرت من منية ابن خصيب إلى مدينة منلوي، وهي صغيرة مبنية على مسافة ميلَيْن من النيل,"From Munyat ibn Khasib I travelled to the town of Manlawi, a small place built at a distance of two miles from the Nile."
وقاضيها الفقيه شرف الدين الدَّمِيرِي (بفتح الدال المهمل وكسر الميم) الشافعي، وكبارها قوم يُعْرَفُون ببني فضيل، بنى أحدهم جامعًا أَنْفَقَ فيه صميم ماله،,"The qadi there was the jurist Sharaf al-Dm al-Damlri al-Shafi’I, and its principal inhabitants are a clan known as the Banu Fudail, one of whom built a congregational mosque which cost him the core of his wealth."
وبهذه المدينة إحدى عشرة معصرة للسكر، ومن عوائدهم أنهم لا يمنعون فقيرًا من دخول معصرة منها، فيأتي الفقير بالخبزة الحارة فيطرحها في القدر التي يُطْبَخ السكر فيها ثم يُخْرِجها وقد امتلأت سكرًا فينصرف بها،,"In this town there are eleven sugar presses, and it is one of their customs never to hinder an indigent person from going into any pressing shed, so a poor man will come with a piece of warm bread and throw it into the vat in which the sugar is being cooked, and then pick it out again soaked with sugar and go off with it."
وسافَرْتُ من مَنْلَوِي المذكورة إلى مدينة منفلوط، وهي مدينة حَسُنَ رواؤها، مؤنق بناؤها على ضفة النيل، شهيرة البركة,"From this place Manlaw! I went on to the town of Manfalut, a town of pleasant appearance and elegant construction, on the bank of the Nile, and of celebrated sanctity."
حكاية,Anecdote.
أخبرني أهل هذه المدينة أن الملك الناصر رحمه الله أَمَرَ بعمل منبر عظيم مُحْكَم الصنعة بديع الإنشاء برسم المسجد الحرام زاده الله شرفًا وتعظيمًا،,"The people of this town told me that al-Malik al-Nasir (God’s mercy upon him) gave orders for the construction of a large mimbar of solid workmanship and admirable style, which was intended for the Sacred Mosque [of Mecca] (God increase it in nobility and veneration)."
فلما تَمَّ عَمَلُه أَمَرَ أن يُصْعَد به في النيل ليُجَازَ إلى بحر جدة ثم إلى مكة شَرَّفَها الله،,"When it was completed, he gave orders that it should be taken up the Nile, in order to be transported to the sea of Judda, and then * on to Mecca (God ennoble her)."
فلما وَصَلَ المركب الذي احْتَمَلَهُ إلى منفلوط وحاذى مسجدها الجامع، وَقَفَ وامتنع من الجري مع مساعدة الريح،,"But when the vessel which carried it reached Manfalut and drew level with its congregational mosque, it stopped and refused to proceed, in spite of the assistance of the wind."
فعجب الناس من شأنه أَشَدَّ العجب، وأقاموا أيامًا لا ينهض بهم المركب، فكتبوا بخبره إلى الملك الناصر رحمه الله،,"Those on board were intensely amazed at its behaviour, and as they stayed there for several days while the boat refused to move with them, they wrote an account of the incident to al-Malik al-Nasir (God’s mercy upon him)."
فأَمَرَ أن يُجْعَلَ ذلك المنبر بجامع مدينة منفلوط، ففُعِلَ ذلك وقد عاينْتُه بها،,"He ordered that mimbar to be placed in the congregational mosque of the town of Manfalut, which was done, and I saw it there with my own eyes."
ويُصْنَع بهذه المدينة شبه العسل يستخرجونه من القمح ويسمونه النيدا يُبَاع بأسواق مصر،,"In this town there is manufactured a kind of honey, which they extract from wheat and call naidd; it is sold in the bazaars of Cairo."
وسافَرْتُ من هذه المدينة إلى مدينة أسيوط، وهي مدينة رفيعة أسواقها بديعة,"I travelled from this town to the town of Asyut, a handsome town with choice bazaars."
وقاضيها شرف الدين بن عبد الرحيم الملقب بحاصل ماثم — لَقَبٌ شُهِرَ به —,"Its qadi was Sharaf al-Dm b. ‘Abd al-Rahim, known far and wide by the nickname of ‘Revenue Nil’, which originated in this way."
وأصله أن القضاة بديار مصر والشام بأيديهم الأوقاف والصدقات لأبناء السبيل،,The qadis in Egypt and Syria administer the waqfs and alms for the benefit of travellers.
فإذا أتى فقير لمدينة من المدن قصد القاضي بها فيعطيه ما قُدِّرَ له،,"When a poor man comes to any of the towns, he goes to the qadi of the place, who gives him whatever amount is assigned to him."
فكان هذا القاضي إذا أتاه الفقير يقول له: حاصل ماثم، أي لم يَبْقَ من المال الحاصل شيء،,"Now this qadi, when any poor person applied to him, used to say to him ‘Revenue nil’, that is, there is nothing left of the money produced by the endowments."
فلُقِّبَ بذلك ولزمه،,So he came to be called by this nickname and it stuck to him.
وبها من المشايخ الفضلاء الصالح شهاب الدين بن الصباغ، أضافني بزاويته,"Amongst the worthy shaikhs in this town was the pious Shihab al-Din ibn al-Sabbagh, who received me as a guest in his convent."
وسافَرْتُ منها إلى مدينة أخميم، وهي مدينة عظيمة أصيلة البنيان عجيبة الشأن,"Thence I journeyed to the town of Ikhmlm, which is a place, solidly built and of imposing appearance."
بها البربي المعروف باسمها،,Here is the berbd which is known by the name of the town.
وهو مبني بالحجارة في داخله نقوش وكتابة للأوائل لا تُفْهَم في هذا العهد وصور الأفلاك والكواكب،,"It is built of stones, and in the interior there are sculptures and writing of the ancients, which is not understood in these days, and io images of the spheres and stars."
ويزعمون أنها بُنِيَتْ والنسر الطائر ببرج العقرب،,They assert that it was built when the Flying Eagle was in the sign of the Scorpion.
وبها صور الحيوانات وسواها، وعند الناس في هذه الصور أكاذيب لا يُعْرَج عليها.,"It contains also images of animals and other things, and the people tell a number of fanciful stories, over which it is not necessary to linger, on the subject of these images."
وكان بأخميم رجل يُعْرَف بالخطيب أُمِرَ على هَدْم بعض هذه البرابي وابتنى بحجارتها مدرسة،,"There was at Ikhmim a man known as the Preacher, who ordered the destruction of one of these berbds and built a college with its stones."
وهو رجل موسر معروف باليسار، ويزعم حساده أنه استفاد ما بيده من المال من ملازمته لهذه البرابي،,"He was a wealthy man, well known for his liberal charity, and his detractors say that he acquired the riches which he possessed by his continual haunting of this berbd."
ونزلْتُ من هذه المدينة بزاوية الشيخ أبي العباس بن عبد الظاهر وبها تربة جده عبد الظاهر،,"I stopped in this town in the convent of the Shaikh Abu’l’Abbas b. ‘Abd al-Zahir, in which is the tomb of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Zahir."
وله من الإخوة ناصر الدين ومجد الدين وواحد الدين، ومن عادتهم أن يجتمعوا جميعًا بعد صلاة الجمعة، ومعهم الخطيب نور الدين المذكور وأولاده، وقاضي المدينة الفقيه مخلص وسائر وجوه أهلها، فيجتمعون للقرآن ويَذْكُرون الله إلى صلاة العصر،,"He has several brothers, Nasir al-Din, Majd al-Din, and Wahid al-Din, and it is their custom to meet together after the congregational Friday prayer, along with the preacher Nur al-Din of whom I have just spoken, his sons, the qadi of the town (the jurist Mukhlis), and the other leading citizens, when they ‘seal’ the Qur’an and recite hymns of praise to God until the time of the afternoon prayer."
فإذا صَلَّوْها قرءوا سورة الكهف ثم انصرفوا،,"When they finish this prayer, they read the chapter of the Cave and then disperse."
وسافرْتُ من أخميم إلى مدينة «هو» مدينة كبيرة بساحل النيل (وضبطها بضم الهاء)، نزلت منها بمدرسة تقي الدين بن السراج،,"I continued on my way from Ikhmim to the town of Hu, a large town on the bank of the Nile, where I stayed at the college of Taqi al-DIn ibn al-Sarraj."
ورأيتهم يقرءون بها في كل يوم بعد صلاة الصبح حزبًا من القرآن، ثم يقرءون أوراد الشيخ أبي الحسن الشاذلي وحزب البحر،,I saw them reciting there every day after the dawn prayer a section of the Qur’an and afterwards reciting the devotions of Shaikh Abu’l-Hasan al-Shadhili and the ‘Litany of the Sea’.
وبهذه المدينة السيد الشريف أبو محمد عبد الله الحسني من كبار الصالحين.,"In this town lives the Sayyid Sharif Abu Muhammad ‘Abdallah al-Hasani, one of the saintliest of men."
كرامة له,A miracle of his.
دَخَلْتُ إلى هذا الشريف متبركًا برؤيته والسلام عليه،,"I went to visit this Sharif, for the sake of the blessing conferred by seeing and greeting him."
فسألني عن قصدي، فأخبَرْتُه أني أريد حج البيت الحرام على طريق جدة، فقال لي: لا يحصل لك هذا في هذا الوقت، فارجع.وإنما نَحُجُّ أَوَّلَ حجة على الدرب الشامي، فانْصَرَفْتُ عنه ولم أعمل على كلامه، ومضيت في طريق حتى وصلت إلى عيذاب، فلم يتمكن لي السفر، فعُدْتُ راجعًا إلى مصر ثم إلى الشام، وكان طريقي في أول حجاتي على الدرب الشامي حسبما أَخْبَرَنِي الشريف نَفَعَ الله به،,"When he asked me what I proposed to do, and I told him that I intended to make the Pilgrimage to the Holy House by way of Judda, he replied ‘You will not succeed in doing that on this occasion. Go back, for you will make your first Pilgrimage by the Syrian Road and no other.’ So I took leave of him; but instead of acting upon his advice I continued on my way until I got to ‘Aidhab, and then, as I could not manage to complete the journey, I turned back and retraced my steps to Cairo, and from there on to Syria, and my route on the first of my Pilgrimages was indeed along the Syrian Road, just as the Sharif had told me (God profit us by him)."
ثم سافرتُ إلى مدينة قِنا، وهي صغيرة حسنة الأسواق,"I went on next to the town of Qina, a small place with agreeable bazaars."
وبها قبر الشريف الصالح الولي صاحب البراهين العجيبة والكرامات الشهيرة عبد الرحيم القناوي رحمة الله عليه،,"In it is the tomb of the pious sharif and saint, ‘Abd al-Rahim al-Qinawi, author of many marvellous proofs [of sanctity] and celebrated miracles."
ورأيْتُ بالمدرسة السيفية منها حفيدَهُ شهاب الدين أحمد.,I saw in the Saifiya College there his grandson Shihab al-Dm Ahmad.
وسافَرْتُ من هذا البلد إلى مدينة قوص (وهي بضم القاف)، مدينة عظيمة لها خيرات عميمة بساتينها مُورِقَة وأسواقها مونقة ولها المساجد الكثيرة والمدارس الأثيرة،,"From this township I continued my journey to the town of Qus, a large town furnished with all manner of good things, whose fruit gardens are leafy and bazaars are elegant, and which boasts many mosques and storied colleges."
وهي منزل ولاة الصعيد,It is the seat of residence of the governors of the Sa’id.
وبخارجها زاوية الشيخ شهاب الدين بن عبد الغفار، وزاوية الأفرم، وبها اجتماع الفقراء المتجردين في شهر رمضان من كل سنة،,"In its outskirts is the convent of Shaikh Shihab al-Din b. ‘Abd al-Ghaffar i<* and the convent of al-Afram, in which there is held every year in the month of Ramadan a gathering of Poor Brethren who have renounced all the goods and pleasures of this world."
ومن علمائها القاضي جمال الدين بن السديد، والخطيب بها فتح الدين بن دقيق العيد أحد الفصحاء البلغاء الذين حَصَلَ لهم السبق في ذلك،,"Amongst the men of learning there are the qadi of the town, Jamal al-Din b. al-Sadid, and its preacher Fat’h al-Din b. Daqiq al-‘Id, one of those elegant and eloquent orators who are pre-eminent in their mastery of language."
لم أرَ من يماثله إلا خطيب المسجد الحرام بهاء الدين الطبري، وخطيب مدينة خوارزم حسام الدين الشاطي، وسيقع ذِكْرُهما،,"I never met anyone who could rival him except the Preacher of the Sacred Mosque [at Mecca], Baha al-Din al-Tabari, and the preacher of the city of Khwarizm, Husam al-Din al-Mashshati, both of whom will be mentioned in due course."
ومنهم الفقيه بهاء الدين بن عبد العزيز المدرس بمدرسة المالكية، ومنهم الفقيه برهان الدين إبراهيم الأندلسي، له زاوية عالية،,"Other scholars of note in Qus are the jurist Baha al-Dm b. ‘Abd al-Aziz, professor in the Malikite college, and the jurist Burhan al-Din Ibrahim al-AndalusI, who is the director of a fine convent."
ثم سافَرْتُ إلى مدينة الأقصر (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة وضم الصاد المهمل)، وهي صغيرة حسنة، وبها قبر الصالح العابد أبي الحجاج الأقصري وعليه زاوية، وسافرْتُ منها إلى مدينة أَرْمَنْت (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة وسكون الراء وميم مفتوحة ونون ساكنة وتاء فوقية)، وهي صغيرة ذات بساتين مبنية على ساحل النيل،,"Thence I travelled to the town of al-Aqsur (Luxor), a pretty little place containing the tomb of the pious ascetic Abu’lHaj jaj al-Aqsuri, beside which there is a convent, and from there tothe town of Armant, a small place with fruit gardens, built on the bank of the Nile."
أضافني قاضيها وأُنْسِيتُ اسْمَه،,"I was the guest of the qadi there, but have forgotten his name."
ثم سافَرْتُ منها إلى مدينة أَسْنَا (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة وإسكان السين المهمل ونون)، مدينة عظيمة متسعة الشوارع ضخمة المنافع كثيرة الزوايا والمدارس والجوامع، لها أسواق حسان وبساتين ذات أفنان،,"From there I continued my journey to the town of Asna, which is a large town of broad streets and vast resources, with numerous religious houses, colleges and mosques, and possessing good bazaars and well-stocked fruit gardens."
قاضيها قاضي القضاة شهاب الدين بن مسكين، أضافني وأكرَمَنِي وكتب إلى نوابه بإكرامي،,"Its qadl is the Grand Qadl Shihab al-Dm b. Maskm, who not only made me the recipient of his own hospitality and liberality, but also wrote to his deputies recommending me to their good offices."
وبها من الفضلاء الشيخ الصالح نور الدين علي والشيخ الصالح عبد الواحد المكناسي، وهو على هذا العهد صاحب زاوية بقوص.,"Among the worthies there were the pious shaikh Nur al-Dm ‘AH and the pious shaikh ‘Abd al-Wahid al-Miknasi, who is at the present time the superior of a convent at Qus."
ثم سافرت منها إلى مدينة أَدْفُو (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة وإسكان الدال المهمل وضم الفاء)، وبينها وبين مدينة أسنا مسيرة يوم وليلة في صحراء،,"I went on from there to the town of Adfu, between which and Asna is a day and a night’s journey through desert country."
ثم جزنا النيل من مدينة أدفو إلى مدينة العطواني، ومنها اكترينا الجمال، وسافَرْنُا مع طائفة من العرب تُعْرَف بدغيم (بالغين المعجمة) في صحراء لا عمارة بها إلا أنها آمنة السبل،,"Then, crossing the Nile from the town of Adfu to that of al-‘Atwani, we hired camels from there and set out with a party of Arabs, known as Daghim (or Dughaim), through a desert totally devoid of settlements but quite safe for travelling."
وفي بعض منازلها نزلنا حميثرا حيث قبر ولي الله أبي الحسن الشاذلي، وقد ذَكَرْنا كرامته في أخباره أنه يموت بها،,"At one of our halts on the way we encamped at Humaithira, the site of the tomb of the saint Abu’l-Hasan al-Shadhili, whose miraculous foretelling that he would die there we have related above."
وأَرْضُها كثيرة الضباع، ولم نَزَل ليلةَ مَبِيتِنا بها نُحَارِب الضباع،,"The place is infested with hyenas, and during the night of our stay there we were continually occupied in driving them off."
ولقد قَصَدَتْ رحلي ضبعٌ منها فمزَّقَتْ عدلًا كان به واجترَّتْ منه حراب تمر وذَهَبَتْ به,"Indeed one of the animals got at my baggage, ripped up a camel-sack which was amongst it, dragged out a small skin of dates and made off with it."
فوجدناه لما أصبحنا ممزَّقًا مأكولًا معظم ما كان فيه،,"We found the skin when we rose next morning, torn to pieces and with most of the contents eaten."
ثم لما سِرْنا خمسة عشر يومًا وصلنا إلى مدينة عيذاب، وهي مدينة كبيرة كثيرة الحوت واللبن ويُحْمَل إليها الزرع والتمر من صعيد مصر،,"At length, after travelling for fifteen days [through the desert], we reached the town of ‘Aidhab, a large town, well no supplied with fish and milk; dates and grain are imported from Upper Egypt."
وأهلها البجاة وهم سود الألوان يلتحفون ملاحف صفرًا ويشدون على رءوسهم عصائب يكون عَرْض العصابة منها أصبعًا،,"Its inhabitants are the Elijah, blackskinned people, who wrap themselves in yellow blankets and tie headbands, each about a fingerbreadth wide, round their heads."
وهم لا يُوَرِّثُون البنات،,They give daughters no share in their inheritance.
وطعامهم ألبان الإبل، ويركبون المهاري ويسمونها الصهب، وثلث المدينة للملك الناصر، وثلثاها لملك البجاة وهو يُعْرَف بالحدربي,"Their food is camel’s milk and they ride on mahri dromedaries, which they call by the name of suhb.zzl One-third of the city belongs to [the Sultan of Egypt] al-Malik al-Nasir, and twothirds to the king of the Bujah, who is called al-Hadrabi."
وبمدينة عيذاب مسجد يُنْسَب للقسطلاني شهير البركة رأيته وتبركت به،,"In the town of ‘Aidhab there is a mosque, attributed to alQastallani, famous for its blessed power; I saw it and visited it to profit by its blessing."
وبها الشيخ الصالح موسى والشيخ المسن محمد المراكشي، زَعَمَ أنه ابن المرتضى ملك مراكش، وأن سنه خمس وتسعون سنة،,"In this town too live the pious shaikh Musa and the aged shaikh Muhammad alMarrakushi, who declares that he is a son of al-Murtada, the king of Marrakush, and that he is ninety-five years of age."
ولما وَصَلْنَا إلى عيذاب وَجَدْنا الحدربي سلطان البجاة يحارب الأتراك، وقد خَرَقَ المراكب وهرب الترك أمامه،,"On reaching ‘Aidhab we found that al-Hadrabi, the sultan of the Bujah, was engaged in hostilities with the Turks, that he had sunk the ships, and the Turks had fled before him."
فتعذر سَفَرُنا في البحر، فبِعْنَا ما كُنَّا أعددناه من الزاد، وعُدْنَا مع العرب الذين اكترينا الجِمال منهم إلى صعيد مصر، فوصلنا إلى مدينة قوص التي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُها,"It was impossible for us to make the sea-crossing, so we sold the provisions that we had made ready, and returning to Upper Egypt with the Arabs from whom we had hired the camels, arrived back at the town of Qus, which has already been mentioned."
وانحدرنا منها في النيل، وكان أوان مَدِّه فوصلنا بعد مسيرة ثمانٍ من قوص إلى مصر،,"We sailed thence down the Nile (it was the flood season), and after a passage of eight nights from Qus arrived at Cairo."
فبِتُّ بمصر ليلة واحدة وقصدت بلاد الشام،,I STAYED only one night in Cairo before setting out for Syria.
وذلك في منتصف شعبان سنة ست وعشرين،,This was in the middle of Sha’bān of the .
فوصلْتُ إلى مدينة بلبيس (وضبط اسمها بفتح الموحدة الأولى وفتح الثانية ثم ياء آخر الحروف مسكنة وسين مهملة)، وهي مدينة كبيرة ذات بساتين كثيرة، ولم أَلْقَ بها مَنْ يَجِبُ ذِكْرُه.,"I then travelled to the town of Balbais; it is a large town with many fruit-gardens, but I did not see there anyone whom I should wish to mention."
ثم وصلت إلى الصالحية، ومنها دخلنا الرمال ونزلنا منازلها مثل السوادة والورادة والمطيلب والعريش والخروبة،,"I came next to al-Salihiya, after which we entered the sands and halted at the poststations on the way through, such as al-Sawada, al-Warrada, al-Mutailib, al-‘Arish, and al-Kharruba."
وبكل منزل منها فندق وهم يسمونه الخان، ينزله المسافرون بدوابهم، وبخارج كل خانٍ ساقية للسبيل وحانوت يشتري منها المسافر ما يحتاجه لنفسه ودابته،,"At each of these stations there is a hostelry (funduq), which they call a khan, where travellers alight with their beasts, and outside each khan is a public watering-place and a shop at which the traveller may buy what he requires for himself and his beast."
ومن منازلها قَطْيَا المشهورة، وهي (بفتح القاف وسكون الطاء وياء آخر الحروف مفتوحة وألف)، والناس يُبْدِلون أَلِفَها هاءَ تأنيث، وبها تؤخذ الزكاة من التجار وتُفَتَّش أمتعتهم ويُبْحَث عما لديهم أشد البحث،,"Amongst these stations is the well-known place called Qatya, which the people pronounce Qatya, where zakat is collected from the merchants, their goods are examined, and their baggage most rigorously searched."
وفيها الدواوين والعمال والكُتَّاب والشهود، ومجباها في كل يوم ألف دينار من الذهب،,"There are government offices here, with officers, clerks, and notaries, and its daily revenue is a thousand gold dinars."
ولا يجوز عليها أحد من الشام إلا ببراءة من مصر، ولا إلى مصر إلا ببراءة من الشام؛ احتياطًا على أموال الناس، وتوقِّيًا من الجواسيس العراقيين،,"No one may pass this place in the direction of Syria without a passport from Egypt, nor into Egypt without a passport from Syria, as a measure of protection for a person’s property and of precaution against spies from ‘Iraq."
وطريقها في ضمان العرب قد وُكِّلُوا بحفظه،,"This road is under guarantee of the bedouins (that is to say, they have been made responsible for guarding it)."
فإذا كان الليل مَسَحُوا على الرمل لا يبقى به أَثَرٌ، ثم يأتي الأمير صباحًا فينظر إلى الرمل،,"At nightfall they smooth down us the sand so that no mark is left on it, then the governor comes in the morning and examines the sand."
فإن وَجَدَ به أثرًا طَالَبَ العرب بإحضار مؤثره، فيذهبون في طلبه فلا يفوتهم،,"If he finds any track on it he requires the Arabs to fetch the person who made it, and they set out in pursuit of him and never fail to catch him."
فيأتون به الأميرَ فيعاقبه بما شاء.,"They then bring him to the governor, who punishes him as he sees fit."
وكان بها في عَهْد وصولي إليها عز الدين أستاذ الداراقماري من خيار الأمراء،,"[The governor] at Qatya, at the time of my reaching it, was ‘Izz al-Dm, the Ustadh al-Dar, Aqmari, one of the best of the amirs."
أضافني وأَكْرَمَني وأباح الجواز لمن كان معي،,"He showed me hospitality, treated me honourably, and gave free passage to those who were with me."
وبين يديه عبد الجليل المغربي الوقاف وهو يَعْرِف المغاربة وبلادهم، فيسأل من وَرَدَ منهم من أي البلاد هو لئلا يلبس عليهم، فإن المغاربة لا يعترضون في جوازهم على قطيا،,"On his staff was the inspector ‘Abd al-Jalil al-Maghribl, who was familiar with the Maghribins and their lands, and whose duty it was to ask of each of them who arrived from what country he came, so that there might be no doubt as to their identity; for the Maghribins are allowed to pass through Qatya without hindrance."
ثم سِرْنَا حتى وَصَلْنا إلى مدينة غزة، وهي أول بلاد الشام مما يلي مصر، متسعة الأقطار كثيرة العمارة حسنة الأسواق,"From there we went on to the town of Ghazza (Gaza), which is the first of the towns of Syria on the borders of Egypt, a place of spacious dimensions and large population, n with fine bazaars."
بها المساجد العديدة والأسوار عليها،,"It contains numerous mosques, and there is no wall round it."
وكان بها مسجد جامع حسن،,There was formerly a fine congregational mosque in the town.
والمسجد الذي تقام الآن به الجمعة، فيها بناء الأمير المعظم الجاولي، وهو أنيق البناء مُحْكَم الصنعة ومنبره من الرخام الأبيض،,The mosque in which the Friday service is now held there was built by the illustrious amir al-Jawali; it is an elegant building of solid construction and its mimbar is made of white marble.
وقاضي غزة بدر الدين السلختي الحوراني، ومُدَرِّسها علم الدين بن سالم،,"The qadi of Ghazza was Badr al-Din of Salkhad in Hawran, and the professor of its madrasa ‘Alam al-Din b. Salim."
وبنو سالم كبراء هذه المدينة، ومنهم شمس الدين قاضي القدس.,"The Salim family are the most notable inhabitants of this town, and one of them is Shams alDin, the qadi of Jerusalem."
ثم سافرْتُ من غزة إلى مدينة الخليل صلى الله على نبينا وعليه وسلَّمَ تسليمًا،,Next I travelled from Ghazza to the town of al-Khalil [Hebron]—God bless and give peace to our Prophet and to him.
وهي مدينة صغيرة الساحة كبيرة المقدار مُشْرِقة الأنوار حسنة المنظر عجيبة المخبر في بطن وادٍ،,"It is a town of small extent but high distinction and shining splendours, pleasant in outward appearance and admirable in inner quality, lying in the hollow of a valley."
ومسجدها أنيق الصنعة مُحْكَم العمل بديع الحُسْن سامي الارتفاع مبنيٌّ بالصخر المنحوت،,"Its mosque is an elegant edifice, substantially built, of striking beauty and imposing height, and constructed of squared stones."
في أحد أركانه صخرة أحد أقطارها سبعة وثلاثون شبرًا،,"In one angle of it there is a stone, one of whose faces us measures thirty-seven spans."
ويقال: إن سليمان عليه السلام أَمَرَ الجن ببنائه،,It is said that Solomon (peace be on him) commanded the jinn to build it.
وفي داخل المسجد الغار المُكَرَّم المُقَدَّس، فيه قبر إبراهيم وإسحاق ويعقوب صلوات الله على نبينا وعليهم، ويقابلها قبور ثلاثة هي قبور أزواجهم،,"In the interior of the mosque is the honourable and sanctified cave containing the tomb of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—God’s blessings upon our Prophet and on them—and facing them are three [other] tombs, which are those of their wives."
وعن يمين المنبر يلصق جدار القبلة موضع يُهْبَط منه على دَرَج رخام محكمة العمل إلى مسلك ضيق يُفْضِي إلى ساحة مفروشة بالرخام فيها صور القبور الثلاثة، ويقال إنها محاذية لها،,"To the right of the mimbar and adjoining the wall containing the qibla is a place from which one descends by marble steps of solid construction into a narrow passage which leads to a marble-paved hall, containing cenotaphs of the three tombs, and one is told that these are exactly opposite the real tombs [beneath]."
وكان هنالك مسلك إلى الغار المبارك وهو الآن مسدود،,"There used formerly to be in the same place a passage-way into the blessed cave, but it is now blocked up."
وقد نزلْتُ بهذا الموضع مرات،,I have gone down into this place several times.
ومما ذَكَرَهُ أهل العلم دليلًا على صحة كون القبور الثلاثة الشريفة هنالك ما نَقَلْتُه من كتاب علي بن جعفر الرازي الذي سماه المسفر للقلوب عن صحة قبر إبراهيم وإسحاق ويعقوب،,"Amongst the evidences related by the learned as proof of the fact that the three holy tombs are indeed there is [the following Tradition] which I have taken from the book of ‘AH b. Ja’far al-Razi entitled Al-Musfir lil-Qulub ‘an sihhat qabr ‘IbrahTm wa ‘Ishdq wa-Ya’qub [that is to say, The unveiler to the hearts of the genuineness of the tomb of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’]."
أَسْنَدَ فيه إلى أبي هريرة قال:,"He traces back this tradition to Abu Huraira, whose actual words are as follows."
قال رسول الله ﷺ: «لما أُسْرِيَ بي إلى بيت المقدس مَرَّ بي جبريل على قَبْر إبراهيم فقال: انزل فصلِّ ركعتين، فإن هنا قبر أبيك إبراهيم، ثم مَرَّ بي على بيت لحم وقال: انزل فصلِّ ركعتين، فإن هنا وُلِدَ أخوك عيسى عليه السلام، ثم أتى بي إلى الصخرة» وذَكَرَ بقية الحديث.,"The Apostle of God (God’s blessing and peace upon him) said: ‘When I was transported on my night-journey to Jerusalem, Gabriel made me to pass by the tomb of Abraham and said, “Descend, and make a prayer of two prostrations, for this is the tomb of thy father Abraham”. Then he made me to pass by Bethlehem and said, “Descend, and make a prayer of two prostrations, for here was born thy brother Jesus (peace be upon him)”. Thereafter, he brought me to the Rock’, and so on to the end of the Tradition."
ولَمَّا لَقِيتُ بهذه المدينة المُدَرِّسَ الصالح المعمر الإمام الخطيب برهان الدين الجعبري أحد الصلحاء المرضيين والأئمة المشهرين، سألته عن صحة كَوْن قَبْر الخليل عليه السلام هنالك،,"When I met, [during my stay] in this town, the pious and aged professor, as well as imam and preacher, Burhan al-Din al-Ja’bari, one of those saintly men who enjoy the favour of God, and of the foremost authorities [in the religious sciences], I questioned him as to the truth of al-Khalil’s grave (on him be peace) being there."
فقال لي: كل من لقيته من أهل العلم يُصَحِّحون أن هذه القبور قبور إبراهيم وإسحاق ويعقوب — على نبينا وعليهم السلام — وقبور زوجاتهم، ولا يَطْعَنُ في ذلك إلا أهل البدع، وهو نَقْل الخلف عن السلف لا يُشَكُّ فيه.,"He replied to me, ‘All the scholars whom I have met accept as a certainty that these graves are the very graves of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (upon our Prophet and them be peace), and the graves of their wives. No one raises objections to this n? but followers of false doctrines; it is a tradition which has passed from father to son for generations and admits of no doubt.’"
ويُذْكَر أن بعض الأئمة دَخَلَ إلى هذا الغار ووَقَفَ عند قبر سارة، فدخل شيخ فقال له: أي هذه القبور هو قبر إبراهيم؟ فأشار له إلى قبره المعروف،,"It is also related that a certain imam went into this cave and as he stood by the tomb of Sarah an old man came in and said to him ‘Which of these graves is the grave of Abraham?’ The imam pointed to Abraham’s grave, [I mean] the one which is known as his."
ثم دَخَلَ شاب فسأله كذلك، فأشار له إليه، ثم دخل صبي فسأله أيضًا، فأشار له إليه،,"Afterwards there entered in succession a young man, who asked him the same question and to whom he pointed it out, and a boy, who likewise asked him and received the same indication."
فقال الفقيه: أَشْهَدُ أن هذا قبر إبراهيم عليه السلام لا شك، ثم دخل إلى المسجد فصلى به وارتحل من الغد،,"The faqih then said T attest that this is the tomb of Abraham (on him be peace) without any doubt’, whereupon he entered the mosque, prayed in it, and departed on the following day."
وبداخل هذا المسجد أيضًا قبر يوسف عليه السلام، وبشرقي حرم الخليل تربة لوط عليه السلام،,"Inside this mosque [there is shown] also the grave of Joseph (on him be peace), and eastward of the sanctuary of al-Khalil is the turba [funerary chapel] of Lot (on him be peace)."
وهي على تل مرتفع يُشْرِف منه غور الشام,"This is situated upon a high mound, from which one overlooks the Ghawr of Syria."
وعلى قبره أبنية حسنة، وهو في بيت منها حسن البناء مبيض ولا ستور عليه،,"Over his grave is a fine buildus ing, the grave itself being in a well-built and whitewashed chamber within, and there are no hangings over it."
وهنالك بحيرة لوط وهي أجاج يقال إنها موضع ديار قوم لوط،,"There too is the lake of Lot, which is salt, bitter water; it is said that it covers the site of the dwellings of ‘the men of Lot’."
وبمقربة من تربة لوط مسجد اليقين، وهو على تل مرتفع له نور وإشراق ليس لسواه،,"In the vicinity of the turba of Lot is the Mosque al-Yaqm, which is situated upon a high hill and has a brightness and a glow which no other mosque possesses."
ولا يجاوره إلا دار واحدة يسكنها قيمه،,"There are no buildings near it except a single house, inhabited by its keeper."
وفي المسجد بمقربة من بابه موضع منخفض في حجر صلد، قد هُيِّئ فيه صورة محراب لا يَسَعُ إلا مصليًا واحدًا،,"In this mosque, close by the door, there is a spot sunk in solid rock, in which there has been formed the figure of a mihrdb, only large enough to accommodate a single worshipper."
ويقال: إن إبراهيم سَجَدَ في ذلك الموضع شكرًا لله تعالى عند هلاك قوم لوط، فتحرك موضعُ سجوده وساخ في الأرض قليلًا،,"It is said that Abraham prostrated himself in this spot in gratitude to God Most High on the destruction of the men of Lot, and the place where he prostrated himself moved and sank down a little way into the ground."
وبالقرب من هذا المسجد مغارة فيها قبر فاطمة بنت الحسين بن علي عليهما السلام، وبأعلى القبر وأسفله لوحان من الرخام في أحدهما مكتوب منقوش بخط بديع:  بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم، لله العزة والبقاء، وله ما ذرأ وبرأ، وعلى خَلْقِه كتب الفناء، وفي رسول الله أسوة، هذا قبر أم سلمة فاطمة بنت الحسين رضي الله عنه،,"In the neighbourhood of this mosque is a cave containing the tomb of Fatima, daughter of al-Husain b. ‘All (upon them both be peace). At the head and foot of the grave are two slabs of marble, on one of which is written, engraved in a beautiful script: ‘In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. To God is the Might and the Permanence, and to Him belongeth what He hath created and fashioned. Upon His creatures hath He decreed dissolution, and in the Apostle of God is an example [for mankind]. This is the tomb of Umm Salama Fatima daughter of al-Husain (God be pleased with him)’."
"وفي اللوح الآخر منقوش: صنعه محمد بن أبي سهل النقاش بمصر. وتحت ذلك هذه الأبيات:
أسكنْت من كان في الأحشاء مَسْكَنُهُ بالرغم منيَ بين التُّرْب والحَجَرِ
يا قَبْرَ فاطمةٍ بِنْت ابن فاطمة بنت الأئمة بنت الأَنْجُم الزُّهْرِ
يا قَبْرُ ما فيك من دِينٍ ومن وَرَعٍ ومِنْ عَفَافٍ ومن صَوْنٍ ومِنْ خَفَرِ","On the other slab is engraved: ‘Executed by Muhammad b. Abu Sahl the engraver at Cairo’; and underneath this are these verses: One whose dear dwelling was my breast, Here, in the chill embrace of earth and stone, Hast thou, my plaint unheeding, laid to rest. O grave of Fatima, daughter of Fatima’s son, Born of the shining stars of ‘All’s race, O grave, what godly faith is now thine own, What virtue, purity, and modest grace!"
ثم سافرْتُ من هذه المدينة إلى القدس،,I continued my journey thereafter from this town to alQuds [Jerusalem].
فزرْتُ في طريقي إليه تربة يونس عليه السلام، وعليها بنية كبيرة ومسجد،,On my way there I visited the tomb of Yunus [Jonah]—on him be peace—over which there is a great building and a mosque.
وزُرْتُ أيضًا بيت لحم موضع ميلاد عيسى عليه السلام، وبه أَثَرُ جَذْع النخلة، وعليه عمارة كثيرة،,"I visited also Bait Lahm [Bethlehem], the birthplace of Jesus—on him be peace— where the trace of the palm trunk [is still to be seen] surmounted by a vast edifice."
والنصارى يعظمونه أَشَدَّ التعظيم ويضيفون من نَزَلَ به،,The Christians regard it with intense veneration and hospitably entertain all who alight at it.
ثم وَصَلْنا إلى بيت المقدس شرفه الله، ثالث المسجدين الشريفين في رتبة الفضل، ومصعد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا، ومعرجه إلى السماء،,"We then arrived at Bait al-Muqaddas (Jerusalem)—God ennoble it—third in excellence after the two sacred Mosques [of Mecca and al-Madlna], and the place of ascension of the Apostle of God—God bless him and give him peace—whence he was caught up into heaven."
والبلدة كبيرة منيفة مبنية بالصخر المنحوت،,"The town is large and imposing, and built of squared stones."
وكان الملك الصالح الفاضل صلاح الدين بن أيوب — جزاه الله عن الإسلام خيرًا — لما فَتَحَ هذه المدينة هَدَمَ بعض سورها، ثم استنقض الملك الظاهر هدمه؛ خوفًا أن يقصدها الروم فيتمنعوا بها،,"The pious and noble king Salah al-Din b. Aiyub (God reward him with good on behalf of Islam) when he captured this city, destroyed a part of its wall, and subsequently al-Malik al-Zahir [Baibars] completed its demolition, for fear lest the Christians of the East should occupy it and resist all assaults in it."
ولم يكن بهذه المدينة نهر فيما تَقَدَّمَ، وجَلَبَ لها الماءَ في هذا العهد الأميرُ سيف الدين تنكيز أمير دمشق.,"There was no watercourse in this city in former times, and the water has been led into it in our own time by the amir Saif al-DIn Tankiz, the governor of Damascus."
ذكر المسجد المقدس,The Sacred Mosque.
وهو من المساجد العجيبة الرائقة الفائقة الحُسْن،,This is one of those surpassingly beautiful mosques which excite wonder and admiration.
يقال: إنه ليس على وَجْه الأرض مسجد أكبر منه،,It is said that there is not upon the face of the earth a mosque larger than it.
وأن طوله من شرق إلى غرب سبعمائة وثنتان وخمسون ذراعًا بالذراع المالكية، وعرضه من القبلة إلى الجوف أربعمائة ذراع وخمس وثلاثون ذراعًا،,"Its length from east to west is seven hundred and fifty-two cubits, measuring in royal cubits, and its breadth from south to north four hundred and thirty-five cubits."
وله أبواب كثيرة في جهاته الثلاث، وأما الجهة القبلية منه فلا أعلم بها إلا بابًا واحدًا وهو الذي يَدْخُل منه الإمام،,"It has many entrances on its three [outer] sides, but as for the southern side of it, I have no knowledge of more than one gateway in it, and that is the one from which the imam enters."
والمسجد كله فضاء غير مُسَقَّف إلا المسجد الأقصى، فهو مُسَقَّف في النهاية من إحكام العمل وإتقان الصنعة، مُمَوَّه بالذهب والأصبغة الرائقة،,"The entire mosque is an open court, unroofed except for the mosque al-Aqsa; this has a roof of the utmost perfection of architecture and skill in execution, and is embellished with gold and brilliant colours."
وفي المسجد مواضع سواه مُسَقَّفة.,There are other places as well in the mosque which are roofed over.
ذكر قبة الصخرة,The Dome of the Rock.
وهي من أعجب المباني وأَتْقَنها وأَغْرَبها شكلًا، قد توفر حظها من المحاسن، وأَخَذَتْ من كل بديعة بطرف،,"This is one of the most marvellous of buildings, of the most perfect in architecture and strangest in shape; it has been endowed with a plentiful share of loveliness, and has received a choice portion of every rare beauty."
وهي قائمة على نشز في وسط المسجد، يُصْعَد إليها في دَرَج رخام،,It stands on an elevation in the centre of the mosque and is reached by ascending a flight of marble steps.
ولها أربعة أبواب،,It has four doors.
والدائر بها مفروش بالرخام أيضًا مُحْكَم الصنعة وكذلك داخلها،,"The court around it is also paved with marble, of excellent workmanship, and its interior likewise."
وفي ظاهرها وباطنها من أنواع الزواقة ورائق الصنعة ما يُعْجِز الواصف،,Both on its exterior and inside it is adorned with such a variety of decorations and such brilliance of execution as to defy description.
وأكثر ذلك مغشى بالذهب، فهي تتلألأ نورًا وتلمع لمعان البرق، يَحَارُ بصر متأملها في محاسنها، ويقصر لسان رائيها عن تمثيلها،,"The greater part of this decoration is surfaced with gold, so that it glows like a mass of light and flashes with the gleam of lightning; the eyes of him who would gaze on its splendours are dazzled and the tongue of the beholder finds no words to represent them."
وفي وَسَطِ القبةِ الصخرةُ الكريمةُ التي جاء ذِكْرها في الآثار، فإن النبي ﷺ عرج منها إلى السماء،,"In the centre of the Dome is the blessed Rock of which mention is made in the Traditions, for the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace) ascended from it to heaven."
وهي صخرة صماء، ارتفاعها نحو قامة، وتحتها مغارة في مقدار بيت صغير، ارتفاعها نحو قامة أيضًا، يُنْزَل إليها على دَرَج، وهنالك شَكْل محراب،,"It is a solid piece of rock, projecting about a man’s height, and underneath it there is a cave the size of a small room and of about a man’s height also, with steps leading down to it; in this there is the figure of a mihrab."
وعلى الصخرة شباكان اثنان مُحْكَما العمل يُغْلِقان عليها أحدهما، وهو الذي يلي الصخرة من حديد بديع الصنعة، والثاني من خشب،,"Encircling the Rock are two grilles of excellent workmanship, completely enclosing it, one of them, that which is next to the Rock, being artistically constructed in iron, and the other of wood."
وفي القبة درقة كبيرة من حديد معلقة هنالك، والناس يزعمون أنها درقة حمزة بن عبد المطلب رضي الله عنه.,"Within the Dome there is also a great iron buckler, which is hanging up there, and the people assert that it is the buckler of Hamza b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib (God be pleased with him)."
ذكر بعض المشاهد المباركة بالقدس الشريف,Some of the gracious sanctuaries in the Holy City of Jerusalem.
فمنها بعدوة الوادي المعروف بوادي جهنم في شرقي البلد على تلٍّ مرتفع هنالك بِنْيَة يقال إنها مصعد عيسى عليه السلام إلى السماء،,"Among these there is, on the farther side of the valley called the Valley of Jahannam, to the east of the town, and on a lofty hill there, a building which is said to mark the place whence Jesus (on him be peace) ascended to heaven."
ومنها أيضًا قبر رابعة البدوية منسوبة إلى البادية، وهي خلاف رابعة العدوية الشهيرة،,"Among these there is also the grave of Rabi’a al-Badawiya, who derives her designation from the badiya or desert, and is a different person from the famous Rabi’a al-‘Adawiya."
وفي بطن الوادي المذكور كنيسة يعظمها النصارى ويقولون: إن قبر مريم عليها السلام بها،,"In the hollow of the valley already mentioned is a church venerated by the Christians, who say that it contains the grave of Mary (peace be upon her)."
وهنالك أيضًا كنيسة أخرى مُعَظَّمَة يحجها النصارى،,At Jerusalem also there is another venerated church to which the Christians come on pilgrimage.
وهي التي يَكْذِبُون عليها ويعتقدون أن قبر عيسى عليه السلام بها،,This is the church about which they lie and are persuaded that it contains the grave of Jesus (on him be peace).
وعلى كل من يحجها ضريبة معلومة للمسلمين، وضروب من الإهانة يتحملها على رَغْم أنفه،,"All who come on pilgrimage to it are liable to a stipulated tax to the Muslims and various humiliations, which they suffer very unwillingly."
وهنالك موضع مهد عيسى عليه السلام يُتَبَرَّك به.,"There too is the place of the cradle of Jesus (on him be peace), which is visited in order to obtain blessing."
ذكر بعض فضلاء القدس,Some of the eminent scholars of Jerusalem.
فمنهم قاضيه العالم شمس الدين محمد بن سالم الغَزِّي (بفتح الغين)، وهو من أهل غزة وكبرائها، ومنهم خطيبه الصالح الفاضل عماد الدين النابلسي، ومنهم المحدث المفتي شهاب الدين الطبري، ومنهم مدرس المالكية وشيخ الخانقاه الكريمة أبو عبد الله محمد بن مثبت الغرناطي نزيل القدس، ومنهم الشيخ الزاهد أبو علي حسن المعروف بالمحجوب من كبار الصالحين، ومنهم الشيخ الصالح العابد كمال الدين المراغي، ومنهم الشيخ الصالح العابد أبو عبد الرحيم عبد الرحمن بن مصطفى من أهل أرز الروم، وهو من تلامذة تاج الدين الرفاعي،,"Among these are [the following]: its qadi, the learned Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Salim al-Ghazzi, who comes of a family of Ghazza [GazaJ, the notables of that town; its preacher, the pious and worthy ‘Imad al-Din of Nabulus; the authority on the Traditions and mufti Shihab al-Din al-Tabari; the professor of the Malikites and superior of the noble religious houses, Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Muthbit of Granada, but now settled in Jerusalem; the ascetic shaikh Abu ‘AH Hasan, known as ‘the blind’, one of the leading devotees; the pious and devout shaikh Kamal al-Din al-Maraghi; the pious and devout shaikh Abu’Abd al-Rahim’Abd al-Rahmanb.Mustafa, belonging to a family of Arz al-Rum [Erzerum], and one of the disciples of Taj al-Din al-Rifa’I."
صَحِبْتُه ولَبِسْتُ منه خرقة التصوف،,"I associated myself with this shaikh, and was clothed by his hands in the patched robe of the Sufi life."
ثم سافرْتُ من القدس الشريف برسم زيارة ثغر عسقلان,I then set out from Jerusalem the Holy to visit the frontier fortress of ‘Asqalan [Ascalon].
وهو خراب قد عاد رسومًا طامسة وأطلالًا دارسة،,"It is lying in ruins, and has become no more than shapeless remains and mouldering walls."
وقَلَّ بَلَدٌ جَمَعَ من المحاسن ما جَمَعَتْه عسقلان إتقانًا وحُسْنَ وضْع وأصالة مكان، وجمعًا بين مرافق البَرِّ والبحر،,"Yet seldom has one town united so many advantages as were united in ‘Asqalan—solidity, fine situation, natural strength of position, and combination of the resources of both land and sea."
وبها المشهد الشهير، حيث كان رأس الحسين بن علي عليه السلام قبل أن يُنْقَل إلى القاهرة،,In it is the famous sanctuary where reposed the head of al-Husain b. ‘All (peace be upon him) before it was removed to Cairo.
وهو مسجد عظيم سامي العلوفية جب للماء أمر ببنائه بعض العبيديين وكتب ذلك على بابه،,"This is a vast and lofty mosque, within which there is a well for water; it was constructed by order of one of the ‘Ubaidi kings, and there is an inscription to that effect over its gateway."
وفي قبلة هذا المزار مسجد كبير يُعْرَف بمسجد عمر، لم يَبْقَ منه إلا حيطانه،,"To the south of this shrine is a large mosque, known as the mosque of ‘Omar, of which nothing remains but its walls."
وفيه أساطين رخام لا مِثْل لها في الحُسْن، وهي ما بين قائم وحصيد،,"Within it are some marble columns of matchless beauty, partly standing and partly fallen."
ومن جملتها أسطوانة حمراء عجيبة يَزْعُم الناس أن النصارى احتملوها إلى بلادهم ثم فقدوها فوُجِدَتْ في موضعها بعسقلان،,"Amongst these there is a wonderful red column, of which the people tell that the Christians carried it off to their country but afterwards found it gone, and it was back again in its place at ‘Asqalan."
وفي القبلة من هذا المسجد بئر تُعْرَف ببئر إبراهيم عليه السلام،,"To the south of this mosque, again, is a well known as Abraham’s Well (on him be peace)."
يُنْزَل إليها في دَرَج متسعة، ويُدْخَل منها إلى بيوت، وفي كل جهة من جهاتها الأربع عين,"One goes down to it by a broad flight of steps, which give entry to a number of chambers, in each of whose four sides there is a spring."
تخرج من أسراب مطوية بالحجارة، وماؤها عذب وليس بالغزير،,"The water comes out of stone-lined conduits and is sweet, but not plentiful."
ويَذْكُر الناس من فضائلها كثيرًا،,The people [there] have many tales of its peculiar merits.
وبظاهر عسقلان وادي النمل، ويقال: إنه المذكور في الكتاب العزيز،,"In the outskirts of ‘Asqalan there is a ‘Valley of Ants’, which is said to be the one mentioned in the Holy Book."
وبجبانة عسقلان من قبور الشهداء والأولياء ما لا يُحْصَر لكثرته،,The cemetery of ‘Asqalan contains such a number of graves of martyrs and saints as is beyond reckoning.
أوقفنا عليهم قيِّم المزار المذكور، وله جراية يجريها له ملك مصر مع ما يصل إليه من صدقات الزوار.,"They were shown to us by the keeper of the shrine [of Husain] mentioned above, who enjoys a stipend assigned to him by the king of Egypt in addition to what he receives in alms from visitors."
ثم سافرْتُ منها إلى مدينة الرملة وهي فلسطين، مدينة كبيرة كثيرة الخيرات حسنة الأسواق,"I travelled from there to the town of al-Ramla, which is the same as Filastm, a large town, well stocked with good things, and with fine bazaars."
وبها الجامع الأبيض، ويقال: إن في قبلته ثلاثمائة من الأنبياء مدفونين — عليهم السلام —,"Here is the [famous] ‘White Mosque’, and it is said that on its southern side three hundred of the prophets lie buried (on them be peace)."
وفيها من كبار الفقهاء مجد الدين النابلسي،,"Living there is a notable jurist, Majd al-DIn al-NabulusI."
ثم خرجْتُ منها إلى مدينة نابلس، وهي مدينة عظيمة كثيرة الأشجار مطردة الأنهار، من أكثر بلاد الشام زيتونًا ومنها يُحْمَل الزيت إلى مصر ودمشق،,"Leaving there, I came next to the town of Nabulus, which is a large town with an abundance of trees and perennial streams, one of the richest places in Syria for olives, and from which olive oil is exported to Egypt and Damascus."
وبها تُصْنَع حلواء الخروب وتُجْلَب إلى دمشق وغيرها،,"At Nabulus there is manufactured also the carob-sweet, and it too is carried to Damascus and elsewhere."
وكيفية عملها: أن يُطْبَخ الخروب ثم يُعْصَر ويؤخذ ما يَخْرُج منه من الرُّب فتُصْنَع منه الحلواء،,"The method of making it is as follows. The carobs are cooked and then pressed, the juice that runs out of them is gathered and the sweet is manufactured from it."
ويُجْلَب ذلك الرُّب أيضًا إلى مصر والشام،,The juice itself is also exported to Egypt and other parts of Syria.
وبها البطيخ المنسوب إليها، وهو طَيِّب عجيب،,Here too grow the melons which are called by its name [‘Nabulusi’]; they are sweet and delicious.
والمسجد الجامع في نهاية من الإتقان والحسن، وفي وسطه بركة ماء عذب،,"The congregational mosque of the town is of extreme architectural skill and beauty, and in the centre of it is a basin of sweet water."
ثم سافَرْتُ منها إلى مدينة عجلون (وهي بفتح العين المهملة)، وهي مدينة حسنة لها أسواق كثيرة وقلعة خطيرة ويشقها نهر ماؤه عذب،,"From there I went on to the town of ‘Ajlun, which is a fine town, possessing a large number of bazaars and an imposing castle, and traversed by a river with sweet water."
ثم سافرْتُ منها بقصد اللاذقية، فمررت بالغور، وهو وادٍ بين تلال,"Then I went on from there in the direction of al-Ladhiqlya, and passed through the Ghawr, which is a valley between ranges of uplands."
به قبر أبي عبيدة بن الجراح أمين هذه الأمة رضي الله عنه،,"In it is the grave of Abu ‘Ubaida ibn al-Jarrah, the patron of this people (God be pleased with him)."
زرناه، وعليه زاوية فيها الطعام لأبناء السبيل، وبِتْنا هنالك ليلة،,"We visited the tomb; beside it there is a religious house at which food is supplied to all wayfarers, and we spent a night there."
ثم وَصَلْنا إلى القصير، وبه قبر معاذ بن جبل رضي الله عنه، تبركت أيضًا بزيارته،,"After that we went on to al-Qusair, where the tomb of Mu’adh b. Jabal (God be pleased with him) is situated, and I gained the blessing of a visit to it also."
ثم سافرْتُ على الساحل، فوصلْتُ إلى مدينة عكة، وهي خراب،,"I then journeyed along the coast to the town of ‘Akka [Acre], which is lying in ruins."
وكانت عكة قاعدة بلاد الإفرنج بالشام ومرسى سفنهم، وتشبه قسطنطينية العظمى،,"‘Akka was formerly the capital of the lands of the Franks in Syria and the harbour for their vessels, resembling the great city of Constantinople."
وبشرقيها عين ماء تُعْرَف بعين البقر، يقال: إن الله تعالى أخرج منها البقر لآدم عليه السلام،,To the east of it is a spring of water known as the Fountain of the Oxen; it is said that God Most High made the bull to come forth from it for Adam (on him be peace).
ويُنْزَل إليها في دَرَج، وكان عليها مسجد بقي منه محرابه،,"One descends to it by a flight of steps, and over it there was formerly a mosque, of which only the mihrab now remains."
وبهذه المدينة قبر صالح عليه السلام،,In this town too is the tomb of Salih (on him be peace).
ثم سافرت منها إلى مدينة صور وهي خراب، وبخارجها قرية معمورة وأكثر أهلها أرفاض،,"From there I went on next to the town of Sur [Tyre], which is in ruins, but outside it there is an inhabited village, most of whose population are Rafidis."
ولقد نزلت بها مرة على بعض المياه أريد الوضوء فأتى بعض أهل تلك القرية ليتوضأ,"I stopped there at a place with some water, to make the ritual ablutions, and one of the men of this village also came up to make his ablutions."
فبدأ بغسل رجليه ثم غسل وجهه ولم يتمضمض ولا استنشق ثم مسح بعض رأسه،,"Well, he began by washing his feet, then he washed his face, without rinsing out his mouth or snuffing water up his nostrils, and ended by wiping his hand over a part of his head."
فأخذْتُ عليه في فِعْلِه، فقال لي: إن البناء إنما يكون ابتداؤه من الأساس.,"I reproved him for doing this, but he said to me, ‘In building, the place to begin is at the foundation’."
ومدينة صور هي التي يُضْرَب بها المثل في الحصانة والمَنَعَة؛ لأن البحر محيط بها من ثلاث جهاتها ولها بابان أحدهما للبَرِّ والثاني للبحر،,"It is this city of Sur which has become proverbial for strength of fortification and inaccessibility, because the sea surrounds it on three of its sides, and it has two gates, one on the landward side and one on the sea."
ولبابها الذي يُشْرَع للبَرِّ أربعة فصلات كلها في ستائر محيطة بالباب، وأما الباب الذي للبحر فهو بيْن بُرْجَيْنِ عظيمين،,"That gate which gives access to the land has four covered passages, each with parapets, protecting it, and that which opens to the sea stands between two great towers."
وبناؤها ليس في بلاد الدنيا أعجب ولا أغرب شأنًا منه؛ لأن البحر محيط بها من ثلاث جهاتها، وعلى الجهة الرابعة سور تَدْخُل السفن تحت السور وترسو هنالك،,For sheer masonry there is no more marvellous or more remarkable construction in any town in the world; for the sea surrounds it on three sides and on the fourth side is a wall underneath which ships may enter and come to anchor.
وكان فيما تَقَدَّمَ بين البرجين سلسلة حديد معترضة لا سبيل إلى الداخل هنالك ولا إلى الخارج إلا بعد حطها،,"In former times there was an iron chain between the two towers as a barrier, [so that] there was no way in at that point, nor way out, until it had been lowered."
وكان عليها الحراس والأمناء، فلا يدخل داخل ولا يخرج خارج إلا على علم منهم،,"It was under the charge of guards and inspectors, and none might enter or leave but with their knowledge."
وكان لعكة أيضًا ميناء مثلها ولكنها لم تكن تَحْمِل إلا السفن الصغار،,"‘Akka also had a harbour like this, but it could hold only small vessels."
ثم سافرت منها إلى مدينة صيدا، وهي على ساحل البحر، حسنة كثيرة الفواكه يُحْمَل منها التين والزبيب والزيت إلى بلاد مصر،,"Then I went on from there to the town of Saida [Sidon], which is on the coast, a pleasant place and rich in fruits; figs, raisins and olive oil are exported from it to the cities of Egypt."
نزلت عند قاضيها كمال الدين الأشموني المصري، وهو حَسَن الأخلاق كريم النفس،,"I stayed with the qadi of the town, Kama! al-Dm, of Ashmun in Egypt, a man of excellent qualities and of noble spirit."
ثم سافرْتُ منها إلى مدينة طبرية،,From there I continued my journey to the town of Tabariya [Tiberias].
وكانت فيما مضى مدينة كبيرة ضخمة، ولم يبقَ منها إلا رسوم تُنْبِئ عن ضخامتها وعِظَم شأنها،,"It was in time past a large and important city, but nothing now remains of that save vestiges that bear witness to its former greatness and magnificence."
وبها الحمامات العجيبة، لها بيتان أحدهما للرجال والثاني للنساء، وماؤها شديد الحرارة،,"In the town there are wonderful baths, with two establishments, one for men and the other for women, and the water in them is very hot."
ولها البحيرة الشهيرة، طولها نحو ستة فراسخ وعرضها أزيد من ثلاثة فراسخ،,"Here too is the famous lake, the length of which is about six farsakhs and the breadth over three farsakhs."
وبطبرية مسجد يُعْرَف بمسجد الأنبياء فيه قبر شعيب عليه السلام وبنته زوج موسى الكليم عليه السلام، وقبر سليمان عليه السلام، وقبر يهودا، وقبر روبيل صلوات الله وسلامه على نبينا وعليهم،,"At Tabariya there is a mosque known as the ‘Mosque of the Prophets’, which contains the tomb of Shu’aib (peace be upon him) and his daughter, the wife of Moses, the Speaker [with God] (peace be upon him), as well as the tombs of Sulaiman (peace be upon him), Yahuda and Rubu (the blessings and peace of God be upon our Prophet and upon them all)."
وقَصَدْنَا منها زيارة الجب الذي أُلْقِيَ فيه يوسف عليه السلام،,We made an excursion from Tabariya to visit the well into which Joseph (peace be upon him) was cast.
وهو في صحن مسجد صغير وعليه زاوية، والجب كبير عميق،,"It is in i the courtyard of a small mosque, and the well is large and deep."
شَرِبْنَا من مائه المجتمع من ماء المطر، وأَخْبَرَنَا قَيِّمُه أن الماء ينبع منه أيضًا،,"We drank some water from it, which was [really] collected rain-water, but its custodian told us that water wells up in it also."
ثم سِرْنَا إلى مدينة بيروت، وهي صغيرة حسنة الأسواق، وجامعها بديع الحُسْن،,"We travelled next to the town of Bairut. It is a small place, but with fine bazaars, and its congregational mosque is of striking beauty."
وتُجْلَب منها إلى ديار مصر الفواكه والحديد،,Fruit and iron are exported from there to Egypt.
وقَصَدْنَا منها زيارة أبي يعقوب يوسف الذي يزعمون أنه من ملوك المغرب،,"We made an excursion from Bairut to visit the tomb of Abu Ya’qub Yusuf, who, they say, was one of the kings of the Maghrib."
وهو بموضع يُعْرَف بكَرَك نوح من بقاع العزيز، وعليه زاوية يطعم بها الوارد والصادر،,"The tomb is at a place called Karak Nuh in the Biqa/ al-‘Aziz, and by it is a religious house at which food is provided for all who come and go."
ويقال: إن السلطان صلاح الدين وَقَفَ عليها الأوقاف، وقيل: السلطان نور الدين، وكان من الصالحين، ويُذْكَر أنه كان ينسج الحصر ويقتات بثمنها.,"It is said that the Sultan Salah al-din [Saladin] assigned the religious endowments for its upkeep, but some say it was the Sultan Nur al-Din, who was a man of saintly life and of whom it is told that he used to weave mats and live on the proceeds of their sale."
حكاية أبي يعقوب يوسف المذكور,The story of the above-mentioned Abu Ya’qub Yusuf.
يحكى أنه دَخَلَ مدينة دمشق فمرض بها مرضًا شديدًا، وأقام مطروحًا بالأسواق،,It is related that after coming to the city of Damascus he fell ill there of a grievous malady and remained [for some time] lying on the ground in the bazaars.
فلما برئ من مَرَضِهِ خرج إلى ظاهر دمشق ليلتمس بستانًا يكون حارسًا له،,"When he recovered from his illness, he went out to the outskirts of Damascus to seek some orchard for which he might serve as keeper."
فاستؤجر لحراسة بستان للملك نور الدين، وأقام في حراسته ستة أشهر،,He was engaged to keep an orchard belonging to the king Nur al-Dm and continued to tend it for six months.
فلما كان في أوان الفاكهة أتى السلطان إلى ذلك البستان، وأَمَرَ وكيل البستان أبا يعقوب أن يأتي برمان يأكل منه السلطان،,"When the fruit was due to ripen the sultan came to that garden, and the superintendent of the garden bade Abu Ya’qub fetch some pomegranates for the sultan to partake of."
فأتاه برمان فوجده حامضًا، فأمره أن يأتي بغيره,"He brought him some pomegranates accordingly, but the superintendent, finding them sour, bade him fetch some others."
ففعل ذلك فوجده أيضًا حامضًا، فقال له الوكيل: أتكون في حراسة هذا البستان منذ ستة أشهر، ولا تَعْرِف الحلو من الحامض، فقال: إنما استأجرْتَني على الحراسة لا على الأكل، فأتى الوكيل إلى الملك فأَعْلَمَهُ بذلك،,"He did so, and the superintendent, finding them sour also, said to him, ‘Have you been looking after this orchard for six months and cannot tell the sweet from the sour?’ He replied ‘It was for keeping that you hired me, not for eating’, whereupon the superintendent came to the king and told him the whole story."
فبعث إليه الملك وكان قد رأى في المنام أنه يجتمع مع أبي يعقوب وتحصل له منه فائدة، فتفرَّسَ أنه هو،,"The king sent for him, for he had seen in a dream that he should meet with Abu Ya’qub and that some advantage would accrue to himself from him, and he had an intuition that this was he."
فقال له: أنت أبو يعقوب؟ قال: نعم، فقام إليه وعانَقَهُ وأَجْلَسَهُ إلى جانبه،,"So he said to him ‘You are Abu Ya’qub?’ and on receiving his answer ‘Yes’ he rose to welcome him, embraced him, and bade him sit beside him."
ثم احْتَمَلَهُ إلى مجلسه فأضافه بضيافة من الحلال المكتسب بكدِّ يمينه،,"After that he took him in his cortege to his own residence, where he entertained him [only] from the lawful proceeds of the labour of his own hand."
وأقام عنده أيامًا ثم خرج من دمشق فارًّا بنفسه في أوانِ البرد الشديد، فأتى قرية من قراها،,"Abu Ya’qub stayed with him for some time, but subsequently left Damascus in solitary flight during the season of severe cold, and came to one of the villages in the district."
وكان بها رجل من الضعفاء، فعَرَضَ عليه النزول عنده ففعل، وصنع له مرقة وذَبَحَ دجاجة، فأتاه بها وبخبز شعير،,"There was in this place a man of humble station, who invited him to stay in his house and, on his consenting, prepared soup for him and killed a chicken and brought it to him with barley bread."
فأكل من ذلك ودعا للرجل.,"Having partaken of this, Abu Ya’qub prayed for a blessing upon his host."
وكان عنده جملةُ أولاد منهم بنت قد آنَ بناء زوجها عليها،,"Now the man had several children, one of them being a girl who was shortly to be conducted to her husband."
ومن عوائدهم في تلك البلاد أن البنت يجهزها أبوها، ويكون معظم الجهاز أواني النحاس,"It is one of their customs in that country that the girl receives an ‘outfit’ from her father, the greater part of which consists in copper utensils."
وبه يتفاخرون وبه يتبايعون،,These are regarded by them with much pride and are made the subject of special stipulations [in the marriage contract].
فقال أبو يعقوب للرجل: هل عندك شيء من النحاس؟ قال: نعم، قد اشتريت منه لتجهيز هذه البنت، قال: ائتني به، فأتاه به، فقال له: اسْتَعِرْ من جيرانك ما أَمْكَنَكَ منه، ففعل وأحضر ذلك بين يديه،,"So Abu Ya’qub said to the man ‘Have you any copper in your house?’ ‘Yes’, he replied, ‘I have just bought some in order to give this girl her outfit.’ ‘Fetch it to me,’ he said, and when the man had brought it added ‘Now borrow all the copper that you can from your neighbours.’ So he did so and laid all the vessels out before him."
فأوقد عليه النيران، وأَخْرَجَ صرة كانت عنده فيها الإكسير، فطرح منه على النحاس فعاد كله ذهبًا،,"Then Abu Ya’qub lit fires around them, and taking out a purse which he had containing the elixir, he threw some of it upon the brass and the whole collection turned into gold."
وتركه في بيتٍ مُقْفَل، وكتب كتابًا إلى نور الدين ملك دمشق يُعْلِمُه بذلك وينبهه على بناء مارستان للمرضى من الغرباء، ويوقف عليه الأوقاف،,"After putting these into a locked chamber, Abu Ya’qub wrote a letter to Nur al-Dm, the king of Damascus, telling him about them and exhorting him to build a hospital for sick strangers and to constitute endowments for it."
ويبني الزوايا بالطرق، ويرضي أصحاب النحاس، ويعطي صاحب البيت كفايته، وقال له في آخر الكتاب: وإن كان إبراهيم بن أدهم قد خرج على ملك خراسان، فأنا قد خَرَجْتُ من ملك المغرب وعن هذه الصنعة والسلام، وفَرَّ من حينه وذهب صاحب البيت بالكتاب إلى الملك نور الدين، فوصل الملك إلى تلك القرية واحتمل الذهب بعد أن أرضى أصحاب النحاس وصاحب البيت،,"He bade him also build religious houses on the highways, satisfy the owners of the copper vessels and provide for the maintenance of the owner of the house, and concluded his letter with these words: ‘If Ibrahim b. Ad’ham renounced the kingdom of Khurasan [as he did], too have renounced the kingdom of the Maghrib, and [now renounce also] this art. Farewell.’ He at once took to flight, and the owner of the house brought the letter to the king Nur al-Dm, who came to that village and carried off the gold, after satisfying the owners of the copper vessels and the man himself."
وطلب أبا يعقوب فلم يَجِدْ له أثرًا ولا وَقَعَ له على خبر، فعاد إلى دمشق وبنى المارستان المعروف باسمه الذي ليس في المعمور مثله،,"He made search for Abu Ya’qub, but failing to find any trace or light upon any news of him, returned to Damascus, where he built the hospital which is known by his name and which has not its equal in the inhabited world."
ثم وَصَلْتُ إلى مدينة طرابلس وهي إحدى قواعد الشام وبلدانها الضخام تخترقها الأنهار، وتَحُفُّها البساتين والأشجار، ويكنفها البحر بمرافقه العميمة والبَرُّ بخيراته المقيمة، ولها الأسواق العجيبة، والمسارح الخصيبة،,"I came next to the town of Atrabulus [Tripoli], one of the capitals of Syria and of its great cities, traversed by flowing streams, and surrounded by gardens and trees, flanked by the sea with its copious resources and by the land with its sustaining bounties, and possessed of admirable bazaars and fertile lands."
والبحر على مِيلَيْن منها، وهي حديثة البناء،,"The sea is at a distance of two miles from it, and the town itself is of recent construction."
وأما طرابلس القديمة فكانت على ضفة البحر وتَمَلَّكَها الروم زمانًا، فلما اسْتَرْجَعَهَا الملك الظاهر خربت واتخذت هذه الحديثة،,"The old city of Atrabulus was right on the edge of the sea and was held for a time by the Christians, but when it was recovered by alMalik al-Zahir [Baibars] it was pulled down and this new town was established [in its place]."
وبهذه المدينة نحو أربعين من أمراء الأتراك، وأميرها طيلان الحاجب المعروف بملك الأمراء ومسكنه منه بالدار المعروفة بدار السعادة،,"In this town there are about forty amirs of the Turks; its governor is the chamberlain Tailan, known as ‘king of the amirs’, and his residence there is in the mansion known as Dar al-Sa’adah [‘the Abode of Felicity’]."
ومن عوائده أنْ يَرْكَبَ في كل يوم إثنين وخميس ويركب معه الأمراء والعساكر ويخرج إلى ظاهر المدينة،,"It is a habit of his to ride out every Monday and Thursday, the amirs and regular troops also riding with him, and proceed thus into the open country beyond the town."
فإذا عاد إليها وقارَبَ الوصول إلى منزله ترجَّل الأمراءُ ونزلوا عن دوابهم ومشوا بين يديه حتى يَدْخُلَ منزله وينصرفون.,"On returning to it, and as he approaches his residence, the amirs dismount, hand over their horses, and walk before him on foot until he enters his house, when they disperse."
وتُضْرَب الطبلخانة عند دار كل أمير منهم بعد صلاة المغرب من كل يوم وتوقد المشاعل،,"The drum-band plays before the residence of each of these i amirs every day after the sunset prayer, and torches are lit as well."
وممن كان بها من الأعلام كاتب السر بهاء الدين بن غانم أحد الفضلاء الحسباء، معروف بالسخاء والكرم، وأخوه حسام الدين هو شيخ القدس الشريف وقد ذَكَرناه، وأخوهما علاء الدين كاتب السر بدمشق، ومنهم وكيل بيت المال قوام الدين بن مكين من أكابر الرجال، ومنهم قاضي قضاتها شمس الدين بن النقيب من أعلام علماء الشام،,"Amongst the notables who were living at Atrabulus were the following: the confidential secretary Baha’ al-Din b. Ghanim, a worthy and much respected man, known for his liberality and generosity (his brother Husam al-Din is the shaikh of Jerusalem the Holy, as we have already mentioned, and a third brother ‘Ala al-Din is confidential secretary at Damascus); the intendant of the treasury, Qiwam al-Din b. Makin, a most eminent man; and the chief qadi of the town, Shams al-Din ibn al-Naqib, one of the most notable of the learned men of Syria."
وبهذه المدينة حماماتٌ حسان منها حمام القاضي القرمي وحمام سندمور، وكان سندمور أمير هذه المدينة، ويُذْكَر عنه أخبار كثيرة في الشدة على أهل الجنايات،,"There are in this city some fine bath-houses, among them being the bath-house of the qadi al-Qiriml and that of Sandamur, who was a former governor of the city, and of whose r o severity to evildoers many stories are told."
منها أن امرأة شَكَتْ إليه بأن أحد مماليكه الخواص تَعَدَّى عليها في لبنٍ كانت تبيعه فشَرِبَه،,"For example, a woman complained to him that one of his private mamluks had seized from her some milk that she was selling and had drunk it."
ولم تكن لها بَيِّنَة فأَمَرَ به فوُسِطَ فخرج اللبن من مصرانه،,"She had no evidence to support her tale, but Sandamur gave orders that he should be cut in two, and the milk came out of his entrails."
وقد اتفق مثل هذه الحكاية للعتريس أحد أمراء الملك الناصر أيام إمارته على عيذاب، واتفق مثلها للملك كبك سلطان تركستان،,"A similar story is told of al-‘Atris, one of al-Malik al-Nasir’s amirs, at the time when he was governor of ‘Aidhab, and another is related of the king Kabak, the sultan of Turkistan."
ثم سافرت من طرابلس إلى حصن الأكراد، وهو بلد صغير كثير الأشجار والأنهار بأعلى تل،,"From Tripoli I went on to Hisn al-Akrad, a small town on the top of a hill, with abundance of trees and flowing streams."
وبه زاوية تُعْرَف بزاوية الإبراهيمي نسبة إلى بعض كبراء الأمراء،,"Here there is a religious house known as the convent of alIbrahimi, after the name of [its founder, who was] one of the high amirs."
ونَزَلْتُ عند قاضيها ولا أحقق الآن اسمه،,"I stayed with the qadi of the place, but I cannot now recall his name exactly."
ثم سافرْتُ إلى مدينة حمص، وهي مدينة مليحة أرجاؤها مونقة وأشجارها مورفة وأنهارها متدفقة وأسواقها فسيحة الشوارع وجامعها متميز بالحسن الجامع,"I proceeded next to the town of Kirns, which is an attractive town; its environs are charming, its trees verdant, its streams copious; its bazaars are remarkable for the width of their streets, and its congregational mosque is distinguished by the beauty of its assembled parts."
وفي وسطه بركة ماء،,In the centre of the mosque there is a pool of water.
وأهل حمص عرب لهم فضل وكرم،,"The people of Hims are Arabs, men of excellent and generous character."
وبخارج هذه المدينة قبر خالد بن الوليد سيف الله ورسوله، وعليه زاوية ومسجد وعلى القبر كسوة سوداء،,"Outside this town is the tomb of Khalid b. al-Walid, the Sword of God and of His Apostle; beside it there is a religious house and a mosque, and the tomb is covered with a black pall."
وقاضي هذه المدينة جمال الدين الشريشي من أجمل الناس صورة وأحسنهم سيرة،,"The qadi of this town is Jamal al-Dm al-Sharishi, one of the most beautiful of men in figure and of the most upright in conduct."
ثم سافرت منها إلى مدينة حماة إحدى أمهات الشام الرفيعة ومدائنها البديعة ذات الحسن الرائق والجمال الفائق، تحفها البساتين والجنات عليها النواعير كالأفلاك الدائرات,"I went on from there to the town of Hamah, one of the dignified metropolitan centres and elegant cities of Syria, of exceeding comeliness and surpassing beauty, and surrounded by orchards and gardens, supplied by water-wheels [norias] like revolving spheres."
يشقها النهر العظيم المسمى بالعاصي ولها ربض سمي بالمنصورية أعظم من المدينة، فيه الأسواق الحافلة والحمامات الحسان،,"It is traversed by the great river j called al-‘Asi [‘the Rebel’], and has a suburb called alMansuriya, which is larger than the town itself, and has busy markets and fine bath-houses."
وبحماة الفواكه الكثيرة ومنها المشمش اللوزي إذا كسرت نواته وجدت في داخلها لوزة حلوة،,"Hamah produces great quantities of fruit, amongst them being the almond apricot; when you break open its kernel you find a sweet almond inside it."
"قال ابن جزي: وفي هذه المدينة ونهرها ونواعيرها وبساتينها يقول الأديب الرحال نور الدين أبو الحسن علي بن موسى بن سعيد العنسي العماري الغرناطي نسبة لعمار بن ياسر رضي الله عنه (طويل):
حمى الله من شطى حماة مناظرًا وقفت عليها السمع والفكر والطرفَا
تغني حمام أو تميل خمائل وتزهى مباني تمنع الواصف الوصفَا
يلومونني أن أعصي الصون والنهى وأطيع الكأس واللهو والقصفَا
إذا كان فيها النهر عاصٍ فكيف لا أحاكيه عصيانًا وأشربها صرفَا
وأشدو لدى تلك النواعر شدوها وأغلبها رقصًا وأشبهها غرقَا
تئنُّ وتذري دمعها فكأنها تهيم بمرآها وتسألها العطفا","Ibn Juzayy adds: It is this city and her river, water-wheels and orchards, that form the subject of the following verses by the man of letters and traveller Nur al-Dln Abu’l-Hasan ‘AH b. Musa b. Sa’id al-‘Ansi al-‘Amman of Gharnata, whose ethnic is derived from ‘Ammar b. Yasir (God be pleased with him): May God guard those scenes in Hamah that border both banks of her river By which I have lingered with hearing and musing and sight!
The doves in her gardens are singing, the boughs in the breeze are aquiver, Her buildings so brave that they baffle the tongue to indite. Men chide me because I rebel at restraint and at reason’s repression, And homage I pay to the cup and to revel and cheer.
If the river itself be a rebel in Hamah why hold it transgression That I follow its lead and I drink of the wine strong and clear? My voice in its ringing descant keeps time with her norias’ screeching.
My hand with their ladling, but swifter the dance of my feet.
Lamenting, they scatter incessant their tears, like to lovers beseeching With passion to see their beloved and her favours entreat."
"ولبعضهم في نواعيرها ذاهبًا مذهب التورية (طويل):
وناعورة رقَّتْ لعِظْم خطيئتي وقد عايَنَتْ قصدي من المنزل القاصي
بكت رحمة لي ثم باحت بشجوها وحسبك أن الخشب تبكي على العاصي","Another poet speaks of the water-wheels thus, using the figure of concealed allusion: Many a noria, compassioning my sin, As from afar she saw my fell intent, Tenderly wept and voiced her grief—enough That even the timber weeps ‘the Impenitent’!"
"ولبعض المتأخرين فيها أيضًا من التورية (كامل):
يا سادةً سكنوا حماة وحَقِّكُمْ ما حلْت عن تقوى وعن إخلاصي
والطرف بعدكمُ إذا ذُكِرَ اللِّقا يجري المدامع طائعًا كالعاصي","A modern poet has written of her, with the same figure of concealed allusion: O men of Hamah, by our ancient ties, To godly ways and simple faith I cling!
Let one recall our meeting, to mine eyes The tears, obedient as the ‘Rebel’, spring."
(رجع)، ثم سافرْتُ إلى مدينة المعرة التي يُنْسَب إليها الشاعر أبو العلاء المعري وكثير سواه من الشعراء،,(Resumes.) I then journeyed to the town of al-Ma’arra from which the poet Abu’ -‘Ala al-Ma’arri and many other poets as well derive their designation [of Ma’arri].
قال ابن جزي: وإنما سميت بمعرة النعمان؛ لأن النعمان بن بشير الأنصاري صاحب رسول الله ﷺ توفي له وَلَدٌ أيامَ إمارته على حمص فدفنه بالمعرة,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: The reason why it is called Ma’arrat al-Nu’man is that al-Nu’man b. Bashir al-Ansari, the Companion of the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace), had a son who died during his tenure of the governorship of Hims, and he buried him at al-Ma’arra."
فعُرِفَتْ به، وكانت قبل ذلك تُسَمَّى ذات القصور،,"It came to be called by his name in consequence, having previously been called Dhat al-Qusur [that is to say, Ma’arra of the Forts or Palaces]."
وقيل: إن النعمان جبل مُطِلٌّ عليها سُمِّيَت به,"Others say that al-Nu’man is a hill overlooking the town, from which it takes its name."
(رجع)، والمعرة مدينة كبيرة حسنة أَكْثَر شجرها التين والفستق، ومنها يُحْمَل إلى مصر والشام،,"(Resumes.) Al-Ma’arra is a small and pretty town, whose orchards are mostly of fig and pistachio, and the fruit is exported thence to Cairo and Damascus."
وبخارجها على فرسخٍ منها قبر أمير المؤمنين عمر بن عبد العزيز ولا زاوية عليه ولا خديم له،,"In its environs, at a distance of one farsakh from the town, is the grave of the Commander of the Faithful ‘Omar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, but there is no religious house by it, nor has it any guardian."
وسبب ذلك أنه وَقَعَ في بلادٍ صِنْف من الرافضة أرجاس يبغضون العشرة من الصحابة رضي الله عنهم ولعن مبغضهم، ويبغضون كل من اسمه عمر، وخصوصًا عمر بن عبد العزيز رضي الله عنه؛ لِمَا كان مِنْ فِعْله في تعظيم علي رضي الله عنه،,"The reason for this is that it happens to be in the district inhabited by a sect of Rafidls, abominable persons who hate the Ten Companions (God be pleased with them and curse those who hate them); they hate also every one whose name is ‘Omar, especially ‘Omar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (God be pleased with him) on account of his action in regard to the veneration of ‘AH (God be pleased with him)."
ثم سِرْنا منها إلى مدينة سرمين، وهي حسنة كثيرة البساتين، وأكثر شجرها الزيتون،,"We travelled from there to the town of Sarmin, a pretty place with a great quantity of orchards, their principal tree being the olive."
وبها يُصْنَع الصابون الآجري ويُجْلَب إلى مصر والشام، ويُصْنَع بها أيضًا الصابون المطيب لغسل الأيدي ويصبغونه بالحمرة والصفرة،,"Brick soap is manufactured there and exported to Cairo and Damascus; they manufacture also perfumed soap, for washing the hands, and this they dye with red and yellow."
ويُصْنَع بها ثياب قطن حسان تُنْسَب إليها،,"At Sarmin too are manufactured fine cotton fabrics, which are known by its name."
وأهلها سَبَّابُون يبغضون العَشَرَة، ومن العجب أنهم لا يَذْكُرون لفظ العشرة،,"Its population are revilers, who hate ‘the Ten’, and—an extraordinary thing—never mention the word ‘ten’."
وينادي سماسرتهم بالأسواق على السلع، فإذا بلغوا إلى العشرة قالوا تسعة وواحد،,"When their brokers are selling goods by auction in their bazaars and come to ten, they say ‘nine and one’."
وحَضَرَ بها بعض الأتراك يومًا فسمع سمسارًا ينادي تسعة وواحد، فضربه بالدبوس على رأسه وقال: قل: عشرة بالدبوس،,"One day a Turk happened to be there, and hearing a broker cry ‘nine and one’, he laid his club about his head saying ‘say ten’, whereupon quoth he ‘Ten for the sake of the club’."
وبها مسجد جامع فيه تسع قباب، ولم يجعلوها عشرة قيامًا بمذهبهم القبيح.,"There is a congregational mosque there with nine domes, and they avoided making them ten, in accordance with their detestable doctrine."
ثم سِرْنا إلى مدينة حلب المدينة الكبرى والقاعدة العظمى،,"We journeyed thereafter to the city of Halab [Aleppo], that city of the first magnitude and vast metropolis."
قال أبو الحسين بن جبير في وَصْفِها: قَدْرها خطير وذِكْرها في كل زمان يطير، خطابها من الملوك كثير، ومحلها من النفوس أثير، فكم هاجت من كفاح وسل عليها من بيض الصفاح، لها قلعة شهيرة الامتناع بائنة الارتفاع، فنزهت حصانة من أن ترام أو تستطاع، منحوتة الأجزاء موضوعة على نسبة اعتدال واستواء، قد طاولت الأيام والأعوام، ووسعت الخواص والعوام، أين أمراؤها الحمدانيون وشعراؤها؟ فني جميعهم ولم يَبْقَ إلا بناؤها، فيا عجبًا لبلاد تبقى ويذهب ملاكها ويهلكون ولا يقضي هلاكها وتخطب بعدهم فلا يتعذر أملاكها وترام فيتيسر بأهون شيء إدراكها! هذه حلب كم أدخلت ملوكها في خبر كان ونسخت صرف الزمان بالمكان، أنث اسمها فتحلت بحلية الغوان وأتت بالعذر فيمن دان وانجلت عروسًا بعد سيف دولتها ابن حمدان، هيهات سيهرم شبابها ويعدم خطابها ويسرع فيها بعد حين خرابها،,"Abu’lHusain Ibn Jubair has expressed himself thus describing it: ‘Honourable is her rank, and far-flung in every age her name, many the kings who have sought her hand, and privileged her position in all hearts. How many a hand-to-hand combat has she excited, how many gleaming blades have been unscabbarded for her! She has a citadel famed for natural strength, conspicuous in height, and exempted by inaccessibility from being sought or won, whose flanks are of squared stones, and which is erected in the proportion of symmetry and stability of elevation. She has contended with the days and the years, and has sped on their last journey both nobles and commons. Where are her amirs of Hamdan and their poets? Perished every one, and naught remains save that which they built. O wonder, that cities remain and their lords pass away; these perish, but the destruction of those is not decreed! Others seek their hand after them and find no obstacle to asserting lordship over them, desire them and succeed in obtaining them with the lightest effort. This city of Halab, how many of her kings has she conducted into the category of the past, how often has she superseded the adverb of time by the adverb of place ! Feminine is her name, and she has decked herself in the ornaments of womanly beauty; she hasr s followed the practice of lying excuse after the manner of other women, and has displayed herself in bridal finery after [the loss of] the Sword of her Fortune [Saif al-DawlaJ Ibn Hamdan. Alas, her youth must give place to age, her suitors must be no more, and after a time shall her ruin hasten towards her.’"
وقلعة حلب تسمى الشهباء، وبداخلها جبلان ينبع منهما الماء فلا تخاف الظمأ،,"The citadel of Halab is called al-Shahba’; within it are two wells fed with water from springs, whence it has no fear of thirst."
ويطيف بها سوران وعليها خندق عظيم ينبع منه الماء,"It is encompassed by two walls and around it [between the two walls] is a great trench, also fed with water from springs."
وسورها متداني الأبراج، وقد انتظمت بها العلالي العجيبة المفتحة الطيقان، وكل برج منها مسكون،,"Its [inner] wall is close set with towers, in which there have been contrived marvellous upper rooms, pierced with windows, and every tower amongst them is inhabited."
والطعام لا يتغير بهذه القلعة على طول العهد،,Foodstuffs do not corrupt in this castle in spite of longkeeping.
وبها مشهد يقصده بعض الناس يقال: إن الخليل عليه السلام كان يَتَعَبَّد به،,"In it there is a sanctuary which is visited by some persons, and of which it is told that al-Khalil [Abraham]— upon him be peace—was wont to make his devotions there."
وهذه القلعة تُشْبِه قلعة رحبة مالك بن طوق التي على الفرات بين الشمال والعراق،,"This citadel resembles the citadel of Rahbat Malik b. Tawq, which is on the Euphrates, between Syria and Iraq."
ولما قصد قازان طاغية التتر مدينة حلب حاصر هذه القلعة أيامًا ونكص عنها خائبًا،,"When Qazan [Ghazan], the emperor of the Tatars, attacked the city of Aleppo, he laid siege to this citadel for several i days, but had to withdraw from it with his hopes frustrated."
"قال ابن جزي: وفي هذه القلعة يقول الخالدي شاعر سيف الدولة:
وخرقاء قد قامت على من يرومها بمرقبها العالي وجانبها الصعبِ
يجر عليها الجواجيب غمامة ويلبثها عقدًا بأنجمه الشهبِ
إذا ما سرى برق بَدَتْ من خلاله كما لاحت العذراء من خلل السحبِ
فكم من جنود قد أماتت بغصة وذي سطوات قد أبانت على عقبِ","Ibn Juzayy adds: It is of this citadel that al-Khalidi, the poet of Saif al-Dawla, speaks in the following verses: Lo! on her grim and massy rock That holds to scorn the foeman’s shock With lofty tower and perilous steep, Majestic stands Aleppo’s keep. The bosom of the windswept clouds Her topmost pinnacle enshrouds; The spangled stars of heaven rest, A glittering circlet, on her breast.
When night is rent with levin spears Amid their fulgour she appears, As through the drifting cirrus sprays Resplendent Virgo sheds her rays.
How many a troop ‘gainst her arrayed Hath she with anguished death repaid!
How many a conqueror flushed with fame Hurled back, crestfallen, whence he came!"
"وفيها يقول أيضًا وهو من بديع النظم (بسيط):
وقلعة عانَقَ العنقاء سافلُها وجاز منطقة الجوزاء عاليها
لا تَعْرِف القطرُ إذ كان الغمام لها أرضًا توطا قطريه مواشيها
إذا الغمامة راحت غاضَ ساكنها حياضها قبل أن تهمى عواليها
يعد من أنجم الأفلاك مرقبها لو أنه كان يجري في مجاريها
ردت مكايِدَ أقوام مكايدها ونصرت لدواهيهم دواهيها","The same poet refers to it thus, in verses of brilliant imagery: A fortress she—with her base the water-springs she enfolds, Her summit over Orion’s starry belt stands erect.
Raindrops she knows not, for she the clouds as her earth beholds, Over their wide pasture-lands her flocks and her cattle ply.
The store of the lavish clouds, so oft as its bounties flow, Her dwellers drain to her tanks or ever her towers are flecked, Her belvedere mid the constellations were surely known Were it to join in their march across the evening sky.
Her stratagems have repulsed full many a guileful foe, Her dire defence their calamitous assaults overthrown."
"وفيها يقول جمال الدين علي بن أبي المنصور (كامل):
كادت لبون سموها وعلوها تستوقف الفلك المحيط الدائرَا
وردت قواطنها المجرة منهلً اورعت سوابقها النجوم زواهرَا
ويظل صَرْف الدهر منها خائفًا رجلًا فما يمسي لديها حاضرَا","Speaking of her the poet Jamal al-DIn ‘All b. Abi’lMansur says: Immense in height, her soaring tower comes near To stay the orbit of the circling sphere. The Milky Way supplies her watering needs, The flowering stars the pasture of her steeds.
Even fickle Time, dismayed, turns back again, And fears to spend one night in her domain."
(رجع)، ويقال في مدينة حلب: حلب إبراهيم؛ لأن الخليل صلوات الله وسلامه على نبينا وعليه كان يسكنها،,"(Resumes.) The city of Halab is sometimes called Halab Ibrahim [i.e. ‘Milk of Abraham’], because [Abraham] alKhalil (the blessings and peace of God be upon our Prophet and upon him) used to live there."
وكانت له الغنم الكثيرة، فكان يسقي الفقراء والمساكين والوارد والصادر من ألبانها، فكانوا يجتمعون ويسألون حلب إبراهيم فسميت بذلك،,"He had large flocks of sheep, and supplied the needy, the destitute, and all who went to and fro, with milk from them, so that they used to assemble together and ask for ‘the milk of Abraham’, and the town received its name from that."
وهي من أعز البلاد التي لا نظير لها في حسن الوضع وإتقان الترتيب واتساع الأسواق وانتظام بعضها ببعض,"It is one of the most illustrious of cities, and one which has no rival in beauty of plan and perfection of arrangement, and in the spaciousness and symmetrical disposition of the bazaars."
وأسواقها مسقفة بالخشب، فأهلها دائمًا في ظل ممدود,"Those at Aleppo are roofed with wood, so that its occupants are always ‘in extended shade’."
وقيساريتها لا تماثل حسنًا وكبرًا، وهي تحيط بمسجدها وكل سماط منها محاذٍ لباب من أبواب المسجد،,"Its qaisariya cannot be paralleled for beauty and size; it encircles the [chief] mosque of the city, and each of its arcades faces one of the doors of the mosque."
ومسجدها الجامع من أجمل المساجد,The congregational mosque itself is one of the most splendid buildings of its kind.
في صحنه بركة ماء، ويطيف به بلاط عظيم الاتساع، ومنبرها بديع العمل مُرَصَّع بالعاج والآبنوس،,"In the court there is a pool of water, which is surrounded by a pavement of vast extent, and its pulpit is of exquisite workmanship, inlaid with ivory and ebony."
وبقرب جامعها مدرسة مناسبة له في حُسْن الوضع وإتقان الصنعة يُنْسَب لأمراء بني حمدان،,Close by the cathedral mosque is a madrasa which corresponds to it in beauty of plan and skill in execution; this madrasa is attributed to the amirs of the Banu Hamdan.
وبالبلد سواها ثلاث مدارس، وبها مارستان،,The town contains in addition to this three other madrasas and a hospital.
وأما خارج المدينة فهو بسيط أفيح عريض به المزارع العظيمة وشجرات الأعناب منتظمة به,"As for the country in the environs of the city, it is a broad and extensive plain, covered with huge tilled fields, and vines planted in ordered rows."
والبساتين على شاطئ نهرها، وهو النهر الذي يمر بحماة ويسمى العاصي،,"The fruit-gardens are on the bank of its river, which is the same river as flows past Hamah and is called ‘the Rebel’."
وقيل: إنه سمي بذلك؛ لأنه يخيل لناظره أن جريانه من أسفل إلى علو,It is said to have been called by this name because it seems to one who looks at it as though its flow were from down to up.
والنفس تجد في خارج مدينة حلب انشراحًا وسرورًا ونشاطًا لا يكون في سواها، وهي من المدن التي تصلح للخلافة،,"The spirit feels in the environs of the city of Aleppo an exhilaration, gladness and sprightliness which are not experienced elsewhere, and it is one of the cities which is worthy to be the seat of the Caliphate."
قال ابن جزي: أطنبت الشعراء في وصف محاسن حلب وذكر داخلها وخارجها،,Ibn Juzayy remarks: The poets have been profuse in description of the beauties of Aleppo and in reference both to the city herself and to her environs.
"وفيها يقول أبو عبادة البحتري (كامل):
يا بَرْقُ أَسْفِر عن فويق مطالبي حلب فأعلى القصر من بطياس
عن منبت الورد المعصفر صبغة في كل ضاحية ومجني الآس
أرض إذا استوحشتكم بتذكُّرٍ حشدت علي فأكثرت إيناسي","Abu ‘Ubada al-Buhturi speaks of her as follows: O lightning, in thy flame Quwaiq disclose And Halab’s bounds, and Bityas’ castled peak. Shine where the fields of saffron-tinted rose Enfold her, and the oft-plucked myrtle grows.
When, lone and sad at heart, her gates I seek With ready cheer she dissipates my woes."
"وقال فيها الشاعر المجيد أبو بكر الصنوبري (متقارب):
سقى حلب المزن مغنى حلبْ فكم وصلت طربًا بالطربْ
وكم مستطاب من العيش لذبها إذ بها العيش لم يُسْتَطَبْ
إذا نشر الزهر أعلامه بها ومطارفه والعذبْ
غدا وحواشيه من فضة تروق وأوساطه من ذهبْ","The exquisite poet Abu Bakr al-Sanawbari says of her: O’er Halab’s domain may the clouds milk their treasure! i How oft to her joys hath she linked new delight!
How many a draught hath she yielded of pleasure, When all joy of living seemed under a blight.
When blossoms their banners unfurl in her meadows, Their silken-fringed garments and turbans unfold, They appear as the dawning disperses the shadows, With edges of silver and centres of gold."
"وقال فيها أبو العلاء المعري (خفيف):
حلب للوراد جنة عدن وهْي للغادرين نار سعير
والعظيم العظيم يكبر في عَيْــنيه منها قدر الصغير الصغير
فقويق في أنفس القوم بحر وحصاة منه مكان ثبير","Abu’ -‘Ala al-Ma’arri also has said of her: Halab the true as Eden view The faithless as Sa’ir.
The great in size, within his eyes Her small things huge appear.
Her people style Quwaiq a Nile, Each pebble a Thabir."
"وقال فيها أبو الفتيان بن جبوس:
يا صاحبيَّ إذا أعياكما سقمي فلَقِّيَاني نَسِيمَ الريح من حلبِ
من البلاد التي كان الصبا سكنًا فيها وكان الهوا العذري من أَرَبِي","Abu’l-Fityan ibn Hayyus says of her: When for my ill no cure you find, Fetch me a breath of Halab’s wind, Where eastern airs bring quiet ease, For this I crave—the ‘Udhrite breeze."
"وقال فيها أبو الفتح كشاجم (متقارب):
وما أَمْتَعَتْ جارَها بلدةٌ كما أَمْتَعَتْ حلبٌ جارَها
بها قد تَجَمَّعَ ما تشتهي فزرها فطوبى لمن زارها","Abu’ -Fath Kushajim has the following lines on her: No town to its protege yields the delights Which Halab bestows on her neighbour and friend.
Whate’er thou desirest within her unites; So seek her, and fortune her seekers attend!"
"وقال فيها أبو الحسن علي بن موسى بن سعيد الغرناطي العنسي (خفيف):
حادي العيس كم تنيخ المطايا سق بروحي من بعدهم في سياقِ
حلب إنها مقر غرامي ومرامي وقِبْلة الأشواقِ
لا خلا جوشن وبطياس والعبــد ومِنْ كل وابل غيداقِ
كم بها مرتع لطرْفٍ وقَلْبٍ فيه سَقْي المنى بكاس دهاقِ
وتغني طيورها لارتياحٍ وتثني غصونها للعناقِ
وعُلُوُّ الشهباء حيث استدارت أَنْجُمُ الأفْق حَوْلَهَا كالنطاقِ","The following verses on her are by Abu’l-Hasan ‘AH b.
Musa Ibn Sa’id al-Gharnati al-‘Ansi: Ho, drover! Oft thou bidst thy camels kneel!
Gone are their folk—lead on my anguished soul! Halab, that heals my longing of its smart, qibla of yearnings, of my search the goal, For thee may every pouring cloud desert ‘Abid, and Jawshan’sheights, and Bityas’ knoll! How many a pasture there for eye and heart, Where all desires are quenched with brimming bowl, The while its birds make song with joyous art And swaying branches each with each enroll, And Shahba’s soaring height, that seems engirt with all the stars of heaven from pole to pole!"
(رجع)، وبحلب ملك الأمراء أرغون الدوادار أكبر أمراء الملك الناصر،,"(Resumes.) At Aleppo resides the Malik al-‘Umara, Arghun Dawadar, who is the highest officer under al-Malik alNasir."
وهو من الفقهاء موصوف بالعدل لكنه بخيل،,"He is also a trained legist and noted for his equitable judgments, but he is close-fisted."
والقضاة بحلب أربعة للمذاهب الأربعة،,"The qadis at Aleppo are four in number, one for each of the four rites."
فمنهم القاضي كمال الدين بن الزملكاني شافعي المذهب عالي الهمة كبير القدر كريم النفس حَسَن الأخلاق متفنن بالعلوم،,"One of them [before the time of my visit was] the qadi Kama! al-Dm Ibnal-Zimlikani, a Shafi’I in rite, and a man of lofty aspirations, highly esteemed, magnanimous and of noble character, as well as versatile in his knowledge."
وكان الملك الناصر قد بَعَثَ إليه لِيُوَلِّيَه قضاء القضاة بحضرة مُلْكِه، فلم يُقْضَ له ذلك، وتوفي ببلبيس وهو متوجِّهٌ إليها،,"Al-Malik al-Nasir had [afterwards] sent for him, in order to instal him as Chief Qa i in the capital of his kingdom, but that was not decreed for him and he died at Bilbais as he was on his way to Cairo."
"ولما ولي قضاء حلب قَصَدَتْه الشعراء من دمشق وسواها، وكان فيمن قَصَدَهُ شاعر الشام شهاب الدين أبو بكر محمد ابن الشيخ المحدث شمس الدين أبي عبد الله محمد بن نباتة القرشي الأموي الفارقي، فامتدحه بقصيدة طويلة حافلة أولها (كامل):
أَسِفَتْ لِفَقْدِكَ جلق الفيحاءُ وتباشرَتْ لقدومك الشهباءُ
وعلا دمشقَ وقد رَحَلْتَ كآبةٌ وعلا رُبَا حَلَبٍ سنًا وسناءُ
قد أَشْرَقَتْ دارٌ سَكَنْتَ فِنَاءَها حتى غَدَتْ ولنورها لألاءُ
يا سائرًا سَقْي المكارم والعلى ممن يبخل عنده الكرماءُ
هذا كمال الدين لذَّ بجنابه تنعم فثَمَّ الفضلُ والنعماءُ
قاضي القضاة أجل من أيامه تغني بها الأيتام والفقراءُ
قاضٍ زكا أصلًا وفرعًا فاعتلى شَرُفَتْ به الآباءُ والأبناءُ
مَنَّ الإله على بَنِي حَلَبٍ بهلله وَضْعُ الفضلِ حيث يشاءُ
كشف المُعَمَّى فَهْمُه وبيانُهُ فكأنما ذاك الذكاءُ ذكاءُ
يا حاكِمَ الحكام قَدْرُكَ سابقٌ عن أن تَسُرَّكَ رتبةٌ شماءُ
إن المناصب دون هِمَّتِكَ التي في الفضل دون محلها الجوزاءُ
لَكَ في العلوم فضائلٌ مشهورة كالصبح شقَّ له الظلامَ ضياءُ
ومناقبٌ شَهِدَ العدوُّ بفضلها والفضلُ ما شَهِدَتْ به الأعداءُ","When he was appointed to the qadi-ship of Aleppo, the poets from Damascus and other parts came to congratulate him, and amongst those who did so was the poet of Syria, Shihab al-Dm Abu Bakr Muhammad, son of the shaikh and traditionalist Shams al-Dm Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b.
Nubata, of Qurashite and Umayyad descent, and of Mayyafariqm by origin, who eulogized him in a lengthy and polished ode, beginning: Jilliq al-Faiha’ mourns thy departure, and al-Shahba’ has rejoiced at thy coming. O’er Damascus, now thou art gone, reigns a sadness, but o’er the hills of Halab reigns a glittering splendour.
Brightly shines an abode in whose court thou hast dwelt, even as a morn that comes with glister in its light.
O wanderer, who seekest noble qualities and highest deeds, from one beside whom even the generous seem as misers— Here is Kama! al-Din, seek shelter in his protection; ease shalt thou find, for there are virtue and beneficence, Judge of judges, most illustrious of those in whose days the orphans and the poor are freed from want— A judge pure in root and branch, who has climbed to the heights, through whom fathers and sons are ennobled.
The Lord hath shown favour by him to the sons of Aleppo— to God is bestowal of bounty whereso He will. His understanding and eloquence have unveiled the obscured, so brilliant is that sagacity that it is as the rising sun.
O chief of magistrates, thy merit is too pre-eminent for lofty rank to give thee pleasure.
All offices come short of thy loftiness of mind, whose station overtops Orion in excellence.
To thee belong far-famed virtues in the sciences, as the dawn whose light cleaves the darkness, And goodly deeds, to whose excellence even the enemy bears witness—and excellence indeed is that which even enemies attest."
وهي أَزْيَدُ من خمسين بيتًا، وأجازه عليها بكسوة ودراهم، وانتقد عليه الشعراء ابتداءه بلفظ أَسِفَتْ،,"The whole poem is more than fifty verses long, and alZimlikani rewarded him for it with a robe and some money, although the poets criticized him for beginning the poem with the word ‘mourns’."
قال ابن جزي: وليس كلامه في هذه القصيدة بذاك، وهو في المقطعات أجود منه في القصائد،,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: His choice of language in this ode is not much thought of, and he shows his talent to better advantage in short occasional pieces than in his odes."
وإليه انتهت الرياسة في الشعر على هذا العهد في جميع بلاد المشرق،,To him has devolved the headship in poetry throughout the East in our own day.
وهو من ذرية الخطيب أبي يحيى عبد الرحيم بن نباتة منشئ الخطب الشهيرة،,"He is a descendant of the preacher Abu Yahya ‘Abd al-Rahim ibn Nubata, the author of the celebrated discourses."
"ومن بديع مُقَطَّعَاته في التورية قوله (كامل):
علَّقْتُها غيداء حالية العلى تجني على عَقْل المُحِبِّ وقَلْبِهِ
بَخِلَتْ بلؤلؤ ثَغْرِها عن لاثمٍ فَغَدَتْ مطوَّقة بما بَخِلَتْ بِهِ","The following poem gives an example of the exquisite art of his fragments, illustrating the figure of concealed allusion: I loved her, so lithe, and endowed with such grace, But of heartache and anguish how reckless!
Since her pearls she begrudged to a lover’s embrace, What she grudged she now wears as a necklace!"
"(رجع)، ومن قضاة حلب قاضي قضاة الحنفية الإمام المدرس ناصر الدين بن العديم حسن الصورة والسيرة أصيل مدينة حلب (طويل):
تراه إذا ما جِئْتَه متهلِّلًا كأنك تُعْطِيهِ الذي أَنْتَ سائِلُهْ","(Resumes.) Among the qadis of Aleppo is the Chief Qadl of the Hanafi school, the imam and professor Nasir al-Dm Ibn al-‘Adim, a man of fine figure and character, belonging to an old-established and noble family in the city of Aleppo. With smiling face, unclouded brow, Whene’er thou seek’st him, he receives thee, As if he were the suppliant, thou The donor of the boon he gives thee."
ومنهم قاضي قضاة المالكية لا أَذْكُرُه، كان من الموثقين بمصر، وأخذ الخطة عن غير استحقاق، ومنهم قاضي قضاة الحنابلة لا أَذْكُرُ اسمه، وهو من أهل صالحية دمشق,"Besides these there is the Chief Qadi of the Maliki school, whom I will not mention—he was a notary at Cairo and obtained this office without any qualifications—and the Chief Qadi of the Hanbalites, whose name I do not remember; he belonged to al-Salihiya [in the neighbourhood] of Damascus."
ونقيب الأشراف بحلب بدر الدين بن الزهراء، ومن فقهائها شرف الدين بن العجمي وأقاربه هم كبراء مدينة حلب،,"The Marshal of the Sharifs at Aleppo is Badr al-Dm Ibn al-Zahra’, and among the jurists there is Sharaf al-Din Ibn al-‘Ajami, whose relatives are notables of the city of Aleppo."
ثم سافرْتُ منها إلى مدينة تِيزِين وهي على طريق قنسرين,"Then I journeyed from there to the town of Tizin, which lies on the Qinnasrln road."
وهي حديثة اتخذها التركمان، وأسواقها حسان ومساجدها في نهاية من الإتقان،,"It is a recent place, occupied by Turkmens; its bazaars are good and its mosques are of the utmost perfection."
وقاضيها بدر الدين العسقلاني، وكانت مدينة قنسرين قديمة كبيرة، ثم خَرِبَتْ ولم يَبْقَ إلا رسومها.,"The qadl of the town is Badr al-Din al’Asqalani. The cityof Qinnasrln was formerly an important place, and of ancient establishment, but it fell subsequently into ruins, and nothing but vestiges of it now remain."
ثم سافرت إلى مدينة أنطاكية، وهي مدينة عظيمة أصلية،,"I then travelled to the town of Antakiya [Antioch], which is a great and eminent city."
وكان عليها سور مُحْكَم لا نظير له في أسوار بلاد الشام، فلما فَتَحَها الملك الظاهر هَدَمَ سورها،,"It was formerly protected by a mighty wall, which had no equal among the city walls of Syria, but al-Malik al-Zahir [Baibars], when he captured it, pulled its wall down."
وأنطاكية كثيرة العمارة ودورها حسنة البناء كثيرة الأشجار والمياه، وبخارجها نهر العاصي،,"Antakiya is densely populated, and its buildings are well constructed; it has an abundance of trees and water, and the river ‘Asi [flows past it], outside the city."
وبها قبر حبيب النجار رضي الله عنه، وعليه زاوية فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر،,"Within it is the tomb of Habib the Carpenter (God be pleased with him), by which there is a religious house where food is supplied to all comers."
شيخها الصالح المعمر محمد بن علي، سِنُّه ينيف على المائة وهو مُمَتَّع بقوَّته،,"The shaikh of this establishment is the pious and aged Muhammad b. Ali, whose age exceeds a hundred, although he is still in enjoyment of his forces."
دَخَلْتُ عليه مرة في بستانٍ له وقد جمع حطبًا ورَفَعَهُ على كاهله؛ ليأتي به منزله بالمدينة،,I once visited him in a garden of his and [found that] he had been gathering firewood and had hoisted the load on his shoulders to take it to his house in the town.
ورأيت ابنه قد أناف على الثمانين، إلا أنه محدودب الظهر لا يستطيع النهوض،,"I saw his son also, who was over eighty, but so humpbacked that he was unable to rise."
ومن يراهما يظن الوالد منهما ولدًا والولد والدًا،,Anyone who saw them would think that of the two the father was the son and the son the father.
ثم سافَرْتُ إلى حصنِ بُغْراس (وضبط اسمه بباء موحدة مضمومة وغين معجمة مسكنة وراء وآخره سين مهمل)، وهو حِصْن منيع لا يرام عليه البساتين والمزارع،,"Thereafter I journeyed to the castle of Bughras, which is a forbidding and impregnable fortress, surrounded by orchards and fields."
ومنه يُدْخَل إلى بلاد سيس، وهي بلاد كفار الأرمن،,"It stands at the entrance to the land of Sis, the country of the infidel Armenians."
وهم رعية للملك الناصر يؤدون إليه مالًا، ودراهمهم فضة خالصة تُعْرَف بالبغلية،,"These are subjects of al-Malik al-Nasir, paying him a tribute, and their dirhams, of pure silver, are known by the name of baghli’s."
وبها تُصْنَع الثياب الدبيزية، وأمير هذا الحصن صارم الدين بن الشيباني، وله وَلَدٌ فاضل اسمه علاء الدين وابنُ أخٍ اسمه حسام الدين فاضل كريم يسكن الموضع المعروف بالرصص (بضم الراء والصاد المهمل الأول)، ويحفظ الطريق إلى بلاد الأرمن.,"In their land are manufactured the fabrics called dabUf(?). U The governor of this castle is Sarim al-Din Ibn al-Shaibani; he has a worthy son called ‘Ala’ al-DIn and a brother’s son named Husam al-DIn, a worthy and generous man, who lives at the place known as al-Rusus and guards the road leading to the country of the Armenians."
حكاية,Anecdote.
شكا الأرمن مرة إلى الملك الناصر من الأمير حسام الدين، وزَوَّرُوا عليه أمورًا لا تليق، فنفذ أمره لأمير الأمراء بحلب أن يخنقه،,"The Armenians once complained of the amir Husamal-DIn to al-Malik al-Nasir and falsely accused him of unbecoming conduct, whereupon he dispatched an order to the Amir al-Umara at Aleppo to have him strangled."
فلما تَوَجَّه الأمير بَلَّغَ ذلك صديقًا له من كبار الأمراء، فدخل على الملك الناصر وقال: يا خوند إن الأمير حسام الدين هو من خيار الأمراء؛ ينصح للمسلمين ويحفظ الطريق وهو من الشجعان، والأرمن يريدون الفساد في بلاد المسلمين فيمنعهم ويقهرهم، وإنما أرادوا إضعاف شوكة المسلمين بقتله،,"When the order had been sent off, it reached the ears of a friend of his, one of the principal amirs, who came before al-Malik al-Nasir and said ‘Sire, truly the amir Husam al-Din is one of the best of the amirs, loyally serving the interests of the Muslims and guarding the road; moreover, he is a valiant warrior, and the Armenians desire to ravage the lands of the Muslims, but he stands in their way and holds them in subjection, and their true object [in bringing these accusations against him] is to weaken the military power of the Muslims by having him put to death’."
ولم يَزَلْ به حتى أنفذ أمرًا ثانيًا بسراحه والخلع عليه ورَدِّه لموضعه،,"He continued thus [to plead his cause] before him, until at length al-Malik al-Nasir dispatched a second order to release him, bestow a robe of honour upon him and return him to his post."
ودعا الملك الناصر بريديًّا يُعْرَف بالأفوش، وكان لا يُبْعَث إلا في مُهِمِّ أَمْرِه بالإسراع والجد في السير،,"Al-Malik alNasir summoned a courier known as al-Aqush, who was never sent out except on important business, and bade him make haste and exert himself on his journey."
فسار من مصر إلى حلب في خمس وهي مسيرة شهر، فوَجَدَ أمير حلب قد أحضر حسام الدين وأَخْرَجَه إلى الموضع الذي يُخْنَق به الناس،,"He made the ride from Cairo to Aleppo in five nights, although it is a month’s journey [in the usual way], and found that the governor of Aleppo had summoned Husam al-Din and had conveyed him to the place in which persons are strangled."
فخَلَّصَه الله تعالى وعاد إلى موضعه،,Thus God Most High delivered him and he returned to his post.
ولَقِيتُ هذا الأمير ومعه قاضي بغراس شرف الدين الحموي بموضع يقال له: العمق، متوسط بين أنطاكية وتيزين وبغراس ينزله التركمان بمواشيهم لخصبه وسعته.,"I met this amir [Husam al-Din], who had with him the qadi of Bughras, Sharaf al-Din al-HamawI, in a place known as al-‘Amq, which lies between Antakiya, Tizin and Bughras, and is occupied by Turkmens with their animals on account of its fertile pasturage and extent."
ثم سافرت إلى حصن القُصَيْرِ (تصغير قصر) وهو حِصْن حَسَنٌ,"I continued my journey to the castle of al-Qusair, which is a fine fortress."
أميره علاء الدين الكردي، وقاضيه شهاب الدين الأرمنتي من أهل الديار المصرية،,Its commander is ‘Ala’ al-Din al-Kurdi and its qadi Shihab al-Din of Armant in Egypt.
ثم سافرت إلى حصن الشُّغْرُ بُكاس (وضبط اسمه بضم الشين المعجم وإسكان الغين المعجم وضم الراء والباء الموحدة وآخره سين مهملة)، وهو منيع في رأس شاهق،,"I went on next to the castle of al-Shughr-bukas, a forbidding fortress on the summit of a lofty hill."
أميره سيف الدين الطنطاش فاضل، وقاضيه جمال الدين بن شجرة من أصحاب ابن تيمية.,"Its commander is Saif al-Din Altuntash, a worthy man, and its qadi is Jamal al-Dm Ibn Shajara, one of the disciples of Ibn Taimiya."
ثم سافرت إلى مدينة صهيون، وهي مدينة حسنة بها الأنهار المطردة والأشجار المورقة، ولها قلعة جيدة،,"I then journeyed to the town of Sahyun, a fine place, with perennial streams and leafy trees, and possessing an excellent citadel."
وأميرها يُعْرَف بالإبراهيمي وقاضيها محيي الدين الحمصي، وبخارجها زاوية في وسط بستان فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر،,"Its governor is known by the name of al-Ibrahimi, and its qadi is Muhyi al-Dm of Hims. Outside the town there is a religious house set in a garden, at which food is supplied to all comers."
وهي على قبر الصالح العابد عيسى البدوي رحمه الله، وقد زرت قبره,"It is by the tomb of the pious devotee ‘Isa al-Badawi (God’s mercy on him), and I paid a visit to his grave."
ثم سافرت منها فمررت بحصن القدموس (وضبط اسمه بفتح القاف وإسكان الدال المهمل وضم الميم وآخره سين مهمل)، ثم بحصن المينقة (وضبط اسمه بفتح الميم وإسكان الياء وفتح النون والقاف)، ثم بحصن العليقة واسمه على لفظ واحدة العليق، ثم بحصن مصياف (وصاده مهملة)، ثم بحصن الكهف.,"I continued my journey from there and passed by the castle of al-Qadmus, the castle of al-Mainaqa, the castle of al-‘Ullaiqa, the castle of Masyaf, and the castle of al-Kahf."
وهذه الحصون لطائفة يقال لهم الإسماعيلية، ويقال لهم الفداوية، ولا يدخل عليهم أحد من غيرهم،,"These castles belong to a sect called the Isma’iliya, known also as the Fidawiya, and none may visit them there save members of their sect."
وهم سهام الملك الناصر بهم يُصِيبُ من يعدو عنه من أعدائه بالعراق وغيرها ولهم المرتبات،,"They are the arrows of al-Malik al-Nasir, by means of whom he strikes down those of his enemies who take refuge from him in al-‘Iraq and other lands, and they receive fixed emoluments."
وإذا أراد السلطان أن يبعث أَحَدَهُم إلى اغتيال عدوٍّ له أعطاه دِيَتَه،,"When the sultan desires to send one of them to assassinate some foe of his, he pays him his blood-money."
فإن سَلِمَ بعد تأني ما يراد منه فهي له، وإن أُصِيبَ فهي لولده،,"If he escapes after carrying out what is desired of him, the money is his, but if he is caught it goes to his children."
ولهم سكاكين مسمومة يضربون بها من بُعِثُوا إلى قَتْله، وربما لم تَصِحَّ حِيَلُهُمْ فقُتِلُوا,"They have poisoned knives, with which they strike the victim of their mission, but sometimes their devices do not succeed and they themselves are killed."
كما جرى لهم مع الأمير قراسنقور،,"This happened to them for example, in the case of the amir Qarasunqur."
فإنه لما هَرَبَ إلى العراق بعث إليه الملك الناصر جملة منهم فقُتِلُوا، ولم يقدروا عليه لأخذه بالحزم.,"When he fled to al-‘Iraq, al-Malik al-Nasir sent a number of them to [assassinate] him, but they were all killed and could do nothing against him owing to his prudent measures."
حكاية,Anecdote.
كان قراسنقور من كبار الأمراء، وممن حضر قَتْلَ الملك الأشرف أخي الملك الناصر وشارك فيه،,"Qarasunqur was one of the great amirs, and he was one of those who were present at and had a hand in the murder of al-Malik al-Ashraf, the brother of al-Malik M al-Nasir."
ولما تَمَهَّدَ المُلْك للملك الناصر وقَرَّ به القرار واشتدت أواخي سلطانه جَعَلَ يتتبَّع قَتَلَة أخيه فيقتلهم واحدًا واحدًا إظهارًا للأخذ بثأر أخيه وخوفًا أن يتجاسروا عليه بما تجاسروا على أخيه،,"When the kingdom was secured to al-Malik al-Nasir, and he became firmly established in power and the stays of his authority were strengthened, he began to pursue the murderers of the brother and to kill them one by one, ostensibly to take vengeance for his brother, and in fear lest they should make bold to deal with him as they had ventured to deal with his brother."
وكان قراسنقور أمير الأمراء بحلب،,Now Qarasunqur was Amir al-Umara at Aleppo.
فكتب الملك الناصر إلى جميع الأمراء أن ينفروا بعساكرهم، وجعل لهم ميعادًا يكون فيه اجتماعهم بحلب ونزولهم عليها حتى يقبضوا عليه،,"Al-Malik al-Nasir therefore sent letters to all the amirs [under Qarasunqur’s command], bidding them call their troops, and appointed a time and place for them to assemble near Aleppo, and attack the city in order to seize him."
فلما فعلوا ذلك خاف قراسنقور على نفسه، وكان له ثمانمائة مملوك، فركب فيهم وخرج على العساكر صباحًا فاخترقهم وأَعْجَزَهُم سبقًا، وكانوا في عشرين ألفًا،,"When they acted upon these instructions, Qarasunqur saw that his life was in danger, and, as he had with him eight hundred mamluks, he mounted at their head and sallied out in the early morning against the united hosts, cut his way through them, and outdistanced them, though they numbered twenty thousand men."
وقصد منزل أمير العرب مهنا بن عيسى وهو على مسيرة يومين من حلب،,"He made for the encampment of the amir of the Arabs, Muhanna b. ‘Isa, which was two days’ journey from Aleppo."
وكان مهنا في قنص له فقصد بيته ونزل عن فرسه وألقى العمامة في عنق نفسه ونادى: الجوار يا أمير العرب، وكانت هنالك أم الفضل زوج مهنا وبنت عمه فقالت له: قد أَجَرْناك وأَجَرْنا مَنْ معك، فقال: إنما أَطْلُب أولادي ومالي، فقالت له: لك ما تحب فانزل في جوارنا،,"Muhanna was away on a hunt of his, so Qarasunqur sought out his tent, and having alighted from his horse cast his turban round his own neck and cried ‘Protection, O amir of the Arabs!’ Umm Fadl, the wife of Muhanna and daughter of his uncle, was there, and she replied to him: ‘We grant thee protection and we grant it to those who are with thee.’ He said ‘I desire only my children and my treasure’, whereupon she answered ‘Thou shalt have what thou wilt; alight therefore under our protection’."
ففعل ذلك، وأتى مهنا فأحْسَنَ نُزُلَه وحَكَّمه في ماله،,"He did so, and Muhanna on his return entertained him generously and put his own wealth at his disposal."
فقال: إنما أحب أهلي ومالي الذي تَرَكْتُه بحلب،,But Qarasunqur said: ‘I desire only my household and my treasure which I left in Aleppo.
فدعا مهنا بإخوته وبني عمه فشَاوَرَهُم في أَمْره،,"Thereupon Muhanna summoned his brothers and his cousins, and consulted them on the matter."
فمنهم من أجابه إلى ما أراد، ومنهم من قال له: كيف نحارب الملك الناصر ونحن في بلاده بالشام، فقال لهم مهنا: أما أنا فأفعل لهذا الرجل ما يريده، وأذهب معه إلى سلطان العراق، وفي أثناء ذلك وَرَدَ عليهم الخبر بأن أولاد قراسنقور سيروا على البريد إلى مصر، فقال مهنا لقراسنقور: أما أولادك فلا حيلة فيهم، وأما مالُك فنجتهد في خلاصه، فركب فيمن أطاعه من أهله، واستنفر من العرب نحو خمسة وعشرين ألفًا،,"There were some who consented to Qarasunqur’s request and there were some who said to him: ‘How can we fight against al-Malik al-Nasir when we are in his lands in Syria?’ Then Muhanna said to them: ‘As for me, I shall do for this man what he asks, and I shall go with him to the Sultan of al-Traq.’ Meanwhile news was brought to them that Qarasunqur’s children had been dispatched to Cairo by the post-service, and Muhanna said to him: ‘For your children there is nothing we can do, but your treasure we shall do our best to recover.’ He then rode out with those of his household who consented to his plan, and called to arms about twenty-five thousand of the Arabs."
وقصدوا حلب فأحرقوا باب قلعتها وتَغَلَّبُوا عليها واستخلصوا منها مال قراسنقور ومن بقي من أهله ولم يَتَعَدَّوْا إلى سوى ذلك.,"They marched on Aleppo, burned the gate of the citadel, gained possession of it, and fetched out from it Qarasunqur’s treasure and the remaining members of his family, without laying a hand on anything else."
وقَصَدُوا مَلِك العراق وصَحِبَهم أمير حمص الأفرم، ووصلوا إلى الملك محمد خدابنده سلطان العراق وهو بموضع مصيفه المسمى قراباغ (بفتح القاف والراء والباء الموحدة والغين المعجمة)، وهو ما بين السلطانية وتبريز،,"[This done] they made to join the king of al-‘Iraq, accompanied by al-Afram, the governor of Hims, and reached the king Muhammad Khudabanda, the Sultan of al-Traq, when he was in his summer quarters at a place called Qarabagh j m which is between al-Sultaniya and Tabriz."
فأَكْرَمَ نُزُلَهُم وأعطى مهنا عراق العرب، وأعطى قراسنقور مدينة مراغة من عراق العجم (وتُسَمَّى دمشق الصغيرة) وأعطى الأفرم همدان،,"He received them hospitably, and assigned to Muhanna ‘Iraq al-‘Arab, to Qarasunqur the city of Maragha which is sometimes called ‘Little Damascus’ in ‘Iraq al-‘Ajam, and to al-Afram he assigned Hamadan."
وأقاموا عنده مدةً مات فيها الأفرم، وعاد مهنا إلى الملك الناصر بعد مواثيق وعهود أَخَذَهَا منه،,"They remained with him for some time, during which al-Afram died and Muhanna returned to [his allegiance to] al-Malik al-Nasir, having first obtained from him guarantees and undertakings [that his conduct would be overlooked]."
وبقي قراسنقور على حاله، وكان الملك الناصر يبعث له الفداوية مرة بعد مرة،,"Qarasunqur stayed as he was, and al-Malik al-Nasir continued to send the Fidawis against him time after time."
فمنهم من يدخل عليه داره فيُقْتَل دونه ومنهم من يرمي بنفسه عليه وهو راكب فيضربه،,"Some of them gained entrance to him in his house, but were killed before reaching him; others hurled themselves upon him as he was riding, and were struck down by him."
وقتل بسببه من الفداوية جماعة،,Altogether a considerable number of the Fidawis lost their lives through him.
وكان لا يفارق الدرع أبدًا، ولا ينام إلا في بيت العود والحديد،,"He used never to leave off his coat of mail, and never slept except in a room built of wood and iron."
فلما مات السلطان محمد وولي ابنه أبو سعيد وَقَعَ ما سنذكره مِنْ أَمْر الجو بأن كبير أمرائه وفرار ولده الدمرطاش إلى الملك الناصر،,"When, however, the Sultan Muhammad died and his son Abu Sa’id succeeded [in ] there occurred the affair of al-Juban, the chief of his amirs, which we shall relate below, and the flight of the latter’s son al-Dumurtash to al-Malik al-Nasir."
ووقعت المراسلة بين الملك الناصر وبين أبي سعيد، واتفقا على أنْ يبعث أبو سعيد إلى الملك الناصر برأس قراسنقور ويبعث إليه الملك الناصر برأس الدمرطاش،,"Negotiations were opened between al-Malik alNasir and Abu Sa’id, and they reached an agreement that Abu Sa’id would send to al-Malik al-Nasir the head of Qarasunqur, and that al-Malik al-Nasir would send him the head of al-Dumurtash."
فبعث الملك الناصر برأس الدمرطاش إلى أبي سعيد، فلما وَصَلَهُ أَمْرٌ بحمل قراسنقور إليه،,"Al-Malik al-Nasir accordingly sent the head of al-Dumurtash to Abu Sa’id, and on its arrival he gave orders to bring Qarasunqur before him."
فلما عرف قراسنقور بذلك أخذ خاتمًا كان له مجوفًا في داخله سم ناقع، فنزع فصه وامتص ذلك السم، فمات لحينه,"Qarasunqur, on learning this, took a ring of his, which was hollowed out and contained a deadly poison, wrenched off its stone, swallowed the poison and died on the spot."
فعَرَّفَ أبو سعيد بذلك الملكَ الناصر ولم يبعث له برأسه،,"Abu Sa’id informed al-Malik al-Nasir of this, but did not send him his head."
ثم سافرْتُ من حصون الفداوية إلى مدينة جبلة، وهي ذات أنهار مطردة وأشجار، والبحر على نحو ميل منها،,"I then journeyed from the castles of the Fidawis to the town of Jabala, a place of perennial streams and trees, and about a mile distant from the sea."
وبها قبر الولي الصالح الشهير إبراهيم بن أدهم رضي الله عنه، وهو الذي نَبَذَ المُلْك وانقطع إلى الله تعالى حسبما شُهِرَ ذلك،,"It contains the tomb of the pious and celebrated saint Ibrahim ibn Ad’ham (God be pleased with him), he who renounced the kingly state and consecrated himself to God Most High, as all the world knows."
ولم يكن إبراهيم من بيت مُلْك كما يظنه الناس، إنما وَرِثَ المُلْك عن جده أبي أمه،,"But Ibrahim was not of royal lineage, as most people imagine; he inherited the kingdom from his maternal, not his paternal, grandfather."
وأما أبوه أدهم، فكان من الفقراء الصالحين السائحين المتعبدين الورعين المنقطعين.,"His father Ad’-ham Tas one of the pious wander-ing mendicants, who give themselves up to devotions, and live in abstinence, cut off from the world."
حكاية أدهم,The story of Ad’ham.
يُذْكَر أنه مرَّ ذات يوم ببساتين مدينة بخارى وتوضأ من بعض الأنهار التي تتخللها، فإذا بتفاحة يحملها ماء النهر,"It is related that he passed one day through the gardens of the city of Bukhara and had made his ablutions in one of the canals which traverse them, when he saw an apple being carried along by the current of the stream."
فقال: هذه لا خطر لها فأكلها،,"Saying to himself This is absolutely valueless’, he ate it."
ثم وَقَعَ في خاطره من ذلك وسواس، فعزم على أن يستحل من صاحب البستان فقرع باب البستان،,"But later on there arose in his mind some scruple at what he had done, and he determined to ask pardon of the owner of the orchard, and knocked at its gate."
فخرجت إليه جارية، فقال لها: ادعي لي صاحب المنزل،,"A slave-girl came out to him, and he bade her call the owner of the dwelling."
فقالت: إنه لامرأة، فقال: استأذني لي عليها،,"When she informed him that it belonged to a woman, he said, ‘Ask permission for me to come to her’."
ففَعَلَتْ، فأخبر المرأة بخبر التفاحة،,"She did so, and Ad’ham told the woman the story of the apple."
فقالت له: إن هذا البستان نصفه لي ونصفه للسلطان، والسلطان يومئذٍ ببلخ، وهي مسيرة عشرة من بخارى، وأَحَلَّتْه المرأة من نصفها،,"She said to him ‘This orchard belongs half to me and half to the Sultan’ (the Sultan being then at Balkh, which is ten nights’ journey from Bukhara), and absolved him as far as her half was concerned."
وذَهَبَ إلى بلخ، فاعترض السلطانَ في موكبه،,"He went on to Balkh, and [there] the Sultan with all his suite happened to cross his path."
فأخبره الخبر واستحله، فأمره أن يعود إليه من الغد،,"He told him the story and begged for his pardon, and was bidden to return to him on tomorrow."
وكان للسلطان بنت بارعة الجمال قد خَطَبَهَا أبناء الملوك، فتمنَّعَتْ وحببت إليها العبادة وحب الصالحين، وهي تحب أن تتزوج من وَرِع زاهد في الدنيا،,"Now the Sultan had a daughter of surpassing beauty, who had been sought in marriage by the sons of kings, but she obstinately remained virgin, taking pleasure [only] in religious exercises and an inclination towards pious devotees, for it was her desire to marry some ascetic who scorned the things of this world."
فلما عاد السلطان إلى منزله أخبر بنته بخبر أدهم وقال: ما رأيت أَوْرَعَ من هذا، يأتي من بخارى إلى بلخ لأجل نصف تفاحة!,"When the Sultan returned to his abode, he told his daughter the story of Ad’ham, and added, ‘I have never seen a more God-fearing man than this—he comes from Bukhara to Balkh for the sake of half an apple’."
فرَغِبَتْ في تزوُّجه، فلما أتاه من الغد قال: لا أُحِلُّكَ إلا أن تتزوج ببنتي،,"She at once expressed a desire to marry him, so when Ad’ham came to him the following day, the Sultan said to him, ‘I shall not absolve you unless you marry my daughter’."
فانقاد لذلك بعد استعصاء وتمنُّع فتزوَّج منها،,"He submitted to this condition after some opposition and resistance, and was married to her."
فلما دَخَلَ عليها وَجَدَهَا متزينة والبيت مزين بالفرش وسواها، فعمد إلى ناحية من البيت وأقبل على صلاته حتى أصبح،,"When he entered her chamber, he found her decked in bridal finery, and the room also adorned with carpets and other furnishings, and retiring to a corner of the room he set to his prayers [and kept on praying] until morning."
ولم يَزَلْ كذلك سبع ليال،,He continued to do this during all the nights of the bridal week.
وكان السلطان ما أحله قبلُ فبعث إليه أن يحله، فقال: لا أحلك حتى يَقَعَ اجتماعك بزوجتك،,"Meanwhile the Sultan had withheld his absolution, and when Ad’ham sent to him to grant it, he replied ‘I shall not absolve you until your cohabitation with your wife takes place’."
فلما كان الليل واقَعَها ثم اغتسل وقام إلى الصلاة، فصاح صيحةً وسجد في مصلاه فوُجِدَ ميِّتًا رحمه الله،,"That night therefore he lay with her, and then, after making a complete ablution, he prepared to begin his prayers, when he gave a cry, prostrated himself on his prayer-mat, and was found dead—God have mercy on him."
وحَمَلَتْ منه فولدت إبراهيم ولم يكن لجده ولد فأُسْنِد المُلْك إليه،,"The princess, however, conceived by him and bore Ibrahim, and as his grandfather had no son, he assigned the kingdom to him."
وكان مِنْ تَخَلِّيه عن الملك ما اشْتُهِر.,"After that came the incident of his divesting himself of the kingship, according to the well-known story."
وعلى قبر إبراهيم بن أدهم زاوية حسنة فيها بِرْكة ماء وبها الطعام للصادر والوارد،,"By the tomb of Ibrahim b. Ad’ham there is a fine religious house, containing a water-pool, and at which food is served to all comers."
وخادمها إبراهيم الجمحي من كبار الصالحين،,"Its intendant is Ibrahim al-Jumahl, one of the most notable devotees."
والناس يقصدون هذه الزاوية ليلة النصف من شعبان من سائر أقطار الشام ويقيمون بها ثلاثًا,The people come to visit this convent on the night of mid-Sha’ban from all parts of Syria and stay there for three nights.
ويقوم بها خارِجَ المدينة سوق عظيم فيه من كل شيء,"[At the same time] there is held at this place, but outside the town, a great fair, in which there is something of every kind."
ويَقْدِم الفقراء المتجردون من الآفاق بحضور هذا الموسم،,Poor brethren who have renounced the world come from all quarters to take part in this festival.
وكل من يأتي من الزوار لهذه التربة يعطي لخادمها شمعة فيجتمع من ذلك قناطير كثيرة،,"Every person who comes on visitation to this tomb gives a candle to its intendant, with the result that many hundredweights are collected."
وأكثر أهل هذه السواحل هم الطائفة النصيرية الذين يعتقدون أن علي بن أبي طالب إله،,"The majority of the people of these coasts compose the sect of the Nusairiya, who hold the belief that ‘AH b. Abi Talib is a god."
وهم لا يُصَلُّون ولا يتطهرون ولا يصومون،,"They do not pray [the ritual prayers], nor do they purify themselves, nor fast."
وكان الملك الظاهر أَلْزَمَهُمْ بناء المساجد بقراهم، فبَنَوْا بكل قريةٍ مسجدًا بعيدًا عن العمارة، ولا يدخلونه ولا يعمرونه،,"Al-Malik al-Zahir [Baibars] compelled them to build mosques in their villages, so in every village they put up a mosque far away from their houses, and they neither enter it nor keep it in repair."
وربما آوت إليه مواشيهم ودوابهم،,It often serves as a refuge for their cattle and theirs asses.
وربما وَصَلَ الغريب إليهم فينزل بالمسجد ويؤذن للصلاة فيقولون له: لا تنهق علفك يأتيك.وعددهم كثير.,"Frequently too a stranger on coming to a village of theirs will stop at the mosque and recite the call to prayer, and then they call out to him, ‘Stop braying; your fodder is coming to you’. The number of these people is considerable."
حكاية,Anecdote.
ذُكِرَ لي أن رجلًا مجهولًا وَقَعَ ببلاد هذه الطائفة فادعى الهداية,It was told me that an obscure person appeared in the country of this sect and gave himself out as the Mahdl.
وتكاثروا عليه فوعدهم بتملك البلاد وقسم بينهم بلاد الشام،,"They flocked around him, and he promised that they should take possession of the land and divided Syria up between them."
وكان يعين لهم البلاد ويأمرهم بالخروج إليها ويعطيهم من ورق الزيتون، ويقول لهم: استظهروا بها فإنها كالأوامر لكم، فإذا خرج أحدهم إلى بلد أَحْضَرَهُ أميرها، فيقول له: إن الإمام المهدي أعطاني هذا البلد،,"He used to designate towns for them and bid them go forth to these towns, giving them olive-leaves and saying to them, ‘Display these, for they are as orders on your behalf. When, therefore, one of them went out and entered a town, and was brought before the governor, he would say to him, ‘The Imam al-Mahdi has given me this town’."
فيقول له: أين الأمر، فيخرج ورق الزيتون فيضرب ويحبس،,"The governor would reply ‘Where is the order?’, then the man would produce the olive-leaves and would be bastinadoed and put in prison."
ثم إنه أَمَرَهُمْ بالتجهيز لقتال المسلمين، وأن يَبْدَءوا بمدينة جبلة,"Later on this person ordered them to equip themselves to fight against the Muslims, and to begin with the town of Jabala."
وأمرهم أن يأخذوا عوض السيوف قضبان الآس، ووعدهم أنها تصير في أيديهم سيوفًا عند القتال،,"He bade them take rods of myrtle instead of swords and spears, and promised them that these would be transformed in their hands into swords at the moment of battle."
فغدروا مدينة جبلة وأهلها في صلاة الجمعة، فدخلوا الدور وهتكوا الحريم,"In accordance with these instructions, they made a surprise attack on the town of Jabala while the inhabitants were engaged in the Friday prayer, and entered the houses and dishonoured the women."
وثار المسلمون من مسجدهم، فأخذوا السلاح وقتلوهم كيف شاءوا،,"The Muslims rushed out of their mosque, seized their weapons, and killed them as they pleased."
واتصل الخبر باللاذقية فأقبل أميرها بهادر عبد الله بعسكره وطيرت الحمام إلى طرابلس، فأتى أمير الأمراء بعساكره واتبعوهم حتى قتلوا منهم نحو عشرين ألفًا،,"When the news was carried to al-Ladhiqiya, the governor there, Bahadur [ibn] ‘Abdallah, marched out with his corps; [at the same time] pigeons were despatched to Tarabulus, the Amir al-Umara’ brought up his forces as well, and together they pursued the Nusairis until they had killed about twenty thousand of them."
وتحصن الباقون بالجبال وراسلوا ملك الأمراء، والتزموا أن يعطوه دينارًا عن كل رأس إن هو حَاوَلَ إبقاءهم،,"The remainder of them fortified themselves in the hills and opened negotiations with the Malik al-Umara’, undertaking to give him one dinar per head if he could find a means to spare their lives."
وكان الخبر قد طُيِّرَ به الحمام إلى الملك الناصر، وصدر جوابه أن يحمل عليهم السيف،,"The report [of their rising] had meanwhile been dispatched by pigeon-post to al-Malik al-Nasir, and his reply was sent to put them all to the sword."
فراجعه ملك الأمراء وألقى له أنهم عمال المسلمين في حراثة الأرض، وأنهم إن قُتِلُوا ضَعُفَ المسلمون,"The Malik al-Umara’, however, besought him to reconsider his decision, and represented to him that they were the labourers of the Muslims in the tillage of the soil, and that if they were put to death the Muslims would be incapacitated in consequence."
لذلك فأمر بالإبقاء عليهم.,So in the end the Sultan gave orders to spare them.
ثم سافرْتُ إلى مدينة اللاذقية، وهي مدينة عتيقة على ساحل البحر يزعمون أنها مدينة الملك الذي كان يأخذ كل سفينة غصبًا،,"I travelled next to the city of al-Ladhiqiya [LatakiyaJ, which is an ancient town on the sea coast; they even claim that it was the city of the king ‘who used to seize every vessel by force’."
وكنت إنما قَصَدْتُها لزيارة الولي الصالح عبد المحسن الإسكندري، فلما وَصَلْتُها وَجَدْتُه غائبًا بالحجاز الشريف،,"I had gone there with the express object of visiting the pious saint ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-Iskandarl, but when I reached it I found that he was absent in the noble Hijaz."
فلقيت مِنْ أصحابه الشيخين الصالحين سعيد البجائي ويحيى السلاوي، وهما بمسجد علاء الدين بن البهاء,"met, however, among his companions the two pious shaikhs Sa’id of Bijaya and Yahya of Assila, who were in the mosque of ‘Ala al-DIn ibn al-Baha’."
أحد فضلاء الشام وكبرائها صاحب الصدقات والمكارم، وكان قد عَمَرَ لهما زاوية بقرب المسجد، وجعل بها الطعام للوارد والصادر،,"The latter, who is one of the distinguished and notable men of Syria, and known for his charities and acts of munificence, built a convent for these two shaikhs near the mosque, and endowed it with funds to supply food to all who pass to and fro."
وقاضيها الفقيه الفاضل جلال الدين عبد الحق المصري المالكي فاضل كريم,"The qadi of the town is the eminent Maliki jurist Jalal al-DIn ‘Abd al-Haqq of Cairo, a worthy and generous man."
تعلق بطيلان ملك الأمراء فَوَلَّاه قضاءها.,He had attached himself to the service of the Malik al-Umara’ Tailan and was appointed by him to this qadi-ship.
حكاية,Anecdote.
كان باللاذقية رجل يُعْرَف بابن المؤيد، هجَّاء لا يسلم أحد من لسانه، مُتَّهَم في دينه مُسْتَخَفٌّ يتكلم بالقبائح من الإلحاد،,"There was at al-Ladhiqiya a man known as Ibn al-Mu’aiyad—a bitter satirist, from whose tongue no man was safe, as well as suspect in his orthodoxy, frivolous, and given to speaking in a grossly irreligious way."
فعَرَضَتْ له حاجة عند طيلان ملك الأمراء فلم يَقْضِها له، فقَصَدَ مصر وتَقَوَّل عليه أمورًا شنيعة،,"It happened that he had some request to make of the Malik al-Umara’ Tailan, who did not accord it to him, so he went to Cairo and trumped up isr some abominable charges against him."
وعاد إلى اللاذقية، فكتب طيلان إلى القاضي جلال الدين أنْ يَتَحَيَّل في قَتْله بوجه شرعي،,"When he returned to al-Ladhiqiya, Tailan wrote to the qadi Jalal al-Din to find some pretext to put him to death in a legal manner."
فدعاه القاضي إلى منزله وباحَثَه واستخرج كامِنَ إلحاده، فتكلم بعظائم أَيْسَرُها يُوجِب القتل،,"The summoned Ibn al-Mu’aiyad to his residence and had a discussion with him, in the course of which he elicited his secret heresy, for he made several outrageous statements, the least of which was deserving of death."
وقد أعدَّ القاضي الشهود خَلْف الحجاب، فكتبوا عقدًا بمقاله، وثُبِّتَ عند القاضي وسُجِنَ،,"The qatfl had placed witnesses behind a curtain, and they wrote out an attestation of his statements; he was then arrested while still with the qaoli and thrown into prison."
وأُعْلِم ملك الأمراء بقضيته. ثم أُخْرِجَ من السجن وخُنِقَ على بابه،,The Malik al-Umara’ was informed of what had been done with him and he was subsequently brought out of the prison and strangled at the prison-gate.
ثم لم يلبث ملك الأمراء طيلان أن عُزِلَ عن طرابلس ووَلِيَها الحاج قرطية من كبار الأمراء وممن تَقَدَّمَت له فيها الولاية،,"It was not long after this that the Malik al-Umara’ Tailan was removed from Tarabulus, and the governorship was given to al-Hajj Qurtayya, one of the chief amirs, who had also been a former governor of the city."
وبينه وبين طيلان عداوة فجعل يَتْبع سقطاته،,"This man and Tailan were on terms of mutual hostility, so he made it his business to seek out Tailan’s faults."
وقام لديه إخوة ابن المؤيد شاكين من القاضي جلال الدين، فأُمِرَ به وبالشهود الذين شهدوا على ابن المؤيد، فأُحْضِروا وأُمِرَ بخنقهم,"The brothers of Ibn al-Mu’aiyad appeared before him with a complaint against the qadi Jalil al-Dm, whereupon he sent for him and for the witnesses who had testified against Ibn al-Mu’aiyad, and when they were brought gave orders to strangle them."
وأُخْرِجوا إلى ظاهر المدينة، حيث يُخْنَق الناس، وأُجْلِس كل واحد منهم تحت مُخْتَنَقه ونُزِعَت عمائمهم،,"They were taken outside the town accordingly, to the place in which [condemned] men are strangled, where each one of them was made to sit beneath his gallows and their turbans were removed."
ومن عادة أمراء تلك البلاد أنه متى أُمِرَ أحدهم بقتل أحد من الناس يمر الحاكم من مجلس الأمير سبقًا على فرسه إلى حيث المأمور بقتله، ثم يعود إلى الأمير فيكرر استئذانه،,"Now it is the custom of the amirs of that country that when any of them gives orders for the execution of any person, the chief of the police rides speedily on his horse from the amir’s audience hall to the place where the condemned man is, then returns to the amir and asks again for permission [to carry out the sentence]."
يفعل ذلك ثلاثًا، فإذا كان بعد الثلاث أُنْفِذَ الأمر،,"He does this three times, and it is only after the three [requests] that he executes the order."
فلما فعل الحاكم ذلك قامت الأمراء في المرة الثالثة وكشفوا رءوسهم وقالوا: أيها الأمير هذه سبة في الإسلام، يُقْتَل القاضي والشهود! فقَبِلَ الأمير شفاعتهن وخلى سبيلهم.,"When the chief of police performed his duty [on the present occasion], the amirs rose as he asked for the third time, uncovered their heads, and said, ‘O amir, this were a disgrace to the religion of Islam, that the qadi and the witnesses should be put to death!’ The amir accepted their intercession, and set the condemned men free."
وبخارج اللاذقية الدير المعروف بدير الفاروص، وهو أعظم دير بالشام ومصر,"In the environs of al-Ladhiqiya is the monastery known as Dair al-Farus, which is the largest monastery in Syria and Egypt."
يسكنه الرهبان ويقصده النصارى من الآفاق،,"It is inhabited by monks, and Christians visit it from all quarters."
وكُلُّ من نَزَلَ به من المسلمين فالنصارى يضيفونه، وطعامهم الخبز والجبن والزيتون والخل والكبر،,"Every Muslim who stops there is entertained by the Christians; their food is bread, cheese, olives, vinegar and capers."
وميناء هذه المدينة عليها سلسلة بين برجين لا يدخلها أحد ولا يخرج منها حتى تُحَطَّ له السلسلة،,The harbour of this city is protected by a chain between two towers; no [ship] can either enter it or leave from it until the chain is lowered for it.
وهي من أحسن المراسي بالشام، ثم سافرْتُ إلى حسن المرقب، وهو من الحصون العظيمة يماثل حصْن الكرك،,"It is one of the best anchorages in Syria. I went next to the castle of al-Marqab, a mighty fortress rivalling the castle of al-Karak."
ومبناه على جبلٍ شامخ وخارجه ربض ينزله الغرباء ولا يدخلون قَلْعَتَه،,"It is situated on a lofty mountain and outside it is a suburb where strangers stop, but they may not enter the citadel."
وافتَتَحَه من أيدي الروم الملك المنصور قلاوون، وعليه ولد ابنه الملك الناصر،,"It was captured from the hands of the Christians by al-Malik al-Mansur Qala’un, and close by it was born his son al-Malik al-Nasir."
وكان قاضيه برهان الدين المصري من أفاضل القضاة وكرمائهم،,"The qadi of the place was Burhan al-DIn of Cairo, one of the most worthy and hospitable of qadis."
ثم سافرْتُ إلى الجبل الأقرع، وهو أعلى جبل بالشام وأول ما يظهر منها من البحر،,"I continued my journey to al-Jabal al-Aqra’, which is the highest mountain of Syria and the first part of the country visible from the sea."
وسكانه التركمان، وفيه العيون والأنهار،,Its inhabitants are Turkmens and it has springs and flowing streams.
وسافرت منه إلى جبل لبنان،,I went on from there to Jabal Lubnan.
وهو من أخصب جبال الدنيا، فيه أصناف الفواكه وعيون الماء والظلال الوافرة،,"This is among the most fertile mountain ranges in the world; in it are to be found all manner of fruits, and water fountains and thick coverts."
ولا يخلو من المنقطعين إلى الله تعالى والزهاد والصالحين، وهو شهير بذلك، ورأيت به جماعة من الصالحين قد انقطعوا إلى الله تعالى ممن لم يشتهر اسمه.,"It is never without a number of recluses who have renounced the world for the service of God Most High, and of ascetics and devotees, for the place is noted for this, and I myself saw there several saintly men of obscure name who had become recluses in the service of God Most High."
حكاية,Anecdote.
أخبرني بعض الصالحين الذين لقيتهم به،,One of the devotees whom I met there told me the following story.
قال: كنا بهذا الجبل مع جماعة من الفقراء أيام البرد الشديد، فأوقدنا نارًا عظيمة وأحدَقْنا بها، فقال بعض الحاضرين: يصلح لهذه النار ما يشوى فيها، فقال أحد الفقراء ممن تزدريه الأعين ولا يُعْبأ به: إني كنت عند صلاة العصر بمتعبد إبراهيم بن أدهم، فرأيت بمقربة منه حمار وحْش قد أَحْدَقَ الثلج به من كل جانب، وأظنه لا يقدر على الحراك، فلو ذَهَبْتُم إليه لَقَدَرْتُم عليه وشويتم لحمه في هذه النار، قال: فقمنا إليه في خمسة رجال فلقيناه كما وصف إلينا، فقبضناه وأتينا به أصحابنا وذبحناه وشوينا لحمه في تلك النار، وطلبنا الفقير الذي نَبَّهَ عليه فلم نَجِدْهُ ولا وَقَعْنَا له على أَثَرٍ، فطال عَجَبُنا منه،,"‘We were (he said) in this mountain, along with a company of poor brethren, during the season of severe cold. So we lit a great fire and sat around it. By and by one of those present said, “This would be a splendid fire to roast something on”. One of the poor brethren, a man of mean appearance and to whom nobody paid any attention said, “At the hour of afternoon prayer I was at the sanctuary of Ibrahim b. Adham, and saw close by it a wild ass which was surrounded by snow on every side and I do not think it could move. If you were to go to where it is, you would be able to kill it and roast its flesh on this fire”. So we rose and went to the place, five of us together, and found the wild ass exactly as he had described to us. We seized it, brought it to our friends, and then slaughtered it and roasted its flesh on that fire. But when we looked for the faqir who had given the information about it, we could neither find him nor discover any trace of him, and greatly did we marvel about him.’"
ثم وَصَلْنا من جبل لبنان إلى مدينة بعلبك، وهي حسنة قديمة من أطيب مدن الشام تحدق بها البساتين الشريفة والجنات المنيفة، وتخترق أرضها الأنهار الجارية، وتضاهي دمشق في خيراتها المتناهية،,"After Jabal Lubnan we came to the city of Ba’labakk, a beautiful and ancient place and one of the most agreeable cities in Syria, surrounded by glorious orchards and superb gardens, with flowing streams traversing its land, and rivalling Damascus in its boundless amenities."
وبها من حب الملوك ما ليس في سواها، وبها يُصْنَع الدِّبس المنسوب إليها،,"It has [such an abundance] of [ cherries as is not to be found elsewhere, and in it is manufactured the dibs which is called by its name."
وهو نوع من الرُّب يصنعونه من العنب، ولهم تربة يضعونها فيه فيجمد,"It is a kind of thick fruit juice which they make from grapes; they have a kind of clay which they add to this, with the result that it solidifies."
وتُكْسَر القلة التي يكون بها فيبقى قطعة واحدة، وتُصْنَع منه الحلواء ويُجْعَل فيها الفستق واللوز ويسمونها حلواء بالملبن,"The jar into which the paste is put can then be broken and the contents will remain in one piece. From this dibs is manufactured a sweetmeat, into which pistachios and almonds are put, and which they call almulabban."
ويسمونها أيضًا بجلد الفرس،,Another name which they give to it is ‘horse skin’.
وهي كثيرة الألبان وتُجْلَب منها إلى دمشق،,"Ba’labakk also produces many preparations of milk, which are exported from it to Damascus."
وبينهما مسيرة يوم للمجد، وأما الرفاق فيخرجون من بعلبك فيبيتون ببلدة صغيرة تُعْرَف بالزبداني كثيرة الفواكه ويغدون منها إلى دمشق،,"The distance between them is one day’s journey, if one makes haste; but caravans on leaving Ba’labakk spend the night at a small village called al-Zabdam, with large quantities of fruit-trees, and go on to Damascus the following morning."
ويصنع ببعلبك الثياب المنسوبة إليها من الإحرام وغيره، ويُصْنَع بها أواني الخشب وملاعقه التي لا نظير لها في البلاد، وهم يُسَمُّون الصحاف بالدسوت،,"At Ba’labakk are manufactured also the textiles which go by its name, such as ihrdms, etc. Another industry at Ba’labakk is the making of wooden vessels and spoons that have no equal in the world. They call a large dish a dast."
وربما صنعوا الصحفة وصنعوا صحفة أخرى تَسَعُ في جوفها وأخرى في جوفها إلى أن يبلغوا العشرة يُخَيَّل لرائيها أنها صحفة واحدة،,"Frequently they make a large dish, then make a second which fits into the hollow of the first, and another in the hollow of that, and so on to as many as ten, which anyone seeing them would imagine to be a single dish."
وكذلك الملاعق يصنعون منها عشرة واحدة في جوف واحدة يصنعون لها غشاء من جلد,"In the same way with spoons, they make a series of ten, one within the hollow of the other, and make a leather covering for them."
ويمسكها الرجل في حزامه، وإذا حضر طعامًا مع أصحابه أخرج ذلك، فيظن رائيه أنها ملعقة واحدة، ثم يخرج من جوفها تسعة.,"A man will carry this in his belt and, on joining in a meal with his friends, will take it out; those who see it think it to be a single spoon, whereupon he produces nine others from within it."
وكان دخولي لبعلبك عشية النهار، وخَرَجْتُ منها بالغدو لفرط اشتياقي إلى دمشق، ووصَلْتُ يوم الخميس التاسع من شهر رمضان المعظم عام ستة وعشرين إلى مدينة دمشق الشام،,"When I entered Ba’labakk night was already falling, but I left it early the following day, because of my eager desire to reach Damascus; and on Thursday, the ninth of the month of Ramadan the Exalted in the year [seven hundred and] twenty-six, I arrived at this city, Dimashq al-Sham."
فنزلْتُ منها بمدرسة المالكية المعروفة بالشرابشية،,"I lodged there at the College of the Malikites, which is called IBS al-Sharabishfya."
ودمشق هي التي تَفْضُل جميع البلاد حُسْنًا وتَتَقَدَّمُها جمالًا،,Damascus is the city which surpasses all other cities in beauty and takes precedence of them in loveliness.
وكل وَصْف وإن طال فهو قاصر عن محاسنها، ولا أبدع مما قاله أبو الحسين بن جبير رحمه الله تعالى في ذِكْرها،,"Any description, however extensive, must fall short of her charms; but nothing is more brilliant than the language of Abu’l-Hasan Ibn Jubair {God’s mercy upon him) in speaking of her."
قال: وأما دمشق فهي جنة المشرق، ومَطْلع نورها المُشرق، وخاتمة بلاد الإسلام التي استقريناها، وعروس المدن التي اجتليناها، قد تَحَلَّتْ بأزاهير الرياحين، وتَجَلَّتْ في حلل سندسية من البساتين، وحَلَّتْ موضع الحُسْن بالمكان المكين، وتزينَتْ في منصتها أَجْمَلَ تزيين، وتشرفَتْ بأن آوى المسيح عليه السلام وأمه منها إلى ربوة ذات قرار ومعين، ظل ظليل، وماء سلسبيل، تنساب مذانبه انسياب الأراقم بكل سبيل، ورياض يحيي النفوس نسيمها العليل، تتبرج لناظريها بمجتلًى صقيل، وتناديهم: هَلُمُّوا إلى معرس للحُسْن ومَقِيل، وقد سئمتْ أرضُها كثرة الماء، حتى اشتاقت إلى الظماء، فتكاد تناديك بها الصم الصلاب، ارْكُضْ برجْلِك هذا مغتسل بارد وشراب، وقد أحدقت البساتين بها إحداق الهالة بالقمر، والأكمام بالثمر، وامتدت بشرقيِّها غوطتها الخضراء امتداد البصر، وكل موضع لحظت بجهاتها الأربع نضْرَتَه اليانعة قيد البصر، ولله صِدْق القائلين عنها: إن كانت الجنة في الأرض فدمشق لا شك فيها، وإن كانت في السماء فهي تساميها وتحاذيها،,"He says: ‘As for Damascus, she is the Paradise of the Orient, and dawning-place of her resplendent light/ the seal of the Islamic lands which we have explored, and the bride of the cities which we have unveiled. She hath adorned herself with flowers of sweet-scented herbs, and displayed herself in brocaded vestures from her gardens; she hath occupied an assured position in the site of beauty, and hath decked herself in her bridal chair with fairest adornment. She is ennobled by the fact that God Most High gave a refuge to the Messiah (upon Him be peace) and his Mother in it, “upon a hill furnished with security and a flowing spring”. O’ershadowing shade, and water that steals over the throat, whose rivulets glide with the smoothness of serpents in every path! Garden glades, whose languid breeze revives the souls of men! She shows herself boldly to her beholders with polished display, and cries to them “Hither to a resting-place of beauty, by night and at noon”. Her soil is sated with abundance of water until it yearns for thirstiness, so that even the rocks and the rugged places almost cry to thee “Stamp with thy foot; here is a cool spring for thee to wash thyself and to drink”. She is encircled by gardens as the moon is encircled by its halo, and the fruit by its calyces; eastwards of her extends her verdant Ghuta as far as eye can reach, and at every point which thou regardest in her four quarters its luxuriant verdure bounds the sight. With what divine truth have men said of her “If Paradise be on earth, it is Damascus without a doubt; and if it be in Heaven, Damascus is its earthly counterpart and equivalent”.’"
"قال ابن جزي وقد نَظَمَ بعض شعرائها في هذا المعنى، فقال (خفيف):
إن تَكُنْ جنةُ الخلودِ بأرضٍ فدمشق ولا تكون سِوَاهَا
أو تَكُنْ في السماء فهْي عَلَيْهَا قد أَبَدَّتْ هواءها وهواها
بلد طيب ورب غفور فاغتنمها عشيةً وضحاها","Ibn Juzayy adds: One of the poets has indeed composed verses on this idea, in which he says: If Paradise be on this earth, Damascus ’tis and none but she; If in the heavens, from her derives its air and its amenity.
‘Fair city and forgiving Lord!’ Enjoy her—swift the hours will flee!"
وذكرها شيخنا المحدث الرحَّال شمس الدين أبو عبد الله محمد بن جابر بن حسان القيسي الوادي أشي نزيل تونس،,"Damascus has been described also by our shaikh the traditionist and traveller Shams al-Din Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Jabir b. Hassan al-Qaisi of Wadi Ash [Guadix], who settled at Tunis."
ونص كلام ابن جبير، ثم قال: ولقد أَحْسَنَ فيما وَصَفَ منها وأجاد، وتَوَّقَ الأنفس للتطلع على صورتها بما أفاد، هذا وإن لم تكن له بها إقامة، فيُعْرِب عنها بحقيقة علامة، ولا وصف ذهبيات أصيلها، وقد حان من الشمس غروبها، ولا أزمان جفولها المنوعات، ولا أوقات سرورها المنبهات، وقد اختص من قال: أَلْفَيْتُها كما تصف الألسن، وفيها ما تشتهيه الأنفس وتلذ الأعين،,"He quoted Ibn Jubair textually and then added: ‘He has indeed expressed himself with beauty and elegance in his description of her, and has inspired men’s minds by his account with longing to gaze upon her outward form. So much may be granted, even though it was not given to him to stay in her [long enough] to plead her cause with the fulness and accuracy of one who has intimate knowledge of her. He has not described the golden tints of her evening when the hour has come for the sun to set, nor the aspects of her varied seasons, nor the soul-stirring occasions of joy in her. That man has expressed himself with peculiar delicacy who said, “I found her as all tongues describe her, and within her is all that hearts can desire and that delights all eyes”.’"
قال ابن جزي: والذي قالَتْه الشعراء في وَصْف محاسن دمشق لا يُحْصَر كَثْرَةً،,Ibn Juzayy adds: What the poets have said in description of the beauties of Damascus is beyond all computation.
"وكان والدي رحمه الله كثيرًا ما يُنْشِد في وَصْفها هذه الأبيات، وهي لشرف الدين بن محسن رحمه الله تعالى (طويل):
دمشق بنا شَوْقٌ إليها مبرح وإن لَجَّ واشٍ أو أَلَحَّ عذولُ
بلاد بها الحصباء دُرٌّ وتربها عبير وأنفاس الشمال شمولُ
تَسَلْسَلَ فيها ماؤها وهْو مطلق وصح نسيم الروض وهْو عليل","My father (God’s mercy on him) used frequently to recite in description of her these verses, which belong to Sharaf al-Din Abu’l-Mahasin (God Most High have mercy on him): Damascus! my longing for her is a lover’s torment, let false friends importune, let critics condemn as they please!
A land where the pebbles are pearls and the soil is amber, and fragrant and heady as wine is the northerly breeze.
Her waters glide softlywith rippling chains, yet unfettered, and healthy yet languid the zephyr that plays o’er her leas."
وهذا من النمط العالي من الشعر،,This is poetry of a high order.
"وقال فيها عرقلة الدمشقي الكلبي (كامل):
الشام شامةُ وَجْنَةِ الدنيا كما إنسانُ مُقْلَتِها الغضيضة جلق
من آسها لَكَ جنة لا تنقضي ومن الشقيق جهنم لا تحرق","‘Arqala the Damascene, of the tribe of Kalb, said of her: On the world’s cheek Sham is the grain of beauty, Jilliq the pupil of its languorous eyes; Her poppies make a hell that flames unburning, her myrtles an unending Paradise."
"وقال أيضًا فيها:
أما دمشق فجنات معجلة للطالبين بها الولدان والحورُ
ما صاح فيها على أوتاره قمرٌ إلا يغنيه قمريٌّ وشحرورُ
يا حبذا ودروع الماء تنسجها أنامل الريح إلا أنها زورُ","The same poet also said of her: Who would anticipate celestial joys, Here is Damascus, here those maids and boys!
Here never moonfaced youth sang to his lute, But piping merle and ouzel followed suit. O lovely when the wind’s soft fingers weave Ringed mail upon its streams—but make-believe !"
وله فيها أشعار كثيرة سوى ذلك،,He has many poems besides these on Damascus.
"وقال فيها أبو الوحش سبع بن خلف الأسدي (رجز):
سقى دمشق الله غيثًا محسنًا من مستهل ديمة دهاقها
مدينة ليس يضاهى حسنها في سائر الدنيا ولا آفاقها
تَوَدُّ زوراء العراق أنها منها ولا تعزى إليَّ عراقها
فأرضها مثل السماء بهجة وزهرها كالزهر في إشراقها
نسيم روضها متى ما قد سرى فَكَّ أخا الهموم من وثاقها
قد رتع الربيع في ربوعها وسيقت الدنيا إلى أسواقها
لا تسأم العيون والأنوف من رؤيتها يومًا ولا استنشاقها","Abu’lWahsh Saba’ b. Khalaf al-Asadi said of her: May God refresh Damascus with such rain As steadily the gentle clouds pour down.
A city aperse, unmatched in beauty In all this earth, or in remotest spheres.
‘Iraq’s skewed river fain would claim to be One of her streams, and its ‘Iraq disown. Her soil in splendour rivals with the heavens, Her flowers in brilliance with the blazing stars.
The zephyr of her meads that cools the night The shackles of the carebound soul unties. Spring sports at ease within her rich demesnes And all the world is brought to her bazaars.
Never shall nostrils weary of her scent, Nor vision of her fail to enchant men’s eyes."
"ومما يناسب هذا للقاضي الفاضل عبد الرحمن البيساني فيها من قصيدة، وقد نُسِبَتْ أيضًا لابن المنير (كامل):
يا برق هل لكَ في احتمال تحيةع َذُبَتْ فصارت مثل مائك سَلْسَلَا
باكِرْ دمشق بمشق الحيا زهر الرياض مرصعًا ومُكَلَّلَا
واجرر بجيرون ذيولك واخْتَصِصْ مغنًى تأَزَّرَ بالعلا وتَسَرْبَلَا
حيث الحيا الربعي محلول الحبا والوابل الربعي مفري الكلَا","In a corresponding strain to this are the following verses on her by al-Qadi al-Fadil ‘Abd al-Rahim al-Baisani from an ode (which has also, however, been attributed to IbnalMunir): O lightning, wilt thou bear from me a greeting sweetened to match thine own delicious showers? Speed to Damascus, discharge thy limber shafts to gem and crown her meads with starry flowers.
O’er Jairun spread thy skirts, and single out a palace vested all in high noblesse, Where springlike bounty spurns restricting bands, and wide-slit clouds pour out a rich largesse."
"وقال فيها أبو الحسن علي بن موسى بن سعد العنسي الغرناطي المدعو نور الدين (بسيط):
دمشقُ مَنْزِلُنا حيث النعيم بَدَا مكملًا وهْو في الآفاق مختصرُ
القصْب راقصة والطير صادحة والزَّهْر مرتفعٌ والماء مُنْحَدِرُ
وقد تَجَلَّتْ من اللذات أَوْجُهُهَا لكنها بظلال الدَّوْح تَسْتَتِرُ
وكل وادٍ به موسى يُفَجِّرُ هو كل روضٍ على حافاته الخُضَرُ","Abu’ -Hasan ‘All b. Musa b. Sa’id al-‘Ansi al-Gharnati, known as Nur al-Dm, said of her: Damascus is our residence, where every kind of pleasure Which other climes have but in part is found in fullest measure.
The branches dance beneath the breeze, the while the birds are singing, The waters softly gliding by, and all the flowers are springing.
All faces shine resplendent at the joys which there surround them, Cloaked though they be by the cool shades of mighty trees around them.
Each gushing river Moses’ rod forever is releasing, And on each meadow’s edge there stands al-Kha"
"وقال أيضًا فيها:
خَيِّمْ بجلق بين الكأس والوتر ِفي جنة هي ملء السمع والبصرِ
ومَتِّعِ الطرف في مرأى محاسنه ورَوِّض الفكر بين الروضِ والنهرِ
وانظر إلى ذهبيات الأصيل بها واسمع إلى نغمات الطير في الشجرِ
وقل لمن لام في لذاته بشرً ادَعْنِي فإنك عندي من سوقة البشرِ","He also said of her: Pitch thy tent in Jilliq ‘twixt the cup and strings— Paradise it is for ear and eye refined!
Feast thy gladdened sight with all its beauteous things!
Twixt the meads and streamlet exercise thy mind!
Lo, the golden tints that flush the evening sky!
Hark, among the trees the choir of birds combined!
Say to him who seeks its pleasures to decry, ‘Hence, to me thou art of other than mankind!’"
"وقال فيها أيضًا (كامل):
أما دمشق فجنةٌ ينسى بها الوطنَ الغريبْ
لله أيام السبوت بها ومنظرها العجيبْ
انظر بعينك هل ترى إلا محبًّا أو حبيبْ
في مَوْطِنٍ غَنَّى الحمام به على رَقْصِ القضيبْ
وغدت أَزَاهِرُ رَوْضِهِ تختال في فرج وطيبْ","And again he said of her: Damascus! Paradise—the stranger there forgets his native land!
Her far-famed Saturdays—how elegant, how marvellous their show!
See, where thou turnst thine eyes, a lover or beloved on every hand!
This dwelling-place of joys, where doves attune their song to dancing bough, And flowers that galliardwise strut through her meads, a gay and scented band."
وأهل دمشق لا يعملون يوم السبت عملًا، إنما يخرجون إلى المتنزهات وشطوط الأنهار ودوحات الأشجار بين البساتين النضرة والمياه الجارية، فيكونون بها يومهم إلى الليل،,"For the people of Damascus do no work on Saturday, but go out to the pleasaunces, by the banks of the rivers and under great trees with spreading branches, where, between the orchards with their fresh greenery and the gliding waters, they spend their day until nightfall."
وقد طال بنا الكلام في محاسن دمشق، فلنرجع إلى كلام الشيخ أبي عبد الله.,"But our discourse on the charms of Damascus has carried us on too long, so let us return to the narrative of the Shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah."
ذِكْر جامع دمشق المعروف بجامع بني أمية,"The congregational mosque of Damascus, known as the Mosque of the Umayyads."
وهو أعظم مساجد الدنيا احتفالًا وأَتْقَنُها صناعةً وأَبْدَعُها حسنًا وبهجة وكمالًا، ولا يُعْلَم له نظير ولا يوجد له شبيه،,"This is the greatest mosque on earth in point of magnificence, the most perfect in architecture, and the most exquisite in beauty, grace, and consummate achievement; no rival to it is known, no equal to it is in existence."
وكان الذي تولى بناءه وإتقانه أمير المؤمنين الوليد بن عبد الملك بن مروان،,"The man who was responsible for its construction and architectural perfection was the Commander of the Faithful, al-Walid b. ‘Abd al-Malik b. Marwan."
ووَجَّهَ إلى ملك الروم بقسطنطينية يأمره أن يَبْعَثَ إليه الصناع، فبعث إليه اثني عشر ألف صانع،,"He applied to the King of the Greeks at Constantinople, bidding him send craftsmen to him, and the king sent him twelve thousand of them."
وكان موضع المسجد كنيسة، فلما افتتح المسلمون دمشق دَخَلَ خالد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه من إحدى جهاتها بالسيف، فانتهى إلى نصف الكنيسة، ودخل أبو عبيدة بن الجراح رضي الله عنه من الجهة الغربية صُلْحًا، فانتهى إلى نصف الكنيسة،,"The site of the mosque was a church, and when the Muslims conquered Damascus Khalid b. al-Walid (God be pleased with him) entered from one side by the sword and penetrated as far as the middle of the church, while Abu ‘Ubaida b. al-Jarrah (God be pleased with him) entered by capitulation from the western side and also advanced as far as the middle of the church."
فصَنَعَ المسلمون من نِصْف الكنيسة الذي دَخَلُوه عنوة مسجدًا، وبقي النصف الذي صالحوا عليه كنيسة،,"Consequently the Muslims made of that half of the church which they had entered by force a mosque, and the half which they occupied under the terms of the capitulation remained a church."
فلما عزم الوليد على زيادة الكنيسة في المسجد، طَلَبَ من الروم أن يبيعوا منه كنيستهم تلك بما شاءوا من عوض، فأبوا عليه، فانتزعها من أيديهم،,"When al-Walid determined to enlarge the mosque by incorporating the church, he asked the Greeks to sell him that church of theirs for whatsoever equivalent they desired, but they would not yield to him, so he seized it from their hands."
وكانوا يزعمون أن الذي يهدمها يُجَنُّ، فذكروا ذلك للوليد,"The Christians used to assert that the destroyer of the church would be stricken with madness, and they told that to al-Walid."
فقال: أنا أول من يُجَنُّ في سبيل الله، وأَخَذَ الفأس وجَعَلَ يهدم بنفسه،,"But i he replied ‘I shall be the first to be stricken with madness in the service of God’ and, taking an axe, he set to work to knock it down with his own hands."
فلما رأى المسلمون ذلك تتابعوا على الهدم، وأَكْذَبَ الله زَعْم الروم.,"When the Muslims saw this, they joined one after another in the work of destruction, and God gave the lie to the assertion of the Greeks."
وزُيِّنَ هذا المسجد بفصوص الذهب المعروفة بالفسيفساء تخالطها أنواع الأصبغة الغريبة الحُسْن،,"[The inner faces of] all the walls of this mosque are decorated with cut stones of gold known as fusaifisa”, intermingled with various colours of extraordinary beauty."
وذرع المسجد في الطول من الشرق إلى الغرب مائتا خطوة، وهي ثلاثمائة ذراع وعَرْضُه من القبلة إلى الجوف مائة وخمس وثلاثون خطوة وهي مائتا ذراع،,"The size of the mosque in length from east to west is two hundred paces, that is three hundred cubits, and its breadth from south to north a hundred and thirty-five paces, that is two hundred cubits."
وعدد شمسات الزجاج الملونة التي فيه أربع وسبعون،,The number of windows of coloured glass contained in it is seventy-four.
وبلاطاته ثلاثة مستطيلة من شرق إلى غرب سعة كل بلاط منها ثمان عشرة خطوة،,"Its naves are three in number, extending lengthwise from east to west, the breadth of each nave being eighteen paces."
وقد قامت على أربع وخمسين سارية وثماني أرجل حصية تتخللها، وست أرجل مرخمة مرصعة بالرخام الملون، قد صُوِّرَ فيها أشكال محاريب وسواها،,"[The arches] are supported by fifty-four columns, with eight [plaster] piers interrupting [the series of] them, and six piers cased with marble and inlaid with coloured marbles, upon which are represented the figures of mihrabs and other shapes."
وهي ثقل قبة الرصاص التي أمام المحراب المسماة بقبة النسر،,"These support the cupola of lead which [surmounts the space] in front of the mihrdb, and which is called the ‘Dome of the Eagle’."
كأنهم شبهوا المسجد نسرًا طائرًا والقبة رأسه،,"It is as though they likened the mosque to a flying eagle, the cupola being its head."
وهي من أعجب مباني الدنيا. ومن أي جهة اسْتَقْبَلْتَ المدينة بَدَتْ لك قبة النسر ذاهبة في الهواء منيفة على جميع مباني البلد،,"This is one of the most wonderful buildings in the world; from whatever side you face towards the city the Dome of the Eagle appears to you, soaring into the air and standing out above all the buildings of the town."
وتستدير بالصحن بلاطات ثلاثة من جهاته الشرقية والغربية والجوفية، سعة كل بلاط منها عشر خطًا،,"The courtyard [of the mosque] is encircled by three arcades, [one on each of] its eastern, western and northern sides, and the breadth of each arcade being ten paces."
وبها من السواري ثلاث وثلاثون ومن الأرجل أربع عشرة، وسعة الصحن مائة ذراع، وهو من أجمل المناظر وأَتَمِّها حُسْنًا،,They contain thirty-three columns and fourteen [plaster] piers. The breadth of the court is a hundred cubits. It is one of the most graceful and most perfectly beautiful of sights.
وبها يَجْتَمِع أهل المدينة بالعشايا، فمِنْ قارئ ومُحَدِّث وذاهب، ويكون انصرافهم بعد العشاء الأخيرة،,"The people of the city gather there in the evenings, some reading, some conversing, and some walking up and down, and they disperse after the last prayer of the night."
وإذا لقي أحد كبراءهم من الفقهاء وسواهم صاحبًا له أَسْرَعَ كلٌّ منهما نحو صاحبه وحَطَّ رأسه،,"When any of their principal men, among the jurists or others, meets a friend of his, each of them hastens towards the other and bows his head."
وفي هذا الصحن ثلاث من القباب،,Within this courtyard there are three domed pavilions.
إحداها في غربيه وهي أكبرها، وتسمى قبة عائشة أم المؤمنين،,"One of them, on the western side of it and the largest of the three, is called the Pavilion of ‘A’isha, Mother of the Faithful."
وهي قائمة على ثماني سَوارٍ من الرخام مزخرفة بالفصوص والأصبغة الملونة مسقفة بالرصاص،,"It stands upon eight marble columns, and is decorated with mosaics and paints of various colours and roofed with lead."
يقال: إن مال الجامع كان يُخْتَزَن بها، وذُكِرَ لي أن فوائد مستغلات الجامع وجبايته نحو خمسة وعشرين ألف دينار ذهبًا في كل سنة،,"It is said that the wealth of the mosque used to be stored in it, and it was stated to me that the profits of the landed property belonging to the mosque and its revenues amount to about twenty-five thousand gold dinars annually."
والقبة الثانية من شرقي الصحن على هيئة الأخرى، إلا أنها أصغر منها قائمة على ثمانٍ من سواري الرخام، وتُسَمَّى قبة زين العابدين،,"The second pavilion, on the east side of the court, is of the same form as the other, but is smaller than it; it stands upon eight marble columns and is called the Pavilion of Zain al-‘Abidm."
والقبة الثالثة في وسط الصحن، وهي صغيرة مثمنة من رخام عجيب مُحْكَم الإلصاق، قائمة على أربع سواري من الرخام الناصع،,"The third pavilion, in the centre of the court, is a small octagonal building of strikingly fine marble, solidly put together, and stands upon four columns of pure white marble."
وتحتها شباك حديد في وسطه أنبوب نحاس يَمُجُّ الماء إلى علو، فيرتفع ثم ينثني كأنه قضيب لجين،,"Beneath it is an iron grille, in the centre of which is a brass pipe ejecting a thin spirt of water upwards, so that it rises and then describes a curve, like a wand of silver."
وهم يسمونه قَفَصَ الماء، ويَسْتَحْسِن الناس وَضْع أفواههم فيه للشرب،,"They call this the water-cage, and the people like to put their mouths to it to drink."
وفي الجانب الشرقي من الصحن باب يُفْضِي إلى مسجدٍ بديع الوضع، يسمى مشهد علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه،,"On the east side of the court there is a doorway leading to a mosque of exquisite design, called the sanctuary of ‘AH b. Abu Talib (God be pleased with him)."
ويقابله من الجهة الغربية؛ حيث يلتقي البلاطان الغربي والجوفي موضعٌ يقال إن عائشة رضي الله عنها سمعت الحديث هنالك.,"Facing this, on the west side, at the point where the western and northern galleries join, is a place where, it is said, ‘A’isha (God be pleased with her) gave audiences at which she related Traditions of the Prophet."
وفي قبلة المسجد المقصورةُ العظمى التي يؤم فيها إمام الشافعية،,"At the south side of the mosque is the principal maqsura, Z & in which the imam of the Shafi’ites officiates as prayer-leader during the prayers."
وفي الركن الشرقي منها إزاء المحراب خزانة كبيرة فيها المصحف الكريم الذي وَجَّهَه أمير المؤمنين عثمان بن عفان رضي الله عنه إلى الشام،,"In the eastern angle of this maqsura, and opposite the mihrdb, is a great chest containing the holy Volume which was sent by the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Othman b. ‘Affan (God be pleased with him), to Syria."
وتُفْتَح تلك الخزانة كلَّ يوم جمعة بعد الصلاة، فيزدحم الناس على لَثْم ذلك المصحف الكريم،,"This chest is opened every Friday after the [noon] service, and the people compete with one another to kiss that holy Volume."
وهنالك يُحَلِّف الناسُ غرماءهم ومن ادَّعَوْا عليه شيئًا،,"It is to this place too that people bring their debtors, and those against whom they have any claim, to swear."
وعن يسار المقصورة محراب الصحابة، ويَذْكُر أهل التاريخ أنه أول محراب وُضِعَ في الإسلام، وفيه يؤم إمام المالكية، وعن يمين المقصورة محراب الحنفية، وفيه يؤم إمامهم، ويليه محراب الحنابلة، وفيه يؤم إمامهم.,"To the left of the maqsura is the mihrdb of the Companions [of the Prophet]—the historians say that it was the first mihrdb constructed in Islam—in which the imam of the Malikites officiates; to the right of the maqsura is the mihrdb of the Hanafites, in which their imam officiates, and adjoining this the mihrdb of the Hanbalites, in which the Hanbalite imam officiates."
ولهذا المسجد ثلاث صوامع إحداها بشرقيِّه وهي من بناء الروم،,"The mosque has three minarets. One of them is at its eastern end, and is of Greek construction."
وبابها داخل المسجد، وبأسفلها مَطْهَرَة وبيوت للوضوء، يغتسل فيها المعتكفون والملتزمون للمسجد ويتوضئون،,"Its doorway is within the mosque and in its lowest story there is a lavatory as well as ablution chambers, in which those who devote themselves to religious exercises and the occupants of cells in the mosque make their major or minor ablutions."
والصومعة الثانية بغربيِّه وهي أيضًا من بناء الروم، والصومعة الثالثة بشماله وهي من بناء المسلمين،,"The second minaret is on the western side—it also is of Greek construction—and the third is. on the northern side, and was built by the Muslims."
وعدد المؤذنين به سبعون مؤذنًا،,The number of muezzins [on the staff] of the mosque is seventy.
وفي شرقي المسجد مقصورة كبيرة فيها صهريج ماء،,"On the eastern side of the mosque is a large railed-off enclosure, within which there is a tank of water."
وهي لِطائفة الزيالعة السودان،,This enclosure is appropriated to the blacks of Zaila’.
وفي وسط المسجد قَبْر زكريا عليه السلام، وعليه تابوت معترض بين أسطوانتين مكسو بثوب حرير أسود معلم فيه,"In the centre of the mosque is the tomb of Zechariah (upon him be peace), surmounted by a coffin set breadthwise between two pillars and covered by a black silk cloth with borders of figured work."
مكتوب بالأبيض: يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ اسْمُهُ يَحْيَى، وهذا المسجد شهير الفضل،,"This is inscribed in white lettering: ‘O Zakariya”, we give thee glad tidings of a son, whose name [shall be] Yahya.’ This mosque is renowned for its special virtue."
وقَرَأْتُ في فضائل دمشق عن سفيان الثوري: أن الصلاة في مسجد دمشق بثلاثين ألف صلاة،,"I have read in regard to the peculiar merits of Damascus [the following tradition] handed down from Sufyan al-Thawri: ‘Verily, the prayer in the mosque of Damascus is equivalent to thirty thousand prayers.’"
وفي الأثر عن النبي ﷺ أنه قال: «يُعْبَد الله فيه بعد خراب الدنيا أربعين سنة.»,"Moreover in the Tradition handed down from the Prophet (God bless and save him), [it is related] that he said: ‘God shall be worshipped in it for forty years after the destruction of the world.’"
ويقال: إن الجدار القبلي منه وَضَعَه نبي الله هود عليه السلام وأن قَبْرَه به،,"It is said that the southern wall of the mosque was founded by the prophet of God, Hud (upon him be peace), and that the grave of Hud is contained in it."
وقد رأيت على مقربة من مدينة ظفار اليمن بموضع يقال له الأحقاف بِنْية فيها قَبْر مكتوب عليه: هذا قبر هود بن عابر ﷺ، ومن فضائل هذا المسجد أنه لا يخلو عن قراءة القرآن والصلاة إلا قليلًا من الزمان كما سنذكره،,"But I have seen in the vicinity of the town of Zafari of the Yamari, in a place called al-Ahqaf, a building containing a grave on which is inscribed: This is the grave of Hud b. ‘Abir, God bless and save him.’ Among the other merits of this mosque is the fact that recitation of the Qur’an and prayer are unceasing in it, except for a short time, as we shall relate."
والناس يجتمعون به كل يوم إثر صلاة الصبح، فيقرءون سبعًا من القرآن، ويجتمعون بعد صلاة العصر لقراءة تسمى الكوثرية، يقرءون فيها من سورة الكوثر إلى آخر القرآن،,"The townspeople assemble in it daily, immediately after the dawn prayer, to read a seventh part of the Qur’an, and assemble again after the mid-afternoon prayer for a reading which goes by the name of the Kawthari reading, in which they read from the chapter of al-Kawthar to the end of the Qur’an."
وللمجتمعين على هذه القراءة مرتبات تُجْرَى لهم وهم نحو ستمائة إنسان،,"Those who assemble for this reading have stipends assigned to them, their number being about six hundred in all."
ويدور عليهم كاتب الغيبة، فمن غاب منهم قَطَعَ له عند دفع المرتب بقدر غيبته،,"The clerk of absences checks their names,and any of them who absent themselves have their stipends cut at the time of payment by the amount of their absence."
وفي هذا المسجد جماعة كبيرة من المجاورين لا يخرجون منه مُقْبِلون على الصلاة والقراءة والذكر لا يفترون عن ذلك، ويتوضئون من المطاهر التي بداخل الصومعة الشرقية التي ذكرناها،,"In this mosque also there are a great many ‘sojourners’ who never leave it, occupying themselves unremittingly in prayer and recitation of the Qur’an and liturgies, and using for their ablutions those lavatories which are inside the eastern minaret, as we have described above."
وأهل البلد يعينونهم بالمطاعم والملابس من غير أن يسألوهم شيئًا من ذلك،,"The townsfolk supply their needs of food and clothing, although the sojourners never beg for anything of the kind from them."
وفي هذا المسجد أربعة أبواب: باب قبلي يُعْرَف بباب الزيادة، وبأعلاه قطعة من الرمح الذي كانت فيه راية خالد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه؛,"This mosque has four doors: (i) a southern door, known as the ‘Door of Increase’; on top of it there is a fragment of the lance to which the flag of Khalid b. al-Walid (God be pleased with him) was attached."
ولهذا الباب دهليز كبير مُتَّسِع فيه حوانيت السقاطين وغيرهم،,This door is approached by a large and spacious vestibule where the dealers in odds and ends and other merchants have their shops.
ومنه يُذْهَب إلى دار الخيل، وعن يسار الخارج منه سماط الصفارين، وهي سوق عظيمة ممتدة مع جدار المسجد القبلي من أحسن أسواق دمشق،,"Through it lies the way to the [former] Cavalry House, and on the left as one emerges from it is the Coppersmiths’ Row, a large bazaar extending along the south wall of the mosque and one of the finest bazaars in Damascus."
وبموضع هذه السوق كانت دار معاوية بن أبي سفيان رضي الله عنه ودور قومه، وكانت تُسَمَّى الخضراء، فهدمها بنو العباس رضي الله عنهم وصار مكانها سوقًا،,"On the site of this bazaar stood the residence of Mu’awiya b. Abu Sufyan (God be pleased with him) along with those of his [principal] supporters; it was called al-Khadra’, and was subsequently destroyed by the ‘Abbasids (God be pleased with them), and its site turned into a market."
وباب شرقي وهو أعظم أبواب المسجد، ويسمى بباب جيرون،,"An eastern door, the largest of the doors of the mosque, called the Jairun Door."
وله دهليز عظيم يُخْرَج منه إلى بلاط عظيم طويل أمامه خمسة أبواب لها ستة أعمدة طوال،,"It has a large vestibule, leading out to a vast and broad arcade, entered through a quintuple gateway [of arches] formed by six tall columns."
وفي جهة اليسار منه مشهد عظيم، كان فيه رأس الحسين رضي الله عنه، وبإزائه مسجد صغير يُنْسَب إلى عمر بن عبد العزيز رضي الله عنه، وبه ماء جارٍ.,"On the lefthand side of this is an enormous tomb-mosque in which formerly reposed the head of al-Husain (God be pleased with him), and opposite it is a small mosque called by the name of ‘Omar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (God be pleased with him), in which there is running water."
وقد انتظمت أمام البلاط دَرَجَ يُنْحَدَر فيها إلى الدهليز، وهو كالخندق العظيم، يتصل ببابٍ عظيمِ الارتفاع تحته أعمدة كالجذوع طوال،,"Laid out at the entrance of the arcade is a flight of steps, by which one descends to the vestibule [of the mosque], the latter resembling an enormous trench leading up to a door of enormous height supported by tall columns like trunks of palm trees."
وبجانِبَي هذا الدهليز أعمدة، قد قامت عليها شوارع مستديرة فيها دكاكين البزازين وغيرهم، وعليها شوارع مستطيلة فيها حوانيت الجوهريين والكتبيين وصناع أواني الزجاج العجيبة،,"Along both sides of this arcade there are pillars upon which are supported circular passages, where the cloth-merchants amongst others have their shops; above these again are long passages in which are the shops of the jewellers and booksellers and makers of admirable glassware."
وفي الرحبة المتصلة بالباب الأول دكاكين لكبار الشهود منها دكانان للشافعية وسائرها لأصحاب المذاهب,"In the square adjoining the first door are stalls belonging to the principal legal witnesses, two stalls among them belonging to the Shafi’ites and the rest to those of various schools."
يكون في الدكان منها الخمسة والستة من العدول والعاقد للأنكحة من قِبَل القاضي،,In each stall there may be five or six notaries and the person authorized to draw up contracts of marriage on behalf of the qadi.
وسائر الشهود مفترقون في المدينة،,The other notaries are scattered throughout the city.
وبمقربة من هذه الدكاكين سوق الوراقين الذين يبيعون الكاغد والأقلام والمداد،,"In the vicinity of these stalls is the bazaar of the stationers, who sell paper, pens and ink."
وفي وسط الدهليز المذكور حوض من الرخام كبير مستدير عليه قبة لا سَقْف لها تُقِلُّها أعمدة رخام، وفي وسط الحوض أنبوب نحاس يزعج الماء بقوة فيرتفع في الهواء أزيد من قامة الإنسان,"In the centre of the vestibule which we have been describing there is a large circular basin, made of marble, surmounted by an unroofed cupola, which is supported by marble columns, and in the centre of the basin is a copper pipe which violently forces out water so that it rises into the air more than a man’s height."
يسمونه الفوارة منظره عجيب،,"They call it the Waterspout, and its aspect is striking."
وعن يمين الخارج من باب جيرون وهو باب الساعات غرفة لها هيئة طاق كبير فيه طيقان صغار مفتحة لها أبواب على عدد ساعات النهار,"Then, to the right as one emerges from the Jairun door, which is called also ‘the Door of the Hours’, is an upper chamber, shaped like a great arch, within which there are small arches made to open and furnished with doors to the number of the hours of the day."
والأبواب، مصبوغ باطنها بالخضرة وظاهرها بالصفرة، فإذا ذَهَبَت ساعة من النهار انقلب الباطن الأخضر ظاهرًا والظاهر الأصفر باطنًا،,"These doors have their inner side painted green and their outer side yellow, and as [each] hour of the day passes the green inner side [of one door] is turned to the outside, and the yellow outer side to the inside."
ويقال: إن بداخل الغرفة من يتولى قلبها بيده عند مضي الساعات،,It is said that inside the upper chamber there is a man who has the duty of turning them by hand as the hours pass.
والباب الغربي يُعْرَف بباب البريد، وعن يمين الخارج منه مدرسة للشافعية،,"The western door is known as the ‘Door of the Courier’, and on the right as one emerges from it is a college of the Shafi’ites."
وله دهليز فيه حوانيت للمشاعين وسماط لبيع الفواكه،,This door too has a vestibule in which there are candlemakers’ booths and a row of shops for the sale of fruit.
وبأعلاه باب يُصْعَد إليه في دَرَج له أعمدة سامية في الهواء، وتحت الدَّرَج سقايتان عن يمين وشمال مستديرتان،,"At its top end there is a door to which one ascends by a flight of steps; this door is flanked by columns soaring into the air, and at the foot of the steps are two circular fountains on the right and left [respectively]."
والباب الجوفي يُعْرَف بباب النطفانيين، وله دهليز عظيم،,"The northern door is known by the name of ‘Confectioners’ Door’, and has a large vestibule [likewise]."
وعن يمين الخارج منه خانقاة تُعْرَف بالشميعانية في وسطها صهريج ماء، ولها مَطَاهر يجري فيها الماء،,"On the right as one comes out of it is a convent known as alShumai’amya, which has a water tank in the centre and lavatories supplied with running water."
ويقال: إنها كانت دارَ عمر بن عبد العزيز رضي الله عنه،,It is said that it was the residence of ‘Omar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (God be pleased with him).
وعلى كل بابٍ من أبواب المسجد الأربعة دار وضوء يكون فيها نحو مائة بيت تجري فيها المياه الكثيرة.,"At each of the four doors of the mosque is a building for ritual ablutions, containing about a hundred rooms supplied with abundance of running water."
ذكر الأئمة بهذا المسجد,The imams in this mosque.
وأئمته ثلاثة عشر إمامًا،,The officiating imams are thirteen in number.
أولهم إمام الشافعية، وكان في عهد دخولي إليها إمامهم قاضي القضاة جلال الدين محمد بن عبد الرحمن القزويني من كبار الفقهاء،,"The first of them [to perform the prayers] is the imam of the Shaft’ites, whose imam at the time of my arrival in Damascus was the Chief Qadi Jalal al-Din Muhammad b. ‘Abdal-Rahman al-Qazwim, one of the greatest doctors of the law."
وهو الخطيب بالمسجد، وسكناه بدار الخطابة، ويخرج من باب الحديد إزاء المقصورة، وهو الباب الذي كان يخرج منه معاوية رضي الله عنه،,"He was also the preacher at the mosque and his place of residence was in the Dar al-Khitaba; he used an to come out [into the mosque] through the iron door opposite the maqsura, which was the door through which Mu’awiya (God be pleased with him) used to enter."
وقد تولى جلال الدين بعد ذلك قضاء القضاة بالديار المصرية بعد أن أَدَّى عنه الملك الناصر نحو مائة ألف درهم كانت عليه دينًا بدمشق،,"Jalal al-Dm subsequently held the chief qadi-ship in Egypt, after al-Malik al-Nasir had repaid on his behalf about a hundred thousand dirhams which he owed in debts at Damascus."
وإذا سلم إمام الشافعية من صلاته أقام الصلاة أمام مشهد علي ثم أمام مشهد الحسين ثم أمام الكلاسة ثم أمام مشهد أبي بكر ثم أمام مشهد عمر ثم أمام مشهد عثمان رضي الله عنهم أجمعين، ثم أمام المالكية، وكان إمامهم في عهد دخولي إليها الفقيه أبو عمر بن أبي الوليد بن الحاج التجيبي القرطبي الأصل الغرناطي المولد نزيل دمشق، وهو يتناوب الإمامة مع أخيه رحمهما الله، ثم إمام الحنفية، وكان إمامهم في عهد دخولي إليها الفقيه عماد الدين الحنفي المعروف بابن الرومي، وهو من كبار الصوفية، وله شياخة الخانقاة الخاتونية، وله أيضًا خانقاة بالشرف الأعلى، ثم إمام الحنابلة، وكان في ذلك العهد الشيخ عبد الله الكفيف أحد شيوخ القراءة بدمشق،,"When the imam of the Shafi’ites gives the salutation at the end of his prayers, the imam of the sanctuary of ‘AH begins the prayers [there]; after him follow in succession the imam of the sanctuary of al-Husain, the imam of al-Kallasa, the imam of the sanctuary of Abu Bakr, the imam of the sanctuary of ‘Omar, the imam of the sanctuary of ‘Othman (God be pleased with them all), the imam of the Malikites— their imam at the time of my arrival at Damascus was the jurist Abu ‘Omar b. Abi’l-Walid Ibn al-Hajj al-Tujibi, Cordovan by family, born at Gharnata and resident at Damascus, who used to exercise the imamate alternately with his brother (God’s mercy on both)—then the imam of the Hanafites—their imam at the time of my arrival there was the jurist ‘Imad al-Dm al-Hanafi, knownas Ibn alRuml, who was also one of the leading Sufis and held the post of shaikh of the Khatumya convent (he had another convent also in al-Sharaf al-A’la )—then the imam of the Hanbalites, who was at that time the shaikh ‘Abdallah, the blind, one of the masters of the science of Qur’an-reading at Damascus."
ثم بعد هؤلاء خمسة أئمة لقضاء الفوائت,After all these come five imams to lead the ‘compensatory’ prayers.
فلا تزال الصلاة في هذا المسجد من أول النهار إلى ثلث الليل، وكذلك قراءة القرآن،,"So prayer goes on unceasingly in this mosque from early morning until the first third of the night, and the same applies also to the recitation of the Qur’an."
وهذا من مفاخر هذا الجامع المبارك.,This is one of the proud distinctions of this blessed mosque.
ذكر المدرسين والمعلمين به,The professors and teachers at the mosque.
ولهذا المسجد حلقات التدريس في فنون العلم، والمحدثون يقرءون كتب الحديث على كراسي مرتفعة، وقراء القرآن يقرءون بالأصوات الحسنة صباحًا ومساء،,"There are in this mosque several ‘circles’ of instruction in the various branches of [sacred] knowledge, while the traditionists read the books of Tradition, sitting in high chairs, and the Qur’an-readers recite in pleasing voices morning and evening."
وبه جماعة من المعلمين لكتاب الله، يَسْتَنِد كل واحد منهم إلى سارية من سواري المسجد يُلَقِّن الصبيان ويُقْرِئهم، وهم لا يكتبون القرآن في الألواح تنزيهًا لكتاب الله تعالى، وإنما يقرءون القرآن تلقينًا،,"It contains also a number of teachers of the Book of God, each of whom leans his back upon one of the pillars of the mosque, dictating to the children and making them recite, for they abstain from writing down the Qur’an on their tablets out of reverence for the Book of God [lest it suffer pollution], and so recite it from dictation only."
ومُعَلِّم الخط غير مُعَلِّم القرآن، يُعَلِّمهم بكتب الأشعار وسواها،,"The teacher of writing is a different person from the teacher of the Qur’an, and he uses books of poetry and the like for teaching them."
فينصرف الصبي من التعليم إلى التكتيب وبذلك جاد خطه؛ لأن المعلم للخط لا يَعْلَم غيره،,"The pupil moves from the class for religious instruction to the writing class, and then becomes expert in calligraphy, because the teacher of writing teaches nothing else."
ومن المدرسين بالمسجد المذكور العالم الصالح برهان الدين بن الفركاح الشافعي، ومنهم العالم الصالح نور الدين أبو اليسر بن الصائغ من المشتهرين بالفضل والصلاح، ولما وَلِيَ القضاء بمصر جلال الدين القزويني وَجَّهَ إلى أبي اليسر الخلعة والأمر بقضاء دمشق فامتنع من ذلك، ومنهم الإمام العالِم شهاب الدين بن جهيل من كبار العلماء، هَرَبَ من دمشق لَمَّا امتنع أبو اليسر من قضائها خوفًا من أن يُقَلَّدَ القضاء، فاتصل ذلك بالملك الناصر، فولي قضاء دمشق شيخ الشيوخ بالديار المصرية قطب العارفين لسان المتكلمين علاء الدين القونوي، وهو من كبار الفقهاء، ومنهم الإمام الفاضل بدر الدين علي السخاوي المالكي، رحمة الله عليهم أجمعين.,"Among the professors at the mosque of Damascus were the learned and pious Burhan al-Dln Ibn al-Firkah, the Shafi’ite; the learned and pious Nur al-Dm Abu’ -Yusr Ibn al-Sayigh, a man celebrated for his virtue and uprightness —when Jalal al-Dm alQazwini was appointed to the office of [Chief] QadI at Cairo, the robe of honour and diploma of appointment to the qadi-ship of Damascus was sent to Abu’ -Yusr, but he declined to accept office; the learned imam Shihab al-Dm Ibn Jahbal, one of the principal ‘ulama, who fled from Damascus when Abu’ -Yusr declined the qadi-ship of the city, fearing lest he should be invested as qadi (when news of this was brought to al-Malik al-Nasir, he appointed as qadi of Damascus the Grand Shaikh in Egypt, the pole of the mystics and tongue of the dialectics, ‘Ala al-DIn al-Qunawi, one of the principal doctors of the law); the worthy imam Badr al-Dm ‘AH al-Sakhawi the Malikite (God’s mercy on them all)."
ذكر قضاة دمشق,The qadis of Damascus.
قد ذكرنا قاضي القضاة الشافعي بها جلال الدين محمد بن عبد الرحمن القزويني،,"We have already spoken of the Chief Qadi of the Shafi’ites in the city, Jalal al-DIn Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Qazwini."
وأما قاضي المالكية فهو شرف الدين بن خطيب الفيوم، حسن الصورة والهيئة، من كبار الرؤساء، وهو شيخ شيوخ الصوفية،,"As for the qadi of the Malikites, he was Sharaf al-Dm Ibn Khatib al-Fayyum, a man of fine features and carriage, one of the principal religious leaders, being also Grand Shaikh of the Sufis."
والنائب عنه في القضاء شمس الدين بن القفصي ومجلس حكمه بالمدرسة الصمصامية،,"His substitute in the judicial office was Shams al-Din ibn al-QafsI, and his tribunal was in the Samsamiya College."
وأما قاضي قضاة الحنفية فهو عماد الدين الحوراني،,The qadi of the Hanafites was ‘Imad al-Din al-Hawrani.
وكان شديد السطوة وإليه يتحاكم النساء وأزواجهن، وكان الرجل إذا سَمِعَ اسم القاضي الحنفي أَنْصَفَ من نفسه قبل الوصول إليه،,"He was a judge of great severity; it was to him that wives and their husbands used to carry their cases, and a man had only to hear [spoken] the name of the Hanafite qadi to do justly [by his wife] of his own accord before coming in front of him."
وأما قاضي الحنابلة فهو الإمام الصالح عز الدين بن مسلم من خيار القضاة،,"The qadi of the Hanbalites was the pious imam ‘Izz al-DIn Ibn Musallam, one of the best of qadls."
ينصرف على حمار له، ومات بمدينة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا لَمَّا تَوَجَّهَ للحجاز الشريف.,"He used to go about on an ass of his, and died in [al-Madina] the City of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), on a journey to the illustrious Hijaz."
حكاية,Anecdote.
وكان بدمشق من كبار الفقهاء الحنابلة تقي الدين بن تيمية كبير الشام، يتكلم في الفنون إلا أن في عقله شيئًا،,"There was living in Damascus [a certain] Taqi al-Din Ibn Taimiya, one of the principal Hanbalite doctors there, a man greatly esteemed and able to discourse on various sciences, but with some kink in his brain."
وكان أهل دمشق يُعَظِّمُونه أَشَدَّ التعظيم ويعظهم على المنبر،,The people of Damascus idolized him and he used to preach to them from the minbar.
وتكلم مرة بأمر أَنْكَرَه الفقهاء ورفعوه إلى الملك الناصر، فأَمَرَ بإشخاصه إلى القاهرة,"One day he made a statementof which the doctors disapproved; they carried the case to al-Malik al-Nasir, who gave orders to dispatch him to Cairo."
وجمع القضاة والفقهاء بمجلس الملك الناصر، وتكلم شرف الدين الزواوي المالكي,"The qadis and doctors were assembled in the audience hall of al-Malik al-Nasir, and Sharaf al-Din al-Zuwawi, the Malial-Hamdani al-Nuwairi."
وقال: إن هذا الرجل قال كذا وكذا وعَدَّدَ ما أَنْكَرَ على ابن تيمية,"He was appointed to kite, made an accusation saying This man said so-and-so’, and enumerating the charges [of heresy] brought against Ibn Taimiya."
وأحضر العقود بذلك ووضعها بين يدي قاضي القضاة، وقال قاضي القضاة لابن تيمية: ما تقول؟ قال: لا إله إلا الله، فأعاد عليه فأجاب بمثل قوله،,"He produced attestations to this effect, and laid them before the Chief Qadi, who said to Ibn Taimiya ‘What have you to say?’ He replied There is no God but God’, and when the judge repeated his question he made the same answer."
فأَمَرَ الملك الناصر بسجنه,Consequently al-Malik al-Nasir ordered him to be put in prison.
فسُجِنَ أعوامًا، وصَنَّفَ في السجن كتابًا في تفسير القرآن سماه بالبحر المحيط في نحو أربعين مجلدًا،,"He remained in prison for some years and composed while in prison a book on the exegesis of the Qur’an, which he entitled The Encompassing Sea and which ran to about forty volumes."
ثم إن أمه تَعَرَّضَتْ للملك الناصر وشَكَتْ إليه فأمر بإطلاقه إلى أن وَقَعَ منه مثل ذلك ثانية،,"Later on his mother presented herself before al-Malik al-Nasir and complained [of her distressed condition] to him, so he ordered him to be set at liberty, [and he remained so] until the same thing was done by him again."
وكنْتُ إذ ذاك بدمشق فحَضَرْتُه يوم الجمعة وهو يَعِظُ الناس على منبر الجامع ويُذَكِّرهم،,"I was in Damascus at that time and was present at his discourse on the Friday, when he was preaching to the people from the mimbar and admonishing them."
فكان من جملة كلامه أن قال: إن الله ينزل إلى سماء الدنيا كنزولي هذا، ونزل درجة من درج المنبر،,"Amongst other things in his address he said ‘Verily, God descends to the sky over our world in the fashion of this descent of mine’, and stepped down one step of the minbar."
فعارَضَهُ فقيهٌ مالكيٌّ يُعْرَف بابن الزهراء، وأَنْكَرَ ما تَكَلَّمَ به، فقامت العامة إلى هذا الفقيه وضربوه بالأيدي والنعال ضربًا كثيرًا حتى سَقَطَتْ عمامته وظَهَرَ على رأسه شاشية حرير،,"A Malikite doctor known as Ibn al-Zahra’ contradicted him and denounced what he had said, but the populace rushed upon this doctor and beat him with their hands and shoes so severely that his turban fell off and a silken skullcap was found upon his head."
فأنكروا عليه لباسها واحتملوه إلى دار عز الدين بن مسلم قاضي الحنابلة، فأَمَرَ بسجنه وعَزَّرَه بعد ذلك،,"Inveighing against him for wearing this, they haled him before the house of ‘Izz al-Din Ibn Musallam, the qadi of the Hanbalites, who ordered him to be imprisoned and afterwards inflicted a punishment upon him."
فأنكر فقهاء المالكية والشافعية ما كان من تعزيزه، ورفعوا الأمر إلى ملك الأمراء سيف الدين تنكيز، وكان من خيار الأمراء وصلحائهم،,"The Malikite and Shafi’ite doctors protested against his being punished and carried the matter before the king of the amirs, Saif al-Dm Tankiz, who was a governor of the good and upright kind."
فكتب إلى الملك الناصر بذلك وكتب عقدًا شرعيًّا على ابن تيمية بأمور منكرة، منها: أن المطلق بالثلاث في كلمة واحدة لا تلزمه إلا طلقة واحدة، ومنها: المسافر الذي ينوي بسفره زيارة القبر الشريف — زاده الله طيبًا — لا يقصر الصلاة، وسوى ذلك مما يشبهه، وبعث العقد إلى الملك الناصر، فأمر بسجن ابن تيمية بالقلعة، فسُجِنَ بها حتى مات في السجن.,"Tankiz sent a report to al-Malik al-Nasir on the matter and drew up a legal attestation against Ibn Taimiya charging him with various objectionable statements, such as that a man who makes a threefold repudiation [of his wife] in a single phrase is bound only by a single repudiation, and that a traveller the object of whose journey is to visit the Illustrious Tomb [of the Prophet] (God increase it in sweetness) ought not to [take advantage of the legal dispensation allowed to travellers to] curtail the prayers, and other things of a similar kind. He sent the attestation to al-Malik al-Nasir, who gave orders to imprison Ibn Taimiya in the citadel, which was done, and he remained in prison until his death."
ذكر مدارس دمشق,The colleges of Damascus.
اعلم أن للشافعية بدمشق جملة من المدارس أعظمها العادلية,"You must know that the Shafi’ites have at Damascus a number of colleges, the largest of which is the ‘Adiliya."
وبها يحكم قاضي القضاة،,It is here that the Chief Qadi delivers judgment.
وتُقَابِلُها المدرسة الظاهرية وبها قَبْر الملك الظاهر وبها جلوس نواب القاضي،,"Facing it is the Zahirlya College, containing the tomb of the al-Malik al-Zahir, and in it are held the sessions of the qadi’s substitutes."
ومن نوابه فخر الدين القبطي، كان والده من كُتَّاب القبط وأسلم، ومنهم جمال الدين بن جملة، وقد تولى قضاء قضاة الشافعية بعد ذلك وعُزِلَ لأمر أَوْجَبَ عزله.,"Amongst his substitutes was Fakhr al-Din al-Qibti [that is, the Copt], whose father was one of the Coptic secretaries and embraced Islam, and Jamal al-Din Ibn Jumla, who afterwards held the post of Chief Qadi of the Shafi’ites and was dismissed for a matter which necessitated his removal from office."
حكاية,Anecdote.
كان بدمشق الشيخ الصالح ظهير الدين العجمي، وكان سيف الدين تنكيز ملك الأمراء يتتلمذ له ويُعَظِّمه،,"There lived at Damascus the pious shaikh Zahlr al-Din al-‘Ajami, and Saif al-Din Tankiz, the Malik alUmara’, was a disciple of his and held him in honour."
فحضر يومًا بدار العدل عند ملك الأمراء، وحضر القضاة الأربعة،,"He was present one day at the Hall of Justice before the Malik al-Umara’, and the four qadis were present also."
فحكى قاضي القضاة جمال الدين بن جملة حكايةً،,The Chief Qadi Jamal al-Dm Ibn Jumla related a story.
فقال له ظهير الدين: كَذَبْتَ، فأنف القاضي من ذلك وامتعض له، فقال للأمير: كيف يُكَذِّبُني بحضرتك؟ فقال له الأمير: احكم عليه، وسَلَّمَهُ إليه وظَنَّه أنه يرضى بذلك فلا يناله بسوء،,"Zahir al-Dm said to him ‘You lie’, whereupon the qadi, indignant at this affront and exasperated against him, said to the amir ‘How dare he give me the lie in your presence?’ The amir replied to him ‘Judge him yourself, and delivered Zahir al-Dm over to him, thinking that he would be content with that and do him no harm."
فأحضره القاضي بالمدرسة العادلية وضَرَبَهُ مائتي سوط، وطِيفَ به على حمار في مدينة دمشق، ومنادٍ ينادي عليه، فمتى فَرَغَ من ندائه ضَرَبَهُ على ظهره ضربة، وهكذا العادة عندهم،,"But the qadi had him brought to the ‘Adilfya aao College and gave him two hundred stripes, after which he was paraded on an ass through the city of Damascus, with a crier who proclaimed his crime and every time that he came to the end of his proclamation gave him a blow on the back, for so is the custom in their city."
فبلغ ذلك ملك الأمراء فأنكره أشد الإنكار، وأحضر القضاة والفقهاء،,When this was told to the Malik al-Umara’ he most strongly disapproved of it and had the qadis and jurists assembled.
فأجمعوا على خطأ القاضي وحُكْمه بغير مذهبه، فإن التعزير عند الشافعي لا يبلغ به الحد،,"They agreed unanimously that the qadi was at fault and that his judgment was contrary to [the accepted rules of] his school, for in al-Shafi’i’s view a discretionary punishment must not amount to the [least] punishment laid down in the Law."
وقال قاضي القضاة المالكية شرف الدين: قد حَكَمْت بتفسيقه، فكتب إلى الملك الناصر بذلك فعَزَلَهُ.,"The Malikite Chief Qadi, Sharaf al-Dm, said: ‘I give judgment that he is guilty of violating the Law’, and a report to that effect was sent to al-Malik al-Nasir, who removed him from office in consequence."
وللحنفية مدارس كثيرة، وأكبرها مدرسة السلطان نور الدين، وبها يحكم قاضي القضاة الحنفية،,"The Hanafites [also] have many colleges [at Damascus], the largest of them being the college of the Sultan Nur al-Dm, where the Hanafite Chief Qadi delivers judgment."
وللمالكية بدمشق ثلاث مدارس، إحداها الصمصامية، وبها سَكَنَ قاضي القضاة المالكية وقعوده للأحكام، والمدرسة النورية، عَمَرَها السلطان نور الدين محمود بن زنكي، والمدرسة الشرابشية، عمرها شهاب الدين الشرابشي التاجر،,"The Malikites have three colleges at Damascus: the Samsamlya, where the Malikite Chief Qadi has his residence and holds his tribunal; the Nuriya college established by the Sultan Nur al-Dm Mahmud b. Zanki; and the Sharabishiya college, founded by the merchant Shihab al-Din al-Sharabishi."
وللحنابلة مدارس كثيرة، أعظمها المدرسة النجمية.,"The Hanbalites have many colleges, the largest of them being the Najmiya college."
ذكر أبواب دمشق,The gates of Damascus.
ولمدينة دمشق ثمانية أبواب، منها باب الفراديس، ومنها باب الجابية، ومنها الباب الصغير، وفيما بين هذين البابين مقبرة فيها العدد الجم من الصحابة والشهداء فمن بعدهم،,"The city of Damascus has eight gates, amongst them being the Faradis [Gardens] Gate, the Jabiya Gate, and the Little Gate. Between the two last-named is a cemetery in which lies a great number of Companions of the Prophet and martyrs and men of subsequent generations."
"قال محمد بن جزي: لقد أحسن بعض المتأخرين من أهل دمشق في قوله (رجز):
دمشق في أوصافها جنة خُلْدٍ رَاضِيَهْ
أما ترى أبوابَهَا قد جُعِلَتْ ثَمَانِيَهْ","Muhammad b. Juzayy adds: Very elegantly has a modern poet of Damascus said: Her signs Damascus advertise a pleasant plot of Paradise, For see, in reckoning gate with gate, does not their number come to eight?"
ذِكْر بعض المشاهد والمزارات بها,Some of the tombs and places of visitation there.
فمنها بالمقبرة التي بين البابين؛ باب الجابية والباب الصغير قبر أم حبيبة بنت أبي سفيان أم المؤمنين، وقبر أخيها أمير المؤمنين معاوية، وقبر بلال مؤذن رسول الله ﷺ ورضي الله عنهم أجمعين، وقبر أويس القرني، وقبر كعب الأحبار رضي الله عنهما،,"Amongst these, in the burial ground lying between the two gates, the Jabiya Gate and the Little Gate, is the grave of Umm Habiba daughter of Abu Sufyan, the Mother of the Faithful, the grave of her brother Mu’awiya the Commander of the Faithful, the grave of Bilal, muezzin of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace and be pleased with them all), and those of Uwais al-Qaranl and Ka’b alAhbar (God be pleased with them)."
ووَجَدْتُ في كتاب المعلم في شرح صحيح مسلم للقرطبي: أن جماعة من الصحابة صَحِبَهُم أويس القرني من المدينة إلى الشام،,I found in [the book called] The Book of the Marker [or Embroiderer] in explanation of the Sahih of Muslim by alQurtubi that a number of the Companions of the Prophet were joined by Uwais al-Qarani on their way from al-Madina to Syria.
فتوفي في أثناء الطريق في بريةٍ لا عمارة فيها ولا ماء،,"He died in the course of the journey, in an uninhabited and waterless wilderness, and they were perplexed about his [preparation for burial], but on alighting they found aromatics, grave clothes, and water."
فتَحَيَّرُوا في أمْره، فنزلوا فوجدوا حنوطًا وكفنًا وماء، فعجبوا من ذلك وغسلوه وكفنوه وصَلَّوْا عليه ودفنوه، ثم ركبوا،,"They were astonished at this, and having washed and shrouded him, prayed over him and buried him, they rode away."
فقال بعضهم: كيف نترك قبره بغير علامة؟ فعادوا للموضع فلم يجدوا للقبر من أَثَرٍ،,"Then one of them said ‘How can we leave his grave unmarked?’ and they returned to the place, but could find no trace of the grave."
قال ابن جزي: ويقال: إن أويسًا قُتِل بصفين مع علي عليه السلام، وهو الأصح إن شاء الله،,"Ibn Juzayy adds: It is said also that Uwais was killed at Siffin [while fighting] on the side of ‘AH (on him be peace), and this is the truer story, if God will."
ويلي باب الجابية باب شرقي عنده جبانة فيها قبر أبي بن كعب صاحب رسول الله ﷺ، وفيها قبر العابد الصالح أرسلان المعروف بالباز الأشهب.,"Next to the Jabiya Gate is the East Gate, by which there is a cemetery containing the grave of Ubayy b. Ka’b, the Companion of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), and also the grave of the pious devotee Rislan, known as the Grey Falcon."
حكاية في سبب تسميته بذلك,Anecdote on the reason of his being called by this name.
يحكى أن الشيخ الوالي أحمد الرفاعي رضي الله عنه كان مسكنه بأم عبيدة بمقربة من مدينة واسط،,It is related that the sainted shaikh Ahmad al-Rifa’I (God be pleased with him) had his place of residence at Umm ‘Ubaida in the neighbourhood of the city of Wasit.
وكانت بين ولي الله تعالى أبي مدين شعيب بن الحسين وبينه مؤاخاة ومراسلة، ويقال: إن كل واحد منهما كان يُسَلِّم على صاحبه صباحًا ومساء فيرد عليه الآخر.,"Between the friend of God Most High, Abu Madyan Shu’aib b. alHusain, and al-Rifa’I there was a spiritual brotherhood and correspondence, and it is said that each of them used to salute his friend morning and evening and the other returned his salutations."
وكانت للشيخ أحمد نُخَيْلَات عند زاويته، فلما كان في إحدى السنين جذها على عادته وترك عذقًا منها وقال: هذا برسم أخي شعيب،,"Shaikh Ahmad had a few palm trees near his convent, and one year, on cutting down their fruit as usual, he left one cluster of dates hanging and said This is for my brother Shu’aib’."
فحج الشيخ أبو مدين تلك السنة، واجتمعا بالموقف الكريم بعرفة،,"The same year Shaikh Abu Madyan made the pilgrimage, and they met at the holy station at ‘Arafa."
ومع الشيخ أحمد خديمه رسلان، فتفاوَضا الكلام، وحكى الشيخ حكاية العذق، فقال له رسلان: عن أمرك يا سيدي آتيه به،,"Shaikh Ahmad had with him his servitor Rislan, and as the two [saints] talked together and the shaikh told [Abu Madyan] about the bunch of dates, Rislan said to him ‘By thy command, O my master, I shall fetch it’."
فأذن له فذهب من حينه وأتاه به ووضعه بين أيديهما،,"The shaikh gave him permission, and he departed at once, came back to him with the cluster and laid it in front of them."
فأخبر أهل الزاوية أنهم رأوا عشية يوم عرفة بازًا أشهب قد انْقَضَّ على النخلة فقطع ذلك العذق وذهب به في الهواء،,"Those in the convent related that on the evening of the day of ‘Arafa they saw a grey falcon which swooped down upon the palm tree, cut through [the stalk of] that cluster and bore it off into the air."
وبغربي دمشق جُبَّانة تُعْرَف بقبور الشهداء، فيها قبر أبي الدرداء وزوجه أم الدرداء، وقبر فضالة بن عبيد، وقبر واثلة بن الأسقع، وقبر سهل بن حنظلة من الذين بايعوا تحت الشجرة رضي الله عنهم أجمعين،,"To the west of Damascus is a cemetery known as the Tombs of the Martyrs, containing the graves of Abu’lDarda’, his wife Umm al-Darda’, Fudala b. ‘Obaid, Wathila b. al-Asqa’ and Sahl b. Han?aliya, of those Companions who took the oath [to the Prophet] under the tree (God be pleased with them all)."
وبقرية تُعْرَف المنيحة شرقي دمشق وعلى أربعة أميال منها قبر سعد بن عبادة رضي الله عنه،,"In a village called al-Mamha, to the east and at a distance of four miles from Damascus, is the grave of Sa’d b. ‘Obada (God be pleased with him)."
وعليه مسجد صغير حَسَن البناء، وعلى رأسه حجر فيه مكتوب: هذا قبر سعد بن عبادة رأس الخزرج صاحب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا، وبقربه قبلي البلد وعلى فرسخ منها مشهد أم كلثوم بنت علي بن أبي طالب من فاطمة عليهم السلام،,"Over the grave there is a small and nicely built mosque, and at his head is a stone with this inscription: ‘This is the grave of Sa’d b. ‘Obada, Chief of the Khazraj and Companion of the Apostle of God, God bless and give him peace.’ In a village to the south of the town and a league distant from it, is the tomb of Umm Kulthum, daughter of ‘AH b. Abu Talib by Fatima (upon them be peace)."
ويقال: إن اسمها زينب وكناها النبي ﷺ أم كلثوم لشَبَهِها بخالتها أم كلثوم بنت رسول الله ﷺ،,"It is said that her name was Zainab, and that the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) surnamed her Umm Kulthum because of her resemblance to her maternal aunt, Umm Kulthum, the daughter of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)."
وعليه مسجد كريم، وحوله مساكن، وله أوقاف،,Over the tomb is a noble mosque and it is surrounded by dwelling-houses and possessed of endowments.
ويسميه أهل دمشق قبر الست أم كلثوم،,The people of Damascus call it the grave of the Sitt [‘Lady’] Umm Kulthum.
وقبر آخر يقال: إنه قبر سكينة بنت الحسين بن علي عليه السلام،,"[In the western cemetery] there is another tomb which is said to be that of Sukaina, daughter of al-Husain b. ‘All (on him be peace)."
وبجامع النيرب من قرى دمشق في بيت بِشَرْقِيِّه قبر يقال إنه قبر أم مريم عليها السلام،,"In the congregational mosque of al-Nairab, one of the villages of Damascus, and in a chamber on its eastern side, is a tomb said to be that of the mother of Mary (on her be peace)."
وبقرية تُعْرَف بداريا غربي البلد وعلى أربعة أميال منها قبر أبي مسلم الخولاني، وقبر أبي سليمان الداراني رضي الله عنهما.,"In a village called Darayya, four miles to the west of the town, are the graves of Abu Muslim al-Khawlani and Abu Sulaiman al-Dara.ni (God be pleased with them)."
ومن مشاهد دمشق الشهيرة البركة مسجد الأقدام، وهو في قبلي دمشق على ميلين منها على قارعة الطريق الأعظم الآخذ إلى الحجاز الشريف والبيت المقدس وديار مصر،,"Among the sanctuaries of Damascus which are celebrated for their blessed power is the Mosque of the Footprints (Masjid al-Aqdam), which lies two miles to the south of Damascus, alongside the main highway which leads to the illustrious Hijaz, Jerusalem and Egypt."
وهو مسجد عظيم كثير البركة وله أوقاف كثيرة، ويُعَظِّمه أهل دمشق تعظيمًا شديدًا،,"It is a large mosque, abundant in blessing, and possessing many endowments, and the people of Damascus hold it in great veneration."
والأقدام التي يُنْسَب إليها هي أقدام مصوَّرة في حجر هنالك يقال: إنها أَثَر قَدَم موسى عليه السلام،,"The footprints from which it derives its name are certain footprints impressed upon a rock there, which are said to be the print of the foot of Moses (on him be peace)."
وفي هذا المسجد بيت صغير فيه حجر مكتوب عليه: كان بعض الصالحين يرى المصطفى ﷺ في النوم، فيقول له: ها هنا قبر أخي موسى عليه السلام، وبمقربة من هذا المسجد على الطريق موضع يُعْرَف بالكثيب الأحمر، وبمقربة من بيت المقدس وأريحاء موضع يُعْرَف بالكثيب الأحمر تُعَظِّمه اليهود.,"Within this mosque there is a small chamber containing a stone with the following inscription upon it: ‘A certain saintly man used to see the Chosen [i.e. Muhammad] (God bless and give him peace) in his sleep, and he would say to him “Here is the grave of my brother Moses (on him be peace)”.’ On the road in the vicinity of this mosque is a place called the Red Sandhill; and near Jerusalem and Jericho there is a place which is also called the Red Sandhill and which is revered by the Jews."
حكاية,Anecdote.
شاهدْتُ أيامَ الطاعون الأعظم بدمشق في أواخر شهر ربيع الثاني سنة تسع وأربعين من تعظيم أهل دمشق لهذا المسجد ما يُعْجَب منه،,"I witnessed at the time of the Great Plague at Damascus in the latter part of the month of Second Rabf of the year [July ], a remarkable instance of the veneration of the people of Damascus for this mosque."
وهو أن ملك الأمراء نائب السلطان أرغون شاه أَمَرَ مناديًا ينادي بدمشق أن يصوم الناس ثلاثة أيام ولا يَطْبُخ أحد بالسوق ما يؤكل نهارًا، وأكثر الناس بها إنما يأكلون الطعام الذي يُصْنَع بالسوق،,"Arghun-Shah, king of the amirs and the Sultan’s viceroy, ordered a crier to proclaim through Damascus that the people should fast for three days and that no one should cook in the bazaar during the daytime anything to be eaten (for most of the people there eat no food but what has been prepared in the bazaar)."
فصام الناس ثلاثة أيام متوالية كان آخرها يوم الخميس،,"So the people fasted for three successive days, the last of which was a Thursday."
ثم اجتمع الأمراء والشرفاء والقضاة والفقهاء وسائر الطبقات على اختلافها في الجامع حتى غصَّ بهم وباتوا ليلة الجمعة به ما بين مُصَلٍّ وذاكرٍ وداعٍ،,"At the end of this period the amirs, sharifs, qadis, doctors of the Law, and all other classes of the people in their several degrees, assembled in the Great Mosque, until it was filled to overflowing with them, and spent the Thursday night there in prayers and liturgies and supplications."
ثم صلوا الصبح وخرجوا جميعًا على أقدامهم وبأيديهم المصاحف والأمراء حفاة،,"Then, after performing the dawn prayer [on the Friday morning], they all went out together on foot carrying Qur’ans in their hands—the amirs too barefooted."
وخرج جميع أهل البلد ذكورًا وإناثًا صغارًا وكبارًا، وخرج اليهود بتوراتهم والنصارى بإنجيلهم ومعهم النساء والولدان وجميعهم باكون متضرعون متوسلون إلى الله بكتبه وأنبيائه،,"The entire population of the city joined in the exodus, male and female, small and large; the Jews went out with their book of the Law and the Christians with their Gospel, their women and children with them; the whole concourse of them in tears and humble supplications, imploring the favour of God through His Books and His Prophets."
وقصدوا مسجد الأقدام، وأقاموا به في تَضَرُّعهم ودعائهم إلى قُرْب الزوال، وعادوا إلى البلد فصلوا الجمعة,"They made their way to the Mosque of the Footprints and remained there in supplication and invocation until near midday, then returned to the city and held the Friday service."
وخَفَّفَ الله تعالى عنهم ما انتهى عدد الموتى إلى ألفين في اليوم الواحد، وقد انتهى عددهم بالقاهرة ومصر إلى أربعة وعشرين ألفًا في يوم واحد،,"God Most High lightened their affliction; the number of deaths in a single day reached a maximum of two thousand, whereas the number rose in Cairo and Old Cairo to twenty-four thousand in a day."
وبالباب الشرقي من دمشق منارة بيضاء، يقال: إنها التي ينزل عيسى عليه السلام عندها حسبما وَرَدَ في صحيح مسلم.,"At the East Gate of Damascus is a white minaret, said to be that upon which Jesus (on him be peace) will descend, as is stated in the Sahih of Muslim."
ذكر أرباض دمشق,The suburbs of Damascus.
وتدور بدمشق من جهاتها — ما عدا الشرقية — أرباض فسيحة الساحات دواخلها أملح من داخل دمشق لأجل الضيق الذي في سُكَكها،,"Damascus is surrounded on all sides except the East by suburbs of extensive area, the interiors of which are pleasanter than the interior of Damascus itself, owing to the narrowness which characterizes its lanes."
وبالجهة الشمالية منها ربض الصالحية، وهي مدينة عظيمة لها سوق لا نظير لحسنه، وفيها مسجد جامع ومارستان,"To the north of the city is the suburb of al-Salihiya, a great city [in itself], with a bazaar of unparalleled beauty, and containing a congregational mosque and a hospital."
وبها مدرسة تُعْرَف بمدرسة ابن عمر موقوفة على من أراد أن يَتَعَلَّمَ القرآن الكريم من الشيوخ والكهول، وتجري لهم ولمن يُعَلِّمُهم كفايتهم من المآكل والملابس،,"There is a college there, known as the college of Ibn ‘Omar, which is endowed for the benefit of aged men and men of mature age who desire to learn the holy Qur’an, to whom, and to those who teach them, there is a regular issue of food and clothing sufficient for their needs."
وبداخل البلد أيضًا مدرسة مثل هذه تُعْرَف بمدرسة ابن منجا،,"In Damascus there is a college of the same kind, known as the college of Ibn Munajja."
وأهل الصالحية كلهم على مذهب الإمام أحمد بن حنبل رضي الله عنه.,The inhabitants of al-Salihiya aU adhere to the school of the imam Ahmad b. Hanbal (God be pleased with him).
ذكر قاسيون ومشاهده المباركة,Qdsiyun and its blessed sanctuaries.
وقاسيون جبل في شمال دمشق والصالحية في سفحه وهو شهير البركة؛ لأنه مصعد الأنبياء عليهم السلام،,"Qasiyun is a mountain on the north of Damascus—al-Salihlya lies at its foot— i celebrated for blessedness, as being the place of ascent of the Prophets (on them be peace)."
ومن مشاهده الكريمة الغار الذي وُلِدَ فيه إبراهيم الخليل عليه السلام،,Among its holy sanctuaries is the cave in which was born Abraham al-Khalil (on him be peace).
وهو غار مستطيل ضيق عليه مسجد كبير وله صومعة عالية،,"It is a long and narrow cave, over which [has been built] a large mosque, with a tall minaret."
ومن ذلك الغار رأى الكوكبَ والقمرَ والشمسَ حسبما وَرَدَ في الكتاب العزيز، وفي ظَهْر الغار مقامه الذي كان يخرج إليه،,"It was from that cave that he saw the star, the moon and the sun, as is related in the Exalted Book. Behind the cave is his standing-place, to which he used to come out."
وقد رأيت ببلاد العراق قرية تُعْرَف ببرص (بضم الباء الموحدة وآخرها صاد مهمل) ما بين الحلة وبغداد، يقال: إن مولد إبراهيم عليه السلام كان بها،,"I have seen also in the land of al-‘Iraq a village called Burs, between al-Hilla and Baghdad, in which Abraham (on him be peace) is said to have been born."
وهي بمقربة من بلد ذي الكفل عليه السلام وبها قبره،,This village is near the town of Dhu’ -Kifl (on him be peace) and contains his grave.
ومن مشاهده بالغرب منه مغارة الدم وفوقها بالجبل دم هابيل بن آدم عليه السلام، وقد أبقى الله منه في الحجارة أثرًا محمرًّا،,"Another of its sanctuaries, to the west of the cave of Abraham, is the Cave of Blood, above which on the hill-side [can be seen] the blood of Abel, the son of Adam (on him be peace), God having caused a red trace of it to remain on the stones."
وهو الموضع الذي قَتَلَهُ أخوه به واجتره إلى المغارة،,"This is the place in which his brother [Cain] killed him, and dragged his body to the cave."
ويُذْكَر أن تلك المغارة صلى فيها إبراهيم وموسى وعيسى وأيوب ولوط صلى الله عليهم أجمعين،,"It is affirmed that in this cave have prayed Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Job, and Lot (God bless them all)."
وعليها مسجد مُتْقَن البناء يُصْعَد إليه على دَرَج وفيه بيوت ومرافق للسكنى، ويُفْتَح في كل يوم اثنين وخميس، والشمع والسرج تُوقَد في المغارة،,"Over it there stands a mosque of solid construction, to which one ascends by a flight of steps; it has rooms and conveniences for residence, and is opened every Monday and Thursday, when candles and lamps are lit in the cave."
ومنها كَهْف بأعلى الجبل يُنْسَب لآدم عليه السلام، وعليه بناء، وأسفل منه مغارة تُعْرَف بمغارة الجوع، يُذْكَر أنه آوى إليها سبعون من الأنبياء عليهم السلام، وكان عندهم رغيف فلم يَزَلْ يدور عليهم وكُلٌّ منهم يُؤْثِر صاحبه به حتى ماتوا جميعًا صلى الله عليهم،,"Thirdly, there is a large cavern at the top of the mountain which is called by the name of Adam (on him be peace), and surmounted by a building. Somewhat below it is a cave known as the Cave of Hunger; the story is told that seventy of the Prophets (on them be peace) took refuge in it, having with them only one loaf, and it continued to circulate amongst them, as each preferred to give it to his neighbour, until they all died together (God bless them)."
وعلى هذه المغارة مسجد مبنيٌّ والسرج تُوقَد به ليلًا ونهارًا،,"Over this cave also is a regularly constructed mosque, and in it lamps are kept burning night and day."
ولكل مسجد من هذه المساجد أوقاف كثيرة معينة،,Each of these mosques has numerous endowments appropriated to its upkeep.
ويُذْكَر أن فيما بين الفراديس وجامع قاسيون مدفن سبعمائة نبي، وبعضهم يقول: سبعين ألفًا،,It is asserted also that between the Garden Gate and the congregational mosque of Qasiyun is the burial place of seven hundred prophets—others say seventy thousand.
وخارج المدينة المقبرة العتيقة، وهي مدفن الأنبياء والصالحين، وفي طرفها مما يلي البساتين أرض منخفضة غلب عليها الماء,"Outside the city is the old cemetery, the burial place of the prophets and saints, and at the end of it that lies next to the orchards is a low-lying piece of ground, which has been invaded by water."
يقال: إنها مدفن سبعين نبيًّا، وقد عادت قرارًا للماء ونزهت من أن يُدْفَن فيها أحد.,"This is said to be the burial place of seventy prophets, but has now become a hollow in which the water collects, and so is preserved from being denied by the burial of anyone else there."
ذِكْر الربوة والقرى التي تواليها,Al-Rabwa and the villages in its neighbourhood.
وفي آخر جبل قاسيون الربوة المباركة المذكورة في كتاب الله ذات القرار والمعين، ومأوى المسيح عيسى وأمه عليهما السلام،,"At the far [west] end of Jabal Qasiyun is the blessed Hill (al-Rabwa) which is mentioned in the Qur’an, ‘furnished with security and a flowing spring’, the refuge of Jesus the Messiah and his Mother (on them be peace)."
وهي من أجمل مناظر الدنيا ومتنزهاتها، وبها القصور المشيدة والمباني الشريفة والبساتين البديعة،,"It is one of the most beautiful sights in the world and most pleasant of its resorts, and on it are lofty palaces, noble buildings, and choice gardens."
والمأوى المبارك مغارة صغيرة في وسطها كالبيت الصغير وإزاءها بيت يقال: إنه مصلى الخضر عليه السلام،,"The blessed Refuge is a small cave in the middle part of the hill, of the size of a small room, and opposite it is a one-roomed building which is said to have been the place of prayer of al-Khidr (on him be peace)."
يبادِر الناس إلى الصلاة فيها،,The people press forward eagerly to make a prayer in his hut.
وللمأوى باب حديد صغير والمسجد يدور به وله شوارع دائرة وسقاية حسنة ينزل لها الماء من عُلُوٍّ,"The Refuge has a small iron door, and is encircled by the mosque; the latter has circular ambulatories and a beautiful fountain to which the water comes down from above."
وينصب في شاذروان في الجدار يتصل بحوض من رخام ويقع فيه الماء,"It is led through a channel in the wall, which connects with a marble tank, into which the water falls."
ولا نظير له في الحسن وغرابة الشكل،,There is nothing to compare with it in beauty and strangeness of shape.
وبقرب ذلك مَطَاهر للوضوء يجري فيها الماء،,"Nearby are lavatories for the ceremonial ablutions, supplied with running water."
وهذه الربوة المباركة هي رأس بساتين دمشق وبها منابع مياهها،,"This blessed hill is the commencement of the gardens of Damascus, and contains the springs of its waters."
وينقسم الماء الخارج منها على سبعة أنهار، كلُّ نَهْر آخذ في جهة، ويُعْرَف ذلك الموضع بالمقاسم،,"The water which flows from them is divided into seven streams, each taking a different direction, and the place where this is done is known as al-Maqasim."
وأكبر هذه الأنهار النهر المسمى بتورة، وهو يَشُقُّ تحت الربوة وقد نَحَتَ له مجرًى في الحجر الصلد كالغار الكبير،,"The largest of these streams is the river called Tura, which cuts through the bottom of the hill, where a channel has been carved out for it in the solid rock, like a great cave."
وربما انغمس ذو الجسارة من العوامين في النهر من أعلى الربوة واندفع في الماء حتى يشق مجراه ويخرج من أسفل الربوة وهي مخاطرة عظيمة،,"Sometimes a daring swimmer will plunge into the stream at the upper end of the hill and, swimming with powerful strokes under the water until he makes the passage of the channel, will come out at the lower end of the hill, but it is a terrible risk."
وهذه الربوة تشرف على البساتين الدائرة بالبلد، ولها من الحسن واتساع مسرح الأبصار ما ليس لسواها، وتلك الأنهار السبعة تذهب في طرق شتى، فتحار الأعين في حُسْن اجتماعها وافتراقها واندفاعها وانصبابها.,"This hill overlooks the gardens which surround the city, and in beauty and extent of the prospect offered to the eyes may boast of a view which no other hill possesses, with these seven streams flowing away in diverse directions, so that the vision is dazzled by the charm of their junction and separation, their swift current and their gliding [across the plain]."
وجمال الربوة وحسنها التام أعظم من أن يُحِيطَ به الوصف،,But the elegance and perfect beauty of al-Rabwa are too great for any description to be adequate.
ولها الأوقاف الكثيرة من المزارع والبساتين والرباع تقام منها وظائفها للإمام والمؤذن والصادر والوارد،,"It possesses many endowments of fields, orchards and immovable property, from which are met its expenses for [the stipends of] the imam and the muezzin and [the needs of] travellers."
وبأسفل الربوة قرية النيرب، وقد تَكَاثَرَتْ بساتينها وتكاثَفَتْ ظلالها وتدانَتْ أشجارها، فلا يَظْهَر من بنائها إلا ما سما ارتفاعه،,"Below al-Rabwa is the village of al-Nairab, whose gardens are so numerous, their shades so reinforced, their trees so thickset, that no building of it is to be seen, except those of lofty height."
ولها حمام مليح، ولها جامع بديع مفروش صحنه بفصوص الرخام، وفيه سقاية ماء رائقة الحسن ومطهَّرة فيها بيوت عدة يجري فيها الماء،,"It possesses a pleasant bath house and an exquisite congregational mosque, the court of which is paved with tessellated marble, and which has a fountain of surpassing beauty and a lavatory with many chambers supplied with running water."
وفي القبلي من هذه القرية قرية المِزَّة وتُعْرَف بمِزَّة كلب نسبة إلى قبيلة كلب بن وبرة بن ثعلب بن حلوان بن عمران بن الحاف بن قضاعة، وكانت إقطاعًا لهم،,"To the south of this village is the village of al-Mizza, also called Mizzat Kalb, after the tribe of Kalb b. Wabra b. Tha’lab b. Hulwan b. ‘Umran b. Ilhaf b. Quda’a, for it was a territory assigned to them."
وإليها يُنْسَب الإمام حافظ الدنيا جمال الدين يوسف بن الزكي الكلبي المزي، وكثير سواه من العلماء،,From this village is derived the ethnic of the imam Hafiz al-Dunya Jamal al-Din Yusuf b. al-Zaki al-Kalbi al-Mizzi and many others of the ‘ulama.
وهي من أعظم قرى دمشق، بها جامع كبير عجيب وسقاية معينة،,"It is one of the largest of the villages of Damascus, and possesses a remarkable congregational mosque and a fountain of spring water."
وأكثر قرى دمشق فيها الحمامات والمساجد الجامعة والأسواق، وسكانها كأهل الحاضرة في مناحيهم،,"Most of the villages of Damascus have their own bath-houses, congregational mosques, and bazaars, and their inhabitants are exactly like the inhabitants of the city in their ways of living."
وفي شرقي البلد قرية تُعْرَف ببيت الأهية، وكانت فيها كنيسة,"To the east of the town is a village known as Bait Ilahiya, in which there stood formerly a church."
يقال: إن آزر كان ينحب فيها الأصنام فيكسرها الخليل عليه السلام،,"It is said that Azar used to carve idols there, and then al-Khalll (on him be peace) would break them."
وهي الآن مسجد جامع بديع مزيَّن بفصوص الرخام الملوَّنة المنظَّمة بأعجب نظام وأزين الْتئام.,"The church is now a magnificent congregational mosque, adorned with [a pavement of] tessellated marble, of various colours and arranged in the most admirable order and most decorative symmetry."
ذِكْر الأوقاف بدمشق وبعض فضائل أهلها وعوائدهم,"The pious endowments at Damascus, and some of the merits and customs of its inhabitants."
والأوقاف بدمشق لا تُحْصَر أنواعها ومصارفها لكثرتها،,"The varieties of the endowments at Damascus and their expenditure are beyond computation, so numerous are they."
فمنها أوقافٌ على العاجزين عن الحج يُعْطَى لمن يحج عن الرجل منهم كفايته،,"There are endowments in aid of persons who cannot undertake the Pilgrimage, out of which are paid to those who go in their stead sums sufficient for their needs."
ومنها أوقاف على تجهيز البنات إلى أزواجهن، وهي اللواتي لا قدرة لأهلهن على تجهيزهن،,"There are endowments for supplying wedding outfits to girls, to those namely whose families are unable to provide them [with the customary paraphernalia]."
ومنها أوقاف لفكاك الأسارى، ومنها أوقاف لأبناء السبيل يُعْطَوْن منها ما يأكلون ويلبسون ويتزودون لبلادهم،,"There are endowments for the freeing of prisoners, and endowments for travellers, out of which they are given food, clothing, and the expenses of conveyance to their countries."
ومنها أوقاف على تعديل الطريق ورَصْفها؛ لأن أزقة دمشق لكل واحد منها رصيفان في جنبيه يمر عليهما المترجلون ويمر الركبان بين ذلك،,"There are endowments for the improvement and paving of the streets, because the lanes in Damascus all have a pavement on either side on which the foot passengers walk, while riders use the roadway in between."
ومنها أوقاف لسوى ذلك من أفعال الخير.,Besides these there are endowments for other charitable purposes.
حكاية,Anecdote.
مررت يومًا ببعض أزقة دمشق، فرأيت به مملوكًا صغيرًا قد سَقَطَتْ من يده صحفة من الفخار الصيني وهم يُسَمُّونها الصحن، فتَكَسَّرَتْ واجتمع عليه الناس، فقال له بعضهم: اجْمَعْ شقفها واحْمِلْها معك لصاحب أوقاف الأواني،,"As I went one day along a lane in Damascus, I saw in it a young slave-boy out of whose hand there had just fallen a Chinese porcelain dish (which they call by the name of sahn [i.e. platter]) and had broken to bits. A crowd gathered round him and one of them said to him, Tick up the pieces, and take them with you to the custodian of the endowments for utensils’."
فجَمَعَهَا وذَهَبَ الرجل معه إليه، فأراه إياها فدَفَعَ له ما اشترى به مثل ذلك الصحن،,"So he picked them up, and the man went with him to the custodian, to whom the slave showed the broken pieces and thereupon received from him enough to buy a similar platter."
وهذا من أحسن الأعمال، فإن سيد الغلام لا بد له أن يَضْرِبَه على كَسْر الصحن أو يَنْهَره، وهو أيضًا ينكسر قلبه ويتغير لأجل ذلك،,"This endowment is one of the best of good works, for the boy’s master would undoubtedly have beaten him for breaking the dish, or at least have scolded him, while he too would have been heartbroken and upset because of that."
فكان هذا الوقف جبرًا للقلوب، جزى الله خيرًا من تَسَامَتْ هِمَّتُهُ في الخير إلى مثل هذا،,The benefaction is thus indeed a mender of hearts—may God well reward him whose charitable zeal rose to the height of such an action.
وأهل دمشق يتنافسون في عمارة المساجد والزوايا والمدارس والمشاهد،,"The people of Damascus vie with one another in the building and endowment of mosques, religious houses, colleges, and sanctuaries."
وهم يُحْسِنون الظن بالمغاربة ويطمئنون إليهم بالأموال والأهلين والأولاد،,"They have a high opinion of the Moors and freely entrust them with the care of their moneys, wives and children."
وكل من انقطع بجهة من جهات دمشق لا بد أن يتأتى له وَجْه من المعاش من إمامة مسجد أو قراءة بمدرسة أو مُلَازَمة مسجد يجيء إليه فيه رِزْقُه أو قراءة القرآن أو خدمة مشهد من المشاهد المباركة، أو يكون كجملة الصوفية بالخوانق تجرى له النفقة والكسوة،,"Every man [of them] who comes to the end of his resources in any district of Damascus finds without exception some means of livelihood opened to him, either as imam in a mosque, or as a reciter in a college, or by occupation of [a cell in] a mosque, where his daily requirements are supplied to him, or by recitation of the Qur’an, or employment as a keeper at one of the blessed sanctuaries, or else he may be included in the company of Sufis who live in the convents, in receipt of a regular allowance of upkeep-money and clothing."
فمن كان بها غريبًا على خيرٍ لم يَزَلْ مصونًا عن بَذْل وَجْهِه محفوظًا عما يُزْرِي بالمروءة،,"Anyone who is a stranger there living on charity is always protected from [having to earn it at] the expense of his self-respect, and carefully sheltered from anything that might injure his dignity."
ومن كان من أهل المهنة والخدمة، فله أسبابٌ أُخَرَ من حراسة بستان أو أمانة طاحونة أو كفالة صبيان يَغْدُو معهم إلى التعليم ويروح، ومن أراد طَلَبَ العلم أو التفرغ للعبادة وَجَدَ الإعانة التامة على ذلك.,"Those who are manual workers or in domestic service find other means [of livelihood], for example as guardian of an orchard or intendant of a mill, or in charge of children, going with them in the morning to their lessons and coming back [with them] in the evening, and anyone who wishes to pursue a course of studies or to devote himself to the religious life receives every aid to the execution of his purpose."
ومن فضائل أهل دمشق أنه لا يُفْطِر أحد منهم في ليالي رمضان وحده البتة،,It is one of the laudable customs of the people of Damascus that not a man of them breaks his fast during the nights of Ramadan entirely alone.
فمن كان من الأمراء والقضاة والكبراء فإنه يدعو أصحابه والفقراء يفطرون عنده،,"Those of the standing of amirs, qadis and notables invite their friends and [a number of] faqirs to breakfast at their houses."
ومن كان من التجار وكبار السوقة صَنَعَ مثل ذلك، ومن كان من الضعفاء والبادية فإنهم يجتمعون كل ليلة في دار أحدهم أو في مسجد ويأتي كلُّ أحدٍ بما عنده فيفطرون جميعًا،,"Merchants and substantial traders follow the same practice; the poor and the country folk for their part assemble each night in the house of one of their own number or in a mosque, each brings what he has, and the}’ all breakfast together."
ولما وَرَدْتُ دمشق وَقَعَتْ بيني وبين نور الدين السخاوي مُدَرِّس المالكية صُحْبَة، فرَغِبَ مني أن أفطر عنده في ليالي رمضان،,"When I first came to Damascus, a friendship grew up between the Malikite professor Nur al-DIn as-Sakhawi and me, and he urged me to breakfast at his house during the nights of Ramadan."
فحضرْتُ عنده أربع ليالي، ثم أصابتني الحمى فغِبْتُ عنه,After I had visited him for four nights I had a stroke of fever and absented myself.
فبَعَثَ في طلبي فاعتذرْتُ بالمرض، فلم يَسَعْنِي عذرًا، فرجعت إليه وبِتُّ عنده،,"He sent out in search of me, and although I excused myself on the ground of illness he would accept no excuse from me, so I went back to his house and spent the night there."
فلما أردت الانصراف بالغد منعني من ذلك، وقال لي: احسب داري كأنها دارك أو دار أبيك أو أخيك، وأَمَرَ بإحضار طبيب، وأن يُصْنَع لي بداره كل ما يشتهيه الطبيب من دواء أو غذاء،,"When I wished to take leave the next morning, he would not hear of it but said to me, ‘Consider my house as your own, or as the house of your father or brother’, and gave orders to send for a doctor and to have prepared for my use in his own house everything that the doctor should prescribe in the way of medicine or diet."
وأقمت كذلك عنده إلى يوم العيد، وحضرْتُ المصلى، وشفاني الله تعالى مما أصابني،,"I remained in his house in this condition until the day of the Feast [of the Fast-breaking], when I joined in the festival prayers at the musalla and God Most High healed me of what had befallen me."
وقد كان ما عندي من النفقة نفد، فعلم بذلك فاكترى لي جمالًا وأعطاني الزاد وسواه وزادني دراهم، وقال لي: تكون لما عسى أن يعتريك من أَمْر مهم — جزاه الله خيرًا —,"Meanwhile all the money I had for my expenses was exhausted. Nur al-Din, learning this, hired camels for me and gave me travelling provisions, etc., and money in addition, saying to me, ‘It will come in useful for anything of importance that you may be in need of—may God reward him well!"
وكان بدمشق فاضل من كتاب الملك الناصر يسمى عماد الدين القيصراني،,"There was a worthy man at Damascus, one of the secretaries of al-Malik al-Nasir, called ‘Imad al-Din al-Qaisarani."
من عادته أنه متى سمع أن مغربيًّا وَصَلَ إلى دمشق بحث عنه وأضافه وأحسن إليه،,"It was his custom, whenever he heard of a Moor arriving in Damascus, to send for him, to entertain him and to make him a generous gift."
فإن عَرَفَ منه الدين والفضل أَمَرَهُ بملازمته وكان يلازمه منهم جماعة،,"If he found him to possess religion and merit, he would bid him attach himself to his company, and there were a number of such men living permanently with him."
وعلى هذه الطريقة أيضًا كاتب السر الفاضل علاء الدين بن غانم وجماعة غيره،,"The same practice is followed also by the worthy private secretary, ‘Ala al-Din Ibn Ghanim, and a number of others."
وكان بها فاضل من كبرائها وهو الصاحب عز الدين القلانسي، له مآثر ومكارم وفضائل وإيثار وهو ذو مال عريض،,"There was [another] worthy man there among the notables of the city, namely the Sahib ‘Izz al-Din alQalanisi, who was distinguished by generous qualities, bountiful actions, outstanding merits and munificence, and was possessed of vast wealth."
وذكروا أن الملك الناصر لما قَدِمَ دمشق أضافه وجميع أهل دولته ومماليكه وخواصه ثلاثة أيام فسماه إذ ذاك بالصاحب.,"They relate that when al-Malik al-Nasir came to Damascus ‘Izz al-Dm entertained him and all his ministers, mamluks, and household officers for three days, and it was on that occasion that he gave him the title of Sahib."
ومما يُؤْثَر من فضائلهم أن أحد ملوكهم السالفين لما نزل به الموت أوصى أن يُدْفَن بقبلة الجامع المكرَّم ويُخْفَى قبره، وعَيَّنَ أوقافًا عظيمة لقُرَّاء يقرءون سبعًا من القرآن الكريم في كل يوم إثر صلاة الصبح بالجهة الشرقية من مقصورة الصحابة رضي الله عنهم حيث قبره، فصارت قراءة القرآن على قبره لا تنقطع أبدًا، وبقي ذلك الرسم الجميل بعده مخلَّدًا،,"Among the merits of the Damascenes which deserve to be related is the fact that one of their ancient kings when death came upon him gave directions that he should be buried by the qibla of the glorified mosque and that his grave should be concealed, and further set aside considerable endowments for Qur’an-readers to recite a seventh part of the Holy Qur’an every day after the dawn prayer on the eastern side of the Enclosure of the Companions (God be pleased with them), where his grave was situated. Now the recitation of the Qur’an over his grave has gone on without interruption ever, and this goodly custom has remained in perpetual observance since his death."
ومن عادة أهل دمشق وسائر تلك البلاد أنهم يخرجون بعد صلاة العصر من يوم عرفة فيقفون بصحون المساجد كبيت المقدس وجامع بني أمية وسواها،,"It is a custom of the people of Damascus and all the other cities of that region to go out [of the covered part of the mosques] after the mid-afternoon prayer on the day of ‘Arafa, and to stand in the courtyard of the mosques, such as the Sanctuary of Jerusalem, the Umayyad congregational mosque [at Damascus], etc."
ويقف بهم أئمتهم كاشفي رءوسهم داعين خاضعين خاشعين ملتمسين البركة,"Their imams stand with them bare-headed, their bodies humbly bowed in prayer, with lowly voice and downcast eyes, entreating the blessing of God."
ويتوخون الساعة التي يَقِفُ فيها وَفْد الله تعالى وحجاج بيته بعرفات، ولا يزالون في خضوع ودعاء وابتهال وتوسُّل إلى الله تعالى بحجاج بيته إلى أن تغيب الشمس، فينفرون كما ينفر الحاج باكين على ما حُرِمُوه من ذلك الموقف الشريف بعرفات، داعين إلى الله تعالى أن يوصلهم إليها ولا يخيبهم من بركة القبول فيما فعلوه،,"Observing thus the hour in which the homagers of God Most High and pilgrims to His House stand at ‘Arafat, they continue in humble reverence and prayer and earnest supplication, imploring the favour of God Most High through the Pilgrims to His House, until the sun sets, when they hurriedly disperse, in imitation of the rush of the pilgrims, weeping that it has been denied them to join in that illustrious station at ‘Arafat, and praying God Most High that He may bring them thither and not withhold from them the blessing of His acceptance of that which they have done [on this day]."
ولهم أيضًا في اتباع الجنائز رتبة عجيبة،,They observe also an admirable ceremony in accompanying funerals.
وذلك أنهم يمشون أمام الجنازة والقراء يقرءون القرآن بالأصوات الحسنة والتلاحين المبكية التي تكاد النفوس تطير لها رِقَّةً،,"They walk in front of the bier while the Qur’an-readers intone the Qur’an in beautiful voices and with affecting modulations, at which men’s souls all but take wings for pity."
وهم يصلون على الجنائز بالمسجد الجامع قبالة المقصورة،,"They pray over the corpses in the congregational mosque, opposite the enclosure."
فإن كان الميت من أئمة الجامع أو مؤذنيه أو خُدَّامِه أَدْخَلُوه بالقراءة إلى موضع الصلاة عليه، وإن كان من سواهم قَطَعُوا القراءة عند باب المسجد وأدخلوا الجنازة،,"If the dead man was one of the imams of the mosque, or one of its muezzins or servitors, they bring him in while the recitation continues to the place where the prayer is held; if he was not one of these, they interrupt the recitation at the door of the mosque and bring in the bier [in silence]."
وبعضهم يَجْتَمِع له بالبلاط الغربي من الصحن بمقربة من باب البريد,"In the case of some persons, a meeting of commemoration is held in the western colonnade of the court, near the Gate of the Post."
فيجلسون وأمامهم ربعات القرآن يقرءون فيها ويرفعون أصواتهم بالنداء لكل من يصل للعزاء من كبار البلدة وأعيانها، ويقولون: باسم الله فلان الدين من كمال وجمال وشمس وبدر وغير ذلك،,"They sit down, having in front of them copies of the Qur’an in chests from which [the Qur’an-readers] recite, and [the masters of ceremonies] raise their voices to announce the names of all the great ones and notables of the town who come to take part in the funeral service, saying, ‘In the name of God, so-and-so al-Dm’ such as Kamal, Jamal, Shams, Badr and the rest."
فإذا أتموا القراءة قام المؤذنون فيقولون: افْتَكِروا واعتبروا صلاتكم على فلان الرجل الصالِح العالِم، ويصفونه بصفات من الخير,"When they finish the recitation of the Qur’an, the muezzins rise and say, Think on and consider well your prayer for so-and-so, the man of piety and learning’, describing him with various epithets indicative of good qualities."
ثم يصلون عليه ويذهبون به إلى مدفنه.,They then pray over him and take him away to his place of burial.
ولأهل الهند رتبة عجيبة في الجنائز أيضًا زائدة على ذلك،,"The people of India also observe an admirable ceremony at funerals, which even surpasses this."
وهي أنهم يجتمعون بروضة الميت صبيحة الثالث مِنْ دَفْنه،,They assemble at the sepulchre of the deceased on the morning of the third day after his burial.
وتُفْرَش الروضة بالثياب الرفيعة ويُكْسَى القبر بالأكسية الفاخرة وتُوضَع حوله الرياحين من الورد والنسرين والياسمين، وذلك النوار لا ينقطع عندهم،,"The sepulchre is garnished with fine cloths, and the tomb itself is covered with rich hangings and surrounded by sweet-scented flowers, such as roses, eglantine, and jasmine, for these flowers are perennial with them."
ويأتون بأشجار الليمون والأترج ويجعلون فيها حبوبها إن لم تكن فيها، ويجعل صيوان يظلل الناس نحوه،,"They bring also lemon and citrus trees, tying on their fruits if they have none, and a marquee is put up to shade the party."
ويأتي القضاة والأمراء ومن يماثلهم فيقعدون,"The qadis, amirs and other persons of like rank come and take their seats."
ويقابِلُهم القُرَّاء ويؤتى بالربعات الكرام فيأخذ كل واحد منهم جزءًا،,"Facing them are the Qur’an-readers, each one of whom, when the Holy Qur’an-chests are brought, takes a thirtieth."
فإذا تَمَّت القراءة من القراء بالأصوات الحسان يدعو القاضي,"At the end of the recitation, agreeably intoned by the readers, the qadl makes an invocation."
ويقوم قائمًا ويخطب خطبة مُعَدَّة لذلك ويَذْكُر فيها الميت ويرثيه بأبيات شِعْر ويَذْكُر أقاربه ويُعَزِّيهم عنه ويَذْكُر السلطان داعيًا له،,"He stands upright, and delivers an oration prepared for the occasion, referring in it first to the deceased, whom he mourns in [eulogizing] verses of poetry, then to his relatives, consoling them for his death, and lastly to the Sultan, in a prayer for him."
وعند ذِكْر السلطان يقوم الناس ويحطون رءوسهم إلى سمت الجهة التي بها السلطان،,When the Sultan’s name is mentioned the audience rise and bow their heads towards the quarter in which the Sultan then is.
ثم يقعد القاضي ويأتون بماء الورد فيُصَبُّ على الناس صبًّا، يُبْدَأ بالقاضي ثم من يليه كذلك، إلى أن يعم الناس أجمعين،,"The qadi then resumes his seat, and rose-water is brought in and sprinkled on those present, beginning with the qadi, then the person next to him, and so on until everyone has been included."
ثم يؤتى بأواني السكر، وهو الجلاب محلولًا بالماء فيسقون الناس منه ويبدءون بالقاضي ومن يليه،,"After this candied sugar, that is to say jalap, is brought in, dissolved in water, and they serve it to all, beginning with the qadi, and the person next to him [and so on]."
ثم يؤتى بالتنبول,Finally the betel is brought.
وهم يعظمونه ويُكْرِمُون من يأتي لهم به،,"They make much of this, and offer it to their guests as a mark of respect."
فإذا أعطى السلطان أحدًا منه فهو أَعْظَم من إعطاء الذهب والخُلَع، وإذا مات الميت لم يأكل أهله التنبول إلا في ذلك اليوم،,"When the Sultan gives anyone some betel, it is a greater honour than a gift of gold or official robes, and when a man dies his family eat no betel until the day of this ceremony."
فيأخذ القاضي أو من يقوم مقامه أوراقًا منه فيعطيها لولي الميت فيأكلها وينصرفون حينئذ،,"The qadi, or whoever replaces him, takes some leaves of it and gives them to the heir of the deceased, who eats them, and the party thereupon disperses."
وسيأتي ذِكْر التنبول إن شاء الله تعالى.,"A description of the betel will be given later, if God Most High will."
ذكر سماعي بدمشق وَمَنْ أجازني من أهلها,"What lectures I attended at Damascus, and those of its scholars who gave me licence to teach."
سمِعْتُ بجامع بني أمية — عمره الله بذكره — جميع صحيح الإمام أبي عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل الجعفي البخاري رضي الله عنه، على الشيخ المعمر رحلة الآفاق ملحق الأصاغر بالأكابر شهاب الدين أحمد بن أبي طالب بن أبي النعم بن حسن بن علي بن بيان الدين مقرئ الصالحي المعروف بابن الشحنة الحجازي في أربعة عشر مجلسًا، أولها يوم الثلاثاء منتصف شهر رمضان المعظم سنة ست وعشرين وسبعمائة، وآخرها يوم الإثنين الثامن والعشرين منه بقراءة الإمام الحافظ مؤرخ الشام علم الدين أبي محمد القاسم بن محمد بن يوسف البرزالي الإشبيلي الأصل الدمشقي، في جماعة كبيرة كتب أسماءهم محمد بن طغريل بن عبد الله بن الغزال الصيرفي، بسماع الشيخ أبي العباس الحجازي لجميع الكتاب من الشيخ الإمام سراج الدين أبي عبد الله الحسين بن أبي بكر المبارك بن محمد بن يحيى بن علي بن المسيح بن عمران الربيعي البغدادي الزبيدي الحنبلي، في أواخر شوال وأوائل ذي القعدة من سنة ثلاثين وستمائة بالجامع المظفري بسفح جبل قاسيون ظاهر دمشق، وبإجازته في جميع الكتاب من الشيخين أبي الحسن محمد بن أحمد بن عمر بن الحسين بن الخلف القطيعي المؤرخ، وعلي بن أبي بكر بن عبد الله بن روبة القلانسي العطار البغدادي، ومن باب غيرة النساء ووجدهن إلى آخر الكتاب من أبي المنجا عبد الله بن عمر بن علي بن زيد بن اللتي الخزاعي البغدادي، بسماع أربعتهم من الشيخ سديد الدين أبي الوقت عبد الأول بن عيسى بن شعيب بن إبراهيم السجزي الهروي الصوفي، في سنة ثلاث وخمسين وخمسمائة ببغداد، قال: أخبرنا الإمام جمال الإسلام أبو الحسن عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن المظفر بن محمد بن داود بن أحمد بن معاذ بن سهل بن الحكم الداودي قراءة عليه وأنا أسمع ببوشنج سنة خمس وستين وأربعمائة، قال: أخبرنا أبو محمد عبد الله بن أحمد بن حوية بن يوسف بن أيمن السرخسي قراءة عليه وأنا أسمع في صفر سنة إحدى وثمانين وثلاثمائة، قال: أخبرنا عبد الله محمد بن يوسف بن مطر بن صالح بن بشر بن إبراهيم الفربري قراءة عليه وأنا أسمع سنة ست عشرة وثلاثمائة بفربر، قال: أخبرنا الإمام أبو عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري رضي الله عنه سنة ثمانٍ وأربعين ومائتين بفربر، ومرة ثانية بعدها سنة ثلاث وخمسين، وممن أجازني من أهل دمشق إجازة عامة الشيخ أبو العباس الحجازي المذكور سبق إلى ذلك وتَلَفَّظَ لي به. ومنهم الشيخ الإمام شهاب الدين أحمد بن عبد الله بن أحمد بن محمد المقدسي، ومولده في ربيع الأول سنة ثلاث وخمسين وستمائة.ومنهم الشيخ الإمام الصالح عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن أحمد بن عبد الرحمن النجدي.ومنهم إمام الأئمة جمال الدين أبو المحاسن يوسف بن الزكي عبد الرحمن بن يوسف المزني الكلي حافظ الحفاظ.ومنهم الشيخ الإمام علاء الدين علي بن يوسف بن محمد بن عبد الله الشافعي، والشيخ الإمام الشريف محيي الدين يحيى بن محمد بن علي العلوي.ومنهم الشيخ الإمام المحدث مجد الدين القاسم بن عبد الله بن أبي عبد الله بن المعلي الدمشقي، ومولده سنة أربع وخمسين وستمائة.ومنهم الشيخ الإمام العالم شهاب الدين أحمد بن إبراهيم بن فلاح بن محمد الإسكندري.ومنهم الشيخ الإمام ولي الله تعالى شمس الدين بن عبد الله بن تمام، والشيخان الأخوان شمس الدين محمد وكمال الدين عبد الله ابنا إبراهيم بن عبد الله بن أبي عمر المقدسي، والشيخ العابد شمس الدين محمد بن أبي الزهراء بن سالم الهكاري، والشيخة الصالحة أم محمد عائشة بنت محمد بن مسلم بن سلامة الحراني، والشيخة الصالحة رحلة الدنيا زينب بنت كمال الدين أحمد بن عبد الرحيم بن عبد الواحد بن أحمد المقدسي، كل هؤلاء أجازني إجازة عامة في سنة ست وعشرين بدمشق.,"In the Umayyad mosque (God keep it ever filled with His praise) I heard the whole of the Sahth of the imam Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Isma’il al-Bukhari (God be pleased with him) explained by the aged shaikh, the goal of travel from all quarters, the conjoiner of the younger with the elder generations, Shihab al-Dm Ahmad b. Abu Talib b. Abu’ -Nu’m b. Hasan b. ‘All b. Bayan al-Dm Muqri’ al-Salihi known as Ibn al-Shihna al-Hajjar; [it was completed] in fourteen sittings, the first of them on Tuesday the I th of Ramadan the Exalted, in the year seven hundred and twenty-six, and the last on Monday the th of the same, the text being read by the imam and hafiz, the historian of Damascus, ‘Alam al-Dm Abu Muhammad al-Qasim b. Muhammad al-Birzali, of Seville by origin and of Damascus by residence, in the presence of a large audience, whose names were noted by Muhammad b. Tughril b. ‘Abdallah b. al-Ghazzal al-Sairafi; the shaikh Abu’ -‘Abbas al-Hajjar having heard the exposition of the entire book from the shaikh and imam Siraj al-Dm Abu ‘Abdallah al-Husain b. Abu Bakr al-Mubarak b. Muhammad b. Yahya b. ‘AH b. [al-J Muslim b. ‘Imran al-Rabl’i alo Baghdad! al-Zabidi the Hanbalite, in the latter part of Shawwal and the first part of Dhu’l-Qa’da of the year six hundred and thirty in the Muzaffari congregational mosque at the foot of Mount Qasiyun outside Damascus, and having received also a licence to teach the whole book from the two shaikhs Abu’l-Hasan Muhammad b. Ahmad b. ‘Omar b. al-Husain b. al-Khalaf al-Qati% the historian, and ‘AH b. Abu Bakr b. ‘Abdallah b. Ruba al-QalanisI, the druggist, both of Baghdad, and [for the sections] from the ‘Chapter of the Jealousy and Passion of Women’ to the end of the book from Abu’l-Munajja ‘Abdallah b. ‘Omar b. ‘AH b. Zaid b. al-Latti al-Khuza’i of Baghdad; all these four having heard its exposition from the shaikh Sadid al-Din Abu’ -Waqt ‘Abd al-Awwal b. ‘Isa b. Shu’aib b. Ibrahim al-Sijzi of Herat, the Sufi, at Baghdad in the year five hundred and fifty-three, who said: ‘[The tradition] was taught to me by the imam Jamal al-Islam Abu’l-Hasan ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Muhammad b. al-Muzaffar b. Muhammad b. Da’ud b. Ahmad b. Ma’ad b. Sahl b. al-Hakam al-Da’udl, the text being read before him in my hearing at Bushanj in the year four hundred and sixtyfive, he [in turn] saying: It was taught to me by Abu Muhammad ‘Abdallah b. Ahmad b. Hawiya b. Yusuf b. Aiman alSarakhsT, the text being read before him in my hearing in Safar of the year three hundred and eighty-one, he saying: It was taught to me by [Abu] ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Yusuf b. Mitr (Matar) b. Salih b. Bishr b. Ibrahim al-Farabri, the text being read before him in my hearing at Farabr in the year three hundred and sixteen, he saying: It was taught to me by the imam Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Isma’il alBukhari (God be pleased with him) at Farabr in the year two hundred and forty-eight, and afterwards a second time in the year fifty-three.’ Amongst the scholars of Damascus who gave me a general licence were the above-mentioned shaikh Abu’ ‘Abbas al-Hajjar, on my request for it, when he gave it to me orally; the shaikh and imam Shihab al-Dm Ahmad b. ‘Abdallah b. Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Maqdisi, who was born in Rabi’ I of the year six hundred and fifty-three [April ]; the pious shaikh and imam ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Muhammad b. Ahmad b. ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Najdi; the imam of imams Jamal al-Din Abu’l-Mahasin Yusuf b. alZaki ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Yusuf al-Mizzi al-Kalbi, most retentive of hafiz’s; the shaikh and imam ‘Ala al-Dm ‘AH b. Yusuf b. Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah al-Shafi’i; the shaikh and imam the Sharif Muhyi’ -Din Yahya b. Muhammad b. ‘All al-‘Alawi; the shaikh and imam, the traditionist Majd al-DIn al-Qasim b. ‘Abdallah b. Abu ‘Abdallah b. alMu’alla al-Dimashqi, born in the year six hundred and fifty-four; the learned shaikh and imam Shihab al-Dm Ahmad b. Ibrahlm b. Fallah b. Muhammad al-Iskandari; the shaikh and imam, the friend of God Most High, Shams al-Dm b. ‘Abdallah b. Tammam; the brother shaikhs Shams al-Dm Muhammad and Kamal al-DIn ‘Abdallah, sons of Ibrahlm b. ‘Abdallah b. Abu ‘Omar al-Maqdisi; the devout shaikh Shams al-DIn Muhammad b. Abu’l-Zahra’ b. Salim alHakkari; the pious woman shaikh, Umm Muhammad ‘A’isha, daughter of Muhammad b. Muslim b. Salama alHarram; and the pious woman shaikh, the goal of the world’s travel, Zainab, daughter of Kamal al-Din Ahmad b. ‘Abd al-Rahlm b. ‘Abd al-Wahid b. Ahmad al-Maqdisi. All of these gave me a general licence [to teach] in the year [seven hundred and] twenty-six at Damascus."
ولما استهلَّ شوال من السنة المذكورة خَرَجَ الركب الحجازي إلى خارج دمشق ونزلوا القرية المعروفة بالكسوة، فأخَذْتُ في الحركة معهم، وكان أمير الركب سيف الدين الجوبان من كبار الأمراء، وقاضيه شرف الدين الأذرعي الحوراني،,"When the new moon of Shawwāl appeared in the above-mentioned year [I September ], the Hijāz caravan went out to the outskirts of Damascus and encamped at the village called al-Kiswa,’ and I set out on the move with them. The commander of the caravan The commander of the caravan was Saif al-Din al-Juban, one of the principal amirs, and its qadi was Sharaf al-Din al-Adhru’i [from Adhru’] in Hawran."
وحج في تلك السنة مدرس المالكية صدر الدين الغماري، وكان سفري مع طائفة من العرب تدعى العجارمة، أميرهم محمد بن رافع كبير القدر في الأمراء، وارتحلنا من الكسوة إلى قرية تُعْرَف بالصنمين عظيمة.,"In the same year the professor of the Malikites, Sadr al-Din al-Ghomari, also went on pilgrimage. My journey was made with a tribe of bedouin Arabs called al-‘Ajarima, whose amir was Muhammad b. Ran’, a man occupying a high position amongst the amirs. We marched from al-Kiswa to a village called al-Sanamain, a big place, and marched on from there to the township of Zur’a, a small place in the district of Hawran."
ثم ارتحلنا منها إلى بلدة زرعة، وهي صغيرة من بلاد حوران نزلنا بالقرب منها، ثم ارتحلنا إلى مدينة بصرى وهي صغيرة، ومن عادة الركب أن يقيم بها أربعًا لِيَلْحَقَ بهم من تَخَلَّفَ بدمشق لقضاء مآربه،,"After a halt in its vicinity we travelled on to the town of Bosra; it [too] is a small place. It is the usual practice of the caravan to stop there for four nights, so that any who have remained behind at Damascus to finish off their business may make up on them."
وإلى بصرى وَصَلَ رسول الله ﷺ قبل البعث في تجارة خديجة، وبها مبرك ناقته قد بُنِيَ عليه مسجد عظيم،,"It was at Bosra that the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) came before his mission, while engaged in trading on Khadfja’s account, and in the town [there is shown] the place where his she-camel couched, over which a great mosque has been erected."
ويجتمع أهل حوران لهذه المدينة، ويتزود الحاج منها ثم يرحلون إلى بركة زيرة (زيرا) ويقيمون عليها يومًا ثم يرحلون إلى اللجون وبها الماء الجاري، ثم يرحلون إلى حصن الكرك،,"The inhabitants of Hawran flock to this town [with their produce] and the pilgrims supply themselves here with provisions for the journey. They travel next to the Pool of Ziza, where they stop for a day, then go on to al-Lajjun, where there is running water, and thence to the castle of al-Karak."
وهو من أعجب الحصون وأَمْنَعِها وأشهرها ويُسَمَّى بحصن الغراب،,"Al-Karak is one of the most marvellous, inaccessible, and celebrated of fortresses, and it is called ‘the Castle of the Raven’."
والوادي يطيف به من جميع جهاته، وله باب واحد قد نحت المدخل إليه في الحجر الصلد ومدخل دهليزه كذلك،,"The river-bed encircles it on all sides, and it has but one gate, the entrance to which is hewn in the living rock, as also is the entrance to its vestibule."
وبهذا الحصن يَتَحَصَّن الملوك وإليه يَلْجَئُون في النوائب، وله لجأ الملك الناصر؛ لأنه وَلِيَ المُلْكَ وهو صغير السن، فاستولى على التدبير مملوكه سلار النائب عنه،,"This castle is used by the kings as a stronghold and place of refuge in times of adversity, and it was to it that al-Malik al-Nasir fled. For he was invested with the kingship while yet a child, and the control was seized by his mamluk Salar, acting as his viceroy."
فأظهر الملك الناصر أنه يريد الحج ووافقه الأمراء على ذلك فتَوَجَّهَ إلى الحج، فلما وَصَلَ عقبة أيلة لجأ إلى الحصن وأقام به أعوامًا إلى أن قَصَدَهُ أمراء الشام واجتمعت عليه المماليك،,"AlMalik al-Nasir gave out that he wished to make the Pilgrimage, the amirs consented to his wish, and he set off to perform the Pilgrimage, but on reaching the Pass of ‘Aila he escaped to the castle and remained there for some years, until eventually the amirs of Syria sought him out and the mamluks assembled around him."
وكان قد ولي الملك في تلك المدة بيبرس الششنكير وهو أمير الطعام وتَسَمَّى بالملك المظفر، وهو الذي بنى الخانقاه البيبرسية بمقربة من خانقاة سعيد السعداء التي بناها صلاح الدين بن أيوب،,"In the meantime the royal authority had been exercised by Baibars the ‘Shashnakir’, who was Amir of the Table and called himself al-Malik alMuzaffar (it was he who built the Baibarsiya Convent, near the convent of Sa’id al-Su’ada’ which was built by Saladin b. Ayyub)."
فقصده الملك الناصر بالعساكر ففَرَّ بيبرس إلى الصحراء فتبعته العساكر وقُبِضَ عليه وأُتِيَ به إلى الملك الناصر، فأَمَرَ بقتله فقُتِلَ،,"When al-Malik al-Nasir led the troops against him, Baibars fled to the desert, but was pursued by the troops, seized, and brought to al-Malik al-Nasir, who ordered him to be executed and executed he was."
وقُبِضَ على سلار وحُبِسَ في جُبٍّ حتى مات جوعًا، ويقال: إنه أكل جيفة من الجوع، نعوذ بالله من ذلك، وأقام الركب بخارج الكرك أربعة أيام بموضع يقال له: الثنية، وتجهزوا لدخول البرية،,"Salar also was seized and confined in a dungeon until he died of starvation, and it is said that he ate carrion in his hunger—God preserve us from the like. The caravan stoppedoutside al-Karak for four days, at a place called al-Thaniya, and made preparations for entering the wilderness."
ثم ارتحلنا إلى معان وهو آخر بلاد الشام، ونزلنا من عقبة الصوان إلى الصحراء التي يقال فيها: داخِلُها مفقود وخارِجُها مولود،,"Thence we travelled to Ma’an, which is the last town in Syria, and descended through the Pass of al-Sawan into the desert, of which the saying goes: ‘He who enters it is lost, and he who leaves it is born.’"
وبعد مسيرة يومين نزلنا ذات حج وهي حسيان لا عمارة بها، ثم إلى وادي بلدح ولا ماء به، ثم إلى تبوك وهو الموضع الذي غزاه رسول الله ﷺ وفيها عين ماء كانت تَبِضُّ بشيء من الماء، فلما نزلها رسول الله ﷺ وتوضأ منها جادت بالماء المعين، ولم يَزَلْ إلى هذا العهد ببركة رسول الله ﷺ.,"After a march of two days we halted at Dhat Hajj, a place of subterranean water-beds with no habitations, then on to Wadi Baldah (but there is no water in it), and then to Tabuk. This is the place which was raided by the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace). It has a spring which used to yield a scanty supply of water, but when the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) went down to it and used it for his ablutions it gave an abundant flow of running water and continues to do so to this day, through the blessed power of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)."
ومن عادة حجاج الشام إذا وصلوا منزل تبوك أخذوا أسلحتهم وجَرَّدُوا سيوفهم وحملوا على المنزل وضربوا النخيل بسيوفهم، ويقولون: هكذا دَخَلَهَا رسول الله ﷺ،,"It is the custom of the Syrian pilgrims, on reaching the camping ground of Tabuk, to take their weapons and unsheath their swords, charge upon the camp and strike the palms with their swords, saying ‘Thus did the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) enter it’."
وينزل الركب العظيم على هذه العين فيروى منها جميعهم ويقيمون أربعة أيام للراحة وإرواء الجمال واستعداد الماء للبرية المخوفة التي بين العلا وتبوك،,"The huge caravan encamps near the spring referred to, and every one of them slakes his thirst from it. They remain here for four days to rest themselves and to water the camels and lay in supplies of water for the fearsome wilderness between Tabuk and al-‘Ula."
ومن عادة السقائين أنهم ينزلون على جوانب هذه العين ولهم أحواض مصنوعة من جلود الجواميس كالصهاريج الضخام يسقون منها الجمال ويملئون الروايا والقرب،,"It is the practice of the water-carriaers to take up their positions at the sides of this spring, and they have tanks made of buffalo hides, like great reservoirs, from which they water the camels and fill the large waterbags and ordinary waterskins."
ولكل أمير أو كبير حوض يَسْقِي منه جِمَاله وجِمَال أصحابه ويملأ رواياهم وسواهم من الناس يتفق مع السقائين على سقي جمله وملء قربته بشيء معلوم من الدراهم،,"Each amir or person of rank has a [private] tank from which his camels and those of his retinue are watered, and their waterbags filled; the rest of the people arrange with the watercarriers to water the camel and fill the waterskin of each person for a fixed sum of money."
ثم يرحل الركب من تبوك ويجدُّون السير ليلًا ونهارًا خوفًا من هذه البرية، وفي وسطها الوادي الأخيضر كأنه وادي جهنم — أعاذنا الله منها — وأصاب الحجاج به في بعض السنين مشقة بسبب ريح السموم التي تهبُّ فانتشفت المياه وانتهت شربة الماء إلى ألف دينار ومات مشتريها وبائعها،,"The caravan then sets out from Tabuk and pushes on speedily night and day, for fear of this wilderness. Halfway through is the valley al-Ukhaidir, which might well be the valley of Hell (God preserve us from it). One year the pilgrims suffered severe distress in this place, by reason of the samoom-wind which blows [there], their water supplies dried up, and the price of a drink of water rose to a thousand dinars, but both seller and buyer perished."
وكتب ذلك في بعض صخر الوادي، ومن هنالك ينزلون بركة المعظم وهي ضخمة نسبتها إلى الملك المعظم من أولاد أيوب ويجتمع بها ماء المطر في بعض السنين وربما جَفَّ في بعضها،,"The story of this is inscribed on one of the rocks in the valley. [Going on] from there, the caravan halts at the Pool of al-Mu’a??am, a vast [basin], called after al-Malik al-Mu’a?zam of the house of Ayyub, in which the rain-water collects in certain years, but which is generally dry in others."
وفي الخامس من أيام رحيلهم عن تبوك يصلون إلى بئر الحجر حجر ثمود، وهي كثيرة الماء، ولكن لا يَرِدُها أحدٌ من الناس مع شدة عطشهم؛ اقتداءً بفعل رسول الله ﷺ حين مر بها في غزوة تبوك فأسرع براحلته وأَمَرَ أن لا يسقى منها أحد، ومن عَجَنَ به أَطْعَمَهُ الجمال،,"On the fifth day after leaving Tabuk, they reach the well of al-Hijr—the Hijr of Thamud —which has an abundance of water, but not one of the pilgrims draws of it, however violent their thirst, following the example set by the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), when he passed it by on the expedition to Tabuk. For he drove on his riding camel, giving orders that none should water from it, and those who had used it to make dough fed their camels with it."
وهنالك ديار ثمود في جبال من الصخر الأحمر منحوتة لها عتب منقوشة يظن رائيها أنها حديثة الصنعة وعظامهم نخرة في داخل تلك البيوت، إن في ذلك لعبرة،,"At this place are the dwellings of Thamud, in some hills of red rock. They are hewn out and have carved thresholds, such that anyone seeing them would take them to be of recent construction. Their bones lie crumbling inside these houses— ‘verily, in that is a warning example’."
ومبرك ناقة صالح عليه السلام بين جبلين هنالك وبينهما إثر مسجد يصلي الناس فيه،,"The place of kneeling of the she-camel of Salih (on him be peace) is between two hills there, and in the space between them are the traces of a mosque, in which the pilgrims perform a prayer."
وبين الحجر والعلا نصف يوم أو دونه، والعلا قرية كبيرة حسنة لها بساتين النخل والمياه المعينة، يقيم بها الحجاج أربعًا يتزودون ويغسلون ثيابهم ويدعون بها ما يكون عندهم من فَضْل زاد ويستصحبون قَدْر الكفاية،,"From al-Hijr to al-‘Ula is half a day’s journey or less. Al’Ula is a large and pleasant village with palm gardens and watersprings at which the pilgrims halt for the space of four nights. They provision themselves and wash their clothes, and also deposit here any surplus of provisions they may have, taking on with them only the amountof their strict necessities."
وأهل هذه القرية أصحاب أمانة وإليها ينتهي تجار نصارى الشام لا يَتَعَدَّوْنها ويبايعون الحجاج بها الزاد وسواه،,"The inhabitants of this village are trustworthy persons. This is the limit to which the Christian merchants of Syria may come, and beyond which they may not pass, and they trade in provisions and other goods with the pilgrims here."
ثم يرحل الركب من العلا فينزلون في غدر حيلهم الوادي المعروف بالعطاس،,The caravan then sets out from al-‘Ula and encamps on the day following the resumption of the journey in the valley known as al-‘Itas.
وهو شديد الحر تهب فيه السموم المهلكة، هبت بعض السنين على الركب فلم يَخْلُص منهم إلا اليسير، وتُعْرَف تلك السنة سنة الأمير الجالقي،,"It is a place of violent heat, in which the fatal samoom-wind blows. It blew up one year on the caravan, and none but a few of the pilgrims escaped with their lives; that year is known as the year of the amir al-Jaliqi."
ومنه ينزلون هدية وهي حسيان ماء بوادٍ يحفرون به فيخرج الماء وهو زعاق، وفي اليوم الثالث ينزلون بظاهر البلد المقدس الكريم الشريف.,"After this they encamp at Hadiya, which is a place of subterranean waterbeds in a valley; they dig pits in it and the water comes up, but brackish. On the third day they alight outside the sanctified city [of al-Madina], the holy and illustrious."
طيبة مدينة رسول الله ﷺ وشرف وكرم,"Taiba, the city of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace, exalt and ennoble him!}."
وفي عشي ذلك اليوم دَخَلْنَا الحرم الشريف، وانتهينا إلى المسجد الكريم، فوقفنا بباب السلام مُسَلِّمين، وصَلَّيْنَا بالروضة الكريمة بين القبر والمنبر الكريم،,"On the evening of the same day, after sunset, we entered the holy sanctuary and reached at length the illustrious mosque. We halted at the Gate of Peace to pay our respects, and prayed at the noble Garden between the tomb [of the Apostle] and the noble pulpit."
واستلمنا القطعة الباقية من الجذع الذي حَنَّ إلى رسول الله ﷺ، وهي ملصقة بعمود قائم بين القبر والمنبر عن يمين مستقبل القبلة،,"We kissed the fragment that remains of the palm-trunk that whimpered for the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), which is now attached to a pillar standing between the tomb and the mimbar, on the right as one faces the qibla."
وأَدَّيْنَا حق السلام على سيد الأولين والآخرين وشفيع العصاة والمذنبين الرسول النبي الهاشمي الأبطحي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا، وشرف وكرم وحق السلام على ضجيعيه وصاحبيه أبي بكر الصديق وأبي حفص عمر الفاروق رضي الله عنهما،,"We paid the meed of salutation to the lord of men, first and last, the intercessor for sinners and transgressors, the apostleprophet of the tribe of Hashim from the Vale of Mecca, Muhammad (God bless and give him peace, exalt and ennoble him), and the meed of salutation to his two companions who share his tomb, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and Abu Hafs ‘Umar al-Faruq (God be pleased with them)."
وانصرفنا إلى رحلنا مسرورين بهذه النعمة العظمى مستبشرين بنَيْل هذه المنة الكبرى، حامدين الله تعالى على البلوغ إلى معاهد رسوله الشريفة ومشاهده العظيمة المنيفة، داعين أن لا يَجْعَلَ ذلك آخر عَهْدِنا بها، وأن يَجْعَلَنَا ممن قُبِلَتْ زيارته وكُتِبَتْ في سبيل الله سفرته.,"We then retired to our camp, rejoicing at this most signal favour, with hearts cheered at obtaining this most great bounty, praising God Most High for our safe arrival at the sacred abodes of His Apostle and his glorious and sublime sanctuaries, and praying Him to grant that this be not our last association with them and that we might be of those whose visitation is accepted and whose journey upon the path of God has been ordained."
ذكر مسجد رسول الله ﷺ وروضته الشريفة,The mosque and holy Garden of the Apostle of God* (God bless and give him peace).
المسجد المعظم مستطيل تَحُفُّه من جهاته الأربع بلاطات دائرة به ووسطه صحن مفروش بالحصى والرمل،,"The venerated mosque is oblong, having round it on all four sides covered porticos, with an open court in the centre floored with pebbles and sand."
ويدور بالمسجد الشريف شارع مبلط بالحجر المنحوت، والروضة المقدسة صلوات الله وسلامه على ساكنها في الجهة القبلية مما يلي الشرق من المسجد الكريم، وشكلها عجيب لا يتأتى تمثيله،,Encircling the holy mosque is a street paved with hewn stones. The sanctified Garden (the blessings and peace of God be upon its inmate) is near the south-eastern corner of the noble mosque. Its shape is unusual and difficult to represent.
وهي مدوَّرة بالرخام البديع النحت الرائق النعت، قد علاها تضميخ المسك والطيب مع طول الأزمان،,"It is wainscotted with marble, exquisitely fashioned and of surpassing quality, [surmounting which are panels] covered with smearings of musk and perfume [that have blackened and cracked] with age."
وفي الصفحة القبلية منها مسمار فضة هو قبالة الوجه الكريم، وهنالك يَقِفُ الناس للسلام مستقْبِلِينَ الوجه الكريم مستديرين القبلة,"On its southern side is a nail of ze silver, opposite to the noble person [of Muhammad], and at this place the people stand in salutation, facing towards the noble person and with their backs to the qibla."
فيسلمون وينصرفون يمينًا إلى وَجْه أبي بكر الصديق، ورأس أبي بكر رضي الله عنه عند قَدَمَيْ رسول الله ﷺ، ثم ينصرفون إلى عمر بن الخطاب، ورأس عمر عند كتفي أبي بكر رضي الله عنهما،,"Having made their salutation, they pass to the right, to the person of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (the head of Abu Bakr—God be pleased with him—being towards the feet of the Apostle of God—God bless and give him peace) and then on to ‘Omar b. al-Khattab (the head of ‘Omar being by the shoulders of Abu Bakr—God be pleased with both)."
وفي الجو من الروضة المقدسة — زادها الله طيبًا — حوض صغير مُرَخَّم في قبلته شكل محراب،,"To the north of the sanctified Garden —God increase it in sweetness—is a small depression cased with marble, on the southern side of which is the figure of a mihrab."
يقال: إنه كان بيت فاطمة بنت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا، ويقال أيضًا: هو قبرها، والله أعلم،,"It is said that this was the chamber of Fatima, the daughter of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), and it is said also that it is her grave, but God is All-knowing."
وفي وسط المسجد الكريم دفة مطبقة على وجه الأرض مقفلة على سرداب له دَرَج يُفْضِي إلى دار أبي بكر رضي الله عنه خارج المسجد،,"In the centre of the noble mosque is a doorleaf laid fiat upon the surface of the ground, which closes the entrance to a subterranean passage with steps leading to the house of Abu Bakr (God be pleased with him) outside the mosque."
وعلى ذلك السرداب كان طريق بنته عائشة أم المؤمنين رضي الله عنها إلى داره، ولا شك أنه هو الخوخة التي وَرَدَ ذِكْرُها في الحديث وأَمَرَ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا بإبقائها وسَدِّ ما سواها،,"This passage was the way by which his daughter ‘A’isha, the Mother of the Faithful (God be pleased with her), used to go to his house, and it is beyond all doubt that it is the ‘passage’ which is mentioned in the Tradition and which the Apostle (God bless and give him peace) commanded to be preserved and all the others to be sealed up."
وبإزاء دار أبي بكر رضي الله عنه دار عمر ودار ابنه عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما،,Opposite the house of Abu Bakr (God be pleased with him) is the house of ‘Omar and that of his son ‘Abdallah b. ‘Omar (God be pleased with them).
وبشرقي المسجد الكريم دار إمام المدينة أبي عبد الله مالك بن أنس رضي الله عنه، وبمقربة من باب السلام سقاية يُنْزَل إليها على دَرَج ماؤها مَعِينٌ وتُعْرَف بالعين الزرقاء.,"To the east of the noble mosque is the house of the Imam of al-Madina, Abu ‘Abdallah Malik b. Anas (God be pleased with him), and close to the Gate of Peace there is a cistern of running water, to which one goes down by a flight of steps; this cistern is known as the Blue Spring."
ذكر ابتداء بناء المسجد الكريم,The commencement of the building of the noble mosque.
قَدِمَ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا المدينة الشريفة دار الهجرة يوم الإثنين الثالث عشر من شهر ربيع الأول، فنزل على بني عمرو بن عوف، وأقام عندهم ثنتين وعشرين ليلة، وقيل: أربع عشرة ليلة، وقيل: أربع ليال،,"The Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) arrived at the Holy City [al-Madina], the place of emigration, on Monday the thirteenth of the month of First Rabf when he alighted in the [quarter of the] tribe of ‘Amr b. ‘Awf and stayed with them for twenty-two nights, or according to others for fourteen or four nights."
ثم تَوَجَّهَ إلى المدينة فنزل على بني النجار بدار أبي أيوب الأنصاري رضي الله عنه، وأقام عنده سبعة أشهر حتى بنى مساكنه ومَسْجِدَه،,"He then proceeded into al-Madina and alighted in the quarter of the tribe of al-Najjar at the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (God be pleased with him), with zee whom he stayed for seven months, until he had built his own dwellings and his mosque."
وكان موضع المسجد مربدًا لِسَهْلٍ وسُهَيْلٍ ابني رافع بن أبي عمر بن عاند بن ثعلبة بن غانم بن مالك بن النجار، وهما يتيمان في حجر أسعد بن زرارة رضي الله عنهم أجمعين،,"The site of the mosque was an enclosure used for drying dates, and belonging to Sahl and Suhail, the two sons of Ran’ b. Abu ‘Omar b. ‘Anid b.
Tha’laba b. Ghanm b. Malik b. al-Najjar, who were orphans under the guardianship of As’ad b. Zurara (God be pleased with them every one)."
وقيل: كانا في حجر أبي أيوب رضي الله عنه، وقيل: إنهما وهباه لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا،,"It is said also that they were under the guardianship of Abu Ayyiib (God be pleased with him). The Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) bought this drying-ground; others deny this and assert that Abu Ayyub gave them satisfaction for it, and others again say that they gave it to the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)."
فبنى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا المسجد وعمل فيه مع أصحابه وجَعَلَ عليه حائطًا ولم يجعل له سقفًا ولا أساطين،,"The Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) then built the mosque, himself working on it with his Companions, and put a wall round it, but gave it neither roofing nor pillars."
وجعله مربعًا طوله مائة ذراع وعَرْضُه مثل ذلك، وقيل: إن عرضه كان دون ذلك، وجعل ارتفاع حائطه قَدْر القامة،,"He made it square in shape, its length being a hundred cubits and its breadth the same, though some say that its breadth was a little less, and fixed the height of the wall at the stature of a man."
فلما اشتد الحر تَكَلَّمَ أصحابه في تسقيفه، فأقام له أساطين من جذوع النخل، وجَعَلَ سقفه من جريدها،,"Later on, when the heat grew intense, his Companions ? spoke ofroofing it, so he set up for this purpose a number of columns, formed of trunks of palms, and made its roof of their branches."
فلما أمطرت السماء وكف المسجد فكلم أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا رسول الله ﷺ في عمله بالطين، فقال: «لا عريش كعريش موسى أو ظلة كظلة موسى والأمر أقرب من ذلك»،,"Then when it rained, the mosque dripped, so the Companions of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) spoke to him about making it with clay, but he said ‘On no account! A booth like the booth of Moses’, or ‘A shelter like the shelter of Moses, and man’s estate is even less enduring than that’."
قيل: وما ظلة موسى؟ قال ﷺ: «كان إذا قام أصاب السقف رأسه»،,"On being asked ‘What was the shelter of Moses like?’ he replied (God bless and give him peace): ‘When he stood up, the roof struck his head.’"
وجعل للمسجد ثلاثة أبواب ثم سَدَّ الجنوبي منها حين حُوِّلَت القبلة،,"He made three gateways in the mosque, but the southern gateway was subsequently blocked up when the qibla was changed."
وبقي المسجد على ذلك حياة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا وحياة أبي بكر رضي الله عنه.,The mosque remained in this condition during the lifetime of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) and that of Abu Bakr (God be pleased with him).
فلما كانت أيام عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه زاد في مسجد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا، وقال: لولا أني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا يقول: ينبغي أن نزيد في المسجد، ما زدت فيه،,"‘Omar b. al-Khattab (God be pleased with him) during his government enlarged the mosque of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), saying: ‘Had I not heard the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) say, “We shall have to enlarge the mosque”, I should not have enlarged it.’"
فأنزل أساطين الخشب وجَعَلَ مكانها أساطين اللبن، وجعل الأساس حجارة إلى القامة، وجعل الأبواب ستة منها في كل جهة ما عدا القبلة بابان،,"He took down the wooden columns and set up in their place columns of brick, made its lower courses of stone up to the height of a man, and raised the number of gateways to six, of which there were two on each side except [the southern side, since it was in the direction of] the qibla."
وقال في باب منها: ينبغي أن يُتْرَك هذا للنساء، فما ريء فيه حتى لقي الله عز وجل، وقال: لو زدنا في هذا المسجد حتى يبلغ الجبانة لم يزل مسجد رسول الله ﷺ،,"With regard to one of these gateways he said, ‘It is requisite to leave this one to the women’; and he was never seen in it, down to the time when he went into the presence of God (Mighty and Glorious is He). He said also, ‘If we were to enlarge this mosque until it extended to the burial-ground, it would still be the mosque of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)’."
وأراد عمر أن يُدْخِل في المسجد موضعًا للعباس عم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا ورضي الله عنهما فمنعه منه،,"‘Omar was desirous of throwing into the mosque a place which belonged to al-‘Abbas, the paternal uncle of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace, and be pleased with both Companions), but al-‘Abbas would not let him have it."
وكان فيه ميزان يَصُبُّ في المسجد، فنَزَعَه عمر وقال: إنه يؤذي الناس،,"There was a spout in it which used to empty into the mosque, and ‘Omar removed it, saying that it was a nuisance to the people."
فنَازَعَهُ العباس وحَكَّمَا بينهما أبيَّ بن كعب رضي الله عنهما، فأتيا داره فلم يأذن لهما إلا بعد ساعة، ثم دخلا إليه فقال: كانت جاريتي تغسل رأسي،,"Al-‘Abbas disputed his action, and they agreed to invite Ubayy b. Ka’b (God be pleased with both) to arbitrate between them. When they went to his house he kept them waiting for a time before allowing them to enter, and when at length they came into his room he said j ‘My slave-girl was washing my head’."
فذهب عمر ليتكلم فقال له أُبَيٌّ: دع أبا الفضل يتكلم لمكانه من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا،,"‘Omar made to speak, e but Ubayy said to him ‘Let Abu’ -Fadl [al-‘Abbas] speak, on account of his relationship to the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)’."
فقال العباس: خطة خطها لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا وبنيتها معه وما وضعت الميزاب إلا ورجلاي على عاتقي رسول الله ﷺ،,Al-‘Abbas then said: ‘[The matter in dispute is] a building plot which the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) assigned to me; I built upon it with his aid and I fixed the spout while my feet were upon no other than the shoulders of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace).
فجاء عمر فطرحه وأراد إدخالها في المسجد، فقال أُبَيٌّ: إن عندي من هذا علمًا،,"Now ‘Omar comes, and tears down the spout, and wishes to include the whole plot in the mosque.’ Qbayy said: ‘I know something which bears on this subject."
سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا يقول: «أراد داود عليه السلام أن يبني بيت الله المقدس، وكان فيه بيت ليتيمين فَرَاوَدَهُمَا على البيع فأَبَيَا، ثم رادهما فبَاعَاهُ ثم قَامَا بَالِغَيْنِ فرُدَّ البيع واشتراه منهما ثم رداه كذلك فاستعظم داود الثمن فأوحى الله إليه: إن كُنْتَ تعطي من شيء هو لك فأنت أعلم، وإن كنت تعطيهما من رِزْقِنا، فأَعْطِهِمَا حتى يَرْضَيَا، وإنَّ أغنى البيوت عن مَظْلَمَةٍ بيتٌ هو لي، وقد حَرَّمْتُ عليك بناءه، قال: يا رَبِّ فأَعْطِهِ سليمان فأعطاه سليمان عليه السلام.»,"I heard the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) say: David (upon him be peace) desired to build the holy temple of God [at Jerusalem], There was in that place a house which belonged to two orphans. He tried to coax them into selling, but they refused; after a while, he endeavoured to persuade them and they sold it. Then they had recourse to fraud; the sale was retracted and he bought it from them [again], but they retracted it in the same way, and David found the price too high. At this point God spoke to him by revelation saying “If thou givest from aught that is thine thou knowest best; z?o but if thou givest to them from Our provision, give to them until they be satisfied. Verily, the house which is of all houses the most exempt from injustice is a house which belongeth unto Me, and I have made the building thereof unlawful to thee.” He said “O my Lord, grant it to Sulaiman” and God granted it to Sulaiman (upon him be peace).’"
فقال عمر: من لي بأن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا قاله،,"‘Omar said, ‘Who will guarantee to me that the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) said this?’"
فخرج أُبَيٌّ إلى قوم من الأنصار فأثبتوا له ذلك،,"Ubayy went out to find certain men of the Ansar, who confirmed his statement."
فقال عمر رضي الله عنه: أما إني لو لم أَجِدْ غَيْرَكَ أَخَذْتُ قَوْلَكَ، ولكنني أحببت أن أثبت، ثم قال للعباس رضي الله عنه: والله لا تَرِدُ الميزاب إلا وقدماك على عاتقي،,"Thereupon ‘Omar (God be pleased with him) said, ‘For my own part, had I found none but yourself, I should have accepted your word, but I thought it better to have confirmation’; then to al-‘Abbas (God be pleased with him) he said, ‘By God you shall put back the spout with your feet upon no other than my shoulders’."
ففعل العباس ذلك، ثم قال: أما إذا أثبتْتَ لي فهي صدقة لله، فهَدَمَهَا عمر وأَدْخَلَهَا في المسجد،,"Al-‘Abbas did so, and then said, ‘Now since it has been established as mine, it is a free-will offering to God’. So ‘Omar pulled down the building and threw its site into the mosque."
ثم زاد فيه عثمان رضي الله عنه وبَنَاهُ بقوة وباشَرَهُ بنفسه، فكان يظل فيه نهاره،,"It was enlarged next by ‘Othman (God be pleased with him), who built with vigour and himself laboured on it, and who used to spend the whole day in it."
وبَيَّضَه وأَتْقَنَ محله بالحجارة المنقوشة ووَسَّعَه من جهاته إلا جهة الشرق منها،,"He whitened it, gave solidity to its location by hewn stones, and widened it on all its sides except the eastern side."
وجعل له سواري حجارة مثبتة بأعمدة الحديد والرصاص، وسقفه بالساج،,"He had pillars set up in it, made of stones fixed firmly by pegs of iron and lead, and roofed it with teak."
وصَنَعَ له محرابًا، وقيل: إن مروان هو أول من بنى المحراب، وقيل: عمر بن عبد العزيز في خلافة الوليد،,"He also constructed a mihrab in it, though others say that Marwan was the first to build the mihrab, and others again that it was ‘Omar b. ‘Abd al-‘AzIz, during the Caliphate of al-Walid."
ثم زاد فيه الوليد بن عبد الملك، تولى ذلك عمر بن عبد العزيز، فوسَّعَه وحَسَّنَه وبَالَغَ في إتقانه وعَمِلَه بالرخام والساج المُذَهَّب،,"The mosque was subsequently enlarged by al-Walid b.’Abd al-Malik, the work being directed by ‘Omar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz. He widened and beautified it, made it exceedingly solid, and wrought it with marble and gilded teak."
وكان الوليد بَعَثَ إلى ملك الروم: إني أريد أن أبني مسجد نبينا صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا، فأَعِنِّي فيه، فبعث إليه الفَعَلَة وثمانين ألف مثقال من الذهب،,"Al-Walid had sent to the king of the Greeks [saying], ‘I desire to build the mosque of our Prophet (God bless and give him peace); do thou then aid me therein’, in reply to which he sent him artisans and eighty thousand mithqals of gold."
وأَمَرَ الوليدُ بإدخال حجر أزواج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا فيه،,Al-Walid also gave orders to throw the rooms of the wives of the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) into the mosque.
فاشترى عمر من الدور ما زاده في ثلاث جهات من المسجد، فلما صار إلى القبلة امتنع عبيد الله بن عبد الله بن عمر من بَيْع دار حفصة,"‘Omar accordingly bought a number of houses, by which three sides of the mosque were enlarged, but when he came to the southern side, ‘Ubaidallah b. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Omar refused to sell the house of Hafsa."
وطال بينهما الكلام حتى ابتاعها عمر على أنَّ لهم ما بقي منها، وعلى أن يُخْرِجوا من باقيها طريقًا إلى المسجد وهي الخوخة التي في المسجد،,"There ensued a long argument between them, until in the end ‘Omar purchased it upon the conditions that the owners should have whatever remained of the ground and that they might excavate from the rest of it a way into the mosque, and this is the passage-way which is now in the mosque."
وجَعَلَ عمر للمسجد أربع صوامع في أربعة أركانه،,"‘Omar also had four minarets added to the mosque, at its four angles."
وكانت إحداها مُطِلَّة على دار مروان، فلما حج سليمان بن عبد الملك نَزَلَ بها فأطل عليه المؤذن حين الأذان، فأَمَرَ بهدمها، وجعل عمر للمسجد محرابًا، ويقال: هو من أَحْدَثَ المحراب.,"One of them overlooked the house of Marwan, and when Sulaiman b. ‘Abd al-Malik came on pilgrimage he stayed in this house, and as the muezzin looked down upon him at the time of the call to prayer, he gave orders to demolish it. ‘Omar also had a mihrdb constructed for the mosque, and it is said that* he was the first who introduced the mihrdb."
ثم زاد في المهدي بن أبي جعفر المنصور وكان أبوهم بذلك ولم يُقْضَ له،,"It was enlarged again by al-Mahdi, son of Abu Ja’far alMansur. His father had intended to do this, but it was not in his decree."
وكتب إليه الحسن بن زيد يُرَغِّبه في الزيارة فيه من جهة الشرق ويقول: إنه إن زِيدَ في شرقيه تَوَسَّطَت الروضة الكريمة المسجد الكريم،,"Al-Hasan b. Zaid wrote to Abu Ja’far, inciting him to enlarge it on the eastern side and saying that if it were enlarged eastwards the holy Garden would occupy the centre of the holy mosque."
فاتهمه أبو جعفر بأنه إنما أراد هَدْمَ دار عثمان رضي الله عنه، فكتب إليه: إني قد عَرَفْتُ الذي أردْتَ فاكْفُفْ عن دار عثمان،,"Abu Ja’far suspected him of being inspired solely by the desire to demolish the house of ‘Othman (God be pleased with him), and wrote to him as follows: ‘I have realized what your aim is—do not lay a finger on the house of the shaikh ‘Othman.’"
وأَمَرَ أبو جعفر أن يُظَلَّلَ الصحن أيام القيظ بستور تُنْشَر على حبال ممدودة على خشب تكون في الصحن لِتُكِنَّ المصلين من الحر،,"Abu Ja’far gave orders that the courtyard should be shaded in the hot season by awnings spread out on ropes stretched between balks of timber, which were to be set up in the courtyard, so that they might protect the worshippers from the heat."
وكان طول المسجد في بناء الوليد مائتي ذراع، فبلغه المهدي إلى ثلاثمائة ذراع،,The length of the mosque in the edifice constructed by al-Walid was two hundred cubits; al-Mahdi brought it up to three hundred cubits.
وسوَّى المقصورة بالأرض، وكانت مرتفعة عنها بمقدار ذراعين، وكتب اسمه على مواضع من المسجد،,He made the maqsura™ level with the ground—it had previously been at a height of two cubits above it—and inscribed his name on various parts of the mosque.
ثم أَمَرَ الملك المنصور قلاوون ببناء دار للوضوء عند باب السلام،,Subsequently al-Malik al-Mansur Qala’un ordered the erection of an edifice for ablutions beside the Gate of Peace.
فتولى بناءها الأمير الصالح علاء الدين المعروف بالأقمر، وأقامها مُتَّسِعَة الفناء تستدير بها البيوت وأجرى إليها الماء،,"Its building was supervised by the pious amir ‘Ala al-Din, known as al-Aqmar, and he constructed it with a court of spacious dimensions and private chambers running round the walls, and had water led into it."
وأراد أن يبني بمكة — شَرَّفَها الله تعالى — مِثْلَ ذلك فلم يَتِمَّ له، فبناه ابنه الملك الناصر بين الصفا والمروة، وسيُذْكَر إن شاء الله،,"He proposed to erect a similar edifice in Mecca (God Most High ennoble her), but his intention was not fulfilled, and it was built [instead] by his son al-Malik al-Nasir between al-Safa and al-Marwa. We shall speak of it later, if God will."
وقبلة مسجد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا قبلة قطع؛ لأنه صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا أقامها، وقيل: أقامها جبريل عليه السلام،,"The Qibla of the mosque of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) is an absolutely adjusted qibla, because he himself (God bless and give him peace) set it up, or, as others say, Gabriel (upon him be peace) set it up, or else Gabriel was pointing out its direction to him as he set it up."
وقيل: كان يشير جبريل له إلى سمتها وهو يقيمها، وروي أن جبريل عليه السلام أشار إلى الجبال فتَوَاضَعَتْ فتَنَحَّتْ حتى بَدَت الكعبة، فكان صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا يبني وهو ينظر إليها عيانًا، وبكل اعتبار فهي قبلة قطع،,"It is related that Gabriel (upon him be peace) made a sign to the hills and they humbled themselves and bowed down until the Ka’ba became visible; hence the Prophet (God bless and give him peace), when he was building [the mosque], could see it with his own eyes. Upon every consideration, therefore, it is an absolutely adjusted qibla."
وكانت القبلة أول ورود النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا المدينة إلى بيت المقدس، ثم حُوِّلَت إلى الكعبة بعد ستة عشر شهرًا، وقيل بعد سبعة عشر شهرًا.,"On the first arrival of the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) at al-Madina the qibla was towards Jerusalem, and it was switched towards the Ka’ba sixteen or seventeen months later."
ذكر المنبر الكريم,The holy pulpit.
وفي الحديث: أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا كان يَخْطُبُ إلى جذع نخلة بالمسجد، فلما صُنِعَ له المنبر وتَحَوَّلَ إليه حَنَّ الجذع حنين الناقة إلى حوارها،,"It is related in the Tradition that the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) used to deliver his addresses, leaning on the trunk of a palm-tree in the mosque, and that, when the pulpit was made for him and he removed to it, the palm-trunk whimpered for him as a shecamel whimpers for her calf."
وروي أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا نَزَلَ إليه فالْتَزَمَهُ فسَكَنَ، وقال: «لو لم أَلْتَزِمْهُ لَحَنَّ إلى يوم القيامة»،,"It is related further that he (God bless and give him peace) came down to it and placed his arms around it, whereupon it ceased its lamentations, and he said, ‘Had I not embraced it, it would have whimpered until the Day of Resurrection’."
واختلفت الروايات فيمن صَنَعَ المنبر الكريم،,The traditional narratives are at variance as to who actually constructed the holy pulpit.
فرُوِيَ: أن تميمًا الداري رضي الله عنه هو الذي صنعه، وقيل: إن غلامًا للعباس رضي الله عنه صَنَعَهُ، وقيل: غلام لامرأة من الأنصار، ووَرَدَ ذلك في الحديث الصحيح.,"It is related that Tamim al-Dari (God be pleased with him) was the one who made it; others say that a slave belonging to al’Abbas (God be pleased with him) made it; others again a slave belonging to a woman of the Ansar, and this version is found in the authentic Tradition."
وصُنِعَ من طرفاء الغابة، وقيل: من الأثل، وكان له ثلاث درجات، فكان رسول الله ﷺ يقعد على عُلْيَاهُنَّ ويَضَعُ رجليه الكريمتين في وسطاهن،,"It was constructed of ordinary tamarisk-wood from al-Ghaba, some say of the wood of the oriental tamarisk; it had three steps, and the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) used to sit on the highest step and place his holy feet on the middle one."
فلما ولي أبو بكر الصديق رضي الله عنه قعد على وسطاهن وجعل رجليه على أولاهن، فلما ولي عمر رضي الله عنه جلس على أولاهن وجَعَلَ رجليه على الأرض،,"When Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (God be pleased with him) was invested with the supreme authority, he sat upon the middle step and placed his feet upon the lowest one, and when ‘Omar (God be pleased with him) succeeded, he sat upon the first and placed his feet on the ground."
وفَعَلَ ذلك عثمان رضي الله عنه صدرًا من خلافته ثم ترقى إلى الثالثة.,"‘Othman (God be pleased with him) did the same to begin with during his Caliphate, but later on mounted to the third step."
ولما أن صار الأمر إلى معاوية رضي الله عنه أراد نَقْلَ المنبر إلى الشام، فضَجَّ المسلمون وعَصَفَتْ ريح شديدة وخسفت الشمس وبدت النجوم نهارًا وأَظْلَمَت الأرض، فكان الرجل يصادم الرجل ولا يتبين مسلكٌ،,"When the rule passed to Mu’awiya (God be pleased with him), he proposed to remove the pulpit to Damascus, whereupon the Muslims raised a loud clamour, a violent wind blew up, the sun was eclipsed and the stars appeared in the daytime, the earth was darkened, so that man collided with man and no path could be distinguished."
فلما رأى ذلك معاوية تَرَكَهُ وزاد فيه ست درجات من أسفله فبلغ تِسْعَ درجات.,"When Mu’awiya saw this he let it stay where it was and added six steps to the bottom of it, so that it amounted to nine steps in all."
ذكر الخطيب والإمام بمسجد رسول الله ﷺ,The preacher and the imam in the mosque of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace).
وكان الإمام بالمسجد الشريف في عهد دخولي إلى المدينة بهاء الدين بن سلامة من كبار أهل مصر،,"The imam of the illustrious mosque at the time of my entry into al-Madina was Baha al-Din ibn Salama, one of the notable persons of Cairo."
وينوب عنه العالِم الصالح الزاهد بغية المشايخ عز الدين الواسطي نَفَعَ الله به، وكان يخطب قبله، ويقضي بالمدينة الشريفة سراج الدين عمر المصري.,"The learned, pious and ascetic ‘Izz al-Din al-Wasiti, the quaesitum of the Shaikhs (God profit us by him), was acting as his deputy. Before him the duties of preacher and also of qadi in al-Madina the Illustrious were carried out by Siraj al-Din ‘Omar al-Misri."
حكاية,Anecdote.
يُذْكَر أن سراج الدين هذا أقام في خطة القضاء بالمدينة والخطابة بها نحو أربعين سنة،,It is told that this Siraj al-Din continued to hold the offices of qadi and preacher at al-Madina for about forty years.
ثم إنه أراد الخروج بعد ذلك إلى مصر، فرأى رسول الله ﷺ في النوم ثلاث مرات في كل مرة ينهاه عن الخروج منها وأخبره باقتراب أَجَلِهِ فلم يَنْتَهِ عن ذلك، وخرج فمات بموضع يقال له: سويس، على مسيرة ثلاث من مصر قبل أن يصل إليها، نعوذ بالله من سوء الخاتمة،,"He wished after this to remove to Cairo, when he saw the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) in a dream three times over, each time forbidding him to leave al-Madina and announcing to him the imminence of his term. But he would not be checked from his design, left, and died at a place called Suwais [Suez], at a distance of three nights’ journey from Cairo, before reaching the latter—God preserve us from an evil end."
وكان ينوب عنه الفقيه أبو عبد الله محمد بن فرحون رحمه الله، وأبناؤه الآن بالمدينة الشريفة أبو محمد عبد الله مدرس المالكية ونائب الحكم، وأبو عبد الله محمد وأصلهم من مدينة تونس ولهم بها حَسَبٌ وأصالة،,"His deputy was the legist Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b.Farhun (God’s mercy on him), whose sons are now in al-Madina the illustrious, [namely] Abu Muhammad ‘Abdallah, the professor of the Malikites and deputy for the controller of the judicial administration, and Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad. The family belongs originally to the city of Tunis, and enjoys an honourable and respected position there."
وتولى الخطابة والقضاء بالمدينة الشريفة بعد ذلك جمال الدين الأسيوطي من أهل مصر، وكان قبل ذلك قاضيًا بحصن الكرك.,"The offices of preacher and qadi at al-Madina the Illustrious were held after that by Jamal al-Din of Asyut, an Egyptian, who was formerly the qadi in the castle of Karak."
ذِكْر خُدَّام المسجد الشريف والمؤذنين به,The servitors and muezzins of the illustrious mosque.
وخُدَّام هذا المسجد الشريف وسَدَنَتُه فتيان من الأحابيش وسواهم، وهم على هيئات حسان وصور نظاف وملابس ظراف،,"The servitors and doorkeepers of this illustrious mosque are Abyssinian and other eunuchs, men of fine appearance, pleasant features, and elegant dress."
وكبيرهم يُعْرَف بشيخ الخدام وهو في هيئة الأمراء الكبار، ولهم المُرَتَّبَات بديار مصر والشام،,"Their chief is entitled the Shaikh of the Servitors, and ranks equal to the high amirs."
ويؤتى إليهم بها في كل سنة، ورئيس المؤذنين بالحرم الشريف الإمام المحدث الفاضل جمال الدين المطري من مطرية (قرية بمصر)،,"They are in enjoyment of emoluments derived from Egypt and Syria and paid over to them every year. The chief of the muezzins in the illustrious sanctuary is the worthy imam and traditionist, Jamal al-Din al-Matari, from Matariya, a village near Cairo."
وولده الفاضل عفيف الدين عبد الله، والشيخ المجاور الصالح أبو عبد الله محمد بن محمد الغرناطي المعروف بالتراس، قديم المجاوَرة، وهو الذي جَبَّ نفسه خوفًا من الفتنة.,"His son is the worthy ‘Afif al-Din ‘Abdallah. The pious shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah b. Muhammad alGharnati, known as al-Tarras, resident in the sanctuary, is prior of the ‘sojourners’—he was the man who castrated himself for fear of temptation."
حكاية,Anecdote.
يُذْكَر أن أبا عبد الله الغرناطي كان خديمًا لشيخ يُسَمَّى عبد الحميد العجمي، وكان الشيخ حَسَنَ الظن به يَطْمَئِنُّ إليه بأهله وماله ويتركه متى سافر بداره،,It is said that Abu ‘Abdallah al-Gharnati was servant to a shaikh called ‘Abd al-Hamid al-‘Ajami. The shaikh had a good opinion of him and used to trust him with his family and property and leave him in his house when he journeyed abroad.
فسَافَرَ مَرَّةً وتَرَكَهُ على عادته بمنزله، فعلقت به زوجة الشيخ عبد الحميد وراودته عن نفسه فقال: إني أخاف الله ولا أخون من ائتمنني على أهله وماله،,"On one occasion when he set out and left Abu ‘Abdallah as usual in his dwelling, Shaikh ‘Abd alHamid’s wife conceived a passion for him and tried to tempt him, but he [rejected her advances] saying ‘I fear God, and shall not deceive one who trusts me with his family and goods’."
فلم تَزَلْ تراوده وتعارِضُه حتى خاف على نفسه الفتنة، فجَبَّ نفسه وغُشِيَ عليه ووجده الناس على تلك الحالة، فعَالَجُوهُ حتى برئ وصار من خدام المسجد الكريم ومؤذنًا به ورأس الطائفتين، وهو باقٍ بقيد الحياة إلى هذا العهد.,"She did not cease tempting him and putting herself in his way until he, in fear lest he should yield to the temptation, castrated himself and fell in a faint. The people found him in this condition and tended him until he was healed. He became one of the servitors of the holy mosque and a muezzin in it as well, and rose to be head of these two corporations. He has remained in the bonds of life down to the present time."
ذكر المجاورين بالمدينة الشريفة,Some of the resident scholars at al-Madina the illustrious.
منهم الشيخ الصالح الفاضل «أبو العباس أحمد بن محمد مرزوق»، كثير العبادة والصوم والصلام بمسجد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا صابرًا محتسبًا،,"One of them was the worthy and pious shaikh Abul-‘Abbas Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Marzuq, who was addicted to pious exercises, fasting, and praying in the mosque of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), patient [under hardship and affliction] and looking to the reward in the life to come."
وكان ربما جَاوَرَ بمكة المُعَظَّمَة، رَأَيْتُه بها في سنة ثمانٍ وعشرين، وهو أكثر الناس طوافًا،,"He used often to take up residence in Mecca the venerated. I saw him there in the year twenty-eight, when he was the most assiduous of all in making the ‘circuit’."
وكنت أَعْجَبُ من ملازمته الطواف مع شدة الحر بالمطاف، والمَطَاف مفروش بالحجارة السود، وتَصِيرُ بِحَرِّ الشمس كأنها الصفائح المحماة،,"I used to marvel at his persistence in walking round and round [the Ka’ba] in spite of the fierceness of the heat in the circuiting pavement. For this pavement is flagged with black stones, and with the heat of the sun they become like red-hot plates."
ولقد رأيت السقائين يصبون الماء عليها، فما يجاوز الموضع الذي يُصَبُّ فيه إلا ويلتهب الموضع من حينه،,"I have even seen water-carriers pouring water over it, and no sooner did the water flow beyond the spot on which it was poured than that spot immediately began to glow with heat."
وأكثر الطائفين في ذلك الوقت يلبسون الجوارب، وكان أبو العباس بن مرزوق يطوف حافيَ القدمين،,"Most of the circuiters at this time of day wear sandals, but Abu’ -‘Abbas ibn Marzuq used to carry on his circuits with bare feet."
ورأيته يومًا يطوف فأحببت أن أطوف معه فَوَصَلْتُ المطاف وأردْتُ استلام الحجر الأسود، فلَحِقَنِي لهب تلك الحجارة وأرَدْتُ الرجوع بعد تقبيل الحجر، فما وَصَلْتُه إلا بعد جهد عظيم، ورجعت فلم أَطُفْ وكنت أجعل بجادي على الأرض وأمشي عليه حتى بلغْتُ الرواق،,"I saw him one day engaged in this exercise, and thought I should like to circuit with him. But when I reached the pavement and made to kiss the Black Stone, the heat of the flagstones smote me and I decided to go back after kissing the Stone. It was only with a great effort that I got to the Stone, and as I went back without making the circuit I kept putting my mantle on the ground and walking on it until I reached the colonnade."
وكان في ذلك العهد بمكة وزير غرناطة وكبيرها أبو القاسم محمد بن محمد بن الفقيه أبي الحسن سهل بن مالك الأزدي،,"Living in Mecca at the same time was Abu’l-Qasim Muhammad b. Muhammad, son of the legist Abu’l-Hasan Sahl b. Malik al-Azdi, the wazir of Granada and notable of that city."
وكان يطوف كل يوم سبعين أسبوعًا، ولم يكن يطوف في وقت القائلة لشدة الحر، وكان «ابن مرزوق» يطوف في شدة القائلة زيادة عليه.,"He used to make the seven-fold circuit of the Ka’ba seventy times every day, but he would not do it during the hours of midday, owing to the fierce heat, whereas Ibn Marziiq used to circuit in the full heat of midday in addition to what Abu’l-Qasim did."
ومن المجاورين بالمدينة كَرَّمَها الله الشيخ الصالح العابد سعيد المراكشي الكفيف، ومنهم الشيخ أبو مهدي عيسى بن حزرون المكناسي.,"Among the ‘sojourners’ at al-Madina (God ennoble her) were the pious and devoted blind shaikh Sa’id of Marrakush, and the shaikh Abu Mahdi ‘Isa b. Hazrun of Miknasa."
حكاية,Anecdote.
جَاوَرَ الشيخ أبو مهدي بمكة سنة ثمانٍ وعشرين وخرج إلى جبل حراء مع جماعة من المجاورين، فلما صعدوا الجبل ووصلوا لمتعبَّد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا ونزلوا عنه تَأَخَّرَ أبو مهدي عن الجماعة،,"The shaikh Abu Mahdi went into residence at Mecca in the year twenty-eight. He went out [on one occasion] to Mount Hira’ with a party of ‘sojourners’, and when they had climbed the mountain, prayed at the place where the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) used to make his devotions, and descended from it, Abu Mahdl fell behind the others."
ورأى طريقًا في الجبل فظَنَّه قاصرًا، فسلك عليه ووصل أصحابه إلى أسفل الجبل، فانتظروه فلم يأتِ فتَطَلَّعُوا فيما حولهم فلم يَرَوْا له أثرًا،,"He found a pathway on the mountain and, thinking it to be a short cut, went along it. The company, on reaching the foot of the mountain, awaited him, and when he did not come they searched all around them, but found no trace of him."
فظنوا أنه سبقهم فمضوا إلى مكة شرفها الله تعالى،,"Thinking then that he had gone on ahead of them, they continued on their way to Mecca (God Most High ennoble her)."
ومَرَّ عيسى على طريقه فأفضى به إلى جَبَل آخر وتاه عن الطريق وأَجْهَدَهُ العطش والحر وتمزقت نعله، فكان يقطع من ثيابه ويلف على رجليه إلى أن ضَعُفَ عن المشي واستظل بشجرة أم غيلان،,"‘Isa, meanwhile, followed his path, which only led him to another mountain. He lost the way and was tormented with thirst and heat. His shoes were cut to shreds and he kept on tearing strips from his clothes and wrapping them round his feet, until he was too exhausted to walk further, and lay down under the shade of a sweet lote-tree."
فبعث الله أعرابيًّا على جَمَلٍ حتى وَقَفَ عليه فأَعْلَمَهُ بحاله فأركبه وأوصله إلى مكة وكان على وسطه هميان فيه ذَهَبٌ فسلمه إليه وأقام نحو شهر لا يستطيع القيام على قدميه وذَهَبَتْ جلدتهما ونبتَتْ لهما جلدة أخرى،,"God put it into the mind of a bedouin upon a camel to go that way, until he came upon Tsa, and on learning what had befallen him, set him on the camel and conducted him to Mecca. The shaikh had round his waist a girdle-purse with some gold in it, which he gave to the Arab. He spent about a month unable to stand upon his feet, the skin peeled off them, and a new skin grew on them."
وقد جرى مثل ذلك لصاحب لي أَذْكُرُه إن شاء الله، ومن المجاورين بالمدينة الشريفة أبو محمد الشروي من القراء المحسنين، وجاوَرَ بمكة في السنة المذكورة، وكان يقرأ بها كتاب الشفاء للقاضي عياض بعد صلاة الظهر وأَمَّ في التراويح بها.,"A similar adventure happened to a companion of mine, as I shall relate if God will. Amongst the ‘sojourners’ at al-Madina the Illustrious was Abu Muhammad al-Sarawi, who was a beautiful reciter of the Qur’an. He went into residence at Mecca in the year mentioned above, and used to read [for public instruction] the ‘Book of Healing’ of the qadl ‘lyad there after the noon prayer; he also officiated as imam at the special night prayers there during Ramadan."
ومن المجاورين الفقيه أبو العباس الفاسي مدرس المالكية بها، وتزوَّجَ ببنت الشيخ الصالح شهاب الدين الزرندي.,"Another of these ‘sojourners’ [at al-Madlna] was the legist Abu’ -‘Abbas of Fez, professor of the Malikites there, who married the daughter of the pious shaikh Shihab al-DIn of Zarand."
حكاية,Anecdote.
يُذْكَر أن أبا العباس الفاسي تَكَلَّمَ يومًا مع بعض الناس، فانتهى به الكلام إلى أن تَكَلَّمَ بعظيمة ارتكب فيها بسبب جَهْلِه بعلم النسب وعدم حِفْظه للسانه مركبًا صعبًا — عفا الله عنه — فقال: إن الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب عليهما السلام لم يعقب،,"It is told that Abu’ -‘Abbas al-Fasi engaged in conversation one day with someone, and the talk led him at length to say a monstrous thing, whereby, through his ignorance of genealogy and failure to guard his tongue, he committed a grievous sin—God absolve him. For he said that al-Husain, son of ‘All b. Abu Talib (upon them be peace) left no posterity."
فبلغ كلامه إلى أمير المدينة طفيل بن منصور بن جماز الحسني، فأَنْكَرَ كَلَامَهُ وبحق إنكاره وأراد قَتْلَه،,"His words were carried to the amir of al-Madina, Tufail b. Mansur b. Jammaz al-Husaini, who condemned and rightly condemned, what he said, and proposed to execute him."
فكُلِّمَ فيه فنفاه عن المدينة، ويُذْكَر أنه بَعَثَ من اغتاله، وإلى الآن لم يَظْهَرْ له أَثَرٌ، نعوذ بالله من عثرات اللسان وزللـه.,"He accepted, however, a plea on his behalf, banished him from al-Madina, and, it is said, dispatched a man to kill him by stealth, and to the present day no trace of him has been found—God preserve us from stumblings and slipping of the tongue."
ذكر أمير المدينة الشريفة,The amir of al-Madina the illustrious.
كان أمير المدينة كبيش بن منصور بن جماز وكان قد قتل عمه مقبلًا، ويقال: إنه توضأ بدمه، ثم إن كبيشًا خرج سنة سبع وعشرين إلى الفلاة في شدة الحر ومعه أصحابه,"The amir of alMadina was Kubaish b. Mansur b. Jammaz. [In order to acquire his position] he had killed his uncle Muqbil, and they say that he made the ritual of ablution with his blood. Subsequently, in the year twenty-seven, Kubaish went out to the desert during the extreme heats, accompanied by his friends."
فأدركتهم القائلة في بعض الأيام، فتفرقوا تحت ظلال الأشجار فما راعهم إلا وأبناء مقبل في جماعة من عبيدهم ينادون: يا لثارات مقبل، فقتلوا كبيش بن منصور صبرًا ولعقوا دمه وتولى بعده أخوه طفيل بن منصور الذي ذكرنا أنه نفى أبا العباس الفاسي.,"One day, overcome by the midday sun, they had dispersed beneath the shade of some trees, when suddenly, before they were aware, the sons of Muqbil [appeared] with a troop of their slaves, crying ‘Vengeance upon the slayers of Muqbil’, and slew Kubaish b. Mansur in cold blood, and licked his blood. The government [of al-Madina] was assumed after him by his brother Tufail b. Mansur, the amir whose expulsion of Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Fasi we have mentioned above."
ذِكْر بعض المشاهد الكريمة بخارج المدينة الشريفة,Some holy sanctuaries outside al-Madina the illustrious.
فمنها بقيع الغرقد، وهو بشرقي المدينة المكرمة،,"[The first] of these is Baqi’ al-Gharqad, which lies to the east of al-Madina the Sanctified."
ويُخْرَج إليه على باب يُعْرَف بباب البقيع، فأول ما يَلْقى الخارج إليه على يساره عند خروجه من الباب قبر صفية بنت عبد المطلب رضي الله عنهما، وهي عمة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا، وأم الزبير بن العوام رضي الله عنه،,"One goes out to it by a gate known as Bab al-Baqi’, and the first monument which the visitor meets, on his left as he comes through the gate, is the tomb of Safiya, daughter of ‘Abd al-Muttalib (God be pleased with both), who was the paternal aunt of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) and mother of al-Zubair b.
al-‘Awamm (God be pleased with him)."
وأمامها قبر إمام المدينة أبي عبد الله مالك بن أنس رضي الله عنه، وعليه قبة صغيرة مختصرة البناء،,"In front of her is the tomb of the Imam of al-Madina, Abu ‘Abdallah Malik b. Anas (God be pleased with him), surmounted by a small and unpretentious cupola."
وأمامه قبر السلالة الطاهرة المقدسة النبوية الكريمة إبراهيم بن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا وعليه قبة بيضاء، وعن يمينها تربة عبد الرحمن بن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنهما، وهو المعروف بأبي شحمة، وبإزائه قبر عقيل بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه، وقبر عبد الله بن ذي الجناحين جعفر بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنهما،,"In front of him is the tomb of the pure and sanctified offspring of the Holy Prophet, Ibrahim, son of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), surmounted by a white cupola. To the right of this is the grave of ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Omar b. al-Khattab (God be pleased with them), the man who is known as Abu Shahma, and opposite him the tomb of ‘Aqil b. Abu Talib (God be pleased with him) and that of ‘Abdallah son of Ja’far of the Two Wings, son of Abu Talib (God be pleased with them)."
وبإزائهم روضة يُذْكَر أن قبور أمهات المؤمنين بها رضي الله عنهن، ويليها روضة فيها قَبْرُ العباس بن عبد المطلب عم رسول الله ﷺ، وقبر الحسن بن علي بن أبي طالب عليهم السلام،,"Opposite them is a plot said to contain the graves of the Mothers of the Faithful (God be pleased with them) and next to this a plot in which is the tomb of al-‘Abbas b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Apostle of God (God bless and save him) and that of al-Hasan b. ‘All b. Abu Talib (peace be upon them)."
وهي قبة ذاهبة في الهواء بديعة الإحكام عن يمين الخارج من باب البقيع، ورأس الحسن إلى رجلي العباس عليهما السلام،,"The plot is [surmounted by] a cupola soaring in the air and of exquisite construction, to the right as one comes through the Bab al-Baqi’. The head of al-Hasan is in the direction of the feet of al-‘Abbas (peace be upon them)."
وقبراهما مرتفعان عن الأرض متسعان مغشيان بألواح بديعة الإلصاق مرصعة بصفائح الصفر البديعة العمل،,"Each of their graves is at a height above the ground, of large dimensions, and covered with wooden plaques skilfully joined together and inlaid with brass plates of excellent ass workmanship."
وبالبقيع قبور المهاجرين والأنصار وسائر الصحابة رضي الله عنهم، إلا أنها لا يُعْرَف أكثرها، وفي آخر البقيع قبر أمير المؤمنين أبي عمر عثمان بن عفان رضي الله عنه، وعليه قبة كبيرة، وعلى مقربة منه قبر فاطمة بنت أسد بن هاشم أم علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنها وعن ابنها.,"The Baql’ contains also the tombsof the Emigrants and the Helpers and all the other Companions (God be pleased with them), but their tombs are unknown for the most part. At the far end of the Baqi’ is the tomb of the Commander of the Faithful Abu ‘Omar ‘Othman b. ‘Affan (God be pleased with him), surmounted by a large cupola, and close by him is the tomb of Fatima, daughter of Asad b.
Hashim, mother of ‘AH b. Abu Talib (God be pleased with her and with her son)."
ومن المشاهد الكريمة قباء، وهو قبلي المدينة على نحو ميلين منها، والطريق بينهما في حدائق النخل، وبه المسجد الذي أُسِّسَ على التقوى والرضوان، وهو مسجد مربع فيه صومعة بيضاء طويلة تَظْهَر على البعد وفي وسطه مبرك الناقة بالنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا يتبرك الناس بالصلاة فيه،,"Another of the holy sanctuaries is Quba’, about two miles to the south of al-Madina, and the road between them lies through groves of palms. At Quba’ is the mosque ‘which was founded on piety and the desire to please God’, a squarebuilt mosque with a tall white minaret visible from a great distance. In the centre of it is the place where the she-camel of the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) knelt down at the end of his journey, and where now people seek to obtain a blessing by performing the prayer."
وفي الجهة القبلية من صحنه محراب على مسطبة هو أول موضع رَكَعَ فيه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا،,"On the southern side of its court there is a mihrdb on a platform, which marks the first place in which the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) bowed himself in prayer."
وفي قبلي المسجد دار كانت لأبي أيوب الأنصاري رضي الله عنه، ويليها دور تُنْسَب لأبي بكر وعمر وفاطمة وعائشة رضي الله عنهم،,"South of the mosque is a house, which belonged to Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (God be pleased with him), and next to it are houses said to have belonged to Abu Bakr, ‘Omar, Fatima, and ‘A’isha (God be pleased with them)."
وبإزائه بئر أريس، وهي التي عاد ماؤها عذبًا لما تَفُلَ فيه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا بعد أن كان أجاجًا،,"Facing the mosque is the well of Aris, the one whose water from being brackish became sweet when the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) spat into it."
وفيها وَقَعَ الخاتم الكريم من عثمان رضي الله عنه،,It was into this same well that the holy ring dropped from [the hand of] ‘Othman (God be pleased with him).
ومن المشاهد قبة حجر الزيت بخارج المدينة الشريفة، يقال: إن الزيت رشح من حجر هنالك للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا،,"Among the places of visitation is the cupola of the Oilstone, where, it is said, oil exuded from a stone for the Prophet (God bless and give him peace)."
وإلى جهة الشمال منه بئر بضاعة، وبإزائها جبل الشيطان حيث صَرَخَ يوم أحد وقال: قُتِلَ نبيكم،,"To the north of this is the well of Buda’a, facing which is the Devil’s Hill, where the Devil cried on the day of Uhud ‘Your Prophet is slain’."
وعلى شفيرِ الخندقِ الذي حَفَرَهُ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا عند تَحَزُّب الأحزاب حِصْنٌ خرب يُعْرَف بحصن العزاب، يقال: إن عمر بناه لعزاب المدينة، وأمامه إلى جهة الغرب بئر رومة التي اشترى أمير المؤمنين عثمان رضي الله عنه نِصْفها بعشرين ألفًا.,"On the lip of the trench, which the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) dug at the time of the ‘leaguing together of the confederates’, is a ruined tower, known as the Tower of the Celibates, said to have been built by ‘Omar for the unmarried men of al-Madina. In front and to the west of this is the well of Ruma, of which the Commander of the Faithful ‘Othman (God be pleased with him) bought the half for twenty thousand [dirhams]."
ومن المشاهد الكريمة أُحُد، وهو الجبل المُبَارَك الذي قال فيه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا: «إن أحدًا جبل يُحِبُّنا ونُحِبُّه»، وهو بجوار المدينة الشريفة على نحو فرسخ منها،,"Yet another of the holy sanctuaries is Uhud, the blessed hill of which the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) said ‘Verily Uhud is a mount which loveth us and which we love’. It lies to the north of al-Madina the Illustrious, about a league distant from her."
وبإزائه الشهداء المكرمون رضي الله عنهم،,In front of the hill are [the tombs of] the sanctified martyrs (God be pleased with them).
وهنالك قبر حمزة عم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا ورضي الله عنه، وحوله الشهداء المستشهدون في أحد رضي الله عنهم،,"There is to be seen the tomb of Hamza (God be pleased with him), paternal uncle of the Apostle of God (God bless and save him), with the martyrs who fell at Uhud in the cause of God (God be pleased with them) all around him."
وقبورهم لقبلي أحد، وفي طريق أحد مسجد يُنْسَب لعلي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه، ومسجد يُنْسَب إلى سلمان الفارسي رضي الله عنه، ومسجد الفتح حيث أُنْزِلَت سورة الفتح على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا،,"Their graves are to the south of Uhud. On the Uhud road, [finally], there is a mosque attributed to ‘AH b. Abu Talib (God be pleased with him), another mosque attributed to Salman al-Farisi (God be pleased with him), and the Mosque of Victory, where the Sura of Victory was revealed to the Apostle of God (God bless and save him)."
وكانت إقامتنا بالمدينة الشريفة في هذه الوجهة أربعة أيام،,Our stay at al-Madina the Illustrious on this journey lasted four days.
وفي كل ليلة نبيت بالمسجد الكريم والناس قد حلقوا في صحنه حلقًا وأوقدوا الشمع الكثير وبينهم ربعات القرآن الكريم يتلونه وبعضهم يَذْكُرون الله وبعضهم في مشاهدة التربة الطاهرة — زادها الله طيبًا — والحداة بكل جانب يترنمون بمدح رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا،,"We spent each night in the holy mosque, where everyone [engaged in pious exercises]; some, having formed circles in the court and lit a quantity of candles, and with book-rests in their midst [on which were placed volumes] of the Holy Qur’an, were reciting from it; some were intoning hymns of praise to God; others were occupied in contemplation of the Immaculate Tomb (God increase it in sweetness); while on every side were singers chanting in eulogy of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)."
وهكذا دَأَبَ الناس في تلك الليالي المباركة ويجودون بالصدقات الكثيرة على المجاورين والمحتاجين،,"This is the custom observed by all [visitors to al-MadlnaJ during those blessed nights, and they also bestow large sums in alms upon the ‘sojourners’ and the needy."
وكان في صحبتي في هذه الوجهة من الشام إلى المدينة الشريفة رجل من أهلها فاضل يُعْرَف بمنصور بن شكل وأضافني بها واجتمعنا بعد ذلك بحلب وبخارى،,"In my company on this journey from Damascus to alMadma the Illustrious was a worthy man from the latter city known as Mansur b. Shakl. He made me his guest there, and we met again later on in Aleppo and in Bukhara."
وكان في صحبتي أيضًا قاضي الزيدية شرف الدين قاسم بن سنان، وصَحِبَنِي أيضًا أحد الصلحاء الفقراء من أهل غرناطة يُسَمَّى ﺑ «عَلِيِّ بن حجر الأموي».,"There was also in my company the qadi of the Zaidiya, Sharaf al-Dm Qasim b. Sinan, and I was accompanied as well by one of the pious ‘poor brethren’ belonging to Granada, whose name was ‘All b. Hujr al-Umawi."
حكاية,Anecdote.
"لما وَصَلْنَا إلى المدينة — كَرَّمها الله — على ساكنها أفضل الصلاة وأزكى السلام ذَكَرَ لي علي بن حجر المذكور أنه رأى تلك الليلة في النوم قائلًا يقول له: اسمع مني واحفظ عني (طويل):
هنيئًا لكم يا زائرين ضريحهأَمِنْتُم به يوم المعاد من الرجسِ
وَصَلْتُم إلى قبر الحبيب بطيبةفطوبى لمن يَضْحَى بطيبة أو يُمْسِي","When we reached al-Madina (God ennoble her and bless her inmate [the Prophet] with most bounteous benediction) this ‘AH b. Hujr whom I have mentioned told me that he had that night seen in his sleep one who said to him: ‘Listen to me, and learn this by heart from me: Rejoice, ye pilgrims to his shrine through whom Damnation ye shall ‘scape on that dread Day! At Taiba ye have reached the Beloved’s tomb— How blest who there one morn or evening stay!’"
وجَاوَرَ هذا الرجل بعد صحبه بالمدينة، ثم رحل إلى مدينة دهلي قاعدة بلاد الهند في سنة ثلاث وأربعين، فنزل في جواري،,"This man ‘sojourned’ for a time at al-Madina, after making his pilgrimage, and subsequently travelled to the city of Dihll, the capital of the land of India, in the year fortythree, and placed himself under my protection."
وذَكَرْتُ حكاية رؤياه بين يدي ملك الهند، فأَمَرَ بإحضاره فحضر بين يديه، وحكى له ذلك فأعجبه واستحسنه، وقال له كلامًا جميلًا بالفارسية، وأَمَرَ بإنزاله وأعطاه ثلاثمائة تنكة من ذهب ووزن التنكة من دنانير المغرب ديناران ونصف دينار، وأعطاه فرسًا محلي السرج واللجام وخلعة وعَيَّنَ له مرتبًا في كل يوم،,"I told the story of his dream in the presence of the king of India, who gave orders in consequence to summon him to the court. He appeared before him accordingly and related the same story to him, which was so admired and approved of by the king that he addressed some kind words to ‘AH in Persian, gave orders to assign a residence to him, and made him a present of three hundred gold tankahs (the weight of the tankah being [equivalent to] two and a half of the dinars of the Maghrib), besides giving him a horse with decorated saddle and bridle, and a robe of honour, and fixing a daily stipend for him."
وكان هنالك فقيه طيب من أهل غرناطة، ومولده ببجاية يُعْرَف هنالك بجمال الدين المغربي،,"There lived in Dihll at that time a scholar, an affable man, of a Granada family but himself born in Bijaya, who was known in India as Jamal al-Din al-Maghribi."
فصحبه علي بن حجر المذكور، ووعده على أن يُزَوِّجَه بنته وأنزله بدويرة خارج داره واشترى جارية وغلامًا،,"This ‘Ali b.Hujr became a friend of his, promised to give him his daughter in marriage, and put him up in a tiny building outside his own house. He also bought a slave-girl and a slave-boy."
وكان يترك الدنانير في مفرش ثيابه ولا يطمئن بها لأحد، فاتفق الغلام والجارية على أَخْذ ذلك الذهب وأخذاه وهربا،,"‘AH used to leave his money in the receptacle for his clothes, for he would not trust anyone with it; these two slaves plotted together to take his gold, and take it they did and then fled."
فلما أتى الدار لم يَجِدْ لهما أثرًا ولا للذهب، فامتنع من الطعام والشراب واشتد به المرض أسفًا على ما جرى عليه،,"When he came to the house he found no trace either of them or of the gold, and he abstained from food and drink and became seriously ill, out of grief at what had befallen him."
فعُرِضَتْ قضيته بين يدي الملك، فأَمَرَ أن يُخْلَفَ له ذلك، فبَعَثَ ذلك إليه من يُعْلِمه بذلك فوجده قد مات رحمه الله تعالى.,"I laid his case before the king, who gave orders that the loss should be made good to him, and sent a messenger to tell him of this, but the messenger found him dead (God Most High have mercy on him)."
وكان رحيلنا من المدينة نريد مكة — شرفهما الله تعالى — فنزلنا بقرب مسجد ذي الحليفة الذي أَحْرَمَ منه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا وبالمدينة منه على خمسة أميال وهو منتهى حرم المدينة وبالقرب منه وادي العقيق،,"Then came our departure from al-Madina to go to Mecca (God Most High ennoble her). We halted near the mosque of Dhu’l-Hulaifa, where the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) assumed the pilgrim garb. It is at a distance of five miles from al-Madina, of whose sacred territory it forms the limit, and not far from it is the wadi of al-‘Aqiq."
وهنالك تَجَرَّدْتُ من مخيط الثياب واغتسلت ولبست ثوب إحرامي وصَلَّيْتُ ركعتين,"Here I divested myself of my tailored clothes, bathed, put on the garment of my consecration, and made a prayer of two bowings."
وأَحْرَمْتُ بالحج مُفْرِدًا، ولم أَزَلْ ملبيًا في كل سهْلٍ وجبل وصعودٍ وحدورٍ إلى أن أتيت شِعْب علي عليه السلام وبه نزلت تلك الليلة،,"I entered the pilgrim state under obligation to carry out the rites of the Greater Pilgrimage without conjunction [with those of the Lesser Pilgrimage], and [in my enthusiasm] I did not cease crying Labbaika Alldhumma through every valley and hill and rise and descent until I came to the Pass of ‘All (upon him be peace) where I halted that night."
ثم رحلنا منه ونزلنا بالروحاء وبها بئر تُعْرَف ببئر ذات العلم، ويقال: إن عليًّا عليه السلام قاتَلَ بها الجن،,"We set out from there and encamped at alRawha’, where there is a well known as Bir Dhat al-‘Alam, and it is said that ‘AH (upon him be peace) fought with the Jinn in this well."
ثم رحلنا ونزلنا بالصفراء، وهو وادٍ معمورٌ فيه ماء ونخل وبنيان وقصر يَسْكُنه الشرفاء الحسنيون وسواهم،,"Then we continued our march and encamped at al-Safra, which is a cultivated and inhabited valley in which there is water, palm gardens, buildings, and a fortified grange, occupied by the Hasam Sharifs and others."
وفيها حِصْن كبير وتواليه حصون كثيرة وقرًى متصلة،,"There is a large fort in the place also, and in the neighbourhood are a number of other forts and contiguous villages."
ثم رحلنا منه ونزلنا ببدر حيث نَصَرَ الله رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا وأَنْجَزَ وَعْدَه الكريم واستأصل صناديد المشركين،,"We continued our journey from this place and encamped at Badr, where God aided His Apostle (God bless and give him peace) and performed His holy promise and extirpated the champions of the polytheists."
وهي قرية فيها حدائق نَخْل متصلة، وبها حِصْن منيع يُدْخَل إليه من بَطْن وادٍ بين جبال,It is a village with a succession of palm groves and a strong fort which can be entered [only] from the bed of a water-course between hills.
وببدر عين فوارة يجري ماؤها، وموضع القليب الذي سُحِبَ به أعداء الله المشركون هو اليوم بستان، وموضع الشهداء رضي الله عنهم خلفه،,"There is at Badr a gushing spring, the water from which forms a stream. The site of the pit into which the [bodies of the] polytheists, the enemies of God, were cast is now a fruit-garden, J and the place [of burial] of the martyrs (God be pleased with e them) is behind it."
وجبل الرحمة الذي نزلت به الملائكة على يسار الداخل منه إلى الصفراء، وبإزائه جبل الطبول وهو شبه كثيب الرمل ممتد.,"The Hill of Mercy upon which the angels descended is to the left as one enters this place, in the direction of al-Safra’. Opposite it is the Hill of Drums, resembling a long-backed sand-dune,"
ويزعم أهل تلك البلدة أنهم يسمعون هنالك مثل أصوات الطبول في كل ليلة جمعة،,and the people of that country assert that they hear a sound there like the noise of drums on the eve of every Friday.
وموضع عريش رسول الله ﷺ الذي كان به يوم بدر يناشد ربه جلَّ وتعالى متصل بسفح جبل الطبول، وموضع الوقيعة أمامه,"The site of the hut in which the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) passed the day of Badr, beseeching his Lord (Mighty and Exalted is He), is at the foot of the Hill of Drums, and the site of the battle is in front of it."
وعند نخل القليب مسجد، يقال له: مبرك ناقة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا،,By the palm trees of the pit [mentioned above is a mosque which is said to mark the place where the shecamel of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) lay down.
وبين بدر والصفراء نحو بريد في وادٍ بين جبال تَطَّرِد فيه العيون وتَتَّصِل حدائق النخل،,From Badr to al-Safra’ is about one barid along a water-course enclosed by hills and in which springs flow perennially and palm groves succeed one another without interruption.
ورحلنا من بدر إلى الصحراء المعروفة بقاعِ البزواء وهي برية يضل بها الدليل، ويذهل عن خليله الخليل، مسيرة ثلاث,"We went on from Badr into the desert known as the Flat of al-Bazwa, which is a wilderness where the guide wanders from the way and friend has no thought to spare for friend— a three nights’ journey."
وفي منتهاها وادي رابغ يتكون فيه بالمطر غدران يبقى بها الماء زمانًا طويلًا,"At the end of this march is the vale of Rabigh, in which pools are formed by the rain and hold the water for a long time."
ومنه يُحْرِم حُجَّاج مصر والمغرب وهو دون الجحفة،,"From this point, which is just before al-Juhfa, the pilgrims from Egypt and the Maghrib enter the pilgrim state."
وسِرْنا من رابغ ثلاثًا إلى خليص،,We set out from Rabigh and marched for a space of three nights to Khulais.
ومررنا بعَقَبة السويق، وهي على مسافة نصف يوم من خليص كثيرة الرمل،,"We passed through the defile of alSawiq, which is situated at a distance of half a day’s journey from Khulais, and a very sandy place."
والحجاج يقصدون شرب السويق بها ويستصحبونه من مصر والشام برسم ذلك ويسقونه الناس مخلطًا بالسكر، والأمراء يملئون منه الأحواض ويسقونها الناس،,"The pilgrims make a point of supping sawfq there, and bring it with them from Egypt and Syria for this purpose; they serve it out to people mixed with sugar, and the amirs fill the watering-tanks with it and serve the people from them."
ويُذْكَر أن رسول الله ﷺ مَرَّ بها ولم يكن مع أصحابه طعام فأَخَذَ من رَمْلِها فأعطاهم إياه فشربوه سويقًا،,"It is related that when the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) passed through this place his Companions had no food with them, so he taking some of its sand gave it to them, and they supped it [and found it to be] sawiq."
ثم نزلنا بركة خليص وهي في بسيط من الأرض كثيرة حدائق النخل لها حصن مشيد في قنة جبل، وفي البسيط حصن خرب,"We then encamped at the pool of Khulais, which lies in an open plain and has many palm groves. It possesses a strongly built fort on the top of a hill, and on the plain there is [another] fort in ruins."
وبها عين فوارة قد صنعت لها أخاديد في الأرض وسربت إلى الضياع،,"There is a gushing spring at this place, for whose waters channels have been made in the ground so that they flow to the cultivated lands."
وصاحب خليص شريفٌ حَسَنِيُّ النسب، وعرب تلك الناحية يقيمون هنالك سوقًا عظيمًا يَجْلِبُون إليها الغنم والثمر والإدام.,"The lord of Khulais is a sharif of the Hasani line. The bedouins of that neighbourhood hold a great market there, to which they bring sheep, fruits and condiments."
ثم رحلنا إلى عسفان وهي في بسيط من الأرض بين جبال وبها آبار معين تُنْسَب إحداها إلى عثمان بن عفان رضي الله عنه،,"We marched next to ‘Usfan, in an open plain between hills, where there are wells of spring water, one of which is attributed to ‘Othman b. ‘Affan (God be pleased with him)."
والمدرج المنسوب إلى عثمان أيضًا على مسافة نصف يوم من خليص، وهو مضيق بين جبلين، وفي موضع منه بلاط على صورة دَرَج وأَثَر عمارة قديمة،,"The laddered way which is likewise attributed to ‘Othman is a half day’s journey from Khulais; it is a narrow pass between two hills, and at one part of it there is a pavement in the shape of steps, and traces of old buildings."
وهنالك بئر تُنْسَب إلى علي عليه السلام، ويقال: إنه أَحْدَثَهَا،,"There is a well there attributed to ‘All (peace be upon him), and it is said that he originated it."
وبعسفان حصن عتيق وبرج مَشِيد قد أَوْهَنَهُ الخراب وبه من شجر المقل كثير.,"At ‘Usfan there is an ancient fort and a tower of solid masonry, which has been weakened by decay; there are also many wild dwarf palms there."
ثم رحلنا من عسفان ونزلنا بطن مرو يسمى أيضًا مر الظهران، وهو وادٍ مخصب كثير النخل ذو عين فوارة سيالة تسقي تلك الناحية،,"We then marched from ‘Usfan and encamped in the Bottom of Marr, also called Marr al-Zuhran, a fertile valley with numerous date-palms and a gushing spring of flowing water which serves for the irrigation of that district."
ومن هذا الوادي تُجْلَب الفواكه والخضر إلى مكة شَرَّفَها الله تعالى،,From this valley fruit and vegetables are brought to Mecca (God Most High ennoble her).
ثم أَدْلَجْنَا من هذا الوادي المبارك والنفوس مستبشرة ببلوغ آمالها مسرورة بحالها ومآلها، فوصَلْنا عند الصباح إلى البلد الأمين مكة شرفها الله تعالى،,"We set out again at night from this blessed valley, with hearts full of gladness at reaching the goal of their hopes, rejoicing in their present condition and future state, and arrived in the morning at the City of Surety, Mecca (God Most High ennoble her)."
فوردنا منها على حرم الله تعالى ومبوَّأ خليله إبراهيم ومبعث صفيِّه محمد ﷺ،,"WE PRESENTED ourselves forthwith at the Sanctuary of God Most High within her, the place of abode of His Friend Ibrāhīm and scene of mission of His Chosen One, Muhammad (God bless and give him peace)."
ودخلنا البيت الحرام الشريف الذي مَنْ دَخَلَهُ كان آمنًا من باب بني شيبة، وشاهدنا الكعبة الشريفة زادها الله تعظيمًا، وهي كالعروس تَجَلَّى على منصة الجلال وترفل في برود الجمال محفوفة بوفود الرحمن موصلة إلى جنة الرضوان،,"We entered the illustrious Holy House, wherein ‘he who enters is secure’, by the gate of the Banu Shaiba and saw before our eyes the illustrious Ka’ba (God increase it in veneration), like a bride who is displayed upon the bridalchair of majesty, and walks with proud step in the mantles of beauty, surrounded by the companies which had come to pay homage to the God of Mercy, and being conducted to the Garden of Eternal Bliss."
وطُفْنَا بها طواف القدوم، واستلمنا الحجر الكريم وصَلَّيْنَا ركعتين بمقام إبراهيم وتَعَلَّقْنا بأستار الكعبة عند الملتزم بين الباب والحجر الأسود حيث يستجاب الدعاء،,"We made around it the [seven-fold] circuit of arrival and kissed the holy Stone; we performed a prayer of two bowings at the Maqam Ibrahim and clung to the curtains of the Ka’ba at the Multazam between the door and the Black Stone, where prayer is answered;"
وشَرِبْنا من ماء زمزم وهو لما شُرِبَ له حسبما وَرَدَ عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا.,"we drank of the water of Zamzam, which, being drunk of, possesses the qualities which are related in the Tradition handed down from the Prophet (God bless and give him peace);"
ثم سعينا بين الصفا والمروة ونزلنا هنالك بدار بمقربة من باب إبراهيم،,"then, having run between al-Safa and al-Marwa, we took up our lodging there in a house near the Gate of Ibrahim."
والحمد لله الذي شَرَّفَنا بالوفادة على هذا البيت الكريم وجَعَلَنَا ممن بَلَغَتْهُ دعوة الخليل عليه الصلاة والتسليم ومَتَّعَ أعيننا بمشاهدة الكعبة الشريفة والمسجد العظيم والحجر الكريم وزمزم والحطيم،,"Praise be to God, Who hath honoured us by visitation to this holy House, and hath caused us to be numbered amongst those included in the prayer of al-Khalil (blessing and peace upon him), and hath rejoiced our eyes by the vision of the illustrious Ka’ba and the honourable House, of the holy Stone, of Zamzam and the Hatim."
ومن عجائب صُنْع الله تعالى أنه طَبَعَ القلوب على النزوع إلى هذه المشاهد المنيفة والشوق إلى المثول بمعاهدها الشريفة وجَعَلَ حُبَّهَا متمكنًا في القلوب؛ فلا يَحُلُّها أحد إلا أَخَذَتْ بمجامع قلبه، ولا يفارقها إلا أسفًا لفراقها متولهًا لبعاده عنها شديد الحنين إليها ناويًا لتكرار الوفادة عليها،,"Of the wondrous doings of God Most High is this, that He has created the hearts of men with an instinctive desire to seek these sublime sanctuaries, and yearning to present themselves at their illustrious sites, and has given the love of them such power over men’s hearts that none alights in them but they seize his whole heart, nor quits them but with grief at separation from them, sorrowing at his far journey away from them, filled with longing for them, and purposing to repeat his visitation to them."
فأرْضها المباركة نصب الأعين، ومَحَبَّتُها حشو القلوب حكمة من الله بالغة وتصديقًا لدعوة خليله عليه السلام،,"For their blessed soil is the focus of all eyes, and love of it the marrow of all hearts, in virtue of a wise disposition of God which achieves its sublime purpose, and hi fulfilment of the prayer of His Friend [Abraham] (upon him be peace)."
والشوق يحضرها وهي نائبة، ويمثلها وهي غائبة، ويهون على قاصدها ما يلقاه من المشاقِّ ويعانيه من العناء،,"Intensity of yearning brings them near while yet far off, presents them to the eye while yet unseen, and makes of little account to him who seeks them the o« fatigues which he meets and the distress which he endures."
وكم من ضعيف يرى الموت عيانًا دونها ويشاهد التلف في طريقها، فإذا جَمَعَ الله بها شمله تلقَّاها مسرورًا مستبشرًا كأنه لم يَذُقْ لها مرارة ولا كابَدَ محنة ولا نصبًا،,"How many a weakling sees death before reaching them, and beholds destruction on their road, yet when God brings him safely to them he welcomes them with joy and gladness, as though he had not tasted bitterness, nor suffered torment and affliction for their sakes!"
إنه لَأَمْرٌ إلهي وصُنْع رباني، ودلالة لا يشوبها لبس ولا تغشاها شبهة ولا يطرقها تمويه، وتعزُّ في بصيرة المستبصرين وتبدو في فكرة المتفكرين،,"Truly this is a divine thing and a God-given benefit, a proof uncontaminated by ambiguity, unobscured by dubiety, and inaccessible to deception, which is of compelling cogency in the perception of men of understanding, and shatters the rationalism of the intellectuals."
ومَنْ رَزَقَهُ الله تعالى الحلول بتلك الأرجاء والمثول بذلك الفناء فقد أَنْعَمَ الله عليه النعمة الكبرى وخَوَّلَه خير الدارين الدنيا والأخرى،,"He whose soul God Most High hath sustained [by granting him] to alight in those regions and to present himself in that court, upon him hath God bestowed the greatest of all favours and possession of the best of both abodes, that of his present world and the other of the world to come."
فحقَّ عليه أن يُكْثِر الشكر على ما خَوَّلَه ويُدِيم الحمد على ما أولاه،,"It is meet for him, therefore, that he should abundantly give thanks for what He has bestowed upon him."
جَعَلَنَا الله تعالى ممن قُبِلَتْ زيارتُه، ورَبِحَتْ في قَصْدها تجارتُه، وكُتِبَتْ في سبيل الله آثاره، ومحيت بالقبول أوزارُه بمَنِّه وكَرَمِهِ.,"May God Most High number us amongst those whose visitation is accepted, whose merchandise in seeking to perform it brings him gain [in the world to come], whose actions in the cause of God are written [in the Book of Life], and whose burdens of sin are effaced by the acceptance [of the merit earned by Pilgrimage], through His loving kindness and graciousness."
ذكر مدينة مكة المعظمة,The venerable city of Mecca.
وهي مدينة كبيرة متصلة البنيان مستطيلة في بطن وادٍ تحفُّ به الجبال، فلا يراها قاصدها حتى يصل إليها،,"Mecca is a large town, compactly built and oblong in shape, situated in the hollow of a valley which is so shut in by hills that the visitor to her sees nothing of her until he actually reaches her."
وتلك الجبال المطلة عليها ليست بمفرطة الشموخ، والأخشبان من جبالها هما جبل أبي قبيس وهو في جهة الجنوب منها، وجبل قعيقعان وهو في جهة منها،,"These hills that overlook her are of no exceeding elevation. The ‘two rugged hills’ of them are the Hill of Abu Qubais, on the southern side of the town, and the Hill of Qu’aiqi’an on its [western] side."
وفي الشمال منها الجبل الأحمر، ومن جهة أبي قبيس أجياد الأكبر وأجياد الأصغر، وهما شِعْبان، والحندمة وهي جبل وستُذْكَر،,"To the north of the town is the Red Hill (al-Jabal al-Ahmar), and on the side of Abu Qubais are Greater Ajyad and Lesser Ajyad, both of which are ravines, and al-Khandama, a mountain; this will be described later."
والمناسك كلها — منى وعرفة والمزدلفة — بشرقي مكة شرفها الله،,"All the places of the pilgrimage ceremonies—Mina, ‘Arafa, and al-Muzdalifa—lie to the east of Mecca (God ennoble her)."
ولمكة من الأبواب ثلاثة: باب المعلى بأعلاها، وباب الشبيكة من أسفلها ويُعْرَف أيضًا بباب الزاهر، وباب العمرة وهو إلى جهة المغرب وعليه طريق المدينة الشريفة، ومصر والشام وجدة ومنه يُتَوَجَّه إلى التنعيم وسيُذْكَر ذلك،,"At Mecca the city gates are three in number: Bab al-Ma’la, in the highest [i.e. northern] part of the town; Bab alShubaika, in its lowest part, known also as Bab al-Zahir and Bab al-‘Umra—this is on the western side, and through it lies the road to al-Madina the Illustrious, Cairo, Syria, and Judda; it is from it also that one sets out to al-Tan’im, as will be described later —"
وباب المسفل وهو من جهة الجنوب، ومنه دخل خالد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه يوم الفتح،,"and Bab al-Masfal, which is situated on the southern side, and is the gate through which Khalid b.al-Walid (God be pleased with him) entered on the day of the Conquest."
ومكة — شرفها الله — كما أخبر الله في كتابه العزيز حاكيًا عن نبيه الخليل: بوادٍ غير ذي زرع، ولكن سبقت لها الدعوة المباركة، فكل طرفة تُجْلَب إليها وثمرات كل شيء تجبى لها،,"Mecca (God ennoble her), as God has related in His glorious Book, citing the words of His prophet al-Khalil, lies ‘in a valley bare of corn’, but the blessed prayer [of Abraham] has anticipated her needs, so that every delicacy is brought to her, and the fruits of every kind are gathered for her."
ولقد أَكَلْتُ بها من الفواكه العنب والتين والخوخ والرطب ما لا نظير له في الدنيا، وكذلك البطيخ المجلوب إليها لا يماثله سواه طيبًا وحلاوة، واللحوم بها سمان لذيذات الطعوم، وكل ما يفترق في البلاد من السلع فيها اجتماعه،,"I myself have eaten there fruits, such as grapes, figs, peaches, and fresh dates, that have not their equal in the world; likewise the melons which are transported to her have none to o compare with them for flavour and sweetness. The fleshmeats in Mecca are fat and exceedingly delicious in taste. All the commodities that are dispersed in different countries find assembly in her."
وتُجْلَب لها الفواكه والخُضَر من الطائف ووادي نخلة وبطن مر لطفًا من الله بسكان حَرَمِه الأمين ومجاوري بيته العتيق.,"Fruits and vegetables are carried to her from al-Ta’if and WadI Nakhla and the Bottom of Marr, through a bounteous provision of God for the dwellers in His secure sanctuary and the sojourners at His ancient House."
