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قلت  وأي شيء فعل “؟ قال ” أنفذ إلي يقول أبصر من يتولى بلدك “. قلت وأي شيء عملت؟”,"“And what has he done?” said I. “He sent me word,” replied Salah-al-Din, “saying, ‘Find someone else to take charge of thy town.’” “And what didst thou do then?” asked I."
قال  نفذت إلى أتابك أقول تسلم موضعك “. قلت ” بئس ما فعلت “! أما يقول لك أتابك لما كانت لحمًا أكلها، ولما صارت عظمًا رماها علي “؟”,"“Well,” replied Salah-al-Din, “I sent word to the atabek, saying, ‘Take back thy place.’” I then remarked, “What an awful thing thou hast done! Will not now the atabek say to thee, ‘When it was meat he ate it, but now that it has become bone he threw it away to me.’”"
قال  فأي شيء أعمل “؟ قلت أنا جالس فيها. فإن سلم الله تعلى كان بسعادتك، ويكون وجهك ابيض عند صاحبك. وإن اخذ الموضع وقتلنا كان بآجالنا، وأنت معذور ” قال ” ما قال لي هذا القول أحد غيرك “”,"“What shall I do then?” asked he. To this I replied, “I shall establish myself in it [Shayzar]. If Allah (exalted is he!) vouchsafes its safety, it will be to thy future welfare and will redound to thy glory with thy lord. If, on the other hand, the town is taken and we are killed, that will be our fate and thou wilt not be to blame.” To this he replied, “No other man has ever said such a thing to me!”"
وتوهمت أنه يفعل ذلك، فحفلت الغنم والدقيق الكثير والسمن وما يحتاجه المحاصر، فأنا في داري المغرب ورسوله جاءني قال  يقول لك صلاح الدين نحن بعد غدٍ سائرون إلى الموصل فاعمل شغلك للمسير”.”,"Believing that he would act accordingly, I brought together sheep, a large quantity of flour, butter and other provisions needed during a siege. But as I was in my home at sunset time, his messenger came to me, saying, “Salah-al-Din wants thee to know that the day after tomorrow we shall be on the march to al-Mawsil. Prepare thyself, therefore, for the march.”"
فورد على قلبي من هذا هم عظيم وقلت  اترك أولادي واخوتي وأهلي في الحصار وأسير إلى الموصل “؟”,"This filled my heart with great anxiety and I said, “Shall I leave my children, my brothers and my women folk under siege and proceed to al-Mawsil?”"
فأصبحت ركبت إليه وهو في الخيام استأذنته في الرواح إلى شيزر لاحضر لي نفقة ومالًا نحتاج إليه في الطريق. فأذن وقال  لاتبطىء “،”,"Early the second morning, I went on horseback to Salah-al-Din, who was still in his tent, and asked his permission to go to Shayzar and bring back such supplies and money as I should need on the way. This permission he granted, adding, “Lose no time there.”"
فركبت ومضيت إلى شيزر، فبدا منه ما أوحش قلبي، وعرك ابني فنازل، فنفذ إلى داري فرفع كل مافيها من الخيام والسلاح والرحل وقبض على أمر أحبتي وتتبع أصحابي فكانت نكبة كبيرة رائعة.,"Accordingly, I rode my mount and proceeded to Shayzar. The sight I saw there saddened my heart. The enemy had defeated my son and fought their way as far as my home, from which they carried away all the tents, weapons and furniture that were therein, captured my beloved ones and put to flight my comrades. Thus the calamity was great and terrible."
فاقتضت الحال مسيري إلى دمشق، ورسل أتابك تتردد في طلبي إلى صاحب دمشق،,"Conditions now made it necessary for me to start for Damascus. The emissaries of the atabek were coming one after the other to the lord of Damascus, asking him to send me to the atabek."
فأقمت فيها ثماني سنين، وشهدت فيها عدة حروب، واجزل لي صاحبها العطية والإقطاع وميزني بالتقريب والإكرام،,"I spent in that city eight years, and its lord (may Allah have mercy upon his soul!) bestowed great gifts and fiefs bountifully on me. He distinguished me by putting me in a position close to him and by other special honors."
يضاف ذلك إلى اشتمال الأمير معين الدين رحمة الله علي وملازمتي له ورعايته لأسبابي.,"All that was in addition to the marks of favor from al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), his constant company and his taking my interests under his patronage."
ثم جرت أسباب أوجبت مسيري إلى مصر، فضاع من حوائج داري وسلاحي مالم أقدر على حمله، فرطت في أملاكي ما كان نكبة أخرى. كل ذلك والأمير معين الدين رحمه الله محسن مجمل كثير التأسف على مفارقتي مقرّ بالعجز عن أمري،,"Certain causes, however, made it necessary for me to depart for Egypt. This resulted in the loss of such pieces of my home furniture and weapons as I could not carry along. In this another calamity befell me in my possessions; and al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), although benevolent, deeply sympathetic with me and greatly afflicted with sorrow for my departure, acknowledged his inability to redeem the situation for me."
حتى انه انفذ إلي كاتبه الحاجب محمود المسترشدي رحمه الله قال  والله لو أن معي نصف الناس لضربت بهم النصف الأخر، ولو أن معي ثلثهم لضربت بهم الثلثين وما فارقتك.”,"He even went so far as to send me his secretary, al-Hajib [chamberlain] Mahmud al-Mustarshid (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), through whom he said: By Allah, if one half of the people were on my side, I would risk hurling them against the other half; even if one third were on my side, 1 would risk hurling them against the two thirds rather than risk parting with thee!"
لكن الناس كلهم قد تمالوا علي ومالي بهم طاقة.,"But as it is, all the people have coalesced against me, and I have become powerless."
وحيث كنت فالذي بيننا من المودة على أحسن حاله . ففي ذلك أقول:”,"But wherever thou mayest be, the friendship between us shall ever remain at its best. This was the occasion for my composing the following verses:"
"معين الدين كم لك طوق منّ *** يحيدي مثل أطواق الحمام
يعبدني لك الإحسان طوعًا *** وفي الإحسان رقٌ للكرام
فصار إلى مودتك انتسابي *** وإن كنت العظامي العصامي
ألم تعلم بأني لانتمائي *** إليك رمى سوادي كل رام
ولولا أنت لم يصحب شماسي *** لقسر دون إعذارالحسام
ولكن خفت من نار الأعادي *** عليك فكنت إطفاء الضرام","O Mu’in-al-Din, how numerous are thy necklaces of bounty
On my neck, irremovable as the rings around the pigeon’s throat!
Thy benevolence has made me indeed thy voluntary bondsman,
For to the noble, benevolence is his fetters.
So much so that I have now begun to trace my genealogy to thy friendship,
Though I belong to the noble class by both pedigree and personal achievements.
Dost thou not know that it was because of my close relationship to thee
That from all sides shafts have been hurled at me?
Had it not been for thy sake, my refractory nature would not have been appeased,
In the face of harsh treatment by others, without effectively applying the sword.
But because I was afraid for thine own safety from the fires of the enemy,
I played the role of one who quenches the flame"
فكان وصولي إلى مصر يوم الخميس الثاني من جمادى الآخر سنة تسع وثلاثين وخمس مئة.,"My arrival in Cairo fell on Thursday, the second of Jumada 11, year 539."
فأقرني الحافظ لدين الله ساعة وصولي، فخلع علي بين يديه، ودفع لي تخت ثياب ومائه دينار،,"As soon as I arrived there, al-Hafiz li-Din-Allah assigned me a place to live, had me invested with a robe of honor in his presence, bestowed on me a full wardrobe together with one hundred dinars,"
وخولني دخول الحمام، وأنزلني في دار من دور الأفضل بن أمير الجيوش في غاية الحسن وفيها بسطها وفراشها ومرتبة كبيرة آلتها من النحاس،,"authorized me to use his baths and assigned for my residence one of the mansions of al-Afdal, son of the Amir-al-Juyush, which was extremely magnificent, fully equipped with carpets, furniture and a complete outfit of brass utensils."
كل ذلك لا يستعاد منه شيء، وأقمت بها مدة إقامة في إكرام واحترام وإنعام متواصل وإقطاع زاج.,"All that was put at my disposal with the understanding that nothing of it would be reclaimed. Here I settled for a long period of time as the recipient of honor, respect and uninterrupted favors, besides a revenue easy to collect from a special fief."
فوقع بين السودان، وهم في خلق عظيم، شر وخلف بين الريحانية، وهم عبيد الحافظ، وبين الجيوشية والإسكندرية والفرحية،,"There now developed a great dispute and quarrel among the Sudanese (who were very numerous), more particularly between the Rayhaniyyah on the one hand, who were loyal slaves of al-Hafiz, and the Juyushiyyah, the Alexandrians and the Farahiyyah on the other hand."
فكان الريحانية في جانب، وهؤلاء كلهم في جانب متفقين على الريحانية،,The Rayhaniyyah stood alone on one side; while all the others stood on the other side allied together against the Rayhaniyyah.
وانضاف إلى الجيوشية قوم من صبيان الخاص. فاجتمع من الفريقين خلق عظيم، وغاب عنهم الحافظ،,A group of the special guard joined hands with the Juyushiyyah. Both parties were assembled in great numbers. Al-Hafiz was then absent.
وترددت إليهم رسله، وحرص على إن يصلح بينهم. فما أجابوا إلى ذلك، وهم معه في جانب البلد.,"His emissaries went back and forth, as he was anxious to see reconciliation effected between the two sides, but the response was not favorable. The Rayhaniyyah and the inhabitants of the town were siding with him."
فأصبحوا التقوا في القاهرة فاستظهرت الجيوشية أصحابها على الريحانية فقتلت منهم في سويقة وأمير الجيوش ألف رجل حتى سدوا السويقة،,"Early in the morning, the encounter took place in Cairo. The Juyushiyyah and their allies won the victory over the Rayhaniyyah, of whom were killed in the Suwayqah Amir-al-Juyush one thousand men, whose corpses blocked the passage in the Suwayqah."
ونحن نبيت ونصبح بالسلاح خوفًا من ميلهم علينا، فقد كانوا فعلوا ذلك قبل طلوعي إلى مصر.,"As for us, we remained under arms by night and day for fear that they might in turn attack us, as they had done prior to my arrival in Egypt."
وظن الناس لما قتل الريحانية أن الحافظ ينكر ذلك ويوقع بقاتليهم، وكان مريضًا على شفى، فمات رحمه الله بعد يومين، وما انتطح فيها عنزان.,"When the Rayhaniyyah were thus slaughtered, people thought that al-Hafiz would denounce the act and would destroy their murderers. But al-Hafiz was lying sick on the verge of death, and two days later the end came (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). Not even two goats locked horns on account of the massacre."
وجلس بعده الظافر بأمر الله وهو أصغر أولاده، واستوزر نجم الدين بن مصال وكان شيخًا كبيرًا.,"His youngest son, al-Zafir bi-Amr-Allah, succeeded him and chose for vizier Najm-al-Din ibn-Masal, who was already an aged man."
والأمير سيف الدين أبو الحسن علي بن السلار رحمه الله إذ ذاك في ولايته، فحشد وجمع وسار إلى القاهرة ونفذ إلى داره.,"Al-Amir Sayf-al-Din abu-al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn-al-Sallar, who was then in his province, recruited some troops, brought them together, marched against Cairo and sent word to his house."
فجمع الظافر بأمر الله الأمراء في مجلس الوزارة، ونفذ إلينا زمام القصور يقول  يا أمراء هذا نجم الدين وزيري ونائبي، فمن كان يطيعني فليطعه ويتمثل أمره”.”,"Al-Zafir bi-Amr-Allah immediately called a convocation of amirs in the Vizierate Palace and dispatched to us the major-domo of the palace, who said to us, “Know ye amirs that this Najm-al-Din is my vizier and representative. Let him, therefore, who obeys me obey him and comply with his orders.”"
فقال الأمراء: نحن مماليك مولانا سامعون مطيعون”،. فرجع الزمام بهذا الجواب.”,"The amirs replied, “We are the slaves of our master, obedient and loyal.” The prefect carried back this response."
فقال أمير من الأمراء شيخ يقال له لَكْرون  ياأمراء، نترك علي بن السلار يقتل “؟ قالوا ” لا والله “. قال ” فقوموا”.”,"Thereupon an aged amir, named Lakrun, said, “O amirs, shall we leave ‘Ali ibn-al-Sallar to be killed?” To this they replied, “No, by Allah!” “Rise up, therefore,” said he."
فنفروا كلهم وخرجوا من القصر شدوا على خيلهم وبغالهم وخرجوا إلى معونة سيف الدين بن السلار.,"Accordingly they all rushed out from the palace, saddled their horses and mules and hastened to the succor of Sayf-al-Din ibn-al-Sallar."
فلما رأى الظافر ذلك وغلب عن دفعه أعطى نجم الدين بن مصال مالًا كثيرًا وقال  اخرج إلى الحوف، واجمع واحشد وانفق فيهم وادفع ابن السلار ” فخرج لذلك.”,"Seeing that, and finding himself unable to resist him, al-Zafir put at the disposal of Najm-al-Din ibn-Masal a large sum of money and said, “Go out to al-Hawf, recruit and assemble an army, distribute money among them and repulse ibn-al-Sallar.” Ibn-Masal set out to execute these orders."
ودخل ابن السلار القاهرة ودخل دار الوزارة، واتفق الجند على طاعته وأحسن إليهم،,"In the meantime, ibn-al-Sallar had entered Cairo and made his way into the Vizierate Palace. The entire army agreed to be loyal to him, and he treated them bountifully."
وأمرني أن أبيت أنا وأصحابي في داره، وافرد لي موضعًا في الدار أكون فيه.,"As for me, he gave instructions that I, together with my companions, should spend the night in his own mansion, a part of which he reserved for my exclusive use."
وابن مصال في الحوف قد جمع من لواته ومن جند مصر ومن السودان والعربان خلقًا كثيرًا. وقد خرج عباس ركن الدين، وهو ابن امرأة علي بن السلار، ضرب خيمة في ظاهر مصر،,"In al-Hawf, ibn-Masal amassed a large body of men, consisting of Lawatah, Egyptian troops, Sudanese and Bedouins. Rukn-al-Din ‘Abbas, a stepson of ‘Ali ibn-al-Sallar, had in the meantime gone out of the town and pitched his tents in the suburb of Cairo."
فغدت سرية من لَواتة ومعهم نسيب لابن مصال وقصدوا مخيم عباس،,Early the second morning a Lawatah band under the command of a relative of ibn-Masal made their way into the camp of ‘Abbas.
فانهزم عنه جماعة من المصريين، ووقف هو وغلمانه ومن صبر معه من الجند ليلة مخايستهم.,"A group of Egyptian men in the army of ‘Abbas forsook him and took to flight. But he stood firm, together with his attendants and those of his troops who remained faithful to him, during all the night, foiling the enemy."
وبلغ الخبر إلى ابن السلار فاستدعاني في الليل وأنا معه في الدار، وقال  هؤلاء الكلاب (يعني جند مصر) قد شغلوا الأمير (يعني عباسًا) بالفوارغ، حتى عدا إليه قوم من لواتة سباحة، فانهزموا عنه.”,"Ibn-al-Sallar, having heard the news, summoned me in the nighttime — I was with him in his own home — and said, “Those dogs (referring to the Egyptian troops) occupied the attention of the amir (meaning ‘Abbas) with insignificant things until a Lawatah band crossed over, swimming, to his camp early in the morning. They then forsook him and took to flight."
ودخل بعضهم إلى بيوتهم بالقاهرة، والأمير مواقفهم . قلت ” يا مولاي، نركب إليهم في سحر، وما يضحي النهار إلا وقد فرغنا منهم، إن شاء الله تعالى”.”,"Some of them have even entered their homes in Cairo. But the amir is still taking a stand against the enemy.” “My lord,” I replied, “at dawn we shall ride against them, and by the time the sun is up we shall have been done with them — if it be Allah’s will, exalted is he!”"
قال  صواب أبكر في ركوبك “. فخرجنا إليهم من بكرة وفلم يسلم منهم إلا من سبحت به فرسه في النيل، وأخذ نسيب بن مصال وضرب رقبته.”,"“Right,” said he. “Start early on thy ride.” Early the second morning we set out against them, and none escaped except those whose horses swam with them across the Nile. The relative of ibn-Masal was taken prisoner and his head was cut off."
وجمع العسكر مع عباس وسيره إلى ابن مصال، على دلاص،,"The army was then reunited under ‘Abbas, who led it against ibn-Masal, whom he encountered near Dalas."
فكسرهم وقتل ابن مصال وقتل من السودان وغيرهم سبعة عشر ألف رجل، وحملوا رأس ابن مصال إلى القاهرة، ولم يبق لسيف الدين من تعانده ولا تشاققه.,"He routed the enemy, killed ibn-Masal and put to the sword seventeen thousand Sudanese and others. The head of ibn-Masal was carried to Cairo. None remained after this to oppose Sayf-al-Din or contend against him."
وخلع عليه الظافر خلع الوزارة ولقبه الملك العادل، وتولى الأمور.,"AI-Zafir then invested him [Sayf-al-Din ibn-al-Sallar] with the robes of the vizierate, giving him the title al-Malik al-‘Adil [the equitable ruler]. Ibn-al-Sallar had full charge of affairs."
كل ذلك والظافر منحرف عنه، مضمر له الشر. فعمل على قتله،,"Nevertheless, al-Zafir cherished aversion and repugnance toward him and secretly entertained evil toward him. Al-Zafir now planned to put al-‘Adil to death."
وقرر مع جماعة من صبيان الخاص وغيرهم ممن استمالهم وانفق فيهم أن يهجموا داره ويقتلوه.,"He concerted with a group of young men from his special bodyguard, together with others whom he won over to the scheme by distributing money among them, that they attack al-‘Adil in his home and put him to death."
وكان شهر رمضان، والقوم قد اجتمعوا في دار بالقرب من دار الملك العادل ينتظرون توسط الليل وافترق أصحاب العادل، وأنا تلك الليلة عنده.,"This was in the month of Ramadan. The conspirators convened in a house adjoining that of al-‘Adil, waiting for midnight and the dispersion of his companions. That night I was staying with him."
فلما فرغ الناس من العشاء وافترقوا، وقد بلغه الخبر من بعض المعاملين عليه، احضر رجلين من غلمانه وأمرهم ان يهجموا عليهم في الدار التي هم فيها مجتمعون.,"When his guests were done with the supper and dispersed, al-‘Adil, having been informed of the conspiracy by someone who had taken part in it, summoned two of his attendants and ordered that an attack be made immediately upon the conspirators in the house where they were assembled."
وكانت الدار، لما أراده الله من سلامة بعضهم، لها بابان، الواحد قريب من دار العادل والآخر بعيد.,"This house, since it was Allah’s will that some be spared, had two doors: one near the home of al-‘Adil, and the other far off."
فهجمت الفرقة الواحدة من الباب القريب قبل وصول أصحابهم إلى الباب لآخر فانهزموا وخرجوا من ذالك الباب.,One of the detachments made the assault from the near-by door before the other detachment had arrived at the second door. The conspirators were put to flight and escaped through that door.
وجاءني منهم في الليل من صبيان الخاص نحو عشرة رجال كانوا أصدقاء غلماني نُخبئهم. وأصبح البلد فيه الطلب لأولئك المنهزمين، ومن ظفر بهم قُتل.,"Of those who escaped, some ten men belonging to the special guard [of al-Hafiz], being friends of my attendants, came to me seeking refuge. The town awoke the second morning to find itself the scene of a thorough search for the fugitives — every one of them who was caught was executed."
وعجيب ما رأيت في ذلك اليوم أن رجلًا من السودان الذين كانوا في العملة انهزم إلى علو داري والرجال بالسيوف خلفه،,"One of the amazing things which I witnessed that day was the case of a Sudanese who had been a party to the conspiracy and who sought refuge at the top of my house, pursued by a few men with swords in their hands."
فأشرف على القاعة من ارتفاع عظيم. وفي الدار شجرة نبق كبيرة، فقفز من السطح إلى تلك الشجرة فثبت عليها، ثم نزل ودخل من كم مجلس قريب منه،,"He looked down from that considerable elevation to the courtyard where was a huge lote tree, jumped from the roof to that tree and perched on it. Then he descended and entered through an adjacent passage into the sitting room."
فوطئ على منارة نحاس فكسرها ودخل إلى خلف رحل في المجلس اختبى فيه.,"As he entered, he tripped over a brass candlestick and broke it, but kept on until he got behind a load of baggage in the sitting room, where he hid himself."
وشرف أولئك الذين كانوا خلفه، فصحت عليهم وأطلعت إليهم الغلمان دفعوهم،,"As the pursuers looked down from above, I yelled at them and ordered my attendants to climb to them which they did, driving them back."
ودخلت الى ذلك الاسود فنزع كساء كان عليه وقال (خذه لك). قلت (أكثر الله خيرك ما أحتاجه)، وأخرجته وسريت معه قومًا من غلماني فنجا.,"I then sought the negro, who immediately took off a cloak he had on him and said, “Take it for thyself.” I replied, “May Allah increase thy bounty! I have no need for the cloak.” I then let him out, accompanied by a band of my attendants. Thus he escaped."
وجلست في صُفَّة في دهليز داري، فدخل علي شاب سلَّم وجلس،,"Then I sat down on a stone bench in the vestibule of my home, when all of a sudden a young man entered into my presence and, after greeting me, sat down."
فرأيته حسن المحاضرة، هو يتحدث وإنسان استدعاه،,"I found him interesting in conversation and clever in discussion. But as he was conversing, there came a man and called him."
فمضى معه ونفذت خلفه غلامًا يبصر لماذا استدعى. وكنت بالقرب من دار العادل،,So he joined him and went away. I dispatched one of my attendants behind him in order to find out why he was called. I was then close by the palace of al-‘Adil.
فساعة ما حضر ذلك الشاب بين يدي العادل أمر بضرب رقبته، فقُتل.,"The moment that young man presented himself before al-‘Adil, the latter ordered that his head be cut off. So he was immediately put to death."
وعاد الغلام، وقد استخبر عن ذنبه، فقيل له (كان يزور التواقيع). فسبحان مقدر الأعمار ومؤقت الآجال.,"My attendant returned after having inquired about his guilt and having been told that he used to counterfeit official signatures. Worthy of admiration, therefore, is he who determines the length of life and fixes the hour of death!"
تقدم إلى الملك العادل رحمه الله، بالتجهيز للمسير إلى الملك العادل نور الدين رحمه الله، وقال  تأخذ معك مالًا وتمضي إليه لينازل طبرية، ويشغل الفرنج عنا لنخرج من ها هنا نخرب غزة “”,"Al-Malik al-‘Adil [the vizier] (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) then instructed me to get ready to proceed to al-Malik al-‘Adil Nur-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest with his soul!), saying, “Thou shalt take with thee money and present thyself before him with a view to having him attack Tiberias [Tabarayyah] and divert the attention of the Franks from us so that we may be able to set out from there and devastate Ghazzah.”"
وكان الإفرنج خذلهم الله قد شرعوا في عمارة غزة ليحاصروا عسقلان.,The Franks (may Allah render them helpless!) had just begun the reconstruction of Ghazzah in order to be in a position to blockade ‘Asqalan [Ascalon].
قلت  يا مولاي، فإن اعتذر أو كان له من الأشغال ما يعوقه أي شيء تأمرني”؟”,"I replied, “O my lord, in case he offers excuses or has some business which would hinder him from carrying out this plan, what are then thy instructions to me?”"
قال  إن نزل على طبرية، فأعطه المال الذي معك وإن كان له مانع، فديون من قدرت عليه من الجند وأطلع إلى عسقلان أقم بها في قتال الإفرنج،”,"To this he replied: If he sets out against Tiberias, give him the money which thou hast, but if there is anything to prevent him, then enlist thou as many soldiers as thou canst, go up to ‘Asqalan, and establish thyself in it for combat against the Franks."
واكتب إلي بوصلك لآمرك بما تعمل .”,"As soon as thou arrivest there, write me and I shall send thee instructions as to what to do next."
ودفع إلي ستة آلاف دينار مصرية، وحمل جمل ثياب دبيقي وسقلاطون ومسنجب دمياطي وعمائم.,"He then put at my disposal six thousand Egyptian dinars, a camel load of Dabiqi clothes, of ciclatoun, of squirrel-furred gowns, of Dimyati brocade, and of turbans."
ورتب معي قوما من العرب أدلاء وسرت وقد أزاح علة سفري بكل ما أحتاجه من كثير وقليل.,"He also arranged for a group of Arab guides to accompany me. Thus I proceeded, after he had removed every difficulty in the way of my departure by supplying me with everything I needed, whether great or small."
فلما دنونا من الجفر قال لي الأدلاء  هذا مكان لا يكاد يخلو من الإفرنج”.”,"As we approached al-Jafr, my guides said to me, “Here is a place which is rarely free from Franks.”"
فأمرت اثنين من الأدلاء ركبا مهرين وسارا قدامنا إلى الجفر.,"Acting upon my order, two guides riding on Mahri camels preceded us to al-Jafr."
فما لبثا أن عادا والمهاري تطير بهما، وقالا  الفرنج على الجفر”!”,"No sooner, however, had they departed than they returned, with their camels almost flying under them, and said, “The Franks are at al-Jafr.”"
فوقفت وجمعت الجمال التي عليها ثقلي ورفاقا من السفارة كانوا معي وردتهم إلى الغرب.,"I immediately halted, assembled the camels which carried my luggage, and certain members of the caravan who were in my company, and turned back toward the west."
وندبت ستة فوارس من مماليكي وقلت  تقدمونا، وأنا في إثركم”.”,"Choosing then six horsemen from among my mamelukes, I said to them, “Go ahead of us and I shall follow right after you.”"
فساروا يركضون وأنا أسير خلفهم، فعاد إلي واحد منهم وقال: ماعلى الجفر أحد، ولعلهم أبصروا عربانًا”.”,"They dashed off at a gallop and I dashed behind them. One of them returned to me, saying, “Not a single one at al-Jafr! Perhaps what the guides saw was nomadic Arabs.”"
وتنازع هو والأدلّاء، فنفذت من رد الجمال وسرت.,"An argument ensued between him and the guides. I dispatched someone who immediately turned the camels back, and continued my way."
فلما وصلت الجفر، وفيه مياه وعشب وشجر، فقام من ذلك العشب رجل علية ثوب أسود،,"When I arrived at al-Jafr, which is rich in water, grass and trees, behold, there emerged from among the grass a man dressed in a black garment."
فأخذناه، وتفرق أصحابي فأخذوا رجلًا آخر وامرأتين وصبيانًا،,"We immediately captured him. My companions thereupon scattered around and seized another man, two women and some young folks."
فجاءت امرأة منهن مسكت ثوبي وقالت  يا شيخي أنا في حسبك”. ” قلت: “أنت آمنة مالك؟””,"One of the women hurried to me, held my garments and said, “O sheikh! I am at thy mercy!” To which I replied, “Thou art safe. Now, what is the matter with thee?”"
قالت: قد أخذ أصحابك لي ثوبًا وناهقًا ونابحًا وخرزه”. قلت لغلماني من أخذ شيئًا يرده،”,"“Thy companions,” she replied, “have taken away from me a garment, a braying one, a barking one, and a bead.” I said to my attendants, “Let him who has taken anything whatsoever return it.”"
فأحضر غلاما قطعة كساء لعلها طول ذراعين. قالت هذا الثوب.,"One of them produced a piece of clothing, perhaps two cubits in length, and she said, “This is the garment.”"
وأحضر آخرُ قطعة سِنْدَرَوس، قالت: هذه الخرزة”. قلت: “فالحمار والكلب؟””,"Another produced a piece of sandarach; and she said, “This is the bead.” “What about the donkey and the dog?” asked I."
قالوا الحمار قد ربطوا يديه ورجليه، وهو مرمي في العشب، والكلب مفلوت يعدو من مكان إلى مكان.,"To this they replied that they had bound the fore and hind legs of the donkey and thrown it upon the grass. As for the dog, it was free, running from place to place."
فجمعتهم ورأيت بهم من الضر أمرًا عظيمًا قد يبست جلودهم على عظامهم.,"As I brought the prisoners together, I found them afflicted with a great affliction: their dry skins had stuck to their bones."
قلت أيش أنتم؟ قالوا نحن من بني أُبي وبنو أبي فرقة من العرب من طيء لا يأكلون إلى الميتة ويقولون نحن خير العرب، ما فينا مجذوم ولا أبرص ولا زمن ولاأعمى.,"“What are ye?” asked I. “We belong to the banu-Ubayy tribe,” they replied. Now the banu-Ubayy are a clan of the Arab tribe called Tayy. They eat nothing but dead animals, and yet they say, “We are the best of all Arabs. None of us suffers from elephantiasis, leprosy, any chronic disease or blindness.”"
وإذا نزل بهم الضيف ذبحوا له وأطعموه من غير طعامهم. قلت ما جاء بكم إلى ها هنا؟,"Whenever a guest visits them, they slay for him an animal and feed him other than their food. I asked them, “What brought you here?”"
قالوا لنا بحِسْمى كُثول ذرة مطمورة جئنا نأخذها.,"“We have in Hisma,” they replied, “heaps of broom corn buried in the ground. So we came in order to take it.”"
قلت وكم لكم علينا. من عيد رمضان لنا ها هنا، ما رأينا الزاد بأعيننا.,"“How long have ye been here?” I asked. “Since the last feast of Ramadan,” they replied, “we have been here, without seeing food with our eyes.”"
قلت فمن أين تعيشون؟ قالوا من الرمة يعنون العظام البالية الملقاة ندقها ونعمل عليها الماء وورق القطف شجر بتلك الأرض ونتقوت به.,"“What do ye live on, then?” I inquired. “On carrion,” they replied, meaning decayed bones which are cast away, “which we crush and boil with water and orach leaves (a plant quite common to that region). And we subsist on that.”"
قلت فكلابكم وحمركم؟ قالوا الكلاب نطعمهم من عيشنا، والحمر تأكل الحشيش.,"“How about your dogs and donkeys?” I then asked. “The dogs,” they replied, “we feed on our own food; but the donkeys eat grass.”"
قلت فلم لا دخلتم إلى دمشق؟ قالوا خفنا الوباء ولا وباء أعظم مما كانوا فيه! وكان ذلك بعد عيد الأضحى.,"“Why,” asked I, “did ye not enter Damascus?” “We were afraid of the pest,” they replied. But in truth, there could be no pest worse than the one with which they were already afflicted. This event took place after the Greater Bairam."
فوقفت حتى جاء الجمال، وأعطيتهم من الزاد الذي كان معنا.,"I stopped there until our camels arrived, and distributed among them some of the provisions which we had."
وقطعت فوطة كانت على رأسي أعطيتها للمرأتين، فكادت عقولهم تزول من فرحهم بالزاد وقلت لا تقيموا ها هنا يسبوكم الإفرنج.,"A napkin which I had on my head, I cut in two and gave to the two women. They all almost lost their wits with joy on account of the food. And I said to them, “Stay not here lest the Franks should take you as captives.”"
ومن طريف ما جرى لي في الطريق إنني نزلت ليلة أصلي المغرب والعشاء قصرًا وجمعًا،,One of the strange things that happened to me on the way was the following: I dismounted one evening to recite the sunset and dusk prayers abridged and combined.
وسارت الجمال فوقفت على رفعة من الأرض وقلت للغلمانتفرقوا في طلب الجمال، وعودوا إلي، فأنا ما أزول من مكاني.,"The camels kept on their way. I then stood over an elevation of land and said to my attendants, “Disband in search of the camels, and come back to me. I shall not move from this spot where I am.”"
فتفرقوا وركضوا كذا وكذا فما رأوهم، فعادوا كلهم إلي وقالوا: ما لقيناهم، ولا ندري كيف مضوا”.”,"Accordingly, they disbanded and ran in this direction and in that direction, but they did not sight them. So they all came back to me and said, “We found them not, nor do we know how they went.”"
فقلت نستعين بالله تعالى ونسير على النوء فسرنا ونحن قد أشرفنا من انفردنا عن الجمال في البرية على أمر صعب.,"Then said I, “Depending upon Allah’s help, we shall march guided by the setting of the stars.” So we started, confronted with a difficult situation by being separated from our camels in a desert."
وفي الأدلّاء رجل يقال له جُزَيَّة فيه يقظة وفطنه، فلما استبطأنا علم أنا قد تهنا عنهم،,"But there was among the guides one called Jazziyyah, full of vigilance and sagacity. Reckoning our tardiness, he realized that we had gone astray."
فأخرج قداحة وجعل يقدح وهو على الجمل، والشرار من الزند يتفرق كذا وكذا.,"So while riding on a camel he took a piece of steel and began to strike it against a flint stone, causing the sparks to fly in this and in that direction."
فرأيناه على البعد فقصدنا النار حتى لحقناهم، ولولا لطف الله وما أُلهِمَه ذلك الرجل، كنا هلكنا.,"Seeing him at a distance, we made the fire our objective until we caught up with the rest of the party. Had it not been for Allah’s kindness, and the inspiration which that man had, we should have perished."
ومما جرى لي في تلك الطريق أن الملك العادل رحمه الله قال لي لا تُعْلم الأدلّاء الذين معك بالمال.,"It also happened to me on that same trip that al-Malik al-‘Adil [the vizier] (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had said to me, “Let not the guides accompanying thee know that thou hast the money.”"
فجعلت أربعة آلاف دينار في خُرْج على بغل سروجي مجنوب معي وسلمته إلى غلام. وجعلتُ ألفي دينار ونفقةً لي وسَرْفسار دنانير مغربية في خُرْج على حصان مجنوب معي، وسلمته إلى غلام،,"Accordingly, I deposited four thousand dinars in a bag on a saddle mule led by the halter by my side and put it under the charge of an attendant. The other two thousand dinars, together with my own expense money, a gold bridle and some Maghribi dinars, I deposited in another bag upon another horse led by my side and put under the charge of another attendant."
فكنت إذا نزلت جعلت الأخراج في وسط بساط، وردت طرفيه عليها، وبسطت فوقه بساطًا آخر، وأنام على الأخراج.,"Whenever I wanted to make a stop, I would put the bags in the center of a rug, fold its ends around them, spread another rug on top and sleep over the bags."
وأقوم وقت الرحيل قبل أصحابي. يجيء الغلمان اللذان معهما الخراجان فيتسلمانهما، فإذا شداهما على الجنائب ركبت وأيقظت أصحابي تهممنا بالرحيل.,"At the time of departure, I would wake up before my companions, deliver the two bags to the two attendants in charge, and after they had tied the bags on the animals beside mine, I would mount and arouse my companions. We were then ready for the start."
فنزلنا ليلة في تيه بني إسرائيل، فلما قمت جاء الغلام الذي معه البغل المجنوب أخذ الخرج وطرحه على وركي البغل ودار يريد يشده بالسموط،,"One night we made our stop in the Desert of the Children of Israel. When I arose to depart, the attendant in charge of the extra mule led by my side took the bag and threw it on the two hips of the mule and then turned behind the mule in order to fasten it with the belt to the saddle."
فزل البغل وخرج يركض وعليه الخرج، فركبت حصاني، وقد قدمه الركابي، وقلت لواحد من غلماني اركب اركب”.”,"The mule slipped and went galloping with the bag on its back. I immediately mounted my horse, which my groom had brought me, and saying to my attendants, “Mount! Mount!”"
وركضت خلف البغل فما لحقته وهو كأنه حمار وحش، وحصاني قد أعيي من الطريق ولحقني الغلام،,"I galloped in pursuit of the mule, but failed to catch up with it, as it was going like an onager. My horse was already exhausted, because of the long distance covered, when my attendant caught up with me."
فقلت: اتبع البغل كذا”، فمضى وقال: “والله يا مولاي ما رأيتُ البغل، ولقيتُ هذا الخُرْج قد شِلْته”.”,"I then said to him, “Pursue the mule in this direction.” He did so and then returned, saying, “By Allah, O my lord, I have not seen the mule, but I have found this bag which I picked up.”"
فقلت: الخُرْجَ كنت أطلب، والبغل أهون مفقود.,"“It was exactly the bag which I was seeking,” I replied. “As for the mule, its loss is much easier for me.”"
ورجعت إلى المنزلة وإذا البغل قد جاء يركض. دخل في طُوالة الخيل ووقف، فكأنه ما كان قصده إلا تضييع أربعة آلاف دينار.,"I then returned to the camp, and behold, the mule came back galloping and made its way into the horses’ picket line and took its place there as though it had no other object [in the flight] but the loss of the four thousand dinars."
ووصلنا في طريقنا إلى بصرى فوجدنا الملك العادل نور الدين رحمه الله على دمشق.,"On our way we stopped in Busra, where we learned that al-Malik al-‘Adil Nur-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was camping against Damascus."
وقد وصل إلى بصرى الأمير أسد الدين شيركوه رحمه الله فسرت معه إلى العسكر، فوصلته ليلة الاثنين.,"There had arrived in Busra, al-Amir Asad-al-Din Shirkuh (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). So I joined him and went to the army, where we arrived the evening preceding Monday."
وأصبحت تحدثت مع نور الدين بما جئت به، فقال لي يا فلان، أهل دمشق أعداء والإفرنج أعداء، ما آمن منهما إذا دخلت بينهما.,"Early the next morning, I held an interview with Nur-al-Din on the subject of my mission. He said, “O, so and so, the people of Damascus are our enemies, and the Franks are our enemies, too. I trust neither these nor those in case I go in between them.”"
"قلت له فتأذن لي أن أُدَيْوِن من محرومي الجند قومًا آخذهم وارجع، وتنفذ معي رجلًا من أصحابك في ثلاثين فارسًا ليكون الاسم لك؟”,قلت له فتأذن لي أن أديون من محرومي الجند قوما آخذهم وارجع، وتنفذ معي رجلا من أصحابك في ثلاثين فارسا ليكون الاسم لك؟””","I therefore asked him, “Wilt thou then authorize me to enlist troops from among those who were rejected from service in the regular army? These I shall take and go back, but thou shalt dispatch with me one of thine own men at the head of thirty horsemen, so that the campaign may be considered as having been carried out in thy name.”"
قال افعل فدَيْوَنت إلى الاثنين الآخر ثماني مئة وستين فارسًا وأخذتهم وسرت في وسط البلاد الإفرنج ننزل بالبوق ونرحل بالبوق.,"Nur-al-Din replied, “Go ahead and do it.” Accordingly, I recruited until the following Monday eight hundred and sixty horsemen. These I took with me, marching in the heart of the Frankish territory, making our stops at the call of the bugle and starting again at the call of the bugle."
وسير معي نور الدين الأمير عين الدولة الياروقي في ثلاثين فارسًا.,Nur-al-Din dispatched in my company ‘Ayn-al-Dawlah al-Yaruqi at the head of thirty horsemen.
فاجتزت في طريقي بالكهف والرقيم فنزلت فيه ودخلت صليت في المسجد ولم أدخل في ذلك المضيق الذي فيه.,On my way back I passed through al-Kahf and al-Raqim and made a stop there. I entered the mosque and prayed in it; but the cleft in it I did not go through.
فجاء أمير من الأتراك الذين كانوا معي يقال له بَرْشَك، يريد الدخول في ذلك الشق الضيق. قلت أي شيء تعمل في هذا؟ صلِّ بَرَّا.,"One of the Turkish amirs, however, who were in my company, named Barshak, came with the intention of entering through that narrow cleft. I said to him, “What art thou doing there? Pray outside of it.”"
قال: لا إله إلا الله، أنا [ابن] حرام إذن حتى لا أدخل في ذلك الشق الضيق!” قلت: “أي شيء تقول؟” قال: “هذا الموضع لا يدخل فيه ولد زنى، ما يستطيع الدخول”.”,"“There is no god but Allah,” he replied. “I must then be a bastard if I cannot enter through that narrow cleft!” “What is this that thou art saying?” I asked. “This is a place,” he replied, “through which no son of adultery can enter. He cannot possibly enter therein.”"
فأوجب قوله أن قمت دخلت في ذلك الموضع صليت وخرجت، وأنا -الله يعلم- ما أصدق ما قاله،,"This statement made me rise and enter in that place. I prayed in it and came out without, as Allah knows, believing what he had said."
وجاء أكثر العسكر فدخلوا وصلوا. ومعي في الجند براق الزبيدي معه عبد له أسود دين كثير الصلاة،,"Most of the troops, thereupon, came, went in and recited their prayers. But one of my officers, Baraq al-Zubaydi, had a black slave, devout and assiduous in prayer."
أدق ما يكون من الرجال وأَذَبُّهم. فجاء إلى ذلك الموضع، وحرص بكل حرص على الدخول، فما قدر يدخل فبكى المسكين وتوجع وتحسر، وعاد بعد الغلبة عن الدخول.,"The same, though one of the leanest and tallest of men, came in turn to that place, exerted every effort to get in, but could not do it. The poor fellow came back crying, moaning and sighing for having failed to get in through the cleft."
فلما وصلنا عسقلان سَحَرًا، ووضعنا أثقالنا عند المصلى، صبحونا كذا الإفرنج عند طلوع الشمس،,"We arrived in ‘Asqalan at dawn and had just finished unloading our baggage and putting it by the public place of prayer when, with the rising sun, the sight of the Franks greeted our eyes."
فخرج إلينا ناصر الدولة ياقوت والي عسقلان، فقال ارفعوا، ارفعوا أثقالكم” قلت “تخاف لا يغلبونا الإفرنج عليها؟” قال نعم.”,"Presently, Nasir-al-Din Yaqut, the governor of ‘Asqalan, hurried towards us saying, “Lift away, lift away, your loads!” “Art thou afraid,” said I, “lest the Franks should wrest them from us?” “Yes,” said he."
قلت لا تخف، هم يرونا في البرية ويعارضونا، إلى أن وصلنا عسقلان ما خفناهم، نخافهم الآن ونحن عند مدينتنا؟””,"“Well,” I replied, “fear not. They have been sighting us in the desert and following a route opposite ours until we got to ‘Asqalan, and we had no fear of them. Shall we now then have fear of them while we are here by a town that belongs to us?”"
ثم أن الإفرنج وقفوا على بعد ساعة، ثم رجعوا إلى بلادهم جمعوا لنا وجاؤنا بالفارس والراجل والخيم يريدون منازله عسقلان،,"After remaining quietly at some distance from us for a little while, the Franks returned to their territory, mustered more men and came against us with their cavalry, infantry and tents, bent upon the attack of ‘Asqalan."
فخرجنا إليهم، وقد خرج راجل عسقلان، فدرت على سرب الرجالة وقلت يا صاحبنا ارجعوا إلى سوركم ودعونا وإياهم،,"We went out to meet them and found that the foot soldiers of ‘Asqalan had also made a sortie against them. So I made a tour around this band of foot soldiers and said to them, “Friends! Go back behind your wall and leave us alone with them."
فإن نصرنا عليهم فأنتم تلحقونا، وإن نصروا علينا كنتم أنتم سالمين عند سوركم،,"If we win the victory over them, then ye shall join us; but if they win the victory over us, then ye shall be safe behind your wall.”"
فامتنعوا من الرجوع فتركتهم ومضيت إلى الإفرنج، وقد حطوا خيامهم ليضربوها فاحتطنا بهم وعجلنا هم عن طي خيامهم.,"But they refused to return. So I left them alone and went against the Franks, who had just unloaded their tents in order to pitch them. We surrounded them and pressed them so hard that they had no time to fold their tents."
فرموها كما هي منشوره وساروا راجعين. فلما انفسحوا عن البلد تبعهم من الطفوليين أقوام ما عندهم منعة ولا غناء.,"So they threw them away, spread as they were, and hastily retreated. As the Franks were at some distance from the town, they were pursued by a number of unworthy meddlers incapable of resistance and devoid of capacity."
فرجع الإفرنج حملوا على أولئك فقتلوامنهم نفرًا فانهزمت الرجالة الذين رددتهم فما رجعوا ورموا تراسهم.,"The Franks turned once more against them, attacked them and slew a few of their number. So the foot soldiers, whom I had asked to keep back but who refused to do so, were routed and threw down their shields."
ولقينا الإفرنج فرددناهم ومضوا عائدين إلى بلادهم وهي قريبه من عسقلان.,"We then made another encounter with the Franks, repulsed them and made them return to their own territory, which was close to ‘Asqalan."
وعاد الذين انهزموا من الرجالة يتلاومون، وقالوا كان ابن منقذ أخبر منا. قال لنا ارجعوا ما فعلنا حتى انهزمنا وافتضحنا.,"Those of the foot soldiers who were put to rout came back blaming each other and saying, “Ibn-Munqidh certainly knew more than we did. He advised us to return, but we refused, which resulted in our rout and disgrace.”"
وكان أخي عز الدولة أبو الحسن علي رحمه الله في جمله من سار معي من دمشق هو وأصحابه إلى عسقلان.,Among those who had come in my company from Damascus to ‘Asqalan were my brother ‘Izz-al-Dawlah abu-al-Hasan ‘Ali (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) and his followers.
وكان رحمه الله من الفرسان المسلمين يقاتل للدين لا الدنيا.,He (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was one of the distinguished cavaliers of the Moslems — one who fought for the sake of religion and not for the sake of this world.
فخرجنا يوما من عسقلان نريد الغارة على بيت جبريل وقتالها.,One day we went out together from ‘Asqalan for an incursion against Bayt-Jibril and for an attack upon its inhabitants.
فوصلنا وقاتلناهم. ورأيت عند رجوعنا على البلدة غلة كبيره، فوقفت في أصحابي وقد حنا نارًا وطرحناها في البيادر وصرنا ننتقل من موضع إلى موضع، ومضى العسكر تقدمني.,"After we arrived there and fought them, I saw, as we were returning to our town, heaps of grain. I immediately ordered my companions to halt, and we began to strike sparks of fire and apply them to the threshing floors, following this course from one place to another while the main body of the army had preceded me."
فاجتمع الإفرنج لعنهم الله من تلك الحصون، وهي كلها متقاربة وفيها خيل كثيره للإفرنج لمغاداة عسقلان ومراوحتها وخرجوا على أصحابنا.,"The Franks (may Allah’s curse be upon them) assembled from all their fortresses, which were near each other teeming with cavalry ever in readiness for an attack upon ‘Asqalan by day or by night, and came out against our comrades."
فجاءني فارس منهم يركض وقالقد جاء الإفرنج! فسرت إلى صاحبنا وقد وصلهم أوائل الفرنج.,"A horseman from our men came to me galloping and said, “The Franks are here!” So I hastened towards them as the vanguard of the Franks had come into contact with them."
وهم لعنهم الله، أكبر الناس احترازًا في الحرب فصعدوا على الرابية وقفوا عليها. وصعدنا نحن على الرابية مقابلهم.,"The Franks (may Allah’s curse be upon them!), who of all men are the most cautious in warfare, climbed to the top of a small hill where they made their stand, and we climbed to the top of another hill, opposite them."
وبين الرابيتين فضاء، أصحابنا المنقطعون وأصحاب الجنائب عبروا تحتهم، لا ينزل إليهم منهم فارس خوفًا من كمين أو مكيدة، ولو نزلوا أخذوهم عن أخرهم.,"Between the two hills stretched an open place in which our isolated comrades and those leading the extra horses were passing, right beneath the Franks, without having a horseman descend to them for fear of some ambush or stratagem of war, although if they had descended they would have succeeded in capturing them to the last man."
نحن مقابلهم في قلة، وعسكرنا قد تقدمنا منهزمين.,Thus we stood facing them on that hill in spite of the inferior number of our force and the fact that the main part of our army had gone ahead of us in flight.
ومازال الإفرنج وقوفا على تلك الرابية إلى أن انقطع عبور أصحابنا ساروا إلينا فاندفعنا بين أيديهم والقتال بيننا لايجدون في طلبنا، ومن وقع أخذوه ثم عادوا عنا.,"The Franks kept their post on top of the hill until the passage of our comrades had ceased. They then marched towards us and we immediately retreated before them, fighting the while. They made no effort to follow after us; but any one of us who stopped his horse they slew, and any one whose horse fell they took as prisoner. Finally the Franks turned back from us."
وقدر الله سبحانه لنا بالسلامة باحترازهم. ولو كنا في عددهم ونصرنا عليهم كما نصروا كنا أفنيناهم.,"Thus Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) had decreed our safety through their overcautiousness. Had we been as numerous as they were and had won the victory over them as they had won over us, we would have exterminated them."
فأقمت بعسقلان لمحاربة الفرنج أربعة أشهر هجمنا فيها مدينة يبنى وقتلنا فيها نحو مئة نفس أخذنا منها أسارى.,"In ‘Asqalan I spent four months with the object of fighting the Franks. In the course of this time, we made an attack on Yubna in which we killed about a hundred persons and carried away some prisoners."
وجاءني بعد هذه المدة كتاب الملك العادل رحمه الله يستدعيني،,At the expiration of this period a letter was received from al-Malik al-‘Adil (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) summoning me to his presence.
فسرت إلى مصر وبقي أخي عز الدولة أبو الحسن علي رحمه الله بعسقلان.,"Consequently I proceeded to Egypt, while my brother, ‘Izz-al-Dawlah abu-al-Hasan ‘Ali (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), remained in ‘Asqalan."
فخرج عسكرها إلى قتال غزة فأستشهد رحمه الله، وكان من علماء المسلمين وفرسانهم وعبادهم.,"The army of ‘Asqalan set out for an attack on Ghazzah in the course of which my brother (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) fell martyr. He was one of the distinguished savants, cavaliers and devout men among the Moslems."
وأما الفتنة التي قتل فيها الملك العادل بن السلار رحمه الله فإنه جهز عسكرا إلى بلبيس ومقدمه ابن امرأته ركن الدولة عباس بن أبي الفتوح تميم بن باديس لحفظ البلاد من الإفرنج،,As for the rebellion in which al-Malik al-‘Adil ibn-al-Sallar was killed (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) its story is as follows: Ibn-al-Sallar had equipped for the conquest of Bilbis an army commanded by the son of his wife Rukn-al-Din ‘Abbas ibn-abi-al-Futuh ibn-Tamim ibn-Badis. Its object was to keep the land free from the Franks.
ومعه ولده ناصر الدين نصر بن عباس رحمه الله فأقام مع أبيه في العسكر أيامًا ثم دخل إلى القاهرة بغير إذن من العادل ولا دستور.,"In the company of ‘Abbas was his son, Nasir-al-Din Nasr ibn-‘Abbas (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), who, after staying with his father in the army for a few days, entered Cairo without permission or authorization from al-‘Adil."
فأنكر عليه ذلك وأمره بالرجوع إلى العسكر، وهو يظن أنه دخل القاهرة للعب والفرجه وللضجر من مقام العسكر.,"Al-‘Adil disapproved of his action and ordered him to rejoin the army, acting under the assumption that the young man had gone to Cairo for the sake of amusement and curiosity and on account of having been bored with life in a soldiers’ camp."
وابن عباس قد رتب أمره مع الظافر، ورتب معه قوما من غلمانه يهجم بهم على العادل في داره إذ أبرد في دار الحُرَم ونام فيقتله.,"But ibn-‘Abbas had in the meantime worked out a plan with al-Zafir according to which he arranged that a group of al-Zafir’s attendants should, under his leadership, assault al-‘Adil in his own residence after he had entered into the harem apartment in the evening to bathe and to sleep, and should thus put him to death."
وقرر مع أستاذ من أستاذي دار العدل أن يعلمه إذا نام، وصاحبه الدار امرأة العادل جدته، فهو يدخل إليها بغير استئذان.,"Ibn-‘Abbas had also arranged with one of the prefects of al-‘Adil to have him notify ibn-‘Abbas as soon as al-‘Adil was asleep. Since the mistress of the house, the wife of al-‘Adil, was the grandmother of ibn-‘Abbas, the latter could be admitted without special permission."
فلما نام أعلمه ذلك الأستاذ بنومه، فهجم عليه بالبيت الذي هو نائم فيه، ومعه ستة من غلمانه فقتلوه رحمه الله.,"When al-‘Adil had gone to sleep, that prefect notified ibn-‘Abbas, who, with six of his attendants, made an assault upon him in the house in which he was sleeping and killed him (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
وقطع رأسه وحمله الظافر. وذلك في يوم الخميس السادس من المحرم سنه ثمان وأربعين وخمس مائه،,"Ibn-‘Abbas cut off his head and carried it to al-Zafir. That took place on Thursday, the sixth of Muharram, in the year 548."
وفي دار العادل من مماليكه وأصحاب النوبة نحو من ألف رجل، لكنهم في دار السلام، وهو قتل في دار الحرم،,"In the palace of al-‘Adil were about a thousand men, including his mamelukes and the sentry on duty. But all these were in his reception palace while he was killed in his harem’s palace."
فخرجوا من الدار ووقع القتال بينهم وبين أصحاب الظافر وابن عباس إلى أن رفع رأس العادل على الرمح،,These men now rushed from the palace and a battle raged between them and the followers of al-Zafir and ibn-‘Abbas until the head of al-‘Adil was raised on the point of a lance.
فساعة رأوه انقسموا فرقتين فرقة خرجت من باب القاهرة إلى عباس لخدمته وطاعته وفرقه رمت السلاح وجاءوا إلى بين يدي نصر ابن عباس قبلوا الأرض ووقفوا في خدمته.,"As soon as they saw that, they split up into two groups, one of which went out through the Cairo Gate [bab-al-qahirah] to where ‘Abbas was, offering him their services and loyalty, and the other group laid down their arms and presented themselves before Nasr ibn-‘Abbas, kissing the ground before him and holding themselves ready for his service."
وأصبح والده عباس دخل القاهرة وجلس في دار الوزارة، وخلع عليه الظافر وفوض إليه الأمر،,"In the morning his father, ‘Abbas, entered Cairo and installed himself in the Vizierate Palace. Al-Zafir invested him with the robe of honor and intrusted to him the whole administration."
وابنه نصر مخالصة ومعاشره، وأبو العباس كاره لذلك مستوحش من ابنه لعلمه بمذهب القوم في ضربهم بعض الناس ببعض حتى يفنوهم ويجوزوا كلما لهم حتى يتفانوا،,"As for Nasr himself he became the constant companion and associate of the caliph to the great dislike of his father, ‘Abbas, who distrusted his son because he [‘Abbas] was cognizant of the common practice by which one party was usually instigated against another, until both parties were exterminated and all their possessions were then appropriated by the instigator."
فأحضراني ليله وهم في خلوه يتعاتبان وعباس يرد عليه الكلام وابنه مطرق كأنه نمر يرد علية بعد كلمة يشتاط منها عباس ويزيد في لومه وتأنيبه.,"As they were one evening in seclusion engaging in mutual recrimination, ‘Abbas and his son called me to their presence. ‘Abbas was reiterating one reproach after another in the hearing of his son, whose head was bowed down, as if he were a leopard, and who was refuting his charges word by word, which made ‘Abbas rage more and more with anger and redouble his blame and reprimand."
فقلت لعباس يا مولاي الأفضل كم تلوم مولاي ناصر الدين وتوبخه وهو ساكت؟,"Hearing that, I said to ‘Abbas: O my lord al-Afdal, how much wilt thou blame my lord Nasir-al-Din and rebuke him while he is silent?"
اجعل الملامة لي، فأنا معه في كل ما يعمله، ما أتبرأ، من خطأة ولا صوابه، أي شيء هو ذنبه؟ ما أساء إلى أحد من أصحابك، ولا فرط في شيء من مالك، ولاقدح في دولتك.,"Rather direct thy blame against me, for I am his associate in everything he does, and cannot absolve myself from the wrong or right thing he accomplishes. Now what is his guilt? He did not maltreat any of thy followers, did not squander any of thy money and did not adversely criticize thy administration."
خاطر بنفسه حتى نلت هذه المنزلة، فما يستوجب منك ألائمه، فأمسك عنه والده ورعى لي ابنه ذلك.,"He has rather risked his life to the end that thou mayest acquire this high position. There is nothing, therefore, which he has done to deserve thy blame. Hearing that, his father desisted, and the son took favorable note of my attitude."
وشرع الظافر مع ابن عباس في حمله على قتل أبيه، ويصير في الوزارة مكانه.,"Al-Zafir now took steps to induce ibn-‘Abbas to kill his own father, promising to install him in the vizierate as his successor."
وواصله بالعطايا الجز يله فحضرته يومًا وقد أرسل إليه عشرين صينية فضه فيها عشرون ألف دينار.,To this end he began to bestow rich gifts on him. I was one day present in the company of Nasr when he received twenty trays of silver holding twenty thousand dinars.
ثم أغفله أيامًا وحمل إليه من الكسوات من كل نوع وما لا رأيت مثله مجتمعا قبله،,"After neglecting him for a few days, the caliph sent him an assortment of clothing of all kinds, the like of which I never saw before in one collection."
وأغفله أيامًا، وبعث إليه خمسين صينية فضه فيها خمسون ألف دينار،,"After neglecting him again for a few more days, he sent him this time fifty trays of silver holding fifty thousand dinars."
وأغفله أيامًا، وبعث إليه ثلاثين بغلا رحلا وأربعين جملا بعددها وغرائرها وحبالها.,"Again he neglected him for a few days, and then sent him thirty saddle mules and forty camels, all fully provided with their outfits, bags and ropes."
وكان يتردد بينهما رجلا يقال له مرتفع بن فحل وأنا مع ابن عباس لا يفسح لي في الغيبة عنه ليلًا ولا نهارًاأنام على رأس مخدته.,"The man who acted as a medium between the caliph and Nasr was one named Murtafa‘ ibn-Fahl. All that took place while I was in the constant company of ibn-‘Abbas, who would not allow me to be absent by night or by day. I used to sleep with my head at the end of his pillow."
فكنت عنده ليله وهو في دار الشابوره وقد جاء مرتفع ابن فحل فتحدثت معه إلى ثلث الليل، وأنا معتزل عنهما،,"One night as I was staying with him in the Shaburah Palace, behold, there came Murtafa’ ibn-Fahl and carried on a conversation with him during the first third of the night, while I kept away by myself."
ثم أنصرف فاستدعاني وقال، أين أنت قلت عند الطاقة أقرأ القرآن فإني اليوم ما تفرغت اقرأ.,"When Murtafa‘ departed, Nasr called me and said, “Where art thou?” “By the window,” I replied, “reading the Koran; for all day long I have had no time to read it.”"
فابتدأ يفاتحني بشيء مما كان فيه ليبصر ما عندي في ذلك يريد بي أن أقوي عزمه على سوء ما قد حمله عليه الظافر.,"He then began to disclose to me something of what they were discussing, in order to learn my sentiments, desiring me at the same time to fortify him in the evil resolution which al-Zafir was inducing him to carry out."
فقلت يا مولاي لايستزلك الشيطان وتنخدع لمن يغرك، فما قتل والدك مثل قتل العادل،,"I said to him, “O my lord, let not the devil cause thee to stumble, and be not deceived by him who wishes to delude thee! To murder thy father is not the same as to murder al-‘Adil."
فلا تفعل شيء تلعن عليه إلى يوم القيامة. فأطرق وقاطعني الحديث ونمنا.,"Undertake to do nothing, therefore, for which thou shalt be accursed till judgment day.” Nasr bent his head down and cut short the conversation. We then both went to sleep."
فاطلع والده على الأمر فلاطفه واستماله، وقرر معه قتل الظافر.,"Finally, he disclosed the scheme to his father, who cajoled him, won him over to his side and, in turn, concerted with him the murder of al-Zafir."
وكانا يخرجا في الليل متنكرين، وهما أتراب، وسنهما واحد.,"The caliph and Nasr were in the habit of going out by night disguised, as they were comrades and of the same age."
فدعاه إلى داره، وكانت في سوق السيوفيين، ورتب من أصحابه نفرًا في جانب الدار.,"So one day Nasr invited the caliph to come to his residence, which was situated in Suq al-Suyufiyyin, after having installed a band of his followers on one side of the house."
فلما أستقر به المجلس خرجوا عليه فقتلوه. وذلك ليله الخميس سلخ المحرم سنه تسع واربعين وخمس مائه،,"As soon as the caliph was seated, the band rushed upon him and killed him. This took place during the night preceding Thursday, the last day of Muharram, year 549."
ورماه في جب في داره وكان معه خادم له أسود لا يفارقه يقال له سعيد الدولة فقتلوه،,"Nasr threw the body in a deep pit under his home. The caliph was accompanied by a black servant named Sa‘id-al-Dawlah, who never left his company. He also was killed."
وأصبح عباس جاء إلى القصر كالعاده للسلام يوم الخميس،,"The next morning ‘Abbas proceeded to the palace, as he was wont to do, in order to present his greetings, the day being Thursday."
فجلس في خزانه في مجلس الوزارة كأنه ينتظر جلوس الظافر للسلام،,He took his berth in the vizierate assembly room as if he was expecting the arrival of al-Zafir to receive the usual morning homage.
فلما جاوز وقت جلوسه استدعى زمام القصر وقال ما لمولانا ما جلس للسلام؟,"When the time in which al-Zafir was accustomed to give audience had passed, ‘Abbas called the major-domo of the palace and said to him, “What is the matter with our lord that he has not yet taken his seat in order to receive our homage?”"
فتلبد الزمام في الجواب، فصاح عليه وقال مالك لا تجاوبني قال يا مولاي مولانا لا ندري أين هو.,"The major-domo hesitated, not knowing what to answer. ‘Abbas then yelled at him, saying, “Why dost thou not answer me?” “My master,” he replied, “we know not where our lord is.”"
قال مثل مولانا يضيع؟ ارجع فاكشف الحال.,"‘Abbas then said, “Can the like of our lord be lost? Hasten back and find out what the matter is.”"
فمضى ورجع وقال ما وجدنا مولانا فقال عباس ما يبقى الناس بلا خليفة ادخل إلى الموالي إخوته يخرج منهم واحد نبايعه.,"The major-domo departed and returned, saying, “We have not found our lord.” ‘Abbas thereupon said, “The Moslem community cannot stay without a caliph. Go in, therefore, to where the amirs, his brothers, are, so that one of them may come out and we shall swear allegiance to him as the new caliph.”"
فمضى وعاد وقال الموالي يقولون لك مالنا في الأمر شيء، والده عزله عنا وجعله في الظافر،,"He departed and then returned saying, “The amirs say to thee, ‘We have nothing whatsoever to do in the matter. Al-Zafir’s father has disinherited us all from authority and invested it in al-Zafir."
والأمر لولده بعده. قال أخرجوه حتى نبايعه.,"After him, authority belongs to his son.’” “Bring him out,” said ‘Abbas, “so that we may swear allegiance to him.”"
وعباس قتل الظافر وعزم على أن يقول إخوته قتلوه”، ويقتلهم به.”,"‘Abbas, having put al-Zafir to death, proposed now to claim that it was his own brothers who had killed him, and then to punish them for the crime by putting them to death."
فخرج ولد الظافر وهو صبي محمول على كتف أستاذ من أستاذي القصر،,"The son of al-Zafir, who was still an infant, appeared before the people, carried on the shoulder of one of the prefects."
فأخذه عباس فحمله وبكى الناس.,‘Abbas took the boy and carried him in his arms. The people wept.
ثم دخل به وهو حامله إلى مجلس أبيه وفيه أولاد الحافظ الأمير يوسف والأمير جبريل وأبن أخيهم الأمير ابو البلقي.,"Then ‘Abbas, still carrying the child, entered the audience chamber of al-Zafir, in which were gathered the sons of al-Hafiz, al-Amir Yusuf and al-Amir Jibril, together with the son of their brother, al-Amir abu-al-Baqa."
ونحن في الرواق جلوس، وفي القصر أكثر من ألف رجل من المصرين فما راعنا الأفواج قد خرج من المجلس إلى القاعة، وصوت السيوف على إنسان.,"As we were sitting in the portico, with about a thousand of the Egyptian troops in the palace, we were startled with the rushing out of a band from the audience chamber towards the hall, while the clatter of the swords on the body of a victim could be heard."
فقلت لغلام لي ارمني  ابصر من هذا المقتول”.”,"I then said to an Armenian attendant who was in my company, “Find out who this is that they are killing.”"
فمضى ثم عاد وقال  ما هؤلاء مسلمون! هذا مولاي أبو الأمانة (يعني الأمير جبريل) قد قتلوه،”,"He immediately went and returned, saying, “These people cannot be Moslems! It is my lord abu-al-Amanah (referring to al-Amir Jibril) whom they have killed."
وواحد قد شق بطنه يجذب مصارينه . ثم خرج عباس وقد اخذ راس الأمير يوسف تحت إبطه ورأسه مكشوف، وقد ضربه بسيف والدم يفور منه.”,"One of them has cut open his abdomen and is pulling out his intestines.” Then ‘Abbas came out, dragging the Amir Yusuf by tucking under his armpit Yusuf’s uncovered head streaming with blood from a sword slash administered by him."
وأبو البقى ابن أخيه مع نصر بن عباس فادخلوهما في خزانه في القصر وقتلوهما،,"Abu-al-Baqa, the son of the brother of al-Zafir, followed, conducted by Nasr ibn-‘Abbas. They were both taken inside of an inner chamber in the palace and killed."
وفي القصر ألف سيف مجردة. وكان ذلك اليوم من أشد الأيام التي مرت بي، لما جرى فيه من البغي القبيح الذي ينكره الله تعالى وجميع الخلق.,"All this took place while inside the palace were a thousand swords all unsheathed. That day was one of the most distressing days I have passed in my life, on account of the abhorrent injustice committed in it, which is condemned by Allah (exalted is he!) and by all his creatures."
وكان من طريف ما جرى ذلك اليوم ان عباسا لما أراد الدخول إلى المجلس وجد بابه قد قفل من داخل.,"An extraordinary incident that happened that day was the following: When ‘Abbas wanted to enter the audience room, he found that its door had been locked from the inside."
وكان يتولى فتح المجلس وغلقه أستاذ شيخ يقال له أمين الملك،,The man in charge of opening and locking the audience room was an old watchman named Amin-al-Mulk.
فاحتالوا في الباب حتى فتحوه ودخلوا فوجدوا ذلك الأستاذ خلف الباب وهو ميت وفي يده المفتاح.,"They managed after several attempts to force the door open, and as they went in, they found that watchman behind the door dead with the key still in his hand."
وأما الفتنة التي جرت بمصر ونصر فيها عباس على جند مصر فانه لما فعل بأولاد الحافظ رحمة الله ما فعل جفت عليه قلوب الناس واضمروا فيها العداوة والبغضاء.,"As for the rebellion which broke out in Cairo and resulted in the victory of ‘Abbas over the Egyptian army, it took place as follows: When ‘Abbas did with the children of al-Hafiz (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) what he did, all the people’s hearts were hardened against him and harbored in them hostility and hatred."
وكاتب من في القصر من بنات الحافظ فارس المسلمين أبا الغارات طلائع بن رزبك رحمة الله يستصرخون به!,"Those daughters of al-Hafiz who had remained in the palace now entered into correspondence with the leading champion of the Moslems, abu-al-Gharat Tala’i‘ ibn-Ruzzik (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), appealing to him for aid."
وحشد وخرج من ولايته يريد القاهرة، فأمر عباس فعمرت المراكب وحمل فيها الزاد والسلاح والخزانة،,"He set out from the province over which he ruled and marched towards Cairo. ‘Abbas issued his orders, and the fleet was immediately put in repair and provided with the necessary provisions, weapons and coffers."
وتقدم إلي العسكر بالركوب والمسير معه وذلك يوم الخميس العاشر من صفر سنه تسع وأربعين وأمر ابنه ناصر الدين بالمقام في القاهرة، وقال لي  تقيم معه”.”,"He then ordered his troops to mount and march with him. This took place on Thursday, the tenth of Safar, in the year 49. He ordered his son, Nasir-al-Din, to remain in Cairo and said to me, “Thou shalt remain with him”"
فلما خرج من داره متواجها إلى لقاء ابن رُزِّيك خامر عليه الجند وغلقوا أبواب القاهرة.,"As ‘Abbas left his home to meet ibn-Ruzzik, the army hatched a plot against him and closed the gates of Cairo."
ووقع القتال بيننا وبينهم في الشوارع والأزقة. وخيالتهم تقاتلنا في الطريق، ورجالتهم يرمننا بالنشاب والحجارة من على السطوحات، والنساء والصبيان يرموننا بالحجارة من الطاقات.,"The battle raged between them and us in the streets and in the alleys, their cavalry fighting us in the streets, their infantry showering us with arrows and stones from the roofs, and their women and children hurling stones at us from the windows."
ودام بيننا وبينهم القتال من ضحى نهار إلى العصر. فاستظهر عليهم عباس وفتحوا أبواب القاهرة وانهزموا.,"The fighting between us lasted from early morning till late afternoon, resulting in the victory of ‘Abbas. The rebels opened the gates of Cairo and took to flight."
ولحقهم عباس إلى أرض مصر فقتل منهم من قتل وعاد إلى داره وأمره ونهيه.,"‘Abbas chased them into the interior of the land of Egypt, and having killed whom he could of their number, he returned to his home and reestablished himself in his position of issuing orders and prohibitions."
وأمر بإحراق البرقية لأنها مجمع دور الأجناد، فتلطفت الأمر معه وقلت  يا مولاي، إذا وقعت النار أحرقت ما تريد ولا ما تريد، وبلعت عن أن تطفئها “.”,"He issued orders for the destruction of al-Barqiyyah quarter by fire, because the homes of the soldiers were all grouped in it, but I sought gently to cool him down on this matter by saying to him, “O my lord, in case the fire is started it will consume what thou pleasest and what thou dost not please, and thou wouldst not know how to extinguish it.”"
وردد رأيه عن ذلك. وأخذت الأمان للأمير المؤتمن بن أبي رماده بعد أن أمر بتلافه واعتذرت عنه، فصفح عن جرمه.,"Thus I succeeded in changing his idea regarding this. I also succeeded in securing from him a guarantee of safety in behalf of al-Amir al-Mu’taman ibn-abi-Ramadah after he had ordered his execution. I offered an apology for him, and ‘Abbas pardoned his guilt."
ثم سكنت تلك الفتنة، وقد أرتاع منها عباس وتحقق عداوة الجند والأمراء وأنه لا مقام له بينهم،,"The rebellion now subsided, but ‘Abbas was greatly alarmed on account of it, because it demonstrated beyond doubt to him the hostility of the army and amirs, and convinced him that he could no more live among them."
وثبت في نفسه الخروج من مصر وقصد الشام إلى الملك العادل نور الدين رحمه الله يستنجد به،,He made up his mind to depart from Egypt and go to Syria to al-Malik al-‘Adil Nur-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) in order to implore his assistance.
والرسل بين من في القصور وبين ابن رزيك مترددة، وكان بيني وبينه رحمه الله مودة ومخالطة من حين دخلت ديار مصر.,"In the meantime, the messengers between those who were in the palaces and ibn-Ruzzik were going back and forth. With the latter (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) I was bound by ties of amity and fellowship ever since I entered the land of Egypt."
فنفذ إلى رسولاَ يقول لي عباس ما يقدر على المقام بمصر، بل هو يخرج منها إلى الشام وأنا أملك البلاد، وأنت تعرف ما بيني وبينك،,"He now dispatched a messenger to me, saying: ‘Abbas will not be able to stay in Egypt; he is rather departing from it to Syria I shall then rule over the land, and thou knowest what exists between me and thee."
فلا تخرج معه فهو بحاجته إليك في الشام يرغبك ويخرجك معه، فالله الله لا تصحبه، فأنت شريكي في كل خير أناله.,"Depart not therefore with him; though he, in his need for thee in Syria, shall encourage thee to accompany him. I conjure thee by Allah to join him not, for thou art my partner in everything good that I may attain."
فكأنَّ الشياطين وسوست لعباس بذلك أو توهمه لما يعلمه بيني وبين ابن رُزِّيك من المودة.,"It must have been the devils who whispered all this into the ears of ‘Abbas, or perhaps he suspected it because he was cognizant of the bond of friendship between me and ibn-Ruzzik."
فأما الفتنة التي خرج فيها عباس من مصر وقتله الإفرنج فانه لما توهم من أمري وأمر ابن رزيك ما توهمه أو بلغه، أحضرني واستحلفني بالإيمان الغلظة التي لا مخرج منها إنني أخرج معه وأصحبه،,"As for the conspiracy which resulted in the departure of ‘Abbas from Egypt and his death at the hands of the Franks, its story is as follows: When he suspected what he suspected regarding the accord between ibn-Ruzzik and myself, or when he was informed about it, he called me to his presence and made me take the most solemn oaths, from which there is no escape, that I should depart with him and keep his constant company."
ولم يقنعه ذلك حتى نفذ في الليل أستاذ داره الذي يدخل على حرمه، أخذ أهلي ووالدتي وأولادي إلى داره، وقال لي أنا احمل كلفتهم عنك في الطريق واحملهم مع والدة ناصر الدين.,"Even that did not satisfy him until he sent in the nighttime the chief prefect of his palace, who had permission to enter into his harem apartment, and made him take my wife, my mother and my children into his palace, and said to me, “I shall defray for thee all expenses connected with their travel and shall transport them with the mother of Nasir-al-Din.”"
واهتم بأمر سفره بخيله وجماله وبغاله، فكان له مائتا حصان وحجره مجنوبه على أيدي الرجالة كعادتهم بمصر، ومائتا بغل رحل وأربع مئة جمل تحمل أثقاله.,"‘Abbas made ready for the voyage his horses, camels and mules, which numbered two hundred horses and mares led by ropes attached to the hands of footmen, according to the custom of Egypt, two hundred saddle mules, and four hundred camels for carrying the baggage."
وكان كثير اللهج بالنجوم، وهو معول على السير بالطالع يوم السبت الخامس عشر من الربيع الأول من السنة.,"‘Abbas was devoted to the study of the stars, and under the influence of a favorable horoscope he had fixed Saturday, the fifteenth of Rabi‘ I of that year as the day of departure."
فحضرته وقد دخل عليه الغلام يقال له عنتر الكبير وهو متولي أمر كبيرها وصغيرها فقال له يا مولاي، أي شيء مرجو من مسيرنا إلى الشام؟,"I was in his presence when an attendant, called ‘Antar al-Kabir [“the great”], who was in charge of all his affairs, big and small, entered and said:
O my lord, what thing is there to hope for from our departure to Syria?"
خذ خزائنك وأهلك وغلمانك ومن تبعك وسر بنا إلى الإسكندريه، نحشد من هناك ونجمع ونرجع إلى أبن زريك ومن معه.,"Rather take thy treasure, family, servants and those who wish to follow thee and take us to Alexandria, where we can recruit and muster new troops and then return to fight ibn-Ruzzik and his partisans."
فإن نصرنا عدت إلى دارك وإلى ملكك، وإن عجزنا عنه عدنا إلى الإسكندريه إلى بلد نحتمي فيه ويمتنع على عدونا.,"If we win the victory, thou shalt reestablish thyself in thy home and in thy kingdom, but if we fail, we shall return to Alexandria, to a town where we can fortify ourselves and which our enemy will find impossible to reduce."
فنهره وخطأه وكان الصواب معه.,"‘Abbas rebuked him and declared his counsel wrong, although it was the right one."
ثم أصبح يوم الجمعه استدعاني من بكره، فلما حضرت عنده قلت يا مولي إذا كنت عندك من الفجر إلى الليل فمتى أعمل شغل سفري؟,"The second day, Friday, ‘Abbas summoned me early in the morning; and when I presented myself before him, I said to him, “O my lord, if I am going to be in thy company from dawn till night, when am I then to make the necessary preparation for the voyage?”"
قال عندنا رسل من دمشق، تسيرهم وتمضي تعمل شغلك.,"“We have with us some messengers from Damascus,” said he. “Thou shalt see them off and then go and attend to thy business.”"
وكان قبل ذلك احضر قوما من الأمراء واستحلفهم انهم يخونونه ولا يخامرون عليه،,"Previous to this, he had brought before him certain amirs from whom he exacted an oath that they would not betray him nor enter into a conspiracy against him."
واحضر جماعه من مقدمي العرب من درماء وزريق وجذام وسنبس وطلحه وجعفر ولواته واستحلفهم بالمصحف والطلاق على مثل ذلك.,"He had also brought before him a group of the chiefs of certain Arab tribes, including Darma’, Zurayq, Judham, Sinbis, Talhah, Ja‘far and Lawatah, and made them take an oath by the Koran and by divorce, for the same object."
فما راعنا وأنا عنده بكره الجمعة، إلا والناس قد لبسوا السلاح وزحفوا إلينا ورؤوسهم الأمراء الذين أستحلفهم بالأمس،,"But as I was in his company early Friday morning, we were startled to see the people in full armor marching against us, headed by the same amirs whose oaths he had exacted the day before."
فأمر بسد دوابه فشدت وأوقفت على باب داره، فكانت بيننا وبين المصرين كالسد لا يصلون إلينا لا زدحام الدواب دوننا.,"‘Abbas immediately ordered that his mounts be all saddled. Accordingly they were saddled and brought to halt before the door of his residence, thus forming a barrier between us and the Egyptians, which prevented the Egyptians from reaching us on account of the crowding of the beasts in the way."
فخرج إليهم غلامه عنتر الكبير كان أشار عليه بذلك الرأي وهو زمامهم، صاح عليهم وشتمهم وقال روحوا إلى بيوتكم.,"Then his attendant, ‘Antar al-Kabir, who had offered ‘Abbas that counsel, appeared before the other attendants, whose major he was, howling at them and cursing them, saying, “Go to your homes!”"
فسيبوا الدواب ومضى الركابية والمكارية والجمالون، وبقيت الدواب مهملة ووقع فيها النهب.,"Accordingly they let the beasts alone; the grooms, the muleteers, and the camel-drivers all dispersed, and the beasts were left by themselves. Plunder was carried on without obstacle among them."
فقال لي العباس اخرج احضر الأتراك وهم عند باب النصر والكتاب ينفقون فيهم.,"‘Abbas then said to me, “Go out and bring here the Turks who are stationed near Bab-al-Nasr, and the secretaries shall pay them liberally.”"
فلما جئتهم واستدعيتهم ركبوا كلهم، وهم في ثماني مائه فارس وخرجوا من القاهرة منهزمين من القتال،,"As soon as I came to them and summoned them, they all mounted their horses, they being about eight hundred horsemen, and went out through the Cairo Gate, turning their backs in flight against the battle scene."
وركب المماليك وهم أكثر من الأتراك وخرجوا أيضًا من باب النصر،,"The mamelukes, who were even more numerous than the Turks, also made their way out through Bab-al-Nasr."
ورجعت إليه عرفته ثم اشتعلت بإخراج أهلي الذي كان حملهم إلى داره،,"And I returned to ‘Abbas and gave him all the information. I then busied myself in taking out my family, whom he had transported into his residence."
فأخرجتهم واخرجت حرم عباس. فلما خلت الطريق ونهبت تلك الدواب بأجمعها وصل المصريون إلينا فأخرجونا ونحن في قله وهم في خلق كثير.,"I succeeded in taking them out, and in taking out also the family of ‘Abbas. And when the way was clear and all the beasts were plundered to the last one, the Egyptian troops reached us and turned us out of our place, we being only few in number and they a great host."
فلما خرجنا من باب النصر وصلوا إلى الأبواب أغلقوها وعادوا إلى دروبنا نهبونا،,"When we had passed out of Bab-al-Nasr, they went around all the gates of the city, closed them up and turned back to our homes, which they plundered."
فأخذوا من قاعة داري أربعين غراره جمالية مخالطة فيها من الفضة والذهب والكسوات شيء كثير. وأخذوا من أصطبلي ستة وثلاثين حصانًا وبغله سروجيه بسروجها وعدتها كاملة وخمسه وعشرين جملًا،,"From the hall of my home they carried away forty huge camel bags all sewn up and containing great quantities of silver, gold and clothing, and from my stable they marched away thirty-six horses and female saddle mules with their saddles and full equipment, together with twenty-five camels."
وأخذوا من إقطاعي من كوم أشفين مائتي رأس بقر للنشابين ألف شيه واهراء غلة.,"From my fief in Kum-Ashfin they took away two hundred head of cattle from the tenants, a thousand sheep and a granary-full of wheat."
ولما سرنا عن باب النصر تجمعت قبائل العرب الذين استحلفهم وقاتلونا من يوم الجمعه وضحى نهار إلى يوم الخميس العشرين من ربيع الأول.,"As we got a short distance away from Bab-al-Nasr, the same Arab tribes from whom ‘Abbas had exacted an oath assembled and fought against us from Friday early in the morning until Thursday, the twentieth of Rabi‘ I."
فكانوا يقاتلون النهار كله، فإذا جن الليل ونزلنا أغفلونا إلى أن ننام، ثم يركبونا في ماءه فارس ويدفعون خيلهم في بعض جوانبنا ويرفعون أصواتهم بالصياح.,"They would fight us all day long, and when the night fell and we dismounted, they would let us alone until we slept, and then they would send a hundred horsemen who would mount and hurl their horses at the sides of our camp, yelling with loud voices."
فما نفر من خيلنا وخرج إليهم أخذوه.,Such of our horses as were startled and ran in their direction they would immediately seize.
وانقطعت يوما عن أصحابي وتحتي حصان أبيض هو أردى خيلي،,"One day I found myself separated from my companions, with a white horse under me which was the worst of all my horses."
شده الركابي ولايدري ما يجري، وما معي من السلاح غير سيفي،,The groom had saddled it without knowing what was going to happen. I had no weapon except my sword.
فحمل علي العرب فلم أجد ما أدفعهم به، ولا ينجيني منهم حصاني، وقد وصلتني رماحهم.,"The Arabs made an assault on me, but I found nothing with which to repulse them, my horse was incapable of carrying me outside of their reach, and their lances were already reaching me."
قلت أثب عن الحصان واخذب سيفي أدفعهم.,"I said to myself, “I shall jump down from my horse, draw my sword and repulse them.”"
فجمعت نفسي لأثب فتتعتع الحصان فوقعت على الحجارة وأرض خشنه فانقطعت قطعه من جلدة رأسي ودخت حتى ما بقيت ادري بما أنا فيه.,"As I collected myself in order to jump, my horse stumbled and I fell upon stones and rough ground. A piece of skin was cut from my head, and I became so dizzy that I knew not where I was."
فوقفت علي منهم قوم وأنا جالس مكشوف الرأس غائب الذهن وسيفي مرمي بجهازه،,"As I sat there stunned, with my head covered and my sheathed sword thrown off, some of the Arabs stood by me."
فضربني واحد منهم ضربتين بالسيف وقال هات الوزن وأنا لا أدري ما يقول، ثم أخذ حصاني وسيفي.,"One of them struck me twice with the sword, saying, “Deliver the money!” But I knew not what he said. They then made off with my horse and my sword."
ورآني الأتراك فعادوا إلي، ونفذ لي ناصر الدين بن عباس حصانًا وسيفًاوسرت وأنا لا أقدر على عصابة أشد بها جراحي،,"Seeing me, the Turks hurried back to me. Nasir-al-Din ibn-‘Abbas dispatched to me a horse and a sword. And I started without having even a bandage to dress my wounds."
فسبحان من لا يزول ملكه.,Worthy of admiration is he whose kingdom lasts forever!
وسرنا وما مع أحد منا كف زاد،,We all set out with none of us having a handful of provisions.
وإذا أردت أشرب ماء ترجلت، شربت بيدي، وقبل أن أخرج بليلة جلست في بعض دهاليز داري على كرسي وعرضوا علي ستة عشر جمل روايا وما شاء الله سبحانه من القرب والسطائح.,"When I wanted to drink, I would dismount and drink from the palm of my hand, while the night before I started, as I was sitting on a chair in one of the hallways of my home, somebody had offered me sixteen camels for carrying water, with as many as Allah the praiseworthy wanted of water and food bags."
وعجزت عن حمل أهلي فردتهم من بلبيس إلى عند الملك الصالح أبي الغارات طلائع ابن زريك رحمه الله فأحسن إليهم وأنزلهم في دار واجرى لهم ما يحتاجونه.,"Finding myself unable to transfer my family, I made them go back from Bilbis to al-Malik al-Salih abu-al-Gharat Tala’i’ ibn-Ruzzik (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) who treated them with favor, assigned to them a dwelling place and fixed a stipend to pay for their needs."
ولما أراد العرب الذين يقاتلونا الرجوع عنا جاءونا يطلبون حسبنا إذا عدنا.,"When the Arabs who were fighting us wanted to desist and go back, they came to us demanding a guaranty of safety for the period after our return."
وسرنا إلى يوم الأحد ثالث وعشرين ربيع الأول فصبحنا الإفرنج في جمعهم على الموَيلِح،,"We continued our march until Sunday, the 23d of Rabi‘ I, on the morning of which the Franks suddenly encountered us en masse at al-Muwaylih."
فقتلوا عباسًا وابنه حسام الملك وأسروا ابنه ناصر الدين وأخذوا خزانته وحرمه وقتلوا من ظفروا به،,"They killed ‘Abbas and his son Husam-al-Mulk and captured his other son Nasir-al-Din. They took the treasures of ‘Abbas and his harem, and put to death all those [of the troops] who fell into their hands."
وأخذ أخي نجم الدولة أبا عبد الله محمد رحمه الله أسيرًا، وعادوا عنا ونحن قد تحصنا عنهم في الجبال.,They also took my brother Najm-al-Dawlah abu-‘Abdallah Muhammad (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) captive. They finally turned away from us after we had fortified ourselves against them in the mountains.
فسرنا في أشد من الموت في بلاد الفرنج بغير بغداد زاد للرجال ولاعلف للخيل إلى أن وصلنا جبال بني فهيد لعنهم الله في وادي موسى،,"Then we made our way in the territory of the Franks in a state worse than death, with no provisions for the men and no fodder for the horses until we arrived in the mountains of the banu-Fuhayd (may Allah’s curse be upon them!) in Wadi-Musa."
وطلعنا في طرقات ضيقه وعره إلى أرض فسيحة والرجال وشياطين رجيمة من ظفروا به منا منفرد قتلوه.,"Our climb was effected through narrow rough roads leading into a vast plain and among men who were accursed devils. Any one of us they found isolated from the rest, they put to death."
وتلك الناحية لا تخلو من بعض بني ربيعة الأمراء الطائيين، فسألت من ها هنا من الأمراء بني ربيعة؟,"That region is never free from some Rabi‘ah amirs of the banu-Tayy. So I asked, “Who is here now of the banu-Rabi‘ah amirs?”"
قالوا منصور بن غدفل وهو صديقي فدفعت لواحد دينارين وقلت أمض إلى المنصور قل له صديقك ابن منقذ يسلم عليك ويقول لك صل إليه بكره، وبتنا في مبيت سوء من خوفهم.,"And I was answered, “Mansur ibn-Ghidafl.” Now this man was my friend. So I paid someone two dinars and said, “Go to Mansur and tell him, ‘Thy friend, ibn-Munqidh, presents his salaams and asks thee to come to him early in the morning.’” That night we spent ill for fear of them."
فلما أضاء الصبح اخذوا عدتهم ووقفوا على عين وقالوا ما ندعكم تشربون ماءنا ونهلك نحن بالعطش.,"When the morning light dawned, they came fully equipped and stationed themselves at the spring and said, “We shall not let you drink our water and let ourselves die of thirst.”"
وتلك العين تكفي ربيعة ومضر، وكم في أرضهم مثلها، وإنما قصدهم أن ينشئوا الشر بيننا وبينهم ويأخذونا،,"They said this, in spite of the fact that the spring had sufficient water for both Rabi‘ah and Mudar, and that they had many other springs like it in their lands. Their object was simply to provoke trouble between them and us and then to capture us."
ونحن فيما نحن فيه ومنصور بن غدفل وصل، فصاح عليهم وسبهم فتفرقوا. وقال أركب فركبنا ونزلنا في طريق أضيق من الطريق التي طلعت فيها وأوعر.,"As we were in this juncture, lo, Mansur ibn-Ghidafl arrived, howled at them and cursed them. So they dispersed. Then he said, “Mount!” So we rode and descended, following a road even narrower and rougher than the one which I had followed going up."
فنزلنا إلى لوطا سالمين، وما كدنا نسلم. فجمعت للأمير منصور ألف دينار مصريه ودفعتها إليه وعاد.,We arrived at the bottom of the valley safe and sound after coming very near losing our lives. I then made a collection of a thousand Egyptian dinars for al-Amir Mansur and paid it to him. He then returned.
وسرنا حتى وصلنا بلد دمشق بمن سلم من الإفرنج وبني فهيد يوم الجمعة خامس ربيع الآخر من السنة.,"We continued our march with those of us who escaped the massacre of the Franks and banu-Fuhayd until we arrived in Damascus on Friday, the fifth of Rabi‘ I, of the same year."
وكانت السلامة من تلك الطريق من دلائل قدرة الله عز وجل وحسن دفاعه.,Our safety on such a journey was one of the manifest signs of the almightiness of Allah (powerful and majestic is he!) and of his magnificent protection.
ومن عجيب ما جرى لي في تلك الواقعة أن الظافر كان أرسل إلى ابن عباس وهوارًا صغيرًا مليحًا إفرنجيًّا.,One of the amazing things that happened to me during that conflict was the following: Al-Zafir had once sent to ibn-‘Abbas a young graceful ambler of Frankish breed.
وكنت قد خرجت إلى قرية لي، وابني أبو الفوارس مرهف عند ابن عباس فقالكنا نريد لهذا الرهوار سرجًا مليحًا من السروج الغزية.,"One day I went to a village which belonged to me, while my son abu-al-Fawaris Murhaf was in the company of ibn-‘Abbas. The latter said, “We wish to secure for this ambler an elegant saddle, one of those made in Ghazzah.”"
فقال له ابني قد وجدته يا مولاي وهو فوق الغرض قال أين هو قال في دار خادمك والدي له سرج غزي مليح.,"My son replied, “I know one, my lord, which is above desire.” “Where is it?” he asked. “It is in the home of thy servant, my father,” replied my son. “He has a Ghazzi saddle which is elegant.”"
قال انفذ أحضره فأرسل رسولًا إلى داري أخذ السرج فأعجبه وشد به على الرهوار.,"Ibn-‘Abbas said, “Send someone to fetch it.” So he sent a messenger to my home and took the saddle. Ibn-‘Abbas admired the saddle and fixed it on the ambler."
وكان السرج طلع معي من الشام على بعض الجنائب وهو منبت مجرى بسواد في غاية الحسن وزنه مئة مثقال وثلاثون مثقالًا.,"This saddle was brought with me from Syria on one of the extra horses led by my side. It was quilted, had a black border and was of extraordinarily beautiful effect. It weighed one hundred thirty mithqals."
ووصلت أنا من الإقطاع فقال لي ناصر لدين أدللنا عليك أخذنا هذا السرج من دارك فقلت يا مولاي ماسعدني بخدمتك!,"On my return from my fief, Nasir-al-Din said to me, “Taking advantage of our friendship, we felt bold to take this saddle from thy house.” To this I replied, “O my lord, how happy I am to be of service to thee!”"
فلما خرج علينا الإفرنج بالمويلح كان معي من مماليكي خمسه رجال على الجمال أخذت العرب خيلهم.,"Now when the Franks made the attack on us at al-Muwaylih, I had with me five of my mamelukes riding on camels, the Arabs having taken their horses."
فلما وقع الإفرنج بقيت الخيل سائبه، فنزل الغلمان عن الجمال واعترضوا الخيل وأخذوا منها ما ركبوه.,"When the Franks attacked and defeated us, some horses were left riderless and my attendants dismounted from their camels, intercepted the course of the horses and took of them such as they required to ride."
فكان على بعض الخيل التي أخذوها ذلك السرج الذهب الذي أخذه ابن عباس.,"And, behold, on one of the horses which they took was that same saddle of gold which ibn-‘Abbas had appropriated for himself."
وكان حسام الملك ابن عم عباس وأخو عباس ابن العادل قد سلما فيمن سلم منا. وقد سمع حسام الملك خبر السرج وأنا أسمع كل ما كان لهذا المسكين يعني ابن عباس قد نهب فمنه ما نهب الإفرنج، ومنه ما نهبه أصحابه.,"Among those who survived from our party were Husam-al-Mulk, a cousin of ‘Abbas, and a brother of ‘Abbas ibn-al-‘Adil. Husam-al-Mulk, who had heard the story of the saddle, said in my hearing, “Everything that this poor fellow (referring to ibn-‘Abbas) possessed has been pillaged, some by the Franks and some by his own companions.”"
قلت لعلك تعني السرج الذهب قال نعم فأمرت بإحضاره وقلت اقرأ ما عليه.,"I said to him, “Perhaps thou art alluding to the saddle of gold.” “Yes,” said he. So I ordered that the saddle be brought and said to him, “Read what is on it."
اسم عباس عليه وابنه أو اسمي ومن كان في مصر يقدر يركب بسرج ذهب في أيام الحافظ غيري وكان أسمي مكتب على دائر السرج بالسواد ووسطه منبت. فلما قرأ ما عليه اعتذر وسكت.,"Is it ‘Abbas’ name and his son’s, or is it my name? And who else in the days of al-Hafiz could ride in Egypt on a gold saddle but I?” My name was written in black around the border of the saddle, the center of which was quilted. Having read what was on it, he apologized and kept his silence."
ولولا نفاد المشيئة في عباس وابنه وعواقب البغي وكفر النعمة كان اتعظ بما جرى قبله للأفضل رضوان بن الولخشي رحمه الله،,"Had it not been for the unavoidable execution of the divine will on ‘Abbas and his son and for the consequences of injustice and ingratitude, ‘Abbas would certainly have learned a lesson from what had happened before him to al-Afdal Ridwan ibn-al-Walakhshi (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
كان وزيرا فقام الجند عليه بأمر الحافظ كما قاموا على عباس، فخرج من مصر يريد الشام،,"The latter was a vizier when the troops, at the instigation of al-Hafiz, rose against him just as they rose against ‘Abbas, and he departed from Egypt for Syria."
ونهبت داره وحرمه حتى أن رجلًا يعرف بالقائد مقبل رأى مع السودان جاريه فاشتراها منهم وبعثها إلى داره،,His home and his harem were pillaged to such an extent that a man known by the name of al-Qa’id Muqbil saw with the Sudanese a maid whom he bought from them and sent to his own home.
وكانت له امرأة صالحه فاطلعت الجارية إلى الحجرة في علو الدار فسمعتها تقول لعل الله يظفرنا بمن بغى علينا وكفر نعمتنا.,"Muqbil had a virtuous wife who took the maid up to a chamber in the uppermost part of the house. There she heard the maid say, “May Allah enable us to triumph over those who have dealt so unjustly with us and abjured our benefactions to them!”"
فسألتها من أنت فقالت قطر الندى بنت رضوان فنفذت المرأة إلى زوجها القائد مقبل أحضرته وهو على باب القصر في خدمته فعرفته حال البنت.,"So she asked her, “Who art thou?” And the maid replied, “I am Qatr-al-Nada, daughter of Ridwan” The wife immediately sent word to her husband, al-Qa’id Muqbil, who was on duty at the door of the [royal] palace, made him come home and acquainted him with the condition of the young girl."
فكتب إلى الحافظ مطالعه فعرف بذلك. فنفذ من خدام القصر من أخذها من دار مقبل ورفعها إلى القصر.,"So he wrote a report to al-Hafiz and acquainted him with the facts. Al-Hafiz dispatched certain servants to the palace, who took her from the Muqbil’s home and brought her back to the palace."
ثم أن رضوان وصل إلى صلخد وفيها أمين الدولة طغد كين أتابك رحمه الله،,"After that, Ridwan arrived in Salkhad where was Amir-al-Dawlah Tughdakin Atabek (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
فأكرمه وأنزله وخدمه. وملك الأمراء أتابك زنكي بن اقسنقر رحمه الله على بعلبك يحاصرها.,"The latter received Ridwan with special honor, offered him a dwelling place and put his services at his disposal. At this time, the Malik-al-Umara’ Atabek Zanki ibn-Aqsunqur (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was camping outside of Ba’labakk besieging it."
فراسل رضوان واستقر انه يمضي إليه وكان رجلًا كاملًا كريمًا شجاعًا كاتبًا عارفا، وللجند إليه ميل عظيم لكرمه.,"So he communicated with Ridwan and it was agreed that the latter would join him. Ridwan was a perfect man, generous, courageous, good in writing and learned; the troops felt special inclination toward him on account of his generosity."
فقال لي الأمير معين الدين رضي الله عنه هذا ان انضاف إلى أتابك دخل علينا منه ضرر كثير.,"Therefore al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s favor be upon him!) said to me, “If this man should join the atabek, a great deal of disadvantage will ensue to us on account of him.”"
قلت فأي شيء ترى قال تسير إليه لعلك ترد رأيه عن قصد أتابك.,"“What dost thou propose, then?” asked I. “Thou shalt go to him,” said he, “and perhaps thou shalt succeed in changing his mind regarding joining the atabek."
ويكون وصوله إلى دمشق وأنت ترى فيما تفعله في هذا رأيك.,Let him go to Damascus. Thou shalt use in carrying out this project thine own judgment and discretion.”
فسرت إليه إلى صلخد واجتمعت به وبأخيه الأوحد وتحدثت معهما.,"Accordingly I made my way to Ridwan in Salkhad, where I met with him and with his brother, al-Awhad, and held an interview with them."
فقال لي الأفضل رضوان فرط الأمر مني ورهنت قولي عند هذا السلطان بوصولي إليه، ولزمني الوفاء بقولي.,"Al-Afdal Ridwan said to me, “This matter has now passed out of my hand. I have already given my promise to this sultan that I shall join him. The fulfillment of my promise is now binding upon me.”"
قلت أقدمك الله على خير وأنا أعود إلى صاحبي فأنه ما يستغني عني بعد أن اخرج إليك بما في نفسي قال: قل.,"“May Allah have nothing but good awaiting thee!” said I. “As for me, I shall return to my master, for I know that he can never do without me; but he counted on me to disclose to thee what is in my heart.” “Disclose it!” said he."
قلت إذا وصلت إلى أتابك معه من العسكر ما ينفذ نصفه معك إلى مصر ويبقى نصفه يحاصرنا به قال لا.,"“When thou joinest the atabek,” said I, “would he have enough troops to divide into two halves, send one half with thee to Egypt and leave the other half to blockade us?” “No,” he replied."
قلت فإذا هو نزل على دمشق وحاصرها وأخذها بعد المدة الطويلة يقدر وقد ضعف عسكرة وفرغت نفقاتهم وطالت سفرتهم، يسير معك إلى مصر قبل أن يجدد بركه ويقوي عسكرت قال لا.,"“Well then,” asked I, “when he camps outside of Damascus, lays siege to it and captures it, after a long period, would he then be able — with his troops depleted, their provisions exhausted and their march prolonged — to proceed with thee to Egypt before he replenishes his animal transport and strengthens his army?” “No,” he replied."
قلت ذلك الوقت يقول لك نسير إلى حلب نجدد آلة سفرنا فإذا وصلتم إلى حلب قال نمضي إلى الفرات نجمع التركمان،,"I said: By that time he will say to thee, “We shall proceed to Aleppo in order to renovate our travel equipment.” When ye arrive in Aleppo, he will say, “We shall advance to the Euphrates in order to recruit the Turkomans.”"
فإذا نزلتم على الفرات قال إن لم نعد الفرات ما يجتمع لنا التركمان.,"Once ye camp on the banks of the Euphrates he will say, “Unless we cross the Euphrates, we shall not be able to enlist the Turkomans.”"
فإذا عديتم تشوف بك وافتخر على سلاطين الشرق وقال هذا عزيز مصر في خدمتي.,"And when ye have crossed the Euphrates, he will send thee before him and boast over the sultans of the Orient, saying, “Behold! this is the ruler of Egypt, who is now in my service!”"
وتتمنى ذلك الوقت أن ترى حجرا من حجارة الشام فلا تقدر عليها وتذكر حينئذً كلامي وتقول نصحني ما قبلت.,"It is then that thou wouldst wish to see one of the stones of Syria, but thou shalt not be able to do so. Thou shalt at that time recall my word and say, ‘He has given me good advice, but I did not accept it.”"
فاطرق مفكرا لا يدري ما يقول ثم التفت إلي وقال ماذا أعمل؟ وأنت تريد ترجع. قلت أن كان في مقامي مصلحه أقمت. قال نعم.,"Ridwan bent down his head, thinking, and not knowing what to say. He then turned his head towards me and said, “What can I do so long as thou desirest to return?” I replied, “If in my stay here I can further our interest, I shall stay.” “Do so,” said he."
فاقمت. وتكرر الحديث بيني وبينه حتى استقر وصوله إلى دمشق.، وان يكون له ثلاثون ألف دينار نصفها نقد ونصفها إقطاع، ويكون له دار العقيقي، ويخرج لأصحابه ديوان.,"Accordingly I stayed. The interviews between him and me were repeated until it was agreed that he would go to Damascus on condition that he should receive thirty thousand dinars, one half of which would be in cash and the other half in fief; that he should have, besides, the al-‘Aqiqi Mansion [dar]; and that his companions should have special stipends."
وكتب لي خطه بذلك وكان كاتبا حسنا. وقال أن شئت سرت معك. قلت لا أنا أسير ومعي الحمام من هاهنا.,"Ridwan, who was an excellent writer, wrote with his own hand these conditions and said, “If thou wilt, I shall accompany thee.” “No,” said I, “I shall rather depart and take with me the pigeons from here."
فإذا وصلت واخيلت الدار ورتبت الأمر، طيرت إليك الحمام وسرت أنا في الوقت ألقاك في نصف الطريق وادخل بين يديك فتقرر ذلك وودعته وسرت.,"After I get there, vacate the mansion for thee and fix everything properly; I shall then let the pigeons fly to thee. At the same time I shall set out, so that I may meet thee midway, and thus enter Damascus in thy company.” This was agreed upon. So I took leave of him and departed."
وكان أمين الدولة يشتهي مصيره إلى مصر لما قد وعده به واطعمه فبه،,"Amin-al-Dawlah, on his part, was anxious that Ridwan should return to Egypt, in view of the promises he had made in his behalf and the ambitions he had aroused in him."
فجمع له من قدر عليه وسيره بعد مفارقتي له. فلما دخل حدود مصر غدر به الذين كانوا معه من الأتراك ونهبوا ثقله،,"So he mustered the men whom he could and sent them out with him after I had left him. As soon as Ridwan had crossed the frontiers of Egypt, the Turkish troops who were with him betrayed him and pillaged his baggage."
والتجأ هو إلي حي من أحياء العرب وراسل الحافظ وطلب منه الأمان وعاد إلى مصر، فساعة وصوله إلى مصر أمر به الحافظ فحبس هو وولده.,"He himself took refuge in one of the Arab camps and opened correspondence with al-Hafiz and asked him for a safe-conduct. He entered Cairo, and the moment he arrived there both he and his son, on the orders of al-Hafiz, were put in prison."
واتفق طلوعي إلى مصر وهو في الحبس في دار في جانب القصر فنقب بمسمار حديد أربعه عشر ذرعا وخرج ليله الخميس.,When I returned to Cairo it happened that he was still in prison in a building on one side of the palace. By means of an iron nail he later dug a hole fourteen cubits [dhira‘] long and escaped the night preceding Thursday.
وله من الأمراء نسيب قد عرف امره فهو عند القصر ينتظره ومصطنع له من لواته،,"He had among the amirs a relative who was cognizant of his plans and who waited for him by the palace, together with a protégé of his belonging to the Lawatah tribe."
ومشوا إلى النيل عدوا إلى الجيزة واختبطت القاهرة لهروبه.,The three walked to the Nile and crossed over into al-Jizah. Cairo was all in commotion on account of his flight.
وأصبح في منظره في الجيزة والناس يجتمعون إليه. وعسكر مصر قد تأهب لقتاله،,"The second morning found him in a belvedere in al-Jizah, people rallied around him while the Egyptian army was getting ready for the combat against him."
ثم اصبح بكره الجمعه عدى إلى القاهرة والعسكر المصري مع قيماز صاحب الباب مدرعين للقاء، فلما وصلهم هزمهم ودخل القاهرة.,"Early in the morning of Friday he recrossed into Cairo while the Egyptian army under the leadership of Qaymaz Sahib-al-Bab, dad in their coats of mail, were all ready for the encounter. As soon as Ridwan met them, he put them to flight and entered Cairo."
وكنت قد ركبت أنا واصحابي إلى باب القصر قبل دخوله البلد،,"Riding on my horse, with my companions I had started towards the palace door before Ridwan had made his entrance into the city."
فوجدت أبواب القصر مغلقه وما عندها أحد، فرجعت نزلت في داري، ونزل رضوان في الجامع الأقمر.,"But I found the doors of the palace closed, with nobody standing by. So I turned back and entered my own home. Ridwan established himself in al-Aqmar Mosque."
واجتمع إليه الأمراء وحملوا إليه الطعام والنفقه. وقد جمع الحافظ قوما من السودان في القصر شربوا وسكروا،,"The amirs came to him en masse bringing to him food and money. In the meantime, al-Hafiz had assembled a group of Sudanese in his palace, who drank to the point of intoxication."
وفتح لهم باب القصر فخرجوا يريدون رضوانا.,He then opened for them the door of the palace and they rushed in seeking Ridwan.
فلما وقع الصياح ركب الأمراء كلهم من عند رضوان وتفرقوا هو من الجامع، وجد حصانه قد أخذه الركابي وراح،,"When the screams were heard, all the amirs who were with Ridwan mounted their horses and dispersed. In his turn, Ridwan went out of the mosque only to find that his horse had been taken away by the groom, who had disappeared."
فرآه رجل من صبيان الخاص واقفًا على باب الجامع فقاليا مولاي ما تركب حصاني؟ قال بلى.,"A young man of the bodyguard saw Ridwan standing by the door of the mosque and said to him, “O my lord, dost thou not want to ride my horse?” “Surely,” replied Ridwan."
فجاء إليه يركض وسيفه بيده، فأومأ كأنه يميل للنزول وضربه بالسيف فوقع،,So the young man came at a gallop towards him with his sword in his hand. He then moved his arm as though he were bending to dismount and struck him with the sword. Ridwan fell to the ground.
ووصله في السودان قتلوه، وتقاسم أهل مصر لحمه يأكلونه ليكونوا شجعانًا. فقد كان فيه معتبر وواعظ لولا نفاذ المشيئة.,"The Sudanese rushed and put him to death. The people of Egypt parceled out his flesh among them and ate it in order to acquire bravery. His case was an object lesson, for learning by example, and a warning — but the divine will must be executed."
وأصاب ذلك اليوم رجلًا من أصحابنا الشامين جراح كثيرة، فجاءني أخوه وقالأخي تالف قد وقع فيه كذا وكذا جرح سيوف وغيرها، وهو مغمور ما يفيق.,"On that battle day, one of our Syrian comrades received a number of wounds. His brother came to me and said, “My brother is in desperate plight. He has received so many wounds from swords and other weapons, and he is now unconscious and does not come to his senses.”"
قلت ارجع افصده. قالقد خرج منه عشرون رطل دم. قلت إرجع إفصده، فأنا اخبر منك بالجراح وليس له دواء غير الفصاد.,"“Go back,” said I, “and bleed him.” He replied, “He has already lost twenty rotls of blood!” “Go back,” I repeated, “and bleed him! I have had more experience with wounds than thou. There is no other remedy for him but bloodletting.”"
فمضى غاب عني ساعتين ثم عاد وهو مستبشر، قال أنا فصدته وهو أفاق وأكل وشرب وذهب عنه البؤس.,"He went away, absented himself for two hours and then returned with his face showing signs of gratification, and said, “I have bled him and he regained his senses, sat up, ate and drank. All ill has departed from him.”"
قلت الحمد الله ولولا أني جربت هذا في نفسي عدة مرار ما وصفته لك.,"“Praise be to Allah!” said I. “Had I not tried this on my own self a number of times, I would not have prescribed it to thee.”"
ثم اتصلت بخدمه الملك العادل نور الدين رحمه الله وكاتب الملك الصالح في تسير أهلي وأولادي الذين تخلفوا بمصر وكان محسنًا إليهم.,"After that I attached myself to the service of al-Malik al-‘Adil Nur-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). He entered into correspondence with al-Malik al-Salih with a view to letting my wife and children, who had lingered in Egypt and had been treated with benevolence, start on their journey."
فرد الرسول اعتذر بأنه يخاف عليهم من الإفرنج، وكتب إلي يقول ترجع إلى مصر وأنت تعرف ما بيني وبينك،,"Al-Salih sent back the messenger and gave as excuse the fact that he feared for their safety from the Franks. He also wrote to me, saying: Thou shalt return to Egypt, and thou knowest well what is between me and thee."
وإن كنت مستوحشًا من أهل القصر فتصل إلى مكة وأنفذ لك كتابًا بتسليم مدينه أسوان إليك،,"If thou dost feel that the personnel of the palace cherish ill feeling towards thee, then proceed to Mecca, where I shall deliver to thee a communication granting thee the governorship of the city of Uswan."
وأمدك بما تتقوى به على محاربة الحبشة  فأسوان ثغر من ثغور المسلمين ” واسير أهلك وأولادك.”,"I shall, moreover, reenforce thee with whatever is necessary for thee to wage successful warfare against the Abyssinians (Uswan being one of the border fortifications of the Moslem territory). I shall then let go to thee thy wives and thy children."
ففاوضت الملك العادل واستطلعت أمره فقاليا فلان، ما صدقت متى تخلص من مصر وفتنتها، تعود إليها!,"I consulted al-Malik al-‘Adil and sought his opinion and he said: O Usamah, thou wert so glad to get rid of Egypt with its rebellions that thou didst hardly believe the day when it came, and now thou wantest to return to it!"
العمر أقصر من ذلك. أنا انفذ أحذ لأهلك الأمان من ملك الإفرنج أسير من يحضرهم.,"Life is too short for that. I shall communicate with the king of the Franks in order to secure a safe-conduct for thy family, and I shall then send someone to bring them hither."
فانفذ رحمه الله أخذ أمان الملك وصليبه في البر والبحر.,"Accordingly, Nur-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) dispatched a messenger and secured the safe-conduct of the king, with the cross on it, good for both land and sea."
وسيرت الأمان مع غلام لي وكتاب الملك العادل وكتابي إلى الملك الصالح،,"This safe-conduct I sent with one of my servants, who carried also a letter from al-Malik al-‘Adil and my letter to al-Malik al-Salih."
فسيرهم في عشاري من الخاص إلى دمياط، وحمل لهم كل ما يحتاجونه من النفقات الزاد ووصى بهم،,"Al-Salih transported my family on one of his private boats to Dimyat, provided them with all the money and provisions they needed and gave them the proper recommendation."
واقلعوا من دمياط في بطسه من بطس الإفرنج، فلما دنوا من عكار والملك، لا رحمه الله، فيها نفذ قوم في مركب صغير كسروا البطسه بالفؤوس واصحابي يرونهم،,"From Dimyat they sailed in a Frankish vessel. As they approached ‘Akka [Acre] where the king (may Allah’s mercy not rest upon his soul!) was, he sent, in a small boat, a few men who broke the vessel with their axes under the very eyes of my people."
وركب ووقف على الساحل نهب كل ما فيه.,"The king mounted his horse, stood by the coast and pillaged everything that was there."
فخرج إليه الغلام لي سابحًا والأمان معه وقال لهيا مولاي الملك، ما هذا أمانك؟,"One of my retainers came swimming to the king, taking the safe-conduct with him, and said, “O my lord the king, is this not thy safe-conduct?”"
قال بلى، ولكن هذا رسم المسلمينإذا انكسر لهم مركب على بلد نهبه أهل ذلك البلد.,"“Sure enough,” replied the king. “But this is the usage for the Moslems. Whenever one of their vessels is wrecked near a town, the people of that town pillage it.”"
قال فتسبينا؟ قاللا، وانزلهم لعنه الله في دار وفتش النساء حتى أخذ كل ما معهم.,"“Art thou going, then, to take us captive?” inquired my retainer. “No,” replied the king. The king (may Allah’s curse be upon him!) then put them in a house, had the women searched and took everything they all possessed."
وقد كان في المركب حلى اودعه النساء وكسوات وجوهر وسيوف وسلاح وذهب وفضه بنحو من ثلاثين ألف دينار،,"In the vessel were jewelry, which had been intrusted to the women, clothes, gems, swords, weapons and gold and silver amounting to about thirty thousand dinars."
فأخذ الجميع ونفذ لهم خمس مائه دينار، وقالتوصلوا بهذه إلى بلادكم وكانوا رجالًا ونساء في خمسين نسمه.,"The king took it all. He then sent my people five hundred dinars and said, “This will see you home,” though they were no less than fifty persons, men and women."
وكنت إذ ذلك مع الملك العادل في بلاد الملك مسعود رعبان وكيسون.,At that time I was in the company of al-Malik al-‘Adil in the land of King Mas‘ud in Ra‘ban and Kaysun.
فهون علي سلامة أولادي وأولاد أخي، وحرمنا ذهاب ما ذهب من المال إلا ما ذهب لي من الكتب، فإنها كانت أربعة آلاف مجلد من الكتب الفاخرة، فإن ذهابها حزازة في قلبي ما عاشت.,"The safety of my children, my brother’s children, and our harem made the loss of money which we suffered a comparatively easy matter to endure — with the exception of the books, which were four thousand volumes, all of the most valuable kind Their loss has left a heartsore that will stay with me to the last day of my life."
فهذه نكبات تزعزع الجبال وتفني الأموال، والله سبحانه يعوض برحمته ويختم بلطفه ومغفرته.,Verily these are calamities which shake mountains and annihilate riches! But may Allah (worthy of admiration is he) recompense [us] with his mercy and bring things to a good end by his kindness and forgiveness!
وتلك وقعات كبار شاهدتها مضافة إلى نكبات نكبتها سلمت فيها النفس لتوقيت الآجال واجحفت بهلاك المال.,"Those were great happenings which I have experienced in addition to the calamities with which I was afflicted and out of which my person came safe, until the hour of fate should strike, but they left me ruined in my fortune."
وقد كان بين هذه الوقعات فترات شهدت فيها من الحروب مع الكفار والمسلمين ما لا أحصيها،,Between those happenings were intervals in which I took part in innumerable battles against unbelievers as well as Moslems.
وسأورد من عجائب ما شاهدته ومارسته في الحروب ما يحضرني ذكره، وما النسيان بمستنكر لمن طال عليه ممر الأعوام وهو وراثة بني آدم من أبيهم عليه الصلاة والسلام.,And now I shall proceed to recount what my memory has retained of the marvels I witnessed and experienced in warfare; for oblivion is not to be considered a cause for blame in the case of one by whom has passed a long series of years. Oblivion is rather a heritage of the children of Adam from their first father (may Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him!).
فمن ذلك ما شهدته من أنفة الفرسان وحملهم نفوسهم على الأخطار، أننا كنا التقينا نحن وشهاب الدين محمود بن قراجا، صاحب حماه ذلك الوقت،,"Among those marvels is what I witnessed of the horsemen’s sense of honor and their intrepidity in facing dangers as illustrated in the following: There was an encounter between us and Shihab-al-Din Mahmud ibn-Qaraja, the lord of Hamah at that time."
وكانت الحرب بيننا وبينه ما تغب، والمواكب واقفه والطراد بين المتسرعة،,"The contest between us continued without respite, the detachments being always ready and the swift riders ever on the chase."
فجاءني رجل من أجنادنا وفرساننا المعدودين يقال له جمعه من بني نمير وهو يبكي،,"There came to me one of our most distinguished soldiers and horsemen, named Jum’ah of the banu-Numayr, in tears."
فقلت لهمالك يا أبا محمود؟ هذا وقت بكاء؟ قال طعنني سرهناك بن أبي منصور.,"I asked him, “What is the matter with thee, O abu-Mahmud? Is this the time for crying?” “I have been pierced by a lance,” he replied, “from the hand of Sarhank ibn-abi-Mansur.”"
قلتوإذا طعنك سرهنك أي شيء يكون؟ قالما يكون شيء إلا يطعنني سرهنك! والله إن الموت أسهل علي من أن يطعنني لكنه استغفلني واغتالني.,"“And suppose thou didst receive a wound from Sarhank,” I asked, “what of it?” “Nothing at all,” he replied, “except the idea that one like Sarhank should stab me! By Allah, death would have been easier for me than to have been wounded by him! But he took me by surprise and unaware.”"
فجعلت أسكته واهون الأمر عليه، فرد رأس فرسه راجعًا.,I then began to calm him and make matters look easy for him; but he turned the head of his horse and started back.
فقلت إلى أين يا أبا محمود؟ قالإلى سرهناك، والله لأطعنه أو لأموتن دونه.,"“Where goest thou, O abu-Mahmud?” I asked. “To Sarhank,” he replied. “By Allah, I shall either smite him or die in the attempt!”"
فغاب ساعة واشتغلت أنا بمن مقابلي، ثم عاد وهو يضحك,"He absented himself for a short period, while I was busy with those [of the enemy] who were facing me. Then he came back laughing."
فقلت ما عملت؟ فقال طعنته والله، ولو لم اطعنه لفظت روحي،,"I asked him, “What hast thou done?” And he replied, “I did stab him, by Allah! And had I not stabbed him, my soul would have surely departed from me”"
فحمل عليه في جمع أصحابه فطعنه وعاد، فكأن هذا الشعر عن سرهنك وجمعة بقوله:,"What he did was to make an attack upon him while the latter was in the midst of his comrades, smite him and come right back. The following verses were composed as if with reference to Sarhank and Jum’ah:"
"لله درك ما تظن بثائرً *** حران ليس عن التراث براقد
أيقظته ورقدت عنه ولم ينم *** حنقًا عليك وكيف نوم الجاهد
إن تمكن الأيام منك وعلها *** يومًا يكل لك بالصواع الزائد","Hast thou considered, by Allah, how grand is the deed of one
Thirsty for vengeance, unforgetful of wrong
Thou hast awakened him, then thou hast gone to sleep thyself; but he did not sleep,
On account of his rage against thee. And how can one so vigilant slumber?
If the vicissitudes of time shall yield him a chance — and perhaps they will
Some day — then will he mete out to thee an overflowing measure."
وقد يكون سرهنك هذا من الفرسان المذكورين مقدمًا في الأكراد، إلا أنه كان شابًا وجمعة رجل كهل له ميزة بالسن والتقدمية في الشجاعة.,"This Sarhank was one of the most noteworthy horsemen, a chief among the Kurds. But he was a young man, while Jum’ah was middle-aged, having the distinction of seniority of age as well as experience in acts of courage."
وذكرت بفعلة سرهنك ما فعله مالك بن الحارث الاشتر رحمه الله بأبي مسيكه الايادي.,In connection with this case of Sarhank I am reminded of what Malik ibn-al-Harith al-Ashtar (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) did with abu-Musaykah al-Iyadi.
وذلك انه لما ارتدت العرب في أيام أبي بكر رضوان الله عليه، وعزم الله سبحانه له على قتالهم،,It happened when the Arabs apostatized from Islam in the days of abu-Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah’s high favor rest upon him) and Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) made him resolve to fight them.
جهز العساكر إلى قبائل العرب المرتدين. فكان أبو مسيكه الأيادي مع بني حنيفة وكانوا أشد العرب شوكه. وكان مالك الأشتر في جيش أبي بكر رحمه الله.,"He mustered his troops and set them against the apostate Arabs. Abu-Musaykah al-Iyadi was on the side of banu-Hanifah, who were the most powerful of the Arabs, while Malik al-Ashtar was at the head of the army of abu-Bakr."
فلما توقفوا برز مالك بين الصفين وصاحيا أبا مسيكة فبرز له،,"As the armies stood in battle array, Malik stepped forward between the two ranks and shouted, “O abu-Musaykah!” In response, the latter stepped forward."
فقال ويحك يا أبا مسيكة، بعد الإسلام وقراءة القرآن رجعت إلى الكفر؟,"Malik then said to him, “Woe unto thee, O abu-Musaykah! After thy Islam and thy being one of the readers of the Koran, thou hast gone back to unbelief!”"
فقال إياك عني يا مالك! انهم يحرمون الخمر، ولا صبر عنها.,"Abu-Musaykah replied, “Away from me, O Malik! Moslems forbid the use of wine, and I cannot do without it.”"
قال هل لك في المبارزة؟ قال نعم. فالتقيا بالرماح والتقيا بالسيوف فضربه أبو مسيكة فشق رأسه وشتر عينه وبتلك الضربه سمي الأشتر.,"Malik said, “I challenge thee to a duel with me.” “I accept,” replied abu-Musaykah. So the two had an encounter with the lances, and another encounter with the swords, in the course of which abu-Musaykah struck Malik, split his head and inverted his eyelids. On account of that blow, he was nicknamed al-Ashtar."
فرجع وهو معتنق رقبه فرسه إلى رحله، واجتمع له قوم من أهله وأصدقائه يبكون.,"Malik then retreated to his tent, hugging the neck of his horse. A group of his relatives and friends gathered around him crying."
فقال لأحدهمادحل يدك في فمي. فادخل إصبعه في فمه فعضها مالك فالتوى الرجل من الوجع.,"So he said to one of them, “Put thy hand in my mouth.” The man put his finger inside of Malik’s mouth and the latter bit it. The man twisted with pain."
فقال مالك لابأس على صاحبكم. يقال إذا سلمت الأضراس سلم الرأس، أحشوها يعني الضربه سياقًا وشدوها بعمامة،,"“Well,” said Malik, “nothing wrong with your man. For it is said that as long as the teeth are safe the head is safe. Stuff it (referring to the wound) with fine flour and bandage it with a turban.”"
فلما حشوها وشدوها قالهاتوا فرسي. قالواإلى أين قالإلى أبى مسيكة.,"As soon as they had it stuffed and bandaged, he said, “Fetch my mare.” “Whereto?” asked they. “To abu-Musaykah,” he replied."
فبرز بين الصفين وصاح يا أبا مسيكة! فخرج إليه مثل السهم فضربه مالك بالسيف على كتفه فشقها إلى سرجه فقتله.,"Presently he issued between the two ranks and shouted, “O abu-Musaykah!” Abu-Musaykah sallied forth towards him like an arrow. Malik struck him with the sword on his shoulder, which he split as far down as the saddle, and killed him."
ورجع مالك إلى رحله فبقى أربعين يومًا لا يستطيع الحراك، ثم ابل وعوفي من جرحه ذلك.,"Malik returned to his camp, where he remained forty days unable to move. After that he recovered and was healed from his wound."
ومن ذلك ما شهدته من سلامة المطعون، وقد ظن أنه هلك، أننا التقينا بوادر خيل شهاب الدين محمود بن قراجا، قد جاء إلى أرضنا وكمن لنا كمينًا.,"Another illustration of the recovery of a stabbed person after it was thought that he was sure to die is the following case which I witnessed:
We had an encounter with the advance cavalry of Shihab-al-Din Mahmud ibn-Qaraja, who had invaded our territory and laid for us an ambuscade."
فلما توقفنا نحن وهو انتشرت خيلنا. فجاءني فارس من جندنا يقال له علي بن سلام نميري وقال أصحابنا قد انتشروا ان حملوا عليه أهلكوهم.,"After our forces and his had stood in battle array, our cavalry disbanded. One of our horsemen, named ‘Ali ibn-Salam, a Numayrite, came to me and said, “Our horsemen have spread out. If the enemy should now attack them, they will annihilate them.”"
قلت احبس عني اخوتي وبني عمي حتى أردهم. فقاليا أمراء، دعوا هذا يرد الناس ولا تتبعوه، وإلا حملوا عليهم قلعوهم.,"I said to him, “Hold back from me my brothers and cousins so that I may bring those horsemen back.” So he shouted, “O amirs, let him bring back our men and follow him not. Otherwise the enemy will attack them and dislodge them.”"
قالوا يمضي. فخرجت أناقل حصاني حتى رددتهم، وكانوا ممسكين عنهم ليستجر وهم ويتمكنوا منهم.,"“Let him go,” they replied. Accordingly I set out, trotting my horse until I brought them back, the enemy having kept away from them in order to draw them away as far as possible and then be able to overpower them."
فلما رأوني قد رددتهم حملوا علينا وخرج كمينهم وأنا على فسحة من أصحابي،,"Seeing that I was bringing them back, the enemy attacked us; and those of them who lay in ambush came out, as I was at some distance from my comrades."
فرجعت مباريهم أريد احمي أعقاب أصحابي فوجدت ابن عمي ليث الدولة يحيى رحمه الله قد حدب من وراء أصحابي من قبل الطريق وأنا في شمالية فجئناهم،,"I immediately turned back to oppose them, desiring thereby to defend the rear of my comrades, and found that my cousin, Layth-al-Dawlah Yahya (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), had already turned around from the rear of my comrades on the south side of the road while I was on the north side of it. So we both made a joint assault on them."
فتسرع فارس من خيلهم يقال له فارس بن زمام رجل عربي فارس مشهور، وجازنا يريد الطعن في أصحابنا،,"One of their horsemen, Faris ibn-Zimam by name, a well-known Arab horseman, hurriedly passed us desiring to exercise his lance on our comrades."
فسبقني إليه ابن عمي فطعنه فوقع هو وحصانه وفقع الرمح سمعتها أنا وأولئك.,My cousin got to him before I did and smote him with his lance. Both he and his horse fell. The lance broke with such a crack that I and the others could hear it.
وكان الوالد رحمه الله أرسل رسولا إلى شهاب الدين فأخذه معه لما جاء لقتالنا.,My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had previous to this sent a messenger to Shihab-al-Din who brought the messenger along with him when he set out to fight against us.
فلما طعن فارس بن زمام ولم يبلغ منا ما أراد نفذ الرسول من مكانه بجواب ما سار فيه ورجع إلى حماه،,"Now when Faris ibn-Zimam was stabbed and Shihab-al-Din failed in his plan against us, he sent back that same messenger from where he was, carrying a reply to the message he had brought him, and returned to Hamah."
فسألت الرسولهل مات فارس بن زمام، قاللا والله ولافيه جرح قالليث الدولة طعنه وأنا أراه،,"I asked the messenger, “Did Faris ibn-Zimam die?” “No,” he replied, “By Allah, there isn’t even a wound in him.” To this he added: Layth-al-Dawlah smote him with the lance, while I was looking at him."
فرماه ورمى حصانه وسمعت قعقعة كسر الرمح، لما غشيه ليث الدولة من يساره مال على جانبه الأيمن وفي يده قنطاريته فوقع حصانه على قنطاريته وهي على وهده فانكسرت،,"He threw him and his horse down. I myself heard the crack of the lance when it broke. When Layth-al-Dawlah enveloped him from the left, Faris turned his right side, holding in his hand his lance, upon which his horse fell, while the lance fell under it into a ditch and broke."
وتذنب ليث الدولة برمحه فوقع من يده، والذي سمعت قعقعة قنطاريه فارس بن زمام،,"Layth-al-Dawlah turned behind his adversary to smite him with the lance, but the lance fell from his hand. What thou hast heard therefore was the crack of the lance of Faris ibn-Zimam."
ورمح ليث الدولة أحضره بين يدي شهاب الدين وأنا حاضر، وهو صحيح ما فيه كسر ولا في فارس جرح،,"As for the lance of Layth-al-Dawlah, it was brought before Shihab-al-Din in my presence, and it was intact — not a break in it. And Faris had not the least wound on him."
"فعجبت من سلامته وكانت تلك الطعنه طعنه فيصل كما قال عنترة:
الخيل تعلم والفوارس أنني *** فرقت جمعهم بطعنة فيصل","I was amazed at his safety. That thrust was just as effective as the “stab of a consummate master of combat” mentioned by ‘Antar:
The horses and the horsemen know that I have
Dispersed their assembly with the stab of a consummate master."
"ورجع جميعهم كمينهم ما نالوا منه ما أرادوه. والبيت المقدم من أبيات عنترة بن شداد يقول فيها:
إني امرؤ من خير عبس منصبًا *** شطري وأحمي سائري بالمنصل
وإذا الكتيبة أحجمت فتلاحظت *** ألفيت خيرا من معم مخول
وإن المنية لو تمثل مثلت *** مثلي إذا نزلوا بضنك المنزل
والخيل تعلم والفوارس أنني *** فرقت جمعهم بطعنة فيصل
ودعوا نزال فكنت أول نازل *** وعلام أركبه إذا لم أنزل","Verily I am a man of whom one part belongs to the noble lineage of ‘Abs,
But the other part I protect with my own sword.
At the time in which the forces halt their advance and look askance,
I am found better than he who takes pride in his paternal and maternal uncles.
If there was a way of representing death, it should certainly be presented
In my form — when they find themselves in a tight place.
The horses and the horsemen know that I have
Dispersed their assembly with the stab of a consummate master.
And as they challenged me to fight on horseback,
I was the first to enter the arena
For why should I ride a horse unless I am going to fight on its back?"
ومثل ذلك ما جرى لي على افامية فإن نجم الدين بن إلغازي بن ارتق رحمه الله كسر الإفرنج على البلاط وذلك يوم الجمعة خامس جمادى الأولى سنة، ثلاث عشرة وخمسمئة وأفناهم،,"Something similar to that happened to me during an attack on Afamiyah. It happened that Najm-al-Din Ilghazi ibn-Urtuq (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) defeated the Franks at al-Balat, on Friday, the fifth of Jumada I, in the year 513, and annihilated them."
وقتل صاحب إنطاكية روجار وجميع فرسانه، فسار إليه عمي عز الدين ابو العساكر سلطان رحمه الله، وتخلف والدي رحمه الله في حصن شيزر،,"He killed Roger [rujar], the lord of Antioch, and all his cavalry. Thereupon my paternal uncle, ‘Izz-al-Din abu-al-‘Asakir Sultan (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), set out to join Najm-al-Din, while my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) remained behind in the Castle of Shayzar."
وقد وصاه ان يسيروني إلى افامية بمن معي بشيزر من الناس والعرب لنهب زرع افامية، وكان قد هدف من العرب إلينا خلق كثير.,"My uncle had instructed my father to send me against Afamiyah at the head of the men who were with me in Shayzar, and to call out the people, together with the Arabs, for the pillage of the crops of Afamiyah. A great number of the Arabs had recently joined us."
فلما سار عمي نادى المنادي بعد يوميات من مسيره وسرت في نفر قليل ما عشرين فارسًا، ونحن على يقين أن افاميه مافيها خياله،,"A few days after the departure of my uncle, the public announcer called us to arms, and I started at the head of a small band, hardly amounting to twenty horsemen, with full conviction that Afamiyah had no cavalry in it."
ومعي خلق عظيم من النهاية والبداية، فلما صرنا على وادي أبو الميمون، والنهابة والعرب متفرقون في الزرع، خرج علينا من الإفرنج جمع كثير،,"Accompanying me was a great body of pillagers and Bedouins. As soon as we arrived in the Valley of Bohemond, and while the pillagers and the Arabs were scattered all over the planted fields, a large army of the Franks set out against us."
وكان قد وصلها تلك الليلة ستون فارسًا وستون راجلًا فكشفونا عن الوادي، فاندفعنا بين أيديهم إلى أن وصلنا الناس الذين في الزرع ينتهبونه فضجوا ضجة عظيمة،,"They had been reinforced that very night by sixty horsemen and sixty footmen. They repulsed us from the valley, and we retreated before them until we joined those of our number who were already in the fields, pillaging them. Seeing us, the Franks raised a violent uproar."
فهان علي الموت لهلاك ذلك العالم معي، فرجعت على فارس في أولهم قد ألقى عنه درعه وتخفف ليجوزنا من بين أيدينا، فطعنته في صدره فطار عن سرجه ميتا.,"Death seemed an easy thing to me in comparison with the loss of that crowd in my charge. So I turned against a horseman in their vanguard, who had taken off his coat of mail in order to be light enough to pass before us, and thrust my lance into his chest. He instantly flew off his saddle, dead."
ثم استقبلت خيلهم المتتابعة فولوا أنا غر من القتال ما حضرت قتالا قبل ذلك اليوم وتحتي فرس مثل الطير ألحق أعقابهم لأطعن فيهم ثم اجتن عنهم.,"I then faced their horsemen as they followed, and they all took to flight. Though a tyro in warfare, and having never before that day taken part in a battle, I, with a mare under me as swift as a bird, went on, now pursuing them and plying them with my lance, now taking cover from them."
وفي أخرهم فارس على حصان ادهم مثل الجمل بالدرع ولأمه الحرب وأنا خائف منه لا يكون جذابًا لي ليعود علي،,"In the rear guard of the Franks was a cavalier on a black horse, large as a camel, wearing a coat of mail and the full armor of war. I was afraid of this horseman, lest he should be drawing me further ahead in order to get an opportunity to turn back and attack me."
حتى رأيته ضرب حصانه بمهمازه فلوح بذنبه فعلت انه قد اعيا، فحملت عليه طعنته فنفذ الرمح من قدامه نحوًا من ذراع،,"All of a sudden I saw him spur his horse, and as the horse began to wave its tail, I knew that it was already exhausted. So I rushed on the horseman and smote him with my lance, which pierced him through and projected about a cubit in front of him."
وخرجت من السرج لخفة جسمي وقوة الطعنه وسرعة الفرس، ثم تراجعت وجذبت رمحي وأنا أظن أنى قتلته، فجمعت أصحابي وهم سالمون.,"The lightness of my body, the force of the thrust and the swiftness of my horse made me lose my seat on the saddle. Moving backward a little, I pulled out my lance, fully assuming that I had killed him. I then assembled my comrades and found them all safe and sound."
وكان معي مملوك صغير يجر فرسًا لي دهماء مجنوبة وتحته بغلة مليحة سروجية وعليها مركوب صقيل فضة،,In my company was a young mameluke holding the halter of an extra black mare which belonged to me. Under him was a good female riding mule with a saddle the tassels of which were silver.
فنزل عن البغلة وسيبها وركب الحجرة فطارت به إلى شيزر،,"The mameluke dismounted from the mule, left it by itself and jumped on the back of the mare, which flew with him towards Shayzar."
فلما عدت إلى أصحابي وقد مسكوا البغله سألت عن الغلام فقالوا راح. فعلمت انه يصل شيزر ويشغل قلب الوالد رحمه الله،,"On my return to my comrades, who had caught the mule, I asked about that boy. They said, “He’s gone.” I immediately knew that he would reach Shayzar and cause anxiety to my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
فدعوت رجلًامن الجند وقلتتسرع إلى شيزر تعرف والدي بما جرى.,"I therefore called one of the soldiers and said to him, “Hasten to Shayzar and inform my father of what has happened.”"
وكان الغلام لما وصل أحضره الوالد بين يديه وقالأي شيء لقيتم؟ قاليا مولاي خرج الإفرنج في ألف، وما أظن أحد يسلم إلا مولاي.”,"In the meantime the boy had arrived and my father had him brought before him and asked, “What things have ye met?” The boy said, “O my lord, the Franks have set out against us with a thousand men, and I doubt if any of our men would escape with the exception of my master."
قال كيف يسلم مولاك دون الناس؟ رأيته قد لبس وركب الخضراء.,"“But how would thy master,” asked my father, “of all the men, escape?” “Well,” replied the slave, “I have seen him covered with full armor riding on a green mare.”"
هو يحدثه، وذلك الفارس قد وصله وأخبره باليقين ووصلت بعده فاستخبرني رحمه الله.,"Here he was interrupted in his conversation by the arrival of the horseman whom I had sent. The horseman related to my father the facts. I arrived right after him, and my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) questioned me."
فقلت يا مولاي كان أول قتال حضرته، فلما رأيت الإفرنج قد وصلوا إلى الناس هان علي الموت،,"So I said to him: O my lord, that was the first fight in which I took part. But the moment saw that the Franks were in contact with our men, then I felt that death would be an easy matter for me"
فرجعت إلى الإفرنج لأقتل أو أحمي ذلك العالم فقال رحمه الله متمثلًا:,"So I turned back to the Franks, either to be killed or to protect that crowd. My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) quoted the following verse as illustrating my case:"
يفر جبان القوم عن أم رأسه *** ويحمي شجاع القوم من لا يلازمه,"The coward among men flees precipitately before danger facing his own mother,
But the brave one protects even him whom it is not his duty to shelter."
ووصل عمي رحمه الله من عند نجم الدين إلغازي رحمه الله بعد أيام فأتاني رسوله يستدعيني في وقت ما جرت عادته فيه،,My uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) returned a few days later from his visit to Najm-al-Din Ilghazi (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). A messenger came to summon me to present myself before my uncle at a time in which it was not his custom to call me.
فجئته فإذا عنده رجل من الإفرنج فقالهذا الفارس قد جاء من افامية يريد يبصر الفارس الذي طعن فيليب الفارس، فإن الإفرنج تعجبوا من تلك الطعنة وإنها خرقت الزردية من طاقتين وسلم الفارس.,"So I hurried to him, and, behold, a Frank was in his company. My uncle said to me: Here is a knight who has come from Afamiyah in order to see the horseman who struck Philip the knight, for verily the Franks have all been astounded on account of that blow which pierced two layers of links in the knight’s coat of mail and yet did not kill him."
قلت كيف سلم؟ قال ذلك الفارس الإفرنجي جاءت الطعنة في جلدة خاصرته. فقلت نعم الأجل حصن حصين. وما ظننته يسلم من تلك الطعنة.,"“How,” said I, “could he have survived?” The Frankish knight replied, “The thrust fell upon the skin of his side.” “Fate is an impregnable stronghold,” I exclaimed. But I never thought that the knight would survive that blow."
قلت يجب على من وصل إلى الطعنة أن يشد يده وذراعه على الرمح جانبه ويدع الفرس يعمل ما يعمله في الطعنة، فإنه متى حرك يده بالرمح مدها به لم يكن لطعنته تأثير ولا نكاية.,"My comment is that he who is on the point of striking with his lance should hold his lance as tightly as possible with his hand and under his arm, dose to his side, and should let his horse run and effect the required thrust; for if he should move his hand while holding the lance or stretch out his arm with the lance, then his thrust would have no effect whatsoever and would result in no harm."
وشاهدت فارسًا من رجالنا يقال له ندى بن تليل القشيري وكان من شجعاننا، وقد التقينا نحن والإفرنج وهو معرى ما عليه غير ثوبين فطعنه فارس من الإفرنج في صدره.,"I once witnessed in an encounter between us and the Franks one of our cavaliers, named Badi ibn-Talil al-Qushayri, who was one of our brave men, receive in his chest, while clothed with only two pieces of garment, a lance thrust from a Frankish knight."
فقطع هذه العصفورة التي في الصدر وخرج الرمح من جانبه، فرجع وما نظنه يصل منزله حيًا،,"The lance cut the vein in his chest and issued from his side. He turned back right away, but we never thought he would make his home alive."
فقدر الله سبحانه ان سلم وبرأ جرحه، لكنه لبث سنة إذا نام على ظهره لا يقدر يجلس إن لم يجلسه إنسان بأكتافه،,"But as Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) had predestined, he survived and his wound was healed. But for one year after that, he could not sit up in case he was lying on his back unless somebody held him by the shoulders and helped him."
ثم زال عنه ما كان يشكوه وعاد إلى تصرفه وركوبه كما كان. قلت فسبحان من نفذت مشيئته في خلقه يحيي ويميت وهو حي لا يموت بيده الخير وهو على كل شيء قدير.,"At last what he suffered from entirely disappeared and he reverted to his old ways of living and riding. My only comment is: How mysterious are the works of him whose will is always executed among his creatures! He giveth life and he causeth death, but he is living and dieth not. In his hand is all good, and he is over all things potent."
كان عندنا رجل من المصطنعة يقال له عتاب، اجسم ما يكون من الرجل واطولهم.,"We had once with us an artisan, ‘Attab by name, who was one of the most corpulent and tall of men."
دخل بيته فاعتمد على يده عند جلوسه على ثوب بين يديه كانت فيه إبرة دخلت في راحته فمات منها.,"He entered his home one day, and as he was sitting down he leaned on his hand against a robe which happened to be near him and in which there was a needle. The needle went through the palm of his hand and he died because of it."
وبالله لقد كان يئن في المدينة فيسمع أنينه من الحصن لعظم خلقه وجهارة صوته يموت من إبرة وهذا القشيري يدخل في صدره قنطاريه تخرج من جنبه لا يصيبه شيء.,"And, by Allah, as he moaned in the lower town [of Shayzar], his moan could be heard from the citadel on account of the bulk of his body and the volume of his voice. This man dies of a needle, whereas al-Qushayri is pierced with a lance which penetrates through his chest and issues out of his side and yet suffers no harm."
نزل علينا صاحب إنطاكية لعنه الله بفارسه وراجله وخيامه في بعض السنيين فركبنا ولقيناهم نظن انهم يقاتلونا،,"In a certain year, the lord of Antioch (may Allah’s curse be upon him!) came to attack us with his cavalry, infantry and tents. Mounting on our horses we went to meet them, assuming that they were ready for the combat."
فجاؤا نزلوا منزلًا كانوا ينزلونه وهجموا في خيامهم، فرجعنا نحن إلى آخر النهار ثم ركبنا، ونحن نظن انهم يقاتلونا فما ركبوا من خيامهم.,"But they came and installed their camp in a place where they used to encamp, and settled down in their tents. We, on our part, made our way back until the end of the day. Then we mounted our horses, supposing that they would open battle with us. But they did not ride out of their tents."
وكان للابن عمي ليث الدولة يحيي غلة قد نجزت وهي بالقرب من الفرنج فجمع دواب يريد يمضي إلى الغلة يحملها،,"My cousin, Layth-al-Dawlah Yahya, had a crop of grain ready for harvest in a field near the place where the Franks were. He brought together some beasts of burden in order to go to the crop and transport it."
فسرنا معه في عشرين فارسًا معدين وقفنا بينه وبين الفرنج إلى أن حمل الغلة ومضى،,"We went with him, numbering twenty well-equipped horsemen, and stationed ourselves between him and the Franks until he loaded his crop and went away."
فعدلت أنا ورجل من مولدين يقال له حسام الدولة مسافر رحمه الله إلى كرم رأينا فيه شخوصًا وهم على شط النهر،,"Then I turned from the main road, with one of our adopted men, named Husam-al-Dawlah Musafir (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), to a vineyard in which we had spied certain objects on the bank of the river."
فلما وصلنا الشخوص التي رأيناها والشمس على مغيبها، فإذا شيخ عليه معرقة إمراة ومعه آخر.,"When we, as the sun was setting, got to these objects which we had spied, behold, they were an old man in a woman’s clothing, accompanied by another man."
فقال له حسام الدولة وكان رحمه الله رجلًا جيدًا كثير المزاح يا شيخ أي شيء تعمل ها هنا؟,"Husam-al-Dawlah (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), who was an excellent man, full of fun, said to the old man, “O sheikh, what dost thou here?”"
قال أنتظر الظلام واسترزق الله تعالى من خيل هؤلاء الكفار.,"The latter replied, “I wait until it is dark and then appropriate for myself, through Allah’s aid, some of the horses of these unbelievers.”"
قال يا شيخ بأسنانك تقطع عن خيلهم؟ قال لا بهذه السكين.,"Husam-al-Dawlah asked, “And dost thou, O sheikh, cut off the ropes to detach their horses with thy teeth?” “No,” replied the old man, “rather with this knife.”"
وجذب سكين من وسطه مشدودة بخيط مثل شعلة النار، وهو بغير سراويل، فتركناه وانصرفنا.,And saying this he drew out of his waist a knife tied to a string and shining like a torch of fire. The man had no trousers [sarawil] on. We left him and departed.
أصبحت من بكرة ركبت انتظر ما يكون من الإفرنج، وإذا الشيخ جالس في طريقي على حجر والدم على ساقه وقدمه وقد جمد.,"Early the second morning I rode out in expectation of what the Franks were going to do, and, behold, the same old man was sitting on a stone in my way with the blood coagulated on his leg and foot."
قلت يهنئك السلامة، أي شيء عملت؟ قالأخذت منهم حصانًا وترسًا ورمحًا ولحقني راجل وأنا خارج من عسكرهم طعنني نفذ القنطارية في فخذي وسبقت بالحصان والترس والرمح،,"I said to him, “Happy recovery to thee! What hast thou done?” “I took from them,” he replied, “a horse, a shield and a lance. But as I was making my way out from among their troops, a footman pursued me and thrust his lance through my thigh. But I ran away with the horse, shield and lance.”"
وهو مستقل بالطعنة التي فيه كأنها في سواه. وهذا الرجل يقال له الزمركل من شياطين اللصوص.,"He spoke thus, belittling the thrust in him as though it were in somebody else. This man, named al-Zamarrakal, is one of the devils of brigands."
حدثني عنه الأمير معين الدين رحمه الله قال أغرت زمان مقامي بحمص على شيزر،,"The following story was related to me about him by al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), who said: Once while I was staying at Hims, I made a raid to Shayzar."
وعدت آخر النهار نزلت على ضيعة من بلدة حماه، وأنا عدو لصاحب حماه،,"At the end of that day I returned and camped in a village belonging to the territory of Hamah, though I was an enemy of the lord of Hamah."
قال فجاءني قوم معهم شيخ قد أنكروه فقبضوه وجاؤوني به.,Then came to me a band of my men bringing an old man who had aroused their suspicions and whom they had therefore seized and brought before me.
فقلت يا شيخ أيش أنت قاليا مولاي أنا رجل صعلوك شيخ زمن وأخرج يده من زمنه. قد اخذ لي العسكر عنزتين جئت خلفهم لعل إن يتصدقوا علي بهما.,"“O sheikh,” asked I, “what art thou?” “I am a pauper,” he replied, “an aged man with a chronic disease (saying this he put out his hand, which did have a chronic disease). The soldiers took away two goats of mine, and I went after them, hoping that they would be kind enough to bestow them on me.”"
فقلت لقوم من الجندارية احفظوه إلى غد فأجلسوه بينهم وجلسوا على اكمام فروة عليه.,"I then said to a group of my bodyguard, “Guard him until tomorrow.” The men made him sit between them, and they sat on the sleeves of a fur coat which was on him."
فاستغفلهم في الليل وخرج من الفروة وتركها تحتهم وطار فعدوا في أثره، سبقهم ومضى،,"Taking advantage of their inadvertence during the night, the old man sneaked out of his fur, left it under them and took to flight. They chased after him, but he beat them running and disappeared."
قال وكنت قد نفذت بعض أصحابي في شغل فلما عادوا وفيهم جندار يقال له سومان قد كان يسكن بشيزر.,"Mu’in-al-Din continued thus: Previous to this, I had dispatched some of my men on an errand. They now came back and one of them was a guard, named Sawman [Shawman?], who used to live in Shayzar."
فحدثته حديث الشيخ قال واحسرتي عليه لو كنت لحقته كنت شربت دمه هذا الزمركل.,"I related to him the story of the old man and he exclaimed, “What a loss I have sustained by his escape If I had only caught him, I would have gulped his blood. This is surely al-Zamarrakal”."
قلت فأي شيء بينك وبينه قال نزل عسكر الفرنج على شيزر فخرجت أدور به لعل أسرق حصانًا منهم،,"“And what is there between him and thee?” asked I. He replied, “As the army of the Franks were once encamped around Shayzar, I came out and made a tour around them, hoping to be able to steal one of their horses."
فلما أظلم الظلام مشيت إلى طوالة خيل بين يدي، وإذا هذا جالس بين يدي. فقال لي إلى أين؟ فلتاخذ حصانًا من هذه الطوالة.,"When darkness was complete, I walked towards a horses’ picket line [tuwalah] which stood before me and, behold, this man appeared in front of me and said, ‘Whereto?’ ‘To take a horse from this line,’ I replied."
قال وأنا من العشاء انظرها حتى تأخذ أنت الحصان! قلت لا تهذ.,"He said, ‘Have I been here since supper time, watching this very place so that thou mayest take the horse!’ ‘Don’t talk nonsense’ said I."
قال لا تغتر. والله ما أدعك تأخذ شيئًا. فما التفت إلى قوله ويممت إلى الطوالة. فقام وصاح بأعلى صوتهوافقري واخيبة تعبي وسهري.,"He replied, ‘Thou shalt not pass By Allah, I shall not let thee take anything.’ I paid no attention to what he said and started in the direction of the horses, upon which he stood up and shouted at the top of his voice: ‘Oh, poor me Oh, what a disappointment to my toil and watchfulness!’"
وصيح حتى خرج على الفرنج، فأما هو فطار، فطردوني حتى رميت نفسي في النهر، وما ظننت أني أسلم منهم،,"And he kept on shouting until the Franks came out to me. As for him, he fled away like a bird. The Franks pursued me until I threw myself into the river, and I never imagined that I would escape from them."
ولو لحقتهم كنت شربت دمه، وهو لص عظيم، وما تبع العسكر إلا يسرق منه.,"Had I caught him I would have gulped his blood. This man is a great brigand, and he had no object in pursuing thy troops except to steal from them.”"
فكان هذا الرجل يقول من يراهما في هذا يسرق رغيف خبز من بيته.,This al-Zamarrakal was a man of whom no one who ever saw him could say he was capable of stealing even a loaf of bread from his own home.
ومن عجيب ما اتفق في السرقة ان رجلا كان في خدمتي يقال له علي ابن الدودويه من اهل مثكير.,"One of the astonishing things that happened in the way of theft is the following:
There was a man in my service named ‘Ali ibn-al-Dudawayhi, originally an inhabitant of Muthkir."
ونزل يوما الإفرنج لعنهم الله على كفر طاب، وهي ذا ذاك لصلاح الدين محمد بن أيوب الغسياني رحمه الله.,"The Franks (may Allah’s curse be upon them!) one day camped around Kafartab, which then belonged to Salah-al-Din Muhammad ibn-Ayyub al-Ghisyani (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
فخرج هذا علي بن الدودوية، دار بهم وأخذ حصانًا ركبه وخرج من العسكر يركض،,"This ‘Ali ibn-al-Dudawayhi stole out, made a tour around them and took a horse which he mounted and rushed out of the camp galloping."
وهو يسمع الحس خلفه ويعتقد ان بعضهم ركب في طلبه، وهو مجد في الركض والحس خلفه.,"He heard some noise behind him and, taking it to mean that someone was pursuing him on horseback, he pressed his horse as much as he could, but the noise persisted behind him."
حتى ركض قدر فرسخين والحس معه. فالتفت يبصر ما خلفه في الظلام، وإذ بغلة كانت تألف الحصان قد قطعت مقودها وتبعته،,"He galloped a distance of two parasangs while the noise accompanied him. Finally he turned back to see what could be behind him in the dark, and, behold! a female mule, which had kept company with the horse, had broken its halter and was following the horse."
فوقف حتى شد فوطته في رأسها وأخذها وأصبح عندي في حماه بالحصان والبغله. وكان الحصان من أجود الخيل وأحسنها وأسبقها.,"‘Ali stopped long enough to fasten his handkerchief around the neck of the mule, which he took along. The next morning he was with me in Hamah, together with the horse and the mule. That horse was one of the finest breeds, one of the prettiest and swiftest among steeds."
كنت يومًا عند أتابك وهو يحاصر رفنية وقد استدعاني وقال لي يا فلان أي شيء في حصانك الذي خبيته؟ وكان قد بلغه خبر الحصان.,"One day as I was in the presence of the atabek, who was then laying siege to Rafaniyyah and who had summoned me to him, he said to me, “O Usamah [fulan], what has become of thy horse which thou hast kept in hiding?” The atabek had been told the story of the horse."
قلت لا والله يا مولاي ما لي حصان مخبى، حصني كلها في العسكر. قال فالحصان الإفرنجي؟,"“No, by Allah, O my lord,” said I, “I have no hidden horse. My horses are all in the army.” “And the Frankish horse?” asked he."
قلت حاضر قال انفذ أحضره أنفذت أحضرته وقلت للغلامامضي به إلى الإصطبل.,"“It is ready,” said I. “Then,” said he, “dispatch someone and bring it here.” I sent an attendant to fetch it and said to him, “Take it directly to the stable.”"
فقال أتابك اتركه الساعة عندك. ثم أصبح سبق، فسبق، وردته إلى اصطبلي،,"But the atabek said, “Let it stay for the time being with me.” The second morning the atabek rode the horse and made a race with other horses, which my horse won. He returned it to my stable."
وعاد استدعاه من البلد وسبق به فسبق فحملته إلى إصطبله.,"In the morning he ordered it brought out again and made another race, which it won too. Then I sent it into his stable."
وشاهدت في الحرب عند انتهاء المدة كان عندنا رجل من الجند يقال له رافع الكلابي، وهو فارس مشهور.,"In the battle which was the last to take place in this war, I witnessed the following event: We had a soldier named Rafi‘ al-Kilabi, a renowned cavalier."
اقتتلنا نحن وبنو قراجا وقد جمعوا لنا من التركمان وغيرهم وحشدوا وباسطناهم على فسحة من البلد،,"We were engaged in a fight with the banu-Qaraja, who had massed Turkomans and others against us and were all mustered to meet us. We encountered them in a place away from the town."
ثم تكاثروا علينا فرجعنا وبعضنا يحمي بعضا. وهذا رافع فيمن يحمي الأعقاب،,"They proved too numerous for us, so we returned while some of us were defending the others. This Rafi‘ was among those guarding the rear."
وهو لابس كزاغند وعلى رأسه خوذة بلا لئام. فالتفت لعله يرى فيهم فرصه فينحرف عليهم فضربه سهم كشما في حلقه ذبحه ووقع مكانه ميتًا.,"He was wearing a quilted jerkin and had on his head a helmet without a visor. He looked back in order to see whether he had a chance to halt and attack his pursuers. As he turned aside, a jagged arrow hit him and gashed his throat, thus slaying him. He fell dead on the spot."
وكذلك شاهدت شهاب الدين بن قراجا، وقد انصلح ما بيننا وبينه، وقد نفذ إلى عمي يقول لهتأمر أسامه يلقاني هو وفارس واحد إلى كرعة لنمضي نبصر موضعًا نكمن فيه لأفامية ونقاتلها.,"A similar episode I witnessed in the case of Shihab-al-Din Mahmud ibn-Qaraja. The differences between him and us having been reconciled, he dispatched a messenger to my uncle, saying to him, “Wilt thou order Usamah to meet me with one horseman at Kar‘ah [Lar‘ah?] so that we may go together and find a place where we can lie in ambush for the attack of Afamiyah?”"
فأمرني عمي بذلك فركبت ولقيته وأبصرنا الموضع. ثم اجتمع عسكرنا وعسكرة، وأنا على عسكر شيزر وهو في عسكره،,"My uncle having ordered me to go, I rode and met Shihab-al-Din. We made a reconnoitre of the available positions. Then his army and ours united, with myself leading the Shayzar army and he leading his."
وسرنا إلى افاميه ولقينا فارسهم وراجلهم في الخراب الذي لها وهو مكان لا يتصرف فيه الخيل من الحجارة والأعمدة وأصول الحيطان الخراب،,"We set out together to Afamiyah and encountered their [the Franks’] cavalry and infantry in the ruins in its vicinity. This was a place where horses could not move freely because of the stones, the columns and the lower parts of the walls which stood in ruins."
فعجزنا عن قلعهم من ذلك المكان. فقال لي رجل من جندنا تريد تكسرهم؟ قلتنعم.,"We therefore failed to dislodge the enemy from their position. Thereupon one of the troops said to me, “Wouldst thou rout them?” “Of course,” said I."
قال اقصد بنا باب الحصن. قلتسيروا. وندم القائل وعلم أنهم يدسونا ويجوزون إلى حصنهم،,"“Let’s direct ourselves,” said he, “to the gate of the castle.” “Start,” said I to the troops The one who made the suggestion repented and realized that the enemy could trample us under their feet and reach the castle before us."
فأراد أن يردني عن ذلك، فأبيت وقصدت الباب. فساعة ما رأنا الإفرنج قاصدين الباب عاد إلينا فارسهم وراجلهم فداسونا وجازوا.,"So he tried to dissuade me. But I refused and marched on in the direction of the gate. The moment the Franks saw us marching in the direction of the gate, their cavalry and infantry turned back against us, rode us down and passed us."
ترجل الفرسان داخل باب الحصن واطلعوا خيلهم إلى الحصن وصفوا عوالي قنطاريتهم في الباب،,The horsemen dismounted inside of the gate of the castle and sent their horses up to the castle. They arranged the iron heads of their lances in rows in the opening of the gate.
وأنا وصاحب لي من مولدي أبي رحمه الله، اسمه رافع بن سوتكين وقف تحت السور مقابل الباب وعلينا شيء كثير من الحجارة والنشاب،,"All this took place while I, with a comrade, one of the adopted slaves [muwallad] of my father (may Allah’s mercy rest up his soul!), whose name was Rafi‘ ibn-Sutakin, was standing under the wall facing the gate while stones and arrows were falling on us in great quantities."
وشهاب الدين واقوف في موكب بعيد منهم على خوف الأكراد. فقد طعن صاحب لنا يقال له حارثة النمري نسيب جمعة في صدر فرسه طعنه معترضة.,"In the meantime, Shihab-al-Din was standing at a distance at the head of a detachment, for fear of the Kurds. One of our companions, named Harithah al-Numayri, a relative of Jum’ah, received in the chest of his horse a blow of a lance coming sideways."
ونزلت القنطاريه في الفرس فتخبطت حتى وقعت القنطاريه منها ووقعت جلده صدرها جميعها فبقيت مسبلة على أعضادها.,"The lance pierced the mare, which struggled until the lance fell off. The whole skin of the chest peeled off and remained suspended on the forelegs of the mare."
وشهاب الدين بمعزل عن القتال، فجاء سهم من الحصن فضربه في الجانب عظم زنده، فما دخل في جانب عظم زنده مقدار طول شعيرة.,"Shihab-al-Din, who held aloof from the combat, received an arrow from the castle, which struck in the bone of his lower arm. But it did not penetrate in the side of that bone as much as the length of a grain of barley."
فجاءني رسوله يقول لا تزل مكانك حتى تجمع الناس الذين تفرقوا في البلد، فأنا قد جرحت أحس الجرح في قلبي وأنا راجع فاحفظ أنت الناس.,"His messenger then came to me, saying in his behalf, “Leave not thy post until thou hast rallied all our men now scattered over the town, for I am wounded and I feel as if the wound were in my very heart. I am going back. Watch for our men.”"
ومضى رجعت أنا بالناس نزلت على برج خريبه. وكان الإفرنج عليه ديبان يكشفان إذا أردنا الغارة على أفامية.,Shihab-al-Din went away and I led our men back and halted at Burj Khuraybah Musfan. The Franks had installed in it a sentinel to spy us at a distance in case we intended to make a raid against Afamiyah.
ووصلت العصر إلى شيزر وشهاب الدين في دار والدي يريد يحل جرحه ويداويه، وعمي قد منعه وقال والله ما تحل جرحك إلا في دارك.,"Late in the afternoon, I arrived in Shayzar and found Shihab-al-Din in the home of my father trying to take the bandage off his wound and treat it. But my uncle prevented him, saying, “By Allah, thou shalt not take the bandage off thy wound except in thine own home.”"
قال أنا في دار والدي – يعني الوالد رحمه الله. قال إذا وصلت دارك وبرأ جرحك دار والدك بحكمك.,"Shihab-al-Din replied, “lam now in my father’s home” (thus referring to my own father — may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). “Well,” said my uncle, “when thou hast arrived in thine own home and thy wound is healed, then shall thy father’s home be at thy disposal.”"
فركب المغرب وسار حماه فأقام الغد وبعد غد ثم اسودت يده وغاب عنه رشده ومات، وما كان به الإفراغ الأجل.,"Accordingly, Shihab-al-Din mounted his horse at sunset and started for Hamah. There he spent the second day and the day following, after which his arm turned black and he lost consciousness. Then he died. What happened to him was nothing but the ending of his predetermined days."
وشاهدت من الطعنات العظيمة طعنه طعنها فارس من الإفرنج، خذلهم الله فارس من أجنادنا يقال له سابه بن قنيب كلابي قطع له ثلاثة أضلاع من جانبه اليسار وثلاثة أضلاع من جانبه الأيمن وضرب شفار الحربة مرفقه ففصله كما يفصل الجزار المفصل ومات لساعته.,"One of the terrible lance thrusts I witnessed was one administered by a Frankish knight (may Allah render them [the Franks] helpless!) to one of our cavaliers, named Sabah ibn-Qunayb of the Kilabi tribe, which cut three of his ribs on the left side, and hit with its sharp edge his elbow, cutting it in two just as the butcher cuts a joint. He died on the spot."
وطعن رجل من أجنادنا كردي يقال له مياح فارسًا من الإفرنج ادخل قطعه من الزرد في جوفه وقتله. ثم ان الإفرنج غاروا علينا بعد أيام،,"One of our troops, a Kurd named Mayyah, smote a Frankish knight with a lance, which made a piece of the link in his coat of chain mail penetrate into his abdomen, and killed him. A few days later, the Franks made a raid against us."
ومياح قد تزوج وخرج وهو لابس وفوق درعه ثوب احمر من ثياب العروس قد تشهر به فطعنه فارس من الإفرنج فقتله رحمه الله. يا قرب مأتمه من العرس!,"Mayyah, who had just been married, went out to meet them with full armor but wearing over his coat of mail a red garment of his bridal clothes, making himself especially conspicuous. A Frankish knight smote him with a lance and killed him (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). O, how close to his funeral was his wedding!"
"فذكرت به الخبر عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وقد انشد قول قيس بن الخطيم:
أجا لدهم يوم الحفيظة حاسرًا *** كان يدي بالسيف مخراق لاعب","His case brought to my memory the following story related about the Prophet (may Allah’s blessing and peace rest upon him!). Somebody recited before him this verse by Qays ibn-al-Khatim:
I kept on struggling against them on the day of combat while uncovered,
With the sword in my hand like a toy in the hand of a player."
فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم للحاضرين من الأنصار رضي الله عنهم  هل حضر أحد منكم يوم الحديقة “؟”,"The Prophet (may Allah’s blessing and peace rest upon him!) asked those of the Ansars (may Allah’s favor rest upon them!) who were present, “Did any one of you take part in the battle of al-Hadiqah?”"
فقال رجل منهم أنا حضرته يا رسول الله عليك وسلم وحضره قيس بن الخطيم وهو قريب عهد بالعرس وعليه ملاءة حمراء فوالذي بعثك بالحق لقد عمل في قتاله كما قال عن نفسه.,"One of them replied, “I was present then, O Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessing and peace rest upon thee! Qays ibn-al-Khatim also was present, and, being newly married, he had on him a red mantle. And by him who sent thee on a mission of truth, Qays conducted himself during the fight exactly as he has said about himself.”"
ومن عجائب الطعن ان رجلا من الأكراد يقال له حمدات كان قديم الصحبة قد سافر مع والدي رحمه الله إلى اصبهان إلى دركاه السلطان ملكشاه.,Another marvelous thrust of the lance is the following: There was a Kurd named Hamadat who had been bound to us by old bonds of friendship and who had journeyed with my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) to Ispahan to the court of Sultan Malik-Shah.
فكبر وضعف بصره ونشأ له أولاد.,But now he had become old and his eyesight had become weak. His children were grown.
فقال له عمي عز الدين رحمه الله يا حمدات كبرت وضعفت، ولك علينا حق وخدمه، فلو لزمت مسجدك وكان له مسجد على باب داره واثبتنا أولادك في الديوان ويكون لك أنت كل شهر ديناران وحمل دقيق وأنت في مسجدك.,"My uncle, ‘Izz-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), said to him:
O Hamadat, thou hast aged and become feeble. Thou hast claims on us because of thy service. If thou wilt only keep to thy mosque (he owned a mosque next to the door of his house), we will register thy children on the books with those receiving stipends Thou shalt also receive two dinars per month and a load of flour, as long as thou keepest to thy mosque."
قال افعل يا أمير. فأجري له ذلك مديدة. ثم جاء إلى عمي وقال يا أمير والله لا تطاوعني نفسي على القعود في البيت وقتلي على فرسي أشهى إلي من الموت على فرشي.,"“I shall do so, O amir,” replied Hamadat. This arrangement was carried out for a short time only, at the end of which he came to my uncle and said, “O amir! By Allah, I cannot force myself to stay indoors all the time. To be killed on my horse is more desirable to me than to die on my bed.”"
قال الأمر لك وأمر برد ديوانه عليه كما كان. فما مضى إلا الأيام القلائل حتى غار علينا السرداني صاحب طرابلس.,"“Do as thou pleasest,” replied my uncle, who gave orders that the old stipend for Hamadat as a soldier be reassigned to him. Only a few days had passed after this, when the count of Cerdagne, the lord of Tripoli, made an incursion against us."
ففزع الناس إليهم وحمدات في جملة الروع، فوقف على رفعة من الأرض مستقبل القبله.,Our men rushed to the encounter and Hamadat was among those who rushed. He took his post on an elevation of the ground and faced south [al-qiblah].
فحمل عليه فارس من الإفرنج من غربيه فصاح إليه بعض اصحبنا يا حمدات فلتفت، فرأى الفارس قاصده،,"As he stood there, a Frankish cavalier attacked him from the west. One of our comrades, seeing him, shouted, “O Hamadat!” So he looked around and saw a horseman headed towards him."
فرد رأس فرسه شمالا ومسك رمحه بيده وسدده إلى صدر الإفرنجي فطعنه فنفذ الرمح منه،,"He immediately turned the head of his mare northward and, holding his lance with his hand, he thrust it straight into the chest of the Frank. He hit him so hard that the lance transpierced him."
فرجع الإفرنجي متعلقًا برقبة حصانه في أخر رمقه. فلما انقضى القتال قال حمدات لعمي يا أمير لو أن حمدات كان في المسجد من طعن هذه الطعنة؟,"The Frank went back, hanging to the neck of the horse and breathing his last breath. When the battle was over, Hamadat said to my uncle, “O amir, had Hamadat been in the mosque, who would then have struck this blow?”"
"فاذكرني قول الفند الزماني
أيا طعنه ما شيخ *** كبير يفنى بالي
تفتيت بها إذ *** كره الشكة أمثالي","This reminded me of something which al-Find al-Zimmani had said:
O, what a thrust from a sheikh,
Aged, decrepit and decayed!
I was rejuvenated by it,
While those of my age have no desire for arms."
وكان الفند قد كبر وحضر القتال فطعن فارسين مقتربين فرماهما جميعًا.,This al-Find was already an aged man when he took part in a battle in the course of which he struck with one blow of his lance two horsemen approaching him and felled them both dead.
وقد كان جرى لنا مثل ذلكوهو ان فلاحًا من العلاة جاء يركض إلى أبي وعمي رحمهما الله، قال شاهدت سربة إفرنج تائهين قد جاءوا من البرية لو خرجتم إليهم آخذتموهم.,"Something similar had happened to us previous to that. A farmer from al-‘Alah came running to my father and uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) and said, “I have seen a detachment of the Franks astray, coming from the direction of the desert. If ye set out against them ye shall capture them.”"
فركب ابي وعماي خرجوا بالعسكر إلى السربة التائه وإذا به السرداني صاحب طرابلس في ثلاثمئة فارس ومائتين تركبولي وهم رماة الإفرنج.,"My father and two paternal uncles immediately mounted their horses and marched at the head of the troops to meet the lost detachment. And, lo! that was the count of Cerdagne, the lord of Tripoli, at the head of three hundred horsemen and two hundred Turcopoles, the latter the archers of the Franks."
فلما رأوا اصحبنا ركبوا خيلهم أطلقوا على أصحابنا هزموهم وتموا يطردونهم،,"As soon as they saw our companions, they mounted their horses, charged our troops at full speed, routed them and pursued them for a long distance."