ذكر المسجد الحرام شَرَّفه الله وكَرَّمه,The sacred mosque (God ennoble and sanctify it}.
والمسجد الحرام في وسط البلد، وهو مُتَّسِع الساحة طوله من شرق إلى غرب أزيد من أربعمائة ذراع، حكى ذلك الأزرقي، وعرضه يقرب من ذلك،,The Sacred Mosque lies in the midst of the city and occupies an extensive area; its length from east to west is more than four hundred cubits (this figure is given by al-Azraqi) and its breadth is approximately the same.
والكعبة العظمى في وسطه، ومنظره بديع ومرآه جميل لا يتعاطى اللسان وَصْف بدائعه ولا يحيط الواصف بحسن كماله،,"The most venerable Ka’ba stands in the centre of it. The aspect of the mosque is [so] exquisite, its outward sight [so] beautiful [that] no tongue could presume to describe its attractions, and no voice of description do justice to the charm of its perfection."
وارتفاع حيطانه نحو عشرين ذراعًا، وسقفه على أعمدة طوال مُصْطَفَّة ثلاث صفوف بأتقن صناعة وأجملها،,"The height of its oe walls is about twenty cubits, and the roof [of its colonnades] is supported by tall pillars, arranged in a triple row, of most substantial and beautiful construction."
وقد انتظمت بلاطاته الثلاثة انتظامًا عجيبًا كأنها بلاط واحد،,"Its three aisles are arranged on a marvellous plan, which makes them appear like a single aisle."
وعدد سواريه الرخامية أربعمائة وإحدى وتسعون سارية ما عدا الجصية التي في دار الندوة المزيدة في الحرم،,"The number of marble pillars which it contains is, exclusive of the plaster pillars which are in the Dar al-Nadwa annexed to the sanctuary."
وهي داخلة في البلاط الآخذ في الشمال، ويقابلها المقام مع الركن العراقي، وفضاؤها مُتَّصِل يدخل من هذا البلاط إليه,"This building is incorporated in the colonnade running [from west] to north, and opposite it are the Maqam [of Ibrahim] and the ‘Iraqi angle [of the Ka’ba]; its court is contiguous to and entered from the colonnade mentioned."
ويتصل بجدار هذا البلاط مساطب تحت قُسِيِّ حنايا يجلس بها المقرئون والنساخون والخياطون،,"Along the wall of this colonnade is a series of small platforms beneath vaulted arcades; these are occupied by teachers of the Qur’an, copyists and tailors."
وفي جدار البلاط الذي يقابله مساطب تماثلها وسائر البلاطات تحت جداراتها مساطب بدون حنايا،,On the wall of the parallel colonnade to this there are platforms resembling these; the other colonnades have at the foot of their walls platforms without arcades.
وعند باب إبراهيم مَدْخَل من البلاط الغربي فيه سواري جصية،,"By the Bab Ibrahim there is [another] extension from the [south-] western colonnade, in which there are plaster columns."
وللخليفة المهدي محمد بن الخليفة أبي جعفر المنصور رضي الله عنهما آثار كريمة في توسيع المسجد الحرام وإحكام بنائه،,"The Caliph al-Mahdi Muhammad, son of the Caliph Abu Ja’far al-Mansur (God be pleased with both), has to his credit a number of noble activities in regard to the extension of the Sacred Mosque and the perfection of its construction,"
وفي أعلى جدار البلاط الغربي مكتوب: أَمَرَ عبد الله محمد المهدي أمير المؤمنين أصلحه الله بتوسعة المسجد الحرام لحاج بيت الله وعمارته في سنة سبع وستين ومائة.,"and on the highest part of the wall of the western colonnade is an inscription: ‘The Servant of God Muhammad al-Mahdi, Commander of the Faithful (God justify him), commanded the enlargement of the Sacred Mosque for the Pilgrims to the House of God and the Visitors thereto in the year One Hundred and Sixty-Seven.’"
ذكر الكعبة المعظمة الشريفة زادها الله تعظيمًا وتكريمًا,The illustrious and venerable Ka’ba (God increase it in veneration and honour).
والكعبة ماثلة في وسط المسجد، وهي بنية مربعة ارتفاعها في الهواء من الجهات الثلاث ثمانٍ وعشرون ذراعًا، ومن الجهة الرابعة التي بين الحجر الأسود والركن اليماني تسع وعشرون ذراعًا،,"The Ka’ba stands out in the middle of the Mosque—a square-shaped building, whose height is on three sides twenty-eight cubits and on the fourth side, that between the Black Stone and theYamanite angle, twenty-nine cubits."
وعَرْض صفحتها التي من الركن العراقي إلى الحجر الأسود أربعة وخمسون شبرًا، وكذلك عرض الصفحة التي تقابلها من الركن اليماني إلى الركن الشامي،,"The breadth of that side of it which extends from the ‘Iraqi angle to the Black Stone is fifty-four spans, and so also is the breadth of the side which runs parallel to it, from the Yamanite angle to the Syrian angle;"
وعرض صفحتها التي من الركن العراقي إلى الركن الشامي من داخل الحجر ثمانية وأربعون شبرًا، وكذلك عرض الصفحة التي تقابلها من الركن الشامي إلى الركن العراقي، وأما خارج الحجر فإنه مائة وعشرون شبرًا، والطواف إنما هو خارج الحجر،,"the breadth of that side of it which extends from the ‘Iraqi angle to the Syrian angle, within the Hijr, is forty-eight spans, and so also is the breadth of the side parallel to it, [from the Yamanite angle to the Black Stone, the same as that] from the Syrian angle to the ‘Iraqi angle; but measured round the outside of the Hijr the length of this side is a hundred and twenty spans, and the circuit is always made outside the Hijr."
وبناؤها بالحجارة الصم السمر قد أُلْصِقَتْ بأبدع الإلصاق وأَحْكَمِه وأشهده، فلا تغيرها الأيام ولا تؤثر فيها الأزمان،,"It is constructed of hard brown stones cemented together in the most admirable, substantial, and solid manner, so that the days may not change it nor long ages affect it."
وباب الكعبة المعظمة في الصفح الذي بين الحجر الأسود والركن العراقي، وبينه وبين الحجر الأسود عشرة أشبار، وذلك الموضع هو المسمى بالملتزم، حيث يستجاب الدعاء،,"The door of the venerable Ka’ba is in the side which is between the Black Stone and the ‘Iraqi angle. Between it and the Black Stone is [a space of] ten spans, and that place is the so-called Multazam where prayers are answered."
وارتفاع الباب عن الأرض أحد عشر شبرًا ونصف شبر، وسعته ثمانية أشبار، وطوله ثلاثة عشر شبرًا، وعرض الحائط الذي ينطوي عليه خمسة أشبار،,The height of the door [sill] above the ground is eleven and a half spans and the breadth of the wall in which it is set is five spans.
وهو مصفح بصفائح الفضة بديع الصنعة وعضادتاه وعتبته العليا مصفحات بالفضة وله نقارتان كبيرتان من فضة عليهما قفل.,"The door is covered with plates of silver exquisitely fabricated, and both its jambs and its lintel also are plated with silver. It has two great rings made of silver, through which passes a bolt."
ويُفْتَح الباب الكريم في كل يوم جمعة بعد الصلاة، ويُفْتَح في يوم مولد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا،,The Holy Door is opened every Friday after the [midday] prayer and it is opened also on the anniversary of the birthday of the Prophet (God bless and give him peace).
ورسمهم في فتحه أن يضعوا كرسيًّا شبه المنبر له درج وقوائم خشب لها أربع بكرات يجري الكرسي عليها ويلصقونه إلى جدار الكعبة الشريفة،,"The ceremony which they use in opening it is as follows. They bring up a bench resembling a mimbar, which has steps and wooden legs with four rollers upon which the bench runs, and place it against the wall of the illustrious Ka’ba so that its top step adjoins the holy threshold."
فيكون درجه الأعلى متصلًا بالعتبة الكريمة ثم يصعد كبير الشيبيين وبيده المفتاح الكريم ومعه السدنة فيمسكون الستر المسبل على باب الكعبة المسمى بالبرقع بخلال ما يفتح رئيسهم الباب،,"When this is done, the chief of the Shaibis mounts the steps, carrying in his hand the holy key, and accompanied by the doorkeepers. The latter take hold of [and draw aside] the curtain which is hung over the door of the Ka’ba and is known by the name of the Veil [al-Burqu), while their chief opens the door."
فإذا فتحه قبل العتبة الشريفة ودخل البيت وحده وسد الباب، وأقام قدر ما يركع ركعتين، ثم يدخل سائر الشيبيين ويسدون الباب أيضًا ويركعون،,"When he opens it, he kisses io the illustrious threshold, enters the House alone, closes the door, and remains there as long as he requires to make a prayer of two bowings. Then the rest of the Shaibis enter, close the door also, and make their prayers."
ثم يفتح الباب ويبادر الناس بالدخول، وفي أثناء ذلك يقفون مستقبلين الباب الكريم بأبصار خاشعة وقلوب ضارعة وأيد مبسوطة إلى الله تعالى، فإذا فتح كبروا ونادوا: اللهم افتح لنا أبواب رحمتك ومغفرتك يا أرحم الراحمين،,"After this the door is opened, and the people rush to gain admission. During the preliminaries they stand facing the holy door with downcast eyes and hands outstretched to God Most High, and when it is opened they shout the Takbir and cry ‘O God, open unto us the gates of Thy mercy and Thy forgiveness, O most Merciful of the merciful’."
وداخل الكعبة الشريفة مفروش بالرخام المجزع وحيطانه كذلك،,The interior of the illustrious Ka’ba is paved with marble inlaid with arabesques and its walls have a similar facing.
وله أعمدة ثلاثة طوال مفرطة الطول من خشب الساج، بين كل عمود منها وبين الآخر أربع خُطًا، وهي متوسطة في الفضاء داخل الكعبة الشريفة يقابل الأوسط منها نِصْف عَرْض الصفح الذي بين الركنين العراقي والشامي،,"It has three tall pillars, exceedingly high and made of teak; between each pillar and the next is a distance of four paces, and they stand [lengthwise] in the middle of the space inside the illustrious Ka’ba, the central one being opposite to the midpoint of the side between the [Yamanite] and Syrian angles."
وستور الكعبة الشريفة من الحرير الأسود مكتوب فيها بالأبيض وهي تتلألأ عليها نورًا وإشراقًا وتكسو جميعها من الأعلى إلى الأرض.,"The hangings of the illustrious Ka’ba are of black silk, with inscriptions in white; they gleam upon its walls with light and brilliance and clothe it entirely from the top to the ground."
ومن عجائب الآيات في الكعبة الكريمة أن بابها يُفْتَح والحرم غاصٌّ بأمم لا يحصيها إلا الله الذي خَلَقَهُم ورَزَقَهُم فيدخلونها أجمعين ولا تضيق عنهم،,"One of the marvellous ‘signs’ in connexion with the holy Ka’ba is this: its door is opened at a time when the sanctuary is choked with a multitude of peoples whom none can number save God, who hath created them and sustained them, yet they enter it—the whole body of them—and it is not too narrow to contain them."
ومن عجائبها أنها لا تخلو عن طائف أبدًا ليلًا ولا نهارًا، ولم يَذْكُر أحد أنه رآها قط دون طائف،,"Another of its marvels is that it is never at any time, whether by night or day, without some worshipper engaged in making the circuit, and none has ever reported that he has seen it at any time without worshippers."
ومن عجائبها أن حَمام مكة على كَثْرَتِه وسواه من الطير لا ينزل عليها ولا يعلوها في الطيران،,"Yet another marvel is this: that the pigeons of Mecca, in spite of their number, and the other kinds of birds as well, do not alight upon it, nor do they pass over it in their flight."
وتجد الحمام يطير على أعلى الحرم كله، فإذا حاذى الكعبة الشريفة عرج عنها إلى إحدى الجهات ولم يَعْلُها،,"You can see the pigeons flying over the whole sanctuary, but when they come level with the illustrious Ka’ba they deflect their course from it to one side, and do not pass over it."
ويقال: إنه لا ينزل عليها طائر إلا إذا كان به مرض، فإما أن يموت لحينه أو يبرأ من مرضه، فسبحان الذي خَصَّها بالتشريف والتكريم، وجَعَلَ لها المهابة والتعظيم.,"It is said that no bird ever alights on it unless it be suffering from some disease, and in that case it either dies on the instant or is healed of its disease—magnified be He who hath distinguished it by nobility and holiness and hath clothed it with respect and veneration."
ذكر الميزاب المبارك,The blessed waterspout.
والميزاب في أعلى الصفح الذي على الحِجْر، وهو من الذهب، وسعته شبر واحد، وهو بارز بمقدار ذراعين، والموضع الذي تحت الميزاب مظنة استجابة الدعاء،,"The spout is at the top of the side which is by the Hijr. It is of gold, a single span in breadth, and protrudes two cubits. The place underneath the spout is held to be one where prayers made in it will be answered."
وتحت الميزاب في الحِجْر هو قبر إسماعيل عليه السلام، وعليه رخامة خضراء مستطيلة على شكل محراب متصلة برخامة خضراء مستديرة وكلتاهما سعتها مقدار شبر ونصف شبر، وكلتاهما غريبة الشكل رائقة المنظر،,"The site underneath the spout and in the Hijr is the grave of Isma’il (upon him be peace). It is marked by an elongated slab of green marble in the shape of a mihrdb in conjunction with a circular slab of green marble, both about a span and a half in breadth, and both of singular shape and attractive appearance."
وإلى جانبه مما يلي الركن العراقي قبر أمه هاجر عليها السلام، وعلامته رخامة خضراء مستدير سعتها مقدار شبر ونصف، وبين القبرين سبعة أشبار.,"Beside it, towards the ‘Iraqi angle, is the grave of his mother Hajar (upon her be peace), the mark of which is a circular slab of green marble, a span and a half in breadth. Between the two graves is the space of seven spans."
ذكر الحجر الأسود,The Black Stone.
وأما الحجر الأسود، فارتفاعه عن الأرض ستة أشبار، فالطويل من الناس يتطامن لتقبيله، والصغير يَتَطَاول إليه,"As for the Stone, its height above the ground is six spans, so that a tall man has to bend down in order to kiss it and a small man has to stretch himself up to reach it."
وهو ملصق في الركن الذي إلى جهة المشرق، وسعته ثُلُثَا شبر، وطوله شبر وعقد،,"It is set in the angle which points to the east, twothirds of a span broad and a span in length, and is soldered in."
ولا يُعْلَم قَدْر ما دخل منه في الركن، وفيه أربع قطع ملصقة، ويقال: إن القرمطي لعنه الله كسره،,"No one knows the dimension of that side of it which is enclosed in the angle. It includes four fragments stuck together; the [usual] story is that the Qarmati (God curse him) broke it,"
وقيل إن الذي كسره سِواه، ضربه بدبوس فكسره وتبادر الناس إلى قتله وقُتِلَ بسببه جماعة من المغاربة،,"but it has been said that the man who broke it was another person, who struck it with a club and smashed it. The people present at the time rushed up to kill him, and a number of Maghribines were killed on account of his action."
وجوانب الحجر مشدودة بصفيحة من فضة يلوح بياضها على سواد الحجر الكريم فتجتلي منه العيون حسنًا باهرًا،,"The edges of the Stone are bound by a rim of silver, whose i whiteness gleams against the black mass of the holy Stone, so that all eyes see in it an overpowering beauty."
ولتقبيله لذة يتنعم بها الفم ويَوَدُّ لاثمه أن لا يفارق لثمه خاصية مودعة فيه وعناية ربانية به،,"The kissing of the Stone gives a [sensation of] pleasure which is peculiarly agreeable to the mouth, and as one places his lips against it he would fain not withdraw them from its embrace, by virtue of a special quality reposed in it and a divine favour accorded to it."
وكفى قول رسول الله ﷺ: «إنه يمين الله في أرضه»، نَفَعَنَا الله باستلامه ومصافحته، وأَوْفَدَ عليه كل شيِّق إليه،,"What more is required [to prove its sublimity] than that the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) said that it is the Right Hand of God upon His earth? —God profit us by our kissing it and touching it, and bring to it all who yearn for it."
وفي القطعة الصحيحة من الحجر الأسود مما يلي جانبه المُوالي ليمين مُسْتَلِمه نقطة بيضاء صغيرة مشرقة كأنها خال في تلك الصحيفة البهية،,"In the unbroken portion of the Black Stone, near the edge of it which is to the right as one kisses it, is a small and glittering white spot, as if it were a mole on that glorious surface."
وترى الناس إذا طافوا بها يتساقط بعضهم على بعض ازدحامًا على تقبيله، فقَلَّمَا يتمكن أحد من ذلك إلا بعد المزاحمة الشديدة،,"You can see the pilgrims, as they make their circuits of the Ka’ba, falling one upon the other in the press to kiss it, and it is seldom that one succeeds in doing so except after vigorous jostling."
وكذلك يصنعون عند دخول البيت الكريم، ومن عند الحجر الأسود ابتداء الطواف، وهو أول الأركان التي يلقاها الطائف،,They do just the same when they are entering the Holy House. It is from beside the Black Stone that the beginning of the circuit is made and it is the first of the angles that the circuiter comes to.
فإذا استلمه تقهقر عنه قليلًا، وجعل الكعبة الشريفة عن يساره ومضى في طوافه،,"When he kisses the Stone, he steps back from it a little way, keeps the illustrious Ka’ba on his left side, and proceeds on his circuit."
ثم يلقى بعده الركن العراقي وهو إلى جهة الشمال، ثم يلقى الركن الشامي وهو إلى جهة الغرب، ثم يلقى الركن اليماني وهو إلى جهة الجنوب، ثم يعود إلى الحجر الأسود وهو إلى جهة الشرق.,"He comes next, after the Stone, to the ‘Iraqi angle, which faces to the north; then he comes to the Syrian angle, which faces to the west; then to the Yamanite angle which faces to the south; and so returns to the Black Stone, which faces to the East."
ذكر المقام الكريم,The holy Maqdm.
اعلم أن بين باب الكعبة شرَّفها الله وبين الركن العراقي موضعًا طوله اثنا عشر شبرًا وعرضه نحو النصف من ذلك وارتفاعه نحو شبرين،,"You should know that between the door of the Ka’ba (God ennoble it) and the ‘Iraqi angle there is a place, twelve spans in length and about half as much in breadth, and about two spans high."
وهو موضع المقام في مدة إبراهيم عليه السلام، ثم صَرَفَهُ النبي ﷺ إلى الموضع الذي هو الآن مصلًّى،,"This was the site of the Station in the time of Ibrahim (upon him be peace); subsequently the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) removed it to its [present] position, which is nowadays a place of worship."
وبقي ذلك الموضع شبه الحوض وإليه ينصبُّ ماء البيت الكريم إذا غُسِلَ،,"The original position remained [with the empty socket] something like a watering-tank, and it is into it that the water from the Holy House is poured when it is washed i out."
وهو موضع مبارك يزدحم الناس للصلاة فيه، وموضع المقام الكريم يقابل ما بين الركن العراقي والباب الكريم، وهو إلى الباب أميل،,"This is a blessed site, for [the privilege of] praying in which there is much scrambling among the pilgrims. The [present] location of the Holy Station is opposite [the wall of the Ka’ba] between the ‘Iraqi angle and the Holy Door, and rather nearer to the Door."
وعليه قبة تحتها شباك حديد متجافٍ عن المقام الكريم قَدْر ما تصل أصابع الإنسان إذا أدخل يده من ذلك الشباك إلى الصندوق، والشباك مقفل ومن ورائه موضع محوز قد جعل مصلًّى لركعتي الطواف،,"It is surmounted by a cupola, underneath which is an iron grille placed at such a distance from the Holy Station that a man’s finger, when he thrusts his hand through the grille, can just reach the chest [containing the sacred stone] when the grille is locked. Behind the Station is a fenced-off area, which is used as a place in which to pray the two bowings after the circuit of the Ka’ba."
وفي الصحيح أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا لما دَخَلَ المسجد أتى البيت فطاف به سبعًا ثم أتى المقام فقرأ: وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى، ورَكَعَ خَلْفَه ركعتين،,"[It is related in the canonical Traditions contained] in the Sahfh* that the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) on entering the mosque [after the capture of Mecca] came to the House and made a sevenfold circuit of it, then came to the Station and after reciting [from the Holy Qur’an] Take the Station of Ibrahim for a place of prayer’ prayed two bowings behind it."
وخَلْف المقام مصلَّى إمام الشافعية في الحطيم الذي هنالك.,"Behind the Station is the position where the imam of the Shafi’is stands during prayers, in the enclosure which is at that place."
ذكر الحجر والمطاف,The Hijr and the circuiting pavement.
ودور جدار الحجر تسع وعشرون خطوة وهي أربعة وتسعون شبرًا من داخل الدائرة,"The circumference of the enclosing wall of the Hijr * measures twenty-nine paces, that is to say ninety-four spans, in the interior of the segment."
وهو بالرخام البديع المجزع المحكَم الإلصاق، وارتفاعه خمسة أشبار ونصف شبر،,"The wall itself is made of exquisite marble, arabesqued, and artistically put together; it is five and a half spans high, and four and a half spans broad."
وسعته أربعة أشبار ونصف شبر، وداخل الحجر بلاط واسع مفروش بالرخام المجزع المنظم المعجز الصنعة البديع الإتقان،,"Within the Hijr is a broad pavement, nagged with [blocks of] marble arabesqued, [the pieces of which are] arranged in order with inimitable skill and brilliant execution."
وبين جدار الكعبة الشريفة الذي تحت الميزاب وبين ما يقابله من جدار الحجر على خط استواء أربعون شبرًا،,Between the wall of the illustrious Ka’ba underneath the spout and the opposite part of the wall of the Hijr is at right angles a space of forty spans.
وللحجر مدخلان: أحدهما بينه وبين الركن العراقي، وسعته ستة أذرع، وهذا الموضع هو الذي تَرَكَتْه قريش من البيت حين بَنَتْه كما جاءت الآثار الصحاح، والمدخل الآخر عند الركن الشامي، وسعته أيضًا ستة أذرع،,"The Hijr has two entrances, one between [the end of] its [wall] and the ‘Iraqi angle [of the Ka’ba], six cubits in breadth—this space being the part of the House which the Quraish left outside when they built the Ka’ba, as is related in the authentic Traditions; the other entrance is at the Syrian angle and is also six cubits in breadth."
وبين المدخلين ثمانية وأربعون شبرًا، وموضع الطواف مفروش بالحجارة السود محكمة الإلصاق،,The distance between the two entrances is forty-eight spans. The place of circuit is paved is with black stones so [laid and] jointed as to form a solid pavement.
وقد اتسعت عن البيت بمقدار تسع خُطًا إلا في الجهة التي تقابل المقام الكريم، فإنها امتدت إليه حتى أحاطت به،,"It extends outward to a breadth of nine paces from the House, except at the side which faces the Holy Station, where it widens out to include it as well."
وسائر الحرم مع البلاطات مفروش برمل أبيض، وطواف النساء في آخر الحجارة المفروشة.,"The rest of the Sanctuary, including the colonnades, is covered with white sand. The place of circuit of the women is at the outer edge of the pavement."
ذكر زمزم المباركة,The blessed Zamzam
وقبة بئر زمزم تقابل الحجر الأسود وبينهما أربع وعشرون خطوة،,The pavilion of the well of Zamzam stands opposite the Black Stone and at a distance of twentyfour paces from it.
والمقام الكريم عن يمين القبة ومن ركنها إليه عشر خُطًا،,"The holy Station is to the right of the pavilion, and from the corner of the latter to it is a distance of ten paces."
وداخل القبة مفروش بالرخام الأبيض، وتنور البئر المباركة في وسط القبة مائلًا إلى الجدار المقابل للكعبة الشريفة،,"The interior of the pavilion is paved with white marble, and the mouth of the blessed well is in the centre of it, a little closer to the wall which faces the illustrious Ka’ba."
وهو من الرخام البديع الإلصاق مفروغ بالرصاص، ودوره أربعون شبرًا، وارتفاعه أربعة أشبار ونصف شبر،,"The [breastwork of the] mouth of the well is made of marble, exceedingly skilfully joined and cemented with molten lead; its circumference is forty spans and its height four and a half spans."
وعمق البئر إحدى عشرة قامة، وهم يَذْكُرون أن ماءها يتزايد في كل ليلة جمعة، وباب القبة إلى جهة الشرق،,"The depth of the well is eleven fathoms, and they say that the water in it increases in volume on the eve of each Friday. The door of the pavilion faces east."
وقد استدارت بداخل القبة سقاية سعتها شبر وعمقها مثل ذلك، وارتفاعها عن الأرض نحو خمسة أشبار تملأ ماء للوضوء وحولها مسطبة يقعد الناس عليها للوضوء،,"In the interior of the pavilion there is a circular channel, a span in depth and the same in breadth, and at a height of about five spans from the ground. This is filled with water for ritual ablutions, and round its circumference there is a circular bench, upon which the people sit to make them."
ويلي قبة زمزم قبة الشراب المنسوبة إلى العباس رضي الله عنه،,"Close by the pavilion of Zamzam is the pavilion of the Drinking Water, which is attributed to al-‘Abbas (God be pleased with him)."
وبابها إلى جهة الشمال، وهي الآن يُجْعَل بها ماء زمزم في قلال يسمونها الدوارق، وكل دورق له مقبض واحد، وتترك بها ليبرد فيها الماء فيشربه الناس،,"Its doorway faces the north. It is used nowadays for keeping Zamzam water in jars which they call [in the singular] dawraq, each one of which has a single lug: they are left in this pavilion so that the water may be cooled there and afterwards drunk by the people."
وبها اختزان المصاحف الكريمة والكتب التي للحرم الشريف، وبها خزانة تحتوي على تابوت مبسوط مُتَّسِع فيه مصحف كريم بخط زيد بن ثابت رضي الله عنه، منتسَخ سنة ثمان عشرة من وفاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا،,"In it are stored also the copies of the Holy Qur’an and other books belonging to the illustrious sanctuary, and it has a small store-room containing a very broad and wide chest in which is a copy of the Holy Qur’an in the hand of Zaid b.Thabit (God be pleased with him), transcribed in the year eighteen after the death of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)."
وأهل مكة إذا أصابهم قحط أو شدة أخرجوا هذا المصحف الكريم وفتحوا باب الكعبة الشريفة ووضعوه على العتبة الشريفة ووضعوه في مقام إبراهيم عليه السلام,"The people of Mecca, when they are afflicted by a famine or other hardship, fetch out this holy volume, open the door of the illustrious Ka’ba, and lay it upon the illustrious threshold together with the Station of Ibrahlm (upon him be peace)."
واجتمع الناس كاشفين رءوسهم داعين متضرعين متوسلين بالمصحف العزيز والمقام الكريم، فلا ينفصلون إلا وقد تَدَارَكَهُم الله برحمته وتَغَمَّدَهُم بلطفه،,"The populace assemble with uncovered heads, praying and humbling themselves, and seeking to move the divine favour by means of the noble Book and gracious Station, and before ever they leave the place God relieves them with His mercy and covers them with His goodness."
ويلي قبة العباس رضي الله تعالى عنه على انحراف منها القبة المعروفة بقبة اليهودية.,Adjoining the pavilion of al-‘Abbas (God be pleased with him) and in echelon with it is the pavilion known as the pavilion of the Jewish woman.
ذكر أبواب المسجد الحرام وما دار به من المشاهد الشريفة,The gates of the sacred mosque and the illustrious sanctuaries which surround it.
وأبواب المسجد الحرام شرفه الله تعالى تسعة عشر بابًا، وأكثرها مُفَتَّحة على أبواب كثيرة،,"The Gates of the Sacred Mosque (God Most High ennoble it) are nineteen in number, most of them pierced with several openings."
فمنها باب الصفا وهو مُفَتَّح على خمسة أبواب، وكان قديمًا يُعْرَف بباب بني مخزوم، وهو أكبر أبواب المسجد ومنه يُخْرَج إلى المسعى،,"These are: (i) Gate of alSafa, pierced with five openings; it was formerly known as the Gate of the Banu Makhzum, and is the largest of the gates of the Mosque. It forms the exit to the Mas’a [between al-Safa and Marwa]."
ويُسْتَحَبُّ للوافد على مكة أن يَدْخُل المسجد الحرام — شَرَّفَه الله — من باب بني شيبة، ويَخْرُج بعد طوافه من باب الصفا جاعلًا طريقه بين الأسطوانتين اللتين أقامهما أمير المؤمنين المهدي رحمه الله، علمًا على طريق رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا إلى الصفا،,"The visitor who arrives in Mecca prefers to make his entrance into the Sacred Mosque (God ennoble it) through the Gate of the Banu Shaiba, and to go out, after completing his circuits, through the Gate of al-Safa, making his way between the two columns which the Commander of the Faithful al-Mahdi (God’s mercy upon him) set up ‘to mark the road taken by the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) to al-Safa’."
ومنها باب أجياد الأصغر مُفَتَّح على بابين، ومنها باب الخياطين مُفَتَّح على بابين، ومنها باب العباس رضي الله عنه مُفَتَّح على ثلاثة أبواب، ومنها باب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا مفتَّح على بابين،,"Gate of Lesser Ajyad, pierced with two openings; Gate of the Tailors, pierced with two openings; Gate of al-‘Abbas (God be pleased with « him) pierced with three openings; Gate of the Prophet (God bless and give him peace), pierced with two openings;"
ومنها باب بني شيبة وهو في ركن الجدار الشرقي من جهة الشمال أمام باب الكعبة الشريفة متياسرًا وهو مُفَتَّح على ثلاثة أبواب،,"Gate of the Banu Shaiba, at the northern angle of the east wall [of the Mosque], facing the door of the illustrious Ka’ba [obliquely] in a left-hand direction, and pierced with three openings."
وهو باب بني عبد شمس ومنه كان دخول الخلفاء، ومنها بابٌ صغير إزاء باب بني شيبة لا اسم له، وقيل: يُسَمَّى باب الرباط؛ لأنه يُدْخَل منه لرباط السدرة،,"This was the Gate of the Banu ‘Abd Shams, and by it the Caliphs used to enter; a small gate opposite the Gate of the Banu Shaiba, unnamed, or, according to another account, named Gate of the Convent, because it gives entrance to the Convent of the Lote-tree;"
ومنها باب الندوة، ويسمى بذلك ثلاثة أبواب؛ اثنان منتظمان والثالث في الركن الغربي من دار الندوة،,"Gate of the Council, a name given to three [different] gates, two which are next one another, and the third in the western angle of the Council House."
ودار الندوة قد جُعِلَتْ مسجدًا شارعًا في الحرم مضافًا إليه وهي تقابل الميزاب، ومنها باب صغير لدار العجلة محدث،,"The Council House itself has become a mosque opening into and annexed to the main sanctuary, in face of the Spout; (n) a small gate leading to the Dar al-‘Ajala, of recent construction;"
ومنها باب السدرة واحد، ومنها باب العمرة واحد، وهو من أجامل أبواب الحرم،,"Gate of the Lote-tree, a single opening; Gate of the ‘Umra, a single opening, and one of the most beautiful gateways in the Sanctuary;"
ومنها باب إبراهيم واحد والناس مختلفون في نسبته، فبعضهم يَنْسِبُه إلى إبراهيم الخليل عليه السلام، والصحيح أنه منسوب إلى إبراهيم الخوزي من الأعاجم،,"Gate of Ibrahim, a single opening; the authorities are at variance as to the person after whom it is named, for some of them attribute it to Ibrahim al-Khalil (upon him be peace), but the truth is that it is called after Ibrahim alKhuzi, a man of the Persians;"
ومنها باب الحزورة مُفَتَّح على بابين، ومنها باب أجياد الأكبر مُفَتَّح على بابين، ومنها بابٌ يُنْسَب إلى أجياد أيضًا مُفَتَّح على بابين، وباب ثالث يُنْسَب إليه مُفَتَّح على بابين ويتصل لباب الصفا،,"Gate of al-Hazura, pierced with two openings; Gate of Greater Ajyad, pierced with two openings; a gate called also by the name of Ajyad, pierced with two openings, and a third gate called by the same name, pierced with two openings and adjacent to the Gate of al-Safa."
ومن الناس من يَنْسِب البابين من هذه الأربعة المنسوبة لأجياد إلى الدقاقين.,There are some who give to the two [latter] of these four gates called after Ajyad the name of the [Gates of the] Flour-merchants.
وصوامع المسجد الحرام خمسٌ؛ إحداهن على ركن أبي قبيس عند باب الصفا، والأخرى على ركن باب بني شيبة، والثالثة على باب دار الندوة، والرابعة على ركن باب السدرة، والخامسة على ركن أجياد،,"The minarets of the Sacred Mosque are five in number: one over the angle of Abu Qubais, near the Gate of al-Safa; the second over the angle of the Gate of the Banu Shaiba; the third over the Gate of the Council-House; the fourth over the angle of the Gate of the Lote-tree; and the fifth over the angle of Ajyad."
وبمقربة من باب العمرة مدرسة عمرها السلطان المعظم يوسف بن رسول ملك اليمن المعروف بالملك المظفر الذي تُنْسَب إليه الدراهم المظفرية باليمن،,"Close to the Gate of the ‘Umra is a college which was founded by the exalted Sultan Yusuf b. Rasul, king of the Yaman, known as al-Malik al-Muzaffar, from whom the muzaffari dirhams in the Yaman take their name."
وهو كان يكسو الكعبة إلى أن غَلَبَهُ على ذلك الملك المنصور قلاوون،,He used also to furnish the curtain of the Ka’ba until al-Malik alMansur Qala’un deprived him of the privilege.
وبخارج باب إبراهيم زاوية كبيرة فيها دار إمام المالكية الصالح أبي عبد الله محمد بن عبد الرحمن المدعو بخليل،,"Outside the Gate of Ibrahim there is a large hospice, within which is the house of the imam of the Malikites, the pious Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Rahman, known as Khalil."
وعلى باب إبراهيم قبة عظيمة مفرطة السمو قد صُنِعَ في داخلها من غرائب صُنْع الجص ما يَعْجز عنه الوصف،,"Over the Gate of Ibrahim there is a vast dome of exceeding height, in the interior of which have been executed marvellous designs in plasterwork that baffle description."
وبإزاء هذا الباب عن يمين الداخل إليه كان يَقْعُد الشيخ العابد جلال الدين محمد بن أحمد الأفشهري،,"In face of this gate, to the right as one enters it, used to sit the shaikh and devotee Jalal al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad of Aqshahr."
وخارج باب إبراهيم بئر تُنْسَب كنسبته وعنده أيضًا دار الشيخ الصالح دانيال العجمي الذي كانت صدقات العراق في أيام السلطان أبي سعيد تأتي على يديه،,"Outside the Gate of Ibrahim is a well which is called by the name of the same Ibrahlm. By the gate also is the house of the pious shaikh Daniyal the Persian, by whose hands the alms sent from al-‘Iraq used to come in the days of the Sultan Abu Sa’id."
وبمقربة منه رباط الموفق وهو من أحسن الرباطات، سَكَنْتُه أيام مُجَاوَرَتِي بمكة المعظمة،,"In proximity to the same gate is the convent of al-Muwaffaq, one of the finest of its kind, in which I stayed during my residence in Mecca the Great."
"وكان به في ذلك العهد الشيخ الصالح أبو عبد الله الزواوي المغربي.
وسَكَنَ به أيضًا الشيخ الصالح الطيار سعادة الجراني،","Living in it at the same time was the pious shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah alZuwawi, from the Maghrib, and the pious shaikh called ‘the Flier’, Sa’ada al-Jawwani, also stayed there."
ودخل يومًا إلى بيته بعد صلاة العصر، فوُجِدَ ساجدًا مستقبل الكعبة الشريفة ميتًا من غير مرضٍ كان به — رضي الله عنه —,"The latter went into his room one day after the mid-afternoon prayer, and was found in the attitude of prostration, with his face to the illustrious Ka’ba, dead, without having suffered any illness (God be pleased with him)."
وسَكَنَ به الشيخ الصالح شمس الدين محمد الشامي نحوًا من أربعين سنة، وسكن به الشيخ الصالح شعيب المغربي من كبار الصالحين،,"The pious shaikh Shams al-DIn Muhammad al-Shami lived in this convent for about forty years, and another who lived there was the pious shaikh Shu’aib al-Maghribi, one of the most notable devotees."
دخلْتُ عليه يومًا فلم يَقَعْ بصري في بيته على شيء سوى حصير، فقلت له في ذلك، فقال لي: اسْتُرْ عليَّ ما رأيت،,"I visited him one day, and I could see nothing in his room but a reed-mat. I expressed my astonishment at this to him but he said to me ‘Keep secret what you have seen about me’."
وحَوْل الحرم الشريف دُور كثيرة لها مناظر وسطوح يُخْرَج منها إلى سطح الحرم، وأهلها في مشاهدة البيت الشريف على الدوام،,"Round the illustrious Sanctuary there are many houses with belvederes and roof-terraces from which access is given to the roof of the Sanctuary, and whose occupants are ever in contemplation of the illustrious House."
ودُور لها أبواب تفضي إلى الحرم، منها دار زبيدة زوج الرشيد أمير المؤمنين، ومنها دار العجلة ودار الشرابي وسواها.,"There are also houses with doors leading into the Sanctuary, amongst them the house of Zubaida, wife of al-Rashid, the Commander of the Faithful, the house [known as] al-‘Ajala, the house of alSharabi, etc."
ومن المشاهد الكريمة بمقربة من المسجد الحرام قبة الوحي وهي في دار خديجة أم المؤمنين رضي الله عنها بمقربة من باب النبي ﷺ،,"Amongst the holy shrines in the vicinity of the Sacred Mosque is the Dome of the Revelation, which is in the house of Khadija, the Mother of the Faithful (God be pleased with her), close to the Gate of the Prophet (God bless and give him peace)."
وفي البيت قبة صغيرة حيث وُلِدَتْ فاطمة عليها السلام، وبمقربة منها دار أبي بكر الصديق رضي الله عنه،,"In the same house there is a small domed chamber, where Fatima (peace be upon her) was born. Not far from this is the house of Abu Bakral-Siddiq (God be pleased with him)."
ويقابلها جدارٌ مباركٌ فيه حَجَرٌ مبارك بارِزٌ طَرْفُه من الحائط يستلمه الناس،,"Facing it is a blessed wall, containing a blessed stone whose end protrudes from the face of the wall and which is kissed by visitors."
ويقال: إنه كان يُسَلِّم على النبي ﷺ، ويُذْكَر أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا جاء يومًا إلى دار أبي بكر الصديق ولم يكن حاضرًا، فنادى به النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا، فنَطَقَ ذلك الحجر وقال: يا رسول الله، إنه ليس بحاضر.,"It is said that this stone used to greet the Prophet (God bless and give him peace), and the story is told that the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) came one day to the house of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq when he was not at home, and that when the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) called him this stone spoke and said ‘O Apostle of God, he is not at home’."
ذكر الصفا والمروة,Al-Safa and al-Marwa.
ومن باب الصفا الذي هو أحد أبواب المسجد الحرام إلى الصفا ست وسبعون خطوة، وسعة الصفا سبع عشرة خطوة، وله أربع عشرة درجة، علياهن كأنها مسطبة،,"From the Gate of al-Safa, which is one of the gates of the Sacred Mosque, to al-Safa itself is seventy-six paces; the breadth of al-Safa is seventeen paces, and it has fourteen steps, the highest of which is a sort of platform."
وبين الصفا والمروة أربعمائة وثلاث وتسعون خطوة، منها من الصفا إلى الميل الأخضر ثلاث وتسعون خطوة،,"From al-Safa to al-Marwa is four hundred and ninety-three paces, made up as follows: from al-Safa to the ‘Green Needle’, ninety-three paces;"
ومن الميل الأخضر إلى الميلين الأخضرين خمس وسبعون خطوة، ومن الميلين الأخضرين إلى المروة ثلاثمائة وخمس وعشرون خطوة،,"fromthe ‘Green Needle’ to the ‘pair of Green Needles’, seventy-five paces; and from the ‘pair of Green Needles’ to al-Marwa, three hundred and twenty-five paces."
وللمروة خمس درجات وهي ذات قوس واحد كبير، وسعة المروة سبع عشرة خطوة،,Al-Marwa has five steps and a single wide arch; the breadth of al-Marwa is [also] seventeen paces.
والميل الأخضر هو سارية خضراء مثبتة مع ركن الصومعة التي على الركن الشرقي من الحرم عن يسار الساعي إلى المروة،,"The ‘Green Needle’ is a column [painted] green, set up against the corner of the minaret which is over the eastern angle of the sanctuary, on the left hand of the pilgrim as he runs to alMarwa."
والميلان الأخضران هما ساريتان خضراوان إزاء باب علي من أبواب الحرم، أحدهما في جدار الحرم عن يسار الخارج من الباب والأخرى تقابلها،,"The ‘pair of Green Needles’ are two green columns in line with the Gate of ‘AH, one of the gates of the Sanctuary; one of them is in the wall of the Sanctuary, on the left as one issues from the gate, and the other stands opposite it."
وبين الميل الأخضر والميلين الأخضرين يكون الرمل ذاهبًا وعائدًا، وبين الصفا والمروة مسيل فيه سوق عظيمة يباع فيها الحبوب واللحم والتمر والسمن وسواها من الفواكه،,"It is between the ‘Green Needle’ and the ‘pair of Green Needles’ that the pilgrim does the ‘trotting’, both going and coming. Between al-Safa and al-Marwa there is a torrent-bed, occupied by an immense bazaar, in which are sold grain of various kinds, meat, dates, clarified butter, and other varieties of fruits."
والساعون بين الصفا والمروة لا يكادون يخلصون لازدحام الناس على حوانيت الباعة،,The pilgrims who are engaged in the course between al-Safa and al-Marwa can scarcely get clear of it owing to the pressure of the crowds round the booths of the vendors.
وليس بمكة سوق منتظمة سوى هذه إلا البزازون والعطارون عند باب بني شيبة،,"There is at Mecca no organized market beyond this, except the cloth-merchants and druggists at the Gate of the Banu Shaiba."
وبين الصفا والمروة دار العباس رضي الله عنه، وهي الآن رباط يسكنه المجاورون عَمَرَهُ الملك الناصر رحمه الله، وبنى أيضًا دار وضوء فيما بين الصفا والمروة سنة ثمان وعشرين،,"Between al-Safa and al-Marwa is the House of al-‘Abbas (God be pleased with him) now used as a convent, where those who come for a period of residence in Mecca are lodged. Al-Malik al-Nasir (God’s mercy on him) restored it, and built also a hall of ablutions between al-Safa and al-Marwa in the year twenty-eight."
وجَعَلَ لها بابين أحدهما في السوق المذكور والآخر في سوق العطارين وعليها ربع يسكنه خدامها،,"He furnished the latter with two doors, one opening on the bazaar mentioned above, the other on the druggists’ market. In its upper story there is a series of separate apartments, where its attendants live."
وتولى بناء ذلك الأمير علاء الدين بن هلال، وعن يمين المروة دار أمير مكة سيف الدين عطيفة بن أبي نمي، وسنذكره.,"The building of this haU was superintended by the amir ‘Ala al-Din ibn Hilal. To the right of al-Marwa is the house of the amir of Mecca, Saif al-Din ‘Utaifa b. Abi Numayy, of whom we shall speak later."
ذكر الجبانة المباركة,The blessed cemetery.
وجبانة مكة خارجها باب المعلى، ويُعْرَف ذلك الموضع أيضًا بالحجون، وإياه عنى الحارث بن مضاض الجرهمي بقوله (طويل):,"The Cemetery of Mecca lies outside the Ma’la gate [of the city], and its locality is known also as Hajun. This is the place referred to by al-Harith b. Mudad al-Jurhurm in the following verses:"
"كأنْ لم يكن بين الحجون إلى الصفا أنيسٌ ولم يَسْمُرْ بمكة سَامِرُ
بلى نحن كنا أَهْلَهَا فأبادنا صروف الليالي والجدود العواثرُ","From Hajun to Safa all is silent, as though Ne’er its evenings were livened by tale and debate.
Ay, but we were its folk until doomed to overthrow By the shifts of the nights and the stumblings of fate."
وبهذه الجبانة مدفن الجم الغفير من الصحابة والتابعين والعلماء والصالحين والأولياء، إلا أن مَشاهدهم دَثَرَتْ وذَهَبَ عن أهل مكة عِلْمُها، فلا يُعْرَف منها إلا القليل،,"In this cemetery is the burial place of a vast throng of the Companions and their immediate successors, of the learned, the pious, and the saintly, but their tombs have become effaced, and the knowledge of them has been lost among the inhabitants of Mecca, so that none but a few of them are now known."
فمن المعروف منها قبر أم المؤمنين ووزير سيد المرسلين خديجة بنت خويلد أم أولاد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا كلهم — ما عدا إبراهيم — وجدة السبطين الكريمين صلوات الله وسلامه على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا وعليهم أجمعين،,"Amongst the known sites is the grave of the Mother of the Faithful and counsellor of the Chief of the Apostles, Khadija daughter of Khuwailid, mother of every one of the i children of the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) save only Ibrahim, and grandmother of his two noble grandsons [al-Hasan and al-Husain]—the blessings and peace of God be upon the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) and upon them all."
وبمقربة منه قبر الخليفة أمير المؤمنين أبي جعفر المنصور وعبد الله بن محمد بن علي بن عبد الله بن العباس رضي الله عنهم أجمعين،,"Near by it is the tomb of the Caliph, the Commander of the Faithful, Abu Ja’far al-Mansur ‘Abdallah b. Muhammad b. ‘AH b. ‘Abdallah b. al-‘Abbas —God be pleased with them all."
وفيها الموضع الذي صُلِبَ فيه عبد الله بن الزبير رضي الله عنهما،,In the cemetery also is the place where [the body of] ‘Abdallah b. al-Zubair (God be pleased with him and with his father) was crucified.
وكان به بنية هَدَمَها أهل الطائف غيرة منهم لِمَا كان يَلْحَق حَجَّاجَهُم المبير من اللعن،,"On this site there was formerly a building, which was destroyed by the men of al-Ta’if out of resentment at the curses which were hurled at their fellow citizen, al-Hajjaj the destroyer."
وعن يمين مستقبل الجبانة مسجد خراب يقال إنه المسجد الذي بايَعَت الجن فيه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا،,"On the righthand side as one faces the cemetery is a ruined mosque, said to be the mosque in which the jinn gave their allegiance to the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)."
وعلى هذه الجبانة طريق الصاعد إلى عرفات وطريق الذاهب إلى الطائف وإلى العراق.,By this cemetery runs the road which is taken by those ascending to ‘Arafat and those going to al-Ta’if and to al-‘Iraq.
ذكر بعض المشاهد خارج مكة,Some of the sanctuaries outside Mecca.
فمنها الحجون وقد ذكرناه، ويقال أيضًا: إن الحجون هو الجبل المطل على الجبانة،,"These include: Al-Hajun, which we have already mentioned; it is also stated that al-Hajun is the hill which overlooks the cemetery."
ومنها المحصب، وهو أيضًا الأبطح، وهو يلي الجبانة المذكورة، وفيه خيف بني كنانة الذي نزل به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا،,"—Al-Muhassab, which is the same as al-Abtah, adjoining the cemetery mentioned above; in this place is the declivity of the Banu Kinana, where the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) alighted."
ومنها ذو طوًى وهو وادٍ يَهْبِط على قبور المهاجرين التي بالحصحاص دون ثنية كداء، ويُخْرَج منه إلى الأعلام الموضوعة حجزًا بين الحل والحرم،,"—Dhu Tuwa, a valley descending to the tombs of the Emigrants, which are at al-Hashas, below the track of Kada’; through it runs the road out to the pillars set up to mark the boundary between the profane and the sacred territory."
وكان عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنه إذا قَدِمَ مكة — شَرَّفَها الله تعالى — يبيت بذي طوى ثم يغتسل منه ويغدو إلى مكة، ويُذْكَر أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا فَعَلَ ذلك،,"‘Abdallah b. ‘Omar (God be pleased with him) used always, on coming to Mecca (God Most High ennoble her), to pass the night in Dhu Tuwa, and after making a complete ablution there go on to Mecca in the morning; and it is stated that the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) did the same."
ومنها ثنية كُدًى (بضم الكاف)، وهي بأعلى مكة، ومنها دخل رسول الله ﷺ في حجة الوداع إلى مكة,—The track of Kuda in the upper part of Mecca; it was by it that the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) entered into Mecca on the Farewell Pilgrimage.
ومنها ثنية كَداء (بفتح الكاف)، ويقال لها: الثنية البيضاء، وهي بأسفل مكة، ومنها خرج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا عام الوداع،,"—The track of Kada’, also called the White Track, at the lower end of Mecca; by it the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) departed [from Mecca] in the year of the Farewell [Pilgrimage]."
وهي بين جبلين وفي مضيقها كوم حجارة موضوع على الطريق وكل من يمر به يرجمه بحجر، ويقال: إنه قبر أبي لهب وزوجه حمالة الحطب،,"It lies between two hills and in its narrowest part there is a heap of stones set upon the road; everyone who passes by throws a stone on it, for it is said that this is the grave of Abu Lahab and his wife, the gatherer of firewood."
وبين هذه الثنية وبين مكة بسيط سهل ينزله الركب إذا صدروا عن منى،,"Between this track and the town of Mecca there is a flat plain, where the pilgrim caravan encamps on its return from Mina."
وبمقربة من هذا الموضع على نحو ميل من مكة شَرَّفَها الله مسجد بإزائه حجر موضوع على الطريق كأنه مسطبة يعلوه حجر آخر كان فيه نقش فدُثِرَ رَسْمُه،,"In the vicinity of this place, about a mile out of Mecca (God ennoble her), is a mosque, in line with which there is z stone placed upon the road, like a platform, and surmounted by another stone; there was once some engraving upon the latter, but its lines have been effaced."
يقال: إن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا قَعَدَ بذلك الموضع مستريحًا عند مجيئه من عمرته فيتبرك الناس بتقبيله ويستندون إليه،,"It is said that the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) sat in this place to rest himself on coming back from his ‘Umra, so people seek to gain a blessing by kissing it, and lean up against it [that their bodies may gain the blessing of contact with it]."
ومنها التنعيم وهو على فرسخ من مكة، ومنه يَعْتَمِرُ أهل مكة، وهو أدنى الحل إلى الحرم،,"—Al-Tan’im, a league distant from Mecca, which the inhabitants of Mecca take as the starting-point for their ‘Umra, it being the nearest profane territory to the Sanctuary."
ومنه اعتمرتْ أم المؤمنين عائشة رضي الله عنها حين بعثها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا في حجة الوداع مع أخيها عبد الرحمن رضي الله عنه، وأَمَرَهُ أن يُعْمِرَها من التنعيم،,"It was from this place that the Mother of the Faithful, ‘A’isha (God be pleased with her) began her ‘Umra, when the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) sent her, on the occasion of his Farewell Pilgrimage, with her brother ‘Abd al-Rahman (God be pleased with him) and gave him instructions to guide her through the ceremonies of the ‘Umra starting from al-Tan’Im."
وبُنِيَتْ هنالك مساجد ثلاثة على الطريق تُنْسَب كلها إلى عائشة رضي الله عنها،,"Three mosques have been built on the road there, all of which are called after ‘A’isha (God be pleased with her)."
وطريق التنعيم طريق فسيح والناس يتحرَّوْن كنسه في كل يوم رغبة في الأجر والثواب؛ لأن من المعتمرين من يمشي فيه حافيًا، وفي هذا الطريق الآبار العذبة التي تُسَمَّى الشبيكة,"The Tan’im road is a wide track, and the people make a point of sweeping it every day, out of desire for the [heavenly] recompense and reward, for a number of those who undertake the ‘Umra walk along it barefooted. On this road also are some sweet wells, which are called by the name of alShubaika."
ومنها الزاهر وهو على نحو ميلين من مكة على طريق التنعيم وهو موضع على جانِبَي الطريق، فيه أثر دور وبساتين وأسواق،,"—Al-Zahir, which is about two miles from Mecca, on the road of al-Tan’im. It is a place lying on either side of the road, in which can be seen the remains of houses, gardens and bazaars."
وعلى جانب الطريق دكان مستطيل تُصَفُّ عليه كيزان الشرب وأواني الوضوء يملؤها خديم ذلك الموضع من آبار الزاهر، وهي بعيدة القعر جدًّا،,"On one side of the road is an oblong platform, upon which are set rows of drinking mugs and vessels for ablutions. The intendant of the place keeps them tilled from the wells of al-Zahir, which are exceedingly deep,"
والخديم من الفقراء المجاورين وأهل الخير يعينونه على ذلك لما فيه من المرفقة للمعتمرين من الغسل والشرب والوضوء، وذو طوًى يتصل بالزاهر.,"and he has several of the poor brethren who are in residence at Mecca and other charitable persons helping him in this work, because of the support and solace which it gives to those who are performing the ‘Umra [by supplying them with water] for washing, drinking, and making ritual ablutions. [The abovementioned valley of] Dhu Tuwa leads to al-Zahir."
ذكر الجبال المطيفة بمكة,The mountains around Mecca.
فمنها جبل أبي قبيس وهو في جهة الجنوب والشرق من مكة حَرَسَها الله، وهو أحد الأخشبين وأدنى الجبال من مكة شَرَّفَها الله،,"[The first] of these is Jabal Abu Qubais, on the south-eastern flank of Mecca (God protect her), one of ‘the two rugged hills’, and the nearest of the hills to Mecca (God ennoble her)."
ويقابل ركن الحجر الأسود، وبأعلاه مسجد وأثر رباط وعمارة، وكان الملك الظاهر رحمه الله أراد أن يعمره، وهو مُطِلٌّ على الحرم الشريف وعلى جميع البلد،,"It faces the angle of the Black Stone. On top of it is a mosque and the ruins of a convent and other buildings, and al-Malik al-Zahir (God’s mercy upon him) had intended to restore the latter."
ومنه يظهر حُسْن مكة — شرفها الله — وجمال الحرم واتساعه والكعبة المعظمة،,"It overlooks the illustrious sanctuary and the whole town, and from it one may obtain a view of the beauty of Mecca (God ennoble her), of the elegant symmetry and noble proportions of the Sanctuary, and of the venerable Ka’ba."
ويُذْكَر أن جبل أبي قبيس هو أول جبل خَلَقَهُ الله تعالى وفيه استودع الحجر زمان الطوفان،,"It is stated that Jabal Abu Qubais was the first hill created by God Most High, and on it was deposited the [Black] Stone during the flood."
وكانت قريش تسميه الأمين؛ لأنه أدى الحجر الذي استُودِعَ فيه إلى الخليل إبراهيم عليه السلام،,"The Quraish used to call it ‘the trustworthy’ (al-Amw), because it gave up the Stone which had been deposited on it to al-Khalil Ibrahim (upon him be peace)."
ويقال: إن قَبْر آدم عليه السلام به، وفي جبل أبي قبيس موضعُ موقف النبي ﷺ حين انشق له القمر،,It is said also that it contains the grave of Adam (upon him be peace). On Jabal Abu Qubais also is the spot where the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) stood when the moon was split for him.
ومنها قعيقعان وهو أحد الأخشبين، ومنها الجبل الأحمر وهو في جهة الشمال من مكة شرفها الله، ومنها الخندمة وهو جبل عند الشعبين المعروفين بأجياد الأكبر وأجياد الأصغر،,"Among the other hills round Mecca are Qu’aiqi’an, which is one of ‘the two rugged hills’; the Red Mount (aL-Jabal alAhmar), on the northern side of Mecca (God ennoble her); al-Khandama, which rises above the two ravines known as Ajyad the Greater and Ajyad the Lesser;"
ومنها جبل الطير وهو على أربعة عن جهتَي طريق التنعيم، يقال: إنها الجبال التي وَضَعَ عليها الخليل عليه السلام أجزاء الطير ثم دعاها حسبما نصَّ الله في كتابه العزيز وعليها أعلام من حجارة،,"and the Hill of the Birds (Jabal al-Tair), a group of four hills on either side of the road to al-Tan’im, said to be the hills upon which alKhalll (upon him be peace) placed the dismembered parts of the birds and then called them, as God has explicitly related in His Exalted Book; they are marked by pillars made of stones."
ومنها جبل حراء وهو في الشمال من مكة — شرفها الله تعالى — على نحو فرسخ منها، وهو مُشْرِف على منًى ذاهب في الهواء عالي القنة،,"Another of these hills is Jabal Hira, to the north of Mecca (God ennoble her) and about a league distant from it.
It dominates Mina, soaring into the air and high-summited."
وكان رسول الله ﷺ يتعبد فيه كثيرًا قبل المبعث، وفيه أتاه الحق من ربه وبدا الوحي،,"The Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) used frequently to devote himself to religious exercises in it before his prophetic Call, and it was here that the Truth came to him from his Lord and the divine Revelations began."
وهو الذي اهتزَّ تحت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا، فقال رسول الله ﷺ: «اثبت، فما عليك إلا نبي وصديق وشهيد»،,"This too is the mountain which quaked beneath the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), and to which the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) said ‘Be still, for on thee are none other than a Prophet and a Veracious one and a Martyr."
واخْتُلِفَ فيمن كان معه يومئذ، وروي أن العشرة كانوا معه، وقد رُوِيَ أيضًا أن جبل ثبير اهتز تحته أيضًا،,"There is some difference as to the persons who actually were with him on that day, and one tradition relates that the Ten were with him. Another tradition relates that Jabal Thabir also quaked beneath him."
ومنها جبل ثور وهو على مقدار فرسخ من مكة — شرفها الله تعالى — على طريق اليمن،,"Another of them is Jabal Thawr, at the distance of one league from Mecca (God Most High ennoble her) on the road to al-Yaman."
وفيه الغار الذي آوى إليه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا حين خروجه مهاجرًا من مكة — شرفها الله — ومعه الصِّدِّيق رضي الله عنه حسبما ورد في الكتاب العزيز.,"In it is the cave which served as a refuge to the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) when he quitted Mecca (God ennoble her) as an emigrant, accompanied by [Abu Bakr] al-Siddiq (God be pleased with him), as is related in the Exalted Book."
وذكر الأزرقي في كتابه أن الجبل المذكور نادى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا وقال: إلي يا محمد إلي إلي، فقد آويتُ قبلك سبعين نبيًّا،,"It is stated by al-Azraqi in his book that this mountain called the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) by his name and said, ‘To me, Muhammad, to me, for I have given refuge before thee to seventy prophets’."
فلما دَخَلَ رسول الله الغار، واطمأن به وصاحبه الصديق معه نَسَجَت العنكبوت من حينها على باب الغار، وصَنَعَت الحمامة عشًّا وفَرَّخَتْ فيه بإذن الله تعالى،,"Then when the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) entered the cave and became secure in it, accompanied by his friend al-Siddiq, the spider spun her web at that moment over the door of the cave and the dove made a nest and hatched her eggs in it by the will of God Most High."
فانتهى المشركون ومعهم قُصَّاص الأثر إلى الغار، فقالوا: ها هنا انقطع الأثر،,"The polytheists [of Mecca], who had with them a man skilled in tracking footsteps, came at length to the cave and said ‘Here the track stops’,"
ورأوا العنكبوت قد نَسَجَ على فم الغار والحمام مفرخة، فقالوا: ما دَخَلَ أحد هنا وانصرفوا، فقال الصديق: يا رسول الله، لو ولجوا علينا منه، قال: كنا نخرج من هنا، وأشار بيده المباركة إلى الجانب الآخر ولم يكن فيه باب فانفتح فيه باب للحين بقدرة الملك الوهاب،,"but when they saw the spider with its web spun over the mouth of the cave and the dove hatching out its eggs, they said ‘No one has gone in here’ and turned back. Then [Abu Bakr] al-Siddiq said ‘O Apostle of God, what if they had come in upon us from there?’ He replied, ‘We should have gone out here’, and pointed with his blessed hand to the other end, where there was no door; and straightway there was opened in it a door by the power of the King and Giver of all."
والناس يقصدون زيارة هذا الغار المبارك فيرومون دخوله من الباب الذي دخل منه النبي ﷺ تبركًا بذلك، فمنهم من يتأتى له ومنهم من لا يتأتى له وينشب فيه حتى يتناول بالجذب العنيف،,"The people make a point of visiting this blessed cave, and try to enter it through the doorway by which the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) gained entry into it, for the sake of the blessing it confers; there are some of them who manage it, but some of them do not succeed and stick in it until they are pulled out with a ruthless tug."
ومن الناس من يصلي أمامه ولا يدخله،,"Others perform a prayer in front of the cave, without entering it."
وأهل تلك البلاد يقولون: إنه من كان لرشدة دخله ومن كان لزنية لم يقدر على دخوله؛ ولهذا يتحاماه كثير من الناس؛ لأنه مُخْجِل فاضح،,"The folk of those parts say that anyone who is true-born can enter it, but he who is born of adultery cannot do so, and so many people avoid making the attempt because it is liable to end in shame and disgrace."
قال ابن جزي: أخبرني بعض أشياخنا الحُجَّاج الأكياس أن سبب صعوبة الدخول إليه هو أن بداخله مما يلي هذا الشق الذي يُدْخَل منه حجرًا كبيرًا معترضًا،,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: I have been told by certain of our o shrewd-minded shaikhs who have made the pilgrimage that the cause of the difficulty in entering is that inside it, close to this cleft by which entrance is gained, there is a large stone lying transversely [across the passage]."
فمن دخل من ذلك الشق منبطحًا على وجهه وَصَلَ رأسه إلى ذلك الحجر، فلم يمكنه التولج ولا يمكنه أن ينطوي إلى العلو، ووجهه وصدره يليان الأرض،,"When anyone [tries to] enter through this cleft lying flat on his face, his head comes up against that stone, so that he can neither draw himself in nor twist himself upwards, seeing that his face and chest are close to the ground."
فذلك هو الذي ينشب ولا يخلص إلا بعد الجهد والجبذ إلى خارج،,The man who does this is the one who sticks and cannot get free without suffering some discomfort and being pulled out.
ومن دخل منه مستلقيًا على ظهره أمكنه؛ لأنه إذا وَصَلَ رأسه إلى الحجر المعترض رفع رأسه واستوى قاعدًا،,"But if one enters through the cleft”lying on his back, he can manage it, because when his head reaches the transverse stone, he raises his head and rises into a sitting position."
فكان ظهره مستندًا إلى الحجر المعترض وأوسطه في الشق ورجلاه من خارج الغار، ثم يقوم قائمًا بداخل الغار (رجع).,"He then has his back supported by the transverse stone, his middle in the cleft, and his legs outside the cave, and all he has to do it to stand upright inside the cave. (Resumes.)"
حكاية,Anecdote.
ومما اتفق بهذا الجبل لصاحبين من أصحابي، أحدهما الفقيه المكرم أبو محمد عبد الله بن فرحان الإفريقي التوزري، والآخر أبو العباس أحمد الأندلسي الوادي آشي أنهما قصدا (الغار) في حين مُجَاوَرَتهما بمكة — شَرَّفها الله تعالى — في سنة ثمانٍ وعشرين وسبعمائة، وذهبا منفردَيْن لم يَسْتَصْحِبَا دليلًا عارفًا بطريقه،,"The following incident happened on this mountain to two of my associates, one of them the esteemed jurist Abu Muhammad ‘Abdallah b. Farhan of Tuzar in Ifriqiya, the other Abu’ -‘Abbas Ahmad of Wadi Ash [Guadix] in Andalusia. They proposed [to visit the cave] during the period of their residence in Mecca (God Most High ennoble her), in the year seven hundred and twenty-eight, and went off alone, without getting some guide who knew the way to it to accompany them."
فتاها وضَلَّا طَرِيقَ الغار وسلكا طريقًا سواها منقطعة،,"They lost themselves in consequence, missed the way to the cave, and followed another track, which came to a sudden end."
وذلك في أوانِ اشتداد الحر وحمي القيظ،,This was at the time when the heat grows violent and summer is at its most ardent.
فلما نفد ما كان عندهما من الماء وهما لم يصلا إلى الغار أخذا في الرجوع إلى مكة شرفها الله تعالى،,"When the water they had with them was exhausted and they had not yet reached the cave, they began to make their way back to Mecca (God Most High ennoble her)."
فوجدا طريقًا فاتبعاه، وكان يفضي إلى جبل آخر,"They found a track and followed it up, but it led to another mountain."
واشتد بهما الحر وأجهدهما العطش وعاينا الهلاك,"The heat beat down upon them, thirst tormented them, and they came face to face with death."
وعجز الفقيه أبو محمد بن فرحان عن المشي جملةً وألقى بنفسه إلى الأرض,"The jurist Abu Muhammad ibn Farhan was finally unable to walk any further, and threw himself upon the ground."
ونجا الأندلسي بنفسه، وكان فيه فضل قوة، ولم يَزَلْ يسلك تلك الجبال حتى أفضى به الطريق إلى أجياد،,"The Andalusian managed to save himself, for he had some remnant of strength left, and he continued to follow the paths on those hills until the road led him to Ajyad."
فدخل إلى مكة شرفها الله تعالى، وقصدني وأعلمني بهذه الحادثة وبما كان من أمر عبد الله التوزري وانقطاعه في الجبل، وكان ذلك في آخر النهار،,"He then came into Mecca (God Most High ennoble her), sought me out and told me the whole story and about ‘Abdallah alTuzarl and his breakdown on the mountain. It was then about the close of day."
ولعبد الله المذكور ابن عم اسمه حسن وهو من سكان وادي نخلة، وكان إذ ذاك بمكة فأَعْلَمْتُه بما جرى على ابن عمه.,"This ‘Abdallah had a cousin named Hasan, who lived in Wadi Nakhla but was at that moment in Mecca. I informed him what had happened to his cousin,"
وقصدت الشيخ الصالح الإمام أبا عبد الله محمد بن عبد الرحمن المعروف بخليل إمام المالكية نفع الله به، فأَعْلَمْتُه بخبره، فبعث جماعة من أهل مكة عارفين بتلك الجبال والشعاب في طلبه،,"and then sought out the pious shaikh, the imam Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Rahman known as Khalil, the imam of the Malikites (God profit us by him) and reported his case to him also. He sent out in search of him a company of Meccans who were familiar with those hills and rock-paths."
وكان من أمر عبد الله التوزري أنه لما فارقه رفيقه لجأ إلى حجر كبير، فاستظل بظله، وأقام على هذه الحالة من الجهد والعطش والغربان تطير فوق رأسه وتنتظر موته،,"To advert to ‘Abdallah al-Tuzari, he had betaken himself, when his companion left him, to a large rock, seeking the shelter of its shade, and he remained in this state of exhaustion and thirst, with the carrion-crows flying over his head and waiting for his death."
فلما انصرم النهار وأتى الليل وجد في نفسه قوة ونعشه برد الليل فقام عند الصباح على قدميه ونزل من الجبل إلى بطن وادٍ حَجَبَت الجبال عنه الشمس،,"When the daylight was gone and darkness fell, he recovered some strength, and refreshed by the cool of the night he rose at dawn to his feet and descended from the hillside to the bottom of a wadi, which was sheltered by the mountains from the rays of the sun."
فلم يزل ماشيًا إلى أن بَدَتْ له دابة فقَصَدَ قَصْدَها فوجد خيمة للعرب، فلما رآها وَقَعَ إلى الأرض ولم يستطع النهوض،,"He kept on walking until an ass appeared within his view, and making in its direction he found a bedouin tent. When he saw it, he fell to the ground and was unable to rise."
فرأَتْه صاحبة الخيمة، وكان زوجها قد ذَهَبَ إلى ورد الماء فسقته ما كان عندها من الماء،,"He was seen by the woman of the tent, and as her husband had gone to fetch water, she gave him what water she had with her."
فلم يُرْوَ وجاء زوجها فسقاه قربة ماء فلم يُرْوَ,"It did not quench his thirst, and when her husband came back he gave him a whole skin of water without quenching his thirst either."
وأَرْكَبَه حمارًا له وقَدِمَ به مكة فوصلها عند صلاة العصر من اليوم الثاني متغيرًا كأنه قام من قبر.,"The man set him on an ass which he had and brought him to Mecca, where he arrived at length at the time of the afternoon prayer on the following day, as emaciated as if he had risen from a grave."
ذكر أميري مكة,The two amirs of Mecca.
وكانت إمارة مكة في عهد دخولي إليها للشريفين الأجلين الأخوين أسد الدين رميثة وسيف الدين عطيفة ابني الأمير أبي نمي بن أبي سعد بن علي بن قتادة الحسنيين،,"The amirate of Mecca at the time of my entry was in the hands of the two noble sharifs, the brothers Asad al-Dln Rumaitha and Saif al-Din ‘Utaifa, sons of the amir Abu Numayy b. Abi Sa’d b. ‘AH b. Qatada, of the Hasanid line."
ورميثة أكبرهما سنًّا، ولكنه كان يُقَدِّم اسم عطيفة في الدعاء له بمكة لعدله،,"Rumaitha was the elder of the two, but ‘Utaifa’s name was put first in the prayer for him at Mecca, owing to his sense of justice."
ولرميثة من الأولاد أحمد وعجلان وهو أمير مكة في هذا العهد، وتقية وسند وأم قاسم، ولعطيفة من الأولاد محمد ومبارك ومسعود،,"Rumaitha had of children Ahmad, ‘Ajlan (he is the amir of Mecca at the present time), Thuqba, Sind, and Mughamis; ‘Utaifa’s sons were Muhammad, Mubarak, and Mas’ud."
ودار عطيفة عن يمين المروة، ودار أخيه رميثة برباط الشرابي عند باب بني شيبة،,"‘Utaifa’s house is to the right of Marwa, that of his brother Rumaitha in the convent of al-Sharabi, by the Gate of the Banu Shaiba."
وتُضْرَب الطبول على باب كل واحد منهما عند صلاة المغرب من كل يوم.,Drums are beaten before the gate of each of them at the hour of sunset prayer every day.
ذِكْر أهل مكة وفضائلهم,The Meccans: their good qualities.
ولأهل مكة الأفعال الجميلة والمكارم التامة والأخلاق الحسنة والإيثار إلى الضعفاء والمنقطعين وحُسْن الجوار للغرباء،,"The citizens of Mecca are given to welldoing, of consummate generosity and good diss position, liberal to the poor and to those who have renounced the world, and kindly towards strangers."
ومن مَكَارمهم أنهم متى صنع أحدهم وليمة يبدأ فيها بإطعام الفقراء المنقطعين المجاورين ويستدعيهم بتلطُّف ورِفْق وحُسْن خُلُق، ثم يطعمهم,"One of their generous customs is that when any of them makes a feast, he begins by giving food to the poor brethren who have devoted themselves to the religious life and are sojourning at the Sanctuary, first inviting them with courtesy, kindness and delicacy, and then giving them to eat."
وأكثر المساكين المنقطعين يكونون بالأفران حيث يطبخ الناس أخبازهم،,"The majority of these destitute devotees are to be found by the public ovens, where the people bake their bread."
فإذا طَبَخَ أحدهم خُبْزَه واحتمله إلى منزله، فيتبعه المساكين فيعطي لكل واحد منهم ما قسم له ولا يردهم خائبين ولو كانت له خبزة واحدة، فإنه يعطي ثلثها أو نصفها طَيِّبَ النفس بذلك من غير ضجر،,"When anyone has his bread baked and takes it away to his house, the destitute follow him up and he gives each one of them whatever he assigns to him, sending none away disappointed. Even if he has but a single loaf, he gives away a third or a half of it, conceding it cheerfully and without grudgingness."
ومن أفعالهم الحسنة أن الأيتام الصغار يقعدون بالسوق ومع كل واحد منهم قفتان كبرى وصغرى، وهم يُسَمُّون القفة مكتلًا,"Another good habit of theirs is that orphan children make a practice of sitting in the bazaar, each with two baskets, one large and one small (the Meccans call a basket by the name of miktal)."
فيأتي الرجل من أهل مكة إلى السوق فيشتري الحبوب واللحم والخضر ويعطي ذلك للصبي فيجعل الحبوب في إحدى قفتيه واللحم والخضر في الأخرى، ويوصل ذلك إلى دار الرجل ليهيئ له طعامه منها،,"A man of the townsfolk of Mecca comes to the bazaar, where he buys grain, meat and vegetables, and passes these to a boy, who puts the grain in one of his baskets and the meat and vegetables in the other, and takes them to the man’s house, so that his meal may be prepared from them."
ويذهب الرجل إلى طوافه وحاجته، فلا يُذْكَر أن أحدًا من الصبيان خان الأمانة في ذلك قط، بل يؤدي ما حمل على أتم الوجوه، ولهم على ذلك أجرة معلومة من فلوس،,"Meanwhile the man goes about his devotions and his business. There is no instance related of any of the boys having ever abused their trust in this matter—on the contrary he delivers what he has been given to carry, with the most scrupulous honesty. They receive for this a fixed fee of a few coppers."
وأهل مكة لهم ظرف ونظافة في الملابس، وأكثر لباسهم البياض، فترى ثيابهم أبدًا ناصعة ساطعة,"The Meccans are elegant and clean in their dress, and as they mostly wear white their garments always appear spotless and snowy."
ويستعملون الطِّيب كثيرًا ويكتحلون ويكثرون السواك بِعِيدان الأراك الأخضر،,"They use perfume freely, paint their eyes with kuhl, and are constantly picking their teeth with slips of green arak-wood."
ونساء مكة فائقات الحسن بارعات الجمال ذوات صلاح وعفاف،,"The Meccan women are of rare and surpassing beauty, pious and chaste."
وهن يُكْثِرْن التطيب حتى إن إحداهن لتبيت طاوية وتشتري بِقُوتِها طيبًا،,"They too make much use of perfumes, to such a degree that a woman will spend the night hungry and buy perfume with the price [of her food]."
وهن يقصدن الطواف بالبيت في كل ليلة جمعة، فيأتين في أحسن زي، وتغلب على الحرم رائحة طيبهن،,"They make a practice of performing the circuit of the House on the eve of each Friday, and come in their finest apparel, and the sanctuary is saturated with the smell of their perfume."
وتذهب المرأة منهن فيبقى أَثَر الطيب بعد ذهابها عبقًا،,"When one of these women goes away, the odour of the perfume clings as an effluvium to the place after she has gone."
ولأهل مكة عوائد حسنة في الموسم وغيره، سنذكرها إن شاء الله تعالى إذا فَرَغْنا من ذِكْر فضلائها ومجاوريها.,"The citizens of Mecca observe various excellent customs at the pilgrimage season and other periods of the year, and we shall speak of these, if God Most High will, when we finish our account of its distinguished men and residents."
ذكر قاضي مكة وخطيبها وإمام الموسم وعلمائها وصلحائها,"The Qadi and Khatib of Mecca, the Imam of the Pilgrimage Ceremony and the learned and pious citizens."
قاضي مكة العالم الصالح العابد نجم الدين محمد، ابن الإمام العالم محيي الدين الطبري، وهو فاضل كثير الصدقات والمواساة للمجاورين حسن الأخلاق كثير الطواف والمشاهدة للكعبة الشريفة،,"The qadi of Mecca is the learned, pious, and devout Najm al-Dm Muhammad, [grand-] son of the learned imam Muhyi al-Dm al-Tabari, a worthy man, liberal in his alms and charities to the [poor] sojourners, of fine character, much given to performing the circuit and to contemplation of the illustrious Ka’ba."
يطعم الطعام الكثير في المواسم المعظمة، وخصوصًا في مولد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا، فإنه يطعم فيه شرفاء مكة وكبراءها وفقراءها وخدام الحرم الشريف وجميع المجاورين،,"He distributes an immense quantity of food on the occasion of the great festivals, especially on the Birthday of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), for on that day he distributes food to the Sharifs, notables, and poor brethren of Mecca, the servitors of the illustrious Sanctuary, and all the sojourners."
وكان سلطان مصر الملك الناصر رحمه الله يعظمه كثيرًا وجميع صدقاته وصدقات أمرائه تجري على يديه،,"The Sultan of Egypt, al-Malik alNasir (God’s mercy upon him) held him in high honour, and all the Sultan’s alms, together with the alms of his amirs, used to pass through his hands."
وولده شهاب الدين فاضل وهو الآن قاضي مكة — شرفها الله —,"His son Shihab al-Din is [also] a worthy man, and it is he who is now qadi of Mecca (God ennoble her)."
وخطيب مكة الإمام بمقام إبراهيم عليه السلام الفصيح المصقع وحيد عصره بهاء الدين الطبري،,"The preacher of Mecca and imam at the Station of Ibrahim (upon him be peace) is the chaste and fluent orator, the solitaire of his age, Baha al-Din al-Tabari."
وهو أحد الخطباء الذين ليس بالمعمور مثلهم بلاغة وحُسْن بيان،,He is one of those preachers whose equal in effective mastery of language and excellence of diction is not to be found in the inhabited world.
وذُكِرَ لي أنه ينشئ لكل جمعة خطبة ثم لا يكررها فيما بعد،,"It was told me that he composes a fresh allocution for every Friday, and never afterwards repeats it."
وإمام الموسم وإمام المالكية بالحرم الشريف هو الشيخ الفقيه العالِم الصالح الخاشع الشهير أبو عبد الله محمد ابن الفقيه الإمام الصالح الورع أبي زيد عبد الرحمن، وهو المشتهر بخليل، نفع الله به وأَمْتَعَ ببقائه,"The imam of the Pilgrimage ceremony, who is also imam of the Malikites in the illustrious Sanctuary is the learned shaikh and jurist, the pious, humble, and celebrated Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad, son of the jurist-imam the pious and abstinent Abu Zaid ‘Abd al-Rahman. This is the man who is widely known as Khalil (God profit us by him and prolong his life to our enjoyment)."
وأهله من تلاد الجريد من إفريقية، ويُعْرَفون بها ببني حيون وهم من كبارها، ومولده ومولد أبيه بمكة — شرفها الله —,"His family comes from the district of al-Jarid in Ifriqiya, where they are known as the Banu Hayyun, being one of the notable families of that part, but his birthplace, and that of his father, was in Mecca (God ennoble her)."
وهو أحد الكبار من أهل مكة، بل واحدها وقطبها بإجماع الطوائف على ذلك،,"He is one of the leading citizens of Mecca, nay rather its unique personality and pole, by common consent of all parties, schools and sects."
مستغرق العبادة في جميع أوقاته حييٌّ كريم النفس حسن الأخلاق كثير الشفقة لا يَرُدُّ من سأله خائبًا.,"He is immersed in his devotions at all times, modest, generous-minded, of fine character, full of sympathy, never turning away disappointed any who beg his charity."
حكاية مباركة,Anecdote of blessed import.
رأيت أيام مجاورتي بمكة شرفها الله — وأنا إذ ذاك ساكن منها بالمدرسة المظفرية — رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا في النوم وهو قاعد بمجلس التدريس من المدرسة المذكورة بجانب الشباك الذي تُشَاهَد منه الكعبة الشريفة والناس يبايعونه،,"I had a dream in the days of my residence in Mecca (God ennoble her), while I was living in the Muzaffariya college there, that the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) was sitting in the class-room of this college, beside the window from which one looks out upon the illustrious Ka’ba, and the people were taking his hand and swearing allegiance to him."
فكنت أرى الشيخ أبا عبد الله المدعو بخليل قد دَخَلَ وقعد القرفصاء بين يدي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا، وجعل يده في يد رسول الله ﷺ وقال: أبايعك على كذا وكذا، وعدد أشياء منها: وأن لا أَرُدَّ من بيتي مسكينًا خائبًا،,"I saw in my dream that the shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah called Khalil came in, squatted before the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), and placing his hand in the hand of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) he said ‘I give thee my allegiance to do thus and thus’, and enumerated a number of things including ‘never to turn away a destitute man from my house disappointed’."
وكان ذلك آخر كلامه، فكنت أعجب من قوله، وأقول في نفسي: كيف يقول هذا ويقدر عليه مع كثرة فقراء مكة واليمن والزيالعة والعراق والعجم ومصر والشام،,"This was the last phrase of his oath, and I was surprised to hear him saying it, and thought to myself: ‘How can he say this and carry out his word, seeing the multitude of the poor of Mecca itself and [those who come hither from] the Yaman, Zaila’, al-‘Iraq, Persia, Egypt and Syria?’"
وكنت أراه حين ذلك لابسًا جبة بيضاء قصيرة من ثياب القطن المدعوة بالقفطان، كان يلبسها في بعض الأوقات،,"As I saw him in my dream, he was wearing a short white tunic of the cotton fabric called fushtdn, which he used sometimes to put on."
فلما صليت الصبح غدوت عليه وأعلمته برؤياي فسُرَّ بها وبكى، وقال لي: تلك الجبة أهداها بعض الصالحين لجدي، فأنا ألبسها تبركًا،,"Next morning, after performing the dawn prayer, I went to him and told him of my dream. It gave him great pleasure and he wept and said to me: ‘This tunic was given by one of the saints to my grandfather and for that reason I put it on [sometimes] for the sake of the blessing’."
وما رأيته بعد ذلك يرد سائلًا خائبًا، وكان يأمر خُدَّامه يخبزون الخبز ويطبخون الطعام ويأتون به إلي بعد صلاة العصر من كل يوم،,I never saw him after that turn away a suppliant disappointed. He used to bid his servants bake bread and cook food and bring it to me after the afternoon prayer every day.
وأهل مكة لا يأكلون في اليوم إلا مرة واحدة بعد العصر ويقتصرون عليها إلى مثل ذلك الوقت،,"The people of Mecca eat only once in the day, after the afternoon prayer, and content themselves with that until the same time [on the following day]."
ومن أراد الأكل في سائر النهار أكل التمر؛ ولذلك صَحَّتْ أبدانهم وقَلَّتْ فيهم الأمراض والعاهات،,"If anyone wishes to eat at any other tune of day, he eats dried dates, and it is for that reason that their bodies are healthy and that diseases and infirmities are rarely found amongst them."
وكان الشيخ خليل متزوجًا بنت القاضي نجم الدين الطبري، فشَكَّ في طلاقها وفارقها وتزوجها بعده الفقيه شهاب الدين النويري من كبار المجاورين وهو من صعيد مصر،,"The shaikh Khalil was married to the daughter of the qadi Najm al-DIn al-Tabari, but later on, after some hesitation about repudiating her, he separated from her. She was married after this to the jurist Shihab al-DIn al-Nuwairi, one of the leading personalities among the sojourners, who came from Upper Egypt."
وأقامت عنده أعوامًا وسافر بها إلى المدينة الشريفة ومعها أخوها شهاب الدين فحنث في يمين بالطلاق ففَارَقَها على ضنانته بها وراجعها الفقيه خليل بعد سنين عدة.,"She stayed with him for some years and travelled with him to al-Madina the Illustrious, accompanied by her brother Shihab al-Din. Her husband, however, having violated an oath which he had sworn ‘by repudiation’, separated from her in spite of his attachment to her, and the jurist Khalil took her back some years later."
ومن أعلام مكة إمام الشافعية شهاب الدين بن البرهان، ومنهم إمام الحنفية شهاب الدين أحمد بن علي من كبار أئمة مكة وفضلائها، يُطْعم المجاورين وأبناء السبيل،,"Amongst the pillars of the community at Mecca are [the imams of the other three rites, namely] the imam of the Shafi’ites, Shihab al-Dm Ibn al-Burhan; the imam of the Hanafites, Shihab al-Din Ahmad b. ‘AH, one of the most notable of the imams and virtuous men of Mecca—he supplies food to the sojourners and [needy] travellers,"
وهو أكرم فقهاء مكة، ويُدَان في كل سنة أربعين ألف درهم وخمسين ألفًا، فيؤديها الله عنه، وأمراء الأتراك يعظمونه ويُحْسِنون الظن به؛ لأنه إمامهم، ومنهم إمام الحنابلة المحدث الفاضل محمد بن عثمان البغدادي الأصل المكي المولد،,"and is the most generous of the jurists of Mecca; he runs up debts every year to the amount of forty or fifty thousand dirhams, but God discharges them for him, and the amirs of the Turks respect him and think highly of him because he is their imam—; and the imam of the Hanbalites, the worthy traditionist j Muhammad b. ‘Uthman, of Baghdad! origin but Meccan birth,"
وهو نائب القاضي نجم الدين والمحتسب بعد قتل تقي الدين المصري، والناس يهابونه لسطوته.,who officiated also as substitute of the qadi Najm al-Dm and as muhtasib after the assassination of Taqi al-Din al-Misri; the people stood in awe of him on account of his severity.
حكاية,Anecdote.
كان تقي الدين المصري محتسبًا بمكة، وكان له دخول فيما يعنيه وفيما لا يعنيه،,"Taqi al-Din al-Misri was muhtasib at Mecca, and had a habit of meddling both with what concerned him and what did not concern him."
فاتَّفَق في بعض السنين أن أُتِيَ أمير الحاج بصبي من ذوي الدعارة بمكة قد سَرَقَ بعض الحجاج,"It happened one year that there was brought before the Amir al-Hajj a boy, one of the [gangs of] ruffians at Mecca, who had stolen from one of the pilgrims."
فأمر بقطع يده، فقال له تقي الدين: إن لم نقطعها بحضرتك وإلا غلب أهل مكة خدامك عليه فاستنقذوه منهم وخلصوه,"He ordered his hand to be cut off, whereupon Taqi al-Din said to him: ‘If you do not have it cut off in your presence [the sentence will not be carried out], for otherwise the people of Mecca will take him by force from your underlings, rescue him and set him free.’"
فأمر بقطع يده في حضرته فقُطِعَتْ,"The amir gave orders accordingly to cut off his hand in his presence, and it was cut off."
وحَقَدَها لتقي الدين ولم يَزَلْ يتربص به الدوائر ولا قدرة له عليه؛ لأن له حسبًا من الأمير بن رميثة وعطيفة,"The lad vowed vengeance for it upon Taqi al-Din, and never ceased watching and waiting for fortune to turn against him. He could do nothing against him, however, for he had a hasab from the two amirs Rumaitha and ‘Utaifa."
والحسب عندهم أن يعطى أحدهم هدية من عماية أو شاشية بمحضر الناس تكون جوارًا لمن أُعْطِيَتْه ولا نزول حرمتها معه حتى يريد الرحلة والتحول عن مكة،,"The hasab, in their use of the term, is that someone is given in public assembly a present of a turban or skull-cap which serves as a [mark of] protection for the recipient, and he continues to enjoy the immunity which it confers until he is about to leave Mecca and remove elsewhere."
فأقام تقي الدين بمكة أعوامًا ثم عزم على الرحلة وودع الأميرين وطاف طواف الوداع,"Taqi al-Din remained in Mecca for some years, but at length resolved to depart, took leave of the two amirs, and performed the farewell circuit of the Ka’ba."
وخرج من باب الصفا فلقيه صاحبه الأقطع وتَشَكَّى له ضَعْف حاله وطَلَبَ منه ما يستعين به على حاجته,"As he went out [of the mosque] by the Gate of al-Safa, he was met by the same person, the one whose hand was cut off, who complained to him of his miserable condition, and begged of him some [money] with which to relieve his needs."
فانتهره تقي الدين وزَجَرَهُ فاستل خنجرًا له يُعْرَف عندهم بالجنبية وضربه ضربة واحدة كان فيها حَتْفُه.,"Taqi al-Din harshly spurned him and bade him begone, when he drew a dagger he was carrying (it is known amongst them by the name of jambtya and smote him one blow which proved fatal."
ومنهم الفقيه الصالح زين الدين الطبري شقيق نجم الدين المذكور من أهل الفضل والإحسان للمجاورين.,"Other notables at Mecca are the pious jurist Zain al-Din al-Tabari, full brother of Najm al-Din(of whom we have already spoken), a man of merit and charitable to the sojourners;"
ومنهم الفقيه المبارك محمد بن فهد القرشي من فضلاء مكة، وكان ينوب عن القاضي نجم الدين بعد وفاة الفقيه محمد بن عثمان الحنبلي.,"the blessed jurist Muhammad b. Fahd al-Qurashi, one of the eminent worthies of Mecca, who acted as deputy for the qadl Najm al-Din after the death of Muhammad b.’Othman al-Hanbali;"
ومنهم العدل الصالح محمد بن البرهان زاهدٌ وَرِع مبتلًى بالوسواس،,"and the pious notary Muhammad b.Burhan, abstemious and ascetic, but tormented by secret vagaries."
رأيتُه يومًا يتوضأ من بركة المدرسة المظفرية فيغسل ويكرر، ولما مَسَحَ رأسه أعاد مسحه مرات، ثم لم يقنعه ذلك فغطس رأسه في البركة،,"I saw him one day making his ablutions at the tank of the Muzaffariya college; he made the ritual washings and then went through them all again, and when he had wiped his head he wiped it over several times more, but even that did not satisfy him and he plunged his whole head into the tank."
وكان إذا أراد الصلاة ربما صلى الإمام الشافعي وهو يقول: نويت نويت، فيصلي مع غيره،,"When he was about to perform the prayers, he would often say, as the Shafi’ite imam was praying, ‘I meant to, I meant to’ and then pray with some other imam."
وكان كثير الطواف والاعتمار والذكر.,He was continually making circuits of the Ka’ba and performing the ceremonies of the Lesser Pilgrimage and intoning liturgies.
ذكر المجاورين بمكة,Some of the sojourners at Mecca.
فمنهم الإمام العالم الصالح الصوفي المحقق العابد عفيف الدين عبد الله بن أسعد اليمني الشافعي الشهير باليافعي,"Among them were the following: the learned and pious imam, the Sufi adept and devotee, ‘Aflf al-Dm ‘Abdallah b. As’ad al-Yamani alShan’I, known as al-Yafi’I."
كثير الطواف آناء الليل وأطراف النهار،,"He was constantly making circuits of the Ka’ba, ‘at times in the night and at the extremities ot the day’."
وكان إذا طاف من الليل يصعد إلى سطح المدرسة المظفرية فيقعد مُشَاهِدًا للكعبة الشريفة إلى أن يغلبه النوم,"It was his habit, when he had made his circuits at night, to ascend to the roof of the Muzaffariya college and sit there contemplating the illustrious Ka’ba until he was overcome by sleep."
فيجعل تحت رأسه حجرًا وينام يسيرًا ثم يجدد الوضوء ويعود لحاله من الطواف حتى يصلي الصبح،,"He would then put a stone beneath his head and, after sleeping a little, would renew his ablutions and return to his occupation of circuiting until the time for performing the dawn prayer."
وكان متزوجًا ببنت الفقيه العابد شهاب الدين بن البرهان،,He was married to the daughter of the legist and devotee Shihab al-Dm Ibn Burhan.
وكانت صغيرة السن، فلا تزال تشكو إلى أبيها حالها فيأمرها بالصبر، فأقامت معه على ذلك سنين ثم فارَقَتْه،,"She was a young woman and was for ever complaining to her father of the position in which she found herself; he, on his part, would counsel her to patience, and she stayed with al-Yafi’I for some years, during which things grew no better, and at length she separated from him."
ومنهم الصالح العابد نجم الدين الأصفوني كان قاضيًا ببلاد الصعيد فانقطع إلى الله تعالى وجاوَرَ بالحرم الشريف،,"The pious devotee Najm al-Din al-Usfuni, who had been a qadi in Upper Egypt and subsequently consecrated himself to the service of God Most High, and became a sojourner at the Illustrious Sanctuary."
وكان يعتمر في كل يوم من التنعيم ويعتمر في رمضان مرتين في اليوم، اعتمادًا على ما في الخبر عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا أنه قال: «عمرة في رمضان تعدل حجة معي»،,"He used to perform the Lesser Pilgrimage every day from al-Tan’Im, and during Ramadan twice a day, in reliance upon the statement in the Tradition attributing to the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) the words ‘An ‘Umra in Ramadan is equivalent to a Pilgrimage in my company’."
ومنهم الشيخ الصالح العابد شمس الدين محمد الحلبي كثير الطواف والتلاوة من قدماء المجاورين، مات بمكة شَرَّفَها الله.,"The pious and devoted shaikh Shams al-Din Muhammad al-Halabi, who was constantly engaged in circuiting and in reciting the Qur’an. He was one of the most old-established sojourners and died at Mecca (God ennoble her)."
ومنهم الصالح أبو بكر الشيرازي المعروف بالصامت كثير الطواف أقام بمكة أعوامًا لا يتكلم فيها.,"The pious Abu Bakr al-Shlrazi, known as ‘the Silent’. He was constantly engaged in circuiting and stayed at Mecca for some years during which he never spoke."
ومنهم الصالح خضر العجمي كثير الصوم والتلاوة والطواف.,"The pious Khidr al-‘Ajami, who continually fasted, read the Qur’an, and made circuits."
ومنهم الشيخ الصالح برهان الدين العجمي الواعظ، كان يُنْصَب له كرسي تجاه الكعبة الشريفة فيَعِظ الناس ويُذَكِّرهم بلسان فصيح وقَلْب خاشع يأخذ بمجامع القلوب.,"The pious shaikh Burhan al-Din al-‘Ajami, the homiletic preacher. A rostrum used to be put up for him facing the illustriousKa’ba, and he would preach to the people and admonish them with eloquent tongue and lowly heart, [in a manner] which gripped all hearts."
ومنهم الصالح المجود برهان الدين إبراهيم المصري مقرئ مجيد ساكن رباط السدرة,"The pious Qur’an-chanter Burhan al-Din Ibrahim alMisri, an excellent teacher of the recitation [of the Holy Book], who lived in the convent of the Lote-tree."
ويقصده أهل مصر والشام بصدقاتهم، ويُعَلِّم الأيتام كتاب الله تعالى ويقوم بمؤنهم ويكسوهم.,"The Egyptians and Syrians made a point of giving alms to him, and he used to teach the orphans to recite the Book of God Most High, as well as paying for their upkeep and clothing them."
ومنهم الصالح العابد عز الدين الواسطي من أصحاب الأموال الطائلة يُحْمَل إليه من بلده المال الكثير في كل سنة،,"The pious and devoted ‘Izz al-Din al-Wasiti, a man of enormous wealth, to whom a large sum of money was remitted from his native town every year."
فيبتاع الحبوب والتمر ويفرقها على الضعفاء والمساكين، ويتولى حَمْلها إلى بيوتهم بنفسه،,"He used to buy grain and dried dates, and [not only] distribute them to the poor and needy, but even superintend in person the carrying of the goods to their houses."
ولم يَزَلْ ذلك دأبه إلى أن تُوُفِّيَ.,This was his regular custom until he died.
ومنهم الفقيه الصالح الزاهد أبو الحسن علي بن رزق الله الأنجري من أهل قطر طنجة من كبار الصالحين، جَاوَرَ بمكة أعوامًا وبها وفاته،,"The pious and austere legist Abu’l-Hasan ‘All b. Rizq Allah al-Anjari, belonging to the district of Tanja, and one of the saintliest of men. He sojourned at Mecca for some years and died there."
كانت بينه وبين والدي صحبة قديمة، ومتى أتى بلدنا طنجة نزل عندنا،,"There was a long-standing friendship between him and my father, and whenever he came to our town of Tanja he used to stay with us."
وكان له بيت بالمدرسة المظفرية يُعَلِّم العلم فيها نهارًا ويأوي بالليل إلى مسكنه برباط ربيع،,"He had [at Mecca] a room in the Muzaffariya college, where he taught theology during the hours of day, and he retired at night to his dwelling in the convent of Rabi’."
وهو من أحسن الرباطات بمكة، بداخله بئر عذبة لا تماثلها بئر مكة، وسكانه الصالحون,"This is one of the finest convents in Mecca; within its precincts is a well of sweet water with which no other well in Mecca can compare, and its inhabitants are [all] men of saintly life."
وأهل ديار الحجاز يعظمون هذا الرباط تعظيمًا شديدًا وينذرون له النذور,The people of the Hijaz hold this convent in deep veneration and bring votive offerings to it.
وأهل الطائف يأتونه بالفواكه، ومن عادتهم أن كل من له بستان من النخيل والعنب والفرسك وهو الخوج والتين، وهم يسمونه الخمط يخرج منه العشر لهذا الرباط، ويوصلون ذلك إليه على جِمَالهم،,"The people of Ta’if supply it with fruits; they have a custom that all those who possess a garden, whether of date-palms, grapes, firsik (that is peaches), or figs (which they call there khamt * ), pay the tithe from its produce to this convent and convey it there on their own camels."
ومسيرة ما بين مكة والطائف يومان، ومن لم يفِ بذلك نَقَصَتْ فواكهه في السنة الآتية وأصابتها الجوائح.,"The distance between Mecca and Ta’if is two days’ journey. If anyone fails to do this, his crop is diminished and dearth-stricken in the following year."
حكاية في فضله,Anecdote on its miraculous virtue.
أتى يومًا غلمان الأمير أبي نمي صاحب مكة إلى هذا الرباط ودخلوا بِخَيْل الأمير وسَقَوْها من تلك البئر،,"One day the retainers of the amir Abu Numayy, the ruler of Mecca, came to this convent, led in the prince’s horses, and watered them from the well mentioned above."
فلما عادوا بالخيل إلى مرابطها أصابتها الأوجاع وضَرَبَتْ بأنفسها الأرض وبرءوسها وأرجلها،,"When the horses were taken back to their stables, they were seized with colics and threw themselves to the ground, beating it with their heads and legs."
واتصل الخبر بالأمير أبي نمي، فأتى باب الرباط بنفسه واعتذر إلى المساكين الساكنين به، واستصحب واحدًا منهم,"Word was brought to the amir Abu Numayy, who went in person to the gate of the convent, apologized to its poor recluses, and begged that one of them should go back with him."
فمسح على بطون الدواب بيده فأراقت ما كان في أجوافها من ذلك الماء وبرئت مما أصابها,"This man rubbed the beast’s bellies with his hand, when they expelled the water from that well which they had in their stomachs, and were relieved of their pains."
ولم يتعرضوا بعدها للرباط إلا بالخير.,The retainers never again ventured to appear at the convent except for good purposes.
ومنهم الصالح المبارك أبو العباس الغماري من أصحاب أبي الحسن بن رزق الله، وسكن رباط ربيع، ووفاته بمكة شرفها الله.,"Others of the sojourners were: the pious and blessed Abu’l’Abbas al-Ghomari, one of the associates of Abu’l-Hasan ibn Rizq Allah; he also lived in the Convent of Rabi’ and died at Mecca (God ennoble her);"
ومنهم الصالح أبو يعقوب يوسف من بادية سبتة كان خديمًا للشيخين المذكورين، فلما تُوُفِّيَا صار شيخ الرباط بعدهما.,"the pious Abu Ya’qub Yusuf from the environs of Sabta [Ceuta], who was servitor to the two last-named shaikhs, and after they both died himself succeeded them as shaikh of the convent;"
ومنهم الصالح السائح السالك أبو الحسن علي بن فرغوس التلمساني، ومنهم الشيخ سعيد الهندي شيخ رباط كلالة.,"the pious ascetic and follower of the Sufi path, Abu’l-Hasan ‘AH b. Farghus of Tilimsan; Shaikh Sa’id al-Hindi, shaikh of the convent of Kalala."
حكاية,Anecdote.
كان الشيخ سعيد قد قصد ملك الهند محمد شاه فأعطاه مالًا عظيمًا قَدِمَ به مكة،,"Shaikh Sa’id had [sometime before this] made his way to the king of India, Muhammad Shah, who gave him a large sum of money with which he came to Mecca."
فسَجَنَه الأمير عطيفة وطلبه بأداء المال،,There the amir ‘Utaifa threw him into prison and demanded of him the surrender of the money.
فامتنع فعُذِّبَ بعصر رجليه، فأعطى خمسة وعشرين ألف درهم نقرة،,"He refused, and was tortured by the compression of his feet [between pieces of wood] until at length he gave up twenty-five thousand dirhams nuqra."
وعاد إلى بلاد الهند ورأيته بها، ونزل بدار الأمير سيف الدين غدا بن هبة الله بن عيسى بن مهنى أمير عرب الشام،,"He [afterwards] went back to India, where I saw him, and lodged in the mansion of the amir Saif al-Din Ghada b. HibatAllah b. ‘Isa b. Muhanna, the amir of the Arabs of Syria."
وكان غدا ساكنًا ببلاد الهند، متزوجًا بأخت ملكها، وسيُذْكَر أَمْرُه،,"Ghada was settled in India, married to the king’s sister, and his story will be related hereafter."
فأعطى ملكُ الهند للشيخ سعيد جملةَ مال وتوجَّه صحبة حاجٍّ يُعْرَف بوشل من ناس الأمير غدا وجَّهَهُ الأمير المذكور ليأتيه ببعض ناسه,"The king of India gave Shaikh Sa’id a sum of money, and he set out in company with a pilgrim named Washl, one of the men of the amir Ghada, whom this amir had dispatched to fetch some of his dependants to him."
ووَجَّهَ معه أموالًا وتحفًا منها الخلعة التي خلعها عليه ملك الهند ليلة زفافه بأخته،,"He sent with him certain sums of money and valuable presents, including the robe of honour which the king of India had bestowed upon him on the night of his marriage with the latter’s sister."
وهي من الحرير الأزرق مزركشة بالذهب ومرصعة بالجوهر بحيث لا يظهر لونها لغلبة الجوهر عليها,"This robe was of blue silk, embroidered with gold and encrusted with jewels to such a degree that the colour of the garment could not be seen, so completely did the jewels overlay it."
وبعث معه خمسين ألف درهم ليشتري له الخيل العتاق،,The amir also entrusted him with fifty thousand dirhams to buy thoroughbred horses for him.
فسافر الشيخ سعيد صحبة وشل واشتريا سلعًا بما عندهما من الأموال،,"Shaikh Sa’id then set off in company with Washl, and they bought various kinds of merchandise with what moneys they had at their disposal."
فلما وصلا جزيرة سقطرة المنسوب إليها الصبر السقطري خرج عليهما لصوص الهند في مراكب كثيرة,"When, however, they reached the island of Suqutra—from which the Socotrine aloes take their name—they were attacked by Indian pirates with a large number of vessels."
فقاتلوهم قتالًا شديدًا مات فيه من الفريقين جملة، وكان وشل راميًا فقَتَلَ منهم جماعة,"[The occupants of the ship] put up a vigorous resistance to them, in the course of which many perished on both sides, and Washl, being an archer, killed a good number of them."
ثم تَغَلَّبَ السُّرَّاق عليهم وطعنوا وشلًا طعنة مات منها بعد ذلك، وأخذوا ما كان عندهم، وتركوا لهم مركبهم بآلة سفره وزادِه فذهبوا إلى عدن ومات بها وشل.,"Finally the pirates overpowered them and struck Washl a blow with a spear, from which he died later, then, after seizing all their possessions, they left them with their ship, sailing tackle, and provisions, with which they made their way to ‘Adan, and there Washl died."
وعادة هؤلاء السُّرَّاق أنهم لا يقتلون أحدًا إلا حين القتال ولا يغرقونه، وإنما يأخذون ماله ويتركونه يذهب بمركبه حيث شاء ولا يأخذون المماليك؛ لأنهم من جنسهم،,"It is the custom of these pirates that they neither kill nor drown anyone save in the fighting, but only take his money and let him go with his ship where he will, nor do they seize slaves, since they are of their own kind."
وكان الحاج سعيد قد سَمِعَ من ملك الهند أنه يريد إظهار الدعوة العباسية ببلده كمثل ما فَعَلَهُ ملوك الهند ممن تقدمه مثل السلطان شمس الدين لَلْمِش واسمه «بفتح اللام الأولى وإسكان الثانية وكسر الميم وشين معجم»، وولده ناصر الدين ومثل السلطان جلال الدين فيروز شاه والسلطان غياث الدين بلبن وكانت الخلع تأتي إليهم من بغداد،,"Now al-Hajj Sa’id had heard from the king of India that he proposed to recognize the ‘Abbasid cause in his country, as was done by the kings of India who preceded him, like the Sultan Shams al-Din Lalmish and his son Nasir al-Din, or the Sultan Jalal al-Dm Firuz-Shah and the Sultan Ghiyath ale Din Balban, to whom robes of honour used to come from Baghdad."
فلما تُوُفِّيَ وشل قَصَدَ الشيخ سعيد إلى الخليفة أبي العباس ابن الخليفة أبي الربيع سليمان العباسي بمصر وأعلمه بالأمر،,"When Washl died, therefore, Shaikh Sa’id made his way to the Caliph Abu’ -‘Abbas, son of the Caliph Abu’lRabi’ Sulaiman the ‘Abbasid at Cairo, and informed him of this."
فكتب له كتابًا بِخَطِّه بالنيابة عنه ببلاد الهند،,"The Caliph then wrote a letter to the Sultan in his own hand, appointing the latter his delegate in the land of India."
فاستصحب الشيخ سعيد الكتاب، وذهب إلى اليمن، واشترى بها ثلاث خلع سودًا، وركب البحر إلى الهند،,"Shaikh Sa’id, taking this letter with him, went to the Yaman, where he purchased three black robes, and sailed to India."
فلما وصل كنبايت وهي على مسيرة أربعين يومًا من دهلي حضرة ملك الهند كتب صاحب الخبر إلى الملك يُعْلِمُه بقدوم الشيخ سعيد،,"When he reached Kinbayat (which is forty days’ journey from Dihli, the capital of the king of India), the intelligence officer wrote to the king informing him of the arrival of Shaikh Sa’id and that with him was the Caliph’s decree and letter."
وأن معه أَمْر الخليفة وكتابه فوَرَدَ الأمْرُ ببعثه إلى الحضرة مكرَّمًا،,Orders were received [in reply] to dispatch him to the capital with the honours [due to a distinguished guest].
فلما قَرُبَ من الحضرة بعث الأمراء والقضاة والفقهاء لِتَلَقِّيه،,"On his approach to the capital, [the king] sent out the amirs, qadis, and men of law to welcome him, afterwards himself going out to welcome him also, and on meeting him he embraced him."
ثم خرج هو بنفسه لتلقيه فتلقاه وعانقه ودَفَعَ له الأمر فقبله ووضعه على رأسه ودفع له الصندوق الذي فيه الخلع،,"The shaikh delivered to him first the decree, which he kissed and placed upon his head,and then the chest containing the robes."
فاحتمله الملك على كاهله خطوات، ولبس إحدى الخلع وكسا الأخرى الأمير غياث الدين محمد بن عبد القادر بن يوسف بن عبد العزيز بن الخليفة المنتصر العباسي، وكان مقيمًا عنده وسيُذْكَر خبره،,"The king having carried this on his shoulder for a few paces, himself put on one of the robes; the second he bestowed upon the amir Ghiyath al-Dln Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Qadir b. Yusuf b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. al-Mustansir, the ‘Abbasid Caliph, who was staying at his court, and whose story will be related subsequently;"
وكسا الخلعة الثالثة الأمير قبولة الملقب بالملك الكبير، وهو الذي يقوم على رأسه ويشرد عنه الذباب.,"the third robe he bestowed upon the amir Qabula, entitled The Great King’, the officer who stands at his head and drives off the flies from him."
وأَمَرَ السلطان فخلع على الشيخ سعيد ومن معه وأركبه على الفيل,"By the Sultan’s order, robes of honour were bestowed upon Shaikh Sa’id and his companions and he was mounted upon an elephant."
ودخل المدينة كذلك والسلطان أمامه على فرسه وعن يمينه وشماله الأميران اللذان كساهما الخلعتين العباسيتين،,"He made his entry into the city thus, with the Sultan preceding him upon his horse and to right and left of him the two amirs upon whom the Sultan had bestowed the ‘Abbasid robes."
والمدينة قد زُيِّنَتْ بأنواع الزينة وصُنِعَ بها إحدى عشرة قبة من الخشب،,"The city had in the meantime been embellished with all manner of decorations, and there had been constructed in it eleven wooden pavilions,"
كل قبة منها أربع طبقات، في كل طبقة طائفة من المُغَنِّين رجالًا ونساء، والراقصات وكلهم مماليك السلطان,"each of four stories, and each story containing a troop of singers, male and female, and dancinggirls, all of whom were the Sultan’s slaves."
والقبة مزينة بثياب الحرير المُذَهَّب أعلاها وأسفلها،,"Each pavilion was adorned with silken fabrics embroidered in gold, above, below, within and without."
وداخلها وخارجها وفي وسطها ثلاثة أحواض من جلود الجواميس مملوءة ماء قد حُلَّ فيه الجلاب، يشربه كل وارد وصادر لا يُمْنَع منه أحد،,"In the midst of the pavilions were three tanks made of buffalo hides and filled with water in which julep had been dissolved, for everyone coming or going to drink of, and access to it was denied to none."
وكل من يشرب منه يعطى بعد ذلك خمس عشرة ورقة من أوراق التنبول والفوفل والنورة، فيأكلها فتطيب نكهته وتزيد في حمرة وجهه ولثاته وتقمع عنه الصفراء وتهضم ما أكل من الطعام،,"Each person who drank of it would afterwards be given fifteen leaves of betel, with areca nuts and chalk, to eat; these sweeten one’s breath, make one’s face and gums redder, act as a preventative of jaundice, and as a digestive of what has been eaten."
ولما ركب الشيخ سعيد على الفيل فُرِشَتْ له ثياب الحرير بين يدي الفيل، يطأ عليها الفيل من باب المدينة إلى دار السلطان,"When Shaikh Sa’id rode [in state into Dihli] upon the elephant, silken cloths were spread in his honour in front of the elephant for it to walk upon from the gate of the city to the palace of the Sultan."
وأنزل بدار تقرب من دار الملك وبعث له أموالًا طائلة،,He was lodged in a mansion close to the royal palace and the Sultan sent him immense gifts of money.
وجميع الأثواب المعلقة والمفروشة بالقباب والموضوعة بين يدي الفيل لا تعود إلى السلطان،,"None of those fabrics which had been used as hangings and furnishings in the pavilions, or had been laid in the path of the elephant, was returned to the Sultan,"
بل يأخذها أهل الطرب وأهل الصناعات الذين يصنعون القباب وخدام الأحواض وغيرهم،,"but they were taken by the musicians, the artisans who constructed the pavilions, the keepers of the tanks, and other persons."
وهكذا فِعْلهم متى قَدِمَ السلطان من سفر،,This is their regular practice when the Sultan arrives home after a journey.
وأَمَرَ الملك بكتاب الخليفة أن يُقْرَأ على المنبر بين الخطبتين في كل يوم جمعة،,The king issued an order that the Caliph’s letter be read every Friday from the pulpit in the interval between the two allocutions.
وأقام الشيخ سعيد شهرًا ثم بَعَثَ معه الملك هدايا إلى الخليفة، فوصل كنبايت وأقام بها حتى تَيَسَّرَتْ أسباب حركته في البحر.,"Shaikh Sa’id remained [at Dihli] for a month, after which the king dispatched him with presents for the Caliph, and he reached Kinbayat and stayed there until the conditions should become favourable for his journey by sea."
وكان ملك الهند قد بعث أيضًا من عنده رسولًا إلى الخليفة، وهو الشيخ رجب البرقعي أحد شيوخ الصوفية، وأصله من مدينة القرم من صحراء قبجق،,"Now the King of India had also sent an accredited envoy to the Caliph, namely the shaikh Rajab al-Burqu’I, one of the shaikhs of the Sufis, originally from the town of al-Qirim in the desert of Qibjaq,"
وبعث معه هدايا للخليفة منها حجر ياقوت قيمته خمسون ألف دينار، وكتب له يطلب منه أن يَعْقِد له النيابة عنه ببلاد الهند والسند، ويبعث لها سواه من يظهر له،,"and had sent with him gifts for the Caliph, including a ruby of the value of fifty thousand dinars, and [a letter which] he had written to him. In this he requested the Caliph to confer upon him the delegacy for him in the land of India and Sind, or to send to these lands some other person, whomsoever he should think fit."
هكذا نص عليه كتابه اعتقادًا منه في الخلافة وحسن نية،,"These were the actual terms in which he concluded his letter, in his veneration for the Caliph and sincerity of purpose."
وكان للشيخ رجب أخٌ بديار مصر يدعى بالأمير سيف الدين الكاشف،,"Shaikh Rajab had a brother in Egypt, called the amir Saif al-Din al-Kashif."
فلما وَصَلَ رجب إلى الخليفة أبى أن يَقْرَأ الكتاب ويَقْبَل الهدية إلا بمحضر الملك الصالح إسماعيل ابن الملك الناصر، فأشار سيف الدين على أخيه رجب ببيع الحجر فباعه واشترى بثمنه — وهو ثلاثمائة ألف درهم — أربعة أحجار،,"When Rajab reached the Caliph, the latter declined to read the letter or to accept the present except in the presence of al-Malik al-Salih Isma’il, son of alMalik al-Nasir. Saif al-Din then counselled his brother Rajab to sell the stone, which he did, buying with the price of it (amounting to three hundred thousand dirhans) four [other] stones."
وحضر بين يدي الملك الصالح ودَفَعَ له الكتاب وأحد الأحجار، ودَفَعَ سائرها لأمرائه،,"He presented himself before al-Malik al-Salih and delivered the letter to him along with one of the stones, and presented the other stones to his amirs."
واتفقوا على أن يكتب الملك الهند بما طلبه فوجَّهُوا الشهود إلى الخليفة وأشهد على نفسه أنه قدمه نائبًا عنه ببلاد الهند وما يليها.,"They then agreed that a letter should be written to the king of India granting his request, and sent notaries to the Caliph, who testified formally that he had appointed the king as substitute for himself in the land of India and the adjacent territories."
وبعث الملك الصالح رسولًا من قبله، وهو شيخ الشيوخ بمصر ركن الدين العجمي، ومعه الشيخ رجب وجماعة من الصوفية،,"Al-Malik al-Salih sent an accredited envoy [to India], namely the Grand Shaikh of Cairo, Rukn al-Dm al-‘Ajami, and in his company went Shaikh Rajab and a troop of Sufis."
وركبوا بحر فارس من الإبلة إلى هرمز، وسلطانها يومئذٍ قطب الدين تمتهن طوران شاه فأكرم مثواهم وجَهَّزَ لهم مركبًا إلى بلاد الهند،,"They sailed down the Persian Gulf from al-Ubulla to Hurmuz, where the then Sultan, Qutb al-Dm Tamtahan b. Turanshah, gave them an honourable reception and equipped a vessel for them to take them to India."
فوصلوا مدينة كتبايت والشيخ سعيد بها،,They arrived at the city of Kinbayat at the time when Shaikh Sa’id was staying there.
وأميرها يومئذٍ مقبول التلتكي أحد خواص ملك الهند،,"Its governor at that period was Maqbul al-Tilingi, one of the intimates of the king of India."
فاجتمع الشيخ رجب بهذا الأمير وقال له: إن الشيخ سعيد إنما جاءكم بالتزوير والخلع التي ساقها إنما اشتراها بعدن،,"Shaikh Rajab had an interview with this amir and said to him: ‘Shaikh Sa’id has simply put an imposture upon you, and the robes which he brought along were only bought by him in ‘Adan."
فينبغي أن تُثْقِفوه وتبعثوه لخوند عالم وهو السلطان،,"It is your duty to arrest him and send him to Khund ‘Alam’ (that is, the Sultan)."
فقال له الأمير: الشيخ سعيد معظَّم عند السلطان، فما يفعل به هذا إلا بأمره ولكني أبعثه معكم ليرى فيه السلطان رأيه،,"The governor answered him: ‘Shaikh Sa’id is high in the esteem of the Sultan, and so no such action can be taken with him except by the Sultan’s order; however, I shall send him along with you, in order that the Sultan himself may decide what to do with him’."
وكتب الأمير بذلك كله إلى السلطان وكتب به أيضًا صاحب الأخبار،,"The governor then sent a dispatch to the Sultan with a full statement of what had occurred, and the intelligence officer also wrote an account of the incident."
فوقع في نفس السلطان تغيُّر، وانقبض عن الشيخ رجب لكونه تَكَلَّم بذلك على رءوس الأشهاد بعدما صدر من السلطان للشيخ سعيد من الإكرام ما صدر،,"The Sultan was filled with indignation, and would have nothing to do with Shaikh Rajab, for having spoken of this before witnesses, after all the honour that the Sultan had shown to Shaikh Sa’id."
فمنع رجب من الدخول عليه وزاد في إكرام الشيخ سعيد،,He refused Rajab permission to appear before him and heaped fresh honours upon Shaikh Sa’id.
ولما دخل الشيوخ على السلطان قام إليه وعانقه وأكرمه، وكان متى دخل إليه يقوم له،,"When the Grand Shaikh entered the presence of the Sultan, the latter rose to greet him, embraced him, and showed him every consideration; and on every occasion that the Grand Shaikh entered before him he would rise for him."
وبقي الشيخ سعيد المذكور بأرض الهند معظَّمًا مُكَرَّمًا، وبها تَرَكْتُه سنة ثمانٍ وأربعين،,"This Shaikh Sa’id, of whom we have been speaking, remained in India, enjoying the king’s consideration and favour, and there I left him in the year [seven hundred and] forty-eight."
وكان بمكة أيام مجاورتي بها حسن المغربي المجنون، وأَمْرُه غريب وشأنه عجيب،,"There lived in Mecca in the days of my sojourn there Hasan the Maghribi, the demoniac, a man of strange life and remarkable character."
وكان قبل ذلك صحيح العقل خديمًا لولي الله تعالى نجم الدين الأصبهاني أيام حياته.,He had formerly been sound in mind and a servitor of the saint Najm al-Dln al-Isbahani during the lifetime of the latter.
حكايته,His story.
كان حسن المجنون كثير الطواف بالليل، وكان يرى في طوافه بالليل فقيرًا يكثر الطواف ولا يراه بالنهار،,"Hasan the demoniac was assiduous in making circuits of the Ka’ba by night, and he used to see during his nightly circuits a faqir busily circuiting whom he never saw by day."
فلقيه ذلك الفقير ليلة وسأله عن حاله، وقال له: يا حسن، إن أمك تبكي عليك، وهي مشتاقة إلى رؤيتك، وكانت من إماء الله الصالحات، أفتحب أن تراها؟ قال له: نعم، ولكني لا قدرة لي على ذلك،,"This faqir came up to him one night, asked him how he was, and said to him ‘O Hasan, your mother is weeping for you and longing to see you’ (she was one of the handmaidens of God); ‘would you like to see her?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘but I have no means of doing that’."
فقال له: نجتمع ها هنا في الليلة المقبلة إن شاء الله تعالى،,"The faqir said to him ‘We shall meet here tomorrow night, if God Most High will’."
فلما كانت الليلة المقبلة وهي ليلة الجمعة وجده حيث وَاعَدَهُ فطافا بالبيت ما شاء الله،,"The following night, which was the eve of Friday, Hasan found him at the spot which he had appointed for their meeting, and they made the circuit of the House together so many times."
ثم خرج وهو في أثره إلى باب المعلي، فأمره أن يسد عينيه ويمسك بثوبه ففعل ذلك،,"The faqir then went out [of the Sanctuary], Hasan following close behind him, to the Ma’la Gate; [arrived there] he bade him shut his eyes and hold fast to his garment. Hasan did so."
ثم قال بعد ساعة: أَتَعْرِف بلدك؟ قال: نعم، قال: ها هو هذا,"After a time the faqir asked: ‘Would you recognize your own town?’ ‘Yes’, said Hasan. ‘Well, here it is’, he said."
ففتح عينيه، فإذا به على دار أمه فدخل عليها ولم يُعْلِمْها بشيء مما جرى وأقام عندها نصف شهر، وأظن أن بلده مدينة أسفي،,"Hasan opened his eyes and lo! he was at the gate of his mother’s house. So he went in to her, without « telling her anything of what had happened, and stayed with her for a fortnight—I think his town was the cit}’ of Asafl."
ثم خرج إلى الجبانة فوجد الفقير صاحبه فقال له: كيف أنت؟ فقال: يا سيدي إني اشتقت إلى رؤية الشيخ نجم الدين وكنت خرجت على عادتي وغِبْتُ عنه هذه الأيام وأحب أن تَرُدَّنِي إليه،,"He then went out to the cemetery where he found his friend the faqir, who said to him ‘How are you?’ He replied: ‘O sir, I have been longing to see Shaikh Najm al-Dln, for I went out of his house in my usual way and have been away from him all these days, and I should like you to take me back to him.’"
فقال له: نعم، وواعده الجبانة ليلًا،,"The faqir, saying ‘Yes certainly’, made an appointment to meet him at the cemetery by night."
فلما وافاه بها أَمَرَهُ أن يفعل كفِعْله في مكة — شرفها الله — من تغميض عينيه والإمساك بذيله، ففَعَل ذلك، فإذا به في مكة — شرفها الله —,"When Hasan came to him there, he bade him do as he had done at Mecca (God ennoble her), that is, close his eyes and grip his skirt. He did so, and lo! he was in Mecca (God ennoble her)!"
وأوصاه أن لا يُحَدِّث نجم الدين بشيء مما جرى ولا يُحَدِّث به غيره، فلما دَخَلَ على نجم الدين قال له: أين كنت يا حسن في غيبتك؟,"The faqir charged him to speak no word to Najm al-Dln of what had happened, nor to speak of it to any other person, but when he came in to Najm al-Dln the saint said to him ‘Where have you been, Hasan, during your absence?’"
فأبى أن يُخْبِرَه، فعزم عليه فأخبره بالحكاية فقال: أَرِنِي الرجل، فأتى معه ليلًا,"Hasan [at first] would not tell him, but when Najm al-Dm pressed him, he told him the story. The Shaikh then said ‘Show me the man’, and came with him by night."
وأتى الرجل على عادته، فلما مر بهما قال له: يا سيدي، هو هذا،,"The man came according to his usual custom, and when he passed them Hasan said to his master, ‘Sir, this is he’."
فسمعه الرجل فضرب بيده على فمه، وقال: اسكت أَسْكَتَكَ الله، فخُرِسَ لسانه وذَهَبَ عقله,"The man heard him and struck him on the mouth with his hand saying ‘Be silent, God make thee silent’. Immediately his tongue became tied, and his reason went."
وبقي بالحرم مولهًا يطوف بالليل والنهار من غير وضوء ولا صلاة، والناس يتبركون به ويكسونه،,"So he remained in the Sanctuary, a demented man, making circuits night and day without either ablutions or prayers, while the people looked upon him as a means of blessing and clothed him."
وإذا جاع خرج إلى السوق التي بين الصفا والمروة، فقصد حانوتًا من الحوانيت فيأكل منها ما أحب لا يصده أحد ولا يمنعه، بل يُسَرُّ كل من أَكَلَ له شيئًا وتظهر له البركة والنماء في بيعه وربحه،,"When he felt hungry he went out to the market which is between al-Safa and Marwa, where he would make for one of the booths and eat what he liked from it; nobody would drive him off or hinder him—on the contrary, everyone from whose stock he ate anything was rejoiced, and it procured for that person blessing and increase in his sales and profits."
ومتى أتى السوق تَطَاوَلَ أهلها بأعناقهم إليه، كلٌّ منهم يَحْرِص على أن يأكل مِنْ عنده لِمَا جربوه من بركته،,"Whenever he came into the market, the stall-keepers would crane their necks towards him, on account of the experience they had gained of the blessing which he conferred."
وكذلك فِعْله مع السقائين متى أحب أن يشرب،,He did exactly the same with the watercarriers when he wished to drink.
ولم يَزَلْ دأبه كذلك إلى سنة ثمانٍ وعشرين، فحج فيها الأمير سيف الدين يلملك فاستصحبه معه إلى ديار مصر، فانقطع خبره — نَفَعَ الله تعالى به.,"This continued to be his way of living until the year [seven hundred and] twenty-eight, when the amir Saif al-Din Yalmalak came on pilgrimage and took him back with him to Egypt. From that tune no further news of him was heard—God Most High profit [us] by him!"
"ذكر عادة أهل مكة في صلواتهم ومواضع أئمتهم
فمن عادتهم أن يصلي أول الأئمة إمام الشافعية وهو المُقَدَّم من قبل أولي الأمر،","Custom observed by the Meccans at their prayers, and the positions of their imams. One feature of their usage is that the first of the [four] imams to recite the prayers is the imam of the Shafi’ites, who is the imam appointed by those in authority."
وصلاته خلف المقام الكريم مقام إبراهيم الخليل عليه السلام في حطيم له هنالك بديع،,"He performs his prayers behind the Holy Station, the Station of Ibrahim al-Khalil (upon him be peace), in a special enclosure for him there of admirable construction."
وجمهور الناس بمكة على مذهبه،,The mass of the people in Mecca belong to his rite.
والحطيم خشبتان موصول ما بينهما بأذرع شبه السلم تقابلهما خشبتان على صفتهما، وقد عُقِدَتْ على أرجل مجصصة,"This enclosure is formed by two beams joined by traverses in the shape of a ladder, opposite which are two other beams connected in the same way, all these beams being fixed upon pedestals of plaster."
وعُرِضَ على أعلى الخشب خشبة أخرى فيها خطاطيف حديد يعلق منها قناديل زجاج،,"Across the top of the beams is laid another beam, containing iron hooks upon which are hung glass lamps."
فإذا صلى الإمام الشافعي صلى بعده إمام المالكية في محراب قبالة الركن اليماني، ويصلي إمام الحنبلية معه في وقت واحد مقابلًا ما بين الحجر الأسود والركن اليماني،,"When the Shafi’ite imam has finished his prayer the imam of the Malikites prays after him in an oratory facing the Yamanite angle, and the imam of the Hanbalites prays along with him at the same time [from a position] facing that [part of the wall of the Ka’ba] which is between the Black Stone and the Yamanite angle."
ثم يصلي إمام الحنفية قبال الميزاب المكرم تحت حطيم له هنالك،,"Lastly, the imam of the Hanafites prays facing the sanctified Spout, standing under [an erection similar to that of the Shafi’ite imam, which forms] an enclosure reserved for him at that point."
ويوضع بين أيدي الأئمة في محاريبهم الشمع،,Candles are placed in front of the imams in their respective oratories.
وترتيبهم هكذا في الصلوات الأربع، وأما صلاة المغرب فإنهم يصلونها في وقت واحد كل إمام يصلي بطائفته،,"Their order of praying remains the same for the four services [exclusive of the sunset prayer], but at the sunset prayer they pray all at the same time, each imam leading his own congregation."
ويدخل على الناس من ذلك سهو وتخليط، فربما ركع المالكي بركوع الشافعي، وسجد الحنفي بسجود الحنبلي، وتراهم مصيخين كلُّ واحد إلى صوت المؤذن الذي يسمع طائفته؛ لئلا يدخل عليه السهو.,"In consequence of this the people are invaded by some wandering of attention and confusion; the Malikite [worshipper] often bows in time with the bowing of the Shafi’ite, and the Hanafite prostrates himself at the prostration of the Hanbalite, and you see them listening attentively each oneto the voice of the muezzin who is chanting to the congregation of his rite, so that he does not fall victim to inattention."
ذكر عادتهم في الخطبة وصلاة الجمعة,Their practice in regard to the Khutba and the Friday service.
وعادتهم في يوم الجمعة أن يلصق المنبر المبارك إلى صفح الكعبة الشريفة فيما بين الحجر الأسود والركن العراقي، ويكون الخطيب مستقبلًا المقام الكريم،,"Their practice on Fridays is as follows. The blessed pulpit is set up against the wall of the illustrious Ka’ba in the space between the Black Stone and the ‘Iraqi angle, so that the preacher is facing the holy Station [of Ibrahlm]."
فإذا خرج الخطيب أقبل لابسًا ثوب سواد معتمًّا بعمامة سوداء وعليه طيلسان أسود، كل ذلك من كسوة الملك الناصر، وعليه الوقار والسكينة، وهو يتهادى بين رايتين سوداوين يتمسكهما رجلان من المؤذنين وبين يديه أحد القومة في يده الفرقعة،,"When the preacher comes out, he advances, dressed in a black robe and wearing a black turban and black hood, all of which are the gift of Al-Malik al-Nasir, with gravity and dignity, moving at a deliberate pace between two black standards, held by two of the muezzins, and preceded by one of the chief servitors carrying thefarqa’a."
وهي عود في طرفه جلد رقيق مفتول ينقضه في الهواء، فيُسْمَع له صوتٌ عالٍ يَسْمَعه من بداخل الحرم وخارجه، فيكون إعلامًا بخروج الخطيب،,"This is a rod withu thin twisted cord at the end; the holder nourishes it in the air and there is heard from it a sharp crack, audible to both those who are within the sanctuary and those outside it, which serves as a signal that the preacher has come out."
ولا يزال كذلك إلى أن يقرب من المنبر فيُقَبِّل الحجر الأسود ويدعو عنده،,"He continues to advance thus until he is close to the pulpit, when he [turns aside to] kiss the Black Stone and makes an invocation there."
ثم يقصد المنبر والمؤذن الزمزمي — وهو رئيس المؤذنين — بين يديه لابسًا السواد وعلى عاتقه السيف ممسكًا له بيده.,"Having done so, he moves on towards the pulpit, preceded by the Zamzam muezzin, who is the chief of the muezzins, dressed in black and with the sword across his shoulder and held [only] by his hand."
وتُرْكَز الرايتان عن جانبي المنبر، فإذا صعد أول درج من درج المنبر قلده المؤذن السيف,"The two banners are planted on either side of the pulpit, and as the preacher ascends the first of the pulpit steps the muezzin girds him with the sword."
فيَضْرِب بنصل السيف ضربة في الدرج يُسْمِع بها الحاضرين، ثم يضرب في الدرج الثاني ضربة ثم في الثالث أخرى،,"He then strikes, with the point of the sword, a blow upon the step loud enough to be heard by those present, and subsequently strikes another blow upon the second step and yet another on the third."
فإذا استوى في عليا الدرجات ضَرَبَ ضربة رابعة ووقف داعيًا بدعاء خفيٍّ مستقبل الكعبة، ثم يُقْبِل على الناس فيسلم عن يمينه وشماله,"When he stands erect on the topmost step, he strikes a fourth blow and remains standing as he makes first a private prayer, with face turned to the Ka’ba, and then turns towards the people and gives the word of peace on his right and left."
ويرد عليه الناس ثم يقعد،,"The people return his salutation, and he then sits down."
ويؤذن المؤذنون في أعلى قبة زمزم في حين واحد،,"The muezzins now intone the call to prayer, from the top of the pavilion of Zamzam, in unison."
فإذا فرغ الأذان خطب الخطيب خطبة يكثر بها من الصلاة على النبي ﷺ ويقول في أثنائها: اللهم صلِّ على محمد وعلى آل محمد ما طاف بهذا البيت طائف،,"As soon as the call is completed, the preacher delivers an allocution, full of repeated blessings upon the Prophet (God bless and give him peace), saying, for example: ‘O God, bless Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad so long as one person makes the circuit of this House’"
ويشير بإصبعه إلى البيت الكريم، اللهم صلِّ على محمد وعلى آل محمد ما وَقَفَ بعرفة واقف،,"(and he points with his finger to the Holy House), ‘O God, bless Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad so long as one person makes the stand at ‘Arafa’."
ويَتَرَضَّى عن الخلفاء الأربعة وعن سائر الصحابة وعن عَمَّيِ النبي ﷺ وسبطيه وأمهما وخديجة جدتهما على جميعهم السلام،,"He then prays that God will be well-pleased with the four Caliphs, the other Companions, the two paternal uncles of the Prophet (God bless and give him peace), his two grandsons, their mother [Fatima] and grandmother Khadija (upon all of them be peace)."
ثم يدعو للملك الناصر، ثم للسلطان المجاهد نور الدين علي ابن الملك المؤيد داود ابن الملك المظفر يوسف بن علي بن رسول،,"Next he prays for al-Malik al-Nasir, after him for the Sultan, the Champion of the Faith, Nur al-Din ‘All son of al-Malik al-Mu’ayyad Da’ud son of al-Malik al-Muzaffar Yusuf b. ‘AH b. Rasul,"
ثم يدعو للسيدين الشريفين الحسنيين أميري مكة: سيف الدين عطيفة — وهو أصغر الأخوين ويُقَدِّم اسمه لِعَدْله — وأسد الدين رميثة ابني أبي نمي بن أبي سعد بن علي بن قتادة،,"and after him for the two illustrious Sayyids of the house of al-Hasan, the joint-amirs of Mecca, Saif al-Dm ‘Utaifa (whose name, although he is the younger of the brothers, is put first on account of his fair-dealing) and Asad al-Din Runaitha, sons of Abu Numayy b. Abu Sa’d b. ‘AH b. Qatada."
وقد دعا لسلطان العراق مرة ثم قَطَعَ ذلك،,"He even prayed for the Sultan of al-‘Iraq formerly, but a stop was put to that."
فإذا فرغ من خطبته صلى وانصرف، والرايتان عن يمينه وشماله والفرقعة أمامه إشعارًا بانقضاء الصلاة ثم يعاد المنبر إلى مكانه إزاء المقام الكريم.,"On terminating his khutba, he performs the prayer and withdraws, the two standards being [carried] on his right and left and the farqa’a in front of him, to indicate the conclusion of the service. The pulpit is subsequently moved back to its place opposite the Holy Station."
ذِكْر عادتهم في استهلال الشهور,Their practice at the beginning of the months.
وعادتهم في ذلك أن يأتي أمير مكة في أول يوم من الشهر وقواده يحفون به وهو لابس البياض معتمٌّ متقلد سيفًا وعليه السكينة والوقار، فيصلي عند المقام الكريم ركعتين،,"The ceremony which they observe on these occasions is as follows. The amir of Mecca comes [in state] on the first day of the month, surrounded by his officers and himself dressed in white, turbaned and girt with a sword, a grave and dignified figure, and makes a prayer of two bowings beside the Holy Station."
ثم يُقَبِّل الحجر ويشرع في طواف أسبوع،,He then kisses the [Black] Stone and begins to make a sevenfold circuit.
ورئيس المؤذنين على أعلى قبة زمزم،,"Meanwhile, the leader of the muezzins is standing on top of the pavilion of Zamzam."
فعندما يُكْمل الأمير شوطًا واحدًا ويقصد الحجر لتقبيله يندفع رئيس المؤذنين بالدعاء له والتهنئة بدخول الشهر رافعًا بذلك صوته،,"When the amir completes one turn [round the Ka’ba] and is approaching the Stone to kiss it, the leader of the muezzins breaks out into prayers for o him and congratulations on the entry of the new month, lifting up his voice as he does so."
ثم يَذْكُر شِعْرًا في مدحه ومَدْح سلفه الكريم، ويفعل به هكذا في السبعة أشواط،,"He follows this up by reciting a poem in praise of him and of his noble ancestors, and makes similar invocations and recites similar verses for him on [each of] the seven circuits."
فإذا فرغ منها رَكَعَ عند الملتزم ركعتين ثم رَكَعَ خلف المقام أيضًا ركعتين ثم انصرف،,"The amir, on completing them, makes a prayer of two bowings at the Multazam, then another prayer also of two bowings behind the Station [of Ibrahim], and withdraws."
ومثل هذا سواء يفعل إذا أراد سفرًا وإذا قَدِمَ من سفر أيضًا.,He goes through exactly the same ceremony when he is about to make a journey and on his return from a journey also.
ذكر عادتهم في شهر رجب,Their practice in the month of Rajab.
وإذا هَلَّ هلال رجب أمر أمير مكة بضرب الطبول والبوقات إشعارًا بدخول الشهر،,"When the new moon of Rajab appears, the amir of Mecca orders the drums and trumpets to be sounded, announcing the entry of the month."
ثم يخرج في أول يوم منه راكبًا ومعه أهل مكة فرسانًا ورجالًا على ترتيب عجيب،,"Following this he goes out on the first day of the month, mounted on horseback, and accompanied by the citizens of Mecca, on horse and on foot, in marvellous procession."
وكلهم بالأسلحة يلعبون بين يديه، والفرسان يجولون ويجرون، والرجالة يتواثبون ويرمون بحرابهم إلى الهواء ويلقفونها،,"They all engage in games with their weapons before him—the horsemen wheeling and racing, the footmen attacking one another [in sham fighting] and throwing their javelins in the air and catching them again."
والأمير رميثة والأمير عطيفة معهما أولادهما وقوادهما مثل محمد بن إبراهيم وعلي وأحمد ابني صبيح وعلي بن يوسف وشداد بن عمر وعامر الشرق ومنصور بن عمر وموسى المزرق وغيرهم من كبار أولاد الحسن ووجوه القواد،,"The amir Rumaitha and the amir ‘Utaifa are accompanied by their sons and their officers, such as Muhammad b. Ibrahim, ‘AH and Ahmad sons of Sablh, ‘AH b. Yiisuf, Shaddad b. ‘Omar, ‘Amir al-Shariq, Mansur b. ‘Omar, Musa al-Muzraqq, and others of the principal descendants of al-Hasan and of the chief officers."
وبين أيديهم الرايات والطبول والدبادب وعليهم السكينة والوقار، ويصيرون حتى ينتهوا إلى الميقات،,"Preceding them are the standards, drums, and kettledrums, and they present grave and dignified figures."
ثم يأخذون في الرجوع على معهود ترتيبهم إلى المسجد الحرام،,"They proceed thus until they reach the appointed place, when they begin on the return journey to the Sacred Mosque in their accustomed order."
فيطوف الأمير بالبيت والمؤذن الزمزمي بأعلى قبة زمزم يدعو له عند كل شوط على ما ذكرناه من عادته،,"The amir then makes the circuit of the House, while the muezzin of Zamzam, on the top of the pavilion of Zamzam, prays for him at the end of every circuit, according to the ceremonial observed by him as we have related it above."
فإذا طاف صلى ركعتين عند الملتزم وصلى عند المقام وتَمَسَّحَ به وخرج إلى المسعى فسعى راكبًا والقواد يَحُفُّون به والحرابة بين يديه،,"When he finishes the sevenfold circuit, he makes a prayer of two bowings at the Multazam, prays at the Station and touches it, and goes out to the Mas’a, where he performs the course riding on horseback, with his officers on either side and his guard of spearmen in front of him."
ثم يسير إلى منزله، وهذا اليوم عندهم عيد من الأعياد، ويلبسون فيه أحسن الثياب ويتنافسون في ذلك.,"After this he returns to his residence. This day is regarded by them as one of their great feasts, and on it they dress in their finest garments, outrivalling one another in this respect."
ذكر عمرة رجب,The ‘Umra of Rajab.
وأهل مكة يحتفلون لعمرة رجب الاحتفال الذي لا يُعْهَد مِثْلُه،,The citizens of Mecca celebrate the ‘Umra of Rajab with a solemnity such as is not to be seen elsewhere.
وهي متصلة ليلًا ونهارًا وأوقات الشهر كلها معمورة بالعبادة وخصوصًا أول يوم منه ويوم خمسة عشر والسابع والعشرين، فإنهم يستعدون لها قبل ذلك بأيام،,"It goes on continuously night and day, and the whole space of the month is occupied with devotions, more especially its first, fifteenth, and twenty-seventh days, since they are engaged for some days beforehand in making preparations for these ceremonies."
شاهدتهم في ليلة السابع والعشرين منه وشوارع مكة قد غصت بالهوادج عليها كساء الحرير والكتان الرفيع كل أحد يفعل بقدر استطاعته،,"I witnessed their doings as a participant on the eve of the twenty-seventh of the month. The streets of Mecca were choked with howdahs, covered with cloths of silk and fine linen, everyone making a show to the measure of his means,"
والجِمال مزيَّنة مُقَلَّدة بقلائد الحرير، وأستار الهوادج ضافية تكاد تَمَسُّ الأرض فهي كالقباب المضروبة،,"and the camels were decorated, with silken collars on their necks, and long hangings of the howdahs that all but reached the ground, so that they looked like pitched tents."
ويخرجون إلى ميقات التنعيم فتسيل أباطح مكة بتلك الهوادج،,"The whole gathering then goes out to the appointed place of Tan’im, so that the valleys of Mecca are [as it were] aflood with these howdahs."
والنيران مشعلة بجنبتي الطريق، والشمع والمشاعل أمام الهوادج،,"Fires are lighted on both sides of the road, and candles and torches [carried] in front of the howdahs."
والجبال تجيب بصداها إهلال المُهَلِّلِين، فترق النفوس وتنهمل الدموع،,"The hills answer with their echoes the cries of Labbaika ™ raised by the worshippers, [and the scene so stirs the emotions] that men’s hearts are softened and their eyes flow with tears."
فإذا قضوا العمرة وطافوا بالبيت خرجوا إلى السعي بين الصفا والمروة بعد مضي شيء من الليل،,"On completing the ‘Umra and making the circuit of the Holy House, they go out [of the Sanctuary] to make the course between al-Safa and al-Marwa when about a third of the night is past."
والمسعى متقد السرج، غاصٌّ بالناس، والساعيات في هوادجهن، والمسجد الحرام يتلألأ نورًا،,"The Mas’a is ablaze with lamps and choked with the mass of people and women making the ceremony of the course in their howdahs, and the Sacred Mosque also glows with light."
وهم يُسَمُّون هذه العمرة بالعمرة الأكمية؛ لأنهم يُحْرِمُون بها من أكمةٍ أمام مسجد عائشة رضي الله عنها بمقدار غلوة على مقربة من المسجد المنسوب إلى علي رضي الله عنه.,"The Meccans give to this ‘Umra the name of al-‘Umm al-Akamiya [that is to say, the ‘Umrah of the Eminence] because they commence the rites of pilgrimage on this occasion from an eminence in front of the mosque of’A’isha (God be pleased with her) and at a distance [from it] of a bowshot, close to the mosque called by the name of ‘AH (God be pleased with him)."
والأصل في هذه العمرة أن عبد الله بن الزبير رضي الله عنهما لما فَرَغَ من بناء الكعبة المقدسة خرج ماشيًا حافيًا معتمرًا ومعه أهل مكة،,"The origin of this ceremony goes back to ‘Abdallah b. al-Zubair (God be pleased with him and with his father). When he had completed the building of the sanctified Ka’ba, he went out, walking barefooted, to make an ‘Umra accompanied by the citizens of Mecca."
وذلك في اليوم السابع والعشرين من رجب،,The date was the twenty-seventh day of Rajab.
وانتهى إلى الأكمة فأَحْرَمَ منها وجَعَلَ طريقه على ثنية الحجون إلى المعلى من حيث دَخَلَ المسلمون يوم الفتح،,"He went as far as this eminence, and having begun the rites of pilgrimage from there made his way by the track of al-Hajun to the Ma’la, whence the Muslims entered Mecca on the Day of Conquest."
فبَقِيَتْ تلك العمرة سُنَّة عند أهل مكة إلى هذا العهد،,This ‘Umra has therefore remained a traditional practice among the people of Mecca down to the present day.
وكان يوم عبد الله مذكورًا أهدى فيه بدنًا كثيرة وأهدى أشراف مكة وأهل الاستطاعة منهم وأقاموا أيامًا يطعمون ويطعمون شكرًا لله تعالى على ما وَهَبَهُمْ من التيسير والمعونة في بناء بيته الكريم على الصفة التي كان عليها في أيام الخليل صلوات الله عليه،,"The ‘day of ‘Abdallah’ was celebrated, for he himself provided a large number of animals for sacrifice upon it, and the.chiefs of the Meccan families and other citizens of means did the same, and the people continued for several days to eat and to give to eat, in gratitude to God Most High for the furtherance and help which He had granted to them in building His Holy House exactly as it had been in the days of al-Khalil (the blessings of God be upon him)."
ثم لما قُتِلَ ابن الزبير نَقَضَ الحَجَّاج الكعبة ورَدَّهَا إلى بنائها في عهد قريش،,"But later on, when Ibn alZubair was killed, al-Hajjaj pulled down the Ka’ba and restored it to its plan [as it was] in the time of Quraish."
وكانوا قد اقتصروا في بنائها وأبقاها رسول الله ﷺ على ذلك لحدثان عهدهم بالكفر،,For they had cramped its construction and the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) left it in that condition owing to the recency of their conversion from infidelity.
ثم أراد الخليفة أبو جعفر المنصور أن يُعِيدَها إلى بناء ابن الزبير، فنهاه مالك رحمه الله عن ذلك، وقال: يا أمير المؤمنين لا تَجْعَل البيت ملعبة للملوك متى أراد أحدهم أن يُغَيِّرَه فَعَلَ،,"Subsequently the Caliph Abu Ja’far al-Mansur proposed to restore it to the measurements of Ibn al-Zubair, but Malik (God’s mercy upon him) dissuaded him from this project, saying ‘O Commander of the Faithful, make not the House a plaything for kings, to chop and change as often as any of them wishes to do so’."
فتَرَكَهُ على حاله سدًّا للذريعة، وأهل الجهات الموالية لمكة مثل بجيلة وزهران وغامد يبادرون لحضور عمرة رجب,"So al-Mansur left it as it was, to stay the hand of future generations.
The inhabitants of the districts neighbouring on Mecca, such as the tribes of Bajila, Zahran and Ghamid, are zealous in attending the ‘Umra of Rajab."
ويَجْلِبُون إلى مكة الحبوب والسمن والعسل والزبيب والزيت واللوز، فتَرْخُص الأسعار بمكة ويرغد عيش أهلها وتعمهم المرافق،,"They bring to the city quantities of grain, melted butter, honey, raisins, oil and almonds, with the result that the prices are lowered in Mecca, its citizens enjoy a comfortable life and luxuries are within the reach of all."
ولولا أهل هذه البلاد لكان أهل مكة في شظف من العيش،,"Were it not for the people of these districts, the lot of the Meccans would be hard indeed."
ويُذْكَر أنهم متى أقاموا ببلادهم ولم يأتوا بهذه الميرة أَجْدَبَتْ بلادهم ووَقَعَ الموت في مواشيهم ومتى أوصلوا الميرة أخصبت بلادهم وظَهَرَتْ فيها البركة ونَمَتْ أموالهم،,"It is said that whenever the tribesmen remain in their own countries, without bringing these provisions, their lands are stricken with drought and the murrain breaks out amongst their animals; but when they convey the provisions their lands become fruitful and yield in plenty and their herds increase."
فهم إذا حان وقْت ميرتهم وأَدْرَكَهُم كسل عنها اجتمعت نساؤهم فَأَخْرَجْنَهُمْ،,"Consequently if, when the time comes round for them to transport their provisions, they are overtaken by neglect of it, their women-folk assemble and force them to go out."
وهذا من لَطَائف صُنْع الله تعالى وعنايته ببلده الأمين.,This is one of the favours due to the bounty of God Most High and His solicitude for His sure city.
وبلاد السرو التي يسكنها بجيلة وزهران وغامد وسواهم من القبائل مخصبة كثيرة الأعناب وافرة الغلات،,"The territories of al-Sarw which are inhabited by Bajlla, Zahran, Ghamid, and other tribes, is fertile, producing large quantities of grapes and abundant crops."
وأهلها فصحاء الألسن لهم صِدْق نية وحُسن اعتقاد،,Its inhabitants are eloquent of tongue and [notwithstanding their rude ways] sincere in motive and possessed of genuine religious conviction.
وهم إذا طافوا بالكعبة يتطارحون عليها لائذين بجوارها متعلقين بأستارها داعين بأدعية تتصعد لرقتها القلوب وتدمع العيون الجامدة، فترى الناس حولهم باسطي أيديهم مُؤَمِّنِين على أَدْعِيَتِهِمْ،,"For it is their practice when they make the circuit of the Ka’ba, to throw themselves impetuously upon it, seeking the refuge of its protection, clinging to its coverings and uttering supplications with a touchingness at which the hearts [of all hearers] are riven, and even stony eyes are filled with tears, so that you see those who stand around them stretching out their hands and saying ‘Amen’ to their prayers."
ولا يتمكن لغيرهم الطواف معهم ولا استلام الحجر لتزاحُمِهم على ذلك،,"It is impossible for anyone else to make the circuit along with them, or to touch the Stone, because of the way they jostle one another in the performance of these rites."
وهم شجعان أنجاد ولباسهم الجلود،,"They are brave and strong, and wear garments of skins."
وإذا وردوا مكة هابت أعرابُ الطريق مَقْدِمَهُمْ وتجنبوا اعتراضهم، ومَنْ صَحِبَهُم من الزوار حَمِدَ صُحْبَتَهُمْ،,"When they come up to Mecca the bedouin Arabs on their route stand in fear of their approach and keep out of their way, but those who come on pilgrimage as their fellow-travellers speak highly of their company."
وذُكِرَ أن النبي ﷺ ذَكَرَهُمْ وأثنى عليهم خيرًا، وقال: «علموهم الصلاة يعلموكم الدعاء»،,"It is told that the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) made mention of them and praised them highly, saying: ‘Teach them how to make the ritual of prayer, and they will teach you how to make supplication.’"
وكفاهم شرفًا دخولهم في عموم قوله ﷺ: «الإيمان يمان والحكمة يمانية»،,"But [even were there nothing else] it would be honour enough for them to be included within the general terms of his saying (God bless and give him peace): ‘Faith is of Yaman, and Wisdom is of Yaman.’"
وذُكِرَ أن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما كان يتحرى وَقْت طوافهم ويَدْخُل في جملتهم تبركًا بدعائهم،,"It is related also that ‘Abdallah b. ‘Omar (God be pleased with both) used to choose the time of their making the circuit [as the most propitious] and to join with them, seeking a blessing by their supplications."
وشأنهم عجيب كله، وقد جاء في أثر: زاحِمُوهم في الطواف؛ فإن الرحمة تَنْصَبُّ عليهم صبًّا.,"Everything about them is really extraordinary, and the following saying is reported in a tradition: ‘Compete with them in the circuit, for God’s mercy is poured out upon them with pouring.’"
ذكر عادتهم في ليلة النصف من شعبان,Their practice on the night of mid-Sha’ban.
وهذه الليلة من الليالي المعظمة عند أهل مكة، يبادرون فيها إلى أعمال البر من الطواف والصلاة جماعاتٍ وأفذاذًا والاعتمار،,"This is one of the nights held in veneration by the people of Mecca, in which they zealously betake themselves to pious works, such as making the circuit, praying in groups or singly, and performing the ‘Umra."
ويجتمعون في المسجد الحرام جماعات لكل جماعة إمام، ويوقدون السُّرُج والمصابيح والمشاعل ويقابل ذلك ضوء القمر يتلألأ الأرض والسماء نورًا،,"They assemble in the Sacred Mosque in groups, each group with an imam, and light lamps, small and large, and torches; the beams of the moon forming a counterpart to this, earth and heaven alike aglow with light."
ويُصَلُّون مائة ركعة يقرءون في كل ركعة بأم القرآن وسورة الإخلاص يكررونهما عشرًا،,"They make a prayer of a hundred bowings, reciting at each bowing the Mother-chapter and the Chapter of Assertion of the Unity, repeating them over ten times each."
وبعض الناس يُصَلُّون في الحجر منفردين، وبعضهم يطوفون بالبيت الشريف، وبعضهم قد خرجوا للاعتمار.,"Some persons pray individually in the Hijr, some make the circuit of the illustrious House, while others have previously gone out to perform the ‘Umra."
ذِكْر عادتهم في شهر رمضان المعظم,Their practice in the month of Ramadan the Exalted.
وإذا أهل هلال رمضان تُضْرَب الطبول والدبادب عند أمير مكة، ويقع الاحتفال بالمسجد الحرام من تجديد الحصر وتكثير الشمع والمشاعل حتى يتلألأ الحرم نورًا ويسطع بهجةً وإشراقًا،,"When the new moon of Ramadan appears, the drums and kettledrums are beaten at the house of the amir of Mecca, and great preparations are made in the Sacred Mosque by way of renewing the mats and augmenting the number of candles and torches, until the Sanctuary gleams with light and glows, radiant and resplendent."
وتَتَفَرَّق الأئمة فرقًا وهم الشافعية والحنفية والحنبلية والزيدية، وأما المالكية فيجتمعون على أربعة من القراء يتناوبون القراءة ويوقدون الشمع،,"The imams form separate groups [each with the followers of his own rite], that is to say, the Shafi’is, Hanafls, Hanbalis, and Zaidis; as for the Malikis, they collect round four reciters, who take it in turn to recite the Qur’an, and light candles."
ولا تبقى في الحرم زاوية ولا ناحية إلا وفيها قارئ يصلي بجماعته، فيرتجُّ المسجد لأصوات القراء وترق النفوس وتحضر القلوب وتهمل الأعين،,"There is not a corner or spot left in the Sanctuary but it is occupied by some Qur’anreciter leading a group in prayer, so that the mosque is filled with a babel of readers’ voices, and all spirits are softened, all hearts wrung, and all eyes bathed in tears."
ومن الناس من يقتصر على الطواف والصلاة في الحجر منفردًا، والشافعية أكثر الأئمة اجتهادًا،,"Some persons, however, restrict themselves to making the circuit and to solitary prayer in the Hijr. The Shafi’is are the most zealous of the imams in their devotional exercises."
وعاداتهم أنهم إذا أكملوا التراويح المعتادة — وهي عشرون ركعة — يطوف إمامهم وجماعته،,"It is their practice that, after completing the customary night-prayers, of twenty bowings, their imam makes the circuit of the Ka’ba together with his congregation."
فإذا فرغ من الأسبوع ضُرِبَت الفرقعة التي ذَكَرْنا أنها تكون بين يدي الخطيب يوم الجمعة،,"At the end of the sevenfold circuit, thefarqa’a—the object which we have mentioned as being carried before the preacher on Fridays —is sounded."
كأن ذلك إعلامًا بالعودة إلى الصلاة، ثم يصلي ركعتين ثم يطوف أسبوعًا، هكذا إلى أن يُتِمَّ عشرين ركعة أخرى، ثم يصلون الشفع والوتر وينصرفون،,"This is a signal to resume the prayers. The imam then performs a prayer of two bowings and after that makes a sevenfold circuit, and so on until he completes twenty additional bowings [with his congregation], when they pray the ‘even’ and the ‘odd’ and disperse."
وسائر الأئمة لا يزيدون على العادة شيئًا،,The rest of the imams make no addition whatever to the customary [prayers].
وإذا كان وقْت السحور يتولى المؤذن الزمزمي التسحير في الصومعة التي بالركن الشرقي من الحرم،,When the time conies for taking the last meal before dawn the muezzin of Zamzam has the duty of announcing its hour from the minaret which is at the eastern angle of the Sanctuary.
فيقوم داعيًا ومذكرًا ومحرضًا على السحور، والمؤذنون في سائر الصوامع، فإذا تكلم أحد منهم أجابه صاحبه،,"He takes up the call, summoning, reminding, and urging [all men] to make their early repast, followed by the muezzins on the remaining minarets [in a kind of chant]; when one of them recites, his neighbour responds to him."
وقد نُصِبَتْ في أعلى كل صومعة خشبة على رأسها عود معترض قد عُلِّقَ فيه قنديلان من الزجاج كبيران يقدان،,"There is also erected on the top of each minaret a post with a crosspiece at its head, on which are suspended two great glass lanterns."
فإذا قَرُبَ الفجر ووَقَعَ الإيذان بالقطع مرة بعد مرة حط القنديلان وابتدأ المؤذنون بالأذان، وأجاب بعضهم بعضًا.,"These are kept alight [during the hour of the sahur], and when the hour of dawn approaches and the warning to cease from eating has been issued time after time, the two lanterns are lowered, and the muezzins begin the call to prayer, responding one to the other."
ولديار مكة — شَرَّفَها الله — سطوح، فمن بَعُدَتْ داره بحيث لا يسمع الأذان يُبْصِر القنديلين المذكورين فيتسحر، حتى إذا لم يُبْصِرْهما أَقْلَعَ عن الأكل،,"The houses of Mecca (God ennoble her) have terraced roofs, so that those whose houses are at such a distance that they cannot hear the call to prayer are able to see these two lanterns, and may continue to make their meal until, on seeing them no longer, they cease from eating."
وفي كل ليلة وتر من ليالي العشر الأواخر من رمضان يختمون القرآن،,In every odd night of the last ten nights of Ramadan they ‘seal’ the Qur’an.
ويحضر الختم القاضي والفقهاء والكبراء، ويكون الذي يختم بهم أحد أبناء كبراء أهل مكة،,"The ceremony is attended by the qadi, the scholars and the notables, and the person who reads the last portion to them is one of the sons of the notables of Mecca."
فإذا ختم نُصِبَ له منبر مُزَيَّن بالحرير وأُوْقِد الشمع وخَطَبَ،,"When he ends the reading, a rostrum is put up for him, adorned with silk, candles are lit, and he delivers an address."
فإذا فرغ من خطبته استدعى أبوه الناس إلى منزله فأطعمهم الأطعمة الكثيرة والحلاوات،,"At the conclusion of his address, his father invites those present to his house, where he entertains them with a great variety of viands and sweetmeats."
وكذلك يصنعون في جميع ليالي الوتر، وأعظم تلك الليالي عندهم ليلة سبع وعشرين، واحتفالهم لها أعظم من احتفالهم لسائر الليالي،,"This they do on the eves of all the odd days [in the last decade of the month], but the most solemn of these nights with them is the eve of the twenty-seventh, and their celebration of it is more elaborate than their celebration of the other nights."
ويختم بها القرآن العظيم خلف المقام الكريم، وتقام إزاء حطيم الشافعية خشب عظام توصل بالحطيم,"The Glorious Qur’an is ‘sealed’ on this occasion behind the holy Station [of Abraham] and opposite the enclosure of the Shafi’ites there is put up [a stand, formed of] large wooden beams, extending [across the breadth of the Sanctuary] as far as this enclosure."
وتُعْرَض بينها ألواح طوال وتُجْعَل ثلاث طبقات,"[Strong wooden traverses are attached to the beams] and long planks are laid between them [on these traverses], the whole forming three stories."
وعليها الشمع وقنديل الزجاج، فيكاد يغشي الأبصار شعاع الأنوار،,"On these are placed candles [on the upper story] and glass lanterns [on the two lower stories], so that the dazzling rays of the lights all but blind the eyes."
ويتقدم الإمام فيصلي فريضة العشاء الآخرة، ثم يبتدئ قراءة سورة القدر وإليها يكون انتهاء قراءة الأئمة في الليلة التي قبلها،,"The imam then comes forward and performs the prescribed last prayer for the evening. After this he begins to recite the Chapter of Destiny, this being the chapter to which the recital of the imams would have reached in the previous night."
وفي تلك الساعة يمسك جميع الأئمة عن التراويح تعظيمًا لختمة المقام ويحضرونها متبركين،,"At that moment all the imams interrupt their night-prayers, in respect for the ‘sealing of the Station’, and themselves attend it to profit by the blessing."
فيختم الإمام في تسليمتين، ثم يقوم خطيبًا مستقبل المقام، فإذا فَرَغَ من ذلك عاد الأئمة إلى صلاتهم، وانفض الجمع،,"The imam completes the recitation [by reciting the last suras] in the course of four bowings and after doing so stands up to deliver an address, with his face towards the Station. When he concludes the address, the imams return to their night-prayers, and the assembly disperses."
ثم يكون الختم ليلة تسع وعشرين في المقام المالكي في منظر مختصر، وعن المباهاة مُنَزَّه موقَّر، فيختم ويخطب.,"Finally there is the ‘Sealing’ on the eve of the twenty-ninth, [which takes place] in the Malikite oratory, with a modest show. The Qur’an is sealed and an address is delivered, [nothing more]."
ذكر عادتهم في شوال,Their practice in Shawwdl.
وعادتهم في شَوَّال وهو مفتتح أشهر الحج المعلومات أن يوقدوا المشاعل ليلة استهلاله ويسرجون المصابيح والشمع على نحو فِعْلهم في ليلة سبع وعشرين من رمضان،,"It is their practice in Shawwal, being the initial month of the [four] ‘recognized’ months of the Pilgrimage, to kindle torches on the night of its new moon, and to light lamps and candles [in the Sanctuary] much as they do on the eve of the twenty-seventh of Ramadan."
وتوقد السرج في الصوامع من جميع جهاتها، ويوقد سطح الحرم كله، وسطح المسجد الذي بأعلى أبي قبيس،,"Lamps are lit also on the minarets, on all sides of them, and both the entire roof of the Sanctuary and the roof of the mosque which is on top of Abu Qubais are illuminated."
ويقيم المؤذنون ليلتهم تلك في تهليل وتكبير وتسبيح، والناس ما بين طواف وصلاة وذِكْر ودعاء،,"The muezzins spend the whole of that night in reciting formulas of praise to God, while the people are variously engaged in making the circuit, praying, reciting hymns of praise, or making supplications."
فإذا صلوا صلاة الصبح أخذوا في أهبة العيد ولبسوا أحسن ثيابهم وبادَرُوا لأخذ مجالسهم بالحرم الشريف به يصلون صلاة العيد؛ لأنه لا موضع أفضل منه،,"When they have performed the dawn prayer, they set about making preparations for the Feast, dress in their finest clothes, and hasten to take their places [for prayers] in the illustrious Sanctuary. It is there that they perform the festival prayer, for there is no place more excellent than it."
ويكون أول من يُبَكِّر إلى المسجد الشيبيون فيفتحون باب الكعبة المقدسة ويقعد كبيرهم في عتبتها وسائرهم بين يديه إلى أن يأتي أمير مكة,"The members of the Shaiba family are the first to reach the mosque in the morning, when they open the door of the sanctified Ka’ba and their chief remains sitting on its threshold, with the other members standing before him, until the amir of Mecca arrives."
فيتلقونه ويطوف بالبيت أسبوعًا، والمؤذن الزمزمي فوق سطح قبة زمزم على العادة رافعًا صوته بالثناء عليه والدعاء له ولأخيه كما ذُكر،,"They go forward to receive him, and he makes a sevenfold circuit of the House, while the muezzin of Zamzam stands on the roof of the Zamzam pavilion as usual, raising his voice in panegyrics of him and prayers for him and for his brother, as has already been described."
ثم يأتي الخطيب بين الرايتين السوداوين والفرقعة أمامه وهو لابس السواد فيصلي خلف المقام الكريم ثم يصعد المنبر ويخطب خطبة بليغة،,"Then the preacher advances between two black banners, preceded by the farqa’a, and himself dressed in black. He performs the prayer behind the holy Station, then ascends the mimbar and delivers an eloquent allocution."
ثم إذا فرغ منها أقبل الناس بعضهم على بعض بالسلام والمصافحة والاستغفار، ويقصدون الكعبة الشريفة فيدخلونها أفواجًا،,"Then, when he concludes it, the people turn to one another with greetings, handclasps, and prayers for the forgiveness of sins, approach the illustrious Ka’ba, and enter it in troops."
ثم يخرجون إلى مقبرة باب المعلى؛ تبركًا بمن فيها من الصحابة وصدور السلف، ثم ينصرفون.,"Subsequently, they go out to the cemetery at the Ma’la gate, to obtain blessing through [the visitation] of those who rest in it of the Companions and eminent men of the early generations of Islam, after which they disperse."
ذكر إحرام الكعبة,The Sacralization of the Ka’ba.
وفي اليوم السابع والعشرين من شهر ذي القعدة تشمر أستار الكعبة الشريفة — زادها الله تعظيمًا — إلى نحو ارتفاع قامة ونصف من جهاتها الأربع؛ صونًا لها من الأيدي أن تنتهبها،,"On the twenty-seventh day of Dhu’l-Qa’da, the curtains of the illustrious Ka’ba (God increase it in veneration) are girt up to the height of about nine feet on all four sides, in order to protect them from men’s hands, lest they should appropriate them."
ويسمون ذلك إحرام الكعبة، وهو يوم مشهود بالحرم الشريف،,"They call this ceremony ‘the sacralization of the Ka’ba’, and it is a day on which there is a large concourse in the illustrious Sanctuary."
ولا تُفْتَح الكعبة المقدسة من ذلك اليوم حتى تنقضي الوقفة بعرفة.,The sanctified Ka’ba is not opened again from that day until the Standing at ‘Arafa is accomplished.
ذكر شعائر الحج وأعماله,The rites and acts of the Pilgrimage.
وإذا كان في أول يوم شهر ذي الحجة تُضْرَب الطبول والدبادب في أوقات الصلوات بكرة وعشية إشعارًا بالموسم المبارك، ولا تزال كذلك إلى يوم الصعود إلى عرفات،,"On the first day of the month of Dhu’l-Hijja the drums and kettledrums are sounded at the hours of prayer and in the morning and evening, to mark the blessed festival season, and they continued to be so sounded until the day of the ascent to ‘Arafat."
فإذا كان اليوم السابع من ذي الحجة خطب الخطيب إثر صلاة الظهر خطبة بليغة يُعَلِّم الناس فيها مناسكهم ويُعْلِمُهم بيوم الوقفة،,"On the seventh of Dhul-Hijja the preacher, after the noon prayer, delivers an eloquent address, in which he instructs the people in the ceremonies which they are to perform and gives them notice of the day of the Standing [at ‘ArafaJ."
فإذا كان اليوم الثامن بَكَّرَ الناس بالصعود إلى منًى،,"On the eighth day, the people set out early on the ascent to Mina."
وأمراء مصر والشام والعراق وأهل العلم يبيتون تلك الليلة بمنًى، وتقع المباهاة والمفاخرة بين أهل مصر والشام والعراق في إيقاد الشمع، ولكن الفضل في ذلك لأهل الشام دائمًا،,"The amirs from Egypt, Syria and al-‘Iraq and the learned spend that night at Mina, and there is a contest of ostentation and magnificence between the Egyptian, Syrian, and ‘Iraqi contingents by the lighting of candles, but the palm for this always goes to the Syrians."
فإذا كان اليوم التاسع رحلوا من منًى بعد صلاة الصبح إلى عرفة، فيمرون في طريقهم بوادي محسر، ويهرولون وذلك سُنَّة،,"On the ninth day they start out from Mina for ‘Arafa after the dawn prayer, and on their way pass through [a ravine called] Wadi Muhassir, where they quicken their pace, that being a sunna."
ووادي محسر هو الحد ما بين مزدلفة ومنًى،,Wadi Muhassir is the boundary between Muzdalifa and Mina.
ومزدلفة بسيط من الأرض فسيح بين جبلين وحولها مصانع وصهاريج للماء مما بنته زبيدة ابنة جعفر بن أبي جعفر المنصور زوجة أمير المؤمنين هارون الرشيد،,"Muzdalifa is a wide flat piece of ground j between two mountains, and surrounded by covered cisterns and water tanks which form part of those constructed by Zubaida, daughter of Ja’far b. Abu Ja’far al-Mansur, and wife of the Commander of the Faithful Harun al-Rashid."
وبين منًى وعرفة خمسة أميال، وكذلك بين منًى ومكة أيضًا خمسة أميال،,"From Mina to ‘Arafa is five miles, and so also from Mina to Mecca is five miles."
ولعرفة ثلاثة أسماء وهي: عرفة، وجمع، والمشعر الحرام،,"‘Arafa has three names: ‘Arafa, Jam’, and al-Mash’ar al-Haram."
وعرفات بسيط من الأرض فسيح أفيح تحدق به جبال كثيرة، وفي آخر بسيط عرفات جبل الرحمة،,"‘Arafa is a wide and ample plain, surrounded by numerous mountains, and at the far end of the plain of ‘Arafat is the Hill of Mercy."
وفيه الموقف وفيما حوله والعلمان قبله بنحو ميل وهما الحد ما بين الحل والحرم،,"It is on this and the area around it that the Standing is made. The two pillars are passed about a mile before reaching it, and mark the boundary between sacred and profane territory."
وبمقربة منهما مما يلي عرفة بطن عرنة الذي أَمَرَ النبي ﷺ بالارتفاع عنه,"Close by them is the Bottom of ‘Urana, the place beyond which, according to the instructions of the Prophet (God bless and give him peace), pilgrims must proceed."
ويجب التحفظ منه، ويجب أيضًا الإمساك عن النفور حتى يتمكن سقوط الشمس، فإن الجَمَّالين ربما استحثوا كثيرًا من الناس وحَذَّرُوهم الزحام في النفر واستدرجوهم إلى أن يصلوا بهم بطن عرنة فيَبْطُل حِجُّهم.,"One must be careful about this, and one must also refrain from the ‘rushing down’ until the disappearance of the sun behind the horizon is complete, because the camel-drivers frequently try to urge a number of people [to get away early], and by putting them in fear of the jostling during the rush beguile them on until they bring them into the Bottom of ‘Urana, and so their pilgrimage is nullified."
وجبل الرحمة الذي ذكرناه قائم في وسط بسيط جمع منقطع عن الجبال، وهو من حجارة منقطع بعضها عن بعض،,"The Hill of Mercy, of which we have spoken, stands in the middle of the plain of Jam’, isolated from the [surrounding] mountains, and consists of detached boulders."
وفي أعلاه قبة تُنْسَب إلى أم سلمة رضي الله عنها، وفي وسطها مسجد يتزاحم الناس للصلاة فيه،,"On top of it is a dome attributed to Umm Salama (God be pleased with her), and in the centre of this is a mosque, to pray in which there is great competition amongst the pilgrims."
وحوله سطح فسيح يُشْرِف على بسيط عرفات،,"Encircling the mosque is a wide terrace, which overlooks the plain of ‘Arafat."
وفي قبليه جدار فيه محاريب منصوبة يصلي فيه الناس،,On its qibla side is a wall in which several mihrdbs have been constructed; the pilgrims perform a prayer in these.
وفي أسفل هذا الجبل عن يسار المستقبل للكعبة دار عتيقة البناء تُنْسَب إلى آدم عليه السلام،,"At the foot of this hill, to the left of one who faces the Ka’ba, is a building of ancient construction, attributed to Adam (upon him be peace)."
وعن يسارها الصخرات التي كان موقف النبي ﷺ عندها، وحول ذلك صهاريج وجباب للماء،,"To the left of it again are the rocks beside which was the alighting place of the Prophet (God bless and give him peace), and round about this spot are basins and wells for holding water."
وبمقربة منه الموضع الذي يقف فيه الإمام ويخطب ويجمع بين الظهر والعصر،,Nearby is the place in which the imam halts and preaches and combines the noon and afternoon prayers [before the beginning of the ‘Standing’].
وعن يسار العلمين للمستقبل أيضًا وادي الأراك وبه أراك أخضر يمتد في الأرض امتدادًا طويلًا،,"To the left of the two pillars, still as one faces [the Ka’baJ is Wadi’ -Arak, in which there are green arak bushes extending over the ground for a great distance."
وإذا حان وقت النفر أشار الإمام المالكي بيده ونزل عن موقفه,"When the time comes for the rush, the Malikite imam signals with his hand and descends from his place."
فدفع الناسَ بالنفر دفعة ترتج لها الأرض وترجف الجبال،,At once the multitude thrusts forward in the rush with a single surge at which the earth shakes and the hills tremble.
فيا له موقفًا كريمًا ومشهدًا عظيمًا ترجو النفوس حُسْن عقباه، وتطمح الآمال إلى نفحات رحماه، جَعَلَنا الله ممن خصه فيه برضاه،,"O holy station and exalted place of visitation, to gain whose happy issue is all souls’ desire, towards the effusions of whose mercy all men’s hopes aspire, God grant we be of those whom He singles out there with His approbation."
وكانت وقفتي الأولى يوم الخميس سنة ست وعشرين وأمير الركب المصري يومئذ أرغون الدوادار نائب الملك الناصر.,"The date of my first ‘Standing’ [at ‘Arafa] was a Thursday, in the year [seven hundred and] twenty-six, the commander of the Egyptian caravan at that time being Arghun the dawadar, the lieutenant of al-Malik al-Nasir."
وحجَّتْ في تلك السنة ابنة الملك الناصر وهي زوجة أبي بكر بن أرغون المذكور، وحجَّتْ فيها زوجة الملك الناصر المسماة بالخوندة،,"In the same year, the daughter of al-Malik al-Nasir, wife of this Arghun’s son Abu Bakr, came on pilgrimage, and likewise the wife of al-Malik al-Nasir, called al-Khunda,"
وهي بنت السلطان المعظم محمد أوزبك ملك السرا وخوارزم وأمير الركب الشامي سيف الدين الجوبان،,"she being the daughter of the exalted Sultan Muhammad Uzbak, king of al-Sara and Khawarazm. The commander of the Syrian oo caravan was Saif al-Din al-Juban."
ولما وَقَعَ النفر بعد غروب الشمس وصلنا مزدلفة عند العشاء الآخرة، فصلَّيْنا بها المغرب والعشاء جمعًا بينهما حسبما جَرَتْ سنة رسول الله ﷺ،,"When the rush took place after sunset, we reached Muzdalifa at the time of the last night prayer, and performed there the sunset and night prayers combined, in accordance with the sunna of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)."
ولما صَلَّيْنا الصبح بمزدلفة غَدَوْنَا منها إلى منًى بعد الوقوف والدعاء بالمشعر الحرام،,"When we had performed the dawn prayer at Muzdalifa, we went on next morning to Mina, after the ‘halt’ and supplication made at al-Mash’ar al-Haram."
ومزدلفة كلها موقف إلا وادي محسر، ففيه تقع الهرولة حتى يخرج عنه،,"The whole of Muzdalifa is a place of halting, except WadI Muhassir, for in the latter the pilgrims observe the ‘quickening of the pace’ until they emerge from it."
ومن مزدلفة يستصحب أكثر الناس حصيات الجمار وذلك مستحب، ومنهم من يلقطها حول مسجد الخيف والأمر في ذلك واسع،,"From Muzdalifa the majority of the pilgrims [collect and] carry with them the pebbles for the stoning, and this is indeed recommended, but there are some who pick them up around the Mosque of al-Khaif. The usage in this respect is wide."
ولما انتهى الناس إلى منًى بادَروا لرمي جمرة العقبة، ثم نحروا وذبحوا،,"When the pilgrims arrived at length at Mina, they went at once to [perform the rite of] the throwing of the stones at the ‘Pillar of the Defile’, which done they offered up their sacrifices of camels or sheep."
ثم حلقوا وحلُّوا من كل شيء إلا النساء والطيب حتى يطوفوا طواف الإفاضة،,Thereafter they shaved their heads and became free of all things except women and perfume [from which they are bound to abstain] until they perform the ‘circuit of the outpouring’.
ورمي هذه الجمرة عند طلوع الشمس من يوم النحر، ولما رموها تَوَجَّه أكثر الناس بعد أن ذبحوا وحلقوا إلى طواف الإفاضة، ومنهم من أقام إلى اليوم الثاني،,"The stoning of this pillar is done at sunrise on the Day of Sacrifice. When they had thrown their stones at it, the majority of the pilgrims, after slaughtering [their animals] and shaving their heads, proceeded to [Mecca to execute] the ‘circuit of the outpouring’, but there were some who stayed [at Mina] till the following day."
وفي اليوم الثاني رمى الناس عند زوال الشمس بالجمرة الأولى سبع حصيات، وبالوسطى كذلك، ووقفوا للدعاء بهاتين الجمرتين اقتداء بفعل رسول الله ﷺ،,"On the second day of the Festival the pilgrims [having returned to Mina the previous evening] threw at the hour of declension of the sun seven pebbles at the ‘First Pillar’ and a like number at the ‘Middle Pillar’ [and the Pillar of the Defile], and stood for a moment to make an invocation at these two pillars [but not at the third], following the example set by the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)."
ولما كان اليوم الثالث تَعَجَّلَ الناس الانحدار إلى مكة شَرَّفَها الله بعد أن كَمُلَ لهم رَمْي تسع وأربعين حصاة، وكثير منهم أقام اليوم الثالث بعد يوم النحر حتى رمى سبعين حصاة.,"On the third day the people made haste to go down to Mecca (God ennoble her), after [throwing seven pebbles at each of the pillars again and thus] having completed the throwing of forty-nine stones, but many of them remained during the third day after the Day of Sacrifice until they had thrown seventy stones."
ذكر كسوة الكعبة,The curtain of the Ka’ba.
وفي يوم النحر بُعِثَتْ كسوة الكعبة الشريفة من الركب المصري إلى البيت الكريم فوُضِعَتْ في سطحه،,On the Day of Sacrifice the [new] curtain of the illustrious Ka’ba is conveyed from the [headoa quarters of the] Egyptian caravan to the Holy House and laid on its roof.
فلما كان اليوم الثالث بعد يوم النحر أخذ الشيبيون في إسبالها على الكعبة الشريفة،,"Then, on the third day after the Day of Sacrifice, the Shaibis set about draping it over the illustrious Ka’ba."
وهي كسوة سوداء حالكة من الحرير مبطنة بالكتان وفي أعلاها طراز مكتوب فيه بالبياض: جَعَلَ اللهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ قِيَامًا … الآية،,"It is a jet-black covering of silk lined with linen, and at the top end of it is an embroidered band on which is written in white [lettering]: God hath established the Ka’ba, the Sacred House, to be a Station and so on, to the end of the verse."
وفي سائر جهاتها طرز مكتوب بالبياض فيها آيات من القرآن، وعليها نور لائح مُشْرِق من سوادها،,"On all sides of it are embroidered bands having verses of the Qur’an inscribed upon them in white, with a glistening radiance which glows out against the black background of the curtain."
ولما كُسِيَتْ شُمِّرَتْ أذيالها صونًا من أيدي الناس،,"When it has been adjusted, its ends are looped up, as a protection against mens’ hands."
والملك الناصر هو الذي يتولى كسوة الكعبة الكريمة ويبعث مرتبات القاضي والخطيب والأئمة والمؤذنين والفراشين والقومة وما يَحتاج له الحرم الشريف من الشمع والزيت في كل سنة،,"Al-Malik al-Nasir is [the ruler] who has the charge of providing the curtain of the Ka’ba, he also sends the emoluments of the qadi, preacher, imams, muezzins, mosque-servitors and overseers, and all the requirements of the illustrious Sanctuary in candles and oil every year."
وفي هذه الأيام تُفْتَح الكعبة الشريفة في كل يوم للعراقيين والخراسانيين وسواهم ممن يصل مع الركب العراقي،,"During this period the illustrious Ka’ba is open every day for the benefit of the ‘Iraqis, Khurasanis, and others who come with the ‘Iraqi caravan, while they continue to stay at Mecca for four days after the departure of the Syrian and Egyptian caravans."
وهم يقيمون بمكة بعد سفر الركبين الشامي والمصري أربعة أيام، فيُكْثِرون فيها الصدقات على المجاورين وغيرهم، ولقد شاهَدْتُهُم يطوفون بالحرم ليلًا، فمن لقوه في الحرم من المجاورين أو المكيين أَعْطَوْه الفضة والثياب، وكذلك يعطون للمشاهدين الكعبة الشريفة،,"Meanwhile they make lavish distribution of amis to the sojourners and others; I have indeed seen them going round the Sanctuary by night and making gifts of silver and cloth to all the sojourners or Meccans whom they found in the Sanctuary, and giving likewise to those who were engaged in contemplation of the illustrious Ka’ba."
وربما وجدوا إنسانًا نائمًا، فجعلوا في فيه الذهب والفضة حتى يفيق،,Often they find a man sleeping and then they put gold or silver in his mouth until he awakes.
ولما قدمت معهم من العراق سنة ثمانٍ وعشرين فعلوا من ذلك كثيرًا وأكثروا الصدقة حتى رخص سوم الذهب بمكة وانتهى صَرْف المثقال إلى ثمانية عشر درهمًا نقرة لكثرة ما تصدقوا به من الذهب،,"When I came [to Mecca] with them from al-lraq in the year twenty-eight, they did a great deal of this, and were so lavish with their alms that the price of gold depreciated in Mecca, and the exchange of the mithqal rose to eighteen dirhams nuqra on account of the quantity of gold which they distributed in charity."
وفي هذه السنة ذُكِرَ اسم السلطان أبي سعيد ملك العراق على المنبر وقبة زمزم.,"In that same year the name of the Sultan Abu Sa’id, king of al-‘Iraq, was mentioned from the pulpit and the pavilion of Zamzam."
ذكر الانفصال عن مكة شرفها الله تعالى,From Mecca to Kufa The departure from Mecca (God Most High ennoble her).
وفي الموفي عشرين لذي الحجة خَرَجْتُ من مكة صحبة أمير ركب العراق البهلوان محمد الحويح — بحاءين مهملين — وهو من أهل الموصل، وكان يلي إمارة الحاج بعد موت الشيخ شهاب الدين قلندر،,"On the twentieth day precisely of Dhu’l-Hijja I went out of Mecca in company with the commander of the caravan of al-‘Iraq, the Pehlewan Muhammad al-Hawih, a man of al-Mawsil, who occupied the office of commander of the pilgrims after the death of Shaikh Shihab al-Din Qalandar."
وكان شهاب الدين سخيًّا فاضلًا عظيم الحرمة عند سلطانه يَحْلِق لحيته وحاجبيه على طريقة القلندرية،,"Shihab al-Din was an open-handed and worthy man, who was held in high honour by his sultan, and used to shave his beard and eyebrows after the fashion of the Qalandaris."
ولما خرجْتُ من مكة شرفها الله تعالى في صحبة الأمير البهلوان المذكور اكترى لي شقة محارة إلى بغداد ودفع إجارتها من ماله وأنزلني في جواره،,"When I left Mecca (God Most High ennoble her) in company with the above-mentioned amir Pehlewan, he hired for me the half of a double litter as far as Baghdad, paying its cost from his own purse, and took me under his protection."
وخرجنا بعد طواف الوداع إلى بطن مر في جَمْع من العراقيين والخراسانيين والفارسيين والأعاجم لا يحصى عديدهم تموج بهم الأرض موجًا، ويسيرون سير السحاب المتراكم،,"We went out to the Bottom of Marr, after performing the Farewell Circuit with a host of men of al-‘Iraq, Khurasan, Fars and other eastern lands, of uncountable multitude, [so many that] the earth surged with them [as the sea surges] with dashing waves and their advance was like the march of high-piled clouds."
فمن خَرَجَ عن الركب لحاجة، ولم تكن له علامة يستدل بها على موضع ضَلَّ عنه لكثرة الناس،,Anyone who left the caravan for a natural want and had no mark by which to guide himself to his place could not find it again for the vast number of people.
وفي هذا الركب نواضح كثيرة لأبناء السبيل يستقون منها الماء، وجِمال لرفع الزاد للصدقة ورفع الأدوية والأشربة والسكر لمن يصيبه مرض،,"Included in this caravan were many water-carrying camels for the poorer pilgrims, who could obtain drinking water from them, and other camels to carry provisions [for issue] as alms and to carry medicines, potions and sugar for those who should be attacked by illness."
وإذا نزل الركب طُبِخَ الطعام في قدور نحاس عظيمة تسمى الدسوت وأُطْعِم منها أبناء السبيل ومن لا زاد معه،,"Whenever the caravan halted food was FROM MECCA TO KUFA cooked in great brass cauldrons, called dasts* and supplied from them to the poorer pilgrims and those who had no provisions."
وفي الركب جملة من الجِمال يُحْمَل عليها مَنْ لا قدرة له على المشي، كل ذلك من صدقات السلطان أبي سعيد ومكارمه.,With the caravan also was a number of [spare] camels for the carriage of those who were unable to walk.All of this was due to the benefactions and generosity of the Sultan Abu Sa’id.
قال ابن جزي: كرم الله هذه الكنية الشريفة، فما أعجب أمرها في الكرم وحسبك بمولانا بحر المكارم ورافع رايات الجود الذي هو آية في الندى والفضل أمير المسلمين أبي سعيد ابن مولانا قامع الكفار والآخذ للإسلام بالثأر أمير المسلمين أبي يوسف قدس الله أرواحهم الكريمة وأبقى الملك في عقبهم الطاهر إلى يوم الدين (رجع)،,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: May God give honour to this illustrious appellation, for how admirable is its record of liberality! It is enough to mention only our lord, the ocean of bounties and uplifter of the standards of munificence, who was an exemplar of generosity and virtue, the Commander of the Muslims, Abu Sa’id, son of our lord, the smiter of the infidels and avenger of Islam, the Commander of the Muslims Abu Yiisuf, God sanctify their noble souls and preserve the kingship in their pure posterity to the Day of Judgment!
(Resumes)."
وفي هذا الركب الأسواق الحافلة والمرافق العظيمة وأنواع الأطعمة والفواكه،,This caravan contained also animated bazaars and great supplies of luxuries and all kinds of food and fruit.
وهم يسيرون بالليل ويوقدون المشاعل أمام القطار والمحارات فترى الأرض تتلألأ نورًا والليل قد عاد نهارًا ساطعًا،,"They used to march during the night and light torches in front of the file of camels and litters, so that you saw the countryside gleaming with light and the darkness turned into radiant day."
ثم رحلنا من بطن مر إلى عسفان ثم إلى خليص، ثم رحلنا أربع مراحل ونزلنا وادي السمك، ثم رحلنا خمسًا ونزلنا في بدر،,"We then set out from the Bottom of Marr to ‘Usfan, and thence to Khulais, after which we made a march of four stages and encamped in Wadi’ -Samk, and having travelled thence for five nights encamped at Badr."
وهذه المراحل ثنتان في اليوم إحداهما بعد الصبح والأخرى بالعشي،,"Of these stages two were made in the twenty-four hours, one after sunrise and the other during the first part of the night."
ثم رحلنا من بدر فنزلنا الصفراء وأقمنا بها يومًا مستريحين،,"After leaving Badr we encamped at al-Safra, where we stayed for a whole day to rest."
ومنها إلى المدينة الشريفة مسيرة ثلاث،,From here it is a three nights’ march to alMadina the illustrious.
ثم رحلنا فوصلنا إلى طيبة مدينة رسول الله ﷺ وحصلت لنا زيارة رسول الله ﷺ ثانيًا،,"Resuming our journey, we at length reached Taiba, the City of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), and were privileged to visit once again the [tomb of the] Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)."
وأقمنا بالمدينة كرمها الله تعالى ستة أيام، واستصحبنا منها الماء لمسيرة ثلاث، ورحلنا عنها,"We stayed at al-Madina (God Most High glorify her) for six days, and taking with us from there water for a three nights’ journey, we set out from her."
فنزلنا في الثالثة بوادي العروس فتزودنا منه الماء من حسيات يحفرون عليها في الأرض فينبطون ماء عذبًا معينًا.,"On the third night we encamped at WadiVArus, where we provided ourselves with water from underground water-beds. They dig holes above them in the ground, and procure sweet flowing water."
ثم رحلنا إلى وادي العروس ودَخَلْنَا أرض نجد، وهو بسيط من الأرض مد البصر فتنسمنا نسيمة الطيب الأرج،,"We then left WadiVArus and entered the land of the Najd, which is a level stretch of country [extending] as far as eye can see, and inhaled its sweet-scented air."
ونزلنا بعد أربع مراحل على ماء يُعْرَف بالعسيلة، ثم رحلنا عنه ونزلنا ماء يُعْرَف بالنقرة فيه آثار مصانع كالصهاريج العظيمة،,"We halted after covering four stages at a water-point known as al-‘Usaila, and going on from there halted at a water-point known as os al-Naqira, where there are the remains of cisterns like vast reservoirs."
ثم رحلنا إلى ماء يُعْرَف بالقارورة وهي مصانع مملوءة بماء المطر مما صَنَعَتْه زبيدة ابنة جعفر رحمها الله ونفعها،,"Thence we marched to a water-point known as al-Qarura, being certain tanks filled with rain-water, of those which were constructed by [order of] Zubaida, daughter of Ja’far (God’s mercy and favour upon her)."
وهذا الموضع هو وسط أرض نجد فسيح طيب النسيم صحيح الهواء نقي التربة معتدل في كل فصل،,"This place is the centre of the land of Najd, spacious, with sweet air and healthy climate, clean-soiled, and temperate in every season of the year."
ثم رحلنا من القارورة ونزلنا بالحاجر، وفيه مصانع للماء وربما جَفَّتْ فحُفِرَ عن الماء في الجفار،,"Then, leaving al-Qarura, we stopped at al-Hajir, where there are tanks for water, but as they often dry up water has to be procured by digging temporary wells,"
ثم رحلنا ونزلنا سميرة، وهي أرض غائرة في بسيط فيه شبه حصن مسكون وماؤها كثير في آبار إلا أنه زعاق،,"and going on from there stopped next at Samira, which is a patch of low-lying ground situated in a plain where there is a kind of fortified and inhabited enceinte.The water at Samira is plentiful and drawn from [cased] wells, but it is brackish."
ويأتي عرب تلك الأرض بالغنم والسمن واللبن فيبيعون ذلك من الحجاج بالثياب الخام ولا يبيعون بسوى ذلك،,"The bedouins of that district bring sheep, melted butter and curdled milk, and sell these to the pilgrims for pieces of coarse cotton cloth, and they will not exchange them for anything but this."
ثم رحلنا ونزلنا بالجبل المخروق، وهو في بيداء من الأرض وفي أعلاه ثقب نافذ تخرقه الريح،,"We resumed our journey and halted at the ‘Hill with the Hole’, which lies in a tract of desert land and has at its summit a perforation from side to side through which the wind blows."
ثم رحلنا منه إلى وادي الكروش ولا ماء به، ثم أسرينا ليلًا وصبحنا حصن فيد،,"We proceeded from there to Wadi’l-Kurush, which is waterless [in spite of its name], and after marching on through the night came in the morning to the fort of Faid."
وهو حصن كبير في بسيط من الأرض يدور به سور وعليه ربض وساكنوه عرب يتعيشون مع الحاج في البيع والتجارة،,"Faid is a large fortified enceinte on a level plain and surrounded by a wall, with a suburb outside it. Its inhabitants are Arabs, who make a living off the pilgrims by selling and trading."
وهنالك يترك الحجاج بعض أزوادهم حين وصولهم من العراق إلى مكة شرَّفَها الله تعالى، فإذا عادوا وجدوه,"At that point the pilgrims leave some part of their provisions at the time of their arrival from al-‘Iraq on the way to Mecca (God Most High ennoble her), and on the return journey they pick them up again."
وهو نصف الطريق من مكة إلى بغداد ومنه إلى الكوفة مسيرة اثني عشر يومًا في طريق سهل به المياه في المصانع،,"It lies half way between Mecca and Baghdad, and from it to Kufa is a twelve days’ journey by an easy road furnished with supplies of water in tanks."
ومن عادة الركب أن يدخلوا هذا الموضع على تعبئة وأهبة للحرب إرهابًا للعرب المجتمعين هنالك وقطعًا لأطماعهم عن الركب،,"It is the practice of the caravan to enter this place in military formation and warlike array, in order to overawe the Arabs who are assembled there [in considerable numbers] and to cut short their hopes of despoiling the caravan."
وهنالك لقينا أميري العرب وهما فياض وحِيَار واسمه (بكسر الحاء وإهماله وياء آخر الحروف)، وهما أبناء الأمير مهنى بن عيسى ومعهما من خيل العرب ورجالهم من لا يحصون كثرة، فظهر منهما المحافظة على الحاج والرحال والحوطة لهم،,"We met there the two amirs of the Arabs, Fayyad and Hiyar, ro sons of the amir Muhanna b. ‘Isa, accompanied by a body of Arab horsemen and foot soldiers not to be reckoned for multitude; both of them displayed zeal for the safety and protection of the pilgrims and their possessions."
وأتى العرب بالجِمال والغنم فاشترى منهم الناس ما قدروا عليه.,The Arabs brought camels and sheep [for sale] and the pilgrims bought from them what they could afford.
ثم رحلنا ونزلنا الموضع المعروف الأجفر ويشتهر باسم العاشِقَيْن جميل وبثينة،,We set out again and halted at the place known as al-Ajfur and made famous through the romantic lovers Jarml and Buthaina.
ثم رحلنا ونزلنا بالبيداء ثم أسرينا ونزلنا زرود وهي بسيط من الأرض فيه رمال منهالة,"Then travelling on we halted in the open desert, and again marching through the night halted at Zarud, a level plain, in which there are extensive sands."
وبه دور صغار قد أداروها شبه الحصن وهنالك آبار ماء ليست بالعذبة،,"The place itself has some small dwellings, which they have surrounded by a sort of fortified enceinte, and there are wells of water there but they are unpalatable."
ثم رحلنا ونزلنا الثعلبية ولها حصن خَرِب بإزائه مصنع هائل يُنْزَل إليه في دَرَج وبه من ماء المطر ما يَعُمُّ الركب،,"Proceeding, we halted at al-Tha’labfya, where there is a ruined fort, opposite which is an enormous reservoir reached by a stairway and containing a quantity of rain-water enough to meet the needs of the whole caravan."
ويجتمع من العرب بهذا الموضع جَمْع عظيم فيبيعون الجِمال والغنم والسمن واللبن، ومن هذا الموضع إلى الكوفة ثلاث مراحل،,"A great host of bedouin Arabs assemble at this place and they sell camels, sheep, melted butter and i milk. From there to al-Kufa are three marches."
ثم رحلنا فنزلنا ببركة المرجوم، وهو مشهد على الطريق عليه كوم عظيم من حجارة، وكل من مر به رجمه،,"We continued our journey and halted at Birkat al-Marjum (The Pool of the Stoned’), the latter being a tomb in the roadway with a great heap of stones upon it, and everyone who passes by throws a stone at it."
ويُذْكَر أن هذا المرجوم كان رافضيًّا فسافر مع الركب يريد الحج، فوقعت بينه وبين أهل السنة الأتراك مشاجرة فسَبَّ بعض الصحابة فقتلوه بالحجارة،,"It is related that the person who is thus stoned was a Rafidi; he set out with the caravan to make the Pilgrimage, but a dispute broke out between him and some Turks, followers of the Sunna, in the course of which he reviled one of the Companions [of the Prophet], so they killed him by [throwing] stones."
وبهذا الموضع بيوت كثيرة للعرب ويقصدون الركب بالسمن واللبن وسوى ذلك، وبه مصنع كبير يعم جميع الركب مما بَنَتْه زبيدة رحمة الله عليها،,"At this place there are many tents^of the bedouins, who come to the caravan bringing melted butter, curdled milk and so on, and there is also a large reservoir enough to supply the needs of the entire caravan. This too is one of those constructed by Zubaida (God’s mercy upon her);"
وكل مصنع أو بِرْكة أو بئر بهذه الطريق التي بين مكة وبغداد فهي من كريم آثارها جزاها الله خيرًا ووفى لها أجرها، ولولا عنايتها بهذه الطريق ما سلكها أحد،,"indeed, every reservoir, pool or well on this road which goes from Mecca to Baghdad is due to her munificent bounty—God give her goodly reward and recompense her for them in full; for, had it not been for her concern on behalf of this road, it would not be usable by anyone."
ثم رحلنا ونزلنا موضعًا يُعْرَف بالمشقوق فيه مصنعان بهما الماء العذب الصافي,"Continuing our journey, we halted at a place known as al-Mashquq [‘the Cleft’], where there are two reservoirs containing fresh sweet water."
وأراق الناس ما كان عندهم من الماء وتزودوا منهما،,Everyone emptied out what water was still in his possession and took a fresh supply from them.
ثم رحلنا ونزلنا موضعًا يُعْرَف بالتنانير وفيه مصنع ممتلئ بالماء،,"Then we went on and after halting at a place called al-Tanamr [‘the Ovens’], where there is a reservoir filled with water,"
ثم أسرينا منه واجتزنا ضحوة بزمالة، وهي قرية معمورة بها قصر للعرب ومصنعان للماء وآبار كثيرة,"we made a night march from there and sometime after sunrise arrived before Zumala, an inhabited village with a fortified grange belonging to some Arabs, two reservoirs of water and many wells."
وهي من مناهل هذا الطريق،,This place is one of the natural watering-places on this road.
ثم رحلنا فنزلنا الهيثمين وفيه مصنعان للماء. يُسَمَّى واقصة، فيه قَصْر كبير ومصانع للماء معمور بالعرب،,"We set out again and halted at al-Haithaman, where there are two reservoirs of water; We halted next at a place called Waqisa, where there is a large fortified grange and reservoirs of water."
ثم رحلنا فنزلنا دون العقبة المعروفة بعقبة الشيطان,then continuing on our way halted below the defile known as ‘Aqabat al-Shaitan [‘Devil’s Pass’].
وصعدنا العقبة في اليوم الثاني وليس بهذا الطريق وعر سواها على أنها ليست بصعبة ولا طائلة،,"We climbed the defile on the following day. There is no steep place on that road except this, and even it is neither difficult nor considerable."
ثم نزلنا موضعًا وهو آخِر مناهل هذا الطريق، وليس فيما بعده إلى الكوفة منهل مشهور إلا مشارع ماء الفرات،,"It is inhabited by bedouin Arabs, and is the last of the natural wateringplaces on this road, for thereafter until al-Kufa there is no conspicuous watering-place except the watercourses derived from the Euphrates."
وبه يتلقى كثير من أهل الكوفة الحاج ويأتون بالدقيق والخبز والتمر والفواكه، ويهنئ الناس بعضهم بعضًا بالسلامة،,"At this point many of the people of alKufa come out to meet the pilgrim caravan, bringing flour, bread, dried dates and fruit, and the travellers congratulate one another on their safe journey."
ثم نزلنا موضعًا يُعْرَف بلورة، فيه مصنع كبير للماء، ثم نزلنا موضعًا يُعْرَف بالمساجد فيه ثلاث مصانع،,"We then halted at a place known as Lawra, where there is a large reservoir for water; then at a place known as al-Masajid [‘the Mosques’], where there are three reservoirs;"
ثم نزلنا موضعًا يُعْرَف بمنارة القرون وهي منارة في بيداء من الأرض بائنة الارتفاع مُجَلَّلَة بقرون الغزلان ولا عمارة حولها،,"then at a place known as Manarat al-Qurun [‘the Tower of Horns’], this being a tower in a desert locality, conspicuous in height and decorated on top with horns of gazelles, with no habitation around it."
ثم نزلنا موضعًا يُعْرَف بالعذيب، وهو وادٍ مخصب عليه عمارة وحوله فلاة خصبة فيها مسرح للبصر،,"We halted next at a place known as al-‘Udhaib, which is a fruitful valley covered with dwellings and cultivation and surrounded by a plain abounding in pasture and affording a pleasant prospect to the eyes."
ثم نزلنا القادسية حيث كانت الوقعة الشهيرة على الفرس التي أَظْهَرَ الله فيها دين الإسلام وأَذَلَّ المجوس عَبَدَة النار،,"Thereafter we halted at alQadisiya, where the famous battle was fought against the Persians, in which God manifested the triumph of the Faith of Islam, and subdued the Magians, the fire-worshippers,"
فلم تَقُمْ لهم بعدها قائمة، واستأصل الله شَأْفَتَهُمْ،,so that after it no foot was left for them to stand on and God extirpated their root.
وكان أمير المسلمين يومئذٍ سعد بن أبي وقاص رضي الله عنه،,"The commander of the Muslims at that time was Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas (God be pleased with him),"
وكانت القادسية مدينةً عظيمة افتتحها سعد رضي الله عنه وخربت، فلم يَبْقَ منها الآن إلا مقدار قرية كبيرة,"and al-Qadisiya was a great city which Sa’d (God be pleased with him) took by force, but it fell into ruins so that nothing now remains of it except as much as constitutes a large village."
وفيها حدائق النخل وبها مشارع من ماء الفرات،,The place contains some palm-groves and at it there are water courses of Euphrates water.
ثم رحلنا منها فنزلنا مدينة مشهد علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه بالنجف،,We went on from there and halted at the town of Mashhad ‘AH b. Abi Talib (God be pleased with him) at al-Najaf.
وهي مدينة حسنة في أرض فسيحة صلبة من أحسن مدن العراق وأكثرها ناسًا وأتقنها بناء، ولها أسواق حسنة نظيفة،,"It is a fine city, situated in a wide rocky plain—one of the finest, most populous, and most substantially built cities of al-‘Iraq, and it has beautiful clean bazaars."
دخلناها من باب الحضرة فاستقبلْنا سوق البقالين والطباخين والخبازين،,"We entered it by the [outer] Bab al-Hadra and made our way through the bazaar of the greengrocers, cooks, and butchers,"
ثم سوق الفاكهة، ثم سوق الخياطين والقسارية، ثم سوق العطارين، ثم باب الحضرة؛ حيث القبر الذي يزعمون أنه قبر علي عليه السلام،,"then through the fruit-market, then the bazaar of the tailors and the Qaisariya, then the perfumers’ bazaar, and so came to the [inner] Bab al-Hadra, where is the tomb which they claim to be the tomb of ‘Ali (peace be upon him)."
وبإزائه المدارس والزوايا والخوانق معمورة أحسن عمارة، وحيطانها بالقاشاني وهو شبه الزليج عندنا، لكن لونه أشرق ونقشه أحسن.,"Fronting it are a number of colleges, religious houses and convents, most beautifully adorned, their walls being faced with qashani [tiles], which resemble the zalij in our country but are more lustrous in colour and more finely engraved."
ذكر الروضة والقبور التي بها,The mausoleum** and tombs contained in it.
ويُدْخَل من باب الحضرة إلى مدرسة عظيمة يسكنها الطلبة والصوفية من الشيعة،,"One enters through the Bab al-Hadra into a vast college, inhabited by students and sufis belonging to the Shi’a."
ولكل وارد عليها ضيافة ثلاثة أيام من الخبز واللحم والتمر مرتين في اليوم،,"Everyone who visits it receives hospitality for three days—namely, bread, meat, and dried dates twice daily."
ومن تلك المدرسة يُدْخَل إلى باب القبة، وعلى بابها الحجاب والنقباء والطواشية،,"From this college one gains access to the gateway of the domed shrine, which is guarded by a number of doorkeepers, chamberlains and eunuchs."
فعندما يصل الزائر يقوم إليه أحدهم أو جميعهم وذلك على قدر الزائر، فيقفون معه على العتبة ويستأذنون له ويقولون: عن أمركم يا أمير المؤمنين، هذا العبد الضعيف يستأذن على دخوله للروضة العلية،,"As the visitor [to the tomb] approaches, one of them rises to meet him or all of them do, this being regulated by the visitor’s rank. They stand beside him on the threshold and ask permission for him to enter, saying: ‘By your leave, O Commander of the Faithful, this feeble creature asks perie mission for his entry to the sublime mausoleum."
فإن أذنتم له وإلا رَجَعَ، وإن لم يكن أهلًا لذلك فأنتم أهل المكارم والستر،,"If ye grant it to him [so be it], but if not, he will turn back; and though he be not worthy of this [favour], ye are the possessor of generous qualities and of dignity.’"
ثم يأمرونه بتقبيل العتبة، وهي من الفضة، وكذلك العضادتان،,"They then bid him kiss the threshold, which is of silver, as also are the doorposts."
ثم يدخل القبة وهي مفروشة بأنواع البسط من الحرير وسواه وبها قناديل الذهب والفضة منها الكبار والصغار،,"Having done so, he enters the shrine, which is carpeted with various sorts of carpets of silk and other materials, and contains candelabra of gold and silver, large and small."
وفي وسط القبة مسطبة مربعة مكسوة بالخشب عليه صفائح الذهب المنقوشة المحكمة العمل مسمرة بمسامير الفضة قد غلبت على الخشب بحيث لا يظهر منه شيء,"In the centre of [the space beneath] the dome is a square platform, faced with wood, upon which are carved golden plaques of excellent workmanship, hammered on with silver nails, which have so completely masked the wood that none of it is visible."
وارتفاعها دون القامة، وفوقها ثلاثة من القبور يزعمون أن أحدها قبر آدم عليه الصلاة والسلام، والثاني قبر نوح عليه الصلاة والسلام والثالث قبر علي رضي الله تعالى عنه،,"The height of the platform is less than the stature of a man, and on top of it are three tombs, of which they assert that one is the tomb of Adam (upon him be blessing and peace), the second the tomb of Noah (upon him be blessing and peace), and the third the tomb of ‘All (God be pleased with him)."
وبين القبور طسوت ذهب وفضة فيها ماء الورد والمسك وأنواع الطيب يغمس الزائر يده في ذلك ويدهن به وجهه تبركًا،,"Between the tombs are dishes of gold and silver, containing rose-water, musk and various kinds of perfumes. The visitor dips his hand in this and anoints his face with it for a blessing."
وللقبة باب آخر عَتَبَتُه أيضًا من الفضة وعليه ستور من الحرير الملوَّن يفضي إلى مسجد مفروش بالبسط الحِسان مستورة حيطانه وسقفه بستور الحرير، وله أربعة أبواب عتباتها فضة وعليها ستور الحرير.,"The shrine has another door the threshold of which is likewise of silver, and with hangings of coloured silk over it. This leads to a mosque laid with beautiful carpets, its walls and ceiling concealed by silken hangings, and having four doorways with thresholds of silver and covered by silken hangings."
وأهل هذه المدينة كلهم رافضية، وهذه الروضة ظَهَرَتْ لها كرامات ثَبَتَ بها عندهم أن بها قبر علي رضي الله عنه،,"The inhabitants of this city are all of them Rafidis, and at this mausoleum certain miracles are operated, whereby it is established, so they claim, that the mausoleum does indeed contain the grave of ‘AH (God be pleased with him)."
فمنها أن في ليلة السابع والعشرين من رجب — وتسمى عندهم ليلة المحيا — يؤتى إلى تلك الروضة بكل مقعد من العراقَيْن وخراسان وبلاد فارس والروم، فيجتمع منهم الثلاثون والأربعون ونحو ذلك،,"One of these miracles is that on the eve of the twenty-seventh of Rajab, which is called by them ‘the night of life’, all the crippled are brought to this mausoleum from the two ‘Iraqs, Khurasan, the country of Fars and Rum, so that there are assembled some thirty or forty of them."
فإذا كان بعد العشاء الآخرة جعلوا فوق الضريح المقدس والناس ينتظرون قيامهم وهم ما بين مُصَلٍّ وذاكر وتالٍ ومُشَاهِد للروضة،,"After the last ritual prayer of the night, they are placed upon the sanctified tomb, while the people wait in expectation of their rising and pass the time, some in praying, others in reciting liturgies, or reading [the Qur’an], or in contemplation of the mausoleum."
فإذا مضى من الليل نصفه أو ثلثاه أو نحو ذلك قام الجميع أَصِحَّاء من غير سوء وهم يقولون: لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله علي ولي الله،,"When the night is half over, or two-thirds or so, the whole company arise sound in body, with no trace of disease, and saying: ‘There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Apostle of God; ‘AH is the Friend of God.’"
وهذا أَمْر مستفيض عندهم سَمِعْتُه من الثقات، ولم أَحْضُر تلك الليلة،,"This is a thing much spoken of among them; I heard of it from trustworthy persons, but I was not actually present on any such night."
لكني رأيت بمدرسة الضياف ثلاثة من الرجال أحدهم من أرض الروم، والثاني من أصبهان، والثالث من خراسان، وهم مُقْعَدُون،,"I saw, however, in the Guests’ College three men, one from the land of Rum, the second from Isfahan and the third from Khurasan, who were cripples,"
فاستخبرْتُهم عن شأنهم فأخْبَرُوني أنهم لم يُدْرِكوا ليلة المحيا، وأنهم منتظرون أوانها من عام آخر،,and when I asked them about themselves they told me that they had missed the ‘Night of Life’ and were waiting for its time to come round next year.
وهذه الليلة يجتمع لها الناس من البلاد ويقيمون سوقًا عظيمة مدة عشرة أيام،,"This night serves as occasion for a gathering of the people from the district, and they hold a great fair lasting for ten days."
وليس بهذه المدينة مغرم ولا مَكَّاس ولا والٍ، وإنما يحكم عليهم نقيب الأشراف،,"In this town there is no tax, no farmer of market or octroi dues, and no royal governor, but the government over them is exercised solety by the Marshal of the Sharlfs."
وأهلها تُجَّار يسافرون في الأقطار، وهم أهل شجاعة وكرم، ولا يُضَامُ جَارُهم، صَحِبْتُهم في الأسفار فحَمِدْتُ صُحْبَتَهُمْ،,"Its inhabitants are merchants, who travel far and wide; they are courageous and open-handed, and their protege suffers no wrong on his journeyings with them, so that their company is highly commended."
لكنهم غَلَوْا في علي رضي الله عنه، ومن الناس في بلاد العراق وغيرها من يصيبه المرض فيَنْذُر للروضة نَذْرًا إذا برئ،,"But they are fanatical about ‘All (God be pleased with him). There are some people in the land of al-‘Iraq and other lands who, if attacked by illness, vow to make a votive offering to the mausoleum when they recover."
ومنهم من يمرض رأسه فيصنع رأسًا من ذهب أو فضة ويأتي به إلى الروضة فيجعله النقيب في الخزانة، وكذلك اليد والرجل وغيرهما من الأعضاء،,"In other cases a man suffering from illness in the head will make a head of gold or silver and bring it to the mausoleum, and the Marshal puts it into the treasury; likewise with hand or foot, or any other member."
وخزانة الروضة عظيمة فيها من الأموال ما لا يُضْبَط لكثرته.,"The treasury of the mausoleum is enormous, and contains such a quantity of riches as defies exact computation."
ذكر نقيب الأشراف,The Naqlb al-Ashraf (marshal of the sharifs).
ونقيب الأشراف مُقَدَّم من ملك العراق، ومكانه عنده مَكِين، ومنزلته رفيعة،,The Naqlb al-Ashraf is appointed by the king of al-‘Iraq as his representative; his position in the king’s esteem is an assured one and he has an exalted rank [at the court].
وله ترتيب الأمراء الكبار في سفره، وله الأعلام والأطبال وتُضْرَب الطبلخانة عند بابه مساء وصباحًا،,"He observes the same ceremony as the great amirs on his journeys; he has flags and drums, and military music is played at his gate evening and morning."
وإليه حُكْم هذه المدينة ولا والي بها سواه، ولا مغرم فيها للسلطان ولا لغيره،,"In his hands is the government of this city—there is no other governor in it, and no tax is levied in it either for the Sultan or for anyone else."
وكان النقيب في عهد دخولي إليها نظام الدين حسين بن تاج الدين الآوي نسبة إلى بلده آوة من عراق العجم أهلها رافضة،,"The Naqlb at the time of my entering the city was Ni?am al-Dm b. Taj alDin al-Awi, the ethnic being derived from the town of Awa in Persian ‘Iraq, whose inhabitants are Rafidis."
وكان قبله جماعة يلي كل واحد منهم بعد صاحبه,"Before him there were a number, each of whom held the office in succession."
منهم جلال الدين بن الفقيه، ومنهم قوام الدين بن طاووس، ومنهم ناصر الدين مطهر ابن الشريف الصالح شمس الدين محمد الأوهري من عراق العجم، وهو الآن بأرض الهند من ندماء ملكها، ومنهم أبو غرة بن سالم بن مهنى بن جماز بن شيحة الحسيني المدني.,"Amongst these were Jalal al-Din ibn al-Faqih; Qiwam al-Din ibn Ta’us; Nasir al-Din Mutahhar son of the pious sharif Shams al-Dm Muhammad al-Awhari, from Persian ‘Iraq, who is now in the land of India and one of the familiars of the king of that country; and Abu Ghurra b. ai Salim b. Muhanna b. Jammaz b. Shlha, of the Husaini house of al-Madina."
حكاية,An anecdote.
كان الشريف أبو غرة قد غَلَبَ عليه في أول أَمْرِه العبادةُ وتَعَلُّم العلم، واشْتُهِر بذلك،,"The Sharif Abu Ghurra was in his early youth given over to devotion and study, and acquired repute thereby."
وكان ساكنًا بالمدينة الشريفة — كرمها الله — في جِوَارِ ابن عمه منصور بن جماز أمير المدينة، ثم إنه خرج عن المدينة واستوطن العراق وسكن منها بالحلة،,"He lived at that time in al-Madina the Illustrious (God glorify her), under the care of his cousin Mansur b.Jammaz, the amir of al-Madina. Later on he left al-Madina and made his home in al-‘Iraq, settling there at al-Hilla."
فمات النقيب قوام الدين بن طاوس فاتفق أهل العراق على تولية أبي غرة نقابة الأشراف، وكتبوا بذلك إلى السلطان أبي سعيد فأمضاه ونَفَّذَ له اليرليغ وهو الظهير بذلك،,"When the Naqlb Qiwam ad-Din b. Ta’us died, the men of al-‘Iraq agreed to invest Abu Ghurra with the office of Naqib al-Ashraf, and wrote to this effect to the Sultan Abu Sa’Id, who confirmed the recommendation and sent to Abu Ghurra the yarligh, that is to say the dhahfr, of investiture."
وبُعِثَتْ له الخلعة والأعلام والطبول على عادة النقباء ببلاد العراق،,"He was sent also the robe of honour, the standard and the drums, as is customary for the naqibs in the land of al-‘Iraq."
فغَلَبَتْ عليه الدنيا وتَرَكَ العبادة والزهد وتَصَرَّفَ في الأموال تصرفًا قبيحًا،,"Then the world got the better of him, he gave up his devotions and his pious abstinences, and made unrighteous use of the moneys at his disposal."
فرُفِعَ أَمْرُه إلى السلطان،,This conduct of his was brought to the notice of the Sultan accordingly.
فلما عَلِمَ بذلك أعمل السفر مُظْهِرًا أنه يريد خراسان قاصدًا زيارة قبر علي بن موسى الرضا بطوس وكان قَصْدُه الفرار،,"When Abu Ghurra learned of this he set out on a journey, giving out that he was making for Khurasan with the object of visiting the tomb of ‘All b.Musa al-Rida, at Tus, but his real purpose was to escape."
فلما زار قبر علي بن موسى قَدِمَ هراة وهي آخر بلاد خراسان، وأعلم أصحابه أنه يريد بلاد الهند،,"So, after visiting the tomb of ‘All b. Musa, he proceeded to Herat, which is the last of the cities of Khurasan, and informed his companions that he intended to go to India."
فرَجَعَ أَكْثَرُهم عنه وتَجَاوَز هو أرض خراسان إلى السند،,"Most of them abandoned him, but he for his part went on from the territory of Khurasan towards Sind."
فلما جاز وادي السند المعروف ببنج آب ضَرَبَ طبوله وأنفاره فراع ذلك أهل القرى وظنوا أن التتر أتوا للإغارة عليهم وأجفلوا إلى المدينة المسماة بأوجا وأعلموا أميرها بما سمعوه،,"After crossing the river of Sind, which is called Panj Ab, he had his drums and his trumpets sounded, and thereby so startled the villagers that they thought that the Tatars had come to raid them and fled in panic to the city called t}ja, where they informed the governor of what they had heard."
فركب في عساكره واستعد للحرب وبعث الطلايع فرأوا نحو عشرة من الفرسان وجماعة من الرجال والتجار ممن صحب الشريف في طريقه معهم الأطبال والأعلام،,"He rode therefore with his troops and prepared for battle. When he sent out the scouts, they discovered about ten horsemen and a number of men on foot and merchants who had accompanied the Sharif on his road, carrying kettledrums and banners."
فسألوهم عن شأنهم فأخبروهم أن الشريف نقيب العراق أتى وافدًا على ملك الهند,"The scouts asked them who they were and what they were doing, and were told that the Sharif, the Naqib of al-‘Iraq, had come on a mission to the king of India."
فرجع الطلايع إلى الأمير وأخبروه بكيفية الحال فاستضعف عقل الشريف لِرَفْعه العلامات وضَرْبه الطبول في غير بلاده،,"They returned and reported the circumstances to the governor, who opined that the Sharif showed little intelligence in hoisting his banners and beating his drums outside his own country."
ودخل الشريف مدينة أوجا وأقام بها مدة تُضْرَب الأطبال على باب داره غُدْوَة وعشيًّا وكان مُولَعًا بذلك.,"The Sharif entered the city of Oja and stayed there for a time, having the drums beaten at the gate of his residence morning and evening, for that used to give him much gratification."
ويُذْكَر أنه كان في أيام نقابته بالعراق تُضْرَب الأطبال على رأسه، فإذا أَمْسَكَ النَّقَّارُ عن الضرب يقول له: زِدْ نقرة يا نقار حتى لُقِّبَ بذلك،,"It is said that in the days of his marshalship in al-‘Iraq, the kettledrums were beaten before him and when the drummer finished beating he would say to him ‘One more roll, drummer’, until the phrase stuck to him as a nickname."
وكتب صاحب مدينة أوجا إلى ملك الهند بخبر الشريف وضَرْبه الأطبال بالطريق وعلى باب داره غدوة وعشيًّا ورفعه الأعلام،,"The governor of the town of Uja wrote to the king of India to report [the arrival of] the Sharif and his drumbeating, both on his journey and before his residence morning and evening, as well as his flying of banners."
وعادة أهل الهند أن لا يَرْفَع علمًا ولا يَضْرِب طبلًا إلا من أعطاه الملك ذلك ولا يفعله إلا في السفر،,"Now the custom among the people of India is that no person hoists a banner or beats a drum except those to whom the king has given this privilege, and [even then] they do so only while travelling."
وأما في حال الإقامة فلا يُضْرَب الطبل إلا على باب الملك خاصة،,"When in residence, however, no drum is beaten except at the king’s gate alone."
بخلاف مصر والشام والعراق، فإن الطبول تُضْرَب على أبواب الأمراء،,"In Egypt, Syria and al-‘Iraq, on the other hand, drums are beaten at the gates of the military commanders."
فلما بَلَغَ خبره ملك الهند كَرِهَ فِعْلَه وأَنْكَرَهُ وفَعَلَ في نفسه،,"When the report on the Sharif reached the king of India, therefore, he was displeased and annoyed at his action, and resented it."
ثم خرج الأمير إلى حضرة الملك،,The Sharif departed some time later for the king’s capital.
وكان الأمير كشلي خان، والخان عندهم أعظم الأمراء، وهو الساكن بملتان كرسي بلاد السند، وهو عظيم القدر عند ملك الهند يدعوه بالعم؛ لأنه كان ممن أعان أباه السلطان غياث الدين تغلق شاه على قتال السلطان ناصر الدين خسرو شاه قد قدم على حضرة ملك الهند فخرج الملك إلى لقائه فاتفق أن كان وصول الشريف في ذلك اليوم،,"Now the amir Kishlu Khan (the term khan is applied by them to the greatest of the amirs), being the resident in Multan, the seat of government in the country of al-Sind—he is held in high regard by the king of India, who calls him ‘Uncle’, because he was one of those who aided the king’s father, the sultan Ghiyath al-DIn Tughluq-Shah, to fight against the Nasir al-DJn KhusrawShah —had come to the capital of the king of India and the king went out to receive him. It happened that the Sharifs arrival was on that same day."
وكان الشريف قد سبق الأمير بأميال وهو على حاله من ضَرْب الأطبال، فلم يَرُعْه إلا السلطان في موكبه،,"The Sharif had preceded the amir by some miles [and as he approached the city] with his drums beating as usual, suddenly he met the Sultan with his cortege."
فتَقَدَّمَ الشريف إلى السلطان فسَلَّمَ عليه وسأله السلطان عن حاله وما الذي جاء به فأخبره، ومضى السلطان حتى لقي الأمير كشلي خان وعاد إلى حضرته ولم يلتفت إلى الشريف ولا أَمَرَ له بإنزال ولا غيره.,"The Sharif went forward to the Sultan and saluted him, but the Sultan, after asking him how he was and why he had come and hearing his answers, went on till he met the amir Kishlu Khan, and returned to his capital without paying any attention to the Sharif or giving orders for his lodging or anything else."
وكان الملك عازمًا على السفر إلى مدينة دولة أباد وتسمى أيضًا بالكَتَكَة (بفتح الكافين والتاء المعلوة التي بينهما)، وتسمى أيضًا بالدويجر (دوكير)،,"The king was then on the point of travelling to the city of Dawlat Abad (which is also called alKataka, and also al-Duwaigir)—"
وهي على مسيرة أربعين يومًا من مدينة دهلي حضرة الملك، فلما شرع في السفر بعث إلى الشريف بخمسمائة دينار دراهم وصرفها من ذهب المغرب مائة وخمسة وعشرون دينارًا،,"it is at a distance of forty days from the city of Dihli, the capital of the kingdom— and when he set out on his journey he sent the Sharif five hundred silver dinars (the exchange value of this in the gold of Morocco being one hundred and twenty-five dinars),"
وقال لرسوله إليه: قُل له: إن أراد الرجوع إلى بلاده فهذا زاده، وإن أراد السفر معنا فهي نفقته في الطريق، وإن أراد الإقامة بالحضرة فهي نفقته حتى نرجع،,"and said to the messenger whom he dispatched to the Sharif: Tell him that if he wants to go back to his country, this is his travelling provision, and if he wants to travel with us it is for his expenses on the journey, but if he prefers to stay in the capital it is for his expenses until we return.’"
فاغتم الشريف لذلك وكان قَصْدُه أن يجزل له العطاء كما هي عادته مع أمثاله،,"The Sharif was vexed at this, for what he desired was that the Sultan should make as lavish an allowance to him as he usually did to his equals."
واختار السفر صحبة السلطان، وتَعَلَّقَ بالوزير أحمد بن إياس المدعو بخواجة جهان، وبذلك سماه الملك، وبه يدعوه هو وبه يدعوه سائر الناس،,"He chose to travel in the Sultan’s company and attached himself to the wazir, Ahmad b. Aiyas, called Khwdja Jahdn (this is the title which was given to him by the king and by which he calls himself and is called by all other persons,"
فإن من عادتهم أنه متى سَمَّى الملك أحدًا بِاسْمٍ مضافٍ إلى الملك من عماد أو ثقة أو قُطْب، أو بِاسْمٍ مضافٍ إلى الجهان من صدر وغيره، فبذلك يخاطبه الملك وجميع الناس، ومَنْ خَاطَبَهُ بسوى ذلك لَزِمَتْه العقوبة،,"for it is their custom that when the king confers on anyone a title composed with al-Mulk, such as ‘Imdd or Thiqat or Qutb, or a title composed with al-Jahdn such as Sadr, etc., this is the name by which he is addressed by the king and by all persons, and anyone who addresses him in any other way is punished without fail)."
فأكدت المودة بين الوزير والشريف، فأحسن إليه ورَفَعَ قَدْرَه ولَاطَفَ الملك حتى حسن فيه رأيه وأمر له بقريتين من قرى دولة أباد، وأَمَرَهُ أن تكون إقامته بها،,"A strong friendship grew up between the wazir and the Sharif, and the former made gifts to him, showed him great honour, and so used his influence with the king that he came to regard him with favour and assigned him two villages in the district of Dawlat Abad, with an order that he should reside in them."
وكان هذا الوزير من أهل الفضل والمروءة ومكارم الأخلاق والمحبة في الغرباء والإحسان إليهم وفِعْل الخير وإطعام الطعام وعمارة الزوايا،,"This wazlr was an excellent and virtuous man, of high qualities of character, with a liking for foreigners and generous towards them, and he made a practice of charity and distributing food and building hospices."
فأقام الشريف يستغل القريتين ثمانية أعوام، وحَصَّلَ من ذلك مالًا عظيمًا،,The Sharif continued to enjoy the revenues of the two villages for eight years and acquired thereby a large fortune.
ثم أراد الخروج فلم يُمْكِنه، فإنه مَنْ خَدَمَ السلطان لا يمكنه الخروج إلا بإذنه، وهو مُحِبٌّ في الغرباء، فقليلًا ما يأذن لأحدهم في السراح،,"He then wished to leave the country, but could not, since those who are in the king’s service may not leave without his permission, and he has a great liking for foreigners and rarely gives anyone of them leave to depart."
فأراد الفرار من طريق الساحل فرُدَّ منه وقدم الحضرة ورغب من الوزير أن يحاول قضية انصرافه.,"So the Sharif tried to escape by way of the coast road, but was turned back from it; then he went to the capital and besought the wazir to undertake the matter of his departure."
فتَلَطَّفَ الوزير في ذلك حتى أَذِنَ له السلطان في الخروج عن بلاد الهند، وأعطاه عشرة آلاف دينار من دراهمهم وصرفها من ذهب المغرب ألفان وخمسمائة دينار،,"The wazlr used his good offices to that end, so that the Sultan finally consented to his leaving the land of India and made him a gift of 10000 of their silver dinars (the value of which in Moroccan gold is 2500 dinars)."
فأتى بها في بدرة فجعلها تحت فراشه ونام عليها لمحبته في الدنانير وفَرَحِه بها وخَوْفِه أن يتصل لأحد من أصحابه شيء منها؛ فإنه كان بخيلًا،,"The money was brought to him in a sack and he used to put it beneath his mattress and sleep on it, out of his love of money and joy in it and his fear lest any of it should get to any of his companions, for he was a miser."
فأصابه وَجَعٌ في جنبه بسبب رقاده عليها، ولم يَزَلْ يتزايد به وهو آخذ في حركة سفره إلى أن توفي بعد عشرين يومًا من وصول البدرة إليه،,"As a result of sleeping on it he was attacked by a pain in his side, which persistently grew worse just as he was about to set out on his journey, and eventually he died twenty days after receiving the sack."
وأوصى بذلك المال للشريف حسن الجراني فتَصَدَّقَ بجملته على جماعة من الشيعة المقيمين بدهلي من أهل الحجاز والعراق،,"He bequeathed that money to the Sharif Hasan al-Jarani, who distributed the whole amount in alms to a community of Shi’ites from the Hijaz and al-‘Iraq living in Dihli."
وأهل الهند لا يورثون بيت المال ولا يتعرضون لمال الغرباء ولا يسألون عنه ولو بَلَغَ ما عسى أن يَبْلُغَ،,"The Indians do not escheat inheritances to the treasury nor do they interfere with the property of strangers nor even make inquiries about it, let it amount to as much as it may."
وكذلك السودان لا يتعرضون لمال الأبيض ولا يأخذونه، إنما يكون عند الكبار من أصحابه حتى يأتي مستحقه،,"In the same ways the Blacks [of the Niger kingdoms] never interfere with the property of a white man, nor seize it, but it is left in charge of the principal members of his company until the rightful heir comes to claim it."
وهذا الشريف أبو غرة له أخ اسمه قاسم، سَكَنَ غرناطة مدةً,"This Sharif Abu Ghurra had a brother named Qasim, who lived for a time in Granada."
وبها تَزَوَّجَ بنت الشريف أبي عبد الله بن إبراهيم الشهير بالمكي، ثم انتقل إلى جبل طارق فسكنه إلى أن استشهد بوادي كرة من نظر الجزيرة الخضراء،,"He married there the daughter of the Sharlf Abu ‘Abdallah b. Ibrahim, known as al-Makkf, and thereafter removed to Jabal Tariq [Gibraltar] where he remained until he gained martyrdom in Wadi Kurra, in the province of al-Jazira al-Kha^ra’ [Algeciras]."
وكان بهمة من البهم لا يصطلي بناره، خَرَقَ المعتاد في الشجاعة،,"He was a hero of heroes; none ventured to be scorched in his fire, and he performed miracles of valour.x"
وله فيها أخبار شهيرة عند الناس،,His bravery is the subject of many stories which are widely known amongst the people.
وترك ولدين هما في كفالة ربيبهما الشريف الفاضل أبي عبد الله محمد بن أبي القاسم بن نفيس الحسيني الكربلائي الشهير ببلاد المغرب بالعراقي، وكان تزوج أمهما بعد موت أبيهما، وهو محسن لهما، جزاه الله خيرًا.,"He left two sons, who are still under ward of their stepfather, the worthy Sharif Abu *Abdallah Muhammad b. Abi’lQasim b. Nafis al-Husaim al-Karbala’I, well known in the Maghrib by the name of al-‘Iraqi (he had married their mother after their father’s death, and she died while with him) and he continues his benevolent care of them, God reward him well!"
ولما تَحَصَّلَتْ لنا زيارة أمير المؤمنين علي عليه السلام سَافَرَ الرَّكْبُ إلى بغداد وسافرْتُ إلى البصرة صحبة رفقة كبيرة من عرب خفاجة وهم أهل تلك البلاد،,"AFTER we had enjoyed the privilege of visiting [the tomb of] the Commander of the Faithful ‘Ali (peace be on him), the caravan went on to Baghdad. But I set out for al-Basra, in company with a large troop of the Khafaja Arabs, who are the occupants of that country."
ولهم شوكة عظيمة وبأس شديد، ولا سبيل للسفر في تلك الأقطار إلا في صُحْبَتهم، فاكتريتُ جَملًا على يد أمير تلك القافلة شامر بن دراج الخفاجي،,"They are very powerful and violent, and there is no way to travel in those regions save in their company, so I hired a camel through the commander of that troop, Shamir b. Darraj al-Khafaji."
وخرجنا من مشهد علي عليه السلام، فنزلنا الخورنق — موضع سكنى النعمان بن المنذر وآبائه من ملوك بني ماء السماء —,"We set out from Mashhad ‘All (peace be on him) and halted [first] at al-Khawarnaq, the seat of al-Nu‘man b. alMundhir and his ancestors, the kings of the house of Ma al-Sama’."
وبه عمارة وبقايا قباب ضخمة في فضاء فسيح على نهر يخرج من الفرات،,"It is still inhabited, and there are remains of vast domes, lying on a wide plain on a canal derived from the Euphrates."
ثم رَحَلْنَا عنه فنزلنا موضعًا يُعْرَف بقائم الواثق، وبه أَثَر قرية خربة ومسجد خرب لم يَبْقَ منه إلا صومعته،,"From there we went on, and alighted at a place called Qa’im al-Wathiq, where there are vestiges of a ruined village and a ruined mosque, of which nothing but the minaret remains."
ثم رحلنا عنه آخذين مع جانب الفرات بالموضع المعروف بالعذار، وهو غابة قصب في وسط الماء يسكنها أعراب يُعْرَفون بالمعادي وهم قطاع الطريق رافضية المذهب،,"On resuming our journey, our way lay alongside the Euphrates by the place known as al-Tdhar, which is a water-logged jungle of reeds, inhabited by nomad Arabs called al-Ma‘adi. They are brigands, of the RafidI sect."
خرجوا على جماعة من الفقراء تَأَخَّرُوا عن رفقتنا فَسَلَبُوهُمْ حتى النعال والكشاكل،,"They came out upon a party of poor brethren who had fallen behind our troop, and stripped them of everything down to their shoes and wooden bowls."
وهم يتحصنون بتلك الغابة ويمتنعون بها ممن يريدهم، والسباع بها كثيرة،,"They fortify themselves [as it were] with this jungle and are able to defend themselves in it against all attacks. Savage beasts also inhabit this jungle, in large numbers."
ورحلنا مع هذا الغدار ثلاث مراحل، ثم وصلنا مدينة واسط.,"Our journey through this ‘Idhar took three days’ march, and thereafter we arrived at the city of Wasit."
"مدينة واسط
وهي حسنة الأقطار كثيرة البساتين والأشجار، بها أعلام يهدي الخير شاهدهم وتهدي الاعتبار مشاهدهم،","The City of Wasit. It has fine quarters and an abundance of orchards and fruit trees, and is famed for its notable men, the living teachers among whom furnish a way to the Good and the tombs of the dead furnish lessons for meditation."
وأهلها من خيار أهل العراق، بل هم خيرهم على الإطلاق،,"Its inhabitants are among the best people in al-Traq—indeed, the very best of them without qualification."
أكثرهم يحفظون القرآن الكريم ويجيدون تجويده بالقراءة الصحيحة،,Most of them can recite the Holy Qur’an from memory and are expert in the art of its melodious recitation with the correct reading.
وإليهم يأتي أهل بلاد العراق برسم تَعَلُّم ذلك، وكان في القافلة التي وَصَلْنَا فيها جماعة من الناس أتوا برسم تجويد القرآن على من بها من الشيوخ،,"All those in the country who wish to learn this art come to them, and in the caravan of al-Traq with which we travelled there were a number of students who had come for the purpose of learning the manner of reciting the Qur’an from the shaikhs in this city."
وبها مدرسة عظيمة حافلة فيها نحو ثلاثمائة خلوة ينزلها الغرباء القادمون لتعلُّم القرآن، عَمَرَهَا الشيخ تقي الدين عبد المحسن الواسطي، وهو من كبار أهلها وفقهائها،,"It has a large and magnificent college with about three hundred cells, where strangers who have come to learn the Qur’an are lodged; this college was built by the shaikh TaqI al-Dln b. ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-Wasiti, who is one of its principal citizens and jurists."
ويعطي لكل متعلِّم بها كسوة في السنة، ويُجْرِي له نفقته في كل يوم ويقعد هو وإخوانه وأصحابه لتعليم القرآن بالمدرسة،,"To each student in it he gives a set of clothing every year and supplies money for his expenses every day, and he himself sits in the college with his brothers and his associates to teach the Qur’an."
ولقد لَقِيتُه وأضافني وزودني تمرًا ودراهم.,I met him and he showed me hospitality and supplied me with provisions of dates and money.
ولما نزلنا مدينة واسط أقامت القافلة ثلاثًا بخارجها للتجارة,When we halted at the city of Wasit the caravan stopped outside it for three nights in order to trade.
فسنح لي زيارة قبر الولي أبي العباس أحمد الرفاعي، وهو بقرية تُعْرَف بأم عبيدة على مسيرة يوم من واسط،,"This gave me the opportunity of visiting the grave of the saint AbuVAbbas Ahmad al-Rifa‘i, which is at a village called Umm ‘Ubaida, one day’s journey from Wasit."
فطلَبْتُ من الشيخ تقي الدين أن يَبْعَثَ معي من يوصلني إليها، فبعث معي ثلاثة من عرب بني أسد وهم قُطَّان تلك الجهة، وأركبني فرسًا له،,"I asked the shaikh Taqi alDln to send someone with me to conduct me to it, and he sent with me three Arabs of the Banu Asad, who are the occupants of that region, and mounted me on one of his own horses."
وخرجت ظُهْرًا فبتُّ تلك الليلة بحوش بني أسد، ووَصَلْنا في ظُهْر اليوم الثاني إلى الرواق، وهو رباط عظيم فيه آلاف من الفقراء،,I set out at noon and after spending that night in the enclosure of the Banu Asad we arrived at the hospice at noon on the following day. It is a vast convent in which there are thousands of poor brethren.
وصادَفْنا به قدوم الشيخ أحمد كوجك حفيد ولي الله أبي العباس الرفاعي الذي قَصَدْنا زيارته,"Our visit coincided with the arrival of the shaikh Ahmad Kujak, the grandson of the Friend of God Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Rifa‘ , whose tomb we had come to visit."
وقد قدم من موضع سكناه من بلاد الروم برسم زيارته قبر جده وإليه انتهت الشياخة بالرواق،,"The shaikh had come from his place of residence in the land of Rum [Anatolia] in order to visit his grandfather’s tomb, and it was to him that the headship of the hospice had descended."
ولما انقضت صلاة العصر ضُرِبَت الطبول والدفوف وأَخَذَ الفقراء في الرقص،,"When the afternoon prayers had been said, drums and kettle-drums were beaten and the poor brethren began to dance."
ثم صَلَّوا المغرب وقدموا السماط وهو خبز الأرز والسمك واللبن والتمر,"After this they prayed the sunset prayer and brought in the repast, consisting of rice-bread, fish, milk and dates."
فأكَّلُوا الناس، ثم صلوا العشاء الآخرة وأخذوا في الذكر والشيخ أحمد قاعد على سجادة جَدِّه المذكور، ثم أخذوا في السماع,"When all had eaten and prayed the first night prayer, they began to recite their dhikr, with the shaikh Ahmad sitting on the prayer-carpet of his ancestor above-mentioned, then they began the musical recital."
وقد أعدوا أحمالًا من الحطب فأججوها نارًا ودخلوا في وسطها يرقصون، ومنهم من يتمرَّغ فيها، ومنهم من يأكلها بفمه حتى أطفئوها جميعها,"They had prepared loads of firewood which they kindled into a flame, and went into the midst of it dancing; some of them rolled in the fire, and others ate it in their mouths, until finally they extinguished it entirely."
وهذا دأبهم، وهذه الطائفة الأحمدية مخصوصون بهذا، وفيهم من يأخذ الحية العظيمة فيعض بأسنانه على رأسها حتى يقطعه.,This is their regular custom and it is the peculiar characteristic of this corporation of Ahmad! brethren. Some of them will take a large snake and bite its head with their teeth until they bite it clean through.
"حكاية
كنت مررت بموضع يقال له أفقانبور من عمالة هزار أمروها وبينهما وبين دهلي حضرة الهند مسيرة خمس،","Anecdote. I was on one occasion at a place called Afqanbur in the district of Hazar Amruha, which is at a distance of five nights’ journey from Dihll, the capital of India."
وقد نزلنا بها على نهر يُعْرَف بنهر السرور وذلك في أوان الشكال، والشكال عندهم هو المطر وينزل في إبان القيظ،,"We had encamped there on a river called the river of al-Sarw. This was in the season of the shakdl (shakdl in their language meaning rain), which falls at the time of the summer heats."
وكان السيل ينحدر في هذا النهر من جبال قراجيل، فكلُّ مَنْ يَشْرَب منه من إنسان أو بهيمة يموت لنزول المطر على الحشائش المسمومة،,"The river was coming down in flood from the mountains of Qarajil. Now everyone who drinks from it, whether man or beast, dies because of the falling of the rain on poisonous grasses."
فباتوا عندنا ليلة، وطَلَبَ مني كبيرهم أن آتيه بالحطب ليوقدوه عند رَقْصهم، فكَلَّفْت والي تلك الجهة وهو عزيز المعروف بالخمار (وسيأتي ذِكْره) أن يأتي بالحطب،,"Their chief asked me to supply him with fire-wood that they might light it for their dance, so I charged the governor of that district, who was ‘Aziz known as alKhammar (an account of him will be given later), to furnish it."
فوجه منه نحو عشرة أحمال فأضرموا فيه النار بعد صلاة العشاء الآخرة حتى صارت جمرًا وأخذوا في السماع، ثم دخلوا في تلك النار فما زالوا يرقصون ويتمرغون فيها،,"He sent about ten loads of it, and after the night prayer they kindled it, and at length, when it was a mass of glowing coals, they began their musical recital and went into that fire, still dancing and rolling about in it."
وطلب مني كبيرهم قميصًا فأعطيته قميصًا في النهاية من الرقة فلبسه وجعل يتمرغ به في النار ويضربها بأكمامه حتى طُفِئَتْ تلك النار وخمدت،,Their chief asked me for a shirt and I gave him one of the finest texture; he put it on and he began to roll about in the fire with it on and to beat the fire with his sleeves until it was extinguished and dead.
وجاء إلي بالقميص والنار لم تؤثر فيه شيًّا البتة فطال عجبي منه،,"He then brought me the shirt showing not a single trace of burning on it, at which I was greatly astonished."
ولما حصلتْ لي زيارة الشيخ أبي العباس الرفاعي — نفع الله به — عُدْتُ إلى مدينة واسط فوجدت الرفقة التي كُنْتُ فيها قد رَحَلَتْ فلحقْتُها في الطريق،,"After making the visitation of the shaikh Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Rifa‘I (God give us good of him) I returned to the city of Wasit and found that the company that I was with had already started out, but I overtook them on the way."
ونزلنا ماء يُعْرَف بالهضيب، ثم رحلنا ونزلنا بوادي الكراع وليس به ماء، ثم رحلنا ونزلنا موضعًا يُعْرَف بالمشيرب،,"We alighted at a water-point called al-Hadhib, then continued our journey and alighted in Wadi’l Kura/, where there was » no water, then after a further march in a place called alMushairib."
ثم رحلنا منه ونزلنا بالقرب من البصرة، ثم رحلنا فدخلنا ضحوة النهار إلى مدينة البصرة.,"From there we went on and camped in the vicinity of al-Basra, and on resuming our march we entered the city of al-Basra on the forenoon of the following day."
"مدينة البصرة
فنزلنا بها رباط مالك بن دينار، وكنت رأيت عند قدومي عليها على نحو مِيلَيْنِ منها بناء عاليًا مثل الحصن،",The city of al-Basra. We alighted at the ribat of Malik ibn Dinar. As I approached the city I had remarked at a distance of some two miles from it a lofty building as tall as a castle.
فسألت عنه، فقيل لي: هو مسجد علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه،,I asked what it was and was told that it was the mosque of ‘All ibn Abi Talib (God be pleased with him).
وكانت البصرة من اتساع الخطة وانفساح الساحة بحيث كان هذا المسجد في وسطها وبينه الآن وبينها ميلان،,"AlBasra was in former days so widely settled and so vast in extent that this mosque was in the centre of the town, whereas now it is two miles outside it."
وكذلك بينه وبين السور الأول المحيط بها نحو ذلك فهو مرتبط بينهما،,"Likewise from this mosque to the old wall that encircled the town it is about the same distance, so that the mosque stands midway between the old wall and the present city."
ومدينة البصرة إحدى أمهات العراق الشهيرة الذِّكْر في الآفاق الفسيحة الأرجاء المؤنقة الأفناء ذات البساتين الكثيرة والفواكه الأثيرة توفر قسمها من النضارة والخصب لما كانت مَجْمَعَ البحرين الأُجَاج والعَذْب،,"The city of al-Basra is one of the metropolitan cities of al-Traq, renowned throughout the whole world, spacious in area and elegant in its courts, remarkable for its numerous fruit-gardens and its choice fruits; blessed with an abounding portion of plenty and of fruitfulness, since it is the meeting place of the two seas, the salt and the fresh."
وليس في الدنيا أكثر نخلًا منها فيباع التمر في سوقها بحساب أربعة عشر رطلًا عراقية بدرهم، ودرهمهم ثلث النقرة،,"No place on earth exceeds it in quantity of palm-groves, so that the current price of dates in its market is fourteen ‘Iraqi pounds to a dirham, their dirham being one-third of the nuqra."
ولقد بُعِثَ إلى قاضيها حجة الدين بقوصرة تمرٌ يحملها الرجل على تَكَلُّف، فأردْتُ بيعها فبيعت بتسعة دراهم، أخذ الحمال منها ثلثها عن أجرة حَمْلِها من المنزل إلى السوق،,"The qadl there, Hujjat al-DIn, sent me a hamper of dates that a man could scarcely carry; I sent them to be sold and they fetched nine dirhams, three of which were taken by the porter as the charge for carrying them from the house to the market."
ويُصْنَع بها من التمر عسل يسمى السيلان وهو طَيِّب كأنه الجلاب، والبصرة ثلاث محلات: إحداها محلة هذيل، وكبيرها الشيخ الفاضل علاء الدين بن الأثير من الكرماء الفضلاء، أضافني وبعث إلي بثيابٍ ودراهم،,"Al-Basra is composed of three quarters. One of them is the quarter of Hudhail, and its chief is the worthy shaikh ‘Ala al-DIn ibn al-Athlr, a generous and distinguished scholar, who showed me hospitality and sent me clothes and money."
والمحلة الثانية محلة بني حرام، كبيرها السيد الشريف مجد الدين موسى الحسني ذو مكارم وفواضل، أضافني وبعث إلي التمر والسيلان والدراهم،,"ioThe second quarter is the quarter of Banu Haram, whose chief is the noble sayyid Majd al-DIn Musa al-Hasanl, a bountiful and meritorious man, who [also] showed me hospitality and sent me dates, sailan and money."
والمحلة الثالثة محلة العجم، كبيرها جمال الدين ابن اللوكي،,"The third quarter is the quarter of the Persians, the chief of which is Jamal al-DIn ibn al-Lukl."
وأهل البصرة لهم مكارم أخلاق وإيناس للغريب وقيام بحقه فلا يستوحش فيما بينهم غريب،,"The people of al-Basra are of generous nature, hospitable to the stranger and readily doing their duty by him, so that no stranger feels lonely amongst them."
وهم يُصَلُّون الجمعة في مسجد أمير المؤمنين علي رضي الله عنه الذي ذَكَرْتُهُ، ثم يُسَدُّ فلا يأتونه إلا في الجمعة، وهذا المسجد من أحسن المساجد،,They hold the Friday prayers in the mosque of the Commander of the Faithful ‘Ali (God be pleased with him) which I have already mentioned ; it is closed after that and they do not visit it except on Fridays. This is one of the finest of mosques.
وصحنه متناهي الانفساح مفروش بالحصباء الحمراء التي يؤتى بها من وادي السباع،,Its court is of immense extent and paved with red pebbles which are brought from Wadi’l-Siba’.
وفيه المصحف الكريم الذي كان عثمان رضي الله عنه يقرأ فيه لما قُتِلَ وأثر تغييره الدم في الورقة التي فيه قوله تعالى: فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللهُ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ.,"There is preserved in it the copy of the Holy Qur’an which ‘Othman (God be pleased with him) was reading when he was killed, and the stain of the blood is still on the leaf which contains the word of God Most High ‘And « God will suffice thee against them, for He is the Hearer, the Knower’."
"حكاية اعتبار
شهدت مرة بهذا المسجد صلاة الجمعة، فلما قام الخطيب به إلى الخطبة وسردها لحن فيها لحنًا كثيرًا جليًّا،","An anecdote, for reflection. I was present one day at the Friday service in this mosque and when the preacher rose and recited his discourse he committed in it many gross errors of grammar."
فعجبت مِنْ أَمْرِه وذَكَرْتُ ذلك للقاضي حجة الدين، فقال لي: إن هذا البلد لم يَبْقَ به من يَعْرِف شيئًا من علم النحو، وهذه عبرة لمن تَفَكَّرَ فيها، سبحان مغير الأشياء ومقلب الأمور،,"I was astonished at his conduct and spoke of it to the qadi Hujjat al-Din, who said to me ‘In this town there is not a man left who knows anything of the science of grammar’. Here is a lesson for men to reflect on—magnified be He who changes all things and inverts all conditions."
هذه البصرة التي إلى أهلها انتهت رياسة النحو وفيها أَصْلُهُ وفَرْعُه ومن أهلها إمامه الذي لا يُنْكَر سبقه، لا يقيم خطيبُها خطبةَ الجمعة على دءوبه عليها؛,"This Basra, to whose inhabitants fell the mastery in the science of grammar, from whose soil sprang its trunk and its branches, and from whose people arose its leader whose primacy is undisputed—the preacher in this town cannot deliver a Friday discourse according to its rules for all his efforts !"
ولهذا المسجد سبع صوامع إحداها الصومعة التي تتحرك — بزعمهم — عند ذِكْر علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه،,"This mosque has seven minarets, one of them the minaret which shakes, or so they say, when the name of ‘All ibn Abl Talib (God be pleased with him) is mentioned."
صعدْتُ إليها من أعلى سطح المسجد ومعي بعض أهل البصرة، فوجدت في ركن من أركانها مقبض خشب مسمرًا فيها كأنه مقبض مملسة البناء,"I climbed up to this minaret from the top of the roof of the mosque, accompanied by one of the inhabitants of al-Basra, and I found in one angle of it a wooden hand-grip nailed into it, resembling the handle of a builder’s trowel."
فجعل الرجل الذي كان معي يده في ذلك المقبض وقال: بحق رأس أمير المؤمنين علي رضي الله عنه تحركي، وهَزَّ المقبض فتحرَّكَت الصومعة،,"The man who was with me placed his hand on that hand-grip and said ‘By right of the head of the Commander of the Faithful ‘All (God be pleased with him), shake,’ and he shook the hand-grip, whereupon the whole minaret quivered."
فجعلْتُ أنا يدي في المقبض، وقلت له: وأنا أقول: بحق رأس أبي بكر خليفة رسول الله ﷺ تحركي، وهززت المقبض، فتحرَّكَت الصومعة، فعجبوا من ذلك،,"I in my turn placed my hand on the hand-grip and said to him ‘And I say “By right of the head of Abu Bakr, the successor of the Apostle of God (God give him blessing and peace), shake,’ and I shook the hand-grip and the whole minaret quivered. They were astonished at this."
"وأهل البصرة على مذهب السنة والجماعة.
ولا يَخَاف من يَفْعَلُ مثل فعلي عندهم، ولو جرى مثل هذا بمشهد علي أو مشهد الحسين أو بالحلة أو بالبحرين أو قم أو قاشان أو ساوة أو آوة أو طوس لَهَلَكَ فَاعِلُه؛ لأنهم رافضة غالية،","The people of al-Basra are followers of the Sunna and the Community, and no one who does as I did has anything to fear from them, but if anything like this were to happen at Mashhad ‘Ali [Najaf] or Mashhad al-Husain [Karbala’] or at al-Hilla or al-Bahrain or Qumm or Qashan or Sawa or Awa or Tus, whoever did it would perish, because they are fanatical Shi’ites."
قال ابن جزي: قد عاينْتُ بمدينة برشانة من وادي المنصورة من بلاد الأندلس — حاطها الله — صومعة تَهْتَزُّ من غير أن يُذْكَرَ لها أحد من الخلفاء أو سواهم،,"Ibn Juzayy says ‘I have seen in the city of Barshana, in the valley of al-Mansura in the land of al-Andalus (God protect her), a minaret which shakes without having mentioned to it the name of any of the Caliphs or anyone else."
وفي صومعة المسجد الأعظم بها، وبناؤها ليس بالقديم، وهي كأحسن ما أنت راءٍ من الصوامع حُسْنَ منظر واعتدالًا وارتفاعًا، لا ميل فيها ولا زيغ،,"It is the minaret of the principal mosque there, of no very ancient construction, and it is about the finest minaret that you could see for beauty of appearance, proportions and height, without any inclination or deviation."
صعدْتُ إليها مرة ومعي جماعة من الناس، فأخذ بعض من كان معي بجوانب جامورها وهزوها فاهتزت حتى أَشَرْتُ إليهم أن يكفوا فكفوا عن هزها (رجع).,"I climbed it once in company with a number of people, and some of those who were with me grasped the sides of its topmost part and shook them so that the whole tower quivered, until I made signs to them to stop shaking it and they stopped.’ (To return)."
"ذكر المشاهد المباركة بالبصرة
فمنها مشهد طلحة بن عبيد الله أحد العشرة رضي الله عنهم وهو بداخل المدينة وعليه قبة ومسجد وزاوية،","Description of the Blessed Sanctuaries at al-Basra. One of them is the tomb of Talha ibn ‘Obaidallah, one of the Ten [to whom Paradise was promised] (God be pleased with them). It is inside the city and has a dome over it and an adjacent mosque and convent in which food is served to all comers."
فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر، وأهل البصرة يعظمونه تعظيمًا شديدًا — وحَقَّ له.ومنها مشهد الزبير بن العوام حواري رسول الله ﷺ وابن عمته رضي الله عنهما,"The people of al-Basra venerate it very highly, and rightly so. There is also the tomb of al-Zubair ibn al-‘Awwam, the disciple of the Apostle of God (God give him blessing and peace) and the son of his parental aunt (God be pleased with them both)."
وهو بخارج البصرة ولا قبة عليه، وله مسجد وزاوية فيها الطعام لأبناء السبيل.,"It is outside al-Basra and has no dome, but has a mosque and a convent in which food is served to travellers."
ومنها قبر حليمة السعدية أم رسول الله ﷺ من الرضاعة رضي الله عنها، وإلى جانبها قبر ابنها رضيع رسول الله ﷺ،,"Also the grave of Hallma of the tribe of Sa‘d, the fostermother of the Apostle of God (God be pleased with her), and by her side the grave of her son, the foster-brother of the Apostle of God (God give him blessing and peace)."
ومنها قبر أبي بكرة صاحب رسول الله ﷺ وعليه قبة،,"Then the grave of Abu Bakra, the companion of the Apostle of God (God give him blessing and peace) which has a dome over it."
وعلى ستة أميال منها بقرب وادي السباع قبر أنس بن مالك خادم رسول الله ﷺ، ولا سبيل لزيارته إلا في جَمْع كثيف لكثرة السباع وعدم العمران،,"About six miles from al-Basra, near Wadi’l-Siba’, is the grave of Anas ibn Malik, the servant of the Apostle of God (God give him blessing and peace), but it cannot be visited except in a large company because of the number of wild beasts and its uninhabited state."
ومنها قبر الحسن بن أبي الحسن البصري سيد التابعين رضي الله عنه، ومنها قبر محمد بن سيرين رضي الله عنه، ومنها قبر محمد بن واسع رضي الله عنه، ومنها قبر عتبة الغلام رضي الله عنه، ومنها قبر مالك بن دينار رضي الله عنه، ومنها قبر حبيب العجمي رضي الله عنه، ومنها قبر سهل بن عبد الله التستري رضي الله عنه،,"Furthermore there is the grave of al-Hasan ibn Abi’l-Hasan al-Basri, the chief of the generation of Followers (God be pleased with him), and the tombs of Muhammad ibn Sirin, Muhammad ibn Wasi‘, ‘Utba the lad, Malik ibn Dinar, Habib al-‘Ajami, and Sahl ibn ‘Abdallah alTustari (God be pleased with them all)."
وعلى كل قبر منها قبة مكتوب فيها اسم صاحب القبر ووفاته،,Over each of these tombs is a tombstone with the name of the person buried there and the date of his death inscribed upon it.
وذلك كله داخل السور القديم وهي اليوم بينها وبين البلد نحو ثلاثة أميال وبها سوى ذلك قبور الجم الغفير من الصحابة والتابعين المستشهدين يوم الجمل، وكان أمير البصرة حين ورودي عليها يُسَمَّى بركن الدين العجمي التوريزي أضافني فأحسن إلي،,"All of these are inside the old wall, and are today about three miles distant from the town. In addition, there are there the graves of a vast number of the Companions and Followers who found martyrdom on the day of the Camel, is The governor of al-Basra at the time of my arrival there was named Rukn al-Din al-‘Aj ami of Tawriz, and he showed me hospitality and made gifts to me."
والبصرة على ساحل الفرات والدجلة وبها المد والجزر كمثل ما هو بوادي سلا من بلاد المغرب وسواه,"Al-Basra is on the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris, and there is high tide and low tide there just as there is in the Wadi Sala and elsewhere in the country of the Maghrib."
والخليج المالح الخارج من بحر فارس على عشرة أميال منها، فإذا كان المدُّ غَلَبَ الماء المالح على العذب، وإذا كان الجزر غَلَبَ الماء الحلو على المالح,"The channel of salt water which comes up from the Sea of Fars is at a distance of ten miles from the town, and at high tide the salt water overpowers the sweet but at low tide the sweet water overpowers the salt."
فيستسقي أهل البصرة الماء لدورهم؛ ولذلك يقال: إن ماءهم زعاق،,The inhabitants of al-Basra draw this water for use in their houses and for this reason the saying goes that their water is brackish.
وقال ابن جزي: وبسبب ذلك كان هواء البصرة غير جيد وألوان أهلها مصفرة كاسفة حتى ضُرِبَ بهم المثل،,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: It is for the same reason that the air of al-Basra is unhealthy and that the complexions of its inhabitants are yellowish and sallow, to such an extent that they have become proverbial."
"So God hath clothed in sickly hue
the slaves of love—the Basrans too!","A certain poet said when a citron was brought in front of the Sahib:
A citron here amongst us shows the image of the lachrymose."
(رجع)، ثم رَكِبْتُ من ساحل البصرة في صنبوق — وهو القارب الصغير — إلى الأبلة,"(To return.) Thereafter, from the strand of al-Basra, I embarked in a sumbuq, that is a small boat, for alUbulla."
وبينها وبين البصرة عشرة أميال في بساتين متصلة ونخيل مظللة عن اليمين واليسار، والبياعة في ظلال الأشجار يبيعون الخبز والسمك والتمر واللبن والفواكه،,"The distance between them is ten miles, through an uninterrupted succession of fruit gardens and overshadowing palmgroves both to right and left, with traders sitting in the shade of the trees, selling bread, fish, dates, milk and fruit."
وفيما بين البصرة والأبلة متعبَّد سهل بن عبد الله التستري، فإذا حاذاه الناس بالسفن تراهم يشربون الماء مما يحاذيه من الوادي، ويَدْعُون عند ذلك تبركًا بهذا الولي رضي الله عنه، والنواتية يحرفون في هذه البلاد وهم قيام،,"Between al-Basra and al-Ubulla there is the cell of Sahl ibn ‘Abdallah of Tustar; and when those travelling in the vessels draw level with it you may see them drinking from the water of the river which faces it and praying at the same time, in order to profit by the blessing of this saint (God be pleased with him). The sailors in this country row standing up."
وكانت الأبلة مدينة عظيمة يقصدها تجار الهند وفارس فخربت، وهي الآن قرية بها آثار قصور وغيرها دالة على عظمها،,"Al-Ubulla was in former times a great city, frequented by merchants from India and Fars, but it fell into decay and is now a village, though it preserves traces of palaces and *» other buildings which indicate its former greatness."
ثم رَكِبْنَا في الخليج الخارج من بحر فارس في مركب صغير لرجل من أهل الأبلة يسمى بمغامس، وذلك فيما بعد المغرب فصبحنا عبادان وهي قرية كبيرة في سبخة لا عمارة بها، وفيها مساجد كثيرة ومتعبدات ورباطات للصالحين، وبينها وبين الساحل ثلاثة أميال،,"Here we embarked on the channel which comes up from the Sea of Fars in a small ship belonging to a man from al-Ubulla named Mughamis. It was after sunset when we sailed and in the early morning we reached ‘Abbadan, a large village on a salt marsh, with no cultivation but containing many mosques and cells and hermitages for devotees. It is three miles from the strand."
قال ابن جزي: عبادان كانت بلدًا فيما تَقَدَّمَ وهي مُجْدِبة لا زَرْع بها، وإنما يُجْلَب إليها، والماء أيضًا بها قليل،,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘Abbadan was a township in former times, but it is barren, grain is not grown on it and has all to be imported, and water also is scarce in it."
Every crust of bread’s a prize to wrangle o’er.,"A certain poet said of it:
Who will tell my friends in Andalus that I Dwell in ‘Abbadan, at earth’s remotest shore?
Desolatest spot that ever met my eye—
Only that its fame I wanted to explore.
Every sip of water there you have to buy,"
(رجع)، وعلى ساحل البحر منها رابطة تُعْرَف بالنسبة إلى الخَضِر وإلياس عليهما السلام وبإزائها زاوية يسكنها أربعة من الفقراء بأولادهم يخدمون الرابطة والزاوية ويتعيشون من فتوحات الناس،,"(To return.) On the shore of ‘Abbadan there is a hermitage
which is called after the name of al-Khidr and Ilyas (peace be upon them), and alongside it a convent inhabited by four poor brethren with their children, who maintain the service of the hermitage and the convent and subsist on private charity."
وكل مَنْ يَمُرُّ بهم يتصدق عليهم، وذَكَرَ لي أهل هذه الزاوية أن بعبادان عابدًا كبير القدر ولا أنيس له,"Everyone who passes by them gives them alms. The men of this convent told me that there was at ‘Abbadan a devotee of great merit, living entirely alone."
يأتي هذا البحر مرة في الشهر، فيصطاد فيه ما يقوته شهرًا، ثم لا يُرَى إلا بعد تمام شهر، وهو على ذلك منذ أعوام،,"He used to come down to this sea once a month and catch there enough fish for a month’s provision, and would not be seen again until the end of the next month. This had been his custom for many years."
فلما وَصَلْنَا عبادان لم يَكُن لي شأن إلا طلبه، فاشتغل من كان معي بالصلاة في المساجد والمتعبدات وانطلقت طالبًا له,"When we reached ‘Abbadan I had no other care than to seek him out, so while those who were with me were occupied in prayers in the mosque and cells, I went off in search of him."
فجئت مسجدًا خربًا فوجدته يصلي فيه فجلست في جانبه,"came to a mosque in a ruinous condition and found him praying in it, so I sat down beside him."
فأوجز في صلاته، ولما سلم أخذ بيدي وقال لي: بَلَّغَكَ الله مرادك في الدنيا والآخرة،,"He shortened his prayer, and after pronouncing the benedictions took my hand and said to me ‘May God grant you your desire in this world and the next’."
فقد بلغت — بحمد الله — مرادي في الدنيا، وهو السياحة في الأرض، وبلغت من ذلك ما لم يَبْلُغْه غيري فيما أعلمه،,"I have indeed—praise be to God—attained my desire in this world, which was to travel through the earth, and I have attained in this respect what no other person has attained to my knowledge."
وبَقِيَت الأخرى، والرجاء قوي في رحمة الله وتجاوُزه وبلوغ المراد من دخول الجنة،,"The world to come remains, but my hope is strong in the mercy and clemency of God, and the attainment of my desire to enter the Garden."
ولما أَتَيْتُ أصحابي أَخْبَرْتُهُمْ خَبَرَ الرجل وأَعْلَمْتُهُم بموضعه، فذهبوا إليه فلم يجدوه ولا وقعوا له على خبر، فعَجِبُوا من شأنه,"When I came back to my companions and told them what had happened to me with this man and indicated his place to them, they went to see him, but they could not find him nor come to any information about him and they were filled with amazement at this incident."
وعُدْنَا بالعشي إلى الزاوية، فبتنا بها ودَخَلَ علينا أحد الفقراء الأربعة بعد صلاة العشاء الآخرة،,We returned in the evening to the convent and put up in it for the night. After the last nightprayer one of the four poor brethren came into our room.
ومن عادة ذلك الفقير أن يأتي عبادان كل ليلة فيسرج السرج بمساجدها ثم يعود إلى زاويته،,"It was the custom of this brother to go into ‘Abbadan every night and light the lamps in the mosques, after which he returned to his convent."
فلما وَصَلَ إلى عبادان وَجَدَ الرجل العابد فأعطاه سمكة طرية، وقال له: أَوْصِل هذه إلى الضيف الذي قَدِمَ اليوم،,"When he reached ‘Abbadan [that evening], he found the devotee, who gave him a fresh fish, saying to him, ‘Take this to the guest who came today’."
فقال لنا الفقير عند دخوله علينا: من رأى منكم الشيخ اليوم؟ فقلت له: أنا رأيته، فقال: يقول لك: هذه ضيافتك، فشَكَرْتُ الله على ذلك،,"So the poor brother said to us as he came in, ‘Which of you saw the Shaikh today?’ I replied, ‘It was I who saw him’ and he said, ‘He says to you “This is your hospitality-gift”.’"
وطَبَخَ لنا الفقير تلك السمكة فأكلنا منها أجمعون، وما أَكَلْتُ قط سمكًا أطيب منها،,I thanked God for that and the poor brother cooked that fish for us and we all ate of it. I have never tasted better fish.
وهجس في خاطري الإقامة بقية العمر في خدمة ذلك الشيخ، ثم صَرَفَتْني النفس اللَّجُوج عن ذلك،,"For a moment I entertained the idea of spending the rest of my life in the service of this shaikh, but I was dissuaded from it by the pertinacity of my spirit."
ثم رَكِبْنا البحر عند الصبح بقَصْد بلدة ماجول، ومن عادتي في سفري أن لا أعود على طريقٍ سَلَكْتُها ما أمكنني ذلك،,"On the next morning we resumed our sea-voyage, making for the town of Machul. It was a habit of mine on my travels never, so far as possible, to retrace any road that I had once travelled over."
وكنت أُحِبُّ قَصْد بغداد العراق، فأشار علي بعض أهل البصرة بالسفر إلى أرض اللور ثم إلى عراق العجم ثم إلى عراق العرب، فعملت بمقتضى إشارته.,"I was desirous of making for Baghdad in al-‘Iraq, and a man at al-Basra advised me to travel to the country of the Lurs, and from there to ‘Iraq al-‘Ajam and then on to ‘Iraq al-‘Arab, and I followed his advice."
ووصلنا بعد أربعة أيام إلى بلدة ماجول على وزن فاعول وجيمها معقودة، وهي صغيرة على ساحل هذا الخليج الذي ذَكَرْنا أنه يخرج من بحر فارس،,"Four days later we reached the town of Machul, a small place on the coast of this channel which we have described as coming out of the Sea of Fars."
وأرضها سبخة لا شجر فيها ولا نبات، ولها سوق عظيمة من أكبر الأسواق، وأقمت بها يومًا واحدًا، ثم اكتريت دابة لركوبي من الذين يَجْلِبُون الحبوب من رامز إلى ماجول،,"Its ground is saline, without trees or vegetation, and it has an immense bazaar, one of the largest of its kind. I stayed there only one day and after that I hired from some merchants who bring grain from Ramiz to Machul a mount for my conveyance."
وسِرْنا ثلاثًا في صحراء يسكنها الأكراد في بيوت الشعر، ويقال: إن أصلهم من العرب، ثم وَصَلْنا إلى مدينة رامز، وأول حروفها (راء وآخرها زاي وميمها مكسورة)، وهي مدينة حسنة ذات فواكه وأنهار،,"We travelled for three nights across open country inhabited by Kurds in hair-tents, who are said to be Arabs by origin, and then reached the town of Ramiz, a fine city with fruit-trees and rivers."
ونزلنا بها عند القاضي حسام الدين محمود، ولقيت عنده رجلًا من أهل العلم والدين والورع هندي الأصل يُدْعى بهاء الدين,"We lodged there with the qadi Husam al-Din Mahmud, in whose company I found a man of learning, religion, and piety, of Indian origin, called Baha’ al-Din."
ويُسَمَّى إسماعيل، وهو من أولاد الشيخ بهاء الدين أبي زكريا الملتاني، وقرأ على مشايخ توريز وغيرها،,"His name was Isma’il and he was one of the sons of the shaikh Baha’ al-Din Abu Zakariya of Multan, and had studied under the shaikhs of Tawriz and other places."
وأقمْتُ بمدينة رامز ليلة واحدة، ثم رحلنا منها ثلاثًا في بسيط فيه قرًى يسكنها الأكراد،,"I stayed only one night in the town of Ramiz, after which we continued our journey for three nights more across a plain where there are villages inhabited by Kurds."
وفي كل مرحلة منها زاوية فيها للوارد الخبز واللحم والحلواء، وحلواؤهم من رب العنب مخلوط بالدقيق والسمن،,"At the end of each stage of this journey there was a hospice at which every traveller was supplied with bread, meat and sweetmeats Their sweetmeats are made with grape-syrup mixed with flour and ghee.."
وفي كل زاوية الشيخ والإمام والمؤذنون والخادم للفقراء والعبيد، والخدم يطبخون الطعام،,"In each hospice there is a shaikh, a prayer-leader, a muezzin, and a servitor for the poor brethren, together with slaves and servants who cook the food."
ثم وَصَلْتُ إلى مدينة تستر وهي آخر البسيط من بلاد أتابك وأول الجبال، مدينة كبيرة رائقة نضرة وبها البساتين الشريفة والرياض المنيفة، ولها المحاسن البارعة والأسواق الجامعة،,"I came next to the city of Tustar, which is situated at the edge of the plain in the dominion of the Atabek and the beginning of the mountains—a large city, splendid and flourishing, with noble orchards and superb gardens, and possessed of rare attractions and well-stocked markets."
وهي قديمة البناء افتتحها خالد بن الوليد، ووالي هذه المدينة ينسب سهل بن عبد الله،,"It is of ancient foundation, having been captured by Khalid b. al-Walld, and it is after this city that Sahl b. ‘Abdallah is called."
ويحيط بها النهر المعروف بالأزرق، وهو عجيب في نهاية من الصفا شديد البرودة في أيام الحر، ولم أَرَ كزُرْقَتِهِ إلا نهر بلخشان،,"It is encircled by the river called al-Azraq, which is a marvel, unsurpassed in its clearness and exceedingly cold during the hot season. I have never seen any river as blue except the river of Balakhshan."
ولها باب واحد للمسافرين يُسَمَّى دروازة دسبول، والدروازة عندهم الباب، ولها أبواب غيره شارعة إلى النهر،,"The city has a single gate by which travellers can enter, called darwdza Disbul, darwdza meaning in their language ‘gate’, but it has other gates leading down to the river."
وعلى جانِبَي النهر البساتين والدواليب، والنهر عميق، وعلى باب المسافرين منه جسر على القوارب كجسر بغداد والحلة،,"On both banks of the river, there are orchards and water-wheels; the river itself is deep and over it, leading to the travellers’ gate, there is a bridge upon boats like the bridges of Baghdad and al-Hilla."
"قال ابن حزي: وفي هذا النهر يقول بعضهم (كامل):
انظر لشاذر وأن تستر واعجبمن جمعه ماء لري بلادِهِ
كَمَيْتِ قوم جُمِّعَتْ أمواله فغدا يُفَرِّقه على أجنادِهِ","Ibn Juzayy remarks: It is of this river that a certain poet has said:
See Tustar’s water-fence With wondrous art dispense The streams that it impounds To all the thirsty grounds.
So will a mighty prince Engross his subjects’ pence,
Then parcel them away Upon his soldiers’ pay."
والفواكه بتستر كثيرة والخيرات متيسرة غزيرة ولا مِثْل لأسواقها في الحسن،,"There is an abundance of fruits at Tustar, commodities are plenteously available, and its bazaars have not their equal in attraction."
وبخارجها تربة معظمة يقصدها أهل تلك الأقطار للزيارة ويَنْذُرون لها النذور،,Outside the city there is a venerated tomb to which the inhabitants of those regions come on pilgrimage and make vows.
ولها زاوية بها جماعة من الفقراء، وهم يزعمون أنها تربة زين العابدين علي بن الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب،,"It has a convent where a number of poor brethren lodge, and the people there assert that it is the tomb of Zain al-‘Abidin ‘All b. al-Husain b. ‘All b. Abi Talib."
وكان نزولي من مدينة تستر في مدرسة الشيخ الإمام الصالح المتفنن شرف الدين بن موسى ابن الشيخ الصالح الإمام العالم صدر الدين سليمان وهو من ذرية سهل بن عبد الله،,"I stayed in the city of Tustar at the college of the pious shaikh and versatile imam, Sharaf al-Din Musa, son of the pious shaikh and learned imam Sadr al-Din Sulaiman, who is descended from Sahl b. ‘Abdallah."
وهذا الشيخ ذو مكارم وفضائل جامع بين العلم والدين والصلاح والإيثار،,"The shaikh is a man of generous qualities and outstanding merits, who combines knowledge and religion, saintly life and munificence."
وله مدرسة وزاوية وخدامها فتيان له أربعة: سنبل وكافور وجوهر وسرو،,"He has a college and a convent, the servitors of which are slaves of his, four in number, Sumbul, Kafur, Jawhar and Surur."
أحدهم موكل بأوقاف الزاوية، والثاني متصرِّف فيما يحتاج إليه من النفقات في كل يوم، والثالث خديم السماط بين أيدي الواردين ومرتِّب الطعام لهم، والرابع موكل بالطباخين والسقائين والفراشين،,"One of them administers the endowments of the convent, the second lays out whatever is required of expenditure on each day, the third is the servitor of the table for visitors and supervises the distribution of food to them, and the fourth is the superintendent of the cooks, water-carriers and domestics."
فأقمت عنده ستة عشر يومًا، فلم أرَ أعجب من ترتيبه ولا أَرْغَدَ من طعامه،,I stayed with him for sixteen days and I have never seen anything more admirable than his organization nor more lavish than the supply of food at his table.
يُقَدِّم بين يدي الرجل ما يكفي الأربعة من طعام الأرز المفلفل المطبوخ في السمن والدجاج المقلي والخبز واللحم والحلواء،,"There was put before each man enough to supply four persons: pilaff of rice flavoured with pepper and cooked in ghee, fried chickens, bread, meat and sweetmeats."
وهذا الشيخ من أحسن الناس صورة وأقومهم سيرة،,This shaikh is one of the handsomest of men in figure and most upright in conduct.
وهو يَعِظُ الناس بعد صلاة الجمعة بالمسجد الجامع، ولَمَّا شاهَدْتُ مَجَالِسَه في الوعظ صغر لدي كل واعظ رأيته قبله بالحجاز والشام ومصر، ولم ألْقَ فيمن لقيتهم مثله،,"He preaches to the public after the Friday prayer in the cathedral-mosque, and when I attended his preaching-session all the preachers whom I had seen previously in the Hijaz, Syria, and Egypt sank in my estimation, nor have I ever met his equal."
حضرت يومًا عنده ببستان له على شاطئ النهر، وقد اجتمع فقهاء المدينة وكبراؤها وأتى الفقراء من كل ناحية,"I was present with him one day in a garden of his on the bank of the river where there was a
gathering of the doctors and the notables of the city, and the poor brethren came from every direction."
فأَطْعَمَ الجميع، ثم صلى بهم صلاة الظهر، وقام خطيبًا وواعظًا بعد أن قرأ القراء أمامه بالتلاحين المبكية والنغمات المحركة المهيجة،,"He served them all with food, then led them in the mid-day prayer and, after the Qur’an-readers had recited in front of him, chanting in a manner that brought tears to the eyes and with moving and stirring modulations, he rose up to preach and admonish."
وخَطَبَ خطبة بسكينة ووقار وتصرف في فنون العلم من تفسير كتاب الله وإيراد حديث رسول الله والتكلم على معانيه،,"He delivered a discourse with solemnity and dignity, making extempore use of all kinds of learning, interpretations of the Book of God, citation of the traditions of the Apostle of God, and dissertation upon their meanings."
ثم تَرَامَتْ عليه الرقاع من كل ناحية، ومن عادة الأعاجم أن يكتبوا المسائل في رقاع ويرمونها إلى الواعظ فيجيب عنها،,"When he had finished, bits of paper were thrown to him from all sides, for it is a custom of the Persians to jot down questions on scraps of paper and throw them to the preacher, who answers them."
فلما رُمِيَ إليه بتلك الرقاع جَمَعَهَا في يده وأَخَذَ يجيب عنها واحدة بعد واحدة بأبدع جواب وأحسنه،,"When these scraps of paper were thrown to him, he collected them all in his hand and began to answer them one after the other in the most fascinating and elegant manner."
وحان وقت صلاة العصر فصلى بالقوم وانصرفوا، وكان مجلسه مَجْلِسَ عِلْم ووَعْظ وبركة، وتَبَادَرَ التائبون فأَخَذَ عليهم العهد وجَزَّ نواصيهم،,"It was then time for the ‘asr prayer, so he led the congregation in the prayers and then they retired. His assembly was an assembly of learning, admonition and blessed power, the penitents presented themselves one after the other, and he took the pledge from them and clipped their forelocks."
وكانوا خمسة عشر رجلًا من الطلبة، قَدِمُوا من البصرة برسم ذلك، وعشرة رجال من عوام تستر.,"They were fifteen men of the student class who had come from al-Basra for this purpose, and ten men of the general population of Tustar."
"حكاية
لما دخلت هذه المدينة أصابني مرض الحمى، وهذه البلاد يحم داخلها في زمان الحر كما يعرض في دمشق وسواها من البلاد الكثيرة المياه والفواكه، وأصابت الحمى أصحابي أيضًا، فمات منهم شيخ اسمه يحيى الخراساني،","Anecdote. When I entered this city I was attacked by a fever, for visitors to these countries in the hot season generally suffer from fever, as happens also in Damascus and other cities which have abundant waters and fruits. The fever attacked my companions also and one of them died, a shaikh whose name was Yahya al-Khurasam."
وقام الشيخ بتجهيزه من كل ما يحتاج إليه الميت وصلى عليه،,"The shaikh [of whom I have spoken] paid the costs of his preparation for burial with all that a dead man needs, and prayed over him."
وتركت بها صاحبًا لي يُدْعَى بهاء الدين الخثني فمات بعد سفري، وكنت حين مرضي لا أشتهي إلا طعمته التي تُصْنَع لي بمدرسته،,"I left there also one of my companions called Baha al-DIn alKhatanl, and he died after my departure. During my illness I had no appetite for the dishes which were prepared for me in his college."
فذكر لي الفقيه شمس الدين السندي من طلبتها طعامًا، فاشتهيته ودَفَعْتُ له دراهم وطَبَخَ لي ذلك الطعام بالسوق، وأتى به إلي فأكلت منه.,"The faqlh Shams al-Din al-Sindl, one of the students there, mentioned a certain dish to me and I fancied it and paid him some dirhams. He had that dish cooked for me in the bazaar and brought it to me and I ate of it."
وبَلَغَ ذلك الشيخ فشَقَّ عليه وأتى إلي وقال لي: كيف تَفْعَل هذا وتطبخ الطعام في السوق، وهلا أَمَرْتَ الخدم أن يصنعوا لك ما اشتهيتَه،,When this was told to the Shaikh he was cut to the quick and came to see me and said ‘How can you do this and have food cooked in the bazaar? Why did you not order the servants to prepare for you what you fancied?’
ثم أَحْضَرَ جميعهم وقال لهم: جميع ما يَطْلُب منكم من أنواع الطعام والسكر وغير ذلك، فأتوا إليه به واطبخوا له ما يشاؤه وأَكَّدَ عليهم في ذلك أَشَدَّ التأكيد جزاه الله خيرًا،,"He then had them all called and said to them ‘Whatever he asks for from you in the way of food and sugar and so on, bring it to him and cook for him whatever he wishes’, and he impressed this on them in the most emphatic way—God reward him with good."
ثم سافَرْنَا من مدينة تستر ثلاثًا في جبال شامخة، وبكل منزل زاوية كما تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْر ذلك، ووصلنا إلى مدينة إيذَج (وضبْط اسمها بكسر الهمزة وياء مد وذال معجم مفتوح وجيم)، وتُسَمَّى أيضًا مال الأمير وهي حضرة السلطان أتابك،,"We set out from the city of Tustar, travelling for the space of three nights through towering mountains, at each stage there being a hospice like those already described, and came to the city of Idhaj, also called Mai al-Amir, the capital of the sultan Atabek."
وعند وصولي إليها اجتمعت بشيخ شيوخها العالِم الورِع نور الدين الكرماني، وله النظر في جميع الزوايا وهم يُسَمُّونَها المدرسة،,"On my arrival there I met with its shaikh of shaikhs, the learned and pious Nur al-Din al-Kirmani, who has the supervision of all the hospices (which these people call by the term madrasa)."
والسلطان يعظمه ويقصد زيارته، وكذلك أرباب الدولة وكبراء الحضرة يزورونه غدوًّا وعشيًّا،,"The Sultan venerates him and comes to visit him, and so also the officers of state and the chief men of the capital visit him morning and evening."
فأكْرَمَني وأضافني وأنزلَنِي بزاوية تُعْرَف باسم الدينوري، وأقمت بها أيامًا،,"He received me honourably and hospitably and lodged me in a hospice by the name of al-DInawari, where I stayed for some days."
وكان وصولي في أيام القيظ وكنا نصلي صلاة الليل ثم ننام بأعلى سطحها ثم ننزل إلى الزاوية ضحوة،,My arrival was at the period of the summer heats ; we used to pray the night prayers and then lie down to sleep on the top of the roof of the hospice and descend to the hospice itself in the early morning.
وكان في صحبتي اثنا عشر فقيرًا منهم إمام وقارئان مُجِيدان وخادم ونحن على أحسن ترتيب.,"I had in my company twelve poor brethren including an imam, two skilled reciters of the Qur’an and a servitor so that we made a well-organized party."
"ذِكْر ملك إيذج وتستر
ومَلِك إيذج في عهد دخولي إليها السلطان أتباك أفراسياب ابن السلطان أتابك أحمد، وأتابك عندهم سمة لكل من يلي هذه البلاد من ملك، وتُسَمَّى هذه البلاد بلاد اللور،","Account of the king of dhaj and Tustar. The king of Idaj at the time of my entry into it was the sultan Atabek Afrasiyab, son of the sultan Atabek Ahmad, atabek being with them a title common to every king who rules that country, and the country itself is called the country of the Lurs."
ووَلِيَ هذا السلطان بعد أخيه أتابك يوسف، ووَلِيَ يوسف بعد أبيه أتابك أحمد،,"This sultan succeeded his brother Atabek Yusuf, and Yusuf succeeded his father Atabek Ahmad."
وكان أحمد المذكور ملكًا صالحًا، سَمِعْتُ من الثقات ببلاده أنه عَمَرَ أربعمائة وستين زاوية ببلاده منها بحضرة إيذج أربع وأربعون,"The Ahmad just mentioned was a pious king; I have heard from a trustworthy person in his country that he established four hundred and sixty hospices in his territories, forty four of them in the capital Idhaj."
وقسم خراج بلاده أثلاثًا، فالثلث منه لنفقة الزوايا والمدارس، والثلث منه لمرتب العساكر، والثلث لنفقته ونفقة عياله وعبيده وخُدَّامه،,"He divided the revenue of his territories into three parts, one third of it for the upkeep of the hospices and colleges, one third for the pay of his troops, and one third for his own expenditure and the upkeep of his household, slaves and ser-vants."
ويبعث منه هدية لملك العراق في كل سنة، وربما وفد عليه بنفسه،,"From this money he used to send a gift to the king of al-Traq every year, and often went to visit him in person."
وشاهدت من آثاره الصالحة ببلاده أن أكثرها في جبال شامخة وقد نُحِتَت الطرق في الصخور والحجارة وسُوِّيَتْ ووُسِّعَتْ بحيث تَصْعَدها الدواب بأحمالها،,I observed from my own experience that of the pious foundations that preserve his name in his country the majority are amid lofty mountain-ranges; but roads [to them] have been hewn out of the rocks and stones and have been made so level and so wide that transport animals can climb them with their loads.
وطول هذه الجبال مسيرة سبعة عشر في عَرْض عشرة، وهي شاهقة مُتَّصِل بعضها ببعض، تشقها الأنهار,"These mountains extend for a distance of seventeen days’ journey in length and ten days’ in breadth, and they are exceedingly high, in continuous chains one after the other, and cut through by rivers."
وشجر البلوط، وهم يصنعون من دقيقه الخبز،,"The trees on them are oaks, from the flour of which they make bread."
وفي كل منزل من منازلها زاوية يسمونها المدرسة، فإذا وَصَلَ المسافر إلى مدرسة منها أتى بما يكفيه من الطعام والعلف لدابته، سواء طَلَبَ ذلك أو لم يَطْلُبْه،,"At each station in these mountains there is a hospice, which they call the ‘college’, and when the traveller arrives at one of these colleges he is given a sufficient supply of food for himself and fodder for his beast, whether he asks for it or not."
فإن عادتهم أن يأتي خادم المدرسة فيَعُدُّ مَنْ نَزَلَ بها من الناس ويعطي كل واحد منهم قرصين من الخبز ولحمًا وحلواء،,"For it is their custom that the college servitor comes, counts all those who have alighted at it, and gives each one of them two cakes of bread, with meat and sweetmeats."
وكل ذلك من أوقاف السلطان عليها، وكان السلطان أتابك أحمد زاهدًا صالحًا كما ذكرناه، يلبس تحت ثيابه مما يلي جسده ثوب شعر.,"All this comes out of the sultan’s endowments for its upkeep. The sultan Atabek Ahmad was a self-mortifying and pious man, as we have said, and used to wear a hair-shirt beneath his clothes next his skin."
"حكاية
قَدِمَ السلطان أتابك أحمد مرةً على مَلِك العراق أبي سعيد،","Anecdote. The sultan Atabek Ahmad once went to visit the king of al-Traq, Abu Sa‘id."
فقال له بعض خواصه: إن أتابك يدخل عليك وعليه الدرع وظن ثوب الشعر الذي تحت ثيابه درعًا،,"One of the king’s courtiers told him that the Atabek was coming into his presence wearing a cuirass, for he thought that the hair-shirt which was beneath his outer garments was a cuirass."
فأَمَرَهُم باختبار ذلك على جهة من الانبساط ليَعْرِف حقيقته،,"So the king ordered them to test this in some familiar manner, in order to find out what truth there was in it."
فدخل عليه يومًا، فقام إليه الأمير الجوبان عظيم أمراء العراق والأمير سويته أمير ديار بكر والشيخ حسن الذي هو الآن سلطان العراق وأمسكوا بثيابه كأنهم يمازحونه ويضاحكونه فوجدوا تحت ثيابه ثوب الشعر،,"One day when the Atabek came into his presence, the amir al-Juban, the chief of the amirs of alTraq, and the amir Suwaita, the amir of Diyar Bakr, and the shaikh Hasan, who is the present sultan of al-Traq, came up to him and took hold of his garments as though they were jesting with him in a playful mood and found the hair-shirt underneath his robes."
ورآه السلطان أبو سعيد وقام إليه وعانقه وأجلسه إلى جانبه وقال له: سن آطا، ومعناه بالتركية: أنت أبي،,"When the sultan Abu Sa’id saw this he rose up and came to him, embraced him and, making him sit by his side, said to him San Ata, which means in Turkish ‘You are my father’."
وعَوَّضَه عن هديته بأضعافها، وكتب له اليرليغ وهو الظهير أن لا يطالبه بهدية بعدها هو ولا أولاده،,"He returned to him the value of his present many times over and wrote for him a yarligh, that is a rescript, to the effect that neither he nor his sons should henceforth require of him any gift."
وفي تلك السنة تُوُفِّيَ ووَلِيَ ابنه أتابك يوسف عشرة أعوام ثم وَلِيَ أخوه أفراسياب،,"In that same year he died, and his son Atabek Yusuf ruled for ten years, and after that his brother Afrasiyab."
ولما دَخَلْتُ مدينة إيذج أردْتُ رؤية السلطان أفراسياب المذكور فلم يَتَأَتَّ لي ذلك بسبب أنه لا يخرج إلا يومَ الجمعة لإدمانه على الخمر،,"When I entered the city of Idhaj I wished to see this sultan Afrasiyab, but that was not easily come by as he goes out only on Fridays, owing to his addiction to wine."
وكان له ابنٌ هو ولي عهده وليس له سواه، فمرض في تلك الأيام،,"He had one son and one only, who was his designated heir, and who fell ill at this time."
ولما كان في إحدى الليالي أتاني أحد خدامه وسألني عن حالي فعَرَّفْتُه، وذهب عني ثم جاء بعد صلاة المغرب ومعه طيفوران كبيران أحدهما بالطعام والآخر بالفاكهة وخريطة فيها,"On a certain night one of his servants came to me and made enquiries of me about myself; when I told him he went away and came back later after the sunset prayer, bringing with him two great platters, one with food and the other with fruit, and a pouch containing money."
دراهم ومعه أهل السماع بآلاتهم، فقال: اعملوا السماع حتى يرهج الفقراء ويدعون لابن السلطان،,"Accompanying him were musicians with their instruments and he said to them ‘Make music, so that these poor brethren will dance and pray for the Sultan’s son.’"
فقلت له: إن أصحابي لا يدرون بالسماع ولا بالرقص، ودَعَوْنَا للسلطان ولولده، وقسمت الدراهم على الفقراء،,"I said to him ‘My associates have no knowledge of either music or dancing,’ but we prayed for the sultan and his son, and I divided the money among the poor brethren."
ولما كان نصف الليل سمعنا الصراخ والنواح وقد مات المريض المذكور،,"In the middle of the night we heard cries and lamentations, for the sick boy had died."
ولما كان من الغد دخل علي شيخ الزاوية وأهل البلد وقالوا: إن كبراء المدينة من القضاة والفقهاء والأشراف والأمراء قد ذهبوا إلى دار السلطان للعزاء، فينبغي لك أن تذهب في جملتهم،,"On the following morning the shaikh of the hospice and [some of] the townsfolk came into my room and said ‘All the principal men of the city, qadls, faqihs, sharifs and amirs, have gone to the Sultan’s palace for the [ceremony of] condolence, and it is your duty to go along in company with them.’"
فأبيت عن ذلك، فعزموا علي، فلم يكن لي بد من المسير، فسِرْتُ معهم,"I refused to go, but when they insisted with me and I had no alternative but to go, I set out with them."
فوجدت مشور دار السلطان ممتلئًا رجالًا وصبيانًا من المماليك وأبناء الملوك والوزراء والأجناد، وقد لبسوا التلاليس وجلال الدواب، وجعلوا فوق رءوسهم التراب والتبن، بعضهم قد جَزَّ ناصيته،,"I found the audience hall in the sultan’s palace filled with men and youths —slaves, sons of princes, viziers and soldiers—all wearing sacks of coarse cloth and horses’ saddle-cloths; they had put dust and straw on their heads and some of them had cut off their forelocks."
وانقسموا فرقتين: فرقة بأعلى المشور، وفرقة بأسفله، وتزحف كل فرقة إلى جهة الأخرى وهم ضاربون بأيديهم على صدورهم قائلون خوند كارما، ومعناه: مولاي أنا (مولانا),"They were divided into two groups, one group at the top end of the hall and another at its lower end, and each group would advance towards the other, all beating their breasts with their hands and crying khundikarima, which means ‘Our master’."
فرأيت من ذلك أمرًا هائلًا ومنظرًا فظيعًا لم أَعْهَدْ مِثْلَه.,"The spectacle that I witnessed there was an appalling thing and a disgraceful sight, the like of which I have never encountered."
"حكاية
ومن غريب ما اتَّفَقَ لي يومئذٍ أني دخلت فرأيت القضاة والخطباء والشرفاء قد استندوا إلى حيطان المشور","Anecdote. A strange thing that happened to me that day was that, when I entered, I saw that the qadls, the khatlbs and the sharifs had taken up positions with their backs to the walls of the hall."
وهو غاصٌّ بهم من جميع جهاته، وهم بين باكٍ ومتباكٍ ومطرق، وقد لَبِسُوا فوق ثيابهم ثيابًا خامة من غليظ القطن غير محكمة الخياطة، بطائنها إلى أعلى ووجوهها مما يلي أجسادهم، وعلى رأس كل وحد منهم قطعة خرقة أو مئزر أسود،,"The place was crammed with them on all sides, some of them weeping, some pretending to, some with eyes fixed on the ground, and all of them wearing on top of their robes unbleached lengths of rough cotton stuff, not properly tailored and inside out, with the face of the cloth next their bodies. Each one of them also had on his head a bit of rag or a black veil."
وهكذا يكون فِعْلُهم إلى تمام أربعين يومًا، وهي نهاية الحزن عندهم، وبعدها يَبْعَث السلطان لكل مَنْ فَعَلَ ذلك كسوة كاملة،,"They continue to do the same until forty days have passed, this being for them the end of the period of mourning, and thereafter the sultan sends a complete set of clothing to everyone who has done so."
فلما رأيت جهات المشور غاصة بالناس نَظَرْتُ يمينًا وشمالًا أرتاد موضعًا لجلوسي،,"When I saw all parts of the audience-hall crowded with people I looked right and left, searching for a place to seat myself."
فرأيت هنالك سقيفة مرتفعة عن الأرض بمقدار شبر، وفي إحدى زواياها رجل منفرد عن الناس قاعد عليه ثوب صوف شبه اللبد يلبسه بتلك البلاد ضعفاء الناس أيام المطر والثلج وفي الأسفار،,"Then I saw there a dais, raised above the ground about a span; at one corner of it there was a man, apart from the crowd, sitting there, and wearing a woollen robe like the felt coat which the poor people in that country wear on days of rain or snow and on journeys."
فتقدمت إلى حيث الرجل وانقطع عني أصحابي لما رأوا إقدامي نحوه، وعجبوا مني وأنا لا علم عندي بشيء من حاله،,"So I went up to where this man was; my companions fell back behind me when they saw me going towards him and were amazed at my action, whereas I had no knowledge at all of what he was."
فصعدت السقيفة وسلمت على الرجل فرد علي السلام وارتفع عن الأرض كأنه يريد القيام وهم يسمون ذلك نصف القيام، وقعدت في الركن المقابل له،,"I mounted the dais and gave the word of greeting to the man; he returned my greeting and raised himself from the ground as if he in-
tended to rise, a gesture which they call ‘half-rising’, and I sat down in the corner opposite him."
ثم نظرت إلى الناس وقد رموني بأبصارهم جميعًا، فعجبت منهم، ورأيت الفقهاء والمشايخ والأشراف مستندين إلى الحائط تحت السقيفة،,"Then I observed that the people present had fixed their eyes on me, everyone of them; I was surprised at them, and I looked at the faqlhs and shaikhs and sharifs, all with their backs to the wall behind the dais."
وأشار إلي أحد القضاة أن انْحَطَّ إلى جانبه فلم أَفْعَلْ، وحينئذٍ استشعرت أنه السلطان،,"One of the qadls made a sign to me that I should come beside him, but I did not do so, and then I began to suspect that the man was the sultan."
فلما كان بعد ساعة أتى شيخ المشايخ نور الدين الكرماني الذي ذكرناه قبلُ، فصعد إلى السقيفة وسَلَّمَ على الرجل، فقام إليه وجلس فيما بيني وبينه، فحينئذٍ علمت أن الرجل هو السلطان،,"At the end of an hour or so, the chief shaikh Nur al-Din al-Kirmanl, whose name we have mentioned above, came forward, mounted the dais and saluted the man; he rose up to him, and the shaikh then sat down between me and him; thereupon I knew for certain that the man was the sultan."
ثم جيء بالجنازة وهي بين أشجار الأترج والليمون والنارنج، وقد مَلَئُوا أغصانها بثمارها والأشجار بأيدي الرجال، فكأن الجنازة تمشي في بستان، والمشاعل في رماح طوال بين يديها والشمع كذلك،,"Next, the bier was brought in, surrounded by citron lemon and orange trees, the branches of which they had loaded with their fruits, the trees themselves being carried by men, so that the bier seemed to be a moving orchard, with torches on tall lances carried before it, and candles likewise."
فصُلِّيَ عليها وذهبت الناس معها إلى مدفن الملوك، وهو بموضع يقال له: هلا فيحان، على أربعة أميال من المدينة.,"Prayers were recited over it, and those present went out with it to the burial-ground of the kings, which is at a place called Halaf ihan, four miles distant from the city."
وهنالك مدرسة عظيمة يشقها النهر وبداخلها مسجد تقام فيه الجمعة وبخارجها حمام ويحفُّ بها بستان عظيم وبها الطعام للوارد والصادر،,"There is there a large madrasa [hospice], through which the river runs; inside it there is a mosque in which the Friday service is held, and outside it a bath, and the whole place is surrounded by a large fruit-garden. At this hospice food is served to all comers and goers."
ولم أَسْتَطِع أن أذهب معهم إلى مدفن الجنازة لِبُعْد الموضع فعُدْتُ إلى المدرسة، فلما كان بعد أيام بعث إلي السلطان رسوله الذي أتاني بالضيافة أولًا يدعوني إليه،,"I was unable to go with them to the burial-ground because of the distance to the place, so I returned to the madrasa [where I was lodged]. Some days later the sultan sent to me the messenger who had brought the hospitality-gift previously, to invite me to visit him."
فذهبت معه إلى باب يُعْرَف بباب السر وصعدنا في دَرَج كثيرة إلى أن انتهينا إلى موضع لا فرش به لأجل ما هُمْ فيه من الحزن،,"So I went with the messenger to a gate called the Cypress Gate and we mounted a long flight of steps, finally reaching a room which was uncarpeted, on account of the mourning that they were observing at the time."
والسلطان جالس فوق مخدة وبين يديه آنيتان قد غُطِّيَتَا، حداهما من الذهب والأخرى من الفضة،,"The sultan was sitting on a cushion, with two goblets in front of him which had been covered up, one of gold and the other of silver."
وكانت بالمجلس سجادة خضراء ففُرِشَتْ لي بالقرب منه وقَعَدْتُ عليها,"There was in the chamber a green prayer-rug; this was laid out for me near him, and sat down on it."
وليس بالمجلس إلا حاجبه الفقيه محمود ونديم له لا أعرف اسمه،,"No one else was in the room but his chamberlain, the faqih Mahmud, and a boon companion of his, whose name I do not know."
فسألني عن حالي وبلادي، وسألني عن الملك الناصر وبلاد الحجاز فأجبته عن ذلك،,"He put questions to me about myself and my country, and asked me about al-Malik al-Nasir and the land of al-Hijaz, and I answered him on these points."
ثم جاء فقيه كبير هو رئيس فقهاء تلك البلاد، فقال لي السلطان: هذا مولانا فضيل، والفقيه ببلاد الأعاجم كلها إنما يخاطَب بمولانا، وبذلك يدعوه السلطان وسواه،,"At this juncture there came in a great faqih, who was chief of the doctors of the law in that country, and the sultan said to me ‘This is Mawlana Fadil’, for in all the lands of the Persians a faqih is never called by any title other than mawlana, and is so addressed by the sultan and everyone else."
ثم أَخَذَ في الثناء على الفقيه المذكور، وظَهَرَ لي أن السكر غَالِبٌ عليه، وكُنْتُ قد عَرَفْتُ إدمانه على الخمر،,"The sultan then began to recite the praises of the faqih just mentioned, and it became clear to me that he was under the influence of intoxication, for I had already learned of his addiction to wine."
ثم قال لي باللسان العربي وكان يحسنه: تَكَلَّمْ،,"Afterwards he said to me in Arabic (which he spoke well), ‘Speak’."
فقلت له: إن كنت تسمع مني أقول لك: أنت من أولاد السلطان أتابك أحمد المشهور بالصلاح والزهد، وليس فيك ما يَقْدَح في سلطنتك غير هذا، وأَشَرْتُ إلى الآنيتين،,"I said to him ‘If you will listen to me, I say to you “You are the son of the sultan Atabek Ahmad, who was noted for piety and self-restraint, and there is nothing to be laid against you as a ruler but this’’,’ and I pointed to the two goblets."
فخَجِلَ من كلامي وسَكَتَ،,He was overcome with confusion at what I said and sat silent.
وأَرَدْتُ الانصراف فأمرني بالجلوس وقال لي: الاجتماع مع أمثالك رحمة، ثم رأيته يتمايل ويريد النوم.,"I wished to go but he bade me sit down and said to me, ‘To meet with men like you is a mercy.’ But then I saw him reeling and on the point of falling asleep, so I withdrew."
فانصرَفْتُ وكُنْتُ تركْتُ نعلي بالباب فلم أجده، فنزل الفقيه محمود في طلبه وصعد الفقيه فضيل يطلبه في داخل المجلس فوجده في طاقٍ هنالك،,"I had left my sandals at the door but I could not find them, so the faqih Mahmud went down in search of them, while the faqih Fadil went to look for them inside the chamber, found them in a window-embrasure there, and brought them to me."
فأتى إلي به فأخجلني بره واعتذرت إليه فقَبَّلَ نعلي حينئذٍ ووَضَعَهُ على رأسه، وقال لي: بارَكَ الله فيك، هذا الذي قُلْتَه لسلطاننا لا يَقْدِر أحد أن يقوله له غيرك، والله إني لأرجو أن يؤثر ذلك فيه،,"His kindness shamed me, and I began to apologise to him, but at that he kissed my sandals, placed them on his head, and said ‘God bless you. What you said to our sultan no one could say but you. I sincerely hope, by God, that this will make an impression on him.’"
ثم كان رحيلي من حضرة إيذج بعد أيام،,A few days later came my departure from the city of Idhaj.
فنزلت بمدرسة السلاطين التي بها قبورهم وأقمت بها أيامًا، وبعث إلي السلطان بجملة دنانير وبعث بمثلها لأصحابي،,"I stopped at the madrasa of the sultans, where their graves are, and stayed there for some days, and the sultan sent me a number of dinars [as a farewell gift], with a like sum for my companions."
وسافرنا في بلاد هذا السلطان عشرة أيام في جبال شامخة، وفي كل ليلة نَنْزِل بمدرسة فيها الطعام،,"For ten days we continued to travel through the territories of this sultan amidst lofty mountains, and on each night we would halt at a madrasa where food was served."
فمنها ما هو في العمارة، ومنها ما لا عمارة حوله، ولكنه يُجْلَب إليها جَمِيعُ ما تحتاج إليه،,"Some of these madrasas are in cultivated country, and some have no cultivation in the vicinity at all, but everything that they require is transported to them."
وفي اليوم العاشر نزلنا بمدرسة تُعْرَف بمدرسة كريو الرخ وهي آخر بلاد هذا الملك،,"On the tenth day we halted at a madrasa by the name of Madrasa Kirlwa’lrukh, which marks the end of the territories of this king."
وسافرنا منها في بسيط من الأرض كثيرِ المياه من عمالة مدينة أصفهان، ثم وصلنا إلى بلدة أشتركان (وضبط اسمها بضم الهمزة وإسكان الشين المعجم وضم التاء المعلوة وإسكان الراء وآخره نون)، وهي بلدة حسنة كثيرة المياه والبساتين ولها مسجد بديع يشقه النهر،,"We travelled on from there across a well-watered plain belonging to the province of the city of Isfahan, and thereafter reached the town of Ushturkan, a pleasant township, with numbers of running streams and orchards, and possessed of a very fine mosque intersected by the river."
ثم رحلنا منها إلى مدينة فيروزان واسمها كأنه تثنية فيروز، وهي مدينة صغيرة ذات أنهار وأشجار وبساتين،,"From this place we went on to the city of Firuzan, which is a small town with streams, trees and orchards."
وصلناها بعد صلاة العصر فرأينا أهلها قد خرجوا لتشييع جنازة,"We arrived there after the hour of afternoon prayer, and found that its population had gone out to escort a funeral."
وقد أوقدوا خَلْفَها وأمامها المشاعل وأتبعوها بالمزامير والمغنيين بأنواع الأغاني المُطْرِبة فعجبنا من شأنهم، وبتنا بها ليلة .,"Behind and before the bier they had lit torches, and they followed it up with fifes and singers, singing all sorts of merry songs. We were astonished at this behaviour of theirs."
ومَرَرْنا بالغد بقرية يقال لها: نبلان، وهي كبيرة على نهر عظيم وإلى جانبه مسجد في النهاية من الحُسْن، يُصْعَد إليه في درج وتحفُّه البساتين،,"After spending one night there, we passed on the following morning through a village called Nablan; this is a big village on a broad river, beside which there is a mosque of the utmost beauty. One goes up to it by a flight of steps, and it is surrounded by orchards."
وسِرْنا يومنا فيما بين البساتين والمياه والقرى الحسان الكثيرة أبراج الحمام، ووصلنا بعد العصر إلى مدينة أصفهان من عراق العجم (واسمها يقال بالفاء الخالصة، ويقال بالفاء المعقودة المفخمة)،,"We travelled on for the whole of this day between orchards and streams and fine villages with many pigeon-towers, and after the time of the ‘asr prayer we reached the city of Isfahan, also called Ispahan, in Persian ‘Iraq."
ومدينة أصفهان من كبار المدن وحسانها، إلا أنها الآن قد خرب أكثرها بسبب الفتنة التي بين أهل السنة والروافض، وهي متصلة بينهم حتى الآن، فلا يزالون في قتال،,"The city of Isfahan is one of the largest and fairest of cities, but it is now in ruins for the greater part, as the result of the feud there between the Sunnis and the Rafidis, which continues to rage between them still to the present day, so that they never cease to fight."
وبها الفواكه الكثيرة ومنها المشمش الذي لا نظيرَ له يسمونه بقمر الدين، وهم ييبسونه ويدخرونه ونواه ينكسر عن لوز حلو،,"It is rich in fruits, among them being apricots of unrivalled quality which they call qamar al-dtn; the people there dry these apricots and preserve them, and their kernels when broken open disclose a sweet almond."
ومنها السفرجل الذي لا مثل له في طِيب المطعم وعِظَم الجرم، والأعناب الطيبة والبطيخ العجيب الشأن الذي ليس في الدنيا مثله إلا ما كان من بطيخ بخارى وخوارزم،,"Others of its products are quinces that are unequalled for goodness of taste and size, delicious grapes, and the wonderful watermelons whose like is not to be found in the world, except for the water-melons of Bukhara and Khawarizm."
وقشره أخضر وداخله أحمر ويدخر كما ندخر الشريحة بالمغرب، وله حلاوة شديدة،,"Their rind is green, and the inside is red; they are preserved as dried figs are preserved in the Maghrib, and are exceedingly sweet."
ومَنْ لم يكن أَلِفَ أَكْلَه فإنه في أول أَمْرِه يُسْهِله، وكذلك اتفق لي لَمَّا أكلته بأصفهان.,"When anyone is not used to eating them, they relax him on his first experience of them—and so indeed it happened to me when I ate them at Isfahan."
وأهل أصفهان حسان الصور وألوانهم بيض زاهرة مشوبة بالحمرة، والغالب عليهم الشجاعة والنجدة، وفيهم كَرَم وتنافُس عظيم فيما بينهم في الأطعمة تُؤْثَر عنهم في أخبار غريبة،,"The people of Isfahan have fine figures and clear white skins tinged with red; their dominant qualities are bravery and pugnacity, together with generosity and a strong spirit of rivalry between them in procuring [luxurious] viands. Some curious stories are told of this last trait in them."
وربما دعا أحدهم صاحبه فيقول له: اذهب معي لنأكل نان وماس، والنان بلسانهم الخبز والماس اللبن، فإذا ذهب معه أَطْعَمَهُ أنواع الطعام العجيب مباهيًا له بذلك،,"Sometimes one of them will invite his friend and will say to him, ‘Come along with me for a meal of nan and mas’—that is bread and curdled milk in their language; then, when his friend goes along with him, he sets before him all sorts of wonderful dishes, with the aim of outdoing him by this [display]."
وأهل كل صناعة يقدمون على أنفسهم كبيرًا منهم يسمونه الكلو، وكذلك كبار المدينة من غير أهل الصناعات، وتكون الجماعة من الشبان الأعزاب,"The members of each craft appoint one of their own number as headman over them, whom they call the kilu,sl and so do the leading citizens from outside the ranks of the craftsmen. One company [for example] will be composed of young bachelors."
وتفاخر تلك الجماعات ويضيف بعضهم بعضًا مُظْهِرين لما قدروا عليه من الإمكان محتفلين في الأطعمة وسواها الاحتفال العظيم،,"These companies try to outdo one another and invite one another to banquets, displaying all the resources at their disposal and making a great show in regard to the dishes and everything else."
ولقد ذُكِرَ لي أن طائفة منهم أضافت أخرى فطَبَخُوا طعامهم بنار الشمع، ثم أضافتها الأخرى فطبخوا طعامهم بالحرير،,"I was told that one company of them invited another, and cooked their viands with lighted candles, then the second company returned the invitations and cooked their viands with silk."
وكان نزولي بأصفهان في زاوية تُنْسَب للشيخ علي بن سهل تلميذ الجنيد،,"My lodging at Isfahan was in a convent which is attributed to the shaikh ‘All b. Sahl, the disciple of al-Junaid."
وهي مُعَظَّمة يقصدها أَهْلُ تلك الآفاق ويَتَبَرَّكُون بزيارتها،,"It is held in great veneration and is visited by the people of those regions, who seek to obtain blessing by visiting it."
وفيها الطعام للوارد والصادر، وبها حَمَّام عجيب مفروش بالرخام وحيطانه بالقاشاني,"Food is served in it to all wayfarers, and it has a magnificent bath, paved with marble, and with qdshdm tiles on its walls."
وهو موقوف في السبيل لا يلزم أحدًا في دخوله شيء،,"It is endowed for the service [of God], so that nothing is required of any person in order to enter it."
وشيخ هذه الزاوية الصالح العابد الورِع قطب الدين حسين ابن الشيخ الصالح ولي الله شمس الدين محمد بن محمود بن علي المعروف بالرجاء، وأخوه العالم المفتي شهاب الدين أحمد،,"The shaikh of this convent was a pious and scrupulous devotee Qutb al-Din Husain, son of the pious shaikh, the friend of God, Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Mahmud b. ‘Ali, known as al-Raja. His brother was the scholar and jurisconsult Shihab al-Din Ahmad."
أَقَمْتُ عند الشيخ قطب الدين بهذه الزاوية أربعة عشر يومًا، فرأيت من اجتهاده في العبادة وحُبِّه في الفقراء والمساكين وتواضُعِه لهم ما قضيت منه العجب،,"I stayed with the shaikh Qutb al-Din in his hospice for fourteen days, and what I saw of his zeal in religious exercises and his affection for the poor brethren and the distressed and his humility towards them filled me with admiration."
وبالَغَ في إكرامي وأَحْسَنَ ضيافتي وكساني كسوة حسنة،,"He went to great lengths in honouring me, showed me generous hospitality, and presented me with a fine set of garments."
وساعة وصولي الزاوية بعث إلي بالطعام وبثلاث بطيخات من البطيخ الذي وَصَفْنَاه آنفًا، ولم أَكُنْ رأيتُه قبل ولا أَكَلْتُه.,"At the very hour of my arrival at the convent he sent me food and three of those water-melons which we have mentioned already, and which I had not seen nor eaten previously."
"كرامة لهذا الشيخ
دخل علي يومًا بموضع نزولي من الزاوية،",A Grace of this Shaikh’s. One day he came to visit me in the part of the hospice where I was staying.
وكان ذلك الموضع يُشْرِف على بستان للشيخ، وكانت ثيابه قد غُسِلَت في ذلك اليوم ونُشِرَت في البستان،,"This place looked out over a garden belonging to the shaikh, and on that day his garments had been washed and spread out in the garden to dry."
ورأيت في جملتها جبة بيضاء مبطَّنة تُدْعَى عندهم هزرميخي فأعجبتني، وقلت في نفسي: مثل هذه كنت أريد،,"Among them I saw a white tunic with a lining, [of the kind] called by them hazdrmikhi. I admired it and said to myself ‘This is the kind of thing that I was wanting.’"
فلما دَخَلَ عليَّ الشيخ نَظَرَ في ناحية البستان، وقال لبعض خدامه: ائتني بذلك الثوب الهزرميخي فأتوا به فكساني إياه,"When the shaikh came into my room, he looked out towards the garden and said to one of his servants ‘Fetch me that hazdrmikht robe,’ then when they brought it, he put it upon me."
فأَهْوَيْتُ إلى قدميه أقبلهما، وطَلَبْتُ منه أن يلبسني طاقية من رأسه ويجيزني في ذلك بما أجازه والده عن شيوخه،,"I threw myself at his feet, kissing them, and begged him to clothe me also with a skull-cap from his head, and to give me the same authorization in [transmitting] this that he had received from his father on the authority of the latter’s shaikhs."
فألبسني إياها في الرابع عشر لجمادى الأخيرة سنة سبع وعشرين وسبعمائة بزاويته المذكورة كما لَبِسَ من والده شمس الدين، ولَبِسَ والده من أبيه تاج الدين محمود، ولَبِسَ محمود من أبيه شهاب الدين علي الرجاء، ولبس علي من الإمام شهاب الدين أبي حفص عمر بن محمد بن عبد الله السهروردي، ولبس عمر من الشيخ الكبير ضياء الدين أبي النجيب السهروردي، ولبس أبو النجيب من عمه الإمام وحيد الدين عمر، ولبس عُمَر من والده محمد بن عبد الله المعروف بعمويه، ولبس محمد من الشيخ أخي فرج الزنجاني، ولبس أخو فرج من الشيخ أحمد الدينوري، ولبس أحمد من الإمام ممشاد الدينوري، ولبس ممشاد من الشيخ المحقق علي بن سهل الصوفي، ولبس علي من أبي القاسم الجنيد، ولبس الجنيد من سرى السقطي، ولبس سرى السقطي من داود الطائي، ولبس داود من الحسن بن أبي الحسن البصري، ولبس الحسن بن أبي الحسن البصري من أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب،,"He invested me with it accordingly on the fourteenth of Latter Jumada in the years in his convent aforementioned, as he had been invested with it by his father Shams al-Dln and his father had been invested with it by his father Taj al-Dln Mahmud, and Mahmud by his father Shihab al-Dln ‘All al-Raja, and ‘All by the Imam Shihab al-Din Abu Hafs ‘Omar b. Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah alSuhrawardi, and ‘Omar had been invested by the great shaikh Diya’ al-Din Abu’l-Najib al-Suhrawardi, and Abu’lNajib by his paternal uncle, the Imam Wahid al-Din ‘Omar, and ‘Omar by his father Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah, known as ‘Amawaih, and Muhammad by the shaikh Akhu Faraj alZinjani, and Akhu Faraj by the shaikh Ahmad al-Dinawari, and Ahmad by the Imam Mamshad al-Dinawari, and Mamshad from the shaikh, the seer of the truth, ‘Ali b. Sahl alSufi, and ‘Ali from Abu’l-Qasim al-Junaid, and al-Junaid from Sari al-Saqati, and Sari al-Saqati from Da’ud al-Ta’i, and Da’ud from al-Hasan b. Abi’l-Hasan al-Basri, and alHasan b. Abi’l-Hasan al-Basri from the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Ali b. Abi Talib."
قال ابن جزي: هكذا أورد الشيخ أبو عبد الله هذا السند، والمعروف فيه أن سريا السقطي صَحِبَ معروفًا الكرخي، وصحب معروف داود الطائي، وكذلك داود الطائي بينه وبين الحسن حبيب العجمي,"Ibn Juzayy comments: In this manner did the shaikh
Abu ‘Abdallah [Ibn Battuta] cite this chain of authorities. But it is a matter of common knowledge that Sari al-Saqatl was the disciple of Ma’ruf al-Karkhi, and Ma’ruf was the disciple of Da’ud al-Ta’i; likewise that between Da’ud al-Ta’i and al-Hasan there was Habib al-‘AjamI."
وأخو فرج الزنجاني، إنما المعروف أنه صَحِبَ أبا العباس النهاوندي، وصحب النهاوندي أبا عبد الله بن خفيف، وصحب ابن خفيف أبا محمد رويمًا، وصحب رويم أبا القاسم الجنيد.,"In regard to Akhu Faraj al-Zinjani, it is known only that he was the disciple of Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Nihawandi, and that al-Nihawandi was the disciple of Abu ‘Abdallah ibn Khaf if, that Ibn Khaflf was the disciple of Abu Muhammad Ruwaim, and Ruwaim the disciple of Abu’l-Qasim al-Junaid."
وأما محمد بن عبد الله عمويه فهو الذي صَحِبَ الشيخ أحمد الدينوري الأسود وليس بينهما أحد والله أعلم، والذي صحب أخا فرج الزنجاني هو عبد الله بن محمد بن عبد الله والد أبي النجيب,"As for Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah ‘Amawaih, he it was who was the disciple of the shaikh Ahmad al-Dinawari ‘the Black’, without any intervening person; but God knows best. The person who became the disciple of Akhu Faraj al-Zinjani was ‘Abdallah b. Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah, the father of Abu’lNajlb."
(رجع)، ثم سافرنا من أصفهان بقصد زيارة الشيخ مجد الدين بشيراز وبينها مسيرة عشرة أيام،,"(To return). We set out thereafter from Isfahan with the object of visiting the shaikh Majd al-DIn at Shiraz, which is ten days’ journey from there."
فوصلنا إلى بلدة كليل (وضبطها بفتح الكاف وكسر اللام وياء مد)، وبينهما وبين أصفهان مسيرة ثلاثة، وهي بلدة صغيرة ذات أنهار وبساتين وفواكه، رأيت التفاح يباع في سوقها خمسة عشر رطلًا عراقية بدرهم ودرهمهم ثلث النقرة،,"We came to the town of Kalil, three nights’ journey from Isfahan; it is a small town, with running streams, gardens and fruit-trees. saw apples being sold in its bazaar at fifteen ‘Iraqi pounds for a dirham, their dirham being the third of anuqra."
ونزلنا منها بزاوية عَمَرَها كبيرُ هذه البلدة المعروف بخواجة كافي، وله مال عريض قد أعانه الله على إنفاقه في سبيل الخيرات من الصدقة وعمارة الزوايا وإطعام الطعام لأبناء السبيل،,"We alighted there at a hospice which was founded by the headman of this town, known as Khwaja Kafi, a man of considerable wealth, whom God had assisted to spend it in the way of good works, such as the giving of alms, the foundation of hospices, and the provision of food for the wayfarers."
ثم سرنا من كليل يومين ووصلنا إلى قرية كبيرة تُعْرَف بصوماء وبها زاوية فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر عَمَرَها خواجة كافي المذكور،,"We continued our journey from Kalil on the same day and came to a large village called Surma’ where there is a hospice, supplying food to all comers and goers, founded by the same Khwaja Kafi."
ثم سرنا منها إلى يزد حاص (وضبط اسمها بفتح الياء آخر الحروف وإسكان الزاي وضم الدال المهمل وخاء مُعْجَم وألف وصاد مُهْمَل)، بلدة صغيرة مُتْقَنة العمارة حَسَنَة السوق، والمسجد الجامع بها عجيب مبني بالحجارة مسقف بها والبلدة على ضفة خندق فيه بساتينها ومياهها،,"From there we journeyed to Yazdukhas, a small town substantially built, and with a fine bazaar; the congregational mosque in it is a marvel, built of stone and with arcades of stone also. the town is on the edge of a valley, in which are its orchards and its streams."
وبخارجها رباط ينزل به المسافرون، عليه باب حديد، وهو في النهاية من الحَصَانة والمَنَعة، وبداخله حوانيت يباع فيها كل ما يحتاجه المسافرون،,"In its outskirts there is a ribdt in which travellers are lodged; it has an iron gate and is of the utmost strength and impregnability, and inside it there are shops where everything that travellers may need is on sale."
وهذا الرباط عَمَرَه الأمير محمد شاه ينجو والد السلطان أبي إسحاق ملك شيراز،,"The ribdt was founded by the amir Muhammad Shah Inju, the father of the sultan Abu Ishaq, king of Shiraz."
وفي يزد خاص يُصْنع الجبن اليزدخاصي ولا نظير له في طيبه وزن الجبنة منه من أوقيتين إلى أربع.,"At Yazdukhas there is made the cheese called Yazdukhas!, which has not its equal for goodness of flavour; the weight of each of such cheeses is from two to four ounces."
ثم سرنا منها على طريق دشت الروم وهي صحراء يسكنها الأتراك، ثم سافرنا إلى مايِين (واسمها بياءين مسفولتين أولاهما مكسورة)، وهي بلدة صغيرة كثيرة الأنهار والبساتين حسنة الأسواق وأكثر أشجارها الجوز،,"We went on from there by way of the Dasht al-Rum, which is open country inhabited by Turks, and then travelled to Mayln, a small town with many streams and orchards and fine bazaars. Most of its trees are walnuts."
ثم سافرنا منها إلى مدينة شيراز وهي مدينة أصلية البناء فسيحة الأرجاء شهيرة الذكر منيفة القدر لها البساتين المونقة والأنهار المتدفقة والأسواق البديعة والشوارع الرفيعة، وهي كثيرة العمارة متقنة المباني عجيبة الترتيب،,"From there we travelled to the town of Shiraz, which is a city of solid construction and wide range, famous in repute and high in esteem; it has elegant gardens and gushing streams, sumptuous bazaars and handsome thoroughfares; and is densely populated, substantial in its buildings, and admirable in its disposition."
وأهل كل صناعة في سوقها لا يخالطهم غيرهم، وأهلها حسان الصور نظاف الملابس،,"Those engaged in each craft occupy the bazaar particular to that craft, no outsiders mixing with them. Its inhabitants are handsome in figure and clean in their dress."
وليس في المشرق بلدة تُدَاني مدينة دمشق في حُسْن أسواقها وبساتينها وأنهارها وحُسْن صُوَر ساكنيها إلا شيراز،,"In the whole East there is no city except Shiraz which approached Damascus in the beauty of its bazaars, fruit-gardens and rivers, and in the handsome figures of its inhabitants."
وهي من بسيط من الأرض تحفُّ بها البساتين من جميع الجهات وتشقها خمسة أنهار؛ أحدها النهر المعروف بركن آباد، وهو عذب الماء شديد البرودة في الصيف سخن في الشتاء فينبعث من عين في سفح جبل هنالك يُسَمَّى القليعة،,"It is situated in a plain, surrounded by orchards on all sides and intersected by five streams; one of these is the stream known as Rukn Abad, the water of which is sweet, very cold in summer and warm in winter, and gushes out of a fountain on the lower slope of a hill in those parts called al-Qulai‘a."
ومسجدها الأعظم يسمى بالمسجد العتيق وهو من أكبر المساجد ساحة وأحسنها بناء،,"The principal mosque of Shiraz, which is called the ‘ancient mosque’, is one of the largest of mosques in area and most beautiful in construction."
وصحنه متسع مفروش بالمرمر ويغسل في أوان الحر كل ليلة،,"Its court occupies a wide expanse paved with marble, and is washed down every night during the summer heats."
ويجتمع فيه كبار أهل المدينة كل عشية، ويصلون به المغرب والعشاء،,The leading inhabitants of the city assemble in this mosque every night and pray the sunset and night prayers in it.
وبشماله باب يُعْرَف بباب حسن يفضي إلى سوق الفاكهة، وهي من أبدع الأسواق، وأنا أقول بتفضيلها على سوق باب البريد من دمشق،,"On its northern side is a gate known as the Hasan gate, leading to the fruit market, which is one of the most admirable of bazaars and to which I for my part would give the preference over the bazaar of the Courier Gate at Damascus."
وأهل شيراز أهل صلاح ودين وعفاف وخصوصًا نساءها،,"The people of Shiraz are distinguished by piety, sound religion, and purity of manners, especially the women."
وهن يلبسن الخفاف ويخرجن ملتحفات متبرقعات فلا يظهر منهن شيء ولهن الصدقات والإيثار،,"These wear boots, and when out of doors are swathed in mantles and head-veils, so that no part of them is to be seen, and they are [noted for] their charitable alms and their liberality."
"ومن غريب حالهن أنهن يجتمعن لسماع الواعظ في كل يوم إثنين وخميس وجمعة بالجامع الأعظم، فربما اجتمع منهن الألف والألفان بأيديهن المراوح يُرَوِّحْنَ بها على أنفسهن من شدة الحر.
ولم أرَ اجتماع النساء في مثل عَدَدِهِنَّ في بلدة من البلاد،","One of their strange customs is that they meet in the principal mosque every Monday, Thursday and Friday, to listen to the preacher, sometimes one or two thousand of them, carrying fans in their hands with which they fan themselves on account of the great heat, I have never seen in any land an assembly of women in such numbers."
وعند دخولي إلى مدينة شيراز لم يكن لي هَمٌّ إلا قَصْد الشيخ القاضي الإمام قُطْب الأولياء فريد الدهر ذي الكرامات الظاهرة مجد الدين إسماعيل بن محمد بن خداد ومعنى خداد عطية الله،,"On my entry into the city of Shiraz I had no desire but to seek out the shaikh, the qadl, the imam, the pole of the saints and solitaire of the age, noted for his evident ‘graces’, Majd al-Din Isma‘ b. Muhammad b. Khudhadad {Khudhddad meaning ‘gift of God’)."
فوصلت إلى المدرسة المجدية المنسوبة إليه وبها سكناه وهي من عمارته، فدخلت إليه رابع أربعة من أصحابي,"Arrived at the madrasa, called after him the Majdlya, in which is his residence, it being in fact his own foundation, and went in to visit him with three of my companions."
ووجدت الفقهاء وكبار أهل المدينة في انتظاره فخرج إلى صلاة العصر ومعه محب الدين وعلاء الدين ابنا أخيه شقيقه روح الدين، أحدهما عن يمينه والآخر عن شماله، وهما نائباه في القضاء لِضَعْف بصره وكِبَر سنه،,"I found there the men of law and principal inhabitants of the city awaiting him; then he came out to attend the afternoon prayer, having with him Muhibb al-Dln and ‘Ala al-Dln, the sons of his uterine brother Ruh al-Din, one of them on his right and the other on his left—they being his substitutes in his office as qadi, on account of his weak sight and advanced age."
فسلَّمْتُ عليه وعانقني وأَخَذَ بيدي إلى أن وَصَلَ إلى مُصَلَّاه، فأرسل يدي وأومأ إليَّ أن أصلي إلى جانبه ففعلت،,"When I saluted him, he embraced me and took me by the hand until he came to his prayer-mat, then let go my hand and signed to me to pray alongside him, and I did so."
وصلى صلاة العصر ثم قرئ بين يديه من كتاب المصابيح وشوارق الأنوار للصاغاني، وطالعاه نائباه بما جرى لديهما من القضايا،,"After he had prayed the afternoon prayer, there was read before him part of the book of the Lanterns (alMasabih) and of the Shawdriq al-Anwar of al-Saghani, and his two substitutes informed him of the suits which had come up before them."
وتَقَدَّمَ كبار المدينة للسلام عليه، وكذلك عادتهم معه صباحًا ومساء، ثم سألني عن حالي وكيفية قدومي، وسألني عن المغرب ومصر والشام والحجاز فأخبرته بذلك،,"The notables of the city came forward to salute him, as was their custom with him morning and evening, and then he asked me about myself and how I had come, and questioned me about the Maghrib, Egypt, Syria and al-Hijaz, to all of which I answered."
وأمر خُدَّامه فأنزلوني بدويرة صغيرة بالمدرسة،,"He gave orders for my lodging to his servants, who lodged me accordingly in a very small chamber in the madrasa."
وفي غد ذلك اليوم وَصَلَ إليه رسول ملك العراق السلطان أبي سعيد وهو ناصر الدين الدرقندي من كبار الأمراء خراساني الأصل،,"On the following morning there came to visit him the envoy of the king of al-Traq, the sultan Abu Sa’Id, namely Nasir al-Din al-Darqandi, one of the chief amirs and of Khurasan by origin."
فعند وصوله إليه نَزَعَ شاشيته عن رأسه وهم يسمونها الكلا وقَبَّلَ رِجْل القاضي وقَعَدَ بين يديه ممسكًا أذن نفسه بيده،,"When he came before the qadi, he removed his cap —which they call kuld —from his head, kissed the qadi’s foot, and sat down before him holding one of his own ears with his hand."
وهكذا فَعَلَ أمراء التتر عند ملوكهم،,This is the regular usage of the amirs of the Tatars in the presence of their kings.
وكان هذا الأمير قد قدم في نحو خمسمائة فارس من مماليكه وخُدَّامِه وأصحابه ونزل خارج المدينة، ودخل إلى القاضي في خمسة نفر، ودخل مجلسه وحده منفردًا تأدبًا.,"Now this amir had come with about five hundred mounted men, his mamluks, servants, and companions; but he encamped outside the city and came in to the qadi’s residence with only five persons, and entered his chamber entirely alone, in deference to him."
حكاية هي السبب في تعظيم هذا الشيخ وهي من الكرامات الباهرة,"Narrative of the reason of their esteem for this Shaikh, which is an example of manifest grace."
كان ملك العراق السلطان محمد خدابنده قد صحبه في حال كُفْرِه فقيه من الروافض الإمامية يسمى جمال الدين بن مطهر،,"The [late] king of al-Traq, the sultan Muhammad Khudabandah, had as an associate, while yet in his state of infidelity, a doctor of law of the Imam! sect of the Rafidls called Jamal al-Dln Ibn Mutahhar."
فلما أَسْلَمَ السلطان المذكور وأَسْلَمَتْ بإسلامه التتر زاد في تعظيم هذا الفقيه، فزَيَّنَ له مذهب الروافض وفضله على غيره,"When this sultan embraced Islam and the Tatars were converted by his conversion, he showed even greater esteem for this faqih; the latter consequently gave him a beguiling view of the Rafidls and its superiority over the other [Islamic schools]."
وشرح له حال الصحابة والخلافة، وقرر لديه أن أبا بكر وعمر كانا وزيرين لرسول الله، وأن عليًّا ابن عمه وصهره فهو وارث الخلافة، ومَثَّلَ له ذلك بما هو مألوف عنده من أن المُلْك الذي بيده إنما هو إِرْث عن أجداده وأقاربه مع حدثان عهد السلطان بالكفر وعدم معرفته بقواعد الدين،,"He expounded to the sultan the history of the Companions and of the Caliphate, persuaded him to believe that Abu Bakr and ‘Omar were [only] viziers of the Apostle of God and that ‘All, being the son of his paternal uncle and his son-in-law, was the [true] heir to the Caliphate, and represented this to him in terms with which he was familiar, i.e. that the kingship which he himself possessed was his only by inheritance from his ancestors and kinsmen taking advantage of the short time since the sultan had been living in infidelity and his lack of knowledge of the principles of the Faith."
فأمر السلطان بحمل الناس على الرفض، وكتب بذلك إلى العراقين وفارس وأذربيجان وأصفهان وكرمان وخراسان وبعث الرسل إلى البلاد، فكان أول بلاد وَصَلَ إليها ذلك بغداد وشيراز وأصفهان،,"The sultan, accordingly, gave orders that the people should be forced to [subscribe to] the Rafidi doctrines, sent rescripts to that effect to the two ‘Iraqs, Fars, Adharbaijan, Isfahan, Kirman and Khurasan, and despatched envoys to the various cities."
فأما أهل بغداد فامتنع أهل باب الإزج منهم وهم أهل السنة وأكثرهم على مذهب الإمام أحمد بن حنبل، وقالوا: لا سمع ولا طاعة،,"The first cities to which these orders were brought were Baghdad, Shiraz, and Isfahan. As for the people of Baghdad, the inhabitants of the Bab al-Azaj quarter, who are all adherents of the Sunna and for the most part followers of the school of the Imam Ibn Hanbal, refused to submit to them, and declared that they would ‘neither hear nor obey’."
وأتوا المسجد الجامع يوم الجمعة في السلاح وبه رسول السلطان، فلما صعد الخطيب المنبر قاموا إليه وهم نحو اثني عشر ألفًا في سلاحهم وهم حماة بغداد والمشار إليهم فيها، فحلفوا له: إنه إنْ غَيَّر الخطبة المعتادة أو زاد فيها أو نقص منها فإنهم قاتِلوه وقاتِلو رسول الملك ومستسلمون بعد ذلك لما شاءه الله.,"On the [following] Friday they came with their weapons to the congregational mosque, where the sultan’s envoy was, and when the khatib mounted the mimbar [to deliver the formal address], they surged up towards him—some twelve thousand men in all, armed, who constituted the garrison of Baghdad and its most notable citizens—and swore an oath to him that if he should change the customary khutba or add to it or subtract from it in any way they would kill him and kill the sultan’s envoy and submit themselves thereafter to what God willed."
وكان السلطان أَمَرَ بأن تُسْقَط أسماء الخلفاء وسائر الصحابة من الخطبة ولا يُذْكَر إلا اسم علي ومن تَبِعَه كعمار رضي الله عنهم،,"For the sultan had commanded that the names of the Caliphs [Abu Bakr, ‘Omar and ‘Othman] and of the other Companions of the Prophet should be removed from the khutba and that there should be mentioned in it no names but that of ‘All and his followers, such as ‘Ammar (God be pleased with him)."
فخاف الخطيب من القتل، وخطب الخطبة المعتادة وفَعَلَ أهل شيراز وأصفهان كفعل أهل بغداد،,"But the khatib was afraid of being killed, and he delivered the accustomed khutba.
The people of Shiraz and of Isfahan acted in the same way as the people of Baghdad."
فرجعت الرسل إلى الملك فأخبروه بما جرى في ذلك، فأمر أن يؤتى بقضاة المدن الثلاث، فكان أول من أتى به منهم القاضي مجد الدين قاضي شيراز، والسلطان إذ ذاك في موضع يُعْرَف بقراباغ وهو موضع مصيفه،,"So the envoys returned to the king and gave him an account of what had happened in regard to this matter. Whereupon he ordered the qadls of the three cities to be fetched, and the first of them who was brought was the qadl Majd al-Dln, the qadl of Shiraz, the sultan being at that time at a place called Qarabagh, which is his summer residence."
فلما وَصَلَ القاضي أَمَرَ أن يُرْمَى به إلى الكلاب التي عنده،,"When the qadl arrived, the sultan gave orders that he should be thrown to the dogs which he had there."
وهي كلاب ضخام في أعناقها السلاسل معدة لأكل بني آدم، فإذا أوتي بمن يسلط عليه الكلاب جُعِلَ في رحبة كبيرة مطلَقًا غير مقيَّد،,"These are enormous dogs, with chains on their necks, and trained to eat human beings. When anyone is brought to be delivered to the dogs, he is set at liberty and without chains."
ثم بُعِثَت تلك الكلاب عليه فيفر أمامها ولا مَفَرَّ له، فتُدْرِكُه فتمزقه وتأكل لحمه،,"In a wide plain; those dogs are then loosed on him, so they overtake him, tear him to pieces, and eat his flesh."
فلما أُرْسِلَت الكلاب على القاضي مجد الدين ووصلت إليه بصبصَتْ إليه وحَرَّكَتْ أذنابها بين يديه ولم تهجم عليه بشيء،,"But when the dogs were loosed on the qadi Majd al-Din and reached him, they fawned on him and wagged their tails before him without attacking him in any way."
فبلغ ذلك السلطان، فخرج من داره حافي القدمين فأكب على رجلي القاضي يقبلهما، وأَخَذَ بيده وخلع عليه جميع ما كان عليه من الثياب وهي أعظم كرامات السلطان عندهم،,"On being informed of this, the sultan went out from his residence, bare-footed, prostrated himself at the qadi’s feet, kissing them, took him by the hand and placed upon him all the garments that he was wearing. This is the highest mark of distinction which a sultan can confer in their usage."
وإذا خَلَعَ ثيابه كذلك على أحدٍ كانت شرفًا له ولبنيه وأعقابه يتوارثونه ما دامت تلك الثياب أو شيء منها وأعظمها في ذلك السراويل،,"When he bestows his garments in this way upon some person, this action constitutes an honour for the latter and for his sons and his descendants, which they inherit generation after generation so long as these garments last or any part of them, the most honourable garment in this respect being the trousers."
ولما خلع السلطان ثيابه على القاضي مجد الدين أخذ بيده وأدخله إلى داره وأمر نساءه بتعظيمه والتبرك به،,"When the sultan had bestowed his garments on the qadi Majd al-Din, he took his hand, led him into his residence, and commanded his wives to show him reverence and profit by his blessing."
ورَجَع السلطان عن مذهب الرفض، وكتب إلى بلاده أن يُقَرَّ الناس على مذهب أهل السنة والجماعة،,The sultan also renounced the doctrine of the Rafidis and sent rescripts to his territories to the effect that their inhabitants should conform to the doctrine of the followers of the Sunna and the Community.
وأَجْزَلَ العطاء للقاضي وصَرَفَه إلى بلاده مُكَرَّمًا مُعَظَّمًا،,He made a magnificent gift to the qadi and sent him back to his country with every mark of esteem and veneration.
وأعطاه في جملة عطاياه مائة قرية من قرى جمكان، وهو خندق بين جبلين طوله أربعة وعشرون فرسخًا يشقه نهر عظيم، والقرى منتظمة بجانبيه،,"Among the gifts which he made to him were one hundred of the villages of Jamakan, which is a [valley like aj trench between two mountains, twenty-four farsakhs in length and traversed by a great river, with the villages ranged on both sides of it."
"وهو أحسن موضع بشيراز.
ومن قراه العظيمة التي تضاهي المدن قرية ميمن وهي للقاضي المذكور،","This is the finest place in the [region of] Shiraz, and among its larger villages, which are equal in size to towns, is Maiman; this belongs to the qadi of whom we have been speaking."
ومن عجائب هذا الموضع المعروف بجمكان أن نصفه مما يلي شيراز وذلك مسافة اثني عشر فرسخًا شديد البرد,"One of the curious things about this place called Jamakan is that the half of it which is contiguous with Shiraz—namely, for the distance of twelve farsakhs—is exceedingly cold."
وينزل فيه الثلج، وأكثر شجره الجوز، والنصف الآخر مما يلي بلاد هنج وبال وبلاد اللار في طريق هرمز شديد الحر وفيه شجر النخيل،,"The snow falls there and the majority of the trees are walnuts. But the other half, which is contiguous to the land of Hunj Ubal and the country of al-Lar, on the way to Hurmuz, is exceedingly hot, and there the majority of the trees are date palms."
وقد تَكَرَّرَ لي لقاء القاضي مجد الدين ثانيةً حين خروجي من الهند،,I had a second opportunity to meet the qadi Majd al-DIn at the time when I left India.
قَصَدْتُه من هرمز متبركًا بلقائه وذلك سنة ثمانٍ وأربعين،,"I went to visit him from Hurmuz, to gain the blessing of a meeting with him, in the year 48."
وبين هرمز وشيراز مسيرة خمسة وثلاثين يومًا، فدخلتُ عليه وهو قد ضَعُفَ عن الحركة، فسَلَّمْتُ عليه فعرفني وقام إليَّ فعانقني،,"It is thirty-five days’ journey from Hurmuz to Shiraz. When I entered his chamber (though he had then become too weak to walk) and saluted him, he recognized me, rose up to welcome me, and embraced me."
ووقعت يدي على مرفقه وجلده لاصق بالعظم لا لحم بينهما،,"My hand happened to touch his elbow, and [I felt] his skin clinging to the bone without any flesh between them."
وأنزلني بالمدرسة حيث أنزلني أول مرة،,He lodged me in the same madrasa where he had lodged me the first time.
وزرته يومًا فوجدْتُ ملك شيراز السلطان أبا إسحاق — وسيقع ذِكْرُهُ — قاعدًا بين يديه ممسكًا بأذن نفسه،,"I visited him one day and found the king of Shiraz, the sultan Abu Ishaq (who will be mentioned shortly), sitting in front of him, holding his own ear in his hand."
وذلك هو غاية الأدب عندهم، ويفعله الناس إذا قعدوا بين يدي الملك،,"This is the height of good manners amongst them, and all the people do so when they are seated in presence of the king."
وأتيته مرة أخرى إلى المدرسة فوجدت بابها مسدودًا،,"I went on another occasion to see him in the madrasa, but found its gate closed."
فسألت عن سبب ذلك فأُخْبِرْتُ أن أم السلطان وأخته نشأت بينهما خصومة في ميراث فصرفهما إلى القاضي مجد الدين,"When I asked after the reason for this, I was told that there had been a dispute between the mother and the sister of the sultan over some inheritance, and that he had referred it to the qadi Majd al-Din."
فوَصَلَتَا إليه إلى المدرسة وتَحَاكَمَتَا عنده وفصل بينهما بواجب الشرع,"So both of them came down to him in the madrasa, pleaded their cases before him, and he gave judgment between them in accordance with the Divine Law."
وأهل شيراز لا يدعونه بالقاضي، وإنما يقولون له مولانا أعظم، وكذلك يكتبون في التسجيلات والعقود التي تفتقر إلى ذِكْر اسمه فيها،,"The people of Shiraz do not call him ‘the qadf, but speak of him only as Mawlana a‘zam [that is ‘Our most venerated master’] and actually write the same in the documents of registration and contracts in which his name has to be mentioned."
وكان آخر عهدي به في شهر ربيع الثاني من عام ثمانية وأربعين وسبعمائة، ولاحت عليَّ أنواره وظَهَرَتْ لي بركاته — نَفَعَ الله به وبأمثاله.,"His lights gave illumination to me and his blessed power has procured blessings for me, God profit us by him and those like him!"
"time of my entry was the distinguished king Abu Ishaq, son of Muhammad Shah Inju.",Account of the Sultan of Shiraz. The sultan of Shiraz at the
سَمَّاه أبوه باسم الشيخ أبي إسحاق الكازروني نفع الله به، وهو من خيار السلاطين حَسَن الصورة والسيرة والهيئة كريم النفس جميل الأخلاق متواضعٌ صاحبُ قوةٍ ومُلْكٍ كبير وعسكَرُه ينيف على خمسين ألفًا من الترك والأعاجم,"His father named him Abu Ishaq after the shaikh Abu Ishaq al-Kazaruni —God profit us by him! He is one of the best of sultans, handsome in figure and conduct and form, of generous character and good moral qualities, humble in manner yet a man of power, with an army numbering more than fifty thousand Turks and Persians."
وبطانته الأدنون إليه أهل أصفهان، وهو لا يأتمن أهل شيراز على نفسه ولا يستخدمهم ولا يقربهم ولا يبيح لأحد منهم حَمْل السلاح؛ لأنهم أهل نجدة وبأس شديد وجراءة على الملوك,"His most favoured supporters are the people of Isfahan; on the other hand, he places no trust in the people of Shiraz, will not take them into his service, nor admit them to intimacy, nor permit any man of them to carry arms, because they are men of bravery and great courage, and audacious against kings."
ومن وُجِدَ بيده السلاح منهم عُوقِبَ،,Whosoever of them is found with a weapon in his hand is punished.
been found in his hand a bow during the night.,"I myself once saw a man being dragged by the janddrs (that is the police troops) to the hakim [chief of police], after they had tied his hands to his neck. I asked what he had done, and was told that there had"
فذهب السلطان المذكور إلى قهر أهل شيراز وتفضيل الأصفهانيين عليهم؛ لأنه يَخَافُهُم على نَفْسِه،,"So the sultan of whom we are speaking has made a practice of holding down the men of Shiraz and favouring the Isfahanls over them, be-cause he is afraid that they may make an attempt on his life."
وكان أبوه محمد شاه ينجو واليًا على شيراز من قِبَل ملك العراق، وكان حَسَنَ السيرة محبَّبًا إلى أهلها،,"His father Muhammad Shah Inju was governor of Shiraz on behalf of the king of al-‘Iraq, and was a man of upright conduct and beloved by the citizens."
فلما تُوُفِّيَ وَلَّى السلطان أبو سعيد مكانَه الشيخَ حسينًا وهو ابن الجوبان أمير الأمراء — وسيأتي ذِكْرُه — وبعث معه العساكر الكثيرة،,"When he died, the sultan Abu Sa’Id appointed in his place the shaikh Husain, the son of al-Juban, the chief of the amirs (an account of him will be given later), and sent him with a large body of troops."
فوصل إلى شيراز وملكها وضبط مجابيها,"So he arrived at Shiraz, took possession of it, and seized its revenues."
وهي من أعظم بلاد الله مجبًى، ذَكَرَ لي الحاج قوام الدين الطمغجي — وهو والي المجبى بها — أنه ضمنها بعشرة آلاف دينار دراهم في كل يوم وصرفها من ذهب المغرب ألفان وخمسمائة دينار ذهبًا، وأقام بها الأمير حسين مدة ثم أراد القدوم على ملك العراق فقُبِضَ على أبي إسحاق بن محمد شاه ينجو وعلى أخويه ركن الدين ومسعود بك وعلى والدته طاش خاتون، وأراد حَمْلَهُم إلى العراق ليطلبوا بأموال أبيهم،,"Now Shiraz is one of the greatest cities of the world in yield of revenue; al-Hajj Qiwam al-Dln alTamghajl, who was the intendant of revenues in it, told me that he had contracted to farm them for ten thousand silver dinars a day, the value of which in the currency of the Maghrib is two thousand five hundred gold dinars. When the amir Husain, after staying in the city for some time, prepared to rejoin the king of al-Traq he arrested Abu Ishaq, the son of Muhammad Shah Inju, together with his two brothers Rukn al-DIn and Mas’ud Bak and his mother Tash Khatun, intending to carry them off to al-Traq so that they should be put to the question for their father’s riches."
فلما توسطوا السوق بشيراز كشفت طاش خاتون وجهها وكانت متبرقعةً حياءَ أن تُرى في تلك الحال، فإن عادة نساء الأتراك أن لا يغطين وجوههن، واستغاثت بأهل شيراز وقالت: أهكذا يا أهل شيراز أَخْرُجُ من بينكم وأنا فلانة زوجة فلان؟,"When, however, they reached the centre of the bazaar at Shiraz, Tash Khatun unveiled her face (she had been wearing a veil out of shame at being seen in such a condition, for it is the custom of the Turkish women not to cover their faces) and called on the men of Shiraz to come to their aid, saying, ‘Is it thus, O men of Shiraz, that I am to be carried away from amongst you, I who am so-and-so the wife of so-and-so?’"
فقام رجل من النجارين يسمى بهلوان محمود قد رأيته بالسوق حين قدومي على شيراز، فقال: لا نتركها تخرج من بلدنا ولا نرضى بذلك،,"Thereupon one of the woodworkers, named Pahlawan Mahmud (I saw him in the bazaar when I came to Shiraz), rose up and said ‘We shall not let you go out of our town, nor accept any such thing.’"
فتابعه الناس على قوله وثارت عامَّتُهم ودخلوا في السلاح وقتلوا كثيرًا من العسكر، وأخذوا الأموال وخَلَّصُوا المرأة وأولادها.,"The people supported him in his declaration, and the whole body of them rose up, came in with their weapons, killed many of the troops, seized the moneys [which were being taken to al-Traq] and set free the woman and her sons."
وفَرَّ الأمير حسين ومَنْ معه وقدم على السلطان أبي سعيد مهزومًا,"The amir Husain and those with him fled, and came before the sultan Abu Sa‘Id in a discomfited condition."
فأعطاه العساكر الكثيفة وأَمَرَهُ بالعود إلى شيراز والتَّحَكُّم في أهلها بما شاء،,The sultan then gave him a powerful body of troops and com-manded him to return to Shiraz and to take such measures towards its inhabitants as he saw fit.
فلما بلغ أهلها ذلك علموا أنهم لا طاقة لهم به، فقصدوا القاضي مجد الدين وطلبوا منه أن يحقن دماء الفريقين ويوقع الصلح،,"When the news of this reached its people, they realized that they were powerless to resist him, so they sought out the qadl Majd al-Dln and be-sought him to prevent the effusion of blood on both sides and that a reconciliation should be effected."
فخرج إلى الأمير حسن، فترجل له الأمير عن فرسه وسلم عليه ووقع الصلح,"He went out accord-ingly to the amir Husain. The amir dismounted from his horse for him and saluted him, and a peaceful agreement was reached."
ونزل الأمير حسين ذلك اليوم خارج المدينة، فلما كان من الغد برز أهلها للقائه في أجمل ترتيب وزينوا البلد وأوقدوا الشمع الكثير، ودخل الأمير حسين في أُبَّهة وحفل عظيم وسار فيهم بأحسن سيرة،,"The amir Husain encamped that day outside the city, and on the following day its inhabitants went out to welcome him in the most beautiful order; they decorated the city and lit a great number of candles, and the amir Husain entered with great pomp and ceremony, and observed the most generous conduct towards them."
فلما مات السلطان أبو سعيد وانقرض عقبه وتَغَلَّبَ كل أمير على ما بيده خافَهُم الأمير حسين على نفسه وخَرَجَ عنهم،,"Then, when the sultan Abu Sa‘Id died and his line was ex-tinguished, and when every amir seized what was in his hands, the amir Husain became afraid that the people [of Shiraz] would make an attempt on his life and removed himself from them."
وتَغَلَّبَ السلطان أبو إسحاق عليها وعلى أصفهان وبلاد فارس وذلك مسيرة شهر ونصف شهر،,"The sultan Abu Ishaq made himself master of it, as well as Isfahan and the land of Fars, this amounting to [an area of] a month and a half’s march."
واشتدت شوكته وطمحت هِمَّتُه إلى تَمَلُّك ما يليه من البلاد، فبدأ بالأقرب منها,"Having [thus] a powerful military force at his disposal, his ambition incited him to take possession of the neighbouring lands, and he began with the nearest of them."
وهي مدينة بزد، مدينة حسنة نظيفة عجيبة الأسواق ذات أنهار مطردة وأشجار نضيرة وأهلها تجار شافعية المذهب،,"This was the city of Yazd, a fine, clean city with magnificent bazaars, perennial streams and verdant trees, whose population are merchants of the Shafi’ite rite."
فحاصَرَها وتَغَلَّبَ عليها وتَحَصَّنَ الأمير مظفر شاه ابن الأمير محمد شاه ابن مظفر بقلعة على ستة أميال منها منيعة تحدق بها الرمال،,"So he laid siege to it and captured it, but the amir Muzaffar Shah, son of the amir Muhammad Shah b. Muzaffar, shut himself up in a castle six miles from the city, a forbidding fortress encompassed by sands."
فحاصره بها فظَهَرَ من الأمير مظفر من الشجاعة ما خَرَقَ المعتاد ولم يُسْمَع بمثله،,"When Abu Ishaq went on to besiege him in it, the amir Muzaffar displayed a courage transcending the natural order of things and such as has never been heard of."
فكان يَضْرِب على عسكر السلطان أبي إسحاق ليلًا ويَقْتُل ما شاء ويخرق المضارب والفساطيط ويعود إلى قلعته فلا يقدر على النَّيْل منه،,"He would fall upon the camp of the sultan Abu Ishaq in the night, kill at will, burn the bivouacs and encampments, and return to his fortress, yet nothing could be done to get the upper hand of him."
وضرب ليلة على دوار السلطان وقَتَلَ هنالك جماعة وأخذ من عتاق خيله عشرة وعاد إلى قلعته،,"One night he fell upon the sultan’s enclosure, killed a number there, seized ten of his pedigree horses, and returned to his fortress."
فأمر السلطان أن تركب في كل ليلة خمسة آلاف فارس ويصنعون له الكمائن,Thereupon the sultan commanded that on every night five thousand horsemen should ride out and lay am-bushes for him.
ففعلوا ذلك، وخرج على عادته في مائة من أصحابه فضرب على العسكر وأحاطت به الكمائن وتلاحَقَتْ العساكر فقاتلهم وخلص إلى قلعته، ولم يصب من أصحابه إلا واحدًا,"They did so, and when he made a sortie as usual with a hundred of his associates and fell upon the camp, the men in ambush surrounded him and the [rest of the] troops came up in successive parties, yet he fought them off and got safely back to his castle, while none of his associates were captured but one man."
أُتِيَ به إلى السلطان أبي إسحاق فخلع عليه وأطلقه وبعث معه أمانًا لمظفر لينزل إليه فأبى ذلك، ثم وقعت بينهما المراسلة،,"This man was brought to the sultan Abu Ishaq, who put a robe of honour on him, and sent by him a safe-conduct for Muzaffar, in order that he should come to him. Muzaffar refused to do so, but there followed an exchange of correspondence between them."
ووقعت له محبة في قلب السلطان أبي إسحاق لِمَا رأى من شجاعته فقال: أريد أن أراه، فإذا رأيتُهُ انصرفْتُ عنه.,"For an affection for him had grown up in the heart of the sultan Abu Ishaq through witnessing his bold actions, and he said ‘I should like to see him, and when I have seen him I shall withdraw and leave him.’"
فوقف السلطان في خارج القلعة ووقف هو ببابها وسلم عليه،,Accordingly the sultan took up a position outside the castle while Muzaffar took up his stance in its gateway and saluted him.
فقال له السلطان: انزل على الأمان، فقال له: أفعل ذلك،,"The sultan then said to him ‘Descend, on guarantee of safety,’ but Muzaffar replied ‘I have made a vow to God that I should not come down to you until you for your part enter my castle, and thereafter I shall come out to you.’"
فدخل إليه السلطان في عشرة من أصحابه الخواص،,"The sultan said to him To accept the condition,’ and entered in with ten of his intimate companions."
فلما وصل باب القلعة تَرَجَّلَ مظفر وقبل ركابه ومشى بين يديه مترجلًا فأدخله داره وأَكَلَ من طعامه,"When he reached the gate of the fortress, Muzaffar dis-mounted, kissed his stirrup, and walking before him on foot led him into his apartment, where the sultan partook of his food."
ونزل معه إلى المحلة راكبًا فأجلسه السلطان إلى جانبه وخلع عليه ثيابه وأعطاه مالًا عظيمًا،,"Muzaffar then went out with him on horseback to the camp, and there the sultan bade him sit by his side, placed his own robes on him, and made him a large present of money."
ووَقَعَ الاتفاق بينهما أن تكون الخطبة باسم السلطان أبي إسحاق وتكون البلاد لمظفر وأبيه وعاد السلطان إلى بلاده،,"It was agreed between them that the khutba should be recited in the name of Abu Ishaq and that the province should belong to Muzaffar and his father, and the sultan returned to his own country."
وكان السلطان أبو إسحاق طمح ذات مرة إلى بناء إيوان كإيوان كسرى، وأمر أهل شيراز أن يتولوا حَفْر أساسه,"The sultan Abu Ishaq had at one time conceived the ambition to build a vaulted palace like the Aywan Kisra, and ordered the inhabitants of Shiraz to undertake the digging of its foundations."
فأخذوا في ذلك، وكان أهل كل صناعة يباهون كل من عداهم، فانتهوا في المباهاة إلى أن صنعوا القفاف لنقل التراب من الجلد وكسوها ثياب الحرير المزركش،,"They set to work on this, each corporation of artisans rivalling every other, and carried their rivalry to such lengths that they made baskets of leather to carry the earth and covered them with lengths of embroidered silk."
وفعلوا نحو ذلك في براذع الدواب وإخراجها، وصَنَعَ بعضهم الفئوس من الفضة وأوقدوا الشمع الكثير،,"They did the same with the panniers and sacks on the donkeys, and some of them made mattocks of silver and lit quantities of candles."
وكانوا حين الحفر يلبسون أجمل ثيابهم ويربطون فوط الحرير على أوساطهم والسلطان يشاهد أفعالهم من منظرة له،,"When they were digging they would put on their best garments and fasten silk aprons round their waists, while the sultan would watch their work from a balcony he had [there]."
وقد شاهدت هذا المبنى وقد ارتفع عن الأرض نحو ثلاثة أذرع،,"I saw this edifice, which had then reached the height of about thirty cubits from the ground."
ولما بُنِيَ أساسه رُفِعَ عن أهل المدينة التخديم فيه وصارت الفَعَلَة تَخْدُم فيه بالأجرة,"When its foundations were laid the inhabitants of the city were freed from service on it, and labourers began to work on it for wages."
ويُحْشَر لذلك آلاف منهم، وسمعْتُ والي المدينة يقول: إن معظم مجباها يُنْفَق في ذلك البناء،,"Several thousands of them were collected for that purpose, and I heard from the governor of the city that the greater part of its revenues was spent on this building."
وقد كان الموكل به الأمير جلال الدين بن الفلكي التوريزي وهو من الكبار، كان أبوه نائبًا عن وزير السلطان أبي سعيد المسمى علي شاه جيلان،,"The officer charged with it was the amir Jalal al-DIn ibn al-Falakl al-TawrlzI, one of the great [amirs], whose father was a substitute for the vizier of the sultan Abu Sa’Id, named ‘All Shah Jllan."
ولهذا الأمير جلال الدين الفلكي أخٌ فاضل اسمه هبة الله ويُلَقَّب بهاءَ الملك، وفد على ملك الهند حين وفودي عليه، ووفد معنا شرف الملك أمير يخت,"This amir Jalal al-DIn al-Falakl had a brother, a distinguished man named Hibat Allah and entitled Baha’ al-Mulk; he joined the service of the king of India at the same time as I did, and along with us came also Sharaf al-Mulk Amir Bakht."
فخلع ملك الهند علينا جميعًا وقَدَّم كل واحد في شغل يليق به وعَيَّنَ لنا المرتب والإحسان وسنذكر ذلك،,"The king of India gave robes of honour to us all and appointed each one to a service appropriate for him, assigning to us a fixed stipend and a gift, as we shall relate in due course."
وهذا السلطان أبو إسحاق يريد التشبه بمَلِك الهند المذكور في الإيثار وإجزال العطايا، ولكن أين الثريا من الثرى؟,"This sultan Abu Ishaq wished to be compared to the king of India just mentioned for his munificence and the magnitude of his gifts, but ‘How distant are the Pleiads from the clod!’"
أو أعظم ما تَعَرَّفْنا من عطيات أبي إسحاق أنه أعطى الشيخ زاده الخراساني الذي أتاه رسولًا عن ملك هراة سبعين ألف دينار، وأما ملك الهند فلم يَزَلْ يعطي أضعاف ذلك لمن لا يُحْصى كثرةً من أهل خراسان وغيرهم.,"The largest of Abu Ishaq’s gifts that we heard tell of was n that he gave the Shaikh-Zada al-Khurasan!, who had come to him as an envoy from the king of Harat, seventy thousand dinars, whereas the king of India never ceased to give many times more than that to persons from Khurasan and elsewhere in numbers beyond reckoning."
"حكاية
ومن عجيب فِعْل ملك الهند مع الخراسانيين أنه قَدِمَ عليه رجل من فقهاء خراسان هروي الدار من سكان خوارزم يسمى بالأمير عبد الله،","Anecdote. As one instance of the extraordinary dealings of the king of India with the Khurasanians, there came to his court one of the doctors of the law from Khurasan, of Harat by family, but he lived in Khwarizm, called the amir ‘Abdallah."
بعثته الخاتون ترابك زوج الأمير قطلودمور صاحب خوارزم بهدية إلى ملك الهند المذكور,"The Khatun Turabek, wife of the amir Qutludumur, the ruler of Khwarizm, had sent him as bearer of a gift to the king of India of whom we are speaking."
فقَبِلَها وكافَأَ عنها بأضعافها وبعث ذلك إليها،,"The king accepted the gift and gave in return one many times its value, which he sent to her."
واختار رسولُها المذكورُ الإقامةَ عنده فصيره في ندمائه، فلما كان ذات يوم قال له: ادخل إلى الخزانة فارفع منها قدر ما تستطيع أن تحمله من الذهب،,"But the envoy of hers whom we have mentioned chose to remain at his court, and the king enrolled him among his familiars. One day, he said to this n man, ‘Go into the treasury and take out of it as much gold as you are able to carry.’"
فذهب إلى داره فأتى بثلاث عشرة خريطة، وجعل في كل خريطة قَدْر ما وسعته، وربط كل خريطة بعضو من أعضائه، وكان صاحب قوة وقام بها،,"So he went to his house and came back with thirteen bags; he then filled each one of these as full as it would hold, tied each bag to one of his limbs (for he was a powerful man), and rose up with them."
فلما خرج عن الخزانة وَقَعَ ولم يستطع النهوض، فأَمَرَ السلطان بوزن ما خرج به،,"When he got outside the treasury, he fell and was unable to rise; whereupon the sultan gave orders to weigh the amount that he had carried out."
فكان جُمْلَتُه ثلاثة عشر منًّا بمنان دهلي، والمن الواحد منها خمسة وعشرون رطلًا مصرية، فأمره أن يأخذ جميع ذلك فأخذه وذَهَبَ به.,"It amounted to thirteen maunds, in the maunds of Dihli, each one of which is twenty-five Egyptian rails. The king ordered him to take it all, and he took it and went off with it."
"حكاية تُنَاسِبها
اشتكى مرة أمير يخت الملقب بشرف الملك الخراساني، وهو الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْره آنفًا بحضرة ملك الهند","A similar anecdote. On one occasion Amir Bakht, entitled Sharaf al-Mulk al-Khurasani (the same man as was mentioned previously), felt indisposed at the capital of the king of India."
فأتاه الملك عائدًا، ولما دخل عليه أراد القيام فحلف له الملك أن لا ينزل عن كته — والكت هو السرير —,"The king came to visit him, and as he entered Amir Bakht wished to get up, but the king swore that he should not come down from his kat (kat meaning a bed )."
ووُضِعَ للسلطان متكأة يسمونها المورة فقعد عليها،,"A seat, which they call a miira, was placed for the sultan and he sat down on it."
ثم دعا بالذهب والميزان فجيء بذلك، وأمر المريض أن يقعد في إحدى كفَّتي الميزان,He then called for gold and a balance and when they were brought he commanded the sick man to sit on one of the pans of the balance.
فقال: يا خوند عالم لو عَلِمْتُ أنك تفعل هذا للبست علي ثيابًا كثيرة،,"Amir Bakht then said, ‘O Master of the World, had I known that you would do this, I should have put on many clothes.’"
فقال له: الْبَسِ الآن جميعَ ما عندك من الثياب،,"The sultan replied, Tut on now all the clothes that you have.’"
فلبس ثيابه المعدَّة للبرد المحشوة بالقطن وقعد في كفة الميزان,"So he put on his garments intended for wear in cold weather, which were padded with cottonwool, and sat on the pan of the balance."
ووضع الذهب في الكفة الأخرى حتى رجحه الذهب، وقال له: خذ هذا فتصدق به على رأسك وخرج عنه.,"The other pan was filled with gold until it tipped down, when the king said ‘Take this and give it in alms for your recovery,’ and left him."
"حكاية تناسبهما
وفد عليه الفقير عبد العزيز الأردويلي وكان قد قرأ علم الحديث بدمشق وتَفَقَّهَ فيه، فجعل مرتبه مائة دينار دراهم في اليوم، وصرف ذلك خمسة وعشرون دينارًا ذهبًا،","Another analogous anecdote. The jurist ‘Abd al-‘Aziz alArdawili, who had studied the science of Tradition at Damascus and made a profession of it, came to join his service, and the king fixed his stipend at a hundred silver dinars a day (this being the equivalent to twenty-five gold dinars [of the Maghrib])."
وحضر مجلسه يومًا فسأله السلطان عن حديث،,"This jurist came to his audience one day, and the sultan asked him about a certain hadith."
فسرد له أحاديث كثيرة في ذلك المعنى، فأعجبه حفظه وحلف له برأسه أنه لا يزول من مجلسه حتى يفعل معه ما يراه،,"He reeled off so many hadiths to him on that subject, that the sultan, delighted with his powers of memory, swore to him by his own head that he should not leave the audience hall until he (the sultan) took what action towards him he thought proper."
ثم نزل الملك عن مجلسه فقبَّل قدميه وأَمَرَ بإحضار صينية من ذَهَبٍ,"The sultan then descended from his seat, kissed his feet, and commanded a golden tray to be brought."
وهي مثل الطيفور الصغير، وأَمَرَ أن يأتي فيها ألف دينار من الذهب،,"This tray resembles a small bowl, and he ordered that a thousand gold dinars should be put into it."
وأخذها السلطان بيده فصبها عليه، وقال: هي لك من الصينية،,"The sultan then took this into his own hand, poured the coins over him, and said. These are yours and the tray as well.’"
ووفد عليه مرةً رجل خراساني يُعْرَف بابن الشيخ عبد الرحمن الإِسْفَرَايِيني، وكان أبوه نزل بغداد، فأعطاه خمسين ألف دينار دراهم وخيلًا وعبيدًا وخلعًا،,"On [another] occasion a man of Khurasan known as Ibn al-Shaikh ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Isfarayini, whose father had settled in Baghdad, came to his court, and the sultan gave him fifty thousand silver dinars, and quantities of horses, slaves and robes of honour."
وسنذكر كثيرًا من أخبار هذا المَلِك عند ذِكْر بلاد الهند، وإنما ذَكَرْنَا هذا لما قَدَّمْنَاه من أن السلطان أبا إسحاق يريد التشبه به في العطايا، وهو وإن كان كريمًا فاضلًا، فلا يلحق بطبقة ملك الهند في الكرم والسخاء.,"We shall have many stories to relate of this king when we describe the land of India, and we have brought these in here only because, as we have already mentioned, the sultan Abu Ishaq wanted to be likened to him in respect of his gifts—whereas, although he was generous and of eminent merit, he could not be classed with the king of India in generosity and open-handedness."
ذِكْر بعض المشاهد بشيراز,Account of some of the sanctuaries at Shiraz.
فمنها مشهد أحمد بن موسى أخي علي الرضا بن موسى بن جعفر بن محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله تعالى عنهم، وهو مشهد معظم عند أهل شيراز يتبركون به ويتوسلون إلى الله تعالى بفضله، وبَنَتْ عليه طاش خاتون أم السلطان أبي إسحاق مدرسة كبيرة وزاوية فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر، والقراء يقرءون القرآن على التربة دائمًا،,"One of these is the mausoleum of Ahmad b. Musa, the brother of al-Rida ‘All b. Musa b. Ja’far b. Muhammad b. ‘All b. al-Husain b. ‘All b. Abi Talib (God be pleased with them); it is a sanctuary highly venerated by the people of Shiraz, who visit it in order to obtain blessing by him and make their petitions to God by his virtue. Tash Khatun, the mother of the sultan Abu Ishaq, built over it a large college and hospice, in which food is supplied to all comers, and Qur’an-readers continually recite the Qur’an over the tomb."
ومن عادة الخاتون أنها تأتي إلى هذا المشهد في كل ليلة اثنين، ويجتمع في تلك الليلة القضاة والفقهاء والشرفاء،,"The Khatun makes a practice of coming to this sanctuary on the eve of every Monday, and on that night the qadls, the doctors of the law, and sharifs assemble [there]."
وشيراز من أكثر بلاد الله شرفاء، سَمِعْتُ من الثقات أن الذين لهم بها المرتبات من الشرفاء ألف وأربعمائة ونيف بين صغير وكبير،,"Shiraz is of all cities in the world the one which most abounds in sharifs; I heard from trust-worthy persons that the number of sharifs in it who are in receipt of stipends is more than fourteen hundred, counting both children and adults."
ونقيبهم عضد الدين الحسيني، فإذا حَضَرَ القوم بالمشهد المبارك المذكور ختموا القرآن قراءة في المصاحف، وقرأ القراء بالأصوات الحسنة,"Their Naqlb is ‘Adud al-Dln alHusainl. When these persons are assembled in this blessed sanctuary, they ‘seal’ the Qur’an by reading from copies, and the readers recite [it] with beautiful modulations."
وأُتِيَ بالطعام والفواكه والحلواء، فإذا أكل القوم وَعَظَ الواعظ،,"Food, fruit and sweetmeats are brought in, and when those present have eaten, the homiletic preacher delivers a sermon."
ويكون ذلك كله من بعد صلاة الظهر إلى العشي، والخاتون في غرفة مطلة على المسجد لها شباك،,"All this takes place from after the midday prayer until the night prayer, while the Khatun occupies an upper chamber with a grilled window which overlooks [the nave of] the mosque."
ثم تُضْرَب الطبول والأنفار والبوقات على باب التربة كما يُفْعَل عند أبواب الملوك،,"To end with, kettledrums, fifes and trumpets are sounded at the gate of the tomb, exactly as is done at the gates of kings."
ومن المَشَاهد بها مشهد الإمام القطب الولي أبي عبد الله بن خفيف المعروف عندهم الشيخ،,"Another of the sanctuaries of Shiraz is the mausoleum of the imam and pole, the saint Abu ‘Abdallah b. Khafif, who is known by them [simply] as ‘the Shaikh’."
وهو قدوةُ بلاد فارس كلها، ومشهده معظم عندهم، يأتون إليه بكرة وعشيًّا فيتمسحون به،,"He is the paragon of the whole land of Fars, and his mausoleum is highly venerated by them; they come to it morning and evening, and rub their hands on it [for a blessing]."
وقد رأيت القاضي مجد الدين أتاه زائرًا واستلمه، وتأتي الخاتون إلى هذا المسجد في كل ليلة جمعة،,I myself saw the qadl Majd al-Din come to it on visitation and kiss it. The Khatun comes to this sanctuary on the eve of every Friday.
وعليه زاوية ومدرسة ويجتمع به القضاة والفقهاء ويفعلون به كفعلهم في مشهد أحمد بن موسى،,"Over it [has been built] a hospice and a college, and the qadis and doctors of the law assemble there and go through the same ceremony as at the tomb of Ahmad b. Musa."
وقد حضرت الموضعين جميعًا، وتربة الأمير محمد شاه ينجو والد السلطان أبي إسحاق متصلة بهذه التربة،,"I myself was present at both places [on the occasion of these gatherings]. The tomb of the amir Muhammad Shah, father of the sultan Abu Ishaq, is contiguous to this tomb."
والشيخ أبو عبد الله بن خفيف كبير القدر في الأولياء شهير الذكر،,The shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah b. Khafif occupies a high rank among the saints and is widely celebrated.
وهو الذي أظهر طريق جبل سرنديب بجزيرة سيلان من أرض الهند.,It was he who revealed the track of the mountain of Sarandlb in the island of Ceylon in the land of India.
"كرامة لهذا الشيخ
يحكى أنه قصد مرة جبل سرنديب ومعه نحو ثلاثين من الفقراء،","so A miracle of this shaikh. It is related that on one occasion he set out for the mountain of Sarandib, accompanied by about thirty poor brethren."
فأصابتهم مجاعة في طريق الجبل، حيث لا عمارة وتاهوا عن الطريق،,"They were assailed by hunger on the way to the mountain, in an uninhabited locality, and lost their bearings."
وطلبوا من الشيخ أن يأذن لهم في القبض على بعض الفيلة الصغار، وهي في ذلك المحل كثيرة جدًّا، ومنه تُحْمَل إلى حضرة ملك الهند،,"They asked the shaikh to allow them to catch one of the small elephants, which are exceedingly numerous in that place and are transported thence to the capital of the king of India."
فنهاهم الشيخ عن ذلك، فغلب عليهم الجوع فتعدوا قول الشيخ وقبضوا على فيل صغير منها وذكوه وأكلوا لحمه وامتنع الشيخ من أكله،,"The shaikh forbade them, but their hunger got the better of them; they disobeyed his instruction and, seizing a small elephant, they slaughtered it and ate its flesh. The shaikh, however, refused to eat it."
فلما ناموا تلك الليلة اجتمعت الفيلة من كل ناحية وأَتَتْ إليهم فكانت تشم الرجل منهم وتقتله حتى أتت على جميعهم،,"That night, as they slept, the elephants gathered from every direction and came upon them, and they went smelling each man and killing him until they had made an end of them all."
وشمت الشيخ ولم تتعرض له، وأخذه فيل منها ولَفَّ عليه خرطومه ورمى به على ظهره، وأتى به الموضع الذي فيه العمارة،,"They smelled the shaikh too, but offered no violence to him; one of them took hold of him, wrapped its trunk round him, set him on its back, and brought him to the place where there was some habitation."
فلما رآه أهل تلك الناحية عَجِبُوا منه واستقبلوه؛ ليتعرفوا أَمْره،,"When the people of the place saw him [thus], they were astonished at it, and went out to meet him and find out all about him."
فلما قرب منهم أَمْسَكَه الفيل بخرطومه ووَضَعَهُ عن ظَهْره إلى الأرض بحيث يرونه،,"Then the elephant, as it came near them, seized him with its trunk, and lifted him off its back down to the ground in full view of them."
فجاءوا إليه وتمسحوا به وذهبوا به إلى ملكهم,"These people then came up to him, touched the fringes of his robe [for a blessing] and took him to their king."
فعَرَّفُوه خبره وهم كفار وأقام عندهم أيامًا،,[There] they made known the story of his adventure—[all of] them being infidels—and he stayed with them for some days.
وذلك الموضع على خور يسمى خور الخيزران،,"That place lies on a khawr called ‘Bamboo Khawr’, khawr meaning ‘river’."
والخور هو النهر، وبذلك الموضع مغاص الجوهر، ويُذْكَر أن الشيخ غاص في بعض تلك الأيام بمحضر ملكهم، وخرج وقد ضم يديه معًا،,"In the same place there is a pearl fishery, and it is recounted that the shaikh, one day during his stay there, dived in the presence of their king and came out with both hands closed."
وقال للملك: اختر ما في إحداهما،,He said to the king ‘Choose what is in one of them.’
فاختار ما في اليمنى فرمى إليه بما فيها،,"The king chose what was in his right hand, whereupon he passed over to him what it contained."
وكانت ثلاثة أحجار من الياقوت لا مثل لها، وهي عند ملوكهم في التاج يتوارثونها،,"They were three stones of ruby, unequalled [in quality], and they are still in the possession of their kings, [set] in their crown and inherited by them in succession."
وقد دخلت جزيرة سيلان هذه وهم مقيمون على الكفر إلا أنهم يُعَظِّمون فقراء المسلمين ويؤوونهم إلى دُورِهم ويُطْعِمونهم الطعام ويكونون في بيوتهم بين أهليهم وأولادهم خلافًا لسائر كفار الهند،,"I visited this island of Ceylon. Its people still remain in state of infidelity, yet they hold the poor brethren of the Muslims in great respect, lodge them in their houses and give them food, and these Muslims will be in their rooms amidst their wives and children, contrary to [the practice of] all the other infidels of India."
فإنهم لا يقربون المسلمين ولا يُطْعِمونهم في آنيتهم ولا يُسْقونهم فيها، مع أنهم لا يؤذونهم ولا يهجونهم،,"For these never admit Muslims to their intimacy, nor give them to eat or to drink out of their vessels, although at the same time they neither act nor speak offensively to them."
ولقد كنا نضطر إلى أن يطبخ لنا بعضهم اللحم فيأتون به في قدورهم ويقعدون على بُعْدٍ مِنَّا،,"We were compelled to have some of them cook flesh for us, and they would bring it in their pots and sit at a distance from us."
ويأتون بأوراق الموز فيجعلون عليها الأرز وهو طعامهم ويصبون عليه الكوشان وهو الإدام، ويذهبون فنأكل منه وما فضل علينا تأكله الكلاب والطير،,"They would bring banana leaves and put rice on them—this is their regular food—and they would pour over it kushdn, which is a meat sauce, and go away; after we had eaten of this, what we left over would be eaten by the dogs and the birds."
وإن أكل منه الولد الصغير الذي لا يعقل ضَرَبُوه وأطعموه روث البقر وهو الذي يُطَهِّر ذلك في زعمهم.,"If any small child who had not reached the age of reason ate any of it, they would beat him and give him cow dung to eat, this being, so they say, the purification for that act."
ومن المَشَاهد بها مشهد الشيخ الصالح القطب روزجهان القبلي من كبار الأولياء،,"Among the sanctuaries at Shiraz is the mausoleum of the virtuous shaikh, the pole, Ruzbihan al-Baqli, one of the great saints."
وقبره في مسجدٍ جامعٍ يخطب فيه، وبذلك المسجد يصلي القاضي مجد الدين الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه رضي الله عنه،,"His tomb is in a congregational mosque, in which [the Friday prayers and] the khutba are held. It is in the same mosque that the qadi Majd al-DIn mentioned above (God be pleased with him) performs his prayers."
وبهذا المسجد سمعت عليه كتاب مسند الإمام أبي عبد الله محمد بن إدريس الشافعي، قال: أخبرتنا به وزيرة بنت عمر بن المنجا قالت: أخبرنا أبو عبد الله الحسين بن أبي بكر بن المبارك الزبيدي، قال: أخبرنا أبو زرعة طاهر بن محمد بن طاهر المقدسي، قال: أخبرنا أبو الحسن المكي بن محمد بن منصور بن علان العرضي، قال: أخبرنا القاضي أبو بكر أحمد بن الحسن الحرشي عن أبي العباس بن يعقوب الأصم عن الربيع بن سليمان المرادي عن الإمام أبي عبد الله الشافعي،,"He stated [his chain of authorities as follows] ‘We received the tradition on it from Wazira, daughter of ‘Omar b. al-Munajja, who said: We received the tradition from Abu ‘Abd Allah alii usain b. Abu Bakr b. al-Mubarak al-Zubaidi, who had it from Abu’l-Hasan al-Makkl b. Muhammad b. Mansur b. Allan al-‘UrdI who had it from the qadi Abu Bakr Ahmad b. al-Hasan al-Harashl, from Abu’l-‘Abbas b. Ya’qub alAsamm, from al-Rab!‘ b. Sulaiman al-Muradl, from the Imam Abu ‘Abd ‘Allah al-ShafiT."
وسمعت أيضًا عن القاضي مجد الدين بهذا المسجد المذكور كتاب مشارق الأنوار للإمام رضي الدين أبي الفضائل الحسن بن محمد بن الحسن الصاغاني بحق سماعه له من الشيخ جلال الدين أبي هاشم محمد بن محمد بن أحمد الهاشمي الكوفي بروايته عن الإمام نظام الدين محمود بن محمد بن عمر الهروي عن المصنف،,"I attended also the lectures of the qadl Majd al-Din in this same mosque on the book Mashdriq al-Anwar of the Imam Radi al-Din Abu’lFada’il al-Hasan b. Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-SaghanI, on the authority of his hearing it from the shaikh Jalal al-Din Abu Hashim Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Ahmad alHashimi al-Kufi, in his transmission of it from the imam Nizam al-Din Mahmud b. Muhammad b. ‘Omar al-HarawI from the author of the book."
ومن المَشاهد بها مشهد الشيخ الصالح زركوب وعليه زاوية لإطعام الطعام،,"Another of the sanctuaries at Shiraz is the tomb of the virtuous shaikh Zarkub, over which [there is built] a hospice for the provision of food."
وهذه المَشاهد كلها بداخل المدينة، وكذلك معظم قبور أهلها،,"All of these sanctuaries are inside the city, and so also are most of the graves of its inhabitants."
فإن الرجل منهم يموت ولده أو زوجه فيتخذ له تربة من بعض بيوت داره ويدفنه هناك,"For if the son or the wife of one of them dies, he prepares a tomb for him [or her] in one of the chambers of his house and buries him there."
ويفرش البيت بالحُصْر والبسط ويجعل الشمع الكثير عند رأس الميت ورجليه ويصنع للبيت بابًا إلى ناحية الزقاق وشباك حديد,"He furnishes the chamber with reed mats and carpets, places a great number of candles at the head and feet of the deceased, and makes a door from the chamber towards the lane [outside the house] and an iron grille."
فيدخل منه القراء يقرءون بالأصوات الحسان وليس في معمور الأرض أحسن أصواتًا بالقرآن من أهل شيراز،,"From this door there enter the Qur’an-readers, who recite with beautiful modulations, and there are not in the whole inhabited world any whose recitation of the Qur’an is more beautifully modulated than the inhabitants of Shiraz."
ويقوم أهل الدار بالتربة ويفرشونها ويوقدون السرج بها، فكأن الميت لم يبرح، وذُكِرَ لي أنهم يطبخون في كل يوم نصيب الميت من الطعام ويتصدقون به عنه.,"The members of the household look after the tomb, cover it with carpets, and light lamps over it, so that the deceased person is, as it were, still present [with them]; and it was told me that they prepare every day the deceased person’s portion of food and give it away in alms on his behalf."
"حكاية
مررت يومًا ببعض أسواق مدينة شيراز، فرأيت بها مسجدًا مُتْقَن البناء جميل الفرش،","Anecdote. I was passing one day through one of the bazaars in the city of Shiraz when I saw there a mosque, substantially built and handsomely carpeted."
وفيه مصاحف موضوعة في خرائط حرير موضوعة فوق كرسي،,"Inside it there were copies of the Qur’an, placed in silken bags laid upon a rostrum."
وفي الجهة الشمالية من المسجد زاوية فيها شباك مُفَتَّح إلى جهة السوق، وهنالك شيخ جميلُ الهيئة واللباس وبين يديه مصحف يقرأ فيه،,"On « the northern side of the mosque was a cell with a grille opening in the direction of the bazaar, and there [sat] an old man, of handsome appearance and garments, with a Qur’an before him, in which he was reading."
فسَلَّمْتُ عليه وجَلَسْتُ إليه، فسألني عن مَقْدِمي فأخبرته، وسألته عن شأن هذا المسجد,"I saluted him and sat down facing him, and, after he had asked me where I came from and I had replied to him, I questioned him on the subject of his mosque."
فأخبرني أنه هو الذي عَمَرَهُ ووَقَفَ عليه أوقافًا كثيرة للقراء وسواهم، وأن تلك الزاوية التي جلست إليه فيها هي موضع قبره إن قضى الله موته بتلك المدينة,"He told me that it was he who had built it and endowed it with the revenues from a number of properties, for the maintenance of Qur’an-readers and others, and that this cell in which I had sat down with him was the site of his grave, if God should decree his death in that city."
ثم رَفَعَ بساطًا كان تحته، والقبر مغطًّى عليه ألواح خشب،,"He then lifted a carpet which was underneath him, and [there was] the grave, covered over with planks of wood."
وأراني صندوقًا كان بإزائه فقال: في هذا الصندوق كفني وحنوطي ودراهم كنت استأجرت بها نفسي في حفر بئر لرجل صالح، فدفع لي هذه الدراهم، فتركتها لتكون نفقة مواراتي وما فضل منها يُتَصَدَّق بها،,"He showed me also a chest, which was at the other side of him, and said ‘In this chest is my shroud and the spices for my burial, and some money that I earned by hiring myself to dig a well for a saintly man, and when he paid me this money I put it aside to meet the expenses of my interment, and any of it left over is to be distributed in alms.’"
فعجبت من شأنه وأردت الانصراف فحلف علي وأضافني بذلك الموضع،,"I was astonished at what he told me and made ready to withdraw, but he adjured me to stay and served me with food in that place."
ومن المَشَاهد بخارج شيراز قبر الشيخ الصالح المعروف بالسعدي، وكان أشعر أهل زمانه باللسان الفارسي، وربما ألمع في كلامه بالعربي,"Among the sanctuaries outside Shiraz is the grave of the pious shaikh known as al-Sa‘dI, who was the greatest poet of his time in the Persian language and sometimes introduced Arabic verses into his compositions."
وله زاوية كان قد عَمَرَهَا بذلك الموضع حسنة بداخلها بستان مليح، وهي بقرب رأس النهر الكبير المعروف بركن آباد،,"It has [attached to it] a hospice which he had built in that place, a fine building with a beautiful garden inside it, close by the source of the great river known as Rukn Abad."
وقد صَنَعَ الشيخ هنالك أحواضًا صغارًا من المرمر لغسل الثياب، فيخرج الناس من المدينة لزيارته، ويأكلون من سماطه ويغسلون ثيابهم بذلك النهر وينصرفون,"The shaikh had constructed there some small cisterns in marble to wash clothes in. People go out from the city to visit his tomb, and they eat from his table, wash their clothes in that river and return home."
وبمدينة شيراز من كبار الفقهاء الشريف مجيد الدين وأَمْرُه في الكرم عجيب،,"In the city of Shiraz, one of the principal faqihs is the sharif Majid al-DIn, a man of astonishing generosity."
وربما جاد بكل ما عنده وبالثياب التي كانت عليه ويلبس مرقعة له,"He often gives away everything that he possesses and the very clothes that he is wearing, and puts on an [old] patched robe that he has."
فيدخل عليه كبراء المدينة فيجدونه على تلك الحال فيكسونه، ومُرَتَّبه في كل يوم من السلطان خمسون دينارًا دراهم،,"The chief men of the city come to his house to visit him, and then they find him in this condition and give him [new] clothes. His pension from the sultan is fifty silver dinars a day."
ثم كان خروجي من شيراز برسم زيارة قبر الشيخ الصالح أبي إسحاق الكازروني بكازرون وهي على مسيرة يومين من شيراز،,"Then followed my departure from Shiraz with the object of visiting the grave of the pious shaikh Abu Ishaq al-Kazarunl, at Kazarun, which is at a distance of two days’ journey from Shiraz."
فنزلنا أول يوم ببلاد الشول، وهم طائفة من الأعاجم يسكنون البرية، وفيهم الصالحون.,"We encamped on the first day in the territory of the Shul, who are a body of Persians living in the open country and amongst whom there are a number of devotees."
"كرامة لبعضهم
كنت يومًا ببعض المساجد بشيراز، وقد قَعَدْتُ أتلو كتاب الله عز وجل إثر صلاة الظهر، فخطر بخاطري أنه لو كان لي مصحف كريم لتلوت فيه،","A Grace of one of these [devotees]. One day I was in a certain mosque in Shiraz, and had sat down to recite the Book of God (High and Mighty is He) after the midday prayer. It came into my mind that I should like to have a copy of the Holy Book so that I might read from it."
فدخل علي في أثناء ذلك شابٌّ وقال لي بكلام قوي: خُذْ، فرفعت رأسي إليه فألقى في حِجْري مصحفًا كريمًا وذَهَبَ عني,"At the same moment there entered a young man, who came up to me and said in a powerful voice ‘Take’; I raised my head towards him, and he cast in my lap a copy of the Holy Book and left me."
فختمته ذلك اليوم قراءة وانتظرته لأرده له فلم يَعُدْ إلي،,"I recited the whole Book that day and waited for him in order to return it to him, but he did not come back to me."
فسألت عنه فقيل لي: ذلك بهلول الشولي ولم أَرَهُ بعد،,"Afterwards I made enquiries about him and was told ‘That was Buhlul the Shull,’ but I never saw him again."
ووصلنا في عشي اليوم الثاني إلى كازرون، فقصدنا زاوية الشيخ أبي إسحاق نفع الله به وبِتْنَا بها تلك الليلة،,"We arrived in Kazarun in the evening of the second day and went to the hospice of the shaikh Abu Ishaq (God benefit us by him), where we passed that night."
ومن عادتهم أن يطعموا الوارد كائنًا من كان من الهريسة المصنوعة من اللحم والقمح والسمن وتؤكل بالرقاق، ولا يتركون الوارد عليهم للسفر حتى يقيم في الضيافة ثلاثة أيام، ويعرض على الشيخ الذي بالزاوية حوائجه,"It is their custom to serve to every visitor, whoever he may be, harisa made from flesh, wheat and ghee, and eaten with thin breadcakes; and they will not let any visitor to them proceed on his journey without staying as their guest for three days, and disclosing his wants to the shaikh who [resides] in the hospice."
ويَذْكُرها الشيخ للفقراء الملازمين للزاوية وهم يزيدون على مائة منهم المتزوجون ومنهم الأعزاب المتجردون فيختمون القرآن ويَذْكُرون الذكر ويدعون له عند ضريح الشيخ أبي إسحاق فتقضى حاجته بإذن الله،,"The shaikh tells these to the poor brethren attached to the hospice (these exceed a hundred in number, some of them married, others who are celibate, having renounced the goods of this world), and they then ‘seal’ the Qur’an, perform the dhikr, and pray on his behalf at the tomb of the shaikh Abu Ishaq, when his want is satisfied by God’s goodwill."
وهذا الشيخ أبو إسحاق مُعَظَّم عند أهل الهند والصين،,This shaikh Abu Ishaq is highly venerated by the people of India and China.
ومن عادة ركاب بحر الصين أنهم إذا تَغَيَّرَ عليهم الهواء وخافوا اللصوص نذورا لأبي إسحاق نذورًا،,"Travellers on the Sea of China make a practice when the wind turns against them and they fear pirates, of making vows to Abu Ishaq, and each one of them sets down in writing the obligation he has undertaken in his vow."
وكتب كل منهم على نفسه ما نذره، فإذا وصلوا برَّ السلامة صعد خُدَّام الزاوية إلى المركب وأخذوا الزمام وقبضوا مِنْ كُلِّ ناذرٍ نَذْره،,"Then, when they come safely to land, the servitors of the hospice go on board the ship, take the inventory, and exact [the amount of] his vow from each person who has pledged himself."
وما من مركب يأتي من الصين أو الهند إلا وفيه آلاف من الدنانير، فيأتي الوكلاء من جهة خادم الزاوية فيقبضون ذلك،,"There is not a ship that comes from China or from India but has thousands of dinars in it [vowed to the saint], and the agents on behalf of the intendant of the hospice come to take delivery of that sum."
ومن الفقراء من يأتي طالبًا صدقة الشيخ فيُكْتَبُ له أَمْرٌ بها، وفيه علامة الشيخ منقوشة في قالب من الفضة، فيضعون القالب في صبغ أحمر ويلصقونه بالأمر، فيبقى أثر الطابع فيه ويكون مُضَمَّنه أنَّ مَنْ عِنْده نَذْر للشيخ أبي إسحاق فَلْيُعْطِ منه لفلانٍ كذا، فيكون الأمر بالألف والمائة وما بين ذلك ودونه على قَدْر الفقير،,"There are some poor brethren who come to beg alms of the shaikh; each of these receives a written order for some amount, sealed with the shaikh’s device (this is engraved on a silver die, and they put the die into red wax and apply it to the order so that the mark of the stamp remains upon it), to this effect: ‘Whoso has in his possession [moneys dedicated under] a vow to the Shaikh Abu Ishaq, let him give thereof to so-and-so so much,’ the order being for a thousand or a hundred [dirhams], or some intermediate or smaller sum, according to the standing of the poor brother concerned."
فإذا وَجَدَ من عنده شيء من النذر قَبَضَ منه وكَتَبَ له رسمًا في ظَهْر الأمر بما قَبَضَهُ.,"Then, when the mendicant finds someone who has in his possession anything under vow, he takes from him and writes for him a receipt for the amount on the back of the order."
ولقد نَذَرَ مَلِكُ الهند مرة للشيخ أبي إسحاق بعشرة آلاف دينار فبلغ خبرها إلى فقراء الزاوية فأتى أحدهم إلى الهند وقبضها وانصرف بها إلى الزاوية،,"The king of India once vowed ten thousand dinars to the Shaikh Abu Ishaq, and when the news of this reached the poor brethren of the hospice, one of them came to India, took delivery of the money, and went back with it to the hospice."
ثم سافرنا من كازرون إلى مدينة الزيدين، وسُمِّيَتْ بذلك لأن فيها قبر زيد بن ثابت وقبر زيد بن أرقم الأنصاريَّيْنِ صاحِبَيْ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا ورضي الله عنهما،,"We travelled next from Kazarun to the city of al-Zaidani [i.e. the two Zaids], which is called by this name because it contains the grave of Zaid b. Thabit and the grave of Zaid b. Arqam, both of them of the Ansar, and Companions of the Apostle of God (God’s blessing and peace upon him)."
وهي مدينة حسنة كثيرة البساتين والمياه مليحة الأسواق عجيبة المساجد،,"It is a beautiful town, with abundant fruit-gardens and streams, fine bazaars, and exquisite mosques."
ولأهلها صلاح وأمانة وديانة،,"Its people are of upright conduct, trustworthy, and strict in religious observance."
ومن أهلها القاضي نور الدين الزيداني وكان وَرَدَ على أهل الهند فوَلِيَ القضاء منها بذيبة المهل،,"To this town belonged the qadl Nur al-DIn al-Zaidani; he had migrated to join the people of India, and was appointed as qadl in that country in the Maidive Islands."
وهي جزائر كثيرة ملكها جلال الدين بن صلاح الدين صالح وتَزَوَّجَ بأخت هذا الملك,"These are a large number of islands, the king of which was Jalal al-DIn Salih, and he married this king’s sister."
وسيأتي ذِكْرُه وذِكْر بنته خديجة التي تَوَلَّت المُلْك بعده بهذه الجزائر، وبها تُوُفِّيَ القاضي نور الدين المذكور،,"An account of the king will be given later, and of his daughter Khadija, who was invested with the kingdom in these islands after him, and it was there that the abovementioned qadl Nur al-DIn died."
ثم سافرنا منها إلى الحويزاء (بالزاي)، وهي مدينة صغيرة يسكنها العجم بينها وبين البصرة مسيرة أربع وبينها وبين الكوفة مسيرة خمس،,"We travelled on from there to al-Huwaiza’, a small town inhabited by Persians, four nights’ journey from al-Basra, and five nights’ from al-Kufa."
ومن أهلها الشيخ الصالح العابد جمال الدين الحويزاني شيخ خانقاه سعيد السعداء بالقاهرة،,"To this town belongs the pious shaikh and devotee Jamal al-DIn al-Huwaiza’I, shaikh of the Sa’Id al-Su‘ada convent in Cairo."
ثم سافرنا منها قاصدين الكوفة في بَرِّيَّة لا ماءَ بها إلا في موضع واحد يسمى الطرفاوي،,"Then we travelled on, making for al-Kufa, through a wilderness in which there is no water except at a single place called al-Tarfawi."
وَرَدْناه في اليوم الثالث من سفرنا، ثم وَصَلْنَا بعد اليوم الثاني مِنْ وُرُودِنا عليه إلى مدينة الكوفة.,"We reached this place on the third day of our journey, then after the second day of our arrival at it we came to the city of al-Kufa."
"مدينة الكوفة
وهي إحدى أمهات البلاد العراقية المتميزة فيها — بفضل المزية — مثوى الصحابة والتابعين ومنزل العلماء والصالحين وحضرة علي بن أبي طالب أمير المؤمنين،","The city of al-Kufa. She is one of the metropolitan cities of al-‘Iraq, distinguished among them by superior prerogative; the place of abode of Companions and followers, habitation of scholars and saints, and capital city of ‘All b. Abi Talib, Commander of the Faithful."
إلا أن الخراب قد استولى عليها بسبب أيدي العدوان التي امتدت إليها وفسادها من عرب خفاجة المجاورين لها؛ فإنهم يقطعون طريقها،,"But desolation has gained the mastery over her, by reason of the hands of violence which have been extended towards her, and her disordered state is due to the beduins of Khafaja who live in the vicinity, for they rob on her highway."
ولا سور عليها، وبناؤها بالآجر وأسواقها حسان، وأكثر ما يباع فيها التمر والسمك، وجامِعُها الأعظم جامعٌ كبير شريف بلاطاته سبعة قائمة على سواري حجارة ضخمة منحوتة قد صُنِعَتْ قطعًا ووُضِعَ بعضها على بعض وأُفْرِغَتْ بالرصاص وهي مُفْرِطة الطول،,"The town is unwalled and its buildings are of brick; its bazaars are pleasant, dried dates and fish being the chief commodities sold in them, and its principal mosque is a great and noble cathedral mosque with seven naves supported by thick pillars of dressed stones, which were prepared in sections, set one on top of the other and the interstices filled with molten lead, and of immense height."
وبهذا المسجد آثار كريمة، فمنها بيتٌ إزاء المحراب عن يمين مستقبل القبلة، يقال: إن الخليل صلوات الله عليه كان له مصلًّى بذلك الموضع،,"In this mosque there are [a number of] sacred relics. One of them is a chamber alongside the mihrab, on the right as one faces the qibla; it is said that [Abraham] alKhalil (God’s blessing upon him) had in that spot a place of prayer."
وعلى مقربة منه محراب مُحَلَّق عليه بأعواد الساج مرتفع، وهو محراب علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه،,Close by it is a mihrab [in a space] enclosed by bars made of teak and raised [above the level of the floor]; this is the mihrab of ‘All b. Abi Talib (God be pleased with him).
وهنالك ضَرَبَهُ الشقي ابن ملجم والناس يقصدون الصلاة به،,"It was in this spot that he was cut down by the accursed Ibn Muljam, and the people made a point of praying in it."
وفي الزاوية من آخر هذا البلاط مسجد صغير مُحَلَّق عليه أيضًا بأعواد الساج يُذْكَر أنه الوضع الذي فار منه التنور حين طوفان نوح عليه السلام،,"In the corner, at the [western] end of this colonnade, is a small mosque, also enclosed by bars of teak; this is said to be the spot at which the furnace boiled up at the time of Noah’s (peace be upon him) flood."
وفي ظهره خارج المسجد بيت يزعمون أنه بيت نوح عليه السلام، وإزاءه بيت يزعمون أنه متعبَّد إدريس عليه السلام،,"Behind it, outside the mosque, is a chamber that they assert to be the house of Noah (peace be upon him), and in line with it [another] chamber that they assert to be the cell of Idris (peace be upon him)."
ويتصل بذلك فضاء متصل بالجدار القبلي من المسجد يقال: إنه موضع إنشاء سفينة نوح عليه السلام، وفي آخر هذا الفضاء دار علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه والبيت الذي غُسِّلَ فيه،,"Adjoining this is an open space, extending along the southern wall of the mosque, which is said to be the place of building of the ark of Noah (peace be upon him); and at the far end of this space is the house of ‘All b. Abi Talib (God be pleased with him) and the chamber in which he was washed [after his death]."
ويتصل به بيت يقال أيضًا: إنه بيت نوح عليه السلام والله أعلم بصحة ذلك كله،,"Adjoining this is a chamber, and this also is said to be the house of Noah (peace be upon him); but God knows best what truth there is in all of this."
وفي الجهة الشرقية من الجامع بيت مرتفع يُصْعَد إليه، فيه قبر مسلم بن عقيل بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه، وبمقربة منه خارج المسجد قبر عاتكة وسكينة بنت الحسين عليه السلام.,"On the eastern side of the mosque there is a chamber, raised above the ground and feached by steps, in which is the grave of Muslim b. ‘Aqil b. Abi Talib (God be pleased with him), and in its vicinity, outside the mosque, the grave of  ‘Atika and Sukaina, the daughters of Husain (peace be upon him)."
وأما قصر الإمارة بالكوفة الذي بناه سعد بن أبي وقاص رضي الله عنه، فلم يَبْقَ منه إلا أساسه،,"As for the governor’s castle at al-Kufa, which was built by Sa‘d b. Abi Waqqas (God be pleased with him), nothing is left of it but the foundations."
والفرات من الكوفة على مسافة نصف فرسخ في الجانب الشرقي منها، وهو منتظم بحدائق النخل الملتفة المتصل بعصها ببعض،,"The Euphrates is at a distance of half a farsakh from al-Kufa, to the east of the town, and is bordered by groves of date palms, crowded together and each adjoining the other."
ورأيت بغربي جبانة الكوفة موضعًا مسودًّا شديد السواد في بسيط أبيض، فأُخْبِرْتُ أنه قبر الشقي ابن ملجم، وأن أهل الكوفة يأتون في كل سنة بالحطب الكثير فيوقدون النار على موضع قبره سبعة أيام،,"To the west of the cemetery of al-Kufa I saw a spot that was of dense blackness in a white plain; I was told that it is the grave of the accursed Ibn Muljam, and that the people of al-Kufa come every year with loads of firewood and light a fire over the site of his grave for seven days."
وعلى قُرْبٍ منه قبة أُخْبِرْتُ أنها على قبر المختار بن أبي عبيد،,"In its vicinity is a dome which, I was told, is over the grave of al-Mukhtar b. Abi ‘Obaid."
ثم رَحَلْنَا ونزلنا بئر ملاحة وهي بلدة حسنة بين حدائق نخل ونزلت بخارجها وكرهت دخولها؛ لأن أهلها روافض،,"We then resumed our journey and halted [for the night] at Bi’r Mallaha, a pretty town in the midst of palm-groves. I encamped outside it, and would not enter the place, because its inhabitants are Rafidls."
ورحلنا منها الصبح فنزلنا مدينة الحلة، وهي مدينة كبيرة مستطيلة مع الفرات وهو بشرقيها,"We went on from there next morning and alighted in the city of al-Hilla, which is a large town, situated perpendicularly along the Euphrates, which is on the east side of it."
ولها أسواق حسنة جامعة للمرافق والصناعات، وهي كثيرة العمارة وحدائق النخل منتظمة بها داخلًا وخارجًا، ودورها بين الحدائق،,"It has fine markets, stocked with both natural produce and manufactured goods, and a large number of habitations and palm groves encompassing it both inside and out, the houses of the town lying among the groves."
ولها جسر عظيم معقود على مراكب متصلة منتظمة فيما بين الشَّطَّيْنِ تحفُّ بها من جانبيها سلاسل من حديد مربوطة في كلا الشطين إلى خشبة عظيمة مثَبَّتَة بالساحل،,"It has also a great bridge fastened upon a continuous row of boats ranged from bank to bank, the boats being held in place both fore and aft by iron chains attached on either bank to a huge wooden beam made fast ashore."
وأهل هذه المدينة كلها إمامية اثنا عشرية، وهم طائفتان؛ إحداهما تُعْرَف بالأكراد، والأخرى تُعْرَف بأهل الجامعين،,"The inhabitants of this city are all of them Imamis [Shi’ites] of the ‘Twelver’ sect, and are divided into two factions, one known as ‘the Kurds’ and the other as ‘men of the Two Mosques’."
والفتنة بينهم متصلة والقتال قائم أبدًا، وبمقربة من السوق الأعظم بهذه المدينة مسجد على بابه ستر حرير مسدول وهم يسمونه مشهد صاحب الزمان.,"Factional strife between them is never interrupted, and fighting is always going on Near the principal bazaar in this town there is a mosque, over the door of which a silk curtain is suspended. They call this ‘the Sanctuary of the Master of the Age’."
ومن عاداتهم أنه يخرج في كل ليلة مائة رجل من أهل المدينة عليهم السلاح وبأيديهم سيوف مشهورة، فيأتون أمير المدينة بعد صلاة العصر فيأخذون منه فرسًا مُسَرَّجًا ملجَّمًا أو بغلة كذلك ويضربون الطبول والأنفار والبوقات أمام تلك الدابة,"It is one of their customs that » every evening a hundred of the townsmen come out, carrying arms and with drawn swords in their hands, and go to the governor of the city after the afternoon prayer; they receive from him a horse or mule, saddled and bridled, and [with this they go in procession] beating drums and playing fifes and trumpets in front of this animal."
ويتقدمها خمسون منهم ويتبعها مثلهم ويمشي آخرون عن يمينها وشمالها ويأتون مشهد صاحب الزمان،,"Fifty of them march ahead of it and the same number behind it, while others walk to right and left, and so they come to the Sanctuary of the Master of the Age."
فيقفون بالباب ويقولون: باسم الله يا صاحب الزمان، باسم الله اخرج قد ظَهَر الفساد وكَثُرَ الظلم، وهذا أوان خروجك فيَفْرِق الله بك بين الحق والباطل،,"Then they stand at the door and say ‘In the name of God, O Master of the Age, in the name of God come forth! Corruption is abroad and tyranny is rife! This is the hour for thy advent, that by thee God may divide the true from the False.’"
ولا يزالون كذلك وهم يضربون الأبواق والأطبال والأنفار إلى صلاة المغرب، وهم يقولون: إن محمد بن الحسن العسكري دَخَلَ ذلك المسجد وغاب فيه وأنه سيخرج، وهو الإمام المنتظر عندهم،,"They continue to call in this way, sounding the trumpets and drums and fifes, until the hour of the sunset prayer; for they assert that Muhammad b. alHasan al-‘Askari entered this mosque and disappeared from sight in it, and that he will emerge from it since he is, in their view, the ‘Expected Imam’."
وقد كان غلب على مدينة الحلة بعد موت السلطان أبي سعيد الأمير أحمد بن رميثة بن أبي نمي أمير مكة,"The city of al-Hilla was [later] seized, after the death of the Sultan Abu Sa‘Id, by the amir Ahmad b. Rumaitha, son of Abu Numayy, the amir of Mecca."
وحَكَمَها أعوامًا، وكان حَسَن السيرة يحمده أهل العراق إلى أن غَلَبَ عليه الشيخ حسن سلطان العراق فعَذَّبَه وقتله وأخذ الأموال والذخائر التي كانت عنده،,"He ruled it for several years and made a good governor, praised by the people of al-Traq; but eventually the shaikh Hasan, the sultan of alTraq, defeated him, tortured him, put him to death, and seized all the wealth and treasures which were in his possession."
ثم سافرنا منها إلى مدينة كربلاء مشهد الحسين بن علي عليهما السلام،,"We travelled from there to the city of al-Karbala’, the sanctuary of al-Husain b. ‘All (peace be upon both)."
وهي مدينة صغيرة تحفها حدائق النخل ويسقيها ماء الفرات,"It is a small town, surrounded by palm groves and watered from the Euphrates."
والروضة المقدسة داخلها وعليها مدرسة عظيمة وزاوية كريمة فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر،,"The sanctified tomb [of al-Husain] is inside the town, and beside it is a large college and a noble hospice, in which food is supplied to all wayfarers."
وعلى باب الروضة الحجاب والقومة لا يدخل أحد إلا عن إذنهم,"At the gate of the Mausoleum stand chamberlains and guardians, without whose leave no person may enter."
فيُقَبِّل العتبة الشريفة وهي من الفضة،,"[The visitor] kisses the august threshold, which is of silver."
وعلى الضريح المقدس قناديل الذهب والفضة، وعلى الأبواب أستار الحرير،,"Over the sanctified tomb there are [hanging] lamps of gold and silver, and upon its doors there are silken curtains."
وأهل هذه المدينة طائفتان أولاد رخيك وأولاد فائز وبينهما القتال أبدًا، وهم جميعًا إمامية يرجعون إلى أب واحد، ولِأَجْل فِتَنِهِمْ تَحَرَّيْتُ هذه المدينة، ثم سافرنا منها إلى بغداد.,"The inhabitants of this town [also] are divided in two factions, the ‘sons of Rakhiq’ and the ‘sons of Fayiz’, and fighting goes on interminably between them; yet they are all Imamls and trace their descent from one ancestor, and in consequence of their disorders this city has fallen into ruins. We travelled on from there to Baghdad."
"مدينة بغداد
مدينة دار السلام، وحضرة الإسلام، ذات القدر الشريف، والفضل المنيف، مثوى الخلفاء، ومَقَرُّ العلماء،","The City of Baghdad, city of the Abode of Peace and capital of al-Islam, of illustrious rank and supreme preeminence, abode of Caliphs and residence of scholars."
قال أبو الحسين بن جبير رضي الله عنه: وهذه المدينة العتيقة وإن لم تَزَلْ حضرة الخلافة العباسية، ومثابة الدعوة الإمامية القرشية، فقد ذَهَبَ رسمها، ولم يَبْقَ إلا اسمها،,"Abu’lHasan Ibn Jubair (God be pleased with him) has said: ‘And this illustrious city, although she still remains the capital of the ‘Abbasid Caliphate, and centre of allegiance to the Imams of Quraish, yet her outward lineaments have departed and nothing remains of her but the name."
وهي بالإضافة إلى ما كانت عليه قبل إنحاء الحوادث عليها والْتِفَات أعين النوائب إليها كالطلل الدارس، أو تمثال الخيال الشاخص،,"By comparison with her former state, before the assault of misfortunes upon her and the fixing of the eyes of calamities in her direction, she is as the vanishing trace of an encampment or the image of the departing dream-visitant."
فلا حُسْن فيها يستوقف البصر ويستدعي من المستوفز الغفلة والنظر، إلا دجلتها التي هي بين شَرْقِيِّها وغَرْبِيِّها كالمرآة المجلوة بين صفحتين، أو العقد المنتظم بين لبتين، فهي تَرِدُها ولا تظمأ، وتتطلع منها في مرآة صقيلة لا تصدأ، والحسن الحريمي بين هوائها ومائها ينشأ،,"There is no beauty in her that arrests the eye, or summons the busy passer-by to forget his business and to gaze—except the Tigris, which lies between her eastern and western [quarters] like a mirror set off between two panels, or a necklace ranged between two breasts; she goes down to drink of it and never
suffers thirst, and views herself by it in a polished mirror that never suffers rust; and between her air and her water feminine beauty is brought to its flowering.’"
قال ابن جزي: وكأن أبا تمام حبيب بن أوس اطَّلَعَ على ما آلَ إليه أَمْرُها حين قال فيها (بسيط):,"I bn Juzayy remarks: One would imagine that Abu Tammam Habib b. Awsm had witnessed with his own eyes what befell her in the end, when he said of her:"
"Now all their hopes have turned to dull despair!
Since she, from youth to eldritch age declined,
Has lost the beauty that once charmed mankind.","Over Baghdad is stationed death’s loud herald—
Weep for her, then, weep for time’s rapine there! Erstwhile, upon her stream by war imperilled,
When in her streets its flames were briefly bated,
Men hoped her happy fortunes reinstated."
وقد نظم الناس في مَدْحِها وذِكْر محاسنها فأطنبوا، ووجدوا مكان القول ذا سعة فأطالوا وأطابوا،,"Many persons have composed verses in her praise and have celebrated her charms at length, and finding the subject to admit of spacious discourse have enlarged on it profusely and in pleasing fashion."
وفيها قال الإمام القاضي أبو محمد عبد الوهاب بن علي بن نصر المالكي البغدادي وأنشدنيه والدي رحمه الله مرات (بسيط):,Of her said the imam and qadl Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab b. ‘All b. Nasr al-Malikl alBaghdadl [in verses] which my father (God’s mercy on him) recited to me many times:
"طِيبُ الهواء ببغدادٍ يُشَوِّقُنِي قربًا إليها وإن عاقتْ مقاديرِ
وكيف أَرْحَلُ عنها اليومَ إذ جَمَعَتْ طِيبَ الهواءيْنِ ممدودٍ ومقصورِ","The fragrance of the Baghdad breeze Bids my fond heart by her to stay,
Though contraried by fate’s decrees;
Then how shall I depart today,
When both delights commingle there—
The airy and the debonair?"
وفيها يقول أيضًا رحمه الله تعالى ورضي عنه (طويل):,"Concerning her also he says (God have mercy on him and be pleased with him):
."
"And due from me is doubled salutation.
No, not in hate, I swear, did I depart,
For both her shores are graven on my heart
She cramped me sore for all her spaciousness,
And fortune never granted me redress,
Like one beloved whom I would fain draw nigh While she, evasive, willed the contrary.","Salute Baghdad in every habitation,"
وفيها يقول أيضًا مغاضبًا لها وأنشدنيه والدي رحمه الله غير مرة (بسيط):,"And of her he says again, angrily repudiating her [in verses] which my father (God’s mercy on him) recited to me many a time:"
"بغدادُ دارٌ لأهل المال واسعةٌ وللصعاليك دار الضنك والضيقِ
ظللت أمشي مضافًا في أَزُقَّتِها كأنني مُصْحَفٌ في بَيْتِ زِنْدِيقِ","Baghdad for men of wealth has an ever-open door But short and narrow shrift is all she gives the poor.
The livelong day I roamed through all her lanes and lands, As lorn as the Qur’an in a free-thinker’s hands."
وفيها يقول القاضي أبو الحسن علي بن النبيه من قصيدة (خفيف):,"Concerning her the qadi Abu’l-Hasan ‘All b. al-Nabih says, in the course of an ode:"
"آنست بالعراق بدرًا منيرَا فطوت غيهبًا وخاضت هجيرَا
واستطابت ريا نسائم بغداد فكادت لولا البرى أن تطيرَا
ذَكَرْتُ من مسارح الكرخ روضًا لم يَزَلْ ناضرًا وماءً نميرَا
واجتنت من ربا المحول نورًا واجتلت من مطالع التاج نورَا","Over ‘Iraq from afar a fulgent moon she descried,
On through the darkness she pressed into a noonday’s glare. Sweetly around her the breeze the scents of Baghdad diffused, But for her journey’s fatigue she could have flown in that air! Gardens she called to her mind amid the pastures of Karkh, Streams ever limpid, and verdant glades that are never sere, Flowers from the hills of Muhawwal she plucked, and at the Taj Saw from its portals a splendour of sunlight flare."
ولبعض نساء بغداد في ذِكْرِها (كامل):,The following verses were composed by a woman of Baghdad in recollection of the city:
"آهًا على بغدادها وعراقها وظبائها والسحر في أحداقها
ومجالها عند الفرات بأَوْجُهٍ تبدو أَهِلَّتُها على أطواقها
متبختراتٍ في النعيم كأنما خُلِقَ الهوى العذريِّ من أخلاقها
نفسي الفداء لها فأي محاسن في الدهر تُشْرِق من سنا إشراقها","O for Baghdad, and O for its ‘Iraq!
For its gazelles with witchery in their eyes,
For where beside the stream they swaying walk With faces that like crescent moons arise Above the blackness with their necklets starred,
As if their gently-nurtured qualities
Had stirred the passion of the ‘Udhrite bard !
Such beauties might I with my soul redeem That shine for all time in her sunlit gleam!"
(رجع)، ولبغداد جسران اثنان معقودان على نحو الصفة التي ذَكَرْنَاها في جسر مدينة الحلة,"(Resumes). There are two bridges at Baghdad, made fast in the same manner as we have mentioned in describing the bridge of the city of al-Hilla."
والناس يعبرونهما ليلًا ونهارًا رجالًا ونساء، فهم في ذلك في نزهة متصلة،,"The population are continually crossing them, night and day, men and women; indeed they find in this unending pleasure."
وببغداد من المساجد التي يُخْطَب فيها وتقام فيها الجمعة أحد عشر مسجدًا، منها بالجانب الغربي ثمانية وبالجانب الشرقي ثلاثة،,"Of mosques in Baghdad in which the khutba is pronounced and the Friday services are held there are eleven, eight of them on the west bank and three on the east bank."
والمساجد سواها كثيرة جدًّا وكذلك المدارس إلا أنها خربت،,"As for the other mosques, they are very numerous, and so too are the colleges, although these have fallen into ruin."
وحمامات بغداد كثيرة وهي من أبدع الحمامات وأكثرها مطلية بالقار مسطحة به فيُخَيَّل لرائيه أنه رخام أسود،,"The bath-houses in Baghdad [also] are numerous; they are among the most sumptuous of baths, and the majority of them are painted and plastered with pitch, so that it appears to the spectator to be black marble."
وهذا القار يُجْلَب من عَيْنٍ بين الكوفة والبصرة تنبع أبدًا به ويصير في جوانبها كالصلصال فيُجْرَف منها ويُجْلَب إلى بغداد،,"This pitch is brought from a spring between al-Kufa and al-Basra, from which it flows continuously and gathers at its sides like black clay; it is shovelled up from there and ioe transported to Baghdad."
وفي كل حمام منها خلوات كثيرة كل خلوة منها مفروشة بالقار مطلي نصف حائطها مما يلي الأرض به والنصف الأعلى مطلي بالجص الأبيض الناصع، فالضدان مجتمعان متقابل حسنهما،,"In each of these bath-houses there are a large number of cubicles, each one of them floored with pitch and having the lower half of its wall [also] coated with it, and the upper half coated with a gleaming white gypsum plaster; the two opposites are thus brought together in contrasting beauty."
وفي داخل كل خلوة حوض من الرخام فيه أنبوبان أحدهما يجري بالماء الحار والآخر بالماء البارد،,"Inside each cubicle is a marble basin fitted with two pipes, one flowing with hot water and the other with cold water."
فيدخل الإنسان الخلوة منها منفردًا لا يشاركه أحد إلا إن أراد ذلك،,"A person goes into one of the cubicles by himself, nobody else sharing it with him unless he so desires."
وفي زاوية كل خلوة أيضًا حوض آخر للاغتسال فيه أيضًا أنبوبان يجريان بالحار والبارد,"In the corner of each cubicle is another basin for washing in, and this also has two pipes with hot and cold [water]."
وكل داخل يعطى ثلاثًا من الفوط إحداهما يَتَّزِرُ بها عند دخوله والأخرى يتزر بها عند خروجه والأخرى يُنَشِّف بها الماءَ عن جسده،,"Every one on entering is given three towels; one of them he ties round his waist on going into [the cubicle], the second he ties round his waist on coming out, and with the third he dries the water from his body."
ولم أرَ هذا الإتقان كله في مدينة سوى بغداد وبعض البلاد تقاربها في ذلك.,"I have never seen such an elaboration as all this in any city other than Baghdad, although some [other] places approach it in this respect."
ذكر الجانب الغربي من بغداد,Account of the Western side of Baghdad
الجانب الغربي منها هو الذي عُمِرَ أولًا وهو الآن خراب أكثره،,". The western side of the city was the one first built, but is now for the most part in ruins."
وعلى ذلك فقد بَقِيَ منه ثلاث عشرة محلة، كل محلة كأنها مدينة بها الحمَّامان والثلاثة، وفي ثمانٍ منها المساجد الجامعة،,"In spite of that, there still remain of it thirteen quarters, each quarter like a city in itself, with two or three bath-houses, and in eight of them there are cathedral mosques."
ومن هذه المحلات: محلة باب البصرة وبها جامع الخليفة أبي جعفر المنصور رحمه الله،,One of these quarters is that [called] Bab al-Basra [i.e. Basra Gate] ; it contains the mosque of the Caliph Abu Ja’far al-Mansur (God’s mercy on him).
والمارستان فيما بين محلة باب البصرة، ومحلة الشارع على الدجلة وهو قصر كبير خَرِبٌ بقيت منه الآثار،,"The Maristan [Hospital] lies between the quarter of Bab al-Basra and the quarter of al-Shari‘, on the Tigris; it is a vast edifice in ruins, of which only the vestiges remain."
وفي هذا الجانب الغربي من المشاهد قبرُ معروفٍ الكرخي رضي الله عنه وهو في محلة باب البصرة، وبطريق باب البصرة مشهد حافل البناء في داخله قبر متسع السنام عليه مكتوب: هذا قبر عون من أولاد علي بن أبي طالب، وفي هذا الجانب قبر موسى الكاظم بن جعفر الصادق والد علي بن موسى الرضا، وإلى جانبه قبر الجواد، والقبران داخل الروضة عليهما دكانة ملبسة بالخشب عليه ألواح الفضة.,"On this western side there are several sanctuaries: the tomb of Ma’ruf al-Karkhi (God be pleased with him), in the quarter of Bab al-Basra; on the road to Bab al-Basra a superbly constructed mausoleum inside of which is a tomb with a broad sepulchral stone carrying the inscription ‘This is the grave of ‘Awn, a son of ‘All b. Abl Talib’ ; on this side also the tomb of Musa alKazim b. Ja’far al-Sadiq, the father of ‘All b. Musa al-Rida, and beside it the tomb of al-Jawad—both of these tombs are inside the sepulchral chamber and surmounted by a platform veneered with wood which is covered with plaques of silver."
"ذكر الجانب الشرقي منها
وهذه الجهة الشرقية من بغداد حافلة الأسواق عظيمة الترتيب،",Account of the Eastern side of Baghdad.™* This eastern part of Baghdad has magnificent bazaars and is splendidly laid out.
وأعظم أسواقها سوق يُعْرَف بسوق الثلاثاء كل صناعة فيها على حدة،,"The largest of its bazaars is one called the Tuesday bazaar, in which each craft [occupies a section] by itself."
وفي وسط هذا السوق المدرسة النظامية العجيبة التي صارت الأمثال تُضْرَب بحسنها، وفي آخره المدرسة المستنصرية ونسبتها إلى أمير المؤمنين المستنصر بالله أبي جعفر ابن أمير المؤمنين الظاهر ابن أمير المؤمنين الناصر،,"In the centre of this bazaar is the wonderful Nizamiya College, the splendour of which is commemorated in a number of proverbial phrases, and at the end of it is the Mustansiriya College, named after the Commander of the Faithful al-Mustansir bi’llah Abu Ja’far, son of the Commander of the Faithful al-Zahir, son of the Commander of the Faithful al-Nasir."
وبها المذاهب الأربعة، لكل مذهبٍ إيوانٌ فيه المسجد وموضع التدريس،,"All four schools are included in it, each school having a [separate] man, with its own mosque and lecture room."
وجلوس المدرس في قبة خشب صغيرة على كرسي عليه البسط، ويقعد المدرس وعليه السكينة والوقار لابسًا ثياب السواد معتمًّا وعلى يمينه ويساره مُعِيدَانِ يُعِيدَان كلَّ ما يمليه،,"The teacher takes his place under a small wooden canopy, on a chair covered with rugs; he sits [on this] in a grave and quiet attitude, wearing robes of black and his [black] turban, and with two assistants on his right and left, who repeat everything that he dictates."
وهكذا ترتيب كل مجلس من هذه المجالس الأربعة،,This same system is followed in every formal lecture of all four sections.
وفي داخل هذه المدرسة الحمام للطلبة ودار الوضوء.,Inside this college there is a bath-house for the students and a chamber for ablutions.
وبهذه الجهة الشرقية من المساجد التي تقام فيها الجمعة ثلاثة؛,On this eastern side there are three mosques in which the Friday prayers are held.
أحدها جامع الخليفة، وهو المتصل بقصور الخلفاء ودورهم،,"One is the Caliphs’ mosque, which is adjacent to the palaces and residences of the Caliphs."
وهو جامع كبير فيه سقايات ومطاهر كثيرة للوضوء والغسل،,"It is a large cathedral mosque, containing fountains and many lavatories for ablutions and baths."
لقيت بهذا المسجد الشيخ الإمام العالم الصالح مسند العراق سراج الدين أبا حفص عمر بن علي بن عمر القزويني، وسَمَّعْتُ عليه فيه جميع مسند أبي محمد عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن بن الفضل بن بهرام الدارمي، وذلك في شهر رجب الفرد عام سبعة وعشرين وسبعمائة،,"I met in this mosque the no shaikh, the learned and pious imam, the doyen of traditionists in al-Traq, Siraj al-Din Abu Hafs ‘Omar b. ‘All b. ‘Omar al-Qazw!ni, and attended his lectures in it on the entire Musnad of Abu Muhammad ‘Abdallah b. ‘Abd alRahman b. al-Fadl b. Bahram al-Dariml, this being in the month of Rajab the Solitary in the year 727."
قال ابن علي بن أبي البدر، قال: أَخْبَرَنَا الشيخ أبو بكر محمد بن مسعود بن بهروز الطبيب المارستاني، قال: أَخْبَرَنَا أبو الوقت عبد الأول بن شعيب السنجري الصوفي، قال: أخبرنا الإمام أبو الحسن عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن المظفر الداودي، قال: أخبرنا أبو محمد عبد الله بن أحمد بن حمويه السرخسي عن أبي عمران عيسى بن عمر بن العباس السمرقندي، عن أبي محمد عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن بن الفضل الدارمي.,"He said: ‘We were instructed in it by the pious woman shaikh and traditionist Sitt al-Muluk Fatima, daughter of the notary Taj alDin Abu’l-Hasan ‘Ali b. ‘Ali b. Abu’l-Badr, who said We were instructed by the shaikh Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Mas‘ud b. Bahruz al-Tayyib al-Maristani, who said:: We were instructed by Abu’l-Waqt ‘Abd al-Awwal b. Shu’aib alSinjarl al-Sufi, who said: We were instructed by the imam Abu’l-Hasan ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Muhammad b. alm Muzaffar al-Da’udi, who said: We were instructed by Abu Muhammad ‘Abdallah b. Ahmad b. Hamawaih al-Sarakhsi, who had it from Abu ‘Imran Tsa b. ‘Omar b. al-‘Abbas alSamarqandi, from Abu Muhammad ‘Abdallah b. ‘Abd alRahman b. al-Fadl al-Darimi’."
والجامع الثاني جامع السلطان، وهو خارج البلد، وتتصل به قصور تُنْسَب للسلطان.والجامع الثالث جامع الرصافة، وبينه وبين جامع السلطان نحو الميل.,"The second cathedral mosque is the Sultan’s mosque, which is situated outside the town, and in proximity to it are palaces designated as the Sultan’s. The third cathedral mosque is that of al-Rusafa, which is about a mile from the Sultan’s mosque."
ذكر قبور الخلفاء ببغداد وقبور بعض العلماء والصالحين بها,Account of the Tombs of the Caliphs at Baghdad and of the Tombs of Scholars and Devotees which it contains.
وقبور الخلفاء العباسيين رضي الله عنهم بالرصافة، وعلى كل قبر منها اسم صاحبه فمنهم قَبْر المهدي، وقبر الهادي، وقبر الأمين، وقبر المعتصم، وقبر الواثق، وقبر المتوكل، وقبر المنتصر، وقبر المستعين، وقبر المعتز، وقبر المهتدي، وقبر المعتمد، وقبر المعتضد، وقبر المكتفي، وقبر المقتدر، وقبر القاهر، وقبر الراضي، وقبر المنفي، وقبر المستكفي، وقبر المطيع لله، وقبر الطائع، وقبر القائم، وقبر القادر، وقبر المستظهر، وقبر المسترشد، وقبر الراشد، وقبر المقتفي، وقبر المستنجد، وقبر المستضيء، وقبر الناصر، وقبر الظاهر، وقبر المستنصر، وقبر المستعصم، وهو آخرهم،,"The tombs of the ‘Abbasid caliphs (God be pleased with them) are in alRusafa, and over each of these tombs is the name of its occupant. Among them are the graves of al-Mahdl, of alii* Had!, of al-Amln, of al-Mu‘tasim, of al-Wathiq, of alMutawakkil, of al-Muntasir, of al-Musta‘in, of al-Mu‘tazz, of al-Muhtadi, of al-Mu‘tamid, of al-Mu‘tadid, of al-Muktafi, of al-Muqtadir, of al-Qahir, of al-Radi, of al-Muttaqi, of alMustakfi, of al-Muti‘, of al-Ta’i‘, of al-Qa’im, of al-Qadir, of al-Mustazhir, of al-Mustarshid, of al-Rashid, of alMuqtafi, of al-Mustanjid, of al-Mustadi, of al-Nasir, of alZahir, of al-Mustansir, and of al-Musta‘sim—who was the last of them."
وعليه دَخَلَ التتر ببغداد بالسيف وذبحوه بعد أيام من دخولهم، وانقطع من بغداد اسم الخلافة العباسية، وذلك في سنة أربع وخمسين وستمائة،,"It was from him that the Tatars captured Baghdad by the sword; they slaughtered him some days after their occupation, and [even] the name of the ‘Abbasid Caliphate ceased to be associated with Baghdad. This was in the year."
وبقرب الرصافة قبر الإمام أبي حنيفة رضي الله عنه وعليه,In the vicinity of al-Rusafa is the grave of the Imam Abu Hanlfa (God be pleased with him).
قبة عظيمة وزاوية فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر،,"Over it there is a great dome, and a hospice at which food is served to all comers."
وليس بمدينة بغداد اليوم زاوية يُطْعَم الطعام فيها ما عدا هذه الزاوية، فسبحان مبيد الأشياء ومغيرها،,In the city of Baghdad today there is no hospice in which food is supplied except this hospice—Magnified be he who brings destruction and change to all things.
وبالقرب منها قبر الإمام أبي عبد الله أحمد بن حنبل رضي الله عنه,Near it is the grave of the Imam Abu ‘Abdallah Ahmad b. Hanbal (God be pleased with him).
ولا قبة عليه، ويُذْكَر أنها بُنِيَتْ على قبره مرارًا فتَهَدَّمَتْ بقدرة الله تعالى،,"There is no dome over it, and it is said that a dome was built over his grave on several occasions, but it was then destroyed by the decree of God Most High."
وقبره عند أهل بغداد مُعَظَّم وأكثرهم على مذهبه،,"His grave is held in great veneration by the inhabitants of Baghdad, most of whom follow his school."
وبالقرب منه قبر أبي بكر الشبلي من أئمة المتصوفة رحمه الله، وقبر سري السقطي وقبر بشر الحافي وقبر داود الطائي وقبر أبي القاسم الجنيد رضي الله عنهم أجمعين،,"Near it is the grave of Abu Bakr al-Shibli, one of the imams in the practice of Sufism (God’s mercy on him), and the graves of Sari al-Saqati, Bishr alHafi, Da’ud al-Ta’I, and Abu’l-Qasim al-Junaid (God be pleased with them all)."
وأهل بغداد لهم يوم في كل جمعة لزيارة شيخ من هؤلاء المشايخ ويوم لشيخ آخر يليه … هكذا إلى آخر الأسبوع،,"The people in Baghdad have one day in each week for the visitation of one of these shaikhs, and a day following it for another shaikh, and so on until the end of the week."
وببغداد كثير من قبور الصالحين والعلماء رضي الله تعالى عنهم، وهذه الجهة الشرقية من بغداد ليس بها فواكه، وإنما تُجْلَب إليها من الجهة الغربية؛ لأن فيها البساتين والحدائق،,"In Baghdad there are [also] many graves of devotees and scholars (God Most High be pleased with them), i In this eastern part of Baghdad there are no fruits, but all fruit is transported to it from the western part, because it is there that the gardens and groves are."
ووَافَقَ وصولي إلى بغداد كَوْن ملك العراق بها، فلنذكره ها هنا.,"My arrival at Baghdad coincided with the presence in it of the king of al-Traq, so let us speak of him here."
"ذِكْر سلطان العراقين وخراسان
وهو السلطان الجليل أبو سعيد بها درخان، وخان عندهم الملك (وبهادر بفتح الباء الموحدة وضم الدال المهمل وآخره راء) ابن السلطان الجليل محمد خذابنده وهو الذي أَسْلَمَ من ملوك التتر،","Account of the Sultan of the Two ‘Iraqs and of Khurasan, namely the illustrious sultan Abu Sa’id Bahadur Khan (Khan in their language meaning ‘king’), son of the illustrious sultan Muhammad Khudabandah—he was the one of the [line of] kings of the Tatars who was converted to Islam."
وضبط اسمه مختلف فيه، فمنهم من قال: إن اسمه خذابنده (بخاء معجمة مضمومة وذال معجم مفتوح)، وبنده لم يُخْتَلَف فيه,"His name is differently pronounced; some say Khudhabandah, with dh, but as to bandah there is no dispute."
(وهو بباء موحدة مفتوحة ونون مسكنة ودال مهمل مفتوح وهاء استراحة)، وتفسيره على هذا القول عبد الله؛ لأن خذا بالفارسية اسم الله عز وجل، وبنده غلام أو عبد أو ما في معناهما،,"The interpretation of the name according to the latter pronunciation is ‘Abdallah [i.e. slave of God], because Khudhd in Persian is the name of God (High and Mighty is He) and bandah is ‘servant’ or ‘slave’ or words to that effect."
وقيل: إنما هو خرُبنده (بفتح الخاء المعجم وضم الراء المهمل)، وتفسير خر بالفارسية الحمار، فمعناه على هذا غلام الحمار،,"It is said also that it is really Kharbandah, khar in Persian meaning ‘ass’, so that his name according to this means ‘servant of the ass’."
فشذ ما بين القولين من الخلاف على أن هذا الأخير هو المشهور، وكان الأول غيره إليه من تعصب،,"What a world of difference there is between these two statements! But yet it is this latter name that is the best known, and the former was the name to which he changed it out of religious zeal."
وقيل: إن سبب تسميته بهذا الأخير هو أن التتر يسمون المولود باسم أول داخل على البيت عند ولادته، فلما ولد هذا السلطان كان أول داخل الزمال وهم يسمونه خربنده فسمي به،,"It is said that the reason why he was called by this latter name is that the Tatars name a new-born child after the first person to enter the house after its birth; when this sultan was born the first person to enter was a muledriver, whom they call kharbandah, so he was given this name."
وأخو خربنده هو قازغان، الذي يقول فيه الناس: قازان وقازغان، هو القدر، وقيل سمي بذلك لأنه لما وُلِدَ دخلت الجارية ومعها القِدْر،,"Kharbandah’s brother in turn [was called] Qazghan, which the people pronounce Qazan. Qazghan means a cooking pot, and the story goes that he was given this name because, when he was born, a slave girl entered carrying a cooking pot."
وخذابنده هو الذي أسلم وقَدَّمْنَا قِصَّتَه وكيف أراد أن يَحْمِل الناس — لما أَسْلَمَ — على الرفض، وقصة القاضي مجد الدين معه.,"It was this Khudhabandah who embraced Islam—we have previously related the story of this, and how he attempted to compel the people to adopt the RafidI doctrine after his conversion, and the story of his relations with the qadi Majd al-Dln."
ولما مات وَلِيَ المُلْكَ ولده أبو سعيد بهادرخان،,"When he died, there succeeded to the kingdom his son Abu Sa’id Bahadur Khan."
وكان ملكًا فاضلًا كريمًا ملك وهو صغير السن ورأيته ببغداد، وهو شابٌّ أجملُ خَلْق الله صورةً لا نبات بعارضيه،,"He was an excellent and a generous king. He became king while of tender age, and when I saw him in Baghdad he was still a youth, the most beautiful of God’s creatures in features, and without any growth on his cheeks."
ووزيره إذ ذاك الأمير غياث الدين محمد بن خواجة رشيد، وكان أبوه من مهاجِرَة اليهود، واستوزره السلطان محمد خذابنده والد أبي سعيد،,"His vizier at that time was the amir Ghiyath al-DIn Muhammad, son of Khwaja Rashid; his father was one of the emigrant Jews, and had been appointed vizier by the sultan Muhammad Khudhabandah, the father of Abu Sa’id."
رأيتهما يومًا بحرافة في الدجلة وتسمى عندهم الشيارة وهي شبه سلورة وبين يديه دمشق خواجة ابن الأمير جوبان المتغلب على أبي سعيد، وعن يمينه وشماله شبارتان فيهما أهل الطرب والغناء،,"I saw both [the sultan and his vizier] one day on the Tigris in a launch (which they call shabbara, and is like a sallura) ; in front of him was Dimashq Khwaja, son of the amir al-Juban who held the mastery over Abu Sa’Id, and to right and left of him were two shabbdras, carrying musicians and dancers."
ورأيت من مكارمه في ذلك اليوم أنه تَعَرَّضَ له جماعة من العميان فشَكَوْا ضَعْف حالهم، فأَمَرَ لكل واحد منهم بكسوةٍ وغلامٍ يقوده ونفقة تُجْرَى عليه،,"was witness to one of his acts of generosity on n; the same day; he was accosted by a company of blind men, who complained to him of their miserable state, and he ordered each one of them to be given a garment, a slave to lead him, and a regular allowance for his maintenance."
ولما وَلِيَ السلطان أبو سعيد وهو صغير كما ذكرناه استولى على أَمْرِه أمير الأمراء الجوبان وحَجَرَ عليه التصرفات حتى لم يكن بيده من الملك إلا الاسم،,"When the sultan Abu Sa’Id succeeded, being a young boy, as we have mentioned, the chief of the amirs, al-Juban, gained control over him and deprived him of all powers of administration, so that nothing of sovereignty remained in his hands but the name."
ويُذْكَر أنه احتاج في بعض الأعياد إلى نفقة يُنْفِقُها فلم يكن له سبيل إليها، فبعث إلى أحد التجار فأعطاه من المال ما أَحَبَّ،,"It is related that on the occasion of one of the festivals Abu Sa’Id needed ready money to meet some expenses, but having no means of procuring it he sent for one of the merchants, who gave him what money he wished."
ولم يَزَلْ كذلك إلى أن دَخَلَتْ عليه يومًا زوجةُ أبيه دنيا خاتون، فقالت له: لو كنا نحن الرجالَ ما تركنا الجوبان وولده على ما هما عليه،,"Things went on in this way until one day his father’s wife Dunya Khatun came into his chamber and said to him: ‘If we were men, we should not let al-Juban and his son continue to behave in this way.’"
فاستفهَمْها عن مرادها بهذا الكلام، فقالت له: لقد انتهى أَمْر دمشق خواجة بن الجوبان أن يفتك بحرم أبيك,"He asked her what she meant by these words, and she said to him: ‘The conduct of na Dimashq Khwaja, the son of al-Juban, has reached the point of dishonouring your father’s wives."
وأنه بات البارحة عند طغى خاتون، وقد بعث إليَّ وقال لي: الليلة أبيت عندك،,"Last night he passed the night with Tugha Khatun, and he has sent to me saying “Tonight, I shall pass the night with you”."
وما الرأي إلا أن تَجَمَّعَ الأمراء والعساكر، فإذا صعد إلى القلعة مختفيًا برسم المبيت أَمْكَنَكَ القبض عليه،,"The only thing to be done is to assemble the amirs and troops, and then when he goes up to the citadel incognito to spend the night there, you can seize him."
وأبوه يكفي الله أمره، وكان الجوبان إذ ذاك غائبًا بخراسان،,"As for his father, God will suffice to deal with him.’ Al-Juban was at that time absent in Khur
asan."
فغلبته الغيرة وبات يُدَبِّر أَمْره، فلما عَلِمَ أن دمشق خواجة بالقلعة أَمَرَ الأمراء والعساكر أن يطيفوا بها من كل ناحية،,"The affront to his honour roused Abu Sa‘id to anger; he spent the night laying plans for action, and when he learned that Dimashq Khwaja was in the citadel he commanded the amirs and the troops to encircle it on every side."
فلما كان بالغدو خرج دمشق ومعه جندي يُعْرَف بالحاج المصري فوَجَدَ سلسلة معرضة على باب القلعة وعليها قُفْل لم يُمْكِنْه الخروج راكبًا،,"The next morning Dimashq came out, accompanied by a soldier called al-Hajj al-Misri, and found a chain stretched across the gate of the citadel and fastened with a lock, so that he could not go out on horseback."
فضرب الحاج المصري السلسلة بسيفه فقطعها وخرجا معًا، فأحاطت بهما العساكر,"Al-Hajj al-Misri struck the chain with his sword, and after he had cut it through they came out to” gether, only to be surrounded by the troops."
ولحق أمير من الأمراء الخاصكية يُعْرَف بمصر خواجة وفتًى يُعْرَف بلؤلؤ دمشق خواجة فقتلاه وأتيا الملك أبا سعيد برأسه فرموا به بين يدي فرسه، وتلك عادتهم أن يفعلوا برأس كبار أعدائهم.,"One of the amirs of the private guard, named Misr Khwaja, and a eunuch named Lu’lu’ attacked Dimashq Khwaja and killed him; they brought his head to the king Abu SaTd and threw it before his horse’s feet, for this is what they customarily do with the heads of their chief enemies."
وأَمَرَ السلطان بنهب داره وقَتْل من قَاتَلَ من خدامه ومماليكه،,The sultan gave orders to pillage his house and to kill all those of his attendants and mamluks who put up a fight.
واتصل الخبر بأبيه الجوبان وهو بخراسان,The news of this reached al-Juban while he was in Khurasan.
ومعه أولاده أمير حسن وهو الأكبر وطالش وجلوخان وهو أصغرهم، وهو ابن أخت السلطان أبي سعيد أمه ساطي بك بنت السلطان خذابنده ومعه عساكر التتر وحاميتها،,"With him were his sons, Amir Hasan, who was the eldest, Talish and Jalu Khan, who was the youngest—he was the son of the sister of the sultan Abu SaTd, his mother Safi Beg being the daughter of the sultan Khudhabandah—and also the regiments and garrison troops of the Tatars."
فاتفقوا على قتال السلطان أبي سعيد وزحفوا إليه، فلما الْتَقَى الجمعان هَرَبَ التتر إلى سلطانهم وأفردوا الجوبان،,"They agreed together to fight against the sultan Abu SaTd and marched towards him, but when the two armies met the Tatars deserted to their sultan and left al-Juban without support."
فلما رأى ذلك نَكَصَ على عقبيه وفَرَّ إلى صحراء سجستان وأوغل فيها,"When he saw this he turned in his tracks, fled to the desert of Sijistan, and took refuge in its depths."
وأَجْمَعَ على اللحاق بملك هراة غياث أولدين مستجيرًا به ومتحصنًا بمدينته، وكانت له عليه أيادٍ سابقة,"He decided to join the king of Harat, Ghiyath al-Dln, in order to gain his protection and find security in his city, since he had put the latter in his debt by previous good services."
فلم يوافقه ولده حسن وطالش على ذلك، وقالا له: إنه لا يفي بالعهد، وقد غَدَرَ فيروزشاه بعد أن لجأ إليه وقتله,"His two sons Hasan and Talish disagreed with him over this plan, arguing that Ghiyath al-Dln was not a man of his word, since he had betrayed Flruz Shah after he fled to him for
refuge, and had put him to death."
فأبى الجوبان إلا أن يلحق به ففارقه ولداه وتَوَجَّهَ ومعه ابنه الأصغر جلوخان,"But al-Juban would not hear of anything but joining Ghiyath al-Dln, so his two sons separated from him, and he went on, accompanied by his youngest son, Jalti Khan."
فخرج غياث الدين لاستقباله وترجل له وأَدْخَلَهُ المدينة على الأمان، ثم غَدَرَهُ بعد أيام وقَتَلهُ وقَتَلَ ولده وبعث برأسيهما إلى السلطان أبي سعيد،,"Ghiyath al-Din came out to welcome him, dismounted before him, and brought him into the city on guarantee of safety; but a few days later treacherously killed him and his son with him, and sent their heads to the sultan Abu Sa’id."
وأما حسن وطالش فإنهما قَصَدَا خوارزم وتوجَّهَا إلى السلطان محمد أوزبك فأكرم مثواهما، وأَنْزَلَهُمَا إلى أن صدر منهما ما أَوْجَبَ قَتْلَهُما فقَتَلَهُما،,"As for Hasan and Talish, they proceeded to Khwarizm and made their way to the sultan Muhammad tjzbak; he received them hospitably and took them under his protection, until certain actions of theirs made it necessary to kill them and he put them to death."
وكان للجوبان ولد رابع اسمه الدمرطاش فهرب إلى ديار مصر فأكرمه الملك الناصر وأعطاه الإسكندرية فأبى من قبولها، وقال: إنما أريد العساكر لأقاتل أبا سعيد،,"Al-Juban had a fourth son, whose name was al-Dumurtash; he fled to Egypt, where ai-Malik al-Nasir received him honourably and offered him [the governorship of] Alexandria, but he refused to accept it, saying ‘All that I want is troops to fight Abu Sa’id with’."
وكان متى بَعَثَ إليه الملك الناصر بكسوة أعطى هو للذي يوصلها إليه أَحْسَنَ منها ازدراء على الملك الناصر، وأَظْهَرَ أمورًا أَوْجَبَتْ قَتْلَه فقَتَلَهُ وبعث برأسه إلى أبي سعيد،,"He was [the kind of man that] when al-Malik alNasir sent a robe to him, he gave the person who brought it to him a more handsome robe, out of despite for al-Malik al-Nasir, and he behaved in a manner which made it necessary to kill him, so al-Malik al-Nasir put him to death and sent his head to Abu Sa’id."
وقد ذكرنا قصته وقصة قراسنقور فيما تَقَدَّمَ.,We have already related in a previous narrative the story about him and about Qarasunqur.
ولما قتل الجوبان جيء به وبولده مَيِّتَيْن، فوُقِفَ بهما على عرفات وحُمِلَا إلى المدينة ليُدْفَنا في التربة التي اتخذها الجوبان بالقرب من مسجد رسول الله ﷺ،,"When al-Juban was killed, his corpse and that of his son were brought [to Mecca] and taken to the ‘Standing’ at ‘Arafat [during the Pilgrimage]; they were then carried to al-Madina to be buried in the mausoleum which al-Juban had made for himself near the mosque of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace)."
فمُنِعَ من ذلك ودُفِنَ بالبقيع، والجوبان هو الذي جَلَبَ الماء إلى مكة — شَرَّفَها الله تعالى —,"But this was prevented, and he was buried in the Baqi’. It was al-Juban who had the water brought to Mecca (God Most High ennoble her)."
ولما استقل السلطان أبو سعيد بالمُلْك أراد أن يتزوج بنت الجوبان، وكانت تسمى بغداد خاتون، وهي من أجمل النساء،,When the sultan Abu Sa’id had become sole master in the kingdom he decided to marry al-Juban’s daughter; she was named Baghdad Khatun and was one of the most beautiful of women.
وكانت تحت الشيخ حسن الذي تَغَلَّبَ بعد موت أبي سعيد على المُلْك وهو ابن عمته،,"She was married to the Shaikh Hasan, the same who became master of the kingdom after the death of Abu Sa’id, he being the son of the sultan’s paternal aunt."
فأمره فنزل عنها وتزوجها أبو سعيد، وكانت أحظى النساء لديه،,"On the sultan’s order he divorced her, and Abu Sa’id married her and she became the most favoured of his wives."
والنساء لدى الأتراك والتتر لهن حظ عظيم، وهم إذا كتبوا أمرًا يقولون فيه عن أمر السلطان والخواتين،,"Among the Turks and the Tatars their wives enjoy a very high position; indeed, when they issue an order they say in it ‘By command of the Sultan and the Khatuns’."
ولكل خاتون من البلاد والولايات والمجابي العظيمة، وإذا سافرت مع السلطان تكون في محلة على حدة،,"Each khatun possesses several towns and districts and vast revenues, and when she travels with the sultan she has her own separate camp."
وغلبت هذه الخاتون على أبي سعيد وفضلها على سواها،,"This khatun gained an ascendancy over Abu Sa’id, and he preferred her to all the other [wives]."
وأقامت على ذلك مدة أيام، ثم إنه تزوَّجَ امرأةً تُسَمَّى بدلشاد فأحبها حبًّا شديدًا وهجر بغداد خاتون,"She continued to enjoy this position for [almost] the whole period of his life; but he subsequently married a woman called Dilshad, whom he loved with a violent passion, and neglected Baghdad Khatun."
فغارت لذلك وسَمَّتْه في منديل مَسَحَتْه به بعد الجماع,"She became jealous in consequence, and administered poison to him in a kerchief, with which she wiped him after conjugal relations."
فمات، وانقرض عقبه وغلبت أمراؤه على الجهات كما سنذكره،,"So he died, and his line became extinct, and his amirs seized the provinces for themselves, as we shall relate."
ولما عَرَفَ الأمراء أن بغداد خاتون هي التي سَمَّتْه أجمعوا على قَتْلِها،,When the amirs learned that it was Baghdad Khatun who had poisoned him they resolved to kill her.
وبدر لذلك الفتى الرومي خواجة لؤلؤ وهو من كبار الأمراء وقدمائهم، فأتاها وهي في الحمام فضَرَبَها بدبوسه وقَتَلَها,"The Greek slave Khwaja Lu’lu’, who was one of the principal and senior amirs, took the initiative in this; he came to her while she was in the bath-house and beat her to death with his club."
وطُرِحَتْ هنالك أيامًا مستورة العورة بقطعة تليس،,"Her body lay there for some days, with only her pudenda covered with a piece of sacking."
واستقل الشيخ حسن بملك عراق العرب وتزود دلشاد امرأة السلطان أبي سعيد كمثل ما كان أبو سعيد فَعَلَه مِنْ تَزَوُّج امرأته.,"The Shaikh Hasan became independent in the kingdom of ‘Iraq al-‘Arab, and married Dilshad, the wife of the sultan Abu Sa’Id, exactly as Abu Sa‘Id had done in marrying his wife."
ذكر المتغلبين على المُلْك بعد موت السلطان أبي سعيد,Account of those who seized power over the kingdom after the death of the sultan Abu Sa’id.
فمنهم الشيخ حسن ابن عمته الذي ذكرناه آنفًا، تَغَلَّبَ على عراق العرب جميعًا,"Among those was the Shaikh Hasan, the son of his paternal aunt, whom we have just mentioned; he seized the whole of ‘Iraq al-‘Arab."
ومنهم إبراهيم شاه ابن الأمير سنيتة، تَغَلَّبَ على الموصل وديار بكر، ومنهم الأمير أرتنا، تَغَلَّبَ على بلاد التركمان المعروفة أيضًا ببلاد الروم، ومنهم حسن خواجة بن الدمرطاش بن الجوبان، تغلب على تبريز والسلطانية وهمدان وقم وقاشان والري ورامين وفرغان والكرج، ومنهم الأمير طغيتمور، تَغَلَّبَ على بعض بلاد خراسان، ومنهم الأمير حسين ابن الأمير غياث الدين، تَغَلَّبَ على هراة ومعظم بلاد خراسان، ومنهم ملك دينار، تَغَلَّبَ على بلاد مكران وبلاد كبج، ومنهم محمد شاه بن مظفر، تَغَلَّبَ على بزد وكرمان وورقو، ومنهم الملك قطب الدين تمهتن، تَغَلَّبَ على هرمز وكيش والقطيف والبحرين وقلهات، ومنهم السلطان أبو إسحاق الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه، تَغَلَّبَ على شيراز وأصفهان وملك فارس وذلك مسيرة خمس وأربعين، ومنهم السلطان أفراسياب أتابك، تَغَلَّبَ على إيذج وغيرها من البلاد وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه،,"The others « were: Ibrahim Shah, son of the amir Sunaita, who seized al-Mawsil and Diyar Bakr; the amir Artana, who seized the territories of the Turkmens, known also as the land of the Rum; Hasan Khwaja b. al-Dumurtash b. al-Juban, who seized Tabriz, al-Sultanlya, Hamadan, Qumm, Qashan, alRayy, Waramln, Farghan, and al-Karaj; the amir Tughaitumur, who seized part of the territories of Khurasan; the amir Husain, son of amir Ghiyath al-Dln, who seized Herat and the greater part of the territories of Khurasan; Malik Dinar, who seized the lands of Makran and Klj; Muhammad Shah b. Mu?affar, who seized Yazd, Kirman, and Warqu; the king Qutb al-Din Tamahtan, who seized Hurmuz, Kish, al-Qatlf, al-Bahrain and Qalhat; the sultan Abu Ishaq (whom we have mentioned previously), who seized Shiraz, Isfahan, and the kingdom of Fars, this [extending over] a space of forty-five days’ journey; the sultan Afrasiyab Atabek, who seized Idhaj and other territories, and whom we have mentioned previously."
(ولنعد إلى ما كنا بسبيله)،,Let us return now to the matter that we were dealing with.
ثم خرجْتُ من بغداد في محلة السلطان أبي سعيد وغرضي أن أشاهد ترتيب ملك العراق في رحيله ونزوله وكيفية تنقُّله وسفره،,"I left Baghdad after this in the mahalla of the sultan Abu Sa’Id, on purpose to see the ceremonial observed by the king of al-‘Iraq in his journeying and encamping, and the manner of his transportation and travel."
وعادتهم أنهم يرحلون عند طلوع الفجر وينزلون عند الضحى،,It is their custom to set out with the rising of the dawn and to encamp in the late forenoon.
وترتيبهم أن يأتي كل أمير من الأمراء بعسكره وطبوله وأعلامه، فيقف في موضع لا يتعداه قد عُيِّنَ له إما في الميمنة أو الميسرة،,"Their ceremonial [on setting out] is as follows: each of the amirs comes up with his troops, his drums and his standards, and halts in a position that has been assigned to him, not a step further, either on the right wing or the left wing."
فإذا توافَوْا جميعًا وتكامَلَتْ صفوفهم رَكِبَ الملك وضُرِبَتْ طبول الرحيل وبُوقاته وأنفاره،,"When they have all taken up their positions and their ranks are set in perfect order, the king mounts, and the drums, trumpets and fifes are sounded for the departure."
وأتى كل أمير منهم فسَلَّمَ على الملك وعاد إلى موقفه، ثم يتقدم أمام الملك الحُجَّاب والنقباء، ثم يليهم أهل الطرب,"Each of the amirs advances, salutes the king, and returns to his place; then the chamberlains and the marshals move forward ahead of the king, and are followed by the musicians."
وهم نحو مائة رجل عليهم الثياب الحسنة وتحتهم مراكب السلطان،,"These number about a hundred men, wearing handsome robes, and behind them comes the sultan’s cavalcade."
وأمام أهل الطرب عشرة من الفرسان قد تقلدوا عشرة من الطبول وخمسة من الفرسان,"Ahead of the musicians there are ten horsemen, with ten drums carried on slings round their necks, and five [other] horsemen."
لديهم خمس صرنايات وهي تسمى عندنا بالغيطات،,"carrying five reed-pipes, which are called in our country ghaitas."
فيضربون تلك الأطبال والصرنايات ثم يمسكون ويغني عشرة من أهل الطرب نوبتهم، فإذا قَضَوْها ضُرِبَتْ تلك الأطبال والصرنايات ثم أمسكوا وغنى عشرة آخرون نوبتهم … هكذا إلى أن تتم عشر نوبات، فعند ذلك يكون النزول،,"They make music with these drums and pipes and then stop, and ten of the musicians sing their piece; when they finish it those drums and pipes play [again], and when they stop, ten others sing their piece, and so on until ten pieces are completed, whereupon the encampment takes place."
ويكون عن يمين السلطان وشماله حين سيره كبار الأمراء وهم نحو خمسين ومن ورائه أصحاب الأعلام والأطبال والأنفار والبوقات ثم مماليك السلطان ثم الأمراء على مراتبهم.,"On the sultan’s right and left during his march are the great amirs, who number about fifty, and behind him are the standardm bearers, drums, fifes and trumpets, then the sultan’s mamluks, and after them the amirs according to their ranks."
وكل أمير له أعلام وطبول وبوقات، ويتولى ترتيب ذلك كله أمير جندر وله جماعة كبيرة،,"Each amir has his own standards, drums and trumpets. The organization of all this is supervised by the amir jandar, who has a large corps [under his command]."
وعقوبة من تَخَلَّفَ عن فوجه وجماعته أن يؤخذ تماقه فيملأ رملًا ويُعَلَّق في عنقه,"The punishment of anyone who lags behind his unit and his corps is that his boots are taken off, filled with sand, and hung round his neck."
ويمشي على قدميه حتى يبلغ المنزل فيؤتى به إلى الأمير فيُبْطَح على الأرض ويُضْرَب خمسًا وعشرين مقرعة على ظهره، سواء كان رفيعًا أو وضيعًا لا يحاشون من ذلك أحدًا،,"He walks on his bare feet until finally, on reaching the encampment, he is brought before the amir [jandar], thrown face downwards on the ground, and beaten with twenty-five lashes on his back; whether he be of high degree or low degree, they except no one from this [punishment]."
وإذا نزلوا ينزل السلطان ومماليكه في محلة على حدة، وتنزل كل خاتون من خواتينه في محلة على حدة، ولكل واحدة منهن الإمام والمؤذنون والقراء والسوق،,"When they encamp, the sultan and his mamluks occupy a camp by themselves, and each of his khatuns occupies a separate camp of her own, each of them also having her own imam, muezzins, Qur’an-readers, and bazaar."
وينزل الوزراء والكتاب وأهل الأشغال على حدة، وينزل كل أمير على حدة,"The viziers, secretaries and officials [of the finance department] encamp separately, and each amir also has his own camp."
ويأتون جميعًا إلى الخدمة بعد العصر ويكون انصرافهم بعد العشاء الأخيرة والمشاعل بين أيديهم،,"They all present themselves for duty after the afternoon prayer, and are dismissed after the last evening prayer, [returning to their camps] with torches carried before them."
فإذا كان الرحيل ضُرِبَ الطبل الكبير ثم يُضْرَب طبل الخاتون الكبرى التي هي الملكة، ثم أطبال سائر الخواتين ثم طبل الوزير ثم أطبال الوزراء دفعة واحدة،,"When the hour of departure comes, the great drum is beaten, followed by the beating in succession of the drums of the chief khatun, who is the queen, then of the other khatuns, then of the vizier, then of those of the amirs all at once."
ثم يركب أمير المقدمة في عسكره ثم يتبعه الخواتين ثم أثقال السلطان وزاملته وأثقال الخواتين، ثم أمير ثانٍ في عسكر له يمنع الناس من الدخول فيما بين الأثقال والخواتين ثم سائر الناس.,"Then the amir of the advance guard rides off with his troops, followed by the khatuns, then the sultan’s baggage and baggageanimals and the baggage of the khatuns, then another amir with a troop under his command to prevent persons from intruding in between the baggage and the khatuns, and finally the rest of the army."
وسافرْتُ في هذه المحلة عشرة أيام، ثم صحبت الأمير علاء الدين محمد إلى بلدة تبريز وكان من الأمراء الكبار الفضلاء فوصلنا بعد عشرة أيام إلى مدينة تبريز ونزلنا بخارجها في موضع يُعْرَف بالشام،,"I travelled in this mahalla for ten days, and thereafter accompanied the amir ‘Ala al-DIn Muhammad, one of the £ great and distinguished amirs, to the town of Tabriz. We arrived at the city of Tabriz after ten days’ journey, and encamped outside it in a place called al-Sham."
وهنالك قبر قازان ملك العراق وعليه مدرسة حسنة وزاوية فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر من الخبز واللحم والأرز المطبوخ بالسمن والحلواء،,"At that place is the grave of Qazan, king of al-Traq, and alongside it a fine madrasa and a hospice in which food is supplied to all wayfarers, consisting of bread, meat, rice cooked in ghee, and sweetmeats."
وأَنْزَلَنِي الأمير بتلك الزاوية وهي ما بين أنهار متدفقة وأشجار مورقة.,"The amir arranged for my lodging in this hospice, which is situated among rushing streams and leafy trees."
وفي غدِ ذلك اليوم دَخَلْتُ المدينة على باب يُعْرَف بباب بغداد، ووصلنا إلى سوق عظيمة تُعْرَف بسوق قازان من أحسن سوق رأيتها في بلاد الدنيا،,"On the following morning I entered the city by a gate called the Baghdad Gate, and we came to an immense bazaar called the Qazan bazaar, one of the finest bazaars I have seen the world over."
كل صناعة فيها على حدة لا تخالطها أخرى،,"Each trade has its own location in it, separate from every other."
واجْتَزْتُ بسوق الجوهريين فَحَارَ بَصَرِي مما رأيته من أنواع الجواهر وهي بأيدي مماليك حسان الصور عليهم الثياب الفاخرة وأوساطهم مشدودة بمناديل الحرير وهم بين أيدي التجار يعرضون الجواهر على نساء الأتراك وهن يشترينه كثيرًا ويتنافسن فيه،,"I passed through the jewellers’ bazaar, and my eyes were dazzled by the varieties of precious stones that I saw; they were [displayed] in the hands of beautiful slaveboys, wearing rich robes and their waists girt with sashes of silk, who [stood] in front of the merchants exhibiting the jewels to the wives of the Turks, while the women were buying them in large quantities and trying to outdo one another."
فرأيت من ذلك كله فتنة يستعاذ بالله منها، ودخلنا سوق العنبر والمسك فرأينا مثل ذلك أو أعظم،,"What I saw of all this was a scandal—may God preserve us from such! We went into the ambergris and musk bazaar [also] and saw the like of this again, or worse."
ثم وصلنا إلى المسجد الجامع الذي عَمَرَه الوزير علي شاه المعروف بجيلان وبخارجه عن يمين مستقبل القبلة مدرسة، وعن يساره زاوية,"Afterwards we came to the cathedral mosque, which was founded by the vizier ‘All Shah, known by the name of Jilin. Outside it, to the right as one faces the qibla, is a college, and to the left is a hospice."
وصحنه مفروش بالمرمر وحيطانه بالقاشاني وهو شبه الزليج ويشقه نهر ماء، وبه أنواع الأشجار ودوالي العنب وشجر ياسمين،,"The court of the mosque is paved with marble, and its walls are faced with [tiles of] qashanT, which is like zaLij it is traversed by a canal of water, and it contains all sorts of trees, vines and jasmines."
ومن عاداتهم أنهم يقرءون به كل يوم سورة يس وسورة الفتح وسورة عم بعد صلاة العصر في صحن المسجد ويجتمع لذلك أهل المدينة،,"It is their custom to recite every day, after the afternoon prayer, the suras Ya-Sin, Victory, and ‘Amnia in the court of the mosque, and the people of the city gather [there] for the ceremony."
وبِتْنا ليلة بتبريز ثم وصل بالغد أَمْر السلطان أبي سعيد إلى الأمير علاء الدين بأن يَصِلَ إليه فعُدْتُ معه، ولم أَلْقَ بتبريز أحدًا من العلماء،,"We spent one night in Tabriz. On the following morning the amir ‘Ala al-DIn received the order of the sultan Abu Sa’Id to rejoin him, so I returned along with him, without having met any of the scholars of Tabriz."
ثم سافرنا إلى أن وصلنا محلة السلطان فأعلمه الأمير المذكور بمكاني وأدخلني عليه,"We continued our journey until we reached the sultan’s mahalla, where this amir told the sultan about me and introduced me into his presence."
فسألني عن بلادي وكساني وأركبني،,"He asked me about my country, and gave me a robe and a horse."
وأعلمه الأمير أني أريد السفر إلى الحجاز الشريف، فأمر لي بالزاد والركوب في السبيل من المحمل وكتب لي بذلك إلى أمير بغداد خواجة معروف،,"The amir told him that I was intending to travel to the noble Hijaz, whereupon he gave orders for me to be supplied with provisions and mounts in the pilgrim caravan accompanying the Mahmil, and wrote instructions to that effect on my behalf to the governor of Baghdad, Khwaja Ma’ruf."
فعدت إلى مدينة بغداد واستوفيت ما أَمَرَ لي به السلطان،,"I returned therefore to the city of Baghdad, and received in full what the sultan had ordered for me."
وكان قد بقي لأوان سفر الركب أزيد من شهرين، فظهر لي أن أسافر إلى الموصل وديار بكر لأشاهد تلك البلاد وأعود إلى بغداد في حينِ سَفَرِ الرَّكْب فأتوجه إلى الحجاز الشريف،,"As there still remained more than two months before the time for the departure of the caravan, I thought it a good plan to journey to al-Mawsil and Diyar Baler to see those districts, and a then return to Baghdad when the caravan was due to set out, and go on to the noble Hijaz."
فخرجت من بغداد إلى منزلٍ على نهر دجيل وهو يتفرع عن دجلة فيسقي قرًى كثيرة،,"So I went out from Baghdad to a station on the canal of Du jail, which is derived from the Tigris and waters a large number of villages."
ثم نزلنا بعد يومين بقرية كبيرة تُعْرَف بحربة، مخصبة فسيحة.,"We halted next, after two days’ journey, at a large village called Harba, [in] a wide and fertile [tract]."
ثم رحلنا فنزلنا موضعًا على شط دجلة بالقرب من حصنٍ يُسَمَّى المعشوق وهو مبني على الدجلة، وفي العدوة الشرقية من هذا الحصن مدينة سُرَّ مَنْ رأى، وتُسَمَّى أيضًا سامرا،,"Journeying on from there, we halted at a place on the bank of the Tigris near a fort called al-Ma‘shuq; the fort is built on the Tigris and on the eastern bank opposite it is the city of Surra-man-ra’a, also called Samarra."
ويقال لها: سام راه، ومعناه بالفارسية طريق سام، وراه هو الطريق،,"Some people call it Sam Rah, which means in Persian The road of Sam’, rah being ‘road’."
وقد استولى الخراب على هذه المدينة فلم يَبْقَ منها إلا القليل،,"This city has fallen into ruins, so that nothing is left of it but a fraction."
وهي معتدلة الهواء رائقة الحسن على بلائها ودروس معالمها، وفيها أيضًا مشهد صاحب الزمان كما بالحلة،,"It has an equable climate and is strikingly beautiful in spite of its decay and the effacement of its monuments. Here too there is a sanctuary of the ‘Master of the Hour’, as at al-Hilla."
ثم سرنا منها مرحلةً ووصلنا إلى مدينة تكريت، وهي مدينة كبيرة فسيحة الأرجاء مليحة الأسواق كثيرة المساجد وأهلها موصوفون بحسن الأخلاق،,"After one day’s journey from there we reached Takrit, a large city with spacious environs, fine markets and many mosques, and whose inhabitants are distinguished by goodness of disposition."
والدجلة في الجهة الشمالية منها، ولها قلعة حصينة على شط الدجلة،,"The Tigris is on the northern side of the city, and it has a well-fortified castle on the bank of the river."
والمدينة عتيقة البناء عليها سور يطيف بها،,"The city itself is of ancient construction and protected by a wall, which surrounds it."
ثم رحلنا منها مرحلتين ووصلنا إلى قرية تُعْرَف بالعقر على شط الدجلة,"From there we journeyed two stages and came to a village called al-‘Aqr, on the bank of the Tigris."
وبأعلاها ربوة كان بها حصن وبأسفلها الخان المعروف بخان الحديد، له أبراج وبناؤه حافل,"At its upper end there is a hill, on which there stood formerly a fort, and at its lower end is the khan known as Khan al-Hadld, a powerful building with towers."
والقرى والعمارة متصلة من هنالك إلى الموصل،,From this place there is a continuous sequence of villages and cultivation to al-Mawsil.
ثم رحلنا ونزلنا موضعًا يُعْرَف بالقيارة بمقربة من دجلة،,"Continuing our journey we halted at a place called alQayyara, near the Tigris."
وهنالك أرض سوداء فيها عيون تنبع بالقار ويُصْنَع له أحواض ويجتمع فيه,"At this place there is a patch of black land in which are springs that exude pitch, and tanks are constructed for it to collect in."
فتراه شبه الصلصال على وجه الأرض حالِك اللون صقيلًا رطبًا وله رائحة طيبة،,"When you see it, it looks like clay on the surface of the ground, deep black in colour, glistening, soft and with a good smell."
وحول تلك العيون بركة كبيرة سوداء يعلوها شبه الطحلب الرقيق فتقذفه إلى جوانبها فيصير أيضًا قارًّا،,"Round these tanks is a large black pool, covered by a kind of thin scum, which the pool deposits on its edges, and it also becomes pitch."
وبمقربة من هذا الموضع عين كبيرة، فإذا أرادوا نقل القار منها أوقدوا عليها النار فتُنَشِّف النار ما هنالك من رطوبة مائية ثم يقطعونه قطعًا وينقلونه،,"In the vicinity of this place there is a large spring, and when they wish to transport the pitch from it, they light over it a fire, which dries up what watery moisture there is at that spot; then they cut it up into slabs and transport it."
وقد تَقَدَّمَ لنا ذِكْر العين التي بين الكوفة والبصرة على هذا النحو،,We have already mentioned the spring of the same kind which is between al-Kufa and al-Basra.
ثم سافرنا من هذه العيون مرحلتين ووصلنا بعدهما إلى الموصل.,"We continued our journey from these springs for two stages, and thereafter arrived at al-Mawsil."
"مدينة الموصل
وهي مدينة عتيقة كثيرة الخصب، وقلعتها المعروفة بالحدباء عظيمة الشأن شهيرة الامتناع عليها سور مُحْكَم البناء مُشَيَّد البروج","The city of al-Mawsil. It is an ancient and prosperous city, and its citadel known as al-Hadba’ is imposing in appearance and famed for its impregnability, surrounded by a wall of solid construction, strengthened by massive towers."
وتتصل بها دُور السلطان، وقد فَصَلَ بينها وبين البلد شارع مُتَّسِع مستطيل من أعلى البلد إلى أسفله،,"Adjoining it are the buildings of the Sultan’s palace and separating these two [complexes of buildings] from the town is a broad street, extending in length from the upper part of the town to its lower end."
وعلى البلد سوران اثنان وثيقان أبراجهما كثيرة متقاربة، وفي باطن السور بيوت بعضها على بعض مستديرة بجداره قد تَمَكَّن فَتْحها فيه لِسَعَتِه،,"The town itself is encircled by two stout walls, no less, close-set with towers, and inside the walls there are chambers, one above the other, circularwise in its inner face."
ولم أَرَ في أسوار البلاد مثله إلا السور الذي على مدينة دهلي حضرة ملك الهند،,"In no city walls have I seen its like except the wall round the city of Dihli, the capital of the king of India."
وللموصل ربض كبير فيه المساجد والحمامات والفنادق والأسواق، وبه مسجد جامع على شط الدجلة تدور به شبابيك حديد وتتصل به مساطب تُشْرِف على دجلة، في النهاية من الحسن والإتقان,"Al-Mawsil has a large suburb, containing mosques, bath-houses, warehouses and bazaars, and in it there is a cathedral mosque on the bank of the Tigris, round which there are iron lattices, and adjoining it platforms overlooking the Tigris, of the utmost beauty and skill in construction."
مامه مارستان، وبداخل المدينة جامعان أحدهما قديم والآخر حديث،,"In front of the mosque is a hospital. Inside the city there are two cathedral mosques, one ancient and the other modern."
وأوفي صَحْن الحديث منهما قبة في داخلها خصة رخام مثمنة مرتفعة على سارية رخام يخرج منها الماء بقوة وانزعاج فيرتفع مقدار القامة ثم ينعكس فيكون له مرأًى حسن،,"In the court of the modern mosque is a cupola, inside which there is an octagonal basin of marble supported by a marble column;
the water spouts out of this with force and impetus, rises to the height of a man, and then falls down, providing a beautiful spectacle."
وقيسارية الموصل مليحة لها أبواب حديد ويدور بها دكاكين وبيوت بعضها فوق بعض متقنة البناء،,"The qaisariya of al-Mawsil is very fine; it has iron gates and [the interior] is encircled by shops and chambers, one upon the other, of skilful construction."
وبهذه المدينة مشهد جرجيس النبي عليه السلام وعليه مسجد والقبر في زاوية منه عن يمين الداخل إليه، وهو فيما بين الجامع الجديد وباب الجسر،,"In this city is the sanctuary of the prophet Jirjis (upon him be peace); there is a mosque over it, and the tomb is in an angle of it, to the right as one enters. This lies between the new mosque and the gate of the bridge."
وقد حصلت لنا زيارته والصلاة بمسجده والحمد لله تعالى،,"We had the privilege of visiting his tomb and of praying in his mosque, and to God Most High be the praise."
وهنالك تل يونس عليه السلام، وعلى نحو ميل منه العين المنسوبة إليه،,There too is the hill of Yunus (upon whom be peace) and at about a mile from it the spring called by his name.
يقال إنه أَمَرَ قومه بالتطهير فيها ثم صعدوا التل ودعا ودعوا فكَشَفَ الله عنهم العذاب،,"It is said that he commanded his followers to purify themselves at it, after which they ascended the hill and he prayed, and they with him, whereupon God averted the chastisement [of the city] from them."
وبمقربة منه قرية كبيرة يقرب منها خراب يقال إنه موضع المدينة المعروفة بنينوى مدينة يونس عليه السلام،,"In its vicinity is a large village, near which is a ruined site said to be the site of the city known as Ninaway [Nineveh], the city of Yunus (upon whom be peace)."
وأثر السور المحيط بها ظاهر ومواضع الأبواب التي هي متبينة،,"The remains of the encircling wall are still visible, and the positions of the gates which were in it are clearly seen."
وفي التل بناء عظيم ورباط فيه بيوت كثيرة ومقاصر ومطاهر وسقايات يضم الجميع باب واحد,"On the hill there is a large edifice and a convent with numerous chambers, cells, lavatories and waterchannels, the whole being enclosed by a single gate."
وفي وسط الرباط بيت عليه ستر حرير وله باب مُرَصَّع,"In the centre of the convent is a chamber over which there is a silk curtain, and with a door inlaid [with precious metals]."
يقال إنه الموضع الذي به موقف يونس عليه السلام، ومحراب المسجد الذي بهذا الرباط يقال إنه كان بيتَ مُتَعَبَّدِه عليه السلام،,"It is said that this was the place on which Yunus (on whom be peace) stood [when he prayed], and the mihrab of the mosque in this convent is said to have been the cell in which he performed his devotions (peace be upon him)."
وأهل الموصل يخرجون في كل ليلة جمعة إلى هذا الرباط يتعبدون فيه.,The inhabitants of al-Mawsil come out to this convent on the eve of every Friday to perform their devotions in it.
وأهل الموصل لهم مكارم أخلاق ولِين كلام وفضيلة ومحبة في الغريب وإقبال عليه،,"They are distinguished by noble and generous dispositions, gentleness of speech, virtue, affection for the stranger and care for him."
وكان أميرها حين قدومي عليها السيد الشريف الفاضل علاء الدين علي بن شمس الدين محمد الملقب بحيدر، وهو من الكرماء الفضلاء،,"The governor of the city at the time of my visit to it was the virtuous Sayyid and Sharif ‘Ala al-Din ‘All, son of Shams al-DIn Muhammad, known by the sobriquet of Haidar, and a man of generosity and distinction."
أنزلني بداره وأجرى علي الإنفاق مدة مقامي عنده،,He lodged me in his own dwelling and paid for all my expenses and maintenance during the period of my stay with him.
وله الصدقات والإيثار المعروف، وكان السلطان أبو سعيد يُعَظِّمه وفَوَّضَ إليه أَمْر هذه المدينة وما يليها،,"He has to his credit many benefactions and famous acts of munificence, and the sultan Abu Sa’Id used to hold him in high honour, and set him in authority over this city and its dependencies."
ويركب في موكب عظيم من مماليكه وأجناده، ووجوهُ أهل المدينة وكبراؤها يأتون للسلام عليه غدوًّا وعشيًّا،,"He rides out in an impressive cavalcade of his mamluks and troops, and the leading men of the city and principal citizens come to salute him in the morning and the evening."
وله شجاعة ومهابة وولده,He is a man of courage and one who inspires respect.
في حين كتب هذا في حضرة فاس مستقر الغرباء ومأوى الفرق ومحط رحال الوفود، زادها الله بسعادة أيام مولانا أمير المؤمنين بهجة وإشراقًا وحرس أرجاءها ونواحيها،,"His son, at the time of writing this, is in the royal city of Fez, the place of settlement of strangers, asylum of the dispersed, goal of the homagers—God increases her ) in glory and splendour by the felicity of the days of our Master, the Commander of the Faithful [i.e. Sultan Abu Tnan], and guard her regions and her provinces!"
ثم رحلنا من الموصل ونزلنا قرية تُعْرَف بعين الرصد، وهي على نهر عليه جسر مبني وبها خان كبير,"We then set out from al-Mawsil and halted at a village called ‘Ain al-Rasad, on a river over which there is a permanent bridge, and where there is a large khan."
ثم رحلنا ونزلنا قرية تُعْرَف بالمويلحة، ثم رحلنا منها ونزلنا جزيرة ابن عمر، وهي مدينة كبيرة حسنة محيطة بها الوادي ولذلك سُمِّيَتْ جزيرة،,"Journeying on, we halted at a village called al-Muwailiha, and from there alighted at Jazirat Ibn ‘Omar, a large and beautiful city surrounded by the river [Tigris], which is the reason why it is called Jazira [‘island’]."
أكثرها خراب ولها سوق حسنة ومسجد عتيق مبني بالحجارة مُحْكَم العمل، وسورها مبني بالحجارة أيضًا,"The greater part of it is in ruins. It has a good bazaar and an ancient mosque, built of stone and of solid workmanship, and the city wall also is built of stone."
وأهلها فضلاء لهم محبة في الغرباء،,Its inhabitants are of upright character and friendly towards strangers.
ويوم نزولنا بها رأينا جبل الجودي المذكور في كتاب الله عز وجل الذي استوت عليه سفينة نوح عليه السلام، وهو جبل عالٍ مستطيل،,"On the day that we stayed there we saw Jabal alJudl, which is mentioned in the Book of God as that on which there came to rest the ship of Noah (on him be peace); it is a lofty and high-soaring mountain."
ثم رحلنا منها مرحلتين ووصلنا إلى مدينة نصيبين، وهي مدينة عتيقة متوسطة قد خرب أكثرها،,"We travelled on two stages from there and reached the city of Nasibln, which is an ancient city of middling size, most of it now fallen into ruin."
وهي في بسيط أفيح فسيح فيه المياه الجارية والبساتين الملتفَّة والأشجار المنتظِمة والفواكه الكثيرة،,"It is situated in a wide and open plain, in which there are flowing streams, thickly planted orchards, trees ranged in order and abundance of fruits."
وبها يُصْنَع ماء الورد الذي لا نظير له في العطارة والطِّيب،,In this town there is manufactured a rose-water which is unequalled for perfume and sweetness.
ويدور بها نهر يعطف عليها انعطاف السوار، منبعه من عيون في جبل قريب منها، وينقسم انقسامًا فيتخلل بساتينها،,"Round it there runs like a bracelet a river which wells out from springs in a mountain close by and is divided into several channels, so that it threads through its orchards."
ويدخل منه نهر إلى المدينة فيجري في شوارعها ودورها ويخترق صَحْن مسجدها الأعظم وينصب في صهريجين أحدهما في وسط الصحن والآخر عند الباب الشرقي،,"One branch of it enters the town, flows through the streets and dwellings, cuts through the court of its principal mosque, and empties into two basins, one of them in the middle of the court [of the mosque] and the other at the east gate."
وبهذه المدينة مارستان ومدرستان، وأهلها أهل صلاح ودين وصِدْق وأمانة،,"In this city there is a hospital and two colleges, and its inhabitants are upright, pious, sincere and trustworthy."
"w
Would that my lot in this world were Nasibln.","Abu Nuwas spoke truly in saying:
Pleasant to me was Nasibln once on a day, and I to her—"
"قال ابن جزي: والناس يصفون مدينة نصيبين بفساد الماء والوخامة، وفيها يقول بعض الشعراء:
لنصيبين قد عَجِبْتُ وما فيدارها لي داعٍ إلى العلاتِ
يعدم الورد أحمرًا في ذراهالسقام حتى من الوجناتِ","Ibn Juzayy remarks: People characterize the city of Nasibln by badness of water and unhealthy climate, and on this one of the poets has said: 
How strange that thing in Naslbln Which seems all ailments to invite!
Never red rose in her is seen,
And even cheeks are deathly white."
ثم رحلنا إلى مدينة سنجار، وهي مدينة كبيرة كثيرة الفواكه والأشجار والعيون المطردة والأنهار مبنية في سفح جبل تُشَبَّه بدمشق في كثرة أنهارها وبساتينها،,"Thereafter we travelled to the city of Sinjar, which is a large town with an abundance of fruits and trees, and permanent springs and streams, built at the foot of a mountain, and resembling Damascus in the number of its streams and gardens."
ومسجدها الجامع مشهور البركة، يُذْكَر أن الدعاء به مستجاب، ويدور به نهر ماءٍ ويَشُقُّه،,"Its cathedral mosque is a famous place of blessing; it is stated that prayer made in it is answered, and it is encircled and traversed by a running stream."
وأهل سنجار أكراد ولهم شجاعة وكَرَمٌ،,"The inhabitants of Sinjar are Kurds, and are brave and generous."
ممن لقيته بها الشيخ الصالح العابد الزاهد عبد الله الكردي أحد المشايخ الكبار صاحب كرامات،,"One of those whom I met there was a pious shaikh and devotee, the ascetic ‘Abdallah al-Kurdl, one of the great shaikhs and endowed with miraculous powers."
يُذْكَر عنه أنه لا يُفْطِر إلا بعد أربعين يومًا، ويكون إفطاره على نِصْف قُرْص من الشعير،,"It is stated of him that he eats only after fasting for forty days, and then breaks his fast only with half a cake of barley bread."
لقيته برابطة بأعلى جبل سنجار ودعا لي وزودني بدراهم لم تَزَلْ عندي إلى أن سلبني كفار الهنود،,"I met him in a hermitage on top of the mountain of Sinjar, when he prayed on my behalf and provided me with some silver pieces which I kept in my possession until I was despoiled by the Indian infidels."
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة دارا وهي عتيقة كبيرة بيضاء المنظر لها قلعة مشرفة وهي الآن خراب لا عمارة بها،,"We travelled from there to the city of Dara, which is an ancient and large place, white in appearance, and with an imposing castle, but now in ruins and totally uninhabited."
وفي خارجها قرية معمورة بها كان نزولنا،,Outside it there is an inhabited village in which we made our stay.
ثم رحلنا منها فوصلنا إلى مدينة ماردين، وهي عظيمة في سطح جبل من أحسن مُدُن الإسلام وأبدعها وأتقنها وأحسنها أسواقًا،,"Journeying on from there we came to the city of Mardln, a great city at the foot of a hill, one of the most beautiful, striking and substantially-built cities in [the lands of] Islam, and with the finest bazaars."
بها تُصْنَع الثياب المنسوجة إليها من الصوف المعروف بالمرعز،,Here there are manufactured the fabrics called by its name from the wool known as mar’izz [i.e. goat’s hair].
ولها قلعة شماء من مشاهير القلاع في قنة جبلها،,"It has a soaring castle, one of the most famous fortresses, on the summit of its hill."
"قال ابن جزي: قلعة ماردين هذه تُسَمَّى الشهباء، وإياها عنى شاعر العراق صفي الدين عبد العزيز بن سراي الحلي بقوله في سمطه (سريع):
فدع ربوع الحلة الفيحاءوازور بالعيس عن الزوراء
ولا تقف بالموصل الحدباءإن شهاب القلعة الشهباء
محرق شيطان صروف الدهر","Ibn Juzayy remarks: This castle of Mardin is called alShahba’, and it is to it that the poet of al-Traq, Safi al-Din ‘Abd al-‘AzIz b. Saraya al-Hilli refers in his stanza:
Leave wide-bosomed Hilla’s halls,
Skew the camels from Zawra’,
Halt not in hunched Mosul’s walls,
Lo, the lightning of Shahba’
Sears the demon of time’s haps."
وقلعة حلب تسمى الشهباء أيضًا،,The fortress of Aleppo also is called al-Shahba’.
وهي المسمطة بديعة مُدِحَ بها الملك المنصور سلطان ماردين،,"This poem in stanza form is a gem, composed as a panegyric of al-Malik al-Mansur, the sultan of Mardin."
وكان كريمًا شهير الصيت، وَلِيَ الملك بها نحو خمسين سنة، وَأَدْرَكَ أيام قازان مَلِك التتر وصاهَرَ السلطان خذابنده بابنته دنيا خاتون.,"He was a generous [prince] and widely famed; he ruled in it for some fifty years, survived to the reign of Qazan, king of the Tatars, and became allied by marriage to the sultan Khudhabandah through [the marriage of the latter to] his daughter Dunya Khatun."
"ذكر سلطان ماردين في عهد دخولي إليها
وهو الملك الصالح ابن الملك المنصور الذي ذَكَرْنَاه آنفًا، وَرِثَ المُلْك عن أبيه،","Account of the Sultan of Mardin at the time of my visit. He is al-Malik al-Salih, son of al-Malik al-Mansur (whom we have just now mentioned), and inherited the kingdom from his father."
وله المكارم الشهيرة، وليس بأرض العراق والشام ومصر أكرم منه، يقصده الشعراء والفقراء فيجزل لهم العطايا جَرْيًا على سَنَن أبيه،,"He is a man of widely famed generosity; there is none more open-handed than he in the land of al-Traq, Syria and Egypt; and poets and poor brethren come to visit him and he makes them munificent gifts, following the example of his father."
قصده أبو عبد الله محمد بن جابر الأندلسي المروي الكفيف مادحًا فأعطاه عشرين ألف درهم،,"He was visited by Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Jabir al-Andalusi al-Marwi, the blind [poet], to recite  panegyric, and gave him twenty thousand dirhams."
وله الصدقات والمدارس والزوايا لإطعام الطعام،,"To his credit [also] are works of charity, colleges, and hospices for the supply of food."
وله وزير كبيرُ القدر، وهو الإمام العالم وحيد الدهر وفريد العصر جمال الدين السنجاري، قرأ بمدينة تبريز وأدرك العلماء الكبار،,"He has a vizier of high distinction, namely the learned imam, unique scholar of the time, and solitaire of the age, Jamal al-Din al-Sinjari; he studied in the city of Tabriz and under the great scholars [of the past generation]."
وقاضي قضاته الإمام الكامل برهان الدين الموصلي، وهو ينتسب إلى الشيخ الولي فتح الموصلي،,"His Grand Qadi is the accomplished imam Burhan al-Din al-Mawsill, who claims descent from the shaikh and saint Fath al-Mawsill."
وهذا القاضي من أهل الدين والورع والفضل، يَلْبَس الخشن من ثياب الصوف الذي لا تَبْلُغ قيمته عشرة دراهم ويَعْتَمُّ بنحو ذلك،,"This qadi is a man of sound religion, scrupulosity and virtue; he dresses in coarse garments of woollen cloth, which are not worth ten dirhams apiece, and wears a turban of the same kind."
وكثيرًا ما يجلس للأحكام بصحن مسجد خارج المدرسة كان يتعبد فيه، فإذا رآه من لا يَعْرِفه ظَنَّه بعض خدام القاضي وأعوانه.,"He often holds his judicial sessions in the courtyard of a mosque, outside the college, in which he used to perform his devotions; and anyone seeing him who did not know him would think him to be one of the qadl’s servants or assistants."
"حكاية
ذُكِرَ لي أن امرأة أتت هذا القاضي وهو خارج من المسجد ولم تكن تَعْرِفُه، فقالت له: يا شيخ أين يجلس القاضي؟","Anecdote. It was told me that a certain woman came up to this qadi as he was coming out of the mosque, and not knowing him she said to him ‘O shaikh, where is the qadi sitting?’"
فقال لها: وما تريدين منه؟ فقالت له: إن زوجي ضربني وله زوجة ثانية وهو لا يعدل بيننا في القسم،,"He said to her ‘What do you want of him?’ She replied ‘My husband has beaten me, and, besides, he has another wife and does not make a fair division [of time] between us."
وقد دعوته إلى القاضي فأبى، وأنا فقيرة ليس عندي ما أعطيه لرجال القاضي حتى يُحْضِروه بمجلسه،,"I have summoned him before the qadi, but he has refused, and I am a poor woman and have nothing that I can give to the qadl’s men so that they may bring him to his tribunal.’"
فقال لها: وأين منزل زوجك؟ فقالت: بقرية الملاحين خارج المدينة،,"He said to her ‘And where is your husband living?’ She replied ‘In the village of al-Mallahln, outside the town.’"
فقال لها: أنا أذهب معك إليه، فقالت: والله ما عندي شيء أعطيك إياه، فقال لها: وأنا لا آخذ منك شيئًا، ثم قال لها: اذهبي إلى القرية وانتظريني خارجها فإني على أثرك،,"Then he said to her ‘I shall go with you to him myself,’ and when she exclaimed ‘But truly, by God, I have nothing that I can give you’ he said ‘And I would not take anything from you in any case,’ then added ‘Go on [ahead] to the village and wait for me outside it, for I shall be following you.’"
فذهبت كما أَمَرَهَا وانتظرَتْه فوصل إليها وليس معه أحد، وكانت عادته أن لا يَدَعَ أحدًا يتْبَعُه،,"So she went on as he had ordered her, and waited for him, and he came up to her there, having no one at all with him, for it was his habit never to allow anyone to follow him."
فجاءت به إلى منزل زوجها، فلما رآه قال لها: ما هذا الشيخ النحس الذي معك؟,"She brought him then to the house of her husband, who, on seeing him said to her, ‘What is this ill-favoured shaikh who is accom-panying you?’"
فقال له: نعم والله أنا كذلك، ولكن أَرْضِ زوجتك،,"Then the qadi said ‘Indeed, by God, I am so, but give satisfaction to your wife.’"
فلما طال الكلام جاء الناس فعرفوا القاضي وسلموا عليه,"When the argument grew prolonged, other people came up and, recognizing the qadi, saluted him."
وخاف ذلك الرجل وخَجِلَ، فقال له القاضي: لا عليك، أَصْلِحْ ما بينك وبين زوجتك، فأرضاها الرجل من نفسه وأعطاهما القاضي نفقةَ ذلك اليوم وانصرف.,"The man was overcome with fear and confusion, but the qadi said to him, ‘Don’t be upset. Put your affair with your wife to rights,’ so the man gave her satisfaction and the qadi gave them enough for their needs that day and went off."
لقيتُ هذا القاضي وأضافني بداره،,I met this qacli and he gave me hospitality in his house.
ثم رحلت عائدًا إلى بغداد فوصلت إلى مدينة الموصل التي ذكرناها فوجدْتُ ركبها بخارجها متوجهين إلى بغداد,"I then set out to return to Baghdad, and on reaching the city of al-Mawsil, which we have mentioned above, I found its pilgrim caravan outside the town, proceeding to Baghdad."
وفيهم امرأة صالحة عابدة تسمى بالست زاهدة، وهي من ذرية الخلفاء حَجَّتْ مرارًا وهي ملازمة الصوم،,"Among them was a pious woman devotee called the Sitt Zahida, a descendant of the Caliphs, who had gone on pilgrimage many times and used to fast assiduously."
سَلَّمْتُ عليها وكنت في جوارها ومعها جملة من الفقراء يخدمونها،,I saluted her and placed myself under her protection. She had with her a troop of poor brethren who were in her service
وفي هذه الوجهة تُوُفِّيَتْ رحمة الله عليها، وكانت وفاتها بزرود ودُفِنَتْ هنالك.,. On this journey she died (God have mercy on her); her death took i+s place at Zarud and she was buried there.
ثم وصلنا إلى مدينة بغداد فوجدت الحاجَّ في أهبة الرحيل، فقَصَدْتُ أميرها معروف خواجة فطلبت منه ما أَمَرَ لي به السلطان,"When we arrived at Baghdad I found the pilgrims making preparations to set out, so I sought out its governor, Ma’ruf Khwaja, and asked him for the things that the sultan had ordered for me."
فعَيَّنَ لي شقة محارة وزاد أربعة من الرجال وماءهم، وكتب لي بذلك ووَجَّهَ إلى أمير الركب وهو البهلوان محمد الحويج فأوصاه بي،,"He assigned me the half of a camel-litter and provisions and water for four men, writing out an order to that effect for me, then sent for the commander of the pilgrim caravan, who was the Bahlawan Muhammad alHawih, and commended me to him."
وكانت المعرفة بيني وبينه متقدمة فزادها تأكيدًا، ولم أَزَلْ في جواره وهو يُحْسِن إلي ويزيدني على ما أَمَرَ لي به،,"I already had an acquaintance with the latter which went back [to my journey from Mecca], but our friendship was strengthened by this and I remained under his protection and favoured by his bounty, for he gave me even more than had been ordered for me."
وأصابني عند خروجنا من الكوفة إسهالٌ، فكانوا ينزلونني من أعلى المحمل مرات كثيرة في اليوم، والأمير يتفقد حالي ويوصي بي،,As we left al-Kufa I fell ill of a diarrhoea and they had to dismount me from the litter many times during the day; [during all this time] the commander [of the caravan] kept enquiring for me and giving instructions that I should be looked after.
ولم أَزَلْ مريضًا حتى وَصَلْتُ مكة حرم الله تعالى — زادها الله شرفًا وتعظيمًا,"My illness continued until after I reached Mecca, the sanctuary of God Most High (may He exalt her H in honour and veneration)."
— وطُفْتُ بالبيت الحرام — كَرَّمَه الله تعالى — طواف القدوم وكنت ضعيفًا بحيث أؤدي المكتوبة قاعدًا، فطُفْتُ وسعيت بين الصفا والمروة راكبًا على فرس الأمير الحويج المذكور،,"I made the [prescribed] circuits of the Holy House (God Most High ennoble it) on arrival, but I was so weak that I had to carry out the ordinances seated, so  I made the circuits and the trottings between al-Safa and alMarwa riding on the horse of the amir al-Hawih mentioned above."
ووقَفْنَا تلك السنة يومَ الإثنين، فلما نزلنا مِنًى أَخَذْتُ في الراحة والاستقلال من مرضي،,"We made the ‘Standing’ [at ‘Arafat] that year on a Monday, and when we camped at Mina I began to feel relief and to recover from my malady."
ولما انقضى الحاج أقمْتُ مجاورًا بمكة تلك السنة,At the end of the Pilgrimage I remained as a ‘sojourner’ at Mecca [for the whole of] that year.
وكان بها الأمير علاء الدين بن هلال مشيد (مشد) الدواوين مقيمًا لعمارة دار الوضوء بظاهر العطارين من باب بني شيبة,"In it [during this year] was the amir ‘Ala al-Dln b. Hilal, the inspector of the dtwdns, who was residing there for the construction of the hall of ablutions outside the druggists’ [bazaar] by the gate of the Banu Shaiba."
وجاوَرَ في تلك السنة من المصريين جماعة من كبرائهم، منهم تاج الدين بن الكويك ونور الدين القاضي وزين الدين بن الأصيل وابن الخليلي وناصر الدين الأسيوطي، وسكنْتُ تلك السنة بالمدرسة المظفرية وعافاني الله من مرضي،,"In that same year there were among the Egyptians who ‘sojourned’ at Mecca a number of persons of note, including Taj al-Din Ibn alKuwaik, Nur al-Din the qadi, Zain al-Din Ibn al-AsIl, Ibn al-Khalili, and Nasir al-Din al-Asyutl. stayed that year in the Muzaffariya College, and God healed me of my sickness."
فكنت في أنعم عيش، وتفرغْتُ للطواف والعبادة والاعتمار،,"I led a most agreeable existence, giving myself up to circuits, pious exercises and frequent performances of the Lesser Pilgrimage."
"وأتى في أثناء تلك السنة حُجَّاج الصعيد، وقَدِمَ معهم الشيخ الصالح نجم الدين الأصفوني وهي أول حجة حَجَّهَا، والأخوان علاء الدين علي وسراج الدين عمر ابنا القاضي الصالح نجم الدين البالسي قاضي مصر وجماعة غيرهم.
وفي منتصف ذي القعدة وصل الأمير سيف الدين يلملك وهو من الفضلاء، ووصل في صحبته جماعة من أهل طنجة بلدي حرسها الله، منهم الفقيه أبو عبد الله محمد ابن القاضي أبي العباس ابن القاضي الخطيب أبي القاسم الجراوي، والفقيه أبو عبد الله بن عطاء الله، والفقيه أبو محمد عبد الله الحضري، والفقيه أبو عبد الله المرسي وأبو العباس بن الفقيه أبي علي البلنسي، وأبو محمد ابن القابلة، وأبو الحسن البياري، وأبو العباس بن نافوت، وأبو الصبر أيوب الفخار، وأحمد بن حكامة،","In the course of that year there arrived the pilgrims by way of Upper Egypt; with them came the pious shaikh Najm al-Din al-Usfuni (this was the first of his Pilgrimages), the brothers ‘Ala al-Din ‘Ali and Siraj al-Din ‘Omar, sons of the pious shaikh Najm al-Din al-Balisi, qadi of Cairo, and a number of other persons. In the middle of Dhu’l-Qa‘da there arrived the amir Saif al-Din Yalmalak, a man of eminent virtue, and in company with a number of the inhabitants of Tanja, my own [native] town (God guard her), including the legist Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad, son of the qadi Abu’l‘ Abbas, son of the qaqli and khafib Abu’l-Qasim al-Jurawi [?]; the legist Abu ‘Abdallah b. ‘Ata’-Allah; the legist Abu ‘Abdallah al-Hadari; the legist Abu ‘Abdallah al-Mursi; Abu’l-‘Abbas, son of the legist [v.l. qadi] Abu ‘All al-Balans!; Abu Muhammad b. al-Qabila; Abu’l-Hasan al-Biyari; Abu’l’ Abbas b. Tafut; Abu’l-Sabr Ayyub al-Fakhkhar [‘the potter’]; and Ahmad b. Hakkama."
ومن أهل قصر المجاز الفقيه أبو زيد عبد الرحمن ابن القاضي أبي العباس بن خلوف، ومن أهل القصر الكبير الفقيه أبو محمد بن مسلم، وأبو إسحاق إبراهيم بن يحيى وولده،,"[There were also] of the inhabitants of Qasr al-Majaz the legist Abu Zaid ‘Abd alRahman, son of the qadi Abu’l-‘Abbas b. Khuluf, and of the inhabitants of al-Qasr al-Kablr the legist Abu Muhammad b. Muslim, Abu Ishaq [v.l. Ishaq b.J Ibrahim b. Yahya, and his son."
ووصل في تلك السنة الأمير سيف الدين تقز دمور من الخاصكية، والأمير موسى بن قرمان، والقاضي فخر الدين ناظر الجيش كاتب المماليك، والتاج أبو إسحاق، والست حدق مربية الملك الناصر،,"There came also in the same year the amir Saif al-Din Tuquzdumur, one of the Private Guard, the amir Musa b. Qaraman, the qadi Fakhr al-Din, inspector of the army and clerk of the mamluks, al-Taj Abu Ishaq, and the Lady Hadaq, the nurse of al-Malik al-Nasir."
وكانت لهم صدقات عميمة بالحرم الشريف وأكثرهم صدقة القاضي فخر الدين،,"They distributed alms to all and sundry in the Holy Sanctuary, and the most liberal of them all in almsgiving was the qadi Fakhr al-Din."
وكانت وَقْفَتُنا في تلك السنة في يوم الجمعة من عام ثمانٍ وعشرين، ولما انقضى الحج أقمت مجاورًا بمكة — حرسها الله — سنة تسع وعشرين،,"Our ‘Standing’ [at ‘Arafat] took place that year on a Friday, of the year [seven hundred and] twenty-eight, and at the conclusion of the Pilgrimage I remained as a ‘sojourner’ at Mecca (God Most High guard her) during the year twenty nine."
وفي هذه السنة وصل أحمد بن الأمير رميثة ومبارك بن الأمير عطيفة من العراق صحبة الأمير محمد الحويج والشيخ زاده الحرباوي والشيخ دانيال،,"In this year there arrived Ahmad, son of the amir Rumaitha, and Mubarak, son of the amir ‘Utaifa, coming from al-Traq in company with the amir Muhammad al-Hawih, also the Shaikh Zada al-Harbawi, and the shaikh Daniyal."
وأتوا بصدقات عظيمة للمجاورين وأهل مكة من قبل السلطان أبي سعيد ملك العراق،,"They brought large gifts of alms for the ‘sojourners’ and the inhabitants of Mecca on behalf of the sultan Abu Sa’Id, the king of al-Traq."
وفي تلك السنة ذُكِرَ اسمه في الخطبة بعد ذِكْر الملك الناصر ودَعَوْا له بأعلى قبة زمزم، وذَكَرُوا بعده سلطان اليمن الملك المجاهد نور الدين،,"In that year his name was included in the khutba after the name of al-Malik alNasir; they also prayed for a blessing on him from the top of the pavilion of Zamzam; and after his name was mentioned that of the sultan of al-Yaman, al-Malik al-Mujahid Nur al-Din."
ولم يوافق الأمير عطيفة على ذلك وبعث شقيقه منصورًا ليُعْلِم الملك الناصر بذلك، فأَمَرَ رميثة برده فرَدَّ,"The amir ‘Utaifa was not in agreement with this, and sent his full brother Mansur to inform al-Malik al-Nasir of it, but Rumaitha ordered that Mansur should be brought back, and brought back he was."
فبعثه ثانية على طريق جدة حتى أعلم الملك الناصر بذلك،,"‘Utaifa sent him again by way of Judda, so that he finally did inform al-Malik al-Nasir of what had taken place."
"ووقفنا تلك السنة وهي سنة تسع وعشرين يوم الثلاثاء.
ولما انقضى الحج أقمت مجاورًا بمكة حرسها الله سنة ثلاثين،","We made the ‘Standing’ that year, i.e. twenty-nine, on a Tuesday and at the end of the Pilgrimage I stayed on as a ‘sojourner’ at Mecca (God guard her) for the year thirty."
وفي موسمها وَقَعَت الفتنة بين أمير مكة عطيفة وبين أيدمور أمير جندار الناصري؛,"During the pilgrimage season of that year there befel an < armed conflict between the amir of Mecca, ‘Utaifa, and Aydumur, the amir jandar, [called] al-Nasiri."
وسبب ذلك أن تجارًا من أهل اليمن سرقوا فتشكوا إلى أيدمور بذلك، فقال أيدمور لمبارك بن الأمير عطيفة: ائْتِ بهؤلاء السراق،,"The cause of this was that certain merchants among the Yamanites had goods stolen and complained about it to Aydumur. Aydumur said to Mubarak, the son of the amir ‘Utaifa, ‘Produce these thieves.’"
فقال: لا أعرفهم، فكيف نأتي بهم، وبعد فأهل اليمن تحت حكمنا ولا حُكْم عليهم لك،,"He replied ‘I have no knowledge of them, so how can I produce them? Moreover the people of al-Yaman are under our rule, and you have no authority over them."
إن سُرِقَ لأهل مصر والشام شيء فاطلبني به،,"If anything is stolen from the people of Syria or Egypt, then demand restitution from me.’"
فشتمه أيدمور وقال له: يا قواد، تقول لي هكذا، وضربه على صدره فسقط ووقعت عمامته على رأسه,"Whereupon Aydumur shouted abuse at him, said to him ‘You pimp, do you speak to me like this?’ and struck him on the chest, so that he fell and his turban fell off his head."
وغضب له عبيده وركب أيدمور يريد عسكره فلحقه مبارك وعبيده فقتلوه وقتلوا ولده,"Mubarak was enraged, and his slaves equally so on his behalf; and when Aydumur rode off to join his troops, Mubarak and his slaves overtook him, killed him, and killed his son as well."
ووقعت الفتنة بالحرم، وكان به الأمير أحمد ابن عم الملك الناصر ورمى الترك بالنشاب فقتلوا امرأة قيل: إنها كانت تحرض أهل مكة على القتال،,"Conflict then broke out in the sanctuary, where Amir Ahmad, uncle’s son of al-Malik al-Nasir, was, and the Turks shot arrows and killed a woman who, it was said, was egging the Meccans on to [join in] the fighting."
وركب من الركب من الأتراك وأميرهم خاص ترك فخرج إليهم القاضي والأئمة والمجاورون وفوق رءوسهم المصاحف، وحاولوا الصلح,"All of the Turks who were in the pilgrim caravan mounted their horses, as well as their commander Khass Turk, but the qadl with the imams and the ‘sojourners’ went out to them, carrying copies of the Qur’an over their heads, and were able to make peace."
ودخل الحُجَّاج مكة فأخذوا ما لهم بها وانصرفوا إلى مصر،,"The pilgrims went into Mecca, took what they possessed there, and returned to Egypt."
وبلغ الخبر إلى الملك الناصر فشق عليه، وبعث العساكر إلى مكة,"When the news of this reached al-Malik al-Nasir, he was cut to the quick and sent troops to Mecca."
ففر الأمير عطيفة وابنه مبارك وخرج أخوه رميثة وأولاده إلى وادي نخلة،,"The amir ‘Utaifa and his son Mubarak took to flight, while his brother Rumaitha with his sons went out to Wadi Nakhla."
فلما وصل العسكر إلى مكة بعث الأمير رميثة أحد أولاده يطلب له الأمان ولولده,"When the [Egyptian] troops arrived at Mecca, the amir Rumaitha sent one of his sons to beg for a safe-conduct for himself and sons."
فأمنوا وأتى رميثة وكفنه في يده إلى الأمير,"They were granted this, whereupon Rumaitha came, carrying his shroud in his hand, before the commander."
فخلع عليه وسلمت إليه مكة وعاد العسكر إلى مصر، وكان الملك الناصر رحمه الله حليمًا فاضلًا،,"He was given a robe of honour, Mecca was handed over to him, and the army returned to Cairo. Al-Malik al-Nasir (God’s mercy on him) was a forbearing and generous-minded man."
فخرجْتُ في تلك الأيام من مكة شرفها الله تعالى قاصدًا بلاد اليمن، فوصلت إلى حدة (بالحاء المهمل المفتوح)، وهي نصب الطريق ما بين مكة وجُدَّة (بالجيم المضموم)،,"Southern Arabia, East Africa
and the Persian Gulf
 SET out at this time from Mecca (God Most High ennoble I her) intending to travel to the land of al-Yaman, and came to Hadda, which lies half way between Mecca and Judda."
ثم وَصَلْتُ إلى جدة، وهي بلدة قديمة على ساحل البحر يقال: إنها من عمارة الفرس,"I then reached Judda, an old town on the sea coast, which is said to have been founded by the Persians."
وبخارجها مصانع قديمة وبها جباب للماء منقورة في الحجر الصلد يتصل بعضها ببعض تفوت الإحصاء كثرة،,"Outside it there are antique cisterns, and in it are pits for water, bored in the solid rock and connected with each other in numbers beyond computation."
وكانت هذه السنة قليلة المطر وكان الماء يُجْلَب إلى جدة على مسيرة يوم، وكان الحجاج يسألون الماء من أصحاب البيوت.,"This year was one of little rain, so water was brought to Judda from the distance of a day’s journey, and the pilgrims used to beg for water from the owners of the houses."
"حكاية
ومن غريب ما اتفق لي بجدة أنه وَقَفَ على بابي سائل أعمى يطلب الماء يقوده غلام،","Anecdote. A strange thing happened to me in Judda. There stopped at my door a blind beggar led by a boy, to ask for water."
فسلم علي وسماني باسمي وأخذ بيدي ولم أكن عَرَفْتُه قط ولا عرفني فعجبت من شأنه،,"He saluted me, called me by my name and took me by the hand, although I had no acquaintance with him, nor did he know me."
ثم أمسك أصبعي بيده وقال: أين الفتخة؟ وهي الخاتم،,I was astonished at his doing so; but next he grasped my finger with his hand and said ‘Where is the fatkhaV (meaning the ring).
وكنت حين خروجي من مكة قد لقيني بعض الفقراء، وسألني ولم يكن عندي في ذلك الحين شيء فدفعت له خاتمي،,"Now, as I was going out from Mecca, I had been accosted by a certain poor brother, who asked me for alms, and as I had nothing with me at that time I handed him my ring."
فلما سألني عنه هذا الأعمى قلت له: أعطيته لفقير، فقال: ارجع في طلبه، فإن فيه أسماء مكتوبة فيها سر من الأسرار،,"So when this blind man asked about it, I told him that I had given it to a poor brother, and he said ‘Go back and look for it, for there are names written on it which contain a great secret.’"
فطال تعجُّبي منه ومن معرفته بذلك كله والله أعلم بحاله،,Great was my astonishment at him and at his knowledge of all this—God knows best who and what he was.
وبجدة جامع يُعْرَف بجامع الأبنوس معروف البركة يستجاب فيه الدعاء،,"In Judda there is a cathedral mosque called the Ebony Mosque, known for its blessed power and in which prayer is answered."
وكان الأمير بها أبا يعقوب بن عبد الرزاق وقاضيها وخطيبها الفقيه عبد الله من أهل مكة، شافعي المذهب،,"The governor in the city was Abu Ya’qub b. ‘Abd al-Razzaq, and its qa"
وإذا كان يوم الجمعة واجتمع الناس للصلاة أتى المؤذن وعد أهل جدة المقيمين بها،,"On Fridays, when the people assemble for the service, the muezzin comes and counts the number of residents of Judda at it."
فإن كملوا أربعين خطب وصلى بهم الجمعة، وإن لم يبلغ عددهم أربعين صلى ظهرًا أربعًا، ولا يعتبر من ليس من أهلها وإن كانوا عددًا كثيرًا،,"If they reach a total of forty, he holds the Friday khutba and prays with them, but if their number falls short of forty he prays a noonprayer with four bowings, and no account is taken of those present who are not inhabitants of the town, however many they may be."
ثم ركبنا البحر من جدة في مركب يسمونه الجلبة، وكان لرشيد الدين الألفي اليمني الحبشي الأصل،,"We then embarked from Judda on a vessel that they call a jalba, which belonged to Rashid al-Din al-Alfi of al-Yaman, and of Abyssinia by origin."
وركب الشريف منصور بن أبي نمي في جلبة أخرى ورغب مني أن أكون معه، فلم أفعل لكونه كان معه في جلبته الجِمَال، فخِفْتُ من ذلك ولم أكن ركبت البحر قبلها،,"The sharif Mansur b. Abu Numayy embarked on another jalba and desired me to accompany him, but I did not do so on account of there being a number of camels with him in his jalba, and I was frightened of this, never having travelled by sea before."
وكان هنالك جملة من أهل اليمن قد جعلوا أزوادهم وأمتعتهم في الجلب وهم متأهبون للسفر.,"There were there a number of men of al-Yaman, who had placed their provisions and goods in jalbas, in preparation for the voyage."
"حكاية
ولما ركبنا البحر أَمَرَ الشريف منصور أَحَدَ غلمانه أن يأتيه بعديلة دقيق وهي نصف حمل وبطة سمن يأخذهما من جلب أهل اليمن،","Anecdote. When we got on board, the sharif Mansur ordered one of his slaves to fetch him an ‘adtla (that is half a camel-load) of flour and a cruse of ghee, taking them from the jalbas of the men of al-Yaman."
فأخذهما وأتى بهما إليه، فأتاني التُّجَّار بَاكِينَ وذكروا لي أن في جوف تلك العديلة عشرة آلاف درهم نقرة، ورغبوا مني أن أكلمه في ردها وأن يأخذ سواها،,"When the man brought them to him, the merchants came to me weeping, stated to me that inside that ‘adtla there were ten thousand dirhams of silver, and begged me to speak to him, to send it back and take another instead."
فأتيته وكلمته في ذلك، وقلت له: إن للتجار في جوف هذه العديلة شيئًا،,"So I went to him and spoke to him on the matter, saying, The merchants have something inside this ‘adtla.’"
فقال: إن كان سكرًا فلا أرده إليهم، وإن كان سوى ذلك فهو لهم،,"He replied ‘If it is an intoxicant, I shall not return it to them, but if it is anything else they shall have it.’"
ففتحوها فوجدوا الدراهم فردها عليهم وقال لي: لو كان عجلان ما ردها، وعجلان هو ابن أخيه رميثة، وكان قد دخل في تلك الأيام دارَ تاجر من أهل دمشق قاصدًا لليمن فذهب بمعظم ما كان فيها،,"They opened the sack then and found the dirhams, so he gave it back to them, saying to me ‘If it had been ‘Ajlan, he would not have given it back,’ ‘Ajlan being the son of his brother Rumaitha; he had about that time entered the house of a Damascus merchant who was intending to go to al-Yaman,   and had made off with most of what was in it."
وعجلان هو أمير مكة على هذا العهد وقد صلح حاله وأظهر العدل والفضل،,"‘Ajlan is the amir of Mecca at the present time, and he has reformed his conduct and shown himself just and upright."
ثم سافرنا في هذا البحر بالريح الطيبة يومين، وتغيرت الريح بعد ذلك وصَدَّتْنا عن السبيل التي قصدناها،,"We then travelled on this sea with a favouring wind for two days, but thereafter the wind changed and drove us off the course which we had intended."
ودَخَلَتْ أمواج البحر معنا في المركب واشتد الميد بالناس،,"The waves of the sea entered in amongst us in the vessel, and the passengers fell grievously sick."
ولم نَزَلْ في أهوالٍ حتى خرجنا في مرسى يُعْرَف برأس دوائر فيما بين عيذاب وسواكن،,"We continued in stormy weather until we emerged at a roadstead called Ra’s Dawa’ir, between ‘Aidhab and Sawakin."
فنزلنا به ووجدنا بساحله عريشَ قَصَبٍ على هيئة مسجد، وفيه كثير من قشور بيض النعام مملوءة ماء فشربنا منه وطبخنا،,"We landed there and found on the shore a hut of reeds, shaped like a mosque, and inside a large number of ostrich egg-shells filled with water, so we drank from these and cooked [some food]."
ورأيت بذلك المرسى عجبًا، وهو خور مثل الوادي يخرج من البحر،,I saw in that roadstead a marvellous thing. This is a channel something like a river-bed [which fills with water] flowing out from the sea.
فكان الناس يأخذون الثوب ويمسكون بأطرافه ويخرجون به، وقد امتلأ سمكًا كل سمكة منها قدر الذراع ويَعْرِفُونه بالبوري،,"The people there would take a length of cloth, holding it by its ends, and bring it out filled with fish, each about a cubit long, which they call by the name of burl."
فطَبَخَ منه الناس كثيرًا واشتروا،,These people then cooked and broiled a large quantity of them.
وقَصَدَتْ إلينا طائفة من البجاة وهم سكان تلك الأرض سود الألوان لباسهم الملاحف الصفر ويشدون على رءوسهم عصائب حمرًا في عَرْض الأصبع،,"A party of the Bujah came to meet us; these are the inhabitants of that land, black in colour, with yellow blankets for clothes, and they tie round their heads red bands as broad as a finger."
وهم أهل نجدة وشجاعة، وسلاحهم الرماح والسيوف، ولهم جِمَال يُسَمُّونها الصهب يركبونها بالسروج،,"They are hardy and brave fighters, their weapons being lances and swords, and they have camels which they call suhb, and on which they ride with saddles."
فاكترينا منهم الجمال وسافرنا معهم في برية كثيرة الغزلان,We hired camels from them and travelled with them through a desert country with many gazelles.
والبجاة لا يأكلونها فهي تأنس بالآدمي ولا تنفر منه،,"The Bujah do not eat them, so they are sociable with human beings and do not flee from them."
وبعد يومين من مسيرنا وصلنا إلى حيٍّ من العرب يُعْرَفون بأولاد كاهل مُخْتَلِطِين بالبجاة عارفين بلسانهم،,"After two days’ travelling we came to an encampment of Arabs known as Awlad Kahil, who are intermingled with the Bujah and know their speech."
وفي ذلك اليوم وَصَلْنَا إلى جزيرة سواكن وهي على نحو ستة أميال من البر ولا ماء بها ولا زَرْع ولا شجر،,"On the same day we reached the island of Sawakin. It is about six miles off the coast, and has neither water, nor cereal crops, nor trees."
والماء يُجْلَب إليها في القوارب وفيها صهاريج يجتمع بها ماء المطر،,"Water is brought to it in boats, and on it there are cisterns in which rainwater is collected."
وهي جزيرة كبيرة وبها لحوم النعام والغزلان وحمر الوحش، والمعزى عندهم كثير والألبان والسمن ومنها يُجْلَب إلى مكة،,"It is a large island, and in it is [to be had] the flesh of ostriches, gazelles and wild asses; its inhabitants have goats also in large numbers, together with milk products and ghee, which is exported from it to Mecca."
وحبوبهم الجرجور وهو نوع من الذرة كبير الحب يُجْلَب منها أيضًا إلى مكة.,"Their cereal is jurjiir, a kind of coarse grained millet, which is also exported to Mecca."
"ذِكْر سلطانها
وكان سلطان جزيرة سواكن حين وصولي إليها الشريف زيد بن أبي نمى وأبوه أمير مكة وأخواه أميراها بعده، وهما عطيفة ورميثة اللذان تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُهما،","Account of its Sultan. The sultan of the island of Sawakin at the time of my coming was the Sharif Zaid b. Abu Numayy. His father was the amir of Mecca, and his two brothers were its amirs after the [death of the] latter, namely ‘Ufaifa and Rumaitha, who have been mentioned previously."
وصارت إليه من قِبَل البجاة، فإنهم أخواله ومعه عسكر من البجاة وأولاده كاهل وعرب جهينة،,"It came into his possession through the Bujah, because they are his maternal relatives, and he has with him an armed force of the Bujah, the Awlad Kahil, and the Juhaina Arabs."
وركبنا البحر من جزيرة سواكن نريد أرض اليمن، وهذا البحر لا يُسَافَر فيه بالليل لكثرة أحجاره،,"We took ship from the island of Sawakin, making for the land of al-Yaman. No sailing is done on this sea at night because of the large number of rocks in it."
وإنما يسافرون فيه من طلوع الشمس إلى غروبها ويرسون وينزلون إلى البر، فإذا كان الصباح صعدوا إلى المركب،,"They travel on it only from sunrise to sunset, then anchor and disembark, and at dawn they mount into the ship again."
وهم يُسَمُّون رئيس المركب الربان، ولا يزال أبدًا في مقدم المركب ينبه صاحب السكان على الأحجار وهم يسمونها النبات،,"They call the captain of the ship the rubbdn, and he remains constantly in the bow of the vessel to warn the steersman of rocks, which they call ndbat."
وبعد ستة أيام من خروجنا عن جزيرة سواكن وَصَلْنَا إلى مدينة حَلِي (وضبط اسمها بفتح الحاء المهمل وكسر اللام وتخفيفها)، وتُعْرَف باسم ابن يعقوب، وكان من سلاطين اليمن ساكنًا بها قديمًا،,"Six days after leaving the island of Sawakin we reached the city of Hall, which is known [also] by the name of [Hall] Ibn Ya’qub; he was one of the sultans of al-Yaman, and an inhabitant of it in former times."
وهي كبيرة حسنة العمارة يسكنها طائفتان من العرب: وهم بنو حرام، وبنو كنانة،,"It is large and wellbuilt, and inhabited by two Arab tribes, the Banu Haram and the Banu Kinana."
وجامع هذه المدينة من أحسن الجوامع، وفيه جماعة من الفقراء المنقطعين إلى العبادة،,The congregational mosque of this city is one of the most beautiful of mosques and contains a congregation of poor brethren who devote themselves exclusively to religious exercises.
منهم الشيخ الصالح العابد الزاهد قبولة الهندي من كبار الصالحين،,"Among those was the pious shaikh, the devotee and ascetic Qabula al-Hindi, one of the greatest of saints."
لباسه مرقعة وقلنسوة لبدوله خلوة متصلة بالمسجد فرشها الرمل لا حصير بها ولا بساط،,"His garments consist of a patched robe and a felt hat. He has a cell adjacent to the mosque, floored with sand and without even a rush mat or a rug in it."
ولم أرَ بها حين لقائي له شيئًا إلا إبريق الوضوء وسفرة من خوص النخيل فيها كسر شعير يابسة وصحيفة فيها ملح وسعتر،,"I saw nothing in the cell when I went to visit him, except a jug for ablutions and a table-mat of palm fibre, on which were some dry pieces of barley-bread and a little dish containing salt and marjoram."
فإذا جاءه أحد قَدَّمَ بين يديه ذلك، ويسمع به أصحابه فيأتي لكل واحد منهم بما حضر من غير تكلُّفِ شيء،,"When anyone comes to visit him, he offers this to him, and his associates, hearing of the visitor, come, each one bringing what he has at hand without going to any effort or expense."
وإذا صلوا العصر اجتمعوا للذكر بين يدي الشيخ إلى صلاة المغرب، وإذا صلوا المغرب أخذ كل واحد منهم موقفه للتنقل,"After they have observed the afternoon prayers, they assemble before the shaikh for the dhikr until the sunset prayers, and when they have observed these each one then takes up his place for supplementary prayers."
فلا يزالون كذلك إلى صلاة العشاء الآخرة، فإذا صلوا العشاء الآخرة أقاموا على الذكر إلى ثلث الليل,"They continue in this exercise until the last evening prayers, and when they have observed these, they resume recitation of the dhikr until the first third of the night [has elapsed]."
ثم انصرفوا ويعودون في أول الثلث الثالث إلى المسجد فيتهجدون إلى الصبح، ثم يَذْكُرون إلى أن تحين صلاة الإشراق فينصرفون بعد صلاتها، ومنهم من يقيم إلى أن يصلي صلاة الضحى بالمسجد،,"Thereafter they withdrew, but they return to the mosque at the beginning of the third third and engage in supplementary night-prayers until dawn, when they engage in devotions until the hour of sunrise prayers, after which they retire, but there are some of them who remain in the mosque until they pray the forenoon prayers."
وهذا دأبهم أبدًا، ولقد كُنْتُ أَرَدْتُ الإقامة معهم باقي عمري، فلم أُوَفَّقْ لذلك، والله تعالى يتداركنا بلطفه وتوفيقه,"This is their practice continually, and indeed I should have wished to remain with them for the rest of my life, but my desire was not fulfilled—may God Most High overtake us by His grace and furtherance."
ذِكْر سلطان حلي,Account of the Sultan of Halt.
وسلطانها عامر بن ذؤيب من بني كنانة، وهو من الفضلاء الأدباء الشعراء،,"Its sultan was ‘Amir b. Dhuwaib, of the Banu Kinana, a man of eminent virtue [as well as] a man of letters and a poet."
صَحِبْتُه من مكة إلى جدة، وكان قد حَجَّ في سنة ثلاثين، ولما قَدِمْتُ مدينته أنزلَني وأكرمَني، وأَقَمْتُ في ضيافته أيامًا،,"I travelled in his company to Judda (we had already made the Pilgrimage in the year), and when I came to his city he assigned me a lodging as his guest for some days."
وركبت البحر في مركب له فوصلت إلى بلدة السرجة (وضبط اسمها بفتح السين المهمل وإسكان الراء وفتح الجيم)، بلدة صغيرة يسكنها جماعة من أولاد الهبي،,"I embarked on a ship of his and reached the township of al-Sarja, a small town inhabited by a body of the Awlad al-Hiba."
وهم طائفة من تجار اليمن أكثرهم ساكنون بصعداء، ولهم فَضْل وكَرَم وإطعام لأبناء السبيل ويعينون الحجاج ويُرْكِبُونهم في مراكبهم ويزودونهم من أموالهم،,"These are a company of merchants of al-Yaman, most of whom are inhabitants of Sa‘da They are men of generosity and openhandedness, and [make a practice of] supplying food to wayfarers, and assist pilgrims, transporting them in their vessels and giving them provisions from their own funds."
وقد عُرِفُوا بذلك واشتهروا به، وكَثَّرَ الله أموالهم وزادهم من فضله وأعانهم على فِعْل الخير، وليس بالأرض من يماثلهم في ذلك إلا الشيخ بدر الدين النقاش الساكن ببلدة القحمة، فله مثل ذلك من المآثر والإيثار،,"They are indeed noted and famed for this, and God has multiplied their wealth and given them increase of His bounty and aided them to their work of charity; there is not upon the earth any who compare with them in this respect, except the shaikh Badr al-DIn al-Naqqas, who lives in the town of alQahma, and has to his credit similar acts of generosity and munificence."
"وأقمنا بالسرجة ليلة واحدة في ضيافة المذكورين.
ثم رحلنا إلى مرسى الحادث ولم ننزل به ثم إلى مرسى الأبواب ثم إلى مدينة زبيد؛ مدينة عظيمة باليمن بينها وبين صنعاء أربعون فرسخًا، وليس باليمن بعد صنعاء أكبر منها ولا أغنى من أهلها، واسعة البساتين كثيرة المياه والفواكه من الموز وغيره، وهي بَرِّيَّة لا شَطِّيَّة إحدى قواعد بلاد اليمن (وهي بفتح الزاي وكسر الباء الموحدة)،","We stayed at al-Sarja only one night, enjoying the hospitality of these merchants, then continued our journey to the roadstead of al-Hadith, where we did not land, thence on to the roadstead of al-Ahwab, and then [rode] to the city of Zabld, a great city in al-Yaman. Between it and San’a’ is a distance of forty farsakhs, and after San’a’ there is no [place] in al-Yaman that is larger than it nor whose population is wealthier. It lies amid luxuriant gardens with many streams and fruits, such as bananas and others, and is in the interior, not on the coast, and one of the capital cities of alYaman."
مدينة كبيرة كثيرة العمارة بها النخل والبساتين والمياه أملح بلاد اليمن وأَجْمَلها،,"It is a great and populous city, and contains groves of palms, orchards and running streams—[in fact] the pleasantest and most beautiful town in al-Yaman."
ولأهلها لطافة الشمائل وحُسْن الأخلاق وجمال الصور، ولنسائها الحسن الفائق الفائت،,"Its inhabitants are courteous in manners, upright in conduct, and handsome in figure, and its women are of exceeding and preeminent beauty."
وهي وادي الخصيب الذي يُذْكَر في بعض الآثار أن رسول الله ﷺ قال لمعاذ في وصيته: «يا معاذ، إذا جِئْتَ وادي الخصيب فهَرْوِلْ»،,"This is the ‘vale of al-Husaib’ of which it is related in certain Traditions that the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace) said to Mu’adh in his admonition [to him]: ‘O Mu’adh, when you come to the vale of al-Husaib, quicken your pace.’"
ولأهل هذه المدينة سبوت النخل المشهورة،,The people of this city hold the famous [junketings called] subut al-nakhl in this wise.
وذلك أنهم يخرجون في أيام البسر والرطب في كل سبت إلى حدائق النخل,"They go out, during the season of the colouring and ripening of the dates, to the palmgroves on every Saturday."
ولا يبقى بالمدينة أحد من أهلها ولا من الغرباء،,"Not a soul remains in the town, whether of the townsfolk or of the strangers."
ويخرج أهل الطرب وأهل الأسواق لبيع الفواكه والحلاوات،,The musicians go out [to entertain them] and the bazaar folk sell fruit and sweetmeats.
وتخرج النساء ممتطيات الجِمَال في المحامل،,The women go out riding on camels in litters.
ولهن مع ما ذكرناه من الجَمالِ الفائتِ الأخلاقُ الحسنةُ والمكارم، وللغريب عندهم مزية ولا يمتنعن من تزوجه كما يفعله نساء بلادنا،,"Together with the exceeding beauty that we have already mentioned, they are virtuous and generous in character, and they have a predilection for the stranger and do not refuse to marry him, as the women of our country do."
فإذا أراد السفر خَرَجْتُ معه وودعته وإن كان بينهما ولد فهي تَكْفُله وتقوم بما يجب له إلى أن يرجع أبوه،,"When he wishes to travel, his wife goes out with him and bids him farewell; and if there should be a child between them, it is she who takes care of it and supplies what is needed for it until its father returns."
وعلماء تلك البلاد وفقهاؤها أهل صلاح ودين وأمانة ومكارم وحُسْن خلق،,"The scholars and doctors of the law in this country are up-right, pious, trustworthy, generous, and of fine character."
لقيت بمدينة زبيد الشيخ العالم الصالح أبا محمد الصنعاني والفقيه الصوفي المحقق أبا العباس الأبياني والفقيه المحدث أبا علي الزبيدي،,"I met in the city of Zabid the learned and pious shaikh Abu Muhammad al-San’ani, the jurist and accomplished sufi Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Abyanl, and the jurist and traditionist Abu ‘All al-Zabidl."
ونزلت في جوارهم فأكرَموني وأضافوني ودخلت حدائقهم،,"placed myself under their protection; they received me honourably, and showed me hospitality, and I went into their palm-groves."
واجتمعت عند بعضهم بالفقيه القاضي العالم أبي زيد عبد الرحمن الصوفي أحد فضلاء اليمن،,"In the company of one of them I met the jurist and learned qadi Abu Zaid ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, one of the eminent men of al-Yaman."
ووقع عنده ذِكْر العابد الزاهد الخاشع أحمد بن العجيل اليمني، وكان من كبار الرجال وأهل الكرامات.,"Mention happened to be made in his presence of the ascetic and humble devotee Ahmad b. al-‘Ojail al-Yamanl, who was one of the greatest of men and of those favoured with miraculous powers."
كرامة,A miraculous grace.
ذَكَرُوا أن فقهاء الزيدية وكبراءهم أتوا مرة إلى زيارة الشيخ أحمد بن العجيل، فجلس لهم خارج الزاوية واستقْبَلَهم أصحابه، ولم يَبْرَح الشيخ عن موضعه،,"They relate that the jurists and leading men of the Zaidiya came once on visitation to the shaikh Ahmad b. al-‘Ojail. He sat awaiting them outside the hospice, and his associates went to meet them but the shaikh himself did not budge from his place."
فسلموا عليه وصافحهم ورَحَّبَ بهم، ووَقَعَ بينهم الكلام في مسألة القدر،,"After they had saluted him and he had shaken hands with them and bidden them welcome, a discussion arose between them on the question of predestina-tion."
وكانوا يقولون أن لا قَدَرَ وأن المكلَّف يَخْلُق أفعاله، فقال لهم الشيخ: فإن كان الأمر على ما تقولون فقوموا على مكانكم هذا،,"They maintained that there is no predestined decree and that the [creature who is made] responsible for carrying out the ordinances of God creates his own actions, whereupon the shaikh said to them: ‘Well, if the matter is as you say, rise up from this place where you are.’"
فأرادوا القيام فلم يستطيعوا، وتركهم الشيخ على حالهم ودخل الزاوية,"They tried to rise up but could not, and the shaikh left them as they were and went into the hospice."
وأقاموا كذلك واشتد بهم الحر ولحقهم وَهَجُ الشمس وضجوا مما نَزَلَ بهم، فدخل أصحاب الشيخ إليه وقالوا له: إن هؤلاء القوم قد تابوا إلى الله ورجعوا عن مذهبهم الفاسد،,"They remained thus until, when the heat afflicted them sorely and the blaze of the sun smote them, they complained loudly of what had befallen them, then the shaikh’s associates went in to him and said to him ‘These men have repented to God and recanted their false doctrine.’"
فخرج عليهم الشيخ فأخذ بأيديهم وعاهدهم على الرجوع إلى الحق وتَرْك مذهبهم السيئ،,"The shaikh then went out to them and, taking them by their hand, he exacted a pledge from them to return to the truth and abandon their evil doctrine."
وأَدْخَلَهُم زاويته فأقاموا في ضيافته ثلاثًا وانصرفوا إلى بلادهم،,"He brought him into his hospice, where they remained as his guests for three nights, and then returned to their own towns."
وخَرَجْتُ لزيارة قبر هذا الرجل الصالح وهو بقرية يقال لها غسانة خارج زبيد، ولقيت ولده الصالح أبا الوليد إسماعيل فأضافني وبِتُّ عنده،,"I went out to visit the grave of this saintly man, which is in a village called Ghassana, outside Zabid, and met his pious son Abu’l-Walld Isma’il. He received me hospitably and I spent the night with him."
وزُرْتُ ضريح الشيخ وأقمت معه ثلاثًا، وسافرت في صُحْبَته إلى زيارة الفقيه أبو الحسن الزيلعي، وهو من كبار الصالحين ويُقَدِّم حجاج اليمن إذا توجهوا للحج،,"After visiting the shaikh’s tomb, I stayed three nights [more] with him and set out in company with him to visit the jurist Abu’l-Hasan al-Zaila‘i. He is one of the great saints and leads the pilgrims from al-Yaman when they go on the Pilgrimage."
وأهل تلك البلاد وأعرابها يعظمونه ويحترمونه،,"The inhabitants of that country, and its bedouins as well, hold him in great esteem and veneration."
فوصلنا إلى جبلة وهي بلدة صغيرة حسنة ذات نخل وفواكه وأنهار، فلما سَمِعَ الفقيه أبو الحسن الزيلعي بقدوم الشيخ أبي الوليد استقبله وأنزله بزاويته وسلَّمْتُ عليه معه وأقمنا عنده ثلاثة أيام في خير مقام,"We came to Jubla, a small and pretty town with palms, fruit-trees and streams, and when the jurist Abu’l-Hasan al-Zaila‘I heard of the arrival of the shaikh Abu’l-Walld he came out to meet him and lodged him in his hospice. I saluted him together with the shaikh, and we enenjoyed a most agreeable residence with him for three days."
ثم انصرفنا، وبعث معنا أحد الفقراء فتوجهنا إلى مدينة تَعِز حضرة ملك اليمن (وضبط اسمها بفتح التاء المعلوة وكسر العين المهملة وزاء)،,"When we left he sent one of the poor brethren with us and we proceeded to the city of Ta’izz, the capital of the king of alYaman."
وهي من أحسن مدن اليمن وأعظمها وأهلها ذوو تجبُّر وتكبُّر وفظاظة، وكذلك الغالب على البلاد التي يسكنها الملوك،,"It is one of the finest and largest of the cities of al-Yaman. Its people are overbearing, insolent and rude, as is generally the case in towns where kings have their seats."
وهي ثلاث محلات؛ إحداها يسكنها السلطان ومماليكه وحاشيته وأرباب دولته وتسمى باسم لا أذكره، والثانية يسكنها الأمراء والأجناد وتسمى عدينة، والثالثة يسكنها عامة الناس وبها السوق العظمى وتسمى المحالب.,"It is composed of three quarters; one of them is the residence of the sultan, his mamluks and courtiers, and the officers of his government, and is called by a name that I do not remember; the second is inhabited by the amirs and troops and is called ‘Udaina; the third is inhabited by the common people and contains the principal bazaar, and it is called al-Mahalib."
ذكر سلطان اليمن,Account of the Sultan of al-Yaman.
وهو السلطان المجاهد نور الدين علي ابن السلطان المؤيَّد هزبر الدين داود ابن السلطان المظفر يوسف بن علي بن رسول شُهِرَ جده برسول؛ لأن أحد خلفاء بني العباس أرسله إلى اليمن ليكون بها أميرًا، ثم استقل أولاده بالمُلك،,"He is the sultan alMujahid Nur al-DIn ‘AH, son of the sultan al-Mu’ayyad Hizabr al-DIn Da’ud, son of the sultan al-Muzaffar Yusuf b. ‘All b. Rasul. His ancestor became widely known by the apellation of Rasul [‘Envoy’] because one of the ‘Abbasid caliphs sent him to al-Yaman to be a governor there, and later on his sons gained the royal power for themselves."
وله ترتيب عجيب في قعوده وركوبه،,He has an elaborate ceremonial in his sitting [for public audience] and his riding out.
وكنت لما وصَلْتُ هذه المدينة مع الفقير الذي بعثه الشيخ الفقيه أبو الحسن الزيلعي في صحبتي قصد بي إلى قاضي القضاة الإمام المحدث صفي الدين الطبري المكي، فسلمنا عليه ورَحَّبَ بنا، وأقمنا بداره في ضيافته ثلاثًا،,"When I came to this city with the poor brother whom the shaikh and jurist Abu’l-Hasan al-Zaila‘I had sent to accompany me, he had sought out with me the Grand Qadi, the imam and traditionist Safi al-DIn al-Tabari of Mecca; we saluted him, and he bade us welcome and we stayed in his house as guests for three nights."
فلما كان في اليوم الرابع، وهو يوم الخميس وفيه يجلس السلطان لعامة الناس، دَخَلَ بي عليه فسلمت عليه،,"On the fourth day, which was a Thursday, the day on which the sultan sits in audience for the general public, the qadi presented me to him and I saluted him."
وكيفية السلام عليه أن يَمَسَّ الإنسان الأرض بسبابته ثم يرفعها إلى رأسه ويقول: أدام الله عزك،,"The method of saluting him is that one touches the ground with his index-finger, then raises it to the head and says ‘May God prolong thy majesty.’"
ففَعَلْتُ كمثل ما فَعَلَهُ القاضي، وقعد القاضي عن يمين الملك وأَمَرَنِي فقعدت بين يديه,"I did as the qadi had done; the qadi took his seat to the king’s right, and on his command I sat in front of him."
فسألني عن بلادي وعن مولانا أمير المسلمين جواد الأجواد أبي سعيد رضي الله عنه وعن ملك مصر وملك العراق وملك اللور، فأجبته عما سأل من أحوالهم،,"He then questioned me about my country, about our Master, the Commander of Faithful, the prince of liberality, Abu Sa’id (God be pleased with him), and about the king of Egypt, the king of al-Traq, and the king of the Lurs, and I answered all the questions that he asked concerning them."
وكان وزيره بين يديه فأَمَرَهُ بإكرامي وإنزالي،,"His vizier was in his presence, and the king commanded him to treat me honourably and arrange for my lodging."
وترتيب قعود هذا الملك أنه يجلس فوق دكانة مفروشة مزينة بثياب الحرير وعن يمينه ويساره أهل السلاح ويليه منهم أصحاب السيوف والدرق ويليهم أصحاب القِسِيِّ وبين أيديهم في الميمنة والميسرة الحاجب وأرباب الدولة وكاتب السر,"The ceremonial at the [public] session of this king is as follows, He takes his seat on a platform carpeted and decorated with silken fabrics; to right and left of him are the men-at-arms, those nearest him holding swords and shields, and next to them the bowmen; in front of them to the right and left are the chamberlain and the officers of government and the private secretary."
وأمير جندار على رأسه والشاوشية — وهم من الجنادرة — وقوف على بعد،,"The amir jandar is in attendance on him, and the shawushes, who form part of the corps of jandars, are stationed at a distance."
فإذا قَعَدَ السلطان صاحوا صيحة واحدة: باسم الله، فإذا قام فعلوا مثل ذلك فيعلم جميع من بالمشور وقْتَ قيامه ووقت قعوده،,"When the sultan takes his seat they cry with one voice Bismillah, and when he rises they do the same, so that all those in the audience-hall know the moment of his rising and the moment of his sitting."
فإذا استوى قاعدًا دَخَلَ كلُّ مَنْ عادته أن يُسَلِّم عليه فسلم ووَقَفَ حيث رُسِمَ له في الميمنة أو الميسرة لا يتعدى أحد موضعه،,"When he has settled in his seat, each one of those persons whose custom it is to salute him enters, makes his salutation, and stands in the place appointed for him on the right and on the left."
ولا يقعد إلا من أُمِرَ بالقعود،,"No person goes beyond his place or sits down, except those who are bidden to sit."
يقول السلطان للأمير جندار: مُرْ فلانًا يقعد، فيتقدم ذلك المأمور بالقعود عن موقفه قليلًا ويقعد على بساط هناك بين أيدي القائمين في الميمنة والميسرة.,"The sultan says to the amir jandar ‘Command so-and-so to sit down,’ whereupon the person so commanded to sit advances a little way from his place and sits down on a carpet there in front of those standing on the right and the left."
ثم يؤتى بالطعام، وهو طعامان؛ طعام العامة، وطعام الخاصة،,"The food is then brought, and it is of two sorts, the food of the commons and the food of the high officers."
فأما الطعام الخاص فيأكل منه السلطان وقاضي القضاة والكبار من الشرفاء ومن الفقهاء والضيوف، وأما الطعام العام فيأكل منه سائر الشرفاء والفقهاء والقضاة والمشايخ والأمراء ووجوه الأجناد،,"superior food is partaken of by the sultan, the grand qadi, the principal sharifs and jurists and the guests; the common food eaten by the rest of the sharifs, jurists and qadis, the shaikhs, the amirs and the officers of the troops."
ومجلس كل إنسان للطعام معيَّن لا يتعداه ولا يزاحِمُ أحد منهم أحدًا،,"The seat of each person at the meal is fixed; he does not move from it, nor does anyone of them jostle another."
وعلى مثل هذا الترتيب سواء هو ترتيب ملك الهند في طعامه، فلا أعلم أن سلاطين الهند أخذوا ذلك عن سلاطين اليمن، أم سلاطين اليمن أخذوه عن سلاطين الهند،,"On exactly this same pattern is the ceremonial of the king of India at his meal, but I do not know whether the sultans of India took it over from the sultans of al-Yaman or the sultans of al-Yaman took it over from the sultans of India."
وأقمت في ضيافة سلطان اليمن أيامًا وأَحْسَنَ إلي وأركبني وانصرفت مسافرًا إلى مدينة صنعاء,"After I had remained for some days as the guest of the sultan of al-Yaman, during which he treated me generously and provided me with a horse, I took leave to continue my journey to the city of San’a’."
وهي قاعدة بلاد اليمن الأولى، مدينة كبيرة حسنة العمارة بناؤها بالآجر والجص كثيرة الأشجار والفواكه والزرع معتدلة الهواء طيبة الماء،,"It is the former capital of the country of al-Yaman, a large and well-constructed city, built with bricks and plaster, with many trees and fruits, and with a temperate climate and good water."
ومن الغريب أن المطر ببلاد الهند واليمن والحبشة إنما ينزل في أيام القيظ، وأكثر ما يكون نزوله بعد الظهر من كل يوم في ذلك الأوان، فالمسافرون يستعجلون عند الزوال لئلا يصيبهم المطر، وأهل المدينة ينصرفون إلى منازلهم لأن أمطارها وابلة متدفقة،,"It is a curious thing that the rain in the lands of India, al-Yaman and Abyssinia falls during the period of summer heat, and mostly during the afternoon of every day in that season, so that travellers make haste when the sun begins to decline, to avoid being caught by rain, and the womenfolk retire to their dwellings, because these rains are heavy downpours."
ومدينة صنعاء مفروشة كلها، فإذا نَزَلَ المطر غَسَلَ جميع أَزِقَّتها وأنقاها،,The whole city of San’a’ is paved and when the rain falls it washes and cleans all its streets.
وجامِعُ صنعاء من أحسن الجوامع، وفيه قبر نبي من الأنبياء عليهم السلام،,"The cathedral mosque of San’a’ is one of the finest of mosques, and contains the grave of one of the prophets (peace be upon them)."
ثم سافرت منها إلى مدينة عدن مرسى بلاد اليمن على ساحل البحر الأعظم,"I travelled from there next to the city of ‘Adan, the port of the land of al-Yaman, on the coast of the great sea."
والجبال تحفُّ بها، ولا مدخل إليها إلا من جانب واحد,It is sur-rounded by mountains and there is no way into it except from one side only.
وهي مدينة كبيرة ولا زَرْع بها ولا شجر ولا ماء، وبها صهاريج يجتمع فيها الماء أيام المطر،,"It is a large city, but has no crops, trees, or water, and has reservoirs in which water is collected during the rainy season."
والماء على بُعْد منها، فربما مَنَعَتْه العرب وحالوا بين أهل المدينة وبينه حتى يصانعوهم بالمال والثياب،,This water is at some distance from it and the bedouins often cut off the approach to it and prevent the townsfolk from obtaining it until the latter buy their consent with money and pieces of cloth.
وهي شديدة الحر، وهي مرسى أهل الهند تأتي إليها المراكب العظيمة من كنبايت وتانه وكولم وقالقوط وفندراينه والشاليات ومنجرور وفاكنور وهنور وسندابور وغيرها،,"It is an exceedingly hot place, and is the port of the merchants of India, to which come great vessels from Kinbayat [Cambay], Tanah, Kawlam [Quilon], Qaliqut, Fandaraina, al-Shaliyat, Manjarur [Mangalore], Fakanur, Hinawr [Honavar], Sindabur [Goa], and other places."
وتجار الهند ساكنون بها وتجار مصر أيضًا،,"The merchants of India live there, and the merchants of Egypt also."
وأهل عدن ما بين تُجَّار وحمالين وصيادين للسمك،,The inhabitants of ‘Adan are either merchants or porters or fishermen.
وللتجار منهم أموال عريضة، وربما يكون لأحدهم المركب العظيم بجميع ما فيه لا يشاركه فيه غيره لسعة ما بين يديه من الأموال، ولهم في ذلك تفاخُر ومباهاة.,"The merchants among them have enormous wealth; sometimes a single man may possess a great ship with all it contains, no one sharing in it with him, because of the vast capital at his disposal, and there is ostentation and rivalry between them in this respect."
حكاية,Anecdote.
ذُكِرَ عَلَيَّ أن بعضهم بَعَثَ غلامًا له ليشتري له كبشًا وبعث آخر منهم غلامًا له برسم ذلك أيضًا،,"It was told me that one of them sent a slaveboy of his to buy for him a ram, and another of them sent a slaveboy for the same purpose."
فاتفق أنه لم يكن بالسوق في ذلك اليوم إلا كبش واحد، فوقعت المزايدة فيه بين الغلامين فأنهى ثمنه إلى أربعمائة دينار,"It happened that there was only a single ram in the bazaar on that day, so there ensued a contest for it between the two slaves, bidding against one another, until its price rose to four hundred dinars."
فأخذه أحدهما وقال: إن رأس مالي أربعمائة دينار، فإن أعطاني مولاي ثمنه فحسن، وإلا دفعت فيه رأس مالي ونَصَرْتُ نفسي وغَلَبْتُ صاحبي،,"Then one of them got possession of it and said, ‘The sum of my wealth is four hundred dinars, and if my master gives me its price, good and well, but if not, I shall pay out of my own capital for it, and I shall have vindicated myself and defeated my rival.’"
وذَهَبَ بالكبش إلى سيده، فلما عَرَفَ سيده بالقضية أَعْتَقَهُ وأعطاه ألف دينار,"He went off with the ram to his master, and when the latter learned what had happened he freed him and gave him a thousand dinars."
وعاد الآخر إلى سيده خائبًا فضَرَبَهُ وأَخَذَ ماله ونفاه عنه.,"The other returned to his master empty-handed, and he beat him, took his money and drove him out of his service."
ونزلْتُ في عدن عند تاجر يُعْرَف بناصر الدين القارئ،,I lodged in ‘Adan with a merchant called Nasir al-Din al-Fa’ri.
فكان يَحْضُر طعامَه كل ليلة نحوُ عشرين من التجار، وله غِلْمان وخُدَّام أكثر من ذلك،,"There used to come to his table every night about twenty of the merchants, and he had slaves and servants in still larger numbers."
ومع هذا كله فهم أهل دين وتواضُع وصلاح ومكارم أخلاق؛ يحسنون إلى الغريب ويؤثرون على الفقير ويعطون حق الله من الزكاة على ما يجب،,"Yet with all this, they are men of piety, humility, uprightness and generous qualities, doing good to the stranger, giving liberally to the poor brother, and paying God’s due in tithes as the Law commands."
ولقيت بهذه المدينة قاضيها الصالح سالم بن عبد الله الهندي، وكان والده من العبيد الحمالين، واشتغل ابنه بالعلم فرَأَسَ وَسَادَ،,"I met [also] in this city its pious qadi Salim bin ‘Abdallah al-Hindi; the father of this man had been a slave, employed as a porter, but the son devoted himself to learning and became a master and leader [in the religious sciences]."
وهو من خيار القضاة وفضلائهم,He is one of the best and worthiest of qadis.
أَقَمْتُ في ضيافته أيامًا،,I stayed as his guest for some days.
وسافَرْتُ من مدينة عدن في البحر أربعة أيام، ووصلت إلى مدينة زيلع وهي مدينة البربرة، وهم طائفة من السودان شافعية المذهب،,"I travelled from the city of ‘Adan by sea for four days, and arrived at the city of Zaila‘, the city of the Barbara, who are a people of the negroes, Shafi’ites in rite."
وبلادهم صحراء مسيرة شهرين أولها زيلع وآخرها مقدشو،,"Their country is a desert extending for two months’ journey, beginning at Zaila’ and ending at Maqdashaw."
ومواشيهم الجِمال ولهم أغنام مشهورة السمن،,"Their cattle are camels, and they also have sheep which are famed for their fat."
وأهل زيلع سود الألوان وأكثرهم رافضة،,"The inhabitants of Zaila’ are black in colour, and the majority of them are Rafidls."
وهي مدينة كبيرة لها سوق عظيمة، إلا أنها أَقْذَر مدينة في المعمور وأوحشها وأكثرها نتنًا،,"It is a large city with a great bazaar, but it is in the dirtiest, most disagreeable, and most stinking town in the world."
وسبب نَتَنِها كثرة سمكها ودماء الإبل التي ينحرونها في الأزقة،,The reason for its stench is the quantity of its fish and the blood of the camels that they slaughter in the streets.
ولما وَصَلْنا إليها اخترنا المبيت بالبحر على شِدَّة هَوْله ولم نَبِتْ بها لقذرها.,"When we arrived there we chose to spend the night at sea in spite of its extreme roughness, rather than pass a night in the town, because of its filth."
ثم سافرنا منها في البحر خمس عشرة ليلة، ووصلنا مَقْدَشو (وضبط اسمها بفتح الميم وإسكان القاف وفتح الدال المهمل والشين المعجم وإسكان الواو)، وهي مدينة متناهية في الكِبَر,"We sailed on from there for fifteen nights and came to Maqdashaw, which is a town of enormous size."
وأهلها لهم جِمال كثيرة ينحرون منها المئين في كل يوم ولهم أغنام كثيرة، وأهلها تجار أقوياء,"Its inhabitants are merchants possessed of vast resources; they own large numbers of camels, of which they slaughter hundreds every day [for food], and also have quantities of sheep."
وبها تُصْنَع الثياب المنسوبة إليها التي لا نَظِير لها، ومنها تُحْمَل إلى ديار مصر وغيرها،,"In this place are manufactured the woven fabrics called after it, which are unequalled and exported from it to Egypt and elsewhere."
ومن عادة أهل هذه المدينة أنه متى وَصَلَ مركب إلى المرسى تُصْعَد الصنابق — وهي القوارب الصغار — إليه،,"It is the custom of the people of this town that, when a vessel reaches the anchorage, the sumbuqs, which are small boats, come out to it."
ويكون في كل صنبوق جماعة من شُبَّان أَهْلِها، فيأتي كل واحد منهم بطبق مغطًّى فيه الطعام فيقدمه لتاجر من تجار المركب ويقول: هذا نزيلي، وكذلك يَفْعَل كلُّ واحد منهم،,"In each sumbuq there are a number of young men of the town, each one of whom brings a covered platter containing food and presents it to one of the merchants on the ship saying ‘This is my guest,’ and each of the others does the same."
ولا ينزل التاجر من المركب إلا إلى دار نزيله من هؤلاء الشبان، إلا مَنْ كان كَثِيرَ التردد إلى البلد وحصلت له معرفة أهله فإنه ينزل حيث شاء،,"The merchant, on disembarking, goes only to the house of his host among the young men, except those of them who have made frequent journeys to the town and have gained some acquaintance with its inhabitants; these lodge where they please."
فإذا نَزَلَ عند نزيله باع له ما عنده واشترى له، ومن اشترى منه ببَخْسٍ أو باع منه بغير حضور نزيله فذلك البيع مردود عندهم,"When he takes up residence with his host, the latter sells his goods for him and buys for him; and if anyone buys anything from him at too low a price or sells to him in the absence of his host, that sale is held invalid by them."
ولهم منفعة في ذلك،,This practice is a profitable one for them.
ولما صعد الشبان إلى المركب الذي كنت فيه جاء إليَّ بعضهم,"When the young men came on board the vessel in which I was, one of them came up to me."
فقال له أصحابه: ليس هذا بتاجر، وإنما هو فقيه، فصاح بأصحابه وقال لهم: هذا نزيل القاضي،,"My companions said to him ‘This man is not a merchant, but a doctor of the law,’ where-upon he called out to his friends and said to them ‘This is the guest of the qadi."
وكان فيها أحد أصحاب القاضي فعرفه بذلك فأتى إلى ساحل البحر في جملة من الطلبة وبعث إليَّ أحدهم,"’ There was among them one of the qadi’s men, who informed him of this, and he came down to the beach with a number of students and sent one of them to me."
فنزلت أنا وأصحابي وسلمت على القاضي,I then disembarked with my companions and saluted him and his party.
وأصحابه وقال لي: باسم الله نتوجه للسلام على الشيخ، فقلت: ومن الشيخ؟ فقال: السلطان، وعادتهم أن يقولوا للسلطان الشيخ،,"He said to me ‘In the name of God, let us go to salute the Shaikh.’ ‘And who is the Shaikh?’ I said, and he answered, ‘The Sultan,’ for it is their custom to call the sultan ‘the Shaikh’."
فقلت له: إذا نزلْتُ توجَّهْتُ إليه، فقال لي: إن العادة إذا جاء الفقيه أو الشريف أو الرجل الصالح لا ينزل حتى يرى السلطان، فذهبْتُ معهم إليه كما طلبوا.,"Then I said to him ‘When I am lodged, I shall go to him,’ but he said to me, ‘It is the custom that whenever there comes a jurist or a sharif or a man of religion, he must first see the sultan before taking a lodging.’ So I went with him to the sultan, as they asked."
ذِكْر سلطان مقدشو,Account of the Sultan of Maqdashaw.&
وسلطان مقدشو كما ذكرناه إنما يقولون له الشيخ،,"The sultan of Maqdashaw is, as we have mentioned, called only by the title of ‘the Shaikh’."
واسمه أبو بكر ابن الشيخ عمر، وهو في الأصل من البربرة، وكلامه بالمقدشي ويَعْرِف اللسان العربي،,"His name is Abu Bakr, son of the shaikh ‘Omar; he is by origin of the Barbara and he speaks in MaqdishI, but knows the Arabic language."
ومن عوائده أنه متى وَصَلَ مركب يصعد إليه صنبوق السلطان فيسأل عن المركب من أين قَدِمَ ومَنْ صاحِبُه ومَنْ ربانه وهو الرئيس، وما وسقه ومن قدم فيه من التجار وغيرهم،,"One of his customs is that, when a vessel arrives, the sultan’s sumbuq goes out to it, and enquiries are made as to the ship, whence it has come, who is its owner and its rubban (that is, its captain), what is its cargo, and who has come on it of merchants and others."
فيعرف بذلك كله ويعرض على السلطان، فمن استحق أن يُنْزِله عنده أَنْزَلَه،,"When all of this information has been collected, it is presented to the sultan, and if there are any persons [of such quality] that the sultan should assign a lodging to him as his guest, he does so."
ولما وَصَلْتُ مع القاضي المذكور — وهو يُعْرَف بابن البرهان — المصري الأصل إلى دار السلطان خرج بعض الفتيان فسَلَّمَ على القاضي، فقال له: بَلِّغ الأمانة وعَرِّفْ مولانا الشيخ أن هذا الرجل قد وَصَلَ من أرض الحجاز،,"When I arrived with the qadl I have mentioned, who was called Ibn al-Burhan, an Egyptian by origin, at the sultan’s residence, one of the serving-boys came out and saluted the qaxjli, who said to him’Take word to the intendant’s office and inform the Shaikh that this man has come from the land of al-Hijaz.’"
فبَلَّغَ ثم عاد وأتى بطبق من أوراق التنبول والفوفل,"So he took the message, then returned bringing a plate on which were some leaves of betel and areca nuts."
فأعطاني عشرة أوراق مع قليل من الفوفل وأعطى للقاضي كذلك وأعطى لأصحابي ولطلبة القاضي ما بقي في الطبق,"He gave me ten leaves along with a few of the nuts, the same to the qadl, and what was left on the plate to my companions and the qadi’s students."
وجاء بقمقم من ماء الورد الدمشقي فسكب علي وعلى القاضي وقال: إن مولانا أَمَرَنَا أن ينزل بدار الطلبة، وهي دار مُعَدَّة لضيافة الطلبة،,"He brought also a jug of rose-water of Damascus, which he poured over me and over the qadl [i.e. over our hands], and said ‘Our master commands that he be lodged in the students’ house,’ this being a building equipped for the entertainment of students of religion."
فأخذ القاضي بيدي وجئنا إلى تلك الدار، وهي بمقربة من دار الشيخ مفروشة مرتَّبة بما تحتاج إليه،,"The qadl took me by the hand and we went to this house, which is in the vicinity of the Shaikh’s residence, and furnished with carpets and all necessary appointments."
ثم أتى بالطعام من دار الشيخ,Later on [the serving boy] brought food from the Shaikh’s residence.
ومعه أحد وزرائه وهو الموكل بالضيوف فقال: مولانا يسلم عليكم، ويقول لكم: قَدِمْتُم خَيْرَ مَقْدِم، ثم وَضَعَ الطعام فأكلنا،,"With him came one of his viziers, who was responsible for [the care of] the guests, and who said ‘Our master greets you and says to you that you are heartily welcome.’ He then set down the food and we ate."
وطَعَامُهُم الأرز المطبوخ بالسمن يجعلونه في صحفة خشب كبيرة ويجعلون فوقه صحاف الكوشان,"Their food is rice cooked with ghee, which they put into a large wooden platter, and on top of this they set platters of kushan."
وهو الإدام من الدجاج واللحم والحوت والبقول،,"This is the seasoning, made of chickens, fleshmeat, fish and vegetables."
ويطبخون الموز قبل نضجه في اللبن الحليب، ويجعلونه في صحفة، ويجعلون اللبن المريب في صحفة، ويجعلون عليه الليمون المصبر وعناقيد الفلفل المصبر المخلل والمملوح والزنجبيل الأخضر والعنبا,"They cook unripe bananas in fresh milk and put this in one dish, and in another dish they put curdled milk, on which they place [pieces of] pickled lemon, bunches of pickled pepper steeped in vinegar and salted, green ginger, and mangoes."
وهي مثل التفاح ولكن لها نواة، وهي إذا نضجت شديدة الحلاوة وتؤكل كالفاكهة، وقبل نُضْجِها حامضة كالليمون يصبرونها في الخل،,"These resemble apples, but have a stone; when ripe they are exceedingly sweet and are eaten like [other] fruit, but before ripening they are acid like lemons, and they pickle them in vinegar."
وهم إذا أكلوا لقمة من الأرز أَكَلُوا بعدها من هذه الموالح والمخللات،,"When they take a mouthful of rice, they eat some of these salted and vinegar conserves after it."
والواحد من أهل مقدشو يأكل قَدْر ما تأكله الجماعة منا عادة لهم، وهم في نهاية من ضخامة الجسوم وسمنها،,"A single person of the people of Maqdashaw eats as much as a whole company of us would eat, as a matter of habit, and they are corpulent and fat in the extreme."
ثم لَمَّا طَعِمْنا انصرف عنا القاضي,"After we had eaten, the qadi took leave of us."
وأقمنا ثلاثة أيام يؤتى إلينا بالطعام ثلاث مرات في اليوم وتلك عادتهم.,"We stayed there three days, food being brought to us three times a day, following their custom."
فلما كان في اليوم الرابع وهو يوم الجمعة جاءني القاضي والطلبة وأحد وزراء الشيخ وأتوني بكسوة، وكسوتهم فوطة خز يشدها الإنسان في وسطه عوض السراويل فإنهم لا يَعْرِفونها، ودراعة من المقطع المصري معلَّمة، وفرجية من القدسي مبطَّنة وعمامة مصرية معلَّمة،,"On the fourth day, which was a Friday, the qadi and students and one of the Shaikh’s viziers came to me, bringing a set of robes; these [official] robes of theirs consist of a silk wrapper which one ties round his waist in place of drawers (for they have no acquaintance with these), a tunic of Egyptian linen with an embroidered border, a furred mantle of Jerusalem stuff, and an Egyptian turban with an embroidered edge."
وأتوا لأصحابي بكسًى تناسبهم،,They also brought robes for my companions suitable to their position.
وأتينا الجامع فصلينا خلف المقصورة، فلما خَرَجَ الشيخ من باب المقصورة سلَّمْتُ عليه مع القاضي، فرحَّبَ وتَكَلَّمَ بلسانهم مع القاضي، ثم قال باللسان العربي: قَدِمْتَ خير مَقْدِم وشَرَّفْتَ بلادنا وآنستنا،,"We went to the congregational mosque and made our prayers behind the maqsura, When the Shaikh came out of the door of the  maqsiira I saluted him along with the qadi; he said a word of greeting, spoke in their tongue with the qadi, and then said in Arabic ‘You are heartily welcome, and you have honoured our land and given us pleasure.’"
وخرج إلى صحن المسجد فوقف على قبر والده وهو مدفون هناك فقرأ ودعا،,"He went out to the court of the mosque and stood by the grave of his father, who is buried there, then recited some verses from the Qur’an and said a prayer."
ثم جاء الوزراء والأمراء ووجوه الأجناد فسَلَّمُوا،,"After this the viziers, amirs, and officers of the troops came up and saluted him."
وعادتهم في السلام كعادة أهل اليمن؛ يضع سبابته في الأرض ثم يجعلها على رأسه ويقول: أدام الله عزك،,"Their manner of salutation is the same as the custom of the people of al-Yaman; one puts his forefinger to the ground, then raises it to his head and says ‘May God prolong thy majesty.’"
ثم خرج الشيخ من باب المسجد فلبس نعليه وأَمَرَ القاضي أن ينتعل وأمرني أن أنتعل، وتوجَّهَ إلى منزله ماشيًا وهو بالقرب من المسجد,"The Shaikh then went out of the gate of the mosque, put on his sandals, ordered the qadi to put on his sandals and me to do likewise, and set out on foot for his residence, which is close to the mosque."
ومشى الناس كلهم حفاة،,All the [rest of the] people walked barefoot.
ورُفِعَتْ فوق رأسه أربع قباب من الحرير الملون وعلى أعلى كل قبة صورة طائر من ذهب,"Over his head were carried tour canopies of coloured silk, with the figure of a bird in gold on top of each canopy."
وكان لباسه في ذلك اليوم فرجية قدسي أخضر وتحتها من ثياب مصر وطروحاتها الحسان، وهو متقلد بفوطة حرير وهو معتم بعمامة كبيرة،,"His garments on that day were a large green mantle of Jerusalem stuff, with fine robes of Egyptian stuffs with their appendages (?) underneath it, and he was girt with a waist-wrapper of silk and i» turbaned with a large turban."
وضُرِبَتْ بين يديه الطبول والأبواق والأنفار وأمراء الأجناد أمامه وخلفه، والقاضي والفقهاء والشرفاء معه،,"In front of him were sounded drums and trumpets and fifes, and before and behind him were the commanders of the troops, while the qadi, the doc-tors of the law and the sharifs walked alongside him."
ودَخَلَ إلى مشوره على تلك الهيئة وقَعَدَ الوزراء والأمراء ووجوه الأجناد في سقيفة هنالك،,"He entered his audience-hall in this disposition, and the viziers, amirs and officers of the troops sat down in a gallery there."
وفُرِشَ للقاضي بساط لا يجلس معه غيره عليه والفقهاء والشرفاء معه،,"For the qadi there was spread a rug, on which no one may sit but he, and beside him were the jurists and sharifs."
ولم يزالوا كذلك إلى صلاة العصر، فلما صلوا العصر مع الشيخ أتى جميع الأجناد ووقفوا صفوفًا على قَدْر مراتبهم.,"They remained there until the hour of the afternoon prayer, and after they had prayed it, the whole body of troops came and stood in rows in order of their ranks."
ثم ضُرِبَتْ الأطبال والأنفار والأبواق والصرنايات، وعند ضَرْبها لا يتحرك أحد ولا يتزحزح عن مقامه، ومن كان ماشيًا وَقَفَ فلم يتحرك إلى خلْفٍ ولا إلى أمام،,"Thereafter the drums, fifes, trumpets and flutes are sounded; while they play no person moves or stirs from his place, and anyone who is walking stands still, moving neither backwards nor forwards."
فإذا فُرِغَ من ضرب الطبلخانة سلموا بأصابعهم كما ذكرناه وانصرفوا،,"When the playing of the drum-band comes to an end, they salute with their fingers as we have described and withdraw."
وتلك عادةٌ لهم في كل يوم جمعة،,This is a custom of theirs on every Friday.
وإذا كان يوم السبت يأتي الناس إلى باب الشيخ فيقعدون في سقائفَ خارجَ الدار،,"On the Saturday, the population comes to the Shaikh’s gate and they sit in porticoes outside his residence."
ويدخل القاضي والفقهاء والشرفاء والصالحون والمشايخ والحجاج إلى المشور الثاني فيقعدون على دكاكين خشب مُعَدَّة لذلك،,"The qadl, jurists, sharifs, men of religion, shaikhs and those who have made the Pilgrimage go in to the second audience-hall, where they sit on platforms prepared for that purpose."
ويكون القاضي على دكانة وحده، وكل صنف على دكانة تحصنهم لا يشاركهم فيها سواهم،,"The qadl will be on a platform by himself, and each class of persons on the platform proper to them, which is shared by no others."
ثم يجلس الشيخ بمجلسه ويبعث إلى القاضي فيجلس عن يساره، ثم يدخل الفقهاء فيقعد كبراؤهم بين يديه وسائرهم يُسَلِّمون وينصرفون،,"The Shaikh then takes his seat in his hall and sends for the qadi, who sits down on his left; thereafter the jurists enter, and the principal men amongst them sit down in front of the Shaikh, while the remainder salute and withdraw."
ثم يدخل الشرفاء فيقعد كبراؤهم بين يديه ويسلم سائرهم وينصرفون،,"Next the sharifs come in, their principal men sit down in front of him, and the remainder salute and withdraw."
وإن كانوا ضيوفًا جلسوا عن يمينه،,"If they are guests, they sit on the Shaikh’s right."
ثم يدخل المشايخ والحُجَّاج فيجلس كبراؤهم ويسلم سائرهم وينصرفون،,"Next the shaikhs and pilgrims come in, and their principal men sit, and the rest salute and withdraw."
ثم يدخل الوزراء ثم الأمراء ثم وجوه الأجناد طائفة بعد طائفة أخرى فيسلمون وينصرفون,"Then come the viziers, then the amirs, then the officers of the troops, group after group, and they salute and withdraw."
ويؤتى بالطعام فيأكل بين يدي الشيخ القاضي والشرفاءُ ومن كان قاعدًا بالمجلس، ويأكل الشيخ معهم،,"Food is brought in; the qadi and sharifs and all those who are sitting in the hall eat in the presence of the Shaikh, and he eats with them."
وإن أراد تشريف أحد من كبار أمرائه بَعَثَ إليه فأكل معهم،,"If he wishes to honour one of his principal amirs, he sends for him, and the latter eats with them."
ويأكل سائر الناس بدار الطعام، وأَكْلُهم على ترتيب مثل ترتيبهم في الدخول على الشيخ،,"The rest of the people eat in the dining-hall, and the order of eating is the same as their order of entry into the Shaikh’s presence."
ثم يدخل الشيخ إلى داره ويقعد القاضي والوزراء وكاتب السر وأربعة من كبار الأمراء للفصل بين الناس وأهل الشكايات،,"The Shaikh then goes into his residence, and the qadi, with the viziers, the private secretary, and four of the principal amirs, sits for deciding cases among the population and petitioners."
فما كان متعلقًا بالأحكام الشرعية حَكَمَ فيه القاضي، وما كان مِنْ سوى ذلك حَكَمَ فيه أهل الشورى وهم الوزراء والأمراء،,"Every case that is concerned with the rulings of the Divine Law is decided by the qadl, and all cases other than those are decided by the members of the council, that is to say, the viziers and amirs."
وما كان مفتقرًا إلى مشاوَرَة السلطان كتبوا إليه فيه فيخرج لهم الجواب من حينه على ظهر البطاقة بما يقتضيه نظره,"If any case calls for consultation of the sultan, they write to him about it, and he sends out the reply to them immediately on the reverse of the document as determined by his judgement."
وتلك عادتهم دائمًا.,And this too is their fixed custom.
ثم رَكِبْتُ البحر من مدينة مقدشو متوجهًا إلى بلاد السواحل قاصدًا مدينة كلوا من بلاد الزنوج،,"I then sailed from the city of Maqdashaw, making for the country of the Sawahil [Coastlands], with the object of visiting the city of Kulwa in the land of the Zinj people."
فوصلنا إلى جزيرة مَنْبَسَى (وضبط اسمها مفتوح ونون مسكن وباء موحدة مفتوحة وسين مهمل مفتوح وياء)، وهي جزيرة كبيرة بينها وبين أرض السواحل مسيرة يومين في البحر,"We came to the island of Mambasa, a large island two days’ journey by sea from the Sawahil country."
ولا بَرَّ لها، وأشجارها الموز والليمون والأترج،,"It has no mainland territory, and its trees are the banana, the lemon, and the citron."
ولهم فاكهة يسمونها الجمون وهي شبه الزيتون ولها نَوًى كنواه،,"Its people have a fruit which they call jammun, resembling an olive and with a stone like its stone."
ولا زَرْعَ عند أهل هذه الجزيرة، وإنما يُجْلَب إليهم من السواحل،,"The inhabitants of this island sow no grain, and it has to be transported to them from the Sawahil."
وأكثر طعامهم الموز والسمك،,Their food consists mostly of bananas and fish.
وهم شافعية المذهب، أهل دين وعفاف وصلاح، ومساجدهم من الخشب مُحْكَمة الإتقان،,"They are Shafi’ites in rite, pious, honourable, and upright, and their mosques are of wood, admirably constructed."
وعلى كل باب من أبواب المساجد البئر والثنتان، وعمق آبارهم ذراع أو ذراعان، فيستقون منها الماء بقدح خشب قد غُرِزَ فيه عود رقيق في طول الزراع،,"At each of the gates of the mosques there are one or two wells * (their wells have a depth of one or two cubits), and they draw up water from them in a wooden vessel, into which has been fixed a thin stick of the length of one cubit."
والأرض حول البئر والمسجد مسطحة، فمن أراد دخول المسجد غَسَلَ رجليه ودخل، ويكون على بابه قطعة حصير غليظ يَمْسَحُ بها رجليه،,"The ground round the well and the mosque is paved; anyone who intends to go into the mosque washes his feet before entering, and at its gate there is a piece of thick matting on which he rubs his feet."
من أراد الوضوء أَمْسَكَ القدح بين فخذيه وصَبَّ على يديه ويتوضأ، وجميع الناس يمشون حفاة الأقدام،,"If one intends to make an ablution, he holds the vessel between his thighs, pours [water] on his hands and performs the ritual washings. All the people walk with bare feet."
وبتنا بهذه الجزيرة ليلة وركبنا البحر إلى مدينة كُلْوَا (وضبط اسمها بضم الكاف وإسكان اللام وفتح الواو)، وهي مدينة عظيمة ساحلية أكثر أهلها الزنوج المستحكمو السواد,"We stayed one night in this island and sailed on to the city of Kulwa, a large city on the seacoast, most of whose inhabitants are Zinj, jet-black in colour."
ولهم شرطات في وجوههم كما هي في وجوه الليميين من جنادة،,"They have tattoo marks on their faces, just as [there are] on the faces of the Limis of Janawa."
وذَكَرَ لي بعض التجار أن مدينة سفالة على مسيرة نصف شهر من مدينة كُلْوَا، وأن بين سفالة ويوفى من بلاد الليميين مسيرة شهر، ومن يوفي يؤتى بالتبر إلى سفالة،,"I was told by a merchant that the city of Sufala lies at a distance of half a month’s journey from the city of Kulwa, and that between Sufala and YufI, in the country of the Limis, is a month’s journey; from YufI gold dust is brought to Sufala."
ومدينة كلوا مِنْ أحسن المدن وَأَتْقَنِها عمارة، وكلها بالخشب وسَقْف بيوتها الديس،,"The city of Kulwa is one of the finest and most substantially built towns; all the buildings are of wood, and the houses are roofed with dis reeds."
والأمطار بها كثيرة،,The rains there are frequent.
وهم أهل جهاد؛ لأنهم في بَرٍّ واحد متصل مع كفار الزنوج، والغالب عليهم الدين والصلاح، وهم شافعية المذهب.,"Its people engage in jihad, because they are on a common mainland with the heathen Zinj people and contiguous to them, and they are for the most part religious and upright, and Shafi’ites in rite."
ذكر سلطان كلوا,Account of the Sultan of Kulwa.
وكان سلطانها في عهد دخولي إليها أبو المظفر حسن ويكنى أيضًا أبو المواهب لكثرة مواهبه ومكارمه،,"Its sultan at the period of my entry into it was Abu’l-Muzaffar Hasan, who was called also by the appellation of Abu’l-Mawahib, on account of the multitude of his gifts and acts of generosity."
وكان كثير الغزو إلى أرض الزنوج يغير عليهم ويأخذ الغنائم فيُخْرج خُمْسها ويَصْرِفه في مصارفه المعينة في كتاب الله تعالى،,"He used to engage frequently in expeditions to the land of the Zinj people, raiding them and taking booty, and he would set aside the fifth part of it to devote to the objects prescribed for it in the Book of God Most High."
ويَجْعَل نصيب ذوي القربى في خزانة على حدة، فإذا جاءه الشرفاء دَفَعَهُ إليهم، وكان الشرفاء يقصدونه من العراق والحجاز وسواها،,"He used to deposit the portion for the relatives [of the Prophet] in a separate treasury; whenever he was visited by sharifs he would pay it out to them, and the sharifs used to come to visit him from al‘Iraq and al-Hijaz and other countries."
ورأيت عنده من شرفاء الحجاز جماعة منهم محمد بن جماز ومنصور بن لبيدة بن أبي نمي ومحمد بن شميلة بن أبي نمي ولقيت بمقد شواتيل بن كبيش بن جماز وهو يريد القدوم عليه،,"I saw at his court a number of the sharifs of al-Hijaz, amongst them Muhammad b. Jammaz, Mansur b. Lubaida b. Abu Numayy, and Muhammad b. Shumaila b. Abu Numayy, and at Maqdashaw I met Tabl b. Kubaish b. Jammaz, who was intending to go to him."
وهذا السلطان له تواضع شديد ويجلس مع الفقراء ويأكل معهم ويُعَظِّم أهل الدين والشرف.,"This sultan is a man of great humility; he sits with poor brethren, and eats with them, and greatly respects men of religion and noble descent."
حكاية من مكارمه,An anecdote illustrating his generosity.
حَضَرْتُه يومَ جمعة وقد خرج من الصلاة قاصدًا إلى داره،,"I was present with him on a Friday, when he had come out [of the mosque] after the prayer and was proceeding to his residence."
فتعرَّض له أحد الفقراء اليمنيين فقال له: يا أبا المواهب، فقال: لبيك يا فقير ما حاجتك؟ قال: أعطني هذه الثياب التي عليك، فقال له: نَعَم أعطيكها، قال: الساعة، قال: نعم الساعة، فرجع إلى المسجد ودخل بيت الخطيب فلبس ثيابًا سواها وخلع تلك الثياب، وقال للفقير: ادخل فخُذْها، فدخل الفقير وأَخَذَها ورَبَطَها في منديل وجعلها فوق رأسه وانصرف،,"He was accosted by a poor brother, a Yamanite, who said to him ‘O Abu’l-Mawahib;’ he replied ‘At your service, O faqir—what do you want?’ The man said, ‘Give me those robes that you are wearing.’ He said ‘Certainly I shall give you them.’ The man said ‘Now,’ and he said ‘Yes, now,’ went back to the mosque and into the khafib’s chamber, where he dressed in other garments, and having taken off those robes he called to the poor brother ‘Come in and take them.’ So the faqir came in, took them, made a bundle of them in a kerchief, placed them on his head and went off."
فعظم شكر الناس للسلطان على ما ظَهَرَ من تواضعه وكرمه وأَخَذَ ابنه ولي عهده تلك الكسوة من الفقير وعَوَّضَه عنها بعشرة من العبيد،,"The population were loud in their gratitude to the sultan for the humility and generosity that he had displayed, and his son, who was his designated heir, took the clothing from the poor brother and gave him ten slaves in exchange."
وبلغ السلطان ما كان مِنْ شُكْر الناس له على ذلك، فأمر للفقير أيضًا بعشرة رءوس من الرقيق وحِمْلَيْن من العاج، ومُعْظَم عطاياهم العاج، وقَلَّمَا يعطون الذهب،,"When the sultan learned of the gratitude expressed by the people to him for that action, he too ordered the faqir to be given ten head of slaves and two loads of ivory, for most of their gifts consist of ivory and it is  seldom that they give gold."
ولما توفي هذا السلطان الفاضل الكريم رحمة الله عليه ولي أخوه داود، فكان على الضد من ذلك؛,"When this worthy and openhanded sultan died (God have mercy on him), he was succeeded by his brother Da’ud, who was of the opposite line of conduct."
إذا أتاه سائل يقول له: مات الذي كان يعطي ولم يَتْرُك من بعده ما يعطى،,"When a petitioner came to him he would say to him ‘He who gave is dead, and left nothing behind to be given.’"
ويقيم الوفود عنده الشهور الكثيرة، وحينئذٍ يعطيهم القليل حتى انقطع الوافدون عن بابه،,"Visitors would stay at his court for many months, and finally he would make them some small gift, so that at last solicitors gave up coming to his gate."
وركبنا البحر من كلوا إلى مدينة ظفار الحموض (وضبط اسمها بفتح الظاء المعجم والفاء وآخره راء مبنية على الكسر)، وهي آخر بلاد اليمن على ساحل البحر الهندي،,"We sailed from Kulwa to the city of Zafari’l-Humud, which is at the extremity of the land of al-Yaman, on the coast of the Indian Sea."
ومنها تُحْمَل الخيل العتاق إلى الهند ويُقْطَع البحر فيما بينها وبين بلاد الهند مع مساعدة الريح في شهر كامل،,"From it thoroughbred horses are exported to India, and the sea between it and the land of India can be crossed with the aid of the wind in a full month."
قد قَطَعْتُه مرة من قالقوط من بلاد الهند إلى ظفار في ثمانية وعشرين يومًا بالريح الطيبة لم ينقطع لنا جري بالليل ولا بالنهار،,"I myself crossed it once from Qaliqut in the land of India to Zafari in twenty-eight days with a favouring wind, sailing continuously by night and by day."
وبين ظفار وعدن في البر مسيرة شهر في صحراء، وبينها وبين حضرموت ستة عشر يومًا، وبينها وبين عمان عشرون يومًا.,"Between Zafari and ‘Adan by land it is a month’s journey through desert country, from Zafari to Hadramaut sixteen days, and from Zafari to ‘Oman twenty days."
ومدينة ظفار في صحراء منقطة لا قرية بها ولا عمالة لها،,"The city of Zafari lies in an isolated desert region, in which there is not a village, and it has no dependencies."
والسوق خارج المدينة بربض يُعْرَف بالحرجاء، وهي من أقذر الأسواق وأشدها نتنًا وأكثرها ذبابًا لكثرة ما يباع بها من الثمرات والسمك،,"The bazaar is outside the city in a suburb called al-Harja’, and it is one of the dirtiest, most stinking and fly-ridden of bazaars, because of the quantity of fruit and fish sold in it."
وأكثر سمكها النوع المعروف بالسردين وهو بها في النهاية من السِّمَن،,"Most of the fish in it are the species called sardm, which are extremely fat there."
ومن العجائب أن دوابهم إنما علفها من هذا السردين وكذلك غنمهم، ولم أرَ ذلك في سواها،,"It is a strange fact that their beasts have as their sole fodder these sardines, and likewise their flocks, and I have never seen this in any other place."
وأكثر باعتها الخدم وهُنَّ يلبسن السواد،,"Most of the sellers [in the bazaar] are female slaves, who are dressed in black."
وزَرْع أهلها الذرة وهم يسقونها من آبار بعيدة الماء،,"The grain grown by its inhabitants is millet, which they irrigate from very deep wells."
وكيفية سقيهم أنهم يصنعون دلوًا كبيرة ويجعلون لها حبالًا كثيرة، ويتحزم بكل حبل عبد أو خادم ويجرُّون الدلو على عود كبير مرتفع عن البئر ويصبونها في صهريج يسقون منه،,"Their method of irrigation is that they make a large bucket and attach it to a number of ropes, each one of which is tied round the waist of a male or female slave; these draw up the bucket over a large beam fixed above the well, and pour the water into a tank from which they water [the crop]."
ولهم قمح يسمونه العلس وهو في الحقيقة نوع من السلت،,"They have also a wheat-grain, which they call ‘alas, but it is in reality a kind of barley."
والأرز يُجْلَب إليهم من بلاد الهند وهو أكثر طعامهم،,"Rice is brought to them from India, and forms their principal food."
ودراهم هذه المدينة من النحاس والقصدير ولا تُنْفَق في سواها،,"The dirhams of this city are made of brass and tin, and are not accepted as currency anywhere else."
وهم أهل تجارة لا عَيْشَ لهم إلا منها،,"The population of Zafari are engaged in trading, and have no livelihood except from this."
ومن عادتهم أنه إذا وَصَلَ مركب من بلاد الهند أو غيرها خرج عبيد السلطان إلى الساحل وصعدوا في صنبوق إلى المركب ومعهم الكسوة الكاملة لصاحب المركب أو وكيله وللربان وهو الرئيس وللكراني وهو كاتب المركب،,"It is their custom that when a vessel arrives from India or elsewhere, the sultan’s slaves go down to the shore, and come out to the ship in a sumbuq, carrying with them a complete set of robes for the owner of the vessel or his agent, and also for the rubban, who is the captain, and for the kirdm who is the ship’s writer."
ويؤتى إليهم بثلاثة أفراس فيركبونها وتُضْرَب أمامهم الأطبال والأبواق من ساحل البحر إلى دار السلطان، فيُسَلِّمون على الوزير وأمير جندار,"Three horses are brought for them, on which they mount [and pro-ceed] with drums and trumpets playing before them from the seashore to the sultan’s residence, where they make their salutations to the vizier and amir jandar."
وتُبْعَث الضيافة لكلِّ مَنْ بالمركب ثلاثًا، وبعد الثلاث يأكلون بدار السلطان,"Hospitality is supplied to all who are in the vessel for three nights, and when the three nights are up they eat in the sultan’s residence."
وهم يفعلون ذلك استجلابًا لأصحاب المراكب، وهم أهل تواضُع وحُسْن أخلاق وفضيلة ومحبة للغرباء،,"These people do this in order to gain the goodwill of the shipowners, and they are men of humility, good dispositions, virtue, and affection for strangers."
ولباسهم القطن وهو يُجْلَب إليهم من بلاد الهند ويشدون الفوط في أوساطهم عِوَضَ السروال,"Their clothes are made of cotton, which is brought to them from India, and they wear wrappers fastened round their waists in place of drawers."
وأكثرهم يشد فوطة في وسطه ويَجْعَل فوق ظهره أخرى من شدة الحر، ويغتسلون مرات في اليوم،,"Most of them wear [only] one wrapper tied round the waist and put another over their backs, because of the violent heat, and they bathe several times a day."
وهي كثيرة المساجد، ولهم في كل مسجد مطاهر كثيرة مُعَدَّة للاغتسال,"The town has many mosques, and in each mosque there are a number of lavatories equipped for them to bathe in."
ويُصْنَع بها ثياب من الحرير والقطن والكتان حسان جدًّا،,"In it are manufactured fabrics of silk, cotton and linen, of very good quality."
والغالب على أهلها رجالًا ونساء المرض المعروف بداء الفيل وهو انتفاخ القدمين، وأكثر رجالهم مُبْتَلُون بالأدر والعياذ بالله.,"There is pre-valent among the inhabitants, both men and women, the disease called elephantiasis, which is a swelling of both feet, and most of the men suffer from hernia—God preserve us!"
ومن عوايدهم الحسنة التصافح في المسجد إثر صلاة الصبح والعصر؛ يَسْتَنِد أهل الصف الأول إلى القبلة ويصافحهم الذين يلونهم،,"One of their good customs is to shake hands with one another in the mosque after the morning and the afternoon prayers; those in the front row [of worshippers] turn their backs to the [wall containing the] qibla, and those [in the row] next to them shake hands with them."
وكذلك يفعلون بعد صلاة الجمعة يتصافحون أجمعون، ومن خواصِّ هذه المدينة وعجائبها أنه لا يقصدها أحد بسوء إلا عاد عليه مكروه وحِيلَ بينه وبينها،,"They do the same thing after the noonprayer on Friday, all of them shaking hands with one another, aoo One of the special properties and marvels of this city is that no one approaches it with an evil design but his guile turns on himself and he is prevented from attaining it."
وذُكِرَ لي أن السلطان قطب الدين تمهتن بن طوران شاه صاحب هرمز نازَلَهَا مرة في البر والبحر، فأرسل الله سبحانه عليه ريحًا عاصفًا كسَّرَتْ مراكبه، ورَجَعَ عن حصارها وصالِحَ مَلِكَها،,"It was told me that the sultan Qufb al-Din Tamahtan b. TuranShah, the ruler of Hurmuz, invested it once by land and sea; but God (magnified be He) sent against him a violent wind which broke up his vessels, and he desisted from his siege of it and made peace with its king."
وكذلك ذُكِرَ لي أن الملك المجاهد سلطان اليمن عَيَّنَ ابن عم له بعسكر كبير برسم انتزاعها من يد ملكها وهو أيضًا ابن عمه، فلما خرج ذلك الأمير عن داره سَقَطَ عليه حائط وعلى جماعة من أصحابه فهلكوا جميعًا، ورَجَعَ الملك عن رأيه وتَرَكَ حصارها وطلبها،,"So also it was told me that alMalik al-Mujahid, the sultan of al-Yaman, appointed a cousin of his to the command of a powerful force with the object of seizing it from the hand of its king, who was also his paternal cousin. But when that commander came out of his house, a wall fell down upon him and upon a number of those with him, so that they all perished, and the king desisted from his project and abandoned [all thought of] besieging and laying claim to it."
ومن الغرائب أن أهل هذه المدينة أشبه الناس بأهل المغرب في شئونهم،,Another strange thing is that the people of this city of all men most closely resemble the people of the Maghrib in their ways.
نَزَلْتُ بدار الخطيب بمسجدها الأعظم وهو عيسى بن علي كبير القدر كريم النفْس،,"I lodged in the house of the khafib in its principal mosque, who was ‘Isa b. ‘All, a man of great distinction and a generous soul."
كان له جَوَارٍ مُسَمَّيَات بأسماء خدم المغرب، إحداهن اسمها بخيتة، والأخرى زاد المال، ولم أَسْمَعْ هذه الأسماء في بلد سواها،,"He had a number of slavegirls, who were called by the same names as the female slaves in the Maghrib; one was named Bukhait and another Zad al-Mal, and I have never heard these names in any other country."
فوأكثر أهلها رءوسهم مكشوفة لا يجعلون عليها العمائم،,"Most of its inhabitants leave their heads uncovered, and do not wear a turban."
وفي كل دار من دُورِهِم سجادة الخوص معلقة في البيت يصلي عليها صاحب البيت كما يفعل أهل المغرب، وأكلهم الذرة،,"In every one of their houses there is a prayer-mat of palm leaves hung up inside the house, on which the master of the house performs his prayers, exactly as the people of the Maghrib do, and their food [also] is millet."
وهذا التشابه كله مما يقوي القول بأن صنهاجة وسواهم من قبائل المغرب أصلهم من حمير.,All of this similarity between them is of a nature to strengthen the opinion that the Sanhaja and other tribes of the Maghrib originate from Himyar.
ويقرب من هذه المدينة بين بساتينها زاوية الشيخ الصالح العابد أبي محمد بن أبي بكر بن عيسى من أهل ظفار، وهذه الزاوية مُعَظَّمة عندهم، يأتون إليها غدوًّا وعشيًّا ويستجيرون بها، فإذا دَخَلَها المستجير لم يَقْدِر السلطان عليه،,"In the vicinity of this city and among its groves is the hospice of the pious shaikh and devotee Abu Muhammad b. Abu Bakr b. ‘Isa, of the people of Zafari. This hospice is held in great veneration by them; they come out to it in the mornings and evenings and seek asylum in it, and when the suppliant for asylum has entered it, the sultan has no power over him."
رأيت بها شخصًا ذُكِرَ لي أن له بها مدة سنين مستجيرًا لم يَتَعَرَّض له السلطان،,"I saw there one person, who, I was told, had been in it for a period of years as a refugee, without any violence being offered to him by the sultan."
وفي الأيام التي كُنْتُ بها استجار بها كاتِبُ السلطان، وأقام فيها حتى وَقَعَ بينهما الصلح،,"During the days that I spent in Zafari, the sultan’s secretary took refuge in it and remained there until a reconciliation was effected between them."
أتيت هذه الزاوية فبت بها في ضيافة الشيخين أبي العباس أحمد وأبي عبد الله محمد ابني الشيخ أبي بكر المذكور، وشاهدْتُ لهما فضلًا عظيمًا،,"I went out to this hospice and spent a night in it, enjoying the hospitality of the two shaikhs Abu’l-‘Abbas Ahmad and Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad, sons of the shaikh Abu Bakr mentioned above, and I found them to be men of great benevolence."
ولما غَسَلْنَا أيدينا من الطعام أَخَذَ أبو العباس منهما ذلك الماء الذي غسلنا به فشرب منه وبعث الخادم بباقيه إلى أهله وأولاده فشربوه، وكذلك يفعلون بمن يتوسمون فيه الخير من الواردين عليهم،,"When we washed our hands after the meal, one of them, Abu’l-‘Abbas, took that water in which we had washed, drank some of it, and sent the servant with the rest of it to his wives and children, and they too drank it. This is what they do with all visitors to them in whom they perceive indications of goodness."
وكذلك أضافني قاضيها الصالح أبو هاشم عبد الملك الزبيدي، وكان يتولى خدمتي وغسل يدي بنفسه ولا يَكِلُ ذلك إلى غيره،,"In the same way I was entertained by its pious qadl Abu Hashim al-Zabidi; he himself undertook the office of serving me and of washing my hands, and would not delegate it to any other person."
وبمقربة من هذه الزاوية تربةُ سَلَفِ السلطان الملك المغيث وهي مُعَظَّمَة عندهم، ويستجير بها مَنْ طَلَبَ حاجةً فتقضى له،,In the neighbourhood of this hospice is the mausoleum of the ancestors of the sultan al-Malik al-Mughlth. It is held in great veneration by them; anyone who has a petition to make puts himself under its protection and his petition is granted.
ومِنْ عادة الجند أنه إذا تَمَّ الشهر ولم يأخذوا أرزاقهم استجاروا بهذه التربة وأقاموا في جوارها إلى أن يُعْطَوْا أرزاقهم،,"It is the custom of the soldiery, if the month comes to an end and they have not been paid their allowances, to seek the protection of this mausoleum, and they remain under its protection until they receive their allowances."
وعلى مسيرة نصف يوم من هذه المدينةِ الأحقافُ، وهي منازل عادٍ،,Half a day’s journey from this city is al-Ahqaf where [the people of] ‘Ad dwelt.
وهنالك زاوية ومسجد على ساحل البحر وحوله قرية لصيادي السمك،,"There is a hospice there and a mosque on the sea-coast, with a village of fishermen surrounding it."
وفي الزاوية قبر مكتوب عليه: هذا قبر هود بن عابر عليه أفضل الصلاة والسلام،,"In the hospice is a tomb over which is inscribed ‘This is the tomb of Hud b. ‘Abir, upon whom be most copious blessing and peace’."
وقد ذَكَرْتُ أن بمسجد دمشق موضعًا عليه مكتوب: هذا قبر هود بن عابر، والأشبه أن يكون قَبْرُه بالأحقاف لأنها بلاده والله أعلم،,"I have already related that in the mosque of Damascus there is a place over which is inscribed ‘This is the tomb of Hud b. ‘Abir’, but it is more likely that his tomb should be in al-Ahqaf, since it was his country, but God knows best."
ولهذه المدينة بساتين فيها موز كثير كبير الجرم وزَنْتُ بمحضري حَبَّةً منه، فكان وزنها اثنتي عشرة أوقية، وهو طَيِّب المطعم شديد الحلاوة،,This city [of Zafari] has groves in which grow large numbers of bananas of great size; one of them was weighed in my presence and its weight was twelve ounces. They are pleasant to the taste and very sweet.
وبها أيضًا التنبول والنارجيل المعروف بجوز الهند، ولا يكونان إلا ببلاد الهند وبمدينة ظفار هذه لشبهها بالهند وقُرْبِها منها، اللهم إلا أن في مدينة زبيد في بستان السلطان شجيرات من النارجيل،,"There too are betel and coconut (known as ‘Indian nut’), which are to be found only in the land of India and in this city of Zafari, because of its similarity and proximity to India—except, however, that in the city of Zabid, in the sultan’s garden, there are some few coconut trees."
وإذ قد وَقَعَ ذِكْر التنبول والنارجيل فلنذكرهما ولنذكر خصائصهما.,"Since the mention of betel and coconuts has come up, I shall now proceed to describe them and give an account of their properties."
ذكر التنبول,Account of the Betel Tree
والتنبول شجر يُغْرَس كما تُغْرَس دوالي العنب، ويُصْنَع له معرشات من القصب كما يُصْنَع لدوالي العنب، أو يُغْرَس في مجاوَرَة شجر النارجيل فيَصْعَد فيها كما تَصْعَد الدوالي وكما يَصْعَد الفلفل،,"The betel is a tree which is cultivated in the same manner as the grape-vine; trellises of cane are made for it, just as for grape-vines, or else the betel trees are planted close to coconut trees, so that they may climb upon them in the same way that vines climb, and as the pepper climbs."
ولا ثمر للتنبول وإنما المقصود منه ورقه وهو يشبه ورق العليق وأطيبه الأصفر،,"The betel has no fruit, and is grown only for the sake of its leaves, which resemble the leaves of the bramble, and the best ones are the yellow."
وتُجْتَنى أوراقه في كل يوم،,Its leaves are picked every day.
وأهل الهند يعظمون التنبول تعظيمًا شديدًا، وإذا أتى الرجل دارَ صاحبه فأعطاه خمس ورقات منه فكأنما أعطاه الدنيا وما فيها، لا سيما إن كان أميرًا أو كبيرًا، وإعطاؤه عندهم أعظم شأنًا وأدل على الكرامة من إعطاء الفضة والذهب،,"The Indians attach immense importance to betel, and when a man comes to the house of his friend and the latter gives him five leaves of it, it is as though he had given him the world, especially if he is an amir or some great man. The gift of betel is for them a far greater matter and more indicative of esteem than the gift of silver and gold."
وكيفية استعماله أن يُؤْخَذ قبله الفوفل — وهو شبه جوز الطيب — فيُكْسَر حتى يصير أطرافًا صغارًا ويجعله الإنسان في فَمِه يعلكه،,"The manner of its use is that before eating it one takes areca nut; this is like a nutmeg but is broken up until it is reduced to small pellets, and one places these in his mouth and chews them."
ثم يأخذ ورق التنبول فيجعل عليها شيئًا من النورة ويمضغها مع الفوفل،,"Then he takes the leaves of betel, puts a little chalk on them, and masticates them along with the betel."
وخاصيته أنه يُطَيِّب النكهة ويَذْهَب بروائح الفم ويهضم الطعام ويقطع ضرر شُرْب الماء على الريق ويفرخ أكله ويعين على الجماع، ويجعله الإنسان عند رأسه ليلًا فإذا استيقظ من نومه أو أَيْقَظَتْه زوجَتُه أو جارِيَتُه أخذ منه فيذهب بما في فمه من رائحة كريهة،,"Their specific property is that they sweeten the breath, remove foul odours of the mouth, aid digestion of food, and stop the injurious effect of drinking water on an empty stomach; th eating of them gives a sense of exhilaration and promotes cohabitation, and a man will put some by his head at nights so that, if he wakes up or is awakened by his wife or slavegirl, he may take a few of them and they will remove any foul odour there may be in his mouth."
ولقد ذُكِرَ لي أن جواري السلطان والأمراء ببلاد الهند لا يأكلن غيره، وسنذكره عند ذِكْر بلاد الهند.,"I have been told, indeed, that the slave-girls of the sultan and of the amirs in India eat nothing else. I shall speak of this [again] in describing the land of India."
ذكر النارجيل وهو جوز الهند,"Account of the Coconut, which is the ‘Indian nut’."
وهذا الشجر من أغرب الأشجار شأنًا وأعجبها أمرًا،,These trees are among the most peculiar trees in kind and most astonishing in habit.
وشجره شبه شجر النخل، لا فَرْقَ بينهما إلا أن هذه تثمر جوزًا وتلك تثمر ثمرًا،,"They look exactly like date-palms, without any difference between them except that the one produces nuts as its fruits and the other produces dates."
وجوزها يشبه رأس ابن آدم؛ لأن فيها شبه العينين والفم وداخلها شبه الدماغ إذا كانت خضراء وعليها ليف شبه الشعر،,"The nut of a coconut tree resembles a man’s head, for in it are what look like two eyes and a mouth, and the inside of it when it is green looks like the brain, and attached to it is a fibre which looks like hair."
وهم يصنعون به حبالًا يخيطون بها المراكب عوضًا من مسامير الحديد ويصنعون منه الحبال للمراكب،,"They make from this cords with which they sew up ships instead of [using] iron nails, and they [also] make from it cables for vessels."
والجوزة منها وخصوصًا التي بجزائر ذيبة المهل تكون بمقدار رأس الآدمي، ويزعمون أن حكيمًا من حكماء الهند في غابر الزمان كان متصلًا بملك من الملوك ومُعَظَّمًا لديه،,"The coconut, especially that in the islands of Dhibat al-Mahal [Maldives], is the size of a human head, and they tell [this story]: A certain philosopher in India in past ages was in the service of one of the kings and was held by him in high esteem."
وكان للملك وزير بينه وبين هذا الحكيم معاداة،,"The king had a vizier, between whom and this philosopher there was enmity."
فقال الحكيم للملك: إن رأس هذا الوزير إذا قُطِعَ ودُفِنَ تخرج منه نخلة تُثْمِر بثمر عظيم يعود نفعه على أهل الهند وسواهم من أهل الدنيا،,"The philosopher said to the king, ‘If this vizier’s head is cut off and buried, there will grow out of it a palm that will produce large dates which will bring advantage to the people of India and other peoples in the world.’"
فقال له الملك: فإن لم يَظْهَر من رأس الوزير ما ذَكَرْتَه، قال: إن لم يظهر فاصنع برأسي كما صَنَعْتُ برأسه،,"The king said to him ‘And what if this that you have stated does not come from the head of the vizier?’ He replied ‘If it does not, do with my head as you have done with his.’"
فأمر الملك برأس الوزير فقُطِعَ وأخذه الحكيم وغرس نواة تَمْرٍ في دماغه وعالَجَهَا حتى صارت شجرة وأَثْمَرَتْ بهذا الجوز،,"So the king gave orders to cut off the vizier’s head, and the philosopher took it, planted a datestone in his brain, and tended it until it grew into a tree and produced this nut as its fruit."
وهذه الحكاية من الأكاذيب، ولكن ذَكَرْنَاهَا لشهرتها عندهم.,"This story is a fiction, but we have related it because of its wide circulation among them."
ومن خواصِّ هذا الجوز تقوية البدن وإسراع السمن والزيادة في حمرة الوجه،,"Among the properties of this nut are that it strengthens the body, fattens quickly, and adds to the redness of the face."
وأما الإعانة على الباءة ففعله فيها عجيب،,"As for its aphrodisiac quality, its action in this respect is wonderful."
ومن عجائبه أنه يكون في ابتداء أَمْرِه أخضر فمن قطع بالسكين قطعة من قشره وفَتَحَ رأس الجوزة شرب منها ماء في النهاية من الحلاوة والبرودة، ومزاجه حارٌّ معين على الباءة،,"One of the marvellous things about it is that at the beginning of its growth it is green, and if one cuts out a piece of its rind with a knife and makes a hole in the head of the nut, he drinks out of it a liquid of extreme sweetness and coolness, but whose temperament is hot and aphrodisiac."
فإذا شرب ذلك الماء أخذ قطعة القشرة وجعلها شبه الملعقة وجرد بها ما في داخل الجوزة من الطعم,"After drinking this liquid, he takes a piece of the rind and fashions it like a spoon, and with this he scoops out the pulp which is inside the nut."
فيكون طعمه كطعم البيضة إذا شُوِيَتْ ولم يَتِمَّ نضجها كل التَّمام ويتغذى به،,"The taste of this is like that of an egg which has been broiled but not fully cooked, and one uses it for food."
ومنه كان غذائي أيام إقامتي بجزائر ذيبة المهل مدة من عام ونصف عام،,This was what I lived on during my stay in the islands of Dhlbat al-Mahal for a period of a year and a half.
وعجائبه أنه يُصْنَع منه الزيت والحليب والعسل،,"Another marvellous thing about it is that there are made from it oil, milk and honey."
فأما كيفية صناعة العسل منه فإن خدام النخل منه ويسمون الفازانية يصعدون إلى النخلة غدوًّا وعشيًّا إذا أرادوا أَخْذ مائها الذي يصنعون منه العسل، وهم يُسَمُّونه الأطواق,"The way in which honey is made from it is as follows. The servants who have the care of the coconut palms, and who are called fazdntya, climb up a palmtree in the morning and the evening, when they intend to take its sap, from which they make the honey (which they call atwdq)."
فيقطعون العذق الذي يَخْرُج منه الثمر ويتركون منه مقدار أصبعين ويربطون عليه قدرًا صغيرة فيقطر فيها الماء الذي يسيل من العذق،,"They cut the stalk on which the fruit grows, leaving of it two fingers’ length, and on this they tie a small bowl, into which there drips the sap which flows out of the stalk."
فإذا ربطها غدوة صعد إليها عشيًّا ومعه قدحان من قشر الجوز المذكور، أحدهما مملوء ماء فيصب ما اجتمع من ماء العذق في أحد القدحين ويغسله بالماء الذي في القدح الآخر، وينجر من العذق قليلًا ويربط عليه القدر ثانية،,"If he ties it on in the morning, he climbs up to it in the evening, carrying with him two cups made from the rind of the nut mentioned above, one of which is filled with water.
He pours out the sap that has collected from the stalk into one of the cups, washes the stalk with the water in the other cup, cuts a small piece off it, and ties the bowl on it again."
ثم يفعل غدوة كفعله عشيًّا، فإذا اجتمع له الكثير من ذلك الماء طبخه كما يُطْبَخ ماء العنب إذا صُنِعَ منه الرُّبُّ فيصير عسلًا عظيم النفع طيبًا، فيشتريه تجار الهند واليمن والصين ويحملونه إلى بلادهم ويصنعون منه الحلواء،,"He then repeats in the morning what he did the previous evening. When a large quantity of this sap has collected for him, he cooks it in the same way that grape-juice is cooked when rubb is made from it. It then makes a delicious honey of great utility, and this is bought by the merchants of India, al-Yaman and China, who transport it to their countries and manufacture sweetmeats from it."
وأما كيفية صُنْع الحليب منه فإن بكل دار شبه الكرسي تَجْلِس فوقه المرأة ويكون بيدها عصًى في أحد طرفيها حديدة مشرفة،,"The way in which milk is made from it is as follows. There is in every house a kind of chair upon which a woman sits, having in her hand a stick with a protruding ferrule at one end of it."
فيفتحون في الجوزة مقدار ما تدخل تلك الحديدة ويجرشون ما في باطن الجوزة، وكل ما ينزل منها يجتمع في صحفة حتى لا يبقى في داخل الجوزة شيء،,"They make a hole in the nut just large enough to admit that ferrule and mash its contents, and all that comes out of it is gathered on a plate, until nothing is left inside the nut."
ثم يمرس ذلك الجريش بالماء فيصير كلون الحليب بياضًا ويكون طعمه كطعم الحليب ويأتدم به الناس،,"This mash is then steeped in water, so that it becomes just like the colour of milk in whiteness and has the same taste as milk, and the people use it as a sauce."
وأما كيفية صُنْع الزيت فإنهم يأخذون الجوز بعد نضجه وسقوطه عن شجره فيُزِيلُون قِشْرَه ويقطعونه قطعًا ويُجْعَل في الشمس، فإذا ذبل طبخوه في القدور واستخرجوا زيته،,"The method of making the oil is that they take the nuts when they are ripe and have fallen from the trees, peel off their rinds and cut them up into pieces. These are placed in the sun, and when they are dried they cook them in cauldrons and extract their oil."
وبه يستصبحون ويأتدمون به، ويجعله النساء في شعورهن، وهو عظيم النفع.,"They use it for lighting and also as a sauce, and the women put it on their hair. It too is of great utility."
ذكر سلطان ظفار,Account of the Sultan of Zafari.
وهو السلطان الملك المغيث بن الملك الفائز بن عم ملك اليمن،,"He is the sultan al-Malik alMughith, son of al-Malik al-Fa’iz, cousin of the king of al-Yaman."
وكان أبوه أميرًا على ظفار من قِبَل صاحب اليمن وله عليه هدية يبعثها له في كل سنة،,"His father was governor of Zafari on behalf of the ruler of al-Yaman, and was under obligation to send the latter a present every year."
ثم استبد الملك المغيث بمُلْكِها وامتنع من إرسال الهدية،,"Subsequently al-Malik al-Mughith made himself independent as king of Zafari, and refused to send the present."
وكان من عزم ملك اليمن على محاربته وتعيين ابن عمه لذلك ووقوع الحائط عليه ما ذكرناه آنفًا،,"This was the occasion for the decision of the king of al-Yaman to go to war with him, his appointment of his cousin for that purpose, and the falling of the wall upon him, as we have related above."
وللسلطان قصر بداخل المدينة يُسَمَّى الحصن عظيم فسيح والجامع بإزائه،,"The sultan has a palace inside the city which is called the Castle, a large and extensive building, and the cathedral mosque is alongside it."
ومن عادته أن تُضْرَب الطبول والبوقات والأنفار والصرنايات على بابه كل يوم بعد صلاة العصر، وفي كل يوم إثنين وخميس تأتي العساكر إلى بابه فيقفون خارج المشور ساعة وينصرفون،,"It is his custom to have drums, trumpets, bugles and fifes sounded at his gate every day after the afternoon prayer, and every Monday and Thursday the troops come to his gate and stand outside the audience-hall for an hour, then withdraw."
والسلطان لا يخرج ولا يراه أحد إلا في يوم الجمعة، فيخرج للصلاة ثم يعود إلى داره ولا يَمْنَع أحدًا من دخول المشور،,"The sultan himself does not go out, nor is he seen by anyone except on Fridays, when he goes out for the [midday] prayer, and then returns to his residence, but he prevents no one from entering the audience-hall."
وأمير جندار قاعد على بابه وإليه ينتهي كلُّ صاحبِ حاجة أو شكاية، وهو يطالع السلطان ويأتيه الجواب للحين،,"The amir jandar sits at its gate, and it is to him that every person with a petition or a grievance presents his case; he sends it for the sultan’s consideration, and the reply comes to him at once."
وإذا أراد السلطان الركوب خَرَجَتْ مراكبه من القصر وسلاحه ومماليكه إلى خارج المدينة، وأُتِيَ بجمل عليه محمل مستور بستر أبيض منقوش بالذهب فيركب السلطان ونديمه في المحمل بحيث لا يُرَى،,"When the sultan desires to ride out, his riding-beasts, along with his arms and mamluks, come out of the palace and go outside the city; then a camel is brought, bearing a litter covered with a white curtain embroidered in gold, and the sultan and his familiar ride in the litter in such a manner as not to be seen."
وإذا خَرَجَ إلى بستانه وأَحَبَّ ركوب الفرس رَكِبَه ونزل عن الجمل،,"When he has gone out to his garden and wishes to ride a horse he does so, and dismounts from the camel."
وعادته أن لا يعارضه أحد في طريقه ولا يقف لرؤيته ولا لشكاية ولا غيرها،,"It is his custom also that no one may accost him on his way, nor stand to look at him or to make a complaint or for any other purpose."
ومن تَعَرَّضَ لذلك ضُرِبَ أشد الضرب، فتجد الناس إذا سمعوا بخروج السلطان فَرُّوا عن الطريق وتحاموها،,"Anyone who ventures to do so is most severely beaten; consequently you find the inhabitants, when they hear that the sultan has come out, make a practice of running away from his route and avoiding it."
ووزير هذا السلطان الفقيه محمد العدني،,The vizier of this sultan is the jurist Muhammad al-‘Adan!.
وكان معلم صبيان، فعَلَّمَ هذا السلطان القراءة والكتابة وعاهده على أن يستوزره إن مَلَكَ، فلما مَلَكَ استوزره فلم يكن يحسنها، فكان الاسم له والحكم لغيره.,"He was a teacher of school-children, and taught this sultan to read and write. He made a compact with him that he would appoint him vizier if he became king, so that when he became king, he appointed this man vizier. But he was not competent for this office; consequently, while he had the title, the authority was in other hands."
ومن هذه المدينة ركبنا البحر نريد عُمَان في مركب صغير لرجل يُعْرَف بعلي بن إدريس المصيري من أهل جزيرة مصيرة،,"From this city we sailed towards ‘Oman in a small vessel belonging to a man called ‘All b. Idris al-Masiri, an inhabitant of the island of Masira."
وفي الثاني لركوبنا نزلنا بمرسى حاسك وبه ناس من العرب صيادون للسمك ساكنون هنالك وعندهم شجر الكندر وهو رقيق الورق، وإذا شُرِطَت الورقة منه قَطَرَ منها ماءٌ شبه اللبن ثم عاد صمغًا،,"On the day following our embarkation we alighted at the roadstead of Hasik, on which there are a number of Arabs, who are fishermen and live there. They possess incense trees; these have thin leaves, and when a leaf is slashed there drips from it a sap like milk, which then turns into a gum."
وذلك الصمغ هو اللبان وهو كثير جدًّا هنالك،,"This gum is the incense, and it is very plentiful there."
ولا معيشة لأهل ذلك المرسى إلا من صيد السمك، وسَمَكُهُمْ يُعْرَف باللَّخَم (بخاء معجم مفتوح)، وهو شبيه كلب البحر,"The only means of livelihood for the inhabitants of this port is from fishing, and the fish that they catch is called lukham, which is like a dogfish."
يُشَرَّح ويُقَدَّد ويُقْتَات به، وبيوتهم من عظام السَّمَك وسقفها من جلود الجمال،,"It is cut open, dried in the sun, and used for food; their huts also are built with fish bones, and roofed with camel hides."
وسِرْنا من مرسى حاسك أربعة أيام ووصلنا إلى جبل لُمْعان (بضم اللام) وهو في وسط البحر وبأعلاه رابطة مبنية بالحجارة وسقفها من عظام السمك وبخارجها غدير ماء يجتمع من المطر.,"We continued our journey from the roadstead of Hasik for four days, and came to the Hill of Lum’an, in the midst of the sea. On top of it is a hermitage built of stone, with a roofing of fish bones, and with a pool of collected rainwater outside it."
ذِكْر وليٍّ لقيناه بهذا الجبل,Account of a Saint whom we met on this Hill.
ولما أرسينا تحت هذا الجبل صعدناه إلى هذه الرابطة فوجدنا بها شيخًا نائمًا فسَلَّمْنَا عليه فاستيقظ وأشار برد السلام، فكلمناه فَلَمْ يُكَلِّمْنا وكان يحرك رأسه،,"When we cast anchor under this hill, we climbed up to this hermitage, and found there an old man lying asleep. We saluted him, and he woke up and returned our greeting by signs; then we spoke to him, but he did not speak to us and kept shaking his head."
فأتاه أهل المركب بطعام فأبى أن يَقْبَلَه،,"The ship’s company offered him food, but he refused to accept it."
فطلبنا منه الدعاء فكان يحرك شفتيه ولا نَعْلَم ما يقول،,"We then begged of him a prayer [on our behalf], and he kept moving his lips, though we did not know what he was saying."
وعليه مُرَقَّعة وقلنسوة لبد وليس معه ركوة ولا إبريق ولا عكاز ولا نعل،,"He was wearing a patched robe and a felt bonnet, but had no skin bag nor jug nor staff nor sandals."
وقال أهل المركب: إنهم ما رأوه قط بهذا الجبل،,The ship’s company declared that they had never [before] seen him on this hill.
وأقمنا تلك الليلة بساحل هذا الجبل وصلينا معه العصر والمغرب وجئناه بطعام فرده وأقام يصلي إلى العشاء الآخرة ثم أَذَّنَ وصليناها معه،,"We spent that night on the beach of the hill and prayed the afternoon and sunset prayers with him. We offered him food, but he refused it and continued to pray until the hour of the last night-prayer, when he pronounced the call to prayer and we prayed along with him."
وكان حسن الصوت بالقراءة مجيدًا لها،,He had a beautiful voice in his reciting of the Qur’an and in his modulation of it.
ولما فرغ من صلاة العشاء الآخرة أومأ إلينا بالانصراف فودَّعْنَاه وانصرفنا ونحن نعجب مِنْ أَمْرِهِ، ثم إني أردْتُ الرجوع إليه لما انصرفنا، فلما دنوت منه هِبْتُهُ وغَلَبَ عليَّ الخوف ورجعت إلى أصحابي وانصرفْتُ معهم،,"When he ended the last night-prayer, he signed to us to withdraw, so, bidding him farewell, we did so, with astonishment at what we had seen of him. Afterwards, when we had left, I wished to return to him, but on approaching him I felt in awe of him; fear got the better of me, and when my companions returned for me, I went off with them."
ورَكِبْنا البحر ووصلنا بعد يومين إلى جزيرة الطير، وليست بها عمارة,"We resumed our voyage and after two days reached the Island of Birds, which is uninhabited."
فَأَرْسَيْنَا وصعدنا إليها فوجدناها ملآنة بطيور تشبه الشقاشق إلا أنها أعظم منها،,"We cast anchor and went ashore on it, and found it full of birds like blackbirds, except that these were bigger."
وجاءت الناس ببيضِ تلك الطيور فطبخوها وأكلوها، واصطادوا جملة من تلك الطيور فطبخوها دون ذكاة وأكلوها،,"The sailors brought some eggs of those birds, cooked and ate them, and also caught and cooked some of the birds themselves without slitting their throats, and ate them."
وكان يجالسني تاجر من أهل جزيرة مصيرة ساكن بظفار اسمه مسلم، فرأيته يأكل معهم تلك الطيور، فأنكَرْتُ ذلك عليه فاشتدَّ خجله، وقال لي: ظَنَنْتُ أنهم ذبحوها، وانقطع عني بعد ذلك من الخجل، فكان لا يَقْرَبُني حتى أدعو به،,"There was sitting alongside me a merchant, of the people of the island of Maslra, but living in Zafari, named Muslim; I saw him eating these birds along with them, and reproved him for it. He was greatly abashed and said to me, I thought that they had slaughtered them,
but he kept aloof from me thereafter out of shame and would not come near me until I called him."
وكان طعامي في تلك الأيام بذلك المركب التمر والسمك،,My food during those days on that ship was dried dates and fish.
وكانوا يصطادون بالغدوِّ والعشى سمكًا يسمى بالفارسية شير ماهي ومعناه أسد السمك؛ لأن شير هو الأسد وماهي السمك، وهو يُشْبِه الحوت المسمَّى عندنا بتازرت،,"Every morning and evening [the sailors] used to catch fish called in Persian shir mdhi, which means ‘lion of fish’, because shir is a lion and mdhi is fish; it resembles the fish called by us tazart."
وهم يقطعونه قطعًا ويشوونه ويعطون كل من في المركب قطعة، لا يُفَضِّلُون أحدًا على أحد ولا صاحب المركب ولا سواه، ويأكلونه بالتمر،,"They used to cut them in pieces, broil them, and give every person on the ship a portion, showing no preference to anyone over another, not even to the master of the vessel nor to any other, and they would eat them with dried dates."
وكان عندي خبز وكعك استصحبتهما من ظفار، فلما نفدا كنت أقتات من تلك السمك في جملتهم،,"I had with me some bread and biscuit, which I brought from Zafari, and these were exhausted I had to live on those fish with the rest of them."
وعيدنا عيد الأضحى على ظهر البحر، وهبَّتْ علينا في يومه ريح عاصف بعد طلوع الفجر ودامت إلى طلوع الشمس وكادت تغرقنا.,We celebrated the Feast of Sacrifice at sea ; on that very day there blew up against us a violent wind after daybreak and it lasted until sunrise and almost sunk us.
كرامة,A miraculous grace.
وكان معنا في المركب حاج من أهل الهند يُسَمَّى بخضر ويُدْعَى بمولانا؛ لأنه يحفظ القرآن ويُحْسِن الكتابة،,"There was accompanying us in the vessel a pilgrim, a man from India named Khidr, but he was called Mawland because he knew the Qur’an by heart and could write excellently."
فلما رأى هول البحر لَفَّ رأسه بعباءة كانت له وتَنَاوَمَ،,"When he saw the storminess of the sea, he wrapped his head in a mantle that he had and pretended to sleep."
فلما فَرَّجَ الله ما نَزَلَ بنا قُلْتُ له: يا مولانا خضر كيف رأيت؟ قال: قد كنت عند الهول أفتح عيني أنظر هل أرى الملائكة الذين يقبضون الأرواح جاءوا فلا أراهم فأقول: الحمد لله لو كان الغرق لأتوا لِقَبْض الأرواح، ثم أُغْلِق عيني، ثم أفتحها فأنظر كذلك إلى أن فَرَّجَ الله عنا، وكان قد تَقَدَّمَنَا مركب لبعض التجار فغرق ولم يَنْجُ منه إلا رجل واحد خَرَجَ عومًا بعد جهد شديد،,"When God gave us relief from what had befallen us, I said to him ‘O Mawlana Khidr, what kind of thing did you see?’ He replied ‘When the storm came, I kept my eyes open, watching to see whether the angels who receive men’s souls had come. As I could not see them I said “Praise be to God. If any of us were to be drowned, they would come to take the souls.” Then I would close my eyes and after a while open them again, to watch in the same manner, until God relieved us’. A ship belonging to one of the merchants had gone ahead of us, and it sank, and only one man escaped from it—he got out by swimming after suffering severely."
وأكلت في ذلك المركب نوعًا من الطعام لم آكله قبله ولا بعده صَنَعَهُ بعض تجار عمان وهو من الذرة طبخها من غير طحن وصب عليها السيلان وهو عسل التمر وأكلناه،,"I ate on that vessel a kind of dish which I have never eaten before or after. It was prepared by one of the merchants of ‘Oman from millet, which he cooked without grinding, and poured over it sailan, that is honey made from dates, and we ate it [so]."
ثم وصلنا إلى جزيرة مصيرة التي منها صاحب المركب الذي كنا فيه،,"We came next to the island of Masira, to which the master of the ship that we were sailing on belonged."
جزيرة كبيرة لا عيش لأهلها إلا من السمك،,"It is a large island, whose inhabitants have nothing to eat but fish."
ولم ننزل إليها لبُعْد مرساها عن الساحل، وكنت قد كرهتهم لَمَّا رأيتهم يأكلون الطير من غير ذكاة،,"We did not land on it, because of the distance of the anchorage from the shore; [besides] I had taken a dislike to these people when I saw them eating the birds without proper slaughtering."
وأقمنا بها يومًا وتَوَجَّهَ صاحب المركب فيه إلى داره وعاد إلينا,"We stayed there one day, while the master of the ship went ashore to his home and came back to join us."
ثم سرنا يومًا وليلة فوصلنا إلى مرسى قرية كبيرة على ساحل البحر تُعْرَف بصور، ورأينا منها مدينة قلهاة في سفح جبل، فخُيِّلَ لنا أنها قريبة،,"We continued our voyage for a day and a night and came to the roadstead of a large village on the seashore called Sur, from which we saw the city of Qalhat on the slope of a hill, and seeming to us to be close by."
وكان وصولنا إلى المرسى وقْتَ الزوال أو قبله، فلما ظَهَرَتْ لنا المدينة أحببت المشي إليها والمبيت بها.,"We had arrived at the anchorage just after noon or before it, and when the city appeared to us I felt a desire to walk to it and spend the night there,"
وكنت قد كَرِهْتُ صحبة أهل المركب،,since I had taken a dislike to the company of the ship’s folk.
فسألت عن طريقها فأُخْبِرْتُ أني أَصِلُ إليها عند العصر فاكتريت أحد البحريين ليدلني على طريقها،,"I made enquiries about the way to it and was told that I should reach it by mid-afternoon, so I hired one of the sailors to guide me on the road."
وصحبني خضر الهندي الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه، وتَرَكْتُ أصحابي مع ما كان لي بالمركب ليلحقوا بي في غدِ ذلك اليوم،,"I was accompanied by Khidr the Indian, who has been already mentioned, and I left my associates with my possessions on the ship to rejoin me on the following day."
وأخذت أثوابًا كانت لي فدفعْتُها لذلك الدليل ليكفيني مؤنة حَمْلِها وحملت في يدي رمحًا،,"I took some pieces of clothing of mine and gave them to the man I had hired as a guide, to spare me the fatigue of carrying them, and myself carried a spear in my hand."
فإذا ذلك الدليل يحب أن يستولي على أثوابي فأتى بنا إلى خليج يخرج من البحر فيه المد والجزر، فأراد عبوره بالثياب فقلت له: إنما تَعْبُر وحدك وتترك الثياب عندنا، فإن قَدَرْنَا على الجواز جُزْنَا، وإلا صعدنا نطلب المجاز،,"Now that guide wanted to make off with my garments, so he led us to a channel, an inlet from the sea in which there was a tidal flow and ebb, and was about to cross it with my garments, but I said to him, ‘You cross over by yourself and leave the clothes with us; if we can cross, we shall, but if not we shall go up higher to look for a ford.’"
فرجع ثم رأينا رجالًا جازوه عومًا فتحققنا أنه كان قَصْدُه أن يُغْرِقَنا ويذهب بالثياب،,"He drew back and afterwards we saw some men who crossed it by swimming, so we were convinced that he had meant to drown us and make away with the garments."
فحينئذٍ أظهرْتُ النشاط وأخذْتُ بالحزم وشددت وسطي وكنت أهز الرمح فهابني ذلك الدليل،,"Thereupon I made a show of vigour and took a firm attitude; I girt up my waist and kept brandishing the spear, so that the guide went in awe of me."
وصعدنا حتى وجدنا مجازًا ثم خرجنا إلى صحراء لا ماء بها وعطشنا واشتد بنا الأمر،,"We went up higher until we found a ford, and then came out into a waterless desert, where we suffered from thirst and were in a desperate plight."
فبعث الله لنا فارسًا في جماعة من أصحابه وبيد أحدهم ركوة ماء فسقاني وسقى صاحبي،,"But God sent us a horseman with a number of his companions, one of whom had in his hand a waterskin and gave me and my companion to drink."
وذهبنا نحسب المدينة قريبة منا وبيننا وبينها خنادق نمشي فيها الأميال الكثيرة،,"We went on, thinking that the city was close at hand, whereas [in reality] we were separated from it by nullahs through which we walked for many miles."
فلما كان العشي أراد الدليل أن يميل بنا إلى ناحية البحر وهو لا طريق له لأن ساحله حجارة،,"When the evening came the guide wanted to lead us down towards the shore, where there was no road, for the coast there is [nothing but] rocks."
فأراد أن ننشب فيها ويذهب بالثياب، فقلت له: إنما نمشي على هذه الطريق التي نحن عليها وبينها وبين البحر نحو ميل،,"He wanted us to get stuck amongst them and to make off with the garments, but I said to him ‘We shall just keep walking along this track that we are following,’ there being a distance of about a mile between us and the sea."
فلما أَظْلَمَ الليل قال لنا: إن المدينة قريبة منا فتعالوا نمشي حتى نبيت بخارجها إلى الصباح،,"When it became dark he said to us ‘The city is no distance from us, so come, let us walk on so that we can stop overnight in its outskirts.’"
فخفت أن يتعرض لنا أحد في طريقنا، ولم أُحَقِّق مقدار ما بقي إليها، فقلت له: إنما الْحَقُّ أن نخرج عن الطريق فننام، فإذا أصبحنا أتينا المدينة إن شاء الله.,"But I was afraid that we might be molested by someone on our road, and was not sure how far we still had to go, so I said to him ‘The right course is to turn off the track and sleep, and in the morning we shall reach the town, if God will.’"
وكنت قد رأيت جملة من الرجال في سفح جبل هنالك، فخِفْتُ أن يكونوا لصوصًا وقلت: التَّسَتُّر أَوْلَى،,"I had observed a party of men on a hillside thereabouts, and fearing that they might be robbers said [to myself] ‘It is preferable to go into hiding.’"
وغلب العطش على صاحبي فلم يوافق على ذلك، فخرجْتُ عن الطريق وقصدْتُ شجرة من شجر أم غيلان وقد أعييت وأدركني الجهد لكني أظهرت قوة وتجلدًا خوف الدليل، وأما صاحبي فمريض لا قوة له،,"My companion was overcome by thirst and did not agree to this, but I turned off the road and made for a tree of Umm Ghailan. Although I was worn out and suffering from exhaustion, I made a show of strength and vigour for fear of the guide; as for my companion, he was ill and incapacitated."
فجعلْتُ الدليل بيني وبين صاحبي، وجعلت الثياب بين ثوبي وجسدي وأمسكْتُ الرمح بيدي ورقد صاحبي ورقد الدليل وبقيت ساهرًا، فكلما تحرك الدليل كَلَّمْتُه وأَرَيْتُه أني مستيقظ،,"So I placed the guide between him and me, put the garments between my robe and my skin, and held the spear firmly in my hand. My companion went to sleep and so did the guide, but stayed on watch, and every time the guide moved I spoke to him and showed him that I was awake."
ولم نَزَلْ كذلك حتى أصبح، فخرجنا إلى الطريق فوجدنا الناس ذاهبين بالمرافق إلى المدينة،,"We remained thus till daybreak, when we came out to the road and found people going to the town with various kinds of produce."
فبعثت الدليل ليأتينا بماء وأخذ صاحبي الثياب،,"So I sent the guide to fetch water for us, and my companion took the gar-ments"
وكان بيننا وبين المدينة مهاوٍ وخنادق، فأتانا بالماء فشربنا، وذلك أوان الحر،,". There were still some steep slopes and nullahs between us and the city, but the guide brought us water and we drank, this being the season of heat."
ثم وصلنا إلى مدينة قلهات (وضبط اسمها بفتح القاف وإسكان اللام وآخره تاء مثناة)، فأتيناها ونحن في جهد عظيم،,"Finally we reached the city of Qalhat, arriving at it in a state of great exhaustion."
وكنت قد ضاقت نعلي على رجليَّ حتى كاد الدم أن يخرج من تحت أظفارها،,My feet had become so swollen in my shoes that the blood was almost starting under the nails.
فلما وصلنا باب المدينة كان ختام المشقة أن قال لنا الموكل بالباب: لا بد لك أن تذهب معي إلى أمير المدينة ليَعْرِفَ قضيتك ومِنْ أين قَدِمْتَ،,"Then, when we reached the city gate, the finishing touch to our distress was that the gatekeeper said to us, ‘You must go with me to the governor of the city, that he may be informed of what you are doing and where you have come from.’"
فذهبت معه إليه فرأيته فاضلًا حسن الأخلاق،,"So I went with him to the governor, and found him to be an excellent man and of good disposition."
وسألني عن حالي وأنزلني وأقمت عنده ستة أيام لا قدرة لي فيها على النهوض على قدمي لما لحقها من الآلام،,"He asked me about myself and made me his guest, and I stayed with him for six days, during which I was powerless to rise to my feet because of the pains that they had sustained."
ومدينة قلهات على الساحل وهي حسنة الأسواق ولها مسجد من أحسن المساجد، حيطانه بالقشاني وهو شبه الزليج، وهو مرتفع يُنْظَر منه إلى البحر والمرسى وهو من عمارة الصالحة بيبي مريم، ومعنى بيبي عندهم الحرة،,"The city of Qalhat is on the seacoast; it has fine bazaars and one of the most beautiful mosques.” Its walls are tiled with qashdnt, which is like zalij, and it occupies a lofty situation from which it commands a view of the sea and the anchorage. It was built by the saintly woman Bib! Maryam, bibi meaning in their speech ‘noble lady’."
وأكلْتُ بهذه المدينة سمكًا لم آكُلْ مثله في إقليم من الأقاليم، وكُنْتُ أُفَضِّلُه على جميع اللحوم فلا آكل سواه،,I ate in this city fish such as I have never eaten in any other region; I preferred it to all kinds of flesh and used to eat nothing else.
وهم يشوونه على ورق الشجر ويجعلونه على الأرز ويأكلونه، والأرز يُجْلَب إليهم من أرض الهند،,"They broil it on the leaves of trees, place it on rice, and eat it [thus]; the rice is brought to them from India."
وهم أهل تجارة، ومعيشتهم مما يأتي إليهم في البحر الهندي،,"They are traders, and make a livelihood by what come to them on the Indian Sea."
وإذا وصل إليهم مركب فرحوا به أَشَدَّ الفرح.,"When a vessel arrives at their town, they show the greatest joy."
وكلامهم ليس بالفصيح مع أنهم عَرَبٌ، وكل كلمة يتكلمون بها يصلونها بلا فيقولون مثلًا: تأكل لا، تمشي لا، تفعل كذا لا،,"Their speech is incorrect although they are Arabs, and every sentence that they speak they follow up with Id [‘no’]. So, for example, they say ‘You eat, no; you walk, no; you do
 so-and-so, no.’"
وأكثرهم خوارج لكنهم لا يقدرون على إظهار مذهبهم لأنهم تحت طاعة السلطان قطب الدين تمهتن ملك هرمز وهو من أهل السنة،,"The majority of them are Kharijites, but they cannot make an open profession of their tenets because they are subject to the sultan Qufb al-Din Tamahtan, king of Hurmuz, who is a Sunni."
وبمقربة من قلهات قرية طيبي واسمها على نحو اسم الطيب إذا أضافه المتكلم لنفسه، وهي من أجمل القرى وأبدعها حُسْنًا، ذات أنهار جارية وأشجار ناضرة وبساتين كثيرة،,"In the vicinity of Qalhat is the village of Tibi, one of the loveliest of villages and most striking in beauty, with flowing streams and verdant trees and abundant orchards."
ومنها تُجْلَب الفواكه إلى قلهات وبها الموز المعروف بالمرواري، والمرواري بالفارسية هو الجوهري (المروار الجوهر) وهو كثير بها ويُجْلَب منها إلى هرمز وسواها،,"Fruits of various kinds are brought from it to Qalhat. There is there the banana called marwari, which in Persian means ‘pearly*; it grows plentifully there and is exported from it to Hurmuz and other places."
وبها أيضًا التنبول لكن ورقته صغيرة،,There is also the betel but it is small-leaved.
والتمر يُجْلَب إلى هذه الجهات من عمان،,Dried dates are imported into these parts from ‘Oman’.
ثم قصدنا بلاد عمان فسِرْنا ستة أيام في صحراء، ثم وَصَلْنا بلاد عمان في اليوم السابع وهي خصبة ذات أنهار وأشجار وبساتين وحدائق نخل وفاكهة كثيرة مختلفة الأجناس،,"We set out thereafter for the land of ‘Oman, and after travelling for six days through desert country we reached it on the seventh. It is fertile, with streams, trees, orchards, palm groves and abundant fruit of various kinds."
ووصلنا إلى قاعدة هذه البلاد وهي مدينة نزوا (وضبط اسمها بنون مفتوح وزاي مسكن وواو مفتوح)، مدينة في سفح جبل تَحُفُّ بها البساتين والأنهار، ولها أسواق حسنة ومساجد معظمة نقية،,"We came to the capital of this land, which is the city of Nazwa —a city at the foot of a mountain, enveloped by orchards and streams, and with fine bazaars and splendid clean mosques."
وعادة أهلها أنهم يأكلون في صحون المساجد، يأتي كل إنسان بما عنده ويجتمعون للأكل في صحن المسجد، ويأكل معهم الوارد والصادر،,"Its inhabitants make a practice of eating [meals] in the courts of the mosques, every man bringing what he has and all assembling together to eat in the mosque courtyard, and the wayfarers eat along with them."
ولهم نجدة وشجاعة والحرب قائمة فيما بينهم أبدًا،,"They are pugnacious and brave, and there is continual warfare among them."
وهم إباضية المذهب ويصلون الجمعة ظهرًا أربعًا، فإذا فرغوا منها قرأ الإمام آيات من القرآن ونثر كلامًا شبه الخطبة يرضى فيه عن أبي بكر وعمر ويسكت عن عثمان وعلي،,"They are Ibadls in rite, and they make the congregational prayer on Friday [an ordinary] noon prayer with four ‘bowings’; after they have finished these, the imam reads some verses from the Qur’an and delivers an address in prose, resembling the khutba, in the course of which he uses the formula ‘God be pleased with him’ in respect of Abu Bakr and ‘Omar, but makes no mention of ‘Othman and ‘Ali’."
وهم إذا أرادوا ذِكْر علي رضي الله عنه كَنَّوْا عنه فقالوا: ذُكِرَ عن الرجل أو قال الرجل، ويَرْضَوْن عن الشقي اللعين ابن ملجم ويقولون فيه: العبد الصالح قامع الفتنة، ونساؤهم يُكْثِرْن الفساد ولا غيرة عندهم ولا إنكار لذلك،,"These people, when they wish to speak of ‘Ali’ (God be pleased with him), allude to him [simply] as ‘the man’; thus they say ‘It is related of the man’ or ‘The man said’. [On the other hand] they use the formula ‘God be pleased with him’ of the accursed wretch Ibn Muljam, and refer to him as ‘the pious servant [of God], the suppressor of the sedition’. Their womenfolk are much given to corruption, and the men show no jealousy nor disapproval of such conduct."
وسنذكر حكاية إثر هذا مما يَشْهَدُ بذلك.,We shall relate an anecdote later on which bears witness to this.
ذِكْر سلطان عمان,Account of the Sultan of‘Oman.
وسلطانها عربي من قبيلة الأزد بن الغوث ويُعْرَف بأبي محمد بن نبهان،,"Its sultan is an Arab of the tribe of Azd b. al-Ghawth, and is called Abu Muhammad Ibn Nabhan."
وأبو محمد عندهم سمة لكل سلطان يلي عمان كما هي أتابك عن ملوك اللور،,"‘Abu Muhammad’ is among them an appellation given to every sultan who governs ‘Oman, just like the appellation ‘Atabek’ among the kings of the Lurs."
وعادته أن يجلس خارج باب داره في مجلس هنالك،,It is his custom to sit outside the gate of his residence in a place of audience there.
ولا حاجب له ولا وزير، ولا يمنع أحدًا من الدخول إليه من غريب أو غيره،,"He has no chamberlain nor vizier, and no one is hindered from appearing before him, whether stranger or any other."
ويُكْرِم الضيف على عادة العرب ويعين له الضيافة ويعطيه على قدره، وله أخلاق حسنة ويؤكل على مائدته لحم الحمار الإنسي ويباع بالسوق؛ لأنهم قائلون بتحليله، ولكنهم يخفون ذلك عن الوارد عليهم ولا يُظْهِرُونه بمحضره،,"He receives a guest honourably, after the custom of the Arabs, assigns him hospitality, and makes gifts to him according to his standing, and he is of excellent character. At his table there is eaten the flesh of the domestic ass, and it is also sold in the market, because they maintain that it is lawful for food, but they conceal the fact from one who comes to their country and do not produce it openly in his presence."
ومن مدن عمان مدينة زكي لم أَدْخُلْهَا، وهي على ما ذُكِرَ لي مدينة عظيمة ومنها القريات وشبا وكلبا وخور فكان وصحار، وكلها ذات أنهار وحدائق وأشجار ونخل،,"Among the cities of ‘Oman is the city of Zaki —I did not enter it, but according to what was told me it is a large city— and al-Qurayyat, Shaba, Kalba, Khawr Fakkan, and Suhar, all of them with streams, groves, and palm trees."
وأكثر هذه البلاد في عمالة هرمز.,Most of this country is under the government of Hurmuz.
حكاية,Anecdote.
كنت يومًا عند هذا السلطان أبي محمد بن نبهان فأتَتْه امرأة صغيرة السن حسنة الصورة بادية الوجه،,"One day I was in the presence of this sultan, Abu Muhammad Ibn Nabhan, when a woman came to him, young, pretty and with unveiled face."
فوقَفَتْ بين يديه وقالت له: يا أبا محمد طغى الشيطان في رأسي، فقال لها: اذهبي واطردي الشيطان، فقالت له: لا أستطيع وأنا في جوارك يا أبا محمد، فقال لها: اذهبي فافعلي ما شئت،,"She stood before him and said to him, ‘O Abu Muhammad, the devil is in revolt in my head.’ He said to her ‘Go and drive out the devil.’ She said ‘I cannot, and I am under your protection, O Abu Muhammad.’ Then he said to her ‘Go and do what you want.’"
فذكر لي لما انصرفت عنه أن هذه ومَنْ فَعَلَ مِثْلَ فِعْلِها تكون في جِوَارِ السلطان وتذهب للفساد,"I was told that this girl and anyone who does as she did are under the sultan’s protection, and engage in debauchery."
ولا يقدر أبوها ولا ذو قرابتها أن يغيروا عليها وإن قتلوها قُتِلُوا بها؛ لأنها في جِوَارِ السلطان،,"Neither her father nor any of her relatives can punish her, and if they kill her they are put to death in retaliation for her, because she is under the sultan’s protection."
ثم سافرت من بلاد عمان إلى بلاد هرمز،,I travelled next from the land of ‘Oman to the land of Hurmuz.
وهرمز مدينة على ساحل البحر وتسمى أيضًا موغ استان،,"Hurmuz is a city on the sea-coast, and is also called Mughistan."
وتقابلها في البحر هرمز الجديدة، وبينهما في البحر ثلاثة فراسخ،,"Opposite it in the sea is New Hurmuz, and between them is a sea passage of three farsakhs."
ووصلنا إلى هرمز الجديدة وهي جزيرة مدينتها تسمى جرون (بفتح الجيم والراء وآخرها نون)،,"We came to New Hurmuz, which is an island whose city is called Jarawn."
وهي مدينة حسنة كبيرة لها أسواق حافلة وهي مرسى الهند والسند ومنها تُحْمَل سلع الهند إلى العراقين وفارس وخراسان،,"It is a fine large city, with magnificent bazaars, as it is the port of India and Sind, from which the wares of India are exported to the two ‘Iraqs, Fars and Khurasan."
وهذه المدينة سكنى السلطان، والجزيرة التي فيها المدينة مسيرة يوم,"It is in this city that the sultan resides, and the island in which it is situated is a day’s march in size."
وأكثرها سباخ وجبال ملح وهو الملح الداراني ومنه يصنعون الأواني للزينة والمنارات التي يضعون السرج عليها،,"Most of it is salt marshes and hills of salt, namely the dardbi salt; from this they manufacture ornamental vessels and pedestals on which they place lamps."
وطعامهم السمك والتمر المجلوب إليهم من البصرة وعمان،,Their food is fish and dried dates exported to them from al-Basra and ‘Oman’.
ويقولون بلسانهم: خرما وما هي لوت بادشاهي، معناه بالعربي التمر والسمك طعام الملوك،,"They say in their tongue Khurmd wamahl lull padishdm, which means ‘Dates and fish are a royal dish’."
والماء في هذه الجزيرة له قيمة، وبها عيون ماء وصهاريج مصنوعة يجتمع فيها ماء المطر وهي على بُعْد من المدينة,"On this island water is an article of price; it has water-springs and artificial cisterns in which rain-water is collected, at some distance from the city."
ويأتون إليها بالقِرَب فيملئونها ويرفعونها على ظهورهم إلى البحر يوسقونها في القوارب ويأتون بها إلى المدينة،,"The inhabitants go there with waterskins, which they fill and carry on their backs to the sea [shore], load them on boats, and bring them to the city."
ورأيت من العجائب عند باب الجامع فيما بينه وبين السوق رأس سمكة كأنه رابية وعيناه كأنهما بابان، فترى الناس يدخلون من إحداهما ويخرجون من الأخرى.,"I saw a remarkable thing [there]—near the gate of the cathedral mosque, between it and the bazaar, the head of a fish as large as a hillock and with eyes like doors, and you would see persons going in by one eye and coming out by the other."
ولقيت بهذه المدينة الشيخ الصالح السائح أبا الحسن الأقصاراني وأصله من بلاد الروم، فأضافني وزارني وألْبَسَنِي ثوبًا,"I met in this city the pious shaikh and follower of the Sufi path Abu’l-Hasan al-Aqsaranl, from the land of al-Rum by origin, who received me hospitably, visited me, and presented me with a robe."
وأعطاني كمر الصحبة، وهو يحتبى به فيعين الجالس فيكون كأنه مستند،,"He gave me also the ‘girdle of companionship’, which is used for tying up the ends of one’s robes; it supports one who is sitting and serves as something to lean on."
وأكثر فقراء العجم يتقلدونه،,Most of the Persian poor brethren wear this girdle.
وعلى ستة أميال من هذه المدينة مزار يُنْسَب إلى الخضر وإلياس عليهما السلام،,At a distance of six miles from this city is a place of visitation called by the name of al-Khidr and Ilyas (on both of whom be peace).
يُذْكَر أنهما يصليان فيه وظهرت له بركات وبراهين،,"It is related that they used to pray there, and there have been obtained at it blessings and evidentiary miracles."
وهنالك زاوية يسكنها أحد المشايخ يخدم بها الوارد والصادر،,"There is at the same place a hospice inhabited by a shaikh, who maintains the service [of food] at it for wayfarers."
وأقمنا عنده يومًا وقصدنا من هنالك زيارة رجل صالح منقطع في آخر هذه الجزيرة قد نَحَتَ غارًا لسكناه فيه زاوية ومجلس ودار صغيرة له فيها جارية,"We stayed with him for a day, and from there went to visit a pious man who lives as a recluse at the end of this island. He has carved out for his habitation a cave, in which is a hermitage, a sitting-room, and a small chamber in which he keeps a slave-girl."
وله عبيد خارج الغار يرعون بقرًا له وغنمًا،,"He has slaves outside the cave, who tend cattle and sheep of his."
وكان هذا الرجل من كبار التجار، فحج البيت وقطع العلائق وانقطع هنالك للعبادة، ودَفَعَ ماله لرجل من إخوانه يتَّجِر له به،,"This man was one of the principal merchants, then he went on pilgrimage to the [Holy] House, renounced all attachments, and devoted himself to religious exercises at this spot, having transferred his wealth to one of his brethem to use in trading for him."
وبتنا عنده ليلة فأحسن القرى وأجمل رضي الله تعالى عنه وسيمة الخير والعبادة لائحة عليه.,"We spent one night with him, when he treated us with exceeding hospitality (God be pleased with him), and the marks of goodness and of pious exercises were plainly visible on him."
ذكر سلطان هرمز,Account of the Sultan of Hurmuz.
وهو السلطان قطب الدين تمهتن بن طوران شاه (وضبط اسمه بفتح التاءين المعلوتين وبينهما ميم مفتوح وهاء مسكنة وآخره نون)، وهو من كرماء السلاطين,"He is the sultan Qutb al-Din Tamahtan [Tahamtan] b. Turan-Shah, one of the
most generous of princes, exceedingly humble, and of excellent character."
كثير التواضع حسن الأخلاق، وعادته أن يأتي لزيارة كلِّ من يقدم عليه من فقيه أو صالح أو شريف ويقوم بحقه،,"It is his custom to visit in person every jurist or pious man or sharif who comes to his court, and to give to each one his due."
ولما دخلنا جزيرته وجدناه مُهَيَّأ للحرب مشغولًا بها مع ابني أخيه نظام الدين، فكان في كل ليلة يتيسر للقتال،,"When we entered his island, we found him occupied in preparations for war with the sons of his brother Nizam al-Din, and on every night he would make ready for battle."
والغلاء مستولٍ على الجزيرة، فأتى إلينا وزيره شمس الدين محمد بن علي وقاضيه عماد الدين الشونكاري وجماعة من الفضلاء، فاعتذروا بما هم عليه من مباشرة الحرب،,"Meanwhile the island was in the grip of famine. We were met by his vizier, Shams al-Din Muhammad b. ‘All, his qadi ‘Imad al-Din al-Shawankari, and a number of distinguished persons, who presented their excuses on the ground of their present situation of engagement in war."
وأقمنا عندهم ستة عشر يومًا، فلما أَرَدْنَا الانصراف قلت لبعض الأصحاب: كيف ننصرف ولا نرى هذا السلطان؟ فجئنا دار الوزير وكانت في جِوَارِ الزاوية التي نزلت بها، فقلت له: إني أريد السلام على الملك، فقال: باسم الله، وأخذ بيدي فذهب بي إلى داره وهي على ساحل البحر والأجفان مجلسة عندها،,"We stayed with them for sixteen days, and when we were about to leave I said to one of my associates ‘How can we go away without seeing this sultan?’ So we went to the vizier’s residence, which was in the neighbourhood of the hospice where I lodged, and I said to him ‘I wish to salute the king.’ He replied ‘In the name of God,’ took me by the hand and went with me to his residence, which was on the shore, with ships of war drawn up on the beach beside it."
فإذا شيخ عليه أقبية ضيقة دنسة وعلى رأسه عمامة وهو مشدود الوسط بمنديل، فسلم عليه الوزير وسَلَّمْتُ عليه ولم أَعْرِفْ أنه الملك،,"And lo and behold, [there was] an old man, wearing long cloaks, both skimpy and dirty, with a turban on his head, and a kerchief for a waist girdle; the vizier saluted him and I saluted him too, not knowing that he was the king."
وكان إلى جانبه ابن أخته وهو علي شاه بن جلال الدين الكيجي، وكانت بيني وبينه معرفة، فأنشأت أحادثه وأنا لا أعرف المَلِكَ،,"At his side was his sister’s son, ‘All Shah b. Jalal al-Din al-Kiji, with whom I was already acquainted, so I began to converse with him, not knowing the king."
فعَرَّفَني الوزير بذلك فخجلت منه لإقبالي بالحديث على ابن أخته دونه واعتذرت إليه،,"When the vizier informed me of the fact, I was covered with confusion before him, because of addressing my conversation to his sister’s son instead of to him, and I made my excuses to him."
ثم قام فدخل داره وتَبِعَهُ الأمراء والوزراء وأرباب الدولة،,"The king then rose and went into his residence, followed by the amirs, viziers, and officers of state;"
ودخلت مع الوزير فوجدناه قاعدًا على سرير مُلْكِه وثيابُه عليه لم يبدلها، وفي يده سبحة جوهر لم تَرَ العيون مثلها؛ لأن مغاصات الجوهر تحت حكمه،,"I entered along with the vizier and we found him sitting on his throne, wearing the same clothes without any change, and with a rosary in his hand made of pearls such as eyes have never seen, because the pearl fisheries are under his authority."
فجلس أحد الأمراء إلى جانبه وجلسْتُ إلى جانب ذلك الأمير،,"One of the amirs sat down at his side, and I sat down at the side of that amir."
وسألني عن حالي ومقدمي وعمن لقيته من الملوك، فأخبرته بذلك،,"The king asked me about myself and my arrival, and about the kings that I had met, and I answered him on these matters."
وحضر الطعامُ فأكل الحاضرون ولم يأكل معهم، ثم قام فوادعته وانصرفت.,"Food was served, and those present ate, but he did not eat with them; after a time he rose and I said farewell to him and went away."
وسبب الحرب التي بينه وبين ابني أخيه أنه رَكِبَ البحر مرة من مدينته الجديدة برسم النزهة في هرمز القديمة وبساتينها، وبينهما في البحر ثلاثة فراسخ كما قدمناه،,"The reason for the war between him and his brother’s sons is that once upon a time he sailed from his new city for a pleasure outing in Old Hurmuz and its gardens, the distance between them by sea being three farsakhs, as we have already mentioned."
فخالف عليه أخوه نظام الدين ودعا لنفسه، وبايَعَهُ أهل الجزيرة وبايعَتْهُ العساكر،,"His brother Nizam al-Din revolted against him and proclaimed himself king, and the people of the island, as well as the troops, gave him their oath of allegiance."
فخاف قطب الدين على نفسه وركب البحر إلى مدينة قلهات التي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُها، وهي من جملة بلاده، فأقام بها شهورًا وجهز المراكب وأتى الجزيرة فقاتَلَهُ أهلها مع أخيه وهزموه وعاد إلى قلهات، وفَعَلَ ذلك مرارًا فلم تكن له حيلة إلا أن راسل بعض نساء أخيه فسَمَّتْه ومات،,"Qutb al-Din, fearing for his life, sailed to the city of Qalhat (which has been mentioned above, and is included in his dominions); he stayed there for some months, equipped ships, and came to the island, but its people fought against him on his brother’s side and put him to flight. He returned to Qalhat and renewed his attack several times, but could find no stratagem [to succeed] until he sent an emissary to one of his brother’s wives, whereupon she poisoned his brother and he died."
وأتى هو إلى الجزيرة فدخلها وفَرَّ ابنا أخيه بالخزائن والأموال والعساكر إلى جزيرة قيس حيث مغاص الجوهر،,"He now came to the island and entered it, while his brother’s sons fled with the treasuries, moneys and troops to the island of Qais, where the pearl fisheries are."
وصاروا يقطعون الطريق على من يقصد الجزيرة من أهل الهند والسند، ويُغِيرون على بلاده البحرية حتى تخرب معظمها،,"They set about inter-cepting the merchants of India and Sind who were making for the island and raiding his coastal territories, with the result that the greater part of them have been devastated."
ثم سافرنا من مدينة جرون برسم لقاء رجل صالح ببلد خنج بال،,We travelled next from the city of Jarawn with the object of visiting a saintly man in the town of Khunju Pal.
فلما عدينا البحر اكترينا دواب من التركمان وهم سكان تلك البلاد ولا يسافر فيها إلا معهم لشجاعتهم ومعرفتهم بالطرق،,"After crossing the strait, we hired mounts from the Turkmens; they are the inhabitants of that country, and no travelling can be done through it except in their company, because of their bravery and knowledge of the roads."
وفيها صحراء مسيرة أربع يقطع بها الطريق لصوص الأعراب وتهب فيها ريح السموم في شهري تموز وحزيران فمن صادفته فيها قتلته، ولقد ذُكِرَ لي أن الرجل إذا قَتَلَتْه تلك الريح وأراد أصحابه غسله ينفصل كل عضو منه عن سائر الأعضاء،,"In these parts there is a desert extending over four nights’ journey, which is the haunt of Arab brigands and in which the samum wind blows up in the two months of June and July. All those whom it overtakes there it kills; indeed, I was told that when a man is killed by that wind and his friends attempt to wash him [for burial] all his limbs fall apart."
وبها قبور كثيرة للذين ماتوا فيها بهذه الريح،,There are many graves in it of those who have succumbed there in this wind.
وكنا نسافر فيها بالليل، فإذا طلعت الشمس نزلنا تحت ظلال الأشجار من أم غيلان ونرحل بعد العصر إلى طلوع الشمس،,"We used to travel by night, and when the sun rose we would halt in the shade of the Umm Ghailan trees, resuming our journey in the late afternoon [and going on] until sunrise."
وفي هذه الصحراء وما والاها كان يقطع الطريق بها جمال اللك (اللوك) الشهير الاسم هنالك.,"It was in this desert and the adjoining regions that Jamal al-Luk, whose name is famous in those parts, used to hold up travellers."
حكاية,Anecdote.
كان جمال اللك من أهل سجستان أعجمي الأصل (واللك بضم اللام) معناه الأقطع، وكانت يده قُطِعَتْ في بعض حروبه،,"Jamal al-Luk was a man of Sijistan, of Persian
 origin; al-Luk means ‘having a hand cut off’, his hand having been cut off in one of his battles."
وكانت له جماعة كثيرة من فرسان الأعراب والأعاجم يقطع بهم الطرق،,"He had under him a large band of Arab and Persian horsemen, with whom he engaged in highway robbery."
وكان يبني الزوايا ويطعم الوارد والصادر من الأموال التي يسلبها من الناس، ويقال: إنه كان يدعو أن لا يُسَلَّطَ إلا على من لا يزكي ماله،,"He would build hospices and supply food to wayfarers with the money that he robbed from people, and he is said to have claimed that he never employed violence except against those who did not give tithes on their property in alms."
وأقام على ذلك دهرًا وكان يُغِير هو وفرسانه ويسلكون براري لا يَعْرِفها سواهم ويَدْفِنُون بها قِرَب الماء ورواياه، فإذا تَبِعَهُم عسكر السلطان دخلوا الصحراء واستخرجوا المياه، ويرجع العسكر عنهم خوفًا من الهلاك.,"He continued in this way for a considerable time, he and his horsemen making raids, crossing wildernesses unknown to others and burying in them large and small waterskins, so that when they were pursued by the sultan’s troops they would make off into the desert and dig out the water [they had stored], while the troops would give up pursuit of them for fear of perishing."
وأقام على هذه الحالة مدة لا يقدر عليه ملك العراق ولا غيره، ثم تاب وتَعَبَّدَ حتى مات، وقبره يزار ببلده،,"He persisted in this conduct for a time, while neither the king of al-‘Iraq nor any other could do anything against him; but afterwards he repented and gave himself up to religious devotions until his death, and his grave is a place of visitation in his country."
وسلكنا هذه الصحراء إلى أن وصلنا إلى كوراستان (وضبط اسمه بفتح الكاف وإسكان الواو وراء)، وهو بلد صغير فيه الأنهار والبساتين وهو شديد الحر،,"We travelled through this desert until we came to Kawristan, a small town with running streams and gardens, and extremely hot."
ثم سرنا منه ثلاثة أيام في صحراء مثل التي تَقَدَّمَتْ ووصلنا إلى مدينة لار (وآخر اسمها راء)، مدينة كبيرة كثيرة العيون والمياه المطردة والبساتين، ولها أسواق حسان،,"From there we continued our march for three days through [another] desert like the former, and came to the city of Lar, a large city with many springs and perennial streams and gardens, and with fine bazaars."
ونزلنا منها بزاوية الشيخ العابد أبي دلف محمد، وهو الذي قصدْنا زيارته بخنج بال،,We stayed there in the hospice of the ascetic shaikh Abu Dulaf Muhammad —he was the person that we had in mind to visit at Khunju Pal.
وبهذه الزاوية ولده أبو زيد عبد الرحمن ومعه جماعة من الفقراء،,"In this hospice was his son Abu Zaid ‘Abd al-Rahman, and along with him a company of poor brethren."
ومن عادتهم أنه يجتمعون بالزاوية بعد صلاة العصر من كل يوم، ثم يطوفون على دور المدينة فيعطاهم من كل دار الرغيف والرغيفان فيُطْعِمون منها الوارد والصادر،,"It is part of their regular practice to assemble in the hospice after the afternoon prayer every day, and then make a circuit of the houses in the city; at each house they are given one or two loaves, and from these they provide food for wayfarers."
وأهل الدور قد ألفوا ذلك فهُم يجعلونه في جملة قوتهم ويعدونه لهم إعانة على إطعام الطعام،,"The householders are used to this practice, and include [the extra loaves] in their [daily] provision in readiness for the faqirs, as a contribution to their distribution of food."
وفي كل ليلة جمعة يجتمع بهذه الزاوية فقراء المدينة وصلحاؤها ويأتي كل منهم بما تيسر له من الدراهم فيجمعونها وينفقونها تلك الليلة،,"On the eve of every Friday the poor brethren and devout men of the city assemble in this hospice, each bringing as many dirhams as he can afford, and they put them together and spend them the same night."
ويبيتون في عبادة من الصلاة والذكر والتلاوة، وينصرفون بعد صلاة الصبح.,"They then pass the night in religious exercises, including prayers and recitation of the dhikr and of the Qur’an, and disperse after the dawn prayer."
ذكر سلطان لار,Account of the Sultan of Lar.
وبهذه المدينة سلطان يسمى بجلال الدين تركماني الأصل،,"In this city is a sultan named Jalal al-DJn, a Turkmen by origin."
بعث إلينا بضيافة ولم نجتمع به ولا رأيناه ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة خنج بال (وضبط اسمها بضم الخاء المعجم وقد يعوض منه هاء، وإسكان النون وضم الجيم وباء معقودة وألف ولام)، وبها سكنى الشيخ أبي دلف الذي قصدْنا زيارته وبزاويته نزلنا،,"He sent us a hospitality gift but we did not meet him nor see him. We went on next to the city of Khunju Pal (sometimes pronounced Hunju Pal), in which is the residence of the shaikh Abu Dulaf, whom we had set out to visit, and in whose hospice we lodged."
ولما دخلت الزاوية رأيته قاعدًا بناحية منها على التراب وعليه جبة صوف خضراء بالية وعلى رأسه عمامة صوف سوداء،,"When I entered the hospice, I saw him sitting in a corner of it on the bare earth, and wearing a dilapidated green woollen tunic, with a black woollen turban on his head."
فسلَّمْتُ عليه فأحسن الرد وسألني عن مَقْدِمي وبلادي وأنزلني،,"When I saluted him, he warmly returned my salutation, asked me about my arrival and my country, and assigned me a lodging."
وكان يبعث إليَّ الطعام والفاكهة مع ولد له من الصالحين كثير الخشوع والتواضع صائم الدهر كثير الصلاة؛,"He used to send me food and fruit by a son of his, himself a pious devotee, exceedingly modest and humble, who fasted continuously and was assiduous in prayer."
ولهذا الشيخ أبي دلف شأن عجيب وأمر غريب، فإن نفقته في هذه الزاوية عظيمة وهو يعطي العطاء الجزيل ويكسو الناس ويُرْكِبهم الخيل ويُحْسِن لكل وارد وصادر، ولم أَرَ في تلك البلاد مِثْلَه ولا يُعْلَم له جهة إلا ما يصله من الإخوان والأصحاب،,"This shaikh Abu Dulaf is a man of remarkable character and strange ways, for his outlay in this hospice is very large; he makes immense gifts, gives presents of garments and horses to [many] persons, is generous to every wayfarer, and I saw none to compare with him in that country; yet he is not known to possess any income except what comes to him as gifts from brethren and associates."
حتى زعم كثير من الناس أنه يُنْفِق من الكون.,"Many persons, consequently, assert that he is able to draw on the resources of creation."
وفي زاويته المذكورة قبر الشيخ الولي الصالح القطب دانيال، وله اسم بتلك البلاد شهير وشأن في الولاية كبير،,"In this hospice of his is the tomb of the shaikh, the pious saint and pole Daniyal, whose name is widely famed in that country, and of great eminence in sainthood."
وعلى قبره قبة عظيمة بناها السلطان قطب الدين تمهتن بن طوران شاه،,"Over his tomb is a vast cupola, built by the sultan Qutb al-Dln Tamahtan [Tahamtan] b. Turan-Shah."
وأقمت عند الشيخ أبي دلف يومًا واحدًا لاستعجال الرفقة التي كنت في صُحْبَتها،,"I stayed with the shaikh Abu Dulaf only one day, on account of the urgency of the caravan in whose company I was travelling to press on."
وسمعت أن بالمدينة خنج بال المذكورة زاوية فيها جملة من الصالحين المتعبدين، فرُحْتُ إليها بالعشي وسلمت على شيخهم وعليهم،,"I heard that in this city of Khunju Pal there was a hospice in which there were a number of pious devotees, so I went to it in the evening and saluted their shaikh and them."
ورأيت جماعة مباركة قد أَثَّرَتْ فيهم العبادة فهم صُفر الألوان نحاف الجسوم كثيرو البكاء غزيرو الدموع،,"[In them] I found a blessed company upon whom assiduous devotions had left their mark, for they were pale in colour, lean in body, much given to weeping and profuse in tears."
وعند وصولي إليهم أتوا بالطعام فقال كبيرهم: ادعوا لي ولدي محمدًا، وكان معتزلًا في بعض نواحي الزاوية,"When I arrived among them they brought food, and their chief said ‘Call my son Muhammad to me,’ as he was engaged in solitary exercises in some part of the hospice."
، فجاء إلينا الولد وهو كأنما خرج من قبر مما نهكته العبادة فسلم وقعد,"So the boy came to us, and he was as though he had come out of a tomb, so emaciated was he by his devotions."
فقال له أبوه: يا بني شارك هؤلاء الواردين في الأكل تَنَلْ من بركاتهم، وكان صائمًا فأفطر معنا،,"He said a greeting and sat down, then his father said to him ‘My son, join these newcomers in the meal and you will gain the advantage of their blessings,’ and although he was fasting at the time he broke his fast with us."
وهم شافعية المذهب، فلما فَرَغْنا من أكل الطعام دعوا لنا وانصرفنا،,"They are Shafi’ites in rite, and when we had finished eating they pronounced a blessing on us and we went away."
ثم سافرنا منها إلى مدينة قيس وتسمى أيضًا سيراف،,"We travelled on from there to the city of Qais, also called Slraf."
وهي على ساحل بحر الهند المتصل ببحر اليمن وفارس وعدادها في كور فارس،,"It is on the coast of the Indian Sea, which connects with the sea of al-Yaman and [that of] Fars, and it is reckoned as one of the districts of Fars."
مدينة لها انفساح وسعة طيبة البقعة في دورها بساتين عجيبة فيها الرياحين والأشجار الناضرة,"[It is] a city of wide extent, commodious, in a rich country-side, and with wonderful gardens of scented herbs and leafy trees amongst its houses."
وشرب أهلها من عيون منبعثة من جبالها، وهم عجم من الفرس أشراف، وفيهم طائفة من عرب بني سفاف،,"Its people draw their water from springs that gush out from its hills; they are Persians of noble stock, and among them is a body of Arabs of the Banu Saffaf."
وهم الذين يغوصون على الجوهر.,It is these latter who dive for pearls.
ذكر مغاص الجوهر,Account of the Pearl Fishery.
ومغاص الجوهر فيما بين سيراف والبحرين في خور راكد مثل الوادي العظيم،,"The pearl fishery is situated between Slraf and al-Bahrain, in a calm channel like a great river."
فإذا كان شهر إبريل وشهر مايو تأتي إليه القوارب الكثيرة فيها الغواصون وتجار فارس والبحرين والقطيف،,"When the month of April and the month of May come round, large numbers of boats come to this place with divers and merchants of Fars, al-Bahrain and al-Qutaif."
ويجعل الغواص على وجهه مهما أراد أن يغوص شيئًا يكسوه من عظم الغيلم وهي السلحفاة، ويصنع من هذا العظم أيضًا شكلًا شبه المقراض يشده على أنفه ثم يربط حبلًا في وسطه ويغوص،,"The diver, when he makes ready to dive, puts over his face a covering made of the shell of the ghailam, that is the tortoise, and makes of this same shell a sort of thing like scissors which he fastens on his nose, then ties a rope round his waist and submerges."
ويتفاوتون في الصبر في الماء، فمنهم من يصبر الساعة والساعتين فما دون ذلك،,"They differ in their endurance under water, some of them being able to stay under water for an hour or two hours or less."
فإذا وصل إلى قعر البحر يجد الصدف هنالك فيما بين الأحجار الصغار مثبتًا في الرمل فيقتلعه بيده أو يقطعه بحديدة عنده معَدَّة لذلك، ويجعلها في مخلاة جلد منوطة بعنقه،,"When the diver reaches the bottom of the sea he finds the shells there, stuck in the sand among small stones, and pulls them out by hand or cuts them loose with a knife that he has for that purpose, and puts them in a leather bag slung round his neck."
فإذا ضاق نَفَسه حرك الحبل فيحس به الرجل الممسك للحبل على الساحل فيرفعه إلى القارب فتؤخذ منه المخلاة ويفتح الصدف فيوجد في أجوافها قِطَع لحم تُقْطَع بحديدة، فإذا باشرت الهواء جمدت فصارت جواهر فيجمع جميعها من صغير وكبير،,"When his breath becomes restricted he pulls on the rope, and the man who is holding the rope on the shore feels the movement and pulls him up to the boat. The bag is then taken from him and the shells are opened. Inside them are found pieces of flesh which are cut out with a knife, and when they come into contact with the air they solidify and turn into pearls. All of these are collected, whether small or large;"
فيأخذ السلطان خُمُسَه والباقي يشتريه التجار الحاضرون بتلك القوارب،,the sultan takes his fifth and the remainder are bought by the merchants who are there in the boats.
وأكثرهم يكون له الدَّيْن على الغواصين فيأخذ الجوهر في دينه أو ما وجب له منه.,"Most of them are creditors of the divers, and they take the pearls in quittance of their debts, or so much of them as is their due."
ثم سافرنا من سيراف إلى مدينة البحرين وهي مدينة كبيرة حسنة ذات بساتين وأشجار وأنهار،,"We then travelled from Slraf to the city of al-Bahrain, a fine large city with gardens, trees and streams."
وماؤها قريب المؤنة يحفر عليه بالأيدي فيوجد،,Water is easy to get at there—one digs with one’s hands [in the sand] and there it is.
وبها حدائق النخل والرمان والأترج ويُزْرَع بها القطن،,"The city has groves of date-palms, pomegranates, and citrons, and cotton is grown there."
وهي شديدة الحر كثيرة الرمال وربما غلب الرمل على بعض منازلها,"It is exceedingly hot there and very sandy, and the sand often encroaches on some of its dwellings."
وكان فيما بينها وبين عمان طريق استولت عليه الرمال وانقطع فلا يوصل من عمان إليها إلا في البحر،,"There was formerly a road between alBahrain and ‘Oman, which has been overwhelmed by the sands and become impassable, so that the city cannot be reached from ‘Oman except by sea."
وبالقرب منها جبلان عظيمان يسمى أحدهما بكسير وهو في غربيها ويسمى الآخر بعوير وهو في شرقيها،,"In its vicinity are two large hills, one of which is called Kusair, which lies to the west of it, and the other called ‘Owair, which is to the east of it."
وبهما ضُرِبَ المثل فقيل كسير وعوير وكل غير خير،,"There is a proverbial saying derived from them, ‘Kusair and ‘Owair, and either is no good’."
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة القطيف (وضبط اسمها بضم القاف) كأنه تصغير قطف، وهي مدينة كبيرة حسنة ذات نخل كثير يسكنها طوائف العرب، وهم رافضية غلاة يظهرون الرفض جهارًا لا يتقون أحدًا،,"We then travelled to the city of al-Qutaif, a fine large city with many date-palms, inhabited by different clans of Arabs who are extremist Rafidis, and display their recusant heresy openly, without fear of anyone."
ويقول مؤذنهم في أذانه بعد الشهادتين: أشهد أن عليًّا ولي الله، ويزيد بعد الحيعلتين: حي على خير العمل،,"Their mu’adhdhin says in his call to prayer, after the two words of witness, ‘I witness that ‘All is the friend of God’, and after the two bidding formulas [‘Come to prayer, come to salvation’] he adds ‘Come to the best of works.’"
ويزيد بعد التكبير الأخير: محمد وعلي خير البشر من خالفهما فقد كفر،,He also adds after the final takbir [‘God is most great’] ‘Muhammad and ‘All are the best of mankind; whoso opposes them has become an infidel.’
ثم سافرنا منها إلى مدينة هجر وتسمى الآن بالحسا (بفتح الحاء والسين وإهمالها)، وهي التي يُضْرَب المثل بها فيقال: كجالب التمر إلى هجر، وبها من النخيل ما ليس ببلد سواها ومنه يعلفون دوابهم،,"We went on from there to the city of Hajar, which is now called al-Hasa. This is the place which has become proverbial in the saying ‘Like the carrier of dates to Hajar’, since there are such quantities of date-palms there as are not to be found in any other place, and they even feed their beasts on them."
وأهلها عرب وأكثرهم من قبيلة عبد القيس بن أفصى،,"Its population are Arabs, mostly of the tribe of ‘Abd al-Qais b. Afsa."
ثم سافرنا منها إلى مدينة اليمامة وتُسَمَّى أيضًا بحجر (بفتح الحاء المهمل وإسكان الجيم)، مدينة حسنة خصبة ذات أنهار وأشجار يسكنها طوائف من العرب أكثرهم من بني حنيفة وهي بلدهم قديمًا وأميرهم طفيل بن غانم،,"From there we travelled next to the city of al-Yamama, also called Hajr, a fine and fertile city with running streams and trees, inhabited by different clans of Arabs, most of whom are of the Banu Hanlfa, this being their land from of old. Their amir is Tufail b. Ghanim."
وحج في تلك السنة الملك الناصر سلطان مصر رحمه الله وجملة من أمرائه،,"In this same year al-Malik al-Nasir, sultan of Egypt (God’s mercy on him), came on pilgrimage with a number of his amirs."
وهي آخر حجة حجها، وأجزل الإحسان لأهل الحرمين الشريفين وللمجاورين،,"This was the last Pilgrimage that he made, and he lavished largesse on the inhabitants and sojourners in the two noble sanctuaries [Mecca and al-Madlna]."
وفيها قُتِلَ الملك الناصر أمير أحمد الذي يُذْكَر أنه ولده، وقُتِلَ أيضًا كبير أمرائه بكتمور الساقي.,"In this year also al-Malik al-Nasir put to death Amir Ahmad, who is said to have been his son, as well as the chief of his amirs, Baktumur the cupbearer."
حكاية,Anecdote.
ذُكِرَ أن الملك الناصر وهب لبكتمور الساقي جارية،,It was said that al-Malik al-Nasir made a present of a slave-girl to Baktumur the cupbearer.
فلما أراد الدنو منها قالت له: إني حامل من الملك الناصر، فاعتزلها وولدت ولدًا سماه بأمير أحمد ونشأ في حجره فظهرت نجابته واشتهر بابن الملك الناصر،,"When he was about to approach her she said to him ‘I am pregnant by al-Malik al-Nasir,’ so he kept away from her and she bore a son whom he called Amir Ahmad The boy grew up under his care, gave evident signs of his noble origin, and was widely known as al-Malik al-Nasir’s son."
فلما كان في هذه الحجة تعاهدا على الفتك بالملك الناصر وأن يتولى أمير أحمد الملك،,"In the course of this pilgrimage, these two made a compact to assassinate al-Malik al-Nasir, and that Amir Ahmad should succeed to the throne."
وحمل بكتمور معه العلامات والطبول والكسوات والأموال،,"Baktumur carried with him standards, drums, [official] robes and quantities of money."
فنمى الخبر إلى الملك الناصر، فبعث إلى أمير أحمد في يوم شديد الحر فدخل عليه وبين يديه أقداح الشرب، فشرب الملك الناصر قدحًا وناول أمير أحمد قدحًا ثانيًا فيه السم فشربه،,"The report was divulged to alMalik al-Nasir, who sent for Amir Ahmad on a very hot day; when he came into the king’s presence there were some goblets with drinks before him, and al-Malik al-Nasir drank one goblet and handed Amir Ahmad another goblet, which was poisoned."
وأمر بالرسيل في تلك الساعة ليشغل الوقت، فرحل الناس ولم يبلغوا المنزل حتى مات أمير أحمد,"As soon as he had drunk it, the king gave orders for departure, to occupy the time, so the cortege set out and before they reached the next station Amir Ahmad was dead."
فاكترث بكتمور لموته وقطع أثوابه وامتنع من الطعام والشراب وبلغ خبره إلى الملك الناصر فأتاه بنفسه ولاطفه وسلاه، وأخذ قدحًا فيه سم فناوله إياه وقال له: بحياتي عليك إلا شربْتَ فبردتْ نار قلبك،,"Baktumur was greatly perturbed by his death, rent his garments, and abstained from food and drink. The report of this was brought to al-Malik al-Nasir, who came to him in person, spoke kindly to him, and condoled with him, then took a goblet which had been poisoned, handed it to him and said to him ‘I adjure you by my life to drink and cool the fire
 in your heart.’"
فشربه ومات من حينه، ووجد عنده خلع السلطنة والأموال، فتحقق ما نسب إليه من الفتك بالملك الناصر،,"So he drank it and died on the spot, and there were found in his possession royal robes of honour and stores of money, and thus there was verified the intention with which he was credited of assassinating al-Malik al-Nasir"
ولما انقضى الحج توجهْتُ إلى جدة برسوم ركوب البحر إلى اليمن والهند فلم يُقْضَ لي ذلك ولا تأتى لي رفيق، وأقمت بجدة نحو أربعين يومًا,"WHEN the Pilgrimage ended, I went to Judda, with the intention of sailing to al-Yaman and India. But that was not decreed for me; I was unable to find a companion and I stayed in Judda about forty days."
وكان بها مركب لرجل يُعْرَف بعبد الله التونسي يروم السفر إلى القصير من عمالة قوص، فصعدت إليه لأنظر حاله فلم يرضني ولا طابت نفسي بالسفر فيه،,"There was a ship there belonging to a man called ‘Abdallah alTunisi, who was intending to go to al-Qusair, in the government of Qus, so I boarded it to see what state it was in, but it did not please me and I disliked the idea of travelling by it."
وكان ذلك لطفًا من الله تعالى، فإنه سافر فلما توسط البحر غرق بموضع يقال له: رأس أبي محمد،,"This was an act of providence of God Most High, for the ship sailed and when it was in the open sea it foundered at a place called Ra’s Abu Muhammad."
فخرج صاحبه وبعض التجار في العشارى بعد جهد عظيم، وأشرفوا على الهلاك وهلك بعضهم وغرق سائر الناس، وكان فيه نحو سبعين من الحجاج.,"Its master and some merchants escaped in a ship’s boat after severe distress and were on the point of death; [even] some of these perished, and all the rest were drowned, including about seventy of the pilgrims who were on it."
ثم ركبت البحر بعد ذلك في صنبوق برسم عيذاب فردَّتْنا الريح إلى مرسًى يُعْرَف برأس دواير، وسافرنا منه في البر مع البجاة,"Some time later I sailed in a sumbuq for ‘Aidhab but the wind drove us back to a roadstead called Ra’s Dawa’ir, and from there we travelled by land with the Bujah."
فسلكنا صحراء كثيرة النعام والغزلان، فيها عرب جهينة وبني كاهل وطاعتهم للبجاة، ووردنا ماء يُعْرَف بمفرور وماء يُعْرَف بالجديد،,"We made our way through a desert full of ostriches and gazelles an inhabited by Arabs of Juhaina and Banu Kahil, who arc subject to the Bujah, and reached a waterpoint called Mafrur and another called al-Jadid."
ونفد زادنا فاشترينا من قوم من البجاة وجدناهم بالفلاة أغنامًا وتزودنا لحومها،,"Since our provisions were exhausted we purchased sheep from some of the Bujah whom we found in the wilderness, and prepared a store of their flesh."
ورأيت بهذه الفلاة صبيًّا من العرب كلمني باللسان العربي وأخبرني أن البجاة أَسَرُوه وزعم أنه منذ عام لم يأكل طعامًا إنما يقتات بلبن الإبل،,I saw in this wilderness an Arab boy who spoke to me in Arabic and told me that the Bujah had captured him; he declared that for a whole year he had eaten no meat and had had no other food than camel’s milk.
ونفد لنا بعد ذلك اللحم الذي اشتريناه ولم يَبْقَ لنا زاد وكان عندي نحو حمل من التمر الصيحاني والبرني برسم الهدية لأصحابي ففرَّقْتُه على الرفقة وتزودناه ثلاثًا،,"Later on that meat that we had bought ran out on us and we had no provisions left. But I had with me about a load of dried dates [of the kinds called] saihanl and barm, intended as presents to my friends, so I distributed them to the company and we lived on them for three nights’ journey."
وبعد مسيرة تسعة أيام من رأس دواير وصلنا إلى عيذاب،,After a passage of nine days from Ra’s Dawa’ir we reached ‘ Aidhab.
وكان قد تَقَدَّمَ إليها بعض الرفقة فتلقانا أهلها بالخبز والتمر والماء،,"Some members of the caravan had gone ahead to it, and [on their indications] its people came out to meet us with bread, dates, and water."
وأقمنا بها أيامًا واكترينا الجمال وخرجنا صحبة طائفة من عرب دغيم,"We stayed there for some days, and having hired camels went out in company with a party of Arabs of Dughaim."
ووردنا ماء يُعْرَف بالجنيب، ولعله «الخبيب» وحللنا بحميثرا حيث قبر ولي الله تعالى أبي الحسن الشاذلي، وحصلتْ لنا زيارته ثانية وبِتْنا في جواره.,"After watering at a place called alKhubaib, we halted at Humaithira, the site of the grave of the saint of God Most High, Abu’l-Hasan al-Shadhill, being granted thus the favour of visiting it a second time, and sojourned for the night at his sanctuary."
ثم وصلنا إلى قرية العطواني وهي على ضفة النيل مقابلة لمدينة أدفو من الصعيد الأعلى,"Thereafter we reached the village of al-Atwani, which is on the bank of the Nile opposite the city of Adfu in the upper Sa’id."
وأجزنا النيل إلى مدينة إسنا ثم إلى مدينة أرمنت ثم إلى الأقصر، وزرنا الشيخ أبا الحجاج الأقصري ثانية، ثم إلى مدينة قوص ثم إلى مدينة قنا وزرنا الشيخ عبد الرحيم القناوي ثانية، ثم إلى مدينة هو، ثم إلى أخميم، ثم إلى مدينة أسيوط ثم إلى مدينة منفلوط، ثم إلى مدينة منلوي، ثم إلى مدينة الأشمونين ثم إلى مدينة منية ابن الخصيب، ثم إلى مدينة البهنسة ثم إلى مدينة بوش ثم إلى مدينة منية القائد، وقد تَقَدَّمَ لنا ذِكْر هذه البلاد،,"We crossed the Nile to the city of Asna, thence to the city of Armant, then to al-Aqsur, where we visited the [tomb of the] shaikh Abu’l-Hajjaj al-Aqsuri for the second time, thence to the city of Qus, thence to the city of Qina, where we visited [the tomb of] shaikh ‘Abd al-Rahim al-Qinawi a second time, thence in succession to the cities of Hu, Akhmim, Asyut, Manfalut, Manlawl, Ushmunain, Munyat al-Qa’id, all of which cities have been previously described by us."
ثم إلى مصر وأقمت بها أيامًا وسافرت على طريق بلبيس إلى الشام ورافَقَني الحاج عبد الله بن أبي بكر بن الفرحان التوزري،,"Thence we came to Cairo, and after staying there for some days I set out for Syria by the way of Balbais, accompanied by al-Hajj ‘Abdallah b. Abu Bakr b. al-Farhan of Tuzar."
ولم يزل في صحبتي سنين إلى أن خرجنا من بلاد الهند فتوفي بسندابور وسنذكر ذلك،,"He continued to accompany me for many years, until we quitted the land of India, when he died at Sandabur, as we shall relate in due course."
فوصلنا إلى مدينة غزة ثم إلى مدينة الخليل عليه السلام، وتكرَّرَتْ لنا زيارته ثم إلى بيت المقدس ثم إلى مدينة الرملة ثم إلى مدينة عكا ثم إلى مدينة طرابلس ثم إلى مدينة جبلة وزرنا إبراهيم بن أدهم رضي الله عنه ثانية، ثم إلى مدينة اللاذقية، وقد تقدم لنا ذِكْر هذه البلاد كلها،,"We then came to the city of Ghazza, thence to the city of al-Khalil [Abraham] (upon whom be peace) and renewed our visitation to his tomb, thence to Bait al-Maqdis [Jerusalem], and thence in succession to the cities of alRamla, ‘Akka, Tarabulus, Jabala, where we visited again [the tomb of] Ibrahim b. Adham (God be pleased with him), and al-Ladhiqiya, all of which places we have described previously."
ومن اللاذقية ركبنا البحر في قرقورة كبيرة للجنويين يسمى صاحبها بمرتلمين، وقصدنا بر التركية المعروف ببلاد الروم,"From al-Ladhiqiya we embarked on a large vessel belonging to the Genoese, the master of which was called Martalamin, and made for the country of the Turks, known as Bilad al-Rum."
وإنما نسبت إلى الروم؛ لأنها كانت بلادهم في القديم ومنها الروم الأقدمون واليونانية،,"Why it is called after the Rum is because it used to be their land in olden times, and from it came the ancient Rum and the Yunanis [Greeks]."
ثم استفتحها المسلمون، وبها الآن كثير من النصارى تحت ذمة المسلمين من التركمان،,"Later on it was conquered by the Muslims, but in it there are still large numbers of Christians under the protection of the Muslims, these latter being Turkmens."
وسِرْنا في البحر عشرًا بريح طيبة وأكرمنا النصراني ولم يأخذ منا نولًا.,"We travelled on the sea for ten nights with a favouring wind, and the Christians treated us
 honourably and took no passage-money from us."
وفي العاشر وصلنا إلى مدينة العلايا وهي أول بلاد الروم,"On the tenth day we arrived at the city of al-‘Alaya, which is the beginning of the land of al-Rum."
وهذا الإقليم المعروف ببلاد الروم من أحسن أقاليم الدنيا، وقد جمع الله فيه ما تفرَّق من المحاسن في البلاد,This country called Bilad al-Rum is one of the finest regions in the world; in it God has brought together the good things dispersed through other lands.
فأهله أجمل الناس صورًا وأنظفهم ملابس وأطيبهم مطاعم وأكثر خلق الله شفقة؛,"Its inhabitants are the comeliest of men in form, the cleanest in dress, the most delicious in food, and the kindliest of God’s creatures."
ولذلك يقال: البركة في الشام والشفقة في الروم، وإنما عنى به أهل هذه البلاد،,"This is why the saying goes ‘Blessing in Syria and kindliness in al-Rum’, since what is meant by the phrase is the people of this land."
وكنا متى نزلنا بهذه البلاد زاوية أو دارًا يتفقد أحوالنا جيراننا من الرجال والنساء، وهن لا يحتجبن،,"Wherever we stopped in this land, whether at hospice or private house, our neighbours both men and women (who do not veil themselves) came to ask after our needs."
فإذا سافرنا عنهم ودَّعونا كأنهم أقاربنا وأهلنا وترى النساء باكيات لفراقنا متأسفات،,"When we left them to continue our journey, they bade us farewell as though they were our relatives and our own kin, and you would see the women weeping out of grief at our departure."
ومن عادتهم بتلك البلاد أن يخبزوا الخبز في يوم واحد من الجمعة يُعِدُّون فيه ما يقوتهم سائرها،,"One of their customs in that country is that they bake bread on only one day each week, making provision on that day for enough to keep them for the rest of the week."
فكان رجالهم يأتون إلينا بالخبز الحار في يوم خبزه ومعه الإدام الطيب إطرافًا لنا بذلك، ويقولون لنا: إن النساء بَعَثْنَ هذا إليكم وهن يطلبن منكم الدعاء،,"Their men used to bring us warm bread on the day it was baked, together with delicious viands to go with it, as a special treat for us, and would say to us ‘The women have sent this to you and beg of you a prayer.’"
وجميع أهل هذه البلاد على مذهب الإمام أبي حنيفة رضي الله عنه مقيمين على السنة لا قَدَرِيَّ فيهم ولا رافضي ولا معتزلي ولا خارجي ولا مبتدع،,"All of the people of this land belong to the school of the Imam Abu Hanifa (God be pleased with him) and are firmly attached to the Sunna—there is not a Qadari, nor a RafidI, nor a Mu’tazili, nor a KharijI, nor any innovator amongst them."
وتلك فضيلة خصهم الله تعالى بها، إلا أنهم يأكلون الحشيش ولا يعيبون ذلك،,"This is a virtue by which God Most High has distinguished them, but they consume hashish and think nothing wrong in that."
ومدينة العلايا التي ذكرناها كبيرة على ساحل البحر يسكنها التركمان وينزلها تجار مصر وإسكندرية والشام،,"The city of al-‘Alaya that we have mentioned is a large place on the sea coast. It is inhabited by Turkmens, and is visited by the merchants of Cairo, Alexandria, and Syria."
وهي كثيرة الخشب ومنها يحمل إلى إسكندرية ودمياط ويحمل منها إلى ولها قلعة بأعلاها عجيبة منيعة بناها السلطان المعظم علاء الدين الرومي، سائر بلاد مصر،,"It has quantities of wood, which is exported from there to Alexandria and Dimyat, and thence carried to the other parts of Egypt. There is at the top of the town a magnificent and formidable citadel, built by the illustrious sultan ‘Ala al-Dln al-Ruml."
ولقيت بهذه المدينة قاضيها جلال الدين الأرزنجاني، وصعد معي إلى القلعة يوم الجمعة فصلينا بها وأضافني وأكرمني,"I met in this city its qadl Jalal al-DIn alArzanjanl; he went up to the citadel with me on a Friday, when we performed the prayers there, and treated me with generous hospitality."
وأضافني أيضًا بها شمس الدين بن الرجيحاني الذي توفي أبوه علاء الدين بمالي من بلاد السودان.,"I was hospitably entertained there also by Shams al-Din Ibn al-RajIham, whose father ‘Ala al-DIn died at Malli, in the Negrolands."
ذكر سلطان العلايا,Account of the Sultan of al-Alaya.
وفي يوم السبت ركب معي القاضي جلال الدين وتوجهنا إلى لقاء ملك العلايا وهو يوسف بك، ومعنى بك الملك ابن قرمان (بفتح القاف والراء)،,"On the Saturday the qadl Jalal al-Din rode out with me and we went to meet the king of al-‘Alaya, who is Yusuf Bak, son of Qaraman, [the term] hak meaning ‘king’."
ومسكنه على عشرة أميال من المدينة فوجدناه قاعدًا على الساحل وحده فوق رابية هنالك والأمراء والوزراء أسفل منه والأجناد عن يمينه ويساره,"His residence is at a distance of ten miles from the city. We found him sitting on the shore, by himself, on the top of a little hillock there, with the amirs and viziers below him and the troops on his right and left."
وهو مخضوب الشعر بالسواد،,He has his hair dyed black.
فسلمْتُ عليه وسألني عن مقدمي فأخبرته عما سأل وانصرفت عنه وبعث إلي إحسانًا،,"After I saluted him, he asked me about my arrival; I answered his questions and took leave of him, and he sent me a present [of money]."
وسافرت من هنالك إلى مدينة أنطالية (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة وإسكان النون وفتح الطاء المهمل وألف ولام مكسور وياء آخر الحروف)،,"From there I went on to the city of Antaliya (the city in Syria is Antakiya, pronounced in the same way, but with a k instead of an /)."
وأما التي بالشام فهي أنطاكية على وزنها إلا أن الكاف عِوَض عن اللام، وهي من أحسن المدن متناهية في اتساع الساحة والضخامة أجمل ما يُرَى من البلاد وأكثره عمارة وأحسنه ترتيبًا,"It is one of the finest of cities, enormous in extent and bulk, [among] the most handsome of cities to be seen anywhere, as well as the most populous and best organized."
وكل فرقة من سكانها منفردة بأنفسها عن الفرقة الأخرى،,"Each section of its inhabitants live by themselves, separated from each other section."
فتجار النصارى ماكثون منها بالموضع المعروف بالميناء، وعليهم سور تُسَدُّ أبوابه عليهم ليلًا وعند صلاة الجمعة، والروم الذين كانوا أهلها قديمًا ساكنون بموضع آخر منفردين به وعليهم أيضًا سور، واليهود في موضع آخر وعليهم سور، والملك وأهل دولته ومماليكه يسكنون ببلدة عليها أيضًا سور يحيط بها ويفرق بينها وبين ما ذكرناه من الفرق,"Thus the Christian merchants reside in a part of it called al-Mina and are encircled by a wall, the gates of which are shut upon them [from without] at night and during the Friday prayer-service; the Rum [Greek Christians], who were its inhabitants in former times, live by themselves in another part, also encircled by a wall; the Jews in another part, with a wall round them; while the king and his officers and mamluks live in a [separate] township, which also is surrounded by a wall that encircles it and separates it from the sections that we have mentioned."
وسائر الناس من المسلمين يسكنون المدينة العظمى، وبها مسجد جامع ومدرسة وحمامات كثيرة وأسواق ضخمة مرتَّبة بأبدع ترتيب،,"The rest of the population, the Muslims, live in the main city, which has a congregational mosque, a college, many bathhouses, and vast bazaars most admirably organized."
وعليها سور عظيم يحيط بها وبجميع المواضع التي ذكرناها،,Around it is a great wall which encircles both it and all the quarters which we have mentioned.
وفيها البساتين الكثيرة والفواكه الطيبة والمشمش العجيب المسمى عندهم بقمر الدين وفي نواته لوز حلو,"The city contains many orchards and delicious fruits, [especially] the wonderful apricots called by them qamar al-din, in whose kernel there is a sweet almond."
وهو ييبس ويحمل إلى ديار مصر وهو بها مستظرَف،,"This fruit is dried and exported to Egypt, where it is regarded as a great luxury."
وفيها عيون الماء الطيب العذب الشديد البرودة في أيام الصيف،,"In the city also there are springs of excellent water, sweet and very cold in the summertime."
نزلنا من هذه المدينة بمدرستها وشيخها شهاب الدين الحموي،,"We stayed in the college in this city, the shaikh of which was Shihab al-Din al-Hamawi."
ومن عادتهم أن يقرأ جماعة من الصبيان بالأصوات الحسان بعد العصر من كل يوم في المسجد الجامع وفي المدرسة أيضًا سورة الفتح وسورة الملك وسورة عم.,"One of their customs is that a company of boys with beautiful voices recite every day, after the afternoon prayer in the congregational mosque and also in the college, the sura of Victory, the sura of Sovereignty, and the sura ‘Amnia."
ذكر الأخية الفتيان,Account of the Young Akhis (Akhiyya).
وأحد الأخية أخي على لفظ الأخ إذا أضافه المتكلم إلى نفسه،,"The singular of dkhlyya is akhi, pronounced like the word akh (‘brother’) with the possessive pronoun of the first person singular."
وهم بجميع البلاد التركمانية الرومية في كل بلد ومدينة وقرية،,"They exist in all the lands of the Turkmens of al-Rum, in every district, city, and village."
ولا يوجد في الدنيا مثلهم أشد احتفالًا بالغرباء من الناس وأسرع إلى إطعام الطعام وقضاء الحوائج والأخذ على أيدي الظلمة وقتْل الشرط ومن لحق بهم من أهل الشر،,"Nowhere in the world are there to be found any to compare with them in solicitude for strangers, and in ardour to serve food and satisfy wants, to restrain the hands of the tyrannous, and to kill the agents of police and those ruffians who join with them."
والأخي عندهم رجل يجتمع أهل صناعته وغيرهم من الشبان الأعزاب والمتجردين ويقدمونه على أنفسهم،,"An AkhI, in their idiom, is a man whom the assembled members of his trade, together with others of the young unmarried men and those who have adopted the celibate life, choose to be their leader."
وتلك هي الفتوة أيضًا،,That is [what is called] al-futuwwa also.
ويبني زاوية ويجعل فيها الفرش والسرج وما يحتاج إليه,"The Akhi builds a hospice and furnishes it with rugs, lamps, and what other equipment it requires."
من الآلات ويخدم أصحابه بالنهار في طلب معايشهم ويأتون إليه بعد العصر بما يجتمع لهم، فيشترون به الفواكه والطعام إلى غير ذلك مما ينفق في الزاوية،,"His associates work during the day to gain their livelihood, and after the afternoon prayer they bring him their collective earnings; with this they buy fruit, food, and the other things needed for consumption in the hospice."
فإن وَرَدَ في ذلك اليوم مسافر على البلد أَنْزَلُوه عندهم، وكان ذلك ضيافته لديهم، ولا يزال عندهم حتى ينصرف،,"If, during that day, a traveller alights at the town, they give him lodging with them; what they have purchased serves for their hospitality to him and he remains with them until his departure."
وإن لم يَرِدْ وارد اجتمعوا هم على طعامهم فأكلوا وغنوا ورقصوا,"If no newcomer arrives, they assemble themselves to partake of the food, and after eating they sing and dance."
وانصرفوا إلى صناعتهم بالغد وأتوا بعد العصر إلى مقدمهم بما اجتمع لهم,"On the morrow they disperse to their occupations, and after the afternoon prayer they bring their collective earnings to their leader."
ويسمون بالفتيان ويسمى مقدمهم كما ذكرنا الأخي،,"The members are called fityan, and their leader, as we have said, is the Akht."
ولم أَرَ في الدنيا أجمل أفعالًا عنهم,Nowhere in the world have I seen men more chivalrous in conduct than they are.
ويشبههم في أفعالهم أهل شيراز وأصفهان إلا أن هؤلاء أحب في الوارد والصادر وأعظم إكرامًا له وشفقة عليه،,"The people of Shiraz and of Isfahan can compare with them in their conduct, but these are more affectionate to the wayfarer and show him more honour and kindness."
وفي الثاني من يوم وصولنا إلى هذه المدينة أتى أحد هؤلاء الفتيان إلى الشيخ شهاب الدين الحموي وتكلم معه باللسان التركي ولم أكن يومئذٍ أفهمه،,"On the day after that of our arrival in this city one of these fityan came to the shaikh Shihab al-Dln al-Hamaw! and spoke with him in Turkish, which I did not understand at that time."
وكان عليه أثواب خلقة وعلى رأسه قلنسوة لبد،,He was wearing shabby clothes and had a felt bonnet on his head.
فقال لي الشيخ: أتعلم ما يقول هذا الرجل؟ فقلت: لا أعلم ما قال، فقال لي: إنه يدعوك إلى ضيافته أنت وأصحابك، فعجبْتُ منه، وقلت له: نعم، فلما انصرف قلت للشيخ: هذا رجل ضعيف ولا قدرة له على تضييفنا، ولا نريد أن نكلفه،,"The shaikh said to me ‘Do you know what this man is saying?’ ‘No’ said I, ‘I do not know what he said.’ Then he said to me’ He is inviting you to a meal with him, you and your companions.’ I was surprised at this, but I said to him ‘Very well,’ and when the man had gone I said to the shaikh ‘This is a poor man, and he has not the means to entertain us and we do not like to impose a burden on him.’"
فضحك الشيخ وقال لي: هذا أحد شيوخ الفتيان الأخية,Whereupon the shaikh burst out laughing and said to me’ He is one of the shaikhs of the Young Akhls.
وهو من الخرازين وفيه كَرَمُ نفس،,"He is a cobbler, and a man of generous disposition."
وأصحابه نحو مائتين من أهل الصناعات قد قَدَّمُوه على أنفسهم وبَنَوْا زاوية للضيافة، وما يجتمع لهم بالنهار أنفقوه بالليل،,"His associates number about two hundred men of different trades, who have elected him as their leader and have built a hospice to entertain guests in, and all that they earn by day they spend at night.’"
فلما صليت المغرب عاد إلينا ذلك الرجل وذهبنا معه إلى زاويته,"So, after I had prayed the sunset prayer, the same man came back for us and we went with him to the hospice."
فوجدناها زاوية حسنة مفروشة بالبسط الرومية الحسان وبها الكثير من ثريات الزجاج العراقي.,"We found it to be a fine building, carpeted with beautiful Rumi rugs, and with a large number of lustres of ‘Iraqi glass."
وفي المجلس خمسة من البياسيس، والبيسوس شبه المنارة من النحاس له أرجل ثلاث وعلى رأسه شبه جلاس من النحاس وفي وسطه أنبوب للفتيلة,"In the chamber there were five [candelabra of the kind called] baisus; this resembles a column of brass, having three feet and on top of it a kind of lamp, also of brass, in the centre of which is a tube for the wick."
ويملأ من الشحم المذاب وإلى جانبه آنية نحاس ملآنة بالشحم وفيها مقراض لإصلاح الفتيل,"It is filled with melted grease, and alongside it are vessels of brass also filled with grease, in which are placed scissors for trimming the wicks."
وأحدهم مُوكَل بها ويسمى عندهم الخراجي (الجراغجي)،,One of their company is put in charge of them; he is called in their language the jardji.
وقد اصْطَفَّ في المجلس جماعة من الشبان ولباسهم الأقبية وفي أرجلهم الأخفاف,"Standing in rows in the chamber were a number of young men wearing long cloaks, and with boots on their feet."
وكل واحد منهم متحزم على وسطه سكين في طول ذراعين وعلى رءوسهم قلانس بيض من الصوف بأعلى كل قلنسوة قطعة موصولة بها في طول ذراع وعرض أصبعين،,"Each one of them had a knife about two cubits long attached to a girdle round his waist, and on their heads were white bonnets of wool with a piece of stuff about a cubit long and two fingers broad attached to the peak of each bonnet."
فإذا استقر بهم المجلس نزع كل واحد منهم قلنسوته ووضعها بين يديه وتبقى على رأسه قلنسوة أخرى من الزردخاني وسواه حسنة المنظر،,"When they take their places in the chamber, each one of them removes his bonnet and puts it down in front of him, but retains on his head another bonnet, an ornamental one, of silk taffeta or some other fabric."
وفي وسط مجلسهم شبه مرتبة موضوعة للواردين،,In the centre of their hall was a sort of platform placed there for visitors.
ولما استقرينا المجلس عندهم أتوا بالطعام الكثير والفاكهة والحلواء، ثم أخذوا في الغناء والرقص,"When we had taken our places among them, they brought in a great banquet, with fruits and sweetmeats, after which they began their singing and dancing."
فراقنا حالهم وطال عجبنا من سماحهم وكرم أنفسهم،,Everything about them filled us with admiration and we were greatly astonished at their generosity and innate nobility.
وانصرفنا عنهم آخر الليل وتركناهم بزاويتهم.,We took leave of them at the end of the night and left them in their hospice.
ذكر سلطان أنطالية,Account of the Sultan of Antdliya.
وسلطانها خضر بك بن يونس بك، وَجَدْناه عند وصولنا إليها عليلًا، فدخلنا عليه بداره وهو في فراش المرض، فكلَّمَنا بألطف كلام وأحسنه وودَّعْنَاه وبعث إلينا بإحسان،,"Its sultan is Khidr Bak, son of Yunus Bak. When we arrived in the city we found him ill, but we visited him in his residence, while he was on his sick-bed, and he spoke to us in the most affable and agreeable manner, and when we took leave of him he sent us a gift [of money]."
وسافرنا إلى بلدة بردور (وضبط اسمها بضم الباء الموحدة وإسكان الراء وضم الدال المهمل وواو وراء)، وهي بلدة صغيرة كثيرة البساتين والأنهار,"We continued our journey to the town of Burdur, which is a small town with many orchards and streams."
ولها قلعة في رأس جبل شاهق,It has a castle with soaring walls on the top of a hill.
نزلنا بدار خطيبها,We lodged in the house of its khatib.
واجتمعت الأخية وأرادوا نزولنا عندهم، فأبى عليهم الخطيب فصنعوا لنا ضيافة في بستان لأحدهم وذهبوا بنا إليها،,"The akhls came in a body and desired us to lodge with them, but the khatib refused their request, so they prepared a banquet for us in a garden belonging to one of them and conducted us to it."
فكان من العجائب إظهارهم السرور بنا والاستبشار والفرح وهم لا يَعْرِفون لساننا ونحن لا نَعْرِف لسانهم ولا ترجمان فيما بيننا، وأَقَمْنَا عندهم يومًا وانصرفنا،,"It was marvellous what joy they showed at our presence, what gratification and delight, although they were ignorant of our language and we of theirs, and there was no one to interpret between us. We stayed with them one day and then took our leave."
ثم سافرنا من هذه البلدة إلى بلدة سبرنا (وضبط اسمها بفتح السين المهمل والباء الموحدة وإسكان الراء وفتح التاء المعلوة وألف)، وهي بلدة حسنة العمارة والأسواق كثيرة البساتين والأنهار لها قلعة في جبل شامخ,"We went on next from this town to the town of Sabarta, a well-built township with fine bazaars and many orchards and streams, and with a fortress on a steep hill."
وصلنا إليها بالعشي ونزلنا عند قاضيها،,We reached it in the evening and lodged with its qadl.
وسافرنا منها إلى مدينة أكريدور (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة وسكون الكاف وكسر الراء وياء مد ودال مهمل مضموم وواو مد وراء)، مدينة عظيمة كثيرة العمارة حسنة الأسواق ذات أنهار وأشجار وبساتين،,"From there we travelled to the city of Akridur, a great and populous city with fine bazaars and running streams, fruit-trees and orchards."
ولها بحيرة عذبة الماء، يسافر المركب فيها يومين إلى أقشهر وبقشهر وغيرهما من البلاد والقرى،,"It has a lake of sweet water, on which a vessel plies in two days to Aqshahr and Baqshahr and other towns and villages."
ونزلنا منها بمدرسة تقابل الجامع الأعظم بها المدرس العالم الحاج المجاور الفاضل مصلح الدين,"We lodged there in a college opposite the main congregational mosque, and occupied by the learned professor, the worthy pilgrim and sojourner [at the Holy Cities] Muslih al-Dln."
قرأ بالديار المصرية والشام وسكن بالعراق، وهو فصيح اللسان حسن البيان أطروفة من طرف الزمان أكرمنا غاية الإكرام وقام بحقنا أحسن قيام.,"He had studied in Egypt and Syria, and lived for a time in al-Traq; he was elegant in speech and eloquent in expression, a prodigy among the rare spirits of the age, and he received us with the utmost generosity and lavishly supplied our needs."
ذكر سلطان أكريدور,Account of the Sultan of Akridur.
وسلطانها أبو إسحاق بك بن الدندار بك من كبار سلاطين تلك البلاد،,"Its sultan is Abu Ishaq Bak, son of al-Dundar Bak, one of the great sultans of that
land."
سكن ديار مصر أيام أبيه وحج وله سِيَر حسنة، ومن عادته أنه يأتي كل يوم إلى صلاة العصر بالمسجد الجامع،,"He lived in Egypt during his father’s lifetime and made the Pilgrimage. He is a man of upright conduct, and makes a practice of attending the afternoon prayers in the congregational mosque every day."
فإذا قُضِيَتْ صلاة العصر استند إلى جدار القبلة وقعد القراء بين يديه على مصطبة خشب عالية فقرءوا سورة الفتح والملك وعَمَّ بأصوات حسان فعالة في النفوس تَخْشَع لها القلوب وتقشعر الجلود وتدمع العيون،,"When the ‘asr prayers are concluded, he sits with his back to the wall of the qibla; the Qur’an-readers take their seats in front of him on a high wooden platform and recite the suras of Victory, Sovereignty and ‘Amma* with beautiful voices, that work upon men’s souls and at which hearts are humbled, skins creep, and eyes fill with tears."
ثم ينصرف إلى داره،,After this he returns to his residence.
وأظلَّنَا عنده شهرُ رمضان،,The month of Ramadan came round while we were in his city.
فكان يقعد في كل ليلة منه على فراش لاصق بالأرض من غير سرير ويستند إلى مخدة كبيرة,"On every night of the month he used to take his seat on a rug laid on the floor, without any couch, and lean his back against a large cushion."
ويجلس الفقيه مصلح الدين إلى جانبه وأجلس إلى جانب الفقيه ويلينا أرباب دولته وأمراء حضرته،,"The jurist Muslih al-Din would sit alongside him, and I would sit alongside the former, and next to us would be his officers of state and the amirs of the court."
ثم يؤتى بالطعام فيكون أول ما يفطر عليه ثريد في صحفة صغيرة عليه العدس مسقيٌّ بالسمن والسكر,"Food would then be brought in, and the first dish with which the fast was broken was tharid, served in a small platter and topped with lentils soaked in butter and sugar."
ويقدمون الثريد تبركًا، ويقولون: إن النبي ﷺ فضَّلَه على سائر الطعام، فنحن نبدأ به لتفضيل النبي له،,"They begin the meal with tharid as a source of blessing and say ‘The Prophet (God bless and give him peace) preferred it to every other dish, so we too begin with it because of the Prophet’s preference for it.’"
ثم يؤتى بسائر الأطعمة وهكذا فِعْلُهم في جميع ليالي رمضان،,"After that the other dishes are brought in, and this they do on all the nights of Ramadan."
وتوفي في بعض تلك الأيام ولد السلطان فلم يزيدوا على بكاء الرحمة كما يفعله أهل مصر والشام خلافًا لما قدمناه من فعل أهل اللور حين مات ولد سلطانهم،,"On one day during this period the Sultan’s son died, but they observed no ceremonies other than the lamentations of [entreaty for] the divine mercy, exactly as is done by the people of Egypt and Syria, and in contrast to what we have described above about the conduct of the Lurs when their sultan’s son died."
فلما دُفِنَ أقام السلطان والطلبة ثلاثة أيام يخرجون إلى قبره بعد صلاة الصبح،,After he was buried the sultan and the students of religion continued for three days to go out to his grave after the dawn prayers.
وفي ثاني يوم مِنْ دَفْنه خرجْتُ مع الناس فرآني السلطان ماشيًا على رجلي فبعث لي بفرس واعتذر،,"On the day after his burial I went out with the others, and the sultan, seeing me walking on foot, sent me a horse with his apologies."
فلما وصلْتُ المدرسة بعثت الفرس فرده وقال: إنما أعطيته عطية لا عارية، وبعث إلي بكسوة ودراهم،,"When I reached the college [on my return], I sent back the horse but he rereturned it saying‘I gave it as a gift, not as a loan,’ and sent me [also] a gift of clothing and money."
فانصرفنا إلى مدينةِ قُلْ حِصَار (وضبط اسمها بضم القاف وإسكان اللام ثم حاء مهمل مكسور وصاد مهمل وآخره راء)، مدينة صغيرة بها المياه من كل جانب قد نبتت فيها القصب,"We left there for the city of Qul Hisar, a small town sur-rounded on every side by water in which there is a thick growth of rushes."
فلا طريق لها إلا طريق كالجسر مهيأ ما بين القصب والمياه لا يسع إلا فارسًا واحدًا،,"There is no way to reach it except by a path like a bridge constructed between the rushes and the water, and broad enough only for one horseman."
والمدينة على تل في وسط المياه منيعة لا يقدر عليها،,The city is on a hill in the midst of the waters and is formidably protected and impregnable.
ونزلنا بزاوية أحد الفتيان الأخية بها.,We lodged there in the hospice of one of the Young Akhis.
ذكر سلطان قل حصار,Account of the Sultan of Qul Hisar.
وسلطانها محمد جلبي، وجلبي (بجيم معقود ولام مفتوحين وباء موحدة وياء)، وتفسيره بلسان الروم سيدي وهو أخو السلطان أبي إسحاق ملك أكريدور،,"Its sultan is Muhammad ChalabI (chalabi in the language of the Rum means ‘my lord’) who is the brother of the sultan Abu Ishaq, the king of Akrldur."
ولما وصلنا بمدينته كان غائبًا عنها فأقمنا بها أيامًا، ثم قدم فأكرمنا وأركبنا وزدنا,"When we reached his city he was away from it, but after we had stayed there for some days he arrived and treated us generously, supplying us with horses and provisions."
وانصرفنا على طريق قرا أغاج وقرا (بفتح القاف)، تفسيره أسود (وأغاج بفتح الهمزة والغين المعجم وآخره جيم)، تفسيره الخشب وهي صحراء خضرة يسكنها التركمان,"We left by the way of Qara Aghaj {qara meaning ‘black’ and aghaj meaning ‘wood’), which is a verdant plain inhabited by Turkmens."
وبعث معنا السلطان فرسانًا يبلغوننا إلى مدينة لاذق بسبب أن هذه الصحراء يقطع الطريق فيها طائفة يقال لهم: الجرميان،,"The Sultan sent a number of horsemen with us to escort us to the city of Ladhiq, because this plain is infested by a troop of brigands called al-Jarmiyan."
يُذْكَر أنهم من ذرية يزيد بن معاوية، ولهم مدينة يقال لها كوتاهية،,They are said to be descendants of Yazid b. Mu’awiya and they have a city called Kutahiya.
فعَصَمَنا الله منهم، ووصلنا إلى مدينة لاذِق (وهي بكسر الذال المعجم وبعده قاف)، وتسمى أيضًا دون غزله وتفسيره بلد الخنازير،,"God preserved us from them, and we arrived at the city of Ladhiq, which is also called Dun Ghuzluh, which means ‘town of the swine’."
وهي من أبدع المدن وأضخمها,This is one of the most attractive and immense cities.
وفيها سبعة من المساجد لإقامة الجمعة ولها البساتين الرائقة والأنهار المطَّردة والعيون المنبعة،,"In it there are seven mosques for the observance of Friday prayers, and it has splendid gardens, perennial streams, and gushing springs."
وأسواقها حِسَان وتُصْنَع بها ثياب قطن مُعَلَّمة بالذهب لا مثل لها، تطول أعمارها لصحة قطنها وقوة غزلها،,"Its bazaars are very fine, and in them are manufactured cotton fabrics edged with gold embroidery, unequalled in their kind, and long-lived on account of the excellence of their cotton and strength of their spun thread."
وهذه الثياب معروفة بالنسبة إليها,These fabrics are known from the name of the city [as Iddhiqi].
وأكثر الصناع بها نساء الروم، وبها من الروم كثير تحت الذمة وعليهم وظائف للسلطان من الجزية وسواها،,"Most of the artisans there are Greek women, for in it there are many Greeks who are subject to the Muslims and who pay dues to the sultan, including the jizya, and other taxes."
وعلامة الروم بها القلانس الطوال منها الحمر والبيض، ونساء الروم لهن عمائم كبار،,"The distinctive mark of the Greeks there is their [wearing of] tall pointed hats, some red and some white, and the Greek women for their part wear capacious turbans."
وأهل هذه المدينة لا يُغَيِّرون المنكر؛ بل كذلك أهل هذا الإقليم كله،,"The inhabitants of this city make no effort to stamp out immorality—indeed, the same applies to the whole population of these regions."
وهم يشترون الجواري الروميات الحسان ويتركونهن للفساد، وكل واحدة عليها وظيف لمالكها تؤديه له،,"They buy beautiful Greek slave-girls and put them out to prostitution, and each girl has to pay a regular due to her master."
وسمعت هنالك أن الجواري يدخلن الحمام مع الرجال، فمن أراد الفساد فعل ذلك بالحمام من غير مُنْكِر عليه،,"I heard it said there that the girls go into the bath-houses along with the men, and anyone who wishes to indulge in depravity does so in the bath-house and nobody tries to stop him."
وذُكِرَ لي أن القاضي بها له جَوَارٍ على هذه الصورة.,I was told that the qadi in this city himself owns slave-girls [employed] in this way.
وعند دخولنا لهذه المدينة مررنا بسوق لها فنزل إلينا رجال من حوانيتهم وأخذوا بأعنة خلينا,"On our entry into this city, as we passed through one of the bazaars, some men came down from their booths and seized the bridles of our horses."
ونازعهم في ذلك رجال آخرون وطال بينهم النزاع حتى سل بعضهم السكاكين على بعض،,"Then certain other men quarrelled with them for doing so, and the altercation between them grew so hot that some of them drew knives."
ونحن لا نعلم ما يقولون، فخفنا منهم وظنَنَّا أنهم الجرميان الذين يقطعون الطرق، وأن تلك مدينتهم وحسبنا أنهم يريدون نهبنا،,"All this time we had no idea what they were saying, and we began to be afraid of them, thinking that they were the Jarmiyan [brigands] who infest the roads, and that this was their city, and reckoning that they were out to rob us."
ثم بعث الله لنا رجلًا حاجًّا يَعْرِف اللسان العربي، فسألته عن مرادهم منا,"At length God sent us a man, a pilgrim, who knew Arabic, and I asked what they wanted of us."
فقال: إنهم من الفتيان، وإن الذين سبقوا إلينا أولادهم أصحاب الفتى أخي سنان والآخرون أصحاب الفتى أخي طومان، وكل طائفة ترغب أن يكون نزولكم عندهم،,"He replied that they belonged to the Fitydn, that those who had been the first to reach us were the associates of the Young Akhi Sinan, while the others were the associates of the Young Akhi Tuman, and that each party wanted us to lodge with them."
فعجبنا من كرم نفوسهم،,We were amazed at their native generosity.
ثم وَقَعَ بينهم الصلح على المقارعة، فمن كانت قرعته نزلنا عنده أولًا،,"Finally they came to an agreement to cast lots, and that we should lodge first with the one whose lot was drawn."
فوقَعَتْ قرعة أخي سنان وبلغه ذلك فأتى إلينا في جماعة من أصحابه فسلموا علينا، ونزلنا بزاوية له وأتي بأنواع الطعام,"The lot of Akhi Sinan won, and on learning of this he came to meet us with a body of his associates. They greeted us and we were lodged in a hospice of his, where we were served with a variety of dishes."
ثم ذهب بنا إلى الحمام ودخل معنا وتولى خدمتي بنفسه وتولى أصحابه خدمة أصحابي يخدم الثلاثة والأربعة الواحد منهم،,"The Akhi then conducted us to the bath and came in with us; he himself took over the office of serving me, while his associates undertook the service of my companions, three or four of them waiting on each one of the latter."
ثم خرجنا من الحمام فأتوا بطعام عظيم وحلواء وفاكهة كثيرة، وبعد الفراغ من الأكل قرأ القراء آيات من الكتاب العزيز، ثم أخذوا في السماع والرقص,"Then, when we came out of the bath, they served us a great banquet with sweetmeats and quantities of fruit, and after we finished eating and the Qur’an-readers had recited verses from the Exalted Book they began their singing and dancing."
وأعلموا السلطان بخبرنا، فلما كان من الغد بعث في طلبنا بالعشي فتوجهنا إليه وإلى ولده كما نذكره،,"They sent word about us to the sultan, and on the following day he sent for us in the evening, and we went to visit him and his son, as we shall relate shortly."
ثم عُدْنَا إلى الزاوية فألفينا الأخي طومان وأصحابه في انتظارنا،,"After this we returned to the hospice, and there we found the Akhi Tuman and his associates awaiting us."
فذهبوا بنا إلى زاويتهم ففعلوا في الطعام والحمام مثل أصحابهم وزادوا عليهم أن صبوا علينا ماء الورد صبًّا بعد خروجنا من الحمام،,"They con-ducted us to their hospice and did as their confreres had done in the matter of the food and the bath, but went one better than they in that they gave us a good sprinkling with rosewater when we came out of the bath."
ثم مضوا بنا إلى الزاوية ففعلوا أيضًا من الاحتفال في الأطعمة والحلواء والفاكهة وقراءة القرآن بعد الفراغ من الأكل ثم السماع والرقص كمثل ما فَعَلَهُ أصحابهم أو أحسن،,"They then went with us to the hospice, and they also, in their lavish hospitality with varieties of food, sweetmeats and fruit, and in recitation of the Qur’an after the end of the meal, followed by singing and dancing, did just as their confreres had done or even better."
وأقمنا عندهم بالزاوية أيامًا.,We stayed with them in their hospice for several days.
ذكر سلطان لاذق,Account of the Sultan of Ladhiq.
وهو السلطان يننج بك (واسمه بياء آخر الحروف مفتوحة ثم نونين أولاهما مفتوحة والثانية مسكنة وجيم)، وهو من كبار سلاطين بلاد الروم،,"He is the sultan Yananj Bak, and is one of the great sultans of the land of al-Rum."
ولما نزلنا بزاوية أخي سنان كما قدمناه بَعَثَ إلينا الواعظ المذكر العالم علاء الدين القسطموني، واستصحب معه خيلًا بعددنا،,"When we took up our lodging in the hospice of AkhI Sinan, as we have related above, he sent to us the learned preacher and admonisher ‘Ala al-DTn al-Qastamunl, and sent in company with him a horse for each one of our number."
وذلك في شهر رمضان، فتوجهنا إليه وسلمنا عليه،,"This was [still] in the month of Ramadan, and we went to visit him and saluted him."
ومن عادة ملوك هذه البلاد التواضع للواردين ولِين الكلام وقلة العطاء،,"It is the custom of the kings of this land to make a show of humility to visiting scholars, and to give them soft speech and trifling donations."
فصلينا معه المغرب وحضر طعامه فأفطرنا عنده وانصرفنا، وبعث إلينا بدراهم,"So we prayed the sunset prayer with him, and when his food was served broke our fast in his presence, then took leave, and he sent us a little money."
ثم بعث إلينا وَلَدَهُ مراد بك,Later on his son Murad Bak sent an invitation to us.
وكان ساكنًا في بستان خارج المدينة وذلك في إبان الفاكهة،,"He was living in a garden outside the city, this being in the season of [ripening of] the fruit."
وبعث أيضًا خيلًا على عددنا كما فعله أبوه فأتينا بستانه، وأقمنا عنده تلك الليلة,"He too sent horses, one for each of us, as his father had done, so we went to his garden and stayed that night with him."
وكان له فقيه يترجم بيننا وبينه، ثم انصرفنا غدوة,"He had with him a doctor of the law to act as interpreter between us, and we took our leave the next morning."
وأَظَلَّنَا عيد الفطر بهذه البلدة، فخرجنا إلى المصلى وخرج السلطان في عساكره والفتيان الأخية كلهم بالأسلحة،,"The Feast of Fast-breaking overtook us in this city, so we went out to the musalla; the sultan also came out with his troops, and the Young Akhis too, all of them fully armed."
ولأهل كل صناعة الأعلام والبوقات والطبول والأنفار، وبعضهم يفاخر بعضًا ويباهيه في حُسْن الهيئة وكمال الشكة،,"The members of each trade carried flags, trumpets, drums and fifes, all aiming to rival and outdo one another in magnificence and in perfection of their weapons."
ويخرج أهل كل صناعة معهم البقر والغنم وأحمال الخبز فيذبحون البهائم بالمقابر ويتصدقون بها وبالخبز،,"Every group of these artisans would come out with cattle, sheep, and loads of bread, and after slaughtering the animals in the cemetery give them away in alms, along with the bread."
ويكون خروجهم أولًا إلى المقابر ومنها إلى المصلى،,"On coming out they went first to the cemetery, and from there on to the musall."
ولما صلينا صلاة العيد دخلْنا مع السلطان إلى منزله وحضر الطعام,"When we had prayed the festival prayer we went in with the sultan to his residence, and the food was brought."
فجعل للفقهاء والمشايخ والفتيان سماط على حدة، وجعل للفقراء والمساكين سماط على حدة، ولا يُرَدُّ على بابه في ذلك اليوم فقير ولا غني،,"A separate table was set for the doctors of the law, the shaikhs, and the Young Brethren, and another separately for the poor and destitute; and no one, whether poor or rich, is turned back from the sultan’s door on that day."
وأقمنا بهذه البلدة مدة بسبب مخاوف الطريق، ثم تهيأت رفقة فسافرنا معهم يومًا وبعض ليلة ووصلنا إلى حصن طواس واسمه (بفتح الطاء وتخفيف الواو وآخره سين مهمَل)،,"We stayed in this town for some time in view of the dangers of the road; then, as a caravan had been organized, we travelled with them for a day and part of a night and reached the castle of Tawas."
وهو حصن كبير، ويُذْكَر أن صهيبًا صاحب رسول الله ﷺ ورضي الله عنه من أهل هذا الحصن،,"It is a large fortress, and it is said that Suhaib (God be pleased with him), the Companion of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), was of its folk."
وكان مبيتنا بخارجه ووصلنا بالغد إلى بابه فسألنا أهله من أعلى السور عن مقدمنا فأخبرناهم، وحينئذٍ خرج أمير الحصن إلياس بك في عسكره ليختبر نواحي الحصن والطريق خوفًا من إغارة السراق على الماشية،,"We made our overnight camp outside it, and next morning, on coming to the gate, were interrogated by its inhabitants from the top of the wall as to why and whence we had come. We answered their questions, and at that moment the commander of the castle, Ilyas Bak, came out with his squadron of troops to explore the environs of the castle and the road as a precaution against the raiding of the herds by robbers."
فلما طافوا بجهاته خرجت مواشيهم وهكذا فعلهم أبدًا،,"When they completed the circuit of its neighbourhood, their animals came out, and this is their regular practice."
ونزلنا من هذا الحصن بربضة في زاوية رجل فقير وبعث إلينا أمير الحصن بضيافة وزاد.,"We lodged in the hospice of a poor brother in the suburb of this castle, and the commander sent us a hospitality-gift and provisions."
وسافرنا منه إلى مغلة (وضبط اسمها بضم الميم وإسكان الغين المعجم وفتح اللام)، ونزلنا بزاوية أحد المشايخ بها،,"From there we went on to Mughla, where we lodged in the hospice of a shaikh there."
وكان من الكرماء الفضلاء يكثر الدخول علينا بزاويته ولا يدخل إلا بطعام أو فاكهة أو حلواء،,"He was a generous and worthy man, who used to visit us frequently in his hospice, and never came in without bringing food or fruit or sweetmeats."
ولقينا بهذه البلدة إبراهيم بك ولد سلطان مدينة ميلاس وسنذكره، فأكرمنا وكسانا،,"We met in this city Ibrahim Bak, son of the sultan of the city of Milas, whom we shall mention presently, and he treated us honourably and sent us robes."
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة ميلاس (وضبط اسمها بكسر الميم وياء مد وآخره سين مهمل)، وهي من أحسن بلاد الروم وأضخمها كثيرة الفواكه والبساتين والمياه،,"We travelled next to the city of Milas, one of the finest and most extensive cities in the land of al-Rum, with quantities of fruits, gardens, and waters."
نزلنا منها بزاوية أحد الفتيان الأخية ففعل أضعاف ما فعله من قبله من الكرامة والضيافة ودخول الحمام وغير ذلك من حميد الأفعال وجميل الأعمال،,"We lodged there in the hospice of one of the Young Akins, who outdid by far all that those before him had done in the way of generosity, hospitality, taking us to the bath, and such other praiseworthy and handsome acts."
ولقينا بمدينة ميلاس رجلًا صالحًا معمرًا يسمى بأبي الششتري، ذكروا أن عمره يزيد على مائة وخمسين سنة،,"We met, too, in the city of Milas a pious and aged man named Baba al-Shushtari, who, so they said, was more than a hundred and fifty years old."
وله قوة وحركة وعقله ثابت وذهنه جيد،,"He was still vigorous and active, of sound mind and unimpaired faculties."
دعا لنا وحصلت لنا بركته.,He prayed for us and we were favoured with his blessing.
ذكر سلطان ميلاس,Account of the Sultan of Milas.
وهو السلطان المكرم شجاع الدين أرخان بك ابن المنتشا (وضبط اسمه بضم الهمزة وإسكان الراء وخاء معجم وآخره نون)، وهو من خيار الملوك حسن الصورة والسيرة,"He is the most honourable sultan Shuj a‘ al-Din Urkhan Bak, son of al-Mantasha, and one of the best of princes, handsome in both figure and conduct."
جلساؤه الفقهاء وهم معظمون لديه,"His intimates are the doctors of the law, who are highly esteemed by him."
وببابه منهم جماعة منهم الفقيه الخوارزمي عارِفٌ بالفنون فاضل،,"At his court there is always a body of them, including the jurist al-Khwarizmi, a man versed in the sciences and of great merit."
وكان السلطان في أيام لقائي له واجدًا عليه بسبب رحلته إلى مدينة أيا سلوق ووصوله إلى سلطانها وقبول ما أعطاه,"The sultan, at the time of my meeting with him, was displeased with al-Khwarizmi because he had journeyed to Aya Suluq and had associated with its sultan and accepted his gifts."
فسأل مني هذا الفقيه أن أتكلم عند الملك في شأنه بما يذهب ما في خاطره فأثنيت عليه عند السلطان، وذكرت ما علمته من علمه وفضله، ولم أَزَلْ به حتى ذهب ما كان يجده عليه،,"Now this jurist begged of me to speak to the sultan about him in a manner which would remove his resentment, so I praised him in the sultan’s presence, and continued to relate what I knew of his learning and merit, until at length the sultan’s ill-feeling against him was dissipated."
وأحسن إلينا هذا السلطان وأركبنا وزودنا،,This sultan treated us generously and supplied us with horses and provisions.
وسكناه في مدينة برجين وهي قريبة من ميلاس بينهما ميلان (وضبط اسمها بفتح الباء الموحدة وإسكان الراء وجيم وياء مد وآخره نون)،,"His residence is in the city of Barjln, which is close to Milas, there being two miles be-tween them."
وهي جديدة على تل هنالك بها العمارات الحسان والمساجد،,"It is a new place, on a hill there, and has fine buildings and mosques."
وكان قد بنى بها مسجدًا جامعًا لم يتم بناؤه بعد،,"He had built there a congregational mosque, which was not yet completed."
وبهذه البلدة لقيناه ونزلنا منها بزاوية الفتى أخي علي،,"It was in this town that we visited him, and we lodged in it at the hospice of the Young Akh! ‘Ali’."
ثم انصرفنا بعدما أحسن ألينا كما قدمناه إلى مدينة قونية (وضبط اسمها بضم القاف وواو مد ونون مسكن مكسور وياء آخر الحروف)، مدينة عظيمة حسنة العمارة كثيرة المياه والأنهار والبساتين والفواكه,"We took our departure after the sultan’s gift to us, as we have related above, making for the city of Quniya, a great city with fine buildings and abundant watercourses, streams, gardens and fruits."
وبها المشمش المسمى بقمر الدين وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه، ويُحْمَل منه أيضًا إلى ديار مصر والشام،,The apricot called qamar al-dln (which we have described previously) grows there and is exported from it too to Egypt and Syria.
وشوارعها متسعة جدًّا وأسواقها بديعة الترتيب، وأهل كل صناعة على حدة،,"The streets of the city are exceedingly wide, and its bazaars admirably organized, with the members of each craft in a separate part."
ويقال: إن هذه المدينة من بناء الإسكندر,It is said that this city was founded by Alexander.
وهي من بلاد السلطان بدر الدين بن قرمان وسنذكره، وقد تَغَلَّب عليها صاحب العراق في بعض الأوقات لقربها من بلاده,"It is now in the territories of the sultan Badr al-Dln Ibn Qaraman, whom we shall mention presently, but the ruler of al-‘Iraq has seized it at various times, owing to its proximity to his territories in this region."
التي بهذا الإقليم نزلنا منها بزاوية قاضيها ويُعْرَف بابن قلم شاه وهو من الفتيان، وزاويته من أعظم الزوايا,"We lodged there in the hospice of its qadl, who is known as Ibn Qalam Shah; he is one of the Fitydn, and his hospice is among the largest of its kind."
وله طائفة كبيرة من التلاميذ، ولهم في الفتوة سند يتصل إلى أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام،,"He has a large body of disciples, and they have a chain of affiliation in the Futuwwa which goes back to the Commander of the Faithful ‘Ali b. Abu Talib (God be pleased with him)."