فاحرف عليهم مملوك لوالدي يقال له ياقوت الطويل وأبي وعمي رحمهما الله يريانه، فطعن فارسا منهم إلى جانبه فارس آخر وهما يتبعان أصحابنا فرمى الفارسين والفرسين.,"A mameluke belonging to my father, Yaqut al-Tawil by name, swerved and turned back on his pursuers — as my father and uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls) were looking at him — and smote with his lance a horseman of theirs, who together with another horseman by his side were pursuing our comrades. Both horsemen and both horses fell down."
وكان هذا الغلام كثير التخليط والزلات لا يزال قد فعل فعلة يجب تأديبه عليها.,"This slave was one addicted to appropriating money for himself illicitly and to committing other wrong deeds, for one of which my father was going to discipline him."
فكلما هم والدي به وبتأديبه يقول عمييا أخي بحياتك هب لي ذنبه ولاتنس له تلك الطعنه فيصفح عنه لكلام أخيه.,"But every time my father proposed to discipline him, my uncle would say, “O my brother, by thy life, grant me his guilt, and forget not that lance thrust!” My father would then pardon him because of the intercession of his brother."
وكان حمدات الذي تقدم ذكره ظريف الحديث، حدثني والدي رحمه الله قالقلت لحمدات ونحن سائرون في طريق أصبهان سحرًا، أمير حمدات أكلت اليوم شيئًا؟,"This aforementioned Hamadat was a most interesting conversationalist. My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) related to me the following story: One early morning as we were journeying on the way to Ispahan, I said to Hamadat, “O Amir Hamadat, hast thou eaten anything today?”"
قال نعم يا أمير أكلت ثريدة قال ركبنا في الليل وما نزلنا ولا أوقدنا نارًا، من أين لك الثريدة؟,"He replied, “Yes, amir. I have eaten a sop” I said to him, “We have been riding through the night, we did neither alight nor strike a fire. How didst thou then get that sop?”"
قال يا أمير عملتها في فمي اخلط في فمي الخبز واشرب عليه الماء يصير كالثريدة.,"“O amir,” he replied, “I have made it in my mouth I would mix up the bread in my mouth with the water which I would drink on top of it and that would result in something like a sop.”"
وكان الوالد رحمه الله كثير المباشرة للحرب وفي بدنه جراح هائلة ومات على فراشه،,My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was greatly addicted to warfare. His body bore scars of terrible wounds. And withal he died on his own bed.
وحضر يوما القتال وهو لابس وعليه خوذه إسلامية بآنف فزرقه رجل بحربه – وكان معظم قتاله مع العرب في ذلك الزمان فوقعت الحربة في أنف الخوذة،,"One day he took part in a battle in full armor, wearing on his head a Moslem helmet with a nasal. Someone (in that period their combats were generally with the Arabs) launched a javelin at him, which struck the nasal of the helmet."
فأنطوى وادمى انفه ولم يؤذيه. ولو كان قدر سبحانه ان يميل المزراق عن أنف الخوذه أهلكه،,"The nasal bent and made my father’s nose bleed, but it caused him no harm. But if Allah (praise be to his name!) had decreed that the javelin should deviate from the helmet’s nasal, then it would have killed him."
وضرب مرة أخرى بنشابة في ساقه وفي خفه دشني فوقع السهم في الدشن فانكسر فيه ولم يجرحه، هذا الحسن دفاع الله تعالى.,"On another occasion he was hit with an arrow in his leg. In his slipper he had a dagger. The arrow struck the dagger and was broken on it, without even wounding him — thanks to the excellent protection of Allah (exalted is he)."
وشهد رحمه الله يوم الأحد تاسع وعشرين شوال سنة سبع وتسعين وأربعمئة مع سيف الدولة خلف بن ملاعب الأشهبي صاحب أفامية بأرض كفر طاب.,"He (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) took part in a fight on Sunday, the twenty-ninth of Shawwal, in the year 497, against Sayf-al-Dawlah Khalaf ibn-Mula‘ib al-Ashhabi, the lord of Afamiyah, in the territory of Kafartab."
فلبس جوشنه، وعجل الغلام عن طرح كلاب الجوشن من الجانب فجائه خشت فضربه في ذلك الموضع الذي أخل الغلام بسترة فوق بزه الأيسر خرج الخشت من فوق بزه الأيمن،,"He put on his byrnie, but the attendant in his haste neglected to fasten its hook on the side. A pike hit him right in the place which the attendant had failed to cover up, just above his left breast, and issued from above his right breast."
فكانت أسباب السلامة لما جرت بها المشيئة من العجب، والجرح لما قدره الله سبحانه من العجب.,"The causes of his safety were due to what Providence had seen fit to execute in the way of marvels, just as the infliction of the wound was in accordance with what Allah (worthy of admiration is he’) had decreed in the way of marvels."
فطعن رحمه الله في ذلك اليوم فارسًا أحرف حصانه وثنى يده برمحه وجذبه من المطعون.,"On that same day my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) smote a cavalier with his lance, made his own horse shy a little to one side, bent his arm while holding the lance and withdrew the lance from the victim."
فحدثني قال حسست شيئًا قد لذع زندي، فظننته من حرارة صفائح الجوشن، إلا أن رمحي سقط من يدي، فردتها فإذا قد طعنت في يدي وقد استرخت لقطع شيء من الأعصاب،,"Relating this story to me, he said:
I felt something biting my forearm. I took it to be caused by the heat from the vambrace of the byrnie. But my lance fell from my hand I turned my arm to see, and all of a sudden realized that I had been pierced with a lance in my forearm, which weakened because of the cutting off of some of the nerves."
فحضرته يرحمه الله وزيد الجرائحي يداوي جرحه وعلى رأسه غلام واقف،,I was present with him (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) when Zayd the surgeon was dressing his wound and an attendant was standing behind his head.
فقاليا زيد اخرج هذه الحصاة من الجرح، فما كلمه الجرائحي فعاد فقال يا زيد ما تبصر هذه الحصاة؟ ما تزيلها من الجراح!,"My father said, “O Zayd, extract this pebble from the wound.” The surgeon made no reply. He repeated and said, “Seest thou not this pebble? Wilt thou not remove it from the wound?”"
فلما أضجره قالأين الحصاة؟ هذا رأس عصب قد انقطع. وكان بالحقيقة ابيض كأنه حصاة من حصا الفرات.,"Annoyed by his insistence, the surgeon said, “Where is the pebble? This is the end of a nerve that has been cut off.” In reality it was white as though it were one of the pebbles of the Euphrates."
وأصابه ذلك اليوم طعنه أخرى وسلم الله حتى مات على فراشه رحمه الله يوم الاثنين ثامن شهر رمضان سنه إحدى وثلاثين وخمس مئة.,"My father received on that day another lance thrust. But Allah spared him until he died on his own bed (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) on Monday, the twelfth of Ramadan, in the year 531."
وكان يكتب خطًا مليحًا، فما غيرت تلك الطعنة من خطه، وكان لا ينسخ سوى القرآن،,"My father wrote a magnificent hand, which that lance thrust did not affect. But he used to copy nothing except the Koran."
فسألته يومًا فقلتيا مولاي كم كتبت ختمه؟ قال الساعة تعلمون. فلما حضرته الوفاة قال: في ذلك الصندوق مساطر، كتبت على كل مسطرة ختمة ضعوها -يعني المساطر- تحت خدي في القبر”.”,"One day I asked him, “O my lord, how many full copies of the Koran hast thou made?” To this he replied, “Before long ye shall know.” When he was on the point of death, he said, “In that box are different copies, each one of which contains the Koran in full. Place them (referring to the copies) under my cheek in the grave.”"
فعددناها فكانت ثلاثًا وأربعين مسطرة. فكانت كتب بعدتها ختمات،,"We counted them and they turned out to be forty-three copies, each containing the full text."
منها ختمة كبيره ختمها بالذهب وكتب فيها علوم القرآن قراأته وغريبة وعربيته وناسخه ومنسوخة وتفسيره وسبب نزوله وفقهه،,"One of the copies was a huge one which he wrote in gold and in which he included all the sciences of the Koran — its different readings, its obscure terms, its Arabic style and grammar, its abrogating and abrogated passages, its commentary, reasons for its revelation, and its jurisprudence."
بالحبر والحمرة والزرقة، وترجمه بالتفسير الكبير.,"This copy, which he styled al-Tafsir al-Kabir [the great commentary], was written in black ink alternating with red and blue."
وكتب ختمه أخرى بالذهب مجردة من التفسير، وباقي الختمات بالحبر مذهبة الأعشار والأخماس والآيات ورؤوس السور ورؤوس الأجزاء.,"Another copy he transcribed with letters of gold, but this had no commentary. The rest of the copies were written in black ink with the following in gold: the first words of the tenth and fifth parts of the book, the number of verses, the first word of the surahs, the titles of the surahs and the headings of the sections."
وما يقتضي الكتاب ذكر هذا وإنما ذكرته لا يستدعي له ممن وقف عليه.,My book does not require the mention of this fact. But I did mention it in order to appeal to those who read my book to solicit Allah’s mercy upon my father.
"غلام يفدي مولاه
أعود إلى ما تقدم. وفي ذلك اليوم أصاب غلام كان لعمي عز الدولة أبي المرهف نصر رحمه الله يقال له موفق الدولة شمعون طعنه عظيمة التقاها دون عمي عز الدين أبي العساكر سلطان رحمه الله.","I shall now return to the subject which I was treating before. In the course of that day, an attendant who belonged to my paternal uncle, ‘Izz-al-Dawlah abu-al-Murhaf Nasr (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), and whose name was Muwaffaq-al-Dawlah Sham‘un, received a terrific blow from a lance to which he exposed himself in behalf of my other paternal uncle ‘Izz-al-Din abu-al-‘Asakir Sultan (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
واتفق ان عمي أرسله رسولًا إلى الملك رضوان بن تاج الدولة تتش إلى حلب،,It happened that my uncle [Sultan] later sent this attendant on a mission to King Ridwan ibn-Taj-al-Dawlah Tutush in Aleppo.
فلما حضر بين يديه قال لغلمانه مثل هذا يكون الغلمان وأولاد الحلال في حق مواليهم.,"When Sham‘un presented himself before Ridwan, the latter said to his attendants, “Like unto this one should all attendants and honest persons be in their duties towards their masters!”"
وقال لشمعون حدثهم حديثك أيام والدي وما فعلته مع مولاك.,"And then he said to Sham’un, “Relate to them thy story in the days of my father and what thou didst for thy master.”"
فقال يا مولانا بالأمس حضرت القتال مع مولاي فحمل عليه فارس يطعنه، فدخلت بينه وبين مولاي لأفديه بنفسي فطعنني، قطع من أضلاعي ضلعين وهما -ونعمتك- عندي قمطرة.,"Sham’un said: O our lord, the other day I took part with my master in a battle. Some cavalier charged upon him to smite him with the lance. I immediately interfered between him and my master in order to redeem my master with my own life. So the cavalier hit me and cut off two of my ribs. These ribs, I swear by thy grace, I still keep in a casket."
فقال له الملك رضوانوالله ما أعطيك الجواب حتى تنفذ تحضر القمطرة والأضلاع.,"Hearing this, King Ridwan said to him, “By Allah, I shall give thee no answer to thy mission until thou hast sent and fetched that casket with the ribs.”"
فأقام عنده وأرسل من أحضر القمطرة وفيها عظمان من أضلاعه. فعجب رضوان من ذلك وقال لأصحابهكذا اعملوا في خدمتي.,"Accordingly, Sham’un tarried with the king and sent someone to fetch the casket. And there were in it two bones of his ribs. Ridwan, struck with amazement, said to his followers, “Do ye likewise in my service.”"
فأما الأمر الذي سأله عنه أيام والده تاج الدولة فإن جدي سديد الملك أبا الحسن علي بن مقلد بن نصر بن منقذ رحمه الله سير ولده عز الدولة نصرًا رحمه الله إلى خدمته تاج الدولة وهو معسكر بظاهر حلب.,"As for the event about which Ridwan had asked Sham’un and which happened in the days of his father, Taj-al-Dawlah, it is this: My grandfather, Sadid-al-Mulk abu-al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn-Muqallad ibn-Nasr ibn-Munqidh (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), sent his son, ‘Izz-al-Dawlah Nasr (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), to the service of Taj-al-Dawlah, who was then encamping in the suburbs of Aleppo."
فقبض عليه واعتقله ووكل به من يحفظه، وكان لا يدخل إليه سوى مملوكه هذا شمعون والموكلون حول الخيمة.,"Tutush seized him and put him in jail, intrusting his keep to a special guard. Nobody was allowed admission to him except this mameluke of his, Sham’un, who would be admitted while the guard would be standing around the tent."
فكتب عمي إلى أبيه رحمهما الله يقول تنفذ لي في الليلة الفلانيه وعينها قوم من أصحابه ذكرهم وخيل أركبها إلى الموضع الفلاني.,"My uncle wrote to his father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) to this effect: “Thou shalt dispatch to me on such and such a night (which he designated) so and so of my companions (whom he named), together with horses, which I could ride to such and such a place.”"
فلما كانت تلك الليلة دخل شمعون خلع ثيابه فلبسها مولاه وخرج على الموكلين في الليل، فما أنكره،,"When that night came, Sham’un entered the tent and took off his clothes, which his master put on. The latter went out and passed by the night guard without arousing their suspicion."
ومضى إلى أصحابه وركب وسار، ونام شمعون في فراشه.,"He marched on until he joined his companions, upon which he mounted his horse and went away. As for Sham’un, he slept in his master’s bed."
وجرت العادة أن يجيئه شمعون في السحر بوضوئه فكان رحمه الله من الزهاد القائمين ليلهم يتلون كتاب الله تعالى،,"It was customary for Sham’un to bring to his master early every morning water for his ablutions, he (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) being one of those ascetics who spent their nights reciting the Book of Allah (exalted is he!)."
فلا أصبحوا لم يروا شمعون دخل كعادته دخلوا الخيمة فوجدوا شمعون وعز الدولة قد راح،,"When the guard, therefore, awoke in the morning and did not notice Sham‘un come in, according to his custom, they entered the tent and found Sham’un — ‘Izz-al-Dawlah having disappeared."
فانهوا ذلك إلى تاج الدولة فأمر بإحضاره، فلما حضر بين يديه قال كيف عملت؟,"They reported the case to Taj-al-Dawlah, who ordered that Sham’un be brought into his presence. When the latter presented himself, Taj-al-Dawlah asked, “How didst thou do it?”"
قال أعطيت مولاي ثيابي لبسها وراح ونمت أنا في فراشه قال وما خشيت أن أضرب رقبتك؟,"Sham’un replied, “I gave my clothes to my master, who put them on and went away while I slept in his bed.” Taj-al-Dawlah said, “And wert thou not afraid that I would strike off thy head?”"
قال يا مولاي إذا ضربت رقبتي وسلم مولاي وعاد إلى بيته فأنا السعيد بذلك، ما اشتراني ورباني إلا لأفديه بنفسي.,"Sham’un replied, “O my lord, if thou strikest off my head, and my master escapes and returns to his home, then I am happy indeed on account of it. He did not buy me and bring me up except to redeem him with my own life.”"
فقال تاج الدولة رحمه الله لحاجبه سلم إلى هذا الغلام خيل مولاة ودابته وخيامه وجميع ركبه وسير يتبع صاحبه.,"Taj-al-Dawlah (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) then said to his chamberlain, “Deliver to this retainer the horses, beasts of burden, tents and all the baggage of his master and let him go and follow him.”"
وما أنكر عليه وما احنقه ما فعل في خدمت مولاه، فهذا الذي قال له رضوان حدث أصحابي ما عملته أيام والدي مع مولاك.,"Taj-al-Dawlah set no blame on him, nor cherished the least anger for what he had accomplished in the service of his master. It was this episode which Ridwan meant when he said to Sham‘un, “Relate to my companions what thou didst for thy master in the days of my father.”"
أعود إلى حديث الحرب المقدم ذكرها مع ابن ملاعب.,I shall now return to the story of the aforementioned battle with ibn-Mula’ib.
وجرح عمي عز الدولة رحمه الله في ذلك اليوم عده جراح منها طعنه طعنها في جفن عينيه السفلاني من ناحية المأق،,"My uncle, ‘Izz-al-Dawlah (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) received on that day a number of wounds, one of which was inflicted by a lance in the lower eyelid near the inner corner of the eye."
ونشب الرمح في المأزق عند مؤخر العين فسقط الجفن جميعه وبقي معلقا بجلده من مؤخر العين،,The lance pierced through the eyelid to the outer corner. The whole eyelid fell down and remained suspended with its skin at the outer corner of the eye.
والعين تلعب لا تستقر، وأنما الجفون التي تمسك العين،,"And the eye kept all the time moving, being unable to settle in any definite position, for it is the eyelid which holds the eye in its proper place."
فخاطبها الجرائحي وداواها فعادت كحالها الأوله لا تعرف العين المطعونة من الأخرى.,"The surgeon sewed the eye and treated it, and it returned to its former position; so much so that the stabbed eye could not be distinguished from the other one."
وكانا رحمهما الله من أشجع قومهما، ولقد شهدتهما يوما وقد خرجا إلى الصيد بالبزاة نحو تل ملح وهناك طير ماء كثير،,These two [my father and my uncle] (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) were among the bravest of their people. One day I was in their company when they went out in the direction of Tell-Milh for the hunt with the falcons.
فما شعرنا إلا وعسكر طرابلس قد أغار على البلد ووقفوا عليه،,That place abounded with waterfowl. Suddenly we became aware that the army of Tripoli [Tarabulus] had arrived on an incursion against our upper town and was already camping outside of it.
فرجعنا وكان الوالد من أثر المرض، فأما عمي فخف بمن معه من العسكر وسار حتى عبر المخاض إلى الإفرنج وهم يرونه،,"We immediately returned home. My father was just recuperating from sickness. As for my uncle, he hurried with the troops he had and marched until he crossed the river at the ford towards the Franks, who were keeping an eye on him."
وأما الوالد فسار والحصان يخب به وأنا معه صبي وفي يده سفرجله يمتص منها،,"And in regard to my father, he also started, riding on a trotting horse and holding in his hand a quince from which he was sucking, while I, as a lad, was accompanying him."
فلما دنونا من الإفرنج قال لي أمض أنت أدخل من السكر وعبر هو من ناحية الإفرنج.,"As we approached the Franks, he said to me, “Go by thyself and enter by the dam.” But he crossed the river from the side where the Franks were."
ومره أخرى شاهدته وقد أغارت علينا خيل محمود بن قراجا، ونحن على فسحه من البلد،,"On another occasion I observed my father, as the horsemen of Mahmud ibn-Qaraja made an assault upon us while we were at some distance from our town."
وخيل محمود أقرب إليه منها، وأنا قد حضرت القتال ومارست الحرب، فلبست كزاغندي وركبت حصاني وأخذت رمحي، وهو رحمه الله على بغلة.,"The horsemen of Mahmud were closer to it than we were. I was myself taking part in that battle, having then become well experienced in warfare, wearing my quilted jerkin and riding on my horse with my lance in my hand, while he (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was mounted on a female mule."
فقلت يا مولاي ما تركب حصانك! قال بلى وسار كما هو غير منزعج ولا مستعجل، وأنا لخوفي عليه ألح عليه في ركوبه حصانه إلى أن وصلنا إلى البلدة وهو على بغلته،,"So I said, “O my lord, dost thou not want to ride thy horse?” “Certainly,” he replied, and advanced just as he was, unperturbed and unhurried; while I, fearing for his safety, was insisting that he should mount his horse. He continued on his mule until we got to the town."
فلما عاد أولئك وأمنا قلت يا مولاي ترى العدو قد حال بيننا وبين البلد وأنت لا تركب بعض جنائبك وأنا أخاطبك فلا تسمع!,"When the enemy went back and we felt safe, I said to my father, “Thou didst see the enemy standing between us and the upper town and still thou didst refuse to ride one of the extra horses led at thy side by a halter, while I was all the time addressing thee and thou didst pay no attention!”"
قال يا ولدي، في طالعي أنني لا ارتاع. وكان رحمه الله له اليد الطولى في النجوم مع ورعه ودينه وصومه الدهر وتلاوة القرآن،,"Then he said, “O my child, it is in my horoscope that I should feel no fear.”
In fact my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was well versed in the science of the stars, in spite of his great piety and religion and his habit of continual fasting and reciting the Koran."
وكان يحرضني على معرفة علم النجوم فآبى وأمتنع، فيقول فاعرف أسماء النجوم ما يطلع منها ويغرب. وكان يريني النجوم ويعرفني أسماءها.,"He always urged me to study the science of the stars, but I would refuse and hold back. So he would say, “At least thou shouldst know the names of those stars which rise and set.” He used to point out to me the stars and acquaint me with their names."
ورأيت من أقدام الرجال ونخواتهم في الحرب أنا أصبحنا وقت صلاة الصبح رأينا سربه من الإفرنج نحوا من عشرة فوارس جاءوا إلى باب المدينة قبل أن يفتح.,"Here is something of men’s intrepidity and gallantry in warfare which I saw: One day we arose early in the morning at the time of the dawn prayer only to find a band of Franks, about ten cavaliers, who had come to the gate of the lower town before it was opened."
فقالوا للبواب أي شيء اسم هذا البلد؟ والباب خشب بينهما عوارض وهو داخل الباب. قال شيزر.,"They asked the gatekeeper, “What is the name of this town?” The gate was of wood with beams running across, and the gatekeeper was inside of the gate. “Shayzar,” he replied."
فرموه بنشاب من خلل الباب ورجعوا وخيلهم تخب بهم.,"The Franks thereupon shot an arrow at him through the crack of the door, and they turned back with their horses trotting under them."
فركبنا فكان عمي رحمه الله أول راكب وأنا معه والإفرنج رائحون غير منزعجين،,"So we mounted our horses. My uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was the first to ride, and I was in his company; while the Franks were marching along unworried."
يلحقنا من الجند نفر، فقلت لعمي: على أمرك آخذ أصحابنا واتبعهم اقلعهم وهم غير بعيدين”. قال: “لا”، وكان أخبر مني بالحرب.”,"A few of our troops came following us. I said to my uncle, “Command only, and I shall take our companions, pursue the enemy and dislodge them from their saddles as long as they are not so far away.” “No,” replied my uncle, who was more of an expert in warfare than I was."
في الشام إفرنجي لا يعرف شيزر؟ هذه مكيدة. ودعا فارسين من الجند على فرسين سوابق وقال أمضيا اكشفا تل ملح، وكان مكمنا للإفرنج.,"“Is there a Frank in Syria who knows not Shayzar? This is a ruse.” He then called two of our cavaliers riding on two swift mares and said, “Go and reconnoitre Tell-Milh.” This was the place where the Franks usually laid their ambuscade."
فلما شارفاه خرج عليها عسكر انطاكيه جميعه فأستقبنا متسرعيهم نريد الفرصه فيهم قبل ركود الحرب،,"As soon as our two men were in a position overlooking the Tell, the army of Antioch set out against them en masse. We hastened to the encounter of those who were in the vanguard, desiring to take advantage of them before the battle was over."
ومعنا جمعه النميري وابنه محمود وجمعه فارسنا وشيخنا، فوقع ابنه محمود في وسطهم فصاح جمعه يا فرسان الخيل! ولدي!,"In our company were Jum’ah al-Numayri and his son, Mahmud. In fact, Jum’ah was our leading cavalier and our sheikh. His son, Mahmud, somehow got into the midst of the ranks of the enemy. And Jum’ah cried, “O real cavaliers! My boy!”"
فرجعنا معه في سته عشر فارسا طعنا سته عشر فارسا من الفرنج وأخذنا صاحبنا من بينهم،,"So we went back with him, numbering sixteen cavaliers, smote with our lances sixteen Frankish knights and carried back our comrade from among them."
اختلطنا نحن وهم حتى أخذ واحد رأس ابن جمعه تحت إبطه فخلص ببعض تلك الطعنات.,"We got so much mixed up with them in the course of the encounter that the head of Jum’ah was held under the armpit of one of them, but he was soon delivered by those lance blows which we administered."
ومع هذا فلا يثق إنسان بشجاعته ولا يعجب بأقدامه،,"With all that, one should not put too much trust in his own courage, nor take too much pride in his own intrepidity."
فوالله لقد سرت مع عمي رحمه الله أغرنا على أفامية، وأتفق أن رجالها خرجوا ليسيروا قافلة فسيروها وعادوا، ونحن لقيناهم.,"By Allah, I once set out with my uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) on an incursion against Afamiyah. It so happened that its men, who had gone out to see a caravan off, had done so and were on their way back when we came across them."
فقتلنا منهم قدر عشرين رجلًا، ورأيت جمعة النميري رحمه الله وفيه نصف قنطارية قد طعن بها في لبد السرج وخرج الرمح من البداد إلى فخذه ونفذ إلى خلفه فانكسرت القنطارية فيه.,"We killed about twenty of their men. My eyes fell upon Jum’ah al-Numayri (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) with half a lance shaft thrust into him. The lance struck the pad of the saddle, went through the stuffed lining beneath the saddle, hit his thigh and pierced it to its back part, where the lance broke."
فراعني ذلك. فقاللا بأس، أنا سالم. ومسك سنان القنطارية وجذبها منه وهو وفرسه سالمان.,"I was alarmed at the sight. But he said, “Fear not. I am safe.” Then holding the point of the lance, he drew it out of him, while he and his horse were perfectly safe."
فقلتيا أبا محمود اشتهي أتقرب من الحصن أبصره. قال سر. فرحت أنا وهو نخب فرسينا، فلما أشرفنا على الحصن إذا من الإفرنج ثمانية من الفرسان وقوف على الطريق،,"I said to him, “O abu-Mahmud, I wish I could come near the castle and see it well.” “Start,” said he. So we both started with our horses trotting under us until we got to a point from which we clearly saw the castle, and behold! eight [Frankish] cavaliers were posted on our road."
وهي مشرفة على الميدان من ارتفاع لا ينزل منه إلا من تلك الطريق.,"The castle stood on an elevation which overlooked the square, from which we could not descend except by following that road."
فقال لي جمعة قف حتى أريك ما أصنع فيهم. قلت ما هذا أنصاف، بل نحمل عليهم أنا وأنت.,"Jum’ah said to me, “Stop, that I may show thee what I can do with them.” I replied, “This is not fair. We should rather make an open assault on them, both thou and I.”"
قال سر، فحملنا عليهم فهزمناهم ورجعنا نحن نرى إنا قد فعلنا شيئًا ما يقدر يفعله غيرنا، نحن اثنان قد هزمنا ثمانية فرسان من الإفرنج.,"“Start,” said he. So we made an assault, routed them and turned back, thinking that we had done something which no one else could have done. We two routed eight knights of the Franks."
فوقفنا على ذلك الشرف ننظر الحصن، فما راعنا إلا رويجل قد طلع علينا من ذالك السند الصعب معه قوس ونشاب،,"As we stopped near that elevation, looking at the castle, we were startled with the sudden appearance of a small footman, who had climbed that steep ascent carrying a bow and arrows."
فرمانا، ولا سبيل لنا إليه فهزمنا، والله ما صدقنا نتخلص منه وخيلنا سالمة،,"He shot his arrows at us while we had no way to hit back at him. So we ran away, hardly believing, by Allah, that we should escape with our horses safe."
ورجعنا، دخلنا مرج أفامية فسقنا منه غنيمة كبيرة من الجواميس والبقر والغنم،,"We made our way back until we entered the meadow around Afamiyah, from which we drove before us a great body of buffaloes, cows and sheep."
وانصرفنا وفي قلبي من ذلك الرجل الذي هزمنا حسرة الذي ما كنا لنا إليه سبيل، وكيف هزمنا راجل ولحد وقد هزمنا ثمانية فرسان من الإفرنج.,"We then departed, with my heart laden with regret on account of that footman who put us to defeat while we had no access to him, though we had defeated eight knights of the Franks."
وشهدت يومًاوقد أغارت علينا خيل كفر طالب في قلة ففزعنا إليهم طامعين فيهم لقلتهم،,"I took part in a battle in which the horsemen of Kafartab, few in number, made an incursion against us. Taking advantage of their small number, we immediately rushed against them."
وقد كمنوا لنا كمينًا في جماعة منهم، وأنهزم الذين أغاروا فتبعناهم حتى أبعدنا عن البلد، فخرج إلينا الكمين ورجع إلينا الذين كنا نطردهم، فرأينا اننا ان انهزمنا قلعونا كلنا، فالتقيناهم مستقلين فنصرنا الله عليهم.,"But they had left a band of their number lying in ambush for us. The horsemen who made the incursion took to flight, so we pursued them until we got quite far from the town. So we encountered them, fighting like men seeking death. But Allah gave us victory over them."
فقلعنا منهم ثمانية عشر فارسًامنهم من طعن فمات ومنهم من طعن فوقع وهو سالم ومنهم من طعن حصانه فهو راجل.,"We dislodged from them eighteen knights, of whom some received lance blows and died, others received lance blows and fell off their horses but survived, and still others escaped the blows which fell on their horses and became footmen."
فجذب الذين في الأرض منهم سالمون، ووقفوا، كل من اجتاز بهم ضربوه.,"All those who survived and were on the ground now unsheathed their swords, stood on their feet and smote everyone who passed by them."
فأجتاز جمعه النميري رحمه الله بواحد منهم فخطا إليه وضربه على رأسه، وعلى رأسه قلنسوة،,"One of them by whom passed Jum‘ah al-Numayri stepped towards him and struck him on his head, which was covered with a hood."
فقطعها وشق جبهته وجرى منها الدم حتى نزح وبقيت مثل فم السمكة مفتوحة،,"The blow cut through the hood and wounded Jum‘ah’s forehead, from which blood flowed until it was all drained, leaving his forehead open like the mouth of a fish."
فلقيته ونحن في ما نحن فيه من الإفرنج فقلت له يا أبا محمود ما تعصب جراحك! فقال ما هذا وقت العصائب وشد الجراح.,"I came upon Jum’ah while we were yet in the throes of our conflict with the Franks and said to him, “O abu-Mahmud, dost thou not bandage thy wound?” He replied, “This is no time for putting bandages and dressing wounds.”"
وكان لا يزال على وجهه خرقه سوداء وهو رمد وفي عينيه عروق حمر.,"Now, Jum’ah had most of the time a black kerchief round his face, on account of an inflammation (i.e., ophthalmia) and enlarged veins, with which his eyes had for a long time been afflicted."
فلما أصابه ذلك الجرح وخرج منه الدم الكثير زال ما كان يشكوه من عينيه ولم يعد يناله منهما رمد ولا ألم فربما صحت الأجسام باللعل.,"When he received that wound from which gushed forth so much blood, the disease from which he was suffering in his eyes vanished. He no more had ophthalmia nor felt pain. “Thus it sometimes happens that bodies are cured by diseases.”"
وأما الإفرنج فإنهم اجتمعوا بعدما قتلنا منهم من قتلنا ووقفوا مقابلنا.,"As for the Franks, having lost of their number those whom we killed, they reunited and stood opposite to us."
فجاءني ابن عمي ذخيرة الدولة أبو القنا خطام رحمه الله فقاليا ابن عمي معك جنيبتان وأن على هذا الفرس الحطم.,"My cousin on my father’s side, Dhakhirah-al-Dawlah abu-al-Qana Khitam (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), then came to me and said, “O cousin, thou hast two riding animals led at thy side, and here I am on this old ragged mare!”"
قلت للغلامقدم له الحصان الأحمر فقدمه له، فساعة ما أستوىفي سرجه حمل على الإفرنج وحده.,"So I said to my attendant, “Offer him the red horse.” The attendant offered it to him. The moment Khitam was firm in the saddle he made a charge, single-handed, upon the Franks."
فافرجوا له حتى توسطهم وطعنوه، رموه وطعنوا الحصان واقبلوا قنطارياتهم وصاروا يركشونه بها، وعليه زَرَدية حصينه ما تعمل رماحهم فيها،,"The latter made room for him until he got into their midst, and then they smote him with their lances, overthrowing him, and smote his horse. Reversing their lances, they then began to dig into him with them. But Khitam was wearing a coat of mail the links of which were so strong that their lances could have no effect upon it."
فتصايحنا صاحبكم! صاحبكم! وحملنا عليهم فهزمناهم عنه واستخلصناه وهو سالم،,"Seeing this, we began to shout out to the others: “To the help of your comrade! To the help of your comrade!” And we made an onslaught on them and extricated him from their midst, safe and sound."
وأما الحصان فمات في يومه، فسبحان المسلم القادر. وتلك الواقعة إنما كانت لسعادة جمعه وشفاء عينيه، فسبحان القائل وعسى ان تكرهوا شيئا وهو خير لكم.,"As for the horse, it died on that same day. Mysterious are the works of him who gives safety, the all-powerful one! That battle resulted in the happiness of Jum’ah and in the curing of his eyes. Praise be to him who says, “Yet haply ye are averse from a thing, though it be good for you.”"
وقد جرى لي مثل ذلك كنت بالجزيرة في عسكر أتابك فدعاني صديق إلى داره،,"An analogous case happened to me. When I was in upper Mesopotamia in the army of the atabek, a friend of mine invited me to his home."
ومعي ركابي أسمه غنيم قد أستسقى ودقت رقبته وكبر جوفه وقد تغرب معي فأنا أرعى له ذلك،,"I went there accompanied by a groom, named Ghunaym, who was afflicted with dropsy and whose neck had become thin and whose abdomen had become inflated. This servant kept me company on my sojourns in foreign lands, and I always treated him with special consideration on account of it."
فدخل بالبغله إلي اصطبل ذلك الصديق هو غلمان الحاضرين، وعندنا شاب تركي سكر وغلب عليه السكر، فخرج إلي الاصطبل، جذب سكينه وهجم على الغلمان،,"Ghunaym took his mule into the stable of that friend, together with the grooms of the other persons invited. Among us was a young Turk who drank to the point of intoxication, went out to the stable, drew his dagger and rushed on the servants."
فانهزموا وخرجوا. وغنيم لضعفه ومرضه، قد طرح السرج تحت رأسه ونام،,"They all took to flight and rushed out with the exception of Ghunaym, who, because of his weak condition and disease, had thrown the saddle under his head and lain down."
فما قام حتى خرج كل من في الاصطبل فضربه ذلك السكران بالسكين تحت سرته فشق من جوفه قدر أربع أصابع فوقع موضعه.,"He did not get up until everybody in the stable had gone out. Then the drunken man stabbed him with the dagger under his navel and cut in his abdomen a wound about four inches deep, which made him fall on the spot."
فحمله الذي دعانا وهو صاحب قلعه باشمرا إلي داري وحمل الذي جرحه وهو مكتوف معه إلى داري فأطلقته،,"The man who invited us, who was the master of the Castle of Basahra, had him carried to my home. The man who stabbed him was also carried there, with his hands tied behind his back. There I set him free."
وتردد إليه الجرائحي فصلح ومشى وتصرف، إلا أن الجرح ما ختم،,"The surgeon made frequent visits to my servant, until he was better, could walk and do his work. But the wound would not heal."
وما يزال يخرج منه مثل القشور وماء أصفر مدة شهرين ثم ختم وضمر جوفه وعاد إلى الصحة، فكان ذلك الجرح سببا لعافيته.,"For two months it continued to excrete something like scabs and yellow water, at the end of which time the cut closed up, the abdomen of the man resumed its normal condition and he returned to perfect health. That wound was thus the cause of his regaining his health."
ورأيت يوما الباز دار قد وقف بين يدي والدي رحمه الله وقال يا مولاي هذا الباز قد لحقه حص وهو يموت وعينيه الواحدة قد تلفت فتصيد به فهو باز شاطر وهو تالف.,"One day I saw the falconer standing before my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), saying to him, “O my lord, this falcon is afflicted with ecdysis and is dying. One of his eyes is already lost. Use it for the hunt, therefore. It is a clever falcon, but it is doomed to perdition.”"
فخرجنا إلى الصيد وكان معه رحمة الله عدة بزاه، فرمى ذلك الباز على درجه وكان يهجم في النبج، فنبجت الدراجة في أجمة غلفاء،,We went out for the hunt. My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had with him several falcons. The sickly falcon was flown at a francolin. The francolin took cover inside of a thicket of brambles.
ودخل الباز معها وقد صار على عينه كالنقطه الكبيرة، فضربته شوكه من الغلفاء في تلك النقطة ففقأتها.,"The falcon, which had on his eye something like a big point, followed the francolin, and a thorn from the thicket hit it on that particular spot and burst it open."
فجاء به البازدار وعينه قد سالت وهي مطبوقه فقال يا مولاي تلفت عين الباز. فقال كله تألف.,"The falconer brought back the falcon, whose eye while closed was flowing, and said, “O my lord, the eye of the falcon is lost.” To this my father replied, “The whole bird is lost.”"
ثم من الغد فتح عينه وهي سالمة، وسلم ذلك الباز عندنا حتى قرنص قرناصين فكان من أشطر البزاة.,"But the second morning the bird opened its eye and lo, it was safe and sound. The bird lived in our house in perfect condition until it molted twice. It was one of the cleverest of falcons."
ذكرته بما جرى لجمعه وغنيم وان لم يكن موضع ذكر البزاة.,"I mentioned the case of this falcon in connection with what happened to Jum’ah and Ghunaym, though this is not the place for falcon stories."
ورأيت من استسقى وفصدوا جوفه فمات، وغنيم شق ذلك السكران جوفه سلم وعوفي فسبحان القادر.,"I have seen the case of one afflicted with dropsy who was treated by bloodletting in his abdomen and who died; whereas Ghunaym, whose abdomen was cut open by that drunken man, recovered and returned to normal health. Mysterious are the ways of the Almighty!"
أغار علينا عسكر إنطاكية واصحبنا قد التقوا أوائلهم وجاءوا قدامهم.,The army of Antioch made an incursion on us. Our comrades met their vanguard and were retreating before them.
وأنا واقف في طريقهم انتظر وصولهم إلي لعلي أنال منهم فرصة واصحابنا يعبرون علي منهزمين،,"I posted myself on their route, expecting their arrival and hoping thereby to be able to get an opportunity to attack the enemy. Our comrades began to pass by me in defeat."
فعبر علي ممن عبر محمود بن جمعة. فقلت قف يا محمود فوقف لحظة ثم دفع فرسه ومضى عني.,"Among those who thus passed was Mahmud ibn-Jum’ah. I said, “Halt, O Mahmud!” He stopped for an instant; then he spurred his horse and left me."
ووصلني أوائل خيلهم، فاندفعت بين أيديهم وأنا راد رمحي إليهم ملتفت انظرهم لا يتسرع إلى منهم فارس يطعنّي.,"By that time the vanguard of the Frankish horsemen had reached me, so I retired before them, turning back my lance in their direction and my eyes towards them lest some one of their horse should prove too quick for me and pierce me with his lance."
وبين يدي جماعة من أصحابنا ونحن بين بساتين لها حيطان طوال قعدة الرجل،,"In front of me were some of our companions, and we were surrounded by gardens with walls as high as a sitting man."
فندس فرسي بصدرها رجل من أصحابنا، فردت راس فرسي على يساري فضربتها بالمهاميز ففزت الحائط،,"My mare hit with its breast one of our companions, so I turned its head to my left and applied the spurs to its sides, whereupon it leaped over the wall."
فضبطت حتى صرت أنا والإفرنج مصطفين وبيننا الحائط، فتسرع منهم فارس عليه تشهير حرير اخضر واصفر، فظننت ان تحته درع فتركته حتى تجاوزني.,"I so regulated my position until I stood on a level with the Franks. The wall only separated us. One of their horsemen hastened to me, displaying his colors in a green and yellow silk tunic, under which I thought was no coat of mail. I therefore let him alone until he passed me."
وضربت الفرس بمهمازي ففزت الحائط وطعنته، فمال إلى ان وصل رأسه ركابه ووقع ترسه والرمح من يديه والخوذة عن رأسه،,"Then I applied the spurs to my mare, which leaped over the wall, and I smote him with the lance. He bent sideways so much that his head reached his stirrup, his shield and lance fell off his hand, and his helmet off his head."
ونحن قد وصلنا إلى رجالتنا، ثم عاد انتصب في سرجه وكان عليه زرديه تحت التشهير فما جرحته الطعنه.,"By that time we had reached our infantry. He then resumed his position, erect in the saddle. Having had linked mail under his tunic, my lance did not wound him."
وادركه أصحابه ثم عادوا، وأخذ الرجالة الترس والرمح والخوذة.,"His companions caught up with him, all returned together, and the footman recovered his shield, lance and helmet."
فلما انقضى القتال ورجع الإفرنج جاءني جمعة رحمه الله يعتذر عن ابنه محمودوقال هذا الكلب انهزم عنك.,"When the battle was over and the Franks withdrew, Jum’ah (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) came to me apologizing in behalf of his son, Mahmud, and said, “This dog fled away while in thy company!”"
قلت وأي شيء يكون؟ قال ينهزم عنك ولا يكون شيء؟ قلت وحياتك يا أبا محمود وأنت تنهزم عني أيضا. قال يا شين! والله إن موتي أسهل علي من أن انهزم عنك.,"I replied, “What of it?” He said, “He flees from thee and what of it?” “By thy life, O abu-Mahmud,” said I, “thou wilt also flee away while in my company.” To this he replied, “O what shame! By Allah, my death would verily be easier for me than to flee away and leave thee.”"
ولم يمضي إلا أيام قلائل حتى أغارت علينا خيل حماه فاخذوا لنا باقورة وحبسوها في الجزيرة تحت الطاحون الجلالي.,Only a few days passed after that when the horsemen of Hamah made an incursion on us. They took a herd of cattle which belonged to us and shut it up in an island under the Jalali Mill [al-Tahun al-jalali].
وطلع الرماة على الطاحون يحمون الباقورة، فوصلتهم أنا وجمعة وشجاع الدولة ماضي مولد لنا وكان رجلًا شجاعا.,"Their archers mounted on the mill in order to defend the herd. I went to them with Jum‘ah and Shuja‘-al-Dawlah Madi, one of our adopted men [muwallad] who was a man of valor."
فقلت لهما نعبر الماء ونأخذ الدواب. فعبرنا. أما ماضي فضربت فرسه نشابة فقتلتها.,"I said to the two with me, “We will cross the water to the other side and take our animals.” So we crossed. Madi’s mare was hit with an arrow which caused its death."
وبالجهد وأوصلته إلى اصحاب، وأما أنا ضربت فرسي نشابة في أصل رقبتها فجاوزت فيها قدر شبر،,"The mare carried him back to his companions with great difficulty. As for me, an arrow struck my mare at the nape of its neck and entered a span deep in it."
فوالله ما رمحت وما قلقت ولا كأنها أحست بجرح، وأما جمعة رجع خوفًا على فرسه.,"But by Allah, my mare neither kicked nor was disturbed, but it went on as though it felt no cut. As regards Jum’ah, he went back, fearing for his horse."
فلما عدنا قلت يا أبا محمود ما قلت لك أنك تنهزم عني وأنت تلوم ابنك محمودًا؟,"When we returned I said, “O abu-Mahmud, did I not tell thee that thou wouldst flee away from me, when thou wert blaming thy son Mahmud?”"
قال والله ما خفت إلى على الفرس، فإنها تعز علي واعتذر.,"“By Allah,” he replied, “I feared for nothing except for my mare. It is so dear to me.” And he apologized."
وقد كنا ذلك اليوم التقينا نحن وخيل حماة وقد سبقهم بعضهم بالباقورة إلى الجزيرة،,"On that same day we had an encounter with the horsemen of Hamah, after some of them had gone ahead of the others with the herd to the peninsula."
فاقتتلنا نحن وهم وفيهم فرسان عسكر حماة سرهنك وغازي التلي ومحمود بن بلداجي وحضر الطوط واسباسيلار خطلخ،,"A fight ensued between them and us. Among them were the leading cavaliers of the army of Hamah: Sarhank, Ghazi al-Talli, Mahmud ibn-Baldaji, Hadr-al-Tut and the Isbaslar Khutlukh."
وهم أكثر عددًا منا فحملنا عليهم فهزمناهم وقصدت فارسًا أريد اطعنه وإذا هو حضر الطوط.,"Their army was more numerous than ours. But we made an onslaught on them and defeated them. I headed for a horseman of theirs, desiring to pierce him with the lance, and behold! that horseman turned out to be Hadr-al-Tut,"
فقال الصنيعة يا فلان! فعدلت عنه إلى أخر فطعنته فوقع الرمح تحت إبطه،,"who shouted, “By thy benevolence [I beseech thee], O Usamah!” I then turned away from him to another, whom I smote. The lance passed close under his armpit."
فلو تركته ما كان وقع فشد عضده عليه يريد أخذ الرمح والفرس منسدره بي فطار في السرج على رقبة الحصان فوقع،,"Had he left it alone, he would not have been felled. But he pressed his arm on the lance, desiring to wrest it, while my mare was turning round with me. This caused him to fly off his saddle and fall on the neck of his horse and then down to the ground."
ثم قام وهو على شفير الوادي المنحدر إلى الجلالي فضرب حصانه وساقه بين يديه ونزل،,"He got up to find himself on the very edge of a precipice sloping down to al-Jalali. He then struck his horse and, driving it before him, went down."
وحمدت الله سبحانه الذي ما ناله ضرر من تلك الطعنه لأنه كان غازي التلي وكان رحمه الله رجل جيدًا.,"I thanked Allah (worthy of admiration is he), for no damage whatever was inflicted on him by that blow of the lance, because the man turned out to be Ghazi al-Talli. He (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was an excellent man."
ونزل علينا عسكر إنطاكية في بعض الأيام منزلًا كان ينزله كلما نزل علينا. ونحن ركاب مقابلهم وبيننا النهر،,"The army of Antioch came and camped one day in the same place where it always encamped when it came to attack us, while we on horseback stood facing them with the river between us."
فلم يقصدنا منهم أحد، وضربوا خيامهم ونزلوا فيها ورجعنا نحن نزلنا في دورنا ونحن نراهم من الحصن،,"Not one of them, however, ventured to approach us. They pitched their tents and established themselves in them. So we turned back and occupied our homes while we could still see them from inside the castle."
فخرج من جندنا نحو من عشرين فارسًا إلى بندرقنين، قريه بالقرب من البلد يرعون خيلهم، وقد تركوا رماحهم في دورهم،,"Then about twenty horsemen of our army went out to Bandar-Qanin, a village near the upper town, in order to let their horses graze, and left their lances at home."
فخرج من الإفرنج فارسًا سار إلى القريب من أولئك الجند الذين يرعون خيلهم،,Two Frankish riders detached themselves and came near those horsemen who were grazing their horses.
فصادفا رجل على الطريق يسوق بهمة فأخذوه وبهيمته ونحن نراهم من الحصن،,"On the way they happened to fall upon a man driving a beast, and they made off with him and with his beast while we were watching from the castle."
وركب أولئك الجند ووقفوا ما معهم رماح. فقال عمي: هؤلاء عشرون لا يخلّصون أسيرًا مع فارسين! لو حضرهم جمعة رأيتم ما يعمل!””,"Those soldiers of ours mounted their horses and stood still, having no lances. My paternal uncle said, “Those are twenty men and yet cannot save a captive from two knights! If only Jum’ah were with them, then would ye know what he could do.”"
هو يقول ذلك وجمعة لابس يركض إليهم، فقال عمي: أبصروا الساعة ما يعمل”.”,"No sooner had he said that than Jum’ah, fully armed, was seen galloping. My uncle thereupon said, “Watch now what he will do.”"
فلما دنا من الفارسين وهو يركض كفء رأس فرسه وسار خلفهم سترة،,"When Jum’ah drew nigh to the two knights at full gallop, he turned the head of his mare and kept at some distance behind them."
فلما رأى عمي توقفه عنهما، وهو على روشن في الحصن يراه، دخل من الروشن مغضبًا وقالهذا خذلان!,"When my uncle, who was at the window of the castle looking out, saw Jum’ah stop his pursuit, he left the window and went in, furious, saying, “This is a case of disloyalty!”"
وكان توقف جمعة من جورة كانت في يدي الفارسين لا يكون لهم فيها كمين،,The fact is that Jum’ah stopped on account of a pit which lay ahead of the two knights and which he feared might be the hiding place of an ambuscade.
ولما وصل إلى تلك الجوره وما فيها أحد أغار على الفارسين، خلص الرجل وبهيمته وطردهما إلى الخيام. وكان ابن ميمون صاحب إنطاكية يرى ما جرى،,"But when he got to the pit and found nobody in it, he charged the two knights, saved the man and the animal, and chased the knights as far as their tents. Bohemond, the lord of Antioch, was watching what was taking place."
فلما وصل الفارسان أنفذ أخذ ترسيهما جعلهما معالف لدواب ورما خيمتهما وطردهما وقالفارس واحد من المسلمين يطرد فارسين من الإفرنج! ما انتم رجال أنتم نساء.,"No sooner had the two knights arrived than he sent and took their shields, which he converted into mangers for animals to feed from, pulled down their tents and expelled them, saying, “One single cavalier of the Moslems chases two cavaliers of the Franks! Ye are not men; ye are women.”"
وأما جمعة فوبخه وحرد عليه لوقوفه عنهما أول ما وصلهما، فقال يا مولاي خفت لا يكون لهم في الجورة رابيه القرامطة كمين يخرج علي،,"As for Jum’ah, my uncle rebuked him and was cross with him for desisting from their pursuit after having reached them. So he said, “O my lord, I was afraid they might have an ambuscade in the pit of Rabiyah-al-Qaramitah, from which they would make a sortie against me."
فلما كشفتها وما رأيت فيها أحدًا استخلصت الرجل والبهيمة وطردتهما حتى دخلا عسكرهما. فلا والله ما قبل عذره ولا رضي عنه.,"But as soon as I spied the pit and found no one in it, I delivered the man and the beast and chased the two knights until they entered their camp.” But my uncle, by Allah, neither accepted his excuse nor was satisfied with his conduct."
والإفرنج خذلهم الله ما فيهم فضيلة من فضائل الناس سوى الشجاعة ولا عندهم تقدمة ولا منزلة عالية إلا للفرسان،,"The Franks (may Allah render them helpless!) possess none of the virtues of men except courage, consider no precedence or high rank except that of the knights, and have nobody that counts except the knights."
ولا عندهم ناس إلا للفرسان، فهم أصحاب الرأي وهم أصحاب القضاء.,"These are the men on whose counsel they rely, and the ones who make legal decisions and judgments."
والحكمة، وقد حاكمتهم مرة على قطعان غنم أخذها صاحب بانياس من الشعراء وبيننا وبينهم صلح،,"I once brought a case before them, relative to certain flocks of sheep which the lord of Baniyas had taken from the forest in the course of a period of truce between them and us."
وأنا إذ ذاك بدمشق. فقلت للملك فلك بن فلكهذا تعدى علينا وأخذ دوابنا، وهو وقت ولاد الغنم،,"At that time, I was in Damascus. So I said to King Fulk, son of Fulk, “This man has trespassed upon our rights and taken away our flocks at the lambing time."
فولدت وماتت أولادها وردها علينا بعد أن أتلفها. فقالالملك لستة سبعة من الفرسانقوموا أعملوا له حكمًا،,"The sheep gave birth and the lambkins died. Then he returned the sheep, after having lost so many of them.” The king said to six, seven knights, “Arise and judge this case for him.”"
فخرجوا من مجلسه وأعتزلوا وتشاوروا حتى أتفق رأيهم كلهم على شيء واحد وعادوا إلى مجلس الملك فقالواقد حكمنا أن صاحب بانياس عليه غرامة ما أتلف من غنمهم،,"The knights went out from his audience chamber, retired by themselves and consulted together until they all agreed upon one thing. Then they returned to the audience chamber of the king and said, “We have passed judgment to the effect that the lord of Baniyas should be fined the amount of the damage he wrought among their sheep”"
فأمره الملك بالغرامة فتوسل إلي وثقل علي وسألني حتى أخذت منه أربع مئة دينار.,"The king accordingly ordered him to pay that fine. He pleaded with me, urged and implored me until I finally accepted from him four hundred dinars."
وهذا الحكم بعد أن تعقده الفرسان ما يقدر الملك ولا أحد من مقدمي الأفرنج يغيره ولا ينقصه، فالفارس أمر عظيم عندهم.,"Such a judgment, after having been pronounced by the knights, not even the king nor any of the chieftains of the Franks can alter or revoke. Thus the knight is something great in their esteem."
ولقد قال لي الملك يا فلان وحق ديني لقد فرحت البارحة فرحًا عظيمًا! قلت: “الله يُفرح الملك! بماذا فرحت؟””,"The king said to me, “By the truth of my religion, I rejoiced yesterday very much indeed.” I replied, “May Allah always make the king rejoice! What made thee rejoice?”"
قال: قالوا لي إنك فارس عظيم، وما كنت أعتقد أنك فارس”. قلت يا مولاي أنا فارس من جنسي وقومي. وإذا كان الفارس دقيقًا عظيمًا كان أعجب لهم.”,"He said, “I was told that thou wert a great knight, but I did not believe previous to that that thou wert a knight.” “O my lord,” I replied, “I am a knight according to the manner of my race and my people.” If the knight is thin and tall the Franks admire him more."
وهو أول وكان نزل علينا كندري أصحاب إنطاكية بعد ميمون، فقاتلنا ثم أصلحنا، فنفذ يطلب حصانًا لغلام لعمي عز الدين رحمه الله وكان فرسًا جوادًا،,"Tancred, who was the first lord of Antioch after Bohemond, had previous to this pitched his camp against us. After the fight, we had a reconciliation, and he sent a message requesting that a horse belonging to an attendant of my uncle, ‘Izz-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), be given him. That was a noble steed."
فنفذه له عمي تحت رجل من أصحابنا كردي يقال له حسنون، وكان من الفرسان الشجعان وهو شاب مقبول الصورة دقيق ليسابق بالحصان بين يدي كندري.,"My uncle dispatched it to him mounted by one of our men, a Kurd named Hasanun, one of our valiant cavaliers, young, good-looking and thin, in order to hold races with other horses in the presence of Tancred."
فسابق به فسبق الخيل المجراة كلها وحضر بين يدي دنكري فصار الفرسان يكشفون سواعده ويتعجبون من دقته وشبابه، وقد عرفوا أنه فارس شجاع.,"Hasanun ran a race and his horse out-ran all the horses which were in the course. He was brought before Tancred, and the knights began to inspect his arms and wonder at his thin physique and his youth, recognizing in him a valiant cavalier."
فخلع عليه دنكري. فقال له حسنونيا مولاي أريدك تعطيني أمانك أنك أن ظفرت بي في القتال تصطنعني وتطلقني.,"Tancred bestowed a robe of honor on him. But Hasanun said to him, “O my lord, I wish that thou wouldst give me thy guarantee of safety to the effect that if I should fall into thy hands at war time thou wouldst favor me and set me free.”"
فأعطاه أمانة على ما توهم حسنون فأهم لا يتكلمون إلا بالإفرنجية، ما ندري ما يقولون.,"Tancred gave him his guarantee of safety — as Hasanun imagined, for these people speak nothing but Frankish; we do not understand what they say."
ومضى على هذا سنة أو أكثر وأنقضت مدة الصلح، وجاءنا دنكري في عسكر إنطاكية فقاتلنا عند سور المدينة،,"A year or more passed. The period of truce having expired, Tancred advanced anew at the head of the army of Antioch. A battle ensued near the wall of our lower town."
وكانت خيلنا لقيت أوائلهم، فطعن فيهم رجل يقال له كامل المشطوب من أصحابنا كردي وهو وحسنون نظراء في الشجاعة،,"Our horsemen had met their vanguard, and one of our men, a Kurd, named Kamil al-Mashtub, had used his lance on them to great effect. Kamil and Hasanun were peers in valor."
وحسنون واقف مع والدي رحمه الله على حجرة له ينتظر حصانه يأتيه به غلامه من عند البيطار ويأتيه كزاغندة،,"This took place while Hasanun on his mare was standing near my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) and awaiting his charger, which his attendant was bringing to him from the veterinary, and his quilted jerkin."
فأبطأ عليه وأقلقه طعن كامل المشطوب فقال والدييا مولاي أمرلي بلباس خفيف.,"The attendant was late and Hasanun was getting impatient, seeing the lance blows of Kamil al-Mashtub. So he said to my father, “O my lord, put at my disposal light equipment.”"
فقال هذه البغال عليها السلاح واقفة مهما صلح لك ألبسه.,"My father replied, “Here are the mules laden with arms and standing still. Whatever suits thee, put on.”"
وأنا إذ ذاك واقف خلف والدي وأنا صبي وهو أول يوم رأيت فيه القتال. فنظر الكزاغندات في عيبها على البغال فما وافقته.,"I was at that time standing behind my father. I was a mere lad, and that was the first day in which I saw actual fighting. Hasanun examined the jerkins, in their cases on the backs of the mules, but none of them suited him."
وهو يغلي يريد يتقدم يعمل كما عمل كامل المشطوب، فتقدم على حجرته وهو معرى فأعترضه فارس منهم فطعن الفرس في قطأتها.,"In the meantime, he was boiling in his desire to proceed and do what Kamil al-Mashtub was doing. So he charged on horseback, void of arms. A Frankish knight intercepted his way and struck the mare in its croup."
فعضت على فاس اللجام وحملت به حتى رمته في وسط موكب الأفرنج فأخذوه أسيرًا وعذبوه أنواع العذاب.,"The mare, getting the bit in its teeth, rushed with its rider on its back until it threw him off amidst the lines of the Franks. They took him prisoner and inflicted on him all varieties of torture."
وأرادوا قلع عينه اليسرى فقال لهم دنكري لعنه اللهأقلعوا عينه اليمين، حتى إذا حمل الترس أسترت عينه اليسار فلا يبقى يبصر شيئًا.,"They even wanted to put out his left eye. But Tancred (may Allah’s curse be upon him!) said to them, “Rather put out his right eye, so that when he carries his shield his left eye will be covered, and he will be no more able to see anything.”"
فقلعوا عينه اليمين كما أمرهم وطلبوا منه ألف دينار وحصانًا أدهم كان لوالدي من خيل خفاجة جوادًا من أحسن الخيل.,"So they put out his right eye in accordance with the orders of Tancred and demanded as a ransom from him one thousand dinars and a black horse, which belonged to my father, of Khafajah breed and one of the most magnificent horses."
فاشتراه بالحصان رحمه الله. وكان خرج من شيزر في ذلك اليوم راجل كثير،,My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) ransomed him for that horse. On that same day a large number of footmen had gone out of Shayzar.
فحمل عليهم الفرنج فما زعزعوهم من مكانهم، فحرد دنكري وقال أنتم فرساني، وكل واحد منكم له ديوان مثل ديوان مئة مسلم.,"The Franks made an onslaught on them but did not succeed in dislodging them from their position. This made Tancred angry at them and say, “Ye are my knights, and every one of you receives a stipend equal to the stipends of a hundred Moslems."
وهؤلاء سرجند (يغني رجالة) ما تقدرون تقلعون من موضعهم! قالواإنما خوفنا على الخيل وإلا دسناهم وطعناهم.,"Those men ye met were sergeants (by which he meant footmen) and ye cannot dislodge them from their position!” They replied, “Our fear was only for our horses. Otherwise we would have trampled them under our feet and used our lances fully on them.”"
قال الخيل لي، من قتل حصانه أخلفته عليه. فحملوا على الناس عدة حملات، فقلت منهم سبعون حصانًا ما قدروا يزحزحونهم من مواقفهم.,"Tancred replied, “The horses are my property. Whosoever of you loses his horse shall have his horse replaced.” Thereupon they made several charges on our men, in the course of which seventy of their horses were killed, without being able to drive our men out of their position."
وكان بأفامية فارس من كبار فرسانهم يقال له بدرهوا،,There was in Afamiyah one of the most valiant Frankish knights named Badrhawa.
فكان أبدًا يقولترى ما ألتقي جمعة في القتال؟ وجمعة يقولترى ما ألتقي بدرهوا في القتال؟,"He used always to say, “Is it not possible that I shall some day meet Jum’ah in combat?” And Jum’ah used always to say, “Is it not possible that I shall some day meet Badrhawa in combat?”"
فنزل علينا عسكر إنطاكية وضرب خيامه في الموضع الذي كان ينزله وبيننا وبينهم الماء،,"The army of Antioch now camped against us, pitching their tents in the place where they used to pitch them. Between them and us was the water."
ولنا موكب واقف على شرف مقابلهم، فركب فارس من الخيام وسار حتى وقف تحت موكبنا والماء بينه وبينهم،,"We had a detachment posted on an elevation opposite the enemy. One of their knights rode out of the camp and advanced until he stood just below our detachment, with the water separating him from us."
وصاح بهمفيكم جمعة؟ قالوالا. والله ما كان حاضر فيهم. وكان ذلك الفارس بدرهوا.,"And then he shouted to them, “Is Jum’ah among you?” “No,” they replied. And, by Allah, Jum’ah was not present among them. That knight was Badrhawa."
فالتفت فرأى أربعة فوارس منا من ناحيتهيحيى بن صافي وسهل بن أبي غانم الكردي وحارثة النميري وفارس آخر.,"The knight, looking around, saw four of our cavaliers on his side of the river: Yahya ibn-Safi al-A‘sar, Sahl ibn-abi-Ghanim al-Kurdi and Harithah al-Numayri, together with a fourth cavalier."
فحمل عليهم فهزمهم ولحق واحد منهم طعنه طعنة فشلة ما ألحقه حصانه ليمكن الطعن وعاد إلى الخيام.,"The knight charged upon them, put them to flight and overtook one of their number, whom he smote with his lance, missing him. His horse did not go fast enough to enable him to deal successive blows with the lance. So he returned to his camp."
ودخل أولئك النفر إلى البلد فافتضحوا وأستخفهم الناس ولاموهم وأزروا بهم وقالواأربعة فوارس يهزمهم فارس واحد!,"On the return of our men to the town, their story was disclosed and the people disgraced them, blamed them and despised them, saying, “Four cavaliers put to flight by one single knight!"
كنتم افترقتم له فكان طعن واحدًا منكم وكان الثلاثة قتلوه، ولا قد افتضحتم، وكان أشد الناس عليهم جمعة النميري.,"Ye should have separated before him and he would have used his lance against one of you. Then the other three would have killed him, and ye would not have been put to such a shame.” The bitterest one of all in his criticism was Jum’ah al-Numayri."
فكأن تلك الهزيمة منحتهم قلوبًا غير قلوبهم وشجاعة ما كانوا يطمعون فيها فأنتخوا وقاتلوا اشتهروا في الحرب وصاروا من الفرسان المعدودين بعد تلك الهزيمة.,"But as though that defeat gave them hearts other than the ones they possessed and an amount of courage to which they never aspired before, these same cavaliers now became imbued with valor, and they fought and distinguished themselves in warfare, so much so that they became among the noted cavaliers after that defeat."
وأما بدرهوا فإنه سار بعد ذالك من أفامية في بعض شغله يريد إنطاكية. فخرج عليه الأسد من غاب في الروج في طريقه فخطفه عن بغلته ودخل به إلى الغاب أكله، لا رحمه الله.,"As for Badrhawa, he subsequently left Afamiyah and proceeded on some business of his to Antioch On his way, a lion fell upon him from a forest in al-Ruj, snatched him off his mule and carried him into the forest where he devoured him — may Allah’s mercy not rest upon his soul!"
ومن إقدام الرجل الواحد على الجمع الكثيرفمن ذالك أن اسباسلار مودود رحمه الله نزل بظاهر شيزر يوم الخميس تاسع ربيع الأول سنة خمس وخمس مئة وقد قصده دنكري صاحب إنطاكية في جمع كثير،,"Among the cases of adventure in which one man faces a large group of men is the following: The Isbaslar Mawdud (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) camped in the suburb of Shayzar on Thursday, the ninth of Rabi‘ I, in the year 505, after Tancred, the lord of Antioch, had moved against him with a great army."
فخرج إليه عمي ووالدي رحمهما الله وقالاالصواب أن ترحل وتنزل في البلد،,My uncle and my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) came out to Mawdud and said: The right thing would be for thee to break camp (he had his camp east of the upper town on the bank of the river) and install thyself inside of the town.
ويضرب العسكر خيامهم على السطوحات في المدينة، ونلقى الأفرنج بعد أن تحرز خيامنا وأثقالنا.,The army will pitch their tents on the roofs in the lower town and we shall encounter the Franks after putting our tents and baggage in a place of security.
فرحل ونزل كما قالا له، وأصبحا خرجا إليه وخرج من شيزر خمسة آلاف راجل معدين، ففرح بهم اسباسلار وقويت نفسه.,"He departed and established himself in accordance with what they said to him. Early in the morning my uncle and father joined him, together with five thousand men from Shayzar, fully armed. The Isbaslar rejoiced at seeing them, and was greatly encouraged by their presence."
وكان معه رحمه الله رجال جياد فصفوا من قبلي الماء والإفرنج نزول شمالية،,"He himself (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had excellent men. He put his men in battle array on the south side of the water, while the Franks were encamped on the north side."
فمنعوهم من الشرب والورود نهارهم. فلما كان الليل رحلوا راجعين إلى بلادهم والناس حولهم،,"All that day long they prevented the Franks from drinking and coming near the water. So when the night fell, the Franks departed, returning to their territory with our men around them."
فنزلوا على تل الترمسي فمنعوهم الورود كما عملوا بالأمس.,"On their way they camped at Tell-al-Turmusi, and were again prevented from reaching the water as on the previous day."
فرحلوا في الليل ونزلوا على تل التلول والعسكر قد ضايقهم ومنعهم من المسير فاحتاطوا بالماء ومنعوهم من الورود،,"So they departed during the night and camped at Tell-al-Tulul, pressed by our army, which prevented them from advancing and which surrounded the water in order to prevent them from reaching it."
ورحلوا في الليل متوجهين إلى افامية، ففرغ إليهم العسكر واحتاطوا بهم وهم سائرون، فخرج منهم فارس واحد فحمل على الناس حتى توسطهم،,"Again they departed in the nighttime, headed for Afamiyah. Our army rushed and surrounded them while they were on the march. One of their knights now left the ranks and charged our men until he got in their midst."
فقتلوا حصانه واثخنوه بالجراح، فقاتل وهو راجل حتى وصل أصحابه. ودخل الأفرنج أرضهم، وعاد المسلمون عنهم.,"They killed his horse and inflicted several wounds on his body, but he fought his way on foot until he rejoined his comrades. As the Franks entered their territory, the Moslems left them and turned back."
ومضى اسباسلار مودود رحمة الله إلى دمشق، فجاءنا بعد اشهر كتاب دنكري صاحب إنطاكية مع فارس معه غلمان وأصحاب.,"The Isbaslar Mawdud (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) departed for Damascus.
A few months later there came to us a letter from Tancred, the lord of Antioch, carried by a knight accompanied with attendants and followers."
يقول هذا فارس محتشم من الأفرنج وصل حج ويريد الرجوع إلى بلاده، وسألني أن أسيره إليكم يبصر فرسانكم وقد نفذته فاستووا به.,"The letter read: This is a revered knight of the Franks who has completed the holy pilgrimage and is now on his way back to his country. He has asked me to introduce him to you so that he may see your cavaliers. Accordingly, I have sent him to you. Treat him well."
وكان شاب حسن الصورة حسن اللباس، إلا أن فيه أثار جراح كثيرة وفي وجهه ضربة سيف قد قدت من مفرقه إلى حكمته.,"The knight was a young man, handsome in looks and well dressed, but his body bore traces of numerous cuts. His face showed the mark of a sword blow which had cut him from the middle of his head to the fore part of his face."
فسألت عنه فقالواهذا الذي حمل على عسكر اسباسلار مودود وقتلوا حصانه، وقاتل حتى رجع إلى أصحابه.,"I asked about him and was told: “This is the one who made a charge against the army of the Isbaslar Mawdud, whose horse was killed and who fought until he rejoined his comrades.”"
فتعالى الله القادر على ما يشاء كيف شاء لا يؤخر الأجل إلا حجام ولا يقدمه إلا قدام.,Exalted is Allah who can do what he pleases as he pleases! Holding aloof no more retards fate than adventure hastens it.
ومن ذلك ما حكاه لي العقاب الشاعر رجل من أجنادنا من الغرب.,"A similar case is that related to me by al-‘Uqab, the poet, one of our combatants from al-Maghrib [Mauretania]."
قال خرج أبي من تدمر يريد سوق دمشق ومعه أربعة فوارس وأربعة رجالة وهم يسوقون ثمانية جمال ليبيعوها.,"This is what he said: “My father left Tadmur [Palmyra], desiring to go to the market of Damascus, accompanied by four horsemen and four footmen driving eight camels for sale."
قال بينا نحن نسير إذا فارس مقبل من صدر البرية، فجاء يسير حتى صار بالقرب منا.,"These are my father’s words: As we were on the march, behold a horseman appeared, advancing towards us from the heart of the desert. He kept on advancing until he came close to us."
فقال خلوا عن الجمال فصحنا عليه وشتمناه، فأطلق حصانه علينا فطعن منا فارسًا رماه عن فرسه وجرحه، فطردناه فسبق، ثم عاد إلينا وقال خلوا عن الجمال!,"He then said, “Let go the camels.” We howled at him and cursed him He dashed his horse on us and struck with his lance one of our horsemen, unhorsing and wounding him. We pursued him. The horseman sped ahead at full gallop. After a while he turned back on us and said, “Let go the camels.”"
فصحنا عليه وشتمناه، فحمل علينا فطعن راجلًا منا أوثقه بالجرح، وتبعناه فسبقنا،,Again we howled at him and cursed him. So he charged upon us and struck with his lance one of our footmen in whom he cut a deep wound. We followed him but could not overtake him.
ثم عاد وقد بطل منا رجلان فأطلق علينا فأستقبله رجل منا فطعنه صاحبنا،,"Then he turned back, with two of our men already disabled, and made an onslaught on us. One of our men now received him and smote him with the lance."
فوقعت الطعنة في قربوس سرجه فأنكسر رمح صاحبنا، وطعنه الفارس فجرحه، ثم حمل علينا فطعن رجلًا منا فصرعه.,"The blow fell on the pommel of the saddle and the lance broke. The knight hit our man with his lance and wounded him. Again he charged upon us and smote another of our men with his lance, felling him."
وقال خلوا على الجمال! وإلا أفنيتكم. قلنا تعال خذ نصفها قاللا، أحبسوا منها أربعة أتركوها وقوفًا وخذوا أربعة وأمضوا.,"Again he said, “Let the camels alone, otherwise I shall annihilate you.” We said to him, “Come, take half of them.” “No,” said he. “Detach four of them. Leave them standing, and take four and depart.”"
ففعلنا وما صدقنا نخلص بما سلم معنا، وساق هو تلك الأربعة ونحن نراه ما لنا فيه حيلة ولا طمع، وعاد بالغنيمة وهو وحده ونحن ثمانية رجال.,"This we did, and we could hardly believe that we would escape with what was spared to us. He drove his four under our very eyes, for we were helpless with regard to him and had no hope with him. Thus he returned with his booty; and he was only one, while we were eight men."
ومن ذلك أن دنكري صاحب إنطاكية أغار على شيزر فاستاق دواب كثيرة وقتل وسبى،,"A similar thing happened when Tancred, the lord of Antioch, made a raid on Shayzar and drove before him many of its animals after having killed and taken some of our men as prisoners."
ونزل على قرية يقال لها زلين فيها مغار معلقه لا يوصل إليها في وسط الجبل،,He then camped near a village called Zalin in which was an inaccessible cavern as if suspended in the middle of the mountain.
ما إليها من فوق منزل ولا إليها من أسفل مطلع، إنما ينزل إليها من يحتمي فيها بالحبال،,It had no way of descent to it from above and no way of ascent from below. He who seeks refuge in it can descend to it only by means of ropes.
وذلك يوم الخميس العشرين من ربيع الآخر سنة اثنين وخمس مئة،,"This happened on the twenty-fifth of Rabi‘ II, in the year 502."
فجاء شيطان من فرسانهم إلى دنكري فقالاعمل لي صندوقًا من الخشب وأنا أقعد فيه، ودلوني من الجبل إليهم بسلاسل أوثقوها في الصندوق حتى لا يقطعوها بالسيف فأسقط.,"A devil from among their knights came to Tancred and said, “Make me a box of wood in which I will sit and ye shall lower me to the enemy from the top of the mountain by chains of iron which ye tie to the box, so that they cannot cut them with the swords and I be not hurled down.”"
فعملوا له صندوقًا ودلوه بالسلاسل المعلقات إلى المغار، وأنزل كل من كان فيها إلى دنكري.,"Accordingly they made a box for him and lowered it with chains to the hanging cavern, which he captured and from which he carried away to Tancred all who were in it."
وذلك أن المغار بهو ما فيه مكان يستتر الناس فيه.,The way he did it was this: The cavern was an open court in which there was no place where one could secrete himself.
وذلك يرميهم بالنشاب فلا تقع نشابة إلا في إنسان لضيق الموضع وكثرت الناس فيه.,"He began to shoot arrows at them, and because of the narrowness of the place and the crowded condition of the people in it, not one of his arrows fell except on a person."
وكان ممن أسر في جملة من أسر في ذلك اليوم امرأة كانت من أصل جيد من العرب.,Among those who were taken captive [by the Franks] that day was a woman of noble Arab origin.
وصفت لعمي عز الدين أبي العساكر سلطان رحمه الله قبل ذلك وهي في بيت أبيها. فأرسل عمي عجوزًا من أصحابه تبصرها.,"Her description was once, prior to this, given to my uncle, ‘Izz-al-Din abu-al-‘Asakir Sultan (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), when she was still in her father’s home. My uncle on that occasion sent one of the old women of his entourage to inspect her."
فعادت تصفها وجمالها وعقلها أما لرغبة بذولها لها أما أروها غيرها،,"She came back dilating in her report on the girl’s great beauty and intelligence, either because of some bribe the old woman had received or because she was shown another girl."
فخطبها عمي وتزوجها. فلما دخلت عليه رأى غير ما وصف له منها، ثم هي خرساء، فوفاها مهرها وردها إلى قومها،,"My uncle was engaged to her and subsequently married her. When she uncovered before him, he saw something different from what was described to him. Besides, she was dumb. He therefore paid her the dowry and sent her back to her people."
فأسرت من بيوت قومها ذلك اليوم فقال عميما أدع امرأة تزوجتها وانكشفت علي في أسر الإفرنج.,"This woman was taken prisoner, on that day, from the home of her people. But my uncle said, “I shall not let a woman whom I had married and who had uncovered before me stay in the captivity of the Franks.”"
فاشتراها رحمه الله بخمس مئة دينار وسلمها إلى أهلها.,So he bought her (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) for five hundred dinars and delivered her to her own people.
ومن ذلك ما حدثني به الؤيد الشاعر البغدادي بالموصل سنة خمس وستين وخمس مئة قالاقطع الخليفة والدي ضيعة وهو يتردد إليها.,"A similar case was related to me by al-Mu’ayyad, the Baghdadi poet, in al-Mawsil in the year 565. This is what he said: The caliph bestowed upon my father as fief a village which my father used to frequent."
وبها جماعة من العيارين يقطعون الطريق ووالدي يصانعهم لخوفه منهم وانتفاعه بشيء مما يأخذونه.,That village was infested with vagabonds who carried on highway robbery and whom my father endeavored to please for fear of them and for profiting a little from what they seized.
فنحن يومًا جلوس بها أقبل غلام تركي على حصانه ومعه بغل رحل عليه خرج وجارية راكبه فوق الخرج،,"As we were one day sitting in their village, there came a young Turk mounted on a horse, and with him a mule carrying a maiden riding on the saddlebag."
فنزل وأنزل الجارية فقال يا فتيان، أسعدوني على حط الخرج، فجئنا حططناه معه وإذا به كله دنانير ذهب ومصاغ،,"He alighted, assisted the maiden to dismount and said, “O young men, help me put down the saddlebag.” We came and put down the bag with him and lo! it was full of gold dinars and jewelry."
فجلس هو والجارية، أكلا شيئا ثم قال اسعدوني على رفع الخرج، فرفعناه معه.,"He sat down with the maiden and ate something. Then he said, “Help me lift the saddlebag.” We lifted it up with him."
فقال لناكيف طريق الأنبار؟ فقال له والدي الطريق ها هنا وأشار إلى الطريق ولكن في الطريق ستون عيارًا أخاف عليك منهم.,"Then he said to us, “Where is the road to al-Anbar?” My father said to him, “Here is the road (pointing it out with his hand), but there are on the road sixty vagabonds from whom I fear for thy safety.”"
فضرط له وقال أنا أخاف من العيارين! فتركه والدي ومضى إلى العيارين أخبرهم خبره وما معه،,"The man pooh-poohed my father, saying, “I fear the vagabonds!” My father left him and went to the vagabonds and told them the story of the man and what he carried."
فخرجوا حتى عارضه في الطريق، فلما رآهم أخرج قوسه وترك فيه سهمًا واستوفاه يريد يرميهم فانقطع الوتر،,"The vagabonds set off to intercept him on the way. When he saw them he pulled out his bow, put in it an arrow and bent it, desiring to shoot them. The string gave way."
فهجم عليه العيارون فانهزم، وأخذ البغل والجارية والخرج.,"The vagabonds rushed at him and he fled away. So they took the mule and the maiden, together with the saddlebag."
فقالت لهم الجارية يا شباب بالله لا تهتكوني وبيعوني نفسي والبغل أيضًا بعقد جوهر مع التركي قيمته خمس مئة دينار، وخذوا الخرج وما فيه. قالواقد فعلنا.,"The maiden said, “O young men, by Allah, dishonor me not. Rather let me buy myself and the mule also for a necklace of gems, which is with the Turk and the value of which is five hundred dinars. Then take ye the saddlebag and all that is in it.” “We accept,” they replied."
قالت: ابعثوا لي بعضكم حتى أتحدث مع التركي وآخذ العقد،,"She said, “Send with me someone from among you so that I may speak with the Turk and take the necklace.”"
” said he.”,"Accordingly they sent with her someone to guard her until she came near the Turk and said to him, “I have bought myself and the mule for the necklace which is in the leg of thy left boot, thy shoe. Deliver it to me.” “All right"
وانفسح عنهم وأخرج الساق موزا وإذا فيه وتر قوس، فركبه على قوسه ورجع إليهم. فما زالوا يقاتله وهو يقتل منهم واحدًا واحدًا حتى قتل منهم ثلاثة وأربعين رجلًا.,"Presently he went aside, took off his boot and lo there was in it a bowstring, which he immediately fixed on his bow and turned back on them. They kept on fighting him while he was killing one after the other until he had killed forty-three men of their number."
ونظر فإذا والدي في جماعة الباقين من العيارين فقالوأنت فيهم! فتشتهي أعطيك نصيبك من النشاب؟!,"Looking around, he unexpectedly saw my father among the vagabonds who survived. So he said, “Thou too among them Dost thou desire that I should give thee thy share of arrows?”"
قال لا. قالخذ هؤلاء السبعة عشر الباقين أمض بهم إلى شحنة البلد يشنقهم واولائك قد زنهروا ورموا سلاحهم.,"“No,” replied my father. “Take them,” said the Turk, “these seventeen who survive, lead them to the magistrate of the city to hang them.” In the meantime those seventeen had stood staring with fear and put down their arms."
وساق بغله بما عليه ومضى، وقد أرسل الله تعالى على العيارين منه مصيبة وسخطة عظيمة.,The Turk drove his mule with all that was on it and continued his march. Thus Allah (exalted is he!) sent through him upon the vagabonds a calamity and great wrath.
ومن ذلك ما حضرته في سنة تسع وخمسمئة وقد خرج والدي رحمه الله بالعسكر إلى اسباسلار برسق رحمه الله وقد وصل بأمر السلطان إلى الغَزاة،,"Another illustration I witnessed in the year 509. My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had set out at the head of the army to join the Isbaslar Bursuq ibn-Bursuq (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), who had arrived on an expedition ordered by the sultan."
وهو في خلق عظيم وجماعة من الأمراءمنهم أمير الجيوش اوزبه صاحب الموصل، وسنقرد راز صاحب الرحبة والأمير كندغندي، والحاجب الكبير بكتمر، وزنكي بن برسق وكان من الأبطال، وتميرك، وإسماعيل البكجي وغيرهم من الأمراء.,"Bursuq commanded a huge army including a large number of amirs, among whom were the Amir-al-Juyush [commander of the armies] Uzbeh the lord of al-Mawsil, Sunqur Diraz the lord of al-Rahabah, the Amir Kundughadi, al-Hajib al-Kabir [the grand chamberlain] Baktimur, Zanki ibn-Bursuq (who was a veritable hero), Tamirak, Isma‘il al-Bakji, and others."
فنزلوا على كفر طاب وفيها أخوا ثويفل والإفرنج فقاتلوها ودخلوا الخرسانية في الخندق ينقبون،,"They camped before Kafartab, in which were the two brothers of Theophile at the head of the Franks, and attacked it. The troops from Khurasan entered the trench and began to dig an underground tunnel."
والإفرنج قد أيقنوا بالهلاك فطرحوا النار بالحصن فأحرقوا السقوف فوقعت على الخيل والدواب والغنم والخنازير والأسارى فاحترق الجميع وبقي الأفرنج معلقين في أعلاه على الحيطان.,"Convinced that they were on the point of perdition, the Franks set the castle on fire. The roofs were burned and fell upon the horses, beasts of burden, sheep, pigs and captives — all of whom were burned up. The Franks remained clinging to the walls at the top of the castle."
فوقع لي أن أدخل في النقب أبصره فنزلت في الخندق، والنشاب والحجار مثل المطر علينا ودخلت النقب.,"It occurred to me to enter the underground tunnel and inspect it. So I went down in the trench, while the arrows and stones were falling on us like rain, and entered the tunnel."
فرأيت حكمة عظيمة قد نقبوا من الخندق إلى الباشورة وأقاموا في جوانب النقب قائمتين وعليهما عرضية تمنع من تهدم ما فوقها.,"There I was struck with the great wisdom with which the digging was executed. The tunnel was dug from the trench to the barbican [bashurah]. On the sides of the tunnel were set up two pillars, across which stretched a plank to prevent the earth above it from falling down."
ونظموا النقب بالأخشاب كذلك إلى أساس البشورة، ثم نقبوا حائط الباشورة وعلقوه، وبلغوا أساس البرج.,"The whole tunnel had such a framework of wood that extended as far as the foundation of the barbican. Then the assailants dug under the wall of the barbican, supported it in its place, and went as far as the foundation of the tower."
والنقب ضيق، إنما هو طريق إلى البرج. فلما وصلوه وسّعوا النقب في حائط البرج وحمّلوه على الأخشاب ويخرجون نقارة الأحجار اولًا فأولًا. وأرض النقب من النقش قد صارت طينًا،,"The tunnel was narrow. It was nothing but a means to provide access to the tower. As soon as they got to the tower, they enlarged the tunnel in the wall of the tower, supported it on timbers and began to carry out, a little at a time, the splinters of stone produced by boring. The floor of the tunnel, on account of the dust caused by the digging, was converted into mud."
فرأيته وخرجت ولم يعرفني الخرسانية، ولو عرفوني ما تركوني أخرج إلا بغرامة كثيرة لهم.,"Having made the inspection, I went on without the troops of Khurasan recognizing me. Had they recognized me, they would not have let me off without the payment of a heavy tribute."
وشرعوا في تقطيع الخشب اليابس وحشوا النقب بذلك الخشب واصبحوا طرحوا فيه النار. وقد لبسنا وزحفنا إلى الخندق لنهجم الحصن إذا وقع البرج وعلينا من الحجارة والنشاب بلاء عظيم.,"They then began to cut dry wood and stuff the tunnel with it. Early the next morning they set it on fire. We had just at that time put on our arms and marched, under a great shower of stones and arrows, to the trench in order to make an onslaught on the castle as soon as its tower tumbled over."