ولباسها عندهم السراويل كما تُلْبَس الصوفية الخرقة،,"The [distinctive] garment of the Futuwwa in their system is the trousers, just as the sufis wear the patched robe [as their distinctive dress]."
وكان صنيع هذا القاضي في إكرامنا وضيافتنا أعظم من صنيع من قبله وأجمل وبعث ولده عوضًا عنه لدخول الحمام معنا،,"The entertainment with which this qadl honoured us and his hospitality to us were even greater and more handsome than the entertainment of his predecessors, and he sent his son to take us to the bath in his place."
وبهذه المدينة تربة الشيخ الإمام الصالح القطب جلال الدين المعروف بمولانا،,"In this city is the mausoleum of the shaikh and pious imam, the pole Jalal al-Din, known as Mawlana."
وكان كبيرَ القدر، وبأرض الروم طائفة ينتمون إليه ويُعْرَفون باسمه فيقال لهم: الجلالية، كما نعرف الأحمدية بالعراق والحيدرية بخراسان،,"He was a saint of high rank, and in the land of al-Rum there is a brotherhood who claim affiliation to him and are called Jalallya, after his name, in the same way that the Ahmadiya in al-Traq are called [after Ahmad al-Rifa‘I] and the Haidariya in Khurasan [after Qutb al-Dln Haidar]."
وعلى تربته زاوية عظيمة فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر.,Over his mausoleum there is a vast hospice in which food is served to all wayfarers.
حكاية,Anecdote.
يُذْكَر أنه كان في ابتداء أمره فقيهًا مدرسًا يَجْتَمِع إليه الطلبة بمدرسته بقونية،,"It is related that in early life Jalal al-Dln was a legist and professor, [ to whom students used to flock at his college in Quniya."
فدخل يومًا إلى المدرسة رجل يبيع الحلواء وعلى رأسه طبق منها وهي مقطعة قطعًا يبيع القطعة منها بفلس،,"One day there came into the college a man selling sweetmeats, who carried on his head a trayful of them, cut up into pieces which he would sell for a copper apiece."
فلما أتى مجلس التدريس قال له الشيخ: هات طبقك،,When he came into the lecture-hall the shaikh said to him ‘Bring your tray here.’
فأخذ الحلواني قطعة منه وأعطاها للشيخ فأخذها الشيخ بيده وأكلها فخرج الحلواني ولم يطعم أحدًا سوى الشيخ،,"The sweet-seller took a piece of his wares and gave it to the shaikh, the latter took it with his hand and ate it, whereupon the sweet-seller went out without offering anything to anyone other than the shaikh."
فخرج الشيخ في اتباعه وترك التدريس فأبطأ على الطلبة وطال انتظارهم إياه، فخرجوا في طلبه فلم يَعْرِفوا له مستقرًّا،,"The shaikh, abandoning his lecture, went out to follow him up; and the students, when he delayed to return and they had waited a long time, went out to seek for him, but they could not discover where he was living."
ثم إنه عاد إليهم بعد أعوام وصار لا ينطق إلا بالشعر الفارسي المتعلق الذي لا يُفْهَم،,"Subsequently he came back to them, after many years, but he had become demented and would speak only in Persian rhymed couplets which no one could understand."
فكان الطلبة يتبعونه ويكتبون ما يصدر عنه من ذلك الشعر وألفوا منه كتابًا سموه المثنوي،,"His disciples used to follow him and write down that poetry as it issued from him, and they collected it into a book called the Mathnawi."
وأهل تلك البلاد يعظمون ذلك الكتاب ويعتبرون كلامه ويعلمونه ويقرءونه بزواياهم في ليالي الجمعات،,"The inhabitants of that country greatly revere that book, meditate on its contents, teach it and recite it in their hospices on Thursday nights."
وفي هذه المدينة أيضًا قبر الفقيه أحمد الذي يُذْكَر أنه كان مُعَلِّم جلال الدين المذكور،,"In this city there is also the grave of the jurist Ahmad, who is said to have been the teacher of this Jalal al-Dln."
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة اللارندة وهي (بفتح الراء التي بعد الألف واللام وإسكان النون وفتح الدال المهمل) مدينة حسنة كثيرة المياه والبساتين.,"We travelled next to the city of al-Laranda, a fine town with many watercourses and gardens."
ذكر سلطان اللارندة,Account of the Sultan of al-Laranda.
وسلطانها الملك بدر الدين بن قرمان (بفتح القاف والراء)،,Its sultan is the king Badr al-Dln b. Qaraman.
وكانت قبله لشقيقه موسى فنزل عنها للملك الناصر وعوضه عنها بعوض وبعث إليها أميرًا وعسكرًا،,"It belonged formerly to his uterine brother Musa, but he ceded it to al-Malik al-Nasir, who gave him another place in exchange and sent an amir with troops to govern it."
ثم تَغَلَّبَ عليها السلطان بدر الدين وبنى بهادار مملكته واستقام أمره بها,"Later on the sultan Badr al-Dln captured it, established it as the capital of his kingdom and consolidated his power there."
ولقيت هذا السلطان خارج المدينة وهو عائد من تصيده فنزلت له عن دابتي فنزل هو عن دابته وسلمْتُ عليه وأقبل علي،,"met this sultan outside the city as he was coming back from hunting, and when I dismounted to him he also dismounted from his horse, and on my saluting him he came forward to meet me."
ومن عادة ملوك هذه البلاد أنه إذا نزل لهم الوارد عن دابته نزلوا له,It is the custom of the kings of this country to dismount to a visitor if he dismounts to them.
وأعجبهم فعله وزادوا في إكرامه، وإن سلم عليهم راكبًا ساءهم ذلك ولم يُرْضِهِمْ ويكون سببًا لحرمان الوارد،,"They are pleased when he does so to them and redouble their consideration for him, whereas if he salutes them while on horseback this arouses their ill-will and displeasure, and leads to the visitor’s exclusion [from their bounty]."
وقد جرى لي ذلك مع بعضهم وسأذكره،,"This happened to me once with one of them, as I shall relate in due course."
ولما سلمت عليه ورَكِبَ وركبْتُ سألني عن حالي عن مقدمي ودخلت معه المدينة،,"After I had saluted him and we were again mounted, he asked me about myself and my coming, and I entered the city in his company."
فأمر بإنزالي أحسن نُزُلٍ، وكان يبعث الطعام الكثير والفاكهة والحلواء في طيافير الفضة والشمع وكسا وأركب وأحسن,"He gave orders to treat me with the greatest hospitality and used to send quantities of food, fruit and sweetmeats in silver platters, as well as candles, robes and horses, and [altogether] he was most generous."
ولم يطل مقامنا عنده، وانصرفنا إلى مدينة أقصرا (وضبطها بفتح الهمزة وسكون القاف وفتح الصاد المهمل والراء)، وهي من أحسن بلاد الروم وأتقنها، تَحُفُّ بها العيون الجارية والبساتين من كل ناحية،,"Our stay with him was not prolonged, and we left for the city of Aqsara, which is one of the most beautiful and substantial towns of al-Rum, surrounded by flowing streams and gardens on every side."
ويشق المدينة ثلاثة أنهار، ويجري الماء بدورها، وفيها الأشجار ودوالي العنب، وداخلها بساتين كثيرة،,The city is traversed by three rivers and there is running water in its houses: it has many trees and vines and there are numbers of gardens inside it.
وتُصْنَع بها البسط المنسوبة إليها من صوف الغنم لا مثل لها في بلد من البلاد، ومنها تُحْمَل إلى الشام ومصر والعراق والهند والصين وبلاد الأتراك،,"There are manufactured there the rugs of sheep’s wool called after it, which have no equal in any country and are exported from it to Syria, Egypt, al-Traq, India, China and the lands of the Turks."
وهذه المدينة في طاعة ملك العراق،,This city is subject to the king of al-Iraq.
ونزلنا منها بزاوية الشريف حسين النائب بها عن الأمير أرتنا، وأرتنا هو النائب عن ملك العراق فيما تَغَلَّبَ عليه من بلاد الروم،,"We lodged there in the hospice of the sharif Husain, the deputy governor of the city for the amir Artana, Artana being the lieutenant of the king of al-Traq in [all] the districts of alRum that he has occupied."
وهذا الشريف من الفتيان وله طائفة كثيرة وأكرمنا إكرامًا متناهيًا وفعل أفعال من تقدمه.,"This sharif is one of the Fityan, and is head of a numerous brotherhood. He entertained us with unbounded consideration, and acted in the same manner as those who preceded him."
ثم رحنا إلى مدينة نكدة (وضبط اسمها بفتح النون وإسكان الكاف ودال مهمل مفتوح)، وهي من بلاد ملك العراق مدينة كبيرة كثيرة العمارة قد تخرب بعضها،,"We travelled next to the city of Nakda, which is one of the towns belonging to the king of al-Traq, a large and thicklypopulated city, part of which is in ruins."
ويشقها النهر المعروف بالنهر الأسود، وهو من كبار الأنهار عليه ثلاث قناطر إحداها بداخل المدينة وثنتان بخارجها,"It is traversed by a river called the Black River, a large river over which there are three bridges, one inside the city and two outside it."
وعليه النواعير بالداخل والخارج منها تسقى البساتين والفواكه بها كثيرة،,"There are norias on it, both inside and outside the city, to water the gardens, and it has quantities of fruit."
ونزلنا منها بزاوية الفتى أخي جاروق وهو الأمير بها، فأكرمَنَا — على عادة الفتيان —,"We lodged in it at the hospice of the Young Akh! Jaruq, who is the governor of the city, and he entertained us according to the custom of the Fityan."
وأقمنا بها ثلاثًا، وسِرْنا منها بعد ذلك إلى مدينة قيسارية وهي من بلاد صاحب العراق وهي إحدى المدن العظام بهذا الإقليم,"We stayed there three nights, and then went on from it to the city of Qaisarlya, which is also in the territories belonging to the ruler of al-Traq, and one of the chief cities in this land."
بها عسكر أهل العراق وإحدى خواتين الأمير علاء الدين أرتنا المذكور،,In it are [quartered] the troops of the government of al-Traq and [there resides] one of the Khatuns of the amir ‘Ala alDln Artana mentioned above.
وهي من أكرم الخواتين وأفضلهن ولها نسبة من ملك العراق وتدعى أغا (بفتح الهمزة والغين المعجم)، ومعنى أغا الكبير وكل من بينه وبين السلطان نسبة يدعى بذلك,"She is one of the most generous and excellent of princesses, and is related to the king of al-Traq and called Aghd, which means ‘great’, as are all those related to the sultan."
واسمها طغى خاتون، ودخلنا إليها فقامت لنا وأحسنت السلام والكلام وأمرت بإحضار الطعام فأكلنا، ولما انصرفنا بعثت لنا بفرس مسرج ملجم وخلعة ودراهم مع أحد غلمانها واعتذرت،,"Her name is Taghi Khatun; we were admitted to her presence and she rose to meet us, greeted and spoke to us graciously, and ordered food to be served. We ate the meal, and after we took leave she sent us a horse with saddle and bridle, a robe of honour and some money by one of her slave-boys, together with her apologies [for not sending more]."
ونزلنا من هذه المدينة بزاوية الفتى الأخي أمير علي وهو أمير كبير من كبار الأخية بهذه البلاد,"We lodged in this city at the hospice of the Young Akhi Amir ‘All, who is a great amir and one of the chiefs of the Akhis in this country."
وله طائفة تتبعه من وجوه المدينة وكبرائها، وزاويته أحسن الزوايا فرشًا وقناديل وطعامًا كثيرًا وإتقانًا،,"He is head of a brotherhood of his disciples, which includes some of the leading men and notables of the city, and his hospice is one of the most magnificent in its furnishings and chandeliers, and in quantity of food served and excellence of organization."
والكبراء من أصحابه وغيرهم يجتمعون كل ليلة عنده ويفعلون في إكرام الوارد أضعاف ما يفعله سواهم،,"The notables and others of his associates assemble every night in his company, and in generosity towards the visitor far outdo all the generous actions of the other brotherhoods."
ومن عوائد هذه البلاد أنه ما كان منها ليس به سلطان، فالأخي هو الحاكم به وهو يُرْكِب الوارد ويكسوه ويُحْسِن إليه على قَدْرِه وترتيبه في أمره ونهيه وركوبه ترتيب الملوك.,"It is one of the customs in this land that in any part of it where there is no sultan, it is the Akhi who acts as governor; it is he who gives horses and robes to the visitor and shows hospitality to him in the measure of his means, and his manner of command and pro-hibition and riding out [with a retinue] is the same as that of the princes."
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة سيواس (وضبط اسمها بكسر السين المهمل وياء مد وآخره سين مهمل)، وهي من بلاد ملك العراق وأعظم ما له بهذا الإقليم من البلاد,"We travelled next to the city of Siwas, which is in the territories of the king of al-‘Iraq and the largest of the cities that he possesses in this country."
وبها منزل أمرائه وعماله,In it resides his amirs and his functionaries.
مدينة حسنة العمارة واسعة الشوارع أسواقها غاصة الناس وبها دار مثل المدرسة تسمى دار السيادة لا ينزلها إلا الشرفاء، ونقيبهم ساكن بها، وتجرى لهم فيها مدة مقامهم الفرش والطعام والشمع وغيره فيزودون إذا انصرفوا،,"It is a city with fine buildings and wide streets, and its markets are choked with people. There is there a building resembling a college, which is called Ddr al-Siyada, No person lodges in it except sharifs, whose naqib lives in it; during their stay in it there is supplied to them furnishing, food, candles, etc., and when they leave they are furnished with travelling provisions."
ولما قدمنا إلى هذه المدينة خرج إلى لقائنا أصحاب الفتى آخي أحمد بجقجي وبجق بالتركية السكين وهذا منسوب إليه، والجيمان منه معقودان بينهما قاف وباؤه مكسورة،,"When we arrived in this city there came out to meet us the associates of the Young Akhi Bichaqchi. (Bichaq means in Turkish ‘knife’ and this name [bichaqchi] is its relative noun) ,"
وكانوا جماعة منهم الركبان والمشاة،,"They were a large company, some riding and some on foot."
ثم لقينا بعدهم أصحاب الفتى أخي جلبي وهو من كبار الأخية وطبقته أعلى من طبقة أخي بجقجي،,"Then after them we were met by the associates of the Young Akhi Chalabi, who was one of the chiefs of the Akhis and whose rank was higher than that of Akhi Bichaqchi."
فطلبوا أن ننزل عندهم فلم يمكن لي ذلك لسبق الأولين،,"These invited us to lodge with them, but I could not accept their invitation, owing to the priority of the former."
ودخلنا المدينة معهم جميعًا وهم يتفاخرون، والذين سبقوا إلينا قد فرحوا أشد الفرح بنزولنا عندهم،,"We entered the city in the company of both parties, who were boasting against one another, and those who had met us first showed the liveliest joy at our lodging with them."
ثم كان من صنيعهم في الطعام والحمام والمبيت مثل صنيع من تقدم، وأقمنا عندهم ثلاثة في أحسن ضيافة،,"They showed in due course the same munificence in the matters of food, bath, and accommodation as their predecessors, and we stayed with them for three nights, enjoying the most perfect hospitality."
ثم أتانا القاضي وجماعة من الطلبة ومعهم خيل الأمير علاء الدين أرتنا نائب ملك العراق ببلاد الروم،,"After this we were visited by the qadi and a company of students of religion, bringing with them horses from the amir ‘Ala al-Din Artana, the king of al-Traq’s lieutenant in the land of al-Rum."
فركبنا إليه واستقبلنا الأمير إلى دهليز داره فسلم علينا ورحب وكان فصيح اللسان بالعربية وسألني عن العراقين وأصبهان وشيراز وكرمان وعن السلطان أتابك وبلاد الشام ومصر وسلاطين التركمان،,"So we rode to visit him, and he came out to the ante-chamber of his residence to greet us and bid us welcome. He spoke in an educated Arabic speech, and questioned me about the two ‘Iraqs, Isbahan, Shiraz, Kirman, the sultan Atabek, the countries of Syria and Egypt, and the sultans of the Turkmens."
وكان مراده أن أشكر الكريم منهم وأذم البخيل فلم أفعل ذلك، بل شكرت الجميع فسر بذلك مني وشكرني عليه، ثم أحضر الطعام,"His idea was that I would praise those of them who had been generous and find fault with the miserly, but I did nothing of the kind, and, on the contrary, praised them all. He was pleased with this conduct on my part and commended me for it, and then had food served."
فأكلنا وقال: تكونون في ضيافتي، فقال له الفتى: أخي جلبي أنهم لم ينزلوا بعد بزاويتي فليكونوا عندي وضيافتك تصلهم,"After we had eaten he said ‘You will be my guest,’ but the Young Akhi ChalabI said to him ‘They have not yet lodged at my hospice, so let them stay with me and receive your hospitality-gifts there.’"
فقال: افعل، فانتقلنا إلى زاويته وأقمنا بها ستًّا في ضيافته وفي ضيافة الأمير،,"The governor agreed, so we transferred to his hospice and stayed there for six nights, enjoying his hospitality and that of the governor."
ثم بعث الأمير بفرس وكسوة ودراهم وكتب لنوابه بالبلاد أن يضيفونا ويكرمونا ويزودونا.,"After our visit the governor sent a horse, a set of robes and some money, and wrote to his deputies in the [other] towns to give us hospitality and honourable treatment and to furnish us with provisions."
وسافرنا إلى مدينة أماصبة، (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة والميم وألف وصاد مهمل مكسور وياء آخر الحروف مفتوحة)، مدينة كبيرة حسنة ذات أنهار وبساتين وأشجار وفواكه كثيرة,"We continued our journey to the city of Amasiya, a large and fine city with streams and gardens, trees and abundance of fruits."
وعلى أنهارها النواعير تسقي جنانها ودورها وهي فسيحة الشوارع والأسواق،,"There are norias on its rivers to supply water to its gardens and houses, and it has spacious streets and bazaars."
وملكها صاحب العراق,It belongs to the king of al-Traq.
ويقرب منها بلدة سونسي (وضبط اسمها بضم السين المهمل وواو مد ونون مضموم وسين مهمل مفتوح)، وهي لصاحب العراق أيضًا وبها سكنى أولاد ولي الله تعالى أبي العباس أحمد الرفاعي،,"In its vicinity is the township of Sunusa; it too belongs to the king of al-Traq and in it reside the descendants of the saint of God Most High, Abu’l‘ Abbas Ahmad al-Rifa‘I."
منهم الشيخ عز الدين، وهو الآن شيخ الرواق وصاحب سجادة الرفاعي، وإخوته الشيخ علي والشيخ إبراهيم والشيخ يحيى أولاد الشيخ أحمد كوجك، ومعناه الصغير ابن تاج الدين الرفاعي،,"Among them are the shaikh Tzz al-Din, who is now the head of the convent and the inheritor of the prayer-rug of al-Rifa‘I, and his brothers the shaikh ‘All, the shaikh Ibrahim, and the shaikh Yahya, [all] sons of the shaikh Ahmad Kuchuk {kuchuk means ‘the little’), son of Taj al-Din al-Rifa‘I."
ونزلنا بزاويتهم ورأينا لهم الفضل على من سواهم،,We lodged in their hospice and found them superior to all other men in merit.
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة كمش (وضبط اسمها بضم الكاف وكسر الميم وشين معجم)، وهي من بلاد ملك العراق، مدينة كبيرة عامرة يأتيها التجار من العراق والشام وبها معادن الفضة,"We travelled next to the city of Kumish, in the territories of the king of al-Traq, a populous city which is visited by merchants from al-Traq and Syria, and in which there are silver-mines."
وعلى مسيرة يومين منها جبال شامخة وعْرَة لم أَصِل إليها،,"At a distance of two days’ journey from it there are lofty and steep mountains, which I did not go to."
ونزلنا منها بزاوية الأخي مجد الدين وأقمنا بها ثلاثًا في ضيافته وفعل أفعال من قبله وجاء إلينا نائب الأمير أرتنا وبعث بضيافة وزاد،,"We lodged there in the hospice of the AkhI Majd al-Dln, staying for three nights as his guest. He treated us in the same way as his predecessors, and the deputy of the amir Artana visited us and sent us a hospitality-gift and provisions."
وانصرفنا على تلك البلاد فوصلنا إلى أرزنجان (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة وإسكان الراء وفتح الزاي وسكون النون وجيم وألف ونون)، وهي من بلاد صاحب العراق مدينة كبيرة عامرة وأكثر سكانها الأرمن,"After our departure from these parts we came to Arzanjan, in the territories of the ruler of al-Traq, a large and populous city, most of whose inhabitants are Armenians."
والمسلمون يتكلمون بها التركية,The Muslims there speak Turkish.
ولها أسواق حسنة الترتيب ويصنع بها ثياب حسان تنتسب إليها،,"It has well-organized bazaars, and there are manufactured in it fine fabrics which are called by its name."
وفيها معادن النحاس ويصنعون منه الأواني والبياسيس التي ذكرناها وهي شبه المنار عندنا،,"In it are mines of copper, from which they make utensils and the [lampstands called] baisus that we have already described, which resemble the lampstands in our country."
ونزلنا منها بزاوية الفتى أخي نظام الدين، وهي من أحسن الزوايا، وهو أيضًا من خيار الفتيان، وكبارهم أضافنا أحسن ضيافة.,"We lodged there in the hospice of the Young Akin Nizam al-Dln; it is one of the finest hospices, and he too is one of the best and chief of the fitydn, and he showed us the most perfect hospitality."
وانصرفنا إلى مدينة أرز الروم وهي من بلاد ملك العراق كبيرة الساحة خرب أكثرها بسبب فتنة وقعت بين طائفتين من التركمان بها،,"We left there for the city of Arz al-Rum, in the territories of the king of al-Traq, a place of vast extent, but mostly in ruins in consequence of a factional feud which broke out between two groups of Turkmens there."
ويشقها ثلاثة أنهار وفي أكثر دورها بساتين فيها الأشجار والدوالي،,"It is traversed by three rivers, and most of its houses have gardens in which there are fruit trees and vines."
ونزلنا منها بزاوية الفتى أخي طومان وهو كبير السن، يقال: إنه أناف على مائة وثلاثين سنة،,"We lodged there in the hospice of the Young Akhi Tuman, who is of great age, and reputed to be more than a hundred and thirty years old."
ورأيته يَتَصَرَّف على قدميه متوكئًا على عصًا ثابت الذهن مواظبًا للصلاة في أوقاتها لم نُنْكِر من نفسه شيئًا، إلا أنه لا يستطيع الصوم،,"I saw him going about on his feet, supported by a staff, with his faculties unimpaired, and assiduous in praying at the stated times. He had no complaint to make against himself except that he could no longer sustain the fast [of Ramadan."
وخَدَمَنَا بنفسه في الطعام وخَدَمَنَا أولاده في الحمام،,He himself served us at the meal and his sons served us in the bath.
وأردنا الانصراف عنه ثاني يوم نزولنا فشق عليه ذلك وأبى منه وقال: إن فعلتم نقصتم حرمتي، وإنَّ أَقَلَّ الضيافة ثلاث، فأقمنا لديه ثلاثًا.,"We intended to take leave of him on the day after our arrival, but he was shocked by our proposal and refused it, saying ‘If you do so, you will show disrespect for me, for the shortest period of hospitality is three nights.’"
ثم انصرفنا إلى مدينة بركي (وضبط اسمها بباء موحدة مكسورة وكاف معقود مكسور بينهما راء مسكن)، ووصلنا إليها بعد العصر,"So we stayed with him for three nights and then left for the city of Birgi, where we arrived in the late afternoon."
فلقينا رجلًا من أهلها فسألناه عن زاوية الأخي بها,We met one of its inhabitants and enquired of him for the hospice of the Akhi there.
فقال: أنا أدلكم علينا، فاتبعناه فذهب بنا إلى منزل نفسه في بستان له، فأنزلنا بأعلى سطح بيته والأشجار مظللة وذلك أوان الحر الشديد،,"He replied ‘I will guide you to it,’ so we followed him and he conducted us to his own residence, in a garden that he had, and put us up on the roof of his house, overshadowed by trees, for this was the season of extreme heat."
وأتى إلينا بأنواع الفاكهة وأحسن في ضيافته وعلف دوابنا وبتنا عنده تلك الليلة,"He brought us all kinds of fruit, and gave us excellent hospitality and fodder for our beasts, and we spent that night with him."
وكنا قد تَعَرَّفْنا أن بهذه المدينة مدرسًا فاضلًا يسمى بمحيي الدين،,We had already learned that there was in this city an eminent professor named Muhyi al-Din.
فأتى بنا ذلك الرجل الذي بتنا عنده وكان من الطلبة إلى المدرسة وإذا بالمدرس قد أقبل راكبًا على بغلة فارهة ومماليكه وخدامه عن جانبيه والطلبة بين يديه وعليه ثياب مفرجة حسان مطرزة بالذهب،,"Our host for the night, who was a student of religion, took us to the college, and there was the professor just arriving, mounted on a lively mule and wearing magnificent robes, open in front and embroidered with gold, with his slaves and servants to right and left of him and preceded by the students."
فسلمنا عليه فرحب بنا وأحسن السلام والكلام وأمسك بيدي وأجلسني إلى جانبه،,"When we saluted him he bade us welcome, greeted us and spoke to us most graciously, and, taking me by the hand, made me sit beside him."
ثم جاء القاضي عز الدين فرشتي ومعنى فرشتي الملك لقب بذلك لدينه وعفافه وفضله،,"Later on the qadl ‘Izz al-Din Firishta arrived; firishta means ‘angel’ [in Persian], and this nickname was given to him on account of his piety, purity of life, and virtue."
فقعد عن يمين المدرس وأخذ في تدريس العلوم الأصلية والفرعية،,"He took his seat on the right of the professor, who began to lecture on the sciences, both fundamental and accessory."
ثم لما فرغ من ذلك أتى دويرة بالمدرسة فأمر بفرشها وأنزلني فيها وبعث ضيافة حافلة،,"When he had finished his lecture, he went to a small chamber in the college, ordered it to be furnished, put me up in it, and sent a superb meal."
ثم وجه إلينا بعد المغرب فمضيت إليه,"Later on, after the sunset prayer, he sent an invitation to me, and I went to him."
فوجدته في مجلس ببستان له وهنالك صهريج ماء ينحدر إليه الماء من خصة رخام أبيض يدور بها القاشاني,"I found him in a reception chamber in a garden of his, where there was an ornamental pool into which the water was flowing down from a white marble basin edged with enamelled tiles."
وبين يديه جملة من الطلبة ومماليكه وخدامه وقوف عن جانبيه وهو قاعد على مرتبة عليها أقطاع منقوشة حسنة,"In front of him were a number of the students, and his slaves and servants were standing on either side of him, while he himself was sitting on a dais covered with beautiful embroidered rugs."
فخلته لما شاهدته ملكًا من الملوك،,When I saw him [in so stately a setting] I took him for a prince.
فقام إلي واستقبلني وأخذ بيدي وأجلسني إلى جانبه على مرتبته,"He rose up and came forward to welcome me, took me by the hand, and made me sit beside him on the dais."
وأتي بالطعام فأكلنا وانصرفنا إلى المدرسة،,"Food was then brought, and after we had eaten we returned to the college."
وذَكَرَ لي بعض الطلبة أن جميع من حَضَر تلك الليلة من الطلبة عند المدرس فعادتهم الحضور لطعامه كل ليلة،,One of the students told me that all of the students who were present at the professor’s that night were regular attendants at his meal every night.
وكتب هذا المدرس إلى السلطان بخبرنا وأثنى في كتابه،,"This professor wrote to the sultan a letter, composed in laudatory terms, to inform him about us."
والسلطان في جبل هنالك يصيف فيه لأجل شدة الحر، وذلك الجبل بارد، وعادته أن يصيف فيه.,"The sultan was at the time living on a mountain thereabouts, passing the summer there on account of the severe heat; this mountain was cool, and it was his practice to pass the summer there."
ذكر سلطان بركي,Account of the Sultan of Birgi.
وهو السلطان محمد بن آيدين من خيار السلاطين وكرمائهم وفضلائهم،,"He is the sultan Muhammad, son of Aydln, one of the best, most generous, and worthiest of sultans."
ولما بَعَثَ إليه المدرس يُعْلِمه بخبري وَجَّهَ نائبه إليَّ لآتيه، فأشار عليَّ المدرس أن أُقِيمَ حتى يبعث عني ثانية,"When the professor sent to inform him about me, he despatched his deputy to me with an invitation to visit him, but the professor advised me to wait until the sultan sent for me again."
وكان المدرس إذ ذاك قد خرجت برجله قرحة لا يستطيع الركوب بسببها وانقطع عن المدرسة،,"He himself was at the time suffering from a boil that had broken out on his foot, on account of which he was unable to ride and had ceased to go to college."
ثم إن السلطان بعث في طلبي ثانية,Later on the sultan sent for me again.
فشق ذلك على المدرس فقال: أنا لا أستطيع الركوب ومن غرضي التوجه معك لأقرر لدى السلطان ما يجب لك،,"This gave great distress to the professor and he said ‘It is impossible for me to ride on horseback, although it was my intention to go with you in order to reaffirm to the sultan what is due to you.’"
ثم إنه تحامَلَ ولَفَّ على رجله خرقًا وركب ولم يضع رجله في الركاب,"He braced himself, however, wrapped his foot in bandages, and mounted, without putting his foot in the stirrup."
ورَكِبْتُ أنا وأصحابي وصعدنا إلى الجبل في طريق قد نُحِتَتْ وسُوِّيَتْ،,I and my companions mounted also and we climbed up to the mountain by a road that had been hewn [in its side] and evened out.
فوصلنا إلى موضع السلطان عند الزوال فنزلنا على نهر ماء تحت ظلال شجر الجوز وصادَفْنا السلطان في قلق وشغل بالٍ بسبب فرار ابنه الأصغر سليمان عنه إلى صهره السلطان أرخان بك،,"We arrived at the sultan’s place just after noon, alighted by a stream of water under the shade of walnut trees, and found the sultan agitated and preoccupied on account of the flight from him of his younger son Sulaiman to his father-in-law, the sultan Urkhan Bak."
فلما بلغه خبر وصولنا بعث إلينا ولديه خضر بك وعمر بك,On hearing of our arrival he sent his two sons Khidr Bak and ‘Omar Bak to us.
فسَلَّمَا على الفقيه وأمرهما بالسلام عليَّ ففعلا ذلك، وسألاني عن حالي ومقدمي,"These saluted the doctor of the law, and on his instructions to salute me also they did so, and asked me about myself and my coming."
وانصرفا، وبعث إلي ببيت يسمى عندهم الخرقة (خركاه) وهو عصًى من الخشب تجمع شبه القبة وتُجْعَل عليها اللبود,"After they had gone, the sultan sent me a tent [of the kind] which is called by them kharqa, and consists of wooden laths put together in the shape of a cupola and covered with pieces of felt."
ويُفْتَح أعلاه لدخول الضوء والريح مثل البادهنج ويُسَدُّ متى احتيج إلى سَدِّه،,"The upper part of it can be opened to admit light and air, like a ventilation pipe, and can be closed when required."
وأتوا بالفرش ففرشوه وقَعَدَ الفقيه وقعدت معه، وأصحابه وأصحابي خارج البيت تحت ظلال شجر الجوز،,"They also brought rugs and furnished it. The doctor sat down, and I sat down with him, together with his companions and my companions, outside the tent under the shade of walnut trees."
وذلك الموضع شديد البرد، ومات لي تلك الليلة فرس من شدة البرد،,"It was very cold in that place, and on that night a horse of mine died from the sharpness of the cold."
ولما كان من الغد رَكِبَ المدرس إلى السلطان وتَكَلَّمَ في شأني بما اقتضته فضائله,On the following morning the professor rode to visit the sultan and spoke about me in terms dictated by his own generous qualities.
ثم عاد إلي وأعلمني بذلك وبعد ساعة وجه السلطان في طلبنا معًا,"He then returned to me and told me about this, and after a while the sultan sent to summon both of us."
فجئنا إلى منزله ووجدناه قائمًا فسلمنا عليه وقعد الفقيه عن يمينه وأنا مما يلي الفقيه،,"On reaching his place of residence we found him standing up; we saluted him and sat down, the doctor on his right and I next to the doctor."
فسألني عن حالي ومقدمي وسألني عن الحجاز ومصر والشام واليمن والعراقين وبلاد الأعاجم،,"He enquired of me about myself and my coming, and then questioned me about al-Hijaz, Egypt, Syria, al-Yaman, the two ‘Iraqs, and the lands of the Persians."
ثم حضر الطعام فأكلنا وانصرفنا,"Food was then served, and we ate and withdrew."
وبعث الأرز والدقيق والسمن في كروش الأغنام وكذلك فعل الترك.,"He sent presents of rice, flour, and butter in sheep’s stomachs, this being a practice of the Turks."
وأقمنا على تلك الحال أيامًا يبعث إلينا في كل يوم فنحضر طعامه،,"We continued in this way for several days, being sent for every day to join in his meal."
وأتى يومًا إلينا بعد الظهر وقعد الفقيه في صدر المجلس وأنا عن يساره وقعد السلطان عن يمين الفقيه وذلك لعزة الفقهاء عند الترك،,"One day he came to visit us after the noon prayer; [on that occasion] the doctor sat in the place of honour, with me on his left, and the sultan sat on his right— this being due to the prestige enjoyed by doctors of the law among the Turks."
وطلب مني أن أكتب له أحاديث من حديث رسول الله ﷺ فكتبْتُها له وعَرَضَهَا الفقيه عليه في تلك الساعة، فأمره أن يكتب له شرحها باللسان التركي،,"He asked me to write down for him a number of hadiths, of the sayings of the Apostle of God (God bless and give him peace), and when I had written them for him and the doctor presented them to him in the same hour, he commanded the latter to write an exposition of them for him in the Turkish language."
ثم قام فخرج ورأى الخدام يطبخون لنا الطعام تحت ظلال الجوز بغير إبزار ولا خضر، فأمر بعقاب صاحب خزانته وبعث بالأبرار والسمن،,"He then rose and went out, and observing that our servants were cooking food for us under the shade of the walnut trees without any spices or greens, commanded that his store-keeper should be punished, and sent spices and butter."
وطالت إقامتنا بذلك الجبل فأدركني الملل وأردت الانصراف،,Our stay on this mountain lasted so long that I began to weary and wished to take my leave.
وكان الفقيه أيضًا قد مل من المقام هنالك، فبعث إلى السلطان يخبره أني أريد السفر،,Since the doctor also had had enough of staying there he sent word to the sultan that I desired to continue my journey.
فلما كان من الغد بعث السلطان نائبه فتكلم مع المدرس بالتركية ولم أكن إذ ذاك أفهمها، فأجابه عن كلامه وانصرف،,"On the morning after, therefore, the sultan sent his deputy who spoke with the professor in Turkish (which at that time I did not understand), and withdrew after the latter had answered his talk."
فقال لي المدرس: أتدري ماذا قال؟ قلت: لا أعرف ما قال، قال: إن السلطان بعث إليَّ ليسألني ماذا يعطيك، فقلت له: عنده الذهب والفضة والخيل والعبيد، فلْيُعْطِه ما أحب من ذلك،,"The professor said to me ‘Do you know what he said?’ I replied, ‘I don’t know what he said.’ ‘Well’ he said, ‘the sultan sent to me to ask me what he should give you, so I said to him “He has at his disposal gold and silver and horses and slaves—let him give whatever of these he likes”.’"
فذهب إلى السلطان. ثم عاد إلينا فقال: إن السلطان يأمر أن تقيما هنا اليوم وتنزلا معه غدًا إلى داره بالمدينة،,"So the deputy went off to the sultan and then came back to us saying ‘The sultan com
mands you both to remain here today, and to go down with him tomorrow to his residence in the city."
فلما كان من الغد بعث فرسًا جيدًا من مراكبه ونزل ونحن معه إلى المدينة,"Next morning he sent a fine horse from his own stud, and went down to the city, and we with him."
فخرج الناس لاستقباله وفيهم القاضي المذكور آنفًا وسواه ودخل السلطان ونحن معه،,"The population came out to welcome him, with the above-mentioned qadi and others among them, and the sultan made his entry, we being still with him."
فلما نزل بباب داره ذهبْتُ مع المدرس إلى ناحية المدرسة، فدعا بنا وأَمَرَنَا بالدخول معه إلى داره،,"When he dismounted at the gate of his residence, I made off with the professor towards the college, but he called to us and bade us come into his palace with him."
فلما وَصَلْنَا إلى دهليز الدار وجَدْنا من خدامه نحو عشرين، صُوَرُهُم فائقة الحسن وعليهم ثياب الحرير وشعورهم مفروقة مُرْسَلة وألوانهم ساطعة البياض مُشْرَبة بحمرة،,"On our arrival at the vestibule of the palace, we found about twenty of his servants, of surpassingly beautiful appearance, wearing robes of silk, with their hair parted and hanging loose, and in colour of a resplendent whiteness tinged with red."
فقلت للفقيه: ما هذه الصور الحسان؟ فقال: هؤلاء فتيان روميون،,I said to the doctor ‘What are these beautiful figures?’ and he replied ‘These are Greek pages.’
وصعدنا مع السلطان دَرَجًا كثيرة إلى أن انتهينا إلى مجلس حسن في وسطه صهريج ماء، وعلى كل ركن من أركانه صورة سبع من نخاس يمج ماء من فيه,"We climbed a long flight of stairs with the sultan and came eventually into a fine audience-hall, with an ornamental pool of water in the centre and the figure of a lion in bronze at each corner of it, spouting water from its mouth."
وتدور بهذا المجلس مصاطب متصلة مفروشة، وفوق إحداها مرتبة السلطان،,"Round this hall there was a succession of benches covered with rugs, on one of which was the sultan’s cushion."
لما انتهينا إليها نحى السلطان مرتبته بيده وقعد معنا على الإقطاع,"When we came up to this bench, the sultan pushed away his cushion with his hand and sat down alongside us on the rugs."
وقَعَدَ الفقيه عن يمينه والقاضي مما يلي الفقيه وأنا مما يلي القاضي،,"The doctor sat on his right, the qadi next to him, and I next to the qadi."
وقعد القراء أسفل المصطبة والقراء لا يفارقونه حيث كان من مجالسه،,"The Qur’an-readers sat down below the bench, for there are always Qur’an-readers in attendance on him in his audiences, wherever he may be."
ثم جاءوا بصحاف من الذهب والفضة مملوءة بالجلاب المحلول، قد عُصِرَ فيه ماء الليمون وجُعِلَ فيه كعكات صغار مقسومة وفيها ملاعق ذهب وفضة،,"The servants then brought in gold and silver bowls filled with sherbet [of raisins] steeped in water, into which citron juice had been squeezed, with small pieces of biscuit in it, along with gold and silver spoons."
وجاءوا معها بصحاف صيني فيها مثل ذلك وفيها ملاعق خشب، فمن تَوَرَّعَ استعمل صحاف الصيني وملاعق الخشب،,"At the same time they brought some porcelain bowls containing the same beverage and with wooden spoons, and any who felt scruples [about using the gold and silver vessels] used the porcelain bowls and wooden spoons."
وتكلمْتُ بشكر السلطان وأثنيْتُ على الفقيه وبالَغْتُ في ذلك فأَعْجَبَ ذلك السلطان وسَرَّهُ.,"made a speech of thanks to the sultan and
eulogized the doctor, sparing no efforts in doing so, and this gave much pleasure and satisfaction to the sultan."
حكاية,Anecdote.
وفي أثناء قعودنا مع السلطان أتى شيخ على رأسه عمامة لها ذؤابة فسلم عليه,"While we were still sitting with the sultan there s came in an elderly man, wearing on his head a turban with a tassel, who saluted him."
وقام له القاضي والفقيه وقَعَدَ أمام السلطان فوق المصطبة والقراء أسفل منه،,"The qadi and the doctor stood up as he came in, and he sat down in front of the sultan, on the bench, with the Qur’an-readers beneath him."
فقلت للفقيه: مَنْ هذا الشيخ؟ فضَحِكَ وسَكَتَ، ثم أعدْتُ السؤال فقال لي: هذا يهودي طبيب،,"I said to the doctor ‘Who is this shaikh?’ He just laughed and said nothing, but when I repeated the question he said to me ‘This man is a Jew, a physician."
وكلنا محتاج إليه؛ فلأجل هذا فعلنا ما رأيت من القيام له،,"All of us need his services, and it was for this reason that we acted as you saw in standing up at his entry.’"
فأخذني ما حدث وقدم من الامتعاض، فقلت لليهودي: يا ملعون ابن ملعون، كيف تَجْلِس فوق قراء القرآن وأنت يهودي؟! وشَتَمْتُه ورفعْتُ صوتي،,"At this my old feeling of indignation flared up anew, and I said to the Jew ‘You God-damned son of a God-damned father, how dare you sit up there above the readers of the Qur’an, and you a Jew?’ and went on berating him in loud tones."
فعَجِبَ السلطان وسأل عن معنى كلامي،,The sultan was surprised and asked what I was saying.
فأخْبَرَهُ الفقيه به، وغَضِبَ اليهودي فخرج عن المجلس في أسوأ حالٍ،,"The doctor told him, while the Jew grew angry and left the chamber in the most crestfallen state."
ولما انصرفْنَا قال ليَ الفقيه: أحسنْتَ بارك الله فيك، إن أحدًا سواك لا يتجاسر على مخاطبته بذلك ولقد عَرَّفْتَه بنفسه.,"When we took our leave, the doctor said to me ‘Well done, may God bless you. Nobody but you would dare to speak to him in that way, and you have let him know just what he is.’"
حكاية أخرى,Another anecdote.
وسألني السلطان في هذا المجلس فقال لي: هل رأيتَ قط حجرًا نَزَلَ من السماء؟ فقلت: ما رأيت ذلك ولا سمعت به،,"In the course of this audience the sultan asked me this question: ‘Have you ever seen a stone that fell from the sky?’ I replied, ‘I have never seen one, nor ever heard tell of one.’"
فقال لي: إنه قد نزل بخارج بلدنا هذا حجر من السماء، ثم دعا رجالًا وأَمَرَهُم أن يأتوا بالحجر،,"‘Well,’ he said, ‘a stone did fall from the sky outside this town of ours,’ and then called some men and told them to bring the stone."
فأتوا بحجر أسود أصم شديد الصلابة له بريق قُدِّرَتْ أن زنته تبلغ قنطارًا،,"They brought in a great black stone, very hard and with a glitter in it—I reckoned its weight to amount to a hundredweight."
وأَمَرَ السلطان بإحضار القطاعين فحضر أربعة منهم فأمرهم أن يضربوه فضربوا عليه ضربة رجل واحد أربع مرات بمطارق الحديد، فلم يؤثروا فيه شيئًا,"The sultan ordered the stonebreakers to be summoned, and four of them came and on his command to strike it they beat upon it as one man four times with iron hammers, but made no impression on it."
فعجبت مِنْ أَمْرِه، وأَمَرَ بِرَدِّه إلى حيث كان،,"I was astonished at this phenomenon, and he ordered it to be taken back to its place."
وفي ثالث يوم من دخولنا إلى المدينة مع السلطان صنع صنيعًا عظيمًا ودعا الفقهاء والمشايخ وأعيان العسكر ووجوه أهل المدينة,"Two days after our entry into the city with the sultan, he gave a great banquet and invited the legists, shaikhs, superior officers of the army, and notables among the citizens."
فطعموا وقرأ القراء القرآن بالأصوات الحسان، وعُدْنا إلى منزلنا بالمدرسة،,"After they had eaten, the Qur’an-reciters recited the Qur’an with beautiful modulations, and we returned to our lodging in the college."
وكان يوجه الطعام والفاكهة والحلواء والشمع في كل ليلة، ثم بَعَثَ إليَّ مائةَ مثقال ذهبًا وألف درهم وكسوة كاملة وفرسًا ومملوكًا روميًّا يسمى ميخائيل، وبعث كل من أصحابي كسوة ودراهم كل هذا بمشاركة المدرس محيي الدين — جزاه الله تعالى خيرًا —,"Every night he used to send food, fruit, sweetmeats and candles, and finally sent to me a hundred mithqals of gold, a thousand dirhams, a complete set of garments, a horse, and a Greek slave called Mikha’il, and to each of my companions a robe and some dirhams—all this owing to the friendly offices of the professor Muhyi al-Din, God Most High reward him with good."
ووَدَّعَنا وانصرفنا، وكانت مدة مُقامنا عنده بالجبل والمدينة أربعة عشر يومًا،,"He bade us farewell and we left, having spent fourteen days with him on the mountain and in the city."
ثم قصدنا مدينة تيرة وهي من بلاد هذا السلطان (وضبط اسمها بكسر التاء المعلوة وياء مد وراء)، مدينة حسنة ذات أنهار وبساتين وفواكه،,"We proceeded next to the city of Tlra, which is in the territories of this sultan, a fine town with running streams, gardens and fruits."
نزلنا منها بزاوية الفتى أخي محمد وهو من كبار الصالحين صائم الدهر وله أصحاب على طريقته،,"We lodged there in the hospice of the Young AkhI Muhammad, a most saintly man, who fasts continually and has a number of followers of his Way."
فأضافنا ودعا لنا.,He treated us hospitably and gave us his blessing.
وسِرْنا إلى مدينة أياسلوق (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة والياء آخر الحروف وسين مهمل مضموم ولام مضموم وآخره قاف)، مدينة كبيرة قديمة معظمة عند الروم، وفيها كنيسة كبيرة مبنية بالحجارة الضخمة ويكون طول الحجر منها عشرة أذرع فما دونها منحوتة أبدع نحت،,"We went on to the city of Aya Suluq, a large and ancient city venerated by the Greeks, in which there is a great church built with huge stones, each measuring ten or less cubits in length and most skilfully hewn."
والمسجد الجامع بهذه المدينة من أبدع مساجد الدنيا، لا نظير له في الحسن،,The congregational mosque in this city is one of the most magnificent mosques in the world and unequalled in beauty.
وكان كنيسة للروم معظمة عندهم يقصدونها من البلاد، فلما فُتِحَتْ هذه المدينة جعلها المسلمون مسجدًا جامعًا،,"It was formerly a church of the Greeks, greatly venerated among them, which they used to visit from all parts, and when the Muslims captured the city they made it a congregational mosque."
وحيطانه من الرخام الملون وفرشه الرخام الأبيض وهو مسقف بالرصاص,"Its walls are of marble of different colours, and it is paved with white marble and roofed with lead."
وفيه إحدى عشرة قبة منوعة في وسط كل قبة صهريج ماء,"It contains eleven domes, differing in size, with a water pool in the centre of [the area under] each dome."
والنهر يشقه وعن جانبي النهر الأشجار المختلفة الأجناس ودوالي العنب ومعرشات الياسمين وله خمسة عشر بابًا،,"The city is traversed by the river, which has on either side of it trees of different species, grapevines, and trellises of jasmine, and it has fifteen gates."
وأمير هذه المدينة خضر بك ابن السلطان محمد بن آيدين،,"The governor of this city is Khidr Bak, son of the sultan Muhammad b. Aydin."
وقد كنت رأيته عن أبيه بيركي ثم لقيته بهذه المدينة خارجها,"I had already seen him at his father’s place in BirgI, and I met him again at this city, in its outskirts."
فسلمت عليه وأنا راكب فَكَرِهَ ذلك مني وكان سَبَبَ حرماني لديه،,"I saluted him while on horseback, and this act on my part displeased him and was the cause of depriving me of his generosity."
فإن عادتهم إذا نَزَلَ لهم الوارد نزلوا له وأَعْجَبَهُم ذلك,"For it is their custom when a visitor dismounts to them, to dismount (in turn) to him and to be pleased with his action."
ولم يَبْعَثْ إلي إلا ثوبًا واحدًا من الحرير المُذَهَّب يسمونه النخ (بفتح النون وخاء معجم)،,He sent me nothing but a single robe of silk woven with gold thread [of the kind] that they call nakh.
واشتريت بهذه المدينة جارية رومية بكرًا بأربعين دينارًا ذهبًا.,"bought in this city a Greek slavegirl, a virgin, for forty gold dinars."
ثم سرنا إلى مدينة يزمير (وضبط اسمها بياء آخر الحروف مفتوحة وزاي مسكن وميم مكسورة وياء مد وراء)، مدينة كبيرة على ساحل البحر معظمها خراب، ولها قلعة متصلة بأعلاها،,"We went on next to the city of Yazmir, a large city on the sea-coast, mostly in ruins, with a citadel adjoining its upper end."
نزلنا منها بزاوية الشيخ يعقوب — وهو من الأحمدية — صالح فاضل،,"We lodged there in the hospice of the shaikh Ya’qub, who belongs to the Ahmadlya brotherhood, a pious and worthy man."
ولقينا بخارجها الشيخ عز الدين بن أحمد الرفاعي ومعه زاده الأخلاطي — من كبار المشايخ — ومعه مائة فقير من المولهين،,"In the outskirts of the city we met the shaikh ‘Izz al-DIn b. Ahmad al-Rifa’i, who had with him Zada alAkhlati, one of the great shaikhs, together with a hundred poor brethren, all of them demented."
وقد ضَرَبَ لهم الأمير الأخبية، وصَنَعَ لهم الشيخ يعقوب ضيافة وحَضَرْتها واجتمعت بهم،,The governor had set up tents for them and the shaikh Ya’qub gave them a feast at which I was present and so met with them.
وأمير هذه المدينة عمر بك ابن السلطان محمد بن آيدين المذكور آنفًا وسكناه بقلعتها،,"The amir of this city is ‘Omar Bak, son of the sultan Muhammad b. Aydln mentioned above, and his residence is in the citadel."
وكان حين قدومنا عليها عند أبيه، ثم قدم بعد خمس من نزولنا بها،,"At the time of our arrival there he was with his father, but he returned after we had stayed in it for five nights."
فكان من مكارمه أن أتى إليَّ بالزاوية فسلم عليَّ واعتذر,"He gave an example of his generous qualities in coming to visit me in the hospice, and greeting me with apologies [for his absence]."
وبعث ضيافة عظيمة، وأعطاني بعد ذلك مملوكًا روميًّا خماسيًّا اسمه نقوله، وثوبين من الكمخا، وهي ثياب حرير تُصْنَع ببغداد وتبريز ونيسابور وبالصين.,"He sent an immense hospitality-gift, and in addition gave me a Greek slave, a dwarf named Niqula, and two robes of kamkha, which are silken fabrics manufactured at Baghdad, Tabriz, Naisabur, and in China."
وذَكَرَ لي الفقيه الذي يؤم به أن الأمير لم يَبْقَ له مملوك سوى ذلك المملوك الذي أعطاني بسبب كَرَمِه رحمه الله،,"The jurist who acts as his imam told me that the amir had no other slave left than the slave that he gave me, on account of his generosity—God have mercy on him."
وأعطى أيضًا للشيخ عز الدين ثلاثة أفراس مجهزة وآنية فضة كبيرة تسمى عندهم المشربة، مملوءة دراهم وثيابًا من الملف والمرعز والقسي والكمخا وجواريَ وغلمانًا،,"To the shaikh ‘Izz al-DIn also he gave three horses with their equipment, several large silver vessels [of the kind] that they call mishraba [‘goblet’], filled with dirhams, garments of woollen cloth, qudsi and kamkha, and slavegirls and slaveboys."
وكان هذا الأمير كريمًا صالحًا كثير الجهاد,"This amir was a generous and pious prince, and continually engaged in jihad [against the Christians]."
له أجفان غزوية يَضْرِب بها على نواحي القسطنطينية العظمى فيسبي ويغنم ويفني ذلك كرمًا وجودًا، ثم يعود إلى الجهاد,"He had war-galleys with which he used to make raids on the environs of Con-stantinople the Great and to seize prisoners and booty, then after spending it all in gifts and largesse he would go out again to the jihad."
إلى أن اشتدتْ على الروم وطْأَتُه، فرفعوا أَمْرَهُم إلى البابا فأَمَرَ نصارى جنوة وأفرانسة بغزوه فغزوه,"Eventually his pressure became so galling to the Greeks that they appealed to the Pope, who ordered the Christians of Genoa and France to attack him, and attack him they did."
وجَهَّزَ جيشًا من رومية، وطرقوا مدينته ليلًا في عدد كثير من الأجفان، وملكوا المرسى والمدينة,"The Pope sent an army from Rome, and [the combined forces] made an assault on the city by night with a large number of galleys, capturing the harbour and the town."
ونَزَلَ إليهم الأمير عمر من القلعة، فقاتلهم فاستشهد هو وجماعة من ناسه,"The amir ‘Omar came down from the citadel to engage them, but died a martyr’s death together with a great number of his men."
واستقر النصارى بالبلد ولم يقدروا على القلعة لِمَنَعَتِها،,"The Christians established themselves in the town, but could not capture the citadel because of its impregnability."
ثم سافرنا من هذه المدينة مغنيسية (وضبط اسمها بميم مفتوحة وغين معجمة مسكنة ونون مكسورة وياء مد وسين مهملة مكسورة وياء آخر الحروف مشددة)، نزلنا بها عشي يوم بزاوية رجل من الفتيان،,"We continued our journey from this city to the city of Maghnislya, where we lodged on the evening of the Day of ‘Arafa in the hospice of one of the fityan."
وهي مدينة كبيرة حسنة في سفح جبل وبسيطها كثير الأنهار والعيون والبساتين والفواكه.,"It is a large and fine city on a mountain slope, and its plain abounds in rivers, springs, gardens and fruits."
ذكر سلطان مغنيسية,Account of the Sultan of Maghnislya.
وسلطانها يسمى صاروخان، ولما وصلنا إلى هذه البلدة وجدناه بتربة ولده، وكان قد توفي منذ أشهر،,"Its sultan is called Saru-khan, and when we arrived in this town we found him at the mausoleum of his son, who had died some months before."
فكان هو وأم الولد ليلة العيد وصبيحتها بتربته,He and the boy’s mother spent the eve of the festival and the following morning at the tomb.
والولد قد صبر وجُعِلَ في تابوت خشب مغشًّى بالحديد المقزدر وعُلِّقَ في قبة لا سَقْفَ لها لأن تذهب رائحته، وحينئذٍ تسقف القبة ويُجْعَل تابوته ظاهرًا على وجه الأرض وتُجْعَل ثيابه عليه،,"The boy had been embalmed and placed in a coffin of wood with a lid of tinned iron; the coffin was raised on high trestles in a domed chamber without a roof, so that its odour should escape, and after this the dome would be roofed in and the boy’s coffin placed where it could be seen on ground level, and his garments laid upon it."
وهكذا رأيت غيره أيضًا من الملوك فَعَلَ،,This same practice I have seen done by other kings also.
وسَلَّمْنَا عليه بذلك الموضع وصلينا معه صلاة العيد، وعُدْنَا إلى الزاوية,"We saluted him in this place, prayed with him the festival prayers, and returned to the college."
فأخذ الغلام الذي كان لي أفراسنا وتَوَجَّه مع غلام لبعض الأصحاب برسم سقيها فأبطأ،,"The slaveboy who belonged to me took our horses and went to water them, in company with a slave of one of my companions. He was absent for a long time,"
ثم لما كان العشي لم يَظْهَر لهما أَثَرٌ،,and by the afternoon no trace of them had appeared.
وكان بهذه المدينة الفقيه المدرس الفاضل مُصْلِح الدين، فركب معي إلى السلطان,"There was in this town [at the time] the excellent jurist and professor Muslih al-Din, and he rode with me to the sultan."
وأعلمناه بذلك، فبعث في طلبهما فلم يوجدا،,"We informed him of the event, but although he sent in search of them they were not found."
واشتغل الناس في عيدهم وقصدا مدينة للكفار على ساحل البحر تسمى فوجة على مسيرة يوم من مغنيسية،,"While all the inhabitants were occupied with their feast, they made for a city belonging to the infidels on the sea-coast, called Fuja, a day’s journey distant from Maghnisiya."
وهؤلاء الكفار في بلد حصين وهم يبعثون هدية في كل سنة إلى سلطان مغنيسية، فيقنع منهم بها لحصانة بلدهم،,"These infidels are in a strongly fortified town, and every year they send a gift to the sultan of Maghnisiya, so he is content with this gift from them [and leaves them alone] because of the strength of their town."
فلما كان بعد الظهر أتى بهما بعض الأتراك وبالأفراس. وذكروا أنهما اجتازا بهم عشية النهار فأنكروا أمرهما واشتدوا عليهما حتى أقرا بما عزما عليه من الفرار،,"In the afternoon [of the next day] the fugitives were brought in, along with the horses, by some Turks, who said that the pair of them had passed by them the previous evening, and that they, becoming suspicious about them, had used pressure on them until they confessed their design of escaping."
ثم سافرنا من مغنيسية وبتنا ليلة عند قوم من التركمان قد نزلوا في مرعى لهم ولم نجد عندهم ما نعلف به دوابنا تلك الليلة،,"We continued our journey from Maghnisiya and spent one night with a body of [ Turkmens who had encamped in a pasturage of theirs, but we could not obtain from them anything with which to feed our animals that night."
وبات أصحابنا يحترسون مداولة بينهم خوف السرقة،,"Our party spent that night standing guard by turns, for fear of being robbed."
فأتت نوبة الفقيه عفيف الدين التوزري فسمعته يقرأ سورة البقرة، فقلت له: إذا أردت النوم فأعْلِمْني لأنظر من يحرس،,"When the turn of the jurist ‘Afif al-Din al-Tuzari came round, I heard him reciting the sura of the Cow and said to him ‘When you want to go to sleep let me know, so that I may see who is keeping guard.’"
ثم نِمْتُ، فما أيقظني إلا الصياح وقد ذَهَبَ السُّرَّاق بفرس لي كان يركبه عفيف الدين بسرجه ولجامه،,"I then went to sleep and he woke me only at dawn, by which time the robbers had gone off with a horse of mine—the one that ‘Afif al-Din had been riding—saddle, bridle, and all."
وكان من جياد الخيل اشتريته بأياسلوق،,"It was a good horse, too, which I had bought at Ay a Suluq."
ثم رحلنا من الغد فوصلنا إلى مدينة برغمة (وضبط اسمها بياء موحدة مفتوحة وراء مسكنة وغين معجمة مفتوحة وميم مفتوحة)، مدينة خربة لها قلعة عظيمة منيعة بأعلى جبل،,"We set off again in the morning, and came to the city of Barghama, a city in ruins, with a great and formidable fortress on top of a hill."
ويقال: إن أفلاطون الحكيم من أهل هذه المدينة وداره تشتهر باسمه إلى الآن،,"It is related that the philosopher Aflafun [Plato] was an inhabitant of this city, and his house is known by his name to the present day."
ونزلنا منها بزاوية فقير من الأحمدية، ثم جاء أحد كبراء المدينة فنَقَلَنَا إلى داره وأَكْرَمَنا إكرامًا كثيرًا.,"We lodged there in the hospice of a poor brother of the Ahmadiya, but afterwards one of the chief men of the city came and took us over to his residence, where he entertained us right royally."
ذِكْر سلطان برغمة,Account of the Sultan of Barghama.
وسلطانها يسمى يخشي خان بكسر الشين،,Its sultan is named YakhshI Khan.
وخان عندهم هو السلطان ويخشي (بياء آخر الحروف وخاء معجم وشين معجم مكسور) ومعناه جيد،,"Khan in their language means ‘sultan’, and Yakhshl means ‘excellent’."
صادَفْناه في مصيف له فأُعْلِمَ بقدومنا فبَعَثَ بضيافةٍ وثوب قدسي،,"When we arrived he was away in a summer camp, but he was informed of our coming and sent a hospitality gift and a robe of qudsi."
ثم اكترينا من يدلنا على الطريق وسِرْنا في جبال شامخة وَعْرة إلى أن وصلنا إلى مدينة بلي كَسْرِي، (وضبط اسمها بباء موحدة مفتوحة ولام مكسور وياء مد وكاف مفتوح وسين مهمل مسكن وراء مكسور وياء)، مدينة حسنة كثيرة العمارات مليحة الأسواق ولا جامع لها يُجْمَع فيه،,"We now hired a man to guide us on the road, and travelled over steep and rugged mountains until we came to the city of Ball Kasri, a fine and populous city with pleasant bazaars, but it has no mosque for congregational Friday prayers."
وأرادوا بناء جامع خارجها متصل بها فبنوا حيطانه ولم يجعلوا له سقفًا، وصاروا يصلون به ويجتمعون تحت ظلال الأشجار،,"They proposed to build a congregational mosque outside the town and adjoining it, but after building its walls they left it without a roof, and now they pray in it and hold the Friday service under the shade of the trees."
ونزلنا من هذه المدينة بزاوية الفتى أخي سنان وهو من أفاضلهم، وأتى إلينا قاضيها وخطيبها الفقيه موسى.,"We lodged in this city at the hospice of the Young AkhI Sinan, one of their eminent men, and were visited by its qadi and khaflb, the legist Musa."
ذِكْر سلطان بلي كسري,Account of the Sultan of Ball Kasri.
ويسمى دمورخان، ولا خير فيه،,"He is named Dumur Khan, and is a worthless person."
وأبوه هو الذي بنى هذه المدينة وكثرت عمارتها بمن لا خير فيه في مدة ابنه هذا، والناس على دين الملك,"It was his father who built this city, and during the reign of this son of his it acquired a large population of good-for-nothings, for ‘Like king like people’."
ورايته وبعث إلي ثوب حرير,I visited him and he sent me a silk robe.
واشتريت بهذه المدينة جارية رومية تسمى مرغليطة،,I bought in this city a Greek slavegirl named Marghalita.
ثم سِرْنَا إلى مدينة برصى (وضبط اسمها بضم الباء الموحدة وإسكان الراء وفتح الصاد المهمل)، مدينة كبيرة عظيمة حسنة الأسواق فسيحة الشوارع تحفها البساتين من جميع جهاتها والعيون الجارية,"We went on next day to the city of Bursa, a great and important city with fine bazaars and wide streets, surrounded on all sides by gardens and running springs."
وبخارجها نهر شديد الحرارة يصب في بركة عظيمة، وقد بني عليها بيتان أحدهما للرجال والآخر للنساء،,"In its outskirts there is a river of exceedingly hot water which flows into a large pond; beside this have been built two [bath] houses, one for men and the other for women."
والمرضى يستشفون بهذه الحمة ويأتون إليها من أقاصي البلاد،,Sick persons seek a cure in this hot pool and come to it from the most distant parts of the country.
وهنالك زاوية للواردين ينزلون بها ويطعمون مدة مقامهم وهي ثلاثة أيام، عَمَرَ هذه الزاوية أحد ملوك التركمان،,"There is a hospice there for visitors, in which they are given lodging and food for the period of their stay, that is three days, and which was built by one of the kings of the Turkmens."
ونزلنا في هذه المدينة بزاوية الفتى أخي شمس الدين من كبار الفتيان، ووافقنا عنده يوم عاشوراء,"We lodged in this city at the hospice of the Young Akhi Shams al-Din, one of the leaders of the fityan, and happened to be staying with him on the day of ‘Ashura’."
فصنع طعامًا كثيرًا ودعا وجوه العسكر وأهل المدينة ليلًا وأفطروا عنده وقرأ القراء بالأصوات الحسنة،,"He made a great feast to which he invited the principal officers of the army and leading citizens during the night, and when they had broken their fast the Qur’an-readers recited with beautiful voices."
وحضر الفقيه الواعظ مجد الدين القونوي ووَعَظَ وذَكَّرَ وأَحْسَنَ، ثم أخذوا في السماع والرقص وكانت ليلة عظيمة الشأن،,"The jurist and preacher Majd al-DIn al-Qunawi attended the gathering, and delivered an eloquent homily and exhortation, after which they began to sing and dance. It was a truly sublime night."
وهذا الواعظ من الصالحين يصوم الدهر ولا يفطر إلا في كل ثلاثة أيام، ولا يأكل إلا من كد يمينه، ويقال: إنه لم يأكل طعام أحد قط،,"This homiletic preacher is a man of saintly life; he fasts continually, and breaks his fast only every three days, he eats nothing but [what he has earned] by the labour of his hand, and he is reputed never to have eaten food [offered to him by] any person."
ولا منزل له ولا متاع إلا ما يستتر به، ولا ينام إلا في المقبرة،,"He has no dwelling place, nor possessions other than clothes enough to cover his nakedness, and he sleeps only in the cemetery."
ويَعِظُ في المجالس ويَذْكُر فيتوب على يديه في كل مجلس الجماعة من الناس،,"He delivers homilies at assemblies and warns [men of the torments of hell fire, with such eloquence] that a number of persons repent at his hands in every assembly."
وطلبته بعد هذه الليلة، فلم أَجِدْه وأتيت الجبانة فلم أَجِدْهُ، ويقال: إنه يأتيها بعد هجوع الناس.,"I sought him out after this night but could not find him; even when I went to the cemetery I did not find him, and it was reported that he used to repair to it only when everyone else was asleep."
حكاية,Anecdote.
لما حضرنا ليلة عاشوراء بزاوية شمس الدين وعظ بها مجد الدين من آخر الليل، فصاح أحد الفقراء صيحة غُشِيَ عليه منها،,"When we were attending [the celebration of] the night of ‘Ashura’ in the hospice of Shams al-DIn, Majd al-Din delivered a homily there at the end of the night, and one of the poor brethren gave a loud cry and fainted."
فصبوا عليه ماء الورد فلم يُفِقْ، فأعادوا عليه ذلك فلم يُفِقْ،,"They poured rose-water over him, but he showed no signs of life, nor did he when they repeated the treatment."
واختلفت الناس فيه، فمِنْ قائلٍ: إنه ميت، ومن قائل: إنه مغشيٌّ عليه،,"Those present expressed different opinions about him, some saying that he was dead, others that he had fainted."
وأتمَّ الواعظ كلامه وقرأ القراء وصلينا الصبح، وطلعت الشمس فاختبروا حال الرجل، فوجدوه فَارَقَ الدنيا رحمه الله، فاشتغلوا بغسله وتكفينه،,"The preacher finished his discourse, the Qur’an-readers recited, we prayed the dawn prayer, and the sun rose; then they investigated the man’s condition and found that he had quitted the world—God’s mercy on him—so they busied themselves with washing him and wrapping him in his shroud."
وكنت فيمن حَضَرَ الصلاة عليه ودَفَنَهُ،,I was among those who attended his funeral prayers and burial.
وكان هذا الفقير يسمى الصَّيَّاح، وذَكَرُوا أنه كان يتعبد بغار هنالك في جبل،,"This poor brother was called ‘the shrieker’, and they related that he used to engage in devotional exercises in a cave in those parts on a mountain."
فمتى علم أن الواعظ مجد الدين يَعِظُ قَصَدَه وحَضَرَ وَعْظَه ولم يأكل طعام أحد،,"When he heard that the preacher Majd al-Din was to preach [anywhere] he would go there to attend his sermon, but without accepting food from anyone."
فإذا وَعَظَ مجد الدين يصيح ويغشى عليه ثم يفيق فيتوضأ ويصلي ركعتين،,"During Majd al-Din’s discourse he would cry out and faint; then after a time he would revive, perform his ablutions and pray two bowings."
ثم إذا سمع الواعظ صاح، يفعل ذلك مرارًا في الليلة،,"But on hearing the preacher again, he would cry out, [and go on] doing this several times in the course of the night."
وسُمِّيَ الصَّيَّاحَ لأجل ذلك،,He was called ‘the shrieker’ for this reason.
وكان أَعْذَرَ اليد والرِّجْل لا قُدْرَة له على الخدمة، وكانت له والدة تقوته من غزلها، فلما تُوُفِّيَت اقتات من نبات الأرض،,"He was mutilated in the arm and the leg and unable to do any work, but he had [at first] a mother who procured food for him by her spinning, and when she died he lived on wild plants."
ولَقِيتُ بهذه المدينة الشيخ الصالح عبد الله المصري السائح، وهو من الصالحين,"I met in this city the pious shaikh ‘Abdallah al-Misrf, the traveller, and a man of saintly life."
جالَ الأرض، إلا أنه لم يدخل الصين ولا جزيرة سرنديب ولا المغرب ولا الأندلس ولا بلاد السودان، وقد زدت عليه بدخول هذه الأقاليم.,"He journeyed through the earth, but he never went into China nor the island of Ceylon, nor the Maghrib, nor al-Andalus, nor the Negrolands, so that I have outdone him by visiting these regions."
ذكر سلطان برصا,Account of the Sultan of Bursa.
وسلطانها اختيار الدين أرخان بك، وأرخان (بضم الهمزة وخاء معجم) ابن السلطان عثمان جوق (وجوق بجيم معقود مضموم وآخره قاف)، وتفسيره بالتركية الصغير،,"Its sultan is Ikhtiyar al-Din Urkhan Bak, son of the sultan ‘Othman Chuq (chuq in Turkish means ‘the little’)."
وهذا السلطان أكبر ملوك التركمان وأكثرهم مالًا وبلادًا وعسكرًا،,"This sultan is the greatest of a the kings of the Turkmens and the richest in wealth, lands and military forces."
له من الحصون ما يقارب مائة حصن، وهو في أكثر أوقاته لا يزال يطوف عليها ويقيم بكل حصن منها أيامًا لإصلاح شئونه وتفقُّد حاله،,"Of fortresses he possesses nearly a hundred, and for most of his time he is continually engaged in making the round of them, staying in each fortress for some days to put it into good order and examine its condition."
ويقال: إنه لم يُقِمْ قط شهرًا كاملًا ببلد،,It is said that he has never stayed for a whole month in any one town.
ويقاتِلُ الكفار ويحاصرهم،,He also fights with the infidels continually and keeps them under siege.
ووالده هو الذي استفتح مدينة برصا من أيدي الروم، وقَبْرُه بمسجدها، وكان مسجدها كنيسة للنصارى،,"It was his father who captured the city of Bursa from the hands of the Greeks, and his tomb is in its mosque, which was formerly a church of the Christians."
ويُذْكَر أنه حاصر مدينة برتيك نحو عشرين سنة ومات قبل فتحها،,"It is told that he besieged the city of Yaznik for about twenty years, but died before it was taken."
فحاصرها ولده هذا الذي ذكرناه اثنتي عشرة سنة وافتتحها، وبها كان لقائي له، وبعث إلي بدراهم كثيرة،,Then this son of his [Urkhan] whom we have mentioned besieged it for twelve years before capturing it; it was there that I met him and he sent me a large sum of money.
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة يزنيك (وضبط اسمها بفتح الياء آخر الحروف وإسكان الزاي وكسر النون وياء مد وكاف)، وبتنا قبل الوصول إليها ليلة بقرية تُدْعَى كرلة بزاوية فتًى من الأخية،,"We continued our journey to the city of Yaznik, and spent a night before reaching it at a village called Kurluh, in the hospice of one of the Young Akins."
ثم سِرْنا من هذه القرية يومًا كاملًا في أنهار ماء على جوانبها أشجار الرمان الحلو الحامض.,"From this village we travelled for a whole day through [countryside with] flowing rivers bordered with pomegranates, both sweet and acid,"
ثم وَصَلْنَا إلى بحيرة ماء تُنْبِت القصب على ثمانية أميال من يزنيك لا يستطاع دخولها إلا على طريق واحد مثل الجسر لا يسلك عليها إلا فارس واحد،,"and eventually came to a rushy lake, at a distance of eight miles from Yaznik. This city is surrounded on all sides by the lake, and cannot be entered except by one road like a dyke, that can be traversed by only one horseman at a time."
وبذلك امتنعت هذه المدينة والبحيرة محيطة بها من جميع الجهات وهي خاوية على عروشها، لا يسكن بها إلا أناس قليلون من خدام السلطان،,"It is for this reason that it held out so long, but it is now in a mouldering condition and uninhabited except for a few men in the sultan’s service."
وبها زوجته بيون خاتون، وهي الحاكمة عليهم — امرأة صالحة فاضلة —,"In it lives also his wife Bayalun Khatun, who is in command of them, a pious and excellent woman."
وعلى المدينة أسوار أربعة بين كل سورين خندق وفيه الماء ويَدْخُل إليها على جسور خشب متى أرادوا رَفْعها رفعوها،,"The city is surrounded by four walls with a moat between every two of them, and can be entered only over wooden drawbridges that they raise up when they wish to do so."
وبداخل المدينة البساتين والدور والأرض والمزارع، فلكل إنسان داره ومزرعته وبستانه مجموعة,"Inside it there are orchards, homesteads, land and cultivated fields, and every man has his homestead, his field and orchard, all together."
وشربها من آبار بها قريبة، وبها من جميع أصناف الفواكه,"Its drinking water is obtained from shallow wells inside the town, and it has all sorts of fruits."
والجوز والقسطل عندهم كثير جدًّا رخيص الثمن ويسمون القسطل قسطنة بالنون والجوز القوز بالقاف،,Walnuts and chestnuts are exceedingly plentiful and very cheap with them; they call the chestnut qastana and the walnut qauz.
وبها العنب العذارى لم أَرَ مِثْلَه في سواها متناهي الحلاوة عظيم الجرم صافي اللون رقيق القشر للحبة منه نواة واحدة،,"In it grow also ‘virgin’ grapes, the like of which I have never seen elsewhere, of the utmost sweetness, large in size, clear in colour, and thin-skinned, with only one stone to each grape."
أَنْزَلَنَا بهذه المدينة الفقيه الإمام الحاج المجاور علاء الدين السلطانيوكي، وهو شيخ الفضلاء الكرماء،,"We were given lodging in this city by the jurist and imam, the pilgrim and sojourner [in the Holy Cities] ‘Ala al-Din alSultanyuki, a worthy and generous man."
ما جئت قط إلى زيارته إلا أَحْضَرَ الطعام،,I never went to visit him but he served up food.
وصورته حسنة وسيرته أحسن،,He was of handsome appearance and still more handsome character.
وتَوَجَّهَ معي إلى الخاتون المذكورة، فأكْرَمَتْ وأضافت وأحسنت،,"He went with me to the Khatun mentioned above, and she treated me honourably, gave me hospitality, and sent gifts."
وبعد قدومنا بأيام وَصَلَ إلى هذه المدينة السلطان أرخان بك الذي ذكرناه،,Some days after our arrival the sultan Urkhan Bak whom we have mentioned came to this city.
وأقمت بهذه المدينة نحو أربعين يومًا بسبب مرض فَرَسٍ لي، فلما طال عليَّ المكث تَرَكْتُه وانصرفت ومعي ثلاثة من أصحابي وجارية وغلامان،,"I stayed in it about forty days, on account of the illness of a horse of mine, but when I became impatient at the delay I left it behind and set out with three of my companions, and a slavegirl and two slaveboys."
وليس معنا من يُحْسِن اللسان التركي ويترجم عنا،,We had no one with us who could speak Turkish and translate for us.
وكان لنا ترجمان فارَقَنا بهذه المدينة.,We had a translator previously but he left us in this city.
ثم خرجنا منها فبتنا بقرية يقال لها مكجا (بفتح الميم والكاف والجيم)، بتنا عند فقيه بها أَكْرَمَنَا وأضافنا,After our departure from it we spent the night at a village called Makaja with a legist there who treated us well and gave us hospitality.
وسافرنا من عنده، وتَقَدَّمَتْنا امرأة من الترك على فَرَس ومعها خديم لها وهي قاصدة مدينة ينجا، ونحن في اتباع أثرها،,"On continuing our journey from this village we were preceded by a Turkish woman on a horse, and accompanied by a servant, who was making for the city of Yanija, while we followed her up."
فوصلْتُ إلى وادٍ كبير يقال له: سَقَرِي، كأنه نَسَبٌ إلى سَقَر أعاذنا الله منها،,"She came to a great river which is called Saqarl, as though it took its name from Saqar (God preserve us from it)."
فذَهَبَتْ تَجُوزُ الوادي، فلما تَوَسَّطَتْه كادت الدابة تغرق بها ورمتها عن ظهرها،,"She went right on to ford the river, but when she was in the middle of it the horse nearly sank with her and threw her off its back."
وأراد الخديم الذي كان معها استخلاصها فذهب الوادي بهما معًا،,"The servant who was with her tried to rescue her, but the river carried them both away."
وكان في عدوة الوادي قوم رموا بأنفسهم في أثرهما سباحة فأخرجوا المرأة وبها من الحياة رَمَقٌ، ووجدوا الرجل قد قضى نحبه رحمه الله،,"There were some men on the opposite bank who threw themselves in and swam after them; they brought out the woman with a spark of life still in her, but the man had perished—God’s mercy on him."
وأَخْبَرَنَا أولئك الناس أن المعدية أسفل من ذلك الموضع تَوَجَّهْنَا إليها،,"These men told us that the ford was below that place, so we went down to it."
وهي أربع خشبان مربوطة بالحبال يجعلون عليها سروج الدواب والمتاع ويجذبها الرجال من العدوة الأخرى ويركب عليها الناس، وتجاز الدواب سباحة وكذلك فَعَلْنا،,"It consists of four balks of wood, tied together with ropes, on which they place the horses’ saddles and the baggage; it is pulled over by men from the opposite bank, with the passengers riding on it, while the horses are led across swimming, and that was how we crossed."
ووصلنا تلك الليلة إلى كاوية، واسمها على مثال فاعلة من الكي، نزلنا منها بزاوية أحد الأخية فكلَّمْنَاه بالعربية فلم يَفْهَمْ عنا، وكَلَّمَنَا بالتركية فلم نَفْهَمْ عنه,"We came the same night to Kawiya,  where we lodged in the hospice of one of the Akhis. We spoke to him in Arabic, and he did not understand us; he spoke to us in Turkish, and we did not understand him."
فقال: اطلبوا الفقيه، فإنه يَعْرِف العربية فأتى الفقيه فكَلَّمَنَا بالفارسية,"Then he said ‘Call the doctor of the law, for he knows Arabic,’ so the legist came and spoke to us in Persian."
وكَلَّمْنَاه بالعربية، فلم يَفْهَمْها منا، فقال للفتى: إيشان عربي كهنا ميقوان (ميكويند ومن عربي نوا ميدانم)، وإيشان معناه هؤلاء وكهنا قديم وميقوان يقولون ومن أنا ونو جديد وميدانم تعرف،,"We addressed him in Arabic, but he did not understand us, and said to the Young Brother Ishan ‘arabl kuhna miqiiwdn waman ‘arabi naw mlddnam. Ishan means ‘these men’, kuhna means ‘old’, miquwan ‘they say’, naw ‘new’, and midanam ‘I know’."
وإنما أراد الفقيه بهذا الكلام ستر نفسه عن الفضيحة حين ظنوا أنه يَعْرِف اللسان العربي وهو لا يَعْرِفه،,"What the legist intended by this statement was to shield himself from disgrace, when they thought that he knew the Arabic language, although he did not know it."
فقال لهم: هؤلاء يتكلمون بالكلام العربي القديم، وأنا لا أعرف إلا العربي الجديد،,So he said to them ‘These men speak the ancient Arabic speech and I know only the new Arabic.’
فظن الفتى أن الأمر على ما قاله الفقيه ونَفَعَنَا ذلك عنده،,"However, the Young Brother thought that matters really were as the man of law said, and this did us good service with him."
وبالغ في إكرامنا وقال: هؤلاء تَجِبُ كرامتهم لأنهم يتكلمون باللسان العربي القديم، وهو لسان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا وأصحابه،,"He showed us the utmost respect, saying ‘These men must be honourably treated because they speak the ancient Arabic language, which was the language of the Prophet (God bless and give him peace) and of his Companions.’"
ولم نفهم كلام الفقيه إذ ذاك لكنني حَفِظْتُ لفظه، فلما تَعَلَّمْتُ اللسان الفارسي فَهِمْتُ مراده.,"I did not understand what the legist said at that time, but I retained the sound of his words in my memory, and when I learned the Persian language I understood its meaning."
وبِتْنَا تلك الليلة بالزاوية وبعث معنا دليلًا إلى ينجا، (وضبط اسمها بفتح الياء آخر الحروف وكسر النون وجيم)، بلدة كبيرة حسنة،,"We spent the night in the hospice, and the Young Brother sent a guide with us to Yanija, a large and fine township."
بَحَثْنَا بها عن زاوية الأخي فوجدنا بها أحد الفقراء المولهين،,"We searched there for the Akhi’s hospice, and found one of the demented poor brothers."
فقلت له: هذه زاوية الأخي، فقال لي: نعم، فسُرِرْتُ عند ذلك إذْ وَجَدْتُ مَنْ يفهم اللسان العربي،,"When I said to him ‘Is this the Akhi’s hospice?’ he replied na‘am [yes] and I was filled with joy at this, [thinking] that I had found someone who understood Arabic."
فلما اختبرْتُه أَبْرَزَ الغيبُ أنه لا يَعْرِف من اللسان العربي إلا كلمة نعم خاصة،,"But when I tested him further the secret came to light, that he knew nothing at all of Arabic except the word na’am."
ونزلنا بالزاوية وجاء إلينا أحد الطلبة بطعام ولم يكن الأخي حاضرًا,"We lodged in the hospice, and one of the students brought us food, since the Akhi was away."
وحصل الأُنْسُ بهذا الطالب ولم يكن يَعْرِف اللسان العربي، لكنه تَفَضَّلَ وتَكَلَّمَ مع نائب البلدة فأعطاني فارسًا من أصحابه,"We became on friendly terms with this student, and although he knew no Arabic he offered his services and spoke to the deputy [governor] of the town, who supplied us with one of his mounted men."
وتوجَّه معنا إلى كبنوك (وضبط اسمها بفتح الكاف وسكون الباء وضم النون)، وهي بلدة صغيرة يسكنها كفار الروم تحت ذمة المسلمين،,"This man went with us to Kainuk, which is a small town inhabited by infidel Greeks under the government of the Muslims."
وليس بها غير بيت واحد من المسلمين وهم الحكام عليهم وهي من بلاد السلطان أرخان بك،,"There is only one household of Muslims in the place, and they are the governors of the Greeks, the town being in the territories of the Sultan Urkhan Bak."
فنزلنا بدار عجوز كافرة وذلك إبان الثلج والشتاء، فأحسنَّا إليها وبِتْنا عندها تلك الليلة،,"We lodged in the house of an old woman, an infidel; this was the season of snow and rain, so we gave her some money and spent that night in her house."
وهذه البلدة لا شجر بها ولا دوالي العنب ولا يُزْدَرَع بها إلا الزعفران، وأتتنا هذه العجوز بزعفران كثير وظَنَّتْ أننا تجار نشتريه منها.,"This town has no trees or grapevines nor is anything cultivated there but saffron, and this old woman brought us a great quantity of saffron, thinking we were merchants and would buy it from her."
ولما كان الصباح ركبنا وأتانا الفارس الذي بعثه الفتى معنا من كاوية، فبعث معنا فارسًا غيره ليوصلنا إلى مدينة مطرني،,"In the morning when we mounted our horses, the horseman whom the Young Brother had sent with us from Kainuk came to us and sent with us another horseman to conduct us to the city of Muturny."
وقد وقع في تلك الليلة ثلج كثير عفى الطرق، فتَقَدَّمَنا ذلك الفارس فاتبعنا أثره إلى أن وصلنا في نصف النهار إلى قرية للتركمان،,"There had been a heavy fall of snow during the night, which obliterated the road, so that the horseman went ahead of us and we followed in his tracks until we reached about midday a village of Turkmens."
فأتوا بطعام فأكلنا منه، وكلمهم ذلك الفارس فركب معنا أحدهم,"They brought food, of which we ate, and the horseman spoke with them, whereupon one of them rode on with us."
وسلك بنا أوعارًا وجبالًا ومجرى ماء تَكَرَّرَ لنا جوازه أزيد من الثلاثين مرة،,"He led us over steep slopes and mountains, and by a watercourse which we crossed again and again, more than thirty times."
فلما خلصنا من ذلك قال لنا ذلك الفارس: أعطوني شيئًا من الدراهم، فقلنا له: إذا وصلنا إلى المدينة نعطيك ونرضيك،,"When we got clear of this, the [Turkmen] horseman said to us ‘Give me some money, but we replied ‘When we reach the town we shall give you all that you want."
فلم يَرْضَ ذلك منا أو لم يفهم عنا، فأخذ قوسًا لبعض أصحابي ومضى غير بعيد ثم رجع فردَّ إلينا القوس,"He was not satisfied with our answer, or else did not understand us, for he took a bow belonging to one of my companions and went off a little way, then returned and gave the bow back to us."
فأعطيته شيئًا من الدراهم فأخذها وهرب عنا وتَرَكَنَا لا نعرف أين نقصد ولا طريق يظهر لنا،,"I gave him some money then, and he took it and decamped, leaving us with no idea which way to go, and with no road visible to us."
فكنا نتلمح أثر الطريق تحت الثلج ونسلكه إلى أن بَلَغْنَا عند غروب الشمس إلى جبل يظهر الطريق به لكثرة الحجارة،,"We made an effort to find traces of the road under the snow and to follow it, until about sunset we came to a hill where the track was shown by a great quantity of stones."
فخِفْتُ الهلاك على نفسي ومن معي وتوقعْتُ نزول الثلج ليلًا، ولا عمار هنالك، فإن نزلنا عن الدواب هلكنا، وإن سرينا ليلتنا لا نعرف أين نتوجه،,"I was afraid that both I and my companions would perish, as I expected more snow to fall in the night, and the place was uninhabited; if we dismounted we were doomed, and if we continued on through the night we should not know which way to go."
وكان لي فرس من الجياد فعملت على الخلاص وقُلْتُ في نفسي: إذا سَلِمْتُ لعلِّي أحتال في سلامة أصحابي، فكان كذلك،,"I had a good horse, however, a thoroughbred, so I planned a way of escape, saying to myself, ‘If I reach safely, perhaps I may contrive some means to save my companions,’ and it happened so."
واستودَعْتُهم الله تعالى وسِرْتُ،,I commended them to God Most High and set out.
وأهل تلك البلاد يبنون على القبور بيوتًا من الخشب يظن رائيها أنها عمارة فيجدها قبورًا،,"Now the people of that country build over their graves wooden chambers, which anyone who sees them would take to be habitations, but finds to be graves."
فظهر لي منها كثير، فلما كان بعد العشاء وصلت إلى البيوت فقلت: اللهم اجعلها عامرة،,"I saw a large number of these, but after the hour of the night prayer I came to some houses and said ‘O God, grant that they be inhabited.’"
فوجدتها عامرة، ووفقني الله تعالى إلى باب دار،,"I found that they were inhabited, and God Most High guided me to the gate of a certain building."
فرأيت عليها شيخًا فكلمته بالعربي فكلمني بالتركي، وأشار إليَّ بالدخول,I saw by it an old man and spoke to him in Arabic; he replied to me in Turkish and signed to me to enter.
فأخبرته بشأن أصحابي فلم يَفْهَمْ عني.,"I told him about my companions, but he did not understand me."
وكان مِنْ لُطْف الله أن تلك الدار زاوية للفقراء والواقف بالباب شيخها،,"It happened by the providential goodness of God that that building was a hospice of some poor brethren, and that the man standing by the gate was its shaikh."
فلما سمع الفقراء الذين بداخل الزاوية كلامي مع الشيخ خَرَجَ بعضهم، وكانت بيني وبينه معرفة فسلم عليَّ وأخبرته خبر أصحابي، وأشرت إليه بأنْ يمضي مع الفقراء لاستخلاص الأصحاب ففعلوا ذلك،,"When the brethren inside the hospice heard me speaking with the shaikh, one of them came out; he was a man with whom I had an acquaintance, and when he greeted me I told him the tale of my companions, and advised him to go with the brethren to rescue them."
وتوجهوا معي إلى أصحابي وجئنا جميعًا إلى الزاوية، وحمدنا الله تعالى على السلامة،,"They did so and went with me to rejoin my companions, and we came back together to the hospice, praising God Most High for our safety."
وكانت ليلة جمعة فاجتمع أهل القرية وقطعوا ليلتهم بذكر الله تعالى،,"This was on the eve of Friday, and the inhabitants of the village assembled and occupied the night with liturgies to God Most High."
وأتى كل منهم بما تيسر له من الطعام، وارتفعت المشقة,"Each one of them brought what food he could, and our distress was relieved."
ورحلنا عند الصباح فوصلنا إلى مدينة مُطُرْنِي عند صلاة الجمعة (وضبط اسمها بضم الميم والطاء المهملة وإسكان الراء وكسر النون وياء مد)،,We rode on at dawn and reached the city of MutumI at the hour of the congregational prayer.
فنزلنا بزاوية أحد الفتيان الأخية وبها جماعة من المسافرين ولم نجد مربطًا للدواب,"On alighting at the hospice of one of the Young Akhls we found a company of travellers already there, and no stabling [available] for our animals."
فصلينا الجمعة ونحن في قلق لكثرة الثلج والبرد وعدم المربط،,"So we prayed the Friday prayer in some anxiety, on account of the quantities of snow, the cold, and the lack of stabling."
فلقينا أحد الحجاج من أهلها فسلم علينا وكان يَعْرِف اللسان العربي،,"Then we met one of the inhabitants who had made the Pilgrimage and who greeted us, knowing Arabic."
فسُرِرْتُ برؤيته وطلبْتُ منه أن يدلنا على مرابط للدواب بالكراء,I was heartily glad to see him and asked him to direct us to some place where we could hire stabling for the animals.
فقال: أما ربطها في منزل فلا يتأتى لأن أبواب دور هذه البلدة صغار لا تدخل منها الدواب، ولكنني أدلكم على سقيفة بالسوق يربط فيها المسافرون دوابَّهم والذين يأتون لحضور السوق،,"He replied ‘To tether them inside any place of habitation could not be managed, because the doors of the houses in this town are small, and horses could not be got through them; but I shall guide you to a covered arcade in the bazaar, where travellers and those who come to do business in the bazaar tie up their horses.’"
فدلنا عليها وربطْنا بها دوابنا، ونزل أحد الأصحاب بحانوت خالٍ إزاءها ليحرس الدواب.,"So he guided us to the place and we tethered our horses in it, and one of my companions settled himself in an empty shop alongside it, to guard the animals."
حكاية,Anecdote.
وكان من غريب ما اتفق لنا أني بعثْتُ أحد الخدام ليشتري التبن للدواب، وبعثت أحدهم يشتري السمن،,"There was a strange thing happened to us [there]. I sent one of the servants to buy chopped straw for the beasts, and one of them to buy ghee."
فأتى أحدهما بالتبن والآخر دون شيء وهو يضحك،,"Number one came back with the straw, but number two came back emptyhanded and laughing."
فسألناه عن سبب ضحكه فقال: إنا وقفنا على دكان بالسوق فطلبنا منه السمن فأشار إلينا بالوقوف وكلم ولدًا له، فدفَعْنا له الدراهم فأبطأ ساعة وأتى بالتبن فأخذناه منه وقلنا لنا: إنا نريد السمن، فقال: هذا السمن،,"We asked him what he was laughing at, and he replied ‘We stopped at a stall in the bazaar and asked him for samn [ghee]. He signed to us to wait, and spoke to a boy with him, to whom we then gave the money. He was away for a long time, and came back with some straw. We took it from him and said “We want samn” whereupon he said “This is samn”’."
وأبرز الغيب أنهم يقولون للتبن سمن بلسان الترك، وأما السمن فيُسَمَّى عندهم رباغ،,"It came to light that they say samn for chopped straw in Turkish, and ghee is called by them rughan."
ولما اجتمعنا بهذا الحاج الذي يَعْرِف اللسان العربي رغبنا منه أن يسافر معنا إلى قصطمونية، وبينها وبين هذه البلدة مسيرة عشر،,"When we met in with this pilgrim who knew Arabic, we besought him to travel with us to Qastamuniya, which is ten days’ journey from this town."
وكَسَوْتُه ثوبًا مصريًّا من ثيابي، وأعطيته نفقة تركها لعياله، وعَيَّنْتُ له دابة لركوبه ووعدته الخير،,"I presented him with an Egyptian robe, one of my own, gave him also ready money, which he left to meet the expenses of his family, assigned him an animal to ride, and promised him a good reward."
وسافر معنا فظهر لنا من حاله أنه صاحب مال كثير وله ديون على الناس، غير أنه ساقط الهمة خسيس الطبع سيئ الأفعال،,"When he set out with us it became evident from his conduct that he was a man of substantial wealth, who had made loans to a number of persons, but of mean ambitions, base character, and evil actions."
وكنا نعطيه الدراهم لِنَفَقَتِنا فيأخذ ما يفضل من الخبز ويشتري به الأبزار والخضر والملح، ويمسك ثمن ذلك لنفسه،,"We used to give him money for our expenses and he would take what bread was left over and trade it for spices, vegetables and salt, and appropriate the money that he got by selling these."
وذُكِرَ لي أنه كان يسرق من دراهم النفقة دون ذلك،,I was told too that he used to steal some of the money for our expenses as well.
وكنا نحتمله لما كنا نكابده من عَدَمِ المعرفة بلسان الترك، وانتهت حاله إلى أن فضحناه، وكنا نقول له في آخر النهار: يا حاج، كم سرقت اليوم من النفقة؟ فيقول: كذا، فنضحك منه ونرضى بذلك،,"We had to put up with him because of our difficulties through not knowing Turkish, but the thing went so far that we openly accused him and would say to him at the end of the day ‘Well, Hajji, how much of the expense-money have you stolen today?’ He would reply ‘So much,’ and we would laugh at him and make the best of it."
ومن أفعاله الخسيسة أنه مات لنا فرس في بعض المنازل فتولى سلخ جلده بيده وباعه،,"One of his base actions was that, when a horse of ours died at one of the halts of our journey, he did the job of skinning it with his own hands and sold the hide."
ومنها أنا نزلنا ليلةً عند أخت له في بعض القرى،,Another occurred when we lodged for the night with a sister of his in a village.
فجاءت بطعام وفاكهة من الإِجَّاص والتفاح والمشمش والخوخ وكلها ميبسة، وتُجْعَل في الماء حتى ترطب فتؤكل ويُشْرَب ماؤها،,"She brought us food and fruit, namely pears, apples, apricots and peaches, all of them dried and [then] cooked in water until they soften, when they are eaten and their juice drunk."
فأَرَدْنَا أن نُحْسِنَ إليها فعلم بذلك فقال: لا تعطوها شيئًا وأعطوا ذلك لي،,"We wanted to pay her, but when he learned of this he said ‘Don’t give her anything, but give that amount to me.’"
فأعطيناه إرضاء له وأعطيناها إحسانًا في خفية بحيث لم يعلم بذلك.,"So we gave the money to him to satisfy him, but we also gave her something secretly, in such a way that he did not know of it."
ثم وصلنا إلى مدينة بولي (وضبط اسمها بباء موحدة مضمومة وكسر اللام)،,We came next to the city of Bull.
ولما انتهينا إلى قريب منها وجدنا واديًا يظهر في رأي العين صغيرًا، فلما دخله بعض أصحابنا وجدوه شديد الجرية والانزعاج,"When we were nearly there, we came upon a river which seemed, to all appearances, a small one, but when some of my companions got into the stream, they found it exceedingly fast and impetuous."
فجازوه جميعًا وبقيت جارية صغيرة خافوا من تجويزها،,"They all crossed it, however, except for a young slavegirl whom they were afraid to take across."
وكان فرسي خيرًا من أفراسهم فأردفْتُها وأخذت في جواز الوادي،,"Since my horse was a better one than theirs, I mounted her behind me and started to cross the river."
فلما توسطته وَقَعَ بي الفرس ووقَعَت الجارية فأخرجها أصحابي وبها رَمَقٌ وخلصت أنا،,"But when I was in the middle of it, my horse stumbled with me and the girl fell off. My companions got her out with a spark of life still in her, and I for my part came out safely."
ودخلنا المدينة فقصد زاوية أحد الفتيان الأخية،,"On entering the city, we sought out the hospice of one of the Young Akhis."
ومن عوائدهم أنه لإنزال النار موقدة في زواياهم أيام الشتاء أبدًا يجعلون في كل ركن من أركان الزاوية موقدًا للنار، ويصنعون لها مَنَافِسَ يصعد منها الدخان ولا يؤذي الزاوية,"One of their customs is to keep a fire always alight in their hospices during the winter. At each angle of the hospice they put a fireplace, and they make vents for them by which the smoke rises, so that it does not incommode [those in] the hospice."
ويسمونها البخاري واحدها بخيري،,"They call these [chimneys] bakhdrl, the singular being bakhiri."
"قال ابن جزي: وقد أحسن صفي الدين عبد العزيز بن سرايا الحلي في قوله في التورية وتذكرته بذكر البخيري:
إن البخيري مذ فارقتموه غدا يحث و الرماد على كانونه الترب
لو شئتمُ أنه يمسي أبا لَهَبٍ جاءت بغالكمُ حمالة الحطبِ
(رجع)،","Ibn Juzayy remarks: [The poet] Safi al-Din ‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. Saraya al-Hilli showed an excellent skill in the use of concealed allusion in his verse, which was recalled to my mind by the mention of the bakhiri:
Since you left it, our chimney-place in the morning light. Stands cold, with the ashes strewn over the dusty grate. If you wish to revive it as ‘father of flame’ tonight, Let your mules, as ‘carriers of firewood’, return to our gate. (To return)."
قال: فلما دخلنا الزاوية وجدنا النار موقودة، فنزعت ثيابي ولبست ثيابًا سواها واصطليت بالنار، وأتى الأخي بالطعام والفاكهة وأكثر من ذلك فلله درهم من طائفة,"When we entered the hospice we found the fire alight, so I took off my clothes, put on others, and warmed myself at the fire; and the Akhi not only brought food and fruit but lavished them."
ما أكرم نفوسهم وأشد إيثارهم وأعظم شفقتهم على الغريب وألطفهم بالوارد وأحبهم فيه وأجملهم احتفالًا بأمره، فليس قدوم الإنسان الغريب عليهم إلا كقدومه على أحبِّ أهله إليه،,"What an excellent body of men these are, how nobleminded, how unselfish and full of compassion for the stranger, how kindly affectionate to the visitor, how magnanimous in their solicitude for him! The coming of a stranger to them is exactly as if he were coming to the dearest of his own kin."
وبتنا تلك الليلة بحال مرضية، ثم رحلنا بالغداة فوصلنا إلى مدينة كردي بولي (وضبط اسمها بكاف معقودة وفتح الراء والدال المهمل وسكون الياء وباء موحدة مضمومة وواو مد ولام مكسورة وياء)،,"We passed that night in an agreeable way, and having re-sumed our journey in the morning, came to the city of Garadai Bull."
وهي مدينة كبيرة في بسيط من الأرض حسنة متسعة الشوارع والأسواق من أشد البلاد بردًا، وهي محلات مفترقة كل محلة تسكنها طائفة لا يخالطهم غيرهم.,"It is a large and fine city situated in a plain, with spacious streets and bazaars, one of the coldest towns in the world, and divided into separate quarters, each inhabited by a particular community, the members of which are not mixed with those of any other."
ذكر سلطانها,Account of its Sultan.
وهو السلطان شاه بك من متوسطي سلاطين هذه البلاد، حسن الصورة والسيرة جميل الخلق قليل العطاء،,"He is the sultan Shah Bak, one of the middling class of sultans in this country, a man of good figure and conduct, of fine character, but not liberal."
صلينا بهذه المدينة صلاة الجمعة ونزلنا بزاوية منها,We prayed the Friday prayers in this city and lodged in a hospice there.
ولقيت بها الخطيب الفقيه شمس الدين الدمشقي الحنبلي وهو من مستوطنيها منذ سنين وله بها أولاد،,"I met in it the khaflb, who was the Hanball jurist Shams al-Din al-Dimashql; he had been resident in it for many years and had children there."
وهو فقيه هذا السلطان وخطيبه ومسموع الكلام عنده،,He is the religious adviser and khatib of this sultan and enjoys great authority with him.
ودَخَلَ علينا هذا الفقيه بالزاوية فأَعْلَمَنَا أن السلطان قد جاء لزيارتنا،,This jurist came into my room in the hospice and informed us that the sultan had come to visit us.
فشكرْتُه على فِعْله واستقبلت السلطان فسلَّمْتُ عليه، وجلس فسألني عن حالي وعن مقدمي وعمن لقيته من السلاطين،,"So I thanked him for his action and went out to welcome the sultan. After I had saluted him he sat down and asked me about myself and my journey, and whom I had met of sultans;"
فأخبرته بذلك كله، وأقام ساعة ثم انصرف وبعث بدابة مسرجة وكسوة،,"I answered all his questions, and after a short stay he went away and sent a horse with its saddle and a robe."
وانصرفنا إلى مدينة برلو (وضبط اسمها بضم الباء الموحدة وإسكان الراء وضم اللام)، وهي مدينة صغيرة على تل تحتها خندق ولها قلعة بأعلى شاهق,"We left there for the city of Burlu, a small town on a hill, with a valley below it, and a citadel on the top of a steep eminence."
نزلنا منها بمدرسة فيها حسنة، وكان الحاج الذي سافر معنا يَعْرِف مُدَرِّسَها وطَلَبَتَها,We lodged there in a fine college whose professor and students were known to the hajjl who travelled with us.
ويحضر معهم الدرس، وهو على علاته من الطلبة حنفي المذهب،,"He would attend the instruction along with them, for in spite of everything he was a student of religion, a Hanafi by rite."
ودعانا أمير هذه البلدة، وهو علي بك ابن السلطان المكرم سليمان بادشاه ملك قصطمونية وسنذكره، فصعدنا إليه إلى القلعة,"On invitation from the amir of this town, who was ‘All Bak, son of the esteemed sultan Sulaiman Padshah, the king of Qastamuniya (whom we shall mention later), we went up to visit him in the citadel."
فسلمنا عليه فرحب بنا وأَكْرَمَنَا، وسألني عن أسفاري وحالي فأجبته عن ذلك، وأجلسني إلى جانبه،,"He greeted us, bade us welcome, treated us with courtesy, and asked me about my journeys and myself; when I answered him on these matters, he bade me sit beside him."
وحضر قاضيه وكاتبه الحاج علاء الدين محمد وهو من كبار الكتاب،,"His qadl and secretary, the pilgrim ‘Ala al-Din Muhammad, one of the most distinguished of secretaries, was in attendance."
وحضر الطعام فأكلنا، ثم قرأ القراء بأصوات مُبْكِيَة وألحان عجيبة .وانصرفنا,"Food was served, and after we had eaten, the Qur’an-readers recited with voices to draw tears and with wonderful modulations, and we withdrew."
وسافرنا بالغد إلى مدينة قصطمونية (وضبط اسمها بقاف مفتوح وصاد مهمل مسكن وطاء مهمل مفتوح وميم مضمومة وواو ونون مكسور وياء آخر الحروف)، وهي من أعظم المدن وأحسنها، كثيرة الخيرات رخيصة الأسعار،,"We continued our journey next day to the city of Qasta-muniya, one of the largest and finest of cities, where com-modities are abundant and prices low."
نزلنا منها بزاوية شيخ يُعْرَف بالأطروش لثقل سمعه، ورأيت منه عجبًا، وهو أن أحد الطلبة كان يكتب له في الهواء وتارة في الأرض بأصبعه فيفهم عنه ويجيبه,"We lodged there in the hospice of a shaikh called al-Ufrush [‘the deaf’], because of his hardness of hearing, and I witnessed an astonishing thing in connection with him, namely that one of the students would write for him with his finger in the air, or sometimes on the ground, and he would understand what he meant and reply."
ويحكي له بذلك الحكايات فيفهمها،,"Long stories were told to him in this way, and he would grasp them."
وأقمنا بهذه المدينة نحو أربعين يومًا،,We stayed in this city about forty days.
فكنا نشتري طابق اللحم الغنمي السمين بدرهمين، ونشتري خبزًا بدرهمين فيكفينا ليومنا ونحن عشرة،,"We used to buy a quarter of fat mutton for two dirhams and bread for two dirhams—this would satisfy our needs for a day, and there were ten of us."
ونشتري حلواء العسل بدرهمين فتكفينا أجمعين، ونشتري جوزًا بدرهم وقسطلًا بمثله فنأكل منها أجمعون ويفضل باقيها،,"We would buy sweetmeats made of honey for two dirhams, and they would be enough for us all, and walnuts for a dirham or chestnuts at the same price, and after all of us had eaten of them there would be some left over."
ونشتري حِمْل الحطب بدرهم واحد وذلك أوان البرد الشديد،,"We used to buy a load of firewood for a single dirham, and this in the season of extreme cold."
ولم أَرَ في البلاد مدينة أرخص أسعارًا منها،,I have never in any country seen a city where prices were lower than there.
ولقيت بها الشيخ الإمام العالِم المفتي المدرس تاج الدين السلطانيوكي من كبار العلماء،,"I met there the shaikh, the learned imam, the mufti and professor Taj al-Din al-Sultanyuki, one of the great scholars."
قرأ بالعراقين وتبريز واستوطنها مدة، وقرأ بدمشق وجاور بالحرمين قديمًا،,"He had studied in the two Traqs and Tabriz, where he made his home for a time, and also in Damascus, and had sojourned long ago at the two Holy Cities."
ولقيت بها العالم المدرس صدر الدين سليمان الفنيكي من أهل فنيكة من بلاد الروم، وأضافني بمدرسته التي بسوق الخيل، ولقيت بها الشيخ المعمر الصالح دادا أمير علي,"I met there also the scholar and professor Sadr al-Din Sulaiman al-Faniki, of the people of Fanika in the land of al-Rum, who gave me hospitality in his college, which is in the horse-market, and the aged and pious shaikh Dada Amir ‘Ali."
دخلت عليه بزاويته بمقربة من سوق الخيل، فوجدته ملقًى على ظهره,"I visited this man in his hospice, in the vicinity of the horse-market, and found him lying on his back."
فأجلسه بعض خدامه ورَفَعَ بعضهم حاجبيه عن عينيه ففتحهما وكَلَّمَني بالعربي الفصيح وقال: قَدِمْتَ خير مَقْدِم،,"One of his servants assisted him to sit up and one of them raised his eyelids from his eyes; on opening them he addressed me in pure Arabic, saying ‘You are heartily welcome.’"
وسألته عن عمره فقال: كُنْتُ من أصحاب الخليفة المستنصر بالله، وتوفي وأنا ابن ثلاثين سنة، وعمري الآن مائة وثلاث وستون، فطَلَبْتُ منه الدعاء فدعا لي وانصرفت.,"I asked him his age and he said ‘I was an associate of the caliph al-Mustansir billah, and at his death I was thirty years old, and my age now is one hundred and sixty three years’. asked him to invoke a blessing on me; he did so, and I withdrew."
ذكر سلطان قصطمونية,Account of the Sultan of Qastamuniya.
وهو السلطان المكرم سليمان بادشاه (واسمه بباء معقودة وألف ودال مسكن)، وهو كبير السن ينيف على سبعين سنة، حسن الوجه طويل اللحية صاحب وقار وهيبة يجالسه الفقهاء والصلحاء،,"He is the esteemed sultan Sulaiman Padshah, a man of great age, more than seventy years old, with a fine face and long beard, a stately and venerable figure. Students of religion and devotees have entry to his private circle."
دَخَلْتُ عليه بمجلسه فأجلسني إلى جانبه وسألني عن حالي ومقدمي وعن الحرمين الشريفين ومصر والشام,"I visited him in his audience-hall, and he bade me sit beside him and asked me about myself and my journey, and about the Holy Sanctuaries, Egypt and Syria."
فأجبته، وأمر بإنزالي على قرب منه وأعطاني ذلك اليوم فرسًا عتيقًا قرطاسي اللون وكسوة، وعَيَّنَ لي نفقة وعلفًا,"When I answered his questions, he commanded me to be lodged near him and gave me on the same day a thoroughbred horse, parchment-coloured, and a robe, besides assigning me money for my expenses and forage."
وأَمَرَ لي بعد ذلك بقمح وشعير نفذ لي في قرية من قرى المدينة على مسيرة نصف يوم منها، فلم أجد من يشتريه لرخص الأسعار، فأعطيته للحاج الذي كان في صحبتنا،,"Later on he ordered for me [an assignment of] wheat and barley, which was delivered to me from a village dependent on the city, and half a day’s journey from it, but I could not find anyone to buy it because of the cheapness of prices, so I gave it to the haj who was in our company."
ومن عادة هذا السلطان أن يجلس كل يوم بمجلسه بعد صلاة العصر ويؤتى بالطعام فتفتح الأبواب ولا يُمْنَع أحد من حضريٍّ أو بدويٍّ أو غريب أو مسافر من الأكل،,"It is the custom of this sultan to take his seat in his audience-hall every day after the afternoon prayer; food is brought in and the doors are opened, and no one, whether townsman or nomad, stranger or traveller, is prevented from partaking."
ويجلس في أول النهار جلوسًا خاصًّا ويأتي ابنه فيُقَبِّل يديه وينصرف إلى مجلس له، ويأتي أرباب الدولة فيأكلون عنده وينصرفون.,"He also sits during the early part of the day in private session; his son comes, kisses his hands, and withdraws to an audience-chamber of his own, and the officers of state come and eat in his presence, and then retire."
ومن عادته في يوم الجمعة أن يركب إلى المسجد وهو بعيد عن داره،,"It is his custom also on Fridays to ride to the mosque, which is at some distance from his residence."
والمسجد المذكور وهو ثلاث طبقات من الخشب فيصلي السلطان وأرباب دولته والقاضي والفقهاء ووجوه الأجناد في الطبقة السفلى، ويصلي الأفندي وهو أخو السلطان وأصحابه وخدامه وبعض أهل المدينة في الطبقة الوسطى، ويصلي ابن السلطان وليُّ عهده — وهو أصغر أولاده ويُسَمَّى الجواد — وأصحابه ومماليكه وخُدَّامه وسائر الناس في الطبقة العليا،,"This mosque is a wooden building of three stories; the sultan, the officers of state, the qadi and the jurists, and the chief officers of the army pray in the lowest story; ‘Afandi,’ who is the Sultan’s brother, together with his entourage and attendants, and some of the townspeople, pray in the middle story; and the sultan’s son and heir (he is his youngest son, and is called al-Jawad), with his retinue, slaves and attendants, and the rest of the population, pray in the top story."
ويجتمع القراء فيقعدون حلقة أمام المحراب ويقعد معهم الخطيب والقاضي،,"The Qur’an-readcrs assemble and sit in a circle in front of the rnihrab, and along with them sit the khatib and the qadi."
ويكون السلطان بإزاء المحراب، ويقرءون سورة الكهف بأصوات حسان ويكررون الآيات بترتيب عجيب،,"The sultan has his place in line with the mihrab. They recite the Sura of ‘The Cave’ with beautiful intonations, and repeat the verses in a marvellous arrangement."
فإذا فرغوا من قراءتها صعد الخطيب المنبر فخطب ثم صلى، فإذا فرغوا من الصلاة تنقلوا,"When they finish the recital of this, the khafib mounts the mimbar and delivers the address He then prays, and after finishing this prayer they perform further additional prayers.."
وقرأ القارئ بين يدي السلطان عشرًا وانصرف السلطان ومَنْ مَعَهُ،,"The reader now recites onetenth of the Qur’an in the sultan’s presence, after which the sultan and his suite withdraw."
ثم يقرأ القارئ بين يدي أخي السلطان، فإذا أَتَمَّ قراءته انصرف هو ومن معه، ثم يقرأ القارئ بين يدي ابن السلطان،,"The reader proceeds to recite before the sultan’s brother; he also withdraws with his attendants at the end of this recital, and the reader then recites before the sultan’s son."
فإذا فَرَغَ من قراءته قام المعرف وهو المذكر فيمدح السلطان بشعر تركي ويمدح ابنه ويدعو لهما وينصرف،,"When he finishes this recital, the mu’arrif stands up (he is the remembrancer ), and praises the sultan in Turkish verse, and praises also his son, calling down blessings on both, and retires."
ويأتي ابن الملك إلى دار أبيه بعد أن يُقَبِّل يد عَمِّه في طريقه وعَمُّه واقف في انتظاره، ثم يدخلان إلى السلطان فيتقدم أخوه ويُقَبِّل يده ويجلس بين يديه، ثم يأتي ابنه فيُقَبِّل يده وينصرف إلى مجلسه فيقعد به مع ناسه،,"The king’s son proceeds to his father’s residence, after first kissing his uncle’s hand on his way (his uncle in the meantime standing to await him), after which they enter the sultan’s presence together; his brother advances, kisses his hand, and sits down in front of him, then his son comes forward, kisses his hand and withdraws to his own hall, where he takes his seat with his own suite."
فإذا حانت صلاة العصر صلوها جميعًا، وقَبَّل أخو السلطان يَدَه وانصرف عنه فلا يعود إليه إلا في الجمعة الأخرى،,"When the hour of afternoon prayer arrives they all pray it together; the sultan’s brother then kisses his hand and leaves him, and does not return to him until the following Friday."
وأما الولد فإنه يأتي كل يوم غدوة كما ذكرناه.,"As for his son, he presents himself every morning, as we have related."
ثم سافرنا من هذه المدينة ونزلنا في زاوية عظيمة بإحدى القرى من أحسن زاوية رأيتها في تلك البلاد,We travelled on thereafter from this city and lodged in a large hospice at a certain village—one of the finest hospices that I saw in that country.
بناها أمير كبير تاب إلى الله تعالى يُسَمَّى فخر الدين،,"It was built by a great amir called Fakhr al-DIn, who repented before God Most High of his sins."
وجعل النظر فيها لولده والأشراف ولمن أقام بالزاوية من الفقراء، وفوائد القرية وَقْف عليها،,"He assigned to his son the control of the [income of the] hospice and the supervision of the poor brethren who resided in it, and all the revenues derived from the village are constituted an endowment for it."
وبنى بإزاء الزاوية حمامًا للسبيل يدخله الوارد والصادر من غير شيء يلزمه، وبنى سوقًا بالقرية ووقفه على المسجد الجامع،,"Alongside the hospice he built a bath-house ad majorem Dei gloriam, which may be entered by every wayfarer without any obligation of payment, and he built also a bazaar in the village and made it an endowment for the congregational mosque."
وعَيَّنَ من أوقاف هذه الزاوية لكل فقير يَرِدُ من الحرمين الشريفين أو من الشام ومصر والعراقين وخراسان وسواها كسوة كاملة ومائة درهم يوم قدومه وثلاثمائة درهم يوم سفره، والنفقة أيام مقامه وهي الخبز واللحم والأرز المطبوخ بالسمن والحلواء، ولكل فقير من بلاد الروم عشرة دراهم وضيافة ثلاثة أيام،,"From the endow-ments of this hospice he assigned to every poor brother who should come from the two Holy Cities or from Syria, Egypt, the two Traqs, Khurasan, and other parts, a complete set of clothing and one hundred dirhams on the day of his arrival, three hundred dirhams on the day of his departure, and maintenance for the days of his stay, consisting of meat, rice cooked in ghee, and sweetmeats. To each poor brother from the land of al-Rum he assigned ten dirhams and hospitality for three days."
ثم انصرفنا وبِتْنا ليلةً ثانية بزاوية في جبل شامخ لا عمارة فيه،,After leaving this hospice we spent a second night in a hospice on a lofty mountain without any habitations.
عمرها بعض الفتيان الأخية ويُعْرَف بنظام الدين من أهل قصطمونية، ووَقَفَ عليها قرية يُنْفَق خراجها على الوارد والصادر بهذه الزاوية،,"It was established by one of the Young Akhis called Nizam alDin, an inhabitant of Qastamuniya, and he gave it as endowment a village, the revenue from which was to be spent for the maintenance of wayfarers in this hospice."
وسافرنا من هذه الزاوية إلى مدينة صنوب (وضبط اسمها بفتح الصاد وضم النون وآخره باء)، وهي مدينة حافلة جَمَعَتْ بين التحصين والتحسين،,"We continued our journey from this hospice to the city of Sanub, a superb city which combines fortification with beautification."
يحيط بها البحر من جميع جهاتها إلا واحدة وهي جهة الشرق، ولها هنالك باب واحد لا يَدْخُل إليها أحد إلا بإذن أميرها، وأميرها إبراهيم بك ابن السلطان سليمان بادشاه الذي ذكرناه،,"It is encompassed by sea on all sides except one, namely the east, and it has on that side a single gateway through which no one may enter except by permission of its governor; he is Ibrahim Bak, son of the sultan Sulaiman Padshah whom we have mentioned."
ولما استؤذن لنا عليه دَخَلْنَا البلد، ونزلنا بزاوية عز الدين أخي جلبي وهي خارج باب البحر.,"When permission for us had been obtained from him, we entered the town and lodged in the hospice of Tzz al-Din AkhI ChalabI, which is outside the Sea-Gate."
ومن هناك يُصْعَد إلى جبل داخل في البحر كمينا سبتة فيه البساتين والمزارع والمياه وأكثر فواكه التين والعنب،,"From there one can climb up to a mountain projecting into the sea, like Mina at Sabta [Ceuta], on which there are orchards, cultivated fields and streams, most of its fruits being figs and grapes."
وهو جبل مانع لا يستطاع الصعود إليه,It is an inaccessible mountain that cannot be taken by escalade.
وفيه إحدى عشرة قرية يسكنها كفار الروم تحت ذمة المسلمين وبأعلاه رابطة تُنْسَب للخضر وإلياس عليهما السلام لا تخلو عن متعبِّد،,"On it there are eleven villages inhabited by Greek infidels under the government of the Muslims, and on top of it is a hermitage called after al-Khidr and Ilyas (on both of them be peace), which is never without a resident devotee."
وعندها عين ماء والدعاء فيها مستجاب،,"Beside it is a spring of water, and prayer made in it is answered."
وبسفح هذا الجبل قبر الولي الصالح الصحابي بلال الحبشي، وعليه زاوية فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر،,"At the foot of this mountain is the tomb of the pious saint, the Companion Bilal al-Habashl, over which there is a hospice at which food is supplied to wayfarers."
والمسجد الجامع بمدينة صنوب من أحسن المساجد،,The congregational mosque in the city of Sanub is one of the most beautiful mosques.
وفي وسطه بِرْكة ماء عليها قبة تُقِلُّها أربع أرجل، ومع كل رجل ساريتان من الرخام وفوقها مجلس يُصْعَد له على دَرَج خشب،,"In the centre of it is a pool of water, over which is a cupola supported by four pilasters, each pilaster accompanied by two marble pillars, and on top of the cupola is a rostrum to which one ascends by a wooden staircase."
وذلك من عمارة السلطان بروانة ابن السلطان علاء الدين الرومي، وكان يصلي الجمعة بأعلى تلك القبة،,"This was constructed by the sultan Barwana, son of the sultan ‘Ala al-Din al-Ruml, and he used to perform the Friday prayer on top of this cupola."
ومَلَكَ بعده ابنه غازي جلبي فلما مات تَغَلَّبَ عليها السلطان سليمان المذكور،,"He was succeeded as sultan by his son GhazI ChalabI, and on his death the abovementioned sultan Sulaiman took possession of the city."
وكان غازي جلبي المذكور شجاعًا مقدامًا، ووهبه الله خاصية في الصبر تحت الماء وفي قوة السباحة،,"This GhazI ChalabI was a brave and audacious man, en-dowed by God with a special gift of endurance under water and power of swimming."
وكان يسافر في الأجفان الحربية لحرب الروم، فإذا كانت الملاقاة واشتغل الناس بالقتال غاص تحت الماء وبيده آلة حديد يخرق بها أجفان العدو فلا يشعرون بما حل بهم حتى يدهمهم الغرق،,"He used to make expeditions in war galleys to fight the Greeks, and when the fleets met and everybody was occupied with the fighting he would dive under the water, carrying in his hand an iron tool with which to hole the enemy’s galleys, and they would know nothing of what had befallen them until the foundering [of their ships] took them unawares."
وطرقت مرسى بَلَدِهِ مرة أجفان العدو فخَرَقَها وأَسَرَ من كان فيها،,"On one occasion a fleet of galleys belonging to the enemy made a surprise attack on the harbour of Sanub, and he holed them and captured all the men who were on board."
وكانت فيه كفاية لا كفاء لها؛ إلا أنهم يَذْكُرون أنه كان يُكْثِر أَكْل الحشيش وبسببه مات،,"He possessed indeed a talent that was unmatched, but they relate that he used to consume an excessive quantity of hashish, and it was because of this that he died."
فإنه خرج يومًا للتصيد وكان مولعًا به، فاتبع غزالة ودَخَلَتْ له بين أشجار وزاد في رَكْض فرسه فعارضته شجرة فضربت رأسه فشدخته,"He went out one day hunting (to which he was passionately addicted) and pursued a gazelle, which led him on among some trees; he spurred his horse on too hard and was intercepted by a tree, which struck and crushed in his head."
فمات، وتَغَلَّبَ السلطان سليمان على البلد وجَعَلَ به ابنه إبراهيم،,"So he died, and the sultan Sulaiman seized the town and placed his son Ibrahim in it [as governor]."
ويقال: إنه أيضًا يأكل ما كان يأكله صاحبه على أن أهل بلاد الروم كلها لا ينكرون أكلها،,"It is said that he too consumes as much as his predecessor did, but the people of all the districts of al-Rum show no disapproval of consuming it."
ولقد مررْتُ يومًا على باب الجامع بصنوب وبخارجه دكاكين يقعد الناس عليها، فرأيت نفرًا من كبار الأجناد وبين أيديهم خديم لهم بيده شكارة مملوءة بشيء يشبه الحناء،,"Indeed, I passed one day by the gate of the congregational mosque in Sanub, outside of which there are benches where the inhabitants sit, and I saw several of the superior officers of the army with an orderly of theirs in front of them holding in his hand a bag filled with something resembling henna."
وأحدهم يأخذ منها بمعلقة ويأكل وأنا أنظر إليه ولا عِلْمَ لي بما في الشكارة، فسألت مَنْ كان معي، فأخبرني أنه الحشيش،,"One of them took a spoonful of it and ate it, as I was looking at him; I had no idea what there was in the bag, but I enquired of the person who was with me, and he told me that it was hashish."
وأضافنا بهذه المدينة قاضيها ونائب الأمير بها ومعلمه ويُعْرَف بابن عبد الرزاق.,"We were hospitably entertained in this city by its qadi, as well as by the governor’s deputy in it a nd the local professor; his name was Ibn ‘Abd al-Razzaq."
حكاية,Anecdote.
لما دخلنا هذه المدينة رآنا أهلها ونحن نصلي مُسْبِلي أيدينا،,"W hen we entered this city, its people observed that we performed the prayers with our arms hanging down."
وهم حنفية لا يَعْرِفون مذهب مالك ولا كيفية صلاته، والمختار من مذهبه هو إسبال اليدين،,"They are Hanafis, who know nothing of the rite of Malik nor of his manner of prayer, the preferred practice according to his school being to let the arms hang down."
وكان بعضهم يرى الروافض بالحجاز والعراق يصلون مُسْبِلي أيديهم، فاتهمونا بمذهبهم، وسألونا عن ذلك,"Now some of them were accustomed to see the Rafidis in the Hijaz and al-Traq praying with their arms hanging down, so they suspected us of following their doctrine, and interrogated us on the point."
فأخبرناهم أننا على مذهب مالك، فلم يقنعوا بذلك منا،,"We told them that we belonged to the school of Malik, but they remained unconvinced by our statement."
واستقرت التهمة في نفوسهم حتى بعث إلينا نائب السلطان بأرنب وأوصى بَعْضَ خُدَّامه أن يلازمنا حتى يرى ما نفعل به،,"The suspicion became so firmly fixed in their minds that the sultan’s deputy sent us a hare, and instructed one of his servants to remain with us in order to see what we should do with it."
فذبحناه وطبخناه وأكلناه، وانصرف الخديم إليه وأَعْلَمَهُ بذلك،,"We slaughtered it ritually, cooked it and ate it, and the servant returned to him and informed him accordingly."
فحينئذٍ زالت عنا التُّهمة وبعثوا لنا بالضيافة، والراوفض لا يأكلون الأرنب،,"Consequently the suspicion was removed from us and they sent us the [usual] hospitality-gifts, for the Rafidis do not eat the hare."
وبعد أربعة أيام من وصولنا إلى صنوب تُوُفِّيَتْ أم الأمير إبراهيم فخرجْتُ في جنازتها،,"Four days after our arrival at Sanub, the mother of the amir Ibrahim died there, and I went out in her funeral procession."
وخرج ابنها على قدميه كاشفًا شعره، وكذلك الأمراء والمماليك وثيابهم مقلوبة،,"Her son went out on foot and with bare head, and so also did the amirs and mamluks, with their robes inside out."
وأما القاضي والخطيب والفقهاء فإنهم قلبوا ثيابهم ولم يكشفوا رءوسهم، بل جعلوا عليها مناديل من الصوف الأسود عوضًا عن العمائم،,"As for the qadl, the khatlb, and the jurists, they too reversed their robes, but they did not bare their heads, and covered them instead with kerchiefs of black wool, in place of turbans."
وأقاموا يطعمون الطعام أربعين يومًا وهي مدة العزاء عندهم،,"They continued to serve food for forty days, this being the period of mourning in their usage."
وكانت إقامتنا بهذه المدينة نحو أربعين يومًا ننتظر تيسير السفر في البحر إلى مدينة القرم،,"Our stay in this city lasted for about forty days, while we were awaiting an occasion to travel by sea to the city of alQiram."
فاكترينا مركبًا للروم وأقمنا أحد عشر يومًا ننتظر مساعدة الريح،,We then hired a vessel belonging to the Greeks and remained eleven days [more] waiting for a favourable wind.
ثم رَكِبْنَا البحر فلما توسطناه بعد ثلاثٍ هالَ علينا واشتد بنا الأمر ورأينا الهلاك عيانًا،,"At length we began the voyage, but when we were out in the open sea, after three nights, a storm blew up against us and we were in sore straits, with destruction visibly before our eyes."
وكنت بالطارمة ومعي رجل من أهل المغرب يسمى أبا بكر، فأمرْتُه أن يصعد إلى أعلى المركب لينظر كيف البحر,"I was in the cabin, along with a man from the Maghrib named Abu Bakr, and I bade him go up on deck to observe the state of the sea."
ففعل ذلك وأتاني بالطارمة، فقال لي: أستودعكم الله،,He did so and came back to me in the cabin saying to me ‘I commend you to God.’
ودهمنا من الهول ما لم يُعْهَد مثله، ثم تغيرت الريح وردَّتْنا إلى مقربة من مدينة صنوب التي خرجنا منها،,"The storm raged against us with unparalleled fury, then the wind changed and drove us back nearly to the very city of Sanub from which we had started."
وأراد بعض التجار النزول إلى مرساها فمَنَعْتُ صاحب المركب من إنزاله,"One of its merchants wanted to go down to its harbour, but I prevented the master of the ship from disembarking him."
ثم استقامت الريح وسافرنا، فلما توسطنا البحر هالَ علينا وجرى لنا مثل المرة الأولى. ثم ساعدت الريح ورأينا جبال البر,"Afterwards the wind fell, and we resumed our journey, but when we were in the open sea a storm blew up [again] and the same thing happened to us as before; then eventually the wind became favourable and we saw the mountains on the mainland."
وقصدنا مرسًى يسمى الكرش، فأردنا دخوله فأشار إلينا أناس كانوا بالجبل أن لا تدخلوا، فخِفْنَا على أنفسنا وظننا أن هنالك أجفانًا للعدو فرجعنا مع البر،,"We made for a harbour called Karsh, intending to put in there, but some persons who were on the mountain made signs to us not to enter, so, fearing that we might run into danger and thinking that there were galleys of the enemy in the port, we turned back along the coast."
فلما قربناه قلت لصاحب المركب أريد أن أنزل ها هنا فأنزلني بالساحل،,"As we approached the land, I said to the master of the ship ‘I wish to descend here’ so he put me ashore."
ورأيت كنيسة فقصدْتُها فوجدت بها راهبًا، ورأيت في أحد حيطان الكنيسة صورة رجل عربي عليه عمامة متقلد سيفًا وبيده رمح وبين يديه سراج يوقد،,"I saw a church so we made towards it. In it I found a monk, and on one of the walls of the church I saw the figure of an Arab man wearing a turban, girt with a sword, and carrying a spear in his hand, and in front of him a lamp, which was alight."
فقلت للراهب: ما هذه الصورة؟ فقال: هذه صورة النبي علي، فأُعْجِبْتُ من قوله،,I said to the monk ‘What is this figure?’ and when he replied ‘This is the figure of the prophet ‘Ali’ was filled with astonishment.
وبِتْنَا تلك الليلة بالكنيسة وطبخنا دجاجًا فلم نَسْتَطِعْ أكلها إذ كانت مما استصحبناه في المركب ورائحة البحر قد غَلَبَتْ على كل ما كان فيه،,"We spent the night in that church, and cooked some fowls, but we could not eat them because they were among the provisions that we had taken with us on the ship, and everything that had been on board was impregnated with the smell of the sea."
وهذا الموضع الذي نزلنا به هو من الصحراء المعروفة بدشت قفجق (والدشت بالشين المعجم والتاء المثناة) بلسان الترك هو الصحراء،,This place where we landed was in the wilderness known as Dasht-i Qifjaq (dasht in the language of the Turks means ‘wilderness’).
وهذه الصحراء خضرة نضرة لا شجر بها ولا جبل ولا تل ولا أبنية ولا حطب،,"This wilderness is green and grassy, with no trees nor hills, high or low, nor narrow pass nor firewood."
وإنما يوقدون الأرواث ويسمونها التزك (بالزاي المفتوح) فترى كبراءهم يلقطونها ويجعلونها في أطراف ثيابهم،,"What they use for burning is animal dung (which they call tazak),* and you can see even their men of rank gathering it up and putting it in the skirts of their robes."
ولا يسافَر في هذه الصحراء إلا في العجل وهي مسيرة ستة أشهر؛ ثلاثة منها في بلاد السلطان محمد أوزبك وثلاثة في بلاد غيره،,"There is no means of travelling in this desert except in waggons, and it extends for six months’ journey, three of them in the territories of the sultan Muhammad Uzbak, and three in those of other princes."
ولما كان الغد من يوم وصولنا إلى هذه المرسى تَوَجَّهَ بعض التجار من أصحابنا إلى مَنْ بهذه الصحراء من الطائفة المعروفة بقفجق وهم على دين النصرانية، فاكترى منهم عجلة يجرها الفرس,"On the day after our arrival at this roadstead, one of the merchants in our company went to some of the tribesmen known as Qifjaq who inhabit this desert and profess the Christian religion, and hired from them a waggon drawn by horses."
فركبناها، ووصلنا إلى مدينة الكفا (واسمها بكاف وفاء مفتوحتين)، وهي مدينة عظيمة مستطيلة على ضفة البحر يسكنها النصارى وأكثرهم الجنويون ولهم أمير يُعْرَف بالدندير، ونزلنا منها بمسجد المسلمين.,"We rode in this, and came to the city of al-Kafa, which is a great city along the sea coast inhabited by Christians, most of them Genoese, who have a governor called al-Damdir. We lodged there in the mosque of the Muslims."
حكاية,Anecdote.
ولما نزلنا بهذا المسجد أقمنا ساعة ثم سمعنا أصوات النواقيس من كل ناحية، ولم أكن سَمِعْتُها قطُّ فهالني ذلك، وأمرت أصحابي أن يصعدوا الصومعة ويقرءوا القرآن ويَذْكُروا الله ويؤذنوا ففعلوا ذلك،,"When we alighted at this mosque and stayed in it for an hour or so, we heard the sounds of clappers on every side, and never having heard them before I was alarmed at this and bade my companions ascend the minaret and chant the Qur’an and praises to God, and recite the call to prayer. They did so,"
فإذا برجل قد دَخَلَ علينا وعليه الدرع والسلاح فسَلَّمَ علينا,when suddenly a man came in wearing breastplate and weapons and saluted us.
واستفهمناه عن شأنه، فأخبرنا أنه قاضي المسلمين هنالك، وقال: لما سمعت القراءة والأذان خِفْتُ عليكم فجئت كما ترون،,"We asked him what was his business, and he told us that he was the qadi of the Muslims there, and said ‘When I heard the chanting and the call to prayer, I feared for your safety and came as you see.’"
ثم انصرف عنا وما رأينا إلا خيرًا،,"Then he went away, but no evil befell us."
ولما كان من الغد جاء إلينا الأمير وصنع طعامًا فأكلنا عنده،,"On the following day the governor came to visit us and prepared a banquet, which we ate in his residence."
وطفنا بالمدينة فرأيناها حسنة الأسواق وكُلُّهم كُفَّار،,"We made a circuit of the city and found it provided with fine bazaars, but all the inhabitants are infidels."
ونزلنا إلى مرساها فرأينا مرسًى عجيبًا به نحو مائتي مركب ما بين حَرْبِيٍّ وسَفَرِيٍّ صغيرًا وكبيرًا، وهو من مراسي الدنيا الشهيرة،,"We went down to its port, where we saw a wonderful harbour with about two hundred vessels in it, both ships of war and trading vessels, small and large, for it is one of the world’s celebrated ports."
ثم اكترينا عجلة وسافرنا إلى مدينة القرم وهي (بكسر القاف وفتح الراء)، مدينة كبيرة حسنة من بلاد السلطان المعظم محمد أوزبك خان,"We then hired a waggon and travelled to the city of alQiram, a large and fine city in the territories of the illustrious sultan Muhammad Ozbak Khan."
وعليها أمير من قِبَلِه اسمه تلكتمور، وضبط اسمه (بتاء مثناة مضمومة ولام مضموم وكاف مسكن وتاء كالأولى مضمومة وميم مضمومة وواو وراء)،,"There is an amir who governs it on his behalf, named Tuluk-tumur."
وكان أَحَدَ خُدَّام هذا الأمير قد صَحِبَنَا في طريقنا، فعَرَّفَه بقدومنا فبعث إلي مع إمامه سعد الدين بفرس،,"One of the subordinates of this amir, who had accompanied us on our journey, informed him of our arrival, and he sent me a horse by the hand of his imam, Sa‘d Al-Din."
ونزلنا بزاوية شيخها زاده الخراساني، فأَكْرَمَنَا هذا الشيخ ورَحَّبَ بنا وأَحْسَنَ إلينا,"We lodged in a hospice, whose shaikh, Zada al-Khurasani, welcomed us and treated us honourably and generously."
وهو مُعَظَّم عندهم، ورأيت الناس يأتون للسلام عليه من قاضٍ وخطيب وفقيه وسواهم،,"He is held in great veneration among them; I saw many persons come to salute him, of the rank of qadi, khatib, doctor of law, etc."
وأخبرني هذا الشيخ زاده أنَّ بخارج هذه المدينة راهبًا من النصارى في دير يُتَعَبَّد به ويُكْثَر الصوم، وأنه انتهى إلى أن يواصل أربعين يومًا ثم يفطر على حبة فول، وأنه يكاشف بالأمور،,"This shaikh Zada told me that outside this city there was a Christian monk living in a monastery, who devoted himself to ascetic exercises and used frequently to fast, and that he eventually reached the point of being able to fast for forty days at a stretch, after which he would break his fast with a single bean; also that he had the faculty of revealing secret things."
ورغب مني أن أصحبه في التوجه إليه فأَبَيْتُ، ثم ندمت بعد ذلك على أن لم أكن رأيته وعرفْتُ حقيقة أَمْرِه،,"He desired me to go with him to visit the man, but I refused, although after wards I regretted not having seen him and found out the truth of what was said about him."
ولقيتُ بهذه المدينة قاضيها الأعظم شمس الدين السائلي قاضي الحنفية، ولقيت بها قاضي الشافعية وهو يُسَمَّى بخضر والفقيه المدرس علاء الدين الأصي وخطيب الشافعية أبا بكر وهو الذي يخطب بالمسجد الجامع الذي عَمَرَهُ الملك الناصر رحمه الله بهذه المدينة، والشيخ الحكيم الصالح مظفر الدين وكان من الروم فأَسْلَمَ وحَسُنَ إسلامه، والشيخ الصالح العابد مظهر الدين وهو من الفقهاء المعظمين،,"I met in this city its chief qadi, Shams al-Din al-Sayili, who is the qadl of the Hanafis, and the qadi of the Shafi’is, who is named Khidr, as well as the jurist and professor ‘Ala al-Din al-AsI, the khafib of the Shafi’is, Abu Bakr (it is he who pronounces the khutba in the congregational mosque that al-Malik al-Nasir (God’s mercy on him) erected in this city), the pious shaikh and sage Muzaffar al-Din (he was a Greek who embraced Islam and became a sincere Muslim), and the pious and ascetic shaikh Muzhir al-Din, who was a highly respected doctor of law."
وكان الأمير تلكتمور مريضًا فدخلنا عليه فأَكْرَمَنا وأَحْسَنَ إلينا،,"The amir Tuluktumur was ill, but we visited him and he received us honourably and made gifts to us."
وكان عليَّ التوجه إلى مدينة السرا حضرة السلطان محمد أوزبك فعَمِلْتُ في السير في صحبته واشتريت العجلات برسم ذلك.,"He was on the point of setting out for the city of al-Sara, the capital of the sultan Muhammad Ozbak, so I planned to travel in his company and bought some waggons for that purpose."
ذكر العجلات التي يسافَر عليها بهذه البلاد,Account of the waggons in which one journeys in this country.
وهم يُسَمُّون العجلة عربة (بعين مهملة وراء وباء موحدة مفتوحات)، وهي عجلات تكون للواحدة منهن أربع بكرات كبار، ومنها ما يجره فرسان ومنها ما يجره أكثر من ذلك، وتَجُرُّها أيضًا البقر والجِمال على حال العربة في ثقلها أو خِفَّتِها،,"These people call a waggon ‘arabazz’ They are waggons with four large wheels, some of them drawn by two horses, and some drawn by more than two, and they are drawn also by oxen and camels, according to the weight or lightness of the waggon."
والذي يخدم العربة يَرْكَب إحدى الأفراس التي تجرها ويكون عليه سرج وفي يده سوط يحركها للمشي، وَعُود كبير يصوبها به إذا عاجت عن القصد،,"The man who services the waggon rides on one of the horses that draw it, which has a saddle on it, and carries in his hand a whip with which he urges them to go and a large stick by which he brings them back to the right direction when they turn aside from it."
ويجعل على العربة شبه قبة من قضبان خشب مربوط بعضها إلى بعض بسور جلد رقيق وهي خفيفة الحمل وتُكْسى باللبد أو بالملف، ويكون فيها طيقان مشبكة ويرى الذي بداخلها الناس ولا يرونه ويتقلب فيها كما يحب وينام ويأكل ويقرأ ويكتب وهو في حال سيره،,"There is placed upon the waggon a kind of cupola made of wooden laths tied together with thin strips of hide; this is light to carry, and covered with felt or blanket-cloth, and in it there are grilled windows. The person who is inside the tent can see [other] persons without their seeing him, and he can employ himself in it as he likes, sleeping or eating or reading or writing, while he is still journeying."
والتي تحمل الأثقال والأزواد وخزائن الأطعمة من هذه العربات يكون عليها شبه البيت — كما ذكرنا — وعليها قفل،,"Those of the waggons that carry the baggage, the provisions and the chests of eatables are covered with a sort of tent much as we have described, with a lock on it."
وجَهَّزْتُ لما أردت السفر عربة لركوبي مغشاة باللبد، ومعي بها جارية لي، وعربة صغيرة لرفيقي عفيف الدين التوزري، وعجلة كبيرة لسائر الأصحاب يَجُرُّها ثلاثة من الجِمال، يَرْكَب أَحَدَهما خادم العربة،,"When I decided to make the journey, I prepared for my own conveyance a waggon covered with felt, taking with me in it a slavegirl of mine, another small waggon for my associate ‘Afif Al-Din al-Tuzari, and for the rest of my companions a large waggon drawn by three camels, one of which was ridden by the conductor of the waggon."
وسِرْنا في صحبة الأمير تلكتمور وأخيه عيسى وولديه قطلو دمور وصارر بك،,"We set out in company with the amir Tuluktumur, his brother Isa, and his two sons Qutludumur and Sarubak."
وسافر أيضًا معه في هذه الوجهة أمامه سعد الدين والخطيب أبو بكر، والقاضي شمس الدين، والفقيه شرف الدين موسى، والمعرف علاء الدين،,"With him also travelled on this journey his imam Sa‘d AlDin, the khatib Abu Bakr, the qadi Shams al-Dln, the jurist Sharaf al-Din Musa, and the remembrancer ‘Ala al-Din’."
وخطة هذا المعرف أن يكون بين يدي الأمير في مجلسه، فإذا أتى القاضي يقف له هذا المعرف ويقول بصوت عالٍ: بسم الله سيدنا ومولانا قاضي القضاةِ والحُكَّامِ، مُبِين الفتاوى والأحكام، بسم الله.,"The office of this remembrancer is to take his place in front of the amir in his audience hall, and when the qadi comes in he rises up for him and says in a loud voice ‘Bismillah, our lord and master, the qadi of qadis and magistrates, the elucidator of cases and rules of law, bismillah.’"
وإذا أتى فقيه مُعَظَّم أو رجل مشار إليه قال: بسم الله سيدنا فلان الدين بسم الله، فيتهيأ مَنْ كان حاضر الدخول للداخل ويقوم إليه ويفسح له في المجلس.,"When a respected jurist or man of consequence comes in, he says, ‘Bismillah, our lord so-and-so al-Din, bismillah’ whereupon those who are present prepare for the entry of the visitor, rise up to salute him, and make room for him in the chamber."
وعادة الأتراك أن يسيروا في هذه الصحراء سيرًا كَسَيْرِ الحُجَّاج في دَرْب الحجاز،,The habit of the Turks is to organize the journey through this desert in the same way as that of the pilgrims [to Mecca] on the Hijaz road.
يَرْحَلون بعد صلاة الصبح وينزلون ضحًى ويرحلون بعد الظهر وينزلون عشيًّا،,"They set out after the dawn prayer and halt in the mid-forenoon, then set out again after noon and halt in the evening."
وإذا نزلوا حَلُّوا الخيل والإبل والبقر عن العربات وسَرَّحُوها للرعي ليلًا ونهارًا،,"When they halt they loose the horses, camels and oxen from the waggons and drive them out to pasture at liberty, night and day."
ولا يعلف أحد دابة لا للسلطان ولا غيره، وخاصية هذه الصحراء أن نباتها يقوم مقام الشعير للدواب وليست لغيرها من البلاد هذه الخاصية؛ ولذلك كثرت الدواب بها،,"No one, whether sultan or any other, gives forage to his beast, for the peculiar property of this desert is that its herbage takes the place of barley for animals; this property belongs to no other land, and for that reason there are large numbers of animals in it."
ودوابهم لا رعاة لها ولا حُرَّاسَ وذلك لشدة أحكامهم في السرقة,Their animals [pasture] without keepers or guards; this is due to the severity of their laws against theft.
وحُكْمِهم فيها أنه مَنْ وُجِدَ عنده فرس مسروق كُلِّفَ أن يَرُدَّه إلى صاحبه ويعطيه معه تسعة مثله، فإن لم يَقْدِرْ على ذلك أُخِذَ أولاده في ذلك، فإن لم يكن له أولاد ذُبِحَ كما تُذْبَح الشاة،,"Their law in this matter is that any person found in possession of a stolen horse is obliged to restore it to its owner and to give him along with it nine like it; if he cannot do that, his sons are taken instead, and if he has no sons he is slaughtered just as a sheep is slaughtered."
وهؤلاء الأتراك لا يأكلون الخبز ولا الطعام الغليظ، وإنما يصنعون طعامًا من شيء عندهم شبه الآنلي يسمونه الدوقي (بدال مهمل مضموم واو وقاف مكسور معقود),"These Turks do not eat bread nor any solid food, but they prepare a dish made from a thing in their country like millet, which they call dugi."
يجعلون على النار الماء، فإذا غلى صَبُّوا عليه شيئًا من الدوقي وإن كان عندهم لحم قطعوه قطعًا صغارًا وطبخوه معه،,"They put water over a fire; when it boils they pour into it some of this dugi, and if they have any meat they cut it in small pieces and cook it along with the dugi."
ثم يُجْعَل لكل رجل نصيبه في صحفة ويصبون عليه اللبن الرائب ويشربونه,"Then every man is given his portion in a dish, and they pour over it curdled milk and sup it."
ويشربون عليه لبن الخيل وهم يسمونه القمز (بكسر القاف والميم والزاي المشددة)، وهم أهل قوة وشدة وحُسْن مزاج،,"[Sometimes] they sup with it mares’ milk, which they call qumizz, They are powerful and hardy men, with good constitutions."
ويستعملون في بعض الأوقات طعامًا يسمونه البورخاني، وهو عجين يقطعونه قطيعات صغارًا ويثقبون أوساطها ويجعلونها في قدر، فإذا طُبِخَتْ صبوا عليها اللبن الرائب وشربوها،,"At certain times they make use of a dish that they call burkhdni. It is a paste which they cut into very small pieces, making a hole in the middle of each, and put into a pot; when they are cooked, they pour over them curdled milk and sup them."
ولهم نبيذ يصنعونه من حب الدوقي الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه,They have also a fermented drink which they make from the grain of the dugi mentioned above.
وهم يرون أكل الحلواء عيبًا.,They regard the eating of sweetmeats as a disgrace.
ولقد حضرت يومًا عند السلطان أوزبك في رمضان,[To give an instance of this] I went one day to the audience of the sultan Ozbak during [the month of] Ramadan.
فأُحْضِرَتْ لحوم الخيل وهي أكثر ما يأكلون من اللحم، ولحوم الأغنام والرشتا وهو شبه الأطرية يُطْبَخ ويُشْرَب باللبن،,"There was served horse-flesh (this is the meat that they most often eat) and sheep’s flesh, and rishtd, which is a kind of macaroni cooked and supped with milk."
وأتيته تلك الليلة بطبق حلواء صَنَعَها بعض أصحابي، فقَدَّمْتُها بين يديه فجَعَلَ أصبعه عليها وجعله على فيه ولم يَزِدْ على ذلك،,"I brought for him that night a plate of sweetmeats made by one of my companions, and when I presented them before him he touched them with his finger and put it to his mouth, and that was all he did."
وأخبرني الأمير تلكتمور أن أحد الكبار من مماليك هذا السلطان — وله من أولاده وأولاد أولاده نحو أربعين ولدًا — قال له السلطان يومًا: كُلِ الحلواء وأعتقكم جميعًا، فأبى وقال: لو قَتَلْتَنِي ما أَكَلْتُها،,"The amir Tuluktumur told me of one of the high-ranking mamluks of this sultan, who had between sons and sons’ sons about forty descendants, that the sultan said to him one day ‘Eat sweetmeats, and I free you all,’ but he refused, saying ‘If you were to kill me I would not eat them.’"
ولما خرجنا من مدينة القرم نزلنا بزاوية الأمير تلكتمور في موضع يُعْرَف بسجان، فبعث إلي أن أحضر عنده,"When we moved out of the city of al-Qiram we halted at the hospice of the amir Tuluktumur, at a place known as Sajjan, and he sent for me to present myself before him."
فركبت إليه وكان لي فرس معد لركوبي يقوده خديم العربة، فإذا أردت ركوبه ركبته وأتيت الزاوية فوجدت الأمير قد صَنَعَ بها طعامًا كثيرًا فيه الخبز,"So I rode to him (for I had a horse ready for me to ride, which was led by the conductor of the waggon, and when I wanted to ride it I did so), came to the hospice, and found that the amir had prepared there a great banquet, including bread."
ثم أتوا بماء أبيض في صحاف صغار فشرب القوم منه،,They then brought in a white liquid in small bowls and those present drank of it.
وكان الشيخ مُظَفَّر الدين يلي الأميرَ في مجلسه وأنا إليه فقلت له: ما هذا؟ فقال: هذا ماء الدهن، فلم أَفْهَم ما قال، فذُقْتُه فوجدت له حموضة فتركته،,"The shaikh Muzaffar Al-Din was next to the amir in the order of sitting and I was next to him, so I said to him ‘What is this?’ He replied ‘This is duhn juice.’ I did not understand what he meant, so I tasted it and finding a bitter taste in it left it alone."
فلما خرجت سألت عنه فقالوا: هو نبيذ يصنعونه من حب الدوقي،,When I went out I made enquiry about it and they said ‘It is nabidh [a fermented drink] which they make from dugi grain.’
وهم حنفية المذهب والنبيذ عندهم حلال,These people are Hanafis and nabidh is permissible according to their doctrine.
ويسمون هذا النبيذ المصنوع من الدوقي البوزة (بضم الباء الموحدة وواو مد وزاي مفتوح)، وإنما قال لي الشيخ مظفر الدين ماء الدخن ولسانه فيه اللكنة الأعجمية فظننت أنه يقول ماء الدهن،,"They call this nabidh which is made from dugi by the name of boza, What the shaikh Muzaffar Al-Din said to me was [meant to be] ‘dukhn juice’ [i.e. millet juice], but since his [Arabic] speech was mispronounced, as commonly among foreigners, I thought he was saying ‘duhn juice’ [i.e. oil juice]."
وبعد مسيرة ثمانية عشر منزلًا من مدينة القرم وصلنا إلى ماء كثير نخوضه يومًا كاملًا،,"After travelling eighteen stations from the city of alQiram we reached a great [expanse of] water, through which we continued to ford for a whole day."
وإذا كثر خوض الدواب والعربات في هذا الماء اشتد وَحْله وزاد صعوبةً فذهب الأمير إلى راحلتي وقَدَّمَنِي أمامه مع بعض خدامه، وكتب لي كتابًا إلى أمير أزاق يُعْلِمه أني أريد القدوم على الملك ويَحُضُّه على إكرامي،,"When a large number of beasts and waggons have to pass through this water, it becomes very muddy and more difficult, so the amir, thinking of my comfort, sent me on ahead of him with one of his subordinates, and wrote a letter for me to the governor of Azaq, informing him that I was proposing to proceed to the king and urging him to treat me honourably."
"وسِرْنا حتى انتهينا إلى ماء آخر نخوضه نِصْف يوم.
ثم سِرْنا بعده ثلاثًا ووَصَلْنَا إلى مدينة أزاق (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة والزاي وآخره قاف)،","We continued our journey until we came to a second [expanse of] water, which we took half a day to ford, and after travelling for three nights more we arrived at the city of Azaq."
وهي على ساحل البحر حسنة العمارة يقصدها الجنويون وغيرهم بالتجارات,"This city is on the seacoast, with fine buildings, and visited by the Genoese and others with merchandise."
وبها من الفتيان أخي بجقجي وهو من العظماء يطعم الوارد والصادر،,One of the Fityan there is Akhi Bichaqchi; he is one of the important personages and supplies food to wayfarers.
ولما وصل كتاب القاضي تلكتمور إلى أمير أزاق وهو محمد خواجة الخوارزمي خرج إلى استقبالي ومعه القاضي والطلبة وأخرج الطعام,"When the letter of the amir Tuluktumur was delivered to the governor of Azaq, who was Muhammad Khwaja al-Khwarizmi, he came out to meet me, accompanied by the qadi and students of religion, and had food sent out as well."
فلما سَلَّمْنَا عليه نزلنا بموضع أكلنا فيه، ووصلنا إلى المدينة ونزلنا بخارجها بمقربة من رابطة هنالك تُنْسَب للخضر وإلياس عليهما السلام،,"After saluting him, we halted at a certain place, where we ate; we then came to the city, and encamped outside it in the vicinity of a hermitage there called after al-Khidr and Ilyas (on both be peace)."
وخرج شيخ من أهل أزاق يسمى برجب النهر ملكي نسبة إلى قرية بالعراق فأضافنا بزاوية له ضيافة حسنة،,"A shaikh, one of the inhabitants of Azaq, named Rajab al-Nahr Malaki—a name derived from a village in al’Iraq —came out and entertained us with fine hospitality in a hospice of his."
وبعد يومين من قدومنا قدم الأمير تلكتمور وخرج الأمير محمد للقائه ومعه الأمير والطلبة وأعدوا له الضيافة,"Two days after our arrival the amir Tuluktumur arrived; the governor Muhammad went out to meet him, accompanied by the qadi and students of religion, and the citizens made preparations to receive him with banquets and gifts."
وضربوا ثلاث قباب متصلًا بعضها ببعض إحداها من الحرير الملون عجيبة والثنتان من الكتان وأداروا عليها سراجه وهي المسماة عندنا أفراج وخارجها الدهليز وهو على هيئة البرج عندنا،,"They erected three pavilions next one another, one of them of parti-coloured silk, a marvellous thing, and the other two of linen, and put up round them a saracha [i.e. cloth enclosure], which is what is called among us dfrag, with an antechamber outside it in the shape of a burj among us."
ولما نزل الأمير بسطت بين يديه شقاق الحرير يمشي عليها، فكان من مكارمه وفضله أن قدمني أمامه ليرى ذلك الأمير منزلتي عنده.,"When the amir dismounted pieces of silk were spread before him to walk on, and one of his acts of generosity and benevolence was that he made me precede him, in order that the governor should see the high esteem that he had for me."
ثم وصلنا إلى الخباء الأولى وهي المعدة لجلوسه,"We then came to the first tent, the one that had been prepared for his [public] sitting."
وفي صدرها كرسي من الخشب لجلوسه كبير مرصع وعليه مرتبة حسنة,"At the place of honour in it there was a wooden settee for him to sit on, large and inlaid with woods of different colours, and with a beautiful cushion on it."
فقد مني الأمير أمامه وقدم الشيخ مظفر الدين وصعد هو فجلس فيما بيننا ونحن جميعًا على المرتبة،,"The amir made me walk ahead of him and bade the shaikh Mudaffar al-Din also go on ahead, then he himself came up and sat between us, all [three] of us being on the cushion."
وجلس قاضيه وخطيبه وقاضي هذه المدينة وطَلَبَتها عن يسار الكرسي على فرش فاخرة، ووقف ولدا الأمير تلكتمور وأخوه والأمير محمد وأولاده في الخدمة،,"His qadi, his khatib, and the qadi and students of religion of this city sat on the left on magnificent rugs, and the two sons of the amir Tuluktumur, his brother, the governor Muhammad and his sons stood in respectful attendance."
ثم أتوا بالأطعمة من لحوم الخيل وسِوَاها وأتوا بألبان الخيل، ثم أتوا بالبوزة،,"The servants then brought in the dishes, consisting of the flesh of horses, etc., and also brought mares’ milk."
وبعد الفراغ من الطعام قرأ القرآن بالأصوات الحسان،,"Afterwards they brought the buza, and when the meal was finished the Qur’an-readers recited with beautiful voices."
ثم نُصِبَ منبر وصعده الواعظ وجلس القراء بين يديه وخطب خطبة بليغة ودعا للسلطان وللأمير وللحاضرين يقول ذلك بالعربي ثم يفسره لهم بالتركي،,"A pulpit was then set up and the preacher mounted it, the Qur’an-readers sitting in front of him, and he delivered an eloquent address and prayed for blessings on the sultan, the amir, and all those present, saying that [first] in Arabic and then translating it for them in Turkish."
وفي أثناء ذلك يكرر القراء آيات من القرآن بترجيع عجيب، ثم أخذوا في الغناء يغنون بالعربي ويسمونه القول ثم بالفارسي والتركي ويسمونه الملمع،,"During the intervals of this [ceremony], the Qur’anreaders would start again to recite verses from the Qur’an in a wonderful harmony then they began to sing, singing [first] in Arabic (this they call qaul) and then in Persian and Turkish (this they call mulamma,)."
ثم أتوا بطعام آخر ولم يزالوا على ذلك إلى العشي وكلما أردت الخروج منعني الأمير،,"Afterwards more food was served, and they continued in this fashion until the evening, and every time that I made a move to leave the amir stopped me."
ثم جاءوا بكسوة للأمير وكساوٍ لولديه وأخيه وللشيخ مظفر الدين ولي وأتوا بعشرة أفراس للأمير ولأخيه ولولديه بستة أفراس ولكل كبير من أصحابه بفرس ولي بفرس،,"They then brought a robe for the amir and robes for his sons and his brother, for the shaikh Muzaffar al-Din and for me, after which they presented ten horses to the amir, six horses to his brother and his sons, one horse to each notable in his suite and one horse to me."
والخيل بهذه البلاد كثيرة جدًّا وثمنها نزر,The horses in this country are exceedingly numerous and their price is negligible.
قيمة الجيد منها خمسون درهمًا أو ستون من دراهمهم، وذلك صرف دينار من دنانيرنا أو نحوه,"A good horse costs fifty or sixty of their dirhams, which equals one dinar of our money or thereabouts."
وهذه الخيل هي التي تُعْرَف بمصر بالأكاديش ومنها معاشهم وهي ببلادهم كالغنم ببلادنا بل أكثر، فيكون للتركي منهم آلاف منها.,"These are the horses known in Egypt as akddish, and it is from [the raising of] them that they make their living, horses in their country being like sheep in ours, or even more numerous, so that a single Turk will possess thousands of them."
ومن عادة الترك المستوطِنين تلك البلاد أصحاب الخيل أنهم يضعون في العربات التي تَرْكَب فيها نساؤهم قطعة لبد في طول الشبر مربوطة إلى عود رقيق في طول الذراع في ركن العربة، ويُجْعَل لكل ألف فرس قطعة، ورأيت منهم من يكون له عشر قطع ومن له دون ذلك،,"It is the custom of the Turks who live in this country and who raise horses to attach a piece of felt, a span in length, to a thin rod, a cubit in length, for every thousand horses [possessed by each man]. These rods are put on the waggons in which their women ride, each being fixed to a corner of the waggon, and I have seen some of them who have ten pieces [of felt] and some with less than that."
وتُحْمَل هذه الخيل إلى بلاد الهند فيكون في الرفقة منها ستة آلاف وما فوقها وما دونها،,"These horses are exported to India [in droves], each one numbering six thousand or more or less."
لكل تاجر المائة والمائتان فما دون ذلك وما فوقه،,Each trader has one or two hundred horses or less or more.
ويستأجر التاجر لكل خمسين منها راعيًا يقوم عليها ويرعاها كالغنم ويسمى عندهم القشي،,"For every fifty of them he hires a drover, who looks after them and their pasturage, like sheep; and this man is called by them alqashi."
ويَرْكَب أحدَها وبيده عصًا طويلة فيها حبل، فإذا أراد أن يقبض على فرس منها حاذاه بالفرس الذي هو راكبه ورمى الحبل في عنقه وجذبه فيركبه ويترك الآخر للرعي،,"° He rides on one of them, carrying in his hand a long stick with a rope on it, and when he wishes to catch any horse among them he gets opposite to it on the horse that he is riding, throws the rope over its neck and draws it to him, mounts it and sets the other free to pasture."
وإذا وصلوا بها إلى أَرْض السند أطعموها العلف؛ لأن نبات أرض السند لا يقوم مقام الشعير، ويموت لهم منها الكثير ويُسْرَق،,"When they reach the land of Sind with their horses, they feed them with forage, because the vegetation of the land of Sind does not take the place of barley, and the greater part of the horses die or are stolen."
ويغرمون عليها بأرض السند سبعة دنانير فضة على الفرس بموضع يقال له ششنقار، ويغرمون عليها بملتان قاعدة بلاد السند،,"They are taxed on them in the land of Sind [at the rate of] seven silver dinars a horse, at a place called Shashnaqar, and pay a further tax at Multan, the capital of the land of Sind."
وكانوا — فيما تَقَدَّمَ — يغرمون ربع ما يَجْلِبُونه، فرفع ملك الهند إلى السلطان محمد ذلك وأَمَرَ أن يؤخذ من تجار المسلمين الزكاة ومن تجار الكفار العشر،,"In former times they paid in duty the quarter of what they imported, but the king of India, the Sultan Muhammad, abolished this [practice] and ordered that there should be exacted from the Muslim traders the zakdt  and from the infidel traders the tenth."
ومع ذلك يبقى للتجار فيها فضل كبير؛ لأنهم يبيعون الرخيص منها ببلاد الهند بمائة دينار دراهم وصرفها من الذهب المغربي خمسة وعشرون دينارًا، وربما باعوها بضعف ذلك وضعفه وضعفيه،,"In spite of this, there remains a handsome profit for the traders in these horses, for they sell the cheapest of them in the land of India for a hundred silver dinars (the exchange value of which in Moroccan gold is twenty-five dinars), and often sell them for twice or three times as much."
والجياد منها تساوي خمسمائة دينار وأكثر من ذلك.,The good horses are worth five hundred [silver] dinars or more.
وأهل الهند لا يبتاعونها للجري والسبق؛ لأنهم يلبسون في الحرب الدروع ويدرعون الخيل، وإنما يبتغون قوة الخيل واتساع خطاها,"The people of India do not buy them for [their qualities in] running or racing, because they themselves wear coats of mail in battle and they cover their horses with armour, and what they prize in these horses is strength and length of pace."
والخيل التي يبتغونها للسبق تُجْلَب إليهم من اليمن وعمان وفارس، ويباع الفرس منها بألف دينار إلى أربعة آلاف،,"The horses that they want for racing are brought to them from al-Yaman, ‘Oman and Fars, and each of these horses is sold at from one to four thousand dinars."
ولما سافر الأمير تلكتمور عن هذه المدينة أقمت بعده ثلاثة أيام حتى جَهَّزَ لي الأمير محمد خواجة آلات سفري,"When the amir Tuluktumur set out from this city [Azaq], I stayed behind for three days, until the governor Muhammad Khwaja provided me with the equipment for my journey."
وسافرت إلى مدينة الماجر وهي (بفتح الميم وألف وجيم مفتوح معقود وراء)، مدينة كبيرة من أحسن مدن الترك على نهر كبير وبها البساتين والفواكه الكثيرة،,"then set out for the city of al-Machar, a large town, one of the finest of the cities of the Turks, on a great river, and possessed of gardens and fruits in abundance."
نَزَلْنَا منها بزاوية الشيخ الصالح العابد المعمر محمد البطائحي من بطائح العراق، وكان خليفة الشيخ أحمد الرفاعي رضي الله عنه،,"We lodged in it at the hospice of the pious shaikh and aged devotee Muhammad al-Bata’ihi, from the bataih [marsh-lands] of al-‘Iraq, who was the delegate of the shaikh Ahmad al-Rifa‘i (God be pleased with him)."
وفي زاويته نحو سبعين من فقراء العرب والفرس والترك والروم، منهم المتزوج والعزب وعيشهم من الفتوح،,"In his hospice were about seventy poor brethren, Arabs, Persians, Turks and Greeks, some married and some single, whose livelihood came solely from alms."
ولأهل تلك البلاد اعتقاد حَسَن في الفقراء، وفي كل ليلة يأتون إلى الزاوية بالخيل والبقر والغنم،,"The people of that country have a firm belief in the [virtues of the] poor brethren, and come to the hospice every night bringing horses, cattle, and sheep."
ويأتي السلطان والخواتين لزيارة الشيخ والتبرك به ويجزلون الإحسان ويُعْطُون العطاء الكثير وخصوصًا النساء، فإنهن يُكْثِرْن الصدقة ويتحرَّيْن أفعال الخير،,"The sultan and the khatuns also come to visit the shaikh and to obtain blessing by him, and they are lavish with their charity and donate large sums— especially the women, for they bestow alms profusely and seek to do all manner of good works."
وصَلَّيْنَا بمدينة الماجر صلاة الجمعة، فلما قُضِيَت الصلاة صعد الواعظ عز الدين المنبر,"We prayed the Friday prayers in the city of al-AIachar, and when the prayers were over the preacher ‘Izz al-Din’ ascended the minbar."
وهو من فقهاء بخارى وفضلائها، وله جماعة من الطلبة والقراء يقرءون بين يديه,"He was one of the jurists and eminent doctors of Bukhara, and had a company of students and Qur’an-readers who would recite in front of him."
ووَعْظ وذِكْر، وأمير المدينة حاضر وكبراؤها، فقام الشيخ محمد البطائحي وقال: هذه مني إليه، فكان الحاضرون بين من خَلَعَ ثوبه ومن أعطى فرسًا ومن أعطى دراهم، واجتمع له كثير من ذلك كله.,"He delivered a homily and exhortation in the presence of the governor and principal personages of the city, then the shaikh Muhammad al-Bata’ihi rose and said ‘The learned preacher is about to set out and we wish to furnish him with means for his journey.’ He then took off a robe of goats’ hair that he was wearing, saying ‘This is for him from me,’ and of those present some took off a robe, some gave a horse, and some gave money, and from all this a large provision was collected for him."
ورأيت بقيسارية هذه المدينة يهوديًّا سَلَّمَ عليَّ وكَلَّمَني بالعربي فسألته عن بلاده، فذكر أنه من بلاد الأندلس وأنه قَدِمَ منها في البر ولم يَسْلُك بحرًا وأتى على طريق القسطنطينية العظمى وبلاد الروم وبلاد الجرجس، وذَكَرَ أن عهده بالأندلس منذ أربعة أشهر،,"In the qaisanya of this city I saw a Jew who saluted me and spoke to me in Arabic. I asked him what country he came from and he told me that he was from the land of al-Andalus and had come from it over land, without travelling by sea, but by way of Constantinople the Great, the land of al-Rum and the land of the Jarkas, and stated that it was four months since he had left al-Andalus."
وأَخْبَرَنِي التُّجَّار المسافرون الذين لهم المعرفة بذلك بصحة مقاله،,The travelling merchants who have experience of this matter assured me of the truth of his statement.
ورأيت بهذه البلاد عجبًا من تعظيم النساء عندهم وهن أعلى شأنًا من الرجال،,"I witnessed in this country a remarkable thing, namely the respect in which women are held by them, indeed they are higher in dignity than the men."
فأما نساء الأمراء فكانت أول رؤيتي لهن عند خروجي من القرم رؤية الخاتون زوجة الأمير سلطية في عربة لها,"As for the wives of the amirs, the first occasion on which I saw them was when, on my departure from al-Qiram, I saw the khatun, the wife of the amir Saltiya, in a waggon of hers."
وكلها مجللة بالملف الأزرق الطيب، وطيقان البيت مفتوحة وأبوابه وبين يديها أربع جوارٍ فائتات الحسن بديعات اللباس،,"The entire waggon was covered with rich blue woollen cloth, the windows and doors of the tent were open, and there were in attendance on her four girls of excelling beauty and exquisitely dressed."
وخلفها جملة من العربات فيها جَوَارٍ يتبعنها،,Behind her were a number of waggons in which were girls belonging to her suite.
ولما قربت من منزل الأمير نَزَلَتْ عن العربة إلى الأرض، ونزل معها نحو ثلاثين من الجواري يرفعن أذيالها،,"When she came near the encampment of the amir, she descended from the waggon to the ground and with her alighted about thirty of the girls to carry her train."
ولأثوابها عُرًى تأخذ كل جارية بعروة ويرفعن الأذيال عن الأرض,"Her robes were furnished with loops of which each girl would take one, and altogether they would lift the skirts clear of the ground on every side."
من كل جانب ومَشَتْ كذلك متبخترة، فلما وصلت إلى الأمير قام إليها وسلم عليها وأجلسها إلى جانبه ودار بها جواريها، وجاءوا بروايا القمز فصَبَّتْ منه في قدح وجَلَسَتْ على رُكْبَتِها قدام الأمير وناوَلَتْه القدح فشَرِبَ،,"She walked thus in a stately manner until she reached the amir, when he rose before her, saluted her, and sat her beside him, while her maidens stood around her. Skins of qumizz were brought and she, having poured some of it into a bowl, went down on her knees before the amir and handed the bowl to him."
ثم سقت أخاه وسقاها الأمير،,"After he had drunk, she poured out for his brother, and the amir poured out for her."
وحضر الطعام فأكلت معه وأعطاها كسوة وانصرفت،,"The food was then served and she ate with him, he gave her a robe and she withdrew."
وعلى هذا الترتيب نساء الأمراء، وسنذكر نساء الملك فيما بعد.,"Such is the style of the wives of the amirs, and we shall describe [that of] the wives of the king later on."
وأما نساء الباعة والسوقة فرأيتهن وإحداهن تكون في العربة والخيل تَجُرُّها، وبين يديها الثلاث والأربع من الجواري يَرْفَعْن أذيالها وعلى رأسها البغطاق، وهو أقروف مرصَّع بالجوهر وفي أعلاه ريش الطواويس،,"As for the wives of the traders and the commonalty, I have seen them, when one of them would be in a waggon, being drawn by horses, and in attendance on her three or four girls to carry her train, wearing on her head a bughtaq, which is a conical headdress decorated with precious stones and sur-mounted by peacock feathers."
وتكون طيقان البيت مفتحة وهي بادية الوجه؛ لأن نساء الأتراك لا يحتجبن,"The windows of the tent would be open and her face would be visible, for the womenfolk of the Turks do not veil themselves."
وتأتي إحداهن على هذا الترتيب ومعها عبيدها بالغنم واللبن فتبيعه من الناس بالسلع العطرية،,"One such woman will come [to the bazaar] in this style, accompanied by her male slaves with sheep and milk, and will sell them for spicewares."
وربما كان مع المرأة منهن زوجها فيظنه من يراه بَعْضَ خدامها، ولا يكون عليه من الثياب إلا فروة من جِلْد الغنم وفي رأسه قلنسوة تُنَاسِبُ ذلك يسمونها الكلأ،,"Sometimes one of the women will be in the company of her husband and anyone seeing him would take him to be one of her servants; he wears no garments other than a sheepskin cloak and on his head a high cap to match it, which they call a kula."
وتَجَهَّزْنا من مدينة الماجر نَقْصِد معسكر السلطان وكان على أربعة أيام من الماجر بموضع يقال له: بش دغ، ومعنى بش عندهم خمسة وهو (بكسر الباء وشين معجم) ومعنى دغ الجبل وهو (بفتح الدال المهمل وغين معجم)،,"We made preparations to travel from the city of alMachar to the sultan’s camp, which was four days’ march from al-Machar at a place called Bish Dagh. Bish in their language means ‘five’ and dagh means ‘Mountain’."
وبهذه الجبال الخمسة عين ماء حارٍّ يَغْتَسِل منها الأتراك، ويزعمون أنه من اغتسل منها لم تُصِبْه عاهة مَرَضٍ،,"In these Five Mountains there is a hot spring in which the Turks bathe, and they claim that anyone who bathes in it will not be attacked by disease."
وارتحلنا إلى موضع المحلة فوصلناه أول يوم من رمضان فوجدنا المحلة قد رحلت، فعدنا إلى الموضع الذي رحلنا منه؛ لأن المحلة تنزل بالقرب منه,"We set out for the site of the mahalla and reached it on the first day of Ramadan, but found that the mahalla had left, so we returned to the place from which we started, because the mahalla was encamping in its vicinity."
فضَرَبْتُ بيتي على تل هنالك، وركزت العلم أمام البيت وجعلت الخيل والعربات وراء ذلك،,"I set up my tent on a low hill thereabouts, fixed my flag in front of the tent, and drew up my horses and waggons behind."
وأقبلت المحلة وهم يسمونها الأُرْدُو بضم الهمزة، فرأينا مدينة عظيمة تسير بأهلها، فيها المساجد والأسواق ودخان المطبخ صاعِدٌ في الهواء وهم يطبخون في حالِ رحيلهم، والعربات تجرها الخيل بهم،,"Then the mahalla came up—they call it the urdu i—and we saw a vast city on the move with its inhabitants, with mosques and bazaars in it, the smoke of the kitchens rising in the air (for they cook while on the march), and horse-drawn waggons transporting the people."
فإذا بلغوا المنزل نزلوا البيوت عن العربات وجعلوها على الأرض وهي خفيفة المحمل، وكذلك يصنعون بالمساجد والحوانيت،,"On reaching the camping place they took down the tents from the waggons and set them on the ground, for they are light to carry, and so likewise they did with the mosques and shops."
واجتاز بنا خواتين السلطان كل واحدة بناسها على حدة،,"The sultan’s khatuns passed by us, each one separately with her retinue."
ولما اجتازت الرابعة منهن وهي بنت الأمير عيسى بك وسنذكرها، رأت البيت بأعلى التل والعلم أمامه وهو علامة الوارد، فبعثت الفتيان والجواري فسَلَّمُوا عليَّ وبلغوا سلامها إلي وهي واقفة تنتظرهم،,"The fourth of them (she was the daughter of the amir Isa, and we shall speak of her presently), as she passed, saw the tent on top of the hill with the flag in front of it as the sign of a new arrival, so she sent pages and girls who saluted me and conveyed her salutations to me, while she halted to wait for them."
فبَعَثْتُ إليها هدية مع بعض أصحابي ومع معرف الأمير تلكتمور،,I sent her a gift by one of my companions and the remembrancer of the amir Tuluktumur.
فقَبِلَتْها تبركًا وأَمَرَتْ أن أَنْزِلَ في جوارها وانصَرَفَتْ,"She accepted it as a token of blessing, and gave orders that I should be taken under her protection, then went on."
وأقبل السلطان فنزل في محلته على حدة.,[Afterwards] the sultan came up and encamped separately in his mahalla.
ذكر السلطان المعظم محمد أوزبك خان,Account of the exalted Sultan Muhammad Vzbak Khan
واسمه محمد أوزبك (بضم الهمز وواو وزاي مسكن وباء موحدة مفتوحة) ومعنى خان عندهم السلطان،,"His name is Muhammad Ozbak, and Khan in their language means ‘sultan’."
وهذا السلطان عظيم المملكة شديد القوة كبير الشأن رفيع المكان قاهر لأعداء الله أهل قسطنطينية العظمى مجتهد في جهادهم،,"This sultan is mighty in sovereignty, exa ceedingly powerful, great in dignity, lofty in station, victor over the enemies of God, the people of Constantinople the Great, and diligent in the jihad against them."
وبلادهم متسعة ومدنه عظيمة منها التكفار والقرم والماجر وآزاق وسرداق (سوداق) وخوارزم وحضرته السرا،,"His territories are vast and his cities great; they include al-Kafa, al-Qiram, al-Machar, Azaq, Surdaq and Khwarizm, and his capital is al-Sara."
وهو أحد الملوك السبعة الذين هم كبراء الدنيا وعظماؤها، وهم مولانا أمير المؤمنين ظل الله في أرضه إمام الطائفة المنصورة الذين لا يزالون ظاهرين على الحق إلى قيام الساعة، أَيَّدَ الله أَمْره وأَعَزَّ نَصْرَهُ وسلطان مصر والشام وسلطان العراق، والسلطان أوزبك هذا وسلطان بلاد تركستان وما وراء النهر وسلطان الهند وسلطان الصين،,"He is one of the seven kings who are the great and mighty kings of the world, to wit: our Master, the Commander of the Faithful, the Shadow of God on His earth, the Imam of the victorious company who shall never cease to defend the Truth till the advent of the Hour, may God aid his cause and magnify his victory [i.e. the sultan of Morocco], the sultan of Egypt and Syria, the sultan of the two Iraqs, this sultan ftzbak, the sultan of the land of Turkistan and the lands beyond the river [Oxus], the sultan of India, and the sultan of China."
ويكون هذا السلطان إذا سافر في محلة على حدة معه مماليكه وأرباب دولته وتكون كل خاتون من خواتينه على حدة في محلتها،,"This sultan when he is on the march, travels in a separate mahalla, accompanied by his mamluks and his officers of state, and each one of his khatuns travels separately in her own mahalla."
فإذا أراد أن يكون عند واحدة منهن بَعَثَ إليها يعلمها بذلك فتتهيأ له،,"When he wishes to be with any one of them, he sends to her to inform her of this, and she prepares to receive him."
وله في قعوده وسَفَرِهِ وأموره ترتيب عجيب بديع،,"He observes, in his [public] sittings, his journeys, and his affairs in general, a marvellous and magnificent ceremonial."
ومن عادته أن يجلس يوم الجمعة بعد الصلاة في قبة تُسَمَّى قبة الذهب مزينة بديعة،,"It is his custom to sit every Friday, after the prayers, in a pavilion, magnificently decorated, called the Gold Pavilion."
وهي من قضبان خشب مكسوة بصفائح الذهب وفي وسطها سرير من الخشب مكسوة بصفائح الفضة المذهبة وقوائمه فضة خالصة ورءوسها مرصعة بالجواهر،,"It is constructed of wooden rods covered with plaques of gold, and in the centre of it is a wooden couch covered with plaques of silver gilt, its legs being of pure silver and their bases encrusted with precious stones."
ويَقْعُد السلطان على السرير وعلى يمينه الخاتون طيطغلي وتليها الخاتون كبك، وعلى يساره الخاتون بيلون وتليها الخاتون أردجي,"The sultan sits on the throne, having on his right hand the khatun Taitughli and next to her the khatun Kabak, and on his left the khatun Bayalun and next to her the khatun Urduja."
ويقف أسفل السرير على اليمين ولد السلطان تين بك، وعن الشمال ولده الثاني جان بك، وتجلس بين يديه ابنته إيت كججك،,"Below the throne, to his right, stands the sultan’s son Tina Bak, and to his left his second son Jani Bak, and in front of him sits his daughter It Kujujuk."
وإذا أَتَتْ إحداهن قام لها السلطان وأَخَذَ بيدها حتى تصعد على السرير،,"As each of the khatuns comes in the sultan rises before her, and takes her by the hand until she mounts to the couch."
وأما طيطغلي — وهي الملكة وأحظاهن عنده — فإنه يستقبلها إلى باب القبة فيسلم عليها ويأخذ بيدها، فإذا صعدتْ على السرير وجلستْ حينئذٍ يجلس السلطان,"As for Taitughll, who is the queen and the one of them most favoured by him, he advances to the entrance of the pavilion to meet her, salutes her, takes her by the hand, and only after she has mounted to the couch and taken her seat does the sultan himself sit down."
وهذا كله على أعين الناس دون احتجاب،,"All this is done in full view of those present, without any use of veils."
ويأتي بعد ذلك كبار الأمراء فتُنْصَب لهم كراسيهم عن اليمين والشمال. وكل إنسان منهم إذا أتى مجلس السلطان يأتي معه غلام بكرسيه،,"Afterwards the great amirs come and their chairs are placed for them to right and left, each man of them, as he comes to the sultan’s audience, being accompanied by a page carrying his chair."
ويقف بين يدي السلطان أبناء الملوك من بني عمه وإخوته وأقاربه، ويقف في مقابلتهم عند باب القبة أولاد الأمراء الكبار، ويقف خلفهم وجوه العساكر عن يمين وشمال،,"In front of the sultan stand the scions of the royal house, i.e. his nephews, brothers, and relatives, and parallel to them, at the entrance to the pavilion, stand the sons of the great amirs, with the senior officers of the troops standing behind them."
ثم يدخل الناس للسلام بالأمثل فالأمثل ثلاثة ثلاثة فيسلمون وينصرفون فيجلسون على بعد،,"Then the [rest of the] people are admitted to make their salute, in their degrees of precedence and three at a time, and after saluting they retire and sit at a distance."
فإذا كان بعد صلاة العصر انصرفت الملكة من الخواتين ثم ينصرف سائرهن فيتبعها إلى محلتها،,"After the hour of afternoon prayer the queen-khatun withdraws, whereupon the rest of them also withdraw and follow her to her mahalla."
فإذا دَخَلَتْ إليها انصرفت كل واحدة إلى محلتها راكبة عربتها، ومع كل واحدة نحو خمسين جارية راكبات على الخيل,"When she has entered it, each of them retires to her own mahalla, riding in her waggon, each one accompanied by about fifty girls, mounted on horses."
وأمام العربات نحو عشرين من قواعد النساء راكبات على الخيل فيما بين الفتيان والعربة،,In front of the waggon there are about twenty elderly women riding on horses between the pages and the waggon.
وخلف الجميع نحو مائة مملوك من الصبيان وأمام الفتيان نحو مائة من المماليك الكبار ركبانًا ومثلهم مشاة بأيديهم القضبان والسيوف مشدودة على أوساطهم، وهم بين الفرسان والفتيان،,"Behind the whole cortege there are about a hundred young mamluks, and in front of the pages about a hundred adult mamluks on horseback and an equal number on foot carrying staves in their hands and swords girt on their waists, who walk between the horsemen and the pages."
وهكذا ترتيب كل خاتون منهن في انصرافها ومجيئها،,Such is the ceremonial of each of the khatuns both on her withdrawal and on her arrival.
وكان نزولي من المحلة في جِوَارِ ولد السلطان جان بك الذي يَقَعُ ذِكْره فيما بعد،,"My camping place was in the mahalla, in the vicinity of the sultan’s son Jani Bak, of whom an account will be given later."
وفي الغد من يوم وصولي دَخلْتُ إلى السلطان بعد صلاة العصر،,On the morrow of the day of my arrival I made my entrance to the sultan after the afternoon prayer.
وقد جَمَعَ المشايخ والقضاة والفقهاء والشرفاء والفقراء، وقد صَنَعَ طعامًا كثيرًا وأَفْطَرْنا بمحضره،,"He had assembled the shaikhs, qadls, jurists, sharifs and poor brethren and prepared a great banquet, and we broke our fast in his presence."
وتَكَلَّمَ السيد الشريف نقيب الشرفاء ابن عبد الحميد والقاضي حمزة في شأني بالخير وأشاروا على السلطان بإكرامي،,"The sayyid and sharlf, the Marshal of the Sharifs, Ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid, and the qadl Hamza spoke favourably about me and made recommendations to the sultan to show honour to me."
وهؤلاء الأتراك لا يَعْرِفون إنزال الوارد ولا إجراء النفقة،,These Turks do not know the practice of giving hospitable lodging to the visitor or of supplying him with money for his needs.
وإنما يبعثون له الغنم والخيل للذبح وروايا القمز وتلك كرامتهم،,"What they do is to send him sheep and horses for slaughtering and skins of qumizz, and this is their [manner of] honourable treatment."
وبعد هذا بأيام صَلَّيْتُ صلاة العصر مع السلطان، فلما أردْتُ الانصراف أمرني بالقعود,Some days after this I prayed the afternoon prayer in the sultan’s company and when I was about to withdraw he bade me be seated.
وجاءوا بالطعام من المشروبات كما يصنع من الدوقي ثم باللحوم المصلوقة من الغنم والخيل،,"They brought in dishes of the various soups, like that made from dugi, then roasted fleshmeats, both of sheep and of horses."
وفي تلك الليلة أتيت السلطان بطبق حلواء فجعل أصبعه عليه وجعله على فيه ولم يَزِدْ على ذلك.,"It was on that night that I presented to the sultan a plate of sweetmeats, when he did no more than touch it with his finger and put that to his mouth."
ذكر الخواتين وترتيبهن,Account of the Khatiins and their Ceremonial.
وكل خاتون منهن تَرْكَب في عربة، وللبيت الذي تكون فيه قبة من الفضة المموهة بالذهب أو من الخشب المرصع،,"Each of the khatuns rides in a waggon, the tent that she occupies being distinguished by a cupola of silver ornamented with gold or of wood encrusted with precious stones."
وتكون الخيل التي تَجُرُّ عربتها مجللة بأثواب الحرير المذهب وخديم العربة الذي يركب أحد الخيل فتًى يدعى القشي، والخاتون قاعدة في عربتها وعن يمينها امرأة من القواعد تُسَمَّى أولو خاتون (بضم الهمزة واللام) ومعنى ذلك الوزيرة، وعن شمالها امرأة من القواعد أيضًا تسمى كُجُك خاتون (بضم الكاف والجيم) ومعنى ذلك الحاجبة،,"The horses that draw her waggon are caparisoned with cloths of silk gilt, and the conductor of the waggon who rides on one of the horses is a page boy called qashi, The khatun, as she sits in her waggon, has on her right hand an elderly woman called ulu khatun, which means ‘lady vizier’, and on her left another elderly woman called kujuk khatun, which means ‘lady chamberlain’."
وبين يديها ستٌّ من الجواري الصغار يقال لهن البنات؛ فائقات الجمال متناهيات الكمال، ومن ورائها ثنتان منهن تستند إليهن،,"In front of her are six young slavegirls called ‘girls’, of surpassing beauty and the utmost perfection, and behind her two more like them on whom she leans."
وعلى رأس الخاتون البغطاق وهو مثل التاج الصغير مكلَّل بالجواهر، وبأعلاها ريش الطواويس وعليها ثياب حرير مرصعة بالجوهر شبه المنوت (الملوطة) التي يلبسها الروم،,"On the khatun’s head is a bughtaq which resembles a small ‘crown’ decorated with jewels and surmounted by peacock feathers, and she wears robes of silk encrusted with jewels, like the mantles worn by the Greeks."
وعلى رأس الوزيرة والحاجبة مقنعة حرير مزركشة الحواشي بالذهب والجوهر، وعلى رأس كل واحدة من البنات الكلأ وهو شبه الأقروف، وفي أعلاها دائرة ذهب مرصعة بالجوهر وريش الطواويس من فوقها، وعلى كل واحدة ثوب حرير مُذَهَّب يسمى النخ، ويكون بين يدي الخاتون عشرة أو خمسة عشر من الفتيان الروميين والهنديين، وقد لبسوا ثياب الحرير المُذَهَّب المرصعة بالجواهر، وبِيَدِ كل واحد منهم عمودُ ذهبٍ أو فضة، أو يكون من عود ملبس بهما،,"On the head of the lady vizier and the lady chamberlain is a silk veil embroidered with gold and jewels at the edges, and on the head of each of the girls is a kula, which is like an aqriif , with a circlet of gold encrusted with jewels round the upper end, and peacock feathers above this, and each one wears a robe of silk gilt, which is called nakh, In front of (the waggon of) the khatun are ten or fifteen pages, Greeks and Indians, who are dressed in robes of silk gilt, encrusted with jewels, and each of whom carries in his hand a mace of gold or silver, or maybe of wood veneered with them."
وخلف عربة الخاتون نحو مائة عربة في كل عربة الثلاث والأربع من الجواري الكبار والصغار، ثيابهن الحرير وعلى رءوسهن الكلأ،,"Behind the khatun’s waggon there are about a hundred waggons, in each of which there are four slavegirls, fullgrown and young, wearing robes of silk and with the kula on their heads."
وخَلْف هذه العربات نحو ثلاثمائة عربة تَجُرُّها الجِمال والبقر، تَحْمِل خزائن الخاتون وأموالها وثيابها وأثاثها وطعامها،,"Behind these waggons [again] are about three hundred waggons, drawn by camels and oxen, carrying the khatun’s chests, moneys, robes, furnishings and food."
ومع كل عربةٍ غلامٌ مُوكَل بها متزوج بجارية من الجواري التي ذكرنا، فإن العادة عندهم أنه لا يدخل بين الجواري من الغلمان إلا مَنْ كان له بَيْنَهُنَّ زوجة،,"With each waggon is a slaveboy who has the care of it and is married to one of the slavegirls that we have mentioned, for it is the custom that none of the slaves may set foot among the girls except one who has a wife among their number."
وكل خاتون فهي على هذا الترتيب، ولنذكرهن على الانفراد.,"Every khatun enjoys the honour of this style, and we shall now describe each one of them separately."
ذكر الخاتون الكبرى,Account of the Principal Khatun.
والخاتون الكبرى هي الملكة أولدي السلطان جان بك وتين بك وسنذكرهما,"The principal khatun is the queen, the mother of the sultan’s two sons Jani Bak and Tina Bak, of whom we shall speak later."
وليست أم ابنته إيت كججك وأمها كانت الملكة قبل هذه،,She is not the mother of his daughter It Kujujuk; her mother was the queen before this one.
واسم هذه الخاتون طيطغلي (بفتح الطاء المهملة الأولى وإسكان الياء آخر الحروف وضم الطاء الثانية وإسكان الغين المعجمة وكسر اللام وياء مد)، وهي أحظى نساء هذا السلطان عنده، وعندها يبيت أكثر لياليه,"This khatun’s name is Taitughli and she is the favourite of this sultan, with whom he spends most of his nights."
ويُعَظِّمها الناس بسبب تعظيمه لها، وإلا فهي أبخل الخواتين،,"The people hold her in great honour because of his honouring her; otherwise, she is the most close-fisted of the khatuns."
وحَدَّثَنِي مَنْ أَعْتَمِدُه مِن العارفين بأخبار هذه الملكة أن السلطان يحبها للخاصية التي فيها، وهي أنه يَجِدُها كُلَّ ليلة كأنها بِكْر،,"I was told for a fact by one in whom I have confidence, a person well acquainted with matters relating to this queen, that the sultan is enamoured of her because of a peculiar property in her, namely that he finds her every night just like a virgin."
وذَكَرَ لي غيره أنها من سلالة المرأة التي يُذْكَر أن المُلْكَ زال عن سليمان عليه السلام بسببها، ولما عاد إليه مُلْكُه أَمَرَ أن توضع بصحراء لا عمارة فيها فوُضِعَتْ بصحراء قفجق،,"Another person related to me that she is of the lineage of that queen on whose account, it is said, the kingdom was withdrawn from Solomon (on whom be peace), and whom, when his kingdom was restored to him, he commanded to be placed in an uninhabited desert, so she was deposited in the desert of Qifjaq."
وأن رحم هذه الخاتون شبه الحلقة خِلْقَةً، وكذلك كل مَنْ هو من نسل المرأة المذكورة،,"[He related also] that the vagina of this khatun has a conformation like a ring, and likewise all of those who are descendants of the woman mentioned."
ولم أَرَ بصحراء قفجق ولا غيرها من أخبر أنه رأى امرأة على هذه الصورة ولا سَمِعَ بها إلا هذه الخاتون، اللهم إلا أن بعض أهل الصين أخبرني أن بالصين صنفًا من نسائها على هذه الصورة،,"I never met, whether in the desert of Qifjaq or elsewhere, any person who said that he had seen a woman formed in this way, or heard tell of one other than this khatun—except, however, that one of the inhabitants of China told me that in China there is a class of women with this conformation."
ولم يقع بيدي ذلك ولا عرفت له حقيقة،,But nothing like that ever came into my hands nor have I learned what truth there is in it.
وفي غَدِ اجتماعي بالسلطان دَخَلْتُ إلى هذه الخاتون، وهي قاعدة فيما بين عشر من النساء القواعد كأنهن خديمات لها، وبين يديها نحو خمسين جارية صغارًا يُسَمَّوْن البنات، وبين أيديهن طيافير الذهب والفضة مملوءة يحب الملوك وهن ينقينه،,"On the day after my meeting with the sultan, I visited this khatun. She was sitting in the midst of ten elderly women, who seemed to be attendants waiting on her, and in front of her were about fifty young slavegirls, whom the Turks call ‘girls’ and before whom there were gold and silver salvers filled with cherries which they were cleaning."
وبين يدي الخاتون صينية ذهب مملوءة منه وهي تُنَقِّيه،,"In front of the khatun also there was a golden tray filled with cherries, and she was cleaning them."
فسَلَّمْنا عليها وكان في جملة أصحابي قارئ يقرأ القرآن على طريقة المصريين بطريقة حسنة وصوت طيب فقرأ،,"We saluted her, and among my companions there was a Qur’an-reader who recited the Qur’an according to the method of the Egyptians, in a pleasing manner and agreeable voice, and he gave a recitation."
ثم أَمَرَتْ أن يؤتى بالقمز فأُتِيَ به في أقداح خشب لطاف خفاف، فأخذت القدح بيدها وناوَلَتْنِي إياه،,"She then ordered qumizz to be served, and it was brought in light and elegant wooden bowls, whereupon she took a bowl in her hand and offered it to me."
وتلك الكرامة عندهم، ولم أكن شَرِبْتُ القمز قبلها، ولكن لم يمكني إلا قبوله، وذُقْتُه ولا خير فيه ودَفَعْتُه لأحد أصحابي،,"This is the highest of honours in their estimation. I had never drunk qumizz before, but there was nothing for me to do but to accept it. I tasted it and [finding] it disagreeable passed it on to one of my companions."
وسألَتْنِي عن كثيرٍ مِنْ حال سفرنا فأجبناها ثم انصرفنا عنها، وكان ابتداؤنا بها لأجل عظمتها عند الملك.,"She asked me many questions concerning our journey, and after answering her we withdrew. We went to visit her first because of the great position she has with the king."
ذكر الخاتون الثانية التي تلي الملكة,"Account of the second Khatun, who comes after the Queen."
واسمها كبك خاتون (بفتح الكاف الأولى وكسر الباء الموحدة) ومعناه بالتركية النخالة،,"Her name is Kabak Khatun, kabak in Turkish meaning ‘bran’."
وهي بنت الأمير نغطي (واسمه بنون وغين معجمة وطاء مهملة مفتوحات وياء مسكنة)، وأبوها حي مُبْتَلًى بعلة النقرس، وقد رأيته,"She is the daughter of the amir Naghatay, and her father is still living, [but] suffering from gout, and I saw him."
وفي غد دخولنا على الملكة دخلنا على هذه الخاتون فوجدناها على مرتبة تقرأ في المصحف الكريم,"On the day following our visit to the queen we visited this khatun, and found her sitting on a divan, reading in the Holy Book."
وبين يديها نحو عشر من النساء القواعد ونحو عشرين من البنات يُطَرِّزْن ثيابًا،,In front of her were about ten elderly women and about twenty girls embroidering pieces of cloth.
فسَلَّمْنا عليها وأَحْسَنَت في السلام والكلام، وقرأ قارئنا فاستحْسَنَتْه، وأمرت بالقمز فأُحْضِرَ وناوَلَتْنِي القدح بيدها كمثل ما فَعَلَتْه الملكة وانصرفنا عنها.,"We saluted her, and she gave us gracious salutations and speech. Our Qur’anreader recited and she commended his recital, then ordered qumizz, and when it was brought she offered me a bowl with her own hand, just as the queen had done and we took leave of her."
ذكر الخاتون الثالثة,Account of the third Khdtun.
واسمها بيلون (بباء موحدة وياء آخر الحروف كلاهما مفتوح ولام مضموم وواو مد ونون)، وهي بنت ملك القسطنطينية العظمى السلطان تكفور،,"Her name is Bayalun, and she is the daughter of the king of Constantinople the Great, the Sultan Takfur."
ودخلنا على هذه الخاتون وهي قاعدة على سرير مرصع قوائمه فضة وبين يديها نحو مائة جارية روميات وتركيات ونوبيات منهن قائمات وقاعدات والفتيان على رأسها والحُجَّاب بين يديها من رجال الروم،,"When we visited this khatun, she was sitting on ah inlaid couch with silver legs; before her were about a hundred slavegirls, Greek, Turkish and Nubian, some standing and some sitting, and pages were [standing] behind her and chamberlains in front of her, men of the Greeks."
فسألَتْ عن حالنا ومقدمنا وبُعْد أوطاننا وبَكَتْ ومَسَحَتْ وجْهَهَا بمنديل كان بين يديها رِقَّة منها وشفقة،,"She asked about us and our journey hither and the distance of our native lands, and she wept in pity and compassion and wiped her face with a handkerchief that lay before her."
وأَمَرَتْ بالطعام فأُحْضِرَ وأَكَلْنَا بين يديها وهي تنظر إلينا،,"She then called for food, which was brought, and we ate before her, while she looked on at us."
ولما أردنا الانصراف قالت: لا تنقطعوا عنا وترددوا إلينا وطالبونا بحوائجكم،,"When we made to withdraw, she said ‘Do not stay away from us, but come to us and inform us of your needs.’"
وأَظْهَرَتْ مكارم الأخلاق وبعثت في أثرنا بطعام وخبز كثير وسمن وغنم ودراهم وكسوة جيدة وثلاثة من جياد الخيل وعشرة من سائرها،,"She showed herself to be of a generous nature, and sent after us food, a great quantity of bread, ghee, sheep, money, a fine robe, three horses of good breed and ten of ordinary stock."
ومع هذه الخاتون كان سفري إلى القسطنطينية العظمى كما نذكره بعد.,"It was with this khatun that my journey to Constantinople the Great was made, as we shall relate below."
ذكر الخاتون الرابعة,Account of the fourth Khdtun.
واسمها أردوجا (بضم الهمزة وإسكان الراء وضم الدال المهمل وجيم وألف)، وأردو بلسانهم المحلة، وسُمِّيَتْ بذلك لولادتها في المحلة، وهي بنت الأمير الكبير عيسى بك أمير الألوس (بضم الهمزة واللام)، ومعناه أمير الأمراء,"Her name is Urduja. Urdu in their language means mahalla, and she was so called because of her birth in the mahalla, She is the daughter of the great amir ‘Isa Bak, amir al-ulus, which means ‘amir of amirs’."
وأدركته حيًّا وهو متزوج ببنت السلطان إيت كججك،,"He was still alive at the time of my journey, and married to the sultan’s daughter It Kujujuk."
وهذه الخاتون من أفضل الخواتين وألطفهن شمائل وأشفقهن، وهي التي بعثتْ إلي لما رأت بيتي على التل عند جواز المحلة كما قدمناه,"This khatun is one of the most virtuous, most amiable in manners, and most sympathetic of princesses, and it was she who sent to [enquire about] me when she noticed my flag on the hill during the passage of the mahalla, as we have previously related."
دخلنا عليها فرأينا من حُسْن خلقها وكَرَمِ نفسها ما لا مزيد عليه،,We visited her and she showed us a beauty of character and generosity of spirit that cannot be surpassed.
وأَمَرتْ بالطعام فأكلنا بين يديها، ودعت بالقمز فشرب أصحابنا,"She ordered food to be served, then when we had eaten in her presence she called for qumizz, and our companions drank."
وسألت عن حالنا فأجبناها ودخلنا أيضًا إلى أختها زوجة الأمير علي بن أرزق.,"She asked about us and we answered her questions. We visited also her sister, the wife of the amir ‘All b. Arzaq (Arzan)."
ذكر بنت السلطان المعظم أوزبك,Account of the Daughter of the exalted Sultan Vzbak.
واسمها إيت كججك وإيت (بكسر الهمزة وياء مد وتاء مثناة)، وكججك بضم الكاف وضم الجيمين ومعنى اسمها الكلب الصغير، فإن إيت هو الكلب وكججك هو الصغير،,"Her name is It Kujujuk, which means ‘little dog’, for it means ‘dog’ and kujujuk means ‘little’."
وقد قَدَّمْنَا أن الترك يُسَمُّون بالفأل كما تَفْعَل العرب،,"We have mentioned above that the Turks give names by chance of omens, as do the Arabs."
وتوجَّهْنا إلى هذه الخاتون بنت الملك وهي في محلة منفردة على نحو ستة أميال من محلة والدها،,"We went to visit this khatun, the sultan’s daughter, who was in a separate mahalla about six miles from that of her father."
فأمرت بإحضار الفقهاء والقضاة والسيد الشريف ابن عبد الحميد وجماعة الطلبة والمشايخ والفقهاء،,"She gave orders to summon the jurists, the qadis, the sayyid and sharif Ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid, the body of students of religion, the shaikhs and poor brethren."
وحضر زوجها الأمير عيسى الذي بنته زوجة السلطان، فقعد معها على فراش واحد,"Her husband, the amir Tsa, whose daughter was the sultan’s wife, was present, and sat with her on the same rug."
وهو معتل بالنقرس فلا يستطيع التصرف على قدميه ولا ركوب الفرس، وإنما يركب العربة،,"He was suffering from gout, and was unable for this reason to go about on his feet or to ride a horse, and so used to ride only in a waggon."
وإذا أراد الدخول على السلطان أنزله خدامه وأدخلوه إلى المجلس محمولًا،,"When he wished to present himself before the sultan, his servants lifted him down and carried him into the audience-hall."
وعلى هذه الصورة رأيت أيضًا الأمير نغطي وهو أبو الخاتون الثانية وهذه العلة فاشية في هؤلاء الأتراك،,"In the same state too, I saw the amir Naghatay, who was the father of the second khatun, and this disease is widespread among the Turks."
ورأينا من هذه الخاتون بنت السلطان من المكارم وحسن الأخلاق ما لم نَرَهُ مِنْ سواها، وأَجْزَلَتْ الإحسان وأفضلت جزاها الله خيرًا.,"By this khatun, the sultan’s daughter, we were shown such generosity and good qualities as we had seen in no other, and she loaded us with surpassing favours— may God reward her with good."
ذكر ولدي السلطان,Account of the Sultan’s two Sons.
وهما شقيقان وأمهما جميعًا الملكة طيطغلي التي قدمنا ذكرها والأكبر منهما اسمه تين بك (بتاء معلوة مكسورة وياء مد ونون مفتوح) وبك معناه الأمير وتين معناه الجسد فكأن اسمه أمير الجسد،,"They are uterine brothers, the mother of both being the queen Taitughll, whom we have mentioned above. The elder is named Tina Bak, bak meaning ‘amir’ and tma meaning ‘body’, so that he is called, as it were, ‘amir of the body’."
واسم اخيه جان بك (بفتح الجيم وكسر النون)، ومعنى جان الروح فكأنه يسمى أمير الروح،,"His brother is named Jani Bak, and as jani means ‘spirit’ he is called as it were, ‘amir of the spirit.’"
وكل واحد منهما له محلة على حدة،,Each one of them has his own separate mahalla.
وكان تين بك من أجمل خلق الله صورة وعهد له أبوه بالملك، وكانت له الحظوة والتشريف عنده,"Tina Bak was one of the most beautiful of God’s creatures in form, and his father had designated him [to succeed him] in the kingship, and gave him the preference and superior honour."
ولم يرد الله ذلك، فإنه لما مات أبوه ولي يسيرًا ثم قُتِلَ لأمور قبيحة جرت له، وولي أخوه جان بك وهو خير منه وأفضل،,"But God willed otherwise, for when his father died he ruled for a brief space and was then killed for certain disgraceful things that happened to him, and his brother Jani Bak, who was better and worthier than he, succeeded to the rule."
وكان السيد الشريف ابن عبد الحميد هو الذي تولى تربية جان بك وأشار علي هو والقاضي حمزة والإمام بدر الدين القوامي والإمام المقرئ حسام الدين البخاري وسواهم حين قدومي أن يكون نزولي بمحلة جان بك المذكور لفضله ففعلت ذلك.,"The sayyid and sharif Ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid was the tutor who had supervised the education of Jani Bak, and he himself, as well as the qadl Hamza, the imam Badr al-Din al-Qiwaml, the imam and professor of Qur’an-reading Husam al-Din al-Bukhari and other persons, advised me on my arrival to make my residence in the mahalla of the abovementioned Jani Bak because of his superior merit, and I did so."
ذكر سفري إلى مدينة بلغار,"Account of my journey to the city of Bulghdr,"
وكنت سمعت بمدينة بلغار فأردت التوجه إليها لأرى ما ذُكِرَ عنها من انتهاء قِصَر الليل بها وقصر النهار أيضًا في عكس ذلك الفصل،,"had heard of the city of Bulghar and desired to go to it, to see for myself what they tell of the extreme shortness of the night there, and the shortness of the day, too, in the opposite season."
وكان بينها وبين محلة السلطان مسيرة عشر فطلبت منه من يوصلني إليها فبعث معي مَنْ أَوْصَلَنِي إليها ورَدَّنِي إليه،,"Between it and the sultan’s camp was a ten nights’ journey, so I requested him to furnish me with a guide to it, and he sent with me a man who escorted me there and brought me back again."
ووصلتها في رمضان فلما صَلَّيْنَا المغرب أفطرنا، وأُذِّنَ بالعشاء في أثناء إفطارنا فصليناها وصلينا التراويح والشفع والوتر وطَلَعَ الفجر إثر ذلك،,"I reached it during [the month of] Ramadan, and when we had prayed the sunset prayer we broke our fast; the call to the night prayer was made during our eating of this meal, and by the time that we had prayed that and had prayed also the tarawlh prayers, the ‘even’ and the ‘odd’, the dawn broke."
وكذلك يقصر النهار بها في فصل قِصَرِه أيضًا وأقمت بها ثلاثًا.,So too the daytime becomes as short there in the season of its brevity. I stayed there three days.
ذكر أرض الظلمة,Account of the Land of Darkness.
وكُنْتُ أردت الدخول إلى أرض الظلمة، والدخول إليها من بلغار وبينهما أربعون يومًا،,"I had intended to enter the Land of Darkness, which is reached from Bulghar after a journey of forty days."
ثم أَضْرَبْتُ عن ذلك لعظم المؤنة فيه وقلة الجدوى،,But I renounced this project in view of the immense effort and expense that it required and the small profit to be got from it.
والسفر إليها لا يكون إلا في عجلات صغار تَجُرُّها كلاب كبار، فإن تلك المفازة فيها الجليد، فلا يَثْبُت قدم الآدمي ولا حافر الدابة فيها، والكلاب لها الأظفار فتثبت أقدامها في الجليد،,"The journey to it can be made only in small waggons drawn by large dogs, for in that desert there is ice, so that neither the foot of man nor the hoof of beast has a firm hold on it, whereas the dogs have claws and so their feet remain firm on the ice."
ولا يدخلها إلا الأقوياء من التجار الذين يكون لأحدهم مائة عجلة أو نحوها موفرة بطعامه وشرابه وحطبه، فإنها لا شجر فيها ولا حجر ولا مدر،,"No one can go into this desert except merchants with great resources, each of whom will have a hundred waggons or thereabouts loaded with his food, drink, and firewood, for there are no trees in it, nor stones, nor habitations."
والدليل بتلك الأرض هو الكلب الذي قد سار فيها مرارًا كثيرة، وتنتهي قيمته إلى ألف دينار ونحوها،,"The guide in that land is the dog that had already made the journey in it many times, and its price is as high as a thousand dinars or so."
وتربط العربة إلى عنقه ويقرن معه ثلاثة من الكلاب ويكون هو المقدم وتتبعه سائر الكلاب بالعربات، فإذا وَقَفَ وقفَتْ,"The waggon is fastened to its neck, and three other dogs are yoked with it; it is the leader and all the other dogs follow it with the waggons and stop when it stops."
وهذا الكلب لا يضربه صاحبه ولا ينهره، وإذا حضر الطعام أطعم الكلاب أولًا قبل بني آدم، وإلا غَضِبَ الكلب وفَرَّ وتَرَكَ صاحبه للتلف،,"This dog is never beaten nor berated by its owner, who, when food is prepared, feeds the dogs first before the humans, otherwise the dog is angered and escapes, leaving its owner to perish."
فإذا كملت للمسافرين بهذه الفلاة أربعون مرحلة نزلوا عند الظلمة وترك كل واحد منهم ما جاء به من المتاع هنالك وعادوا إلى منزلهم المعتاد،,When the travellers have completed forty stages in this desert they alight at the Darkness. Each one of them leaves thereabouts the goods that he has brought and they return to their usual campingground.
فإذا كان من الغد عادوا لِتَفَقُّد متاعهم فيجدون بإزائه من السمور والسنجاب والقاقم، فإن أرضى صاحب المتاع ما وجده إزاء متاعه أَخَذَهُ، وإن لم يُرْضِه تَرَكَهُ فيزيدونه، وربما رفعوا متاعهم — أعني أهل الظلمة — وتركوا متاع التجار،,"Next day they go back to seek their goods, and they find alongside them skins of sable, minever, and ermine. If the owner of the goods is satisfied with what he has found alongside his goods he takes it, but if it does not satisfy him he leaves it, and then they add more skins, and sometimes they (I mean the people of the Darkness) take away their goods and leave those of the merchant."
وهكذا بيعهم وشراؤهم، ولا يَعْلَم الذين يتوجهون إلى هنالك مَنْ يبايعهم ويشاريهم أَمِن الجن هو أم من الأنس، ولا يرون احدًا،,"This is their method of selling and buying, and those who go to those parts do not know who it is who do this trading with them, whether they are of the jinn or of men, for they never see anyone."
والقاقم هو أحسن أنواع الفراء، وتساوي الفروة منه ببلاد الهند ألف دينار وصرفها من ذهبنا مائتان وخمسون،,Ermine is of the best of the varieties of furs. One mantle of this fur is valued in the land of India at a thousand dinars (which are worth two hundred and fifty in our gold).
وهي شديدة البياض من جلد حيوان صغير في طول الشبر وذنبه طويل يتركونه في الفروة على حاله،,"It is exceedingly white [and comes] from the skin of a small animal of the length of a span, and with a large tail which they leave in the mantle in its natural state."
والسمور دون ذلك تساوي الفروة منه أربعمائة دينار فما دونها،,Sable is less valuable; a mantle made from it is worth four hundred dinars or less.
ومن خاصية هذه الجلود أنه لا يدخلها القمل،,A special property of these skins is that lice do not enter into them.
وأمراء الصين وكبارها يجعلون منه الجلد الواحد متصلًا بفرواتهم عند العنق، وكذلك تجار فارس والعراقين،,"The amirs and dignitaries of China use a single skin, attached to their fur mantles round the neck, and so do the merchants of Fars and the two ‘Iraqs."
وعُدْتُ من مدينة بلغار مع الأمير الذي بعثه السلطان في صحبتي فوَجَدْتُ محلة السلطان على الموضع المعروف ببش دغ، وذلك في الثامن والعشرين من رمضان،,"I returned from the city of Bulghar with the amir whom the sultan had sent to accompany me, and found the sultan’s mahalla by the place known as Bish Dagh on the twentyeighth of Ramadan."
وحَضَرْتُ معه صلاة العيد وصادف يوم العيد يوم الجمعة.,"I attended in his company the festival prayers, and the day of the festival happened to be a Friday."
ذكر ترتيبهم في العيد,Account of their ceremonial on the Festival.
ولما كان صباح يوم العيد رَكِبَ السلطان في عساكره العظيمة ورَكِبَتْ كل خاتون عَرَبَتَهَا ومعها عساكرها،,"On the morning of the day of the festival the sultan rode out on horseback among his huge bodies of troops, and each khatun rode in her waggon, accompanied by her troops."
ورَكِبَتْ بنت السلطان والتاج على رأسها، إذ هي الملكة على الحقيقة؛ وَرِثَت المُلْكَ من أمها،,"The sultan’s daughter rode with a crown on her head, since she is the queen in reality, having inherited the kingdom from her mother."
وركب أولاد السلطان كل واحد في عسكره،,"The sultan’s sons rode, each one with his troops."
وكان قد قَدِمَ لحضور العيد قاضي القضاة شهاب الدين السايلي ومعه جماعة من الفقهاء والمشايخ فركبوا وركب القاضي حمزة والإمام بدر الدين القوامي والشريف ابن عبد الحميد،,"The Grand Qadi Shihab al-Din al-Sayill had come to attend the festival, having with him a body of legists and shaikhs, and they rode, as did also the qadi Hamza, the imam Badr al-Din alQiwami, and the sharif Ibn ‘Abd al-Hamld."
وكان ركوب هؤلاء الفقهاء مع تين بك وَلِيِّ عهد السلطان ومعهم الأطبال والأعلام،,"These doctors of the law rode in the procession with Tina Bak, the designated heir of the sultan, accompanied by drums and standards."
فصلى بهم القاضي شهاب الدين وخطب أحسن خطبة،,The qadi Shihab al-Din then led them in the [festival] prayers and delivered a most excellent khutba.
ورَكِبَ السلطان وانتهى إلى برج خشب يُسَمَّى عندهم الكشك فجلس فيه ومعه خواتينه،,"The sultan mounted [again] and [rode until he] arrived at a wooden pavilion, which is called by them a kushk, in which he took his seat, accompanied by his khatuns."
ونُصِب بُرْجٌ ثانٍ دونه فجلس فيه وليُّ عهده وابنته صاحبة التاج،,"A second pavilion was erected beside it, in which sat his heir and daughter, the lady of the crown."
ونُصِبَ برجان دونهما عن يمينه وشماله فيهما أبناء السلطان وأقاربه،,"Two [other] pavilions were erected beside these two, to right and left of them, in which were the sons and relatives of the sultan."
ونُصِبَت الكراسي للأمراء وأبناء الملوك — وتُسَمَّى الصندليات — عن يمين البرج وشماله، فجَلَسَ كُلُّ واحد على كرسيه،,"Chairs (which they call sandaliya) were placed for the amirs and the scions of the royal house to the right and left of the [Sultan’s] pavilion, and each one of them sat on his own chair."
ثم نُصِبَتْ طبلات للرمي لكل أمير طومان طبلة مختصة به،,"Then archery butts were set up, a special butt for each amir tumdn."
وأمير طومان عندهم هو الذي يركب له عشرة آلاف فكان الحاضرون من أمراء طومان سبعة عشر يقودون مائة وسبعين ألفًا وعسكره أكثر من ذلك،,"An amir tumdn in their usage is a commander under whose orders there ride ten thousand [horsemen], and there were present seventeen of such amirs, leading one hundred and seventy thousand, yet the sultan’s army is even larger than this."
ونُصِبَ لكل أمير شِبْهُ منبر فقَعَدَ عليه وأصحابه يلعبون بين يديه،,There was set up for each amir a kind of pulpit and he sat on this while his soldiers engaged in archery exercises before him.
فكانوا على ذلك ساعة، ثم أُتِيَ بالخِلَعِ فخُلِعَتْ على كل أمير خِلْعة، وعندما يلبسها يأتي إلى أسفل برج السلطان فيَخْدِم،,"They continued thus for a time, after which robes of honour were brought; each amir was invested with a robe, and as he put it on he would come to the bottom of the sultan’s pavilion and do homage."
وخِدْمَتُه أن يَمَسَّ الأرض بركبته اليمنى ويمد رجله تحتها والأخرى قائمة,"His manner of doing homage is to touch the ground with his right knee and to extend his leg underneath it, while the other leg remains upright."
ثم يؤتى بفرس مُسَرَّج مُلَجَّم فيرفع حافره ويقبل فيه الأمير ويقوده بنفسه إلى كرسيه، وهنالك يرتبه ويقف مع عسكره,"After this a horse is brought, saddled and bridled, and its hoof is lifted; the amir kisses this, then leads it himself to his chair and there mounts it and remains in his station with his troops."
ويفعل هذا الفعل مع كل أمير منهم.,Each amir among them performs the same act.
ثم ينزل السلطان على البرج ويركب الفرس وعن يمينه ابنه ولي العهد وتليه بنته الملكة إيت كججك وعن يساره ابنه الثاني,"The sultan then descends from the pavilion and mounts a horse, having on his right his son, the heir designate, and next to him his daughter, the queen It Kujujuk, and on his left his second son."
وبين يديه الخواتين الأربع في عربات مكسوة بأثواب الحرير المذهب والخيل التي تجرها مجللة بالحرير المذهب،,"In front of him are the four khatuns in waggons covered with silk fabrics gilded, and the horses that draw them are also caparisoned with silk gilded."
وينزل جميع الأمراء الكبار والصغار وأبناء الملوك والوزراء والحجاب وأرباب الدولة فيمشون بين يدي السلطان على أقدامهم إلى أن يصل إلى الوطاق والوطاق (بكسر الواو) وهو أفراج،,"The whole body of amirs, great and small, scions of the royal house, viziers, chamberlains and officers of state alight and walk on foot in front of the sultan until he comes to the witaq, which is an afrdg,"
وقد نصبت هنالك باركة (باركاه) عظيمة والباركة عندهم بيت كبير له أربعة أعمدة من الخشب مكسوة بصفائح الفضة المموهة بالذهب، وفي أعلى كل عمود جامور من الفضة المذهبة له بريق وشعاع,"At this place there has been erected a huge bdrka, a bdrka in their language being a large tent supported by four wooden columns covered with plaques of silver coated with gold, each column having at its top a capital of silver gilt that gleams and flashes."
وتظهر هذه الباركة على البعد كأنها ثنية ويوضع عن يمينها ويسارها سقائف من القطن والكتان ويفرش ذلك كله بفرش الحرير،,"This bdrka, seen from a distance, looks like a hummock. To right and left of it are awnings of cotton and linen cloth, and the whole of this is carpeted with silken rugs."
وينصب في وسط الباركة السرير الأعظم وهم يسمونه التخت وهو من خشب مُرَصَّع وأعواده مكسوة بصفائح فضة مذهبة وقوائمه من الفضة الخالصة المموهة وفوقه فرش عظيم,"In the centre of the bdrka is set up an immense couch which they call the takht, made of inlaid wood, the planks of which are covered with a large rug."
وفي وسط هذا السرير الأعظم مرتبة يجلس بها السلطان والخاتون الكبرى،,"In the centre of this immense couch is a cushion, on which sit the sultan and the principal khatun."
وعن يمينه مرتبة جلست بها بنته إيت كججك ومعها الخاتون أردواجا وعن يساره مرتبة جلست بها الخاتون بيلون ومعها الخاتون كبك،,"To the sultan’s right is a cushion, on which his daughter It Kujujuk took her seat, and with her the khatun Urduj a, and to his left a cushion on which the khatun Bayalun took her seat, and with her the khatun Kabak."
ونُصِبَ عن يمين السرير كرسي قَعَدَ عليه تين بك ولد السلطان ونُصِبَ عن شماله كرسي قعد عليه جان بك ولده الثاني،,"To the right of the couch was placed a chair, on which sat Tina Bak, the sultan’s son, and to the left of it a chair, on which sat Jani Bak, his second son."
ونُصِبَتْ كَرَاسِيُّ عن اليمين والشمال جَلَسَ فوقها أبناء الملوك والأمراء الكبار ثم الأمراء الصغار مثل أمراء هزارة وهم الذين يقودون ألفًا،,"Other chairs were placed to right and left on which sat the scions of the royal house and the great amirs, then after them the lesser amirs such as [those called] amir hazara, who are those who lead a thousand men."
ثم أُتِيَ بالطعام على موائد الذهب والفضة، وكل مائدة يحملها أربعة رجال وأكثر من ذلك،,"The food was then brought in on tables of gold and silver, each table being carried by four men or more."
وطعامهم لحوم الخيل والغنم مسلوقة، وتُوضَع بين يدي كل أمير مائدة ويأتي الباورجي وهو مُقَطِّع اللحم وعليه ثياب حرير وقد رَبَطَ عليها فوطة حرير، وفي حزامه جملة سكاكين في أغمادها.,"Their food consists of boiled horse-meat and mutton, and a table is set down in front of each amir. The bawarjl, i.e. the carver of the meat, comes, wearing silken robes on top of which is tied a silken apron, and carrying in his belt a number of knives in their sheathes."
ويكون لكل أمير باورجي فإذا قُدِّمَت المائدة قَعَدَ بين يدي أميره، ويؤتى بصحفة صغيرة من الذهب أو الفضة فيها ملح محلول بالماء فيقطع الباورجي اللحم قطعًا صغارًا ولهم في ذلك صنعة في قطع اللحم مختلطًا بالعظم، فإنهم لا يأكلون منه إلا ما اختلط بالعظم،,"For each amir there is a bawarjl, and when the table is presented he sits down in front of his amir; a small platter of gold or silver is brought, in which there is salt dis-solved in water, and the bawarjl cuts the meat up into small pieces. They have in this matter a special art of cutting up the meat together with the bones, for the Turks do not eat any meat unless the bones are mixed with it."
ثم يؤتى بأواني الذهب والفضة للشرب، وأكثر شربهم نبيذ العسل، وهم حنفية المذهب يحللون النبيذ،,"After this, drinking-vessels of gold and silver are brought. The beverage they make most use of is fermented liquor of honey, since, being of the Hanafite school of law, they hold fermented liquor to be lawful."
فإذا أراد السلطان أن يشرب أَخَذَتْ بنته القدح بيدها وخدمت برجلها، ثم ناولته القدح فشرب ثم تأخذ قدحًا آخر فتناوله للخاتون الكبرى فتشرب منه،,"When the sultan wishes to drink, his daughter takes the bowl in her hand, pays homage with her leg, and then presents the bowl to him. When he has drunk she takes another bowl and presents it to the chief khatun, who drinks from it,"
ثم تناول لسائر الخواتين على ترتيبهن،,after which she presents it to the other khatuns in their order of precedence.
ثم يأخذ ولي العهد القدح ويخدم ويناوله أباه فيشرب، ثم يناول الخواتين، ثم أخته ويخدم جميعهن،,"The sultan’s heir then takes the bowl, pays homage, and presents it to his father, then, when he has drunk, presents it to the khatuns and to his sister after them, paying homage to them all."
ثم يقوم الولد الثاني فيأخذ القدح ويسقي أخاه ويخدم له،,"The second son then rises, takes the bowl and gives it to his brother to drink paying homage to him."
ثم يقوم الأمراء الكبار فيسقي كل واحد منهم ولي العهد ويخدم له، ثم يقوم أبناء الملوك فيسقي كل واحد منهم هذا الابن الثاني ويخدم له،,"Thereafter the great amirs rise, and each one of them gives the cup to the sultan’s heir and pays homage to him, after which the [other] member of the royal house rise and each one of them gives the cup to this second son, paying homage to him."
ثم يقوم الأمراء الصغار فيسقون أبناء الملوك ويغنون أثناء ذلك بالموالية،,"The lesser amirs then rise and give the sons of the kings to drink. During all this [ceremony], they sing [songs resembling the] chants sung by oarsmen."
وكانت قد نُصِبَتْ قبة كبيرة أيضًا إزاء المسجد للقاضي والخطيب والشريف وسائر الفقهاء والمشايخ وأنا معهم،,"A large pavilion had been erected also alongside the mosque for the qadi, the khatib, the sharif, and all the other legists and shaikhs, including myself."
فأوتينا بموائد الذهب والفضة يحمل كل واحدة أربعة من كبار الأتراك ولا يَتَصَرَّف في ذلك اليوم بين يدي السلطان إلا الكبار، فيأمرهم برفع ما أراد من الموائد إلى من أراد،,"We were brought tables of gold and silver, each one carried by four of the leading men of the Turks, for no one is employed in the sultan’s presence on that day except the principal men, and he commands them to take up such of the tables as he wishes [and carry them] to whomsoever he wishes."
فكان من الفقهاء مَنْ أَكَلَ ومنهم من تَوَرَّعَ عن الأكل في موائد الفضة والذهب، ورأيت مد البصر عن اليمين والشمال من العربات عليها روايا القمز، فأمر السلطان بتفريقها على الناس فأتوا إليَّ بعربة منها فأعطيتها لجيراني من الأتراك.,"There were some of the legists who ate and some who abstained from eating [out of scruples at doing so] on tables of silver and gold. To the limit of vision both right and left I saw waggons laden with skins of qumizz, and in due course the sultan ordered them to be distributed among those present. They brought one waggon to me, but I gave it to my Turkish neighbours."
ثم أتينا المسجد ننتظر صلاة الجمعة فأبطأ السلطان، فمن قائل: إنه لا يأتي لأن السكر قد غَلَبَ عليه، ومن قائل: إنه لا يترك الجمعة،,"After this we went into the mosque to await the Friday prayers. The sultan was late in coming, and some said that he would not come because drunkenness had got the better of him, and others said that he would not fail to attend the Friday service."
فلما كان بَعْدَ تَمَكُّن الوقت أتى وهو يتمايل فسَلَّمَ على السيد الشريف، وتَبَسَّمَ له وكان يخاطبه بآطا وهو الأب بلسان التركية،,"When it was well past the time he arrived, swaying, and greeted the sayyid Sharif, smiled to him, and kept addressing him as Ata, which means ‘father’ in the Turkish language."
ثم صلينا الجمعة وانصرف الناس إلى منازلهم وانصرف السلطان إلى الباركة فبقي على حاله إلى صلاة العصر، ثم انصرف الناس أجمعون وبقي مع الملك تلك الليلة خواتينه وبنته،,"We then prayed the Friday prayers and the people withdrew to their residences. The sultan went back to the bdrka and continued as before until the afternoon prayers, when all those present withdrew, [except that] his khatuns and his daughter remained with the king that night."
ثم كان رحيلنا مع السلطان والمحلة لما انقضى العيد، فوصلنا إلى مدينة الحاج ترخان،,"After this, when the festival had ended, we set out in company with the sultan and the mahalla and came to the city of al-Hajj Tarkhan."
ومعنى ترخان عندهم الموضع المحرر من المغارم (وهو بفتح المثناة وسكون الراء وفتح الخاء المعجم وآخره نون)،,Tarkhan in their usage means ‘a place exempted from taxes’.
والمنسوب إليه هذه المدينة هو حاج من الصالحين تركي نزل بموضعها وحرر له السلطان ذلك الموضع فصار قرية ثم عظمت وتمدنت،,"The person after whom this city is named was a Turkish pilgrim, a saintly man, who made his residence at its site and for whom the sultan gave exemption to that place. So it became a village, then grew in size an became a city,"
وهي من أحسن المدن عظيمة الأسواق مبنية على نهر أثل، وهو من أنهار الدنيا الكبار,"and it is one of the finest of cities, with great bazaars, built on the river Itil, which is one of the great rivers of the world."
وهنالك يقيم السلطان حتى يشتد البرد، ويجمد هذا النهر وتجمد المياه المتصلة به,"It is there that the sultan resides until the cold grows severe and this river freezes over, as well as the waters connected with it."
ثم يأمر أهل تلك البلاد فيأتون بالآلاف من أحمال التين فيجعلونها على الجليد المنعقد فوق النهر،,"The sultan gives orders to the people of that land, and they bring thousands of loads of straw, which they spread over the ice congealed upon the river."
والتين هنالك لا تأكله الدواب؛ لأنه يضرها وكذلك ببلاد الهند وإنما أكلها الحشيش الأخضر لخصب البلاد،,"Straw is not eaten by the animals in those parts, because it is injurious to them, and the same applies in the land of India; they eat nothing but green herbage, because of the fertility of the country."
ويسافرون بالعربات فوق هذا النهر، والمياه المتصلة به ثلاث مراحل وربما جازت القوافل فوقه مع آخر فصل الشتاء فيغرقون ويهلكون،,"The inhabitants travel in waggons over this river and the adjacent waters for a space of three days’ journey, and sometimes caravans cross over it at the end of the winter season and perish by drowning."
ولما وصلنا مدينة الحاج ترخان رغبت الخاتون بيلون ابنة ملك الروم من السلطان أن يأذن لها في زيارة أبيها لتضع حملها عنده وتعود إليه،,"When we reached the city of al-Hajj Tarkhan, the khatun Bayalun, the daughter of the king of the Greeks, begged of the sultan to permit her to visit her father, that she might give birth to her child at the latter’s residence, and then return to him."
فأذن لها ورغبت منه أن يأذن لي في التوجه صحبتها لمشاهدة القسطنطينية العظمى فمنعني خوفًا عليَّ فلاطفته، وقلت له: إنما أدخلها في حرمتك وجوارك فلا أخاف من أحدٍ،,"When he gave her permission I too begged of him to allow me to go in her company to see Constantinople the Great for myself. He forbade me, out of fear for my safety, but I solicited him tactfully and said to him ‘It is under your protection and patronage that I shall visit it, so I shall have nothing to fear from anyone.’"
فَأَذِنَ لي وَوَدَّعْنَاه، ووصلني بألف وخمسمائة دينار وخلعة وأفراس كثيرة وأعطتني كل خاتون منهن سبائك الفضة وهم يسمونها مصوم (بفتح الصاد المهمل) واحدتها صومة،,"He then gave me permission, and when we took leave of him he presented me with dinars, a robe, and a large number of horses, and each of the khatuns gave me ingots of silver (which they call sawm, the singular being sawma)."
وأعطت بنته أكثر منهن وكستني وأركبتني واجتمع لي من الخيل والثياب وفروات السنجاب والسمور جملة.,"The sultan’s daughter gave me more than they did, along with a robe and a horse, and altogether I had a large collection of horses, robes, and furs of miniver and sable."
ذكر سفري إلى القسطنطينية,Account of my journey to Constantinople.
وسافرنا في العاشر من شوال في صحبة الخاتون بيلون وتحت حرمتها،,We set out on the tenth of Shawwal in the company of the khatun Bayalun and under her protection.
ورحل السلطان في تشييعها مرحلة ورجع هو والملكة وولي عهده وسافر سائر الخواتين في صحبتها مرحلة ثانية ثم رجعن,"The sultan came out to escort her for one stage, then returned, he and the queen and his heir designate; the other khatuns travelled in her company for a second stage and then they returned."
وسافر صحبتها الأمير بيدرة في خمسة آلاف من عسكره، وكان عسكر الخاتون نحو خمسمائة فارس منهم خدامها من المماليك والروم نحو مائتين والباقون من الترك،,"The amir Baidara, with five thousand of his troops, travelled along with her, and the khatun’s own troops numbered about five hundred, some two hundred of whom were slaves and Greeks in attendance on her, and the remainder Turks."
وكان معها من الجواري نحو مائتين وأكثرهن روميات، وكان لها من العربات نحو أربعمائة عربة ونحو ألفي فرس لجرها وللركوب ونحو ثلاثمائة من البقر ومائتين من الجمال لجرها,"She had with her about two hundred slavegirls, most of them Greeks, and about four hundred waggons with about two thousand horses to draw them and for riding, as well as some three hundred oxen and two hundred camels to draw them."
وكان معها من الفتيان الروميين عشرة ومن الهنديين مثلهم وقائدهم الأكبر يسمى بسنبل الهندي، وقائد الروميين يسمى بميخائيل ويقول له الأتراك لؤلؤ، وهو من الشجعان الكبار,"She also had ten Greek pages with her, and the same number of Indian pages, whose leader in chief was named Sumbul the Indian; the leader of the Greeks was named Mikha’il (the Turks used to call him Lu’lu’), and was a man of great bravery."
وتركت أكثر جواريها وأثقالها بمحلة السلطان؛ إذ كانت قد توجهت برسم الزيارة ووضع الحمل,"She left most of her slavegirls and of her baggage in the sultan’s mahalla, since she had set out with the intention [only] of paying a visit and of giving birth to her child."
وتوجهنا إلى مدينة أكك وهي (بضم الهمزة وفتح الكاف الأولى)، مدينة متوسطة حسنة العمارة كثيرة الخيرات شديدة البرد,"We made for the city of Ukak, a city of middling size, with fine buildings and abundant commodities, and extremely cold."
وبينها وبين السرا حضرة السلطان مسيرة عشر وعلى يوم من هذه المدينة جبال الروس وهم نصارى شقر الشعور زرق العيون قباح الصور أهل غدر،,"Between it and al-Sara, the sultan’s capital, it is ten nights’ march, and one day’s march from this city are the mountains of the Rus, who are Christians; they have red hair, blue eyes, and ugly faces, and are treacherous folk."
وعندهم معادن الفضة ومن بلادهم يؤتى بالصوم وهي سبائك الفضة التي بها يباع ويشترى في هذه البلاد ووزن الصومعة منها خمس أوقي،,"In their country are silver mines, and from it are imported the sawm, that is, the ingots of silver with which selling and buying are done in this land, each sawma weighing five ounces."
ثم وصلنا بعد عشر من هذه المدينة إلى مدينة سرادق (وضبط اسمها بضم السين المهمل وسكون الراء وفتح الدال المهمل وآخره قاف)، وهي من مدن دشت قفجق على ساحل البحر ومرساها من أعظم المراسي وأحسنها,"Next we came, after ten nights’ journey from this city, to the city of Surdaq, which is one of the cities of the Qifjaq desert, situated on the sea-coast. Its port is one of the greatest and finest of harbours."
وبخارجها البساتين والمياه وينزلها الترك وطائفة من الروم تحت ذمتهم وهم أهل الصنائع وأكثر بيوتها خشب،,"Outside it are orchards and streams, and it is inhabited by Turks and a number of Greeks under their dominion. These Greeks are artisans, and most of their houses are built of wood."
وكانت هذه المدينة كبيرة فخرب معظمها بسبب فتنة وقعت بين الروم والترك،,"This city was formerly a big one, but most of it was laid in ruins in consequence of a feud that broke out between the Greeks and the Turks."
وكانت الغلبة للروم فانتصر للترك أصحابهم وقتلوا الروم شر قتلة ونفوا أكثرهم وبقي بعضهم تحت الذمة إلى الآن،,"The Greeks got the upper hand [at first], but the Turks received assistance from their fellows, killed the Greeks remorselessly, and drove most of them out [of the city], but some of them remain to this day as a subject community."
وكانت الضيافة تحمل إلى الخاتون في كل منزل من تلك البلاد من الخيل والغنم والبقر والدوقي والقمز وألبان البقر والغنم والسفر في هذه البلاد مضحى ومعشى.,"At every halting-place in this land there was brought to the khatun a hospitalitygift of horses, sheep, cattle, dugl, qumizz, and cows’ and sheep’s milk. In these regions travelling is done in the forenoon and in the evening,"
وكل أمير بتلك البلاد يصحب الخاتون بعساكره إلى آخر حد بلاده تعظيمًا لها لا خوفًا عليها؛ لأن تلك البلاد آمنة،,"and every amir would accompany the khatun with his troops right to the limit of his territories, to show her honour, not out of fear for her safety, for those regions are quite secure."
ثم وصلنا إلى البلدة المعروفة باسم بايا سلطوق وبايا عندهم بمعناه عند البربر سواء إلا أنهم يفخمون الباء وسلطوق (بفتح السين المهمل وإسكان اللام وضم الطاء المهمل وآخره قاف)،,"We came to the town known by the name of Baba Saltuq. Baba in their language has exactly the same meaning as among the Berbers [i.e. ‘father’], but they pronounce the b more emphatically."
ويَذْكُرون أن سلطوق هذا كان مكاشفًا لكن يُذْكَر عنه أشياء يُنْكِرها الشرع,"They relate that this Salfuq was an ecstatic devotee, although things are told of him which are reproved by the Divine Law."
وهذه البلدة آخر بلاد الأتراك بينها وبين أول عمالة الروم ثمانية عشر يومًا في برية غير معمورة منها ثمانية أيام لا ماء بها,"This town is the last of the towns possessed by the Turks, and between it and the beginning of the territory of the Greeks is [a journey of] eighteen days through an uninhabited waste, for eight days of which there is no water."
يتزود لها الماء ويحمل في الروايا القرب على العربات،,"A provision of water is laid in for this stage, and carried in large and small skins on the wagons."
وكان دخولنا إليها في أيام البرد فلم نحتج إلى كثير من الماء والأتراك يرفعون الألبان في القرب ويخلطونها بالدوقي المطبوخ ويشربونها فلا يعطشون،,"Since our entry into it was in the cold weather, we had no need of much water, and the Turks carry milk in large skins, mix it with cooked dugi, and drink that, so that they feel no thirst."
وأخذنا من هذه البلدة في الاستعداد للبرية واحتجت إلى زيادة أفراس فأتيت الخاتون فأعلمتها بذلك،,At this city we made our preparations for [the crossing of] the waste. As I needed more horses I went to the khatun and told her of my need.
وكنت أسلم عليها صباحًا ومساء ومتى أتتها ضيافة تبعث إلي بالفرسين والثلاثة وبالغنم,"I used to make my salutations to her every morning and evening, and whenever a hospitality-gift was brought to her, she would send me two or three horses and some sheep."
فكنت أترك الخيل لأذبحها، وكان من معي من الغلمان والخدام يأكلون مع أصحابنا الأتراك، فاجتمع لي نحو خمسين فرسًا,"I made a practice of sparing the horses instead of slaughtering them; the slaves and attendants who were with me used to eat with our Turkish associates, and in this way I collected about fifty horses."
وأمرت لي الخاتون بخمسة عشر فرسًا وأمرت وكيلها ساروجة الرومي أن يختارها سمانًا من خيل للمطبخ وقالت: لا تخف، فإن احتجت إلى غيرها زدناك,"The khatun ordered that I should be given fifteen horses and bade her steward, the Greek Saruja, choose them fat among the horses intended for the kitchen. She said to me ‘Don’t be afraid, if you need others we shall give you more.’"
ودخلنا البرية في منتصف ذي القعدة، فكان سيرنا من يوم فارقنا السلطان إلى أول البرية تسعة عشر يومًا وإقامتنا خمسة,"We entered the wasteland in the middle of [the month of] Dhu’l-Qa’da, our journey from the day that we left the sultan until the beginning of the waste having taken twenty-nine days, and our halt [at Baba Salfuq] five days."
ورحلنا من هذه البرية ثمانية عشر يومًا مضحى ومعشى، وما رأينا إلا خيرًا والحمد لله،,"We marched through this waste for eighteen days, in the forenoons and evenings, and met with nothing but good, praise be to God."
ثم وصلنا بعد ذلك إلى حصن مهتولي وهو أول عمالة الروم (وضبط اسمه بفتح الميم وسكون الهاء وضم التاء المعلوة وواو مد ولام مكسور وياء).,"Thereafter we came to the fortress of Mahtuli, at the beginning of the territory of the Greeks."
وكانت الروم قد سَمِعَتْ بقدوم هذه الخاتون على بلاد فوصلنا إلى هذا الحصن كفالي نقوله الرومي في عسكر عظيم وضيافة عظيمة وجاءت الخواتين والدايات من دار أبيها ملك القسطنطينية،,"The Greeks had been informed of the journey of this khatun to their land, and there came to join her at this castle the Greek Kifali Niqula, with a great body of troops and a large hospitality-gift, as well as the khatuns and nurses from the palace of her father, the king of Constantinople."
وبين ومهتولي والقسطنطينية مسيرة اثنين وعشرين يومًا منها ستة عشر يومًا إلى الخليج وستة منه إلى القسطنطينية،,"From Mahtuli to Constantinople it is a journey of twenty-two days, sixteen of them to the channel and six from there to Constantinople."
ولا يسافر من هذا الحصن إلا بالخيل والبغال وتترك العربات به لأجل الوعر والجبال،,"From this castle travelling is done on horses and mules only, and the waggons are left behind there because of the roughness of the country and the mountains."
وجاء كفالي المذكور ببغال كثيرة وبعثت إلي الخاتون بستة منها,"The above-mentioned Kifali had brought a large number of mules, six of which the khatun sent to me."
وأوصت أمير ذلك الحصن بمن تركته من أصحابي وغلماني مع العربات والأثقال فأمر لهم بدار،,"She also recommended to the care of the governor of the fortress those of my companions and of my slaves whom I left behind with the waggons and baggage, and he assigned them a house."
ورجع الأمير بيدرة بعساكر ولم يسافر مع الخاتون إلا ناسها,"The amir Baidara turned back with his troops, and none but her own people travelled on with the khatun."
وتركت مسجدها بهذا الحصن وارتفع حكم الأذان،,She left her mosque behind at this castle and the prescription of the call to prayer was discontinued.
وكان يؤتى إليها بالخمور في الضيافة فتشربها وبالخنازير، وأخبرني بعض خواصها أنها أكلتها,"Wines were brought to her as part of her hospitality-gift, and she would drink them, and [not only so but even] swine, and one of her personal attendants told me that she ate them."
ولم يبق معها من يصلي إلا بعض الأتراك كان يصلي معنا,"No one was left with her who observed the [Muslim] prayers except a certain Turk, who used to pray with us."
وتغيرت البواطن لدخولنا في بلاد الكفر، ولكن الخاتون أوصت الأمير كفالي بإكرامي، ولقد ضرب مرة بعض مماليكه لما ضحك من صلاتنا،,"Inner sentiments concealed [hitherto] suffered a change through our entry into the land of infidelity, but the khatun charged the amir Kifali to treat me honourably, and on one occasion he beat one of his mamluks when he laughed at our prayer."
ثم وصلنا حِصْنَ مسلمة بن عبد الملك وهو بسفح جَبَل على نهر زخار يقال له اصطفيلي، ولم يَبْقَ من هذا الحصن إلا آثاره، وبخارجه قرية كبيرة.,"We came next to the castle of Maslama ibn ‘Abd al-Malik, which is at the foot of a mountain beside a tumultuous river called Istafili. Nothing is left of this fortress except its ruins, but alongside it is a large village."
ثم سرنا يومين ووصلنا إلى الخليج وعلى ساحله قرية كبيرة,"We continued our journey for two days and came to the channel, on the bank of which there is a large village."
فوجدنا فيه المد فأقمنا حتى كان الجزر وخضناه وعرضه نحو ميلين ومشينا أربعة أميال في رمال، ووصلنا الخليج الثاني فخضناه وعرضه نحو ثلاثة أميال،,"We found a rising tide on it and waited until the ebb set in, when we forded it, its breadth being about two miles. After marching four miles through sands, we came to the second channel and forded it, its breadth being about three miles."
ثم مشينا نحو ميلين في حجارة ورمل، ووصلنا الخليج الثالث وقد ابتدأ المد فتبعنا فيه وعرضه ميل واحد,"We then marched about two miles among rocks and sand and reached the third channel. The tide had begun to rise, so we had trouble in [fording] it, its breadth being one mile."
فعرض الخليج كله مائية ويابسه اثنا عشر ميلًا وتصير ماء كلها في أيام المطر فلا تخاض إلا في القوارب،,"The breadth of the entire channel, therefore, including both water and dry land, is twelve miles, and in the rainy season the whole of it becomes water and cannot be forded except in boats."
وعلى ساحل هذا الخليج الثالث مدينة الفنيكة (واسمها بفاء مفتوحة ونون وياء مد وكاف مفتوح)، وهي صغيرة لكنها حسنة مانعة، وكنائسها وديارها حسان,"On the bank of this third channel is the city of al-Fanika, which is small but pretty and strongly fortified, and its churches and houses are beautiful."
والأنهار تخرقها والبساتين تحفها ويدخر بها العنب والإجَّاص والتفاح والسفرجل من السنة إلى الأخرى،,"It is traversed by running streams and surrounded by orchards, and in it grapes, pears, apples and quinces are preserved from one year to the next."
وأقمنا بهذه المدينة ثلاثًا والخاتون في قصر لأبيها هنالك،,"We halted in this city for three nights, the khatun staying in one of her father’s castles there."
ثم قدم أخوها شقيقها واسمه كفالي قراس في خمسة آلاف فارس شاكين السلاح،,"After this her uterine brother, whose name was Kifali Qaras, arrived with five thousand horsemen, bristling with arms."
ولما أرادوا لقاء الخاتون ركب أخوها المذكور فرسًا أشهب ولبس ثيابًا بيضاء وجعل على رأسه مظللًا مكللًا بالجواهر,"When they were about to meet the khatun, this brother of hers, dressed in white robes, rode on a grey horse and carried over his head a parasol ornamented with jewels."
وجعل عن يمينه خمسة من أبناء الملوك وعن يساره مثلهم لابسين البياض أيضًا وعليهم مظللات مزركشة بالذهب,"On his right hand he placed five sons of kings, and on his left the same number, all dressed in white also, and with parasols embroidered in gold over their heads."
وجعل بين يديه مائة من المشائين ومائة فارس قد أسبغوا الدروع على أنفسهم وخيلهم وكل واحد منهم يقود فرسًا مسرجًا مدرعًا عليه شكة فارس من البيضة المجوهرة والدروع والتركش والقوس والسيف وبيده رمح في طرف رأسه راية،,"In front of him he posted a hundred foot-soldiers and a hundred horsemen, clad in long coats of mail covering both themselves and their horses, each one of whom led a horse saddled and armoured, carrying the arms of a horseman, namely a jewelled helmet, a breastplate, a quiver, a bow and a sword, and held in his hand a lance with a pennant at the point of its head."
وأكثر تلك الرماح مكسوة بصفائح الذهب والفضة وتلك الخيل المقودة هي مراكب ابن السلطان،,"Most of these lances were covered with plaques of gold and silver, and those led horses were the riding beasts of the sultan’s son."
وقسم فرسانه على أفواج كل فوج فيه مائتا فارس،,"He divided his horsemen into squadrons, two hundred horsemen in each squadron."
ولهم أمير قد قدم أمامه عشرة من الفرسان شاكين في السلاح، وكل واحد منهم يقود فرسًا وخلفه عشرة من العلامات ملونة بأيدي عشرة من الفرسان وعشرة أطبال يتقلدها عشرة من الفرسان ومعهم ستة يضربون الأبواق والأنفار والصرنايات وهي الغيطات.,"Over them was an amir, who had preceding him ten horsemen bristling with arms, each of them leading a horse, and behind him ten particoloured standards carried by ten horsemen, and ten kettledrums slung over the shoulders of ten horsemen, who were accompanied by six others sounding trumpets and bugles and surnayat, which are [the same as] ghaitas"
ورَكِبَت الخاتون في مماليكها وجواريها وفتيانها وخدامها وهم نحو خمسمائة عليهم ثياب الحرير المزركشة بالذهب المرصعة،,"The khatun rode out with her mamluks, her slavegirls, pages and attendants, about five hundred, wearing robes of silk embroidered with gold and jewels."
وعلى الخاتون حلة يقال لها النخ، ويقال لها أيضًا النسيج، مُرَصَّعَة بالجوهر، وعلى رأسها تاجٌ مُرَصَّع، وفرسها مُجَلَّل بجل حرير مزركش بالذهب،,"She herself was wearing a mantle [of the fabric] called nakh (it is called also nastj) embroidered with jewels, with a crown set with precious stones on her head, and her horse was covered with a saddle-cloth of silk embroidered in gold."
وفي يده ورجليه خلاخل الذهب، وفي عنقه قلائد مرصعة وعظم السرج مكسو ذهبًا مكلل جوهرًا،,"On its forelegs and hindlegs were anklets of gold and round its neck were necklaces set with precious stones, and the saddleframe was covered with gold ornamented with jewels."
وكان الْتقاؤهما في بسيط من الأرض على نحو ميل من البلد، وتَرَجَّلَ لها أخوها لأنه أصغر سنًّا منها، وقَبَّلَ ركابها وقَبَّلَتْ رأسه,"Their meeting took place on a flat piece of ground about a mile from the town. Her brother dismounted to her, because he was younger than she, and kissed her stirrup and she kissed his head."
وترجل الأمراء وأولاد الملوك وقَبَّلُوا جميعًا ركابها وانصرفَتْ مع أخيها،,"The amirs and the scions of the royal house also dismounted and they all kissed her stirrup, after which she set out in company with her brother."
وفي غدِ ذلك اليوم وَصَلْنا إلى مدينة كبيرة على ساحل البحر لا أثبت الآن اسمها، ذات أنهار وأشجار، نَزَلْنَا بخارجها،,"On the next day we came to a large city on the seacoast, whose name I do not remember now, provided with streams and trees, and we encamped in its outskirts."
ووصل أخو الخاتون ولي العهد في ترتيب عظيم وعسكر ضخم من عشرة آلاف مدرع،,"The khatun’s brother, the heir to the throne, arrived in magnificent style with a vast army of ten thousand mailed men."
وعلى رأسه تاج وعن يمينه نحو عشرين من أبناء الملوك، وعن يساره مثلهم,"On his head he wore a crown, and on his right hand he had about twenty of the scions of the royal house, with the like number on his left."
وقد رتب فرسانه على ترتيب أخيه سواء إلا أن الحفل أعظم والجمع أكثر،,"He had disposed his horsemen exactly according to his brother’s disposition, but the display was more magnificent and the concourse more numerous."
وتلاقت معه أخته في مثل زيها الأول وترجلا جميعًا وأوتي بخباء حرير فدخلا فيه فلا أعلم كيفية سلامهما،,"His sister went out to meet him in the same array as before, and both dismounted together. A silken tent was brought and they both went into it, so I do not know how they greeted each other."
ونزلنا على عشرة أميال من القسطنطينية، فلما كان بالغد خرج أهلها من رجال ونساء وصبيان ركبانًا ومشاة في أحسن زي وأجمل لباس,"We camped at a distance of ten miles from Constantinople, and on the following day its population, men, women and children, came out riding or on foot in their finest array and richest apparel."
وضربت عند الصبح الأطبال والأبواق والأنفار وركبت العساكر وخرج السلطان وزوجته أم هذه الخاتون وأرباب الدولة والخواص،,"At dawn the drums, trumpets and fifes were sounded, the troops mounted, and the sultan and his wife, the mother of this khatun, came out with the officers of state and the courtiers."
وعلى رأس الملك رواق يحمله جملة من الفرسان ورجال بأيديهم عصي طوال في أعلى كل عصى شبه كرة من جلد يرفعون بها الرواق وفي وسط الرواق مثل القبة يرفعها الفرسان بالعصى.,"Over the king’s head there was a canopy, carried by a number of horsemen and men on foot, who held in their hands long staves, each surmounted by something * like a ball of leather with which they hoisted the canopy. In the middle of the canopy was a sort of pavilion supported by horsemen with staves."
ولما أقبل السلطان اختلطت العساكر وكثر العجاج ولم أقدر على الدخول فيما بينهم فلزمت أثقال الخاتون وأصحابها خوفًا على نفسي،,"When the sultan drew near, the troops became entangled with one another and there was much dust. I was unable to make my way in among them, so I kept with the khatun’s baggage and party, fearing for my life."
وذكر لي أنها لما قربت من أبويها ترجلت وقبلت الأرض بين أيديهما ثم قبلت حافري فرسيهما وفعل كبار أصحابها مثل فعلها في ذلك،,"I was told, however, that when the khatun approached her parents, she dismounted and kissed the ground before them, and then kissed the two hoofs of their horses, and the principal men of her suite did the same."
وكان دخولنا عند الزوال أو بعده إلى القسطنطينية العظمى وقد ضربوا نواقيسهم حتى ارتجت الآفاق لاختلاط أصواتها،,"Our entry into Constantinople the Great was made about noon or a little later, and they beat their church-gongs until the very skies shook with the mingling of their sounds."
ولما وصلنا الباب من أبواب قصر الملك وجدنا به مائة رجل معهم قائد لهم فوق دكانه وسمعتهم يقولون سرا كنوا سرا كنوا، ومعناه المسلمون,"When we reached the first of the gates of the king’s palace we found it guarded by about a hundred men, who had an officer of theirs with them on top of a platform, and I heard them saying Sarakinu, Sarakinu, which means ‘Muslims’."
ومنعونا من الدخول فقال لهم أصحاب الخاتون: إنهم من جهتنا، فقالوا: لا يدخلون إلا بإذن، فأقمنا بالباب,"They would not let us enter, and when the members of the khatun’s party told them that we had come in her suite they answered ‘They cannot enter except by permission,’ so we stayed by the gate."
وذهب بعض أصحاب الخاتون فبعث من أعلمها بذلك وهي بين يدي والدها فذكرت له شأننا فأمر بدخولنا وعين لنا دارًا بمقربة من دار الخاتون,"One of the khatun’s party sent a messenger to tell her of this while she was still with her father. She told him about us, whereupon he gave orders to admit us and assigned us a house near the residence of the khatun."
وكتب لنا أمرًا بأن لا نعترض حيث نذهب من المدينة ونودي بذلك في الأسواق،,"He wrote also on our behalf an order that we should not be molested wheresoever we might go in the city, and this order was proclaimed in the bazaars."
وأقمنا بالدار ثلاثًا تبعث إلينا الضيافة من الدقيق والخبز والغنم والدجاج والسمن والفاكهة والحوت والدراهم والفرش، وفي اليوم الرابع دخلنا على السلطان.,"We remained indoors for three nights, during which hospitality-gifts were sent to us of flour, bread, sheep, fowls, ghee, fruit, fish, money and rugs, and on the fourth day we had audience of the sultan."
ذكر سلطان القسطنطينية,Account of the sultan of Constantinople.
واسمه تكفور (بفتح التاء المثناة وسكون الكاف وضم الفاء وواو وراء)، ابن السلطان جرجيس,"His name is Takfur, son of the sultan Jirjis."
وأبوه السلطان جرجيس بقيد الحياة لكنه تَزَهَّدَ وتَرَهَّبَ وانقطع للعبادة في الكنائس وتَرَكَ المُلْكَ لولده وسنذكره،,"His father the sultan Jirjis was still in the bond of life, but had renounced the world and had become a monk, devoting himself to religious exercises in the churches, and had resigned the kingship to his son. We shall speak of him later."
وفي اليوم الرابع من وصولنا إلى القسطنطينية بَعَثَتْ إلي الخاتون الفتى سنبل الهندي فأخذ بيدي وأدخلني إلى القصر,"On the fourth day from our arrival at Constantinople, the khatun sent her page Sumbul the Indian to me, and he took my hand and led me into the palace."
فجزنا أربعة أبواب في كل باب سقائف بها رجال وأسلحتهم وقائدهم على دكانة مفروشة،,"We passed through four gateways, each of which had porticoes in which were footsoldiers with their weapons, their officer being on a carpeted platform."
فلما وَصَلْنا إلى الباب الخامس تَرَكَنِي الفتى سنبل ودَخَلَ ثم أتى ومعه أربعة من الفتيان الروميين، ففتشوني لئلا يكون معي سِكِّين،,"When we reached the fifth gateway the page Sumbul left me, and going inside returned with four Greek pages, who searched me to see that I had no knife on my person."
وقال لي القائد: تلك عادة لهم، لا بد من تفتيش كل من يدخل على الملك من خاصٍّ أو عامٍّ، غريبٍ أو بلديٍّ، وكذلك الفعل بأرض الهند،,"The officer said to me ‘This is a custom of theirs; every person who enters the king’s presence, be he noble or commoner, foreigner or native, must be searched.’ The same practice is observed in the land of India."
ثم لما فتشوني قام الموكل بالباب فأخذ بيدي وفتح الباب وأحاط بي أربعة من الرجال؛ أمسك اثنان بكمي واثنان من ورائي، فدخلوا بي إلى مشور كبير حيطانه بالفسيفساء قد نُقِشَ فيها صور المخلوقات من الحيوانات والجماد،,"Then, after they had searched me, the man in charge of the gate rose, took me by the hand, and opened the door. Four of the men surrounded me, two holding my sleeves and two behind me, and brought me into a large audience-hall, whose walls were of mosaic work, in which were pictured figures of creatures, both animate and inanimate."
وفي وسطه ساقية ماء، ومن جهتيها الأشجار والناس واقفون يمينًا ويسارًا سكوتًا لا يتكلم أحد منهم،,"In the centre of it was a water-channel with trees on either side of it, and men were standing to right and left, silent, not one of them speaking."
وفي وسط المشور ثلاثة رجال وقوف أسلمني أولئك الأربعة إليهم فأمسكوا بثيابي كما فعل الآخرون، وأشار إليهم رجل فتقدموا بي,"In the midst of the hall there were three men standing, to whom those four men delivered me. These took hold of my garments as the others had done and so on a signal from another man led me forward."
وكان أحدهم يهوديًّا، فقال لي بالعربي: لا تَخَفْ، فهكذا عادتهم أن يفعلوا بالوارد، وأنا الترجمان، وأَصْلِي من بلاد الشام، فسألته: كيف أُسَلِّمُ؟ فقال: قل: السلام عليكم.,"One of them was a Jew and he said to me in Arabic, ‘Don’t be afraid, for this is their custom that they use with every visitor. I am the interpreter and I am originally from Syria.’ So I asked him how I should salute, and he told me to say al-salamu ‘alaikum."
ثم وَصَلْتُ إلى قبة عظيمة والسلطان على سريره، وزوجته أم هذه الخاتون بين يديه، وأسفل السرير الخاتون وإخوتها،,"I came then to a great pavilion; the sultan was there on his throne, with his wife, the mother of this khatun, before him, and at the foot of the throne were the khatun and her brothers."
وعن يمينه ستة رجال، وعن يساره أربعة وكلهم بالسلاح،,"To the right of him were six men, to his left four, and behind him four, everyone of them armed."
فأشار إلي قَبْلَ السلام والوصول إليه بالجلوس هنية ليسكن روعي ففعلْتُ ذلك،,"He signed to me, before I had saluted and reached him, to sit down for a moment, so that my apprehension might be calmed, and I did so."
ثم وصلْتُ إليه فسلَّمْتُ عليه، وأشار إليَّ أن اجْلِسْ فلم أفعل،,"Then I approached him and saluted him, and he signed to me to sit down, but I did not do so."
وسألني عن بيت المقدس وعن الصخرة المقدسة وعن القمامة وعن مهد عيسى وعن بيت لحم وعن مدينة الخليل عليه السلام، ثم عن دمشق ومصر والعراق وبلاد الروم فأجبته عن ذلك كله، واليهودي يترجم بيني وبينه،,"He questioned me about Jerusalem, the Sacred Rock, [the Church called] alQumama, the cradle of Jesus, and Bethlehem, and about the city of al-Khalil (peace be upon him) [Hebron], then about Damascus, Cairo, al-Traq and the land of al-Rum, and answered him on all of his questions, the Jew interpreting between us."
فأعجبه كلامي وقال لأولاده: أَكْرِموا هذا الرجل وأَمِّنُوه،,He was pleased with my replies and said to his sons ‘Honour this man and ensure his safety.’
ثم خَلَعَ علي خلعة وأَمَرَ لي بفرس مُسَرَّج مُلْجَم ومِظَلَّة من التي يجعلها المَلِك فوق رأسه وهي علامة الأمان،,"He then bestowed on me a robe of honour and ordered for me a horse with saddle and bridle, and a parasol of the kind that the king has carried above his head, that being a sign of protection."
وطلبت منه أن يُعَيِّن من يركب معي بالمدينة في كل يوم حتى أُشَاهِدَ عجائبها وغرائبها وأَذْكُرَها في بلادي فعَيَّنَ لي ذلك،,"I asked him to designate someone to tide about the city with me every day, that I might see its wonders and curious sights and tell of them in my own country, and he designated such a guide for me."
ومن العوائد عندهم أن الذي يلبس خلعة الملك ويركب فرسه يطاف به في أسواق المدينة بالأبواق والأنفار والأطبال ليراه الناس، وأكثر ما يَفْعَل ذلك بالأتراك الذين يأتون من بلاد السلطان أوزبك؛ لئلا يُؤْذَوْنَ، فطافوا بي في الأسواق.,"It is one of the customs among them that anyone who wears the king’s robe of honour and rides on his horse is paraded through the city bazaars with trumpets, fifes and drums, so that the people may see him. This is most frequently done with the Turks who come from the territories of the sultan Uzbak, so that they may not be molested; so they paraded me through the bazaars."
ذكر المدينة,Account of the City.
وهي متناهية في الكِبَر منقسمة بقسمين بينهما نهر عظيم المد والجزر على شكل وادي سلا من بلاد المغرب،,"It is enormous in magnitude and divided into two parts, between which there is a great river, in which there is a flow and ebb of tide, just as in the wadi of Sala in the country of the Maghrib."
وكانت عليه فيما تَقَدَّمَ قنطرة مبنية فخربت، وهو الآن يعبر في القوارب، واسم هذا النهر أبسمي (بفتح الهمزة وإسكان الباء الموحدة وضم السين المهمل وكسر الميم وياء مد),"In former times there was a bridge over it, built [of stone], but the bridge has fallen into ruin and nowadays it is crossed in boats. The name of this river is Absumi."
وأحد القسمين من المدينة يسمى أصطنبول (بفتح الهمزة وإسكان الصاد وفتح الطاء المهملتين وسكون النون وضم الباء الموحدة وواو مد ولام)، وهو بالعدوة الشرقية من النهر وفيه سكنى السلطان وأرباب دولته وسائر الناس،,"One of the two parts of the city is called Astanbul; it is on the eastern bank of the river and includes the places of residence of the sultan, his officers of state, and the rest of the population."
وأسواقه وشوارعه مفروشة بالصفاح متسعة، وأهل كل صناعة على حدة لا يشاركهم سواهم،,"Its bazaars and streets are spacious and paved with flagstones, and the members of each craft have a separate place, no others sharing it with them."
وعلى كل سوق أبواب تسد عليه بالليل، وأكثر الصناع والباعة بها النساء،,"Each bazaar has gates which are closed upon it at night, and the majority of the artisans and sellers in them are women."
والمدينة في سفح جبل داخل في البحر نحو تسعة أميال وعرضه مثل ذلك أو أكثر،,"The city is at the foot of a hill that projects about nine miles into the sea, and its breadth is the same or more."
وفي أعلاه قلعة صغيرة وقصر السلطان، والسور يحيط بهذا الجبل وهو مانع لا سبيل لأحد إليه من جهة البحر,"On top of the hill is a small citadel and the sultan’s palace. This hill is surrounded by the city wall, which is a formidable one and cannot be taken by assault on the side of the sea."
وفيه نحو ثلاث عشرة قرية عامرة،,Within the wall are about thirteen inhabited villages.
والكنيسة العظمى هي في وسط هذا القسم من المدينة،,The principal church too is in the midst of this section of the city.
وأما القسم الثاني منها فيسمى الغلطة (بغين معجمة ولام وطاء مهمل مفتوحات) وهو بالعدوة الغربية من النهر شبيه برباط الفتح في قرية من النهر،,"As for the other section of it, it is called al-Ghalata, and lies on the western bank of the river, somewhat like Ribat al-Fath in its proximity to the river."
وهذا القسم خاص بنصارى الإفرنج يسكنونه،,This section is reserved for the Christians of the Franks dwelling there.
وهم أصناف: فمنهم الجنويون والبنادقة وأهل رومية وأهل أفرانسة وحكمهم إلى ملك القسطنطينية يقدم عليهم منهم من يرتضونه ويسمونه القمص،,"They are of different kinds, including Genoese, Venetians, men of Rome and people of France, and they are under the government of the King of Constantinople, who appoints over them [as his lieutenant] one of their number whom they approve, and him they call the Qums."
وعليهم وظيفة في كل عام لملك القسطنطينية، وربما استعصوا عليه فيحاربهم حتى يصلح بينهم البابا,"They are required to pay a tax every year to the king of Constantinople, but they often rebel against his authority and then he makes war on them until the Pope restores peace between them."
وجميعهم أهل تجارة، ومرساهم من أعظم المراسي رأيت به نحو مائة جفن من القراقر وسواها من الكبار، وأما الصغار فلا تحصى كثرةً،,"They are all men of commerce, and their port is one of the greatest of ports; I saw in it about a hundred galleys, such as merchant vessels and other large ships, and as for the small ships they were too numerous to be counted."
وأسواق هذا القسم حسنة، إلا أن الأقذار غالبة عليها ويشقها نهر صغير قذر نجس، وكنائسهم قذرة لا خير فيها.,"The bazaars in this section are good, but overlaid with all kinds of filth, and traversed by a small, dirty and filth-laden stream. Their churches too are dirty and mean."
ذكر الكنيسة العظمى,Account of the Great Church.
وإنما نذكر خارجها، وأما داخلها فلم أشاهده،,I can describe only its exterior; as for its interior I did not see it.
وهي تسمى عندهم أيا صوفيا (بفتح الهمزة والياء آخر الحروف وألف وصاد مضموم وواو مد وفاء مكسورة وياء كالأولى وألف)، ويُذْكَر أنها من بناء آصف بن برخيا وهو ابن خالة سليمان عليه السلام،,"It is called in their language Ayd Sufiya, and the story goes that it was an erection of Asaf the son of Barakhya’, who was the son of the maternal aunt of Solomon (on whom be peace)."
وهي من أعظم كنائس الروم وعليها سور يطيف بها فكأنها مدينة،,It is one of the greatest churches of the Greeks; around it is a wall which encircles it so that it looks like a city [in itself].
وأبوابها ثلاثة عشر بابًا، ولها حَرَم هو نحو ميل عليه باب كبير,"Its gates are thirteen in number, and it has a sacred enclosure, which is about a mile long and closed by a great gate."
ولا يُمْنَع أحد من دخوله، وقد دَخَلْتُه مع والد الملك الذي يَقَعُ ذِكْرُه وهو شبه مشور مسطح بالرخام وتشقه ساقية تخرج من الكنيسة,"No one is prevented from entering the enclosure, and in fact I went into it with the king’s father, who will be mentioned later; it is like an audience-hall, paved with marble and traversed by a waterchannel which issues from the church."
لها حائطان مرتفعان نحو ذراع مصنوعان بالرخام المجزع المنقوش بأحسن صنعة، والأشجار منتظمة عن جهتي الساقية،,"This [flows between] two walls about a cubit high, constructed in marble inlaid with pieces of different colours and cut with the most skilful art, and trees are planted in rows on both sides of the channel."
ومن باب الكنيسة إلى باب هذا المشور معرش من الخشب مرتفع، عليه دوالي العنب وفي أسفله الياسمين والرياحين،,"From the gate of the church to the gate of this hall there is a lofty pergola made of wood, covered with grape-vines and at the foot with jasmine and scented herbs."
وخارج باب هذا المشور قبة خشب كبيرة فيها طبلات خشب يجلس عليها خدام ذلك الباب، وعن يمين القبة مساطب وحوانيت أكثرها من الخشب يجلس بها قضاتهم وكُتَّاب دواوينهم،,"Outside the gate of this hall is a large wooden pavilion containing platforms, on which the guardians of this gate sit, and to the right of the pavilions are benches and booths, mostly of wood, in which sit their qadis and the recorders of their bureaux."
وفي وسط تلك الحوانيت قبة خشب يُصْعَد إليها على دَرَج خشب وفيها كرسي كبير مطبق بالملف يجلس فوقه قاضيهم وسنذكره،,"In the middle of the booths is a wooden pavilion, to which one ascends by a flight of wooden steps; in this pavilion is a great chair swathed in woollen cloth on which their qadl sits. We shall speak of him later."
وعن يسار القبة التي على باب المشور سوق العطارين،,To the left of the pavilion which is at the gate of this hall is the bazaar of the druggists.
والساقية التي ذكرناها تنقسم قسمين؛ أحدهما يمر بسوق العطارين، والآخر يمر بالسوق حيث القضاة والكتاب،,"The canal that we have described divides into two branches, one of which passes through the bazaar of the druggists and the other through the bazaar where the judges and the scribes sit."
وعلى باب الكنيسة سقائف يجلس بها خُدَّامها الذين يقمون طرقها ويوقدون سرجها ويغلقون أبوابها،,"At the door of the church there are porticoes where the attendants sit who sweep its paths, light its lamps and close its doors."
ولا يدعون أحدًا يدخلها حتى يسجد للصليب الأعظم عندهم الذي يزعمون أنه بقية من الخشبة التي صُلِبَ عليها شبيه عيسى عليه السلام،,"They allow no person to enter it until he prostrates himself to the huge cross at their place, which they claim to be a relic of the wood on which the double of Jesus (on whom be peace) was crucified."
وهو على باب الكنيسة مجعول في جعبة ذهب طولها نحو عشرة أذرع، وقد عرضوا عليها جعبة ذهب مثلها حتى صارت صليبًا،,"This is over the door of the church, set in a golden frame about ten cubits in height, across which they have placed a similar golden frame so that it forms a cross."
وهذا الباب مصفح بصفائح الفضة والذهب وحلقتاه من الذهب الخالص،,"This door is covered with plaques of silver and gold, and its two rings are of pure gold."
وذُكِرَ لي أن عَدَدَ مَنْ بهذه الكنيسة من الرهبان والقسيسين ينتهي إلى آلاف، وأن بعضهم من ذرية الحواريين، وأن بداخلها كنيسة مختصة بالنساء فيها من الأبكار المنقطعات للعبادة أزيد من ألف، وأما القواعد من النساء فأكثر من ذلك كله،,"I was told that the number of monks and priests in this church runs into thousands, and that some of them are descendants of the Apostles, also that inside it is another church exclusively for women, containing more than a thousand virgins consecrated to religious devotions, and a still greater number of aged and widowed women."
ومن عادة الملك وأرباب دولته وسائر الناس أن يأتوا كل يوم صباحًا إلى زيارة هذه الكنيسة ويأتي إليها البابا مرة في السنة,"It is the custom of the king, his officers of state, and the rest of the inhabitants to come to visit this church every morning, and the Pope comes to it once in the year."
وإذا كان على مسيرة أربع من البلد يخرج الملك إلى لقائه ويترجل له، وعند دخول المدينة يمشي بين يديه على قدميه، ويأتيه صباحًا ومساء للسلام عليه طول مقامه بالقسطنطينية حتى ينصرف.,"When he is at a distance of four nights’ journey from the town the king goes out to meet him and dismounts before him; when he enters the city, the king walks on foot in front of him, and comes to salute him every morning and evening during the whole period of his stay in Constantinople until he departs."
ذكر المانستارات بقسطنطينية,Account of the monasteries in Constantinople.
والمانستار على مثل لفظ المارستان، إلا أن نونه متقدمة وراءه متأخرة، وهو عندهم شبه الزاوية عند المسلمين،,"A mdnistdr (which is pronounced like mdristan [i.e. ‘hospital’], only with the n and the r interchanged) is among them what a zdwiya is among Muslims."
وهذه المانستارات بها كثيرة فمنها مانستار عمره الملك جرجيس والدملك القسطنطينية وسنذكره وهو بخارج أصطنبول مقابل الغلطة، ومنها مانستاران خارج الكنيسة العظمى عن يمين الداخل إليها,"There are a great many of such monasteries in the city; among them is a monastery founded by the father of the king of Constantinople, the king George, (we shall mention him later), outside Asfanbul and opposite al-Ghalata, and two monasteries outside the great Church, to the right as one enters it."
وهما في داخل بستان يشقهما نهر ماء واحدهما للرجال والآخر للنساء,"These two are inside a garden traversed by a stream of water, one of them for men, and the other for women."
وفي كل واحد منهما كنيسة ويدور بهما البيوت للمتعبدين والمتعبدات,"In each of them there is a church, and round them [in the interior] run the cells for the male and female devotees."
وقد حبس على كل واحد منهما أحباس لكسوة المتعبدين ونفقتهم بناهما أحد الملوك،,"Each of them has been endowed with pious foundations to supply clothing and maintenance for the devotees, and they were built by one of the kings."
ومنها مانستاران عن يسار الداخل إلى الكنيسة العظمى على مثل هذين الآخرين ويطيف بهما بيوت وأحدهما يسكنه العميان والثاني يسكنه الشيوخ الذين لا يستطيعون الخدمة ممن بلغ الستين أو نحوها،,"There are also two monasteries on the left as one enters the great church, similar to the former two and encircled by cells, one of them inhabited by blind men and the other by aged men, sixty years old or thereabouts, who are unable to work."
ولكل واحد منهم كسوته ونفقته من أوقاف معينة لذلك،,Each one of them receives clothing and maintenance from the endowments affected to that purpose.
وفي داخل كل مانستار منها دويرة لتعبد الملك الذي بناه وأكثر هؤلاء الملوك إذا بلغ الستين أو السبعين بنى مانستارًا ولبس المسوح وهي ثياب الشعر وقلد ولده الملك واشتغل بالعبادة حتى يموت،,"Inside each of these monasteries is a little building designed for the ascetic retreat of the king who built it, for most of these kings on reaching the age of sixty or seventy build a monastery and put on cilices, which are garments made of hair, invest their sons with the kingship, and occupy themselves with devotions until their death."
وهم يحتفلون في بناء هذه المانستارات ويعملونها بالرخام والفسيفساء وهي كثيرة بهذه المدينة،,"They display great magnificence in building these monasteries, constructing them of marble and mosaic work, and they are very numerous in this city."
ودخلت مع الرومي الذي عَيَّنَهُ الملك للركوب معي إلى مانستار يشقه نهر وفيه كنيسة فيها نحو خمسمائة بكر عليهن المسوح ورءوسهن محلوقة فيها قلانيس اللبد,"I went into a monastery with the Greek whom the king had designated to accompany me on my rides. It was traversed by a stream, and in it was a church containing about five hundred virgins wearing cilices, and with their heads shaved and covered with felt bonnets."
ولهن جمال فائق وعليهن أثر العبادة,They were of exceeding beauty and showed the traces of their austerities.
وقد قعد صبي على منبر يقرأ لهن الإنجيل بصوت لم أسمع قط أحسن منه وحوله ثمانية من الصبيان على منابر ومعهم قسيسهم، فلما قرأ هذا الصبي قرأ صبي آخر،,"A boy was sitting on a pulpit reading the gospel to them in the most beautiful voice that I have ever heard; round him were eight other boys on pulpits accompanied by their priest, and when this boy finished another boy began."
وقال لي الرومي: إن هؤلاء البنات من بنات الملوك وهبن أنفسهن لخدمة هذه الكنيسة، وكذلك الصبيان القراء,"The Greek said to me, ‘These girls are kings’ daughters who have given themselves to the service of this church, and the boys who are reading also [are kings’ sons].’"
ولهم كنيسة أخرى خارج تلك الكنيسة، ودخلت معه أيضًا إلى كنيسة في بستان فوجدنا بها نحو خمسمائة بكر أو أزيد وصبي يقرأ لهن على منبر وجماعة صبيان معه على منابر مثل الأولين،,"They have another church of their own outside that church. I went with him also into a church inside a garden and we found in it about five hundred virgins or more, with a boy on a pulpit reading to them and a number of other boys on pulpits, just like the former."
فقال لي الرومي: هؤلاء بنات الوزراء والأمراء يتعبدن بهذه الكنيسة،,"The Greek said to me ‘These are the daughters of viziers and amirs, who engage in devotional exercises in this church.’"
ودخلت معه إلى كنائس فيها أبكار من وجوه أهل البلد وإلى كنائس فيها العجائز والقواعد من النساء وإلى كنائس فيها الرهبان يكون في الكنيسة منها مائة رجل وأكثر وأقل،,"In his company I entered churches in which were virgin daughters of the principal men of the city, and churches in which were aged and elderly women, and churches where there were monks, numbering a hundred men or more or less in each church."
وأكثر أهل هذه المدينة رهبان ومتعبدون وقسيسون وكنائسها لا تحصى كثرة،,"Most of the inhabitants of this city are monks, devotees, and priests, and its churches are numerous beyond computation."
وأهل المدينة من جندي وغيره صغير وكبير يجعلون على رءوسهم المظلات الكبار شتاء وصيفًا والنساء لهن عمائم كبار.,"The men of the city, both soldiers and others, small and great, carry over their heads huge parasols, both in winter and summer, and the women wear voluminous turbans."
ذكر الملك المترهب جرجيس,"Account of the King Jirjis,"
وهذا الملك وَلَّى المُلْك لابنه وانقطع للعبادة وبنى مانستارًا — كما ذكرناه — خارج المدينة على ساحلها،,"who became a Monk.U This king invested his son with the kingdom, consecrated himself to the service of God, and built a monastery (as we have related) outside the city, on the bank [of its river]."
وكنت يومًا مع الرومي المُعَيَّن للركوب معي؛ فإذا بهذا الملك ماشٍ على قدميه وعليه المسوح وعلى رأسه قلنسوة لبد،,"I was out one day with the Greek appointed to ride with me when we chanced to meet this king, walking on foot, wearing hair-cloth garments, and with a felt bonnet on his head."
وله لحية بيضاء طويلة ووجهه حسن عليه أثر العبادة وخلفه وأمامه جماعة من الرهبان وبيده عكاز وفي عنقه سبحة،,"He had a long white beard and a fine face, which bore traces of his austerities; before and behind him was a body of monks, and he had a pastoral staff in his hand and a rosary on his neck."
فلما رآه الرومي نزل وقال لي: انزل فهذا والد الملك، فلما سلم عليه الرومي سأله عني، ثم وقفت وبعث لي فجئت إليه فأخذ بيدي وقال لذلك الرومي — وكان يَعْرِف اللسان العربي: قل لهذا السراكنو — يعني المسلم — أنا أصافح اليد التي دَخَلَتْ بيت المقدس والرِّجْل التي مَشَتْ داخل الصخرة والكنيسة العظمى التي تُسَمَّى قمامة وبيت لحم، وجعل يده على قدمي ومسح بها وجهه،,"When the Greek saw him he dismounted and said to me, ‘Dismount, for this is the king’s father.’ When the Greek saluted him the king asked about me, then stopped and said to the Greek (who knew the Arabic tongue), ‘Say to this Saracen (meaning Muslim) “I clasp the hand that has entered Jerusalem and the foot that has walked within the Dome of the Rock and the great Church called Qumama, and Bethlehem”/ and [so saying] he put his hand upon my feet and passed it over his face."
فعَجِبْتُ من اعتقادهم فيمن دَخَلَ تلك المواضع من غير ملتهم،,"I was amazed at their belief in the merits of one who, though not of their religion, had entered these places."
ثم أخذ بيدي ومشيت معه فسألني عن بيت المقدس وَمَنْ فيه من النصارى وأطال السؤال،,"He then took me by the hand and as I walked with him asked me about Jerusalem and the Christians living there, and questioned me at length."
ودخلت معه إلى حرم الكنيسة الذي وصفناه آنفًا، ولما قارب الباب الأعظم خرجت جماعة من القسيسين والرهبان للسلام عليه وهو من كبارهم في الرهبانية، ولما رآهم أَرْسَلَ يدي،,"I entered with him into the enclosure of the church which we have described. When he approached the great door, there came out a number of priests and monks to salute him, for he is one of their great men in the monastic life, and when he saw them he let go my hand."
فقلت له: أريد الدخول معك إلى الكنيسة، فقال للترجمان: قل له: لا بد لداخلها من السجود للصليب الأعظم، فإن هذا مما سَنَّتْهُ الأوائل ولا يمكن خلافه، فتَرَكْتُه ودَخَلَ وحده ولم أَرَهُ بعدها.,"I said to him ‘I should like to go into the church with you’ but he said to the interpreter ‘Tell him that every one who enters it must needs prostrate himself before the great cross, for this is a rule laid down by the ancients and it cannot be contravened.’ So I left him and he entered alone and I did not see him again."
ذكر قاضي القسطنطينية,Account of the Qadi of Constantinople.
ولما فارقْتُ الملك المترهب المذكور دخلت سوق الكتاب فرآني القاضي فبعث إليَّ أَحَدَ أعوانه فسأل الرومي الذي معي،,"After leaving this king who had become a monk, I went into the bazaar of the scribes, where I was noticed by the qadi, who sent one of his assistants to question the Greek who was with me."
فقال له: إنه من طلبة المسلمين فلما عاد إليه وأخبره بذلك بَعَثَ إليَّ أحد أصحابه،,"The Greek told him that I was a Muslim student of religion, and when the man returned to the qadi and reported this to him, he sent one of his associates for me."
وهم يسمون القاضي النجشي كفالي، فقال لي النجشي: كفالي يدعوك فصعدت إليه إلى القبة التي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُها،,"They call the qadi alNajshi Kifali, so this man said to me ‘Al-Najshi Kifali invites you,’ and I went up to him in the pavilion that I have described above."
فرأيت شيخًا حَسَنَ الوجه واللمة عليه لباس الرهبان وهو الملف الأسود وبين يديه نحو عشرة من الكُتَّاب يكتبون،,"I found him to be an old man with a fine face and hair, wearing the robe of the monks, which is of black woollen cloth, and with about ten of the scribes in front of him writing."
فقام إليَّ وقام أصحابه وقال: أنت ضيف الملك ويجب علينا إكرامك وسألني عن بيت المقدس والشام ومصر، وأطال الكلام وكَثُرَ عليه الازدحام، وقال لي: لا بد لك أن تأتي إلى داري فأضيفك فانصرفْتُ عنه ولم أَلْقَهُ بعد.,"He rose to meet me, his associates rising also, and said, ‘You are the king’s guest, and we are bound to honour you.’ He asked me about Jerusalem, Damascus and Cairo, and spoke with me for a long time. A great crowd gathered round him, and he said to me ‘You must come to my house that I may entertain you as my guest,’ but after taking leave of him I never met him again."
ذِكْر الانصراف عن القسطنطينية,Account of my departure from Constantinople.
ولما ظهر لمن كان في صحبة الخاتون من الأتراك أنها على دين أبيها وراغبة في المقام معه طلبوا منها الإذن في العودة إلى بلادهم,"When it became clear to the Turks who were in the khatun’s company that she professed her father’s religion and wished to remain with him, they asked her permission to return to their own country."
فأَذِنَتْ لهم وأَعْطَتْهُم عطاء جزيلًا وبعثَتْ معهم من يوصلهم إلى بلادهم أميرًا يسمى ساروجة الصغير في خمسمائة فارس،,"She gave them permission and made them rich presents, and sent with them to escort them to their country an amir called Saruja the Little with five hundred horsemen."
وبعثت عني فأعطتني ثلاثمائة دينار من ذهبهم وهم يسمونه البربرة، وليس بالطيب، وألفي درهم بندقية وشقة ملف من عمل البنات وهو أجود أنواعه، وعشرة أثواب من حرير وكتان وصوف وفرسين وذلك من عطاء أبيها،,"She sent for me and gave me three hundred dinars in their gold coinage (they call this al-barbara, and it is not good money), two thousand Venetian dirhams, a length of woollen cloth of the work of the girls (this is the best kind of such cloth), ten robes of silk, linen, and wool, and two horses, this being the gift of her father."
وأوصت بي ساروجة وودعتها وانصرفت، وكانت مدة مقامي عندهم شهرًا وستة أيام،,"She commended me to Saruja and I bade her farewell and left, having spent one month and six days in their city."
وسافرنا صحبة ساروجة فكان يكرمني حتى وصلنا إلى آخر بلادهم حيث تركنا أصحابنا وعرباتنا,"We set out in company with Saruja, who continued to treat me honourably, and arrived at length at the frontier of their territory, where we had left our associates and our waggons."
فركبنا العربات ودخلنا البرية ووصل ساروجة معنا إلى مدينة بايا سلطوق وأقام بها ثلاثًا في الضيافة وانصرفت إلى بلاده,"We then rode in the waggons and entered the desert; Saruja went on with us to the city of Baba Saltuq, where he remained as a guest for three nights and then returned to his own country."
وذلك في اشتداد البرد، وكنت ألبس ثلاث فروات وسروالين أحدهما مبطن وفي رجلي خُفٌّ من صوف وفوقه خفٌّ مبطن بثوب كتان وفوقه خفٌّ من البرغالي وهو جلد الفرس مبطَّن بجلد ذئب،,"This was in the depth of winter, and I used to put on three fur coats and two pairs of trousers, one of them quilted, and on my feet I had woollen boots, with a pair of boots quilted with linen cloth on top of them, and on top of these again a pair of boots of [the kind called] al-burghall, which is horse-skin lined with bear-skin."
وكنت أتوضأ بالماء الحار بمقربة من النار، فما تَقْطُر من الماء قطرة إلا جَمُدَتْ لحينها، وإذا غسلت وجهي يصل الماء إلى لحيتي فيجمد فأحركها فيسقط منها شبه الثلج، والماء الذي ينزل من الأنف يجمد على الشارب،,"used to perform my ablutions with hot water close to the fire, but not a drop of water fell without being frozen on the instant. When I washed my face, the water would run down my beard and freeze, then I would shake it and there would fall from it a kind of snow. The moisture that dripped from the nose would freeze on the moustache."
وكنت لا أستطيع الركوب لكثرة ما علي من الثياب حتى يُرْكِبَني أصحابي،,"I was unable to mount a horse because of the quantity of clothes I had on, so that my associates had to help me into the saddle."
ثم وَصَلْتُ إلى مدينة الحاج ترخان حيث فارَقْنا السلطان أوزبك فوجدناه قد رَحَلَ واستقر بحضرة ملكه، فسافرنا على نهر أتل وما يليه من المياه ثلاثًا وهي جامدة،,"After this I arrived at the city of al-Hajj Tarkhan, where we had parted from the sultan Czbak. We found that he had moved and had settled at the capital of his kingdom, so we travelled [to it] for three nights on the river I til [Volga] and its joining waters, which were frozen over."
وكنا إذا احتجنا الماء قطعنا قطعًا من الجليد وجعلناه في القدر حتى يصير ماء فنشرب منه ونطبخ به،,"Whenever we needed water we used to cut out pieces of ice, put the ice in a cauldron until it turned into water, and then use this for drinking and cooking."
ووصلنا إلى مدينة السرا (وضبط اسمها بسين مهمل وراء مفتوحة وألف)، وتُعْرَف بسرابركة وهي حضرة السلطان أوزبك,"we reached the city of al-Sara, known also as Sara Baraka, which is the capital of the sultan Gzbak."
ودخلنا على السلطان فسألنا عن كيفية سفرنا وعن ملك الروم ومدينته فأعلمناه وأمر بإجراء النفقة علينا وأنزلنا,"We had an audience of the sultan; he asked us how our journey had gone and about the king of the Greeks and his city, and after we had answered him he gave orders for our lodging and for the issue to us of [what was needed for] our maintenance."
ومدينة السرا من أحسن المدن متناهية الكبر في بسيط من الأرض، تغص بأهلها كثرة، حسنة الأسواق متسعة الشوارع.,"The city of al-Sara is one of the finest of cities, of boundless size, situated in a plain, choked with the throng of its inhabitants, and possessing good bazaars and broad streets."
وركبنا يومًا مع بعض كبرائها وغرضنا التطوف عليها ومعرفة مقدارها,"We rode out one day with one of its principal men, intending to make a circuit of the city and find out its extent."
وكان منزلنا في طرف منها فركبنا منه غدوة فلما وصلنا لآخرها إلا بعد الزوال,"Our lodging place was at one end of it and we set out from it in the early morning, and it was after midday when we reached the other end."
فصلينا الظهر وأكلنا طعامًا فما وصلنا إلى المنزل إلا عند المغرب,"We then prayed the noon prayer and ate some food, and we did not get back to our lodging until the hour of the sunset prayer."
ومشينا يومًا في عرضها ذاهبين وراجعين في نصف يوم وذلك في عمارة متصلة الدور لا خراب فيها ولا بساتين,"One day we went on foot across the breadth of the town, going and returning, in half a day, this too through a continuous line of houses, among which there were no ruins and no gardens."
وفيها ثلاثة عشر مسجدًا لإقامة الجمعة أحدها للشافعية، وأما المساجد سوى ذلك فكثير جدًّا,"The city has thirteen mosques for the holding of Friday prayers, one of them being for the Shafi’ites; as for the other mosques, they are exceedingly numerous."
وفيها طوائف من الناس منهم المغل وهم أهل البلاد والسلاطين وبعضهم مسلمون ومنهم الأص وهم مسلمون ومنهم القفجق والجركس والروس والروم وهم نصارى,"There are various groups of people among its inhabitants; these include the Mughals, who are the dwellers in this country and its sultans, and some of whom are Muslims, then the As, who are Muslims, the Qifjaq, the Jarkas, the Rus, and the Rum—[all of] these are Christians."
وكل طائفة تسكن محلة على حدة فيها أسواقها والتجار والغرباء من أهل العراقين ومصر والشام وغيرها ساكنون بمحلة عليها سور احتياطًا على أموال التجار,"Each group lives in a separate quarter with its own bazaars. Merchants and strangers from the two Traqs, Egypt, Syria and elsewhere, live in a quarter which is surrounded by a wall for the protection of the properties of the merchants."
وقصر السلطان بها يسمى ألطون طاش وألطون (بفتح الهمزة وسكون اللام وضم الطاء المهمل وواو مد ونون)، ومعناه الذهب وطاش (بفتح الطاء المهمل وشين معجم) ومعناه حجز،,"The sultan’s palace in it is called Altun Task, altun meaning ‘gold’, and task ‘head’."
وقاضي هذه الخضرة بدر الدين الأعرج من خيار القضاة,"The qadl of this capital city is Badr al-Din al-A‘raj, one of the best of qadls."
وبها من مدرسي الشافعية الفقيه الإمام الفاضل صدر الدين سليمان اللكزي أحد الفضلاء،,"There too, among the professors of the Shafi’ites, is the worthy jurist and imam Sadr al-Din Sulaiman al-Lakzi, a man of distinction,"
وبها من المالكية شمس الدين المصري وهو ممن يطعن في ديانته,"and of the Malikites Shams al-Din al-Misri, a man whose rectitude is regarded with some suspicion,"
وبها زاوية الصالح الحاج نظام الدين أضافنا بها وأكرمنا وبها زاوية الفقيه الإمام العالم نعمان الدين الخوارزمي رأيته بها وهو من فضلاء المشايخ حسن الأخلاق كريم النفع شديد التواضع شديد السطوة على أهل الدنيا,"also the hospice of the pious pilgrim Nizam al-Din, who entertained us in it and showed us honour, and the hospice of the learned imam Nu’man al-Din al-Khwarizmi, whom I met in it, one of the eminent shaikhs and a man of fine character, generous in soul, of exceeding humility but also of exceeding severity towards the possessors of this world’s goods."
يأتي إليه السلطان أوزبك زائرًا في كل جمعة فلا يستقبله ولا يقوم إليه،,"The sultan Dzbak comes to visit him every Friday, but the shaikh will not go out to meet him nor rise before him."
ويقعد السلطان بين يديه ويكلمه ألطف كلام ويتواضع له والشيخ بضد ذلك,"The sultan sits in front of him, addresses him in the most courteous manner and humbles himself to him, whereas the shaikh’s conduct is the opposite of this."
وفعله مع الفقراء والمساكين والواردين خلاف فعله مع السلطان، فإنه يتواضع لهم ويكلمهم بألطف كلام ويكرمهم وأكرمني جزاه الله خيرًا، وبعث إلي بغلام تركي وشاهدت له بركة.,"But in his dealings with poor brethren, with the needy and with wayfaring visitors, his demeanour is the antithesis of that which he adopts towards the sultan, for he humbles himself to them, speaks to them in the kindest way, and shows them honour. He received me honourably (God reward him well) and presented me with a Turkish slaveboy. I was witness too to an example of his endowment with blessed power."
كرامة له,A miraculous grace of his.
كنت أردت السفر من السرا إلى خوارزم فنهاني عن ذلك وقال لي: أَقِمْ أيامًا، وحينئذ تسافر،,"I had intended to set out from al-Sara to Khwarizm, but he forbade me to do so, saying to me ‘Stay here for some days, and then you may continue your journey.’"
فنَازَعَتْنِي النفس ووجدت رفقة كبيرة آخذة في السفر فيهم تُجَّار أَعْرِفُهم، فاتفقت معهم على السفر في صحبتهم,"I still hankered to go, however, and finding a large caravan that was making ready to set out and that included some merchants with whom I was acquainted, I made an agreement to travel in their company."
وذَكَرْتُ له ذلك فقال لي: لا بد لك من الإقامة، فعزمت على السفر، فأَبَقَ لي غلام أَقَمْتُ بسببه,"When I told him of this he said to me ‘You have no alternative to staying here.’ Nevertheless I determined to set out, when a slaveboy of mine escaped and I had to stay because of him."
وهذه من الكرامات الظاهرة،,This is an evident instance of miraculous grace.
ولما كان بعد ثلاثٍ وجد بعضُ أصحابي ذلك الغلام الآبق بمدينة الحاج ترخان فجاء به إلي فحينئذٍ سافرت إلى خوارزم,"Three days later one of my associates found the fugitive slave in the city of al-Hajj Tarkhan and brought him to me, whereupon I set out for Khwarizm."
وبينها وبين حضرة السرا صحراء مسيرة أربعين يومًا لا تسافر فيها الخيل لقلة الكلأ، وإنما تجر العربات بها الجمال,"Between Khwarizm and the capital city of alSara is a desert of forty days’ march, in which horses cannot travel owing to lack of fodder, and only camels are employed to draw the waggons."
فسرنا من السرا عشرة أيام فوصلنا إلى مدينة سرا جوق وجوق (بضم الجيم المعقود وواو وقاف)، ومعنى جوق صغير فكأنهم قالوا سرا الصغيرة وهي على شاطئ نهر كبير زخار يقال لهُ أُلُوصو (بضم الهمزة واللام وواو مد وضم الصاد المهمل وواو) ومعناه الماء الكبير، وعليه جسر من قوارب كجسر بغداد،,"AFTER ten days’ journey from al-Sara we reached the city of Sarachuq (chuq means ‘little’, so that it is as if they said ‘little Sara’), which lies on the bank of a great and swollen river called Ulusu, meaning ‘the great stream’. Over it is a bridge of boats, like the bridge of Baghdad."
وإلى هذه المدينة انتهى سفرنا بالخيل التي تجر العربات وبعناها بها تجر بحساب أربعة دنانير دراهم للفرس وأقل من ذلك لأجل ضعفها ورخصها بهذه المدينة واكترينا الجمال لجر العربات،,"At this city we reached the limit of the journey with the horses that draw the waggons. We sold them at the rate of four silver dinars per head, and even less, on account of their exhaustion and the cheapness of horses in this town, and hired camels to draw the waggons."
وبهذه المدينة زاوية لرجل صالح معمر من الترك يقال له أطا (بفتح الهمزة والطاء المهمل) ومعناه الوالد،,"In this city there is a hospice belonging to a pious Turk of great age, who is called Ata, which means ‘father’."
أضافنا بها ودعا لنا وأضافنا أيضًا قاضيها ولا أعرف اسمه،,"He received us hospitably in it and called down a blessing on us. We were hospitably entertained also by the qadl of the town, but I do not know his name."
ثم سرنا منها ثلاثين يومًا سيرًا جادًّا لا ننزل إلا ساعتين إحداهما عند الضحى والأخرى عند المغرب،,"From this place we went on for thirty days by forced marches, halting only for two hours each day, one in the forenoon and the other at sunset."
وتكون الإقامة قدر ما يطبخون الدوقي ويشربونه وهو يطبخ من غلية واحدة,"The length of the halt was just as long as the time needed to cook and sup duqi, and this is cooked with a single boiling."
ويكون معهم الخليع من اللحم يجعلونه عليه ويصبون عليه اللبن,"They would have with them [pieces of] dried meat, which they put on top of this and they pour sour milk over the whole."
وكل إنسان إنما ينام أو يأكل في عربته حال السير وكان لي في عربتي ثلاث من الجواري ومن عادة المسافرين في هذه البرية الإسراع لقلة أعشابها والجمال التي تقطعها يهلك معظمها وما يبقى منها لا ينتفع به إلا في سنة أخرى بعد أن يسمن,"Everybody eats and sleeps in his waggon while it is actually on the move, and I had in my waggon three slavegirls. It is the custom of travellers in this wilderness to use the utmost speed, because of the scarcity of herbage. Of the camels that cross it the majority perish and the remainder are of no use except a year later, after they are fattened up."
والماء في هذه البرية في مناهل معلومة بعد اليومين والثلاثة وهو ماء المطر والحسيان.,"The water in this desert is at certain known waterpoints, separated by two or three days’ march, and is rainwater [in surface pools] and shallow wells under the sand."
ثم لما سلكنا هذه البرية وقَطَعْنَاها — كما ذكرناه — وَصَلْنَا إلى خوارزم، وهي أكبر مدن الأتراك وأعظمها وأجملها وأضخمها،,"After journeying through this desert and traversing it as we have described we arrived at Khwarizm, which is the largest, greatest, most beautiful and most important city of the Turks."
لها الأسواق المليحة والشوارع الفسيحة والعمارة الكثيرة والمحاسن الأثيرة، وهي ترتجُّ بسكَّانها لكثرتهم وتموج بهم موج البحر،,"It has fine bazaars and broad streets, a great number of buildings and abundance of commodities; it shakes under the weight of its population, by reason of their multitude, and is agitated by them [in a manner resembling] the waves of the sea."
ولقد ركبت بها يومًا ودخلت السوق، فلما توسطْتُه وبلغت منتهى الزحام في موضع يقال له الشهور (بفتح الشين المعجم وإسكان الواو)،,"I rode out one day on horseback and went into the bazaar, but when I got halfway through it and reached the densest pressure of the crowd at a point called al-Shawr,"
لم أستطع أن أجوز ذلك الموضع لكثرة الازدحام، وأَرَدْتُ الرجوع فما أمكنني لكثرة الناس فبقيت متحيرًا، وبعد جهد شديد رجعت،,"I could not advance any further because of the multitude of the press, and when I tried to go back I was unable to do that either, because of the crowd of people. So I remained as I was, in perplexity, and only with great exertions did I manage to return."
وذَكَرَ لي بعض الناس أن تلك السوق يخف زحامها يوم الجمعة؛ لأنهم يسدون سوق القيسارية وغيرها من الأسواق، فركبت يوم الجمعة وتوجهت إلى المسجد الجامع والمدرسة،,"Some person told me that that bazaar is much less crowded on Fridays, because [on that day] they close the Qaisarlya and other bazaars, so I rode [again] on the Friday and went to the cathedral mosque and the college."
وهذه المدينة تحت إمرة السلطان أوزبك، وله فيها أمير كبير يسمى قطلودمور، وهو الذي عَمَرَ هذه المدرسة وما معها من المواضع المضافة،,"This city is in the dominions of the sultan Uzbak, who is represented in it by a great amir called Qutludumur. It was he who built this college and the dependencies annexed to it."
وأما المسجد فعَمَرَتْه زوجته الخاتون الصالحة ترابك وترا (بضم التاء المعلوة وفتح الراء وألف)، وبك (بفتح الباء الموحدة والكاف).,"As for the mosque, it was built by his wife, the pious khatun Turabak."
وبخوارزم مارستان له طبيب شامي يُعْرَف بالصهيوني نسبة إلى صهيون من بلاد الشام،,"There is at Khwarizm a hospital, which has a Syrian doctor called al-Sahyuril, after the town of Sahyun in Syria."
ولم أَرَ في بلاد الدنيا أحسن أخلاقًا من أهل خوارزم ولا أكرم نفوسًا ولا أحب في الغرباء،,"Never have I seen in all the lands of the world men more excellent in conduct than the Khwarizmians, more generous in soul, or more friendly to strangers."
ولهم عادة جميلة في الصلاة لم أَرَهَا لغيرهم، وهي أن المؤذنين بمساجدها يطوف كل واحد منهم على دور جيران مسجده مُعْلِمًا لهم بحضور الصلاة،,"They have a praiseworthy custom in regard to [the observance of] prayer-services which I have not seen elsewhere, namely that each of the muezzins in their mosques goes round the houses of those persons neighbouring his mosque, giving them notice of the approaching hour of prayer."
فمن لم يحضر الصلاة مع الجماعة ضَرَبَه الإمام بمحضر الجماعة، وفي كل مسجد درة معلقة برسم ذلك،,"Any person who absents himself from the communal prayers is beaten by the imam [who leads the prayers] in the presence of the congregation, and in every mosque there is a whip hung up for this purpose."
ويغرم خمسة دنانير تُنْفَق في مصالح المسجد أو تُطْعَم للفقراء والمساكين،,"He is also fined five dinars, which go towards the expenses of upkeep of the mosque, or of supplying food to the poor and the destitute."
ويذكرون أن هذه العادة عندهم مستمرة على قديم الزمان،,They say that this custom has been an uninterrupted tradition amongst them from ancient times.
وبخارج خوارزم نهر جيحون أحد الأنهار الأربعة التي من الجنة، وهو يَجْمُد في أوان البرد كما يجمد نهر أتل، ويسلك الناس عليه,"Outside Khwarizm is the river Jaihun, one of the four rivers which [flow] from Paradise. It freezes over in the cold season in the same way as the river Itil freezes over, and people walk upon it."
وتبقى مدة جموده خمسة أشهر وربما سلكوا عليه عند أخذه في الذوبان فهلكوا،,"It remains frozen for the space of five months, and often they walk over it when it is beginning to melt and perish in consequence."
ويُسَافَر فيه أيام الصيف بالمراكب إلى ترمذ ويَجْلِبُون منها القمح والشعير وهي مسيرة عشر للمنحدر،,"It is navigable for ships in summer time as far as Tirmidh, from which they import wheat and barley, the journey downstream taking ten days."
وبخارج خوارزم زاوية مبنية على تربة الشيخ نجم الدين الكبرى وكان من كبار الصالحين،,"Outside Khwarizm is a hospice built over the tomb of the shaikh Najm al-DIn al-Kubra, who was one of the great saints."
وفيها الطعام للوارد والصادر، وشيخهم المدرس سيف الدين بن عضبة من كبار أهل خوارزم،,"Food is supplied in it to all wayfarers, and its shaikh is the teacher at the college, Saif al-DIn ibn ‘Asaba, one of the principal citizens of Khwarizm."
وبها أيضًا زاوية شيخها الصالح المجاور جلال الدين السمرقندي من كبار الصالحين أضافنا بها،,"In the town also there is a hospice, whose shaikh is the pious “sojourner’ Jalal ad-DIn alSamarqandI, one of the most saintly of men. He received us hospitably in it."
وبخارجها قبر الإمام العلامة أبي القاسم محمود بن عمر الزمخشري وعليه قبة، وزمخشر قرية على مسافة أربعة أميال من خوارزم،,"Outside the city again is the tomb of the most learned imam Abu’l-Qasim Mahmud ibn ‘Omar al-ZamakhsharI, with a cupola over it. Zamakhshar is a village four miles distant from Khwarizm."
ولما أتيت هذه المدينة نزلت بخارجها، وتَوَجَّهَ بعض أصحابي إلى القاضي الصدر أبي حفص عمر البكري، فبعث إليَّ نائبُه نور الإسلام,"When I reached this city I encamped in its outskirts, and one of my companions went to visit the qadI, the sadr Abu Hafs ‘Omar al-BakrI, whereupon he sent his substitute Nur alIslam to me."
فسَلَّمَ علي ثم عاد إليه، ثم أتى القاضي في جماعة من أصحابه فسلم عليَّ وهو فتي السن كبير الفعال،,"This man saluted me and then returned to him, and thereafter the qadI himself came with a group of his associates and greeted me. He was a man young in years but mature in welldoing."
وله نائبان أحدهما نور الإسلام المذكور والآخر نور الدين الكرماني من كبار الفقهاء، وهو الشديد في أحكامه القوي في ذات الله تعالى.,"He has two substitutes, one of them Nur al-Islam, already mentioned, and the other Nur al-DIn al-KirmanI, who is a great jurist, severe in his decisions and vigorous in [defence of] all that pertains to God Most High."
ولما حصل الاجتماع بالقاضي قال لي: إن هذه المدينة كثيرة الزحام، ودخولكم نهارًا لا يتأتى، وسيأتي إليكم نور الإسلام لتدخلوا معه من آخر الليل،,"When my meeting with the qadI took place he said to me, ‘This city is overcrowded, and you will have difficulty in entering it in the daytime. Nur al-Islam will come to you to conduct you in towards the end of the night.’"
ففعلنا ذلك ونزلنا بمدرسة جديدة ليس بها أحد،,"So we did as he suggested, and lodged in a newly-built college in which no one was living [as yet]."
ولما كان بعد صلاة الصبح أتى إلينا القاضي المذكور ومعه من كبار المدينة جماعة منهم مولانا همام الدين، ومولانا زين الدين المقدسي، ومولانا رضي الدين يحيى، ومولانا فضل الله الرضوي، ومولانا جلال الدين العمادي، ومولانا شمس الدين السنجري إمام أميرها،,"After the dawn prayer, the qadI above-mentioned visited us, and together with him a number of the principal men of the city, among them Mawlana Humam al-DIn, Mawlana Zain al-DIn al-MaqdisI, Mawlana RadIy al-DIn Yahya, Mawlana Fadl Allah al-RidawI, Mawlana Jalal al-DIn al-’ImadI, and Mawlana Shams al-DIn al-SinjarI, the imam of the governor."
وهم أهل مكارم وفضائل، والغالب على مَذْهَبِهم الاعتزال لكنهم لا يُظْهِرُونه؛ لأن السلطان أوزبك وأميره على هذه المدينة قطلودمور من أهل السنة،,"They are men of generous nature and virtuous character, and the prevailing school of doctrine among them is the Mu’tazilite, but they do not make open profession of it because Sultan Uzbak and Qutludumur, who is his governor over this city, are adherents of the [orthodox] Sunna."
وكنت أيام إقامتي بها أصلي الجمعة مع القاضي أبي حفص عمر المذكور بمسجده، فإذا فَرَغَت الصلاة ذَهَبْتُ معه إلى داره وهي قريبة من المسجد،,"During my stay there I used to attend the Friday prayers in company with the abovementioned qadI Abu Hafs ‘Omar in his own mosque, and on the conclusion of the service I went with him to his house, which is close to the mosque."
فأَدْخُلُ معه إلى مجلسه وهو من أبدع المجالس، فيه الفرش الحافلة وحيطانه مكسوَّة بالملف، وفيه طيقان كثيرة، وفي كل طاقٍ منها أواني الفضة المموهة بالذهب والأواني العراقية،,"I would then go with him into his reception hall, a most magnificent chamber, furnished with rich carpets, its walls hung with cloth, and a large number of arcaded niches in it, with vessels of silver-gilt and ‘IraqI glass in every niche."
وكذلك عادة أهل تلك البلاد أن يصنعوا في بيوتهم، ثم يأتي بالطعام الكثير وهو من أهل الرفاهية والمال الكثير والرباع، وهو سلف الأمير قطلودمور متزوج بأخت امرأته واسمها جيجا أغا،,"Such is the custom followed by the people of this country in [the adornment of] their houses. He would then produce a copious meal, being a man amply endowed with great wealth and landed property, and related by marriage to the amir Qutludumur, the husband of the sister of his wife, whose name is JIja Agha."
وبهذه المدينة جماعة من الوعاظ والمذكرين، أكبرهم مولانا زين الدين المقدسي والخطيب مولانا حسام الدين المشاطي الخطيب المصقع أحد الخطباء الأربعة الذين لم أسمع في الدنيا أحسن منهم.,"In this city there are a number of admonitory preachers and revivalists, the chief of whom is Mawlana Zain al-DIn al-Maqdisl. The khatIb at the Friday services is Mawlana Husam alDln al-Mishatl, the eloquent orator, one of the four khatIbs whom I have never heard surpassed in the whole world."
وأمير خوارزم,The Amir of Khwarizm.
هو الأمير الكبير قطلودمور وقطلو (بضم القاف وسكون الطاء المهمل وضم اللام)، ودمور (بضم الدال المهمل والميم وواو مد وراء) ومعنى اسمه الحديد المبارك؛ لأن قطلو هو المبارك ودمور هو الحديد،,"He is the great amIr Qutludumur, and the meaning of his name is ‘Blessed Iron’, because Qutlu is [in Turkish] ‘blessed’ and dumur is ‘iron’."
وهذا الأمير ابن خالة السلطان المعظم محمد أوزبك وأكبر أمرائه،,This amir is the son of the maternal aunt of the exalted sultan Muhammad Uzbak and the greatest of his amirs.
وهو واليه على خراسان، وولده هارون بك متزوج بابنة السلطان المذكور التي أمها الملكة طيطغلي المتَقَدِّم ذِكْرُها،,"He is the sultan’s governor over Khurasan, and his son Harun Bak is married to the daughter of this sultan; her mother is the queen TaitughlI, who was mentioned earlier."
وامرأته الخاتون ترابك صاحبة المكارم الشهيرة،,"His wife is the khatun Turabak, whose name is associated with famous benefactions."
ولما أتاني القاضي مسلمًا عليَّ كما ذكرته قال لي: إن الأمير قد عَلِمَ بقدومك وبه بقية مَرَضٍ يمنعه من الإتيان إليك، فركبت مع القاضي إلى زيارته,"When the qadI came to greet me, as I have related, he said io to me, ‘The amIr has learned of your arrival, but is still suffering from the effects of an illness, which prevent him from coming to visit you,’ so I rode with the qadI to visit him."
وأتينا داره فدخلنا مشورًا كبيرًا أكثر بيوته خشب، ثم دخلنا مشورًا صغيرًا فيه قبة خشب مزخرفة قد كسيت حيطانها بالملف الملون وسقفها بالحرير المذهب,"On reaching his residence we entered a large audience-hall, most of the partitions of which were of wood, and went into a small hall; this had a wooden cupola with ornamental embellishments, its walls hung with coloured woollen cloths and its ceiling with gold-embroidered silk."
والأمير على فرش له من الحرير وقد غطى رجليه لما بهما من النقرس وهي علة فاشية في الترك،,"The amIr was [sitting] on a silk [carpet] spread for him, and had a cover over his legs on account of the gout with which they were affected, this being a malady very common among the Turks."
فسلمت عليه وأجلسني إلى جانبه وقعد القاضي والفقهاء,I saluted him and he bade me sit beside him. The qadI and doctors of the law sat down [likewise].
وسألني عن سلطانه الملك محمد أوزبك وعن الخاتون بيلون وعن أبيهما وعن مدينة القسطنطينية فأعلمته بذلك كله، ثم أتي بالموائد فيها الطعام من الدجاج المشوية والكراكي وأفراخ الحمام وخبز معجون بالسمن يسمونه الكليجا والكعك والحلوى,"He questioned me about his sultan, the king Muhammad Uzbak, and about the khatun Bayalun, and her father and the city of Constantinople. After I had replied to him on all these subjects, tables were brought in with food [of different kinds], roasted fowls, cranes, young pigeons, bread baked with butter, which they call kulija, biscuits and sweetmeats."
ثم أتي بموائد أخرى فيها الفواكه من الرمان المحبب في أواني الذهب والفضة ومعه ملاعق الذهب وبعضه في أواني الزجاج العراقي ومعه ملاعق الخشب ومن العنب والبطيخ العجيب,"After these were brought other tables with fruit, seeded pomegranates in gold and silver vessels with gold spoons, and some in vessels of ‘IraqI glass with wooden spoons, grapes and wonderful melons."
ومن عوائد هذا الأمير أن يأتي القاضي في كل يوم إلى مشوره فيجلس بمجلس معد له ومعه الفقهاء وكتابه,"It is one of the regular practices of this amIr that the qadI comes daily to his audiencehall and sits in a place assigned to him, accompanied by the jurists and his clerks."
ويجلس في مقابلته أحد الأمراء الكبراء ومعه ثمانية من كبراء أمراء الترك وشيوخهم يسمون الأرغجية (يارغوجي),"Opposite him sits one of the great amIrs, accompanied by eight of the great amIrs and shaikhs of the Turks, who are called arghujis."
ويتحاكم الناس إليهم، فما كان من القضايا الشرعية حَكَمَ فيها القاضي، وما كان من سواها حَكَمَ فيها أولئك الأمراء،,"The people bring their disputes to them for decision; those that come within the jurisdiction of the religious law are decided by the qadI, and all others are decided by those amIrs."
وأحكامهم مضبوطة عادلة؛ لأنهم لا يُتَّهَمُون بميل ولا يَقْبَلون رشوة،,"Their decisions are well-regulated and just, for they are free from suspicion of partiality and do not accept bribes."
ولما عدنا إلى المدرسة بعد الجلوس مع الأمير بَعَث إلينا الأرز والدقيق والغنم والسمن والأبزار وأحمال الحطب،,"When we returned to the college after our session with the governor, he sent us rice, flour, sheep, butter, spices, and loads of firewood."
وتلك البلاد كلها لا يُعْرَف بها الفحم، وكذلك الهند وخراسان وبلاد العجم،,"In all of these countries [the use of] charcoal is unknown, and likewise in India, Khurasan and Persia."
وأما الصين فيوقدون فيها حجارة تشتعل فيها النار كما تشتعل في الفحم، ثم إذا صارت رمادًا عجنوه بالماء وجَفَّفُوه بالشمس وطبخوا بها ثانية كذلك حتى يتلاشى.,"As for China, there they kindle stones in which the fire blazes up as it does in charcoal; then when they turn to ash, the Chinese knead it with water, dry it in the sun, and it serves them as fuel for cooking again until it is entirely used up."
حكاية ومكرمة لهذا القاضي والأمير,Anecdote. A generous act of this qadi and of the governor.
صليت في بعض أيام الجُمَع على عادتي بمسجد القاضي أبي حفص فقال لي: إن الأمير أمر لك بخمسمائة درهم وأَمَرَ أن يُصْنَع لك دعوة يُنْفَق فيها خمسمائة درهم أخرى يحضرها المشايخ والفقهاء والوجوه،,"One Friday, after I had attended the service of prayers, according to my custom, in the mosque of the qadi Abu Hafs, he said to me, ‘The amir commanded that you be given five hundred dirhams, and ordered also that a banquet should be prepared in your honour at a cost of another five hundred dirhams, to be attended by the shaikhs, doctors of the law, and principal citizens."
فلما أَمَرَ بذلك قلت له: أيها الأمير تَصْنَع دعوة يأكل مَنْ حَضَرَها لقمة أو لقمتين، لو جَعَلْتَ له جميع المال كان أحسن له للنفع، فقال: أفعل ذلك، وقد أمر لك بالألف كاملة,"When he gave this order I said to him “O amir, you are preparing a banquet at which those present will eat only a mouthful or two; if you were to give him all of the money it would be more useful to him”. He said “I shall do so”, and has commanded that you should be given the entire thousand.’"
ثم بعثها الأمير صحبة أمامه شمس الدين السنجري في خريطة يحملها غلامه وصرفها من الذهب المغربي ثلاثمائة دينار،,"A little later the amir sent this sum, accompanied by this imam Shams al-DIn al-Sinjarl, in a purse borne by his page. Its value in Moroccan gold was three hundred dinars."
وكنت قد اشتريت ذلك اليوم فرسًا أدهم اللون بخمسة وثلاثين دينارًا دراهم وركبته في ذهابي إلى المسجد فما أعطيت ثمنه إلا من تلك الألف,"I had bought on the same day a black horse for thirty-five silver dinars and had ridden it on going to the mosque, and it was from that thousand and no other that I paid its price."
وتكاثَرَتْ عندي الخيل بعد ذلك حتى انتهت إلى عدد لا أذكره خيفة مكذب يكذب به، ولم تزل حالي في الزيادة حتى دخلت أرض الهند,"Thereafter I became possessed of so many horses that they reached a number which I dare not mention lest some sceptic accuse me of lying, and my fortunes never ceased to expand up to the time when I entered the land of India."
وكانت عندي خيل كثيرة لكني كنت أُفَضِّل هذا الفَرَسَ وأوثره وأربطه أمام الخيل، وبقي عندي إلى انقضاء ثلاث سنين، ولما هلك تغيرت حالي,"I had many horses, but I used to prefer this horse, give it special attention, and picket it in front of the others. It remained with me up to the end of three years, and when it died my affairs took a turn for the worse."
وبعثت إلي الخاتون جيجا أغا امرأة القاضي مائة دينار دراهم وصنعت لي أختها ترابك زوجة الأمير دعوة جمعت لها الفقهاء ووجوه المدينة بزاويتها التي بنتها، وفيها الطعام للوارد والصادر،,"The khatun JIja Agha, the wife of the qadi, sent me a hundred silver dinars, and her sister Turabak, the governor’s wife, gave a banquet in my honour, for which she assembled the doctors of the law and the principal citizens. This was held in the hospice built by her, where food is supplied to all wayfarers [from her benefaction]."
وبعثت إلي بفروة سمور وفرس جيد، وهي من أفضل النساء وأصلحهن وأكرمهن جزاها الله خيرًا.,"She sent a furred robe of sable and an excellent horse. She is one of the most virtuous, pious, and generous of women—God reward her with good."
حكاية,Anecdote
ولما انفصلْتُ من الدعوة التي صَنَعَتْ لي هذه الخاتون وخرجْتُ عن الزاوية تعرضَتْ لي بالباب امرأة عليها ثياب دنسة وعلى رأسها مقنعة ومعها نسوة لا أذكر عددهن،,"When I left the banquet which this khatun had given for me, and went out of the hospice, I found myself face to face with a woman in the gateway. She was wearing soiled garments, had a veil over her head, and was accompanied by several women—I do not know how many."
فسلمت علي فرددت عليها السلام ولم أَقِفْ معها ولا الْتَفَتُّ إليها،,"She gave me the word of salutation, and I returned it, but did not stop with her nor give her any attention."
فلما خرجْتُ أَدْرَكَنِي بعض الناس وقال لي: إن المرأة التي سَلَّمَتْ عليك هي الخاتون، فخجلْتُ عند ذلك وأردت الرجوع إليها، فوجدتها قد انصرفَتْ،,"Then when I had gone out, a certain person overtook me and said to me, ‘The woman that saluted you is the khatun.’ I was covered with confusion on hearing this, and tried to go back to her, but I found that she had departed."
فأبلغْتُ إليها السلام مع بعض خدامها واعتذرت عما كان مني لعدم معرفتي بها.,"So I sent my salutations to her through one of her attendants, together with my apologies for my action, the result of my having no acquaintance with her."
ذكر بطيخ خوارزم,Account of the melons of Khwarizm.
وبطيخ خوارزم لا نظير له في بلاد الدنيا شرقًا ولا غربًا إلا ما كان من بطيخ بخارى ويليه بطيخ أصفهان،,"The melons of Khwarizm have no equal in any country of the world, East or West, except it may be the melons of Bukhara, and next to them are the melons of Isfahan."
وقشره أخضر وباطنه أحمر وهو صادق الحلاوة وفيه صلابة،,"Their rind is green, and the flesh is red, of extreme sweetness and firm texture."
ومن العجائب أنه يُقَدَّد ويُيَبَّس في الشمس ويُجْعَل في القواصر كما يُصْنَع عندنا بالشريحة وبالتين المالقي،,"A remarkable thing is that they are cut into strips, dried in the sun, and packed in reed baskets, as is done in our country with dried figs and Malaga figs."
ويُحْمَل من خوارزم إلى أقصى بلاد الهند والصين، وليس في جميع الفواكه اليابسة أطيب منه،,"They are exported from Khwarizm to the remotest parts of India and China, and of all the dried fruits there are none which excel them in sweetness."
وكنت أيام إقامتي بدهلي من بلاد الهند متى قَدِمَ المسافرون بعثْتُ من يشتري لي منهم قديد البطيخ،,"During my stay at Dihli in India, whenever a party of travellers arrived, I used to send someone to buy sliced melon for me from them."
وكان ملك الهند إذا أتى إليه بشيء منه بَعَثَ إليَّ به لِمَا يعلم من محبتي فيه، ومن عادته أنه يطرف الغرباء بفواكه بلادهم ويتفقدهم بذلك.,"The king of India, too, when any of it was brought to him, used to send it to me, knowing as he did my fondness for it. It was his way to give pleasure to the foreigners by sending to them the fruit of their own countries, and he used to give special attention to learning their desires and supplying them accordingly."
حكاية,Anecdote
كان قد صحبني من مدينة السرى إلى خوارزم شريف من أهل كربلاء يسمى علي بن منصور وكان من التجار،,"On my journey from the city of al-Sara to Khwarizm I had been accompanied by a sharlf, an inhabitant of Karbala named ‘All ibn Mansur, who was [by profession] a merchant."
فكنت أكلفه أن يشتري لي الثياب وسواها، فكان يشتري لي الثوب بعشرة دنانير ويقول: اشتريته بثمانية ويحاسبني بالثمانية ويدفع الدينارين من ماله,"I used to commission him to buy robes and other things for me, and he would buy a robe for me for ten dinars, but say ‘I bought it for eight’, and so charge me with only eight dinars and pay the other two dinars with his own money."
وأنا لا عِلْمَ لي بفعله، إلى أن تَعَرَّفْتُ ذلك على ألسنة الناس،,I was in total ignorance of what he was doing until I learned of it from remarks made by other persons.
وكان مع ذلك قد أسلفني دنانير، فلما وَصَلَ إلي إحسان أمير خوارزم رَدَدْتُ إليه ما أَسْلَفَنِيه، وأَرَدْتُ أن أُحْسِنَ بعده إليه مكافأةً لأفعاله الحسنة فأبى ذلك، وحَلَفَ أن لا تفعل،,"Not only that, but he had also lent me a sum of dinars, and when I received the benefaction from the governor of Khwarizm, I repaid him what he had lent me and wished to make a gift to him over and above that in return for his good services, but he refused to accept it and swore that he would never do so."
وأردت أن أُحْسِنَ إلى فتًى كان له اسمه كافور فحلف أن لا أفعل،,"I proposed to make a gift to a slave-boy whom he had, called Kafur, but he adjured me not to do so."
وكان أَكْرَمَ من لَقِيتُه من العراقيين،,He was the most generous-hearted of all the ‘Iraqis whom I have met.
وعَزَمَ على السفر معي إلى بلاد الهند، ثم إن جماعة من أهل بلده وصلوا إلى خوارزم برسم السفر إلى الصين، فأَخَذَ في السفر معهم,"He made up his mind to travel with me to India, but afterwards a company [of merchants] from his native town arrived at Khwarizm with the intention of proceeding to China, and he took the road with them."
فقلت له في ذلك فقال: هؤلاء أهل بلدي يعودون إلى أهلي وأقاربي، ويذكرون أني سافرت إلى الهند برسم الكدية فيكون سبة عليَّ، لا أفعل ذلك. وسافر معهم إلى الصين,"I remonstrated with him about this, but he replied ‘These men, fellow-citizens of mine, will go back to my family and my kinsmen and will spread the story that I travelled to India to gain a livelihood by begging. This would be a disgrace for me. I shall not do it.’ So he set out with them for China."
فبلغني بَعْدُ وأنا بأرض الهند أنه لما بَلَغَ إلى مدينة المالق وهي آخر البلاد التي من عمالة ما وراء النهر وأول بلاد الصين أقام بها وبعث فتًى له بما كان عنده من المتاع،,"I heard later on during my stay in India, that when he reached the city of Almaliq which is the last of the towns in the province of Transoxiana and the first town in China, he stopped there and sent on a slave-boy of his with what he had of merchandise."
فأبطأ الفتى عليه وفي أثناء ذلك وَصَلَ من بلده بعض التجار، ونزل معه في فندق واحد,The slave-boy was a long time in returning and in the meantime a certain merchant from his native town arrived and put up with him in the same caravanseray.
فطلب منه الشريف أن يسلفه شيئًا بخلال ما يصل فتاه فلم يفعل، ثم أكد قُبْحَ ما صنع في عدم التوسعة على الشريف بأن أراد الزيادة عليه في المسكن الذي كان له في الفندق،,"The sharif asked him to lend him some money until such time as his slave-boy should arrive. Not only did he refuse to do so but, not content with the vileness of his conduct in failing to succour the sharif, he tried to bid against him for the lodging that he had in the caravanseray."
وكان قد حكى لي عن نفسه أنه أَخَذَ مرة من بعض تجار دمشق ستة آلاف درهم قراضًا فلقيه ذلك التاجر بمدينة حماة من أرض الشام فطلبه بالمال،,"The sharif had in fact told me [a similar story] about himself. He had once received six thousand dirhams on loan from one of the merchants of Damascus. This merchant met him [one day] in the town of Hamah, in Syria, and asked him for the money."
وكان قد باع ما اشترى به من المتاع بالدَّيْن فاستحيا من صاحب المال، ودخل إلى بيته وربط عمامته بسقف البيت وأراد أن يخنق نفسه وكان في أَجَلِه تأخير،,"He had sold on credit the merchandise that he bought with it, and was so ashamed at [his inability to repay] his creditor that he went into his room, tied his turban to the ceiling of the room, and intended to hang himself. But the appointed hour of his death was not yet come."
فتَذَكَّر صاحبًا له من الصيارفة فقصده وذَكَرَ له القضية فسلفه مالًا دَفَعَهُ للتاجر.,"He remembered a friend of his, a money-broker, went to him and told him his circumstances, and this man lent him some money which he paid to the merchant."
ولما أردت السفر من خوارزم اكتريت جِمَالًا واشتريت محارة، وكان عديلي بها عفيف الدين التوزري,"When I prepared to leave Khwarizm I hired camels and bought a double litter, the second side of which was occupied by ‘Afif al-Din al-Tuzari."
وركب الخدام بعض الخيل وجللنا باقيها لأجل البرد،,The servants rode some of the horses and we put horse-cloths on the rest because of the cold.
ودخلنا البرية التي بين خوارزم وبخارى وهي مسيرة ثمانية عشر يومًا في رمال لا عمارة بها إلا بلدة واحدة،,"[In this wise] we began our journey through the wilderness which lies between Khwarizm and Bukhara, eighteen days’ march in sands with no permanent settlement in them save one small township."
فودعت الأمير قطلودمور وخلع عليَّ خلعة وخَلَعَ عليَّ القاضي أخرى وخرج مع الفقهاء لوداعي،,"I took leave of the amir Qutludumur, and he presented me with a robe of honour; the qadi too gave me another, and came out with the doctors of the law to bid me farewell."
وسرنا أربعة أيام ووصلنا إلى مدينة الكات وليس بهذه الطريق عمارة سواها (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة وسكون اللام وآخره تاء مثناة)، وهي صغيرة حسنة,"After travelling for four days we came to the city of al-Kat, the only settled place on this road, small and pretty."
نزلنا خارجها على بِرْكة ماء قد جَمُدَتْ من البرد، فكان الصبيان يلعبون فوقها ويزلقون عليها،,"We encamped outside it, by a lake which was frozen over because of the cold, and the boys were playing on it and sliding over it."
وسمع بقدومي قاضي الكات ويسمى صدر الشريعة، وكنت قد لقيته بدار قاضي خوارزم، فجاء إليَّ مُسَلِّمًا مع الطَّلَبة، وشيخ المدينة الصالح العابد محمود الخيوقي،,"The qadi of al-Kat heard of our arrival (he is called Sadr al-Shari’a, and I had already met him at the house of the qadi of Khwarizm), and came to greet me, together with the students of religion and the shaikh of the town, the pious and devout Mahmud al-Khlwaqi."
ثم عَرَضَ عليَّ القاضي الوصول إلى أمير تلك المدينة فقال له الشيخ محمود القادم: ينبغي له أن يزار، وإن كانت لنا همة نذهب إلى أمير المدينة ونأتي به،,"The qadi suggested that I should go to visit the governor of the town, but the shaikh Mahmud said to me ‘It is the one that comes who should be visited, and if this is a matter of concern to us let us go to the governor of the town and bring him.’"
ففعلوا ذلك وأتى الأمير بعد ساعة في أصحابه وخُدَّامه، فسَلَّمْنا عليه,"They did so, and the amir came after a while, accompanied by his officers and servants, and we saluted him."
وكان غرضنا تعجيل السفر فطلب منا الإقامة وصنع دعوة جمع لها الفقهاء ووجوه العساكر وسواهم، وقف الشعراء يمدحونه,"Our intention was to press on with our journey, but he begged us to stay and gave a banquet for which he assembled the jurists, the chief officers of the troops, and others, [and in the course of which] the poets stood up to declaim his praises."
وسرنا على الطريق المعروفة بسيباية، وفي تلك الصحراء مسيرة ست دون ماء ووصلنا بعد ذلك إلى بلدة وبكنة (وضبط اسمها بفتح الواو وإسكان الباء الموحدة وكاف ونون)، وهي على مسيرة يوم واحد من بخارى,"We continued our journey on the road known as Sibaya. Through that desert [it is] a journey of six nights without water, at the end of which we reached the town of Wabkana, one day’s journey from Bukhara."
بلدة حسنة ذات أنهار وبساتين وهم يدخرون العنب من سنة إلى سنة وعندهم فاكهة يسمونها العلو (الآلو) بالعين المهملة وتشديد اللام فييبسونه ويَجْلِبه الناس إلى الهند والصين,"It is a pretty town, with streams and fruit gardens. Its inhabitants preserve grapes from year to year, and they have there a fruit which they call ‘allu, They dry it, and people carry the dried fruit to India and China."
ويُجْعَل عليه الماء ويُشْرَب ماؤه، وهو أيام كونه أخضر حلو، فإذا يبس صار فيه يسير حموضة، ولحميته كثيرة، ولم أَرَ مِثْلَه بالأندلس ولا بالمغرب ولا بالشام.,"One steeps it in water and drinks the liquid. In its green state the fruit is sweet, but when dried it acquires a slight acidity, and it has a great deal of pulp. I have never seen the like of it in al-Andalus, nor in the Maghrib nor in Syria."
ثم سرنا في بساتين متصلة وأنهار وأشجار وعمارة يومًا كاملًا، ووصلنا إلى مدينة بخارى التي يُنْسَب إليها إمام المحدثين أبو عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري،,"Thereafter we travelled for a whole day through contiguous orchards, with streams, trees and habitations, and arrived at the city of Bukhara, from which is derived the name of the Imam of the Scholars in Tradition, Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad ibn Isma’il al-Bukhari."
وهذه المدينة كانت قاعدة ما وراء نهر جيحون من البلاد وخَرَّبَها اللعين تنكيز التتري جد ملوك العراق،,"This city was formerly the capital of the lands beyond the river Jaihun, but was laid in ruins by the accursed Tankiz, the Tatar, the ancestor of the kings of al-’Iraq."
فمساجدها الآن ومدارسها وأسواقها خربة إلا القليل، وأهلها أذلاء وشهادتهم لا تقبل بخوارزم وغيرها لاشتهارهم بالتعصب ودعوى الباطل وإنكار الحق،,"So at the present time its mosques, colleges and bazaars are in ruins, all but a few, and its inhabitants are looked down upon and their evidence [in legal cases] is not accepted in Khwarizm or elsewhere, because of their reputation for factionalism, and making false claims, and denial of the truth."
وليس بها اليوم من الناس من يَعْلَم شيئًا من العلم ولا من له عناية به.,There is not one person in it today who possesses any religious learning or who shows any concern for acquiring it.
ذِكْر أولية التتر وتخريبهم بخارى وسواها,Narrative of the Origin of the Tatars and of their devastation of Bukhara and other cities.
كان تنكيز خان حدادًا بأرض الخطا، وكان له كَرَم نَفْس وقوة وبسطة في الجسم، وكان يجمع الناس ويطعمهم،,"Tankiz Khan was a blacksmith in the land of al-Khata, and he was a man of generous soul, and strength, and well-developed body. He used to assemble the people and supply them with food."
ثم صارت له جماعة فقدموه على أنفسهم وغلب على بلده وقوي واشتدت شوكته واستفحل أَمْرُه،,"After a while a company [of warriors] gathered around him and appointed him as their commander. He gained the mastery in his own country, grew in strength and power of attack and became a formidable figure."
فغَلَبَ على مالِكِ الخطا ثم على ملك الصين، وعَظُمَتْ جيوشه وتَغَلَّبَ على بلاد الختن وكاشغر والمالق،,"He subdued the king of al-Khata and then the king of China, his armies became immense in size, and he conquered the lands of al-Khutan, Kashkhar, and Almaliq."
وكان جلال الدين سنجر بن خوارزم شاه ملك خوارزم وخراسان وما وراء النهر له قوة عظيمة وشوكة، فهَابَهُ تنكيز وأَحْجَمَ عنه ولم يَتَعَرَّضْ له،,"Jalal al-Din Sanjar, son of Khwarizm Shah, the king of Khwarizm, Khurasan, and Transoxiana, [however], possessed great power and military strength, so Tankiz stood in awe of him, kept out of his [territories], and avoided any conflict with him."
فاتفق أن بعث تنكيز تُجَّارًا بأمتعة الصين والخطا من الثياب الحريرية وسواها إلى بلدة أُطرار (بضم الهمزة) وهي آخر عمالة جلال الدين،,"It happened that Tankiz sent a party of merchants with the wares of China and alKhata, such as silk fabrics etc., to the town of Utrar, which was the last place in the government of Jalal al-DIn."
فبعث إليه عامله عليها مُعْلِمًا بذلك واستأذنه ما يفعل في أَمْرِهم، فكتب إليه يأمره أن يأخذ أموالهم ويُمَثِّل بهم ويقطع أعضاءهم ويردهم إلى بلادهم، لِمَا أراد الله تعالى من شقاء أهل بلاد المشرق ومحنتهم رأيًا قائلًا وتدبيرًا سيئًا مشئومًا،,"His governor in the town sent a message to him, informing him of this event, and enquiring of him what action he should take in regard to them. Jalal al-DIn wrote to him, commanding him to seize their goods, mutilate them, cut off their limbs and send them back to their country— [displaying thereby], because of what God Most High willed to inflict of distress and suffering for their faith upon the peoples of the Eastern lands, weak judgement and a bad and ill-omened management of affairs."
فلما فَعَلَ ذلك تَجَهَّزَ تنكيز بنفسه في عساكر لا تحصى كثرةً برسم غزو بلاد الإسلام،,"So, when he carried out this action, Tankiz made ready to set out in person with an army of uncountable numbers to invade the lands of Islam."
فلما سمع عامل أُطرار بحركته بعث الجواسيس ليأتوه بخبره، فذَكَرَ أن أحدهم دَخَلَ محلة بعض أمراء تنكيز في صورة سائل,"When the governor of Utrar heard of his advance he sent spies to bring back a report about him, and the story goes that one of them went into the mahalla of one of the amirs of Tankiz, disguised as a beggar."
فلم يَجِدْ من يطعمه ونزل إلى جانب رجل منهم فلم يَرَ عنده زادًا ولا أطعمه شيئًا،,"He found nobody to give him food, and took up a position beside one of their men, but he neither saw any provisions with him nor did the man give him anything to eat."
فلما أمسى أخرج مصرانًا يابسة عنده فبَلَّها بالماء وفصد فرسه وملاها بدمه وعقدها وشواها بالنار فكانت طعامه،,"In the evening the man brought out some dry intestines that he had with him, moistened them with water, opened a vein of his horse, filled the intestines with its blood, tied them up and cooked them on a fire; this was his food."
فعاد إلى أطرار فأخبر عاملها بأمرهم وأعلمه أن لا طاقة لأحد بقتالهم،,"So the spy returned to Utrar, reported on them to the governor, and told him that no one had the power to fight against them."
فاستمد مليكه جلال الدين فأمده بستين ألفًا زيادة على من كان عنده من العساكر،,"The governor then asked his king, Jalal al-Din, for reinforcements, and the latter sent him a force of sixty thousand men, over and above the troops who were already with him."
فلما وَقَعَ القتال هزمهم تنكيز ودخل مدينة أطرار بالسيف فقتل الرجال وسبى الذراري,"When the battle was joined, Tankiz defeated them, forced his way into the city of Utrar by the sword, killed the men, and enslaved the children."
وآلَ الأمرُ إلى أن تَمَلَّكَ تنكيز ما وراء النهر، وخَرَّبَ بخارى وسمرقند وترمذ وعبر النهر وهو نهر جيحون إلى مدينة بلخ فتَمَلَّكَها، ثم إلى الياميان (الباميان) فتملكها، وأَوْغَلَ في بلاد خراسان وعراق العجم،,"The final result of the matter was that Tankiz gained possession of Transoxiana, laid waste Bukhara, Samarqand and Tirmidh, crossed the River [i.e. the river of Jaihun] to the city of Balkh and captured it, then [advanced] to al-Bamiyan, conquered it, and penetrated far into the lands of Khurasan and “Iraq al-’Ajam."
فثار عليه المسلمون في بلخ وفي ما وراء النهر فكَرَّ عليهم ودخل بلخ بالسيف وتَرَكَها خاوية على عروشها،,"The Muslims in Balkh and Transoxiana then revolted against him, so he turned back to deal with them, entered Balkh by the sword and left it ‘fallen down upon its roofs’."
ثم فَعَلَ مثل ذلك في ترمذ فخربت ولم تعمر بعد، لكنها بُنِيَتْ مدينة على ميلين منها هي التي تسمى اليوم ترمذ،,"He went on to do the same at Tirmidh; it was laid waste and never afterwards repopulated, but a [new] city was built two miles distant from it, which is nowadays called Tirmidh."
وقتل أهل الياميان (الباميان) وهدمها بأسرها إلا صومعة جامعها،,"He slew the population of al-Bamiyan and destroyed it completely, except for the minaret of its mosque."
وعفا عن أهل بخارى وسمرقند، ثم عاد بعد ذلك إلى العراق,"He pardoned the inhabitants of Bukhara and Samarqand, and returned thereafter to al-’Iraq."
قال ابن جزي: أخبرنا شيخنا قاضي القضاة أبو البركات ابن الحاج أعزه الله قال: سمعت الخطيب أبا عبد الله بن رشيد يقول: لقيت بمكة نور الدين بن الزجاج من علماء العراق ومعه ابن أخ له,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: Our Shaikh, the Grand QadI Abu’l-Barakat ibn al-Hajj (God exalt him), related to us that he had heard the khatib Abu ‘Abdallah ibn Rashid say: ‘I met in Mecca Nur al-DIn b. al-Zajjaj, one of the scholars of al-’Iraq, who had with him a son of a brother of his."
(رجع)، قال: ونزلنا من بخارى بربضها المعروف بفتح أباد حيث قبر الشيخ العالم العابد الزاهد سيف الدين الباخرزي وكان من كبار الأولياء،,"(To return.) We lodged in Bukhara in its suburb called Fath Abad, where there is the tomb of the learned shaikh and pious ascetic Saif al-DIn al-BakharzI. He was one of the great saints."
وهذه الزاوية المنسوبة لهذا الشيخ حيث نزلنا عظيمة لها أوقاف ضخمة يطعم منها الوارد والصادر وشيخها من ذريته وهو الحاج السياح يحيى الباخرزي،,"This hospice where we lodged, to which the name of this shaikh has been given, is a large institution with vast endowments from which food is supplied to all comers, and its superior is a descendant of the shaikh’s, namely the muchtravelled pilgrim Yahya alBakharzI."
وأضافني هذا الشيخ بداره وجمع وجوه أهل المدينة وقرأ القراء بالأصوات الحسان ووعظ الواعظ وغنى بالتركي والفارسي على طريقته حسنة، ومرت لنا هنالك ليلة بديعة من أعجب الليالي،,"This shaikh hospitably entertained me in his residence, and invited all the leading men of the city. The Qur’an-readers recited with beautiful modulations, the homiletic preacher delivered an address, they then sang melodiously in Turkish and Persian, and [altogether] we passed there an exquisite and most delightful night."
ولقيت بها الفقيه العالم الفاضل صدر الشريعة وكان قد قدم من هراة وهو من الصلحاء الفضلاء،,"I met on this occasion the learned and virtuous jurist Sadr al-Sharl’a; he had come from Harat, and is a pious and excellent man."
وزرت ببخارى قبر الإمام العالم أبي عبد الله البخاري مُصَنِّف الجامع الصحيح شيخ المسلمين رضي الله عنه وعليه مكتوب: هذا قبر محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، وقد صَنَّفَ من الكتب كذا وكذا،,"I visited at Bukhara also the tomb of the learned Imam Abu ‘Abdallah al-Bukharl, compiler of al-Jami’ al-SahTh, the Shaikh of the Muslims (God be pleased with him), and over it is inscribed: ‘This is the grave of Muhammad b. Isma’Il al-BukharI, who composed such-andsuch books.’"
وكذلك على قبور علماء بخارى أسماؤهم وأسماء تصانيفهم،,"In the same manner, the tombs of the learned men of Bukhara are inscribed with their names and the titles of their writings."
ثم سافرنا من بخارى قاصدين معسكر السلطان الصالح المعظم علاء الدين طرمشيرين وسنذكره،,"We resumed our journey from Bukhara, making for the camp of the pious and exalted sultan ‘Ala al-DIn TarmashIrIn, of whom we shall speak presently."
فمررنا على نخشب البلدة التي يُنْسَب إليها الشيخ أبو تراب النخشبي، وهي صغيرة تحف بها البساتين والمياه,"We went by way of Nakhshab, the town from which the shaikh Abu Turab al-NakhshabI derives his place-name; it is small and surrounded by gardens and streams."
فنزلنا بخارجها بدار لأميرها، وكان عندي جارية قد قاربت الولادة وكنت أردت حملها إلى سمرقند لتلد بها،,"We lodged outside it, in a house that belonged to its governor. I had with me a slave-girl, who was close to the time of her delivery, and I had intended to transport her to Samarqand, so that she might have the child there."
فاتفق أنها كانت في المحمل فوضع المحمل على الجمل وسافر أصحابنا من الليل وهي معهم والزاد وغيره ومن أسبابي,"It happened that she was inside a litter; the litter was put on a camel and our associates set off during the night, taking her with them, as well as the provisions and other effects of mine."
وأقمت أنا حتى أرتحل نهارًا مع بعض من معي فسلكوا طريقًا وسلكت طريقًا سواها،,"For myself, I remained behind, in order to travel in the daytime, along with some of those who were with me, but the first party went by one road, while I went by another."
فوصلنا عشية النهار إلى محلة السلطان المذكور وقد جعلنا فنزلنا على بعد من السوق واشترى بعض أصحابنا ما سد جوعتنا وأعار بعض التجار خباء بتنا به تلك الليلة،,"So we arrived at this sultan’s camp late in the evening, very hungry, and alighted at some distance from the bazaar. One of our party bought enough food to stave off our hunger, and one of the merchants lent us a tent in which we spent that night."
ومضى أصحابنا من الغد في البحث عن الجمال وباقي الأصحاب فوجدوهم عشيًّا وجاءوا بهم.,"Our companions set off next morning to look for the camels and the rest of the party, found them in the evening, and returned with them."
وكان السلطان غائبًا عن المحلة في الصيد فاجتمعت بنائبه الأمير تقبغا فأنزلني بقرب مسجده وأعطاني خرقة (خركاه) وهي شبه الخباء وقد ذكرنا صفتها فيما تقدم،,"The sultan was absent from the mahalla on a hunting party, so I met his deputy, the amIr Taqbugha, who assigned me a camping ground close to his mosque, and gave me a kharqa— this is a kind of tent, a description of which we have given previously."
فجعلت الجارية في تلك الخرقة فولدت تلك الليلة مولودًا وأخبروني أنه ولد ذكر ولم يكن كذلك، فلما كان بعد العقيقة أخبرني بعض الأصحاب أن المولود بنت،,"I put the slave-girl into this kharqa, and she gave birth to a child that same night. They told me that it was a male child, although it was not so, but after the [ceremony of the] ‘aqTqa one of my companions informed me that the child was a girl."
فاستحضرت الجواري فسألتهن فأخبرنني بذلك وكانت هذه البنت مولودة في طالع سعد، فرأيت كل ما يسرني ويرضيني منذ ولدت، وتوفيت بعد وصولي إلى الهند بشهرين وسيُذْكَر ذلك،,"So I summoned the slave-girls and questioned them, and they confirmed the statement. This girl was born under a lucky star, and I experienced everything to give me joy and satisfaction from the time of her birth. She died two months after my arrival in India, as will be related in the sequel."
ذكر سلطان ما وراء النهر,Account of the Sultan of Transoxiana.
وهو السلطان المعظم علاء الدين طرمشيرين (وضبط اسمه بفتح الطاء المهمل وسكون الراء وفتح الميم وكسر الشين المعجم وياء مد وراء مكسور وياء مد ثانية ونون)، وهو عظيم المقدار كثير الجيوش والعساكر ضخم المملكة شديد القوة عادل الحُكْم،,"He is the exalted sultan ‘Ala al-DIn Tarmashirln, a man of great distinction, possessed of numerous troops and regiments of cavalry, a vast kingdom and immense power, and just in his government."
وبلاده متوسطة بين أربعة من ملوك الدنيا الكبار، وهم مَلِك الصين ومَلِك الهند ومَلِك العراق والمَلِك أوزبك، وكلهم يهادونه ويعظمونه ويكرمونه،,"His territories lie between four of the great kings of the earth, namely the king of China, the king of India, the king of al-‘Iraq, and the king Uzbak, all of whom send him gifts and hold him in high respect and honour."
وولي الملك بعد أخيه الجكطي (وضبط اسمه بفتح الجيم المعقودة والكاف والطاء المهمل وسكون الياء)، وكان الجكطي هذا كافرًا وولي بعد أخيه الأكبر كبك وكان كبك هذا كافرًا أيضًا لكنه كان عادل الحكم منصفًا للمظلومين يكرم المسلمين ويعظمهم.,"He succeeded to the kingdom after his brother al-Chagatay. This al-Chagatay was an infidel and succeeded his elder brother Kabak, who was an infidel also, but was just in government, showing equity to the oppressed and favour and respect to the Muslims."
حكاية,Anecdote.
يُذْكَر أن هذا الملك كبك تَكَلَّمَ يومًا مع الفقيه الواعظ المذكور بدر الدين الميداني، فقال له: أنت تقول: إن الله ذَكَرَ كل شيء في كتابه العزيز؟ قال: نعم،,"It is related that this king Kabak, in a conversation on one occasion with Badr al-DIn al-Maidani, the jurist and homiletic preacher, said to him: ‘You assert that God has mentioned everything in His exalted Book?’ ‘Yes’ said Badr al-DIn."
فقال: أين اسمي فيه؟ فقال: هو في قوله تعالى: فِي أَيِّ صُورَةٍ مَا شَاءَ رَكَّبَكَ، فأعجبه ذلك وقال: يخشى، ومعناه بالتركية جيد، فأكرمه إكرامًا كثيرًا وزاد في تعظيم المسلمين.,"Then said Kabak ‘Where is my name in it?’ to which he replied ‘It is in His word (most High is He) In whatsoever form He would He hath composed thee (rakkabak)., This reply pleased him, he said Yakhshi (which means in Turkish ‘good’) and showed great favour to him and increased respect for the Muslims."
حكاية,Anecdote.
ومن أحكام كبك ما ذُكِرَ أن امرأة شَكَتْ له بأحد الأمراء وذَكَرَتْ أنها فقيرة ذات أولاد، وكان لها لبن تقوتهم بثمنه فاغتصبه ذلك الأمير وشربه,"Among the judgements of Kabak it is related that a woman laid a complaint before him against one of the amirs. She stated that she was a poor woman, with children to support, that she had some milk [for sale] with the price of which she could procure food for them, and that this amIr had taken it from her by force, and drunk it."
فقال لها: أنا أوسطه، فإن خرج اللبن من جوفه مضى لسبيله وإلا وسطتك بعده، فقالت المرأة: قد حللته ولا أطلبه بشيء، فأمر به فوسط فخرج اللبن من بطنه،,"He said to her, ‘I shall cut him in two; if the milk comes out of his belly, he has gone to his fate, but if not I shall cut you in two after him’. The woman said, ‘[No,] I release him from the obligation, and will make no demand on him.’ But Kabak gave the order, the man was cut in two, and the milk came out of his stomach."
ولنعد لذكر السلطان طرمشيرين، ولما أقمت بالمحلة وهم يسمونها الأرد أيامًا ذهبت يومًا لصلاة الصبح بالمسجد على عادتي، فلما صليت ذكر لي بعض الناس أن السلطان بالمسجد,"To return to the account of the sultan Tarmashirln: after I had stayed for some days in the mahalla (which they call the urdu), I went one day to the dawn prayer in the mosque, following my usual practice and when I finished the prayer one of those present mentioned to me that the sultan was in the mosque."
فلما قام عن مصلاه تقدمت للسلام عليه، وقام الشيخ حسن والفقيه حسام الدين الياغي وأعلماه بحالي وقدومي منذ أيام،,"Accordingly, when he rose up from his prayer carpet, I went forward to salute him. The shaikh Hasan and the legist Husam al-DIn al-Yaghi came up, and told him about me and my arrival some days before."
فقال لي بالتركية: خش ميسن يخشى ميسن قطلوا يوسن، ومعنى خش ميسن: في عافية أنت، ومعنى يخشى ميسن: جيد أنت، ومعنى قطلوا يوسن: مبارك قدومك،,"Then he said to me in Turkish Khush misin, yakhshi misin, qutlu ayusin. Khush musin means ‘are you in good health?’, yakhshi misin ‘are you well?’ and qutlu ayusin means ‘blessed is your arrival’."
وكان عليه في ذلك الحين قبا قدسي أخضر وعلى رأسه شاشية مثله،,"The sultan was dressed at that time in a cloak of green Jerusalem stuff, and had a cap like it on his head."
ثم انصرف إلى مجلسه راجلًا والناس يتعرضون له بالشكايات فيقف لكل مشتك منهم صغيرًا أو كبيرًا ذكرًا أو أنثى،,"He then returned to his audience hall, and [as he did so] people kept presenting themselves to him with their complaints, and he would stop to [listen to] each petitioner, small or great, male or female."
ثم بعث عني فوصلت إليه وهو في خرقة والناس خارجها ميمنة وميسرة، والأمراء منهم على الكراسي وأصحابهم وقوف على رءوسهم وبين أيديهم,"He then sent for me, and when I came I found him in a tent, outside of which there were men ranged to right and left, the amIrs among them [seated] on chairs, with their attendants standing behind and before them."
وسائر الجند قد جلسوا صفوفًا وأمام كل واحد منهم سلاحه، وهم أهل النوبة يقعدون هنالك إلى العصر ويأتي آخرون فيقعدون إلى آخر الليل، وقد صنعت هنالك سقائف من ثياب القطن يكونون بها.,"The rest of the troops [too] had sat down in parade order, each man with his weapons in front of him. These were the detachment on duty, who would sit there until the hour of afternoon prayer, when another detachment would come and sit until the end of the night, and there had been rigged up for them there awnings made of cotton fabrics."
ولما دخلت إلى الملك بداخل الخرقة وجدته جالسًا على كرسي شبه المنبر مكسو بالحرير المزركش بالذهب,"When I entered the king’s presence, inside the tent, I found him seated on a chair, resembling a mosque-pulpit and covered with silk embroidered in gold."
وداخل الخرقة ملبس بثياب الحرير المذهب والتاج المرصع بالجوهر واليواقيت معلق فوق رأس السلطان بينه وبين رأسه قدر ذراع،,"The interior of the tent was lined with silken cloth of gold, and a crown set with jewels and precious stones was suspended over the sultan’s head at the height of a cubit."
والأمراء الكبار على الكراسي عن يمينه ويساره، وأولاد الملوك بأيديهم المذاب بين يديه،,"The principal amirs were [ranged] on chairs to right and left of him, and in front of him were the sons of the kings holding fly-whisks in their hands."
وعند باب الخرقة النائب والوزير والحاجب وصاحب العلامة، وهم يسمون آل طمغى وآل (بفتح الهمزة) معناه الأحمر، وطمغى (بفتح الطاء المهمل وسكون الميم والغين المعجم المفتوح) ومعناه العلامة،,"At the doorway of the tent were the [sultan’s] deputy, the vizier, the chamberlain, and the keeper of the signmanual, whom they call al tamgha (al meaning ‘red’ and tamgha meaning ‘sign’)."
وقام إلى أربعتهم حين دخولي ودخلوا معي فسلمت عليه وسألني وصاحب العلامة يترجم بيني وبينه عن مكة والمدينة والقدس شرفها الله وعن مدينة الخليل عليه السلام وعن دمشق ومصر والملك الناصر وعن العراقين وملكهما وبلاد الأعاجم،,"The four of them rose up to meet me when I entered, and went in with me. After I had saluted him, he questioned me (the keeper of the signmanual acting as interpreter between us) about Mecca and al-Madina, Jerusalem (God ennoble her) and [Hebron] the city of al-Khalil (upon whom be peace), Damascus and Cairo, al-Malik al-Nasir, the two ‘Iraqs and their king, and the lands of the non-Arabs."
ثم أذن المؤذن بالظهر فانصرفنا، وكنا نحضر معه الصلوات وذلك أيام البرد الشديد المهلك، فكان لا يترك صلاة الصبح والعشاء في الجماعة,"The muezzin then made the call to the midday prayer so we withdrew. We continued to attend the prayer-services in his company —this was during the period of intense and perishing cold, yet he would never fail to attend the dawn and evening prayers with the congregation."
ويقعد للذكر بالتركيا بعد صلاة الصبح إلى طلوع الشمس ويأتي إليه كل من في المسجد فيصافحه ويشد بيده على يده وكذلك يفعلون في صلاة العصر،,"He used to sit reciting a litany in Turkish after the dawn prayer until sunrise, and all those in the mosque would come up to him and he would take each one by the hand and press with his own hand upon his. They used to do the same thing at the time of the afternoon prayer."
وكان إذا أوتي بهدية من زبيب أو تمر والتمر عزيز عندهم وهم يتبركون به يعطي منها بيده لكل من في المسجد.,"When he was brought a present of dried grapes or dates (for dates are rare in their country and are regarded by them as conveying a blessing), he would give some of them with his own hand to everyone who was in the mosque."
حكاية,Anecdote.
ومن فضائل هذا الملك أنه حضرت صلاة العصر يومًا ولم يحضر السلطان، فجاء أحد فتيانه بسجادة ووضعها قبالة المحراب حيث جَرَتْ عادته أن يصلي، وقال للإمام حسام الدين الياغي: إن مولانا يريد أن تنتظره بالصلاة قليلًا ريثما يتوضأ،,"[The following is] an instance of the virtues of this king. One day I attended the afternoon prayer [in the mosque]. The sultan had not yet come, but one of his pages came in with a prayer-rug and spread it in front of the mihrab, where it was his custom to pray, saying to the imam Husam al-Din al-Yaghl, ‘Our master desires you to hold back the prayer for him a moment while he performs his ablutions.’"
فقام الإمام المذكور وقال: نماز، ومعناه الصلاة برأي خدا أو برأي طرمشيرين، أي الصلاة لله أو لطرمشيرين، ثم أمر المؤذن بإقامة الصلاة,"The imam rose up and said [in Persian] Namaz (which means ‘the prayer’) birayi Khuda aw birayi Tarma-shTrTn, that is to say, ‘Is prayer for God or for Tarmashlrin?’ He then ordered the muezzin to recite the second call for the prayer."
وجاء السلطان وقد صُلِّيَ منها ركعتان فصلى الركعتين الآخرتين حيث انتهى به القيام وذلك في الموضع الذي تكون فيه أنعلة الناس عند باب المسجد,"The sultan arrived when two bowings had already been completed, and he made the two latter bowings where the ranks ended, that is at the place where peoples’ shoes are left near the door of the mosque."
وكان هذا الشيخ يعظ الناس في كل جمعة ويأمر السلطان بالمعروف وينهاه عن المنكر وعن الظلم ويُغْلِظ عليه القول والسلطان ينصت لكلامه ويبكي،,"This shaikh used to preach to the congregation every Friday, exhorting the sultan to act righteously and forbidding him from evil and tyrannical acts, addressing him in the harshest terms while the sultan listened to him in silence and wept."
وكان لا يقبل من عطاء السلطان شيئًا، ولم يأكل قط من طعامه ولا لبس من ثيابه،,"He would never accept any gift or stipend from the sultan, nor eat of any food of his nor wear any robe from him."
وكان هذا الشيخ من عباد الله الصالحين، وكنت كثيرًا ما أرى عليه قباء قطن مبطنًا بالقطن محشوًّا به وقد بلي وتمزَّق وعلى رأسه قلنسوة لبد يساوي مثلها قيراطًا ولا عمامة عليه،,"This shaikh was indeed one of God’s saintly servants. I used often to see him wearing a cotton cloak, lined and quilted with cotton, which was worn out and in shreds, and on his head a bonnet of felt, such as would be worth one qirat, and with no turban round it."
فقلت له في بعض الأيام: يا سيدي ما هذا القباء الذي أنت لابسه، إنه ليس بجيد، فقال لي: يا ولدي ليس هذا القباء لي وإنما هو لابنتي،,"I said to him one day, ‘Master, what is this cloak that you are wearing? It is not fit to be worn’, and he replied ‘My son, this cloak does not belong to me but to my daughter.’"
ولما عزمت على السفر بعد مقامي عند هذا السلطان أربعة وخمسين يومًا أعطاني السلطان سبعمائة دينار دراهم وفروة سمور تساوي مائة دينار طلبتها منه لأجل البرد،,"When I resolved to proceed on my journey after staying at this sultan’s camp for fiftyfour days, the sultan gave me seven hundred silver dinars and a sable coat worth a hundred dinars. I had asked him for this on account of the cold weather,"
ولمَّا ذَكَرْتُها له أَخَذَ أكمامي وجعل يقبلها بيده تواضعًا منه وفضلًا وحسن خلق، وأعطاني فرسين وجملين,"and when I mentioned it to him he took hold of my sleeves and kissed his hand after touching them, with his natural humility, generosity and goodness of character. He gave me two horses and two camels also."
ولما أردت وداعه أدركته في أثناء طريقه إلى متصيده وكان اليوم شديد البرد جدًّا، فوالله ما قدرت على أن أنطق بكلمة لشدة البرد، ففهم ذلك وضحك وأعطاني يده وانصرفت،,"When I wished to take leave of him, I encountered him in the midst of his way to his hunting-ground. The day was a bitterly cold one, and I swear that I could not utter a single word owing to the severity of the cold, but he understood this, and laughed and gave me his hand, and so I departed."
وبعد سنتين من وصولي إلى أرض الهند بلغنا الخبر بأن الملأ من قومه وأمرائه اجتمعوا بأقصى بلاده المجاورة للصين وهنالك معظم عساكره,"Two years after my arrival in India, the news reached us that the assembly of his subjects and his amirs had met in the most remote part of his territories, adjoining China, where the greater part of his troops were [stationed]."
وبايعوا ابن عم له اسمه بوزن أغلي وكل من كان من أبناء الملوك فهم يسمونه أغلي (بضم الهمزة وسكون الغين المعجمة وكسر اللام)، وبوزن (بضم الباء الموحدة وضم الزاي)، وكان مسلمًا إلا أنه فاسد الدين سيئ السيرة،,"They swore allegiance to a paternal cousin of his called Buzun UghlI (everyone who is of the sons of the kings is called by them ughlT), who was a Muslim, but tainted in faith and evil in conduct."
وسبب بيعتهم له وخلعهم لطرمشيرين أن طرمشيرين خالف أحكام جدهم تنكيز اللعين الذي خرب بلاد الإسلام وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه،,"The reason for their [transference of] allegiance to him and deposition of TarmashirIn was that the latter had contravened the laws of their ancestor, the accursed TankIz, he who, as related above, devastated the lands of Islam."
وكان تنكيز ألف كتابًا في أحكامه يسمى عندهم البساق (بفتح الباء آخر الحروف والسين المهمل وآخره قاف)، وعندهم أنه من خالف أحكام هذا الكتاب فخَلْعُه واجب،,"Now Tankiz had compiled a book on his laws, which is called by them the Yasaq, and they hold that if any [of the princes] contravenes the laws contained in this book his deposition is obligatory."
ومن جملة أحكامه أنهم يجتمعون يومًا في السنة يسمونه الطوي ومعناه يوم الضيافة،,"One of its prescriptions is that they shall assemble on one day in each year, which they call the tuy (meaning the day of the banquet)."
ويأتي أولاد تنكيز والأمراء من أطراف البلاد ويحضر الخواتين وكبار الأجناد،,"The descendants of TankIz and the amIrs come from all quarters, and the khatuns and superior officers of the army also attend."
وإن كان سلطانهم قد غير شيئًا من تلك الأحكام يقوم إليه كبراؤهم فيقولون له: غيرت كذا وغيرت كذا وفعلت كذا، وقد وجب خلعك،,"If their sultan should have changed any one of those laws their chiefs will rise up before him and say to him, ‘You have changed this and changed that, and you have acted in such and-such a manner and it is now obligatory to depose you.’"
ويأخذون بيده ويقيمونه عن سرير الملك ويقعدون غيره من أبناء تنكيز، وإن كان أحد الأمراء الكبار أذنب ذنبًا في بلاده حكموا عليه بما يستحقه،,"They take him by his hand, cause him to rise from the throne of the kingship, and set upon it another of the descendants of TankIz. If one of the great amIrs should have committed an offence in his territory, they pronounce judgement against him as he deserves."
وكان السلطان طرمشيرين قد أَبْطَلَ حُكْمَ هذا اليوم ومحا رَسْمَه فأنْكَرُوه عليه أَشَدَّ الإنكار، وأنكروا عليه أيضًا كَوْنَهُ أقام أربع سنين فيما يلي خراسان من بلاده ولم يَصِلْ إلى الجهة التي توالي الصين.,"Now the sultan TarmashIrIn had abrogated the law relating to this day and abolished its practice, and they most violently disapproved of his action; furthermore, they resented his staying for four years in that part of his territories which borders on Khurasan without ever coming to the region which adjoins China."
والعادة أن الملك يقصد تلك الجهة في كل سنة فيختبر أحوالها وحالَ الجند بها؛ لأن أصل ملكهم منها ودار الملك هي مدينة المالق،,"It was customary for the king to visit that district every year, to investigate its conditions and the state of the troops in it, because it was the cradle of their kingdom, and their seat of kingship is the city of Almaliq."
فلما بايعوا بوزن أتى في عسكر عظيم وخاف طرمشيرين على نفسه من أمرائه ولم يأمنهم فركب في خمسة عشر فارسًا يريد بلاد غزنة وهي من عمالته، وواليها كبير أمرائه وصاحب سره برنطية,"When the amirs transferred their allegiance to Buzun, he advanced with a powerful army, and TarmashIrIn, fearing an attempt on his life by his amIrs and not trusting them, rode out with a company of fifteen horsemen, making for the district of Ghazna. This was included in his provinces, and its governor was the chief of his amirs and his close confidant, Buruntaih."
وهذا الأمير محب في الإسلام والمسلمين قد عمر في عمالته نحو أربعين زاوية فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر وتحت يده العساكر العظيمة،,"This amir, a lover of Islam and of the Muslims, had constructed in his province about forty hospices in which food was supplied to travellers, and had under his command many regiments of troops."
ولم أَرَ قط فيمن رأيته من الآدميين بجميع بلاد الدنيا أعظم خلقة منه،,"I have never, among all the human beings that I have seen in all the lands in the world, seen a man of more prodigious stature."
فلما عبر نهر جيحون وقصد طريق بلخ رآه بعض الأتراك من أصحاب ينقى ابن أخيه كبك,"When TarmashIrIn had crossed the river Jaihun and taken the road to Balkh, he was seen by a certain Turk in the service of Yanql, the son of his brother Kabak."
وكان السلطان طرمشيرين المذكور قتل أخاه كبك المذكور بقي ابنه ينقي ببلخ،,"Now this sultan Tarmashlrln had killed his brother Kabak, whom we have mentioned above, and the latter’s son Yanql had remained in Balkh."