فأول ما عملت النار صار يسقط ما بين الحجار من تكحيل الكلس ثم انشق واتسع الشق ووقع البرج،,"As soon as the fire began to have its effect, the layers of mortar between the stones of the wall began to fall. Then a crack was made. The crack became wider and wider and the tower fell."
ونحن نظن إذا وقع تمكن من الدخول عليهم، فوقع الوجه البراني وبقي الحائط الجواني كما هو.,"We had assumed that when the tower would fall we should be able to enter as far as our enemy. But only the outer face of the wall fell, while the inner wall remained intact."
فوقفنا إلى ان خيمت علينا الشمس ورجعنا إلى خيامنا، وقد نالنا من الحجارة أذى كثير.,"We stood there until the sun became too hot for us, and then returned to our tents after a great deal of damage had been inflicted on us by the stones, which were hurled against us."
فمكثنا إلى الظهر وإذا قد خرج من العسكر راجل واحد معه سيفه وترسه.,"After resting until noontime, there set out all of a sudden a footman from our ranks single-handed and carrying his sword and shield."
فمضى إلى حائط البرج الذي قد وقع وقد صارت جوانبه كدرج السلم فتوقل فيه حتى صعدا أعلاه،,"He marched to the wall of the tower which had fallen, and the sides of which had become like the steps of a ladder, and climbed on it until he got as far as its highest point."
فلما رآه رجال العسكر تبعه منهم قدر عشرة رجال تسرعوا بعدتهم فصعدوا واحدًا وراء واحد حتى صاروا على البرج والإفرنج لا يشعرون بهم.,"As soon as the other men of the army saw him, about ten of them followed him hastily in full armor and climbed one after the other until they got to the tower, while the Franks were not conscious of their movements."
ولبسنا نحن من الخيام وزحفنا، فكثروا على البرج قبل أن يتكامل الناس عندهم.,We in turn put on our armor in our tents and advanced. Many climbed the tower before all our army had wholly arrived.
ففرغ إليهم الإفرنج فرموهم بالنشاب فجرحوا الذي طلع في الأول فنزل.,The Franks now turned upon our men and shot their arrows at them. They wounded the man who was first to climb. So he descended.
وتتابع الناس في الطلوع وصاروا مع الإفرنج على بدن من حيطان البرج.,But the other men continued to climb in succession until they stood facing the Franks on one of the tower walls between two bastions [badan].
وبين يديهم برج في بابه فارس لابس ومعه ترسه وقنطاريته يحمي من دخول البرج، وعلى البرج جماعة من الإفرنج يقاتلون الناس بالنشاب والحجارة،,"Right in front of them stood a tower the door of which was guarded by a cavalier in full armor carrying his shield and lance, preventing entrance to the tower. On top of that tower were a band of Franks, attacking our men with arrows and stones."
فصعد رجل من الأتراك ونحن نراه، ومشى والبلاء يأخذه إلى أن دنا من البرج وضرب الذي عليه بقارورة نفط.,"One of the Turks climbed, under our very eyes, and started walking towards the tower, in the face of death, until he approached the tower and hurled a bottle of naphtha on those who were on top of it."
فرأيته كالشهاب على تلك الحجارة إليهم، وقد رموا نفوسهم إلى الأرض خوفًا من الحريق، ثم عاد.,"The naphtha flashed like a meteor falling upon those hard stones, while the men who were there threw themselves on the ground for fear of being burnt. The Turk then came back to us."
وطلع أخر يمشي على البدن ومعه سيف وترس،,Another Turk now climbed and started walking on the same wall between the two bastions. He was carrying his sword and shield.
فخرج عليه من البرج الذي في بابه الفارس رجل منهم عليه زرديتان وبيده قنطاريه وما معه ترس،,"There came out to meet him from the tower, at the door of which stood a knight, a Frank wearing double-linked mail and carrying a spear in his hand, but not equipped with a shield."
فلقيه التركي وفي يده سيفه فطعنه الإفرنجي فدفع سنان قنطارية عنه بالترس ومشى إلى الإفرنجي.,"The Turk, sword in hand, encountered him. The Frank smote him with the spear, but the Turk warded off the point of the spear with his shield and, notwithstanding the spear, advanced towards the Frank."
وقد دخل على الرمح إليه، فولى عنه وأدار ظهره وأمال ظهره كالراكع خوفًا على رأسه، فضربه التركي ما عملت فيه شيئًا، ومشى حتى دخل البرج.,"The latter took to flight and turned his back, leaning forward, like one who wanted to kneel, in order to protect his head. The Turk dealt him a number of blows which had no effect whatsoever, and went on walking until he entered the tower."
وقوي عليهم الناس وتكاثروا، فسلموا الحصن ونزل لأسارى إلى الخيام برسق بن برسق.,"Our men proved too numerous and too strong for the enemy. So the latter delivered the castle, and the captives came down to the tents of Bursuq ibn-Bursuq."
فشاهدت ذلك الذي خرج بقنطاريته على التركي وقد جمعهم في سرادق برسق بن برسق ليقطعوا على نفوسهم ثمنًا يخلصون به.,"Among those who were assembled in the large tent of Bursuq ibn-Bursuq in order to set for themselves a price for their liberty, I recognized that same man who had set out with his spear against the Turk."
فوقف وكان سرجنديًا وقالكم تأخذون مني؟ قالوانريد ستمئة دينار.,"He, who was a sergeant [sarjandi], stood up and said, “How much do ye want from me?” They said, “We demand six hundred dinars.”"
فضرط لهم وقالأنا سرجندي ديواني كل شهر ديناران، من أين لي ستمئة دينار؟,"He pooh-poohed them, saying, “I am a sergeant. My stipend is two dinars a month. Wherefrom can I get you six hundred dinars?”"
وعاد جلس بين أصحابه، وكان خلقة عظيمة.,"And saying this, he went back and sat among his companions. And he was huge in size."
فقال الأمير سيد الشريف وكان من كبار الأمراء لوالدي رحمهما اللهيا أخي ترى هؤلاء القوم؟ نعوذ بالله منهم.,"Seeing him, the Amir al-Sayyid al-Sharif, who was one of the leading amirs, said to my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), “O my brother, seest thou what manner of people these are? In Allah we seek refuge against them.”"
فقضى سبحانه ان العسكر رحل من كفرطاب إلى دانيث وصبَّحهم عسكر إنطاكية يوم الثلاثاء الثالث والعشرين من ربيع الآخر.,"By the decree of Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) our army departed from Kafartab to Danith and were surprised to meet early Tuesday morning, the twenty-third of Rabi‘ II, the army of Antioch."
وكان تسليم كفر طاب يوم الجمعه ثالث عشر ربيع الأخر، فقتل الأمير سيد رحمه الله وخلق كثير من المسلمين.,"The capitulation of Kafartab took place on Friday, the thirteenth of Rabi‘ II. The Amir al-Sayyid (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was killed, together with a large body of Moslems."
وعاد الوالد رحمه الله وكنت قد فارقته من كفر طاب وقد كسر العسكر، ونحن في كفر طاب نحرزها نريد نعمرها، وكان إسباسلار سلمها إلينا.,My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) with whom I had parted at Kafartab returned [to Kafartab] after the army had been defeated. We were still at Kafartab guarding it with the intention of rebuilding it; for the isbaslar had delivered it into our hands.
ونحن نخرج الأسرى كل أثنين في قيد من أهل شيزر وقد احترق نصف ذا وقد بقيت فخذه، وذا قد مات في النار،,"We were bringing out the captives, each two chained to one man from Shayzar. Some of them had half of their bodies burned and their legs remained. Others were dead by fire."
فرأيت منهم عبرة عظيمة فتركناها وعدنا إلى شيزر مع الوالد رحمه الله، وقد أخذ كل ما كان معه من الخيام والجمال والبغال والبرك والتحمل وتفرق العسكر.,"I saw in what befell them a great object lesson. We then left Kafartab and returned to Shayzar in the company of my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), who had lost all the tents, loads, mules, camels and baggage he had, and whose army was dispersed."
وكان ما جرى عليهم، بمكيدة من لؤلؤ لخادم صاحب حلب ذلك الوقت،,"These reverses had befallen the army through a ruse effected by Lu’lu’ al-Khadim, who was then the lord of Aleppo."
قرر مع صاحب إنطاكية أن يحتال عليهم ويفرقهم ويخرج ذلك من إنطاكية بعسكره يكسرهم.,"Lu’lu’ had concerted with the lord of Antioch to use a stratagem against the Moslems and divide them, upon which the latter would set out from Antioch with his army and defeat them."
فأرسل إلى اسباسيلار برسق رحمه الله يقولتنفذ لي بعض الأمراء ومعه جماعة من العسكر أسلم إليهم حلب، فإني أخاف من أهل البلد ان لا يطاوعني على التسليم،,"Accordingly Lu’lu’ sent a message to the Isbaslar Bursuq (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) to this effect: Dispatch unto me one of the amirs with a company of soldiers, and I shall deliver unto him Aleppo; because I am afraid that the inhabitants may not agree with me regarding the delivery of the town."
فأريد أن بكون مع الأمير جماعة أتقوى بهم على الحلبيين.,That is why I would like to have with the amir a company of troops by whom I can get the upper hand over the Aleppines.
فنفذ إليه أمير الجيوش ارزبة ومعه ثلاثة آلاف فارس وصبحهم رو جار لعنه الله، كسرهم لنفاذ المشيئة.,"Bursuq dispatched to him the Amir-al-Juyush Uzbeh at the head of three thousand horsemen, whom Roger [rujar] (may Allah’s curse be upon him!) surprised one morning and defeated — through an execution of the divine will."
وعاد الإفرنج لعنهم الله إلى كفر طاب عمروها وسكنوها.,"The Franks (may Allah’s curse be upon them!) returned to Kafartab, which they rebuilt and populated."
وقدر الله تعالى ان خلص الأسرى من الفرنج الذين أخذوا من كفر طاب. فإن الأمراء اقتسموهم وأبقوهم معهم ليشتروا أنفسهم إلى ما كان من أمير الجيوش فإنه تقدم الذين طلعوا في سهمه.,"Allah (exalted is he!) decreed that the Frankish captives who were taken in Kafartab be set free, since the amirs divided them among themselves and kept them under their charge until they could buy themselves off; the only exception being the case of the isbaslar who, before departing for Aleppo, issued orders and all those captives who fell in his share had their heads struck off."
ضرب رقاب جميعهم قبل أن يتوجه إلى حلب. وافترق العسكر – من سلم منهم من دانيث – وتوجهوا إلى بلادهم، فذلك الرجل الذي طلع وحده إلى برج كفر طاب كان سبب أخذها.,The army — those of them who survived the battle of Danith — disbanded and went into their home lands. But that man who single-handed climbed to the tower of Kafartab was responsible for the capture of that fortress.
ومن ذلك كان في خدمتي رجل يقال له نمير العلار وزي، راجل شجاع نهض هو وقوم من رجال شيزر إلى الروج إلى الإفرنج،,"Another illustration: There was in my service a man named Numayr al-‘Allaruzi. He was a footman, brave and strong. With a band of men from Shayzar, he set out to al-Ruj to attack the Franks."
فعثروا في البلد على قافلة من الإفرنج في مغارة. فقال بعضهم لبعض من يدخل عليهم.,"When still in our territory, they came across a caravan of the Franks hiding in a cavern, and each one began to say to the other, “Who should go in against them?”"
قال نمير أنا، فدفع إليهم سيفه وترسه وجذب سكينه ودخل عليهم.,"“I,” said Numayr. And as he said it, he turned over to his companions his sword and shield, drew his dagger and went in against them."
فاستقبله رجل منهم فضربه بالسكين رماه وبرك عليه يقتله وخلفه إفرنجي معه سيف فضربه.,"As he entered, one of them came to receive him, but Numayr stabbed him immediately with the dagger, overthrew him and knelt upon him to slay him Behind the Frank stood another one with a sword in his hand and struck Numayr."
وعلى ظهر نمير مزود فيه خبز فهو يرد عنه، فلما قتل الرجل الذي تحته ألتفت إلى صاحب السيف يريده،,"The latter had on his back a knapsack containing bread, which protected him. Having killed the man under him, Numayr now turned to the man with the sword, intent upon attacking him."
فضربه بالسيف في جانب وجهه فقطع حاجبه وجفن عينه وخده وأنفه وشفته العليا، فتدلى جانب وجهه على صدره،,"The Frank immediately struck him with the sword on the side of his face and cut through his eyebrow, eyelid, cheek, nose and upper lip, making the whole side of his face hang down on his chest."
فخرج من المغارة إلى أصحابه فشدوا جرحه ورجعوا إليه في ليلة باردة ماطرة،,"Numayr went out of the cavern to his companions, who bandaged his wound and brought him back during a cold rainy night."
فوصل شيزر وهو على تلك الحالة، فخيط وجهه وداوى جراحه فبرأ وعاد إلى مكان عليه، إلا أن عينه تلفت.,"He arrived in Shayzar in that condition. There his face was stitched and his cut was treated until he was healed and returned to his former condition, with the exception of his eye which was lost for good."
وهو أحد الثلاثة الذين رماهم الإسماعيلية من حصن شيزر وقد تقد ذكرهم.,"This Numayr was one of the three whom the Isma’ilites hurled to the ground from the Castle of Shayzar, and whose story we have already related."
وحدثني الرئيس سهري وكان في خدمت الأمير شمس الخواص التونتاش صاحب رفنية وكان بينه وبين علم الدين علي كرد صاحب حماة عداوة وخلف،,"The following was related to me by al-Ra’is Sahri, who was in the service of the Amir Shams-al-Khawass Altuntash, the lord of Rafaniyyah, and who had a standing enmity and a dispute with ‘Alam-al-Din ‘Ali-Kurd, the lord of Hamah."
قال أمرني شمس الخواص أن أخرج أقدر بلد رفنية وابصر زرعه،,These are the words of Sahri: Shams-al-Khawass ordered me to go and appraise the crop of Rafaniyyah and inspect its cultivated fields.
فخرجت ومعي قومًا من الجند. قدرت البلد، ونزلت ليلة عند المساء بقرية من قرى الرفنية لها برج صعدنا إلى سطحه تعشينا.,"I set out, accompanied by a band of troops, and appraised the crops of the town One evening, I set up my camp in one of the villages of Rafaniyyah, which had a tower, and I climbed with my companions to the roof of the tower, where we had our supper."
وجلسنا وخيلنا على باب البرج، فما شعرنا إلى برجل قد أشرف علينا من بين شراشيف البرج.,After supper we took our seats while our horses stood at the door of the tower. Before we knew it there appeared a man overlooking us from among the battlements of the tower.
فصاح علينا ورمى نفسه إلينا وفي يده سكينه فنهزمنا ونزلنا في السلم الأول وهو خلفنا،,"He yelled at us and threw himself into our midst, holding a dagger in his hand We all took to flight and made our descent on the first ladder while he pursued us."
ونزلنا في السلم الثاني وهو خلفنا حتى وصلنا الباب فخرجنا وإذا قد رتب لنل رجلًا على الباب فقبضونا جميعنا وأوثقونا رباطًا ودخلوا بنا حماة علي كرد،,"We made our descent on the second ladder with him in our pursuit until we got to the door. As we rushed out, we unexpectedly found that he had stationed for us certain men at the door who seized every one of us, bound us fast with cords and took us over to Hamah, into the presence of ‘Ali-Kurd."
فما سلمنا من ضرب الرقبة إلا بفسحة الأجل، فحبسنا وغرمنا، وكان الذي فعل بنا ذلك كله رجل واحد.,We escaped decapitation only because our predestined day had not arrived. ‘All imprisoned us and put a heavy ransom on us. And the one who brought all this on us was a single-handed man.
ومثل ذلك جرى في حصن الخربة، كانت لصلاح الدين محمد بن أيوب الغسياني رحمه الله وفيها الحاجب عيسى واليها،,"A similar episode took place in the Castle of [Qal‘ah] al-Khirbah. This castle belonged to Salah-al-Din Muhammad ibn-Ayyub al-Ghisyani (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), and there was stationed in it its governor, al-Hajib [chamberlain] ‘Isa."
وهو حصن منيع على صخرة مرتفعة من جميع جوانبه يطلع إليه بسلم خشب ثم يرفع السلم فلا يبقى إليها طريق،,"It was an impregnable fortress crowning a high rock, steep on all sides. The only access to it was by climbing a wooden ladder, which would then be removed, leaving no other way to reach it."
وليس مع الولي في الحصن سوى ابنه وغلامه وبواب الحصن وله صاحب يقال له ابن المرجي يطلع إليه في الوقت بعد الوقت في أشغاله،,"With the governor in the fortress were none but his son, his servant and the gateman. The last mentioned had a friend named ibn al-Marji [Murahhi?], who used to come up to him from time to time on certain business."
فتحدث مع الأسماعليية وقرر معهم قرارًا أرضاه، من مال واقطاع ويسلم إليهم الحصن الخربة،,This man conferred with the Isma’ilites and made with them a pact assuring him a satisfactory amount of money and a fief on condition that he would deliver the Castle of al-Khirbah to them.
ثم جاء إلى الحصن فاستأذن وطلع، فبدأ بالبواب، قتله، ولقيه الغلام فقتله.,"He then came to the castle, asked permission to be admitted and mounted. Starting with the gateman, he put him to death. The servant who met him next he also killed."
ودخل على الوالي قتله، وعاد إلى ابن الوالي قتله، وسلمه إلى الإسماعيلية، وقاموا له بما كانوا قرروه له. والرجال إذا قوا أنفسهم على شيء فعلوه.,"Then he entered the room of the governor and killed him. Returning to the son of the governor, he also killed him, and delivered the castle to the Isma’ilites, who fulfilled their part of the contract with him. When men strengthen themselves to do a thing, they usually do it."
ومن ذلك تفاضل الرجال في هممهم ونخوتهم،,Other illustrations relate to the differences between men in zeal and magnanimity.
وكان الوالد رحمه الله يقول لي  كل جيد من سائر الأجناس، من الرديء من جنسه ما يكون بقيمته،”,My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) used to say to me: The good among all species may have among the bad in its species what is equivalent to it in value.
مثل حصان جيد يساوي مئة دينار، خمس حصن رديئة تساوي مئة دينار وكذلك الجمال.,"For instance, a good horse may be worth a hundred dinars, five bad horses may also be worth a hundred dinars. The same holds true in the case of camels."
وكذلك أنواع الملبوس، إلا ابن آدم فإن ألف رجل أرد ياء لا يساوون رجلًا واحدًا جيدًا . وصدق رحمه الله.”,"The same holds true in the case of the different varieties of clothing. The only exception is the son of Adam, because one thousand bad men are not worth one good man. And my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was right."
كنت قد نفذت مملوكًا لي في شغل مهم إلى دمشق واتفق أن أتابك زنكي رحمه الله أخذ حماة ونزل على حمص،,I once dispatched a mameluke of mine on urgent business to Damascus. It so happened that in the meantime the Atabek Zanki (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had captured Hamah and established his camp outside of Hims.
فاشتدت الطريق على صاحبي فتوجه إلى بعلبك ومنها إلى طرابلس واكترى بغل رجل نصراني يقال له يونان.,"Thus the return route was closed in the face of my man, who had to make his way to Ba’labakk and thence to Tripoli, where he hired the mule of a Christian called Yunan."
فحمله إلى حيث اكتراه وودعه، ورجع وخرج صاحبي في قافلة يريد يتوصل إلى شيزر من حصون الجبل.,"The latter transported him to the place agreed upon, bade him farewell and returned As for my man, he joined a caravan with the intention of reaching Shayzar via the forts of the mountains."
فلقيهم إنسان فقال لأرباب الدواب لا تمضوا فإن في طريقكم في الموضع الفلاني عقد حرامية في ستين سبعين رجلا يأخذونكم.,"On the way they met a man who said to the owners of the beasts, “Proceed not, for on your way in such and such a place lies a band of robbers, numbering sixty or seventy men, who will capture you.”"
قال فوقفنا لا ندري ما نعمل، ما تطيب نفوسنا بالرجوع ولا نجسر على المسير من الخوف،,"My servant, relating the story, said: Here we stopped, not knowing what to do, neither cherishing the idea of turning back nor feeling bold enough to advance, on account of fear."
فنحن كذالك إذا الريس يونان قد أقبل مسرعًا. فقلناما لك يا ريس؟ قال سمعت أن في طريقكم حرامية جئت لأسيركم، سيروا.,"As we were in this dilemma, behold al-Ra’is Yunan appeared, hurrying toward us. We said, “What is the matter with thee, O Ra’is?” He replied, “I heard that there were robbers on your way, so I came to see you off. Proceed.”"
فسرنا معه إلى ذلك الموضع، وإذا قد نزل من الجبل خلق عظيم من الحرامية يريدون أخذنا.,"Accordingly we advanced with him to that place, and lo a great multitude of robbers fell upon us from the mountain, desiring to capture us."
فلقيهم يونان وقال يا فتيان موضعكم! أنا يونان وهؤلاء في خفارتي، والله ما فيكم من يتقرّب منهم!,"Yunan met them and said, “O young men, keep your place! I am Yunan, and these are under my guardianship. By Allah, there isn’t one among you who would come near them.”"
فردّهم -والله- جميعَهم عنا. وما أكلوا من عندنا رغيف خبز، ومشي معنا يونان حتى أمنا ثم ودعنا وانصرف.,"Thus, by Allah, he repelled them all from us, without having eaten even a loaf of our bread. Yunan kept walking with us until we were in perfect safety and then bade us farewell and departed."
وحكى لي صاحبي هذا عن أبن صاحب الطور وكان طلع معي من مصر في سنة ثمان وثلاثين وخمس مئة، قال حدثني أبن والي الطور,"This same servant of mine, who in the year 538 had accompanied me to Egypt, told me a story about the son of the lord of al-Tur [Mt. Sinai] who told it to him in the following words"
وهي ولاية لمصر بعيدة، كان الحافظ لدين الله رحمه الله، إذا أراد أبعاد بعض الأمراء ولاه الطور وهو قريب لبلاد الإفرنج.,(al-Tur being a distant province belonging to Egypt and close to the land of the Franks and over which al-Hafiz li-Din-Allah — may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul! — would appoint as governor any one of his amirs whom he desired to banish):
قال وليها والدي وخرجت أنا معه إلى الولاية وكنت مغرى بالصيد فخرجت أتصيد فوقع بي قوم من الإفرنج فأخذوني ومضوا بي إلى بيت جبريل،,"My father was appointed governor of al-Tur, and I went out with him to the province. I was fond of hunting. So I went out one day to hunt and a group of Franks fell upon me, captured me and took me to Bayt-Jibril."
فحبسوني فيه في جب وحدي وقطع علي صاحب بيت جبريل ألفي دينار، فبقيت في الجب سنة لا يسأل عني أحد،,There they shut me up all alone in a dungeon. The master of Bayt-Jibril fixed my ransom at two thousand dinars I remained in the dungeon a year without anybody inquiring about me.
فأنا في بعض الأيام في الجب وإذا قد رفع عنه الغطاء ودلي إلي رجل بدوي. فقلتمن أين أخذوك؟,"But one day as I was in my dungeon, behold the trapdoor was uplifted and a Bedouin was lowered towards me I said, “Where did they take thee from?”"
قال من الطريق، فأقام عندي يويمات وقطعوا عليه خمسين دينارًا، فقال لي يومًا من الأيام تريد تعلم أن ما يخلصك من هذا الجب إلا أنا؟ فخلصني حتى أخلصك.,"“From the road,” he replied. After staying with me a few days, his ransom was fixed at fifty dinars. One day he said to me, “Dost thou want to know that none can deliver thee from this dungeon but me? Deliver me, therefore, so that I may deliver thee.”"
فقلت في نفسي رجل قد وقع في شدة يريد لروحه الخلاص، فما جاوبته. ثم بعد أيام أعاد على ذلك القول.,"I said to myself, “Here is a man who, finding himself in distress, seeks for himself a way of deliverance” So I answered him not. A few days later he repeated the same request to me."
فقلت في نفسي والله لأسعين في خلاصه لعل الله يخلصني بثوابه. فصحت بالسجن فقلت له قل للصاحب أشتهي أتحدث معك.,"So I said to myself, “By Allah, I will surely make an effort to deliver him, for maybe Allah will deliver me in recompense.” So I shouted to the jailer and said, “Tell the lord I wish to confer with him.”"
فعاد وأطلعني من الجب وأحضرني عند الصاحب.,The jailer went away and returned. Then he made me mount out of the dungeon and presented me before the lord.
فقلت له لي في حبسك سنة ما سأل أحد عني ولا يدري أنا حي أو ميت، وقد حبست عندي هذا البدوي وقطعت عليه خمسين دينارًا أجعلها زيادة على قطيعتي ودعني أسيره إلى أبي حتى يفكني.,"I said to the lord, “I have been in thy prison for one year without anybody inquiring about me, and nobody knows whether I am alive or dead. Then thou hast imprisoned with me this Bedouin and fixed his ransom at fifty dinars. Now, add his ransom to mine and let me send him to my father so that he may buy me off.”"
قال افعل. فرجعت عرفت البدوي وخرج ودعني ومضى.,"“Do so,” replied the lord. Accordingly I returned and notified the Bedouin, who went out, bade me farewell and departed."
فانتظرت ما يكون منه شهرين فما رأيت له أثرًا ولا سمعت له خبرًا فيئست منه فما راعني ليلة من الليالي إلا وهو قد خرج علي من نقب في جانب الجب، وقالقم والله لي خمسة أشهر أحفر هذا السرب من قرية خربة حتى وصلت إليك.,"I awaited results from him for two months, but I saw no trace of him nor heard any news about him. So I despaired of him But one night, to my great surprise, he appeared before me from a tunnel in the side of the dungeon and said, “Arise. By Allah, I have been five months digging this subterranean passage from a village in ruins until I got to thee.”"
فقمت معه وخرجنا من ذالك السرب وكسر قيدي وأوصلني إلى بيتي فما أدري مم أعجب من حسن وفائه أو من هدايته حتى طلع نقبه من جانب الجب.,"I arose with him and we went out through that subterranean passage. He broke my chain, and accompanied me to my own home. And now I know not what to admire more — his fidelity in carrying out his promise or his precision in digging a tunnel that hit the side of the dungeon."
وإذا قضى الله سبحانه بالفرج فما أسهل أسبابه.,"When Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) decrees that relief should come, then how easy become the causes which bring it about!"
كنت أتردد إلى ملك الأفرنج في الصلح بينه وبين جمال الدين محمد بن تاج الملوك رحمه الله ليد كانت للوالد رحمه الله على بغدوين الملك والد الملكة امرأة الملك فلك بن فلك،,"I used to visit frequently the king of the Franks during the truce between him and Jamal-al-Din Muhammad ibn-Taj-al-Muluk (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), on account of the fact that King Baldwin, father of the queen, who was the wife of King Fulk, son of Fulk, was under obligation to my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
فكان الإفرنج يسوقون أسراهم إلي لأشتريهم، فكنت أشتري منهم من سهل الله تعالى خلاصه.,"During these visits the Franks used to bring before me their captives so that I might buy them off, and I would buy off those of them whose deliverance Allah (exalted is he!) would facilitate."
فخرج شيطان منهم يدعى كليوم جيبا في موكب له يغزي فأخذ مركبًا فيه حجاج من المغاربة نحو أربع مئة نفس رجال ونساء.,"Once a devil of a Frank named William Jiba set out in his vessel for a piratical raid, and captured a vessel in which were Maghribi pilgrims numbering about four hundred souls, men and women."
فكان يجيء أقوام مع مالكهم فأشتري منهم من قدرت على شراه، وفيهم رجل شاب يسلم ويقعد لا يتكلم،,"Now some of these Maghribis would be brought to me by their owners, and I would buy from among them those whom I could buy. One of the captives was a young man who would salute and sit without uttering a word."
فسألت عنه فقيل لي هو رجل زاهد صاحب دباغ. فقلت له بكم تبيعني هذه؟””,"I inquired about him and was told that he was an ascetic owned by a tanner. So I said to the tanner, “For how much wilt thou sell me this one?”"
قال وحق ديني ما أبيعه إلا هو وهذا الشيخ جملة كما أشتريتهما بثلاثة وأربعين دينارًا،,"The tanner replied, “By the truth of my religion, I will not sell him except in conjunction with this sheikh, and that for the same price that I paid for them, namely forty-three dinars.”"
فاشتريتهما اشتريت لي منهم نفرًا، اشتريت للأمير معين رحمه الله منهم نفرًا بمئة وعشرين دينارًا ووزنت ما كان معي وضمنت علي الباقي.,"I bought them both, and I bought for my own use a few others. I also bought for the Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) a few others costing one hundred twenty dinars. I paid the money that I had with me and offered a bond for the balance."
وجئت إلى دمشق فقلت للأمير معين الدين رحمه اللهلقد اشتريت لك أسارى أختصك بهم، وما كان معي ثمنهم. والآن قد وصلت إلى بيتي إن أردتهم وزنت ثمنهم وإلا وزنته أنا.,"Later I came to Damascus and said to the Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), “I have purchased some captives especially for thee, but I did not have their full price. And now that I have arrived in my home, if thou wantest them thou shalt pay their price, otherwise I shall pay it myself.”"
قال لا بل أنا أزن والله ثمنهم وأنا أرغب الناس في ثوابهم.,"“O no,” said he, “I would, by Allah, rather pay their price myself. And of all men, I desire most the reward that comes thereby.”"
وكان رحمه الله أسرع الناس إلى فعل خير وكسب مثوبة ووزن ثمنهم. وعدت بعد أيام إلى عكا.,"In truth, Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was the quickest of men in doing good and in gaining the reward thereof He paid their price. A few days afterwards I returned to ‘Akka [Acre]."
وقد بقي من الأسرى عند كليوم جيبا ثمانية وثلاثون أسيرًا وفيهم امرأة لبعض الذين خلصهم الله تعالى على يدي.,"There remained with William Jiba thirty-eight of the captives, among whom was the wife of one of those whom Allah had delivered through my hand."
فاشتريتها منه، وما وزنت ثمنها، فركبت إلى داره لعنه الله، وقلت تبيعني منهم عشرة؟,"So I bought her off without paying her price on the spot Soon after, I rode to Jiba’s home (may Allah’s curse be upon him’) and said, “Wilt thou sell me ten of the captives?”"
قال وحق ديني ما أبيع إلا الجميع. قلت ما معي ثمن الجميع، وأنا أشتري بعضهم، والنوبة الأخرى أشتري الباقي.,"“By my religion,” he replied, “I won’t sell them but all together.” “I haven’t got on my person the price of them all,” I replied. “So I will now buy some, and then another time I will buy the rest.”"
قال ما أبيعك إلا الجميع. فانصرفت وقدر الله سبحانه أنهم هربوا في تلك الليلة جميعهم.,"“I will not sell them to thee but all together,” he repeated. So I departed. But Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) decreed and they fled away that very night, all of them."
وسكان ضياع عكا كلهم من المسلمين إذا وصل إليهم الأسير آخوه وأوصلوه إلى بلاد الإسلام.,"The inhabitants of the villages of ‘Akka being all Moslems, whenever a captive came to them they would hide him and see that he got into Moslem territory."
وتطلبهم ذلك الملعون فما ظفر منهم بأحد وأحسن الله سبحانه خلاصهم،,"That accursed one sought his runaways, but succeeded in capturing none, for Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) made their deliverance good."
وأصبح يطالبني بثمن المرأة التي كنت أشتريتها وما وزنت ثمنها وقد هربت في من هرب.,The second morning he began to demand from me the price of the woman whom I had purchased but whose price I had not paid and who was one of those who had fled away.
فقلت سلمها إلي وخذ ثمنها. قالثمنها لي من أمس قبل أن تهرب. وألزمني بوزن ثمنها، فوزنته وهان ذالك علي لمسرتي بخلاص أولئك المساكين.,"I said to him, “Deliver her to me and then take her price.” He replied, “Her price is mine by right since yesterday before she fled away.” And he forced me to pay her price. So I paid it and considered it an easy thing since I was so happy at the deliverance of those miserable ones."
ومن عجائب السلامة إذا جرى بها القدر وسبقت بها المشيئة أن الأمير فخر الدين قرا أرسلان بن سقمان بن أرتق رحمه الله، عمل على مدينة آمد عدة مرار وأنا بخدمته، ولا يبلغ منها مقصوده.,"The following is a case of miraculous escape due to the intervention of destiny and the previous decision of divine will. Al-Amir Fakhr-al-Din Qara-Arslan ibn-Suqman ibn-Urtuq (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) made a number of attempts on the city of Amid, while I was in his service, without accomplishing his object."
وكان أخر ما عمل عليها ان أمير من الأكراد كان مديونًا بآمد رسالة ومعه جماعة من أصحابه وقرر الأمر ان يصله العساكر في ليلة تواعدوا إليها ويطلعهم بالحبال ويملك آمد.,"In the course of the last attempt he made on it, a Kurdish amir, who was in charge of the register at Amid, heading a group of followers, entered into correspondence with Fakhr-al-Din and agreed with him that on a certain night, which they appointed, the army of Fakhr-al-Din would arrive near his place and he would help them climb [the walls of the city] by means of ropes, and thus Fakhr-al-Din would come into possession of the city."
فعول فخر الدين في ذلك المهم على خادم له إفرنجي يقال له ياروق والعسكر كله يمقته ويكرهه لسوء أخلاقه،,"Fakhr-al-Din intrusted the execution of this momentous plan to a Frankish servant of his, named Yaruq, whom the whole army hated and despised because of his evil character."
فركب في بعض العسكر وتقدم، وركب باقي الأمراء فتبعوه وتوان هو في السير فسبقه الأمراء إلى آمد،,Yaruq rode forward at the head of some troops. The rest of the amirs rode behind him. Then he began to slow down. So the rest of the amirs got to Amid ahead of him.
فأشرف عليهم ذلك الأمير الكردي وأصحابه من بروج ودلوا إليهم الحبال وقالوااطلعوا – ما طلع منهم أحد.,"That Kurdish amir with his companions looked down upon them from the tower and suspended the ropes to them saying, “Climb.” But not one of them did climb."
فنزلوا كسروا أقفال باب المدينة وقالوا أدخلوا – ما دخلوا. كل ذلك لأعتماد فخر الدين على صبي جاهل في هذا المهم العظيم دون الأمراء الكبار.,"So they descended from the tower and broke the locks of the city gate and said, “Enter.” But they would not enter. All this was due to the fact that Fakhr-al-Din intrusted the execution of his momentous plan to an ignorant lad instead of intrusting it to the great amirs."
وعلم بذلك الأمير كمال الدين علي بن نيسان والبلدية والجند ففرغوا إليهم فقتلوا بعضهم ورمى بعضهم نفسه وقبضوا بعضهم.,"Al-Amir Kamal-al-Din ‘Ali ibn-Nisan, as well as the inhabitants of the city and the army, knew of the treachery. They fell upon the conspirators and killed some of them; others threw themselves over the walls. Some of them they seized."
ومد بعض الذين رموا نفوسهم وهو نازل بالهواء، يده كأنه يريد شيء يتمسك به، فوقع في يده حبل من تلك الحبال التي دلوها أول الليل وما طلعوا فيها.,"As one of those who threw themselves over was falling down through the air, he stretched out his arm, as if seeking something to take hold of, and his hand fell upon one of those ropes which had been suspended in the early part of the night and up which nobody climbed."
فتعلق بها ونجا دون أصحابه إلا أن كفيه انسلختا من الحبل، هذا وأنا حاضر.,So he hung to it and escaped alone of all the company. But the skin of his two palms was stripped off from contact with the rope. All this took place in my presence.
وأصبح صاحب آمد يتبع الذين عملوا عليه فقتلهم، وسلم ذلك من دونهم.,The second morning the governor of Amid pursued all those who had taken part in the conspiracy against him and killed them. The only man who escaped was that man.
فسبحانه من إذا قدر السلامة أنقذ الإنسان من لهاة الأسد فذلك حق لا مثل.,"Worthy of admiration is he, therefore, who in case he decrees the safety of a man delivers him even from the jaws of the lion. This is a statement of a fact and not merely an illustration."
كان في حصن الجسر رجل من أصحابنا من بني كنانة يعرف بابن الأحمر.,In the Citadel of the Bridge was one of our companions of the banu-Kinanah known by the name of ibn-al-Ahmar.
ركب فرسه من حصن الجسر يريد كفرطاب لشغل له، فاجتاز بكفر نبوذا وقافلة عابرة على الطريق.,"He mounted his mare at the citadel, intending to go to Kafartab for some business of his. He passed through Kafarnabudha at the same time that a caravan was passing along the road."
فرأوا الأسد ومع ابن الأحمر حربة تلمع، فصاح إليه أهل القافلة يا صاحب الخشب البراق دونك الأسد!,"The caravan saw a lion. Ibn-al-Ahmar had a javelin which was shining [in the sun]. The members of the caravan shouted to him, “O thou with the shining wood, attack the lion!”"
فحمله الحياء من صياحهم أن حمل على الأسد فحاصت به الفرس فوقع فجاء فبرك عليه.,"Moved by shame on account of their cries, he charged the lion. The mare shied with him in the saddle; so he fell. The lion came and crouched on his back."
وكان لما يريد الله من سلامته، الأسد شبعان. فالتقم وجهه وجبهته فجرح وجهه وصار يلحس الدم وهو بارك عليه لا يؤذيه.,"But, since Allah desired his safety, the lion was satiated with food. The lion bit a mouthful of his face and forehead, wounded his face and began to lick the blood while crouching over him without killing him."
وضده أننا ركبنا في بعض الأيام من شيزر إلى الصيد وعمي رحمه الله معنا وجماعة من العسكر،,"Here is something to the contrary. One day we left Shayzar on horseback for a hunt. My paternal uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) accompanied us, together with a detachment of troops."
فخرج علينا السبع من قصباء دخلناها لصيد الدراج. فحمل عليه رجل كردي يقال له زهر الدولة بختيار القبرصي سمي بذلك للطف خلقته وكان رحمه الله من فرسان المسلمين.,"As we entered a reed bank in pursuit of a francolin, a lion came out facing us. One of our men, a Kurd known by the name of Zahr-al-Dawlah Bakhtiyar al-Qubrusi, so called on account of his elegant physique, who was (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) one of the best Moslem cavaliers, charged the lion."
فاستقبله السبع فحاص به الحصان فرماه، وجاء السبع وهو ملقى،,The lion met his charge. The horse shied with the man in the saddle and threw him. The lion came towards Zahr-al-Dawlah while he lay prostrate on the ground.
فرفع رجله فتلقمها السبع وبادرناه فقتلنا السبع واستخلصناه وهو سالم. فقلنا له يا زهر الدولة لما رفعت رجلك إلى فم السبع؟,"He lifted his leg high and the lion bit at it. We rushed at the lion, killed it and pulled the man out safe and sound. Then we said to him, “O Zahr-al-Dawlah, why didst thou lift thy leg to the mouth of the lion?”"
فقال جسمي كما ترونه ضعيف نحيف، وعلي ثوب وغلالة وما في أكسا من رجلي فيها الرنات والخف والساق موزا.,"He replied: My body, as ye see it, is thin and lean; and I have on me only a garment and a tunic. There is nothing in me better clothed than my foot, with its stockings, boots and leggings."
فقلت اشغله بها عن أضلاعي أويدي أوراسي إلى أن يفرج الله تعالى.,"I therefore thought that I would keep the lion busy with it rather than with my ribs, hand or head until such time as Allah (exalted is he!) should provide relief."
فهذا حضره العقل في موضع تزول فيه العقول وأولئك ما حضرهم العقل.,"Now, this man acted with presence of mind in a situation in which minds are lost, but the others did not act with presence of mind."
فالإنسان أحوج إلى العقل من كل ما سواه، وهو محمود عند العاقل والجاهل.,"Above all things, therefore, man stands primarily in need of reason. Reason is praised by both the intelligent and the ignorant."
ومن ذلك أن روجار صاحب إنطاكية كتب إلى عمي يقولقد نفذت فارس من فرساني في شغل مهم إلى القدس، أسأل أن تنفذ خيلك تأخذه أفامية ويوصلنه إلى رفنية.,"Another illustration: Roger [rujar], the lord of Antioch, wrote to my uncle, saying, “I am dispatching one of my knights on urgent business to Jerusalem, and I ask thee to send an escort of horsemen to take him from Afamiyah and conduct him to Rafaniyyah.”"
فركب وأرسل إليه من أحضره فلا لقيه قالقد نفذني صاحبي في شغل وسر له، لكنني لقيتك رجلًا عقلًا فأنا أحدثك به.,"My uncle organized the escort and sent them to fetch him. When the knight met my uncle he said to him, “My lord has dispatched me on business and a secret mission. But seeing that thou art an intelligent man, I shall disclose it to thee.”"
فقال له عمي من أين عرفت أني عاقل وما رأيتني قبل الساعة؟,"My uncle said to him, “How dost thou know that I am an intelligent man, and thou hast never seen me before this moment?”"
قال لأني رأيت البلاد التي مشيت فيها خربه وبلدك عامر فعرفت أنك ما عمرتها إلا بعقلك وسياستك، وحدثه ما جاء فيه.,"The knight replied, “Because I noticed that the whole region through which I passed was in ruins, with the exception of thy region, which is flourishing. I therefore reasoned that thou couldst not have made it flourish except through thy intelligence and good administration.” Then he revealed to him the object of his mission."
وحدثني الأمير فضل بن أبي الهيجاء صاحب أربل قالحدثني أبو الهيجاء قالبعثني السلطان ملك شاه لما وصل الشام إلى الأمير ابن مروان صاحب ديار بكر يقول أريد ثلاثين ألف دينار،,"The following story was told me by al-Amir Fadl ibn-abi-al-Hayja’, the lord of Irbil, who said, “It was related to me by abu-al-Hayja’, who said to me: “When the Sultan Malik-Shah arrived in Syria he sent me to al-Amir ibn-Marwan, the lord of Diyar-Bakr, in order to claim from him thirty thousand dinars."
فاجتمعت به واعدت عليه الرسالة. فقال تستريح ونتحدث،,"Arriving there, I held an interview with ibn-Marwan and read to him the message I carried. To this he replied, ‘Thou shalt first have thy rest, and then we shall discuss the matter.’"
واصبح أمر ان يدخلوني الحمام ونف آلة الحمام جميعها فضة ونفذ لي بدلة ثياب. وقالوا لفراشي كل آلة الحمام لكم.,"The second morning he ordered that I should be admitted into his bath and sent to me the bath outfit, all made of silver, together with a complete suit of clothes, and told my valet that all the bath outfit was our property."
فلما خرجت لبست ثيابي ورددت جميع الحوائج،,"On leaving the bath, however, I put on my own clothes and sent back all the articles that were offered."
فتركني أيام ثم أمر لي بحمام وما أنكر رد الحوائج،,"Ibn-Marwan let me go for a few days and then ordered again that I be conducted into his bath, without showing displeasure for not accepting the articles."
وحملوا معي آلة الحمام افضل من الآلة الأولى وبدلة الثياب أفضل من البدلة الأولى.,"They now carried with me to the bath an outfit superior to the one brought before, and a suit of clothes richer than the other one."
وقال الفراش لفراشي كما قال اولًا. فلما خرجت لبست ثيابي ورددت الحوائج والثياب،,"His valet said to mine the same thing he said before. On leaving the bath, I again put on my own clothes and sent back the articles and the suit."
فتركني ثلاثة أربعة أيام ثم عاد أدخلني ثم عاد وأدخلني إلى الحمام وحملوا معي آلات فضه أفضل من الأولى وبدلة ثياب أفضل من الأولى.,He let me go again for three or four days and then made me enter the bath. They also took in with me an outfit of silver superior to the one brought on the previous occasions and a suit of clothes richer than the other two.
فلما خرجت لبست ثيابي ورددت الجميع. فلما حضرت عند الأمير قال لييا ولدي نفذت إليك ثياب ما لبستها، وآلة حمام ما قبلتها ورددتها، أي شيء سبب هذا؟,"On leaving the bath I put on my own clothes and sent back all the articles. When I presented myself before the amir, he said to me, ‘O my son, I have dispatched unto thee clothes which thou didst not wear, and bath outfits which thou didst not accept and which thou hast sent back. What can be the reason for this?’"
قلت يا مولاي جئت برسالة السلطان في شغل ما انقضى، اقبل ما تفضلت به وارجع وما انقضى شغل السلطان فكأني ما جئت إلا في حاجتي؟,"I replied, ‘My lord, I have come on a mission from the sultan regarding some business which has not yet been transacted. Shall I then accept what thou hast been kind to offer to me and return without transacting the business of the sultan, as if I had come here only in my own interest?’"
قال يا ولدي ما رأيت عمارت بلادي وكثرة خيرها وبساتينها وكثرة فلاحيها وعمارة ضياعها؟ أتراني أتلف هذا كله من أجل ثلاثين ألف دينار؟,"‘O my son,’ said he, ‘seest thou not how flourishing my country is, with its varied resources and gardens, its numerous farmers and prosperous estates? Dost thou suppose that I would expose all that to ruin for the sake of thirty thousand dinars?"
والله إن الذهب قد كيسته من وقت وصولك، وإنما انتظرت ان يتجاوز السلطان بلادي وتلحقه بالمال خوفًا من أن استقبله بالذي طلب فيطلب مني إذا دنا من بلادي أضعافه. فلا تشغل قلبك، فشغلك قد انقضى.,"By Allah, I have verily put the gold for thee in sacks since the day of thy arrival I was only waiting so that the sultan might pass away from my territory, after which thou wouldst follow him with the money; for I feared that in case I paid on the spot the amount, he might demand from me as he approached my territory many times over the required sum. Worry not, therefore, about it. Thy business is already transacted.’"
ثم نفذ لي ثلاث بدلات التي كان نفذها لي في الثلاث دخلات فقبلتها. ولما تجاوز السلطان ديار بكر أعطاني المال فحملته ولحقت به السلطان.,"He then sent to me all three suits which he had sent before and which I had refused, together with all the bath outfits which he had Sent on the previous three occasions, and I accepted all of them. After the sultan had passed by Diyar-Bakr, ibn-Marwan delivered to me the money, which I carried, and I followed the sultan.”"
وفي حسن السياسة ربح كثير من عمارة البلاد.,Good administration results in a great advantage for the prosperity of the land.
فمن ذلك ان أتابك زنكي رحمه الله خطب بنت صاحب خلاط وقد مات أبوها وأمها مدبرت البلدي.,"Here is an illustration. The Atabek Zanki (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was engaged to the daughter of the lord of Khilat, whose father was dead and whose mother was the regent over the district."
ونفذ حسام الدولة بن دلماج خطبها لأبنه وهو صاحب بدليس.,"Husam-al-Dawlah ibn-Dilmaj, who was the lord of Badlis, now also sent a messenger demanding the hand of the daughter for his son."
فسار أتابك بعسكر حسن إلى خلاط على غير الطريق المسلوك لأجل درب بدليس.,"The atabek marched at the head of a good-sized army to Khilat, taking a route other than the frequented one which leads through Badlis."
فسلك فيها الجبال فكنا ننزل بغير خيام، وكل واحد في موضعه من طريق حتى وصلنا خلاط،,"This route led us through mountains. We used to spend our nights en route without tents, each one stopping in his own place on the road, until we arrived in Khilat."
فخيم أتابك عليها ودخلنا قلعتها وكتبنا المهر.,"The atabek installed his camp outside the city and we entered its castle and wrote the marriage contract, including dowry."
فلما انقضى الشغل فأمر صلاح الدين معظم العسكر ويسري إلى بدليس يقاتلها.,"When the business was concluded, the atabek ordered that Salah-al-Din should take the greater part of the army and march to Badlis to attack it."
فركبنا أول الليل وسرنا وأصبحنا على بدليس، فخرج إلينا حسام الدولة صاحبها فلقينا على فسحة من البلد وأنزل صلاح الدين في الميدان.,"So we mounted in the early part of the evening and marched, arriving in Badlis early the second morning. Husam-al-Dawlah, its lord, came out and met us at a distance from the town, and he installed Salah-al-Din in the public square."
وحمل إليه الضيافة الحسنة، وخدمه وشرب عنده في الميدان وقال يا مولايأي شيء ترسم؟ تعنيت وتعبت في مجيئك.,"Having offered Salah-al-Din fine hospitality, waited on him and drunk in his tent on the public square, Husam-al-Dawlah said, “O my lord, what dost thou prescribe? Thou hast certainly toiled and tired thyself out in coming here.”"
قال أتابك احنقه خطبتك للبنت التي كان خطبها، وأنت بذلت لهم عشرة آلاف دينار نريدها منك.,"Salah-al-Din replied, “The atabek was angered against thee because of thy demand in marriage of the same girl to whom he was engaged. And thou hast offered to pay to those people ten thousand dinars, which we now demand from thee.”"
قال السمع والطاعة. فعجل له بعض المال واستمهله بباقيه أيامًا عينها،,"“Most willingly,” replied Husam-al-Dawlah, who presently produced some of the amount required and asked permission for a delay of a few days, the number of which he fixed, for the payment of the balance."
ورجعنا وبلده بحسن سياسته عامر ما دخل عليه خلل.,"We turned back, leaving his region, thanks to his good policies, in its flourishing condition and without having suffered the least damage."
وهذا قريب ممن جرى لنجم الدولة مالك بن سالم رحمه الله.,That is somewhat similar to what happened to Najm-al-Dawlah Malik ibn-Salim (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!).
وذلك ان جوسلين أغار على الرقة والقلعة فأخذ كل ما عليها وسبى وساق غنائم كثيرة ونزل مقابل القلعة وبينهم الفرات،,"This is the way it happened. Joscelin [juslin] made a raid on al-Raqqah and al-Qal‘ah, seized all that was in their neighborhood, took many captives, drove before him a great booty of animals and encamped just across from al-Qal‘ah with the Euphrates between."
فركب نجم الدولة مالك في زورق ومعه ثلاثة أربعة من غلمانه وعبر الفرات إلى جوسلين.,Najm-al-Dawlah Malik rode in a bark accompanied by three or four attendants and crossed the Euphrates to Joscelin.
وبينهما معرفة قديمة، ولمالك عليه جميل.,"Between the two was a bond of old acquaintance; in fact, Malik had done Joscelin favors which put the latter under obligation to him."
وظن جوسلين ان في الزرق رسولًا من مالك، فجائه واحد من الإفرنج وقال هذا مالك في الزورق قال ما هو صحيح.,"Joscelin assumed that in the bark was a messenger from Malik, so when one of the Franks came to him and said, “Here is Malik in the bark,” he replied, “This is not true.”"
فأته أخر قالقد نزل مالك من الزورق وهو جاءني يمشي.,"Another one came to him and said, “Malik has disembarked and has come on foot as far as the place where I was.”"
فقام جوسلين والتقاه وأكرمه ورد عليه جميع ما كان أخذه من الغنائم والسبي، ولولا سياسة نجم الدولة كان خرب بلده.,"Then Joscelin arose, met Malik and received him with special honors. He also restored to him all the booty and captives which he had taken. Had it not been for the diplomacy of Najm-al-Dawlah his region would have been devastated."
إذا انقضت المدة لم تنفع الشجاعة ولا الشدة. شاهدت يومًاوقد زحف إلينا عسكر الإفرنج يقاتلنا، ومضى بعضهم مع طغدكين أتابك إلى الحصن الجسر يقاتله.,"When the days are over, courage and strength are of no avail. I witnessed a battle resulting from an advance made against us by the army of the Franks, some of whom had joined the Atabek Tughdakin in an attack upon the Citadel of the Bridge [hisn al-jisr]."
وكان أتابك اجتمع هو وإلغازي بن أرتق والإفرنج في افامية لمحاربة عساكر السلطان.,The atabek had concerted in Afamiyah with Ilghazi ibn-Urtuq and the Franks for a joint fight against the army of the sultan.
وكان وصل بها إلى الشام اسباسلار برسق بن برسق وقد نزل حماة يوم الأحد تاسع عشر محرم سنة تسع وخمس مئة.,"The army of the sultan had already arrived in Syria under the Isbaslar Bursuq ibn-Bursuq, who camped in Hamah on Sunday, Muharram 19, year 509."
فأما نحن فما قتلونا بالقرب من سور المدينة، فاستظهرنا عليهم ودفعناهم وانبسطنا معهم،,"As for us, the enemy opened battle against us near the city wall, but we won over them and repulsed them, setting them at naught."
فشاهدت رجلًا من أصحابنا يقال له محمد بن سرايا شاب شديد ايد قد حمل عليه فارس من الإفرنج لعنه الله فطعنه في فخذه، فنفذ القنطارية فيها.,"I then saw one of our comrades in arms, named Muhammad ibn-Saraya, who was a young man hard and strong, charged by a Frankish knight (may Allah’s curse be upon him!) who smote Muhammad with a lance in his thigh. The lance pierced through the thigh."
فمسكها محمد وهي في فخذه، وجعل الإفرنجي بجذبها ليأخذها ومحمد يجذبها ليأخذها فترجع في فخذه حتى قورت فخذه.,"Muhammad got hold of it while it was still in his thigh. The Frank started to pull the lance back in order to take it out, while Muhammad pulled it [on the other side] in order to keep it, thus making the lance go back and forth through his thigh until the thigh was made hollow."
واستلب القنطارية بعد أن تلف فخذه، ومات بعد يومين رحمه الله.,The lance was finally retained by him after the thigh was irreparably injured. The man died two days later—may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!
ورأيت في ذلك اليوم وأنا في جانب الناس في القتال، فارسًا قد حمل على فارس منا طعن حصانه قتله،,"On that same day, as I was engaged in battle on one wing of our army, I saw one of the enemy cavaliers charge one of our cavaliers and kill his horse with a lance thrust."
وصاحبنا راجل في الأرض ولا أدري من هو لبُعد ما بيننا،,"Our comrade became a footman, standing on the ground, but I could not make out who he was on account of the distance between us."
فدفعت حصاني إليه خوفًا عليه من الإفرنجي الذي طعنه، وقد بقيت القنطارية في الحصان وهو ميت قد خرجت مصارينه،,"I immediately dashed my horse towards him, fearing for his safety from the Frank who had stabbed at him. The lance was left in the horse, which lay dead with its intestines falling out."
والإفرنجي قد اعتزل عنه غير بعيد وجذب سيفه ووقف مستقبله. فلما وصلته وجدته ابن عمي ناصر الدولة كامل بن مقلد رحمه الله.,"In the meantime the Frank withdrew a short distance from the man, drew his sword and stood facing him. When I reached the man I found him to be my paternal cousin Nasir-al-Dawlah Kamil ibn-Muqallad (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
فوقفت عليه واخليت له ركابي وقلت اركب فلما ركب رددت رأس الحصان إلى المغرب والمدينة من شرقنا.,"I stopped beside him, removed my foot from the stirrup for him and said to him, “Mount.” As soon as he was in the saddle, I turned the head of my horse westward while the city was to our east."
قال لي إلى أين تروح؟ قلت إلى هذا الذي طعن حصانك فهو فرصة.,"He said to me, “Where goest thou?” I said, “To the man who killed thy horse, for it is now a splendid opportunity to get him.”"
فمد يده وقبض على عنان الحصان وقالما تطاعن وعلى حصانك لابسان، إذا أوصلتني ارجع طاعنه.,"Stretching his hand out, Kamil seized the reins of my horse saying, “Thou shouldst never engage in a stabbing contest while two men in armor are on thy horse. Deliver me to a safe place and then return and engage him in combat.”"
فمضيت أوصلته وعدت إلى ذلك الكلب وقد دخل في أصحابه.,"Accordingly I rode off, delivered him and returned to that dog, who had by that time penetrated among his companions."
وشاهدت من لطف الله تعالى وحسن دفاعه أن الإفرنج لعنهم الله نزلوا علينا بالفارس والراجل. وبيننا وبينهم العاصي وهو زائد زيادة عظيمة لا يمكنهم أن يجوزوا إلينا ولا نقدر نحن أن نجوز إليهم،,"I have witnessed the following manifestation of Allah’s benevolence (exalted is he!) and good protection. The Franks (may Allah’s curse be upon them!) camped against us with their cavalry and infantry, with the Orontes, whose water was so extremely high that they could neither pass to our side nor we to their side, intervening between them and us."
فنزلوا على الجبل بخيامهم ونزل منهم قوم إلى البساتين وهي من جانبهم، هملوا خيلهم في القصيل وناموا،,"Their tents they pitched on the mountain, and a party of them came down to the gardens which were on their side [of the river] and left their horses at large among the green fodder and went to sleep."
فتجرد شباب من رجّالة شيزر وخلعوا ثيابهم وأخذوا سيوفهم وسبحوا إلى أولئك النيام فقتلوا بعضهم.,"A few young men from the infantry of Shayzar addressed themselves to this matter, took off their clothes, carried their swords and swam to those sleepers, of whom they killed some."
وتكاثروا على أصحابنا، فرموا نفوسهم إلى الماء وجازوا، وعسكر الفرنج قد ركب من الجبل مثل السيل،,"The enemy became too numerous for our comrades, so they threw themselves into the water and crossed while the army of the Franks was riding down the mountain like a flood."
ومن جانبهم مسجد يعرف بمسجد أبي المجد بن سمية فيه رجل يقال له حسن الزاهد،,"On the side of the Franks was a mosque called Masjid abi-al-Majd ibn-Sumayyah, in which lived a man named Hasan al-Zahid [the ascetic]."
وهو واقف على السطح يتوب في المسجد، يصلي وعليه ثياب سود صوف – ونحن نراه وما لنا إليه سبيل.,"Hasan was then standing on a roof by the mosque reciting a supererogatory prayer. He had on him a black garment of wool. We could see him, but had no access to him."
وقد جاء الإفرنج فنزلوا على باب المسجد وصعدوا إليه ونحن نقول لاحول ولا قوة إلى بالله! الساعة يقتلونه.,"The Franks came and alighted at the door of the mosque, and climbed to him as we were repeating, “There is no force and no strength except by Allah! They shall soon kill him.”"
فلا والله ما قطع صلاته ولا زال من مكانه. وعاد الإفرنج نزلوا ركبوا خيلهم وانصرفوا، وهو واقف مكانه يصلي،,"But he, by Allah, neither discontinued his prayer, nor stirred from his place. The Franks turned back, descended, mounted their horses and departed while he was still standing in his place reciting his prayer."
ولا نشك أن الله سبحانه أعماهم عنه وستره عن أبصارهم، فسبحان القادر الرحيم.,"We have no doubt that Allah (worthy of admiration is he) blinded them so they could not see him and concealed him from their sight. How worthy of admiration, therefore, is the Almighty, the Merciful!"
ومن ألطاف الله تعالى ان ملك الروم لما نزل على شيزر في سنة اثنتين وثلاثين وخمس مئة خرج من شيزر جماعة من الرجالة للقتال.,"Another illustration of Allah’s benevolence: When the Byzantine emperor camped against Shayzar in the year 532, a group of footmen went out of Shayzar for the combat."
فاقتطعهم الروم فقتلوا بعضًا وأسروا بعضًا.,"The Byzantines isolated them, killed some of them and took others captive."
فكان في جملة من أسروا زاهد من بني كردوس من الصالحية من مولدي محمود بن صالح صاحب حلب.,"Among those whom they took captive was an ascetic of the banu-Kardus, one of the freedmen of al-Salih, i.e., he was an adopted slave of Mahmud ibn-Salih, the lord of Aleppo."
فلما عاد الروم كان معهم مأسورا فوصل القسطنطينية، فهو في بعض الأيام إذ لقيه إنسان فقال أنت ابن كردوس؟ قال نعم,"When the Byzantines returned, he went with them as a captive and arrived in Constantinople. One day as he was in that city he met a man who said to him, “Art thou ibn-Kardus?” “Yes,” he replied."
قال سر معي أوقفني على صاحبك فسار معه حتى أراه صاحبه.,"The other man said, “Come with me and show me thy master.” So he went with him until he pointed out to him his master."
فقاوله على ثمنه حتى تقرر بينه وبين الرومي مبلغ أرضاه.,The man bargained with the Byzantine regarding the price of ibn-Kardus until they agreed upon a price which satisfied the Byzantine.
فوزن له الثمن وأعطى ابن كردوس نفقة وقالتبلغ بها أهلك وأمض في دعة الله تعالى.,"The man paid the price and gave ibn-Kardus some money for expenses, saying, “This will see thee home. Depart in the keeping of Allah (exalted is he!).”"
فخرج من قسطنطينية وتوصل إلى أن عاد شيزر وذلك من فرج الله تعالى وخفي لطفه، ولا يدري من الذي شراه وأطلقه.,Ibn-Kardus left Constantinople and succeeded in returning to Shayzar. All that took place through the relief of Allah (exalted is he!) and through his unseen beneficence; for ibn-Kardus never knew who the man was who bought him and released him.
وقد جرى لي ما يشبه ذلك لما خرج علينا الإفرنج في طريق مصر وقتلوا عباس بن أبي الفتوح وابنه نصرًا الكبير، انهزمنا نحن إلى جبل قريب منا،,"Something similar to this happened to me when the Franks attacked us on our way out of Egypt and killed ‘Abbas ibn-abi-al-Futuh and his eldest son, Nasr, and we fled to a neighboring mountain."
فصعد الناس فيه رجالة يمشون يجرون خيلهم وأنا على أكديش ولا أستطيع المشي فصعدت وأنا راكب وسفوح ذلك الجبل كلها نقارة وحصى كلما وطئه الفرس انهر تحت قوائمه،,"Our army climbed the mountain on foot, leading their horses behind them. As for me, I was on a pack horse. As I was unable to walk, I climbed the mountain on horseback, while its slopes were all covered with pieces of stone and pebbles which slipped backwards under the feet of the horse every time its hoofs struck them."
فضربت الأكديش ليطلع فما استطاع، تنزل والحصاة والنقارة تنزل به،,"I beat the pack horse in order to make it climb, but it could not do so; it slipped backward, with the pebbles and chips of stone sliding under it, and fell."
فترجل عنه وأقمته ووقفت لا أقدر على المشي، فنزل إلي رجل من الجبل ومسك يدي وبرزوني في يدي الأخرى حتى أطلعني،,"So I dismounted, assisted the horse to its feet and stopped, unable to move. At that moment a man came down to me from the mountain and held me by the hand, my other hand holding the pack horse, until he got me to the summit."
ولا ولله ما أدري من هو ولا عدت رأيته.,"No, by Allah, I did not know who the man was and never saw him again."
وقد كان في ذلك الوقت الصعب يمتن فيه بيسير الإحسان ويطلب المكافأة عنه.,At that perilous time people would put you under obligation to them for a slight favor and would demand some recompense for it.
ولقد شربت من بعض الأتراك شربة ماء أعطيته عنها دينارين،,I received a drink of water from a Turk and gave him two dinars.
وما زال بعد وصولنا دمشق يقتضي حوائجه ويتوصل بي إلى أغراضه لأجل تلك الشربة التي ساقنيها،,"Still he did not cease, even after our arrival in Damascus, to ask me to render services for him and to use me for accomplishing his purposes — all because of that drink he gave me"
وما كان ذلك الذي أعانني إلا ملاكًا رحمني الله تعالى فأغاثني به.,"As for the other person who gave me succor, he was none other than an angel whom Allah, moved by compassion toward me, sent to my aid."
ومن لطف الله تعالى ما حدثني به عبد الله المشرف قال: حُبست بحَيْزان وقُيِّدت وضُيِّق عليّ،”,"Another illustration of the beneficence of Allah (exalted is he!) was related to me by ‘Abdallah al-Mushrif [al-Musharraf?] in the following words: I was put in prison in Hayzan, chained and treated with severity."
فأنا في الحبس والموكَّلون على بابه، فرأيتُ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في النوم،,"As I was in prison, with the door-guard at the door, I saw the Prophet (may Allah’s blessing and peace rest upon him’) in my dream."
فقال: اقلع القيد واخرج”. فانتبهت جذبت القيد، فخرج من رجلي. وقمت إلى الباب أريد أفتحه، فوجدته مفتوحًا.”,"He said to me, “Remove the chain and go out.” I then awoke, removed the chain, which came off from my foot, and went towards the door, desiring to open it. But I found it already open."
فتخطَّيتُ الرجالَ الموكَّلين إلى منفس في السور ما ظننت يدي تخرج منه. فخرجت منه ووقعت على مزبلة. فبقي فيها آثار وقوعي وآثار رجلي.,"So I passed by the guard to a small opening in the outer wall, which was so small that I did not suppose my hand would go through it, and went out through it. As I went out I fell into a dunghill where traces of my fall and my footprints were marked."
ونزلتُ في وادٍ حول السور ودخلتُ في مغارة في سفح الجبل من ذلك الجانب وأنا أقول في نفسي: الساعة يخرجون يرون أثري ويأخذوني”.”,"Then I descended into a valley outside the wall and entered a cavern in the slope of the mountain which was on the side where I happened to be. I was saying to myself all the time, “Now shall they come out, see my traces and capture me.”"
فأرسل الله سبحانه ثلجًا غطّى ذلك الأثر. وخرجوا يطوفون عليّ، وأنا أراهم نهارهم ذلك.,"But Allah (worthy of admiration is he) sent snow which covered those traces. They came out, hunting for me all day long in plain sight of me."
فلمّا أمسيتُ آمنتُ الطلب خرجتُ من تلك المغارة وسرتُ إلى مأمني.”,"When the evening came and I felt secure against their pursuit, I came out from that cavern and went to a place of safety."
كان هذا الرجل مشرفًا على مطبخ صلاح الدين محمد بن أيوب الغسياني رحمه الله.,"This man, al-Mushrif, was in charge of the cuisine of Salah-al-Din Muhammad ibn-Ayyub al-Ghisyani (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
ومن الناس من يقاتل كما كان الصحابة رضوان الله عليهم يقاتلون للجنة لا لرغبة ولا لسمعة.,"Among men there are those who battle, just as the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah’s favor be upon them!) used to battle, for the hope of Paradise and not in order to satisfy a desire or win a reputation."
ومن ذلك أن ملك الأمان الإفرنجي لعنه الله لما وصل الشام اجتمع إليه كل من بالشام من الإفرنج وقصد دمشق،,"Here is an illustration. When the Frankish king of the Germans (may Allah’s curse be upon him!) arrived in Syria, all the Franks who were in Syria assembled under him, and they moved against Damascus."
فخرج عسكر دمشق وأهلها لقتالهم وفي جملتهم الفقيه الفندلاوي والشيخ الزاهد عبد الرحمن الحلحولي رحمهما الله، وكان من خيار المسلمين.,"The army and the inhabitants of Damascus came out to meet them in battle. Among them were the jurisconsult al-Findalawi and the ascetic Sheikh ‘Abd-al-Rahman al-Halhuli (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls), who were among the most virtuous of the Moslems."
فلما قاربوهم قال الفقيه لعبد الرحمن ما هؤلاء الروم؟” قال بلى.”,"When they approached the enemy, the jurisconsult said to ‘Abd-al-Rahman, “Are these not the Byzantines?” “Yes, of course,” replied ‘Abd-al-Rahman."
قال فإلى متى نحن وقوف؟ قال سر على اسم الله تعالى. فتقدما قاتلا حتى قتلا رحمهما الله في مكان واحد.,"“Well,” said the former, “until when, then, are we going to keep still?” “Advance,” replied ‘Abd-al-Rahman, “in the name of Allah (exalted is he).” They then both advanced and battled until they were killed (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) on the same spot."
ومن الناس من يقاتل للوفاء، فمن ذلك رجلًا من الأكراد يقال له فارس وكان كاسمه فارس وأي فارس،,"Others fight because of loyalty. An illustration of this is the case of a Kurd named Faris [cavalier], who, true to his name, was a cavalier, and what a cavalier he was!"
فحضر أبى وعمي رحمهما الله وقعة كانت بينهما وبين سيف الدولة خلف بن ملاعب. عمل عليهم فيها وغدر بهم، وقد حشد وجمع وهم غير متأهبين لما جرى،,"My father and paternal uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) fought a battle with Sayf-al-Dawlah Khalaf ibn-Mula‘ib, who planned a conspiracy against them and treated them treacherously, for he had mustered his troops and assembled them, while they were not prepared for the enemy."
وسبب ذلك انه راسلهم وقالنمضي إلى أسفونا وفيها الفرنج نأخذها.,"The reason for this was that he had communicated with them, saying, “Let us go to Asfuna where the Franks are and capture it.”"
فسبقه أصحابنا إليها وترجلوا وزحفوا إلى الحصن نقبوهم وهم في القتال وابن ملاعب وصل،,"But our comrades went before he did, dismounted, marched against that castle and undermined it. As they were engaged in the combat, ibn-Mula‘ib arrived."
فأخذ خيل من كان ترجل من أصحابنا ووقع القتال بينهم بعدما كان للإفرنج واشتد بينهم القتال.,"He seized the horses of those of our company who had dismounted, so the fight turned against him after it had been directed against the Franks. The battle raged furiously."
فقاتل فارس الكردي قتالًا عظيمًا وجرح عدة جراح، وما زال يقاتل ويجرح حتى أثخن بالجراح.,"Faris al-Kurdi fought most impetuously and was wounded a number of times He continued to fight, however, and to be wounded until his body was all covered with cuts."
وانفصل القتال، فاجتاز أبى وعمي رحمهما الله وهو محمول بين الرجال فوقفا عليه وهنآه بالسلامة،,"Then the battle ceased. My father and uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) passed by Faris while he was carried in the midst of our men, stopped beside him and congratulated him on his safety,"
فقالوالله ما قتلت أريد السلامة لكن لكم علي جميل وفضل كثير، وما رأيتكم في شدة مثل هذا اليوم فقلتأقاتل بين أيديكم وأجازيكم عن جميلكم وأقتل قدامكم.,"to which he replied, “By Allah, I fought not with the hope of safety for myself but because I am under great obligation and moral debt to you and I never saw you in a more perilous condition than this day. So I thought I would fight in your behalf and repay you for your benevolence, offering my life for your sake.”"
وقضى سبحانه وتعالى أن عوفي من تلك الجراح ومضى إلى جَبَلة، وفيها فخر الملك بن عمار.,"In accordance with the decree of Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) the man was healed of his wounds. Faris departed after that to Jabalah, in which was Fakhr-al-Mulk ibn-‘Ammar."
وفي اللاذقية الإفرنج، فخرجت خيل من جبلة تريد الغارة على الاذقية، وخرجت خيل من الاذقية تريد الغارة على جبلة،,The Franks were in al-Ladhiqiyyah [Laodicea]. Certain cavaliers set out from Jabalah for an attack on al-Ladhiqiyyah at the same time in which certain cavaliers set out from al-Ladhiqiyyah for an attack on Jabalah.
فنزل الفريقان في الطريق وبينهما رابية. فطلع فارس من الإفرنج من جانبهم يكشف الرابية وطلع فارس كردي من الجانب الأخر يكشف لأصحابه.,The two parties camped en route with a hill between them. A Frankish knight climbed from the Frankish side of the hill to reconnoitre the enemy at the same time in which Faris al-Kurdi climbed from the other side to reconnoitre for his party.
فالتقى الفارسان على متن الرابية وكل واحد منهما على صاحبه فاختلفا طعنتين فوقعا ميتين،,"The two cavaliers met at the top of the hill and each one charged the other. Each dealt a lance blow to the other, and both fell dead."
وبقيت الحصون تتواصل على الرابية والفارسان قتيلان.,"While the two cavaliers lay dead, their horses went on attacking each other at the top of the hill."
وكان لفارس هذا عندنا ولد علان من الجند له خيل الملاح والعدة الحسنة، ولكن ما كان كأبيه.,"This Faris left with us a boy named ‘Allan. He belonged to the army, possessed magnificent horses and an excellent outfit, but was not like his father."
فنزل علينا دنكري صاحب إنطاكية يومًا وقاتلنا قبل ضرب الخيام، وهذا علان بن فارس على حصان مليح باغز من لأحسن الخيل.,"One day Tancred, the lord of Antioch, fell upon us and started the combat before he pitched his tents. This ‘Allan ibn-Faris was riding on a beautiful, nimble horse, one of the best steeds."
وهو واقف على رفعة من الأرض، فحمل عليه فارس من الإفرنج وهو كالغافل فطعن حصانه في رقبته،,"He was stationed upon a little elevation of the ground, and as he stood there absent-minded a Frankish knight charged him and thrust the lance into his horse’s neck."
ونفذ القنطارية، فشب الحصان ورمى علان وعاد الإفرنجي والحصان معارضه والقنطارية في رقبته كأنه تجنبه، يتمختر بغنيمة حسنة.,"The lance penetrated through the neck and the horse jumped, throwing ‘Allan off. The Frank turned back holding the horse to his side with the lance in its neck, as though he was holding it with a leash, proud of his rich booty."
وعلى ذكر الخيل ففيها الصبور كالرجال وفيها الخوار،,"Having made mention of horses, I might add that there are among them, as among men, those which are enduring and others which are faint-hearted."
فمن ذلك انه كان في جندنا رجل كردي يقال له كامل المشطوب في الشجاعة والدين والخير رحمه الله،,"Here is an illustration of the former kind. Among our troops was a Kurd named Kamil al-Mashtub who was a repository of valor, religion and benevolence (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
ولحصانه أدهم أصم مثل الجمل، فألتقى هو وفارس من الإفرنج، فطعن الإفرنجي حصانه في موضع القلادة.,He possessed a horse of solid black color as big as a camel. An encounter took place between him and a Frankish knight. The Frank dealt a blow to the horse beside the throatlatch.
فمالت رقبته من شدت الطعن وخرجت القنطارية من أصل رقبة الحصان فضربت فخذ كامل المشطوب وخرجت من الجانب الأخر،,"The violence of the blow made the neck of the horse bend to one side so that the lance came out through the lower part of the neck and hit the thigh of Kamil al-Mashtub, transpiercing it."
وما تزعزع الحصان من تلك الطعنة ولا فارسه. وكنت أرى ذلك الجرح الذي في فخذه بعدما اندمل وختم وهو كأكبر ما يكون من الجراح،,Neither the horse nor the horseman budged on account of that blow. I have often seen the scar of that wound in the thigh after it was healed and closed up. No wound could have been bigger than it.
وسلم الحصان وعاد حضر عليه القتال. فالتقى هو وفارس من الإفرنج فطعن الحصان في جبهته خسفها ولم يتزعزع، وسلم من تلك الطعنة الثانية.,"The horse also survived, and Kamil had occasion to mount it again for a battle in which he had an encounter with a Frankish knight who thrust his lance into the frontal bone of the horse and made the whole bone cave in. Again the horse did not budge, and survived the second blow."
فكانت بعد أن ختمت إذا اطبق الإنسان كفه وأدخلها في جبهة الحصان في موضع الجرح وسعها.,"Even after it healed up, one could close his hand and stick it in the frontal of the horse where the wound was inflicted and have room for it."
وكان من طريف ما جرى في ذلك الحصان أن أخي عز الدولة أبا الحسن عليًا رحمه الله اشتراه من كامل المشطوب،,"An amusing thing that happened in connection with this horse was the following: My brother, ‘Izz-al-Dawlah abu-al-Hasan ‘Ali (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), bought the horse from Kamil al-Mashtub."
وكان ثقيل العدو فأخرجه في ضمان قرية كانت بيننا وبين فارس من إفرنج كفرطاب،,"After it had become slow of gait, my brother gave it as a part of the rent of a village which was owned by a Frankish knight from Kafartab."
فبقي عنده سنة ثم عاد مات فأرسل إلينا يطلب ثمنه،,"The horse remained in the possession of the knight for a year, after which it died. So the knight sent word to us, claiming its price."
قلنا اشتريته وركبته ومات عندك، كيف تطلب ثمنه؟,"We told him, “Thou hast bought it and used it and it died in thy possession. What right hast thou to demand its price?”"
قال أنتم سقيتموه شيئًا يموت منه بعد سنة. فعجبنا من جهله وسخافة عقله.,"He replied, “Ye must have given it something to drink and of which it would die after a year.” His ignorance and low intelligence amazed us."
وجرح تحتي حصان عل حمص شقت الطعنة قلبه وأصابه عدة سهام،,A horse was wounded under me as we engaged in combat at Hims. The thrust of the lance cut its heart asunder and a number of arrows hit its body.
فأخرجني من المعركة ومنخراه يدميان بالدم كالغزلتين، وما أنكرت منه شيئًا وبعد وصولي إلى أصحابي مات.,"But it, nevertheless, carried me out of the battle with its two nostrils flowing Q61] blood like two bucket spouts, and I felt nothing unusual in its conduct. After having reached my companions, it died."
وجرح تحتي حصان في بلدة شيزر في حرب محمود بن قراجا ثلاثة جراح وأنا أقاتل عليه ولا أعلم، وله أنه قد جرح، لاني ما انكرت منه شيئًا.,"Another horse was wounded under me three times in Shayzar during the battle against Mahmud ibn-Qaraja, and I continued fighting on its back without realizing, by Allah, that it was wounded, because I did not feel anything unusual in its conduct."
وأما خَوَرها وضعفها على الجراح فإن عسكر دمشق نزل على حماة وهي لصلاح الدين محمد بن أيوب الغسياني ودمشق لشهاب الدين محمود بن بوري بن طغدكين وأنا بها،,"As for the faint-heartedness of horses and their inability to stand wounds, here is an example. The army of Damascus encamped against Hamah, which then belonged to Salah-al-Din Muhammad ibn-Ayyub al-Ghisyani, while Damascus belonged to Shihab-al-Din Mahmud ibn-Buri ibn-Tughdakin. I was then in Hamah."
زحفوا إلينا في جمع كثير، ووالي حماة شهاب الدين أحمد بن صلاح الدين وهو على تل مجاهد،,"The army came to attack us in great numbers. The governor [wali] of Hamah was Shihab-al-Din Ahmad ibn-Salah-al-Din, who was then on Tell [hill]-Mujahid."
فجاءه الحاجب غازي التلي فقالقد انتشرت الرجالة والخوذ تتلامع بين الخيام، والساعة يحملون على الناس يهلكونهم.,"His chamberlain, Ghazi al-Talli, came to him and said, “The infantry of the enemy are in battle formation, the helmets are shining among the tents and in a minute the men will charge ours and annihilate them.”"
فقال امضِ ردهم فقال والله ما يردهم إلا أنت أو فلان يعنيني.,"Shihab-al-Din replied, “Go and bring them back.” “By Allah,” replied Ghazi, “no one can bring them back other than thou or so and so,” referring to me."
فقال لي تخرج تردهم فقلت زردية كانت على الغلام لي لبستها وخرجت ردت الناس بالدبوس وتحتي حصان أشقر من أجود الخيل وأتلعها.,"Then Shihab-al-Din said to me, “Thou shalt go out and bring them back.” Accordingly I took a coat of linked mail which an attendant of mine was wearing, put it on and went out to turn the men back by means of a club, having under me a chestnut horse which was of the finest of breeds, and of the longest-necked horses."
فلما رددت الناس زحفوا إلينا، وما برى من سور حماة فارس غيريمنهم من دخل المدينة وايقنوا انهم مأخوذون، ومنهم من هو مترجل في ركابي،,"As I started to turn back our men, the enemy advanced towards us and no cavaliers of our company remained outside the wall of Hamah but myself, for some of them, realizing that they would be captured, went inside the walls, and others dismounted and marched in my escort."
فإذا حملوا علينا أخرت الحصان بعنانه وأنا مستقبلهم، وإذا عادوا مشيت خلفهم سترة لضيق المجال وازدحام الناس،,"When the enemy would charge us, I would pull the reins of the horse and make it go slow, keeping my face turned towards them, and when they would turn back, I would march behind them stealthily, for the place was narrow and the crowd was thick."
فضربتْ حصاني نشابةٌ في ساقه خمشته فوقع بي،,"My horse was hit in its leg with an arrow which only scratched it, and it fell to the ground with me on its back."
وقام ووقع وأنا أضربه حتى قال لي الرجال الذين في ركابي ادخل إلى البشورة اركب غيره.,"Then it arose and fell again while I was beating it so hard that the men who were in my escort said to me, “Go into the barbican and get another mount.”"
فقلت والله ما أنزل نه فرأيت من ضعف ذلك الحصان ما لم أره من غيره.,"But I said, “By Allah, I shall not dismount.” Thus I experienced in the case of this horse a weakness which I never experienced in any other horse."
ومن حسن صبر الخيل طراد بن وهيب النمري حضر القتال بين بني نمير، وقد قتلوا علي بن شمس الدولة سالم بن مالك والي الرقة وملوكها والحرب بينهم وبين أخيه شهاب الدين مالك بن شمس الدولة.,"An illustration of the long endurance of horses is the following: Tirad ibn-Wahib al-Numayri took part in a battle between the banu-Numayr, who had killed ‘Ali ibn-Shams-al-Dawlah Salim ibn-Malik, the governor of al-Raqqah, and took possession of the town and of the latter’s brother, Shihab-al-Din Malik ibn-Shams-al-Dawlah."
وتحت طراد بن وهيب حصان له من أجود الخيل له قيمة كبيرة فطعن في خاصرته فخرجت مصارينه،,Under Tirad ibn-Wahib was a horse of his belonging to one of the best breeds and of great value. In the course of the battle the horse was hit by a lance in its side and its entrails came out.
فشدها طراد السموط لا يدوسها فيقطعها، وقاتل حتى انقضى القتال، فدخل به إلى الرقة فمات.,"Tirad bound the surcingle around the wound, lest the horse should step on them and tear them, and continued to fight until the battle was over. After that he entered al-Raqqah with his horse, which immediately died."
قلت اذكرني ذكر الخيل بأمر جرى لي مع صلاح الدين محمد بن أيوب الغسياني رحمه الله.,To go back to my own experience. The mention of horses has brought back to my mind something which happened to me with Salah-al-Din Muhammad ibn-Ayyub al-Ghisyani (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!).
نزل إلى دمشق في سنة ثلاثين وخمس مئة بأرض داريّا.,It took place as follows: The Malik-al-Umara’ Zanki (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) camped against Damascus in the year 530 pitching his tents in Darayya.
وقد راسله صاحب بعلبك جمال الدين محمد ابن بوري بن طغدكين رحمه الله في الوصول إليه، وخرج من بعلبك متوجهًا إلى خدمة أتابك،,"The lord of Ba‘labakk, Jamal-al-Din Muhammad ibn-Buri ibn-Tughdakin (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), had corresponded with the atabek with a view to joining him, and set out from Ba’labakk, going to Damascus in order to put himself in his service."
فبلغه أن عسكر دمشق خرج يريد أخذه. فأمر صلاح الدين ان نركب للقائه ودفع الدمشقيين عنه.,"The atabek, informed that the army of Damascus had gone out to capture Jamal-al-Din, issued orders to Salah-al-Din to the effect that we should mount and meet the army in order to repel the Damascenes and save Jamal-al-Din."
فجاءني رسوله يقول اركب وخيمتي إلى جانب خيمته، وهو قد ركب ووقف عند خيمته، فركبت في الوقت فقال كنت قد علمت بركوبي.,"Salah-al-Din’s messenger came to me in the night, saying, “Mount thy horse.” My tent was next to his, and he was already on horseback standing by his tent. I instantly mounted, upon which he asked, “Didst thou know about my having mounted my horse?”"
قلت لا والله. قال الساعة نفذت إليك فركبت في الوقت.,"“No, by Allah,” I replied. He said, “I have this very moment sent thee word, and thou hast instantly mounted.”"
قلت يا مولاي حصاني شعيرة، ويلجمه الركابي ويقعد وهو في يده على باب الخيمة وأنا ألبس عدتي وأتقلد سيفي وأنام. فلا جاءني رسولك ما كان لي ما يعوقني.,"I said, “O my lord, my horse ordinarily eats its barley and the groom fixes the bit in its mouth and sits at the door of the tent holding the reins in his hand. In the meantime I put on my armor, gird on my sword and sleep So when thy messenger came to me there was nothing to retard me.”"
فوقف إلى أن اجتمع عنده جماعة من العسكر وقال البسوا سلاحكم.,"Salah-al-Din stood in his place until a part of the army joined him. He then said, “Put on your armor.”"
وقد لبس أكثر الحاضرين وأنا إلى جانبه ثم قال كم أقول البسوا سلاحكم؟,"The majority of those present did so while I remained standing at his side. After a while he said again, “How many times must I say ‘Put on your armor’?”"
قلت يا مولاي لا تكون تعنيني. قال نعم قلت والله ما أقدر ألبس، نحن في أول الليل، وكزاغندي فيه زرديتان مطبقة، إذا رأيت العدو لبسته.,"I said, “O my lord, thou dost not mean me?” “Surely,” said he. I replied, “By Allah, I cannot put on anything more. We are in the early part of the night, and my quilted jerkin [kuzaghand] is furnished with two coats of mail, one on top of the other. As soon as I see the enemy I shall put it on.”"
فسكت. وسرنا فأصبحان عند الضمير. فقال لي ما ننزل نأكل شيئًا؟ فقد جعت من السهر.,"Salah-al-Din did not reply, and we set off. In the morning we found ourselves near Dumayr. Salah-al-Din said to me, “Shall we not dismount and eat something? I am hungry, having been up all night.”"
قلت الأمر لك. فنزلنا فما استقر على الأرض حتى قال أين كزاغندك؟,"I replied, “I shall do what thou orderest.” So we dismounted, and no sooner had he set foot on the ground than he said, “Where is thy jerkin?”"
فأمرت الغلام فأحضره أسرجته من عيبته واسرجت السيكن فتقته عند صدره أظهرت جانب الزرديتين،,"Upon my order, my attendant produced it. Taking it out from its leather bag, I pulled out my knife and ripped it at the breast and disclosed the side of the two coats of mail."
وكان فيه زردية إفرنجية إلى ذيله وفوقها أخرى إلى وسطه على كل زردية البطائن واللبد واللاسين ووبر الأرنب.,"The jerkin enclosed a Frankish coat of mail extending to the bottom of it, with another coat of mail on top of it reaching as far as the middle. Both were equipped with the proper linings, felt pads, rough silk and rabbits’ hair."
فالتفت إلى غلام له كلمه بالتركي ولا ادري ما يقول،,"On seeing it, Salah-al-Din turned to an attendant of his and addressed him in Turkish, which I did not understand."
فاحضر بين يديه حصانًا كميتًا كان أطاعاه إياه أتابك في تلد الأيام كالصخرة الصماء قدت من قنة الجبل.,"The attendant presently brought before him a roan horse, which the atabek had given him in earlier days and which looked like a solid rock chipped from the summit of a hill."
فقال هذا الحصان يصلح لهذا الكزاغند، سلمه إلى الغلام فلان فسلمه إلى غلامي.,"Salah-al-Din then said, “This horse fits in nicely with this jerkin. Deliver it to the attendant of so and so.” Accordingly the attendant of Salah-al-Din delivered it to my attendant."
قلت كان عمي عز الدين رحمه الله يتفقد مني حضور فكري في القتال ويمتنحنّي بالمسألة،,Another experience of mine: My paternal uncle ‘Izz-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) used to investigate my presence of mind in time of combat and test me with questions.
فنحن يومًافي بعض الحرب التي كانت بيننا وبين صاحب حماة وقد حشد وجمع ووقف على ضيعة من ضياع شيزر يحرق وينهب.,"One day when we were at war with the lord of Hamah, who had recruited and mustered his troops and stationed them in one of the villages of Shayzar, where they were burning and pillaging,"
فجرد عمي من العسكر نحوًا من ستين سبعين فارسًا وقال لي خذهم وسر إليهم.,"my uncle picked out about sixty or seventy cavaliers of the army and said to me, “Take them and march against the enemy.”"
فمضينا نتراكض والتقينا بوادر خيلهم فكسرناهم وطعنا فيهم وقلعناهم من موضعهم الذي كانوا عليه.,"So we started galloping as fast as we could, met the vanguard of their horsemen, defeated them, wielded our lances freely on them and dislodged them from the position which they had occupied."
ونفذت فارسًا من أصحابي إلى عمي وأبي رحمهما الله وهما واقفان ومعهما باقي العسكر وراجل كثير،,"I then dispatched one of the cavaliers in my company to my uncle and father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!), who were waiting behind with the rest of the army and the numerous infantry,"
أقول لهما سيرا بالرجالة فقد كسرتهم. فسارا إلى فلما قربا حملنا عليهم كسرناهم،,"saying to them, “Advance with the infantry. I have defeated the enemy.” So they proceeded towards me, and when they came near we charged together against the enemy and routed them."
ورموا خيلهم في الشاروف وعبروه سباحة وهو زائد، ومضوا وعدنا بالنصر.,"They threw their horses into the Sharuf, which was then overflowing with water, and swam across it. As they departed, we turned back victorious."
فقال لي عمي أي شيء نفذت تقول لي؟ قلت: نفَّذت أقول لك “تقدم بالرجّالة فقد كسرناهم””.”,"My uncle said to me, “What was that message which thou didst dispatch to me?” I replied, “I dispatched to thee a message saying, ‘Advance with the infantry, for we have defeated the enemy.’”"
فقال: مع من نفّذت إليّ؟” قلت: “مع رجب العبد”. قال: “صدقت، ما أراك كنت إلا حاضر القلب، ما أدهشك القتال”.”,"He further asked, “With whom didst thou dispatch that message?” I replied, “With Rajab al-‘Abd.” “That is right,” he remarked. “I see that thou hadst presence of mind and that thou wert not confused by the combat.”"
ومرة أخرى اقتتلنا نحن وعسكر حماة، وكان محمود بن قراجا قد استعانا على قتلنا بعسكر أخيه خير خان بن قراجا صاحب حمص،,"On another occasion we were engaged in a combat with the army of Hamah. Mahmud ibn-Qaraja had secured in his fight against us the aid of the army of his brother Khirkhan ibn-Qaraja, the lord of Hims."
وكان قد ظهر لهم في ذلك الزمان حمل الرماح المؤلفة بوصل الرمح إلى بعض رمح آخر بحيث يصير طوله عشرين ذراعًا أو ثمانية عشر ذراعًا.,"At that time they had just developed the use of the compound lance, which was formed by attaching one lance to another until the weapon became twenty cubits [dhira‘] or eighteen cubits in length."
فوقف مقابلي موكب منهم وأنا في سربة نحو من خمس عشر فارسًا.,There stood facing me a detachment of the enemy while I was at the head of a company of fifteen cavaliers.
فحمل علينا منهم علوان العراقي وهو من فرسانهم وشجعانهم. فلما دنا منا ما تزعزعنا رجع ورد رمحه إلى خلفه،,"From the detachment ‘Alwan al-Iraqi, one of their best cavaliers and braves, charged us. When he came near us and found that we did not give ground, he turned back and dragged his lance behind him."
فرأيته كالحبل مطروحًا على الأرض لا يقدر يرفعه، فأطلقت حصاني عليه فطعنته وقد وصل إلى أصحابه،,"I saw the lance trailing on the ground like a rope, with the warrior unable to lift it. So I rushed my horse against him and smote him with my lance. By that time he had gotten as far as his comrades."
وعدت وراياتهم على رأسي، فلقيهم أصحابي وفيهم أخي بهاء الدولة منقذ رحمه الله فردهم.,"I then turned back with their streamers floating over my head. My comrades, including my brother Baha’-al-Dawlah Munqidh (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) met my pursuers and repulsed them."
وقد انقطع نصف يرقي في كزاغندة علوان ونحن بالقرب من عمي وهو يراني.,"When I hit ‘Alwan, the weapon broke in half, leaving one portion in his quilted jerkin, while we were near my uncle, who was then looking at me."
فلما انفصل القتال قال لي عميأين طعنت علوان العراقي؟,"So when the battle was over, my uncle said to me, “Where didst thou thrust ‘Alwan al-Iraqi?”"
قلت أردت ظهره، فمال الهواء بالبيرق فوقع الرمح في جانبه. قالصدقت. ما كنت إلا حاضر القلب ذلك الوقت.,"“I meant to thrust him in his back,” I replied, “but the effect of the wind on my streamer made my weapon swerve and fall on his side.” “Thou art right,” said he. “Thou certainly hadst presence of mind on that occasion.”"
وما ريأت الوالد رحمه الله نهاني عن قتال ولا راكبو خطر مما كان يرى في وأري من إشفاقه وايثاره لي،,"I never saw my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) forbid my taking part in a combat or facing a danger, in spite of all the sympathy and preference he cherished towards me and of which I was cognizant."
ولقد رأيته يومًا وكان عندنا بشيزر رهائن عن بغدوين ملك الإفرنج على قطيعه قطعها لحسام الدين تمرتاش بن إيغازي رحمه الله فرسان إفرنج وأرمن.,"This is what I noticed in regard to him on a certain day. We had with us in Shayzar certain hostages, consisting of Frankish and Armenian knights, whom Baldwin, the king of the Franks, had offered as security for a financial obligation which he owed to Husam-al-Din Timurtash ibn-Ilghazi (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
فلما وفوا ما عليهم وأردوا الرجوع إلى بلادهم نفذ خيرخان صاحب حمص خيلًا كمنوا لهم في ظاهر شيزر.,"When the amount due was paid and the hostages were waiting to go back home, Khirkhan, the lord of Hims, dispatched some horsemen who lay in ambush for them in the suburbs of Shayzar."
فلما توجه الرهائن خرجوا عليهم أخذوهم.,"As the hostages were on their way home, the men in ambush came out and captured them."
ووقع الصائح، فركب عمي وأبي رحمهما الله ووقفا وكل من يصل إليهما قد سيراه من خلفهم.,"When the cry for help reached us, my uncle and my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) mounted their horses and stood in a certain spot, sending to the release of the hostages everyone who came."
وجئت أنا، فقال لي أبي: اتبعهم بمن معك، وارموا أنفسكم، واستخلصوا رهائنكم”.”,"I then arrived. My father said to me, “Pursue the marauders with thy men, hurl yourselves on them and deliver your hostages.”"
فتبعتهم وأدركتهم بعد ركض اكثر من النهار واستخلصت من كان معهم وأخذتهم بعض خيل حمص.,"Accordingly I pursued them, overtook them after a race covering most of the day and delivered those of the hostages who had fallen into their hands, in addition to capturing some of the Hims’ horsemen."
وعجبت من قوله ارموا نفوسكم عليهم.,But the thing that surprised me was my father’s word. “Hurl yourselves on them.”
ومرة كنت معه رحمه الله وهو واقف في قاعة داره وإذا حية عظيمة قد أخرجت رأسها على إفريز رواق القناطر التي في الدار.,"Once I was with him (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) while he was standing in the interior court of his house, when a big serpent stuck its head out on the frieze of the arches of the portico over the court."
فوقف يبصرها، فحملت سلمًا كان في جانب الدار أسندته تحت الحية وصعدت إليها، وهو يراني فلا ينهاني،,"My father stood in his place watching it as I carried a ladder which was on one side of the court and put it in a position below the serpent. Climbing to the serpent, under the very eyes of my father, who was watching me but not forbidding me,"
وأخرجت سكينًا صغيرة من وسطي وطرحتها على رقبة الحية وهي نائمة وبين وجهي وبينها دون ذراع وجعلت أخرز رأسها.,"I pulled out a little knife from my belt, applied it to the neck of the serpent, while it was sleeping, with less than a cubit between my face and itself, and began to saw the neck."
وخرجت التفت على يدي إلى ان قطعت رأسها وألقيتها إلى الدار وهي ميتة.,"The serpent pulled its body out and wound itself around my lower arm, where it remained until I cut its head off and threw its body down to the floor of the house lifeless."
بل رأيته رحمه الله وقد خرجنا يومًا لقتال أسد ظهر على الجسر.,On one occasion only I saw my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) act differently. One day we set out to kill a lion which had made its appearance at al-Jisr.
فلما وصلناه حمل علينا من أجمة كان فيها، فحمل على الخيل ثم وقف وأنا وأخي بهاء الدولة منقذ رحمه الله بين الأسد وبين موكب فيه أبي وعمي رحمهما الله ومعهما جماعة من الجند،,"When we reached the place, the lion jumped on us from a thicket in which it lay hidden. It hurled itself on our horses, then it stopped while my brother, Baha’-al-Dawlah Munqidh (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), and I stood between the lion and the procession headed by my father and my uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) and including a small body of troops."
والأسد قد ربض على حرف النهر يتضرب بصدره على الأرض ويهدر.,"The lion then crouched on the very edge of the river, beating its chest against the ground and roaring."
فحملت عليه، فصاح علي أبي رحمه الله لا تستقبله يا مجنون فيأخذك! فطعنته، فلا والله ما تحرك من مكانه، فمات موضعه. فما رأيته ينهاني عن قتال منذ ذلك اليوم.,"Presently I made an onset on it, but my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) yelled at me, saying, “Face it not, thou crazy one! It will get thee!” But I smote it with the lance and, by Allah, it stirred not from its place, and died on the spot. I never saw my father forbid me a fight except on that day."
خلق الله عز وجل خلقه اطوارًا مختلفين الخلق والطبائعالأبيض والأسود والجميل والقبيح، والطويل والقصير، والقوي والضعيف، والشجاع والجبان، بمقتضى حكمته وعموم قدرته.,"Allah (mighty and majestic is he!) has created his creatures of different categories, varying in nature and temperament: among them are the white and the black, the beautiful and the ugly, the tall and the short, the strong and the weak, the brave and the coward — all according to his own wisdom and universal power."
رأيت بعض أولاد الأمراء التركمان الذين كانوا في خدمت ملك الأمراء أتابك زنكي رحمه الله أصابته نشابة ما دخلت في جلده مقدار شعيرة فاسترخى.,I saw the son of one of the Turkoman amirs who were in the service of the Malik-al-Umara’ Atabek Zanki (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) when an arrow hit him and did not penetrate as deep as a grain of barley in his skin.
وانحلت أعضائه وانقطع كلامه وغاب ذهنه وهو رجل مثل الأسد، أجسم ما يكون من الرجال،,"He immediately dropped down, his muscles relaxed, his power of speech ceased, and he became unconscious, although he was a man as big as a lion; no bulkier man could be."
فأحضروا له الطبيب والجرائحي. فقال الطبيب ما به بأس. بل متى جُرح ثانية مات،,"They brought him the physician and the surgeon. The physician said, “No fear for him now, but if he is wounded again he dies.”"
فهدأ وركب وتصرف كما كان، ثم أصابته نشابة أخرى بعد مدة أحقر من الأولة وأقل نكاية، فمات.,"So the man was calmed, and began to ride his horse and conduct himself as he used to before. A short time later, however, he received another arrow wound which was slighter and less harmful even than the former one; and he died."
ورأيت ما يقرب ذلك أيضًا: كان عندنا بشيزر أخوان يقال لها بنو مجاجو، الواحد اسمه أبو المجد، والآخر محاسن.,I saw something else analogous to that. We had with us in Shayzar two brothers known by the name of banu-Majaju. The name of the one was abu-al-Majd and of the other Mahasin.
وهما ضمان رحاة الجسر بثمان مئة دينار. وعند الرحا مذبح فيه جزاروا البلد ويجتنع الزنابير على أثار الدم.,They rented the Mill of the Bridge for eight hundred dinars. Near the mill was a slaughter place where the butchers of the town used to slay their sheep and where hornets gathered in great numbers because of the blood.
فاجتاز محاسن بن مجادو يومًا إلى الرحا فلسعه زنبور فانفلج وانقطع كلامه وأشرف على الموت،,"One day as Mahasin ibn-Majaju was on his way to the mill, a hornet stung him. As a consequence he became paralyzed, lost his power of speech and stood on the threshold of death."
وبقي كذلك مدة، ثم أفاق وانقطع عن الرجا مدة.,"After remaining thus for a while, he regained consciousness. But for some time he did not frequent the mill."
فعاتبه أخوه أبو المجد وقال له يا أخي معنا هذه الرحى بثمان مئة دينار ولا تشرف عليها ولاتبصرها؟ وغدًا ينكسر علينا ضمانها ونموت في الحبس.,"Therefore, his brother abu-al-Majd remonstrated with him, saying, “O my brother, we have rented this mill for eight hundred dinars and yet thou dost not care to oversee it or inspect it! Tomorrow we may fail to pay its rent and shall die in prison as a result of it.”"
فقال له محاسن أنت مقصودك أن يلسعني زنبور آخر فيقتلني.,"Mahasin said to him, “It is thy object that some other hornet should sting me and put me to death”"
وأصبح جاء إلى الرحا فلسعه زنبور فمات. فأيسر الأشياء يقتل إذا فرغ الأجل، والفأل موكل بالمنطق.,"The second morning, however, he came to the mill A hornet stung him, and he died. The simplest of things therefore may kill when the allotted days are over, and a good omen is superior to logic."
فمن ذلك انه ظهر عندنا بأرض شيزر سبع، فركبنا إليه فوجدنا غلامًا للأمير سابق بن وثاب بن محمود بن صالح في ذلك المكان يرعى فرسه اسمه شماس.,"Another illustration is when a beast of prey appeared in our land of Shayzar. We rode towards it and found a slave of al-Amir Sabiq ibn-Waththab ibn-Mahmud ibn-Salih, named Shammas, pasturing his mare on the very spot where the lion had appeared."
فقال له عمي أين الأسد؟ قال في تلك الغلفاء. قال سر قدّامي إليها.,"My uncle asked him, “Where is the lion?” Shammas replied, “In that thicket of brambles.” My uncle said, “March before me to it.”"
قال أنت مقصودك أن يخرج الأسد يأخذني. ومشى قدامه.,"The slave remarked, “It is thy object that the lion should come out and seize me!” And he marched before him."
فخرج الأسد كأنه مرسل إلى شماس فأخذه فقتله دون الناس وقتل الأسد.,"The lion thereupon came out as if he were sent on purpose to Shammas, seized him and killed him, singling him out of the whole party. The lion was in turn killed."
وشاهدت من الأسد مالم أكن لأظنه، ولا اعتقد ان الأسد كالناس فيها الشجاع وفيها الجبان.,"I have seen lions do many things which I never expected them to do. Nor did I ever before believe that lions, like men, have among their number the courageous and the cowardly."
وذلك أن جوبان الخيل جاءنا يومًا كان يركض وقال في أجمة تل التلول ثلاثة سباع.,"This is the way it happened. One day the herder of our horses came to us running and said, “There are three lions in the thicket of Tell-al-Tulul.”"
فركبنا فخرجنا إليها، وإذا لبؤة خلفها أسدان، فدرنا في تلك الأجمة، فخرجت علينا اللبؤة، فحملت على الناس ووقفت.,"So we mounted and rode out to them and lo, there was a lioness with two lions behind it. As we reconnoitred that thicket, the lioness came out to attack us and then stopped."
فحمل عليها أخي بهاء الدولة أبو المغيث منقذ رحمه الله، طعنها قتلها، وتكسر رمحه فيها.,"My brother, Baha’-al-Dawlah abu-al-Mughith Munqidh (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), charged the lioness and gave it a blow with his lance which killed it. The lance was shattered within its body."
ورجعنا إلى الأجمة فخرج علينا أحد السبعين، فطرد الخيل. ووقفت أنا وأخي بهاء الدولة في طريقه عند عودته من طرد الخيل. فإن الأسد إذا خرج من موضع لا بد له من الرجوع إليه بلا شبهة،,"On our return to the thicket, one of the two lions came out to attack us. It chased the horses, and my brother, Baha’-al-Dawlah, and I stood in its way as it was coming back from the pursuit of the horses, for whenever a lion goes out from a place, it is sure to return to that same place, without the least doubt."
وجعلنا إعجاز خيلنا إليه، ورددنا رماحنا نحوه ونحن نعتقد انه يقصدنا فننشب الرماح فيه فنقتله،,"As we stood in its way, we had the backs of our horses turned towards it and held our lances backward, pointed in its direction, believing that it would attack us, upon which we would dart our lances into it and kill it."
فما راعنا إلى وهو عابر علينا كالريح إلى رجل من أصحابنا يقال له سعد الله الشيباني فضرب فرسه فرماها.,"All of a sudden, we were surprised to see the lion pass by us, like wind, and go to one of our comrades, named Sa‘dallah al-Shaybani, and give his mare a blow which felled it to the ground."
فطعنته وسطت القنطارية فيه فمات مكانه. ورجعنا إلى الأسد الآخر ومعنا نحو من عشرين راجلًا من الأرمن الأجياد رماة.,"I thrust my lance into the lion, hitting it in the middle part of its body, and it died on the spot. We then turned back to the other lion with about twenty footmen of Armenian troops who were good archers."
فخرج السبع الأخر وهو أعظمها خلقة يمشي وعارضه الأرمن بالنشاب، وأنا معارض الأرمن انتظره يحمل عليهم يأخذ واحدًا منهم فطعنه وهو يمشي.,"The other beast, which was the biggest of all three in size, now came out, walking. The Armenians covered its route with a shower of arrows, as I was standing on one side of them, waiting for the lion to charge them and seize one of their number, upon which I would apply my lance on it. But it kept straight on."
وكلما وقعت به نشابة قد هدر ولوح بذنبه فأقول الساعة يحمل ثم يعود يمشي.,"Every time an arrow struck it, it would roar and lash its tail and I would say, “Now it will charge” But it would start to walk again."
فما زال كذلك حتى وقع ميتًا، فرأيت من ذلك الأسد شيئًا ما ظننته.,It kept on doing this until it fell dead. Thus I saw on the part of this lion something which I never imagined before.
ثم شاهدت من الأسد أعجب من ذلك. كان بمدينة دمشق جرو أسد قد رباه سباع معه حتى كبر وصار يطلب الخيل وتأذى الناس به.,Later I witnessed on the part of another lion something even more marvelous than that. There was in the city of Damascus a lion cub which a lion trainer had brought up until it became big and began to seek horses and cause damage to some men.
فقيل للأمير معين الدين رحمه الله وأنا عنده هذا السبع قد آذا الناس والخيل تنفر منه وهو في الطريق.,"Al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was told in my presence, “This beast has caused damage to some people, and horses are frightened away from it while it is on the road.”"
وكان على مصطبة بالقرب من دار معين الدين رحمه الله في النهار والليل.,"The lion used to spend its days and nights in a mastaba adjoining the home of Mu’in-al-Din. Mu’in-al-Din said, “Tell the trainer to bring it here.”"
فقال قولوا للسباع يجيء به. فقال للخوان سلار اخرج من ذبائح المطبخ خاروفًا إلى قاعة الدار حتى نبصر كيف يكسره السبع.,"Then he said to his table master, “Bring out from the animals to be slaughtered for the kitchen a sheep and leave it in the inner court so that we may see how the lion annihilates it.”"
فاخرج خاروفًا إلى قاعة الدار، ودخل السباع ومعه السبع. فساعة رآه الخروف، وقد أرسله السباع من السلة التي في رقبته حمل عليه فنطحه.,"Accordingly the table master brought out a sheep to the inner court. Then the trainer came in accompanied by the lion. As soon as the sheep saw the lion, whose trainer had set it free from the chain which was around its neck, he rushed to it and butted at it."
فانهزم السبع وأخذ يدور حول البركة والخاروف خلفه يطرده وينطحه، ونحن قد غلبنا الضحك عليه.,"The lion took to flight and began to circle around the pool with the sheep following behind, chasing and goring it. We were all overcome with laughter."
فقال الأمير معين الدين رحمه الله ذا السبع منحوس! أخرجوه اذبحوه واسلخوه وهاتوا جلده.,"The al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) said, “This is a miserable lion. Take it out, slay and flay it, then bring its skin here.”"
فذبحوه وسلخوه وأعتق ذلك الخروف من الذبح.,"Accordingly they slew the lion and flayed it. As for the sheep, it was exempted from slaughter."
ومن عجيب أمور السباع ان أسدًا ظهر عندنا في أرض شيزر، فخرجنا إليه ومعنا رجالة من أهل شيزر فيهم غلامًا للمعبد الذي كان يطيعه أهل الجبل ويكاد يعبد.,"Another surprising thing about lions. A lion appeared in our land of Shayzar. So we went out against it accompanied by some footmen of Shayzar, including a slave of al-Mu‘abbad, to whom the people of the mountain owed allegiance and whom they almost worshiped."
ومع ذلك الغلام كلب له. فخرج الأسد على الخيل فجلت قدماه جافلة.,"That slave had a dog with him. All of a sudden a lion came out to attack the horses, which galloped away, startled, before it."
ودخل في الرجالة، فأخذ ذلك الغلام وبرك عليه، فوثب الكلب على ظهر الأسد فنفر عن الرجل وعاد إلى الأجمة.,"The lion fell upon the footmen, seized that slave and crouched over him. The dog immediately jumped on the back of the lion, which left off attacking the man and ran back to the thicket."
وخرج الرجل بين يدي والدي رحمه الله يضحك وقال يا مولاي، وحياتك، ما جرحني ولا آذاني.,"The man presented himself before my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) laughing and said, “O my lord, by thy life, the lion did neither wound me nor hurt me.”"
وقتلوا الأسد، ودخل الرجل فمات تلك الليلة من غير جرح أصابه إلا انقطع قلبه.,"Subsequently the lion was killed and the man went back to his home. But that same night he died, having received no wound except that his heart gave way on account of the shock."
فكنت أعجب من إقدام ذلك الكلب على الأسد وكل حيوان ينفر من الأسد ويتجنبه.,"I have often since admired the adventurous character of that dog in the face of the lion, although all animals flee from the lion to avoid it."
ولقد رأيت رأس الأسد يحمل إلى بعض دورنا فترى السنانير تهرب من تلك الدار وترمي نفوسها من السطوحات، وما رأت الأسد قط،,"I have seen the head of a lion carried to one of our houses, whereupon the cats were seen fleeing from that house and throwing themselves from the roofs without having ever before seen a lion."
وكنا نسلخ الأسد ونرميه من الحصن إلى سفح الباشورة فلا يقربه الكلاب ولاشيء من الطير.,"We used to skin a lion and throw the carcass between the castle [Shayzar] and the barbican [bashurah], and no dogs or any kind of bird would come near it."
وإذا رأت القيقان اللحم نزلت إليه ثم دنت منه صاحت وطارت.,"Even the crows, seeing flesh, would descend upon it, but the moment they approached it, would scream and take to flight."
وما أشبه هيبت الأسد على الحيوان بهيبة العقاب على الطير،,The awe which the lion inspires in animals is very much like the awe which the eagle inspires among birds.
فإن العقاب يبصره الفروج الذي ما رأى العقاب قط فيصبح وينهزم،,"For the eagle, if seen by a chicken which never saw an eagle before, makes the chicken shriek and flee."
هيبة ألقها الله تعالى في قلوب الحيوان لهذين الحيوانين.,Such is the awe which Allah (exalted is he!) has lodged in the hearts of animals for these two animals.
وعلى ذكر السباع كان عندنا أخوان من أصحابنا يقال لهما بنو الرعام رجال يترادون من شيزر إلى اللاذقية.,"Since I am discussing lions, I might by the way add that we had among our companions two brothers named banu-al-Ru‘am who were footmen and plied back and forth between Shayzar and al-Ladhiqiyyah"
(واللاذقية لعمي عز الدولة أبى المرهف نصر، وفيها أخوه عز الدين أبو العساكر سلطان رحمهما الله) بالكتب بينهما.,"(al-Ladhiqiyyah at that time belonged to my uncle ‘Izz-al-Dawlah abu-al-Murhaf Nasr, and was in charge of his brother ‘Izz-al-Din abu-al-‘Asakir Sultan — may Allah’s mercy rest upon their two souls!) carrying correspondence between the two [uncles]."
قال اخرجنا مت الاذقية فأشرفنا من عقبة المنة وهي عقبه عالية تشرف على ما تحتها من الوطا، فرأينا السبع وهو رابط على النهر تحت العقبة،,"They related the following story: We set out from al-Ladhiqiyyah and looked down from ‘Aqabah-al-Mandah, which is a rugged hill [‘aqabah] overlooking all the lowland below, and saw a lion lying on the bank of a river right beneath the hill."
فوقفنا مكاننا ما نجسر على النزول من خوف الأسد، فرأينا رجلًا قد أقبل،,"So we stopped in our place, not daring to descend for fear of the beast. Presently we saw a man advancing."
فصحنا إليه ولوحنا بثيابنا إليه نحذره من الأسد فما سمعنا،,"We called loudly to him and waved our clothes to him in order to warn him against the lion, but he did not heed us."
وأوتر قوسه وطرح فيه نشابة ومشى، فرآه الأسد فوثب إليه فضربهما أخطاء قلبه فقتله،,"He tightened his bowstring, fixed an arrow in it and marched along. The lion saw him and sprang toward him, but the man instantly shot his arrow, which did not miss the heart of the lion, and killed it."
ومشى إليه فتمم قتله، وأخذ نشابته وجاء إلى ذلك النهر ونزع زربوله وقلع ثيابه ونزل اغتسل في الماء،,"Then he advanced towards the lion and finished it off Thereupon the man took his arrow and came to the river. He removed his shoes, took off his clothes and went down to bathe in the water."
ثم طلع لبس ثيابه ونحن نراه، وجعل ينفض شعره لينشفه من الماء،,Then he went up and put on his clothes — while we were still looking at him — and he began to shake his hair in order to dry it from the water.
ثم لبس فردة زربوله واتكى على جنبه وطول في الاتكاء، فقلنا والله ما قصر، ولكن على من يتيه؟,"After that he put on one shoe and leaned upon his side and remained leaning for a long time. We said to ourselves, “By Allah, he did very well, but for whom is he showing off?”"
ونزلنا إليه وهو على حاله فوجدناه ميتًا ما ندري ما أصابه،,We descended to him while he was still in the same position and found him dead. We could not tell what afflicted him.
فنزعنا فردة الزربول من رجله وإذا فيه عقرب صغير قد لسعته في إبهامه فمات لوقته،,"Then we took off the shoe from his foot and, behold a small scorpion which was in it had bitten him in his big toe, and he died on the spot."
فعجبنا من ذلك الجبار الذي قتل الأسد وقتلته عقرب مثل الإصبع، فسبحان الله القادر النافذ المشيئة في الخلق.,"So we were amazed at the case of this hero who killed a lion, but was killed by a scorpion as big as a finger. How mysterious, therefore, are the works of Allah, the Almighty, whose will is always executed among his creatures!"
قلت: قاتلت السباع في عدة مواقف لا احصيها، وقتلت عدة منها ما شاركني في قتلها أحد سوى ما شاركني فيه غيري، حتى خبرت منها وعرفت من قتالها ما لم يعرفه غيري.,"To return to my own experience. I have battled against beasts of prey on occasions so numerous that I cannot count them all, and I have killed of them quite a number, single-handed, in addition to those which I have killed conjointly with others. Indeed I have had more experience with lions and knowledge about fighting them than any other person."
فمن ذلك أن الأسد مثل سواه من البهائم يخاف ابن أدم ويهرب منه وفيه غفلة وبله ما لم يجرح فحينئذ هو الأسد،,"I know, for instance, that the lion, like all other animals, fears man and flees from him. It is in a state of inattentiveness and stupidity except when it is wounded. But once it is wounded, then it becomes the real lion it is."
وذلك الوقت يخاف منه وإذا خرج من غاب أو جمة وحمل على الخيل فلا بدله من الرجوع إلى الأجمة التي خرج منها، ولو أن النيران في طريقه.,"That is the time in which it is to be feared. Whenever a lion goes out of a forest or thicket in order to assault horsemen, it is sure to return to the same thicket from which it had gone — even though fires be set on its way."
وكنت أنا قد عرفت هذا بالتجربة، فمتى حمل على الخيل وقفت في طريق رجوعه قبل أن يجرح، فإذا رجع تركته إلى أن يتجاوزني وطعنته قتلته.,"Having discovered that myself, through experience, I never failed to wait for it on its return, whenever it went out to attack our horsemen, provided it was not wounded. And as it would come back I would let it alone until it passed me, and then I would pierce it with the lance and kill it."
أما النمور فقتالها أصعب من قتال الأسد لخفتها وبعد ثباتها،,"As for the leopards, battling with them is even more difficult than battling with lions because of their swiftness and their long leaps."
وهي تدخل في الغارات والمحاجر كما تدخل الضباع، والأُسد ما تكون إلى في الغابات والآجام.,"Besides, leopards go into caverns and holes as hyenas do, whereas lions go only into forests and thickets."
وقد كان ظهر عندنا نمر في قرية يقال لها معرزف من أعمال شيزر. فركب إليه عمي عز الدين رحمه الله وأرسل إلي فارسًا، وأنا راكب في شغل لي يقول الحقني إلى معرزف،,"A leopard once appeared to us in a village belonging to the region of Shayzar known by the name of Ma‘arzaf. My uncle, ‘Izz-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), mounted his horse to go and attack the leopard and sent me a cavalier, while I was on my horse attending to a personal affair, who said, “Follow me to Ma‘arzaf.”"
فلحقته وجئنا إلى الموضع الذي زعموا أن النمر فيه، فما رأينه.,"Accordingly I followed him, and together we came to the place in which the leopard was said to be. But we could not find it."
وكان هنا جب، فنزلت عن حصاني ومعي قنطارية وجلست على فم الجب، وهو قصير نحو القامة وفي جانبه خرق كالمحجر،,"There was at that place a pit. I dismounted and sat at the mouth of the pit, armed with a lance. The pit was not deep, about one fathom, and in its side was a fissure that looked like a burrow."
فحركت القنطارية في ذلك في ذلك الخرق الذي في الجب فخرج النمر برأسه من ذلك الخرق ليأخذ القنطارية،,"I moved the lance inside of that fissure which was in the pit, and the leopard stuck out its head from the fissure in order to seize the lance."
فلما علمنا انه في ذلك الموضع نزل معي بعض أصحابنا، وصار بعضنا يحرك ذلك الموضع بالرمح، فإذا خرج طعنه الآخر.,"Seeing that it was in that place, some of my comrades came down to me. One of our party now began to poke his lance inside of the burrow so that when the leopard should come out the other men could stab at it with their lances."
وكلما أراد الصعود من الجب أوثقناه بالرماح، حتى قتلناه.,"Every time the leopard tried to climb out of the pit, we pierced it deep with our lances until we killed it."
وكان خلقة عظيمة، إلا أنه كان أكل من دواب القرية حتى عجز عن نفسه، وهو دون سائر الحيوان يقفز إلى فوق أربعين ذراعًا.,"This leopard was of huge size, but it had just fed so much on the animals of the village that it had become too heavy to protect itself. Of all animals the leopard is the only one which can jump over forty cubits."
وقد كان في كنيسة حناك طاقة في ارتفاع أربعين ذراعًا، فكان يأتيها نمر في الهاجرة يثب إليها ينام فيها إلى أخر النهار ويثب منها ينزل ويمضي.,"A leopard jumps from a church window and kills a Frank. — In the church of Hunak was a window forty cubits high. Every day at noontime a leopard would come and jump to the window, where it would sleep until the end of the day, at which time it would jump down and go away."
ومقطع حناك ذلك الوقت فارس إفرنجي يقال له سير أدم من شياطين الإفرنج فأخبروه خبر النمري فقال إذا رأيتموه أعلموني.,"At that time Hunak was held as a fief by a Frankish knight named Sir Adam, one of the devils of the Franks. Sir Adam was told the story of the leopard and he said, “As soon as ye see it, let me know.”"
فجاء النمر كعادته وثب على تلك الطاقة. فجاء بعض الفلاحين أخبر السير أدم،,The leopard came as it was wont to do and jumped into the window. One of the peasants came and told Sir Adam about it.
فلبس درعه وركب حصانه، وأخذ ترسه ورمحه وجاء إلى الكنيسة وهي خراب، وإنما هي حائط قائم فيه تلك الطاقة.,"The latter put on his coat of mail, mounted his horse, took his shield and lance and came to the church, which was all in ruins with the exception of one wall which was standing and in which the window was."
فلما رآه النمر وثب من الطاقة عليه وهو فوق حصانه، فكسر ظهره وقتله ومضى. فكان فلاحو حناك يسمونه النمر المجاهد.,"As soon as the leopard saw him, it jumped from the window upon him while he was on his horse, broke his back and killed him. It then went away. The peasants of Hunak used to call that leopard, “the leopard that takes part in the holy war” [al-namir al-mujahid]."
ومن خواص النمر انه إذا جرح إنسان وبالت عليه فأر مات. ولا تردت الفأرة عن جريح النمر،,"One of the characteristics of the leopard is that in case it wounds a man and a mouse urinates on the wound, the man dies. It is very difficult to keep the mouse away from one wounded by a leopard."
حتى إنه يعمل له سرير يجلس في الماء ويربط حوله السنانير خوفًا عليه من الفأر.,"In fact, they sometimes go so far as to fix a bed for him in the midst of water and tie cats all around him for fear of the mice."
والنمر لا يكاد يألف بالناس ولا يستأنس بهم.,It is well-nigh impossible to get a leopard to become familiar with human beings or to act tamely in their presence.
وقد كنت مرة مجتازًا بمدينة حيفا من الساحل وهي للإفرنج. فقال لي إفرنجي منهم تشتري مني فهدًا جيدًا؟,"I was once passing through Haifa by the coast which belongs to the Franks, when one of the Franks said to me, “Wilt thou buy from me an excellent cheetah?”"
قلت نعم. فجاءني بنمر قد رباه حتى صار قد الكلب. قلت لا ما يصلح لي، هذا نمر ما هو فهد، فعجبت من أنسه وتصرفه مع الإفرنجي.,"“Yes,” I replied The man brought me a leopard which he had brought up until it became the size of a dog “No,” said I, “this does not suit me. This is a leopard [namir] and not a cheetah [fahd].” Nevertheless I was amazed at its tractability and conduct with the Frank."
والفرق بين النمر والفهد ان وجه النمر طويل مثل وجه الكلب وعيناه زرق والفهد وجهه مدور وعيناه سود.,"The difference between the leopard and the cheetah is this: The face of the leopard is long like the face of the dog and its eyes are blue, whereas the cheetah has a round face and black eyes."
وقد كان بعض الحلبيين أخذ نمرًا وجاء به في عدل إلى صاحب القدموس وهو لبعض بني محرز وهو يشرب،,"An Aleppine caught a leopard and brought it in a sack to the lord of al-Qadmus, which belonged to one of the banu-Muhriz. The latter was at the time drinking with some friends."
ففتح العدل فخرج النمر على من في المجلس. فأما الأمير فكان عند طاقة في البرج قد دخل منها وغلق عليه الباب.,"As soon as the Aleppine opened the sack, the leopard rushed to the attack of all those in the sitting room. As for the amir, he happened to be near a window in the tower, so he entered through it and closed the casement behind him."
وجال النمر في البيت قتل بعضهم وجرح بعضهم إلى أن قتلوه.,The leopard roamed about the house killing some and wounding others until it was itself killed.
وسمعت وما رأيت في السباع الببر وما كنت أصدق ذلك. فحدثني الشيخ الإمام حجة الدين أبو هاشم محمد بن محمد بن ظافر رحمه الله،,"I have often heard that among beasts is a variety called tiger [babr], but I never saw one myself. And I could not believe that the animal existed until the Sheikh al-Imam Hujjah-al-Din abu-Hashim Muhammad ibn-Muhammad ibn-Zafar (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) related to me the following story."
قال سافرت من المغرب ومعي غلام شيخ كان لوالدي سافر وجرب الأمور،,These are his words: I went on a journey to al-Maghrib [Mauretania] accompanied by an aged slave who belonged to my father and who had traveled much and experienced many things.
ففرغ الماء الذي كان معنا وعطشنا وليس معنا ثالث، إنما نحن أنا وهو على نجيبين،,"On the way our water supply was exhausted and we got thirsty. We had no third person, being only two, he and I, on two camels of good breed."
فصدنا ماء في طريقنا فوجدنا عليه الببر وهو نائم فاعتزلنا عنه. ونزل صاحبي عن جمله وأعطاني زمامه وأخذ سيفه وترسه وقربةً معنا،,"We made our way towards a well on our route and found by it a tiger sleeping. After retreating a little my companion dismounted from his camel, handed me its reins, took his sword and shield, together with the waterskin which we had,"
وقال لياحتفظ برأس النجيب ومشي إلى الماء. فلما رآه الببر قام ووثب مستقبله حتى تجاوزه، ثم صاح فثارت إليه مجريات له عدوًا لحقوه.,"and said to me, “Look after the head of the camel” He then advanced towards the well. As soon as the tiger saw him, it arose and jumped, facing him. When it passed by him it growled as if calling its cubs, which rushed out and ran after it."
وما عارضنا ولا آذانا، فشربنا واسقينا ثم مضينا.,"It neither barred our way nor did us the least harm. So we drank, provided ourselves with water and continued our march."
هكذا حدثني رحمه الله وكان من خيار المسلمين في دينه وعلمه.,"This is what he (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) related to me, and he was one of the best of Moslems in his religion and learning."
ومن عجيب الآجال لما نزل الروم إلى شيزر سنة اثنتين وثلاثين وخمس مئة نصبوا عليها مجانيق هائلة جاءت معهم من بلادهم ترمي الثقل،,"One of the marvels of destiny was the following: When the Byzantines camped around Shayzar in the year 532, they set up against it frightful mangonels which they had brought with them from their land for hurling weights."
وتبلغ حجرها ما لا تبلغه النشابة، وترمي الحجر عشرين وخمسة وعشرين رطلًا.,"These mangonels could throw a stone to a distance farther than the distance covered by the arrow, their stone being twenty to twenty-five rods in weight."
ولقد رموا مرة دار صاحب لي يقال له يوسف بن أبي الغريب رحمه الله بقلب قوف، فهدمت علوها وسفلها بحجر واحد.,"One time they hurled a large millstone against the house of a friend of mine, named Yusuf ibn-abi-al-Gharib (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). This one stone destroyed the whole building from top to bottom."
وكان على برج في دار الأمير قنطارية فيها راية منصوبة، وطريق الناس في الحصن من تحتها،,Above a tower in the residence of the amir stood a lance bearing a banner. The road by which the inhabitants of the castle passed lay right beneath the banner.
فضرب القنطارية حجر المنجنيق كسرها من نصفها، وانقلب كسرها الذي فيه السنان تنكس ووقع في الطريق، ورجل من أصحابنا عابر،,The stone from the mangonel hit the lance and broke it in the middle. The part which broke away and which held the spearhead toppled over and fell down to the road just at the moment when one of our men happened to be passing by.
فوقع السنان من تلك العلو وكان فيه نصف القنطارية في تروقته خرج إلى الأرض وقتله.,"The half lance, with the spearhead, falling from that height hit the man between his collar bones and ran through him clear to the ground. It killed him instantly."
وحدثني خطلخ مملوك لوالدي رحمه الله قال كنا في حصار الروم جلوسًا في دهليز الحصن بعددنا وسيفنا.,"Khutlukh, a mameluke of my father’s (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), related to me the following story. During the siege [of Shayzar] by the Byzantines, we were once sitting in the hallway at the entrance of the castle with our full equipment and swords."
فجاءنا شيخ يعدوا وقاليا مسلمون الحريم، دخل الروم معنا،,"All of a sudden an old man appeared running towards us and said, “O Moslems! Your harem! The Byzantines have entered the town.”"
فأخذنا سيوفنا وخرجنا وجدناهم قد طلعوا من ثغرة في السور ثغرتها المجانيق.,"We immediately grasped our swords and went out to find that they had already climbed through a breach in the outer wall, which their mangonels had opened."
فضربناهم بالسيوف حتى أخرجناهم، وخرجنا خلفهم حتى أوصلناهم إلى أصحابهم وعدنا فتفرقنا،,"So we applied our swords on them until we repulsed them, and we pursued them until we got them as far back as their comrades. Then we returned and dispersed."
وبقيت أنا وذلك الشيخ الذي إستفزعنا فوقف وأدار وجهه إلى الحائط يريق الماء،,I remained alone with the old man who had raised the alarm. He stood up and turned his face to the wall in order to pass water.
فأعرضت عنه فسمعت وجبة. فالتفت وإذا الشيخ قد ضربت رأسه حجر المنجنيق كسرته وألصقته بالحائط ومخه قد سال على الحائط.,"So I turned away from him, but soon heard the crash of a fall. I looked around and, behold! a mangonel stone had hit the head of the old man, crushed it, and stuck it to the wall, making the brain flow on the wall."
فحملته وصلينا عليه ودفناه في مكانه رحمه الله.,"I carried him away and, after conducting the funeral service, we buried him in his place — may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!"
وضربت حجر المنجنيق رجلًا من أصحابنا رجله فحملوه بين يدي عمي وهو جالس في دهليز الحصن، فقال هاتوا المجبر،,"Another mangonel stone struck one of our men on his lower leg and broke it. They carried him to the presence of my uncle, who was then sitting in the hallway of the castle and who said, “Fetch the bonesetter.”"
وكان بشيزر رجل صانع يقال له يحيى صانع في التجبير،,Now there was in Shayzar an artisan named Yahya who was an expert in bonesetting.
فحضر وجلس يجبر رجله وهو في سترة خارج باب الحصن،,"He came and sat down in a recess outside the castle gate, and began to set the bones of the leg."
فضربت الرجل المكسور حجر في رأسه طيرته، فدخل المجبر إلى الدهليز فقال عمي ما أسرع ما جبرته! قال يا مولاي جاءته حجر ثانية اغنته عن التجبير.,"A stone hit the head of the man with the broken leg and crushed it. The bonesetter reentered the hallway, upon which my uncle said to him, “How quickly thou hast set his bone!” “O my lord,” he replied, “another stone hit him and saved him the trouble of undergoing the operation of setting.”"
ومن نفاذ المشيئة في الآجال والأعمار ان الإفرنج خذلهم الله، اجمع رأيهم على ان يقصدوا دمشق ويأخذوها،,Another illustration of the execution of divine will in the fates and ages of men. The Franks (may Allah render them helpless’) unanimously agreed to direct their forces against Damascus and capture it.
فاجتمع منهم خلق كثير وسار إليهم صاحب الرها وتل باشر وصاحب إنطاكية، فنزل صاحب إنطاكية على شيزر في طريقه إلى دمشق،,"Accordingly they concentrated a considerable army, which was joined by the lord of al-Ruha and Tell-Bashir and the lord of Antioch. On his way to Damascus, the lord of Antioch stopped in front of Shayzar."
وقد تبايعوا بينهم دور دمشق وحماماتها وقياسيرها واشتراها البرجاسية ووزنوا لهم أثمانها، وما عندهم شك في فتحها وملكها.,"The princes were so sure of the conquest and possession of Damascus that they had already bargained amongst themselves for the houses of Damascus, its baths and its bazaars, and in turn sold them to the bourgeois [al-burjasiyyah], who paid the prices in cash."
وكفرطاب إذ ذاك لصاحب إنطاكية، فجرد من عسكره مئة فارس انتخبهم وأمره بالمقام بكفر طاب مقابلنا ومقابل حماة.,"Kafartab at that time belonged to the lord of Antioch. He now detached from his troops a hundred picked horsemen, whom he ordered to stay in Kafartab as a check against us and against Hamah."
فلما سار إلى دمشق اجتمع من بالشام من المسلمين لقصد كفرطاب وانفذوا رجلًا من أصحابنا يقال له قنيب بن مالك فجس لهم كفرطاب في الليل.,"When he marched against Damascus, the Moslems of Syria assembled to attack Kafartab. They dispatched one of our men, named Qunayb ibn-Malik, to spy for them on Kafartab during the night."
فوصلها دارها وعاد وقالابشروا بالغنيمة والسلامة.,"Arriving in the city, he made a tour around it and returned, saying, “Rejoice at the booty and safety [awaiting you]!”"
فسار المسلمون عليهم فالتقوا على مثكير، فنصر الله سبحانه الإسلام وقتلوا الإفرنج جميعهم.,"The Moslems marched against the troops in it, had an encounter with them at an ambush, and Allah (worthy of admiration is he) gave victory to the Moslems, who killed all the Franks."
وكان قنيب الذي جس لهم كفرطاب قد رأى في خندقها دواب كثيرة.,"Qunayb, who had spied on Kafartab for our men, had noticed in its moat a large number of animals."
فلما ظفروا في الإفرنج وقتلوهم طمع في أخذ تلك الدواب التي في الخندق ورجا ان يأخذ الغنيمة وحده،,"Now that the Moslems defeated the Franks and killed them, Qunayb wanted to capture those animals, and he hoped to appropriate the booty all for himself."
فمضى يركض إلى الخندق فرمى عليه رجل من الإفرنج حجرًا فقتله.,So he went running to the trench. One of the Franks from the citadel threw a stone on him and killed him.
وكانت له عندنا والدة عجوز كبيرة تندب في مأتمنا ثم تندب ولدها.,"He left with us a mother, a very old woman, who used to chant dirges at our funerals and who would on every occasion sing a lamentation for her son."
فكانت إذا ندبت على ابنها قنيب تتدفق ثدياها بالبن حتى تغرق ثيابها،,"Whenever she wailed in memory of her son, Qunayb, her breasts would always overflow with milk to the point of soaking all her clothes."
وإذا فرغت من الندب عليه وسكنت لوعتها عادات ثديها كالجلدتين ما فيهما قطرة لبن،,"But the moment she stopped her wailing over him and her anguish subsided, then her breasts would become once more like two pieces of dry skin with not a drop of milk in them."
من أشرب القلوب الحنة على الأولاد.,Worthy of admiration is he who saturates the hearts with tender affection for the children!
ولما قيل لصاحب إنطاكية وهو على دمشق قد قتل المسلمون أصحابك قال ما هو صحيح، قد تركت بكفرطاب مئة فارس تلتقي المسلمين كلهم.,"When the lord of Antioch, who was then fighting against Damascus, was told “The Moslems have killed thy men,” he replied, “This is not true. I have left in Kafartab a hundred knights who can meet all the Moslems put together.”"
وقضى الله سبحانه ان المسلمين بدمشق نصروا على الإفرنج وقتلوا منهم مقتله عظيمة وأخذوا جميع دوابهم.,"By the decree of Allah (worthy of admiration is he) the Moslems in Damascus, too, won the victory over the Franks and slaughtered of them a great number, capturing all their animals."
فرحلوا عن دمشق أسوأ رحيل وأذله، والحمد لله رب العالمين.,So they departed from Damascus in the most miserable and humiliating manner — praise be to Allah the lord of the worlds!
ومن عجائب ما جرى في تلك الواقعة بالإفرنج انه كان في عسكر حماة أخوان كرديان اسم الواحد بدر وأسم الأخر عناز. وكان هذا عناز ضعيف النظر.,"One of the amazing things that happened in connection with the Franks in the course of that combat was the following: In the army of Hamah were two Kurdish brothers, one named Badr and the other ‘Annaz. The latter, ‘Annaz, was feeble of sight."
فلما كسر الإفرنج قطعوا رأسهم وشدوهم في سموط خيلهم، وقطع عناز رأسًا [وشدَّه] في سموطه، فرآه قوم من عسكر حماة فقالوا له يا عناز أي شيء هذا الرأس معك؟,"When the Franks were overpowered and massacred, their heads were cut off and tied to the belts of the horses. ‘Annaz cut off one head and tied it to the belt of his horse Seeing him, the army of Hamah said to him, “O ‘Annaz, what is this head with thee?”"
قال سبحان الله لما يجري بيني وبينه حتى قتلته.,"He replied, “Worthy of admiration is Allah because of what happened between me and him which resulted in my killing him!”"
قالوا له يا رجل هذا رأس أخيك بدر! فنظر وتأمله، فإذا هو رأس أخيه.,"They said to him, “Man, this is the head of thy brother, Badr!” ‘Annaz looked at the head and investigated it, and behold it was the head of his brother."
فاستحيا من الناس وخرج من حماة، فما ندري اين قصد ولا عدنا نسمع له خبرًا وكان أخوه قتل في تلك المعركة قتله الإفرنج، خذلهم الله تعالى.,"He was so ashamed of himself before the men that he left Hamah and we do not know where he went. In fact, we never heard a word about him since. It was, however, the Franks who killed his brother, Badr, in that battle."
اذكرني ضربة حجر المنجنيق رأس ذلك الشيخ رحمه الله ضرب السيف الماضية.,The crushing of the head of that old man (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) by the mangonel stone has brought to my mind stories of blows administered by sharp swords.
فمن ذلك ان رجلًا من أصحابنا يقال له همام الحاج التقى هو ورجل من الإسماعيلية، لما عملوا على حصن شيزر بالرواق في دار عمي رحمه الله،,"Here is one of them. One of our comrades, named Hammam al-Hajj [the pilgrim] had an encounter with one of the Isma‘ilites, when they attacked the Castle of Shayzar, in a portico of the residence of my uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
وفي يد الإسماعيلي سكين والحاج في يده سيف، فهجم عليه الباطني بالسكين فضربه همام بالسيف فوق عينيه فقطع قحف مخه على الأرض فانبسط عليها وتطاير،,"The Isma‘ilite held in his hand a dagger, while al-Hajj held a sword. The Batinite rushed on him with the knife, but Hammam struck him with the sword above his eyes. The blow broke his skull, and his brains fell out and were scattered over the ground."
فوضع همام السيف من يده وتقيأ ما في بطنه لما لحقه من نظر ذلك المخ من الغثيان.,"Hammam, laying the sword from his hand, vomited all that he had in his stomach, on account of the sickening he felt at the sight of those brains."
ولقيني في ذلك اليوم واحد منهم في يده سيخ وفي يدي سيف لي،,"On that day I had an encounter with an Isma‘ilite, who had a dagger in his hand, while I had my sword."
فهجم علي بالسيخ فضربته في وسط ساعده والسيخ بيده قبضته ونصله لاسق بساعده.,"He rushed on me with the dagger, and I hit him in the middle of his forearm as he was grasping the handle of the dagger in his hand and holding the blade close to his forearm."
فقطع قدر أربع أصابع من نصل السيخ وقطع الساعد من نصفه فأبانه، وبقي أثر فم السيخ في حد السيف،,My blow cut off about four inches of the blade and cut his forearm in two in the middle. The mark of the edge of the dagger was left on the edge of my sword.
فرآه صانع عندنا فقالأنا أخرج هذا الثلم منه. قلتدعه كما هو فهو أحسن ما فيه، وهو إلى الآن إذا رآه إنسان علم انه أثر سكين.,"An artisan in our town, seeing it, said, “I can remove this dent from it.” But I said, “Leave it as it is. This is the best thing in my sword.” The trace is there to the present day. Whenever one sees it he knows it is the trace of a knife."
ولهذا السيف خبرٌ أنا ذاكره. كان للوالد -رحمه الله- ركابي يقال له جامع.,"This same sword has a story, which I am about to relate. My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had a groom named Jami‘."
فأغار الفرنج علينا، فلبس الوالد كزاغنده وخرج من داره ليركب، فما وجد حصانه.,"The Franks made an incursion against us and my father put on his jerkin and went out of his house to mount his horse, but did not find it."
فوقف ساعة ينتظره، فوصل جامع الكابي بالحصان وقد أبطأ، فضربه الوالد بهذا السيف وهو في غمده متقلد به،,"So he stood for a while waiting for it. After great delay, Jami‘, the groom, brought the horse. My father hit him with the same sword while it was still in its sheath girded around him."
فقطع الجهاز والنعل الفضة وبشتًا كان على الركابي وصوفية وعظم مرفقه.,"The sword cut through the outfit, the silver sandal, a mantle and a woolen shawl which the groom had on, and then cut through the bone of his elbow."
فرميت يده، فكان رحمه الله يقوم به بأولاده بعد تلك الضربة، وكان السيف يسمى الجامعي باسم الركابي.,"The whole forearm fell off. After this my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) used to support him, and his children after him, because of that blow. The sword was since then known by the name of al-Jami‘i, after the name of that groom."
ومن ضربات السيف المذكورة ان أربعة اخوة من أنساب الأمير افتخار الدولة أبي الفتوح بن عمرون صاحب حصن أبو قبيس صعدوا إليه إلى الحصن وهو نائم،,"Among noteworthy sword blows is the following: Four brothers related to al-Amir Iftikhar-al-Dawlah abu-al-Futuh ibn-‘Amrun, the lord of the Castle of abu-Qubays, went up to him in the castle while he was sleeping,"
وأوثقوه بالجراح، وما معه بالحصن غير ابنه، ثم خرجوا وهم يظنون أنهم قتلوه يريدون ابنه،,"inflicted many deep wounds on him, as he had no one with him in the castle except his son, and then went out, believing that they had killed him, and sought his son."
وكان هذا افتخار أعطاه الله من القوة أمرًا عظيمًا، فقام من فراشه عريانًا وسيفه معلق في بيته معه فأخذه وخرج إليهم.,"This Iftikhar-al-Dawlah was endowed by Allah with unusual strength. Rising from his bed all naked, he took his sword, which was hanging in the room near him, and went out against his assailants."
فلقيه واحد منهم وهو مقدمهم وشجاعهم، فضربه افتخار الدولة في السيف وقفز من مقابله خوفًا من أن يصله بسكين كانت في يده،,"One of them, their leader and bravest, encountered him. Iftikhar-al-Dawlah struck this man with the sword and then jumped aside for fear that he might be reached with a knife which his assailant held in his hand."
ثم التفت إليه فوجده ملقى فقد قتله بتلك الضربه، وصار إلى الأخر ضربه قتله،,"When he looked back he saw him lying prone on the ground, dead from that blow. He then proceeded to the second man, hit him with the sword and killed him."
وانهزم الاثنين الباقيان فرميا أنفسهما من الحصن فمات أحدهما ونجا الأخر.,The other two took to flight and threw themselves down to the ground from the castle. One of them was instantly killed and the other escaped.
وأتانا الخبر إلى شيزر فأنفذنا من هنأه بالسلامة،,"The news having reached us in Shayzar, we dispatched a messenger to congratulate Iftikhar-al-Dawlah on his safety."
وطلعنا بعد ثلاثة أيا إلى حصن أبو قبيس لعيادته، فإن أخته كانت عند عمي عز الدين وله منها أولاد.,"Three days later we went to the Castle of abu-Qubays to make him a visit, for his sister lived with my uncle, ‘Izz-al-Din, and he had children by her."
فحدثنا حديثه وكيف كان أمره. ُم قال متن كتفي يحكني وما أصل إليه. ودعا غلامًا له ليبصر ذلك الموضع أي شيء قرصه فيه.,"He related to us his story and how it happened to him. He then said, “The back of my shoulder is itching in a place where I cannot reach it,” and he called an attendant of his to see what had bitten him in that particular place."
فنظر فإذا هو جرح وفيه رأس دشن قد انكسر بظهره، وما معه به علم ولا أحس به، فلما قاح أحكه.,The attendant looked and behold! there was a cut in which was lodged the head of a dagger which had broken in his back and about which he had known nothing. Nor was he conscious of it until pus formed and it began to itch.
وكان من قوة هذا الرجل انه كان يمسك رسغ رجل البغل ويضرب البغل فلا يقدر يخلص رجله من يده،,The strength of this man was such that he could hold a mule at the ankle and give the mule a beating without its being able to free its foot from his hand.
ويأخذ مسمار البيطاري بين أصابعه وينفذ في دق خشب البلوط، وكان أكله مثل قوته بل أعظم.,"He could hold a horseshoe nail between his fingers and drive it into a board of oak wood. His appetite for food was commensurate with his physical strength — nay, it was even greater."
قد ذكرت شيئًا من أفعل الرجال وسأذكر شيئًا من أفعال النساء بعد بساط أقدّمه.,"I have thus far given some accounts of men’s deeds, and shall now proceed to give some accounts of women’s deeds, after presenting some details by way of introduction."
وذلك أن إنطاكية كانت لشيطان من الإفرنج يقال له روجار، فمضى يحج إلى بيت المقدس، وصاحب البيت المقدس بغدوين البرونس وهو رجل شيخ، وروجار شاب.,"Antioch belonged to a devil of the Franks named Roger [rujar]. Roger went on a holy pilgrimage to Jerusalem, whose lord was Baldwin, the prince, an aged man, while Roger was a young man."
فقال لبغدوين اجعل بيني وبينك شرطًا إن مت قبلك كانت إنطاكية لك وإن مت قبلي كان بيت المقدس لي. فتاعقدا وتواثقا على ذلك.,"The latter said to Baldwin, “Make a contract between thee and me that in case I die before thee, Antioch shall be thine; and in case thou diest before me, Jerusalem shall be mine.” They mutually agreed to this and bound themselves by it."
وقدر الله تعالى أن نجم الدين إلغازي بن أُرْتق رحمه الله، لقي روجار بدانيث يوم الخميس الخامس من جمادى الأولى سنة ثلاثة عشر وخمسمئة فقتله وقتل جميع عسكره، ولم يدخل إنطاكية منهم دون العشرين رجلًا.,"And now by the decree of Allah (exalted is he!) Najm-al-Din Ilghazi ibn-Urtuq (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had an encounter with Roger at Danith on Thursday, the fifth of Jumada I, in the year 513, killed him and slaughtered his entire army, of which less than twenty men returned to Antioch."
وسار بغدوين إلى إنطاكية فتسلمها. وضرب مع نجم الدين مصافًا بعد أربعين يومًا. وكان إلغازي إذا شرب النبيذ يخمر عشرين يومًا،,"Baldwin then proceeded to Antioch and seized it. Forty days later, Baldwin stood in battle array against Ilghazi. The latter was so constituted that whenever he drank wine he would feel drunk for twenty days."
فشرب بعد كسر الفرنج وقتلهم دخل في الخمار فما أفاق حتى وصل الملك بغدوين البرنس إلى إنطاكية بعسكره.,"Now it happened that after he had routed the Franks and put them to the sword, he drank wine and entered his period of intoxication, from which he did not recover until King Baldwin, the prince, had arrived in Antioch with his army."
فكان المصاف الثاني بينهما على السواءكسر بعض الفرنج بعض المسلمين وكسر بعض المسلمين بعض الفرنج،,"The second battle between Ilghazi and Baldwin had even results. Certain Franks routed certain Moslems, and other Moslems routed other Franks."
وقتل من هؤلاء وهؤلاء جماعة. واسر المسلمين روبرت صاحب صهيون وبلاطنس وتلك الناحية،,"From both sides a large number were killed. The Moslems took captive Robert, the lord of Sihyawn, Balatunus and the adjoining region."
وكان صديقًا لأتابك طغدكين صاحب دمشق ذلك الوقت، وكان مع نجم الدين إلغازي لما أجتمع بالإفرنج في افاميا عندما وصل عساكر الشرق مع برسق بن برسق.,"The latter was a friend of the Atabek Tughdakin, the lord of Damascus at that time, and had been in the company of Najm-al-Din Ilghazi when the latter joined the Franks in Afamiyah against the army of the Orient on its arrival in Syria headed by Bursuq ibn-Bursuq."
فقال هذا روبرت الأبرص لأتابك طغدكين ما أدري بأي شيء أضيفك، ولكن قد أبحتك بلادي، أنفذ خيلك تغير عليها وتأخذ كلما وجدوه، بلى لا يسبوا ولا يقتلوا، الدواب والمال والغلّة لهم يأخذون ذلك مباحًا لهم.,"This Robert, the leper, had said to the Atabek Tughdakin, “I know not what to offer thee in the way of hospitality But I have put at thy disposal my land. Let thy horsemen pass through it and take whatever they find, provided ye do not take captive or kill anyone. Animals, money and crops are theirs to use as they wish.”"
فلما أسر روبرت وأتابك طغدكين حاضر المصاف في معونة إلغازي، قطع روبرت على نفسه عشرة آلاف دينار،,"Now, when Robert was taken prisoner in this battle, in which the Atabek Tughdakin took part in support of Ilghazi, he fixed his own ransom at ten thousand dinars."
فقال إلغازي امضوا به إلى أتابك لعله يفزعه فيزيدنا بالقطيعة.,"Then Ilghazi said, “Take him to the atabek. Perhaps the latter will scare him and we shall get a higher ransom from him.”"
فمضوا به وأتابك في خيمته يشرب. فلما رآه مقابلًا قام شمر أذبال قبائه في البند وأخذ سيفه وخرج إليه وضرب رقبته،,"They took him there and found the atabek in his tent, drinking. As soon as he saw Robert coming towards him, the atabek arose, tucked up the lower extremities of his robe under his sword belt, held his sword and went out to Robert and struck off his head."
فنفذ إليه إلغازي يعتب عليه وقالنحن محتاجون لدينار واحد للتركمان، وهذا كان قد قطع على نفسه عشرة آلاف دينار نفذته إليك تفزعه لعله يزيدنا في القطيعة قتلته! قال أنا ما أحسن أُفزع إلا كذا.,"Ilghazi sent a messenger, reproaching the atabek, saying, “We are in need of even one dinar to pay our Turkoman soldiers. Here was a man who had fixed his own ransom at ten thousand dinars and whom I dispatched to thee so that thou mightest scare him and he might increase for us the sum, and thou hast killed him!” The atabek replied, “I have no other way of scaring but this.”"
ثم ملك بغدوين البرونس إنطاكية، وكان لأبي وعمي رحمهما الله، جميل كبير حيث كان أسره نور الدولة بلك رحمه الله،,"After this, Baldwin, the prince, took possession of Antioch. My father and uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) had him under great obligation to them because Nur-al-Din Balak (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had taken him captive,"
وصار بعد قتل بلك إلى حسام الدين تمرتاش بن إلغازي فحمله إلينا إلى شيزر ليتوسط أبي وعمي رحمهما الله بيعه فاحسنا إليه.,"and after the death of Balak he passed into the possession of Husam-al-Din Timurtash ibn-Ilghazi, who brought Baldwin to us in Shayzar so that my father and my uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) might act as an intermediary in determining the price of his ransom. Both of them treated him with benevolence."
فلما ملك كانت لصاحب إنطاكية علينا قطيعة سامحنا بها صار أمرنا في إنطاكية نافذًا.,"Now when he became king and we owed indemnity to Antioch, Baldwin exempted us from its payment. After that, we became very influential in the affairs of Antioch."
فهو فيما فيه وعنده رسول من أصحابنا إذ وصل مركب إلى السويدية فيه صبي عليه أخلاق،,"As Baldwin was occupying his position as king and while he was receiving an envoy of ours, there arrived at al-Suwaydiyyah a ship carrying a lad in rags."
فحضر عنده وعرّفه أنه ابن ميمون، فسلَّم إنطاكية إليه وخرج إليها وضرب خيمة في ظهرها،,"This lad presented himself before Baldwin and introduced himself to him as the son of Bohemond [ibn-maymun]. Baldwin thereupon delivered Antioch to him, left it and pitched his tents outside of the city."
فحلف لنا رسولنا الذي كان عنده انه يعني الملك بغدوين أشترى عليق خيله تلك الليلة من السوق، واهراء إنطاكية ملآى من الغلة، ورجع بغدوين إلى القدس.,"Our envoy, who was then visiting him, stated to us on his oath that he, that is, King Baldwin, bought the fodder for his horses that night from the market, while the granaries of Antioch were overflowing with provisions. Baldwin then returned to Jerusalem."
وخرج من ذلك الشيطان ابن ميمون بلية عظيمة فنزل علينا يومًا من الأيام بعسكره فضرب خيامه،,"That devil, the son of Bohemond, proved a terrible calamity to our people. One day he came to attack us with his army and pitched his tents."
ونحن قد ركبنا مقابلهم، فما خرج منهم أحد ونزلوا في خيامهم،,"By that time we had mounted our horses and stood facing them, but none of them came out to encounter us. They remained in their tents."
ونحن ركاب على شرف نبصرهم، وبيننا وبينهم العاصي.,"As we were on horseback on an elevation, we could see them well, with the Orontes between them and us."
فنزل من بيننا ابن عمي ليث الدولة يحيى بن مالك بن حميد رحمه الله يسير إلى العاصي، فظنناه يسقي فرسه،,"My paternal cousin, Layth-al-Dawlah Yahya ibn-Malik ibn-Humayd (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), left our ranks and went down to the Orontes. We thought he was giving his mare a drink."
فخاض الماء وعبر وسار نحو موكب الإفرنج واقف بالقرب من خيامهم.,"But he waded through the water, crossed over and proceeded towards a detachment of the Franks standing near their tents."
فلما دنى منهم نزل إليه فارس واحد، فحمل كل واحد منهما على صاحبه، وراغ كل واحد منهما عن طعنه الآخر.,"As soon as he approached them, one knight came to encounter him. The two now charged each other, and each one swerved from the lance blow of the other."
فتسرعت أنا وأمثالي من الشباب في ذلك الوقت إليهما، ونزل ذلك الموكب.,"I, together with those of my companions who, like myself, were young, dashed at that moment towards the two combatants. The rest of the detachment now came to encounter us."
وركب ابن ميمون وعسكره وجائوا كالسيل وصاحبنا قد طعنت فرسه،,"The son of Bohemond and his troops also mounted and advanced like a flood. In the meantime, the mare of our man [my cousin] had been wounded."
فالتقت أوائل خيلنا وأوائل خيلهم، وفي أجنادنا رجل كردي يقال له ميكائيل وقد جاء في أوائل خيلهم منهزمًا وخلفه فارس إفرنجي قد لزّه.,"The van of our cavalry met the van of their cavalry. Among our troops was a Kurd named Mika’il, who now came fleeing before the van of their infantry, followed by a Frankish knight and hard pressed by him."
وللكردي بين يديه ضجيج وصياح عال فلقيته، فمال عن ذلك الكردي وزل عن طريقي وقصد خيل لنا في جماعة على الماء واقفين مما يلينا،,"The Kurd was screaming before the Frank and howling aloud. As I met him, the Frank turned aside from the Kurdish cavalier and deviated from my path in pursuit of certain horsemen of ours stationed by the water beyond us."
وأنا خلفه أجهد أن يلحقه حصاني فأطعنه فلا يلحقه، ولا الإفرنجي يلتفت إلي إلا يريد تلك الخيل المجتمعة،,"I kept behind him and spurred my horse forward to overtake him, so that I might give him a blow with the lance; but my horse could not overtake him, nor did the Frank look back towards me, his only objective being those assembled horsemen."
إلى أن وصل إلى خيلنا وأنا تابعه، فطعن أصحابي حصانه طعنة أوثقته وأصحابه في أثره في جمع ما لنا بهم قوة.,"This went on until he got to our horsemen, with me on his heels. My comrades then dealt a lance blow to his horse which all but finished it. Soon his comrades were coming to his assistance in such great number that we should be powerless before them."
فرجع الفارس وحصانه في أخر رمقه فردهم جميعهم وعاد وهم معه.,"The Frankish knight now turned back, with his horse gasping its last, met his comrades and ordered them all to retire. He too returned with them."
وكان الفارس ابن ميمون صاحب إنطاكية وهو صبي قد امتلأ قلبه من الرعب، ولو ترك أصحابه هزمونا إلى أن يدخلونا المدينة.,"This knight was none other than the son of Bohemond, the lord of Antioch, who, being still a lad, had his heart filled with fright. Had he let his comrades alone, they would have defeated us and chased us back to our town."
كل ذلك وأمة عجوز يقال لها بريكة مملوكة لرجل كردي من أصحابنا يقال له علي بن محبوب واقفه بين الخيل على شط النهر وفي يدها شربة تسقي بها وتسقي الناس،,"All that took place while an aged female slave, named Buraykah, owned by one of our men, a Kurd named ‘Ali ibn-Mahbub [Majnub?], was standing in the midst of our horsemen on the bank of the river, with a jar in her hand, filling it with water and giving our men to drink."
وأكثر أصحابنا الذين كانوا على الشرف لما رأوا الإفرنج مقبلين في ذلك الجمع إندفعوا نحو المدينة وتلك الشيطانه واقفة لا يروعها ذلك الأمر العظيم.,"Most of our men, who were on the elevation of the ground, seeing the Franks advancing in such great numbers, rushed away towards the city, while that devil of a woman stood there undisturbed by that grave event."
وأنا ذاكر شيئًا من أمر هذه بريكة، وإن لم يكن موضعه، لكن الحديث [ذو] شجون.,"I shall now mention something with regard to this Buraykah, although this is not the place for it; but the discussion leads from one point to another."
كان مولاها علي يثدين ولا يشرب الخمر. فقال لوالدي يومًاوالله يا أمير لا أستحل ما آكل من الديوان وما آكل من كسب بريكة،,"Her master, ‘Ali, was a pious man and never drank wine. One day he said to my father, “By Allah, O amir, I consider it not legitimate for me to live on a stipend from the public treasury. I refuse to subsist on anything but the income from Buraykah.”"
وهو الجاهل يظن ان ذلك السحت الحرام أحل من الديوان الذي هو مستأجر به.,That ignorant man was of the opinion that that illicit income was a more legitimate thing than the state treasury by which he was employed.
وكانت هذه الأمة لها ولد اسمه نصر، رجل كبير. [كان] وكيلًا في ضيعة للوالد رحمه الله هو ورجل يقال له بقيّة بن الأُصيفِر.,"This maid had a son named Nasr, who was an elderly man and who was supervisor of a village belonging to my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), in conjunction with another man called Baqiyyah ibn-al-Usayfir."
حدثني قال دخلت في الليل البلد أريد الدخول إلى داري في شغل لي.,"Baqiyyah related to me the following story. He said: I went at night to the town, desiring to go into my home on some personal business."
فلما دنوت من البلد بين المقابر في ضوء القمر شخصًا ما هو آدمي ولا هو وحش فوقفت عليه وتهيبته.,"As I approached the town, I saw among the tombs in the moonlight a living being which was neither human nor animal I halted at a distance from it and was frightened by it."
ثم قلت في نفسيما أنا بقية! ما هذا الخوف من واحد؟ فوضعت سيفي ودروقتي والحربة التي معي ومشيت قليلًا قليلًا وأنا أسمع لذلك الشخص زجلًا وصوتًا.,"Then I said to myself, “Am I not Baqiyyah? What is this fear from a single object?” Taking up my sword, my leather shield and my javelin, which were with me, I advanced step by step, while I could hear some singing and a voice coming out of that object."
فلما قربت منه وثبت عليه وفي يدي دشني فقبضته، وإذا بها بريكة مكشوفة الرأس وقد نفشت شعرها وهي راكبة قصبة تصهل بين المقابر وتجول.,"When I was close by it, I jumped over it, holding my dagger in my hand, and got hold of it and behold! it was Buraykah with her hair spread all over, riding on a reed and neighing and roaming among the tombs."
قلت ويحكِ! أي شيء تعملين في هذا الوقت هاهنا؟ قالت أسحر. قلت قبحك الله وقبح سحرك وصنعتك من بين الصنائع!,"“Woe unto thee,” said I, “what dost thou at this hour here?” “I am exercising sorcery,” she replied. I said, “May Allah abominate thee, abominate thy sorcery and thy art from among all arts!”"
اذكرني قوة نفس هذه الكلبة بأمور جرت للنساء في الواقعة التي كانت بيننا وبين الأسماعليية، وإن لم تكن سواء.,"The undaunted spirit of this bitch brought to my mind the memory of events which happened to our women in the battle which took place between the Isma‘ilites and ourselves, though the two categories of women are quite different."
لقي في ذلك اليوم مقدم القوم علوان ابن حرار ابن عمي سنان الدولة شبيب ابن حامد بن حميد رحمه الله في الحصن،,"On that day the leader of the Isma‘ilites, ‘Alwan ibn-Harrar, had an encounter in our castle with my cousin, Sinan-al-Dawlah Shabib ibn-Hamid ibn-Humayd (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
وهو تِرْبي ولِدَتي. وُلدتُّ أنا وهو في يوم واحد السابع والعشرين من جمادى الآخرة سنة ثمانية وثمانين وأربع مئة إلا أنه ما باشر الحرب ذلك اليوم وأنا كنت قطبها.,"Sinan was my contemporary, having been born on the same day as myself, on Sunday, the 27th of Jumada II, in the year 488. But he had never taken part in a combat previous to that day, whereas I had already become by that time a master at it"
فأراد علوان اصطناعها. فقال لهارجع إلى بيتك احمل منه ما تقدر عليه ورح لا تقتل، فالحصن قد ملكناه.,"‘Alwan, desiring to put Shabib under obligation to himself, said to him, “Return to thy house. Carry away from it whatever thou canst carry, and depart lest thou be killed, for we have already taken possession of the castle.”"
فرجع إلى الدار وقالمن كان له شيئًا يعطيني إياه يقول ذلك لعمته ونساء عمه، فكل منهم أعطاه شيئًا،,"Shabib returned to his home and said, “Whoever has a thing, let him give it to me.” This he said to his paternal aunt and his uncle’s wives, every one of whom gave him something."
فهو في ذلك وإذا إنسان قد دخل الدار عليه زردية وخوذة ومعه سيف وترس.,"While he was at this, there suddenly entered the house a person wearing a coat of chain mail and a helmet and carrying a sword and a shield"
فلما رآه أيقن بالموت، فوضع الخوذة وإذا هي أمّ ابن عمه ليث الدولة يحيى رحمه الله.,"As soon as Shabib saw the person, he felt certain of death. The person laid down the helmet and behold it was none other than the mother of his cousin, Layth-al-Dawlah Yahya (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
فقالت أي شيء تريد تعمل؟ قال آخذ ما قدرت عليه، وأنزل من الحصن بحبل وأعيش بالدنيا.,"She said to him, “What dost thou want to do?” He replied, “Take whatever I can, descend from the castle by means of a rope and live in the world.”"
قالت بئس ما تفعل، تخلي بنات عمك وأهلك للحلاجين وتروح؟,To this she replied: What a wretched thing thou doest! Thou leavest thy uncle’s daughters and the women of thy family to the ravishers and goest away!
أي عيش يكون عيشك إذا افتضحت في أهلك انهزمت عنهم؟ أخرج قاتل عن أهلك حتى تقتل بينهم، فعل الله بك وفعل.,"What kind of life will thine be when thou art dishonored by thy family and when thou fleest away, leaving them? Get out, fight in behalf of thy family until thou art killed in their midst! May Allah do this and that with thee!"
ومنعته رحمها الله من الهرب، وكان من الفرسان المعدودين بعد ذلك.,And thus she (may Allah’s mercy rest upon her soul!) prevented him from flight. After this he became one of our noteworthy cavaliers.
وفي ذلك اليوم فرقت والدتي رحمها الله سيوفي وكزاغنداتي،,On that day my mother (may Allah have mercy upon her soul!) distributed my swords and quilted jerkins.
وجاءت إلى أخت لي كبيرة في السن وقالتألبسي خلفك وإزارك. فلبست.,"She came to a sister of mine who was well advanced in years and said, “Put on thy shoes and thy wrapper.” This she did."
وأخذتها إلى روشن في داري يشرف على الوادي من الشرق أجلستها عليه وجلست إلى باب الروشن،,"My mother then led her to the balcony in my house overlooking the valley from the east. She made her take a seat there, and my mother herself sat at the entrance to the balcony."
ونصرنا الله سبحانه عليهم. وجأت إلى داري أطلب شيئًا من سلاحي ما وجدت إلى جهازات السيوف وعيب الكزاغندات.,"Allah (praise be to him!) gave us victory over the enemy [the Isma‘ilites] I then came to my house seeking some of my weapons, but found nothing except the scabbards of the swords and the leather bags of the jerkins."
قلت يا أمي أين سلاحي؟ قالت يا بني أعطيت السلاح لمن يقاتل عنّا، وما ظننتك سالمًا.,"I said, “O mother, where are my arms?” She replied, “My dear son, I have given the arms to those who would fight in our behalf, not believing that thou wert still alive.”"
قلت وأختي أي شيء تعمل هاهنا؟ قالت يا بني أجلستها على الروشن وجلست برّا منها. إذا رأيت الباطنية وصلوا إلينا دفعتها رميتها إلى الوادي فأراها قد ماتت ولا أراها مع الفلاحين والحلاجين مأسورة.,"I said, “And my sister, what is she doing here?” She replied, “O my dear son, I have given her a seat at the balcony and sat behind her so that in case I found that the Batinites had reached us, I could push her and throw her into the valley, preferring to see her dead rather than to see her captive in the hands of the peasants and ravishers.”"
فشكرتها على ذلك وشكرَتْها الأخت وجزَتْها خيرًا، فهذه النخوة أشد من نخوات الرجال.,"I thanked my mother for her deed, and so did my sister, who prayed that mother be rewarded [by Allah] in her behalf. Such solicitude for honor is indeed stronger than the solicitude of men."
وتلثمت في ذلك اليوم عجوز من جواري جدي الأمير أبي الحسن علي رحمه الله يقال لها فنون فأخذت سيفًا وخرجت إلى القتال وما زالت كذلك حتى صعدنا وتكاثرنا عليهم.,"On the same day an aged woman named Funun, who was one of the slaves of my grandfather, al-Amir abu-al-Hasan ‘Ali (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), veiled herself and, sword in hand, rushed to battle. She continued to fight until we joined her and became too numerous for the enemy."
وما ينكَر للنساء الكرام الأنفة والنخوة والإصابة في الرأي.,"No one can deny magnanimity, enthusiasm and sound judgment in the case of noble women."
ولقد خرجت يومًا من الأيام مع الوالد رحمه الله إلى الصيد،,One day I went out with my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) to the hunt.
وكان مشغوفًا بالصيد عنده من البزاة والشواهين والصقور والفهود والكلاب الزغارية ما لا يكاد يجتمع عند غيره،,"My father was especially fond of hunting and had a collection of falcons, shahins, sakers, cheetahs and braches such as hardly anybody else possessed."
ويركب في أربعين فارسًا من أولاده ومماليكه كل منهم خبير بالصيد عارف بالقنص، وله بشيزر مُتصيَّدان:,"He used to ride at the head of forty cavaliers from among his children and mamelukes, each one of whom was an expert hunter knowing all about the chase. He had in Shayzar two hunting grounds."
يومًا يركب إلى غربي البلد إلى أزوار وأنهار فيتصيد الدراج والطير الماء والأرنب والغزلان ويقتل الخنازير، ويومًا يركب إلى الجبل قِبلِيَّ البلد يتصيد الحَجَل والأرانب.,"One day he would ride to the marshy fields and streams to the west of the town, where he would hunt the francolins, waterfowl, hares and gazelles and kill the wild boars, and another day he would ride to the mountain south of the town to hunt partridges and hares."
فنحن في الجبل يومًا وقد حانت صلاة العصر فنزل ونزلنا نصلي فرادى، وإذا غلام قد جاء يركض قال هذا الأسد!,"One day as we were in the mountain, the time came for the afternoon prayer. So he dismounted and we dismounted, praying each for himself, and behold an attendant came running and said, “Here is the lion!”"
فسلّمت قبل الوالد رحمه الله لكيلا يمنعني من قتال الأسد وركبت ومعي رمحي فحملت عليه،,"I brought my prayer to a conclusion before my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) did, so that he might not prevent me from fighting the lion, mounted my horse, and, lance in hand, charged the lion."
فاستقبلني وهدر، فحاص بي الحصان ووقع الرمح من يدي لثقله وطردني شوطًا جيدًا،,"The lion faced me and roared. My horse shied with me in the saddle, and the lance, on account of its weight, fell from my hand. The lion chased me for a long distance."
ثم رجع إلى سفح الجبل ووقف عليه وهو من أعظم السباع كأنه قنطرة جائع.,"Then it returned to the slope of the mountain and stood there. It was one of the biggest of lions, as big as an arch, and it was famished."
وكلما دنونا منه نزل من الجبل، طرد الخيل وعاد إلى مكانه، وما ينزل نزلة إلا يؤثر في أصحابنا.,"Every time we approached it, it would descend from the mountain and chase the horses away. Then it would resume its former position. And not once did it descend without leaving a great impression on our companions."