فلما أعلمه التركي بخبره قال: ما فر إلا لأمر حدث عليه، فركب في أصحابه وقبض عليه وسجنه,"So, when the Turk reported to him that he had seen Tarmashlrln, he said ‘He must have taken flight only because of something that has happened to his disadvantage’, and he rode out with his officers, seized him and imprisoned him."
ووصل بوزن إلى سمرقند وبخارى فبايعه الناس وجاءه ينقي بطرمشيرين فيُذْكَر أنه لما وصل إلى نسف بخارج سمرقند قُتِلَ هنالك ودُفِنَ بها، وخدم تربته الشيخ شمس الدين كردن بريدا، وقيل: إنه لم يقتل كما سنذكره،,"When Buzun reached Samarqand and Bukhara and received the allegiance of their inhabitants, Yanql came to him, bringing Tarmashlrln. It is said that when the latter arrived in Nasaf, which is outside Samarqand, he was killed and buried there, and the shaikh Shams al-DIn Gardan BurIda was made guardian of his tomb. But it is said also that he was not killed, as we shall relate [shortly]."
وكردن (بكاف معقودة وراء مسكن ودال مهمل مفتوح ونون) معناه العنق، وبريدا (بضم الباء الموحدة وكسر الراء وياء مد ودال مهمل) معناه المقطوع، ويسمى بذلك لضربة كانت في عنقه وقد رأيته بأرض الهند ويقع ذكره فيما بعد،,"Gardan means ‘neck’ [in Persian] and burida means ‘cut’, and he was called by this name because of a slash he had on his neck. I saw him, in fact, in the land of India, and the story of [this encounter with] him will be told later."
ولما ملك بوزن هرب ابن السلطان طرمشيرين وهو بشاي أغل (أغلي) وأخته وزوجها فيروز إلى ملك الهند,"When Buzun became king, the son of the sultan Tarmashlrln, who was Bashay UghlI, fled, together with his sister and her husband FIruz, to the king of India."
فعظمهم وأنزلهم منزلة علية بسبب ما كان بينه وبين طرمشيرين من الود والمكاتبة والمهاداة وكان يخاطبه بالأخ.,"He received them as distinguished guests and lodged them magnificently, on account of the friendship and the exchange of letters and gifts which had existed between himself and Tarmashlrln, whom he used to address [in his letters] as ‘brother’."
ثم بعد ذلك أتى رجل من أرض السند وادعى أنه طرمشيرين,"Some time later, there came a man from the land of Sind, claiming to be Tarmashlrln himself."
واختلف الناس فيه فسمع بذلك عماد الملك سرتيز غلام ملك الهند ووالي بلاد السند ويسمى ملك عرض، وهو الذي تُعْرَض بين يديه عساكر الهند وإليه أَمْرها، ومقره بملتان قاعدة السند، فبعث إليه بعض الأتراك العارفين به فعادوا إليه وأخبروه أنه هو طرمشيرين حقًّا,"Different opinions were expressed about him, and when this came to the ears of ‘Imad al-Mulk SartIz, the slave of the king of India and governor of the land of Sind (he is called also Malik ’Ard, because it is before him that the armies of India are paraded for review and he has general supervision over them, and his residence is in Multan) he sent some Turks who were acquainted with Tarmashlrln to see him. On their return they told him that he really was Tarmashlrln,"
فأمر له بالسراجة وهي إفراج فضرب خارج المدينة,"so he ordered a saracha (that is to say, an afrag ) to be prepared for him, and it was put up outside the city."
ورتب له ما يرتب لمثله وخرج لاستقباله، وتَرَجَّلَ له وسَلَّمَ عليه وأتى في خدمته إلى السراجة، فدخلها راكبًا كعادة الملوك ولم يشك أحد أنه هو،,"He also performed the ceremonial duties in the style proper to one of his rank, went out to receive him, dismounted before him, saluted him, and came to the saracha in attendance on him, while the man entered it on horseback, in the usual manner of kings. No one doubted that it was in fact he."
وبعث إلى ملك الهند بخبره فبعث إليه الأمراء يستقبلونه بالضيافات،,"SartIz sent a despatch about him to the king of India, who sent a group of amIrs to meet him and to welcome him with the [customary] ceremonies of hospitality."
وكان في خدمة ملك الهند حكيم ممن خدم طرمشيرين فيما تقدم وهو كبير الحكماء بالهند،,"There was in the service of the king of India a physician who had formerly been in the service of TarmashIrIn, and was now chief of the physicians in India."
فقال للملك: أنا أتوجه إليه وأعرف حقيقة أمره، فإني كنت عالجت له دملًا تحت ركبته وبقي أثره وبه أعرفه،,"This man said to the king ‘I shall go myself to see him and find out the truth of his claim, for I once treated him for a boil under his knee, and since the scar remained I can recognize him by that.’"
فأتى إليه ذلك الحكيم واستقبله مع الأمراء ودخل عليه ولازمه لسابقته عنده,"So this doctor went to meet him and welcome him along with the amIrs; he went into his quarters and was constantly beside him, because of his former relations with him."
وأخذ يغمز رجليه وكشف عن الأثر فشتمه وقال له: تريد أن تنظر إلى الدمل الذي عالجته ها هو ذا، وأراه أثره فتحقق أنه هو، وعاد إلى ملك الهند فأعلمه بذلك،,"[At an appropriate moment] he took occasion to feel his legs and uncovered the scar, whereupon the man scolded him violently, saying, ‘Do you want to see the boil that you healed? Well, here it is,’ and showed him the mark of it. The physician was assured that it was he, returned to the king of India, and made his report to him."
ثم إن الوزير خواجة جهان أحمد بن إياس وكبير الأمراء قطلو خان معلم السلطان أيام صغره دخلا على ملك الهند وقالا له: يا خوند عالم هذا السلطان طرمشيرين قد وصل وصح أنه هو,"Sometime later the vizier Khwaja Jahan Ahmad b. Aiyas and the Chief of the AmIrs, Qutlukhan, who had been the sultan’s tutor in his youth, came before the king of India and said to him, ‘O Master of the world, here is the sultan Tarmashirin who has arrived, and it is established that it is really he."
وها هنا من قومه نحو أربعين ألفًا وولده وصهره، أرأيت إن اجتمعوا عليه ما يكون من العمل، فوقع هذا الكلام بموقع منه عظيم وأمر أن يؤتى بطرمشيرين معجلًا.,There are here of his tribesmen about forty thousand as well as his son and his son-in-law. Have you thought what might happen if they should combine with him?’ These words made a powerful impression on the king and he commanded that Tarmashirin should be fetched at once.
فلما دخل عليه أمر بالخدمة كسائر الواردين ولم يعظم وقال له السلطان باماذركاني وهي شتمة قبيحة، كيف تَكْذِب وتقول أنك طرمشيرين، وطرمشيرين قد قُتِلَ وهذا خادم تربته عندنا،,"When the latter entered his presence, he was ordered to do homage, like all other visitors, treated without respect, and the sultan said to him ‘Ya madhar kani (which is a hideous insult), how dare you he, claiming to be Tarmashlrln when Tarmashlrln has been killed and here with us is the keeper of his tomb?"
والله لولا المعرة لقتلتك ولكن أعطوه خمسة آلاف دينار واذهبوا به إلى دار بشاي أغلي وأخته ولدي طرمشيرين وقولوا لهم: إن هذا الكاذب يزعم أنه والدكم،,"By God, were it not for incurring disgrace I would kill you. However, give him five thousand dinars, take him to the house of Bashay Ughul and his sister, the children of Tarmashlrln, and say to them “This liar claims to be your father.’”"
فدخل عليهم فعرفوه وبات عندهم والحراس يحرسونه وأخرج بالغد وخافوا أن يهلكوا بسببه فأنكروه،,"So he came to their house and saw them, and they recognized him; he spent the night with them under the surveillance of guards, and was taken away the next day. They were afraid that they might be killed because of him, and therefore disowned him."
ونفي عن بلاد الهند والسند فسلك طريق كبج ومكران، وأهل البلاد يكرمونه ويضيفونه ويهادونه,"He was exiled from India and Sind, and travelled by way of Kj and Makran, being received by the people of the land [everywhere] with respect, hospitality and gifts."
ووصل إلى شيراز فأكرمه سلطانها أبو إسحاق وأجرى له كفايته،,He came [finally] to Shiraz whose sultan Abu Ishaq received him honourably and furnished him with an income sufficient for his needs.
ولما دخلت عند وصولي من الهند إلى مدينة شيراز ذكر لي أنه باق بها وأردت لقاءه ولم أفعل؛ لأنه كان في دار لا يدخل إليه أحد إلا بإذن من السلطان أبي إسحاق، فخفت مما يتوقع بسبب ذلك، ثم ندمت على عدم لقائه.,"When on my return journey from India I entered Shiraz, I was told that he was still living there. I tried to meet him but could not do so, because he was in a house which no one might enter to visit him, except by permission of the sultan Abu Ishaq. I was afraid of the suspicions that might be aroused by [asking for] this, but afterwards I regretted not having met him."
(رجع الحديث إلى بوزن)، وذلك أنه لما ملك ضيق على المسلمين وظلم الرعية وأباح للنصارى واليهود عمارة كنائسهم,"Our narrative now returns to Buzun, namely that when he became king, he treated the Muslims harshly, oppressed the subjects, and allowed the Christians and Jews to rebuild their churches."
فضَجَّ المسلمون من ذلك وتربصوا به الدوائر، واتصل خبره بخليل ابن السلطان اليسور المهزوم علي خراسان,"The Muslims were aggrieved by this, and ‘waited in readiness for the turns of fortune against him’ . The report of this reached Khalil, son of the sultan al-Yasaur, who had been defeated in [the attempt to seize] Khurasan."
فقصد ملك هراة وهو السلطان حسين ابن السلطان غياث الدين الغوري، فأعلمه بما كان في نفسه وسأل منه الإعانة بالعساكر والمال على أن يشاطره الملك إذا استقام له،,"He approached the king of Harat, the sultan Husain, son of the sultan Ghiyath al-Din al-Ghuri, told him what was in his mind, and asked him for assistance in troops and money on the condition that he, Khalil, would give half of his kingdom to him when it was firmly under his control."
فبعث معه الملك حسين عسكرًا عظيمًا وبين هراة وترمذ تسعة أيام،,"The king Husain thereupon sent a large force of troops with him, the distance between Harat and al-Tirmidh being nine days’ [journey]."
فلما سمع أمراء السلطان بقدوم خليل تلقوه بالسمع والطاعة والرغبة في جهاد العدو،,When the Muslim amirs heard of Khalil’s arrival they received him with tokens of submission and of desire to engage in jihad against the enemy.
وكان أول قادم عليه علاء الملك خداوند زاده صاحب ترمذ، وهو أمير كبير شريف حسيني النسب، فأتاه في أربعة آلاف من المسلمين,"The first man to join him was ‘Ala al-Mulk Khudhawand-zada, the lord of Tirmidh; he was a great amir, a sharif by descent from Husain, and he came to Khalil with four thousand Muslim [troops]."
فسُرَّ به ووَلَّاهُ وزارته وفوض إليه أَمْرَه وكان من الأبطال،,"Khalil was filled with joy at his adhesion, appointed him as his vizier and confided to him the management of his affairs. He was a man of great courage."
وجاء الأُمَرَاء من كل ناحية واجتمعوا على خليل، والْتَقَى مع بوزن فمالت العساكر إلى خليل وأسلموا بوزن وأتوا به أسيرًا فقتله خنقًا بأوتار القسي وتلك عادة لهم أنهم لا يقتلون من كان من أبناء الملوك إلا خنقًا،,"[Other] amirs too arrived from every quarter and assembled around Khalil. When he engaged Buzun in battle, the troops passed over to Khalil, brought along Buzun as a prisoner, and delivered him up, whereupon Khalil executed him by strangulation with bow-strings, it being a custom among them never to put any of the sons of the kings to death except by strangulation."
واستقام الملك لخليل وعرض عساكره بسمرقند فكانوا ثمانين ألفًا عليهم وعلى خيلهم الدروع،,"Khalil was now firmly established in his kingship, and held a review of his troops at Samarqand. They amounted to eighty thousand men, clad, both they and their horses, in armour."
فصرف العسكر الذي جاء به من هراة وقصد بلاد المالق,"He discharged the troops that he had brought with him from Harat, and marched toward the land of Almaliq."
فقدم التتر على أنفسهم واحدًا منهم وألقوه على مسيرة ثلاث من المالق بمقربة من أطراز (طراز)،,"The Tatars appointed one of their own number as their commander, and met him at a distance of three nights’ journey from Almaliq, in the vicinity of Taraz."
وحمي القتال وصبر الفريقان فحمل الأمير خداوند زاده وزيره في عشرين ألفًا من المسلمين حملة لم يثبت لها التتر فانهزموا واشتد فيهم القتل،,"The battle grew fierce and both parties stood firm, when the amir Khudhawand-zada, Khalil’s vizier, with twenty thousand Muslim troops led a charge before which the Tatars could not stand their ground, but were driven in flight and slaughtered in great numbers."
وأقام خليل بالمالق ثلاثًا وخرج إلى استئصال من بقي من التتر,"Khalil stayed in Almaliq for three nights, then went out to extirpate all that remained of the Tatars."
فأذعنوا له بالطاعة، وجاز إلى تخوم الخطا والصين وفتح مدينة قراقرم ومدينة بش بالغ,"They submitted to him, and he crossed to the frontiers of al-Khata and China and captured the city of Qaraqurum and the city of Bishbaligh."
وبعث إليه سلطان الخطا بالعساكر، ثم وقع بينهما الصلح،,"The sultan of al-Khata sent troops against him, but eventually peace was made between them."
وعظم أمر خليل وهابته الملوك وأظهر العدل ورتب العساكر بالمالق وترك بها وزيره خداوند زاده وانصرف إلى سمرقند وبخارى.,"Khalil became so powerful that the kings stood in awe of him; he showed himself a just ruler, established a body of troops in Almaliq, leaving there [as his deputy] his vizier Khudhawand-zada, and returned to Samarqand and Bukhara."
ثم إن الترك أرادوا الفتنة فسعوا إلى خليل بوزيره المذكور وزعموا أنه يريد الثورة ويقول: إنه أحق بالملك لقرابته من النبي ﷺ وكرمه وشجاعته،,"Somewhat later, the Turks, seeking to stir up disorder, calumniated this vizier to Khalil, asserting that he was planning to revolt and that he claimed that he had a better title to the royal power, by reason of his relationship to the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace), his generosity, and his bravery."
فبعث واليًا إلى المالق عوضًا عنه، وأَمَرَهُ أن يقدم عليه في نفر يسير من أصحابه،,"Khalil then sent a governor to Almaliq to replace him, and ordered him to come and present himself at the court with a small body of his associates."
فلما قَدِمَ عليه قَتَلَهُ عند وصوله من غير تثبُّت فكان ذلك سَبَبَ خراب مُلْكِه،,"Then when he presented himself, Khalil executed him as soon as he arrived, without further investigation. But this became the cause of the ruin of his kingdom."
وكان خليل لما عظم أمره بغى على صاحب هراة الذي أورثه الملك وجهزه بالعساكر والمال,"When Khalil became so powerful, he had acted in an insolent manner towards the lord of Harat, who had caused him to inherit the kingship and furnished him with troops and money;"
فكتب إليه أن يخطب في بلاده باسمه ويضرب الدنانير والدراهم على سكته,"he wrote to him demanding that the khutba should be recited in his territories in Khalil’s name, and that his name should be struck on the dinars and dirhams."
فغاظ ذلك الملك حسينًا وأَنِفَ منه وأجابه بأقبح جواب فتجهز خليل لقتاله فلم توافقه عساكر الإسلام ورأوه باغيًا عليه،,"The king Husain was enraged at this and indignantly replied to him in the rudest of terms, whereupon Khalil made preparations for war with him. But the Muslim troops refused to support him, and regarded him as an aggressor against the king of Harat."
وبلغ خبره إلى الملك حسين فجهز العساكر مع ابن عمه ملك ورنا،,"When the report of this reached the king Husain, he despatched troops under the command of his paternal cousin Malik Warna."
والْتَقَى الجمعان فانهزم خليل وأُتِيَ به إلى الملك حسين أسيرًا،,"The two armies met, and Khalil was routed and brought as a captive before the king Husain."
فمَنَّ عليه بالبقاء وجعله في دار وأعطاه جارية وأجرى عليه النفقة،,"He spared Khalil’s life, assigned him a residence, gave him a slave-girl and made him a regular allowance for his upkeep."
(ولنعد إلى ما كنا بسبيله)، ولما ودعت السلطان طرمشيرين سافرْتُ إلى مدينة سمرقند، وهي من أكبر المدن وأحسنها وأتمها جمالًا،,"Let us now return to where we were. When I took leave of the sultan Tarmashirin I journeyed to the city of Samarqand, which is one of the greatest and finest of cities, and most perfect of them in beauty."
مبنية على شاطئ وادٍ يُعْرَف بوادي القصارين عليه النواعير تسقي البساتين وعنده يجتمع أهل البلد بعد صلاة العصر للنزهة والتفرج،,"It is built on the bank of the river called Wadi’l-Qassarin, along which there are norias to supply water to the orchards. The population of the town gather there after the ‘asr prayer to divert themselves and to promenade."
ولهم عليه مساطب ومجالس يقعدون عليها ودكاكين تباع بها الفاكهة وسائر المأكولات،,"Benches and seats are provided for them to sit on alongside the river, and there are booths in which fruit and other edibles are sold."
وكانت على شاطئه قصور عظيمة وعمارة تنبئ عن علو هِمَمِ أهلها فدثر أكثر ذلك، وكذلك المدينة خرب كثير منها ولا سور لها ولا أبواب عليها وفي داخلها البساتين.,"There were formerly great palaces on its bank, and constructions which bear witness to the lofty aspirations of the townsfolk, but most of this is obliterated, and most of the city itself has also fallen into ruin. It has no city wall, and no gates, and there are gardens inside it."
وأهل سمرقند لهم مكارم أخلاق ومحبة في الغريب وهم خير من أهل بخارى،,The inhabitants of Samarqand possess generous qualities; they are affectionate towards the stranger and are better than the people of Bukhara.
وبخارج سمرقند قبر قثم بن العباس بن عبد المطلب رضي الله عن العباس وعن ابنه وهو المستشهِد حين فتحها،,"In the outskirts of Samarqand is the tomb of Qutham, son of Al-’Abbas b. ‘Abd alMuttalib (God be pleased with both al-’Abbas and his son), who met a martyr’s death at the time of its conquest."
ويخرج أهل سمرقند كل ليلة اثنين وجمعة إلى زيارته، والتَّتَرُ يأتون لزيارته وينذرون له النذور العظيمة ويأتون إليه بالبقر والغنم والدراهم والدنانير، فيصرف ذلك في النفقة على الوارد والصادر ولخدام الزاوية والقبر المبارك،,"The people of Samarqand go out to visit it on the eve of every Tuesday and Friday, and the Tatars too come to visit it, and make large votive offerings to it, bringing to it cattle, sheep, dirhams and dinars, [all of] which is devoted to expenditure for the maintenance of travellers and the servitors of the hospice and the blessed tomb."
وعليه قبة قائمة على أربع أرجل، ومع كل رجل ساريتان من الرخام منها الخضر والسود والبيض والحمر،,"The latter is surmounted by a dome resting on four pilasters, each of which is combined with two marble columns, green, black, white and red."
وحيطان القبة بالرخام المجزع المنقوش بالذهب وسقفها مصنوع بالرصاص،,"The walls of the [cell beneath the] cupola are of marble inlaid with different colours and decorated with gold, and its roof is made of lead."
وعلى القبر خشب الآبنوس المرصع مكسو الأركان بالفضة وفوقه ثلاثة من قناديل الفضة,The tomb itself is covered with planks of ebony inlaid [with gold and jewels] and with silver cornerpieces; above it are three silver lamps.
وفرش القبة بالصوف والقطن وخارجها نهر كبير يشق الزاوية التي هنالك، وعلى حافتيه الأشجار ودوالي العنب والياسمين، وبالزاوية مساكن يسكنها الوارد والصادر،,"The hangings of the dome are of wool and cotton. Outside it is a large canal, which traverses the hospice at that place, and has on both its banks trees, grape-vines, and jasmine. In the hospice there are chambers for the lodging of travellers."
ولم يُغَيِّر التتر أيام كفرهم شيئًا من حال هذا الموضع المبارك، بل كانوا يتبركون به لما يَرَوْنَ له من الآيات،,"The Tatars, in the time of their infidelity, did not injure in any way the condition of this blessed site; on the contrary, they used to visit it to gain blessing as the result of the miraculous signs which they witnessed on its behalf."
وكان الناظرُ في كل حال هذا الضريح المبارك وما يليه حين نزولنا به الأميرَ غياث الدين محمد بن عبد القادر بن عبد العزيز بن يوسف ابن الخليفة المستنصر بالله العباسي،,"The Superintendent of everything to do with this blessed sepulchre and the adjoining buildings at the time of our lodging there was the amir Ghiyath al-DIn Muhammad b. ‘Abd alQadir b. ‘Abd al-’Aziz b. Yusuf, son of the ‘Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir billah."
قَدَّمَهُ لذلك السلطان طرمشيرين لما قدم عليه من العراق، وهو الآن عند ملك الهند وسيأتي ذِكْرُه،,"He was appointed to this office by the sultan Tarmashirln, when he came to his court from al-’Iraq, but is now in the service of the king of India, and we shall speak of him later."
ولقيت بسمرقند قاضيها المسمى عندهم صدر الجهان، وهو من الفضلاء ذوي المكارم،,"I met at Samarqand its qadi, who was known among them by the title of Sadr al-Jahan, and was a worthy and generous man."
وسافَرَ إلى بلاد الهند بعد سفري إليها فأدركَتْه منيته بمدينة ملتان قاعدة بلاد السند.,"He made the journey to India after I went there, but was overtaken by death in the city of Multan, the capital of the land of Sind."
حكاية,Anecdote.
لما مات هذا القاضي بملتان كتب صاحب الخبر بأمره إلى ملك الهند، وأنه قدم برسم بابه فاخترم دون ذلك،,"When this qadi died at Multan, the intelligence officer sent a report about him to the king of India, stating that he had come with the object of presenting himself at the court but had been cut off before doing so."
فلما بلغ الخبر إلى الملك أَمَرَ أن يُبْعَثَ إلى أولاده عدد من آلاف الدنانير لا أذكره الآن، وأمر أن يعطى لأصحابه ما كان يعطى لهم لو وصلوا معه وهو بقيد الحياة،,"When this report reached the king, he commanded that there be sent to his sons a sum which I cannot now recall of some thousands of dinars, and that there be given to his associates what he would have given them if they had arrived in his company during his lifetime."
ولملك الهند في كل بلد من بلاده صاحب الخبر يكتب له بكل ما يجري في ذلك البلد من الأمور وبمن يَرِدُ عليه من الواردين،,"The king of India maintains in every one of his towns an intelligence officer, who writes to him to report everything that happens in that town, and about every traveller that arrives in it."
وإذا أتى الوارد كتبوا من أي البلاد وَرَدَ وكتبوا اسمه ونَعْتَه وثيابه وأصحابه وخيله وخدامه، وهيئته من الجلوس والمأكل وجميع شئونه وتصرفاته، وما يظهر منه من فضيلة أو ضدها،,"When a traveller comes, they record from what land he has come, his name, description, clothes, companions, horses, servants, his manner of sitting and of eating, and all of his affairs and activities, and what may be remarked about him in the way of good qualities or the opposite."
فلا يصل الوارد إلى الملك إلا وهو عارِفٌ بجميع حاله، فتكون كرامته على مقدار ما يستحقه،,"In this way no new arrival comes to the king without his being advised of everything about him, so that his generosity may be proportioned to the newcomer’s merits."
ثم وصلنا إلى مدينة ترمذ التي يُنْسَب إليها الإمام أبو عيسى محمد بن عيسى بن سورة الترمذي مؤلف الجامع الكبير في السنن،,"We then came to the city of Tirmidh, from which comes the ethnic of the Imam Abu ‘Isa Muhammad b. ‘Isa b. SUra al-TirmidhI, composer of the ‘Great Collection’ on the Tradition of the Prophet."
وهي مدينة كبيرة حسنة العمارة والأسواق تخترقها الأنهار، وبها البساتين الكثيرة والعنب، والسفرجل بها كثير متناهي الطِّيب، واللحوم بها كثيرة وكذلك الألبان،,"It is a large city with fine buildings and bazaars, traversed by canals, and with many gardens. It abounds in grapes and quinces of exquisite flavour, as well as in flesh-meats and milk of all kinds."
وأهلها يغسلون رءوسهم في الحمام باللبن عوضًا عن الطفل، ويكون عند كل صاحب حمام أوعية كبار مملوءة لبنًا، فإذا دخل الرجل الحمام أخذ منها في إناء صغير فغسل رأسه وهو يرطب الشعر ويصقله.,"Its inhabitants wash their heads in the bath-house with milk instead of fuller’s earth; the proprietor of every bath-house has large jars filled with milk, and each man as he enters the establishment takes some of it in a small jug, and then washes his head. It makes the hair fresh and glossy."
وأهل الهند يجعلون في رءوسهم زيت السمسم ويسمونه الشيراج ويغسلون الشعر بعده بالطفل فينعم الجسم ويصقل الشعر ويطيله، وبذلك طالت لحى أهل الهند ومن سكن معهم،,"The Indians put oil of sesame (which they call siraj) on their heads and afterwards wash their hair with fuller’s earth. This gives a smoothness to the body and makes the hair glossy and long, and that is the reason why the Indians and those who live among them have long beards."
وكانت مدينة ترمذ القديمة مبنية على شاطئ جيحون، فلما خربها تنكيز بُنِيَتْ هذه الحديثة على ميلين من النهر،,"The old city of Tirmidh was built on the bank of the JaihUn, and when it was laid in ruins by Tankiz this new city was built two miles from the river."
وكان نزولنا بها بزاوية الشيخ الصالح عزيزان من كبار المشايخ وكرمائهم، كثير المال والرباع والبساتين، يُنْفِق على الوارد والصادر من ماله،,"Our lodging there was in the hospice of the pious shaikh ‘AzIzan, one of the great and most generous shaikhs, who possesses great wealth and house property and orchards and spends of his wealth to [supply the needs of] travellers."
واجتمعت قبل وصولي إلى هذه المدينة بصاحبها علاء الملك خداوند زاده وكتب لي إليها بالضيافة، فكانت تُحْمَل إلينا أيام مقامنا بها في كل يوم،,"Before arriving in this city, I had met its ruler, ‘Ala al-Mulk Khudhawand-Zada, who sent in writing an order to the city for my entertainment as a guest, and every day during our stay in it provisions were brought to us."
ولقيت أيضًا قاضيها قوام الدين وهو متوجِّه لرؤية السلطان طرمشيرين وطالِبٌ للإذن له في السفر إلى بلاد الهند،,"I met also its qadI, Qiwam al-DIn, who was on his way to see the sultan TarmashirIn and to ask for his permission to him to travel to India."
وسيأتي ذِكْر لقائي له بعد ذلك، ولأخويه ضياء الدين وبرهان الدين بملتان وسفرنا جميعًا إلى الهند،,"The story of my meeting with him thereafter, and with his brothers Diya al-DIn and Burhan alDIn, at Multan and of our journey together to India will follow later."
ثم أجزنا نهر جيحون إلى بلاد خراسان، وسرنا بعد انصرافنا من ترمذ وإجازة الوادي يومًا ونصف يوم في صحراء ورمال لا عمارة بها إلى مدينة بلخ,"Next we crossed the river JaihUn into the land of Khurasan, and marched for a day and a half after leaving Tirmidh and crossing the river through uninhabited desert and sands to the city of Balkh."
وهي خاوية على عروشها غير عامرة ومن رآها ظنها عامرة لإتقان بنائها، وكانت ضخمة فسيحة ومساجدها ومدارسها باقية الرسوم حتى الآن، ونقوش مبانيها مدخلة بأصبغة اللازورد,"It is completely dilapidated and uninhabited, but anyone seeing it would think it to be inhabited because of the solidity of its construction (for it was a vast and important city), and its mosques and colleges preserve their outward appearance even now, with the inscriptions on their buildings incised with lapis-blue paints."
والناس يَنْسِبون اللازورد إلى خراسان وإنما يُجْلَب من جبال بدخشان التي يُنْسَب إليها الياقوت البدخشي، والعامة يقولون البلخش وسيأتي ذِكْرها إن شاء الله تعالى،,"People generally attribute the lapis-stone to Khurasan, but in reality it is imported from the mountains of [the province of] Badakhshan, which has given its name also to the ruby called badakhshi (pronounced by the vulgar balakhshi) , and which will be mentioned later, if God will."
وخرب هذه المدينة تنكيز اللعين، وهدم من مسجدها نحو الثلث بسبب كنز ذُكِرَ له أنه تحت سارية من سواريه،,The accursed TankIz devastated this city and pulled down about a third of its mosque because of a treasure which he was told lay under one of its columns.
وهو من أحسن مساجد الدنيا وأفسحها، ومسجد رباط الفتح بالمغرب يشبهه في عظم سواريه، ومسجد بلخ أجمل منه في سوى ذلك.,"It is one of the finest and most spacious mosques in the world; the mosque of Ribat al-Fath in the Maghrib resembles it in the size of its columns, but the mosque of Balkh is more beautiful than it in all other respects."
حكاية,Anecdote.
ذَكَرَ لي بعض أهل التاريخ أن مسجد بلخ بَنَتْه امرأة كان زوجها أميرًا ببلخ لبني العباس يسمى داود بن علي،,"I was told by a certain historian that the mosque at Balkh was built by a woman whose husband was governor of Balkh for the ‘Abbasid [Caliphs], and was called Da’ud b. ‘All."
فاتفق أن الخليفة غضب مرة على أهل بلخ لحادث أحدثوه، فبعث إليهم مَنْ يغرمهم مغرمًا فادحًا،,"It happened that the Caliph on one occasion, in a fit of anger against the people of Balkh for some rebellious act on their part, sent an agent to them to exact a crushing indemnity from them."
فلما بلغ إلى بلخ أتى نساؤها وصبيانها إلى تلك المرأة التي بَنَت المسجد وهي زوج أميرهم وشَكَوْا حالهم وما لَحِقَهُم من هذا المغرم،,"On his arrival at Balkh, the women and the children of the city came to this woman who had built the mosque i.e. the wife of their governor, and complained of their situation and [the suffering which] they had to endure because of this indemnity."
فبعثَتْ إلى الأمير الذي قدم برسم تغريمهم بثوب لها مرصع بالجوهر قيمته أكثر مما أمر بتغريمه، فقالت له: اذهب بهذا الثوب إلى الخليفة فقد أعطيته صدقة عن أهل بلخ لضعف حالهم،,"Thereupon she sent to the amir who had come to levy this tax on them a garment of her own, embroidered with jewels and of a value greater than the indemnity that he had been ordered to collect, [with a message] to him, saying ‘Take this robe to the Caliph, for I give it to him as alms on behalf of the people of Balkh, in view of their poverty.’"
فذهب به إلى الخليفة وألقى الثوب بين يديه وقَصَّ عليه القصة فخجل الخليفة، وقال: أتكون المرأة أكرم منا؟,"So he went off with it to the Caliph, laid the robe before him, and related the story to him. The Caliph was covered with shame and exclaiming ‘Shall the woman be more generous than we?’"
وأَمَرَهُ برفع المغرم عن أهل بلخ وبالعودة إليها ليرد للمرأة ثوبها وأسقط عن أهل بلخ خراج سنة،,"commanded him to annul the indemnity extracted from the inhabitants of Balkh, and to return there to restore the woman’s robe to her. He also remitted one year’s taxes to the people of Balkh."
فعاد الأمير إلى بلخ وأتى منزل المرأة وقَصَّ عليها مقالة الخليفة ورَدَّ عليها الثوب،,"When the amir returned to Balkh, he went to the woman’s dwelling, related to her what the Caliph had said, and gave the robe back to her."
فقالت له: أَوَقَعَ بصر الخليفة على هذا الثوب؟ قال: نعم، قالت: لا ألبس ثوبًا وَقَعَ عليه بصر غير ذي محرم مني،,"Then she said to him, ‘Did the Caliph’s eye light upon this robe?’ He said ‘Yes’. She said, T shall not wear a robe upon which there has lighted the eye of any man other than those within the forbidden degrees of relationship to me.’"
وأَمَرَتْ ببيعه فبُنِيَ منه المسجد والزاوية ورباط في مقابلته مبنًى بالكذان وهو عامر حتى الآن،,"She ordered the robe to be sold and built with its price the mosque, the hospice, and a convent [for sufi devotees] opposite it, the latter built of tufa and still in habitable condition today."
وفَضَلَ مِنْ ثَمَنِ الثوب مقدار ثلثه فذُكِرَ أنها أَمَرَتْ بدفنه تحت بعض سواري المسجد ليكون هنالك متيسرًا إن احتيج إليه خرج،,"[After the buildings were completed] there remained of the [price of the] robe as much as one-third, and the story goes that she ordered it to be buried under one of the columns of the mosque, that it might be available and come to light if it should be needed."
فأُخْبِرَ تنكيز بهذه الحكاية فأَمَرَ بهدم سواري المسجد فهُدِمَ منها نحو الثلث ولم يجد شيئًا فترك الباقي على حاله.,"This tradition was related to Tankiz, who gave orders in consequence to pull down the columns in the mosque. After about a third had been pulled down without finding anything, he left the rest as they were."
وبخارج بلخ قبر يُذْكَر أنه قبر عكاشة بن محصن الأسدي صاحب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا الذي يدخل الجنة بلا حساب، وعليه زاوية معظمة بها كان نزولنا،,"Outside [the city of] Balkh is a tomb said to be that of ‘Okkasha ibn Mihsan of the tribe of Asad, the Companion of the Apostle of God (God bless him and give him peace) who will enter Paradise without a reckoning [on the Day of Judgement]. Over it is a splendid hospice in which we had our lodging."
وبخارجها بِركة ماء عجيبة عليها شجرة جوز عظيمة ينزل الواردون في الصيف تحت ظلالها،,"Outside of this is a wonderful pool of water, beside which there is an immense walnut tree, under whose shade travellers alight during the summer."
وشيخ هذه الزاوية يُعْرَف بالحاج خرد وهو الصغير من الفضلاء، وركب معنا وأرانا مزارات هذه المدينة، منها قبر حزقيل النبي عليه السلام وعليه قبة حسنة، وزُرْنَا بها أيضًا قبورًا كثيرة من قبور الصالحين لا أَذْكُرها الآن،,"The shaikh of this hospice is known as al-Hajj Khurd (which means [in Persian] ‘the little’), a worthy man, who rode with us and showed us the places in this city. Among them is the tomb of the prophet Hizkil (upon whom be peace), over which there is a fine dome. We visited there also many tombs of saintly men, which I cannot recall now."
ووقفنا على دار إبراهيم بن أدهم رضي الله عنه وهي دار ضخمة مبنية بالصخر الأبيض الذي يشبه الكذان,"We stopped by the house of Ibrahim b. Adham (God be pleased with him), which is a vast edifice constructed of white stone which resembles tufa."
وكان زرع الزاوية مقترنًا بها وقد سدت عليه فلم ندخلها وهي بمقربة من المسجد الجامع،,"It was used as a storehouse for the grain belonging to the hospice [from its endowed lands] and was barricaded [to prevent access] to it, so we did not go into it. It is in the vicinity of the cathedral mosque."
ثم سافرنا من مدينة بلخ فسرنا في جبال قوه أستان (فهستان) سبعة أيام,"We resumed our journey from the city of Balkh, and travelled for seven days through the mountains of Quh Istan."
وهي قرى كثيرة عامرة بها المياه الجارية والأشجار المورقة وأكثرها شجر التين وبها زوايا كثيرة فيها الصالحون المنقطعون إلى الله تعالى،,"These [contain] many inhabited villages, in which there are running streams and leafy trees, most of them fig-trees, and many hospices inhabited by pious devotees consecrated to the service of God Most High."
وبعد ذلك كان وصولنا إلى مدينة هراة وهي أكبر المدن العامرة بخراسان،,"Thereafter we cirrived at the city of Harat, the largest of the inhabited cities in Khurasan."
ومدن خراسان العظيمة أربع ثنتان عامرتان وهما هراة ونيسابور وثنتان خربتان وهما بلخ ومرو،,"The great cities of Khurasan are four; two of them are inhabited, namely Harat and Naisabur, and two are in ruins, namely Balkh and Marw."
ومدينة هراة كبيرة عظيمة كثيرة العمارة ولأهلها صلاح وعفاف وديانة، وهم على مذهب الإمام أبي حنيفة رضي الله عنه، وبلدهم طاهر من الفساد.,"The city of Harat is very extensive and has a large population. Its inhabitants are men of rectitude, abstention from unlawful pleasures, and sincerity in religion; they follow the school of the Imam Abu Harnfa (God be pleased with him), and their city is [kept] pure of all vice."
ذكر سلطان هراة,Account of the Sultan of Harat.
وهو السلطان المعظم حسين ابن السلطان غياث الدين الغوري صاحب الشجاعة المأثورة والتأييد والسعادة،,"He is the exalted sultan Husain, son of the sultan Ghiyath al-DIn al-Ghuri, a man of notorious bravery and favoured by divine aid and felicity."
ظهر له من إنجاد الله وتأييده في موطنين اثنين ما يقضي منه العجب؛,That which was manifested to him of aid and succour by God Most High on two fields of battle is of a nature to excite astonishment.
أحدهما عند ملاقاة جيشه للسلطان خليل الذي بغى عليه وكان منتهى أمره حصوله أسيرًا في يديه،,"The first of these was when his army engaged the sultan Khalil, who had behaved insolently towards him and who ended by becoming a captive in the hands of the sultan Husain."
والموطن الثاني عنده ملاقاته بنفسه لمسعود سلطان الرافضة، وكان منتهى أَمْرِهِ تبديده وفراره وذهاب ملكه وولي السلطان حسين الملك بعد أخيه المعروف بالحافظ وولي أخوه بعد أبيه غياث الدين.,"The second occasion was when he engaged in person Mas’ud, the sultan of the Rafidis; this ended for the latter with the dispersal of his troops, his own flight, and the loss of his kingdom. The sultan Husain succeeded to the kingship after his brother called al-Hafiz, this brother having succeeded his father Ghiyath al-DIn."
حكاية الرافضة,Account of the Rafidis.
كان بخراسان رجلان أحدهما يسمى بمسعود والآخر يسمى بمحمد، وكان لهما خمسة من الأصحاب وهم من الفُتَّاك، ويُعْرَفون بالعراق بالشطار، ويُعْرَفون بخراسان بسرا بداران (سربداران)، ويُعْرَفون بالمغرب بالصقورة،,"There were in Khurasan two men, one of them called Mas’ud and the other called Muhammad. These two had five associates [desperadoes who go by the name] of futtak, known in al-’Iraq as shuttar, in Khurasan as sarbadalan, and in the Maghrib as suqura."
فاتفق سبعتهم على الفساد وقطع الطرق وسلب الأموال، وشاع خبرهم,"The seven of them made a compact to engage in disorder, highway robbery, and pillaging of goods and properties, and their exploits became known far and wide."
وسكنوا جبلًا منيعًا بمقربة من مدينة بيهق، وتسمى أيضًا مدينة سيزار (سيزوار)، وكانوا يكمنون بالنهار ويخرجون بالليل والعشي فيضربون على القرى ويقطعون الطرق ويأخذون الأموال،,"They took up their abode in an impregnable mountain near the city of Baihaq (which is called also Sabzar); they would remain in hiding by day, and at nightfall or later they would come out and make sudden raids upon the villages, engage in highway robbery, and seize people’s goods."
وانثال عليهم أشباههم من أهل الشر والفساد، فكثر عددهم واشتدت شكواهم وهابهم الناس،,"There poured in to join them a horde of men like themselves, doers of evil and creators of disorder; thus their numbers increased, their power of attack was strengthened, and they became a terror to men."
وضربوا على مدينة بيهق فملكوها، ثم ملكوا سواها من المدن واكتسبوا الأموال وجندوا الجنود وركبوا الخيل،,"After capturing the city of Baihaq by a sudden assault, they went on to seize other cities, and acquired revenues [with which] they enrolled troops and mounted a corps of cavalry."
وتَسَمَّى مسعود بالسلطان وصار العبيد يفرون عن مواليهم إليه، فكل عَبْد فَرَّ منهم يعطيه الفرس والمال، وإن ظهرت له شجاعةٌ أَمَّرَه على جماعة،,"Mas’ud [now] took the title of Sultan. Slaves used to escape from their master to join him; to each of these fugitive slaves he would give a horse and money, and if the man showed himself courageous he made him commander of a section."
فعَظُمَ جيشه واستفحل أَمْرُه، وتَمَذْهَبَ جميعهم بمذهب الرفض وطمحوا إلى استئصال أهل السنة بخراسان وأن يجعلوها كلمة واحدة رافضية،,"So his army grew mightily, and he became a serious menace. The entire body of them made a profession of Shi’ism, and aspired to root out the followers of the Sunna in Khurasan and convert it wholly to the Rafidi cause."
وكان بمشهد طوس شيخ من الرافضة يسمى بحَسَن، وهو عندهم من الصلحاء فوافقهم على ذلك وسمَّوْه بالخليفة،,"There was in Mashhad Tus a Rafidi shaikh called Hasan, who was held by them to be a saint. He supported them in this enterprise and they gave him the title of Caliph."
وأَمَرَهُم بالعدل فأظهروه حتى كانت الدراهم والدنانير تسقط في معسكرهم فلا يلتقطها أحد حتى يأتي ربها فيأخذها،,"He bade them observe the principles of justice, and they did indeed exhibit it to such a degree that dirhams and dinars would fall to the ground in their camp and not one person would pick them up until their owner came and took them."
وغلبوا على نيسابور وبعث إليهم السلطان طغيتمور بالعساكر فهزموه، ثم بعث إليهم نائبه أرغون شاه فهزموه وأسروه ومنوا عليه،,"They captured Naisabur, and when the sultan Tughaitumur sent troops against them, they routed them. He then sent against them his deputy, Arghun Shah, and they routed him too and captured him, but spared his life."
ثم غزاهم طغيتمور بنفسه في خمسين ألفًا من التتر فهزموه وملكوا البلاد وتَغَلَّبُوا على سرخس والزواه وطوس وهي من أعظم بلاد خراسان،,"After this Tughaitumur mounted an expedition against them in person, at the head of fifty thousand Tatars, but they routed him, took possession of the province, and captured Sarakhs, al-Zawa, and Tus, which are among the principal towns of Khurasan."
وجعلوا خليفهم بمشهد علي بن موسى الرضي، وتغلبوا على مدينة الجام ونزلوا بخارجها وهم قاصدون مدينة هراة وبينها وبينهم مسيرة ست.,"They established their caliph in Mashhad ‘All al-Ridaa, son of Musa, captured the city of al-Jam, and encamped outside it [with the intention of] advancing to the city of Harat, at a distance of six nights’ journey from there."
فلما بلغ ذلك الملك حسينًا جمع الأمراء والعساكر وأهل المدينة واستشارهم: هل يقيمون حتى يأتي القوم أو يمضون إليهم فيناجزونهم؟ فوقع إجماعهم على الخروج إليهم,"When the report of this reached the king Husain, he assembled the amirs, the troops and the citizens, and asked their advice whether they should await the arrival of these folk or march out towards them and engage them in battle, and the general agreement was for going out to meet them."
وهم قبيلة واحدة يُسَمَّوْن الغورية، ويقال: إنهم منسوبون إلى غور الشام وأن أصلهم منه،,"[The men of Harat] all belong to a single tribe called the Ghawriya, and are said to derive both their name and their origin from the Ghawr of Syria."
فتجهزوا أجمعون واجتمعوا من أطراف البلاد، وهم ساكنون بالقرى وبصحراء مرغيس (بدغيس) وهي مسيرة أربع,"So they prepared for the expedition en masse, and assembled from all parts of the region, for they are settled in the villages and in the open country of Badghls, which extends over a journey of four nights."
لا يزال عشبها أخضر ترعى منه ماشيتهم وخيلهم، وأكثر شجرها الفستق، ومنها يُحْمَل إلى أرض العراق،,"Its herbage always remains green and serves as pasture for their cattle and horses; most of its trees are pistachios, which are exported from it to the land of al-’Iraq."
وعضدهم أهل مدينة سمنان ونفروا جميعًا إلى الرافضة، وهم مائة وعشرون ألفًا ما بين رجالة وفرسان يقودهم الملك حسين،,"The troops of Harat were reinforced by the men of Simnan, and they set out in a body to meet the Rafidis, twenty-four thousand of them, counting both footsoldiers and horse men, under the command of the king Husain."
واجتمعت الرافضة في مائة وخمسين ألفًا من الفرسان، وكانت الملاقاة بصحراء بوشنج،,The Rafidis assembled in a force of a hundred and fifty thousand horsemen and the encounter took place in the plain of Bushanj.
وصبر الفريقان معًا ثم كانت الدائرة على الرافضة، وفَرَّ سلطانهم مسعود,"Both parties alike held their ground, but finally the battle turned against the Rafidis, and their sultan, Mas’ud, fled."
وثبت خليفتهم حسن في عشرين ألفًا حتى قُتِلَ، وقُتِلَ أكثرهم وأُسِرَ منهم نحو أربعة آلاف،,"Their caliph, Hasan, stood firm with twenty thousand men until he was killed along with most of them, and about four thousand of them were taken prisoner."
وذَكَرَ لي بعض من حَضَرَ هذه الوقيعة أن ابتداء القتال كان في وقت الضحى وكانت الهزيمة عند الزوال،,One of those who was present at this battle told me that the fighting began shortly after sunrise and the flight [of the Sarbadars] was just after midday.
ونزل الملك حسين بعد الظهر فصلى وأُتِيَ بالطعام،,"The king Husain dismounted after [the hour of] midday prayer, and when he had performed the prayer food was brought."
فكان هو وكبراء أصحابه يأكلون وسائرهم يضربون أعناق الأسرى،,He and his principal associates then continued to eat while the remainder of the troops were beheading the prisoners.
وعاد إلى حضرته بعد هذا الفتح العظيم وقد نَصَرَ الله السنة على يديه وأطفأ نار الفتنة،,"He returned to his capital after this signal victory, when God had supported with His aid the [adherents of the] Sunna at his hands and quenched the fire of discord."
وكانت هذه الوقيعة بعد خروجي من الهند عام ثمانية وأربعين،,This battle took place after my departure from India in the year [seven hundred and] forty-eight.
ونشأ بهراة رجل من الزهاد والصلحاء الفضلاء واسمه نظام الدين مولانا،,"There grew up in Harat a certain pious man, of eminent virtue and ascetic life, whose name was Nizam al-Din Mawlana."
وكان أهل هراة يحبونه ويرجعون إلى قوله، وكان يَعِظُهم ويُذَكِّرهم،,"The citizens of Harat held him in high esteem and used to follow his instructions, while he would admonish them and discourse to them [on the punishment of the wicked in Hell]."
وتوافقوا معه على تغيير المنكر وتعاقد معهم على ذلك خطيب المدينة المعروف بملك ورنا وهو ابن عم الملك حسين ومتزوج بزوجة والده,"They made a compact with him to ‘redress the evil’, and were joined in this undertaking by the khatib of the city, known as Malik Warna, who was the paternal cousin of the king Husain and married to his father’s widow."
وهي من أحسن الناس صورة وسيرة والملك يخافه على نفسه وسنذكر خبره،,"(He was one of the most handsome of men in form and conduct, and the king was afraid of him for his own sake and [got rid of him as] we shall relate)."
وكانوا متى علموا بمنكر ولو كان عند الملك غيروه.,"Whenever they learned of some action contrary to the law, even were it on the part of the king himself, they redressed it."
حكاية,Anecdote.
ذُكِرَ لي أنهم تَعَرَّفُوا يومًا أن بدار الملك حسين منكرًا فاجتمعوا لتغييره,"It was told me that they were apprised one day that there was committed an unlawful act in the palace of the king Husain, whereupon they assembled for the purpose of redressing it."
وتحصن منهم بداخل داره، فاجتمعوا على الباب في ستة آلاف رجل، فخاف منهم فاستحضر الفقيه وكبار البلد وكان قد شرب الخمر، فأقاموا عليه الحد بداخل قصره وانصرفوا عنه.,"The king barricaded himself against them inside his palace, but they gathered at the gate to the number of six thousand men, and in fear of them he allowed the jurist [Nizam alDin] and the principal citizens to be admitted. He had in fact been drinking wine, so they executed upon him the legal penalty inside his palace, and withdrew."
حكاية هي سبب قتل الفقيه نظام الدين المذكور,Narrative on the cause of the killing of the aforementioned jurist Nizam alDin.
كانت الأتراك المجاورون لمدينة هراة الساكنون بالصحراء وملكهم طغيتمور الذي مَرَّ ذِكْره، وهم نحو خمسين ألفًا يخافهم الملك حسين ويهدي لهم الهدايا في كل سنة ويداريهم،,"The Turks who inhabit the environs of the city of Harat and who live in the open country, along with their king Tughaitumur (whom we have already mentioned), to the number of about 50,000, used to be a cause of terror to the king Husain, and he would send gifts to them every year and endeavour to gain their good will."
وذلك قبل هزيمته للرافضة، وأما بعد هزيمته للرافضة فتَغَلَّبَ عليهم،,"This was before his defeat of the RafidIs; after routing the latter, he imposed his control on the Turks [also]."
ومن عادة هؤلاء الأتراك التردد إلى مدينة هراة، وربما شربوا بها الخمر وأتاها بعضهم وهو سكران، فكان نظام الدين يَحُدُّ من وجد منهم سكرانًا،,"It was a custom of these Turks to visit the city of Harat from time to time, and they often drank wine in it, or a man of them would come to it in a state of intoxication; then Nizam al-DIn would inflict the legal penalty upon those of them that he found drunk."
وهؤلاء الأتراك أهل نجدة وبأس، ولا يزالون يضربون على بلاد الهند فيَسْبون ويقتلون،,"Now these Turks are pugnacious and violent, and they continually make descents on the towns in India, and carry off [their inhabitants] as captives or kill [them]."
وربما سَبَوْا بعض المسلمات اللاتي يكن بأرض الهند ما بين الكفار، فإذا خرجوا بهن إلى خراسان يطلق نظام الدين المسلمات من أيدي الترك،,"Sometimes they would take captive some of the Muslim women who live in the land of India among the infidels, and when they brought them back to Khurasan Nizam al-DIn would release the Muslim women from the hands of the Turks."
وعلامة النسوة المسلمات بأرض الهند ترك ثقب الأذن والكافرات آذانهن مثقوبات،,"The mark of Muslim women in India is that they do not pierce their ears, whereas the infidel women have their ears pierced."
فاتفق مرة أن أميرًا من أمراء الترك يسمى تمور الطي سبى امرأة وكلف بها كلفًا شديدًا، فذَكَرتْ أنها مسلمة فانتزعها الفقيه من يده,"happened once that one of the amirs of the Turks called TumuraltI captured a woman and conceived a violent passion for her. She stated that she was a Muslim, whereupon the jurist forced him to release her."
فبلغ ذلك من التركي مبلغًا عظيمًا وركب في آلاف من أصحابه وأغار على خيل هراة وهي في مرعاها بصحراء مرغيس (بدغيس) واحتملوها فلم يتركوا لأهل هراة ما يركبون ولا ما يحلبون،,"This action enraged the Turk; he rode out with some thousands of his men, raided the horses of Harat in their pasturage in the plain of Badghis, carried them off and left nothing for the men of Harat to ride on or to milk."
وصعدوا بها إلى جبل هنالك لا يقدر عليهم فيه، ولم يجد السلطان ولا جنده خيلًا يتبعونهم بها،,"They took them up into a mountain in those parts where no one could prevail against them, and neither the sultan nor his soldiers could find horses with which to pursue them."
فبعث إليهم رسولًا يَطْلُب منهم رَدَّ ما أخذوه من الماشية والخيل ويُذَكِّرهم العهد الذي بينهم، فأجابوا بأنهم لا يردون ذلك حتى يمكنوا من الفقيه نظام الدين، فقال السلطان: لا سبيل إلى هذا.,"The sultan then sent an envoy to them, to request them to restore the cattle and horses that they had seized and to remind them of the pact between them and himself. They replied that they would not restore their booty until he should allow them to lay hands on the jurist Nizam al-DIn, but the sultan refused to consent to this."
وكان الشيخ أبو أحمد الجستي حفيد الشيخ مودود الجستي له بخراسان شأن عظيم وقوله معتبر لديهم،,"The shaikh Abu Ahmad al-JishtI, the grandson of the shaikh Mawdud al-JishtI, enjoyed a great reputation in Khurasan and his word was held in high esteem by its people."
فركب في جماعة خيل من أصحابه ومماليكه فقال: أنا أحمل الفقيه نظام الدين معي إلى الترك ليرضوا بذلك ثم أرده،,"This man rode [to the sultan] with a mounted company of his disciples and mamluks and said ‘I shall personally conduct the faqIh Nizam al-DIn to the Turks, so that they may be placated by this, and then I shall bring him back again.’"
فكأن الناس مالوا إلى قوله ورأى الفقيه نظام الدين اتفاقهم على ذلك، فركب مع الشيخ أبي أحمد ووصل إلى الترك,"Since those present were in favour of his proposal, the faqIh Nizam al-DIn, seeing their unanimous agreement upon it, rode out with the shaikh Abu Ahmad and arrived at [the camp of] the Turks."
فقام إليه الأمير تمور الطي، وقال له: أنت أخذت امرأتي مني وضربه بدبوسه فكسر دماغه فخر ميتًا فسقط في أيدي الشيخ أبي أحمد وانصرف من هنالك إلى بلده ورد الترك ما كانوا أخذوه من الخيل والماشية،,"The amIr TumuraltI rose up at his approach, and, saying to him ‘It was you who took my woman from me,’ struck him with his mace and smashed his brain, so that he fell dead. The shaikh Abu Ahmad, vexed and disconcerted, returned from the place to his town, and the Turks restored the horses and cattle that they had seized."
وبعد مدة قدم ذلك التركي الذي قَتْل الفقيه على مدينة هراة، فلقيه جماعة من أصحاب الفقيه فتقدموا إليه كأنهم مُسَلِّمون عليه وتحت ثيابهم السيوف، فقتلوه وفَرَّ أصحابه،,"Some time later this same Turk who had killed the faqIh came to the city of Harat. He was met by a body of the faqIh’s associates who came up to him as though to salute him, but with swords under their robes, and they killed him, while his companions fled for their lives."
ولما كان بعد هذا بعث الملك حسين ابن عمه ملك ورنا الذي كان رفيق الفقيه نظام الدين في تغيير المنكر رسولًا إلى ملك سجستان،,"After this event the king Husain sent his uncle’s son Malik Warna, who had been the partner of the faqIh Nizam al-DIn in [the campaign for] the reform of unlawful conduct, as envoy to the king of Sijistan."
فلما حصل بها بَعَثَ إليه أن يقيم هنالك ولا يعود إليه، فقصد بلاد الهند ولقيته وأنا خارج منها بمدينة سيوستان من السند،,"On his arrival there, the king Husain sent an order to him to remain in Sijistan and not to return to him. He set out to go to India, in consequence, and I met him, as I was leaving the country, at the city of SIwasitan in Sind."
وهو أحد الفضلاء، وفي طَبْعه حب الرياسة والصيد والبزاة والخيل والمماليك والأصحاب واللباس الملوكي الفاخر،,"He was an excellent man, who had a natural liking for positions of authority, and for hunting, falcons, horses, slaves, attendants, and royal garments made of rich stuffs."
ومن كان على هذا الترتيب فإنه لا يصلح حاله بأرض الهند،,Now a man of this order will find himself in no happy situation in the land of India.
فكان مِنْ أَمْرِه أن ملك الهند ولاه بلدًا صغيرًا، وقَتَلَه به بعض أهل هراة المقيمين بالهند بسبب جارية،,"In his case, the king of India made him governor of a small town, and he was assassinated there on account of a slavegirl by one of the men of Harat who were living in India."
وقيل: إن ملك الهند دس عليه من قَتَلَهُ بسعي الملك حسين في ذلك، ولأجله خدم الملك حسين ملك الهند بعد موت ملك ورنا المذكور,"It was said that the king of India had secretly employed the man to assassinate him at the instigation of the king Husain, and it was for this reason that the king Husain acknowledged the king of India as his suzerain after the death of the aforementioned Malik Warna."
وهاداه ملك الهند وأعطاه مدينة بكار من بلاد السند ومجباها خمسون ألفًا من دنانير الذهب في كل سنة.,"The king of India exchanged gifts with him and gave him the city of Bakar in Sind, whose tax-yield is fifty thousand silvar dinars a year."
ولنعد إلى ما كنا بسبيله فنقول:,Let us return now to our narrative:
سافرنا من هراة إلى مدينة الجام، وهي متوسطة حسنة ذات بساتين وأشجار وعيون كثيرة وأنهار وأكثر شجرها التوت والحرير بها كثير،,"From Harat we travelled to the city of al-Jam, a place of middling size, pretty, with orchards and trees, abundance of springs, and flowing streams. Most of its trees are mulberries, and silk is to be had there in quantities."
وهي تُنْسَب إلى الولي العابد الزاهد شهاب الدين أحمد الجامي، وسنذكر حكايته،,"The town takes its name from the self-denying and ascetic saint Shihab al-DIn Ahmad al-Jam, whose history we shall relate shortly."
وحفيده الشيخ أحمد المعروف بزاده الذي قتله ملك الهند، والمدينة الآن لأولاده وهي محررة من قبل السلطان، ولهم بها نعمة وثروة،,"His grandson was the shaikh Ahmad, known as Zada, who was executed by the king of India, and the city is now in the hands of his sons. It is exempted from paying taxes to the sultan, and [the members of the shaikh’s house] live there in well-being and opulence."
وذكر لي من أثق به أن السلطان أبا سعيد ملك العراق قدم خراسان مرة ونزل على هذه المدينة وبها زاوية الشيخ,"It was told me by a person in whom I have confidence that the sultan Abu Sa’Id, the king of al-’Iraq, came to Khurasan on one occasion and encamped in this city, in which is the hospice of the shaikh."
فأضافه ضيافة عظيمة وأعطى لكل خباء بمحلته رأس غنم، ولكل أربعة رجال رأس غنم ولكل دابة بالمحلة من فرس وبغل وحمار علف ليلة، فلم يَبْقَ في المحلة حيوان إلا وَصَلَتْه ضيافته.,"Whereupon the shaikh [Ahmad] entertained him with an immense [display of] hospitality; he gave one sheep to every tent in the sultan’s mahalla, one sheep to every four men, and to every riding-beast in the mahalla, whether horse, mule, or ass, one night’s forage, so that not a single animal was left in the mahalla without receiving [its share of] his hospitality."
حكاية الشيخ شهاب الدين الذي تُنْسَب إليه مدينة الجام,"History of the Shaikh Shihab al-DTn, after whom the city of al-Jam is named:"
يُذْكَر أنه كان صاحب راحة مكثرًا من الشرب، وكان له من الندماء نحو ستين، وكانت لهم عادة أن يجتمعوا يومًا في منزل كل واحد منهم فتدور النوبة على أحدهم بعد شهرين،,"It is related that [in his youth] he was given to pleasure and addicted to drinking. He had about sixty drinking-companions, and it was their custom to meet for one day in the house of each one of them, so that each man’s turn came round every two months."
وبقوا على ذلك مدة ثم إن النوبة وصلت يومًا إلى الشيخ شهاب الدين فعقد النوبة ليلة النوبة وعزم على إصلاح حاله مع ربه،,"They continued in this fashion for a time. At length one day when the turn of the shaikh Shihab al-DIn arrived, on the eve of his turn he made a resolution to repent and determined to set himself aright with his Lord."
وقال في نفسه: إن قلت لأصحابي: إني قد ثبت قبل اجتماعهم عندي ظنوا ذلك عجزًا عن مؤنتهم فأحضر ما كان يحضر مثله قبل من مأكولات ومشروب وجعل الخمر في الزقاق,"He said to himself, ‘If I say to my associates that I repented before their meeting in my house, they will impute my statement to inability to entertain them,’ so he made the same preparations as had formerly been made by any one of his fellows in the way of food and drink, and put the wine into wineskins."
وحضر أصحابه، فلما أرادوا الشرب فتحوا زقًّا فذاقه أحدهم فوجده حلوًا ثم فتحوا ثانيًا فوجدوه كذلك ثم ثالثًا فوجدوه كذلك، فكلموا الشيخ في ذلك,"His companions arrived, and on preparing to drink opened a skin, but when one of them tasted it he found it to be sweet. They then opened another, found it the same, then a third, and found it likewise, and proceeded to expostulate with the shaikh on this score."
فخرج لهم عن حقيقة أمره وصدقهم سن بكره وعرفهم بتوبته، وقال لهم: والله ما هذا إلا الشراب الذي كنتم تشربونه فيما تقدم,"Thereupon he confessed to them the true state of his affair, made a clean breast of the circumstances, and informed them of his repentance, adding ‘By God, this wine is no different from what you have been in the habit of drinking in the past.’"
فتابوا جميعًا إلى الله تعالى، وبنوا تلك الزاوية وانقطعوا بها لعبادة الله تعالى،,"Whereupon they all repented, turning to God Most High, built that hospice, and devoted themselves to the service of God Most High."
وظهر لهذا الشيخ كثير من الكرامات والمكاشفات،,Many miraculous graces and divinations have been made manifest at the hand of this shaikh.
ثم سافرنا من الجام إلى مدينة طوس وهي من أكبر بلاد خراسان، وأعظمها بلد الإمام الشهير أبي حامد الغزالي رضي الله عنه وبها قبره،,"We travelled on from al-Jam to the city of Tus, which is one of the largest and most illustrious cities of Khurasan, the home-town of the celebrated Imam Abu Hamid al-GhazalI (God be pleased with him), and the place of his tomb."
ورحلنا منها إلى مدينة مشهد الرضا وهو علي بن موسى الكاظم بن جعفر الصادق بن محمد الباقر بن علي زين العابدين بن الحسين الشهيد ابن أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنهم،,"Thence we went on to the city of Mashhad al-Rida, al-Rida being ‘All b. Musa al-Kazim b. Ja’far al-Sadiq b. Muhammad alBaqir b. ‘All Zain al-’AbidIn b. Husain al-Shahid, son of “All b. Abl talib (God be pleased with them)."
وهي أيضًا مدينة كبيرة ضخمة كثيرة الفواكه والمياه والأرجاء الطاحنة،,"This too is a large and important city, with abundance of fruits, streams, and grinding-mills."
وكان بها الطاهر محمد شاه والطاهر عندهم بمعنى النقيب عند أهل مصر والشام والعراق وأهل الهند والسند وتركستان يقولون السيد الأجل،,"Living there was al-Tahir Muhammad Shah (al-Tahir has among them the same significance as al-Naqib among the people of Egypt, Syria, and al-‘Iraq). The people of India and Sind and Turkistan say ‘Al-Sayyid al-Ajall’."
وكان أيضًا بهذا المشهد القاضي الشريف جلال الدين لقيته بأرض الهند والشريف علي وولداه أمير هند ودولة شاه وصحبوني من ترمذ إلى بلاد الهند وكانوا من الفضلاء،,"Also at this sanctuary was the qadl, the sharlf Jalal al-DIn (I met him in India), and sharlf ‘All and his two sons, Amir Hindu and Dawlat Shah—these accompanied me from Tirmidh to India. They were [all] men of eminent virtue."
والمشهد المكرم عليه قبة عظيمة في داخل زاوية تجاورها مدرسة ومسجد وجميعها مليح البناء مصنوع الحيطان بالقاشاني,"The noble sanctuary is surmounted by a great dome inside a hospice, with a college and a mosque adjoining it. All these buildings are of elegant construction, their walls being colourfully decorated with Qasham [tiles]."
وعلى القبر دكانة خشب ملبسة بصفائح الفضة وعليه قناديل فضة معلقة.,"Over the tomb is a wooden staging coated with plaques of silver, with a silver candelabra suspended above it."
وعتب باب القبة فضة وعلى بابها ستر حرير مذهب، وهي مبسوطة بأنواع البسط،,"The threshold of the door of the dome-chamber is of silver, and over the door itself is a curtain of gold-embroidered silk. The chamber is carpeted with different sorts of rugs."
وإزاء هذا القبر قبر هارون الرشيد أمير المؤمنين رضي الله عنه، وعليه دكانة يضعون عليها الشمعدانات التي يَعْرِفها أهل المغرب بالحسك والمنائر،,"Facing this tomb is the tomb of Harun alRashid, the Commander of the Faithful (God be pleased with him), and over it is a staging on which they place candlesticks (which the people of the Maghrib call by the name of hasaka and manara)."
وإذا دخل الرافضي للزيارة ضَرَبَ قبر الرشيد برجله وسَلَّمَ على الرضا،,"When a Rafidl enters to visit [the tomb of al-Rida], he kicks the tomb of alRashid with his foot and pronounces a blessing on al-Rida."
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة سرخس وإليها يُنْسَب الشيخ الصالح لقمان السرخسي رضي الله عنه،,"We went on next to the city of Sarakhs, after which is named the pious shaikh Luqman alSarakhsl (God be pleased with him)."
ثم سافرنا منها إلى مدينة زاوة وهي مدينة الشيخ الصالح قطب الدين حيدر وإليه تُنْسَب طائفة الحيدرية من الفقراء،,"Thence we travelled to the city of Zawa, which is the city of the pious shaikh Qutb al-Din haidar, who has given his name to the Haidarl group of poor brethren."
وهم الذين يجعلون حلق الحديد في أيديهم وأعناقهم وآذانهم ويجعلونها أيضًا في ذكورهم حتى لا يتأتى لهم النكاح،,"These are [the faqirs] who put iron rings in their hands, necks, and ears, and they go so far as to put them also on their penes so that they cannot perform the act of copulation."
ثم رحلنا منها فوصلنا إلى مدينة نيسابور وهي إحدى المدن الأربع التي هي قواعد خراسان،,"We continued our journey from there and came to the city of Naisabur, which is one of the four metropolitan cities of Khurasan."
ويقال لها: دمشق الصغيرة؛ لكثرة فواكهها وبساتينها ومياهها وحُسْنِها، وتخترقها أربعة من الأنهار وأسواقها حسنة متسعة,"It is [sometimes] called ‘Little Damascus’, because of its quantities of fruits, orchards and streams, and by reason of its beauty. It is traversed by four canals, and its bazaars are excellent and extensive."
ومسجدها بديع وهو في وسط السوق، ويليه أربع من المدارس يجري بها الماء الغزير،,"Its mosque is exquisite ; it is situated in the centre of the bazaar and close by it four colleges, with an abundant supply of running water."
وفيها من الطلبة خَلْق كثير يقرءون القرآن والفقه، وهي من حسان مدارس تلك البلاد،,"They are inhabited by a great host of students studying the Qur’an and jurisprudence, and are among the good colleges of that land."
ومدارس خراسان والعراقين ودمشق وبغداد ومصر وإن بلغت غاية من الإتقان والحسن، فكلها تقصر عن المدرسة التي عَمَرَها مولانا أمير المؤمنين المتوكل على الله المجاهد في سبيل الله،,"[But] the colleges of Khurasan, the two ‘Iraqs, Damascus, Baghdad and Cairo, although they attain the highest architectural skill and beauty, yet all of them fall short of the college established by our Master, the Commander of the Faithful, al-Mutawakkil ‘ala’llah, the warrior in the cause of God,"
عالِم الملوك واسطة عقد الخلفاء العادلين أبو عنان — وَصَلَ الله سعده ونَصَرَ جُنْدَه — وهي التي عند القصبة من حضرة فاس — حرسها الله تعالى —,"the man of learning among kings, and the centrepiece of the necklace of justice-loving Caliphs, Abu ’Inan (God extend his felicity and give victory to his army), namely the college near the qasba of the capital city of Fez (God Most High protect her)."
فإنها لا نظير لها سعة وارتفاعًا ونقش الجص بها لا قدوة لأهل المشرق عليه،,"For this college has no rival in size, elevation, or the decorative plasterwork in it—[indeed] the people of the East have no ability to produce such [plasterwork]."
ويصنع بنيسابور ثياب الحرير من النخ والكمخاء وغيرها وتحمل منها إلى الهند،,"There are manufactured at Naisabur silk fabrics of nakh, kamkha’ and other kinds, and these are exported from it to India."
وفي هذه المدينة زاوية الشيخ الإمام العالم القطب العابد قطب الدين النيسابوري أحد الوعاظ العلماء الصالحين نزلت عنده فأحسن القرى وأكرم، ورأيت له البراهين والكرامات العجيبة.,"In this city is the hospice of the shaikh and learned imam, the devout Pole Qutb al-DIn al-NaisaburI, one of the saintly homiletic preachers and scholars, with whom I lodged. He gave me excellent and most generous hospitality, and I was witness to some astonishing proofs and graces accorded to him."
كرامة له,A miraculous grace of his.
كنت قد اشتريت بنيسابور غلامًا تركيًّا فرآه معي، فقال لي: هذا الغلام لا يصلح لك فبِعْه، فقلت: له نعم، وبِعْتُ الغلام في غدِ ذلك اليوم واشتراه بعض التجار ووادعت الشيخ وانصرفت،,"I had purchased in Naisabur a Turkish slave-boy, and this shaikh, seeing him with me, said to me ‘This boy is no good to you; sell him.’ I said to him ‘Very well’, and sold the boy on the very next day, when he was bought by a certain merchant. I took leave of the shaikh and went on my way;"
فلما حللت بمدينة بسطام كتب إليَّ بعض أصحابي من نيسابور، وذكر أن الغلام المذكور قَتَلَ بعض أولاد الأتراك وقُتِلَ به، وهذه كرامة واضحة لهذا الشيخ رضي الله عنه،,"afterwards when I stopped in the city of Bistam, one of my friends wrote to me from Naisabur to relate that this slave-boy had killed a Turkish boy and been put to death in retaliation for him. This is an evident miraculous grace accorded to this shaikh (God be pleased with him)."
وسافرت من نيسابور إلى مدينة بسطام التي يُنْسَب إليها الشيخ العارف أبو يزيد البسطامي الشهير رضي الله عنه،,"From Naisabur I went on to the city of Bistam, which has given its name to the celebrated shaikh and knower [of the mysteries] Abu YazId al-BistamI."
وبهذه المدينة قبره ومعه في قبة واحدة أحد أولاد جعفر الصادق رضي الله عنه، وببسطام أيضًا قبر الشيخ الصالح الولي أبي الحسن الخرقاني،,"In this city is his tomb, beside which, under the same cupola, is [the tomb of] one of the sons of Ja’far al-Sadiq (God be pleased with him). In Bistam also is the tomb of the pious shaikh and saint Abu’l-Hasan alKharaqanl."
وكان نزولي من هذه المدينة بزاوية الشيخ أبي يزيد البسطامي رضي الله عنه،,My lodging in this city was in the hospice of the shaikh Abu YazId al-BistamI (God be pleased with him).
ثم سافرْتُ من هذه المدينة على طريق هندخير إلى قندوس وبغلان، وهي قُرًى فيها مشايخ وصالحون وبها البساتين والأنهار،,"I continued my journey from this city by way of Hindu-khIr to Qundus and Baghlan, which are [regions of] villages where there are to be found shaikhs and pious men, and with fruit-gardens and streams."
فنزلنا بقندوس على نهر ماء به زاوية أحد شيوخ الفقراء من أهل مصر يسمى بشير سياه ومعنى ذلك الأسد الأسود،,"We encamped at Qundus by a flowing river, where there was a hospice belonging to one of the shaikhs of the poor brethren, an Egyptian who was called Shir Siyah, and that means ‘The Black Lion’."
وأضافنا بها والي تلك الأرض وهو من أهل الموصل وسكناه ببستان عظيم هنالك، وأقمنا بخارج هذه القرية نحو أربعين يومًا لرعي الجمال والخيل,"We were entertained there by the governor of that land, who was a man from al-Mawsil, living in a large garden thereabouts. We remained on the outskirts of this village for about forty days, in order to pasture the camels and horses."
وبها مراعي طيبة وأعشاب كثيرة، والأمن بها شامل بسبب شدة أحكام الأمير برنطيه،,"At that place there are excellent pastures and quantities of herbage, and security there is universally established by reason of the severity of the judgements given by the amIr Buruntaih."
وقد قدمنا أن أحكام الترك في من سرق فرسًا أن يعطى معه تسعة مثله، فإن لم يجد ذلك أخذ فيها أولاده فإن لم يكن له أولاد ذُبِحَ ذَبْح الشاة،,"We have already said that by the laws of the Turks anyone who steals a horse must [restore it and] give along with it nine like it; if he cannot find this [number] his sons are taken in their place, and if he has no sons he is slaughtered like a sheep."
والناس يتركون دوابهم مهملة دون راعٍ بعد أن يسم كل واحد دوابه في أفخاذها وكذلك فعلنا في هذه البلاد،,"The people [there] leave their animals to graze at will, without any herdsman, after each one has branded his animals on their thighs, and so also did we do in this country."
واتفق أن تفقدنا خيلنا بعد عشر من نزولنا بها ففقدنا منها ثلاثة أفراس، ولما كان بعد نصف شهر جاء التتر بها إلى منزلنا خوفًا على أنفسهم من الأحكام,"It happened that we made a check of our horses after we had camped there for ten nights, and found three of them missing, but after half a month the Tatars brought them to us at our camp, for fear of what might befall them from the [application of the] laws."
وكنا نربط في كل ليلة إزاء أخبيتنا فرسين لما عسى أن يقع بالليل ففقدنا الفرسين ذات ليلة، وسافرنا من هنالك وبعد ثنتين وعشرين ليلة جاءوا بهما إلينا في أثناء طريقنا،,"We used to picket two horses opposite our tents every night to deal with anything that might happen at night-time. We did lose two horses one night [just before] we set out from there, and twenty-two days later they brought them both back to us while we were on the road."
وكان أيضًا من أسباب إقامتنا خوف الثلج فإن بأثناء الطريق جبلًا يقال له: هند وكوش، ومعناه قاتل الهنود؛ لأن العبيد والجواري الذين يؤتى بهم من بلاد الهند يموت هنالك الكثير منهم لشدة البرد وكثرة الثلج، وهو مسيرة يوم كامل،,"Another reason for our halt was fear of the snow. For upon this road there is a mountain called Hindukush, which means ‘the slayer of the Indians’, because the slave-boys and girls who are brought from the land of India die there in large numbers as a result of the extreme cold and the great quantity of snow. [The passage of] it extends for a whole day’s march."
وأقمنا حتى تَمَكَّنَ دخول الحر وقطعنا ذلك الجبل من آخر الليل، وسلكنا به جميع نهارنا إلى الغروب،,"We stayed until the warm weather had definitely set in and crossed this mountain, [setting out] about the end of the night and travelling on it all day long until sunset."
وكنا نضع اللبوديين أيدي الجِمَال تطأ عليها لئلا تغرق في الثلج.,"We kept spreading felt cloths in front of the camels for them to tread on, so that they should not sink in the snow."
ثم سافرنا إلى موضع يُعْرَف بأندر، وكانت هنالك فيما تَقَدَّمَ مدينة عفى رسمها، ونزلنا بقرية عظيمة فيها زاوية لأحد الفضلاء ويسمى بمحمد المهروي ونزلنا عنده وأَكْرَمَنَا،,"[On setting out from Baghlan] we journeyed to a place called Andar. There existed there in former times a city, whose traces have been obliterated, and we alighted in a large village in which there was a hospice belonging to an excellent man named Muhammad alMahrawL We lodged with him and he treated us with consideration."
وكان متى غسلنا أيدينا من الطعام يشرب الماء الذي غسلناها به لحسن اعتقاده وفضله،,"When we washed our hands after eating, he would drink the water in which we had washed because of his strong belief [in our merits] and his benevolence."
وسافَرَ معنا إلى أن صعدنا جبل هند وكوش المذكور، ووجدنا بهذا الجبل عين ماء حارة فغسلنا منها وجوهنا فتقشرت وتألَّمْنا لذلك،,"He travelled with us until we scaled the mountain of Hindukush mentioned above. We found on this mountain a spring of warm water, but when we washed our faces with it the skin peeled off and we suffered sorely in consequence."
ثم نزلنا بموضع يُعْرَف ببنج هير، ومعنى بنج خمسة وهير الجبل فمعناه خمسة جبال،,"[After crossing the mountain] we halted at a place called Banj HIr (banj means ‘five’ and hir means ‘mountain’, so that the name means ‘five mountains’)."
وكانت هنالك مدينة حسنة كثيرة العمارة على نهر عظيم أزرق كأنه بحر ينزل من جبال بدخشان، وبهذه الجبال يوجد الياقوت الذي يَعْرِفه الناس بالبلخش وخرب هذه البلاد تنكيز ملك التتر، فلم تعمر بعد,"There was there [in former times] a fine and populous city on a great river of blue water, resembling a sea, which comes down from the mountains of Badakhshan (it is in these mountains that there are found the rubies that are called by people balakhsh), This land was devastated by Tanklz, the king of the Tatars, and has not recovered its prosperity since."
وبهذه المدينة مزار الشيخ سعيد المكي وهو معظم عندهم،,"In this city is the mausoleum of the shaikh Sa’Id al-MakkI, who is greatly venerated among them."
ووصلنا إلى جبل بشاي (وضبطه بفتح الباء المعقود والشين المعجم وألف وياء ساكنة)، وبه زاوية الشيخ الصالح أطا أولياء وأطا (بفتح الهمزة) معناه بالتركية الأب وأولياء باللسان العربي فمعناه أبو الأولياء،,"We came to the mountains of Pashay, where there is the hospice of the saintly shaikh Ata Awliya’. Ata means, in Turkish, ‘father’, and awliya’ is Arabic [meaning ‘friends [of God]’, i.e. saints], so his name means ‘Father of the Saints’."
ويسمى أيضًا سيصد صاله وسيصد (بسين مهمل مكسور وياء وصاد مهمل مفتوح ودال مهمل) ومعناه بالفارسية ثلاثمائة وصاله (ساله) (بفتح الصاد المهمل واللام) معناه عام، وهم يَذْكُرون أن عمره ثلاثمائة وخمسون عامًا،,"He is called also by the name of Sisad Salah, sisad in Persian meaning ‘three hundred’, and salah meaning ‘year’, since they state that his age is three hundred and fifty years."
ولهم فيه اعتقاد حسن ويأتون لزيارته من البلاد والقرى ويقصده السلاطين والخواتين، وأكرمنا وأضافنا,"They have a strong belief in his merits [as a saint], and come to visit him from the towns and villages, and the sultans and the princesses visit him too. He showed us honour and entertained us as his guests."
ونزل على نهر عند زاويته، ودخلنا إليه فسلمت عليه وعانقني وجسمه رطب لم أَرَ أَلْيَنَ منه، ويظن رائيه أن عمره خمسون سنة،,"We encamped by a river near his hospice and went to visit him, and when I saluted him he embraced me. His skin is fresh and smoother than any that I have seen; anyone seeing him would take him to be fifty years old."
وذكر لي أنه في كل مائة سنة ينبت له الشعر والأسنان، وأنه رأى أبارهم الذي قبره بملتان من السند،,"He informed me that every hundred years there grew on him [new] hair and teeth, and that he had seen Abu Ruhm, whose tomb is at Multan in Sind."
وسألته عن رواية حديث فأخبرني بحكايات وشككت في حاله والله أعلم بصدقه.,"I asked him whether he had any Traditions [of the Prophet] to transmit, and he told me a lot of tales. I had some doubts about him, and God knows how much truth there was in what he claimed."
ثم سافرنا إلى برون (وضبطها بفتح الباء المعقودة وسكون الراء وفتح الواو وآخرها نون)، وفيها لقيت الأمير برنطية (وضبط اسمها بضم الباء وضم الراء وسكون النون وفتح الطاء المهمل وياء آخر الحروف مسكن وهاء)، وأحسن إلي وأكرمني وكتب إلى نوابه بمدينة غزنة في إكرامي،,"We went on next to Parwan, where I met the amir Buruntaih. He made gifts to me, showed me consideration and wrote to his deputies in the city of Ghazna that they should treat me honourably."
وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه وذكر ما أعطي من البسطة في الجسم، وكان عنده جماعة من المشايخ والفقراء أهل الزوايا،,"I have already spoken of him, and have mentioned the immensity of stature with which he was endowed. He had in his company a group of shaikhs and poor brethren, hospice folk."
ثم سافرنا إلى قرية الجرخ (وضبط اسمها بفتح الجيم المعقودة وإسكان الراء وخاء معجم)، وهي كبيرة لها بساتين كثيرة وفواكهها طيبة,"We travelled next to the village of al-Charkh, a large place with many fruitgardens and excellent fruit."
قدمناها في أيام الصيف ووجدنا بها جماعة من الفقراء والطلبة وصلينا بها الجمعة وأضافنا أميرها محمد الجرخي ولقيته بعد ذلك بالهند،,"We arrived there in the height of summer, and found in it a company of poor brethren and students of religion. We prayed the Friday prayers in it, and its governor, Muhammad al-Charkhi, offered us hospitality. I met him [again] later in India."
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة غزنة وهي بلد السلطان المجاهد محمود بن سبكتكين الشهير الاسم,"We then journeyed to the city of Ghazna, the town [associated with] the sultan and warrior for the Faith Mahmud b. Subuktakin, of famous name."
وكان من كبار السلاطين يُلَقَّب بيمين الدولة وكان كثير الغزو إلى بلاد الهند، وفَتَحَ بها المدائن والحصون، وقبره بهذه المدينة عليه زاوية,"He was one of the greatest of rulers, was given the title of Yamin al-Dawla, and made frequent incursions into the land of India, where he captured cities and fortresses. His tomb is in this city, with a hospice around it."
وقد خَرِبَ معظم هذه البلدة ولم يَبْقَ منها إلا يسير، وكانت كبيرة وهي شديدة البرد، والساكنون بها يخرجون عنها أيام البرد إلى مدينة القندهار,"The greater part of the town is in ruins, with nothing but a fraction of it still standing, although it was [formerly] a great city. It has an exceedingly cold climate, and the inhabitants move out of it in the cold season to the city of al-Qandahar."
وهي كبيرة مخصبة ولم أدخلها وبينهما مسيرة ثلاث، ونزلنا بخارج غزنة في قرية هنالك على نهر ماء تحت قلعتها,"This is a large and fertile place, but I did not visit it; it is three nights’ journey from Ghazna. We encamped outside Ghazna, in a village there on a stream [that flows] below its citadel."
ثم سافرنا إلى كابل، وكانت فيما سلف مدينة عظيمة وبها الآن قرية يسكنها طائفة من الأعاجم يقال لهم: الأفغان،,"We travelled next to Kabul. This was in former times a great city, and on its site there is now a village inhabited by a tribe of Persians called al-Afghan."
ولهم جبال وشعاب وشوكة قوية وأكثرهم قطاع الطريق، وجبلهم الكبير يسمى كوة سليمان،,"They hold mountains and defiles and have powerful forces at their disposal, and the majority of them are brigands. Their principal mountain is called Kuh Sulaiman."
ويُذْكَر أن نبي الله سليمان عليه السلام صعد ذلك الجبل فنظر إلى أرض الهند وهي مظلمة فرجع ولم يدخلها فسمي الجبل به وفيه يسكن ملك الأفغان،,"It is related that the Prophet of God Sulaiman (peace be upon him) climbed this mountain and looked out over the land of India, which was [then] covered with darkness, but returned without entering it, so the mountain was named after him. It is in this mountain that the king of Afghan resides."
ومنها رحلنا إلى كرماش، وهي حصن بين جبلين تقطع به الأفغان،,"From there we rode to Karmash, which is a fortress between two mountains, where the Afghan intercept travellers."
وكنا حين جوازنا عليه نقاتلهم، وهم بسفح الجبل ونرميهم بالنشاب فيفرون,"During our passage of the defile we had an engagement with them. They were on the slope of the mountain, but we shot arrows at them and they fled."
وكانت رفقتنا مخفة ومعهم نحو أربعة آلاف فرس، وكانت لي جمال انقطعت عن القافلة لأجلها ومعي جماعة بعضهم من الأفغان،,"Our party was travelling light [without baggage-train] and had with them about four thousand horses. I had some camels, as a result of which I got separated from the caravan, along with a company, some of them being Afghan."
وطرحنا بعض الزاد وتركنا أحمال الجمال التي أعيت بالطريق وعادت إليها خيلنا بالغد فاحتملتها،,"We jettisoned some of our provisions, and abandoned the loads of those camels that were jaded on the way, but next day our horsemen returned to the place and picked them up."
ووصلنا إلى القافلة بعد العشاء الآخرة فبتنا بمنزل ششغار وهي آخر العمارة مما يلي بلاد الترك،,"We rejoined the caravan after the last evening prayer, and spent the night at the station of Shashnagar, which is the last inhabited place on the confines of the land of the Turks."
ومن هنا دخلنا البرية الكبرى وهي مسيرة خمس عشرة لا تدخل إلا في فصل واحد وهو بعد نزول المطر بأرض السند والهند، وذلك في أوائل شهر يوليو،,"From there we entered the great desert, which extends for a space of fifteen nights’ march; it cannot be entered except in one season of the year, namely after the rains have fallen in the land of Sind and India, which is in the first days of the month of July."
وتهب في هذه البرية ريح السموم القاتلة التي تعفن الجسوم حتى إن الرجل إذا مات تنفسخ أعضاؤه.,"There blows in this desert the deadly samum wind, which causes bodies to crumble through putrefaction, so that when a man dies his limbs fall apart."
وقد ذكرنا أن هذا الريح تهب أيضًا في البرية بين هرمز وشيراز،,We have already mentioned that this wind blows also in the desert between Hurmuz and Shiraz.
وكانت تَقَدَّمَتْ أمامنا رفقة كبيرة فيها خداوند زاده قاضي ترمذ فمات لهم جمال وخيل كثيرة،,"A large party, which included Khudhawand-Zada, the qadi of Tirmidh, had preceded us, and they lost by death many camels and horses."
ووصلت رفقتنا سالمة بحمد الله تعالى إلى بنج آب وهو ماء السند وبنج (بفتح الباء الموحدة وسكون النون والجيم) ومعناه خمسة وآب (بهمزة مفتوحة ممدودة وباء موحدة) ومعناه الماء فمعني ذلك الأودية الخمسة، وهي تصب في النهر الأعظم وتسقي تلك النواحي وسنذكرها إن شاء الله تعالى،,"Our company arrived safely (praise be to God Most High) at Banj Ab, which is the water of Sind. Banj means ‘five’ and ab means ‘water’, so the [whole] name means ‘The five rivers’. These flow into the main river and irrigate those districts, as we shall mention later, if God will."
وكان وصولنا لهذا النهر سلخ ذي الحجة واستهل علينا تلك الليلة هلال المحرم من عام أربعة وثلاثين وسبعمائة،,"Our arrival at this river was on the last day of Dhu’l-Hijja, and there rose upon us that night the new moon of al-Muharram of the year."
ومن هنالك كتب المخبرون بخبرنا إلى أرض الهند، وعرفوا ملكها بكيفية أحوالنا، وها هنا ينتهي بنا الكلام في هذا السفر، والحمد لله رب العالمين.,"From this point the intelligence officers wrote a report about us to the land of India, and gave its king a detailed account of our circumstances. Here ends what we have to say concerning the first journey. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds."
الجزء الثاني,CHAPTER X
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم، وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم،,"IN the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate and the Blessing and Peace of God be upon our lord Muhammad, and his House, and his Companions."
قال الشيخ أبو عبد الله محمد بن عبد الله بن محمد بن إبراهيم اللواتي الطنجي المعروف بابن بطوطة رحمه الله تعالى:,"The shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad, son of ‘Abdallah, son of Muhammad, son of Ibrahim, of the tribe of Luwata, of the city of Tangier, known by the name of Ibn Battuta (God’s mercy upon him) related as follows :"
ولمَّا كان بتاريخ الغُرَّة من شهر الله المحرم مفتتح عام أربعة وثلاثين وسبعمائة، وصلنا إلى وادي السند المعروف ببنج آب، ومعنى ذلك المياه الخمسة،,"On the day of the new moon of the holy month of Muharram, the first day of the year 734, we came to the river of Sind called Banj Ab, which means ‘the Five Waters’."
وهذا الوادي مِنْ أعظم أودية الدنيا، وهو يفيض في أوان الحر فيزرع أهل تلك البلاد على فيضه، كما يفعل أهل الديار المصريَّة في فيض النيل،,"This is one of the greatest rivers on earth. It rises in flood in the hot season, and the inhabitants of that country sow at the time of its flood, just as the people of Egypt do during the Nile flood."
وهذا الوادي هو أول عمالة السلطان المعظم محمد شاه ملك الهند والسند،,"This river is the frontier of the territories of the exalted Sultan Muhammad Shah, king of Hind and Sind."
ولمَّا وصلنا إلى هذا النهر جاء إلينا أصحاب الأخبار الموكلون بذلك وكتبوا بخبرنا إلى قطب الملك أمير مدينة ملتان،,"When we reached this river the officials of the intelligence service who are charged with that duty came to us and wrote a report about us to Qutb al-Mulk, the governor of the city of Multan."
وكان أمير أمراء السند على هذا العهد مملوك للسلطان يُسمَّى سرتيز، وهو عرض المماليك وبين يديه تُعْرَض عساكر السلطان،,"The chief of the amirs of Sind at this time was one of the Sultan’s mamluks, named Sartiz. He is the inspector-general of the mamluks, and all the Sultan’s troops parade before him for review."
ومعنى اسمه الحاد الرأس؛ لأن سر (بفتح السين المهملة وسكون الراء) هو الرأس، وتيز (بتاء معلوة وياء مد وزاي) معناه الحاد،,"His name means ‘the Sharp-headed’, because sar means [in Persian] ‘head’ and tiz means ‘sharp’."
وكان في حين قدومنا بمدينة سيوستان من السند، وبينهما وبين ملتان مسيرة عشرة أيام،,"At the time of our arrival he was in the city of Siwasitan in Sind, which is ten days’ journey from Multan."
وبين بلاد السند وحضرة السلطان مدينة دهلي مسيرة خمسين يومًا، وإذا كَتَبَ المخبرون إلى السلطان من بلاد السند يصل الكتاب إليه في خمسة أيام بسبب البريد.,"From the province of Sind to the Sultan’s capital, the city of Dihli, it is fifty days’ journey, but when the intelligence officers write to the Sultan from Sind the letter reaches him in five days by the postal service."
ذكر البريد,Description of the Barid [Postal Service] .
والبريد ببلاد الهند صنفان، فإمَّا بريد الخيل فيسمونه الولاق «أولاق» (بضم الواو وآخره قاف)، وهو خيل تكون للسلطان في كل مسافة أربعة أميال،,"The postal service in India is of two kinds. The horse-post, which they call ulaq, consists of horses belonging to the Sultan [with relays] every four miles."
وأمَّا بريد الرجالة فيكون في مسافة الميل الواحد منه ثلاث رتب، ويسمونها الداوة (بالدال المهمل والواو)، والداوة هي ثلث ميل، والميل عندهم يسمَّى الكروة (بضم الكاف والراء)،,"The service of couriers on foot has within the space of each mile three relays, which they call dawa, the dawa being a third of a mile, and a mile itself is called by them kuruh."
وترتيب ذلك أن يكون في كل ثلث ميل قرية معمورة، ويكون بخارجها ثلاث قباب يقعد فيها الرجال مستعدين للحركة قد شدوا أوساطهم، وعند كل واحد منهم مقرعة مقدار ذراعين بأعلاها جلاجل نحاس،,"The manner of its organization is as follows. At every third of a mile there is an inhabited village, outside which there are three pavilions. In these sit men girded up ready to move off, each of whom has a rod two cubits long with copper bells at the top."
فإذا خرج البريد من المدينة أخذ الكتاب بأعلى يده، والمقرعة ذات الجلاجل باليد الأخرى، وخرج يشتد بمنتهى جهده,"When a courier leaves the town he takes the letter in the fingers of one hand and the rod with the bells in the other, and runs with all his might."
فإذا سمع الرجال الذين بالقباب صوت الجلاجل تأهبوا له، فإذا وصلهم أخذ أحدهم الكتاب من يده ومرَّ بأقصى جهده وهو يحرك المقرعة حتى يصل إلى الداوة الأخرى، ولا يزالون كذلك حتى يصل الكتاب إلى حيث يراد منه،,"The men in the pavilions, on hearing the sound of the bells, get ready to meet him and when he reaches them one of them takes the letter in his hand and passes on, running with all his might and shaking his rod until he reaches the next dawa, and so they continue until the letter reaches its destination."
وهذا البريد أسرع من بريد الخيل، وربما حملوا على هذا البريد الفواكه المستطرفة بالهند من فواكه خراسان، يجعلونها في الأطباق ويشتدون بها حتى تصل إلى السلطان،,"This post is quicker than the mounted post, and they often use it to transport fruits from Khurasan which are regarded as great luxuries in India; the couriers put them on [woven baskets like] plates and carry them with great speed to the Sultan."
وكذلك يحملون أيضًا الكبار من ذوي الجنايات، يجعلون الرجل منهم على سرير ويرفعونه فوق رءوسهم ويسيرون به شدًّا،,In the same way they transport the principal criminals; they place each man on a stretcher and run carrying the stretcher on their heads.
وكذلك يحملون الماء لشرب السلطان إذا كان بدولة أباد يحملونه من نهر الكنك، الذي تحج الهنود إليه وهو على مسيرة أربعين يومًا منها،,"Likewise they bring the Sultan’s drinking water when he resides at Dawlat Abad, carrying it from the river Rank [Ganges], to which the Hindus go on pilgrimage and which is at a distance of forty days’ journey from there."
وإذا كتب المخبرون إلى السلطان بخبر من يصل إلى بلاده استوعبوا الكتاب وأمعنوا في ذلك،,"When the intelligence officials write to the Sultan informing him of those who arrive in his country, the letter is written with the utmost precision and fulness of description."
وعرفوه أنه ورد رجل صورته كذا ولباسه كذا، وكتبوا عدد أصحابه وغلمانه وخُدَّامه ودوابه، وترتيب حاله في حركته وسكونه وجميع تصرفاته، لا يغادرون من ذلك كله شيًّا،,"They report to him that a certain man has arrived of suchand-such appearance and dress, and note the number of his party, slaves and servants and beasts, his behaviour both on the move and at rest, and all his doings, omitting no details relating to all of these."
فإذا وصل الوارد إلى مدينة ملتان — وهي قاعدة بلاد السند — أقام بها حتى ينفذ أمر السلطان بقدومه وما يجري له من الضيافة،,"When the newcomer reaches the town of Multan, which is the capital of Sind, he stays there until the Sultan’s order is received regarding his entry and the degree of hospitality to be extended to him."
وإنما يكرم الإنسان هنالك بقدر ما يَظْهَر من أفعاله وتصرفاته وهمته، إذ لا يُعْرَف هنالك ما حَسَبُه ولا آباؤه.,"A man is honoured in that country only according to what may be seen of his actions, conduct, and zeal, since no one there knows anything of his family or parentage."
ومن عادة ملك الهند السلطان أبي المجاهد محمد شاه إكرام الغرباء ومحبتهم، وتخصيصهم بالولايات والمراتب الرفيعة،,"The king of India, the Sultan Abu’l-Mujahid Muhammad Shah, makes a practice of honouring strangers and showing affection to them and singling them out for governorships or high dignities of state."
ومعظم خواصه وحجابه ووزرائه وقضاته وأصهاره غرباء، ونفذ أمره بأن يسمى الغرباء في بلاده بالأعزة، فصار لهم ذلك اسمًا علمًا،,"The majority of his courtiers, palace officials, ministers of state, judges, and relatives by marriage are foreigners, and he has issued a decree that foreigners are to be called in his country by the title of ‘Aziz [Honourable], so that this has become a proper name for them."
ولا بُدَّ لكل قادِمٍ على هذا الملك من هدية يُهْدِيها إليه ويُقَدِّمها وسيلة بين يديه، فيكافئه السلطان عليها بأضعاف مضاعفة،,"Every person proceeding to the court of this king must needs have a gift ready to present to him in person, in order to gain his favour. The Sultan requites him for it by a gift many times its value."
وسيمر من ذكر هدايا الغرباء إليه كثير،,We shall have much to tell later on about the presents made to him by foreigners.
ولما تعود الناس ذلك منه صار التجَّار الذين ببلاد السند والهند يعطون لكل قادم على السلطان الآلاف من الدنانير دَينًا، ويجهزونه بما يريد أن يهديه إليه أو يتصرف فيه لنفسه من الدواب للركوب والجمال والأمتعة،,"When people became familiar with this habit of his, the merchants in Sind and India began to furnish each person who came to visit the Sultan with thousands of dinars as a loan, and to supply him with whatever he might desire to offer as a gift or for his own use, such as riding animals, camels and goods."
ويخدمونه بأموالهم وأنفسهم، ويقفون بين يديه كالحشم,"They place both their money and their persons at his service, and stand before him like attendants."
فإذا وصل إلى السلطان أعطاه العطاء الجزيل، فقضى ديونهم ووفاهم حقوقهم،,"When he reaches the Sultan, he receives a magnificent gift from him and pays off his debts and his dues to them in full."
فنفقت تجارتهم وكَثُرَتْ أرباحهم وصار لهم ذلك عادة مستمرة،,"So they ran a flourishing trade and made vast profits, and it became an established usage amongst them."
ولما وصلت إلى بلاد السند سلكت ذلك المنهج واشتريت من التجَّار الخيل والجمال والمماليك وغير ذلك،,"On reaching Sind I followed this practice and bought horses, camels, white slaves and other goods from the merchants."
ولقد اشتريت من تاجر عراقي من أهل تكريت يُعْرَف بمحمد الدوري بمدينة غزنة، نحو ثلاثين فرسًا وجملًا عليه حمل من النشاب، فإنه مما يهدى إلى السلطان،,"I had already bought in Ghazna from an ‘Iraqi merchant, a man from Takrlt by the name of Muhammad al-Duri, about thirty horses and a camel with a load of arrows, for this is one of the things presented to the Sultan."
وذهب التاجر المذكور إلى خارسان ثم عاد إلى الهند وهنالك تقاضى مِنِّي ماله واستفاد بسببي فائدة عظيمة وعاد من كبار التجَّار،,This merchant went off to Khurasan and on returning later to India received his money from me. He made an enormous profit through me and became one of the principal merchants.
ذكر الكركدن,Description of the Rhinoceros.
ولما أجزنا نهر السند المعروف ببنج آب دخلنا غيضة قصب؛ لسلوك الطريق لأنه في وسطها فخرج علينا الكركدن،,"After crossing the river of Sind called Banj Ab, we entered a forest of reeds, following the track which led through the midst of it, when we were confronted by a rhinoceros."
وصورته أنه حيوان أسود اللون، عظيم الجرم، رأسه كبير متفاوت الضخامة؛,In appearance it is a black animal with a huge body and a disproportionately large head.
ولذلك يضرب به المثل فيقال الكركدن رأس بلا بدن،,"For this reason it has become the subject of a proverb, as the saying goes Al-karkaddan ras bila badan (rhinoceros, head and no torso)."
وهو دون الفيل ورأسه أكبر من رأس الفيل بأضعاف، وله قرن واحد بين عينيه، طوله نحو ثلاثة أذرع وعرضه نحو شبر،,"It is smaller than an elephant but its head is many times larger than an elephant’s. It has a single horn between its eyes, about three cubits in length and about a span in breadth."
ولما خرج علينا عارضه بعض الفرسان في طريقه، فضرب الفرس الذي كان تحته بقرنه فأنفذ فخذه وصرعه، وعاد إلى الغيضة فلم نَقْدِر عليه،,"When it came out against us one of the horsemen got in its way; it struck the horse which he was riding with its horn, pierced his thigh and knocked him down, then went back into the thicket and we could not get at it."
وقد رأيت الكركدن مرة ثانية في هذا الطريق بعد صلاة العصر وهو يرعى نبات الأرض، فلمَّا قصدناه هرب منَّا،,I saw a rhinoceros a second time on this road after the hour of afternoon prayer. It was feeding on plants but when we approached it it ran away.
ورأيته مرة أخرى ونحن مع ملك الهند؛ دخلنا غيضة قصب وركب السلطان على الفيل وركبنا معه الفيلة،,I saw a rhinoceros yet another time when in the company of the king of India we had entered a jungle of reeds. The sultan was mounted on an elephant and we too were mounted on elephants along with him.
ودخلت الرجالة والفرسان فأثاروه وقتلوه واستاقوا رأسه إلى المحلة،,"The foot-soldiers and horsemen went in and beat it up, killed it and conveyed its head to the camp (mahalla)."
وسرنا من نهر السند يومين ووصلنا إلى مدينة جناني (وضبط اسمها بفتح الجيم والنون الأولى وكسر الثانية)، مدينة كبيرة حسنة على ساحل نهر السند،,"After two days’ march from [the crossing of] the river of Sind we reached the town of Janaril, a large and fine town on the bank of the river Sind."
لها أسواق مليحة وسكانها طائفة يقال لهم السامرة، استوطنوها قديمًا واستقرَّ بها أسلافهم حين فتحها على أيام الحجاج بن يوسف حسبما أثبت المؤرخون في فتح السند.,"It has beautiful bazaars and has been inhabited from ancient times by a people called the Samira, whose ancestors established themselves there on the conquest of Sind in the time of al-Hajjaj [a.d. ], as the chroniclers of the conquest of Sind have noted."
وأخبرني الشيخ الإمام العالم العامل الزاهد العابد ركن الدين ابن الشيخ الفقيه الصالح شمس الدين ابن الشيخ الإمام العابد الزاهد بهاء الدين زكريا القرشي,"The shaikh, the learned imam, the ascetic doer of the law, and devout Rukn al-DIn, son of the shaikh and virtuous doctor of the law Shams alDln, son of the shaikh, the devout and ascetic imam Baha’ al-DIn Zakariya, the Qurashite"
— وهو أحد الثلاثة الذين أخبرني الشيخ الولي الصالح برهان الدين الأعرج بمدينة الإسكندرية أني سألقاهم في رحلتي فلقيتهم والحمد لله —,"(he was one of the three whom the shaikh and virtuous saint Burhan al-DIn the lame told me in the city of Alexandria that I should meet them in the course of my journey, and I did meet them, God be praised),"
أن جده الأعلى كان يسمَّى بمحمد بن قاسم القرشي، وشهد فتح السند في العسكر الذي بعثه لذلك الحجاج بن يوسف أيام إمارته على العراق وأقام بها وتكاثرت ذريته،,"told me that his earliest ancestor was called Muhammad ibn Qasim the Qurashite, and he took part in the conquest of Sind in the army which al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf dispatched for that purpose during his governorship in al-’Iraq and settled there and founded a numerous family."
وهؤلاء الطائفة المعروفون بالسامرة لا يأكلون مع أحد، ولا ينظر إليهم أحد حين يأكلون، ولا يصاهرون أحدًا من غيرهم، ولا يصاهر إليهم أحد،,"These people called the Samira never eat with anyone nor may anyone observe them while they are eating, nor do they marry anyone outside their clan, nor do they allow anyone to marry into it."
وكان لهم في هذا العهد أمير يسمَّى وُنَار (بضم الواو وفتح النون) وسنذكر خبره،,They had at this time an amir called Wunar whose history we shall relate in due course.
ثم سافرنا من مدينة جناني إلى أن وصلنا إلى مدينة سيوستان (وضبط اسمها بكسر السين الأول المهمل، وياء مد، وواو مفتوح، وسين مكسور، وتاء معلوة وآخرها نون)، وهي مدينة كبيرة وخارجها صحراء ورمال، لا شجر بها إلَّا شجر أم عيلان،,"From Janani we travelled to Siwasitan [Sehwan], a large town, outside which is a sandy desert, treeless except for acacias."
ولا يُزْرَع على نهرها شيء ما عدا البطيخ، وطعامهم الذرة والجلبان، ويسمونه المشنك (بميم وشين معجم مضمومين ونون مسكن)، ومنه يصنعون الخبز،,"Nothing is grown on the river here except melons, and the food of the inhabitants consists of sorghum and peas, which they call mushunk and of which they make bread."
وهي كثيرة السمك والألبان الجاموسية، وأهلها يأكلون السقنقور،,"There is a plentiful supply of fish and buffalo milk, and the people there eat skinks."
وهي دويبة شبيهة بأم حبين التي يسميها المغاربة حنيشة الجنة، إلَّا أنها لا ذنب لها،,These are little animals resembling the lizard (which the Moroccans call the garden snakelet) except that it has no tail.
ورأيتهم يحتفرون الرمل ويستخرجونها منه ويشقون بطنها ويرمون بما فيه ويحشونه بالكركم، وهم يسمونه زردشوبه، ومعناه العود الأصفر، وهو عندهم عِوَض الزعفران،,"I have seen them digging the sand and fetching it out of it; they slit open its stomach, throw out the contents and stuff it with curcuma [turmeric]. This (which they call zard shubah, meaning yellow stick) takes the place of saffron with them."
ولما رأيت تلك الدويبة وهم يأكلونها استقذرتها فلم آكلها،,"When I saw this small animal and them eating it, I took a loathing at it and would not eat it."
ودخلنا هذه المدينة في احتدام القيظ وحرها شديد، فكان أصحابي يقعدون عريانين، يجعل أحدهم فوطة على وسطه وفوطة على كتفيه مبلولة بالماء، فيما يمضي اليسير من الزمان حتى تيبس تلك الفوطة فيبلها مرة أخرى وهكذا أبدًا،,"We entered Siwasitan during the hottest period of the summer. The heat was intense, and my companions used to sit naked except that each had a cloth round his waist and another soaked with water on his shoulders; this would dry in a very short time and he had to keep constantly wetting it again."
ولقيت بهذه المدينة خطيبها المعروف بالشيباني وأراني كتاب أمير المؤمنين الخليفة عمر بن عبد العزيز — رضي الله عنه — لجده الأعلى بخطابة هذه المدينة وهم يتوارثونها من ذلك العهد إلى الآن.,"In this town I met its preacher, whose name was al-ShaibariL He showed me the letter of the Commander of the Faithful, the Caliph ‘Omar ibn ‘Abd al-’AzIz (God be pleased with him) to his remote ancestor, appointing him to the office of preacher to this town, which they have inherited generation after generation from that time to the present day."
ونص الكتاب:,The text of the letter [is as follows]:
هذا ما أمر به عبد الله أمير المؤمنين عمر بن عبد العزيز لفلان، وتاريخه سنة تسع وتسعين، وعليه مكتوب بخط أمير المؤمنين عمر بن عبد العزيز الحمد لله وحده على ما أخبرني الخطيب المذكور،,"‘This is the command issued by the servant of God, the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Omar ibn ‘Abd al-’AzIz to N.’ It is dated in the year and there is written on it in the handwriting of the Commander of the Faithful ‘Omar ibn ‘Abd al-’AzIz ‘Praise be to God alone’, as the above-mentioned preacher assured me."
ولقيت بها أيضًا الشيخ المعمر محمد البغدادي وهو بالزاوية التي على قبر الشيخ الصالح عثمان المرندي،,"Another person I met there was the aged shaikh Muhammad al-Baghdadi, who lived in the hospice built at the tomb of the pious shaikh ‘Othman al-Marandl."
وذكر أن عمره يزيد على مائة وأربعين وسنة، وأنه حضر لقتل المستعصم بالله آخر خلفاء بني العباس — رضي الله عنهم — لما قتله الكافر هلاون بن تنكيز التتري،,"He was said to be more than years old and to have witnessed the death of al-Musta’sim billah, the last of the ‘Abbasid Caliphs, when he was killed by the infidel Hulawun, son of Tanklz the Tatar."
وهذا الشيخ على كِبَر سِنِّه قَوِيُّ الجُثَّة يتصرف على قدميه.,In spite of his great age this shaikh was still sound of body and able to walk on his own feet.
كان يسكن بهذه المدينة الأمير ونار السامري — الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه — والأمير قيصر الرومي، وهما في خدمة السلطان ومعهما نحو ألف وثمانمائة فارس،,"Living in this town were the amir Wunar al-Samiri, to whom I have already referred, and the amir Qaisar al-Rumi, who were both in the Sultan’s service and had under their command about 1,800 horsemen."
وكان يسكن بها كافر من الهنود اسمه رتن (بفتح الراء وبفتح التاء المعلوة والنون)، وهو من الحذاق بالحساب والكتابة،,"There was living in it also a certain Indian infidel named Ratan, a person skilled in calculation and writing."
فوفد على ملك الهند مع بعض الأمراء، فاستحسنه السلطان وسمَّاه عظيم السند، وولَّاه بتلك البلاد وأقطعه سيوستان وأعمالها، وأعطاه المراتب وهي الأطبال والعلامات — كما يعطى كبار الأمراء —,"He entered the service of the king of India along with a certain amir and having gained the Sultan’s favour, the latter gave him the title of Chief of Sind, made him governor of that country with Siwasitan and its dependencies as his appanage, and conferred on him the ‘honours’, namely drums and flags, a privilege accorded to the principal amirs."
فلمَّا وصل إلى تلك البلاد عظم على ونار وقيصر وغيرهم تقديم الكافر عليهم، فأجمعوا على قتله،,"When he came to this country Wunar, Qaisar, and other persons resented the superior rank given to the infidel over them and resolved to kill him."
فلمَّا كان بعد أيام من قدومه أشاروا عليه بالخروج إلى أحواز المدينة ليتطلع على أمورها فخرج معهم،,"Some days after his arrival they persuaded him to go out into the districts attached to the town to inspect their affairs, so he went out with them."
فلمَّا جن الليل أقاموا ضجَّة بالمحلة وزعموا أن السبع ضرب عليها، وقصدوا مضرب الكافر فقتلوه,"When night fell they set on foot a tumult in the camp, asserting that it was attacked by a lion, and made for the infidel’s tent and killed him."
وعادوا إلى المدينة، فأخذوا ما كان بها من مال السلطان وذلك اثنا عشر لكًّا،,"They then returned to the town and seized monies belonging to the Sultan which were collected there, amounting to laks."
واللك مائة ألف دينار، وصرف اللك عشرة آلاف دينار من ذهب الهند، وصرف الدينار الهندي ديناران ونصف دينار من ذهب المغرب.,"The lak is , [silver] dinars, which is equivalent to , dinars in Indian gold coins, and the Indian dinar is worth two dinars and a half in the gold coinage of the Maghrib."
وقدموه على أنفسهم ونار المذكور وسموه ملك فيروز،,"They then set the above-mentioned Wunar at their head, entitling him Malik Firuz."
وقسَّم الأموال على العسكر ثمَّ خاف على نفسه لبعده عن قبيلته، فخرج فيمن معه من أقاربه وقصد قبيلته،,"He distributed the monies amongst the troops, but subsequently became alarmed for his safety owing to his remoteness from his own tribe and so went out to rejoin them along with those of his relatives who were with him."
وقدم الباقون من العسكر على أنفسهم قيصر الرومي،,The remainder of the troops appointed Qaisar al-Rumi as their chief.
واتصل خبرهم بعماد الملك سرتيز مملوك السلطان، وهو يومئذٍ أمير أمراء السند وسكناه بملتان، فجمع العساكر وتجهز في البر وفي نهر السند،,"News of the revolt was brought to ‘Imad al-Mulk Sartiz, the Sultan’s mamluk, who was at that time chief amir in Sind and residing in Multan, whereupon he assembled his troops and equipped an expedition both by land and on the river Sind."
وبين ملتان وسيوستان عشرة أيام،,It is a ten days’ journey from Siwasitan to Multan.
وخرج إليه قيصر فوقع اللقاء وانهزم قيصر ومن معه أشنع هزيمة، وتحصنوا بالمدينة,"Qaisar came out to meet him, but when the armies clashed he and his associates were ignominiously defeated and barricaded themselves in the town."
فحصرهم ونصب المجانيق عليهم، واشتدَّ عليهم الحصار فطلبوا الأمان بعد أربعين يومًا من نزوله عليهم، فأعطاهم الأمان،,"Sartiz besieged them, setting up siege artillery against them, and when the siege had gone on for forty days and they were hard pressed by it, they asked for and were granted terms."
فلمَّا نزلوا إليه غَدَرَهُم وأَخَذَ أموالهم وأَمَرَ بقتلهم،,"When they came out to him, however, he broke his word to them, seized their property and ordered their execution."
فكان كل يوم يضرب أعناق بعضهم، ويوسط بعضهم، ويسلخ آخرين منهم، ويملأ جلودهم تبنًا ويعلقها على السور،,"Every day he would strike off the heads of some of them, cut some of them in half, flay others of them alive and fill their skins with straw and hang them on the city wall."
فكان معظمه عليه تلك الجلود مصلوبة تُرْعِب من ينظر إليها،,"The greater part of the wall was covered with these skins fixed on crosses, striking with terror those who saw them."
وجمع رءوسهم في وسط المدينة فكانت مثل التل هنالك،,He also collected their heads in the middle of the town where they formed a mound of some size.
ونزلت بتلك المدينة إثر هذه الوقيعة بمدرسة فيها كبيرة، وكنت أنام على سطحها فإذا استيقظت من الليل أرى تلك الجلود المصلوبة فتشمئز النفس منها، ولم تَطِبْ نفسي بالسكنى بالمدرسة فانتقلت عنها،,"It was [shortly] after these events that I lodged at a large college in this town. I used to sleep on the roof of the college and when I woke up during the night I would see these skins attached to the crosses; they filled me with horror and I could not bear to stay in the college, so I went elsewhere."
وكان الفقيه الفاضل العادل علاء الملك الخراساني — المعروف بفصيح الدين قاضي هراة في متقدم التاريخ — قد وفد على ملك الهند فولَّاه مدينة لاهري وأعمالها من بلاد السند،,"Now the worthy and equitable jurist ‘Ala al-Mulk of Khurasan, entitled Fasih al-Din, formerly qadi of Harat, had come to join the service j of the king of India, and had been appointed governor of the town and dependencies of Lahari in Sind."
وحضر هذه الحركة مع عماد الملك سرتيز بمن معه من العساكر،,He had assisted ‘Imad alMulk Sartlz in this operation with his own troops.
فعزمت على السفر معه إلى مدينة لاهري، وكان له خمسة عشر مركبًا قدم بها في نهر السند تحمل أثقاله فسافرت.,"I resolved to travel with him to the town of Lahari. He had fifteen ships with which he had come on the river of Sind, carrying his baggage-train, so I set out with him."
ذِكْر السفر في نهر السند وترتيب ذلك,The journey on the river of Sind and the order observed during it.
وكان للفقيه علاء الملك في جملة مراكبه مركب يُعْرَف بالأهورة (بفتح الهمزة والهاء، وسكون الواو، وفتح الراء)، وهي نوع من الطريدة عندنا، إلَّا أنها أوسع منها وأقصر،,"The jurist ‘Ala al-Mulk had amongst his vessels one called by the name of ahawra, somewhat like a tarida in our country, but broader and shorter."
وعلى نصفها معرش من خشب يصعد له على درج، وفوقه مجلس مهيأ لجلوس الأمير،,"In the centre of it there was a wooden cabin to which one climbed up by steps, and on the top of this there was a place prepared for the governor to sit in."
ويجلس أصحابه بين يديه، ويقف المماليك يمنة ويسرة والرجال يقذفون — وهم نحو أربعين —,"His suite sat in front of him and the mamluks stood to right and left, while the crew of about forty men rowed."
ويكون مع هذه الأهورة أربعة من المراكب عن يمينها ويسارها اثنان منها فيهما مراتب الأمير، وهي العلامات والطبول والأبواق والأنفار والصرنايات، وهي الغيطات، والآخران فيهما أهل الطرب,"Accompanying the ahawra were four vessels to right and left, two of which carried the governor’s ‘honours’, i.e. standards, kettledrums, trumpets, bugles and reedpipes (that is ghaitas), and the other two carried singers."
فتضرب الطبول والأبواق نوبة ويُغَنِّي المُغَنُّون نوبة، ولا يزالون كذلك من أول النهار إلى وقت الغداء،,"First the drums and trumpets would be sounded and then the musicians would sing, and they kept this up alternately from early morning to the hour of the midday meal."
فإذا كان وقت الغداء انضمت المراكب ووصل بعضها ببعض، ووضعت بينهما الإصقالات,When this moment arrived the ships came together and closed up with one another and gangways were placed from one to the other.
وأتى أهل الطرب إلى أهورة الأمير، فيغنون إلى أن يفرغ من أكله ثمَّ يأكلون، وإذا انقضى الأكل عادوا إلى مركبهم,"The musicians then came on board the governor’s ahawra and sang until he finished eating, when they had their meal and at the end of it returned to their vessel."
وشرعوا — أيضًا — في المسير على ترتيبهم إلى الليل،,They then set off again on their journey in the manner described until nightfall.
فإذا كان الليل ضربت المحلة على شاطئ النهر ونزل الأمير إلى مضاربه ومدَّ السماط، وحضر الطعام معظم العسكر،,"When it became dark, the camp was set up on the bank of the river, the governor disembarked and went to his tents, the repast was spread and most of the troops joined in the meal."
فإذا صلوا العشاء الأخيرة سمر السمار بالليل نوبًا،,"After the last evening prayer, sentries were posted for the night in reliefs."
فإذا أتمَّ أهل النوبة منهم نوبتهم نادى مناد منهم بصوت عال، يا خوند ملك قد مضى من الليل كذا من الساعات، ثمَّ يسمر أهل النوبة الأخرى، فإذا أتموها نادى مناديهم أيضًا، معلمًا بما مرَّ من الساعات،,"As each relief finished its tour of duty one of them cried in a loud voice ‘O lord king, so many hours of the night are past.’ Then the next relief would come on duty, and when it finished its tour, their spokesman also called out to give notice of how many hours had passed."
فإذا كان الصبح ضربت الأبواق والطبول وصليت صلاة الصبح وأتى بالطعام، فإذا فرغ الأكل أخذوا في المسير،,"At dawn the trumpets and drums sounded and the dawn prayer was said, then food was brought, and when the meal was finished they resumed their journey."
فإن أراد الأمير ركوب النهر ركب على ما ذكرناه من الترتيب،,If the governor wishes to travel on the river he travels on shipboard in the order which we have described.
وإن أراد المسير في البر ضُرِبَت الأطبال والأبواق، وتَقَدَّم حُجَّابه ثمَّ تلاهم المَشَّاءون بين يديه،,"If he wishes to travel on land [the order of march is as follows]. The drums and trumpets are sounded and his hajibs take the lead; they are followed next by the foot-soldiers, preceding the governor himself."
ويكون بين أيدي الحجاب ستة من الفرسان عند ثلاثة منهم أطبال قد تقلدوها، وعند ثلاثة صرنايات,"In front of the hajibs ride six horsemen, three of whom carry drums slung round their necks, and three with reedpipes."
فإذا أقبلوا على قرية، أو ما هو من الأرض مرتفع، ضربوا تلك الأطبال والصرنايات، ثمَّ تُضْرَب أطبال العسكر وأبواقه,"When they approach a village or an elevation in the ground, these six sound their drums and reedpipes and are followed by the drums and trumpets of the main body."
ويكون عن يمين الحجاب ويسارهم المغنون يغنون نوبًا، فإذا كان وقت الغداء نزلوا,"To the right and left of the hajibs are the singers, who sing alternately, but when the hour of the midday meal comes the whole body encamps."
وسافرت مع علاء الملك خمسة أيام. ووصلنا إلى موضع ولايته,"After I had travelled for five days with ‘Ala al-Mulk, we reached the site of his province."
وهو مدينة لاهري (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهاء وكسر الراء)، مدينة حسنة على ساحل البحر الكبير، وبها يصب نهر السند في البحر فيلتقي بها بحران،,"This is the city of Lahari, a fine town on the sea-coast where the river of Sind discharges itself into the ocean, and two seas meet."
ولها مرسى عظيم يأتي إليه أهل اليمن وأهل فارس وغيرهم،,"It possesses a large harbour, visited by men [i.e. merchants] from al-Yaman, Fars, and elsewhere."
وبذلك عظمت جباياتها وكثرت أموالها، أخبرني الأمير علاء — الملك المذكور — أن مجبى هذه المدينة ستون لكافي السنة وقد ذكرنا مقدار اللك،,For this reason its contributions to the Treasury and its revenues are considerable; the governor ‘Ala al-Mulk told me that the taxyield from this town amounted to sixty laks per annum. How much a lak is we have already said.
وللأمير من ذلك ثم (نيم) ده يك، ومعناه نصف العشر، وعلى ذلك يعطي السلطان البلاد لعماله يأخذون منها لأنفسهم نصف العشر.,"The governor receives nim dah yak, meaning the half of the tenth of this, that being the footing on which the Sultan hands over the provinces to his governors, that they take for themselves one twentieth of the yield."
ذكر غريبة رأيتها بخارج هذه المدينة,A curiosity which I visited outside this town.
وركبت يومًا مع علاء الملك فانتهينا إلى بسيط من الأرض على مسافة سبعة أميال منها يُعْرَف بتارنا، فرأيت هنالك ما لا يحصره العد من الحجارة على مثل صور الآدميين والبهائم،,"I rode out one day with ‘Ala al-Mulk, and we came to a plain called Tarna, seven miles from LaharI, where I saw an innumerable quantity of stones resembling the shapes of men and animals."
وقد تغيَّر كثير منها ودثرت أشكاله فيبقى منه صورة رأس أو رجل أو سواهما،,"Many of them were disfigured and their forms effaced, but there remained among them the figure of a head or a foot or something of the sort."
ومن الحجارة أيضًا على صورة الحبوب من البر والحمص والفول والعدس، وهنالك آثار سور وجدرات دور،,"Some of the stones also had the shape of grains of wheat, chickpeas, beans and lentils and there were remains of a city wall and house walls."
ثمَّ رأينا رسم دار فيها بيت من حجارة منحوتة وفي وسطه دكانة حجارة منحوتة، كأنها حجر واحد عليها صورة آدمي، إلَّا أن رأسه طويل وفمه في جانب من وجهه ويداه خلف ظهره كالمكتوف،,"We saw too the ruins of a house with a chamber of hewn stones, in the midst of which there was a platform of hewn stones resembling a single block, surmounted by a human figure, except that its head was elongated and its mouth on one side of its face and its hands behind its back like a pinioned captive."
وهنالك مياه شديدة النتن وكتابة على بعض الجدران بالهندي،,The place had pools of stinking water and an inscription on one of the walls in Indian characters.
وأخبرني علاء الملك أن أهل التاريخ يزعمون أن هذا الموضع كانت فيه مدينة عظيمة أكثر أهلها الفساد فمُسِخُوا حجارة، وأن ملكهم هو الذي على الدكانة في الدار التي ذكرناها، وهي إلى الآن تُسمَّى دار الملك،,"‘Ala al-Mulk told me that the historians assert that in this place there was a great city whose inhabitants were so given to depravity that they were turned to stone, and that it is their king who is on the platform in the house we have described, which is still called ‘the king’s palace’."
وأن الكتابة التي في بعض الحيطان هنالك بالهندي هي تاريخ هلاك أهل تلك المدينة، وكان ذلك منذ ألف سنة أو نحوها،,"They add that the inscription on one of the walls there in Indian characters gives the date of the destruction of the people of that city, which occurred about a thousand years ago."
وأقمت بهذه المدينة مع علاء الملك خمسة أيام، ثم أحسن في الزاد وانصرفْتُ عنه إلى مدينة بكار (بفتح الباء الموحدة)، وهي مدينة حسنة يشقها خليج من نهر السند،,"When I had spent five days in this city with ‘Ala al-Mulk, he gave me a generous travelling provision and I left for the city of Bakar, a fine city intersected by a channel from the river of Sind."
وفي وسط ذلك الخليج زاوية حسنة فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر، عَمَرَها كشلوخان أيام ولايته على بلاد السند وسيقع ذكره،,"In the middle of this canal there is a fine hospice at which food is supplied to all travellers, built by Kishlu Khan during his governorship of Sind, as will be told later on."
ولقيت بهذه المدينة الفقيه الإمام صدر الدين الحنفي، ولقيت بها قاضيها المُسمَّى بأبي حنيفة، ولقيت بها الشيخ العابد الزاهد شمس الدين محمد الشيرازي وهو من المعمرين، ذُكِرَ لي أن سِنَّه يزيد على مائة وعشرين عامًا،,"I met in this town the jurist and imam Sadr al-DIn al-Hanafr, also its qadI, who was called by the name of Abu Hanlfa, and the devout and ascetic shaikh Shams al-DIn Muhammad of Shiraz, one of those granted length of years; I was told that he was more than years old."
ثمَّ سافرت من مدينة بكار فوصلت إلى مدينة أوجه (وضبط اسمها بضم الهمزة وفتح الجيم)، وهي مدينة كبيرة على نهر السند لها أسواق حسنة وعمارة جيدة،,"Thereafter I set out from Bakar and came to the city of Uja [Uch], a large and well-built town which lies on the bank of the river of Sind and has fine bazaars and good buildings."
مكرمة لهذا الملك,A generous act of this king.
ونشأتْ بيني وبين هذا الملك الشريف جلال الدين مودة، وتأكدَّتْ بيننا الصحبة والمحبة واجتمعنا بحضرة دهلي،,"A friendship grew up between me and this king, the Sharif Jalal al-DIn, and developed into firm ties of comradeship and affection, and [later on] we met at the capital Dihli."
فلما سافر السلطان إلى دولة أباد — كما سنذكره — وأمرني بالإقامة بالحضرة قال لي: جلال الدين إنك تحتاج إلى نفقة كبيرة والسلطان تطول غيبته، فخذ قربتي واستغلها حتى أعود،,"When the Sultan left for Dawlat Abad (as we shall relate) and bade me remain in the capital, Jalal al-DIn said to me ‘You will require a large sum for expenses and the Sultan will be away for a long time, so take my village and use its revenues until I return’."
ففعلت ذلك واستغليت منها نحو خمسة آلاف دينار جزاه الله أحسن جزائه،,I did so and gained from it about five thousand dinars—may God give him richest recompense.
ولقيت بمدينة أوجه الشيخ العابد الزاهد الشريف قطب الدين حيدر العلوي وألبسني الخرقة،,"In the town of Uja I met the devout and ascetic shaikh the SharIf Qutb al-DIn Haidar al-’AlawI, who invested me with the patched robe."
وهو من كبار الصالحين، ولم يَزَل الثوب الذي ألبسنيه معي إلى أن سلبني كفار الهنود في البحر،,"He was one of the great saints, and the garment in which he robed me remained in my possession down to the time when the infidel Hindus despoiled me at sea."
ثم سافرت من أوجه إلى مدينة ملتان (وضبط اسمها بضم الميم وتاء معلوة)، وهي قاعدة بلاد السند ومسكن أمير أمرائه،,"From Uja I travelled to the city of Multan, the capital of the land of Sind and residence of its ruling amIr."
وفي الطريق إليها على مسافة عشرة أميال منها الوادي المعروف بخسرو آباد، وهو من الأودية الكبار لا يجاز إلَّا في المركب،,"On the road to Multan and ten miles distant from it is the river called Khusru Abad, a large river that cannot be crossed except by boat."
وبه يُبْحَث عن أمتعة المجتازين أشد البحث وتُفَتَّش رحالهم،,At this point the goods of all who pass are subjected to a rigorous examination and their baggage searched.
وكانت عادتهم في حين وصولنا إليها أن يأخذوا الربع من كل ما يَجْلِبه التجار، ويأخذوا على كل فَرَس سبعة دنانير مغرمًا،,"Their practice at the time of our arrival was to take a quarter of everything brought in by the merchants, and to exact a duty of seven dinars for every horse."
ولما أخذنا في إجازة هذا الوادي وفُتِّشَت الرحال عَظُمَ عَلَيَّ تفتيش رحلي؛ لأنه لم يكن فيه طائل، وكان يظهر في أعين الناس كبيرًا، فكنت أَكْرَهُ أن يُطَّلَعَ عليه،,"When we set about the crossing of this river and the baggage was examined, the idea of having my baggage searched was very disagreeable to me, for though there was nothing much in it, it seemed a great deal in the eyes of the people, and I did not like having it looked into."
ومن لُطْف الله تعالى أن وَصَلَ أحد كبار الأجناد من جهة قطب الملك صاحب ملتان، فأمر ألَّا يُعْرَض لي ببحث ولا تفتيش فكان كذلك، فحمدت الله على ما هيأه لي من لطائفه،,"By the grace of God Most High there arrived on the scene one of the principal officers on behalf of Qutb al-Mulk, the governor of Multan, who gave orders that I should not be subjected to examination or search. And so it happened, and I gave thanks to God for the mercies which He had vouchsafed me."
وبتنا تلك الليلة على شاطئ الوادي، وقَدِمَ علينا في صبيحتها ملك البريد، واسمه دهقان وهو سمرقندي الأصل، وهو الذي يَكْتُب للسلطان بأخبار تلك المدينة وعمالتها، وما يحدث بها ومن يصل إليها،,"We spent that night on the bank of the river and next morning were visited by the postmaster, a man named Dihqan, originally from Samarqand, who is the person who writes to the Sultan to inform him of affairs in that city and district and of all that happens in it and all who come to it."
فتَعَرَّفْتُ به ودَخَلْتُ في صحبته إلى أمير ملتان.,I was introduced to him and went in his company to visit the governor of Multan.
ذكر أمير ملتان وترتيب حاله,The Governor of Multan and the ordering of affairs at his court.
وأمير ملتان هو قطب الملك من كبار الأمراء وفضلائهم،,"The governor of Multan is Qutb al-Mulk, one of the greatest and most excellent of the amirs."
لمَّا دخلت عليه قام إليَّ وصافَحَنِي وأَجْلَسَنِي إلى جانبه،,"When I entered his presence, he rose to greet me, shook my hand, and bade me sit beside him."
وأَهْدَيْتُ له مملوكًا وفرسًا وشيًّا من الزبيب واللوز،,"I presented him with a white slave, a horse, and some raisins and almonds."
وهو من أعظم ما يهدى إليهم؛ لأنه ليس ببلادهم، وإنما يُجْلَب من خراسان،,"These are among the greatest gifts that can be made to them, since they do not grow in their land but are imported from Khurasan."
وكان جلوس هذا الأمير على دكانة كبيرة عليها البسط، وعلى مقربة منه القاضي ويُسمَّى سالارو الخطيب ولا أَذْكُر اسمه،,"This governor [in his public audience] sat on a large carpeted dais, having the qadu, whose name was Salar, and the preacher whose name I forget, beside him."
وعن يمينه ويساره أمراء الأجناد، وأهل السلاح وقوف على رأسه، والعساكر تُعْرَض بين يديه،,"To right and left of him were [ranged] the commanders of the troops, and armed men stood at his back, while the troops were passed in review before him."
وهنالك قِسِيٌّ كثيرة فإذا أتى من يريد أن يثبت في العسكر راميًا أُعْطِيَ قوسًا من تلك القِسِيِّ ينزع فيها وهي متفاوتة في الشدة، فعلى قَدْر نَزْعه يكون مرتبه,"They had a number of bows there, and when anyone comes desiring to be enrolled in the army as an archer he is given one of the bows to draw. They differ in stiffness and his pay is graduated according to the strength he shows in drawing them."
ومن أراد أن يثبت فارسًا فهنالك طبلة منصوبة، فيجري فرسه ويرميها برمحه،,For anyone desiring to be enrolled as a trooper there is a target set up; he puts his horse into a run and tries to hit it with his lance.
وهنالك أيضًا خاتم معلق في حائط صغير، فيجري فرسه حتى يحاذيه، فإن رفعه برمحه فهو الجَيِّد عندهم،,"There is a ring there too, suspended to a low wall; the candidate puts his horse into a run until he comes level with the ring, and if he lifts it off with his lance he is accounted among them a good horseman."
ومن أراد أن يثبت راميًا فارسًا فهنالك كرة موضوعة في الأرض فيجري فرسه ويرميها، وعلى قدر ما يظهر من الإنسان في ذلك من الإصابة يكون مرتبه،,"For those wishing to be enrolled as mounted archers, there is a ball placed on the ground; each man gallops towards it and shoots at it, and his pay is proportioned to his accuracy in hitting it."
ولما دَخَلْنَا على هذا الأمير وسَلَّمْنا عليه — كما ذكرناه — أَمَرَ بإنزالنا في دارٍ خارِجَ المدينة هي لأصحاب الشيخ العابد ركن الدين — الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه —,"When we visited this governor and saluted him, as we have related, he gave orders for us to be lodged in a house outside the town belonging to the disciples of the devout shaikh Rukn alDin, whom I have already mentioned."
وعادتهم ألَّا يضيفوا أحدًا حتى يأتي أَمْر السلطان بتضييفه.,It is their practice that [the governors] do not give hospitality to anyone until orders are received from the Sultan to do so.
ذِكْر من اجتمعْتُ به في هذه المدينة من الغرباء الوافدين على حضرة ملك الهند,"Account of the foreigners whom I met in this city, making their way to the capital of the King of India."
فمنهم خداوند زاده قوام الدين قاضي ترمذ، قَدِمَ بأهله وولده، ثمَّ وَرَدَ عليه بها إخوته عماد الدين وضياء الدين وبرهان الدين،,"Amongst them was Khudhawand-Zada Qiwam al-Din, qadi of Tirmidh, who had come with his womenfolk and children and was joined at Multan by his brothers, ‘Imad alDin, Diya’ al-Din and Burhan al-Din."
ومنهم مبارك شاه أحد كبار سمرقند، ومنهم أرن بغا أحد كبار بخارى، ومنهم ملك زاده ابن أخت خداوند زاده، ومنهم بدر الدين الفصال، وكل واحد من هؤلاء معه أصحابه وخُدَّامُه وأتباعه،,"Others were Mubarak-Shah, one of the notables of Samarqand; Arun-Bugha, one of the notables of Bukhara; Malik-Zada, son of the sister of Khudhawand-Zada; and Badr al-Din al-Fassal. Each one of these had with him his associates, servants, and followers."
ولما مضى من وصولنا إلى ملتان شهران وَصَلَ أحد حُجَّاب السلطان، وهو شمس الدين البوشنجي والملك محمد الهروي الكتوال،,"Two months after we reached Multan one of the Sultan’s chamberlains, Shams al-DIn of Bushanj, and the ‘king’ Muhammad al-HarawI, the kutwal, arrived in the town."
بَعَثَهُما السلطان لاستقبال خداوند زاده، وقَدِمَ معهم ثلاثة من الفتيان بَعَثَتْهم المخدومة جهان — وهي أم السلطان — لاستقبال زوجة خداوند زاده المذكور،,"These two had been sent by the Sultan to meet and escort Khudhawand-Zada, and were accompanied by three eunuchs sent by al-Makhdumah Jahan, the Sultan’s mother, to escort the wife of this same Khudhawand-Zada."
وأتوا بالخلع لهما ولأولادهما، ولتجهيز من قدم من الوفود،,"They brought also robes of honour for them both and for their children, and [had instructions] to arrange for the journey [to DihlI] of [all] those who had come on one mission or another."
وأتوا جميعًا إليَّ وسألوني: لماذا قدمت؟,They came to me together and asked me why I had come [to India].
فأخبرْتُهم أني قَدِمْتُ للإقامة في خدمة خوند عالم — وهو السلطان — وبهذا يُدْعَى في بلاده،,"I told them that I had come to enter permanently the service of Khund ‘Alam [‘Master of the World’], namely the Sultan, this being how he is called in his dominions."
وكان أَمَرَ ألَّا يُتْرَكَ أحد ممن يأتي من خراسان يدخل بلاد الهند، إلَّا إن كال برسم الإقامة،,He had given orders that no one coming from Khurasan should be allowed to enter India unless he came with the intention of staying there.
فلما أَعْلَمْتُهُمْ أني قدمت للإقامة استدعوا القاضي والعدول، وكتبوا عقدًا عليَّ وعلى من أراد الإقامة من أصحابي، وأبى بعضهم من ذلك.,"So when I told them that I had come to stay they summoned the qadI and notaries and drew up a contract binding me and those of my company who wished to remain in India, but some of them refused to take this engagement."
وتَجَهَّزْنَا للسفر إلى الحضرة، وبين ملتان وبينها مسيرة أربعين يومًا في عمارة متصلة،,"We then prepared for the journey to the capital, which is forty days’ march from Multan through continuously inhabited country."
وأخرج الحاجب وصاحبه الذي بُعِثَ معه ما يحتاج إليه في ضيافة قوام الدين، واستصحبوا من ملتان نحو عشرين طبَّاخًا،,The chamberlain and the other officer who had been sent with him provided everything that was needed for the entertainment of Qiwam al-DIn and took about twenty cooks with them from Multan.
وكان الحاجب يتقدم ليلًا إلى كلِّ منزل فيجهز الطعام وسواه، فما يصل خداوند زاده حتى يكون الطعام مُتَيَسِّرًا،,"The chamber-lain himself went ahead [with them] every night to prepare his meals, etc. at the next station, and no sooner did KhudhawandZada arrive than his meal was already prepared."
وينزل كل واحد ممن ذَكَرْنَاهم من الوفود على حدة بمضاربه وأصحابه، وربما حضروا الطعام الذي يُصْنَع لخداوند زاده، ولم أَحْضُرْه أنا إلَّا مرة واحدة،,"Each one of the newcomers whom we have mentioned used to camp separately in his tents with his companions, but they often joined in the meal which was prepared for Khudhawand-Zada. I myself was present at it only once."
وترتيب ذلك الطعام أنهم يجعلون الخبز — وخبزهم الرقاق وهو شِبْه الجراديق — ويقطعون اللحم المشوي قطعًا كبارًا بحيث تكون الشاة أربع قطع أو ستًّا، ويَجْعَلُون أمام كُلِّ رَجُلٍ قِطْعَةً،,"The order observed at this meal was [as follows]. They would serve bread (their bread consists of thin round cakes like those we call jardaqa) ; then they cut up the roasted meat into large pieces of a size such that one sheep makes four or six pieces, and they put one piece before each man."
ويجعلون أقراصًا مصنوعة بالسمن تُشْبِه الخبز المُشَرَّك ببلادنا، ويجعلون في وسطها الحلواء الصابونية، ويُغَطُّون كل قرص منها برغيف حلواء يسمونه الخشتي، ومعناه الأجري مصنوع من الدقيق والسكر والسمن،,"They served also round dough cakes made with ghee, resembling the bread called mushrik in our country, which they stuff with the sweet [called] sabuniya, and on top of each dough cake they put a sweet cake which they call khishti (which means ‘brick¬shaped’), made of flour, sugar and ghee."
ثمَّ يجعلون اللحم المطبوخ بالسمن والبصل والزنجبيل الأخضر في صحاف صينية.,"Then they serve in large porcelain bowls meat cooked with ghee, onions, and green ginger."
ثمَّ يجعلون شيًّا يسمونه سموسك، وهو لحم مهروس مطبوخ باللوز والجوز والفستق والبصل والأبازير، موضوع في جوف رقاقة مقلوة بالسمن، يضعون أمام كل إنسان خمس قِطَع من ذلك أو أربعًا،,"After that they serve something which they call samusak, made of meat hashed and cooked with almonds, walnuts, pistachios, onions, and spices, put inside a piece of thin bread fried in ghee. They put five pieces of these before each person, or perhaps four."
ثمَّ يجعلون الأرز المطبوخ بالسمن وعليه الدجاج، ثمَّ يجعلون لقيمات القاضي ويسمونها الهاشمي، ثمَّ يجعلون القاهرية، ويقف الحاجب على السماط قبل الأكل ويخدم إلى الجهة التي فيها السلطان، ويخدم جميع من حضر لخدمته،,"Next they serve rice cooked in ghee with chickens on top of it, follow this with bouchees du juge, which they call hashimi, and then set down the qahinya The chamberlain stands beside the table-mat before the food is served and he does homage in the direction of wherever the Sultan may be and all those who are present do homage at the same time."
والخدمة عندهم حط الرأس نحو الركوع،,This homage with them consists in bending the head rather like the ‘bowing’ of the prayers.
فإذا فعلوا ذلك جلسوا للأكل، ويؤتى بأقداح الذهب والفضة والزجاج مملوءة بماء النبات، وهو الجلاب محلولًا في الماء، ويسمون ذلك الشربة ويشربونه قبل الطعام،,"When they have done that, they sit down to eat and vessels of gold, silver, and glass are brought filled with sugared water, that is to say syrup diluted with water. They call that shurba [sherbet] and drink it before [beginning to] eat."
ثمَّ يقول الحاجب: بسم الله، فعند ذلك يَشْرَعُون في الأكل،,The chamberlain then says bismillah which is the signal for them to start eating.
فإذا أكلوا أتوا بأكواز الفقاع، فإذا شربوه أتوا بالتنبول والفوفل — وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُهما —,"When they finish eating they are given jugs of barleywater, and after drinking this they are given betel and areca nut, which we have described already."
فإذا أخذوا التنبول والفوفل قال الحاجب بسم الله، فيقومون ويخدمون مثل خدمتهم أوَّلًا وينصرفون،,"When they have taken betel and areca nut the chamberlain says bismillah, whereupon they rise and do homage as they did before, and separate."
وسافرنا من مدينة ملتان وهم يجرون هذا الترتيب على حسب ما سطرناه إلى أنْ وصلنا إلى بلاد الهند،,On our journey from the city of Multan they continued to observe this order in the manner which we have set down until we reached the land of al-Hind.
وكان أول بلد دخلناه مدينة أبوهر (بفتح الهاء)، وهي أول تلك البلاد الهندية، صغيرة حسنة كثيرة العمارة، ذات أنهار وأشجار،,"The first town we entered was the city of Abuhar, which is the first of these lands of Hind, a small but pretty place with a large population, and with flowing streams and trees."
وليس هنالك من أشجار بلادنا شيء ما عدا النبق، لكنه عندهم عظيم الجرم تكون الحبة منه بمقدار حبة العفص شديد الحلاوة،,"There are not to be found in India any trees of our country except the lotetree, but there it is of great girth and its fruit is about as large as a gall nut, and very sweet."
ولهم أشجار كثيرة ليس يُوجَد منها شيء ببلادنا ولا بسواها.,They have many trees none of which are to be found either in our country or elsewhere.
ذكر أشجار بلاد الهند وفواكهها,Description of the trees of India and their fruits.
فمنها العنبة (بفتح العين، وسكون النون، وفتح الباء الموحدة)، وهي شجرة تُشْبِه أشجار النارنج، إلَّا أنها أعظم أجرامًا وأكثر أوراقًا،,One of them is the ‘anbah [mango] ; it is a tree which resembles orange trees but is larger in size and more leafy.
وظِلُّها أكثر الظلال غير أنه ثقيل، فمن نام تحته وعك،,"The shade which it gives is the densest of any, but it is oppressive and if one sleeps beneath it he becomes enervated."
وثمرها على قدر الإجَّاص الكبير، فإذا كان أخضر قبل تمام نضجه أخذوا ما سقط منه وجعلوا عليه الملح، وصَيَّرُوه كما يُصَيَّر الليم والليمون ببلادنا،,"Its fruit is of the size of a large pear. When the fruit is green and not yet fully ripe the people gather those of them that fall, put salt on them and pickle them as limes and lemons are pickled in our country."
وكذلك يُصَيِّرون أيضًا الزنجبيل الأخضر وعناقيد الفلفل، ويأكلون ذلك مع الطعام، يأخذون بأثر كل لقمة يسيرًا من هذه المملوحات،,"The Indians pickle also green ginger and clusters of pepper, which they eat with meat dishes, taking after each mouthful a little of these pickled [fruits]."
فإذا نضجت العنبة في أوان الخريف اصْفَرَّت حباتها فأكلوها كالتفاح، فبعضهم يقطعها بالسكين، وبعضهم يمصها مصًّا،,"When the mango ripens in the season of autumn [rains] its fruit becomes yellow and then they eat it like apples, some people cutting it with a knife while others simply suck it."
وهي حلوة يمازج حلاوتها يسير حموضة، ولها نواة كبيرة يزرعونها فتنبت منها الأشجار، كما تُزْرَع نوى النارنج وغيرها،,"The fruit is sweet, with a little acidity mingled with its sweetness, and has a large stone which they plant, like orange pips and other fruit stones, and the trees sprout from them."
ومنها الشكي والبركي (بفتح الشين المعجم، وكسر الكاف، وفتح الباء الموحدة، وكسر الكاف أيضًا)، وهي أشجار عادية أوراقها كأوراق الجوز، وثمرها يخرج من أصل الشجرة،,"Then there are the shaki and the barki. These are trees of great age with leaves like those of the walnut, and their fruits come out from the trunk of the tree itself."
فما اتصل منه بالأرض فهو البركي، وحلاوته أشد ومطعمه أطيب، وما كان فوق ذلك فهو الشكي، وثمره يشبه القرع الكبار، وجلوده تشبه جلود البقر،,Those of them that are next to the ground are the barki and those higher up are the shaki. The former are sweeter and better-flavoured; the latter resemble large gourds and have a skin like oxhide.
فإذا اصْفَرَّ في أوان الخريف قَطَعُوه وشَقُّوه، فيكون في داخل كل حبة المائة والمائتان، فما بين ذلك من حبات تُشْبِه الخيار، بين كل حبة وحبة صفاق أصفر اللون،,"When it yellows in the season of autumn they gather it and split it in half; inside each fruit there are from one to two hundred pods resembling cucumbers, between each of which there is a thin yellow skin."
ولكل حبة نواة تُشْبِه الفول الكبير، وإذا شُوِيَتْ تلك النواة أو طُبِخَتْ يكون طَعْمُها كطعم الفول؛ إذ ليس يوجد هنالك،,Each pod has a kernel resembling a large bean and when these kernels are roasted or boiled they taste like beans [and take the place of them] since beans are not to be found in that country.
ويدخرون هذه النوى في التراب الأحمر فتبقى إلى سنة أخرى،,They store up these kernels in red earth and they keep until the next year.
وهذا الشكي والبركي هو خير فاكهة ببلاد الهند،,This shaki and barki is the best fruit in India.
ومنها التندو (بفتح التاء المثناة، وسكون النون، وضم الدال)، وهو ثمر شجر الآبنوس، وحباته في قدر حبات المشمش ولونها، وهو شديد الحلاوة،,"Another is the tandu, the fruit of the ebony tree, of about the size and colour of an apricot and very sweet."
ومنها الجور (بضم الجيم المعقودة)، وأشجاره عادية ويشبه ثمرة الزيتون وهو أسود اللون، ونواه واحدة كالزيتون,"Then there is the chumun, whose trees are of great age, and whose fruit resembles an olive; it is black in colour and has a single stone like the olive."
ومنها النارنج الحلو، وهو عندهم كثير. وأمَّا النارنج الحامض فعزيز الوجود،,"Also the sweet orange, which is very plentiful in their country, but the bitter orange is seldom found;"
ومنه صنف ثالث يكون بين الحلو والحامض، وثمره على قدر الليم وهو طيِّب جدًّا، وكنت يعجبني أكله،,"there is a third kind between sweet and bitter, about the size of a lime, which has an excellent flavour and I used to enjoy eating it."
ومنها المهوا (بفتح الميم والواو)، وأشجاره عادية وأوراقه كأوراق الجوز إلَّا أن فيها حُمْرة وصُفْرة،,"Another species is the mohwa, long-lived trees, with leaves like those of the walnut except that there is red and yellow in them."
وثَمَرُه مثل الإجَّاص الصغير شديد الحلاوة، وفي أعلى كل حبة منه حبة صغيرة بمقدار حبة العنب مجوفة وطعمها كطعم العنب، إلَّا أن الإكثار من أكلها يُحْدِث في الرأس صداعًا،,"Its fruit resembles a small pear and is very sweet. At the top of each fruit there is a smaller fruit of the size of a grape, but hollow; its taste is like that of grapes, but eating too many of them gives a splitting headache."
ومن العجب أن هذه الحبوب إذا يُبِّسَتْ في الشمس كان مطعمها كمطعم التين، وكُنْتُ آكلها عوضًا من التين إذ لا يوجد ببلاد الهند،,"A surprising thing is that when these fruits are dried in the sun they taste just like figs, and I used to eat them in place of figs, which are not to be found in India."
وهم يُسَمُّون هذه الحبة الأنكور (بفتح الهمزة، وسكون النون، وضم الكاف المعقودة والواو والراء)، وتفسيره بلسانهم العنب،,"They call this [small] fruit angur, which in their language means grapes."
والعنب بأرض الهند عزيز جدًّا، ولا يكون بها إلا في مواضع بحضرة دهلي وببلاد أُخَر،,"Grapes themselves are very rare in India and are to be had only in certain districts, in the capital Dihll and in the territory of. . . ."
ويثمر مرتين في السنة، ونوى هذا الثمر يصنعون منه الزيت ويستصبحون به،,"The mohwa bears fruit twice a year and from its kernels they make oil, which they use for lamps."
ومن فواكههم فاكهة يسمونها كَسِيرَا (بفتح الكاف، وكسر السين المهمل وياء مد وراء)، يحفرون عليها الأرض، وهي شديدة الحلاوة تشبه القسطل،,Another of their fruits is one which they call kasira and which they dig out of the ground; it is very sweet and resembles a chestnut.
وببلاد الهند من فواكه بلادنا الرمان، ويثمر مرتين في السنة،,"India has of the fruits of our country the pomegranate, which bears fruit twice a year."
ورأيته ببلاد جزائر ذيبة المهل لا ينقطع له ثَمَرٌ,I have seen some in the islands of Dhlba al-Mahal which bore fruit continuously.
وهم يسمونه أنار (بفتح الهمزة والنون)، وأظن ذلك هو الأصل في تسمية الجلنار، فإن جُلْ بالفارسية الزهر ونار الرمان.,The Indians call it anar; I think this must be the origin of the name jullanar because jul in Persian means flower and anar means pomegranate.
ذكر الحبوب التي يزرعها أهل الهند ويقتاتون بها,Account of the cereals which the people of India sow and use for food.
وأهل الهند يزدرعون مرتين في السنة، فإذا نزل المطر عندهم في أوان القيظ زرعوا الزرع الخريفي وحصدوه بعد ستين يومًا من زراعته،,"The Indians sow twice a year. When the rain falls in their country in the hot season they sow the autumn crop, and harvest it sixty days later."
ومن هذه الحبوب الخريفية عندهم الكذرو (بضم الكاف، وسكون الذال المعجم، وضم الراء وبعدها واو)، وهو نوع من الدخن وهذا الكذر، وهو أكثر الحبوب عندهم، ومنها القال (بالقاف) وهو شبه أنلي، ومنها الشاماخ (بالشين والخاء المعجمتين)، وهو أصغر حبًّا من القال، وربما نبت هذا الشاماخ من غير زراعة، وهو طعام الصالحين وأهل الورع،,"Among these autumn grains in their country are kudhru, a kind of millet which is the commonest of the grains in their country ; qal which resembles [the type of millet called] anli; and shamakh which is smaller in the grain than qal, and often grows without being sown."
والفقراء والمساكين يَخْرُجون لِجَمْع ما نَبَتَ منه من غير زراعة، فيُمْسِك أحدهم قفة كبيرة بيساره وتكون بيمناه مقرعة يَضْرِب بها الزرع فيسقط في القفة، فيجمعون منه ما يقتاتون به جميع السنة،,"It is the food of the devotees and ascetics, and of the poor and needy. They go out to gather what has sprung up of this plant without cultivation ; each of them holds a large basket in his left hand and has in his right a whip with which he beats the grain so that it falls into the basket. In this way they collect enough of it to supply them with food for the whole year."
وحَبُّ هذا الشاماخ صغير جدًّا، وإذا جُمِعَ جُعِلَ في الشمس ثمَّ يُدَقُّ في مهاريس الخشب فيطير قشره ويبقى لُبُّه أبيض، ويصنعون منه عصيدة,"The seed of this shamakh is very small; after gathering, it is put out in the sun, then pounded in wooden mortars ; the husk flies off leaving its pith, a white substance, from which they make gruel."
يطبخونها بحليب الجواميس وهي أطيب من خبزه، وكنت آكلها كثيرًا ببلاد الهند وتعجبني،,They cook this with buffalo’s milk and it is pleasanter [prepared in this way] than baked as bread; I used often to eat it in India and enjoyed it.
ومنها الماش وهو نوع من الجلبان، ومنها المنج (بميم مضموم ونون وجيم)، وهو نوع من الماش إلَّا أن حبوبه مستطيلة ولونه صافي الخضرة،,"Other grains are mssh which is a kind of pea, and munj which is a species of mash, differing from it in having elongated grains and in its clear green colour."
ويطبخون المنج مع الأرز ويأكلونه بالسمن، ويسمونه كشري (بالكاف والشين المعجم والراء)، وعليه يفطرون في كل يوم وهو عندهم كالحريرة ببلاد المغرب،,They cook munj with rice and eat it with ghee ; this dish they call kishri and they breakfast on it every day. It takes the place with them of harira in the lands of the Maghrib.
ومنها اللوبيا وهي نوع من الفول، ومنها الموت (بضم الميم) وهو مثل الكذرو، إلَّا أن حبوبه أصغر،,"Then there is lubiya, a kind of bean, and mut, which resembles kudhru but has smaller grains."
وهو من علف الدواب عندهم، وتَسْمُن الدواب بأكله. والشعير عندهم لا قوة له وإنما علف الدواب من هذا الموت أو الحمص يجرشونه ويبلونه بالماء، ويطعمونه الدواب,"It is used as fodder for draught animals in that country and fattens them; the barley in their country has no strength in it, and fodder for the animals is furnished by this mut or else by chickpeas, which they pound and soak with water before feeding it to them."
ويطعمونها عوضًا من القصيل أوراق الماش بعد أن تسقى الدابة السمن عشرة أيام في كل يوم مقدار ثلاثة أرطال أو أربعة، ولا تُرْكَب في تلك الأيام، وبعد ذلك يُطْعِمونها أوراق الماش كما ذكرنا شهرًا أو نحوه،,"In place of green fodder, too, they feed them with mash leaves, but first each animal is given ghee to drink for ten days, three to four pounds a day, and is not ridden during this time, and after that they feed it with mask leaves, as we have said, for a month or so."
وهذه الحبوب التي ذكرناها هي الخريفية،,The cereals which we have mentioned are autumn crops.
وإذا حصدها بعد ستين يومًا من زراعتها ازدرعوا الحبوب الربيعية، وهي القمح والشعير والحمص والعدس،,"When they harvest these sixty days after sowing them, they sow the spring cereals, which are wheat, barley, chickpeas, and lentils."
وتكون زراعتها في الأرض التي كانت الحبوب الخريفية مزدرعة فيها، وبلادهم كريمة طيبة التربة،,They are sown in the same ground where the autumn crops are sown for their land is generous and of good heart.
وأمَّا الأرز فإنهم يزرعونه ثلاث مرات في السنة، وهو من أكبر الحبوب عندهم،,"As for rice, they sow it three times a year, and it is one of the principal cereals in their country."
ويزدرعون السمسم وقصب السكر مع الحبوب الخريفية التي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُها،,They sow also sesame and sugarcane along with the autumn grains that we have mentioned.
(ولنعد) إلى ما كنَّا بسبيله فأقول سافرنا من مدينة أبوهر في صحراء مسيرة يوم في أطرافها جبال منيعة، يسكنها كفار الهنود وربما قطعوا الطريق،,"To return to what we were saying, we continued our journey from the city of Abuhar across open country extending for a day’s journey. On its borders are formidable mountains, inhabited by Hindu infidels who frequently hold up parties of travellers."
وأهل بلاد الهند أكثرهم كفار، فمنهم رعية تحت ذمة المسلمين يسكنون القرى، ويكون عليهم حاكم من المسلمين يقدمه العامل أو الخديم الذي تكون القرية في إقطاعه،,"Of the inhabitants of India the majority are infidels; some of them are subjects [ryots] under Muslim rule, and live in villages governed by a Muslim headman appointed by the tax-collector or subordinate officer in whose fief the village lies."
ومنهم عصاة محارَبون يمتنعون بالجبال ويقطعون الطريق.,"Others of them are rebels and warriors, who maintain themselves in the fastnesses of the mountains and plunder travellers."
ذِكْر غزوة لنا بهذا الطريق، وهي أول غزوة شَهِدْتُها ببلاد الهند,"Account of an engagement which we had on this road, being i the first engagement which I witnessed in India."
ولما أَرَدْنَا السفر من مدينة أبوهر خرج الناس منها أول النهار، وأقمت بها إلى نصف النهار في لمة من أصحابي،,"When we made ready to set out from Abuhar, the main party left the town in the early morning, but I stayed there with a small party of my companions until midday."
ثمَّ خرجنا ونحن اثنان وعشرون فارسًا، منهم عرب ومنهم أعاجم، فخرج علينا في تلك الصحراء ثمانون رجلًا من الكفار وفارسان،,"We then set out too, numbering in all twenty-two horsemen, partly Arabs and partly non-Arabs [i.e. Persians and Turks], and were attacked in the open country there by eighty infidels on foot with two horsemen."
وكان أصحابي ذوي نجدة وعتي، فقاتلناهم أشد القتال، فقَتَلْنا أحد الفارسين منهم وغَنِمْنا فرسه، وقَتَلْنا من رجالهم نحو اثني عشر رجلًا،,"My companions were men of courage and vigour and we fought stoutly with them, killing one of their horsemen and about twelve of the footsoldiers, and capturing the horse of the former."
وأصابتني نشابة وأصابت فرسي نشابة ثانية، ومَنَّ الله بالسلامة منها؛ لأن نشابهم لا قوة لها،,"I was hit by an arrow and my horse by another, but God in His grace preserved me from them, for there is no force in their arrows."
وجرح لأحد أصحابنا فرس عوضناه له بفرس الكافر، وذَبَحْنَا فرسه المجروح فأكله الترك من أصحابنا،,"One of our party had his horse wounded, but we gave him in exchange the horse we had captured from the infidel, and killed the wounded horse, which was eaten by the Turks of our party."
وأوصلنا تلك الرءوس إلى حصن أبي بكهر فعلقناها على سُورِهِ، وكان وصولنا في نصف الليل إلى حصن أبي بكهر المذكور (وضبط اسمه بفتح الباء الموحدة، وسكون الكاف، وفتح الهاء وآخره راء)،,"We carried the heads of the slain to the castle of Abu Bak’har, which we reached about midnight, and suspended them from the wall."
وسافرنا منه فوصلنا بعد يومين إلى مدينة أجودهن (وضبط اسمها بفتح الهمزة، وضم الجيم، وفتح الدال المهمل والهاء وآخره نون)، مدينة صغيرة هي للشيخ الصالح فريد الدين البذاواني، الذي أخبرني الشيخ الصالح الولي برهان الدين الأعرج بالإسكندرية أني سألقاه فلقيته والحمد لله،,"After two days’ journey from this place we reached the town of Ajudahan, a small town belonging to the pious shaikh Farid al-DIn al-BadhawunI, the very person whom the pious shaikh and saint Burhan al-DIn the lame had told me, at Alexandria, that I should meet. And meet him I did, God be praised."
وهو شيخ ملك الهند وأنعم عليه بهذه المدينة،,"He was the spiritual preceptor of the king of India, who made him a gift of this town."
وهذا الشيخ مبتلًى بالوسواس والعياذ بالله، فلا يصافح أحدًا ولا يدنو منه، وإذا أُلْصِقَ ثوبه بثوب أحد غَسَلَ ثوبه،,"But he is afflicted by secret imaginings (God preserve us from them); thus he never shakes anyone by the hand, nor comes near him, and if his robe should brush against the garment of any other person he washes it."
دخلت زاويته ولقيته وأبلغته سلام الشيخ برهان الدين فعجب، وقال: أنا دون ذلك،,I went into his hospice and when I met him I gave him the greetings of Shaikh Burhan al-DIn. He was astonished and said ‘I am not worthy of that.’
ولقيت ولديه الفاضلين مُعِزَّ الدين وهو أكبرهما، ولما مات أبوه تولَّى الشياخة بعده، وعَلَمَ الدين، وزُرْتُ قبر جده القطب الصالح فريد الدين البذاواني منسوبة إلى مدينة بذاون بلد السنبل (وهي بفتح الباء الموحدة، والذال المعجم، وضم الواو وآخرها نون)،,"I met also his two virtuous sons, Mu’izz al-DIn, the elder, who when his father died succeeded to his shaikhly function, and ‘Alam al-DIn, and visited the tomb of his grandfather, the sainted Pole, FarId al-DIn called al-BadhawunI, after the town of Badhawun in the land of as-Sambal."
ولما أردت الانصراف عن هذه المدينة قال لي علم الدين: لا بُدَّ لك من رؤية والدي,"When I was about to leave this town, ‘Alam al-DIn said to me, ‘You must not go without seeing my father.’"
فرأيته وهو في أعلى سطح له، وعليه ثياب بيض وعمامة كبيرة لها ذؤابة، وهي مائلة إلى جانب ودعا لي وبعث إليَّ بسكر ونبات.,"I saw him accordingly; he was on top of a terrace in his hospice, and was wearing white robes and a large turban with a tassel, which was inclined to one side. He gave me his blessing and sent me a present of sugar and sugar candy."
ذكر أهل الهند الذين يحرقون أنفسهم بالنار,Account of the Indians who burn themselves to death.
ولما انصرفت عن هذا الشيخ رأيت الناس يهرعون من عسكرنا ومعهم بعض أصحابنا،,"As I returned from visiting this shaikh, I saw people hurrying out from our camp, and some of our party along with them."
فسألتهم ما الخبر؟ فأخبروني أن كافرًا من الهنود مات وأُجِّجَت النار لحرقه، وامرأته تَحْرِق نفسها معه،,"I asked them what was happening and they told me that one of the Hindu infidels had died, that a fire had been kindled to burn him, and his wife would burn herself along with him."
ولما احترقا جاء أصحابي وأخبروا أنها عانَقَت الميت حتى احترقَتْ معه،,After the burning my companions came back and told me that she had embraced the dead man until she herself was burned with him.
وبعد ذلك كنت في تلك البلاد أرى المرأة من كفار الهنود متزينة راكبة، والناس يتبعونها من مسلم وكافر، والأطبال والأبواق بين يديها ومعها البراهمة وهم كبراء الهنود،,"Later on I used often to see in that country an infidel Hindu woman, richly dressed, riding on horseback, followed by both Muslims and infidels and preceded by drums and trumpets; she was accompanied by Brahmans, who are the chiefs of the Hindus."
وإذا كان ذلك ببلاد السلطان استأذنوا السلطان في إحراقها فيأذن لهم فيحرقونها،,"In the Sultan’s dominions they ask his permission to burn her, which he accords them and then they burn her."
ثمَّ اتفق بعد مدَّة أني كنت بمدينةٍ أَكْثَرُ سُكَّانها الكفار تُعْرَف بأبحري،,"Sometime later I happened to be in a town inhabited by a majority of infidels, called Amjarl."
وأميرها مسلم من سامرة السند،,"Its governor was a Muslim, one of the Samira of Sind."
وعلى مقربة منها الكفار والعصاة، فقطعوا الطريق يومًا وخرج الأمير المسلم لقتالهم، وخَرَجَتْ معه رعية من المسلمين والكفار،,"In its neighbourhood were some unsubdued infidels, and when one day they made an attack on the road the Muslim amir went out to engage them, together with his subjects both Muslim and infidel."
ووَقَعَ بينهم قتال شديد، مات فيه من رعية الكفار سبعة نفر، وكان لثلاثة منهم ثلاث زوجات فاتفقنَّ على إحراق أنفسهنَّ،,"There was severe fighting between them, in the course of which seven of the infidel subjects were killed, three of whom had wives, and the three widows agreed to burn themselves."
وإحراق المرأة بعد زوجها عندهم أَمْر مندوب إليه غير واجب، لكن مَنْ أَحْرَقَتْ نفسها بعد زوجها أَحْرَزَ أَهْلُ بيتها شرفًا بذلك ونُسِبُوا إلى الوفاء،,"The burning of the wife after her husband’s death is regarded by them as a commendable act, but is not compulsory; but when a widow burns herself her family acquire a certain prestige by it and gain a reputation for fidelity."
ومن لم تَحْرِق نفسها لبست خشن الثياب، وأقامت عند أهلها بائسة ممتهَنة لعدم وفائها، ولكنها لا تُكْرَه على إحراق نفسها.,"A widow who does not bum herself dresses in coarse garments and lives with her own people in misery, despised for her lack of fidelity, but she is not forced to bum herself."
ولما تعاهَدَت النسوة الثلاث اللاتي ذكرناهُنَّ على إحراق أنفسهن، أَقَمْنَ قبل ذلك ثلاثة أيام في غناء وطرب، وأَكْل وشُرْب كأنهن يُوَدِّعْن الدنيا، ويأتي إليهن النساء من كل جهة،,"When these three women to whom we have referred made a compact to burn themselves, they spent three days preceding the event in concerts of music and singing and festivals of eating and drinking, as though they were bidding farewell to the world, and the women from all around came [to take part]."
وفي صبيحة اليوم الرابع أُتِيَتْ كل واحدة منهنَّ بفرس فركبته، وهي متزينة متعطرة،,"On the morning of the fourth day each one of them had a horse brought to her and mounted it, richly dressed and perfumed."
وفي يمناها جوزة نارجيل تلعب بها، وفي يسراها مرآة تنظر فيها وَجْهَها،,"In her right hand she held a coconut, with which she played, and in her left a mirror, in which she could see her face."
والبراهمة يحفون بها، وأقاربها معها، وبين يديها الأطبال والأبواق والأنفار،,"They were surrounded by Brahmans and accompanied by their own relatives, and were preceded by drums, trumpets and bugles."
وكل إنسان من الكفار يقول لها: أبلغي السلام إلى أبي، أو أخي، أو أمي، أو صاحبي، وهي تقول: نعم.وتضحك إليهم،,"Everyone of the infidels would say to one of them ‘Take greetings from me to my father, or brother, or mother, or friend’ and she would say ‘yes’ and smile at them."
ورَكِبْتُ مع أصحابي لأرى كيفية صُنْعِهِنَّ في الاحتراق،,I rode out with my companions to see what exactly these women did in this [ceremony of] burning.
فَسِرْنا معهنَّ نحو ثلاثة أميال وانتهينا إلى موضع مُظْلِم كثير المياه والأشجار متكاثف الظلال، وبين أشجاره أربع قباب، في كل قبة صنم من الحجارة،,"After travelling about three miles with them we came to a dark place with much water and trees with heavy shade, amongst which there were four pavilions, each containing a stone idol."
وبين القباب صهريج ماء قد تكاثفت عليه الظلال وتزاحمت الأشجار، فلا تخللها الشمس،,Between the pavilions there was a basin of water over which a dense shade was cast by trees so thickly set that the sun could not penetrate them.
فكان ذلك الموضع بقعة من بقع جهنم أعاذنا الله منها،,The place looked like a spot in hell—God preserve us from it!
ولما وَصَلْنَ إلى تلك القباب نَزَلْنَ إلى الصهريج وانغمسن فيه، وجَرَّدْنَ ما عليهن من ثياب وحليٍّ فتَصَدَّقْنَ به،,"On reaching these pavilions they descended to the pool, plunged into it and divested themselves of their clothes and ornaments, which they distributed as alms."
وأُتِيَتْ كل واحدة منهن بثوب قطن خشن غير مخيط، فرُبِطَ بعضه على وسطها وبعضه على رأسها وكتفيها،,Each one was then given an unsewn garment of coarse cotton and tied part of it round her waist and part over her head and shoulders.
والنيران قد أُضْرِمَتْ على قرب من ذلك الصهريج في موضع منخفض، وصُبَّ عليها روغن كنجت (كنجد) وهو زيت الجلجلان فزاد في اشتعالها.,"Meanwhile, the fires had been lit near this basin in a lowlying spot, and raughan kunjut, that is oil of sesame, poured over them, so that the flames were increased."
وهنالك نحو خمسة عشر رجلًا بأيديهم حزم من الحطب الرقيق، ومعهم نحو عشرة بأيديهم خشب كبار وأهل الأطبال والأبواق وقوف ينتظرون مجيء المرأة،,"There were about fifteen men there with faggots of thin wood, and with them about ten others with heavy balks in their hands, while the drummers and trumpeters were standing by waiting for the woman’s coming."
وقد حجبت النار بملحفة يمسكها الرجال بأيديهم؛ لئلا يدهشها النظر إليها،,"The fire was screened off by a blanket held by some men in their hands, so that she should not be frightened by the sight of it."
فرأيت إحداهن لما وصلت إلى تلك الملحفة نزعتها من أيدي الرجال بعنف، وقالت لهم: ماراميترساني أزاطش (آنش) من ميدانم أواطش إست رهاكني مارا، وهي تضحك، ومعنى هذا الكلام: أبالنار تخوفونني! أنا أعلم أنها نار محرقة.,"I saw one of them, on coming to the blanket, pull it violently out of the men’s hands, saying to them with a laugh, mara, mitarsani az atash man midanam u atash ast raha Kuni mara; these words mean ‘Is it with the fire that you frighten me? I know that it is a blazing fire.’"
ثمَّ جَمَعَتْ يديها على رأسها خِدْمة للنار ورَمَتْ بنفسها فيها،,Thereupon she joined her hands above her head in salutation to the fire and cast herself into it.
وعند ذلك ضُرِبَت الأطبال والأنفار والأبواق، ورمى الرجال ما بأيديهم من الحطب عليها، وجَعَلَ الآخرون تلك الخشب من فوقها لئلا تتحرك وارتفعت الأصوات وكثر الضجيج،,"At the same moment the drums, trumpets and bugles were sounded, and men threw on her the firewood they were carrying and the others put those heavy balks on top of her to prevent her moving, cries were raised and there was a loud clamour."
ولما رأيت ذلك كِدْتُ أسقط عن فرسي، لولا أصحابي تداركوني بالماء فغسلوا وجهي وانصرفْتُ،,"When I saw this I had all but fallen off my horse, if my companions had not quickly brought water to me and laved my face, after which I withdrew."
وكذلك يَفْعَل أهل الهند أيضًا في الغرق؛ يُغْرِقُ كثير منهم أنفسهم في نهر الكنك، وهو الذي إليه يحجون، وفيه يُرْمَى برماد هؤلاء المُحْرَقين وهم يقولون: إنه من الجنة،,"The Indians have a similar practice of drowning them-selves, and many of them do so in the river Gang, the river to which they go on pilgrimage, and into which the ashes of these burned persons are cast. They say that it is a river of Paradise."
وإذا أتى أحدهم ليُغْرِقَ نفسه يقول لمن حضره: لا تظنوا أني أُغْرِق نفسي لأجل شيء من أمور الدنيا أو لقلة مال، إنما قصدي التَّقرب إلى كساي.وكساي (بضم الكاف والسين المهمل) اسم الله — عز وجل — بلسانهم،,"When one of them comes to drown himself he says to those present with him, ‘Do not think that I drown myself for any worldly reason or through penury; my purpose is solely to seek approach to Kusay,’ Kusay being the name of God in their language."
ثمَّ يُغْرِق نفسه، فإذا مات أخرجوه وأحرقوه ورموا برماده في البحر المذكور،,"He then drowns himself, and when he is dead they take him out and burn him and cast his ashes into this river."
(ولنعد) إلى كلامنا الأول فنقول:,Let us return to our original topic.
سافرنا من مدينة أجودهن فوصلنا بعد مسيرة أربعة أيام منها إلى مدينة سرستي (وضبط اسمها بسينين مفتوحين، بينهما راء ساكنة ثمَّ تاء مثناة مكسورة وياء)، مدينة كبيرة كثيرة الأرز وأرزها طيِّب، ومنها يُحْمَل إلى حضرة دهلي،,"We set out from the town of Ajudahan, and after four days’ march reached the city of Sarasat!, a large town with quantities of rice of an excellent sort which is exported to the capital, Dihl!"
ولها مجبى كثير جدًّا. أخبرني الحاجب شمس الدين البوشنجي بمقداره وأنسبته،,"The town produces a very large revenue ; I was told how much it was by the hajib Shams al-D!n al-Bushanj!, but have for gotten the figure."
ثمَّ سافرنا منها إلى مدينة حانسي (وضبط اسمها بفتح الحاء المهملة، وألف ونون ساكن، وسين مهمل مكسور وياء)، وهي من أحسن المدن وأَتْقَنِها وأكثرها عمارة، ولها سور عظيم ذكروا أن بانيه رجل من كبار سلاطين الكفار يُسمَّى تورة (بضم التاء المعلوة وفتح الراء)، وله عندهم حكايات وأخبار،,"Thence we travelled to the city of Hans!, an exceedingly fine, well built and populous city, surrounded by a great wall, whose builder they say was one of the great infidel sultans called Tura, of whom they have many tales and stories to relate."
ومن هذه المدينة كمال الدين صدر الجهان قاضي قضاة الهند وأخوه قطلوخان مُعَلِّم السلطان، وأخواهما نظام الدين وشمس الدين الذي انقطع إلى الله وجاور بمكة حتى مات،,"It is from this city [came] Kamal alD!n Sadr al-Jahan, the Grand Qad! of India, and his brother Qutlu Khan, the preceptor of the Sultan, also their two brothers Nizam al-D!n and Shams al-D!n, who renounced the world for the service of God and sojourned at Mecca to the time of his death."
ثمَّ سافرنا من حانسي فوصلنا بعد يومين إلى مسعود أباد، وهي على عشرة أميال من حضرة دهلي، وأقمنا بها ثلاثة أيام,"We set out thereafter from Hans! and arrived two days later at Mas’ud Abad, which is ten miles from Dihl!, and stayed there three days."
وكان سلطان الهند الذي قصدنا حضرته غائبًا عنها بناحية مدينة قتوج، وبينها وبين حضرة دهلي عشرة أيام،,"The Sultan of India, to whose capital we had come, was absent from it at the time in the district of the city of Qanawj, which is ten days’ march from Dihl!."
وكانت بالحضرة والدته وتدعى المخدومة جهان، وجهان اسم الدنيا، وكان بها أيضًا وزيره خواجة جهان المُسمَّى بأحمد بن إياس الرومي الأصل،,"But the Sultan’s mother, who is called al-Makhduma Jahan (Jahan is the name for al-dunya [i.e. the world]) was in the capital as well as his vizier, the Khwaja Jahan, a person named Ahmad ibn Aiyas, a rum! by origin."
فبعث الوزير إلينا أصحابه لِيَتَلَقَّوْنا، وعَيَّنَ للقاء كل واحد منَّا مَنْ كان من صنفه،,"The vizier sent his officers to receive us, designating for the reception of each of us a person of his own rank."
فكان من الذين عَيَّنَهم للقائي الشيخ البسطامي والشريف المازندراني، وهو حاجب الغرباء، والفقيه علاء الدين الملتاني المعروف بقنره (بضم القاف وفتح النون وتشديدها)،,"Among those whom he appointed to receive me were the Shaikh al-BistamT, the sharif al-Mazanderaril, who was the chamberlain of the strangers, and the doctor ‘Ala’ al-D!n al-Multan!, known by the name of Qunnara."
وكتب إلى السلطان بخبرنا وبعث الكتاب مع الدواة وهي بريد الرجالة حسبما ذكرناه، فوصل إلى السلطان وأتاه الجواب في تلك الأيام الثلاثة التي أقمناها بمسعود أباد.,"He wrote to inform the Sultan of our arrival, sending the letter by the dawa, that is by courier post, in the manner we have already described, and his letter reached the Sultan and he received the Sultan’s reply during the three days that we spent at Mas’ud Abad."
وبعد تلك الأيام خرج إلى لقائنا القضاة والفقهاء والمشايخ وبعض الأمراء،,"Thereafter the qad!s, jurists and shaikhs, and some of the am!rs came out to meet us."
وهم يُسَمُّون الأمراء ملوكًا، فحيث يقول أهل ديار مصر وغيرها الأمير يقولون هم المَلِك،,The Indians call the am!rs ‘kings’; where the people of Egypt and elsewhere say ‘amir’ these people say ‘malik’.
وخرج إلى لقائنا الشيخ ظهير الدين الزنجاني، وهو كبير المنزلة عند السلطان،,"There came out to meet us also the shaikh Zahlr al-D!n al-Zanjaril, who is a personage of high dignity at the Sultan’s court."
ثمَّ رحلنا من مسعود أباد فنزلنا بمقربة من قرية تسمَّى بالم (بفتح الباء المعقودة وفتح اللام)، وهي للسيد الشريف ناصر الدين مطهر الأوهري أحد ندماء السلطان، وممن له عنده الحظوة التامة،,"We then set out from Mas’ud Abad and halted near a village called Palam, belonging to the sayyid and shar!f Nasir al-D!n Mutahhar al-Awhar!, one of the Sultan’s familiars, and of those who enjoy his entire favour."
وفي غد ذلك اليوم وصلنا إلى حضرة دهلي قاعدة بلاد الهند (وضبط اسمها بكسر الدال المهمل، وسكون الهاء، وكسر اللام)، وهي المدينة العظيمة الشأن الضخمة، الجامعة بين الحُسْن والحصانة،,"On the next day we arrived at the royal residence of Dihl!, the metropolis of the land of al-Hind, a vast and magnificent city, uniting beauty with strength."
وعليها السور الذي لا يُعْلَم له في بلاد الدنيا نظير، وهي أعظم مدن الهند، بل مدن الإسلام كلها بالمشرق.,"It is surrounded by a wall whose equal is not known in any country in the world, and is the largest city in India, nay rather the largest of all the cities of Islam in the East."
ذكر وصفها,Description of the City.
ومدينة دهلي كبيرة الساحة كثيرة العمارة، وهي الآن أربع مدن متجاورات متصلات،,"The city of Dihli is of vast extent and population, and made up now of four neighbouring and contiguous towns."
إحداها المسماة بهذا الاسم دهلي، وهي القديمة من بناء الكفار، وكان افتتاحها سنة أربع وثمانين وخمسمائة،,"One of them is the city called by this name, Dihli; it is the old city built by the infidels and captured in the year (a.d. )."
والثانية تسمَّى سيري (بكسر السين المهمل والراء، وبينهما ياء مد)، وتسمَّى أيضًا دارَ الخلافة، وهي التي أعطاها السلطان لغياث الدين حفيد الخليفة المستنصر العباسي لَمَّا قَدِمَ عليه،,"The second is called Siri, known also as ‘Abode of the Caliphate’; this was the city given by the Sultan to Ghiyath al-Din, the grandson of the ‘Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir when he came to his court."
وبها كان سكنى السلطان علاء الدين وابنه قطب الدين وسنذكرهما،,"In it was the residence of the Sultan ‘Ala al-Din and his son Qutb al-Din, of whom we shall speak later."
والثالثة تسمَّى تغلق أباد باسم بانيها السلطان تغلق، والد سلطان الهند الذي قَدِمْنَا عليه،,"The third is called Tughluq Abad, after its founder, the Sultan Tughluq, the father of the Sultan of India to whose court we came."
وكان سبب بنائه لها أنه وقف يومًا بين يدي السلطان قطب الدين، فقال له: يا خوند عالم كان ينبغي أن تبني هنا مدينة، فقال له السلطان متهكمًا: إذا كنت سلطانًا فابْنِها، فكان مِنْ قَدَر الله أن كان سلطانًا فبناها وسماها باسمه،,"The reason why he built it was that one day as he stood before the Sultan Qutb al-Din he said to him ‘O master of the world, it were fitting that a city should be built here,’ The Sultan replied to him ironically ‘When you are Sultan, build it.’ It came to pass by the decree of God that he became Sultan, so he built it and called it by his own name."
والرابعة تسمَّى جهان بناه، وهي مختصَّة بسكنى السلطان محمد شاه ملك الهند الآن الذي قَدِمْنَا عليه،,"The fourth is called Jahan Panah, and is set apart for the residence of the Sultan, Muhammad Shah, the reigning king of India, to whose court we had come."
وهو الذي بناها وكان أراد أن يضم هذه المدن الأربع تحت سور واحد، فبنى منه بعضًا وترك بناء باقيه لِعِظَمِ ما يلزم في بنائه.,"He was the founder of it, and it was his intention to unite these four towns within a single wall, but after building part of it he gave up the rest because of the great expense entailed in its construction."
ذكر سور دهلي وأبوابها,Description of the wall and gates of Dihli.
والسور المحيط بمدينة دهلي لا يوجد له نظير،,The wall which surrounds the city of Dihll is unparalleled.
عَرْض حائطه أحد عشر ذراعًا، وفيه بيوت يسكنها السمار وحفاظ الأبواب،,"The breadth of the wall itself is eleven cubits, and inside it there are rooms where night-watchmen and keepers of the gates are lodged."
وفيها مخازن للطعام ويسمونها الأنبارات، ومخازن للعدد، ومخازن للمجانيق والرعادات،,"The wall contains also stores for provisions, which they call ‘granaries’, as well as stores for war equipment and for mangonels and stone-thro wing machines."
ويبقى الزرع بها مدةً طائلة لا يتغير ولا تطرقه آفة،,Grain keeps in it for a very long time without going bad or becoming damaged.
ولقد شاهدت الأرز يخرج من بعض تلك المخازن ولونه قد اسودَّ، ولكن طعمه طيِّب،,"I have seen rice brought out of one of these stores, and although it had gone black in colour it was still good to the taste."
ورأيت أيضًا الكذرو يخرج منها,I have also seen kudhru (millet) taken out of them.
وكل ذلك من اختزان السلطان بلبن منذ تسعين سنة،,All these stores had been laid up by the Sultan Balaban ninety years before.
ويمشي في داخل السور الفرسان والرجال من أول المدينة إلى آخرها، وفيه طيقان مفتحة إلى جهة المدينة يدخل منها الضوء،,"There is room inside the wall for horsemen and infantry to march from one end of the town to the other, and it has window openings pierced on the town side, through which the light enters."
ولهذه المدينة ثمانية وعشرون بابًا، وهم يُسَمُّون الباب دروازة،,The city has twenty-eight gates. Their name for gate is darwaza.
فمنها دروازة بذاون وهي الكبرى، ودروازة المندوى وبها حبة الزرع، ودروازة جُل (بضم الجيم)، وهي موضع البساتين، ودروازة شاه اسم رجل، ودروازة بالم اسم قرية قد ذكرناها،,"Amongst these gates is the darwaza of Badhawun, which is the largest gate ; the darwaza of al-Mindawi, beside which is the grain market; the darwaza of Jul, where the gardens are; the darwaza of Shah, which is the name of a man; the darwaza of Palam, the name of a village which we have already mentioned;"
ودروازة نحيب اسم رجل، ودروزاة كمال كذلك، ودروازة غزنة نسبة إلى مدينة غزنة التي في طرف خراسان، وبخارجها مصلى العيد وبعض المقابر، ودروازة البجالصة (بفتح الباء والجيم والصاد المهمل)،,"the darwaza of Najlb, the name of a man ; the darwaza of Kamal, the same ; the darwaza of Ghazna, called after the city of Ghazna, in the province of Khurasan, and outside which is the place set apart for festival prayers as well as some cemeteries; and the darwaza of al-Bajalisa."
وبخارج هذه الدروازة مقابر دهلي،,Outside this gate are the cemeteries of Dihll.
وهي مقبرة حسنة يبنون بها القباب، ولا بُدَّ عند كل قبر من محراب وإن كان لا قبَّة له،,"This is a beautiful place of burial; they build domed pavilions in it and every grave must have a [place for prayer with a] mihrab beside it, even if there is no dome over it."
ويزرعون بها الأشجار المزهرة مثل قل شنبه (كل شنبو) وريبول (راي بيل) والنسرين وسواها، والأزاهير هنالك لا تنقطع في فصل من الفصول.,"They plant in it flowering trees such as the tuberose, the raibul, the nisrin and others. In that country there are always flowers in bloom at every season of the year."
ذكر جامع دهلي,Description of the Mosque of Dihll
وجامع دهلي كبير الساحة؛ حيطانه وسقفه وفرشه، كل ذلك من الحجارة البيض المنحوتة أبدع نحت، ملصقة بالرصاص أَتْقَنَ إلصاق، ولا خشبه به أصلًا،,"The Cathedral Mosque occupies a vast area; its walls, roof, and paving are all constructed of white stones, admirably squared and firmly cemented with lead. There is no wood in it at all."
وفيه ثلاث عشرة قبَّة من حجارة، ومنبره أيضًا من الحجر وله أربعة من الصحون،,"It has thirteen domes of stone, its minbar also is of stone, and it has four courts."
وفي وسط الجامعِ العمودُ الهائل الذي لا يَدْرِي مِنْ أي المعادن هو،,In the centre of the mosque is the awe-inspiring column of which [it is said] nobody knows of what metal it is constructed.
ذَكَرَ لي بعض حكمائهم أنه يسمَّى هفت جوش (بفتح الهاء وسكون الفاء، وتاء معلوة، وجيم مضموم وآخره شين معجم)، ومعنى ذلك سبعة معادن، وأنه مؤلف منها,"One of their learned men told me that it is called Haft Jush, which means ‘seven metals’, and that it is composed of these seven."
وقد جلى من هذا العمود مقدار السبابة، ولذلك المجلو منه بريق عظيم ولا يؤثر فيه الحديد،,"A part of this column, of a finger’s length, has been polished, and this polished part gives out a brilliant gleam. Iron makes no impression on it."
وطوله ثلاثون ذراعًا وأدرنا به عمامة، فكان الذي أحاط بدائرته منها ثمانية أذرع،,"It is thirty cubits high, and we rolled a turban round it, and the portion which encircled it measured eight cubits."
وعند الباب الشرقي من أبواب المسجد صنمان كبيران جدًّا من النحاس، مطروحان بالأرض قد أُلْصِقَا بالحجارة ويطأ عليهما كلُّ داخلٍ إلى المسجد أو خارجٍ منه،,"At the eastern gate of the mosque there are two enormous idols of brass prostrate on the ground and held by stones, and everyone entering or leaving the mosque treads on them."
وكان موضع هذا المسجد بدخانة وهو بيت الأصنام، فلما افْتُتِحَتْ جُعِلَ مسجدًا،,"The site was formerly occupied by a budkhana, that is idol temple, and was converted into a mosque on the conquest of the city."
وفي الصحن الشمالي من المسجد الصومعة التي لا نظير لها في بلاد الإسلام،,"In the northern court of the mosque is the minaret, which has no parallel in the lands of Islam."
وهي مبنيَّة بالحجارة الحمر خلافًا لحجارة سائر المسجد فإنها بيض، وحجارة الصومعة منقوشة،,"It is built of red stone, unlike the stone [used for] the rest of the mosque, for that is white, and the stones of the minaret are dressed."
وهي سامية الارتفاع، وفحلها من الرخام الأبيض الناصع، وتفافيحها من الذهب الخالص، وسعة ممرها بحيث تصعد فيه الفيلة.,The minaret itself is of great height; the ball on top of it is of glistening white marble and its ‘apples’ are of pure gold. The passage is so wide that elephants can go up by it.
حدثني من أَثِقُ به أنه رأى الفيل حين بنيت يصعد بالحجارة إلى أعلاها،,A person in whom I have confidence told me that when it was built he saw an elephant climbing with stones to the top.
وهي من بناء السلطان معز الدين بن ناصر الدين ابن السلطان غياث الدين بلبن،,"It was built by the Sultan Mu’izz al-DIn, son of Nasir al-DIn, son of Sultan Ghiyath al-DIn Balaban."
وأراد السلطان قطب الدين أن يبني بالصحن الغربي صومعة أعظم منها، فبنى مقدار الثلث منها واخترم دون تمامها،,"The Sultan Qutb al-DIn wished to build in the western court an even larger minaret, but was cut off by death when [only] a third of it had been completed."
وأراد السلطان محمد إتمامها ثمَّ ترك ذلك تشاؤمًا،,"The Sultan Muhammad intended to bring it to completion, but afterwards gave up the idea as being unlucky."
وهذه الصومعة من عجائب الدنيا في ضخامتها وسعة ممرها، بحيث تصعده ثلاثة من الفيلة متقارنة،,"This [unfinished] minaret is one of the wonders of the world for size, and the width of its passage is such that three elephants could mount it abreast."
وهذا الثلث مبني منها مساوٍ؛ لارتفاع جميع الصومعة التي ذكرنا أنها بالصحن الشمالي،,The third of it built equals in height the whole of the other minaret we have mentioned in the northern court.
وصعدتها مرة فرأيت معظم دور المدينة وعاينت الأسوار على ارتفاعها وسموها منحطة،,"I climbed to the top of it on one occasion; I saw most of the houses of the city, and the walls for all their elevation and loftiness looked to me quite low."
وظهر لي الناس في أسفلها كأنهم الصبيان الصغار، ويظهر لناظرها من أسفلها أن ارتفاعها ليس بذلك؛ لعظم جِرْمها وَسَعَتِها،,"The people at the foot of the minaret appeared to me like little children, although to one looking at it from below it does not seem so high because of its great bulk and breadth."
وكان السلطان قطب الدين أراد أن يبني أيضًا مسجدًا جامعًا بسيري المسماة دار الخلافة، فلم يَتِمَّ منه غير الحائط القبلي والمحراب،,"The sultan Qutb al-DIn had intended also to build a cathedral mosque in Slrl, the so-called ‘Abode of the Caliphate’, but he completed only the wall in the direction of Mecca and the mihrab."
وبناؤه بالحجارة البيض والسود والحمر والخضر، ولو كمل لم يكن له مثل في البلاد،,"It is built with white, black, red and green stones; if it were finished there would be nothing like it in the world."
وأراد السلطان محمد إتمامه وبعث عرفاء البناء ليقدروا النفقة فيه،,Sultan Muhammad proposed to complete it and commissioned the master masons to estimate its cost.
فزعموا أنه ينفق في إتمامه خمسة وثلاثون لكًا فترك ذلك استكثارًا له،,"They asserted that he would spend thirty-five laks in completing it, so the Sultan gave up the idea as being too costly."
وأخبرني بعض خواصه أنه لم يتركه استكثارًا لكنه تشاءم به لما كان السلطان قطب الدين قد قتل قبل تمامه.,"One of his intimate associates, however, told me that he gave it up not because of its excessive cost but because he regarded the project as unlucky, since Sultan Qutb al-DIn had been killed before finishing it."
ذكر الحوضين العظيمين بخارجها,Description of the two great tanks outside Dihli.
وبخارج دهلي الحوض العظيم المنسوب إلى السلطان شمس الدين للمش، ومنه يَشْرَب أهل المدينة,"Outside DihlI is the large reservoir named after the Sultan Shams alDln Lalmish, from which the inhabitants of the city draw their drinking water."
وهو بالقرب من مصلاها، وماؤها يجتمع من ماء المطر وطوله نحو ميلين، وعرضه على النصف من طوله،,"It lies close to the musalla, Its contents are collected from rain water, and it is about two miles in length by half that breadth."
والجهة الغربية منه من ناحية المصلى مبنيَّة بالحجارة، مصنوعة أمثال الدكاكين بعضها أعلى من بعض، وتحت كل دكان دَرَج يُنْزَل عليها إلى الماء،,"Its western side, in the direction of the musalla, is constructed with stones, and disposed like a series of terraces one above the other, and beneath each terrace are steps leading down to the water."
وبجانب كل دكان قبَّة حجارة فيها مجالس للمتنزهين والمتفرجين،,Beside each terrace there is a stone pavilion containing seats for those who have come out to visit the place and to enjoy its attractions.
وفي وسط الحوض قبة عظيمة من الحجارة المنقوشة مجعولة طبقتين، فإذا كَثُرَ الماء في الحوض لم يكن سبيل إليها إلَّا في القوارب، فإذا قلَّ الماء دَخَلَ إليها الناس،,"In the centre of the tank there is a great pavilion built of dressed stones, two stories high. When the reservoir is filled with water it can be reached only in boats, but when the water is low the people go into it."
وداخلها مسجد وفي أكثر الأوقات يقيم بها الفقراء المنقطعون إلى الله المتوكلون عليه،,"Inside it is a mosque, and at most times it is occupied by poor brethren devoted to the service of God and placing their trust in Him (i.e. dependent upon charity)."
وإذا جفَّ الماء في جوانب هذا الحوض زُرِعَ فيها قصب السكر والخيار والقثاء والبطيخ الأخضر والأصفر، وهو شديد الحلاوة صغير الجرم،,"When the water dries up at the sides of this reservoir, they sow sugar canes, gherkins, cucumbers, and green and yellow melons there; the latter are very sweet but of small size."
وفيما بين دهلي ودار الخلافة حوض الخاص وهو أكبر من حوض السلطان شمس الدين،,"Between DihlI and the ‘Abode of the Caliphate’ is the ‘private tank’, which is larger than that of the Sultan Shams al-DIn."
وعلى جوانبه نحو أربعين قبة، ويسكن حوله أهل الطرب,"Along its sides there are forty pavilions, and round about it live the musicians."
وموضعهم يسمى طرب آباد، ولهم سوق هنالك من أعظم الأسواق، ومسجد جامع ومساجد سواه كثيرة،,"Their place is called Tarab Abad (‘City of Music’) and they have there a most extensive bazaar, a cathedral mosque, and many other mosques besides."
وأُخْبِرْتُ أن النساء المغنيات الساكنات هنالك يصلين التراويح في شهر رمضان بتلك المساجد مجتمعات ويؤم بهنَّ الأئمة، وعددهن كثير وكذلك الرجال المغنون،,"I was told that the singing girls living there, of whom there are a great many, take part in a body in the tarawih prayers in these mosques during the month of Ramadan, and the imams lead them in these prayers. The male musicians do the same."
ولقد شاهدت الرجال أهل الطرب في عرس الأمير سيف الدين غدا بن مهن لكل واحد منهم مصلى تحت ركبته، فإذا سمع الأذان قام فتوضأ وصلى.,"I myself saw the male musicians on the occasion of the wedding of the amir Saif al-DIn Ghada son of Muhanna, when each one of them had a prayer mat under his knees, and on hearing the adhan (call to prayer) rose, made his ablutions and performed the prayer."
ذكر بعض مزاراتها,Account of some of its places of visitation.
فمنها قبر الشيخ الصالح قطب الدين بختيار الكعكي وهو ظاهر البَرَكة كثير التعظيم؛,One of these is the tomb of the pious shaikh Qutb al-DIn Bakhtiyar al-Ka’kI. The blessed power of this tomb is manifest and it enjoys great veneration.
وسبب تسمية هذا الشيخ بالكعكي أنه كان إذا أتاه الذين عليهم الديون شَاكِين من الفقر أو القلة، أو الذين لهم بنات ولا يجدون ما يجهزوهن به إلى أزواجهن، يعطي مَنْ أتاه منهم كعكة من الذهب أو من الفضة حتى عُرِفَ من أجل ذلك بالكعكي — رحمه الله —,"The reason why this shaikh was called al-Ka’kI is that he used to give all those debtors who came to him to complain of need or poverty, or who had daughters and had not the wherewithal to send them with proper outfits to their husbands, a ka ’ka of gold or silver, and so he became known for that reason as al-Ka’ki; God have mercy on him!"
ومنها قبر الفقيه الفاضل نور الدين الكرلالي (بضم الكاف وسكون الراء والنون)، ومنها قبر الفقيه علاء الدين الكرماني نسبة إلى كرمان، وهو ظاهر البَرَكة ساطع النور، ومكانه بظهر قبلة المصلى، وبذلك الموضع قبور رجال صالحين كثير نَفَعَ الله تعالى بهم.,"Among them also are the tomb of the eminent legist Nur al-DIn al-Kurlam, and that of the legist ‘Ala al-DIn al-KirmariI, named after the province of Kirman. The blessed power of this tomb is manifest and it streams with light. The place which it occupies serves to indicate the qibla of the musalla for the festival prayers, and thereabouts are the tombs of a large number of pious men, God give us profit of them."
ذكر بعض علمائها وصلحائها,Account of some of its scholars and pious men.
فمنهم الشيخ الصالح العالم محمود الكبا (بالباء الموحدة)، وهو من كبار الصالحين، والناس يزعمون أنه ينفق من الكون؛ لأنه لا مال له ظاهر، وهو يطعم الوارد والصادر ويعطي الذهب والدراهم والأثواب،,"Amongst them is the pious and learned shaikh Mahmud al-Kubba; he is one of the great saints and the people assert he is able to draw on the resources of creation, because to all outward seeming he has no property of his own, yet he supplies food to all comers and makes gifts of gold and silver coins and garments."
وظَهَرَتْ له كرامات كثيرة واشْتُهِرَ بها، رأيته مرات كثيرة وحَصَلَتْ لي بركته،,Many miraculous graces have been operated through him and he has acquired a great reputation for them. I saw him many times and profited from his blessed power.
ومنهم الشيخ الصالح العالم علاء الدين النيلي، كأنه منسوب إلى نيل مصر — والله أعلم — كان من أصحاب الشيخ العالم الصالح نظام الدين البزواني وهو يَعِظُ الناس في كل يوم جمعة، فيتوب كثير منهم بين يديه ويحلقون رءوسهم ويتواجدون ويُغْشَى على بعضهم.,"Another is the pious and learned shaikh ‘Ala al-DIn [called] al-NIlI as though he were named after the Egyptian Nile, but God knows. He was a disciple of the learned and pious shaikh Nizam al-DIn alBadhawuriL He preaches to the people every Friday and multitudes of them repent before him and shave their heads and fall into ecstasies of lamentation, and some of them faint."
حكاية,Anecdote.
شاهدته في بعض الأيام وهو يعظ فقرأ القارئ بين يديه: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ * يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَى وَمَا هُمْ بِسُكَارَى وَلَكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللهِ شَدِيدٌ،,"I was present one day when he was preaching, and the Qur’an-reader recited in his presence ‘O ye men, fear your Lord. Verily the quaking of [the earth at] the Hour is a thing of terror. On the day when ye see it every nursing woman shall be unmindful of what she has suckled, and every carrying female shall bring forth her burden, and thou shalt see men reeling as drunkards, yet are they not drunkards, but the chastisement of God is terrible.’"
ثم كَرَّرَها الفقيه علاء الدين، فصاح أحد الفقراء من ناحية المسجد صيحة عظيمة، فأعاد الشيخ الآية، فصاح الفقير ثانية ووقع ميتًا وكنت فيمن صلى عليه وحَضَرَ جنازته،,"[When the reader finished,] the doctor ‘Ala al-DIn repeated these words, and a certain poor brother somewhere in the mosque uttered a loud cry. The shaikh repeated the verse and the faqIr cried out again and fell dead. I was one of those who prayed over him and joined in his funeral cortege."
ومنهم الشيخ الصالح العابد صدر الدين الكهراني (بضم الكاف وسكون الهاء وراء ونون)، وكان يصوم الدهر ويقوم الليل، وتَجَرَّدَ عن الدنيا جميعًا ونبذها، ولباسه عباءة,"Another of the pious men of Dihll is the learned and saintly shaikh Sadr al-DIn alKuhrariL He used to fast continually and stand all his nights [in prayer]. He renounced the world entirely and rejected all its goods, and wore nothing but a woollen cloak."
ويزوره السلطان وأهل الدولة، وربما احتجب عنهم فرغب السلطان منه أن يقطعه قُرًى يُطْعِم منها الفقراء والواردين فأبى ذلك،,"The Sultan and the officers of state used to visit him but he often refused to see them, and when the Sultan asked permission to give him a grant of some villages, from the revenues of which he could supply food to poor brethren and visitors, he would have nothing to do with it."
وزاره يومًا وأتى إليه بعشرة آلاف دينار فلم يَقْبَلْها، وذكروا أنه لا يفطر إلَّا بعد ثلاث، وأنه قيل له في ذلك فقال: لا أفطر حتى أُضْطَرَّ فَتَحِلَّ لي الميتة،,"Visiting him another day the Sultan brought him a present of ten thousand dinars, but he refused to accept it. It was said that he broke his fast only after three nights and that when someone remonstrated with him about this he replied ‘I do not break fast until I am under such compulsion that carrion becomes lawful for me.’"
ومنهم الإمام الصالح العالم العابد الورع الخاشع فريد دهره ووحيد عصره كمال الدين عبد الله الغاري (بالغين المعجم والراء) نسبة إلى غار، كان يسكنه خارج دهلي بمقربة من زاوية الشيخ نظام الدين البذاوني زرته بهذا الغار ثلاث مرات.,"Another of them is the learned and saintly imam, the abstinent and humble-minded devotee, Kamal al-DIn ‘Abdallah al-Ghari, the outstanding and unique personality of his age. He is called al-Ghari [‘the cave-man’] from a cave which he used to inhabit outside Dihli, near the hospice of Shaikh Nizam al-DIn al-Badhawuni. I visited him in this cave three times."
كرامة له,A miraculous grace of his.
كان لي غلام فأَبَقَ مني وأَلْفَيْتُه بيد رجل من الترك، فذهبْتُ إلى انتزاعه من يده، فقال لي الشيخ: إنَّ هذا الغلام لا يصلح لك فلا تأخذْه، وكان التركي راغبًا في المصالحة فصالَحْتُه بمائة دينار أَخَذْتُها منه وتَرَكْتُه له،,"I had a slave boy who ran away from me, and whom I found in the possession of a certain Turk. I had in mind to reclaim the slave from him, but the shaikh said to me ‘This boy is no good to you. Don’t take him’. The Turk wished to come to an arrangement, so I settled with him that he paid me a hundred dinars and I left him the boy."
فلما كان بعد ستة أشهر قَتَلَ سيده وأُتِيَ به إلى السلطان، فأمر بتسليمه لأولاد سيده فقتلوه،,"Six months later the boy killed his master and was taken before the Sultan, who ordered him to be handed over to his master’s sons, and they put him to death."
ولما شاهدت لهذا الشيخ هذه الكرامة انقطعْتُ إليه ولازمْتُه وتركت الدنيا، ووهبْتُ جميع ما كان عندي للفقراء والمساكين,"When I experienced this miracle on the part of the shaikh I attached myself entirely to him, withdrawing from the world and giving all that I possessed to the poor and needy."
وأقمت عنده مدة، فكنت أراه يواصل عشرة أيام وعشرين يومًا ويقوم أكثر الليل،,"I stayed with him for some time, and I used to see him fast for ten and twenty days on end and remain standing [in prayer] most of the night."
ولم أَزَلْ معه حتى بعث عني السلطان ونشبت في الدنيا ثانية والله تعالى يختم بالخير، وسأذكر ذلك فيما بعد إن شاء الله تعالى، وكيفية رجوعي إلى الدنيا.,"I continued with him until the Sultan sent for me and I became entangled in the world once again—may God give me a good ending! Later on, if God will, I shall tell the whole story, and how it was that I returned to the world."
ذِكْر فتح دهلي ومَنْ تَدَاوَلَهَا من الملوك,Account of the capture of Dihli and of the kings who reigned there successively.
حدثني الفقيه الإمام العلَّامة — قاضي القضاة بالهند والسند — كمال الدين محمد بن البرهان الغزنوي الملقب بصدر الجهان، أن مدينة دهلي افْتُتِحَتْ من أيدي الكفار سنة أربع وثمانين وخمسمائة، وقد قرأت أنا ذلك مكتوبًا على محراب الجامع الأعظم بها،,"I was told by the jurist and imam, the most learned Grand Qadi in Hind and Sind, Kamal al-DIn Muhammad ibn al-Burhan of the town of Ghazna, entitled Sadr al-Jahan, that the city of Dihli was captured from the hands of the infidels in the year 584. I have myself seen this date inscribed on the mihrab of the great mosque there."
وأخبرني أيضًا أنها افْتُتِحَتْ على يد الأمير قطب الدين أيبك (واسمه بفتح الهمزة وسكون الياء آخر الحروف، وفتح الباء الموحدة)، وكان يُلَقَّب سياه (سالار)، ومعناه مقدم الجيوش، وهو أحد مماليك السلطان المعظم شهاب الدين محمد بن سنام الغوري ملك غزنة وخراسان، المتغلب على ملك إبراهيم ابن السلطان الغازي محمود بن سبكتكين، الذي ابتدأ فتح الهند،,"He told me also that it had been captured by the amir Qutb al-Din Aibak, who was called by the title of Sipah Salar, the meaning of which is ‘commander of the armies’, who was one of the mamluks of the exalted Sultan Shihab al-Din Muhammad ibn Sam the Ghurid, king of Ghazna and Khurasan, the same who conquered the kingdom of Ibrahim, son of the warrior Sultan Mahmud ibn Subuktakin, who began the conquest of India."
وكان السلطان شهاب الدين المذكور، بعث الأمير قطب الدين بعسكر عظيم، ففتح الله عليه مدينة لاهور وسكنها وعَظُمَ شأنه، وسُعِيَ به إلى السلطان وألقى إليه جلساؤه أنه يريد الانفراد بملك الهند، وأنه قد عصى وخالَفَ،,"This Sultan Shihab al-Din had despatched the amir Qutb al-Din with a powerful army and God gave him conquest of the city of Lahawr. After he settled there his power increased greatly, and he was calumniated to the Sultan, whose intimate friends insinuated to him that Aibak was aiming at constituting himself sole sovereign of India and had indeed already withdrawn his allegiance and revolted."
وبَلَغَ هذا الخبر إلى قطب الدين، فبَادَرَ بنفسه وقَدِمَ على غزنة ليلًا ودَخَلَ على السلطان، ولا عِلْمَ عند الذين وشوا به إليه،,"When this report came to the ears of Qutb al-Din [Aibak] he immediately took the initiative, entered Ghazna by night, and presented himself before the Sultan, unknown to those who had denounced him."
فلما كان بالغد قَعَدَ السلطان على سريره وأَقْعَدَ أيبك تحت السرير بحيث لا يظهر، وجاء الندماء والخواص الذين سعوا به، فلما استقرَّ بهم الجلوس سألهم السلطان عن شأن أيبك،,"Next day the Sultan took his seat on his throne, having first placed Aibak underneath the throne so that he was not visible. The royal companions and officers who had calumniated Aibak entered and when they had taken their places the Sultan questioned them on the subject of Aibak."
فذَكَرُوا له أنه عصى وخالَفَ، وقالوا: قد صحَّ عندنا أنه ادعى المُلْكَ لنفسه، فضَرَبَ السلطان سريره برجله فصَفَّقَ بيديه، وقال: يا أيبك، قال: لبيك، وخرج عليهم,"They affirmed to him that Aibak had rebelled and refused his allegiance, adding ‘We have absolutely certain information that he has proclaimed himself king’; whereupon the Sultan beat the throne with his foot, clapped his hands and called ‘Aibak’. He replied ‘Here am I’, and came out before them."
فسُقِطَ في أيديهم وفزعوا إلى تقبيل الأرض، فقال لهم السلطان: قد غفرت لكم هذه الزلة، وإياكم والعودة إلى الكلام في أيبك، وأَمَرَهُ أن يعود إلى بلاد الهند,"They were filled with confusion and hastened in terror to kiss the ground. The Sultan said to them ‘I forgive you this lapse but beware of any further loose talk about Aibak,’ and ordered him to return to India."
فعاد إليها وفتح مدينة دهلي وسواها، واستقرَّ بها الإسلام إلى هذا العهد، وأقام قطب الدين بها إلى أن تُوُفِّي.,"So he returned to it and conquered the city of Dihll and other cities, and Islam has been established there down to the present day. Qutb al-DIn remained there to the time of his death."
ذكر السلطان شمس الدين للمش,The Sultan Shams al-DTn Lalmish.
(وضبط اسمه بفتح اللام الأولى، وسكون الثانية، وكسر الميم وشين معجم)، وهو أول من ولي الملك بمدينة دهلي مستقلًّا به، وكان قَبْل تَمَلُّكه مملوكًا للأمير قطب الدين أيبك وصاحب عسكره نائبًا عنه،,"He was the first who exercised independent rule in the city of DihlI. Before his rise to royal power he was a mamluk of the amir Qutb alDIn Aibak, the commander of his army and a deputy for him."
فلما مات قطب الدين استبدَّ بالملك وأخذ الناس بالبيعة، فأتاه الفقهاء يقدمهم قاضي القضاة إذ ذاك وجيه الدين الكاساني، فدخلوا عليه وقعدوا بين يديه وقعد القاضي إلى جانبه على العادة،,"On Qutb al-DIn’s death he seized the sovereign power and ordered the people to take the oath of allegiance to him. The jurists came to him headed by the Grand QadI at that time, Wajlh al-Din al-Kasani, and when they entered his audience chamber they took their places before him and the qadI sat down beside him according to the regular custom."
وفهم السلطان عنهم ما أرادوا أن يكلموه به، فرفع طرف البساط الذي هو قاعد عليه وأخرج لهم عقدًا يتضمن عتقه،,"The Sultan understood from them what it was that they wished to discuss with him, and raising a comer of the carpet upon which he was sitting produced for them a deed formally attesting his enfranchisement."
فقرأه القاضي والفقهاء وبايعوه جميعًا واستقلَّ بالملك وكانت مدته عشرين سنة،,The judge and the legists after reading it unanimously took the oath of allegiance to him; he became sole sovereign and reigned for twenty years.
وكان عادلًا صالحًا فاضلًا، ومن مآثره أنه اشتدَّ في رد المظالم وإنصاف المظلومين،,"He was just, pious and of excellent character, and among the commendable actions which are remembered of him was his zeal in redressing wrongs and seeing that justice was done to the oppressed."
وأمر أن يلبس كل مظلوم ثوبًا مصبوغًا وأهل الهند جميعًا يلبسون البياض، فكان متى قعد للناس أو ركب فرأى أحدًا عليه ثوب مصبوغ، نظر في قضيته وأنصفه ممن ظلمه،,"He gave orders that every person who had been wronged should wear a coloured robe. Now the people of India all dress in white, so when he held public audience or rode out and saw someone wearing a coloured robe he looked into his petition and rendered him his due from his oppressor."
ثم أنه أعيا في ذلك فقال: إنَّ بعض الناس تجري عليهم المظالم بالليل وأريد تعجيل إنصافهم، فجعل على باب قصره أسدين مصورين من الرخام، موضوعين على برجين هنالك وفي أعناقهما سلسلتان من الحديد، فيهما جرس كبير،,"Then he carried this practice to extremes saying ‘There are some people against whom injustices are committed at night, and I wish to do justice to them without delay,’ so he set up at the gate of his palace two marble statues of lions. These were placed on towers there and hung round their necks were two chains of iron attached to which was a large bell."
فكان المظلوم يأتي ليلًا فيحرك الجرس فيسمعه السلطان وينظر في أمره للحين وينصفه،,"The victim of oppression would come by night and set the bell ringing; the Sultan would hear it, look into his case there and then, and see that justice was done by him."
ولما توفي السلطان شمس الدين خلف من الأولاد الذكور ثلاثة، وهم ركن الدين الوالي بعده، ومعز الدين، وناصر الدين، وبنتًا تُسمَّى رضية هي شقيقة معز الدين منهم، فتولَّى بعده ركن الدين كما ذكرناه.,"On his death the Sultan Shams al-DIn left three male children, namely Rukn al-DIn, who exercised the rule after him, Mu’izz al-DIn and Nasir al-DIn, and along with them a daughter RadIya, who was the full sister of Mu’izz al-DIn. He was succeeded as ruler by Rukn al-DIn, as we have said."
ذكر السلطان ركن الدين ابن السلطان شمس الدين,The Sultan Rukn al-DTn son of the Sultan Shams al-DTn.
ولما بويع ركن الدين بعد موت أبيه افْتَتَحَ أمره بالتعدي على أخيه معز الدين فقتله،,When the oath of allegiance had been taken to Rukn al-DIn after his father’s death he began his reign by using violence against his brother Mu’izz al-DIn and put him to death.
وكانت رضية شقيقته، فأنكرت ذلك عليه فأراد قَتْلَها،,"RadIya, who was the full sister of Mu’izz al-DIn, showed her disapproval of this act to him and he planned to kill her too."
فلما كان في بعض أيام الجُمَع خرج ركن الدين إلى الصلاة، فصعدتْ رضية على سطح القصر القديم المجاور للجامع الأعظم — وهو يسمى دولة خانة — ولبستْ عليها ثياب المظلومين وتعرضتْ للناس وكلمتْهم من أعلى السطح وقالت لهم: إنَّ أخي قَتَلَ أخاه وهو يريد قتلي معه،,"On a certain Friday when Rukn al-DIn rode out to attend the prayer, RadIya mounted to the terrace of the old castle adjoining the great mosque, which is called Dawlat Khana, dressed in the robes worn by persons against whom a wrong has been committed, presented herself to the people, and addressed them from the terrace, saying to them ‘My brother killed his brother and now he is trying to kill me as well.’"
وذَكَّرَتْهم أيام أبيها وفِعْله الخير وإحسانه إليهم، فثاروا عند ذلك إلى السلطان ركن الدين وهو في المسجد، فقبضوا عليه وأتوا به إليها,"Then she recalled to them the days of her father and his good actions and his beneficence to them, whereupon they, stirred up to excitement, rushed upon the Sultan Rukn al-DIn, who was there in the mosque, seized him, and brought him out before her."
فقالت لهم: القاتل يُقْتَل، فقَتَلُوه قصاصًا بأخيه، وكان أخوهما ناصر الدين صغيرًا، فاتفق الناس على تولية رضية.,She said to them ‘The slayer shall be slain’ so they put him to death in retaliation for the murder of his brother. As their [third] brother Nasir al-DIn was still a child the people agreed to establish RadIya as ruler.
ذكر السلطانة رضية,The Sultana Radiya.
ولما قُتِلَ ركن الدين اجتمعت العساكر على تولية أخته رضية المُلْك فَوَلَّوْها،,When Rukn al-DIn was put to death the troops determined by general consent to confer the sovereignty on his sister Radlya and proclaimed her as queen.
واستقلَّت بالملك أربع سنين، وكانت تركب بالقوس والتركش والقربان كما يركب الرجال ولا تستر وجهها،,"She held sovereign rule for four years and used to ride abroad just like the men, carrying bow and quiver and (qurban), and without veiling her face."
ثم أنها اتُّهِمَتْ بعبد لها من الحبشة، فاتفق الناس على خَلْعِها وتَزْوِيجها، فخُلِعَتْ وزُوِّجَت من بعض أقاربها، وولِيَ المُلْكَ أخوها ناصر الدين.,"After that she was suspected of relations with a slave of hers, one of the Abyssinians, so the people agreed to depose her and marry her to a husband. She was deposed in consequence and married to one of her relations, and her brother Nasir al-DIn became king."
ذِكْر السلطان ناصر الدين ابن السلطان شمس الدين,Sultan Nasir al-Din son of Sultan Shams al-Din.
ولما خُلِعَتْ رضية وَلِيَ ناصر الدين أخوها الأصغر، واستقلَّ بالملك مدة،,When Radlya was deposed her youngest brother Nasir al-DIn became ruler and exercised the royal power for some time.
ثم أن رضية وزوجها خَالَفَا عليه ورَكِبَا في مماليكهما ومن تبعهما من أهل الفساد وتهيأا لقتاله،,"Subsequently RadIya and her husband revolted against him, led out a force of their own mamluks and a body of disorderly elements who followed them, and prepared to fight against him."
وخرج ناصر الدين ومعه مملوكه النائب عنه غياث الدين بلبن متولي الملك بعده، فوقع اللقاء,"Nasir al-DIn went out accompanied by his mamluk and representative Ghiyath al-DIn Balaban, who ruled the kingdom after him, and they engaged in battle."
وانهزم عسكر رضية وفَرَّتْ بنفسها فأدركها الجوع وأجهدها الإعياء، فقصدتْ حَرَّاثًا رأتْهُ يحرث الأرض فطَلَبَتْ منه ما تأكله,"RadIya’s troops were put to flight and she herself fled until, overtaken by hunger and overwhelmed by weariness, she approached a cultivator whom she saw tilling the soil and asked him for something to eat."
فأعطاها كسرة خبز فأكلتها، وغلب عليها النوم وكانت في زي الرجال، فلما نامت نَظَرَ إليها الحراث وهي نائمة، فرأى تحت ثيابها قباءً مرصعًا،,"He gave her a crust of bread which she ate and then fell fast asleep. She was dressed as a man, but when she slept the labourer looked at her sleeping and saw beneath her outer garments a tunic embroidered with jewels."
فعلم أنها امرأة فقَتَلَها وسَلَبَها وطرد فرسها ودَفَنَهَا في فدانه، وأخذ بعض ثيابها فذهب إلى السوق ببيعها،,"Realizing from this that she was a woman, he killed her, stripped her, drove off her horse, and buried her in his field, then taking some of her garments he went to the market to sell them."
فأنكر أهل السوق شأنه، وأتوا به الشحنة وهو الحاكم فضربه فأقر بقتلها، ودَلَّهُم على مدفنها,"The dealers had some suspicions about him and brought him before the shihna, that is to say the chief of police, who had him beaten until he confessed to killing her and showed them where she was buried."
فاستخرجوها وغَسَّلُوها وكَفَّنُوها ودُفِنَتْ هنالك وبُنِيَ عليها قبة،,"Her body was disinterred, washed, wrapped in grave clothes and buried again at the same place, and a dome was built over it."
وقبرها الآن يُزَار ويُتَبَرَّك به، وهو على شاطئ النهر الكبير المعروف بنهر الجون على مسافة فرسخ واحد من المدينة،,"Her grave, which is on the bank of the great river called al-Jun at a distance of one farsakh from the city, is still visited by pilgrims in order to obtain blessing."
واستقلَّ ناصر الدين بالمُلْك بعدها، واستقام له الأمر عشرين سنة، وكان ملكًا صالحًا ينسخ نسخًا من الكتاب العزيز ويبيعها فيقتات بثمنها،,"After her death Nasir al-DIn enjoyed undisputed sovereignty and continued to rule for twenty years. He was a pious king ; he used to write copies of the Holy Book with his own hand, sell them and buy his food with the proceeds."
وقد وقفني القاضي كمال الدين على مصحف بخطه مُتْقَن مُحْكَم الكتابة،,The qadI Kamal al-DIn showed me a Qur’an copied by him in an elegant and well-executed writing.
ثم إنَّ نائبه غياث الدين بلبن قَتَلَه وملك بعده، ولبلبن هذا خبر ظريف نذكره.,Subsequently his deputy Ghiyath al-DIn Balaban killed him and became king after him. This Balaban had a remarkable history which we shall relate.
ذكر السلطان غياث الدين بلبن,The Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Balaban.
(وضبط اسمه بباءين موحدتين بينهما لام والجميع مفتوحات وآخره نون)،,"His name is spelt with two b’s separated by an l, each followed by the vowel a, and an n at the end."
ولما قَتَلَ بلبن مولاه السلطان ناصر الدين استقلَّ بالمُلْك بعده عشرين سنة، وقد كان قبلها نائبًا له عشرين سنة أخرى، وكان من خيار السلاطين عادلًا حليمًا فاضلًا،,"When Balaban killed his master Sultan Nasir alDIn, he ruled as sovereign after him for twenty years, having previously been deputy to him for twenty years more. He was one of the best of sultans, just, clement, and upright."
ومن مكارمه أنه بنى دارًا وسماها دار الأمن، فمن دَخَلَها من أهل الديون قُضِيَ دينه، ومن دَخَلَها خائفًا أَمِنَ، ومن دخلها وقد قَتَلَ أحدًا أُرْضِيَ عنه أولياء المقتول، ومن دَخَلَها من ذوي الجنايات أُرْضِيَ أيضًا من يطلبه،,"Among his generous acts was the building of a house, which he called ‘The House of Safety’. If any debtor entered it his debt was paid; if any person fled to it for refuge he was secure; if anyone entered it after killing someone, satisfaction was given on his behalf to the relatives of the person killed; and if anyone who had committed an injury or punishable offence entered it his prosecutors were given satisfaction likewise."
وبتلك الدار دُفِنَ لما مات وقد زُرْتُ قبره.,It was in this house that he was buried when he died and I have visited his tomb.
حكاية,His strange history.
يُذْكَر أن أحد الفقراء ببخارى رأى بها بلبن هذا، وكان قصيرًا حقيرًا دميمًا، فقال له: يا تركك — وهي لفظة تُعْرِب عن الاحتقار — فقال له: لبيك يا خوند فأعجبه كلامه، فقال لي: اشْتَرِ لي من هذا الرمان — وأشار إلى رمان يباع بالسوق — فقال: نعم، وأَخْرَجَ فُلَيْسَات لم يكن عنده سواها، واشترى له من ذلك الرمان,"It is related that a certain poor brother at Bukhara, seeing there this Balaban, who was of short stature, unprepossessing and ugly, said to him ya Turkak, which is a phrase used to express contempt. Balaban replied ‘At your service, ya khund’, which so pleased the faqlr that he said to him, pointing to some pomegranates which were being sold in the bazaar, ‘Buy me some of those pomegranates.’ Balaban replied ‘Certainly’, and taking out a few coppers which were all that he had, bought some of those pomegranates for him."
فلما أخذها الفقير، قال له: وهَبْنَاك مُلْك الهند فقَبَّلَ بلبن يد نفسه، وقال: قَبِلْتُ ورَضِيتُ، واستقرَّ ذلك في ضميره،,"As he took them, the faqlr said to him ‘We give you the kingdom of India.’ Balaban kissed his own hand saying ‘I accept it with pleasure,’ and the thing remained fixed in his mind."
واتفق أن بعث السلطان شمس الدين للمش تاجرًا يشتري له المماليك بسمرقند وبخارى وترمذ، فاشترى مائة مملوك كان من جملتهم بلبن،,"It happened that Sultan Shams al-DIn Lalmish sent a merchant to buy mamluks for him at Samarqand, Bukhara, and Tirmidh, and he bought a hundred mamluks, one of whom was Balaban."
فلما دُخِلَ بالمماليك على السلطان أعجبه جميعهم إلا بلبن لِمَا ذَكَرْنَاه من دمامته، فقال: لا أقبل هذا، فقال له بلبن: يا خوند عالم لمن اشتريت هؤلاء المماليك؟ فضحك منه وقال: اشتريتهم لنفسي، فقال له: اشْتَرِنِي أنا لله — عز وجل —,"The Sultan, when the merchant brought the mamluks before him, was satisfied with all of them except Balaban, because of his insignificant appearance, as we have described, and said ‘I do not accept this man.’ Balaban said to him ‘Oh master of the world, for whom have you bought these mamluks?’ The Sultan laughed at him and said ‘I have bought them for myself,’ then Balaban said to him ‘Buy me for the sake of God High and Mighty.’"
فقال: نعم، وقَبِلَه، وجعله في جملة المماليك، فاحْتُقِرَ شأنه وجُعِلَ في السقائين،,"The Sultan consented, accepted him and enrolled him among his mamluks; nevertheless little account was taken of him and he was assigned to the [corps of] watercarriers."
وكان أهل المعرفة بعلم النجوم يقولون للسلطان شمس الدين: إن أحد مماليكك يأخذ المُلْكَ من يد ابنك ويستولي عليه،,Now the astrologers versed in the science of the stars used to tell the Sultan Shams al-DIn that one of his mamluks would seize the kingdom from the hand of his son and take possession of it.
ولا يزالون يلقون له ذلك وهو لا يلتفت إلى أقوالهم لصلاحه وعدله، إلى أن ذَكَرُوا ذلك للخاتون الكبرى أم أولاده، فذكرت له ذلك,"Although they continued to predict this to him, he paid no attention to their predictions because of his uprightness and probity of character, until they said the same thing to the principal khatun, the mother of his sons, and she spoke to him about it."
وأَثَّرَ في نفسه وبعث على المنجمين، فقال: أتعرفون المملوك الذي يأخذ مُلْك ابني إذا رأيتموه؟ فقالوا له: نعم، عندنا علامة نعرفه بها.,"This made an impression on him; he sent for the astrologers and said ‘Would you recognize the mamluk who will seize my son’s kingdom if you saw him?’ They replied ‘Certainly, we have in our possession a sign by which we would recognize him.’"
فأَمَرَ السلطان بعَرْض مماليكه وجلس لذلك، فعُرِضُوا بين يديه طبقة طبقة والمنجمون ينظرون إليهم ويقولون: لم نَرَهُ بَعْدُ،,"Thereupon the Sultan gave orders for a parade of his mamluks and held a special session for that purpose, when they were passed in review before him rank by rank, while the astrologers watched them and said ‘We have not seen him yet.’"
وحان وَقْتُ الزوال، فقال السقاءون بعضهم لبعض: إنا قد جُعْنَا، فلنَجْمَع شيئًا من الدراهم ونبعث أحدنا إلى السوق ليشتري لنا ما نأكله،,"Then mid-day passed and the water-carriers said among themselves ‘We are hungry, so let us pool some of our money and send one of our number to the market to buy food for us.’"
فجمعوا الدراهم وبعثوا بها بلبن إذ لم يكن فيهم أحقر منه، فلم يجد بالسوق ما أرادوه فتوجه إلى سوق أخرى وأبطأ،,"Having collected the money, they sent Balaban with it, seeing there was no one amongst them of less account than he, but he was unable to find what they wanted in the market and went off to another market and so was delayed."
وجاءت نوبة السقائين في العرض وهو لم يَأْتِ بعد، فأخذوا زقَّه وماعونه وجعلوه على كاهل صبي وعرضوه على أنه بلبن،,"Meanwhile it came to the turn of the watercarriers for review, and since he had not yet come back they took his waterskin and his equipment, strapped the latter on the shoulder of a boy, and presented him as if he were Balaban."
فلما نُودِيَ باسمه جاز الصبي بين أيديهم وانقضى العرض، ولم يَرَ المنجمون الصورة التي تَطَلَّبُوها،,"When his name was called the boy passed before them, and the parade ended without the astrologers having seen the figure which they were expected to find."
وجاء بلبن بعد تمام العرض لما أراد الله من إنفاذ قضائه،,Balaban returned after the end of the review in accordance with God’s will to execute His decree.
ثمَّ إنه ظَهَرَتْ نجابته فجُعِلَ أميرَ السقائين، ثمَّ صار من جملة الأجناد، ثمَّ من الأمراء،,"Later on his distinction became apparent and he was promoted to the command of the water-carriers, then entered into the ranks of the fighting troops, and in due course became one of the amirs."
ثمَّ تزوج السلطان ناصر الدين بنته قبل أن يلي الملك، فلما ولي المُلْكَ جعله نائبًا عنه مدة عشرين سنة،,"Furthermore Sultan Nasir al-DIn married his daughter before his succession to the kingship, and when he became king he made Balaban deputy for him for a period of twenty years."
ثمَّ قتله بلبن واستولى على ملكه عشرين سنة أخرى — كما تَقَدَّم ذِكْر ذلك —,"Then Balaban killed him and occupied his kingdom for twenty years more, as has been related."
وكان للسلطان بلبن ولدان أحدهما الخان الشهيد ولي عهده، وكان واليًا لأبيه ببلاد السند ساكنًا بمدينة ملتان، وقُتِلَ في حرب له مع التتر، وترك ولدين كي قباد، وكي خسرو،,"The Sultan Balaban had two sons, one of whom was ‘The Martyr Khan’, his heir; he was governor for his father in the territory of Sind, residing in the city of Multan, and was killed in warfare with the Tatars, leaving two sons Kay Qubadh and Kay Khusru."
ووَلَدُ السلطان بلبن الثاني يُسَمَّى ناصر الدين، وكان واليًا لأبيه ببلاد اللكنوتي وبنجالة،,The Sultan Balaban’s second son was named Nasir al-DIn and was his father’s governor in the territories of Laknawtl and Bengal.
فلمَّا استشهد الخان الشهيد جَعَلَ السلطان بلبن العهد إلى ولده كي خسرو، وعَدَلَ به عن ابن نفسه ناصر الدين،,"When the ‘Martyr Khan’ was killed fighting for the faith the Sultan Balaban transferred the succession to Kay Khusru, diverting it from his own son Nasir al-DIn."
وكان لناصر الدين أيضًا ولد ساكن بحضرة دهلي مع جده يسمى معز الدين، وهو الذي تولى الملك بعد جده في خبر عجيب نذكره، وأبوه إذ ذاك حي كما ذكرناه.,"Now Nasir al-DIn also had a son, called Mu’izz al-DIn, living at DihlI with his grandfather, and it was he who succeeded to the kingdom after his grandfather’s death in strange circumstances which we shall relate, although his father was still alive at the time, as we have said."
ذكر السلطان معز الدين بن ناصر الدين ابن السلطان غياث الدين بلبن,The Sultan Mu’izz al-DTn son of Nasir al-DTn son of the Sultan Ghiyath al-DTn Balaban.
ولما توفي السلطان غياث الدين ليلًا وابنه ناصر الدين غائب ببلاد اللكنوتي، وجعل العهد لابن ابنه الشهيد كي خسرو حسبما قصصناه، كان ملك الأمراء نائب السلطان غياث الدين عدوًّا لكي خسرو، فأدار عليه حيلة تمت له,"When the Sultan Ghiyath al-DIn died during the night, after assigning the succession to Kay Khusru, the son of his son the Martyr, as we have related, and his [other] son Nasir alDIn being absent in the province of LaknawtI, the ‘king’ of the amIrs, who was the deputy of the Sultan Ghiyath al-DIn, was an enemy of Kay Khusru and he plotted a stratagem against him which succeeded."
وهي أنه كتب بيعة دلس فيها على خطوط الأمراء الكبار، بأنهم بايعوا معز الدين حفيد السلطان بلبن،,"He wrote an act of allegiance in which he forged the handwriting of the great amIrs witnessing to their oath of allegiance to Mu’izz al-DIn, the grandson of the Sultan Balaban, as their sovereign."
ودخل على كي خسرو كالمتنصح له فقال له: إنَّ الأمراء قد بايعوا ابن عمك وأخاف عليك منهم،,He then presented himself to Kay Khusru in the character of a loyal counsellor and said to him ‘The amIrs have taken the oath of allegiance to your cousin and I fear that they may have designs against you.’
فقال له كي خسرو فما الحيلة؟ قال: انج بنفسك هاربًا إلى بلاد السند، فقال: وكيف الخروج والأبواب مسدودة؟ فقال له: إنَّ المفاتيح بيدي وأنا أفتح لك،,"Kay Khusru said to him ‘What is to be done?’ He replied ‘Save yourself by flight to Sind, and to his question how he should leave the town, seeing the gates were closed, said ‘The keys are in my hand, I myself shall open them for you.’"
فشكره على ذلك وقَبَّلَ يده، فقال: اركب الآن، فرَكِبَ في خاصته ومماليكه وفتح له الباب وأخرجه، وسد في أثره,"Kay Khusru thanked him for this and the ‘king’ kissed his hand and said to him ‘Mount at once,’ So the prince rode out with his personal attendants and his mamluks, and he opened the gate for him, saw him through it, and closed it behind him."
واستأذن على معز الدين فبايعه،,He then asked permission to enter the presence of Mu’izz al-DIn and took the oath of allegiance to him.
فقال: كيف لي بذلك وولاية العهد لابن عمي؟ فأعلمه بما أدار عليه من الحيلة وبإخراجه، فشكره على ذلك ومضى به إلى دار الملك، وبعث إلى الأمراء والخواص فبايعوا ليلًا،,"Mu’izz al-DIn said ‘How can the kingdom be mine when my cousin has been nominated heir?’ The ‘king’ told him of the trick which he had played on the latter and how he had put him out of the city, whereupon Mu’izz al-DIn thanked him for his action, went with him to the palace and sent for the amIrs and principal officers, who swore allegiance to him during the [same] night."
فلما أصبح بايعه سائر الناس واستقام له الملك،,Next morning the rest of the population swore allegiance to him also and he was firmly established in the kingdom.
وكان أبوه حيًّا ببلاد بنجالة واللكنوتي، فاتصل به الخبر، فقال أنا وارث الملك وكيف يلي ابني الملك ويستقل به وأنا بقيد الحياة؟ فتجهز في جيوشه قاصدًا حضرة دهلي وتجهز ولده في جيوشه أيضًا قاصدًا لمدافعته عنها،,"Now his father was still alive in the land of Bengal and LaknawtI, and when the news reached him he said ‘I am heir to the kingdom; how can my son succeed to the kingdom and enjoy full sovereignty in it while I am still alive?” He therefore set out with his armies on an expedition to the capital, DihlI, and his son also set out with his armies with the object of driving him away from it."
فتوافيا معًا بمدينة كرا وهي على ساحل نهر الكنك الذي تحج الهنود إليه، فنزل ناصر الدين على شاطئه مما يلي كرا ونزل ولده السلطان معز الدين مما يلي الجهة الأخرى والنهر بينهما وعزما على القتال.,"The armies came face to face at the town of Kara, which is on the banks of the river Gang, the same to which the Indians go on pilgrimage. Nasir al-DIn camped on the bank on which Kara lies and his son the Sultan Mu’izz al-DIn encamped on the opposite bank, with the river between them."
ثمَّ إنَّ الله تعالى أراد حقن دماء المسلمين فألقى في قلب ناصر الدين الرحمة لابنه، وقال: إذا ملك ولدي فذلك شرف، وأنا أحق أن أرغب في ذلك،,"They had every intention of fighting, but God, exalted be He, desiring to spare the blood of the Muslims, cast into the heart of Nasir al-DIn a tender affection for his son and he said Tf my son is King, it is an honour to me and I am the one who has most reason to desire it so.’"
وألقى في قلب السلطان معز الدين الضراعة لأبيه،,He cast also into the heart of the Sultan Mu’izz al-DIn a sense of filial submission to his father.
فركب كل واحد منهما في مركب منفردًا عن جيوشه والتقيا في وسط النهر،,"Each of them then embarked in a boat, unaccompanied by his troops, and they met in the middle of the river."
فقبل السلطان رجل أبيه واعتذر له فقال له أبوه: قد وهبتك ملكي ووليتك، وبايعه,"The Sultan kissed his father’s foot and made apologies to him, while his father said to him give you my kingdom and confer the government upon you’ and swore allegiance to him."
وأراد الرجوع لبلاده، فقال له ابنه: لا بُدَّ لك من الوصول إلى بلادي فمضى معه إلى دهلي، ودخل القصر وأقعده أبوه على سرير الملك ووقف بين يديه،,"He then wished to return to his province, but his son insisted that he should pay a visit to his territories, and went with him to DihlI, where he entered the palace and his father bade him sit upon the throne and himself stood before him."
وسمي ذلك اللقاء الذي كان بينهما بالنهر لقاء السعدين؛ لما كان فيه من حقن الدماء وتواهب الملك والتجافي عن المنازعة، وأكثرت الشعراء في ذلك،,"This meeting between them on the river was called ‘The conjunction of the two auspicious stars’, because of the sparing of blood which resulted from it and the offering of the kingdom to one another and the mutual abstinence from conflict, and the poets wrote many panegyrics on this subject."
وعاد ناصر الدين إلى بلاده فمات بها بعد سنين، وترك بها ذرية منهم غياث الدين بهادور الذي أسره السلطان تغلق وأطلقه ابنه محمد بعد وفاته،,"Nasir al-DIn then returned to his provinces and died there some years later, leaving in them descendants, amongst whom was Ghiyath al-DIn Bahadur, who was taken prisoner by the Sultan Tughluq, and released by his son Muhammad after Tughluq’s death."
واستقام الملك لمعز الدين أربعة أعوام بعد ذلك وكانت كالأعياد،,"After this Mu’izz al-DIn enjoyed undisturbed rule for four years, which were like one long festival."
رأيت بعض من أدركها يصف خيراتها ورخص أسعارها وجود معز الدين وكرمه،,"I have seen some of those who remembered those times describing their abundance, their cheap prices and the liberality and generosity of Mu’izz al-DIn."
وهو الذي بنى الصومعة بالصحن الشمالي من جامع دهلي، ولا نظير لها في البلاد،,"It was he who built the minaret in the north court of the mosque of DihlI, and there is nothing like it in the world."
وحكي لي بعض أهل الهند أن معز الدين كان يكثر النكاح والشرب، فأعثرته علة أعجز الأطباء دواؤها,One of the inhabitants of India told me that Mu’izz al-DIn was much addicted to women and wine and was struck down by a disease which the doctors were unable to cure.
ويبس أحد شقيه، فقام عليه نائبه جلال الدين فيروزشاه الخلجي (بفتح الخاء المعجم واللام والجيم).,"One side of him dried up, and then his deputy Jalal al-DIn FIruz Shah al-KhaljI revolted against him."
ذكر السلطان جلال الدين,The Sultan Jalal al-DTn.
ولما اعترى السلطان معز الدين ما ذكرناه مِنْ يَبَسِ أحد شقيه، خالف عليه نائبه جلال الدين وخرج إلى ظاهر المدينة، فوقف على تلٍّ هنالك بجانب قبة تُعْرَف بقبة الجيشاني،,"When the Sultan Mu’izz al-DIn was seized by the drying up of one of his sides, as we have related, his deputy Jalal al-DIn revolted against him, marched out of the city, and took up a position on a hill thereabouts beside a domed tomb called Qubbat al-JaishanI."
فبعث معز الدين الأمراء لقتاله، فكان كل من يبعثه منهم يُبَايِع جلال الدين ويَدْخُل في جملته، ثمَّ دخل المدينة وحصره في القصر ثلاثة أيام،,"Mu’izz al-DIn sent out the amIrs to engage him, but everyone of them whom he sent took the oath of allegiance to Jalal al-DIn and joined his party. The latter then entered the city and besieged the Sultan in the palace for three days."
وحدثني مَنْ شَاهَدَ ذلك أن السلطان مُعِزَّ الدين أصابه الجوعُ في تلك الأيام، فلم يَجِدْ ما يأكله فبعث إليه أحد الشرفاء من جيرانه ما أقام أَوَدَهُ ودخل عليه القصر فقُتِلَ،,"I have been told by an eye-witness that the Sultan Mu’izz al-DIn suffered the pangs of hunger during those days but found nothing to eat, and a certain sharif who was one of his neighbours sent him sufficient to remove his affliction. The palace was taken by storm, he was killed, and Jalal al-DIn reigned after him."
وولي بعده جلال الدين وكان حليمًا فاضلًا، وحلمه أداه إلى القتل كما سنذكره،,"Jalal al-DIn was clement and upright, and it was his clemency that led him to his death, as we shall relate."
واستقام له الملك سنين وبنى القصر المعروف باسمه، وهو الذي أعطاه السلطان محمد لصهره الأمير غدا ابن مهنى لما زوجه بأخته وسيُذْكَر ذلك،,"He exercised undisputed rule for some years and built the palace which is called by his name, the same one which Sultan Muhammad gave to his brother-in-law, the amIr Ghada ibn Muhanna, when he married him to his sister, as we shall relate in due course."
فكان للسلطان جلال الدين ولد اسمه ركن الدين، وابن أخ اسمه علاء الدين زوجه بابنته وولَّاه مدينة كرا ومانكبور ونواحيها،,"The Sultan Jalal al-DIn had a son named Rukn al-DTn and a brother’s son ‘Ala al-DIn, whom he married to his daughter and appointed to the governorship of the city of Kara and Manikbur and their districts."
وهي من أخصب بلاد الهند كثيرة القمح والأرز والسكر، وتُصْنَع بها الثياب الرفيعة ومنها تُجْلَب إلى دهلي، وبينهما مسيرة ثمانية عشر يومًا.,"These are among the most fertile regions in India; they produce large quantities of wheat, rice, and sugar, and have manufactures of fine fabrics which are exported to DihlI, which is at a distance of eighteen days’ journey from them."
وكانت زوجة علاء الدين تؤذيه فلا يزال يشكوها إلى عمه السلطان جلال الدين حتى وقعت الوحشة بينهما بسببها،,‘Ala al-DIn’s wife made life disagreeable for him and he so frequently complained of her to his uncle the sultan Jalal alDIn that eventually their relations became strained because of her.
وكان علاء الدين شهمًا شجاعًا مظفرًا منصورًا وحب الملك ثابت في نفسه، إلَّا أنه لم يكن له مال إلَّا ما يستفيده بسيفه من غنائم الكفار،,"‘Ala al-DIn was a vigorous and brave man, accustomed to conquest and success, and had a fixed ambition to become king, only he had no wealth except what he could gain for himself by the sword in the way of booty from the infidels."
فاتفق أنه ذهب مرة إلى الغزو ببلاد الدويقير، وتُسَمَّى بلاد الكتكة أيضًا وسنذكرها، وهي كرسي بلاد المالوة والمرهتة، وكان سلطانها أكبر سلاطين الكفار,"It happened that he went on one occasion on a raid into the territory of DuwaiqIr (it is called also the land of Kataka, and we shall speak of it later), which is the capital of the territories of Malwa and of Marhata and its sultan was the most powerful of the sultans of the infidels."
فعثرت بعلاء الدين في تلك الغزوة دابة له عند حجر، فسمع له طنينًا فأمر بالحفر هنالك فوجد تحته كنزًا عظيمًا، ففرقه في أصحابه,"In the course of this expedition a horse on which ‘Ala al-DIn was riding struck its hoof against a stone and, as he heard a ringing sound from the stone, he gave orders for the ground to be dug up and found under it a vast treasure, which he distributed amongst his followers."
ووصل إلى الدويقير فأذعن له سلطانها بالطاعة، ومكنه من المدينة من غير حرب، وأهدى له هدايا عظيمة فرجع إلى مدينة كرا ولم يبعث إلى عمه شيًّا من الغنائم،,"When he reached DuwaiqIr its sultan submitted to him, gave him possession of the city without fighting and sent him valuable presents. He then returned to the city of Kara, but sent none of the booty to his uncle."
فأغرى الناس عمه به فبعث إليه فامتنع من الوصول إليه،,Certain persons incited his uncle against him in consequence and he was sent instructions to come to DihlI but refused to do so.
فقال السلطان جلال الدين أنا أذهب إليه وآتى به فإنه محل ولدي،,"Thereupon the Sultan Jalal al-DIn said ‘I shall go to him myself and bring him, for look on him as my son’."
فتجهز في عساكره وطوى المراحل حتى حل بساحل مدينة كرا، حيث نزل السلطان معز الدين لما خرج إلى لقاء أبيه ناصر الدين,"So he set out with his troops and marched with all speed until he encamped on the bank of the city of Kara, at the same place where the Sultan Mu’izz al-DIn encamped when he went out to engage his father Nasir al-DIn."
وركب النهر برسم الوصول إلى ابن أخيه، وركب ابن أخيه أيضًا في مركب ثانٍ عازمًا على الفتك به، وقال لأصحابه: إذا أنا عانَقْتُه فاقتلوه، فلما الْتَقَيَا وسط النهر عانَقَهُ ابن أخيه وقتله أصحابه كما وعدهم، واحتوى على مُلْكِه وعساكره.,"He embarked on the river in order to meet his nephew, and the latter also embarked on a second vessel, determined on murdering him, and said to his followers ‘When I embrace him, kill him.’ So when they met in the middle of the river his nephew embraced him and his nephew’s attendants killed him as prearranged, and ‘Ala al-DIn took possession of his kingdom and his troops."
ذكر السلطان علاء الدين محمد شاه الخلجي,The Sultan ‘Ala al-DTn Muhammad Shah KhaljT.
ولما قُتِلَ عمه استقل بالملك وفرَّ إليه أكثر عساكر عمه،,"After he had killed his uncle he seized the sovereign power, and most of his uncle’s troops went over to his side."
وعاد بعضهم إلى دهلي واجتمعوا على ركن الدين وخرج إلى دفاعه، فهربوا جميعًا إلى السلطان علاء الدين وفرَّ ركن الدين إلى السند،,"Some of them returned to DihlI and assembled round Rukn al-DIn, but when the latter marched out to bar his way, they deserted in a body to the Sultan ‘Ala al-DIn, and Rukn al-DIn fled to Sind."
ودخل علاء الدين دار الملك، واستقام له الأمر عشرين سنة، وكان من خيار السلاطين، وأهل الهند يُثْنُون عليه كثيرًا،,"‘Ala al-DIn then entered the royal palace and enjoyed undisturbed rule for twenty years. He was one of the best of sultans, and the people of India are full of his praises."
وكان يتفقد أمور الرعية بنفسه ويسأل عن أسعارهم ويحضر المحتسب، وهم يسمونه الرئيس في كل يوم برسم ذلك،,"He used to investigate the conditions of his subjects in person and to enquire into the prices which they had to pay, and he used to send for the muhtasib, whom they call the ra’Ts, every day for that purpose."
ويُذْكَر أنه سأله يومًا عن سبب غلاء اللحم فأخبره أن ذلك لكثرة المغرم على البقر في الرتب،,It is related that he asked him one day why meat was so dear and he told him that it was due to the repeated exactions of toll upon the cattle at the road stages.
فأمر برفع ذلك وأَمَرَ بإحضار التجَّار وأعطاهم الأموال، وقال لهم: اشتروا بها البقر والغنم وبيعوها ويرتفع ثمنها لبيت المال، ويكون لكم أجرة على بيعها.,"He gave orders that that practice must cease, sent for the merchants, and gave them money, saying to them ‘Buy with this cattle and sheep and sell them; the money received for their sale will go to the treasury and you shall have a commission on their sale.’"
ففعلوا ذلك وفعل مثل هذا في الأثواب التي يؤتى بها من دولة أباد،,"They did so, and he made the same arrangements with regard to the woven fabrics which were imported from Dawlat Abad."
وكان إذا غلا ثَمَنُ الزرع فَتَحَ المخازن وباع الزرع حتى يرخص السعر،,When the price of grain became very high he opened the stores and sold their grain until the price went down again.
ويُذْكَر أن السعر ارتفع ذات مرة فأمر ببيع الزرع بثمن عينه، فامتنع الناس من بيعه بذلك الثمن،,"It is said that on one occasion the price rose, and when he ordered that grain was to be sold at a price which he fixed the people refused to sell it at that price."
فأمر ألَّا يبيع أحد زرعًا غير زرع المخزن، وباع للناس ستة أشهر,"He then gave orders that no one should sell any grain other than store grain, and sold it to the public for six months."
فخاف المحتكرون فساد زرعهم بالسوس، فرغبوا أن يؤذن لهم في البيع، فأذن لهم على أن يبيعوه بأقل من القيمة الأولى التي امتنعوا من بيعه بها،,"Those who had monopolized the stocks became afraid that their grain would be damaged by weevils and petitioned for permission to sell; he then gave them permission, but on condition that they sold it at a price less than that at which they had formerly refused to sell it."
وكان لا يركب لجمعة ولا لعيد ولا سواهما؛,He used never to go on horseback to a Friday prayer nor to a Festival nor on any other occasion.
وسبب ذلك أنه كان له ابن أخ يسمى سليمان شاه وكان يحبه ويعظمه،,The reason for this was that he had a nephew named Sulaiman Shah whom he loved and held in high regard.
فركب يومًا إلى الصيد وهو معه وأضمر في نفسه أن يفعل به ما فعل هو بعمه جلال الدين من الفتك،,"One day when he rode out to hunt taking his nephew with him, the young man determined secretly to act with him as he had acted with his uncle Jalal al-DIn, namely to assassinate him."
فلمَّا نزل للغداء رماه بنشابة فصرعه وغطاه بعض عبيده بترس،,"Consequently when the Sultan dismounted for lunch, he shot him with an arrow and knocked him to the ground, and one of his slaves covered him with a shield."
وأتى ابن أخيه ليُجْهِز عليه فقال له العبيد: إنه قد مات، فصَدَّقَهم، وركب فدخل القصر على الحرم,"His nephew came up to give him the coup de grace, but when the slaves told him that he was already dead he believed them, mounted, and entered the palace and seized the private apartments."
وأفاق السلطان علاء الدين من غشيته، وركب واجتمعت العساكر عليه، وفرَّ ابن أخيه فأُدْرِكَ وأُتِيَ به إليه فقتله، وكان بعد ذلك لا يركب.,"Sultan ‘Ala al-DIn recovered from his faint, and mounted, his troops assembled around him, and his nephew fled, but was overtaken, brought before him and put to death. After that he would never mount a horse."
وكان له من الأولاد خضر خان، وشادي خان، وأبو بكر خان، ومبارك خان وهو قطب الدين الذي وَلِيَ الملك، وشهاب الدين وكان قطب الدين مهتضمًا عنده ناقص الحظ قليل الحظوة،,"He had the following sons: Khidr Khan, ShadI Khan, Abu Bakr Khan, Mubarak Khan, i.e. Qutb al-DIn who afterwards became king, and Shihab al-DIn. Qutb al-DIn was harshly treated by him and received little share of fortune or consideration."
وأعطى جميع إخوته المراتب، وهي الأعلام والأطبال ولم يعطه شيئًا،,"He gave all his brothers the ceremonial honours, that is to say the banners and drums, and gave him nothing."
وقال له يومًا: لا بُدَّ أن أعطيك مثل ما أعطيت إخوتك، فقال له: الله هو الذي يعطيني، فهال أباه هذا الكلام وفَزِعَ منه،,"One day ‘Ala al-DIn said to him ’I must give you the same as I have given your brothers,’ to which he replied ‘God it is who will give to me,’ a reply which appalled his father and roused his fears."
ثم إنَّ السلطان أصابه المرض الذي مات منه، وكانت زوجته أم ولده خضر خان وتسمى ماء حق، والماء القمر بلسانهم، لها أخ يسمى سنجر، فعَاهَدَتْ أخاها على تمليك ولدها خضر خان،,"Sometime later the Sultan contracted the disease from which he died. Now his wife, the mother of his son Khidr Khan, whose name was Mah-i Haqq (mah means ‘moon’ in their language), had a brother called Sanjar, with whom she made a pact to raise her son Khidr Khan to the throne."
وعلم بذلك ملك نائب أكبر أمراء السلطان وكان يسمى الألفي؛ لأن السلطان اشتراه بألف تنكة، وهي ألفان وخمسمائة من دنانير المغرب، فوشى إلى السلطان بما اتفقوا عليه،,"Malik Na’ib, the chief of the Sultan’s amIrs (he was called al-AlfI because the Sultan bought him for a thousand tankas, that is to say, in dInars of the Maghrib), got wind of this and disclosed their agreement to the Sultan."
فقال لخواصه: إذا دخل عليَّ سنجر فإني معطيه ثوبًا، فإذا لبسه فأمسكوا بأكمامه واضربوا به الأرض واذبحوه، فلمَّا دَخَلَ عليه فعلوا ذلك وقتلوه،,"The Sultan accordingly said to his courtiers ‘When San jar comes before me I shall give him a robe, and when he puts it on seize him by the sleeves, pull him to the ground and cut his throat.’ When San jar entered his chamber they acted as arranged and killed him."
وكان خضر خان غائبًا بموضع يقال له سندبت على مسيرة يوم من دهلي توجه لزيارة شهداء مدفونين به لنذر كان عليه أن يمشي تلك المسافة راجلًا ويدعوا لوالده بالراحة،,"Khidr Khan was away at the time at a place called Sandabat, one day’s journey from DihlI, having gone out to visit the tombs of some martyrs there, in consequence of a vow which he had taken to walk that distance on foot and to pray for his father’s recovery."
فلمَّا بلغه أن أباه قَتَلَ خاله حزن عليه حزنًا شديدًا ومزق جيبه، وتلك عادة لأهل الهند يفعلونها إذا مات لهم من يعز عليهم،,"On hearing that his father had killed his uncle he was deeply grieved and rent the neck of his garment, which it is customary amongst the people of India to do when anyone who is dear to them dies."
فبلغ والده ما فَعَلَه فكَرِهَ ذلك، فلمَّا دخل عليه عَنَّفَه ولامه، وأمر به فقُيِّدَت يداه ورجلاه وسَلَّمَه لملك نائب المذكور، وأَمَرَهُ أن يَذْهَب به إلى حصن كاليور وضبطه (بفتح الكاف المعقودة، وكسر اللام، وضم الياء آخر الحروف آخره راء)، ويقال له أيضًا كيالير بزيادة ياء ثانية،,"His father, learning what he had done, was displeased by it and when he appeared before him he angrily reprimanded him, ordered that his arms and legs should be shackled and gave him into the charge of Malik Na’ib, whom we have mentioned above, with orders to conduct him to the castle of Galiyur (or, as it is sometimes called, Guyalyur)."
وهو حصن منقطع بين كفار الهنود منيع على مسيرة عشر من دهلي وقد سكنته أنا مدة،,"This is an isolated and inaccessible castle, in the midst of the infidel Hindus, ten nights’ journey from DihlI, and I have stayed in it myself for a time."
فلمَّا أوصله إلى هذا الحصن سلمه للكتوال، وهو أمير الحصن وللمفردين وهم الزماميون، وقال لهم: لا تقولوا هذا ابن السلطان فتكرموه، إنما هو أعدى عدو له فاحفظوه كما يحفظ العدو،,"Having carried him to this castle Malik Na’ib delivered him to the kwtwal, that is the commandant of the castle, and to the mufradin, who are the troops listed in the army register, and said to them ‘Do not say to yourselves that this is the Sultan’s son and so treat him with respect; he is in reality his worst enemy, so guard him as you would guard an enemy,’"
ثم إنَّ المرض اشتدَّ بالسلطان فقال لملك نائب ابعث من يأتي بابني خضر خان لأوليه العهد،,"Later on, when the Sultan’s illness increased in severity, he said to Malik Na’ib ‘Send to fetch my son Khidr Khan that I may appoint him to the succession.’"
فقال له نعم وماطله بذلك، فمتى سأله عنه قال هو ذا يصل إلى أن توفي السلطان رحمه الله.,"Malik Na’ib promised to do so but kept putting him off, and when the Sultan asked him about Khidr Khan would say ‘He is just coming’, until the Sultan died, God’s mercy on him."
ذكر ابنه السلطان شهاب الدين,His son the Sultan Shihab al-Din.
ولما توفي السلطان علاء الدين أقعد ملك نائب ابنه الأصغر شهاب الدين على سرير الملك وبايعه الناس،,"When the Sultan ‘Ala al-DIn died, Malik Na’ib set his youngest son Shihab al-DIn on the throne and the people swore allegiance to him."
وتغلب ملك نائب عليه، وسمل أعين أبي بكر خان وشادي خان، وبعث بهما إلى كاليور,"Malik Na’ib kept him under control, and blinded [his brothers] Abu Bakr Khan and ShadI Khan and sent them to Galiyur."
وأمر بسمل عيني أخيهما خضر خان المسجون هنالك وسجنوا وسجن قطب الدين لكنه لم تسمل عينيه،,"He gave orders also for the blinding of their brother Khidr Khan who was imprisoned there, and they were all kept in prison, likewise Qutb al-DIn but he was not blinded."
وكان للسلطان علاء الدين مملوكان من خواصه يسمى أحدهما ببشير والآخر بمبشر،,"The Sultan ‘Ala al-DIn had amongst his personal attendants two mamluks, one of whom was called BashIr and the other Mubashshir."
فبعثت إليهما الخاتون الكبرى زوجة علاء الدين — وهي بنت السلطان معز الدين — فذكرتهما بنعمة مولاهما، وقالت: إنَّ هذا الفتى نائب ملك قد فعل في أولادي ما تعلمانه، وإنه يريد أن يقتل قطب الدين، فقال لها: سترين ما نفعل، وكانت عادتهما أن يبيتا عند نائب ملك، ويدخلا عليه بالسلاح,"The principal khatun, the wife of ‘Ala alDIn (she was the daughter of Mu’izz al-DIn), sent for them, reminded them of their master’s generosity and said ‘This eunuch, Na’ib Malik, has treated my sons in the way you know, and now he wants to kill Qutb al-DIn.’ They replied ‘You shall see what we will do.’ Now it was their custom to pass the night in the apartment of Na’ib Malik and to wear their arms in his presence."
فدخلا عليه تلك الليلة وهو في بيت من الخشب مكسو بالملف يسمونه الخرمقة، ينام فيه أيام المطر فوق سطح القصر،,"That night they came in and presented themselves to him when he was in a cubicle made of wood and covered with blanketcloth, which they call al-khurmaqah ; during the rainy season he used to sleep in this on the roof of the palace."
فاتفق أنه أخذ السيف من يد أحدهما فقلبه ورده إليه فضربه به المملوك، وتنى عليه صاحبه,"It happened by chance that he took the sword from the hand of one of them, brandished it and gave it back to him, whereupon the mamluk struck him with it and the other joined in."
واحتَزَّا رأسه وأتيا به إلى مجلس قطب الدين فرمياه بين يديه وأخرجاه،,"They cut off his head, took it to the prison of Qutb al-DIn, threw it down at his feet, and brought him out."
فدخل على أخيه شهاب الدين وأقام بين يديه أيامًا كأنه نائب له، ثمَّ عزم على خَلْعه فخلعه.,"Then Qutb al-DIn went to the palace of his brother Shihab al-DIn and after remaining in attendance on him for a short time as though he were deputy for him, he decided to depose him and did so."
ذكر السلطان قطب الدين بن السلطان علاء الدين,The Sultan Qutb al-Din son of the Sultan ‘Ala al-Din.
وخلع قطب الدين أخاه شهاب الدين، وقَطَعَ أصبعه وبعث به إلى كاليور فحُبِسَ مع إخوته واستقام الملك لقطب الدين،,"Qutb al-DIn deposed his brother Shihab al-DIn, cut off his finger, and sent him to Galiyur where he was kept in custody with his brothers, and Qutb al-DIn was firmly established as king."
ثمَّ إنه بعد ذلك خرج من حضرة دهلي إلى دولة إياد، وهي على مسيرة أربعين يومًا منها، والطريق بينهما تكتنفه الأشجار من الصفصاف وسواه، فكأن الماشي به في بستان،,"Some time later he left the capital DihlI to go to Dawlat Abad, which is forty days’ journey from there. The road between these two cities is bordered by willows and other trees, so that the traveller on it might imagine himself to be in a garden."
وفي كل ميل منه ثلاث داوات وهي البريد، وقد ذكرنا ترتيبه، وفي كل داوة جميع ما يحتاج المسافر إليه فكأنه يمشي في سوق مسيرة الأربعين يومًا،,"For every mile of this road there are three dawat, i.e. poststations, whose organization we have already described, and at each dawa there is everything that the traveller requires, so that he seems to be making his way through one [continuous] bazaar forty days’ journey in length."
وكذلك يتصل الطريق إلى بلاد التلنك والمعبر مسيرة ستة أشهر، وفي كل منزلة قصر للسلطان وزاوية للوارد والصادر فلا يفتقر الفقير إلى حَمْل زاد في ذلك الطريق،,"The road continues in the same manner all the way to the land of Tiling and al-Ma’bar, a six months’ journey. At each halting place there is a palace for the Sultan and a hospice for travellers, so that the poor man has no need to carry provisions with him on that road."
ولما خرج السلطان قطب الدين في هذه الحركة اتفق بعض الأمراء على الخلاف عليه وتولية ولد أخيه خضر خان المسجون وسِنُّه نحو عشرة أعوام، وكان مع السلطان,"When the Sultan Qutb al-DIn set out on this expedition, some of the amIrs conspired to revolt against him and to raise to the throne the son of his imprisoned brother Khidr Khan. The boy was about ten years old at the time and living with the Sultan."
فبلغ السلطان ذلك فأخذ ابن أخيه المذكور وأمسك برجليه وضَرَبَ برأسه إلى الحجارة حتى نثر دماغه،,"When the Sultan heard of this he took his nephew, seized him by the feet and dashed out his brains on the stones."
وبعث أحد الأمراء ويسمى ملك شاه إلى كاليور، حيث أبو هذا الولد وأعمامه وأَمَرَهُ بقتلهم جميعًا،,"Then he sent one of the amirs, called Malik Shah, to Galiyur, where this boy’s father and uncles were, with orders to kill them all."
فحدثني القاضي زين الدين مبارك قاضي هذا الحصن قال: قَدِمَ علينا ملك شاه ضحوة يوم وكنت عند خضر خان بمحبسه، فلما سمع بقدومه خاف وتغيَّر لونه,"This is the story as the qadi Zain al-Din Mubarak, who was qadi of this castle, told it to me in his own words. ‘Malik Shah reached us one day in the forenoon. I was with Khidr Khan in his place of confinement, and when he heard of his arrival he became alarmed and changed colour."
ودخل عليه الأمير فقال له: فيما جئت؟ قال في حاجة خوند عالم، فقال له نفسي سالمة؟ فقال: نعم، وخرج عنه واستحضر الكتوال وهو صاحب الحصن والمفردين وهم الزماميون، وكانوا ثلاثمائة رجل,"The amir [Malik Shah] came into his chamber, whereupon the prince said to him “What have you come for?’’ He replied “On the business of the Master of the World.’’ The prince then asked him whether his life was safe and Malik Shah gave him an assurance, and afterwards left him and summoned the kutwal, that is the commandant of the castle, and the mufradin, who are the troops on the register and who numbered three hundred men."
وبعث عني وعن العدول، واستظهر بأمر السلطان فقرءوه، وأتوا إلى شهاب الدين المخلوع فضربوا عنقه وهو متثبت غير جزع، ثمَّ ضربوا عنق أبي بكر خان وشادي خان.,"He then sent for me and for the attestors and produced the Sultan’s order. Having read it they went to [the prison of] Shihab al-Din, the deposed Sultan, and beheaded him. He maintained a firm demeanour and showed no fear. They then beheaded Abu Bakr Khan and Shadi Khan."
ولما أتوا ليضربوا عنق خضر خان فزع وذهل، وكانت أمه معه فسدوا الباب دونها وقتلوه،,When they came to execute Khidr Khan he was terror-stricken and aghast. His mother was with him but they shut the door on her and killed him.
وسحبوهم جميعًا في حفرة بدون تكفين ولا غسل، وأُخْرِجُوا بعد سنين فدُفِنُوا بمقابر آبائهم، وعاشت أم خضر خان مدة ورأيتها بمكة سنة ثمانٍ وعشرين،,"They then dragged them all into a pit without grave clothes or washing, but they were taken out some years later and buried in the sepulchres of their ancestors.’ The mother of Khidr Khan lived for a long time and I saw her in Mecca in the year 28."
وحصن كاليور هذا في رأس شاهق كأنه منحوت من الصخر، لا يحاذيه جبل,"This castle of Galiyur is on the top of a steep hill and looks as though it were carved out of the rock, with no high ground facing it."
وبداخله جباب الماء ونحو عشرين بئرًا عليها الأسوار مضافة إلى الحصن، منصوبًا عليها المجانيق والرعادات،,"Inside it there are cisterns of water and about twenty wells, attached to the castle by protecting walls on which are placed mangonels and stone-throwers."
ويصعد إلى الحصن في طريق متسعة يصعدها الفيل والفرس، وعند باب الحصن صورة فيل منحوت من الحجر وعليه صورة فيال، وإذا رآه الإنسان على البعد لم يشك أنه فيل حقيقة،,One goes up to the castle by a broad track which can be ascended by elephants and horses. At the gate of the castle is the image of an elephant carved in stone and with the image of a mahout upon it; anyone seeing it from a distance would not take it to be anything but an elephant in actual reality.
وأسفل الحصن مدينة حسنة مبنيَّة كلها بالحجارة البيض المنحوتة مساجدها ودورها، ولا خشب فيها ما عدا الأبواب وكذلك دار الملك بها والقباب والمجالس,"At the foot of the fortress there is a fine town, which is built entirely of white free-stone, both mosques and private houses, and there is no wood in them except for the doors. The same applies to the king’s palace there, and to the kiosks and bungalows."
وأكثر سوقتها كفار، وفيها ستمائة فارس من جيش السلطان لا يزالون في جهاد لأنها بين الكفار،,"The majority of the common people of the town are infidels and there are stationed there horsemen of the Sultan’s army, who are constantly engaged in jihad because it has infidels all round it."
ولما قَتَلَ قطب الدين إخوته واستقلَّ بالملك، فلم يَبْقَ مَنْ ينازعه ولا من يُخَالِف عليه بعث الله تعالى عليه خاصته الحظي لديه أكبر أمرائه وأعظمهم منزلة عنده ناصر الدين خسرو خان،,"When Qutb al-Din had put his brothers to death and secured the sovereign power, so that there was none left to compete with him nor to revolt against him, God the Exalted raised up against him his most favoured officer, the chief of his amirs and the most highly esteemed amongst them in his eyes, Nasir al-Din Khusru Khan."
ففَتَكَ به وقَتَلَه واستقلَّ بملكه إلا أن مُدَّتَه لم تَطُلْ في الملك، فبعث الله عليه أيضًا مَنْ قَتَلَهُ بَعْد خَلْعه,"This man attacked him by surprise, killed him and took possession of his kingdom. But his enjoyment of the kingship lasted no long time, for God raised up against him also one who killed him after deposing him."
وهو السلطان تغلق حسبما يُشْرَح ذلك كله مستوفًى إن شاء الله تعالى أثر هذا ونسطره.,"This was the Sultan Tughluq, as shall be expounded in detail hereafter, if God will and as we shall record."
ذكر السلطان خسرو خان ناصر الدين,The Sultan Khusru Khan Nasir al-Din.
وكان خسرو خان من أكبر أمراء قطب الدين وهو شجاع حسن الصورة، وكان فتح بلاد جنديري وبلاد المعبر وهي من أخصب بلاد الهند، وبينهما وبين دهلي مسيرة ستة أشهر،,"Khusru Khan was one of the chief of the amirs of Qutb al-Din and was brave and good-looking. He had conquered the land of Jandiri and the land of al-Ma’bar, which are among the most fertile lands of India and lie at a distance of six months’ journey from Dihli."
وكان قطب الدين يحبه حبًّا شديدًا ويُؤْثِرُه، فجَرَّ ذلك حتفه على يديه،,"Qutb al-Din used to show great affection for him and to single him out for his favours, and it was this that brought about his own death at his hands."
وكان لقطب الدين مُعَلِّم يسمى قاضي خان صدر الجهان وهو أكبر أمرائه، وكليت (كليد) دار وهو صاحب مفاتيح القصر،,"Qutb al-DIn had a preceptor named QadI Khan Sadr al-Jahan, who was chief of his amirs and kalid-dar, that is to say keeper of the keys of the castle."
وعادته أن يبيت كل ليلة على باب السلطان ومعه أهل النوبة، وهم ألف رجل يبيتون مناوبة بين أربع ليال،,"It was his custom to spend every night on guard at the Sultan’s door along with the troops of the guard, numbering a thousand men who mount the night-watch in turns every fourth night."
ويكونون صفَّيْن فيما بين أبواب القصر، وسلاح كل واحد منهم بين يديه، فلا يدخل أحد إلَّا فيما بين سماطيهم، وإذا تمَّ الليل أتى أهل نوبة النهار،,"They form two ranks between the doors of the palace, each man with his weapon in front of him, so that no one may enter without passing between the two files of them, and when night is ended the troops of the day-watch relieve them."
ولأهل النوبة أمراء وكُتَّاب يتطوفون عليهم، ويكتبون من غاب منهم أو حضر،,The troops of the guard have their own amIrs and clerks who make rounds to inspect them and note in their registers those of them who are absent or present.
وكان معلم السلطان قاضي خان يكره أفعال خسرو خان ويسوءه ما يراه من إيثاره لكفار الهنود، ومَيْلِه إليهم وأَصْلُه منهم،,"The Sultan’s preceptor QadI Khan detested the conduct of Khusru Khan and was offended by the habit he observed in him of showing preference and special favour to the infidel Indians, for he was of Indian origin."
ولا يزال يلقي ذلك إلى السلطان فلا يسمع منه ويقول له: دعه، وما يريد لما أراد الله مِنْ قَتْلِه على يديه،,"He lost no opportunity of speaking of this to the Sultan, but the Sultan would not listen to him and would say to him ‘Let him do as he pleases,’ because of God’s decree that he should be killed at his hands."
فلما كان في بعض الأيام قال خسرو خان للسلطان: إنَّ جماعة من الهنود يريدون أن يُسْلِمُوا، ومن عادتهم بتلك البلاد أن الهندي إذا أراد الإسلام أُدْخِلَ إلى السلطان، فيكسوه كسوة حسنة ويعطيه قلادة وأساور من ذهب على قدره،,"On a certain day Khusru Khan said to the Sultan ‘There is a party of Indians who wish to embrace Islam.’ Now it is their custom in that country that when a Hindu wishes to become a Muslim, he is introduced before the Sultan, who clothes him with a fine robe and gives him a necklace and bracelets of gold in proportion to his rank."
فقال له السلطان: ائتني بهم، فقال: إنهم يستحيون أن يدخلوا إليك نهارًا لأجل أقربائهم وأهل ملتهم، فقال له: ائتني بهم ليلًا فجمع خسرو خان جماعة من شجعان الهنود وكبرائهم فيهم أخوه خان خانان،,"So the Sultan told him to bring them to him and he replied ‘They shrink from coming to you by day because of their relatives and their fellowHindus.’ The Sultan said to him ‘Bring them to me by night,’ so Khusru Khan collected a body of Indian braves and chiefs, among whom was his own brother Khan-i-Khanan."
وذلك أوان الحر، والسلطان ينام فوق سطح القصر، ولا يكون عنده في ذلك الوقت إلَّا بعض الفتيان.,"This was in the hot season, when the Sultan used to sleep on the roof of the palace and had no one with him except a few eunuchs."
فلما دخلوا الأبواب الأربعة وهم شاكون في السلاح ووصلوا إلى الباب الخامس وعليه قاضي خان أَنْكَرَ شأنهم وأَحَسَّ بالشر,"When the Indians had passed through the four doors, all bristling with weapons, and reached the fifth door, at which QadI Khan was on guard, he disliked the look of them and apprehended some evil."
فمنعهم من الدخول وقال: لا بُدَّ أن أسمع من خوند عالم بنفسي الإذنَ في دخولهم وحينئذٍ يدخلون، فلمَّا مَنَعَهُم من الدخول هجموا عليه فقتلوه,"So he stopped them from entering and said ‘I must hear from Khund ‘Alam with my own ears his permission for their entry, and only then may they go in.’ But when he stopped them from entering they assaulted and killed him."
وعلت الضجة بالباب، فقال السلطان ما هذا؟ فقال خسرو خان: هم الهنود الذين أتوا ليُسْلِمُوا فمنعهم قاضي خان من الدخول،,All this made a clamour at the door and the Sultan called out ‘What is there?’ Khusru Khan answered ‘These are the Indians who have come to embrace Islam; QadI Khan has stopped them from entering.’
وزاد الضجيج فخاف السلطان، وقام يريد الدخول إلى القصر، وكان بابه مسدودًا والفتيان عنده،,As the uproar increased the Sultan became alarmed and rose up with the intention of going into the palace; but the door leading to it was barred and the eunuchs were beside it.
فقرع الباب واحتضنه خسرو خان من خلفه، وكان السلطان أقوى منه فصرعه،,"As he knocked on the door Khusru Khan seized him in his arms from behind, but the Sultan was more powerful than he and bore him to the ground."
ودخل الهنود فقال لهم خسرو خان: هو ذا فوقي فاقتلوه فقتلوه وقطعوا رأسه ورموا به من سطح القصر إلى صحنه،,"The Indians came in and Khusru Khan said to them ‘Here he is on top of me; kill him,’ so they killed him, cut off his head and threw it down from the roof of the palace into the courtyard."
وبعث خسرو خان من حينه عن الأمراء والملوك وهم لا يَعْلَمُون بما اتَّفَقَ، فكلما دخلت طائفة وَجَدُوه على سرير الملك فبَايَعُوه، ولما أصبح أعلن بأمره وكتب المراسم — وهي الأوامر — إلى جميع البلاد،,"Khusru Khan sent on the spot for the amirs and maliks who were as yet unaware of what had happened. Each detachment as they entered found him seated on the throne and took the oath of allegiance to him, and in the morning he made public his succession and despatched the marasim, that is to say the edicts, to all the provinces."
وبعث لكل أمير خلعة فطاعوا له جميعًا وأذعنوا ألا تغلق شاه ولد السلطان محمد شاه، وكان إذ ذاك أميرًا بدبال بور من بلاد السند،,"He sent also to each amir a robe of honour and they all obeyed and submitted to him except Tughluq Shah, the father of Muhammad Shah, who was at that time an amir in Dibal-Bur in the province of Sind."
فلما وصلته خلعة خسرو خان طرحها بالأرض وجلس فوقها، وبعث إليه أخاه خان خانان فهزمهم، ثمَّ آل أمره إلى أن قتله كما سنشرحه في أخبار تغلق،,"On receiving the robe of honour from Khusru Khan he threw it on the ground and sat on it. The Sultan sent against him his brother Khan-i-Khanan but Tughluq defeated him and, to cut a long story short, finally put the Sultan to death as we shall describe in the history of Tughluq."
ولما ملك خسرو خان آثر الهنود وأظهر أمورًا منكرة منها النهي عن ذبح البقر على قاعدة كفار الهنود،,"When Khusru Khan became king he showed special favour to the Indians and openly committed reprobate actions, including the prohibition of slaughtering oxen, according to the principle of the infidel Hindus."
فإنهم لا يجيزون ذَبْحَها وجزاء مَنْ ذَبَحَهَا عندهم أن يخاط في جلدها ويحرق، وهم يعظمون البقر ويشربون أبوالها؛ للبركة وللاستشفاء إذا مرضوا، ويلطخون بيوتهم وحيطانهم بأرواثها،,"For they do not permit their slaughter and punish anyone who kills an ox by having him sewn up in its skin and burned. They venerate oxen and drink their urine to obtain blessing and for a cure when they fall sick, and they daub their houses and walls with their dung."
وكان ذلك مما بغض خسرو خان إلى المسلمين وأمالهم عنه إلى تغلق، فلم تَطُلْ مدة ولايته ولا امتدت أيام ملكه كما سنذكره.,"This was one of the things which rendered Khusru Khan odious to the Muslims and caused them to transfer their allegiance from him to Tughluq, so that the period of his government was not long and the days of his reign were cut short, as we shall proceed to describe."
ذكر السلطان غياث الدين تغلق شاه,The Sultan Ghiyath al-DTn Tughluq Shah.
(وضبط اسمه بضم التاء المعلوة، وسكون الغين المعجم، وضم اللام وآخره قاف)، حدثني الشيخ الإمام الصالح العالم العامل العابد ركن الدين بن الشيخ الصالح شمس الدين أبي عبد الله ابن الولي الإمام العالم العابد بهاء الدين زكريا القرشي الملتاني بزاويته منها: أن السلطان تغلق كان من الأتراك المعروفين بالقرونة (بفتح القاف والراء، وسكون الواو، وفتح النون)، وهم قاطنون بالجبال التي بين بلاد السند والترك،,"His name is spelt thus, with two u’s. I was told by the pious and learned imam, the strict and devout shaikh Rukn al-DTn, son of the pious shaikh Shams al-DTn Abu ‘Abdallah, son of the saint and imam, the learned and devout Baha al-DTn ZakarTya al-QurashT of Multan, in his hospice at that town, that the sultan Tughluq was one of the Turks known by the name of Qarawna, who inhabit the highlands between Sind and the land of the Turks."
وكان ضعيف الحال فقدم بلاد السند في خدمة بعض التجار، وكان كلوانياله والكلواني (بضم الكاف المعقودة) هو راعي الخيل (جلوبان)، وذلك على أيام السلطان علاء الدين وأمير السند إذ ذاك أخوه أولو خان (بضم الهمزة واللام)،,"He was in poor circumstances and came to Sind in the service of a certain merchant, for whom he was acting as gulwanT, that is to say, in charge of his horses. This was in the time of Sultan ‘Ala al-DTn, and the amir of Sind was then his brother Ulu Khan."
فخدمه تغلق وتَعَلَّقَ بجانبه فرتبه في البياة (بكسر الباء الموحدة، وفتح الياء آخر الحروف) وهم الرجالة،,"Tughluq entered his service and became attached to him, and was enrolled by him amongst his paid troops in the biyada, i.e. the infantry."
ثمَّ ظهرت نجابته فأثبت في الفرسان ثم كان من الأمراء الصغار وجعله أولو خان أمير خيله،,"Later on his bravery was remarked and he was enrolled in the cavalry, then became one of the lesser amTrs and Ulu Khan made him master of his horse."
ثمَّ كان بعد من الأمراء الكبار وسمي بالملك الغازي، ورأيت مكتوبًا على مقصورة الجامع بملتان، وهو الذي أمر بعملها أني قاتلت التتر تسعًا وعشرين مرة، فهزمتهم فحينئذٍ سميت بالملك الغازي،,"After that he became one of the great amTrs and was called by the title of al-Malik al-GhazT. I have seen inscribed on the maqsura of the congregational mosque at Multan, which was built at his orders, ‘I fought with the Tatars twenty-nine times and drove them in defeat, whence I gained the title of al-Malik al-GhazT.’"
ولما ولي قطب الدين ولاه مدينة دبال بور وعمالتها (وهي بكسر الدال المهمل، وفتح الباء الموحدة)، وجعل ولده الذي هو الآن سلطان الهند أمير خيله، وكان يسمى جونة (بفتح الجيم والنون)، ولما ملك تسمى بمحمد شاه.,"When Qutb al-DTn succeeded, he made him governor of the city and district of Dibal-Bur, and appointed his son, who is the present Sultan of India, as master of his horse. The latter was named Jawna and on becoming king took the name of Muhammad Shah."
ثمَّ لما قُتِلَ قطب الدين ووُلِّيَ خسرو خان أبقاه على إمارة الخيل،,"Subsequently, when Qutb al-DTn was killed and Khusru Khan succeeded, he maintained him as master of the horse."
فلمَّا أراد تغلق الخلاف كان له ثلاثمائة من أصحابه الذين يعتمد عليهم في القتال،,"When Tughluq resolved on revolt he had with him three hundred of his own troops upon whom he could rely in battle,"
وكتب إلى كشلو خان — وهو يومئذٍ بملتان وبينهما وبين دبال بور ثلاثة أيام — يَطْلُب منه القيام بنصرته، ويُذَكِّره نعمة قطب الدين، ويُحَرِّضه على طَلَبِ ثأره،,"and he wrote to Kishlu Khan, who was at that time in Multan, three days’ journey from Dibal-Bur, asking him to give him support, reminding him of the favour shown to him by Qutb al-DTn, and urging him to avenge his murder."
وكان ولد كشلو خان بدهلي فكتب إلى تغلق أنه لو كان ولدي عندي لأعنتك على ما تريد، فكتب تغلق إلى ولده محمد شاه يُعْلِمُه بما عزم عليه، ويأمره أن يفر إليه ويستصحب معه ولد كشلو خان،,"Kishlu Khan’s son was in DihlT, so he wrote to Tughluq saying ‘Were my son with me I should aid you in your design.’ Tughluq then wrote to his son Muhammad Shah to tell him of his resolve, and bidding him escape to join him and bring with him the son of Kishlu Khan."
دار ولده الحيلة على خسرو خان وتمت له كما أراد، فقال له: إنَّ الخيل قد سمنت وتبدنت وهي تحتاج البراق وهو التضمير،,"His son planned a ruse against Khusru Khan and it succeeded just as he had hoped. He said to him that the horses had grown too fat and heavy and needed yaraq, that is to say thinning exercise."
فأذن له في تضميرها، فكان يركب كل يوم في أصحابه فيسير بها الساعة والساعتين والثلاث،,"The Sultan permitted him to take them out on exercise, so he used to ride out every day with his men and keep them going for an hour or two hours or three."
واستمرَّ إلى أربع ساعات إلى أن غاب يومًا إلى وقت الزوال — وذلك وقعت طعامهم —,"He went on to four hours, and finally one day absented himself until the sun had passed the meridian, which is the time when they eat."
فأمر السلطان بالركوب في طلبه فلم يوجد له خبر ولحق بأبيه واستصحب معه ولد كشلو خان،,"The Sultan then gave orders to ride in pursuit of him, but no information about him was to be had, and he rejoined his father, having brought with him the son of Kishlu Khan."
وحينئذٍ أَظْهَرَ تغلق الخلاف وجمع العساكر وخرج معه كشلو خان في أصحابه،,"Thereupon Tughluq Khan declared open rebellion and assembled the troops, and Kishlu Khan joined him with his followers."
وبعث السلطان أخيه خان خانان لقتالهما، فهزماه شر هزيمة، وفرَّ عسكره إليهما، ورجع خان خانان إلى أخيه وقتل أصحابه، وأخذت خزائنه وأمواله،,"The Sultan sent his brother Khan-i-Khanan to engage them but they inflicted on him a crushing defeat; his army passed to their side and Khan-i-Khanan went back to his brother, his officers having been killed and his treasuries and his possessions captured."
وقصد تغلق حضرة دهلي وخرج إليه خسرو خان في عساكره ونزل بخارج دهلي بموضع يُعْرَف بأصيا أباد (آسيا باد)، ومعنى ذلك رحى الريح،,"Tughluq Khan now marched on the capital, DihlI, and Khusru Khan came out against him with his troops and encamped outside DihlI at a place called Asya Abad, which means ‘windmill’."
وأمر بالخزائن ففُتِحَتْ وأعطى الأموال بالبدر، لا بوزن ولا عَدٍّ،,He ordered the treasuries to be opened and distributed the money in bagfuls without weighing or counting.
ووَقَعَ اللقاء بينه وبين تغلق، وقاتلت الهنود أشد قتال وانهزمت عساكر تغلق ونهبت محلته، وانفرد في أصحابه الأقدمين الثلاثمائة فقال لهم: إلى أين الفرار حيثما أُدْرِكْنا قُتِلْنَا.,"When he and Tughluq confronted one another the Indians fought with the greatest valour and Tughluq’s horsemen were routed, his encampment was plundered and he himself was isolated with his three hundred oldest followers. He said to them ‘Where can we escape to? Wherever we are caught we shall be killed.’"
واشتغلت عساكر خسرو خان بالنهب وتفرقوا عنه، ولم يبقَ معه إلَّا قليل،,"Khusru Khan’s troopers had [in the meantime] become engaged in looting and had dispersed, so that none but a few remained with him."
فقصد تغلق وأصحابه موقفه والسلطان هنالك يُعْرَف بالشطر (جتر)، الذي يرفع فوق رأسه،,"Tughluq and his followers then made towards the place where he was, for the Sultan is recognized in that country by the parasol which is held over his head."
وهو الذي يسمى بديار مصر القبة والطير ويرفع بها في الأعياد، وأمَّا بالهند والصين فلا يفارق السلطان في سفر ولا حضر،,"This is what is called in Egypt ‘the dome and bird’ and is hoisted [over the Sultan] during the festivals [only], whereas in India and China it is never removed from the Sultan whether he is travelling or in residence."
فلمَّا قصده تغلق وأصحابه حمى القتال بينهم وبين الهنود، وانهزم أصحاب السلطان ولم يَبْقَ معه أحد,"When Tughluq and his followers made for the Sultan there was a fierce fight between them and the Indians, ending in the rout of the Sultan’s troops, and not a man remained by him."
وهرب فنزل عن فرسه، ورمى بثيابه وسلاحه وبقي في قميص واحد، وأرسل شعره بين كتفيه كما يفعل فقراء الهند ودخل بستانًا هنالك،,"He took to flight, then dismounted, put off his outer garments and arms, keeping only a single shirt on, and let his hair loose upon his shoulders in the manner of the Indian faqIrs, and went into a grove of trees in that neighbourhood."
واجتمع الناس على تغلق وقصد المدينة، فأتاه الكتوال بالمفاتيح ودخل القصر ونزل بناحية منه، وقال لكشلو خان: أنت تكون السلطان، فقال كشلو خان: بل أنت تكون السلطان، وتَنَازَعَا، فقال له كشلو خان: فإن أَبَيْتَ أن تكون سلطانًا فيتولى ولدك، فكَرِهَ هذا وقَبِلَ حينئذ، وقعد على سرير الملك وبايَعَه الخاصُّ والعامُّ،,"The troops assembled around Tughluq and he marched on the city. The kutwal brought him the keys; he entered the palace and after occupying a wing of it said to Kishlu Khan ‘You shall be Sultan.’ Kishlu Khan replied ‘No, but you shall be Sultan,’ and after some argument said to him ‘Well, if you refuse to become Sultan then your son can take over.’ Faced with this unwelcome proposal, he then accepted the Sultanate, took his seat upon the throne, and received the allegiance of the officers of state and the commonalty."
ولما كان بعد ثلاث اشتدَّ الجوع بخسرو خان وهو مُخْتَفٍ بالبستان، فخرج وطاف به فوجد القيم فسأله طعامًا،,"Three days later Khusru Khan, who was still hiding in the grove, came out under pressure of hunger, made a circuit of it, and finding the keeper asked him for some food."
فلم يكن عنده فأعطاه خاتمه وقال اذهب فارْهَنْه في طعام، فلما ذَهَبَ بالخاتم إلى السوق أَنْكَرَ الناس أَمْرَه ورفعوه إلى الشحنة — وهو الحاكم —,"Since the keeper had no food with him Khusru Khan gave him his ring, saying ‘Go, pledge it for food.’ When the man took the ring to the bazaar the merchants became suspicious of him and took him before the shihna, who was the chief of police."
فأدخله على السلطان تغلق فأعلمه بمن دفع إليه الخاتم، فبعث ولده محمدًا ليأتي به فقبض عليه وأتاه به راكبًا على تتو (بتاءين مثناتين أولاهما مفتوحة والثانية مضمومة) وهو البرذون،,"The latter brought him before the Sultan Tughluq, whom he informed about the person who had given him the ring. The Sultan sent his son Muhammad to fetch him, and he seized him and brought him mounted on a tatu, that is a common horse."
فلما مَثُلَ بين يديه قال له: إني جائع فآتني بالطعام، فأمر له بالشربة، ثمَّ بالطعام، ثمَّ بالقفاع، ثمَّ بالتنبول،,"Khusru Khan on appearing before him said to him ‘I am hungry, give me something to eat.’ The Sultan ordered him to be served with sherbet, then with food, then with fuqqd’, and finally with betel."
فلما أكل قام قائمًا وقال: يا تغلق افعل معي فعل الملوك ولا تفضحني،,"When he finished eating he rose to his feet and said ‘O Tughluq, act towards me according to the code of kings, and do not dishonour me.’"
فقال له: لك ذلك، وأَمَرَ به فضُرِبَتْ رقبته، وذلك في الموضع الذي قَتَلَ هو به قطب الدين ورمى برأسه وجسده من أعلى السطح، كما فَعَلَ هو برأس قطب الدين،,"Tughluq, granting him his request, gave his orders and he was beheaded in the very place in which he himself had killed Qutb al-DIn, and his head and body were thrown down from the roof as he had done with the head of Qutb al-DIn."
وبعد ذلك أَمَرَ بغسله وتكفينه ودُفِنَ في مقبرته،,"Thereafter he gave orders to wash him and wrap him in grave-clothes, and he was buried in the tomb prepared for him."
واستقام الملك لتغلق أربعة أعوام وكان عادلًا فاضلًا.,"Tughluq enjoyed undisturbed rule for four years, and he was just and upright [in his government]."
ذكر ما رامه ولده من القيام عليه فلم يَتِمَّ له ذلك,"Account of his son’s attempt to rebel against him, which did not succeed."
ولما استقرَّ تغلق بدار الملك بعث ولده ليفتح بلاد التلنك (وضبطها بكسر التاء المعلوة واللام، وسكون النون وكاف معقودة)، وهي على مسيرة ثلاثة أشهر من مدينة دهلي،,"When Tughluq was firmly established in the capital, he sent his son Muhammad to conquer the land of Tiling, which is at a distance of three months’ journey from the city of DihlI."
وبعث معه عسكرًا عظيمًا فيه كبار الأمراء مثل الملك تمور (بفتح التاء المعلوة وضم الميم وآخره راء)، ومثل الملك تكين (بكسر التاء المعلوة والكاف وآخره نون)، ومثل ملك كافور المهردار (بضم الميم)، ومثل ملك بيرم (بالباء الموحدة مفتوحة والياء آخر الحروف والراء مفتوحة) وسواهم، فلما بلغ إلى أرض التلنك أراد المخالفة،,"With him he sent a great army including the principal amirs, such as al-malik Tamur, al-malik TikIn, malik Kafur the muhrdar [i.e. seal-keeper], malik Bairam and others. When he reached the land of Tiling he thought of revolting."
وكان له نديم من الفقهاء الشعراء يُعْرَف بعيد، فأمره أن يلقي إلى الناس أن السلطان تغلق تُوُفِّيَ، وظَنُّه أن الناس يبايعونه مسرعين إذا سمعوا ذلك،,"He had a boon companion, a certain jurist and poet, by the name of ‘Obaid, and he ordered this man to give out to the troops that the Sultan Tughluq had died, imagining that they would at once take the oath of allegiance to him when they heard of this."
فلما أُلْقِي ذلك إلى الناس أنكره الأمراء، وضرب كل واحد منهم طبله وخَالَفَ فلم يَبْقَ معه من أحد،,"But when this report was announced to the troops the amirs turned against him; each one of them beat his own drum and revolted, so that he was left without any troops at all."
وأرادوا قَتْلَه فمنعهم منه ملك تمور وقام دونه، ففرَّ إلى أبيه في عشرة من الفرسان سماهم ياران موافق معناه الأصحاب الموافقون،,"They proposed to kill him, but malik Tamur held them back and protected him from them and he was able to escape to his father with ten horsemen whom he called Yaran muwafiq, meaning ‘the constant friends’."
فأعطاه أبوه الأموال والعساكر وأَمَرَهُ بالعود إلى تلنك، فعاد إليها وعَلِمَ أبوه بما كان أراد فقتل الفقيه عبيدًا,His father gave him money and troops and on his orders he returned to Tiling; but his father learned what his design had been and put the jurist ‘Obaid to death.
وأمر بملك كافور المهردار، فضُرِبَ له عمود في الأرض محدود الطرف ورُكِزَ في عنقه حتى خَرَجَ من جنبه طرفه ورأسه إلى أسفل وتُرِكَ على تلك الحال،,"He gave orders also for the execution of malik Kafur the muhrdar; a stake with a sharpened end was fixed in the ground for him and was driven into his neck till its point came out of his side as he was impaled on it head downwards, and he was left in this state."
وفرَّ مَنْ بقي من الأمراء إلى السلطان شمس الدين ابن السلطان ناصر الدين ابن السلطان غياث الدين بلبن واستقروا عنده.,"The rest of the amirs fled to the Sultan Shams al-DIn, son of the Sultan Nasir al-DIn, son of the Sultan Ghiyath alDIn Balaban, and settled at his court."
ذكر مسير تغلق إلى بلاد اللكنوتي وما اتصل بذلك إلى وفاتهوأقام الأمراء الهاربون عند السلطان شمس الدين،,"Tughluq’s expedition to the land of LaknawtT, and the events that followed down to the time of his death. The fugitive amIrs remained in the service of the Sultan Shams al-DIn."
ثم إنَّ شمس الدين توفي وعهد لولده شهاب الدين فجلس مجلس أبيه، ثم غلب عليه أخوه الأصغر غياث الدين بهادور بورة ومعناه بالهندية الأسود، واستولى على الملك وقَتَلَ أخاه قطلو خان وسائر إخوته،,"Some time later Shams al-DIn died, after appointing as his successor his son Shihab al-DIn, who sat in his father’s seat; but he was overpowered by his youngest brother Ghiyath al-DIn Bahadur Bura (which means in the Indian language ‘the black’), who seized the kingdom and killed his brother Qutlu Khan and his other brothers."
وفرَّ شهاب الدين وناصر الدين منهم إلى تغلق فتَجَهَّزَ معهما بنفسه لقتال أخيهما، وخلف ولده محمدًا نائبًا عنه في ملكه،,"From among them, however, Shihab alDIn and Nasir al-DIn fled to Tughluq, who set out with them in person on an expedition against their brother, leaving his son Muhammad as deputy for him in his kingdom."
وجَدَّ السير إلى بلاد اللكنوتي فتغلب عليها وأسر سلطانها غياث الدين بهادور، وقَدِمَ به أسيرًا إلى حضرته،,"He made a rapid march to the land of LaknawtI, conquered it, captured its Sultan Ghiyath al-DIn Bahadur and brought him back to his capital as a prisoner."
وكان بمدينة دهلي الولي نظام الدين البذاوني ولا يزال محمد شاه ابن السلطان يتردد إليه ويعظم خدامه ويسأله الدعاء،,"There was in the city of DihlI the saint Nizam al-DIn al-BadhawuriI, whom Muhammad Shah, the Sultan’s son, used continually to visit, showing great respect to his disciples and always asking for his prayers."
وكان يأخذ الشيخ حال تغلب عليه فقال ابن السلطان لخُدَّامه: إذا كان الشيخ في حاله التي تغلب عليه فأَعْلِمُوني بذلك، فلمَّا أَخَذَتْه الحال أَعْلَمُوه فدخل عليه،,"Now the shaikh was seized [from time to time] by mystical trances which took control of him and the Sultan’s son said to his disciples ‘When the shaikh is in this state of ecstasy which takes possession of him, let me know.’ They informed him, accordingly, when the shaikh was seized by an ecstasy, and he came into his presence."
فلمَّا رآه الشيخ قال: وهبنا لك الملك، ثمَّ توفي الشيخ في أيام غيبة السلطان فحَمَلَ ابنه محمد نعشه على كاهله،,"When the shaikh saw him he said ‘We give him the kingdom,’ and afterwards died during the Sultan’s absence, and his son Muhammad carried his bier upon his shoulder."
فبلغ ذلك أباه فأنكره وتوعده، وكان قد رابته منه أمور ونقم عليه استكثاره من شراء المماليك، وإجزاله العطايا، واستجلابه قلوب الناس,"All this was told to his father, who showed his disapproval and addressed threatening messages to him, [the more so that] several actions of his had already roused the Sultan’s suspicions and he strongly resented his son’s excessive purchases of mamluk troops, his extravagance in his gifts, and his efforts to captivate the hearts of the people."
فزاد حنقه عليه، وبلغه أن المنجمين زعموا أنه لا يدخل مدينة دهلي بعد سفره ذلك فيتوعدهم،,"So he became more and more enraged against him, and when he heard that the astrologers had declared that he would never again enter the city of DihlI after that expedition he used threatening language towards them."
ولما عاد من سفره وقرب من الحضرة أمر ولده أن يبني له قصرًا — وهم يسمونه الكشك (بضم الكاف وشين معجم مسكن) — على وادٍ هنالك يُسَمَّى أفغان بور,"When he approached the capital on returning from this expedition he ordered his son to build him a palace, which they call a kushk, by a river-bed in those parts which is called Afghan-bur."
فبناه في ثلاثة أيام، وجعل أكثر بنائه بالخشب مرتفعًا على الأرض قائمًا على سواري خشب،,"Muhammad Shah built it in three days, constructing it mostly of wood, raised upon wooden pillars to some height above the ground."
وأَحْكَمَهُ بهندسة تَوَلَّى النظر فيها الملك زاده المعروف بعد ذلك بخواجة جهان، واسمه أحمد بن إياس كبير وزراء السلطان محمد، وكان إذ ذاك شحنة العمارة،,"He had it skilfully built on a plan which was supervised by al-Malik Zada, known later by the title of Khwaja Jahan, his name being Ahmad ibn Aiyas, the chief of the wazIrs of Sultan Muhammad, who was at that time the controller of buildings."
وكانت الحكمة التي اخترعوها فيه أنه متى وطئت الفيلة جهة منه وَقَعَ ذلك القصر وسقط.,"The scheme which they excogitated for this kiosk was that whenever the elephants should tread on one particular side of it, the whole building would fall in ruins."
ونزل السلطان بالقصر وأطعم الناس وتفرقوا، واستأذنه ولده في أن يعرض الفيلة بين يديه وهي مزينة، فأذن له،,"The Sultan alighted at the kiosk and after he had given a meal to his troops and they had dispersed, his son asked his permission to parade the elephants before him in their ceremonial trappings, and he granted it."
وحدثني الشيخ ركن الدين أنه كان يومئذٍ مع السلطان ومعهما ولد السلطان المؤثر لديه محمود،,"The Shaikh Rukn al-DIn told me that on that day he was with the Sultan, and the Sultan’s favourite son Mahmud was in their company."
فجاء محمد ابن السلطان فقال للشيخ: يا خوند هذا وقت العصر انزل فَصَلِّ، قال لي الشيخ: فنزلت، وأُتِيَ بالأفيال من جهة واحدة حسبما دبروه،,"Muhammad, the Sultan’s son, came and said to the Shaikh ‘ Ya khund [“master”], it is the hour of the ‘asr prayer; go down and pray.’ The shaikh continued the story to me as follows: ‘So I went down, and the elephants were led up from one direction, as they had planned."
فلما وطئتها سقط الكشك على السلطان وولده محمود، قال الشيخ: فسمعت الضجة، فعُدْتُ ولم أُصَلِّ فوجدت الكشك قد سَقَطَ،,When they walked on that side the pavilion fell in upon the Sultan and his son Mahmud. On hearing the noise (continued the Shaikh) I went back without finishing the prayer and found the pavilion in ruins.
فأمر ابنه أن يؤتي بالفوس والمساحي للحفر عنه، وأشار بالإبطاء فلم يُؤْتَ بهما إلَّا وقد غربت الشمس،,"His son gave orders to fetch axes and mattocks in order to dig for him, but he made a sign to delay and in consequence they were not brought until after sunset."
فحفروا ووجدوا السلطان قد حنا ظَهْرَه على ولده ليقيه الموت، فزعم بعضهم أنه أُخْرِجَ ميتًا، وزعم بعضهم أنه أُخْرِجَ حيًّا فأُجْهِزَ عليه،,"They then cleared away the ruins and found the Sultan with his back bent over his son to protect him from death; some said that he was brought out dead, but others assert that he was brought out alive and despatched."
"We have already related the reason for his building of this town, which contained the treasuries and palaces of Tughluq.","He was carried by night to the mausoleum which he had built for himself outside the town called Tughluq Abad after him, and he was buried there.’"
وبها القصر الأعظم الذي جعل قراميده مذهبة، فإذا طلعت الشمس كان لها نور عظيم وبصيص يمنع البصر من إدامة النظر إليها،,"In it was the great palace whose tiles he had gilded, so that when the sun rose they shone with a brilliant light and a blinding glow, that made it impossible to keep one’s eyes fixed on it."
واختزن بها الأموال الكثيرة، ويُذْكَر أنه بنى صهريجًا وأفرغ فيه الذهب إفراغًا، فكان قطعة واحدة فصرف جميع ذلك ولده محمد شاه لما ولي،,He deposited in this town vast stores of wealth and it is told that he constructed a tank and poured into it molten gold so that it became a single block. All these treasures were spent by his son Muhammad Shah when he became Sultan.
وبسبب ما ذكرناه من هندسة الوزير خواجة جهان في بناء الكشك الذي سقط على تغلق، كانت حظوته عند ولده محمد شاه وإيثاره لديه،,"It was to the mechanical skill, which we have described, of the wazIr Khwaja Jahan in constructing the pavilion which fell down upon Tughluq that he owed his privileged position with his son Muhammad Shah and the special favour shown to him by the latter,"
فلم يكن أحد يدانيه في المنزلة لديه ولا يَبْلُغ مَرْتَبَتَه عنده من الوزراء ولا غيرهم.,"for there was no one, whether of the wazirs or of any others, who came near to enjoying the same position with the Sultan nor stood to him on the same level."
ذِكْر السلطان أبي المجاهد محمد شاه ابن السلطان غياث الدين تغلق شاه ملك الهند والسند الذي قَدِمْنَا عليه,"The Sultan Abu’l-Mujahicd Muhammad Shah, son of the Sultan Ghiyath al-DTn Tughluq Shah, King of al-Hind and al-Sind, at whose court we presented ourselves."
ولما مات السلطان تغلق استولى ابنه محمد على المُلْك من غير منازِعٍ له ولا مخالِفٍ عليه، وقد قَدَّمْنَا أنه كان اسمه جونة، فلمَّا ملك تسمَّى بمحمد واكتنى بأبي المجاهد،,"When the Sultan Tughluq died his son Muhammad took possession of the kingdom without competition or opposition. We have said already that his name was Jawna, but when he became king he called himself Muhammad and took the kunya-name of Abu-l-Mujahid."
وكل ما ذَكَرْتُ من شأن سلاطين الهند فهو مما أُخْبِرْتُ به، وتلقيته أو معظمه من الشيخ كمال الدين بن البرهان الغزنوي قاضي القضاة، وأمَّا أخبار هذا الملك فمعظمها مما شاهدته أيام كوني ببلاده.,"All that I have related concerning the Sultans of India, or most of it, is derived from what I was told and picked up from the shaikh Kamal al-DTn Ibn al-Burhan of Ghazna, the Grand QadT. On the other hand, my statements about this king are based for the most part on what I myself witnessed in the days when I was in his land."
ذكر وصفه,Description of him.
وهذا الملك أحب الناس في إسداء العطايا وإراقة الدماء، فلا يخلو بابه عن فقير يُغَنِّي أو حي يُقْتَل، وقد شُهِرَتْ في الناس حكاياته في الكرم والشجاعة، وحكاياته في الفتك والبطش بذوي الجنايات،,"This king is of all men the most addicted to the making of gifts and the shedding of blood. His gate is never without some poor man enriched or some living man executed, and there are current amongst the people [many] stories of his generosity and courage and of his cruelty and violence towards criminals."
وهو أشد الناس مع ذلك تواضعًا وأكثرهم إظهارًا للعدل والحق، وشعائر الدين عنده محفوظة، وله اشتداد في أمر الصلاة والعقوبة على تركها،,"For all that, he is of all men the most humble and the readiest to show equity and to acknowledge the right. The ceremonies of religion are strictly complied with at his court, and he is severe in the matter of attendance at prayer and in punishing those who neglect it."
وهو من الملوك الذين اطَّرَدَتْ سعادتهم وخرق المعتاد بمن نقيبتهم، ولكن الأغلب عليه الكرم،,"He is one of those kings whose felicity is unimpaired and whose success in his affairs surpasses all ordinary experience, but his dominant quality is generosity."
وسنذكر من أخباره في عجائب لم يُسْمَع بمثلها عمن تقدمه، وأنا أشهد بالله وملائكته ورسله أن جميع ما أنقله عنه من الكرم الخارق للعادة حق يقين وكفى بالله شهيدًا،,"We shall mention some examples of this that are marvellous beyond anything heard tell of anyone before him, and I call God and His Angels and His Prophets to witness that all that I shall relate of his extraordinary generosity is absolute truth, and God is a sufficient witness."
وأعلم أن بعض مآثره من ذلك لا يُسَعُ في عقل كثير من الناس، ويعدونه من قبيل المستحيل عادة، ولكنه شيء عايَنْتُه وعَرَفْتُ صحته، وأخذت بحظٍّ وافر منه لا يسعني إلَّا قول الحق فيه،,"I know that some of the stories I shall tell on this subject will be unacceptable to the minds of many persons, and that they will regard them as quite impossible in the normal order of things; but in a matter which I have seen with my own eyes and of which I know the accuracy and have myself had a large share, I cannot do otherwise than speak the truth."
وأكثر ذلك ثابت بالتواتر في بلاد المشرق.,"In addition, most of these facts are established by numerous independent authorities in the lands of the East."
ذكر أبوابه ومشوره وترتيب ذلك,Description of his Gates and Audience Hall and of the ceremonial observed therein.
ودار السلطان بدهلي تسمى دار سرى (بفتح السين المهمل والراء)، ولها أبواب كثيرة، فأمَّا الباب الأول فعليه جملة من الرجال موكلون به، ويقعد به أهل الأنفار والأبواق والصرنايات،,"The Sultan’s palace at DihlT is called Dar Sara and contains many gates. At the first gate there are posted a number of men in charge of it, and beside it sit buglers, trumpeters and pipe-players."
فإذا جاء أمير أو كبير ضربوها ويقولون في ضَرْبِهم جاء فلان جاء فلان، وكذلك أيضًا في البابين الثاني والثالث،,"When any amTr or person of note arrives, they sound their instruments and say during this fanfare ‘So-and-so has come, so-and-so has come.’ The same takes place also at the second and third gates."
وبخارج الباب الأول دكاكين يقعد عليها الجلادون — وهم الذين يقتلون الناس — فإن العادة عندهم أنه متى أَمَرَ السلطان بقتل أَحَدٍ قُتِلَ على باب المشور ويبقى هنالك ثلاثًا،,"Outside the first gate are platforms on which sit the jallddun, who are the executioners, for the custom among them is that when the Sultan orders a man to be executed, the sentence is carried out at the gate of the public audience hall, and the body lies there three nights."
وبين البابين الأول والثاني دهليز كبير فيه دكاكين مبنيَّة من جهتيه، يَقْعُد عليها أهل النوبة من حفاظ الأبواب، وأمَّا الباب الثاني فيقعد عليه البوابون الموكلون به،,"Between the first and second gates there is a large vestibule with platforms built along both sides, on which sit those troops whose turn of duty it is to guard the gates. At the second gate also there are seated the porters who are in charge of it."
وبينه وبين الباب الثالث دكانة كبيرة يقعد عليها نقيب النقباء وبين يديه عمود ذهب يمسكه بيده، وعلى رأسه كلأة من الذهب مجوهرة في أعلاها ريش الطواويس،,"Between the second and third gates there is a large platform on which the principal naqib sits; in front of him there is a gold mace, which he holds in his hand, and on his head he wears a tall jewelled cap of gold, surmounted by peacock feathers."
والنقباء بين يديه على رأس كل واحد منهم شاشية مُذَهَّبة، وفي وسطه منطقة، وبيده سوط نصابه من ذهب أو فضة، ويفضي هذا الباب الثاني إلى مشور كبير مُتَّسِع يقعد به الناس،,"The other naqibs stand before him, each wearing a low gilded cap on his head and a girdle round his waist and holding in his hand a whip with a gold or silver handle. This second gate i leads to a large and commodious audience hall in which the people sit."
وأمَّا الباب الثالث فعليه دكاكين يقعد فيها كتاب الباب.,At the third gate there are platforms occupied by the scribes of the door.
ومن عوائدهم ألَّا يدخل على هذا الباب أحد إلَّا مَنْ عَيَّنَهُ السلطان لذلك، ويُعَيِّن لكل إنسان عددًا من أصحابه وناسه يدخلون معه،,"One of their customs is that none may pass through this gate except those whom the Sultan has expressly designated to enter, and for each person he prescribes a number of his companions and men who may enter along with him."
وكل من يأتي إلى هذا الباب يكتب الكتاب، أن فلانًا جاء في الساعة الأولى أو الثانية، أو ما بعدهما من الساعات إلى آخر النهار، ويطالع السلطان بذلك بعد العشاء الآخرة،,"Whenever any person comes to this gate the scribes write down ‘So-and-so came at the first hour’ or the second or later hours, until the close of the day, and the Sultan studies this report after the last evening prayer."
ويكتبون أيضًا بكل ما يحدث بالباب من الأمور، وقد عين من أبناء الملوك من يوصل كل ما يكتبونه إلى السلطان،,"They also take note of everything of any kind that happens at the gate, and certain of the sons of the maliks are appointed to transmit what they write to the Sultan."
ومن عوائدهم أيضًا أنه من غاب عن دار السلطان ثلاثة أيام فصاعدًا لعذر أو لغير عذر، فلا يدخل هذا الباب بعدها إلَّا بإذن من السلطان،,"Another of their customs is that anyone who absents himself from the Sultan’s palace for three days or more, with or without excuse, may not enter this door thereafter except by the Sultan’s permission."
فإن كان له عذر من مرض أو غيره، قدم بين يديه هدية مما يناسب إهداءها إلى السلطان،,If he has an excuse of illness or otherwise he presents before him a gift such as is suitable [for one of his rank or office] to offer to the Sultan.
وكذلك أيضًا القادمون من الأسفار فالفقيه يهدي المصحف والكتاب، وشبه الفقير يهدي المصلى والسبحة والمسواك ونحوها، والأمراء ومن أشبههم يهدون الخيل والجمال والسلاح،,"So also do those who present themselves at the court on return from their journeys; the doctor of the law presents a copy of the Qur’an or a book or the like, the faqlr presents a prayer-carpet, rosary, toothpick, etc., and the amirs and such present horses, camels and weapons."
وهذا الباب الثالث يفضي إلى المشور الهائل الفسيح الساحة، المسمى هزار أسطون (بفتح الهاء والزاي وألف وراء)، ومعنى ذلك ألف سارية,"This third door opens into the immense and vast hall called Hazar Ustun, which means [in Persian] “A thousand pillars’."
وهو سواري من خشب، مدهونة عليها سقف خشب، منقوشة أبدع نقش يجلس الناس تحتها، وبهذا المشور يجلس السلطان الجلوس العام.,"The pillars are of painted wood and support a wooden roof, most exquisitely carved. The people sit under this, and it is in this hall that the Sultan sits for public audience."
ذكر ترتيب جلوسه للناس,The order of his public audience.
وأكثر جلوسه بعد العصر وربما جلس أول النهار،,"As a rule his audiences are held after the afternoon prayer, although he often holds them early in the day."
وجلوسه على مصطبة مفروشة بالبياض فوقها مرتبة، ويجعل خلف ظهره مخدة كبيرة، وعن يمينه متكأ، وعن يساره مثل ذلك،,"He sits on a raised seat standing on a dais carpeted in white, with a large cushion behind him and two others as armrests on his right and left."
وقعوده كجلوس الإنسان للتشهد في الصلاة، وهو جلوس أهل الهند كلهم،,[His left foot is tucked under him] in the same way that one sits when reciting the creed during prayers; this is the way in which all the people of India sit.
فإذا جلس وقف أمامه الوزير، ووقف الكتاب خلف الوزير، وخلفهم الحجاب،,"When he takes his seat, the vizier stands in front of him, the secretaries behind the vizier, then the chamberlains behind them."
وكبير الحجاب هو فيروز ملك ابن عم السلطان ونائبه، وهو أدنى الحجاب من السلطان،,"The chief of the chamberlains is FIruz Malik, the son of the Sultan’s uncle and his deputy, and he is that one of the chamberlains who stands closest to the Sultan."
ثمَّ يتلوه خاص حاجب، ثمَّ يتلوه نائب خاص حاجب، ووكيل الدار ونائبه، وشرف الحجاب، وسيد الحجاب وجماعة تحت أيديهم، ثمَّ يتلوا الحجاب النقباء وهم نحو مائة،,"Next to him comes the private chamberlain, then the deputy private chamberlain, then the steward of the palace and his deputy, then [an officer called] The honour of the chamberlains’, [another officer called] ‘the master of the chamberlains’, and a group [of officials] under their orders; and next, following the chamberlains, the naqIbs, of whom there are about a hundred."
وعند جلوس السلطان ينادي الحجاب والنقباء بأعلى أصواتهم بسم الله ثمَّ يقف على رأس السلطان الملك الكبير قبوله، وبيده المذبة يشرد بها الذباب،,"As the Sultan sits down the chamberlains and naqIbs say in their loudest voice Bismillah. Then the ‘great king’ Qabula takes his place behind the Sultan, standing with a fly-whisk in his hand to drive off the flies."
ويقف مائة من السلحدارية عن يمين السلطان، ومثلهم عن يساره بأيديهم الدرق والسيوف والقِسِيُّ، ويقف في الميمنة والميسرة بطول المشور قاضي القضاة ويليه خطيب الخطباء، ثمَّ سائر القضاة، ثمَّ كبار الفقهاء، ثمَّ كبار الشرفاء المشايخ، ثمَّ أخوة السلطان وأصهاره، ثمَّ الأمراء الكبار، ثمَّ كبار الأعزة وهم الغرباء، ثمَّ القواد،,"A hundred armourbearers stand on the right of the Sultan and a like number on the left, carrying shields, swords, and bows. To right and left all the way down the hall stand the Grand QadI, next to him the chief preacher, then the rest of the qadls, then the chief jurists, then the chiefs of the Sharifs [descendants of the Prophet], then the shaikhs, then the Sultan’s brothers and relations by marriage, then the principal amirs, then the chiefs of those called ‘aziz (that is to say the foreigners), then the qa’ids."
ثمَّ يؤتى بستين فرسًا مسرجة ملجمة بجهازات سلطانية، فمنها ما هو بشعار الخلافة — وهي التي لجمها ودوائرها من الحرير الأسود المذهب — ومنها ما يكون ذلك من الحرير الأبيض المذهب، ولا يركب بذلك غير السلطان,"Then they bring in sixty horses saddled and bridled with the royal harness, some of them with the trappings of the Caliphate, namely those with bridles and girths of black silk gilded, and some with the same in white silk gilded, which are reserved for the Sultan’s exclusive use."
فيوقف النصف من هذه الخيل عن اليمين والنصف عن الشمال بحيث يراها السلطان.,"Half of these horses are ranged on the right and half on the left, where the Sultan can see them."
ثمَّ يؤتى بخمسين فيلًا مزينة بثياب الحرير والذهب، مكسوة أنيابها بالحديد؛ إعدادًا لقتل أهل الجرائم،,"Next fifty elephants are brought in; these are adorned with silken and gold cloths, and have their tusks shod with iron for service in killing criminals."
وعلى عنق كل فيل فياله وبيده شبه الطبرزين من الحديد يؤدبه به، ويقومه لما يراد منه،,"On the neck of each elephant is its mahout, who carries a sort of iron battle-axe with which he punishes it and directs it to do what is required of it."
وعلى ظهر كل فيل شبه الصندوق العظيم يسع عشرين من المقاتلة، وأكثر من ذلك ودونه على حسب ضخامة الفيل وعظم جرمه،,"Each elephant has on its back a sort of large box capable of holding twenty warriors or more or less, according to its bulk and the size of its body."
ويكون في أركان ذلك الصندوق أربعة أعلام مركوزة، وتلك الفيلة معلمة أن تخدم السلطان وتحط رءوسها، فإذا خدمت قال الحجاب بسم الله بأصوات عالية،,"At the corners of [each] such box there are fixed four banners. These elephants are trained to make obeisance to the Sultan and to incline their heads, and when they do so the chamberlains cry in a loud voice Bismillah."
ويوقف أيضًا نصفها عن اليمين ونصفها عن الشمال خلف الرجال الواقفين، وكل من يأتي من الناس المعينين للوقوف في الميمنة أو الميسرة، يخدم عند موقف الحجاب ويقول الحجاب بسم الله،,"They also are arranged half on the right and half on the left, behind the persons [already] standing there. As each person enters who has an appointed place of standing on the right or left, he makes obeisance on reaching the station of the chamberlains, and the chamberlains say Bismillah,"
ويكون ارتفاع أصواتهم بقدر ارتفاع صوت الذي يخدم، فإذا خدم انصرف إلى موقفه من الميمنة أو الميسرة لا يتعداه أبدًا،,"regulating the loudness of their utterance by the height of reputation of the person who is making his obeisance, and who then retires to his appointed place on the right or left, beyond which he never passes."
ومن كان من كفار الهنود يخدم ويقول له الحجاب والنقباء هداك الله،,"If it is one of the infidel Hindus who makes obeisance, the chamberlains and the naqibs say to him ‘God guide thee’."
ويقف عبيد السلطان من وراء الناس كلهم بأيديهم الترسة والسيوف، فلا يمكن أحد الدخول بينهم إلَّا بين يدي الحجاب القائمين بين يدي السلطان.,"The Sultan’s slaves stand behind all those in attendance, having in their hands shields and swords, and no one can come in [to the hall] between their ranks, but only by passing before the chamberlains who stand in front of the Sultan."
ذكر دخول الغرباء وأصحاب الهدايا إليه,Description of the entry of strangers and of those presenting gifts to him.
وإن كان بالباب أحد ممن قدم على السلطان بهدية، دخل الحجاب إلى السلطان على ترتيبهم يقدمهم أمير حاجب ونائبه خلفه، ثمَّ خاص حاجب ونائبه خلفه، ثمَّ وكيل الدار ونائبه خلفه، ثمَّ سيد الحجاب وشرف الحجاب,"If there should be at the door anyone who has come to offer the Sultan a gift, the chamberlains enter the Sultan’s presence in order of precedence. The amir-hajib comes first followed by his deputy, then the private chamberlain followed by his deputy, then the steward of the palace followed by his deputy, the ‘master’ of the chamberlains and the ‘honour’ of the chamberlains."
ويخدمون في ثلاثة مواضع، ويعلمون السلطان بمن في الباب، فإذا أمرهم أن يأتوا به جعلوا الهدية التي ساقها بأيدي الرجال يقومون بها أمام الناس؛ بحيث يراها السلطان,"They make obeisance in three places, and inform the Sultan of the person at the door. If he commands them to bring him in, they place the gift which he has brought in the hands of men who stand with it in front of those present where the Sultan can see it."
ويستدعي صاحبها، فيخدم قبل الوصول إلى السلطان ثلاث مرات، ثمَّ يخدم عند موقف الحجاب,"He then calls in the donor, who makes obeisance three times before reaching the Sultan and makes another obeisance at the station of the chamberlains."
فإن كان رجلًا كبيرًا وقف في صف أمير حاجب وإلَّا وقف خلفه ويخاطبه السلطان بنفسه ألطف خطاب ويرحب به، وإن كان ممن يستحق التعظيم فإنه يصافحه أو يعانقه، ويطلب بعض هديته,"If he is a man of rank he stands on a line with the amir-hajib, if not, he stands behind him. The Sultan then addresses him in person with the greatest courtesy and bids him welcome. If he is a person who is worthy of honour, the Sultan takes him by the hand or embraces him, and asks for some part of his present."
فتحضر بين يديه، فإن كانت من السلاح أو الثياب قلبها بيده وأظهر استحسانها؛ جبرًا لخاطر مهديها، وإيناسًا له، ورفقًا به،,"It is then placed before him, and if it consists in weapons or fabrics he turns it this way and that with his hand and expresses his approval of it, to set the donor at ease and encourage him by his gracious reception."
وخلع عليه وأمر له بمال لغسل رأسه على عادتهم في ذلك بمقدار ما يستحقه المهدى.,"He gives him a robe of honour and assigns him a sum of money to wash his head, according to their custom in this case, proportioned to the donor’s merits."
ذكر دخول هدايا عماله إليه,How the gifts of his provincial officers are made to him.
وإذا أتى العمال بالهدايا والأموال المجتمعة من مجابي البلاد، صنعوا الأواني من الذهب والفضة مثل الطسوت والأباريق وسواها،,"When the provincial officers come [to the court] with gifts and sums of revenue collected from taxes in the provinces, they have vessels made of gold and silver, such as basins, ewers and so forth."
وصنعوا من الذهب والفضة قطعًا شبه الآجر يسمونها الخشت (بكسر الخاء المعجمة، وسكون الشين المعجم وتاء معلوة)، ويقف العراشوان — وهم عبيد السلطان — صفًّا والهدية بأيديهم، كل واحد منهم ممسك قطعة،,"They also have ingots of gold and silver made like bricks, which they call khisht. The farrashun, who are the Sultan’s slaves, take up their stand in a row, with the gift in their hands, each one of them holding one piece."
ثمَّ يقدم الفيلة إن كان في الهدية شيء منها، ثمَّ الخيل المسرجة الملجمة، ثمَّ البغال، ثمَّ الجمال عليها الأموال،,"Then the elephants are brought forward, if there should be any of them included in the gift, next the horses saddled and bridled, then the mules, then the camels carrying the money."
ولقد رأيت الوزير خواجة جهان قدم هديته ذات يوم حين قدم السلطان من دولة آباد ولقيه بها في ظاهر مدينة بيانة، فأدخلت الهدية إليه على هذا الترتيب،,"I once saw the vizier Khwaja Jahan present his gift when the Sultan arrived from Dawlat Abad. He met him with his gift outside the city of Bayana, and the gift was brought in and presented to him with this ceremonial."
ورأيت في جملتها صينية مملوءة بأحجار الياقوت، وصينية مملوءة بأحجار الزمرد، وصينية مملوءة باللؤلؤ الفاخر، وكان حاجي كاون ابن عم السلطان أبي سعيد ملك العراق حاضرًا عنده حين ذلك، فأعطاه حظًّا منها وسنذكر ذلك فيما بعد إن شاء الله تعالى.,"Amongst the items comprised in it I saw a tray full of ruby stones, another tray full of emerald stones, and a third tray full of magnificent pearls. HajjI Kawun, the paternal cousin of the Sultan Abu Sa’Id, king of Iraq, was present with him on this occasion, and the Sultan gave him a part of this gift. We shall relate this later on, if God will."
ذكر خروجه للعيدين وما يتصل بذلك,How he goes out for the two festivals and matters relevant thereto.
وإذا كانت ليلة العيد بعث السلطان إلى الملوك والخواص وأربابِ الدولة والأعزةِ، والكُتَّابِ والحُجَّابِ والنقباءِ والقُوَّادِ والعبيد وأهلِ الأخبار الخلعَ التي تعمهم جميعًا،,"On the eve of the festival the Sultan sends robes of honour to the maliks, the courtiers, the chief officers of state, the foreigners called ‘aziz, the secretaries, chamberlains, naqIbs, qa’ids, slaves, and couriers, to each and all of them."
فإذا كانت صبيحة العيد زُيِّنَت الفيلة كلها بالحرير والذهب والجواهر، ويكون منها ستة عشر فيلًا لا يركبها أحد، إنما هي مختصَّة بركوب السلطان، ويُرْفَع عليها ستة عشر شطرًا — جترًا — من الحرير مرصعة بالجوهر، قائمة كل شطر منها ذهب خالص،,"On the morning of the feast day all the elephants are adorned with silk, gold, and precious stones. There are sixteen of these elephants which no one rides, but they are reserved to be ridden by the Sultan himself, and over them are carried sixteen parasols of silk embroidered with jewels, each one with a shaft of pure gold."
وعلى كل فيل مرتبة حرير مرصعة بالجواهر، ويركب السلطان فيلًا منها وتُرْفَع أمامه الغاشية — وهي ستارة سرجه — وتكون مرصعة بأنفس الجواهر،,"On each elephant is a silk cushion adorned with precious stones. The Sultan himself rides on one of these elephants, and in front of him there is carried aloft the ghashiya, that is his saddle-cover, which is adorned with the most precious jewels."
ويمشي بين يديه عبيده ومماليكه، وكل واحد منهم تكون على رأسه شاشية ذهب، وعلى وسطه منطقة ذهب وبعضهم يرصعها بالجوهر،,"In front of him walk his slaves and his mamluks, each one of them wearing on his head a cap of gold and round his waist a girdle of gold, which some of them adorn with jewels."
ويمشي بين يديه أيضًا النقباء وهم نحو ثلاثمائة، وعلى رأس كل واحد منهم أقروف ذهب، وعلى وسطه منطقة ذهب، وفي يده مقرعة نصابها ذهب،,"In front of him also walk the naqIbs, about three hundred in number, each one of them wearing on his head a golden aqruf [high conical hat] and round his waist a golden girdle, and carrying in his hand a whip with a handle of gold."
ويركب قاضي القضاة صدر الجهان كمال الدين الغزنوي، وقاضي القضاة صدر الجهان ناصر الدين الخوارزمي، وسائر القضاة، وكبار الأعزة من الخراسانيين والعراقيين والشامليين والمصريين والمغاربة، كل واحد منهم على فيل،,"Those who ride are the Grand QadI Sadr al-Jahan Kamal al-DIn al-Ghaznawl, the Grand QadI Sadr al-Jahan Nasir al-DIn al-KhwarizmI, the rest of the qaAis, and the principal foreigners among the Khurasanians, ‘Iraqis, Syrians, Egyptians, and Moors, each one of them mounted on an elephant."
وجميع الغرباء عندهم يُسَمَّوْن الخراسانيين، ويركب المؤذنون أيضًا على الفيلة وهم يُكَبِّرون.,All foreigners are called by them Khurasanians. The muezzins also ride on elephants and they keep on calling out Alladhu akbar.
ويخرج السلطان من باب القصر على هذا الترتيب والعساكر تنتظره؛ كل أمير بفوجه على حدة معه طبوله وأعلامه،,"The Sultan comes out of the gate of the palace [with his retinue] in this order. Meanwhile the troops await his coming, each amIr with his company separately, along with his drums and flags."
فيقدم السلطان وأمامه من ذكرناه من المشاة، وأمامهم القضاة والمؤذنون يَذْكُرون الله تعالى، وخلف السلطان مراتبه وهي الأعلام والطبول والأبواق والأنفار والصرنايات،,"The Sultan advances, preceded by those whom we have mentioned as walking on foot; these again are preceded by the qadIs and the muezzins reciting praises to God, and behind the Sultan are his ‘honours’, i.e. flags, drums, trumpets, bugles, and pipes."
وخلفهم جميع أهل دخلته، ثمَّ يتلوهم أخو السلطان مبارك خان بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه ابن أخ السلطان بهرام خان بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه ابن عمه ملك فيروز بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه الوزير بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه الملك مجير ابن ذي الرجا بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه الملك الكبير قبولة بمراتبه وعساكره،,"Behind them come all the members of his personal entourage, then these are followed by the Sultan’s brother Mubarak Khan with his ‘honours’ and troops, who is followed by the Sultan’s nephew, Bahram, Khan, with his ‘honours’ and troops, followed by the Sultan’s cousin Malik Furuz with his ‘honours’ and troops, then the vizier next with his ‘honours’ and troops, then the malik MujIr ibn Dhu’r-raja with his ‘honours’ and troops, then the great malik Qabula with his ‘honours’ and troops."
وهذا الملك كبير القدر عنده عظيم الجاه كثير المال، أخبرني صاحب ديوانه ثقة الملك علاء الدين علي المصري المعروف بابن الشرايشي، أن نفقته ونفقة عبيده ومرتباتهم ستة وثلاثون لكافي السنة،,"This malik stands high in the Sultan’s esteem, and enjoys immense prestige and vast wealth. The intendant of his revenue-office, Thiqat al Mulk ‘Ala’ al-DIn ‘All al-MisrI, known as Ibn al-Sharabishi, told me that his allowance and the allowance of his slaves together with their stipends amounted to thirty-six laks a year."
ثمَّ يليه الملك نكبية بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه الملك بغرة بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه الملك مخلص بمراتبه وعساكره، ثمَّ يليه الملك قطب الملك بمراتبه وعساكره، وهؤلاء هم الأمراء الكبار الذين لا يفارقون السلطان، وهم الذين يركبون معه يوم العيد بالمراتب، ويركب غيرهم من الأمراء دون مراتب،,"Next after him comes the malik Nukbiya with his ‘honours’ and troops, then the malik Bughra with his ‘honours’ and troops, then the malik Mukhlis with his ‘honours’ and troops, then the malik Qutb al-Mulk with his ‘honours’ and troops. These persons are the great amirs who are never separated from the Sultan, and these are the officers who ride in his company on festival days with their ‘honours’, while the other amirs ride without ‘honours’."
وجميع من يركب في ذلك اليوم يكون مدرعًا هو وفرسه وأكثرهم مماليك السلطان، فإذا وصل السلطان إلى باب المصلى وقف على بابه وأمر بدخول القضاة وكبار الأمراء وكبار الأعزة، ثمَّ نزل السلطان ويصلي الإمام ويخطب،,"All those who ride [in the procession] on that day do so wearing armour, both on themselves and on their horses, the majority of them being the Sultan’s mamluks. When the Sultan reaches the gate of the musslla he halts by the gate and orders the judges, the principal amirs, and the chiefs of the foreigners to enter. Then he himself alights, and the imam leads the prayers and delivers the address."
فإن كان عيد الأضحى أتى السلطان بجمل فنحره برمح يسمونه النيزة (بكسر النون وفتح الزاي)، بعد أن يجعل على ثيابه فوطة حرير توقيًا من الدم، ثمَّ يركب الفيل ويعود إلى قصره.,"If it should be the Feast of the Sacrifice, the Sultan brings a camel and stabs it in the throat with a javelin (which they call niza), first putting on over his clothes a silk wrapper to protect himself from the blood; then he mounts the elephant and returns to his palace."
ذكر جلوس يوم العيد، وذكر السرير الأعظم والمبخرة العظمى,How he holds audience on feast days and an account of the great throne and the great cassolette.
ويُفْرَش القصر يوم العيد ويُزَيَّن بأبدع الزينة، وتُضْرَب الباركة على المشور كله، وهي شبه خيمة عظيمة تقوم على أعمدة ضخام كثيرة وتحفُّها القباب من كل ناحية، ويُصْنَع شبه أشجار من حرير ملوَّن فيها شبه الأزهار، ويُجْعَل منها ثلاثة صفوف بالمشور، ويُجْعَل بين كل شجرتين كرسي ذهب عليه مرتبة مغطاة،,"On the day of the feast the palace is garnished and adorned in the most sumptuous manner. Over the whole audience hall there is erected the barka, which is like a vast tent supported by many stout poles and surrounded by pavilions on all sides. Artificial trees are made of silk of different colours, with artificial flowers on them; three rows of them are placed in the hall, and between each pair of trees there is placed a golden chair with a covered cushion upon it."
ويُنْصَب السرير الأعظم في صدر المشور، وهو من الذهب الخالص كله مرصَّع القوائم بالجواهر، وطوله ثلاثة وعشرون شبرًا، وعرضه نحو النصف من ذلك،,"The great throne is set up at the upper end of the hall; it is of pure gold throughout, and its legs are encrusted with jewels. Its length is twenty-three spans and its breadth about the half of that."
وهو منفصل وتُجْمَع قطعه فتتصل، وكل قطعة منها يحملها جملة رجال لثقل الذهب وتُجْعَل فوق المرتبة، ويُرْفَع الشطر المرصَّع بالجواهر على رأس السلطان،,"It is in separate pieces, which are put together to form the whole throne, and each piece of it is carried by a number of men because of the weight of the gold. Upon it there is placed the cushioned seat, and the parasol encrusted with jewels is hoisted over the Sultan’s head."
وعندما يصعد على السرير ينادي الحجاب والنقباء بأصوات عالية بسم الله، ثمَّ يتقدم الناس للسلام فأولهم القضاة والخطباء، والعلماء، والشرفاء، والمشايخ، وإخوة السلطان وأقاربه وأصهاره، ثمَّ الأعزة، ثمَّ الوزير، ثمَّ أمراء العساكر، ثمَّ شيوخ المماليك، ثمَّ كبار الأجناد يسلم واحد إثر واحد من غير تزاحم ولا تدافع.,"As he mounts the throne the chamberlains and naqibs cry with a loud voice Bismillah, then those present come forward to salute him. The first of them to do so are the qadls, preachers, doctors of the law, sharlfs, shaikhs, and the brothers, relatives and relations-in-law of the Sultan; after them come the [principal] foreigners, then the vizier, then the amirs of the troops, then the shaikhs of the mamluks, then the chiefs of the troops. Each one salutes after the other without any elbowing or unseemly pushing."
ومن عوائدهم في يوم العيد أن كل من بيده قرية منعم بها عليه يأتي بدنانير ذهب مصرورة، في خرقة مكتوب عليها اسمه فيلقيها في طست ذهب هنالك،,"One of their customs on the feast day is that every person who owns [the revenues of] a village, of which he is the beneficiary [by royal grant], brings some gold coins wrapped in a piece of cloth with his name written on it, and casts them into a golden basin there."
فيجتمع منها مال عظيم يعطيه السلطان لمن شاء، فإذا فرغ الناس من السلام وضع لهم الطعام على حسب مراتبهم.,"These contributions amount in all to a vast sum, which the Sultan gives to anyone he pleases. When the people have finished presenting their salutations food is set before them according to their ranks."
وينصب في ذلك اليوم المبخرة العظمى وهي شبه برج من خالص الذهب منفصلة، فإذا أرادوا اتصالها وصلوها، وتحمل القطعة الواحدة منها جملة من الرجال،,"On that day too there is set up the great cassolette, which is a sort of tower of pure gold composed of separate pieces; when they wish to put it together they join them up, and each section of it is carried by a number of men."
وفي داخلها ثلاثة بيوت يدخل فيها المبخرون يوقدون العود القماري والفاقلي، والعنبر الأشهب والجاوي؛ حتى يعم دخانها المشور كله ويكون بأيدي الفتيان براميل الذهب والفضة مملوءة بماء الورد، وماء الزهر يصبونه على الناس صبًّا،,"Inside it are three chambers which are entered by incense-burners, who set fire to qamari and qaquli aloes-wood, ambergris and benzoin, so that the smoke from them fills the whole hall. There are also gold and silver barrels carried by pages and filled with rose-water, with which they sprinkle those present broadcast."
وهذا السرير وهذه المبخرة لا يخرجان إلَّا في العيدين خاصة.,This throne and this cassolette are not brought out except on the two festival days only.
ويجلس السلطان في بقية أيام العيد على سرير ذهب دون ذلك، وتُنْصَب باركة بعيدة لها ثلاثة أبواب يجلس السلطان في داخلها ويقف على الباب الأول منها عماد الملك سرتيز، وعلى الباب الثاني الملك نكبية، وعلى الباب الثالث يوسف بغرة،,"On the remaining days of the feast the Sultan sits on a golden throne of smaller size. A lofty barka is erected [on the first day, as we have said] which has three doors. The Sultan sits inside it, and at the first door stands ‘Imad al-Mulk Sartlz, at the second door the malik Nukbiya, and at the third door Yusuf Bughra."
ويقف على اليمين أمراء المماليك السلحدارية، وعن اليسار كذلك، ويقف الناس على مراتبهم وشحنة الباركة ملك طغى بيده عصا ذهب، وبيد نائبه عصا فضة يرتبان الناس ويسويان الصفوف،,"On his right stand the officers of the mamluks of the corps of Arms-bearers and on his left likewise, and the general body of people stand in the places assigned to them by their ranks. The commandant of the barka, the malik Tagh!, carrying in his hand a golden stick, and his deputy, carrying a silver stick, arrange all those present in order and even up the rows."
ويقف الوزير والكتاب خلفه ويقف الحجاب والنقباء، ثمَّ يأتي أهل الطرب فأولهم بنات الملوك الكفار من الهنود المسبيات في تلك السنة فيغنين ويرقصن، ويهبهن السلطان للأمراء والأعزة،,"The vizier stands [in his place], with the secretaries behind him, and the chamberlains and naq!bs [likewise] stand [in their places]. Then the musicians and dancers come in—first of all the daughters of the infidel Indian kings who have been taken as captives of war during that year and whom, after they have sung and danced, the Sultan presents to the am!rs and to the distinguished foreigners,"
ثمَّ يأتي بعدهن سائر بنات الكفار فيغنين ويرقصن، ويهبهن لإخوانه وأقاربه وأصهاره وأبناء الملوك، ويكون جلوس السلطان لذلك بعد العصر،,"then after them the rest of the daughters of the infidels and these, after they have sung and danced, he gives to his brothers and kinsmen and relatives by marriage and to the sons of the maliks. The Sultan’s session for this purpose takes place after the hour of afternoon prayer."
ثمَّ يجلس في اليوم الذي بعده بعد العصر أيضًا على ذلك الترتيب ويؤتى بالمغنيات فيغنين ويرقصن، ويهبهن لأمراء المماليك،,"Then on the next day also, after the hour of afternoon prayer, he holds a session after the same manner, to which are brought singing girls whom, after they have sung and danced, he gives to the am!rs of the mamluks."
وفي اليوم الثالث يزوج أقاربه وينعم عليهم، وفي اليوم الرابع يعتق العبيد، وفي اليوم الخامس يعتق الجواري، وفي اليوم السادس يزوج العبيد بالجواري، وفي اليوم السابع يعطي الصدقات ويكثر منها.,"On the third day he celebrates the marriages of his relatives and makes gifts to them; on the fourth day he emancipates male slaves, on the fifth he emancipates female slaves, on the sixth he marries male slaves to female slaves and on the seventh he distributes alms, and that lavishly."
ذكر ترتيبه إذا قدم من سفره,His ceremonial on his return from a journey.
وإذا قدم السلطان من أسفاره زينت الفيلة ورفعت على ستة عشر فيلًا، منها ستة عشر شطرًا، منها مزركش ومنها مرصع، وحملت أمامه الغاشية وهي الستارة المرصعة بالجوهر النفيس،,"When the Sultan comes back from his journeys, the elephants are decorated, and over sixteen of them are raised sixteen parasols, some brocaded and some set with jewels. In front of him is carried the ghashiya, that is the saddle-cover, set with precious stones."
وتُصْنَع قباب الخشب مقسومة على طبقات، وتكسى بثياب الحرير، ويكون في كل طبقة الجواري المغنيات عليهن أجمل لباس وأحسن حلية، ومنهن رواقص،,"Wooden pavilions are built, several stories high, and covered with silk cloths, and in each story there are singing girls wearing the most beautiful dresses and ornaments, with dancing girls amongst them."
ويحصل في وسط كل قبة حوض كبير مصنوع من الجلود، مملوء بماء الجلاب محلولًا بالماء، يشرب منه جميع الناس من وارد وصادر، وبلدي أو غريب، وكل من يشرب منه يعطى التنبول والفوفل،,"In the centre of each pavilion there is fashioned a large tank made of skins and filled with rose-syrup dissolved in water, from which all the people, that is to say all comers, natives or strangers, may drink, and everyone who drinks receives [at the same time] betel leaves and areca nuts."
ويكون ما بين القباب مفروشًا بثياب الحرير، يطأ عليها مركب السلطان وتزين حيطان الشارع الذي يمر به من باب المدينة إلى باب القصر بثياب الحرير، ويمشي أمامه المشاة من عبيده وهم آلاف، وتكون الأفواج والعساكر خلفه,"The space between the pavilions is carpeted with silk cloths, on which the Sultan’s horse treads. The walls of the street along which he passes from the gate of the city to the gate of the palace are hung with silk cloths. In front of him march footmen from his own slaves, several thousands in number, and behind come the squadrons and mounted troops."
ورأيته في بعض قدماته على الحضرة، وقد نُصِبَت ثلاث أو أربع من الرعادات الصغار على الفيلة ترمي بالدنانير والدراهم على الناس، فيلتقطونها من حين دخوله إلى المدينة حتى وصل إلى قصره.,"On one of his entries into the capital I saw three or four small catapults set up on elephants throwing dinars and dirhams amongst the people, and they would be scrambling to pick them up, from the moment when he entered the city until he reached the palace."
ذكر ترتيب الطعام الخاص,The ceremonial at the private meals.
والطعام بدار السلطان على صنفين: طعام الخاصِّ، وطعام العامِّ، فأمَّا الخاص فهو طعام السلطان الذي يأكل منه،,"In the Sultan’s household there are two kinds of meals, the private meal and the public meal. The private meal is that of the Sultan himself, the one of which he partakes."
وعادته أن يأكل في مجلسه مع الحاضرين، ويحضر لذلك الأمراء الخواص وأمير حاجب ابن عم السلطان، وعماد الملك سرتيز وأمير مجلس،,"It is his custom to eat in his saloon in company with those who are present, and the persons who attend for this purpose are the amirs of the household, the amirhajib who is the son of the Sultan’s uncle, ‘Imad al-Mulk Sartiz, and the amir-majlis."
ومن شاء السلطان تشريفه أو تكريمه من الأعزة أو كبار الأمراء دعاه فأكل معهم، وربما أراد أيضًا تشريف أحد من الحاضرين فأخذ إحدى الصحاف بيده وجعل عليها خبزة ويعطيه إياها،,"If the Sultan wishes to honour or favour any of the distinguished foreigners or great amirs he invites that person, who then eats along with them. Sometimes also he wishes to honour one of those present, and taking one of the plates in his hand he puts a piece of bread on it and gives it to him."
فيأخذها المعطى ويجعلها على كفه اليسرى، ويخدم بيده اليمنى إلى الأرض وربما بعث من ذلك الطعام إلى من هو غائب عن المجلس، فيخدم كما يصنع الحاضر ويأكله مع من حضره،,"The recipient takes it and, placing it on his left palm, does homage with his right hand to the ground. Sometimes he sends a portion of that food to a person who is absent from the saloon, and the recipient does homage in the same way as one who is present, and eats it with those who are in his company."
وقد حضرت مرات لهذا الطعام الخاص فرأيت جملة الذين يحضرون له نحو عشرين رجلًا.,I was present many times at this private meal and I noticed that the number of those who attended it was about twenty persons.
ذكر ترتيب الطعام العام,The ceremonial at the public meals.
وأمَّا الطعام العام فيؤتى به من المطبخ وأمامه النقباء يصيحون بسم الله، ونقيب النقباء أمامهم بيده عمود ذهب، ونائبه معه بيده عمود فضة،,"As for the public meals, the food is brought from the kitchen preceded by the naqibs crying out bismillah; the head of the naqlbs walks in front of them carrying a golden mace, and with him is his deputy carrying a silver mace."
فإذا دخلوا من الباب الرابع وسمع من بالمشور أصواتهم، قاموا قيامًا أجمعين ولا يبقى أحد قاعدًا إلَّا السلطان وحده،,"When they enter through the fourth door and those who are present in the audience hall hear their voices they all rise to their feet, and no one remains sitting but the Sultan alone."
فإذا وضع الطعام بالأرض اصطفت النقباء صفًّا، ووقف أميرهم أمامهم وتكلم بكلام يمدح فيه السلطان ويثني عليه، ثمَّ يخدم ويخدم النقباء لخدمته ويخدم جميع من بالمشور من كبير وصغير،,"When the food is placed on the ground the naqibs range themselves in a line and their amir stands in front of them and makes an oration in which he praises the Sultan with much eulogy, then he does homage and all the naqibs do homage in concert with him, together with all those who are in the audience chamber, both great and small."
وعادتهم أنه من سمع كلام نقيب النقباء حين ذلك، وقف إن كان ماشيًا ولزم موقفه إن كان واقفًا، ولا يتحرك أحد ولا يتزحزح عن مقامه حتى يفرغ ذلك الكلام،,"It is their custom that everyone who hears the voice of the chief of the naqibs on this occasion stands still, if he is walking, and stays in his place should he be standing. No person moves or quits his standing-ground until the end of this oration."
ثمَّ يتكلم أيضًا نائبه كلامًا نحو ذلك، ويخدم ويخدم النقباء وجميع الناس مرة ثانية، وحينئذٍ يجلسون,"After that his deputy also pronounces a similar oration and does homage, and the naqlbs and all those present do homage a second time, and thereafter they all sit down."
ويكتب كتاب الباب معرفين بحضور الطعام وإن كان السلطان قد علم بحضوره، ويعطى المكتوب لصبي من أبناء الملوك موكل بذلك، فيأتي به إلى السلطان,"The clerks of the gate make a written report of the arrival of the food, although the Sultan already knows of its arrival, and this report is given to a boy selected for that duty from among the sons of the maliks, who takes it to the Sultan."
فإذا قرأه عين من شاء من كبار الأمراء؛ لترتيب الناس وإطعامهم،,On reading it the Sultan appoints whomsoever he chooses of the principal amirs to assign their places to those present and to preside at the distribution of food to them.
وطعامهم الرقاق والشواء والأقراص ذات الجوانب المملوءة بالحلواء والأرز والدجاج والسمك، وقد ذكرنا ذلك وفسرنا ترتيبهم.,"The food which is served to them consists of thin rounds of bread, roast meat, round cakes in portions and filled with sweet confections, rice, chickens, and samusak; we have already described this and explained how it is made."
وعادتهم أن يكون في صدر سماط الطعام القضاة والخطباء والفقهاء والشرفاء والمشايخ، ثمَّ أقارب السلطان، ثمَّ الأمراء الكبار، ثمَّ سائر الناس،,"It is their custom that the principal place at the banquet should be taken by the qadis, the preachers, doctors of law, sharifs and shaikhs; after them come the Sultan’s relatives, then the principal amirs and then the rest of the people."
ولا يقعد أحد إلَّا في موضع معين له، فلا يكون بينهم تزاحم البتة فإذا جلسوا أتى الشريدارية، وهم السقاة بأيديهم أواني الذهب والفضة والنحاس والزجاج مملوءة بالنبات المحلول بالماء،,"No one sits down except in a place assigned to him, so that there is no pushing and elbowing between them at all. When they sit down, the shurbadars, that is to say cup-bearers, come bearing vessels of gold, silver, brass and glass, filled with candy-water."
فيشربون ذلك قبل الطعام فإذا شربوا قال الحجاب بسم الله ثمَّ يشرعون في الأكل، ويجعل أمام كل إنسان من جميع ما يحتوي عليه السماط يأكل منه وحده، ولا يأكل أحد مع أحد في صحفة واحدة، فإذا فرغوا من الأكل أتوا بالفقاع في أكواز القصدير، فإذا أخذوه قال الحجاب بسم الله،,"The guests drink this before beginning to eat, and when they have drunk the chamberlains say bismillah. They then start eating and there is set before each person a portion of every dish of which the meal is composed; he eats of it by himself and no person eats with another out of the same dish. When they finish eating barley-water is brought to them in tin mugs, and when they have taken this the chamberlains say bismillah."
ثمَّ يؤتى بأطباق التنبول والفوفل فيعطى كل إنسان غرفة من الفوفل المهشوم، وخمس عشرة ورقة من التنبول مجموعة مربوطة بخيط حرير أحمر، فإذا أخذ الناس التنبول قال الحجاب بسم الله، فيقومون جميعًا ويخدم الأمير المعين للإطعام ويخدمون لخدمته، ثمَّ ينصرفون وطعامهم مرتان في اليوم: إحداهما قبل الظهر، والأخرى بعد العصر.,"Then trays are brought in with betel and areca-nut and each person is given a spoonful of powdered areca with fifteen leaves of betel tied in a bunch with red silk thread. When those present take the betel the chamberlains say bismillah and thereupon they all stand up. The amir who is appointed to preside at the banquet does homage and they all do homage with him and then withdraw. They have meals twice a day, once before noon, and again after the afternoon prayer."
ذكر بعض أخباره في الجود والكرم,Some stories of his generosity and open-handedness.
وإنما أذكر منها ما حضَرْتُه وشاهدته وعاينته، ويعلم الله تعالى صِدْق ما أقول وكفى به شهيدًا،,On this subject I shall relate only instances at which I was present and which I witnessed with my own eyes. God Most High knows the truth of what I say and He is sufficient as a witness.
مع أن الذي أحكيه مستفيض متواتر والبلاد التي تقرب من أرض الهند كاليمن وخراسان وفارس مملوءة بأخباره يعلمونها حقيقة،,"Besides, what I am about to tell is notorious and confirmed by the evidence of many persons, and the countries which are in the vicinity of India, such as al-Yaman, Khurasan and Fars, are full of stories of him, which their inhabitants know to be true."
ولا سيما جوده على الغرباء، فإنه يفضلهم على أهل الهند ويؤثرهم ويجزل لهم الإحسان، ويُسْبِغ عليهم الإنعام، ويوليهم الخطط الرفيعة، ويوليهم المواهب العظيمة،,"Especially well known is his generosity to foreigners, for he prefers them to the people of India, singles them out for favour, showers his benefits upon them and clothes them in an ample garment of bounty, appoints them to high offices of state, and confers upon them magnificent gifts."
ومن إحسانه إليهم أن سماهم الأعزة ومنع من أن يدعوا الغرباء، وقال: إنَّ الإنسان إذا دعي غريبًا انكسر خاطره وتغير حاله،,"One indication of his generous treatment of them is that he has called them by the designation of ‘aziz and has prohibited their being called strangers, for, he said, when a person is called ‘stranger’ he feels dispirited and downcast."
وسأذكر بعضًا مما لا يحصى من عطاياه الجزيلة ومواهبه إن شاء الله تعالى.,"I shall now mention out of all that could be enumerated a few of his prodigal gifts and largesse, if God will."
ذكر عطائه لشهاب الدين الكازروني التاجر وحكايته,His gift to the merchant Shihab al-Din of Kazarun and the story of the latter.
كان شهاب الدين هذا صديقًا لملك التجار الكازروني الملقب ببرويز، وكان السلطان قد أقطع ملك التجَّار مدينة كنباية، ووعده أن يُوَلِّيَه الوزارة,"This Shihab al-Din was a friend of al-Kazaruni, the ‘king’ of the merchants [in India], surnamed Pirwiz. The Sultan had given the city of Kanbaya in grant to the ‘king’ of the merchants and had promised to appoint him to the office of vizier."
فبعث إلى صديقه شهاب الدين ليقدم عليه فأتاه، وأعد هدية للسلطان وهي سراجة من الملف المقطوع المزين بورقة الذهب، وصيوان مما يناسبها وخباء وتابع وخباء راحة كل ذلك من الملف المزين وبغال كثير،,"Thereupon he sent to his friend Shihab alDin to join him, and the latter arrived, having prepared a gift for the Sultan consisting of a royal enclosure of segmented woollen cloth decorated with gold leaf, a reception marquee of the same kind, a private tent with an annex, and a resting tent—all of this in ornamented woollen cloth— and a large number of mules."
فلما قدم شهاب الدين بهذه الهدية على صاحبه ملك التجار، وجده آخذًا في القدوم على الحضرة بما اجتمع عنده من مجابي بلاده وبهدية للسلطان، وعلم الوزير خواجة جهان بما وعده به السلطان من ولاية الوزارة، فغار من ذلك وقلق بسببه،,"Shihab al-Din, on arriving with this gift to join his friend, the ‘king’ of the merchants, found him preparing to set out for the capital with the revenues collected from his territories and a gift for the Sultan. The vizier Khwaja Jahan was informed of the Sultan’s promise to him to appoint him vizier and was filled with jealousy and dismay at it."
وكانت بلاد كنباية والجزرات قبل تلك المدة في ولاية الوزير ولأهلها تعلق بجانبه وانقطاع إليه وتخدم له،,"Now the territories of Kanbaya and al-Juzarat [Gujerat] had been previously under the government of the vizier, and their population had a certain attachment and loyalty to him and devotion to his service."
وأكثرهم كفار وبعضهم عصاة يمتنعون بالجبال، فدس الوزير إليهم أن يضربوا على ملك التجار إذا خرج إلى الحضرة،,Most of them are infidels and some of them are rebels who inhabit inaccessible retreats in the mountains. The vizier therefore sent secret instructions to them to fall upon the ‘king’ of the merchants when he came out on his way to the capital.
فلما خرج بالخزائن والأموال ومعه شهاب الدين بهديته، نزلوا يومًا عند الضحى على عادتهم وتفرقت العساكر ونام أكثرهم،,"When therefore, he left [Kanbaya] with the treasures and monies, in company with Shihab al-Din and his gift, they encamped one day before noon, as was their usual practice, and the [escorting] troops dispersed and most of them went to sleep."
فضرب عليهم الكفار في جمع عظيم فقتلوا ملك التجار وسلبوا الأموال والخزائن وهدية شهاب الدين ونجا هو بنفسه.,"At that moment they were attacked by a considerable force of infidels, who killed the ‘king’ of the merchants and carried off as booty his money and treasures and Shihab al-Din’s present. Shihab al-Din himself escaped with his life,"
وكتب المخبرون إلى السلطان بذلك، فأمر أن يعطى شهاب الدين من مجبى بلاد نهروالة ثلاثين ألف دينار ويعود إلى بلاده،,"and the Sultan, on learning of this through his information officers, gave orders that he should be given thirty thousand dinars from the revenues of the province of Nahrawala, and return to his own country."
فعرض عليه ذلك فأبى من قبوله، وقال: ما قصدي إلَّا رؤية السلطان وتقبيل الأرض بين يديه، فكتبوا إلى السلطان بذلك فأعجبه قوله، وأمر بوصوله إلى الحضرة مكرمًا،,"When this was offered to him, however, he refused to accept it, saying that he had come for the express purpose of seeing the Sultan and kissing the ground before him. They wrote to the Sultan to this effect and he, gratified with what Shihab al-DIn had said, commanded him to proceed to the capital as an honoured visitor."
وصادف يوم دخوله على السلطان يوم دخولنا نحن عليه، فخلع علينا جميعًا وأمر بإنزالنا وأعطى شهاب الدين عطاء جزلًا، فلما كان بعد ذلك أمر لي السلطان بستة آلاف تنكة كما سنذكره، وسأل في ذلك اليوم عن شهاب الدين أين هو،,"It chanced that the day of his introduction before the Sultan was the same day that we too were introduced before him. He bestowed robes of honour upon us all and gave orders for our residence, and made Shihab al-DIn in addition a handsome gift of money. Some days later the Sultan ordered that I should be given six thousand tangahs, as I shall relate in due course, and on that same day enquired the reason of Shihab al-DIn’s absence."
فقال له بهاء الدين ابن الفلكي: يا خوند عالم نميد أثم معناه ما ندري، ثمَّ قال له شنيدم زحمت دارد (دار)، معناه سمعت أن به مرضًا، فقال له السلطان بروهمين زمان در: خزانة يك لك تنكة زربكري أوبيش أوبيري تادل أوخش (خوش) شود، معناه امشِ الساعة إلى الخزانة وخُذْ منها مائة ألف تنكة من الذهب، واحملها إليه حتى يبقى خاطره طيِّبًا،,"Baha al-DIn ibn al-Falakl replied ‘O Master of the World, namidanam’ which means ‘I do not know.’ Then he said to him ‘Shunudam zahmet darat,’ meaning ‘I have heard that he is ill.’ The Sultan said to him ‘Biraw hamin zaman, dar khizaneh yak laki tangah zar bagiri wapish u babari ta dili u khush shavad,’ which means ‘Go at once to the treasury, take from it a hundred thousand tangahs of gold and bear them to him to set his mind at ease.’"
ففعل ذلك فأعطاه إياها، وأمر السلطان أن يشتري بها ما أحب من السلع الهندية، ولا يشتري أحد من الناس شيئًا حتى يتجهز هو،,"He executed the command and conveyed the gift to him, and the Sultan gave orders that he should buy with this money what Indian goods he pleased, and that no one else should buy anything at all until Shihab al-DIn should be supplied with all his requirements."
وأمر له بثلاثة مراكب مجهزة من آلاتها ومن مرتب البحرية، وزادهم ليسافر فيها فسافر، ونزل بجزيرة هرمز وبنى بها دارًا عظيمة,"In addition he ordered three ships to be made ready for his journey furnished with all their equipment and full pay and provisions for the crew. So Shihab al-DIn departed and disembarked in the island of Hurmuz, where he built a great house."
رأيتها بعد ذلك، ورأيت أيضًا شهاب الدين وقد فني جميع ما كان عنده وهو بشيراز يستجدي سلطانها أبا إسحاق، وهكذا مال هذه البلاد الهندية قلما يخرج أحد به منها إلَّا النادر، وإذا خرج به ووصل إلى غيرها من البلاد,"I saw this house later on, and I saw also Shihab al-DIn, having lost all that he had, at Shiraz soliciting a gift from its Sultan, Abu Ishaq. That is the way with riches amassed in these Indian lands; it is only rarely that anyone gets out of the country with them, and when he does leave it and reaches some other country,"
بعث الله عليه آفة تفني ما بيده، كمثل ما اتفق لشهاب الدين هذا، فإنه أخذ له في الفتنة التي كانت بين ملك هرمز وابني أخيه جميع ما عنده وخرج سليبًا من ماله.,"God sends upon him some calamity which annihilates all that he possesses, just as it happened to this Shihab al-DIn; for everything that he had was taken from him in the civil war between the king of Hurmuz and his nephews, and he left the country stripped of all his wealth."
ذكر عطائه لشيخ الشيوخ ركن الدين,The story of his gift to the Grand Shaikh Rukn al-Din.
وكان السلطان قد بعث هدية إلى الخليفة بديار مصر أبي العباس، وطلب منه أن يبعث له أَمْر التقدمة على بلاد الهند والسند؛ اعتقادًا منه في الخلافة،,"The Sultan had sent a present to the Caliph in Egypt, Abu’l‘Abbas, with a request that he should send him the decree of appointment to govern the lands of Hind and Sind—this because of a belief which he held about the authority of the Caliphate."
فبعث إليه الخليفة أبو العباس ما طلبه مع شيخ الشيوخ بديار مصر ركن الدين، فلمَّا قدم عليه بالَغَ في إكرامه وأعطاه عطاء جزلًا، وكان يقوم له متى دخل عليه ويعظمه,"The Caliph Abu’l-’Abbas sent him what he had asked for by the hand of the principal Shaikh in the land of Egypt, Rukn al-DIn. When this envoy reached him he lavished honours upon him and made him a handsome gift of money, and he used to rise to meet him whenever the envoy entered his presence, and to show him great respect."
ثمَّ صرفه وأعطاه أموالًا طائلة، وفي جملة ما أعطاه جملة من صفائح الخيل ومساميرها كل ذلك من الذهب الخالص، وقال له: إذا نزلت من البحر فانعل أفراسك بها،,"At length he gave him leave to return and heaped riches upon him. Amongst his gifts to him on this occasion were a quantity of horseshoes with their nails, all made entirely of pure gold, and he said to him ‘When you disembark after your journey, shoe your horses with these.’"
فتَوَجَّهَ إلى كنباية ليركب البحر منها إلى بلاد اليمن، فوقعت قضية خروج القاضي جلال الدين وأخذه مال ابن الكولمي، فأخذ أيضًا ما كان لشيخ الشيوخ وفرَّ بنفسه مع ابن الكولمي إلى السلطان،,"So Rukn al-DIn set out for Kanbaya to take ship from there to the land of al-Yaman, but then happened the affair of the revolt of the qadI Jalal al-DIn and his seizure of the property of Ibn al-KawlamI. The possessions of the Grand Shaikh were seized also and he himself fled to the Sultan along with Ibn al-KawlamI."
فلمَّا رآه السلطان قال له ممازحًا أمدي كزر (كه زر) بري بادكري (دلرباي) صنم خري زرنيري وسرنهي، معناه جئت لتحمل الذهب تأكله مع الصور الحسان، فلا تحمل ذهبًا ورأسك تخليه ها هنا قال له ذلك على معنى الانبساط، ثمَّ قال له اجمع خاطرك فها أنا سائر إلى المخالفين وأعطيك أضعاف ما أخذوه لك،,"When the Sultan saw him he said to him jestingly [in Persian] Amadi kazar bari ba digin sanam khari zar nabari wasar nihi, which means ‘You came to carry away gold to consume with fair creatures, but you will carry away no gold and leave your head here.’ He said this to him in a tone of amusement and then added ‘Take good heart; I am on the point of setting out to deal with the rebels and I shall give you many times more than they have taken from you.’"
وبلغني بعد الانفصال عن بلاد الهند أنه وفى له بما وعده وأخلف له جميع ما ضاع منه، وأنه وصل بذلك إلى ديار مصر.,I heard after I had left India that the Sultan kept his promise to him and recompensed him for all that he had lost and that he brought it all safely to Egypt.
ذكر عطائه للواعظ الترمذي ناصر الدين,"Account of the gift which he made to the preacher from Tirmidh, Nasir al-DTn."
وكان هذا الفقيه الواعظ قدم على السلطان وأقام تحت إحسانه مدة عام، ثمَّ أحب الرجوع إلى وطنه فأذن له في ذلك، ولم يكن سمع كلامه ووعظه،,"This doctor of the law and homiletic preacher had come to the Sultan’s court, and after staying for a year as a pensioner on his bounty, he wished to return to his own country. The Sultan gave him permission to do so, although he had not yet heard him in discourse or homily."
فلمَّا خرج السلطان يقصد بلاد المعبر أحب سماعه قبل انصرافه، فأمر أن يهيئ له منبر من الصندل الأبيض المقاصري، وجعلت مساميره وصفائحه من الذهب،,"When however, the Sultan [prepared to] set out on an expedition to the land of al-Ma’bar he desired to hear him before his departure, and gave orders that there should be prepared for him a pulpit of white sandalwood, called maqasirT, and its nails and plaques were made of gold and at the top of it there was inserted an immense ruby."
وألصق بأعلاه حجر ياقوت عظيم وخلع على ناصر الدين خلعة عباسية سوداء مذهبة مرصعة بالجوهر وعمامة مثلها،,"Nasir al-DTn was invested with an ‘Abbasid robe, black, embroidered with gold and encrusted with precious stones, and his turban was to match."
ونصب له المنبر بداخل السراجة وهي إفراج، وقعد السلطان على سريره والخواص عن يمينه ويساره، وأخذ القضاة والفقهاء والأمراء مجالسهم، فخطب خطبة بليغة ووعظ وذكر،,"The pulpit was set up for him inside the [Sultan’s] saracha, which we call afrag The Sultan took his seat on his throne with the principal officers on his right and left, and the judges, doctors of law and amTrs took their places; then he delivered an eloquent address followed by a homily and exhortation."