ولقد رأيته راكبًا مع رجل من غلامان عمي يقال له بستكين غرزة على وركي حصانه وخرق بمخالبه ثيابه ورانته وعاد إلى الجبل،,"Finally, like a flash, I saw it leap over the haunches of the horse of one of my uncle’s slaves, named Bastakin Gharzah, and tear with its claws the clothes and leggings of the slave. It then returned to the mountain."
فما كان لي فيه حيلة إلا أن صعدت فوقه في سفح الجبل. ثم حدرت حصاني عليه فطعنته فنفذت الرمح فيه وتركته في جانبه،,"Thus I had no way of attacking it until I climbed above it on the slope of the mountain and rushed my horse against it, giving it in the meantime a thrust with my lance which pierced its body. I left the lance in its body."
فتقلب إلى أسفل الجبل والرمح فيه، فمات الأسد وانكسر الرمح،,The lion rolled over to the foot of the mountain with the lance in it and died. The lance was broken.
والوالد رحمه الله واقف يرانا معه أولاد أخيه عز الدين يبصرون ما يجري وهم صبيان.,"This took place while my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was standing watching us, and with him were the children of his brother, ‘Izz-al-Din, who, being young lads, were closely observing what was going on."
وحملنا الأسد ودخلنا البلد العشاء، وإذا جدتي لأبي رحمها الله جاءتني في الليل وفي يدها شمعة،,"We then made our way to the town and entered it early in the evening carrying the lion. As we entered, my grandmother on my father’s side (may Allah have mercy on both of their souls’) met me in the dark, holding in front of her a lighted candle."
وهي عجوز كبيرة قاربت من العمر مئة سنة. فما شككت أنها قد جاءت تهنئني بالسلامة وتعرفني مسرتها بما فعلت.,"She was a very aged woman, almost a hundred years old. I entertained no doubt that she had come to congratulate me on my safety and acquaint me with her great satisfaction at what I had done."
فلقيتها وقبلت يدها فقالت لي بغيظ وغضب يا بني أيش يحملك على هذه المصائب التي تخاطر فيها بنفسك وحصانك وتكسر سلاحك ويزداد قلب عمك منك وحشة ونفورًا؟,"So I met her and kissed her hand. But she said to me with anger and with irritation, “O my boy, what makes thee face these adventures in which thou riskest thine own life and the life of thy horse, breakest thy weapons and increasest the antipathy and ill feeling which thine uncle cherishes in his heart against thee?”"
قلت يا ستي إنما أخاطر بنفسي في هذا ومثله لأتقرب إلى قلب عمي.,"I replied, “O my grandmother, the only thing that makes me expose myself to danger in this and similar cases is to endear myself to the heart of my uncle.”"
قالت لا والله ما يقربك هذا منه وانه يزيدك منه بعدًا ويزيده منك وحشًا ونفورًا.,"She said, “No, by Allah! This does not bring thee nearer to thine uncle, but, on the contrary, it alienates thee from him and makes him feel more antipathy and ill will towards thee.”"
فعلمت أنها نصحتني في قولها وصدقتني، ولعمري إنهن أمهات رجال.,"I then realized that my grandmother (may Allah’s mercy rest upon her soul O was giving me wise counsel and was telling me the truth. By my life, such are the mothers of men!"
ولقد كانت هذه العجوز رحمها الله من صالحي المسلمين من الدين والدقة والصوم والصلاة على أجمل طريقة،,"This old woman (may Allah’s mercy rest upon her soul!) was one of the most virtuous among Moslems, following the most strict paths of religion, almsgiving, fasting and prayer."
ولقد حضرتها ليلة النصف من شعبان وهي تصلي عند والدي، وكان رحمه الله من أحسن من يتلو كتاب الله تعالى، ووالدته تصلي بصلاته،,"I was once present on the night of the middle day of Sha’ban when she was praying in the home of my father, who (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was one of the best chanters of the Book of Allah (exalted is he!) and whose mother was then following him in her prayer."
فأشفق عليها فقال يا أمي لو جلست صليت من قعودة.,"My father felt sympathy for her and said to her, “O my mother, if thou wouldst only keep sitting, thou couldst say thy prayer in that position.”"
قالت يا بني بقي لي من العمر ما أعيش إلى ليلة مثل هذه الليلة؟ لا ولله ما أجلس،,"She replied, “O my dear son, are there days left of my life to enable me to survive to another night like this? No, by Allah, I shall not sit down.”"
وكان الوالد قد بلغ السبعين سنة وهي قد شارفت المئة سنة رحمها الله.,"At that time my father was seventy years old, while she was almost a hundred — may Allah’s mercy rest upon her soul!"
وشاهدت من نخوات النساء عجبًا. وهو أن رجلًا من أصحاب خلف بن ملاعب يقال له علي عبد بن أبي الريداء كان قدر رزقه الله تعالى من النظر ما رزق زرقاء اليمامة،,"I have witnessed wonderful manifestations of women’s zeal, as illustrated in the following case: One of the men of Khalaf ibn-Mula‘ib, named ‘Ali ‘Abd ibn-abi-al-Rayda’, was endowed by Allah (exalted is he!) with a faculty of sight that rivaled that of Zarqa’ al-Yamamah."
فكان ينهض مع ابن ملاعب يبصر القوافل على المسيرة يوم كامل.,He used to rise with ibn-Mula‘ib and see caravans at a distance of one full day’s march.
ولقد حدثني رجل من رفاقه يقال له سالم العجازي انتقل إلى خدمة والدي بعد ما قتل خلف بن ملاعب قالنهضنا يومًا وأرسلنا عليًا عبد ابن أبى الريداء بكرة يديب لنا،,"The following story was related to me by a companion of his, named Salim al-‘Ijazi, who passed into the service of my father after the assassination of Khalaf ibn-Mula‘ib: We arose one day and sent out ‘Ah ‘Abd ibn-abi-al-Rayda’ early in the morning to act as a lookout."
فجاءنا وقالابشروا بالغنيمة! هذه قافلة كثيرة مقبلة.,"After a while he returned to us, saying, “Rejoice at the forthcoming booty. Here is a big caravan coming towards us.”"
فنظرنا ما رأينا شيئًا، فقلناما نرى قافلة ولا غيرها. قالوالله، إني لأرى قافلة وقدامها فرسان معينان ينفضان معارفهما.,"We all looked but saw nothing So we said to him, “We see neither a caravan nor anything else.” He replied, “By Allah, I verily see a caravan m the van of which are two spotted horses shaking out their manes.”"
فأقمن في الكمين إلى العصر فوصلتنا القافلة والفرسان المعينان قدامها فخرجنا أخذنا القافلة.,"We remained in the ambuscade until late in the afternoon, at which time the caravan with the two spotted horses preceding it arrived. So we made a sortie and captured the caravan."
وحدثني سالم العجازي فقالنهضنا يومًا وصعد علي عبد ابن أبي الريداء يديب لنا،,"Salim al-‘Ijazi related to me also the following story: After we arose one day, ‘Ali ‘Abd ibn-abi-al-Rayda’ went up as our lookout."
فنام وما درى إلا وقد أخذه تركي من سربة أتراك ناهضة وقالواأي شيء أنت؟,"There he fell asleep and before he knew it a Turk from a Turkish detachment on a foray had seized him. The Turks asked him, “What art thou?”"
قال أنا رجل صعلوك قد أركيت جملي لرجل من التجار في القافلة، أعطني يدك أنك تعطيني جملي حتى أدلك على القافلة.,"He replied, “I am a pauper and have rented my camel to a merchant in a caravan. Give me thy hand as a token that thou wilt give me back my camel and I will guide you to the caravan.”"
فأعطاه مقدمة يده، فمشى بين أيديهم إلى أن أوصلهم إلينا إلى الكمين،,Their leader gave him his hand. So he walked in front of them until he delivered them to our hand in the ambuscade.
فخرجنا عليهم أخذناهم، وتعلق هو في الذي كان بين يديه أخذ فرسه وعدته، وغنمنا منهم غنيمًا حسنة.,"We made a sortie against them and captured them As for ‘All, he got hold of the man who was in front of him and took his horse and his outfit. The booty we won from them was very rich indeed."
فلما قتل ابن ملاعب انتقل علي ابن أبي الريداء إلى خدمت توفيل الإفرنجي صاحب كفرطاب،,"When ibn-Mula‘ib was killed, ‘Ali ‘Abd ibn-abi-al-Rayda’ passed into the service of Theophile the Frank [tufil al-ifranji], the lord of Kafartab."
فكان ينهض بالإفرنج إلى المسلمين يغنمهم ويبالغ في أذى المسلمين وأخذ مالهم وسفك دمهم حتى قطع سبل المسافرين،,"He then began to lead the Franks against the Moslems and secure booty for them, and went to the limit in doing harm to the Moslems, taking their property and shedding their blood — so much so that he rendered the roads unsafe for travelers."
وله امرأة معه في كفر طاب تحت يدي الإفرنج تنكر عليه فعله وتنهاه فلا ينتهي.,"He had a wife with him in Kafartab, in the hands of the Franks, who always objected to his behavior and tried to prohibit him from doing so, but to no avail."
فنفذت أحضرت نسيب لها من بعض الضياع وأظنه أخاها، وأخفته في البيت إلى الليل.,"Finally, she sent and brought a relative of hers from one of the villages, who I think was her brother, and hid him in the house until nightfall,"
واجتمعت هي وهو على زوجها علي ابن أبى الريداء قتلاه واحتملاه يجمع مالها.,"upon which both together attacked her husband, ‘Ali ‘Abd ibn-abi-al-Rayda’, killed him and ran away with all her possessions."
وأصبحت عنا في شيزر وقالتغضبت للمسلمين مما كان يفعل بهم هذا الكافر.,"The second morning she was with us in Shayzar. There she said, “I was angered on behalf of the Moslems because of what this infidel perpetrated against them.”"
فأرحت الناس من هذا الشيطان، ورعينا لها ما فعلت وكانت عندنا في الكرامة والاحترام.,"Thus she brought relief to our people from this devil. We took into consideration what she did, and she remained with us treated with special regard and respect."
وكان في أمراء مصر رجل يقال له ندى الصليحي في وجهه ضربتان الواحة من حاجبه الأيمن إلى حد شعر رأسه والأخرى من حاجبه الأيسر إلى حد شعر رأسه.,"Among the amirs of Egypt was one named Badi al-Sulayhi, whose face bore two scars, the one extending from his right and the other from his left eyebrow up to his hair."
فسألته عنهما فقالكنت انهض وأنا شاب من عسقلان وأنا راجل،,I once asked him about these two scars and he replied: When I was a young man I used to undertake raids on foot from ‘Asqalan.
فنهضت يومًا في طريق بيت المقدس أريد حجاج الإفرنج، فصادفنا قومًا منهم،,"One day I started towards the road to Jerusalem, having the Frankish pilgrims in mind. We came across a group of them."
فلقيت رجلًا معه قنطارية وخلفه امرأته معها كوز خشب فيه ماء.,"I encountered one of their number, who carried a lance and had his wife behind him holding a small wooden jar containing water."
فطعنني الرجل هذه الطعنة الواحدة وضربته قتلته،,"The man gave me this first lance thrust, upon which I smote him and killed him."
فمشت إلي امرأته وضربتني بالكوز الخشب في وجهي، جرحتني هذا الجرح الأخر فوسما وجهي.,"Then as I walked towards his wife, she struck me with the wooden jar and inflicted on me this other wound. Both cuts left their marks on my face."
ومن إقدام النساء ان جماعة من الإفرنج الحجاج حجوا وعادوا إلى رفنية، وكانت ذلك الوقت لهم،,"The following will serve as an illustration of women’s love of adventure: A group of Frankish pilgrims, after making the pilgrimage, returned to Rafaniyyah, which at that time belonged to them."
وخرجوا منها يريدون أفامية، فتاهوا في الليل وجائوا شيزر وهي إذ ذك بغير سور، ودخلوا المدينة وهم في نحو سبع مئة ثمان مئة من رجال ونساء وصبيان.,"They then left it for Afamiyah. During the night they lost their way and landed in Shayzar, which at that time had no wall They entered the city, numbering about seven or eight hundred men, women and children."
وكان عسكر شيزر قد خرجوا مع عمي عز الدين أبي العساكر سلطان وفخر الدين أبى كامل شافع رحمهما الله ليلقيا عروسين قد تزوجاهما من بني الصوفي الحلبيين أختين.,"The army of Shayzar had already gone out of the town in the company of my two uncles, ‘Izz-al-Din abu-al-‘Asakir Sultan and Fakhr-al-Din abu-Kamil Shaft’ (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!), to meet two brides, whom my uncles had married, who were sisters and belonged to the banu-al-Sufi, the Aleppines."
ووالدي رحمه الله في الحصن. فخرج رجل من المدينة في شغل له في الليل فرأى إفرنجيًا،,"My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) remained in the castle. One of our men, going out of the city at night on business, suddenly saw a Frank."
وعاد أخذ سيفه وخرج قتله، ووقع الصياح في البلد، وخرج الناس فقتلوهم وغنموا ما كان معهم من النساء والصبيان والفضة والبهائم.,"He went back and got his sword, then went out and killed him. The battle cry sounded all over the town. The inhabitants went out, killed the Franks and took as booty all the women, children, silver and beasts of burden they had."
وفي شيزر امرأة من نساء أصحابنا يقال لها نصرة بنت بوز رماط،,"At that time there was in Shayzar a woman named Nadrah, daughter of Buzarmat, who was the wife of one of our men."
خرجت مع الناس أخذت إفرنجي أدخلته بيتها، وخرجت أخذت آخر أدخلته بيتها،,"This woman went out with our men, captured a Frank and introduced him into her house. She went out again, captured another Frank and brought him in."
وعادت خرجت أخذت أخر. فاجتمع عندها ثلاثة من الإفرنج، فأخذت ما كان معهم وما صلح لها من سلبهم وخرجت، دعت قومًا من جيرانها قتلوهم.,"Again she went out and captured still another. Thus she had three Franks in her house. After taking as booty what they had and what suited her of their possessions, she went out and called some of her neighbors, who killed them."
ووصل عمي والعسكر في الليل، وقد كان انهزم من الإفرنج ناس وتبعهم رجال من شيزر فقتلوهم في ظاهر البلد.,"During the same night my two uncles, with the army, arrived. Some of the Franks had taken to flight and were pursued by certain men from Shayzar, who killed them in the environs of the town."
فصارت الخيل تعثر في الليل في القتلى، ولا يدرون بماذا تعثر، حتى ترجل بعضهم وابصر القتلى في الظلام،,"The horses of my uncles’ army, on entering the town in the nighttime, began to stumble over corpses without knowing what they were stumbling over, until one of the cavaliers dismounted and saw the corpses in the darkness."
فهالهم واعتقدوا ان البلد قد كبس. وكانت غنيمة ساقها الله عز وجل إلى الناس.,"This terrified our men, for they thought the town had been raided by surprise. In fact, it was booty which Allah (exalted and majestic is he!) had delivered into the hands of our people."
فصار إلى دار والدي رحمه الله عدة من جواري سيبهم لعنهم الله، جنس ملعون لا يألفون لغير جنسهم.,"A number of maids taken captive from the Franks were brought into the home of my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) The Franks (may Allah’s curse be upon them!) are an accursed race, the members of which do not assimilate except with their own kin."
فرأى منهم جارية مليحة شابة فقال لقهرمانة داره ادخلي هذه الحمام وأصلحي كسوتها واعملي شغلها للسفر.,"My father saw among them a pretty maid who was in the prime of youth, and said to his housekeeper, “Introduce this woman into the bath, repair her clothing and prepare her for a journey.”"
ففعلت وسلمها إلى بعض خدامه وسيرها إلى الأمير شهاب الدين مالك بن سالم بن مالك صاحب قلعة جعبر وكان صديقه،,"This she did. He then delivered the maid to a servant of his and sent her to al-Amir Shihab-al-Din Malik ibn-Salim, the lord of the Castle of Ja’bar, who was a friend of his."
وكتب إليه يقول غنمنا من الإفرنجي غنيمة قد نفذت لك سهمًا منها.,"He also wrote him a letter, saying, “We have won some booty from the Franks, from which I am sending thee a share.”"
فوافقته وأعجبته فاتخذها لنفسه، فولدت له ولدًا سماه بدران.,"The maid suited Shihab-al-Din, and he was pleased with her. He took her to himself and she bore him a boy, whom he called Badran."
فجعله أبوه وليَّ عهده، وكبر ومات والده، وتولى بدران البلد والرعية، وأمُّه الآمرة الناهية.,"Badran’s father named him his heir apparent, and he became of age. On his father’s death, Badran became the governor of the town and its people, his mother being the real power."
فواعدت قومًا وتدلت من القلعة بحبل،,She entered into conspiracy with a band of men and let herself down from the castle by a rope.
ومضى بها أولئك إلى سروج، وهي إذ ذاك للإفرنج فتزوجت بإفرنجي اسكاف وابنها صاحب قلة جعبر.,"The band took her to Saruj, which belonged at that time to the Franks. There she married a Frankish shoemaker, while her son was the lord of the Castle of Ja‘bar."
وكان في أولئك الذين صاروا إلى دار والدي امرأة عجوز ومعها بنت لها امرأة شابة حسنة الخلقة وابن مشتد،,Among the Frankish captives who were carried into my father’s home was an aged woman accompanied by her daughter — a young woman of great beauty — and a robust son.
فأسلم الابن وحسن إسلامه فيما يرى من صلاته وصومه، وتعلم الترخيم من مرخم كان يرخم دار والدي.,"The son accepted Islam, and his conversion was genuine, judging by what he showed in the practice of prayer and fasting. He learned the art of working marble from a stonecutter who had paved the home of my father."
فلما طال مقامه زوجه الوالد امرأة من قومًا صالحين وقام له بكل ما احتاجه لعرسه وبيته،,"After staying for a long time with us my father gave him as wife a woman who belonged to a pious family, and paid all necessary expenses for his wedding and home."
فرزق منها ولدين وكبا وصار لكل واحد منهما خمس ست سنين، والغلام راؤول أبوهما مسرور بهما،,"His wife bore him two sons The boys grew up. When they were five or six years old, their father, young Ra’ul, who was very happy at having them,"
فأخذهما وأمهما، وما في بيته واصبح في افامية عند الإفرنج وتنصر هو وأولاده بعد الإسلام والصلاة والدين. فالله تعالى يطهر الدنيا منهم.,"took them with their mother and everything that his house contained and on the second morning joined the Franks in Afamiyah, where he and his children became Christians, after having practiced Islam with its prayers and faith. May Allah, therefore, purify the world from such people!"
سبحان الخالق البارئ إذا خبر الأنسان أمور الإفرنج سبح الله تعالى وقدسه ورأى بهائم فيهم فضيلة الشجاعة والقتال ولا غير،,"Mysterious are the works of the Creator, the author of all things! When one comes to recount cases regarding the Franks, he cannot but glorify Allah (exalted is he!) and sanctify him, for he sees them as animals possessing the virtues of courage and fighting, but nothing else;"
كما في البهائم فضيلة القوة والحمل. وسأذكر شيئًا من أمورهم وعجائب عقولهم.,just as animals have only the virtues of strength and carrying loads. I shall now give some instances of their doings and their curious mentality.
كان في العسكر الملك فلك بن فلك فارس محتشم إفرنجي قد وصل من بلادهم يحج ويعود،,"In the army of King Fulk, son of Fulk, was a Frankish reverend knight who had just arrived from their land in order to make the holy pilgrimage and then return home."
فأنس بي وصار ملازمني ويدعوني أخي وبيننا المودة والمعاشرة.,He was of my intimate fellowship and kept such constant company with me that he began to call me “my brother.” Between us were mutual bonds of amity and friendship.
فلما عزم على التوجه في البحر إلى بلاده قال لييا أخي أني سائر إلى بلادي، وأريدك تنفذ معي أبنك وكان ابني معي وهو ابن أربعة عشر سنه إلى بلادي يبصر الفرسان ويتعلم العقل والفروسية. وإذا رجع كان مثل الرجل عاقل.,"When he resolved to return by sea to his homeland, he said to me: My brother, I am leaving for my country and I want thee to send with me thy son (my son, who was then fourteen years old, was at that time in my company) to our country, where he can see the knights and learn wisdom and chivalry. When he returns, he will be like a wise man."
فطرق سمعي كلام ما يخرج من رأس عاقل. فإن أسر ما بلغ به الأسر اكثر من رواحه إلى بلاد الإفرنج.,"Thus there fell upon my ears words which would never come out of the head of a sensible man, for even if my son were to be taken captive, his captivity could not bring him a worse misfortune than carrying him into the lands of the Franks."
فقلت وحياتك هذا الذي كان في نفسي. لكن منعني من ذلك ان جدته تحبه وما تركته يخرج معي حتى استحلفتني أن أرده إليها.,"However, I said to the man: By thy life, this has exactly been my idea. But the only thing that prevented me from carrying it out was the fact that his grandmother, my mother, is so fond of him and did not this time let him come out with me until she exacted an oath from me to the effect that I would return him to her."
قال أمك تعيش؟ قلت نعم. قال لا تخالفها.,"Thereupon he asked, “Is thy mother still alive?” “Yes.” I replied. “Well,” said he, “disobey her not.”"
ومن عجيب طبهم ان صاحب المنيطرة كتب إلى عمي يطلب منه إنقاذ طبيب يداوي مرضى من أصحابه،,A case illustrating their curious medicine is the following: The lord of al-Munaytirah wrote to my uncle asking him to dispatch a physician to treat certain sick persons among his people.
فأرسل إليه طبيبًا نصرانيًا يقال له ثابت، فما غاب عشرة أيام حتى عاد.,My uncle sent him a Christian physician named Thabit. Thabit was absent but ten days when he returned.
فقلنا له ما أسرع ما داويت المرضى! قال أحضروا عندي فارسًا قد طلعت في رجله دملة وامرأة قد لحقها نشاف،,"So we said to him, “How quickly hast thou healed thy patients!” He said: They brought before me a knight in whose leg an abscess had grown; and a woman afflicted with imbecility."
فعملت للفارس لبخة ففتحت الدملة فصلحت، فحميت المرأة ورطبت مزاجها.,"To the knight I applied a small poultice until the abscess opened and became well, and the woman I put on diet and made her humor wet."
فجاءهم طبيب إفرنجي فقال لهم هذا ما يعرف شيئًا يداويهم. وقال للفارس أيُّما أحب إليك: تعيش برجل واحدة أو تموت برجلين؟,"Then a Frankish physician came to them and said, “This man knows nothing about treating them.” He then said to the knight, “Which wouldst thou prefer, living with one leg or dying with two?”"
قال أعيش برجل واحدة. قال أحضروا لي فارسًا قويًا وفأسًا قاطعًا.,"The latter replied, “Living with one leg.” The physician said, “Bring me a strong knight and a sharp ax.”"
حضر الفارس والفأس وأنا حاضر، فحط ساقه على قرمة خشب وقال للفارس أضرب رجله بالفأس ضربًا واحدًا واقطعها.,A knight came with the ax. And I was standing by. Then the physician laid the leg of the patient on a block of wood and bade the knight strike his leg with the ax and chop it off at one blow.
فضربه وأنا أراه ضربة واحدًا ما انقطعت، فضربه ضربة ثانية فسال مخ الساق، ومات من ساعته.,"Accordingly he struck it — while I was looking on — one blow, but the leg was not severed. He dealt another blow, upon which the marrow of the leg flowed out and the patient died on the spot."
وأبصر المرأة فقال هذه المرأة في رأسها شيطان قد عشقها، احلقوا شعرها،,"He then examined the woman and said, “This is a woman in whose head there is a devil which has possessed her. Shave off her hair.”"
فحلقوه وعادت تأكل من مأكلهم الثوم والخردل فزاد بها النشاف، فقال الشيطان قد دخل في رأسها.,"Accordingly they shaved it off and the woman began once more to eat their ordinary diet — garlic and mustard. Her imbecility took a turn for the worse. The physician then said, “The devil has penetrated through her head.”"
فأخذ الموس وشق الرأس صليب وسلخ وسطه حتى ظهر عظم الرأس وحكه بالملح، فماتت من وقتها.,"He therefore took a razor, made a deep cruciform incision on it, peeled off the skin at the middle of the incision until the bone of the skull was exposed and rubbed it with salt. The woman also expired instantly."
فقلت لهم بقي لكم إلي حاجة؟ قالوا لا. فجئت وتعلمت من طبهم ما لم أكن أعرفه.,"Thereupon I asked them whether my services were needed any longer, and when they replied in the negative I returned home, having learned of their medicine what I knew not before."
وقد شاهدت من طبهم خلاف ذلك.,"I have, however, witnessed a case of their medicine which was quite different from that."
كان للملك خازن من فرسانهم يقال له برناد لعنه الله، من ألعن الإفرنج وأرجسهم.,"The king of the Franks had for treasurer a knight named Bernard [barnad], who (may Allah’s curse be upon him!) was one of the most accursed and wicked among the Franks."
فرمحه حصانه من ساقه فعملت عليه رجله وفتحت في أربعة عشر موضعًا،,"A horse kicked him in the leg, which was subsequently infected and which opened in fourteen different places."
والجراح كلما ختمت موضع فتح موضع وأنا أدعو بهلاكه.,"Every time one of these cuts would close in one place, another would open in another place. All this happened while I was praying for his perdition."
فجاء طبيب إفرنجي فأزال عنه تلك المراهم وجعل يغسلها بالخل الحاذق.,Then came to him a Frankish physician and removed from the leg all the ointments which were on it and began to wash it with very strong vinegar.
فختمت تلك الجراح وبرأ وقام مثل الشيطان.,By this treatment all the cuts were healed and the man became well again. He was up again like a devil.
ومن عجيب طبهم انه كان عندنا بشيزر صانع يقال له أبو الفتوح له ولد قد طلع في رقبة خنازير،,"Another case illustrating their curious medicine is the following: In Shayzar we had an artisan named abu-al-Fath, who had a boy whose neck was afflicted with scrofula."
وكلما ختم موضع فتح موضع، فدخل إنطاكية في شغل له ومعه ابنه،,"Every time a part of it would close, another part would open. This man happened to go to Antioch on business of his, accompanied by his son."
فرآه راجل إفرنجي فسأله عنه فقال هو ولدي.,"A Frank noticed the boy and asked his father about him. Abu-al-Fath replied, “This is my son.”"
قال تحلف لي بدينك إن وصفت لك دواء يبرئه لا تأخذ من أحد تداويه به أجرة حتى أصف لك دواء يبرئه؟,"The Frank said to him, “Wilt thou swear by thy religion that if I prescribe to thee a medicine which will cure thy boy, thou wilt charge nobody fees for prescribing it thyself? In that case, I shall prescribe to thee a medicine which will cure the boy.”"
فحلف. فقالتأخذ له أشنان غير مطحون تحرقه وتربيه بالزيت والخل الحاذق.,"The man took the oath and the Frank said: Take uncrushed leaves of glasswort, bum them, then soak the ashes in olive oil and sharp vinegar."
وتداويه به حتى يأكل الموضع، ثم خذ الرصاص المحرق وربه بالسمن، ثم داوه به فهو يبرئه.,"Treat the scrofula with them until the spot on which it is growing is eaten up. Then take burnt lead, soak it in ghee butter [samn] and treat him with it. That will cure him."
فداواه بذلك فبرأ، وختمت تلك الجراح، وعاد ما كان عليه من الصحة.,"The father treated the boy accordingly, and the boy was cured. The sores closed and the boy returned to his normal condition of health."
وقد داويت بهذا الدواء من طلع فيه هذا الداء فنفعه وأزال ما كان يشكوه.,"I have myself treated with this medicine many who were afflicted with such disease, and the treatment was successful in removing the cause of the complaint."
فكل من هو قريب العهد بالبلاد الإفرنج اجفى أخلاقًا من الذين قد تبلدوا وعاشروا المسلمين.,Everyone who is a fresh emigrant from the Frankish lands is ruder in character than those who have become acclimatized and have held long association with the Moslems.
فمن جفاء أخلاقهم قبحهم الله، أنني إذا زرت بيت المقدس دخلت إلى المسجد الأقصى، وفي جانبه مسجد صغير جعلوه الإفرنج كنيسة.,"Here is an illustration of their rude character. Whenever I visited Jerusalem I always entered the Aqsa Mosque, beside which stood a small mosque which the Franks had converted into a church."
فكنت إذا دخلت المسجد الأقصى وفيه الداوية وهم أصدقائي، يخلون لي ذلك المسجد الصغير اصلي فيه،,"When I used to enter the Aqsa Mosque, which was occupied by the Templars [al-dawiyyah], who were my friends, the Templars would evacuate the little adjoining mosque so that I might pray in it."
فدخلت يومًا كبرت ووقفت في الصلاة، فهجم علي واحدًا من الإفرنج مسكني ورد وجهي إلى الشرق وقال كذا صلِّ!,"One day entered this mosque, repeated the first formula, “Allah is great,” and stood up in the act of praying, upon which one of the Franks rushed on me, got hold of me and turned my face eastward saying, “This is the way thou shouldst pray!”"
فتبادر إليه قوم من الداوية أخذوه أخرجوه عني، وعدت أنا إلى الصلاة، فأغفلهم وعاد هجم علي ذلك بعينه ورد وجهي إلى الشرق وقال كذا صل!,"A group of Templars hastened to him, seized him and repelled him from me. I resumed my prayer. The same man, while the others were otherwise busy, rushed once more on me and turned my face eastward, saying, “This is the way thou shouldst pray!”"
فعاد الداوية دخلوا إليه وأخرجوه واعتذروا إلي وقالواهذا غريب وصل من بلاد الإفرنج هذه الأيام، وما رأى من يصلي لغير الشرق.,"The Templars again came in to him and expelled him. They apologized to me, saying, “This is a stranger who has only recently arrived from the land of the Franks and he has never before seen anyone praying except eastward.”"
فقلت حسبي من الصلاة! فخرجت وكنت أعجب من ذلك الشيطان وتغير وجهه ورعدته وما لحقه من نظر الصلاة إلى القبلة.,"Thereupon I said to myself, “I have had enough prayer.” So I went out and have ever been surprised at the conduct of this devil of a man, at the change in the color of his face, his trembling and his sentiment at the sight of one praying towards the qiblah."
ورأيت واحدًا منهم جاء إلى الأمير معين الدين رحمه الله وهو في الصخرة فقال تريد تبصر الله صغيرًا؟ قال نعم.,"I saw one of the Franks come to al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) when he was in the Dome of the Rock and say to him, “Dost thou want to see God as a child?” Mu’in-al-Din said, “Yes.”"
فمشى بين أيدينا حتى أرانا صورت مريم والمسيح عليه الصلاة والسلام صغير في حجرها.,The Frank walked ahead of us until he showed us the picture of Mary with Christ (may peace be upon him!) as an infant in her lap.
فقال هذا الله صغير، تعالى الله عما يقول الكافرون علوًا كبيرًا.,"He then said, “This is God as a child.” But Allah is exalted far above what the infidels say about him!"
وليس عندهم شيء من النخوة والغيرة، يكون الرجل منهم يمشي هو وامرأته،,The Franks are void of all zeal and jealousy. One of them may be walking along with his wife.
يلقاه رجل أخر يأخذ المرأة ويعتزل بها ويتحدث معها، والزوج واقف ناحية ينتظر فراغها من الحديث، فإذا طولت عليه خلاها مع المتحدث ومضى.,"He meets another man who takes the wife by the hand and steps aside to converse with her while the husband is standing on one side waiting for his wife to conclude the conversation. If she lingers too long for him, he leaves her alone with the conversant and goes away."
ومما شاهدت من ذلك أنى كنت إذا إلى نابلس أنزل في دار رجل يقال له معز داره عمارة المسلمين.,"Here is an illustration which I myself witnessed: When I used to visit Nablus, I always took lodging with a man named Mu’izz, whose home was a lodging house for the Moslems."
لها طاقات تفتح إلى الطريق، يقابلها من الجانب الطريق الأخر دار لرجل إفرنجي يبيع الخمر للتجار،,"The house had windows which opened to the road, and there stood opposite to it on the other side of the road a house belonging to a Frank who sold wine for the merchants."
يأخذ في قنّينة من النبيذ وينادي عليه ويقول: فلان التاجر قد فتح بيته من هذا الخمر، من أراد منها شيئًا فهي من موضع كذا وكذا”،”,"He would take some wine in a bottle and go around announcing it by shouting, “So and so, the merchant, has just opened a cask full of this wine. He who wants to buy some of it will find it in such and such a place.”"
وأجرته عن ندائه النبيذ الذي في تلك القنينة فجاء يومًا ووجد رجل مع امرأته في الفراش.,The Frank’s pay for the announcement made would be the wine in that bottle. One day this Frank went home and found a man with his wife in the same bed.
فقال له أي شيء أدخلك عند امرأتي؟ قال: كنت تعبان [كذا] دخلت أستريح.,"He asked him, “What could have made thee enter into my wife’s room?” The man replied, “I was tired, so I went in to rest.”"
قال: فكيف دخلت إلى فراشي؟ قال: وجدت فراشًا مفروشًا نمت فيه.,"“But how,” asked he, “didst thou get into my bed?” The other replied, “I found a bed that was spread, so I slept in it.”"
قال: والمرأة نائمة معك؟ قال: الفراش لها. كنت أقدر أن أمنعها من فراشها؟,"“But,” said he, “my wife was sleeping together with thee!” The other replied, “Well, the bed is hers. How could I therefore have prevented her from using her own bed?”"
قال وحق ديني إن عدت فعلتها تخاصمت أنا وأنت. فكان هذا نكيره ومبلغ غيرته.,"“By the truth of my religion,” said the husband, “if thou shouldst do it again, thou and I would have a quarrel” Such was for the Frank the entire expression of his disapproval and the limit of his jealousy."
ومن ذلك انه كان عندنا رجل حمامي يقال له سالم من أهل المعرة في حمام لوالدي رحمه الله.,"Another illustration: We had with us a bath-keeper named Salim, originally an inhabitant of al-Ma‘arrah, who had charge of the bath of my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
قال فتحت حمامًا في المعرة أتعيش فيها، فدخل إليها فارس منهم،,This man related the following story. I once opened a bath in al-Ma‘arrah in order to earn my living. To this bath there came a Frankish knight.
وهم ينكرون على من يشد في وسطه المئزر في الحمام، فمد يده وجذب مئزري من وسطي رماه،,The Franks disapprove of girding a cover around one’s waist while in the bath. So this Frank stretched out his arm and pulled off my cover from my waist and threw it away.
فرآني وأنا قريب عهد بحلق عانتي، فقال سالم فتقربت منه، فمد يده على عانتي وقال سالم جيد! وحق ديني اعمل لي كذا.,"He looked and saw that I had recently shaved off my pubes. So he shouted, “Salim.” As I drew near him he stretched his hand over my pubes and said, “Salim, good! By the truth of my religion, do the same for me.”"
واستلقى على ظهره وله مثل لحيته في ذلك الموضع، فحلقته،,"Saying this, he lay on his back and I found that in that place the hair was like his beard. So I shaved it off."
فمر يده عليه فاستوطأه فقال سالم بحق دينك اعمل للداما (والداما بلسانهم الست)، يعني امرأته.,"Then he passed his hand over the place and, finding it smooth, he said, “Salim, by the truth of my religion, do the same to madame [al-dama]” (al-dama in their language means the lady), referring to his wife."
وقال لغلام له قل للداما تجيء. فمضى الغلام أحضرها وأدخلها،,"He then said to a servant of his, “Tell madame to come here.” Accordingly the servant went and brought her and made her enter the bath."
فاستلقت على ظهرها وقال اعمل كما عملت لي، فحلقت ذلك الشعر وزوجها قاعد ينظرني فشكرني ووهبني حق خدمتي.,"She also lay on her back. The knight repeated, “Do what thou hast done to me.” So I shaved all that hair while her husband was sitting looking at me. At last he thanked me and handed me the pay for my service."
فانظروا إلى هذا الاختلاف العظيمما فيهم الغيرة والنخوة وفيهم الشجاعته العظيمة، وما تكون الشجاعة إلا من النخوة والأنفة من سوء الأحدوثة.,"Consider now this great contradiction! They have neither jealousy nor zeal but they have great courage, although courage is nothing but the product of zeal and of ambition to be above ill repute."
ومما يقارب هذا أنني دخلت الحمام بمدينة صور فجلست في خلوة فيها.,Here is a story analogous to the one related above: I entered the public bath in Sur [Tyre] and took my place in a secluded part.
فقال لي بعض غلماني في الحمام معنا امرأة. فلما خرجت جلست على المسطاب وإذا التي كانت بالحمام قد خرجت وهي مقابلي قد لبست ثيابها وهي واقفه مع أبيها ولم أتحقق أنها امرأة.,"One of my servants thereupon said to me, “There is with us in the bath a woman.” When I went out, I sat on one of the stone benches and behold! The woman who was in the bath had come out all dressed and was standing with her father just opposite me. But I could not be sure that she was a woman."
فقلت بالله أبصر هذه امرأة هي. وأنا أقصد أن يسأل عنها. فمضى وأنا أراه رفع ذيلها وطلع فيها.,"So I said to one of my companions, “By Allah, see if this is a woman,” by which I meant that he should ask about her. But he went, as I was looking at him, lifted the end of her robe and looked carefully at her."
فالتفت إلي أبوها وقال هذه ابنتي ماتت أمها وما لها من يغسل رأسها، فأدخلتها معي الحمام غسلت رأسها. قلت جيد عملت، هذا لك فيه ثواب.,"Thereupon her father turned toward me and said, “This is my daughter. Her mother is dead and she has nobody to wash her hair. So I took her in with me to the bath and washed her head.” I replied, “Thou hast well done! This is something for which thou shalt be rewarded [by Allah]!”"
ومن عجيب طبهم ما حدثنا به كليما دبور صاحب طبرية وكان مقدَّمًا فيهم.,"A curious case relating to their medicine is the following, which was related to me by William of Bures [kilyam dabur], the lord of Tabarayyah [Tiberias], who was one of the principal chiefs among the Franks."
واتفق انه رافق الأمير معين الدين رحمه الله من عكّا إلى طبرية وأنا معه،,It happened that William had accompanied al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) from ‘Akka to Tabarayyah when I was in his company too.
فحدثنا في الطريق فقالكان عندنا في بلادنا فارس كبير القدر فمرض واشرف على الموت،,On the way William related to us the following story in these words: We had in our country a highly esteemed knight who was taken ill and was on the point of death.
فجئنا إلى قس من قسوسنا قلنا تجيء معنا حتى تبصر الفارس فلانًا؟ قال نعم.,"We thereupon came to one of our great priests and said to him, “Come with us and examine so and so, the knight” “I will,” he replied,"
ومشى معنا ونحن نتحقق انه إذا حط يده عليه عوفي، فلما رآه قال أعطوني شمعًا.,"and walked along with us while we were assured in ourselves that if he would only lay his hand on him the patient would recover. When the priest saw the patient, he said, “Bring me some wax.”"
فاحضرنا له قليل شمع، فلينه وعمله مثل عقد الإصبع، وعمل كل واحدة في جانب أنفه،,"We fetched him a little wax, which he softened and shaped like the knuckles of fingers, and he stuck one in each nostril."
"فمات الفارس فقلنا لهقد مات قالنعم كان يتعذب سددت أنفه حتى يموت ويستريح.
دع ذا وعُدَّ القولَ في هَرِمِ.","The knight died on the spot. We said to him, “He is dead.” “Yes,” he replied, “he was suffering great pain, so I closed up his nose that he might die and get relief.”
Let this go and let us resume the discussion regarding Harim."
نرجع من حديث مجاريهم. حضرت في طبرية في عيد من أعيادهم،,We shall now leave the discussion of their treatment of the orifices of the body to something else. I found myself in Tabarayyah at the time the Franks were celebrating one of their feasts.
وقد خرج الفرسان يلعبون بالرماح، وقد خرج معهم عجوزان فانيتان أوقفوهما في رأس الميدان، وتركوا في رأسه الأخر خنزيرًا سمطوه وطرحوه على صخرة،,"The cavaliers went out to exercise with lances. With them went out two decrepit, aged women whom they stationed at one end of the race course. At the other end of the field they left a pig which they had scalded and laid on a rock."
وسابقوا بين العجوزين ومع كل واحد منهم سرية من الخيالة يشدون منها،,They then made the two aged women run a race while each one of them was accompanied by a detachment of horsemen urging her on.
والعجائز يقمن ويقعن على كل خطوة وهم يضحكون حتى سبقت واحده منهن لأخذت ذلك الخنزير في سبقها.,"At every step they took, the women would fall down and rise again, while the spectators would laugh. Finally one of them got ahead of the other and won that pig for a prize."
وشاهدت يومًا في نابلس وقد حضروا أثنين للمبارزة، وكان سبب ذلك أن كان حرامية من المسلمين كبسوا ضيعة من ضياع نابلس.,I attended one day a duel in Nablus between two Franks. The reason for this was that certain Moslem thieves took by surprise one of the villages of Nablus.
فاتهموا بها رجلا من الفلاحين وقالواهو دل الحرامية على الضيعة فهرب. فنفذ الملك فقبض أولاده،,One of the peasants of that village was charged with having acted as guide for the thieves when they fell upon the village So he fled away. The king sent and arrested his children.
فعاد إليه وقال انصفني أنا أبارز الذي قال عني أنى دللت الحرامية على القرية.,"The peasant thereupon came back to the king and said, “Let justice be done in my case. I challenge to a duel the man who claimed that I guided the thieves to the village.”"
فقال الملك لصاحب القرية المقطع أحضر من يبارزه.,"The king then said to the tenant who held the village in fief, “Bring forth someone to fight the duel with him.”"
فمضى إلى قريته وفيها رجل حداد فأخذه وقال له تبارز إشفاقا من المقطع على الفلاحيه لا يقتل فيهم واحد لا يقتل منهم واحد فتخرب فلاحته.,"The tenant went to his village, where a blacksmith lived, took hold of him and ordered him to fight the duel. The tenant became thus sure of the safety of his own peasants, none of whom would be killed and his estate ruined."
فشاهدت هذا الحداد وهو شاب قوي إلا أنه قد انقطع، يمشي ويجلس ويطلب ما يشربه،,"I saw this blacksmith. He was a physically strong young man, but his heart failed him. He would walk a few steps and then sit down and ask for a drink."
وذلك الأخر الذي طلب البراز شيخ إلا انه قوي النفس يزجر وهو غير محتفل بالمبارزة،,"The one who had made the challenge was an old man, but he was strong in spirit and he would rub the nail of his thumb against that of the forefinger in defiance, as if he was not worrying over the duel."
فجاء البسكند وهو شحنة البلد، لأعطي كل واحد منها العصا والترس، وجعل الناس حولهم حلقة.,"Then came the viscount [al-biskund], i.e., the seignior of the town, and gave each one of the two contestants a cudgel and a shield and arranged the people in a circle around them."
والتقيا وكان الشيخ يلز ذلك الحداد وهو يتأخر حتى يلجثه إلى حلقة، ثم يعود إلى الوسط.,"The two met. The old man would press the blacksmith backward until he would get him as far as the circle, then he would come back to the middle of the arena"
وقد تضارا حتى بقيا كعامود الدم. فطال الأمر بينهما والبسكند يستعجلهما وهو يقول بالعجلة،,"They went on exchanging blows until they looked like pillars smeared with blood. The contest was prolonged and the viscount began to urge them to hurry, saying, “Hurry on.”"
ونفع الحاد إدمانه بضرب المطرقة. وأعي ذلك الرجل فضربه الحداد فوقع ووقعت عصاه تحت ظهره،,The fact that the smith was given to the use of the hammer proved now of great advantage to him. The old man was worn out and the smith gave him a blow which made him fall. His cudgel fell under his back.
فبرك عليه الحداد يداخل إصبعه في عينه ولا يتمكن من كثرة الدم من عينه،,"The smith knelt down over him and tried to stick his fingers into the eyes of his adversary, but could not do it because of the great quantity of blood flowing out."
ثم قام عنه وضرب رأسه بالعصا حتى قتله. وطرحوا في رقبته حبلًا وجروه شنقوه.,"Then he rose up and hit his head with the cudgel until he killed him They then fastened a rope around the neck of the dead person, dragged him away and hanged him."
وجاء صاحب الحداد أعطاه غفارته وأركبه خلفه وأخذه وانصرف.,"The lord who brought the smith now came, gave the smith his own mantle, made him mount the horse behind him and rode off with him."
وهذا من جملة فقههم وحكمهم لعنهم الله.,This case illustrates the kind of jurisprudence and legal decisions the Franks have — may Allah’s curse be upon them!
ومضيت مرة مع الأمير معين الدين رحمه الله إلى القدس، فنزلنا نابلس.,I once went in the company of al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) to Jerusalem. We stopped at Nablus.
فخرج إلى عنده رجل أعمى وهو شاب عليه ملبوس جيد مسلم، وحمل له فاكهة وسأله في أن يأذن له في الوصول إلى خدمته إلى دمشق ففعل،,"There a blind man, a Moslem, who was still young and was well dressed, presented himself before al-amir carrying fruits for him and asked permission to be admitted into his service in Damascus. The amir consented."
وسألت عنه فخبرت ان أمه كانت مزوجه لرجل إفرنجي فقتلته،,I inquired about this man and was informed that his mother had been married to a Frank whom she had killed.
وكان ابنه يحتال على حجاجهم ويتعاون هو وأمه على قتلهم، فاتهموه بذلك وعملوا له حكم الإفرنج:,Her son used to practice ruses against the Frankish pilgrims and cooperate with his mother in assassinating them. They finally brought charges against him and tried his case according to the Frankish way of procedure.
جلسوا بتية عظيمة وملؤوها ماء عرضوا عليها دف خشب،,They installed a huge cask and filled it with water. Across it they set a board of wood.
كتفوا ذلك التهم وربطوا في أكتافه حبلًا ورموه في البتية – فإن كان بريئًا غاص في الماء، فرفعوه بذلك الحبل لا يموت في المائ، وإن كان له الذنب ما يغوص في الماء.,"They then bound the arms of the man charged with the act, tied a rope around his shoulders and dropped him into the cask, their idea being that in case he was innocent, he would sink in the water and they would then lift him up with the rope so that he might not die in the water; and in case he was guilty, he would not sink in the water."
فحرص ذلك لما رموه في الماء ان يغوص فما قدر. فوجب عليه حكمهم لعنهم الله فكحلوه.,"This man did his best to sink when they dropped him into the water, but he could not do it. So he had to submit to their sentence against him — may Allah’s curse be upon them! They pierced his eyeballs with red-hot awls."
ثم ان رجل وصل إلى دمشق فاجرى له الأمير معين الدين رحمه الله ما يحتاجه. وقال لبعض غلمانه تمضي به إلى البرهان الدين البلخي رحمه الله تقول له تأمر من يقرئ القرآن وشيئًا من الفقه.,"Later this same man arrived in Damascus. Al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) assigned him a stipend large enough to meet all his needs and said to a slave of his, “Conduct him to Burhan-al-Din al-Balkhi (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) and ask him on my behalf to order somebody to teach this man the Koran and something of Moslem jurisprudence.”"
فقال له ذلك الأعمى النصر والغلب! ما كان هذا ظني!,"Hearing that, the blind man remarked, “May triumph and victory be thine! But this was never my thought”"
قال ما ظننت بي! قالتعطيني الحصان والبغلة والسلاح وتجعلني فارسًا.,"“What didst thou think I was going to do for thee?” asked Mu’in-al-Din. The blind man replied, “I thought thou wouldst give me a horse, a mule and a suit of armor and make me a knight”"
قال ما اعتقدت ان أعمى يصير من الفرسان.,"Mu’in-al-Din then said, “I never thought that a blind man could become a knight.”"
ومن الإفرنج قوم قد تبلدوا وعاشروا المسلمين،,Among the Franks are those who have become acclimatized and have associated long with the Moslems.
فهم أصلح من القريب العهد ببلادهم، ولكنهم شاذ لا يقاس عليه.,These are much better than the recent comers from the Frankish lands. But they constitute the exception and cannot be treated as a rule.
فمن ذلك أنني نفذت صاحبًا إلى إنطاكية في شغل، وكان بها الرئيس نادرس بن الصفي وبيني وبينه صداقة، وهو نافذ الحكم في إنطاكية.,"Here is an illustration. I dispatched one of my men to Antioch on business. There was in Antioch at that time al-Ra’is Theodoros Sophianos [tadrus ibn-al-saffi], to whom I was bound by mutual ties of amity. His influence in Antioch was supreme."
فقال أصحابي يومًاقد دعاني صديق لي من الإفرنج، تجيء معي حتى ترى زيهم،,"One day he said to my man, “I am invited by a friend of mine who is a Frank. Thou shouldst come with me so that thou mayest see their fashions.”"
قال فمضيت معه فجئنا إلى دار فارس من الفرسان العتق الذين خرجوا في أول خروج الإفرنج،,My man related the story in the following words: I went along with him and we came to the home of a knight who belonged to the old category of knights who came with the early expeditions of the Franks.
وقد اعتفى من الديوان والخدمة، وله بإنطاكية ملك يعيش منه، فأحضر مائدة حسنة وطعامًا في غاية النظافة والجودة.,"He had been by that time stricken off the register and exempted from service, and possessed in Antioch an estate on the income of which he lived. The knight presented an excellent table, with food extraordinarily clean and delicious."
ورآني متوقفًا عن الأكل فقالكل طيب النفس، فأنا ما أكل من طعام الأفرنج ولي طباخات مصريات لا أكل إلى من طبخهن، ولا أدخل داري لحم خنزير.,"Seeing me abstaining from food, he said, “Eat, be of good cheer I never eat Frankish dishes, but I have Egyptian women cooks and never eat except their cooking. Besides, pork never enters my home.”"
فأكلت وأنا محترز وانصرفنا. فأنا بعد مجتازًا في السوق وامرأة إفرنجية تعلقت بي وهي تبربر بلسانهم وما أدري ما تقول.,"I ate, but guardedly, and after that we departed. As I was passing in the market place, a Frankish woman all of a sudden hung to my clothes and began to mutter words in their language, and I could not understand what she was saying."
فاجتمع علي خلق من الأفرنج فأيقنت من الهلاك.,This made me immediately the center of a big crowd of Franks. I was convinced that death was at hand.
وإذا ذلك الفارس قد أقبل فرآني، فجاء فقال لتلك المرأة مالك ولهذا المسلم؟,"But all of a sudden that same knight approached. On seeing me, he came and said to that woman, “What is the matter between thee and this Moslem?”"
قالت هذا قتل أخي عرس، وكان هذا عرس فارسًا بأفامية قتله بعض جند حماة.,"She replied, “This is he who has killed my brother Hurso [‘urs].” This Hurso was a knight in Afamiyah who was killed by someone of the army of Hamah."
فصاح عليهم وقال هذا رجل برجاسي أي تاجر لا يقاتل ولا يحضر قتال،,"The Christian knight shouted at her, saying, “This is a bourgeois [burjasi] (i.e., a merchant) who neither fights nor attends a fight.”"
وصاح على أولئك المجتمعين، فتفرقوا وأخذ يدي ومضى، فكان تأثير تلك المواكلة خلاصي من القتل.,"He also yelled at the people who had assembled, and they all dispersed. Then he took me by the hand and went away. Thus the effect of that meal was my deliverance from certain death."
ومن عجائب القلوب أن الإنسان يخوض المغامرات ويركب الأخطار ولا يرتاع قلبه من ذلك، ويخاف ممن لا يخاف منه الصبيان والنسوان.,One of the curious phenomena of the human heart is that a man may wade through the thickest part of combats and face all adventures without feeling the least fear in his heart and yet he may be scared by something of which even boys and women may not be afraid.
ولقد رأيت عمي عز الدولة أبا العساكر سلطان رحمه الله وهو من أشجع أهله له مواقع المشهورة والطعنات المذكورة،,"I have seen my uncle, ‘Izz-al-Din abu-al-‘Asakir Sultan (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), — who was one of the bravest among his people, having to his credit a number of well-known stands in combat and worthy lance thrusts —"
وهو إذا رأى الفأرة تغيرت صورة وجهه ولحقه كالزمع من نظرها وقام من الموضع الذي يراها فيه.,"change color on seeing a mouse, feel something like a shudder at the mere sight of it, and leave the place where he saw it."
وكان في غلمانه رجلًا شجاع معروف بالشجاعة والأقدام اسمه صندوق يفزع من الحية حتى يخرج عقله.,"Among his slaves was a brave man, known for his valor and love of adventure, whose name was Sanduq. He was afraid of snakes, to the point of losing his wits."
فقال له والدي رحمه الله وهو واقف بين يدي عمي يا صندوق أنت رجل جيد معروف بالشجاعة ما تستحي تفزع من الحية؟,"One day my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) said to him as he was standing in the presence of my uncle, “O Sanduq, thou art a good man, known for thy valor. Art thou not therefore ashamed on account of thy fear of a snake?”"
قال يا مولاي أي شيء في هذا من العجب؟ في حمص رجل شجاع بطل من الأبطال يفزع من الفأر ويموت – يعني مولاه.,"He replied, “O my lord, what is there strange about this? In Hims there is a valiant man, a real hero, who fears the mouse to the point of death,” referring to his master."
فقال عمي رحمه الله قبحك الله يا كذا وكذا.,"My uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), who heard him, said to him, “May Allah blight thee, thou so and so!”"
ورأيت مملوكًا لولدي يرحمه الله يقال له لؤلؤ، وكان رجلًا جيدًا ومقداما.,"I recall the case of a mameluke of my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) named Lu’lu’, who was a good man and an adventurer."
وقد خرجت ليلة من شيزر ومعي بغال كثيرة وبهائم أريد احمل عليها من الجبل خشبًا قد قطعته هناك لناعورة لي،,"One night I went out of Shayzar taking with me a large number of mules and other beasts, with the intention of loading them from the mountain with wood which I had cut for a noria which belonged to me."
فسرنا من ظاهر شيزر ونحن نظن أن الصبح قد دنا، فوصلنا إلى قرية يقال لها دبيس، وما تنصف الليل. فقلت أنزلوا ما ندخل الجبل في الليل.,"When we started from the environs of Shayzar, we had an idea that dawn was approaching, but in fact we arrived in a village called Dubays before it was midnight. I then said to my men, “Dismount. We shall not go into the mountain at night.”"
فلما نزلنا واستقرنا سمعنا صهيل حصان فقلنا الإفرنج!,"No sooner had we dismounted and settled down than we heard the neighing of a horse. We said, “These are the Franks.”"
فركبنا في الظلام وأنا أحدث نفسي أني أطعن واحدًا منهم وآخذ حصانه ويأخذون دوابنا والرجال الذين مع الدواب،,So we rode on in the dark. I promised myself to pierce one of them with my lance and take his horse while they were seizing our beasts and men.
فقلت للؤلؤ وثلاثة من الغلمان تقدمونا اكشفوا هذا الصهيل.,"Thereupon I said to Lu’lu’ and three other servants, “Go ahead and find out what this neighing is.”"
فتقدمونا يركضون فلقوا أولئك وهم في جمع وسواد كثير، فسبق إليهم لؤلؤ وقال تكلموا وإلى قتلتكم كلكم وهو رام جيد،,"Accordingly they went ahead at full gallop and met the others, who were in great numbers. Lu’lu’ went first of all to them and said, “Speak out, otherwise I shall kill you to the last man,” he being an excellent archer."
فعرفوا صوته وقالوا حاجب لؤلؤ؟ قال نعم. وإذ هم عسكر حماة مع الأمير سيف الدين سوار رحمه الله قد أغار على بلاد الإفرنج وعاد.,"Recognizing his voice, they called out, “Hajib [chamberlain] Lu’lu’?” “Yes,” said he. And behold! they turned out to be the army of Hamah headed by al-Amir Sayf-al-Din Suwar (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) who had just made a raid on the territory of the Franks and were now on their way back home."
وكان هذه أقدامه على ذلك الجمع، وإذا رأى في بيته حية خرج منهزمًا وقال لامرأتهدونك والحية! فتقوم إليها تقتلها.,"Such was the spirit of daring in this man in the face of that huge body of men; and yet if he should see in his house a snake, he would go out in flight, saying to his wife, “It is thy business to kill the snake!” His wife would arise and kill it."
والمحارب ولو انه الأسد اتلفه واعجز اليسير من العوائق كما أصابني على حمص.,"Sometimes the combatant, though he be a lion in courage, may be ruined and rendered impotent by the least of impediments, as happened to me outside of Hims."
أخرجت وقتل حصاني وضربت خمسين سيفًا – كل ذلك لنفاذ المشيئة، ثم لتواني الركابي في تركيب عنان اللجام،,"In a sortie my horse was killed and I received fifty sword blows — through the execution of the divine will, and, in some degree, through the carelessness of my groom in fixing the reins of the bridle."
فإنه عقده في الباشات ولم يشقه. فلما جذبته أريد الخروج من بينهم انحل العنان من عقدته في البشات، فنالني ما نالني.,"He attached the reins to the rings without letting them go through. So when I pulled the reins, desiring to escape from the midst of the enemy, the reins got loose from the rings and there befell me that which befell me."
وقد كان صاح صائح يومًا بشيزر من قبله فلبسنا وفزعنا. فكان الصائح كذابًا.,"One day the public announcer’s voice was heard in Shayzar, coming from the south [qiblah]. We instantly put on our armor and got ready. But the announcer proved a liar."
فرحل أبي وعمي رحمهما الله ووقفت بعدهما، فوقع الصائح من الشمال من جانب الإفرنج،,My father and uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) departed and I remained behind them. The announcer’s cry then came from the north from the side of the Franks.
فركضت حصاني إلى الصائح، فرأيت الناس في المخاض يركب بعضهم بعضًا وقالوا الإفرنج!,"I galloped on my horse towards the announcer and saw our men crossing the ford, one on top of the other and shouting, “The Franks!”"
فعبرت المخاض وقلت للناس لا بأس عليكم أنا دونكم!,"I immediately crossed the ford and said to the people, “Fear not. I am already between you and the enemy.”"
ثم طلعت أركض إلى رابية القرافطة، وإذا الخيل مقبلة في جمع كثير، وقدم تقدم منهم فارس لابس ذردية وخوذة،,"Then I went galloping up the hill of the Qarafitah and behold! the riders were seen advancing in a great mass, preceded by a knight wearing a coat of linked mail and a helmet."
وقد دنا مني فقصدته استفرص بعضه من أصحابي واستقبلني،,"He was already close to me. I made for him, taking the opportunity to smite first and then to attack his companions. He faced me, ready for the encounter."
فحين حركت حصاني إليه انقطع ركابي وما بقي لي مندوحة عن لقائه،,"The moment I spurred my horse towards him, my stirrup broke. But there was no way then to avoid meeting him."
فقمت إليه بلا ركاب، فلما تدنينا ولم يبقى إلا الطعن سلم علي وخدمني،,"So, with no stirrup, I rushed to attack him. When we were so close together that nothing was left but to wield the lances, he greeted me and offered his services to me."
وإذا هو السلار زين الدين إسماعيل بن عمر بن بختيار، وكان نهض مع عسكر حماة إلى بلد كفرطاب،,"And behold, he turned out to be al-Salar ‘Umar, the maternal uncle of al-Salar Zayn-al-Din Isma‘il ibn-‘Umar ibn-Bakhtiyar, who had started with the army of Hamah towards the town of Kafartab."
فخرج عليهم الإفرنج فعادوا إلى شيزر منهزمين، وتقدمهم الأمير سوار رحمه الله.,"The Franks had made a sortie against them, and so they returned to Shayzar in flight, headed by al-Amir Suwar (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
فسبيل الرجل المحارب يتفقد عدة حصانه، فإن ايسر الأشياء وأقلها يؤذي ويهلك، كل ذلك مقرون بما يجري به الأقدار والأقضية.,"The right course for the combatant to follow, therefore, is to inspect frequently the outfit of his horse, for the least significant and the smallest of things may lead to harm and destruction — all that subject, of course, to the course of fate and destiny."
وقد شهدت قتال الأسد في مواقف لا يحصيها، وقتلت عدة منها لم يشركني أحد في قتلها، فما نالني من شيء منها أذى.,"I have taken part in fighting against lions on innumerable occasions, and I have killed many of them single-handed without the cooperation of anybody else — all that without receiving the least injury from a single one of them."
وخرجت يوما مع والدي يرحمه الله إلى الصيد في جبل قريب من البلد نصيد منه الحجل بالبزاة،,"One day I set out with my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) for the chase in a mountain near our town, desiring to hunt partridges with falcons."
ولم يكن الوالد رحمه الله ونحن معه والبازيارية على الجبل وبعض الغلمان والبازيارية أسفل من الجبل للتخليص من البزاة والوقوف على النبج،,"Our plan was to have my father, together with ourselves and the falconers, on the mountain, while a few retainers and falconers would be stationed at the foot in order to deliver the quarry from the falcons and determine the hiding places of the birds."
فقامت لنا ضبعة فدخلت مغارة، وفي تلك المغارة محجر دخلت فيه فصحت بغلام لي ركابي اسمه يوسف،,"All of a sudden a female hyena appeared before us. The hyena entered a cavern in which was a den. Into this the hyena penetrated. I called to a retainer of mine, a groom, named Yusuf."
خلع ثيابه وأخذ سيكنه ودخل في ذلك المحجر، وأنا في يدي قنطارية مستقبل الموضع إذا خرجت طعنتها،,"The latter took off his clothes, clutched a knife and entered the den, while I, lance in hand, stood facing the spot, so I could strike the hyena in case it should come out."
فصاح الغلام إليكم قد خرجت! فطعنتها أخطأتها لأن الضبعة رقيقة الحجم.,"My attendant shouted, “Look out It is going out!” So I smote it with the lance, but missed it, for the hyena is small of body."
وصاح الغلام عندي ضبعة أخرى! فخرجت في إثرها،,"The attendant then shouted, “Here is by me another hyena.” This hyena came out, following the steps of the first one."
فقمت وقفت في باب المغارة وهي ديقة الباب متعليه مقدار قامتين أنظر ما يعمل أصحابنا الذين في الوطا بالضباع التي نزلت إليهم،,I arose and stood at the door of the cavern — which was narrow but about two statures high — and looked to see what our companions who were down in the valley might do with the hyenas which had gone down towards them.
فخرجت ضبعة ثالثة، وأنا مشغول بالنظر إلى الأوائل، فندستني رمتني من باب المغارة إلى قراره التي تحته،,"While my attention was absorbed looking at the first two, a third hyena came out, pushed me and threw me over from the door of the cavern to the ditch below."
فكادت تكسرني فتأذيت بضبعه وما تأذيت بالسباع، فسبحان مقدر الأقدار ومسبب الأسباب.,"I came near breaking my backbone. Thus I was hurt by a female hyena, but was never hurt by lions. How mysterious, therefore, are the works of him who determines destinies and brings all things to pass!"
وشاهدت من ضعف نفوس بعض الرجال وخورهم ما لا كنت أظن بالنساء.,I have witnessed manifestations of some men’s weakness of soul and faintness of heart which I did not think possible among women.
فمن ذلك أنني كنت على باب دار والدي رحمه الله وأنا صبي وعمري دون العشر سنين، فلطم غلام لوالدي اسمه محمد العجمي صبيًا من خدام الدار،,"Here is an illustration. One day as I was standing at the door of the house of my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), not being then more than ten years old, one of my father’s retainers, named Muhammad al-‘Ajami, hit a boy servant of the house."
فانهزم منه وجاء تعلق بثوبي، فلحقه وهو ماسك بثوبي فلطمه،,The latter fled before him and came and clung to my clothes. Muhammad followed him while he was clinging to my robe and hit him again.
فضربته بقضيب كان في يدي فدفعني، فجذبت من وسطي سكينًا ضربته بها فوقعت في بزه الأيسر فوقع.,"I then struck the aggressor with a stick that I had in my hand. He pushed me. Thereupon, I drew a knife from my belt and stabbed him with it. The knife hit his left breast, so he fell."
وجاءنا غلام كبير لوالدي يقال له القائد أسد فوقف عليه ونظر الجرح وإذا تنفس طلع منه الدم مثل فواقع الماء،,"A big attendant of my father named al-Qa’id [leader] Asad came, examined him and saw the wound, out of which flowed blood like bubbles of water every time the wounded man breathed."
فاصفر وارتعد ووقع مغشيًا عليه، فحمل إلى داره وكان يسكن معنا في الحصن على تلك الحال، فما أفاق من غشيته إلى آخر النهار، وقد مات المجروح وقُبِر.,"Asad turned pale, shivered and fell unconscious. He was carried in this condition to his home, which was with us in the castle, and did not regain consciousness until the end of the day. By that time the wounded man was already dead and buried."
ومما يقارب ذلك: كان يزورنا رجل من أهل حلب فيه فضل وأدب،,Something analogous to the above is the following: There used to visit us in Shayzar a man from Aleppo [Halab] who was meritorious and learned.
يلعب بالشطرنج طبقة ويلعب بها غائبًا يقال له أبو المرجى سالم بن قانت رحمه الله،,"He could play chess without looking at the board as well as in the ordinary manner. His name was abu-al-Murajja Salim ibn-Qanit (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). On his visits he used to spend with us a year, more or less."
فكان يقيم عندنا السنة والأكثر والأقل، فربما مرض فيصف له الطبيب الفصاد، فإذا حضر الفصاد تغير لونه وأرتعد، فإذا فصده غشي عليه فلا يزال في غشيه حتى يشد فصاده ثم يفيق.,"In case he got sick, the physician would prescribe bloodletting, and every time the bloodletter came, Salim’s color would change and he would shiver; and when the bloodletter applied the knife, he would faint and remain unconscious until the cut was bandaged, upon which he would return to consciousness."
ومما يضاد ذلك انه كان في أصحابنا من بني كنانة رجل أسود يقال له عي ابن فرج طلعت في رجله حبة فتخبثت،,"Now for a contrary case. Among our men of the banu-Kinanah was a black man named ‘Ali ibn-Farah, in whose foot appeared a pustule. The pustule turned malignant."
وتناثرت أصابعه وانتنت رجله فقال له الجراحيما لرجلك إلا القطع وإلا تلفت.,"His toes fell off, and the whole leg began tc rot. The surgeon said to him, “There is nothing to do for thy leg but amputation. Otherwise thou art lost.”"
فحصل عنده منشارًا وجعل ينشر ساقه حتى يغلبه فيض الدم ويغشى عليه، فإذا هو أفاق عاد إلى نشرها،,The man procured a saw and sawed his leg until the flow of blood made him faint. On coming back to consciousness he would start sawing it again.
حتى قطعها من نصف ساقه وداوها فبرأت.,"This continued until he amputated it at the middle of the leg. After some treatment, it was cured."
وكان رحمه الله من أجلد الرجال وأقواهم، فكان يركب في سرجه بركاب واحد، وفي الجانب الأخر سير تكون فيه ركبته، ويحضر القتال ويطاعن الإفرنج وهو في تلك الحال،,"This ‘Ali (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was one of the most enduring and powerful of all men. He used to sit his saddle using one stirrup and putting his knee in a strap on the other side, and in this condition take part in combat and exchange lance thrusts with the Franks."
وكنت أراه رحمه الله لا يستطيع رجل يشابكه ولايقابضه، وكان خفيف الروح مع قوته وشجاعته.,"I used to see him myself (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) no man was able to stand a finger contest or come to grips with him. With all his strength and courage, he was a jovial and light-hearted fellow."
فأصبح يومًا من الأيام وهو وبنو كنانة يسكنون حصننا حصن الجسر، أرسل إلى رجال من وجوه بني كنانة فقالاليوم يوم مطير وعندي فضلة نبيذ ومأكول تتفضلون علي بالحضور لنشرب.,"Early one morning when he and the banu-Kinanah were living in our citadel, the Citadel of the Bridge, he sent a message to certain notables of the banu-Kinanah saying to them, “This is a rainy day and I have left in my house a little wine and some food. Favor me with your presence so that we may drink together.”"
فاجتمعوا عنده فجلس في باب البيت وقال هل فيكم من يخرج من الباب إن لم أشأ؟ يشير إلى قوته. قالوا لا والله.,"So they assembled in his house. He then sat at the door of the house and said, “Is there any among you who can go out through the door if I oppose him?” (referring to his strength). They replied, “No, by Allah!”"
قال هذا يوم مطير، وما أصبح في داري دقيق ولا خبز ولا نبيذ، وما فيكم إلا من في داره ما يحتاجه ليومه، أنفذوا إلى دوركم أحضروا طعامكم ونبيذكم،,"He said: This is a rainy day and there is left in my house neither flour, bread nor wine. But every one of you has in his home all that he needs for the day Send therefore to your homes and fetch your food and your wine"
والبيت من عندي، ونجتمع اليوم نشرب ونتحدث.,"As for the house, I offer that. We shall then get together on this day in order to drink and converse."
قالوا كلهم نعم ما رأيت يا أبا الحسن! وأنفذوا واحضروا ما في دورهم من طعام وشراب وقضوا نهارهم عنده، وكان رجلًا محترمًا،,"They unanimously replied, “What an excellent idea, O abu-al-Hasan, is this.” They then sent and brought whatever food and drink their homes contained and spent the day with him. Albeit he was a respected man."
فتعالى من خلق الخلق أطوارًا أين جلد هذا وقوة نفسه من خور أولئك وضعف نفوسهم؟,Exalted is he who made his creatures of different categories! For can the endurance of this man and the strength of his spirit be compared with the faint-heartedness and feebleness of those others we discussed?
وقريب من هذا ان رجلًا من بني كنانة حدثني بحصن الجسر ان رجلًا في الحصن استسقى فشق بطنه وبرئ وعاد صحيحًا كما كان.,"The following case is somewhat analogous. I was told by one of the banu-Kinanah in the Citadel of the Bridge that a man in that citadel, who was afflicted with dropsy, had cut open his abdomen and was cured, returning to his good health as he was before."
فقلت أريد أبصره واستخبره. وكان الذي حدثني رجل من بني كنانة يقال له أحمد بن معبد بن أحمد.,"I said, “I should like to see that man and draw out the information from him.” The man who related the story to me was one of the banu-Kinanah named Ahmad ibn-Ma‘bad ibn-Ahmad."
فاحضر ذلك الرجل عندي فإستخبرته عن حاله وكيف فعل في نفسه.,Ahmad brought that man before me and I questioned him about his condition and the manner in which he treated himself.
فقال أنا رجل صعلوك وحيد استسقى جوفي وكبرت حتى عجزت عن التصرف وتبرمت بالحياة.,His answer was this: I am a pauper and live all by myself. I was afflicted with dropsy and became so old that I could no more move about and became tired of life.
فأخذت موسى فضربت به فوق سرتي في عرض جوفي، شققته فخرج منه قدر طباختين ماء يعني قدرين.,So I took a razor and struck it along my navel across my abdomen and cut it open. About two cooking vessels (meaning two measures) of water came out.
وما زال الماء ينزل منه حتى ضمر جوفي، فخيطته وداويت الجرح فبرأ، فزال ما كان بي.,The water continued to ooze out until my abdomen shrunk. I then sewed the cut and treated it until it was healed. The disease has thus gone away.
وأراني موضع الشق في جوفه أطول من شبر.,"Saying this, he showed me the place of the cut in his abdomen, which was more than a span in length."
ولا شبهة ان هذا الرجل كان له في الأرض رزق يستوفيه.,There can be no doubt that this man had still a livelihood on this earth to which he was entitled.
وإلا فقد رأيت من استسقى وفصد الطبيب جوفه فخرج منه الماء كما خرج من الذي بزل نفسه إلا أنه مات من ذلك الفصد، لكن الأجل حصن حصين.,"Under other circumstances, I have seen people with dropsy whose abdomens physicians cut open and from which water came out just as it did in the case of this man who cut himself, but who nevertheless lost their lives on account of the operation. Fate is an impregnable fortress."
النصر في الحرب من الله تبارك وتعالى لا بترتيب وتدبير ولا بكثرة نفير ولا نصير،,"Victory in warfare is from Allah (blessed and exalted is he) and is not due to organization and planning, nor to the number of troops and supporters."
وقد كنت إذا بعثني عمي رحمه الله لقتال أتراك أو إفرنج أقوله له يا مولاي أمرني بما أتدبر به إذا لقيت العدو. فيقول يا بني الحرب تدبر نفسها وصدق.,"Whenever my uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) sent me to fight Turks or Franks, I would say to him, “O my lord, instruct me as to how I should conduct myself when I meet the enemy.” My uncle would reply, “O my boy, war conducts itself.”"
كان امرني ان آخذ امرأته وأولاده خاتون بنت تاج الدولة تتش والعسكر وامضي أوصلهم إلى حصن مصياث وهو إذ ذاك له، وكان يشفق عليهم من حر شيزر،,"And he was right. Once my uncle ordered me to accompany his wife, the lady [khatun], daughter of Taj-al-Dawlah Tutush, and his children with an escort of troops to Hisn-Masyad, which at that time belonged to my uncle, his idea being to spare them the excessive heat of Shayzar."
فركبت وركب أبي وعمي رحمهما الله معنا إلى بعض الطريق، وعاد وليس معهما إلى المماليك الصغار لجر الجنائب وحمل السلاح والعسكر كله معي.,"Accordingly I started on horseback. My father and my uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) rode with us a part of the way and then returned, accompanied only by the young mamelukes who led the extra horses by halter and carried the arms, the troops being all with me."
فلما قربا من المدينة سمعا طبل الجسر يضرب. فقالا شيء قد جرى في الجسر.,"When my uncle and father approached Shayzar, they heard the drum of the Bridge beating, so they said, “Something is wrong at the Bridge.”"
فدفعا خيلهما تناقلا ونحبًا إلى الجسر. وكان بيننا وبين الإفرنج لعنهم الله هدنة.,They spurred their horses in the direction of the Bridge. Between us and the Franks (may Allah’s curse be upon them!) at that time was a truce.
فنفذوا من كشف لهم مخاضة يعبرون منها إلى مدينة الجسر،,"In spite of that, they had dispatched a scout to reconnoitre a ford by which they could cross over to the City of the Bridge [madinah al-jisr]."
وهي في الجزيرة لا يعبر إليها إلا من الجسر معقود بالحجر والكلس لا يصل الإفرنج إليه،,"This stood on a peninsula to which no one could cross except over a bridge the arch of which was constructed with stone and lime, and to which the Franks had no access."
فدلهم ذلك الجاسوس على مخاضه، فركبوا جميعهم من افامية فأصبحوا إلى ذلك الموضع الذي دلهم عليه،,"That scout pointed out to them a ford. So they all rode from Afamiyah, and the second morning found them on the spot which was pointed out to them."
عبروا الماء وملكوا المدينة ونهبوا وسلبوا وقتلوا ونفذوا بعض السبي والنهب إلى افامية وملكوا الدور، وعلم كل واحد منهم صليبه على دار وركز عليه رايته.,"They crossed the water, took possession of the city, pillaged, took captives and killed. Some of the captives and booty they dispatched to Afamiyah. They took possession of the houses, and each one of them put the sign of the crucifix over one house and planted over it his flag."
فلما اشرف ابي وعمي رحمهما الله على الحصن كبر أهل الحصن وصاحوا.,"When my father and my uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) were within sight of the castle [Shayzar], its inhabitants shouted, “Allah is great!” and howled lustily."
فألقى الله سبحانه وتعالى على الإفرنج الرعب والخذلان فذهلوا على الموضع الذي عبروا منه،,"Thereby Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) struck terror and helplessness to the hearts of the Franks, and they failed to find the spot at which they crossed."
ورموا خيلهم وهم بدروعهم عليها في غير مخاض، فغرق منهم جماعة كثيرة:,"Covered with their coats of mail, they forced their horses, on which they were mounted, into a place in the river where there was no ford. A large number of them were thus drowned."
كان الفارس يغوص في الماء فيسقط عن سرجه ويرسب في الماء ويطلع الحصان.,"The rider would plunge into the water, fall from his saddle and sink to the bottom, while the horse would get over."
ومضى من سلم منهم منهزمين لا يلوي بعضهم عل بعض وهم في جمع كثير، وأبي وعمي معهما عشرة مماليك صبيان.,"Those of them who survived left in disorderly flight with no one of them minding the other. They were a great army, while my father and my uncle had only ten young mamelukes in their company!"
فأقام عمي في الجسر ورجع أبي إلى شيزر، وواصلت أنا أولاد عمي إلى مصياث وعدت من يومي وصلت العشاء.,"My uncle took his abode at the Bridge and my father returned to Shayzar. As for me, I accompanied my uncle’s children to Masyad and returned on the same day, arriving home early in the morning."
فأخبرت بما جرى، فحضرت عندى والدي رحمه الله وشاورته في ان امضي إلى عمي إلى حصن الجسر.,"Informed about what had taken place, I immediately presented myself before my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) and consulted him as to whether I should join my uncle in the Citadel of the Bridge."
قال تصل في الليل وهم نيام. ولكن سر عليهم من بكرة.,His reply was: “Thou wilt arrive there in the nighttime while they are asleep. Rather go to them early in the morning.”
فأصبحت سرت وحضرت عنده وركبنا وقفنا على ذلك الموضع الذي غرق فيه الإفرنج،,Early the next morning I started and presented myself before my uncle. We both rode out and stood over the spot where the Franks were drowned.
ونزل إليه جماعة من السباح فأخرجوا جماعة من فرسانهم موتى. فقلت لعمي يا مولاي ما نقطع رؤوسهم وننفذها إلى شيزر؟,"Certain swimmers dived and pulled out a number of their dead cavaliers. I said to my uncle, “My lord, shall we not cut off their heads and dispatch them to Shayzar?”"
قال افعل فقطعنا منهم نحو من العشرين رأسًا فكان الدم يسيل منهم كأنهم قد قتلوا تلك الساعة ولهم يوم وليلة.,"“Go ahead,” said he. So we cut off about twenty heads, out of which blood flowed copiously as if the men had been killed that very moment, although they had been dead for one day and one night."
وأظن الماء حفظ فيهم دمهم. وغنم الناس منهم سلاحًا كثيرًا من الزرديات والسيوف والقنطاريات والخوذ والكلسات والزرد.,"I believe it was the water which preserved the blood in them. Our men carried away as booty from the Franks an assortment of arms, including linked mail, swords, lances, helmets and greaves."
ورأيت رجلًا من الفلاحين الجسر حضر عند عمي ويده في ثيابه. فقال له عمي يمزح معه أي شيء أعزلت لي من الغنيمة؟,"I myself saw one of the peasants of the Bridge come before my uncle with his hand under his clothes. My uncle said to him jokingly, “What hast thou set aside for me from the booty?”"
قال أعزلت لك حصانًا بعدته وزرديته وترسًا وسيفًا.,"The man replied, “I have set aside for thee a horse with its outfit, linked mail, a shield and a sword.”"
ومضى أحضر الجميع، فأخذ عمي العدة وأعطاه الحصان وقال أي شيء بيدك؟,"Presently he went away and fetched all these. My uncle took the outfit and returned the horse to him, saying, “And what is this in thy hand?”"
قال يا مولاي تقابضت أنا والإفرنجي ولا معي عدة ولا سيف فرميته ولكمت وجهه وعليه اللثام الزرد حتى أسكرته.,"The man replied: O my lord, I was in grips with a Frank, having with me neither equipment nor sword, and I felled him to the ground I then began to give him blows with my fist on his face, which was covered with a veil of mail, until I rendered him unconscious."
وأخذت سفه وقتلته به، وتهرأ الجلد على عقد أصابعي وورمت يدي فما تنفعني.,"Then I took his sword and killed him with it Consequently, the skin on the knuckles of my fingers was torn to shreds, my hand swelled up and since then has been of no use to me."
وأظهر لنا يده وهي كما قال قد انكشفت عظام أصابعه.,"Saying this he showed us his hand, which was as he had described it: the bones of his fingers were all exposed."
وكان في جند الجسر رجل كردي يقال له أبو الجيش وله بنت اسمها رفول قد سباها الإفرنج،,"In the army of the Bridge was a Kurd named abu-al-Jaysh, who had a daughter named Raful, who had been carried away as captive by the Franks."
وهو قد توسوس عليها يقول لكل من لقيه يومًا سبيت رفول!,"Abu-al-Jaysh was affected by a kind of monomania on account of her, which made him say to everyone he met every day: “Raful has been taken captive.”"
فخرجنا من الغد نسير على النهر فرأينا في جانب الماء سوادًا فقلنا لبعض الغلمان اسبح ابصر ما هذا السواد.,"The second morning as we were walking on the bank of the river, we saw by the side of the water an object. We said to one of our attendants, “Swim and see what is that thing.”"
فمضى إليه فإذا ذلك السواد رفول عليها ثوب أزرق وقد رمت نفسها من على فرس الإفرنجي الذي أخذها فغرقت،,"The attendant went to it and lo! the object was Raful herself, dressed in a blue dress. She had thrown herself from the back of the horse of the Frank who had carried her away and was drowned."
وعلق ثوبها في شجرة الصفصاف، فسكنت لوعة أبيها أبي الجيش،,"Her dress was caught in a willow tree. The anguish of her father, abu-al-Jaysh, was thereby abated."
فكانت الصيحة التي وقعت في الإفرنج وهزيمتهم وهلاكهم من لطف الله عز وجل لا بقوة ولا بعسكر. فتبارك الله القادر على ما يشاء.,"Thus the howls which scared the Franks, their flight and their destruction were due to the benevolence of Allah (mighty and majestic is he!) and not to superior force or army — blessed is Allah, who is potent over whatever he pleases!"
وقد يكون الترهيب في بعض الأوقات نافعًا في الحرب. من ذلك ان أتابك وصل الشام وأنا معه في سنة تسع وعشرين وخمس مئة وصار قاصدًا دمشق.,"Inspiring the army with awe is sometimes profitable in warfare. Here is an illustration. In the year 529, the atabek arrived in Syria with myself in his company and continued on his way to Damascus."
فلما نزلنا القطيفة قال لي صلاح الدين رحمه الله اركب وتقدمنا إلى فستقة. أقم على الطريق لا يهرب أحد من العسكر إلى دمشق.,"When we were encamped at al-Qutayyifah, Salah-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) said to me, “Mount and go ahead of us to al-Fustuqah. There station thyself on the road, so that no one of our troops may flee towards Damascus.”"
فتقدمت ساعة وإذا صلاح الدين قد أتى في قلة من الصحابة. فرأينا بعذراء دخانًا،,"Accordingly I proceeded [to al-Fustuqah] and stopped there for a while, after which Salah-al-Din arrived at the head of a small band of his companions. Thereupon we saw smoke rising in ‘Adhra’."
فأرسل خيلًا تبصر ما هو دخان. فإذا هم قوم من عسكر دمشق يحرقون التبن الذي في عذراء.,"Salah-al-Din sent riders to find out what the smoke was, and they discovered it was a detachment of the army of Damascus burning the hay in ‘Adhra’."
فانهزموا، فتتبعهم صلاح الدين ونحن معه لعل في ثلاثين أربعين فارسًا فوصلنا القصير وإذا عسكر دمشق جميعه في القصير قاطع الجسر ونحن عند الخان،,"The latter took to flight. Salah-al-Din pursued them, and we escorted him with perhaps thirty or forty horsemen. Arriving at al-Qusayr we found that the entire army of Damascus was there across from the bridge. We were then near the inn."
فوقفنا مستترين بالخان، ويخرج منا خمسة ستته فوارس حتى يبصرهم عسكر دمشق ويعودون إلى خلف الخان نوهمهم أن لنا كمينًا.,"There we halted, hiding behind the inn. Five or six of our horsemen would now come out at one time, so that the army of Damascus might catch sight of them, and would then return behind the inn, thus making the enemy believe that we had there an ambuscade."