ولم يكن فيما فعله طائل لكن سعادته ساعدته، فلمَّا نزل عن المنبر قام السلطان إليه وعانَقَه وأَرْكَبَهُ على فيل، وأَمَرَ جميع مَنْ حَضَرَ أن يمشوا بين يديه وكنت في جملتهم إلى سراجة ضُرِبَتْ له مقابِلة سراجة السلطان،,"There was nothing remarkable in what he did, but his good fortune befriended him, and when he came down from the pulpit the Sultan rose up and came to him, embraced him, mounted him on an elephant and ordered all those present, of whom I was one, to walk before him to a saracha which had been pitched for him in face of the Sultan’s saracha."
جميعها من الحرير الملوَّن وصيوانها من الحرير، وخباؤها أيضًا كذلك، فجلس وجلسنا معه، وكان بجانب من السراجة أواني الذهب التي أعطاه السلطان إياها، وذلك تنور كبير؛ بحيث يَسَعُ في جوفه الرجل القاعد وقِدْران اثنان وصحاف لا أَذْكُر عددها، وجملة أكواز وركوة وتميسندة ومائدة لها أربعة أرجل ومحمل للكتب كل ذلك من ذهب خالص،,"This enclosure was made entirely of coloured silk and its marquee and private tent were both made of silk also. He sat there [for a reception] in which we joined, each sitting in his place. At one side of the saracha there were some golden vessels which the Sultan had given him, namely a large vase for holding lamps, which was big enough to accommodate a man sitting inside it, two cooking pots, plates, I cannot say how many, a number of jugs, a waterskin, a tamTsanda, a table with four legs and a book stand, all of these in pure gold."
ورَفَعَ عماد الدين السمناوي وَتَدَيْنِ من أوتاد السراجة؛ أحدهما نحاس والآخر مقصدر، يوهم بذلك أنهما من ذهب وفضة، ولم يكونا إلَّا كما ذكرنا، وقد كان أعطاه حين قدومه مائة ألف دينار دراهم ومئين من العبيد سرح بعضهم وحمل بعضهم.,"‘Imad al-DTn al-SimnanT held up two of the tent pegs of the saracha, one of them brass, the other tinned, as if to give the impression that they were of gold and silver, but they were not so and only as we have stated. [Besides this] the Sultan had given him on his arrival a hundred thousand silver dinars and two hundred slaves, some of whom he freed and some he took with him."
ذكر عطائه لعبد العزيز الأردويلي,Account of his gift to ‘Abd at-AzTz of ArdawTl.
وكان عبد العزيز هذا فقيهًا محدثًا، قرأ بدمشق على تقي الدين بن تيمية، وبرهان الدين بن البركح، وجمال الدين المزي، وشمس الدين الذهبي وغيرهم، ثمَّ قدم على السلطان فأَحْسَنَ إليه وأَكْرَمَه،,"‘This ‘Abd al-’AzTz was a jurist and traditionist who had studied in Damascus under TaqT al-DTn Ibn TaimTya, Burhan al-DTn ibn alBarqah, Jamal al-DTn al-MizzT, Shams al-DTn al-DhahabT and others. Subsequently he came to the court of the Sultan, who received him generously and made rich gifts to him."
واتفق يومًا أنه سرد عليه أحاديث في فَضْل العباس وابنه — رضي الله عنهما — وشيئًا من مآثر الخلفاء أولادهما،,It happened one day that he expounded before him a number of traditions relating to the merit of al-’Abbas and his son (God be pleased with them) and some of the memorable deeds of the Caliphs descended from them.
فأَعْجَبَ ذلك السلطان لِحُبِّه في بني العباس، وقَبَّلَ قَدَمَي الفقيه وأَمَرَ أن يؤتى بصينية ذهب فيها الفاتنكة، فصبها عليه بيده وقال هي لك مع الصينية، وقد ذكرنا هذه الحكاية فيما تقدم.,"The Sultan was highly delighted with this because of his attachment to the house of al-’Abbas and having kissed this scholar’s feet gave orders to fetch a golden tray on which there were two thousand tangahs and poured them over him with his own hand, saying ‘These are for you, and the tray as well.’ We have related this story before in an earlier passage."
ذكر عطائه لشمس الدين الأندكاني,Account of his gift to Shams al-DTn al-AndukanT.
وكان الفقيه شمس الدين الأندكاني حكيمًا شاعرًا مطبوعًا، فمدح السلطان بقصيدة باللسان الفارسي، وكان عدد أبياتها سبعة وعشرين بيتًا، فأعطاه لكل بيت منها ألف دينار دراهم،,"The doctor Shams al-DTn al-AndukanI, who was a philosopher and a gifted poet, wrote a laudatory ode to the Sultan in Persian. The ode contained twenty-seven verses, and the Sultan gave him a thousand silver dinars for each verse."
وهذا أَعْظَم مما يُحْكَى عن المتقدمين الذين كانوا يُعْطَوْنَ على بيتِ شِعْرٍ أَلْفَ درهم وهو عُشْر عطاء السلطان.,"This is a greater reward than those related of former kings, who used to give a thousand dirhams for each verse, which is only a tenth of the Sultan’s gift."
ذكر عطائه لعضد الدين الشونكاري,Account of his gift to ‘Adud al-DTn al-ShawankarT.
وكان عضد الدين فقيهًا إمامًا فاضلًا، كبير القدر عظيم الصيت، شهير الذكر ببلاده، فبلغت السلطان أخباره وسمع بمآثره، فبعث إليه إلى بلده شونكارة عشرة آلاف دينار دراهم ولم يَرَهُ قط ولا وَفَدَ عليه.,"‘Adud al-DIn was a jurist and imam, a worthy man of great eminence, highly reputed and widely known in his own country. The Sultan, on hearing the stories related of him and of his commendable qualities, sent ten thousand dinars to him in his own town of Shawankara, without ever seeing him or being visited by him."
ذكر عطائه للقاضي مجد الدين,Account of his gift to the qadT Majd al-DTn.
ولما بلغه أيضًا خبر القاضي العالم الصالح ذي الكرامة الشهيرة مجد الدين قاضي شيراز، الذي سطرنا أخباره في السفر الأول، وسيمر بعض خبره بعد هذا أيضًا بعث إليه إلى مدينة شيراز صحبة الشيخ زاده الدمشقي عشرة آلاف دينار دراهم.,"Then too when the Sultan heard the story of the learned and pious qadI Majd al-DIn of Shiraz, who was distinguished by the famous miracle, whose history we have written in the first volume and of whom more will be said later on, he sent ten thousand silver dinars to him at Shiraz along with Shaikh-Zada alDimashql."
ذكر عطائه لبرهان الدين الصاغرجي,Account of his gift to Burhan al-DTn of Sagharj
وكان برهان الدين أحد الوعاظ الأئمة، كثير الإيثار باذلًا لما يملكه، حتى إنه كثيرًا ما يأخذ الديون ويؤثر على الناس، فبلغ خبره إلى السلطان فبعث إليه أربعين ألف دينار، وطلب منه أن يصل إلى حضرته,"Burhan al-DIn of Sagharj was a preacher and imam so liberal in spending what he possessed that he used often to contract debts in order to give to others. The Sultan heard of him and sent him forty thousand dinars, with a request that he should come to his capital."
فقبل الدنانير وقضى دينه منها، وتوجه إلى بلاد الخطا وأبى أن يصل إليه، وقال لا أمضي إلى سلطان يقف العلماء بين يديه.,"He accepted the money and paid his debts with it, but went off to the land of al-Khata, and refused to come to the Sultan, saying ‘I shall not go to [the court of] a Sultan in whose presence scholars have to stand.’"
ذكر عطائه لحاجي كاون وحكايته,Account of his gift to HajjT Kawun and history of the latter.
وكان حاجي كاون ابن عم السلطان أبي سعيد ملك العراق، وكان أخوه موسى ملكًا ببعض بلاد العراق، فوفد حاجي كاون على السلطان فأكرم مثواه وأعطاه العطاء الجزل،,"HajjI Kawun was the son of the paternal uncle of the Sultan Abu Sa’Id, king of ‘Iraq, and his brother Musa was a king in one of the regions of ‘Iraq. HajjI Kawun came to visit the Sultan and was received with princely hospitality, and loaded with gifts."
ورأيته يومًا وقد أتى الوزير خواجة جهان بهديته، وكان منها ثلاث صينيات إحداهما مملوءة يواقيت، والأخرى مملوءة زمردًا، والأخرى مملوءة جواهر، وكان حاجي كاون حاضرًا فأعطاه من ذلك حظًّا جزيلًا،,"One day when the vizier Khwaja Jahan presented his gift [as we have related already], including three trays, one filled with rubies, the second with emeralds, and the third with pearls, HajjI Kawun was present, and I myself saw the Sultan give him a large portion of this gift."
ثمَّ إنه أعطاه أيضًا مالًا عريضًا، ومضى يريد العراق فوجد أخاه قد توفي وولي مكانه سليمان خان، فطلب إرث أخيه وادعى الملك وبايعه العساكر، وقصد بلاد فارس ونزل بمدينة شونكارة التي بها الإمام عضد الدين الذي تقدم ذكره آنفًا،,"Subsequently he made him another immense gift, and HajjI Kawun set out for ‘Iraq, where he found that his brother had died and that Sulaiman Khan reigned in his stead. He claimed his brother’s inheritance, declared himself king and received the homage of the troops, then set out for the land of Fars and encamped at the city of Shawankara, the city in which the imam ‘Adud al-DIn, whom we have just mentioned, was living."
فلمَّا نزل بخارجها تأخر شيوخها عن الخروج إليه ساعة ثمَّ خرجوا، فقال لهم: ما منعكم عن تعجيل الخروج إلى مبايعتنا فاعتذروا له فلم يقبل منهم، وقال لأهل سلاحه قلنج تخار (جقار)، معناه جردوا السيوف فجردوها وضربوا أعناقهم، وكانوا جماعة كبيرة,"When he encamped outside there was some delay before the shaikhs went out to present themselves to him, and when they did so he said to them ‘What hindered you from coming out at once to do homage to me?’ They apologised to him but he refused to accept their excuses and said to his armour-bearers qilij tikhar, which means ‘draw your swords’, whereupon they drew their swords and beheaded them, a considerable number in all."
فسمع من يجاور هذه المدينة من الأمراء بما فعله فغضبوا لذلك، وكتبوا إلى شمس الدين السمناني — وهو من الأمراء الفقهاء الكبار — فأعلموه بما جرى على أهل شونكارة، وطلبوا منه الإعانة على قتاله,"When the amIrs who were in the vicinity of this city heard what he had done they were indignant and wrote to Shams al-DIn al-SimnanI, who was one of the high-ranking amIrs and jurists, to inform him of what had happened to the men of Shawankara and to ask his assistance in fighting against HajjI Kawun."
فتجرد في عساكره، واجتمع أهل البلاد طالبين بثأر من قتله حاجي كاون من المشايخ،,"He set out on a campaign with his troops, and the inhabitants of the region assembled to demand vengeance for those shaikhs whom HajjI Kawun had killed."
وضربوا على عسكره ليلًا فهزموه وكان هو بقصر المدينة، فأحاطوا به فاختفى في بيت الطهارة فعثروا عليه وقطعوا رأسه، وبعثوا به إلى سليمان خان وفرقوا أعضاءه على البلاد تشفيًا منه.,"They attacked his army during the night and routed it; HajjI Kawun himself was in the citadel of the town and they surrounded it and, finding him hidden in a lavatory, cut off his head and sent it to Sulaiman Khan, and they distributed his members throughout the province in satisfaction of their vendetta against him."
ذكر قدوم ابن الخليفة عليه وأخباره,Account of the arrival of the Caliph’s son at his court and of what befel him.
وكان الأمير غياث الدين محمد بن عبد القاهر بن يوسف بن عبد العزيز بن الخليفة المستنصر بالله العباسي البغدادي، قد وفد على السلطان علاء الدين طرة مشير ابن ملك ما وراء النهر، فأكرمه وأعطاه الزاوية التي على قبر قثم بن العباس — رضي الله عنهما —,"This was the amir Ghiyath al-DIn Muhammad son of ‘Abd al-Qahir, son of Yusuf, son of ‘Abd al-’AzIz, son of the ‘Abbasid caliph of Baghdad al-Mustansir billah. He had gone to the court of the Sultan ‘Ala al-DIn TarmashIrIn, king of the lands beyond the Oxus, who had received him honourably and assigned to him the hospice which is built round the tomb of Qutham ibn al-’Abbas (God be pleased with them both)."
واستوطن بها أعوامًا، ثم لما سمع بمحبة السلطان في بني العباس وقيامه بدعوتهم، أحب القدوم عليه وبعث له برسولين أحدهما صاحبه القديم محمد بن أبي الشرقي الحرباوي، والثاني محمد الهمداني الصوفي،,"He made his home there for some years, but afterwards, on hearing of the Sultan’s affection for the house of al-’Abbas and his support of their cause, he desired to go to him, and despatched to him two envoys, one of whom was his associate of long standing Muhammad ibn Abu’l-SharafI al-HarbawI, and the other Muhammad al-HamadanI al-SufI."
فقدما على السلطان وكان ناصر الدين الترمذي الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه، قد لقي غياث الدين ببغداد وشهد لديه البغداديون بصحة نسبه، فشهد هو عند السلطان بذلك،,"These two persons therefore presented themselves before the Sultan. Now Nasir al-DIn [the preacher] of Tirmidh, of whom we have spoken previously, had met Ghiyath al-DIn at Baghdad, and as the men of Baghdad had testified in his presence to the genuineness of his descent, so he now testified to this before the Sultan."
فلمَّا وصل رسولاه إلى السلطان أعطاهما خمسة آلاف دينار وبعث معهما ثلاثين ألف دينار إلى غياث الدين ليتزود بها إليه، وكتب له كتابًا بخط يده يعظمه فيه ويسأل منه القدوم عليه،,"Consequently, when his two envoys reached the Sultan he gave them five thousand dinars and sent by them thirty thousand dinars to Ghiyath al-DIn to defray the expenses of his journey to join him. At the same time he wrote him a letter with his own hand expressing his veneration for him and inviting him to come to his court."
فلمَّا وصله الكتاب رَحَلَ إليه، فلمَّا وصل إلى بلاد السند وكتب المخبرون بقدومه بعث السلطان من يستقبله على العادة، ثمَّ لما وَصَلَ إلى سرستي بعث أيضًا لاستقباله صدر الجهان قاضي القضاة كمال الدين الغزنوي وجماعة من الفقهاء،,"On receiving this letter Ghiyath al-DIn set out to join him. When he reached the province of Sind and the intelligence officials wrote to announce his arrival, the Sultan sent an officer to receive him according to his usual custom. Next, on his arrival at SarsatI, he sent also Sadr al-Jahan, the Grand QadI Kamal al-DIn al-GhaznawI, with a number of doctors of the law to welcome him."
ثمَّ بعث الأمراء لاستقباله، فلمَّا نزل بمسعود آباد خارج الحضرة خَرَجَ السلطان بنفسه لاستقباله، فلمَّا الْتَقَيَا تَرَجَّلَ غياث الدين فتَرَجَّلَ له السلطان وخدم فخدم له السلطان، وكان قد استصحب هدية في جملتها ثياب، فأخذ السلطان أحد الأثواب وجعله على كتفه وخدم كما يفعل الناس معه،,"He then sent the amIrs also for the same purpose, and when Ghiyath al-DIn halted at Mas’ud Abad, outside the capital, the Sultan went out himself to receive him. When they met Ghiyath al-DIn dismounted, then the Sultan also dismounted [to show his respect] for him, and he bowed and the Sultan bowed to him. He had brought with him a gift including some robes; the Sultan took one of the robes, placed it on his shoulder, and did homage in the same manner as people do homage to him."
ثمَّ قدمت الخيل فأخذ السلطان أحدها بيده وقدمه له وحلف أن يركب وأمسك بركابه حتى ركب.ثمَّ ركب السلطان وسايره والشطر يظلهما معًا، وأخذ التنبول بيده وأعطاه إياه وهذا أعظم ما أكرمه به، فإنه لا يفعله مع أحد،,"Then the horses were brought, and the Sultan took one of them with his hand, led it up to him, adjured him to mount, and himself held his stirrup until he mounted. Then the Sultan mounted also and rode alongside him with the parasol shading the two of them together. He took betel-nut with his own hand and offered it to him; this was the highest mark of the Sultan’s consideration for him, for he never does that with anyone."
وقال له لولا أني بايعت الخليفة أبا العباس لبايعتك، فقال له غياث الدين وأنا أيضًا على تلك البيعة، وقال له غياث الدين: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليمًا: «من أحيا أرضًا مواتًا فهي له»، وأنت أحييتنا،,"He said to him also ‘Had I not taken the oath of allegiance to the Caliph Abu’l-’Abbas I should have sworn allegiance to you,’ whereupon Ghiyath al-DIn said to him ‘I too am bound by the same oath.’ Ghiyath al-DIn said to him also ‘The Apostle of God (God’s blessing and peace upon him) said Whoso restores dead land to life, it belongs to him, and you have restored us to life. ’"
فجاوبه السلطان بألطف جواب وأَبَرِّه، ولما وصلا إلى السراجة المُعَدَّة لنزول السلطان أَنْزَلَهُ فيها وضرب للسلطان غيرها،,"The Sultan replied to him in the most courteous and the most affectionate terms, and when they reached the saracha which had been prepared for the Sultan’s occupation he assigned it to him as his residence, and another was pitched for the Sultan."
وباتا تلك الليلة بخارج الحضرة، فلمَّا كان بالغد دخلا إلى دار المُلْك وأنزله بالمدينة المعروفة بسيري، وبدار الخلافة أيضًا في القصر الذي بناه علاء الدين الخلجي وابنه قطب الدين،,"After passing that night outside the city they made their entrance into the capital on the following morning. The Sultan assigned him a residence in the town which is called Sir! and known also as the ‘Abode of the Caliphate’, in the castle built by ‘Ala al-Din al-Khalji and his son Qutb al-Din."
وأَمَرَ السلطان جميع الأمراء أن يمضوا معه إليه، وأَعَدَّ له فيه جميع ما يحتاج إليه من أواني الذهب والفضة، حتى كان من جملتها مغتسل يغتسل فيه من ذهب،,The Sultan ordered all the amirs to accompany him to the castle and furnished it for him with all that he might need of gold and silver vessels. Among them there was even a golden bath tub in which to wash himself.
وبعث له أربعمائة ألف دينار لغسل رأسه على العادة، وبعث له جملة من الفتيان والخدم والجواري، وعَيَّنَ له عن نفقته في كل يوم ثلاثمائة دينار، وبعث له زيادة إليها عددًا من الموائد بالطعام الخاص، وأعطاه جميع مدينة سيري إقطاعًا، وجميع ما احْتَوَتْ عليه من الدور، وما يتصل بها من بساتين المخزن وأرضه، وأعطاه مائة قرية، وأعطاه حُكْم البلاد الشرقية المضافة لدهلي،,"He also sent him four hundred thousand dinars to ‘wash his head’, according to the usual custom, and a number of pages, servants, and female slaves, and assigned him three hundred dinars a day for his expenses, besides sending him in addition a number of tables with food prepared for his own use. He endowed him further with the whole town of Slrl as an estate, together with all that it contained of houses and the contiguous gardens and lands belonging to the public treasury, as well as a hundred villages and the government of the eastern territories attached to Dihli."
وأعطاه ثلاثين بغلة بالسروج المذهبة ويكون علفها من المخزن، وأمره ألَّا ينزل عن دابته إذا أتى دارَ السلطان، إلَّا في موضع خاصٍّ لا يدخله أحد راكبًا سوى السلطان، وأَمَرَ الناس جميعًا من كبير وصغير أن يخدموا له كما يخدمون للسلطان،,"He gave him also thirty mules with gilded saddles, whose forage would be supplied by the treasury. He ordered him not to descend from his mount when he visited the Sultan’s palace except at a particular place where no one might enter on horseback except the Sultan himself, and he ordered the whole population, great and small, to do homage to him in the same way as they do homage to the Sultan."
وإذا دخل على السلطان ينزل له عن سريره، وإن كان على الكرسي قام قائمًا وخدم كل واحد منهما لصاحبه، ويجلس مع السلطان على بساط واحد،,"When he entered the presence of the Sultan the latter would come down from his throne as a mark of respect, and if he were on a chair he would rise to his feet. Each one of them would then make obeisance to one another and he would sit down beside the Sultan on the same carpet."
وإذا قام قام السلطان لقيامه وخدم كل واحد منهما لصاحبه، وإذا انصرف إلى خارجِ المجلس جُعِلَ له بساط يقعد عليه ما شاء، ثمَّ ينصرف؛ يفعل هذا مرتين في اليوم.,"When he rose the Sultan rose also and they made obeisance to one another, and when he went outside the audience hall a carpet was placed for him to sit on as long as he might wish, after which he would return home. He used to do this twice a day."
حكاية من تعظيمه إياه,An anecdote showing the Sultan’s respect for him.
وفي أثناء مُقامه بدهلي قدم الوزير من بلاد بنجالة، فأمر السلطان كبار الأمراء أن يخرجوا إلى استقباله، ثمَّ خرج بنفسه إلى استقباله وعَظَّمَه تعظيمًا كثيرًا، وصُنِعَت القباب بالمدينة كما تُصْنَع للسلطان إذ قَدِمَ،,"During his stay at Dihli the vizier arrived from the land of Bengal, and the Sultan gave orders to all the principal amirs to go out to meet him. Finally he went out himself to greet him and showed him great honour, and pavilions were set up in the city just as is done for the Sultan’s entry."
وخرج ابن الخليفة للقائه أيضًا والفقهاء والقضاة والأعيان، فلمَّا عاد السلطان لقصره قال للوزير: امْضِ إلى دار المخدوم زاده — وبذلك يدعوه — ومعنى ذلك ابن المخدوم،,"The Caliph’s son went out to meet him also, together with the doctors of the law, the qadis and the notables, and when the Sultan returned to his palace he said to the vizier ‘Go to the residence of Makhdum-zada.’ This was what he used to call him, and it means ‘the son of the master’."
فسار الوزير إليه وأهدى له ألفي تنكة من الذهب وأثوابًا كثيرة، وحضر الأمير قبولة وغيره من كبار الأمراء، وحضَرْتُ أنا كذلك.,So the vizier went to visit him and made him a gift of two thousand tangahs of gold and many woven stuffs. The amir Qabila and others of the principal amirs and I myself were present on this occasion.
حكاية نحوها,A similar anecdote.
وَفَدَ على السلطان ملك غزنة المسمى ببهرام، وكان بينه وبين ابن الخليفة عداوة قديمة، فأمر السلطان بإنزاله ببعض دور مدينة سيري التي لابن الخليفة، وأمر أن يبنى له بها دار،,"Amongst those who came to visit the Sultan was the king of Ghazna, named Bahram, between whom and the Caliph’s son there was an enmity of long standing. The Sultan gave orders for his lodging in one of the houses of the town of Siri, which belonged to the Caliph’s son, and ordered that a mansion should be built for him there."
فبلغ ذلك ابن الخليفة فغضب منه ومضى إلى دار السلطان فجلس على البساط الذي عادَتُه الجلوس عليه، وبعث إلى الوزير فقال له: سَلِّم على خوند عالم، وقل له: إنَّ جميع ما أعطانيه هو بمنزلي,"The Caliph’s son on hearing of this, flew into a rage and, going to the Sultan’s palace, sat down on the carpet on which he was accustomed to sit, sent for the vizier and said to him ‘Make my salutations to Khund ‘Alam, and say to him that everything that he has given to me is still in my residence."
لم أتصرف في شيء منه، بل زاد عندي ونما، وأنا لا أقيم معكم وقام وانصرف، فسأل الوزيرُ بَعْضَ أصحابه عن سبب هذا، فأَعْلَمَهُ أنَّ سببه أَمْر السلطان ببناء الدار لملك غزنة في مدينة سيري،,"I have disposed of none of it, but on the contrary it has increased under my care, and I shall no longer stay with you.’ Then he rose and went back. The vizier asked one of his suite the cause of this behaviour and was informed that it was due to the Sultan’s orders to build a mansion for the king of Ghazna in the town of Siri."
فدخل الوزير على السلطان فأَعْلَمَهُ بذلك، فرَكِبَ من حينه في عشرة من ناسه، وأتى منزل ابن الخليفة فاستأذن له ونزل عن فرسه خارج القصر حيث ينزل الناس، فتلقاه واعتذر له,"The vizier then went in to the Sultan and informed him of this, whereupon he mounted at once with ten of his household and came to the residence of the Caliph’s son. He asked to be announced to him and dismounted from his horse outside the palace, where the general public were accustomed to dismount, then on meeting him made his apologies to him."
فقبل عُذْرَه، وقال له السلطان: واللهِ ما أَعْلَم أنك راضٍ عني حتى تَضَعَ قدمك على عنقي، فقال له: هذا ما لا أفعله ولو قُتِلْتُ، فقال له السلطان: وحَقِّ رأسي لا بُدَّ لك من ذلك،,"The Caliph’s son accepted his apology, but the Sultan said to him ‘By God, I shall not know that you are content with me until you place your foot on my neck.’ He replied ‘This I can never do, even if I were condemned to death.’ The Sultan then said ‘I swear by my head that you positively must do this.’"
ثمَّ وَضَعَ رأسه في الأرض وأَخَذَ الملك الكبير قبولة رِجْل ابن الخليفة بيده فوضعها على عنق السلطان، ثم قام وقال: الآن علمت أنك راضٍ عليَّ وطاب قلبي، وهذه حكاية غريبة لم يُسْمَع بمثلها عن مَلِكٍ،,"Then he placed his head on the ground and the great king Qabula took the foot of the Caliph’s son in his hand and set it on the Sultan’s neck. Then he rose and said ‘Now I know that you are satisfied with me and my heart is at ease.’ This is a strange story, the like of which has not been told of any other king."
ولقد حَضَرْتُه يوم عيدٍ وقد جاءه الملك الكبير بثلاث خلع من عند السلطان مفرجة، قد جَعَلَ مكان عقد الحرير التي تُعَلَّق بها حباتِ جوهر قَدْر البندق الكبير، وقام الملك الكبير ببابه حتى نزل من قصره فكساه إياها، والذي أعطاه هو ما لا يحصره العد ولا يحيط به الحد، وابن الخليفة مع ذلك كله أبخل خلق الله تعالى،,"I was present with this person on a festival day when the great king [Qabula brought him three ‘open’ ceremonial robes from the Sultan; these had in place of the usual silk fastenings pearl buttons of the size of a large hazelnut. The great king stood waiting at the gate of his residence until he came out and then clothed him with them. What the Sultan gave him is beyond reckoning and limit, yet with all that the Caliph’s son was the most miserly of God’s creatures."
وله في البخل أخبار عجيبة يعجب منها سامعها وكأنه كان من البخل بمنزلة السلطان من الكرم، ولنذكر بعض أخباره في ذلك.,"On the subject of his miserliness there are told such strange stories and so astonishing to the hearer, that he can be said to have occupied in degree of avarice the position which the Sultan occupied in degree of generosity. We shall now mention some incidents of this kind."
حكاية من بخل ابن الخليفة,Stories of the avarice of the Caliph’s son.
وكانت بيني وبينه مودة، وكنت كثير التردد إلى منزله، وعنده تركت ولدًا لي سميته أحمد لَمَّا سافرت، ولا أدري ما فَعَلَ الله بهما،,"He and I were on terms of friendship. I used to visit him frequently in his house and I even left with him a son of mine, whom I had called Ahmad, when I left DihlL I do not know what God has done with either of them."
فقلت له يومًا: لِمَ تأكلُ وحدك ولا تَجْمَع أصحابك على الطعام؟ فقال لي: لا أستطيع أن أنظر إليهم على كثرتهم وهم يأكلون طعامي، فكان يأكل وحده ويعطي صاحبه محمد بن أبي الشرفي من الطعام لمن أحب ويتصرف في باقيه،,"I said to him one day ‘Why do you eat by yourself and never invite your friends to join in your meals?’ He replied ‘I cannot bear to see them there in large numbers eating my food.’ So he used to eat alone and to give his friend Muhammad ibn Abu’l-Sharafr some of the food for whomsoever he wished, and himself disposed of the rest."
وكنت أتردد إليه فأرى دهليز قصره الذي يسكن به مُظْلِمًا لا سراج به، ورأيته مرارًا يجمع الأعواد الصغار من الحطب بداخل بستانه، وقد ملأ منها مَخَازِنَ، فكَلَّمْتُه في ذلك فقال لي يحتاج إليها،,On my visits to him I observed that the vestibule of the palace in which he lived was dark and unlighted. I often saw him picking up little pieces of wood suitable for burning in his garden; indeed he filled whole store houses with them and when I spoke to him about this he said to me ‘They may be needed.’
وكان يخدم أصحابه ومماليكه وفتيانه في خدمة البستان وبنائه، ويقول: لا أرضى أن يأكلوا طعامي وهم لا يخدمون، وكان عليَّ مرةً دَيْنٌ فطُلِبْتُ به، فقال لي في بعض الأيام: والله لقد هممت أن أؤدي عنك دينك فلم تسمح نفسي بذلك ولا ساعَدَتْني عليه.,"He used to employ his attendants, mamluks, and pages on work in his garden and on laying it out, and he used to say ‘I am not willing that they should eat my food and do no work.’ On one occasion I had a debt which I was called upon to pay, and he said to me one day ‘Truly I did intend to pay your debt for you, but I could not find it in my heart to do so or bring myself to it.’"
حكاية,Anecdote.
حدثني مرة قال: خرجت عن بغداد وأنا رابع أربعة، أحدهم محمد بن أبي الشرفي صاحبه، ونحن على أقدامنا ولا زاد عندنا، فنزلنا على عين ماء ببعض القرى فوجد أحدنا في العين درهمًا، فقلنا: وما نصنع بدرهم؟ فاتفقنا على أن نشتري به خبزًا، فبعثنا أحدنا لشرائه,He once told me the following story. ‘I went out from Baghdad (he said) with three other persons (one of whom was his friend Muhammad ibn Abu’l-Sharafr). We were walking on foot and had no provisions with us. We stopped near a water-spring at a certain village and one of us found a dirham in the spring. We discussed what we should do with one dirham and having agreed to buy bread with it sent one of our number to do so.
فأبى الخبَّاز بتلك القرية أن يبيع الخبز وحده، وإنما يبيع خبزًا بقيراط وتبنًا بقيراط، فاشترى منه الخبز والتبن فطرحنا التبن إذ لا دابة لنا تأكله، وقسمنا الخبز لقمة لقمة، وقد انتهى حالي اليوم إلى ما تراه،,"The baker in that village refused to sell bread by itself but would sell it only along with an equal value of straw, so he brought both bread and straw from him. We threw away the straw since we had no animal with us to eat it, and divided the bread amongst us bite about. Now my fortunes have come to the state in which you see them.’"
فقلت له: ينبغي لك أن تحمد الله على ما أولاك وتؤثر الفقراء والمساكين بالتصدق، فقال: لا أستطيع ذلك، ولم أَرَهُ قط يجود بشيء، ولا يفعل معروفًا — ونعوذ بالله من الشح.,"I said to him ‘It is your duty to praise God for His favour to you and to give liberally to the poor and the needy and justify your wealth by giving alms.’ But he said ‘I cannot do it’, and in fact I never saw him being liberal with anything or doing a generous action—may God preserve us from meanness!"
حكاية,Anecdote.
كنت يومًا ببغداد بعد عودتي من بلاد الهند وأنا قاعد على باب المدرسة المستنصرية التي بناها جده أمير المؤمنين المستنصر — رضي الله عنه — فرأيت شابًّا ضعيف الحال يشتد خلف رجل خارج عن المدرسة،,"One day at Baghdad, after my return from India, I was sitting at the gate of the MustansirIya college, which was built by his ancestor, the Commander of the Faithful alMustansir (God be pleased with him), and I saw a young man in poor circumstances running after a man who was coming out of the college."
فقال لي بعض الطلبة: هذا الشاب الذي تراه هو ابن الأمير محمد حفيد الخليفة المستنصر الذي ببلاد الهند، فدعوته فقلت له: إني قدمت من بلاد الهند وإني أعرفك بخبر أبيك، فقال: قد جاءني خبره في هذه الأيام، ومضى يشتد خلف الرجل،,"One of the students said to me ‘This youth that you see is the son of the amir Muhammad, the grandson of the Caliph al-Mustansir, who is in India.’ So I called him and said to him ‘I have just come from India and can give you news of your father.’ But he answered ‘I have had news of him recently’ and went hurrying off after that man."
فسألت عن الرجل فقيل لي: هو الناطر في الحبس، وهذا الشاب هو إمام ببعض المساجد، وله على ذلك أجرة درهم واحد في اليوم، وهو يطلب أجرته من الرجل،,"I asked who the man was and was told that he was the intendant of the endowment, that this youth was imam [prayer-leader] in one of the mosques at a remuneration of one dirham a day, and that he was asking for the pay due to him from this man."
ذكر ما أعطاه السلطان للأمير سيف الدين غدا بن هبة الله بن مهنى أمير عرب الشام ولما قَدِمَ هذا الأمير على السلطان أَكْرَمَ مثواه وأنزله بقصر السلطان جلال الدين داخل مدينة دهلي،,"The Sultan’s gift to the amir Saif al-Din Ghada, son of Hibat Allah son of Muhanna, the amir of the Arabs in Syria. When this amir came to visit the Sultan he received him hospitably and lodged him in the palace of the Sultan Jalal al-DIn inside the city of DihlI."
ويُعْرَف بكشك، لعل معناه القصر الأحمر، وهو قصر عظيم فيه مشور كبير جدًّا، ودهليز هائل على بابه قبة تشرف على هذا المشور، وعلى المشور الثاني الذي يدخل منه إلى القصر،,"This castle is called Kushki-la’l, which means ‘the red palace’, and it is a huge mansion which includes an exceptionally large audience hall and an immense vestibule. Near the gate there is a pavilion which overlooks this audience hall and also the second audience hall, through which one enters into the palace."
وكان السلطان جلال الدين يقعد بها وتلعب الكرة بين يديه في هذا المشور، وقد دَخَلْتُ هذا القصر عند نزوله به، فرأيته مملوء أثاثًا وفرشًا وبسطًا وغيرها، وذلك كله متمزق لا منتفع فيه، فإن عادتهم بالهند أن يتركوا قصر السلطان إذا مات بجميع ما فيه لا يتعرضون له، ويبني المتولي بعده قصرًا لنفسه،,"The Sultan Jalal al-DIn used to sit in this pavilion while they played mall before him in this audience hall. I went into this palace when the amir took up his residence in it and I found it filled with furniture, beds, carpets, etc., but all of this was tattered and useless; for it is their custom in India to abandon a Sultan’s palace when he dies, with all that is in it, leaving it untouched, and his successor builds a palace for himself."
ولما دَخَلْتُه طُفْتُ به وصعدت إلى أعلاه فكانت لي فيه عِبْرة نشأت عنها عَبْرة، وكان معي الفقيه الطيب الأديب جمال الدين المغربي، الغرناطي الأصل البجائي المولد، مستوطن بلاد الهند قدمها مع أبيه، وله بها أولاد,"When I entered it I went through it thoroughly and climbed up to the top of it. To see it in this condition served me as a lesson which brought tears to my eyes. With me at the time was the doctor of the law and of medicine, the talented Jamal al-DIn al-MaghribI, of Gharnata (Granada) by origin although born at Bijaya and now resident in India, where he had come with his father and now has children."
فأنشدني عندما عايناه (خفيف): وسلاطينُهُم سَلِ الطِّينَ عَنْهُمْ فالرءوس العظام صارت عظامَا,"He recited to me as we viewed this scene As for their Sultans, ask the clay of them— Those powerful heads are now but empty skulls."
وبهذا القصر كانت وليمة عُرْسِه كما نذكره، وكان السلطان شديد المحبة في العرب، مؤثرًا لهم معترفًا بفضائلهم، فلما وصله هذا الأمير أجزل له العطاء وأحسن إليه إحسانًا عظيمًا,"It was in this palace that his marriage feast took place, as we shall relate shortly. The Sultan had a great affection for the Arabs and used to show them special favour and speak highly of their virtues. When this amIr visited him he made large gifts to him and treated him with great munificence."
وأعطاه مرة، وقد قدمت عليه هدية أعظم ملك البايزيدي من بلاد منكبور أحد عشر فرسًا من عتاق الخيل، وأعطاه مرة أخرى عشرة من الخيل مسرجة بالسروج المذهبة عليها اللجم المذهبة، ثمَّ زوجه بعد ذلك بأخته فيروز خوندة.,"Once when there was brought before him the gift of A’zam Malik alBayazIdI from the province of Manikbur, he presented the amIr with eleven thoroughbred horses, and on another occasion he gave him ten horses equipped with gilded saddles and with gilded bridles. Then over and above that he married him to his sister Frruz Khunda."
ذكر تزوُّج الأمير سيف الدين بأخت السلطان,The marriage of the amir Saif al-Din with the Sultan’s sister.
ولما أمر السلطان بتزويج أخته للأمير غدا،,When the Sultan gave orders for his sister’s marriage to the amrr Ghada
عَيَّنَ للقيام بشأن الوليمة ونفقاتها الملك فتح الله المعروف بشونوبس (بشين معجم مفتوح، وواوين أولهما مسكن والآخر مكسور، بينهما نون آخره سين مهمل)،,"he designated the malik Fathallah called ShawnawTs to make all arrangements for the marriage feast and its expenses,"
وعينني لملازمة الأمير غدا والكون معه في تلك الأيام،,and he designated me to attend on the amrr Ghada and to remain with him during those days.
فأتى الملك فتح الله بالصيوانات,The malik Fathallah brought marquees
فظلل بها المشورين بالقصر الأحمر المذكور،,and with them he covered the two audience halls in the Red Palace above-mentioned
وضرب في كل واحد منهما قبة ضخمة جدًّا، وفرش ذلك بالفرش الحسان،,In each hall he erected a pavilion of extraordinary size and furnished it with fine [cushions and] carpets.
وأتى شمس الدين التبريزي أمير المطربين ومعه الرجال المغنون والنساء المغنيات والرواقص,"Shams al-DTn al-TabrlzI, the amrr of the musicians, came with the male singers and the female singers and dancers,"
وكلهن مماليك السلطان،,all of whom are the Sultan’s slaves.
وأحضر الطباخين والخبازين والشوائين والحلوانيين والشربدارية والتنبول داران,"[The intendant] brought cooks, bakers, roasters, pastry cooks, butlers and betel-servers,"
وذبحت الأنعام والطيور، وأقاموا يطعمون الناس خمسة عشر يومًا,and cattle and birds were slaughtered and they continued to supply the people with food for fifteen days.
ويحضر الأمراء الكبار والأعزة ليلًا ونهارًا،,The principal amrrs and distinguished foreigners were present night and day.
فلما كان قبل ليلة الزفاف بليلتين جاء الخواتين من دار السلطان ليلًا إلى هذا القصر،,"Two nights before the night of the wedding procession the khatuns came from the Sultan’s palace to this mansion,"
فزينه وفرشته بأحسن الفرش،,"and having decorated it and furnished it luxuriously,"
واستحضر الأمير سيف الدين وكان عربيًّا غريبًا لا قرابة له،,"they sent for the amTr Saif al-DTn (who was an Arab and a stranger and without kinsfolk),"
فخففن به وأجلسنه على مرتبة معينة له،,put him in the midst of them and made him sit on a cushion which had been placed for him.
وكان السلطان قد أمر أن تكون ربيبته أم أخيه مبارك خان مقام أم الأمير غدا،,"The Sultan had given orders that his step-mother, the mother of his brother Mubarak Khan, should take the place of the mother of the amTr Ghada,"
وأن تكون امرأة أخرى من الخواتين مقام أخته، وأخرى مقام عمته، وأخرى مقام خالته؛,"that another lady among the khatuns should take the place of his sister, another that of his paternal aunt, and another that of his maternal aunt,"
حتى يكون كأنه بين أهله،,so that he might feel himself to be amongst his own people.
ولما أجلسنه على المرتبة جَعَلْنَ له الحناء في يديه ورجليه،,"When they sat him down on the cushion they dyed his hands and his feet with henna,"
وأقام باقيهن على رأسه يُغَنِّين ويرقصن،,and the rest of them stood before him singing and dancing.
وانصرفْنَ إلى قَصْر الزفاف، وأقام هو مع خواصِّ أصحابه.,After that they withdrew to the mansion in which the wedding was to take place and he stayed behind with his principal companions.
وعَيَّنَ السلطان جماعة من الأمراء يكونون من جهته، وجماعة يكونون من جهة الزوجة،,The Sultan designated a body of amrrs to be of his party and another body to be of the bride’s party.
وعادتهم أن تَقِفَ الجماعة التي من جهة الزوجة على باب الموضع الذي تكون به جلوتها على زوجها،,"It is their custom that the bride’s party stands before the door of the apartment in which the bride will unveil herself to her husband,"
ويأتي الزوج بجماعته فلا يدخلون إلَّا أن غلبوا أصحاب الزوجة،,"and the husband comes with his party but they cannot enter until they have overcome the bride’s supporters,"
أو يعطونهم الآلاف من الدنانير إن لم يقدروا عليهم،,or given them some thousands of dinars if they cannot get the better of them.
ولما كان بعد المغرب أتى إليه بخلعة حرير زرقاء مزركشة مرصعة،,After sunset [on the wedding day] there was brought to the amTr Ghada a ceremonial robe of blue silk embroidered and encrusted with jewels;
قد غلبت الجواهر عليها فلا يظهر لونها مما عليها من الجوهر وبشاشية مثل ذلك،,"the jewels covered it so completely that its colour was not visible because of the quantity of them, and it was the same with his turban."
ولم أرَ قط خلعة أجمل من هذه الخلعة،,"I never saw a more beautiful robe than this one,"
وقد رأيت ما خلعه السلطان على سائر أصهاره مثل ابن ملك الملوك عماد الدين السمناني، وابن ملك العلماء، وابن شيخ الإسلام، وابن صدر جهان البخاري،,"although I have seen the robes given by the Sultan to his other brothers-in-law, like the son of the malik of maliks ‘Imad al-DTn al-Simnam, the son of the Malik al-’Ulama, the son of the Shaikh al-Islam, and the son of Sadr Jahan al-BukharI,"
فلم يكن فيها مثل هذه،,and there was not one of them to match this robe.
ثمَّ ركب الأمير سيف الدين في أصحابه وعبيده،,"The amrr Saif al-DTn then mounted along with his supporters and slaves,"
وفي يد كل واحد منهم عصى قد أعدها,each of them carrying in his hand a staff prepared for the occasion.
وصنعوا شبه إكليل من الياسمين والنسرين وريبول، وله رفرف يغطي وَجْه المتكلل به وصدره،,"They had made a sort of crown of jasmine, muskrose and raibul, with a veil long enough to cover the head and chest of its wearer;"
وأتوا به الأمير ليجعله على رأسه فأبى من ذلك،,"but when they brought it to the amrr to put over his head, he refused to do so."
وكان من عرب البادية لا عهد له بأمور الملك والحضر،,"He was [after all] an Arab of the desert, unfamiliar with the ways of kings and settled folk."
فحاولته وحلفت عليه حتى جعله على رأسه,I tried to persuade him and adjured him until at last he put it on his head
وأتى باب الصرف — ويسمونه باب الحرم — وعليه جماعة الزوجة،,"and [so] came to the bab alsarf, which they call also by the name of bab al-haram, at which the bride’s party was stationed."
فحمل عليهم بأصحابه حملة عربية وصرعوا كل من عارضهم,He led a proper Arab charge upon them with his supporters and unhorsed all those who stood in their way.
فغلبوا عليهم، ولم يكن لجماعة الزوجة من ثبات،,"So the amir and his men vanquished them, and the bride’s party could make no kind of firm resistance."
وبلغ ذلك السلطان فأعجبه فِعْله,"When the Sultan was told of this, he was pleased with his exploit."
ودخل إلى المشور،,"When the amir entered the audience-hall,"
وقد جُعِلَت العروس فوق منبر عالٍ مُزَيَّن بالديباج، مُرَصَّع بالجوهر,"the bride had already been placed on a high pulpit, adorned with brocade [hangings] and encrusted with jewels."
والمشور، ملآن بالنساء والمطربات قد أحضرن أنواع الآلات المطربة,"The hall was filled with women, and the female musicians had brought all kinds of musical instruments;"
وكلهن وقوف على قدم؛ إجلالًا له وتعظيمًا،,all of them were standing on their feet to show him honour and respect.
فدخل بفرسه حتى قرب من المنبر,"He entered on horseback [and proceeded] until he came up to the pulpit,"
فنزل وخدم عند أول درجة منه.,"when he dismounted, and made the gesture of homage on reaching its first step."
وقامت العروس قائمة حتى صعد,"The bride rose up, standing until he mounted to the top,"
فأعطته التنبول بيدها، فأخذه وجلس تحت الدرجة التي وقفت بها,"when she gave him betel with her own hand, and after eating it he sat down below the step on which she had stood."
ونثرت دنانير الذهب على رءوس الحاضرين من أصحابه، ولقطتها النساء,"Gold dinars were thrown over those of his friends who were present, and the women picked them up;"
والمغنيات يغنين حينئذ والأطبال والأبواق والأنفار تضرب خارج الباب،,"at the same time, the singing-girls were singing away, and drums, bugles and fifes were sounded outside the gate."
ثمَّ قام الأمير وأخذ بيد زوجته ونزل وهي تتبعه،,"The amir then rose, took his bride by the hand, and came down, she following him."
فركب فرسه يطأ به الفرش والبسط ونثرت الدنانير عليه وعلى أصحابه،,"He mounted his horse on which he rode over the carpets and rugs, and dinars were [again] thrown over him and his companions."
وجعلت العروس في محفة وحملها العبيد على أعناقهم إلى قصره،,"The bride was placed in a litter, which was carried by slaves on their shoulders to his palace,"
والخواتين بين يديها راكبات وغيرهن من النساء ماشيات،,conducted by the khatuns riding on horseback in front of her while the rest of the women walked.
وإذا مروا بدار أمير أو كبير,"Every time the procession passed by the residence of an amir or person of consequence,"
خرج إليهم ونثر عليهم الدنانير والدراهم على قدر همته,"he came out to [salute] them and scattered over them gold and silver coins, as dictated by his interest or concern,"
حتى أوصلوها إلى قصره،,until they brought her to the palace of the amir Saif al-DIn.
ولما كان بالغد بعثت العروس إلى جميع أصحاب زوجها الثياب والدنانير والدراهم،,"On the next day, the bride sent robes and gold and silver coins to all of her husband’s companions."
وأعطى السلطان لكل واحد منهم فرسًا مسرجًا ملجمًا، وبدرة دراهم من ألف دينار إلى مائتي دينار،,"The Sultan also gave to each one of them a horse with its saddle and bridle and a purse of silver coins, ranging from one thousand to two hundred dinars."
وأعطى الملك فتح الله للخواتين ثياب الحرير المنوعة والبدر،,"The malik Fathallah [the shawnawis] presented the khatuns with silk robes of divers sorts and purses as well,"
وكذلك لأهل الطرب،,and made similar presents to the musicians.
وعادتهم ببلاد الهند ألَّا يعطي أحد شيئًا لأهل الطرب إنما يعطيهم صاحب العرس،,It is the custom in India that no one should give presents to the musicians; only the director of the wedding ceremony may do so.
وأطعم الناس جميعًا ذلك اليوم، وانقضى العرس,A meal was served to the whole populace that day and [with this] the wedding ceremonies came to an end.
وأمر السلطان أن يعطى للأمير غدا بلاد المالوة والجزات وكنباية ونهروالة،,"The Sultan gave orders that the amir Ghada should be given [a grant for] the lands of Malwa, al-Guzarat, Kanbaya and Nahrawala,"
وجعل فتح الله المذكور نائبًا عنه عليها،,and he appointed the above-mentioned Fathallah as substitute for him in their government.
وعظمه تعظيمًا شديدًا،,"[In fine] the Sultan showed him immense honour,"
وكان عربيًّا جافيًا فلم يقدر قدر ذلك،,"but he was a raw bedouin, who did not measure up to this standard;"
وغلب عليه جفاء البادية,"the rudeness of the desert folk was his dominant trait,"
فأداه ذلك إلى النكبة بعد عشرين ليلة من زفافه.,and it brought him to disaster [only] twenty days after his wedding.
ذكر سجن الأمير غدا,The imprisonment of the amir Ghada.
ولما كان بعد عشرين يومًا من زفافه اتفق أنه وصل إلى دار السلطان، فأراد الدخول,Twenty days after his wedding it happened that he came to the Sultan’s palace and made to enter.
فمنعه أمير البرد (البردة) دارية، وهم الخواص من البوابين,"The amir of the barddariya (who are the high-ranking doorkeepers) stopped him,"
فلم يسمع منه وأراد التَّقَحُّم،,but the Arab would not listen to him and tried to force his way in.
فأمْسَكَ البواب بدبوقته وهي الضفيرة ورَدَّهُ،,"The doorkeeper then seized his dabbuqa, that is his braided lock, and pulled him back,"
فضربه الأمير بعصًى كانت هنالك حتى أدماه،,"whereupon the amir struck him with a baton that he found to his hand there, and so violently as to cause him to bleed."
وكان هذا المضروب من كبار الأمراء,Now this person who received the blows was one of the great amirs;
يُعْرَف أبوه بقاضي غزنة، وهو من ذرية السلطان محمود بن سبكتكين,his father was known as ‘the qadi of Ghazna’ and was a descendant of the Sultan Mahmud ibn Sabuktagin.
والسلطان يخاطبه بالأدب ويخاطب ابنه هذا بالأخ،,"The Sultan used to address him as ‘father’, and to call this son of his ‘brother’."
فدخل على السلطان والدَّمُ على ثيابه، فأخبره بما صَنَعَ الأمير غدا,"So, when he went into the Sultan’s presence with blood on his garments and told him how the amir had behaved,"
ففَكَّرَ السلطان هنيهة ثم قال له: القاضي يفصل بينكما،,the Sultan pondered for a moment and then said ‘The qadi will decide the case between you.’
وتلك جريمة لا يغفرها السلطان لأحد من ناسه،,"The assault was (in fact) a criminal act, for which the Sultan will not forgive any of his subjects"
ولا بُدَّ من الموت عليها،,"and which is inevitably punished by death,"
وإنما احتمله لغربته،,but he showed forbearance to the amir because he was a foreigner.
وكان القاضي كمال الدين بالمشور,"The qadi Kamal al-Din was present in the audience-hall,"
فأمر السلطان الملك تتر أن يقف معهما عند القاضي.,and the Sultan ordered the malik Tatar to attend the qadi’s sitting with them.
وكان تتر حاجًّا مجاورًا يُحْسِن العربية,"Tatar had made the pilgrimage to Mecca and sojourned there, and spoke Arabic well."
فحضر معهما,"When he came in with the two of them,"
وقال للأمير أنت ضربته، أو قل لا,"he said to the amir [Ghada] ‘You struck him? Rather say “No”‘,"
لقصد أن يعلمه الحجة،,his intention being to instruct him how to plead.
وكان سيف الدين جاهلًا مغترًّا، فقال: نعم أنا ضربته،,"But the amir Saif al-Din was a light-witted and rash person, and he said ‘Of course I struck him.’"
وأتى والد المضروب فرام الإصلاح بينهما,"The father of the man who had been beaten came and tried to get the matter settled amicably between them,"
فلم يقبل سيف الدين،,but Saif al-Din would not yield.
فأمر القاضي بسجنه تلك الليلة،,So the qadi ordered him to be imprisoned for that night.
فوالله ما بعثت له زوجته فراشًا ينام عليه، ولا سألت عنه خوفًا من السلطان،,"And by God, his wife neither sent him bedding to sleep on nor even asked for news of him, out of fear of the Sultan;"
وخاف أصحابه فودعوا أموالهم,his associates too were afraid and put their valuables into safekeeping.
وأردت زيارته بالسجن،,"I had it in mind to visit him in the prison,"
فلقيني بعض الأمراء,"but then one of the great amirs happened to meet me,"
وفهم عني أني أريد زيارته فقال لي أَوَنَسِيت؟,and on gathering from me that I meant to visit him said to me ‘Can you have forgotten?’
وذَكَّرَني بقضية اتفقت لي في زيارة الشيخ شهاب الدين بن شيخ الجام،,"This was to remind me of an incident that had occurred to me in connection with a visit to the shaikh Shihab al-Din, the son ofthe shaikh al-Jam,"
وكيف أراد السلطان قتلي على ذلك حسبما يقع ذِكْره,and how the Sultan had intended to kill me for this reason as I shall tell later.
فرجعْتُ ولم أَزُرْهُ،,So I turned back and did not visit him.
وتخلص الأمير غدا عند الظهر من سجنه،,The amir Ghada was released from his imprisonment about noon;
فأظهر السلطان أعماله وأضرب عمَّا كان أَمَرَ له بولايته,"thereafter, the Sultan ostentatiously disregarded him, retracted the orders that he had given for his territorial grant,"
وأراد نفيه،,and had in mind to force him to leave India.
وكان للسلطان صهر يسمى بمغيث بن ملك الملوك،,"Now the Sultan had a brother-in-law named Mughith, a son of the ‘king of kings’,"
وكانت أخت السلطان تشكوه لأخيها إلى أن ماتت،,"about whose conduct the Sultan’s sister used to complain to her brother, until finally she died."
فذَكَرَ جواريها أنها ماتت بسبب قهره لها،,Her slave-girls stated that her death was due to the violence with which he treated her;
وكان في نسبه مغمز,"there was, besides, some cause for doubt as to his legitimate descent."
فكتب السلطان بخط يجلي اللقيط يعنيه،,"So the Sultan wrote [an order] with his own hand ‘Let the foundling be expelled,’ meaning Mughith,"
ثم كتب ويجلي موش خوار,and then wrote after this ‘and let mush khwar be expelled too’.
معناه آكل الفيران يعني بذلك الأمير غدا؛,"The meaning of this is ‘eater of rats’, and by that he meant the amir Ghada,"
لأن عرب البادية يأكلون اليربوع وهو شبه الفأر،,"because the Arabs of the desert eat the jerboa, which is a kind of rat."
وأمر بإخراجهما فجاءه النقباء ليخرجوه,On his orders to drive them out the naqibs came to the amir to expel him;
فأراد دخول داره ووداع أهله،,"he went into his house, intending to bid farewell to his wife,"
فترادف النقباء في طلبه فخرج باكيًا،,but the naqibs made a concerted effort to seek him out and he emerged in tears.
وتوجَّهْتُ حين ذلك إلى دار السلطان فبِتُّ بها,At this point I went to the Sultan’s palace and spent the night in it.
فسألني عن مبيتي بعضُ الأمراء،,"One of the amirs asked me the reason why I remained overnight,"
فقلت له: جئت لأتكلم في الأمير سيف الدين حتى يُرَدَّ ولا يُنْفَى،,"and when I told him that I had come to plead for the amir Saif al-Din, that he might be recalled and not exiled,"
فقال: لا يكون ذلك،,he said ‘It can’t be done.’
فقلت له: والله لأبيتن بدار السلطان,"But I said to him ‘By God, I shall continue to spend the night in the Sultan’s palace,"
ولو بلغ مبيتي مائة ليلة حتى يرد،,even if I have to stay for a hundred nights until he is recalled’.
فبلغ ذلك السلطان,"This was reported to the Sultan,"
فأمر برده,and he did order that he should be recalled
وأمره أن يكون في خدمة الأمير ملك قبولة اللاهوري،,and commanded further that he should be attached to the service of the amir Malik Qabula al-Lahawri.
فأقام أربعة أعوام في خدمته,"He remained for four years in his service,"
يركب لركوبه ويسافر لسفره,"riding when he rode and accompanying him on his journeys,"
حتى تأدب وتهذب،,and as a result of this training learned good manners and refinement.
ثم أعاده السلطان إلى ما كان عليه أوَّلًا,"The Sultan restored him to his former honours,"
وأقطعه البلاد، وقدمه على العساكر,"gave him assignments of land and the command of troops,"
ورفع قدره.,and elevated him in rank.
ذكر تزويج السلطان بنتَيْ وزيره لابنَيْ خداوند زاده قوام الدين الذي قدم معنا عليه,"The marriage arranged by the Sultan between the two daughters of his vizier and the two sons of Khudhawand-Zada Qiwam al-Din, who came to his court along with us."
ولما قدم خداوند زاده أعطاه السلطان عطاء جزلًا، وأحسن إليه إحسانًا عظيمًا،,"When Khudhawand-Zada came to the court, the Sultan bestowed on him an immense revenue and lavish benefactions,"
وبالَغَ في إكرامه،,and went to great lengths in showing him honour.
ثمَّ زوج ولديه في بنتَي الوزير خواجة جهان،,Subsequently he married Khudhawand-Zada’s two sons to the two daughters of the vizier Khwaja Jahan.
وكان الوزير إذ ذاك غائبًا,"The vizier himself was absent at that time,"
فأتى السلطان إلى داره ليلًا وحضر عقد النكاح كأنه نائب عن الوزير،,so the Sultan came to his residence by night and attended the ceremony of the marriage contract as though in the capacity of deputy for the vizier.
ووقف حتى قرأ قاضي القضاة الصداق والقضاة والأمراء والمشايخ قعود،,"He stood until the Grand Qadi read the statement of the dowry, while the qadis, amirs and shaikhs remained seated."
وأخذ السلطان بيده الأثواب والبدر فجعلها بين يدي القاضي وولدي خداوند زاده،,The Sultan took up with his own hands the fabrics and purses [specified in the deeds of dowry] and placed them before the qadi and the two sons of Khudhawand-Zada.
وقام الأمراء وأَبَوْ أن يَجْعَلَ السلطان ذلك بين أيديهم بنفسه،,"[At this point] the amirs rose up, protesting that the Sultan should not take upon himself the placing of these gifts before the qadi and bridegrooms,"
فأمرهم بالجلوس وأَمَرَ بعض كبار الأمراء أن يقوم مقامه وانصرف.,"but he commanded them to sit down, and after ordering one of the high amirs to take his place he withdrew."
حكاية في تواضع السلطان وإنصافه,Anecdote on the humility of the Sultan and his sense of equity.
ادعى عليه رجل من كبار الهنود أنه قَتَلَ أخاه من غير موجب،,"One of the Hindu chiefs brought a claim against him that he had killed the chief’s brother without just cause,"
ودعاه إلى القاضي,and cited him to appear before the qadi.
فمضى على قدميه ولا سلاح معه إلى مجلس القاضي,"Whereupon he went on foot and unarmed to the qadl’s tribunal,"
فسلم وخدم،,"saluted and made the sign of homage,"
وكان قد أَمَرَ القاضيَ قبل ذلك أنه إذا جاءه إلى مجلسه فلا يقوم له ولا يتحرك،,"having previously sent orders to the qadi that on his arrival at the tribunal, he (the qadi) should not stand up for him nor move from his place."
فصعد إلى المجلس ووقف بين يدي القاضي,"He walked up to the tribunal and remained standing before the qadi,"
فحَكَمَ عليه أن يُرْضِيَ خصمه من دم أخيه فأرضاه.,"who gave judgement against him, [decreeing] that he should give satisfaction to his opponent for his brother’s blood, and he did so."
حكاية مثلها,A similar anecdote.
وادعى على السلطان مرةً رجلٌ من المسلمين أنه له قِبَلَهُ حقًّا ماليًّا،,"An individual, who was a Muslim, once brought a claim against the Sultan that the latter owed him certain moneys."
فتخاصما في ذلك عند القاضي، فتَوَجَّهَ الحُكْم على السلطان بإعطاء المال فأعطاه.,"They argued the case before the qadi, and judgement was given against the Sultan, enjoining him to pay the sum, which he did."
حكاية مثلها,A similar anecdote.
وادعى عليه صبي من أبناء الملوك أنه ضَرَبَهُ من غير موجب,"A young boy, one of the sons of the maliks, brought a claim against the Sultan that the latter had struck him without just cause,"
ورفعه إلى القاضي،,and cited him before the qadi.
فتَوَجَّه الحكم عليه أن يرضيه بالمال,"Judgement was given against the Sultan, to the effect that he should give the plaintiff monetary compensation,"
إن قَبِلَ ذلك، وإلَّا أمكنه من القصاص،,"if he would accept that, or alternatively allow him to exercise his right to retaliate in kind."
فشاهَدْتُه يومئذٍ وقد عادَ لمجلسه واستحضر الصبي وأعطاه عصًا,"I was present that day when the Sultan returned to his audience-hall, and saw him summon the boy, give him a stick"
وقال له: وحقِّ رأسي لَتَضْرِبَنَّنِي كما ضربتك،,"and say to him, ‘By my head, you shall strike me just as I struck you.’"
فأخذ الصبي العصا وضَرَبَهُ بها إحدى وعشرين ضربةً حتى رأيت الكلأ (الكلاء) قد طارَتْ عن رأسه.,"Whereupon the boy took the stick and gave him twenty-one blows, so that I actually saw his high cap fly off his head."
ذكر اشتداده في إقامة الصلاة,His insistence on the observance of the ritual prayers.
وكان السلطان شديدًا في إقامة الصلاة، آمرًا بملازمتها في الجماعات،,"The Sultan was strict about the observance of the prayers, making congregational attendance at them obligatory,"
يُعَاقِب على تَرْكها أشد العقاب،,and punishing any dereliction of them most severely.
ولقد قَتَلَ في يوم واحد تسعة نفر على تَرْكها، كان أحدهم مغنيًا,"Indeed, he put to death for neglecting them on one day alone nine persons, of whom one was a singer."
وكان يبعث الرجال الموكلين بذلك إلى الأسواق،,"He used to send out men, specially charged with this duty, to the bazaars;"
فمن وُجِدَ بها عند إقامة الصلاة عُوقِبَ؛,"any person found in them after the commencement of prayers was punished,"
حتى انتهى إلى عقاب الستائر بين الذين يمسكون دواب الخدم على باب المشور,"and he went so far as to punish the sata’iris, [i.e. the grooms] who hold the riding beasts of the servitors at the gate of the audience-hall,"
إذا ضيعوا الصلاة،,when they disregarded the [hours of] prayer.
وأَمَرَ أن يُطْلَب الناس بعلم فرائض الوضوء والصلاة وشروط الإسلام،,"He gave orders also that the people in general should be required to show a knowledge of the obligations of ablution, prayer, and the binding articles of Islam."
فكانوا يسألون عن ذلك فمن لم يحسنه عُوقِبَ،,"They used to be questioned on these matters; if anyone failed to give correct answers he was punished,"
وصار الناس يتدارسون ذلك بالمشور والأسواق ويكتبونه.,"and they made a practice of studying them with one another in the audience-hall and the bazaars, and setting them down in writing."
ذكر اشتداده في إقامة أحكام الشرع,His insistence on executing the legal provisions of the SharT’a.
وكان شديدًا في إقامة الشرع، ومما فَعَلَ في ذلك,"He was strict in upholding the Shari’a, and set up the following practice."
أنْ أَمَرَ أخاه مبارك خان أن يكون قعوده بالمشور مع قاضي القضاة كمال الدين,He ordered his brother Mubarak Khan to sit [in the regular judicial sessions] in the audience-hall along with the Grand Qadi Kamal al-DIn.
في قبة مرتفعة هنالك مفروشة بالبسط، وللقاضي بها مرتبة تحف بها المخاد كمرتبة السلطان،,"[The judge sat] in [a chamber] there with a lofty cupola and furnished with rugs; in it he had a raised divan smothered in cushions, just like the Sultan’s divan,"
ويقعد أخو السلطان عن يمينه,and the Sultan’s brother would sit to his right.
فمن كان عليه حق من كبار الأمراء وامتنع من أدائه لصاحبه،,"If a claim for debt were laid against any of the great amirs and he refused to discharge it to his creditor,"
يحضره رجال أخي السلطان عند القاضي لينصف منه.,the men [in the service] of the Sultan’s brother would bring him before the qadi so that he might execute justice upon him.
ذكر رفعه للمغارم والمظالم، وقعوده لإنصاف المظلومين,"His abolition of oppressive dues and impositions, and his sessions for the rendering of justice to the wronged."
ولما كان في سنة إحدى وأربعين أمر السلطان برفع المكوس عن بلاده،,"In the year forty-one the Sultan ordered the abolition of duties on goods and merchandise in his territories,"
وألَّا يؤخذ من الناس إلَّا الزكاة والعشر خاصة،,and that nothing should be taken [in taxation] from the people except the alms-tax and the tithe exclusively.
وصار يجلس بنفسه للنظر في المظالم في كل يوم اثنين وخميس برحبة أمام المشور،,"He used to sit in person every Tuesday and Thursday in an open space in front of the audience-hall, for the purpose of investigating complaints of oppression."
ولا يقف بين يديه في ذلك اليوم إلَّا أمير حاجب وخاص حاجب، وسيد الحجاب وشرف الحجاب لا غير،,"None [of the officers of state] stood in attendance on him on these occasions except the Amir Hajib, the Khass Hajib, the ‘master’ of the Chamberlains, and the ‘honour’ of the Chamberlains, nobody else,"
ولا يمنع أحد ممن أراد الشكوى من الوقوف بين يديه،,and no person who wished to make a complaint might be hindered from presenting himself before him.
وعين أربعة من كبار الأمراء يجلسون في الأبواب الأربعة من المشور؛ لأخذ القصص من المشتكين،,He designated four of the principal amIrs to sit at the four gates of the audience-hall to take the petitions from the complainants.
والرابع منهم هو ابن عمه ملك فيروز،,The fourth of the amirs was his uncle’s son Malik Firuz.
فإن أخذ صاحب الباب الأول الرفع من الشاكي فحسن،,"If the amir at the first gate accepted the complainant’s petition, well and good;"
وإلَّا أخذه الثاني أو الثالث أو الرابع،,"but if he did not, the second or third or fourth [amIr] would accept it."
وإن لم يأخذوه منه مضى به إلى صدر الجهان قاضي المماليك،,"If all of them refused to accept it, he would take it to Sadr al-Jahan, the qadi of the mamluks;"
فإن أخذه منه وإلَّا شكا إلى السلطان,either he would accept it from him or else the complainant would appeal [directly] to the Sultan.
فإن صحَّ عنده أنه مضى به إلى أحد منهم فلم يأخذه منه أدبه،,"Then, if it was proved to the Sultan that he had taken his petition to one of these persons, and that the latter had not accepted it from him, the Sultan would teach that person a lesson."
وكل ما يجتمع من القصص في سائر الأيام يطالع به السلطان بعد العشاء الآخرة.,All the complainants collected on the other days were examined by the Sultan after the last evening prayer.
ذكر إطعامه في الغلاء,His distribution of food during the famine.
ولما استولى القحط على بلاد الهند والسند، واشتدَّ الغلاء حتى بلغ من القمح إلى ستة دنانير،,"When the severe drought reigned over the lands of India and Sind and prices rose to such a height that the mann of wheat reached six dinars,"
أمر السلطان أن يعطى لجميع أهل دهلي نفقة ستة أشهر من المخزن بحساب رطل ونصف من أرطال المغرب،,"the Sultan ordered that the whole population of Dihli should be given six months’ supplies from the [royal] granary, at the rate of one and a half ratls (that is to say, Maghribi ratls)"
لكل إنسان في اليوم صغير أو كبير حر أو عبد،,"per day per person, small or great, free or slave."
وخرج الفقهاء والقضاة يكتبون الأزمة بأهل الحارات,The jurists and qadis went out to compile the registers with the [names of the] inhabitants of the various quarters);
ويُحْضِرون الناس، ويعطى لكل واحد عولة ستة أشهر يقتات بها.,they would [then] present them [to the authorities] and each person would be given enough to provide him with food for six months.
ذكر فتكات هذا السلطان وما نُقِمَ من أفعاله,This Sultan s murders and reprehensible actions.
وكان على ما قدمنا من تواضعه وإنصافه ورفقه بالمساكين وكرمه الخارق للعادة، كثير التجاسر على إراقة الدماء،,"In spite of all that we have related of his humility, his sense of fairness, his compassion for the needy, and his extraordinary liberality, the Sultan was far too free in shedding blood."
لا يخلو بابه عن مقتول إلَّا في النادر، وكنت كثيرًا ما أرى الناس يقتلون على بابه ويطرحون هنالك،,It was but seldom that the entrance to his palace was without a corpse and I used often to see men being executed at his gate and [their bodies] left to lie there.
ولقد جئت يومًا فنفر بي الفرس,One day as I arrived my horse shied with me;
ونظرت إلى قطعة بيضاء في الأرض، فقلت: ما هذه؟,I saw a white fragment on the ground and said ‘What is this?’
فقال بعض أصحابي: هي صدر رجل قطع ثلاث قطع،,"One of my companions said, ‘It is the torso of a man who was cut into three pieces.’"
وكان يعاقِب على الصغيرة والكبيرة، ولا يحترم أحدًا من أهل العلم والصلاح والشرف،,"The Sultan used to punish small faults and great, without respect of persons, whether men of learning or piety or noble descent."
وفي كل يوم يَرِدُ على المشور من المسلسلين والمغلولين والمقيدين مُئون،,"Every day there are brought to the audience-hall hundreds of people, chained, pinioned, and fettered,"
فمن كان للقتل قُتِلَ، أو للعذاب عُذِّبَ، أو للضرب ضُرِبَ،,"and those who are for execution are executed, those for torture tortured, and those for beating beaten."
وعادته أن يؤتى كل يوم بجميع من في سجنه من الناس إلى المشور، ما عدا يوم الجمعة,It is his custom to have all persons who are in his prison brought to the audience-hall every day except Friday;
فإنهم لا يخرجون فيه وهو يوم راحتهم، يتنظفون فيه ويستريحون أعاذنا الله من البلاء.,"on this day they are not haled [before him] but it is a day of respite for them, on which they may clear themselves and remain at ease—may God deliver us from misfortune!"
ذكر قتله لأخيه,His execution of his brother.
وكان له أخ اسمه مسعود خان، وأمه بنت السلطان علاء الدين،,"He had a [half] brother named Mas’ud Khan, whose mother was the daughter of the Sultan ‘Ala’ al-DIn,"
وكان من أجمل صورة رأيتها في الدنيا،,and who was one of the most beautiful persons I have seen on earth.
فاتهمه بالقيام عليه وسأله عن ذلك,The Sultan accused this brother of rebellion against him and questioned him on the matter.
فأقرَّ خوفًا من العذاب,"Mas’ud Khan confessed to the fact through fear of torture,"
، فإنه من أنكر ما يدعيه عليه السلطان من مثل ذلك يعذب,"for anyone who denies an accusation of this sort brought against him by the Sultan is put to the torture,"
فيرى الناس أن القتل أهون عليهم من العذاب،,and people consider execution a lighter affliction than torture.
فأمر به فضربت عنقه في وسط السوق،,"The Sultan gave orders for his execution and he was beheaded in the midst of the bazaar,"
وبقي مطروحًا هنالك ثلاثة أيام على عادتهم،,"and remained exposed there for three days, according to their usage."
وكانت أم هذا المقتول قد رجمت في ذلك الموضع قبل ذلك بسنتين؛ لاعترافها بالزنا,"The mother of the executed prince had been stoned to death in that same place two years before, on her confession of adultery."
فرجمها القاضي كمال الدين.,Her stoning was by [decree of] the qadI Kamal al-DIn.
ذكر قتله لثلاثمائة وخمسين رجلًا في ساعة واحدة,His execution of three hundred and fifty men at one time.
وكان مرة عين حصة من العسكر تتوجه مع الملك يوسف بغرة إلى قتال الكفار ببعض الجبال المتصلة بحوز دهلي،,On one occasion he designated a section of the army to proceed with the malik Yusuf Bughra to engage the infidels in part of the hill country bordering on the province of DihlI.
فخرج يوسف وخرج معه معظم العسكر وتخلف قوم منهم،,"Yusuf set out, and most of the troops with him, but a number of them stayed behind."
فكتب يوسف إلى السلطان يعلمه بذلك،,"Yusuf wrote to the Sultan to inform him of this,"
فأمر أن يطاف بالمدينة ويقبض على من وجد من أولئك المتخلفين،,whereupon the Sultan gave orders for the patrolling of the city and the arrest of all who were discovered of those who had remained.
ففعل ذلك وقبض على ثلاثمائة وخمسين منهم,"This was done, three hundred and fifty of them were arrested,"
فأمر بقتلهم أجمعين فقتلوا.,"and he ordered the execution of the whole lot of them, so they were executed."
ذكر تعذيبه للشيخ شهاب الدين وقتله,His torture and execution of the shaikh Shihab al-DTn.
وكان الشيخ شهاب الدين ابن شيخ الجام الخراساني، الذي تُنْسَب مدينة الجام بخراسان إلى جده حسبما قصصنا ذلك,"The shaikh Shihab al-DIn was the son of the shaikh al-Jam al-KhurasanI after whose ancestor the city of al-Jam in Khurasan is named, as we have already related."
من كبار المشايخ الصلحاء الفضلاء، وكان يواصل أربعة عشر يومًا،,"He was one of the major shaikhs noted for probity and virtue, and used to fast uninterruptedly for fourteen days."
وكان السلطانان قطب الدين وتغلق يعظمانه ويزورانه ويتبركان به،,The Sultans Qutb al-DIn and Tughluq held him in high esteem and used to visit him and to solicit his blessing.
فلمَّا ولي السلطان محمد أراد أن يخدم الشيخ في بعض خدمته،,"When the Sultan Muhammad succeeded, he wished to employ the shaikh in some service of his,"
فإن عادته أن يخدم الفقهاء والمشايخ والصلحاء,"for it was his practice to assign offices to jurists, shaikhs and devotees,"
محتجًّا أن الصدر الأول — رضي الله عنهم — لم يكونوا يستعملون إلَّا أهل العلم والصلاح،,on the argument that the first generation [of the Caliphs] (God be pleased with them) were not in the habit of appointing to office any but men of [religious] learning and probity.
فامتنع الشيخ شهاب الدين من الخدمة,"The shaikh Shihab al-DIn, however, declined to accept office,"
وشافهه السلطان بذلك في مجلسه العام، فأظهر الإبانة والامتناع,"and when the Sultan raised the point with him in his public audience, he openly refused to yield and give his consent."
وأمر الشيخ الفقيه المعظم ضياء الدين السمناني أن ينتف لحيته،,The Sultan then commanded the venerable shaikh and jurist Diya’ al-DIn of Simnan to pluck out the hair of his beard.
فأبى ضياء الدين من ذلك وقال: لا أفعل هذا فأمر السلطان بنتف لحية كل واحد منهما فنتفت،,"But Diya’ al-DIn refused to do so, and bluntly rejected his command, whereupon the Sultan gave orders to pluck out the beards of both of them, and plucked out they were."
ونفي ضياء الدين إلى بلاد التلنك، ثمَّ ولَّاه بعد مدة قضاء ورنكل فمات بها،,"He banished Diya’ al-DIn to the land of Tiling, and subsequently appointed him as qadI in Warangal, where he died."
ونفي شهاب الدين إلى دولة آباد فأقام بها سبعة أعوام،,"Shihab al-DIn he banished to Dawlat Abad, where he remained for seven years."
ثم بعث عنه فأكرمه وعظمه وجعله على ديوان المستخرج وهو ديوان بقايا العمَّال يستخرجها منهم بالضرب والتنكيل،,"He then sent for him, received him with great honour and respect and appointed him over the dTwan almustakhraj, that is to say, the department that deals with the arrears of the revenue officers by ‘extracting’ them from these officials by beatings and exemplary punishments."
ثمَّ زاد في تعظيمه وأمر الأمراء أن يأتوا للسلام عليه ويمتثلوا أقواله،,"Later on, he honoured him still more highly, and issued an order to the amirs to make their personal salutations to him and to carry out his instructions;"
ولم يكن أحد في دار السلطان فوقه،,"indeed, no one in the Sultan’s palace was higher than he."
ولما انتقل السلطان إلى السكنى على نهر الكنك وبنى هنالك القصر المعروف بسرك دوار — معناه شبه الجنة —,"When the Sultan removed [from Dihli] to take up residence on the river Gang, where he built the palace known as Sarg Duwar (which means ‘the likeness of Paradise’),"
وأمر الناس بالبناء هنالك طلب منه الشيخ شهاب الدين أن يأذن له في الإقامة بالحضرة،,"and ordered the people to build there as well, the shaikh Shihab al-Din asked his permission to remain in the capital."
فأذن له إلى أرض موات على مسافة ستة أميال من دهلي،,"He was allowed to do so and moved out to some uncultivated land at a distance of six miles from Dihli,"
فحفر بها كهفًا كبيرًا صنع في جوفه البيوت والمخازن والفرن والحمام،,"where he excavated for himself an immense cave in the interior of which he fitted up chambers, storerooms, an oven and a bath."
وجلب الماء من نهر جون، وعمر تلك الأرض وجمع مالًا كثيرًا من مستغلها؛,"He supplied this land with water from the river Jun, brought it under cultivation, and gained a considerable fortune from its produce,"
لأنها كانت السنون قاحطة,because these were years of drought.
وأقام هنالك عامين ونصف عام مدة مغيب السلطان،,"He stayed there for two and a half years, corresponding to the period of the Sultan’s absence."
وكان عبيده يخدمون تلك الأرض نهارًا، ويدخلون الغار ليلًا ويستدونه على أنفسهم وأنعامهم خوف سراق الكفار؛,"His slaves used to work that land during the day, and at night they would go into the cave and close it upon themselves and their cattle for fear of the infidel marauders,"
لأنهم في جبل منيع هنالك،,since these occupied an inaccessible mountain thereabouts.
ولما عاد السلطان إلى حَضْرَتِه استقبله الشيخ ولَقِيَه على سبعة أميال منها،,"When the Sultan returned to his capital, the shaikh went out to welcome him and met him some seven miles from the city."
فعظمه السلطان وعانقه عند لقائه,The Sultan showed him high honour and embraced him on their meeting.
وعاد إلى غاره.,Shihab al-Din returned to his cave;
ثمَّ بعث عنه بعد أيام فامتنع من إتيانه,"then, some days later, when the Sultan sent for him, he refused to come at his command."
فبعث إليه مخلص الملك النذرباري، وكان من كبراء الملوك,Thereupon the Sultan sent Mukhlis al-Mulk alNadharbari (who was one of the great maliks) to him;
فتَلَطَّفَ له في القول وحَذَّرَه بَطْش السلطان،,"the envoy spoke to him in a tactful way and warned him of the consequences of the Sultan’s anger,"
فقال له: لا أخدم ظالمًا أبدًا,but he replied ‘never shall I serve an oppressor’.
فعاد مخلص الملك إلى السلطان فأخبره بذلك فأمر أن يؤتى به فأتي به,"When Mukhlis al-Mulk reported this to the Sultan on his return, he received the order to fetch the shaikh, which he did."
فقال له: أنت القائل إني ظالم؟,The Sultan said to him ‘Is it you who says that I am an oppressor?’
فقال: نعم، أنت ظالم، ومِنْ ظُلْمِك كذا وكذا،,"The shaikh replied ‘Indeed, you are an oppressor, and such-andsuch are instances of your tyrannical conduct,’"
وعَدَّدَ أمورًا؛ منها تخريبه لمدينة دهلي وإخراجه أهلها،,mentioning a number of things such as his devastation of the city of Dihii and his expulsion of its population.
فأخذ السلطان سيفه ودفعه لصدر الجهان،,"The Sultan then took his own sword, handed it to [the Grand Qadi] Sadr al-Jahan,"
وقال: يُثْبِت هذا أني ظالم واقطع عنقي بهذا السيف،,"and said ‘Establish the fact that I am an oppressor, and cut off my head with this sword’."
فقال له شهاب الدين ومن يريد أن يشهد بذلك فيقتل؟,"Shihab al-Din said to him, ‘Anyone who is willing to offer evidence of this will be put to death,"
ولكن أنت تَعْرِف ظُلْم نفسك.,but you yourself are aware of your tyrannical conduct’.
وأَمَرَ بتسليمه للملك نكبية رأس الدويدارية فقيده بأربعة قيود وغل يديه،,"The Sultan ordered him to be handed over to the malik Nukbiya, the chief of the Duwaidars, who put four irons on his feet and pinioned his hands [to his neck]."
وأقام كذلك أربعة عشر يومًا مواصلًا لا يأكل ولا يشرب،,"He stayed in that condition for fourteen days, fasting continuously, neither eating nor drinking."
وفي كل يوم منها يؤتى به إلى المشور,"Every day of the fourteen he was brought to the audience-hall,"
ويجمع الفقهاء والمشايخ ويقولون له: ارجع عن قولك،,"where the jurists and shaikhs were assembled, and they would say to him, ‘withdraw your statement’."
فيقول: لا أرجع عنه وأريد أن أكون في زمرة الشهداء،,"But he would say, ‘I shall not withdraw it, and I wish to join the ranks of those who have witnessed to the Faith and suffered martyrdom.’"
فلما كان اليوم الرابع عشر بعث إليه السلطان بطعام مع مخلص الملك،,"On the fourteenth day, the Sultan sent him food by the hand of Mukhlis alMulk,"
فأبى أن يأكل وقال قد رفع رزقي من الأرض ارجع بطعامك إليه،,"but he refused to eat, saying ‘My allotted sustenance from the [things of this] earth has come to an end—take your food back to him.’"
فلما أخبر بذلك السلطان أمر عند ذلك أن يطعم الشيخ خمسة أستار (أساتير) من العذرة، وهي رطلان ونصف من أرطال المغرب،,"When the Sultan was informed of this, he straightway ordered that the shaikh should be fed with five istars of human excrement—that is, two and a half ratls of the Maghribi standard."
فأخذ ذلك الموكلون بمثل هذه الأمور — وهم طائفة من كفار الهنود —,"Those who are charged with carrying out such punishments, who are a body of Indian infidels, took this stuff,"
فمدوه على ظهر وفتحوا فمه بالكلبتين وحلوا العذرة بالماء وسَقَوْه ذلك،,"stretched out the shaikh on his back, opened his mouth with forceps, dissolved the ordure in water, and made him drink it."
وفي اليوم بعده أُتِيَ به إلى دار القاضي صدر الجهان،,On the following day he was brought to the house of the qadT Sadr al-Jahan.
وجُمِعَ الفقهاء والمشايخ ووجوه الأعزة,"There the jurists, shaikhs, and leading foreign dignitaries were assembled;"
فوعظوه وطلبوا منه أن يرجع عن قوله،,"they admonished him in homilies, they besought him to withdraw his accusation,"
فأبى ذلك فضُرِبَت عنقه رحمه الله تعالى.,but he would have none of it and was beheaded —God Most High have mercy on him.
ذكر قتله للفقيه المدرسي عفيف الدين الكاساني وفقيهَيْن معه,His killing of the jurist and professor ‘AfTf al-DTn of Kasan and of two other jurists along with him.
وكان السلطان في سني القحط قد أَمَرَ بحفر آبار خارج دار الملك، وأن يزرع هنالك زرع,"During the years of the famine, the Sultan had given orders to dig wells outside the capital, and have grain crops sown in those parts."
وأعطى الناس البذر وما يلزم على الزراعة من النفقة،,"He provided the cultivators with the seed, as well as with all that was necessary for cultivation in the way of money and supplies,"
وكلفهم زرع ذلك للمخزن،,and required them to cultivate these crops for the [royal] grain-store.
فبلغ ذلك الفقيه عفيف الدين فقال: هذا الزرع لا يحصل المراد منه,"When the jurist ‘Afif al-DTn heard of this, he said ‘This crop will not produce what is hoped for.’"
فوشي به إلى السلطان فسجنه،,"Some informer told the Sultan what he had said, so the Sultan gaoled him,"
وقال له: لأي شيء تدخل نفسك في أمور الملك،,and said to him ‘What reason have you to meddle with the government’s business?’
ثم إنه سرحه بعد مدة فذهب إلى داره ولقيه في طريقه إليها صاحبان له من الفقهاء،,"Some time later he released him, and as ‘AfTf al-DTn went to his house he was met on the way by two friends of his, also jurists,"
فقالا له: الحمد لله على خلاصك، فقال الفقيه: الحمد لله الذي نجانا من القوم الظالمين،,"who said to him ‘Praise be to God for your release,’ to which our jurist replied ‘Praise be to God who has delivered us from the evildoers’."
وتفرقوا فلم يصلوا إلى دورهم حتى بلغ ذلك السلطان،,"They then separated, but they had not reached their houses before this was reported to the Sultan,"
فأمر بهم فأحضر ثلاثتهم بين يديه،,and he commanded all three to be fetched and brought before him.
فقال: اذهبوا بهذا يعني عفيف الدين، فاضربوا عنقه حمائل وهو أن يقطع الرأس من الذراع وبعض الصدر،,"‘Take out this fellow’, he said, referring to ‘AfTf al-DTn, ‘and cut off his head baldrickwise’, that is, the head is cut off along with an arm and part of the chest,"
واضربوا أعناق الآخرين،,‘and behead the other two.’
فقال له: أمَّا هو فيستحق العقاب بقوله، وأمَّا نحن فبأي جريمة تقتلنا؟,"They said to him ‘He deserves punishment, to be sure, for what he said, but in our case for what crime are you killing us?’"
فقال لهما: إنكما سمعتما كلامه فلم تنكراه فكأنكما وافقتما عليه،,"He replied ‘You heard what he said and did not disavow it, so you as good as agreed with it.’"
فقُتِلُوا جميعًا رحمهم الله تعالى.,"So they were all put to death, God Most High have mercy on them."
ذكر قتله أيضًا لفقيهين من أهل السند كانا في خدمته,"His killing of two other jurists, men of Sind, who were in his service."
وأمر السلطان هذين الفقيهين السنديين أن يمضيا مع أمير عَيَّنَه إلى بعض البلاد،,"The Sultan commanded these two Sindl jurists to accompany an amir whom he had appointed to a certain province,"
وقال لهما: إنما سلمت أحوال البلاد والرعية لكما، ويكون هذا الأمير معكما يتصرف بما تأمرانه به،,"and said to them ‘I have committed the affairs of the province and its population to you two, and this amTr will go with you only to carry out your instructions to him,’"
فقالا له: إنما نكون كالشاهدين عليه ونبين له وَجْه الحق ليتبعه،,"They said to him, ‘We should act only as legal witnesses to his administration, and show him the right line of conduct for him to follow,’"
فقال لهما: إنما قَصْدكما أن تأكلا أموالي وتضيعاها وتنسبا ذلك إلى هذا التركي الذي لا معرفة له،,"whereupon he replied ‘All that you want is to devour my revenues and squander them, and lay the blame for it on this Turk, who has no experience,’"
فقالا له: حاشا لله يا خوند عالم ما قَصَدْنا هذا، فقال لهما: لم تَقْصِدا غير هذا،,"They said ‘God forbid, O Master of the World; this was not our intention,’ but he replied to them ‘You had no other intention."
اذهبوا بهما إلى الشيخ زاده النهاوندي وهو الموكل بالعذاب،,"Take them off to the Shaikh-zada al-NihawandT,’ that is, the officer in charge of punishment by torture."
فذُهِبَ بهما إليه,"When they were taken to him,"
فقال لهما: السلطان يريد قَتْلكما فأَقِرَّا بما قولكما إياه ولا تعذبا أنفسكما،,"he said to them, ‘The Sultan intends to put you to death anyway, so admit what he put it into your mouths to say, and don’t expose yourselves to the torture.’"
فقالا: والله ما قصدنا إلَّا ما ذكرنا،,"But they swore, by God, they had meant nothing more than they had said,"
فقال لزبانيته: ذَوِّقْهما بعض شيء يعني من العذاب،,"so he said to his tormentors ‘Give them a taste of something,’ meaning of torture."
فبُطِحَا على أقفائهما وجُعِلَ على صدر كل واحد منهما صفيحة حديد محماة، ثمَّ قُلِعَتْ بعد هنيهة فذهب بلحم صدورهما،,"They were laid flat upon their backs and on the chest of each of them there was placed a red-hot iron plate, which was pulled off after a moment and took with it the flesh of their chests."
ثمَّ أُخِذَ البول والرماد فجُعِلَ على تلك الجراحات،,"After that, urine and cinders were brought and put on these wounds,"
فأَقَرَّا على أنفسهما أنهما لم يقصدا إلَّا ما قاله السلطان،,"whereupon they confessed that their intention had in fact been no other than as the Sultan had said,"
وأنهما مجرمان مستحقان للقتل فلا حق لهما ولا دعوى في دمائهما دنيا ولا أخرى،,"and they were criminals and deserving of death, that there was nothing due to them as of right, nor any claim to retaliation for their blood whether by near relatives or others."
وكتبا خطهما بذلك واعترفا به عند القاضي، فسَجَّلَ على العقد,"They wrote all this down in their own handwriting, and testified to it before the qadI, who then set his seal upon the attestation."
وكتب فيه أن اعترافهما كان عن غير إكراه ولا إجبار،,"It was stated in the document that their confession had been made without compulsion or coercion,"
ولو قالا أُكْرِهْنَا لَعُذِّبَا أشد العذاب،,"for if they had said that they had been forced to make a confession they would have been most severely tortured,"
ورأيا أن تعجيل ضَرْب العنق خير لهما من الموت بالعذاب الأليم،,and they held that a quick beheading was better for them than to die under painful torture.
فقُتِلَا رحمهما الله تعالى.,"So they were put to death, God Most High have mercy on them."
ذكر قتله للشيخ هود,His killing of the shaikh Hud.
وكان الشيخ زاده المسمى بهود حفيد الشيخ الصالح الولي ركن الدين بن بهاء الدين بن أبي زكرياء الملتاني،,"The shaikh-zada named Hud was the grandson of the pious shaikh, the saintly Rukn al-DIn, son of Baha’ al-DIn ibn Abl Zakaruya of Multan, by his daughter."
وجده الشيخ ركن الدين معظمًا عند السلطان،,"His grandfather, the shaikh Rukn al-DIn, was held in high honour by the Sultan,"
وكذلك أخوه عماد الدين الذي كان شبيهًا بالسلطان وقتل قوم وقيعة كشلوخان وسنذكره،,"as was also the latter’s brother ‘Imad al-DIn, who closely resembled the Sultan and was killed during the battle with Kishlu Khan, as we shall relate in due course."
ولما قُتِلَ عماد الدين أعطى السلطان لأخيه ركن الدين مائة قرية ليأكل منها ويطعم الصادر والوارد بزاويته،,"When ‘Imad al-DIn was killed, the Sultan gave his brother Rukn al-DIn a hundred villages, to use their revenues for his own maintenance and to supply food to wayfarers in his hospice [at Multan]."
فتوفي الشيخ ركن الدين وأوصى بمكانه من الزواية لحفيده الشيخ هود،,"On the death of the shaikh Rukn al-DIn he had designated his grandson, the shaikh Hud, as his successor in [control of] the hospice,"
ونازَعَهُ في ذلك ابن أخي الشيخ ركن الدين وقال: أنا أحق بميراث عمي،,"but his succession was contested by the son of the shaikh Rukn alDIn’s brother, who claimed that he had a prior right to inherit from his uncle."
فقَدِمَا على السلطان وهو بدولة آباد وبينهما وبين ملتان ثمانون يومًا،,"The two of them came before the Sultan while he was staying in Dawlat Abad (which is eighty days’ journey from Multan),"
فأعطى السلطان المشيخة لهود حسبما أوصى له الشيخ,"and the Sultan assigned the shaikhly office to Hud, as the shaikh [Rukn al-DIn] had specified in his testament."
وكان كهلًا، وكان ابن أخي الشيخ فتًى،,"Hud was full age, whereas the shaikh’s nephew was but a young man;"
وأَكْرَمَه السلطان وأَمَرَ بتضييفه في كل منزل يدخله،,"and the Sultan honoured him highly and gave orders that he should be treated as a guest in every station at which he should stop,"
وأن يخرج إلى لقائه أهل كل بلد يمر به إلى ملتان وتُصْنَع له فيه دعوة،,"that the people of every town by which he passed should come out to receive him, and that a banquet should be prepared in it for him."
فلما وَصَلَ الأمر للحضرة خرج الفقهاء والقضاة والمشايخ والأعيان للقائه،,"When this order reached the capital, the jurists, qadIs, shaikhs and notables went out to receive him."
وكنت فيمن خرج إليه,I was among those who did so.
فتلقيناه وهو راكب في دولة يحملها الرجال وخيله مجنوبة،,"When we met with him he was riding in a dula carried by men [on their shoulders], and his horses were being led."
فسلمنا عليه وأنْكَرْتُ أنا ما كان من فعله في ركوبه الدولة، وقلت: إنما كان ينبغي له أن يركب الفرس ويساير من خرج للقائه من القضاة والمشايخ،,"We saluted him, but for my part I resented this way of his of riding in a dula and said, ‘The only proper thing for him to do is to mount his horse and ride in alongside the qadIs and shaikhs who have come out to receive him.’"
فبلغه كلامي فركب الفرس,"He was told what I had said and thereupon mounted his horse,"
واعتذر بأن فعله أوَّلًا كان بسبب أَلَمٍ مَنَعَهُ من ركوب الفرس،,making the excuse that his previous behaviour was due to some painful discomfort which had prevented him from riding.
ودخل الحضرة وصُنِعَتْ له به دعوة أُنْفِقَ فيها من مال السلطان عدد كثير,"On his entry into DihlI there was given in his honour a banquet which cost a pretty penny of the Sultan’s moneys,"
وحضر القضاة والمشايخ والفقهاء والأعزة,"and was attended by the qadIs, shaikhs, jurists and distinguished foreigners."
ومد السماط وأتوا بالطعام على العادة.,"The repast was spread, and the dishes were brought in as usual,"
ثمَّ أُعْطِيَت الدراهم لكل من حضر على قدر استحقاقه،,"after which gifts of money were made to all of those present, to each according to his worthiness."
فأعطي قاضي القضاة خمسمائة دينار، وأُعْطِيتُ أنا مائتين وخمسين دينارًا,"So the Grand QadI was given five hundred dinars, and I was given two hundred and fifty."
وهذه عادة لهم في الدعوة السلطانية،,This is a regular custom of theirs on the occasion of a royal banquet.
ثمَّ انصرف الشيخ هود إلى بلده,"After this the shaikh Hud set out for his own country,"
ومعه الشيخ نور الدين الشيرازي بعثه السلطان ليجلسه على سجادة جده بزاويته،,"accompanied by the shaikh Nur alDIn al-ShIrazI, whom the Sultan had sent to seat him on the prayer-mat of his grandfather in his hospice"
ويصنع له الدعوة من مال السلطان هنالك,and to arrange a banquet for him there at the Sultan’s expense.
واستقرَّ بزاويته,After he had become established in his hospice
وأقام بها أعوامًا،,"and remained there for some years,"
ثمَّ إنَّ عماد الملك أمير بلاد السند كتب إلى السلطان يَذْكُر أن الشيخ وقرابته يشتغلون بجمع الأموال وإنفاقها في الشهوات، ولا يطعمون أحدًا بالزاوية،,"the governor of Sind, ‘Imad alMulk, wrote to the Sultan stating that the shaikh and his relatives were devoting themselves to amassing riches and to spending them in the gratification of their carnal appetites, without supplying any food to anyone at the hospice."
فنفد الأمر بمطالبتهم بالأموال،,"The Sultan then sent an order to call them to account for the revenues [that had been assigned to Rukn alDln],"
فطلبهم عماد الملك بها وسجن بعضهم وضرب بعضًا،,"whereupon ‘Imad al-Mulk demanded of them the restitution of the money, jailed some of them, and beat others."
وصار يأخذ منهم كل يوم عشرين ألف دينار مدة أيام حتى استخلص ما كان عندهم,"Every day for some length of time he extracted from them twenty thousand dinars, and eventually sequestrated everything that they had."
ووجد لهم كثير من الأموال والذخائر،,"There was found in their possession a great quantity of specie and treasures,"
من جملتها نعلان مرصعان بالجوهر والياقوت بيعا بسبعة آلاف دينار،,"including two sandals encrusted with jewels and rubies, which were sold for seven thousand dinars."
قيل: إنهما كانا لبنت الشيخ هود وقيل لسرية له،,"Some said that they belonged to the shaikh Hud’s daughter, others that they belonged to a concubine that he had."
فلما اشتدَّ الحال على الشيخ هرب يريد بلاد الأتراك، فقبض عليه,"When the shaikh Hud was reduced to these straits, he fled, making for the land of the Turks, but was seized."
وكتب عماد الملك بذلك إلى السلطان، فأمره أن يبعثه ويبعث الذي قبض عليه كلاهما في حكم الثقاف،,"This was duly communicated by ‘Imad al-Mulk to the Sultan, who ordered him to despatch both the shaikh and his captor [to the capital] manacled like prisoners."
فلما وصلا إليه سرح الذي قبض عليه وقال للشيخ هود أين أردت أن تفر؟,"On their arrival he released the man who had arrested the Shaikh Hud, and said to the latter, ‘Where were you planning to escape to?’"
فاعتذر بعذر،,"He made various efforts to excuse himself,"
فقال له السلطان إنما أردت أن تذهب إلى الأتراك فتقول أنا ابن الشيخ بهاء الدين زكرياء وقد فعل السلطان معي كذا وتأتي بهم لقتالنا، اضربوا عنقه،,"but the Sultan said to him, ‘What you meant to do was to go to the Turks, and then you would say “I am the son of the shaikh Baha’ al-DIn Zakariya, and the Sultan has treated me in such and such a way,” and bring them to fight with us. Cut off his head.’"
فضُرِبَتْ عنقه رحمه الله تعالى.,"So they beheaded him, God Most High have mercy on him."
ذكر سَجْنه لابن تاج العارفين وقتله لأولاده,His imprisonment of Ibn Taj al-’Arifin and execution of his sons.
وكان الشيخ الصالح شمس الدين ابن تاج العارفين ساكنًا بمدينة كول,"The pious shaikh Shams al-DIn, son of Taj al-’ArifIn, lived in the city of Kuwil,"
منقطعًا للعبادة كبير القدر،,"wholly occupied in religious exercises, and held in high respect."
ودخل السلطان إلى مدينة كول، فبعث عنه,"The Sultan, on entering the city of Kuwil [on one occasion] had sent for him,"
فلم يَأْتِهِ، فذهب السلطان إليه، ثم لما قارَبَ منزله انصرف ولم يَرَهُ،,"but he refused to come to the Sultan, whereupon the Sultan went to visit him but after approaching his dwelling turned back without seeing him."
واتفق بعد ذلك أن أميرًا من الأمراء خالَفَ على السلطان ببعض الجهات، وبايَعَهُ الناس،,"Some time later, it happened that a certain amir rebelled against the Sultan in some district or other and received the allegiance of its people."
فنُقِلَ للسلطان أنه وَقَعَ ذِكْر هذا الأمير بمجلس الشيخ شمس الدين,It came to the ears of the Sultan that some mention of that amir had been made in the shaikh Shams al-DIn’s assembly
فأثنى عليه وقال: إنه يَصْلُح للمُلْك،,and that the shaikh had commended him and said that he possessed the qualities which befit a king.
فبعث السلطان بعض الأمراء إلى الشيخ,Thereupon the Sultan sent one of the amIrs to [fetch] the shaikh.
فقَيَّدَه وقَيَّد أولاده وقَيَّد قاضي كول ومحتسبها؛,"This officer put fetters on the shaikh and on his sons, as well as on the qadi and muhtasib of Kuwil,"
لأنه ذُكِرَ أنهما كانا حاضرَيْن للمجلس الذي وَقَعَ فيه ثناء الشيخ على الأمير المخالِف،,because it was reported that both of them had been present at the assembly in which the incident of the shaikh’s praise of the rebel amir had occurred.
وأمر بهم فسُجِنُوا جميعًا بعد أن سَمَلَ عيني القاضي وعيني المحتسب،,"[The Sultan] gave orders that they should all be gaoled, after first blinding both the qadi and the muhtasib."
ومات الشيخ بالسجن،,The shaikh died in the prison;
وكان القاضي والمحتسب يخرجان مع بعض السجانين، فيسألان الناس،,"the qadi and muhtasib used to be brought out under charge of one of the gaolers and to beg for alms from the townsfolk,"
ثم يُرَدَّان إلى السجن،,and would then be taken back to the prison.
وكان قد بلغ السلطان أن أولاد الشيخ كانوا يخالطون كفار الهنود وعصاتهم ويصحبونهم،,The Sultan had been informed that the shaikh’s sons used to be on friendly terms with the Hindu infidels and rebels and to consort with them.
فلما مات أبوهم أَخْرَجَهُم من السجن، وقال لهم: لا تعودوا إلى ما كنتم تفعلون،,"When their father died, he released them from the prison and said to them ‘Take care not to return to what you used to do.’"
فقالوا له: وما فَعَلْنا؟,"They replied to him ‘And what was it we did?,’"
فاغتاظ من ذلك، وأَمَرَ بقتلهم جميعًا فقُتِلُوا،,"upon which he was infuriated and ordered them both to be executed, and executed they were."
ثم استحضر القاضي المذكور فقال: أخبرني بمن كان يرى رأي هؤلاء الذين قُتِلُوا ويفعل مثل أفعالهم،,"He then summoned the qadi of whom we have spoken and said, ‘Tell me who used to share the views of these men who have been executed and to act in the same way.’"
فأملى أسماء رجال كثيرين من كفار البلد،,"The qadi dictated the names of numerous persons among the notables of the region,"
فلما عرض ما أملاه على السلطان قال: هذا يحب أن يخرب البلد، اضْرِبُوا عنقه,but when the Sultan was presented with his list he said ‘This fellow wants the country to go to ruin. Cut off his head.’
فضُرِبَت عنقه رحمه الله تعالى.,"So he was beheaded, God Most High have mercy on him."
ذكر قتله للشيخ الحيدري,The execution of the shaikh ai-Haidari.
وكان الشيخ علي الحيدري ساكنًا بمدينة كنباية من ساحل الهند،,"The shaikh ‘All al-HaidarI used to live in the city of Kanbaya [Cambay], on the coast of India."
وهو عظيم الْقَدْر شهير الذِّكْر بَعِيد الصيت,"He was held in high respect, well spoken of, and of wide reputation."
ينذر له التجار بالبحر النذور الكثيرة، وإذا قدموا بدءوا بالسلام عليه،,"The sea-traders used to vow to give large sums to him, and on arriving [in Cambay] they would go first of all to salute him."
وكان يكاشف بأحوالهم،,He would show them that he knew what was in their minds;
وربما نذر أحدهم النذر وندم عليه،,"often one of them would make a vow and then repent of it,"
فإذا أتى الشيخ للسلام عليه أَعْلَمَهُ بما نذر له وأمر بالوفاء به،,"but when he came to salute the shaikh, the shaikh would tell him first how much he had vowed and order him to fulfil it faithfully."
واتفق له ذلك مرات واشتهر به،,"He was successful in this sort of thing many times, and became renowned for it."
فلما خالف القاضي جلال الأفغاني وقبيلته بتلك الجهات,"When the qadI Jalal al-DIn al-AfghanI and his tribesmen revolted in those parts,"
بلغ السلطان أن الشيخ الحيدري دعا للقاضي جلال الدين وأعطاه شاشيته من رأسه،,"it was reported to the Sultan that the shaikh al-HaidarI had prayed for the qadI Jalal and had taken off his own cap and given it to him,"
وذكر أيضًا أنه بايعه،,and it was alleged that he had even sworn allegiance to him.
فلما خرج السلطان إليهم بنفسه,"So the Sultan, when he went out in person to deal with them,"
وانهزم القاضي جلال خلف السلطان شرف الملك أمير بخت أحد الوافدين معنا عليه بكنباية،,"and the qadI Jalal had taken flight, appointed as his representative in Kanbaya Sharaf al-Mulk Amir Bakht, one of those who had come to his court along with us,"
وأمره بالبحث عن أهل الخلاف،,with orders to search out those involved in the rebellion.
وجعل معه فقهاء يحكم بقولهم,"He associated also a number of jurists with him, on whose advice he was to pass judgement."
فأحضر الشيخ علي الحيدري بين يديه،,"The shaikh ‘All al-HaidarI having been brought for trial before Sharaf alMulk,"
وثبت أنه أعطى للقائم شاشيته ودعا له، فحكموا بقتله،,"it was established that he had given the rebel his cap and had prayed for him, and they condemned him to death."
فلما ضربه السياف لم يفعل شيئًا،,"When the swordsman struck him, however, he produced no effect."
وعجب الناس لذلك وظنوا أنه يعفي عنه بسبب ذلك،,"The people marvelled at this, and imagined that he would be granted a pardon because of it;"
فأمر سيافًا آخر بضَرْب عنقه فضَرَبها رحمه الله تعالى.,"but Sharaf al-Mulk ordered another swordsman to behead him, and he did so—God Most High have mercy on him."
ذكر قتله لطوغان وأخيه,His execution of Tughan and his brother.
وكان طوغان الفرغاني وأخوه من كبار أهل مدينة فرغانة،,Tughan al-Farghani and his brother were of a family of notables in the city of Farghana.
فوفدا على السلطان فأحسن إليهما، وأعطاهما عطاء جزيلًا، وأقاما عنده مدة،,"They had come to the Sultan’s court, had been generously received by him and given a handsome revenue, and remained with him for some time."
فلما طال مقامهما أرادا الرجوع إلى بلادهما، وحاولا الفرار,"When their residence [in DihlI] lengthened out, they wished to return to their own land and planned to take flight."
فوشي بهما أحد أصحابهما إلى السلطان،,Their design was denounced to the Sultan by one of their companions;
فأمر بتوسيطهما فوسطا، وأعطي للذي وشى بهما جميع ما لهما،,"he ordered them to be cut in halves (as was duly done), and gave to the informer who had revealed their plan all of their possessions."
وكذلك عادتهم بتلك البلاد إذا وشى أحد بأحد وثبت ما وشى به,"Such is their custom in that country— when one person informs against another, and the substance of his accusation is proved,"
فقتل أعطي ماله.,"so that the accused person is executed, then he is given the property of the latter."
ذكر قتله لابن ملك التجار,His execution of the son of the Maiik of the Merchants.
وكان ابن ملك التجار شابًّا صغير الإنبات بعارضيه،,"The son of the Malik of the Merchants was a very young man, with no hair as yet on his cheeks."
فلما وَقَعَ خلاف عين الملك وقيامه وقتاله للسلطان كما سنذكره غلب على ابن ملك التجَّار هذا،,"When the rebellion and rising of ‘Ain al-Mulk occurred, and [led to] his warfare with the Sultan, as we shall relate, he seized this son of the Malik of the Merchants."
فكان في جملته مقهورًا،,The boy was thus included in the rebel forces against his will.
فلما هزم عين الملك وقبض عليه وعلى أصحابه، كان من جملتهم ابن ملك التجار وصهره ابن قطب الملك،,"Upon the defeat of ‘Ain al-Mulk and the capture of both him and his supporters, the son of the Malik al-Tujjar and his brother-in-law Ibn Qutb al-Mulk were amongst the captives,"
فأمر بهما فعلقا من أيديهما في خشب، وأمر أبناء الملوك فرموهما بالنشاب حتى ماتا،,and on the Sultan’s orders they were strung up by the hands to a wooden stake and the sons of the maliks shot arrows at them until they died.
ولما ماتا قال الحاجب خواجة أمير علي التبريزي لقاضي القضاة كمال الدين: ذلك الشاب لم يجب عليه القتل،,After their death the chamberlain Khwaja Amir ‘All al-TibrIzI said to the Grand QadI Kamal al-DIn ‘That youth should not have been killed.’
فبلغ ذلك السلطان فقال: هلا قلت هذا قبل موته،,"His words were reported to the Sultan, who said, ‘Why did you not say so before his death?’,"
وأمر به فضرب مائتي مقرعة أو نحوها، وسجن,and ordered him to be given two hundred or so lashes with the whip and to be cast into prison.
وأعطي جميع ماله لأمير السيافين،,All of his possessions were given to the amir of the swordsmen.
فرأيته في ثاني ذلك اليوم قد لبس ثيابه، وجعل قلنسوته على رأسه، وركب فرسه، فظننت أنه هو،,"I saw this man on the following day dressed in the garments of the Khwaja Amir ‘All, wearing his high bonnet, and riding his horse, and took him to be the Khwaja himself."
وأقام بالسجن شهورًا ثمَّ سرحه، وردَّه إلى ما كان عليه,"He meanwhile remained in prison for some months, after which the Sultan released him and restored him to his former post."
ثم غضب عليه ثانية، ونفاه إلى خراسان فاستقر بهراة، وكتب إليه يستعطفه،,"Later on, he again incurred the Sultan’s wrath and was banished to Khurasan, where he settled in Harat, and wrote to the Sultan to beg his mercy."
فوقع له على ظهر كتابع أكربار آمدي باز (أي) معناه: إن كُنْتَ تُبْتَ فارجع،,"The Sultan endorsed the letter in his favour [and returned it to him with the following words written] on its back, Eger baz amadi baz [ay], which mean ‘If you have repented, come back.’"
فرجع إليه.,So then he returned to his service.
ذكر ضربه لخطيب الخطباء حتى مات,His beating to death of the chief Khatib.
وكان قد ولي خطيب الخطباء بدهلي النظر في خزانة الجواهر في السفر،,The Sultan had placed the treasury which contained the jewels during his travels under the guardianship of the chief Khatib of Dihli.
فاتفق أن جاء سراق الكفار ليلًا، فضربوا على تلك الخزانة، وذهبوا بشيء منها،,"It befel that some infidel thieves came by night, made for this treasury, and went off with part of its contents."
فأمر بضرب الخطيب حتى مات رحمه الله تعالى.,Whereupon the Sultan commanded the Khatib to be beaten until he died —God Most High have mercy on him.
ذكر تخريبه لدهلي ونفي أهلها وقتل الأعمى والمقعد,"His devastation of Dihli and exile of its population, and killing of the blind man and the cripple."
ومن أعظم ما كان يُنْقَم على السلطان إجلاؤه لأهل دهلي عنها،,One of the gravest charges against the Sultan is his forcing of the population of Dihli to evacuate the city.
وسبب ذلك أنهم كانوا يكتبون بطائق فيها شتمه وسبه، ويختمون عليها،,"The reason for this is that they used to write missives reviling and insulting him, seal them,"
ويكتبون عليها وحق رأس خوند عالم ما يقرؤها غيره،,"and inscribe them, ‘By the head of the Master of the World, none but he may read this.’"
ويرمونها بالمشور ليلًا، فإذا فضها وجد فيها شتمه وسبه،,"Then they would throw them into the audience-hall by night, and when the Sultan broke the seal he found them full of insults and abuse of him."
فعزم على تخريب دهلي، واشترى من أهلها جميعًا دورهم ومنازلهم، ودفع لهم ثمنها،,"So he decided to lay Dihli in ruins, and having bought from all the inhabitants their houses and dwellings and paid their price to them,"
وأَمَرَهُم بالانتقال عنها إلى دولة آباد,he commanded them to move out of the city and go to Dawlat Abad.
فأبوا ذلك، فنادى مناديه ألَّا يبقى بها أحد بعد ثلاث،,"They refused, so his herald was sent to proclaim that no person should remain in it after three nights."
فانتقل معظمهم، واختفى بعضهم في الدور،,"The majority of the citizens left, but some of them hid in the houses."
فأمر بالبحث عمن بَقِيَ بها، فوجد عبيدُه بأزقتها رَجُلَيْن؛,"The Sultan ordered a search to be made for any persons who had remained in the city, and his slaves found two men in its streets,"
أحدهما مقعد والآخر أعمى،,one of them a cripple and the other blind.
فأتوا بهما فأَمَرَ بالمقعد فرُمِيَ به في المنجنيق، وأمر أن يُجَرَّ الأعمى من دهلي إلى دولة آباد مسيرة أربعين يومًا،,"They were brought in, and he ordered that the cripple should be flung from a mangonel and the blind man dragged from Dihli to Dawlat Abad, a distance of forty days’ journey."
فتمزق في الطريق ووصل منه رِجْله،,"He fell to pieces on the road, and all of him that reached Dawlat Abad was his leg."
ولما فعل ذلك خرج أهلها جميعًا، وتركوا أثقالهم وأمتعتهم،,"After this action on the part of the Sultan, the whole of the population left the town, abandoning furniture and possessions,"
وبقيت المدينة خاوية على عروشها،,and the city was left desolate and disintegrating.
فحدَّثَني من أَثِقُ به قال صعد السلطان ليلة إلى سطح قصره،,A person in whom I have confidence told me that the Sultan mounted one night to the roof of his palace
فنظر إلى دهلي، وليس بها نار ولا دخان ولا سراح، فقال: الآن طاب قلبي وتهدن خاطري،,"and looked out over Dihli, where there was neither fire nor smoke nor lamp, and said ‘Now my mind is tranquil and my feelings are appeased.’"
ثم كتب إلى أهل البلاد أن ينتقلوا إلى دهلي ليعمروها،,"Afterwards he wrote to the inhabitants of the provinces commanding them to move to Dihli, in order to repopulate it."
فخربت بلادهم، ولم تعمر دهلي لاتساعها وضخامتها وهي من أعظم مدن الدنيا،,"The result was that their cities were ruined but Dihli remained unrestored, because of its extent and immensity, for it is one of the greatest cities in the world."
وكذلك وجدناها لما دخلنا إليها خالية ليس بها إلا قليل عمارة،,"It was in this condition that we found it on our entry into it, empty and unpopulated save for a few inhabitants."
وقد ذكرنا كثيرًا من مآثر هذا السلطان ومما نقم عليه أيضًا,"As we have now related many of the generous qualities of this Sultan, as well as the crimes with which he was charged,"
فلنذكر جملًا من الوقائع والحوادث الكائنة في أيامه.,we shall proceed to give summary accounts of the military and political events which occurred in his time.
ذكر ما افتتح به أمره أول ولايته من منة على بهادور بورة,His inauguration of his reign by pardoning Bahadur Bura.
ولما ولي السلطان الملك بعد أبيه وبايَعَه الناس,"When the Sultan took possession of the kingdom after his father’s death and the people had taken the oath of allegiance to him,"
أحضر السلطان غياث الدين بهادور بورة، الذي كان أسره السلطان تغلق,"he summoned the sultan Ghiyath al-DIn Bahadur Bura, who had been taken prisoner by the Sultan Tughluq,"
فمَنَّ عليه وفَكَّ قيوده وأَجْزَلَهُ العطاء من الأموال والخيل والفيلة، وصرفه إلى مملكته،,"and having pardoned him and loosed him from his chains, he made him a munificent gift of money, horses and elephants, and restored him to his kingdom."
وبعث معه ابن أخيه إبراهيم خان، وعاهَدَهُ على أن تكون تلك المملكة مشاطرة بينهما،,"He sent along with him his brother’s son Bahram Khan and swore him to an agreement that that kingdom should be divided equally between them,"
وتُكْتَب أسماؤهما معًا في السكة ويُخْطَب لهما،,"both their names should be inscribed on the coinage and mentioned in the khutba,"
وعلى أن يصرف غياث الدين ابنه محمد المعروف برباط يكون رهينة عند السلطان،,"and that Ghiyath al-DIn should send his son Muhammad, known as Barbat, to be a hostage with the Sultan."
فانصرف غياث الدين إلى مملكته، والتزم ما شرط عليه، إلا أنه لم يبعث ابنه،,"Ghiyath al-DIn returned to his kingdom and undertook to carry out all these stipulations, but he did not send his son,"
وادعى أنه امتنع وأساء الأدب في كلامه،,"on the pretext that he refused to go, and he used unseemly expressions in his discourse."
فبعث السلطان العساكر إلى ابن أخيه إبراهيم خان وأميرهم دلجلي التتري،,"The Sultan consequently sent troops to his brother’s son Bahram Khan, under the command of DulgI the Tatar,"
فقاتلوا غياث الدين فقتلوه، وسلخوا جلده، وحشي بالتبن، وطِيفَ به على البلاد.,"and they fought against Ghiyath al-DIn, killed him and stripped off his skin and having stuffed it with straw sent it on tour round the provinces."
ذكر ثورة ابن عمته وما اتصل بذلك,The revolt of the son of his father’s sister and the events connected with it.
وكان للسلطان تغلق ابن أخت يُسمَّى بهاء الدين كشت أسب (بضم الكاف وسكون الشين المعجم وتاء معلوَّة)، وأسب (بالسين المهمل والباء الموحدة مسكنين)، فجعله أميرًا ببعض النواحي،,"Sultan Tughluq had a sister’s son called Baha al-DIn Kusht-Asb, whom he appointed governor of one of the provinces."
فلما مات خاله امتنع من بيعة ابنه وكان شجاعًا بطلًا،,"This man, who was brave and warlike, refused to take the oath of allegiance to the son of Tughluq after his uncle’s death,"
فبعث السلطان إليه العساكر، فيهم الأمراء الكبار مثل الملك مجير،,"and the Sultan sent troops against him, amongst whom were the principal amIrs such as the malik MujIr,"
والوزير خواجة جهان أمير على الجمع،,the vizier Khwaja Jahan being in command of the whole expedition.
فالْتَقَى الفرسان، واشتد القتال،,"When the horsemen engaged one another a fierce battle ensued,"
وصَبَرَ كِلَا الْعَسْكَرَيْنِ،,"each of the two armies holding its ground,"
ثم كانت الْكَرَّة لعسكر السلطان، ففر بهاء الدين إلى ملك من ملوك الكفار يُعرف بالراي كنبيلة،,until finally the victory was won by the Sultan’s troops and Baha al-DIn fled to one of the kings of the infidels called Ray KanbIla.
والراي عندهم كمثل ما هو بلسان الروم عبارة عن السلطان,"Ray is with them, just as it is in the language of the Franks, a word which means Sultan,"
وكنبيلة اسم الإقليم الذي هو به وهو (بفتح الكاف وسكون النون وكسر الباء الموحدة وياء ولام مفتوح)،,and KanbIla is the name of the region where this prince lived.
وهذا الراي له بلاد في جبال منيعة، وهو من أكابر سلاطين الكفار،,This Ray had territories situated in inaccessible mountains and was one of the principal Sultans of the infidels.
فلما هرب إليه بهاء الدين اتبعته عساكر السلطان، وحصروا تلك البلاد،,"When Baha al-DIn fled to him he was followed up by the Sultan’s armies, who surrounded those territories."
واشتد الأمر على الكافر، ونفد ما عنده من الزرع،,The situation became critical for the infidel and all the grain which he had was exhausted.
وخاف أن يؤخذ باليد، فقال لبهاء الدين: إن الحال قد بلغت لما تراه،,"Fearing that he should be taken by force he said to Baha al-DIn ‘Matters have reached the pass which you see,"
وأنا عازم على هلاك نفسي وعيالي ومن تبعني،,and I am determined to destroy myself and my family and all those who follow me.
فاذهب أنت إلى السلطان فلان — لسلطان من الكفار سماه له — فأقم عنده فإنه سيمنعك،,"Do you go to Sultan so-and-so (mentioning a certain Sultan of the infidels) and remain with him, for he will protect you’."
وبعث معه من أوصله إليه،,"Having sent him with someone to conduct him to the Sultan,"
وأمر راي كنبيلة بنار عظيمة فأججت وأحرق فيها أمتعته،,"Ray KanbIla ordered a great fire to be lit, burnt all his possessions in it"
وقال لنسائه وبناته أني أريد قتل نفسي، فمن أرادت موافقتي فلتفعل،,"and said to his wives and daughters ‘I intend to kill myself and any of you who wish to follow my example, let her do so.’"
فكانت المرأة منهن تَغْتَسِل وتدهن بالصندل والمقاصري،,"So every woman amongst them bathed herself, perfumed herself with yellow sandal-wood,"
وتُقَبِّل الأرض بين يديه، وترمي بنفسها في النار حتى هلكن جميعًا.,"kissed the ground before him and threw herself into the fire, until they perished to the last one."
وفَعَلَ مثل ذلك نساء أمرائه ووزرائه وأرباب دولته ومن أراد من سائر النساء،,The same was done by the female relatives of his amirs and viziers and chief officers; and all other women who wished to follow their example.
ثم اغتسل الراي وأدهن بالصندل، ولبس السلاح ما عدا الدرع،,"The Ray then bathed himself, perfumed himself with sandal and put on his armour except for the breast plate."
وفعل كفعله من أراد الموت معه من ناسه،,"The same was done by all those of his men who wished to die with him,"
وخرجوا إلى عسكر السلطان فقاتلوا حتى قتلوا جميعًا،,and they went out to meet the Sultan’s army and fought until they were killed to the last man.
ودخلت المدينة فأسر أهلها وأسر من أولاد راي كنبيلة أحد عشر ولدًا، فأتى بهم السلطان,"The city was entered and its population taken prisoner, together with eleven of the sons of Ray Kanbila, who were brought before the Sultan."
فأسلموا جميعًا، وجعلهم السلطان أمراء، وعظماء لأصالتهم ولفعل أبيهم،,They all accepted Islam and the Sultan made them amirs and honoured them greatly owing to their noble lineage and their father’s action.
فرأيت عنده منهم نصرًا وبختيار والمهردار وهو صاحب الخاتم الذي يختم به على الماء الذي يشرب السلطان ومنه,"I saw in his entourage three of these princes, Nasr, Bakhtiyar, and the muhurdar, i.e. the keeper of the seal with which the water which the Sultan drinks is sealed;"
وكنيته أبو مسلم وكانت بيني وبينه صحبة ومودة،,his name of address is Abu Muslim and he and I became companions and friends.
ولما قتل رأى كنبيلة توجهت عساكر السلطان إلى بلد الطفار الذي لجأ إليه بهاء الدين وأحاطوا به،,When Ray Kanbila was killed the Sultan’s troops made towards the city of the infidel with whom Baha al-Din had taken refuge and surrounded it.
فقال ذلك السلطان: أنا لا أقدر على أن أفعل ما فعله راي كنبيلة، فقبض على بهاء الدين، وأسلمه إلى عسكر السلطان، فقيدوه وغلوه وأتوا به،,"This Sultan said I cannot do what Ray Kanbila did,’ so he arrested Baha al-Din and delivered him to the Sultan’s troops, who bound him with chains and manacles and brought him to the Sultan."
فلما أتي به إليه أمر بإدخاله إلى قرابته من النساء فشتمنه وبصقن في وجهه،,"When he was brought before him he ordered him to be taken into the apartments of his female relatives, who showered abuse on him and spat in his face."
وأمر بسلخه وهو بقيد الحياة فسلخ وطبخ لحمه مع الأرز وبعث لأولاده وأهله،,"The Sultan then ordered him to be flayed alive, and when he had been flayed his flesh was cooked with rice and sent to his sons and his family."
وجعل باقيه على صحفة، وطرح للفيلة لتأكله فأبت أكله،,"The remains of him were put in a platter and thrown to the elephants to eat, but they would not eat it."
وأمر بجلده فحُشِيَ بالتبن وقُرِنَ بجلد بهادور بورة,"On the Sultan’s orders his skin was stuffed with straw and, in conjunction with the skin of Bahadur Bura,"
وطِيفَ بهما على البلاد،,was exhibited in all the provinces in turn.
فلما وصلا إلى بلاد السند,"When they arrived in the province of Sind,"
وأمير أمرائها يومئذٍ كشلوخان,"the ruling amir there at that time being Kishlu Khan,"
صاحب السلطان تغلق ومعينه على أَخْذ الملك،,"the companion of the Sultan Tughluq (he had assisted him to seize the kingdom,"
وكان السلطان يعظمه ويخاطبه بالعم,"and Sultan Muhammad used to show him respect and address him as uncle,"
ويخرج لاستقباله إذا وَفَدَ من بلاده،,"and go out to meet him when he came from his territories to visit him),"
أَمَرَ كشلوخان بدفن الجلدين،,Kishlu Khan gave orders to bury the two skins.
فبلغ ذلك السلطان، فشق عليه فِعْلُه وأراد الفتك به.,When the Sultan learnt of this he was angered by what he had done and determined to put him to death.
ذكر ثورة كشلوخان وقتله,The rising and death of Kishlu Khan.
ولما اتصل بالسلطان ما كان مِنْ فِعْلِه في دَفْن الجلدين بَعَثَ عنه,"When the Sultan learnt of his action in burying the two skins he sent for him,"
وعلم كشلوخان أنه يريد عقابه، فامتنع وخالَفَ,"and Kishlu Khan, realising that he intended to punish him, refused to go and rose in revolt."
وأعطى الأموال وجمع العساكر،,He distributed the revenues and assembled troops;
وبعث إلى الترك والأفغان وأهل خراسان،,"he sent to the Turks, and the Afghans, and the men of Khurasan,"
فأتاه منهم العدد الجم حتى كافأ عسكره عسكر السلطان، أو أربى عليه كثرة،,and was joined by such large numbers of them that his army equalled that of the Sultan or even exceeded it in size.
وخرج السلطان بنفسه لقتاله، فكان اللقاء على مسيرة يومين من ملتان بصحراء أبوهر،,"The Sultan went out in person to engage him and when the battle took place at a distance of two days’ journey from Multan, in the plain of Abuhar,"
وأخذ السلطان بالحزم عند لقائه، فجعل تحت الشطر عوضًا منه الشيخ عماد الدين شقيق الشيخ ركن الدين الملتان، وهو حدثني هذا وكان شبيهًا به،,"he adopted a prudent measure and set in his place beneath the parasol the Shaikh ‘Imad al-Din, the brother of the Shaikh Rukn al-Din of Multan (it was the latter who told me this), since he closely resembled him."
فلما حمى القتال انفرد السلطان في أربعة آلاف من عسكره،,"When the battle grew hot the Sultan detached himself with, of his troops,"
وقصد عسكر كشلوخان قصد الشطر معتقدين أن السلطان تحته فقتلوا عماد الدين،,while those of Kishlu Khan made for the parasol in the belief that the Sultan was underneath it and killed ‘Imad al-Din.
وشاع في العسكر أن السلطان قُتِلَ,"The report spread amongst the troops that the Sultan had been killed,"
فاشتغلت عساكر كشلوخان بالنهب، وتفرقوا عنه،,whereupon Kishlu Khan’s men busied themselves with plundering and became separated from him.
ولم يَبْقَ معه إلا القليل،,"When none remained with him but a few,"
فقصده السلطان بمن معه,"the Sultan attacked him with the troops that had withdrawn with him,"
فقتله وجز رأسه،,killed him and cut off his head.
وعلم بذلك جيشه ففروا ودخل السلطان مدينة ملتان,When his army learnt of this they fled and the Sultan entered the city of Multan.
وقبض على قاضيها كريم الدين، وأمر بسلخه فسلخ،,"He arrested its qadI Karim al-DIn and ordered him to be flayed, which was done,"
وأمر برأس كشلوخان فعلق على بابه،,"and ordered Kishlu Khan’s head to be set over its gate,"
وقد رأيته معلقًا لما وصلت إلى ملتان،,and I myself saw it there when I arrived at Multan.
وأعطى السلطان للشيخ ركن الدين أخي عماد الدين ولابنه صدر الدين مائة قرية,"The Sultan gave to the Shaikh Rukn al-DIn, the brother of ‘Imad al-DIn, and to ‘Imad al-DIn’s son Sadr al-DIn a hundred villages,"
إنعامًا عليهم ليأكلوا منها، ويطعموا بزاويتهم,"as a gift to them for their own consumption and to supply food [to travellers] in their hospice,"
المنسوبة لجدهم بهاء الدين زكريا،,which is called by the name of their grandfather Baha al-DIn ZakarIya.
وأمر السلطان وزيره خواجة جهان أن يذهب إلى مدينة كمال بور،,"The Sultan commanded his vizier Khwaja Jahan to go to the city of Kamalpur,"
وهي مدينة كبيرة على ساحل البحر، وكان أهلها قد خالفوا،,"which is a large city on the sea coast, whose inhabitants had revolted."
فأخبرني بعض الفقهاء أنه حضر دخول الوزير إياها،,A certain doctor of the law told me that he was present when the vizier entered the city.
قال: وأحضر بين يديه القاضي بها والخطيب، فأمر بسلخ جلودهما,He said ‘He had brought before him the qadI there and the khatIb and gave orders that they should be flayed.
فقال له: اقتلنا بغير ذلك،,They said to him “Put us to death without this.”
فقال لهما: بما استوجبتما القتل؟,He said to them “For what reason have you deserved to be put to death?”
فقالا: بمخالفتنا أمر السلطان،,They replied “For our disobedience to the Sultan’s commands.”
فقال لهما: فكيف أخالف أنا أمره، وقد أمرني أن أقتلكما بهذه القتلة؟,Whereupon he said to them “Then why should I disobey his command when he has ordered me to put you to death this way?”
وقال للمتولين لسلخهما: احفروا لهما حفرًا تحت وجوههما يتنفسان فيها،,"Then he said to those responsible for flaying them “Dig out hollows for them under their faces so that they may breathe,”"
فإنهم إذا سلخوا والعياذ بالله يطرحون على وجوههم،,because when men are flayed (God preserve us) they are laid down on their faces.
ولما فعل ذلك تمهدت بلاد السند، وعاد السلطان إلى حضرته.,After all this was done the province of Sind was pacified and the Sultan returned to his capital.
"ذكر الوقيعة بجبل قراجيل على جيش السلطان
(وأول اسمه قاف وجيم معقودة)،",Account of the defeat suffered by the Sultan’s army in the mountain of Qaracil.
وجبل قراجيل هذا جبل كبير يتصل مسيرة ثلاثة أشهر,"This is a great range of mountains extending for a distance of three months’ journey,"
وبينه وبين دهلي مسيرة عشر،,"and ten days’ journey from DihlI,"
وسلطانه من أكبر سلاطين الكفار،,and its Sultan is one of the most powerful sultans of the infidels.
وكان السلطان بعث ملك نكبية رأس الدويدارية إلى حرب هذا الجبل,"The Sultan [Muhammad] had sent Malik Nukbiya, the chief of the dawIdars, to war against these mountains,"
ومعه مائة ألف فارس ورجالة سواهم كثير،,"with an army of 100,000 horsemen and many infantry in addition."
فملك مدينة جديدة (وضبطها بكسر الجيم وسكون الدال المهمل وفتح الياء آخر الحروف)، وهي أسفل الجبل,"He occupied the town of Jidya, which lies at the foot of the mountain,"
وملك ما يليها وسبى وخرب وأحرق،,"and seized the neighbouring regions, taking prisoners, destroying and burning."
وفر الكفار إلى أعلى الجبل، وتركوا بلادهم وأموالهم وخزائن ملكهم،,"The infidels fled to the upper part of the mountain, abandoning their lands and possessions and the treasuries of their king."
وللجبل طريق واحد,There is only one road to this mountain;
وعن أسفل منه وادٍ وفوقه الجبل، فلا يجوز فيه إلا فارِسٌ منفرد خلفه آخر،,below it there is a valley and above it the mountain itself and it cannot be used except by single horsemen in file.
فصعدت عساكر المسلمين على ذلك الطريق وتملكوا مدينة ورنكل,"The Muslim troops climbed up along this road and took possession of the town of Warangal,"
التي بأعلى الجبل (وضبطها بفتح الواو والراء وسكون النون وفتح الكاف)، واحتووا على ما فيها،,"which is on the upper part of the mountain, and seized all that it contained."
وكتبوا إلى السلطان بالفتح,"On their informing the Sultan of their victory by letter,"
فبعث إليهم قاضيًا وخطيبًا وأمرهم بالإقامة،,"he sent a qadI and a khatIb to them, together with orders to them to remain there."
فلما كان وقت نزول المطر غلب المرض على العسكر،,But when the rainy season began there was an epidemic in the army;
وضعفوا وماتت الخيل وانحلت القِسِيُّ،,"the troops were enfeebled, the horses died, and the bows became slack."
فكتب الأمراء إلى السلطان، واستأذنوه في الخروج عن الجبل,Thereupon the amIrs wrote to the Sultan asking his permission to leave the mountain
والنزول إلى أسفله بخلال ما ينصرم فصل نزول المطر فيعودون،,"and to descend to the foot of it until the end of the rainy season, when they would go back again."
فأذن لهم في ذلك، فأخذ الأمير نكبية الأموال التي استولى عليها من الخزائن والمعادن,"On receiving his permission to do that, the amIr Nukbiya took the goods which he had captured from the treasuries and the precious metals"
وفرقها على الناس ليرفعوها ويوصلوها إلى أسفل الجبل،,and distributed them amongst the troops to carry them and bring them down to the bottom of the mountain.
فعندما علم الكفار بخروجهم قعدوا لهم بتلك المهاوي، وأخذوا عليها المضيق،,As soon as the infidels learnt of their withdrawal they lay in wait for them at those precipitous places and held the defile against them.
وصاروا يقطعون الأشجار العادية قطعًا، ويطرحونها من أعلى الجبل، فلا تمر بأحد إلا أهلكته,"They cut great trees into sections and rolled them down from above, so that all who were in their way were thrown to destruction."
فهلك الكثير من الناس، وأسر الباقون منهم،,"In this way the greater part of the troops perished, and the rest of them were taken captive."
وأخذ الكفار الأموال والأمتعة والخيل والسلاح،,"The infidels seized the treasures, goods, horses and weapons,"
ولم يفلت من العسكر إلا ثلاثة من الأمراء,"and out of the army only three of the amIrs escaped,"
كبيرهم نكبية وبدر الدين الملك دولة شاه، وثالث لهما لا أذكره،,"their commander Nukbiya, Badr al-DIn the malik Dawlat-Shah, and a third whose name I do not recall."
وهذه الوقيعة أثرت في جيش الهند أثرًا كبيرًا وأضعفته ضعفًا بينًا،,This defeat seriously affected the army of India and weakened it in a manifest degree.
وصالح السلطان بعدها أهل الجبل على مال يؤدونه إليه؛,"Afterwards the Sultan made peace with the inhabitants of the mountain on condition of payment of tribute to him,"
لأن لهم البلاد أسفل الجبل، ولا قدرة لهم على عمارتها إلا بإذنه.,because they possess the lands at the bottom of the mountain but they are unable to cultivate them except with his permission.
ذكر ثورة الشريف جلال الدين ببلاد المعبر،,The revolt of the sharif Jalal al-DTn in the province of al-Ma’bar
وما اتصل بذلك من قَتْل ابن أخت الوزير,and the death of the vizier’s nephew which was connected with that event.
وكان السلطان قد أَمَّرَ على بلاد المعبر — وبينها وبين دهلي مسيرة ستة أشهر — الشريف جلال الدين أحسن شاه،,"The Sultan had appointed the sharif Jalal al-Din Ahsan-Shah as governor over the province of alMa’bar, which is at a distance of six months’ journey from Dihli."
فخالَفَ وادعى المُلْكَ لنفسه،,"He revolted, claimed the kingship for himself,"
وقَتَلَ نُوَّاب السلطان وعُمَّاله وضرب الدنانير والدراهم باسمه،,"killed the Sultan’s military and civil officers, and struck dinars and dirhams with his own name."
وكان يكتب في إحدى صفحتي الدينار سلالة طه ويس أبو الفقراء والمساكين جلال الدنيا والدين،,"He had inscribed on one side of the dinar ‘The offspring of Ta Ha and Ya Sin, the father of the poor and the humble, Jalal al-Dunya wa’d-Din’"
وفي الصفحة الأخرى الواثق بتأييد الرحمن أحسن شاه السلطان،,"and on the other side ‘He who puts his trust in the support of the Merciful One, Ahsan-Shah, the Sultan.’"
وخرج السلطان لما سمع بثورته يريد قتاله،,On learning of his revolt the Sultan went out with the object of engaging him in battle
فنزل بموضع يقال له كشك زر معناه قصر الذهب، وأقام به ثمانية أيام لقضاء حوائج الناس،,and encamped at a place called Kushki Zar (which means Castle of Gold)
وفي تلك الأيام يأتي ابن أخت الوزير خواجة جهان,"During this stay there was brought before him the sister’s son of the vizier Khwaja Jahan,"
وأربعة من الأمراء أو ثلاثة وهم مقيدون مغلولون،,"with three or four of the amirs, all of them chained and manacled."
وكان السلطان قد بعث وزيره المذكور في مقدمته،,The Sultan had sent his vizier with the vanguard of the troops;
فوصل إلى مدينة ظهار وهي على مسيرة أربع وعشرين من دهلي وأقام بها أيامًا،,"on reaching the city of Dhihar, which is a distance of twenty-four days’ journey from Dihli he had stayed there for some days."
وكان ابن أخته شجاعًا بطلًا،,His sister’s son was a brave and distinguished warrior
فاتفق مع الأمراء الذين أتي بهم على قَتْل خاله,and he came to an arrangement with those amirs who were arrested [with him] to kill his uncle
والهروب بما عنده من الخزائن والأموال إلى الشريف القائم ببلاد المعبر،,and to flee to the sharif who had risen in the province of al-Ma’bar with the treasures and moneys which were in the vizier’s possession.
وعزموا على الفتك بالوزير عند خروجه إلى صلاة الجمعة،,"They decided to assassinate the vizier as he came out to attend the Friday prayer,"
فوشى بهم أحد من أدخلوه في أمرهم إلى الوزير،,but one of those whom they had admitted into their plot
وكان يسمى الملك نصرة الحاجب، وأخبر الوزير أن آية ما يرومونه لبسهم الدروع تحت ثيابهم،,"—he was called the malik Nusra, the chamberlain—denounced them to the vizier and told him that the proof of their intention was their wearing breastplates under their outer garments."
فبعث الوزير عنهم فوجدهم كذلك، فبعث بهم إلى السلطان.,The vizier sent for them and on finding them so dressed sent them to the Sultan.
وكنت بين يدي السلطان حين وصولهم، فرأيت أحدهم,"I was in the Sultan’s suite when they were brought in and I saw one of them,"
وكان طوال اللحى،,"he was a tall bearded man,"
وهو يرعد ويتلو سورة يس،,trembling and reciting the sura of Ya Sin.
فأمر بهم فطرحوا للفيلة المعلمة لقتل الناس،,"On the Sultan’s orders they were thrown to the elephants which are trained to kill men,"
وأمر بابن أخت الوزير، فرد إلى خاله ليقتله فقتله وسنذكر ذلك،,"and the vizier’s sister’s son was sent back to his uncle to put him to death, which he did as we shall relate later."
وتلك الفيلة التي تقتل الناس تكسى أنيابها حدائد مسنونة شبه سكك الحرث،,"These elephants which kill men have their tusks fitted with pointed blades of iron resembling ploughshares,"
لها أطراف كالسكاكين،,with edges like knives.
ويركب الفيال على الفيل،,The mahout mounts on the elephant
فإذا رمي بالرجل بين يديه لف عليه خرطومه,"and when a man is thrown before it it winds its trunk round him,"
ورمى به إلى الهواء،,"throws him in the air,"
ثمَّ يتلقفه بنابيه، ويطرحه بعد ذلك بين يديه،,"then catches him with its tusks and throws him after that at its feet,"
ويجعل يده على صدره،,places one foot upon his chest
ويفعل به ما يأمره الفيال على حسب ما أمره السلطان،,and does with him what the mahout orders him to do in accordance with the Sultan’s command to him.
فإن أمره بتقطيعه قطعه الفيل قطعًا بتلك الحدائد،,If he orders him to cut the victim in pieces the elephant cuts him in pieces with those blades;
وإن أمر بتركه تركه مطروحًا فسلخ,if he orders him to be left alone it leaves him lying on the ground and he is then flayed.
وكذلك فعل بهؤلاء،,"It was this punishment which was inflicted on those amirs,"
وخرجت من دار السلطان بعد المغرب,and when I came out of the Sultan’s encampment at sunset
فرأيت الكلاب تأكل لحومهم،,"I saw the dogs eating their flesh,"
وقد ملئت جلودهم بالتبن والعياذ بالله،,their skins having been stuffed with straw—God preserve us.
ولما تجهز السلطان لهذه الحركة,When the Sultan made his preparations for this expedition
أمرني بالإقامة بالحضرة كما سنذكره،,"he ordered me to remain at the capital, as we shall relate,"
ومضى في سفره إلى أن بلغ دولة آباد،,and set out on his march until he reached Dawlat Abad.
فثار الأمير هلاجون ببلاده وخرج ذلك,"At this point the amir Halajun rose in rebellion in his province,"
وكان الوزير خواجة جهان قد بقي أيضًا بالحضرة لحشد الحشود وجمع العساكر.,although the vizier Khwaja Jahan had stayed behind in the capital to collect forces and to enlist mounted troops.
ذكر ثورة هلاجون,The revolt of Halajun.
ولما بلغ السلطان إلى دولة آباد وبَعُدَ عن بلاده,"When the Sultan had reached Dawlat Abad and was thus at a great distance from his province,"
ثار الأمير هلاجون بمدينة الأهوار، وادعى المُلْك,the amir Halajun revolted in the city of Allahur and laid claim to the kingship.
وساعده الأمير قلجند على ذلك وصيَّرَه وزيرًا له،,"He was assisted in this enterprise by the amir Quljund, whom he appointed as vizier to himself."
واتصل ذلك بالوزير خواجة جهان وهو بدهلي،,"On learning of this the vizier Khwaja Jahan, being then in Dihli,"
فحشد الناس وجمع العساكر، وجمع الخراسانيين,collected his forces and assembled the mounted troops and Khurasanians;
وكل من كان مقيمًا من الخُدَّام بدهلي أخذ أصحابه وأخذ في الجملة أصحابي؛,"he took the men of all the officials who were residing in Dihli and amongst them were taken my men,"
لأني كنت بها مقيمًا,because I was staying there.
وأعانه السلطان بأميرين كبيرين؛ أحدهما فيران ملك صفدار ومعناه مرتب العساكر،,"The Sultan gave him the assistance of two high amirs, one being Qiran Malik Saffadar (which means who orders the line of troops)"
والثاني الملك تمور الشربدار وهو الساقي،,and the other the king Tamur the shurbadar (that is to say the cupbearer).
وخرج هلاجون بعساكره، فكان اللقاء على ضفة أحد الأودية الكبار،,Halajun came out with his troops and the battle was fought on the bank of one of the great rivers.
فانهزم هلاجون وهرب وغرق كثير من عساكره في النهر،,Halajun was defeated and fled and a large part of his army was drowned in the river.
ودخل الوزير المدينة فسلخ بعض أهلها وقتل آخرين بغير ذلك من أنواع القتل،,"The vizier entered the city, flayed some of its inhabitants and put others to death in various other ways."
وكان الذي تولى قَتْلهم محمد بن النجيب نائب الوزير,"The person who carried out their executions was Muhammad ibn al-Najib, the vizier’s lieutenant,"
وهو المعروف بأجدر ملك,"who was known by the name of Ajdar malik,"
ويسمى أيضًا صك (سك) السلطان — والصك عندهم الكلب —,"and was also called Sag al-Sultan, sag being the word for ‘dog’ in their language."
وكان ظالمًا قاسي القلب، ويسميه السلطان أسد الأسواق،,"He was a violent and brutal man, and the Sultan used to call him ‘the lion of the bazaars’."
وكان ربما عض أرباب الجنايات بأسنانه شرهًا وعدوانًا،,He used often to bite persons who were guilty of crimes with his own teeth out of an uncontrollable desire to inflict violence on them.
وبعث الوزير من نساء المخالفين نحو ثلاثمائة إلى حصن كاليور فسجن به،,"The vizier sent about three hundred of the female relatives of the rebels to the fortress of Galiyur where they were imprisoned,"
ورأيت بعضهن هنالك،,and I have myself seen some of them there.
وكان أحد الفقهاء له فيهن زوجة، فكان يدخل إليها حتى وَلَدَتْ منه في السجن.,"One of the doctors of the law had a wife amongst them whom he used to visit, and she even bore a child to him in the prison."
ذكر وقوع الوباء في عسكر السلطان,The outbreak of plague in the Sultan’s army.
ولما وصل السلطان إلى بلاد التلنك وهو قاصد إلى قتال الشريف ببلاد المعبر,"When the Sultan reached the land of Tiling on his way to engage the Sharif in the province of Ma’bar,"
نزل مدينة بدركوت (وضبط اسمها بفتح الباء الموحدة وسكون الدال وفتح الراء وضم الكاف وواو وتاء معلوة)،,"he halted at the city of Badrakut,"
وهي قاعدة بلاد التلنك (وضبطها بكسر التاء المعلوة واللام وسكون النون وكاف معقودة)، وبينها وبين بلاد المعبر مسيرة ثلاثة أشهر،,"capital of the province of Tiling, which is at a distance of three months’ march from the land of Ma’bar."
ووقع الوباء إذ ذاك في عسكره فهَلَكَ معظمهم،,At that moment a pestilence broke out in his army and the greater part of them perished;
ومات العبيد والمماليك وكبار الأمراء مثل ملك دولة شاه,"there died black slaves, the mamluk troopers, and great amirs such as malik Dawlat-Shah,"
الذي كان السلطان يخاطبه بالعم,"whom the Sultan used to address by the name of uncle,"
ومثل أمير عبد الله الهوري، وقد تَقَدَّمَتْ حكايته في السفر الأول،,"and such as the amir ‘Abdallah al-Harawi, whose story has been related in the first voyage."
وهو الذي أَمَرَهُ السلطان أن يرفع من الخزانة ما استطاع من المال،,"It was he whom the Sultan ordered to carry away from his treasury all the money that he could manage to lift,"
فربط ثلاث عشرة خريطة بأعضاده ورفعها،,and who attached thirteen moneybags to his arms and carried them off.
ولما رأى السلطان ما حل بالعسكر عاد إلى دولة آباد,When the Sultan saw what had befallen the army he returned to Dawlat Abad.
وخالفت البلاد وانتقضت الأطراف،,"The provinces withdrew their allegiance and the outer regions broke away,"
وكاد الملك يخرج عن يده لولا ما سبق به القدر من استحكام سعادته.,and the sovereignty was on the point of slipping out of his hand had it not been for the prior decree of Providence to reaffirm his good fortune.
ذكر الإرجاف بموته وفرار الملك هوشنج,The false report of his death and the flight of king Hushanj.
ولما عاد السلطان إلى دولة آباد مَرِضَ في طريقه،,"While on his way back to Dawlat Abad the Sultan fell ill,"
فأرجف الناس بموته، وشاع ذلك فنشأت عنه فتن عريضة،,the rumour of his death was bruited amongst the people and being carried far and wide gave rise to several widespread revolts.
وكان الملك هوشنج ابن الملك كمال الدين كرك بدولة آباد،,The malik Hushanj son of the malik Kamal al-Din Gurg was at Dawlat Abad
وكان بينه وبين السلطان عهد ألَّا يبايِع غيره أبدًا لا في حياته ولا بعد موته،,and he had given his solemn oath to the Sultan that he would never take the oath of allegiance to any other person either during the Sultan’s lifetime or after his death.
فلما أرجف بموت السلطان,"When the rumour of the Sultan’s death was circulated,"
هرب إلى سلطان كافر يسمى بربرة، يسكن بجبال مانعة بين دولة آباد وكوكن تانه،,he fled to an infidel Sultan called Burabra who lived in some inaccessible mountains between Dawlat Abad and Kukan Tanah.
فعلم السلطان بفراره وخاف وقوع الفتنة، فجَدَّ السير إلى دولة آباد،,"On learning of his flight, and fearing the outbreak of revolt, the Sultan made a forced march to Dawlat Abad,"
واقتفى أثر هوشنج وحصره بالخيل،,following the trail of Hushanj and surrounded him with cavalry.
وأرسل الكافر أن يُسَلِّمه إليه,"He invited the infidel by letter to surrender him,"
فأبى وقال: لا أُسَلِّم دخيلي ولو آل بي الأمر لما آل براي كنيلة،,"but the latter refused saying, I shall never surrender my protege even if I am forced to the same extreme as Ray Kanbila.’"
وخاف هوشنج على نفسه,"Hushanj, however, fearing for his own safety,"
فراسل السلطان،,entered into correspondence with the Sultan
وعاهَدَ على أن يرحل السلطان إلى دولة آباد، ويبقى هنالك قطلو خان معلم السلطان,"and made an agreement with him that the Sultan should return to Dawlat Abad and leave at that place his preceptor Qutlu Khan,"
ليستوثق منه هوشنج، وينزل إليه على الأمان،,in order that Hushanj should receive guarantees from him and go down to him upon promise of safety.
فرحل السلطان،,"The Sultan withdrew accordingly,"
ونزل هوشنج إلى قطلوخان،,and Hushanj went down to Qutlu Khan
وعاهده ألَّا يقتله السلطان، ولا يحط منزلته،,and took a guarantee from him that the Sultan would not put him to death nor lower his rank.
وخرج بماله وعياله وأصحابه،,"He then came out with his possessions, his household and his followers,"
وقدم على السلطان,"and presented himself before the Sultan,"
فسُرَّ بقدومه وأرضاه وخلع عليه،,who was rejoiced at his coming and gave him satisfaction and invested him with a robe of honour.
وكان قطلو خان صاحب عهد يستنيم الناس إليه، ويقولون في الوفاء عليه,"Qutlu Khan was a man of his word, in whom men placed implicit confidence and on whose loyalty they relied."
ومنزلته عند السلطان عليه وتعظيمه له شديد،,"His position with the Sultan was very high; the respect which the latter showed to him was immense,"
ومتى دخل عليه قام له إجلالًا،,and whenever he came before him he would rise up in honour of him.
فكان بسبب ذلك لا يدخل عليه حتى يكون هو الذي يدعوه؛,"For this reason therefore Qutlu Khan never used to come into the Sultan’s presence unless he himself should have invited him,"
لئلا يتعبه بالقيام له،,so that he might not weary him by rising to greet him.
وهو مُحِبٌّ في الصدقات كثير الإيثار مُولَع بالإحسان للفقراء والمساكين.,"He was a man who loved to give alms, of great liberality, and eager to do good to poor brethren and the indigent."
ذكر ما هَمَّ به الشريف إبراهيم من الثورة ومآل حاله,The project of revolt of the sharif Ibrahim and the end of this affair.
وكان الشريف إبراهيم المعروف بالخريطة دار وهو صاحب الكاغد والأقلام بدار السلطان,"The sharlf Ibrahim, who was known as KharTta-dar, that is to say keeper of the paper and the pens in the Sultan’s household,"
واليًا على بلاد حانسي وسرستي، ولما تحرك السلطان إلى بلاد المعبر,was governor of the province of Hansi and Sarsati when the Sultan set out for the land of Ma’bar.
وأبوه هو القائم ببلاد المعبر الشريف أحسن شاه،,"His father was the governor who was in rebellion in the land of Ma’bar, the sharif Ahsan-Shah."
فلما أرجف بموت السلطان,"When the rumour of the Sultan’s death spread abroad,"
طمع إبراهيم في السلطنة، وكان شجاعًا كريمًا حسن الصورة،,"Ibrahim, who was brave and generous and had a fine figure, became ambitious of the sultanate."
وكنت متزوجًا بأخته حور نسب،,I was married to his sister Hurnasab;
وكانت صالحة تتهجد بالليل،,"she was a pious woman, who used to spend part of the night in prayers"
ولها أوراد من ذكر الله عز وجل،,and to compose wirds for the recollection of God (High and Mighty is He)
وولدت مني بنتًا,and she bore a daughter by me.
ولا أدري ما فعل الله فيهما،,I do not know what God has done with them both.
وكانت تقرأ لكنها لا تكتب،,She used to read but not to write.
فلما هم إبراهيم بالثورة,When Ibrahim proposed to revolt there
اجتاز به أمير من أمراء السند معه الأموال يحملها إلى دهلي،,passed his way one of the amirs of Sind with revenue moneys which he was carrying to Dihli.
فقال له إبراهيم: إنَّ الطريق مخوف وفيه القطع، فأقم عندي حتى يصلح الطريق وأوصلك إلى المأمن،,"Ibrahim said to him ‘The road is dangerous and infested by robbers; stay with me until the road is in order and I can convey you to safety,’"
وكان قصده أن يتحقق موت السلطان فيستولي على تلك الأموال،,but his real purpose was to get authentic news of the death of the Sultan so that he might take possession of those moneys.
فلما تحقق حياته,When he was assured of his life
سرح ذلك الأمير، وكان يسمى ضياء الملك بن شمس الملك،,he released that amir whose name was Diya’ al-Mulk son of Shams al-Mulk.
ولما وصل السلطان إلى الحضرة بعد غيبته سنتين ونصف،,On the Sultan’s return to the capital after an absence of two and a half years
وصل الشريف إبراهيم إليه,"the sharif Ibrahim came to his court,"
فوشي به بعض غلمانه،,but one of his dependents denounced him
وأعلم السلطان بما كان هم به،,and told the Sultan of his former intention.
فأراد السلطان أن يعجل بقتله,The Sultan intended to order his immediate execution
ثم تأنى لمحبته فيه،,but procrastinated because of his affection for him.
فاتفق أن أتى يومًا إلى السلطان بغزال مذبوح,"It happened that one day there was brought to the Sultan a slaughtered gazelle,"
ينظر إلى ذبحته،,and he looked at the manner of its slaughtering
فقال ليس يجيد الذكاة اطرحوه,"and said ‘It is not properly cut, throw it away.’"
فرآه إبراهيم فقال: إن زكاته جيدة وأنا آكله،,"Ibrahim on seeing it said ‘It has been properly slaughtered and I shall eat it,’"
فأخبر السلطان بقوله،,which was told to the Sultan
فأنكر ذلك وجعله ذريعة إلى أخذه،,and displeased him and furnished him with an excuse to seize him.
فأمر به فقُيِّدَ وغُلِّلَ,"On his orders Ibrahim was chained and manacled,"
ثم قرره على ما رمى به من أنه أراد أخذ الأموال التي مر بها ضياء الملك،,"then the Sultan forced him to confess to that of which he had been accused, namely that he intended to seize the moneys which Diya’ alMulk was carrying through."
وعلم إبراهيم أنه إنما يريد قتله بسبب أبيه،,Ibrahim realized that the Sultan really wished to put him to death because of his father
وأنه لا تنفعه معذرة،,"and that no exculpation would serve him,"
وخاف أن يُعَذَّب، فرأى الموت خيرًا له,"so, fearing that he would be put to the torture and seeing death to be preferable for him,"
فأقر بذلك، فأمر به فوُسِطَ وتُرِكَ هنالك،,he acknowledged the charge and on the Sultan’s orders was cut in two and left there.
وعادتهم أنه متى قَتَلَ السلطان أحدًا أقام مطروحًا بموضع قَتْله ثلاثًا،,"It is their custom that when the Sultan puts anyone to death he is left lying at the place of his execution for three days,"
فإذا كان بعد الثلاث أَخَذَهُ طائفة من الكفار موكلون بذلك،,and after the third night a corps of infidels who are charged with that duty take him away
فحملوه إلى خندق خارج المدينة يطرحونه به،,and carry him to a trench outside the town into which they throw him.
وهم يسكنون حول الخندق؛ لئلا يأتي أهل المقتول فيَعْرِفونه،,"They themselves live round about the trench to prevent the family of the executed man from coming and taking him away,"
وربما أعطى بعضهم لهؤلاء الكفار مالًا، فتجافوا له عن قتيله حتى يدفنه،,but sometimes one of them will give money to these infidels and they give up to him his executed relative so that he may bury him.
وكذلك فُعِلَ بالشريف إبراهيم رحمه الله تعالى.,"This was done in the case of the sharif Ibrahim, God have mercy on him."
ذكر خلاف نائب السلطان ببلاد التلنك,The rebellion of the Sultan’s lieutenant in the province of Tiling.
ولما عاد السلطان من التلنك وشاع خبر موته،,"When the Sultan returned from Tiling and the report of his death spread abroad,"
وكان ترك تاج الملك نصرة خان نائبًا عنه ببلاد التلنك، وهو من قدماء خواصه بلغه ذلك،,"it reached the ears of Taj alMulk Nusra Khan, whom he had left as his deputy in the province of Tiling and who was one of his intimates of long standing."
فعمل عزاء السلطان،,"This man having performed and carried out the memorial services for the Sultan,"
ودعا لنفسه وبايعه الناس بحضرة بدركوت،,proclaimed his own sovereignty and the people took the oath of allegiance to him in the capital city of Badrakut
فبلغ خبره إلى السلطان، فبعث معلمه قطلو خان في عساكر عظيمة،,"When the news of this reached the Sultan he sent his preceptor Qutlu Khan with an immense body of troops,"
فحصره بعد قتال شديد، هلك فيه أمم من الناس،,who besieged him after a violent battle in which whole tribes of men perished.
واشتدَّ الحصار على أهل بدركوت وهي منيعة،,"The siege pressed heavily upon the people of Badrakut, although it was difficult of approach,"
وأخذ قطلو خان في نقبها، فخرج إليه نصرة خان على الأمان في نفسه,and when Qutlu Khan began to undermine it Nusra Khan went out to him with a safe-conduct.
فأمنه، وبعث به إلى السلطان،,"Qutlu Khan gave him a promise of safety and sent him to the Sultan,"
وأمن أهل المدينة والعسكر.,and also pardoned the inhabitants of the city and the troops.
ذكر انتقال السلطان لنهر الكنك وقيام عين الملك,The Sultan’s removal to the river Gang and the rising of ‘Ain al-Mulk.
ولما استولى القحط على البلاد,When the land was in the grip of famine
انْتَقَلَ السلطان بعساكره إلى نهر الكنك الذي تَحُجُّ إليه الهنود على مسيرة عشر من دهلي،,"the Sultan removed with his troops to the river Gang, to which the Indians go on pilgrimage, at a distance of ten days from Dihli."
وأَمَرَ الناس بالبناء،,He gave orders to his men to erect buildings;
وكانوا قبل ذلك صنعوا خيامًا من حشيش الأرض،,"before this they had made tents of grasses,"
فكانت النار كثيرًا ما تقع فيها، وتؤذي الناس,"which used frequently to catch fire and cause losses to the people,"
حتى كانوا يصنعون كهوفًا تحت الأرض،,until they adopted the habit of making caves under the earth
فإذا وقعت النار رَمَوْا أمتعتهم بها وسدوا عليها بالتراب،,and when a fire occurred they threw their goods into them and covered them over with earth.
ووَصَلْتُ أنا في تلك الأيام لمحلة السلطان،,I myself arrived about that time at the Sultan’s camp.
وكانت البلاد التي بغربي النهر حيث السلطان,"The districts which were west of the river, where the Sultan was,"
شديدة القحط,"were suffering from severe famine,"
والبلاد التي بشرقيه خصبة،,while the districts to the east of it were abundantly provisioned.
وأميرها عين الملك بن ماهر،,"The governor of the latter was “Ain al-Mulk ibn Mahir,"
ومنها مدينة عوض ومدينة ظفر آباد ومدينة اللكنو وغيرها،,"and they included the city of ‘Awd and the city of Zafar Abad and the city of Al-Laknaw, with others."
وكان الأمير عين الملك كل يوم يحضر خمسين أَلْفَ مَنٍّ؛ منها قمح وأرز وحمص لعلف الدواب،,"The amir ‘Ain al-Mulk used to furnish 50,000 maunds daily, partly in wheat, rice, and chickpeas as fodder for the animals."
فأمر السلطان أن تُحْمَل الفيلة ومعظم الخيل والبغال إلى الجهة الشرقية المخصبة,"The Sultan gave orders that the elephants and most of the horses and mules should be transported to the eastern district where there was abundance,"
لترعى هنالك،,"to pasture there,"
وأوصى عين الملك بحفظها.,and he instructed ‘Ain al-Mulk to guard them.
وكان لعين الملك أربعة إخوة، وهم شهر الله ونصر الله وفضل الله ولا أذكر اسم الآخر،,"‘Ain al-Mulk had four brothers named Shahrallah, Nasrallah, Fadlallah, and I do not remember the name of the fourth;"
فاتفقوا مع أخيهم عين الملك على أن يأخذوا فيلة السلطان ودوابه،,"they made an agreement with their brother ‘Ain al-Mulk to seize the Sultan’s elephants and riding beasts,"
ويبايعوا عين الملك، ويقوموا على السلطان،,to acknowledge ‘Ain al-Mulk as their king and to rise against the Sultan.
وهرب إليهم عين الملك بالليل، وكاد الأمر يتم لهم،,‘Ain al-Mulk fled to join them by night and their plan very nearly succeeded.
ومن عادة ملك الهند أن يَجْعَلَ مع كل أميرٍ كبيرٍ أو صغيرٍ,"It is the custom of the King of India to set alongside every amir, great or small,"
مملوكًا له يكون عينًا عليه، ويُعَرِّفه بجميع حاله،,"a mamluk of his, to spy upon him and keep him informed of everything to do with him."
ويجعل أيضًا جواري في الدور يَكُنَّ عيونًا له على أمرائه,"He also places slave girls in their houses, who act as spies for him upon his amirs,"
ونسوة يسميهن الكناسات،,"as well as women whom they call sweepers,"
يدخلن الدور بلا استئذان،,who come into the houses without asking permission.
ويخبرهن الجواري بما عندهن،,The slave girls pass on their information to those women
فيخبر الكناسات بذلك المخبرين، فيُخْبَر بذلك السلطان،,"and the sweepers in turn pass that on to the ‘king’ of the intelligencers, who then informs the Sultan of it."
ويذكرون أن بعض الأمراء كان في فراشه مع زوجته،,They tell a story that a certain amir was in bed with his wife
فأراد مماستها,and wished to have intercourse with her;
فحَلَّفَتْه برأس السلطان ألَّا يفعل فلم يسمع منها،,"she adjured him by the head of the Sultan not to do so but he would not listen to her,"
فبعث عنه السلطان صباحًا وأخبره بذلك وكان سبب هلاكه،,"and in the morning the Sultan sent for him and told him the whole story, and that brought him to his death."
وكان للسلطان مملوك يُعْرَف بابن ملك شاه هو عين على عين الملك المذكور،,The Sultan had a mamluk named Ibn Malik-Shah who was a spy upon this ‘Ain al-Mulk.
فأخبر السلطان بفراره وجوازه النهر،,"When he informed the Sultan of his flight and crossing of the river,"
فسُقِطَ في يده وظن أنها القاضية عليه؛,"the Sultan bitterly repented of his action and thought that this was the decisive blow for himself,"
لأن الخيل والفيلة والزرع كل ذلك عند عين الملك,"because horses, elephants, grain, all of them, were with ‘Ain al-Mulk,"
وعساكر السلطان مفترقة،,and his own troops were widely scattered.
فأراد أن يقصد حضرته،,"He proposed therefore to go to the capital,"
ويجمع العساكر،,"collect mounted troops,"
وحينئذٍ يأتي لقتاله،,"and then come back to engage him in battle,"
وشاوَرَ أرباب الدولة في ذلك،,and consulted the chief officers of the kingdom on this plan.
وكان أمراء خراسان والغرباء أشد الناس خوفًا من هذا القائم؛,"The amirs of Khurasan and the foreigners were in the greatest fear of this rebel,"
لأنه هندي،,"because he was an Indian,"
وأهل الهند مبغضون في الغرباء لإظهار السلطان لهم،,and the people of India hold the foreigners in hatred because of the Sultan’s favouritism for them.
فكرهوا ما ظهر له,They were in consequence opposed to his idea
وقالوا: يا خوند عالم إن فعلت ذلك بَلَغَهُ الخبر، فاشتد أَمْره,"and said ‘O Master of the World, if you do this, he will learn of it and his position will be strengthened;"
ورتب العساكر، وانثال عليه طلاب الشر ودعاة الفتن،,"he will enrol troopers and will become a leader to whom all evilseeking men and fermenters of rebellions will flock,"
والأَوْلى معاجلته قبل استحكام قوته.,so the best plan is to get a blow in quickly before his power is established.’
وكان أول من تَكَلَّمَ بهذا ناصر الدين مطهر الأوهري،,"The first man to speak in this sense was Nasir al-Din Mutahhar al-Awhari,"
ووافقه جميعهم,and all of them supported him.
فعمل السلطان بإشارتهم،,The Sultan accordingly acted on their advice;
وكتب تلك الليلة إلى من قرب منه من الأمراء والعساكر، فأتوا من حينهم،,he wrote that same night to those of the amirs and regular troops who were in his neighbourhood and they came forthwith.
وأدار في ذلك حيلة حسنة،,In this connection he adopted an excellent ruse;
فكان إذا قدم على محلته مثلًا مائةُ فارس,whenever a hundred horsemen for example arrived at his camp
بعث الآلاف من عنده للقائهم ليلًا،,he sent out some thousands of those who were with him to meet them by night
ودخلوا معهم إلى المحلة كان جميعهم مدد له،,and these came in with them to the camp as though the whole body of them were reinforcements for him.
وتَحَرَّك السلطان في ساحل النهر,The Sultan marched out along the bank of the river
ليجعل مدينة قنوج وراء ظهره،,in order to place the city of Qinnawj behind his back
ويتحصن بها لمنعتها وحصانتها،,and to use it as a fortress because of its strength and fortifications.
وبينها وبين الموضع الذي كان به ثلاثة أيام،,It lay at a distance of three days’ march from the position which he occupied.
فرحل أول مرحلة وقد عبأ جيشه للحرب،,"When he set off on the first stage he disposed his army in battle order,"
وجعله صفًّا واحدًا عند نزولهم،,"and on their halting he formed them in a single line,"
كل واحد منهم بين يديه سلاحه وفرسه إلى جانبه،,each man of them having his weapons in front of him and his horse by his side.
ومعه خباء صغير يأكل به ويتوضأ ويعود إلى مجلسه,He had with him a small tent in which he used to eat and make his ablutions and then return to his post;
والمحلة الكبرى على بعد منهم،,the main mahalla was at some distance from them
ولم يدخل السلطان في تلك الأيام الثلاثة خباء ولا استظل بظل،,and during those three days the Sultan never entered a tent nor shaded himself with any cover.
وكنت في يوم منها بخبائي، فصاح بي فتًى من فتياني اسمه سنبل، واستعجلني,On one of these days I was in my tent when one of my eunuchs named Sunbul called out my name and urged me to make haste.
وكان معي الجواري،,"I had with me my slavegirls,"
فخرجت إليه,and when I went out to him
فقال: إن السلطان أَمَرَ الساعة أن يُقْتَلَ كُلُّ مَنْ معه امرأته أو جاريته،,he said ‘The Sultan has this hour given orders that every person who has with him his wife or his slave girl shall be put to death.’
فشفع عنده الأمراء،,"After the amirs had interceded with him,"
فأمر ألَّا تبقى الساعة بالمحلة امرأة،,"however, he commanded that there should not remain a single woman in the mahalla forthwith"
وأن يُحْمَلْنَ إلى حصن هنالك,"and that they should be transported to a castle thereabouts,"
على ثلاثة أميال يقال له كنبيل،,"at a distance of three miles, called Kanbil,"
فلم تَبْقَ امرأة بالمحلة ولا مع السلطان،,"so no woman was left in the mahalla, not even with the Sultan."
وبِتْنَا تلك الليلة على تعيئة، فلما كان في اليوم الثاني رَتَّبَ السلطان عسكره أفواجًا،,"We passed that night in battle order and on the following morning the Sultan organised his army in troops,"
وجَعَلَ مع كل فوج الفيلة المدرعة عليها الأبراج فوقها المقاتلة،,each troop being given mailed elephants carrying towers filled with fighting men.
وتَدَرَّعَ العسكر، وتهيئوا للحرب، وباتوا تلك الليلة على أهبة.,The soldiers having put on their armour and made ready for battle passed that night under arms.
ولما كان اليوم الثالث بلغ الخبر بأن عين الملك الثائر أجاز النهر،,On the third day word was brought that the rebel ‘Ain al-Mulk had crossed the river.
فخاف السلطان من ذلك،,The Sultan was alarmed at this news
وتوقع أنه لم يفعله إلا بعد مراسلة الأمراء الباقين مع السلطان،,"and suspected that he would not have taken this action without first corresponding with the other amirs who were still on his side,"
فأمر في الحين بقسم الخيل العتاق على خواصه،,so he gave an immediate order to distribute the thoroughbred horses [from his private stable] to his personal suite
وبعث لي حظًّا منها،,and he sent me a proportion of them.
وكان لي صاحب يسمى أميراميران الكرماني من الشجعان،,"I had a companion called Amir-amiran alKirmani, one of the bravest of men,"
فأعطيته فرسًا منها أشهب اللون،,"to whom I gave one of these horses, a grey,"
فلما حركه جمح به،,but when he set it in motion it ran off with him
فلم يستطع إمساكه،,"and as he was unable to hold it in,"
ورماه عن ظهره,"it threw him off its back,"
فمات رحمه الله تعالى،,"and he died, God have mercy on him."
وجد السلطان ذلك اليوم في مسيرة,That day the Sultan made a forced march
فوصل بعد العصر إلى مدينة قنوج،,"and reached the city of Qinnawj in the late afternoon,"
وكان يخاف أن يسبقه القائم إليها،,for he was afraid that the rebel might reach it before him.
وبات ليلته تلك يرتب الناس بنفسه,He spent that night attending to the organisation of the troops in person
ووقف علينا ونحن في المقدمة مع ابن عمه ملك فيروز،,"and he came to inspect us as we were in the vanguard with his uncle’s son Malik Firuz,"
ومعنا الأمير غدا ابن مهني والسيد ناصر الدين مطهر وأمراء خراسان،,"having with us the amir Ghada ibn Muhanna, the saiyid Nasir al-Din Mutahhar and the amirs of Khurasan."
فأضافنا إلى خواصه،,He added us to the circle of his personal attendants
وقال: أنتم أعزة على ما ينبغي أن تفارقوني،,and said to us ‘You are dear to me and must never leave me’.
وكان في عاقبة ذلك الخير،,"In the upshot it all turned out well,"
فإن القائم ضرب في آخر الليل على المقدمة،,"for the rebel made an assault towards the end of the night upon the vanguard,"
وفيها الوزير خواجة جهان،,in which was the vizier Khwaja Jahan;
فقامت ضجة في الناس كبيرة،,"a great hubbub broke out amongst the troops,"
فحينئذٍ أَمَرَ السلطان ألَّا يبرح أحد من مكانه، ولا يقاتل الناس إلا بالسيوف،,whereupon the Sultan gave orders that no man should break ranks nor engage the enemy except by the sword.
فاسْتَلَّ العسكر سيوفهم،,"The troops then, drawing their swords,"
ونهضوا إلى أصحابهم وحَمِيَ القتال،,advanced towards their adversaries and a hot battle ensued.
وأمر السلطان أن يكون شعار جيشه دهلي وغزنة،,The Sultan gave orders that his army’s password should be ‘Dihli’ and ‘Ghazna’;
فإذا لقي أحدهم فارسًا قال له دهلي،,each one of them therefore on meeting a horseman said to him ‘Dihli’
فإن أجابه بغزنة,and if he received the answer ‘Ghazna’
علم أنه من أصحابه وإلا قاتله.,he knew that he was one of his side and if not he engaged him.
وكان القائم إنما قَصَدَ أن يضرب على موضع السلطان،,The aim of the rebel had been to attack only the place where the Sultan was
فأخطأ به الدليل،,but the guide led him astray
فقصد موضع الوزير،,and he attacked the place of the vizier instead
فضرب عنق الدليل،,and consequently cut off the guide’s head.
وكان في عسكر الوزير الأعاجم والترك والخراسانيون,"In the vizier’s regiment there were Persians, Turks and Khurasanians;"
وهم أعداء الهنود،,"these, being enemies of the Indians,"
فصدقوا القتال،,put up a vigorous fight
وكان جيش القائم نحو الخمسين ألفًا،,"and though the rebel’s army contained about 50,000 men"
فانهزموا عند طلوع الفجر،,they were put to flight at the rising of the day.
وكان الملك إبراهيم المعروف بالبنجي (بفتح الباء الموحدة وسكون النون وجيم) التتري قد أقطعه السلطان بلاد سنديلة،,"The malik Ibrahim, known as al-Banji the Tatar, to whom the Sultan had given in fief the lands of Sundila,"
وهي قرية من بلاد عين الملك،,"which is a village in the province of ‘Ain al-Mulk,"
فاتفق معه على الخلاف، وجعله نائبه،,had joined in the revolt with him and been appointed his deputy.
وكان داود بن قطب الملك وابن ملك التجار على فيَلة السلطان وخيله,"Dawud, son of Qutb al-Mulk, and the son of the ‘king of the merchants’, who had been in charge of the Sultan’s elephants and horses,"
فوافقاه أيضًا وجعل داود حاجبه،,also combined with him and he appointed Dawud his chamberlain.
وكان داود هذا لما ضربوا على محلة الوزير,"This Dawud, at the moment when they made the assault on the vizier’s mahalla,"
يَجْهَرُ بسبِّ السلطان ويشتمه أقبح شتْم،,"shouted out abuse of the Sultan, reviling him in the foulest terms,"
والسلطان يسمع ذلك ويَعْرِف كلامه،,and the Sultan himself heard it and recognised his voice.
فلما وقعت الهزيمة قال عين الملك لنائبه إبراهيم التتري: ماذا ترى يا ملك إبراهيم!,"When the rout began ‘Ain al-Mulk said to his deputy Ibrahim the Tatar ‘What is your opinion, malik Ibrahim?"
قد فر أكثر العسكر وذو النجدة منهم،,"Most of the army is in flight, including the best fighters amongst them,"
فهل لك أن ننجوا بأنفسنا؟,so shall we try to make our escape?’
فقال إبراهيم لأصحابه بلسانهم: إذا أراد عين الملك أن يفرَّ,Ibrahim said to his friends in their language ‘When ‘Ain al-Mulk is about to flee
فإني سأقبض على السلطان؛,"I shall seize him by his dabbuqa, and when I do that do you strike his horse so that he will fall to the ground. Then we shall seize him and take him to the Sultan"
ليكون ذلك كفارة لذنبي في الخلاف معه وسببًا لخلاصي،,so that that may be an expiation of our crime in joining in his rebellion and a way of escape for me.’
فلما أراد عين الملك الفرار,When ‘Ain al-Mulk made ready to flee
قال له إبراهيم: إلى أين يا سلطان علاء الدين، وكان يُسَمَّى بذلك،,"Ibrahim said to him ‘Where to, O Sultan ‘Ala al-Din?’ (for he used to be called by that name),"
وأمسك بدبوقته، وضرب أصحابه فرسه،,and seized his dabbuqa while his companions struck his horse.
فسقط إلى الأرض،,So he fell to the ground
ورمى إبراهيم بنفسه عليه فقبضه،,and Ibrahim threw himself on top of him and seized him.
وجاء أصحاب الوزير ليأخذوه فمنعهم،,"The vizier’s officers came to take possession of him but he held them off,"
وقال: لا أتركه حتى أوصله للوزير أو أموت دون ذلك,"saying I shall not let him go until I bring him before the vizier or die in the attempt,’"
فتركوه فأوصله إلى الوزير.,so they left him alone and he brought him to the vizier.
وكنت أنظر عند الصبح إلى الفيلة والأعلام يؤتى بها إلى السلطان،,That morning I was watching the elephants and standards being brought to the Sultan
ثم جاءني بعض العراقيين، فقال: قد قُبِضَ على عين الملك، وأُتِيَ به الوزير،,when one of the ‘Iraqis came to me and said ‘ ‘Ain al-Mulk has been seized and taken to the vizier.’
فلم أُصَدِّقْه،,"I did not believe him,"
فلم يَمُرَّ إلَّا يسير، وجاءني الملك تمور الشربدار، فأخذ بيدي,but a little later the malik Tamur the shurbadar came up to me and taking me by the hand
وقال: أبشر فقد قُبِضَ على عين الملك، وهو عند الوزير،,"said ‘Good news, for ‘Ain al-Mulk has been taken and is now with the vizier.’"
فتحرك السلطان عند ذلك،,"At that moment the Sultan set out,"
ونحن معه إلى محلة عين الملك على نهر الكنك،,"and we in his company, for the mahalla of ‘Ain al-Mulk on the river Gang,"
فنَهَبَت العساكر ما فيها،,and the troops plundered its contents.
واقتحم كثير من عسكر عين الملك النهر فغرقوا،,Many of the soldiers of ‘Ain al-Mulk rushed into the river and were drowned.
وأخذ داود بن قطب الملك وابن ملك التجار وخلق كثير معهم،,"Dawud ibn Qutb al-Mulk and the son of the ‘king of the merchants’ were seized along with many others,"
ونُهِبَت الأموال والخيل والأمتعة،,"and the treasures, horses, and goods were plundered."
ونزل السلطان على المجاز،,The Sultan alighted at the crossing-place
وجاء الوزير بعين الملك وقد أُرْكِبَ على ثور,"and the vizier brought ‘Ain alMulk, who was placed on the back of an ox,"
وهو عريان مستور العورة بخرقة مربوطة بحبل وباقيه في عنقه،,"naked except for a rag over his loins tied with a rope, the end of which was round his neck."
فوقف على باب السراجة،,"He halted at the gate of the enclosure,"
ودخل الوزير إلى السلطان، فأعطاه الشربة عناية به،,and the vizier went on to the Sultan who gave him the shurba as a special mark of attention.
وجاء أبناء الملوك إلى عين الملك، فجعلوا يسبونه ويبصقون في وجهه ويصفعون أصحابه إليه،,"The ‘sons of the kings’ came to ‘Ain al-Mulk and set about reviling him and spitting in his face and slapping his companions,"
وبعث السلطان الملك الكبير فقال له: ما هذا الذي فعلت؟,"and the Sultan sent to him the ‘great king’ [Qabula], who said ‘What is this that you have done?’"
فلم يجد جوابًا،,but he found no answer.
فأمر به السلطان أن يُكْسَى ثوبًا من ثياب الزمالة,"On the Sultan’s orders he was dressed in a muleteer’s cloak,"
وقُيِّدَ بأربعة كبول، وغُلَّتْ يداه إلى عنقه،,"had four chains attached to his feet and his hands manacled to his neck,"
وسُلِّمَ للوزير ليحفظه،,and was delivered to the vizier to be kept under guard.
وجاز إخوته النهر هاربين،,His brothers crossed the river in flight
ووصلوا مدينة عوض، فأخذوا أهلهم وأولادهم، وما قدروا عليه من المال،,"and reached the town of ‘Awd where they took their wives and children and all the wealth that they could,"
وقالوا لزوجة أخيهم عين الملك: اخلصي بنفسك وبنيك معنا,and said to the wife of their brother ‘Ain al-Mulk ‘Save yourself and your sons by escaping with us.’
فقالت: أفلا أكون كنساء الكفار اللائي يحرقن أنفسهن مع أزواجهن؟,She replied ‘Shall I not do as the wives of the infidels do who burn themselves with their husbands?
فأنا أيضًا أموت لموت زوجي وأعيش لعيشه،,I too shall die for my husband’s death and live for his life.’
فتركوها وبلغ ذلك السلطان،,"Thereupon they left her, but this was reported to the Sultan"
فكان سَبَبَ خَيْرِها وأَدْرَكَتْه لها رقة،,"and became the cause of her good fortune, for he was overtaken by compassion for her."
وأدرك الفتى سهيل نصر الله من أولئك الإخوة فقتله،,"The eunuch Suhail overtook Nasrallah, one of those brothers, killed him"
وأُتِيَ السلطان برأسه،,and brought the Sultan his head.
وأُتِيَ بأم عين الملك وأخته وامرأته،,"He brought also the mother, sister, and wife of ‘Ain al-Mulk,"
فسُلِّمْن إلى الوزير،,who were delivered over to the vizier
وجُعِلْنَ في خباء بقرب خباء عين الملك، فكان يدخل إليهن، ويجلس معهن ويعود إلى محبسه.,"and placed in a tent near the tent of ‘Ain al-Mulk, who used to go to visit them and sit with them and then return to his prison."
ولما كان بعد العصر من يوم الهزيمة,In the afternoon of the day of the rout
أَمَرَ السلطان بسراح لفيف الناس الذين مع عين الملك,"the Sultan gave orders to release the lower orders of those who were with ‘Ain al-Mulk,"
من الزمالة والسوقة والعبيد ومن لا يعبأ به،,"such as muleteers, pedlars, slaves and persons of no importance."
وأُتِي بملك إبراهيم البنجي الذي ذكرناه،,"The ‘king’ Ibrahim al-Banji, whom we have mentioned, was brought in,"
فقال ملك العسكر الملك نوايا خوند عالم اقتل هذا فإنه من المخالفين,"and the ‘king of the army’, the malik Nuwa, said ‘O Master of the World, kill this man for he is one of the rebels.’"
فقال الوزير: إنه قد فدى نفسه بالقائم،,"The vizier replied ‘He has ransomed himself by the leader of the rising,’"
فعفا عنه السلطان، وسرحه إلى بلاده،,so the Sultan pardoned him and set him free to go back to his own country.
ولما كان بعد المغرب جلس السلطان ببرج الخشب، وأتي باثنين وستين رجلًا من كبار أصحاب القائم،,After the sunset prayer the Sultan took his seat in the wooden tower and sixty-two of the principal associates of the rebel were brought in.
وأتي بالفيلة فطرحوا بين أيديها،,"Then the elephants were brought and these men were thrown down in front of them,"
فجعلت تقطعهم بالحدائد الموضوعة على أنيابها، وترمي ببعضهم إلى الهواء وتتلقفه،,"and they started cutting them in pieces with the blades placed on their tusks and throwing some of them in the air and catching them,"
والأبواق والأنفار والطبول تضرب عند ذلك،,and all the time the bugles and fifes and drums were being sounded.
وعين الملك واقف يعاين مقتلهم،,"‘Ain al-Mulk too was standing watching their slaughter,"
ويطرح منهم عليه، ثم أعيد إلى محبسه،,"and parts of them were thrown at him, then he was taken back to his prison."
وأقام السلطان على جواز النهر أيامًا لكثرة الناس وقلة القوارب،,The Sultan remained near the river-crossing for some days owing to the multitude of the troops and the small number of boats.
وأجاز أمتعته وخزائنه على الفيلة،,"He sent over his personal effects and his treasures upon the elephants,"
وفرق الفيلة على خواصه ليجيزوا أمتعتهم،,and distributed elephants to his chief courtiers to send over their effects.
وبعث إلي بفيل منها أجزت عليه رحلي،,He sent me one of those elephants on which I sent over my baggage.
وقصد السلطان ونحن معه إلى مدينة بهرايج (وضبط اسمها بفتح الباء الموحدة وهاء مسكن وراء وألف وياء آخر الحروف مكسورة وجيم)،,"The Sultan then went, taking us with him, to the city of Bahrayij,"
وهي مدينة حسنة في عدوة نهر السر،,"a fine town on the bank of the river Sara,"
وهو وادٍ كبيرٌ شديد الانحدار،,which is a great stream with a strong current.
وأجازه السلطان برسم زيارة قبر الشيخ الصالح البطل سالا رعود,"The Sultan crossed it in order to visit the tomb of the pious shaikh, the warrior Salar ‘Ud [Mas’ud]"
الذي فتح أكثر تلك البلاد،,who made the conquest of most of these territories.
وله أخبار عجيبة وغزوات شهيرة،,There are wonderful stories told of him and celebrated expeditions.
وتكاثر الناس للجواز، وتزاحموا حتى غرق مركب كبير كان فيه نحو ثلاثمائة نفس،,"There was such a crowding and scrambling of people for the crossing that a large vessel sank with about 300 souls,"
لم يَنْجُ منهم إلَّا عربي من أصحاب الأمير غدا،,not one of whom escaped except one Arab of the party of Amir Ghada.
وكنا ركبنا نحن في مركب صغير، فسَلَّمَنا الله تعالى،,We ourselves had embarked in a small boat and God Most High delivered us.
وكان العربي الذي سَلِمَ من الغرق يسمى بسالم وذلك اتفاق عجيب،,The Arab who escaped from drowning was called Salim [‘safe’] which is a strange coincidence.
وكان أراد أن يصعد معنا في مركبنا،,He had intended to mount with us into our boat
فوجدنا قد ركبنا النهر,but he found that we had already started to cross the river
فركب في المركب الذي غرق،,so he took his place in the boat which was sunk.
فلما خرج ظن الناس أنه كان معنا,When he came out the people thought that he was with us
فقامت ضجة في أصحابنا وفي سائر الناس,"and there was great alarm amongst our companions and the rest of the people,"
وتوهموا أنا غرقنا،,"imagining that we were drowned,"
ثم لما رأونا بعدُ استبشروا بسلامتنا،,and then when they saw us afterwards they rejoiced at our safety.
وزرنا قبر الصالح المذكور,"We visited the tomb of the saint whom I have mentioned,"
وهو في قبة لم نجد سبيلًا إلى دخولها لكثرة الزحام،,situated in a pavilion which we were unable to enter because of the multitude of the press.
وفي تلك الوجهة دخلنا غيضة قصب، فخرج علينا منها الكركدن,It was on that journey that we entered a thicket of canes and a rhinoceros came out of them against us.
فقُتِلَ وأتى الناس برأسه،,"It was killed and the man brought its head,"
وهو دون الفيل ورأسه أكبر من رأس الفيل بأضعاف,and though it is smaller in size than an elephant yet its head is many times bigger than an elephant’s head.
وقد ذكرناه.,We have mentioned this animal in a previous passage.
ذكر عودة السلطان لحضرته ومخالفة علي شاه كر,Account of the Sultan’s return to his capital and the rebellion of ‘AIT Shah Kar.
ولما ظفر السلطان بعين الملك — كما ذكرنا —,"When the Sultan was victorious over ‘Ain al-Mulk, as we have related,"
عاد إلى حضرته بعد مغيب عامين ونصف،,he returned to his capital after an absence of two and a half years.
وعفا عن عين الملك،,"He pardoned ‘Ain al-Mulk,"
وعفا أيضًا عن نصرة خان القائم ببلاد التلنك،,"and pardoned also Nusra Khan, who had revolted in the province of Tiling,"
وجعلهما معًا على عمل واحد،,"and set them both to a common task,"
وهو النظر على بساتين السلطان,"namely the supervision of the Sultan’s gardens,"
وكساهما وأركبهما، وعَيَّنَ لهما نفقة من الدقيق واللحم في كل يوم،,and furnished them with robes and horses and fixed for them a daily allowance of flour and meat.
وبلغ الخبر بعد ذلك أن أحد أصحاب قطلو خان وهو علي شاه كر — ومعنى كر الأطرش —,"News was received after that that one of the associates of Qutlu Khan namely ‘All Shah Kar (Kar means ‘deaf’),"
خالف علي السلطان،,had revolted against the Sultan.
وكان شجاعًا حَسَنَ الصورة والسيرة،,"He was a gallant man of fine figure and character,"
فغلب على بدركوت، وجعلها مدينة مُلْكه،,and having taken possession of Badrakut he made it the capital of his kingdom.
وخرجت العساكر إليه،,The troops went out against him
وأَمَرَ السلطان معلمه أن يخرج إلى قتاله، فخرج في عساكر عظيمة،,and on the Sultan’s orders his preceptor [Qutlu Khan] went out to engage him in battle with large forces.
وحصره ببدركوت,"He besieged him in Badrakut,"
ونُقِبَتْ أبراجها، واشتدت به الحال،,and when its towers were mined and the rebel’s position became desperate
فطلب الأمان,he requested a promise of security
فأَمَّنَه قطلو خان، وبَعَثَ به إلى السلطان مقيدًا،,and Qutlu Khan gave it to him and sent him to the Sultan in chains.
فعفا عنه ونفاه إلى مدينة غزنة من طرف خراسان،,The Sultan pardoned him and exiled him to the city of Ghazna in the border of Khurasan.
فأقام بها مدة ثم اشتاق إلى وطنه،,He stayed there for some time but subsequently he pined for his native land
فأراد العودة إليه لما قضاه الله من حينه،,and determined to return to it in accordance with God’s decree for his destruction.
فقُبِضَ عليه ببلاد السند، وأُتِيَ به السلطان,"He was arrested in the land of Sind and brought to the Sultan,"
فقال له: إنما جئت لتثير الفساد ثانية،,who said to him ‘You have come solely to stir up disorder again’
وأَمَرَ به فضُرِبَتْ عنقه.,and gave orders for his execution.
ذكر فرار أمير بخت وأخذه,Account of the flight and capture of AmTr Bakht.
وكان السلطان قد وَجَدَ على أمير بخت الملقب بشرف الملك,"The Sultan had a grievance against Amir Bakht, who was entitled Sharaf al-Mulk,"
أحد الذين وفدوا معنا على السلطان،,"one of those who had come to him along with us,"
فحط مرتبه من أربعين ألفًا إلى ألف واحد،,"and in consequence reduced his stipend from 40,000 to one thousand"
وبعثه في خدمة الوزير إلى دهلي،,and sent him to Dihli in the service of the vizier.
واتفق أن مات أمير عبد الله الهروي في الوباء في التلنك،,It happened that Amir ‘Abdallah al-Harawi died in the plague at Tiling;
وكان ماله عند أصحابه بدهلي، فاتفقوا مع أمير بخت على الهروب،,his property was in the hands of his associates in Dihli and they arranged with Amir Bakht to take flight.
فلما خرج الوزير من دهلي إلى لقاء السلطان هربوا مع أمير بخت وأصحابه،,When the vizier went out from Dihli to meet the Sultan they fled with Amir Bakht and his associates
ووصلوا إلى أرض السند في سبعة أيام وهو مسيرة أربعين يومًا،,"and reached the land of Sind in seven days, though it is a journey of forty days,"
وكان معهم الخيل مجنوبة،,for they had with them led horses.
وعزموا على أن يقطعوا نهر السند عومًا،,They determined that they would cross the river of Sind swimming
ويركب أمير بخت وولده ومن لا يحسن العوم في معدية قصب يصنعونها،,"and that Amir Bakht and his son, with those who could not swim, would cross on a raft of reeds which they would make,"
وكانوا قد أعدوا حبالًا من الحرير برسم ذلك،,and they had already prepared ropes of silk with this object.
فلما وصلوا إلى النهر خافوا من عبوره بالعوم،,When they reached the river they were afraid to cross it by swimming
فبعثوا رجلين منهم إلى جلال الدين صاحب مدينة أوجة,"and so sent two of their party to Jalal al-Din, the governor of the city of UCha,"
فقالا له: إنَّ ها هنا تجَّارًا أرادوا أن يعبروا النهر،,who said to him that there were merchants here who wished to cross the river
وقد بعثوا إليك بهذا السرج لتبيح لهم الجواز،,and sent him this saddle in order that he might permit them to pass over.
فأنكر الأمير أن يعطي التجار مثل ذلك السرج،,The amir was suspicious that merchants should give him such a gift as this saddle
وأمر بالقبض على الرجلين,and ordered the arrest of the two men.
ففر أحدهما،,"One of them escaped,"
ولحق بشرف الملك وأصحابه,"rejoined Sharaf al-Mulk and his companions,"
وهم نيام لما لحقهم من الإعياء ومواصلة السهر،,"who were sleeping in consequence of the fatigue that had overtaken them and the sequence of wakeful nights,"
فأخبرهم الخبر فركبوا مذعورين وفروا،,"and told them what had happened, whereupon they mounted in panic and fled."
وأمر جلال الدين بضرب الرجل الذي قُبِضَ عليه، فاعترف بقضية شرف الملك،,Jalal al-Din gave orders to beat the man who had been seized and he confessed the whole story of Sharaf al-Mulk.
فأمر جلال الدين نائبه فركب في العسكر وقصدوا نحوهم,On Jalal al-Din’s orders his lieutenant rode out with the troops in pursuit of them
فوجدوهم قد ركبوا، فاقتفوا أثرهم فأدركوهم،,and finding that they had already ridden off followed up their track and overtook them.
فرموا العسكر بالنشاب.,They attacked the troops with arrows
ورمى طاهر بن شرف الملك نائب الأمير جلال الدين بسهم فأثبته في ذراعه,"and Tahir, the son of Sharaf al-Mulk, struck the lieutenant of the amir Jalal al-Din with an arrow which lodged in his forearm,"
وغلب عليهم، فأتى بهم إلى جلال الدين,but they were overpowered and taken to Jalal al-Din.
فقيدهم، وغَلَّ أيديهم، وكتب إلى الوزير في شأنهم،,He put chains on them and manacled their hands and wrote to the vizier about them.
فأَمَرَهُ الوزير أن يبعثهم إلى الحضرة، فبعثهم إليها,The vizier ordered him to send them to the capital which he did.
وسُجِنُوا بها، فمات طاهر في السجن،,"They were imprisoned there and Tahir died in prison,"
فأمر السلطان أن يضرب شرف الملك مائة مقرعة في كل يوم،,and the Sultan gave orders that Sharaf al-Mulk should be beaten a hundred lashes every day.
فبقي على ذلك مدة ثم عفا عنه،,He continued to suffer this punishment for some time but eventually the Sultan pardoned him
وبعث مع الأمير نظام الدين أمير نجلة إلى بلاد جنديري،,"and sent him with the amir Nizam al-Din Mir Najla to the province of Chandiri,"
فانتهت حاله إلى أن كان يركب البقر،,"where he was reduced to the extreme of riding oxen,"
ولم يكن له فرس يركبه،,having no horse to ride.
وأقام على ذلك مدة،,He remained in this condition for a time
ثمَّ وفد ذلك الأمير على السلطان وهو معه،,"but later on that amir [Najla] visited the Sultan with Sharaf al-Mulk in his company,"
فجعله السلطان شاشنكيرة (جا شنكير)، وهو الذي يقطع اللحم بين يدي السلطان ويمشي مع الطعام،,"and the Sultan appointed him shashankir, that is the person who cuts up the meat in front of the Sultan and walks round with the food."
ثمَّ إنه بعد ذلك نوه به ورفع مقداره، وانتهت حاله إلى أن مرض فزاره السلطان,"Later on he raised him in honour and dignity and he reached such a height that when he fell ill the Sultan visited him,"
وأمر بوزنه بالذهب وأعطاه ذلك،,"ordered him to be weighed with gold, and gave him the amount as a present."
وقد قدمنا هذه الحكاية في السفر الأول،,We have already told this story in the first journey.
وبعد ذلك زوجه بأخته،,Afterwards the Sultan married him to his sister
وأعطاه بلاد جنديري,and gave him the very province of Chandiri
التي كان بها البقر في خدمة الأمير نظام الدين،,in which he used to ride oxen in the service of the amir Nizam al-Din
فسبحان مقلب القلوب ومحول الأحوال.,—Glorified be the Turner of hearts and the Changer of conditions!
ذكر خلاف شاه أفغان بأرض السند,Account of the rebellion of Shah Afghan in the land of Sind.
وكان شاه أفغان خالف على السلطان بأرض ملتان من بلاد السند,"Shah Afghan had rebelled against the Sultan in the land of Multan in the province of Sind,"
وقتل الأمير بها وكان يسمى به زاد،,"had killed the governor there, who was called Bihzad,"
وادعى السلطنة لنفسه،,and claimed the Sultanate for himself.
وتَجَهَّزَ السلطان لقتاله،,When the Sultan made preparations to engage him
فعلم أنه لا يقاومه فهرب ولحق بقومه الأفغان،,"he realized that he could not resist him and so fled to join his own people, the Afghans,"
وهم ساكنون بجبال منيعة لا يُقْدَر عليها،,who inhabit forbidding mountains impossible of access.
فاغتاظ السلطان مما فَعَلَه،,The Sultan was filled with anger at his action
وكتب إلى عماله أن يقبضوا على من وجدوه من الأفغان ببلاده,and wrote to his governors to seize all those of the Afghans whom they found in his territories.
فكان ذلك سببًا لخلاف القاضي جلال.,This was one cause of the rebellion of the qadr Jalal.
ذكر خلاف القاضي جلال,Account of the rebellion of the qadT Jalal.
وكان القاضي جلال وجماعة من الأفغانيين قاطنين بمقربة من مدينة كنباية ومدينة بلوذرة،,The qadr Jalal and a body of Afghans were living in the vicinity of the city of Kanbaya and the city of Buludhra.
فلما كتب السلطان إلى عماله بالقبض على الأفغانيين،,"When the Sultan sent written orders to his governors to arrest the Afghans,"
كتب إلى ملك مقبل نائب الوزير ببلاد الجزرات ونهروالة,"he instructed the malik Muqbil, the lieutenant of the vizier in the provinces of Juzarat and Nahrawala,"
أن يحتال في القبض على القاضي جلال ومن معه،,to find some means or other to arrest the qadi Jalal and those with him.
وكانت بلاد بلوذرة إقطاعًا لملك الحكماء،,"The region of Buludhra had been given as a fief to the ‘king of the physicians’,"
وكان ملك الحكماء متزوجًا بربيبة السلطان زوجة أبيه تغلق،,"and the ‘king of the physicians’ was married to the Sultan’s stepmother, the wife of his father Tughluq,"
ولها بنت من تغلق هي التي تَزَوَّجَها الأمير غدا,"and she had a daughter by Tughluq, the one whom the amir Ghada married."
وملك الحكماء إذ ذاك في صحبة مقبل؛ لأن بلاده تحت نظره،,"The ‘king of the physicians’ was at that time in the company of Muqbil because his estates were under the supervision of the latter,"
فلما وصلوا إلى بلاد الجزرات أَمَرَ مقبل ملك الحكماء أن يأتي بالقاضي جلال وأصحابه،,"and when they reached the provinces of Juzarat, Muqbil ordered the ‘king of the physicians’ to fetch the qadr Jalal and his associates."
فلما وصل ملك الحكماء إلى بلاده حَذَّرَهُم في خفية؛,"When the ‘king of the physicians’ arrived in his lands he secretly warned them,"
لأنهم كانوا من أهل بلاده،,"because they were of the people of his country,"
وقال: إن مقبلًا طَلَبَكُم ليقبض عليكم فلا تدخلوا عليه إلا بالسلاح،,"and said ‘Muqbil has sent for you in order to arrest you, so do not enter his presence without your arms.’"
فركبوا في نحو ثلاثمائة مدرع وأتوه,"They mounted accordingly to the number of about three hundred mailed men, and came to him"
وقالوا لا ندخل إلا جملة،,"and said, ‘We shall not enter except in a body.’"
فظهر له أنه لا يمكن القبض عليهم وهم مجتمعون،,"As it was evident to him that he could not seize them while they were united,"
وخاف منهم،,"he became afraid of them,"
فأَمَرَهُم بالرجوع، وأظهر تأمينهم،,ordered them to return home and made an appearance of guaranteeing their security.
فخلفوا عليه، ودخلوا مدينة كنباية، ونهبوا خزانة السلطان بها وأموال الناس,"But they rose against him, entered the city of Kanbaya and plundered the Sultan’s treasury there and the goods of the inhabitants."
ونهبوا مال ابن الكولمي التاجر، وهو الذي عمر المدرسة الحسنة بإسكندرية،,"Amongst them they plundered the goods of the merchant Ibn al-Kawlamr, the person who founded the fine college at Alexandria;"
وسنذكر أثره هذا،,we shall speak of him later on.
وجاء ملك مقبل لقتالهم فهزموه هزيمة شنيعة،,The malik Muqbil came to engage them but they drove him in headlong rout;
وجاء الملك عزيز الخمار والملك جهان بنبل لقتالهم في سبعة آلاف من الفرسان,"then the malik ‘Aziz, the vintner, and the malik Jahan Bunbul (?) came to engage them with 7,000 horsemen"
فهزموهم أيضًا،,and they routed them also.
وتسامع بهم أهل الفساد والجرائم فانثالوا عليهم,"They became notorious amongst the turbulent and criminal classes, who flocked to join them."
وادعى القاضي جلال السلطنة وبايعه أصحابه،,"The qadi Jalal claimed the Sultanate and received the oath from his followers,"
وبعث السلطان إليه العساكر فهزمها،,and when the Sultan sent troops against him they defeated them.
وكان بدولة آباد جماعة من الأفغان فخالفوا أيضًا.,At Dawlat Abad too there was a company of Afghans and they also rose in rebellion.
ذكر خلاف ابن الملك مل,Account of the rebellion of the son of the malik Mall.
وكان ابن الملك مل ساكنًا بدولة آباد في جماعة من الأفغان،,The son of the malik Mall was residing in Dawlat Abad with a body of Afghans.
فكتب السلطان إلى نائبه بها — وهو نظام الدين أخو معلمه قطلو خان — أن يقبض عليهم،,"The Sultan sent written orders to his lieutenant there, who was Nizam al-Din, the brother of his preceptor Qutlu Khan, to arrest them,"
وبعث إليه بأحمال كثيرة من القيود والسلاسل وبعث بخلع الشتاء،,sending him at the same time many loads of shackles and chains and also the winter robes.
وعادة ملك الهند أن يبعث لكل أمير على مدينة,It is the custom of the King of India to send to every amir in command of a city
ولوجوه عسكره,and to the principal officers of his troops
خلعتين في السنة؛,"two robes of honour every year,"
خلعة الشتاء وخلعة الصيف،,a winter robe and a summer robe.
وإذا جاءت الخلع يخرج الأمير والعسكر للقائها،,"When the robes arrive the amrr and the troops go out to receive them,"
فإذا وصلوا إلى الآتي بها نزلوا عن دوابهم،,and on reaching the person who has brought them they alight from their horses
وأخذ كل واحد خلعته، وحَمَلَها على كتفه،,"and each one takes his robe, lays it on his shoulder,"
وخدم لجهة السلطان،,and does homage in the direction of the Sultan.
وكتب السلطان لنظام الدين إذا خرج الأفغان ونزلوا عن دوابهم لأخذ الخلع فاقبض عليهم عند ذلك،,"The Sultan wrote to Nizam alDrn that when the Afghans came out and dismounted to receive their robes he should arrest them at that moment,"
وأتى أحد الفرسان الذين أوصلوا الخلع إلى الأفغان، فأخبرهم بما يراد بهم,but one of the horsemen who had brought the robes came to the Afghans and told them what was planned for them.
فكان نظام الدين ممن احتال، فانعكست عليه،,The result was that Nizam al-Din became one of those who made a plan and it turned against him.
فركب وركب الأفغان معه،,"He rode out and the Afghans rode out with him,"
إذا لقوا الخلع، ونزل نظام الدين عن فرسه حملوا عليه وعلى أصحابه، فقبضوا عليه،,"but when they met the robes and Nizam al-Drn dismounted from his horse the Afghans attacked him and his companions, seized him,"
وقتلوا كثيرًا من أصحابه، ودخلوا المدينة، فأخذوا الخزائن،,"killed many of his companions, entered the city and seized the treasuries."
وقدموا على أنفسهم ناصر الدين ابن ملك مل،,"They appointed as their chief Nasir al-Dm the son of the malik Mall,"
وانثال عليهم المفسدون فقويت شوكتهم.,and the disturbers of the peace flocked to join them so that they became very powerful.
ذكر خروج السلطان بنفسه إلى كنباية,Account of the Sultan’s expedition in person to Kanbaya.
ولما بلغ السلطان ما فعله الأفغان بكنباية ودولة آباد,"The Sultan, on learning of the action of the Afghans at Kanbaya and Dawlat Abad,"
خرج بنفسه، وعزم على أن يبدأ بكنباية ثم يعود إلى دولة آباد،,"went out in person, and decided to begin with Kanbaya and then return to Dawlat Abad."
وبعث أعظم ملك البايزيدي صهره في أربعة آلاف مقدمة،,"He sent out his relative by marriage A’zam malik al-BayazIdl with 4,000 troops in advance,"
فاستقبلَتْه عساكر القاضي جلال فهزموه وحصروه ببلوذرة وقاتَلوه بها،,"but they were met by the troops of the qadI Jalal, who defeated them, surrounded them in Buludhra and fought with them there."
وكان في عسكر القاضي جلال شيخٌ يسمى جلول وهو أحد الشجعان،,"There was in the army of the qadI Jalal an old man named Jalul, a man of great bravery,"
فلا يزال يفتك في العساكر ويقتل ويطلب المبارزة،,"who was continually attacking the troopers and killing them, and inviting them to single combat,"
فلا يتجاسر أحد على مبارزته،,but no one was bold enough to engage him singly.
واتفق يومًا أنه دفع فرسه فكبا به في حفرة فسقط عنه وقُتِلَ,It happened one day that he spurred on his horse and it stumbled with him in a ditch so that he fell off it and was killed.
ووجدوا عليه درعين،,They found on him two breastplates.
فبعثوا برأسه إلى السلطان،,"They sent his head to the Sultan,"
وصلبوا جسده بسور بلوذرة، وبعثوا يديه ورجليه إلى البلاد،,crucified his body on the wall of Buludhra and sent his hands and feet round the provinces.
ثم وصل السلطان بعساكره،,After that the Sultan came up with his troops.
فلم يكن للقاضي جلال من ثبات، ففر في أصحابه،,"It was impossible for the qadI Jalal to resist and he fled with his associates,"
وتركوا أموالهم وأولادهم، فنهب ذلك كله،,"abandoning their property and their children, and all that was plundered."
ودخلت المدينة وأقام بها السلطان أيامًا،,"The city was entered and the Sultan remained there for some days,"
ثم رحل عنها، وترك بها صهره شرف الملك أمير بخت,"then set out from it leaving in it his brother-in-law Sharaf al-Mulk Amir Bakht,"
الذي قدمنا ذكره وقضية فراره،,"whom we mentioned above, relating the story of his flight,"
وأخذه بالسند وسجنه، وما جرى عليه من الذل ثمَّ من العز،,"capture in Sind, imprisonment and all that happened to him first in the way of humiliation and then in the way of honour."
وأمره بالبحث عمن كان في طاعة جلال الدين,The Sultan ordered him to seek out those who had given their allegiance to Jalal al-DIn
وترك معه الفقهاء ليحكم بأقوالهم,"and left with him some doctors of the law so that he might decide according to their judgements,"
فأدى ذلك إلى قتل الشيخ علي الحيدري حسبما قدمناه،,"and this brought about the killing of the shaikh ‘All al-HaidarI, as we have already related."
ولما هرب القاضي جلال لحق بناصر الدين بن ملك مل بدولة آباد ودخل في جملته,After his flight the qadI Jalal joined Nasir al-DIn the son of the malik Mall at Dawlat Abad and enrolled amongst his partisans.
فأتى السلطان بنفسه إليهم واجتمعوا في نحو أربعين ألفًا,"When the Sultan came to meet them in person they assembled, about 40,000 in all,"
من الأفغان والترك والهنود والعبيد وتحالفوا على ألَّا يفروا، وأن يقاتلوا السلطان،,"consisting of Afghans, Turks, Indians, and black slaves, and swore together that they would never flee but would fight against the Sultan."
وأتى السلطان لقتالهم، ولم يرفع الشطر الذي هو علامة عليه،,"Then the Sultan came to engage them but without raising the parasol which is an emblem of his,"
فلما استحر القتال رفع الشطر,and when the battle grew hot the parasol was displayed.
فلما عاينوه دهشوا، وانهزموا أقبح هزيمة،,The rebels on seeing it were struck with astonishment and were driven in ignominious flight.
ولجأ ابن ملك مل والقاضي جلال في نحو أربعمائة من خواصهما إلى قلعة الدويقير,"The son of the malik Mall and the qadI Jalal with about 400 of their chief officers took refuge in the fortress of al-DuwaiqIr,"
وسنذكرها،,which we shall describe later on
وهي من أمنع قلعة في الدنيا،,and which is one of the strongest natural fortresses in the world.
واستقر السلطان بمدينة دولة آباد الدويقير وهي قلعتها،,The Sultan took up his residence in the city of Dawlat Abud (of which DuwaiqIr is the citadel)
وبعث لهم أن ينزلوا على حكمه،,"and sent messages to them to surrender at his discretion,"
فأبوا أن ينزلوا إلا على الأمان،,but they refused to surrender except on guarantee of safety.
فأبى السلطان أن يؤمنهم،,"The Sultan, however, refused to give them any guarantee"
وبعث لهم الأطعمة تهاونًا بهم، وأقام هنالك,"but sent them foodstuffs as a sign of contempt for them and continued to stay there,"
وعلى ذلك آخر عهدي بهم.,and that is the last of my information about them.
ذكر قتال مقبل وابن الكولمي,Account of the battle between Muqbil and I bn al-Kawlami.
وكان ذلك قبل خروج القاضي جلال وخلافه،,This took place before the rising and rebellion of the qadI Jalal.
وكان تاج الدين بن الكولمي من كبار التجار،,"Taj al-DIn ibn al-Kawlami was one of the principal merchants,"
فوفد على السلطان من أرض الترك بهدايا جليلة منها المماليك والجمال والمتاع والسلاح والثياب،,"who had come to the Sultan from the land of the Turks with magnificent gifts, including mamluks, camels, merchandise, weapons and woven stuffs."
فأعجب السلطان فِعْلُه، وأعطاه اثني عشر لكًّا،,"The Sultan was highly delighted with his action and gave him twelve laks,"
ويُذْكَر أنه لم تكن قيمة هديته إلا لكًّا واحدًا،,"though it is said that the value of his gift was no more than one lak,"
وولَّاه مدينة كنباية،,"and appointed him to the government of the city of Kanbaya,"
وكانت لنظر الملك المقبل نائب الوزير،,"which was under the supervision of the ‘king’ al-Muqbil, the lieutenant of the vizier."
فوصل إليها وبعث المراكب إلى بلاد المليبار وجزيرة سيلان وغيرها،,"On reaching the city he sent vessels to the towns of Mulaibar, the island of Sailan and elsewhere,"
وجاءته التحف والهدايا في المراكب وضخمت حاله،,and valuable articles and gifts came to him in these vessels and he became enormously wealthy.
ولما لم يبعث أموال تلك الجهات إلى الحضرة,"When the time came to send the revenues of those parts to the capital,"
بعث الملك مقبل إلى ابن الكولمي أن يبعث ما عنده من الهدايا والأموال مع هدايا تلك الجهات على العادة،,"the malik Muqbil instructed Ibn al-Kawlami to send what he had received in the way of gifts and moneys along with the gifts from those parts, according to the usual custom."
فامتنع ابن الكولمي من ذلك، وقال أنا أحملها بنفسي، أو أبعثها مع خدامي، ولا حكم لنائب الوزير علي ولا للوزير، واغتر بما أولاه السلطان من الكرامة والعطية،,"Ibn alKawlami, presuming upon the honour and the generous gift which the Sultan had bestowed on him, refused to do so and said T shall transport them myself or send them by my own servants, for neither the vizier’s lieutenant nor the vizier has any authority over me.’"
فكتب مقبل إلى الوزير بذلك، فوقع له الوزير على ظهر كتابه إن كنت عاجزًا عن بلادنا فاتركها وارجع إلينا،,"Thereupon Muqbil wrote to the vizier and the vizier endorsed his letter with the words ‘If you are incapable of maintaining order in our lands, leave them and return to us.’"
فلما بلغه الجواب تجهز في عسكره ومماليكه والتقيا بظاهر كنباية،,On receiving this reply Muqbil set out with his troops and mamluks and the two of them met outside Kanbaya;
فانهزم ابن الكولمي،,"Ibn al-Kawlami was defeated,"
وقتل جماعة من الفريقين،,"a number on both sides were killed,"
واستخفى ابن الكولمي في دار الناخودة (الناخدا) إلياس أحد كبراء التجار،,"and Ibn al-Kawlami sought concealment in the house of the nakhuda Ilyas, one of the leading merchants."
ودخل مقبل المدينة فضرب رقاب أمراء عسكر ابن الكولمي،,Muqbil on entering the town executed the commanders of Ibn al-Kawlami’s army
وبعث له الأمان على أن يأخذ ماله المختص به،,"but sent a guarantee of safety to him on condition that he should retain his own private possessions,"
ويترك مال السلطان وهديته ومجبى البلد،,and release the Sultan’s property and the gifts due to him and the revenues of the town.
وبعث مقبل بذلك كله مع خدامه إلى السلطان، وكتب شاكيًا من ابن الكولمي، وكتب ابن الكولمي شاكيًا منه،,"Muqbil despatched all of this by his own servants to the Sultan along with a letter of complaint against Ibn al-Kawlami, who also wrote complaining of Muqbil."
فبعث السلطان ملك الحكماء ليتنصف بينهما،,The Sultan then sent the ‘king of the physicians’ to mediate between them
وبأثر ذلك كان خروج القاضي جلال الدين، فنهب مال ابن الكولمي,but immediately afterwards the rising of the qadi Jalal al-DIn took place and Ibn al-Kawlami’s property was plundered
وفر ابن الكولمي في بعض مماليكه ولحق بالسلطان.,and he himself fled with some of his mamluks and rejoined the Sultan.
ذكر الغلاء الواقع بأرض الهند,Account of the dearth which occurred in the land of India.
وفي مدة مغيب السلطان عن حضرته إذ خرج يقصد بلاد المعبر,"During the Sultan’s absence from his capital, he having set out towards the province of al-Ma’bar,"
وقع الغلاء، واشتدَّ الأمر، وانتهى المن إلى ستين درهمًا، ثمَّ زاد على ذلك،,the dearth broke out and became severe. The maund [of corn] reached sixty dirhams and afterwards rose even higher;
وضاقت الأحوال وعَظُمَ الخطب،,there was general distress and severe hardship.
ولقد خرجت مرة إلى لقاء الوزير، فرأيت ثلاث نسوة يقطعن قطعًا من جلد فرس مات منذ أشهر ويأكلنه،,One day when I went out to meet the vizier I saw three women cutting pieces from the hide of a horse which had died some months before and eating it.
وكانت الجلود تُطْبَخ وتباع في الأسواق، وكان الناس إذا ذَبَحَت البقر أخذوا دماءها فأكلوها،,Skins were cooked and sold in the bazaars and when cattle were slaughtered people used to collect the blood and eat that.
وحدثني بعض طلبة خراسان أنهم دخلوا بلدة تسمى أكروهة بين حانسي وسرستي,"Some of the law-students from Khurasan told me that they went into a township called Akruha between Hansi and Sarsatl,"
فوجدوها خالية، فقصدوا بعض المنازل ليبيتوا به،,"and finding it abandoned they went to one of its dwellings in order to pass the night,"
فوجدوا في بعض بيوته رجلًا قد أضرم نارًا وبيده رِجْل آدمي وهو يشويها في النار ويأكل منها والعياذ بالله،,and found in a room in the house a man who had lit a fire and had in his hand a human foot which he was roasting in the fire and eating—God preserve us.
ولما اشتد الحال أَمَرَ السلطان أن يعطى لجميع دهلي نفقة ستة أشهر،,When conditions became serious the Sultan gave orders that all the inhabitants of DihlI should be supplied with six months’ sustenance.
فكانت القضاة والكتاب والأمراء يطوفون بالأزقة والحارات,"The qadls, secretaries and amirs, therefore, went round all the streets and quarters,"
ويكتبون الناس، ويعطون لكل أحد نفقة ستة أشهر بحساب رطل ونصف من أرطال المغرب في اليوم لكل واحد،,writing down their inhabitants and giving each one of them six months’ provision at the rate of one and a half pounds (Barbary weight) a day for each person.
وكنت في تلك المدة أُطْعِم الناس من الطعام الذي أَصْنَعُه بمقبرة السلطان قطب الدين,"During this time I used to provide food for the people out of the provisions which I prepared in the mausoleum of the Sultan Qutb al-Din,"
حسبما يُذْكَر،,"as will be related in due course,"
فكان الناس ينتعشون بذلك، والله تعالى ينفع بالقصد فيه،,and the people were sustained in this way—may God Most High reward according to the purpose of that action!
وإذ قد ذَكَرْنا من أخبار السلطان وما كان في أيامه من الحوادث ما فيه الكفاية،,"Now since we have related enough stories about the Sultan and of the events concerning him which took place in his days,"
فلنعد إلى ما يخصنا من ذلك،,"let us return to what concerns ourselves in all this,"
ونذكر كيفية وصولنا أوَّلًا إلى حضرته، وتنقل الحال إلى خروجنا عن الخدمة،,"and relate the circumstances of our arrival in the first place at his court and our changes of fortune until we left his service,"
ثم خروجنا عن السلطان في الرسالة إلى الصين وعودنا منها إلى بلادنا,"and our subsequent departure from the Sultan on a mission to China and our return therefrom to our own land,"
إن شاء الله تعالى.,if God Most High will.
ذكر وصولنا إلى دار السلطان عند قدومنا وهو غائب,Account of our coming to the Sultan’s palace on our arrival during his absence.
ولما دخلنا حضرة دهلي قصدْنَا باب السلطان،,When we entered the capital of Dihli we proceeded directly to the Sultan’s court.
ودخلنا الباب الأول ثمَّ الثاني ثمَّ الثالث، ووجدنا عليه النقباء — وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُهم —,"We passed through the first door, then the second and the third, finding at each the naqibs, of whom a description has already been given,"
فلما وصلنا إليهم تَقَدَّمَ بنا نقيبهم إلى مشور عظيم مُتَّسِع،,and when we came to them the chief naqib introduced us into a great and spacious audience-hall.
فوجدنا به الوزير خواجة جهان ينتظرنا،,Here we found the vizier Khwaja Jahan awaiting us.
فتقدم ضياء الدين خداوند زاده، ثمَّ تلاه أخوه قوام الدين، ثمَّ أخوهما عماد الدين،,"The first to go forward was Diya al-Din Khudhawand-Zada, followed by his brother Qiwam al-Din, then by their brother ‘Imad al-Din;"
ثمَّ تلوتهم ثمَّ تلاني أخوهم برهان الدين،,"I came next and was followed by their brother Burhan al-Din,"
ثمَّ الأمير مبارك السمرقندي، ثمَّ أرن بغا التركي،,"then the amir Mubarak of Samarqand, then the Turk Arun Bugha,"
ثم ملك زاده ابن أخت خداوند زاده، ثمَّ بدر الدين الفصال،,"then MalikZada, the sister’s son of Khudhawand-Zada, and finally Badr al-Din al-Fassal."
ولما دخلنا من الباب الثالث ظهر لنا المشور الكبير المسمى هزاراسطون (أستون)، ومعنى ذلك ألف سارية،,"On entering from the third door the vast hall called Hazar Ustun, which means ‘thousand pillars’, met our eyes."
وبه يجلس السلطان الجلوس العام،,Here the Sultan sits in public audience.
فخدم الوزير عند ذلك حتى قرب رأسه من الأرض،,"On entering, the vizier made obeisance until his head nearly touched the ground,"
وخدمنا نحن بالركوع، وأوصلنا أصابعنا إلى الأرض،,"and we too made obeisance by inclining the body and touched the ground with our fingers,"
وخدمتنا لناحية سرير السلطان،,our obeisance being in the direction of the Sultan’s throne.
وخدم جميع من معنا،,All who were with us made obeisance also
فلما فرغنا من الخدمة صاح النقباء بأصوات عالية بسم الله وخرجنا.,and when we finished this ceremony the naqibs cried in a loud voice Bismillah and we all retired.
ذكر وصولنا لدار أم السلطان وذكر فضائلها,Account of our visit to the palace of the Sultan s mother and of her virtuous qualities.
وأم السلطان تدعى المخدومة جهان،,The Sultan’s mother is called Makhduma Jahan [‘Mistress of the World’].
وهي من أفضل النساء، كثيرة الصدقات، عمرت زوايا كثيرة، وجعلت فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر,"She is one of the most virtuous of women and munificent in charity, and has founded many hospices and endowed them to supply food to all travellers."
وهي مكفوفة البصر؛,"She is blind,"
وسبب ذلك أنه لما ملك ابنها جاء إليها جميع الخواتين وبنات الملوك والأمراء في أحسن زي,and the reason for this is that when her son came to the throne she was visited by all the princesses and daughters of the ‘kings’ and the amirs wearing their finest apparel.
وهي على سرير الذهب المرصع بالجوهر، فخَدَمْنَ بين يديها جميعًا،,"As she was sitting on a golden couch encrusted with jewels and they all made obeisance before her,"
فذهب بصرها للحين، وعولجت بأنواع العلاج فلم ينفع،,her sight went suddenly and although she has been treated in all kinds of ways it has done no good.
وولدها أشد الناس برًّا به، ومن بره,"Her son is of all men the most filial in his respect for her, and here is an example."
أنها سافرت معه مرة فقَدِمَ السلطان قبلها بمدة،,"Once when she went on a journey with him the Sultan returned some time before her,"
فلما قَدِمَتْ خرج لاستقبالها وتَرَجَّلَ عن فرسه،,"and on her arrival he went out to meet her, alighted from his horse,"
وقَبَّلَ رِجْلها وهي في المحفة بمرأًى من الناس أجمعين،,and kissed her foot as she was in her litter in the sight of all the people.
ولْنَعُدْ لما قصدناه فنقول:,To return to our subject.
ولما انصرفنا عن دار السلطان خرج الوزير ونحن معه إلى باب الصرف،,"When we withdrew from the Sultan’s palace the vizier went out, taking us in his company, to the Bab al-Sarf,"
وهم يسمونه باب الحرم، وهنالك سكنى المخدومة جهان،,"which they call also by the name of Bab al-Haram, where the Makhduma Jahan has her residence."
فلما وصلْنَا بابها نزلنا عن الدواب،,"When we reached her gate we alighted from our mounts,"
وكل واحد منا قد أتى بهدية على قدر حاله،,each of us having brought a gift proportioned to his quality.
ودخل معنا قاضي قضاة المماليك كمال الدين بن البرهان،,"The chief judge of the mamluks, Kamal al-Din ibn al-Burhan, went in with us;"
فخدم الوزير والقاضي عند بابها، وخدمنا كخدمتهم،,both he and the vizier did homage at her gate and we did homage in the same manner.
وكتب كاتب بابها هدايانا، ثمَّ خرج من الفتيان جماعة,"The clerk at her gate made a list of our presents and then a company of eunuchs came out,"
وتقدم كبارهم إلى الوزير فكلموه سرًّا،,the chief of whom presented themselves to the vizier and spoke with him privately.
ثمَّ عادوا إلى القصر،,"They then went back into the palace,"
ثمَّ رجعوا إلى الوزير،,"then came out again to the vizier,"
ثم عادوا إلى القصر ونحن وقوف،,then went back to the palace while we stood waiting.
ثمَّ أمرنا بالجلوس في سقيف هنالك،,"At length we were commanded to sit down in an arcade at that place,"
ثمَّ أتوا بالطعام، وأتوا بقلال من الذهب يسمونها السين (بضم السين والياء آخر الحروف),"after which they served us with food, bringing golden vessels which they call suyun,"
وهي مثل القدور ولها مرافع من الذهب تجلس عليها يسمونها السبك (بضم السين وبضم الباء الموحدة)، وأتوا بأقداح وطسوت وأباريق كلها ذهب،,"resembling our pitchers, with golden saucers on which they stand called subuk, as well as drinking vessels, plates and jugs all in gold."
وجعلوا الطعام سماطين، وعلى كل سماط صَفَّان، ويكون في رأس الصف كبير القوم الواردين.,"They set out the food in two tables, with two rows [of guests] at each table, and at the head of each row was the principal of the persons present."
ولما تَقَدَّمْنا للطعام خدم الحجاب والنقباء وخدمنا لخدمتهم،,"When we went forward to the tables the chamberlains and naqlbs did homage and we did homage likewise,"
ثم أتوا بالشربة فشربنا، وقال الحجاب بسم الله,after which they brought a sherbet and we drank and the chamberlain said Bismillah.
ثم أكلنا، وأتوا بالفقاع ثم بالتنبول، ثم قال الحجاب بسم الله فخدمنا جميعًا،,"We then ate, and after they had brought the barley-water followed by the betel the chamberlains said Bismillah and we all did homage."
ثم دعينا إلى موضع هنالك، فخلع علينا خلع الحرير المذهبة،,We were then invited to go to a certain place there and were invested with silk robes of honour embroidered in gold.
ثم أتوا بنا إلى باب القصر فخدمنا عنده، وقال الحجاب بسم الله,Next we were taken to the gate of the palace where we did homage and the chamberlains said Bismillah.
ووقف الوزير ووقفنا معه، ثم أخرج من داخل القصر تحت ثياب غير مخيطة من حرير وكتان وقطن، فأعطي كل واحد منا نصيبه منها،,"The vizier remained standing and we with him until there was brought out from inside the palace a chest containing unsewn fabrics of silk, linen and cotton, and each one of us was given his share of them."
ثم أتوا بطيفور ذهب فيه الفاكهة اليابسة وبطيفور مثله فيه الجلاب وطيفور ثالث فيه التنبول،,"Then they brought a golden platter containing dried fruits, a similar platter with juleps, and a third with betel."
ومن عادتهم أن الذي يخرج له ذلك يأخذ الطيفور بيده ويجعله على كاهله، ثم يخدم بيده الأخرى إلى الأرض،,"It is their custom that the person to whom this is brought out takes the platter in his hand, places it on his shoulder and then does homage with his other hand touching the ground."
فأخذ الوزير الطيفور بيده قصد أن يعلمني كيف أفعل إيناسًا منه وتواضعًا ومبرة جزاه الله خيرًا، ففعلت كفعله,"The vizier took the platter in his hand with the purpose of showing me what I should do, out of kindly condescension on his part and courteous solicitude, may God reward him with good, and I did as he had done."
ثم انصرفنا إلى الدار المعدة لنزولنا بمدينة دهلي وبمقربة من دروازة بالم منها وبعثت لنا الضيافة.,"We then withdrew to the mansion which had been prepared for our occupation in the city of DihlI and in the neighbourhood of the darwaza of Palam, and the hospitality gift was sent to us."
ذكر الضيافة,Account of the hospitality.
ولما وصلت إلى الدار التي أُعِدَّتْ لنزولي، وَجَدْتُ فيها ما يُحْتاج إليه من فُرُش وبُسُط وحُصُر وأوانٍ وسرير الرقاد،,"On arrival at the mansion which had been prepared for my occupation I found in it everything that was required in the way of furniture, carpets, mats, vessels, and bed."
وأَسِرَّتهم بالهند خفيفة الحمل، يَحْمِل السريرَ منها الرجلُ الواحد،,Their beds in India are light and one of them can be carried by a single man;
ولا بد لكل أحد أن يستصحب السرير في السفر يحمله غلامه على رأسه،,"every person when travelling has to transport his own bed, which his slave-boy carries on his head."
وهو أربع قوائم مخروطة، يعرض عليها أربعة أعواد، وتنسج عليها ضفائر من الحرير أو القطن،,It consists of four conical legs with four crosspieces of wood on which braids of silk or cotton are woven.
فإذا نام الإنسان عليه لم يَحْتَجْ إلى ما يرطبه به؛ لأنه يعطي الرطوبة من ذاته،,"When one lies down on it, there is no need for anything to make it pliable, for it is pliable of itself."
وجاءوا مع السرير بمضربتين ومخدتين ولحاف كل ذلك من الحرير،,"Along with the bed they brought two mattresses and pillows and a coverlet, all made of silk."
وعادتهم أن يجعلوا للمضربات واللحوف (واللحف) وجوهًا تغشيها من كتان أو قطن بيضًا،,"Their custom is to use white slips made of linen or cotton as cover for the mattresses and coverlets,"
فمتى تَوَسَّخَتْ غسلوا الوجوه المذكورة، وبقي ما في داخلها مصونًا،,"so that when they become dirty they wash the slips, while the bedding inside is kept clean."
وأتوا تلك الليلة برجلين أحدهما الطاحوني ويسمونه الخراص والآخر الجزار ويسمونه القصاب،,"That night they came with two men, one of them the miller, whom they call the kharras, and the other the butcher, whom they call the qassab."
فقالوا: لتأخذوا من هذا كذا وكذا من الدقيق، ومن هذا كذا وكذا من اللحم لأوزان لا أذكرها الآن،,They told us to take from the one so much flour and from the other so much meat—the exact weights I do not remember now.
وعادتهم أن يكون اللحم الذي يعطون بقدر وزن الدقيق،,"It is their custom that the meat which they give is equal to the weight of the flour,"
وهذا الذي ذكرناه ضيافة أم السلطان،,and this which we have described was the hospitality gift of the Sultan’s mother.
وبعد ذلك وَصَلَتْنا ضيافة السلطان وسنذكرها،,"Later on there was delivered to us the hospitality gift of the Sultan, which we shall describe in due course."
ولما كان من غدِ ذلك اليوم ركبنا إلى دار السلطان، وسَلَّمْنا على الوزير، فأعطاني بدرتين، كل بدرة من ألف دينار دراهم، وقال لي: هذه سرششتي (شستي) ومعناه لغسل رأسك، وأعطاني خلعة من المرعز,"Next day we rode to the Sultan’s palace and saluted the vizier, who gave me two purses, each containing a thousand silver dinars, saying ‘This is sarshushti which means ‘for washing your head’, and in addition gave me a robe of fine goathair."
وكتب جميع أصحابي وخدامي وغلماني فجُعِلُوا أربعة أصناف؛,"A list was made of all my companions, servants, and slave boys, and they were divided into four categories;"
فالصنف الأول منها أُعْطِيَ كلُّ واحد منهم مائتي دينار،,"those in the first category were each given two hundred dinars,"
والصنف الثاني أُعْطِيَ كل واحد منهم مائة وخمسين دينارًا،,"in the second a hundred and fifty,"
والصنف الثالث أُعْطِيَ كل واحد مائة دينار،,"the third a hundred,"
والصنف الرابع أُعْطِيَ كل واحد خمسة وسبعين دينارًا،,and the fourth seventy-five.
وكانوا نحو أربعين، وكان جملة ما أُعْطُوه أربعة آلاف دينار ونيفًا،,"There were about forty of them, and the total sum given to them was four thousand odd dinars."
وبعد ذلك عُيِّنَتْ ضيافة السلطان،,After that the Sultan’s hospitality gift was fixed.
وهي ألف رطل هندية من الدقيق ثلثها من الميرا وهو الدرمك، وثلثاها من الخشكار وهو المدهون، وألف رطل من اللحم، ومن السكر والسمن والسيلف والفوفل أرطال كثيرة لا أَذْكُر عددها، والألف من ورق التنبول،,"This consisted of a thousand Indian pounds of flour, one third of it in mira, that is fine flour, and two-thirds in khushkar, that is coarsely-ground flour, a thousand pounds of flesh-meat, and I cannot say how many pounds of sugar, ghee, salif, and areca-nuts, with a thousand betel leaves."
والرطل الهندي عشرون رطلًا من أرطال المغرب، وخمسة وعشرون من أرطال مصر،,The Indian pound equals twenty of our Moroccan pounds and twenty-five Egyptian pounds.
وكانت ضيافة خداوند زاده أربعة آلاف رطل من الدقيق ومثلها من اللحم، مع ما يناسبها مما ذكرناه.,"The hospitality gift to Khudhawand-Zada was four thousand pounds of flour and the same of meat, together with similar quantities of the other things we have mentioned."
ذكر وفاة بنتي وما فعلوا في ذلك,Account of the death of my daughter and their action on that occasion.
ولما كان بعد شهر ونصف من مقدمنا تُوُفِّيَتْ بنت لي سنها دون السنة،,"One and a half months after our arrival a daughter of mine died, aged less than a year."
فاتصل خبر وفاتها بالوزير فأَمَرَ أن تُدْفَن في زاوية بناها خارج دروازة بالم بقرب مقبرة هنالك لشيخنا إبراهيم القونوي،,"When the report of her death reached the vizier he gave orders that she should be buried in a hospice which he had built outside the darwaza of Palam, close to a tomb there of our Shaikh Ibrahim al-Qunawi."
فدفنَّاها بها وكُتِبَ بخبرها إلى السلطان، فأتاه الجواب في عشيِّ اليوم الثاني،,"After we had buried her there he wrote to the Sultan about her and the reply reached him in the evening of the next day,"
وكان بين متصيد السلطان وبين الحضرة مسيرة عشرة أيام،,although the distance between the Sultan’s hunting-field and the capital was ten days’ journey.
وعادتهم أن يخرجوا إلى قبر الميت صبيحة الثالث مِنْ دَفْنه،,It is their custom to go to visit the grave of the dead person in the morning of the third day after burial.
ويفرشون جوانب القبر بالبسط وثياب الحرير، ويجعلون على القبر الأزاهير، وهي لا تنقطع هنالك في فصل من الفصول,"They spread carpets and silk fabrics on all sides of the tomb and place on it flowers, of which there is a never-ending supply there in all seasons of the year,"
كالياسمين وقل شبه (كل شبو) وهي زهر أصفر وريبول وهو أبيض والنسرين وهو على صنفين أبيض وأصفر،,"such as jasmine, and gul shabah which has yellow flowers, raibul which is white, and nisrin, which is of two kinds, white and yellow."
ويجعلون أغصان النارنج والليمون بثمارها،,"They also set up branches of orange and lemon trees with their fruits,"
وإن لم يكن فيها ثمار علقوا منها حبات بالخيوط، ويصبون على القبر الفواكه اليابسة وجوز النارجيل،,"and if there should be no fruit on them they attach some to them with threads, and they heap upon the tomb dried fruits and coconuts."
ويجتمع الناس ويؤتى بالمصاحف فيقرءون القرآن,Then the people assemble and copies of the scriptures are brought and they recite the Koran.
فإذا ختموه أتوا بماء الجلاب فسقوه الناس،,"When they have completed the recitation servants bring julep and give it to the people to drink,"
ثم يصب عليهم ماء الورد صبًّا، ويعطون التنبول وينصرفون،,then rose-water is sprinkled over them profusely and they are given betel and retire.
ولما كان صبيحة الثالث مِنْ دَفْن هذه البنت خرجت عند الصبح على العادة، وأعددت ما تيسر من ذلك كله،,"On the morning of the third day after the burial of this daughter I went out at dawn according to the custom, having made ready what I could of all this."
فوجدت الوزير قد أمر بترتيب ذلك، وأمر بسراحة فضربت على القبر،,Then I found that the vizier had already commanded everything to be put in order for the ceremony and that a saracha had been erected over the tomb on his order.
وجاء الحاجب شمس الدين الفوشنجي الذي تلقانا بالسند والقاضي نظام الدين الكرواني وجملة من كبار أهل المدينة،,"Among those present were the chamberlain Shams alDin al-Fushanji, who had welcomed us in Sind, the qadi Nizam al-Din al-Karwani, and a number of the principal men of the city."
ولم آت إلا والقوم المذكورون وقد أخذوا مجالسهم والحاجب بين أيديهم وهم يقرءون القرآن,"I did not enter until all these persons had taken their seats with the chamberlain in front of them, and all reciting the Koran,"
فقعدت مع أصحابي بمقربة من القبر،,then I sat down with my companions in the vicinity of the tomb.
فلما فرغوا من القراءة قرأ القراء بأصوات حسان،,"When they finished their recital the professional Koranreaders gave a recitation with beautiful voices,"
ثمَّ قام القاضي فقرأ رثاء في البنت المتوفاة وثناء على السلطان،,after which the qadi rose and recited an elegy on the dead girl and a panegyric on the Sultan.
وعند ذِكْر اسمه قام الناس جميعًا قيامًا فخدموا ثمَّ جلسوا ودعا القاضي دعاء حسنًا.,"As his name was mentioned the whole assembly rose to their feet and did homage, then sat down again and the qadi pronounced a beautiful invocation."
ثمَّ أخذ الحاجب وأصحابه براميل ماء الورد، فصبوا على الناس،,After this the chamberlain and his companions took barrels of rose-water and sprinkled it over those present.
ثمَّ داروا عليهم بأقداح شربة النبات، ثمَّ فرقوا عليهم التنبول،,"They then went round with cups of sherbet made of candy, after which they distributed betel to them,"
ثمَّ أتي بإحدى عشرة خلعة لي ولأصحابي،,then eleven robes of honour were brought for me and my companions.
ثمَّ ركب الحاجب وركبنا معه إلى دار السلطان، فخدمنا للسرير على العادة، وانصرفت إلى منزلي،,"The chamberlain then mounted and we rode with him to the Sultan’s palace, where we did homage to the throne, according to the custom, and I returned to my house."
فما وصلت إلَّا وقد جاء الطعام من دار المخدومة جهان ما ملأ الدار ودور أصحابي،,I had scarcely arrived when there came from the palace of the Makhduma Jahan so much food as filled my house and my companions’ houses.
وأكلوا جميعًا وأكل المساكين،,"After they had all eaten and the poor had eaten also,"
وفضلت الأقراص والحلواء والنبات فأقامت بقاياها أيامًا،,"there were left over quantities of bread-cakes and sweetmeats and candy, the remains of which lasted for several days."
وكان فعل ذلك كله بأمر السلطان،,All this was done by the Sultan’s orders.
وبعد أيام جاء الفتيان من دار المخدومة جهان بالدولة، وهي المحفة التي يحمل فيها النساء,"Some days later the eunuchs from the palace of the Makhduma Jahan brought a dula, that is a litter in which women are carried,"
ويركبها الرجال أيضًا، وهي شبه السرير,"though men also use it for journeys, resembling a couch."
سطحها من ضفائر الحرير أو القطن، وعليها عود شبه الذي على البوجات عندنا معوج من القصب الهندي المغلوق،,"The roof of the litter is made of braids of silk or cotton and on top of these there is a curved piece of wood like that on the top of parasols in our country, made of curved Indian bamboo."
ويحملها ثمانية رجال في نوبتين يستريح أربعة ويحمل أربعة،,"It is carried by eight men in two lots of four, who rest and carry in turn."
وهذه الدول بالهند كالحمير بديار مصر عليها يتصرف أكثر الناس،,"These dulas in India are like the donkeys in Egypt, it is on them that most people go about on business;"
فمن كان له عبيد حملوه، ومن لم يكن له عبيد اكترى رجالًا يحملونه،,"if a man has slaves of his own they carry him, and if he has no slaves he hires men to carry him."
وبالبلد منهم جماعة يسيرة يقفون في الأسواق، وعند باب السلطان وعند أبواب الناس للكرى،,In the town there are always a number of these men standing in the bazaars and at the Sultan’s gate and at the gates of other persons for hire.
وتكون دول النساء مغشاة حرير،,"The dulas of women are covered with silk curtains,"
وكذلك كانت هذه الدولة التي أتى الفتيان بها من دار أم السلطان، فحملوا فيها جاريتي,"and it was a dula of this kind which the eunuchs brought from the palace of the Sultan’s mother and in which they carried my slave-girl,"
التي هي أم البنت المتوفاة،,who was the mother of the daughter that died.
وبعثت أنا معها عن هدية جارية تركية،,I for my part sent with her a Turkish slave-girl as a gift.
فأقامت الجارية أم البنت عندهم ليلة، وجاءت في اليوم الثاني، وقد أعطوها ألف دينار,"The girl that was the mother of the daughter stayed with them for a night and came back the next day after they had given her a thousand silver dinars,"
وأساور ذهب مرصعة وتهليلًا من الذهب مرصعًا أيضًا,"and bracelets of gold set with jewels and a crescent of gold also set with jewels,"
وقميص كتان مزركشًا بالذهب وخلعة حرير مذهبة ونختًا بأثواب،,and a linen chemise embroidered with gold and a silk robe gilded and a chest full of clothing.
ولما جاءت بذلك كله أعطيته لأصحابي وللتجار الذين لهم عليَّ الدين؛,"When she brought all of this I gave it to my companions and to the merchants to whom I was indebted,"
محافظةً على نفسي وصونًا لعرضي؛,"in order to protect myself and to guard my honour,"
لأن المخبرين يكتبون إلى السلطان بجميع أحوالي.,because the intelligencers were sending reports to the Sultan about everything that concerned me.
ذكر إحسان السلطان والوزير إلي في أيام غيبة السلطان عن الحضرة,Account of the generosity shown to me by the Sultan and the vizier during the Sultan s absence from the capital.
وفي أثناء مقامي أَمَرَ السلطان أن يُعَيَّن لي من القرى ما يكون فائدة خمسة آلاف دينار في السنة،,"While I was waiting, the Sultan gave orders to assign to me such a number of villages as would produce a revenue of 5,000 dinars a year."
فعينها لي الوزير وأهل الديوان وخرجت إليه،,"The vizier and the officers of the administration assigned them to me accordingly, and I went out to visit them."
فمنها قرية تسمى بدلي (بفتح الباء الموحدة وفتح الدال المهملة وكسر اللام)، وقرية تسمى بسهي (بفتح الباء الموحدة والسين المهمل وكسر الهاء)، ونصف قرية تسمى بالرة (بفتح الباء الموحدة واللام والراء)،,"One was a village called Badahl, another a village called Basahi, and half of a village called Balara."
وهذه القرى على مسافة ستة عشر كروهًا وهو الميل بصدى يُعْرَف بصدى هندبت، والصدى عندهم مجموع مائة قرية،,"These villages were at a distance of sixteen kuruhs that is to say miles, in a sadi known as the sadi of Hind-But, the sadi being in their usage a group of a hundred villages."
وأحواز المدينة مقسومة أصداءً، كل صدًى له جوطري، وهو شيخ من كفار تلك البلاد ومتصرف، وهو الذي يضم مجابيها،,"The territories of the city [also] are divided into hundreds, each hundred of which has a jawtari, that is to say a shaikh, from among the infidels of those lands, and a mutasarrif, who is the person who collects the revenues."
وكان قد وصل في ذلك الوقت سبيٌ من الكفار، فبعث الوزير إلي عشر جَوَارٍ منه،,There had arrived at that time some captives taken from the infidels and the vizier sent me ten girls from among them.
فأعطيت للذي جاء بهن واحدةً منهن فما رضي بذلك،,I gave the man who brought them one of them—he was not at all pleased with that—
وأخذ أصحابي ثلاثًا صغارًا منهن وباقيهن لا أعرف ما اتفق لهن،,and my companions took three young ones amongst them; as for the rest I do not know what happened to them.
والسبي هنالك رخيص الثمن؛ لأنهن قذرات لا يَعْرِفْن مصالح الحضر،,Female captives there are very cheap because they are dirty and do not know civilized ways.
والمعلمات رخيصات الأثمان؛ فلا يفتقر أحد إلى شراء السبي،,"Even the educated ones are cheap, so that no one there needs to buy captives."
والكفار ببلاد الهند في بَرٍّ متصل وبلاد متصلة مع المسلمين،,"The infidels in the land of India inhabit a territory which is not geographically separated from that of the Muslims, and their lands are contiguous,"
والمسلمون غالبون عليهم، وإنما يمتنع الكفار بالجبال والأوعار،,"but though the Muslims have the upper hand over them yet the infidels maintain themselves in inaccessible mountains and rugged places,"
ولهم غيضات من القصب، وقصبهم غير مجوف، ويعظم ويَلْتَفُّ بعضه على بعض، ولا تؤثر فيه النار، وله قوة عظيمة،,"and they have forests of reeds, and as their reeds are not hollow but of large growth and are interlaced with one another, fire makes no impression on them and they are of great strength."
فيسكنون تلك الغياض، وهي لهم مثل السور,"The infidels live in these forests which are for them as good as city walls,"
بداخلها تكون مواشيهم وزروعهم ولهم فيها المياه مما يجتمع من ماء المطر،,"and inside them they have their cattle and grain and supplies of water collected from the rains,"
فلا يُقْدَر عليهم إلَّا بالعساكر القوية من الرجال الذين يدخلون تلك الغياض ويقطعون تلك القصب بآلات معدة لذلك.,so that they cannot be overcome except by strong armies of men who go into those forests and cut down those reeds with instruments made for the purpose.
ذكر العيد الذي شَهِدْتُه أيام غيبة السلطان,Account of the festival which I attended during the Sultan’s absence.
وأظل عيد الفطر والسلطان لم يَعُدْ بعد إلى الحضرة،,"The feast of the fast-breaking now approached, and the Sultan had not yet returned to the capital."
فلما كان يوم العيد ركب الخطيب على الفيل، وقد مُهِّدَ له على ظهره شبه السرير، ورُكِزَتْ أربعة أعلام في أركانه الأربعة،,"On the day of the festival the khatIb mounted an elephant, on whose back there had been constructed for him a kind of divan, with four banners planted at its four corners."
ولبس الخطيب ثياب السواد،,The khatlb was dressed in livery of black.
وركب المؤذنون على الفيلة يُكَبِّرُون أمامه، وركب فقهاء المدينة وقضاتها،,"The muezzins also rode on elephants, chanting Allahu akbar in front of him, and the jurists and judges of the town were mounted,"
وكل واحد منهم يستصحب صدقة يتصدق بها حين الخروج إلى المصلى،,each one of them carrying with him an alms to bestow as he came out of the city to go to the musalla.
ونُصِبَ على المصلى صيوان قُطْن وفُرِشَ ببسط،,"Over the musalla there was spread a marquee of cotton, and it was furnished with carpets."
واجتمع الناس ذاكرين لله تعالى،,"The people assembled there reciting the praises of God the Most High,"
ثم صلى بهم الخطيب وخطب وانصرف الناس إلى منازلهم،,"and when the khatlb had led them in prayer and delivered the address, they returned to their dwellings."
وانصرفنا إلى دار السلطان، وجُعِلَ الطعام فحضره الملوك والأمراء والأعزة وهم الغرباء وأكلوا وانصرفوا.,"We returned to the Sultan’s palace where food was served, attended by the ‘kings’, the amirs, and the ‘honourables’ (that is to say, the foreigners) and after they had eaten they withdrew."
ذكر قدوم السلطان ولقائنا له,Account of the Sultan’s arrival and our meeting with him.
ولما كان في رابع شوال نزل السلطان بقصر يسمى تلبت (بكسر التاء المعلوة الأولى وسكون اللام وفتح الباء الموحدة ثم تاء كالأولى)،,"On the fourth of Shawwal [ th June ] the Sultan alighted at a castle called Tilbat,"
وهي على مسافة سبعة أميال من الحضرة، فأمَرَنَا الوزير بالخروج إليه,"seven miles from the capital, and the vizier ordered us to go out to him."
فخرجنا، ومع كل إنسان هديته من الخيل والجمال والفواكه الخراسانية والسيوف المصرية والمماليك,"We set out, each man with his present of horses, camels, fruits of Khurasan, Egyptian swords, mamluks,"
والغنم المجلوبة من بلاد الأتراك، فوصلنا إلى باب القصر وقد اجتمع جميع القادمين،,"and sheep brought from the land of the Turks, and came to the gate of the castle where all the newcomers were assembled."
فكانوا يدخلون إلى السلطان على قَدْر مراتبهم، ويخلع عليهم ثياب الكتان المزركشة بالذهب،,"They were then introduced before the Sultan in order of precedence and were given robes of linen, embroidered in gold."
ولما وَصَلَت النوبة إليَّ دَخَلْتُ، فوجدت السلطان قاعدًا على كرسي,When my turn came I entered and found the Sultan seated on a chair.
فظننته أحد الحُجَّاب، حتى رأيت معه ملك الندماء ناصر الدين الكافي الهروي،,"At first I took him to be one of the chamberlains until I saw him with the ‘king’ of the royal intimates, Nasir al-DIn al-Kafi of Harat,"
وكنت عَرَفْتُه أيام غيبة السلطان،,whom I had come to know during the Sultan’s absence.
فخدم الحاجب فخدمت، واستقبلني أمير حاجب,"The chamberlain made obeisance and I did so too, then the amir hajib,"
وهو ابن عم السلطان المسمى بفيروز، وخدمت ثانية لخدمته،,"who was the son of the Sultan’s uncle named FIruz, came forward to meet me and I made obeisance a second time along with him."
ثم قال لي ملك الندماء: بسم الله مولانا بدر الدين، وكانوا يدعونني بأرض الهند بدر الدين، وكل من كان من أهل الطلب إنما يقال له مولانا،,"After this the ‘king’ of the intimate courtiers said to me ‘Bismillah, Mawlana Badr al-DIn’, for in India they used to call me Badr al-DIn, and mawlana. [Our Master] is a title given to all scholars."
فقربت من السلطان حتى أخذ بيدي وصافحني، وأمسك يدي،,"I approached the Sultan, who took my hand and shook it,"
وجعل يخاطبني بأحسن خطاب، ويقول لي باللسان الفارسي: حلت البركة، قدومك مبارك،,"and continuing to hold it addressed me most affably, saying in Persian ‘This is a blessing; your arrival is blessed;"
اجمع خاطرك، أعمل معك من المراحم، وأعطيك من الأنعام ما يسمع به أهل بلادك فيأتون إليك،,"be at ease, I shall be compassionate to you and give you such favours that your fellow-countrymen will hear of it and come to join you.’"
ثم سألني عن بلادي، فقلت: له بلاد المغرب، فقال لي بلاد عبد المؤمن؟ فقلت له: نعم،,Then he asked me where I came from and I said to him ‘From the land of the Maghrib’. He said to me ‘The land of ‘Abd al-Mu’min?’ and I said ‘Yes’.
وكان كلما قال لي كلامًا جيدًا قَبَّلْتُ يده،,"Every time he said any encouraging word to me I kissed his hand,"
حتى قَبَّلْتُها سبع مرات، وخلع علي وانصرفت,"until I had kissed it seven times, and after he had given me a robe of honour I withdrew."
واجتمع الواردون، فمد لهم سماط،,All the persons present then assembled and a meal was served to them.
ووقف على رءوسهم قاضي القضاة صدر الجهان ناصر الدين الخوارزمي، وكان من كبار الفقهاء،,"At the head of them were placed the Grand QadI Sadr al-Jahan Nasir al-DIn of Khwarizm, who was one of the most eminent of jurists,"
وقاضي قضاة المماليك صدر الجهان كمال الدين الغزنوي،,"the grand qadT of the mamluks Sadr al-Jahan Kamal al-DTn alGhaznawT,"
وعماد الملك عرض الماليك والملك جلال الدين الكيجي,"‘Imad al-Mulk, the inspector of mamluks, the malik Jalal al-DTn al-KTjT,"
وجماعة من الحجاب والأمراء.,and a number of the chamberlains and amirs.
وحضر لذلك خداوند زاده غياث الدين بن عم خداوند زاده قوام الدين قاضي الترمذ الذي قَدِمَ معنا،,"Present also was Khudhawand-Zada Ghiyath al-DTn, the son of the paternal uncle of Khudhawand-Zada Qiwam al-DTn the qadT of Tirmidh, who had arrived in our party."
وكان السلطان يعظمه ويخاطبه بالأخ،,"The Sultan used to hold him in high esteem and address him by the title of ‘brother’,"
وتردد إليه مرارًا من بلاده،,and he in turn frequently made the journey from his own country to visit the Sultan.
والواردون الذين خلع عليهم في ذلك هم,The new arrivals upon whom the robes of honour were bestowed on this occasion were:
خداوند زاده قوام الدين وإخوته ضياء الدين وعماد الدين وبرهان الدين,"Khudhawand-Zada Qiwam al-DTn and his three brothers, Diya al-DTn, ‘Imad al-DTn and Burhan al-DTn,"
وابن أخته أمير بخت ابن السيد تاج الدين وكان جده وجيه الدين وزير خراسان،,"as well as his sister’s son AmTr Bakht, the son of the Sayyid Taj al-DTn (his grandfather, WajTh al-DTn, was the vizier of Khurasan"
وكان خاله علاء الدين أمير هند ووزيرًا أيضًا،,"and his maternal uncle ‘Ala al-DTn AmTr Hind was a vizier too),"
والأمير هبة الله بن الفلكي التبريزي، وكان أبوه نائب الوزير بالعراق، وهو الذي بنى المدرسة الفلكية بتبريز،,"the amTr Hibatallah son of al-FalakT al-TabrTzT (his father was the deputy of the vizier in al-’Iraq and it was he who built the Falakuya College in TabrTz),"
وملك كراي من أولاد بهرام جور (جوبين) صاحب كسرى،,"Malik Karay, one of the descendants of Bahram Jur, the associate of Kisra"
وهو من أهل جبل بدخشان الذي منه يُجْلَب الياقوت البلخش واللازورد،,"—he was an inhabitant of the mountain of Badhakhshan, from which the balaksh ruby and lapis lazuli are obtained—"
والأمير مبارك شاه السمرقندي وأرون بغا البخاري، وملك زاده الترمذي، وشهاب الدين الكازروني,"the amTr Mubarak-Shah of Samarqand; Arun Bugha of Bukhara; Malik-Zada of Tirmidh; and Shihab al-DTn of Kazarun,"
التاجر الذي قَدِمَ من تبريز بالهدية إلى السلطان فسُلِبَ في طريقه.,the merchant who came from TabrTz with the present for the Sultan and was robbed of it on the way.
ذكر دخول السلطان إلى حضرته وما أمر لنا به من المراكب,Account of the Sultan’s entry into his capital and the mounts which he ordered for us.
وفي الغد من يوم خروجنا إلى السلطان أُعْطِيَ كل واحد منا فرسًا من مراكب السلطان,"On the day following that on which we went out to the Sultan each one of us was given a horse from the Sultan’s stables,"
عليه سرج ولجام محليان،,"with a richly ornamented saddle and bridle,"
وركب السلطان لدخول حضرته وركبنا في مقدمته مع صدر الجهان،,and when the Sultan mounted for the entry into his capital we rode in the front part of the procession together with [the Grand QadT] Sadr al-Jahan.
وزُيِّنَت الفيلة أمام السلطان،,"The elephants were decorated [and paraded] in front of the Sultan,"
وجعلت عليها الأعلام، ورفعت عليها ستة عشرًا شطرًا منها مزركشة ومنها مرصعة،,"with standards fixed on them and sixteen parasols, some of them gilded and some set with precious stones."
ورُفِعَ فوق رأس السلطان شطرًا منها، وحُمِلَت أمامه الغاشية،,"Over the Sultan’s head there was displayed a parasol of the same kind and in front of him was carried the ghashiya,"
وهي ستارة مرصعة،,which is a saddlecloth studded with gems.
وجُعِلَ على بعض الفيلة رعادات صغار،,"On some of the elephants there were mounted small military catapults,"
فلما وَصَلَ السلطان إلى قرب المدينة رمى في تلك الرعادات بالدنانير والدراهم مختلطة,and when the Sultan came near the city parcels of gold and silver coins mixed together were thrown from these machines.
والمشاة بين يدي السلطان سواهم ممن حضر يلتقطون ذلك،,"The men on foot in front of the Sultan and the other persons present scrambled for the money,"
ولم يزالوا ينثرونها إلى أن وصلوا إلى القصر،,and they kept on scattering it until the procession reached the palace.
وكان بين يديه آلاف من المشاة على الأقدام،,"There marched before him thousands of foot-soldiers,"
وصُنِعَت قباب الخشب المكسوة بثياب الحرير، وفيها المغنيات حسبما ذكرنا ذلك.,"and wooden pavilions covered with silk fabrics were constructed with singing-girls in them, as we have already related."
ذكر دخولنا إليه وما أَنْعَمَ به من الإحسان والولاية,Our entry into his presence and the gifts and offices which he conferred on us.
ولما كان يوم الجمعة ثاني يوم دخول السلطان,"On the Friday, the day after the entry of the Sultan,"
أتينا باب المشور،,we came to the gate of the audience-hall
فجلسنا في سقائف الباب الثالث،,"and sat down in the galleries of the third door,"
ولم يكن الإذن حصل لنا بالدخول،,since permission for us to enter had not yet been given.
وخرج الحاجب شمس الدين الفوشنجي،,After the chamberlain Shams al-DTn al-FushanjT had come out
فأمر الكُتَّاب أن يكتبوا أسماءنا،,"and instructed the clerks to make a list of our names,"
وأَذِنَ لهم في دخولنا ودخول بعض أصحابنا,"he authorized them to allow us to enter together with some of our companions,"
وعين للدخول معي ثمانية فدخلنا ودخلوا معنا،,"and fixed the number to enter with me at eight, so we went in and they came with us."
ثم جاءوا بالبدر والقبان وهو الميزان،,"They then brought bags of money and qabban, that is to say the balance,"
وقعد قاضي القضاة والكُتَّاب، ودعوا من الباب من الأعزة وهم الغرباء،,"and after the Grand QadT and the clerks had taken their seats they summoned those of the ‘honourables’ (that is to say foreigners) who were at the door,"
فعينوا لكل إنسان نصيبه من تلك البدر، فحصل لي منها خمسة آلاف دينار،,"and assigned to each man his share of those moneybags, of which I got 5,000 dinars."
وكان مبلغ المال مائة ألف دينار،,"The total amount of the money was 100,000 dinars,"
تصدقَتْ به أم السلطان لما قدم ابنها، وانصرفنا ذلك اليوم،,"which the Sultan’s mother had distributed as alms on the arrival of her son, and we retired for that day."
وكان السلطان بعد ذلك يستدعينا للطعام بين يديه، ويسأل عن أحوالنا، ويخاطبنا بأجمل كلام،,Afterwards the Sultan used to summon us to eat in his presence and would enquire how we fared and address us most affably.
ولقد قال لنا في بعض الأيام: أنتم شرفتمونا بقدومكم، فما نَقْدِرْ على مكافأتكم،,He said to us one day ‘You have honoured us by your coming and we cannot sufficiently reward you.
فالكبير منكم مقام والدي والكهل مقام أخي والصغير مقام ولدي،,"The elder amongst you is in the place of my father, the man of mature age is my brother, and the young man like my son."
وما في ملكي أعظم من مدينتي هذه أعطيكم إياها,"There is in my kingdom nothing greater than this city of mine and I give it to you,’"
فشكرناه ودعونا له،,whereupon we thanked him and invoked blessings upon him.
ثم بعد ذلك أَمَرَ لنا بالمرتبات فعَيَّنَ لي اثني عشر ألف دينار في السنة،,"Later on he assigned us stipends giving me twelve thousand dinars a year,"
وزادني قريتين على الثلاث التي أَمَرَ لي بها قبل؛,"and added two villages to the three he had already commanded for me,"
إحداهما قرية جوزة والثانية قرية ملك بور،,"one of them the village of Jawza, and the other the village of Malikpur."
وفي بعض الأيام بعث لنا خداوند زاده غياث الدين وقطب الملك صاحب السند,"One day he sent Khudhawand-Zada Ghiyath al-DIn and Qutb al-Mulk, the governor of Sind,"
فقالا لنا: إنَّ خوند عالم يقول لكم: مَنْ كان منكم يصلح للوزارة أو الكتابة أو الإمارة أو القضاء أو التدريس أو المشيخة أعطيته ذلك,"to us to say, ‘The Master of the World says to you “Whoever amongst you is capable of undertaking the function of vizier or secretary or commander or judge or professor or shaikh, I shall appoint to that office” ‘."
فسكت الجميع؛ لأنهم كانوا يريدون تحصيل الأموال والانصراف إلى بلادهم.,"Everyone was silent at first, for what they were wanting was to gain riches and return to their countries."
وتَكَلَّمَ أمير بخت ابن السيد تاج الدين الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه، فقال: أما الوزارة فميراثي، وأما الكتابة فشغلي، وغير ذلك لا أعرفه،,"Amir Bakht, son of the sayyid Taj al-DIn, of whom mention has been made above, spoke up and said ‘As for the office of vizier, it is my inheritance, and the duty of secretary is my occupation, but I know nothing of the other functions’."
وتكلم هبة الله بن الفلكي فقال مثل ذلك،,Hibatallah ibn al-FalakI said the same.
وقال لي خداوند زاده بالعربي: ما تقول أنت يا سيدي,"Then Khudhawand-Zada said to me in Arabic ‘What do you say, ya sayyidi?"
وأهل تلك البلاد ما يدعون العربي إلَّا بالتسويد، وبذلك يخاطبه السلطان تعظيمًا للعرب،,"(The people of that country never address an Arab except by the title of sayyid, and it is by this title that the Sultan himself addresses him, out of respect for the Arabs.)"
فقلت له: أمَّا الوزارة والكتابة فليست شغلي، وأمَّا القضاء والمشيخة فشغلي وشغل آبائي،,"I replied ‘Vizierships and secretaryships are not my business, but as to qadls and shaikhs, that is my occupation, and the occupation of my fathers before me."
وأمَّا الإمارة فتعلمون أن الأعاجم ما أسلمت إلَّا بأسياف العرب،,"And as for military commands, you know that the non-Arabs were converted to Islam only at the point of the sword of the Arabs’."
فلما بلغ ذلك إلى السلطان أعجبه كلامي،,The Sultan was pleased when he heard what I had said.
وكان بهزار أسطون يأكل الطعام،,"He was at the time in the Thousand Columns eating a meal,"
فبعث عنا فأكلنا بين يديه وهو يأكل،,and he sent for us and we ate in his presence as he was eating.
ثم انصرفنا إلى خارج هزار أسطون، فقعد أصحابي،,"We then withdrew to the outside of the Thousand Columns and my companions sat down,"
وانصرفت بسبب دمل كان يمنعني الجلوس،,while I retired on account of a boil which prevented me from sitting.
فاستدعانا السلطان ثانية، فحضر أصحابي واعتذروا له عني،,When the Sultan summoned us a second time my companions presented themselves and made excuses to him on my behalf.
وجئت بعد صلاة العصر فصليت بالمشور المغرب والعشاء الآخرة،,I came back after the ‘asr prayer and I performed the sunset and night prayers in the audience-hall.
ثمَّ خرج الحاجب فاستدعانا,The chamberlain then came out and summoned us.
فدخل خداوند زاده ضياء الدين وهو أكبر الإخوة المذكورين،,"Khudhawand-Zada Diya’ al-DIn, the eldest of the brothers whom we have mentioned, went in"
فجعله السلطان أمير داد وهو من الأمراء الكبار،,"and the Sultan appointed him amirdad, who is one of the great amirs."
فجلس بمجلس القاضي،,"He had a seat in the qadl’s tribunal,"
فمن كان له حق على أمير أو كبير أحضره بين يديه،,and if anyone had a claim against an amir or man of rank he summoned him before him.
وجعل مرتبه على هذه الخطة خمسين ألف دينار في السنة عين له مجاشر فائدها ذلك المقدار،,"The Sultan fixed his stipend for this office at 50,000 dinars a year and assigned to him a number of manors whose revenues came to that amount."
فأمر له بخمسين ألفًا عن يد،,"He also ordered him to be given 50,000 dinars forthwith"
وخلع عليه خلعة حرير مزركشة تسمى صورة الشير,"and placed on him a silk robe of honour with gold embroidery of the kind called surat al-shir,"
ومعناه صورة السبع؛ لأنه يكون في صدرها وظهرها صورة سبع،,which means ‘picture of a lion’ because it has on its breast and its back the figure of a lion.
وقد خيطَ في باطن الخلعة بطاقة بمقدار ما زُرْكِش فيها من الذهب،,Inside the robe there was sewn a tag showing the amount of gold used in its embroidering.
وأمر له بفرس من الجنس الأول.,"He also ordered him to be given a horse of the first class,"
والخيل عندهم أربعة أجناس، وسروجهم كسروج أهل مصر، ويكسون أعظمها بالفضة المذهبة،,"for the horses with them are of four classes, and their saddles are like those of the Egyptians, and they cover the greater part of them with silver-gilt."
ثم دخل أمير بخت فأمره أن يجلس مع الوزير في مشده، ويقف على محاسبات الدواوين،,"The next to enter was Amir Bakht, and the Sultan ordered him to sit alongside the vizier on his couch and to examine the accounts of the government departments."
وعين له مرتبًا أربعين ألف دينار في السنة،,"He fixed for him a stipend of 40,000 dinars a year,"
أُعْطِيَ مجاشر فائدها بمقدار ذلك، وأُعْطِيَ أربعين ألفًا عن يد،,"assigning him villages which yielded that amount of revenue, and gave him 40,000 [dinars] on the spot"
وأُعْطِيَ فرسًا مجهزًا، وخلع عليه كخلعة الذي قبله ولقب شرف الملك،,"and a horse with full equipment, and bestowed on him a robe of honour like the one described above, and he was given the title of Sharaf alMulk."
ثم دخل هبة الله ابن الفلكي،,The next to enter was Hibatallah ibn al-Falaki.
فجعله رسول دار، ومعناه حاجب الإرسال،,"The Sultan appointed him rasuldar, which means the chamberlain for missions,"
وعَيَّنَ له مرتبًا أربعين ألف دينار في السنة,"and assigned him a stipend of 40,000 dinars a year,"
أُعْطِىَ مجاشر يكون فائدها بمقدار ذلك، وأُعْطِيَ أربعة وعشرين ألفًا عن يد،,"giving him villages whose revenues would produce that sum, along with 24,000 dinars on the spot,"
وأُعْطِيَ فرسًا مجهزًا وخلعة، وجُعِلَ لقبه بهاء الملك،,"a horse with full equipment and a robe of honour, and he assigned as his title Baha al-Mulk."
ثم دخلت فوجدت السلطان على سطح القصر مستندًا إلى السرير,"Then I went in and found the Sultan on the terrace of the palace with his back leaning on the [royal] couch,"
والوزير خواجة جهان بين يديه والملك الكبير قبولة واقف بين يديه،,"the vizier Khwaja Jahan before him, and the ‘great king’ Qabula standing there upright."
فلما سلمت عليه قال لي الملك الكبير: اخدم فقد جعلك خوند عالم قاضي دار الملك دهلي،,"When I saluted him the ‘great king’ said to me ‘Do homage, for the Master of the World has appointed you qadI of the royal city of DihlI"
وجعل مرتبك اثني عشر ألف دينار في السنة،,"and has fixed your stipend at 12,000 dinars a year,"
وعين لك مجاشر بمقدارها، وأمر لك باثني عشر ألفًا نقدًا,"and assigned to you villages to that amount, and commanded for you 12,000 dinars in cash,"
تأخذها من الخزانة غدًا إن شاء الله،,"which you shall draw from the treasury tomorrow (if God will),"
وأعطاك فرسًا بسرجه ولجامه، وأمر لك بخلعة محاربين،,"and has given you a horse with its saddle and bridle and has ordered you to be invested with a maharTbT robe of honour,’"
وهي التي يكون في صدرها وظهرها شكل محراب.,"that is, a robe which has on its breast and on its back the figure of a mihrab."
فخدمت وأخذ بيدي فتقدم بي إلى السلطان،,"So I did homage and when he had taken me by the hand and presented me before the Sultan,"
فقال لي السلطان: لا تحسب قضاء دهلي من أصغر الأشغال، هو أكبر الأشغال عندنا،,the Sultan said to me ‘Do not think that the office of qadI of DihlI is one of the minor functions; it is the highest of functions in our estimation.’
وكنت أفهم قوله ولا أحسن الجواب عنه،,"I understood what he said though I could not speak [in Persian] fluently,"
وكان السلطان يفهم العربي ولا يحسن الجواب عنه،,"but the Sultan understood Arabic although he could not speak it fluently,"
فقلت له: يا مولانا أنا على مذهب مالك وهؤلاء حنفية وأنا لا أعرف اللسان،,"so I said to him ‘O Master, I belong to the school of Malik and these people are HanafIs, and I do not know the language.’"
فقال لي قد عينت بهاء الدين الملتاني وكمال الدين البجنوري ينوبان عنك,He replied ‘I have appointed Baha al-DIn alMultanl and Kamal al-DIn al-BijanawrI to be your substitutes ;
ويشاورانك، وتكون أنت تسجل على العقود، وأنت عندنا بمقام الولد،,"they will be guided by your advice and you will be the one who signs all the documents, for you are in the place of a son to us,’"
فقلت له: بل عبدكم وخديمكم،,"to which I replied ‘Nay, but your slave and your servant.’"
فقال لي باللسان العربي: بل أنت سيدنا ومخدومنا تواضعًا منه وفضلًا وإيناسًا،,"He said to me in Arabic with humility and friendly kindness ‘No, but you are our lord and master,’"
ثم قال لشرف الملك أمير بخت: إن كان الذي ترتب لا يكفيه لأنه كثير الإنفاق فأنا أعطيه زاوية إن قدر على إقامة حال الفقراء،,"then he said to Sharaf alMulk AmIr Bakht ‘If the stipend which I have fixed for him is not enough for him, for he is very prodigal in spending, I shall give him a hospice, if he is able to look after the poor brethren.’"
وقال: قل له هذا بالعربي، وكان يظن أنه يحسن العربي ولم يكن كذلك,"Then he said ‘Say this to him in Arabic’ for he thought that he [AmIr Bakht] spoke Arabic well, but it was not the case,"
وفهم السلطان ذلك، فقال له بروو يكجا بخصبي (بخسبي) وإن حكاية براوبكوي وتفيهم كني (بكني) تافردا إن شاء الله ييش من بيايي «و» جواب أوبكري (بكوي),"and when the Sultan realised that he said to him Biraw wa-yakja bikhusbT wa-an hikayah bar u bigu’T wa-tafhTm kunT ta fardu in sha’allah pish man biya’i jawabi u bigu’T,"
معناه امشوا الليلة، فارقدوا في موضع واحد،,which means ‘Go away for tonight and sleep in the same room;
وفهمه هذه الحكاية، فإذا كان بالغد إن شاء الله تجيء إلي وتعلمني بكلامه.,"tell him the meaning of what I said just now and come to me in the morning, if God will, and tell me his answer.’"
فانصرفنا وذلك في ثلث الليل وقد ضربت النوبة،,"Thereupon we retired, and as this was in the first third of the night, after the beating of retreat"
والعادة عندهم إذا ضربت لا يخرج أحد،,"(it being the custom with them that when it is beaten no person goes out),"
فانتظرنا الوزير حتى خرج وخرجنا معه،,we waited for the vizier until he came out and went out in his company.
ووجدنا أبواب دهلي مسدودة،,We found the gates of DihlI closed
فبتنا عند السيد أبي الحسن العبادي العراقي بزقاق يُعْرَف بسرابور خان،,and therefore spent the night at the house of the sayyid Abu’l-Hasan al-’IbadI of ‘Iraq in the lane called Sarapur-Khan.
وكان هذا الشيخ يَتَّجِر بمال السلطان، ويشتري له الأسلحة والأمتعة بالعراق وخراسان،,This shaikh used to trade with the Sultan’s money and to buy weapons and goods for him in ‘Iraq and Khurasan.
ولما كان بالغد بعث عنا، فقبضنا الأموال والخيل والخلع،,"On the following day the Sultan sent for us and we took possession of the moneys, horses and robes of honour."
وأخذ كلُّ واحد منا البدرة بالمال،,"Each one of us took the sack containing the money,"
فجعلها على كاهله،,"put it on his shoulder,"
ودخلنا كذلك على السلطان فخدمنا,and we came like this into the Sultan’s presence and did homage.
وأتينا بالأفراس، فقبلنا حوافرها بعد أن جُعِلَتْ عليها الخرق،,"When the horses were brought we kissed their hoofs after some rags of cloth had been put over them,"
وقددناها بأنفسنا إلى باب دار السلطان فركبناها,"and then led them ourselves to the gate of the Sultan’s palace, where we mounted them."
وذلك كله عادة عندهم، ثم انصرفنا,"All this ceremony is customary with them, and after it we withdrew."
وأَمَرَ السلطان لأصحابي بألفي دينار وعشر خلع،,"The Sultan commanded for my companions 2,000 dinars and ten robes of honour,"
ولم يُعْطَ لأصحابي أحدٌ سواي شيئًا،,"but he gave nothing to the companions of any of the others,"
وكان أصحابي لهم رواء ومنظر فأعجبوا السلطان، وخدموا بين يديه وشَكَرَهُم.,for my companions made a good impression on the Sultan by their appearance and won his admiration and they did homage before him and he thanked them.
ذكر عطاء ثانٍ أمر لي به وتوقفه مدة,Account of a second gift which he ordered to be given to me and of its suspension for some time.
وكنت يومًا بالمشور بعد أيام من توليتي القضاء والإحسان إلي,One day I was in the audiencehall some time after my appointment as a qadl and the Sultan’s gift to me.
وأنا قاعد تحت شجرة هنالك، وإلى جانبي مولانا ناصر الدين الترمذي العالم الواعظ،,"As I was sitting under a tree there with Mawlana Nasir alDln of Tirmidh, the learned preacher, beside me,"
فأتى بعض الحجاب فدعى مولانا ناصر الدين،,one of the chamberlains came up and summoned Mawlana Nasir al-DIn.
فدخل إلى السلطان، فخلع عليه وأعطاه مصحفًا مكللًا بالجوهر،,"He went into the presence of the Sultan, who bestowed a robe of honour upon him and gave him a Koran with a jewelled binding."
ثمَّ أتاني بعض الحجاب، فقال: أعطني شيئًا، وآخذ لك خط خرد باثني عشر ألفًا,"Afterwards one of the chamberlains came to me and said ‘Give me something, and I shall get for you a khatti-khurd for 12,000 dinars"
أمر لك بها خوند عالم،,which the Master of the World has ordered to be paid to you.’
فلم أُصَدِّقْه وظننته يريد الحيلة عليَّ وهو مُجِدٌّ في كلامه،,"I did not believe him, thinking that he was playing a trick on me, but when he insisted on what he said"
فقال بعض الأصحاب: أنا أعطيه،,one of my companions said ‘I shall give him something.’
فأعطاه دينارين أو ثلاثة، وجاء بخط خرد,"So he gave him two or three dinars, and he came back with a khatti-khurd,"
ومعناه الخط الأصغر مكتوبًا بتعريف الحاجب، ومعناه أمر خوند عالم أن يعطى من الخزانة الموفورة كذا لفلان,"that is the minor certificate, inscribed with the chamberlain’s notification to the effect that ‘The Master of the World has given orders that there shall be given from the abounding treasury so much to so-and-so on the notification of such and such a person,’"
بتبليغ فلان أي بتعريفه،,that is to say on his certification of it.
ويكتب المُبْلِغ اسْمَه، ثم يكتب على تلك البراءة ثلاثة من الأمراء؛,"After the certifying official has written his name this authority for payment is signed by three of the amirs,"
وهم الخان الأعظم قطلو خان معلم السلطان، والخريطة دار وهو صاحب خريطة الكاغد والأقلام والأمير نكبية الدوادار صاحب الدواة،,"namely the Great Khan Qutlu-Khan, the Sultan’s preceptor, the kharitadar, who is the keeper of the portfolio of paper and pens, and the amir Nukbiya the dawadar, i.e. keeper of the inkhom."
فإذا كتب كل واحد منهم خطه يذهب بالبراءة إليَّ ديوان الوزارة,"When each one of these has appended his signature, the document is taken to the dlwan of the vizier,"
فينسخها كتاب الديوان عندهم،,"where the clerks of the dlwan make a copy of it for their records,"
ثمَّ تثبت في ديوان الأشراف،,"then it is registered in the dlwan of the inspector of finances,"
ثمَّ تثبت في ديوان النظر،,"and after that registered again in the dlwan of supervision,"
ثمَّ تكتب اليروانة وهي الحكم من الوزير للخازن بالعطاء،,"then there is written the parwana, that is the order from the vizier to the treasurer to make payment,"
ثمَّ يثبتها الخازن في ديوانه،,"after which the treasurer registers it in his dlwan,"
ويكتب تلخيصًا في كل يوم بمبلغ ما أمر به السلطان ذلك اليوم من المال ويعرضه عليه،,and he writes every day a summary report showing the amount of money the Sultan has ordered to be paid that day and presents it to him.
فمن أراد التعجيل بعطائه أمر بتعجيله،,"If the Sultan wishes payment to be expedited to anyone he gives orders to that effect,"
ومن أراد التوقيف وقف له،,"and those in whose cases he wishes payment to os be delayed he suspends,"
ولكن لا بُدَّ من عطاء ذلك ولو طالت المدة،,but payment of that sum is always made even if a long time after.
فقد توقفت هذه الاثنا عشر الفا ستة أشهر،,"These twelve thousand dinars were in fact suspended for six months,"
ثمَّ أخذتها مع غيرها حسبما يأتي،,"after which I received them along with other moneys, as will be related."
وعادتهم إذا أمر السلطان بإحسان لأحد يحط منه العشرة،,"It is their custom that when the Sultan gives orders for a grant of money to any person a tenth is deducted from it,"
فمن أمر له مثلًا بمائة ألف أعطي تسعين الفًا أو بعشرة آلاف أعطي تسعة آلاف.,"so that a person in whose favour an order has been made, for instance, for 100,000 is given 90,000 or for 10,000 is given 9,000 ."
ذكر طلب الغرماء ما لهم قبلي ومدحي للسلطان وأمره بخلاص ديني وتوقف ذلك مدة,"Account of my creditors’ demand for payment of my debt to them, of my panegyric addressed to the Sultan, of his order for the acquittal of my debt, and the suspension of that for some time."
وكنت حسبما ذكرته قد استدنت من التجار مالًا أنفقته في طريقي،,"As I have already mentioned, I had borrowed from the merchants a sum of money for my expenses on my journey,"
وما صنعت به الهدية للسلطان، وما أنفقته في إقامتي،,"for the present which I had furnished to the Sultan, and what I spent in staying [at DihlI]."
فلما أرادوا السفر إلى بلادهم ألحوا علي في طلب ديونهم،,"When they were about to set out for their own lands they pressed me for payment of their loans,"
فمدحت السلطان بقصيدة طويلة أولها (طويل):,"so I wrote a long ode in praise of the Sultan, beginning as follows:"
إليك أمير المؤمنين المبجلَا أتينا نجدُّ السير نحوك في الفلَا,"Commander of the Faithful, lord revered, To thee we come, through deserts toward thee hasting."
فجئت محلًّا من علائك زائرًا ومغناك كهف للزيارة أُهِّلَا,"A pilgrim I, thy glory’s shrine to visit, A refuge meet for sanctuary thy dwelling."
فلو أن فوق الشمس للمجد رتبة لكنت لأعلاها إمامًا مُؤَهَّلَا,"Had majesty a rank above the sun, Fit pattern wert thou for its most excelling."
فأنت الإمام الماجد الأوحد الذي سجاياه حتمًا أن يقول ويَفْعَلَا,"Thou art the Imam, unique and glorious, ever Thy words infallibly with deeds investing."
ولي حاجة من فيض جودك أرتجي قضاها وقصدي عند مجدك سهلَا,"I am in need, thy bounty’s overflow My hope, and by thy greatness eased my questing."
أأذكرها أم قد كفاني حياؤكم فإن حياكم ذكره كان أجملَا,Shall I declare it—or thy blush suffice? —To say ‘thy bounty’s plash’ were seemlier punning.
فعجل لمن وافى محلك زائرًا قضا دينه إن الغريم تعجلَا,"Make speed to aid the votary to thy shrine, And pay his debt—the creditors are dunning."
فقدمتها بين يديه وهو قاعد على كرسي،,I then presented it to him in person as he was sitting upon a chair;
فجعلها على ركبته، وأمسك طرفها بيده وطرفها الثاني بيدي،,"he placed it upon his knee and held one end of it in his hand, with the other end in my hand."
وكنت إذا أكملت بيتًا منها أقول لقاضي القضاة كمال الدين الغزنوي بين معناه لخوند عالم فيبينه،,"Whenever I finished one line of it I said to the Grand QadI Kamal al-DIn of Ghazna ‘Explain its meaning to Khund-’Alam’ and he did so,"
ويعجب السلطان، وهم يحبون الشعر العربي،,"to the Sultan’s delight, for they are fond of Arabic poetry."
فلما بلغت إلى قولي فعجل لمن وافى البيت قال مرحمة ومعناه ترحمت عليك،,"When I came to the verse ‘Make speed to aid the votary to thy shrine’ he said ‘Marhama’ which means ‘I have compassion upon you,’"
فأخذ الحجاب حينئذٍ بيدي ليذهبوا بي إلى موقفهم، وأخدم على العادة,"whereupon the chamberlains took me by the hand to conduct me to their ranks [in the audience hall] and that I should do homage, according to the custom."
فقال السلطان: اتركوه حتى يكملها،,"But the Sultan said ‘Leave him until he finishes it,’"
فأكملتها وخدمت,so I finished it and did homage.
وهنأني الناس بذلك،,Those present congratulated me on this;
وأقمت مدة، وكتبت رفعًا وهم يسمونه عرض داشت،,"then I waited for a few days and wrote a petition, which they call ‘ard-dasht"
فدفعته إلى قطب الملك صاحب السند،,"and delivered it to Qutb al-Mulk, the governor of Sind."
فدفعه للسلطان فقال له: امْضِ إلى خواجة جهان فقل له، يعطي دينه،,"He delivered it to the Sultan, who said to him ‘Go to Khwaja Jahan and tell him that the man’s debt is to be acquitted.’"
فمضى إليه وأعلمه فقال نعم،,"Qutb al-Mulk therefore went to him and informed him of this, to which he replied ‘Certainly’,"
وأبطأ ذلك أيامًا،,"but this dragged on for some days,"
وأمره السلطان في خلالها بالسفر إلى دولة آباد،,"during which the Sultan ordered him to set out for Dawlat Abad,"
وفي أثناء ذلك خرج السلطان إلى الصيد,and in the meantime the Sultan himself went on a hunting expedition.
وسافر الوزير،,"The vizier set out,"
فلم آخذ شيئًا منها إلَّا بعد مدة،,and so I received none of this money until much later.
والسبب الذي توقف به عطاؤها أذكره مستوفًى،,The reason for which the payment of this sum was suspended I shall now relate in detail.
وهو أنه لما عزم الذين كان لهم علي الدين إلى السفر قلت لهم: إذا أنا أتيت دار السلطان فدرهوني على العادة في تلك البلاد؛,"When my creditors were ready to travel I said to them ‘When I go to the palace of the Sultan, “assail” me for your debt according to the custom of this country,’"
لعلمي أن السلطان متى يعلم بذلك خلصهم،,for I knew that when the Sultan learned of that he would pay them.
وعادتهم أنه متى كان لأحد دين على رجل من ذوي العناية وأعوزه خلاصه، وقف له بباب دار السلطان،,"Their custom is this; when anyone has lent money to a person under the Sultan’s protection and is unable to obtain payment of it, the creditor awaits the debtor at the door of the palace,"
فإذا أراد الدخول قال له دروهي السلطان، وحق رأس السلطان ما تدخل حتى تخلصني،,"and when the debtor is on the point of entering he says to him ‘Daruhai as-Sultan [“O enemy of the Sultan”], by the head of the Sultan you shall not enter until you have paid me what you owe.’"
فلا يمكنه أن يبرح من مكانه حتى يخلصه، أو يرغب إليه في تأخيره.,The debtor may not leave his place after this until he pays him or obtains a delay from him.
فاتفق يومًا أن خرج السلطان إلى زيارة قبر أبيه، ونزل بقصر هنالك,It happened one day that the Sultan went out to visit his father’s grave and alighted at a palace there.
فقلت لهم: هذا وقتكم،,"I said to my creditors ‘This is your moment,’"
فلما أردت الدخول وقفوا إلي بباب القصر فقالوا لي دروهي السلطان ما تدخل حتى تخلصنا،,"so when I was about to enter they waited for me at the gate of the palace and said to me ‘Daruhai as-Sultan, you shall not enter until you pay us what you owe.’"
وكتب كتاب الباب بذلك إلى السلطان،,"The clerks at the gate sent a written report of this to the Sultan,"
فخرج حاجب قصة شمس الدين وكان من كبار الفقهاء فسألهم لأي شيء درهمتموه,"whereupon the hajib qissa, Shams al-DIn, who was one of the principal doctors of the law, came out and asked them why they had assailed me."
فقالوا: لنا عليه الدين،,"When they replied that I was in debt to them,"
فرجع إلى السلطان فأعلمه بذلك،,"he returned to the Sultan with this information,"
فقال له: اسألهم كم مبلغ الدين فسألهم فقالوا له خمسة وخمسون ألف دينار،,and on receiving the Sultan’s orders to ask the merchants the size of the debt he asked them and they said to him ‘Fifty-five thousand dinars’.
فعاد إليه فأعلمه،,"The chamberlain returned to the Sultan and informed him of this,"
فأمره أن يعود إليهم، ويقول لهم: إنَّ خوند عالم يقول لكم المال عندي وأنا أنصفكم منه فلا تطلبوه به،,"whereupon he ordered him to return to them and to say to them, ‘The Master of the World says to you “The money is in my possession, and I shall give you justice; do not demand it of him”.’"
وأمر عماد الدين السمناني وخداوند زاده غياث الدين أن يقعدوا بهزار أسطون، ويأتي أهل الدين بعقودهم وينظروا إليها ويتحققوها,He then commanded ‘Imad al-DIn al-SimnariI and Khudhawand-Zada Ghiyath al-DIn to sit in the Hall of the Thousand Columns to examine and verify the creditors’ documents.
ففعلا ذلك وأتى الغرماء بعقودهم،,"They did so, the creditors brought their documents,"
فدخلا إلى السلطان وأعلماه بثبوت العقود,"and they went in to the Sultan and informed him that the accounts were in order,"
فضحك وقال ممازحًا: أنا أعلم أنه فاض جهز شغله فيها،,whereupon he laughed and said jestingly ‘I know he is a qadI and has seen to his business with them.’
ثم أمر خداوند زاده أن يعطيني ذلك من الخزانة,"He then commanded Khudhawand-Zada to issue that sum to me from the treasury,"
فطمع في الرشوة على ذلك وامتنع أن يكتب خط خرد,but he greedily demanded a bribe to do so and refused to write the khattikhurd.
فبعث إليه مائتي تنكة فردها ولم يأخذها،,"I sent him two hundred tangas, but he returned them and would not accept that amount."
وقال لي عنه بعض خدامه أنه طلب خمسمائة تنكة،,"One of his servants told me from him that he demanded five hundred tangas,"
فامتنعت من ذلك، وأعلمت عميد الملك بن عماد السمناني بذلك فاعلم به إباه,"but I refused to pay it and informed ‘Amid al-Mulk, the son of ‘Imad al-DIn al-SimnanI, about this and he informed his father of it."
وعلمه الوزير،,"It came to the ears of the vizier,"
وكانت بينه وبين خداوند زاده عداوة،,"between whom and KhudhawandZada there was a feud,"
فأعلم السلطان بذلك، وذكر له كثيرًا من أفعال خداوند زاده،,"and he informed the Sultan of the matter, telling him at the same time many of the doings of Khudhawand-Zada."
فغير خاطر السلطان عليه، فأمر بحبسه في المدينة،,"The Sultan, displeased with the latter, ordered him to be detained in the city"
وقال: لأي شيء أعطاه فلان ما أعطاه، ووقفوا ذلك حتى يُعْلَم هل يعطي خداوند زاده شيئًا إذا مَنَعْتَه أو يمنعه إذا أعطيته،,saying ‘Why has soand-so given him this money? Suspend this order until it is known whether Khudhawand-Zada pays out anything when I have given it or refuses to pay when I give it.’
فبهذا السبب توقف عطاء ديني.,So it was for this reason that the payment of my debt was suspended.
ذكر خروج السلطان إلى الصيد وخروجي معه وما صنعت في ذلك,"Account of the Sultan’s leaving for the hunt, of my going out with him, and of what I did on that occasion."
ولما خرج السلطان إلى الصيد خرجت معه من غير تربُّص،,"When the Sultan went out to hunt I went out along with him without any delay,"
وكنت قد أعددت ما يُحتاج إليه،,"as I had already made ready all that was required,"
وعملت ترتيب أهل الهند، فاشتريت سراجة وهي أفراج،,"and in accordance with the practice of the people of India I had bought a saracha, that is to say an afraj."
وضَرْبها هنالك مباح، ولا بد منها لكبار الناس،,"Anyone there is at liberty to pitch a saracha, and it is indispensable for all men of high rank."
وتمتاز سراجة السلطان بكونها حمراء وسواها بيضاء منقوشة بالأزرق،,"The Sultan’s saracha is distinguished by its red colour, while the others are white embroidered with blue."
واشتريت الصيوان وهو الذي يظلل به داخل السراجة،,"I bought also the siwan, which is the tent under which one shelters inside the saracha;"
ويرفع على عمودين كبيرين، ويجعل ذلك الرجال على أعناقهم، ويقال لهم اليكوانية،,"it is supported upon two stout poles, and the whole thing is carried on their shoulders by men called kaiwaniya,"
والعادة هنالك أن يكتري المسافر اليكوانية وقد ذكرناهم،,"It is the custom there for the traveller to hire the kaiwaniya, whom we have spoken of already,"
ويكتري من يسوق له العشب لعلف الدواب؛,"and also to hire men who furnish him with green fodder for the animals,"
لأنهم لا يُطْعِمونها التبن،,because the Indians do not feed them with hay.
ويكتري الكهارين وهم الذين يحملون أواني المطبخ،,"He hires also kahars, that is those men who carry cooking utensils,"
ويكتري من يحمله في الدولة وقد ذكرناها ويحملها فارغة،,"as well as men to carry him in a dula, the palanquin which we have already described, and to carry the palanquin itself when it is empty,"
ويكتري الفراشين وهم الذين يضربون السراجة ويفرشونها، ويرفعون الأحمال على الجمال،,"and farrashes whose business it is to erect the saracha and to furnish it with carpets and to load up the camels,"
ويكتري الدوادوية وهم الذين يمشون بين يديه، ويحملون المشاعل بالليل،,"and also dawadawlya, whose business it is to walk ahead of him carrying torches at night."
فاكتريت أنا جميع من احتجت له منهم،,"So I too hired all of these servants that I needed,"
وأظهرت القوة والهمة، وخرجت يوم خروج السلطان وغيري أقام بعده اليومين والثلاثة،,and showed such vigour and energy that I left the city on the same day as the Sultan while the rest remained for two or three days after him.
فلما كان بعد العصر من يوم خروجه ركب الفيل وقَصْده أن يتطلع على أحوال الناس،,"After the ‘asr prayer on the day of his departure the Sultan mounted his elephant with the object of investigating how matters stood with regard to his officers,"
ويَعْرِف مَنْ تسارع إلى الخروج ومن أبطأ،,and of finding out who had been quick in leaving and who had delayed.
وجلس خارج السراجة على كرسي,"He [first] took his seat outside the saracha on a chair,"
فجئت وسَلَّمْتُ ووقفت في موقفي بالميمنة، فبعث إلي الملك الكبير قبولة سرجًا مُدَار،,"and when I came up and saluted and took up my place on the right he sent to me the ‘great king’ Qabula, the sar-jamadar"
وهو الذي يشرد الذباب عنه،,"(it is he who whisks the flies away from him),"
فأمرني بالجلوس عناية بي،,and commanded me to sit as a special mark of attention.
ولم يجلس في ذلك اليوم سوائي،,Nobody sat down that day except me.
ثم أتى بالفيل وألصق به سلم، فركب عليه ورَفَعَ الشطر فوق رأسه,"After that the elephant was brought and he mounted it by a ladder placed against it, and the parasol was raised over his head."
وركب معه الخواص وجالَ ساعة ثم عاد إلى السراجة.,The principal officers rode along with him and he spent some time making a tour of inspection and then returned to the saracha.
وعادَتُه إذا رَكِبَ أن يركب الأمراء أفواجًا؛,"It is his custom when he rides that the amirs also ride in squadrons,"
كل أمير بفوجه وعلاماته وطبوله وأنفاره وصرناياته ويسمون ذلك المراتب،,"each amir with his squadron, his standards, his drums, bugles and flutes, and this they call the maratib [ceremonial honours]."
ولا يركب أمام السلطان إلَّا الحجاب وأهل الطرق والطبالة,"No one rides in front of the Sultan except the chamberlains, the musicians, the drummers,"
الذين يتقلدون الأطبال الصغار الذي والذين يضربون الصرنايات،,"who carry small drums slung round their necks, and the men who play the flutes."
ويكون عن يمين السلطان نحو خمسة عشر رجلًا وعن يساره مثل ذلك,On the Sultan’s right there are about fifteen men and on his left the same number;
منهم قضاة القضاة والوزير وبعض الأمراء الكبار وبعض الأعزة,"amongst these are the Grand Qadi, the vizier, some of the principal amirs and some of the ‘honourables’."
وكنت أنا من أهل ميمنته،,I myself was one of the group on his right.
ويكون بين يديه المَشَّاءون والأدلاء،,"In front of the Sultan there are the foot-soldiers and guides,"
ويكون خلفه علاماته، وهي من الحرير المذهب,"and behind him his standards, which are of silk with gold embroidery,"
والأطبال على الجمال,and drums upon camels;
وخلف ذلك مماليكه وأهل دخلته,"behind these again are his mamluks and his household familiars,"
وخلفهم الأمراء وجميع الناس،,"and behind them the amirs and the general body of troops,"
ولا يَعْلَم أحد أين يكون النزول،,and no one knows where the halt will be made.
فإذا أَمَرَ السلطان بمكان يعجبه النزول به أَمَرَ بالنزول، ولا تضرب سراجة أحد حتى تضرب سراجته،,"When the Sultan passes by a place where he would like to encamp, he gives the order to halt and no one’s saracha is set up before his."
ثم يأتي الموكلون بالنزول فينزلون كل أحد في منزله،,"After that, those persons who are responsible for the camping arrangements come and assign his place to each person."
وفي خلال ذلك ينزل السلطان على نهرٍ أو بين أشجار،,Meanwhile the Sultan encamps on the bank of a river or among trees
وتُقَدَّم بين يديه لحوم الأغنام والدجاج المسمنة والكراكي وغيرها من أنواع الصيد،,"and there is brought before him flesh of sheep, fattened fowls, cranes, and other kinds of game."
ويحضر أبناء الملوك وفي يد كل واحد منهم سفود، ويوقدون النار ويشتوون ذلك،,"The ‘sons of the kings’ present themselves, each of them carrying a spit in his hand, and they light a fire and roast these meats."
ويؤتى بسراجة صغيرة فتضرب للسلطان،,A small saracha is brought and set up for the Sultan;
ويجلس من معه من الخواص خارجها،,"he takes his seat outside of it with those who are present of his intimate courtiers,"
ويؤتى بالطعام ويستدعي من شاء فيأكل معه،,and when the food is brought he invites anyone whom he wishes to eat with him.
وكان في بعض تلك الأيام وهو بداخل السراجة يسأل عمن بخارجها،,One day when the Sultan was in his saracha he enquired who were outside.
فقال له السيد ناصر الدين مظهر الأوهري أحد ندمائه، ثم فلان المغربي وهو متغير،,"The sayyid Nasir al-Din Mutahhar al-Awhari, one of his familiars, said ‘So-and-so, the Moroccan, who is very upset.’"
فقال: لماذا؟ فقال بسبب الدين الذي عليه وغرماؤه يلحون في الطلب,"‘Why so?’ asked the Sultan, and he replied ‘Because of his debt, since his creditors are pressing for payment."
وكان خوند عالم قد أمر الوزير بإعطائه فسافر قبل ذلك,"The Master of the World had commanded the vizier to pay it, but he left before doing so."
فإن أمر مولانا أن يصبر أهل الدين حتى يقدم الوزير أو أمر بإنصافهم.,Would not the Master of the World order the creditors to wait until the vizier returns or else give orders for their claims to be met?’
وحضر لهذا الملك دولة شاه، وكان السلطان يخاطبه بالعم،,"The ‘king’ Dawlat-Shah, whom the Sultan used to address as ‘Uncle’, was present at this conversation"
فقال: يا خوند عالم كل يوم هو يكلمني بالعربية ولا أدري ما يقول,"and added ‘ Master of the World, every day this man talks to us in Arabic, and I do not know what he is saying."
يا سيدي ناصر الدين ماذا وقصد أن يكرر ذلك الكلام،,"Do you know, Sayyid Nasir al-Din?’ He said this so that Nasir al-Din might repeat what he had said."
فقال: يتكلم لأجل الدَّيْن الذي عليه،,Nasir al-Din answered ‘He talks about the debt which he has contracted.’
فقال السلطان إذا دخلنا دار الملك، فامْضِ أنت يا أومار ومعناه يا عم إلى الخزانة فأعْطِهِ ذلك المال,"The Sultan said ‘When we return to the capital, go yourself, O Umar (that is, O Uncle), to the treasury and give him this money.’"
وكان خداوند زاده حاضر، فقال يا خوند عالم إنه كثير الإنفاق وقد رأيته ببلادنا عند السلطان طرمشيرين،,"Khudhawand-Zada also was present and said ‘ Master of the World, he is very extravagant. I have seen him before, in our own land, at the court of the Sultan Tarmashirin.’"
وبعد هذا الكلام استحضرني السلطان للطعام ولا علم عندي بما جرى،,"After this conversation the Sultan invited me to his meal, I being in total ignorance of what had taken place."
فلما خرجت قال لي السيد ناصر الدين اشكر للملك دولة شاه وقال لي الملك دولة شاه اشكر لخداوند زاده،,"As I went out the sayyid Nasir al-Din said ‘Thank the king Dawlat-Shah,’ and Dawlat-Shah said to me ‘Thank Khudhawand-Zada.’"
وفي بعض تلك الأيام ونحن مع السلطان في الصيد,"On one of these days when we were out hunting with the Sultan,"
ركب في المحلة، وكان طريقه على منزلي وأنا معه في الميمنة وأصحابي في الساقة،,"he mounted in the camp and took a road which led past my encampment, I myself being with him on the right and my companions in the escort."
وكان لي خباء عند السراجة، فوقف أصحابي عندها، وسلموا على السلطان،,There were some tents belonging to me beside the saracha and my companions halted at them and saluted the Sultan.
فبعث عماد الملك وملك دولة شاه ليسألا لمن تلك الأخبية والسراجة,He sent ‘Imad al-Mulk and malik DawlatShah to ask who owned these tents and saracha:
فقيل لهما لفلان فأخبراه بذلك فتبسم،,they were told that they belonged to so-and-so and when they informed the Sultan of this he smiled.
فلما كان بالغد نفذ الأمر أن أعود أنا وناصر الدين مطهر الأوهري وابن قاضي مصر وملك صبيح إلى البلد،,"On the following day an order was issued that I should return to town along with Nasir al-DIn Mutahhar al-Awharl and the son of the QadI of Egypt and Malik Sablh,"
فخلع علينا وعدنا إلى الحضرة.,and we were given robes of honour and returned to the capital.
ذكر الجمل الذي أهديته للسلطان,"Account of the camel which I presented to the Sultan,"
وكان السلطان في تلك الأيام سألني عن الملك الناصر هل يركب الجمل,In the course of these days the Sultan had asked me whether al-Malik al-Nasir rode camels.
فقلت له: نعم يركب المهاري في أيام الحج، فيسير إلى مكة من مصر في عشرة أيام، ولكن تلك الجمال ليست كجمال هذه البلاد،,"I replied ‘Yes, he rides mahari camels at the pilgrimage season, and they make the journey to Mecca from Cairo in ten days, but these camels are not like the camels in this country.’"
وأخبرته أن عندي جملًا منها، فلما عدت إلى الحضرة بعثت عن بعض عرب مصر،,"I told him that I had with me one of the mahari camels and when I returned to the capital I sent for one of the Arabs of Egypt,"
فصور لي صورة الكور الذي تركب المهاري به من القيروا,who made for me a model in wax of the saddle used for riding on mahari camels.
رأيتها بعض النجارين فعمل الكور ونفقته وكسوته بالملف، وصنعت له إكبار،,"I showed this to a carpenter, who made the saddle very skilfully, and I covered it with blanket cloth and furnished it with stirrups."
وجعلت على الجمل عباءة حسنة، وجعلت له خطام حرير،,I placed on the camel a fine striped cloak and made for it a bridle of silk.
وكان عندي رجل من أهل اليمن يحسن عمل الحلواء،,"I had with me a man from Yemen who was very skilful in making sweetmeats,"
فصنع منها ما يشبه التمر وغيره،,and he prepared some which resembled dates and other objects.
وبعثت الجمل والحلواء إلى السلطان،,I sent the camel and the sweets to the Sultan
وأمرت الذي حملها أن يدفعها على يد ملك دولة شاه، وبعثت له بفرس وجملين،,"and ordered the bearer to deliver them into the hand of malik Dawlat-Shah, to whom I sent also a horse and two camels."
فلما وصله ذلك دخل على السلطان وقال يا خوند عالم رأيت العجب،,"When this reached him he went in to the Sultan and said ‘O Master of the World, I have seen a wonder’"
قال وما ذلك؟ قال: فلان بعث جملًا عليه سرج،,"and on the Sultan asking him what it was, said ‘Soand-so has sent a camel carrying a saddle.’"
فقال: ائتوا به، فأدخل الجمل داخل السراجة,"The Sultan said ‘Bring it in’, so the camel was led into the saracha."
وأعجب به السلطان وقال لراجلي: اركبه,The Sultan was delighted with it and said to my man ‘Mount it’.
فركبه ومشاه بين يديه،,"So he mounted it and walked it about in front of him,"
وأمر له بمائتي دينار دراهم وخلعة،,and the Sultan ordered him to be given two hundred silver dinars and a robe of honour.
وعاد الرجل إلي فأعلمني فسرني ذلك، وأهديت له جملين بعد عودته إلى الحضرة.,"When the man came back and told me about it I was full of joy, and I sent him two more camels after his return to the capital."
ذكر الجملين اللذين أهديتهما إليه والحلواء وأمره بخلاص ديني وما تعلق بذلك,"Account of the two camels which I presented to the Sultan, and of the sweetmeats, and of his order for the settlement of my debt and matters relating thereto."
ولما عاد إلى راجلي الذي بعثته بالجمل فأخبرني بما كان من شأنه صنعت كورين اثنين،,"When my man whom I had sent to conduct the camel came back to me and told me how it had been received, I had two camel-saddles made."
وجعلت مقدم كل واحد ومؤخره مكسوًّا بصفائح الفضة المذهبة وكسوتهما بالملف،,"The front and the back of each I had covered with silvergilt plates and both of them covered with blanket cloth,"
وصنعت رسنًا مصفحًا بصفائح الفضة، وجعلت لهما جلين من زردخانة مبطنين بالكمخا، وجعلت للجملين الخلاخيل من الفضة المذهبة،,"and I made a head-rope ornamented with plaques of silver; for both of them also I made horse-cloths of zardkhana lined with kamkha, and for both camels I made anklets of silver."
وصنعت أحد عشر طيفورًا، وملأتها بالحلواء، وغطيت كل طيفور بمنديل حرير،,"I prepared also eleven platters and filled them with sweetmeats, and covered each platter with a silk napkin."
فلما قدم السلطان من الصيد وقعد ثاني يوم قدومه بموضع جلوسه العام,"When the Sultan came back from the hunt and took his seat, on the day after his arrival, in his place of public audience,"
غدوت عليه بالجمال، فأمر بها فحركت بين يديه،,"I put in an early appearance and presented the camels to him, and on his orders they were exercised in front of him."
وهرولت فطار خلخال أحدها فقال لبهاء الدين بن الفلكي بايل ورداري معنى ذلك ارفع الخلخال فرفعه،,"As they were trotting the anklet of one of them flew off, and he said to Baha al-DIn ibn al-FalakI Payal wardari, which means ‘Pick up the anklet,’ and he did so."
ثم نظر إلى الطيافير فقال جداري (جه داري) درآ طبقها حلوا أسث معنى ذلك ما معك في تلك الأطباق، حلواء هي؟ فقلت له: نعم،,"Then the Sultan looked at the platters and said Che dari dar an tabaqha halwa ast, which means ‘What have you got in those plates? Surely it is sweetmeats,’ and I said to him ‘Yes.’"
فقال للفقيه ناصر الدين الترمذي الواعظ ما أكلت قط ولا رأيت مثل الحلواء التي بعثها إلينا، ونحن بالمعسكر،,"He then said to the doctor of the law and preacher Nasir al-DIn of Tirmidh, ‘I have never eaten nor ever seen such sweetmeats as those which he sent to us when we were in the camp.’"
ثم أمر بتلك الطيافير أن ترفع لموضع جلوسه الخاص فرفعت,"After this he ordered that the platters should be taken to his private sittingroom, which was done,"
وقام إلى مجلسه، واستدعاني وأمر بالطعام فأكلت،,"and when he rose to go to his sittingroom, he summoned me and ordered food to be brought and I ate."
ثمَّ سألني عن نوع من الحلواء الذي بعثت له قبل,He then asked me about a particular kind of the sweetmeats which I had sent him previously.
فقلت له: يا خوند عالم تلك الحلواء أنواعها كثيرة، ولا أدري عن أي نوع تسألون منها,"I said to him ‘O Master of the World, those sweetmeats were of many kinds and I do not know which kind you are asking about.’"
فقال: ائتوا بتلك الأطباق وهم يسمون الطيفور طبقًا،,"He said ‘Bring those plates’ (for they call a platter a plate),"
فأتوا بها وقدموها بين يديه وكشفوا عنها,"and when they brought them and laid them before him and removed their covers,"
فقال: عن هذا سألتك، وأخذ الصحن الذي هي فيه،,he said ‘It was about this one that I asked’ and took the dish in which it was.
فقلت له: هذه يقال لها المقرصة.,"I said to him ‘This kind is called al-muqarrasa,’"
ثمَّ أخذ نوعًا آخر فقال: وما اسم هذه؟,then he took another kind and said ‘What is the name of this?’
فقلت له هي لقيمات القاضي،,and I said to him ‘These are the “judge’s sweet-mouthfuls’’.
وكان بين يديه تاجر من شيوخ بغداد يُعْرَف بالسامري، وينتسب إلى آل العباس رضي الله تعالى عنه,"‘Now there was present a merchant, one of the shaikhs of Baghdad, called al-SamarrI, who claimed to be descended from the house of al-’Abbas (God be pleased with him)"
وهو كثير المال،,"and a wealthy man,"
ويقول له السلطان والدي,whom the Sultan used to address as ‘My father’.
فحسدني وأراد أن يخجلني، فقال: ليست هذه لقيمات القاضي,"This man was jealous of me, and wishing to humiliate me said ‘These are not the “judge’s sweet-mouthfuls.”"
بل هي هذه، وأخذ قطعة من التي تسمى جلد الفرس،,"but those are,’ and he took apiece of the kind which is called jild al-faras."
وكان بإزائه ملك الندماء ناصر الدين الكافي الهروي،,"There was opposite him the ‘king’ of the intimate courtiers Nasir al-DIn al-Kafr of Harat,"
وكان كثيرًا ما يمازح هذا الشيخ بين يدي السلطان،,"who used often to jest with this shaikh in the Sultan’s presence,"
فقال له: يا خواجة أنت تكذب والقاضي يقول الحق،,"and he said to him ‘O khoja, you lie and it is the qadI who speaks the truth.’"
فقال له السلطان: وكيف ذلك؟,The Sultan said to him ‘How so?’
فقال: يا خوند عالم هو القاضي وهي لقيماته فإنه أتى به،,"He replied ‘O Master of the World, he is the qadI and these are his sweet mouthfuls, for he brought them’"
فضحك السلطان وقال: صدقت،,and the Sultan laughed and said ‘You are right.’
فلما فرغنا من الطعام أكل الحلواء،,At the end of the meal the sweetmeats were eaten;
ثمَّ شرب الفقاع بعد ذلك، وأخذنا التنبول وانصرفنا،,after that the barley-water was drunk and we took betel and withdrew.
فلم يكن غير هنيهة، وأتاني الخازن فقال: ابعث أصحابك يقبضون المال,"A few moments later the treasurer came to me and said ‘Send your friends to receive the money,’"
فبعثتهم وعدت إلى داري بعد المغرب، فوجدت المال بها وهو ثلاث بدر,"so I sent them, and on returning to my house after the sunset prayer found the money there in three sacks,"
فيها ستة آلاف ومائتان وثلاث وثلاثون تنكة,"containing 6,233 tangas,"
وذلك صرف الخمسة والخمسين ألفًا التي هي دين علي,"this being the balance of the fifty-five thousand which was the amount of my debt,"
وصرف الاثني عشر ألفًا التي أمر لي بها فيما تقدم بعد حط العشر على عادتهم,"together with the twelve thousand which the Sultan had previously commanded to be paid to me, less one-tenth according to their custom."
وصرف التنكة ديناران ونصف دينار من ذهب المغرب.,The exchange value of the tanga is two and a half dinars in the gold coinage of the Maghrib.
ذكر خروج السلطان وأمره لي بالإقامة بالحضرة,The Sultan’s departure and command to me to remain in the capital.
وفي تاسع جمادى الأولى خرج السلطان برسم قصد بلاد المعبر وقتال القائم بها،,On the 9th of First Jumada the Sultan went out with the design of proceeding to al-Ma’bar and engaging the rebel leader in that province.
وكنت قد خلصت أصحاب الدين، وعزمت على السفر، وأعطيت مرتب تسعة أشهر للكهارين والفراشين والكيوانية والدوادرية — وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُهم —,"I had settled with my creditors and was all prepared to accompany the expedition, having paid nine months’ wages to the kahars, the farrashes, the kaiwans and the dawadIs, of whom I have already spoken."
فخرج الأمر بإقامتي في جملة ناس،,"At that moment a command was issued that I should remain behind with some others,"
وأخذ الحاجب خطوطنا بذلك لتكون حجة له،,and the chamberlain took written acknowledgements of the order from us as proof that he had communicated it.
وتلك عادتهم خوفًا من أن ينكر المبلغ،,This is their custom as a precaution against the denial of receipt by the person so notified.
وأمر لي بستة آلاف دينار دراهم،,"The Sultan ordered that I should be given 6,000 dinars"
وأمر لابن قاضي مصر بعشرة آلاف،,"and that the son of the QadI of Cairo should receive 10,000"
وكذلك كل من أقام من الأعزة،,and similar amounts should be paid to all of the ‘honourables’ who remained behind;
وأما البلديون فلم يعطوا شيئًا،,as for the natives they were not given anything.
وأمر لي السلطان أن أتولى النظر في مقبرة السلطان قطب الدين الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه،,"The Sultan also commanded me to take charge of the mausoleum of Sultan Qutb al-DIn, whose history has been related above."
وكان السلطان يعظم تربته تعظيمًا شديدًا؛ لأنه كان خديمًا له،,The Sultan used to hold his tomb in great respect because he had been one of his servitors.
ولقد رأيته إذا أتى قبره يأخذ نعله فيقبله ويجعله فوق رأسه،,"I have seen him on coming to his grave take Qutb al-DIn’s sandal, kiss it and place it on his head,"
وعادتهم أن يجعلوا نعل الميت عند قبره فوق متكأة،,for it is their custom to put the sandals of the dead man on a cushion beside his grave.
وكان إذا وصل القبر خدم له كما كان يخدم أيام حياته،,"Whenever he came to the grave he would do homage to it, as he used to do homage in Qutb al-DIn’s lifetime,"
وكان يعظم زوجته ويدعوها بالأخت،,and he held Qutb al-DIn’s wife in great respect and used to address her as his sister.
وجعلها مع حرمه,He gave her a place amongst the women of his own household
وزوجها بعد ذلك لابن قاضي مصر،,and married her later on to the son of the QadI of Cairo
واعتنى به من أجلها،,and on her account he showed him special favour;
وكان يمضي لزيارتها في كل جمعة،,he used also to go to visit her every Friday.
ولما خرج السلطان بعث عنا للوداع,When the Sultan went out he sent for us to bid us farewell.
فقام ابن قاضي مصر فقال: أنا لا أودع ولا أفارق خوند عالم،,The son of the QadI of Cairo stood up and said I shall not bid farewell to nor be separated from the Master of the World.’
فكان له في ذلك الخير فقال له السلطان: امْضِ فتَجَهَّزْ للسفر،,This brought him good fortune and the Sultan said to him ‘Go and make ready for the journey.’
وقدمت بعده للوداع، وكنت أحب الإقامة، ولم تكن عاقبتها محمودة,"I came forward after to say farewell, and I was pleased to be staying behind, although the consequences were not happy."
فقال مالك من حاجة، فأخرجت بطاقة فيها ست مسائل فقال لي: تكلم بلسانك،,"He said ‘What requests have you?’ so I took out a piece of paper with six petitions, but he said to me ‘Speak with your own tongue.’"
فقلت له: إن خوند عالم أمر لي بالقضاء وما قعدت لذلك بعد,I said to him ‘The Master of the World has commanded me to act as a qadI but I have not yet sat for that purpose;
وليس مرادي من القضاء إلا حرمته،,"and I do not desire to have nothing but the honour of the qadIship,’"
فأمرني بالقعود للقضاء وقعود النائبين معي،,whereupon he commanded me to sit as a judge and that two substitutes should sit with me.
ثم قال لي إيه؟,Then he said to me ‘Well?’
فقلت وروضة السلطان قطب الدين ماذا أفعل بها،,"and I said ‘The Mausoleum of Sultan Qutb al-DIn, what shall I do about it,"
فإني رتبت فيها أربعمائة وستين شخصًا,"for I have already given appointments in connection with it to four hundred and sixty persons,"
ومحصول أوقافها لا يفي بمرتباتهم وطعامنا معهم؟,and the income from its endowments does not cover their wages and their food?’
فقال للوزير ينجاه هزار ومعناه خمسون ألفًا،,"He said to the vizier Panjah Hazar, which means ‘50,000’,"
ثم قال: لا بد لك من غلة بدية,and then added ‘You must have an anticipatory crop.’
يعني أعطه مائة ألف من المغلة وهي القمح والأرز,This means ‘Give him a hundred thousand maunds of the corn produce (that is to say wheat and rice)
ينفقها في هذه السنة حتى تأتي غلة الروضة،,to be expended during this year until the crops of the endowment for the tomb come in.’
والمن عشرون رطلًا مغربية،,The maund is twenty pounds Barbary weight.
ثم قال لي وماذا أيضًا؟,He then said to me ‘And what more’?
فقلت: إن أصحابي سجنوا بسبب القرى التي أعطيتموني فإني عوضتها بغيرها,"so I replied ‘My friends have been imprisoned on account of the villages which you gave me, for I have exchanged them for other revenues;"
فطلب أهل الديوان ما وصلني منها,but the officials of the dIwan have demanded from me either to pay what I have received from them
أو الاستظهار بأمر خوند عالم أن يرفع عني ذلك،,or to present the order of the Master of the World to be dispensed from that.’
فقال كم وصلك منها؟,He said ‘How much did you receive from them?’
فقلت: خمسة آلاف دينار،,I replied ‘Five thousand dinars’.
فقال: هي إنعام عليك،,He said ‘They are a gift to you.’
فقلت له: وداري التي أمرتم لي بها مفتقرة إلى البناء,I then said to him ‘And my house which you have ordered for me as my residence is in need of repairs.’
فقال للوزير عمارة كنيد أي معناه عمروها،,"He said to the vizier ‘Imarat kunid, that is to say ‘Have it repaired,’"
ثم قال لي ديكر نماند فقلت له: معناه هل بقي لك كلام؟,"and went on to say to me DTgar namanad, which means ‘Have you anything more to say?’"
فقال لي وصية ديكرهست معناه أوصيك ألَّا تأخذ الدين؛ لئلا تطلب فلا تجد من يبلغ خبرك إلي،,"He then said to me WasTyat digar hast, which means ‘There is another recommendation, and that is that you incur no debts and so avoid being pressed for payment, for you will not find anyone to bring me news of them."
أَنْفِق على قَدْر ما أعطيتك.,"Regulate your expenses according to what I have given you,"
قال الله تعالى: وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ،,"as God has said [in the Koran] Keep not thy hand bound to thy neck, neither open it to fullest extent,"
وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا،,"and again Eat and drink, and be not prodigal,"
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنْفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَامًا،,"and again And those who, when they spend, neither incline to excess nor fall short through niggardliness, but between these there is an upright mean. ’"
فأردت أن أقبل قدمه، فمنعني وأمسك رأسي بيده فقبلتها وانصرفت,"I desired to kiss his foot, but he prevented me and held back my head with his hand, so I kissed that and retired."
وعدت إلى الحضرة، فاشتغلت بعمارة داري،,I returned to the capital and busied myself with repairing my house;
وأنفقت فيها أربعة آلاف دينار،,"on this I spent four thousand dinars,"
أعطيت منها من الديوان ستمائة دينار، وزدت عليها الباقي،,of which I received from the dIwan six hundred and paid the rest myself.
وبنيت بإزائها مسجدًا،,"I also built a mosque opposite my house,"
واشتغلت بترتيب مقبرة السلطان قطب الدين،,and occupied myself with the dispositions for the mausoleum of the Sultan Qutb al-DIn.
وكان السلطان قد أمر أن تبنى عليه قبة يكون ارتفاعها في الهواء مائة ذراع بزيادة عشرين ذراعًا على ارتفاع القبة المبنية على قازان ملك العراق،,"The Sultan had ordered that a dome should be built over it to the height of cubits, exceeding by cubits the height of the dome built over [the tomb of] Qazan, the king of al-’Iraq."
وأمر أن تشترى ثلاثون قرية تكون وقفًا عليها،,"He had given orders also that thirty villages were to be purchased to constitute an endowment for it,"
وجعلها بيدي على أن يكون لي العشر من فائدها على العادة.,and he placed them in my hands on the understanding that I should enjoy the tenth part of their revenue according to custom.
ذكر ما فعلته في ترتيب المقبرة,Account of the ceremonial which I established for the mausoleum.
وعادة أهل الهند أن يرتبوا لأمواتهم ترتيبًا كترتيبهم بقيد الحياة،,It is the custom for the people of India to observe in regard to their dead a ceremonial similar to that observed in their lifetime.
ويؤتى بالفيلة والخيل فتربط عند باب التربة وهي مزينة،,Elephants fully caparisoned are brought and picketed at the gate of the tomb chamber.
فرتبت أنا في هذه التربة بحسب ذلك، ورتبت من قراء القرآن مائة وخمسين وهم يسمونها الختميين،,"I organised everything in this tomb-chamber in accordance with that custom and enrolled of reciters of the Koran, whom they call khatmiyun, a hundred and fifty,"
ورتبت من الطلبة ثمانين ومن المعيدين ويسمونهم المكررين ثمانية، ورتبت لها مدرسًا، ورتبت من الصوفية ثمانين،,"of theological students eighty, of assistant teachers, whom they call mukarrirun, eight, one professor, of the sufrs eighty,"
ورتبت الإمام والمؤذنين والقراء بالأصوات الحسان والمداحين وكتاب الغيبة والمعرفين،,"and the imam, the muezzins, reciters who possessed fine voices, rhapsodists, and clerks to note the name of absentees, and announcers of names."
وجميع هؤلاء يُعْرَفون عندهم بالأرباب،,All these people are known in that country by the designation of arbab.
ورتبت صنفًا آخر يُعْرَفون بالحاشية,I appointed also another category of persons known as the hashiya:
وهم الفراشون والطباخون والدوادوية والأبدارية وهم السقاءون والشربدارية الذين يسقون الشربة والتنبول دارية الذين يعطون التنبول والسلحدارية والنيزدارية والشطرداوية والطشت دارية والحجاب والنقباء,"these are the farrashes, cooks, dawadis, abdaris (who are water carriers), shurbadaris (who serve the drink called shurba), tanbuldaris (who present the betel), silahdaris, naizadaris, shatradans, tishtdaris, chamberlains and naqibs."
فكان جميعهم أربعمائة وستين،,The total number of these was four hundred and sixty.
وكان السلطان أمر أن يكون الطعام بها كل يوم اثني عشر منًا من الدقيق ومثلها من اللحم،,The Sultan had fixed the daily issue of food there at twelve maunds of flour and a like quantity of meat.
فرأيت أن ذلك قليل والزرع الذي أمر به كثير,"I saw that this amount was too small, and that the produce which the Sultan had put at my disposal was plentiful,"
فكنت أنفق كل يوم خمسة وثلاثين منًّا من الدقيق ومثلها من اللحم,"and consequently I dispensed every day thirty-five maunds of flour and thirtyfive of meat,"
وما يتبع ذلك من السكر والنبات والسمن والتنبول وكنت أطعم المرتبين وغيرهم من صادر ووارد،,"together with the usual subsidiaries of sugar, candy, ghee and betel, in feeding not only the salaried employees but also visitors and travellers."
وكان الغلاء شديدًا فارتفق الناس بهذا الطعام وشاع خبره،,"The famine at that time was severe, but the population was relieved by this food, and the news of it spread far and wide."
وسافر الملك صبيح إلى السلطان بدولة آباد فسأله عن حال الناس,"The ‘king’ Sablh, having gone to join the Sultan at Dawlat Abad, was asked by him for news of the doings of the people [in DihlI]"
فقال له لو كان بدهلي اثنان مثل فلان لما شكل الجهد،,and answered ‘If there were in DihlI two such men as so-andso there would be no complaints of famine.’
فأعجب ذلك السلطان وبعث إلي بخلعة من ثيابه،,The Sultan was pleased at this and sent me a robe of honour from his own wardrobe.
وكنت أصنع في المواسم وهي العيدان,"I used to prepare on the occasion of the major festivals, namely the two feasts [of the fastbreaking and of the pilgrimage],"
والمولد الكريم,"the noble birthday [of the Prophet Muhammad],"
ويوم عاشوراء,"the day of ‘Ashura,"
وليلة النصف من شعبان,"the night of mid-Sha’ban,"
ويوم وفاة السلطان قطب الدين,"and the anniversary of the death of Sultan Qutb al-DIn,"
مائة من الدقيق ومثلها لحمًا,a hundred maunds of flour and the same of meat.
فيأكل منها الفقراء والمساكين،,This was eaten by the poor brethren and the destitute;
وأما أهل الوظيفة فيجعل أمام كل إنسان منهم ما يخصه، ولنذكر عادتهم في ذلك.,as for the dignitaries there is placed before each one of them a portion for his own use and we shall now describe their custom in this matter.
ذكر عادتهم في إطعام الناس في الولائم,Description of their custom in serving food at banquets.
وعادتهم ببلاد الهند وببلاد السرا أنه إذا فرغ من أكل الطعام في الوليمة,"In the land of India and in the land of Sara it is their custom at a feast, when the guests finish eating,"
جعل أمام كل إنسان من الشرفاء والفقهاء والمشايخ والقضاة,"to place in front of each of the sharlfs, doctors of the law, shaikhs, and qadls"
وعاء شبه المهد له أربع قوائم منسوج سطحه من الخوص,"a container shaped like a cradle, with four legs and the upper part woven of palm-fibre."
وجعل عليه الرقاق ورأس غنم مشوي,"On this table are set thin cakes of bread, a roasted sheep,"
وأربعة أقراص معجونة بالسمن مملوءة بالحلواء الصابونية مغطاة بأربع قطع من الحلواء كأنها الآجر,"four bread-cakes kneaded with ghee and filled with marzipan then covered with four pieces of sweetmeats in the shape of bricks,"
وطبقًا صغيرًا مصنوعًا من الجلد فيه الحلواء والسموسك،,also two small saucers made of leather containing sweetmeats and samusak.
ويغطى ذلك الوعاء بثوب قطن جديد،,The whole container is covered over with a piece of new cotton.
ومن كان دون من ذكرناه جعل أمامه نصف رأس غنم ويسمونه الزلة ومقدار النصف مما ذكرناه،,"Those who are of a rank below those whom we have mentioned have set before them the half of a sheep, which they call zallah, and half the amounts of the other dishes that we have mentioned."
ومن كان دون هؤلاء أيضًا جعل أمامه مثل الربع من ذلك,Those who are of lower rank than these again have set before them the equivalent of a quarter of all this.
ويرفع رجال كل أحد ما جعل أمامه،,Each person’s servants remove and take away what is set before him.
وأول ما رأيتهم يصنعون هذا بمدينة السرا,"The first time that I saw them practising this custom was in the city of Sara,"
حضرة السلطان أوزبك، فامتنعت أن يرفع رجالي ذلك إذ لم يكن لي به عهد,"the capital of Sultan Uzbak, when I prevented my men from taking it away since I was unfamiliar with the custom."
وكذلك يبعثون أيضًا لدار كبراء الناس من طعام الولائم.,In the same way also they send some of the meats of the banquets to the houses of the chief personages.
ذكر خروجي إلى هزار أمروها,Account of my excursion to Hazar Amruha.
وكان الوزير قد أعطاني من الغلة المأمور بها للزاوية عشرة آلاف من ونفذ لي الباقي في هزار أمروها،,"The vizier had delivered to me 10,000 maunds of the grain which had been commanded for me and had given me an assignation for the rest on Hazar Amruha."
وكان والي الخراج بها عزيز الخمار، وأميرها شمس الدين البذخشاني،,"The controller of revenues in this place was ‘Aziz al-Khammar, and its commandant was Shams al-Din of Badhakhshan."
فبعثت رجالي، فأخذوا بعض الإحالة، وتشكوا من تعسف عزيز الخمار، فخرجت بنفسي لاستخلاص ذلك،,"I sent my men, who collected part of the assignation but complained of the fraudulence of ‘Aziz al-Khammar, so I went out myself in order to obtain the balance."
وبين دهلي، وهذه العمالة ثلاثة أيام، وكان ذلك أوان نزول المطر،,From Dihli to this region it is a three days’ journey and this happened during the period of the rains.
فخرجت في نحو ثلاثين من أصحابي، واستصحبت معي أخوين من المغنيين المحسنين يغنيان لي في الطريق،,"I took out with me about thirty of my companions and added to my company two brothers, accomplished singers, who used to sing to me on the way."
فوصلنا إلى بلدة بجنور، وضبط اسمها (بكسر الباء الموحدة وسكون الجيم وفتح النون وآخره راء)، فوجدت بها أيضًا ثلاثة إخوة من المغنيين،,"When we reached the town of Bijnaur, I found there three other brothers, singers also,"
فاستصحبتهم فكانوا يغنون لي نوبة والآخران نوبة،,so I took them with me as well and they and the first two used to sing to me in turn.
ثم وصلنا إلى أمروها وهي بلدة صغيرة حسنة، فخرج عمالها للقائي، وجاء قاضيها الشريف أمير علي وشيخ زاويتها وأضافاني معًا ضيافة حسنة،,"We then came to Amruha, which is a small and pretty town, and its officials came out to meet me, followed by its qadi, the sharif Amir ‘Ali and the shaikh of its hospice, who gave me jointly a fine banquet."
وكان عزيز الخمار بموضع يقال أفغان بور على نهر السرو، وبيننا وبينه النهر، ولا معدية فيه،,"‘Aziz al-Khammar was at a place called Afghan-pur on the river Saru; the river was between us and him and there was no ferry,"
فأخذنا الأثقال في معدية صنعناها من الخشب والنبات، وجزنا في اليوم الثاني،,"but we took our baggage on a raft which we constructed of planks and vegetable matter, and crossed on the following day."
وجاء نجيب أخو عزيز في جماعة من أصحابه وضرب لنا سراجة، ثم جاء أخوه إلى الوالي،,"Najib, the brother of ‘Aziz, came with a number of his companions and pitched a saracha for us, and later on his brother the tax-collector came to visit me."
وكان معروفًا بالظلم، وكانت القرى التي في عمالته ألفًا وخمسمائة قرية ومجباها ستون لكافي السنة له فيها نصف العشر،,"He had made a name for oppressiveness; the villages which were in his district were 1,500 in number and their revenue amounted to sixty laks in a year, of which he enjoyed one twentieth."
ومن عجائب النهر الذي نزلنا عليه أنه لا يشرب منه أحد في أيام نزول المطر، ولا تسقى منه دابة،,A surprising thing about the river beside which we encamped is that no person drinks from it during the rainy season and no animal is watered at it.
ولقد أقمنا عليه ثلاثًا فما غرف منه أحد غرفة ولا كدنا نقرب منه؛,"We stayed on its banks for three nights and not one of us took a cupful of water from it, indeed we scarcely approached it."
لأنه ينزل من جبل قراجيل التي بها معادن الذهب، ويمر على الخشاش المسمومة فمن شرب منه مات،,"The reason is that it comes down from the mountains of Qarachil, in which there are gold mines, and passes over poisonous grasses, so that whoever drinks from it dies."
وهذا الجبل متصل مسيرة ثلاثة أشهر وينزل منه إلى بلاد تبت حيث غزلان المسك،,"These mountains form a continuous chain for a distance of three months’ journey, and from them one descends to the land of Tubbat, where the muskdeer are found."
وقد ذكرنا ما اتفق على جيش المسلمين بهذا الجبل،,We have previously related the disaster that befel the army of the Muslims in these mountains.
وبهذا الموضع جاء إلي جماعة من الفقراء الحيدرية وعملوا السماع، وأوقدوا النيران فدخلوها ولم تضرهم,It was in this place that I was visited by a company of Haidari brethren who held a musical recital and lit fires and walked through them without any injury to themselves.
وقد ذكرنا ذلك.,We have already given an account of this.
وكانت قد نشأت بين أمير هذه البلاد شمس الدين البذخشاني وبين واليها عزيز الخمار منازعة،,"A dispute had arisen between Shams al-Din of Badhakh-shan, the commander of this district, and its finance director ‘Aziz al-Khammar,"
وجاء شمس الدين لقتاله فامتنع منه بداره،,"and Shams al-Din had brought up troops to engage the latter, who defended himself against him in his house."
وبلغت شكاية أحدهما الوزير بدهلي، فبعث إلى الوزير وإلى الملك شاه أمير المماليك بأمروها,"When the complaint of one of the parties reached the vizier in Dihli he sent word to me and to the malik Shah, commander of the mamluks at Amruha"
وهم أربعة آلاف مملوك للسلطان,"(who were about 4,000 mamluks belonging to the Sultan),"
وإلى شهاب الدين الرومي أن ننظر في قضيتها، فمن كان على الباطل بعثاه مثقفًا إلى الحضرة،,and to Shihab al-Din al-Rumi to look into their affair and to send the one of them who was in the wrong to the capital in chains.
فاجتمعوا جميعًا بمنزلي، وادعى عزيز على شمس الدين دعاوَى؛,"They all assembled in my camp, when ‘Aziz formulated a number of charges against Shams al-Din,"
منها أن خديمًا له يُعْرَف بالرضي الملتاني نزل بدار خازن عزيز المذكور,"amongst them that a subordinate of his called al-Rida al-Multani had alighted at the house of the treasurer of the aforesaid ‘Aziz,"
فشرب بها الخمر، وسرق خمسة آلاف دينار من المال الذي عند الخازن،,"had drunk wine in it, and stolen 5,000 dinars of the moneys which were held by the treasurer."
فاستفهمت الرضي عن ذلك فقال لي: ما شربت الخمر منذ خروجي من ملتان وذلك ثمانية أعوام،,"I interrogated alRida on this subject and he said to me ‘I have never drunk wine since I left Multan, which is eight years ago.’"
فقلت له أوشربتها بملتان؟,"I said to him ‘Then you did drink it in Multan?,’"
قال: نعم،,and when he said ‘Yes’
فأمرت بجلده ثمانين وسجنته بسبب الدعوى للوث ظهر عليه،,"I ordered him to be given eighty lashes and imprisoned him on the charge preferred, because of the presumptive evidence against him."
وانصرفت عن أمروها فكانت غيبتي نحو شهرين،,I returned from Amruha after an absence from Dihli of about two months.
وكنت في كل يوم أذبح لأصحابي بقرة، وتركت أصحابي ليأتوا بالزرع المنفذ على عزيز وحمله عليه,"Every day I used to kill an ox for my companions, and I left them behind to bring the grain which had been assigned to me upon ‘Aziz and for the transport of which he was responsible."
فوزع على أهل القرى التي لنظره ثلاثين ألف من يحملونها على ثلاثة آلاف بقرة,"Consequently he distributed among the population of the villages which were under his jurisdiction 30,000 maunds to be transported by them on 3,000 oxen."
وأهل الهند لا يحملون إلا على البقر وعليه يرفعون أثقالهم في الأسفار,The people of India use no animals but oxen as beasts of burden and it is on them that they load their baggage on journeys.
وركوب الحمير عندهم عيب كبير,To ride asses is regarded by them as a terrible disgrace;
وحميرهم صغار الأجرام يسمونها اللاشة، وإذا أرادوا إشهار أحد بعد ضربه أركبوه الحمار.,their asses are small in body and called lasha and when they wish to expose anyone after he has been beaten they mount him on an ass.
ذكر مكرمة لبعض الأصحاب,Account of a generous action by one of my friends.
وكان السيد ناصر الدين الأوهري قد ترك عندي لما سافر ألفًا وستين تنكة،,"The Sayyid Nasir al-Din alAwhari had left 1,060 tangas with me when he left,"
فتصرفت فيها،,and I had spent them.
فلما عدت إلى دهلي وجدته قد أحال في ذلك المال خداوند زاده قوام الدين، وكان قدم نائبًا عن الوزير،,"When I returned to Dihli I found that he had given a credit on this sum to Khudhawand-Zada Qiwam al-Din, who had arrived as deputy for the vizier."
فاستقبحت أن أقول له تصرفت في المال، فأعطيته نحو ثلثه، وأقمت بداري أيامًا،,I was ashamed to tell him that I had spent the money and after giving him about a third of it I stayed in my house for some days
وشاع أني مرضت,and it was given out that I was ill.
فأتى ناصر الدين الخوارزمي صدر الجهان لزيارتي، فلما رآني قال ما أرى بك مرضًا,"Nasir al-Din al-Khwarizmi, Sadr al-Jahan, came to visit me and on seeing me said ‘You do not seem to me to be ill.’"
فقلت له: إني مريض القلب,"I said to him ‘I am ill at heart,’"
قال لي : عرفني بذلك . فقلت له : ابعث إلي نائبك شيخ الإسلام أعرفه به، فبعثه إلي فأعلمته,"and when he asked me to explain what I meant I said to him ‘Send your deputy, the Shaikh al-Islam, to me and I shall tell him the whole story.’ He did so and when I told the Shaikh"
فعاد إليه فأعلمه فبعث إلي بألف دينار دراهم، وكان له عندي قبل ذلك ألفًا ثانيًا،,"and he returned to the Sadr with the story, he sent me a thousand silver dinars, although I already owed him another thousand."
ثمَّ طلب مني بقية المال، فقلت في نفسي: ما يخلصني منه إلا صدر الجهان المذكور لأنه كثير المال،,"I was then asked for the balance of the money and I said to myself ‘No one can get me out of this but Sadr al-Jahan’ (that is, the same person), because he is very wealthy."
فبعثت إليه بفرس مسرج قيمته وقيمة سرجه ألف وستمائة دينار,"So I sent him a saddled horse whose value together with the value of its saddle was 1,600 dinars,"
وبفرس ثان قيمته وقيمة سرجه ثمانمائة دينار,"a second horse whose value with that of its saddle was 800 dinars,"
وببغلتين قيمتهما ألف ومائتا دينار,"two mules worth 1,200 dinars,"
وبتركش فضة وبسيفين غمداهما مغشيان بالفضة,"a silver quiver and two swords with scabbards veneered with silver,"
وقلت له: انظر قيمة الجميع وابعث إلي ذلك,and I said to him ‘Estimate the value of all this and send me the money.’
فأخذ ذلك، وعمل لجميعه قيمة ثلاثة آلاف دينار،,"He took it all and fixed for the whole of it a value of 3,000 dinars"
فبعث إلي ألفًا واقتطع الألفين،,"and sent me a thousand, deducting the 2000,"
فتغير خاطري ومرضت بالحمى وقلت في نفسي: إن شكوت به إلى الوزير افتضحت،,"I felt sore at this and fell ill of a fever, but I said to myself ‘If I complain of this to the vizier I shall disgrace myself’;"
فأخذت خمسة أفراس وجاريتين ومملوكين،,"so I took five horses, two slave girls and two mamluks,"
وبعثت الجميع للملك مغيث الدين محمد بن ملك الملوك عماد الدين السمناني، وهو فتًى مُسِنٌّ,"and sent them all to the king Mughith al-Din Muhammad, son of the ‘king of kings’ ‘Imad al-Din al-Simnani, who was a young man."
فرد علي ذلك وبعث إلي مائتي تنكة وأغزر، وخلصت من ذلك المال،,"He returned them to me at the same time, sending me two hundred tangas ‘with his excuses’, and I was able to get clear of that debt—"
فشتان بين فعل محمد ومحمد.,what a difference between the action of one Muhammad and the other!
ذكر خروجي إلى محلة السلطان,My departure for the mahalla of the Sultan.
وكان السلطان لما توجه إلى بلاد المعبر وصل إلى التلنك ووقع الوباء بعسكره،,"The Sultan, after setting out on the expedition to the land of al-Ma’bar, had reached Tiling when a epidemic broke out among his troops."
فعاد إلى دولة آباد، ثمَّ وصل إلى نهر الكنك، فنزل عليه وأمر الناس بالبناء،,"Accordingly he returned to Dawlat Abad and then marched to the river Gang, where he encamped and ordered his men to put up buildings."
وخرجت في تلك الأيام إلى محلته،,I went out during this time to join his mahalla.
واتفق ما سردناه من مخالفة عين الملك،,It was at this time also that the events which we have related of the revolt of ‘Ain al-Mulk occurred
ولازمت السلطان في تلك الأيام،,and I remained constantly with the Sultan during this period.
وأعطاني من عتاق الخيل لما قسمها على خواصه وجعلني فيهم،,He gave me some thoroughbred horses on distributing them to his courtiers and included me in the number of the latter.
وحضرت معه الوقيعة على عين الملك والقبض عليه،,"I was present with him at the battle against ‘Ain al-Mulk and at his capture,"
وجزت معه نهر الكنك ونهر السروو لزيارة قبر الصالح البطل سالا رعود (مسعود)،,"and I crossed with him the river Gang and the river Sara to visit the tomb of the warrior saint Salar ‘Ud,"
وقد استوفيت ذلك كله وعدت معه إلى حضرة دهلي لما عاد إليها.,"all of which I have already related in detail, and I returned with him to DihlI when he returned to it."
ذكر ما هم به السلطان من عقابي وما تداركني من لطف الله تعالى,Account of the Sultan’s intention to punish me and of my escape from this by the mercy of God.
وكان سبب ذلك أني ذهبت يومًا لزيارة الشيخ شهاب الدين ابن الشيخ الجام بالغار الذي احتفره خارج دهلي،,The cause of this was that I went one day to visit Shaikh Shihab al-DIn son of Shaikh al-Jam in the cave which he had dug for himself outside DihlI.
وكان قصدي رؤية ذلك الغار، فلما أخذه السلطان سأل أولاده عمن كان يزوره،,"My object was to see that cave, but when the Sultan seized him and asked his sons about those who used to visit him,"
فذكروا أناسًا أنا من جُمْلَتهم,they mentioned my name amongst those of others.
فأمر السلطان أربعة من عبيده بملازمتي بالمشور،,"Thereupon the Sultan gave orders that four of his slaves should remain constantly beside me in the audience-hall,"
وعادته أنه متى فعل ذلك مع أحد قلما يتخلص،,and customarily when he takes this action with anyone it rarely happens that that person escapes.
فكان أول يوم من ملازمتهم لي يوم الجمعة، فألهمني الله تعالى إلى تلاوة قوله حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل،,The day on which they began to guard me was a Friday and God Most High inspired me to recite His words Sufficient for us is God and excellent the Protector.
فقرأتها ذلك اليوم ثلاثة وثلاثين ألف مرة وبت بالمشور،,"I recited them that day 33,000 times and passed the night in the audience-hall."
وواصلت إلى خمسة أيام، في كل منها أختم القرآن وأفطر على الماء خاصة،,"I fasted five days on end, reciting the Koran from cover to cover each day, and tasting nothing but water."
ثم انفطرت بعد خمس، وواصلت أربعًا،,"After five days I broke my fast and then continued to fast for another four days on end,"
وتخلصت بعد قتل الشيخ والحمد لله تعالى.,"and I was released after the execution of the Shaikh, praise be to God Most High."
ذكر انقباضي عن الخدمة وخروجي عن الدنيا,Account of my withdrawal from the Sultan’s service and leaving of the world.
ولما كان بعد مدة انقبضت عن الخدمة، ولازمت الشيخ,Sometime later I withdrew from the Sultan’s service and attached myself to the shaikh
الإمام العالم العابد الزاهد الخاشع الورع فريد الدهر وحيد العصر كمال الدين عبد الله الغاري،,"and imam, the learned, devout, ascetic, humble-minded, pious Kamal al-DIn ‘Abdallah al-Gharl, the unique and unequalled personality of his age."
وكان من الأولياء، وله كرامات كثيرة قد ذكرت منها ما شاهدته عند ذكر اسمه،,"He was one of the saints and had performed many miracles, some of which that I saw with my own eyes I have already related on speaking of him previously."
وانقطعت إلى خدمة هذا الشيخ، ووهبت ما عندي للفقراء والمساكين،,I devoted myself to the service of this shaikh and gave my possessions to the poor brethren and the needy.
وكان الشيخ يواصل عشرة أيام وربما واصل عشرين،,"The shaikh used to fast for ten days on end, and sometimes for twenty days,"
فكنت أحب أن أواصل، فكان ينهاني ويأمرني بالرفق على نفسي في العبادة،,"but when I wished to fast continuously he would check me and bid me not to overstrain myself in devotional exercise,"
ويقول لي: إن المنبت لا أرضًا قطع ولا ظهرًا أبقى،,saying to me ‘He who breaks down from exhaustion has neither covered ground nor spared a mount.’
وظهر لي من نفسي تكاسل بسبب شيء بقي معي،,"There seemed to me to be a certain sluggishness in me because of something which remained in my possession,"
فخرجت عن جميع ما عندي من قليل وكثير، وأعطيت ثياب ظهري لفقير ولبست ثيابه،,"so I rid myself of everything that I had, little or much, and I gave the clothes off my back to a mendicant and put on his clothes."
ولزمت هذا الشيخ خمسة أشهر، والسلطان إذ ذاك غائب ببلاد السند.,"I remained with this shaikh as a disciple for five months, the Sultan being at that time absent in the land of Sind."
ذكر بعث السلطان عني وإبايتي عن الرجوع إلى الخدمة واجتهادي في العبادة,Account of the Sultan’s sending for me and my refusal to return to his service and my zeal in devotional exercises.
ولما بلغ السلطان خبر خروجي عن الدنيا استدعاني وهو يومئذٍ بسيوستان،,"When the Sultan was informed of my leaving the world he summoned me, being at that time in Slwasitan."
فدخلت عليه في زي الفقراء، فكلمني أحسن كلام وألطفه، وأراد مني الرجوع إلى الخدمة,"I entered his presence dressed as a mendicant, and he spoke to me with the greatest kindness and solicitude, desiring me to return to his service."
فأبيت، وطلبت منه الإذن في السفر إلى الحجاز فأذن لي فيه,"But I refused and asked him for permission to travel to the Hijaz, which he granted."
وانصرفت عنه، ونَزَلْتُ بزاوية تُعْرَف بالنسبة إلى الملك بشير،,I withdrew from him and lodged in a hospice known by the name of the malik Bashir.
وذلك في أواخر جمادى الثانية سنة ثنتين وأربعين،,This was in the last days of Second Jumada of the year forty-two.
فاعتكفت بها شهر رجب وعشرة من شعبان،,remained there engaged in devotional exercises during the month of Rajab and ten days of Sha’ban
وانتهيت إلى مواصلة خمسة أيام، وأفطرت بعدها على قليل أرز دون إدام،,"and at length was able to fast for five days in succession, after which I tasted a little rice without any seasoning."
وكنت أقرأ القرآن كل يوم، وأتهجد بما شاء الله،,I used to recite the Koran every day and to keep vigils by night as God willed.
وكنت إذا أكلت الطعام أذاني فإذا طرحته وجدت الراحة،,Whenever I ate food it was disagreeable to me and when I discarded it I found relief.
وأقمت كذلك أربعين يومًا ثم بعث عني ثانية.,I remained in this state for forty days and then the Sultan sent for me again.
ذكر ما أمرني به من التوجه إلى الصين في الرسالة,Account of his command to me to proceed to China on embassy.
ولما كملت لي أربعون يومًا بعث إلي السلطان خيلًا مسرجة وجواري وغلمانًا وثيابًا ونفقة,"When I had completed forty days the Sultan sent me saddled horses, slave girls and boys, robes and a sum of money,"
فلبست ثيابه وقصدته،,so I put on the robes and went to him.
وكانت لي جبة قطن زرقاء مبطنة لبستها أيام اعتكافي،,"I had a quilted tunic of blue cotton which I wore during my retreat,"
فلما جردتها ولبست ثياب السلطان أنكرت نفسي،,and as I put it off and dressed in the Sultan’s robes I upbraided myself.
وكنت متى نظرت إلى تلك الجبة أجد نورًا في باطني،,"Ever after, when I looked at that tunic, I felt a light within me,"
ولم تزل عندي إلى أن سلبني الكفار في البحر،,and it remained in my possession until the infidels despoiled me of it on the sea.
ولما وصلت إلى السلطان زاد في إكرامي على ما كنت أعهده،,"When I presented myself before the Sultan, he showed me greater favour than before,"
وقال لي: إنما بعثت إليك لتتوجه عني رسولًا إلى ملك الصين، فإني أعلم حبك في الأسفار والجولان،,"and said to me ‘I have expressly sent for you to go as my ambassador to the king of China, for I know your love of travel and sightseeing’."
فجهزني بما أحتاج له، وعَيَّنَ للسفر معي مَنْ يُذْكَر بعد.,"He then provided me with everything I required, and appointed certain other persons to accompany me, as I shall relate presently."
ذِكْر سبب بعث الهدية للصين وذِكْر من بعث معي وذِكْر الهدية,"Account of the reason for the sending of the gift to China, of those who were sent with me and of the gift itself."
وكان ملك الصين قد بعث إلى السلطان مائة مملوك وجارية وخمسمائة ثوب من الكمخا،,"The king of JL A China had sent to the Sultan a hundred mamluks and slave girls, five hundred pieces of velvet cloth,"
منهما مائة من التي تُصْنَع بمدينة الزيتون,including a hundred of those which are manufactured in the city of Zaitun [Ch’iian-chou]
ومائة من التي تُصْنَع بمدينة الخنسا،,"and a hundred of those which are manufactured in Khansa [Hangchou],"
وخمسة أمنان من المسك، وخمسة أثواب مرصعة بالجوهر، وخمسة من التراكش مزركش، وخمسة سيوف،,"five maunds of musk, five robes adorned with jewels, five embroidered quivers, and five swords,"
وطلب من السلطان أن يأذن له في بناء بيت الأصنام الذي بناحية جبل قراجيل المتقدم ذكره،,with a request that the Sultan would permit him to rebuild the idol-temple which is near the aforesaid mountains called Qarajll [Himalaya].
ويُعرف بالموضع الذي هو به بسمهل (بفتح السين المهمل وسكون الميم وفتح الهاء)، وإليه يحج أهل الصين،,"It is in a place known as Samhal, to which the Chinese go on pilgrimage;"
وتغلب عليه جيش الإسلام بالهند فخربوه وسلبوه،,"the Muslim army in India had captured it, laid it in ruins and sacked it."
"فلما وصلت هذه الهدية إلى السلطان كتب إليه بأن هذا المطلب لا يجوز في ملة الإسلام إسعافه، ولا يباح بناء كنيسة بأرض المسلمين إلا لمن يعطي الجزية.
فإن رضيت بإعطائها أبحنا لك بناءه","The Sultan, on receiving this gift, wrote to the king saying that the request could not be granted by Islamic law, as permission to build a temple in the territories of the Muslims was granted only to those who paid a poll-tax; to which he added ‘If thou wilt pay the jizya we shall empower thee to build it."
والسلام على من اتبع الهدى،,And peace be on those who follow the True Guidance’.
وكافأه عن هديته بخير منها,He requited his present with an even richer one
وذلك مائة فرس من الجياد مسرجة ملجمة،,"a hundred thoroughbred horses saddled and bridled,"
ومائة مملوك،,"a hundred male slaves,"
ومائة جارية من كفار الهند مغنيات ورواقص،,"a hundred Hindu singingand dancing-girls,"
ومائة ثوب بيرمية,"a hundred pieces of bairamt cloth,"
وهي من القطن ولا نظير لها في الحسن قيمة الثوب منها مائة دينار، ومائة شقة من ثياب الحرير المعروفة بالجز (بضم الجيم وزاي)، وهي التي يكون حرير إحداها مصبوغًا بخمسة ألوان,"which are made of cotton and are unequalled in beauty, each piece being worth a hundred dinars — a hundred lengths of the silk fabrics called juzz, in which the silk material of each is dyed with four or five different colours —"
وأربعة ومائة ثوب من الثياب المعروفة بالصلاحية،,"four hundred pieces of the fabrics known as saldht,"
ومائة ثوب من الشيرين باف،,"a hundred pieces of shtrin-bdf,"
ومائة ثوب من الشان باف،,a hundred pieces of shan-baf
وخمسمائة ثوب من المرعز,"five hundred pieces of miriz woollens,"
مائة منها سود ومائة بيض ومائة حمر ومائة خضر ومائة زرق،,"one hundred of them black and a hundred each in white, red, green, and blue,"
ومائة شقة من الكتان الرومي،,"a hundred lengths of Greek linen,"
ومائة فضلة من الملف,"a hundred pieces of blanket-cloth,"
وسراجة وست من القباب وأربع حسك من ذهب وست حسك من فضة منيلة وأربع طسوت من الذهب ذات أباريق كمثلها، وستة طسوت من الفضة،,"a seracha, six pavilions, four candelabra in gold and six in silver enamelled, four golden basins with ewers to match, and six silver basins,"
وعشر خلع من ثياب السلطنة مزركشة،,ten embroidered robes of honour from the Sultan’s own wardrobe
وعشر شواش من لباسه إحداها مرصعة بالجوهر وعشرة تراكش مزركشة، وأحدها مرصع بالجوهر،,"and ten caps also worn by him, one of them encrusted with pearls, ten embroidered quivers one of them encrusted with pearls,"
وعشرة من السيوف أحدها مرصع الغمد بالجوهر ودشت بان (دستبان)، وهو قفاز مرصع بالجوهر وخمسة عشر من الفتيان،,"ten swords one of them with a scabbard encrusted with pearls, dasht-bdn, that is gloves, embroidered with pearls, and fifteen eunuchs."
وعين السلطان للسفر معي بهذه الهدية الأمير ظهير الدين الزنجاني،,"As my fellow-voyagers with this present the Sultan appointed the amir Zahir al-Din of Zanjan,"
وهو من فضلاء أهل العلم والفتى كافور الشربدار وإليه سلمت الهدية،,"one of the most eminent men of learning, and the eunuch Kafur, the cup-bearer, into whose keeping the present was entrusted."
وبعث معنا الأمير محمد الهروي في ألف فارس؛ ليوصلنا إلى الموضع الذي نركب منه البحر،,"He sent with us the amir Muhammad of Harat with a thousand horsemen to escort us to the port of embarkation,"
وتوجه صحبتنا إرسال ملك الصين وهم خمسة عشر رجلًا،,"and we were accompanied by the ambassadors of the king of China, fifteen in number,"
يسمى كبيرهم ترسي، وخدامهم نحو مائة رجل،,"the chief of whom was called TursI, along with their servants, about a hundred men."
وانفصلنا في جمع كبير ومحلة عظيمة.,We set out therefore in a great company with an imposing body of troops.
وأمر لنا السلطان بالضيافة مدة سفرنا ببلاده،,The Sultan gave instructions that we were to be supplied with provisions while we were travelling through his dominions.
وكان سفرنا في السابع عشر لشهر صفر سنة ثلاث وأربعين,Our journey began on the 17th of Safar [July].
وهو اليوم الذي اختاروه للسفر؛ لأنهم يختارون للسفر من أيام الشهر ثانيه أو سابعه أو الثاني عشرًا أو السابع عشرًا والثاني والعشرين أو السابع والعشرين،,"That was the day selected because they choose either the 2nd, 7th, 12th, 17th, 22nd, or 27th of the month as the day for setting out on a journey."
فكان نزولنا في أول مرحلة بمنزل تلبت على مسافة فرسخين وثلث من حضرة دهلي,"On the first day’s journey we halted at the post-station of Tilbat, two and one-third farsakhs from Dihli."
ورحلنا منها إلى منزل أو ورحلنا منه إلى منزل هيلو ورحلنا منه إلى مدينة بيانة (وضبط اسمها بفتح الباء الموحدة وفتح الياء آخر الحروف مع تخفيفها وفتح النون)،,"From there we travelled to the post-station of Awu, thence to the station of Hllu and thence to the town of Bayana,"
مدينة كبيرة حسنة البناء مليحة الأسواق,a large and wellbuilt town with fine bazaars.
ومسجدها الجامع من أبدع المساجد وحيطانه وسقفه حجارة,"Its cathedral-mosque is a magnificent building, the walls and the roof of it being made of stone."
والأمير بها مظفر بن الداية وأمه هي داية للسلطان،,"The governor of the town is Muzaffar ibn al-Daya, his mother being the Sultan’s nurse."
وكان بها قبله الملك مجير بن أبي الرجاء أحد كبار الملوك وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه،,"The governor there before him was the malik Mujir ibn Abi al-Raja’, one of the principal maliks, who has been mentioned previously."
وهو ينتسب في قريش وفيه تجبر وله ظلم كثير،,He claimed descent from Quraish and was insolent in character and cruel and tyrannical in rule.
قتل من أهل هذه المدينة جملة ومثل بكثير منهم،,He put to death a great number of the inhabitants of this town and mutilated many of them.
ولقد رأيت من أهلها رجلًا حسن الهيئة قاعدًا في أسطوان منزله وهو مقطوع اليدين والرجلين،,"I saw one of its people, a man of fine appearance, sitting in the portico of his house with both hands and both feet cut off."
وقدم السلطان مرة على هذه المدينة فتشكى الناس من الملك مجير المذكور,The Sultan came on one occasion to this town and the citizens complained against this malik Mujlr.
فأمر السلطان بالقبض عليه،,The Sultan gave orders to arrest him;
وجعلت في عنقه الجامعة، وكان يقعد بالديوان بين يدي الوزير وأهل البلد يكتبون عليه المظالم،,"a manacle was put upon his neck and he was kept sitting in the diwan before the vizier, while the people of the town presented written complaints of his violence."
فأمره السلطان بإرضائها، فأرضاهم بالأموال,"The Sultan commanded him to give them satisfaction and he compensated them with sums of money,"
ثم قتله بعد ذلك،,after which he was put to death.
ومن كبار أهل هذه المدينة الإمام العالم عز الدين الزبيري من ذرية الزبير بن العوام — رضي الله عنه — أحد كبار الفقهاء الصلحاء,"Among the chief citizens of this town was the learned imam Izz al-Din al-Zubairi, a descendant of al-Zubair b. al’Awwam (God be pleased with him), a notAble and upright jurist."
لقيته بكاليور عند الملك عز الدين البنتاني المعروف بأعظم ملك,I met him at Galyur in the service of the malik ‘Izz alDin al-Banatani known by the title of A’zam Malik.
ثم رحلنا من بيانة فوصلنا إلى مدينة كول (وضبط اسمها بضم الكاف)،,"We journeyed on from Bayana and came to the town of Kuwil [Koel],"
مدينة حسنة ذات بساتين وأكثر أشجارها العنبا،,"a pretty town with orchards, most of their trees being mangoes."
ونزلنا بخارجها في بسيط أفيح،,We encamped on a wide plain outside the town.
ولقينا بها الشيخ الصالح العابد شمس الدين المعروف بابن تاج العارفين، وهو مكفوف البصر معمر,"We met there the pious shaikh and devotee Shams al-Din, known as the Ibn Taj al-‘Arifin, who was blind and advanced in age."
وبعد ذلك سجنه السلطان ومات في سجنه، وقد ذكرنا حديثه.,Sometime later the Sultan cast him into prison and he died there — we have already related his story.
ذكر غزوة شهدناها بكول,Account of an expedition in which we took part at Kuwil.
ولما بلغنا إلى مدينة كول بَلَغَنا أن بعض كفار الهنود حاصروا بلدة الجلالي، وأحاطوا بها،,On reaching the town of Kuwil we heard that certain Hindu infidels had invested and surrounded the town of al-Jalali.
وهي على مسافة سبعة من كول فقصدناها،,"Now this town lies at a distance of seven miles from Kuwil, so we made in that direction."
والكفار يقاتلون أهلها، وقد أشرفوا على التلف،,Meanwhile the infidels were engaged in battle with its inhabitants and the latter were on the verge of destruction.
ولم يعلم الكفار بنا حتى صدقنا الحملة عليهم،,"The infidels knew nothing of our approach until we charged down upon them,"
وهم في نحو ألف فارس وثلاثة آلاف راجل,"though they numbered about a thousand cavalry and three thousand foot,"
فقتلناهم عن آخرهم، واحتوينا على خيلهم وأسلحتهم،,and we killed them to the last man and took possession of their horses and their weapons.
واستشهد من أصحابنا ثلاثة وعشرون فارسًا وخمسة وخمسون راجلًا،,"Of our party twenty-three horsemen and fifty-five foot-soldiers suffered martyrdom,"
واستشهد الفتى كافور الساقي الذي كانت الهدية مسلمة بيده،,"amongst them the eunuch Kafur, the cup-bearer, into whose hands the present had been entrusted."
فكتبنا إلى السلطان بخبره، وأقمنا في انتظار الجواب،,We informed the Sultan by letter of his death and halted to await his reply.
وكان الكفار في أثناء ذلك ينزلون من جبل هنالك منيع، فيغيرون على نواحي بلدة الجلالي،,"During that time the infidels used to swoop down from an inaccessible hill which is in those parts and raid the environs of al-Jalali,"
وكان أصحابنا يركبون كل يوم مع أمير تلك الناحية ليعينوه على مدافعتهم.,and our party used to ride out every day with the commander of that district to assist him in driving them off.
ذكر محنتي بالأسر وخلاصي منه، وخلاصي من شدة بُعده على يد ولي من أولياء الله تعالى,"Account of my trial by captivity, and of my deliverance from it and from hardship thereafter at the hand of one of the saints of God."
وفي بعض تلك الأيام ركبت في جماعة من أصحابي،,On one of these occasions I rode out with several of my friends
ودخلنا بستانًا نقيل فيه، وذلك فصل القيظ،,"and we went into a garden to take our siesta, for this was in the hot season."
فسمعنا الصياح،,"Then we heard some shouting,"
فركبنا ولحقنا كفارًا أغاروا على قرية من قرى الجلالي,so we mounted our horses and overtook some infidels who had attacked one of the villages of al-Jalali.
فاتبعناهم، فتفرقوا,When we pursued them they broke up into small parties;
وتفرق أصحابنا في طلبهم، وانفردت في خمسة من أصحابنا،,"our troop in following them did the same, and I was isolated with five others."
فخرج علينا جملةٌ من الفرسان والرجال من غيضة هنالك؛,"At this point we were attacked by a body of cavalry and foot-soldiers from a thicket thereabouts,"
ففررنا منهم لكثرتهم،,and we fled from them because of their numbers.
واتبعني نحو عشرة منهم، ثم انقطعوا عني إلا ثلاثة منهم,"About ten of them pursued me, but afterwards all but three of them gave up the chase."
ولا طريق بين يدي، وتلك الأرض كثيرة الحجارة،,There was no track at all before me and the ground there was very stony.
فنشبت يدا فرسي بين الحجارة،,"My horse’s forefeet got caught between the stones,"
فنزلت عنه واقتلعت يده، وعدت إلى ركوبه،,"so I dismounted, freed its foot and mounted again."
والعادة بالهندان أن يكون مع الإنسان سيفان؛ أحدهما معلق بالسرج ويسمى الركابي والآخر في التركش،,"It is customary for a man in India to carry two swords, one called the stirrup-sword, attached to the saddle, and the other in his quiver."
فسقط سيفي الركابي من غمده،,"My stirrup-sword fell out of its scabbard,"
وكانت حليته ذهبًا،,and as its ornaments were of gold
فنزلْتُ فأخذْتُه وتقلَّدْتُه وركبت وهم في أثري،,"I dismounted, picked it up, slung it on me and mounted, my pursuers chasing me all the while."
ثم وصلت إلى خندق عظيم، فنزلت ودخلْتُ في جوفه، فكان آخر عهدي بهم،,"After this I came to a deep nullah, so I dismounted and climbed down to the bottom of it, and that was the last I saw of them."
ثم خرجت إلى وادٍ في وسط شعراء ملتفة في وسطها طريق،,"I came out of this into a valley amidst a patch of tanglewood, through which there was a track,"
فمشيت عليه ولا أعرف منهاه،,"so I walked along it, not knowing where it led to."
فبينما أنا في ذلك خرج على نحو أربعين رجلًا من الكفار بأيديهم القِسِيُّ، فأحدقوا بي،,"At this juncture about forty of the infidels, carrying bows in their hands, came out upon me and surrounded me."
وخفت أن يرموني رمية رجل واحد، ففررت منهم وكنت غير متدرع،,"I was afraid that they would all shoot at me at once if I fled from them, and I was wearing no armour"
فألقيت بنفسي إلى الأرض، واستأسرت وهم لا يقتلون من فعل ذلك،,"so I threw myself to the ground and surrendered, as they do not kill those who do that."
فأخذوني وسلبوني جميع ما علي غير جبة وقميص وسروال،,"They seized me and stripped me of everything that I was carrying except a jubba, shirt and trousers,"
ودخلوا بي إلى تلك الغابة،,"then they took me into that patch of jungle,"
فانتهوا بي إلى موضع جلوسهم منها على حوض ماء بين تلك الأشجار،,and finally brought me to the part of it where they were staying near a tank of water situated amongst those trees.
وأتوني بخبز ماش وهو الجلبان، فأكلت منه وشربت من الماء.,"They gave me bread made of mash, that is peas, and I ate some of it and drank some water."
وكان معهم مسلمان كلماني بالفارسية، وسألاني عن شأني،,"In their company there were two Muslims who spoke to me in Persian, and asked me all about myself."
فأخبرتهما ببعضه، وكَتَمْتُهما أني من جهة السلطان،,"I told them part of my story, but concealed the fact that I had come from the Sultan."
فقالا لي: لا بد أن يقتلك هؤلاء أو غيرهم،,"Then they said to me: ‘You are sure to be put to death either by these men or by others,"
ولكن هذا مقدمهم، وأشاروا إلى رجل منهم,but this man here (pointing to one of them) is their leader’.
فكَلَّمْتُه بترجمة المسلمين، وتلطَّفْتُ له,"So I spoke to him, using the two Muslims as interpreters, and tried to conciliate him."
فوكل بي ثلاثة منهم؛ أحدهم شيخ ومعه ابنه والآخر أسود خبيث،,"He gave me in charge of three of the band, one of them an old man, with whom was his son, and the third an evil black fellow."
وكلمني أولئك الثلاثة، ففهمت منهم أنهم أمروا بقتلي،,These three spoke to me and I understood from them that they had received orders to kill me.
واحتملوني عشي النهار إلى كهف،,"In the evening of the same day they carried me off to a cave,"
وسلط الله على الأسود منهم حُمَّى مرعدة، فوضع رجليه علي، ونام الشيخ وابنه،,"but God sent an ague upon the black, so he put his feet upon me, and the old man and his son went to sleep."
فلما أصبح تكلموا فيما بينهم، وأشارا إلي بالنزول معهم إلى الحوض،,In the morning they talked among themselves and made signs to me to accompany them down to the tank.
وفهمت أنهم يريدون قتلي،,"I realized that they were going to kill me,"
فكلمت الشيخ، وتلطَّفْتُ إليه فرقَّ لي،,"so I spoke to the old man and tried to gain his favour, and he took pity on me."
وقطعت كمي قميصي، وأعطيته إياهما لكيلا يأخذه أصحابه في إن فررت،,I cut off the sleeves of my shirt and gave them to him so that the other members of the band should not blame him on my account if I escaped.
ولما كان عند الظهر سمعنا كلامًا عند الحوض، فظنوا أنهم أصحابهم،,"About noon we heard voices near the tank and they thought that it was their comrades,"
فأشاروا إلي بالنزول معهم، فنزلنا ووجدنا قومًا آخرين،,"so they made signs to me to go down with them, but when we went down we found some other people."
فأشاروا عليهم أن يذهبوا في صحبتهم فأبوا،,"The newcomers advised my guards to accompany them but they refused,"
وجلس ثلاثتهم أمامي وأنا مواجه لهم،,"and the three of them sat down in front of me, keeping me facing them,"
ووضعوا حبل قنب كان معهم بالأرض،,and laid on the ground a hempen rope which they had with them.
وأنا أنظر إليهم وأقول في نفسي بهذا الحبل يربطونني عند القتل،,I was watching them all the time and saying to myself: ‘It is with this rope that they will bind me when they kill me.’
وأقمت كذلك ساعة، ثم جاء ثلاثة من أصحابهم الذين أخذوني، فتكلموا معهم،,"I remained thus for a time, then three of their party, the party that had captured me, came up and spoke to them"
وفهمت أنهم قالوا لهم لأي شيء ما قتلتموه؟,and I understood that they said to them: ‘Why have you not killed him?’
فأشار الشيخ إلى الأسود كأنه اعتذر بمرضه،,"The old man pointed to the Black, as though he were excusing himself on the ground of his illness."
وكان أحد هؤلاء الثلاثة شابًّا حسن الوجه،,"One of these three was a pleasant-looking youth,"
فقال لي: أتريد أن أسرحك؟,and he said to me: ‘Do you wish me to set you at liberty?’
فقلت نعم، فقال اذهب،,I said ‘Yes’ and he answered ‘Go. ’
فأخذت الجبة التي كانت علي، فأعطيته إياها، وأعطاني منيرة بالية عنده، وأراني الطريق,"So I took the tunic which I was wearing and gave it to him and he gave me a worn double-woven [or indigo-dyed] cloak which he had, and showed me the way."
فذهبت، وخفت أن يبدو لهم فيدركونني، فدخلت غيضة قصب، واختفيت فيها إلى أن غابت الشمس.,"I went off but I was afraid lest they should change their minds and overtake me, so I went into a reed thicket and hid there till sunset."
ثم خرجت وسلكت الطريق التي أَرَانِيهَا الشاب،,Then I made my way out and followed the track which the youth had shown me.
فأنضت بي إلى ماء فشربت منه،,This led to a pool from which I drank.
وسرت إلى ثلث الليل، فوصلت إلى جبل فنمت تحته،,I went on till near midnight and came to a hill under which I slept.
فلما أصبحت سلكت الطريق،,"In the morning I continued along the track,"
فوصلت ضحى إلى جبل من الصخر عال فيه شجر أم غيلان والسدر,and sometime before noon reached a high rocky hill on which there were sweet lote-trees and zizyphus bushes.
فكنت أجني النبق فآكله حتى أثر الشوك في ذراعي آثارًا هي باقية به حتى الآن،,I started to pull and eat the lotus berries so eagerly that the thorns left scars on my arms that remain there to this day.
ثم نزلت من ذلك الجبل إلى أرض مزدرعة قطنًا وبها أشجار الخروع,Coming down from that hill I entered a plain sown with cotton and containing castoroil trees.
وهنالك باين، والباين عندهم بئر متسعة جدًّا مطوية بالحجارة، لها درج ينزل عليها إلي ورد الماء،,"Here there was a ba’in, which in their language means a very broad well with a stone casing and steps by which you go down to reach the water."
وبعضها يكون في وسطه وجوانبه القباب من الحجر والسقائف والمجالس،,"Some of them have stone pavilions, arcades, and seats in the centre and on the sides,"
ويتفاخر ملوك البلاد وأمراؤها بعمارتها في الطرقات التي لا ماء بها،,and the kings and nobles of the country vie with one another in constructing them along the highroads where there is no water.
وسنذكر بعدما رأيناه منها فيما بعد،,We shall have occasion later on to describe some of these that we have seen.
ولما وصلت إلى الباين شربت منه،,When I reached the ba’in I drank some water from it
ووجدت عليه شيًّا من عساليج الخردل، قد سقطت لمن غسلها,and I found on it some mustard shoots which had been dropped by their owner when he washed them.
فأكلت منها وادخرت باقيها، ونمت تحت شجرة خروع،,"Some of these I ate and saved up the rest, then I lay down under a castor-oil tree."
فبينما أنا كذلك إذ وَرَدَ الباين نحو أربعين فارسًا مدرعين؛ فدخل بعضهم إلى المزرعة،,"While I was there about forty mailed horsemen came to the ba’in to get water and some of them entered the sown fields,"
ثم ذهبوا وطَمَسَ الله أبصارهم دوني،,"then they went away, and God sealed their eyes that they did not see me."
ثم جاء بعدهم نحو خمسين في السلاح، ونزلوا إلى الباين،,After them came about fifty others carrying arms and they too went down into the bain.
وأتى أحدهم إلى شجرة إزاء الشجرة التي كنت تحتها فلم يشعر بي،,"One of them came up to a tree opposite the one I was under, yet he did not discover me."
ودخلت إذ ذاك في مزرعة القطن، وأقمت بها بقية نهاري،,"At this point I made my way into the field of cotton and stayed there the rest of the day,"
وأقاموا على الباين يغسلون ثيابهم ويلعبون،,while they stayed at the ba’in washing their clothes and whiling away the time.
فلما كان الليل هدأت أصواتهم،,"At night time their voices died away,"
فعلمت أنهم قد مروا أو ناموا، فخرجت حينئذ،,"so I knew that they had either passed on or fallen asleep, is Thereupon I emerged"
واتبعت أثر الخيل والليل مقمر، وسرت حتى انتهيت إلى باين آخر عليه قبة،,"and followed the trail of the horses, for the nights were moonlit, continuing till I came to another ba’in with a dome over it."
فنزلت إليه وشربت من مائة، وأكلت من عساليج الخردل التي كانت عندي، ودخلت القبة,"I went down to it, drank some water, ate some of the mustard shoots which I had, and went into the dome."
فوجدتها مملوءة بالعشب مما يجمعه الطير فنمت بها.,"I found it full of grasses collected by birds, so I went to sleep in it."
وكنت أحس حركة حيوان في تلك العشب أظنه حية، فلا أبالي بها لما بي من الجهد،,"Now and again I felt the movement of an animal amongst the grass; I suppose it was a snake, but I was too worn out to pay any attention."
فلما أصبحت سلكت طريقًا واسعة، تفضي إلى قرية خربة،,"The next morning I went along a broad track, which led to a ruined village."
وسلكت سواها فكانت كمثلها،,"Then I took another track, but with the same result as before."
وأقمت كذلك أيامًا,Several days passed in this manner.
وفي بعضها وصلت إلى أشجار ملتفة بينها حوض ماء,One day I came to some tangled trees with a tank of water between them.
وداخلها شبه بيت، وعلى جوانب الحوض نبات الأرض كالنجيل وغيره،,"The space under the trees was like a room, and at the sides of the tank were plants like dittany and others."
فأردت أن أقعد هنالك حتى يبعث الله من يوصلني إلى العمارة،,"I intended to stop there until God should send someone to bring me to inhabited country,"
ثم أني وجدت يسير قوة، فنهضت على طريق وجدت بها أثر البقر،,"but I recovered a little strength, so I arose and walked along a track on which I found the traces of cattle."
ووجدت ثورًا عليه بردعة ومنجل، فإذا تلك الطريق تفضي إلى قرى الكفار،,"I found a bull carrying a packsaddle and a sickle, but after all this track led to the villages of the infidels."
فاتبعت طريقًا أخرى، فأنضت بي إلى قرية خربة،,Then I followed up another track and this brought me to a ruined village.
ورأيت بها أسودين عريانين فخفتهما، وأقمت تحت أشجار هنالك،,"There I saw two naked Blacks, and in fear of them I remained under some trees there."
فلما كان الليل دخلت القرية، ووجدت دارًا في بيت من بيوتها شبه خابية كبيرة يصنعونها لاختزان الزرع،,At nightfall I entered the village and found a house in one of whose rooms there was something like a large jar of the sort they make to store grains in.
وفي أسفلها نقب يسع منه الرجل،,"At the bottom of it there was a hole large enough to admit a man,"
فدخلتها ووجدت داخلها مفروشًا بالتبن وفيه حجر جعلت رأسي عليه ونمت،,"so I crept into it and found inside it bedding of chopped straw, and amongst this a stone on which I laid my head and went to sleep."
وكان فوقها طائر يرفرف بجناحيه أكثر الليل، وأظنه كان يخاف,"On the top of the jar there was a bird which kept fluttering its wings most of the night — I suppose it was frightened,"
فاجتمعنا خائفين،,so we made a pair of frightened creatures.
وأقمت على تلك الحال سبعة أيام من يوم أسرت وهو يوم السبت،,"This went on for seven days from the day on which I was taken prisoner, which was a Saturday."
وفي السابع منها وصلت إلى قرية للكفار عامرة وفيها حوض ماء ومنابت خضر،,On the seventh day I came to a village of the infidels which was inhabited and possessed a tank of water and plots of vegetables.
فسألتهم الطعام، فأبوا أن يعطوني،,I asked them for some food but they refused to give me any.
فوجدت حول بئر بها أوراق فجل فأكلته،,"However, in the neighbourhood of a well I found some radish leaves and ate them."
وجئت القرية فوجدت جماعة كفار لهم طليعة,"I went into the village, and found a troop of infidels with sentries posted."
فدعاني طليعتهم فلم أجبه، وقعدت إلى الأرض،,The sentries challenged me but I did not answer them and sat down on the ground.
فأتى أحدهم بسيف مسلول ورفعه ليضربني به، فلم ألتفت إليه لعظيم ما بي من الجهد،,"One of them came over with a drawn sword and raised it to strike me, but I paid no attention to him, so utterly weary did I feel."
ففتشني فلم يجد عندي شيئًا،,"Then he searched me but found nothing on me,"
فأخذ القميص الذي كنت أعطيت كميه للشيخ الموكل بي.,so he took the shirt whose sleeves I had given to the old man who had had charge of me.
ولما كان في اليوم الثامن اشتد بي العطش، وعدمت الماء،,On the eighth day I was consumed with thirst and I had no water at all.
ووصلت إلى قرية خراب، فلم أجد بها حوضًا،,I came to a ruined village but found no tank in it.
وعادتهم بتلك القرى أن يصنعوا أحواضًا يجتمع به ماء المطر، فيشربون منه جميع السنة،,"They have a custom in those villages of making tanks in which the rain-water collects, and this supplies them with drinking is water all the year round."
فاتبعت طريقًا فأفضت بي إلى بئر غير مطوية، عليها حبل مصنوع من نبات الأرض،,"Then I went along a track and this brought me to an uncased well over which was a rope of vegetable fibre,"
وليس فيه آنية يستقى بها،,but there was no vessel on it to draw water with.
فربطت خرقة كانت على رأسي في الحبل، وامتصصت ما تعلق بها من الماء فلم يروني،,"I took a piece of cloth which I had on my head and tied it to the rope and sucked the water that soaked into it, but that did not slake my thirst."
فربطت خفي واستقيت به فلم يروني،,"I tied on my shoe next and drew up water in it, but that did not satisfy me either,"
فاستقيت به ثيابًا فانقطع الحبل، ووقع الخف في البئر،,"so I drew water with it a second time, but the rope broke and the shoe fell back into the well."
فربطت الخف الآخر وشربت حتى رويت،,I then tied on the other shoe and drank until my thirst was assuaged.
ثم قطعته فربطت أعلاه على رجلي بحبل البئر وبخرق وجدتها هنالك،,After that I cut the shoe and tied its uppers on my foot with the rope of the well and bits of cloth which I found there.
فبينا أنا أربطها وأفكر في حالي؛ إذ لاح لي شخص,"While I was tying this on and wondering what to do, a person appeared before me."
فنظرت إليه، فإذا رجل أسود اللون بيده إبريق وعكاز وعلى كاهله جراب،,"I looked at him, and lo! it was a black-skinned man, carrying a jug and a staff in his hand, and a wallet on his shoulder."
فقال لي: سلام عليكم، فقلت له: عليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته،,He gave me [the Muslim] greeting: ‘Peace be upon you’ and I replied: ‘Upon you be peace and the mercy and blessings of God.’
فقال لي بالفارسية: جيكس (جه كسي) معناه من أنت؟,Then he asked me in Persian Chikas ‘Who are you?’
فقلت له: أنا تائه، فقال لي: وأنا كذلك،,"and I answered: ‘A man astray’, and he said: ‘So am I.’"
ثم ربط إبريقه بحبل كان معه واستقى ماء،,Thereupon he tied a jug to a rope which he had with him and drew up some water.
فأردت أن أشرب، فقال لي: اصبر،,"I wished to drink but he saying: ‘Have patience’,"
ثم فتح جرابه، فأخرج منه غرفة حمص أسود مقلو مع قليل أرز،,opened his wallet and brought out a handful of black chick-peas fried with a little rice.
فأكلت منه وشربت وتوضأ وصلى ركعتين وتوضأت أنا وصليت،,"After I had eaten some of this and drunk, he made his ablutions and prayed two prostrations and I did the same."
وسألني عن اسمي فقلت: محمد، وسألته عن اسمه فقال لي: القلب الفارح،,"Thereupon he asked my name. I answered: ‘Muhammad’ and asked him his, to which he replied: ‘al-Qalb al-Farih’ [‘Joyous Heart’]."
فتفاءلت بذلك وسُرِرْتُ به،,I took this as a good omen and rejoiced at it.
ثم قال لي: بسم الله ترافقني؟,After this he said to me: ‘In the name of God accompany me’.
فقلت: نعم، فمشيت معه قليلًا، ثم وجدت فتورًا في أعضائي، ولم أَسْتَطِع النهوض فقعدت،,"I said: ‘Yes’ and walked on with him for a little, then I found my limbs giving way, and as I was unable to stand up I sat down."
فقال: ما شأنك؟,He said: ‘What is the matter with you?’
فقلت له: كنت قادرًا على المشي قبل أن ألقاك، فلما لقيتك عَجَزْتُ،,"I answered: ‘I was Able to walk before meeting you, but now that I have met you, I cannot’."
فقال: سبحان الله، اركب فوق عنقي،,Whereupon he said: ‘Glory be to God! Mount on my shoulder’.
فقلت له: إنك ضعيف ولا تستطيع ذلك،,"I said to him: ‘You are weak, and have not strength enough for that’,"
فقال: يقويني الله لا بذلك من ذلك،,but he replied: ‘God will give me strength. You must do so’.
فركبت على عنقه، وقال لي: أَكْثِرْ من قراءة: حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل،,So I got up on his shoulders and he said to me: ‘Say many times “God is sufficient for us and excellent the guardian”.
فأكْثَرْتُ من ذلك،,"I repeated this over and over again,"
وغلبتني عيني، فلم أُفِقْ إلا لسقوطي على الأرض،,"but I could not keep my eyes open, and regained consciousness only on feeling myself falling to the ground."
فاستيقظْتُ ولم أَرَ للرجل أثرًا، وإذا أنا في قرية عامرة،,"Then I woke up, but found no trace of the man and lo! I was in an inhabited village."
فدخلْتُها فوجدتها لرعية الهنود وحاكمها من المسلمين,I entered it and found it was of Hindu peasants with a Muslim governor.
فأَعْلَمُوه بي فجاء إلي.,They informed him about me and he came to meet me.
فقلت له: ما اسم هذه القرية، فقال لي تاج بوره,I asked him the name of this village and he replied: ‘Taj Bura’.
وبينها وبين مدينة كول؛ حيث أصحابنا فرسخان،,"The distance from there to Kuwil, where our party was, is two farsakhs."
وحملني ذلك الحاكم إلى بيته، فأطعمني طعامًا سخنًا واغتسلت،,"The governor provided a horse to take me to his house and gave me hot food, and I washed."
وقال لي: عندي ثوب وعمامة أودعهما عندي رجل عربي مصري من أهل المحلة التي بكول،,"Then he said to me: ‘I have here a garment and a turban which were left in my charge by a certain Arab from Egypt, one of the soldiers belonging to the camp at Kuwil.’"
فقلت له: هاتهما ألبسهما إلى أن أصل إلى المحلة،,I said to him ‘Bring them; I shall wear them until I reach camp’.
فأتى بهما فوجدتهما من ثيابي كنت قد وهبتهما لذلك العربي لما قدمنا كول،,When he brought them I found that they were two of my own garments which I had given to that very Arab when we came to Kuwil.
فطال تعجبي من ذلك،,"I was extremely astonished at this,"
وأفكرت في الرجل الذي حملني على عنقه،,then I thought of the man who had carried me on his shoulders
فتذكرت ما أخبرني به ولي الله تعالى أبو عبد الله المرشدي حسبما ذكرناه في السفر الأول؛,"and I remembered what the saint Abu ‘Abdallah al-Murshidi had told me, as I have related in the first journey,"
إذ قال لي: ستدخل أرض الهند، وتلقى بها أخي، ويخلصك من شدة تقع فيها،,"when he said to me: ‘You will enter the land of India and meet there my brother Dilshad, who will deliver you from a misfortune which will befall you there’."
وتذكرت قوله لما سألته عن اسمه، فقال القلب الفارح، وتفسيره بالفارسية دلشاد،,"I remembered too how he had said, when I asked him his name, ‘Joyous Heart’ which, translated into Persian, is Dilshad."
فعلمت أنه هو الذي أخبرني بلقائه، وأنه من الأولياء، ولم يحصل لي من صحبته إلا المقدار الذي ذكر،,"So I knew that it was he whom the saint had foretold that I should meet, and that he 21 too was one of the saints, but I enjoyed no more of his company than the short space which I have related."
وأتيت تلك الليلة إلى أصحابي بكول معلمًا لهم بسلامتي، فجاءوا إلي بفرس وثياب واستبشروا بي،,"The same night I wrote to my friends at Kuwil to inform them of my safety, and they came, bringing me a horse and clothes and rejoiced at my escape."
ووجدت جواب السلطان قد وصلهم، وبعث بفتى يسمى بسنبل الجامدار عوضًا من كافور المستشهد، وأمرنا أن نتمادى على سفرنا،,"I found that the Sultan’s reply had reached them and that he had sent a eunuch named Sunbul the jamdar in place of the martyred Kafur, with orders to pursue our journey."
ووجدتهم أيضًا قد كتبوا للسلطان بما كان من أمري،,"I found too that they had written to the Sultan about what had happened to me,"
وتشاءموا بهذه السفرة لما جرى فيها علي وعلى كافور وهم يريدون أن يرجعوا،,"and that they regarded this journey as ill-omened on account of what had happened in the course of it to me and to Kafur, and were wanting to go back."
فلما رأيت تأكيد السلطان في السفر أكدت عليهم وقوي عزمي،,"But when I saw that the Sultan insisted upon the journey, I urged them on with great determination."
فقالوا: ألا ترى ما اتفق في بداية هذه السفرة والسلطان يعذرك،,"They answered: ‘Do you not see what has befallen us at the very outset of this mission? The Sultan will excuse you,"
فلنرجع إليه، أو تقيم حتى يصل جوابه،,so let us return to him or stay here until his reply reaches us’.
فقلت لهم: لا يمكن المقام، وحيث ما كان أدركنا الجواب،,"But I said: ‘We cannot stay, and wherever we are his reply will reach us’."
فرحلنا من كول ونزلنا برج بوره،,"We left Kuwil therefore, and encamped at Burj Bura,"
وبه زاوية حسنة، فيها شيخ حسن الصورة والسيرة يُسمَّى محمد العريان؛,"where there is a fine hermitage in which lives a beautiful and virtuous shaikh called Muhammad the Naked,"
لأنه لا يلبس عليه إلَّا ثوبًا من سرته إلى أسفل، وباقي جسده مكشوف،,"because he wears nothing but a cloth from his navel to the ground, with the rest of his body uncovered."
وهو تلميذ الصالح الولي محمد العريان القاطن بقرافة مصر نفع الله به.,He was the disciple of the pious saint Muhammad the Naked who inhabited al-Qarafa in Cairo — God profit us by him.
حكاية هذا الشيخ,A story of this Shaikh.
وكان من أولياء الله تعالى قائمًا على قدم التجرد يلبس تنورة،,"He was one of the saints of God living upon the footing of total renunciation and wearing only a tannura,"
وهو ثوب يستر من سرته إلى أسفل،,that is to say a cloth covering his body from the navel down.
ويُذْكَر أنه كان إذا صلى العشاء الآخرة، أخرج كل ما بقي بالزاوية من طعام وإدام وماء،,"It is told of him that when he had prayed the last evening prayer he cleared out everything that remained in the hospice in the way of food, seasonings, and water,"
وفَرَّقَ ذلك على المساكين، ورمى بفتيلة السراج، وأصبح على غير معلوم،,"distributing these to the poor, and threw the wick from his lamp, so that he began the day lacking everything."
وكانت عادته أن يطعم أصحابه عند الصباح خبزًا وفولًا،,"It was his custom to give his disciples at dawn a meal of bread and beans,"
فكان الخبازون والفوالون يستبقون إلى زاويته,"and the bakers and beansellers would try to outdo one another in arriving first at his hospice,"
فيأخذ منهم مقدار ما يكفي الفقراء، ويقول لمن أخذ منه ذلك: اقعد,"when he would take from them enough for the needs of the poor brethren and would say to the man from whom he took this ‘Sit down’,"
حتى يأخذ أول ما يفتح به عليه في ذلك اليوم قليلًا أو كثيرًا،,"so that he should receive the first charity which was given to him on that day, whether little or much."
ومن حكاياته أنه لما وصل قازان ملك التتر إلى الشام بعساكره وملك دمشق ماعدا قلعتها،,"One of the stories told of him relates to the time when Qazan, the king of the Tatars, advanced into Syria with his armies and seized Damascus with the exception of its citadel."
وخرج الملك الناصر إلى مدافعته،,"Al-Malik alNasir went out to drive him off,"
ووقع اللقاء على مسيرة يومين من دمشق بموضع يقال له قشحب,and the battle took place at a distance of two days’ journey from Damascus at a place called Qashhab.
والملك الناصر؛ إذ ذاك حديث السن لم يعهد الوقائع،,Al-Malik al-Nasir at that time was still a young man and inexperienced in warfare.
وكان الشيخ العريان في صحبته،,"The Naked Shaikh, who was in his company,"
فنزل وأخذ قيدًا فقيد به فرس الملك الناصر؛ لئلا يتزحزح عن اللقاء لحداثة سنه،,"alighted, took a shackle and shackled with it alMalik al-Nasir’s horse so that he should not move from his place at the moment of battle because of his youth,"
فيكون ذلك سبب هزيمة المسلمين،,and thus occasion the defeat of the Muslims.
فثبت الملك الناصر، وهزم التتر هزيمة شنعاء، قتل منهم فيها كثير، وغرق كثير بما أرسل عليه من المياه،,Consequently al-Malik al-Nasir held his ground and the Tatars suffered a sweeping defeat in which many of them were killed and many were drowned in the waters which were loosed upon them.
ولم يعد التتر إلى قصد بلاد الإسلام بعدها،,The Tatars after that never again made an attack on the lands of Islam.
وأخبرني الشيخ محمد العريان المذكور — تلميذ هذا الشيخ — أنه حضر هذه الوقيعة وهو حديث السن،,"The aforesaid shaikh Muhammad the Naked, the disciple of this shaikh, told me that he was present at this battle, being then a young man."
ورحلنا من برج بوره، ونزلنا على الماء المعروف بآب سياه،,"We set out from Burj Bura and encamped at the water known as Abi Siyah,"
ثم رحلنا إلى مدينة قنوع (وضبط اسمها بكسر القاف وفتح النون وواو ساكن وجيم)،,and from there went on to the city of Qinauj.
مدينة كبيرة حسنة العمارة حصينة,"It is a large, well-built and fortified city;"
رخيصة الأسعار كثيرة السكر، ومنها يحمل إلى دهلي وعليها سور عظيم,"prices there are cheap and sugar plentiful, being exported from there to Dihli, and it is surrounded by a great wall."
وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُها،,We have had occasion to mention it before.
وكان بها الشيخ معين الدين الباخرزي أضافنا بها,"There was living in it the shaikh Mu’In al-Din al-BakharzI, who offered us hospitality there,"
وأميرها فيروز البدخشاني من ذرية بهرام جور «جوبين» صاحب كسرى،,"and its governor was Flruz of Badakhshan, a descendant of Bahrain Jur (ChubTn), the companion of Kisra."
ويسكن بها جماعة من الصلحاء الفضلاء المعروفين بمكارم الأخلاق يُعْرَفون بأولاد شرف جهان،,Among its inhabitants are a company of pious and upright men celebrated for their qualities and known as the ‘sons of_ Sharaf Jahan’.
وكان جدهم قاضي القضاة بدولة آباد,"Their ancestor was the Grand Qadi in Dawlat Abad,"
وهو من المحسنين المتصدقين، وانتهت الرياسة ببلاد الهند إليه.,"a man notAble for his benevolence and his charities, who attained to the primacy in religious leadership in the whole land of India."
حكاية له,A story about him.
يُذْكَر أنه عُزِلَ مرة عن القضاة،,"It is related of Sharaf Jahan that he was at one time removed from his judgeship,"
وكان له أعداء، فادعى أحدهم عند القاضي الذي ولي بعده أن له عشرة آلاف دينار قبله،,"and one of his enemies charged him before the Qadi who replaced him in office with being in possession of 10,000 dinars belonging to him [the plaintiff]."
ولم تكن له بينة،,"He had no written evidence,"
وكان قصده أن يحلفه،,and his object was to have the oath administered to Sharaf Jahan.
فبعث القاضي له فقال لرسوله: بم ادعى علي؟,When the Qadi sent for him he said to his messenger: ‘What is it he claims against me?’
فقال: بعشرة آلاف دينار،,"He replied: ‘10,000 dinars’,"
فبعث إلى مجلس القاضي عشرة آلاف وسلمت للمدعي،,whereupon he sent that sum to the Qadi’s tribunal and it was paid over to the plaintiff.
وبلغ خبره السلطان علاء الدين،,"This came to the knowledge of Sultan ‘Ala’ al-Din,"
وصح عنده بطلان تلك الدعوة، فأعاده إلى القضاء، وأعطاه عشرة آلاف،,"who was convinced of the falsity of that claim and restored him to the judgeship, as well as giving him 10,000 dinars."
وأقمنا بهذه المدينة ثلاثًا،,We stayed in this city for three nights
ووصلنا فيها جواب السلطان في شأني,"and during this time received the Sultan’s reply to the letter about me,"
بأنه إن لم يظهر لفلان أثر، فيتوجه وجيه الملك قاضي دولة آباد عوضًا منه،,"to the effect that if no trace were found of so-and-so, the Qadi of Dawlat Abad, Wajih al-Mulk, should be his [i.e. my] substitute."
ثم رحلنا من هذه المدينة،,We then continued our journey from this city
فنزلنا بمنزل هنول،,"and alighted at the post-station of Hanawi,"
ثم بمنزل وزير بور,"then that of Wazir-bur,"
ثم بمنزل البجالصة،,"then that of alBajalisa,"
ثم وصلنا إلى مدينة موري (وضبط اسمها بفتح الميم وواو وراء)، وهي صغيرة ولها أسواق حسنة،,"and then came to the town of Mawri, a small place with good bazaars."
ولقيت بها الشيخ الصالح المعمر قطب الدين المسمى بحيدر الفرغاني،,"I met there the pious and venerable shaikh Qutb al-Din, called by the title of Haidar of Farghana;"
وكان بحال مرض فدعا لي، وزودني رغيف شعير،,he was suffering from an illness but he gave me his blessing and supplied me with a loaf of barley bread.
وأخبرني أن عمره ينيف على مائة وخمسين،,He told me that he was more than a hundred and fifty years old
وذكر لي أصحابه أنه يصوم الدهر، ويواصل كثيرًا،,and his companions related to me that he used to fast continuously and for many days on end.
ويُكْثِر الاعتكاف، وربما أقام في خلوته أربعين يومًا,"He used to make frequent retreats and often remained in his cell for forty days,"
يقتات فيها بأربعين تمرة في كل يوم واحدة.,"during which he would eat forty dates, one on each day."
وقد رأيت بدهلي الشيخ المسمى برجب البرقعي دخل الخلوة بأربعين تمرة،,I had myself seen at Dihli the shaikh known by the name of Rajab al-Burqu’i go into his cell with forty dates
فأقام بها أربعين يومًا، ثم خرج وفضل معه منها ثلاث عشرة تمرة،,and remain in it for forty days after which he came out with thirteen of them still in his possession.
ثم رحلنا ووصلنا إلى مدينة مره، وضبط اسمها (بفتح الميم وسكون الراء وهاء)، وهي مدينة كبيرة أكثر سكانها كفار تحت الذمة،,"We went on from there and came to the town of Marh, a large town, inhabited chiefly by infidels under Muslim control."
وهي حصينة وبها القمح الطيب الذي ليس مثله بسواها،,"It is well fortified and produces an excellent wheat, the like of which is not found elsewhere,"
ومنها يحمل إلى دهلي,and which is exported from there to Dihli;
وحبوبه طوال شديدة الصفرة ضخمة،,"its grains are long, very yellow, and large."
ولم أَرَ قمحًا مثله إلا بأرض الصين،,I have never seen wheat like it except in China.
وتُنْسَب هذه المدينة إلى المألوة (بفتح اللام)، وهي قبيلة من قبائل الهنود ضخام الأجسام، عظام الخلق، حسان الصور،,"This town takes its name from the Malawa, a tribe of Hindus, of powerful build, great size and fine figures;"
لنسائهم الجمال الفائق، وهن مشهورات بطيب الخلوة، ووفور الحظ من اللذة،,their women especially are exceedingly beautiful and famous for their charms in intercourse and the amount of pleasure that they give.
وكذلك نساء المرهتة ونساء جزيرة ذيبة المهل،,So also are the women of the Marhata and of the Maidive Islands.
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة علابور (وضبط اسمها بفتح العين ولام وألف وباء موحدة مضمومة وواو وراء)، مدينة صغيرة أكثر سكانها الكفار تحت الذمة،,"From Marh we travelled to ‘Alabur, a small town most of whose inhabitants are infidels under Muslim control."
وعلى مسيرة يوم منها سلطان كافر اسمه قتم (بفتح القاف والتاء المعلوة)،,"A day’s journey from there lived an infidel Sultan, named Qatam,"
وهو سلطان جنبيل (بفتح الجيم وسكون النون وكسر الباء الموحدة وياء مد ولام)، الذي حاصر مدينة كيالير وقتل بعد ذلك.,who was Sultan of Janbll and was killed after besieging Guyalyur [Gwalior].
حكايته,His history.
كان هذا السلطان الكافر قد حاصر مدينة رابري، وهي على نهر اللجون كثيرة القرى والمزارع،,"This infidel Sultan had besieged the town of Rabari, which is on the river Jun and has many villages and cultivated lands."
وكان أميرها خطاب الأفغان وهو أحد الشجعان،,"Its governor was Khattab the Afghani, who was one of the stalwarts."
واستعان السلطان الكافر بسلطان كافر مثله يسمى رجو (بفتح الراء وضم الجيم) وبلده يسمى سلطان بور,"The infidel Sultan sought the aid of an infidel Sultan like himself called Raju, whose town is called Sulpan-Bur."
وحاصر مدينة رابري، فبعث خطابًا إلى السلطان، يطلب منه الإعانة، فأبطأ عليه المدد، وهو على مسيرة أربعين من الحضرة،,"When the two of them invested the city of Rabari, Khattab sent a message to the Sultan asking him for help, but the reinforcements were slow in reaching him, as he was at a distance of forty days’ journey from the capital."
فخاف أن يتغلب الكفار عليه، فجمع من قبيلة الأفغان نحو ثلاثمائة ومثلهم من المماليك ونحو أربعمائة من سائر الناس،,"Khattab therefore, fearing that the infidels should overpower him, gathered about three hundred men of the tribe of the Afghan and a similar number of mamluks and about four hundred of the other troops."
وجعلوا العمائم في أعناق خيلهم، وهي عادة أهل الهند إذا أرادوا الموت، وباعوا نفوسهم من الله تعالى،,"They wound their turban-cloths on the necks of their horses, this being the custom of the people of India when they seek death and sell their souls to God."
وتقدم خطاب وقبيلته، وتبعهم سائر الناس، وفتحوا الباب عند الصبح، وحملوا على الكفار حملة واحدة، وكانوا نحو خمسة عشر ألفًا، فهزموهم بإذن الله، وقتلوا سلطانيهم قتم ورجو، وبعثوا برأسيهما إلى السلطان، ولم ينجُ من الكفار إلا الشريد.,"Khattab and his tribesmen led the way followed by the rest of the party; they opened the gate at dawn and charged as one man upon the infidels, who numbered about 15,000. By the grace of God they routed them, and killed their two Sultans Qatam and Raju, whose heads they sent to the Sultan and none of the infidels escaped but some scattered remnants."
ذكر أمير علابور واستشهاده,Account of the governor of ‘Alabur and of his death in battle.
وكان أمير علابور بدر الحبشي من عبيد السلطان، وهو من الأبطال الذين تضرب بهم الأمثال،,"The governor of ‘Alabur was the Abyssinian Badr, a slave of the Sultan’s, a man of the kind whose bravery becomes proverbial."
وكان لا يزال يغير على الكفار منفردًا بنفسه، فيقتل ويسبي حتى شاع خبره، واشتهر أمره وهابه الكفار،,"He was continually making raids on the infidels alone and single handed, killing and taking captives, so that his fame spread far and wide and the infidels went in fear of him."
وكان طويلًا ضخمًا يأكل الشاة عن آخرها في أكلة، وأخبرت أنه كان يشرب نحو رطل ونصف من السمن بعد غدائه على عادة الحبشة ببلادهم،,"He was tall and corpulent, and used to eat a whole sheep at a meal, and I was told that after eating he would drink about a pound and a half of ghee, following the custom of the Abyssinians in their own country."
وكان له ابن يدانيه في الشجاعة،,He had a son nearly as brave as himself.
فاتفق أنه أغار مرة في جماعة من عبيده على قرية للكفار، فوقع به الفرس في مطمورة،,It happened that he raided a village of the infidels on one occasion with a company of his slaves and his horse fell with him into a matamore.
واجتمع عليه أهل القرية، فضربه أحدهم بقتارة والقتارة (بقاف معقود وتاء معلوة)، حديدة شبه سكة الحرث يدخل الرجل يده فيها، فتكسوا ذراعه، ويفضل منها مقدار ذراعين,"The villagers gathered around him and one of them struck him with a qattara, which is a piece of iron resembling a ploughshare into which a man inserts his hand so that it covers his forearm leaving a projection two cubits in length."
وضربتها لا تبقي، فقتله بتلك الضربة،,"A blow with this is mortal, so he killed Badr with that blow."
وقاتل عبيده أشد القتال فتغلبوا على القرية وقتلوا رجالها وسبوا نساءها وما فيها. وأخرجوا الفرس من المطمورة سالماً فأتوا به ولده,"His slaves put up a vigorous fight, took possession of the village, killed its men, seized its women and everything in it, and got the horse out of the matamore safe and sound and brought it to his son."
فكان من الاتفاق الغريب أنه ركب الفرس، وتوجه إلى دهلي، فخرج عليه الكفار فقاتلهم حتى قتل، وعاد الفرس إلى أصحابه فدفعوه إلى أهله،,By a strange coincidence he was mounted on that same horse and had set out for Dihli when the infidels came out against him; he fought with them until he was killed and the horse returned to his companions who handed it over to his household.
فركبه صهر له، فقتله الكفار عليه أيضًا.,Later on a brother-in-law of his was riding the same horse when the infidels killed him on it also.
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة كاليور (وضبط اسمها بفتح الكاف المعقود وكسر اللام وضم الياء آخر الحروف وواو وراء)، ويقال فيه أيضًا كيالير، وهي مدينة كبيرة لها حصن منيع منقطع في رأس شاهق,"We journeyed next to Galyur or Guyalyur, a large town with an impregnable fortress isolated on the summit of a lofty hill."
على بابه صورة فيل وفيال من الحجارة، وقد مر ذكره في اسم السلطان قطب الدين،,"Over its gate is the figure of an elephant with its mahout carved in stone, as has been mentioned previously in connection with the Sultan Qutb al-Din."
وأمير هذه المدينة أحمد بن سير خان فاضل، كان يكرمني أيام إقامتي عنده قبل هذه السفرة،,"The governor of this town, Ahmad b. Slrkhan, was a man of upright character, and he treated me very honorably when I stayed with him on a previous occasion."
ودخلت عليه يومًا وهو يريد توسيط رجل من الكفار،,One day I came before him as he was about to have an infidel cut in two.
فقلت له: بالله لا تفعل ذلك، فإني ما رأيت أحدًا قط يقتل بمحضري،,"I said to him: By God I beseech you, do not do this, for I have never seen anyone put to death in my presence’."
فأمر بسجنه، وكان ذلك سبب خلاصه،,He ordered the man to be put in prison so my intervention was the means of his escape.
ثم رحلنا من مدينة كاليور إلى مدينة برون (وضبط اسمها بفتح الباء المعقودة وسكون الراء وفتح الواو وآخره نون)، مدينة صغيرة للمسلمين بين بلاد الكفار,"From Galyur we went on to Parvan, a small town belonging to the Muslims, but situated in the land of the infidels."
أميرها محمد بن بيرم التركي الأصل,"Its governor was Muhammad ibn Bairam, a Turk by origin."
والسباع بها كثيرة، وذكر لي بعض أهلها أن السبع كان يدخل إليها ليلًا، وأبوابها مغلفة، فيفترس الناس,"There are many tigers there, and one of the inhabitants told me that a certain tiger used to enter the town by night, although the gates were shut, and used to seize people."
حتى قتل من أهلها كثيرًا، وكانوا يعجبون في شأن دخوله،,"It killed quite a number of the townsfolk in this way, and they used to wonder how it made its way in."
وأخبرني محمد التوفيزي من أهلها، وكان جار لي بها أنه دخل داره ليلًا، وافترس صبيًّا من فوق السرير،,"One of the inhabitants of the town, Muhammad al-Tawfm, who was a neighbour of mine there, told me that it came into his house by night and carried off a boy who was lying on his bed."
وأخبرني غيره أنه كان مع جماعة في دار عرس، فخرج أحدهم لحاجة فافترسه أسد، فخرج أصحابه في طلبه، فوجدوه مطروحًا بالسوق،,"Another told me that he was with a party at a wedding celebration and one of them went out to relieve nature, when the tiger seized him; his companions went out in search of him and found him lying in the bazaar."
وقد شرب دمه، ولم يأكل لحمه، وذكروا أنه كذلك فعله بالناس،,The tiger had drunk his blood but not eaten his flesh and they say that this is the way it does with men.
ومن العجب أن بعض الناس أخبرني أن الذي يفعل ذلك ليس بسبع، وإنما هو آدمي من السحرة المعروفين بالجوكية، يتصور في صورة سبع،,"Here is an amazing thing; a certain man told me that it was not a tiger who did this but a human being, one of the magicians known as jugs [yogis], appearing in the shape of a tiger."
ولما أخبرت بذلك أنكرته وأخبرني به جماعة، ولنذكر بعضًا من أخبار هؤلاء السحرة.,"When I heard this I refused to believe it, but a number of people told me the same thing so let us give at this point some of the stories about these magicians."
ذكر السحرة الجوكية,Account of the magicians called Jugis.
وهؤلاء الطائفة تظهر منهم عجائب،,The men of this sect do some marvellous things.
منها أن أحدهم يقيم الأشهر لا يأكل ولا يشرب، وكثير منهم تحفر لهم حفر تحت الأرض وتبنى عليه، فلا يترك له إلا موضع يدخل منه الهواء،,"One of them will spend months without eating or drinking, and many of them have holes dug for them under the earth which are then built in on top of them, leaving only a space for air to enter."
ويقيم بها الشهور، وسمعت أن بعضهم يقيم كذلك سنة،,"They stay in these for months, and I heard tell of one of them who remained thus for a year."
ورأيت بمدينة منجرور رجلًا من المسلمين ممن يتعلم منهم قد رفعت له طبلة، وأقام بأعلاها لا يأكل ولا يشرب مدة خمسة وعشرين يومًا،,"In the town of Manjarur [Mangalore] I saw a man of the Muslims, one of these who learn the arts of these people, for whom a platform had been put up, on top of which he stayed without eating or drinking for a space of not less than twenty-five days."
وتركته كذلك فلا أدري كم أقام بعدي،,I left him at that point and I do not know how long he remained after I had gone.
والناس يَذْكُرون أنهم يركبون حبوبًا يأكلون الحبة منها لأيام معلومة أو أشهر، فلا يحتاج في تلك المدة إلى طعام ولا شراب،,"The people say that they make up pills, one of which they take for a given number of days or months, and during that time they require no food or drink."
ويخبرون بأمور مغيبة،,They can tell what is happening at a distance.
والسلطان يعظمهم ويجالسهم،,The Sultan holds them in esteem and admits them to his company.
ومنهم من يقتصر في أكله على البقل، ومنهم من لا يأكل اللحم وهم الأكثرون، والظاهر من حالهم أنهم عودوا أنفسهم الرياضة، ولا حاجة لهم في الدنيا وزينتها،,"Some eat nothing but vegetables , and others, the majority, eat no meat; it is obvious that they have so disciplined themselves in ascetic practices that they have no need of any of the goods or vanities of this world."
ومنهم من ينظر إلى الإنسان فيقع ميتًا من نظرته،,There are amongst them some who merely look at a man and he falls dead under their glance.
وتقول العامة أنه إذا قتل بالنظر وشق عن صدر الميت وجد دون قلب ويقولون أكل قلبه،,"The common people say that if the breast of a man killed in this way is cut open, it is found to contain no heart, and they assert that his heart has been eaten."
وأكثر ما يكون هذا في النساء والمرأة التي تفعل ذلك تسمى كفتار.,"This is commonest in the case of women, and a woman who acts thus is called kaftar."
حكاية,An anecdote.
لما وقعت المجاعة العظمى ببلاد الهند بسبب القحط والسلطان ببلاد التلنك نفذ أمره أن يعطى لأهل دهلي ما يقوتهم بحساب رطل ونصف للواحد في اليوم،,"When the great famine was caused in the land of India by the drought, during the Sultan’s absence in the province of Tiling, he despatched an order that the inhabitants of Dihli should be given an allowance of food at the rate of a pound and a half per person per day."
فجمعهم الوزير، ووزع المساكين منهم على الأمراء والقضاة ليتولوا إطعامهم،,The vizier assem-bled them and distributed the indigent inhabitants amongst the amirs and Qadis so that these latter should be responsible for supplying them with food.
فكان عندي منهم خمسمائة نفس، فعمرت لهم سقائف في داري وأسكنتهم بها، وكنت أعطيهم نفقة خمسة أيام في خمسة أيام،,"My share of them was five hundred souls; I built for them galleries in two houses and lodged them there, and I used to give them provisions for five days every five days."
فلما كان في بعض الأيام أتوني بمرأة منهم، وقالوا إنها كفتارة، وقد أكلت قلب صبي كان إلى جانبها، وأتوا بالصبي ميتًا،,"One day they brought me a woman, one of their number, saying that she was a kaftar and had eaten the heart of a boy who was beside her, and they also brought the dead body of the boy."
فأمرتهم أن يذهبوا بها إلى نائب السلطان، فأمر باختبارها،,"I ordered them to take her to the Sultan’s lieutenant, who commanded that she should be put to the test."
وذلك بأن ملوا أربع جرات بالماء وربطوها بيديها ورجليها وطرحوها في نهر الجون,"They filled four jars with water, tied them to her hands and feet and threw her into the river Jun."
فلم تغرق، فعلم أنها كفتار، ولو لم تطف على الماء لم تكن بكفتار،,As she did not sink she was known to be a kaftan had she not floated she would not have been one.
فأمر بإحراقها بالنار،,He ordered her then to be burned with fire.
وأتوا بأهل البلد رجالًا ونساء، فأخذوا رمادها، وزعموا أنه من تنجز به أمن في تلك السنة من سحر كفتار.,"The people of the town came and collected her ashes, men and women alike, for they believe that anyone who fumigates himself with them is safe against a kaftars enchantments during that year."
حكاية,Anecdote.
بعث إليَّ السلطان يومًا وأنا عنده بالحضرة، فدخلت عليه وهو في خلوة، وعنده بعض خواصه ورجلان من هؤلاء الجوكية،,"The Sultan sent for me once when I was with him at Dihli, and on entering I found him in a private apartment with some of his intimates and two of these jugs."
وهم يلتحفون بالملاحف ويغطون رءوسهم؛ لأنهم ينتفونها بالرماد كما ينتف الناس آباطهم،,"They were wearing long cloaks and had their heads covered, because they remove all their hair with ashes as people generally remove the hair of the armpits."
فأمرني بالجلوس فجلست، فقال لهما: إن هذا العزيز من بلاد بعيدة فأرياه ما لم يره، فقال نعم،,"After the Sultan had ordered me to sit
down and I had done so, he said to them: ‘This distinguished man comes from a far country, so show him something that he has not seen’, to which they replied: ‘Yes’."
فتربع أحدهما ثم ارتفع عن الأرض حتى صار في الهواء فوقنا متربعًا,"One of them squatted on the ground, then rose from the ground into the air above our heads, still sitting."
فعجبت منه، وأدركني الوهم فسقطت إلى الأرض،,I was so astonished and fright-ened that I fell to the floor in a faint.
فأمر السلطان أن أسقى دواء عنده فأفقت وقعدت,The Sultan gave orders to administer to me a potion that he had there and I revived and sat up.
وهو على حاله متربع،,Meantime this man remained in his sitting posture.
فأخذ صاحبه نعلًا له من شكارة كانت معه، فضرب بها الأرض كالمغتاظ،,"His companion then took a sandal from a sack he had with him, and beat it on the ground like one infuriated."
فصعدت إلى أن علت فوق عنق المتربع، وجعلت تضرب في عنقه، وهو ينزل قليلًا قليلًا حتى جلس معنا،,The sandal rose in the air until it came above the neck of the sitting man and then began hitting him on the neck while he descended little by little until he sat down alongside us.
فقال لي السلطان: إن المتربع هو تلميذ صاحب النعل،,The Sultan said to me: ‘The man sitting is the pupil of the owner of the sandal’.
ثم قال: لولا أني أخاف على عقلك لأمرتهم أن يأتوا بأعظم مما رأيت،,Then he said: ‘If I did not fear for your reason I would have ordered them to do still stranger things than this you have seen’.
فانصرفت عنه، وأصابني الخفقان، ومرضت حتى أمر لي بشربة أذهبت ذلك عني،,"I took my leave but was affected with palpitation and fell ill, until he ordered me to be given a draught which removed it all."
ولنعد لما كنا بسبيله فنقول،,To return to our subject.
سافرنا من مدينة برون إلى منزل أمواري ثم إلى منزل كجرا,We travelled from the town of Parwan to the post-station of Amwari and on to the post-station of Kajarra.
وبه حوض عظيم طويل نحو ميل وعليه الكنائس فيها الأصنام قد مثل بها المسلمون,"Here there is a large tank, about a mile in length, on the sides of which there are temples containing idols which have been mutilated by the Muslims."
وفي وسطه ثلاث قباب من الحجارة الحمر على ثلاث طباق وعلى أركانه الأربع قباب،,"In the centre of the tank there are three pavilions of red stone, three stories high, and on each of the four corners another pavilion."
ويسكن هنالك جماعة من الجوكية، وقد لبدوا شعورهم وطالت حتى صارت في طولهم،,There live there a company of jugts who have matted their hair and let it grow until it has come to be as long as themselves.
وغلبت عليهم صفرة الألوان من الرياضة، وكثير من المسلمين يتبعونهم ليتعلموا منهم،,"They are generally of a yellow colour because of their mortifications, and many Muslims become their disciples in order to learn their secrets."
ويَذْكُرون أن مَنْ كانت به عاهة مِنْ بَرَصٍ أو جذام يأوي إليهم مدة طويلة فيبرأ بإذن الله تعالى،,"They say that if a man suffering from some bodily disease such as leprosy or elephantiasis resorts to them for a long time, he will be cured by the grace of God."
وأول ما رأيت هذه الطائفة بمحلة السلطان طرمشيرين ملك تركستان،,"The first time that I saw the men of this company was in the mahalla of Sultan Tarmashlrin, king of Turkistan."
وكانوا نحو الخمسين، فحفر لهم غارًا تحت الأرض، وكانوا مقيمين به لا يخرجون إلا لقضاء حاجة،,"There were about fifty of them for whom a cave had been dug under the earth, and they used to stay in it, never coming out except to satisfy a need."
ولهم شبه القرن يضربونه أول النهار وآخره وبعد العتمة،,They had a sort of horn which they used to sound at the beginning and end of the day and after the first third of the night.
وشأنهم كله عجب.,Everything about them is marvellous.
ومنهم الرجل الذي صَنَعَ للسلطان غياث الدين الدامغاني سلطان بلاد المعبر حبوبًا يأكلها تُقَوِّيه على الجماع،,"It was one of them who made for the Sultan of the land of Ma’bar, Sultan Ghiyath al-Din al-Damaghani pills, to take as an aphrodisiac."
وكان من أخلاطها برادة الحديد، فأعجبه فعلها، فأكل منها أَزْيَدَ من مقدار الحاجة فمات،,"Amongst their ingredients were iron filings, and he was so pleased with their effect that he took more of them than was necessary and died."
وولي ابن أخيه ناصر الدين فأكرم هذا الجوكي ورَفَعَ قدره،,"He was succeeded by his brother’s son Nasir al-Din, who showed high consideration for that jug and raised him in dignity."
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة جنديري (وضبط اسمها بفتح الجيم المعقود وسكون النون وكسر الدال المهمل وياء مد وراء)، مدينة عظيمة لها أسواق حافلة يسكنها أمير أمراء تلك البلاد عز الدين البنتاني (بالباء الموحدة ثم النون ثم التاء المثناة مفتوحات ثم ألف ونون)، وهو المدعو بأعظم ملك،,"We went on next to the city of Chanderi, a large town with magnificent bazaars, and the residence of the supreme governor of that province, ‘Izz al-Din al-Banatani, who has the title of A’zam Malik."
وكان خيرًا فاضلًا يجالس أهل العلم،,He was a liberal and worthy man who used to invite the men of learning to his company.
وممن كان يجالسه الفقيه عز الدين الزبيري، والفقيه العالم وجيه الدين البياني نسبة إلى مدينة بيانة التي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُها، والفقيه القاضي المعروف بقاضي خاصة، وإمامهم شمس الدين,"Amongst those who frequented his company were the jurist ‘Izz alDin al-Zubairi, the jurist and theologian Wajih al-Din alBayani (from the town of Bayana which we have already mentioned), the jurist and Qadi known by the title of Qadi Khassa, and their imam Shams al-Din."
وكان النائب عنه على أمور المخزن يسمى قمر الدين ونائبه على أمور العسكر سعادة التلنكي من كبار الشجعان وبين يديه تعرض العساكر، وأعظم ملك لا يظهر إلا في يوم الجمعة أو في غيرها نادرًا،,"His deputy for the business of the treasury was called Qamar al-Din, and his deputy for the affairs of the army Sa’ada of Telingana, one of the principal champions; it is before him that the troops pass in review, A’zam Malik himself not appearing except on Fridays or rarely on other days."
ثم سرنا من جنديري إلى مدينة ظهار (وضبط اسمها بكسر الظاء المعجم)، وهي مدينة المالوة أكبر عمالة تلك البلاد,"From Chandlri we continued our journey to the city of Zihar, which is the chief city of Malwa, the largest district in that province."
وزرعها كثير خصوصًا القمح، ومن هذه المدينة تحمل أوراق التنبول إلى دهلي,"It is thickly cultivated, especially with wheat, and from this city betel leaves are exported to Dihli."
وبينهما أربعة وعشرون يومًا، وعلى الطريق بينهما أعمدة منقوش عليها عدد الأميال فيما بين كل عمودين،,"The distance between them is twenty-four days’ journey, and all along the road between them there are pillars on which is engraved the number of miles from each pillar to the next."
فإذا أراد المسافر أن يعلم عدد ما سار في يومه وما بقي له إلى المنزل وإلى المدينة التي يقصدها قرأ النقش الذي في الأعمدة فعرفه،,"When the traveller wishes to know how many miles he has gone that day and how far it is to the post-station or to the town that he is making for, he reads the inscription on the pillars and so finds out."
ومدينة ظهار إقطاع للشيح إبراهيم الذي من أهل ذيبة المهل.,"The city of Zihar is held in fief by Shaikh Ibrahim, who comes from the Maldive Islands."
حكاية,Anecdote.
كان هذا الشيخ إبراهيم قدم على هذه المدينة ونزل بخارجها، فأحيا أرضًا مواتًا هنالك،,"This Shaikh Ibrahim came originally to this city and settled outside it, where he restored to cultivation some dead lands."
وصار يزدرعها بطيخًا، فتأتي في الغاية من الحلاوة ليس بتك الأرض مثلها،,"He used to cultivate melons, and they produced fruits of superlative sweetness, the like of which were not to be found in that region."
ويزرع الناس بطيخًا فيما يجاوره، فلا يكون مثله،,"Other people used to cultivate melons on the neighbouring lands, but they were not like his."
وكان يطعم الفقراء والمساكين، فلما قصد السلطان إلى بلاد المعبر أهدى إليه هذا الشيخ بطيخًا،,"He used to supply food to the poor brethren and the indigent, and when the Sultan made his expedition to the land of Ma’bar this Shaikh sent him some melons as a gift."
فقبله واستطابه، وأقطعه مدينة ظهار، وأمره أن يعمر زاوية بربوة تشرف عليها،,"He accepted them, found them excellent, gave him the city of Zihar in fief and commanded him to build a hospice on a hill overlooking the town."
فعمرها أحسن عمارة، وكان يطعم بها الوارد والصادر،,He erected a very fine hospice there and used to supply food in it to travellers of every sort.
وأقام على ذلك أعوامًا، ثم قدم على السلطان، وحمل إليه ثلاثة عشر لكًّا، فقال هذا فضل مما كنت أطعمه الناس وبيت المال أحق به,"After he had continued this practice for some years he presented himself before the Sultan and brought him thirteen laks, saying: ‘This is the surplus of the money from which I used to supply food for the people, and the public treasury has a better claim to it than I’."
فقبضه منه، ولم يعجب السلطان فعله؛ لكونه جمع المال ولم ينفق جميعه في إطعام الطعام،,"So the Sultan accepted it from him, but did not approve of his action because of his amassing the money and not spending it all in providing food."
وبهذه المدينة أراد ابن أخت الوزير خواجة جهان أن يفتك بخاله، ويستولي على أمواله، ويسير إلى القائم ببلاد المعبر،,"It was in this city that the sister’s son of the vizier Khwaja Jahan attempted to murder his uncle, to seize his treasures, and to join the rebel in the province of Ma’bar."
فنمى خبره إلى خاله، فقبض عليه وعلى جماعة من الأمراء، وبعثهم إلى السلطان,"His plot was denounced to his uncle, who seized him together with a number of the amirs, and sent them to the Sultan."
فقتل الأمراء، وردَّ ابن أخته إليه فقتله الوزير.,"The Sultan put the amirs to death but sent his sister’s son back to the vizier, who executed him."
حكاية,Anecdote.
ولما رد ابن أخت الوزير إليه أَمَرَ به أن يُقْتَل كما قَتَلَ أصحابه،,When the vizier’s sister’s son was sent back to him he gave orders that he should be executed in the same manner as his associates.
وكانت له جارية يحبها، فاستحضرها وأطعمها التنبول وأطعمَتْه وعانقها مودعًا،,"The young man had a concubine whom he loved; he asked her to come and gave her betel, she gave him betel in return and he embraced her saying farewell."
ثم طرح للفيلة وسُلِخَ جلده وملئ تبنًا،,"He was then thrown to the elephants and flayed, and his skin was stuffed with straw."
فلما كان من الليل خرجت الجارية من الدار، فرَمَتْ بنفسها في بئر هنالك تقرب من الموضع الذي قُتِلَ فيه،,That night the girl went out of the house and threw herself into a well close by the place in which he was killed.
فوُجِدَتْ ميتة من الغد، فأُخْرِجَتْ ودُفِنَ لَحْمُه معها في قبر واحد، وسُمِّيَ ذلك قبور (كور) عاشقا، وتفسير ذلك بلسانهم قبر العاشقين،,"She was found dead in the morning and taken out and his flesh was buried with her in the same grave, which they call qubur-i-ashtqan meaning in their language ‘The lovers’ graves’."
ثم سافرنا من مدينة ظهار إلى مدينة أجين (وضبط اسمها بضم الهمزة وفتح الجيم وياء ونون)، مدينة حسنة كثيرة العمارة،,"We travelled from the town of Zihar to the town of Ujain, which is a fine and populous city."
وكان يسكنها الملك ناصر الدين بن عين الملك من الفضلاء الكرماء العلماء استشهد بجزيرة سندابور حين افتتاحها،,"It was the residence of the malik Nasir al-Din son of *Ain al-Mulk, an upright, generous and learned man, who suffered martyrdom in the island of Sandabur at the time of its conquest."
وقد زرت قبره هنالك وسنذكره،,I have visited his grave there and shall describe it in due course.
وبهذه المدينة كان سكنى الفقيه الطبيب جمال الدين المغربي الغرناطي الأصل،,"In this town too lived the jurist and physician Jamal al-Din al-Maghribi, who came originally from Gharnada."
ثم سافرنا من مدينة أجين إلى مدينة دولة آباد وهي المدينة الضخمة العظيمة الشأن الموازية لحضرة دهلي في رفعة قدرها واتساع خطتها،,"From the town of Ujain we continued our journey to Dawlat Abad, the enormous and important city which rivals Dihli, the capital, in standing and in the spaciousness of the planning."
وهي منقسمة ثلاثة أقسام؛ أحدها دولة آباد وهو مختص بسكنى السلطان وعساكره، والقسم الثاني يسمى الكتكة (بفتح الكافين والتاء المعلوة التي بينهما)، والقسم الثالث قلعتها التي لا مثل لها ولا نظير في الحصانة وتسمى الدويقير (بضم الدال المهمل وفتح الواو وسكون الياء وقاف معقود مكسور وياء مد وراء)،,"It is divided into three sections; one is Dawlat Abad proper, and is reserved for the Sultan and his troops, the second is called Kataka, and the third is the citadel, which is unrivalled and unequalled for its strength and is called Duwaygir."
وبهذه المدينة سكنى الخان الأعظم قطلو خان معلم السلطان بها وببلاد صاغر وبلاد التلنك وما أضيف إلى ذلك،,"At Dawlat Abad resides the Great Khan Qutlu Khan, the Sultan’s preceptor, who is governor of the town, and the Sultan’s lieutenant there and in the lands of saghar, Tiling, and their dependent territories."
وعمالتها مسيرة ثلاثة أشهر عامرة كلها لحكمه ونوابه فيها،,"This province extends for three months’ march, is well-populated, and wholly under his authority and that of his lieutenants."
وقلعة الدويقير التي ذكرناها في قطعة حجر في بسيط من الأرض قد نحتت، وبني بأعلاها قلعة,The fortress of Duwaygir mentioned above is a rock situated in a plain; the rock has been excavated and a castle built on its summit.
يصعد إليها بسلم مصنوع من جلود ويرفع ليلًا،,"It is reached by a ladder made of leather, which is taken up at night."
ويسكن بها المفردون وهم الزماميون بأولادهم،,"It is occupied by the troops called mufrad, that is to say, who are on the register, together with their sons."
وفيها سجن أهل الجرائم العظيمة في جبوب بها، وبها فيران ضخام أعظم من القطوط والقطوط تهرب منها ولا تطيق مدافعتها؛ لأنها تغلبها ولا تصاد إلا بحبل تدار عليها،,"There is a prison there, in whose dungeons are imprisoned those convicted of serious crime, and in these dungeons there are huge rats, bigger than cats — in fact, cats run away from them and cannot defend themselves, for these rats are too strong for them, so they can be captured only by means of ingenious devices which are employed to deal with them."
وقد رأيتها هنالك فعجبت منها.,I saw them there and marvelled at them.
حكاية,Anecdote.
أخبرني الملك خطاب الأفغاني أنه سجن مرة في جب بهذه القلعة يُسمَّى جب الفيران،,"The malik Khattab al-Afghani told me that he had once been imprisoned in a dungeon in this fortress, which went by the name of ‘the pit of the rats’."
قال: فكانت تجتمع علي ليلًا لتأكلني فأقاتلها وألقى من ذلك جهدًا،,"He said: ‘They used to collect together by night to devour me and I fought against them, which I could only do with great difficulty."
ثم أني رأيت في النوم قائلًا يقول لي: اقرأ سورة الإخلاص مائة ألف مرة ويفرج الله عنك،,I then saw in a dream a man who said to me: “Recite the sura of al-Ikhlas a hundred thousand times and God will deliver you”.
قال: فقرأتها، فلما أتممتها أخرجت،,So I recited it and when I had completed this number I was released.
وكان سبب خروجي أن ملك مل كان مسجونًا في جب يجاورني فمرض وأكلت الفيران أصابعه وعينيه فمات،,The reason for my release was that the malik Mall was imprisoned in a dungeon adjacent to mine; he fell sick and the rats ate his fingers and his eyes and he died.
فبلغ ذلك السلطان، فقال اخرجوا خطابًا لئلا يتفق له مثل ذلك،,When this was reported to the Sultan he said “Fetch out Khattab in case the same thing happens to him”.
وإلى هذه القلعة لجأ ناصر الدين بن ملك مل المذكور والقاضي جلال حين هزمهما السلطان،,"’ It was to this fortress that Nasir al-Din, the son of this same Malik Mall, and the Qadi Jalal fled for refuge when the Sultan defeated them."
وأهل بلاد دولة آباد هم قبيل المرهتة الذين خص الله نساءهم بالحسن وخصوصًا في الأنوف والحواجب،,"The inhabitants of Dawlat Abad belong to the tribe of the Marhata, whose women God has endowed with special beauty, particularly in their noses and eyebrows."
ولهن من طيب الخلوة والمعرفة بحركات الجماع ما ليس لغيرهن،,They have in inter-course a deliciousness and a knowledge of erotic movements beyond that of other women.
وكفار هذه المدينة أصحاب تجارات، وأكثر تجاراتهم في الجوهر وأموالهم طائلة،,"The infidels of this city are merchants dealing principally in jewels, and their wealth is enormous."
وهم يسمون الساهة واحدهم ساه بإهمال السين وهم مثل الأكارم بديار مصر،,"They are called the Saha, each one of them being a Sahy and are like the Karimis in Egypt."
وبدولة آباد العنب والرمان، ويثمران مرتين في السنة،,"At Dawlat Abad there are grapes and pomegranates, both of which produce fruit twice in the year."
وهي من أعظم البلاد مجبى وأكبرها خراجًا لكثرة عمارتها واتساع عمالتها،,"It is one of the largest and most important of the provinces in respect of taxes and land revenue, on account of its dense population and the extent of its territory."
وأخبرت أن بعض الهنود التزم مغارمها وعمالتها جميعًا، وهي — كما ذكرناها — مسيرة ثلاثة أشهر بسبعة عشر كرورًا، والكرور مائة لك، واللك مائة ألف دينار،,"I have been told that a certain Hindu contracted for the farm of the taxes of the town and its province together (and the latter is, as we have said, a three months’ journey) for seventeen crores, the crore being a hundred laks and the lak a hundred thousand dinars."
ولكنه لم يَفِ بذلك، فبقي عليه بقية، وأخذ ماله وسلخ جلده.,But he was unable to fulfil his obligation; a part of it remained outstanding and his property was seized and he was flayed.
ذكر سوق المغنيين,Description of the bazaar of the singers.
وبمدينة دولة آباد سوق للمغنيين والمغنيات تسمى سوق طرب آباد، من أجمل الأسواق وأكبرها، فيه الدكاكين الكثيرة، كلُّ دكانٍ له باب يفضي إلى دار صاحبه،,"In the city of Dawlat so Abad there is an exceedingly fine and spacious bazaar for singers and singing-girls, called Tarab Abad, containing numerous shops, each of which has a door leading to the house of its proprietor."
وللدار باب سوى ذلك الحانوت,Each house has another door as well.
مزين بالفرش، وفي وسطه شكل مهد كبير، تجلس فيه المغنية أو ترقد،,"The shop is beautified with carpets, and in the centre of it there is a sort of large cradle on which the singing-girl sits or reclines."
وهي متزينة بأنواع الحلي، وجواريها يحركن مهدها،,She is adorned with all kinds of ornaments and her attendant girls swing her cradle.
وفي وسط السوق قبة عظيمة مفروشة مزخرفة، يجلس فيها أمير المطربين بعد صلاة العصر من يوم كل خميس وبين يديه خدامه ومماليكه،,"In the centre of the bazaar there is a large carpeted and decorated pavilion in which the chief musician sits every Thursday after the afternoon prayer, with his servants and slaves in front of him."
وتأتي المغنيات طائفة بعد أخرى، فيغنين بين يديه، ويرقصن إلى وقت المغرب ثم ينصرف،,"The singing-girls come in relays and sing and dance before him till the sunset prayer, when they withdraw."
وفي تلك السوق المساجد للصلاة، ويصلي الأئمة فيها التراويح في شهر رمضان،,"In the same bazaar there are mosques for the prayer-services, in which the imams hold the tarawth services during the month of Ramadan."
وكان بعض سلاطين الكفار بالهند إذا مر بهذه السوق ينزل بقبتها، ويغني المغنيات بين يديه،,"One of the infidel rulers in India used, on passing through this bazaar, to alight at the pavilion and the singing-girls used to sing before him."
وقد فعل ذلك بعض سلاطين المسلمين أيضًا،,"One of the Muslim Sultans, too, used to do the same."
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة نذربار (وضبط اسمها بنون وبذال معجم مفتوحتين وراء مسكن وباء موحدة مفتوحة وألف وراء)، مدينة صغيرة يسكنها المرهتة — وهم أهل الإتقان في الصنائع — والأطباء والمنجمون،,"We continued on our way to Nadharbar, a small town inha-bited by the Marhatas, who possess a great skill in the arts, and are physcians and astrologers."
وشرفاء المرهتة هم البراهمة وهم الكتريون أيضًا،,The nobles of the Marhatas are Brahmans and also Katris [Kshatriyas].
وأكلهم الأرز والخضر ودهن السمسم، ولا يرون بتعذيب الحيوان ولا ذبحه،,"Their food consists of rice, vegetables , and oil of sesame, and they do not hold with giving pain to or slaughtering animals."
ويغتسلون للأكل كغسل الجنابة، ولا ينكحون في أقاربهم إلا فيمن كان بينهم وبينه سبعة أجداد،,"They wash themselves before eating, like our major ablution, and do not marry among their relatives, unless those who are cousins six times removed."
لا يشربون الخمر وهي عندهم أعظم المعائب، وكذلك هي ببلاد الهند عند المسلمين، ومن شربها من مسلم حد ثمانين جلدة، وسُجِن في مطمورة ثلاثة أشهر لا تفتح عليه إلا حين طعامه.,"Neither do they drink wine, for this in their eyes is the greatest of vices, The Muslims in India take the same view, and any Muslim who drinks is punished with eighty stripes, and shut up for three months in a matamore which is opened only when he is given food."
ثم سافرنا من هذه المدينة إلى مدينة صاغر (وضبط اسمها بفتح الصاد المهمل وفتح الغين المعجم وآخره راء)، وهي مدينة كبيرة على نهر كبير يسمى أيضًا صاغر كاسمها,"From this town we-journeyed on to saghar [Songarh], which is a large town on a great river called by the same name of Saghar."
وعليه النواعير، والبساتين فيها العنب والموز وقصب السكر،,"There are large water-wheels on the river, and there are orchards in which they grow mangoes, bananas and sugar-cane."
وأهل هذه المدينة أهل صلاح ودين وأمانة، وأحوالهم كلها مرضية،,"It inhabitants are upright, religious, and trustworthy, and all their ways are praiseworthy."
ولهم بساتين فيها الزوايا للوارد والصادر،,They have orchards in which there are hospices for all travellers.
وكل من يبني زاوية يحبس البستان عليها، ويجعل النظر فيه لأولاده، فإن انقرضوا عاد النظر للقضاة،,"Anyone who builds a hospice gives it the orchard as its endowment and appoints his sons as its supervisors, and if they die out the supervision reverts to the Qadis."
والعمارة بها كثيرة، والناس يقصدونها للتبرك بأهلها، ولكونها محررة من المغارم والوظائف،,"It is densely populated and people go there to participate in the blessing conveyed by inhabitants, and because the town is exempted from taxes and dues."
ثم سافرنا من صاغر المذكورة إلى مدينة كنباية (وضبط اسمها بكسر الكاف وسكون النون وفتح الباء الموحدة وألف وياء آخر الحروف مفتوحة)، وهي على خور من البحر وهو شبه الوادي، تدخله المراكب، وبه المد والجزر،,From the aforesaid saghar we travelled on to the town of Kinbaya [Cambay] which is situated on an arm of the sea resembling a river; it is navigable for ships and its waters ebb and flow.
وعاينت المراكب به مرساة في الوحل حين الجزر، فإذا كان المد عامت في الماء،,I myself saw the ships there lying on the mud at ebb-tide and floating on the water at high tide.
وهذه المدينة من أحسن المدن في إتقان البناء وعمارة المساجد؛,This city is one of the finest there is in regard to the excellence of its construction and the architecture of its mosques.
وسبب ذلك أن أكثر سكانها التجار الغرباء، فهم أبدًا يبنون بها الديار الحسنة والمساجد العجيبة ويتنافسون في ذلك،,"The reason is that the majority of its inhabitants are foreign merchants, who are always building there fine mansions and magnificent mosques and vie with one another in doing so."
ومن الديار العظيمة بها دار الشريف السامري الذي اتفقت لي معه قضية الحلواء وكذبه ملك الندماء،,"Amongst the great mansions in the town is the house of the sharif al-Samarri with whom I was involved in the incident of the sweetmeats, and to whom the ‘king’ of the intimate courtiers gave the lie."
ولم أَرَ قط أضخم من الخشب الذي رأيته بهذه الدار وبابها، كأنه باب مدينة,"I have never seen heavier baulks of wood than those which I saw in this house, and its gate is like that of a city."
وإلى جانبها مسجد عظيم يُعْرَف باسمه،,Beside it there is a large mosque which is known by his name.
ومنها دار ملك التجار الكازروني وإلى جانبها مسجده، ومنها دار التاجر شمس الدين كلاه دوز ومعناه خياط الشواشي.,"Other mansions are those of the ‘king of the merchants’ al-Kazaruni, alongside which is his mosque also, and that of the merchant Shams al-Din Kulah-Duz, which means the sewer of caps."
حكاية,Anecdote.
ولما وقع ما قدمناه من مخالفة القاضي جلال الدين الأفغاني أراد شمس الدين المذكور والناخودة إلياس، وكان من كفار أهل هذه المدينة وملك الحكماء الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه، على أن يمتنعوا منه بهذه المدينة،,"On the occasion of the revolt of the Qadi Jalal the Afghani, which we have related earlier, this Shams al-Din, together with the ship-owner Ilyas (who was one of the principal men of this city) and the ‘king of the physicians’ previously mentioned, attempted to defend themselves against him in this city."
وشرعوا في حفر خندق عليها؛ إذ لا سور لها، فتغلب عليهم، ودخلها,"They set about digging a trench around it, since it had no wall, but he overcame them and entered the city."
واختفى الثلاثة المذكورون في دار واحدة، وخافوا أن يتطلع عليهم، فاتفقوا على أن يقتلوا أنفسهم،,"These three went into hiding in a house together, and fearing that they should be discovered, they made a pact to kill one another."
فضرب كل واحد منهم صاحبه بقتارة، وقد ذكرنا صفتها، فمات اثنان منهم، ولم يمت ملك الحكماء،,"Each one of them struck the other with a qattara (we have already described [p. ] the nature of this instrument), and two of them died but the ‘king of the physicians’ survived."
وكان من كبار التجار أيضًا بها نجم الدين الحبلاني، وكان حسن الصورة كثير المال،,"Among the chief merchants there was also Najm al-Din of Jilan, a man of fine figure and immensely wealthy."
وبنى بها دارًا عظيمة ومسجدًا، ثم بعث السلطان عنه وأمره عليها، وأعطاه المراتب، فكان ذلك سبب تلف نفسه وماله،,"He built there a great mansion and a mosque. Some time later the Sultan sent for him and made him governor of the city, assigning him the ceremonial honours, but the outcome of this was the loss of his own life and of his fortune."
وكان أمير كنباية حين وصلنا إلى مقبل التلنكي وهو كبير المنزلة عند السلطان،,"The governor of Kinbaya at the time of our arrival was Muqbil of Telingana, who was held in high consideration by the Sultan."
وكان في صحبته الشيخ زاده الأصبهاني نائبًا عنه في جميع أموره، وهذا الشيخ له أموال عظيمة، وعنده معرفة بأمور السلطنة،,"In his company was the Shaikh-Zada of Isfahan, acting as deputy for him in all his affairs. This shaikh had great riches and was distinguished by knowledge of the affairs of government."
ولا يزال يبعث الأموال إلى بلاده، ويتحيل في الفرار،,He was continually sending money to his own country and devising plans for his escape.
وبلغ خبره إلى السلطان، وذكر عنه أنه يروم الهروب، فكتب إلى مقبل أن يبعثه،,"This came to the ears of the Sultan, it being reported of the shaikh that he was planning to take flight, whereupon he sent written instructions to Muqbil to dispatch him [to Dihli]."
فبعثه على البريد، وأحضر بين يدي السلطان,Muqbil despatchedhim by the post and he was brought before the Sultan who placed him under guard.
ووكل به، والعادة عنده أنه متى وكل بأحد فقلما ينجو، فاتفق هذا الشيخ مع الموكل به على مال يعطيه إياه وهربا جميعًا،,"Now customarily at his court when anyone is placed under surveillance, he rarely escapes death, but this shaikh made a pact with his guard for a sum which he would pay him, and the two of them fled together."
وذكر لي أحد الثقات أنه رآه في ركن مسجد بمدينة قلهات، وأنه وصل بعد ذلك إلى بلادهم، فحصل على أمواله، وآمن ممن كان يخافه.,"A trustworthy person told me that they had seen him by a pillar in a mosque in the city of Qalhat, and that he subsequently reached his own country, obtained possession of his moneys and lived in security, having nothing more to fear from that quarter."
حكاية,Anecdote.
وأضافنا الملك مقبل يومًا بداره،,The malik Muqbil gave a banquet for us one day in his mansion.
فكان من النادر أن جلس قاضي المدينة، وهو أعور العين اليمنى وفي مقابلته شريف بغدادي شديد الشبه به في صورته وعوره إلا أنه أعور اليسرى،,"By an amusing chance the Qadi of the city, who was blind in the right eye, on taking his seat had opposite him a sharif from Baghdad with a marked resemblance to him in his features and his blindness, except for the fact that he was blind in the left eye."
فجعل الشريف ينظر إلى القاضي ويضحك فزجره القاضي، فقال له: لا تزجرني، فإني أحسن منك،,"The sharif kept looking at the Qadi and laughing, and when the Qadi rebuked him he replied: ‘Do not reprove me, for I am more handsome than you.’"
قال كيف ذلك، قال:,‘How’s that?’ asked the Qadi.
لأنك أعور اليمنى وأنا أعور اليسرى، فضحك الأمير والحاضرون وخجل القاضي، ولم يستطع أن يرد عليه؛ لأن الشرفاء ببلاد الهند معظمون أشد التعظيم،,"‘Because you are blind in the right eye and I am blind in the left’, he replied, whereupon the governor and all those present laughed and the Qadi was put to shame, but he was unable to make a rejoinder because sharifs are treated in India with the greatest veneration."
وكان بهذه المدينة من الصالحين الحاج ناصر من أهل ديار بكر وسكناه بقبة من قباب الجامع دخلنا إليه وأكلنا من طعامه،,"One of the devotees in this city was the Hajj Nasir, of the people of Diyar Bakr, who lived in one of the pavilions of the cathedral mosque. We went to visit him there and ate his food."
واتفق له لما دخل القاضي جلال مدينة كنباية حين خلا به أنه أتاه، وذكر للسلطان أنه دعا له,"It happened that when the Qadi Jalal entered the city of Kinbaya at the time of his rebellion, he came to this saint, and the Sultan was informed that the latter had prayed for a blessing on him."
فهرب؛ لئلا يقتل كما قتل الحيدري،,"For this reason he fled, to avoid being put to death as al-Huidari had been."
وكان بها أيضًا من الصالحين التاجر خواجه إسحاق، وله زاوية يطعم فيها الوارد والصادر،,"Another of the devotees there was the merchant Khwaja Ishaq, who has a hospice in which he supplies food to travellers of every sort."
وينفق على الفقراء والمساكين وماله على هذا ينمى ويزيد كثرة،,"He makes large donations to the poor brethren and the indigent, yet his wealth for all that continues to grow and to multiply."
وسافرنا من هذه المدينة إلى بلدة كاوي وهي على خور فيه المد والجزر من بلاد الري جالنسي الكافر وسنذكره،,"We journeyed from this city to the town of Kawi, which is on a tidal bay also, and is in the territories of the infidel raja Jalansi, of whom we shall speak later."
وسافرنا منها إلى مدينة قندهار (وضبط اسمها بفتح القاف وسكون النون وفتح الدال المهمل وهاء وألف وراء)، وهي مدينة كبيرة للكفار على خور من البحر.,"Thence we went on to Qandahar, a large town belonging to the infidels and situated on a bay of the sea."
ذكر سلطانها,Account of its Sultan.
وسلطان قندهار كافر اسمه جالنسي (بفتح الجيم واللام وسكون النون وكسر السين المهمل)، وهو تحت حكم الإسلام، ويعطي لملك الهند هدية كل عام،,"The Sultan of Qandahar is an infidel called Jalansi, who is under Muslim suzerainty and sends a gift to the king of India every year."
ولما وصلنا إلى قندهار خرج إلى استقبالنا، وعظمنا أشد التعظيم وخرج عن قصره فأنزلنا به،,"When we reached Qandahar he came out to welcome us and showed us the greatest honour, himself leaving his palace and installing us in it."
وجاء إلينا من عنده من كبار المسلمين كأولاد خواجة بهرة،,"The principal Muslims at his court came to visit us, such as the children of the Khwaja Buhra."
ومنهم الناخودة إبراهيم، له ستة من المراكب مختصة له،,"One of these is the shipowner Ibrahim, who possesses six vessels of his own."
ومن هذه المدينة ركبنا البحر.,From this city we continued our journey by sea.
ذكر ركوبنا البحر,Account of our embarkation.
وركبنا في مركب لإبراهيم المذكور تسمى الجاكر (بفتح الجيم والكاف المعقودة)،,"We embarked on a ship belonging to the Ibrahim mentioned above, called al-Jagir."
وجعلنا فيه من خيل الهدية سبعين فرسًا، وجعلنا باقيها مع خيل أصحابنا في مركب لأخي إبراهيم المذكور يُسمَّى منورت (بفتح الميم ونون وواو مد وراء مسكن وتاء معلوة)،,"On this ship we put seventy of the horses of the Sultan’s present, and the rest we put with the horses of our companions on a ship belonging to this Ibrahim’s brother, called Manurt."
وأعطانا جالنسي مركبًا، جعلنا فيه خيل ظهير الدين وسنبل وأصحابهما وجهزه لنا بالماء والزاد والعلف،,"Jalansi gave us a vessel on which we put the horses of Zahir al-Din and Sunbul and their party, and he furnished it for us with water, provisions and forage."
وبعث معنا ولده في مركب يُسمَّى العكيري (بضم العين المهمل وفتح الكاف وسكون الياء وراء)، وهو شبه الغراب إلا أنه أوسع منه، وفيه ستون مجذافًا، ويسقف حين القتال حتى لا ينال الجذافين شيء من السهم ولا الحجارة،,"He sent his son with us on a ship called aI-Ukairi, which resembles a grab, but is rather broader; it has sixty oars and is covered with a roof during battle in order to protect the rowers from arrows and stones."
وكان ركوبي أنا في الجاكر، وكان فيه خمسون راميًا,"I myself went on board al-Jagir, which had a complement of fifty rowers and fifty Abyssinian men-at-arms."
وخمسون من المقاتلة الحبشة وهم زعماء هذا البحر وإذا كان بالمركب أحد منهم تحاماه لصوص الهنود وكفارهم،,These latter are the guarantors of safety on this sea; let there be but one of them on a ship and it will be avoided by the Indian pirates and idolaters.
ووصلنا بعد يومين إلى جزيرة بيرم (وضبط اسمها بفتح الباء الموحدة وسكون الياء وفتح الراء)، وهي خالية وبينها وبين البر أربعة أميال،,"Two days later we called at the island of Bairam, which is uninhabited and at a distance of four miles from the mainland."
فنزلنا بها واستقينا الماء من حوض بها،,We disembarked on this island and took a supply of water from a tank there.
وسبب خرابها أن المسلمين دخولها على الكفار فلم تعمر بعد،,The reason for its devastation is that the Muslims captured it by force from the infidels and it has not been inhabited since.
وكان ملك التجار — الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه — أراد عمارتها وبنى سورها، وجعل بها المجانيق، وأسكن بها بعض المسلمين،,The ‘king of the merchants’ afore-mentioned wishes to repopulate it and after constructing a wall for it and setting up mangonels he settled some Muslims on it.
ثم سافرنا منها ووصلنا في اليوم الثاني إلى مدينة قوقة وهي (بضم القاف الأولى وفتح الثانية)، وهي مدينة كبيرة عظيمة الأسواق،,"We continued our journey thence and on the following day arrived at the city of Quqa, a large town with important bazaars."
أرسينا على أربعة أميال منها بسبب الجزر،,We anchored four miles from shore on account of the low tide.
ونزلت في عشاري مع بعض أصحابي حين الجزر لأدخل إليها، فوحل العشاري في الطين، وبقي بيننا وبين البلد نحو ميل،,"I went down into a skiff with some of my associates at the time of low tide, with the object of going into the town, but the skiff stuck in the mud when we were about a mile distant from it."
فكنت لما نزلنا في الوحل أتوكا على رجلين من أصحابي، وخوفني الناس من وصول المد قبل وصولي إليها وأنا لا أحسن السباحة،,"When we sank into the mud I was leaning upon two of my companions, and the men of the place gave me to fear the turn of the tide before I should reach it, since I was not a good swimmer."
ثم وصلت إليها، وطفت بأسواقها، ورأيت بها مسجدًا يُنْسَب للخضر وإلياس عليهما السلام صليت به المغرب،,"But finally I did get to it and made the circuit of its bazaars and saw there a mosque attri-buted to al-Khidr and Ilyas (on them both be peace), in which I made the sunset prayer."
ووجدت به جماعة من الفقراء الحيدرية مع شيخ لهم,I found in the mosque a number of poor brethren of the Haidari order along with a shaikh of theirs.
ثم عدت إلى المركب.,I then returned to the ship.
ذكر سلطانها,Account of its Sultan.
وسلطانها كافر يسمى دنكول (بضم الدال المهمل وسكون النون وضم الكاف وواو ولام)، وكان يظهر الطاعة لملك الهند وهو في الحقيقة عاص،,"The Sultan of Quqa is an infidel called Dunkul, who used to profess submission to the king of India but was in reality a rebel."
ولما أقلعنا عن هذه المدينة، ووصلنا بعد ثلاثة أيام إلى جزيرة سندابور (وضبط اسمها بفتح السين المهمل وسكون النون وفتح الدال المهمل وألف وباء موحدة وواو مد وراء)، وهي جزيرة في وسطها ست وثلاثون قرية,"On setting sail from this town we arrived after three days at the island of Sandabur [Goa], an island in which there are thirty-six villages."
ويدور بها خور، وإذا كان الجزر فماؤها عذب طيب، وإذا كان المد فهو ملح أجاج،,"It is surrounded by a gulf, the waters of which are sweet and agreeable at low tide but salt and bitter at high tide."
وفي وسطها مدينتان؛ إحداهما قديمة من بناء الكفار، والثانية بناها المسلمون عند استفتاحهم لهذه الجزيرة الفتح الأول،,"In the centre of the island are two cities, an ancient one built by the infidels, and the other built by the Muslims when they first captured the island."
وفيها مسجد جامع عظيم يشبه مساجد بغداد، عمره الناخودة حسن والد السلطان جمال الدين محمد الهنوري وسيأتي ذكره، وذكر حضوري معه لفتح هذه الجزيرة الفتح الثاني إن شاء الله،,"In the latter there is a great cathedral mosque, resembling those of Baghdad, built by the shipowner Hasan, the father of the Sultan Jamal al-Din Muhammad of Hinawr, who will be mentioned hereafter, as well as my presence with him on the occasion of the second capture of this island, if God will."
وتجاوزنا هذه الجزيرة لما مررنا بها، ورسينا على جزيرة صغيرة قريبة من البر، فيها كنيسة وبستان وحوض ماء، ووجدنا بها أحد الجوكية.,"[On this occasion] we did not stop at this island when we passed by it, but anchored at a smaller one near the mainland, in which there was a temple, an orchard, and a water-tank, and on which we found one of the jugis."
حكاية هذا الجوكي,The story of this jugi.
ولما نزلنا بهذه الجزيرة الصغرى وجدنا بها جوكيًّا مستندًا إلى حائط بدخانة وهي بيت الأصنام، وهو فيما بين صنمين منها، وعليه أثر المجاهدة,"When we landed on this smaller island we found there a jugi leaning against the wall of a budkhana, that is an idol-temple; he was between two of its idols and showed the traces of continuous practice of religious austerities."
فكلمناه، فلم يتكلم ونظرنا هل معه طعام، فلم نَرَ معه طعامًا،,"When we spoke to him he did not say a word, and we looked to see if there was any food with him but did not see any."
وفي حين نظرنا صاح صيحة عظيمة، فسقطت عند صياحه جوزة من جوز النارجيل بين يديه,"While we were still looking he uttered a great shout, and as he shouted a coconut fell from a coco-palm in front of him."
ودفعها لنا، فعجبنا من ذلك، ودفعنا له دنانير ودراهم، فلم يقبلها وأتيناه بزاد فردَّه،,"He handed it to us and we in astonishment gave him some dinars and dirhams, which he would not accept, and when we brought him provisions he refused them also."
وكانت بين يديه عباءة من صوف الجِمال مطروحة فقَلَّبْتُها بيدي، فدفعها لي،,There was a cloak of camel-hair lying on the ground in front of him; I took it in hand to examine it and he gave it to me.
وكانت بيدي سبحة زيلغ فقلبها في يدي، فأعطيته إياها,I had in my hand a chaplet of Zaila’; he examined it in my hand so I gave it to him.
ففركها بيده وشمها وقَبَّلَها، وأشار إلى السماء، ثم إلى سمت القبلة،,"He rubbed it between his fingers, smelt it, kissed it, and pointed first to the sky and then in the direction of Mecca."
فلم يفهم أصحابي إشارته فهمت أنا عنه أنه أشار أنه مسلم يخفي إسلامه من أهل تلك الجزيرة، ويتعيش من تلك الجوز،,"My companions did not understand his signs, but I for my part understood him to indicate that he was a Muslim who was concealing his Muslim belief from the people of that island and living on those coconuts."
ولما وادعناه قَبَّلْتُ يده، فأنكر أصحابي ذلك، ففَهِمَ إنكارهم، فأخذ يدي وقَبَّلَهَا وتَبَسَّمَ، وأشار لنا بالانصراف,"When we were about to leave him I kissed his hand; my companions disapproved of that, but he perceived their disapproval and taking my hand kissed it and smiled and signed to us to go."
فانصرفنا، وكنت آخر أصحابي خروجًا، فجذب ثوبي، فردَدْتُ رأسي إليه، فأعطاني عشرة دنانير،,"So we left, I being the last of my party to go out, when he tugged at my cloak; I turned my head towards him and he gave me ten dinars."
فلما خرجنا عنه قال لي أصحابي: لِمَ جَذَبَكَ، فقلت لهم: أعطاني هذه الدنانير،,When we came out of the place my companions said to me: ‘Why did he pull you?’ and I told them that he had given me those dinars.
وأعطيت لظهير الدين ثلاثة منها ولسنبل ثلاثة، وقلت لهما: الرجل مسلم، ألا ترون كيف أشار إلى السماء، يشير إلى أنه يَعْرِف الله تعالى، وأشار إلى القبلة، يشير إلى معرفة الرسول عليه السلام،,"I gave three of them to Zahir al-Din and three to Sunbul, saying to them: ‘The man is a Muslim; do you not see how he pointed to the sky to indicate that he knew God, and then to Mecca to indicate his knowledge of the Apostle (peace be upon him)."
وأَخْذُه السبحة يُصَدِّق ذلك،,And his taking of the chaplet confirms the fact.’
فرجعا لَمَّا قلت لهما ذلك إليه فلم يجداه،,They went back when I said this to them but they could not find him.
وسافرنا تلك الساعة. وبالغد وصلنا إلى مدينة هنور (وضبط اسمها بكسر الهاء وفتح النون وسكون الواو وراء)، وهي على خور كبير تدخله المراكب الكبار,"We set out again immediately and on the next day reached the town of Hinawr, which is on a large inlet into which large ships enter."
والمدينة على نصف ميل من البحر،,The town itself is half a mile from the sea.
وفي أيام البشكال وهو المطر يشتد هيجان هذا البحر وطغيانه، فيبقى مدة أربعة أشهر لا يستطيع أحد ركوبه إلا للتصيد فيه،,"During the bushkal, which is the rainy season, this bay is so stormy and boisterous that for four months it is impossible for anyone to sail on it except for fishing."
وفي يوم وصولنا إليها جاءني أحد الجوكية من الهنود في خلوة وأعطاني ستة دنانير وقال لي: البرهمن بعثها إليك، يعني الجوكي الذي أعطيته السبحة,"On the day of our arrival at this place one of the Hindu jugts came to me secretly and gave me six dinars saying to me: ‘The Brahman has sent this to you’, meaning the jugi to whom I had given the chaplet."
وأعطاني الدنانير، فأخذتها منه وأعطيته دينارًا منها فلم يقبله وانصرف،,"When he gave me the dinars I took them from him and offered him one of them, but he declined it and withdrew."
وأخبرت أصحابي بالقضية وقلت لهما: إن شئتما فخذا نصيبكما منها,I told my companions what had happened and said to them: ‘If you wish your share of them [you may have it].’
فأبيا وجعلا يعجبان من شأنه، وقالا لي: إنَّ الدنانير الستة التي أعطيتنا إياها جعلنا معها مثلها وتركنا بين الصنمين حيث وجدناها،,They both refused but were full of astonishment at the ways of this person and said to me: ‘The six dinars which you gave us we left with six others between the two idols in the place where we found him.’
فطال عجبي من أمره، واحتفظت بتلك الدنانير التي أعطانيها،,I was greatly astonished at our adventure with this person and kept with special care those dinars that he had given me.
وأهل مدينة هنور شافعية المذهب لهم صلاح ودين وجهاد في البحر وقوة,"The people of the city of Hinawr are Shafi’ites in doctrine, upright, religious, engaged in warfare on the sea, and mighty."
وبذلك عرفوا حتى أذلهم الزمان بعد فتحهم لسندابور وسنذكر ذلك،,"They were celebrated in this respect until time brought them low after their conquest of Sandabur, which we shall relate."
ولقيت من المتعبدين بهذه المدينة الشيخ محمد الناقوري أضافني بزاويته،,"Amongst the devotees whom I met in this city was the shaikh Muhammad al-Naqawri, who entertained me in his hospice."
وكان يطبخ الطعام بيده استقذارًا للجارية والغلام،,"He used to cook the food with his own hand, regarding it as defiled by the maidservant and the manservant."
ولقيت بها الفقيه إسماعيل معلم كتاب الله تعالى، وهو ورع حسن الخلق كريم النفس، والقاضي بها نور الدين عليا والخطيب لا أذكر اسمه،,"I met there also the jurist Isma’il, the instructor in the Book of God, who was a scrupulous man of good disposition and generous nature, also the Qadi there, Nur al-Din ‘All, and the preacher, whose name I do not remember."
ونساء هذه المدينة وجميع هذه البلاد الساحلية لا يلبس المخيط إنما يلبس ثيابًا غير مخيطة، تحتزم إحداهن بأحد طرفي الثوب، وتجعل باقيه على رأسها وصدرها،,"The women of this town and of all these coastal districts wear no sewn garments but only unsewn lengths of cloth, one end of which they gird round their waists, and drape the rest over their head and chest."
ولهن جمال وعفاف، وتجعل إحداهن خرص ذهب في أنفها،,"They are beautiful and virtuous, and each wears a gold ring in her nose."
ومن خصائصهن أنهن جميعًا يحفظن القرآن العظيم،,One peculiarity amongst them is that they all know the Qur’an by heart.
ورأيت بالمدينة ثلاثة عشر مكتبًا لتعليم البنات وثلاثة وعشرين لتعليم الأولاد ولم أَرَ ذلك في سواها،,"I saw in the town thirteen schools for girls and twentythree for boys, a thing which I have never seen elsewhere."
ومعاش أهلها من التجار في البحر ولا زرع لهم،,"Its inhabitants live by maritime commerce, and have no cultivated land."
وأهل بلاد المليبار يعطون للسلطان جمال الدين في كل عام شيئًا معلومًا خوفًا منه لقوته في البحر،,"The people of Mulaibar pay a fixed sum annually to Sultan Jamal al-Din, through fear of his seapower."
وعسكره نحو ستة آلاف بين فرسان ورجالة.,"His army consists of about six thousand men, horse and foot."
ذكر سلطان هنور,Account of the Sultan of Hinawr.
وهو السلطان جمال الدين محمد بن حسن من خيار السلاطين وكبارهم،,"He is the Sultan Jamal al-Din Muhammad ibn Hasan, one of the best and most powerful Sultans."
وهو تحت حكم سلطان كافر يسمى هريب سنذكره،,"He is under the suzerainty of an infidel Sultan named Haryab, of whom we shall speak later."
والسلطان جمال الدين مواظب للصلاة في الجماعة،,The Sultan Jamal alDin is assiduous in attending the congregational prayers.
وعادته أن يأتي إلى المسجد قبل الصبح، فيتلو في المصحف حتى يطلع الفجر، فيصلي أول الوقت،,"It is his custom to come to the mosque before daybreak and to read the Qur’an until the rising of the dawn, when he prays at the earliest moment."
ثم يركب إلى خارج المدينة، ويأتي عند الضحى فيبدأ بالمسجد فيركع فيه، ثم يدخل إلى قصره,"He then rides outside the city and returns about the middle of the forenoon, when he goes first to the mosque and prostrates himself there before going into his palace."
وهو يصوم الأيام البيض،,He fasts regularly during the ‘white days’ [when the moon is at the full].
وكان أيام إقامتي عنده يدعوني للإفطار معه، فأحضر لذلك ويحضر الفقيه علي والفقيه إسماعيل، فتوضع أربع كراسي صغار على الأرض، فيقعد على إحداها ويقعد كلُّ واحد منا على كرسي.,"During my stay with him he used to invite me to break my fast in his company; I and the jurist eAlI and the jurist Isma’il would present ourselves, and four small stools would be placed on the ground, on one of which the Sultan would sit and each of us on another."
ذكر ترتيب طعامه,Account of the order observed in his banquet.
وترتيبه,The order of this was as follows.
أن يؤتى بمائدة نحاس يسمونها خوتجة، ويُجْعَل عليها طبق نحاس يسمونه الطالم (بفتح الطاء المهمل وفتح اللام)،,A brass table (which they call khawanjah) is brought in and there is set on it a brass platter (which they call talam).
وتأتي جارية حسنة ملتحفة بثوب حرير، فتقدم قدور الطعام بين يديه، ومعها مغرفة نحاس كبيرة، فتغرف بها من الأرز مغرفة واحدة، وتجعلها في الطالم، وتصب فوقها السمن، وتجعل مع ذلك عناقيد الفلفل المملوح والزنجبيل الأخضر والليمون المملوح والعنبا،,"A beautiful slave-girl wrapped in a silk robe then comes and sets in front of him the pots of food; she carries a large brown ladle and with it she ladles out a single spoonful of rice and puts it into the talam, then sprinkles over it ghee and puts along with this bunches of salted peppers and green ginger, salted lemons, and mangoes."
فيأكل الإنسان لقمة، ويُتْبِعها بشيء من تلك الموالح، فإذا تَمَّت الغرفة التي جَعَلَتْها في الطال غَرَفَتْ غرفة أخرى من الأرز، وأفرغت دجاجة مطبوخة في سكرجة فيؤكل بها الأرز أيضًا،,"One eats a mouthful [of rice] and follows it up with some of these preserves, and when the first ladleful which she placed in the talam is finished she takes out another ladleful of rice and puts a cooked fowl into a bowl, and the rice is eaten with this also."
فإذا تَمَّت المغرفة الثانية غَرَفَتْ وأفرغت لونًا آخر من الدجاج تؤكل به،,"When the second ladleful is finished she ladles out again and puts out another kind of fowl, which one eats with it."
فإذا تَمَّتْ ألوان الدجاج أتوا بألوان من السمك، فيأكلون بها الأرز أيضًا، فإذا فرغت ألوان السمك أتوا بالخضر مطبوخة بالسمن والألباب فيأكلون بها الأرز،,"When the different kinds of fowls are finished they bring various sorts of fish, with which they eat rice also, and when the different fish dishes are emptied they bring vegetables cooked with ghee and preparations of milk, and they eat rice with these too."
فإذا فَرَغَ ذلك كله أتوا بالكوشان وهو اللبن الرائب وبه يختمون طعامهم،,"When all these are done with they bring kushdn, which is curdled milk, with which they end up their service of food."
فإذا وُضِعَ عُلِمَ أنه لم يَبْقَ شيء يؤكل بعده،,When this is served it is a signal that there is nothing else to be eaten after it.
ثم يشربون على ذلك الماءَ السخن؛ لأن الماء البارد يَضُرُّ بهم في فصل نزول المطر،,"Finally they drink warm water on top of this, for cold water would be harmful to them in the season of the rains."
ولقد أقمت عند هذا السلطان في كرة أخرى أحد عشر شهرًا لم آكل خبزًا، إنما طعامهم الأرز،,"On another occasion I stayed for eleven months at the court of this Sultan without ever eating bread, for their sole food is rice."
وبقيت أيضًا بجزائر المهل وسيلان وبلاد المعبر والمليبار ثلاث سنين لا آكل فيها إلَّا الأرز حتى كنت لا أستسيغه إلَّا بالماء،,"I lived also in the Maidive Islands, Ceylon, and on the Ma’bar and Mulaibar coasts for three years eating nothing but rice, until I could not swallow it except by taking water with it."
ولباس هذا السلطان ملاحف الحرير والكتان الرقاق؛ يَشُدُّ في وسطه فوطة ويلتحف ملحفتين إحداهما فوق الأخرى،,"The clothes worn by their Sultan are cloaks of silk and fine linen; he ties a waist-cloth round his middle and puts on two cloaks, one on top of the other."
ويعقص شعره، ويلفُّ عليه عمامة صغيرة، وإذا رَكِبَ لَبِسَ قباء والْتَحَفَ بملحفتين فوقه، وتُضْرَب بين يديه طبول وأبواق يحملها الرجال.,"He plaits his hair and winds on a small turban. When he rides out he puts on a military jacket and wears two cloaks above it, and drums and trumpets are carried by men and sounded before him."
وكانت إقامتنا عنده في هذه المرة ثلاثة أيام وزودونا وسافرنا عنه،,"On this occasion we stayed with him for three days; he supplied us with provisions, and we left him to continue our journey."
وبعد ثلاثة أيام وَصَلْنا إلى بلاد المليبار (بضم الميم وفتح اللام وسكون الياء آخر الحروف وفتح الباء الموحدة وألف وراء)، وهي بلاد الفلفل وطولها مسيرة شهرين على ساحل البحر من سندابور إلى كولم,"Three days later we reached the land of Mulaibar [Malabar], which is the pepper country. It extends for two months’ journey along the coast from Sandabur to Kawlam [Quilon]."
والطريق في جميعها بين ظلال الأشجار، وفي كل نصف ميل بيت من الخشب، فيه دكاكين يقعد عليها كل وارد وصادر من مسلم أو كافر،,"The road over the whole distance runs beneath the shade of trees, and at every half-mile there is a wooden shed with benches on which travellers of every kind, whether Muslims or infidels, may sit."
وعند كل بيت منها بئر يشرب منها ورجل كافر موكل بها،,At each shed there is a well for drinking and an infidel who is in charge of it.
فمن كان كافرًا سقاه في الأواني، ومن كان مسلمًا سقاه في يديه، ولا يزال يصب له حتى يشير له أو يكف،,"If the traveller is an infidel he gives him water in vessels; if he is a Muslim he pours the water into his hands, continuing to do so until he signs to him iz to stop or stops him."
وعادة الكفار ببلاد المليبار ألَّا يدخل المسلم دورهم، ولا يطعم في أوانيهم، فإن طعم فيها كسروها وأعطوها للمسلمين،,It is the custom of the infidels in the Mulaibar lands that no Muslim may enter their houses or eat from their vessels; if he does so they break the vessels or give them to the Muslims.
وإذا دخل المسلم موضعًا منها لا يكون فيه دار للمسلمين طبخوا له الطعام، وصبوه له على أوراق الموز وصبوا عليه الإدام، وما فضل عنه يأكلونه الكلاب والطير،,"If a Muslim goes into a place there in which there is no house belonging to Muslims, they cook food for him, putting it on banana leaves, and put the condiments over it, and birds eat what is left."
وفي جميع المنازل بهذا الطريق ديار المسلمين ينزل عندهم المسلمون، فيبيعون منهم جميع ما يحتاجون إليه، ويطبخون لهم الطعام،,"At all the halting-places on this road there are houses belonging to Muslims, at which Muslim travellers alight, and where they buy all that they need, and food is cooked for them."
ولولاهم لما سافر فيه مسلم،,"Were it not for these Muslims, no Muslim would travel by this road."
وهذا الطريق الذي ذكرنا أنه مسيرة شهرين ليس فيه موضع شبر فما فوقه دون عمارة،,"On this road, which, as we have said, extends for a two months’ march, there is not a span of ground or more but is cultivated."
وكل إنسان بستانه على حدة وداره في وسطه وعلى الجميع حائط خشب،,"Every man has his own separate orchard, with his house in the middle and a wooden palisade all round it."
والطريق يمر في البساتين، فإذا انتهى إلى حائط بستان كان هنالك درج خشب يصعد عليها، ودرج آخر ينزل عليها إلى البستان الآخر,"The road runs through the orchards, and when it comes to a palisade there are wooden steps to go up by and another flight of steps down into the next orchard."
هكذا مسيرة الشهرين،,So it goes on for two months.
ولا يسافر أحد في تلك البلاد بدابة، ولا تكون الخيل إلا عند السلطان.,"No one travels on an animal in that country, and only the Sultan possesses horses."
وأكثر ركوب أهلها في دولة على رقاب العبيد أو المستأجرين، ومن لم يركب في دولة مشى على قدميه كائنًا من كان،,"The principal vehicle of the inhabitants is a dula carried on the shoulders of slaves or hired porters; those who do not travel in a dula go on foot, be they who they may."
ومن كان له رحل أو متاع من تجارة وسواها اكترى رجالًا يحملونه على ظهورهم، فترى هنالك التاجر ومعه المائة فما دونها أو فوقها يحملون أمتعته،,"If a man has baggage or merchandise or anything of the kind, it is transported by hired carriers on their backs, and you may see a single merchant with a hundred such or less or more carrying his goods."
وبيد كل واحد منهم عود غليظ، له زج حديد وفي أعلاها مخطاف حديد،,"Each porter has in his hand a stout staff, with an iron ferrule, and at the upper end an iron crook."
فإذا أعيا ولم يجدد كأنه يستريح عليها ركز عوده بالأرض، وعلق حمله منه، فإذا استراح أخذ حمله من غير معين ومضى به،,"When he is tired out, and finds no bench on which to rest, he sticks his staff in the ground and hangs his load from the crook, and after resting resumes his load without assistance and goes on with it."
ولم أَرَ طريقًا آمَنَ من هذا الطريق، وهم يقتلون السارق على الجوزة الواحدة، فإذا سقط شيء من الثمار لم يلتقطه أحد حتى يأخذه صاحبه،,"I have never seen a safer road than this, for they put to death anyone who steals a single nut, and if any fruit falls no one picks it up but the owner."
وأخبرت أن بعض الهنود مروا على الطريق، فالتقط أحدهم جوزة،,"I was told that some Hindus travelled by this road, and one of them picked up a nut."
وبلغ خبره إلى الحاكم، فأمر بعود فركز في الأرض، وبرى طرفه الأعلى، وأدخل في لوح خشب حتى برز منه،,"When the governor was informed of this, he ordered a stake to be fixed in the ground; its upper end was sharpened and inserted into a wooden spar so that it protruded from it."
ومد الرجل على اللوح، وركز في العود وهو على بطنه حتى خرج من ظهره، وترك عبرة للناظرة،,"The man was stretched on the spar, belly downwards, and transfixed on the stake until it came out of his back, and he was left like that as an example to the beholders."
ومن هذه العيدان على هذه الصورة بتلك الطرق كثيرًا ليراها الناس فيتعظوا،,"There are many such stakes on this road, so that people may see them and be warned."
ولقد كنا نلقى الكفار بالليل في هذه الطريق، فإذا رأونا تنحوا عن الطريق حتى نجوز،,"We sometimes met infidels during the night on this road, and when they saw us they stood aside to let us pass."
والمسلمون أعز الناس بها، غير أنهم — كما ذكرنا — لا يؤاكلونهم ولا يدخلونهم دورهم،,"Muslims are shown the highest consideration on it except that, as we have said, they do not eat with them nor allow them into their houses."
وفي بلاد المليبار اثنا عشر سلطانًا من الكفار منهم القوي الذي يبلغ عسكره خمسين ألفًا، ومنهم الضعيف الذي عسكره ثلاثة آلاف.,"In the Mulaibar lands there are twelve infidel Sultans, some of them strong with armies numbering fifty thousand men, and others weak with armies of three thousand."
ولا فتنة بينهم البتة، ولا يطمع القوي منهم في انتزاع ما بيد الضعيف،,"Yet there is no discord whatever between them, and the strong has no ambition to seize the possessions of the weak."
وبين بلاد أحدهم وصاحبه باب خشب منقوش فيه اسم الذي هو مبدأ عمالته,"At the boundary of the territories of each ruler there is a wooden gateway, on which is engraved the name of the ruler whose territories begin at that point."
ويسمونه باب أمان فلان،,"This is called ‘The Gate of Security’ of
such-a-such prince."
وإذا فر مسلم أو كافر بسبب جناية من بلاد أحدهم ووصل باب أمان الآخر أمن على نفسه، ولم يستطع الذي هرب عنه أخذه، وإن كان القوي صاحب العدد والجيوش،,"If any Muslim or infidel criminal flees from the territories of one and reaches the Gate of Security of another, his life is safe and the prince from whom he has fled cannot seize him, even though he be a powerful prince with a great army."
وسلاطين تلك البلاد يورثون ابن الأخت ملكهم دون أولادهم،,"The Sultans in these lands transmit their sovereignty to their sisters’ sons, to the exclusion of their own children."
ولم أَرَ مَنْ يفعل ذلك إلا مسوقة أهل الثلم (اللثام)، وسنذكرهم فيما بعد،,"I have seen this practice nowhere else except among the veiled Massufa, who will be mentioned later."
فإذا أراد السلطان من أهل بلاد المليبار منع الناس من البيع والشراء، أمر بعض غلمانه فعلق على الحوانيت بعض أغصان الأشجار بأوراقها فلا يبيع أحد ولا يشتري ما دامت عليها تلك الأغصان.,"When a Sultan in the land of Mulaibar wishes to stop people from buying and selling he orders one of his manservants to hang over the shops branches of trees with their leaves, and no one either sells or buys so long as these branches remain hanging."
ذكر الفلفل,Description of pepper.
وشجرات الفلفل شبيهة بدوالي العنب، وهم يغرسونها إزاء النارجيل، فتصعد فيها كصعود الدوالي، ليس لها عسلوج، وهو الغزل كما للدوالي،,"The pepper-trees resemble grape-vines; they are planted alongside coco-palms and climb up them in the same way that vines climb, except that they have no shoots, that is to say tendrils, like those of vines."
وأوراق شجره تشبه آذان الخيل، وبعضها يشبه أوراق العليق،,"The leaves of the trees resemble those of stocks [or, according to a variant reading, horses’ ears], and some of them resemble the leaves of briar."
ويثمر عناقيد صغارًا، أحبها كحب أبي قنينة إذا كانت خضراء،,"It produces its fruit in small clusters, the grains of which resemble the grains of abu qinninah when they are green."
وإذا كان أوان الخريف قطفوه وفرشوه على الحصر في الشمس كما يصنع بالعنب عند تزبيبه، ولا يزالون يقلبونه حتى يستحكم يبسه، ثمَّ يبيعونه من التجار,"In the autumn they gather the grains and spread them on mats in the sun, just as is done with grapes in order to obtain raisins; they keep on turning them until they are thoroughly dried and become black, and then sell them to the merchants."
والعامة ببلادنا، يزعمون أنهم يقلونه بالنار، وبسبب ذلك يحدث فيه التكريش وليس كذلك وإنما يحدث ذلك فيه بالشمس،,"Most people in our country suppose that they roast them with fire and that it is because of that they become crinkled, but it is not so since this results only from the action of the sun upon them."
ولقد رأيته بمدينة قالقوط يصب للكيل كالذرة ببلادنا،,"I have seen pepper grains in the city of Qaliqup being poured out for measuring by the bushel, like millet in our country."
أول مدينة دخلناها من بلاد المليبار مدينة أبي سَرور (بفتح السين)، وهي صغيرة على خور كبير كثيرة أشجار النارجيل,"The first town in the land of Mulaibar that we entered was the town of Abo Sarur [Barcelore], a small place on a large inlet and abounding in coco-palms."
وكبير المسلمين بها الشيخ جمعة المعروف بأبي ستة أحد الكرماء، أنفق أمواله على الفقراء والمساكين حتى نفدت،,"The chief of the Muslims here is Shaikh Jum’a, known as Abu Sitta, a most charitable man, who spent all that he had on the poor brethren and the indigent."
وبعد يومين منها وصلنا إلى مدينة فاكنور (وضبط اسمها بفتح الفاء والكاف والنون وآخره راء)، مدينة كبيرة على خور، بها قصب السكر الكثير الطيب الذي لا مثل له بتلك البلاد،,"Two days’ journey from there brought us to Fakanur [Bacanor], a large town on an inlet; here there is a large quantity of fine-flavoured sugar-canes, which are unexcelled in the rest of that country."
وبها جماعة من المسلمين يسمى كبيرهم بحسين السلاط، وبها قاضٍ وخطيب,"There is a Muslim community here, whose chief is called Ziusain al-Salap, and it has a Qadi and a preacher."
وعمر بها حسين المذكور مسجدًا لإقامة الجمعة.,This Husain built a mosque in the town for the holding of the Friday prayer.
ذكر سلطانها,Account of its Sultan.
وسلطان فاكنور كافر اسمه باسدو (بفتح الباء الموحدة والسين المهمل والدال المهمل وسكون الواو)،,The Sultan of Fakanur is an infidel called Basadaw.
وله نحو ثلاثين مركبًا حربية قائدها مسلم يسمى لولا، وكان من المفسدين، يقطع بالبحر ويسلب التجار،,"He possesses about thirty warships, commanded by a Muslim called Lula, who is an evildoer and a pirate and a robber of merchants."
ولما أرسينا على فاكنور بعث سلطانها إلينا ولده، فأقام بالمركب كالرهينة,When we anchored at Fakanur the Sultan sent his son to stay on board the ship as a hostage.
ونزلنا إليه، فأضافنا ثلاثًا بأحسن ضيافة تعظيمًا لسلطان الهند وقيامًا بحقه، ورغبة فيما يستفيده في التجارة مع أهل مراكبنا،,"We went on shore to visit him and he treated us with the utmost hospitality for three nights, as a mark of respect for the Sultan of India and acknowledgement of what was due to him, and also from a desire to make some profit by trading with the personnel of our vessels."
ومن عادتهم هنالك أن كل مركب يمر ببلد، فلا بد من إرسائه بها، وإعطائه هدية لصاحب البلد,It is a custom of theirs that every ship that passes by a town must needs anchor at it and give a present to the ruler.
يسمونها حق البندر،,This they call the ‘right of bandar.
ومن لم يفعل ذلك خرجوا في اتباعه بمراكبهم، وأدخلوه المرسى قهرًا، وضاعفوا عليه المغرم، ومنعوه عن السفر ما شاءوا،,"If anyone omits to do this, they sail out in pursuit of him, bring him into the port by force, double the tax on him, and prevent him from proceeding on his journey for as long as they wish."
وسافرنا منها فوصلنا بعد ثلاثة أيام إلى مدينة منجرور (وضبط اسمها بفتح الميم وسكون النون وفتح الجيم وضم الراء وواو وراء ثانية)، مدينة كبيرة على خور يسمى خور الدنب (بضم الدال المهمل وسكون النون وباء موحدة)، وهو أكبر خور ببلاد المليبار،,"Three days after leaving Fakanur we reached Manjarur [Mangalore], a large town on the inlet called Khaur al-Dunb, so which is the largest inlet in the land of Mulaibar."
وبهذه المدينة ينزل معظم تجار فارس واليمن والفلفل والزنجبيل بها كثير جدًّا.,"This is the town at which most of the merchants from Fars and al-Yaman disembark, and pepper and ginger are exceedingly abundant there."
ذكر سلطانها,Account of the Sultan of Manjarur.
وهو أكبر سلاطين تلك البلاد واسمه رام دو (بفتح الراء والميم والدال المهمل وسكون الواو)،,"He is one of the principal rulers in that land, and his name is Rama Daw."
وبها نحو أربعة آلاف من المسلمين يسكنون ربضًا بناحية المدينة،,"There is a colony of about four thousand Muslims there, living in a suburb alongside the town."
وربما وقعت الحرب بينهم وبين أهل المدينة، فيصلح السلطان بينهم لحاجته إلى التجار،,"Warfare frequently breaks out between them and the townspeople, but the Sultan makes peace between them on account of his need of the merchants."
وبها قاضٍ من الفضلاء الكرماء شافعي المذهب يسمى بدر الدين المعبري وهو يقرئ العلم،,"There is a Qadi there, a distinguished and generous man of the Shafi’i madhhab, called Badr al-Din of al-Mabar, who also teaches religious science."
صعد إلينا إلى المركب، ورغب منا في النزول إلى بلده، فقلنا حتى يبعث السلطان ولده يقيم بالمركب،,"He came on board the vessel to meet us and invited us to go ashore to visit his town, but we said: ‘Not until the Sultan sends his son to stay on board the vessel.’"
فقال: إنما فعل ذلك سلطان فاكنور؛ لأنه لا قوة للمسلمين في بلده، وأمَّا نحن فالسلطان يخافنا، فأبينا عليه إلا أن بعث السلطان ولده،,"He answered: ‘This is done only by the Sultan of Fakanur because the Muslims in his town are powerless, but as for us the Sultan is afraid of us’, but we refused to land until the Sultan sent his son."
فبعث ولده كما فعل الآخر، ونزلنا إليهم وأكرمونا إكرامًا عظيمًا،,"When he had done so, as the previous Sultan had done, we went on shore and were treated by them with great consideration."
وأقمنا عندهم ثلاثة أيام، ثمَّ سافرنا إلى مدينة هيلي، فوصلناها بعد يومين (وضبط اسمها بهاء مكسور وياء مد ولام مكسور)،,"After staying with them for three days, we set sail for the town of Hill, which we reached two days later."
وهي كبيرة حسنة العمارة على خور عظيم تدخله المراكب الكبار،,"It is large and well-built, situated on a big bay which is navigable for large vessels."
وإلى هذه المدينة تنتهي مراكب الصين ولا تدخل إلَّا مرساها، ومرسى كولم وقالقوط,"This is the farthest town reached by ships from China; they enter only this port, the port of Kawlam, and Qaliqut."
ومدينة هيلي معظمة عند المسلمين والكفار بسبب مسجدها الجامع، فإنه عظيم البركة مشرق النور،,"The town of Hill is venerated both by Muslims and infidels on account of its cathedral mosque, for it is of great blessedness, and resplendent with radiant light."
وركاب البحر ينذرون له النذور الكثيرة، وله خزانة مال عظيمة تحت نظر الخطيب حسين، وحسن الوزان كبير المسلمين.,"Seafarers make many votive offerings to it, and it has a rich treasury under the supervision of the preacher Husain and the chief of the Muslim community, Hasan al-Wazzan."
وبهذا المسجد جماعة من الطلبة يتعلمون العلم، ولهم مرتبات من مال المسجد، وله مطبخة يصنع فيها الطعام للوارد والصادر ولإطعام الفقراء من المسلمين بها،,"In this mosque also there are a number of students of religious science who receive stipends from its revenue, and it has a kitchen from which all travellers and the poor Muslims of the town are supplied with food."
ولقيت بهذا المسجد فقيهًا صالحًا من أهل مقدشو يسمى سعيد أحسن اللقاء والخلق,"I met in this mosque a pious jurist from Maqdashaw, called Sa’id, of fine figure and character."
يسرد الصوم، وذكر لي أنه جاور بمكة أربع عشرة سنة ومثلها بالمدينة، وأدرك الأمير بمكة أبا نمى والأمير بالمدينة منصور ابن جماز، وسافر في بلاد الهند والصين،,"He used to fast continually, and I was told that he had studied at Mecca for fourteen years and for the same length of time at al-Madina, had met Abu Numayy the Amir of Mecca and Mansur b. Jammaz, the Amir of al-Madina, and had travelled in India and China."
ثم سافرنا من هيلي إلى مدينة جرفتن (وضبط اسمها بضم الجيم وسكون الراء وفتح الفاء وفتح التاء المعلوة وتشديدها وآخره نون)، وبينها وبين هيلي ثلاثة فراسخ،,We then continued our journey from Hill to the town of Jurfattan between which and Hill there is a distance of three farsakhs.
ولَقِيتُ بها فقيهًا من أهل بغداد كبير القدر يُعْرَف بالصرصري نسبة إلى بلدة على مسافة عشرة أميال من بغداد في طريق الكوفة واسمها كاسم صرصر التي عندنا بالمغرب،,"I met there a highly estimable jurist from Baghdad, called al-sarsarl after the name of a township ten miles from Baghdad on the Kufa road, the name of which is the same as the Sarsar in our country in the Maghrib."
وكان له أخذ بهذه المدينة كثير المال له أولاد صغار أوصى إليه بهم، وتركته آخذًا في حملهم إلى بغداد،,"He had a brother in this city, a wealthy man with small children, who had died leaving them in his charge, and when I left he was preparing to take them to Baghdad."
وعادة أهل الهند كعادة السودان، لا يتعرضون لمال الميت ولو ترك الآلاف إنما يبقى ماله بيد كبير المسلمين حتى يأخذه مستحقه شرعًا.,"It is the custom of the people of India, like that of the negroes, not to interfere with the estate of any deceased person, even though he leaves thousands, but his property remains in the hands of the leader of the Muslim community until his legal inheritor takes it over."
ذكر سلطانها,Account of the Sultan of Jurfattan.
وهو يسمى بكويل (بضم الكاف على لفظ التصغير)، وهو من أكبر سلاطين المليبار،,"He is called Kuwail, and is one of the most powerful Sultans of Mulaibar."
وله مراكب كثيرة تسافر إلى عمان وفارس واليمن ومن بلاده ده فتن وبدفتن وسنذكرهما،,"He possesses a large fleet of vessels which sail to ‘Oman, Fars, and alYaman, and his territories include Dahfattan and Budfattan which we shall describe."
وسرنا من جرفتن إلى مدينة ده فتن (بفتح الدال المهمل وسكون الهاء) وقد ذكرنا ضبط فتن، وهي مدينة كبيرة على خور كثيرة البساتين، وبها النارجيل والفلفل والفوفل والتنبول وبها القلقاص الكثير، ويطبخون به اللحم،,"We went on from Jurfattan to the town of Dahfattan which is a large town on an inlet with many orchards, in which there are coco-palms, pepper trees, areca palms and betel plants, as well as great quantities of colocasia which they cook along with meat."
وأمَّا الموز فلم أَرَ في البلاد أكثر منه بها ولا أرخص ثمنًا،,"As for bananas, never have I seen any place in which they are more numerous or cheaper."
وفيها الباين الأعظم طوله خمسمائة خطوة وعرضه ثلاثمائة خطوة وهو مطوي بالحجارة الحمر المنحوتة،,"At Dahfattan there is an immense ba’tn, five hundred paces in length and three hundred in breadth, cased with red stones squared."
وعلى جوانبه ثمانية وعشرون قبة من الحجر في كل قبة أربع مجالس من الحجر،,"On its sides are twenty-eight stone pavilions, each of which contains four stone loggias, and is approached by a flight of steps in stone."
وكل قبة يصعد إليها على درج حجارة، وفي وسطه قبة كبيرة من ثلاث طبقات، في كل طبقة أربع مجالس،,"In the middle of the tank there is a large pavilion three stories high, with four loggias on each story."
وذكر لي أن والد هذا السلطان كويل هو الذي عمر هذا الباين،,It was told me that it was the father of the present Sultan Kuwail who constructed this ba’in.
وبإزائه مسجد جامع المسلمين، وله أدراج ينزل منها إليه، فيتوضأ منه الناس ويغتسلون،,"Alongside it is a cathedral mosque of the Muslims, which has a flight of steps by which one goes down to the tank, and the people make their ablutions and bathe in it."
وحدثني الفقيه حسين أن الذي عمر المسجد والباين أيضًا هو أحد أجداد كويل، وأنه كان مسلمًا، ولإسلامه خبر عجيب نذكره.,The jurist Husain told me that the builder of both the mosque and the ba’in was a certain ancestor of Kuwait and that he was a Muslim whose conversion was due to a strange event which we shall relate here.
ذكر الشجرة العجيبة الشان التي بإزاء الجامع,Account of the marvellous tree which is alongside the mosque.
ورأيت أنا بإزاء الجامع شجرة خضراء ناعمة تشبه أوراقها أوراق التين؛ إلا أنها لينة وعليها حائط يطيف به، وعندها محراب صليت فيه ركعتين،,"I saw that the mosque was by a tender green tree with leaves like fig leaves, but smooth, surrounded by a wall. Beside it was a mihrab in which I made a prayer of two raff as."
واسم هذه الشجرة عندهم درخت الشهادة، ودرخت (بفتح الدال المهمل والراء وسكون الخاء المعجم وتاء معلوة)،,This tree is known amongst them as dirakht al shahadah.
وأخبرت هنالك أنه إذا كان زمان الخريف من كل سنة تسقط من هذه الشجرة ورقة واحدة بعد أن يستحيل لونها إلى الصفرة ثم إلى الحمرة، ويكون فيها مكتوبًا بقلم القدرة لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله،,"I was told there that in the autumn of each year a single leaf falls from this tree after it has turned first yellow and then red, and that written on it by the pen of the divine power there are the words There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the apostle of Allah."
وأخبرني الفقيه حسين وجماعة من الثقات أنهم عاينوا هذه الورقة، وقرءوا المكتوب الذي فيها،,The jurist Husain and a number of trustworthy persons told me that they had seen this leaf with their own eyes and had read that which was written on it.
وأخبرني أنه إذا كانت أيام سقوطها قعد تحتها الثقات من المسلمين والكفار، فإذا سقطت أخذ المسلمون نصفها، وجعل نصفها في خزانة السلطان الكافر وهم يستشفون بها للمرضي،,"He told me also that at the time of its falling trustworthy persons from among both the Muslims and the infidels sit underneath the tree, and when the leaf falls the Muslims take half of it and the other half is placed in the treasury of the infidel Sultan, and they use it for the healing of the sick."
وهذه الشجرة كانت سبب إسلام جد كويل الذي عمر المسجد والباين،,This tree was the cause of the conversion to Islam of Kuwait’s ancestor who constructed the mosque and the tank.
فإنه كان يقرأ الخط العربي فلما قرأها وفهم ما فيها أسلم وحسن إسلامه,He was able to read the Arabic script and when he read and understood the meaning of what was written on the leaf he embraced Islam and lived as a good Muslim.
وحكايته عندهم متواترة،,His story has been handed down amongst them by many witnesses.
وحدثني الفقيه حسين أن أحد أولاده كفر بعد أبيه وطغى,The jurist Husain related to me that one of his sons reverted to idolatry after his father’s death and governed with violence.
وأمر باقتلاع الشجرة من أصلها فاقتلعت، ولم يترك لها أثر، ثم أنها نببت بعد ذلك، وعادت كأحسن ما كانت عليه، وهلك الكافر سريعًا،,"He ordered that the tree should be pulled out by the roots, which was done so that no trace was left of it, and afterwards it sprouted up again and became as fine as it had ever been, and the infidel perished swiftly."
ثم سافرنا إلى مدينة بد فتن، وهي مدينة كبيرة على خور كبير، وبخارجها مسجد بمقربة من البحر، يأوي إليه غرباء المسلمين؛ لأنه لا مسلم بهذه المدينة،,"From there we continued our journey to the city of Budfattan, a large town on a large inlet. Outside it and close to the sea there is a mosque to which Muslim strangers repair, for there is no Muslim in this city."
ومرساها من أحسن المراسي وماؤها عذب والفوفل بها كثير ومنها يحمل للهند والصين،,Its port is very fine indeed and its water is sweet; the areca nut grows there in profusion and is exported from it to India and China.
وأكثر أهلها براهمة، وهم معظمون عند الكفار مبغضون في المسلمين ولذلك ليس بينهم مسلم,"The majority of its inhabitants are Brahmans, who are venerated amongst the infidels and who hate the Muslims, and it is for this reason that there is no Muslim living amongst them."
حكاية,Anecdote.
أُخْبِرْتُ أن سبب تركهم هذا المسجد غير مهدوم أن أحد البراهمة خرب سقفه؛ ليصنع منه سقفًا لبيته، فاشتعلت النار في بيته، فاحترق هو وأولاده ومتاعه,"I was told that the reason why they leave this mosque undestroyed is that one of the Brahmans demolished its roof to use it for a roof for his own house, and afterwards his house caught fire and he and his children and his goods were all burnt up."
فاحترموا هذا المسجد، ولم يتعرضوا له بسوء بعدها وخدموه، وجعلوا بخارجه الماء يشرب منه الصادر والوارد، وجعلوا على بابه شبكة؛ لئلا يدخله الطير،,"So they respect this mosque and have not molested it since, but they serve it, placing outside it water from which all sorts of travellers may drink, and putting a net over its door so that the birds should not go into it."
ثم سافرنا من مدينة بدفتن إلى مدينة فدرينا (وضبط اسمها بفاء مفتوح ونون ساكن ودال مهمل وراء مفتوح وياء آخر الحروف)، مدينة كبيرة حسنة ذات بساتين وأسواق،,"From Budfattan we continued our journey to Fandarayna [Panderani], a large and fine town with orchards and bazaars."
وبها للمسلمين ثلاث محلات في كل محلة مسجد,"The Muslims occupy three quarters in it, each of which has a mosque."
والجامع بها على الساحل وهو عجيب لها مناظر ومجالس على البحر،,"The cathedral mosque is on the sea front, a magnifi-cent building with gazebos and loggias overlooking the sea."
وقاضيها وخطيبها رجل من أهل عمان وله أخ فاضل،,"Its Qadi and preacher is a man from ‘Oman, and he has a brother, a worthy man."
وبهذه البلدة تشتو مراكب الصين،,It is at this town that the Chinese vessels pass the winter.
ثم سافرنا منها إلى مدينة قالقوط (وضبط اسمها بقافين وكسر اللام وضم القاف الثاني وآخره طاء مهمل)، وهي إحدى البنادر العظام ببلاد المليبار،,"Thence we travelled to the town of Qaliqut [Calicut], which is one of the chief ports in Mulaibar."
يقصدها أهل الصين والجاوة وسيلان والمهل وأهل اليمن وفارس، ويجتمع بها تجار الآفاق،,"It is visited by men from China, Jawa, Ceylon, the Maldives, al-Yaman and Fars, and in it gather merchants from all quarters."
ومرساها من أعظم مراسي الدنيا.,Its harbour is one of the largest in the world.
ذكر سلطانها,Account of its Sultan.
وسلطانها كافر يُعْرَف بالسامري,"The Sultan of Qaliqut is an infidel, known as ‘the Samar?."
شيخ مسن، يحلق لحيته كما يفعل طائفة من الروم رأيته بها وسنذكره إن شاء الله،,"He is an aged man and shaves his beard, as some of the Greeks do. I saw him there and we shall speak of him later, if God will."
وأمير التجار بها إبراهيم شاه بندر من أهل البحرين فاضل ذو مكارم يجتمع إليه التجار، ويأكلون في سماطه,"The amir of the merchants there was Ibrahim Shahbandar, of the people of Bahrain, a worthy man, of generous habits, at whose house the merchants used to gather and to eat at his table."
وقاضيها فخر الدين عثمان فاضل كريم، وصاحب الزاوية بها الشيخ شهاب الدين الكازروني، وله تعطى النذور التي ينذر بها أهل الهند والصين للشيخ أي إسحاق الكازروني نفع الله به،,"The Qadi of the place was Fakhr ad-Din ‘Othman, a worthy and charitable man, and the superior of the hospice there was the shaikh Shihab al-Din of Kazarun, to whom are paid the offerings made in vows by the people of India and China to the shaikh Abu Ishaq al
Kazaruni, God profit us by him."
وبهذه المدينة الناخودة مثقال الشهير الاسم صاحب الأموال الطائلة والمراكب الكثيرة لتجارته بالهند والصين واليمن وفارس،,"In this town too lives the famous shipowner Mithqal, who possesses vast wealth and many ships for his trade with India, China, al-Yaman, and Fars."
ولما وصلنا إلى هذه المدينة خرج إلينا إبراهيم شاه بندر والقاضي والشيخ شهاب الدين وكبار التجار ونائب السلطان الكافر المسمى بقلاج (بضم القاف وآخره جيم)، ومعهم الأطبال والأنفار والأبواق والأعلام في مراكبهم،,"When we reached the city, the shdhbandar Ibrahim, the Qadi, the Shaikh Shihab-al-Din, the principal merchants and the infidel Sultan’s deputy, by the name of Qulaj, all came out to welcome us, with drums, trumpets, bugles and standards on their ships."
ودخلنا المرسى في بروز عظيم ما رأيت مثله بتلك البلاد، فكانت فرحة تتبعها ترحة،,"We entered the harbour in great pomp, the like of which I have never seen in those lands, but it was a joy to be followed by distress."
وأقمنا بمرساها، وبه يومئذ ثلاثة عشر من مراكب الصين، ونزلنا بالمدينة،,"We stopped in the port of Qaliqut, in which there were at the time thirteen Chinese vessels, and disembarked."
وجعل كل واحد منا في دار، وأقمنا ننتظر زمان السفر إلى الصين ثلاثة أشهر، ونحن في ضيافة الكافر،,"Every one of us was lodged in a house, and we stayed there three months as the guests of the infidel, awaiting the season of the voyage to China."
وبحر الصين لا يسافر فيه إلا بمراكب الصين ولنذكر ترتيبها.,"On the sea of China travelling is done in Chinese ships only, so we shall describe their arrangements."
ذكر مراكب الصين,Description of the Chinese vessels.
ومراكب الصين ثلاثة أصناف الكبار منها تسمى الجنوك واحدها جنك (بجيم معقود مضموم ونون ساكن)، والمتوسطة تسمى الزو (بفتح الزاي وواو) والصغار يسمى أحدها الككم (بكافين مفتوحين)، ويكون في المركب الكبير منها اثنا عشر قلعًا فما دونها إلى ثلاثة، وقلعها من قضبان الخيزران منسوجة كالحصر,"The Chinese vessels are of three kinds; large ships called junks, middle sized ones called zaws, and small ones called kakamsf The large ships have anything from twelve down to three sails, which are made of bamboo rods plaited like mats."
لا تحط أبدًا، ويديرونها بحسب دوران الريح، وإذا أرسوا تركوها واقفة في مهب الريح،,"They are never lowered, but they turn them according to the direction of the wind; at anchor they are left floating in the wind."
ويخدم في المركب منها ألف رجل منهم البحرية ستمائة ومنهم أربعمائة من المقاتلة تكون فيهم الرماة وأصحاب الدرق والجرخية، وهم الذين يرمون بالنفط،,"A ship carries a complement of a thousand men, six hundred of whom are sailors and four hundred men-at-arms, including archers, men with shields and arbalists, that is men who throw naphtha."
ويتبع كل مركب كبير منها ثلاثة النصفي والثلثي والربعي،,"Each large vessel is accompanied by three smaller ones, the ‘half, the ‘third’, and the ‘quarter’."
ولا تُصْنَع هذه المراكب إلا بمدينة الزيتون من الصين أو بصين كلان وهي صين الصين،,"These vessels are built only in the town of Zaitun in China [Ch’iian-chou], or in InKalan, which is sin al-sin [Canton]."
وكيفية إنشائها أنهم يصنعون حائطين من الخشب يصلون ما بينهما بخشب ضخام جدًّا موصولة بالعرض والطول بمسامير ضخام طول المسمار منها ثلاثة أذرع،,"Their method of building the ships is to construct two walls of timber, the space between which they fill up with immensely large baulks of wood fastened both in length and breadth by huge nails each of which is three cubits in length."
فإذا التأم الحائطان بهذه الخشب صنعوا على أعلاهما فرش المركب الأسفل، ودفعوهما في البحر، وأتموا عمله.,"When the two walls are firmly joined together by these baulks they build on top of them the bottom flooring of the vessel, and launch them into the sea, where they complete the construction of the ship."
وتبقى تلك الخشب والحائطان موالية للماء ينزلون إليها، فيغتسلون ويقضون حاجتهم،,"Since these baulks and side-walls remain in contact with the water, they go down to them in order to wash themselves and to relieve nature."
وعلى جوانب تلك الخشب يكون مجاذيفهم وهي كبار كالصواري، يجتمع على أحدها العشرة والخمسة عشر رجلًا، ويجذفون وقوفًا على أقدامهم،,"At the sides of these baulks are their oars, which are as large as masts, ten or fifteen men joining together to work each of them, and they row standing on their feet."
ويجعلون للمركب أربعة ظهور، ويكون فيه البيوت والمصاري والغرف للتجار، والمصرية منها يكون فيها البيت والسنداس، وعليها المفتاح يسدها صاحبها، ويحمل معه الجواري والنساء،,"In the vessel they build four decks, and it has cabins, suites and salons for merchants; a set of rooms has several rooms and a latrine; it can be locked by its occupant, and he can take along with him slave-girls and wives."
وربما كان الرجل في مصريته لا يعرف به غيره ممن يكون بالمركب حتى يتلاقيا إذا وصلا إلى بعض البلاد،,Often a man will live in his suite unknown to any of the others on board until they meet on reaching some town.
والبحرية يسكنون فيها أولادهم، ويزدرعون الخضر والبقول والزنجبيل في أحواض خشب،,"The sailors have their children living on board ship, and they cultivate green stuffs, vegetables and ginger in wooden tanks."
ووكيل المركب كأنه أمير،,The owner’s factor on board ship is like a great amir.
وإذا نزل إلى البرمشت الرماة والحبشة بالحراب والسيوف والأطبال والأبواق والأنفار أمامه،,"When he goes on shore he is preceded by archers and Abyssinians with javelins, swords, drums, bugles and trumpets."
وإذا وصل إلى المنزل الذي يقيم به ركزوا رماحهم عن جانبي بابه، ولا يزالون كذلك مدة إقامته،,"On reaching the house where he is to stay they stand their lances on both sides of the door, and continue thus during his stay."
ومن أهل الصين من تكون له المراكب الكثيرة يبعث بها وكلاءه إلى البلاد،,Some of the Chinese own large numbers of ships on which their factors are sent to foreign countries.
وليس في الدنيا أكثر أموالًا من أهل الصين,There is no people in the world wealthier than the Chinese.
ذكر أخْذنا في السفر إلى الصين ومنتهى ذلك.,"Account of our preparations for the voyage to China, and how it all ended."
ولما حان وقت السفر إلى الصين جَهَّزَ لنا السلطان السامري جنكا من الجنوك الثلاث عشر التي بمرسى قالقوط،,"When the time came for the voyage to China, the Sultan al-Samari equipped for us one of the thirteen junks in the port of Qaliqup."
وكان وكيل الجنك يسمى بسليمان الصفدي الشامي،,"The factor on the junk was called Sulaiman of safad, in Syria."
وبيني وبينه معرفة، فقلت له: أريد مصرية لا يشاركني فيها أحد لأجل الجواري، ومن عادتي ألَّا أسافر إلا بهن،,"I had made his acquaintance previously and I said to him: ‘I want a set to myself because of the slavegirls, for it is my habit never to travel without them.’"
فقال لي: إن تجار الصين قد اكتروا المصاري ذاهبين وراجعين,He replied: ‘The merchants from China have hired the sets for the outward and return journey.
ولصهري مصرية أعطيتها لكنها لا سنداس فيها، وعسى أن تمكن معاوضتها،,"My son-in-law has one which I can give you, but it has no lavatory; perhaps you may be Able to exchange it for another.’"
فأمرت أصحابي، فأوسقوا ما عندي من المتاع وصعد العبيد والجواري إلى الجنك,"So I ordered my companions to take on board all my effects, and the male and female slaves embarked on the junk."
وذلك في يوم الخميس، وأقمت لأصلي الجمعة، وألحق بهم،,"This was on a Thursday, and I stayed on shore in order to attend the Friday prayers and join them afterwards."
وصعد الملك سنبل وظهير الدين مع الهدية،,The malik Sunbul and Zahir al-Din also went on board with the present.
ثم أن فتًى له يسمى بهلال أتاني غدوة الجمعة، فقال: إنَّ المصرية التي أخذناها بالجنك ضيقة لا تصلح,Early on the Friday morning a slaveboy I had named Hilal came to me and said that the set we had taken on the junk was small and unsuitable.
فذكرت ذلك للناخودة فقال: ليست في ذلك حيلة، فإن أحببت أن تكون في الككم، ففيه المصاري على اختيارك,"When I spoke of this to the captain he said: It cannot be helped, but if you like to transfer to the kakam there are sets of rooms on it at your choice."
فقلت: نعم، وأَمَرْتُ أصحابي، فنقلوا الجواري والمتاع إلى الككم، واستقروا به قبل صلاة الجمعة،,"I agreed to this and gave orders accordingly to my companions, who transferred the slave-girls and effects to the kakam and were settled in it before the hour of the Friday prayer."
وعادة هذا البحر أن يشتد هيجانه كل يوم بعد العصر، فلا يستطيع أحد ركوبه،,"Now it is usual for this sea to become stormy every day in the late afternoon, and no one can embark then."
وكانت الجنوك قد سافرت، ولم يَبْقَ منها إلا الذي فيه الهدية وجنك عزم أصحابه على أن يشتوا بفندرينا والككم المذكور،,"The junks had already set sail, and none of them were left but the one which contained the present, another junk whose owners had decided to pass the winter at Fandarayna, and the kakam referred to."
فبتنا ليلة السبت على الساحل، لا نستطيع الصعود إلى الككم، ولا يستطيع من فيه النزول إلينا،,"We spent the Friday night on the seashore, we unable to embark on the kakam, and those on board unable to disembark and join us."
ولم يكن بقي معي إلا بساط أفترشه،,I had nothing left but a carpet to spread out.
وأصبح الجنك والككم يوم السبت على بُعْد من المرسى ورمى البحر بالجنك الذي كان أهله يريدون فندرينا فتكسر,"On the Saturday morning the junk and kakam were both at a distance from the port, and the junk whose owners were making for Fandarayna was driven ashore and broken in pieces."
ومات بعض أهله وسلم بعضهم،,Some of those who were on board died and some escaped.
وكانت فيه جارية لبعض التجار عزيزة عليه،,"In it there was a slave-girl who belonged to one of the merchants, and a favourite of his."
فرغب في إعطاء عشرة دنانير ذهبًا لمن يخرجها،,He offered to give ten dinars in gold to anyone who would rescue her (for she had clung to a spar in the stern of the junk).
وكانت قد التزمت خشبة في مؤخر الجنك، فانتدب لذلك بعض البحرية الهرمزيين فأخرجها، وأبى أن يأخذ الدنانير وقال: إنما فعلت ذلك لله تعالى.,"A sailor from Hurmuz undertook to do it, and brought her ashore but would not take the dinars, saying: ‘I did this only for the sake of God.’"
ولما كان الليل رمى البحر بالجنك الذي كانت فيه الهدية فمات جميع من فيه،,"That night the sea struck the junk which carried the Sul-tan’s present, and all on board died."
ونظرنا عند الصباح إلى مصارعهم، ورأيت ظهير الدين قد انشق رأسه وتناثر دماغه، والملك سنبل قد ضرب مسمار في أحد صدغيه، ونفذ من الآخر، وصلينا عليهما ودَفَنَّاهما،,"In the morning we went to the scene of their disaster; I saw Zahir ad-Din with his head smashed and his brains scattered, and the malik Sunbul had a nail driven through one of his temples and coming out at the other, and having prayed over them we buried them."
ورأيت الكافر سلطان قالقوط وفي وسطه شقة بيضاء كبيرة قد لفَّها من سرته إلى ركبته وفي رأسه عمامة صغيرة وهو حافي القدمين، والشطر بيد غلام فوق رأسه، والنار توقد بين يديه في الساحل، وزبانيته يضربون الناس؛ لئلا ينتهبوا ما يرمي البحر،,"I saw the infidel, the Sultan of Qaliqut, wearing a large white cloth round his waist, folded over from his navel down to his knee, and with it a small turban on his head, bare-footed, with the parasol carried by a slave over his head and a fire lit in front of him on the beach; his police officers were beating the people to prevent them from plundering what the sea cast up."
وعادة بلاد المليبار أن كل ما انكسر من مركب يرجع ما يخرج منه للمخزن إلا في هذا البلد خاصة،,"In all the lands of Mulaibar, except in this one land alone, it is the custom that whenever a ship is wrecked all that is taken from it belongs to the treasury."
فإن ذلك يأخذه أربابه؛ ولذلك عمرت، وكثر تردد الناس إليها،,"At Qaliqup, however, it is retained by its owners, and for that reason Qaliqut has become a flourishing and much frequented city."
ولما رأى أهل الككم ما حدث على الجنك رفعوا قلعهم، وذهبوا ومعهم جميع متاعي وغلماني وجواري، وبقيت منفردًا على الساحل، ليس معي إلا فتًى كنت أعتقته،,"When those on the kakam saw what had happened to the junk they spread their sails and went off, with all my goods and slave-boys and slavegirls on board, leaving me alone on the beach with but one slave whom I had enfranchised."
فلما رأى ما حل بي ذهب عني، ولَمْ يَبْقَ عندي إلا العشرة الدنانير التي أعطانيها الجوكي والبساط التي كنت أفترشه،,"When he saw what had befallen me he deserted me, and I had nothing left with me at all except the ten dinars that the jugt had given me and the carpet I had used to spread out."
وأخبرني الناس أن ذلك الككم لا بد له أن يدخل مرسى كولم، فعزمت على السفر إليها، وبينهما مسيرة عشر في البر أو في النهر أيضًا لمن أراد ذلك،,"As I was told that the kakam would have to put in at the port of Kawlam, I decided to travel thither, it being a ten days’ journey either by land or by the river, if anyone prefers that route."
فسافرت في النهر، واكتريت رجلًا من المسلمين يحمل لي البساط،,"I set out therefore by the river, and hired one of the Muslims to carry the carpet for me."
وعادتهم إذا سافروا في ذلك النهر أن ينزلوا بالعشى، فيبيتوا بالقرى التي على حافتيه، ثم يعودوا إلى المركب بالغدو,"Their custom when travel-ling on that river is to disembark in the evening and pass the night in the villages on its banks, returning to the boat in the morning."
فكنا نفعل ذلك،,We used to do this too.
ولم يكن بالمركب مسلم إلا الذي اكتريته، وكان يشرب الخمر عند الكفار إذا نزلنا ويعربد علي فيزيد تغيير خاطري،,"There was no Muslim on the boat except the man I had hired, and he used to drink wine with the infidels when we went ashore and annoy me with his brawling, which made things all the worse for me."
ووصلنا في اليوم الخامس من سفرنا إلى كنجي كرى، (وضبط اسمها بكاف مضموم ونون ساكن وجيم وياء مد وكاف مفتوح وراء مكسور وياء)، وهي بأعلى جبل هنالك يسكنها اليهود، ولهم أمير منهم، ويؤدون الجزية لسلطان كولم.,"On the fifth day of our journey we came to Kunj-Karl, which is on top of a hill there; it is inhabited by Jews, who have one of their own number as their governor, and pay a poll-tax to the Sultan of Kawlam."
ذكر القرفة والبقم,Account of the cinnamon and brazil trees.
وجميع الأشجار التي على هذا النهر أشجار القرفة والبقم،,All the trees along this river are cinnamon and brazil trees.
وهي حطبهم هنالك، ومنها كنا نقد النار لطبخ طعامنا في ذلك الطريق،,They use them for fire-wood in these parts and we used to light fires with them to cook our food on this journey.
وفي اليوم العاشر وصلنا إلى مدينة كولم، (وضبط اسمها بفتح الكاف واللام وبينهما واو)، وهي من أحسن بلاد المليبار،,"On the tenth day we reached the city of Kawlam [Quilon], one of the finest towns in the Mulaibar lands."
وأسواقها حسان، وتجارها يُعْرَفُون بالصوليين (بضم الصاد)،,"It has fine bazaars, and its merchants are called sulls."
لهم أموال عريضة، يشتري أحدهم المركب بما فيه، ويوسقه من داره بالسلع،,They are immensely wealthy; a single merchant will buy a vessel with all that is in it and load it with goods from his own house.
وبها من التجار المسلمين جماعة كبيرهم علاء الدين الأوجي من أهل آواة من بلاد العراق,"There is a colony of Muslim merchants there, the chief of whom is ‘Ala’ al-Din al-Awaji, from Awa in al-Iraq."
وهو رافضي ومعه أصحابه له على مذهبه وهم يظهرون ذلك،,"He is a Rafiti, and has a number of associates belonging to his sect, and they proclaim it openly."
وقاضيها فاضل من أهل قزوين، وكبير المسلمين بها محمد شاه بندر، وله أخ فاضل كريم اسمه تقي الدين،,"The Qadi of the town is a worthy man from Qazwin, and the head of the Muslim community there is Muhammad Shahbandar, who has a worthy and open-handed brother named Taqi al-Din."
والمسجد الجامع بها عجيب عمره التاجر خواجة مهزب،,"The cathedral mosque is a magnificent building, constructed by the merchant Khwaja Muhadhdhab."
وهذه المدينة أول ما يوالي الصين من بلاد المليبار،,This city is the nearest of the Mulaibar towns to China and it is to it that most of the merchants [from China] come.
وإليها يسافر أكثرهم، والمسلمون بها أعزة محترمون.,Muslims are honoured and respected there.
ذكر سلطانها,Account of its Sultan.
وهو كافر يُعْرَف بالتيروري (بكسر التاء المعلوة وياء مد وراء واو مفتوحين وراء مكسور وياء)، وهم معظم للمسلمين، وله أحكام شديدة على السراق والدعار,The Sultan of Kawlam is an infidel called Tlrawari; he respects the Muslims and he judges severely thieves and profligates.
حكاية,Anecdote.
ومما شاهدت بكولم أن بعض الرماة العراقيين قتل آخر منهم وفر إلى دار الأوجي،,Amongst the events which I witnessed at Kawlam was the following. One of the Iraqi archers killed another and then fled to the house of al-Awaji.
وكان له مال كثير، وأراد المسلمون دَفْن المقتول فمنعهم نواب السلطان من ذلك، وقالوا: لا يُدْفَن حتى تدفعوا لنا قاتله فيُقْتَل به،,"He was a man of considerable wealth, and when the Muslims wished to bury the murdered man the Sultan’s officers stopped them saying: ‘He cannot be buried until you deliver his murderer to us that he may be put to death for him.’"
وتركوه في تابوته على باب الأوجي حتى أَنْتَنَ وتَغَيَّر، فمكَّنَهُم الأوجي من القاتل، ورغب منهم أن يعطيهم أمواله ويتركوه حيًّا،,"They left him in his coffin at alAwaji’s gate until he stank and decomposed, whereupon alAwaji gave them possession of the murderer and desired them to let him go alive in return for surrendering his properties to them."
فأبوا ذلك وقتلوه، وحينئذٍ دُفِنَ المقتول.,But they refused to accept this and put him to death and thereafter the murdered man was buried.
حكاية,Anecdote.
أُخْبِرْتُ أن سلطان كولم ركب يومًا إلى خارجها، وكان طريقه فيما بين البساتين ومعه صهره زوج بنته وهو من أبناء الملوك،,"I was told that the Sultan of Kawlam rode out into the environs of the town one day. His road lay between the orchards, and he had with him his son-in-law, his daughter’s husband, one of the sons of the maliks."
فأخذ حبة واحدة من العنبة، سقطت من بعض البساتين،,This man picked up a mango which had fallen from one of the orchards.
وكان السلطان ينظر إليه، فأمر به عند ذلك فوسط وقسم نصفين،,The Sultan was watching him and gave orders that he should be cut in two on the spot.
وصلب نصفه عن يمين الطريق ونصفه الآخر عن يساره، وقسمت حبة العنبة نصفين، فوضع على كل نصف منه نصف منها، وترك هنالك عبرة للناظرين.,"He was divided into two halves and each half was put on a cross on the right and on the left of the road and the mango also was cut in two, one half of it being placed above each half of him, and he was left there as an example to the beholders."
حكاية,Anecdote.
ومما اتفق نحو ذلك بقالقوط أن ابن أخي النائب عن سلطانها غصب سيفًا لبعض تجار المسلمين،,"There was an incident of the same kind at Qaliqut, when the brother’s son of the Sultan’s deputy forcibly seized a sword belonging to one of the Muslim merchants."
فشكا بذلك إلى عمه، فوعده بالنظر في أمره،,The merchant laid a complaint before his uncle who promised him to investigate his case.
وقعد على باب داره، فإذا بابن أخيه متقلد ذلك السيف، فدعاه فقال: هذا سيف المسلم؟,"He sat down at the gate of his house; and by-and-bye his nephew appeared wearing that sword, whereupon he called him and said: ‘This is the sword of the Muslim.’"
قال نعم، قال: اشتريته منه؟ قال لا، فقال لأعوانه: امسكوه، ثم أمر به فضربت عنقه بذلك السيف،,"He replied: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Did you buy it from him?’, and when his nephew said ‘No’ he bade his guards seize him, and then gave orders that he should be executed with that very sword."
وأقمت بكولم مدة بزاوية الشيخ فخر الدين ابن الشيخ شهاب الدين الكازروني شيخ زاوية قالقوط، فلم أَتَعَرَّفْ للككم خبرًا،,"I stayed at Kawlam for some time in the hospice of the shaikh Fakhr al-Din, son of the shaikh Shihab al-Din of Kazarnn, the shaikh of the hospice of Qaliqut, but heard no news of the kakam."
وفي أثناء مقامي بها دخل إليها إرسال ملك الصين الذين كانوا معنا،,During my stay there the ambassadors from the king of China who had been with us arrived there also.
وكانوا مع أحد تلك الجنوك فانسكر أيضًا،,They had embarked on one of the junks which was wrecked like the others.
فكساهم تجار الصين، وعادوا إلى بلادهم، ولقيتهم بها بعد،,"The Chinese merchants provided them with clothes and they returned to China, where I met them again later."
وأردت أن أعود من كولم إلى السلطان؛ لأعلمه بما اتفق على الهدية، ثم خفت أن يتعقب فعلي، ويقول لم فارقت الهدية،,"I intended at first to return from Kawlam to the Sultan to tell him what had happened to the present, but afterwards I was afraid that he would find fault with what I had done and ask me why I had not stayed with the present."
فعزمت على العودة إلى السلطان جمال الدين الهنوري وأقيم عنده حتى أَتَعَرَّف خبر الككم،,I determined therefore to return to Sultan Jamal al-Din of Hinawr and stay with him until I should obtain news of the kakam.
فعدت إلى قالقوط، ووجدت بها بعض مراكب السلطان، فبعث فيها أميرًا من العرب يُعرف بالسيد أبي الحسن,"So I went back to Qaliqut and found there a vessel belonging to the Sultan [of India], on which he had despatched an Arab amir known as the sayyid Abu’l-Hasan."
وهو من البرددارية وهم خواص البوابين، بعثه السلطان بأموال يستجلب بها من قدر عليه من العرب من أرض هرمز والقطيف لمحبته في العرب،,"He was one of the barddors, that is the private door-keepers, whom the Sultan had despatched with sums of money with which to enlist in his service all whom he could of the Arabs from the land of Hurmuz and al-Qatif, because of his affection for the Arabs."
فتوجهت إلى هذا الأمير، ورأيته عازمًا على أن يشتو بقالقوط، وحينئذٍ يسافر إلى بلاد العرب،,"I went to visit this amir and found him decided to winter at Qaliqut, after which he would continue his journey to the land of the Arabs."
فشاورته في العودة إلى السلطان فلم يوافق على ذلك، فسافرت بالبحر من قالقوط،,"I asked him to advise me about returning to the Sultan and he did not support this suggestion, so I travelled with him in his ship from Qaliqut."
وذلك آخر فصل السفر فيه، فكنا نسير نصف النهار الأول، ثم نرسو إلى الغد،,"It was then the end of the season for voyaging, and we used to sail only during the first half of the day, then anchor until the next day."
ولقينا في طريقنا أربعة أجفان غزوية فخفنا منها ثم لم يتعرضوا لنا بشر،,We met four fighting vessels on our way and were afraid of them but after all they did us no harm.
ووصلنا إلى مدينة هنور، فنزلت إلى السلطان وسلمت عليه، فأنزلني بدار ولم يكن لي خديم، وطلب مني أن أصلي معه الصلوات،,"On reaching Hinawr, I went ashore to visit the Sultan and saluted him; he assigned me a lodging, but without a servant, and asked me to recite the prayers with him."
فكان أكثر جلوسي في مسجده، وكنت أختم القرآن كل يوم، ثم كنت أختم مرتين في اليوم أبتدئ القراءة بعد صلاة الصبح فأختم عند الزوال،,"I spent most of my time in his mosque and used to read the Qur’an through every day, and later twice a day, beginning the first recital after the dawn prayer and ending it in the early afternoon, then after making fresh ablutions I would begin the second recital and end it about sunset."
وأجدد الوضوء وأبتدئ القراءة فأختم الختمة الثانية عند الغروب، ولم أزل كذلك مدة ثلاثة أشهر، واعتكفت فيها أربعين يومًا.,"I continued to do this for the space of three months, during which I went into retreat for forty days."
ذكر توجهنا إلى الغزو وفتح سندابور,Account of our going out on an expedition and conquest of Sandabur.
وكان السلطان جمال الدين قد جَهَّزَ اثنين وخمسين مركبًا وسفرته برسم غزو سندابور،,Sultan Jamal al-Din had fitted out fifty-two vessels for an expedition to attack Sandabur [Goa].
وكان وَقَعَ بين سلطانها وولده خلاف، فكتب ولده إلى السلطان جمال الدين أن يتوجه لفتح سندابور، ويسلم الولد المذكور، ويزوجه السلطان أخته،,"A quarrel had broken out there between the Sultan and his son, and the latter had written to Jamal al-Din inviting him to seize the town and promising to accept Islam and marry his sister."
فلما تَجَهَّزَت المراكب، ظَهَرَ لي أن أَتَوَجَّهَ فيها إلى الجهاد، ففَتَحْتُ المصحف أنظر فيه، فكان في أول الصفح: يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ الله كَثِيرًا ۗ وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ,"When the ships were made ready it occurred to me to set out with them to the Holy War, so I opened the Qur’an to take an augury, and found at the top of the page: *In them is the name of God frequently mentioned, and vertly God will aid those who aid Him."
فاستبشرت بذلك، وأتى السلطان إلى صلاة العصر، فقلت له: إني أريد السفر،,"I took this as a good omen, and when the Sultan came for the afternoon prayer I said to him: ‘I wish to join the expedition."
فقال: أنت إذن تكون أميرهم، فأخبرْتُه بما خرج لي في أول الصفح، فأعْجَبَهُ ذلك وعَزَمَ على السفر بنفسه، ولم يكن ظَهَرَ له ذلك قَبْلُ،,"‘In that case’, he replied, ‘you will be their commander.’ I related to him the incident of my augury from the Qur’an, which so delighted him that he resolved to join the expedition himself, though previously he had not intended to do so."
فرَكِبَ مركبًا منها وأنا معه وذلك في يوم السبت، فوصلنا عشي الإثنين إلى سندابور,"He embarked on one of the vessels, I being with him, on a Saturday, and we reached Sandabur on the Monday evening."
ودخلنا خورها، فوجدنا أهلها مستعدين للحرب، وقد نصبوا المجانيق،,"When we entered its bay, we found its inhabitants prepared for the battle, with mangonels already set up."
فبِتْنَا عليها تلك الليلة، فلما أصبح ضُرِبَت الطبول والأنفار والأبواق، وزحفت المراكب، ورمت عليها بالمجانيق، فلقد رأيت حجرًا أصاب بعض الواقفين بمقربة من السلطان،,"So we spent that night near the place, and on the next morning, when the drums, trumpets and bugles were sounded, the vessels moved in to the attack, and the defenders bombarded them with the mangonels. I saw a stone hit one of the men who was standing close to the Sultan."
ورمى أهل المراكب أنفسهم في الماء وبأيديهم الترسة والسيوف، ونزل السلطان إلى العكيري — وهو شبه الشلير —,"The men on the ships jumped into the water, shields and sword in hand, and the Sultan went down into an eukairi, which is like a shillir."
ورميت بنفسي في الماء في جملة الناس،,I too jumped into the water with the rest of the men.
وكان عندنا طريدتان مفتوحتي المواخر فيها الخيل، وهي بحيث يركب الفارس فرسه في جوفها ويتدرع ويخرج,"We had with us two tartans, open at the stern, carrying horses; they are so constructed that the horseman mounts his horse inside the vessel, puts on his armour and comes out."
ففعلوا ذلك، وأذن الله في فتحها، وأنزل النصر على المسلمين،,They did this and God permitted its conquest and sent down victory to the Muslims.
فدخلنا بالسيف ودَخَلَ معظم الكفار في قصر سلطانها، فرمينا النار فيه فخرجوا وقبضنا عليهم،,"We entered the city at the point of the sword and the greater part of the infidels took refuge in their Sultan’s palace, but when we set fire to it they came out and we seized them."
ثم إن السلطان أَمَّنَهُم، ورَدَّ لهم نساءهم وأولادهم،,The Sultan thereafter gave them quarter and restored their wives and children to them.
وكانوا نحو عشرة آلاف، وأسكنهم بربض المدينة، وسكن السلطان القصر، وأعطى الديار بمقربة منه لأهل دولته،,"They were about ten thousand in number and he assigned to them as residence a suburb of the town and himself occupied the palace, giving the houses in its neighbourhood to his courtiers."
وأعطاني جارية منهن تسمى لمكي فسميتها مباركة، وأراد زوجها فداءها فأبيت، وكساني فرجية مصرية وُجِدَتْ في خزائن الكافر،,"He gave me a Marhata (?) slave-girl called LamkI — I called her Mubaraka, and when her husband wished to ransom her I refused — and also gave me a farajtyd of Egyptian manufacture which was found in the treasuries of the infidel."
وأقمت عنده بسندابور من يوم فتحها، وهو الثالث عشر لجمادى الأولى إلى منتصف شعبان، وطلبت منه الإذن في السفر، فأخذ علي العهد في العودة إليه.,"I stayed with him at Sandabur from the day of its capture, which was the th of Jumada I, until the middle of Sha’ban; I then asked him for permission to travel and he made me promise to return to him."
وسافرت في البحر إلى هنور ثم إلى فاكنور ثم إلى منجرور ثم إلى هيلي ثم إلى جرفتن وده فتن وبدفتن وفندرينا وقالقوط — وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْر جميعها — ثمَّ إلى مدينة الشاليات، (وهي بالشين المعجم وألف ولام وياء آخر الحروف وألف وتاء معلوة) مدينة من حسان المدن، تُصنع بها الثياب المنسوبة لها،,"So I sailed to Hinawr, continued thence to Fakanor, Manjaror, Hill, Jurfattan, Dahfattan, Budfattan, Fandarayna and Qaliqut — all of which places have been mentioned above — and finally to al-Shaliyat, a most beautiful town, in which the fabrics called by its name are manufactured."
وأقمت بها فطال مقامي، فعُدْتُ إلى قالقوط،,After a long stay in this town I returned to Qaliqut.
ووصل إليها غلامان كانا لي بالككم، فأخبراني أن الجارية التي كانت حاملًا — وبسببها كان تَغَيَّرَ خاطري — تُوُفِّيَتْ، وأخذ صاحب الجاوة سائر الجواري، واستولت الأيدي على المتاع، وتفرق أصحابي إلى الصين والجاوة بنجالة،,"Two slaves who had been with me on the kakam arrived at Qaliqut and told me that the slave-girl who had been pregnant, and on whose account I was much upset, had died, and that the ruler of Jawa had taken the rest of my slave-girls, that my goods had been seized by various hands, and that my companions were scattered to China, Jawa and Bengal."
فعُدْتُ لَمَّا تَعَرَّفْتُ هذا إلى هنور ثم إلى سندابور فوصلتها في آخر المحرم، وأقمت بها إلى الثاني من شهر ربيع الآخر،,"On hearing this I returned to Hinawr and thence to Sandabur, reaching it at the end of Mubarram, and I stayed there until the 2nd of Rabi’ll."
وقدم سلطانهم الكافر الذي دخلنا عليه برسم أخذها,"The infidel Sultan of Sandabur, from whom we had cap-no tured the town, now advanced to recapture it."
وهرب إليه الكفار كلهم، وكانت عساكر السلطان متفرقة في القرى، فانقطعوا عنا,"All the infidels fled to join him, and the Sultan’s troops, who were dispersed in the [outlying] villages, abandoned us."
وحَصَرَنا الكفار وضَيَّقُوا علينا،,We were besieged by the infidels and reduced to great straits.
ولما اشتد الحال خرجت عنها وتَرَكْتُها محصورة وعُدْتُ إلى قالقوط، وعزمت على السفر إلى ذيبة المهل وكنت أسمع بأخبارها،,"When the situation became serious, I left the town during the siege and returned to Qaliqut, where I decided to travel to Dhibat al-Mahal, of which I had heard."
فبعد عشرة أيام من ركوبنا البحر بقالقوط وصلنا جزائر ذيبة المهل، وذيبة على لفظ مؤنث الذيب والمهل (بفتح الميم والهاء)،,Ten days after embarking at Qaliqut we reached the islands of Dhlbat al-Mahal [the Maldives] (Dhiba being pronounced like the feminine of dhib).
وهذه الجزائر إحدى عجائب الدنيا وهي نحو ألفي جزيرة،,These islands are one of the wonders of the world and number about two thousand in all.
ويكون منها مائة فما دونها مجتمعات مستديرة كالحلقة لها مدخل كالباب، لا تدخل المراكب إلا منه،,"Each hundred or less of them form a circular cluster resembling a ring, this ring having one entrance like a gateway, and only through this entrance can ships reach the islands."
وإذا وصل المركب إلى إحداها فلا بد له من دليل من أهلها يسير به إلى سائر الجزائر،,When a vessel arrives at any one of them it must in needs take one of the inhabitants to pilot it to the other islands.
وهي من التَّقارب بحيث تظهر رءوس النخل التي بإحداها عند الخروج من الأخرى،,They are so close-set that on leaving one island the tops of the palms on another are visible.
فإن أخطأ المركب سِمَتها لم يُمْكِنْه دخولها وحملته الريح إلى المعبر أو سيلان.,If a ship loses its course it is unable to enter and is carried by the wind to alMa’bar or to Ceylon.
وهذه الجزائر أهلها كلهم مسلمون ذوو ديانة وصلاح،,"The inhabitants of the Maldives are all of them Muslims, pious and upright."
وهي منقسمة إلى أقاليم، على كل إقليم والٍ يسمونه الكردوي،,"The islands are divided into twelve districts, each under a governor whom they call the kardui."
ومن أقاليمها إقليم بالبور (وهو ببائين معقودتين وكسر اللام وآخره راء) ومنها كنلوس (بفتح الكاف والنون مع تشديدها وضم اللام وواو وسين مهمل)، ومنها إقليم المهل وبه تُعْرَف الجزائر كلها وبها يسكن سلاطينها، ومنها إقليم تلاديب (بفتح التاء المعلوة واللام وألف ودال مهمل وياء مد وباء موحدة)، ومنها إقليم كرايدو (بفتح الكاف والراء وسكون الياء المسفولة وضم الدال المهمل وواو)، ومنها إقليم التيم (بفتح التاء المعلوة وسكون الياء المسفولة)، ومنها إقليم تلدمتِي (بفتح التاء المعلوة الأولى واللام وضم الدال المهمل وفتح الميم وتشديدها وكسر التاء الأخرى وياء)، ومنها إقليم هلدمتي وهو مثل لفظ الذي قبله إلا أن الهاء أوله ومنها إقليم بريدو (بفتح الباء الموحدة والراء وسكون الياء وضم الدال المهمل وواو)، ومنها إقليم كندكل (بفتح الكافين والدال المهمل وواو)، ومنها إقليم ملوك (بضم الميم)، ومنها إقليم السويد (بالسين المهمل) وهو أقصاها،,"Amongst the districts are Palipur, Kannalus, Mahal (which has given its name to the whole archipelago, and in which is the residence of their Sultans), Taladlb, Karaydu, Al-Taim, Taladummatl, Haladummatl, Baraidu, Kandakal, Muluk, and Suwaid, which is the most remote of them."
وهذه الجزائر كلها لا زرع بها إلا أن في إقليم السويد منها زرعًا يشبه أنلى، ويُجْلَب منه إلى المهل،,"There is no agriculture at all on any of the islands, except that a cereal resembling anly is grown in the district of Suwaid and carried thence to Mahal."
وإنما أكل أهلها سمك يشبه الليرون يسمونه قلب الماس (بضم القاف)، ولحمه أحمر ولا زفر له، إنما ريحه كريح لحم الأنعام، وإذا اصطادوه قطعوا السمكة منه أربع قطع وطبخوه يسيرًا، ثم جعلوه في مكاتيل من سعف النخل وعلقوه للدخان,"The inhabitants live on a fish resembling the lirun* which they call qulb al-mas it has red flesh and no grease, and smells like mutton. On catching it, they cut the fish in four, cook it lightly, then smoke it in palm-leaf baskets."
فإذا استحكم يبسه أكلوه،,"When it is quite dry, they eat it."
ويحمل منها إلى الهند والصين واليمن.,"Some of these fish are exported to India, China and al-Yaman."
ذكر أشجارها,Description of their trees.
ومعظم أشجار هذه الجزائر النارجيل وهو من أقواتهم مع السمك,"Most of the trees on these islands are coco-palms, and they provide food for the inhabitants along with fish."
وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه، وأشجار النارجيل شأنها عجيب وتثمر النخل منها اثني عشر عذقًا في السنة، يخرج في كل شهر عذق، فيكون بعضها صغيرًا وبعضها كبيرًا وبعضها يابسًا وبعضها أخضر هكذا أبدًا،,"We have already spoken of the coco-palm. These trees are quite extraordinary; each palm bears twelve bunches a year, one coming out every month; some are small, some large, some dry and some green, it is always so."
ويصنعون منها الحليب والزيت والعسل حسبما ذكرنا لك في السفر الأول،,"They make milk, oil and honey from it, as we have related in the first journey."
ويصنعون من عسله الحلواء فيأكلونها مع الجوز اليابس منه,From its honey they make sweetmeats which they eat along with the dried coconut.
ولذلك كله، وللسمك الذي يغتذون به قوة عجيبة في الباءة لا نظير لها، ولأهل هذه الجزائر عجب من ذلك،,"All these products of the coco-palm and the fish which they live on have an amazing and unparalleled effect in sexual intercourse, and the people of these islands perform wonders in this respect."
ولقد كان لي بها أربع نسوة وجَوَارٍ سواهن، فكنت أطوف على جميعهن كل يوم وأبيت عند من تكون ليلتها وأقمت بها سنة ونصف أخرى على ذلك،,"I had there myself four wives, and concubines as well, and I used to visit all of them every day and pass the night with the wife whose turn it was, and this I continued to do the whole year and a half that I was there."
ومن أشجارها الجموح والأترج والليمون والقلقاص وهم يصنعون من أصوله دقيقًا يعملون منه شبه الأطرية ويطبخونها بحليب النارجيل،,"Among their trees also are the jamuh, the citron, orange and colocasia. From the roots of this last they grind a flour, with which they make vermicelli, and they cook this in the milk of the coconut."
وهي من أطيب طعام كنت أستحسنها كثيرًا وآكلها.,"This is one of the most delicious dishes; I was very fond of it, and used to eat it often."
ذكر أهل هذه الجزائر وبعض عوائدهم وذكر مساكنهم,"Account of the people of these islands, and of some of their customs, and description of their dwellings."
وأهل هذه الجزائر أهل صلاح وديانة وإيمان صحيح ونية صادقة أكلهم حلال ودعاؤهم مجاب،,"The people of these islands are upright and pious, sound in belief, and sincere in purpose; they keep to lawful foods, and their prayers are answered."
وإذا رأى الإنسان أحدهم قال له: الله ربي، ومحمد نبيي، وأنا أمي مسكين وأبدانهم ضعيفة، ولا عهد لهم بالقتال والمحاربة وسلاحهم الدعاء،,"When one of them sees a man he says to him: ‘God is my Lord and Muhammad my Prophet, and I am an ignorant and miserable creature.’ Their bodies are weak, they are unused to fighting and warfare, and their armour is prayer."
ولقد أمرت مرة بقطع يد سارق بها، فغشي على جماعة منهم كانوا بالمجلس،,"Once when I ordered a thief s hand to be cut off, a number of those who were in the room fainted."
ولا تطرقهم لصوص الهند ولا تذعرهم؛ لأنهم جربوا أن من أخذ لهم شيئًا أصابته مصيبة عاجلة،,"The Indian pirates do not raid or molest them, as they have learned from experience that anyone who seizes anything from them speedily meets misfortune."
وإذا أتت أجفان العدو إلى ناحيتهم أخذوا من وجدوا من غيرهم، ولم يتعرضوا لأحد منهم بسوء،,"When the enemies’ ships come this way, they seize any whom they find other than the natives, but do not offer any injury to any of the latter."
وإن أَخَذَ أحد الكفار ولو ليمونة عاقَبَه أمير الكفار وضَرَبَه الضرب المبرح خوفًا من عاقبة ذلك،,"If one of the idolaters takes but a single lemon, the chief of the infidels punishes him and beats him severely through fear of the consequences of that action."
ولولا هذا لكانوا أهون الناس على قاصدهم بالقتال لضعف بنيتهم،,Were it not for this they would be the easiest prey for those who should come to fight them because of the weakness of their physique.
وفي كل جزيرة من جزائرهم المساجد الحسنة وأكثر عمارتهم بالخشب،,"In each island of theirs there are beautiful mosques, and most of their buildings are made of wood."
وهم أهل نظافة وتنزُّه عن الأقذار وأكثرهم يغتسلون مرتين في اليوم تنظفًا لشدة الحر بها وكثرة العرق،,"They are very cleanly and avoid filth; most of them bathe twice a day to cleanse themselves, because of the extreme heat there and their profuse perspiration."
ويكثرون من الأدهان العطرية كالصندلية وغيرها، ويتلطخون بالغالية المجلوبة من مقدشو،,"They make plentiful use of perfumed oils, such as oil of sandalwood, and they smear themselves with ghdliya brought from Maqdashaw."
ومن عادتهم أنهم إذا صلوا الصبح أتت كل امرأة إلى زوجها أو ابنها بالمكحلة وبماء الورد ودهن الغالية فيكحل عينيه ويدهن بماء الورد ودهن الغالية، فتصقل بشرته، وتزيل الشحوب عن وجهه،,"It is their custom when they have prayed the dawn prayer that every woman comes to her husband or her son, bringing the anti-mony jar, rose water and ghaliya she then paints his eyes with the antimony so that his skin shines and the traces of fatigue are removed from his face."
ولباسهم فوط يشدون الفوطة منها على أوساطهم عوض للسراويل، ويجعلون على ظهورهم ثياب الوليان (بكسر الواو وسكون اللام وياء آخر الحروف)، وهي شبه الأحاريم،,"Their garments are simply aprons; they tie one round their waists in place of trousers, and on their backs they place cloths called al-wilydn, resembling the ihram garments."
وبَعْضُهم يجعل عمامة وبعضهم منديلًا صغيرًا عوضًا منها.,"Some wear a turban, others a small kerchief instead."
وإذا لقي أحدهم القاضي أو الخطيب وَضَعَ ثوبه عن كتفيه وكَشَفَ ظهره، ومضى معه كذلك حتى يصل إلى منزله،,"When any of them meets the Qadi or preacher, he removes his cloth from his shoulders, uncovering his back, and accompanies him thus to his house."
ومن عوائدهم أنه إذا تَزَوَّجَ الرجل منهم ومضى إلى دار زوجته بَسَطَتْ له ثياب القطن من باب دارها إلى باب البيت، وجعل عليها غرفات من الودع عن يمين طريقه إلى البيت وشماله،,"It is one of their customs that when one of their men marries and goes to his wife’s house, cotton cloths are spread on the ground for him from the outer door of her house to her chamber, and on them, to right and to left of his way to the chamber, are placed handfuls of cowries."
وتكون المرأة واقفة عند باب البيت تنتظره، فإذا وَصَلَ إليها رَمَتْ على رجليه ثوبًا يأخذه خدامه،,"The woman is standing at the door of her apartment awaiting him, and when he comes to her she throws over his feet a garment, which is taken by his servants."
وإن كانت المرأة هي التي تأتي إلى منزل الرجل بسطت داره، وجعل فيها الودع، ورمت المرأة عند الوصول إليه الثوب على رجليه،,"Should it be the woman who goes to the man’s place of residence, his house is carpeted in the same way with cowries placed on the cloths, and when she reaches him the woman throws the garment over his feet."
وكذلك عادتهم في السلام على السلطان عندهم، لا بُدَّ من ثوب يرمى عند ذلك وسنذكره،,"The same custom is observed by them in saluting the Sultan; each one must throw a garment on that occasion, as we shall describe later."
وبنيانهم بالخشب، ويجعلون سطوح البيوت مرتفعة عن الأرض توقيًا من الرطوبات؛,"Their buildings are of wood and they raise the floors of their houses high above the ground as a protection from the damp, for their soil is humid."
لأن أرضهم ندية، وكيفية ذلك أن ينحتوا حجارة يكون طول الحجر منها ذراعين أو ثلاثة، ويجعلونها صفوفًا ويعرضون عليها خشب النارجيل، ثم يصنعون الحيطان من الخشب،,"Their procedure in doing so is to cutns stones, each of them two or three cubits long, and lay them in rows, and to place upon these transversely planks of cocopalms, and then make the walls of planks."
ولهم صناعة عجيبة في ذلك،,They show a remarkable skill in this.
ويبنون في أسطوان الدار بيتًا يسمونه المالم (بفتح اللام)، يجلس الرجل به مع أصحابه،,"In the vestibule of the house is a room which they call the malam, where the owner sits with his friends."
ويكون له بابان؛ أحدهما إلى جهة الأسطوان يدخل منه الناس، والآخر إلى جهة الدار يدخل منه صاحبها،,"This malam has two doors, one of them opening on the vestibule, by which his visitors come in."
ويكون عند هذا البيت خابية مملوءة ماء، ولها مستقى يسمونه الوانج (بفتح الواو واللام وسكون النون وجيم)، هو من قشر جوز النارجيل، وله نصاب طوله ذراعان،,"At the entrance to this room is a jar filled with water and a scoop of coconut shell which they call avalanj, with a handle two cubits long."
وبه يسقون الماء من الآبار لقربها،,They use this scoop to draw water from the wells because of their shallowness.
وجميعهم حفاة الأقدام من رفيع ووضيع وأزقتهم مكنوسة نقية تظللها الأشجار، فالماشي بها كأنه في بستان.,"All of them high or low, are bare-footed; their lanes are kept swept and clean and are shaded by trees, so that to walk in them is like walking in an orchard."
ومع ذلك لا بد لكل داخل إلى الدار أن يغسل رجليه بالماء الذي في الخابية بالمالم، ويمسحها بحصير غليظ من الليف يكون هنالك، ثم يدخل بيته,"In spite of that, every person entering a house must wash his feet with water from the jar kept at the entrance to the malam, and wipe them with a rough towel of fibre matting which he finds there, after which he enters the room."
وكذلك يفعل كل داخل إلى المسجد،,The same practice is followed on entering a mosque.
ومن عوائدهم إذا قدم عليهم مركب أن تخرج إليه الكنادر وهي القوارب الصغار واحدها كندرة (بضم الكاف والدال)، وفيها أهل الجزيرة معهم التنبول والكزنبة وهي جوز النارجيل الأخضر،,"It is a custom of theirs when a vessel arrives at their island that kanadir, that is to say small boats, go out to meet them, loaded with people from the island carrying betel and karanbah, that is green coconuts."
فيعطي الإنسان منهم ذلك لمن شاء من أهل المركب ويكون نزيله، ويحمل أمتعته إلى داره كأنه بعض أقربائه،,"Each man of them gives these to anyone whom he chooses on board the vessel, and that person becomes his guest and carries his goods to his host’s house as though he were one of his relatives."
ومن أراد التزوج من القادمين عليهم تزوج، فإذا حان سفره طلق المرأة؛ لأنهن لا يخرجن عن بلادهن،,"Any of the visitors who wishes to marry may do so, but when it is time for him to leave he divorces the woman, because their women never leave the country."
ومن لم يتزوج فالمرأة التي ينزل بدارها تطبخ له وتخدمه وتزوده إذا سافر,"If a visitor does not marry, the woman in the house where he lodges cooks for him, serves him and gives him provisions when he sets out on his journey."
وترضى منه في مقابلة ذلك بأيسر شيء من الإحسان,In return for that she is content to receive from him the smallest pittance of charity.
وفائدة المخزن ويسمونه البندر أن يشتري من كل سلعة بالمركب حظًّا بسوم معلوم سواء كانت السلعة تساوي ذلك أو أكثر منه ويسمونه شرع البندر،,"The profit of the treasury (which they call the bandar) consists in its purchase at a fixed rate of a proportion of every kind of merchandise in the vessel, whether the goods are worth that or more than that; they call this the ‘right of the bandar."
ويكون للبندر بيت في كل جزيرة من الخشب يسمونه البجنصار (بفتح الباء الموحدة والجيم وسكون النون وفتح الصاد المهمل وآخره راء)، يجمع به الوالي وهو الكردوري جميع سلعه ويبيع بها ويشرى،,"In every island there is a bandar house made of wood, which they call the bajansar, and in which the governor, who is called the karduri, stores all the goods, and buys and sells with them."
وهم يشترون الفخار إذا جلب إليهم بالدجاج فتباع عندهم القدر بخمس دجاجات وست،,"The people buy pottery, when it is brought to them, with chickens, so that a cooking pot is sold amongst them for five or six chickens."
وتحمل المراكب من هذه الجزائر السمك الذي ذكرناه وجوز النارجيل والقوط والوليان والعمائم وهي من القطن، ويحملون منها أواني النحاس، فإنها عندهم كثيرة، ويحملون الودع ويحملون القنبر (بفتح القاف وسكون النون وفتح الباء الموحدة والراء)،,"From these islands there are exported by ship the fish we have mentioned, coconuts, waist cloths, wilyan, and cotton turbans, as well as brass utensils, of which they have a great many, cowrie shells and qanbar."
وهو ليف جوز النارجيل، وهم يدبغونه في حفر على الساحل، ثم يضربونه بالمرازب، ثمَّ يغزله النساء، وتُصْنَع منه الحبال لخياطة المراكب،,"This is the hairy integument of the coconut, which they tan in pits on the shore, and afterwards beat out with bars; the women then spin it and it is made into cords for sewing [the planks of] ships together."
وتُحْمَل إلى الصين والهند واليمن وهو خير من القنب.,"These cords are exported to India, China, and al-Yaman, and are better than hemp."
وبهذه الحبال تخاط مراكب الهند واليمن؛ لأن ذلك البحر كثير الحجارة، فإن كان المركب مسمرًا بمسامير الحديد صدم الحجارة فانكسروا، إذا كان مخيطًا بالحبال أعطى الرطوبة فلم ينكسر،,"The Indian and Yemenite ships are sewn together with them, for that sea is full of reefs, and if a ship is nailed with iron nails it breaks up on striking the rocks, whereas if it is sewn together with cords, it is given a certain resilience and does not fall to pieces."
وصرف أهل هذه الجزائر الودع،,The inhabitants of these islands use cowrie shells as money.
وهو حيوان يلتقطونه في البحر، ويضعونه في حفر هنالك، فيذهب لحمه ويبقى عظمه أبيض،,"This is an animal which they gather in the sea and put into pits there where its flesh disappears, leaving its white shell."
ويسمون المائة منه سياه (بسين مهمل وياء آخر الحروف)، ويُسَمُّون السبعمائة منه الفال (بالفاء)، ويُسَمُّون الاثني عشر ألفًا منه الكتي (بضم الكاف وتشديد التاء المعلوة)، ويسمون المائة ألف منه بستو (بضم الباء الموحدة والتاء المعلوة وبينهما سين مهمل)،,"They call a hundred of these by the name of siyah, and seven hundred by the name of fal, twelve thousand kutta and a hundred thousand bustu."
ويباع بها بقيمة أربعة بساتي بدينار من الذهب وربما رخص حتى يباع عشر بساتي منه بدينار,"They buy and sell with these at the rate of four bustus for a gold dinar, but they often fall in value to ten bustiis for a dinar."
ويبيعونه من أهل بنجالة بالأرز وهو أيضًا صرف أهل بلاد بنجالة، ويبيعونه من أهل اليمن، فيجعلونه عوض الرمل في مراكبهم،,"They sell them in exchange for rice to the people of Bengal, who also use them as money, as well as to the Yemenites, who use them instead of sand [as ballast] in their ships."
وهذا الودع أيضًا هو صرف السودان في بلادهم، رأيته يباع بمالي وجوجو بحساب ألف ومائة وخمسين للدينار الذهبي.,"These cowries are used also by the negroes in their lands; I saw them being sold at Malli and Gawgaw at the rate of , for a dinar."
ذكر نسائها,Account of their women.
ونساؤها لا يغطين رءوسهن,"Their womenfolk do not cover their heads,"
ولا يلبس أكثرهن إلا فوطة واحدة تسترها من السرة إلى أسفل وسائر أجسادهن مكشوفة،,"Most of them wear only one apron from the navel to the ground, the rest of their bodies being uncovered."
وكذلك يمشين في الأسواق وغيرها،,It is thus that they walk abroad in the bazaars and elsewhere.
ولقد جهدت لما وُلِّيتُ القضاء بها أن أَقْطَعَ تلك العادة وآمرهن باللباس فلم أَسْتَطِعْ ذلك،,"When I was Qadi there, I tried to put an end to this practice and ordered them to wear clothes, but I met with no success."
فكنت لا تَدْخُل إلي منهن امرأة في خصومة إلا مستترة الجسد، وما عدا ذلك لم تكن لي عليه قدرة،,"No woman was admitted to my presence in a lawsuit unless her body was covered, but apart from that I was unable to effect anything."
ولباس بعضهن قمص زائدة على الفوطة، وقمصهن قصار الأكمام عراضها،,"Some of them wear shirts in addition to the waistcloth, their shirts having short and wide sleeves."
وكان لي جَوَارٍ كسوتهن لباس أهل دهلي يغطين رءوسهن فعابهن ذلك أكثر مما زانهن إذ لم يتعوَّدْنَه،,"I had some slave-girls who wore garments like those worn at Dihli and who covered their heads, but it was more of a disfigurement than an ornament in their case, since they were not accustomed to it."
وحليهن الأساور تَجْعَل المرأة منها جملة في ذراعيها، بحيث تملأ ما بين الكوع والمرفق,"The women’s ornaments consist of bracelets, of which each woman wears so many on her forearm as to cover the arm from wrist-bone to elbow."
وهي من الفضة، ولا يجعل أساور الذهب إلا نساء السلطان وأقاربه، ولَهُنَّ الخلاخيل,"They are made of silver, and no one wears bracelets of gold except the Sultan’s wives and relatives."
ويسمونها البايل (بباء موحدة وألف وياء آخر الحروف مكسورة)، وقلائد ذهب يجعلنها على صدورهن ويسمونها البسدر (بالباء الموحدة وسكون السين المهمل وفتح الدال المهمل والراء).,"They wear anklets also, which they call bayil and necklaces of gold on their chests, and these they call basdarad."
ومن عجيب أفعالهن أنهن يؤجرن أنفسهن للخدمة بالديار على عدد معلوم من خمسة دنانير فما دونها على مستأجرهن نفقتهن، ولا يرين ذلك عيبًا ويفعله أكثر بناتهم،,"A singular custom amongst them is to hire themselves out as servants in houses at a fixed wage of five dinars or less, their employer being responsible for their upkeep; they do not look upon this as dishonorable, and most of their girls do so."
فتجد في دار الإنسان الغني منهن العشرة والعشرين،,You will find ten or twenty of them in a rich man’s house.
وكل ما تكسره من الأواني يحسب عليها قيمته،,Every utensil that a girl breaks is charged up against her.
وإذا أرادت الخروج من دار إلى دار أعطاها أهل الدار التي تخرج إليها العدد الذي هي مرتهنة فيه، فتدفعه لأهل الدار التي خرجت منها، ويبقى عليها للآخرين،,"When she wishes to transfer from one house to another, her new employers give her the sum which she owes to her former employers; she pays this to the latter and remains so much in debt to her new employers."
وأكثر شغل هؤلاء المستأجرات غزل القنبر،,The chief occupation of these hired women is spinning qanbar.
والتزوج بهذه الجزائر سهل لنزارة الصداق وحسن معاشرة النساء,It is easy to get married in these islands on account of the smallness of the dowries and the pleasure of their women’s society.
وأكثر الناس لا يسمي صداقًا، إنما تقع الشهادة ويعطي صداق مثلها،,The majority of people do not specify a dowry; only the act is witnessed and a wedding gift conformable to the bride’s station is given.
وإذا قدمت المراكب تزوج أهلها النساء، فإذا أرادوا السفر طلقوهن، وذلك نوع من نكاح المتعة، وهن لا يخرجن عن بلادهن أبدًا،,"When ships arrive the crews marry wives and when they want to sail they divorce them; it is really a sort of temporary marriage, and the women never leave their country."
ولم أَرَ في الدنيا أحسن معاشرة منهن،,I have never found in the world any women more agreeable to consort with than they are.
ولا تَكَلُّ المرأة عندهم خدمةَ زوجها إلى سواها، بل هي تأتيه بالطعام، وترفعه من بين يديه، وتغسل يده وتأتيه بالماء للوضوء وتغم رجليه عند النوم،,"Amongst these people the woman never entrusts the service of her husband to anyone but herself; it is she who brings him his food and removes it from his presence, who washes his hand and brings him the water for his ablutions, and who covers his feet when he sleeps."
ومن عوائدهم ألَّا تأكل المرأة مع زوجها، ولا يَعْلَم الرجل ما تأكله المرأة،,"It is one of their customs that the woman does not eat with her husband, nor does the man even know what she eats."
ولقد تَزَوَّجْتُ بها نسوة فأكل معي بعضهن بعد محاولة وبعضهن لم تأكل معي، ولا استطعْتُ أن أراها تأكل ولا نفعتني حيلة في ذلك.,"I married several women there, and some of them ate with me after some effort on my part, but some of them never did so, nor was I able to see them eating and no ruse of mine for this purpose succeeded."
ذكر السبب في إسلام أهل هذه الجزائر وذكر العفاريت من الجن التي تضربها في كل شهر,Account of the reason for the conversion to Islam of the inhabitants of these islands and of the evil spirits of the jinn which used to do injury to them every month.
حدثني الثقات من أهلها كالفقيه عيسى اليمني والفقيه المعلم علي والقاضي عبد الله وجماعة سواهم أن هذه الجزائر كانوا كفارًا، وكان يظهر لهم في كل شهر عفريت من الجن، يأتي من ناحية البحر كأنه مركب مملوء بالقناديل،,"A number of trustworthy persons among the population such as the jurist ‘Isa of al-Yaman, the jurist and teacher ‘Ali, the Qadi ‘Abdallah and others told me that these islanders were infidels and that every month there would appear to them an evil spirit of the jinn, coming from the direction of the sea and resembling a ship filled with lights."
وكانت عادتهم إذا رأوه أخذوا جارية بِكْرًا فزينوها وأدخلوها إلى بدخانة وهي بيت الأصنام، وكان مبنيًّا على ضفة البحر، وله طاق يُنْظَر إليه منه,"On seeing him it was their custom to take a virgin girl and, after dressing her in finery, to conduct her to the Budkhanah, that is the idol-temple, which was built on the seashore and had a window looking out on the sea."
ويتركونها هنالك ليلة، ثم يأتون عند الصباح، فيجدونها مفتضة ميتة،,There they would leave her for a night and when they came back in the morning they would find her violated and dead.
ولا يزالون في كل شهر يقترعون بينهم، فمن أصابته القرعة أعطى بنته،,"So they went on drawing lots every month amongst themselves, and the one on whom the lot fell gave up his daughter."
ثم إنه قدم عليهم مغربي يسمى بأبي البركات البربري، وكان حافظًا للقرآن العظيم، فنزل بدار عجوز منهم بجزيرة المهل،,"Then there came amongst them a man from the Maghrib called Abu’l Barakat al-Barbari, who could recite by heart the Holy Qur’an, and he lodged in the house of an old woman of their people in the island of Mahal."
فدخل عليها يومًا وقد جَمَعَتْ أهلها وهن يبكين كأنهن في مأتم،,One day when he visited her he found that she had called together all her kinswomen and they were weeping as though they were at a funeral ceremony.
فاستفهمهن عن شأنهن، فلم يفهمنه،,He asked them what was the matter with them but they did not explain it to him.
فأتى ترجمان فأخبره أن العجوز كانت القرعة عليها، وليس لها إلَّا بنت واحدة يقتلها العفريت،,"Then an interpreter came and told him that the lot had fallen on the old woman, and she had but one daughter whom the evil spirit would kill."
فقال لها أبو البركات: أنا أَتَوَجَّه عوضًا من بنتك بالليل، وكان سناطًا لا لحية له،,"Abu’l Barakat said to her: ‘I shall go in place of your daughter tonight’, for he was beardless, having no hair at all on his face."
فاحتملوه تلك الليلة، وأدخلوه إلى بدخانة وهو متوضئ، وأقام يتلو القرآن،,"So they took him that night and brought him into the Budkhanah, he having previously made his Ablutions, and he stayed there reciting the Qur’an."
ثم ظهر له العفريت من الطاق فداوم التلاوة، فلما كان منه بحيث يسمع القراءة غاص في البحر،,Then the evil spirit appeared to him from the window but he continued his recitation and when the spirit came so near as to hear the recital he plunged into the sea.
وأصبح المغربي وهو يتلو على حاله، فجاءت العجوز وأهلها وأهل الجزيرة ليستخرجوا البنت على عادتهم فيحرقوها,"In the morning the Maghribi was still occupied in his recitation when the old woman came with her kinsfolk and the people of the island to bring out the girl, as they had been accustomed to do, and burn her body."
فوجدوا المغربي يتلو فمضوا به إلى مَلِكِهِمْ وكان يسمى شنورازة (بفتح الشين المعجم وضم النون وواو وراء وألف وزاي وهاء)، وأعلموه بخبره،,"They found the Maghrib! reciting, took him to their king who was called Shanuraza, and told the latter his story."
فعجب منه، وعَرَضَ المغربي عليه الإسلام ورَغَّبَه فيه فقال له: أَقِمْ عندنا إلى الشهر الآخر فإن فَعَلْتَ كفِعْلِكَ ونجوت من العفريت أَسْلَمْتُ،,The king was astonished at it and when the Maghribi expounded Islam to him and interested him in it he replied: ‘Stay with us until the next month; then if you repeat this action and escape the evil spirit I shall become a Muslim.’
فأقام عندهم. وشرح الله صدر الملك للإسلام فأسلم قبل تمام الشهر، وأسلم أهله وأولاده وأهل دولته،,"So he stayed with them and God opened the breast of the king to Islam and he was converted before the end of the month, and his children and his court also."
ثم حُمِلَ المغربي لما دخل الشهر إلى بدخانة ولم يأتِ العفريت، فجعل يتلو حتى الصباح، وجاء السلطان والناس معه، فوجدوه على حاله من التلاوة، فكسروا الأصنام وهدموا بدخانة،,"When the next month opened the Maghribi was taken to the Budkhanah, but the demon did not come; he continued to recite the Qur’an till dawn, and when the Sultan came along with the people and found him occupied in recitation they broke up the idols and destroyed the Budkhanah."
وأسلم أهل الجزيرة، وبعثوا إلى سائر الجزائر، فأسلم أهلها،,"The population of the island embraced Islam and sent word to all the other islands, whose populations were converted also."
وأقام المغربي عندهم مُعَظَّمًا وتمذهبوا بمذهبه — مذهب الإمام مالك رضي الله عنه — وهم إلى هذا العهد يعظمون المغاربة بسببه،,"The Maghribi settled down among them, greatly venerated, and they adopted his rite, namely the rite of the Imam Malik, may God be pleased with him, and to this day they continue to hold the Maghribis in high respect because of him."
وبنى مسجدًا هو معروف باسمه، وقرأت على مقصورة الجامع منقوشًا في الخشب أسلم السلطان أحمد شنورازة على يد أبي البركات البربري المغربي،,He built a mosque which is known by his name and I read the following words on the grille (maqsurah) of the cathedral mosque carved in wood: ‘The Sultan Ahmad Shanuraza accepted Islam at the hand of Abu’l Barakat al-Barbari al-Maghribi.’
وجعل ذلك السلطان ثلث مجابي الجزائر صدقة على أبناء السبيل؛ إذ كان إسلامه بسببهم، فسُمِّيَ على ذلك حتى الآن،,"This Sultan assigned the third of the tax receipts of the islands as alms for travellers, since it was through them that his conversion to Islam had happened, and for that reason his name is remembered to the present day."
وبسبب هذا العفريت خرب من هذه الجزائر كثير قبل الإسلام،,On account of that demon many of these islands were uninhabited before the introduction of Islam.
ولما دخلناها لم يكن لي علم بشأنه،,When we came to them I was still ignorant of this event.
فبينا أنا ليلة في بعض شأني؛ إذ سمعت الناس يجهرون بالتهليل والتكبير,One night when I was engaged in some business or other I heard the people shouting tahlils and takbir.
ورأيت الأولاد وعلى رءوسهم المصاحف والنساء يضربون يضربن في الطسوت وأواني النحاس،,And saw the boys carrying copies of the Qur’an on their heads and the women beating on basins and copper utensils.
فعجبت من فعلهم، وقلت: ما شأنكم؟ فقالوا: ألا تنظر إلى البحر؟! فنظرت فإذا مثل المركب الكبير وكأنه مملوء سرجًا ومشاعل،,"Greatly astonished at all this I asked what was afoot and they said: ‘Just look out to sea’, so I looked and there was something like a great ship which seemed as though it were full of lamps and torches."
فقالوا: ذلك العفريت، وعادته أن يظهر مرة في الشهر، فإذا فعلنا ما رأيت انصرف عنا ولم يَضُرَّنا.,"They said: ‘That is the demon, whose habit it is to appear once a month, but when we do what you have seen he goes away without doing any harm to us.’"
ذكر سلطانة هذه الجزائر,Account of the Sultana of these islands.
ومن عجائبها أن سلطانتها امرأة، وهي خديجة بنت السلطان جلال الدين عمر بن السلطان صلاح الدين صالح البنجالي،,"It is a strange thing about these islands that their ruler is a woman, Khadija, daughter of the Sultan Jalal al-Din ‘Omar, son of the Sultan Salah al-Din Salih of Bengal."
وكان الملك لجدها ثم لأبيها، فلما مات أبوها ولي أخوها شهاب الدين وهو صغير السن،,"The sovereignty belonged to her grandfather, then to her father, and after his death to her brother Shihab alDin, who was a minor."
فتزوج الوزير عبد الله بن محمد الحضرمي أمه وغلب عليه،,The Wazir ‘Abdallah b. Muhammad of Hadramaut married his mother and took control of him.
وهو الذي تزوج أيضًا هذه السلطانة خديجة بعد وفاة زوجها الوزير جمال الدين كما سنذكره،,"This is the same ‘Abdallah who married also the present Sultana Khadija after the death of her [first] husband, the Wazir Jamal al-Din, as we shall relate."
فلما بلغ شهاب الدين مبلغ الرجال أخرج ربيبه الوزير عبد الله ونفاه إلى جزائر السويد،,"When Shihab al-Din came to manhood he drove out his father-in-law, the Wazir ‘Abdallah, exiled him to the islands of al-Suwaid and ruled as sole sovereign."
واستقل بالملك واستوزر أحد مواليه ويسمى علي الكلكي، ثم عَزَلَهُ بعد ثلاثة أعوام ونفاه إلى السويد،,"As Wazir he appointed one of his dependants [mawall] named ‘All Kalaki, whom he afterwards removed from office three years later and exiled also to alSuwaid."
وكان يُذْكَر عن السلطان شهاب الدين المذكور أنه يختلف إلى حرم أهل دولته وخواصه بالليل فخلعوه لذلك، ونفوه إلى إقليم هلدتني، وبعثوا من قتله بها،,"It is told of this Sultan Shihab ad-Din that he used to frequent the wives of his nobles and chief courtiers at night, on account of which they deposed him, exiled him to the region of Haladutani, and sent someone there who killed him."
ولم يكن بقي من بيت الملك إلا أخواته خديجة الكبرى ومريم وفاطمة، فقدموا خديجة سلطانة،,"None of the royal house was now left but his sisters Khadija the eldest, and Maryam and Fapima, so they raised Khadija to the throne."
وكانت متزوجة لخطيبهم جمال الدين، فصار وزيرًا وغالبًا على الأمر، وقدم ولده محمد للخطابة عوضًا منه، ولكن الأوامر إنما تنفذ باسم خديجة،,"She was married to their preacher, and promoted his son Muhammad to the office of preacher in his place, but orders are executed in her name only."
وهم يكتبون الأوامر في سعف النخل بحديدة معوجة شبه السكين، ولا يكتبون في الكاغد إلا المصاحف وكتب العلم،,They write the orders on palm leaves with a curved iron instrument resembling a knife; they write nothing on paper but copies of the Qur’an and works of theology.
ويذكرها الخطيب يوم الجمعة وغيرها، فيقول: اللهم انصر أمتك التي اخترتها على علم على العالمين، وجعلتها رحمة لكافة المسلمين ألا وهي السلطانة خديجة بنت السلطان جلال الدين ابن السلطان صلاح الدين،,"The preacher mentions her name at the Friday prayer and on other occasions, saying: ‘Oh God aid Thy maidservant whom Thou hast chosen in Thy knowledge of the world, and hast made her a mercy for the whole people of the Muslims, that is, this Sultana Khadija, daughter of the Sultan Jalal ad-Din, son of the Sultan salahi al-Din.’"
ومن عادتهم إذا قدم الغريب عليهم ومضى إلى المشور وهم يسمونه الدار، فلا بد له أن يستصحب ثوبين،,When a stranger comes to the islands and visits the audience-hall which they call the dar custom demands that he take two pieces of cloth with him.
فيخدم لجهة هذه السلطانة ويرمي بأحدهما ثم يخدم لوزيرها وهو زوجها جمال الدين ويرمي بالثاني،,"He makes obeisance towards this Sultana, and throws down one of these cloths, then to her Wazir, who is her husband Jamal al-Din, and throws down the other."
وعسكرها نحو ألف إنسان من الغرباء وبعضهم بلديون،,"Her army comprises about a thousand men, recruited from abroad, though some are natives."
ويأتون كل يوم إلى الدار فيخدمون وينصرفون ومرتبهم الأرز يعطاهم من البندر في كل شهر،,"They come to the dar every day, make obeisance and retire, and their pay consists of rice, which is issued to them from the bandar every month."
فإذا تم الشهر أتوا الدار وخدموا وقالوا للوزير: بلغ عنا الخدمة، واعلم بأنا أتينا نطلب مرتبنا، فيؤمر لهم بها عند ذلك،,"At the end of each month they come to the dar, make obeisance and say to the Wazir: ‘Transmit our homage and make it known that we have come for our pay’, whereupon orders are given for it to be issued to them."
ويأتي أيضًا إلى الدار كل يوم القاضي وأرباب الخطط وهم الوزراء عندهم فيخدمون، ويبلغ خدمتهم الفتيان وينصرفون.,"The Qadi and the officials, whom they call Wazirs, also present their homage daily at the dar and after the eunuchs have transmitted it they withdraw."
ذكر أرباب الخطط وسيرهم,Account of the officials and their comportment.
وهم يسمون الوزير الأكبر النائب عن السلطانة كلكي (بفتح الكاف الأولى واللام)، ويسمون القاضي فنديار قالوا (وضبط ذلك بفاء مفتوح ونون مسكن ودال مهمل مفتوح وياء آخر الحروف وألف وراء وقاف وألف ولام مضموم)،,"These people call the principal Wazir, the Sultan’s deputy, by the name of Kalaki, and the judge Fandayarqalu."
وأحكامهم كلها راجعة إلى القاضي، وهو أعظم عندهم من الناس أجمعين، وأَمْرُه مُمْتَثَل كأمر السلطان وأشد،,All their judgments are referred to the Qadi; he is held in greater respect among the people than anyone else; his orders are obeyed as those of the ruler or even more so.
ويجلس على بساط في الدار، وله ثلاثة جزائر يأخذ مجباها لنفسه عادة قديمة أجراها السلطان أحمد شنورازة،,"He sits on a carpet in the dary and enjoys the entire revenue of three islands, according to an ancient custom, established by the Sultan Ahmad Shanuraza."
ويسمون الخطيب هنديجري (وضبط ذلك بفتح الهاء وسكون النون وكسر الدال وياء مد وجيم مفتوح وراء وياء)، ويسمون صاحب الديوان الفاملداري (بفتح الفاء والميم والدال المهمل)، ويسمون صاحب الأشغال مافاكلوا (بفتح الميم والكاف وضم اللام)، ويسمون الحاكم فتنايك (بكسر الفاء وسكون التاء المعلوة وفتح النون وألف وياء آخر الحروف مفتوحة أيضًا وكاف)، ويسمون قائد البحر ماناياك (بفتح الميم والنون والياء)،,"They call the preacher Handtjari, the chancery officer [Sahib al-diwan] Famaldari, the finance officer Mafakalu, the police commandant Fitnayak, and naval commander Manayak."
وكل هؤلاء يسمى وزيرًا،,All these persons have the title of Wazir.
ولا سجن عندهم بتلك الجزائر إنما يُحْبَس أرباب الجرائم في بيوت خشب هي مُعَدَّة لأمتعة التجار، ويُجْعَل أحدهم في خشبة كما يُفْعَل عندنا بأسارى الروم.,"There is no prison in these islands; criminals are confined in wooden chambers intended for merchandise, and each of them is secured by a piece of wood, as is done amongst us [in Morocco] with Christian prisoners."
ذكر وصولي إلى هذه الجزائر وتنقُّل حالي بها,Account of my arrival at these islands and of the course of my fortune there.
ولما وصلت إليها نزلت منها بجزيرة كنلوسن وهي جزيرة حسنة فيها المساجد الكثيرة، ونزلت بدار رجل من صلحائها،,"When I arrived at these islands I disembarked at the one called Kannalus, a fine island containing many mosques, and I put up at the house of one of the pious persons there."
وأضافني بها الفقيه علي، وكان فاضلًا له أولاد من طلبة العلم،,"I was hospitably entertained by the jurist ‘Ali, a worthy man who has sons engaged in religious studies."
ولقيت بها رجلًا اسمه محمد من أهل ظفار الحموض فأضفاني وقال لي: إن دَخَلْتَ جزيرة المهل أَمْسَكَكَ الوزير بها، فإنهم لا قاضي عندهم،,"On this island I met a man called Muhammad, belonging to Zafar al-Humud, who showed me hospitality and told me that if I entered the island of Mahal the Wazir would detain me there, because they had no Qadi."
وكان غرضي أن أسافر منها إلى المعبر وسرنديب وبنجالة ثم إلى الصين،,"Now my design was to sail from there to Ma’bar, Sarandib, and Bengal, and thence on to China."
وكان قدومي عليها في مركب الناخودة عمر الهنوري، وهو من الحجاج الفضلاء، ولما وصلنا كنلوس أقام بها عشرًا، ثم اكترى كندرة يسافر فيها إلى المهل بهدية للسلطانة وزوجها،,"I had come to the islands in the vessel of the captain ‘Omar of Hinawr, a worthy man and a pilgrim, and when we reached Kannalus he stayed there for ten days, and then hired a kundura to go to Mahal with a present for the Sultana and her husband."
فأردْتُ السفر معه فقال: لا تسعك الكندرة أنت وأصحابك، فإن شئت السفر منفردًا عنهم فدونك،,"I wanted to go with him, but he said: ‘the kundura has no room for you and your companions, but if you wish to come by yourself without them it is up to you.’"
فأبيت ذلك وسافر فلَعِبَتْ به الريح، وعاد إلينا بعد أربعة أيام وقد لقي شدائد,"I refused to do this and he set out, but the wind played tricks with him and four days later he returned to us, sorely tried."
فاعتذر لي وعزم علي في السفر معه بأصحابي،,He then made his excuses to me and insisted that I should go with him and take my companions.
فكنا نرحل غدوة فننزل في وسط النهار لبعض الجزائر ونرحل فنبيت بأخرى،,"We used to set sail in the morning and disembark at midday on one of the islands, then set off again and spend the night on another."
ووصلنا بعد أربعة أيام إلى إقليم التيم، وكان الكردوي يسمى بها هلالًا فسلم علي وأضافني،,After four days we reached the district of al-Taim; the kardut there was called Hilal and he made his salutations to me and entertained me.
وجاء إلي ومعه أربعة رجال، وقد جعل اثنان عليهم عودًا على أكتافهما، وعَلَّقَا منه أربع دجاجات، وجعل الآخران عودًا مثله، وعَلَّقَا منه نحو عشر من جوز النارجيل،,"He came to visit me accompanied by four men, two of whom carried four fowls suspended from a staff across their shoulders, and the other two about ten coconuts suspended from a similar staff."
فعجبت من تعظيمهم لهذا الشيء الحقير، فأُخْبِرْتُ أنهم صنعوه على جهة الكرامة والإجلال،,I was surprised at the importance they gave to this miserable affair but I was told that they had done it by way of showing honour and respect.
ورحلنا عنهم فنزلنا في اليوم السادس بجزيرة عثمان، وهو رجل فاضل من خيار الناس فأَكْرَمَنَا وأضافنا، وفي اليوم الثامن نزلنا بجزيرةٍ لِوَزِيرٍ يقال له التلمذي،,"After leaving them we disembarked on the sixth day on the island of ‘Othman, a worthy man, one of the best of men, who received us honorably and showed us hospitality, and on the eighth day we disembarked on an island belonging to a Wazir called al-Talamdi."
وفي اليوم العاشر وَصَلْنَا إلى جزيرة المهل؛ حيث السلطانة وزوجها وأرسينا بمرساها،,"On the tenth day we arrived at the island of Mahal, the seat of the Sultana and her husband and anchored in its harbour."
وعادتهم ألَّا ينزل أحد عن المرسى إلا بإذنهم،,The custom of the islanders is that no one may go ashore without their permission.
فأذنوا لنا بالنزول، وأَرَدْتُ التوجه إلى بعض المساجد، فمنعني الخدام الذين بالساحل، وقالوا: لا بد من الدخول إلى الوزير.,"When permission was given to us to disembark I wished to repair to one of the mosques, but the attendants on shore prevented me, saying that I must visit the Wazir."
وكُنْتُ أوصيت الناخودة أن يقول إذا سُئِلَ عني: لا أعرفه؛ خوفًا من إمساكهم إياي، ولم أَعْلَمْ أن بعض أهل الفضول قد كتب إليهم معرفًا بخبري، وأني كنت قاضيًا بدهلي،,"I had previously enjoined the captain of the ship to say, if he were asked about me: ‘I do not know him’, fearing that I should be detained by them, and I was ignorant of the fact that some gossip had written to them telling them about me and that I had been Qadi at Dihli."
فلما وصلنا إلى الدار وهو المشور نزلنا في سقائف على الباب الثالث منه،,"On reaching the dar, that is, the audience-hall, we halted in some porticoes by the third gateway."
وجاء القاضي عيسى اليمني فسلَّم علي وسلمت على الوزير،,The Qadi ‘Isa of al-Yaman came up and greeted me and I greeted the Wazir.
وجاء الناخودة إبراهيم بعشرة أثواب فخدم لجهة السلطانة ورمى بثوب منها ثم خدم للوزير ورمى بثوب آخر كذلك,"The captain Ibrahim brought ten pieces of cloth and made obeisance towards the Sultana, throwing down one piece, then to the Wazir, throwing down another in the same way."
ورمى بجميعها، وسئل عني فقال لا أعرفه،,When he had thrown them all down he was asked about me and answered:  ‘I do not know him.’
ثم أخرجوا التنبول وماء الورد، وذلك هو الكرامة عندهم، وأنزلنا بدار وبعث إلينا الطعام وهو قصعة كبيرة فيها الأرز، وتدور بها صحاف فيها اللحم الخليع والدجاج والسمن والسمك،,"Afterwards they brought out betel and rose-water to us, this being their mark of honour, and lodged us in a house, where they sent us food, consisting of a large platter of rice surrounded by plates containing salted meat, chickens, ghee, and fish."
ولما كان بالغد مضيت مع الناخودة والقاضي عيسى اليمني لزيارة زاوية في طرف الجزيرة، عمَّرَها الشيخ الصالح نجيب وعدنا ليلًا،,"On the following morning I went with the captain and the Qadi ‘Isa of al-Yaman to visit a hospice which had been built at the extremity of the island by the pious Shaikh Najlb, and we returned during the night."
وبعث الوزير إلي صبيحة تلك الليلة كسوة وضيافة، فيها الأرز والسمن والخليع وجوز النارجيل والعسل المصنوع منها وهم يسمونه القرباني (بضم القاف وسكون الراء وفتح الباء الموحدة وألف ونون وياء)، ومعنى ذلك ماء السكر، وأتوا بمائة ألف ودعة للنفقة,"In the morning following that night the Wazir sent to me a robe and a hospitality gift including rice, ghee, salted meat, coconuts and the honey made from them which they call qurbani (the meaning of which is ‘eater of sugar’), and along with this they brought , cowries for my expenses."
وبعد عشرة أيام قدم مركب من سيلان فيه فقراء من العرب والعجم يَعْرِفوني، فعرفوا خدام الوزير بأمري,"When ten days had passed a ship arrived from Ceylon bringing some poor brethren, Arabs and Persians, who recognized me and told the Wazir’s attendants who I was."
فزاد اغتباطًا بي وبعث عني عند استهلال رمضان,"This made him still more delighted to have me, and at the begin-ning of Ramadan he sent for me."
فوجدت الأمراء والوزراء، وأحضر الطعام في موائد، يجتمع على المائدة طائفة، فأجلسني الوزير إلى جانبه ومعه القاضي عيسى والوزير الفاملد أري والوزير عمر دهري ومعناه مقدم العسكر،,"I found the amirs and Wazirs present and when the food was brought in on tables, each table serving for a number of guests, the Wazir made me sit beside him, the others in his company being the Qadi ‘Isa, the Wazir famaldan and the Wazir ‘Omar daharad, which means ‘commander of the army’."
وطعامهم الأرز والدجاج والسمن والسمك والخليع والموز المطبوخ، ويشربون بعده عسل النارجيل مخلوطًا بالأقاوية وهو يهضم الطعام.,"Their dishes are rice, fowls, ghee, fish, salted meat, and cooked banana, and after eating they drink coconut honey mixed with spices which facilitates digestion of the food."
وفي التاسع من شهر رمضان مات صهر الوزير زوج بنته،,"On the ninth of Ramadan the Wazir’s son-in-law, hisi daughter’s husband, died."
وكانت قبله عند السلطان شهاب الدين، ولم يدخل بها أحد منهما لصغرها، فردها أبوها لداره، وأعطاني دارها وهي من أجمل الدور،,"She was previously married to the Sultan Shihab al-Din, but neither of her husbands had con-summated the marriage because of her youth, and the Wazir brought her back to his house and gave me her house, which was a very fine one."
واستأذنته في ضيافة الفقراء القادمين من زيارة القدم,"I asked his permission to give a banquet to the poor brethren who had come from visiting the Foot [of Adam, in Ceylon]."
فأذن لي في ذلك، وبعث إلي خمسًا من الغنم وهي عزيزة عندهم؛ لأنها مجلوبة من المعبر والمليبار ومقدشو، وبعث الأرز والدجاج والسمن والأبازير،,"He gave permission, and sent me five sheep, which are rarities among them because they are imported from Ma’bar, Mulaibar, and Maqdashaw, together with rice, chickens, ghee, and spices."
فبعثت ذلك كله إلى دار الوزير سليمان مانايك، فطبخ لي بها فأحسن في طبخه وزاد فيه، وبعث الفرش وأواني النحاس,"I sent all this to the house of the Wazir Sulaiman the manayak, who had it excellently cooked for me, and added to it, besides sending carpets and brass utensils."
وأفطرنا على العادة بدار السلطانة مع الوزير، واستأذنته في حضور بعض الوزراء بتلك الضيافة فقال لي وأنا أحضر أيضًا,"We broke our fast, according to the custom, in the Sultana’s palace, in company with the Wazir, and I asked his permission for some of the ministers to attend my HI banquet, and he said to me: ‘And I shall come too.’"
فشكرته وانصرفت إلى داري، فإذا به قد جاء ومعه الوزراء وأرباب الدولة،,So I thanked him and on returning home to my house found him already there with the ministers and high officials.
فجلس قبة في خشب مرتفعة، وكان كل من يأتي من الأمراء والوزراء يسلم على الوزير، ويرمي بثوب غير مخيط حتى اجتمع مائة ثوب أو نحوها فأخذها الفقراء،,"The Wazir sat in an elevated wooden pavilion, and all the amirs and ministers who came greeted him and threw down an unsewn cloth, so that there were collected about a hundred cloths, which were taken by the poor brethren."
وقدم الطعام فأكلوا، ثم قرأ القراء بالأصوات الحسان،,"The food was then served, and when the guests had eaten, the Qur’an readers chanted in beautiful voices."
ثم أخذوا في السماع والرقص,The poor brethren then began their ritual chants and dances.
وأعددت النار، فكان الفقراء يدخلونها ويطئونها بالأقدام، ومنهم من يأكلها كما تُؤْكَل الحلواء إلى أن خمدت.,"I had made ready a fire and they went into it, treading it with their feet, and some of them ate it as one eats sweetmeats, until it was extinguished."
ذكر بعض إحسان الوزير إليَّ,Account of part of the Wazir’s generosity towards me.
ولما تمت الليلة انصرف الوزير ومضيت معه،,"When the night came to an end, the Wazir withdrew and I went with him."
فمررنا ببستان للمخزن، فقال لي الوزير: هذا البستان لك، وسأعمر لك فيه دارًا لسُكْناك،,"As we passed by an orchard belonging to the treasury he said to me: ‘This orchard is yours, and I shall build a house in it for you to live in.’"
فشَكَرْتُ فِعْله ودَعَوْتُ له،,I thanked him and prayed for his happiness.
ثم بعث لي من الغد بجارية، وقال لي خديمه: يقول لك الوزير: إن أَعْجَبَتْكَ هذه هي لك، وإلا بَعَثْتُ لك جارية مرهتية،,"Then on the next day he sent me a slave-girl and his servant said to me: ‘The Wazir says to you that if this girl is agreeable to you she is yours, but if not he will send you a Marhata girl. ’"
وكانت الجواري المرهتيات تُعْجِبُني، فقلت له: إنما أريد المرهتية، فبَعَثَها لي،,"Now the Marhata girls were much to my liking, so I said to him: ‘I should prefer the Marhata’, and he sent her to me."
وكان اسمها قل استان، ومعناه زهر البستان، وكانت تَعْرِف اللسان الفارسي فأعجَبَتْني، وأهل تلك الجزائر لهم لسان لم أكن أعرفه،,"Her name was Qulistan, which means ‘Flower of the Garden’, and she knew the Persian language, so she pleased me, for the people of those islands have a language of their own which I did not understand."
ثم بعث إلي في غد ذلك بجارية معبرية تسمى عنبري، ولما كانت الليل بعدها جاء الوزير إلي بعد العشاء الأخيرة في نفر من أصحابه، فدخل الدار ومعه غلامان صغيران،,"Then on the following day the Wazir sent me a Ma’bari slave-girl called Anbari, and on the night of the same day he came to me after the last evening prayer with a small number of his friends and came into the house accompanied by two small slave-boys."
فسلمت عليه، وسألني عن حالي، فدعوت له وشكرته، فألقى أحد الغلامين بين يديه لقشة (بقشة) وهي شبه السبنية، وأخرج منها ثياب حرير وحُقًّا فيه جوهر وحلي،,"When I greeted him he asked how things were with me, and I thanked him and prayed for his happiness, whereupon one of the slave-boys laid a bundle down before him rather like a clothes bag and took out of it some silk cloths and a box containing pearls and jewellery."
فأعطاني ذلك وقال لي لو بعثته لك مع الجارية لقالت هو ما لي جئت به من دار مولاي، والآن هو مالك فأعطه إياه، فدعوت له وشكرته، وكان أهلًا للشكر رحمه الله.,"The Wazir gave these to me saying: ‘If I had sent them to you with the slave-girl she would have said that they were her own property which she had brought from her master’s house; but now they are your property so give them to her as a present’, whereupon I thanked him and prayed for his happiness for he was entitled to thanks, God’s mercy on him."
ذكر تغيره وما أردته من الخروج ومقامي بعد ذلك,Account of his displeasure and my intention to leave and subsequent stay.
وكان الوزير سليمان مانايك قد بعث إليَّ أن أتزوج بنته، فبعثت إلى الوزير جمال الدين مستأذنًا في ذلك،,"The Wazir Sulaiman the manayak had sent to me proposing that I should marry his daughter, and I sent to the Wazir Jamal al-Din to ask his permission for my acceptance."
فعاد إليَّ الرسول، وقال: لم يعجبه ذلك، وهو يحب أن يزوجك بِنْتَه إذا انقضت عدتها،,"The messenger returned to me and said: ‘The proposal does not find favour with him, for he wishes to marry you to his own daughter when her period of widowhood comes to an end.’"
فأبيت أنا ذلك، وخفت من شؤمها؛ لأنه مات تحتها زوجان قبل الدخول،,"But I for my part refused that, in fear of the ill-luck attached to her, for she had already had two husbands who had died before consummating the marriage."
وأصابتني أثناء ذلك حمَّى مرضت بها، ولا بد لكل من يدخل تلك الجزيرة أن يُحَمَّ,"Meanwhile I was seriously attacked by fever, for every person who comes to this island inevitably contracts fever."
فقوي عزمي على الرحلة عنها، فبعث بعض الحلي بالودع، واكتريت مركبًا أسافر فيه لبنجالة،,"I firmly determined therefore to leave it, sold some of the jewellery for cowries, and hired a vessel to take me to Bengal."
فلما ذهبت لوداع الوزير خرج إليَّ القاضي فقال الوزير: يقول لك إن شئت السفر فأَعْطِنَا ما أعطيناك وسافِرْ،,"When I went to take leave of the Wazir, the Qadi came out to me and said: ‘The Wazir says to you: “If you wish to go, give us back what we have given you and go”.’"
فقلت له: إنَّ بعض الحلي اشتريت به الودع فشأنكم وإياه،,"I replied: ‘I have bought cowries with some of the jewels, so do what you like with those.’"
فعاد إليَّ فقال: يقول إنما أعطيناك الذهب ولم نُعْطِكَ الودع،,"He came back to me and said: ‘He says “We gave you gold, not cowries”."
فقُلْتُ له: أنا أبيعه وآتيكم بالذهب،,’ I said to him: ‘I shall sell them and bring you the gold.’
فبَعَثْتُ إلى التجار ليشتروه مني، فأَمَرَهُم الوزير ألَّا يفعلوا، وقَصْدُه بذلك كله أَلَّا أسافر عنه،,"So I sent for the merchants, asking them to buy back the cowries from me, but the Wazir forbade them to do so, his purpose in all this being to prevent my leaving him."
ثم بعث إلي أحد خواصه، وقال الوزير يقول لك أقم عندنا ولك كل ما أحببت،,"Afterwards he sent one of his courtiers to me to say: ‘The Wazir says “Stay with us, and you shall have what you will”."
فقلت في نفسي: أنا تحت حكمهم، وإن لم أقم مختارًا أقمت مضطرًّا، فالإقامة باختياري أولى، وقلت لرسوله: نعم أنا أقيم معه،,"’ So reasoning with myself that was in their power and that if I did not stay of my own free will I should be kept by main force, and that it was better to stay of my own choice, I said to his messenger: ‘Very well, I shall stay with him.’"
فعاد إليه ففرح بذلك واستدعاني،,When the messenger returned to him he was overjoyed at this and summoned me.
فلما دخلت إليه قام إلي وعانقني وقال: نحن نريد قربك، وأنت تريد البعد عنا، فأعذرت له فقبل عذري وقلت له: إن أردتم مقامي فأنا أشترط عليكم شروطًا,"As I entered he rose and embraced me saying: ‘We wish you to stay near us and you wish to go away from us!’ I made my excuses, which he accepted, and said to him: ‘If you wish me to stay I have some conditions to make.’"
فقال نقبلها فاشترط،,He replied: ‘Granted. Name them.’
فقلت له أنا لا أستطيع المشي على قدمي،,I said: ‘I cannot walk about on foot.’
ومن عادتهم ألَّا يركب أحد هنالك إلَّا الوزير. ولقد كنت لما أعطوني الفرس فركبته يتبعني الناس رجالًا وصبيانًا، يعجبون مني,"Now it is their custom that no one rides there except the Wazir, and when I had been given a horse and rode out on it, the population, men and boys, used to follow me in amazement."
حتى شكوت له فضربت الدنقرة، وبرح في الناس ألَّا يتبعني أحد والدنقرة (بضم الدال المهمل وسكون النون وضم القاف وفتح الراء)،,"At length I complained to him, so he had the dunqura beaten and a public proclamation made that no one was to follow me."
شبه الطست من النحاس تضرب بحديدة، فيسمع لها صوت على البعد، فإذا ضربوها حينئذٍ يبرح في الناس بما يراد،,The dunqura is a sort of brass basin which is beaten with an iron rod and can be heard at a great distance; after beating it any proclamation which it is desired to make is publicly announced.
فقال لي الوزير: إن أردت أن تركب الدولة، وإلا فعندنا حصان ورمكة، فاختر أيهما شئت،,"The Wazir said to me: ‘If you wish to ride in a palanquin, do so; if not we have a stallion and a mare — choose which of them you wish.’"
فاخترت الرمكة، فأتوني بها في تلك الساعة، وأتوني بكسوة،,So I chose the mare and it was brought to me on the spot along with a robe.
فقلت له: وكيف أصنع بالودع الذي اشتريته فقال: ابعث أحد أصحابك ليبيعه لك ببنجالة،,Then I said: ‘What shall I do with the cowries I bought?’ He replied: ‘Send one of your companions to sell them for you in Bengal.’
فقلت له: على أن تبعث أنت من يعينه على ذلك،,"I said: ‘I shall, on condition that you too send someone to help him in the transaction.’"
فقال: نعم، فبعث حينئذٍ رفيقي أبا محمد بن فرحان، وبعثوا معه رجلًا يسمى الحاج عليًّا،,"He agreed to that, so I sent off my travelling companion Abu Muhammad b, Farhan and they sent with him a man named al-Hajj Ali."
فاتفق أن هال البحر فرموا بكل ما عندهم حتى الزاد والماء والصاري والقرية، وأقاموا ست عشرة ليلة لا قلع لهم ولا سكان ولا غيره،,"It happened that the sea became stormy and they threw overboard all that they had even down to the provisions, water, mast, and waterskins, and remained for sixteen nights without sails or rudder or anything else."
ثم خرجوا إلى جزيرة سيلان بعد جوع وعطش وشدائد،,At length after suffering hunger and thirst and hardship they came out at the island of Ceylon.
وقدم علي صاحبي أبو محمد بعد سنة، وقد زار القدم وزارها مرة ثانية معي.,"My companion Abu Muhammad returned to me a year later having visited the Foot [of Adam], which he visited a second time with me."
ذكر العيد الذي شَاهَدْتُه معهم,Account of the Festival which I attended in their company.
ولما تم شهر رمضان بعث الوزير إلي بكسوة، وخرجنا إلى المصلى، وقد زُيِّنَت الطريق التي يمر الوزير عليها من داره إلى المصلى، وفُرِشَت الثياب فيها، وجُعِلَتْ كتاتي الودع يُمْنة ويُسْرة،,"When the month of Ramadan ended, the Wazir sent me a robe and we went out to the musalla the road by which the Wazir would pass from his house to the musalla was decorated and spread with cloths, and kuttds of cowries were placed right and left of it."
وكل من له على طريقه دار من الأمراء والكبار قد غرس عندها النخل الصغار من النارجيل وأشجار الفوفل والموز ومدم من شجر إلى أخرى شرائط، وعلق منها الجوز الأخضر،,"Every one of the amirs and principal men who had a house on his way had planted beside it little coco-palms, areca trees and bananas, and had stretched from one tree to the next cords from which he hung green nuts."
ويقف صاحب الدار عند بابها، فإذا مر الوزير يرمي على رجليه ثوبًا من الحرير أو القطن، فيأخذها عبيده مع الودع الذي يجعل على طريقه أيضًا,"The owner of the house would then stand beside its door and as the Wazir passed would throw down in front of him a piece of silk or cotton cloth, which his slaves picked up together with the cowries placed along the road."
والوزير ماش على قدميه وعليه فرجية مصرية من المرعز وعمامة كبيرة وهو متقلد فوطة حرير، وفوق رأسه أربعة شطور،,"All this time the Wazir walked on his own feet, wearing an Egyptian farajtya of goat’s hair and a large turban, with a silk cloth round his shoulders, and four parasols over his head."
وفي رجليه النعل، وجميع الناس سواه حفاة،,He had sandals on his feet while everybody else was barefoot.
والأبواق والأنفار والأطبال بين يديه والعساكر أمامه وخلفه، وجميعهم يكبرون حتى أتوا المصلى،,"He was preceded by trumpets, bugles and drums, and in front of and behind him were troops all of whom were shouting the takbir until they came to the musalla."
فخطب ولده بعد الصلاة، ثم أتي بمحفة فركب فيها الوزير، وخدم له الأمراء والوزراء، ورموا بالثياب على العادة،,"After the prayer the Wazir’s son delivered the khutba, then a litter was brought in which the Wazir took his seat and the amirs and the Wazirs did homage to him and threw down cloths according to the custom."
ولم يكن ركب في المحفة قبل ذلك؛ لأن ذلك لا يفعله إلا الملوك،,He had not ridden in a litter before this because it is a thing which is not done except by the kings.
ثم رفعه الرجال وركبت فرسي ودخلنا القصر، فجلس بموضع مرتفع وعنده الوزراء والأمراء، ووقف العبيد بالترسة والسيوف والعصى،,"The bearers then lifted him up and I rode my horse, and so we entered the palace, where the Wazir took his seat in an elevated place, attended by the Wazirs and amirs, and the slaves stood with shields, swords and staves."
ثم أتي بالطعام ثم الفوفل والتنبول، ثم أتي بصحفة صغيرة فيها الصندل المقاصري، فإذا أكلت جماعة من الناس تلطخوا بالصندل،,"After the food had been served followed by the areca-nut and the betel, a small plate containing Macassar sandalwood was carried round and when a group of those present had eaten they rubbed themselves with sandalwood."
ورأيت على بعض طعامهم يومئذٍ حوتًا من السرذين مملوحًا غير مطبوخ، أهدي لهم من كولم وهو من بلاد المليبار كثير،,"I saw that day on one of their dishes some sardines, salted but uncooked, which had been brought to them as a gift from Kawlam, for they are plentiful in the land of Mulaibar."
فأخذ الوزير بسرذينة، وجعل يأكلها، وقال لي: كل منه، فإنه ليس ببلادنا،,The Wazir took a sardine and as he was eating it he said to me: ‘Eat some of these for they are not found in our country.’
فقلت: كيف أكله وهو غير مطبوخ فقال: إنه مطبوخ، فقلت: أنا أعرف به فإنه ببلادي كثير.,I replied: ‘How can I eat them when they are uncooked?’ He said: ‘But they are cooked.’ I replied: ‘I know better for they are common in our country.’
ذكر تزوجي وولايتي القضاء,Account of my marriage and my appointment as Qadi.
وفي الثاني من شوال اتفقت مع الوزير سليمان مانايك على تزوج بنته، فبعثت إلى الوزير جمال الدين أن يكون عقد النكاح بين يديه بالقصر,"On the second of Shawwal I made an agreement with the Wazir Sulaiman the manayak to marry his daughter, so I sent to the Wazir Jamal al-Din requesting that the ceremony might be held in his presence at the palace."
فأجاب إلى ذلك، وأحضر التنبول على العادة والصندل,"He gave his consent, and sent the customary betel and sandalwood."
وحضر الناس، وأبطأ الوزير سليمان,The guests arrived but the Wazir Sulaiman delayed.
فاستدعي فلم يأت، ثم استدعي ثانية فاعتذر بمرض البنت،,"He was sent for but still did not come, and on being summoned a second time excused himself on the ground of his daughter’s illness."
فقال لي الوزير سرًّا: إنَّ بنته امتنعت وهي مالكة أمر نفسها,The Wazir then said to me privily: ‘His daughter has refused and she is her own mistress.
والناس قد اجتمعوا، فهل لك أن تتزوج بربيبة السلطان زوجة أبيها وهي التي ولده متزوج بنتها؟,"The people have assembled, so what do you say to marrying the Sultana’s mother-in-law?’ (It was her daughter to whom the Wazir’s son was married.)"
فقلت له: نعم، فاستدعى القاضي والشهود ووقعت الشهادة,"I said: ‘Very well’, so the Qadi and notaries were summoned, and the profession of faith recited."
ودفع الوزير الصداق ورفعت إلى بعد أيام،,"The Wazir paid her dowry, and she was conducted to me a few days later."
فكانت من خيار النساء، وبلغ حسن معاشرتها أنها كانت إذا تزوجت عليها تطيبني وتبخر أثوابي وهي ضاحكة لا يظهر عليها تغير،,"She was one of the best of women, and was so affectionate that when I married her she used to anoint me with perfume and cense my garments, laughing all the while and without showing any displeasure."
ولما تزوجتها أكرهني الوزير على القضاء,After this marriage the Wazir forced me to take the office of Qadi.
وسببه ذلك اعتراضي على القاضي لكونه كان يأخذ العشر من التركات؛ إذا قسمها على أربابها فقلت له: إنما لك أجرة تنفق بها مع الورثة،,"The reason for this was that I had reproached the Qadi for his practice of taking a tenth of all estates when he divided them amongst the heirs, saying to him: ‘You should have nothing but a fee agreed upon between you and the heirs.’"
ولم يكن يحسن شيئًا،,Besides he never did anything properly.
فلما وليت اجتهدت جهدي في إقامة رسوم الشرع، وليست هنالك خصومات كما هي ببلادنا،,"When I was appointed, I strove my utmost to establish the prescriptions of the Sacred Law. Lawsuits there are not like those in our land."
فأول ما غيرت من عوائد السوء مكث المطلقات في ديار المطلقين، وكانت إحداهن لا تزال في دار المطلق حتى تتزوج غيره,"The first bad custom I changed was the practice of divorced wives of staying in the houses of their former husbands, for they all do so till they marry another husband."
فحسمت علة ذلك،,I put a stop to that.
وأتي إلي بنحو خمسة وعشرين رجلًا ممن فعل ذلك فضربتهم وشهرتهم بالأسواق، وأخرجت النساء عنهم،,"About twenty-five men who had acted thus were brought before me; I had them beaten and paraded in the bazaars, and the women put away from them."
ثم اشتددت في إقامة الصلوات، وأمرت الرجال بالمبادرة إلى الأزقة والأسواق إثر صلاة الجمعة فمن وجدوه لم يصل ضربته وشهرته,"Afterwards I gave strict injunctions that the prayers were to be observed, and ordered men to go swiftly to the streets and bazaars after the Friday service; anyone whom they found not having prayed I had beaten and paraded."
وألزمت الأئمة والمؤذنين أصحاب المرتبات المواظبة على ما هم بسبيله، وكتبت إلى جميع الجزائر بنحو ذلك،,I compelled the salaried prayer-leaders and muezzins to be assiduous in their duties and sent letters to all the islands to the same effect.
وجهدت أن أكسو النساء فلم أقدر على ذلك.,"I tried also to determine how women dressed, but I could not manage this"
ذكر قدوم الوزير عبد الله بن محمد الحضرمي الذي نفاه السلطان شهاب الدين إلى السويد وما وقع بيني وبينه,"Account of the arrival of the Wazir ‘Abdallah ibn Muhammad of Ifadramaut, whom the Sultan Shihab al-Din had exiled to alSuwaid, and of what took place between us."
وكنت قد تزوجت ربيبته بنت زوجته وأحببتها حبًّا شديدًا،,"I had married his stepdaughter, the daughter of his wife, and I was exceedingly fond of her."
ولما بعث الوزير عنه ورده إلى جزيرة المهل بعث له التُّحف وتلقيته، ومضيت معه إلى القصر،,"When the Wazir sent for him to return to the island of Mahal, I sent him presents, went out to meet him and accom-panied him to the palace."
فسلم على الوزير، وأنزله في دار جيدة فكنت أزوره بها،,"He saluted the Wazir who assigned him as his residence a fine house, where I used to visit him."
واتفق أن اعتكفت في رمضان، فزارني جميع الناس إلا هو، وزارني الوزير جمال الدين، فدخل هو معه بحكم الموافقة،,"It happened that I went into retreat during the feast of Ramadan, and all the people came to visit me except him, until the Wazir Jamal al-Din visited me when he came with him by way of keeping him company."
فوقَعَتْ بيننا الوحشة، فلما خرجت من الاعتكاف شكا إلى أخوال زوجتي ربيبته أولاد الوزير جمال الدين السنجري،,"A coolness grew up between us, and when I came out of retreat the maternal uncles of my wife who was his step-daughter, that is to say the sons of the Wazir Jamal al-sinjari, laid a complaint before me."
فإن أباهم أوصى عليهم الوزير عبد الله، وإن مالهم باقٍ بيده، وقد خرجوا عن حجره بحكم الشرع، وطلبوا إحضاره بمجلس الحكم،,"Their father had appointed the Wazir ‘Abdallah as their guardian and their property was still in his hands although they had emerged from his tutelage under the provisions of the Law, and they demanded that he should be brought before the tribunal."
وكانت عادتي إذا بعثتُ عن خَصْمٍ من الخصوم أبعث له قطعة كاغدا مكتوبة، فعندما يقف عليها يبادر إلى مجلس الحكم الشرعي وإلا عاقبته،,"It was my custom when I sent for any of the parties to a case to send him a scrap of paper, with or without writing on it, on receipt of which he would at once come to the tribunal of the Law, and if he did not I punished him."
فبعثت إليه على العادة فأغضبه ذلك وحَقَدَها لي، وأضمر عداوتي،,"I sent for him accordingly in the usual way, but he was indignant at my action, made it a grudge against me and became secretly hostile to me."
ووكل من يتكلم عنه، وبَلَغَنِي عنه كلام قبيح،,"He sent an agent to speak on his behalf, and I was informed that he had used some unseemly language."
وكانت عادة الناس من صغير وكبير أن يخدموا له كما يخدمون للوزير جمال الدين،,"It was the custom of the people, both small and great, to do homage to him as they did to the Wazir Jamal al-Din."
وخِدْمَتهم أن يوصلوا السبابة إلى الأرض، ثم يقبلونها ويضعونها على رءوسهم،,"Their manner of doing homage is to put the forefinger to the ground, then to kiss and lay it on their heads."
فأمرت المنادي فنادى بدار السلطان على رءوس الأشهاد أنه من خَدَمَ للوزير عبد الله كما يخدم للوزير الكبير لزمه العقاب الشديد، وأخذت عليه ألَّا يترك الناس لذلك فزادت عداوته،,"I ordered the crier to announce in the Sultan’s palace, in the presence of witnesses, that anyone who did homage to the Wazir ‘Abdallah in the same way as to the great Wazir would be visited by severe penalties, and I took an engagement from him that he would not permit the people to do this, all of which made him still more hostile."
وتزوجت أيضًا زوجة أخرى بنت وزير معظم عندهم كان جده السلطان داود حفيد السلطان أحمد شنورازة، ثم تزوجت زوجة كانت تحت السلطان شهاب الدين، وعمرت ثلاث ديار بالبستان الذي أعطانيه الوزير،,"I also married another wife, the daughter of a Wazir, a man highly respected among them whose grandfather was the Sultan Da’ud, the descendant of Sultan Ahmad Shanuraza. Afterwards I married a wife who had formerly been married to the Sultan Shihab al-Din, and I built three houses in the garden which the Wazir had given me."
وكانت الرابعة وهي ربيبة الوزير عبد الله تسكن في دارها وهي أحبهن إلي،,"My fourth wife, who was the daughter-in-law of the Wazir ‘Abdallah, used to live in her own house, and she was my favourite amongst them."
فلما صاهرت من ذكرته هابني الوزير وأهل الجزيرة، وتخوفوا مني لأجل ضعفهم، وسعوا بيني وبين الوزير بالنمائم، وتولى الوزير عبد الله كبر ذلك حتى تمكنت الوحشة.,"After I had become allied by marriage to these persons whom I have mentioned the Wazir and the islanders stood in awe of me, because of their weakness, and they exerted themselves to turn the Wazir against me by slanders, Wazir ‘Abdallah taking the largest part in this, until our relations became strained."
ذكر انفصالي عنهم وسبب ذلك,Account of my separation from them and the reason for it.
واتفق في بعض الأيام أن عبدًا من عبيد السلطان جلال الدين شَكَتْه زَوْجَتُه إلى الوزير، وأَعْلَمَتْه أنه عند سرية من سراري السلطان يزني بها،,It happened one day that a slave belonging to the Sultan Jalal alDin was complained of to the Wazir by his wife who informed him that he was at the house of one of the Sultan’s concubines and committing adultery with her.
فبعث الوزير الشهود، ودخلوا دار السرية، فوجدوا الغلام نائمًا معها في فراش واحد وحبسوهما،,"The Wazir sent witnesses who entered the concubine’s house, found the slave sleeping with her in one bed, and arrested them both."
فلما أَصْبَحْتُ وعلمت بالخبر توجَّهْتُ إلى المشور، وجلست في موضع جلوسي، ولم أتكلم في شيء مِنْ أَمْرِها،,"On the following morning, when I learned of the event I went to the audience hall and sat in my usual place without saying a word about the affair."
فخرج إلي بعض الخواص فقال: يقول لك الوزير أَلَكَ حاجة؟ فقلت: لا، وكان قَصْدُه أن أتكلم في شأن السرية والغلام إذا كانت عادتي ألَّا تقطع قضية إلَّا حكمت فيها، فلما وَقَعَ التغير والوحشة قصرت في ذلك،,"One of the courtiers came out to me and said: ‘The Wazir asks you if there is anything you want’, to which I said: ‘No.’ It was his intention that I should speak of the affair of the concubine and the slave, since it had been my custom to let no case arise without passing judgment in it, but when the estrangement and hostility intervened I had omitted to do so."
فانصرفت إلى داري بعد ذلك، وجَلَسْتُ بموضع الأحكام، فإذا ببعض الوزراء فقال لي: الوزير يقول لك إنه وَقَعَ البارحة كيت وكيت — لقضية السرية والغلام — فاحكم فيهما بالشرع، فقلت له: هذه قضية لا ينبغي أن يكون الحُكْم فيها إلا بدار السلطان، فعُدْتُ إليها، واجتمع الناس، وأُحْضِرَت السرية والغلام، فأَمَرْتُ بضربهما للخلوة، وأَطْلَقْتُ سراح المرأة وحَبَسْتُ الغلام،,"After this I went back to my house and took my seat in the place of judgments, when one of the Wazirs appeared and said to me: ‘The Wazir informs you that yesterday there took place such and such (referring to the case of the concubine and the slave) so give your decision in regard to them according to the law. I replied: ‘This is a case in which it is not fitting to give judgment except in the Sultan’s palace’, and returned to it where there was a concourse of people. After having the concubine and the slave brought in I gave orders that both of them should be beaten because of their intimacy, and then set the woman at liberty and imprisoned the slave."
وانصرفت إلى داري، فبعث الوزير إلي جماعة من كبراء ناسه في شأن تسريح الغلام،,On my return to my house the Wazir sent some of his principal attendants to ask me to set him at liberty.
فقلت لهم: أتشفعون في غلام زنجي يهتك حرمة مولاه، وأنتم بالأمس خلعتم السلطان شهاب الدين وقتلتموه بسبب دخوله لدار غلام له؟! وأمرت بالغلام عند ذلك، فضُرِبَ بقضبان الخيزران، وهي أشد وقعًا من السياط، وشهرته بالجزيرة وفي عنقه حبل،,"I said to them: ‘Are you going to intercede for a negro slave who has violated his master’s honour, when you yourselves but yesterday deposed the Sultan Shihab al-Din and put him to death because he had entered the house of one of his slaves?’ Thereupon I sent for the slave and had him beaten with bamboo rods, which give heavier blows than whips, and paraded round the island with a rope round his neck."
فذهبوا إلى الوزير فأَعْلَمُوه، فقام وقعد واستشاط غضبًا، وجَمَعَ الوزراء ووجوه العسكر وبعث عني,"When they went to the Wazir and told him of this he was much agitated and fell into a violent rage, assembled the ministers and army commanders and sent for me."
فجئته .وكانت عادتي أن أخدم له فلم أخدم وقلت: سلام عليكم، ثم قلت للحاضرين: اشهدوا على أني قد عزلت نفسي عن القضاء لعجزي عنه،,"I came to him, and though I usually made obeisance to him, I did not make obeisance but simply said: ‘Salam *alaikum Then I said to those present: ‘Be my witnesses that I resign the office of the Qadi because of my inability to carry out its duties."
فكلمني الوزير فصعدت إليه وجلست بموضع أقابله فيه، وجاوَبْتُه أغلظ جواب،,"’ The Wazir addressed me, whereupon I mounted [to the dais], sat down in a place facing him, and answered him in the most uncompromising manner."
وأَذَّنَ مؤذن المغرب، فدخل إلى داره وهو يقول ويقولون إني سلطان، وما أنا ذا طلبته لأغضب عليه فغضب علي،,"At this point the muezzin chanted the call to the sunset prayer and he went into his palace saying: ‘They say that I am Sultan, but I sent for this fellow to vent my wrath on him and he vented his wrath on me."
وإنما كان اعتزازي عليهم بسبب سلطان الهند؛ لأنهم تحققوا مكانتي عنده، وإن كانوا على بعد منه فخوفه في قلوبهم متمكن،,"’ The respect in which I was held amongst them was due solely to the Sultan of India, for they were aware of the regard in which he held me, and even though they are far distant from him yet the fear of him is in their hearts."
فلما دخل إلى داره بعث إلي القاضي المعزول,When the Wazir entered his house he sent the former Qadi who had been removed from office to see me.
وكان جريء اللسان فقال لي: إن مولانا يقول لك كيف هتكت حرمته على رءوس الأشهاد ولم تخدم له؟,"This man had an arrogant tongue, and said to me: ‘Our master asks you why you violated his dignity in the presence of witnesses, and did not make obeisance to him."
فقلت له: إنما كنت أخدم له حين كان قلبي طيبًا عليه فلما وقع التغير تركت ذلك،,"’ I answered: ‘I used to make obeisance to him only because I was on good terms with him, but when his attitude changed I gave that up."
وتحية المسلمين إنما هي السلام وقد سلمت،,"The greeting of Muslims is the Salam and nothing more, and I said Salam."
فبعثه إلي ثانية فقال: إنما غرضك السفر عنا فأعط صدقات النساء وديون الناس وانصرف إذا شئت،,"He sent him to me a second time to say: ‘You are aiming only at leaving us; give back your wives’ dowries and pay your debts and go, if you will."
فخدمت له على هذا القول وذهبت إلى داري، فخلصت مما عليَّ من الدين،,"’ On hearing this I made obeisance to him, went to my house, and acquitted all the debts I had contracted."
وكان قد أعطاني في تلك الأيام فرش دار وجهازها من أواني نحاس وسواها، وكان يعطيني كل ما أطلبه ويحبني ويكرمني ولكنه غير خاطره وخوف مني،,"He had given me just before then the upholstery and other furnishings of a house, such as brass utensils and so forth, for he used to give me everything that I asked for, and show me affection and honour, but he had changed his attitude and been made to feel afraid of me."
فلما عرف أني قد خلصت الدين، وعزمت على السفر ندم على ما قاله، وتلكأ في الإذن لي في السفر،,"Then when he heard that I had acquitted my debt and was bent upon going, he repented of what he had said and withheld his permission for my departure."
فحلفت بالأيمان المغلظة أن لا بد من سفري، ونقلت ما عندي إلى مسجد على البحر، وطلقت إحدى الزوجات،,"So I swore with the most solemn oaths that I had no alternative but to leave, and removed all my possessions to a mosque on the coast and divorced one of my wives."
وكانت إحداهن حاملًا، فجعلت لها أجلًا تسعة أشهر إن عدت فيها وإلا فأمرها بيدها.,"Another of them was with child, so I fixed a term of nine months for my return to her, failing which she was her own mistress."
وحملت معي زوجتي التي كانت امرأة السلطان شهاب الدين لأسلمها لأبيها بجزيرة ملوك وزوجتي الأولى التي بنتها أخت السلطانة،,"I took with me my wife who had been married to the Sultan Shihab al-Din, in order to hand her over to her father in the island of Muluk, and my first wife, the one whose daughter was the sister of the Sultana."
وتوافقت مع الوزيرة عمر دهرد والوزير حسن قائد البحر على أن أمضي إلى بلاد المعبر، وكان ملكها سلفي، فأتي منها بالعساكر لترجع الجزائر إلى حكمه وأنوب أنا عنه فيها،,"I made a compact with the Wazir ‘Omar daharad and the Wazir Hasan, the commander of the sea, that I should go to the land of Ma’bar, the king of which was the husband of my wife’s sister, and fetch troops from there to bring the islands under his authority, and that I should be his representative in them."
وجعلت بيني وبينهم علامة رفع أعلام بيض في المراكب، فإذا رأوها ثاروا في البر،,I arranged that the signal between us should be the hoisting of white flags on the ships; when they saw these they were to rise in revolt on the shore.
ولم أكن حدثت نفسي بهذا قط حتى وَقَعَ ما وَقَعَ من التغير، وكان الوزير خائفًا مني يقول للناس: لا بد لهذا أن يأخذ الوزارة إما في حياتي أو بعد موتي,"I had never suggested this to myself until the Wazir became estranged from me. He was afraid of me and used to say to others: ‘This man will without doubt seize the Wazirate, either in my lifetime or after my death."
ويكثر السؤال عن حالي، ويقول: سمعت أن ملك الهند بعث إليه الأموال ليثور بها علي,’ He was constantly making enquiries about me and would say: ‘I have heard that the King of India has sent him money to aid him to revolt against me.
وكان يخاف من سفري؛ لئلا آتي بالجيوش من بلاد المعبر، فبعث إلي أن أقيم حتى يجهز لي مركبًا فأبيت،,"’ He feared my departure, lest I should fetch troops from Ma’bar, and sent to me ii asking me to stay until he could fit out a vessel for me but I refused."
وشكت أخت السلطانة إليها بسفر أمها معي،,The Sultana’s sister complained to her of her mother’s departure with me.
فأرادت مَنْعَهَا فلم تقدر على ذلك، فلما رَأَتْ عَزْمَها على السفر قالت لها: إن جميع ما عِنْدَكِ من الحلي هو من مال البندر، فإن كان لك شهود بأن جلال الدين وَهَبَه لَك وإلا فرُدِّه، وكان حليًّا له خطر فردته إليهم،,"The Sultana therefore tried to stop her but could not do so, and when she saw her determination to go she said to her: ‘All the jewels that you have come from the money of the bandar, if you have witnesses that Jalal al-Din gave them to you, good and well, otherwise you must return them’, and although the jewellery was of considerable value she returned it all to them."
وأتاني الوزراء والوجوه وأنا بالمسجد وطلبوا مني الرجوع,The Wazirs and chief men came to me at the mosque and begged me to return.
فقلت لهم: لو أني حلفت لعدت، فقالوا: تذهب إلى بعض الجزائر ليبر قسمك وتعود، فقلت لهم: نعم أرضاه لهم،,"I said to them: ‘If I had not sworn I should return.’ They said: ‘Go to one of the islands so as to keep your oath and then return’, so I said: ‘Very well’, in order to satisfy them."
فلما كانت الليلة التي سافرت فيها أتيت لوداع الوزير فعانقني وبكى حتى قطرت دموعه على قدمي،,"When the night fixed for my departure came I went on to take leave of the Wazir, and he embraced me and wept so copiously that his tears dropped on my feet."
وبات تلك الليلة يحترس الجزيرة بنفسه خوفًا أن يثور عليه أصهاري وأصحابي،,"He passed the following night guarding the island in person, for fear that my relatives by marriage and my friends would rise in revolt against him."
ثم سافرت ووصلت إلى جزيرة الوزير علي،,I now set sail and reached the island of the Wazir ‘Ali.
فأصابت زوجتي أوجاع عظيمة، وأحبت الرجوع فطلقتها وتركتها هنالك وكتبت للوزير بذلك؛ لأنها أم زوجة ولده،,"Here my wife was attacked by severe pains and wished to go back, so I divorced her and left her there, sending word to that effect to the Wazir, because she was the mother of his son’s wife."
وطلقت التي كنت ضربت لها الأجل، وبعثت عن جارية كنت أحبها، وسرنا في تلك الجزائر من إقليم إلى إقليم.,"I divorced also the wife for whom I had set a fixed term, and sent for a slave-girl of whom I was very fond, and we continued to travel through the islands from one district to another."
ذكر النساء ذوات الثدي الواحد,Account of the women who have a single breast.
وفي بعض تلك الجزائر رأيت امرأة لها ثدي واحد في صدرها ولها ابنتان؛ إحداهما كمثلها ذات ثدي واحد والأخرى ذات ثديين؛ إلا أن أحدهما كبير فيه اللبن والآخر صغير لا لبن فيه،,"In one of these islands I saw a woman who had only one breast. She had two daughters one of whom resembled her in having one breast, and the other had two breasts but one of them was large and full of milk while the other was small and had none."
فعجبت من شأنهن،,I was astonished at their condition.
ووصلنا إلى جزيرة من تلك الجزائر صغيرة ليس بها إلا دار واحدة، فيها رجل حائك,"We came to a little island in that archipelago in which there was but one house, occupied by a weaver."
له زوجة وأولاد ونخيلات نارجيل وقارب صغير يصطاد فيه السمك ويسير به إلى حيث أراد من الجزائر،,"He had a wife and family, a few coco-palms and a small boat, with which he used to fish and to cross over to any of the islands he wished to visit."
وفي جزيرته أيضًا شجيرات موز، ولم نَرَ فيها من طيور البر غير غُرَابَيْن خَرَجَا إلينا لما وصلنا الجزيرة وطافا بمركبنا،,"His island contained also banana bushes, but we saw no land birds on it except two crows, which came out to us on our arrival and circled above our vessel."
فغبطت والله ذلك الرجل، وودت أن لو كانت تلك الجزيرة لي، فانقطعت فيها إلى أن يأتيني اليقين،,"And I swear I envied that man, and wished that the island had been mine, that I might have made it my retreat until the inevitAble hour should befall me."
ثم وصلت إلى جزيرة ملوك؛ حيث المركب الذي للناخودة إبراهيم، وهو الذي عزمت على السفر فيه إلى المعبر،,I then came to the island of Muluk where the ship belong-ing to the captain Ibrahim was lying. This was the ship in which I had decided to travel to Ma’bar.
فجاء إلي ومعه أصحابه، وأضافوني ضيافة حسنة،,Ibrahim and his companions met me and showed me great hospitality.
وكان الوزير قد كتب لي أن أعطي بهذه الجزيرة مائة وعشرين بستوًا من الكودة وهي الودع، وعشرين قدحًا من الأطوان وهو عسل النارجيل وعددًا معلومًا من التنبول والفوفل والسمك في كل يوم،,"The Wazir had written to me that I was to receive in this island bustus of kudah, that is of cowries, along with twenty bowls of Atwan, that is coconut honey, and a stated quantity of betel, areca-nuts, and fish every day."
وأقمت بهذه الجزيرة سبعين يومًا وتزوجت بها امرأتين،,I stayed seventy days at Muluk and married two wives there.
وهي من أحسن الجزائر خضرة نضرة رأيت من عجائبها أن الغصن يقتطع من شجرها، ويركز في الأرض أو الحائط فيورق ويصير شجرة، ورأيت الرمان بها لا ينقطع له ثمر بطول السنة،,"This is one of the finest of the islands in greenness and fertility. One of the astonishing things that I saw there was that a branch cut from the trees that grow there and planted in the ground or in a garden hedge will throw out leaves and grow into a tree, and I saw also that the pomegranates there never cease to carry fruit all the year round."
وخاف أهل هذه الجزيرة من الناخودة إبراهيم أن ينهبهم عند سفره، فأرادوا إمساك ما في مركبه من السلاح حتى يوم سفره،,"The islanders were afraid that the captain Ibrahim would plunder them at the moment of sailing, so they proposed to seize all the weapons on his ship and keep them until the day of his departure."
فوقعت المشاجرة بسبب ذلك وعدنا إلى المهل ولم ندخلها،,"A dispute arose over this, and we returned to Mahal but did not enter the harbour."
وكتبت إلى الوزير معلمًا بذلك، فكتب أن لا سبيل لأخذ السلاح، وعدنا إلى ملوك وسافرنا منها في نصف ربيع الثاني عام خمسة وأربعين.,"I wrote to the Wazir to tell him what had occurred, whereupon he wrote to say that there was no cause for seizing the weapons. We returned to Muluk and set sail from there in the middle of Rabill, ."
وفي شعبان من هذه السنة توفِّي الوزير جمال الدين رحمه الله،,In Sha’ban of the same year the Wazir Jamal al-Din died — May God have mercy upon him.
وكانت السلطانة حاملًا منه فولدت إثر وفاته، وتزوجها الوزير عبد الله،,"The Sultana was with child by him, she gave birth after his death and the Wazir ‘Abdallah married her."
وسافرنا ولم يكن معنا رئيس عارف، ومسافة ما بين الجزائر والمعبر ثلاثة أيام فسرنا نحو تسعة أيام، وفي التاسع منها خرجنا إلى جزيرة سيلان،,"We set sail without an experienced pilot on board, the distance between the islands and Ma’bar being a three days’ journey, and travelled for nine days, emerging on the ninth day at the island of Ceylon."
ورأينا جبل سرنديب فيها ذاهبًا في السماء كأنه عمود دخان،,"We saw the mountain of Sarandib there, rising into the heavens like a column of smoke."
ولما وصلناها قال البحرية أن هذا المرسى ليس في بلاد السلطان الذي يدخل التجار إلى بلاده آمنين,"When we came to the island, the sailors said: ‘This port is not in the territory of the Sultan whose country can safely be visited by merchants."
إنما هذا مرسى في بلاد السلطان إيري سكروتي، وهو لعتاة المفسدين، وله مراكب تقطع في البحر،,It is a port in the territory of the Sultan Ayri ShakarwatT who is an evildoing tyrant and keeps pirate vessels.’
فخفنا أن ننزل بمرساه، ثم اشتدت الريح فخفنا الغرق فقلت للناخودة: أنزلني إلى الساحل وأنا آخذ لك الأمان من هذا السلطان،,"We were afraid to put into this harbour, but as a gale arose thereafter and we dreaded drowning, I said to the captain: ‘Put me ashore and I shall get you a safe-conduct from this Sultan.’"
ففعل ذلك وأنزلني بالساحل، فأتانا الكفار فقالوا: ما أنتم؟ فأخبرتهم أني سلف سلطان المعبر وصاحبه جئت لزيارته، وأن الذي في المركب هدية له،,"He did as I asked and put me ashore, whereupon the infidels came to us and said: ‘What are you?’ I told them that I was the brother-in-law and friend of the Sultan of Ma’bar, that I had come to visit him, and that the contents of the ship were a present for him."
فذهبوا إلى سلطانهم فأعلموه بذلك,They went to their Sultan and informed him of this.
فاستدعاني، فذهبت له إلى مدينة بطالة (وضبط اسمها بفتح الباء الموحدة والطاء المهمل وتشديدها)، وهي حضرته,"Thereupon he summoned me, and I visited him in the town of Bappala [Puttalam], which is his capital."
مدينة صغيرة حسنة، عليها سور خشب وأبراج خشب,"It is a small and pretty town, surrounded by a wooden wall with wooden towers."
وجميع سواحلها مملوءة بأعواد القرفة، تأتي بها السيول فتجمع بالساحل كأنها الروابي،,The whole of its coasts are covered with branches of cinnamon trees brought down by torrents and heaped up like mounds on the shore.
ويحملها أهل المعبر والمليبار دون ثمن إلا أنهم يهدون للسلطان في مقابلة ذلك الثوب ونحوه،,"They are taken without payment by the people of Ma’bar and Mulaibar, but in return for this they give presents of woven cloth and similar articles to the Sultan."
وبين بلاد المعبر وهذه الجزيرة مسيرة يوم وليلة،,It is a day and a night’s journey from this island to the land of Ma’bar.
وبها أيضًا من خشب البقم كثير ومن العود الهندي المعروف بالكلخي، إلا أنه ليس كالقماري والقاقلي وسنذكره.,"It has also much brazil-wood and Indian aloes, which is called kalakht, but it differs from the qamari and the qaquli also, and we shall describe it later."
ذكر سلطان سيلان,Account of the Sultan of Ceylon.
واسمه أَيْرِي شَكَرْوَتِي (بفتح الهمزة وسكون الياء وكسر الراء، ثمَّ ياء وشين معجم مفتوح وكاف مثله وراء مسكنة وواو مفتوح وتاء معلوة مكسورة وياء)، وهو سلطان قوي في البحر،,"His name is Ayri Shakarwati, and he is a Sultan powerful on the sea."
رأيت مرة وأنا بالمعبر مائة مركب من مراكبه بين صغار وكبار،,"Once when I was in Ma’bar I saw a hundred vessels of his there, some small, some large."
وصلت إلى هنالك، وكانت بالمرسى ثمانية مراكب للسلطان برسم السفر إلى اليمن، فأمر السلطان بالاستعداد، وحشد الناس لحماية أجفانه،,"There were in the port at that time eight vessels belonging to the Sultan [of Ma’bar] which were about to make the voyage to al-Yaman, so the Sultan gave orders to make ready all equipment and called up troops to guard his vessels."
فلما يئسوا من انتهاز الفرصة فيها قالوا: إنما جئنا في حماية مراكب لنا تسير أيضًا إلى اليمن،,When the men from Ceylon saw that they could not effect a surprise seizure of them they said: ‘We have come only to protect some vessels of ours which are also on their way to al-Yaman.’
ولما دخلت على هذا السلطان الكافر قام إلي وأجلسني إلى جانبه، وكلمني بأحسن كلام،,"When I entered the presence of this infidel Sultan, he rose to meet me, seated me beside him, and spoke most kindly to me."
وقال: ينزل أصحابك على الأمان، ويكونون في ضيافتي إلى أن يسافروا، فإن سلطان المعبر بيني وبينه الصحبة،,"He said: ‘Your companions may land in safety and will be my guests until they sail, for the Sultan of Ma’bar and I are friends.’"
ثم أمر بإنزالي فأقمت عنده ثلاثة أيام في إكرام عظيم متزايد في كل يوم،,"He then gave orders for my lodging and I stayed with him three days, enjoying great consideration which increased every day."
وكان يفهم اللسان الفارسي، ويعجبه ما أحدثه به عن الملوك والبلاد.,He understood Persian and was delighted with the tales I told him of kings and countries.
ودخلت عليه يومًا وعنده جواهر كثيرة أتى بها من مغاص الجوهر الذي ببلاده، وأصحابه يميزون النفيس منها من غيره،,"One day, when I came into his presence, he had before him a large quantity of pearls which had been brought from the pearl dives in his country, and his entourage were separating out the valuable ones from the others."
فقال لي: هل رأيت مغاص الجوهر في البلاد التي جئت منها؟ فقلت له: نعم رأيته بجزيرة قيس وجزيرة كش التي لابن السواملي،,He said to me: ‘Have you seen pearl dives in the countries that you have come from?’ I replied: ‘Yes! I have seen them in the island of Qais and the island of Kish which belongs to Ibn al-Sawamili.’
فقال سمعت بها، ثم أخذ حبات منه، فقال: أيكون في تلك الجزيرة مثل هذه؟ فقلت له: رأيت ما هو دونها فأعجبه ذلك وقال: هي لك، وقال لي: لا تستحي واطلب مني ما شئت،,"He said: ‘I have heard of them’, then taking some pearls from those in front of him he said:‘Are there in that island pearls like these?’ I replied: ‘I have seen [only] smaller ones’, which so pleased him that he said: ‘They are yours’, and added: ‘Do not be shy, but ask me for anything that you want."
فقلت له: ليس مرادي منذ وصلت هذه الجزيرة إلا زيارة القدم الكريمة قدم آدم عليه السلام,"’ I replied: ‘Since reaching this island I have but one desire, to visit the blessed Foot, the Foot of Adam."
وهم يسمونه «بابا» ويسمون حواء «ماما»، فقال هذا هين، نبعث معك من يوصلك،,"’ (They call him Baba, and Eve they call Mama.) ‘That is simple’, he answered. ‘We shall send an escort with you to take you to it.’"
فقلت: ذلك أريد، ثم قلت له: وهذا المركب الذي جئت فيه يسافر آمنًا إلى المعبر، وإذا عدت أنا بعثتني في مراكبك،,"‘That is what I want’, said I, then I added: ‘And this ship that I came in can set out in safety for Ma’bar, and when I return [from the Foot] you will send me in your own vessels.’"
فقال: نعم،,"‘Certainly’, he replied."
فلما ذكرت ذلك لصاحب المركب قال لي: لا أسافر حتى تعود، ولو أقمت سنة بسببك، فأَخْبَرْتُ السلطان بذلك فقال: يقيم في ضيافتي حتى تعود،,"When I related this to the captain, however, he said to me: ‘I shall not set sail until you return, even if I wait a year on your account’, so I told the Sultan this and he said: ‘He will remain as my guest until you come back.’"
فأعطاني دولة يحملها عبيده على أعنقاهم، وبعث معي أربعة من الجوكية الذين عادتهم السفر كل عام إلى زيارة القدم وثلاثة من البراهمة وعشرة من سائر أصحابه وخمسة عشر رجلًا يحملون الزاد،,"The Sultan then gave me a palanquin, which was carried by his slaves on their shoulders, and sent with me four jugis, whose custom it is to make an annual pilgrimage to the Foot, three Brahmans, ten other persons from his entourage, and fifteen men to carry provisions."
وأما الماء فهو بتلك الطريق كثير،,Water is plentiful along that road.
ونزلنا ذلك اليوم على وادٍ جُزْنَاه في معدية مصنوعة من قصب الخيزران،,"On the first day we encamped beside a river, which we crossed on a raft, made of bamboo canes."
ثم رحلنا من هنالك إلى منار مندلي (وضبط ذلك بفتح الميم والنون وألف وراء مسكنة وميم مفتوح ونون مسكن ودال مهمل مفتوح ولام مكسور وياء)، مدينة حسنة هي آخر عمالة السلطان،,"Thence we journeyed to Manar Mandali [Minneri-Mandel], a pretty town situated at the extremity of the Sultan’s territories."
أضافنا أهلها ضيافة حسنة، وضيافتهم عجول الجواميس يصطادونها بغابة هنالك، ويأتون بها أحياء، ويأتون بالأرز والسمن والحوت والدجاج واللبن.,"The inhabitants regaled us with a fine banquet of buffalo calves, which they hunt in a forest there and bring in alive, along with rice, ghee, fish, fowls and milk."
ولم نر بالمدينة مسلمًا غير رجل خراساني انقطع بسبب مرضه فسافر معنا،,"We did not see a single Muslim in this town, except one man from Khurasan, who was exhausted as the result of an illness, but who came on with us."
ورحلنا إلى بندر سلاوات (وضبطه بفتح الباء الموحدة وسكون النون وفتح الدال المهمل وسكون الراء وفتح السين المهمل واللام والواو وألف وتاء معلوة) بلدة صغيرة، وسافرنا منها في أوعار كثيرة المياه,"We continued our journey to Bandar Salawat [Chilaw], a small town, after which our way lay through rugged and well watered country."
وبها الفِيَلة الكثيرة، إلا أنها لا تؤذي الزوار الغرباء، وذلك ببركة الشيخ أبي عبد الله بن خفيف رحمه الله، وهو أول من فتح هذا الطريق إلى زيارة القدم،,"In this part there are many elephants, but they do no harm to pilgrims and strangers, through the blessed virtue of the Shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah b. Khafif (God’s mercy on him) who was the first to open up this road for the pilgrimage to the Foot."
وكان هؤلاء الكفار يمنعون المسلمين من ذلك ويؤذونهم ولا يؤاكلونهم ولا يبايعونهم، فلما اتفق للشيخ أبي عبد الله ما ذكرناه في السفر الأول مِنْ قَتْل الفيلة لأصحابه وسلامته من بينهم وحمل الفيل له على ظَهْره، صار الكفار من ذلك العهد يُعَظِّمون المسلمين، ويُدْخِلونهم دورهم، ويُطْعِمون معهم، ويطمئنون لهم بأهلهم وأولادهم،,"These infidels used formerly to prevent Muslims from making this pilgrimage and would maltreat them, and neither eat nor trade with them, but since the adventure that happened to the Shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah, as we have related in the first journey, when the elephants killed his companions and he alone of them escaped, and an elephant carried him on its back, the infidels honour the Muslims, allow them to enter their houses, eat with them, and have no suspicions regarding their dealings with their wives and children."
وهم إلى الآن يعظمون الشيخ المذكور أَشَدَّ تعظيم ويسمونه الشيخ الكبير،,"To this day they continue to pay the greatest vener-ation to this Shaikh, and call him ‘The Great Shaikh’."
ثم وصلنا بعد ذلك إلى مدينة كنكار (وضبط اسمها بضم الكاف الأولى وفتح النون والكاف الثانية وآخره راء)، وهي حضرة السلطان الكبير بتلك البلاد،,"After this we came to the town of Kunakar, which is the capital of the principal Sultan in this land."
وبناؤها في خندق بين جبلين على خور كبير يسمى خور الياقوت؛ لأن الياقوت يوجد به،,"It is built in a narrow valley between two hills, near a great channel called the Channel of Rubies, because rubies are found in it."
وبخارج هذه المدينة مسجد الشيخ عثمان الشيرازي المعروف بشاوش (بشينين معجمين بينهما واو مضموم)، وسلطان هذه المدينة وأهلها يزورونه ويعظمونه,"Outside this town is the mosque of Shaikh ‘Othman of Shiraz, known as the Shawush; the Sultan and inhabitants of the town visit his tomb and venerate him."
وهو كان الدليل إلى القدم، فلما قطعت يده ورجله صار الأدلاء أولاده وغلمانه؛,"He was the guide to the Foot, and when his hand and foot were cut off, his sons and slaves took his place as guides."
وسبب قطعه أنه ذبح بقرة,The reason for his mutilation was that he killed a cow.
وحكم كفار الهنود أنه من ذبح بقرة ذبح كمثلها أو جعل في جلدها وحرق،,The Hindu infidels have a law that anyone who kills a cow is slaughtered in the same fashion or else put in its skin and burned.
وكان الشيخ عثمان معظمًا، فقطعوا يده ورجله وأعطوه مجبى بعض الأسواق.,"As Shaikh ‘Othman was so highly revered by them, they cut off his hand and foot instead, and assigned to him the revenues of one of the bazaars."
ذكر سلطانها,Description of the Sultan of Kunakar.
وهو يُعْرَف بالكنار (بضم الكاف وفتح النون وألف وراء)، وعنده الفيل الأبيض لم أَرَ في الدنيا فيلًا أبيض سواه,"He is called the Kunar, and possesses a white elephant, the only white elephant I have seen in the whole world."
يركبه في الأعياد، ويجعل على جبهته أحجار الياقوت العظيمة،,He rides on it at festivals and puts great rubies on its forehead.
واتفق له أن قام عليه أهل دولته، وسملوا عينيه، وولوا والده وهو هنالك أعمى.,"It happened that his officers of state revolted against him, blinded him, and made his son ruler, but he is still there, though blind."
ذكر الياقوت,Description of the rubies.
والياقوت العجيب البهرمان إنما يكون بهذه البلدة،,The marvellous rubies called bahraman [carbuncles] are found only in this town.
فمنه ما يخرج من الخور وهو عزيز عندهم، ومنه ما يحفر عنه،,"Some are taken from the channel, and these are regarded by them as the most valuable, and some are obtained by digging."
وجزيرة سيلان يوجد الياقوت في جميع مواضعها,In the island of Ceylon rubies are found in all parts.
وهي متملكة، فيشتري الإنسان القطعة منها، ويحفر عن الياقوت،,"The land is private property, and a man buys a parcel of it and digs for rubies."
فيجد أحجارًا بيضاء مشعبة، وهي التي يتكون الياقوت في أجوافها،,"He finds white stones, deeply-cracked, and it is inside these that the rubies are formed."
فيعطيها الحكاكين، فيحكونها حتى تنفلق عن أحجار الياقوت،,He gives them to the lapidaries who scrape them down until they split away from the ruby stones.
فمنه الأحمر ومنه الأصفر ومنه الأزرق ويسمونه النيلم (بفتح النون واللام وسكون الياء آخر الحروف)،,"Some of them are red, some yellow, and some blue, which they call nailam."
وعادتهم أن ما بلغ ثمنه من أحجار الياقوت إلى مائة فنم (بفتح الفاء والنون)، فهو للسلطان يعطي ثمنه ويأخذه، وما نقص عن تلك القيمة فهو لأصحابه،,"Their custom is that all rubies of the value of a hundred fanams belong to the Sultan, who pays their price and takes them; those of less value belong to the finders."
وصرف مائة فنم ستة دنانير من الذهب،,A hundred fanams equal in value six gold dinars.
وجميع النساء بجزيرة سيلان لهن القلائد من الياقوت الملون ويجعلنه في أيديهن وأرجلهن عوضًا من الإسورة والخلاخيل,All the women in the island of Ceylon have necklaces of rubies of different colours and wear them also on their arms and legs in place of bracelets and anklets.
وجواري السلطان يصنعن منه شبكة، يجعلنها على رءوسهن،,The Sultan’s slavegirls make a network of rubies and wear it on their heads.
ولقد رأيت على جبهة الفيل الأبيض سبعة أحجار، منه كل حجر أعظم من بيضة الدجاج، ورأيت عند السلطان إيري شكروتي سكرجة على مقدار الكف من الياقوت، فيها دهن العود،,"I have seen on the forehead of the white elephant seven rubystones each larger than a hen’s egg, and I saw in the possession of the Sultan Ayr! Shakarwati a bowl [ as large as a man’s hand made of rubies, containing oil of aloes."
فجعلت أعجب منها فقال: إن عندنا ما هو أضخم من ذلك،,When I showed my astonishment he said: ‘We have things larger than that.
ثم سافرنا من كنكار، فنزلنا بمغارة تُعْرَف باسم أسطا محمود اللوري (بضم اللام) وكان من الصالحين، واحتفر تلك المغارة في سفح جبل عند خور صغير هنالك،,"’We then set out from Kunakar and halted at a cave called after Uspa Mahmud the Lur, a pious man who dug out this cave at the foot of a hill beside a small channel."
ثم رحلنا عنها، ونزلنا بالخور المعروف بخور بوزنه (بالباء الموحدة وواو وزاي ونون وهاء) وبوزنه هي القرود.,"From there we went on and halted at a channel called Khor Buznah, the word buznah meaning ‘monkeys’."
ذكر القرود,Account of the monkeys.
والقرود بتلك الجبال كثيرة جدًّا،,There are in these mountains vast numbers of monkeys.
وهي سود الألوان، لها أذناب طوال، ولذكورها لحًى كما هي للآدميين،,"They are black and have long tails, and their males are bearded like men."
وأخبرني الشيخ عثمان وولده وسواهما أن هذه القرود لها مقدم تتبعه كأنه سلطان،,"Shaikh ‘Othman and his son and others as well told me that these monkeys have a chief, whom they obey as if he were a Sultan."
يشد على رأسه عصابة من أوراق الأشجار، ويتوكأ على عصًى،,He fastens on his head a fillet of tree leaves and leans upon a staff.
ويكون عن يمينه ويساره أربعة من القرود لها عصِيٌّ بأيديها،,On his right and his left are four monkeys carrying staves in their hands.
وأنه إذا جلس القرد المقدم تقف القرود الأربعة على رأسه، وتأتي أنثاه وأولاده فتقعد بين يديه كل يوم،,"When the chief monkey sits down the four monkeys stand behind him, and his female and young come and sit in front of him every day."
وتأتي القرود فتقعد على بُعْد مِنْه، ثم يكلمها أحد القرود الأربعة فتنصرف القرود كلها،,"The other monkeys come and sit at a distance from him, and then one of the four monkeys adaresses them and all the monkeys withdraw."
ثم يأتي كل قرد منها بموزة أو ليمونة أو شبه ذلك فيأكل القرد المقدم وأولاده والقرود الأربعة،,"After this each one brings a banana or an orange or some such fruit, and the monkey chief with his young and the four monkeys eat."
وأخبرني بعض الجوكية أنه رأى القرود الأربعة بين يدي مقدمها، وهي تضرب بعض القرود بالعصي ثم نتفت وبره بعد ضربه،,One of the jugs told me that he had seen the four monkeys in the presence of their chief beating a monkey with sticks and after the beating pulling out its hair.
وذكر لي الثقات أنه إذا ظفر قرد من هذه القرود بصبية لا تستطيع الدفاع عن نفسها جامَعَهَا،,Some trustworthy persons told me as a fact that when one of these monkeys seizes a girl who is unable to defend herself he has intercourse with her.
وأخبرني بعض أهل هذه الجزيرة أنه كان بداره قرد منها، فدخلت بنت له بعض البيوت، فدخل عليها فصاحت به فغلبها، قال: ودخلنا عليها وهو بين رجليها فقتلناه،,"I was told by one of the inhabitants of this island that there was in his house a monkey of this kind; one of his daughters went into a chamber and the animal followed her in, and though she screamed at it, it got the better of her, and he added: ‘When we came into the room after her it was between her legs and so we killed it.’"
ثم كان رحيلنا إلى خور الخيزران، ومن هذا الخور أخرج أبو عبد الله بن خفيف الياقوتتين اللتين أعطاهما لسلطان هذه الجزيرة حسبما ذكرناه في السفر الأول،,"Then we journeyed to the Bamboo Pool, from which Abu ‘Abdallah b. Khafif took the two rubies he gave to the Sultan of this island, as we have related in the first journey."
ثم رحلنا إلى موضع يُعرف ببيت العجوز وهو آخر العمارة، ثم رحلنا إلى مغارة بابا طاهر وكان من الصالحين، ثم رحلنا إلى مغارة السبيك (بفتح السين المهمل وكسر الباء الموحدة وياء مد وكاف)،,"We continued our journey to a place called ‘The Old Woman’s Hut’, which is the end of the inhabited part, and went on to the cave of Baba Tahir, who was a devotee, and then to the cave of al-Sabik."
وكان السبيك من سلاطين الكفار وانقطع للعبادة هنالك.,"This al-Sabik was a Sultan of the infidels, who became an anchorite in that place."
ذكر العلق الطيار,Account of the flying leeches.
وبهذا الموضع رأينا العلق الطيار ويسمونه الزلو (بضم الزاي واللام)،,"In this place we saw the flying leech, which they call zulu."
ويكون بالأشجار والحشائش التي تقرب من الماء،,It is found in trees and in the vegetation near water.
فإذا قرب الإنسان منه وثب عليه فحيثما وقع من جسده خرج منه الدم الكثير،,"When a man approaches, it jumps out at him, and wheresoever it alights on his body the blood flows."
والناس يستعدون له الليمون يعصرونه عليه، فيسقط عنهم ويجردون الموضع الذي يقع عليه بسكين خشب معد لذلك،,The inhabitants keep a lemon in readiness for it; they squeeze this over it and it falls off them; then they scrape the place on which it alighted with a wooden knife which they have for the purpose.
ويُذْكَر أن بعض الزوار مَرَّ بذلك الموضع، فتعلَّقَتْ به العلق،,It is related that as a certain traveller was passing by this place the leeches fastened on him.
فأظهر الجلد، ولم يعصر عليها الليمون، فنزف دمه ومات،,He took no notice and did not squeeze lemons on them but he lost so much blood that he died.
وكان اسمه بابا خوزي (بالخاء المعجم المضموم والزاي)، وهنالك مغارة تُنْسَب إليه، ثم رحلنا إلى السبع مغارات، ثم إلى عقبة إسكندر، ثم مغارة الأصفهاني وعين ماء وقلعة غير عامرة تحتها خور يُعرف بغوطة كاه عارفان، وهنالك مغارة النارنج ومغارة السلطان وعندها دروازة الجبل أي: بابه.,"His name was Baba Khuzl, and there is a cave there which is called by his name. We continued our journey to the seven caves, then to the pass of Iskandar, the grotto of Al-Isfahani and a spring and an uninhabited castle, below which is a hollow called the Hollow of Gah-i-‘Arifan [Place of Mystics], At the same place is the cave of the bitter orange and the cave of the Sultan and close by is the darwdza of the mountain, that is the place of access to it."
ذكر جبل سرنديب,Description of the mountain of Sarandtb.
وهو من أعلى جبال الدنيا،,This is one of the highest mountains in the world.
رأيناه من البحر، وبيننا وبينه مسيرة تِسْع، ولما صعدناه كنا نرى السحاب أسفل منا قد حال بيننا وبين رؤية أسفله،,"We saw it from the sea when we were nine days’ journey away, and when we climbed it we saw the clouds below us, shutting out our view of its base."
وفيه كثير من الأشجار التي لا يسقط لها ورق والأزاهير الملونة والورد الحمر على قَدْر الكف،,"On it there are many evergreen trees and flowers of various colours, including a red rose as big as the palm of a hand."
ويزعمون أن في ذلك الورد كتابة يُقْرَأ منها اسم الله تعالى واسم رسوله عليه الصلاة والسلام،,"They maintain that on these roses there is writing, in which can be read the name of Allah and the name of His Apostle (peace be upon him)."
وفي الجبل طريقان إلى القدم؛ أحدهما يُعْرَف بطريق «بابا» والآخر بطريق «ماما» يعنون آدم وحواء عليهما السلام،,"There are two tracks on the mountain leading to the Foot, one called Baba track and the other Mama track, iso meaning Adam and Eve (peace be upon them)."
فأما طريق ماما فطريق سهل عليه يرجع الزوار إذا رجعوا ومن مضى عليه، فهو عندهم كمن لم يزر،,"The Mama track is easy and is the route by which the pilgrims return, but anyone who goes by that way is not considered by them to have made the pilgrimage at all."
وأما طريق بابا فصعب وعر المرتقى،,The Baba track is difficult and stiff climbing.
وفي أسفل الجبل حيث دروازته مغارة تُنْسَب أيضًا للإسكندر وعين ماء،,"At the foot of the mountain where the darwaza is there is a cave, which is ascribed also to Iskandar, and a spring of water."
ونحت الأولون في الجبل شبه درج يصعد عليها وغرزوا فيها أوتاد الحديد، وعلقوا منها السلاسل ليتمسك بها من يصعده،,"Former generations cut a sort of stairway on the mountain, and fixed iron stanchions on it, to which they attached chains for climbers to hold on by."
وهي عشر سلاسل؛ ثنتان في أسفل الجبل حيث الدروازة، وسبع متوالية بعدها، والعاشرة هي سلسلة الشهادة؛ لأن الإنسان إذا وصل إليها، ونظر إلى أسفل الجبل أدركه الوهم، فيتشهد خوف السقوط،,"There are ten such chains, two at the foot of the hill by the darwdza, seven successive chains farther on, and the tenth is the Chain of the Profession of Faith’, so called because when one reaches it and looks down to the foot of the hill, he is seized by apprehensions and recites the profession of faith for fear of falling."
ثم إذا جاوزْتَ هذه السلسلة وجدت طريقًا مهملًا،,When you climb past this chain you find a badly kept track.
ومن السلسلة العاشرة إلى مغارة الخضر سبعة أميال، وهي في موضع فسيح عندها عين ماء تُنْسَب إليه أيضًا ملأى بالحوت، ولا يصطاده أحد،,"From the tenth chain to the cave of Khidr is seven miles; this cave lies in a spacious place, where there is a spring which is also called by his name; it is full of fish, but no one catches them."
وبالقرب منها حَوْضان منحوتان في الحجارة عن جنبتي الطريق،,Close to this there are two tanks cut in the rock on either side of the path.
وبمغارة الخضر يترك الزوار ما عندهم، ويصعدون منها ميلين إلى أعلى الجبل حيث القدم.,At the cave of Khidr the pilgrims leave their belongings and ascend thence for two miles to the summit of the mountain where the Foot is.
ذكر القدم,Description of the Foot.
وأثر القدم الكريمة قدم أبينا آدم صلى الله عليه وسلم في صخرة سوداء مرتفعة بموضع فسيح،,"The blessed Footprint, the Foot of our father Adam (God bless him and give him peace) is on a lofty black rock in a wide plateau."
وقد غاصت القدم الكريمة في الصخرة حتى عاد موضعها منخفضًا,The blessed Foot sank into the rock far enough to leave its impression hollowed out.
وطولها أحد عشر شبرًا،,It is eleven spans long.
وأتى إليها أهل الصين قديمًا، فقطعوا من الصخرة موضع الإبهام وما يليه،,In ancient days the Chinese came here and cut out of the rock the mark of the great toe and the adjoining parts.
وجعلوه في كنيسة بمدينة الزيتون، يقصدونها من أقصى البلاد,"They put this in a temple in the city of Zaitun [Ch’iian-chou], where it is visited by men from the farthest parts of the land."
وفي الصخرة، حيث القدم تِسْع حفر منحوتة، يجعل الزوار من الكفار فيها الذهب واليواقيت والجواهر،,"In the rock where the Foot is there are nine holes cut out, in which the infidel pilgrims place offerings of gold, rubies and pearls."
فترى الفقراء إذا وصلوا مغارة الخضر يتسابقون منها لأخذ ما بالحفر,"You can see the faqlrs, after they reach the cave of Khidr, racing one another from there to take what there is in these holes."
ولم نجد نحن بها إلا يسير حجيرات وذهب أعطيناها الدليل،,"We, for our part, found nothing in them but a few small stones and a little gold, which we gave to the guide."
والعادة أن يقيم الزوار بمغارة الخضر ثلاثة أيام، يأتون فيها إلى القدم غدوة وعشيًا وكذلك فعلنا،,"It is customary for the pilgrims to stay at the cave of Khidr for three days, visiting the Foot every morning and evening, and we followed this practice."
ولما تمت الأيام الثلاثة عدنا على طريق ماما، فنزلنا بمغارة شيم وهو شيت ابن آدم عليهما السلام،,"When the three days were over we returned by the Mama track and halted at the cave of Shaim, that is Shaith, son of Adam, (Peace be upon them both)."
ثم إلى خور السمك، ثم إلى قرية كرمله (بضم الكاف وسكون الراء وضم الميم)، ثم إلى قرية جبركاوان (بفتح الجيم والباء الموحدة وسكون الراء وفتح الكاف والواو وآخره نون)، ثم إلى قرية دل دينوة (بدالين مهملين مكسورين بينهما لام مسكنة وياء مد ونون مفتوح وواو مفتوح وتاء تأنيث)، ثم إلى قرية آت فلنجة (بهمزة مفتوحة وتاء مثناة مسكنة وقاف ولام مفتوحين ونون مسكن وجيم مفتوح)، وهنالك «كان» يشتي الشيخ أبو عبد الله بن خفيف،,"From there we went on to the channel of the fish, then to the villages of Kurmula, Jabarkawan, DilDinawa, and Atqalanja, where the Shaikh Abu’Abdallah b. Khafif used to spend the winter."
وكل هذه القرى والمنازل هي بالجبل.,All these villages and stations are on the mountain.
وعند أصل الجبل في هذا الطريق درخت روان، ودرخت هي (بفتح الدال المهمل والراء وسكون الخاء المعجم وتاء معلوة)، وروان (بفتح الراء والواو وألف ونون) وهي شجرة عادية لا يسقط لها ورق،,"At the foot of the mountain on the same track, there is an ancient tree called darakht raw an, whose leaves never fall off."
ولم أرَ من رأى ورقها،,I have never seen anyone who has seen its [fallen] leaves.
ويعرفونها أيضًا بالماشية؛ لأن الناظر إليها من أعلى الجبل يراها بعيدة منه قريبة من أسفل الجبل، والناظر إليها من أسفل الجبل يراه بعكس ذلك،,"They also give this tree the name of ‘the walker’, because if you look at it from the upper part of the mountain, it appears far away and close to the foot, whereas if you look at it from the foot of the mountain it is quite the opposite."
ورأيت هنالك جملة من الجوكيين ملازمين أسفل الجبل ينتظرون سقوط ورقها، وهي بحيث لا يمكن التوصل إليها البتة،,"I saw there a number of jugs who never quit the base of the mountain waiting for its leaves to fall, for it is in a spot where it cannot be reached at all."
ولهم أكاذيب في شأنها من جملتها أن من أكل من أوراقها عاد له الشباب إن كان شيخًا وذلك باطل،,"They tell lying tales about it, one being that whoever m eats of its leaves regains his youth, even if he be an old man, but that is false."
وتحت هذا الجبل الخور العظيم الذي يخرج منه الياقوت، وماؤه يظهر في رأى العين شديد الزرقة،,Beneath the mountain is the great channel from which the rubies are taken; its water is a bright blue to the sight.
ورحلنا من هنالك يومين إلى مدينة دينور (وضبط اسمها بدال مهمل مكسور وياء مد ونون وواو مفتوحين وراء)، مدينة عظيمة على البحر يسكنها التجار،,"We travelled thence for two days to Dinawar, a large town on the coast, inhabited by merchants."
وبها الصنم المعروف بدينور في كنيسة عظيمة فيها نحو الألف من البراهمة والجوكية ونحو خمسمائة من النساء بنات الهنود، ويغنين كل ليلة عند الصنم ويرقصن,"In this town there is an idol known as Dinawar, in a vast temple, in which there are about a thousand Brahmans and jugs, and about five hundred women, daughters of the Hindus, who sing and dance every night in front of the idol."
والمدينة ومجابيها وقف على الصنم وكل من بالكنيسة، ومن يرد عليها يأكلون من ذلك،,"The city and all its revenues form an endowment belonging to the idol, from which all who live in the temple and who visit it are supplied with food."
والصنم من ذهب على قدر الآدمي، وفي موضع العينين منه ياقوتتان عظيمتان، أخبرت أنهما تضيئان بالليل كالقنديلين،,"The idol itself is of gold, about a man’s height, and in the place of its eyes it has two great rubies, which, as I was told, shine at night like lamps."
ثم رحلنا إلى مدينة قالي (بالقاف وكسر اللام)، وهي صغيرة على ستة فراسخ من دينور، وبها رجل من المسلمين يُعرف بالناخودة إبراهيم أضافنا بموضعه.,"We went on to the town of Qali, a small place six farsakhs from Dinawar, where there was a certain Muslim, called the captain Ibrahim who gave us hospitality in his place."
ورحلنا إلى مدينة كلنبو (وضبط اسمها بفتح الكاف واللام وسكون النون وضم الباء الموحدة وواو)، وهي من أحسن بلاد سرنديب وأكبرها،,"We then journeyed to the town of Kalanbu [Colombo], which is one of the finest and largest towns in Sarandib."
وبها يسكن الوزير حاكم البحر جالستي، ومعه نحو خمسمائة من الحبشة،,"In it resides the Wazir and ruler of the sea Jalasti, who has with him about five hundred Abyssinians."
ثم رحلنا فوصلنا بعد ثلاثة أيام إلى بطالة — وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُها— ودخلنا إلى سلطانها — الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُه—,"On setting out again we came, after three days’ journey, back to Bappala again and visited its Sultan of whom we have spoken above."
ووجدت الناخودة إبراهيم في انتظاري، فسافرنا بقصد بلاد المعبر،,I found the captain Ibrahim awaiting me and we set sail for the land of Ma’bar.
وقويت الريح، وكاد الماء يدخل في المركب،,During the voyage a gale sprang up and our ship nearly took in water.
ولم يكن لنا رئيس عارف،,We had no knowledgeable pilot on board.
ثم وصلنا إلى حجارة كاد المركب ينكسر فيها، ثم دخلنا بحرًا قصيرًا فتجلس المركب،,"We came to some rocks on which the shipi narrowly escaped being wrecked, and then into some shallows where the ship ran aground."
ورأينا الموت عيانًا ورمى الناس بما معهم وتوادعوا,"We were face to face with death, and people jettisoned all that they had, and bade farewell to one another."
وقطعنا صاري المركب فرمينا به، وصنع البحرية معدية من الخشب.,"We cut down the mast and threw it overboard, and the sailors made a wooden raft."
وكان بيننا وبين البر فرسخان،,We were then about two farsakhs from the shore.
فأردت أن أنزل في المعدية، وكان لي جاريتان وصاحبان من أصحابي، فقال: أتنزل وتتركنا؟ فآثرتهما على نفسي وقلت: أنزلا أنتم والجارية التي أحبها،,"I was going to climb down to the raft, when my companions (for I had two slave-girls and two of my companions with me) said to me: ‘Are you going to go down and leave us?’ So I put their safety before my own and said: ‘You two go down and take with you the girl that I love.’"
فقالت الجارية: إني أحسن السباحة، فأتعلق بحبل من حبال المعدية وأعوم معهم،,The [other] girl said: ‘I am a good swimmer and I shall hold on to one of the raft ropes and swim with them.’
فنزل رفيقاي، وأحدهما محمد بن فرحان التوزري والآخر رجل مصري والجارية معهم والأخرى تسبح،,"So both my companions (the one being Muhammad b. Farhan al-Tuzari, and the other an Egyptian) and the one girl went on the raft, the other girl swimming."
وربط البحرية في المعدية حبالًا وسحبوا بها،,"The sailors tied ropes to the raft, and swam with their aid."
وجعلت معهم ما عز علي من المتاع والجواهر والعنبر، فوصلوا إلى البر سالمين؛ لأن الريح كانت تساعدهم،,"I sent along with them all the things that I valued and the gems and ambergris, and they reached the shore in safety because the wind was in their favour."
وأقمت بالمركب,I myself stayed on the ship.
ونزل صاحبه إلى البر على الدفة،,The captain made his way ashore on the rudder.
وشرع البحرية في عمل أربع من المعادي، فجاء الليل قبل تمامها، ودخل معنا الماء,"The sailors set to work to make four rafts, but night fell before they were completed, and the ship took in water."
فصعدت إلى المؤخر وأقمت به حتى الصباح، وحينئذٍ جاء إلينا نفر من الكفار في قارب لهم، ونزلنا معهم إلى الساحل ببلاد المعبر،,"I climbed on the poop and stayed there until morning, when a party of infidels came out to us in a boat and we went ashore with them to the coast of Ma’bar."
فأعلمناهم أنا من أصحاب سلطانهم وهم تحت ذمته، فكتبوا إليه بذلك,"We told them that we were friends of their Sultan, under whose protection they live, and they wrote informing him of this."
وهو على مسيرة يومين في الغزو، وكتبت أنا إليه أعلمه بما اتفق علي،,"He was then two days’ journey away, on an expedition, and I too wrote to him telling him what had happened to me."
وأدخلنا أولئك الكفار إلى غيضة عظيمة، فأتونا بفاكهة تشبه البطيخ,Those infidels took us into a great jungle and brought us some fruit resembling melons.
يثمرها شجرة المقل، وفي داخلها شبه قطن فيه عسلية يستخرجونها، ويصنعون منها حلواء يسمونها التل وهي تشبه السكر,"This is produced by the muql tree and has inside it what resembles cotton containing a honey-like substance which they extract and from which they make a sweet called by them tall, resembling sugar."
وأتوا بسمك طيب،,They brought also some good fish.
وأقمنا ثلاثة أيام، ثم وصل من جهة السلطان أمير يُعْرَف بقمر الدين معه جماعة فرسان ورجال وجاءوا بالدولة وبعشرة أفراس,"We stayed there three days at the end of which an amir called Qamar al-Din arrived from the Sultan with a body of horse and foot, bringing a palanquin and ten horses."
فركبت وركب أصحابي وصاحب المركب وإحدى الجاريتين وحملت الأخرى في الدولة،,"I and my companions, the captain of the ship, and one of the slave-girls rode, and the other was carried in the palanquin."
ووصلنا إلى حصن هركاتو (وضبط اسمه بفتح الهاء وسكون الراء وفتح الكاف وألف وتاء معلوة مضمومة وواو)، وبتنا به وتركت فيه الجواري وبعض الغلمان والأصحاب،,"We reached the fort of Harkatu [Arcot], where we spent the night, and where I left the slave-girls and some of my slaves and compan-ions."
ووصلنا في اليوم الثاني إلى محلة السلطان.,On the following day we arrived at the camp of the Sultan.
ذكر سلطان بلاد المعبر,Account of the Sultan of the country of al-Mabar.
هو غياث الدين الدامغاني،,He is Ghiyath al-Din of Damaghan.
وكان في أول أَمْره فارسًا من فرسان المَلِك مجير بن أبي الرجا أحد خدام السلطان محمد،,"At the outset of his career he was a horseman in the service of the malik Mujlr b. Abi-Raja, one of the household of the Sultan Muhammad."
ثم خدم الأمير حاجي بن السيد السلطان جلال الدين,"He then entered the service of the amir Haji, son of the Sayyid Sultan Jalal alDin."
ثم وُلِّيَ المُلْكَ، وكان يُدْعَى سراج الدين قَبْلَه، فلما وُلِّيَ تَسَمَّى غياث الدين،,"Then he became a malik, and having previously been called Siraj al-Din he now took the name of Ghiyath al-Din."
وكانت بلاد المعبر تحت حكم السلطان محمد ملك دهلي،,"The land of Ma’bar had been under the rule of the Sultan Muhammad, the king of Dihli."
ثم ثار بها صهري الشريف جلال الدين أحسن شاه،,Then my father-in-law the Sharif Jalal al-Din Ahsan Shah revolted.
وملك بها خمسة أعوام ثم قُتِلَ وولي أحد أمرائه وهو علاء الدين أدبجي (بضم الهمزة وفتح الدال المهمل وسكون الياء آخر الحروف وكسر الجيم)، فملك سنة,"After reigning there for five years he was killed and one of his amirs, ‘Ala al-Din UdaijI, ruled after him for a year."
ثم خرج إلى غزو الكفار، فأخذ لهم أموالًا كثيرة وغنائم واسعة، وعاد إلى بلاده،,He then made an expedition against the infidels and after taking immense riches of theirs and enormous booty returned to his country.
وغزاهم في السنة الثانية فهزمهم، وقتل منهم مقتلة عظيمة، واتفق يوم قتله لهم أن رفع المِغْفر عن رأسه ليشرب، فأصابه سهم غرب، فمات من حينه،,"He raided them again the following year but, after defeating them with enormous slaughter, it chanced on the very day he killed them that he took his helmet from his head to drink, was hit by a chance arrow, and died on the spot."
فولوا صهره قطب الدين، ثم لم يحمدوا سيرته فقتلوه بعد أربعين يومًا، وولي بعده السلطان غياث الدين،,"They appointed as ruler his sonin-law Qutb al-Din, but after forty days disliking his conduct, they killed him, and the Sultan Ghiyath al-Din succeeded him as ruler."
وتزوج بنت السلطان الشريف جلال الدين التي كنت متزوجًا أختها بدهلي.,"He married the daughter of the Sultan Sharif Jalal al-Din, and it was her sister that I had married in Dihli."
ذكر وصولي إلى السلطان غياث الدين,Account of my coming to the Sultan Ghiyath al-Dtn.
ولما وصلنا إلى قرب من منزله بعث بعض الحجاب لتلقينا،,"When we reached the neighbourhood of his camp, he sent one of his chamberlains to welcome us."
وكان قاعدًا في برج خشب،,He himself was lodging in a fort made of wood.
وعادتهم بالهند كلها ألَّا يدخل أحد على السلطان دون خُفٍّ،,"Now, it is a custom throughout India that no person enters the Sultan’s presence without boots on."
ولم يكن عندي خُفٌّ فأعطاني بعض الكفار خفًّا،,I had no boots with me so one of the infidels gave me a pair.
وكان هنالك من المسلمين جماعة، فعجبت من كون الكافر كان أتم مروءة منهم،,There were a number of Muslims there and I was astonished to find an infidel show greater courtesy than they did.
ودخلت على السلطان، فأمر لي بالجلوس، ودعا القاضي الحاج صدر الزمان بهاء الدين، وأنزلني في جواره ثلاثة من أخبية,"When I appeared before the Sultan he bade me be seated, summoned the Qadi, al-Hajj Sadr al-Zaman Baha’ al-Din, and assigned to me three tents in his vicinity."
وهم يسمونها الخيام،,They call these tents khiydm.
وبعث بالفرش وبطعامهم وهو الأرز واللحم،,"He also sent furnishings and some of their food, that is rice and meat."
وعادتهم هنالك أن يسقوا اللبن الرائب على الطعام كما يفعل ببلادنا،,They have the same custom there as in our own country of serving curdled milk after the meat.
ثم اجتمعت به بعد ذلك، وألقيت له أمر جزائر ذيبة المهل، وأن يبعث الجيش إليها،,Afterwards I met him and proposed to him the business of the Maldives and that he should send troops there.
فأخذ في ذلك بالعزم وعين المراكب لذلك وعين الهدية لسلطانتها والخلع للوزراء والأمراء والعطايا لهم،,"He decided to do this and designated the ships for the purpose, the gift for the Sultana and the robes of honour and presents for the Wazirs and amirs."
وفوض إلي في عقد نكاحه مع أخت السلطانة، وأمر بوسق ثلاثة مراكب بالصدقة لفقراء الجزائر،,He entrusted me with drawing up his contract of marriage with the Sultana’s sister and ordered that three ships should be loaded with alms for the poor people of the islands.
وقال لي: يكون رجوعك بعد خمسة أيام،,He said to me: ‘You will come back after five days.’
فقال له قائد البحر خواجة سرلك: لا يمكن السفر إلى الجزائر إلا بعد ثلاثة أشهر من الآن،,"Khwaja Sarlak, the admiral, said to him: ‘It is impossible to travel to the islands except after three months from now.’"
فقال لي السلطان: أما إذا كان الأمر هكذا فامْضِ إلى فتن حتى تقضي هذه الحركة،,"The Sultan said to me: ‘If that is so, proceed to Fattan so we can bring this expedition to an end."
وتعود إلى حضرتنا مترة ومنها تكون الحركة،,We shall return to Mutra our capital and the expedition will start from there.’
فأقمت معه بخلال ما بعثت عن الجواري والأصحاب.,So I stayed with him and in the meantime did not send for my slave-girls and companions.
ذكر ترتيب رحيله وشنيع فعله في قتل النساء والولدان,Account of the Sultan’s order of march and his abominable conduct in killing women and children.
وكانت الأرض التي نسلكها غيضة واحدة من الأشجار والقصب بحيث لا يسلكها أحد،,The country through which we were passing was one jungle of trees and reeds such that nobody could penetrate it.
فأمر السلطان أن يكون مع كل واحد ممن في الجيش من كبير وصغير قادوم لِقَطْع ذلك،,"The Sultan ordered that everyone in the army, whether high or low, should carry an axe for cutting through it."
فإذا نزلت المحلة ركب إلى الغابة والناس معه، فقطعوا تلك الأشجار من غدوة النهار إلى الزوال،,"When the camp was pitched he rode to the forest accompanied by the troops, and they cut down trees from morning till afternoon."
ثم يؤتى بالطعام فيأكل جميع الناس طائفة بعد أخرى،,"Then food was brought and all the people ate, one party after another."
ثم يعودون إلى قطع الأشجار إلى العشي،,Then they resumed cutting down trees till evening.
وكل من وجدوه من الكفار في الغيضة أَسَرُوه،,Any infidel whom they found in the jungle they took prisoner.
وصنعوا خشبة محددة الطرفين، فجعلوها على كتفيه يحملها,They made wooden stakes sharpened at both ends and put them on the prisoners’ shoulders to carry.
ومعه امرأته وأولاده ويؤتى بهم إلى المحلة،,Their wives and children were with them and they brought them to the camp.
وعادتهم أن يصنعوا على المحلة سورًا من خشب، يكون له أربعة أبواب ويسمونه الكتكر (بفتح الكافين وسكون التاء المعلوة وآخره راء)،,"It is their custom to make round the camp a wooden palisade with four gates, which they call a katkar."
ويصنعون على دار السلطان كتكرًا ثانيًا،,They make another katkar round the Sultan’s tent.
ويصنعون خارج الكتكر الأكبر مَصَاطِبَ ارتفاعها نحو نصف قامة، ويوقدون عليها النار بالليل،,Outside the peripheral katkar they make platforms about half a man’s height and light fires on them at night.
ويبيت عندها العبيد والمشاءون،,The slaves and sentinels pass the night there.
ومع كل واحد منهم حزمة من رقيق القصب، فإذا أتى أحد من الكفار ليضربوا على المحلة ليلًا أَوْقَدَ كل واحد منهم الحزمة التي بيده، فعاد الليل شبه النهار لكثرة الضياء، وخرجت الفرسان في اتباع الكفار،,"Each of them has a handful of thin reeds and when some of the infidels come to attack the camp at night each one lights the bundle he has in his hand and the night becomes like day from the brightness of the illumination, and the horsemen ride out in pursuit of the infidels."
فإذا كان عند الصباح قسم الكفار المأسورون بالأمس أربعة أقسام، وأُتِيَ إلى كل باب من أبواب الكتكر بقسم منهم،,In the morning the infidels taken prisoner the day before were divided into four groups which were taken to each of the four gates of the katkar.
فركزت بالخشب التي كانوا يحملونها بالأمس عنده، ثم ركزوا فيها حتى تنفذهم،,The stakes they had carried the day before were fixed in them and driven through them.
ثم تُذْبَح نساؤهم، ويُرْبَطْن بشعورهن إلى تلك الخشبات،,Their women were killed and tied by the hair to the stakes.
ويُذْبَح الأولاد الصغار في حجورهن، ويُتْرَكُون هنالك,The little children were killed in their laps and left there.
"وتنزل المحلة.
ويشتغلون بقطع غيضة أخرى، ويصنعون بمن أسروه كذلك،","[Another] camp was pitched, they busied themselves cutting down more jungle, and acted in the same way with those they made prisoners."
وذلك أمر شنيع ما علمته لأحد من الملوك،,This was an abomination which I have not known of any other king.
وبسببه عجل الله حينه،,That is why God hastened his death.
ولقد رأيته يومًا والقاضي عن يمينه وأنا عن شماله وهو يأكل معنا، وقد أتي بكافر معه امرأته وولد سنه سبع،,"One day the Qadi was seated on his right and I on his left, and he was eating with us, and I saw an infidel brought to him with his wife and seven year old son."
فأشار إلى السيافين بيده أن يقطعوا رأسه،,He signed with his hand to the sword bearers that they should cut off the man’s head.
ثم قال لهم وزن أو وبسرا ومعناه وابنه وزوجته فقُطِعَت رقابهم،,"Then he said to them: ‘Va zan-i u va pesar-i-u’, which means ‘and his son and his wife’ and their throats were cut."
وصَرَفْتُ بصري عنهم، فلما قُمْتُ وجدت رءوسهم مطروحة بالأرض،,I looked away from them and when I arose I found their heads thrown on the ground.
وحضرت عنده يومًا وقد أُتِيَ برجل من الكفار،,I was in his presence one day when an infidel man had been brought to him.
فتكلم بما لم أَفْهَمْهُ، فإذا بجماعة من الزبانية قد استلوا سكاكينهم,He said something I did not understand and immediately some of his myrmidons drew their knives.
فبادَرْتُ القيام، فقال لي: إلى أين؟ فقلت: أصلي العصر،,I got up at once and he said to me: ‘Where are you going?’ I said: ‘I am going to pray the afternoon prayer.’
ففَهِمَ عني وضَحِكَ،,He understood and laughed.
وأمر بقطع يديه ورجليه،,He ordered his hands and feet to be cut off.
فلما عُدْتُ وجدته متشحطًا في دمائه.,When I returned I found him wallowing in his blood.
ذكر هزيمته للكفار وهي من أعظم فتوحات الإسلام,"Account of his rout of the infidels, one of the greatest victories of Islam."
وكان فيما يجاور بلاده سلطانٌ كافر يسمى بلاديو (بفتح الباء الموحدة ولام وألف ولام ثانية ودال مهمل مكسور وياء آخر الحروف مفتوحة وواو مسكن)،,Bordering on his country was an infidel Sultan named Balal Diyau.
وهو من كبار سلاطين الكفار،,He was one of the principal infidel Sultans.
يزيد عسكره على مائة ألف، ومعه نحو عشرين ألفًا من المسلمين أهل الدعارة وذوي الجنايات والعبيد الفارين،,"His army exceeded one hundred thousand and he also had with him twenty thousand Muslims, rascals, criminals and runaway slaves."
فطمع في الاستيلاء على بلاد المعبر،,He wanted to get control of the country of alMa’bar.
وكان عسكر المسلمين بها ستة آلاف منهم النصف من الجياد والنصف الثاني لا خير فيهم ولا غناء عندهم،,"The Muslim army there comprised six thousand men, of whom half were excellent and the other half worthless and of no use."
فلقوه بظاهر مدينة كبان,They met outside the city of Kubban.
فهزمهم، ورجعوا إلى حضرة مترة، ونزل الكافر على كبان، وهي من أكبر مدنهم وأحصنها،,"The infidel routed them and they retreated to Mutra, their capital, while he encamped at Kubban, one of the greatest and strongest of the Muslim cities."
وحاصرها عشرة أشهر، ولم يَبْقَ لهم من الطعام إلا قوت أربعة عشر يومًا،,He besieged it for ten months and they were left with provisions for only fourteen days.
فبعث لهم الكافر أن يخرجوا على الأمان، ويتركوا له البلد,The infidel proposed to them that they should leave under safe conduct and abandon the town to him.
فقالوا له: لا بد من مطالعة سلطاننا بذلك،,They said to him: ‘We must submit this to our Sultan.’
فوعدهم إلى تمام أربعة عشر يومًا،,He promised them fourteen days [to do this].
فكتب إلى السلطان غياث الدين بأمرهم،,They wrote to Sultan Ghiyath al-Din about their situation.
فقرأ كتابهم على الناس يوم الجمعة،,He read their letter to the people on Friday.
فبكوا وقالوا: نبيع أنفسنا من الله،,They wept and said: ‘We shall sell our lives for God.
فإن الكافر إن أخذ تلك المدينة انتقل إلى حصارنا،,If the infidel takes that city he will come and lay siege to us.
فالموت تحت السيوف أولى بنا،,It is better for us to die by the sword.’
فتعاهدوا على الموت، وخرجوا من الغد،,They pledged one another to face death and they marched out next day.
ونزعوا العمائم عن رءوسهم، وجعلوها في أعناق الخيل، وهي علامة من يريد الموت،,"They took off their turbans from their heads and put them on their horses’ necks, this signifying someone who is willing to die."
وجعلوا ذوي النجدة والأبطال منهم في المقدمة وكانوا ثلاثمائة،,"They placed the most valiant and bravest in the van, to the number of three hundred."
وجعلوا على الميمنة سيف الدين بها دور وكان فقيهًا ورعًا شجاعًا، وعلى الميسرة الملك محمد السلحدار.,"On the right they placed Saif al-Din Bahadur, a scrupulous and courageous jurist, and on the left the malik Muhammad the Silahdar (Sword bearer)."
وركب السلطان في القلب ومعه ثلاثة آلاف،,The Sultan rode in the centre with three thousand men.
وجعل الثلاثة الآلاف الباقين ساقة لهم، وعليهم أسد الدين كيخسرو الفارسي،,The remaining three thousand he made the rearguard under Asad al-Din Kaykhusru the Persian.
وقصدوا محلة الكافر عند القايلة وأهلها على غرة وخيلهم في المرعى،,They made for the infidel’s camp at the time of the siesta when people were relaxing and the horses were at pasture.
فأغاروا عليها، وظن الكفار أنهم سراق، فخرجوا إليهم على غير تعبية وقاتلوهم،,They attacked it and the infidels thought they were robbers and came out against them in confusion and fought them.
فوصل السلطان غياث الدين، فانهزم الكفار شر هزيمة،,Sultan Ghiyath al-Din came up and they were disastrously routed.
وأراد سلطانها أن يركب — وكان ابن ثمانين سنة —,"Their Sultan wanted to mount his horse, though he was eighty years old."
فأدركه ناصر الدين بن أخي السلطان الذي ولي الملك بعده فأراد قَتْلَه ولم يَعْرِفه،,"Nasir al-Din, who was the son of the Sultan’s brother, and who succeeded him as king, seized him and was going to kill him, not recognizing him."
فقال له أحد غلمانه هو السلطان،,One of his slaves said to him: ‘He is the Sultan.’
فأسره وحمله إلى عمه فأكرمه في الظاهر حتى جبى منه الأموال والفيلة والخيل,"So he made him prisoner and took him to his uncle, who treated him with apparent respect until he had extracted from him his wealth, his elephants and his horses."
وكان وعده السراح، فلما استصفى ما عنده ذبحه وسلخه وملأ جلده بالتبن، فعلق على سور متر ورأيته بها معلقًا،,"He was promising to set him at liberty, but when he had extorted everything he possessed, he killed and flayed him, stuffed his skin with straw, and hung it on the wall of Mutra, where I saw it hanging."
ولنعد إلى كلامنا فنقول:,Let us return to our story.
ورحلت عن المحلة، فوصلت إلى مدينة فتن (بفتح الفاء والتاء المثناة المشددة ونون)، وهي كبيرة حسنة على الساحل,"I travelled from the camp and reached the city of Fattan, which is a large and fine city on the coast."
ومرساها عجيب،,Its harbour is wonderful.
قد صنعت فيه قبة خشب كبيرة قائمة على الخشب الضخام، يصعد إليها على طريق خشب مسقف،,"A big wooden pavilion has been built in it, which stands on thick wooden piers and is reached by a covered wooden causeway."
فإذا جاء الغدو ضموا إليها الأجفان التي تكون بالمرسى وصعدها الرجال والرماة فلا يصيب العدو فرصة،,"When the enemy comes the ships in the harbour are moored by the pavilion, the infantry and archers climb up to it and the enemy has no chance."
وبهذه المدينة مسجد حسن مبني بالحجارة، وبها العنب الكثير والرمان الطيب،,"In this city is a fine mosque, built of stone, and there are plentiful grapes and good pomegranates."
ولقيت الشيخ الصالح محمد النيسابوري — أحد الفقراء المولهين الذين يسدلون شعورهم على أكتافهم —,"There I met the pious shaikh Muhammad of Naisabur, one of the distraught faqirs, who let their hair grow down to their shoulders."
ومعه سبع رباه يأكل مع الفقراء ويقعد معهم،,"With him was a lion which he had brought up, which ate with the faqirs and sat with them."
وكان معه نحو ثلاثين فقيرًا,He had about thirty faqirs with him.
لأحدهم غزالة تكون مع الأسد في موضع واحد فلا يعرض لها،,"One of them had a gazelle which was in the same place as the lion, which did not attack it."
وأقمت بمدينة فتن،,I stayed in the city of Fattan.
وكان السلطان غياث الدين قد صنع له أحد الجوكية حبوبًا للقوة على الجماع،,A jugi made pills for Sultan Ghiyath al-Din to give him strength in copulation.
وذكروا أن من جملة أخلاطها برادة الحديد فأكل منها فوق الحاجة فمرض,It was said that the mixture j included iron filings and that he ate more of them than was necessary and fell ill.
ووصل إلى فتن، فخرجت إلى لقائه وأهديت له هدية،,When he reached Fattan I went out to meet him and gave him a present.
فلما استقر بها بعث عن قائد البحر خواجة سرور فقال له: لا تشتغل بسوى المراكب المعينة للسفر إلى الجزائر.,"When he was established there he sent for the admiral, Khwaja Sarur, and said to him: ‘Concern yourself with nothing else but the ships assigned to the expedition to the islands.’"
وأراد أن يعطيني قيمة الهدية فأَبَيْتُ,"He wanted to give me the price of my present, but I refused."
ثم نَدِمْتُ لأنه مات فلم آخذ شيئًا،,I regretted it later for he died and I received nothing.
وأقام بفتن نصف شهر ثم رحل إلى حضرته،,"He stayed half a month in Fattan, then travelled to his capital."
وأقمت أنا بعده نصف شهر، ثم رحلت إلى حضرته وهي مدينة مترة (بضم الميم وسكون التاء المعلوة وفتح الراء)، مدينة كبيرة متسعة الشوارع،,"I stayed half a month after him, then travelled to his capital, the city of Mutra, a large city with wide streets."
وأول من اتخذها حضرة صهري السلطان الشريف جلال الدين أحسن شاه، وجعلها شبيهة بدهلي وأحسن بناءها،,"The first to choose it as his capital was my father-in-law the Sultan Sharif Jalal al-Din Ahsan Shah, who made it similar to Dihli and gave it fine buildings."
ولما قدمتها وجدت بها وباء يموت منه الناس موتًا ذريعًا،,When I arrived there I encountered a plague from which people died suddenly.
فمن مرض مات من ثاني يوم مرضه أو ثالثه، وإن أبطأ موته فإلى الرابع,Whoever fell ill died in two or three days. If death was delayed it was only till the fourth day.
فكنت إذا خرجت لا أرى إلا مريضًا أو ميتًا،,When I went out I saw only the sick or the dead.
واشتريت بها جارية على أنها صحيحة فماتت في يوم آخر،,"I bought a slave-girl there on the understanding that she was healthy, but she died the next day."
ولقد جاءت إلي في بعض الأيام امرأة كان زوجها من وزراء السلطان أحسن شاه,One day a woman came to me whose husband had been one of the Wazirs of Sultan Ahsan Shah.
ومعها ابن لها سنه ثمانية أعوام نبيل كيس فطن،,"She had with her her son who was eight years old, talented, clever and intelligent."
فشكت ضعف حالها فأعطيتهما نفقة،,She complained of her impoverished state and I gave them a sum of money.
وهما صحيحان سويان،,They were both healthy and fit.
فلما كان من الغد جاءت تطلب لولدها المذكور كفنًا، وإذا به قد تُوُفِّيَ من حينه،,Next day she came asking for a shroud for the aforesaid son who had suddenly died.
وكنت أرى بمشور السلطان حين مات المئين من الخدم اللاتي أتي بهن لدق الأرز المعمول منه الطعام لغير السلطان، وهن مريضات قد طرحن أنفسهن في الشمس،,At the time of the Sultan’s death I used to see in his audience hall hundreds of servant-girls who had been brought in to pound the rice from which food was made for others than the Sultan; they were ill and had thrown themselves down in the sun.
ولما دخل السلطان مترة وجد أمه وامرأته وولده مرضى،,"When the Sultan came to Mutra he found his mother, his wife and his son all ill."
فأقام بالمدينة ثلاثة أيام، ثم خرج إلى نهر على فرسخ منها كانت عليه كنيسة للكفار،,"He stayed in the city for three days, then went to a river a farsakh away where there was an infidel temple."
وخرجت إليه في يوم خمس، فأمر بإنزالي إلى جانب القاضي،,I followed him on the Thursday and he ordered that I should stay with the qaT.
فلما ضربت لي الأخبية رأيت الناس يسرعون ويموج بعضهم في بعض،,When the tents were pitched for me I saw people hurrying and pushing against each other.
فمن قائل إن السلطان مات، ومن قائل إن ولده هو الميت،,Some said: ‘The Sultan is dead’ and some said: ‘It is his son who has died.’
ثم تحقق ذلك فكان الولد هو الميت ولم يكن له سواه،,We found out the truth; it was the son who had died and he had no other.
فكان موته مما زاد في مرضه وفي الخميس بعده توفيت أم السلطان.,His death aggravated the Sultan’s illness and his mother died on the Thursday.
ذكر وفاة السلطان وولاية ابن أخيه وانصرافي عنه,"Account of the Sultan’s death, of the accession of his brother’s son, and of nty leaving him."
وفي الخميس الثالث توفي السلطان غياث الدين,On the third Thursday Sultan Ghiyath al-Din died.
وشعرت بذلك، فبادرت الدخول إلى المدينة خوف الفتنة،,I learnt this and hurried to the city fearing there would be disturbances.
ولقيت ناصر الدين ابن أخيه الوالي بعده خارجًا إلى المحلة، قد وجه عنه إذ ليس للسلطان ولد,"I met Nasir al-Din, his brother s son and heir apparent, on his way to the camp, to which he had been sent, as the Sultan had left no son."
فطلبني في الرجوع معه فأبيت وأثر ذلك في قلبه،,"He asked me to go back with him but I refused, which made an impression on him."
وكان ناصر الدين هذا خديمًا بدهلي قبل أن يملك عمه,This Nasir al-Din had been a household attendant in Dihli before his uncle reigned.
فلما ملك عمه هرب في زي الفقراء إليه،,When his uncle became ruler he fled to him in the guise of a faqir.
فكان من القدر ملكه بعده،,Fate determined that he should rule after him.
ولما بويع مدحته الشعراء، فأجزل لهم العطاء،,"When allegiance had been sworn to him, the poets eulogised him and he rewarded them generously."
وأول من قام منشدًا القاضي صدر الزمان، فأعطاه خمسمائة دينار وخلعة,The first to rise and recite was the Qadi Sadr al-Zaman; he gave him five hundred dinars and a robe of honour.
ثم الوزير المسمى بالقاضي، فأعطاه ألفي دينار دراهم,Then came the Wazir called Al-Qadi to whom he gave two thousand dinar dirhams.
وأعطاني أنا ثلاثمائة دينار وخلعة,He gave me three hundred dinars and a robe of honour.
وبث الصدقات في الفقراء والمساكين،,He distributed alms among the faqirs and the poor.
ولما خطب الخطيب أول خطبة خطبها باسمه نثرت عليه الدنانير والدراهم في أطباق الذهب والفضة،,"When the preacher delivered the first address in which he mentioned his name, dinars and dirhams were poured on him on gold and silver plates."
وعمل عزاء السلطان غياث الدين.,The obsequies of Sultan Ghiyath alDin were celebrated.
فكانوا يختمون القرآن على قبره كل يوم،,The whole Qur’an was recited at his grave every day.
ثم يقرأ العشارون، ثم يؤتى بالطعام فيأكل الناس،,"Then the ‘ashshdrP recited, food was brought and people ate."
ثم يُعْطَوْن الدراهم كل إنسان على قدره،,Then dirhams were given to everyone according to his status.
وأقاموا على ذلك أربعين يومًا،,This continued for forty days.
ثم يفعلون ذلك في مثل يوم وفاته من كل سنة،,Then they did the same every year on the anniversary of his death.
وأول ما بدأ به السلطان ناصر الدين أن عزل وزير عمه وطلبه بالأموال,The first thing Sultan Nasir al-Din did was to remove his uncle’s Wazir from office and demand his wealth.
"وولى الوزارة الملك بدر الدين الذي بعثه عمه إلي وأنا بفتن
ليتلقاني",As Wazir he appointed the malik Badr al-Din whom his uncle had sent to receive me when I was at Fattan.
فتُوُفِّيَ سريعًا، فولي الوزارة خواجة سرور قائد البحر،,"He soon died and Khwaja Sarur, the admiral, was appointed Wazir."
وأمر أن يُخاطَب بخواجة جهان كما يخاطب الوزير بدهلي،,"The Sultan ordered that he should be addressed as Khwaja Jahan, like the Wazir in Dihli."
ومن خاطبه بغير ذلك غرم دنانير معلومة،,Anyone who addressed him in any other way was fined a specified number of dinars.
ثم أن السلطان ناصر الدين قتل ابن عمته المتزوج بنت السلطان غياث الدين وتزوجها بعده،,"Then Sultan Nasir al-Din killed the son of his paternal aunt, who was married to the daughter of Sultan Ghiyath al-Din, and married her himself."
وبلغه أن الملك مسعودًا زاره في محبسه قبل موته فقلته أيضًا,"The Sultan was told that the malik Mas’ud had visited him in prison before his death, so he killed him too."
وقتل الملك بهادور وكان من الشجعان الكرماء الفضلاء،,"He killed the malik Bahadur who was brave, generous and a distinguished man."
وأمر لي بجميع ما كان عينه عمه من المراكب برسم الجزائر، ثم أصابتني الحمى القاتلة هنالك,"He ordered that the ships which his uncle had designated for the expedition to the islands should be assembled for me but then a fever, fatal in that country, attacked me."
فظنت أنها القاضية، وألهمني الله إلى التمر الهندي، وهو هنالك كثير،,"I thought it meant death for me, but God inspired me to resort to the tamarind, which is abundant there."
فأخذت نحو رطل منه وجعلته في الماء ثم شربته، فأسهلني ثلاثة أيام، وعافاني الله من مرضي،,I took about a pound of it in water and drank it; it purged me for three days and God cured me of my illness.
فكرهت تلك المدينة، وطلبت الإذن في السفر،,I became disgusted with that city and sought permission to leave it.
فقال لي السلطان: كيف تسافر ولم يبق لأيام السفر إلى الجزائر غير شهر واحد، أقم حتى نعطيك جميع ما أمر لك به خوند عالم,The Sultan said to me; ‘How should you leave when not a single month is left before the time for sailing to the islands? Stay till you are given everything that the Master of the World ordered for you.’
فأبيت، وكتب لي إلى فتن لأسافر في أي مركب أردت وعدت إلى فتن، فوجدت ثمانية من المراكب تسافر إلى اليمن، فسافرت في أحدها,I refused and he wrote on my behalf to Fattan and found eight ships going to al-Yaman in one of which I travelled.
ولقينا أربعة أجفان، فقاتلتنا يسيرًا ثم انصرفت,We met four ships which fought us for a little while and then withdrew.
ووصلنا إلى كولم,We reached Kawlam.
وكان في بقية مرض، فأقمت بها ثلاثة أشهر، ثم ركبت في مركب بقصد السلطان جمال الدين الهنوري، فخرج علينا الكفار بين هنور وفاكنور.,"I still had some of my illness left in me and I stayed there for three months and then embarked on a ship to go to Sultan Jamal al-Din of Hinawr, but infidels attacked us between Hinawr and Fakanur."
ذكر سلب الكفار لنا,Account of how the infidels plundered us.
ولما وصلنا إلى الجزيرة الصغرى بين هنور وفاكنور خرج علينا الكفار في اثني عشر مركبًا حربية، وقاتلونا قتالًا شديدًا وتغلبوا علينا،,"When we reached the little island between Hinawr and Fakanur the infidels came out against us in twelve warships, fought fiercely against us and overcame us."
فأخذوا جميع ما عندي مما كنت أدخره للشدائد، وأخذوا الجواهر واليواقيت التي أعطانيها ملك سيلان، وأخذوا ثيابي والزرادات التي كانت عندي مما أعطانيه الصالحون والأولياء،,"They took everything I had preserved for emergencies; they took the pearls and rubies that the king of Ceylon had given me, they took my clothes and the supplies given me by pious people and saints."
ولم يتركوا إلي ساترًا خلا السراويل،,They left me no covering except my trousers.
وأخذوا ما كان لجميع الناس، وأنزلونا بالساحل،,They took everything everybody had and set us down on the shore.
فرجعت إلى قالقوط، فدخلت بعض المساجد،,I returned to Qaliqup and went into one of the mosques.
فبعث إلي أحد الفقهاء بثوب، وبعث القاضي بعمامة، وبعث بعض التجار بثوب آخر،,"One of the jurists sent me a robe, the Qadi a turban and one of the merchants another robe."
وتَعَرَّفْتُ هنالك بزوج الوزير عبد الله بالسلطانة خديجة بعد موت الوزير جمال الدين وبأن زوجتي التي تركتها حاملًا، ولدت ولدًا ذكرًا،,I learnt there that the Wazir ‘Abdallah had married the Sultana Khadija after the death of the Wazir Jamal al-Din and that the wife I had left pregnant had given birth to a male child.
فخطر لي السفر إلى الجزائر، وتذكرت العداوة التي بيني وبين الوزير عبد الله,I thought of going to the islands but I remembered the enmity between me and the Wazir ‘Abdallah.
ففتحت المصحف فخرج لي تتنزل عليهم الملائكة ألَّا تخافوا ولا تحزنوا،,I opened the Qur an and found: ‘The angels will descend to them saying “Do not be afraid and do not grieve.’”
فاستخرت الله وسافرت،,I asked God’s blessing and set out.
فوصلت بعد عشرة أيام إلى جزائر ذيبة المهل، ونزلت منها بكنلوس,After ten days I reached the Maidive islands and landed in Kannalus.
فأكرمني، واليها عبد العزيز المقدشاوي، وأضافني وجهز لي كندرة،,"Its governor, ‘Abd al-AzIz of Maqdashaw, treated me with honour, offered me hospitality and prepared a kundura for me."
ووصلت بعد ذلك إلى هللي وهي الجزيرة التي تخرج السلطانة وأخوتها إليها برسم التفرج والسياحة,After that I reached Hululi which is the island to which the Sultana and her sisters go to relax and swim.
ويسمون ذلك التتجر،,They call this ‘going to the sea’.
ويلعبون في المراكب، ويبعث لها الوزراء والأمراء بالهدايا والتحف متى كانت بها،,They play games on the ships and when she is there the Wazirs and amirs send her presents and gifts.
ووجدت بها أخت السلطانة وزوجها الخطيب محمد بن الوزير جمال الدين وأمها التي كانت زوجتي،,"I found there the Sultana’s sister, her husband the preacher Muhammad, the son of the Wazir Jamal al-Din, and her mother, who had been my wife."
فجاء الخطيب إلي وأتوا بالطعام،,The preacher visited me and food was brought.
ومر بعض أهل الجزيرة إلى الوزير عبد الله فأعلموه بقدومي،,One of the islanders went off to the Wazir ‘Abdallah and informed him of my arrival.
فسأل عن حالي وعَمَّن قَدِمَ معي،,He asked about me and about those who had come with me.
وأُخْبِرَ أني جئت برسم حمل ولدي، وكان سنه نحو عامين.,"He was told that I had come to fetch my son, who was about two years old."
وأتته أمه تشكو من ذلك,His mother came to the Wazir and complained of this.
فقال لها: أنا لا أمنعه من حمل ولده،,He said to her: ‘I shall not prevent him from fetching his son.’
وصادرني في دخول الجزيرة، وأنزلني بدار تقابل برج قصره؛ ليتطلع على حالي،,He importuned me to come to the [principal] island and lodged me in a house opposite the tower of his palace so as to be aware of my circumstances.
وبعث إليَّ بكسوة كاملة وبالتنبول وماء الورد على عادتهم،,"He sent me a complete set of clothes, betel and rose water as is their custom."
وجئت بثوبي حرير للرمي عند السلام,I came with two silk robes to throw down when greeting him.
فأخذوهما، ولم يخرج الوزير إلى ذلك اليوم،,They took them both from me but the Wazir did not come out to receive me that day.
وأتي إلي بولدي، فظهر لي أن إقامته معهم خير له فرددته إليهم، وأقمت خمسة أيام،,"My son was brought to me, but it appeared to me that it would be best for him to stay with them, so I returned him to them and stayed for five days."
وظهر لي أن تعجيل السفر أولى، فطلبت الإذن في ذلك،,I thought it best to hasten my journey and I asked permission to leave.
فاستدعاني الوزير ودخلت عليه،,The Wazir summoned me and I went in to him.
وأتوني بالثوبين اللذين أخذوهما مني، فرميتهما عند السلام على العادة،,"They brought me the two robes they had taken from me and I threw them down on greeting him, according to custom."
وأجلسني إلى جانبه، وسألني عن حالي،,He seated me beside him and asked me about my circumstances.
وأكلت معه الطعام، وغسلت يدي معه في الطست، وذلك شيء لا يفعله مع أحد،,"I ate with him and washed my hands in the bowl with him, something he never does with anyone."
وأتوا بالتنبول وانصرفت،,Betel was brought and I left.
وبعث إلي بأثواب وبساتي من الودع وأحسن أفعاله وأجمل،,He sent me robes and bustus of cowries and behaved as well as possible.
وسافرت فأقمنا على ظهر البحر ثلاثًا وأربعين ليلة، ثم وصلنا إلى بلاد بنجالة (وضبطها بفتح الباء الموحدة وسكون النون وجيم معقود وألف ولام مفتوح)،,I left and we were at sea for forty-three days and then reached the country of Bengal.
وهي بلاد متسعة كثيرة الأرز،,"It is a spacious country, producing rice in abundance."
ولم أرَ في الدنيا أرخص أسعارًا منها لكنها مظلمة وأهل خراسان يسمونها دوزخست (دوزخ) بور (بر) نعمة معناه جهنم، ملآى بالنعم،,"Nowhere in the world have I seen cheaper produce than there, but it is gloomy and the people of Khurasan say ‘duzakhast pur ni’ma’, meaning ‘it is a hell full of blessings’."
رأيت الأرز يباع في أسواقها خمسة وعشرين رطلًا دهلية بدينار فضي،,"I have seen rice sold in the bazaars there at twenty-five Dihli pounds for a silver dinar, which is eight dirhams."
والدينار الفضي هو ثمانية دراهم ودرهمهم كالدرهم النقرة سواء,Their dirham is precisely equal to the silver ingot.
والرطل الدهلي عشرون رطلًا مغربية،,The Dihli pound is twenty Maghribi pounds.
وسمعتهم يقولون إن ذلك غلاء عندهم،,I have heard them say that it was a high price.
وحدثني محمد المصمودي المغربي وكان من الصالحين، وسكن هذا البلد قديمًا ومات عندي بدهلي أنه كانت له زوجة وخادم، فكان يشتري قوت ثلاثتهم في السنة بثمانية دراهم،,"Muhammad alMasmudi from the Maghrib, who was a truthful man, had lived there formerly, and who died in my house in Dihli, told me he had a wife and a servant and used to buy provisions for the three of them for a year for eight dirhams."
وأنه كان يشتري الأرز في قشره بحساب ثمانين رطلًا دهلية بثمانية دراهم،,He also said he used to buy eighty Dihli pounds of rice in the husk for eight dirhams.
فإذا دقه خرج منه خمسون رطلًا صافية وهي عشرة قناطير.,"When it had been pounded fifty pounds net were left, that is to say, ten qintars."
ورأيت البقرة تباع بها للحلب بثلاثة دنانير فضة وبقرهم الجواميس,I have seen a milch cow sold there for three silver dinars; their cattle are buffaloes.
ورأيت الدجاج السمان تُبَاع بحساب ثمانٍ بدرهم واحد،,I have seen fat hens sold at eight for one dirham.
وفراخ الحمام يباع خمسة عشر منها بدرهم،,Pigeon squabs are sold at fifteen for a dirham.
ورأيت الكبش السمين يباع بدرهمين، ورطل السكر بأربعة دراهم وهو رطل دهلي، ورطل الجلاب بثمانية دراهم، ورطل السمن بأربعة دراهم، ورطل السيرج بدرهمين،,"I have seen a fat ram sold for two, a pound of sugar, the Dihli pound, for four, of julep for eight, of ghee for four, and of sesame oil for two."
ورأيت ثوب القطن الرقيق الجيد الذي ذرعه ثلاثون ذراعًا يباع بدينارين،,"I have seen a piece of fine, high quality cotton, measuring thirty cubits, sold for two dinars."
ورأيت الجارية المليحة للفراش تباع بدينار من الذهب واحد وهو ديناران ونصف دينار من الذهب المغربي،,"I have seen a slave-girl, good looking and suited to be a concubine, sold for a single gold dinar, which is two and a half Maghribi gold dinars."
واشتريت بنحو هذه القيمة جارية تسمى عاشورة،,I bought a girl named Ashura of outstanding beauty for about this price.
وكان لها جمال بارع، واشترى بعض أصحابي غلامًا صغير السن حسنًا اسمه لؤلؤ بدينارين من الذهب،,One of my companions bought a pretty young slave boy named Lu’lu’ (Pearl) for two gold dinars.
وأول مدينة دخلنا من بلاد بنجالة مدينة سدكاوان (وضبط اسمها بضم السين وسكون الدال المهملين وفتح الكاف والواو وآخره نون)، وهي مدينة عظيمة على ساحل البحر الأعظم،,"The first city we entered in Bengal was Sudkawan, a very big city on the shore of the Great Sea."
ويجتمع بها نهر الكنك الذي يحج إليه الهنود ونهر الجون ويصبان في البحر،,"The rivers Kank, to which the Indians go on pilgrimage, and Jun unite there and flow into the sea."
ولهم في النهر مراكب كثيرة يقاتلون بها أهل بلاد اللكنوتي.,There are many ships on the river in which they fight the people of the country of al-Laknawti.
ذكر سلطان بنجالة,Account of the Sultan of Bengal.
وهو السلطان فخر الدين الملقب بفخره (بالفاء والخاء المعجم والراء)، سلطان فاضل محب في الغرباء وخصوصًا الفقراء والمتصوفة،,"He is Sultan Fakhr al-Din, surnamed Fakhra, an excellent Sultan, a lover of strangers and specially of faqirs and sufis."
وكانت مملكة هذه البلاد للسلطان ناصر الدين بن السلطان غياث الدين بلبن،,"The kingship of this country belonged to Sultan Nasir al-Din, son of Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Balban."
وهو الذي ولى ولده معز الدين المُلْك بدهلي,He it is whose son Mu’izz al-Din was made king in Dihli.
فتوجه لقتاله،,Nasir al-Din went to fight him.
والتقيا بالنهر، وسمي لقاؤهما لقاء السعدين،,They met by the river and it was called ‘the meeting of two auspicious stars’.
وقد ذكرنا ذلك، وأنه ترك الملك لولده وعاد إلى بنجالة فأقام بها إلى أن توفي،,"We have already recounted this, and how he relinquished the kingdom for his son and returned to Bengal, where he stayed till he died."
وولي ابنه شمس الدين إلى أن توفي،,Then his [other] son Shams al-Din ruled till he died.
فولي ابنه شهاب الدين إلى أن غَلَبَ عليه أخوه غياث الدين بهادور بور،,Then his son Shihab al-Din ruled until he was overthrown by his brother Ghiyath al-Din Bahadur Bur.
فاستنصر شهاب الدين بالسلطان غياث الدين تغلق فنصره، وأخذ بها دور بور أسيرًا،,"Shihab alDin appealed for help to Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, who helped him and took Bahadur Bur prisoner."
ثم أطلقه ابنه محمد لما ملك على أن يقاسمه ملكه,Then when his son Muhammad came to rule he freed Bahadur Bur on condition that he shared sovereignty with him.
فنكث عليه فقاتله حتى قُتِلَ،,He reneged and Sultan Muhammad fought him till he killed him.
وولى على هذه البلاد صهرًا له فقتله العسكر,Thereupon he put a brother-in-law of his in charge but the troops killed him.
واستولى على ملكها علي شاه، وهو إذ ذاك ببلاد اللكنوتي،,"] ‘All Shah, then in the country of Laknawti, took over the government."
فلما رأى فخر الدين أن الملك قد خرج عن أولاد السلطان ناصر الدين وهو مولًى لهم خَالَفَ بسدكاوان وبلاد بنجالة واستقل بالملك،,"When Fakhr al-Din saw that rule had passed from the sons of Sultan Nasir al-Din, whose client he was, he rebelled in Sudkawan and in Bengal and made himself independent."
واشتدت الفتنة بينه وبين علي شاه،,Fierce hostilities broke out between him and ‘All Shah.
فإذا كانت أيام الشتاء والوحل أغار فخر الدين على بلاد اللكنوتي في البحر لقوته فيه، وإذا عادت الأيام التي لا مطر فيها أغار علي شاه على بنجالة في البر لقوته فيه.,"When winter came and the muddy season Fakhr al-Din invaded Laknawti by river, because he was strong there, but when the dry season came ‘All Shah invaded Bengal by land, where he was strong."
حكاية,Anecdote.
وانتهى حب الفقراء بالسلطان فخر الدين إلى أن جعل أحدهم نائبًا عنه في الملك بسدكاوان،,Sultan Fakhr al-Din’s love for faqirs went so far that he installed one of them as his deputy in the government of Sudkawan.
وكان يسمى شيدا (بفتح الشين المعجم والدال المهمل بينهما ياء آخر الحروف)،,He was called Shaida.
وخرج إلى قتال عدو له فخالف عليه شيدا، وأراد الاستبداد بالملك، وقتل ولد السلطان فخر الدين، ولم يكن له ولد غيره,"Fakhr al-Din went away to fight an enemy and Shaida rebelled against him, wanted to become an independent ruler, and killed his only son."
فعلم بذلك فكر عائدًا إلى حضرته،,When he learnt this Fakhr al-Din returned to his capital.
ففر شيدا ومن اتبعه إلى مدينة ستركاوان وهي منيعة،,"Shaida and his followers fled to the city of Sunarkawan, which is strongly fortified."
فبعث السلطان بالعساكر إلى حصاره، فخاف أهلها على أنفسهم، فقبضوا على شيدا، وبعثوه إلى عسكر السلطان,"The Sultan sent for troops to besiege it, but the inhabitants, fearing for their lives, seized Shaida and sent him to the Sultan’s camp."
فكتبوا إليه بأمره، فأمرهم أن يبعثوا له رأسه فبعثوه،,"They wrote to him about this and he ordered them to send him his head, which they did."
وقتل بسببه جماعة كبيرة من الفقراء،,A large number of faqirs were killed on his account.
ولما دخلت سدكاوان لم أَرَ سلطانها ولا لقيته؛ لأنه مخالف على ملك الهند فخفت عاقبة ذلك،,"When I first entered Sudkawan I did not see the Sultan of the city and did not meet him, because he was in revolt against the ruler of India, and I was afraid of the consequences."
وسافرت من سدكاوان بقصد جبال كامرو وهي (بفتح الكاف والميم وضم الراء)، وبينها وبين سدكاوان مسيرة شهر،,"I left Sudkawan for the mountains of KamarQ, a journey from Sudkawan of one month."
وهي جبال متسعة متصلة بالصين، وتتصل أيضًا ببلاد التبت حيث غزلان المسك،,"They are extensive mountains which join China and also Tibet, where are the musk gazelles."
وأهل هذا الجبل يشبهون الترك،,The people of these mountains are like Turks.
ولهم قوة على الخدمة والغلام منهم يساوي أضعاف ما يساويه الغلام من غيرهم،,They are strong workers and a slave of that race is twice as good as a slave of another.
وهم مشهورون بمعاناة السحر والاشتغال به،,They are famous for resorting to magic and for their involvement in it.
وكان قصدي بالمسير إلى هذه الجبال لقاء ولي من الأولياء بها وهو الشيخ جلال الدين التبريزي.,"My object in going to these mountains was to meet a saint living there, Shaikh Jalal al-Din of Tabriz."
ذكر الشيخ جلال الدين,Account of the Shaikh Jalal al-Din.
وهذا الشيخ من كبار الأولياء وأفراد الرجال له الكرامات الشهيرة والمآثر العظيمة,"This Shaikh is among the greatest saints and most remarkable men, responsible for famous miracles and wonderful achievements."
وهو من المعمرين،,He was an aged man.
أخبرني رحمه الله أنه أدرك الخليفة المستعصم بالله العباسي ببغداد، وكان بها حين قتله,He told me he had even set eyes on — God’s mercy on him — the Caliph al-Musta’sim billah the ‘Abbasid in Baghdad and was there when he was killed.
وأخبرني أصحابه بعد هذه المدة أنه مات وهو ابن مائة وخمسين، وأنه كان له نحو أربعين سنة يسرد الصوم ولا يفطر إلَّا بعد مواصلة عشر،,"Later on his companions told me he had died at the age of a hundred and fifty and that he had fasted for about forty years, breaking the fast only after ten continuous days."
وكانت له بقرة يفطر على حليبها،,He had a cow and used to break his fast with its milk.
ويقوم الليل كله،,He used to stand up all night.
وكان نحيف الجسم طوالًا خفيف العارضين،,"He was thin, tall and had little hair on his cheeks."
وعلى يديه أسلم أهل تلك الجبال ولذلك أقام بينهم.,"He converted the people of those mountains to Islam, and that is why he stayed among them."
كرامة له,One of his miracles.
أخبرني بعض أصحابه أنه استدعاهم قبل موته بيوم واحد، وأوصاهم بتقوى الله، وقال لهم: إني أسافر عنكم غدًا إن شاء الله،,"One of his companions told me that one day before his death he summoned them, commended the fear of God to them, and said: ‘Tomorrow I shall leave you, if God wills."
وخليفتي عليكم الله الذي لا إله إلَّا هو،,"My successor for you will be God, than whom there is no other god.’"
فلما صلى الظهر من الغد قبضه الله في آخر سجدة منها،,"Next day God took him when he prayed the noon prayer, during the last prostration."
ووجدوا في جانب الغار الذي كان يسكنه قبرًا محفورًا عليه الكفن والحنوط,Beside the cave where they lived they found a grave dug with a shroud and aromatics for embalming.
فغسلوه وكفنوه وصلوا عليه ودفنوه به رحمه الله.,"They enshrouded him, prayed over him, and buried him there, may God have mercy on him."
كرامة له أيضًا,Another miracle of his.
ولما قصدت زيارة هذا الشيخ لقيني أربعة من أصحابه على مسيرة يومين من موضع سكناه،,When I was on my way to visit this shaikh four of his companions met me two days’ journey from the place where he lived.
فأخبروني أن الشيخ قال للفقراء الذين معه قد جاءكم سائح المغرب,They told me that the shaikh had said to the faqirs who were with him: ‘The traveller from the Maghrib has come to you.
فاستقبلوه،,Go and receive him.’
وأنهم أتوا لذلك بأمر الشيخ،,They had set out accordingly by his order.
ولم يكن عنده علم بشيء من أمري وإنما كوشف به،,He had no knowledge whatever of me; this had been revealed to him.
وسرت معهم إلى الشيخ، فوصلت إلى زاويته خارج الغار,I went with them to the shaikh and came to his hospice outside the cave.
ولا عمارة عندها،,There is no cultivated land there.
وأهل تلك البلاد من مسلم وكافر يقصدون زيارته، ويأتون بالهدايا والتحف فيأكل منها الفقراء والواردون،,"The people of the country, Muslims and infidels alike, come to the hospice with presents and gifts, and the faqirs and visitors feed on them."
وأمَّا الشيخ فقد اقتصر على بقرة يفطر على حليبها بعد عشر كما قدمناه،,"The shaikh has only a cow with whose milk he breaks his fast after ten days, as we have already explained."
ولما دخلت عليه قام إلي وعانقني، وسألني عن بلادي وأسفاري فأخبرته,"When I entered his presence he rose, embraced me, and asked about my country and my travels, about which I informed him."
فقال لي: أنت مسافر العرب،,He said to me: ‘You are the traveller of the Arabs.’
فقال له من حضر من أصحابه والعجم يا سيدنا,"One of his companions who was present said: ‘And of the non-Arabs, my master.’"
فقال والعجم,He said: ‘And of the non-Arabs.
فأكرموه,Treat him with respect.’
فاحتملوني إلى الزاوية، وأضافوني ثلاثة أيام.,They took me to the hospice and gave me hospitality for three days.
حكاية عجيبة في ضمنها كرامات له,Marvellous anecdote including miracles by him.
ولما كان يوم دخولي إلى الشيخ رأيت عليه فرجية مرعز فأعجبتني،,"The day he re-ceived me I saw he was wearing a goat-hair farajiya, which I admired."
وقلت في نفسي: ليت الشيخ أعطانيها،,I said to myself: ‘I wish the shaikh would give it to me.’
فلما دخلت عليه للوداع، قام إلى جانب الغار وجرد الفرجية، وألبسنيها مع طاقية من رأسه,"When I went to take leave of him, he rose, went to the side of the cave, took off the farajiya, and put it on me with a skull-cap from his head."
ولبس مرقعة،,He put on a patched garment.
فأخبروني الفقراء أن الشيخ لم تكن عادته أن يلبس تلك الفرجية، وإنما لبسها عند قدومي،,The faqirs told me that the shaikh did not usually wear that farajiya and had put it on only on the occasion of my arrival.
وأنه قال لهم هذه الفرجية يطلبها المغربي، ويأخذها منه سلطان كافر، ويعطيها لأخينا برهان الدين الصاغرجي وهي له وبرسمه كانت،,"He had said to them: ‘The Maghrib! will want this farajiya, an infidel Sultan will take it from him and give it to our brother Burhan al-Din of sagharj, to whom it belongs and for whom it was intended.’"
فلما أخبرني الفقراء بذلك قلت لهم: قد حصلت لي بركة الشيخ بأن كساني لباسه،,When the faqirs told me that I said: ‘I have received the saint’s benediction in that he has clothed me with this garment.
وأنا لا أدخل بهذه الفرجية على سلطان كافر ولا مسلم,"I shall not enter the presence of any Sultan, infidel or Muslim, wearing it.’"
وانصرفت عن الشيخ، فاتفق لي بعد مدة طويلة أني دخلت بلاد الصين، وانتهيت إلى مدينة الخنسا،,I left the shaikh and it happened that a long time after I entered the country of China and reached the city of Khansa.
فافترق مني أصحابي لكثرة الزحام،,I was separated from my companions because of the great crowd.
وكانت الفرجية علي,I was wearing the farajiya.
فبينا أنا في بعض الطرق، إذا بالوزير في موكب عظيم،,While I was in a certain street the Wazir appeared with a huge cortege.
فوقع بصره علي فاستدعاني، وأخذ بيدي وسألني عن مقدمي، ولم يفارقني حتى وصلت إلى دار السلطان معه،,"He noticed me, summoned me to him, took me by the hand, asked me about my arrival, and did not part from me till we reached the house of the Sultan."
فأردت الانفصال فمنعني، وأدخلني على السلطان،,I wanted to leave him but he prevented me and presented me to the Sultan.
فسألني عن سلاطين الإسلام,He asked me about the Muslim Sultans.
فأجبته، ونظر إلى الفرجية فاستحسنها،,While I was replying he looked at thz farajiya and admired it.
فقال لي الوزير جردها،,The Wazir said to me: ‘Take it off.’
فلم يمكنني خلاف ذلك،,I could not refuse.
فأخذها وأمر لي بعشر خلع وفرس مجهز ونفقة,"The Sultan took it and ordered me to be given ten robes of honour, a fully caparisoned horse and a sum of money."
وتغير خاطري لذلك ثم تذكرت قول الشيخ أنه يأخذها سلطان كافر، فطال عجبي من ذلك،,"I was displeased about this, but then I recalled that the shaikh had said that an infidel Sultan would take it and I was much amazed."
ولما كان في السنة الأخرى دخلت دار ملك الصين بخان بالق، فقصدت زاوية الشيخ برهان الدين الصاغرجي،,Next year I went into the residence of the king of China in Khan Baliq [Beijing] and sought the hospice of the Shaikh Burhan al-Din of Saghari.
فوجدته يقرأ والفرجية عليه بعينها،,I found him reading and wearing the identical farajiya.
فعجبت من ذلك وقلبتها بيدي،,I was astonished at this and fingered it in my hand.
فقال لي: لم تقلبها وأنت تَعْرِفها؟ فقلت له: نعم هي التي أخذها لي سلطان الخنسا،,He said to me: ‘Why are you fingering it? Do you recognize it?’ I said: ‘Yes. It is the one which the Sultan of Khansa took from me.’
فقال لي هذه الفرجية صنعها أخي جلال الدين برسمي، وكتب إلي أن الفرجية تصلك على يد فلان،,He said: ‘My brother Jalal al-Din made this for me and he wrote to me saying “The farajiya will come to you by the hand of so-and-so.”’
ثم أخرج لي الكتاب,Then he offered me the letter.
فقرأته وعجبت من صدق يقين الشيخ،,I read it and was amazed at how exactly correct the shaikh had been.
وأعلمته بأول الحكاية,I told Burhan al-Din the first part of the story.
فقال لي أخي جلال الدين أكبر من ذلك كله,He said: ‘My brother Jalal al-Din was greater than all that.
هو يتصرف في الكون، وقد انتقل إلى رحمة الله،,"He had power over all that exists, but he has gone to the mercy of God."
ثم قال لي: بلغني أنه كان يصلي الصبح كل يوم بمكة، وأنه يحج كل عام؛ لأنه كان يَغِيبُ عن الناس يومي عرفة والعيد فلا يُعْرَف أين ذهب.,"I have been told’, he said, ‘that he prayed the dawn prayer every day in Mecca and made the pilgrimage every year, for he was absent on the two days of ‘Arafa and the Feast and no one knew where he had gone. ’"
ولما وادعت الشيخ جلال الدين سافرت إلى مدينة حنبق (وضبط اسمها بفتح الحاء المهملة والباء الموحدة وسكون النون وقاف)، وهي من أكبر المدن وأحسنها،,"When I had said farewell to Shaikh Jalal al-Din I travelled to the city of Habanq, one of the biggest and most beautiful cities."
يشقها النهر الذي نزل من جبال كامرو، ويسمى النهر الأزرق، ويسافر فيه إلى بنجالة وبلاد اللكنوتي,"It is divided by a river which flows from the mountains of Kamaru, called the Blue River, by which one goes to Bengal and the country of al-Laknawtl."
وعليه النواعير والبساتين والقرى يمنة ويسرة كما هي على نيل مصر،,"There are water wheels, orchards and villages on both banks as there are on the Nile in Egypt."
وأهلها كفار تحت الذمة،,The people are infidels under Muslim protection.
يؤخذ منهم نصف ما يزدرعون ووظائف سوى ذلك،,They pay half of their produce and dues in addition.
وسافرنا في هذا النهر خمسة عشر يومًا بين القرى والبساتين، فكأنا نمشي في سوق من الأسواق،,We travelled on this river for fifteen days among villages and orchards as if we were walking through a bazaar.
وفيه من المراكب ما لا يحصى كثرة، وفي كل مركب منها طبل،,There were innumerable ships on the river and on each ship there was a drum.
فإذا التقى المركبان ضرب كل واحد طبله وسلم بعضهم على بعض،,When two ships met each one beat a drum and they greeted each other.
وأمر السلطان فخر الدين المذكور ألَّا يؤخذ بذلك النهر من الفقراء نول، وأن يعطى الزاد لمن لا زاد له منهم،,The said Sultan Fakhr al-Din ordered that on that river no freight charges should be exacted from faqirs and that provisions should be supplied to any of them who was without them.
وإذا وصل الفقير إلى مدينة أعطي نصف دينار،,If a faqir arrives in a city he is given half a dinar.
وبعد خمسة عشر يومًا من سفرنا في النهر — كما ذكرناه — وصلنا إلى مدينة ستر كاوان وستر (بضم السين المهمل والنون وسكون الراء)، وهي المدينة التي قبض أهلها على الفقير شيدا عندما لجأ إليها،,"After travelling by river for fifteen days, as we have described, we reached the city of Sunarkawan, the city whose ‘people seized ‘the faqir Shaida when he had taken refuge there."
ولما وصلناها وجدنا بها جنكًا يريد السفر إلى بلاد الجاوة، وبينهما أربعون يومًا فركبنا فيه.,When we arrived there we found a junk intending to go to the country of al-Jawa which is forty days’ sail away* on which we embarked.
ووصلنا بعد خمسة عشر يومًا إلى بلاد البرهنكار الذين أفواههم كأفواه الكلاب (وضبطها بفتح الباء الموحدة والراء والنون والكاف وسكون الهاء)،,We embarked and after fifteen days we arrived at the country of the Barahnakar who have mouths like those of dogs.
وهذه الطائفة من الهمج لا يرجعون إلى دين الهنود ولا إلى غيره،,They are sottish and do not adhere to the religion of the Indians or to any other.
وسكناهم في بيوت قصب مسقفة بحشيش الأرض على شاطئ البحر،,They live in houses of reeds roofed with dried grass on the seashore.
وعندهم من أشجار الموز والفوفل والتنبول كثير،,"They have many bananas, areca palms and betel bushes."
ورجالهم على مثل صورتنا إلا أن أفواههم كأفواه الكلاب،,Their men are like us except that their mouths are like those of dogs.
وأما نساؤهم فلسن كذلك ولهن جمال بارع،,Their women are not like that and are of outstanding beauty.
ورجالهم عرايا لا يستترون إلا أن الواحد منهم يجعل ذكره وأنثييه في جعبة من القصب منقوشة معلقة في بطنه،,The men are naked with no covering except that some of them put their male organs and testicles in a painted holder made of reeds and attached to their bellies.
ويستتر نساؤهم بأوراق الشجر،,The women cover themselves with tree leaves.
ومعهم جماعة من المسلمين,There is a community of Muslims among them.
من أهل بنجالة والجاوة ساكنون في حارة على حدة,They are people from Bengal and at Jawa and live in a separate quarter.
أخبرونا أنهم يتناكحون كالبهائم لا يستترون بذلك،,They told us that they copulate like beasts and do not hide what they are doing.
ويكون للرجل منهم ثلاثون امرأة فما دون ذلك أو فوقه وأنهم لا يزنون،,"A man has thirty wives, more or less, and they do not commit adultery."
وإذا زنا أحد منهم فحد الرجل أن يصلب حتى يموت، أو يؤتى صاحبه أو عبده فيصلب عوضًا منه ويسرح هو،,"If one does commit adultery the penalty for the man is that he is fixed to a cross till he dies, unless his friend or slave is fixed to the cross in his stead, when he is freed."
وحد المرأة أن يأمر السلطان جميع خدامه فينكحونها واحدًا بعد واحد بحضرته حتى تموت،,"The penalty for the woman is that the Sultan orders all his household attendants to copulate with her, one after the other till she dies, in his presence."
ويرمون بها في البحر،,Then they throw her into the sea.
ولأجل ذلك لا يتركون أحدًا من أهل المراكب ينزل إليهم إلا أن كان من المقيمين عندهم،,This is why they do not allow anyone from the ships to stay among them unless he is settled there.
وإنما يبايعون الناس، ويشاورونهم على الساحل،,They buy and sell only on the shore.
ويسوقون إليهم الماء على الفيلة؛ لأنه بعيد من الساحل،,They bring water for the traffickers on elephants because it is to be lit had a long way from the shore.
ولا يتركونهم لاستقائه خوفًا على نسائهم؛ لأنهم يطمحن إلى الرجال الحسان،,"They do not allow strangers to draw it themselves, being nervous about their women who are attracted by handsome men."
والفيلة كثيرة عندهم ولا يبعها أحد غير سلطانهم، ثم تشترى منهم بالأثواب،,Elephants are plentiful among them but only their Sultan can sell them; they are bought from him for pieces of cloth.
ولهم كلام غريب لا يفقهه إلا من ساكنهم وأكثر التردد إليهم،,They have a strange language which nobody understands unless he has lived among them and revisited them often.
ولما وصلنا إلى ساحلهم أتوا إلينا في قوارب صغار، كل قارب من خشبة واحدة منحوتة،,When we reached the shore they came to us in little boats each of which was a single log hollowed out.
وجاءوا بالموز والأرز والتنبول والفوفل والسمك.,"They brought bananas, rice, betel, areca nuts and fish."