ونفذ صلاح الدين فارسًا إلى أتابك يعرفه ما نحن فيه. فرأينا نحوًا من عشرة فوارس مقبلين إلينا مسرعين والعسكر خلفهم متتابع.,"In the meantime, Salah-al-Din dispatched a rider to the atabek acquainting him with our critical position. Presently we saw about ten horsemen advancing rapidly towards us while the army behind them formed one continuous procession."
فوصلنا فإذا هو أتابك قد تقدم والعسكر في إثره.,"When they arrived we found that it was the atabek who led the van, with the army following in his train."
فأنكر على صلاح الدين فعله وقالتسرعت إلى باب دمشق بثلاثين فارسًا لتكسر يا موسى.,"The atabek criticized Salah-al-Din for his conduct, saying, “Thou hast hastened as far as the gate of Damascus with thirty horsemen in order to be destroyed, O Musa!”"
ولامه وهم يتكلمون بالتركي ولا أدري ما يقولون.,And he reprimanded him. Both were talking in Turkish and I could not make out what they were saying.
فلما وصلنا أوائل العسكر قلت لصلاح الدين عن آمرك اخذ هؤلاء الذين قد وصلوا وأعبر إلى خيل دمشق الواقفة مقابلهم اقلعهم.,"When the vanguard of the army had joined us, I said to Salah-al-Din, “By thy command, I shall now lead the troops which have already arrived, cross over to the cavalry of Damascus stationed opposite us and rout them.”"
قال لا كذا وكذا ممن ينصح في خدمة هذا! ما تسمع أي شيء قد عمل بي؟,"He replied, “No, thus and thus to him who acts loyally in the service of this man [Zanki] Didst thou not hear what he has done to me?”"
ولولا لطف الله تعالى ثم ذلك الترهيب والتخييل كانوا قلعونا.,"Now had it not been for the grace of Allah (exalted is he) and then that attempt at terrorizing and playing upon their imagination, they would undoubtedly have routed us."
وجرى لي مثل ذلك وقد سرت مع عمي رحمه الله من شيزر يريد كفرطاب،,A similar case happened to me when I accompanied my uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) from Shayzar going towards Kafartab.
ومعنا خلق من الفلاحين والصعاليك لنهب ما على كفرطاب من غلة وقطن.,We had with us a crowd of peasants and poor men intent upon pillaging wheat and cotton from the neighborhood of Kafartab.
فانتشر الناس بالنهب وخيل كفرطاب قد ركبت ووقفت عند البلد، ونحن بينهم وبين الناس المنتشرين في الزرع والقطن،,"As our men were scattered about pillaging, the cavalry of Kafartab mounted their horses and stationed themselves near their town while we intervened between them and our men in the wheat and cotton fields."
وإذا فارس من أصحابنا يركض من الطلائع قال جاءت خيل افامية!,"All at once one of our horsemen came galloping from the scouts and said, “The cavalry of Afamiyah has arrived!”"
فقال عمي تقف أنت مقابل خيل كفر طاب، واسير أنا بالعسكر ألقي خيل أفامية.,"Thereupon my uncle said to me, “Thou shalt remain here to face the cavalry of Kafartab, while I lead the army to encounter the cavalry of Afamiyah.”"
فوقفت في عشر فوارس من شجر الزيتون متوارين، ويخرج منا ثلاثة أربعة يخيلون للفرنج ويعودون إلى شجر الزيتون،,"I took my post at the head of ten horsemen hidden among some olive trees. Of these I made three or four come out from time to time, to create an illusion in the minds of the Franks, and then return behind the olive trees."
والإفرنج يعتقدونا اننا في جماعة فيهم يجتمعون ويصيحون ويدفعون خيلهم إلى ان يقربوا منا ونحن لا نتزعزع فيرجعوا،,"The Franks, imagining that we were numerous, would assemble, shout and rush their horses until they would get near us and then, finding us unshaken from our position, would turn back."
فما زلنا كذلك حتى عاد عمي وانهزموا الإفرنج الذين جاءوا من أفامية.,We continued doing this until my uncle returned after the defeat of the Franks who had come from Afamiyah.
فقال له بعض غلمانه يا مولاي ترى ما فعل يعنيني؟ تخلف عنك وما سار معك للقاء خيل افامية.,"One of the attendants of my uncle then said to him, “O my lord, seest thou what he did (meaning me)? He remained behind and did not accompany thee to meet the cavalry of Afamiyah”"
فقال له عمي لولا وقوفه في عشرة فوارس مقابل خيل كفرطاب وراجلها كانوا اخذوا هذا العالم كله.,"My uncle replied, “Had he not taken a post at the head of ten horsemen opposite the cavalry and infantry of Kafartab, they would have taken captive this whole crowd.”"
فكان الترهيب والتخيل للإفرنج في ذلك الوقت انفع من قتالهم لأننا كنا قلة وهم في جمع كثير.,"Thus terrorizing the Franks and playing on their imagination was at that time much more advantageous than fighting them, for we were few in number while they were a numerous detachment."
وجرى لي مثل ذلك بدمشق، كنت يومًا مع الأمير معين الدين رحمه الله فأتاه فارس فقال قد أخذ الحرامية قافلة في العقبة حاملة خام.,"I had a similar experience in Damascus. One day I was in the company of al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) when a horseman came and said to him, “The brigands have seized on the hill a caravan carrying calico.”"
فقال لي نركب إليهم. فقلت الأمر لك، أمر الشاوشية تستركب العسكر معك.,"Mu’in-al-Din said, “We will ride in their pursuit.” I replied, “As thou wishest. Order the sergeants to make the troops mount their horses and go with thee.”"
قال أي شيء حاجتنا إلى المعسكر؟ قلتوما يضرنا من ركوبهم؟ قال ما نحتاجهم.,"Mu’in-al-Din said, “But what need have we of the troops?” I replied, “Could there be any harm in their coming with us?” He said again, “We have no need for them.”"
وكان رحمه الله من أشجع الفرسان، واكن قوة النفس في بعض المواضع تفريط ومضرة.,"Now, Mu’in-al-Din was one of the most valiant horsemen; but the strength of the spirit is, under certain circumstances, a weakness and a cause of harm."
فركبنا في نحو من عشرين فارسًا، فلما أن ضحونا نفذ فارسين كذا وفارسين كذا وفارسين كذا وفارسًا كذا يكشفون الطرقات. وسرنا نحن في قلة،,"We rode out, about twenty horsemen in all. After we got tired of searching, he dispatched two horsemen in one direction, two in another, two in a third direction and one in a fourth direction in order to reconnoitre the roads, while we, a mere handful, went on our way."
فحانت صلاة العصر. فقلت الغلام لييا سونج أشرف مغربًا إلى ما نصلي.,"When the time for the mid-afternoon prayer arrived, Mu’in-al-Din said to an attendant of mine, “O Sunuj, go up and look out while we pray.”"
فما سلمنا إلا والغلام يركض. قال هذه الرجالة وعلى رؤوسهم شقاق الخام في الوادي!,"Hardly had we repeated the concluding salaam of the prayer when the attendant came running and said, “Behold the men in the valley with the pieces of calico on their heads!”"
فقال معين الدين رحمه الله اركبوا. قلتأمهل علينا نلبس كزاغنداتنا فإذا رأيناهم رميناهم برؤوس الخيل وطعناهم فما يدرون كثير نحن أو قليل.,"Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) immediately gave orders to mount. I said to him, “Give us time to put on our jerkins. Then when we meet them we shall hurl our horses at them and smite them with lances, and thus they will not be able to tell whether we are numerous or few.”"
قال إذا وصلنا إليهم لبسنا. وركب وسرنا إليهم فلحقناهم في وادي حلبون وهو واد ضيق لعل ما بين الجبلين خمسه أذرع،,"His answer was: “When we get to them we shall put on our jerkins.” He mounted his horse and we all started towards them. We overtook them in Wadi-Halbun, a very narrow valley where the distance between the two mountains is perhaps five cubits."
والجبال من جانبيه وعره رفيعة وطريقه ضيقه إنما يمشي فيها فارس، وهم قي سبعين رجلا بالقسي والنشاب.,The mountains on both sides are rugged and steep. The path in the valley is so narrow that not more than one horseman can pass at a time. The brigands were about seventy men armed with bows and arrows.
فلما وصلناهم كان غلماننا خلفنا بسلاحنا لا يصلون إلينا وأولئك قوم منهم في الوادي ومنهم قوم في سفح الجبل،,"When we caught up with them, our attendants were still behind, carrying our weapons and unable to reach us. The brigands were partly in the valley and partly on the slope of the mountain."
فظننت ان الذين في الوادي من أصحابنا فلاحي الضياع قد فزعوا خلفهم والذين في الجبل هم الحراميه، فجذبت سيفي وحملت على الذين في السفح.,"Believing that those in the valley were our friends, peasants from the village who were seeking the brigands, and that those who were on the slope of the mountain were the real brigands, I brandished my sword and charged those who were on the slope."
فلما طلع الحصان في ذلك الوعر إلا بآخر روحه. فلما صرت إليهم وحصاني قد وقف ما بقي يندفع استوفى واحد منهم نشبته في فوقه ليضربني، فصحت عليه وتهددت.,"My horse climbed that rugged ascent but almost breathed its last. When I got to them with my horse standing still, unable to move, one of them fixed an arrow in his bow to hit me but I yelled at him and threatened him."
فمسك يده عني، وعدت انزلت الحصان وما اصدق اخلص منهم. وطلع الأمير معين الدين إلى أعلى الجبل يظن أن هناك من الفلاحين من يستفزهم،,"So he held back. I then turned my horse back and descended, hardly believing that I should escape. The Amir Mu’in-al-Din climbed to the summit of the mountain, thinking to find there peasants whom he could arouse to join the combat."
وصاح إلي من أعلى الجبل لا تفارقهم حتى أعود” وتوارى عنا.”,"He yelled to me from the summit of the mountain, saying, “Leave not the enemy until I return,” and disappeared from our sight."
فرجعت إلى الذين في الوادي وقد علمت أنهم من الحرامية فحملت عليهم وحدي لضيق المكان.,"I, however, returned, for my place was narrow. The brigands on the mountain withdrew and joined those who were in the valley. I then realized that those too were a part of the brigands and charged them, all single-handed, on account of the narrowness of the place."
فانهزما وراموا ما كان معهم من الخام. وخلصت منهم بهيمتين كانت عليهما خام ايضاَ، وطلعوا إلى المغارة في سفح الجبل ونحن نراهم وما لنا إليهم سبيل.,"They took to flight, throwing away whatever calico they had. I also succeeded in wresting from them two animals laden with calico. They climbed to a cavern in the slope of the mountain. We could see them but had no access to them."
وعاد الأمير معين الدين رحمه الله آخر النهار وما وجد من يستفزه،,The Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) returned at the end of the day without finding anyone to arouse for their pursuit.
ولو كان معنا العسكر كنا ضربنا رقابهم واستخلصنا كل ما معهم.,"Had only the army been with us, we would have struck off the heads of all the brigands and recovered everything they had."
وقد جرى لي مرة أخرى مثل هذا والسبب فيه نفاذ المشيئة ثم قلة المخبرة بالحرب،,I had a similar experience on another occasion which I attribute to the execution of the divine will as well as to lack of experience in warfare.
وذلك اننا سرنا مع الأمير قطب الدين خسرو بن تليل من حماة نريد دمشق إلى خدمة الأمير العادل نور الدين رحمه الله فوصلنا إلى حمص.,This is the way it happened. We set out with al-Amir Qutb-al-Din Khusru ibn-Talil from Hamah desiring to go to Damascus to present ourselves before al-Malik al-‘Adil Nur-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) and arrived at Hims.
فلما عزم على الرحيل على طريق بعلبك قلت لهأنا أتقدم ابصر الكنيسة بعلبك إلى حين تصل. قال افعل.,"Khusru resolved to follow the route of Ba’labakk, so I said to him, “I shall go ahead of thee in order to visit the church of Ta’nil, where I shall await thy arrival.” “Do so,” said he."
فركبت ومضية، فأنا في الكنيسة جاءني فارس من عنده يقول قد خرجت رجالة حرامية على قافلة أخذوها، فاركب والقني إلى الجبل.,"Accordingly I mounted my horse and went ahead. When I was inside of the church, a horseman came to say to me in the name of Khusru, “A band of brigands on foot have attacked a caravan and captured it. Ride and meet me at the mountain.”"
فركبت ولقيته، فصعدنا في الجبل فلقينا الحرامية في وادي تحتنا، والجبل الذي نحن عليه محيط بذلك الوادي.,"I rode and met him. When we climbed the mountain we found the brigands in the valley below us, with the mountain on which we stood surrounding that valley on all sides."
فقال له بعض أصحابهتنزل إليهم. قلتلا تفعل، ندور على الجبل ونصير فوق رؤوسهم نحول بينهم وبين طريقهم إلى المغرب ونأخذهم.,"A companion of Khusru advised him to go down to them, but I said, “Thou shouldst not do it. Let us proceed around the mountain until we are right over their heads, intercepting them on their way towards the west, and then we shall capture them.”"
وكانوا من بلاد الأفرنج، فقال آخرإلى ما ندور على الجبل نكون قد وصلنا إليهم وأخذناهم فنزلنا.,"These brigands were from the territory of the Franks. Another one remarked, “In the time it would take us to ride around the mountain, we could reach them and capture them.” Accordingly we went down."
فلما رأنا الحرامية صعدوا في الجبل. فقال لياصعد إليهم. فحرصت على الطلوع، فما قدرت.,"But no sooner had the brigands seen us than they climbed the mountain. Khusru said to me, “Climb again to them.” I made great effort to climb but could not do so."
وكان على الجبل من خيالة ستة سبعة فترجلوا إليهم وجاءوا يقدون خيلهم معهم.,"There had remained on the mountain six or seven of our horsemen who now dismounted and moved towards the brigands, leading their horses with them."
وأولئك في جماعة. فحملوا على أصحابنا فقتلوا منهم فارسين وأخذوا حصانيهما وحصانًا آخر وسلم صاحبه،,"The brigands, who were quite numerous, rushed on our comrades, killed two cavaliers and took possession of their two horses and a third horse whose master escaped."
ونزلوا من جانب الجبل الأخر بالغنيمة. وعدنا نحن وقد قتل من فارسان وأخذ منا ثلاثة حصن وقافلة. فهذا تغرير لقلة المخبرة بالحرب.,"Then they descended from the other side of the mountain carrying their booty. As for us, we returned after two of our horsemen had been killed and three of our horses captured, in addition to the loss of the caravan. This was a case of running a risk through lack of experience in warfare."
فأما التغرير في الإقدام فما هو للزهد في الحياة، وإنما سببه أن الرجل إذا عرف بالإقدام ووسم باسم الشجاعة وحضر القتال طالبته همته بفعل ما يذكر به ويعجز عنه سواه،,"As for running risks in case the adventure is proper, that is not due to loss of interest in life but to the fact that when a man becomes known as an audacious person and is ticketed with the label of courage and that man takes part in a combat, then his ambition requires him to do something noteworthy, above the capacity of others."
وخافت نفسه الموت وركوب الخطر كادت تغلبه وتصده عما يريد يفعله حتى يضطرها ويحملها على مكروهها،,"His soul at the beginning feels so afraid of death and of running the risk that it almost wins over him and checks him from what he desires to accomplish, until he forces it and makes it undertake what it is loath to do."
فيعتريه الزمع وتغير اللون لذلك. فإذا دخل في الحرب بطل روعه وسكن جأشه.,Then he feels a shudder all over his body and undergoes a change in color. But the moment he gets into the actual combat his fear disappears and his emotion subsides.
ولقد حضرت حصار الحصن الصور مع ملك الأمراء أتابك زنكي رحمه الله وتقدم شيء من ذكره،,"I took part in the siege of the Castle of al-Sawr with the Malik-al-Umara’ Atabek Zanki (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), of whom I have already made frequent mention."
وكان للأمير فخر الدين أرسلان بن داود بن سقمان بن ارتق رحمه الله، وكان محشونًا بالرجال الجرخية. وذلك بعد كسرته على آمد،,The castle belonged to al-Amir Fakhr-al-Din Qara-Arslan ibn-Dawud ibn-Suqman ibn-Urtuq (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) and was fully manned with arbalesters. Zanki undertook this siege after his defeat at Amid.
فأول ما ضربت الخيام نفذ رجلًا من أصحابه صاح تحت الحصن يا جماعة الجرخية، يقول لكم أتابكونعمة السلطان لئن قتل من أصحابي رجلًا واحد بنشابكم لأقطعن أيديكم!,"As soon as the tents were pitched, Zanki dispatched one of his men, who yelled right under the castle, “O ye arbalesters, the atabek says to you: ‘By the grace of the sultan, in case one of my men is killed by your arrows, I shall verily cut off your hands.’”"
ونصب على الحصان المناجيق فهدمت جانبًا منه وبلغ الهدم منه بحيث نطلع الرجال،,"The atabek set against the castle the mangonels, which destroyed a part of it. But the part destroyed was hardly enough to enable us to send our men up through it."
فجاء رجل من جنادرية أتابك من أهل حلب يقال له ابن العريق طلع في تلك الثغرة وضاربهم بسيفه فجرحوه عدة جراح ورموه من البرج إلى الخندق،,"One of the bodyguard of the atabek, however, an Aleppine named ibn-al-‘Ariq, climbed through that breach and applied his sword to the men there, who, after inflicting several wounds on him, threw him down from the town to the moat."
وتكاثر الناس عليهم في تلك الثغرة فملكوا الحصن،,"By that time our men at the breach had become too numerous for the defenders to resist, and they took possession of the fortress."
وطلع نواب أتابك إليه فأخذوا مفاتيحه نفذها إلى حسام الدين تمرتاش بن إلغازي بن أرتق وأعطاه الحصن.,"The atabek’s representatives thereupon went up to the castle and received its keys, which were dispatched to Husam-al-Din Timurtash ibn-Ilghazi ibn-Urtuq, to whom the atabek ceded the castle."
واتفق ان نشابة جرخ ضربت رجلًا من الخرسانية في ركبته قطعت الفلكة التي على المفصل الركبة فمات.,It happened that an arbalest arrow hit one of the troops from Khurasan in his knee and cut in two the cap on the knee joint. The man fell instantly dead.
فأول ما ملك أتابك الحصن استدعى الجرخية وهم تسعة نفر، فجاءوا وقسيهم موترة على أكتافهم،,"Immediately after taking possession of the castle, the atabek summoned the arbalesters, nine in number, who came with their bows strung around their shoulders."
فأمر بجز إبهاماتهم من زنودهم فاسترخت أيديهم وتلفت.,"Zanki ordered that their thumbs be cut off from their wrists. Consequently, their hands became weak and useless."
وأما ابن العريق فداوى جراحه وبرء بعد ان شارف على الموت، وكان رجلًا شجاعًا يحمل نفسه على الأخطار.,"As for ibn-al-‘Ariq, he treated his wounds and recovered after having been on the point of death. He was a brave man who ran all kinds of risks."
ورأيت مثل ذلك وقد نزل أتابك على الحصن البارعة وحوله صفا صخر لا تنضرب عليه الخيام،,I saw something like that when the atabek came to the siege of al-Bari‘ah Castle. The castle was surrounded by solid rocks on which no tents could be pitched.
فنزل أتابك في الوطا ووكل به الأمراء بالنوبة.,The atabek therefore camped in the low plain below and intrusted the siege to the amirs by turn.
فركب إليه أتابك يومًا والنوبة للأمير أبي بكر الدبيسي وما معه أهبة القتال، فوقف أتابك وقال لأبي بكر تقدم قاتلهم.,"One day, when it was the turn of al-Amir abu-Bakr al-Dubaysi, who was not fully equipped for the conflict, the atabek rode to the castle, halted there and said to abu-Bakr, “Advance and fight them.”"
فزحف بأصحابه وهم أعراء، وخرج إليهم الرجال من الحصن.,"Abu-Bakr marched with his companions who were almost without arms, and the defenders of the castle made a sortie."
فتقدم رجل من أصحابه يقال له مزيد، لم يكن قبل ذلك من المشهورين بالقتال والشجاعة، فقاتل قتالًا عظيمًا وضرب فيهم بسيفه وفرق جمعهم وجرح عدة جراح،,"One of abu-Bakr’s men, named Mazyad, who was until then not one of those known for fighting and valor, waged a terrible fight. He applied his sword on them and dispersed their masses, receiving many wounds."
فرأيته قد حملوه إلى العسكر وهو في آخر رمقه ثم عوفي، وقدمه أبو بكر الدبيسي وخلع عليه وجعله من جملة جنادريته.,"I saw him as they carried him back into the camp: he was on the point of breathing his last. Later, however, he recovered, and abu-Bakr al-Dubaysi made him an officer, bestowed on him a robe of honor and appointed him a member of his private bodyguard."
كان أتابك يقول لي ثلاثة غلمان أحدهم يخاف الله تعالى ولا يخافني يعني زين الدين علي كوجك رحمه الله،,"The atabek used to say: I have three retainers, one of whom fears Allah (exalted is he!) but does not fear me (meaning Zayn-al-Din ‘Ali Kujak — may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!),"
والآخر يخافني وما يخاف الله تعالى يعني نصير الله صنقر رحمه الله والآخر ما يخاف الله ولا يخافني يعني صلاح الدين محمد بن أيوب الغسياني رحمه الله.,the second fears me but does not fear Allah (exalted is he!) (meaning Nasir-al-Din Sunqur — may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!); and the third fears neither Allah nor me (meaning Salah-al-Din Muhammad ibn-Ayyub al-Ghisyani — may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!).
وشهدت منه تجاوز الله عنه، ما يحقق قول أتابك،,I have witnessed something which Salah-al-Din (may Allah pass by his excesses!) did and which corroborates the statement of the atabek.
وذلك أنا زحفنا يومًا على حمص وقد أصاب الأرض مطرًا عظيم حتى ما بقيت الخيل تتصرف من ثقل الأرض بالوحل والرجالة يتناوشون،,"It is this. One day we marched against Hims. The night before, so much rain had fallen that our horses could not move because of the thick layer of mud on the ground, while our infantry were already engaged in a skirmish."
وصلاح الدين واقف وأنا معه، ونحن نرى الرجالة بين أيدينا، فعدا واحد من الرجالة إلى رجالة حمص أختلط بهم، وصلاح الدين يراه،,"Salah-al-Din was standing still and I was with him, while we could both see the infantry right before our eyes. Presently, one of our footmen ran to the infantry of Hims and joined them while Salah-al-Din was looking at him."
فقال لواحد من أصحابه هات ذاك الرجل الذي كان إلى جانبه.,"Salah-al-Din thereupon said to one of his companions, “Fetch that man who was beside the one who deserted”"
فمضى أحضره، فقال له من هذا الذي كان انهزم من جانبك دخل إلى حمص؟,"The companion went and fetched him. Salah-al-Din asked, “Who was that man who fled away from thy side and entered Hims?”"
قال والله يا مولاي ما أعرفه. قال وسطوه.,"The man replied, “By Allah, I know him not.” Salah-al-Din ordered that he be chopped in two at the middle."
قلت يا مولاي تعتقله وتكشف عن ذلك الرجل فأن كان يعرفه أو مته بنسب ضربت رقبته، وإلا ترى فيه رأيك.,"I then said, “O my lord, imprison him and investigate the case of the man who deserted. If this man knows or is related to him, then wouldst thou strike off his head. Otherwise, thou shalt treat him as thou seest fit.”"
فكأنه جنح إلى قولي، فقال غلام له من خلفه يهرب واحد يؤخذ الذي كان في جانبه تضرب رقبته أو يوسط.,"Salah-al-Din looked as though he had leaned in the direction of my counsel. But an attendant who stood behind him said, “When one deserts, the one next to him is seized and either his head is struck off, or he is chopped in two at the middle.”"
فأحنقه كلامه وقال وسطوه، فرفسوه كالجاري العادة ووسطوه وما له ذنب إلا اللجاج وقلة مراقبة الله تعالى.,"This remark aroused the anger of Salah-al-Din, who ordered that the attendant himself be halved. Accordingly they bound him according to the usage in such cases and cut him in two at the middle — although he had committed no crime except that he was insistent and feared not the punishment of Allah (exalted is he!)."
وحضرته مرة أخرى بعدما وصلنا من مصاف بغداد، وأتابك يجتهد يظهر تجلدًا وقوة وقد أمر صلاح الدين بالمسير إلى الأمير قفجاق يكبسه،,"I was also present at another affair of Salah-al-Din. That was after our return from the battle of Baghdad when the atabek, anxious to show endurance and strength, had ordered Salah-al-Din to march against al-Amir Qafjaq and in, take him unawares."
فسرنا من الموصل ستة أيام ونحن في غاية الضعف، فوصلنا موضعه وجدناه قد تعلق في جبال كوهستان،,"Accordingly we marched from al-Mawsil, a distance of six days, while we were extremely weak. When we got to the encampment of Qafjaq, we found that he had climbed the mountains of Kuhistan to an inaccessible spot."
فنزلنا على حصن يقال له ماسر ونزلنا عليه طلوع الشمس، وامرأة طلعت من الحصن وقالت معكم خام؟,"We then descended to a castle named Masurra and encamped around it at sunrise. Presently a woman appeared on the castle and said, “Have ye calico?”"
قلنا أي وقت هذا للبيع والشراء؟ قالت نريد الخام نكفنكم به. فإلى خمسة أيام تموتون كلكم.,"We replied, “What a fine time is this for selling and buying!” She said, “We need the calico so that we may shroud you with it in your coffins. In five days at most ye’ll all be dead.”"
تريد أن ذلك الموضع وخم. فنزل ورتب الزحف من بكرة،,She meant by that that the place was infested with disease. Salah-al-Din dismounted and planned out an early attack on the castle.
وأمر النقابين الدخول تحت البرج من تلك البراج، والحصن كله معمور بالطين، والرجال الذين فيه من الفلاحين،,"He ordered the sappers to penetrate under one of the towers, the castle being constructed wholly of clay and manned entirely with peasants."
فزحفنا إليه وطلعنا إلى التلة، ونقب الخرسانية برجًا فوقع وعليه اثنان،,"In the meantime we marched up the hill on which the castle stood. The troops from Khurasan undermined the tower, which toppled over with two men on it."
أما الواحد فمات أما الآخر فأخذوه أصحابنا وجاءوا به إلى صلاح الدين. قال وسطوه.,"One of the two was killed, but the other was taken captive by our men, who brought him before Salah-al-Din. “Cut him in two at the middle,” ordered Salah-al-Din."
قلت يا مولاي هذا شهر رمضان، وهذا رجل مسلم لا نتقلد إثمه.,"“O my lord,” I remarked, “we are in the month of Ramadan and this man is a Moslem whose killing constitutes a sin which we should not bear.”"
قال وسطوه حتى يسلموا الحصن قلت يا مولاي الحصن تمتلكه.,"“Cut him in two,” said Salah-al-Din, “so that they may deliver the castle” I said, “O my lord, the castle thou shalt instantly possess.”"
قال وسطوه، ولج فيه فوسطوه، وأخذنا الحصن في ساعتنا تلك،,"“Cut him in two,” repeated Salah-al-Din and insisted on doing it quickly. Accordingly they cut him in two, and immediately we captured the castle."
فجاء إلى الباب يريد النزول من الحصن، فكان معه جماعة وغلبة.,"Salah-al-Din after that came to the door, desiring to leave the castle, accompanied by the crowd and the victors."
فوكل به قومًا من أصحابه ومضى نزل في خيمته لحظة بقدر ما تفرق العسكر الذي كان معه،,"He intrusted the castle to a band of his men and went down to his tent, where he stayed a moment — long enough to have the army that was with him dispersed."
ثم ركب وقال لياركب فركبنا وطلعنا إلى الحصن، فجلس وأحضر ناطور الحصن يعرفه بما فيه،,"He then mounted and said to me, “Ride.” So we rode up to the castle. There he took a seat and ordered brought before him the watchman of the castle that he might learn from him its contents."
وأحضر بين يديه نساء وصبيان نصارى ويهود. فحضرت عجوز كردية فقالت لذلك الناطور رأيت ابني فلانًا؟,"He also had brought before him the women and young men who were Christian and Jew. An aged Kurdish woman presented herself and said to the watchman, “Hast thou seen my son, so and so?”"
قال قُتل، ضربته نشابة. قالت فابني فلان؟ قال وسطه الأمير. فصاحت وكشفت رأسها وشعرها كالقطنة المندوفة،,"The watchman replied, “He was killed. An arrow hit him.” She then said, “And my son, so and so?” The watchman replied, “The amir has cut him in two.” The woman shrieked and uncovered her head, the hair of which was like carded cotton."
فقال لها الناطور اسكتي لأجل الأمير. قالت وأي شيء بقي للأمير يعمل بي، كان لي ولدان قتلهما، فدفعوها.,"The watchman said to her, “Be still, because of the amir” She replied, “And what thing is left which the amir can do with me? I had two sons, both of whom he has killed.” They pushed her away."
ومضى الناطور فأحضر شيخًا كبيرًا مليح الشيبة يمشي على عصاتين،,"The watchman then went and produced a very aged sheikh, walking on two canes, whose white hair looked beautiful on him."
سلم على صلاح الدين قال أي شيء هذا الشيخ؟ قال إمام الحصن.,"The old man greeted Salah-al-Din, who inquired, “What is this sheikh?” The watchman replied, “He is the imam of the castle.”"
قال تقدم يا شيخ تقدم تقدم حتى جلس بين يديه قبض لحيته فمد يده قبض لحيته وأخرج سكينة مشدودة في بند قبائه وقطع لحيته من حكمته، فبقيت في يده مثل البرجم,"Salah-al-Din said, “Come forward, O sheikh, come forward,” until the man sat in front of him. Then he stretched out his hand, seized the beard of the old man, drew a knife which was fastened to the belt of his robe, and cut off the beard to the very chin. He held it in his hand like the tail of a sea cow."
فقال له ذلك الشيخ يا مولاي بأي شيء أستوجب أن تفعل بي هذا الفعل؟ قال بعصيانك على السلطان.,"The sheikh said to him, “O my lord, what thing have I done which made me deserve this treatment at thy hand?” Salah-al-Din replied, “Thou hast rebelled against the sultan.”"
قال والله ما علمت بوصولكم حتى جاء الناطور الساعة أعلمني واستدعاني.,"“By Allah,” said the old man, “I knew nothing about thy arrival until this very moment when the watchman told me and summoned me.”"
ثم رحلنا نزلنا على حصن آخر للأمير قفجاق يقال له الكرخيني أخذناه،,"After that we departed and encamped before another castle belonging to al-Amir Qafjaq, called al-Karkhini, of which we took possession."
فوجدوا فيه خزانة ملأى بالثياب خام مخيطة صدقة لفقراء مكة، وسبى من كان في الحصن من النصارى واليهود المعاهدين، ونهب ما فيها نهب الروم، فالله سبحانه يتجاوز عنه.,"There we found a closet full of calico clothes which had been prepared for use as alms for the poor of Mecca. Salah-al-Din took captive all the Christians and Jews in the castle, who were included among the people of the covenant, and pillaged all of the two castles as if they were Byzantines. May Allah (worthy of admiration is he) pass by his excesses!"
"أقف من هذا الفصل عند هذا الحد متمثلًا بقولي:
دع ذكر من قتل الهوى فحديثهم *** فينا يشيب ذكره المولودا.","I shall now stop at this point in this chapter, applying to the case a verse of my own composition:
Stop now the account of those who were killed by passion; for
Their story among us makes the hair of the newborn turn white."
وأعود إلى ذكر شيء مما جرى لنا والإسماعيلية في حصن شيزر.,I now return to the account of something which happened to us while the Isma’ilites were in the Castle of Shayzar.
اجتاز في ذلك اليوم ابن عم لي يقال له أبو عبد الله هاشم رحمه الله فرأى رجلًا من الباطنية في برج من دار عمي معه سيفه وترسه.,"On that day, a cousin of mine named abu-‘Abdallah ibn-Hashim (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) saw, as he was passing by, a Batinite, armed with sword and shield, in a tower of the house of my uncle."
والباب مفتوح وبرًا منه خلق كثير من أصحابنا وما يجسر أحد أن يدخل إليه، فقال ابن عمي لواحد من أولئك الوقوف ادخل إليه، فدخل إليه،,"The door was open. Outside stood a great crowd of people but none dared to go in. My cousin said to one of them standing outside, “Go in to him.” And he went in."
فما مهله الباطني ان ضربه فجرحه، فخرج وهو مجروح. فقال الآخر ادخل إليه، فدخل إليه،,"The Batinite, losing no time, struck him and wounded him. So he came out wounded My cousin said to another, “Go in to him,” and he went in."
فضربه الباطني فجرحه وخرج كما خرج صاحبه. فقال ابن عمي يا رئيس جواد ادخل إليه.,"The Batinite struck him and wounded him. So he came out as his predecessor had done. My cousin then said, “O Ra’is [chief] Jawad, go in to him.”"
فقال له الباطني يا مؤخر أنت ليش ما تدخل؟ تداخل لي الناس وأنت واقف، ادخل حتى تبصر.,"The Batinite said to my cousin, “O thou keeping behind, why dost thou not come in? Thou makest people come in to me while thou standest still! Come in and I’ll show thee.”"
فدخل إليه الرئيس جواد فقتله. وهذا الجواد حكم في الثقاف رجل شجاع ثقف.,The Ra’is Jawad went in and killed him. This Jawad was a master of the duel. He himself was a man of valor and an expert in the use of the sword.
وما مر عليه إلا أعوام قليلة حتى رأيته بدمشق سنة أربع وثلاثين وخمس مئة وهو علاف يبيع الشعير والتبن،,"Only a few years after that, in the year 534, I saw him in Damascus. He had become a dealer in fodder and was selling barley and hay."
وقد كبر حتى صار كالشن البالي يعجز عن دفع الفأر عن علفه، فما بال الرجال؟,"He was old and looked like a worn-out water bag, too weak even to keep the mice away from his fodder — much less the men."
فكنت أتعجب من أول أمره، عندما صار عليه آخر أمره، وما أحال من حاله طولُ عمره.,"I could not but feel surprised at the condition of his early days, as I considered his state in his later days and the changes which longevity wrought in his condition."
ولم أدر ان داء الكبر عام يعدي كل من اغفله الحمام.,"Little did I realize at that time that the disease of senility is universal, infecting everyone whom death has neglected."
فلما توقلت ذروة التسعين وأبلاني مر الأيام والسنين، صرت كجواد علاف لا لجواد المتلاف.,"But now that I have climbed to the summit of my ninetieth year, worn out by the succession of days and years, I have become myself like Jawad, the fodder dealer, and not like the generous man [al-jawad] who can dissipate his money."
ولصقت من الضعف بالأرض، ودخل من الكبر بعضي ببعض، حتى انكرت نفسي وتحسرت على أمسي،,"Feebleness has bent me down to the ground, and old age has made one part of my body enter through another, so much so that I can now hardly recognize myself, and I continually bemoan my past."
"وقلت في وصف حالي:
لما بلغت من الحياة إلى المدى *** قد كنت أهواه تمنيت الردا
لم يبقى طول العمر مني منة *** ألقى بها صرف الزمان إذا اعتدا
ضعفت قواي وخانني الثقتان *** من بصري وسمعي حين شارفت المدى
فإذا نهضت حسبت أني حامل *** جبلًا وأمشي إن مشيت مقيدا
وأدب في كفي العصا وعهدتها *** في الحرب تحمل أسمرًا ومهندا
وأبيت في لين المهاد مسهدًا *** بلغ الكمال وتم عاد كما بدا","Here is what I have said in describing my own condition:
When I attained in life a high stage
For which I had always yearned, I wished for death.
Longevity has left me no energy
By which I could meet the vicissitudes of time when hostile to me.
My strength has been rendered weakness, and my two confidants,
My sight and my hearing, have betrayed me, since I attained this height.
When I rise, I feel as if laden
With a mountain, and when I walk, as though I were bound with chains.
I creep with a cane in my hand which was wont
To carry in warfare a lance and a sword.
My nights I spend in my soft bed, unable to sleep
And wide awake as though I lay on solid rock.
Man is reversed in life, the moment
He attains perfection and completion, then he reverts to the condition from which he started."
"وأنا القائل بمصر أذم من العيش الراحة والدعة وما كان أعجل تقضيه وأسرعه
أنظر إلى صرف دهري كيف عودني *** بعد المشيب سوى عاداتي الأول
وفي تغاير صرف الدهر معتبر *** وأي حال على الأيام لم تحل
قد كنت مسعر حرب كلما خمدت *** أذكيتها باقتداح البيض في القلل
همي منازلة الأقران أحسبهم *** فراشي فهم مني على وجل
أمضي على الهول من ليل وأهجم من *** سيل وأقدم في الهيجاء من أجل
فصرت كالغداة المكسال مضجعها *** على الحشايا وراء السجف والكلل
قد كدت أعفن من طول الثواء كما *** يصدئ الهند طول اللبث في الخلل
أروح بعد دروع الحرب في حلل *** من الدبيقي فبؤسًا لي وللحلل
وما الرفاهة من رامي ولا أربي *** ولا التنعيم من شأني ولا شغلي
ولست أرضى بلوغ المجد في رفه *** ولا العلى دون حطم البيض والأسل","I also composed the following verses in Cairo, condemning a life of inaction and ease (and how quickly has life waned and passed by!):
Behold the vicissitudes of time, how they taught me new habits,
Since my hair turned gray, different from my former habits,
And in the changes of time is a lesson to learn by example —
And is there any state which the succession of days does not change?
I have always been the firebrand of battle: every time it abated
I lit it again with the spark struck by applying the sword to the heads of the enemy.
My whole ambition was to engage in combat with my rivals, whom I always took
For prey. They therefore were in constant trembling on account of me.
More terrible in warfare than nighttime, more impetuous in assault
Than a torrent, and more adventurous on the battlefield than destiny
But now I have become like an idle maid who lies
On stuffed cushions behind screens and curtains.
I have almost become rotten from lying still so long, just as
The sword of Indian steel becomes rusty when kept long in its sheath.
After being dressed with coats of mail, I now dress in robes
Of Dabiqi fabric. Woe unto me and unto the fabrics!
Luxury has never been my idea nor my desired goal;
Comfort is not my affair nor my business.
I would never consent to attain glory through ease,
Nor supreme rank, without breaking swords and lances."
وكنت أظن ان الزمان لايبلي جديده ولا يهي شديده،,There was a time in which I thought that the newness of life was never to be worn out and its strength was never to be rendered weak.
وأني إذا عدت إلى الشام وجدت به أيامي كعهدي ما غيرها الزمان بعدي.,I thought that when I should return to Syria I would find my days there as I knew them to be — with no change that time had wrought since my departure.
فلما عدت كذبتني وعود المطامع، وكان ذلك الظن كالسراب اللامع.,"But when I did return, the promises of my ambition proved false and my former thoughts turned out to be a bright mirage."
اللهم غفرًا هذه جملة اعتراضية عرضت، ونفثة هم اقضت ثم انقضت.,"O Allah, forgive me for this digression! I have inserted, in my account above, a parenthetical statement. It was a sigh of anguish which gave me relief in the utterance."
أعود إلى المهم، وأدع تعسف الليل المدلهِمّ،,"And now I return to a discussion of what is more important, without deviating again into paths in the dark night."
لو صفت القلوب من كدر الذنوب، فوضت إلى عالم الغيوم، علمت ان ركوب أخطار الحروب، لا ينقص مدة الأجل المكتوب.,"If hearts could be purified from the evil of sins, and intrusted to him who knows unseen things, then men would realize that to be exposed to dangers of wars does not diminish the period of life inscribed beforehand."
فإنني رأيت يوم تقاتلنا نحن والإسماعيلية في حصن شيزر معتبرًا يوضح للشجاع العاقل والجبان الجاهل، ان العمر موقت مقدر، لا يتقدم أجله ولا يتأخر.,"On the day on which we were engaged in combat with the Isma’ilites in the Castle of Shayzar, I witnessed an object lesson which makes it clear to the intelligent brave man, as well as to the ignorant coward, that the duration of the life of a man is fixed and predetermined, that its end can neither be advanced nor retarded."
وذلك اننا بعد فراغنا ذلك اليوم من القتال، صاح إنسان من جانب الحصن الرجال!,"This is how it happened. After we were done with fighting that day, a man yelled from the other side of the castle: “The enemies!”"
وعندي جماعة من أصحابي معهم سلاحهم، فبادرنا إلى الذي صاح فقلنا ما بالك؟,"I had with me a band of comrades all equipped with their weapons. So we hastened to the man who yelled and asked him, “What is the matter with thee?”"
فقال حس الرجال هاهنا. فجئنا إلى إسطبل خال مظلم فدخلنا فوجدنا رجلين معهما سلاحهما فقتلناهما.,"He replied, “The noise of the enemy is right here.” We went together to a vacant, dark stable and on entering therein we found two armed men, whom we immediately put to death."
ووجدنا رجل من أصحابنا مقتولًا وهو على شيء فرفعناه، ووجدنا تحته رجلًا من الباطنية قد تسجى ورفع المقتول على صدره،,"We found there also one of our men lying dead upon something. Lifting the body we found under it a Batinite who, wrapped up in a shroud, lay flat and held the corpse on his chest."
فحملنا صاحبنا وقتلنا الذي كان تحته ووضعنا صاحبنا في الجامع بالقرب من ذلك المكان وفيه جراح عظيمة،,"We carried away our man and put to death the one who was under him. We placed the body of our comrade, all covered with deep wounds, in an adjacent mosque."
ولا نشك انه ميت لا يتحرك ولا يتنفس. وأنا والله كنت أحرك رأسه على بلاط الجامع برجلي ولا نشك انه ميت.,"We never doubted that he was dead; he neither moved nor breathed. I, myself, by Allah, pushed his head on the paved floor of the mosque with my foot, for we never doubted that he was dead."
وكان المسكين يجتاز الإصطبل فسمع حسًا فأدخل رأسه ليحقق السماع، فجذبه واحد منهم فضربوه بالسكاكين حتى ظنوا أنه قد مات.,"The poor fellow was passing by that stable when he heard a noise. As he stuck his head in to find out whence it came, one of the Batinites dragged him inside, and they stabbed him with their knives until they took him for dead."
فقضى الله سبحانه ان خيطت الجراح التي في رقبته وفي جسمه وعوفي وعاد من صحته كما كان عليه.,But Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) decreed differently. The wounds in his neck and over his body were stitched and he recovered. He regained his normal health as he was before.
فتبارك الله مقدر الأقدار وموقت الآجال والأعمار.,Blessed therefore be Allah who fixes destinies and determines the lengths of ages!
وشاهدت ما يقارب ذلك وهو ان الإفرنج لعنهم الله أغاروا علينا ثلث الليل الآخر.,I was an eyewitness to something else similar to that. It was at the time the Franks (may Allah’s curse be upon them!) made a raid against us in the last third of the night.
فركبنا نتبعهم فمنعنا عمي عز الدين رحمه الله من اتباعهم وقال هذه مكيدة والإغارة تكون بالليل.,"We mounted our horses, intent upon their pursuit. But my uncle, ‘Izz-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), forbade us, saying, “This is a ruse.”"
وخرج من البلد رجالة خلفهم ما علمنا بهم. فوقع الإفرنج ببعضهم عند رجوعهم، قتلوا وسلم بعضهم.,"Some of our infantry, however, left the upper town, pursuing them without our knowledge. On their way back, the Franks fell upon them and killed them, with the exception of a few who escaped."
وأصبحت أنا واقفًا في بندر قنين قرية عند المدينة فرأيت ثلاثة شخوص مقبلة أما اثنان كالناس، أما الأوسط فما وجهه كوجه الناس.,"The second morning, as I was standing in Bandar-Qanin, a village near Shayzar, I saw three persons advancing, two of whom looked like human beings, but the middle man had a face different from the faces of human beings."
فلما دنوا منا فأما الوسطاني منه قد ضربه إفرنجي بسيف في وسط انفه قطع وجهه إلى أذنيه،,"When they came near us, behold! the middle man had had his face struck by the sword of a Frank in the middle of his nose and cut as far back as the ears."
وقد استرخى نصف وجهه وصار على صدره. وبين النصفين من وجهه فتح قريب من شبر وهو يمشي بين رجلين،,"One half of his face was so loose that it hung over his chest. Between the two halves was an opening almost the width of a span. With all that, he was walking between two men."
فدخل البلد فخاط الجراحي وجهه وداواه، فالتحم ذلك الجرح وعوفي وعاد إلى ما كان عليه إلى أن مات على فراشه،,"In this condition he entered Shayzar. The surgeon sewed his face and treated it. The sides of the cut stuck together, the man recovered and returned to his previous condition and finally died a natural death on his own bed."
كان يبيع الدواب ويسمى ابن غازي المشطوب، وإنما سمي بالمشطوب بتلك الضربة.,He used to deal in beasts of burden and was nicknamed ibn-Ghazi al-Mashtub. His nickname al-Mashtub [the gashed one] he acquired as a result of that cut.
فلا يظن ظان ان الموت يقدمه ركوب المخاطر، ولا يأخره شدة حرر،,"Let no one therefore assume for a moment that the hour of death is advanced by exposing one’s self to danger, or retarded by over-cautiousness."
ففي بقائي أوضح معتبر، فكم لقيت من الأهوال وتقحمت المخاوف والأخطار ولاقيت الفرسان وقتلت الأسود.,"In the fact that I have myself survived is an object lesson, for how many terrors have I braved, and how many horrors and dangers have I risked! How many horsemen have I faced, and how many lions have I killed!"
وضربت بالسيوف وطعنت بالرماح وجرحت بالسهام والجروح وأنا من الأجل في حصن حصين، إلى ان بلغت تمام التسعين،,How many sword cuts and lance thrusts have I received! How many wounds with darts and arbalest stones have been inflicted on me. All this while I was with regard to death in an impregnable fortress until I have now attained the completion of my ninetieth year.
فرأيت الصحة والبقاء، كما قال صلى الله عليه وسلم كفى بالصحة داءً.,"And now I view health and existence in the same light as the Prophet (may Allah’s blessing and peace rest upon him!) when he said, “Health sufficeth as a malady.”"
فأعقبت النجاة من تلك الأهوال، ما هو أصعب من القتل والقتال.,"In fact, my survival from all those horrors has resulted for me in something even more arduous than fighting and killing."
وكان الهلاك في كنه الجيش اسهل من تكاليف العيش، استرجعت مني الأيام بطول الحياة سائر محبوب اللذات،,"To me, death at the head of an army would have been easier than the troubles of later life. For my life has been so prolonged that the revolving days have taken from me all the objects of pleasure."
"وشاب كدر النكد صفو العيش الرغد فأنا كما قلت
مع الثمانين عاث الدهر في جلدي *** وساءني ضعف رجلي واضطراب يدي
فاعجب لضعف جد مضطرب *** كخط مرتعش الكفين مرتعد
فاعجب لضعف يدي عن حملها قلمًا *** من بعد حطم القنا في لبة الأسد
وإن مشيت وفي كفي العصا ثقلت *** رجلي كأني أخوض الوحل في الجلد
فقل لمن يتمنى طول مدته *** هذي عواقب طول العمر والمدد","The turbidity of misery has marred the clearness of happy living. I am in the position described in my own words as follows: When, at eighty, time plays havoc with my power of endurance,
I am chagrined at the feebleness of my foot and the trembling of my hand.
While I write, my writing looks crooked,
Like the writing of one whose hands have shivers and tremors.
What a surprise it is that my hand be too feeble to carry a pen,
After it had been strong enough to break a lance in a lion’s breast.
And when I walk, cane in hand, I feel heaviness
In my foot as though I were trudging through mud on a plain.
Say, therefore, to him who seeks prolonged existence:
Behold the consequences of long life and agedness."
ضعفت القوة ووهنت، وتقضت بلهينة العيش وانتهت، ونكسني التعمير بين الأنام، والى الخمول يؤول تسعر الظلام،,"My energy has subsided and weakened, the joy of living has come to an end. Long life has reversed me: all light starts from darkness and reverts to darkness."
"حتى أصبحت كما قلت:
تناستني الآجال حتى كأنني *** دريئة سفر بالفلاة حسير
ولما تدع مني الثمانون منة *** كأني إذا رمت القيام كسير
أؤدي صلاتي قاعدًا وسجودها *** علي إذا رمت السجود عسير
وقد أنذرتني هذه الحال أنني *** دنوت رحلة مني وحان مسير","I have become as I said:
Destiny seems to have forgotten me, so that now I am like
An exhausted camel left by the caravan in the desert.
My eighty years have left no energy in me.
When I want to rise up, I feel as though I had a broken leg.
I recite my prayer sitting; for kneeling,
If I attempt it, is difficult.
This condition has forewarned me that
The time of my departure on the long journey has drawn nigh."
أعجزني وهن السنين عن خدمة السلاطين، فهجرت مغشى أبوابهم وقطعت أسبابي من أسبابهم.,"Enfeebled by years, I have been rendered incapable of performing service for the sultans. So I no more frequent their doors and no longer depend upon them for my livelihood."
واستقلت من خدمتهم ورددت عليهم ما حولوني من نعمهم، لعلمي ان ضعف الهرم لا يقوى على تكاليف الخدم، وان سوق الشيخ الكبير لا ينفق على الأمير.,"I have resigned from their service and have returned to them such favors as they had rendered, for I realize that the feebleness of old age cannot stand the exacting duties of service, and the merchandise of the very old man cannot be sold to an amir."
ولزمت داري وجعلت الخمول شعاري ورضيت نفسي بالانفراد في الغربة. ومفارقة الأوطان والتربة، إلى ان تسكن نفارتها عن مرارتها.,"I have now confined myself to my own house, therefore, taking obscurity for my motto. My soul was once satisfied by isolation in strange lands-and by leaving home and country until quieted down…"
وصبرت صبر الأسير على قده، والظمآن ذي الغلة عن ورده.,"I have exercised the patience of a captive with his chains, and of a thirsty man held back from the water…"
مكاتبة مولانا الملك الناصر صلاح الدنيا والدين، سلطان الإسلام والمسلمين، جامع كلام الإيمان قامع عبدة الصلبان، رافع علم العدل والإحسان، محي دولة أمير المؤمنين أبو المظفر يوسف بن أيوب،,"our lord al-Malik al-Nasir Salah-al-Dunya w-al-Din, the sultan of Islam and the Moslems, the unifier of the creed of faith, the vanquisher of the worshipers of the cross, the raiser of the banner of justice and benevolence, the resuscitator of the dynasty of the commander of the believers, abu-al-Muzaffar Yusuf ibn-Ayyub."
جمل الله الأسلم والمسلمين بطول بقائه، وأيدهم بماضي سيوفه وأرائه، واضفى عليهم وارف ظله كما أصفى لهم من الأكدار موارد فضله،,"May Allah embellish Islam and the Moslems by his long existence, and give them victory through his sharp swords and counsels, and spread wide around them his protecting shadow, just as he [Allah] has rendered pure to them the sources of his [Saladin’s] benefaction!"
وأنفذ في البسيطة عالي أوامره ونواهيه، وحكَّم صوارمه في أعناق أعاديه،,May Allah render effective throughout the whole world his high orders and prohibitions and set up his swords in power over the necks of his enemies!
برحمة نقبت عني في البلاد ودوني الحزن والسهل، بمضيعة من الأرض لامال لدي ولا أهل.,"For his mercy has searched for me throughout the land, as I was beyond the mountains and plains in a lost corner of the world, having no possessions and no family"
فاستنقذني من أنياب النوائب براية الجميل وحملني إلى بابه العالي بإنعامه الغامر الجزيل، وجبر ما هاضه الزمان مني، ونفق على كرمه ما كسد عليه من سواه من علو سني،,"Suddenly he extricated me from the very teeth of calamities through his good will, transported me to his Sublime Porte through his abundant benevolence, set right all that time had inflicted upon me, and through his generosity put me in commission after I had been considered of no use by all on account of my old age."
فغمرني بغرائب الرغائب، وانهينني من إنعامه اهنى المواهب حتى رعى لي بفائض الكرم، ما اسلفت سواه من الخدم،,"He surrounded me with his astonishing favors, and made me, through his benefaction, the object of the most pleasing gifts, so much so that by his overflowing generosity he has paid me back what I had loaned in terms of service to others before him."
فهو يعتد لي بذلك ويرعاه رعاية من كأنه شاهد وراه، فعطاياه تطرقني وأنا راقد وتسري إلي وأنا محتسب قاعد،,"He counts those services and takes them into consideration as though he had witnessed them himself. His gifts knock at my door while I am sleeping, and make their way unto me while I am retired without employment."
فأنا من إنعامه كل يوم في مزيد، وإكرام كتكرمة الأهل وأنا أقل العبيد.,"Every day his munificence to me is on the increase. He honors me the same way as he honors a member of his family, though I be one of his humblest slaves."
امنني جميل رأيه حادث الحادثات، وأخلف لي إنعامه ما سلبه الزمان بالنكبات المجحفات،,"His good opinion of me has made me safe from all calamities, and his munificence has made up for me what time has deprived me of through its horrible disasters."
وأفاض علي من نوافل فضله بعد تأدية فرضه وسنته، ما يعجز الأعناق عن حمل ايسر منته. ولم يبقى لي جوده املًا ارجوا نيله،,"The lightest supererogatory gifts he bestowed on me, after having bestowed all which duty and law require, were indeed heavier than any shoulders could carry His generosity left no desire in me which I wish to fulfill."
اقضي زماني بالدعاء به نهاره وليله، والرحمة التي تدارك بها العباد، أحيى ببركتها البلاد، والسلطان الذي أحيى سنة الخلفاء الراشدين،,"I, therefore, spend my life, its day and its night, praying for him. He is the mercy by which Allah has brought relief to the people and by the blessings of which he has renovated the whole land; the sultan who resuscitated the tradition of the orthodox caliphs,"
وأقام عمود الدولة والدين، والبحر الذي لا ينضب لكثرة الواردين مأوه، والجواد الذي لا ينقطع مع تتابع الوافدين عطاؤه.,"and reinstalled the pillar of the state and of the faith, the source whose water is not exhausted by the great number of drinkers; the bountiful one whose bounty does not cease, no matter how numerous are the recipients."
فلا زالت الأمة من سيوفه في حمى منيع، ومن إنعامه في ربيع مريع. ومن عدله في أنوار تكشف عنهم ظلم المظالم، وتكف بسطة يد المعتدي الغانم،,"May our nation remain as it is, in an impregnable defense, thanks to his swords; and in a flourishing spring season, thanks to his liberality; and in an illumination that disperses the darkness of oppression and withholds the stretched arm of the violent transgressor,"
ومن دولته القاهرة في ظل وارف، وفي سعود متتابع آنف في أثر سالف، ما تعاقب الليل والنهار، ودار الفلك الدوار.,"thanks to his justice; and in a thick shadow of protection, thanks to his victorious government; and in an uninterrupted state of felicity in which one fresh bliss follows in the steps of an old bliss, as long as night and day succeed each other, and the celestial globe rotates!"
"دعوت وقد أمن الحافظان *** وذو العرش ممن دعاه قريب
وقد قال سبحانه للعباد *** سلوني فإني سميع مجيب","I prayed, and the two guardian angels said, “Amen”;
And the one on the throne is nigh unto him who calls him.
The praiseworthy himself has said to his worshipers,
“Invoke me, for I am the hearing, the answering one”"
والحمد لله رب العالمين وصلواته على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله أجمعين، وحسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل.,"And praise be to Allah, the lord of the worlds! May Allah’s blessing be upon our lord Muhammad and upon all."
{وما بكم من نعمة فمن الله}.,"“And whatsoever good fortune is yours, it is assuredly from Allah.”"
قال أسامة بن مرشد بن علي بن مقلد بن نصر بن منقذ، غفر الله له ولوالديه ولجميع المسلمين:,Said Usamah ibn-Murshid ibn-‘Ali ibn-Muqallad ibn-Nasr ibn-Munqidh (may Allah forgive him his sins as well as the sins of his two parents and all Moslems).
هذه طرف أخبار حضرت بعضها وحدثني بعضها من اثق به جعلتها إلحاقًا في الكتاب، إذا ليست مما قصدت ذكره فيما تقدم، وابدأت منها بأخبار الصالحين، رضي الله عنهم أجمعين.,"Here are rare anecdotes in some of which I figured myself, the others having been related to me by people in whom I trust. These anecdotes I have added as a supplement to this book because they do not form a part of what I intended to treat in the preceding pages. I shall put first among the anecdotes, stories of the holy men — may Allah bestow on all of them his favor!"
حدثني الأمام الخطيب سراج الدين أبو طاهر إبراهيم بن الحسين بن إبراهيم خطيب مدينة إسعرد بها في ذي القعدة سنة اثنتين وستين وخمس مئة. قال حدثني أبو الفرج البغدادي قال:,"It was related to me by the Sheikh al-Imam al-Khatib [the preacher] Siraj-al-Din abu-Tahir Ibrahim ibn-al-Husayn ibn-Ibrahim, the preacher of the City of Is‘ird, when I was in that city, in dhu-al-Qa‘dah, year 562, on the authority of abu-al-Faraj al-Baghdadi, who said:"
شهدت مجلس الشيخ الإمام أبي عيد الله محمد البصري ببغداد فحضرته امرأة.,"I once attended in Baghdad a meeting conducted by the Sheikh al-Imam abu-‘Abdallah Muhammad al-Basri, when a woman came in."
فقالت يا سيدي انك كنت ممن شهد في صداقي، وقد فقت كتاب المهر، وأسألك أن تتفضل علي تقيم الشهادة بمجلس الحكم.,"The woman said to him, “O my master, thou wert one of the witnesses in the certificate of my marriage. I have now lost the certificate specifying my dowry. I ask thee to favor me by coming to the tribunal and testifying in my favor.”"
فقال ما أفعل حتى تأتيني بحلاوة. فوقفت المرأة وهي تظن انه يمزح بقوله.,"The sheikh replied, “I shall not do so unless thou bringest me first some sweets.” The woman hesitated, believing that he was joking."
فقال ما أفعل حتى تأتيني بحلاوة. فمضت ثم عادت فأخرجت من جيبها من تحت الإزار قرطاسًا فيه حلاوة يابسة.,"But he repeated, “Let not matters drag. I shall not go with thee unless thou bringest me first some sweets.” Accordingly, she went out and then returned pulling out from her pocket underneath her wrapper [izar] a piece of paper in which were wrapped some dry sweets."
فتعجب أصحابه من طلبه الحلاوة مع زهده وتعففه، فأخذ القرطاس وفتحه ورمى بالحلاوة قطعة قطعة حتى فرغ القرطاس،,"The friends of the old man were all amazed at his request for sweets, with all his asceticism and abstinence. But he took the paper and opened it, throwing away the sweets, one piece after the other, until the paper was empty."
ونظره فإذا هو كتاب صداق المرأة الذي فقدته. فقال خذي صداقك فهذا هو.,"Then he examined the paper, and lo! it was itself the dowry certificate of the woman which she had lost. Then he said to her, “Take thy certificate. Here it is!”"
فاستعظم من حضره ذلك. فقال كلوا الحلال وقد فعلتم ذلك وأكثر منه.,"Those who were present deemed the affair extraordinary but he remarked, “Subsist only on what is lawful and then ye can do the same, if not more.”"
حدثني الشيخ أبو القاسم الخضر بن مسلم بن قاسم الحموي بها يوم الاثنين سلخ ذي الحجة سنة سبعين وخمس مئة.,"The following was related to me by the Sheikh abu-al-Qasam al-Khidr ibn-Muslim ibn-Qasim al-Hamawi when I was in Hamah, on Monday, the last day of dhu-al-Hijjah, in the year 570."
قال: قدم علينا رجل شريف من أهل الكوفة فحدثنا قال حدثني أبي قال:,"He said, “There came to me once a descendant of the Prophet [sharif] who lived in al-Kufah and who related to us the following anecdote on the authority of his father, who said:"
كنت أدخل على قاضي القضاة الشامي الحموي فيكرمني ويجلني،,"I used to visit the Qadi-al-Qudah [the chief judge] al-Shami al-Hamawi [the Syrian from Hamah], who always received me with special honor and respect."
فقال لي يومًا أنا أحب أهل الكوفة لشخص واحد منهم، كنت بحماة وأنا شاب وقد توفي بها عبد الله بن ميمون الحموي رحمه الله.,"One day he said to me, “I like the people of al-Kufah because of one man among them. When I was young I was in Hamah at the time of the death of ‘Abdallah ibn-Maymun al-Hamawi (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
فقالوا له: أوصِ. فقال إذا أنا مت وفرغتم من جهازي أخرجوني إلى الصحراء ويطلع إنسان إلى الرابية التي تشرف على المقابر ويناديني يا عبد الله بن القبيس مات عبد الله بن ميمون فاحضره وصلِّ عليه.,"When they asked him to make his will, he replied, ‘When I die and ye are done with preparing my body for interment, take me to the desert and let one of you climb the hill overlooking the cemetery and call out: “O ‘Abdallah ibn-al-Qubays ‘Abdallah ibn-Maymun is dead. Come and pray over him."
فلما مات فعلوا ما أمرهم به. فأقبل رجلًا عليه ثوب خام ومئزر صوف من الجانب الذي ناد منه المنادي.,"When ibn-Maymun died, they executed his will All of a sudden there appeared a man dressed in a robe of calico and a mantle of wool, coming from the direction from which the announcement had been made."
وجاء حتى صلى عليه، والناس بهتوا لا يكلمونه. فلما فرغ من الصلاة انصرف راجعًا من حيث جاء،,"He came and prayed over the dead body while everyone stood dumfounded, without addressing a word to him. The prayer over, he returned in the same direction from which he had come."
فتلاوموا إذ لم يتمسكوا به ويسألونه، فسعوا في إثره ففا تهم ولم يكلمهم كلمة واحدة.,"The people present began then to blame each other for not holding him and questioning him They ran after him, but he escaped them without saying a word to them.”"
وقد حضرت ما يقارب ذلك في حصن كيفا. وكان في مسجد الخضر رجل يعرف بمحمد السماع له زاوية إلى جانب المسجد.,I witnessed an analogous experience in Hisn-Kayfa. There was in the mosque of al-Khidr a man known by the name of Muhammad al-Samma‘ [al-Shamma‘] who occupied a cell by the side of the mosque.
يخرج وقت الصلاة يصلي جماعة ويعود إلى زاويته وهو رجل من الأولياء.,"He would go out to the mosque at the time of the community prayer, pray with the people and return to his cell. He was a saint."
فحضرته وهو بالقرب من منزلي الوفاة فقال كنت اشتهي على الله تعالى ان يحضرني شيخي محمد البستي.,"His hour of death approached when he was near my home, and he said, “I wish from Allah (exalted is he!) that he would bring me my sheikh, Muhammad al-Busti!”"
فما جمع له جهاز غسله وكفنه إلا وشيخه محمد البستي عنده.,"No sooner had the preparations for his washing and shrouding been made than his sheikh, Muhammad al-Busti, was at his side."
فتولى غسله وخرج خلفه تقدمنا صلى عليه.,"He presided over the washing of the body and walked behind it, leading the funeral procession and praying over it."
ثم نزل في زاويته فأقام بها مديدة وهو يزورني وأنا أزوره،,"With that done, al-Busti retired to the cell of al-Samma‘, where he sojourned for a short time, during which he and I exchanged a number of visits."
وكان رحمه الله عالمًا زاهدًا ما رأيت ولا سمعت مثله، كان يصوم الدهر ولا يشرب الماء ولا يأكل خبزًا ولا شيئًا من الحبوب،,"This sheikh (may Allah have mercy upon his soul!) was a learned ascetic, the like of whom I have never seen nor heard of. He would fast daily, drink no water, eat no bread and no kind of cereals."
إنما يفطر على رمانتين أو عنقود عنب أو تفاحتين، ويأكل في الشهر مرة أو مرتين لقيمات من لحم مقلي.,His fast he would break with two pomegranates or a bunch of grapes or two apples. Once or twice a month he would eat a few mouthfuls of fried meat.
فقلت له يومًا يا شيخ أبا عبد الله كيف وقع لك أن لا تأكل خبزًا ولا تشرب ماءً وأنت صائم أبدًا؟,"One day I asked him, “O Sheikh abu-‘Abdallah, how couldst thou get to the point where thou eatest no bread and drinkest no water while thou art always fasting?”"
قال صمت فطويت فوجدتني أقوى على ذلك، فطويت ثلاثًا وقلت أجعل ما آكله كالميتة التي تحل للمضطر بعد ثلاث.,"He replied: I first fasted and suffered from hunger But I found that I could stand the suffering. I then suffered hunger for three days, saying to myself, “I will let my food be dead animals, which are allowed only in case of necessity after three days of fasting.”"
فوجدتني أقوى على ذلك فتركت الأكل والشرب الماء فألفت النفس ذلك وسكنت إليه فاستمررت على ما أنا عليه.,I found myself able to stand that. Then I gave up regular eating and drinking. Now my system is accustomed to it and does not resist its practice. Since then I have continued to do it.
وكان بعض أكابر حصن كيفا قد عمل للشيخ زاوية في بستان جعله له فحضر عندي في شهر رمضان وقال قد جئت مودعًا.,"A notable of Hisn-Kayfa built for the sheikh a cell in a garden, which he put at his disposal. The sheikh called on me the first day of Ramadan and said, “I have come to bid thee farewell”"
قلت والزاوية التي قد أعدت والبستان؟ قال يا أخي ما لي حاجة فيهما ولا أقيم.,"“And how about the cell which has been prepared for thee with the garden?” I asked. “O my brother,” he replied, “I have no use for them. I shall not stay.”"
وودعني ومضى رحمه الله، وذلك سنة سبعين وخمس مئة.,He then bade me farewell and departed — may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul! That was in the year 570.
وحدثني الشيخ أبو القاسم خضر بن مسلم بن قسيم الحموي بحماة في التاريخ المتقدم ان رجلًا كان يعمل في بستان لمحمد بن مسعر رحمه الله أتى أهله وهم جلوس على أبواب دورهم بالمعرة فقال سمعت الساعة عجبًا!,"It was related to me by the Sheikh abu-al-Qasam al-Khidr ibn-Muslim ibn-Qusaym al-Hamawi, in Hamah, in the aforementioned year, that a man who was one day working in the garden of Muhammad ibn-Mis‘ar (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) came to the family of the latter while they were sitting at the doors of their homes at al-Ma‘arrah and said to them, “I have this very moment heard something astonishing.”"
قالوا وما هو؟ قال مر بي رجل معه ركوة طلب مني فيها فأعطيته فجدد وضوءه،,"They asked, “What is it?” He replied: A man passed by me carrying a jar, in which he asked me to put water. I did so and he went through his ablutions."
أعطيته خيارتين فأبى أن يأخذها. فقلتان هذا البستان نصفه لي بحق عملي، ولمحمد بن مسعر نصفه بالملك.,"I offered him two cucumbers, but he refused to take them. So I said to him, “This garden is owned one half by me by the right of my labor in it, and the other half by Muhammad ibn-Mis‘ar by the right of proprietorship.”"
فقال أحج العام؟ قلت نعم قال البارحة بعد انصرافنا من الوقفة مات وصلينا عليه.,"“Did Muhammad go on the holy pilgrimage?” asked the passer-by. “Yes,” said I. “Yesterday,” said he, “after we had made the station, he died and we prayed for him.”"
فخرجوا في أثره ليستفهموا منه فرأوه على بعد لا يمكنهم لحاقه، فعادوا وورخوا الحديث فكان الأمر كما قال.,"The relatives of Muhammad ran after the strange man to interrogate him, but they saw that he was so far away that they could not overtake him. So they returned home and recorded the conversation with the dates. Matters turned out just as he had said."
حدثني الأجل شهاب الدين أبو الفتح المظفر بن مسعود بن بختكين ابن سبكتكين مولى معز الدولة ابن بويه بالموصل في ثامن عشر شهر رمضان سنة خمس وستين وخمس مئة.,"The most glorious Shihab-al-Din abu-al-Fath al-Muzaffar ibn-As‘ad ibn-Mas‘ud ibn-Bakhtakin ibn-Sabuktakin (Sabuktakin was formerly a freedman of Mu‘izz-al-Dawlah ibn-Buwayh) related to me in al-Mawsil, on the eighteenth of Ramadan, 565,"
قال زار المقتفي بأمر الله أمير المؤمين رحمه الله مسجد صندوديا بظاهر الأنبار على الفرات الغربي ومعه الوزير وأنا حاضر،,"the following account in these words.The Commander of the Believers al-Muqtafi li-Amr-Allah (may Allah have mercy upon his soul!) visited the mosque [masjid] of Sandudiya in the environs of al-Anbar on the western Euphrates, accompanied by his vizier. I was present at the time."
فدخل المسجد وهو يعرف بمسجد أمير المؤمنين علي رضوان الله عليه، وعليه ثوب دمياطي وهو متقلد سيفًا حليته حديد.,"The caliph entered the mosque known by the name of the Commander of the Believers ‘Ali (may Allah’s favor rest upon him!), dressed in a Dimyati robe and girded with a sword with an iron handle."
لا يدري أنه أمير المؤمنين إلا من يعرفه. فجعل في قيم المسجد يدعوا للوزير، فقال الوزير ويحك أدع لأمير المؤمنين.,"No one could tell that he was the commander of the believers unless he knew him personally. The custodian of the mosque began to invoke Allah’s blessings upon the vizier, who said to him, “Woe to thee! Invoke blessings on the commander of the believers.”"
فقال له المقتفي رحمه الله سله عما ينفع، قل له ما كان المرض الذي في وجهه؟,"Hearing that, al-Muqtafi (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) said to the vizier, “Ask him something useful. Find out from him what became of the malady in his face,"
فإني رأيته في أيام مولانا المستظهر رحمه الله وبه مرض في وجهه.,for I have seen him in the days of our lord al-Mustazhir (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) with a malady in his face.
وكان في وجهه سلعة قد غطت أكثر وجهه فإذا أراد الأكل سدها بمنديل حتى يصل الطعام إلى فمه.,His face was almost all covered with a tumor such that when he wanted to eat he used to cover it with a handkerchief in order to enable the food to get to his mouth.”
فقال القيم كنت كما تعلم وأنا أتردد إلى هذا المسجد من الأنبار،,"To this the custodian replied, “I used, as is well known, to frequent this mosque from my home in al-Anbar."
فلقيني إنسان فقاللو كنت تتردد إلى فلان يعني مقدم الأنبار، كما تتردد إلى هذا المسجد لأستدعي لك طبيبًا يزيل هذا المرض من وجهك،,"One day a man met me and said, ‘If thou wert to frequent so and so (meaning the governor of al-Anbar) as thou frequentest that mosque, he would certainly have summoned a physician to remove this malady from thy face.’"
فخامر قلبي من قوله شيء قد داق به صدري، فنمت تلك الليلة فرأيت أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه وهو في المسجد.,"I felt something in my heart as a result of these words, which made me greatly depressed. That night as I was sleeping I saw the Commander of the Believers ‘Ali ibn-abi-Talib (may Allah’s favor rest upon him!) in the mosque."
يقول ما هذه الحضرة؟ يعني حضرة في الأرض. فشكوت إليه ما بي، فاعرض عني،,"He said to me, ‘What is this building material?’ (referring to some building material on the floor of the mosque). I took advantage of the opportunity and complained to him about the cause of my distress. He turned away from me."
ثم راجعته وشكوت إليه ما قاله لي ذلك الرجل فقال أنت ممن يريد العجلة،,"I once more approached him and reported to him the remark which that man had passed on me. His reply was, ‘Thou art one of those who seek the satisfaction of this world.’"
ثم استيقظت والسلعة مطروحًا إلى جانبي وقد زال ما كان بي. فقال المقتفي رحمه الله صدق.,"Then I awoke. The tumor was cast to my side and all the ailment was gone.” Hearing that story, al-Muqtafi (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) remarked, “He told the truth.”"
ثم قال ليتحدث معه وابصر ما يلتمسه واكتب به توقيعًا واحضره لأعلم عليه.,"Then he said to me, “Talk to him and find out what he wants. Draw up a document to that effect and let me have it to sign.”"
فتحدث معه فقال أنا صاحب عائلة وبنات، وأريد في كل شهر ثلاثة دنانير،,"Accordingly I talked to him, and he said, “I am the head of a family of many daughters. I want every month three dinars.”"
فكتبتُ عنه مطالعة وعنونها الخادمُ: قيّم مسجد علي، فوقع عليها بما طلب وقال لي أمض ثبتها في الديوان.,"This I recorded in a statement, at the top of which the servant wrote, “the custodian of Masjid [mosque] ‘Ali.” The caliph signed it, thus granting his request. He then said to me, “Go and register it in the bureau of stipends.”"
فمضيت ولم أقرأ منها سوىيوقع له بذلك. وكان الرسم ان يكتب لصاحب المطالعة توقيع ويؤخذ منه ما فيه خط أمير المؤمنين.,"I took it there without reading it over except for the words, “Let this be executed.” The official procedure was to have the beneficiary of the ordinance receive a copy and to have the original document bearing the handwriting of the caliph taken away from him."
فلما فتحها الكاتب لينقلها وجد تحت قيم مسجد علي بخط المقتفي أمير المؤمنين. صلوات الله عليه. ولو كان طلب أكثر من ذلك لوقع له به.,"When, therefore, the scribe opened it in order to make a copy he found written under the words, “the custodian of Masjid ‘All”: “Written by al-Muqtafi, the Commander of the Believers” (may Allah’s blessing be upon him!). Had the custodian demanded more, al-Muqtafi would have sanctioned it for him."
وحدثني القاضي الأمام مجد الدين أبو سليمان داود بن محمد بن الحسن بن خالد الخالدي رحمه الله بظاهر حصن كيفا يوم الخميس ثاني وعشرين ربيع الأول سنة ست وستين وخمس مئة عن من حدثه:,"The Qadi al-Imam Majd-al-Din abu-Sulayman Dawud ibn-Muhammad ibn-al-Hasan ibn-Khalid al-Khalidi (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) related to me in a suburb of Hisn-Kayfa, on Thursday, the twenty-second of Rabi‘ I, of the year 566, on the authority of those who had told him, the following:"
أن شيخًا استأذن على خواجا بزرك رحمه الله. فلما دخل عليه رأه شيخًا مهيبًا بهيًا فقال من أين الشيخ؟ قال من غربة.,"An old man [sheikh] asked for an audience with the Khawaja Buzurk (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). When he was admitted, Buzurk saw that he was an old man, respectable and radiant looking, and asked him, “Where is the sheikh from?” The latter replied, “From a foreign land.”"
قال ألك حاجة؟ قالأنا رسول الله عليه الصلاة والسلام إلى الملك شاه. قال يا شيخ أي شيء هذا الحديث؟,"Buzurk asked, “Is there anything that thou needest?” He replied, “I am the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him’) to Malik-Shah.” Buzurk said, “What kind of talk is this?”"
قال إن اوصلتني إليه بلغت الرسالة. وإلا فأنا لا أزول حتى أجتمع به وأبلغه ما معي. فدخل الخواجا بزرك على السلطان فاعلمه بما قال الشيخ.,"The old man replied, “If thou dost present me before him, I shall deliver the message, otherwise I shall stay here until I meet him and deliver to him what I have.” Khawaja Buzurk went in to the sultan and reported what the sheikh had said."
فقال أحضروه فلما حضر قدم للسلطان مسواكًا ومشطًا وقال له أنا رجل لي بنات، وأنا فقير لا اقدر على جهازهن وتزويجهن،,"The sultan ordered that he be admitted. When the sheikh was admitted, he offered the sultan a toothpick and a comb, saying, “I am the father of many girls but, being poor, am unable to provide them with the necessary trousseaux for their marriage."
وكل ليلة ادعو الله تعالى ان يرزقني ما اجهزهن به فنمت ليلة الجمعة من شهر كذا ودعوت الله سبحانه وتعالى بمعونتي عليهن.,"I therefore pray Allah (exalted is he) every night that he may provide me with the necessary means for securing their trousseaux. On Thursday night of such and such a month, I went to sleep praying for succor in their behalf."
فرأيت الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم فيما يرى النائم فقال لي أنت تدعوا الله عز وجل ان يرزقك بما تجهز به بناتك؟ قلت نعم يا رسول الله.,"I saw in a dream the Messenger of Allah, who said to me, ‘Is it thou who art praying Allah (exalted is he) to grant him what is necessary for preparing trousseaux for his daughters?’ I answered, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’"
فقال امضِ إلى فلان وسماه بعز ملك شاه – يعني السلطان وقل له قال لك رسول الله عليه وسلم جهز بناتي.,"He said, ‘Go to so and so (giving the name of ‘Izz Malik-Shah, meaning the sultan) and tell him that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him!) asks him to buy the necessary trousseaux for thy daughters.’"
فقلت يا رسول الله إن طلب مني علامة ما أقول له؟ قالقل له بعلامة انك كل ليلة عند النوم تقرأ سورة تبارك.,"I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, if he asks me for a sign, what shall I say to him?’ He replied, ‘Say to him that the sign is that he recites every night before sleep surah tabaraka.’”"
فلما سمع ذلك السلطان فقال هذه علامة صحيحة، وما اطّلع عليها غير الله تبارك وتعالى. فإن مؤدبي أمرني أن اقرأها كل ليلة عند النوم وأنا افعل ذلك.,"Hearing that, the sultan said, “This is a true sign, for none has ever known it but Allah (blessed and exalted is he!) My preceptor ordered me to read it every night at bedtime and I still do it.”"
ثم أمر له بكل ما اطلبه لتجهيز بناته وأجزل عطيته وصرفه.,"The sultan thereupon gave orders that the sheikh be given everything he demanded for securing the trousseaux of his daughters. Besides, he bestowed on him rich presents before dismissing him."
ويشبه هذا الحديث ما سمعته عن ابي عبد الله محمد بن فاتك المقرئ قال كنت أقرأ يومًا على ابي بكر بن مجاهد رحمه الله المقرئ ببغداد إذ ورد عليه شيخ عليه عمامة رثّة وطيلسان وثياب رثّة.,"The above story is similar to something I heard regarding abu-‘Abdallah Muhammad ibn-Fatik al-Muqri’, who said: I was one day studying the Koran under abu-Bakr ibn-Mujahid (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) al-Muqri’ in Baghdad when there came to him an old man wearing a worn-out turban with a green robe and tom clothes."
وكان ابن مجاهد يعرف الشيخ، فقال له: أيش كان من خبر الصبيّة؟,"Ibn-Mujahid, who knew the old man, asked him, “What is the story of the little girl?” The"
قال: يا أبا بكر، جاءتني البارحة ابنة ثالثة فطلبتْ مني أهلي دانقًا يشترون به سمنًا وعسلًا يحنّكونها به، فلم أقدر عليه.,"old man replied, “O abu-Bakr, yesterday a third girl was born to me. The women of my household asked me for a daniq with which to buy ghee butter [samn] and honey to rub her mouth with, but I did not have it."
فبِتُّ مهمومًا. فرأيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فيما يرى النائم، فقال: لا تغتمّ ولا تحزن. وإذا كان غدًا فادخل على عليّ بن عيسى وزير الخليفة فأقره مني السلام وقل له: بعلامة أنك صليت عند قبري أربعة آلاف مرة ادفع لي مئة دينار عينًا.,"I therefore went to sleep worried and saw in my dream the Prophet (may Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him!), who said to me, ‘Grieve not and feel not sad. When the morning comes, go to ‘Ah ibn-‘Isa the caliph’s vizier, salute him in my behalf and say to him, “The sign being that thou hast prayed for me at my [the Prophet’s] tomb four thousand times, pay me one hundred dinars in gold.”’”"
فقال أبو بكر بن مجاهد: يا أبا عبد الله، في هذا فائدة،,"Hearing this, abu-Bakr ibn-Mujahid said to me, “Abu-‘Abdallah, this is something of special value.”"
وقطع عليّ القراءة وأخذ بيد الشيخ، وقام فدخل به على ابن عيسى. فرأى عليّ بن عيسى مع ابن مجاهد شيخًا لم يعرفه، فقال: من أين لك يا أبا بكر هذا؟,"Saying this, he interrupted the reading, seized the hand of the old man and conducted him to ‘Ali ibn-‘Isa. Seeing with ibn-Mujahid an old man whom he did not know, ‘Ali ibn-‘Isa said, “Where didst thou get this man from?”"
فقال: يُدنيه الوزير ويسمع منه كلامه. فأدناه وقال: ما خطبك يا شيخ؟,"Ibn-Mujahid replied, “Let the vizier call him near and hear his words from him.” The vizier called him near and said, “What is thy trouble, O sheikh?”"
فقال الشيخ: إن أبا بكر بن مجاهد يعلم أن لي ابنتين. والبارحة جاءتني ثالثة.,"The sheikh replied, “Abu-Bakr ibn-Mujahid knows that I have two daughters, and yesterday a third daughter was born to me."
فطلبتْ مني أهلي دانقًا يشترون به عسلًا وسمنًا يحنّكونها به فلم أقدر عليه.,"The women of my household asked me for a daniq with which to buy honey and ghee butter for rubbing her mouth, but I did not have it."
فبِتُّ البارحة وأنا مهموم. فرأيت النبي صلى الله وعليه وسلم في المنام وهو يقول: لا تغتمّ ولا تحزن.,"I therefore went to sleep yesterday greatly worried. I saw the Prophet (may Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) in my sleep who said to me, ‘Grieve not and feel not sad."
إذا كان غدًا فادخل على عليّ بن عيسى وأقرِه مني السلام وقل له: بعلامة أنك صليت عليّ عند قبري أربعة آلاف مرة ادفع لي مئة دينار عينًا.,"When the morning comes, go to ‘Ali ibn-‘Isa, salute him in my behalf and say to him, “The sign being that thou hast prayed for me at my tomb four thousand times, pay me one thousand dinars in gold.”’”"
قال [ابن] مجاهد: فاغرورقت عينا عليّ بن عيسى بالدموع. ثم قال: صدق الله ورسولُه وصدقتَ أيها الرجل. هذا شيء ما كان علم به إلا الله تعالى ورسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم.,"Ibn-Mujahid continued thus: “Tears flowed down from the eyes of ‘Ali-ibn-‘Isa. Then the latter said, ‘Allah and his Messenger have said the truth, and so hast thou said the truth, O man For this is something about which none knew anything but Allah himself (exalted is he) and his Messenger (may Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him)."
يا غلام هاتِ الكيس. فأحضره بين يديه. فضرب بيده إليه فأخرج منه مئة دينار وقال: هذه المئة التي قال لك رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم.,"Attendant, fetch the bag’ The attendant brought the bag ‘Ali put his hand in and took out of it one hundred dinars, saying, ‘This is the hundred about which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) spoke to thee."
وهذه مئة أخرى للبشارة. وهذه مئة أخرى هدية منا لك. فخرج الرجل من عنده وفي كمّه ثلاثمئة دينار.,"This is another hundred for the good news that thou hast announced to me. And here is a third hundred, a present from us to thee.’ The old man went out from his presence with three hundred dinars in his sleeve.”"
وحدّثني القائد الحاج أبو علي في شهر رمضان في سنة ثمان وستين وخمسمئة بحصن كيفا،,"The following was related to me by al-Qa’id al-Hajj [the pilgrim] abu-‘Ali in the month of Ramadan, year 568“in Hisn-Kayfa."
قال: كنت بالموصل جالسًا في دكّان محمد بن عليّ بن محمد بن مامة. فاجتاز بنا رجل فقّاعي ضخم غليظ الساقين،,These are his words: I was in al-Mawsil in the shop of Muhammad ibn-‘Ali ibn-Muhammad ibn-Mamah when a brewer with huge body and thick legs passed by.
فدعاه أحمد وقال: يا عبد علي، بالله حدّث فلانًا حديثك. قال: أنا رجل أبيع الفقّاع كما ترى،,"Muhammad called him and said, “O ‘Abd-‘Ali, I conjure thee by Allah, tell so and so thy story.” The man said, “I am a dealer in fuqqa‘ as thou seest."