ذكر سلطانهم,Account of their Sultan.
وأتى إلينا سلطانهم راكبًا على فيل عليه شبه بردعة من الجلود،,Their Sultan came to us riding on an elephant on which was a kind of pack saddle made of skins.
وفوق رأسه ثلاث عصائب من الحرير ملونات، وفي يده حربة من القصب،,On his head were three coloured silk fillets and in his hand was a javelin of reed.
ومعه نحو عشرين من أقاربه على الفيلة،,Some twenty of his relatives accompanied him on elephants.
فبعثنا إليه هدية من الفلفل والزنجبيل والقرفة والحوت الذي يكون بجزائر ذيبة المهل وأثوابًا بنجالية,"He sent us a gift of pepper, ginger, cinnamon, the fish there is in the Maldives and Bengali cloths."
وهم لا يلبسونها، إنما يكسونها الفيلة في أيام عيدهم؛,They do not wear these but deck the elephants with them on feast days.
ولهذا السلطان على كل مركب ينزل ببلاده جارية ومملوك وثياب لكسوة الفيل وحلي ذهب تجعله زوجته في محزمها وأصابع رجليها،,"For every ship that docks in his country he takes a slave-girl, a male slave, elephant cloths, and gold ornaments which his wife puts in her girdle and on her toes."
ومن لم يعط هذه الوظيفة صنعوا له سحرًا,If anyone does not give them this tribute they use magic against him.
يهيج به البحر فيهلك أو يقارب الهلاك.,"The sea becomes rough for him and he perishes, or almost so."
حكاية,Anecdote.
واتفق في ليلة من ليالي إقامتنا بمرساهم أن غلامًا لصاحب المركب ممن تردد إلى هؤلاء الطائفة نزل من المركب ليلًا، وتواعد مع امرأة أحد كبرائهم إلى موضع شبه الغار على الساحل،,"It happened that one night while we were in their port a slave of the master of the ship, who had repeatedly visited these people, left the ship one night for an assignation with the wife of one of their chief men in a place like a cave on the shore."
وعلم بذلك زوجها، فجاء في جمع من أصحابه إلى الغار فوجدهما به، فحملا إلى سلطانهم،,"The husband knew of this and came to the cave with a party of his friends, found them there and they were taken to the Sultan."
فأمر بالغلام فقطعت أنثياه وصلب،,He ordered that the slave’s testicles should be cut off and he should be crucified.
وأمر بالمرأة فجامعها الناس حتى ماتت،,By his orders people copulated with the woman till she died.
ثم جاء السلطان إلى الساحل، فاعتذر عما جرى،,Then the Sultan came to the shore and excused himself for what had happened.
وقال: إنا لا نجد بدًّا من إمضاء أحكامنا،,"He said: ‘We have to enforce our laws’, and ex-cused himself for what had happened."
ووهب لصاحب المركب غلامًا عوض الغلام المطلوب،,He then gave the master of the ship a slave in place of the one he had crucified.
ثم سافرنا عن هؤلاء، وبعد خمسة وعشرين يومًا وصلنا إلى جزيرة الجاوة (بالجيم) وهي التي يُنْسَب إليها اللبان الجاوي،,"We left these people and after twenty-five days we reached the island of al-Jawa [Sumatra], from which Jawl incense takes its name."
رأيناها على مسيرة نصف يوم،,We saw it at a distance of half a day’s sail.
وهي خضرة نضرة، وأكثر أشجارها النارجيل والفوفل والقرنفل والعود الهندي والشكي والبركي والعنبة والجمون والنارنج الحلو وقصب الكافور،,"It is green and very well wooded with coconuts, areca palms, cloves, Indian aloes, shaki barki, mango,jamun* orange, and camphor reeds."
وبيع أهلها وشراؤهم بقطع قصدير وبالذهب الصيني التبر غير المسبوك,These people buy and sell with little pieces of tin or unrefined Chinese gold.
والكثير من أفاويه الطيب التي ببلاد الكفار، إنما هو منها وأما ببلاد المسلمين فهو أقل من ذلك،,Most of the aromatics there are in the part which belongs to the infidels; they are less common in the part belonging to the Muslims.
ولما وصلنا المرسى خرج إلينا أهلها في مراكب صغار، ومعهم جوز النارجيل والموز والعنبة والسمك،,"When we reached the harbour the people came out to us in little boats bringing coconuts, bananas, mangoes and fish."
وعادتهم أن يهدوا ذلك للتجار، فيكافئهم كل إنسان على قدره،,It is their custom to make a present of these to the merchants and each of the latter gives what recompense he can.
وصعد إلينا أيضًا نائب صاحب البحر،,The vice-admiral also came on board.
وشاهد من معنا من التجار، وأذن لنا في النزول إلى البر،,He inspected the merchants who were with us and gave us permission to land.
فنزلنا إلى البندر وهي قرية كبيرة على ساحل البحر، بها دور يسمونها السرحى (بفتح السين المهمل وسكون الراء وفتح الحاء المهمل)، وبينها وبين البلد أربعة أميال،,We landed at the port which is a big village on the seashore with houses called Sarfra about four miles from the town.
ثم كتب بهروز نائب صاحب البحر إلى السلطان، فعرفه بقدومي،,Then Buhruz the vice-admiral wrote to the Sultan informing him of my arrival.
فأمر الأمير دولسة بلقائي والقاضي الشريف أمير سيد الشيرازي وتاج الدين الأصبهاني وسواهم من الفقهاء فخرجوا لذلك،,The Sultan ordered the amir Daulasa to come to meet me with the noble Qadi Amir Sayyid of Shiraz and Taj al-Din of Isfahan and other jurists.
وجاءوا بفرس من مراكب السلطان وأفراس سواه فركبت وركب أصحابي، ودخلنا إلى حضرة السلطان وهي مدينة سمطرة (بضم السين المهمل والميم وسكون الطاء وفتح الراء)، مدينة حسنة كبيرة عليها سور خشب وأبراج خشب.,"They came out accordingly and brought a horse from the Sultan’s stables  and other horses. I and my companions mounted and we entered the Sultan’s capital, the city of Sumutra, a fine, big city with wooden walls and towers."
ذكر سلطان الجاوة,Account of the Sultan of al-Jawa.
وهو السلطان الملك الظاهر من فضلاء الملوك وكرمائهم شافعي المذهب محب في الفقهاء، يحضرون مجلسه للقراءة والمذاكرة،,"He is Sultan Al-Malik Al-Zahir, one of the noblest and most generous of kings, a Shafi’i in madhhab, and a lover of jurists, who come to his audiences for the recitation of the Qur’an and for discussions."
وهو كثير الجهاد والغزو,He often fights against and raids the infidels.
ومتواضع، يأتي إلى صلاة الجمعة ماشيًا على قدميه,He is unassuming and walks to the Friday prayer on foot.
وأهل بلاده شافعية محبون في الجهاد يخرجون معه تطوعًا، وهم غالبون على من يليهم من الكفار،,The people of his country are Shafi’is who are eager to fight infidels and readily go on campaign with him.
والكفار يعطونهم الجزية على الصلح.,They dominate the neighbouring infidels who pay jizya to have peace.
ذكر دخولنا إلى داره وإحسانه إلينا,Account of our entry to his house and his generosity to us.
ولما قصدنا إلى دار السلطان وجدنا بالقرب منه رماحًا مركوزة عن جانبي الطريق،,When we went towards the Sultan’s house and were near it we found spears fixed in the ground on either side of the road.
وهي علامة على نزول الناس، فلا يتجاوزها من كان راكبًا،,This is a sign that people should dismount and that no one riding should go any further.
فنزلنا عندها ودخلنا المشور، فوجدنا نائب السلطان وهو يسمى عمدة الملك، فقام إلينا وسلَّم علينا,"We dismounted and went into the audience chamber where we found the Sultan’s deputy, who is called ‘Umdat al-Mulk [‘Support of the Kingdom’] He rose and greeted us."
وسلامهم بالمصافحة،,Their form of greeting is shaking hands.
وقعدنا معه، وكتب بطاقة إلى السلطان يعلمه بذلك وختمها ودفعها لبعض الفتيان، فأتاه الجواب على ظهرها،,"We sat with him and he wrote a slip of paper to the Sultan informing him about our coming, sealed it and handed it to one of the pages, who brought the answer written on the back."
ثم جاء أحد ببقشة والبقشة (بضم الباء الموحدة وسكون القاف وفتح الشين المعجم) هي السبنية،,"Then a page brought a buqsha, which is a clothes bag."
فأخذها النائب بيده وأخذ بيدي، وأدخلني إلى دويرة يسمونها فردخانة على وزن زردخانة (إلا أن أولها فاء)،,"The deputy took it in his hand, took me by the hand and took me into a little apartment they call a fardkhdnehf a word like zardkhaneh, except that the first letter is L."
وهي موضع راحته بالنهار، فإن العادة أن يأتي السلطان إلى المشور بعد الصبح، ولا ينصرف إلا بعد العشاء الآخرة،,It was his daytime rest room because it is the custom that the Sultan’s deputy comes to the audience hall at dawn and does not leave it till nightfall.
وكذلك الوزراء والأمراء الكبار،,It is the same with the Wazirs and great amirs.
وأخرج من البقشة ثلاث فوط، إحداها من خالص الحرير، والأخرى حرير وقطن، وأخرى حرير وكتان، وأخرج ثلاث أثواب يسمونها التحتانيات من جنس الفوط، وأخرج ثلاثة من الثياب مختلفة الأجناس تسمى الوسطانيات وأخرج ثلاثة أثواب من الأرمك أحدها أبيض، وأخرج ثلاث عمائم،,"From the buqsha he took three aprons, one of pure silk, one of silk and cotton, and one of silk and linen, three pieces of clothing which they call underwear, of the apron type, three pieces of different types which they call ‘middle-wear’, three woollen mantles, one of them white, and three turbans."
فلبست فوطة منها عوض السراويل على عادتهم، وثوبًا من كل جنس،,"I put on an apron in place of my trousers, according to their custom, and one of each kind of clothing."
وأخذ أصحابي ما بقي منها،,My companions took what was left.
ثم جاءوا بالطعام أكثره الأرز، ثم أتوا بنوع من الفقاع، ثم أتوا بالتنبول وهو علامة الانصراف،,"Then they brought food, which was mostly rice, then a kind of beer, and then betel, which is the signal for departure."
فأخذناه وقمنا وقام النائب لقيامنا،,"We accepted it, we rose, and the deputy rose when we did."
وخرجنا عن المشور فركبنا,We left the audience hall and mounted.
وركب النائب معنا، وأتوا بنا إلى بستان عليه حائط خشب، وفي وسطه دار بناؤها بالخشب مفروشة بقطائف قطن يسمونها المخملات (بالميم والخاء المعجم)، ومنها مصبوغ وغير مصبوغ.,"The deputy rode with us and they brought us to a garden enclosed with a wooden wall in the middle of which was a house, built of wood and spread with the cotton velvet carpets they call mukhmalat, some of them dyed and some not."
وفي البيت أَسِرَّة من الخيرزان، فوقها مضربات من الحرير ولحف خفاف ومخاد يسمونها البوالشت، فجلسنا بالدار ومعنا النائب،,"In the house were beds of bamboo on which were counterpanes of silk, light quilts, and the cushions they call balishts,lz We seated ourselves in the house with the deputy."
ثم جاء الأمير دولسة بجاريتين وخادمين،,Then the amir Daulasa brought two slave-girls and two male domestics.
وقال لي: يقول لك السلطان هذه على قدرنا لا على قدر السلطان محمد،,"He said to me: ‘The Sultan says to you that these are in accordance with our means, not those of Sultan Muhammad.’"
ثم خرج النائب وبقي الأمير دولسة عندي،,The deputy then left and the amir Daulasa stayed with me.
وكانت بيني وبينه معرفة؛ لأنه كان ورد رسولًا على السلطان بدهلي،,We knew each other because he had come to Dihli as a messenger to the Sultan.
فقلت له: متى تكون رؤية السلطان؟ فقال لي: إن العادة عندنا ألَّا يسلم القادم على السلطان إلا بعد ثلاثة ليذهب عنه تعب السفر ويثوب إليه ذهنه،,"I said to him: ‘When shall I see the Sultan?’ He said: ‘It is our custom that a newcomer does not greet the Sultan for three days, so that the fatigue of the journey has gone and he has recovered his faculties.’"
فأقمنا ثلاثة أيام يأتي إلينا الطعام ثلاث مرات في اليوم، وتأتينا الفواكه والطرف مساء وصباحًا،,"We stayed for three days; they brought us food three times a day, fruit and delicacies evening and morning."
فلما كان اليوم الرابع — وهو يوم الجمعة — أتاني الأمير دولسة فقال لي: يكون سلامك على السلطان بمقصورة الجامع بعد الصلاة،,"On the fourth day, which was a Friday, the amir Daulasa came to me and said: ‘You will greet the Sultan in the maqura of the mosque after prayers.’"
فأتيت المسجد وصليت به الجمعة مع حاجبه قيران (بفتح القاف وسكون الياء آخر الحروف وفتح الراء)،,I came to the mosque and prayed the Friday prayer with the chamberlain Qayran.
ثم دخلت إلى السلطان،,Then I went to the Sultan.
فوجدت القاضي أمير سيد والطلبة عن يمينه وشماله,I found the Qadi Amir Sayyid and the men of learning on his right and left.
فصافحني وسلمت عليه، وأجلسني عن يساره،,"He gave me his hand, I greeted him, and he made me sit on his left."
وسألني عن السلطان محمد وعن أسفاري,He asked me about Sultan Muhammad and my travels.
فأجبته،,I replied.
وعاد إلى المذاكرة في الفقه على مذهب الشافعي،,He then resumed the discussion on jurisprudence according to the Shafi’i madhhab.
ولم يزل كذلك إلى صلاة العصر،,This lasted till the afternoon prayer.
فلما صلاها دخل بيتًا هنالك، فنزع الثياب التي كانت عليه،,After praying he went into a room where he removed the clothes he was wearing.
وهي ثياب الفقهاء، وبها يأتي المسجد يوم الجمعة ماشيًا،,These were jurists’ clothes which he wears when he goes to the mosque on Fridays on foot.
ثم لبس ثياب الملك وهي الأقبية من الحرير والقطن.,Then he put on his royal robes which are tunics of silk and cotton.
ذكر انصرافه إلى داره وترتيب السلام عليه,Account of his departure for his house and of the ceremony of greeting him.
ولما خرج من المسجد وجد الفيلة والخيل على بابه،,When he left the mosque he found the elephants and horses at the door.
والعادة عندهم أنه إذا ركب السلطان الفيل ركب من معه الخيل، وإذا ركب الفرس ركبوا الفيلة، ويكون أهل العلم عن يمينه،,"The custom is that when the Sultan rides on an elephant his escort ride on horses, and when he rides on a horse they ride on elephants; the theologians are on his right."
فركب ذلك اليوم على الفيل وركبنا الخيل،,That day he rode an elephant and we rode horses.
وسرنا معه إلى المشور،,We went with him to the audience hall.
فنزلنا حيث العادة ودخل السلطان راكبًا،,We dismounted in the usual place; the Sultan rode in.
وقد اصطف في المشور الوزراء والأمراء والكتاب وأرباب الدولة ووجوه العسكر صفوفًا،,"The Wazirs, the amirs, the secretaries, the officers of state and the army commanders were ranged in ranks in the audience hall."
فأول الصفوف صف الوزراء والكتاب ووزراؤه أربعة،,"The Wazirs, of whom there were four, and the secretaries made the first rank."
فسلموا عليه وانصرفوا إلى موضع وقوفهم،,They greeted the Sultan and withdrew to their places.
ثم صف الأمراء فسلموا، ومضوا إلى مواقفهم،,"Then came the rank of the amirs, who greeted him and passed on to their stations."
وكذلك تفعل كل طائفة،,So did each category of people.
ثم صف الشرفاء والفقهاء، ثم صف الندماء والحكماء والشعراء، ثم صف وجوه العسكر، ثم صف الفتيان والمماليك،,"Then came the sharifs and the jurists, then his personal favourites, the scholars and the poets, then the army commanders, then the pages and the mamluks."
ووقف السلطان على فيله إزاء قبة الجلوس,The Sultan remained on his elephant opposite the pavilion for assemblies.
ورفع فوق رأسه شطر مرصع،,Above his head a parasol entrusted with precious stones was raised.
وجعل عن يمينه خمسون فيلًا مزينة وعن شماله مثلها,There were fifty caparisoned elephants on his right and as many on his left.
وعن يمينه أيضًا مائة فرس وعن شماله مثلها,There were a hundred horses on his right and as many on his left.
وهي خيل النوبة،,They were Nubian horses.
ووقف بين يديه خواص الحجاب،,His privy chamberlains stood before him.
ثم أتى أهل الطرب من الرجال، فغنوا بين يديه،,Then male musicians came and sang before him.
وأتي بخيل مجللة بالحرير، لها خلاخيل ذهب وأرسان حرير مزركشة، فرقصت الخيل بين يديه،,"Then came horses with silk coverings, gold anklets and gold-embroidered silk halters and they danced before him."
فعجبت من شأنها، وكنت رأيت مثل ذلك عند ملك الهند،,I wondered at their performance; I had seen something similar before the king of India.
ولما كان عند الغروب دخل السلطان إلى داره، وانصرف الناس إلى منازلهم.,Towards sunset the Sultan went into his house and the people went home.
ذكر خلاف ابن أخيه وسبب ذلك,Account of the rebellion of his brother’s son and the reason for it.
وكان له ابن أخ متزوج ببنته فولاه بعض البلاد،,His brother’s son was married to his daughter and he made him governor of a province.
وكان الفتى يتعشق بنتًا لبعض الأمراء، ويريد تزوجها،,The youth fell in love with the daughter of one of the amirs and wanted to marry her.
والعادة هنالك أنه إذا كانت لرجل من الناس أمير أو سوقي أو سواه بنت قد بلغت مبلغ النكاح، فلا بد أن يستأمر للسلطان في شأنها،,"It is the practice there that if one of the people, whether an amir or a commoner or whatever, has a daughter who reaches marriageable age, he asks for the Sultan’s orders in respect of her."
ويبعث السلطان من النساء من تنظر إليها، فإن أعجبته صفتها تزوجها وإلا تركها يزوجها أولياؤها ممن يشاءوا،,"The Sultan sends a woman who examines the girl and if the description she gives of her pleases him he marries her; if not, he leaves her alone and her relations marry her to whomever they wish."
والناس هنالك يرغبون في تزوج السلطان بناتهم لما يحوزن به من الجاه والشرف،,The people there are eager for the Sultan to marry their daughters because of the prestige and honour they acquire thereby.
ولما استأمروا والد البنت التي تعشقها ابن أخي السلطان بعث السلطان من نظر إليها وتزوجها،,"When the father of the girl whom the Sultan’s nephew loved applied to the Sultan he sent someone to examine her, and then married her."
واشتد شغف الفتى بها، ولم يجد سبيلًا إليها،,The youth’s passion became violent and he saw no way to obtain her.
ثم أن السلطان خرج إلى الغزو، وبينه وبين الكفار مسيرة شهر،,Then the Sultan went on campaign; the infidels were a month’s journey away.
فخالفه ابن أخيه إلى سمطرة ودخلها؛ إذ لم يكن عليها سور حينئذ،,His nephew rebelled against him and entered Sumutra which at the time was without walls.
وادعى الملك,He laid claim to the kingdom.
وبايعه بعض الناس وامتنع آخرون،,Some people swore allegiance to him; others refused.
وعلم عمه بذلك فقفل عائدًا إليها، فأخذ ابن أخيه ما قدر عليه من الأموال والذخائر، وأخذ الجارية التي تعشقها وقصد بلاد الكفار بمل جاوة،,"His uncle learnt of this and returned. His nephew took what possessions and treasure he could, and the girl he loved, and made for the country of the infidels in Mul Jawa [Java]."
ولهذا بنى عمه السور على سمطرة،,This is why his uncle built the walls round Sumutra.
وكانت إقامتي عنده بسمطرة خمسة عشر يومًا،,I stayed in Sumutra with him for fifteen days.
ثمَّ طلبت منه السفر إذ كان أوانه، ولا يتهيأ للسفر إلى الصين في كل وقت،,"After that I sought permission to travel for it was the season, since the voyage to China is not organized at any time."
فجهز لنا جنكًا وزودنا وأحسن وأجمل جزاه الله خيرًا، وبعث معنا من أصحابه من يأتي لنا بالضيافة إلى الجنك،,"The Sultan prepared a junk for us, stocked it with provisions, and was most generous and kind, May God reward him! He sent one of his companions with us to be host to us on the junk."
وسافرنا بطول بلاده إحدى وعشرين ليلة،,We sailed along his country for twenty-one nights.
ثمَّ وصلنا إلى مل جاوة (بضم الميم)، وهي بلاد الكفار,"Then we reached Mul Jawa, which is the country of infidels."
وطولها مسيرة شهرين,It extends for two months’ travel.
وبها الأفاويه العطرة والعود الطيب القاقلي والقماري,"It has aromatics, and good aloes of Qaqula and Qamara."
وقافلة وقمارة من بعض بلادها,both places being in the country.
وليس ببلاد السلطان الظاهر بالجاوة إلا اللبان والكافور، وشيء من القرنفل، وشيء من العود الهندي،,"In the country of Sultan Al-Zahir, in al-Jawa, there are only incense, camphor, some cloves and some Indian aloes."
وإنما معظم ذلك بما جاوة،,The greatest quantity of these occur in Mul Jawa.
ولنذكر ما شاهدناه منها، ووقفنا على أعيانه وحققناه.,"We shall relate about them what we have seen ourselves, have examined with care and verified."
ذكر اللبان,Account of the incense.
وشجرة اللبان صغيرة تكون بقدر قامة الإنسان إلى ما دون ذلك،,"The incense tree is small, as tall as a man or less."
وأغصانها كأغصان الخرشف، وأوراقها صغار رقاق،,"Its branches are like those of the artichoke, its leaves small and thin."
وربما سقطت فبقيت الشجرة منها دون ورقة،,Sometimes they fall and the tree is left with none.
واللبان صمغية تكون في أغصانها،,The incense is a resin occurring in the branches.
وهي في بلاد المسلمين أكثر منها في بلاد الكفار.,It is more plentiful in Muslim country than among the infidels.
ذكر الكافور,Account of camphor.
وأما شجر الكافور فهي قصب كقصب بلادنا إلا أن الأنابيب منها أطول وأغلظ،,"The camphor tree is a reed like the reed of our country, except that the hollow tubes in which the camphor is found are longer and thicker."
ويكون الكافور في داخل الأنابيب، فإذا كسرت القصبة وجد في داخل الأنبوب مثل شكله من الكافور،,When a reed is broken the camphor is found inside the tube shaped like it.
والسر العجيب فيه أنه لا يتكون في تلك القصب حتى يُذْبَح عند أصولها شيء من الحيوان وإلَّا لم يتكون شيء منه،,The wonderful mystery about it is that there will be no camphor in the reed until some sort of creature is killed at its root; if this is not done there will be none at all.
والطيب المتناهي في البرودة الذي يقتل منه وزن الدرهم بتجميد الروح وهو المسمى عندهم بالحردالة هو الذي يذبح عند قصبه الآدمي،,"The best kind, which attains the greatest degree of cold, a dirham’s weight of which is fatal because it congeals the breath of life, is called among them hardala, A human being is killed beside the reed."
ويقوم مقام الآدمي في ذلك الفيلة الصغار.,Young elephants replace human beings.
ذكر العود الهندي,Account of Indian aloes.
وأما العود الهندي فشجره يشبه شجر البلوط، إلا أن قشره رقيق,The Indian aloes tree is like the oak; except that the bark is thin.
وأوراقه كأوراق البلوط سواء,Its leaves are exactly like oak leaves.
ولا ثَمَرَ له، وشجرته لا تَعْظُم كُلَّ العِظَم وعرقه طويلة ممتدة،,"It gives no fruit, the trunk does not become very large, and the roots are long and extend far."
وفيها الرائحة العطرة، وأما عيدان شجرته وورقها فلا عطرية فيها،,The aromatic smell is in the roots; the wood of the trunk and the leaves have no aroma.
وكل ما ببلاد المسلمين مِنْ شَجَرِه فهو مُتَمَلَّك، وأما الذي في بلاد الكفار فأكثره غير مُتَمَلَّك،,"In Muslim country every tree is private property, but in infidel country most of them are not."
والمتملَّك منه ما كان بقاقلة وهو أطيب العود،,Those that are privately owned are in Qaqula and these are the best aloes.
وكذلك القماري هو أطيب أنواع العود،,It is the same in Qamara which has the best kind of aloes.
ويبيعونه لأهل جاوة بالأثواب،,They are sold to the people of al-Jawa for cloths.
ومن القماري صنف يطبع عليه كالشمع،,"From Qamara comes a kind on which an impression can be made, as if on wax."
وأما العطاس فإنه يُقْطَع العرق منه ويُدْفَن في التراب أشهرًا، فتبقى فيه قُوَّتُه وهو من أعجب أنواعه.,The roots of the ‘aftas are cut off and buried in the earth for months; they retain their strength and are some of the best aloes.
ذكر القرنفل,Account of the clove.
وأما أشجار القرنفل فهي عادية ضخمة،,The clove trees are of a great age and huge.
وهي ببلاد الكفار أكثر منها ببلاد الإسلام،,There are more of them in infidel than in Muslim country.
وليست بمتملكة لكثرتها,They are not privately owned as they are so common.
والمجلوب إلى بلادنا منها هو العيدان،,What is brought to our country is the wood.
والذي يسميه أهل بلادنا نور القرنفل هو الذي يسقط من زهره، وهو شبيه بزهر النارنج,What people in our country call ‘the flower of the clove’ is what falls from the flowers and is like orange flowers.
وثمر القرنفل هو جوز بوا المعروفة في بلادنا بجوزة الطيب,"The fruit of the clove is the nutmeg, known among us as the perfume nut."
والزهر المتكون فيها هو البسباسة,The flower that is formed within it is mace.
رأيت ذلك كله وشاهدته،,I have seen all this and been witness to it.
ووصلنا إلى مرسى قافلة، فوجدنا به جملة من الجنوك معدة للسرقة، ولمن يستعصي عليهم من الجنوك، فإن لهم على كل جنك وظيفة،,"We arrived at the port of Qaqula and found there an assemblage of junks prepared for piracy and to fight any junk which might oppose them, for a tax is imposed on each junk."
ثم نزلنا من الجنك إلى مدينة قاقُلة وهي بقافين آخرهما مضموم ولامها مفتوح،,We disembarked and went to the city of Qaqula.
وهي مدينة حسنة، عليها سور من حجارة منحوتة عرضه، بحيث تسير فيه ثلاثة من الفيلة،,It is a fine city with a wall of cut stone wide enough to take three elephants.
وأول ما رأيت بخارجها الفيلة عليها الأحمال من العود الهندي، يوقده في بيوتهم، وهو بقيمة الحطب عندنا أو أرخص ثمنًا,"The first thing I noticed outside the city was elephants with loads of Indian aloes wood which they burn in their houses; it is the price of firewood among us, or even cheaper."
هذا إذا ابتاعوا فيما بينهم،,"That, however, is when they sell it to each other."
وأما للتجار فيبيعون الحمل منه بثوب من ثياب القطن، وهي أغلى عندهم من ثياب الحرير،,"When they sell to (foreign) merchants a load costs a robe of cotton, cotton being more expensive than silk among them."
والفيلة بها كثيرة جدًّا عليها يركبون ويحملون،,Elephants are very common; they ride on them and use them as beasts of burden.
وكل إنسان يربط فيلته على بابه، وكل صاحب حانوت يربط فيله عنده يركبه إلى داره وتحمل،,"Everyone ties up his elephants at the gate. Everyone who has a shop ties up his elephant beside it, and rides it to go home and to carry goods."
وكذلك جميع أهل الصين والخطا على مثل هذا الترتيب.,It is exactly the same with all the people of China and Khita.
ذكر سلطان مل جاوة,Account of the Sultan of Mul Jawa.
وهو كافر،,He is an infidel.
رأيته خارج قصره جالسًا على قبة، ليس بينه وبين الأرض بساط،,I have seen him outside his palace before a pavilion sitting on the ground with no mat.
ومعه أرباب دولته، والعساكر يعرضون عليه مشاة،,The state officials were with him and the troops paraded before him on foot.
ولا خيل هنالك إلا عند السلطان،,Nobody has horses there except the Sultan.
وإنما يركبون الفيلة وعليها يقاتلون،,People ride elephants and they fight on them.
فعرف شأني فاستدعاني,The Sultan learnt of me and summoned me.
فجئت، وقلت: السلام على من اتبع الهدى،,I came to him and said: ‘Greetings to whoever follows the true guidance.’
فلم يفقهوا إلا لفظ السلام،,They understood only the word salam.
فرحب بي، وأمر أن يفرش لي ثوب أقعد عليه,The Sultan welcomed me and ordered a cloth to be spread for me to sit on.
فقلت للترجمان: كيف أجلس على الثوب والسلطان قاعد على الأرض، فقال: هكذا عادته,I said to the interpreter: ‘How shall I sit on a cloth when the Sultan is sitting on the ground?’ He said: ‘This is his custom.
يقعد على الأرض تواضعًا،,He sits on the ground as a mark of humility.
وأنت ضيف وجئت من سلطان كبير,You are a guest and you have come from a great Sultan.
فيجب إكرامك،,You must be treated with honour.’
فجلست وسألني عن السلطان،,I sat down and he asked me about the Sultan (of India).
فأوجز في سؤاله،,His questions were terse.
وقال لي: تقيم عندنا في الضيافة ثلاثة أيام وحينئذٍ يكون انصرافك.,He said to me: ‘You will stay as our guest for three days and then depart.’
ذكر عجيبة رأيتها بمجلسه,Account of a wonderful thing I saw in his assembly.
ورأيت في مجلس هذا السلطان رجلًا بيده سكين شبه سكين المسفر،,In this Sultan’s assembly I saw a man with a knife like a billhook.
قد وضعه على رقبة نفسه، وتكلم بكلام كثير لم أفهمه،,He laid it on his neck and spoke at length what I did not understand.
ثم أمسك السكين بيديه معًا، وقطع عنق نفسه،,Then he took the knife in both hands and cut his own throat.
فوقع رأسه لحدة السكين وشدة إمساكه بالأرض،,His head fell to the ground because the knife was so sharp and his grip of it so strong.
فعجبت من شأنه،,I was astounded at what he had done.
وقال لي السلطان: أيفعل أحد هذا عندكم؟ فقلت له: ما رأيت قط،,The Sultan said: ‘Does anyone do this among you?’ I said: ‘I have never seen this anywhere.’
فضحك وقال: هؤلاء عبيدنا يقتلون أنفسهم في محبتنا,He laughed and said: ‘These are our slaves and they kill themselves for love of us.’
وأمر به فرفع وأحرق،,He ordered the body to be carried away and burnt.
وخرج لإحراقه النواب، وأرباب الدولة والعساكر والرعايا،,"The Sultan’s deputies, the state officials, the troops and the common people went out to the cremation."
وأجرى الرزق الواسع على أولاده وأهله وإخوانه، وعظموا لأجل فعله،,"He granted ample pensions to his children, wife and brothers, and they were highly honoured because of what he had done."
وأخبرني من كان حاضرًا في ذلك المجلس أن الكلام الذي تكلم به كان تقريرًا لمحبته في السلطان، وأنه يقتل نفسه في حبه كما قتل أبوه نفسه في حب أبيه وجده نفسه في حب جده،,"Someone who had been present at that assembly told me that what the man had said had been an affirmation of his love for the Sultan, and a declaration that he was killing himself for love of him, as his father had killed himself for love of the Sultan’s father, and as his grandfather had done for love of the Sultan’s grandfather."
ثم انصرفت عن المجلس، وبعث إلي بضيافة ثلاثة أيام،,When I had left the assembly the Sultan sent me three days’ guest rations.
وسافرنا في البحر، فوصلنا بعد أربعة وثلاثين يومًا إلى البحر الكاهل وهو الراكد وفيه حمزة زعموا أنها من تربة أرض تجاوره،,"We set sail and after thirty-four days reached the Sluggish or Tranquil Sea, which has a reddish colour; they claim that this is because of the earth of the land which bounds it."
ولا ريح فيه ولا موج ولا حركة مع اتساعه،,It has no wind and no waves and no movement in spite of its extent.
ولأجل هذا البحر تتبع كل جنك من جنوك الصين ثلاثة مراكب — كما ذكرناه —,"For this reason every Chinese junk is accompanied by three boats, as we have said."
تجذف به فتجره،,They are rowed and tow it.
ويكون في الجنك مع ذلك نحو عشرين مجذافًا كبارًا كالصواري،,Besides there are in every junk about twenty very big oars like masts.
يجتمع على المجذاف منها ثلاثون رجلًا أو نحوها، ويقومون قيامًا صفين، كل صف يقابل الآخر،,Some thirty men assemble by each oar and stand in two ranks facing each other.
وفي المجذاف حبلان عظيمان كالطوابيس،,Two very big ropes like cables are attached to each oar.
فتجذف إحدى الطائفتين الحبل ثم تتركه، وتجذف الطائفة الأخرى,One party pulls the rope and then lets it go; then the other party pulls it.
وهم يغنون عند ذلك بأصواتهم الحسان، وأكثرها يقولون لعلي لعلي.,"They sing with fine voices as they do this, and usually they sing Laid, laid."
وأقمنا على ظهر هذا البحر سبعة وثلاثين يومًا،,We sailed on this sea for thirty-seven days.
وعجبت البحرية من التسهيل فيه،,The sailors were surprised how easy was our voyage.
فإنهم يقيمون فيه خمسين يومًا إلى أربعين، وهي أنهى ما يكون من التيسير عليهم،,They spend forty or fifty days on it and that is regarded as favorable.
ثم وصلنا إلى بلاد طوالسي وهي (بفتح الطاء المهمل والواو وكسر السين المهمل) وملكن هو المسمى بطوالسي،,"Then we reached the country of Tawalisi, where the king is called Tawalisi."
وهي بلاد عريضة وملكها أيضًا هي ملك الصين,It is a spacious country and its king is like the king of China.
وله الجنوك الكثيرة يقاتل بها أهل الصين حتى يصالحوه على شيء,He has numerous junks with which he fights the king of China until they sue for peace on conditions.
وأهل هذه البلاد عبدة أوثان,The people of this country worship idols.
حسان الصور أشبه الناس بالترك في صورهم,They are of handsome appearance and most resemble the Turks.
والغالب على ألوانهم الحمرة،,Most of them have reddish colouring.
ولهم شجاعة ونجدة،,They are brave and intrepid.
ونساؤهم يركبن الخيل، ويحسن الرماية، ويقاتلن كالرجال سواء،,"Their women ride horses, understand archery, and fight just like the men."
وأرسينا من مراسيهم بمدينة كيلوكري (وضبطها بكاف مفتوح وياء أخر الحروف مسكنة ولام مضموم وكاف مفتوح وراء مكسور)، وهي من أحسن مدنهم وأكبرها،,"We anchored in one of their ports in the city of Kailukari, one of their finest and largest cities."
وكان يسكن بها ابن ملكهم، فلما أرسينا بالمرسى جاءت عساكرهم،,"The king’s son used to live there, but when we anchored in the port soldiers came to us."
ونزل الناخودة إليهم ومعه هدية لابن الملك،,The captain disembarked to meet them and took a present for the king’s son.
فسألهم عنه فأخبروه أن أباه ولاه بلدًا غيرهم، وولى بنته بتلك المدينة,He enquired about him and the soldiers told him that his father had made him governor of another place and had appointed his daughter to that city.
(واسمها أردجا بضم الهمزة وسكون الراء وضم الدال المهمل وجيم).,Her name is Urduja.
ذكر هذه الملكة,Account of this princess.
ولما كان في اليوم الثاني من حلولنا بمرسى كيلوكري استدعت هذه الملكة الناخودة صاحب المركب والكواني وهو الكاتب والتجار والرؤساء والتنديل وهو مقدم الرجال وسباه سالار وهو مقدم الرماة لضيافة صنعتها لهم على عادتها،,"On the second day after our arrival at the port of Kailukari the princess summoned the captain, the karani, who is the secretary, the merchants, the pilots, the tandil, who is the officer of the foot soldiers, and the sipdh saldr, who is the commander of the crewmen, to a banquet she had prepared for them according to her custom."
ورغب الناخودة مني أن أحضر معهم، فأبيت لأنهم كفار لا يجوز أكل طعامهم،,"The captain wanted me to attend with them, but I refused, for they are infidels and it is not lawful to eat their food."
فلما حضروا عندها قالت لهم: هل بقي أحد منكم لم يحضر؟ فقال لنا الناخودة: لم يَبْقَ إلا رجل واحد بخشي وهو القاضي بلسانهم وبخشي (بفتح الباء الموحدة وسكون الخاء وكسر الشين المعجمين) وهو لا يأكل طعامكم،,"When the guests attended upon her she said: ‘Is there any one of you who has stayed behind and has not come?’ The captain said to her: ‘Only one man has stayed behind and he is the bakshf, which means Qadi in their language, ‘and he does not eat your food.’"
فقالت ادعوه، فجاء جنادرتها وأصحاب الناخودة فقالوا: أجب الملكة فأتيتها,She said: ‘Summon him.’ Her bodyguards and the captain’s companions came and said: ‘Obey the princess.’ I went to her.
وهي بمجلسها الأعظم،,She was receiving in full state.
وبين يديها نسوة بأيديهن الأزمة، يعرضن ذلك عليها,Before her were women in whose hands were the registers which they displayed to her.
وحولها النساء القواعد وهن وزيراتها،,Around her were women past child-bearing who were her Wazirs.
وقد جلسن تحت السرير على كراسي الصندل,They sat below the throne on sandal-wood chairs.
وبين يديها الرجال،,The men were before her.
ومجلسها مفروش بالحرير، وعليه ستور حرير,Her seat was covered in silk and had silk curtains.
وخشبة من الصندل، وعليه صفائح الذهب،,It was of sandal-wood inlaid with many gold plaques.
وبالمجلس مساطب خشب منقوش عليها أواني ذهب كثيرة من كبار وصغار كالخوابي والقلال والبواقيل,"In the assembly hall were benches of carved wood on which were many gold vessels, both large and small, such as amphoras, jugs and goblets."
أخبرني الناخودة أنها مملؤة بشراب مصنوع من السكر مخلوط بالأقاويه، يشربونه بعد الطعام، وأنه عطر الرائحة حلو المطعم يفرح ويطيب النكهة، ويهضم ويعين على الباءة.,"The captain told me they were filled with a drink made from sugar mixed with aromatics, which they drink after eating, that it smells pleasantly, has a sweet taste, induces cheerfulness, sweetens the breath, helps digestion, and enhances sexual intercourse."
فلما سلمت على الملكة قالت لي بالتركية: حسن مسن يخشى مسن «خوشميسن يخشميسن» معناه كيف حالك؟ كيف أنت؟ وأجلستني على قرب منها،,"When I greeted the princess she said to me in Turkish: ‘Hasan misan, yakshl misan’, meaning ‘How are you? Are you well?’ She seated me near her."
وكانت تحسن الكتاب العربي، فقالت لبعض خدامها دواة وبتك كاتور (كتور) معناه الدواة والكاغد،,"She wrote Arabic well and said to one of her attendants: ‘Dawa wa batak katur’, meaning ‘(Bring) an inkwell and paper.’"
فأتي بذلك فكتبت فيه بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم،,"They were brought and she wrote: ‘In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate’."
فقالت ما هذا؟ فقلت لها تنضري (تنكري) نام وتنضري (بفتح التاء المعلوة وسكون النون وفتح الضاد وراء وياء) ونام (بنون وألف وميم) ومعنى ذلك اسم الله فقالت، خشن (خوش) ومعناه جيد،,"She said: ‘What is this?’ I said: ‘Tandari nam’, meaning ‘That is God’s name.’ She said: ‘Khushun’, meaning ‘Good’."
ثم سألتني: من أي البلاد قدمت؟,Then she asked me from which country I came.
فقلت لها من بلاد الهند،,I said: ‘From India.’
فقالت: بلاد الفلفل؟ فقلت: نعم،,She said: ‘The pepper country?’ I said: ‘Yes.’
فسألتني عن تلك البلاد وأخبارها فأجبتها،,She asked me about that country and events there and I answered her.
فقالت لي: لا بد أن أغزوها وآخذها لنفسي،,She said: ‘I must invade it and take possession of it.
فإني يعجبني كثرة مالها وعساكرها،,Its wealth and its soldiers please me.’
فقلت لها: افعلي،,I said to her: ‘Do so.’
وأمرت لي بأثواب وحمل فيلين من الأرز وبجاموستين وعشر من الضأن وأربعة أرطال جلاب وأربعة مرطبانات وهي ضخمة مملوءة بالزنجبيل والفلفل والليمون والعنبا كل ذلك مملوح مما يستعد للبحر،,"She ordered that I should be given robes, two elephant loads of rice, two buffalo cows, ten sheep, four pounds of julep, and four martabans, which are big vessels, filled with ginger, pepper, citrus fruit and mangoes, all salted with what is used in preparing for sea voyages."
وأخبرني الناخودة أن هذه الملكة لها في عسكرها نسوة وخدم وجوارٍ يقاتلن كالرجال، وأنها تخرج في العساكر من رجال ونساء، فتغير على عدوها، وتشاهد القتال، وتبارز الأبطال،,"The ship-owner told me that this princess had in her army women, serving women and slaves, who fought like men, and that she goes out among her troops of men and women, invades the territory of her enemies, is present at the fighting, and engages the champions."
وأخبرني أنها وقع بينها وبين بعض أعدائها قتال شديد، وقتل كثير من عسكرها، وكادوا ينهزمون، فدفعت بنفسها وخرقت الجيوش حتى وصلت إلى الملك الذي كانت تقاتله فطعنته طعنة كان فيها حتفه فمات وانهزمت عساكره، وجاءت برأسه على رمح فأفتكه أهله منها بمال كثير،,"He told me there was a fierce battle between her and one of her enemies in which many of her soldiers were killed and her army was on the point of fleeing; she forced her way forwards and broke through the armies till she reached the king against whom she was fighting, pierced him with a lance thrust which caused his death, whereupon his troops fled, and she brought his head on a spear, which his family recovered from her for much treasure."
فلما عادت إلى أبيها ملكها تلك المدينة التي كانت بيد أخيها،,When she returned to her father he made her ruler of that city which was under her brother.
وأخبرني أن أبناء الملوك يخطبونها فتقول: لا أتزوج إلا من يبارزني فيغلبني,"He told me that the kings’ sons used to ask for her in marriage, and she used to say: ‘I shall marry only a man who fights against me and defeats me.’"
فيتحامون مبارزتها خوف المعرة إن غلبتهم.,They avoided doing this being afraid of the disgrace if she were to defeat them.
ثم سافرنا عن بلاد طوالسي، فوصلنا بعد سبعة عشر يومًا والريح مساعدة لنا، ونحن نسير بها أشد السير وأحسنه إلى بلاد الصين،,We left the country of Tawalisi and after seventeen days of sailing very rapidly and comfortably with a favorable wind we reached the country of China.
وإقليم الصين متسع كثيرًا الخيرات والفواكه والزرع والذهب والفضة، لا يضاهيه في ذلك إقليم من أقاليم الأرض،,"The Chinese clime is extensive and is rich in resources, fruits, cereals, gold and silver; no other clime in the world compares with it in this respect."
ويخترقه النهر المعروف بآب حيات معنى ذلك ماء الحياة، ويسمى أيضًا نهر السبر (السرو) كاسم النهر الذي بالهند،,"A river known as Ab-i haydt, meaning ‘the water of life’, divides it, and is also known as the Sabr, like the name of the Indian river."
ومنبعه من جبال بقرب مدينة خان بالق تسمى كوة بوزنه معناه جبل القرود،,"It rises in the mountains near the city of Khan Baliq known as Kuh-i buznah, meaning ‘the mountain of monkeys’."
ويمر في وسط الصين مسيرة ستة أشهر، إلى أن ينتهي إلى صين الصين،,It flows through China for a distance of six months’ travel to finish at sin al-sin.
وتكتنفه القرى والمزارع والبساتين والأسواق كنيل مصر، إلا أن هذا أكثر عمارة,"It is encompassed by villages, cultivated fields, orchards and bazaars, like the Nile in Egypt, but here there is more settlement."
وعليه النواعير الكثيرة،,There are many waterwheels.
وببلاد الصين السكر الكثير مما يضاهي المصري، بل يفضله,"There is much sugar in China, equal to Egyptian sugar or even better."
والأعناب والإجَّاص،,There are grapes and plums.
وكنت أظن أن الإجَّاص العثماني الذي بدمشق لا نظير له، حتى رأيت الإجَّاص الذي بالصين،,I used to think that the *Othmani plum of Damascus was unequalled till I saw the Chinese plum.
وبها البطيخ العجيب يشبه بطيخ خوارزم وأصفهان,There are wonderful melons resembling those of Khwarizm and Isfahan.
وكل ما ببلادنا من الفواكه فإن بها ما هو مثله وأحسن منه،,All the fruits we have in our country are there as good or better.
والقمح بها كثير جدًّا، ولم أرَ قمحًا أطيب منه,Corn is very plentiful and I have seen none better.
وكذلك العدس والحمص.,It is the same with lentils and chickpeas.
ذكر الفخار الصيني,Account of Chinese pottery.
وأما الفخار الصيني فلا يصنع منه إلا بمدينة الزيتون وبصين كلان،,Chinese pottery is made only in the city of Zaitun and in sin Kalan.
وهو من تراب جبال هنالك، تقد فيه النار كالفحم — وسنذكر ذلك —,"It is made from an earth from mountains there which burns like charcoal, as we shall explain."
ويضيفون إليه حجارة عندهم، ويوقدون النار عليها ثلاثة أيام،,They add to it a stone which is found there and burn it for three days.
ثم يصبون عليها الماء، فيعود الجميع ترابًا,Then they pour water on it and it becomes powdery again.
ثم يخمرونه،,Then they ferment it.
فالجيد منه ما خمر شهرًا كاملًا ولا يزاد على ذلك,"The best is that which has fermented for a whole month, but no more."
والدون ما خمر عشرة أيام،,What has fermented for ten days is inferior.
وهو هنالك بقيمة الفخار ببلادنا أو أرخص ثمنًا،,"The price is that of pottery in our country, or less."
ويحمل إلى الهند وسائر الأقاليم حتى يصل إلى بلادنا بالمغرب,It is exported to India and other parts of the world till it reaches our country in the Maghrib.
وهو أبدع أنواع الفخار.,It is the most superb kind of pottery.
ذكر دجاج الصين,Account of the Chinese fowls.
ودجاج الصين وديوكها ضخمة جدًّا أضخم من الإوز عندنا،,"The hens and cocks of China are very fat, fatter than our geese."
وبيض الدجاج عندهم أضخم من بيض الإوز عندنا،,Their hens’ eggs are bigger than the eggs of geese among us.
وأما الإوز عندهم فلا ضخامة لها،,Their geese are not fat.
ولقد اشترينا دجاجة، فأردنا طَبْخها، فلم يسع لحمها في برمة واحدة، فجعلناها في برمتين،,We bought a hen which we wanted to cook but it would not fit into one pot; we used two.
ويكون الديك بها على قدر النعامة،,The cock in China is the size of an ostrich.
وربما انتتف ريشها، فيبقى بضعة حمراء,Sometimes its feathers fall out and a mass of red flesh is left.
وأول ما رأيت الديك الصيني بمدينة كولم,The first time I saw the Chinese cock was in the city of Kawlam.
فظننته نعامة وعجبت منه،,I thought it was an ostrich and was astonished.
فقال لي صاحبه: إنَّ ببلاد الصين ما هو أعظم منه,Its owner said to me: ‘In China there are bigger ones than this.’
فلما وصلت إلى الصين رأيت مصداق ما أخبرني به من ذلك.,When I arrived in China I saw the proof of what he had told me.
ذكر بعض من أحوال أهل الصين,Account of some particulars of the Chinese.
وأهل الصين كفار,The Chinese are infidels.
يعبدون الأصنام ويحرقون موتاهم كما تفعل الهنود،,They worship idols and burn their dead as the Indians do.
وملك الصين تتري من ذرية تنكيز خان،,The king is a Tatar of the lineage of Tanklz Khan.
وفي كل مدينة من مدن الصين مدينة للمسلمين ينفردون بسكناهم، ولهم فيها المساجد لإقامة الجمعات وسواها،,In every city of China is a quarter where the Muslims live separately and have mosques for their Friday prayers and other assemblies.
وهم معظمون محترمون،,They are highly regarded and treated with respect.
وكفار الصين يأكلون لحوم الخنازير والكلاب، ويبيعونها في أسواقهم،,The Chinese infidels eat the meat of pigs and dogs and sell it in the bazaars.
وهم أهل رفاهية وسعة عيش، إلا أنهم لا يحتفلون في مطعم ولا ملبس،,They live comfortably and in affluence but take little care about their food and clothing.
وترى التاجر الكبير منهم الذي لا تحصى أمواله كثرة وعليه جبة قطن خشنة،,You will see an important merchant whose wealth is beyond reckoning wearing a tunic of coarse cotton.
وجميع أهل الصين إنما يحتفلون في أواني الذهب والفضة،,All the Chinese pay attention only to gold and silver vessels.
ولكل واحد منهم عكاز يعتمد عليه في المشي ويقولون هو الرجل الثالثة،,Every one of them has a walking stick on which to lean when walking and they call it the third leg.
والحرير عندهم كثير جدًّا؛ لأن الدود تتعلق بالثمار وتأكل منها، فلا تحتاج إلى كثير مؤنة,"Silk is extremely plentiful for the worms attach themselves to fruit, eat it and need little care."
ولذلك كثر وهو لباس الفقراء والمساكين بها،,[ This is why it is plentiful and the poor and the destitute dress in it.
ولولا التجار لما كانت له قيمة،,If it were not for the merchants [trading in it] it would have no value.
ويباع الثوب الواحد من القطن عندهم بالأثواب الكثيرة من الحرير،,Among them a single robe of cotton is sold for the price of many of silk.
وعادتهم أن يسبك التاجر ما يكون عنده من الذهب والفضة قطعًا تكون القطعة منها من قنطار فما فوقه وما دونه،,"It is the custom that a merchant melts the gold and silver he has to make ingots, each of them weighing a qintar, more or less."
ويجعل ذلك على باب داره,He places it over the door of his house.
ومن كان له خمس قطع منها جعل في إصبعه خاتمًا، ومن كانت له عشر جعل خاتمين، ومن كان له خمس عشرة سموه الستي (بفتح السين المهمل وكسر التاء المعلوة) وهو بمعنى الكارمي بمصر،,Anyone who has five ingots makes a seal-ring for his finger; anyone who has ten makes two rings; anyone who has fifteen is called sati which means the same as karimi in Egypt.
ويسمون القطعة الواحدة منها بركالة (بفتح الباء الموحد وسكون الراء وفتح الكاف واللام).,They call a single ingot barkala.
ذكر دراهم الكاغد التي بها يبيعون ويشترون,Account of the paper dirham with which they buy and sell.
وأهل الصين لا يتبايعون بدينار ولا درهم،,The people of China do not do business for dinars and dirhams.
وجميع ما يتحصل ببلادهم من ذلك يسبكونه قطعًا — كما ذكرناه —,"In their country all the gold and silver they acquire they melt down into ingots, as we have said."
وإنما بيعهم وشراءهم بقطع كاغد، كل قطعة منها بقدر الكف مطبوعة بطابع السلطان،,They buy and sell with pieces of paper the size of the palm of the hand which are stamped with the Sultan’s stamp.
وتسمى الخمس والعشرون قطعة منها بالشت (بباء موحدة وألف ولام مكسور وشين معجم مسكن وتاء معلوة) وهي بمعنى الدينار عندنا،,"Twenty-five such pieces are called balisht, which is the same as dinar among us."
وإذا تمزقت تلك الكواغد في يد إنسان حملها إلى دار كدار السكة عندنا، فأخذ عوضها جددًا ودفع تلك،,If these pieces of paper become tattered from handling they take them to a house which is like our mint and receive new ones instead.
ولا يعطى على ذلك أجرة ولا سواها؛ لأن الذين يتولون عملها لهم الأرزاق الجارية من قبل السلطان،,"The new pieces are not given against payment of any kind, for those in charge of this work receive regular salaries from the Sultan."
وقد وكل بتلك الدار أمير من كبار الأمراء،,The amir in charge of that house is one of the most important.
وإذا مضى الإنسان إلى السوق بدرهم فضة أو دينار يريد شراء شيء لم يأخذ منه، ولا يلتفت عليه حتى يصرفه بالبالشت ويشتري به ما أراد.,"If anyone goes to the bazaar with a silver dirham or a dinar intending to buy something with it, it is not accepted and he is disregarded until he pays with a balisht and buys what he wants."
ذكر التراب الذي يوقدونه مكان الفحم,Account of the earth which they bum instead of charcoal.
وجميع أهل الصين والخطا إنما فحمهم تراب عندهم منعقد كالطفل عندنا ولونه لون الطفل،,All the i people of China and Khita use for charcoal an earth which has the consistency and colour of clay.
تأتي الفيلة بالأحمال منه، فيقطعونه قطعًا على قدر قطع الفحم عندنا،,Loads of it are brought by elephants and it is cut into pieces the size of pieces of charcoal with us.
ويشعلون النار فيه فيقد كالفحم، وهو أشد حرارة من نار الفحم،,"They set it alight and it burns like charcoal, but it gives off more intense heat."
وإذا صار رمادًا عجنوه بالماء ويبسوه وطبخوا به ثانية، ولا يزالون يفعلون به كذلك إلى أن يتلاشى،,"When it is reduced to ash they knead it with water, dry it, and cook with it a second time; they go on doing this till it is used up."
ومن هذا التراب يصنعون أواني الفخار الصيني، ويضيفون إليه حجارة سواه كما ذكرناه.,"From this earth they make vessels of Chinese pottery, adding another stone to it as we have related."
ذكر ما خُصُّوا به من إحكام الصناعات,Account of the crafts in which the Chinese have special skill.
وأهل الصين أعظم الأمم إحكامًا للصناعات وأشدهم إتقانًا فيها؛,The Chinese are of all peoples the most skilful in crafts and attain the greatest perfection in them.
وذلك مشهور من حالهم، قد وصفه الناس في تصانيفهم فأطنبوا فيه،,This is well known and people have described it and spoken at length about it.
وأما التصوير فلا يجاريهم أحد في إحكامه من الروم ولا من سواهم،,"No one, whether Greek or any other, rivals them in mastery of painting."
فإن لهم فيه اقتدارًا عظيمًا،,They have prodigious facility in it.
ومن عجيب ما شاهدت لهم من ذلك أني ما دخلت قط مدينة من مدنهم ثم عدت إليها إلا ورأيت صورتي وصور أصحابي منقوشة في الحيطان والكواغد موضوعة في الأسواق،,"One of the remarkable things I saw in this connection is that if I visited one of their cities, and then came back to it, I always saw portraits of me and my companions painted on the walls and on paper in the bazaars."
ولقد دخلت إلى مدينة السلطان، فمررت على سوق النقاشين، ووصلت إلى قصر السلطان مع أصحابي,"I went to the Sultan’s city, passed through the painters’ bazaar, and went to the Sultan’s palace with my companions."
ونحن على زي العراقيين،,We were dressed as Iraqis.
فلما عدت من القصر عشيًّا مررت بالسوق المذكورة،,When I returned from the palace in the evening I passed through the said bazaar.
فرأيت صورتي وصورة أصحابي منقوشة في كاغد، قد ألصقوه بالحائط،,I saw my and my companions’ portraits painted on paper and hung on the walls.
فجعل كل واحد منا ينظر إلى صورة صاحبه، لا تخطئ شيًّا من شبهه،,We each one of us looked at the portrait of his companion; the resemblance was correct in all respects.
وذكر لي أن السلطان أمرهم بذلك، وأنهم أتوا إلى قصر ونحن به، فجعلوا ينظرون إلينا ويصورون صورنا، ونحن لم نشعر بذلك،,"I was told the Sultan had ordered them to do this, and that they had come to the palace while we were there and had begun observing and painting us without our being aware of it."
وتلك عادة لهم في تصوير كل من يمر بهم،,It is their custom to paint everyone who comes among them.
وتنتهي حالهم في ذلك إلى أن الغريب إذا فعل ما يوجب فراره عنهم بعثوا صورته إلى البلاد وبحث عنه,"They go so far in this that if a foreigner does something that obliges him to flee from them, they circulate his portrait throughout the country and a search is made for him."
فحيثما وجد شبه تلك الصورة أخذ،,"When someone resembling the portrait is found, he is arrested."
قال ابن جزي: هذا مثل ما حكاه أهل التاريخ من قضية سابور ذي الأكتاف ملك الفرس، حين دخل إلى بلاد الروم متنكرًا، وحضر وليمة صنعها ملكهم,Ibn Juzayy said: ‘This is like what historians relate about the case of Sabur Dhu’l-Aktaf King of Persia when he went to Rum in disguise and was present at a banquet given by the king.
وكانت صورته على بعض الأواني،,There was a portrait of him on one of the vessels.
فنظر إليها بعض خدام قيصر، فانطبعت علي صورة سابور,One of the attendants of Qaysar noticed it and that Sabur’s portrait was impressed on it.
فقال لملكه: إن هذه الصورة تخبرني أن كسرى معنا في هذا المجلس،,He said to the king: “This portrait tells us that Kisra is among us in this assembly.”
فكان الأمر على ما قاله، وجرى فيه ما هو مسطور في الكتب.,It was as he said and what ensued is written in books.’
ذكر عادتهم في تقييد ما في المراكب,Account of their practice of recording whatever is in ships.
وعادة أهل الصين إذا أراد جنك من جنوكهم السفر صعد إليه صاحب البحر وكتابه، وكتبوا من يسافر فيه من الرماة والخدام والبحرية، وحينئذٍ يباح لهم السفر،,"It is the custom of the Chinese that when a junk wishes to set sail, the admiral and his secretaries come aboard and record the archers, servants and sailors who will sail; the junk is then free to leave."
فإذا عاد الجنك إلى الصين صعدوا إليه أيضًا، وقابلوا ما كتبوه بأشخاص الناس،,When it returns they come aboard again and compare what they recorded with the persons [on the junk].
فإن فقدوا أحدًا ممن قيدوه طلبوا صاحب الجنك به، فإما أن يأتي ببرها على موته أو فراره، أو غير ذلك مما يحدث عليه,"If one of those recorded is missing they question the owner of the junk about him, asking for proof that he is dead, or has escaped, or whatever else it may be has happened to him."
وإلا أخذ فيه،,If he cannot provide this he is arrested.
فإذا أفرغوا من ذلك أمروا صاحب المركب أن يملي عليهم تفصلًا بجميع ما فيه من السلع قليلها وكثيرها،,"When they have done that they order the ship’s master to dictate to them a manifest of all the merchandise in it, whether small or great [in value]."
ثم ينزل من فيه، ويجلس حفاظ الديوان لمشاهدة ما عندهم،,Then every one disembarks and the customs officials sit to inspect what they have with them.
فإن عثروا على سلعة قد كتمت عنهم، عاد الجنك بجميع ما فيه مالًا للمخزن،,If they come upon any article that has been concealed from them the junk and whatever is in it is forfeit to the treasury.
وذلك نوع من الظلم، ما رأيته ببلاد من بلاد الكفار ولا المسلمين إلا بالصين،,"This is a kind of extortion I have seen in no country, whether infidel or Muslim, except China."
اللهم إلا أنه كان بالهند ما يقرب منه، وهو أن من عثر على سلعة له قد غاب على مغرمها أغرم أحد عشر مغرمًا،,"However there used to be something like it in India, in that anyone detected with an article which had evaded financial dues should be fined eleven times the amount."
ثم رفع السلطان ذلك لما رفع المغارم.,Then the Sultan suppressed it when he suppressed the dues.
ذكر عادتهم في منع التجار عن الفساد,Account of their way of preventing depravity among the merchants.
وإذا قدم التاجر المسلم على بلد من بلاد الصين خير في النزول عند تاجر من المسلمين المتوطنين معين أو في الفندق،,"When a Muslim merchant arrives in a Chinese town he chooses whether to stay with one of the Muslim merchants designated among those domiciled there, or in the funduq."
فإن أحب النزول عند التاجر حصر ماله، وضمنه التاجر المستوطن، وأنفق عليه منه بالمعروف،,"If he prefers to stay with the merchant his money is impounded, the merchant with whom he is to reside takes charge of it, and spends from it on his behalf honestly."
فإذا أراد السفر بحث عن ماله، فإن وجد شيء منه قد ضاع أغرمه التاجر المستوطن الذي ضمنه،,When he wishes to leave his money is examined and if any of it is missing the merchant with whom he has stayed and to whom it was entrusted makes it good.
وإن أراد النزول بالفندق سلم ماله لصاحب الفندق وضمنه، وهو يشتري له ما أحب ويحاسبه،,If he wishes to stay in the funduq his money is entrusted to the master of the funduq who is put in charge of it; he buys for the merchant what he wants on his account.
فإن أراد التسري اشترى له جارية،,"If he wants to take a concubine, he buys a slave-girl for him."
وأسكنه بدار يكون بابها في الفندق وأنفق عليهما،,He puts him in a room of which the door opens inside the funduq and he meets the expenses of them both.
والجواري رخيصات الأثمان؛ لأن أهل الصين أجمعين يبيعون أولادهم وبناتهم، وليس ذلك عيبًا عندهم،,"Slave-girls are cheap in price, but all the Chinese sell their sons and daughters, and it is not thought shameful among them."
غير أنهم لا يجبرون على السفر مع مشتريهم، ولا يمنعون أيضًا منه أن اختاروه،,"They do not all the same compel them to travel with their purchasers, nor do they prevent them if they wish to do so."
وكذلك إن أراد التزوج تزوج، وأما إنفاق ماله في الفساد، فشيء لا سبيل له إليه،,"So if the foreign merchant wants to marry, he gets married, but there is no way he can spend his money on debauchery."
ويقولون: لا نريد أن يسمع في بلاد المسلمين أنهم يخسرون أموالهم في بلادنا، فإنها أرض فساد وحسن فائت.,"They say: ‘We do not want it said in the Muslim countries that they lose their money in our country, and that it is the land of debauchery and fleeting pleasure.’"
ذكر حفظهم للمسافرين في الطرق,Account of the protection they afford to travellers on their roads.
وبلاد الصين آمَنُ البلاد وأحسنها حالًا للمسافرين،,China is the safest and best country for the traveller.
فإن الإنسان يسافر منفردًا مسيرة تسعة أشهر، وتكون معه الأموال الطائلة فلا يخاف عليها،,A man travels for nine months alone with great wealth and has nothing to fear.
وترتيب ذلك أن لهم في كل منزل ببلادهم فندقًا، عليه حاكم يسكن به في جماعة من الفرسان والرجال،,What is responsible for this is that in every post station in their country is a funduq which has a director living there with a company of horse and foot.
فإذا كان بعد المغرب أو العشاء الآخرة جاء الحاكم إلى الفندق ومعه كاتبه، فكتب أسماء جميع من يبيت به من المسافرين وختم عليه، وأقفل باب الفندق عليهم،,"After sunset or nightfall the director comes to the funduq with his secretary and writes down the names of all the travellers who will pass the night there, seals it and locks the door of the funduq."
فإذا كان بعد الصبح جاء ومعه كاتبه، فدعا كل إنسان باسمه، وكتب بها تفصيلًا،,In the morning he and his secretary come and call everybody by name and write down a record.
وبعث معهم من يوصلهم إلى المنزل الثاني له ويأتيه ببراءة من حاكمه أن الجميع قد وصلوا إليه،,He sends someone with the travellers to conduct them to the next post station and he brings back a certificate from the director of that funduq con-firming that they have all arrived.
وإن لم يفعل طلبه بهم،,If he does not do this he is answerable for them.
وهكذا العمل في كل منزل ببلادهم من صين الصين إلى خان بالق،,This is the procedure in every post station in their country from sin al-sin to Khan Baliq.
وفي هذه الفنادق جميع ما يحتاج إليه المسافر من الأزواد وخصوصًا الدجاج والإوز،,"In them is everything the traveller needs by way of provisions, espe-cially hens and geese."
وأما الغنم فهي قليلة عندهم،,Sheep are rare among them.
ولنعد إلى ذكر سفرنا فنقول:,Let us return to our journey.
لما قطعنا البحر كانت أول مدينة وصلنا إليها مدينة الزيتون،,When we had crossed the sea the first city to which we came was Zaitun.
وهذه المدينة ليس بها زيتون ولا بجميع بلاد الصين والهند ولكنه اسم وضع عليها،,"There are no olives in it, or in the whole of China and India, but it has been given this name."
وهي مدينة عظيمة كبيرة تُصْنَع بها ثياب الكمخا والأطلس وتُعْرَف بالنسبة إليها، وتُفَضَّل على الثياب الخنساوية والخنبالقية،,"It is a huge and important city in which are manufactured the fabrics of velvet, damask and satin which are known by its name and which are superior to those of Khansa and Khan Baliq."
ومرساها من أعظم مراسي الدنيا أو هو أعظمها، رأيت به نحو مائة جنك كبار، وأما الصغار فلا تحصى كثرة،,"Its harbour is among the biggest in the world, or rather is the biggest; I have seen about a hundred big junks there and innumerable little ones."
وهو خور كبير من البحر يدخل في البر حتى يختلط بالنهر الأعظم,It is a great gulf of the sea which runs inland till it mingles with the great river.
وهذه المدينة وجميع بلاد الصين يكون للإنسان بها البستان والأرض، وداره في وسطها كمثل ما هي بلدة سجلماسة ببلادنا,"In this city, as in all cities in China, men have orchards and fields and their houses are in the middle, as they are in Sijilmasa in our country."
وبهذا عظمت بلادهم،,This is why their towns are so big.
والمسلمون ساكنون بمدينة على حدة،,The Muslims live in a separate city.
وفي يوم وصولي إليها رأيت بها الأمير الذي توجه إلى الهند رسولًا بالهدية، ومضى في صحبتنا، وغرق به الجنك،,"On the day I arrived I saw there the amir who had been sent to India as ambassador with the present, had been in our company and had been in the junk which sank."
فسلم علي، وعرف صاحب الديوان بي، فأنزلني في منزل حسن،,"He greeted me and informed the head of the customs about me, and he installed me in handsome lodgings."
"وجاء إلي قاضي المسلمين تاج الدين الأردويلي وهو من الأفاضل الكرماء وشيخ الإسلام كمال الدين عبد الله الأصفهاني وهو من الصلحاء.
وجاء إلي كبار التجار فيهم شرف الدين التبريزي أحد التجار الذين استدنت منهم حين قدومي على الهند، وأحسنهم معاملة","I received visits from the Qadi of the Muslims, Taj al-Din of Ardabil, a distinguished and generous man, from the Shaikh al-Islam Kamal al-Din ‘Abdallah of Isfahan, a pious man, and from the important merchants, among them Sharaf al-Din of Tabriz, one of the merchants from whom I borrowed money when I arrived in India, and the one whose dealings were best."
حافظ القرآن مكثر للتلاوة،,He knows the Qur’an by heart and recites it very often.
وهؤلاء التجار لسكناهم في بلاد الكفار إذا قدم عليهم المسلم، فرحوا به أشد الفرح،,As these merchants live in infidel country they are delighted when a Muslim arrives among them.
وقالوا جاء من أرض الإسلام، وله يعطون زكوات أموالهم، فيعود غنيًّا كواحد منهم،,"They say: ‘He has come from the land of Islam’, and give him the legal alms due on their property so that he becomes as rich as one of them."
وكان بها من المشايخ الفضلاء برهان الدين الكازروني، له زاوية خارج البلد، وإليه يدفع التجار النذور التي ينذرونها للشيخ أبي إسحاق الكازروني،,Among the pious shaikhs there was Burhan al-Din of Kazarun who had a hospice outside the town and to whom the merchants make the oblations made to Shaikh Abu Ishaq of Kazarun.
ولما عرف صاحب الديوان أخباري كتب إلى القان — وهو ملكهم الأعظم — يخبره بقدومي من جهة ملك الهند،,"When the head of the customs learnt about me he wrote to the Qan, who is their Great King, telling him I had arrived on behalf of the king of India."
فطلبت منه أن يبعث معي من يوصلني إلى بلاد الصين (صين الصين) وهم يسمونه صين كلان لأشاهد تلك البلاد وهي في عمالته بخلال ما يعود جواب القان،,"I asked the head of the customs to send with me someone to conduct me to the province of sin which they call sin Kalan which is in his jurisdiction, so that I could see it for myself while awaiting what reply the Qan would give."
فأجاب إلي ذلك، وبعث معي من أصحابه من يوصلني،,He consented and sent one of his companions to escort me.
وركبت في النهر في مركب يشبه أجفان بلادنا الغزوية، إلا أن الجذافين يُجَذِّفون فيه قيامًا، وجميعهم في وسط المركب,"I sailed on the river in a boat like the galleys in our country, except that the oarsmen row standing up in the middle of the ship."
والركاب في المقدم والمؤخر،,The passengers are in the prow and the stern.
ويُظَلِّلون على المركب بثياب تُصْنَع من نبات بلادهم يشبه الكتان وليس به وهو أرق من القنب،,"To shade themselves they spread over the ship pieces of cloth made from a plant of the country like flax, but it is not that and it is thinner than hemp."
وسافرنا في هذا النهر سبعة وعشرين يومًا،,We sailed on this river for twenty-seven days.
وفي كل يوم نرسو عند الزوال بقرية نشتري بها ما نحتاج إليه، ونصلي الظهر،,Every day about noon we cast anchor in a village where we bought whatever we needed and prayed the midday prayer.
ثمَّ ننزل بالعشيِّ إلى أخرى،,In the evening we stopped at another village.
هكذا إلى أن وصلنا إلى مدينة صين كلان (بفتح الكاف)، وهي مدينة صين الصين،,"It was like this till we reached the city of sin Kalan, which is the city of sin al-sin."
وبها يصنع الفخار وبالزيتون أيضًا،,Pottery is made there and in Zaitun.
وهنالك يصب نهر آب حياة في البحر، ويسمونه مجمع البحرية،,Here the Ab-i Hayat river enters the sea; it is called the Meeting of the Two Seas.
وهي من أكبر المدن وأحسنها أسواقًا،,It is one of the biggest cities and the finest in respect of its bazaars.
ومن أعظم أسواقها سوق الفخار، ومنها يحمل إلى سائر بلاد الصين وإلى الهند واليمن.,"Among the largest bazaars is that of the potters, whose wares are exported to other provinces of China and to India and alYaman."
وفي وسط هذه المدينة كنيسة عظيمة لها تسعة أبواب، داخل كل باب أسطوان ومصاطب يقعد عليها الساكنون بها،,In the middle of the city is a huge temple with nine doors inside each of which is a portico with stone benches on which those living in the temple sit.
وبين البابين الثاني والثالث منها موضع فيه بيوت، يسكنها العميان وأهل الزمانات،,Between the second and third gates is a place where there are rooms in which blind people and chronic invalids live.
ولكل واحد منهم نفقته وكسوته من أوقاف الكنيسة،,They are all maintained and clothed from the endowments of the temple.
وكذلك فيما بين الأبواب كلها، وفي داخلها المارستان للمرضى، والمطبخة لطبخ الأغذية، وفيها الأطباء والخدام،,"There are similar arrangements between all the other gates; there is a hospital for the sick, a kitchen for cooking food, and there are physicians and attendants in the temple."
وذكر لي أن الشيوخ الذين لا قدرة لهم على التكسب لهم نفقتهم وكسوتهم بهذه الكنيسة،,I was told that old men no longer strong enough to earn their living are maintained and clothed in this temple.
وكذلك الأيتام والأرامل ممن لا حال لهم،,It is the same with orphans and widowed people without means.
وعمَّر هذه الكنيسة بعض ملوكهم، وجعل هذه المدينة وما وليها من القرى والبساتين وقفًا عليها،,The temple was built by one of their kings who made this city and the villages and orchards depending on it into an endowment for its benefit.
وصورة ذلك الملك مصورة بالكنيسة المذكورة وهم يعبدونها،,The portrait of that king is in the aforesaid temple and people worship it.
وفي بعض جهات هذه المدينة بلدة المسلمين لهم بها المسجد الجامع والزاوية والسوق,"In one part of this city is the town of the Muslims who have there the congregational mosque, the hospice and the bazaar."
ولهم قاضٍ وشيخ، ولا بد في كل بلد من بلاد الصين من شيخ الإسلام تكون أمور المسلمين كلها راجعة إليه,They have a Qadi and a shaikh in every town in China there is a Shaikh al-Islam to whom all the affairs of the Muslims are referred.
وقاضٍ يقضي بينهم،,There is also a Qadi who gives judgments among them.
وكان نزولي عند أوحد الدين السنجاري وهو أحد الفضلاء الأكابر ذو الأموال الطائلة،,"I lodged with Aufiad al-Din of Sinjar, a distinguished, important and very wealthy man."
وأقمت عنده أربعة عشر يومًا,I stayed with him for fourteen days.
وتحف القاضي وسائر المسلمين تتوالى علي،,Gifts to me from the Qadi and the other Muslims came continuously.
وكل يوم يصنعون دعوة جديدة، ويأتون إليها بالعشارين الحسان والمغنين،,Every day there was a fresh banquet to which people came in splendid skiffs with singers.
وليس وراء هذه المدينة مدينة لا للكفار ولا للمسلمين،,"There is no city, either of infidels or of Muslims, beyond this city."
وبينها وبين سد يأجوج ومأجوج ستون يومًا فيما ذكر لي،,"Between it and the rampart of Yajuj and Majuj is sixty days travel, as I have been told."
يسكنها كفار رحالة يأكلون بني آدم إذا ظفروا بهم؛,Wandering infidels live there who eat the sons of Adam if they overcome them.
ولذلك لا تسلك بلادهم ولا يسافر إليها،,That is why people do not pass through their country or travel to it.
ولم أَرَ بتلك البلاد من رأى السد ولا من رأى من رآه.,"I did not meet in that country anyone who had seen the rampart, or had seen anyone who had seen it."
حكاية عجيبة,A marvellous anecdote.
ولما كنت بصين كلان سمعت أن بها شيخًا كبيرًا، قد أناف على مائتي سنة، وأنه لا يأكل ولا يشرب ولا يحدث ولا يباشر النساء مع قوته التامة، وأنه ساكن في غار بخارجها يتعبد فيه،,"When I was in sin Kalan I heard that there was there a venerable shaikh over two hundred years old who neither ate nor drank nor excreted nor had intercourse with women, though his powers were intact, and that he lived in a cave outside the city, giving himself to devotion."
فتوجهت إلى الغار، فرأيته على بابه،,I went to the cave and saw him at the entrance.
وهو نحيف شديد الحمرة عليه أثر العبادة ولا لحية له،,"He was thin, very ruddy, showed the traces of his devotional practices, and had no beard."
فسلمت عليه، فأمسك يدي وشمها، وقال للترجمان: هذا من طرف الدنيا كما نحن من طرفها الآخر،,"I greeted him; he took my hand, sniffed it, and said to the interpreter: ‘This man is from one end of the world and we are from the other.’"
ثم قال لي: لقد رأيت عجبًا،,Then he said to me: ‘You have seen a miracle.
أتذكر يوم قدومك الجزيرة التي فيها الكنيسة والرجل الذي كان جالسًا بين الأصنام، وأعطاك عشرة دنانير من الذهب؟ فقلت: نعم،,Do you remember the day you arrived at an island where there was a temple and a man sitting among the idols who gave you ten gold dinars?’ I said: ‘Yes.’
فقال: أنا هو،,He said: ‘I am that man.’
فقبلت يده،,I kissed his hand.
وفكر ساعة، ثم دخل الغار، فلم يخرج إلينا,He thought for a while and then entered the cave and did not come out to us again.
وكأنه ظهر منه الندم على ما تكلم به،,It was as though he regretted what he had said.
فتهجمنا ودخلنا الغار عليه فلم نجده،,We burst into the cave after him but did not find him.
ووجدنا بعض أصحابه ومعه جملة بوالشت من الكاغد، فقال: هذه ضيافتكم فانصرفوا،,We did find one of his companions who had a bundle of paper baltshts and said to us: ‘This is your guest money. Take your departure.’
فقلنا له: ننتظر الرجل،,We said to him: ‘We are waiting for the great man.’
فقال: لو أقمتم عشر سنين لم تروه،,He said: ‘If you were to wait for ten years you would not see him.
فإن عادته إذا أطلع أحد على سر من أسراره لا يراه بعده،,It is his practice that he does not see again anyone to whom one of his secrets has been made known.
ولا تحسب أنه غاب عنك,Do not suppose he has gone away from you.
بل هو حاضر معك،,On the contrary he is present with you.’
فعجبت من ذلك وانصرفت،,I was amazed at this and went away.
فأعلمت القاضي وشيخ الإسلام وأوحد الدين السنجاري بقضيته،,I told the Qadi and the Shaikh of Islam and Auhad al-Din of Sinjar about what had happened.
فقالوا: كذلك عادته مع من يأتي إليه من الغرباء،,They said: ‘This is how he behaves with strangers who come to see him.
ولا يَعْلَم أحد ما ينتحله من الأديان،,No one knows what religion he follows.
والذي ظننتموه أحدَ أصحابه هو هو،,The one you supposed to be one of his companions was the shaikh himself.’
وأخبَروني أنه كان غاب عن هذه البلاد نحو خمسين سنة، ثم قَدِمَ عليها منذ سنة.,They told me that he had been away from this country for about fifty years and had come back a year ago.
وكان السلاطين والأمراء والكبراء يأتونه زائرين، فيعطيهم التُّحَف على أقدارهم،,"Sultans, amirs and important people used to come and visit him and he gave them presents according to their rank."
ويأتيه الفقراء كل يوم، فيعطي لكل أحد على قدره، وليس في الغار الذي هو به ما يَقَعُ عليه البصر،,"Faqirs came to him every day and he gave something suitable to each one, though there was nothing to be seen in the cave in which he lived."
وأنه يُحَدِّث عن السنين الماضية، ويَذْكُر النبي ﷺ ويقول: لو كنت معه لنصرته،,"They said too that he told of things in past years and spoke of the Prophet, God bless and give him peace, and used to say: ‘If I had been with him I would have helped him.’"
ويذكر الخليفتين عمر بن الخطاب وعلي بن أبي طالب بأحسن الذكر، ويثني عليهما، ويلعن يزيد بن معاوية ويقع في معاوية،,"He used to speak with the greatest respect of the two Caliphs ‘Omar b. al-Khafpab and ‘All b. Abi Talib and praise them both, and used to curse Yazid b. Mu’awiya and abuse Mu’awiya."
وحدثوني عنه بأمور كثيرة،,They told me many things about him.
وأخبرني أوحد الدين السنجاري قال: دخلت عليه بالغار،,Auhad al-Din of Sinjar said: ‘I visited him in the cave.
فأخذ بيدي فخيل لي أني في قصر عظيم، وأنه قاعد فيه على سرير، وفوق رأسه تاج،,He took my hand and I imagined I was in a vast palace and that he was sitting on a throne with a crown on his head.
وعن جانبيه الوصائف الحسان، والفواكه تتساقط في أنهار هنالك،,On either side of him were beautiful maidservants and fruits were dropping into rivers which were there.
وتخيلت أني أخذت تفاحة لأكلها، فإذا أنا بالغار وبين يديه وهو يضحك مني،,"I imagined I took an apple to eat and suddenly I was in the cave, in front of him, and he was laughing at me."
وأصابني مرض شديد لازمني شهورًا,A severe illness afflicted me and stayed with me for months.
فلم أعد إليه،,I did not go to him again.
وأهل تلك البلاد يعتقدون أنه مسلم، لكن لم يره أحد يصلي،,"The people of that country believe he is a Muslim, but nobody has seen him pray."
وأما الصيام فهو صائم أبدًا،,"As for fasting, he fasts perpetually."
وقال لي القاضي: ذكرت له الصلاة في بعض الأيام، فقال لي: أتدري أنت ما أصنع، إن صلاتي غير صلاتك،,The Qadi said to me: ‘One day I spoke to him about prayer and he said to me “Do you know what I do? My prayer is certainly not the same as your prayer.”’
وأخباره كلها غريبة،,Everything one is told about this man is strange.
وفي اليوم الثاني من لقائه سافرت راجعًا إلى مدينة الزيتون،,On the second day after meeting him I set out to return to Zaitun.
وبعد وصولي إليها بأيام جاء أمر القان بوصولي إلى حضرته على البر والكرامة إن شئت في النهر وإلا ففي البر,"Some days after arriving there an order came from the Qan for me to go to his capital in security and honour, either by river or by land as I wished."
فاخترت السفر في النهر،,I chose to travel by river.
فجهزوا لي مركبًا حسنًا من المراكب المعدة لركوب الأمراء،,"A handsome boat, one of those used by the amirs, was prepared for me."
وبعث الأمير معنا أصحابه،,The amir sent his companions with me.
ووجه لنا الأمير والقاضي والتجار المسلمون أزوادًا كثيرة،,He and the Qadi and the Muslim merchants sent us ample provisions.
وسرنا في الضيافة نتغدى بقرية ونتعشى بأخرى،,"We travelled as official guests, having our morning meal in one village and our evening meal in another."
فوصلنا بعد سفر عشرة أيام إلى مدينة قنجنفو (وضبط اسمها بفتح القاف وسكون النون وفتح الجيم وسكون النون الآخر وضم الفاء وواو)، مدينة كبيرة حسنة في بسيط أفيح,"After travelling for ten days we reached the city of Qanjanfu, which is a big and handsome city in an extensive plain."
والبساتين محدقة بها فكأنها غوطة دمشق.,Orchards surround it as if it were the Ghupa of Damascus.
وعند وصولنا خرج إلينا القاضي وشيخ الإسلام والتجار ومعهم الأعلام والطبول والأبواق والأنفار وأهل الطرب,"When we arrived the Qadi, the shaikh of Islam and the merchants came to meet us with flags, drums, trumpets and bugles and musicians."
وأتوا بالخيل، فركبنا,They brought us horses which we mounted.
ومشوا بين أيدينا لم يركب معنا غير القاضي والشيخ,Except for the Qadi and the shaikh they walked in front of us and did not ride with us.
وخرج أمير البلد وخدامه، وضيف السلطان عندهم مُعظَّم أشد التعظيم،,The amir of the town and his attendants came out to meet us for the Sultan’s guest is treated by them with the utmost respect.
ودخلنا المدينة ولها أربعة أسوار,"We entered the city, which has four walls."
يسكن ما بين السور الأول والثاني عبيد السلطان من حراس المدينة وسمارها,"Between the first and second walls live the Sultan’s slaves, both the city guards and the night watchmen."
ويسمون البصوانان (الباسوانان) (بفتح الباء الموحدة وسكون الصاد المهمل وواو وألف وألف ونون وألف ونون)،,The latter are called bawanan.
ويسكن ما بين السور الثاني والثالث الجنود المركبون والأمير الحاكم على البلد،,Between the second and third walls are the cavalry and the amir who governs the town.
ويسكن داخل السور الثالث المسلمون، وهنالك نزلنا عند شيخهم ظهير الدين القرلاني (بضم القاف وسكون الراء)،,The Muslims live within the third wall and there we alighted with their shaikh Zahir al-Din al-Qurlani.
ويسكن داخل السور الرابع الصينيون,The Chinese live inside the fourth wall.
وهو أعظم المدن الأربعة،,It is the biggest of the four cities.
ومقدار ما بين كل باب منها والذي يليه ثلاثة أميال وأربعة،,The distance from each gate to the next is three to four miles.
ولكل إنسان — كما ذكرناه — بستانه وداره وأرضه.,"As i we have said everyone has his orchard, his house and his field."
حكاية,Anecdote.
وبينا أنا يومًا في ظهير الدين القرلاني إذا بمركب عظيم لبعض الفقهاء المعظمين عندهم،,One day when I was in the house of Zahir al-Din alQurlani a big ship arrived belonging to one of the jurists most highly regarded by them.
فاستؤذن لي علي وقالوا مولانا قوام الدين السبتي،,I was asked if I would receive him and they said: ‘Maulana Qiwam al-Din of Ceuta.’
فعجبت من اسمه ودخل إلي، فلما حصلت المؤانسة بعد السلام سنح لي أن أعرفه،,I was surprised at his name but when we conversed after our formal greetings it occurred to me that I knew him.
فأطلت النظر إليه، فقال: أراك تنظر إليَّ نَظَرَ من يَعْرِفُني،,I looked at him for a long time. He said: ‘I see you looking at me as though you knew me.’
فقلت له: من أي البلاد أنت؟ فقال: من سبتة،,I said: Which country are you from?’ He said: ‘From Ceuta.’
فقلت له: وأنا من طنجة،,I said: ‘I am from Tangier.’
فجدد السلام علي وبكى حتى بكيت لبكائه،,He greeted me again and wept and I wept too.
فقلت له: هل دخلت بلاد الهند؟ فقال لي: نعم دخلت حضرة دهلي،,"I said: ‘Have you been to India?’ He said: ‘Yes, I have been to the capital Dihli.’"
فلما قال لي ذلك تذكرت له، وقلت أأنت البشرى؟ قال: نعم،,When he said that to me I remembered him and said: ‘Are you alBushri!’ He said: ‘Yes.’
وكان وصل إلى دهلي مع خاله أبي قاسم المرسي،,"He had come to Dihli with his maternal
uncle Abu’l Qasim of Murcia."
وهو يومئذٍ شابٌّ لا نبات بعارضيه، من حذاق الطلبة يحفظ الموطأ،,He was then young and beard-less but one of the Ablest students; he had memorized the Muwatta’.
وكنت أعلمت سلطان الهند بأمره، فأعطاه ثلاثة آلاف دينار، وطلب منه الإقامة عنده,I had told the Sultan of India about him and he had given him three thousand dinars and asked him to remain with him.
فأبى، وكان قصده في بلاد الصين فعظم شأنه بها، واكتسب الأموال الطائلة،,He had refused and intended to go to China where he prospered and acquired considerable wealth.
أخبرني أن له نحو خمسين غلامًا ومثلهم من الجواري،,He told me he had about fifty male and as many female slaves.
وأهدى إلي منهم غلامين وجاريتين وتحفًا كثيرة،,He gave me two of each and many presents.
ولقيت أخاه بعد ذلك ببلاد السودان,Later on I met his brother in the country of the Blacks.
فيما بعد ما بينهما،,How far apart they were!
وكانت إقامتي يقنجنفو خمسة عشر يومًا، وسافرت منها,I stayed in Qanjanfu for fifteen days and then left.
وبلاد الصين على ما فيها من الحسن لم تكن تعجبني،,"China, for all its magnificence, did not please me."
بل كان خاطري شديد التغير بسبب غلبة الكفر عليها، فمتى خرجت عن منزلي رأيت المناكير الكثيرة، فأقلقني ذلك حتى كنت ألازم المنزل، فلا أخرج إلا لضرورة،,I was deeply depressed by the prevalence of infidelity and when I left my lodging I saw many offensive things which distressed me so much that I stayed at home and went out only when it was necessary.
وكنت إذا رأيت المسلمين بها فكأني لقيت أهلي وأقاربي،,When I saw Muslims it was as though I had met my family and my relatives.
ومن تمام فضيلة هذا الفقيه البشري أن سافر معي لما رحلت عن قنجنفو أربعة أيام، حتى وصلت إلى مدينة بيوم قطلو (وهي بباء موحدة مفتوحة وياء آخر الحروف ساكنة وواو مفتوحة وميم وقاف مضموم وطاء مسكنة ولام مضموم وواو)، مدينة صغيرة يسكنها الصينيون من جند وسوقة،,"This jurist al-Bushri with extreme kindness travelled with me for four days when I left Qanjanfu until I reached Baiwam Quplu, a small town populated by Chinese, both soldiers and common people."
وليس بها للمسلمين إلا أربعة من الدور أهلها من جهة الفقيه المذكور.,There are no Muslims there except four households of agents of the said jurist.
ونزلنا بدار أحدهم، وأقمنا عنده ثلاثة أيام،,We stopped at the house of one of them and stayed with him for three days.
ثم ودعت الفقيه وانصرفت،,Then I said good-bye to the jurist and departed.
فركبت النهر على العادة نتغدى بقرية ونتعشى بأخرى إلى أن وصلنا بعد سبعة عشر يومًا منها إلى مدينة الخنساء،,"We sailed on the river in the same way, taking our morning meal in one village and our evening meal in another, until after seventeen days we reached the city of al-Khansa."
واسمها على نحو اسم الخنساء الشاعرة، ولا أدري أعربي هو أم وافق العربي،,"Its name is almost that of the poetess Khansa, but I do not know whether it is Arabic or just coincides with Arabic."
وهذه المدينة أكبر مدينة رأيتها على وجه الأرض,It is the biggest city I have seen on the face of the earth.
طولها مسيرة ثلاثة أيام يرحل المسافر فيها وينزل،,"It takes three days to cross it, the traveller journeying on and stopping [for the night] in the city."
وهي على ما ذكرناه من ترتيب عمارة الصين كل أحد له بستانه وداره،,"It is laid out as we have described in the Chinese style of building, everyone having his own orchard and house."
وهي منقسمة إلى ست مدن سنذكرها،,It is divided into six cities which we shall describe.
وعند وصولنا إليها خرج إلينا قاضيها فخر الدين وشيخ الإسلام بها وأولاد عثمان بن عفان المصري، وهم كبراء المسلمين بها، ومعهم علم أبيض والأطبال والأنفار والأبواق,"When we arrived the Qadi Afkhar al-Din, the Shaikh al-Islam and the descendants of’ Othman b. ‘Affan the Egyptian, who are the most prominent of the Muslims there, came out to meet us with a white standard, drums, trumpets and bugles."
وخرج أميرها في موكبه،,The amir of the city also came out with his cavalcade.
ودخلنا المدينة وهي ست مدن على كل مدينة سور ومحدق بالجميع سور واحد،,"We entered the city, which is really six cities each with its own walls, while the whole is surrounded by one wall."
فأول مدينة منها يسكنها حراس المدينة وأميرهم,In the first city live the city guards and their commander.
حدثني القاضي وسواه أنهم اثنا عشر ألفًا في زمام العسكرية،,The Qadi and others told me there were twelve thousand of them on the military register.
وبتنا ليلة دخولنا في دار أميرهم،,We spent the night after our entry into the city in the house of their commander.
وفي اليوم الثاني دخلنا المدينة الثانية على باب يُعْرَف بباب اليهود،,On the second day we entered the second city by the gate known as the Jews’ Gate.
ويسكن بها اليهود والنصارى والترك عبدة الشمس وهم كثير،,"In it live Jews, Christians, and Turks who worship the sun and are very numerous."
وأمير هذه المدينة من أهل الصين،,The commander of this city is Chinese.
وبتنا عنده الليلة الثانية،,We spent the second night with him.
وفي اليوم الثالث دخلنا المدينة الثالثة، ويسكنها المسلمون،,On the third day we entered the third city which is inhabited by Muslims.
ومدينتهم حسنة، وأسواقهم مرتبة كترتبيها في بلاد الإسلام،,It is a fine city and the bazaars are laid out as in Muslim countries.
وبها المساجد، والمؤذنون سمعناهم يؤذنون بالظهر عند دخولنا،,"There are mosques and muezzins, whom we heard giving the call to the noon prayer as we entered."
ونزلنا منها بدار أولاد عثمان بن عفان المصري,We alighted at the house of the descendants of ‘Othman b. ‘Affan the Egyptian.
وكان أحد التجار الكبار، استحسن هذه المدينة فاستوطنها,He was one of the important merchants who became fond of this city and settled here.
وعرفت بالنسبة إليه،,The city itself was named after him.
وأورث عقبه به الجاه والحرمة، وهم على ما كان عليه أبوهم من الإيثار على الفقراء والإعانة للمحتاجين.,"His posterity inherited the respect and dignity he had enjoyed, while they had their ancestor’s predilection for faqirs and benevolence to the needy."
ولهم زاوية تُعْرَف بالعثمانية حسنة العمارة لها أوقاف كثيرة,"They have a hospice called the ‘Othmanlya, handsomely built and well endowed."
وبها طائفة من الصوفية،,There is a band of Sufis there.
وبنى عثمان المذكور المسجد الجامع بهذه المدينة ووقف عليه وعلى الزاوية أوقافًا عظيمة،,The said ‘Othman built the congregational mosque in this city and bestowed on it and on the hospice vast endowments.
وعدد المسلمين بهذه المدينة كثير،,The number of Muslims here is great.
وكانت إقامتنا عندهم خمسة عشر يومًا، فكنا كل يوم وليلة في دعوة جديدة،,We stayed with them for fifteen days; every day and night we attended a fresh banquet.
ولا يزالون يختلفون في أطعمتهم،,They always paid much attention to the food they offered.
ويركبون معنا كل يوم للنزهة في أقطار المدينة،,Every day they rode out with us on pleasurAble excursions in the quarters of the city.
وركبوا معي يومًا فدخلنا إلى المدينة الرابعة وهي دار الإمارة، وبها سكنى الأمير الكبير قرطي،,"One day they rode with me into the fourth city, which is where the government house is and the house of the great amir Qurpay."
ولما دخلنا من بابها ذهب عني أصحابي، ولقيني الوزير وذهب بي إلى دار الأمير الكبير قرطي،,When we passed through the gate my companions left me and I was received by the Wazir who went with me to the palace of the great amir Qurpay.
فكان من أخذه الفرجية التي أعطانيها ولي الله جلال الدين الشيرازي ما قد ذكرته،,I have already related how he took from me the farajtya given me by the saint Jalal al-Din of Shiraz.
وهذه المدينة منفردة لسكنى عبيد السلطان وخدامه،,This (fourth) city is reserved for the dwellings of the Sultan’s slaves and attendants.
وهي من أحسن المدن الست، ويشقها أنهار ثلاثة,It is the finest of the six cities and three streams run through it.
أحدها خليج يخرج من النهر الأعظم، وتأتي فيه القوارب الصغار إلى هذه المدينة بالمرافق من الطعام وأحجار الوقد،,One is a canal which runs from the big river and on it small boats bring to the city supplies of food and stones for burning.
وفيه السفن للنزهة,There are also pleasure boats.
والمشور في وسط هذه المدينة، وهو كبير جدًّا,The citadel is in the middle of the city and is very big.
ودار الإمارة في وسطه، وهو يحف بها من جميع الجهات،,The government office is in the middle of the citadel which surrounds it on all sides.
وفيه سقائف فيها الصناع يصنعون الثياب النفيسة وآلات الحرب،,In it are arcades where artisans make precious robes and weapons.
أخبرني الأمير قرطي أن عددهم ألف وستمائة معلم، كل واحد منهم يتبعه الثلاثة والأربعة من المتعلمين،,"The amir Qurpay told me there were one thousand six hundred master craftsmen, each one of whom had three or four apprentices working under him."
وهم أجمعون عبيد القان، وفي أرجلهم القيود،,They are all slaves of the Qan and have fetters on their legs.
ومساكنهم خارج القصر، ويباح لهم الخروج إلى أسواق المدينة دون الخروج على بابها،,"They live outside the palace and are allowed to go to the city bazaars, but not to go outside the gate."
ويعرضون كل يوم على الأمير مائة مائة، فإن نقص أحدهم طلب به أميره،,"They are paraded before the amir every day, a hundred at a time, and if one of them is missing his foreman is responsible for him."
وعادتهم أنه إذا خدم أحدهم عشر سنين فك عنه قيده، وكان يخير في النظرين، إما أن يقيم في الخدمة غير مقيد، وإما أن يسير حيث شاء من بلاد القان ولا يخرج عنها،,"The practice is that when one of them has served for ten years his fetters are taken off and he chooses whether to stay in service unfettered, or to go where he pleases in the Qan’s territory, which he may not leave."
وإذا بلغ سنه خمسين عامًا أعتق من الأشغال وأنفق عليه،,If he attains the age of fifty he is freed from work and he is supported.
وكذلك ينفق على من بلغ هذه السن أو نحوها من سواهم،,So it is with anyone else who attains this age or thereabouts.
ومن بلغ ستين سنة عدوه كالصبي فلم تجر عليه الأحكام،,Anyone who attains the age of sixty is considered as a minor and legal penalties are not applied to him.
والشيوخ بالصين يُعظَّمون تعظيمًا كثيرًا،,In China old men are treated with very great respect.
ويسمى أحدهم آطا ومعناه الوالد.,One of them is called atay meaning father.
ذكر الأمير الكبير قرطي وضبط اسمه (بضم القاف وسكون الراء وفتح الطاء المهمل وسكون الياء)،,Account of the great amir Qurtay.
وهو أمير أمراء الصين,He is the supreme commander in China.
أضافنا بداره,He gave us hospitality in his house.
وصنع الدعوة ويسمونها الطوى (بضم الطاء المهمل وفتح الواو)، وحضرها كبار المدينة,He gave a reception which they call tuwcx at which the principal men of the city were present.
وأتي بالطباخين المسلمين، فذبحوا وطبخوا الطعام،,He brought Muslim cooks to kill the animals and cook the meat.
وكان هذا الأمير على عظمته يناولنا الطعام بيده ويقطع اللحم بيد،,For all his high rank this amir brought us the food and carved the meat with his own hand.
وأقمنا في ضيافته ثلاثة أيام،,We stayed as his guests for three days.
وبعث ولده معنا إلى الخليج، فركبنا في سفينة تشبه الحراقة،,He sent his son with us onto the canal on which we sailed in a ship like a fire-ship.
وركب ابن الأمير في أخرى ومعه أهل الطرب وأهل الموسيقى، وكانوا يغنون بالصيني وبالعربي وبالفارسي،,"The amir’s son sailed in another with musicians and singers who sang in Chinese, Arabic and Persian."
وكان ابن الأمير معجبًا بالغناء الفارسي،,The amir’s son much admired the Persian songs.
فغنوا شعرًا منه، وأمرهم بتكريره مرارًا حتى حفظته من أفواههم,They sang a song which he made them repeat time and again so that I learnt it by heart.
وله تلحين عجيب،,It has a wonderful tune.
"Dar bahr-i fikr uftadlm
Chun dar namaz istadlm
QawT bimihrab andarlm","Here is is:
Ta dil bamifrnat dadlm"
واجتمعت بذلك الخليج من السفن طائفة كبيرة لهم القلاع الملونة ومظلات الحرير، وسفنهم منقوشة أبدع نقش،,A large number of ships assembled on that canal with coloured sails and silk awnings and the ships were painted with great skill.
وجعلوا يتحاملون ويترامون بالنارنج والليمون،,They attacked one another throwing oranges and lemons.
وعدنا بالعشى إلى دار الأمير فبتنا بها،,In the evening we returned to the amir’s house and spent the night there.
وحضر أهل الطرب، فغنوا بأنواع من الغناء العجيب.,The musicians came and sang all kinds of attractive songs.
حكاية المشعوذ,Anecdote of the conjuror.
وفي تلك الليلة حضر أحد المشعوذة وهو من عبيد القان،,That night a conjuror who was one of the Qan’s slaves was present.
فقال له الأمير: أَرِنَا من عجائبك،,The amir said to him: ‘Show us some of your tricks.’
فأَخَذَ كُرَةَ خشب لها ثقب، فيها سيور طوال،,He took a wooden ball in which were holes through which were long cords.
فرمى بها إلى الهواء، فارتفعت حتى غابت عن الأبصار ونحن في وسط المشور أيام الحر الشديد،,"He threw it up and it rose till it disappeared from sight, for we were in the (courtyard) in the middle of the citadel, this being the last season of intense heat."
فلما لم يَبْقَ من السير في يده إلا يسيرُ أَمْرٍ متعلمًا له فتعلق به، وصعد في الهواء إلى أن غاب عن أبصارنا،,When only a little of the cord was left in his hand he ordered an apprentice of his to cling to it and climb up till he disappeared.
فدعاه فلم يُجِبْه ثلاثًا،,The conjuror called to him three times and he did not answer.
فأخذ سكينًا بيده كالمغتاظ، وتَعَلَّقَ بالسير إلى أن غاب أيضًا,Then he took a knife in his hand as if he were infuriated and climbed up the cord till he too disappeared.
ثم رمى بيد الصبي إلى الأرض، ثمَّ رمى برجله، ثمَّ بيده الأخرى، ثمَّ برجله الأخرى، ثمَّ بجسده، ثمَّ برأسه،,"Then he threw down to the ground the youth’s hand, then his foot, then his other hand, then his other foot, then his trunk, then his head."
ثم هَبَطَ وهو ينفخ وثيابه ملطخة بالدم,"Then he came down, panting and his robe bloodstained."
فقَبَّلَ الأرض بين يدي الأمير، وكَلَّمَه بالصيني،,He kissed the ground in front of the amir and spoke to him in Chinese.
وأَمَرَ له الأمير بشيء، ثم إنه أخذ أعضاء الصبي، فألصق بعضها ببعض وركضه برجله فقام سويًّا,"The amir told him to do something and he took the youth’s limbs, attached them to each other, kicked him with his foot, and he stood up intact."
فعجبت منه، وأصابني خفقان القلب كمثل ما كان أصابني عند ملك الهند حين رأيت مثل ذلك،,I was amazed at this and suffered palpitation of the heart like what I had had with the king of India when I had seen the same kind of thing.
فسقوني دواء أذهب عني ما وجدت،,They poured out a medicine for me which relieved me.
وكان القاضي أفخر الدين إلى جانبي فقال لي: والله ما كان من صعود ولا نزال ولا قطع عضو,The Qadi Afkhar al-Din was at my side and said: ‘By God there was no climbing up or down or cutting off of limbs.
وإنما ذلك شعوذة،,It is all conjuring.’
وفي غد تلك الليلة دخلنا من باب المدينة الخامسة وهي من أكبر المدن يسكنها عامة الناس,"Next day we passed through the gate of the fifth city, which is the biggest and is inhabited by the common people."
وأسواقها حسان، وبها الحذاق بالصنائع،,It has fine bazaars and skilful craftsmen.
وبها تُصْنَع الثياب الخنساوية،,In it are made the fabrics called Khansawlya.
ومن عجيب ما يصنعون بها أطباق يسمونها الدست،,Among the wonderful things made there are dishes called dast.
وهي من القصب وقد أُلْصِقَتْ قِطَعُه أَبْدَعَ إلصاق،,"They are made from reeds, pieces of which are fitted together very skilfully."
ودُهِنَتْ بصبغ أحمر مشرق،,They are given a shining red tincture.
وتكون هذه الأطباق عشرة واحدًا في جوف آخر لطورفتها تظهر لرائيها كأنها طبق واحد،,"Ten of these dishes are fitted together, each one in the hollow of another so finely that they look as if they were one dish."
ويصنعون غطاء يغطي جميعها،,They make a lid which covers them all.
ويصنعون من هذا القصب صحافًا، ومن عجائبها أن تقع من العلو فلا تنكسر، ويجعل فيها الطعام السخن فلا يتغير صباغها ولا يُحَوَّل،,They make platters which have remarkable properties; they can fall from a great height without breaking and hot food can be put in them without their colours changing or being spoiled.
وتُجْلَب من هنالك إلى الهند وخراسان وسواها،,"They are exported to India, Khurasan and elsewhere."
ولما دخلنا هذه المدينة بتنا ليلة في ضيافة أميرها،,After we had gone into this city we spent a night as guests of its governor.
وبالغد دخلنا من باب يسمى كشتي وانان إلى المدينة السادسة ويسكنها البحرية والصيادون والجلاقطة والنجارون ويدعون دود كاران (درودكران)، والأصباهية وهم الرماة والبيادة وهم الرجالة,"Next day we passed through the gate called kashtiwandn into the sixth city, in which live the sailors, fisher-men, caulkers, carpenters, who are called dudkdrdn, sipahls, who are the archers, and the piyada, who are the infantry."
وجميعهم عبيد السلطان، ولا يسكن معهم سواهم وعددهم كثير.,They are all the Sultan’s slaves; no others live with them and they are very numerous.
وهذه المدينة على ساحل النهر الأعظم,This city is on the bank of the great river.
بتنا بها ليلة في ضيافة أميرها،,We spent the night there as the guests of the governor.
وجهز لنا الأمير قرطي مركبًا بما يحتاج إليه من زاد وسواه، وبعث معنا أصحابه برسم التضييف،,Amir Qurpay had prepared for us a boat with all needful provisions and other supplies and sent his companions with us to ensure that we received hospitality.
وسافرنا من هذه المدينة وهي آخر أعمال الصين ودخلنا إلى بلاد الخطا (بكسر الخاء المعجم وطاء مهمل)،,"We left this city, which is the last province of China, and entered the country of Khita."
وهي أحسن بلاد الدنيا عمارة، ولا يكون في جميعها موضع غير معمور،,"Khita is the finest country in the world in respect of cultiva-tion, for there is no place in its whole extent which is unculti-vated."
فإنه إن بقي موضع غير معمور طلب أهله أو من يواليهم بخراجه،,The inhabitants or their neighbours are responsible for paying the land tax.
والبساتين والقرى والمزارع منتظمة بجانبي هذا النهر من مدينة الخنسا إلى مدينة خان بالق وذلك مسيرة أربعة وستين يومًا،,"Orchards, villages and cultivated fields are ranged on both sides of the river from the city of Khansa to the city of Khan Baliq, which is sixty-four days’ travel."
وليس بها أحد من المسلمين إلا من كان حاضرًا غير مقيم؛ لأنها ليست بدار مقام،,"In it there are no Muslims except for casual passers-by who do not have a home there, for it is not suited to fixed residence [for them]."
وليس بها مدينة مجتمعة إنما هي قرًى وبسائط فيها الزرع والفواكه والسكر،,"There is no populated city, only villages and open spaces with grain, fruit and sugar [growing]."
ولم أَرَ في الدنيا مثلها غير مسيرة أربعة أيام من الأنبار إلى عانة.,I have not seen anything like it in the world except for the four days’ travel from al-Anbar to ‘Ana.
وكنا كل ليلة ننزل بالقرى لأجل الضيافة حتى وصلنا إلى مدينة خان بالق (وضبط اسمها بخاء معجم وألف ونون مسكن وباء معقود وألف ولام مكسور وقاف)،,"Every night we stopped at a village and received hospitality until we reached the city of Khan Baliq, also called Khaniqu."
وتسمى أيضًا خانقو (بخاء معجم ونون مكسور وقاف وواو)، وهي حضرة القان، والقان هو سلطانهم الأعظم الذي مملكته بلاد الصين والخطا،,It is the Qan’s capital and the Qan is their supreme Sultan whose dominion is China and Khita.
ولما وصلنا إليها أرسينا على عشرة أميال منها على العادة عندهم،,"When we were ten miles away we anchored, as is their custom."
وكتب إلى أمراء البحر بخبرنا، فأذنوا لنا في دخول مرساها فدخلناه،,"A written report on us was sent to the naval commanders who allowed us to enter the port, which we did."
ثم نزلنا إلى المدينة وهي من أعظم مدن الدنيا،,Afterwards we stopped in the city which is one of the largest in the world.
وليست على ترتيب بلاد الصين في كون البساتين داخلها، إنما هي كسائر البلاد والبساتين بخارجها،,"It is not laid out as in China with orchards inside it, but as in other countries, with them outside."
ومدينة السلطان في وسطها كالقصبة حسبما نذكره،,"The Sultan’s city is in the middle like a citadel, as we shall explain."
ونزلت عند الشيخ برهان الدين الصاغرجي،,I stayed with shaikh Burhan al-Din of sagharj.
وهو الذي بعث إليه ملك الهند بأربعين ألف دينار واستدعاه فأخذ الدنانير، وقضى بها دينه، وأبى أن يسير إليه،,"It is he to whom the king of India sent forty thousand dinars with an invitation, but he accepted the dinars, and discharged his debts, but refused to go to him."
وقدم على بلاد الصين فقدمه القان على جميع المسلمين الذين ببلاده وخاطبه بصدر الجهان.,"He went to China, where the Qan made him head of all Muslims in the country and gave him the title Sadr alJahan."
ذكر سلطان الصين والخطا الملقب بالقان,Account of the Sultan of China and Khita called the Qan.
والقان عندهم سمة لكل من يلي الملك ملك الأقطار كمثل ما يسمي كل من ملك بلاد اللور باتابك واسمه باشاي (بفتح الباء المعقودة والشين المعجمة وسكون الياء)،,"Qan is the designation of whoever governs the kingdom and rules its [different! regions, as whoever rules the lands of the Lur it called Atdbak.bZ His name is Pashay."
وليس للكفار على وجه الأرض مملكة أعظم من مملكته.,The infidels have no kingdom bigger than his on the face of the earth.
ذكر قصره,Account of his palace.
وقصره في وسط المدينة المختصة بسكناه،,His palace is in the middle of the city designated for his residence.
وأكثر عمارته بالخشب المنقوش،,It is built mostly of carved wood.
وله ترتيب عجيب، وعليه سبعة أبواب؛,It is admirably planned and has seven gates.
فالباب الأول منها يجلس به الكتوال وهو أمير البوابين،,At the first gate sits the kutwdl who is in charge of the gatekeepers.
وله مصاطب مرتفعة عن يمين الباب ويساره فيها المماليك البرددارية، وهم حفاظ باب القصر,To the right and left of the gate are raised benches on which sit the mamluk pardadariya who guard the palace gate.
وعددهم خمسمائة رجل، وأخبرت أنهم كانوا فيما تقدم ألف رجل,There are five hundred of them and I was told that in former times there used to be a thousand.
والباب الثاني يجلس عليه الأصباهية وهم الرماة وعددهم خمسمائة،,"At a second gate sit the sepahis, who are the archers and number five hundred."
والباب الثالث يجلس عليه النزارية (بالنون والزاي)، وهم أصحاب الرماح وعددهم خمسمائة،,"At the third gate sit the nizedaris, who are the spearmen and number five hundred."
والباب الرابع يجلس عليه التغدارية (بالتاء المثناة والغين المعجم)، وهم أصحاب السيوف والترسة،,"At the fourth gate sit the tighdaris, who are men with swords and shields."
والباب الخامس فيه ديوان الوزارة، وبه سقائف كثيرة,In the fifth gate is the office of the Wazir with many galleries.
فالسقيفة العظمى يقعد بها الوزير على مرتبة هائلة مرتفعة، ويسمون ذلك الموضع المسند،,The Wazir sits in the biggest on an imposing elevated seat which they call the place of the throne.
وبين يدي الوزير دواة عظيمة من الذهب،,In front of the Wazir is a big gold inkstand.
وتقابل هذه السقيفة سقيفة كاتب السر,This faces the gallery of the confidential secretary.
وعن يمينها سقيفة كتاب الرسائل,To the right of this is the gallery of the secretaries for correspondence.
وعن يمين سقيفة الوزير سقيفة كتاب الأشغال،,To the right of the Wazir’s gallery is that of the secretaries for finances.
وتقابل هذه السقائف سقائف أربع؛,Opposite these are four other galleries.
إحداها تسمى ديوان الأشراف يقعد بها المشرف،,"One of them is called the office of control, in which sits the Controller."
والثانية سقيفة ديوان المستخرج،,The second is the office of the mustakhraj.
وأميرها من كبار الأمراء،,Its director is one of the great amirs.
والمستخرج هو ما يبقى قبل العمال وقبل الأمراء من إقطاعاتهم،,It is concerned with what is payable by the officials and amirs in respect of their fiefs.
والثالثة ديوان الغوث، ويجلس فيها أحد الأمراء الكبار ومعه الفقهاء والكتاب،,"The third is the office of appeals, in which sits one of the great amirs with jurists and secretaries."
فمن لحقته مظلمة استغاث بهم،,Anyone who has suffered an injustice appeals to them.
والرابعة ديوان البريد يجلس فيها أمير الإخباريين،,"The fourth is the office of the post, in which sits the controller of the reporters of news."
والباب السادس من أبواب القصر يجلس عليه الجندارية وأميرهم الأعظم،,At the sixth gate of the palace sit the jandarts and their supreme commander.
والباب السابع يجلس عليه الفتيان، ولهم ثلاثة سقائف؛ أحداهما سقيفة الحبشان منهم، والثانية سقيفة الهنود، والثالثة سقيفة الصينيين،,"At the seventh gate sit the eunuchs, who have three galleries, one for the Abyssinians, the second for the Indians, and the third for the Chinese."
ولكل طائفة منهم أمير من الصينيين.,Each of these corps has a Chinese officer.
ذكر خروج القان لقتال ابن عمه وقتله,Account of the Qan s expedition to fight the son of his paternal uncle and of how he was killed.
ولما وصلنا حضرة خان بالق وجدنا القان غائبًا عنها إذ ذاك،,"When we arrived at the capital, Khan Baliq, we found the Qan was away."
وخرج للقاء ابن عمه فيروز القائم عليه بناحية قراقوم وبش بالغ من بلاد الخطا،,"He had gone to encounter the son of his paternal uncle, Flruz, who had rebelled against him in the district of Qaraqurum and Bish Baligh in Khita."
وبينها وبين الحضرة مسيرة ثلاثة أشهر عامرة،,From the capital to these places is three months’ journey through populated country.
وأخبرني صدر الجهان برهان الدين الصاغرجي أن القان لما جمع الجيوش وحشد الحشود اجتمع عليه من الفرسان مائة فوج، كل فوج منها من عشرة آلاف فارس،,"The sadr al-Jahan Burhan al-Din of Sagharj told me that when the Qan had assembled his soldiers and mobilized his forces, a hundred squadrons of cavalry, each one of ten thousand troopers, rallied to him."
وأميرهم يسمى أمير طومان، وكان خواص السلطان وأهل دخلته خمسين ألفًا زائدًا إلى ذلك،,"Their commander is called amir of a (uman, In addition the Sultan’s private guards and the people of his household were another fifty thousand."
وكانت الرجالة خمسمائة ألف،,There were five hundred thousand infantry.
ولما خرج خالف عليه أكثر الأمراء، واتفقوا على خلعه؛ لأنه كان قد غير أحكام اليساق، وهي الأحكام التي وضعها تنكيز خان جدهم، الذي خرب بلاد الإسلام،,"When he set out most of the amirs revolted and agreed to depose him, because he had diverged from the precepts of the yasaq, that is to say, the precepts of their ancestor Tankiz Khan, who laid waste the lands of Islam."
فمضوا إلى ابن عمه القائم، وكتبوا إلى القان أن يخلع نفسه، وتكون مدينة الخنساء إقطاعًا له,They went over to the rebel son of his uncle and wrote to the Qan urging him to abdicate when the city of Khansa would be his fief.
فأبى ذلك، وقاتلهم فانهزم وقتل.,"He refused, fought against them, was defeated, and was killed."
وبعد أيام من وصولنا إلى حضرته ورد الخبر بذلك،,The news of these events arrived some days after we had reached the capital.
فزينت المدينة وضُرِبَت الطبول والأبواق والأنفار، واستعمل اللعب والطرب مدة شهر،,"The city was decorated, drums were beaten, trumpets and bugles were played, and amusements and entertainments were organized for the space of a month."
ثم جيء بالقان المقتول وبنحو مائة من المقتولين بني عمه وأقاربه وخواصه،,"Then the bodies of the dead Qan and about a hundred of his uncle’s sons, his relatives and his favourites were brought [to the capital]."
فحفر للقان ناووس عظيم وهو بيت تحت الأرض وفُرِشَ بأحسن الفرش،,"They dug for the Qan a big nd’us, which j is an underground chamber, spread with the finest carpets."
وجعل فيه القان بسلاحه، وجعل معه ما كان في داره من أواني الذهب والفضة،,The Qan and his weapons were placed in it with the gold and silver vessels from his palace.
وجعل معه أربع من الجواري وستة من خواص المماليك، معهم أواني الشرب،,Four slave-girls and six of his favourite mamluks with jars of drink were placed with them.
وبنى باب البيت وجعل فوقه التراب حتى صار كالتل العظيم،,The gateway to the house was built up and earth was piled over it all till it made a big hill.
ثم جاءوا بأربعة أفراس، فأجروها عند قبره حتى وقفت,Then they brought four horses and made them run at the grave till they collapsed.
ونصبوا خشبًا على القبر وعلقوها عليه بعد أن أدخلوا في دبر كل فرس خشبة حتى خرجت من فمه،,They erected a wooden structure over the grave and fixed the horses to it after driving a wooden stake through each horse from the anus to the mouth.
وجعل أقارب القان المذكورون في نواويس ومعهم سلاحهم وأواني دورهم،,The aforesaid relatives of the Qan were placed in nd’uses with their weapons and their household vessels.
وصلبوا على قبور كبارهم، وكانوا عشرة؛ ثلاثة من الخيل على كل قبر,"Over the graves of the great men among them, of whom there were ten, they impaled three horses for each grave."
وعلى قبور الباقين فرسًا فرسًا.,Over the rest they impaled one horse for each.
وكان هذا اليوم يومًا مشهودًا,This day was a day of solemn holiday.
لم يتخلف عنه أحد من الرجال ولا النساء المسلمين والكفار،,"No one stayed away, neither man nor woman, Muslim nor infidel."
وقد لبسوا أجمعون ثياب العزاء، وهي الطيالسة البيض للكفار والثياب البيض للمسلمين،,"They all wore mourning, which means white capes for the infidels and white robes for the Muslims."
وأقام خواتين القان وخواصه في الأخبية على قبره أربعين يومًا، وبعضهم يزيد على ذلك إلى سنة،,"The khatuns of the Qan and his favourites stayed in tents at his grave for forty days, and some of them for longer, up to a year."
وصنعت هنالك سوق يباع فيه ما يحتاجون إليه من طعام وسواه،,A bazaar was set up at his grave where food and other necessaries were sold.
وهذه الأفعال لا أذكر أن أمة تفعلها سواهم في هذا العصر،,I do not recall that any other nation except this follows these practices in our time.
فأما الكفار من الهنود وأهل الصين فيحرقون موتاهم، وسواهم من الأمم يَدْفِنُون الميت ولا يجعلون معه أحدًا،,The Indian infidels and the people of China burn their dead; other nations bury their dead but do not put in anyone else with the corpse.
لكن أخبرني الثقات ببلاد السودان أن الكفار منهم إذا مات ملكهم صنعوا له ناووسًا، وأدخلوا معه بعض خواصه وخدامه وثلاثين من أبناء كبارهم وبناتهم بعد أن يكسروا أيديهم وأرجلهم، ويجعلون معهم أواني الشراب،,"However, I was told on good authority in the country of the Blacks that the infidels there, when their king dies, make a no*us for him and put in with him some of his favourites and attendants, and thirty of the sons and daughters of important people, first breaking their hands and feet, and place with them jars of drink."
وأخبرني بعض كبار مسوفة ممن يسكن بلاد كوبر مع السودان، واختصه سلطانهم أنه كان له ولد، فلما مات سلطانهم أرادوا أن يدخلوا ولده مع من أدخلوه من أولادهم،,"A prominent man of the Massufa who lived among the Blacks in the country of Kubar [Gobir], and was greatly favoured by their Sultan, told me that he had a son and that when their Sultan died they wanted to put his son into the tomb along with those of their own sons whom they were putting in it."
قال: فقلت لهم كيف تفعلون ذلك، وليس على دينكم ولا من ولدكم وفديته منهم بمال عريض،,"He said: ‘I said to them, “How can you do this when he is not of your religion or of your race?” and I redeemed him for a considerable sum of money.’"
ولما قتل القان كما ذكرناه واستولى ابن عمه فيروز على الملك، اختار أن تكون حضرته مدينة قراقرم (وضبطها بفتح القاف الأولى والراء وضم الثانية وضم الراء الثانية)؛ لقربها من بلاد بني عمه ملوك تركستان وما وراء النهر،,"When the Qan was killed as we have related, his uncle’s son Flruz took possession of the kingdom and chose as his capital the city of Qaraqurum because it is near the country of the sons of his paternal uncle, the kings of Turkistan and Transoxania."
ثم خالفت عليه الأمراء ممن لم يحضر لقتل القان، وقطعوا الطرق وعظمت الفتن.,Then the amirs who had not been present when the Qan was killed rebelled against him; they cut communications and there was great disorder.
ذكر رجوعي إلى الصين ثم إلى الهند,Account of my Return to China and then to India.
ولما وقع الخلاف وتسعرت الفتن أشار علي الشيخ برهان الدين وسواه أن أعود إلى الصين قبل تمكن الفتن،,When the rebellion broke out and disorders flared up Shaikh Burhan al-Din and others advised me to return to China before disorder became prevalent.
ووقفوا معي إلى نائب السلطان فيروز، فبعث معي ثلاثة من أصحابه، وكتب لي بالضيافة،,"They presented themselves with me to the deputy of Sultan Firuz, who sent three of his suite with me and wrote giving me the right to hospitality."
وسرنا منحدرين في النهر إلى الخنساء، ثم إلى قنجنفو، ثم إلى الزيتون،,"We travelled down the river to Khansa, then to Qanjanfu, and then to al-Zaitun."
فلما وصلتها وجدت الجنوك على السفر إلى الهند،,When I arrived there I found the junks about to sail for India.
وفي جملتها جنك للملك الظاهر صاحب الجاوة,"Among them was a junk belonging to al-Malik al-Zahir, the lord of al-Jawa."
أهله مسلمون,Its crew were Muslims.
وعرفني وكيله وسر بقدومي،,His agent recognized me and was delighted that I had come.
وصادفْنا الريح الطيبة عشرة أيام، فلما قاربنا بلاد طوالسي تغيرت الريح، وأظلم الجو، وكثر المطر،,"We encountered favorable winds for ten days, but when we were near the country of Tawalisi, the wind changed, the sky became dark, and there was heavy rain."
وأقمنا عشرة أيام لا نرى الشمس،,For ten days we did not see the sun.
ثم دخلنا بحرًا لا نعرفه، وخاف أهل الجنك، فأرادوا الرجوع إلى الصين، فلم يتمكن ذلك،,"Then we entered an unknown sea, the crew of the junk were frightened, and they wanted to return to China, but it was not possible."
وأقمنا اثنين وأربعين يومًا لا نعرف في أي البحار نحن.,We spent forty-two days without knowing in which sea we were.
ذكر الرخ,Account of the Rukhkh.
ولما كان في اليوم الثالث والأربعين ظهر لنا بعد طلوع الفجر جبل في البحر بيننا وبينه نحو عشرين ميلًا،,At first light on the forty-third day a mountain became visible in the sea about twenty miles away.
والريح تحملنا إلى صوبه،,The wind was carrying us directly towards it.
فعجب البحرية، وقالوا: لسنا بقرب من البر، ولا يُعْهَد في البحر جبل،,The sailors were amazed and said: ‘We are not near land and there is no knowledge of a mountain in the sea.
وإن اضطرتنا الريح إليه هلكنا،,If the wind drives us on to it we shall perish.’
فلجأ الناس إلى التضرع والإخلاص، وجَدَّدُوا التوبة، وابتهلنا إلى الله بالدعاء،,"Everyone resorted to self-abasement, to devotion, and to renewed repentance, supplicating God in prayer."
وتوسلنا بنبيه ﷺ,"We sought Him through His prophet, on whom be the Blessing and Peace of God."
ونذر التجار التصدقات الكثيرة، وكَتَبْتُها لهم في زمام بِخَطِّي،,"The merchants swore to give plentiful alms, which I recorded in my own writing."
وسَكَنَت الريح بَعْض سكون، ثم رأينا ذلك الجبل عند طلوع الشمس قد ارتفع في الهواء، وظهر الضوء فيما بينه وبين البحر،,"The wind became somewhat calmer and at sunrise we saw that mountain had risen into the air and there was light between it and the
sea."
فعَجِبْنا من ذلك، ورأيت البحرية يبكون، ويودع بعضهم بعضًا,We were amazed at this and I saw the sailors weeping and saying good-bye to each other.
فقلت: ما شأنكم؟ فقالوا: إن الذي تخيلناه جبلًا هو الرخ،,I said: ‘What is the matter?’ They said: ‘What we took for a mountain is the rukhkh.
وإن رآنا أَهْلَكَنَا،,If it sees us we shall perish.’
وبيننا إذ ذاك وبينه أقل من عشرة أميال،,We were then less than ten miles from it.
ثم إن الله تعالى مَنَّ علينا بريح طيبة صَرَفَتْنا عن صوبه،,Then God Most High gave us the blessing of a favorable wind which took us directly away from it.
فلم نَرَهُ ولا عَرَفْنا حقيقة صورته،,We did not see it or know its true shape.
وبعد شهرين من ذلك اليوم وصلنا إلى الجاوة، ونزلنا إلى سمطرة،,Two months after that day we reached al-Jawa and landed at Sumutra.
فوجدنا سلطانها الملك الظاهر قد قدم من غزاة له، وجاء بسبي كثير،,We found the Sultan al-Malik al-Zahir had arrived after one of his expeditions and had brought many prisoners.
فبعث لي جاريتين وغلامين، وأنزلني على العادة،,He sent me two girls and two boys and lodged me as usual.
وحضرت أعراس ولده مع بنت أخيه.,I was present at the wedding of his son with his brother’s daughter.
ذكر أعراس ولد الملك الظاهر,Account of the wedding of the son of al-Malik al-Zahir.
وشاهدت يوم الجلوة،,I was present on the day of the unveiling of the bride.
فرأيتهم قد نصبوا في وسط المشور منبرًا كبيرًا، وكسوه بثياب الحرير،,I saw they had erected in the middle of the audience hall a big tribune and spread it with pieces of silk.
وجاءت العروس من داخل القصر على قدميها بادية الوجه،,The bride came on foot from within the palace with her face visible.
ومعها نحو أربعين من الخواتين، يرفعن أذيالها من نساء السلطان وأمرائه ووزرائه،,"With her were about forty ladies, wives of the Sultan, his amirs and his Wazirs, who held up her train."
وكلهن باديات الوجوه,They were all unveiled.
ينظر إليهن، كل من حضر من رفيع أو وضيع،,"Everyone present, whether high or low, could look at them."
وليست تلك بعادة لهن إلا في الأعراس خاصة،,This was not their practice except at weddings.
وصعدت العروس المنبر,The bride climbed onto the tribune.
وبين يديها أهل الطرب رجالًا ونساء يلعبون ويغنون،,"In front of her were musicians, men and women, playing and singing."
ثم جاء الزوج على فيل مزين على ظهره سرير، وفوقه قبة شبيه البوجة،,"Then the groom came on an elephant caparisoned, with a throne on its back with a canopy over it as over a palanquin."
والتاج على رأس العروس المذكور,The said groom had a crown on his head.
عن يمينه ويساره نحو مائة من أبناء الملوك وأمراء قد لبسوا البياض، وركبوا الخيل المزينة، وعلى رءوسهم الشواشي المرصعة،,"To his right and left were about a hundred sons of maliks and amirs, dressed in white, riding caparisoned horses, and with caps on their heads encrusted with precious stones."
وهم أتراب العروس ليس فيهم ذو لحية،,They were of the same age as the groom and were all beardless.
ونثرت الدنانير والدراهم على الناس عند دخوله،,At his entry dinars and dirhams were strewn among the people.
وقعد السلطان بمنظرة له يشاهد ذلك،,The Sultan sat on a raised place from which he saw it all.
ونزل ابنه فقبل رجله، وصعد المنبر إلى العروس،,"His son dismounted, kissed his foot, and climbed the tribune to his bride."
فقامت إليه وقبلت يده،,She rose and kissed his hand.
وجلس إلى جانبها والخواتين يروحن عليها،,He sat beside her and the ladies fanned her.
وجاءوا بالفوفل والتنبول، فأخذه الزوج بيده، وجعل منه في فمها،,"They brought areca nuts and betel, which he took in his hand and put into her mouth."
ثم أخذت هي بيديها وجعلت في فمه، ثم أخذ الزوج بفمه ورقة تنبول وجعلها في فمه، وذلك كله على أعين الناس،,"Then the groom took a betel leaf in his mouth and then put it in hers, and this was all done in the public eye."
ثم فعلت هي كفعله،,Then she did what he had done.
ثم وضع عليها الستر ورفع المنبر وهما فيه إلى داخل القصر،,Then she was veiled and the tribune with both of them on it was carried into the palace.
وأكل الناس وانصرفوا،,The people ate and went away.
ثم لما كان من الغد جمع الناس، وأجرى له أبوه ولاية العهد،,Next day his father assembled the people and made his son heir apparent.
وبايعه الناس، وأعطاهم العطاء الجزل من الثياب والذهب.,The people swore allegiance to him and he gave them profuse gifts of robes and gold.
وأقمت بهذه الجزيرة شهرين، ثم ركبت في بعض الجنوك،,I stayed in this island for two months and then embarked in one of the junks.
وأعطاني السلطان كثيرًا من العود والكافور والقرنفل والصندل وردني،,"The Sultan gave me a great deal of aloes, camphor, cloves and sandalwood, and dismissed me."
وسافرت عنه فوصلت بعد أربعين يومًا إلى كولم،,I left him and after forty days I reached Kaulam.
فنزلت بها في جوارِ القزويني قاضي المسلمين,"I stayed there under the protection of al-QazwIni, the Qadi of the Muslims."
وذلك في رمضان، وحضرت بها صلاة العيد في مسجدها الجامع,It was Ramadan and I was present at the *id prayer in the congregational mosque.
وعادتهم أن يأتوا المسجد ليلًا، فلا يزالون يَذْكُرون الله إلى الصبح، ثم يَذْكُرون إلى حين صلاة العيد،,It is their custom to come to the mosque at night and to continue calling upon God till first light and then to call on Him till the time of the ‘id prayer.
ثم يصلون ويخطب الخطيب وينصرفون،,"Then they recite this prayer, the preacher delivers his sermon, and they depart."
ثم سافرنا من كولم إلى قالقوط، وأقمنا بها أيامًا،,"We left Kaulam for Qaliquf, where we stayed for some days."
وأردت العودة إلى دهلي، ثم خفت من ذلك,"I wanted to return to Dihli, but became afraid to do so."
فركبت البحر، فوصلت بعد ثمانٍ وعشرين ليلة إلى ظفار,I took ship and after twenty-eight nights I reached Zafar.
وذلك في محرم سنة ثمان وأربعين، ونزلت بدار خطيبها عيسى بن طاطا.,"It was Mubarram in the year forty-eight, and I stayed at the house of the preacher ‘Isa ibn Ta’pa’."
ذكر سلطانها,Account of the Sultan of Zafdr.
ووجدت سلطانها في هذه الكرة الملك الناصر ابن الملك المغيث الذي كان ملكًا بها حين وصولي إليها — فيما تقدم —,"This time I found the Sultan to be al-Malik al-Nasir son of al-Malik al-Mughlth, who had been king when I arrived there previously."
ونائبه سيف الدين عمر أمير جندر التركي الأصل،,"His deputy was Saif al-Din ‘Omar, the amir jandarf Turkish by race."
وأنزلني هذا السلطان وأكرمني،,This Sultan accommodated me and treated me with honour.
ثم ركبت البحر فوصلت إلى مسقط (بفتح الميم)، وهي بلدة صغيرة بها السمك الكثير المعروف بقلب الماس،,"Then I took ship and reached Masqip, a small town where there is plenty of the fish called qulb almas."
ثم سافرنا إلى مرسى القريات (وضبطها بضم القاف وفتح الراء والياء آخر الحروف وألف وتاء مثناة)، ثم سافرنا إلى مرسى شبة (وضبط اسمها بفتح الشين المعجم وفتح الباء الموحدة وتشديدها)، ثم إلى مرسى كلبة ولفظها على لفظ مؤنثة الكلب، ثم إلى قلهات — وقد تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُها —,"Then we travelled to the port of Quraiyat, then to the port of Shabba, then to the port of Kalba, which is pronounced like the feminine of kalb (dog), and then to Qalhat, of which we have spoken before."
وهذه البلاد كلها من عماله هرمز وهي محسوبة من بلاد عمان،,"All these places are administered from Hurmuz, though they are reckoned to be part of ‘Oman."
ثم سافرنا إلى هرمز، وأقمنا بها ثلاثًا،,We then travelled to Hurmuz and stayed there for three days.
وسافرنا في البر إلى كورستان ثم إلى اللار ثم إلى خنج بال — وقد تقدم ذكر جميعها —,"Then we went by land to Kaurastan, then to Lar, and Khunju Pal, all of which we have mentioned before."
"ثم سافرنا إلى كارزي (وضبط اسمها بفتح الكاف وسكون الراء وكسر الزاي)، وأقمنا بها ثلاثًا، ثم سافرنا إلى جمكان (وضبط اسمها بفتح الجيم والميم والكاف وآخره نون)، ثم سافرنا منها إلى ميمن (وضبط اسمها بفتح الميمين وبينها ياء آخر الحروف مسكنه وآخره نون).
ثم سافرنا إلى بسا (وضبط اسمها بفتح الباء الموحدة والسين المهمل مع تشديدها)، ثم إلى مدينة شيراز،","Then we went to Karzi, where we spent three days, then to Jamakan, then to Maiman, then to Bassa, and then to the city of Shiraz."
فوجدنا سلطانها أبا إسحاق على ملكه إلا أنه كان غائبًا عنها،,"We found its Sultan Abu Isfiaq still reigning, but he was away."
ولقيت بها شيخنا الصالح العالم مجد الدين قاضي القضاة، وهو قد كف بصره,I met there our pious and learned shaikh Majd al-Din the Grand Qadi who had gone blind.
نفعه الله ونفع به،,May God profit him and us through him!
ثم سافرت إلى ماين ثم إلى زيد خاص ثم إلى كليل ثم إلى كشك زر ثم إلى أصبهان ثم إلى تستر ثم إلى الحويزا ثم إلى البصرة,"Then I went to Mayin, then Yazdukhas, then Kalli, then Kushkizar, then Isfahan, then Tustar, then Huwaiza, and then al-Basra."
— وقد تقدم ذكر جميعها —,All these places have been mentioned before.
وزرت بالبصرة القبور الكريمة التي بها وهي قبر الزبير بن العوام، وطلحة بين عبيد الله، وحليمة السعدية، وأبي بكر، وأنس بن مالك، والحسن البصري، وثابت البناني، ومحمد بن سيرين، ومالك بن دينار، ومحمد بن واسع، وحبيب العجمي، وسهل بن عبد الله التستري,"In al-Basra I visited the noble sepulchres which are there of al-Zubair b. al-‘Awwam, of Talha b. ‘Ubaidallah, of Hallma al-Sa’dlya, of Abu Bakra, of Anas b. Malik, of alHasan of Basra, of Thabit al-Bunanl, of Muhammad b. Sirin, of Malik b. Dinar, of Muhammad b. Wasil of Habib the Persian, and of Sahl b. ‘Abdallah of Tustar."
رضي الله تعالى عنهم أجمعين،,May God be pleased with them all!
ثم سافرنا من البصرة، فوصلنا إلى مشهد علي بن أبي طالب,Then we went from al-Basra to the shrine of ‘All b. Abi Talib.
— رضي الله عنه — وزرناه،,"May God be pleased with him, and visited it."
ثم توجهنا إلى الكوفة فزرنا مسجدها المبارك، ثم إلى الحلة حيث مشهد صاحب الزمان،,"Then we went to al-Kufa and visited its blessed mosque, then to Hdia, where is the Sanctuary of the Master of the Age."
واتفق في بعض تلك الأيام أن وليها بعض الأمراء، فمنع أهلها من التوجه على عادتهم إلى مسجد صاحب الزمان وانتظاره هنالك،,"It happened about that time that an amir was governor of the town and prohibited its people from going to the mosque of the Master of the Age, as was their custom, and waiting for him there."
ومنع عنهم الدابة التي كانوا يأخذونها كل ليلة من الأمير،,He forbade them the use of the mounts which they used to take from the amir every night.
فأصابت ذلك الوالي علة مات منها سريعًا،,An illness struck this governor and he soon died.
فزاد ذلك في فتنة الرافضة،,This served to increase the recal-citrance of the heretics.
وقالوا: إنما أصابه ذلك لأجل منعه الدابة,They said: ‘He was afflicted like that only because he refused the use of the mounts.’
فلم تمنع بعد،,Afterwards it was not refused.
ثم سافرت إلى صرصر، ثم إلى مدينة بغداد وصلتها في شوال سنة ثمانٍ وأربعين،,"Then I travelled to sarsar, then to the city of Baghdad where I arrived in Shawwal of the year forty-eight."
ولقيت بها بعض المغاربة، فعرفني بكائنة طريف واستيلاء الروم على الخضراء,"I met there with someone from the Maghrib, who informed me of the disaster of Tarifa and the capture of Al-Khadra [Algeciras] by the Christians."
جبر الله صدع الإسلام في ذلك.,May God repair this breach in Islam.
ذكر سلطانها,Account of the Sultan of Baghdad.
وكان سلطان بغداد والعراق في عهد دخولي إليها في التاريخ المذكور الشيخ حسن ابن عمة السلطان أبي سعيد,"The Sultan of Baghdad and Iraq when I arrived there on the said date was Shaikh Hasan, the son of the paternal aunt of Sultan Abu Sa’id."
رحمه الله،,May God have mercy upon him!
ولما مات أبو سعيد استولى على ملكه بالعراق، وتزوج بزوجته دلشاد بنت دمشق خواجة ابن الأمير الجوبان، حسبما كان فعله السلطان أبو سعيد من تزوج زوجة الشيخ حسن،,"When Abu Sa’id died Shaikh Hasan took control of Iraq and married his wife Dilshad, the daughter of Dimashq Khwaja, son of the Amir Chuban, as Sultan Abu Sa’id had done when he married the wife of Shaikh Hasan."
وكان السلطان حسن غائبًا عن بغداد في هذه المدة متوجهًا لقتال السلطان أتابك أفراسياب صاحب بلاد اللور،,"Sultan Hasan was away from Baghdad at this time; he had gone to fight the Sultan Atabak Afrasiyab, lord of the country of the Lurs."
ثم رحلت من بغداد، فوصلت إلى مدينة الأنبار، ثم إلى هيت، ثم إلى الحديثة، ثم إلى عانة،,"Then I left Baghdad and came to the city of al-Anbar, then to Hit, then to al-Hadltha, and then to eAna."
وهذه البلاد من أحسن البلاد وأخصبها،,These places are among the most beautiful and most fertile in the world.
والطريق فيما بينها كثير العمارة، كان الماشي في سوق من الأسواق,The road between them is thickly populated and it is as though someone travelling through it were in a bazaar.
وقد ذكرنا أَنَّا لم نَرَ ما يشبه البلاد التي على نهر الصين إلا هذه البلاد،,We have said before that we have not seen anything like the country by the Chinese river except this country.
ثم وصلت إلى مدينة الرحبة، وهي التي تُنْسَب إلى مالك بن طوق،,Then I reached the city of al-Rafrba which is the one given the name of Malik b. Tauq.
ومدينة الرحبة أحسن بلاد العراق وأول بلاد الشام،,The city of al-Rafrba is the most beautiful place in Iraq and is also the beginning of Syria.
ثم سافرنا منها إلى السخنة وهي بلدة حسنة أكثر سكانها الكفار من النصار،,"Then we travelled to al-Sakhna, a fine town, most of whose inhabitants are Christian infidels."
وإنما سميت السخنة لحرارة مائها،,It is called Sakhna because of the heat of the water there.
وفيها بيوت للرجال وبيوت للنساء يستحمون فيها،,It has rooms for men and for women in which they bathe.
ويستقون الماء ليلًا، ويجعلونه في السطوح ليبرد.,They draw water and at night put it on the flat roofs to cool.
ثم سافرنا إلى تدمر مدينة نبي الله سليمان — عليه السلام — التي بنتها له الجن كما قال النابغة (بسيط): يبنون تدمر بالصفاح والعمد،,"Then we went to Tadmur, the city of the Prophet of God Sulaiman, Peace be upon him, which the jinns built for him, as Nabigha said: They built Tadmur with flagstones and columns."
ثم سافرنا منها إلى مدينة دمشق الشام، وكانت مدة مغيبي عنها عشرين سنة كاملة،,"Then they went to the city of Damascus of Syria, from which I had been absent fully twenty years."
وكنت تركت بها زوجة لي حاملًا،,I had left there a pregnant wife.
وتَعَرَّفْتُ — وأنا ببلاد الهند — أنها ولدت ولدًا ذكرًا،,While I was in India I learnt that she had given birth to a male child.
فبعثْتُ حينئذٍ إلى جده للأم — وكان من أهل مكناسة المغرب — أربعين دينارًا ذهبًا هنديًّا،,"I had then sent forty Indian gold dinars for his mother to his grandfather, who was from Miknasa [Meknes] in the Maghrib."
فحين وصولي إلى دمشق في هذه الكرة لم يكن لي هم إلا السؤال عن ولدي،,When I came to Damascus this time I had no other concern than to ask after my son.
فدخلت المسجد فوفق لي نور الدين السخاوي إمام المالكية وكبيرهم,"I went into the mosque and luckily found Nur al-Din al-SakhawI, the Imam of the MalikTs and their leader."
فسلمت عليه فلم يَعْرِفني،,I greeted him but he did not recognize me.
فعَرَّفْته بنفسي وسألته عن الولد,I let him know who I was and asked him about my son.
فقال: مات منذ ثنتي عشرة سنة، وأخبرني أن فقيهًا من أهل طنجة يسكن بالمدرسة الظاهرية،,"He said: ‘He died twelve years ago’, and told me that a jurist from Tangier lived in the ahirlya madrasa."
فسرت إليه لأسأله عن والدي وأهلي،,I went there to ask him about my father and my family.
فوجدته شيخًا كبيرًا،,I found him to be a venerable shaikh.
فسلمت عليه، وانتسبت له,I greeted him and told him about my family.
فأخبرني أن والدي تُوُفِّيَ منذ خمس عشرة سنة، وأن الوالدة بقيد الحياة،,"He told me my father had died fifteen years ago, and that my mother was still living."
وأقمت بدمشق الشام بقية السنة,I stayed in Damascus of Syria for the rest of the year.
والغلاء شديد، والخبز قد انتهى إلى قيمة سبع أواقي بدرهم نقرة،,Prices were very high; bread rose to be seven okes for a silver dirham.
وأوقيتهم أربع أواقي مغربية،,Their oke is equal to four Maghribi okes.
وكان قاضي قضاة المالكية إذ ذاك جمال الدين المسلاتي،,The Grand Qadi of the Malikls was then Jamal al-Din al-Maslati.
وكان من أصحابي الشيخ علاء الدين الفونوي وقدم معه دمشق,He was a companion of Shaikh ‘Ala’ al-Din of Konya and had come to Damascus with him.
فعرف بها ثم ولي القضاء،,He became known there and was made a Qadi.
وقاضي قضاة الشافعية تقي الدين بن السبكي,The Grand Qadi of the Shafi’is was Taqi al-Din b. al-Subki.
وأمير دمشق ملك الأمراء أرغون شاه.,The amir of Damascus was the malik of the amirs Arghun Shah.
حكاية,Anecdote.
ومات في تلك الأيام بعض كبراء دمشق، وأوصى بمال للمساكين،,At that time one of the important people of Damascus died and bequeathed his property to the poor.
فكان المتولي لإنفاذ الوصية يشتري الخبز، ويفرقه عليهم كل يوم بعد العصر،,The trustee of his bequest used to buy bread and distribute it daily to the poor after the afternoon prayer.
فاجتمعوا في بعض الليالي، وتزاحموا واختطفوا الخبز الذي يفرق عليهم، ومدوا أيديهم إلى خبز الخبازين،,One night they assembled in great numbers and seized the bread that was to be distributed to them and laid hands on the bakers’ bread.
وبلغ ذلك الأمير أرغون شاه، فأخرج زبانيته،,When news of this reached the amir Arghun Shah he sent out his myrmidons.
فكانوا حيث ما لقوا أحدًا من المساكين، قالوا له: تعال تأخذ الخبز،,Whenever they met with one of the poor they said to him: ‘come and get bread.’
فاجتمع منهم عدد كثير، فحبستهم تلك الليلة،,A considerable number of them gathered and they imprisoned them for the night.
وركب من الغد، وأحضرهم تحت القلعة، وأمر بقطع أيديهم وأرجلهم، وكان أكثرهم براء عن ذلك،,"Next day he rode out, made them come to the castle, and ordered their hands and feet to be cut off, though most of them were innocent."
وأخرج طائفة الحرافيش عن دمشق، فانتقلوا إلى حمص وحماة وحلب،,"He drove out the crowd of hardfish from Damascus: they dispersed to Hims, Hama and Aleppo."
وذكر لي أنه لم يعش بعد ذلك إلا قليلًا وقتل،,"I was told he lived only a short time after this, and that he was killed."
ثم سافرت من دمشق إلى حمص ثم حماة ثم المعرة ثم سرمين ثم إلى حلب،,"I left Damascus for Hims, Hama, Ma’arra, Sarmin and then Aleppo."
وكان أمير حلب في هذا العهد الحاج رغطي (بضم الراء وسكون الغين المعجم وفتح الطاء المهمل وياء آخر الحروف مسكنة).,The amir of Aleppo at this time was the Hajj Rughpay.
حكاية,Anecdote.
واتفق في تلك الأيام أن فقيرًا يُعْرَف بشيخ المشايخ وهو ساكن في جبل خارج مدينة عنتاب,It happened at this time that a faqir known as the shaikh of shaikhs was living on a mountain outside the city of ‘Aintab.
والناس يقصدونه، وهم يتبركون به,People used to seek him out and solicit his blessing.
وله تلميذ ملازم له، وكان متجردًا عزبًا لا زوجة له،,"He had a pupil always with him, but he was solitary and celibate, having no wife."
قال في بعض كلامه أن النبي ﷺ كان لا يصبر عن النساء، وأنا أصبر عنهن،,"In one of his discourses he said: ‘The Prophet, May God bless him and give him peace, did not do without women, but I do without them.’"
فشهد عليه بذلك، وثبت عند القاضي،,There was a witness of this and it was proved before the Qadi.
ورفع أمره إلى ملك الأمراء، وأتى به وبتلميذه الموافق له على قوله،,"The case was referred to those amirs and he and his pupil, who had agreed with what he had said, were arraigned."
فأفتى القضاة الأربعة، وهم شهاب الدين المالكي، وناصر الدين العديم الحنفي، وتقي الدين ابن الصائغ الشافعي، وعز الدين الدمشقي الحنبلي بقتلهما معًا فقتلا،,"The four Qadis, who were Shihab al-Din the Maliki, Nasir al-Din the Destitute, the Hanafi, Taqi al-Din son of the goldsmith, the shafi’T, and eIzz al-Din of Damascus, the Hanbali, authorized the death penalty for them both, and they were executed."
وفي أوائل شهر ربيع الأول عام تسعة وأربعين بلغني الخبر في حلب أن الوباء وقع بغزة، وأنه انتهى عدد الموتى فيها إلى زائد على الألف في يوم واحد،,In the first days of the month of Rabil in the year forty-nine news reached us in Aleppo that plague had broken out in Ghazza and that the number of dead there exceeded a thousand a day.
فسافرت إلى حمص، فوجدت الوباء قد وقع بها، ومات يوم دخولي إليها نحو ثلاثمائة إنسان،,I went to Hims and found that the plague had already struck there; about three hundred persons died on the day of my arrival.
ثم سافرت إلى دمشق ووصلتها يوم الخميس، وكان أهلها قد صاموا ثلاثة أيام،,I went to Damascus and arrived on a Thursday; the people had been fasting for three days.
وخرجوا يوم الجمعة إلى مسجد الأقدام حسبما ذكرناه في السفر الأول،,"On Friday they went to the Mosque of the Footprints, as we have related in the first book."
فخفف الله الوباء عنهم،,God alleviated their plague.
فانتهى عدد الموتى عندهم إلى ألفين وأربعمائة في اليوم،,The number of deaths among them had risen to two thousand four hundred a day.
ثم سافرت إلى عجلون ثم إلى بيت المقدس، ووجدت الوباء قد ارتفع عنه،,"Then I went to Ajlun, and then to Bait alMuqaddas [Jerusalem], where I found the plague had ceased."
ولقيت خطيبه عز الدين بن جماعة ابن عم عز الدين قاضي القضاة بمصر,"I met the preacher Izz al-Din, son of Jama’a, son of the paternal uncle of Izz al-Din the Grand Qadi of Cairo."
وهو من الفضلاء الكرماء، ومرتبه على الخطابة ألف درهم في الشهر.,He is a pious and generous man. His salary as preacher is a thousand dirhams a month.
حكاية,Anecdote.
وصنع الخطيب عز الدين يومًا دعوة ودعاني فيمن دعاه إليها،,The preacher ‘Izz al-Din gave a banquet one day and invited me among his guests.
فسألته عن سببها،,I asked him the reason for it.
فأخبرني أنه نذر أيام الوباء أنه إن ارتفع ذلك ومر عليه يوم لا يصلي فيه على ميت صنع الدعوة،,He told me that during the plague he had sworn he would give a banquet if the plague were to cease and a day were to pass during which he did not pray over a corpse.
ثم قال لي: ولما كان بالأمس لم أصل على ميت فصنعت الدعوة التي نذرت،,Then he said: ‘Yesterday I did not pray over a corpse so I arranged the banquet as I had promised.’
ووجدت من كنت أعهده من جميع الأشياخ بالقدس، قد انتقلوا إلى جوارِ الله تعالى رحمهم الله،,I found that some of the shaikhs I had met in al-Quds [Jerusalem] had departed to be with God Most High. May He have mercy on them!
فلم يَبْقَ منهم إلا القليل مثل المحدث العالم الإمام صالح الدين خليل بن كيكلدي العلائي، ومثل الصالح شرف الدين الخشي شيخ زاوية المسجد الأقصى،,"Only a few of them were left like the learned traditionist the imam Salah al-Din Khalil, the son of Kaikaldl al-‘Ala’l, and like the pious Sharaf al-Din alKhushshi, the shaikh of the hospice of the mosque of al-Aqsa."
ولقيت الشيخ سليمان الشيرازي،,I met Shaikh Sulaiman of Shiraz.
فأضافني,He gave me hospitality.
ولم ألق بالشام ومصر من وصل إلى قدم آدم عليه السلام سواه،,I met no one else in Syria and Egypt who had visited the Foot of Adam. Peace be upon him!
ثم سافرت عن القدس، ورافقني الواعظ المحدث شرف الدين سليمان الملياني وشيخ المغاربة بالقدس الصوفي الفاضل طلحة العبد الوادي،,"I left Jerusalem accompanied by the preacher and traditionist Sharaf al-Din Sulaiman of Milyana and the shaikh of the Maghribis there, the admirAble Sufi Talha al-‘Abd al Wadi."
فوصلنا إلى مدينة الخليل عليه السلام، وزرناه ومن معه من الأنبياء عليهم السلام،,"We reached the city of al-Khalli [Hebron], Peace be upon it, and we visited his tomb and those of the prophets there, Peace be upon them."
ثم سرنا إلى غزة فوجدنا معظمها خاليًا من كثرة من مات بها في الوباء،,Then we went to Ghazza and found most of it deserted because of the numbers that had died during the plague.
وأخبرنا قاضيها أن العدول بها كانوا ثمانين، فبقي منهم الربع، وأن عدد الموتى بها انتهى إلى ألف ومائة في اليوم،,The Qadi told me that only a quarter of the eighty notaries there were left and that the number of deaths had risen to eleven hundred a day.
ثم سافرنا في البر فوصلت إلى دمياط،,We then went by land to Dimyat.
ولقيت بها قطب الدين النفشواني وهو صائم الدهر،,where I met Qufb al-Din of Naqshuwan who fasts incessantly.
ورافقني منها إلى فارسكور وسمنود ثم إلى أبي صير (بكسر الصاد المهمل وياء وراء)، ونزلنا في زاوية لبعض المصريين بها.,He accompanied me to Faras Kur and Samannud and then to Abu sir where we stayed in the hospice of one of the Egyptians.
حكاية,Anecdote.
وبينما نحن بتلك الزاوية إذ دخل علينا أحد الفقراء، فسلم,While we were in that hospice a faqir entered and greeted us.
وعرضنا عليه الطعام، فأبى وقال: إنما قصدت زيارتكم,"We offered him food, but he refused it and said: ‘I came only to visit you.’"
ولم يزل ليلته تلك ساجدًا وراكعًا،,He spent the whole night in prostration and bowing in prayer.
ثم صلينا الصبح واشتغلنا بالذكر والفقير بركن الزاوية،,"We prayed the dawn prayer and gave ourselves over to the praise of God, while the faqir stayed in a corner of the hospice."
فجاء الشيخ بالطعام ودعاه فلم يجبه،,"The shaikh came with food and called him, but he did not answer."
فمضى إليه فوجده ميتًا،,He went over to him and found him dead.
فصلينا عليه ودفَنَّاه رحمة الله عليه،,We prayed over him and buried him. May God have mercy upon him!
ثم سافرت إلى المحلة الكبيرة ثم إلى نحرارية، ثم إلى أبيار ثم إلى دمنهور ثم إلى الإسكندرية،,"Then I travelled to al-Mahalla al-KAbira, then to Naljrariya, then to Abyar, then to Damanhur, and then to Alexandria."
فوجدت الوباء قد خف بها بعد أن بلغ عدد الموتى إلى ألف وثمانين في اليوم،,I found the plague had abated after the number of deaths had risen to a thousand and eighty a day.
ثم سافرت إلى القاهرة وبلغني أن عدد الموتى أيام الوباء انتهى فيها إلى أحد وعشرين ألفًا في اليوم،,Then I went to Cairo and was told that during the plague the number of deaths there had risen to twenty-one thousand a day.
ووجدت جميع من كان بها من المشايخ الذين أعرفهم قد ماتوا، رحمهم الله تعالى.,I found that all the shaikhs I had known were dead. May God Most High have mercy upon them!
ذِكْرُ سلطانها,Account of the Sultan of Cairo.
وكان مَلِكُ ديار مصر في هذا العهد الملك الناصر حسن ابن الملك الناصر محمد ابن الملك المنصور قلاوون،,"The king of Egypt at that time was al-Malik al-Nasir Hasan, son of al-Malik al-Nasir Muhammad, son of al-Malik al-Mansur Qalawun."
وبعد ذلك خلع عن الملك، ووليَّ أخوه الملك الصالح،,He was afterwards deposed and his brother al-Malik al-salifr became ruler.
ولما وصلتُ القاهرة وجدتُ قاضي القضاة عز الدين ابن قاضي القضاة بدر الدين بن جماعة قد توجَّه إلى مكة في رَكْبٍ عظيم يسمونه الرجبي؛ لسفرهم في شهر رجب،,"When I arrived in Cairo I found that the Grand Qadi ‘Izz al-Din, son of the Grand Qadi Badr al-Din, son of Jama’a, had set out for Mecca in a huge caravan called RajAbi, because it leaves in the month of Rajab."
وأُخبرتُ أن الوباء لم يزل معهم حتى وصلوا عقبة أيلة، فارتفع عنهم،,I was told that the plague was among them until they reached the pass of Aila where it ceased.
ثم سافرت من القاهرة إلى بلاد الصعيد، وقد تَقدَّمَ ذكرها إلى عيذاب، وركبتُ منها البحر، فوصلت إلى جدة، ثم سافرت منها إلى مكة — شرفها الله تعالى وكرمها —,"I then went from Cairo to the sa*Id, which has already been spoken of, to *Aidhab, whence I sailed to Judda, and then went to Mecca, May God Most High ennoble and honour her!"
فوصلتها في الثاني والعشرين لشعبان، سنة تسع وأربعين،,I arrived on the twenty-second of Sha’ban of the year fortynine.
ونزلت في جِوَار إمام المالكية، الصالح الولي الفاضل أبي عبد الله محمد بن عبد الرحمن، المدعو بخليل،,"I put myself under the protection of the Maliki Imam, the pious, the devout, the excellent Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad, son of’Abd al-Rahman called Khalil."
فصمت شهر رمضان بمكة،,I fasted through the month of Ramadan in Mecca.
وكنت أعتمر كل يوم، على مذهب الشافعي،,Every day I visited the holy places according to the Shaft*! madhhab.
ولقيت ممن أعهده من أشياخها، شهاب الدين الحنفي، وشهاب الدين الطبري، وأبا محمد اليافعي، ونجم الدين الأصفوني، والحرازي،,"Among the shaikhs of Mecca I knew I met Shihab al-Din al-Hanaf!, Shihab al-Din al-Tabari, Abu Muhammad al-Yafi’I, Najm al-Din alUsfuni, and al-Harazi."
وحججت في تلك السنة، ثم سافرت مع الرَّكبِ الشامي إلى طيبة مدينة رسول الله ﷺ,"I made the pilgrimage in that year and then left with the Syrian caravan for Taiba, the city of the Prophet of God. May God bless and give him peace."
وزرت قبره المكرَّم المطيب، زاده الله طيبًا وتشريفًا،,"I visited his noble and perfumed tomb, may God increase it in perfume and honour."
وصليت في المسجد الكريم، طهره الله وزاده تعظيمًا،,"I prayed in the noble mosque, may God purify it and enhance its magnificence."
وزرت مَنْ بالبقيع من أصحاب الرسول ﷺ — ورضي عنهم —,"I visited the Companions of the Prophet. God bless him and give him peace, who are in Al-Baqf, God be pleased with them."
ولقيت من الأشياخ أبا محمد بن فرحون،,"Among the shaikhs I met Abu Muhammad, son of Farljun."
ثم سافرنا من المدينة الشريفة إلى العلا وتبوك، ثم إلى بيت المقدس، ثم إلى مدينة الخليل ﷺ ثم إلى غزة، ثم إلى منازل الرمل، وقد تقدم ذكر ذلك كله، ثم إلى القاهرة،,"We left Madina the noble for al Ula and Tabuk, then Bait al-Muqaddas [Jerusalem], then the city of al-Khalli, God bless him and give him peace, then to Ghazza, then the desert stations, all of which have been described before, and then Cairo."
وهنالك تعرَّفنا أن مولانا أمير المؤمنين وناصر الدين المتوكل على رب العالمين أبا عنان، أيده الله تعالى، قد ضَمَّ الله به نشر الدولة المرينية، وشفى ببركته بعد إشفائها البلاد المغربية، وأفاض الإحسان على الخاص والعام، وغمر جميع الناس بسابغ الإنعام،,"There we learnt that Our Master the Commander of the Faithful, the Protector of True Religion, who places his trust in the lord of the worlds, Abu *Inan, may God Most High assist him, had under God brought together the scattered pieces of the Marlnid dominion and by his blessing had healed the countries of the Maghrib after their being near to death, had poured forth benefits on high and low, and had enwrapped all the people in a profusion of favours."
فتشوفت النفوس إلى المثول ببابه، وأمَّلت لثم ركابه،,They longed to stand at his gate in the hope of kissing his stirrup.
فعند ذلك قصدت القدوم على حضرته العَليَّةِ,Thereupon I sought to make my way to his exalted capital.
مع ما شقني من تذكار الأوطان، والحنين إلى أهلي والخلان، والمحبة إلى بلادي التي لها الفضل عندي على البلدان:,"The memory of my homeland moved me, affection for my people and friends, and love for my country which for me is better than all others."
"بلاد بها نِيطَتْ عَلَيَّ تمائمي وأول أرض مَسَّ جلدي ترابها
فركبت البحر في قرقورة لبعض التونسيين صغيرة،","A land where charms were hung upon me
Whose earth my skin first touched
I sailed in a small qurqura belonging to a Tunisian."
وذلك في صفر سنة خمسين،,This was in safar of the year fifty.
وسرت حتى نزلت بجربة، وسافر المركب المذكور إلى تونس، فاستولى العدو عليه،,landed in Jarba but the boat went on to Tunis and the enemy captured it.
ثم سافرت في مركب صغير إلى قابس، فنزلت في ضيافة الأخوين الفاضلين أبي مروان وأبي العباس ابني مكي أميري جربة وقابس،,"Then I went in a small boat to Qabis [Gabes], where I landed and was the guest of two excellent brothers, Abu Marwan and Abu’l-*Abbas, sons of MakkI, the amirs of Jarba and Qabis."
وحضرت عندهما مولد رسول الله ﷺ,"I spent with them the birthday of the Prophet, God bless him and give him peace."
ثم ركبت في مركب إلى سفاقس، ثم توجهت في البحر إلى بليانة، ومنها سرت في البر مع العرب، فوصلت بعد مشقات إلى مدينة تونس والعرب محاصرون لها.,"Then I took a boat to Safaqus [Sfax], then went by sea to Bulyana. and then by land with the Arabs, after a troublesome journey reaching the city of Tunis, which the Arabs were besieging."
ذكر سلطانها,Account of the Sultan of Tunis.
وكانت تونس في إيالة مولانا أمير المسلمين، وناصر الدين المجاهد في سبيل رب العالمين، عَلَم الأعلام، وأوحد الملوك الكرام، أسد الآساد، وجواد الأجواد، القانت الأوَّاب، الخاشع العادل، أبي الحسن ابن مولانا أمير المسلمين، المجاهد في سبيل رب العالمين، ناصر دين الإسلام، الذي سارت الأمثال بجوده، وشاع في الأقطار أَثَرُ كرمه وفضله، ذي المناقب والمفاخر والفضائل والمآثر الملك العادل الفاضل أبي سعيد ابن مولانا أمير المسلمين، وناصر الدين المجاهد في سبيل رب العالمين، قاهر الكفار ومبيدها، ومبدئ آثار الجهاد ومعيدها، ناصر الإيمان الشديد السطوة في ذات الرحمان، العابد الزاهد الراكع الساجد الخاشع الصالح، أبي يوسف بن عبد الحق — رضي الله عنهم أجمعين — وأبقى الملك في عقبهم إلى يوم الدين،,"Tunis was under the government of Our Master, the Commander of the Muslims, the Protector of True Religion, the warrior who fights on behalf of the Lord of the Worlds, paladin of paladins, incomparable among generous kings, lion of lions, most magnanimous of the magnanimous, the devout, who turns to God, the humble, the just Abu’l-Hasan, son of Our Master the Commander of the Muslims, the warrior who fights on behalf of the Lord of the Worlds, the Protector of the faith of Islam, whose virtue has become a proverb, whose acts of generosity and graciousness are disseminated throughout the regions of the world, author of virtuous, glorious, illustrious and beneficent deeds, the just and excellent king Abu Sa’id, son of Our Master the Commander of the Muslims, the Protector of True Religion, the warrior on behalf of the Lord of the Worlds, the conqueror and destroyer of infidels, who began and then repeated the exploits of the holy war, the protector of true belief, the zealous in what pertains to the Merciful, the devout, the ascetic who bows and prostrates himself in prayer, the humble, the pious Abu Yusuf son of *Abd al-Iaqq, God be pleased with them all and cause the kingdom to remain with their descendants till the day of Judgment."
ولما وصلت تونس، قصدت الحاج أبا الحسن الناميسي، لما بيني وبينه من مَودَّاتِ القرابة والبلدية،,When I reached Tunis I sought out al-Hajj Abu’l-Hasan because of the ties of relationship and citizenship between us.
فأنزلني بداره، وتوجَّهَ معي إلى المشور،,He accommodated me in his house and went with me to the audience hall.
فدخلت المشور الكريم، وقبَّلتُ يد مولانا أبي الحسن — رضي الله عنه —,"I went into the noble hall and kissed the hand of Our Master Abu’l-Hasan, God be pleased with him."
وأمرني بالقعود فقعدت،,"He ordered me to sit down, which I did."
وسألني عن الحجاز الشريف وسلطان مصر فأجبته،,He asked me about the noble Hijaz and the Sultan of Egypt and I answered him.
وسألني عن ابن تيفراجين,He asked me about Ibn Tifarajln.
فأخبرته بما فعلت المغاربة معه وإرادتهم قتله بالإسكندرية، وما لقيَ من إذايتهم، انتصارًا منهم لمولانا أبي الحسن — رضي الله عنه.,"I told him what the Maghribis had done about him to assist Our Master Abu’lHasan, God be pleased with him."
وكان في مجلسه من الفقهاء الإمام أبو عبد الله السمطي والإمام أبو عبد الله محمد بن الصباغ، ومن أهل تونس قاضيها أبو علي عمر بن عبد الرفيع، وأبو عبد الله بن هارون،,Among the jurists present at his assembly were the imam Abu ‘Abdallah al-Saffl and the imam Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. al-Sabbagh and among the Tunisians their Qadi Abu ‘All ‘Omar b. ‘Abd al-RafY and Abu ‘Abdallah b. Harun.
وانصرفت عن المجلس الكريم، فلمَّا كان بعد العصر استدعاني مولانا أبو الحسن،,I left the noble assembly but after the afternoon prayer Our Master Abu’l-Hasan summoned me.
وهو ببرج يشرف على موضع القتال،,He was in a tower over-looking the field of battle.
ومعه الشيوخ الجلة، أبو عمر وعثمان بن عبد الواحد التنالفتي وأبو حسون زيان بن أمريون العلوي وأبو زكرياء يحيى بن سليمان العسكري والحاج أبو الحسن الناميسي،,"With him were the illustrious shaikhs Abu ‘Omar ‘Othman b. ‘Abd al-Wahid al-Tanalaftl, Abu Hassun Ziyan, son of Amriyun al-‘Alawi, Abu Zakariya’ Yafiya son of Sulaiman al-‘Askari, and al-Hajj Abu’l-Hasan al-Namisi."
فسألني عن ملك الهند فأجبته عما سأل،,He asked me about the king of India and I answered his questions.
ولم أزل أتردَّد إلى مجلسه الكريم أيام إقامتي بتونس، وكانت ستة وثلاثين يومًا،,"I went on going back and forth to the noble assembly so long as I stayed in Tunis, which was for thirty-six days."
"In Tunis I met the shaikh, the imam, the seal and chief of the ulama* Abu ‘Abdallah of Abila. He was on a sickbed and he enquired about many matters concerned with my travels.",331
ثم سافرت من تونس في البحر مع القطلانيين،,I travelled from Tunis by sea with the Catalans.
فوصلنا إلى جزيرة سردانية من جُزُرِ الروم،,"We reached the island of Sardaniya [Sardinia], a Christian island."
ولها مَرْسًى عجيب، عليه خشب كبار دائرة به، وله مدخل كأنه باب لا يُفتحُ إلا بإذن منهم،,"There is a wonderful harbour with huge pieces of wood around it and an entrance like a gate, which is opened only with their permission."
وفيها حصون دخلنا أحدها،,"In the island are fortresses, one of which we entered."
وبه أسواق كثيرة،,There were many bazaars inside it.
ونذرت لله تعالى إن خلَّصنا الله منها صوم شهرين متتابعين؛ لأننا تَعَرَّفْنَا أن أهلها عازمون على اتباعنا إذا خرجنا عنها ليأسرونا،,"I vowed to God Most High that if He delivered us from this island I would fast for two months, because we had learnt that its people had resolved to follow us and take us prisoners when we left."
ثم خرجنا عنها، فوصلنا بعد عشر إلى مدينة تنس، ثم إلى مازونة، ثم إلى مستغانم، ثم إلى تلمسان،,"We departed from the island and after ten days reached the city of Tanas, then Mazuna, then Mustaghanim, and then Tilim-san."
"فقصدت العُبَّاد.
وزرت الشيخ أبا مدين — رضي الله عنه ونفع به —","I sought out al-‘Ubbad and visited the shaikh Abu Madyan, God be pleased with him and grant favours through him."
ثمَّ خرجت عنها على طريق مدرومة، وسلكت طريق أخندقان، وبتُّ بزاوية الشيخ إبراهيم،,"Then I left by the Nadruma road, followed the Akhandaqan road and spent the night at the hospice of Shaikh Ibrahim."
ثم سافرنا منها، فبينما نحن بقرب أزغنغان إذ خرج علينا خمسون راجلًا وفارسان،,Then we continued our journey and when we were near Azaghnaghan we were attacked by fifty men on foot and two horsemen.
وكان معي الحاج ابن قريعات الطنجي وأخوه محمد المستشهد بعد ذلك في البحر،,I was with Al-Hajj Ibn Qarfat of Tangier and his brother Muhammad who afterwards died a martyr at sea.
فعزمنا على قتالهم، ورفعنا علمًا،,We decided to fight them and raised a flag.
ثم سالمونا وسالمناهم والحمد لله،,"They then made peace with us and we with them, praise be to God."
ووصلت إلى مدينة تازي، وبها تَعَرَّفْتُ خبر موت والدتي بالوباء — رحمها الله تعالى —,"I reached the city of Taza, where I learnt that my mother had died of the plague, God Most High have mercy upon her."
ثم سافرت عن تازي فوصلت يوم الجمعة في أواخر شهر شعبان المكرم من عام خمسين وسبعمائة إلى حضرة فاس،,I left Taza and on the last Friday of Sha’ban the blessed in the year seven hundred and fifty I reached the capital city of Fez.
فمثلت بين يدي مولانا الأعظم، الإمام الأكرم، أمير المؤمنين، المتوكل على رب العالمين، أبي عنان — وصل الله علوه وكبت عدوه —,"I stood before our exalted master, the most generous imam, the Commander of the Faithful, who puts his trust in the Lord of the Worlds, Abu ‘Inan, God establish his grandeur and crush his enemies."
فأنستني هيبته هيبة سلطان العراق، وحُسْنُه حسن ملك الهند، وحسن أخلاقه حسن خلق ملك اليمن، وشجاعته شجاعة ملك الترك، وحلمه حلم ملك الروم، وديانته ديانة ملك تركستان، وعلمه علم ملك الجاوة،,"His majesty caused me to forget the majesty of the Sultan of Iraq, his beauty to forget that of the king of India, his gracious manners those of the king of alYaman, his courage that of the king of the Turks, his clemency that of the king of the Greeks, his devotion that of the king of Turkistan, his theological learning that of the king of alJawa."
وكان بين يديه وزيره الفاضل، ذو المكارم الشهيرة، والمآثر الكثيرة، أبو زيان ابن ودرار،,"Before him was his excellent Wazir, author of renowned noble deeds and exploits, Abu Zayyan b. Wadrar."
فسألني عن الديار المصرية، إذ كان قد وصل إليها، فأجبته عما سأل،,"He asked me about Egypt, where he had been, and I answered his questions."
وغمرني من إحسان مولانا أيَّدهُ الله تعالى بما أعجزني شكره،,"Our master, God Most High support him, overwhelmed me with favours for which I am unable to thank him [adequately]."
والله ولي مكافأته،,God is Able to recompense him.
وألقيت عصى التسيار ببلاده الشريفة بعد أن تحققت بفضل الإنصاف أنها أحسن البلدان؛,I laid down my travelling staff in his noble country after verifying with superabundant impartiality that it is the best of countries.
لأن الفواكه بها متيسرة، والمياه والأقوات غير متعذرة، وقَلَّ إقليم يجمع ذلك،,"Its fruits are plentiful, water and provisions are easy to get, and few regions of the world have all these together."
"ولقد أحسن من قال (مجتث):
الغرب أحسن أرض ولي دليل عليه
البدر يرقب منه والشمس تسعى إليه","The poet spoke well who said:
The West is the best of lands as I can prove
The full moon is near to it and the sun runs thither"
ودراهم الغرب صغيرة وفوائدها كثيرة،,The dirhams of the West are small but they have many advan-tages.
وإذا تأمَّلتَ أسعاره مع أسعار ديار مصر والشام ظهر لك الحق في ذلك، ولاح فضل بلاد المغرب،,"If you consider prices in Egypt and Syria the truth of what I say is apparent, and the excellence of the Maghrib obvious."
فأقول: إنَّ لحوم الأغنام بديار مصر تُباعُ بحساب ثماني عشرة أوقية بدرهم نقرة، والدرهم النقرة ستة دراهم من دراهم المغرب، وبالمغرب يباع اللحم إذا غلا سعره ثماني عشرة أوقية بدرهمين، وهما ثلث النقرة،,"I say that mutton is sold in Egypt at the rate of eighteen okes for a silver dirham, which is six Maghribi dirhams; in the Maghrib when the price is very high eighteen okes are sold for two dirhams, that is a third of the Egyptian dirham."
وأما السَّمنُ فلا يوجد بمصر في أكثر الأوقات،,As for butter it is not to be had in Egypt most of the time.
والذي يستعمله أهل مصر من أنواع الإدام لا يُلتفتُ إليه بالمغرب،,What is eaten with bread by the Egyptians are things despised in the Maghrib.
ولأن أكثر ذلك العدس والحمص يطبخونه في قدور راسيات، ويجعلون عليه السيرج والبسلا، وهو صنف من الجلبان، يطبخونه ويجعلون عليه الزيت والقرع يطبخونه ويخلطونه باللبن، والبقلة الحمقاء يطبخونها كذلك، وأعلا أغصان اللوز يطبخونها ويجعلون عليها اللبن، والقلقاس يطبخونه,"Mostly they are lentils and chickpeas, which they cook in heavy cauldrons and on which they put sesame oil; basilla, which is a kind of peas which they cook and to which they add olive oil; gherkins which they cook and mix with curdled milk; purslane, which they cook in the same way; the buds on the young shoots of the almond tree, which they cook and on which they put curdled milk; colocasia, which they cook."
وهذا كله متيسرٌ بالمغرب، لكن أغنى الله عنه بكثرة اللحم والسمن والزبد والعسل وسوى ذلك.,"All these are easy to get in the Maghrib but God has made them superfluous by the abundance of meat, butter, both clarified and fresh, honey, and other things."
وأما الخُضَر فهي أقل الأشياء ببلاد مصر، وأما الفواكه فأكثرها مجلوبة من الشام، وأما العنب فإذا كان رخيصًا بيع عندهم ثلاثة أرطال من أرطالهم بدرهم نقرة، ورطلهم ثنتا عشرة أوقية،,"Green vegetables are very rare in Egypt; fruit is mostly imported from Syria; grapes, when they are cheap, are sold among them at three of their pounds for a silver dirham, their pound being twelve okes."
وأما بلاد الشام فالفواكه بها كثيرة، إلا أنها ببلاد الغرب أرخص منها ثمنًا،,In Syria fruit is plentiful but it is cheaper in the Maghrib.
فإن العنب يُباعُ بها بحساب رَطْل من أرطالهم بدرهم نقرة، ورطلهم ثلاثة أرطال مغربية،,"Grapes are sold there at a silver dirham for one of their pounds, their pound being three Maghribi pounds."
وإذا رَخُصَ ثمنه بِيعَ بحساب رطلين بدرهم نقرة،,When the price is low two pounds are sold for a silver dirham.
والإجَّاص يباع بحساب عشر أواقٍ بدرهم نقرة،,Plums are sold at ten okes for a silver dirham.
وأما الرمان والسفرجل فتباع الحبة منه بثمانية فلوس، وهي درهم من درهم المغرب،,"Pomegranates and quinces are sold for eight fals apiece, which amounts to a Maghribi dirham."
وأما الخضر فيباع بالدرهم النقرة منها أقل مما يباع في بلادنا بالدرهم الصغير،,Vegetables sold for a silver dirham are less in quantity than are sold for a small dirham in our country.
وأما اللحم فيباع فيها الرطل منه من أرطالهم بدرهمين ونصف درهم نقرة،,Meat is sold there at two and a half silver dirhams for one of their pounds.
فإذا تأملت ذلك كله، تَبيَّنَ لك أن بلاد المغرب أرخص البلاد أسعارًا، وأكثرها خيرات، وأعظمها مرافق وفوائد،,"If you consider all that it will be obvious that the countries of the Maghrib are the cheapest in prices, the most abundant in resources, and the foremost in amenities and advantages."
ولقد زاد الله بلاد المغرب شرفًا إلى شرفها، وفضلًا إلى فضلها، بإمامة مولانا أمير المؤمنين، الذي مَدَّ ظلال الأمن في أقطارها، وأطلع شمس العدل في أرجائها، وأفاض سحاب الإحسان في باديتها وحاضرتها، وطهرها من المفسدين، وأقام بها رسوم الدنيا والدين،,"God has increased the lands of the Maghrib in honour after honour and in excellence after excellence through the imamate of our master the Commander of the Faithful, who has ex-tended the shade of security over its countries, has caused the sun of justice to rise over its expanse, has made the clouds to deluge the countryside and the towns with beneficence, has purified it of evildoers and has established in it the foundations of secular and of religious life."
وأنا أذكر ما عايَنْتُه وتَحَقَّقْتُه من عدله وحِلْمِه وشجاعته واشتغاله بالعلم وتفقهه وصدقته الجارية ورفع المظالم.,"I shall recount examples I have witnessed and verified of his justice, his clemency, his courage, his addiction to religious learning and the study of the holy law, his constant almsgiving and his alleviation of oppression."
ذكر بعض فضائل مولانا أيده الله,"Account of some of the virtues of Our Master, God strengthen him."
أما عدله فأشهر من أن يسطر في كتاب،,His justice is more renowned than can be recorded in a book.
فمن ذلك جلوسه للمشتكين من رعيته، وتخصيصه يوم الجمعة للمساكين منهم، وتقسيمه ذلك اليوم بين الرجال والنساء، وتقديمه النساء لضعفهن،,"An instance is that he has sessions to hear complaints from his subjects; he devotes Fridays to the poor, dividing the day between men and women, giving women priority because of their weakness."
فتُقرأ قصصهن بعد صلاة الجمعة إلى العصر،,Their petitions are read from after the Friday prayer until the afternoon prayer.
ومن وصلت نوبتها نودي باسمها،,Each one whose turn has come is summoned by name.
ووقفت بين يديه الكريمتين يكلمها دون واسطة،,She stands in his precious presence and he speaks to her without an intermediary.
فإن كانت متظلمة عجَّلَ إنصافها، أو طالبة إحسان وَقَّعَ إسعافها،,"If she has been the victim of oppression, it is quickly rectified; if she requests a favour, relief is at hand."
ثم إذا صُليت العصر قرئت قصص الرجال، وفعل مثل ذلك فيها،,"When the afternoon prayer has been prayed, the men’s petitions are read and are dealt with in the same way."
ويحضر المجلس الفقهاء والقضاة، فيرد إليهم ما تعلق بالأحكام الشرعية،,The jurists and Qadis are present at the audience and decisions connected with the religious law are referred to them.
وهذا شيء لم أَرَ في الملوك من يفعله على هذا التمام،,I have not seen any other king act so impeccably and display such justice.
ويظهر فيه مثل هذا العدل، فإن ملك الهند عَيَّنَ بعض أمرائه لأخذ القصص من الناس وتلخيصها ورفعها إليه دون حضور أربابها بين يديه،,"The king of India appointed one of his amirs to receive petitions from the people and to summarize them for him, but the petitioners themselves were not in his presence."
وأما حلمه فقد شاهدت منه العجائب، فإنه — أيده الله — عفا عن الكثير ممن تعرض لقتال عساكره والمخالفة عليه، وعن أهل الجرائم الكبار التي لا يعفو عن جرائمهم إلا من وثق بربه، وعلم علم اليقين معنى قوله تعالى: وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ،,"As for his clemency I have witnessed wonderful instances of it, for he, God strengthen him, has pardoned many of those who have fought against his troops and resisted his authority, and also great criminals whose crimes no one would pardon unless he trusts in his Lord and who knows with certain knowledge the meaning of the words of the Most High pardon the offences of the people."
قال ابن جزي: من أعجب ما شاهدته من حلم مولاه — أيده الله — أني منذ قدومي على بابه الكريم في آخر عام ثلاثة وخمسين إلى هذا العهد وهو أوائل عام سبعة وخمسين لم أشاهد أحدًا أمر بقتله إلا من قتله الشَّرْعُ في حَدٍّ من حدود الله تعالى، قصاص أو حرابة، هذا على اتساع المملكة، وانفساح البلاد، واختلاف الطوائف.,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘One of the wonderful instances of the clemency of our master, God strengthen him, that I have witnessed since I came to his noble gate in the last days of the year fifty-three until now, that is to say, in the first days of the year fifty-seven, I have not seen him order anyone to be executed unless it was someone whose execution was decreed in the religious law as the penalty stipulated by God Most High as retaliation or in war, and this is in spite of the extent of his kingdom, the spaciousness of his provinces and the diversity of peoples."
ولم يُسمعْ بمثل ذلك فيما تقدم من الإعصار، ولا فيما تباعد من الأقطار، وأما شجاعته فقد عُلِمَ ما كان منه في المواطن الكريمة من الثبات والإقدام، مثل يوم قتال بني عبد الوادي وغيرهم،,"Nothing like it has been heard of in times past or in distant countries.As for his courage, it is known what constancy and audacity he showed on illustrious fields, as on the day he fought the Banu eAbd al-Wadi and others."
ولقد سمعت خبر ذلك اليوم ببلاد السودان،,I have heard the story of that day told in the country of the Blacks.
وذُكِر ذلك عند سلطانهم فقال: هكذا وإلا فلا،,"It was related to their Sultan and he said: ‘Like that, or not at all.’"
قال ابن جزي: لم يزل الملوك الأقدمون تتفاخر بقتل الآساد، وهزائم الأعادي، ومولانا — أيده الله — كان قَتْلُ الأسد عليه أهون من قتل الشاة على الأسد،,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘The kings of ancient times were al-ways vying with one another in killing lions and in routing their enemies, but our master, God strengthen him, killed a lion more easily than a sheep is killed by a lion."
فإنه لما خرج الأسد على الجيش بوادي النجارين من المعمورة بحوز سلاو,A lion attacked the troops in Wadi al-Najjarm in the cultivated part of the district of Sala.
تحامته الأبطال، وفرت أمامه الفرسان والرجال،,"The champion fighters, both horsemen and foot soldiers, hovered round him and fled from him."
برز إليه مولانا — أيده الله — غير محتفل به ولا متهيب منه، فطعنه بالرمح ما بين عينيه طعنة خَرَّ بها صريعًا لليدين وللفم،,"Our master, God strengthen him, came out against him and casually and fearlessly thrust his spear between his eyes so that he fell dead. On hands and mouth!"
وأما هزائم الأعادي فإنها اتفقت للملوك بثبوت جيوشهم، وإقدام فرسانهم،,"‘As for putting enemies to flight, this happens to kings because of the steadiness of their troops and the elan of their cavalry."
فيكون حَظُّ الملوك الثبوت والتحريض على القتال،,The part of kings is to stand firm and incite them to fight.
وأما مولانا — أَيَّدَه الله — فإنه أَقْدَمَ على عَدوِّهِ منفردًا بنفسه الكريمة بعد عِلْمِه بفرار الناس، وتَحَقُّقه أنه لم يَبْقَ معه من يقاتل، فعند ذلك وقع الرُّعبُ في قلوب الأعداء، وانهزموا أمامه،,"But our master, God strengthen him, advanced against the enemy, alone in his noble person, knowing that the mass of troops had fled and assured that no one who would fight had stayed with him; thereupon fear overcame the hearts of the enemy who fled before him."
فكان من العجائب فرار الأمم أمام واحد،,It was wonderful to see nations fleeing before one man.
وذلك فضل الله يؤتيه من يشاء، والعاقبة للمتقين، وما هو إلا ثمرة ما يمتن به أعلى مقامه من التوكل على الله والتفويض إليه.,"That is a grace which God bestows on whomsoever he wishes, Success is with those who fear God. This is nothing but the fruit of the favours he obtains from God through his trust in Him and his total reliance upon Him.’"
وأما اشتغاله بالعلم فها هو أيده الله تعالى يعقد مجالس العلم في كل يوم بعد صلاة الصبح، ويحضر لذلك أعلام الفقهاء، ونُجباء الطلبة بمسجد قصره الكريم،,"As for his concern for religious knowledge, look how he, God Most High strengthen him, convenes meetings of the learned every day after the dawn prayer in the mosque of his noble palace, attended by the principal jurists and the most distinguished scholars."
فيُقرأ بين يديه تفسير القرآن العظيم، وحديث المصطفى ﷺ وفروع مذهب مالك — رضي الله عنه — وكتب المتصوفة،,"The commentary on the Holy Qur’an is read before him, and the Traditions of the Chosen One, God give him blessing and peace, and the elaborations of the madhhab of Malik, God be pleased with him, and the books of the Sufis."
وفي كل علم منها له القدح المُعلَّى، يجلو مشكلاته بنور فهمه، ويلقي نكته الرائقة من حفظه،,In all these subjects his is the highest attainment; he solves their difficulties with the light of his understanding and illuminating apothegms are projected from his memory.
وهذا شأن الأئمة المهتدين، والخلفاء الراشدين،,This was the procedure of the rightly guided Imams and the Orthodox Caliphs.
ولم أَرَ من ملوك الدنيا من بلغت عنايته بالعلم إلى هذه النهاية،,I have not seen any of the kings of the world whose concern for religious knowledge attains this degree.
فقد رأيت ملك الهند يتذاكر بين يديه بعد صلاة الصبح في العلوم المعقولات خاصة،,"I have seen before the king of India discussions held after the dawn prayer, particularly on matters of rational knowledge."
ورأيت ملك الجاوة يتذاكر بين يديه بعد صلاة الجمعة في الفروع على مذهب الشافعي خاصة،,I have seen before the king of al-Jawa discussions after the Friday prayer particularly on the application of the teachings of the Shafi’i madhhab.
وكنت أعجب من مُلازمةِ ملك تركستان لصلاتي العشاء الآخرة والصبح في الجماعة حتى رأيت ملازمة مولانا — أيده الله — في الصلوات كلها في الجماعة، ولقيام رمضان،,"I admired the assiduity of the king of Turkistan in attending the night and dawn prayers in the congregation till I saw the assiduity of our master, God strengthen him, in the quest for all religious knowledge in the congregation in the mosque and in the observances of Rama-dan."
وَاللهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاء.,God bestows his mercy on whom he wishes.
قال ابن جزي: لو أن عالمًا ليس له شغل إلا بالعلم ليلًا ونهارًا لم يكن يصل إلى أدنى مراتب مولانا — أيده الله — في العلوم مع اشتغاله بأمور الأمة، وتدبيره لسياسة الأقاليم النائية، ومباشرته من حال ملكه ما لم يباشره أحد من الملوك، ونظره بنفسه في شِكايات المظلومين،,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘If there were a scholar with nothing to do but study day and night he would not reach the lowest degree of the knowledge possessed by our master, God strengthen him, though he gives his attention also to the affairs of the community, and to the administration of remote provinces, supervises the affairs of his dominions more closely than any other king, and examines personally the complaints of those who have been wronged."
ومع ذلك كله فلا تقع بمجلسه الكريم مسألة علم في أي علم كان إلا جلا مُشْكلَها، وباحث في دقائقها، واستخرج غوامضها، واستدرك على علماء مجلسه ما فاتهم من مغلقاتها،,"In spite of all this, if a difficulty arises in any branch of knowledge in his noble assembly, he clarifies its obscurity, discusses its subtleties, elucidates its enigmas, and enables the scholars in the assembly to comprehend abstruse points which had eluded them."
ثم سما — أيده الله — إلى العلم الشريف التصوفي، ففهم إشارات القوم، وتخلق بأخلاقهم،,"‘He, God strengthen him, then rose to the exalted know-ledge of the Sufis, understood the symbols they use, and assumed their manners."
وظهرت آثار ذلك في تواضعه مع رفعته، وشفقته على رعيته، ورفقه في أمره كله،,"The consequence has become evident in his humility for all his exalted rank, in his solicitude for his subjects, and his affability in everything."
وأعطى للآداب حظًّا جزيلًا من نفسه، فاستعمل أحسنها منزعًا، وأعظمها موقعًا،,"He has devoted himself greatly to belles-lettres, which he has practiced and the standing of which he has heightened."
وصارت عنه الرسالة الكريمة والقصيدة اللتان بعثهما إلى الروضة الشريفة المقدَّسةِ الطاهرة، روضة سيد المرسلين، وشفيع المذنبين رسول الله ﷺ,"From him came the noble epistle and the poem which he sent to the noble, holy, pure Garden, the Garden of the chief of the prophets, the intercessor for sinners, the Prophet of God, God give him blessing and peace."
وكتبهما بخط يده الذي يُخْجِلُ الروض حسنًا،,"He wrote them with his own handwriting, which for beauty puts the Garden to shame."
وذلك شيء لم يتعاط أحد من ملوك الزمان إنشاءه، ولا رام إدراكه.,That is something no other king of this age ever undertook or even aspired to do.
ومَنْ تَأَمَّل التوقيعات الصادرة عنه — أَيَّدَهُ الله تعالى — وأحاط علمًا بمحصولها، لاح له فَضْل ما وَهَبَ الله لمولانا من البلاغة التي فطره عليها، وجمع له بين الطبيعي والمكتسب منها،,"Anyone who considers the rescripts issued by him, God Most High strengthen him, and who has fully comprehended their contents, will realize the pre-eminent eloquence with which God has endowed our master in creating him and which, both natural and acquired, has been conjoined in him.’"
وأمَّا صدقاته الجارية، وما أمر به من عمارة الزوايا بجميع بلاده لإطعام الطعام للوارد والصادر، فذلك ما لم يفعله أحد من الملوك غير السلطان أتابك أحمد، وقد زاد عليه مولانا — أيده الله — بالتصدق على المساكين بالطعام كل يوم، والتصدق بالزرع على المتسترين من أهل البيوت،,"As for the stream of alms he dispenses and the hospices he has ordered to be built throughout his dominions to provide food for all who come and go, that is something which no other king has done except the Sultan Atabak Ahmad, and our master, God strengthen him, is his superior in giving food to the poor every day and in giving grain to those hermits who hide themselves away."
قال ابن جزي: اخترع مولانا — أيده الله — في الكرم والصدقات أمورًا لم تخطر في الأوهام، ولا اهتدت إليها السلاطين،,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘Our master, God strengthen him, has devised practices in benevolence and almsgiving of which no one had thought and which the Sultans had not attained."
فمنها إجراء الصدقات على المساكين بكل بلد من بلاده على الدوام، ومنها تعيين الصدقة الوافرة للمسجونين في جميع البلاد أيضًا، ومنها كون تلك الصدقات خبزًا مخبوزًا متيسرًا للانتفاع به، ومنها كسوة المساكين والضعفاء والعجائز والمشايخ والملازمين للمساجد بجميع بلاده، ومنها تعيين الضحايا لهؤلاء الأصناف في عيد الأضحى، ومنها التصدُّق بما يجتمع في مجابي أبواب بلاده يوم سبعة وعشرين من رمضان إكرامًا لذلك اليوم الكريم وقيامًا بحقِّه، ومنها إطعام الناس في جميع البلاد ليلة المولد الكريم واجتماعهم لإقامة رسمه، ومنها أعذار اليتامى من الصبيان وكسوتهم يوم عاشوراء، ومنها صدقته على الزَّمنى والضعفاء بأزواج الحرث يقيمون بها أودهم، ومنها صدقته على المساكين بحضرته بالطنافش الوثيرة والقطائف الجياد يفترشونها عند رقادهم، وتلك مكرمة لا يُعْلمُ لها نظير، ومنها بناء المرستانات في كل بلد من بلاده، وتعيين الأوقاف الكثيرة لمؤن المرضى، وتعيين الأطباء لمعالجتهم والتصرف في طبهم، إلى غير ذلك مما أبدع فيه من أنواع المكارم، وضروب المآثر،,"Among them are the constant distribution of alms to the poor in every place in his realms; the designation of abundant alms for prisoners in all his realms; the stipulation that those alms should be in the form of baked bread that is easy to use; clothing for the poor, the sick, old women, old men, and those serving in the mosques throughout his realms; the allocation of sacrificial animals for these classes of people for the Feast of Sacrifice; the giving in alms of the tolls exacted at the gates in his realms on the twenty-seventh day of Ramadan in honour of that noble day and in support of its sanctity; feeding the people of the whole country on the night of the noble birth and assembling them for its ceremonies; the circumcision, feeding and clothing of orphan boys on the day of *Ashura’; his help to the chronically sick and infirm in providing them with partners to work their land and so ease their burdens; his giving to the poor in his capital soft rugs and wraps of good quality for them to spread out and sleep on, an unparalleled kindness; building hospitals in every town of his realms, pro-viding ample endowments for feeding the sick, and appointing doctors to cure them and take charge of their treatment, as well as other kinds of beneficence and varieties of memorable acts which he has been the first to do."
كافأ الله أياديه، وشَكَرَ نِعَمَه.,May God repay the favours he has bestowed and recompense his benefactions.’
وأما رفعه للمظالم عن الرعية، فمنها الرتب التي كانت تؤخذ بالطرقات أمَرَ — أيده الله — بمحو رسمها، وكان لها مجبى عظيم، فلم يلتفت إليه،,"As for relieving the oppression of his subjects, he, God strengthen him, ordered the total abolition of the tolls levied on roads, disregarding the fact that it was an important tax."
وَمَا عِندَ اللهِ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى،,What is with God is better and more lasting.
وأما كفه أيدي الظلام فأمر مشهور،,"As for restraining the hands of oppression, that is something well-known."
وقد سمعته — أيده الله — يقول لعماله: لا تظلموا الرعية، ويؤكد عليهم في تلك الوصية،,"I have heard him, God strengthen him, say to his governors: ‘Do not oppress the people’ and he used to reiterate this directive to them."
قال ابن جزي: ولو لم يكن من رفق مولانا — أيده الله — برعيته إلا رفعه التضييق الذي كانت عمال الزكاة، وولاة البلاد تأخذه من الرعايا، لكفى ذلك أثرًا في العدل ظاهرًا ونورًا في الرفق باهرًا،,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘If the only instance of the benevolence of our master, God strengthen him, towards his subjects had been his abolition of the right of hospitality exercised upon them by the collectors of zakat and the provincial governors, that alone would be a manifest sign of his justice and a shining light of beneficence."
فكيف وقد رَفَعَ من المظالم وبسط من المرافق ما لا يحيط به الحصر،,What can be said? He has removed grievances and dispensed benefits that are beyond computation.
وقد صدر في أيام تصنيف هذا من أمره الكريم في الرفق بالمسجونين، ورَفْع الوظائف الثقيلة التي كانت تؤخذ منهم،,While this is being written a noble order has been issued by him relieving prisoners of the heavy duties exacted from them.
ما هو اللائق بإحسانه والمعهود من رأفته، وشمل الأمر بذلك جميع الأقطار،,How appropriate a kindness to them! How typical of his clemency! This order embraced all the provinces.
وكذلك صدر من التنكيل بمن ثبت جوره من القضاة والحكام ما فيه زَجْر الظَّلَمةِ، ورَدْع المعتدين، وأما فِعْله في معاونة أهل الأندلس على الجهاد ومحافظته على إمداد الثغور بالأموال والأقوات والسلاح وفتُّه في عضُدِ العدو بإعداد العدد، وإظهار القوة، فذلك أمر شهير لم يغب علمه عن أهل المغرب والمشرق، ولا سَبَقَ إليه أحد من الملوك،,"In the same way he decreed the condign punishment of Qadis and governors whose oppressive conduct was proven, so driving out oppression and repelling the aggressors.’
As for his actions in helping the people of al-Andalus in the holy war, and protecting their frontiers by assisting them with money, provisions and arms, destroying the preparations the enemy had made, and giving a display of force, all that is well-known and has not been forgotten in the Maghrib or in the East, and no king has surpassed him."
قال ابن جزي: حسب المتشوف إلى علم ما عند مولانا — أيده الله — من سداد القطر للمسلمين، ودفاع القوم الكافرين ما فعله في فداء مدينة طرابلس إفريقية،,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘It is enough for anyone who wants to know what support our master, God strengthen him, gave to the Muslim countries and to defending them from the infidels, to know what he did for the deliverance of Tarabalus [Tripoli] in Ifriqiya."
فإنها لما استولى العدو عليها ومد يد العدوان إليها، ورأى — أيده الله — أنَّ بَعْث الجيوش إلى نُصرتها لا يتأتى لبُعْد الأقطار،,"When the enemy gained possession of it and extended over it the hand of tyranny, he, God strengthen him, saw that, because of the distance, it was not feasible to send troops to its assistance."
كتب إلى خُدَّامه ببلاد إفريقية أن يُفْدُوها بالمال، ففُدِيَتْ بخمسين ألف دينار من الذهب العين،,"He wrote to his subordinates in the countries of Ifriqiya to ransom it with money, and this was done for fifty thousand gold dinars in specie."
فلما بَلَغَهُ خبر ذلك قال: الحمد لله الذي استرجعها من أيدي الكفار بهذا النزر اليسير،,When he heard the news of this he said: ‘Praise be to God Who has recovered it from the hands of the infidels with this insignificant trifle.’
وأَمَرَ للحين ببعث ذلك العدد إلى إفريقية وعادت المدينة إلى الإسلام على يده.,"He at once ordered that sum to be sent to Ifriqiya, and the city returned to Islam at his hands."
ولم يخطر في الأوهام أن أحدًا تكون عنده خمسة قناطير من الذهب نزرًا يسيرًا حتى جاء بها مولانا — أيده الله — مكرمة بعيدة ومأثرة فائقة،,"It did not occur to anyone that five qintars of gold were an insignificant trifle till our master, God strengthen him, acted with this surpassing generosity and superb efficacy."
قَلَّ في الملوك أمثالها، وعَزَّ عليهم مثالها،,Comparable deeds have been rare among the kings and the story of what he had done impressed them.
ومما شاع من أفعال مولانا — أيده الله — في الجهاد إنشاؤه الأجفان بجميع السواحل، واستكثاره من عدد البحر، وهذا في زمان الصلح والمهادنة أعدادًا لأيام الغزاة، وأخذ بالحزم في قطع أطماع الكفار،,"‘Among the most widely known achievements of our master, God strengthen him, in the holy war was to have built war galleys along all the coasts, to have made ample provision in naval matters, and to have done so in time of peace and a truce in readiness for burdensome days, resolutely forestalling the greed of the infidels."
وأكد ذلك بتوجهه — أيده الله — بنفسه إلى جبال جاناته في العام الفارط؛ ليباشر قطع الخشب للإنشاء، ويظهر قدر ماله بذلك من الاعتناء، ويتولى بذاته أعمال الجهاد، مترجيًا ثواب الله تعالى وموقنًا بحسن الجزاء (رجع)،,"He reinforced this with the journey he, God strengthen him, made in person to the mountains of Janata last year to supervise the cutting of wood for ship-building, to show the importance he attached to it and to directing personally what concerns the holy war, hoping for a reward from God Most High and being sure of a splendid recompense.’"
ومن أعظم حسناته — أيده الله — عمارة المسجد الجديد بالمدينة البيضاء دار ملكه العلي، وهو الذي امتاز بالحسن وإتقان البناء وإشراق النور وبديع الترتيب، وعمارة المدرسة الكبرى بالموضع المعروف بالقصر، مما يجاور قصبة فاس، ولا نظير لها في المعمورة اتساعًا وحسنًا وإبداعًا وكثرة ماء، وحُسْن وضْع، ولم أَرَ في مدارس الشام ومصر والعراق وخراسان ما يشبهها، وعمارة الزاوية العظمى على غدير الحمص خارج المدينة البيضاء، فلا مِثْلَ لها أيضًا في عَجَب وضْعها وبديع صُنْعها،,"Among the greatest of his charitable works, God strengthen him, were building the new mosque in the white city, the capital of his exalted kingdom, a mosque distinguished by its beauty, its sound construction, its radiance, and its wonderful arrangement; building the great madrasa in the place known as the Qasr near the citadel of Fas [Fez], a building without compare in the inhabited world for its extent, its beauty, its uniqueness, its plentiful supply of water, and the beauty of the site: I have seen nothing like it among the madrasas of Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Khurasan; building the great hospice by the Chickpea Pond outside the white city, which is unequalled for its marvellous site and superb workmanship."
وأبدع زاوية رأيتها بالشرق زاوية سرياقص (سرياقوس) التي بناها الملك الناصر، وهذه أبدع منها وأشد إحكامًا وإتقانًا،,"The most superb hospice I saw in the East is the hospice of Siryaqus, built by al-Malik al-Nasir, but this is more splendid, more properly and more soundly constructed."
والله سبحانه ينفع مولانا — أيده الله — بمقاصده الشريفة، ويكافئ فضائله المنيفة، ويديم للإسلام والمسلمين أيامه، وينصر ألويته المظفرة وأعلامه.,"May God, glory to Him, assist our master, God strengthen him, in his noble designs, recompense his pre-eminent virtues, prolong his days for the sake of Islam and the Muslims, and assist his victorious flags and standards."
ولنعد إلى ذِكْر الرحلة فنقول:,Let us return to the narrative of our travels.
ولما حصلت لي مشاهدة هذا المقام الكريم وعَمَّنِي فضْل إحسانه العميم، قصدت زيارة قبر الوالدة,"When it had happened to me to see this noble residence and I had been overwhelmed by the favours of his universal benevolence, I sought to visit my mother’s grave."
فوصلت إلى بلدة طنجة وزُرْتُها وتوجهت إلى مدينة سبتة، فأقمت بها أشهرًا،,"I reached my native town of Tangier, visited it, and went to the city of Sabta [Ceuta], where I stayed for some months."
وأصابني بها المرض ثلاثة أشهر,I was ill for three months.
ثم عافاني الله، فأردت أن يكون لي حظٌّ من الجهاد والرباط,Then God cured me and I wanted to take part in the holy war and the frontier fighting.
فركبت البحر من سبتة في شطي لأهل أصيلا، فوصلت إلى بلاد الأندلس حرسها الله تعالى، حيث الأجر موفور للساكن والثواب مذخور للمقيم والظاعن،,"I sailed from Ceuta in a shag? belonging to the people of Asila [Arzila] and reached al-Andalus, God Most High guard her, where the reward of those who live there is abundant and where recompense is treasured up for those who stay or travel there."
وكان ذلك إثر موت طاغية الروم ألفونس،,This was just after the death of the Christian tyrant Adfunus.
وحصاره الجبل عشرة أشهر، وظنه أنه يستولى على ما بقي من بلاد الأندلس للمسلمين،,He besieged the mountain for ten months and supposed he would get possession of all of alAndalus that still belonged to the Muslims.
فأَخَذَهُ الله من حيث لم يحتسب، ومات بالوباء الذي كان أشد الناس خوفًا منه،,"God took him unprepared and he died of the plague, which he feared more than anyone else."
وأول بلد شاهَدْتُه من البلاد الأندلسية جبل الفتح،,The first town I saw in the Andalusian country was the Mountain of Victory.
فلقيت به خطيبه الفاضل أبا زكريا يحيى بن السراج الرندي وقاضيه عيسى البربري، وعنده نزلت وتطوَّفْتُ معه على الجبل، فرأيت عجائب ما بنى به مولانا أبو الحسن — رضي الله عنه — وأعدَّ فيه من العدد وما زاد على ذلك مولانا — أيده الله —,"I met there the excellent preacher Abu Zakariya’ Yahya b. al-Siraj of Runda [Ronda], and the Qadi ‘Isa al-Barbari, with whom I stayed. With him I made the circuit of the mountain and saw the wonderful works con-structed by our master Abu’l-Hasan, God be pleased with him, the preparations he had made and the military equipment, and what our master, God strengthen him, had added
further."
ووددْتُ أنْ لو كنت ممن رابط به إلى نهاية العمر،,I would have liked to be one of those serving there till the end of my life.
قال ابن جزي: جبل الفتح هو معقل الإسلام المعترض شجي في حلوق عبدة الأصنام,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘The Mountain of Victory is the stronghold of Islam, a choking obstruction in the throats of the worshippers of idols."
"حسنة مولانا أبي الحسن — رضي الله عنه — المنسوبة إليه وقربته التي قدمها نورًا بين يديه محل عدد الجهاد، ومقر آساد الأجناد، والثغر الذي افترَّ عن نصر الإيمان، وأذاق أهل الأندلس بعد مرارة الخوف حلاوة الأمان.
ومنه كان مبدأ الفتح الأكبر، وبه نزل طارق بن زياد مولى موسى بن نصير عند جوازه، فنسب إليه،","It is a benefaction of our master Abu’l-Hasan, God be pleased with him, with which his name is associated; it is the work of piety he has placed before him as a beacon, the arsenal of the holy war, and the abode of the lions of the armies, it is the frontier which has smiled on the triumph of faith, and has made the people of alAndalus taste the sweetness of security after the bitterness of fear; here the great conquest began; here Tariq b. Ziyad, the freedman of Musa b. Nusair, landed after his crossing, and it was named after him."
فيقال له: جبل طارق وجبل الفتح؛ لأن مبدأه كان منه،,"It was called Jabal Tariq and Jabal Fath, because the conquest began from here."
وبقايا السور الذي بناه ومن معه باقية إلى الآن، تسمى بسور العرب,The remains of the wall that he and his companions built survives to this day and is called the Arabs’ Wall.
شاهدتها أيام إقامتي به عند حصار الجزيرة، أعادها الله,"I saw it when I was there during the siege of Al-Jazira [Algeciras], God restore it [to the Muslims]."
ثم فتحه مولانا أبو الحسن — رضوان الله عليه — واسترجعه من أيدي الروم بعد تملكهم له عشرين سنة ونيفًا،,"Our master Abu’l-Hasan, the favour of God be with him, conquered it and recovered it from the hands of the Christians after they had ruled it for twenty years and more."
وبعث إلى حصاره ولده الأمير الجليل أبا مالك وأيده بالأموال الطائلة والعساكر الجرارة,"He sent his son, the illustrious amir Abu Malik, to besiege it, and helped him with a great deal of money and numerous soldiers."
وكان فتحه بعد حصار ستة أشهر، وذلك في عام ثلاثة وثلاثين وسبعمائة،,It was taken after a siege of six months in the year seven hundred and thirty-three.
ولم يكن حينئذٍ على ما هو الآن عليه,At that time it was not as it is now.
فبنى به مولانا أبو الحسن — رحمة الله عليه — المأثرة العظمى بأعلى الحصن، وكانت قبل ذلك برجًا صغيرًا تهدم بأحجار المجانيق،,"Our master Abu’l-Iasan, God’s mercy on him, built the huge Calahorra at the top of the fortress; till then there had only been a small turret which was destroyed by stones from the mangonels."
فبناها مكانه،,He built the tower in its place.
وبنى به دار الصناعة ولم يكن به دار صنعة، وبنى السور الأعظم المحيط بالتربة الحمراء، الآخذ من دار الصنعة إلى القرمدة،,"He built there an arsenal, which had been lacking before then, and a big wall surrounding the Red Mound, going from the arsenal to the tileyard."
ثم جدد مولانا أمير المؤمنين أبو عنان — أيده الله — عهد تحصينه وتحسينه وزاد بها بناء السور بطرف الفتح، وهو أعظم أسواره غناء وأعمها نفعًا,"Later on our master the Commander of the Faithful Abu Inan, God strengthen him, renewed the fortifications and their embellishments and built on to the wall at the end of [the Mount] of Victory, which is the most effective of the walls and the most generally useful."
وبعث إليه العدد الوافرة والأقوات والمرافق العامة، وعامل الله تعالى فيه بحسن النية وصدق الإخلاص.,"He sent ample munitions, foodstuffs, and general supplies, acting to God Most High with pious intent and sincere devotion."
ولما كان في الأشهر الأخيرة من عام ستة وخمسين وقع بجبل الفتح ما ظهر فيه أثر يقين مولانا — أيده الله — وثمرة توكله في أموره على الله، وبان مصداق ما اطرد له من السعادة الكافية،,"In the last months of the year fifty-six there happened at Mount of Victory something that showed sure signs and the fruits of our master’s reliance on God in his affairs, God strengthen him; it was manifest proof of the sufficient blessedness gathered together for him."
وذلك أن عامل الجبل الخائن الذي خُتمَ له بالشقاء عيسى بن الحسن بن أبي منديل نزع يده المغلولة عن الطاعة وفارق عصمة الجماعة، وأظهر النفاق وجمح في الغدر والشقاق،,"The treacherous governor of the Mount, may his end be degradation, ‘Isa b. al-Hasan b. Abi Mandil, withdrew his criminal hand from obedience, diverged from protecting the community (of the faithful), revealed his hypocrisy, and rushed into perfidy and dissension."
وتعاطى ما ليس من رجاله وعمى عن مبدأ حاله السيئ وماله،,"He aspired to what was beyond his reach, being blind to the beginning and end of his evil state."
وتوهم الناس أن ذلك مبدأ فتنة تُنفق على إطفائها كرائم الأموال ويستعد لاتقائها بالفرسان والرجال،,"People imagined that this was the beginning of a civil war, which it would require precious treasure to extinguish and the raising of cavalry and foot-soldiers to prevent."
فحكمت سعادة مولانا — أيده الله — ببطلان هذا التوهم,"However, the blessed fortune of our master, God strengthen him, decreed that these imaginings should be vain."
وقضى صدق يقينه بانخراق العادة في هذه الفتنة،,His steadfast integrity prescribed a wholly unaccustomed end to this disturbance.
فلم تكن إلا أيام يسيرة وراجع أهل الجبل بصائرهم وثاروا على الثائر وخالفوا الشقي المخالف، وقاموا بالواجب من الطاعة،,"After only a few days the people of the Mount changed their minds, revolted against the rebellious wretch, and became dutifully obedient."
وقبضوا عليه وعلى ولده المساعد له في النفاق، وأُتي بهما مصفدين إلى الحضرة العلية، فنفذ فيهما حكم الله في المحاربين،,"They seized him and his son, who had aided him in hypocrisy, and brought them, bound, to the exalted capital where the sentence of God upon warmongers was executed upon them both."
وأراح الله من شرهما،,God gave deliverance from their evil.
ولما خمدت نار الفتنة أظهر مولانا — أيده الله — من العناية ببلاد الأندلس ما لم يكن في حساب أهلها،,"When the fire of civil war was extinguished, our master, God strengthen him, showed a concern for al-Andalus that its people had not expected."
وبعث إلى جبل الفتح ولده الأسعد المبارك الأرشد أبا بكر المدعو من السماة السلطانية بالسعيد أسعده الله تعالى،,"He sent to the Mount of Victory his son, the most fortunate, the blessed, the most rightly guided Abu Bakr, called by the royal epithet al-Sa’id [the Fortunate], God Most High assist him."
وبعث معه أنجاد الفرسان ووجوه القبائل وكفاة الرجال،,"The Sultan sent with him the bravest horsemen, the leading men of the tribes, and the most capable footsoldiers."
وأدر عليهم الأرزاق، ووسَّعَ لهم الإقطاع، وحَرَّرَ بلادهم من المغارم، وبذل لهم جزيل الإحسان.,"He gave them ample provisions, granted them fiefs, freed their lands from dues, and overwhelmed them with favours."
وبَلَغَ من اهتمامه بأمور الجبل أن أمر — أيده الله — ببناء شَكْل يُشْبِه شَكْلَ الجبل المذكور،,"His concern for the affairs of the Mount was such that he, God strengthen him, ordered the construction of a model of the said Mount."
فمثل فيه أشكال أسواره وأبراجه وحصنه وأبوابه ودار صنعته ومساجده ومخازن عدده وأهرية زرعه وصورة الجبل وما اتصل به من التربة الحمراء،,"In it were simulated the walls, the turrets, the fortress, the gates, the arsenal, the mosques, the magazines for munitions of war, the granaries, the shape of the Mount and the Red Mound adjoining it."
فصنع ذلك بالمشور السعيد، فكان شكلًا عجيبًا أتقنه الصناع إتقانًا,"This was made in the auspicious audience hall. It is a wonderful model, which the craftsmen made perfectly."
يَعْرِف قَدْره مَنْ شَاهَدَ الجبل وشَاهَدَ هذا المثال،,Anyone who has seen the Mount and has seen this model will recognize its worth.
وما ذلك إلا لتشوقه — أيده الله — إلى استطلاع أحواله وتهممه بتحصينه وإعداده،,"This was only because of his eagerness, God strengthen him, to inquire into the state of affairs there and his concern to strengthen its fortifications and its readiness."
والله تعالى يجعل نصر الإسلام بالجزيرة الغربية على يديه، ويحقق ما يؤمله في فتح بلاد الكفار، وشت شمل عُبَّاد الصليب،,God Most High bring about the victory of Islam in the western peninsula by his hands and realize his hope for the conquest of the lands of the infidels and the scattering of the assembled worshippers of the cross.
"وتذكرت حين هذا التقييد قول الأديب البليغ المفلق أبي عبد الله محمد بن غالب الرصافي البلنسي — رحمه الله — في وصف هذا الجبل المبارك من قصيدته الشهيرة في مدح عبد المؤمن بن علي التي أَوَّلُها (بسيط):
لو جئت نار الهدى من جانب الطورِ قبست ما شِئْتَ من علمٍ ومن نورِ","I recall in connection with this composition the words of the eloquent man of letters, the distinguished poet Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Ghalib, of Rusafa, of Balanslya [Valencia], God be merciful to him, when describing this blessed mountain in his famous poem in praise of ‘Abd al-Mu’min b. ‘All, which begins:
 ‘Had you come to the fire of true guidance from the side of al-Tur [i.e. Sinai]
You would have learnt all you wished of knowledge and illumination’"
"وفيها يقول في وَصْف الجبل وهو من البديع الذي لم يُسْبَق إليه بَعْدُ وَصْفُه السفن وجوازها:
حتى رمت جبل الفتحين من جبلٍ معظم القدر في الأجبال مذكورِ
من شامخ الأنف في سحنائه طلسله من الغيم جيب غير مزرورِ
تمسي النجوم على تكليل مفرقه في الجو خاتمه مثل الدنانيرِ
فربما مسحته من ذوائبها بكل فَضْل على فوديه مجرورِ
وادرد من ثناياه بما أخذت منه معاجم أعواد الدهاريرِ
محنك حلب الأيام أشطرها وساقَها سَوْقَ حادي العير للعيرِ
مقيد الخطو جَوَّال الخواطر في عجيب أَمْرَيْهِ من ماضٍ ومنظورِ
قد واصل الصمت والإطراق مفتكرًا بادي السكينة معفرَّ الأساريرِ
كأنه مكمد مما تَعَبَّدَهُخوف الوعيدين من دكٍّ وتسييرِ
أَخْلِقْ به وجبال الأرض راجفة أن يطمئن غدًا مِنْ كُلِّ محذورِ","Describing the Mount in the poem with unprecedented ele-gance he says, after describing the ships and the sea crossing:
Till the ships reached the mountain of the two victories, a mountain exalted in rank, famed among mountains,
Looming, its aspect shrouded by a hood with an open collar of clouds,
In the evening stars crown its parting, hovering like dinars in the air,
At times they stroke it with their superabundant locks, drawing them across its temples,
A mountain that has lost its front teeth, which past ages have worn away with biting on wood,
Made wise by experience, which has sucked the teats of the ages, driving them before it as the chanting camelman drives his caravan,
Hobbled, yet ever revolving in thought the wonders of the past and of what is now to be seen,
It fell silent, gazing down, meditating, showing its inner peace, its features covered in dust,
As if saddened because enslaved by fear of the two threats of crushing and removal,
When other mountains tremble tomorrow may it be safe from
every peril."
ثم استمر في قصيدته على مَدْح عبد المؤمن بن علي،,After that in his poem he goes on to praise ‘Abd al-Mu’min b. ‘All.’
قال ابن جزي: ولْنَعُدْ إلى كلام الشيخ أبي عبد الله، قال:,Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘Let us return to the words of the shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah.’
ثمَّ خرجْتُ من جبل الفتح إلى مدينة رندة وهي من أَمْنَع معاقل المسلمين وأَجْمَلِها وَضْعًا،,"I left the Mount of Victory for the city of Runda [Ronda], which is one of the strongest and best sited Muslim strongholds."
وكان قائدها إذ ذاك الشيخ أبو الربيع سليمان بن داود العسكري وقاضيها ابن عمي الفقيه أبو القاسم محمد بن يحيى بن بطوطة،,"Its qa’id was then Shaikh Abu ’l-Rabf Sulaiman b. Da’ud al-‘Askarl; its Qadi was the son of my paternal uncle, the jurist Abu ’-Qasim Muhammad b. Yahya b. Bappupa."
ولقيت بها الفقيه القاضي الأديب أبا الحجاج يوسف بن موسى المنتشاقري وأضافني بمنزله،,"I met there the jurist, the Qadi, the man of letters Abu ’-Hajjaj Yusuf b. Musa of Montejicar, who lodged me in his house."
ولقيت بها أيضًا خطيبها الصالح الحاج الفاضل أبا إسحاق إبراهيم المعروف بالشندرخ المتوفى بعد ذلك بمدينة سلا من بلاد المغرب،,"I also met there the preacher, the pious al-Iajj, the excellent Abu Ishaq Ibrahim, known as al-Shandarukh, who afterwards died in the city of Sala in the Maghrib."
ولقيت بها جماعة من الصالحين منهم عبد الله الصغار وسواه،,"I met there a group of pious men, among them ‘Abdallah al-Saffar and others."
وأقمت بها خمسة أيام، ثم سافَرْتُ منها إلى مدينة مربلة,I stayed there for five days and then went to the city of Marbala [Marbella].
والطريق فيما بينهما صعب شديد الوعورة،,The road between these two cities is difficult and very rough.
ومربلة بُليدة حسنة خصبة،,Marbella is a pretty little town with abundant supplies of food.
ووجدت بها جماعة من الفرسان متوجهين إلى مالقة، فأردت التوجه في صحبتهم،,"I found there a cavalry troop goint to Malaqa [Malaga], and I wished to travel in their company."
ثم إنَّ الله تعالى عصمني بفضله,God Most High in His grace preserved me.
فتوجهوا قبلي فأُسِرُوا في الطريق كما سنذكره،,"They left before me and were taken prisoner on the road, as we shall relate."
وخَرَجْتُ في أثرهم، فلما جاوزت حوز مربلة ودخلت في حوز سهيل، مررت بفرس ميت في بعض الخنادق،,"I left in their wake, and when I had gone beyond the limits of Marbella and entered those of Suhail I passed a dead horse in a ditch."
ثم مَرَرْتُ بقفة حوَّات مطروحة بالأرض،,Then I passed a basket of fish abandoned on the ground.
فرابني ذلك،,This alarmed me.
وكان أمامي برج الناظور فقلت في نفسي: لو ظهرها هنا عدو لأنذر به صاحب البرج.,"The guardian’s watchtower was in front of me, and I said to myself: ‘If the enemy had appeared here the warden of the tower would have given warning.’"
ثم تقدَّمت إلى دار هنالك فوجدت عليه فرسًا مقتولًا،,I went forward to a house and found in front of it a horse that had been killed.
فبينما أنا هنالك إذ سمعت الصياح من خلفي،,While I was there I heard cries from behind me.
وكنت قد تقدمت أصحابي، فعُدْتُ إليهم،,"I had gone ahead of my companions, but I turned back towards them."
فوجدت معهم قائد حصن سهيل،,"I found the qa’id of the Suhail fort with
them."
فأعلمني أن أربعة أجفان للعدو ظَهَرَتْ هنالك، ونزل بعض عمارتها إلى البر، ولم يكن الناظور بالبرج، فمرَّ بهم الفرسان الخارجون من مربلة، وكانوا اثني عشر,"He informed me that four enemy war galleys had appeared there, some of those manning them had landed, the warden had not been in the tower, and horsemen coming from Marbella, twelve in number, had passed by them."
فقَتَلَ النصارى أَحَدَهُم، وفرَّ واحد وأُسِرَ العشرة،,"The Christ-ians had killed one of them, one had fled, and ten had been taken prisoner."
وقُتِلَ معهم رجل حوَّات وهو الذي وَجَدْتُ قُفَّتَهُ مطروحة بالأرض،,A fisherman had been killed with them; it was he whose basket I had found lying on the ground.
وأشار عليَّ ذلك القائد بالمبيت معه في موضعه؛ ليوصلني منه إلى مالقة،,The qa’id advised me to stay the night in his station so that he could conduct me to Malaga.
فبِتُّ عنده بحصن الرابط المنسوبة إلى سهيل والأجفان المذكورة مرساة عليه،,"I spent the night with him in the fort of the frontier post named after Suhail, the aforesaid war galleys being moored nearby."
وركب معي بالغد، فوصلنا إلى مدينة مالقة إحدى قواعد الأندلس، وبلادها الحسان جامعة بين مرافق البر والبحر، كثيرة الخيرات والفواكه،,"Next day the qa’id accom-panied me on horseback and we reached the city of Malaga, one of the capitals of al-Andalus and one of its finest cities, combining as it does the amenities of land and sea; it has ample resources and fruits."
رأيت العنب يباع في أسواقها بحساب ثمانية أرطال بدرهم صغير، ورمانها المرسي الياقوتي لا نظير له في الدنيا، وأما التين واللوز فيُجْلَبان منها ومن أحوازها إلى بلاد المشرق والمغرب،,I saw grapes sold in the bazaars at eight pounds for a small dirham; its Murcian ruby-red pome-granates have no equal in the world; its figs and almonds are exported from Malaga and its neighbourhood to the East and the West.
"قال ابن جزي: وإلى ذلك أشار الخطيب أبو محمد عبد الوهاب بن علي المالقي في قوله، وهو من مليح التجنيس (سريع):
مالقة حييت يأتينها فالفلك من أجلك يأتينها
نهى طبيبي عنك في علة ما لطبيبي عن حياتي نها","Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘This is what the preacher Abu Muhammad *Abd al-Wahhab b. ‘All of Malaga was referring to when he wrote, in a witty play on words:
Malaqa, how many figs {ttnahd) you produce. Because of you ships load (ya ttnaha) them. My doctor forbade (naha) you to me when I was ill, but he does not have the equal {naha) of my life."
"وذيلها قاضي الجماعة أبو عبد الله بن عبد الملك بقوله في قصد المجانسة (سريع):
وحمص لا تَنْسَ لها تينها واذكر مع التين زياتينها
(رجع)،","The communal Qadi Abu ‘Abdallah b. eAbd al-Malik wrote a postscript to this, using word-play: ‘Hims! You will not forget its figs {ttnahd). Remember its olives (;zayatlnaha) as well.’"
وبمالقة يُصنعُ الفخار المُذَهَّب العجيب، ويُجْلَب منها إلى أقاصي البلاد،,At Malaga is made the wonderful gilded pottery that is exported to the remotest countries.
ومسجدها كبير الساحة شهير البَرَكَة،,"The mosque is very big in extent, and is famous for its sanctity."
وصحنه لا نظير له في الحسن فيه أشجار النارنج البعيدة،,The courtyard is of unparalleled beauty with very tall bitter orange trees.
ولما دخلت مالقة وجدت قاضيها الخطيب الفاضل أبا عبد الله ابن خطيبها الفاضل أبي جعفر ابن خطيبها ولي الله تعالى أبي عبد الله الطنجالي قاعدًا بالجامع الأعظم،,"When I came to Malaga I found its Qadi the excellent preacher Abu ‘Abdallah, of Tangier, sitting in the Great Mosque."
ومعه الفقهاء ووجوه الناس يجمعون مالًا برسم فداء الأسارى الذي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُهم،,With him were jurists and prominent citizens who were collecting money for the ransom of the captives who have been men-tioned.
فقلت له: الحمد لله الذي عافاني ولم يجعلني منهم،,I said to him: ‘Praise be to God Who protected me and did not make me one of them.’
وأخبرته بما اتفق لي بعدهم،,I told him what had happened to me after they had gone.
فعَجِبَ من ذلك وبعث إليَّ بالضيافة — رحمه الله —,"He was astonished at it and offered me hospitality, God be merciful to him."
وأضافني أيضًا خطيبها أبو عبد الله الساحلي المعروف بالمعمَّم،,"The preacher Abu ‘Abdallah al-Sahill, known as al-Mu’ammam (the Turban Man) also offered me hospitality."
ثم سافرت منها إلى مدينة بلش، وبينهما أربعة وعشرون ميلًا،,"I then travelled to the city of Ballash [Velez], twenty-four miles away."
وهي مدينة حسنة بها مسجد عجيب،,It is a fine city with a wonderful mosque.
وفيها الأعناب والفواكه والتين كمثل ما بمالقة،,"It has grapes, fruits and figs like Malaga."
ثم سافرنا منها إلى الحمة وهي بلدة صغيرة لها مسجد بديع الوضع، عجيب البناء،,"I then went to al-Hamma [Alhama], a little town with a beautifully situated and wonderfully constructed mosque."
وبها العين الحارة على صفة واديها، وبينها وبين البلد مِيل أو نحوه، وهنالك بيت لاستحمام الرجال وبيت لاستحمام النساء،,There is a hot spring about a mile from the town on the river bank; there is a bath house for men and another for women.
ثم سافرت منها إلى مدينة غرناطة، قاعدة بلاد الأندلس وعروس مُدُنها,"From there I went to the city of Gharnafa [Granada], the capital of al-Andalus and the bride of its cities."
وخارجها لا نظير له في بلاد الدنيا،,Its sur-roundings are unequalled in any country of the world.
وهو مسيرة أربعين ميلًا يخترقه نهر شنيل المشهور وسواه من الأنهار الكثيرة,They extend for forty miles and are divided by the famous Shannil [Jenil] river and many others.
والبساتين والجنان والرياضات والقصور والكروم مُحدِقة بها من كل جهة،,"It is surrounded on all sides by orchards, gardens, meadows, palaces and vineyards."
ومن عجيب مواضعها عين الدمع وهو جبل فيه الرياض والبساتين لا مثل لها بسواها،,"One of the wonderful places there is ‘Ain al-Dama’ (the Fountain of Tears), which is a mountain with meadows and orchards; there is nowhere like it."
قال ابن جزي: لولا خشيت أن أُنْسَبَ إلى العصبية لأطَلْتُ القول في وصف غرناطة، فقد وجدْتُ مكانه,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘If I were not afraid of being charged with excessive local patriotism I would try to describe Granada, since I have the opportunity."
ولكن ما اشتهر كاشتهارها,"However, such is its fame that there is no sense in speaking at length about it."
"لا معنًى لإطالة القول فيه، ولله در شيخنا أبي بكر محمد بن أحمد بن شيرين البستي، نزيل غرناطة حيث يقول (طويل):
رعى الله من غرناطة مُتَبَوَّأً يسرُّ حزينًا أو يُجِيرُ طريدَا
تَبَرَّمَ منها صاحِبِي عندما رأى مسارحها بالثلج عُدْنَ جَلِيدَا
هي الثغر صان الله من أهلت به وما خير ثغر لا يكون برودَا
رجع","What a splendid poet is our shaikh AbO Bakr Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Shlrin of Bust, resident in Granada, when he says:
God guard Granada, place of repose, which rejoices the sad and protects the exile
My friend is disgusted with it when he sees its meadows frosted with snow
It is the frontier {thagfir) and God protects those who settle there; it is not the best mouth (tkagkr) that is not cool.’"
ذكر سلطانها,Account of the Sultan of Granada.
وكان ملك غرناطة في عهد دخولي إليها السلطان أبو الحجاج يوسف بن السلطان أبي الوليد إسماعيل بن فرج بن إسماعيل بن يوسف بن نصر،,"The king of Granada at the time I arrived was Sultan Abu l’hajjaj Yusuf, son of the Sultan Abu ’l-Walid Isma’il, b. Faraj, b. Isma’il, b. Yusuf, b. Nasr."
ولم أَلْقَهُ بسبب مَرَضٍ كان به، وبعثَتْ إليَّ والدته الحرة الصالحة الفاضلة بدنانير ذهب ارتفقت بها،,"I did not meet him because of an illness he had, but his nobly born, pious and excellent mother sent me some gold dinars, of which I made good use."
ولقيت بغرناطة جملة من فضلائها منهم قاضي الجماعة بها الشريف البليغ أبو القاسم محمد بن أحمد بن محمد الحسيني السبتي، ومنهم فقيهها المدرس الخطيب العالم أبو عبد الله محمد بن إبراهيم البياني، ومنهم عالمها ومقرئها الخطيب أبو سعيد فرج بن قاسم الشهير بابن لبت، ومنهم قاضي الجماعة نادرة العصر وطُرفة الدهر أبو البركات محمد بن محمد بن إبراهيم السلمي البلعبعي، قدم عليها من المربة في تلك الأيام,"In Granada I met a number of its eminent men, among them the communal qadi, the noble and eloquent Abu l’Qasim Muhammad b. Atimad. b. Muhammad al-Husaini of Ceuta; the jurist, the professor, the learned preacher Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Ibrahim of Bayyan [Baena]; the learned Qur’an reader, the preacher, Abu Said Faraj b. Qasim, famous as Ibn Lubb; the communal qadi, the rarity of the age and masterpiece of the times, Abu ’-Barakat Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Salami, al-Bala’ba’i. He had come from Almariya [Almeria] recently."
فوقع الاجتماع به في بستان الفقيه أبو القاسم محمد ابن الفقيه الكاتب الجليل أبي عبد الله بن عاصم، وأقمنا هنالك يومين وليلة،,"I encountered him in the garden of the jurist Abu ’l-Qasim Muhammad, son of the jurist and eminent secretary AbQ ‘Abdallah b. ‘Asim. We stayed there for two days and a night."
قال ابن جزي: كنت معهم في ذلك البستان,Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘I was with them in that garden.
ومتعنا الشيخ أبو عبد الله بأخبار رحلته,Shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah delighted us with the story of his travels.
وقيدت عنه أسماء الأعلام الذين لقيهم فيها، واستفدنا منه الفوائد العجيبة،,"I took down from him the names of famous people he had met, and we profited greatly from him."
وكان معنا جملة من وجوه أهل غرناطة، منهم الشاعر المجيد الغريب الشأن أبو جعفر أحمد بن رضوان بن عبد العظيم الجذامي،,"A group of the notAble people of Granada were with us, among them the gifted poet, the re-markAble AbQ Ja’far Ahmad b. Riwan b. ‘Abd al-‘Asim alJudhami."
وهذا الفتى أمره عجيب،,The story of this young man is astonishing.
"فإنه نشأ بالبادية، ولم يطلب العلم، ولا مارس الطلبة، ثم إنه نبغ بالشعر الجيد الذي يَنْدُر وقوعه من كبار البلغاء وصدور الطلبة مثل قوله (رمل):
يا من اختار فؤادي منزلًا بابه العين التي ترمقُهُ
فتح البابَ سهادي بَعْدَكُم ْفابعثوا طَيْفَكُمْ يُغْلِقُهُ
(رجع)","He grew up in the countryside, did not study or frequent the learned, yet he came to write excellent poetry of a quality rare among masters of eloquence and eminent men of letters, for example:
You who have made my heart your home, its door is the eye that glances at it
My insomnia opened the door after you left. Send your spectre who will lock it.’"
ولقيت بغرناطة شيخ الشيوخ والمتصوفين بها الفقيه أبا علي عمر بن الشيخ الصالح الولي أبي عبد الله محمد بن المحروق،,"I also met in Granada the shaikh of the shaikhs and of the Sufis, the jurist Abu ‘All ‘Omar, son of the pious shaikh, the saint Abu ‘Abdallah Muframmad, b. al-Mahruq (the Burnt)."
وأقمت أيامًا بزاويته التي بخارج غرناطة، وأكرمني أشد الإكرام،,I stayed for some days in his hospice outside Granada; he treated me with the utmost respect.
وتوجهت معه إلى زيارة الزاوية الشهيرة البركة المعروفة برابطة العقاب،,I went with him to visit the hospice of renowned sanctity known as the Station of the Eagle.
والعقاب جبل مطل على خارج غرناطة وبينهما نحو ثمانية أميال،,"The Eagle is a hill overlooking the environs of Granada, about eighty miles away."
وهو مجاور لمدينة التيرة الخربة،,It is close to the ruined city of Ibira [Elvira].
ولقيت أيضًا ابن أخيه الفقيه أبا الحسن علي بن أحمد بن المحروق بزاويته المنسوبة للجام بأعلى ربض نجد من خارج غرناطة المتصل بجبل السبيكة,"I also met his nephew the jurist Abu ’-Hasan ‘All b. Atimad b. al-Mahruq in his hospice known as The Bridle, which is at the top of the suburb of Najd outside Granada and adjoining Mount SAbika (the Ingot)."
وهو شيخ المتسببين من الفقراء،,He is the shaikh of the petty traders among the faqirs.
وبغرناطة جملة من فقراء العجم استوطنوها لشبهها ببلادهم، منهم الحاج أبو عبد الله السمرقندي، والحاج أحمد التبريزي، والحاج إبراهيم القونوي، والحاج حسين الخراساني، والحاجان علي ورشيد الهنديان وسواهم،,"In Granada is a group of foreign faqirs who have settled there because it is like their own country; among them are al-Hajj Abu ‘Abdallah of Samarqand, al-Hajj Ahmad of Tabriz, al-Hajj Ibrahim of Quniya [Konya], al-Hajj Husain of Khurasan, and the two Hajj Is ‘All and Rashid, the Indians, and others."
ثمَّ رحلت من غرناطة إلى الحمة، ثمَّ إلى بلش، ثمَّ إلى مالقة، ثمَّ إلى حصن ذكوان وهو حصن حسن كثير المياه والأشجار والفواكه،,"I went from Granada to Hamma, then to Velez, then to Malaga, and then to the fortress of Dhakwan, which is a beautiful place, abounding in water, trees and fruit."
ثمَّ سافرت منه إلى رندة، ثمَّ إلى قرية بني رياح، فأنزلني شيخنا أبو الحسن علي سليمان الرياحي,"I then went to Runda, then to the village of the Banu Riyah, where I stayed with its shaikh Abu ’l-Hasan ‘All b. Sulaiman al-Riyahi."
وهو أحد كُرَمَاء الرجال وفُضَلَاء الأعيان يُطْعِم الصادِرَ والوارد وأضافني ضيافة حسنة،,He is one of the most generous men and most excellent of the notables; he provides food for all comers and he offered me splendid hospitality.
ثم سافَرْتُ إلى جبل الفتح ورَكِبْتُ البحر في الجفن الذي جُزْتُ فيه أولًا، وهو لأهل أصيلًا,"Then I went to the Mount of Victory and embarked in the galley in which I had previously made the crossing, and which belonged to the people of Arzila."
فوصلت إلى سبتة، وكان قائدها إذ ذاك الشيخ أبو مهدي عيسى بن سليمان بن منصور وقاضيها الفقيه أبو محمد الزجندري،,I arrived at Ceuta; its qa’id at that time was Shaikh Abu Mahdi ‘Isa b. Sulaiman b. Mansur; its Qadi was the jurist Abu Muhammad al-Zajandari.
ثم سافرت منها إلى أَصِيلَا وأقمت بها شهورًا، ثم سافرت منها إلى مدينة سلا،,"Then I went to Arzila, where I stayed some months, then to the city of Sala."
ثم سافرت من سلا فوصلت إلى مدينة مراكش,From Sala I travelled to the city of Marrakush.
وهي من أجمل المدن فسيحة الأرجاء، متسعة الأقطار، كثيرة الخيرات،,"It is one of the most beautiful cities, spacious and extending over a very wide area, and has ample resources."
بها المساجد الضخمة كمسجدها الأعظم المعروف بمسجد الكتبيين،,"It has magnifi-cent mosques, like the principal mosque, which is known as the Kutubiyin Mosque (Mosque of the Booksellers)."
وبها الصومعة الهائلة العجيبة صعدتها وظهر لي جميع البلد منها،,"It has a wonderful awe-inspiring minaret, which I climbed and from which the whole town can be seen."
وقد استولى عليه الخراب فما شبهتها إلا ببغداد، إلا أن أسواق بغداد أحسن،,"However, ruin has overtaken it and I can compare it only with Baghdad, except that the bazaars of Baghdad are better."
وبمراكش المدرسة العجيبة التي تميزت بحسن الوضع، وإتقان الصنعة وهي من بناء الإمام مولانا أمير المسلمين أبي الحسن رضوان الله عليه،,"In Marrakush is the wonderful madrasa distinguished by the beauty of its site and the excellence of its construction, which was built by our master the Commander of the Faithful Abu ’l-yasan, God be pleased with him."
"قال ابن جزي في مراكش: يقول قاضيها التاريخي أبو عبد الله محمد بن عبد الملك الأوسي (بسيط):
لله مرَّاكش الغراء مِنْ بَلَدٍ وحبذا أهلها السادات من سَكَنِ
إن حَلَّهَا نازح الأوطان مغترب أسلوه بالأنس عن أهلٍ وَعَنْ وَطَنِ
بين الحديث بها أو العيان لها يَنْشَا التحاسُدُ بين العين والأذنِ
(رجع)","Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘The Qadi of Marrakush, the imam and historian Abu -Ausi ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Malik, said of it:
God’s be the illustrious town of Manflkinh
How splendid ire the noble sayyids who live there!
If a stranger from afar arrives there
It consoles him with its friendliness for his people and home
What one hears and sees of it
Give rise to envy between the eye and the ear.*"
ثم سافرنا من مراكش صحبة الركاب العلي ركاب مولانا — أيده الله — فوصلنا إلى مدينة سلا ثم إلى مدينة مكناسة العجيبة الخضرة النضرة ذات البساتين والجنات المحيطة بها، يحاثر الزيتون من جميع نواحيها،,"I left Marrakush in the company of the exalted cortege, that of our master, God strengthen him, and we reached the city of Sala [Sallee], then the city of Miknasa [Meknes], the wonderful, the green, the brilliant, with orchards and gardens and with plantations of olives surrounding it on all sides."
ثم وصلنا إلى حضرة فاس حرسها الله تعالى،,"Then we arrived at the capital, Fa’s [Fez], God Most High guard it."
فوادعت بها مولانا — أيده الله — وتوجهت برسم السفر إلى بلاد السودان،,"There I said farewell to our master, God strengthen him, and set out on a journey to the country of the Blacks."
فوصلت إلى مدينة سجلماسة وهي من أحسن المدن،,"I reached the city of Sijilmasa, a very beautiful city."
وبها التمر الكثير الطيب،,It has abundant dates of good quality.
وتشبهها مدينة البصرة في كثرة التمر، لكن تمر سجلماسة أطيب,"The city of al-Basra is like it in the abundance of dates, but those of Sijilmasa are superior."
وصنف إيرار منه لا نظير له في البلاد،,The irar kind is unequalled anywhere.
ونزلت منها عند الفقيه أبي محمد البشري وهو الذي لقيت أخاه بمدينة قنجنفو من بلاد الصين، فيا شذ ما تباعدا,"Here I stayed with the jurist Abu Muhammad al-Bushri, whose brother I had met at Qanjanfu in China. How far apart they are!"
فأكرمني غاية الإكرام،,He treated me with the greatest generosity.
واشتريت بها الجِمال، وعَلَفْتُها أربعة أشهر،,Here I bought camels and four months’ fodder for them.
ثم سافرت في غرة شهر الله المحرم سنة ثلاث وخمسين في رفقة مقدمها أبو محمد يند كان المسوفى — رحمه الله —,"On the first day of God’s month of Mufiarram in the year fifty-three I travelled in a caravan whose leader was Abu Muhammad Yandakan al-Massufi, God be merciful to him."
وفيها جماعة من تجار سجلماسة وغيرهم،,There were a number of merchants from Sijilmasa and other places in the caravan.
فوصلنا بعد خمسة وعشرين يومًا إلى تغازي وضبط اسمها (بفتح التاء المثناة والغين المعجم وألف وزاي مفتوح) أيضًا،,After twenty-five days we reached Taghaza.
وهي قرية لا خير فيها،,It is a village with no attractions.
ومن عجائبها أن بناء بيوتها ومسجدها من حجارة الملح، وسقفها من جلود الجمال،,A strange thing about it is that its houses and mosque are built of blocks of salt and roofed with camel skins.
ولا شجر بها إنما هي رمل فيه معدن الملح،,"There are no trees, only sand in which is a salt mine."
يحفر عليه في الأرض فيوجد منه ألواح ضخام متراكبة كأنها قد نُحتت ووضعت تحت الأرض,"They dig the ground and thick slabs are found in it, lying on each other as if they had been cut and stacked under the ground."
يحمل الجمل منها لوحين،,A camel carries two slabs.
ولا يسكنها إلا عبيد مسوفة الذين يحفرون على الملح ويتعيشون بما يُجلب إليهم من تمر درعة وسجلماسة ومن لحوم الجمال، ومن أنلي المجلوب من بلاد السودان،,"The only people living there are the slaves of the Massufa, who dig for the salt and live on dates brought to them from Dar’a and Sijilmasa, camel meat, and anli, which is imported from the country of the Blacks."
ويصل السودان من بلادهم فيحملون منها الملح,The Blacks come from their country to Taghaza and take away the salt.
ويباع الحمل منه بأبو الأتن بعشرة مثاقيل إلى ثمانية وبمدينة مالي بثلاثين مثقالًا إلى عشرين، وربما انتهى إلى أربعين مثقالًا،,"A load of it is sold at Iwalatan [Walata] for eight to ten mithqals, and in the city of Mall! for twenty to thirty, sometimes forty."
وبالملح يتصارف السودان كما يتصارف بالذهب والفضة يقطعونه قطعًا، ويتابعون به,The Blacks trade with salt as others trade with gold and silver; they cut it in pieces and buy and sell with these.
وقرية تغازي على حقارتها يتعامل فيها بالقناطير المقنطرة من التبر.,For all its squalor qintars of qintars of gold dust are traded there.
وأقمنا بها عشرة أيام في جهد لأن ماءها زعاق، وهي أكثر المواضع ذبابًا,"We spent ten days there, under strain, for the water is brackish and it is the place with most flies."
ومنها يرفع الماء لدخول الصحراء التي بعدها,Here water is taken in for the journey into the desert which lies beyond.
وهي مسيرة عشرة لا ماء فيها إلَّا في النادر،,"It is ten days’ travel with no water, or only rarely."
ووجدنا نحن بها ماء كثيرًا في غدرانٍ أبقاها المطر،,"We, however, did find plentiful water in pools left by the rain."
ولقد وجدنا في بعض الأيام غديرًا بين تلين من حجارة، ماؤه عذب فتروينا منه، وغسلنا ثيابنا،,One day we found a pool between two hills of rock which was sweet; we quenched our thirst and washed our clothes.
والكمأة بتلك الصحراء كثير، ويكثر القمل بها حتى يجعل الناس في أعناقهم خيوطًا فيها الزئبق فيقتلها،,"Truffles are plentiful in that desert, “and so are lice, so much so that people wear round their necks string necklaces containing mercury, which kills them."
وكنا في تلك الأيام نتقدم أمام القافلة فإذا وجدنا مكانًا يصلح للرعي رعينا الدواب به،,In those days we used to go in front of the caravan and when we found a suitable place we pastured the animals there.
ولم نزل كذلك حتى ضاع في الصحراء رجل يُعْرَف بابن زيري,We went on doing this till a man called Ibn Zlri was lost in the desert.
فلم أتقدم بعد ذلك ولا تأخرت،,After that I did not go ahead or fall behind the caravan.
وكان ابن زيري وقعت بينه وبين ابن خاله ويُعرف بابن عدي منازعة ومشاتمة فتأخر عن الرفقة فضلَّ،,"There had been a quarrel between Ibn Ziri and the son of his paternal uncle called Ibn ‘Adi and they had exchanged insults, so Ibn Ziri had fallen behind the caravan and lost his way."
فلما نزل الناس لم يظهر له خبر،,When the caravan halted there was no news of him.
فأشرت على ابن خاله بأن يكتري من مسوقة من يقص أثره لعله يجده فأبى،,"I advised his cousin to hire one of the Massufa to follow his tracks and perhaps find him, but he refused."
وانتُدب في اليوم الثاني رجل من مسوفة دون أجرة لطلبه،,"Next day a man of the Massufa offered to look for him, without payment."
فوجد أثره وهو يسلك الجادة طورًا ويخرج عنها تارة، ولم يقع له على خبر،,"He found his tracks; sometimes they followed the route and sometimes they did not, but he came upon no news of him."
ولقد لقينا قافلة في طريقنا،,We met a caravan on the way.
فأخبرونا أن بعض رجال انقطعوا عنهم، فوجدنا أحدهم ميتًا تحت شُجيرةٍ من أشجار الرمل،,They told us that some men had become separated from them; they had found one of them dead under one of the bushes that grow in the sand.
وعليه ثيابه وفي يده سوط،,He had his clothes on him and a whip in his hand.
وكان الماء على نحو ميل منه،,There was water about a mile away.
ثم وصلنا إلى تاسرهلا (بفتح التاء المثناة والسين المهمل والراء وسكون الهاء)، وهي أحساء ماء,"We then came to Tasarahla, where there is underground water."
تنزل القوافل عليها، ويقيمون ثلاثة أيام،,Caravans stop there for three days.
فيستريحون ويصلحون سقيتهم، ويملئونها بالماء، ويخيطون عليها التلاليس خوف الريح،,"They rest, repair and fill their waterskins, and sew onto them coarse bags to protect them from the wind."
ومن هنالك يبعث التكشيف.,The takshtf is sent forward from here.
ذكر التكشيف,Account of the takshtf.
والتكشيف اسم لكل رجل من مسوفة، يكتريه أهل القافلة، فيتقدم إلى إيو الأتن بكتب الناس إلى أصحابهم بها ليكتروا لهم الدور، ويخرجون للقائهم بالماء مسيرة أربع،,Takshtf is the name given to any man of the Massufa whom the people of the caravan hire to go ahead of them to Iwalatan with letters from them to their friends there asking them to let houses to them and come four days’ journey to meet them with water.
ومن لم يكن له صاحبٌ بإيو الأتن كتب إلى مَنْ شُهِرَ بالفضل من التجار بها، فيشاركه في ذلك،,Anyone who has no friend in Iwalatan writes to a merchant there known for his benevolent character who then enters into the same relationship with him.
وربما هلك التكشيف في هذه الصحراء، فلا يَعْلَم أهل إيو الأتن بالقافلة فيهلك أهلها أو الكثير منهم،,"Sometimes the takshtf perishes in this desert and the people of Iwalatan know nothing of the caravan, and its people or most of them perish too."
وتلك الصحراء كثيرة الشياطين،,There are many demons in that desert.
فإن كان التكشيف منفردًا، لَعِبَتْ به واستهوته حتى يضِلَّ عن قصده فيهلك؛,If the takshtf is alone they play tricks on him and delude him till he loses his way and perishes.
إذ لا طريق يَظْهَر بها، ولا أَثَرَ، إنما هي رمال تسفيها الريح،,"There is no road to be seen in the desert and no track, only sand blown about by the wind."
فترى جبالًا من الرمل في مكان، ثم تراها قد انتقلت إلى سواه،,"You see mountains of sand in one place, then you see they have moved to another."
والدليل هنالك من كَثُرَ تردده وكان له قَلْب ذكي،,A guide there is someone who has frequented it repeatedly and has keen intelligence.
ورأيت من العجائب أن الدليل الذي كان لنا هو أعور العين الواحدة مريض الثانية، وهو أعرف الناس بالطريق،,"A strange thing I saw is that our guide was blind in one eye and diseased in the other, but he knew the route better than anybody else."
واكترينا التكشيف في هذه السفرة بمائة مثقال من الذهب,The takshif we hired for this journey cost a hundred mithqals of gold.
وهو من مسوفة،,He was one of the Massufa.
وفي ليلة اليوم السابع رأينا نيران الذين خرجوا للقائنا، فاستبشرنا بذلك،,"On the night of the seventh day we saw the lights of those who had come to meet us, and we were extremely pleased."
وهذه الصحراء منيرة مشرقة، ينشرح الصدر فيها، وتطيب النفس وهي آمنة من السراق,"This desert is luminous, radiant, one’s chest is dilated, one is in good spirits, and it is safe from robbers."
والبقر الوحشية بها كثير،,There are many wild cattle.
يأتي القطيع منها حتى يقرب من الناس، فيصطادونه بالكلاب والنشاب،,A troop of them will approach so near that the people can hunt them with dogs and wooden arrows.
لكن لحمها يولِّدُ أكله العطش، فيتحاماه كثير من الناس لذلك،,"However, eating their meat produces thirst and so many people avoid it."
ومن العجائب أن هذه البقر إذا قتلت وجد في كروشها الماء،,It is remarkable that if these cattle are killed water is found in their stomachs.
ولقد رأيت أهل مسوفة يعصرون الكرش منها ويشربون الماء الذي فيه،,I have seen the Massufa squeezing the stomach and drinking the water in it.
والحيات أيضًا بهذه الصحراء كثيرة.,There are also many snakes in this desert.
حكاية,Anecdote.
وكان في القافلة تاجر تلمساني يُعرف بالحاج زيان،,There was in the caravan a merchant of Tilimsan known as al-Hajj Zaiyan.
ومن عادته أن يَقْبِضَ على الحيات، ويَعْبَثَ بها،,He had a habit of taking hold of these snakes and playing about with them.
وكنت أنهاه عن ذلك فلا ينتهي،,I had told him not to do this but he did not stop.
فلما كان ذات يوم أَدْخَلَ يده في جُحر ضبٍّ ليُخْرِجَه، فوجد مكانه حية,One day he put his hand into a lizard’s hole to pull it out and found a snake there instead.
فأخذها بيده، وأراد الركوب فلسعته في سبابته اليمنى، وأصابه وَجَعٌ شديد،,"He grasped it in his hand and was going to mount his horse but it bit the index finger of his right hand, giving him severe pain."
فكَوَيْتُ يده وزاد ألَمُهُ عشى النهار،,"It was cauterized, but in the evening the pain grew worse."
فنَحَرَ جملًا وأدخل يده في كرشه وتركها كذلك ليلة،,He cut the throat of a camel and put his hand in its stomach and left it there for the night.
ثم تناثر لحم أصبعه فقَطَعَهَا من الأصل،,The flesh of his finger dropped off and he cut off his finger at the base.
وأخبرنا أهل مسوفة أن تلك الحية كانت قد شربت الماء قبل لسعه، ولو لم تكن شَرِبَتْ لَقَتَلَتْهُ،,The Massufa told me that the snake had drunk water before biting him; if not the bite would have killed him.
ولما وَصَلَ إلينا الذين استقبلونا بالماء شَرِبَتْ خَيْلُنا،,"When the people coming to meet us with water had reached us, our mounts were given drink."
ودخلنا صحراء شديدة الحر ليست كالتي عهدنا،,"We entered an extremely hot desert, not like the one we had experienced."
وكنا نرحل بعد صلاة العصر ونسري الليل كله وننزل عند الصباح,"We used to set off after the afternoon prayer, travel all night and halt in the morning."
وتأتي الرجال من مسوفة وبردامة وغيرهم بأحمال الماء للبيع،,Men from the Massufa and Bardama and other tribes used to bring us loads of water for sale.
ثم وصلنا إلى مدينة إيو الأتن في غرة شهر ربيع الأول بعد سفر شهرين كاملين من سجلماسة،,We reached the city of Iwalatan at the beginning of the month of Rabf I after a journey of two full months from Sijilmasa.
وهي أول عمالة السودان,It is the first district of the country of the Blacks.
ونائب السلطان بها فربا حسين وفربا بفتح الفاء وسكون الراء وفتح الباء الموحدة ومعناه النائب،,The Sultan’s deputy there was Farba Husain; farba means ‘deputy’.
ولما وصلناها جعل التجار أمتعتهم في رحبة، وتكفل السودان بحفظها,When we arrived the merchants deposited their goods in an open space and the Blacks took responsibility for them.
وتوجهوا إلى الفربا وهو جالس على بساط في سقيف، وأعوانه بين يديه بأيديهم الرماح والقِسِيُّ،,The merchants went to the Farba who was sitting on a rug under a shelter; his officials were in front of him with spears and bows in their hands.
وكبراء مسوفة من ورائه,The Massufa notables were behind him.
ووقف التجار بين يديه وهو يكلمهم بترجمان، على قربهم منه احتقارًا لهم،,"The merchants stood in front of him and he spoke to them through an interpreter as a sign of his contempt for them, although they were close to him."
فعند ذلك ندمت على قدومي بلادهم لسوء أدبهم واحتقارهم للأبيض،,"At this I was sorry I had come to their country, because of their bad manners and contempt for white people."
وقصدت دار ابن بداء وهو رجل فاضل من أهل سلا، كنت كتبت له أن يكتري لي دارًا ففعل ذلك.,"I made for the house of the Ibn Badda’, a kind man of Sala to whom I had written asking him to let a house to me, which he did."
ثم إنَّ مشرف إيو الأتن ويسمى منشاجوا (بفتح الميم وسكون النون وفتح الشين المعجم وألف وجيم مضموم وواو) استدعى من جاء في القافلة إلى ضيافته، فأبيت من حضور ذلك،,"The inspector of Iwalatan, named Mansha Ju, invited those who had come in the caravan to a reception, but I refused to be present."
فعزم الأصحاب علي أَشَدَّ العزم فتوجهت فيمن تَوَجَّهَ،,"My companions urged me very strongly to accept, and I went with the rest."
ثم أُتيَ بالضيافة وهي جريش أنلي، مخلوط بيسير عسل ولبن،,At the reception coarsely ground anlt was served mixed with a little honey and curdled milk.
وقد وَضَعُوه في نصف قرعة صَيَّرُوه شبه الجفنة،,This was put in a half gourd which they had made like a large bowl.
فشرب الحاضرون وانصرفوا،,Those present drank and then left.
فقلت لهم: ألهذا دعانا الأَسْوَدُ؟ قالوا: نعم، وهو الضيافة الكبيرة عندهم،,"I said to them: ‘Is it for this that the Blacks invited us?’ They said: ‘Yes. For
them it is the greatest hospitality.’"
فأيقنت حينئذٍ أن لا خير يُرْتَجَى منهم، وأردت أن أسافر مع حجاج إيو الأتن ثم ظهر لي أن أتوجه لمشاهدة حضرة ملكهم،,"then became convinced that no good was to be hoped for from these people, and I wanted to join the pilgrims travelling from Iwalatan, but decided to go and see the capital of their king."
وكانت إقامتي بإيو الأتن نحو خمسين يومًا،,I stayed in Iwalatan about fifty days.
وأكرمني أهلها وأضافوني،,Its people treated me with respect and gave me hospitality.
منهم قاضيها محمد بن عبد الله بن بنو مر، وأخوه الفقيه المدرسي يحيى،,"Among them were the Qadi of the town Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah b. Yanumar, and his brother the jurist and professor Yahya."
وبلدة إيو الأتن شديدة الحر,The town of Iwalatan is extremely hot.
وفيها يسير نخيلات يزدرعون في ظلالها البطيخ،,There are a few small palms and they sow melons in their shade.
وماؤهم من أحساء بها،,Water comes from underground sources.
ولحم الضأن كثير بها،,Mutton is plentiful.
وثياب أهلها حسان مصرية،,Their clothes are of fine quality and Egyptian origin.
وأكثر السكان بها من مسوفة،,Most of the inhabitants belong to the Massufa.
ولنسائها الجمال الفائق وهي أعظم شأنًا من الرجال.,The women are of outstanding beauty and are more highly regarded than the men.
ذكر مسوفة الساكنين بإيو الأتن,Account of the Massufa inhabitants of Iwalatan.
وشأن هؤلاء القوم عجيب، وأَمْرُهم غريب،,Conditions among these people are remarkable and their life style is strange.
فأما رجالهم فلا غيرة لديهم،,The men have no jealousy.
ولا ينتسب أحدهم إلى أبيه، بل يَنْتَسِبُ لخاله،,"No one takes his name from his father, but from his maternal uncle."
ولا يَرِثُ الرجلَ إلا أبناء أخته دون بنيه، وذلك شيء ما رأيته في الدنيا إلا عند كفار بلاد المليبار من الهنود،,"Sons do not inherit, only sister’s sons! This is something I have seen nowhere in the world except among the infidel Indians of alMulaibar."
وأما هؤلاء فهم مسلمون,Nevertheless these people are Muslims.
محافظون على الصلوات وتعلُّم الفقه وحِفْظ القرآن،,"They are strict in observing the prayers, studying the religious law, and memorizing the Qur’an."
وأما نساؤهم فلا يحتشمن من الرجال ولا يحتجبن؛ مع مواظبتهن على الصلوات،,"Their women have no shame before men and do not veil themselves, yet they are punctilious about their prayers."
ومن أراد التزوج منهن تَزَوَّجَ، لكنهن لا يسافرن مع الزوج، ولو أرادت إحداهن ذلك لَمَنَعَهَا أهلها،,"Anyone who wants to take a wife among them does so, but they do not travel with their husbands, and even if one of them wished to, her family would prevent her."
والنساء هنالك يكون لهن الأصدقاء والأصحاب من الرجال الأجانب، وكذلك للرجال صواحب من النساء الأجنبيات،,"Women there have friends and companions among men outside the prohibited degrees for marriage, and in the same way men I have women friends in the same category."
ويدخل أحدهم داره فيجد امرأته ومعها صاحبها فلا يُنْكِر ذلك.,"A man goes into his house, finds his wife with her man friend, and does not disapprove."
حكاية,Anecdote.
دخلت يومًا على القاضي بإيو الأتن بعد إِذْنه في الدخول,One day I called upon the Qadi at Iwalatan after he had given permission for me to enter.
فوَجَدْتُ عنده امرأة صغيرة السن بديعة الحسن،,I found him with a young and exceptionally beautiful woman.
فلما رأيتها ارْتَبْتُ، وأردت الرجوع، فضَحِكَتْ مني ولم يُدْرِكْهَا خجل،,"When I saw her I hesitated and was going to go back, but she laughed at me and showed no embarrassment."
وقال لي القاضي: لِمَ ترجع؟ إنها صاحبتي،,The Qadi said to me: ‘Why are you turning back? She is my friend.’
فعجبت من شأنهما فإنه من الفقهاء الحجاج،,"I was astonished at them, for he was a jurist and a Hajj."
وأُخبرت أنه استأذن السلطان في الحج في ذلك العام مع صاحبته,I learnt that he had asked the Sultan’s permission to go on pilgrimage that year with his female companion.
لا أدري أهي هذه أم لا، فلم يأذن له.,"I do not know whether this was the one or not, but permission was not given."
حكاية نحوها,Comparable anecdote.
دَخَلْتُ يومًا على أبي محمد يندكان المسوفي الذي قَدِمْنا في صحبته، فوجدته قاعدًا على بساط،,"One day I called on Abu Muhammad Yandakan al-Massufi, in whose company we had arrived, and found him sitting on a rug."
وفي وسط داره سرير مظلل عليه امرأة معها رجل قاعد وهما يتحدثان،,In the middle of the room was a canopied couch and upon it was a woman with a man sitting and talking together.
فقلت له: ما هذه المرأة؟ فقال: هي زوجتي،,I said to him: ‘Who is this woman?’ He said: ‘She is my wife.’
فقلت: وما الرجل الذي معها؟ فقال: هو صاحبها،,I said: ‘What about the man who is with her?’ He said: ‘He is her friend.’
فقلت له: أترضى بهذا وأنت قد سَكَنْتَ بلادنا وعَرَفْتَ أمور الشرع؟ فقال لي: مصاحَبة النساء للرجال عندنا على خير وحسن طريقة لا تُهْمَة فيها ولسن كنساء بلادكم،,"I said: ‘Are you happy about this, you who have lived in our country and know the content of the religious law?’ He said: ‘The companionship of women and men among us is a good thing and an agreeAble practice, which causes no suspicion; they are not like the women of your country.’"
فعجبت من رعونته,I was astonished at his silliness.
وانصرفت عنه، فلم أَعُدْ إليه بعدها,I left him and did not visit him again.
واستدعاني مرات فلم أُجِبْهُ،,Afterwards he invited me a number of times but I did not accept.
ولما عَزَمْتُ على السفر إلى مالي وبينها وبين إيوا لأتن مسيرة أربعة وعشرين يومًا للمُجِدِّ، اكتريت دليلًا من مسوفة،,"When I decided to travel to Malli, which is twenty-four days’ journey from Iwalatan for one who hurries, I hired a Massufa guide."
إذ لا حاجة إلى السفر في رفقة لا من تلك الطريق،,There is no need to travel in a caravan for the road is safe.
وخرجت في ثلاثة من أصحابي،,I set out with three of my companions.
وتلك الطريق كثيرة الأشجار، وأشجارها عادية ضخمة، تستظل القافلة بظلِّ الشجرة منها،,The road has many trees of great age and size; a caravan can shelter under a single one of them.
وبعضها لا أغصان لها ولا ورق ولكن ظِلُّ جسدها بحيث يَسْتَظِلُّ به الإنسان،,Some of them have no branches or leaves but the trunk gives enough shade to shelter men.
وبعض تلك الأشجار قد استأسن داخلها واستنقع فيه ماء المطر فكأنها بئر،,"Some of these trees have rotted inside and rainwater has collected there, as if it were a well."
ويشرب الناس من الماء الذي فيها،,People drink this water.
ويكون في بعضها النحل والعسل فيشتاره الناس منها،,"In some of these trees are bees and honey, which people collect."
ولقد مررت بشجرة منها فوجَدْتُ في داخلها رجلًا حائكًا قد نصب بها مرمته وهو ينسج،,I passed by one of these trees and found a man inside weaving; he had set up his loom and was weaving.
فعجبت منه،,I was amazed at him.
قال ابن جزي: ببلاد الأندلس شجرتين من شجر القسطل في جوف كل واحدة منهما حائك ينسج الثياب إحداهما بسند وادي آش والأخرى ببشارة غرناطة.,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘In Andalus there are two chestnut trees and in the hollow trunk of each of them is a weaver making cloth; one of them is on the slope of Wadi Ash [Guadix], the other in Bushshara [Alpujarras] in Granada.’"
(رجع) وفي أشجار هذه الغابة التي بين إيو الأتن ومالي ما يشبه ثمرة الإجاص والتفاح والخوخ والمشمش وليست بها،,"In this jungle between Iwalatan and Malli are trees whose fruits resemble plums, apples, peaches and apricots, but they are not exactly the same."
وفيها أشجار تثمر شبه الفقوس،,There are trees whose fruits are like large cucumbers.
فإذا طاب انفلق عن شيء شبه الدقيق فيطبخونه ويأكلونه ويباع بالأسواق،,"When it ripens the fruit splits open uncovering something like meal, which they cook and eat and sell in the bazaars."
ويستخرجون من هذه الأرض حبات كالفول فيقلونها ويأكلونها وطعمها كطعم الحمص المقلوِّ،,They take out of the ground grains like beans which they fry and eat; their flavour is like fried chickpeas.
وربما طحنوها وصنعوا منها شبه الإسفنج وقلوه بالغرتي، والغرتي (بفتح الغين المعجم وسكون الراء وكسر التاء المثناة)، وهو ثمر كالإجاص شديد الحلاوة مضر بالبيضان إذا أكلوه،,"Sometimes they grind them to make something like a fritter, which is fried with ghartt,zs which is fruit like a very sweet plum, but it is bad for white people if they eat it."
ويدق عظمه فيستخرج منه زيت لهم، فيه منافع فمنها أنهم يطبخون به ويسرجون السرج ويقلون به هذا الإسفنج، ويدهنون به ويخلطونه بتراب عندهم ويسطحون به الدور، كما تسطح بالجير،,"They crush the kernels and extract from them an oil for which they have several uses, among which they cook with it, feed lamps with it, fry their fritters with it, anoint themselves with it, and mix it with an earth they have and plaster their houses with it, in the way lime is used."
وهو عندهم كثير متيسر،,It is plentiful among them and is easy to get.
ويُحْمَل من بلد إلى بلد في قرع كبار تسع القرعة منها قدر ما تسعه القلة ببلادنا،,It is carried from one town to another in big calabashes; one of these calabashes holds what a jar holds in our country.
والقرع ببلاد السودان يُعَظَّم، ومنه يصنعون الجفان، يقطعون القرعة نصفين فيصنعون منها جفنتين,"In the country of the Blacks the calabashes are huge; from them they make bowls, cutting a calabash into two parts and making two bowls from it."
وينقشونها نقشًا حسنًا،,They decorate them beautifully.
وإذا سافر أحدهم يتبعه عبيده وجواريه، يحملون فُرشه وأوانيه التي يأكل ويشرب فيها وهي من القرع،,"If one of them goes on a journey he is followed by his slaves and slave-girls carrying his bedding and his vessels for eating and drinking, which are calabashes."
والمسافر بهذه البلاد لا يَحْمِل زادًا ولا إدامًا ولا دينارًا ولا درهمًا، إنما يَحْمِل قطع الملح وحلي الزجاج الذي يسميه الناس النظم، وبعض السلع العطرية،,"The traveller in these countries does not carry food or condiments or dinars or dirhams, but only pieces of salt, glass trinkets, which people call nazm and some articles of perfumery."
وأكثر ما يعجبهم منها القرنفل والمصطكى وتاسرغنت وهو بخورهم،,"Among these they prefer cloves, mastic and tasarghant, which is their incense."
فإذا وَصَلَ قرية جاء نساء السودان بأنلي واللبن والدجاج ودقيق النبق والأرز والفوني وهو كحب الخردل، يُصنع من الكسكسو والعصيدة ودقيق اللوبيا,"When he arrives at a village the black women come with anli, curds, chickens, flour of nabaq, rice, funi, which is like mustard seed and from which they make couscous, *asida, and lubiya bean flour."
فيشترى منهن ما أحب من ذلك إلا أن الأرز يضر أَكْله بالبيضان والفوني خير منه.,"He buys what he wants of these, but eating the rice is bad for white people; funt is better."
وبعد مسيرة عشرة أيام من إيو الأتن وصلنا إلى قرية زاغري (وضبطها بفتح الزاي والغين المعجم وكسر الراء)، وهي قرية كبيرة يسكنها تجار السودان، ويسمون ونجراتة (بفتح الواو وسكون النون وفتح الجيم والراء وألف وتاء مثناة وتاء تأنيث)،,"After travelling for ten days from Iwalatan we reached the village of Zaghari, which is a big village inhabited by black merchants called wanjarata."
ويسكن معهم جماعة من البيضان يذهبون مذهب الإباضية من الخوارج ويسمون صغنغو (بفتح الصاد المهمل والغين المعجم الأول والنون وضم الغين الثاني وواو)،,Along with them live a number of white people who belong to the Ibadi sect of the Khariji and are called saghanaghu.
والسنيون المالكيون من البيض يُسمون عندهم توري (بضم التاء المثناة وواو وراء مكسورة)،,The Sunni Malikis among the whites are called Turls among them.
ومن هذه القرية يُجْلَب أنلي إلى إيو الأتن،,From this village anli is imported to Iwalatan.
ثم سرنا من زاغري، فوصلنا إلى النهر الأعظم، وهو النيل وعليه بلدة كارسخوا (بفتح الكاف وسكون الراء وفتح السين المهمل وضم الخاء المعجم وواو)،,"We left Zaghari and reached the great river, the Nile, on which is the town of Karsakhu."
والنيل ينحدر منها إلى كابرة (بفتح الباء الموحدة والراء)، ثم إلى زاغة (بفتح الزاي والغين المعجم)،,The Nile descends from there to Kabara and then to Zagha.
ولكابرة وزاغة سلطانان يؤديان الطاعة لملك مالي،,In Kabara and Zagha are two Sultans who obey the king of Mali!.
وأهل زاغة قدماء في الإسلام لهم ديانة وطلب للعلم،,The people of Zagha adopted Islam long ago; they are devout and eager for religious knowledge.
ثم ينحدر النيل من زاعة إلى تنبكتو ثم إلى كوكو وسنذكرهما،,"From Zagha the Nile descends to Timbuktu [Timbuktu] and then to Kaukau [Gao], of both of which we shall speak later."
ثم إلى بلدة مولي (بضم الميم وكسر اللام) من بلاد الليميين وهي آخر عمالة مالي، ثم إلى يوفي واسمها (بضم الياء آخر الحروف وواو وفاء مكسورة)، وهي من أكبر بلاد السودان وسلطانها من أعظم سلاطينهم،,"Then it flows to the town of Moll in the country of the Limls, which is the last district of Mali!, then to Yufi, which is one of the biggest towns of the Blacks and whose Sultan is one of their most powerful Sultans."
ولا يدخلها الأبيض من الناس؛ لأنهم يقتلونه قبل الوصول إليها,No white man goes there because they kill him before he reaches it.
ثم ينحدر إلى بلاد النوبة وهم على دين النصرانية، ثم إلى دنقلة وهي أكبر بلادهم (وضبطها بضم الدال والقاف وسكون النون بينهما وفتح اللام)،,"Then it flows down to the country of the Nubians, who are Christians, then to Dunqula [Dongola], the biggest of their towns."
وسلطانها يدعى بابن كنز الدين أسلم على أيام الملك الناصر،,Its Sultan is called Ibn Kanz al-Din; he became a Muslim in the time of al-Malik al-Nasir.
ثم ينحدر إلى جنادل وهي آخر عمالة السودان وأول عمالة أسوان من صعيد مصر.,"Then it flows down to the Cataracts, which is the frontier district of the Blacks and the first district of Aswan in the Sa’id of Egypt."
ورأيت التمساح بهذا الموضع من النيل بالقرب من الساحل كأنه قارب صغير،,At this place on the Nile I saw a crocodile near the bank looking like a little boat.
ولقد نزلت يومًا إلى النيل لقضاء حاجة، فإذا بأحد السودان قد جاء ووقف فيما بيني وبين النهر، فعجبت من سوء أدبه وقلة حيائه،,One day I went down to the Nile to satisfy a need and one of the Blacks came and stood in the space between me and the river; I was amazed at his appalling manners and lack of decency.
وذَكَرْتُ ذلك لبعض الناس فقال: إنما فَعَلَ ذلك خوفًا عليك من التمساح فحال بينك وبينه،,"I mentioned it to someone, who said: ‘He did that only to protect you from the crocodile by putting himself between you and it.’"
ثم سِرْنَا من كارسخو فوصلنا إلى نهر صنصرة (بفتح الصادين المهملين والراء وسكون النون)، وهو على نحو عشرة أميال من مالي،,We left Karsakhu and came to the Sansara river which is about ten miles from Malli.
وعادتهم أن يُمنع الناس من دخولها إلا بالإذن،,It is the custom that no one enters the city without permission.
وكنت كتبت قبل ذلك لجماعة البيضان وكبيرهم محمد بن الفقيه الجزولي وشمس الدين بن النقويش المصري؛ ليكتروا لي دارًا،,"I had written beforehand to a number of the white people and their chief Muhammad, son of the jurist al-JuzulT, and to Shams al-Din b. Naqwish, the Egyptian, asking them to rent a house for me."
فلما وصلت إلى النهر المذكور جزت في المعدية ولم يمنعني أحد,"When I reached the said river I crossed it by the ford, and no one prevented me."
فوصلت إلى مدينة مالي حضرة ملك السودان فنزلت عند مقبرتها، ووصلت إلى محلة البيضان، وقصدت محمد بن الفقيه,"I arrived in the city of Mali!, the capital of the king of the Blacks, alighted at the cemetery, and proceeded to the quarter of the white people, where I sought out Muhammad Ibn al-Faqih."
فوجدته قد اكترى لي دارًا إزاء داره،,I found that he had rented a house for me opposite his own.
فتوجهت إليها وجاء صهره الفقيه المقرئ عبد الواحد بشمعة وطعام،,"I went there and his son-in-law, the jurist and Qur’an reader ‘Abd al-Wahid came with a candle and food."
ثم جاء ابن الفقيه إلي من الغد وشمس الدين بن النقويش وعلي الزودي المراكشي وهو من الطلبة،,"Then next day Ibn al-Faqih, Shams al-Din [b.] al-Naqwish, and ‘All al-Zudi of Marrakush, who is a scholar, came to me."
ولقيت القاضي بمالي عبد الرحمن، جاءني وهو من السودان حاج فاضل له مكارم أخلاق بعث إليَّ بقرة في ضيافته،,"I met the Qadi of Mali!, ‘Abd alRahman, who came to me; he is a Black, a Hajj, an excellent man with noble qualities; he sent me a cow as a welcoming gift."
ولقيت الترجمان دوغا (بضم الدال وواو وغين معجم)، وهو من أفاضل السودان وكبارهم وبعث إلي بثور,"I met the dragoman Dugha, one of the most distinguished and important of the Blacks; he sent me a bull."
وبعث إليَّ الفقيه عبد الواحد غرارتين من الفوني وقرعة من الغرتي،,The jurist ‘Abd al-Wahid sent me two bags of funt and a calabash of gharti.
وبعث إلي ابن الفقيهِ الأرزَّ والفوني،,Ibn al-Faqih sent me rice and funi.
وبعث إليَّ شمس الدين بضيافة،,Shams al-Din sent me a welcoming gift.
وقاموا بحقي أَتَمَّ قيام،,They provided for me completely.
شكر الله حُسْنَ أفعالهم.,God recompense their kindnesses.
وكان ابن الفقيه متزوجًا ببنت عم السلطان، فكانت تتفقدنا بالطعام وغيره،,Ibn al-Faqih was married to the daughter of the Sultan’s paternal uncle and she concerned herself with our food and other needs.
وأَكَلْنَا بعد عشرة أيام من وصولنا عصيدةً تُصْنَع من شيء شبه القلقاس يُسمى القافي (بقاف وألف وفاء)، وهي عندهم مفضلة على سائر الطعام،,"Ten days after our arrival we ate *asida made from something like taro called qafi, which is the food they prefer to all others."
فأصبحنا جميعًا مرضى، وكنا ستة فمات أحدنا،,All six of us were taken ill and one of us died.
وذهبْتُ أنا لصلاة الصبح فغُشيَ عليَّ فيها،,I attended the dawn prayer and fainted while it was in progress.
وطَلَبْتُ من بعض المصريين دواء مُسهِّلًا فأتى بشيء يسمى بيدر (بفتح الباء الموحدة وتسكين الياء آخر الحروف وفتح الدال المهمل وراء)، وهو عروق نبات، وخَلَطَه بالأنيسون والسكر ولَتَّهُ بالماء،,"I asked one of the Egyptians for a laxative and he brought me something called baidarf* made from the roots of plants, mixed it with aniseed and sugar and stirred it in water."
فشربْته وتقيأْتُ ما أكلته مع صفراء كثيرة،,I drank it and vomited what I had eaten together with much bile.
وعافاني الله من الهلاك ولكني مَرِضْتُ شَهْرَيْن.,God spared me from death but I was ill for two months.
ذِكْر سلطان مالي,Account of the Sultan of Mailt.
وهو السلطان منسَى سليمان ومنسَى (بفتح الميم وسكون النون وفتح السين المهمل)، ومعناه السلطان وسليمان اسمه،,He is the Sultan Mansa Sulaiman; mansa means sultan and Sulaiman is his personal name.
وهو ملك بخيل لا يُرجى منه كبير عطاء،,He is a miserly king and a big gift is not to be expected from him.
واتفق أني أقمت هذه المدة، ولم أَرَهُ بسبب مرضي,It happened that I spent all this time in Malli without seeing him because of my illness.
ثم صَنَعَ طعامًا برسم غداء مولانا أبي الحسن — رضي الله عنه — واستدعى الأمراء والفقهاء والقاضي والخطيب وحضرْتُ معهم,"Then he arranged a mourning meal for our master Abu’HJasan, God be pleased with him, to which he invited the amirs, jurists, Qadis, and the preacher, and I went with them."
فأتوا بالربعات وختم القرآن,They brought the Qur’an cases and the whole Qur’an was read.
ودعوا لمولانا أبي الحسن — رحمه الله — ودعوا لمنسَى سليمان،,"They prayed for our master Abu’l-yasan, God be merciful to him, and for Mansa Sulaiman."
ولما فُرِغَ من ذلك تَقَدَّمْتُ فسَلَّمْتُ على منسَى سليمان،,When this was over I advanced and greeted Mansa Sulaiman.
وأعلمه القاضي والخطيب وابن الفقيه بحالي، فأجابهم بلسانهم,"The Qadi, the preacher and Ibn al-Faqih told him about me, and he replied in their language."
فقالوا لي: يقول لك السلطان: اشكر الله،,They said to me: ‘The Sultan says to you “Give thanks to God”.’
فقلت: الحمد لله والشكر على كل حال.,I said: ‘Praise and thanks be to God in all circumstances.’
ذكر ضيافتهم التافهة وتعظيمهم لها,Account of their meagre hospitality and exaggerated opinion of it.
ولما انصرفت بعث إليَّ الضيافة,When I had left a gift of welcome was sent to me.
فوجهت إلى دار القاضي، وبعث القاضي بها مع رجاله إلى دار ابن الفقيه،,It was sent to the Qadi’s house; he sent it with his men to Ibn al-Faqih’s house.
فخرج ابن الفقيه من داره مسرعًا حافي القدمين، فدخل علي,He came out hurrying and barefoot and came in to me.
وقال: قم قد جاءك قماش السلطان وهديته،,He said: ‘Stand up! The Sultan’s things and his gift have come for you.’
فقمت وظننت أنها الخلع والأموال، فإذا هي ثلاثة أقراص من الخبز وقطعة لحم بقري مقلو بالغرتي، وقرعة فيها لبن رائب،,"I stood up, supposing them to be robes of honour and money, but there were three rounds of bread, a piece of beef fried ‘mghartt, and a calabash with curdled milk."
فعندما رأيتها ضحكت وطال تعجُّبي من ضَعْف عقولهم وتعظيمهم للشيء الحقير.,When I saw it I laughed and was greatly surprised at their feeble intelligence and exaggerated opinion of something contemptible.
ذكر كلامي للسلطان بعد ذلك وإحسانه إليَّ,Account of what I said to the Sultan afterwards and of his kindness to me.
وأقمت بعد بَعْث هذه الضيافة شهرين لم يصل إلي فيهما شيء من قبل السلطان،,After I had received this gift I spent two months during which nothing reached me from the Sultan.
ودخل شهر رمضان وكنت خلال ذلك أتردد إلى المشور، وأسلِّمُ عليه، وأقعد مع القاضي والخطيب،,"The month of Ramadan began and in the meantime I had been going repeatedly to the audience hall, greeting him, and sitting with the Qadi and the preacher."
فتكلمْتُ مع دوغا الترجمان، فقال: تكلم عنده وأنا أعبر عنك بما يجب،,"I talked to Dugha the dragoman, who said: ‘Speak in his presence. I shall explain on your behalf what is necessary.’"
فجلس في أوائل رمضان وقمت بين يديه،,He held an audience in the first days of Ramadan.
وقلت له: إني سافرت بلاد الدنيا ولقيت ملوكها,I stood before him and said: ‘I have travelled through the countries of the world and I have met their kings.
ولي ببلادك منذ أربعة أشهر ولم تُضِفْنِي ولا أعطيتني شيئًا،,"I have been in your country for four months, but you have not treated me as a guest, and you have not given me anything."
فماذا أقول عنك عند السلاطين؟ فقال: إني لم أَرَكَ ولا عَلِمْتُ بك،,What am I to say about you before (other) Sultans?’ He said: ‘I have not seen you and I know nothing about you.’
فقام القاضي وابن الفقيه فردا عليه وقالا: إنه قد سلم عليك، وبعثت إليه,"The Qadi and Ibn al-Faqih stood up and answered him, saying: ‘He greeted you and you sent food to him.’"
الطعام فأمر لي عند ذلك بدار أنزل بها ونفقة تجرى علي،,"Thereupon he ordered that a house should be provided for my lodging, and my current expenses."
ثم فرق عليَّ القاضي والخطيب والفقهاء مالًا ليلة سبع وعشرين من رمضان يسمونه الزكاة، وأعطاني معهم ثلاثة وثلاثين مثقالًا وثلثًا،,"On the night of the twenty-seventh of Ramadan he distributed money to the Qadi, the preacher and the jurists, which they call zakat and he gave me at the same time thirty-three and a third mithqals."
وأحسن إلى عند سفري بمائة مثقال ذهبًا.,When I left he gave me a hundred mithqals of gold.
ذكر جلوسه بقبته,Account of his audience in his cupola.
وله قبة مرتفعة بابها بداخل داره يَقْعُد فيها أكثر الأوقات،,He has a raised cupola the door of which is in his house and where he sits most of the time.
ولها من جهة المشور طيقان ثلاثة من الخشب، مُغشاة بصفائح الفضة، وتحتها ثلاثة مغشاة بصفائح الذهب، أو هي فضة مُذهَّبة,"On the side of the audience hall are three arches of wood covered with silver plates, below which are three more, covered with plates of gold, or silver gilt."
وعليها ستور ملف،,They have curtains of blanket cloth.
فإذا كان يوم جلوسه بالقبة رُفِعَت الستور، فعُلم أنه يجلس،,"On a day when there is an audience in the cupola, the curtains are raised and it is known that there is a session."
فإذا جَلَسَ أخرج من شباك إحدى الطاقات شرابة حرير قد رُبِطَ فيها منديل مصري مرقوم،,"When he takes his seat a silk tassel is put through the grill of one of the arches, to which is tied a striped Egyptian handkerchief."
فإذا رأى الناس المنديل ضربت الأطبال والأبواق،,When people see the handkerchief drums are beaten and trumpets sounded.
ثم يخرج من باب القصر نحو ثلاثمائة من العبيد في أيدي بعضهم القسيُّ وفي أيدي بعضهم الرماح الصغار والدرق،,"Then some three hundred slaves come out from the door of the palace, some with bows in their hands and some with short spears and leather shields."
فيقف أصحاب الرماح منهم ميمنة وميسرة ويجلس أصحاب القسيِّ كذلك،,The spearmen stand on the right and left; the archers sit in the same way.
ثم يؤتى بفرسين مسرجين ملجمين ومعهما كبشان,Then two saddled and bridled horses are brought and with them two rams.
يَذْكُرون أنهما ينفعان من العين،,They say that they are useful against the evil eye.
وعند جلوسه يخرج ثلاثة من عبيده مسرعين فيدعون نائبه قنجا موسى,When he takes his seat three of his slaves run and call his deputy Qanja Musa.
وتأتي الفرارية (بفتح الفاء) وهم الأمراء، ويأتي الخطيب والفقهاء فيقعدون أمام السلحدارية يمنة ويسرة في المشور،,"The faranyaf who are the amirs, come, and the preacher and the jurists who all sit in front of the armed men on the right and left of the audience hall."
ويقف دوغا الترجمان على باب المشور، وعليه الثياب الفاخرة من الزردخانة وغيرها، وعلى رأسه عمامة ذات حواشٍ، لهم في تعميمها صنعة بديعة وهو مُتَقَلِّد سيفًا غمده من الذهب وفي رجليه الخف والمهاميز،,"Dugha the dragoman stands at the door of the audience hall, dressed in splendid clothes of zardkhand and other fabrics; on his head is a turban with borders, arranged with exceptional artistry; he is girded with a sword with a gold scabbard; on his feet are boots and spurs."
ولا يلبس أحد ذلك اليوم خفًّا غيره،,No one except him wears boots that day.
ويكون في يده رمحان صغيران، أحدهما من ذهب والآخر من فضة، وأسنتهما من الحديد،,"In his hand he has two short spears, one of gold and the other silver, tipped with iron."
ويجلس الأجناد والولاة والفتيان ومسوفة وغيرهم خارج المشور في شارع هنالك مُتَّسِع فيه أشجار،,"The soldiers, the governors, the pages and the Massufa and the rest sit outside the audience hall in a wide thoroughfare with trees."
وكل فراري بين يديه أصحابه بالرماح والقسيِّ والأطبال والأبواق، وبوقاتهم من أنياب الفيلة، وآلات الطرب المصنوعة من القصب والقرع وتضرب بالسطاعة، ولها صوت عجيب،,"Each fardfi has in front of him his men with spears, bows, drums, trumpets made from elephants’ tusks, and musical instruments made from reeds and gourds, which are struck with sticks and make a pleasant sound."
وكل فراري له كنانة قد علقها بين كتفيه، وقوسه بيده,Each farari has his quiver hung between his shoulders and his bow in his hand.
وهو راكب فرسه وأصحابه بين مشاة وركبان،,"He is on a horse; some of his men are on horseback, some on foot."
ويكون بداخل المشور تحت الطيقان رجل واقف،,A man stands in the audience hall under the arches.
فمن أراد أن يكلم السلطان، كلَّم دوغا لذلك الواقف ويكلم الواقف السلطان.,"If anyone wishes to speak to the Sultan he speaks to Dugha, who speaks to that man, and he speaks to the Sultan."
ذكر جلوسه بالمشور,Account of the session in the audience hall.
ويجلس أيضًا في بعض الأيام بالمشور,On some days he also sits in the audience hall.
هنالك مصطبة تحت شجرة لها ثلاث درجات يسمونها البنبي (بفتح الباء المعقودة الأولى وكسر الثانية وسكون النون بينهما)،,"There is a bench under a tree, which has three steps and which is called banbi."
وتُفْرَشُ بالحرير وتُجْعَل المخاد عليها،,It is covered with silk and cushions are placed on it.
ويُرْفَع الشطر وهو شبه قُبَّةٍ من الحرير،,"A parasol, that is to say, something like a silken cupola, is raised over it."
وعليه طائر من ذهب على قدر البازي،,On top of it is a gold bird the size of a falcon.
ويَخْرُج السلطان من باب في ركن القصر وقوسه بيده، وكنانته بين كتفيه، وعلى رأسه شاشية ذهب مشدودة بعصابة ذهب لها أطراف مثل السكاكين رقاق، طولها أزيد من شبر,"The Sultan comes out of a door in a corner of the palace with his bow in his hand, his quiver between his shoulders, a gold skull-cap on his head held in place by a gold headband with points like thin knives, longer than a span."
وأكثر لباسه جبة حمراء موبرة من الثياب الرومية التي تسمى المطنفس،,"He is mostly dressed in a hairy, red tunic of the European cloth called mutanfas."
ويخرج بين يديه المغنون بأيديهم قنابر الذهب والفضة،,He comes out preceded by singers with gold and silver qanbaras.
وخلفه نحو ثلاثمائة من العبيد أصحاب السلاح،,He is followed by about three hundred armed slaves.
ويمشي مشيًا رُويدًا، ويكثر الثاني وربما وقف,"He walks slowly and often pauses, and sometimes stands still."
فإذا وصل إلى البنبي وقف ينظر في الناس،,When he reaches the banbi he stops and looks at the people.
ثم يصعد برفق كما يصعد الخطيب المنبر،,Then he climbs up it slowly as the preacher climbs the pulpit.
وعند جلوسه تُضرب الطبول والأبواق والأنفار,When he takes his seat the drums are beaten and the trumpets and bugles sounded.
ويخرج ثلاثة من العبيد مسرعين فيدعون النائب والفرارية فيدخلون ويجلسون,"Three slaves come out running and summon the Sultan s deputy and the farads, who enter and sit down."
ويؤتى بالفرسين والكبشين معهما،,Two horses and rams are brought.
ويقف دوغا على الباب وسائر الناس في الشارع تحت الأشجار.,Dugha stands at the gate and the rest of the people are in the street under the trees.
ذكر تذلل السودان لمَلِكهم وتتريبهم له وغير ذلك من أحوالهم,"Account of the humility of the Blacks before their king, how they pour dust on themselves, and other things about them."
والسودان أعظم الناس تواضعًا لِمَلِكهم وأشدهم تذللًا له،,The Blacks are the most respectful of people to their king and abase themselves most before him.
ويحلفون باسمه فيقولون: منسى سليمان كي،,"They swear by him, saying Mansa Sulaiman ki."
فإذا دعا بأحدهم عند جلوسه بالقبة التي ذكرناها نزع المدعو ثيابه ولبس ثيابًا خَلِقة ونزع عمامته، وجعل شاشية وسخة، ودخل رافعًا ثيابه وسراويله إلى نصف ساقه،,"If he summons one of them at his session in the cupola we have mentioned, the man summoned removes his robe and puts on a shabby one, takes off his turban, puts on a dirty skull-cap and goes in with his robe and his trousers lifted half way to his knees."
وتقدم بذِلَّةٍ ومسكنة وضَرَبَ الأرض بمرفقيه ضربًا شديدًا،,"He comes forward humbly and abjectly, and strikes the ground hard with his elbows."
ووقف كالراكع يسمع كلامه،,"He stands as if he were prostrating himself in prayer, and hears what the Sultan says like this."
وإذا كلم أحدهم السلطان فرَدَّ عليه جوابه كَشَفَ ثيابه عن ظهره ورمى بالتراب على رأسه وظهره كما يفعل المغتسل بالماء،,"If one of them speaks to the Sultan and he answers him, he takes his robe off his back, and throws dust on his head and back like someone making his Ablutions with water."
وكنت أعجب منهم كيف لا تعمى أعينهم؟,I was astonished that they did not blind themselves.
وإذا تَكَلَّمَ السلطان في مجلسه بكلام وضع الحاضرون عمائهم عن رءوسهم وأنصتوا للكلام،,When the Sultan makes a speech in his audience those present take off their turbans from their heads and listen in silence.
وربما قام أحدهم بين يديه فيَذْكُر أفعاله في خدمته ويقول: فعلت كذا يوم كذا، وقتلت كذا يوم كذا،,"Sometimes one of them stands before him, recounts what he has done for his service, and says: ‘On such and such a day I did such and such, and I killed so and so on such and such a day.’"
فيصدقه من علم ذلك،,Those who know vouch for the truth of that and he does it in this way.
وتصديقهم أن ينزع أحدهم في وتر قوسه، ثم يرسلها كما يفعل إذا رمى،,"One of them draws the string of his bow, then lets it go as he would do if he were shooting."
فإذا قال له السلطان صدقْتَ أو شكره، نَزَعَ ثيابه وترَّبَ،,"If the Sultan says to him: ‘You are right’ or thanks him, he takes off his robe and pours dust on himself."
وذلك عندهم من الأدب،,That is good manners among them.
قال ابن جزي: وأخبرني الصاحب العلامة الفقيه أبو القاسم بن رضوان — أعزه الله — أنه لما قدم الحاج موسى الونجراتي رسولًا عن منسى سليمان إلى مولانا أبي الحسن — رضي الله عنه — كان إذا دَخَلَ المجلس الكريم حَمَلَ بعض ناسه معه قفة تراب فيترب مهما قال له مولانا كلامًا حسنًا كما يفعل ببلاده.,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘I was told by the keeper of the signet the jurist Abu’l-Qasim b. Ridwan, God make him great, that when the Hajj Musa al-Wanjarati came as a messenger from Mansa Sulaiman to our master Abu’l-hasan, God be pleased with him, and he entered the noble assembly, one of the people with him carried a basin of dust, which he poured on himself whenever our master spoke graciously to him, as he used to do in his own country.’"
ذكر فعله في صلاة العيد وأيامه,Account of what he did about the prayer on the Feast and on the Feast days.
وحضرت بمالي عيد الأضحى والفطر,I was in Mali! for the Feasts of Sacrifice and of Breaking the Fast.
فخرج الناس إلى المصلى، وهو بمقربة من قصر السلطان وعليهم الثياب البيض الحسان،,"The people went out to the prayer ground which is near the palace of the Sultan, wearing fine white clothes."
ورَكِبَ السلطان وعلى رأسه الطيلسان،,The Sultan is on horseback with the (ailasan on his head.
والسودان لا يلبسون الطيلسان إلا في العيد ما عدا القاضي والخطيب والفقهاء، فإنهم يلبسونه في سائر الأيام،,"The Blacks wear the (ailasan only for the Feast Day, except that the qadi, the preacher and the jurists wear it on other days."
وكانوا يوم العيد بين يدي السلطان، وهم يهللون ويكبرون،,On the Feast Day these go in front of the Sultan calling out: ‘There is no God but God’ and ‘God is most great.’
وبين يديه العلامات الحُمر من الحرير،,Before him are flags of red silk.
ونُصِبَ عند المصلى خباء فدخل السلطان إليها، وأصلح من شأنه,A tent was erected in the prayer-ground; the Sultan went in and made himself ready.
ثم خرج إلى المصلى، فقُضيت الصلاة والخطبة،,"Then he came out onto the prayer-ground, the prayer was recited and the sermon delivered."
ثم نزل الخطيب وقعد بين يدي السلطان وتكلم بكلام كثير،,"Then the preacher came down, sat in front of the Sultan and spoke at length."
وهنالك رجل بيده رمح يبين للناس بلسانهم كلام الخطيب،,A man was there with a spear in his hand explaining to the people what the preacher said in their own language.
وذلك وَعْظ وتذكير وثناء على السلطان وتحريض على لزوم طاعته وأداء حقه.,"What he said comprised admonitions, warnings, praise of the Sultan, exhor-tations on the need to obey him, and to accord him his due."
ويجلس السلطان في أيام العيدين بعد العصر على البنبي،,On the two Feasts the Sultan sits on the banbt after the afternoon prayer.
وتأتي السلحدارية بالسلاح العجيب من تراكش الذهب والفضة والسيوف المحلاة بالذهب وأغمادها منه ورماح الذهب والفضة ودبابيس البلور،,"The armour bearers come with splendid weapons, quivers of gold and silver, swords ornamented in gold, as are the scabbards, spears of gold and silver, and maces of crystal."
ويقف على رأسه أربعة من الأمراء يشردون الذُّباب، وفي أيديهم حلية من الفضة تشبه ركاب السرج،,Four amirs stand by his head driving off the flies; in their hands they have a silver ornament like a stirrup.
ويجلس الفرارية والقاضي والخطيب على العادة،,"The fardris, the qadi, and the preacher are seated according to custom."
ويأتي دوغا الترجمان بنسائه الأربع وجواريه وهُنَّ نحو مائة عليهن الملابس الحسان، وعلى رأسهن عصائب الذهب والفضة فيها تفافيح ذهب وفضة،,"Dugha the dragoman comes in with his four wives and his concubines, who are about a hundred, in fine clothes; on their heads are gold and silver bands with gold and silver apples attached to them."
ويُنصب لدوغا كرسي يجلس عليه ويضرب الآلة التي هي من قصب، وتحتها قريعات,"A chair is placed for Dugha, where he sits playing an instru-ment made from reeds with tiny calabashes underneath."
ويغني بشعر يمدح السلطان فيه ويَذْكُر غزواته وأفعاله,He sings poems praising the Sultan and recounting his campaigns and his exploits.
ويغني النساء والجواري معه ويلعبن بالقِسِيِّ,His wives and concubines sing with him and play with the bows.
ويكون معهن نحو ثلاثين من غلمانه عليهم جباب الملف والحمر وفي رءوسهم الشواشي البيض،,With them are some thirty slave-boys dressed in tunics of red blanket-cloth with white skull-caps on their heads.
وكل واحد منهم متقلد طبله يضربه،,Each one of them has his drum hung from his neck and beats it.
ثم يأتي أصحابه من الصبيان فيلعبون ويتقلبون في الهواء كما يفعل السندي،,"Then come young companions of his who
play and turn over in the air, as the Sindis do."
ولهم في ذلك رشاقة وخِفَّة بديعة،,In this they show remarkable grace and agility.
ويلعبون بالسيوف أَجْمَلَ لعب،,They play with swords most elegantly.
ويلعب دوغا بالسيف لعبًا بديعًا، وعند ذلك يأمر السلطان له بالإحسان، فيأتى بصُرَّةٍ فيها مائتا مثقال من التبر،,"Dugha plays with his sword with exceptional skill, the Sultan orders a gift to be given him, and a purse is brought containing two hundred mithqals of gold-dust."
ويَذْكُر له ما فيها على رءوس الناس،,He is told what is in it in front of all the people.
وتقوم الفرارية فينزعون في قسيهم شكرًا للسلطان،,The fararis stand up and bend their bows as a sign of thanks to the Sultan.
وبالغد يعطى كل واحد منهم لدوغا عطاء على قدره،,Next day each of them gives Dugha a gift according to his ability.
وفي كل يوم جمعة بعد العصر يفعل دوغا مثل هذا الترتيب الذي ذكرناه.,Every Friday after the afternoon prayer Dugha repeats the ceremony we have described.
ذكر الأضحوكة في إنشاد الشعراء للسلطان,Account of the comical way poetry is recited to the Sultan.
وإذا كان يوم العيد وأتمَّ دوغا لَعِبَه جاء الشعراء,"On the Feast Day when Dugha has finished his playing, the poets come in."
ويُسَمَّوْنَ الجلا (بضم الجيم) واحدهم جالي،,"They are called jula, each one being a jali."
وقد دخل كل واحد منهم في جوف صورة مصنوعة من الريش تشبه الشقشاق، وجُعل لها رأس من الخشب لها منقار أحمر كأنه رأس الشقشاق،,Each of them is inside a costume made of feathers resembling the shaqshaq on which is a wooden head with a red beak like the head of the shaqshaq.
ويقفون بين يدي السلطان بتلك الهيئة المضحكة فينشدون أشعارهم،,They stand before the Sultan in this laughAble get-up and recite their poems.
وذُكِرَ لي أن شعرهم نوع من الوعظ,I have been told that their poetry is a sort of admonition.
يقولون فيه للسلطان: إن هذا البنبي الذي عليه، جَلَسَ فوقه من الملوك فلانٌ، وكان من أحسن أفعاله كذا، وفلانٌ، وكان من أفعاله كذا، فافعل أنت من الخير ما يُذْكَر بعدك،,"They say to the Sultan: ‘This banbi, formerly such and such a king sat on it and performed noble actions, and so and so did such and such; do you do noble acts which will be recounted after you.’"
ثم يصعد كبير الشعراء على درج البنبي ويضع رأسه في حجر السلطان، ثم يصعد إلى أعلى البنبي فيضع رأسه على كتف السلطان الأيمن، ثم على كتفه الأيسر وهو يتكلم بلسانهم,"Then the chief poet climbs the steps of the banbi and puts his head in the Sultan’s lap; then he climbs to the top of the banbi and puts his head on the Sultan’s right shoulder, then on his left shoulder, talking all the time in their language."
ثم ينزل،,Then he comes down.
وأخبرت أن هذا الفعل لم يزل قديمًا عندهم قبل الإسلام فاستمروا عليه.,"I have been told that this custom has continued among them since ancient times before Islam, and that they have persisted in it."
حكاية,Anecdote.
وحضرت مجلس السلطان في بعض الأيام فأتى أحد فقهائهم وكان قدم من بلاد بعيدة,One day when I was present at the Sultan’s assembly a jurist came forward who had come from a distant province.
وقام بين يدي السلطان وتكلم كلامًا كثيرًا،,He stood before the Sultan and spoke at length.
فقام القاضي فصدقه,The Qadi stood and confirmed what he had said.
ثم صدقهما السلطان،,Then the Sultan stated his agreement.
فوضع كل واحد منهما عمامته عن رأسه، وترب بين يديه،,Each of them took off his turban and covered himself with dust before the Sultan.
وكان إلى جانبي رجل من البيضان فقال لي: أَتَعْرِفُ ما قالوه؟ فقلت: لا أعرف،,A white man was by my side and he said: ‘Do you know what they said?’ I said: ‘I do not.
فقال: إن الفقيه أخبر أن الجراد وَقَعَ ببلادهم، فخرج أحد صلحائهم إلى موضع الجراد فهاله أَمْرها،,"He said: ‘The jurist stated that locusts had attacked their province, and that one of the pious men had gone to the place where they were and had been dismayed at what he saw."
فقال: هذا جراد كثير،,"He had said, “There are very many of these locusts.”"
فأجابَتْه جرادة منها، وقالت: إنَّ البلاد التي يكثر فيها الظلم يبعثنا الله لفساد زَرْعها،,"A locust had answered him, “God sends us to destroy the crops of a pro-vince where there is great injustice.’”"
فصدقه القاضي والسلطان،,The Qadi and the Sultan confirmed what he had said.
وقال عند ذلك للأمراء: إني بريء من الظلم، ومَنْ ظَلَمَ مِنْكُم عاقَبْتُه،,The Sultan thereupon said to the amirs: ‘I am innocent of injustice and I punish any of you who are guilty of it.
ومَنْ عَلِمَ بظالم ولم يُعْلِمْني به فذنوب ذلك الظالم في عنقه،,Whoever knows of injustice and does not inform me of it is himself guilty of it and is answerable for that injustice.
والله حسيبه وسائله،,God will be his reckoner and will call him to account.’
ولما قال: هذا الكلام وَضَعَ الفرارية عمائمهم عن رءوسهم وتبرَّءوا من الظلم.,When he said this the fararis took off their turbans and declared themselves innocent of injustice.
حكاية,Anecdote.
وحضرت الجمعة يومًا فقام أحد التجار من طلبة مسوفة ويسمى بأبي حفص، فقال: يا أهل المسجد، أُشْهِدُكم أن منسى سليمان في دعوتي إلى رسول الله ﷺ,"I was present one Friday when a Massufa merchant and student of theology, named Abu Hafs, stood up and said: ‘People of the mosque, I call you to witness that I call to account Mansa Sulaiman whom I summon before the Prophet of God, God’s blessing and peace be upon him.’"
فلما قال: ذلك، خرج إليه جماعة رجال من مقصورة السلطان، فقالوا له: من ظلمك؟ من أخذ لك شيًّا؟ فقال: منشاجو إيوا لأتن يعني: مشرفها أخذ مني ما قيمته ستمائة مثقال، وأراد أن يعطيني في مقابلته مائة مثقال خاصة،,When he said this a group of men came out from the Sultan’s enclosure and said to him: ‘Who has wronged you? Who has taken something from you?’ He said: ‘Mansha Ju of Iwalatan (that is to say the inspector) took from me something worth six hundred mithqals and wanted to give me only one hundred mithqals in compensation.’
فبعث السلطان عنه للحين، فحضر بعد أيام وصرفهما للقاضي، فثبت للتاجر حقه فأخذه، وبعد ذلك عزل المشرف عن عمله.,"The Sultan sent for him at once; he arrived after a few days and they were both referred to the qaI, who conceded his rights to the merchant, who received them, while the inspector was removed from his post."
حكاية,Anecdote.
واتفق في أيام إقامتي بمالي أن السلطان غضب على زوجته الكبري بنت عمه المدعوة بقاسا، ومعنى قاسا عندهم الملكة،,"While I was staying in Mall! it happened that the Sultan became angry with his senior wife, the daughter of his paternal uncle, who was entitled Qasa, a word which means ‘queen’ among them."
وهي شريكته في المُلْك على عادة السودان، ويُذْكَر اسمُها مع اسمه على المنبر،,In accordance with the custom of the Blacks she shares in the kingdom and her name is mentioned along with his in the pulpit.
وسَجَنَها عند بعض الفرارية ووَلَّى في مكانها زوجته الأخرى بنجو، ولم تكن من بنات الملوك،,"She was confined in the house of one of the fararis, and the Sultan replaced her with his other wife, Banju, who was not a king’s daughter."
فأَكْثَرَ الناسُ الكلامَ في ذلك، وأنكروا فِعْلَه،,People talked much about this and disapproved of what he had done.
ودَخَلَ بنات عمه على بنجو يهنِّئْنَها بالمملكة، فجعلن الرماد على أذرعهن ولم يتتربن رءوسهن،,"His uncle’s daughters came to congratulate Banju on becoming queen; they put ashes on their arms, but they did not put dust on their heads."
ثم إن السلطان سرح قاسا من ثقافها، فدخل عليها بنات عمه يهنئنها بالسراح، وتربن على العادة,"Later, the Sultan released Qasa from confine-ment and his uncle’s daughters came to congratulate her on her release, pouring dust on themselves in the customary way."
فشكت بنجو إلى السلطان بذلك، فغضب على بنات عمه,Banju complained to the Sultan about this and he was angry with his cousins.
فخفن منه، واستجرن بالجامع,They were afraid of him and sought refuge in the congregational mosque.
فعفا عنهن واستدعاهن،,"However, he pardoned them and invited them to see him."
وعادتهن إذا دخلن على السلطان أن يتجردن عن ثيابهن، ويدخلن عرايا ففعلن ذلك،,"It is their custom to take off their clothes and come naked into his presence, which they did."
ورضى عنهن وصرن يأتين باب السلطان غدوًّا وعشيًّا مدة سبعة أيام،,"He was pleased with them, and for seven days they kept on coming to the Sultan’s gate, morning and evening, for this is what people do whom he has pardoned."
وكذلك يفعل كل من عفا عنه السلطان، وسارت قاسا تركب كل يوم في جواريها وعبيدها وعلى رءوسهم التراب,Every day Qasa rode out with her girland boy-slaves with dust on their heads.
وتقف عند المشور متنقبة لا يُرى وجهها،,"She used to stop by the audience hall, with her face veiled so that it could not be seen."
وأكثر الأمراء الكلام في شأنها فجمعهم السلطان في المشور وقال لهم دوغا على لسانه: إنكم قد أكثرتم الكلام في أمر قاسا وأنها أذنبت ذنبًا كبيرًا،,"The amirs talked much about her, and the Sultan assembled them in the audience hall and Dugha said to them in their language: ‘You have spoken much about Qasa. She has committed a great crime.’"
ثم أتى بجارية من جواريها، مقيدة مغلولة,"One of her slave-girls was brought in, shackled with her hands chained to her neck."
فقيل لها: تكلمي بما عندك،,She was told to say what she knew.
فأخبرت أن قاسا بعثتها إلى جاطل ابن عم السلطان الهارب عنه إلى كنبرني، واستدعته ليخلع السلطان عن ملكه،,"She related that Qasa had sent her to Japal, the son of the Sultan’s paternal uncle, who was a fugitive from him in Kanburni, to invite him to depose the Sultan."
وقالت له: أنا وجميع العساكر طوع أمرك،,She had said to him: ‘I and all the troops obey you.’
فلما سمع الأمراء ذلك قالوا: إن هذا ذنب كبير وهي تستحق القتل عليه،,When the amirs heard that they said: ‘This is a great crime and she deserves to be killed.’
فخافت قاسا من ذلك واستجارت بدار الخطيب,Qasa was frightened and took refuge in the preacher’s house.
وعادتهم أن يستجيروا هنالك بالمسجد، وإن لم يتمكن فبدار الخطيب،,"Their custom is to take refuge in the mosque, and if that is not possible, in the preacher’s house."
وكان السودان يكرهون منسى سليمان لبخله،,The Blacks disliked Mansa Sulaiman because of his avarice.
وكان قبله منسى مغا، وقبل منسى مغا منسى موسى، وكان كريمًا فاضلًا,"Before him was Mansa Magha, and before Mansa Magha was Mansa Musa, who was generous and virtuous."
يحب البيضان، ويحسن إليهم,He loved the white people and did them favours.
وهو الذي أعطى لأبي إسحاق الساحلي في يوم واحد أربعة آلاف مثقال،,He it was who gave to Abu Ishaq al-Sahili on one day four thousand mithqals.
وأخبرني بعض الثقات أنه أعطى لمدرم بن فقوص ثلاثة آلاف مثقال في يوم واحد، وكان جده سارق جاطة أسلم على يدي جد مدرك هذا.,A trustworthy person told me that he gave Mudrik b. Faqqus three thousand mithqals in a single day; his grandfather Saraq Japa had become a Muslim through the grandfather of this Mudrik.
حكاية,Anecdote.
وأخبرني الفقيه مدرك هذا أن رجلًا من أهل تلمسان يُعْرَف بابن شيخ اللبن كان قد أحسن إلى السلطان منسى موسى في صغره بسبعة مثاقيل وثلث،,This jurist Mudrik told me that one of the people of Tilimsan known as Ibn Shaikh al-Laban had made a present to the Sultan Mansa Musa in his youth of seven mithqals and a third.
وهو يومئذٍ صبي غير معتبر،,He was then only a stripling and of no consequence.
ثم اتفق أن جاء إليه في خصومة,"Later, it happened that Ibn Shaikh al-Laban came to him in connection with a lawsuit."
وهو سلطان،,He was now the Sultan.
فعرفه وأدعاه وأدناه منه، حتى جلس معه على البنبي,"He recognized him, called him, brought him near, and made him sit beside him on the banbi."
ثم قرره على فعله معه وقال للأمراء: ما جزاء من فعل ما فعله من الخير؟ فقالوا له: الحسنة بعشرة أمثالها، فأعطه سبعين مثقالًا،,"Then he made him repeat what he had done to him, and said to the amirs: ‘What reward should he have who has done the generous deed he has done?’ They said: ‘A benefit ten times as great. Give him seventy mithqals.’"
فأعطاه عند ذلك سبعمائة مثقال وكسوة وعبيدًا وخدمًا، وأَمَرَهُ أَلَّا ينقطع عنه،,"Thereupon he gave seven hundred mithqals, a robe, slaves of both sexes, and ordered him not to leave him."
وأخبرني بهذه الحكاية أيضًا ولد ابن شيخ اللبن المذكور وهو من الطلبة يعلم القرآن بمالي.,"I was told this story by the son of Ibn Shaikh al-Laban, who was one of the learned teaching the Qur’an in Malli."
ذِكْر ما استحسنْتُه من أفعال السودان وما استقبحْتُه منها,Account of what l found good and what I found bad in the conduct of the Blacks.
فمن أفعالهم الحسنة قِلَّة الظلم فَهُمْ أبعد الناس عنه، وسلطانهم لا يسامح أحدًا في شيء منه،,"Among their good practices are their avoidance of injustice; there is no people more averse to it, and their Sultan does not allow anyone to practise it in any measure;"
ومنها شمول الأمن في بلادهم، فلا يَخاف المسافر فيها ولا المقيم من سارق ولا غاصب، ومنها عدم تعرضهم لمال من يموت ببلادهم من البيضان ولو كان القناطير المقنطرة، إنما يتركونه بيد ثقة من البيضان حتى يأخذه مستحقه،,"the universal security in their country, for neither the traveller nor the resident there has to fear thieves or bandits: they do not interfere with the property of white men who die in their country, even if it amounts to vast sums; they just leave it in the hands of a trustworthy white man until whoever is entitled to it takes possession of it:"
ومنها مواظبتهم للصلوات والْتِزامهم لها في الجماعات وضَرْبُهم أولادهم عليها، وإذا كان يوم الجمعة ولم يُبَكِّر الإنسان إلى المسجد لم يَجِدْ أين يصلي لكثرة الزحام، ومن عادتهم أن يبعث كل إنسان غلامه بسجادته، فيبسطها له بموضع يستحقه بها حتى يذهب إلى المسجد،,"their punctiliousness in praying, their perseverance in joining the congregation, and in compelling their children to do so; if a man does not come early to the mosque he will not find a place to pray because of the dense crowd; it is customary for each man to send his servant with his prayer-mat to spread it out in a place reserved for him until he goes to the mosque himself;"
وسجاداتهم من سعف شجر يشبه النخل، ولا ثمر له،,"their prayer-mats are made of the leaves of a tree like the date-palm, but which has no fruit."
ومنها لباسهم الثياب البيض الحسان يوم الجمعة، ولو لم يكن لأحدهم إلا قميص خَلِق غسله ونظفه وشهد به الجمعة،,They dress in clean white clothes on Fridays; if one of them has only a threadbare shirt he washes it and cleans it and wears it for prayer on Friday.
ومنها عنايتهم بحفظ القرآن العظيم،,They pay great attention to memorizing the Holy Qur’an.
وهم يجعلون لأولادهم القيود إذا ظهر في حقهم التقصير في حفظه، فلا تفَكُّ عنهم حتى يحفظوه،,If their children appear to be backward in learning it they put shackles on them and do not remove them till they learn it.
ولقد دخلت على القاضي يوم العيد وأولاده مقيدون،,I called on the Qadi on the Feast Day. His children were in shackles.
فقلت له: ألا تسرحهم؟ فقال: لا أفعل حتى يحفظوا القرآن،,I said to him: ‘Are you not going to free them?’ He said: ‘Not till they learn the Qur’an by heart.’
ومررت يومًا بشاب منهم حسن الصورة عليه ثياب فاخرة وفي رجله قيد ثقيل،,"One day I passed by a handsome youth, who was very well dressed, with a heavy shackle on his foot."
فقلت لمن كان معي: ما فعل هذا؟ أقتل؟ ففهم عني الشاب، وضحك,I said to the person with me: ‘What has he done? Has he killed someone?’ The youth understood what I said and laughed.
وقيل لي: إنما قُيِّدَ حتى يحفظ القرآن،,I was told: ‘He has been shackled to make him memorize the Qur’an.’
ومن مساوئ أفعالهم كرن الخدم والجواري والبنات الصغار، يظهرن للناس عرايا باديات العورات،,"Among their bad practices are that the women servants, slave-girls and young daughters appear naked before people, exposing their genitals."
ولقد كنت أرى في رمضان كثيرًا منهن على تلك الصورة، فإن عادة الفرارية أن يفطروا بدار السلطان، ويأتي كل واحد منهم بطعامه تحمله العشرون، فما فوقهن من جواريه وهُنَّ عرايا،,"I used to see many like this in Ramadan, for it is customary for the fararis to break the fast in the Sultan’s palace, where their food is brought to them by twenty or more slave-girls, who are naked."
ومنها دخول النساء على السلطان عرايا غير مستترات، وتعرِّي بناته،,"Women who come before the Sultan are naked and unveiled, and so are his daughters."
ولقد رأيت في ليلة سبع وعشرين من رمضان نحو مائة جارية خَرَجْنَ بالطعام من قصره عرايا ومعهن بنتان له ناهدان ليس عليهما سِتْر،,On the night of the twenty-seventh of Ramadan I have seen about a hundred naked slave-girls come out of his palace with food; with them were two daughters of the Sultan with full breasts and they too had no veil.
ومنها جَعْلهم التراب والرماد على رءوسهم تأدبًا،,They put dust and ashes on their heads as a matter of good manners.
ومنها ما ذَكَرْتُه من الأضحوكة في إنشاد الشعراء،,There is the clowning we have described when poets recite their works.
ومنها أن كثيرًا منهم يأكلون الجيف والكلاب والحمير.,"Many of them eat carrion, dogs and donkeys."
ذكر سفري عن مالي,Account of my departure from Mailt.
وكان دخولي إليها في الرابع عشر لجمادى الأولى سنة ثلاث وخمسين، وخروجي عنها في الثاني والعشرين لمحرم سنة أربع وخمسين،,I arrived there on the fourteenth of Jumada the First in the year fifty-three and left on the twenty-second of Muharram in the year fifty-four.
ورافَقَني تاجِر يُعْرَف بأبي بكر بن يعقوب،,I was accompanied by a merchant named Abu Bakr b. Ya’qub.
وقصدنا طريق ميمة،,We took the Mima road.
وكان لي جمل أركبه؛ لأن الخيل غالية الأثمان يساوي أحدها مائة مثقال،,"I rode a camel, for horses are very dear, one costing a hundred mithqals."
فوصلنا إلى خليج كبير يخرج من النيل لا يُجَاز إلا في المراكب،,We came to a big channel which runs from the Nile and can be crossed only in boats.
وذلك الموضع كثير البعوض فلا يمر أحد به إلا بالليل،,That place abounds in mosquitoes and no one passes it except by night.
ووصلنا الخليج ثلث الليل والليل مقمر.,"We reached the channel in the first third of the night, which was moonlit."
ذكر الخيل التي تكون بالنيل,Account of the horses there are in the Nile.
ولما وصلنا الخليج رأيت على ضفته ست عشر دابة ضخمة الخلقة،,When we reached the channel I saw on the bank sixteen beasts with huge bodies.
فعجبت منها وظننتها فيلة لكثرتها هنالك،,"I wondered at them and supposed they were elephants, which are numerous there."
ثم إني رأيتها دخلت في النهر،,Then I saw they had gone into the river.
فقلت لأبي بكر بن يعقوب: ما هذه الدواب؟ فقال: هي خيل البحر خرجت ترعى في البر،,I said to Abu Bakr b. Ya’qub: ‘What are these beasts?’ He said: ‘They are hippopotamuses which have come out j to graze on land.’
وهي أغلظ من الخيل، ولها أعراف وأذناب ورءوسها كرءوس الخيل وأرجلها كأرجل الفيلة،,"They are bigger than horses, they have manes and tails, their heads are like horses’ heads, and their feet are like elephants’ feet."
ورأيت هذه الخيل مرة أخرى لما رَكِبْنا النيل من تنبكتو إلى كوكو,I saw them another time when I was sailing on the Nile from Tunbuktu to Kawkaw.
وهي تعوم في الماء، وترفع رأسها وتنفخ,They swim in the river and lift their heads and blow.
وخاف منها أهل المركب، فقربوا من البر؛ لئلا تُغْرِقهم،,The boatmen were afraid of them and drew near to land to avoid being drowned by them.
ولهم حيلة في صيدها حسنة،,They have an ingenious trick for hunting them.
وذلك أن لهم رماحًا مثقوبة قد جعل في ثقبها شرائط وثيقة،,They have spears pierced with holes through which they put strong cords.
فيضربون الفرس منها، فإن صادفت الضربة رجله أو عنقه أنفذ وجذبوه بالحبل حتى يصل إلى الساحل فيقتلونه ويأكلون لحمه,"They strike the hippopotamus with them and, if the blow strikes the foot or the neck it pierces right through and they pull on the rope till it comes to the bank when they kill the hippopotamus and eat the flesh."
ومن عظامها بالساحل كثير،,There are many of the bones lying on the bank.
وكان نزولنا عند هذا الخليج بقرية كبيرة عليها حاكم من السودان، حاج فاضل يسمى فربامغا (بفتح الميم والغين المعجم),"We stopped by the channel in a big village whose governor was a black Hajj, an excellent man named Farba Magha."
وهو ممن حج مع السلطان منسى موسى لما حج.,He was one of those who had accompanied the Sultan Mansa Musa when he went on pilgrimage.
حكاية,Anecdote.
أخبرني فربامغا أن منسى موسى لما وصل إلى هذا الخليج كان معه قاضٍ من البيضان يكنى بأبي العباس، ويُعْرَف بالدكالي،,"Farba Magha told me that when Mansa Musa reached this channel there was with him a white Qadi surnamed Abu’l-‘Abbas, known as al-Dukkali."
فأحسن إليه بأربعة آلاف مثقال لنفقته،,The Sultan gave him four thousand mithqals for his expenses.
فلما وصلوا إلى ميمة شكا إلى السلطان بأن الأربعة آلاف مثقال سُرِقَتْ له من داره،,When they reached Mima he complained to the Sultan that the four thousand mithqals had been stolen from him in his house.
فاستحضر السلطان أمير ميمة وتَوَعَّدَه بالقتل إن لم يُحْضِر مَنْ سَرَقَها،,The Sultan sent for the amir of Mima and threatened him with death if he did not produce the thief.
وطلب الأمير السارق فلم يجد أحدًا، ولا سارق يكون بتلك البلاد،,"The amir sought for the thief and did not find him, for there are no thieves in that country."
فدخل دار القاضي واشتد على خدامه وهددهم،,"He went to the Qadi’s house and rigorously examined his servants, and threatened them."
فقالت له إحدى جواريه: ما ضاع له شيء، وإنما دَفَنَهَا بيده في ذلك الموضع،,"One of the slave-girls said to him: ‘Nothing is lost, but he buried it with his own hand in that place.’"
وأشارت له إلى الموضع، فأَخْرَجَها الأمير، وأتى بها السلطان، وعَرَّفَه الخبر،,"She indicated the place and the amir dug them up, took them to the Sultan, and told him what had happened."
فغضب على القاضي ونفاه إلى بلاد الكفار الذين يأكلون بني آدم،,The Sultan was angry with the Qadi and banished him to the country of the infidels who eat the sons of Adam.
فأقام عندهم أربع سنين، ثم رَدُّوه إلى بلده،,"He spent four years there, then the Sultan brought him back to his own country."
وإنما لم يأكله الكفار لبياضه؛ لأنهم يقولون: إن أكل الأبيض مُضِرٌّ؛ لأنه لم ينضج،,"The infidels had not eaten him because he was white, for they say that eating a white man is harmful because he is unripe."
والأسود هو النضج بزعمهم.,They claim that a Black is ripe.
حكاية,Anecdote.
قَدِمَت على السلطان منسى سليمان جماعة من هؤلاء السودان الذين يأكلون بني آدم معهم أمير لهم،,A group of these Blacks who eat the sons of Adam came to the Sultan Mansa Sulaiman with their amir.
وعادَتُهم أن يجعلوا في آذانهم أقراطًا كبارًا، وتكون فتحة القرط منها نصف شبر،,"It is their custom to put in their ears big pendants, the opening of each pendant being half a span across."
ويلتحفون في ملاحف الحرير، وفي بلادهم يكون معدن الذهب،,They wrap themselves in silk and in their country is a gold mine.
فأَكْرَمَهُم السلطان، وأعطاهم في الضيافة خادمًا فذبحوها، وأكلوها,"The Sultan treated them with honour and gave them in hospitality a slave woman, whom they killed and ate."
ولطخوا وجوههم وأيديهم بدمها، وأتوا السلطان شاكرين،,They smeared their faces and hands with her blood and came to the Sultan to thank him.
وأُخْبِرْتُ أن عادتهم متى ما وفدوا عليه أن يفعلوا ذلك،,I was told that this is their custom whenever they come on an embassy to him.
وذُكِرَ لي عنهم أنهم يقولون: إن أطيب ما في لحوم الآدميات الكف والثدي،,It was reported of them that they used to say that the best parts of the flesh of human females were the palm of the hand and the breast.
ثم رحلنا من هذه القرية التي عند الخليج، فوصلنا إلى بلدة قَرِي منسا وقَرِي (بضم القاف وكسر الراء)،,We travelled from this village by the channel and reached the town of Qurl Mansa.
ومات لي بها الجمل الذي كُنْتُ أَرْكَبُه,Here the camel I was riding died.
فأخبرني راعيه بذلك، فخرجت لأنظر إليه,The driver told me this and I went out to look at it.
فوجدت السودان قد أكلوه كعادتهم في أكل الجيف،,I found that the Blacks had already eaten it in accordance with their practice of eating carrion.
فبعثت غُلَامين كنت استأجرتهما على خدمتي ليشتريا لي جملًا بزاغري وهي على مسيرة يومين،,"I sent two young men whom I had hired for my service to buy a camel for me at Zaghari, which is two days’ journey away."
وأقام معي بعض أصحاب أبي بكر بن يعقوب وتَوَجَّهَ هو لينتظرنا بميمة،,"Some of Abu Bakr b. Ya’qub’s companions stayed with me, while he went to await us at Mima."
فأقمت سبعة أيام أضافني فيها بعض الحجاج بهذه البلدة حتى وصل الغلامان بالجمل.,"I spent six days receiving the hospitality of Hajjis in this town, until the two young men arrived with the camel."
حكاية,Anecdote.
وفي أيام إقامتي بهذه البلدة رأيت ليلةً فيما يرى النائم كأن إنسانًا يقول لي: محمد بن بطوطة لماذا لا يقرأ سورة يس في كل يوم؟ فمن يومئذٍ ما تَرَكْتُ قراءتها كل يوم في سفر ولا حضر،,"One night while I was staying in this town I saw in my sleep a person who said to me: ‘Oh Muhammad ibn Batpupa, why do you not recite the sura Ya sin every night?’ Since then I have not failed to recite it every day, whether I have been travelling or stationary."
ثم رحلت إلى بلدة ميمة (بكسر الميم الأول وفتح الثاني)،,Then I travelled to the town of Mima.
فنزلنا على آبار بخارجها،,We alighted near some wells outside the town.
ثم سافرنا منها إلى مدينة تنبكتو (وضبط اسمها بضم التاء المعلوة وسكون النون وضم الباء الموحدة وسكون الكاف وضم التاء المعلوة الثانية وواو)، وبينها وبين النيل أربعة أميال،,Then we travelled to the city of Tunbuktu [Timbuktu] which is four miles from the Nile.
وأكثر سُكَّانها مسوفة أهل اللثام،,"Most of the inhabitants are Massufa, the people of the litham."
وحاكمها يُسَمَّى فربا موسى،,Their governor is named Farba Musa.
حضرت عنده يومًا وقد قدم أحد مسوفة أميرًا على جماعة،,I was present one day when he promoted one of the Massufa to be amir of a group.
فجَعَلَ عليه ثوبًا وعمامة وسروالًا كلها مصبوغة، وأَجْلَسَه على درقة،,"He gave him a robe, turban and trousers, all coloured, and seated him on a leather shield."
ورَفَعَهُ كبراء قبيلته على رءوسهم،,The chiefs of the tribe lifted it up above their heads.
وبهذه البلدة قبر الشاعر المفلق أبي إسحاق الساحلي الغرناطي المعروف ببلده بالطويجن، وبها قبر سراج الدين بن الكويك أحد كبار التجار من أهل الإسكندرية.,"In this town is the grave of the illustrious poet Abu Ishaq al-Sabill of Granada, known in his own country as al-Tuwaijin (‘the little cooking pan’), and also of Siraj al-Din b. al-Kuwaik, one of the great merchants among the people of Alexandria."
حكاية,Anecdote.
كان السلطان منسى موسى لما حج نزل بروض لسراج الدين هذا ببِرْكة الحبش خارج مصر، وبها ينزل السلطان،,"When the Sultan Mansa Musa went on pilgrimage he stopped at a garden that belonged to this Siraj al-Din at Birkat al-Habash (‘the pool of the Abyssinians’) outside Cairo, which is where the Sultan alights."
واحتاج إلى مال فتسلفه من سراج الدين، وتَسَلَّفَ منه أمراؤه أيضًا،,He was in need of money and borrowed it from Siraj al-Din; the amirs also borrowed from him.
وبعث معهم سراج الدين وكيله يقتضي المال فأقام بمالي،,Siraj al-Din sent his agent with them to recover the money but he stayed in Mali!.
فتوجه سراج الدين بنفسه لاقتضاء ماله، ومعه ابن له،,Then Siraj al-Din himself went with his son to recover the money.
فلما وصل تنبكتو أضافه أبو إسحاق الساحلي،,When he reached Tunbuktu he was given hospitality by Abu Ishaq al-Sabili.
فكان من القَدَر موته تلك الليلة،,It was fated that he should die that night.
فتكلم الناس في ذلك واتهموا أنه سُمَّ،,People talked about it and suspected he had been poisoned.
فقال لهم ولده: إني أكلت معه ذلك الطعام بعينه،,His son said to them: ‘I was with him and ate exactly the same food that he ate.
فلو كان فيه سُمٌّ لَقَتَلَنَا جميعًا، لكنه انقضى أجله.,"If it had been poisoned we should both have been killed, but his appointed time had come.’"
ووصل الولد إلى مالي واقتضى ماله، وانصرف إلى ديار مصر،,"His son went to Mali!, recovered the money, and went back to Egypt."
ومن تنبكتو ركبت النيل في مركب صغير مَنْحُوت من خشبة واحدة،,At Tunbuktu I embarked on the Nile in a little boat hollowed out from a single piece of wood.
وكنا ننزل كل ليلة بالقرى فنشتري ما نحتاج إليه من الطعام والسمن بالملح وبالعطريات وبحلي الزجاج،,"Every night we stopped at a village where we used to buy the food and butter we needed, paying with salt, aromatics and glass trinkets."
ثم وصلت إلى بلد أُنْسِيتُ اسمه، له أمير فاضِلٌ حاجٌّ يسمى فربا سليمان مشهور بالشجاعة والشدة، لا يتعاطى أحد النزع في قوسه،,"We reached a town whose name I have forgotten; the amir was an excellent man, a Hajj, named Farba Sulaiman, famous for his courage and strength; nobody tries to pluck his bow."
ولم أَرَ في السودان أطول منه ولا أضخم جسمًا،,I saw none of the Blacks taller or with a bigger body than he.
واحتجت بهذه البلدة إلى شيء من الذرة فجئت إليه,In this town I needed a little millet so I went to him.
وذلك يوم مولد رسول الله ﷺ فسلَّمْتُ عليه وسألني عن مقدمي،,"That day was the birthday of the Prophet of God, God’s blessing and peace on him; I greeted him and he asked me about my visit."
وكان معه فقيه يكتب له،,There was with him a jurist who acted as his secretary.
فأخذت لوحًا كان بين يديه، وكتبت فيه: يا فقيه قل لهذا الأمير: إنا نحتاج إلى شيء من الذرة للزاد والسلام،,"I took a tAblet that was in front of him and wrote on it: ‘Jurist, tell this amir that we need a little millet for our provisions. Greetings.’"
وناوَلْتُ الفقيه اللوح يقرأ ما فيه سرًّا، ويكلم الأمير في ذلك بلسانه، فقرأه جهرًا وفَهِمَهُ الأمير،,"I handed over the tablet to the jurist for him to read to himself and then recount to the amir in their language, but he read it aloud and the amir understood it."
فأخذ بيدي وأَدْخَلَنِي إلى مشوره وبه سلاح كثير من الدرق والقسي والرماح،,"He took me by the hand and brought me into his audience hall, where there were many weapons, leather shields, bows, and spears."
ووجدت عنده كتاب المدهش لابن الجوزي،,I found he had the Kitab al-mudhish of Ibn al-jauzi and I began to read it.
فجعلت أقرأ فيه، ثم أتى بمشروب لهم يسمى الدقنو (بفتح الدال المهمل وسكون القاف وضم النون وواو)، وهو ماء فيه جريش الذرة مخلوط بيسير عسل أو لبن,"I was brought a drink which they call daqrti, which is water and pounded millet mixed with a little honey or curdled milk."
وهم يشربونه عوض الماء؛ لأنهم إن شربوا الماء خالصًا أَضَرَّ بهم،,"They drink this instead of water because, if they drink plain water, it is bad for them."
وإن لم يجدوا الذرة خلطوه بالعسل أو اللبن،,If they cannot find millet they mix it with honey or curdled milk.
ثم أُتِيَ ببطيخ أخضر فأكلنا منه.,Then they brought a water-melon and we ate some of it.
ودخل غلام خماسي,A five span high slave-boy came in.
فدعاه وقال لي: هذا ضيافتك، واحفظه لئلا يَفِرَّ،,The amir called him and said to me: ‘This is your welcoming gift. Guard him so that he does not escape.’
فأَخَذْتُه وأردْتُ الانصراف، فقال: أَقِمْ حتى يأتي الطعام،,"I accepted him and wanted to leave, but he said: ‘Stay till food is brought.’"
وجاءت إلينا جارية له دمشقية عربية، فكَلَّمَتْنِي بالعربي،,"A slave-girl of his, a Damascene Arab, came to us and spoke to me in Arabic."
فبينما نحن في ذلك إذ سمعنا صراخًا بداره،,While this was going on we heard crying inside his house.
فوَجَّهَ الجاريةَ لِتَعْرِفَ خَبَرَ ذلك،,He sent the girl to find out what was happening.
فعادت إليه فأعلَمَتْهُ أن بنتًا له قد تُوُفِّيَتْ،,She came back and told him that one of his daughters had died.
فقال: إني لا أحب البكاء، فتَعَالَ نمشي إلى البحر، يعني النيل،,"He said: ‘I do not like lamentations. Come, let us go to the river’, meaning the Nile."
وله على ساحله ديار،,He has houses on its banks.
فأُتِيَ بالفرس فقال لي: اركب،,A horse was brought and he said to me: ‘Mount.’
فقلت: لا أركبه وأنت ماشٍ،,I said: ‘I shall not ride when you walk.’
فمشينا جميعًا ووصلنا إلى دياره على النيل، وأُتِيَ بالطعام,"We walked together and came to his houses by the Nile, where food was brought."
فأكلنا، ووادَعْتُه وانصرفْتُ،,"We ate and I said farewell to him, and left."
ولم أَرَ في السودان أَكْرَمَ منه ولا أَفْضَلَ،,I saw no one among the Blacks more generous and more admirable than he.
والغلام الذي أعطانيه باقٍ عندي إلى الآن،,The boy he gave me is still with me to this day.
ثم سِرْتُ إلى مدينة كوكو، وهي مدينة كبيرة على النيل,I travelled to the city of Kaukau [Gao] on the Nile.
من أحسن مدن السودان وأكبرها وأخصبها،,"It is one of the finest and biggest cities of the Blacks, and best supplied with provisions."
فيها الأرز الكثير واللبن والدجاج والسمك، وبها الفقوص العناني الذي لا نظير له،,"It has plentiful rice, curds, chickens, fish and has the ‘tabby’ cucumber, which is incomparable."
وتعامل أهلها في البيع والشراء بالودع، وكذلك أهل مالي،,"Its inhabitants transact business, buying and selling, with cowries, as do the people of Malli."
وأقمت بها نحو شهر، وأضافني بها محمد بن عمر من أهل مكناسة، وكان ظريفًا مزَّاحًا فاضلًا، وتُوُفِّيَ بها بعد خروجي عنها، وأضافني بها الحاج محمد الوجدي التازي وهو ممن دخل اليمن، والفقيه محمد الفيلالي إمام مسجد البيضان،,"I stayed there about a month and received hospitality from Muhammad b. ‘Omar, one of the people of Miknasa, a witty, jocular and admirable man, who died there after I had left; al-Hajj Muhammad al-Wajdi of Taza, one of those who visited al-Yaman, and the jurist Muhammad alFilali, imam of the mosque of the white people."
ثم سافرْتُ منها برسم تكدا في البرمع قافلة كبيرة للغدامسيين,I travelled from there overland in the direction of Takadda with a big caravan of people from Ghadamas.
دليلهم ومقدمهم الحاج وجين (بضم الواو وتشديد الجيم المعقودة)، ومعناه الذئب بلسان السودان،,"Their guide and leader was al-Hajj Wujjln, which means wolf* in the language of the Blacks."
وكان لي جمل لركوبي وناقة لحمل الزاد،,I had a camel for riding and a she-camel to carry provisions.
فلما رحلنا أول مرحلة وَقَفَت الناقة,When we had covered the first stage the shecamel came to a stop.
فأخذ الحاج وجين ما كان عليها وقسَّمه على أصحابه، فتوزعوا حمله،,Al-Hajj Wujjin took what she had been carrying and divided it among his companions who distributed it among themselves.
وكان في الرفقة مغربي من أهل تادلي فأبى أن يَرْفَعَ من ذلك شيئًا كما فَعَلَ غيره،,There was in the caravan a Maghrib! from the people of Tadala who refused to carry any of it as others had done.
وعطش غلامي يومًا فطلبت منه الماء فلم يَسْمَح به.,"One day my slave-boy was thirsty and I asked this man for water, but he gave him none."
ثم وصلنا إلى بلاد بردامة وهي قبيلة من البرير (وضبطها بفتح الباء الموحدة، وسكون الراء، وفتح الدال المهمل وألف وميم مفتوح وتاء تأنيث)،,"We then came to the country of the Bardama, who are a Berber tribe."
ولا تسير القوافل إلا في خفارتهم، والمرأة عندهم في ذلك أعظم شأنًا من الرجل،,"Caravans travel only under their protection, and in this connection women are more important than men."
وهم رحالة لا يقيمون،,They are nomads and do not stay in one place.
وبيوتهم غريبة الشكل,Their tents are strange in form.
يقيمون أعوادًا من الخشب ويصنعون عليها الحصر,They set up wooden poles and put matting on them.
وفوق ذلك أعواد مشتبكة وفوقها الجلود أو ثياب القطن،,"On top of these they put a network of poles, which they cover with skins or strips of cotton."
ونساؤهم أتم النساء جمالًا وأبدعهن صورًا مع البياض الناصع والسمن،,Their women are the most perfectly beautiful of women and have the most elegant figures; they are pure white and very fat.
ولم أَرَ في البلاد من يبلغ مبلغهن في السمن،,I have not seen in the country any who are as fat.
وطعامهن حليب البقر وجريش الذرة يشربنه مخلوطًا بالماء غير مطبوخ عند المساء والصباح،,"They feed on cows’ milk and pounded millet, which they drink mixed with water, uncooked, night and morning."
ومن أراد التزوج منهن سكن بهن في أقرب البلاد إليهن ولا يتجاوز بهن كوكو ولا إيو الأتن،,Anyone who wants to marry among them settles with them as near to their country as possible and does not go with them further than Kaukau and Iwalatan.
وأصابني المرض في هذه البلاد لاشتداد الحر وغلبة الصفراء,In this country I fell ill from the extreme heat and excess of bile.
واجتهدنا في السير إلى أن وصلنا إلى مدينة تكدا (وضبطها بفتح التاء المعلوة والكاف المعقودة والدال المهمل مع تشديده)،,We hastened our march to reach the city of Takadda.
ونزلت بها في جوار شيخ المغاربة سعيد بن علي الجزولي،,"I lodged there near the shaikh of the Maghribis, Sa’id b. ‘All alJuzul!."
وأضافني قاضيها أبو إبراهيم إسحاق الجاناتي وهو من الأفاضل،,"I received hospitality from the qad! Abu Ibrahim Ishaq of Janata [Djaneh], an excellent man."
وأضافني جعفر بن محمد المسوفي، وديار تكدا مبنية بالحجارة الحمر،,I also received hospitality from Ja’far b. Muhammad al-Massufi. The houses of Takadda are built of red stone.
وماؤها يجري على معادن النحاس فيتغير لونه وطعمه بذلك،,"Its water runs through copper mines, spoiling its colour and taste."
ولا زَرْعَ بها إلا يسير من القمح يأكله التجار والغرباء ويباع بحساب عشرين مدًّا من أمدادهم بمثقال ذهب، ومدهم ثلث المد ببلادنا،,"There is no cultivation there except for a little wheat, which is eaten by the merchants and foreigners, which sells at twenty of their mudds for a mithqal of gold, their mudd being a third of the mudd of our country."
وتباع الذرة عندهم بحساب تسعين مُدًّا بمثقال ذهب،,Millet is sold among them at a gold mithqal for ninety mudds?
وهي كثيرة العقارب، وعقاربها تَقْتُلُ مَنْ كان صبيًّا لم يَبْلُغ، وأمَّا الرجال فقَلَّمَا تقتلهم،,"There are many scorpions, which kill young children who have not reached puberty, but only rarely kill men."
ولقد لَدَغَتْ يومًا وأنا بها ولدًا للشيخ سعيد بن علي عند الصبح،,One day while I was there a scorpion stung a son of the shaikh Sa’id b. ‘All in the morning.
فمات لِحِينِه وحَضَرْتُ جنازته،,He died at once and I attended his funeral.
ولا شغل لأهل تكدا غير التجارة،,The inhabitants of Takadda have no occupation except trade.
يسافرون كل عام إلى مصر ويَجْلِبُون مِنْ كُلِّ ما بها من حسان الثياب وسواها،,Every year they travel to Egypt and import some of all the fine fabrics and other such things there are in that country.
ولأهلها رفاهية وسعة حال، ويتفاخرون بكثرة العبيد والخدم،,"These people live in ease and luxury, vying with one another in the number of their male and female slaves."
وكذلك أهل مالي وإيو الأتن،,It is the same with the people of Mall! and Iwalatan.
ولا يبيعون المعلمات منهن إلا نادرًا وبالثمن الكثير.,They sell educated females only rarely and at a high price.
حكاية,Anecdote.
أردت لما دخلت تكدا شراء خادم مُعَلَّمة فلم أَجِدْها،,"When I came to Takadda I wanted to buy an educated slave woman, but could not find one."
ثم بعث إلي القاضي أبو إبراهيم بخادم لبعض أصحابه,Later the Qadi Abu Ibrahim sent me one belonging to one of his friends.
فاشتريتها بخمسة وعشرين مثقالًا،,bought her for twenty-five mithqals.
ثم إن صاحبها نَدِمَ ورغب في الإقالة،,Then her (former) owner regretted it and wanted to revoke the sale.
فقلت له: إن دَلَلْتَنِي على سواها أَقَلْتُك،,I said: ‘If you show me another like her I will revoke the deal.’
فدَلَّنِي على خادم لعلي أغيول وهو المغربي التادلي الذي أبى أن يرفع شيئًا من أسبابي حين وَقَعَتْ ناقتي، وأبى أن يسقي غلامي الماء حين عطش،,"He pointed out to me a slave woman belonging to ‘All Aghyul, the Maghribi of Tadala who had refused to take any of my belongings when my she-camel collapsed, and had refused a drink of water to my slave-boy when he was thirsty."
فاشتريتها منه، وكانت خيرًا من الأولى،,"I bought her from him, and she was better than the first slave."
وأَقَلْتُ صاحبي الأول،,I revoked the deal with the first owner.
ثم ندم هذا المغربي على بيع الخادم ورغب في الإقالة,Later on the Maghribi regretted the sale of the slave and wanted to revoke it.
وأَلَحَّ في ذلك، فأبيت إلا أن أجازيه بسوء فعله، فكاد أن يُجَنَّ أو يهلك أسفًا,"He begged me to do so but I refused if only to repay him for his bad behaviour, and he
nearly went mad or died of vexation."
ثم أَقَلْتُه بعد.,Afterwards I cancelled the deal.
ذكر معدن النحاس,Account of the copper mine.
ومَعْدِن النحاس بخارج تكدا,The copper mine is outside Takadda.
يحفرون عليه في الأرض ويأتون به إلى البلد فيسبكونه في دورهم،,They dig it from the ground and bring it to the town where they smelt it in their houses.
يفعل ذلك عبيدهم وخدمهم،,This is done by male and female slaves.
فإذا سبكوه نحاسًا أحمر صنعوا منه قضبانًا في طول شبر ونصف بعضها رقاق وبعضها غلاظ،,"When they have smelted the red copper they make it into rods a span and a half long, some thin and some thick."
فتباع الغلاظ منها بحساب أربعمائة قضيت بمثقال ذهب، وتباع الرقاق بحساب ستمائة وسبعمائة بمثقال،,"The thick rods are sold at four hundred for a gold mithqal, the thin ones at six or seven hundred the mithqal."
وهي صَرْفهم,These rods are used as currency.
يشترون برقاقها اللحم والحطب ويشترون بغلاظها العبيد والخدم والذرة والسمن والقمح،,"With the thin rods they buy meat and firewood, with the thick male and female slaves, millet, butter and wheat."
ويحملون النحاس منها إلى مدينة كوبر من بلاد الكفار وإلى زغاي وإلى بلاد برنوا، وهي على مسيرة أربعين يومًا من تكدا،,"The copper is carried to the city of Kubar in infidel country, to Zaghay and to the country of Barnu [Bornu], which is forty days’ journey from Takadda."
وأهلها مسلمون,Its people are Muslims.
لهم مَلِكٌ اسمه إدريس لا يظهر للناس ولا يكلمهم إلا من وراء حجاب،,"They have a king named Idris, who does not appear before the people and speaks to them only from behind a curtain."
ومن هذه البلاد يؤتى بالجواري الحسان والفِتْيَان وبالثياب المجسدة،,From this country come beautiful slave-girls and boys and fabrics dyed in saffron.
ويُحْمَل النحاس أيضًا منها إلى جوجوة وبلاد المورتيين وسواها.,"The copper from Takadda is also taken to Jaujawa, to the country of the Muwartabun and elsewhere."
ذكر سلطان تكدا,Account of the Sultan of Takadda.
وفي أيام إقامتي بها تَوَجَّهَ القاضي أبو إبراهيم والخطيب محمد والمدرس أبو حفص والشيخ سعيد بن علي إلى سلطان تكدا وهو بربري يسمى إزار (بكسر الهمزة وزاي وألف وراء)، وكان على مسيرة يوم منها،,"While I was there the Qadi Abu Ibrahim, the preacher Muhammad, the professor Abu Hafs, and the shaikh Sa’id b. ‘All went to the Sultan of Takadda, who is a Berber named Izar,” who was one day’s journey away."
ووَقَعَتْ بينه وبين التكركري — وهو من سلاطين البربر — أيضًا مُنَازَعة,"A dispute had arisen between him and the Takarkari, who is also one of the Berber Sultans."
فذهبوا إلى الإصلاح بينهما،,These four went out to arrange a peace between the two Sultans.
فأرَدْتُ أن ألقاه فاكتريت دليلًا وتَوَجَّهْتُ إليه،,"I wanted to meet him, so I hired a guide and set out towards him."
وأَعْلَمَهُ المذكورون بقدومي، فجاء إليَّ راكبًا فرسًا دون سرج وتلك عادتهم,The aforesaid persons told him of my coming and he rode to meet me on a horse without a saddle which is their practice.
وقد جعل عوض السرج طنفسة حمراء بديعة،,Instead of a saddle he had a superb red rug.
وعليه ملحفة وسراويل وعمامة كلها زُرق،,"He wore a cloak, trousers and a turban, all of them blue."
ومعه أولاد أخته وهم الذين يرثون ملكه،,His sister’s sons were with him; it is they who will inherit his kingdom.
فقمنا إليه وصافحناه,We rose up when he came and shook hands with him.
وسأل عن حالي ومقدمي، فأعلم بذلك,"He asked about me and my coming, and was told my story."
وأنزلني ببيت من بيوت اليناطبين وهم كالوصفان عندنا،,"He lodged me in one of the tents of the Yanapibun, who are like the wutfan among us."
وبعث برأس غنم مشوي في السفود وقعب من حليب البقر،,He sent me a sheep roasted on a spit and a bowl of cow’s milk.
وكان في جوارنا بيت أمه وأخته، فجاءتا إلينا وسلمت علينا،,His mother’s and sister’s tent was near us and they came to visit and greet us.
وكانت أمه تبعث لنا الحليب بعد العتمة وهو وقت حلبهم ويشربونه ذلك الوقت وبالغدو،,"His mother used to send us milk after the night prayer; that is the time when they milk the cattle, and they drink then and in the early morning."
وأما الطعام فلا يأكلونه ولا يَعْرِفونه،,They do not eat cereal food and know nothing of it.
وأقمت عندهم ستة أيام وفي كل يوم يبعث بكبشين مشويين عند الصباح والمساء،,"I stayed among them for six days and every day he used to send me two roasted rams, in the morning and in the evening."
وأحسن إلي بناقة وعشرة مثاقيل من الذهب،,He gave me a she-camel and ten gold mithqals.
وانصرفت عنه وعدت إلى تكدا.,I parted from him and returned to Takadda.
ذكر وصول الأمر الكريم إلي,Account of the august command I received.
ولما عُدْتُ إلى تكدا وَصَلَ غلام الحاج محمد بن سعيد السجلماسي بأمر مولانا أمير المؤمنين وناصر الدين المتوكل على رب العالمين آمِرٌ إِلَيَّ بالوصول إلى حضرته العلية،,"When I returned to Takadda a young slave of al-Hajj Mubammad b. Sa’id of Sijilmasa arrived with an order from our master the Comman-der of the Faithful, the defender of the faith, who puts his trust in the lord of the worlds, commanding me to come to his exalted capital."
فقَبِلْتُه وامتثلته على الفور،,I kissed it and obeyed instantly.
واشتريت جملين لركوبي بسبعة وثلاثين مثقالًا وثلث، وقَصَدْتُ السفر إلى توات،,"I bought two riding camels for thirty-seven and a third mithqals, meaning to travel to Tawat [Tuat]."
ورفعت زاد سبعين ليلة إذ لا يوجد الطعام فيما بين تكدا وتوات،,"I took on provisions for seventy nights, for no grain is found between Takadda and Tawat."
إنما يُوجَد اللحم واللبن والسمن يشترى بالأثواب،,"Only meat, curdled milk and butter are to be had; they are bought with cloth."
وخرجت من تكدا يوم الخميس الحادي عشر لشعبان سنة أربع وخمسين في رفقة كبيرة، فيهم الجعفر التواني وهو من الفضلاء،,I left Takadda on Thursday the eleventh of Sha’ban in the year fifty-four with a big caravan in which was Ja’far of Tawat; he is an excellent man.
ومعنا الفقيه محمد بن عبد الله قاضي تكدا,"With us was the jurist Mubammad b. ‘Abdallah, the Qadi of Takadda."
وفي الرفقة نحو ستمائة خادم،,There were some six hundred female slaves in the caravan.
فوصلنا إلى كاهر من بلاد السلطان الكركي،,We reached Kahir in the country of the Sultan al-Karkari.
وهي أرض كثيرة الأعشاب,It is land rich in pasture.
يشتري بها الناس من برابرها الغنم، ويُقَدِّدون لحمها,"People buy sheep from the Berbers there and cut their meat into strips, which they dry."
ويحمله أهل توات إلى بلادهم،,The inhabitants of Tawat take these to their country.
ودخلنا منها إلى بَرِّيَّة لا عمارة بها ولا ماء، وهي مسيرة ثلاثة أيام،,From here we entered a plain where there was no cultivation and no water for three days’ journey.
ثم سرنا بعد ذلك خمسة عشر يومًا في برية لا عمارة بها إلا أن بها الماء،,Then for fifteen days we travelled over a plain without cultivation but there was water.
ووصلنا إلى الموضع الذي يفترق به طريق غات الآخذ إلى ديار مصر وطريق توات،,"We reached the place where the road to Ghat, which leads to Egypt, divides from the road to Tawat."
وهنالك أحساء ماء,There are underground springs here.
يجري على الحديد، فإذا غُسل به الثوب الأبيض اسود لونه،,"The water flows over iron; if white cloth is washed in it, it becomes black."
وسرنا من هنالك عشرة أيام ووصلنا إلى بلاد هكار وهم طائفة من البربر مثلمون لا خير عندهم،,"We travelled from there for ten days and reached the country of the Hakkar [Hoggar], a Berber clan who wear the litham and who are scoundrels."
ولقينا أحد كبرائهم فحبس القافلة حتى غرموا له أثوابًا وسواها،,One of their chiefs met us and stopped the caravan till they were forced to give him cloth and other such things.
وكان وصولنا إلى بلادهم في شهر رمضان وهم لا يغيرون فيه ولا يعترضون القوافل وإذا وجد سراقها المتاع بالطريق في رمضان لم يعرضوا له،,"We had arrived in their country in the month of Ramadan, during which they do not go on raids or intercept caravans; if their robbers find goods on the road in Ramadan they do not take them."
وكذلك جميع من بهذه الطريق من البرابر،,It is so with all the Berbers along this road.
وسرنا في بلاد هكار شهرًا,We travelled for a month in Hakkar country.
وهي قليلة النبات كثيرة الحجارة,It has little vegetation and is stony.
طريقها وعر،,The road is rough.
ووصلنا يوم عيد الفطر إلى بلاد برابر أهل لثام كهؤلاء،,"On the Feast of Breaking the Fast we arrived in the country of Berbers who wear the litham, like these (Hakkar)."
فأخبرونا بأخبار بلادنا،,They gave us news of our own country.
وأعلمونا أن أولاد خراج وابن يغمور خالفوا وسكنوا تسابيت من توات،,They informed us that the Aulad Kharaj and Ibn Yaghmur had revolted and were at TasAbit in Tawat.
فخاف أهل القافلة من ذلك.,This alarmed the people of the caravan.
ثم وصلنا إلى بُوَاد (بضم الباء الموحدة)، وهي من أكبر قرى توات،,Then we arrived at Buda which is one of the biggest villages of Tawat.
وأرضها رمال وسباخ,The soil is sand and salt flats.
وتمرها كثير ليس بطيب، لكن أهلها يفضلونه على تمر سجلماسة،,"Dates are plentiful, though they are not good, but the inhabitants prefer them to the dates of Sijilmasa."
ولا زرع بها ولا سمن ولا زيت، وإنما يُجْلَب لها ذلك من بلاد المغرب،,"There is no cultivation, no butter, and no olive oil; these are imported from the Maghrib."
وأكل أهلها التمر والجراد وهو كثير عندهم يختزنونه كما يُختزن التمر ويقتاتون به,The people eat dates and locusts; the latter are plentiful and they store them as they do dates and feed on them.
ويخرجون إلى صيده قبل طلوع الشمس، فإنه لا يطير إذ ذاك لأجل البرد،,"They go out to collect them before sunrise, as they do not fly then because of the cold."
وأقمنا ببودا أيامًا، ثم سافرنا في قافلة ووصلنا في أوسط ذي القعدة إلى مدينة سجلماسة,"We stayed in Buda for some days, then left by caravan and reached Sijilmasa in the middle of Dhu’l-Qa’da."
وخرجت منها في ثاني ذي الحجة,I left it on the second of Dhu’l-Hijja.
وذلك أوان البرد الشديد ونزل بالطريق ثلج كثير،,It was a time of intense cold and a great deal of snow had settled on the road.
ولقد رأيت الطرق الصعبة والثلج الكثير ببخارى وسمرقند وخراسان وبلاد الأتراك، فلم أَرَ أَصْعَبَ من طريق أم جنيبة،,"I have seen difficult roads and much snow in Bukhara, Samarqand, Khurasan, and the country of the Turks, but I never saw one more difficult than the Umm Junaiba road."
ووصلنا ليلة عيد الأضحى إلى دار الطمع،,On the night of the Feast of Sacrifice we reached Dar al-Tama*.
فأقمت هنالك يوم الأضحى، ثم خرجت,"I stayed there for the Day of Sacrifice, then left."
فوصلنا إلى حضرة فارس حضرة مولانا أمير المؤمنين — أيده الله —,"I arrived at the capital city of Fez, the residence of our master the Commander of the Faithful, God strengthen him."
فقبَّلت يده الكريمة وتيمنت بمشاهدة وجهه المبارك،,I kissed his noble hand and I had the happiness of seeing his blessed countenance.
وأقمت في كنف إحسانه بعد طول الرحلة،,I have taken shelter in his benevolence after long travelling.
والله تعالى يُشْكَر ما أولانيه من جزيل إحسانه وسابغ امتنانه ويديم أيامه ويمتع المسلمين بطول بقائه،,"May God Most High reward him for his profuse favours and abundant benefactions to me, prolong his days and cause the Muslims to rejoice by the long duration of his life."
وههنا انتهت الرحلة المسماة تحفة النظار، في غرائب الأمصار وعجائب الأسفار،,Here ends the book of travels entitled A Gift to those who contemplate the wonders of cities and the marvels of travelling.
وكان الفراغ من تقييدها في ثالث ذي الحجة عام ستة وخمسين وسبعمائة،,Its composition was completed on the third day of Dhu’l-Hijja of the year seven hundred and fifty-six.
والحمد لله، وسلام على عباده الذين اصطفى.,Praise be to God and peace to those of his servants whom he has chosen.
قال ابن جزي: انتهى ما لخصْتُه من تقييد الشيخ أبي عبد الله محمد بن بطوطة أَكْرَمَه الله،,"Ibn Juzayy remarks: ‘This completes the epitome I made of the composition of the shaikh Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad b. Bappupa, God ennoble him."
ولا يخفى على ذي عقل أن هذا الشيخ هو رحَّال العصر،,It is obvious to anyone of intelligence that this shaikh is the traveller of the age.
ومن قال: رحال هذه الملة لم يُبْعِدْ،,If anyone were to call him “the traveller of this (Muslim) community” he would not exaggerate.
ولم يجعل بلاد الدنيا للرحلة، واتخذ حضرة فارس قرًّا ومستوطنًا بعد طول جولاته، إلا لما تحقق أن مولانا — أيده الله — أعظم ملوكها شأنًا، وأَعَمَّهم فضائل، وأكرمهم إحسانًا، وأشدهم بالواردين عليه عناية، وأتمهم بمن ينتمي إلى طلب العلم حماية،,"He travelled to the countries of the world and then chose the capital city of Fez in which to settle and make his home only because he was certain that our master, God strengthen him, is the greatest of kings, who has the most merit, bestows the most favours, has the most concern for those who visit him, and who bestows the fullest protection on those intent on seeking knowledge."
فيجب على مثلي أن يحمد الله تعالى لأنْ وَفَّقَه في أول حاله وترحاله لاستيطان هذه الحضرة التي اختارها هذا الشيخ بعد رحله خمسة وعشرين عامًا،,‘It is fitting that someone like me should praise God Most High for the good fortune he accorded me in my first years setting out to make my home in this capital which this shaikh chose after travelling for twenty-five years.
إنها لَنِعْمَة لا يُقْدَر قَدْرها ولا يُوفَى شُكْرُها،,It is an inestimable blessing for which sufficient thanks are not possible.
والله تعالى يرزقنا الإعانة على خدمة مولانا أمير المؤمنين، ويُبْقِي علينا ظِل حُرمته ورحمته،,"May God Most High extend His help to us in the service of our master, the Commander of the Faithful, May He cause the shadow of his protection and his mercy to remain over us."
ويَجْزِيه عنا — معشر الغرباء المنقطعين إليه — أَفْضَلَ جزاء المحسنين،,May He recompense him on behalf of us who are strangers devoted to him with the best recompense of the beneficent.
اللهم وكما فَضَّلْتَه على الملوك بفضيلَتَي العلم والدِّين، وخَصَصْتَه بالحلم والعقل الرصين، فمُدَّ لملكه أسباب التأييد والتمكين،,"‘Oh God, since You have exalted him above the kings in the two merits of knowledge and the faith, and have distinguished him by forbearance and sound intellect, extend over his king-dom the ropes of strength and stability."
وعَرِّفْه عوارف النصر العزيز والفتح المبين،,Cause him to know the benefits of divine help and of sure victory.
واجعل الملك في عَقبِه إلى يوم الدين،,Preserve the kingdom in his descendants till the Day of Judgment.
وأَرِهِ قُرَّة العين في نفسه وبنيه وملكه ورعيته يا أرحم الراحمين،,"Oh most merciful of the merciful, make him delight in himself, his children, his kingdom and his subjects."
وصلى الله على سيدنا ونبينا ومولانا محمد خاتم النبيين، وإمام المرسلين، والحمد لله رب العالمين.,"‘God grant His blessing and His peace to our lord, our master, our prophet Muhammad, the seal of the prophets, the imam of His messengers. Praise be to God the lord of the worlds.’"
وكان الفراغ من تأليفها في شهر صفر عام سبعة وخمسين وسبعمائة.,The copying of this was completed in Safar of the year seven hundred and fifty-seven.
تفريج الكروب فى تدبير الحروب,"TAFRIJ AL-KURUB FI TADBIR AL-HURUB
A Muslim Manual of War"
مقدمة,INTRODUCTION
بسمِ الله الرحمنِ الرحيم.. مؤيد الإسلام من سلطانه الناصر بعزيز نصره، ومرغم أنف الخارج عن طاعته بتعجيل هلاكه ورد كيده فى نحره، ومريه من مصارع أعدائه ما يتعظ به العاقل ويعده المتأمل من عجايب دهره.,"IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE… he is the supporter of Islam by his power, the conqueror by the might of his victory. and the humbler of the nose of the deviator from His obedience by quickening his destruction and returning his malice to his own throat. exhibiting to him through the destruction of his enemies that by which the wise person is instructed and which the contemplator numbers among the miracles of his age."
ومسعد جده العالى بإبادة أعدائه الطغاة المارقين والله غالب على أمره، على أن أخرج الأمة من ضيق إلى فرج، ورفع عن الرعية بأرفق سلطان كل مشقة وحرج، وأطلب قلوب البرية بأسعد مليك يستنشق من طيب أيامه الزاهرة أطيب شذاً وأعبق أرج.,"And [he is] the cause of his noble sire’s happiness through the annihilation of his enemies, tyrannical and heretical. And God is the determinor of his affairs. [wherein] he brought the nation from hardship to relief… and he raised from [his] subjects, by the kindest rule, every hardship and misfortune (contraction of heart)… and He lightened the hearts of the people by the most fortuitous of kings, from the odor of whose flowering days, the sweetest fragrance and the most evanescent perfume is inhaled."
وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، شهادة يتوارثها عظماء الملوك كابراً عن كابر، ويوصى بها على الدوام أبداً الأول منهم والآخر، ويقوم بنصرتها الابن بعد الأب فيرويها بالسند الناصر عن الظاهر.,"I declare that there is no god but God alone, with Whom there is no partner: a declaration which the greatest kings inherit, the great from the great (i.e. the son from the father)… The first of them recommends it to the next in continuity unbroken, and the son undertakes to uphold it after the father and he relates it on the authority of the victorious to the [oncoming] victor."
وأشهد أن سيدنا محمداً عبده ورسوله المخصوص بالتأييد عن تتابع الدهر، والمنصور بالرعب المؤثر فى قلوب أهل الكفر على مسيرة شهر,I declare that our lord Muhammad is His slave and His messenger; favored with [His] support throughout the continuation of Time; the Victorious by [reason of] the terror which impresses the hearts of the people of unbelief at a distance of a month’s journey.
صلى الله عليه وعلى آله الذين أنجزت وقائعهم للأعداء مواعد الأجل، وكرعت فى دماء الكفر سيوفهم فعادت بخلوق النصر لا بحمرة الخجل، صلاة يطلع فى مطالع النجوم نجومها، ولا يتغير على ممر الزمان إن شاء الله تعالى رسمها، وسلم تسليماً كثيراً.,"May God bless him and his family, whose battles fulfilled for the enemy the dates of Destiny, and whose swords gulped the blood of unbelief, returning with the saffron of victory and not with the crimson of shame; with a blessing [such that] their stars rise in the galaxies of stars, and whose form does not change with the passing of Time; if God, the Almighty, wills it. And may God bestow a great benediction."