فبِتُّ ليلة أربعاء وأنا صحيح. فانتبهت وقد انحلّ وسطي فلا أقدر على الحركة ويبست رجلاي ودقَّتا حتى بقيت الجلد والعظم.,"One Tuesday night I went to sleep whole and sound, but I awoke to find my body broken at the waist, unable to move. My legs dried up and became so thin that they were reduced to skin and bone."
فكنت أزحف إلى وراء لأن رجلي ما كانت تتبعني ولا كان فيها حركة بالجملة.,"The way I walked after that was to creep backwards, for my legs would not follow me and had no mobility in them at all."
فقعدت في طريق زين الدين عليّ كوجك رحمه الله، فأمر بحملي إلى داره فحُملتُ. وأحضر الأطباء وقال: أريد أن تداووا هذا.,"Once I sat across the path of Zayn-al-Din ‘Ali Kujak (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), and he ordered me carried to his house. I was carried there, and he called physicians and said to them, ‘I want you to heal this man.’"
فقالوا: نعم نداويه إن شاء الله. ثم أخذوا مسمارًا فأحموه ثم كوّوا به رجلي فما حست به.,"The physicians said, ‘Yes, we will heal him, if it pleases Allah.’ They then took a nail and, after heating it red hot, they cauterized my leg. But I felt nothing."
فقالوا لزين الدين: ما نقدر على دواء هذا ولا فيه حيلة. فوهب لي دينارين وحمارًا.,"So they said to Zayn-al-Din, ‘We cannot cure this man; he is hopeless.’ Zayn-al-Din then presented me with two dinars and a donkey."
فبقي الحمار عندي نحوًا من شهر ومات. فعدت قعدت في طريقه، فوهب لي حمارًا آخر فمات.,"The donkey remained in my possession for about a month and died. Again I sat across the path of Zayn-al-Din, and he gave me another donkey. And it died too."
ووهب لي حمارًا ثالثًا فمات. فعدت إلى سؤاله. فقال لواحد من أصحابه: اخرج بهذا فارمه في الخندق.,"He gave me a third donkey, which died also. I once more implored him for help, upon which he said to one of his companions, ‘Take this man away and throw him in the ditch.’"
فقلت له: بالله ارمني على وركي، فإني ما أحسّ فيها بما يكون. فقال: ما أرميك إلا على رأسك.,"I said to Zayn-al-Din, ‘By Allah, throw me on my hip, for I shall then feel nothing when I am thrown.’ But he replied, ‘I shall not throw thee except on thy head.’"
فإذا رسول زين الدين رحمه الله قد جاءني فردّني إليه، وكان الذي قاله من رميي مزاحًا.,"After I was taken out, a man sent by Zayn-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) came to me and took me back to him, for what he had said regarding throwing me was said as a joke."
فلمّا أحضروني بين يديه أعطاني أربعة دنانير وحمارًا.,"When I was admitted into his presence, he gave me four dinars and a donkey."
فبقيتُ على ما أنا عليه إلى ليلة رأيت فيها فيما يرى النائم كأن رجلًا وقف علي وقال: قم. قلت: من أنت؟ قال: أنا عليّ بن أبي طالب.,"“Such was my condition until one night I saw in my dream as if a man stood by me and said, ‘Arise.’ I asked, ‘Who art thou?’ He replied, ‘I am ‘Ali ibn-abi-Talib.’"
فقمت وقفت. فأنبهتُ امرأتي وقلت: ويحكِ! قد أبصرتُ كذا وكذا! فقالت: ها أنت قائم.,"Accordingly I arose and awoke my wife, saying to her, ‘May Allah have mercy on thee, I have had such and such a vision.’ She replied, ‘Why, thou art already on thy feet!’"
فمشيتُ على رجلي وزال ما كان بي، ورجعتُ كما تراني.,"So I walked on my feet, my ailment gone, and returned to the condition in which thou seest me."
فمضيتُ إلى عند زين الدين الأمير عليّ كوجك رحمه الله، فقصصت عليه منامي ورآني قد زال ما رآه بي، فأعطاني عشرة دنانير. فسبحان الشافي المعافي.,"“I then went to Zayn-al-Din al-Amir ‘Ali Kujak (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) and related to him the story of my dream. He saw that the ailment which was in me had gone and gave me ten dinars.” Worthy of admiration is the Healer, the Restorer to health!"
حدثني الشيخ الحافظ أبو الخطاب عمر بن محمد بن عبد الله بن معمر العُلَيمي بدمشق أوائل سنة اثنتين وسبعين وخمسمئة، قال: حكى لي رجل بغداد عن القاضي أبي بكر محمد بن عبد الباقي بن محمد الأنصاري الفرضي المعروف بقاضي المارستان أنه قال:,"The following story was related to me by al-Sheikh al-Hafiz abu-al-Khattab ‘Umar ibn-Muhammad ibn-‘Abdallah ibn-Ma‘mar al-‘Ulaymi, in Damascus in the early part of the year 572, on the authority of a man who told it to him in Baghdad on the authority of al-Qadi abu-Bakr Muhammad ibn-‘Abd-aI-Baqi ibn-Muhammad al-Ansari al-Furdi, surnamed Qadi-al-Maristan [the judge of the hospital], who said:"
لما حججت بينا أطوف بالبيت إذ وجدت عقدًا من اللؤلؤ فشددته في طرف إحرامي.,"In the course of my pilgrimage as I was making the tour of the Ka‘bah I found, all unexpectedly, a pearl necklace, which I tied to the end of my pilgrim’s robe."
فبعد ساعة سمعت إنسانًا ينشده في الحرم وقد جعل لمن يرد عليه عشرين دينارًا،,"An hour later, I heard a man seeking its recovery by making inquiries in the sanctuary [haram] and offering twenty dinars to him who would restore it."
فسألته علامة ما ضاع له فأخبرني، فسلمته إليه. فقال ليتجيء معي إلى منزلي لأدفع إليك ما جعلته لك.,"I asked him for a sign proving that the lost article was his, and he gave it to me. So I delivered the necklace to him. Receiving it, he said to me, “Accompany me to my house so that I may pay thee the reward I had promised to pay.”"
فقلت مالي حاجة إلى ذلك وما دفعته إليك بسب الجعالة، وأنا من الله بخير كثير.,"To this I replied, “I have no use for that reward, nor have I given the necklace back to thee for the sake of the prize. For, thanks to Allah, I live in great bounty.”"
فقال ولم تدفعه إلا لله عز وجل؟ فقلت نعم. فقال استقبل بنا الكعبة، وأمن على دعائي.,"He asked, “Thou hast not then returned it except for the sake of Allah (mighty and majestic is he’)?” “Yes,” I replied. “Let us, therefore, turn our faces,” said he, “towards the Ka‘bah and thou shouldst say ‘Amen’ to my prayer.”"
فاستقبلنا الكعبة فقال اللهم اغفر له وارزقني مكافأته، ثم ودعني ومضى.,"Accordingly, we turned our faces towards the Ka‘bah and he prayed, “O Lord, forgive him [and me] our sins and grant me means to repay him!” Then he bade me farewell and departed."
ثم اتفق انني سافرت من مكة إلى ديار مصر فركبت في البحر متوجهًا إلى المغرب.,It happened that later I undertook a journey from Mecca to the land of Egypt and took a boat to al-Maghrib [Mauretania].
فأخذت الروم المركب وأسرت فيمن أسر فوقعت في نصيب بعض القوم، فلم أزل أخدمه إلى أن دنت وفاته فأوصى بإطلاقي.,"Our boat fell into the hands of the Byzantines and I, among others, was taken captive. My lot fell to one of the priests, in whose service I remained until the hour of his death approached, upon which he willed that I be set free."
فخرجت من بلد الروم فصرت إلى بعض بلاد المغرب فجلست أكتب على دكان خباز، وكان ذلك الخباز يعامل بعض تناة تلك المدينة.,"Consequently I left the land of the Byzantines and made my way into a certain region of al-Maghrib, where I was employed as a clerk in a baker’s shop. Among the baker’s customers was one of the great landowners of the town."
فلما كان في رأس الشهر جاء غلام ذلك الثاني إلى الخباز فقال سيدي يدعوك لتحاسبه،,"At the beginning of the new month, a servant of that landowner came to the baker and said, “My master calls thee to make the account with him.”"
فاستصحبني معه فمضينا إليه فحاسبه على رقاعه. فلما رأى معرفتي في الحساب وخطي طلبني من الخباز.,"The baker asked me to accompany him, and we went together to the landowner, who settled the account according to his bills. Impressed by my knowledge of arithmetic and my beautiful handwriting, he demanded me from the baker."
فغير ثيابي وسلم الي جباية ملكه وكانت له نعمة ضخمة، وأخلى لي بيتًا في جانب داره.,"The landowner changed my clothes and intrusted to me the collection of the levies from his estate, he being the proprietor of a vast piece of land. In the meantime, he vacated for me a special apartment on one side of his mansion."
فلما مضت مديدة قال لي يا أبا بكر ما رأيك في التزويج؟ قلت يا سيدي أنا لا اطيق نفقة نفسي فكيف اطيق النفقة على زوجة؟,"After the lapse of a short period of time, he said to me, “Abu-Bakr, what thinkest thou of marriage?” I replied, “My master, I cannot stand the expense of my own living, how can I stand the expense of a wife?”"
قال أنا أقوم عنك بالمهر والمسكن والكسوة وجميع ما يلزمك.,"He said, “I shall provide in thy behalf the dowry, the dwelling place, the clothing and everything else that thou needest.”"
فقلت الأمر لك فقال يا والدي إن هذه الزوجة فيها عيوب شتى، ولم يترك شيئًا من العيب في خلقة من رأسها إلى قدمها إلا ذكره لي وأنا أقول رضيت.,"I said, “Thy order is done.” Then he said, “My boy, here is a wife who has a great number of defects,” and he did not leave a possible physical defect from her head to her foot which he did not enumerate, while I replied, “I am satisfied.”"
وباطني في ذلك كظاهري. فقال لي الزوجة ابنتي. واحضر جماعة وعقد العقد.,"In fact, I felt satisfied internally as I claimed I was externally. Then he continued, “That wife is my daughter” He called a group of people and the contract was closed."
فلما كان بعد أيام قال لي تهيأ لدخول بيتك، ثم أمر لي بكسوة فاخرة ودخلت إلى دار فيها التجمل والآلات،,"A few days later he said to me, “Prepare thyself to enter thy home” He ordered for me superb clothes, and I entered into a house luxuriously furnished and equipped with the best outfit."
ثم أجلست في المرتبة وأخرجت العروس تحت النمط فقمت لتلقيها. فلما كشفت النمط رأيت صورة ما رأيت في الدنيا أجمل منها،,"I was placed on a high seat and the bride was brought covered with a colored woolen mantle. I immediately arose to meet her, and, pulling aside the cover, found a countenance prettier than which I never saw in this world."
فهربت من الدار خارجًا، فلقيني الشيخ وسألني عن سبب هروبي. فقلت إن الزوجة ما هي التي ذكرت لي فيها من العيوب ما ذكرت.,"I fled out of the house. The old man met me and asked me about the reason for my flight, to which I replied, “This wife is not the one thou hast described to me as having the defects which thou hast enumerated.”"
فتبسم وقال يا ولدي هي زوجتك، وليس لي ولد سواها وإنما ذكرت لك ما ذكرت لئلا تستقل ما تراه فعدت وجلبت علي.,"Hearing this, he smiled and said, “Yes, my boy, she is thy wife, and I have no other child but her. But I described her the way I did to thee so that thou mayest not be disappointed on seeing her.” And the proper ceremony of unveiling the bride was conducted in my presence."
فلما كان من الغد جعلت أتأمل ما عليها من حلي وجواهر الفاخر، فرأيت من جمله ما عليها العقد الذي وجدته بمكة.,"The second morning, as I was admiring the jewels and precious gems she wore, I saw, among other things on her, the necklace which I once found in Mecca."
فعجبت من ذلك واستغرقني الفكر فيه. فلما خرجت من البناء استدعاني وسألني عن حالي وقال جدع الحلال أنف الغيرة،,"I was amazed at that and was absorbed in the thought of it. As I was leaving the bedroom my father-in-law called me and asked me about my condition, repeating the verse, “Legitimate enjoyment has mutilated the nose of jealousy.”"
فشكرته على ما فعله معي، ثم استولى علي الفكر في العقد ووصله إليه.,I thanked him for what he had done for me and then felt possessed with the thought of the necklace and how it got to him.
فقال لي فيم تفكر. فقلت في العقد الفلاني فاني حججت في السنة الفلانيه فوجدته في الحرم أو عقدا يشبهه.,"Noticing that, he asked me, “What art thou thinking of?” I replied, “Of such and such a necklace. For in such and such a year I made a pilgrimage and found it itself in the sanctuary, or found some other necklace very similar to it.”"
فصاح وقال أنت الذي رددت علي العقد قلت أنا ذاك.,"The man exclaimed, “Art thou the man who returned my lost necklace?” “Yes,” said I, “I am he.”"
فقال ابشر فان الله قد غفر لي ولك، فاني دعوت الله سبحانه في تلك الساعة ان يغفر لي ولك وأن يرزقني مكافأتك،,"He said, “Rejoice at the good news, for Allah has forgiven me and thee, for I, at that moment, prayed Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) to forgive me and thee our sins and to grant me means to repay thee."
وقد سلمت إليك مالي وولدي وما أظن اجلي إلا وقد قرب ثم أوصى الي ومات بعد مُدَيدة قريبة رحمه الله.,"And here now I have delivered into thy hands my possessions and my child. And I have no doubt that my end is near at hand.” He later drew his will in my favor, and after a short period, he died — may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!"
وحدثني الأمير سيف الدولة زنكي بن قراجا قال دعانا شاهنشاه بحلب وهو زوج أخته.,"The Amir Sayf-al-Dawlah Zanki ibn-Qaraja (may Allah have mercy upon his soul!) related to me the following story. He said: Shahanshah invited us once in Aleppo (he was the husband of Zanki’s sister),"
فلما اجتمعنا عنده نفذنا إلى صاحب لنا كنا نعاشره وننادمه خفيف الروح طيب العشرة فاستدعيناه فحضر،,"and as we met in his home, he sent word to a companion of ours, with whom we had often associated and drunk, and who was light-hearted and of delightful company, calling him to join us. So he did."
فعرضنا عليه الشراب فقال أنا محتم امرني الطبيب بالحميه أيامًا حتى تشق هذه السعلة وكان في مؤخر رقبته سلعة كبيره،,"We offered him a drink, but he said, “I am prohibited from its use. The physician has ordered me to diet for a few days until this carbuncle opens.” There was on the back of his neck a large carbuncle."
"فقلنا وافقنا اليوم وتكون الحميه من غد.
ففعل وشرب معنا إلى آخر النهار،","We replied, “Join us today and let prohibition begin tomorrow.” So he did and drank with us until the end of the day."
فطلبنا شاهنشاه شيئا نأكله. فقال ما عندي شيء. فلاججناه حتى أجابنا إلى ان يحضر لنا بيضا نقليه على المنقل،,"We then asked Shahanshah for something to eat and he said, “I have nothing.” But we insisted so much that he agreed to bring us some eggs to fry on the brazier."
فأحضر البيض أحضرنا صحنا وكسرنا البيض وافرغنا ما فيه في الصحن ووضعنا المقلى على المنقل ليحمى،,"The eggs were produced, together with a plate. We broke the eggs, turning the contents over into the plate. We placed the frying pan on the brazier, that it might become hot."
فأشرت إلى ذلك الرجل الذي في رقبته السلعة ان يشرب البيض، فرفع الصحن على فمه ليشرب بعضه فانساب جميع ما في الصحن في حلقه فشربه،,"I then beckoned to the man who had the carbuncle on his neck to sup the raw eggs. As he lifted the plate to his mouth in order to take in some of it, all its contents flowed down his throat."
وقلنا لصاحب الدار عوضنا عن البيض. فقال والله ما أفعل فشربنا ثم افترقنا.,"We then said to the master of the house, “Replace those eggs for us,” but he replied, “By Allah, I shall not do it.” So we drank together and then separated."
فأنا في السحر في فراشي والباب يقرع، فخرجت جاريه تنظر من بالباب فإذا هو صديقنا ذلك.,"At the dawn of the second morning, as I was still in bed, a knock was heard at the door. The maid went out to see who was at the door and lo! it was that same friend of ours."
فقلت أحضريه. فجاءني وأنا في فراشي فقال يا مولاي تلك السلعة التي كانت في رقبتي ذهبت وما بقي لها اثر.,"So I said, “Bring him in.” He came in while I was still in bed and said, “O my lord, that carbuncle which was on my neck has disappeared, leaving no trace.”"
فنظرت موضعها فإذا هو كغيره من جوانب رقبته. فقلت أي شيء اذهبها قال الله سبحانه.,"I looked at the place where it was and found it like any other place on his neck. So I asked, “What was it that made it disappear?” He replied, “Allah (worthy of admiration is he!)."
ما عرفت انني استعملت سيئا ما كنت استعمله غير شربي لذالك البيض النيء. فسبحان القادر المبلي المعافي.,"For so far as I know I have never used anything which I did not use before, unless it be the supping of those raw eggs.” How mysterious are the deeds of the Almighty, who afflicts with disease and gives the cure!"
وكان عندنا في شيزر اخوان اسم الأكبر مظفر والآخر مالك بن عياض من أهل كفر طاب.,"We had with us in Shayzar two brothers, natives of Kafartab, the name of the elder of whom was Muzaffar and the younger Malik ibn-‘Ayyad."
وهما تاجران يسافران إلى بغداد، وغيرها من البلاد، ومظفر أدركه قيلة عظيمة فهو منها في تعب،,"In their capacity as traders they used to travel to Baghdad and other places. Muzaffar was afflicted with a dreadful scrotal hernia, which made him feel always tired."
فسار في قافلة على المساوه إلى بغداد، فنزلت القافلة في حي من أحياء العرب فضيفوهم بطيور طبخوها لهم فتعشوا وناموا،,"As he was once in a caravan crossing al-Samawah to Baghdad, the caravan encamped with a clan of Arabs, who prepared and cooked birds for them as guests. After supper they went to sleep."
فانتبه ابنه رفيقه الذي في جانبه وقال له أنا نائم أو مستيقظ قال مستيقظ لو كنت نائم ما تحدثت.,"Muzaffar awoke in the nighttime, roused his comrade, who was sleeping by his side, and said to him, “Am I sleeping or awake?” The other replied, “Awake. If thou wert sleeping, thou wouldst not discourse.”"
قال تلك القيلة قد ذهبت وما بقي لها اثر. فنظر فإذا هو قد عاد كغيره إلى الصحة.,"Muzaffar said, “That hernia is all gone and has left no trace.” His neighbor examined it and found that Muzaffar had returned to normal health like any other man."
فلما أصبحوا سألوا العرب الذين أضافوهم أي شيء أطعموهم. قالوانزلتم بنا ودوابنا عازبة، فخرجنا أخذنا فراخ غربان طبخناها لكم.,"When they got up in the morning they asked the Arabs who were their hosts regarding the food they had given them for supper, to which the Arabs replied, “Ye encamped in our quarters at a time when our animals were in a distant pasturage. So we went out, seized young ravens [ghirban] and cooked them for you.”"
فلما وصلوا بغداد دخلوا المارستان وحكوا للمتولي المارستان حكايته،,On their arrival in Baghdad they went to the hospital and related the story to the director in charge.
فنفذ حصل فراخ غربان أطعمها لمن به هذا المرض، فلم تنفعه ولا أثرت فيه.,"The director sent and procured young ravens and fed those suffering with the same disease on them, but the ravens did the patients no good and had no effect whatsoever on them."
فقال تلك الفراخ التي أكلها كان زقها أبوها أفاعي لذلك كان نفعها.,"So the director said, “The father of the bird which Muzaffar ate must have fed that bird on vipers. That is why it did him good.”"
ومما يشاكل ذلك ان رجلا أتى يوحنا بن بطلان الطبيب المشهور بالمعرفة والعلم والتقدم بالصنعة الطب وهو دكانه بحلب، فشكى إليه مرضه،,"A similar case is that of one who came to Yuhanna ibn-Butlan, the physician celebrated for his knowledge, science and leadership in the art of medicine, when the latter was in his shop in Aleppo, and complained to him about a disease which he had."
فرآه قد استحكم به الاستسقاء وكبر بطنه ودقت وتغيرت سحنته.,"The physician saw that he was suffering from chronic dropsy, his abdomen was inflated, his neck had become thin and his whole appearance changed."
فقال لهيا ولدي ما لي والله فيك حيلة، ولا بقي الطب ينجح فيك فانصرف.,"The physician said, “My boy, by Allah, there is nothing that I can do to help thee; and medicine can no more be of any avail to thee.” The man departed."
ثم بعد مدة اجتاز به وهو في دكانه وقد زال ما به من مرض وضمر جوفه وحسنت حاله،,"After a while this same man passed by the physician’s shop entirely cured from his disease, with his abdomen drawn back to its original position, and his condition satisfactory."
فدعاه ابن بطلان فقال ما أنت الذي حضرت عندي من مدة وبك الاستسقاء وقد كبر بطنك ودقت رقبتك وقلت لك مالي فيك حيلة؟ قال بلى.,"Ibn-Butlan called him and said, “Art thou not the one who came to me some time ago suffering from dropsy, with an inflated abdomen and thin neck, and I told thee that there wasn’t a thing I could do for thee?” “Certainly,” replied the man."
قال بماذا داويت حتى زال ما بك؟ قال والله ما تداويت بشيء،,"The physician asked, “With what didst thou then treat thyself that thy ailment has disappeared?” The man replied, “By Allah, I treated myself with nothing."
أنا رجل صعلوك ما لي شيء ولا لي من يدور بي سوى والدتي، عجوز ضعيفة كان لها في دنين خل، فكانت كل يوم تطعمني منه بخبز.,"I am a pauper, possessing nothing whatsoever. I have nobody to take care of me except my mother, an aged and feeble woman. She had in two small casks some vinegar on which she fed me every day with bread.”"
فقال له بطلانبقي من الخل شيء؟ قال نعم. قال امشِ معي ارني الدنّ الذي فيه الخل.,"Ibn-Butlan asked him, “Is there anything left of that vinegar?” “Yes,” he replied. The physician said, “Come with me and show me the cask in which the vinegar is kept.”"
فمشى بين يديه إلى البيت أوقفه على دان الخل. فأفزع ابن بطلان ما كان فيه من الخل فوجد في أسفله افعيين قد تهرأتا.,"So he walked ahead of him to his house and showed him the cask of vinegar. On emptying the vinegar that was in it, ibn-Butlan discovered at the bottom of the cask two vipers which had become rotten."
فقال لهيا بني ما كان يقدر يداويك بخل فيه افعيان حتى تبرأ إلا الله عز وجل.,"Then he said to the man, “My son, no one could have treated thee with vinegar having two vipers until thou wert healed but Allah — mighty and majestic is he.”"
وكان لهذا ابن بطلان إصابات عجيبة في الطب. فمن ذلك ان رجلًا أتاه وهو في دكانه بحلب، والرجل قد انقطع كلامه فلا يكاد بفهم منه إذا تكلم.,This ibn-Butlan made marvelous cures in medicine. Here is an illustration: There came to him in his shop in Aleppo a man who had lost the faculty of speech and whose words could hardly be understood when he tried to utter them.
فقال لهما صنعتك؟ قال أنا مغربل. فقال احضر لي نصف رطل خل حاذق.,"Ibn-Butlan asked him, “What is thy profession?” The man replied, “I am a sifter” The physician said, “Bring me half a rotl of sharp vinegar.”"
فأحضره. فقال اشربه. فشربه لحظة فذرعه القيء، فتقيأ طينًا كثيرًا في ذلك الخل،,"The man did so. The physician said to him, “Drink it” So he drank it and took his seat for an instant, after which he felt nauseated and began to vomit clay in abundance, mixed with the vinegar which he had drunk."
فانفتح حلقه واستوى كلامه. فقال ابن بطلان لابنه وتلامذته لا تداووا بهذا الدواء أحدًا فتقتلوه.,"Consequently his throat became open again and his speech normal. Then, turning to his son and students, ibn-Butlan said to them, “Treat not with this medicine anybody, for ye may kill him."
هذا كان قد علق بالمريء من غبار الغربلة تراب ما كان يخرجه إلا الخل.,In this case a great quantity of dust from sifting had been deposited in the oesophagus and nothing could clean it out except the vinegar.”
وكان ابن بطلان ملازمًا لخدمة جدي الأكبر ابي المتوج مقلد بن نصر بن منقذ.,"Ibn-Butlan was for some time attached to the service of my great-grandfather, abu-al-Mutawwaj Muqallad ibn-Nasr ibn-Munqidh."
فظهر في جدي الأكبر ابي المتوج مقلد بن نصر بن منقذ. فظهر في جدي ابي الحسن علي بن المقلد بن نصر بن منقذ رحمه الله وضح وهو صبي صغير، فاقلق ذلك اباه وأشفق عليه من البرص،,"There appeared on my grandfather, abu-al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn-Muqallad ibn-Nasr ibn-Munqidh (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), who was then still a young boy, some white spots which greatly disturbed his father for fear that the malady might be leprosy."
فاحضر ابن بطلان وقال لهابصر ما قد ظهر في جسم علي.,"So he summoned ibn-Butlan and said to him, “See what has appeared on the body of ‘Ali.”"
فنظره وقال أريد خمس مئة دينار حتى أداويه وأذهب هذا عنه. فقال له جديلو كنت داويت عليًا ما كنت رضيت لك بخمس مئة دينار.,"The physician looked it over and said, “I demand five hundred dinars to treat his malady and cause it to disappear.” My grandfather said to him, “If thou hadst treated ‘Ali, I would not have been satisfied with five hundred dinars for thee.”"
فلما رأى الغضب من جدي قاليا مولاي أنا خادمك وعبدك وفي فضلك، ما قلت ما قلته إلا على سبيل المزاح،,"Seeing that my grandfather was angry, ibn-Butlan said: I am thy servant and thy slave, living on thy benevolence I did not say what I said except jokingly."
وهذا الذي بعلي بهق الشباب، وإذا أدرك ذهب عنه،,"As for those things on ‘Ali, they are nothing but skin eruptions caused by youth. As soon as he is fully adolescent, they will disappear."
فلا تحمل منه همًا ولا يقول لك سوايأنا أداويه ويتسوق عليك، فهذا يزول عند بلوغه. فكان كما قال.,"Worry not, therefore, about it, and listen not to someone else who might say that he would cure him and thereby make money from thee. All this will disappear with the maturity of the young man. And things turned out just as he had said."
وكان في حلب امرأة من وجوه نساء حلب يقال لها بَرَّة لحقها برد في رأسها.,"There lived in Aleppo a woman, one of the notable women of the city, named Barrah. She was afflicted with a bad cold in the head."
فكانت تعمل عليه القطن العتيق والقلنسوة والمخملة والمناديل حتى تصير على رأسها عمامة كبيرة وهي تستغيث من البرد،,"She would wrap her head up with old cotton, a hood, a piece of velvet and some napkins until she looked as though she wore a huge turban on her head, and she would still appeal for relief against the cold."
فأحضرت ابن بطلان وشكت إليه مرضها فقالحصلي في غد خمسين مثقالًا من كافور رياحي عارية أو مكرى من بعض الطيبين، فهو يعود إليه بأسره.,"She called ibn-Butlan and complained to him about her malady. He said to her, “Procure for me early tomorrow fifty mithqals of camphor with a strong smell, which thou canst either borrow or rent from some perfumer with the understanding that it will be returned to him intact.”"
فحصلت له الكافور، ثم اصبح القى كل ما على رأسها وحشا شعرها بذلك الكافور ورد على رأسها ما كان عليه من الدثار وهب تستغيث من البرد،,"She procured the camphor for him. In the morning, the physician removed all that she had on her head and stuffed her hair with the camphor. Then he put back the wraps she had on her head. All that while she was appealing for relief against the cold."
فنامت لحظة وانتبهت تشكو الحر والكرب في رأسها حتى بقي على رأسها قناع واحد،,"After sleeping for a short time, she woke up complaining of the heat and the tiresome weight on her head. The physician began to remove one piece at a time from her head until nothing was left but one veil."
ثم نفض شعرها من ذلك الكافور وذهب عنها البرد وصارت تتقنع بقناع واحد.,"Then he shook off the camphor from her hair and all her cold disappeared. After that, she was contented with one veil for her head."
وقد جرى لي بشيزر ما يقارب ذلك، لحقني برد شديد وقشعريرة من غير حمى وعلي الثياب الكثيرة والفرو،,"Something similar to that I myself experienced while in Shayzar. I felt great cold and had chills with no fever, although I wore heavy clothes and furs."
ومتى تحركت في جلوسي ارتعدت وقام شعر بدني وتجمَّعتُ.,"Every time I stirred as I was sitting, I would shiver, my hair would stand on end and I would feel all my muscles contracting."
فأحضرت الشيخ أبا الوفاء تميمًا الطبيب فشكوت إليه ما أجد. فقال أحضر لي بطيخة هندي.,"I called al-Sheikh abu-al-Wafa’ Tamim, the physician, and complained to him about my case. He said, “Procure for me an Indian melon.”"
فأحضرت فكسرها وقال لي كل منها ما استطعت. قلت يا حكيم أنا في الموت من البرد والرمان بارد، كيف آكل هذه مع بردها؟,"When it was procured, he broke it up and said to me, “Eat whatever thou canst of it.” I said, “O doctor, I am cold to death and the pomegranate is cold. How can I therefore eat this cold thing?”"
قال كل كما أقول لك. فأكلت، فما انتهى أكلي منها حتى عرقت وزال ما كنت أجده من البرد.,"He repeated, “Eat as I say to thee.” I ate. And no sooner had I finished eating it than I began to perspire and the cold which I felt disappeared."
فقال ليالذي كان بك من غلبة الصفراء ما كان من برد حقيقي.,"The physician then remarked, “What thou wert suffering from was due to over-biliousness, and not to real cold.”"
وقد تقدم ذكر شيء من غريب الأحلام، وقد أردت في كتاب المترجم بكتاب النوم والأحلام من ذكر النوم والأحلام وما قيل فيها وفي أوقات الرؤيا وفي أقوال العلماء فيها،,"I have given above some accounts of extraordinary dreams. In my book entitled Kitab al-Nawm w-al-Ahlam [book on sleep and dreams] I have also given various accounts of sleep and dreams, mentioned what other writers had to say regarding them, discussed the time of visions and the opinions of the learned relative to them,"
واستشهدت على أقوالهم بما ورد فيها من أشعار العرب ووسعت الشرح واشبعت فيه المعنى،,"quoting appropriate verses from Arab poetry, and have gone into details fully covering the whole subject."
فما حاجة إلى ذكر شيء منه ها هنا لكنني ذكرت هذا الخبر واستظرفته فأوردته.,It is not therefore necessary to mention anything of that here. But there is one anecdote mentioned there which especially interested me. I am therefore repeating it.
كان لجدي سديد الملك ابي الحسن علي بن مقلد بن نصر بن منقذ رحمه الله جارية يقال لها لؤلؤة ربت والدي مجد الدين أبا سلامة مرشد بن علي رحمه الله.,"My grandfather, Sadid-al-Mulk abu-al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn-Muqallad ibn-Nasr ibn-Munqidh (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), had a maid named Lu’lu’ah, who brought up my father, Majd-al-Din abu-Salamah Murshid ibn-‘Ali (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
فلما كبر وانتقل عن الدار والده انتقلت معه فرُزقني، فربتني تلك العجوز إلى ان كبرت وتزوجت وانتقلت من دار والدي رحمه الله، فانتقلت معي،,"When my father grew old enough, he left the home of his father, and the maid left with him. When I was born, that same old woman brought me up until I became old enough to marry and leave the home of my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), and she left with me."
ورزقت الأولاد فربتهم وكانت رحمها الله من النساء الصالحات صوامة قوامة،,"When my children were born, she brought them up. She was (may Allah’s mercy rest upon her soul!) one of the pious women, who spent her days fasting and her nights praying."
وكان يلحقها القولنج وقتًا بعد وقت، فلحقها يومًا من الأيام واشتد بها حتى غاب ذهنها وآيسوها،,From time to time Lu’lu’ah suffered from colic. One day she had such a violent attack that she became unconscious and was given up for lost.
فبقيت ذلك يومين وليلتين، ثم أفاقت وقالت لاإله إلا الله! ما أعجب ما كنت فيه!,"For two days and two nights she remained in that condition; then she awoke and said, “There is no God but Allah! How marvelous is the state through which I have just passed!"
لقيت أمواتنا جميعهم وحدثوني بالعجب وقالوا لي في جملة ما قالواإن إن هذا القولنج ما يعود يلحقك.,"I met all our dead ones and they related to me extraordinary things. Among other things they said to me, ‘This colic shall never again come back to thee.’”"
فعاشت بعد ذلك بمدة الطويلة ولم يلحقها قولنج. وعاشت حتى قاربت المئة سنة، وكانت محافظة لصلواتها رحمها الله.,"In fact, she lived after that for a long time and the colic never attacked her. She lived until she was almost a hundred years old, observing regularly her prayers — may Allah’s mercy rest upon her soul!"
فدخلت إليها في بيت أفردته لها من داري وبين يديها طست وهي تغسل منديلًا لصلوات.,I once went in to see her in an apartment which I had reserved for her use in my house and found in front of her a basin in which she was washing a napkin for use in prayer.
فقلتما هذا يا أمي؟ قالت يا بني قد مسكوا هذا المنديل وأيديهم زفرة من الجبن وكلما غسلته فاحت مته رائحة الجبن.,"I asked her, “What is this, mother?” She replied, “O my dear son, someone has handled this napkin with hands soiled with cheese, and the more I wash it the more it emits the odor of cheese.”"
قلت أريني الصابون التي تغسلين بها. فأخرجتها من المنديل فإذا هي قطعة جبن، وهي تظن أنها صابون،,"I said to her, “Show me the soap with which thou art washing it.” She pulled out the soap from the napkin and lo! it was a piece of cheese which she took for soap."
وكلما عركت ذلك المنديل بالجبن فاحت روائحه. قلتيا أمي هذه جبنة! ما هي صابونة. فنظرتها وقالت صدقت يا بني ما ظننتها إلا صابونًا.,"And the more she rubbed that napkin with the cheese, the worse the smell became. I said to her, “O mother, this is a piece of cheese and not a cake of soap” She looked at it and said, “Thou art right, my dear son. I never thought it was anything but soap.”"
فتبارك الله أصدق القائلين {ومن نعمره ننكسه في الخلق}.,"Blessed be Allah the most truthful of sayers, who says: “Him whose days we lengthen, we reverse his exterior form.”"
الإطالة تجلب الملالة والحوادث والطوارئ اكثر من ان تحصر.,"To go on relating such events at large results in boredom, for accidents and misfortunes are too numerous to be counted."
والرغبة إلى الله عز وجل في الستر والعافية فيما بقي من الحياة، والرحمة والرضوان عند موافاة الوفاة،,"My supplication I submit to Allah (mighty and majestic is he!) for his protection and for continued health during the remaining days of life, and for mercy and favor at the hour of death."
"فإنه سبحانه اكرم مسؤول واقرب مأمول.
الحمد لله وحده وصلواته على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وسلامه.","For he (worthy of praise is he!) is the most gracious of all who receive supplications, and the nearest of all those around whom hopes center. Praise be to Allah alone, and may his benedictions and peace be upon our lord Muhammad and upon his family!"
توكلت على الله تعالى,I put my trust in Allah (exalted is he)
والله مني جانب لا أضيعه *** واللهو مني والبطالة جانب,"To Allah belongs one phase of my life which I shall never neglect,
And to sports and leisure belongs the other phase."
قد ذكرت من أحوال الحرب وما شاهدته من الوقعات والمصافات والأخطار [ما] حضرني ذكره ولم ينسنيه الزمان ومره،,"I have in the above given those accounts of warfare, and those experiences I had in battles, fights and adventures which I could remember and which time with its rolling years did not make me forget."
فإن العمر طال ولزمت الانفراد والاعتزال، والنسيان من ارث ما تقدم من أبينا آدم صلى الله عليه وسلم.,"For my life has been prolonged, and I have for some time now been living in isolation and seclusion. Besides, oblivion is a heritage the antiquity of which goes back to our father Adam (peace be upon him!)"
وأنا ذاكر فصلًا فيما حضرته وشاهدته من الصيد والقنص والجوارح.,"I shall now devote a chapter to what I have witnessed and partaken of in the field of hunting, be it the chase or falconry."
فمن ذلك ما حضرته بشيزر في صدر العمر. ومن ذلك ما حضرته مع ملك الأمراء أتابك زنكي بن آق سنقر رحمه الله،,"Some of these experiences I had in Shayzar when I was still in the early part of life, others I had in the company of the Malik-al-Umara’ Atabek Zanki ibn-Aqsunqur (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!),"
ومن ذلك ما حضرته بدمشق مع شهاب الدين محمود بن تاج الملوك رحمه الله،,others I had in Damascus in the company of Shihab-al-Din Mahmud ibn-Taj-al-Muluk (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul;
ومن ذلك ما حضرته بمصر، ومن ذلك ما حضرته مع الملك العادل نور الدين ابي المظفر محمود بن أتابك زنكي رحمه الله،,"others I had in Egypt; others I had with al-Malik al-‘Adil Nur-al-Din abu-al-Muzaffar Mahmud ibn-Atabek Zanki (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!),"
ومن ذلك ما حضرته بديار بكر مع الأمير فخر الدين قرا ارسلان بن داود بن ارتق رحمه الله.,and still others I had in Diyar-Bakr with al-Amir Fakhr-al-Din Qara-Arslan ibn-Dawud ibn-Urtuq (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!).
فأما ما كان في شيزر فكان مع الوالد رحمه الله، وكان مشغوفًا بالصيد لهجًا به ويجمع الجوارح، وما يستكثر ما يغرمه عليه لفرجته،,"As for my hunting experiences in Shayzar, they were in the company of my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) who was extremely fond of the chase, always talking about it and about collecting birds of prey, considering no amount of expense too great for the satisfaction of his curiosity in this sport."
فإنه كان نزهته فليس له شغل سوى الحرب وجهاد الأفرنج ونسخ كتاب الله عز وجل عند فراغه من أشغال أصحابه،,"This was his only distraction, he had no other business but combat and holy war against the Franks, and copying the Book of Allah (mighty and majestic is he!) after having attended to the business of his friends."
وهو رحمه الله صائم الدهر مواظب على تلاوة القرآن.,"All this my father did while he (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) observed a daily fast, and persevered in the recital of the Koran."
فكان الصيد كما جاء في الخبر روِّحوا القلوب تعي الذكر”. فما رأيت قط مثل صيده وتربيته.”,"To him the chase was in accordance with the following traditional saying: “Air ye your hearts so that they can better retain the word of Allah!” In fact, I never saw anything like his hunting and his ability to organize parties for it."
وقد شاهدت صيد ملك الأمراء أتابك زنكي رحمه الله، وكان له جوارح كثيرة،,I have witnessed hunting scenes of the Malik-al-Umara’ Atabek Zanki (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). He possessed a great number of birds of prey.
فرأيته ونحن نسير على الأنهار فيتقدم البازدارية بالبزاة ترميها على طيور الماء وتدق الطبول كجاري العادة,This was his method of procedure as we would be marching along the banks of the rivers. The falconers would proceed ahead of us with the falcons which would be flown at the waterfowl. The drums would be beaten in accordance with the prevailing custom.
فتتصيد منها ما تصيد وتخطئ ما تخطئ وورائهم الشواهين الكوهية على أيدي البازدارية.,"The falcons would catch whatever birds they could, and would miss the rest. The mountain shahins would be on the wrists of the falconers behind."
فإذا اصطادت البزاة وأخطأت أرسلوا الشواهين الكوهية على الطيور وقد أبعدت دشب خبز فتلحق وتصيد،,These are then loosed upon the waterfowl which had been missed by the falcons and which had now flown quite a distance and had perched on an elevated place. The shahins would follow and clutch them.
وترسل على الحجل في طلوعها في سفح الجبل فتصيد، فإنها من سرعة الطيران على صفة عجيبة.,The shahins are next loosed upon the partridges which they pursue and clutch as they climb up the slopes of the mountain. For shahins are characterized by marvelous swiftness in flight.
وشاهدت يومًا ونحن في المغرقة بظاهر الموصل نسير في باذنجان،,"One day I accompanied the atabek to al-Maghraqah in the environs of al-Mawsil, where we had to walk across a field planted with eggplants."
وبين يدي أتابك بازيار على يد باشق، فطار ذكر دراج فارسله عليه فأخذه ونزل.,"Ahead of the atabek walked a falconer carrying a sparrow hawk [bashiq]. A male francolin started to fly. The falconer flew the sparrow hawk at the francolin, which it clutched, and then it descended."
فلما صار في الأرض فرط الدراج من كفه وطار. فلما ارتفع انتقل الباز من الأرض أخذه ونزل وقد ثبته.,"When they struck the ground, the francolin escaped from its talons and took the air again. As it soared high, the hawk darted from the ground, seized it and descended holding it tight in its claws."
ورأيته وهو في صيد الوحش دفعات، إذا اجتمعت الحلقة واجتمع فيها الوحش لا يقدر أحد يدخل الحلقة،,"I have also seen the atabek take part in chasing wild beasts on various occasions. As soon as the hunting party had drawn up in circular formation, with the beasts within, then nobody could get inside of the circle."
وإذا خرج من الوحش شيء رموه، وكان من أرمى الناس، فكان إذا دنا منه الغزال رماه، فنزاه كأنه قد عثر فيقع ويذبح،,"And the moment a beast came out they would shoot their arrows at it. The atabek was himself one of the best archers. Whenever a gazelle came near he would shoot his arrow at it, the gazelle would appear to stumble, and would drop to the ground. It would then be slaughtered."
وكان أول غزال يضربه في كل صيد أحضره ينفذه لي مع غلام من غلمانه وأنا معه.,It was his custom to send to me by one of his attendants the first gazelle brought down in every hunting expedition on which I accompanied him.
وشاهدته وقد اجتمعت الحلقة ونحن في أرض نصيبين على الهرماس وقد ضربوا الخيام، فوصل الوحش إلى الخيام،,I was once with him when the circle was drawn in the region of Nasibin [Nisibis] on the banks of al-Hirmas. Our tents were pitched when the beasts came to them.
فخرج الغلمان بالعصي والعمد، فضربوا منها شيئًا كثيرًا، واجتمعوا في حلقة ذيب فوثب في وسطها على غزال أخذه وبرك عليه فقتل وهو عليه.,"The attendants attacked them with sticks and poles and struck down a large number of them. A wolf, caught in the circle, pounced upon a gazelle in the center of it and, having seized it, crouched down upon it, and was killed while in that position."
وشاهدته يومًا ونحن بسنجار وقد جاءه فارس من أصحابه فقالها هنا ضبعة نائمة!,"I was with the atabek in Sinjar when a horseman from among his companions came and said to him, “Here is a female hyena sleeping.”"
فسار ونحن معه إلى واد هناك، والضبعة نائمة على صخرة في سفح الوادي،,"The atabek started at our head to a neighboring valley, on one side of which the hyena lay on a rock."
فترجل أتابك ومشى حتى وقف مقابلها وضربها بنشابة رماها إلى أسفل الوادي، ونزلوا جاءوا بها إلى بين يديه وهي ميتة.,The atabek dismounted and advanced on foot until he stood opposite to it. He then struck it with his arrow so that it dropped to the bottom of the valley. The attendants descended and brought it dead before him.
ورأيته أيضًا بظاهر سنجار وقد جلوا أرنبًا. فأمر فاستدارت الخيل حولها،,"I also saw the atabek in a suburb of Sinjar when a hare was roused from its form. By his orders, the horsemen made a circuit around the hare."
وأمر غلامًا خلفه يحمل الوشق كما يحمل الفهد، فتقدم أرسله على الأرنب فدخلت بين قوائم الخيل وما تمكن منها. وما كنت رأيت الوشق قبل ذلك يصيد.,"He then ordered an attendant carrying a lynx [washaq] behind him, after the manner in which a cheetah is carried, to come forward and send the lynx against the hare, which doubled back among the legs of the horses and escaped. Never before did I see a lynx used in the chase."
ورأيت الصيد بدمشق أيام شهاب الدين محمود بن تاج الملوك للطير والغزلان وحمر الوحش واليحامير،,"In Damascus I took part, during the days of Shihab-al-Din Mahmud ibn-Taj-al-Muluk, in the chase of birds, gazelles, wild asses and roes."
فرأيته يومًا وقد دخلنا إلى شعراء بانياس وفي الأرض عشب عظيم،,"One day I saw him as we went out together to the forest of Baniyas, where the ground was thickly covered with grass."
فتصدينا كثير من اليحامير، وضربت الخيام حلقة ونزلنا، فقام من وسط الحلقة يحمور كان نائمًا في العشب فأخذ في وسط الخيام.,"After killing a number of roe deer, we pitched our tents in the form of a circle and encamped. A roe deer which was sleeping in the grass now appeared in the midst of the enclosure. It was seized among the tents."
ورأيت ونحن عائدون رجلًا قد رأى سنجابًا في شجرة فأعلم به شهاب الدين فجاء وقف تحته ورماه مرتين او ثلاثًا فما أصابه،,"As we were returning, I saw a man who, noticing a squirrel in a tree, told Shihab-al-Din about it. Shihab-al-Din came, halted under it and shot at it two or three arrows, all of which missed."
فتركه وسار شبه المغتاظ الذي لم يصبه. فرأيت رجلًا من الأتراك جاء رماه فوسط النشابة فيه، فاستخرت يداه وبقي متعلقًا برجليه والنشابة فيه حتى هزوا الشجرة فوقع،,"So he departed on his way somewhat vexed for having missed it. Then I saw a Turk come and shoot at it. The arrow cut it in the middle; its forelegs dangled inert; but it remained suspended by its hind legs, with the arrow nailing it to the tree, until the tree was shaken. Then it dropped."
ولو كانت تلك النشابة في ابن آدم كان مات لوقته، فسبحان خالق الخلق.,"If that arrow had hit a human being, he would undoubtedly have been killed on the spot. But worthy of admiration is the Creator of all creatures!"
ورأيت الصيد في مصر، كان للحافظ لدين الله عبد المجيد ابي ميمون رحمه الله جوارح كثيرة من البزاة والصقور والشواهين البحرية،,"I have also witnessed the chase in Egypt. Al-Hafiz li-Din-Allah ‘Abd-al-Majid abu-al-Maymun (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) possessed a large number of birds of prey, including falcons, sakers and river [bahriyyah] shahins."
فكان لهم زمام يخرج بهم في الجمعة يومين وأكثرهم رجالة على أيديهم الجوارح،,"These birds were in charge of a master huntsman who used to take them out twice a week, most of them perching on the hands of falconers on foot."
فكنت أركب يوم خروجهم إلى الصيد لأتفرج بنظر صيدهم،,I made it a point on their day of outing to mount my horse and enjoy the sight of them in action.
فمضى الزمام إلى الحافظ وقال لهان الضيف فلانًا يخرج معنا – كأنه يستطلع أمره في ذلك. فقالاخرج معه يتفرج على الجوارح.,"The master huntsman, noticing me, went to al-Hafiz and said to him, “Thy guest, so and so, goes out regularly with us,” seeking to find out his opinion in the matter. Al-Hafiz replied, “Let him go out with thee and enjoy the sight of the birds.”"
فخرجنا يومًا ومع بعض البازيارية باز مقرنص بيت أحمر العينين فرأينا كراكي. فقال له الزمام تقدم ارمِ عليها الباز الأحمر العينين.,"One day as we went out together one of the falconers was carrying a red-eyed falcon which was intermewed. We saw cranes. The master said to that falconer, “Go ahead. Hurl at them the red-eyed falcon.”"
فتقدم رماه وطارت الكراكي فلحق منها واحدًا على بعد منا فحطه.,So he proceeded and hurled it. The cranes took the air. The falcon overtook one of them at some distance and brought it down.
فقلت لغلام لي على حصان جيدأدفع الحصان إليه وانزل أغرز منقار الكراكي في الأرض وأكتفه واترك رجليه تحت رجليك إلى أن نصلك.,"I said to one of my attendants on an excellent horse, “Gallop the horse towards the falcon, dismount and thrust the bill of the crane in the ground. Hold it thus and keep its legs under thine until we overtake thee.”"
فمضى وعمل ما قلت له، ووصل البازيار ذبح الكركي واشبع الباز.,"The man went and did as I commanded. When the falconer arrived, he slew the crane and fed the falcon to the point of satisfaction."
فلما دخل الزما حدث الحافظ بما جرى وما قلته للغلام وقال يا مولانا حديثه حديث صياد.,"When the master huntsman returned, he reported to al-Hafiz what had happened and what I had said to my attendant, adding, “O my lord, he talks the way a true sportsman would talk.”"
قال وأي شيء شغل هذا إلى القتال والصيد؟,"Al-Hafiz replied, “And what other business has this man but to fight and to hunt?”"
وكان معهم صقور يرسلونها على البلاشيب وهي طائرة، فإذا رأى البلشوب الصقر دار وارتفع،,"The falconers had sakers which they would loose upon herons while on the wing. As soon as a heron sees a falcon, it circles upwards to a great height."
والصقر يدور في جانب آخر حتى يرتفع على البلشوب، ثم ينقلب عليه يأخذه.,The saker makes circles in another quarter of the sky until it has attained a higher pitch than the heron and then it swoops down upon it and clutches it.
وفي تلك البلاد طيور يسمونها البج مثل النحام يصيدونها أيضًا، وطيور الماء في مقطعات النيل سهلة الصيد،,"In that country are birds called al-bujj, similar to the flamingo, which they also hunt. The waterfowl are easy to hunt at the fords of the Nile."
والغزال عندهم قليل. بل في تلك البلاد بقر بني إسرائيل وهي بقر صفر قرونها مثل قرون البقر وهي أصغر من البقر تعدو عدوًا عظيمًا،,"The gazelle is rare in Egypt, but there live in that land the “cows of the children of Israel.” These are yellow cows whose horns are like those of the ordinary cow, but they are smaller in body than the latter and can run very fast."
وتخرج لهم من النيل دابة يسمونها فرس البحر مثل البقرة الصغيرة عيناها صغيرتان وهي جرداء مثل الجاموس ولها أنياب طوال في فكها الأسفل.,"The Nile brings forth to the people an animal called hippopotamus, which resembles a small cow and has small eyes. Its skin, however, is hairless, like the skin of the buffalo. In its lower jaw it has long teeth."
وفي فكها الأعلى خروق لأنيابها تخرج رؤوسها من تحت عينيها وصياحها مثل صياح الخنزير، ولا تبرح في بركة لها ماء وتأكل الخبز والحشيش والشعير.,"In its upper jaw it has holes through which the roots of the teeth issue from underneath the eyes. It grunts like a hog, and cannot live except in a pool of water. Its food is bread, grass and barley."
وكنت قد مضيت مع الأمير معين الدين رحمه الله إلى عكا إلى عند ملك الإفرنج فلك بن فلك فرأينا رجل من الجنوية وقد وصل من بلاد الإفرنج،,"When I went in the company of al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) to ‘Akka [Acre] to the king of the Franks, Fulk, son of Fulk, we saw a Genoese who had just landed from the country of the Franks."
ومعه باز كبير مقرنص يصيد الكركي ومعه كلبة صغيرة إذا أرسل الباز على الكركي عدت تحته، فإذا أخذ الكركي وحطه عضته فلا يقدر على الخلاص منها.,"He brought with him a large molted falcon, which hunted cranes, and a young bitch. Whenever the falcon was flown at the cranes, the bitch would run right below the falcon, so that the moment the falcon clutched a crane and brought it down, the hound would grab the crane in its teeth, which could not then escape."
وقال لنا ذلك الجنويإن الباز عندنا إذا كان ذنبه ثلاث عشر ريشة اصطاد الكركي. فعددنا ذنب ذلك الباز فكان كذلك.,"That Genoese said to us, “In our country, if the falcon has thirteen feathers in its tail, it can hunt cranes.” As we counted the feathers in that falcon’s tail, they turned out to be exactly so."
فطلبه الأمير معين الدين رحمه الله فأخذه من ذلك الجنوي هو والكلبة وأعطاه للأمير معين الدين،,Al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) asked the king to give him that falcon. The king took it with the bitch from the Genoese and gave them to al-Amir Mu’in-al-Din.
فجاء معنا، فرأيته في الطريق يثب على الغزلان كما يثب إلى اللحم، ووصلنا به إلى دمشق، فما طال عمره بها ولا صاد شيئًا ومات.,"I saw the falcon, which accompanied us on the way, pounce on gazelles as though they were pieces of meat. After its arrival in Damascus, the falcon’s life was brief; death overtook it before it had hunted."
وشاهدت الصيد في حصن كيفا مع الأمير فخر الدين قرا أرسلان بن داود رحمه الله.,I have also taken part in the hunt at Hisn-Kayfa in the company of al-Amir Fakhr-al-Din Qara-Arslan ibn-Dawud (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!).
وهناك الحجل والزرخ كثير والدراج، فأما طير الماء فهو في الشط وهو واسع ما يتمكن الباز منها،,"In that region partridges and sand grouse abound, and so do francolins. As for the waterfowl, they can be found on the banks of the river, which is so wide that the falcon finds it difficult to get hold of them."
وأكثر صيدهم الأراوي ومعزى الجبل يعملونا لها شباكًا ويمدونها في الأودية ويطردون الأراوي فتقع في تلك الشباك وهي كثيرة عندهم وقريبة المتصيد، وكذلك الأرانب.,"Most of the quarry there consists of mountain goats, male and female. Hunters make nets for them which they spread in the valleys and into which they drive the female mountain goats [arawi] until they are finally trapped. The female mountain goats abound in that region and are easy to hunt. The same thing is true of the hares."
وشهدت الصيد مع الملك العادل نور الدين رحمه الله فحضرته ونحن بأرض حماة وقد جلوا له أرنبًا.,I have likewise taken part in hunting expeditions with al-Malik al-‘Adil Nur-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). I was in his company in the land of Hamah when our men started a hare.
فضربها بنشابة كشماء، وقامت وسبقت إلى محجر دخلته فركضنا خلفها، ووقف عليها نور الدين،,"Nur-al-Din shot a jagged arrow at it. The hare leaped, outstripped pursuit and escaped into its burrow. We all ran after it, and Nur-al-Din stood watching for it."
وناولني الشريف السيد بهاء الدين رحمه الله رجلها قد قطعته النشابة من فوق العرقوب،,"The Sharif al-Sayyid Baha’-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) handed me its leg, which the arrow had cut off above the hamstring."
وشقت جوفها قرنة النصلة فوقع منها بيت الولد وسبقت بعد هذا وانجحرت،,"The abdomen was cut open by a corner of the arrowhead, and the uterus had fallen out. Despite that, it beat us all running and entered its burrow."
فأمر نور الدين بعض الوشاقية. نزل وقلع خفافه ودخل خلفها وما وصل إليها،,"By Nur-al-Din’s order, one of his pages descended, took off his sandals and went in behind it, but could not reach it."
وقلت للذي معه بيت الأولاد وفيه خرنقان: شُقَّه واطمرهم بالتراب ففعل، فتحركوا وعاشوا.,"I said to the man carrying the uterus, which had two leverets in it, “Cut it open and cover the young ones in soil.” This he did, and the animals stirred about and lived."
وحضرته يومًاوقد أرسل كلبة على ثعلب ونحن على قرى حصار بأرض حلب فركض خلفه وأنا معه،,It was also in my presence that Nur-al-Din set a bitch on a fox near Qara-Hisar in the region of Aleppo. Nur-al-Din galloped behind the fox and I galloped with him.
فلحقت الكلبة وأخذت ذنب الثعلب فرجع إليه برأسه فعض خيشومها،,"The bitch overtook the fox and seized it by the tail. Turning its head back, the fox bit the bitch on its nose."
فصارت الكلبة تعوي ونور الدين يضحك، ثم خلاها وانجحر، فما قدرنا عليه.,"The bitch began to yelp, while Nur-al-Din (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) laughed. The fox then let go and dodged into its hole, escaping us entirely."
وجاءه يومًا ونحن ركاب تحت قلعة حلب من شمالي البلد بازٌ.,"One day as we were riding together under the walls of the Castle of Aleppo [Qal‘ah-Halab] on the north side of the city, Nur-al-Din was given a falcon."
فقال لنجم الدين أبي طالب بن علي كرد رحمه الله قل لفلان (يعنيني) يأخذ هذا الباز يلعب به.,"He thereupon said to Najm-al-Din abu-Talib ibn-‘Ali-Kurd (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), “Let so and so (meaning me) take this falcon and amuse himself with it.”"
فقال لي، فقلتُ ما أحسن له. فقال نور الدين أنتم بالصيد ما كنتم تزالون، ما تحسن تصلح للباز؟,"Najm-al-Din asked me to do so and I replied, “I do not know how.” Nur-al-Din remarked, “Ye are incessantly in the chase and ye know not how to train a falcon?”"
قلت ما كنا نصلحها نحن كان لنا بازيارية وغلمان يصلحونها ويتصيدون بها قدامنا، وما أخذت الباز.,"I said, “My lord, we never train falcons ourselves. We have falconers and attendants who train them and go before us using them for the chase.” And I did not take the falcon."
شاهدت من الصيد مع هؤلاء الأكبر شيئًا كثيرًا ما اتسع لي الوقت لذكره مفصلًا وكانوا قادرين على ما يحاولونه من صيد وآلته وغيره،,"I have taken such a great part in the hunting parties of these great personages that I have no time to do justice to it in detail. They had all facilities to get their game, being fully equipped with hunting outfits and other necessities."
وما رأيت مثل صيد والدي رحمه الله، فما أدري كنت أراه بعين المحبة كما قال القائل:,"But I never saw a hunt comparable to that of my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!). I know not whether this was due to the fact that I was viewing him with the eye of love, as the poet has said:"
وكل ما يفعل المحبوب محبوب”. ما أدري أكان نظري فيه على تحقيق، وأنا أذكر من شيئًا من ذلك ليحكم فيه من يقف عليه.”,"And whatever the beloved does is lovely,
or whether my opinion of him was based on reality. I shall at all events relate something concerning his hunting, leaving it to the reader to judge for himself."
وذلك ان والدي رحمه الله كان قد فرغ زمانه لتلاوة القرآن والصيام والصيد في نهاره، وفي الليل ينسخ كتاب الله تعالى،,"My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) employed all his time reading the Koran, fasting and hunting during the day, and copying the Book of Allah (exalted is he!) at night."
كان قد نسخ ستًّا وأربعين ختمة بخطة رحمه الله منها ختمتان بالذهب جميع القرآن،,"In all he transcribed forty-six complete copies in his own handwriting (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), two complete copies of which were written in gold from beginning to end."
ويركب إلى الصيد يومًا ويستريح دومًا وهو صائم الدهر.,He was wont to ride for the hunt one day and rest the next day and fast incessantly.
ولنا بشيزر متصيدانمتصيد للحجل والأرانب في الجبل قبلي البلد ومتصيد لطير الماء والدراج والأرانب والغزلان على النهر في الأزوار من غربي البلد.,"In Shayzar we had two hunting fields, one for partridges and hares, in the mountain to the south of the town; and another for waterfowl, francolins, hares and gazelles, on the bank of the river in the cane fields to the west of the town."
وكان يتكلف في تسير قوم من أصحابه إلى البلاد لشرى البازة، حتى أنه انفذ إلى القسطنطينية احضر له منها بازة،,My father took special pains to dispatch men from among his followers to distant lands to buy falcons. He even sent messengers to Constantinople to secure falcons for him.
وحملوا الغلمان معهم من الحمام ما ظنوا انه يكفي البزاة التي معهم فتغير عليهم البحر وتعوقوا حتى فرغ ما معهم من طعم البزاة،,"His retainers brought back with them what they considered a sufficient number of pigeons to feed the falcons they had, but owing to the rough seas the voyage was prolonged until all provisions for the falcons were exhausted."
فاضطروا إلى أن صاروا يطعموا البزاة لحم السمك، فأثر ذلك في أجنحتها صار ريشها ينكسر ويتقصف.,"They were then forced to feed the falcons on the meat of the fish, which so affected their wings that it made their feathers brittle and easy to break."
فلما وصلوا بها إلى شيزر كان فيها بزاة نادرة.,Shayzar certainly possessed rare specimens of falcons when his emissaries returned!
وفي خدمة الوالد بازيار طويل اليد في إصلاح البزاة وعلاجها يقال له غنائم،,"There was at that time in the service of my father a falconer, named Ghana’im, who was an expert in training and treating falcons."
فوصل أجنحتها واصطاد بها وقرنص بعضها عنده.,He imped the broken parts of the wings and used the birds for hunting. Some of them molted in his house.
وكان أكثر ما يستدعي البزاة ويشتريها من وادي ابن الأحمر بالغلاء،,"Most of the falcons Ghana’im would order and buy from Wadi [valley]-ibn-al-Ahmar, and would pay exorbitant prices for them."
فأحضر قومًا من أهل الجبل القريب من شيزر من أهل بشيلا ويسمالخ وحلة عار وتحدث معهم في أن يعملوا في مواضعهم مصايد للبازة ووهبهم وكساهم،,"So he called together some of the inhabitants of the mountain adjoining Shayzar, in the villages of Bashila, Yasmalikh and Hillah-‘Ara, and discussed with them the possibility of establishing in their villages stations for trapping falcons. He bestowed presents on them and gave them clothes."
فمضوا وعملوا بيوت الصيد، فاصطادوا بزاة كثيرة فراخًا ومقرنصة وزرارق،,"They built trapping stations and caught many falcons — some young, others molted and still others white hawks."
فحملوها إلى الوالد وقالوايا مولانا نحن قد بطلنا معايشنا وزراعتنا في خدمتك،,"These they brought to my father and said, “O our lord, we have given up our means of livelihood and our work of agriculture in thy service."
ونشتهي أن تأخذ منا كل ما نصيده وتقرر لنا ثمنًا نعرفه لاتجاذب فيه.,It is our desire that thou buyest from us everything we catch and fix for us a price which we shall know and which will not be subject to bargaining.”
فقرر ثمن الباز الفرخ خمسة عشر دينارًا، وثمن زرق الفرخ نصفها وثمن الباز المقرنص عشرة دناني وثمن الزرق المقرنص نصفها،,"Accordingly, my father fixed the price of a young falcon at fifteen dinars, a young white hawk [zurraq] at half as much, a falcon that had already molted at ten dinars, and a white hawk which had molted at half as much."
وانفتح للجبليين أخذ الدنانير بغير كلفة ولا تعب.,Thus a new means opened up before the mountaineers for making money without much effort or fatigue.
وإنما يعمل له بيتًا بحجارة وعلى قدر خلقته، ويغطيه بعيدان ويسترها بقش وحشيش ويجعل نافذة،,"All that was necessary was to have a stone house built to the height of a man. It would then be covered with branches concealed under hay and grass, with an opening."
ويأخذ طير حمام يجمع رجليه على قضيب ويشدها إليه ويخرجه من تلك النافذة، يحرك العود فيتحرك الطير ويفتح أجنحته،,"The trapper would then secure a pigeon, perch it on a stick, binding its two legs tightly to the stick, and display the pigeon from an opening, as a lure. As he moves the stick up and down the pigeon flutters its wings."
فيراه الباز ينقلب عليه يأخذه، فإذا أحس به الصياد جذب القضيب إلى النافذة ومد يده قبض ورجلي الباز وهو قابض لطير الحمام،,"Seeing it, the falcon turns down and pounces on it to seize it. As soon as the hunter feels the falcon, he pulls the stick back to the opening, stretches out his hand and seizes the two legs of the falcon while it is still binding the pigeon."
وأنزله إليه وخيط عينيه. ويصبح من الغد يصلنا به، يأخذ ثمنه ويعود إلى بيته بعد يومين.,He would then bring it down and seel its eyes. Early the next morning he would fetch it to us and receive its price. After two days he would return home.
فكثر الصيادون وكثرت البزاة حتى صارت عندنا مثل الدجاج.,"Consequently, the number of trappers multiplied, and the number of falcons increased so much that they were as thick as hens about our house."
فيها ما يتصيد به وفيها ما يموت على الكنادر من كثرتها.,"Some of them were good for hunting purposes, others would die on the perch on account of overcrowding."
وكان في خدمة الوالد بازيار وصقارون وكلابزية، وعلم قومًا من مماليكه إصلاح البزاة فمهروا فيها.,"The service of my father comprised falconers, saker trainers and masters of hounds. He taught some of his mamelukes how to breed falcons, and they became experts at it."
وكان يخرج إلى الصيد ونحن أولاده معه في أربعة رجال ومعنا غلماننا وجنائبنا وسلاحنا.,"He used to go out to the chase, with us, his four children, accompanying him, and taking with us our attendants, our extra horses led by our side and our weapons."
فأنا ما كنا نأمن من الفرنج لقربهم منا، ويخرج معنا بزاة كثيرة من العشرة وما حولها،,"For we never felt secure on account of the Franks, whose territory was adjacent to ours. We would also take with us many falcons, as many as ten or more."
ومعه صقاران وفهدان وكلابزيان، مع أحدهما كلاب سلوقية ومع الأخر كلاب زغارية،,"My father would take along two saker men, two cheetah keepers and two masters of hounds. One of the last mentioned would have slugis and the other braches [zaghari]."
فيوم خروجه إلى الجبل لصيد الحجل وهو بعيد من الجبل يقول لنا إذا خرج إلى طريق الجبل تفرقوا، كل من عليه قراءة يقرأها.,"On the day on which he would start for the mountain to hunt partridges, while he was en route towards the mountain but still at some distance from it, he would say to us, “Disperse. Every one of you who has not yet recited his task in the Koran will do it now.”"
ونحن أولاده حفاظ القرآن. فنفترق نقرأ حتى يصير إلى مكان الصيد يأمر من يستدعينا فبسألنا كم قرأ كل واحد منا,"We, his children, knew the Koran by heart. We would then disperse and recite our tasks until we got to the hunting field. He would thereupon order someone to summon us and would question each one of us as to how much he had read."
فإذا أخبرناه يقولأنا قرأت مئة آية أو نحوها، وكان رحمه الله يقرأ القرآن كما أنزل.,"After listening to us, he would say, “I have myself recited a hundred texts” or some number near a hundred. My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) could recite the Koran exactly as it was revealed."
فإذا صرنا في المتصيد أمر الغلمان فيفرق بعضهم مع البازيارية،,"When we got to the hunting field, he would order the attendants to disperse and some of them to join the falconers."
فكيف طارت الحجل كان في ذلك الجانب باز يرسل عليه ومعه من مماليكه وأصحابه أربعون فارسًا أخبر الناس بالصيد، فلا يكاد يطير طير أو يثور أرنب ولا غزال إلا اصطدناه،,"In whatever direction the partridge took the air, there was sure to be in that spot a falcon ready to be flown at it. His accompanying mamelukes and comrades, forty mounted men in all, since they were the most experienced hunters, were sure to get any bird that rose or any hare or gazelle that was started."
وننتهي في الجبل نصيد إلى العصر، ثم نعود وقد أشبعنا البزاة وطرحناها على القلوت في الجبل شربتْ واستحمَّت. ونعود إلى البلد بعد عتمة.,"We would reach the top of the mountain in our chase, remaining there until the late afternoon. Then we would return, after we had fed the falcons and allowed them to drink and bathe themselves in the mountain pools, arriving in town at dusk."
فإذا ركبنا إلى طير الماء والدراج كان ذلك يوم فرجتنا نقع في الصيد من باب المدينة ثم نصل إلى الأزوار،,"That was a care-free day for us when we mounted our horses and went to hunt waterfowl and francolins. We would start for the hunt from the gate of the lower town, then go to the marshy canebrakes [azwar]."
فيقف الفهود والصقور برًا من الزور وندخل إليه بالبزاة، فإن طارت دراجة أخذها الباز،,"The cheetahs and sakers would be kept outside the field while we would go into the brakes with the falcons. If a francolin rose, the falcon would strike it."
وإن قفزت أرنب أرسلنا عليها بعض البزاة، فإن أخذها وإلا خرجت عند الفهود أرسلوا عليها، وإن قفز غزال خرج إلى الفهود أرسلوا عليها،,"If a hare jumped, we would throw off a falcon upon it. If the falcon seized it, well and good; otherwise as soon as the hare got beyond the canebrakes, the cheetahs would be loosed upon it."
وإن قفز غزال خرج إلى الفهود أرسلوا عليه. فإن أخذ وإلا أرسلوا عليه الصقور فما يكاد يفلت منا صيد إلا بفسحة الأجل.,"If a gazelle was started, it was allowed to run until it got beyond the brake, when a cheetah would be loosed upon it; if the cheetah seized it, well and good; otherwise the sakers would be thrown off upon it. Thus hardly a single specimen of game could escape us unless by a special dispensation of fate."
وفي الأزوار خنازير كثيرة تخرج فنركض عليها ونقتلها فيكون فرحنا بقتلها أكثر من فرحة الصيد.,"In the marshy canebrakes the wild boar abounded. We would gallop after it and kill it, rejoicing more in killing it than in killing any other game."
وكن له ترتيب في الصيد كأنه ترتيب الحرب والأمر المهم لا يشتغل أحد بحديث مع صاحبه ولا لهم إلا التبختر في الأرض لنظر الأرنب أو الطير في أوكارها.,"My father had a way of organizing the hunting party as though it were a battle array or a very serious affair No one was supposed to engage in conversation with his companion, and everybody was expected to have one concern only, scanning the ground to spy out a hare in its form or a bird in its nest."
وكان قد صار بيننا وبين بني روبال – تروس ولاون لأرمن من أصحاب المصيصة وانطرطوس وأذنة والدروب، مصادقة ومكاتبة أكبر أسبابها رغبته في البزاة.,"Between my father and the two sons of Rubal — Tarus and Lawun, the Armenian lords of al-Massisah, Antartus, Adhanah and the Durub — mutual relations of friendship and correspondence existed, chiefly caused by his desire for the acquisition of falcons."
فكانوا يُستنفذون له كل سنة عدة من عشرة بزاة أو ما حولها على أيدي رجالة أرمن بازيارية،,"These lords used to forward to my father every year about ten falcons or so in care of Armenian falconers, who would come on foot."
وينفذون الكلاب الزغارية، وينفذ لهم هو الحصن والطيب ومن كسوة مصر،,"They would also send to him a number of braches. My father, on his part, would dispatch to them horses, perfumes and Egyptian-made apparel."
فكان يجيئنا من عندهم بزاة ملاح نادرة فأجتمع عندنا بعض السنين بزاة قد جاءت من الدروب فيها باز فرخ مثل العقاب وبزاة دونه.,"Thus we used to get from them excellent falcons of rare quality. We had accumulated in a certain year a large collection of falcons from ai-Durub, including a young one which was as large as an eagle and other smaller ones."
وجاءنا من الجبل عدة بزاة فيها باز كأنه صقر عريض فرخ ما يلحق بتلك البزاة،,"The collection was augmented by additional falcons from the mountain, including one which was young and broad like a saker, but which could not keep up with the other falcons in flight,"
والبازيار غنائم يقولما في هذه البزاة كلها مثل هذا الباز اليحشور ما يترك شيئًا إلى يصيده ونحن لا نصدقه.,"yet the falconer Ghana’im used to say, “Among all the falcons there is none the like of this young one, named al-Yahshur. It will let no game escape it.” We could not at first believe him."
ثم أصلح ذلك الباز فكان كما ظن فيه من أفره البزاة واطيرها واشطرها، وقرنص عندنا وخرج من القرناص أجود مما كان.,"But after he had trained the falcon, it turned out to be as he had expected, one of the strongest, swiftest and cleverest of all falcons. It molted in our house and became after the molting superior to what it was before."
وعمر ذلك الباز وفرض عندنا ثلاثة عشر سنة. فكان قد صار كأنه من أهل البيت يصطاد للخدمة لا لما جرت به عادة الجوارح أن يصيدوا لنفوسهم.,"That falcon lived long and molted in our house during thirteen years, so that it became almost a member of the family. It would hunt for the service of its master, not following the usage of other birds of prey which hunt for themselves."
وكان مقامه عند الوالد رحمه الله لا يتركه عندا البازيار إنما يحمل الباز في الليل ويجوعه حتى يصطاد به، وذلك الباز كان يكفي من نفسه ويعمل ما يراد منه.,"Al-Yahshur’s roost was near my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), who would not leave it with the falconer, for the falconer would carry the falcon around during the night and would starve it in order to get a better hunt out of it. But this falcon would satisfy its hunger by itself and still carry out all that was expected of it."
فكنا نخرج إلى صيد الحجل ومعنا عدة بزاة فيدفعه الوالد إلى بعض البازيارية ويقولاعتزل به ولا ترسله بالحملة وتسير في الجبل.,"As we went out to hunt partridges, with many falcons in the party, my father would give this particular falcon to one of the falconers and say to him, “Stand aside with it and let it not go with the rest of the falcons as they attack. Rather hide thyself somewhere in the mountain.”"
فكلما خلوا أبصروا حجلة لابدة من شجرة قد أعلموه بها يقول هاتوا اليحشور.,"Once isolated from the rest of the party, if a partridge was seen clinging to a tree and was reported to my father, he would say, “Fetch al-Yahshur.”"
ساعة يقيم يده له قد طار من على يد البازيار وقع على يده بغير دعو، ثم يستشرف برأسه ورقبته،,"And the moment my father would raise his hand, al-Yahshur, without any further call, would instantly fly from the wrist [yad] of the falconer and perch on my father’s wrist and raise erect its head and neck."
فيقف على الحجلة النائمة ويرميها بقضيب في يده فتطير ويرسل عليها اليحشور فيأخذها في عشرة أذرع، ثم يقول للبازيار أشبعه فيقول له اعتزل به.,"My father would draw near the sleeping partridge and throw at it a stick from his hand. The moment the partridge was flushed he would throw off al-Yahshur, who would seize it within a range of ten cubits [dhira‘]. The falconer would then descend to it, slay the bird held in its claws and take al-Yahshur away."
فإذا رأوا حجلة أخرى لابدة عمل بها ذلك، حتى يصيد خمس أو ست حجلات – كذا يأخذها في عشرة أذرع،,"My father would again say, “Stand aside with it.” And whenever they saw another partridge hugging a branch of a tree, he would do the same thing, until five or six partridges had been caught, each one within a range of ten cubits."
ثم يقول للبازيار أشبعه فيقول لهيا مولاي ما تدعه نتصيد به؟,"My father would then say to the falconer, “Feed the falcon.” The falconer would reply, “Dost thou not want to let it alone so that we may hunt some more with it?”"
يا بني معنا عشرة بزاة نتصيد بها وهذا قد أصاد، هذه الاطلاق تقطع عمره.,"But my father would remark, “My son, we have ten other falcons which we can employ in the hunt. This one has already done enough. Much coursing would shorten its life.”"
فيشبعه ويعتزل به البازيار فإذا أنهينا في الصيد وأشبعنا الزاة وحططناها على الماء شربت واستحمت،,"Then the falconer would feed it and hold it away.
The hunt over, we would feed our falcons and put them on the water to drink and bathe."
واليحشور على يد البازيار، فإذا استقبلنا البلد راجعين ونحن في الجبل قال هات اليحشور.,"When, with al-Yahshur on the falconer’s wrist, we approached the town from the mountain, on our homeward way, my father would say, “Let me now have al-Yahshur.”"
حمله على يده وسار، إن طارة حجلة من بين يديه أرسله عليها صادها حتى يصيد عشرة اطلاق أو أكثر قدر ما يطير له من الحجل،,"He would then proceed with it on his wrist. In case a partridge flew in front of my father, he would throw off upon it al-Yahshur, which might fly ten or more courses on the way, according to the number of partridges which rose."
وهو شبعان لا يحطّ منسره في مذبح حجلة ولا يذوق دمها.,"And because it would then be satiated, al-Yahshur would not put its beak to a partridge’s throat nor would it taste its blood."
فإذا دخلنا الدار قال هاتوا طاسة ماء، فجاءوا بطاسة فيها ماء فقدمها إليه وهو على يده رحمه الله فيشرب منها.,"When we entered the house, my father would say, “Fetch me a bowl of water.” They would fetch him one and he would offer it to the falcon while it was still on his wrist (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
وإن كان يريد يستحم خضخض منسره في الماء فيدري انه يريد يستحم،,"The falcon would drink from it. In case it wanted a bath, it would shake its beak in the water — which would indicate that it wanted to bathe."
فيأمر بإحضار جفنه كبيرة فيها ماء ويقدمها ليها، فيطير ينزل في وسطها ويدف في الماء حتى يكتفي من السباحة ثم يطلع.,"My father would then order that a big basin full of water be brought and would offer it to the falcon. The falcon would flutter down into it. It would then beat its wings in the water until it had a sufficient bath, when it would get out of the water."
فيحطه على قفاز خشب قد عمل له كبير، ويقرب منه منقل النار، فيتمشق ويتدهن حتى ينشف من الماء، ثم يضع له فروًا مطويًا فينزل إليه ينام عليه،,"My father would put it on a large wooden perch especially made for it and would bring near it a brazier of live coal; and after it was combed and rubbed with oil until it was dry, a folded piece of fur would be placed by it. The falcon would go down to it and sleep."
فلا يزال بيننا على ذلك الفرو نائمًا حتى يتهرول الليل ويريد الوالد يدخل إلى دار الحرم،,"It would remain among us sleeping on the fur until late in the night, at which time my father would want to retire into the harem’s apartment."
فيقول لأحدنا احمله فيحمل كما هو نائم على الفرو حتى يحط إلى جانب فراش الوالد رحمه الله.,"He would then say to one of us, “Carry the falcon.” And the falcon would be carried as it lay sleeping on the fur until it was placed near the bed of my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!)."
وكان من عجائب هذا الباز وعجائبه كثيرة وأنا أذكر منها ما يحضرني ذكره فإن الأمد قد طال وأنستني السنون كثيرًا من أحواله،,"Of the marvelous traits of this falcon, and it certainly had many of them, I shall only recount the few which I still remember, for a long time has passed since then and the years have made me forget many of its habits."
إن كان في دار الوالد حمام وطيور ماء خضر وأناثها وبيضانيات من التي تكون بين البقر تلقط الذبان في الدار،,"In my father’s house were pigeons, green waterfowl with their females, and starlings of the kind kept among the cattle to catch flies and rid the yard of them."
وكان يدخل الوالد وهذا الباز على يده يجلس على دكة في الدار والباز على قفاز إلى جانبه،,"My father would enter the house, with this falcon on his wrist, sit on a platform in the courtyard, placing the falcon on a perch beside him."
فلا يطلب شيئًا من تلك الطيور ولا يثب إليها، ولا كأنه مما جرت عادته بصيدها.,"The falcon would seek none of those birds, nor would it pounce upon any of them, just as if they were not of the kind which it was in the habit of hunting."
وكانت المياه تكثر في ظاهر شيزر في الشتاء فيصير برًا من سورها نقاع كبئار ماء وفيها الطيور،,"In wintertime, so much water would accumulate around Shayzar that outside of the city wall swamps, that were more like pools of water, were formed, to which birds would gather."
فيأمر الوالد البازيار وغلامًا معه يخرجا إلى قريب من تلك الطيور،,My father would then order the falconer and an attendant with him to approach those birds.
ويأخذ اليحشور على يده ويقف به على الحصن يريه الطيور وهو شرقي البلد والطيور غربيها،,"He would himself take al-Yahshur on his wrist and stand with it on the citadel and point out to it the quarry. My father would be on the east side, the birds on the west side of the town."
فإذا أبصرها أرسله فينزل يشف على البلد حتى يخرج منه إلى الطيور،,"As soon as the falcon saw them, my father would throw it off and, flying low, it would leave the town behind in its flight towards the birds."
فيدق له البزيار الطبل فتطير الطيور فيصيد منها وبينها وبين موضع أرسل منه مسافة بعيدة.,"The falconer would thereupon beat the drum, the birds would be flushed and the falcon would catch some of them, though the distance from the place where it was thrown off was considerable."
وكنا نخرج إلى صيد طير الماء والدراج ونرجع بعد عتمة نسمع صوت الطيور في خلجان كبار بالقرب من البلد.,"We used to go out hunting waterfowl and francolins and return after dusk. On the way back we might hear the sound of birds in the big streams around Shayzar,"
crop-filled,"upon which my father would say, Let me have al-Yahshur.” He would take al-Yahshur"
فإن أصاد وقع بيننا نزل إليه البازيار ذبح في رجله ورفعه،,"If its chase proved successful, it would drop back to us; the falconer would go down to it, slay the bird held in its claws, and lift it up."
وإن لم يصد وقع على أكناف النهر فما نراه وما ندري أين وقع، فنخليه وندخل إلى البلد.,"If it proved unsuccessful, it would drop into some cavern of the river without our seeing or knowing where it alighted. We would then leave it to itself and enter the city."
ويصبح البازيار من سحر يخرج إليه يأخذه ويطلع به إلى الحصن إلى عند الوالد رحمه الله. ويقول له يا مولاي قد صقل هذا الصقيع قفاه طوال الليل، وقد أصبح يقطّ البولاذ فاركب ابصر أيش يعمل اليوم!,"At the dawn of the next morning the falconer would go out to it and bring it back to my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) in the citadel, saying, “My lord, this frost has so sharpened the back part of its neck that it can now cut steel. Mount, therefore, and see what it will do today!”"
وما كان يفوت هذا الباز شيء من الصيد من السمانة إلى الوز السمند والأرنب،,"From quails to salamander geese and hares, no game could escape this falcon."
وكان البازيار يشتهي أن يصيد به الكراكي والحرجل ما يتركه الوالد ويقولالحرجل والكراكي تصيدها بالصقور.,"The falconer was always anxious to hunt cranes and argalas with it, but my father would not allow him, saying, “The cranes and argalas should be hunted with the sakers.”"
وكان هذا الباز قد قصر عما نعهده من صيده سنة من السنين حتى إنه كان إذا أرسل وأخطأ لا يجيء إلى الدعو,One year the customary ability of this falcon seemed to have failed it so much that whenever it was flown at a quarry and missed it would not respond to the lure.
وهو عاجز ولا يستحم ولا ندري ما به، ثم صلح عما كان من تقصيره وصاد.,It became weak and would not bathe. We did not know what was wrong with it. But finally it recovered its strength and was once more good for the chase.
واستحم يومًافرفعه البازيار من الماء وقد تفرق ريشه بالبب عن جانبه، وإذا في جانبه سلعة قد اللوزة،,"One day after it had bathed, the falconer lifted it up from the water and saw on its side, which was exposed on account of the wet feathers, a carbuncle the size of an almond."
فأحضره البازيار بين يدي الوالد وقاليا مولاي هذه التي قصرت بالباز وكادت تهلكه.,"The falconer brought it before my father, saying, “O my lord, this is the thing that has weakened the falcon and came near causing its death.”"
ثم مسك الباز وعصرها خرجت مثل اللوزة يابسة وختم موضعها، وعاد الباز إلى الطيور بالسيف والنطع.,"Saying this, he held the falcon and squeezed the carbuncle, which came out like a dry almond. The spot where it grew closed up, and al-Yahshur returned to its customary attacks on birds with its sword and blood sack."
وكان شهاب الدين محمود بن قراجا صاحب حماة ينفذ كل سنة يطلب الباز اليحشور يمضي إليه مع البازيار يقيم عنده عشرين يومًا يتصيد به وبأخذه البازيار ويعود، فمات الباز بشيزر.,"Shihab-al-Din Mahmud ibn-Qaraja, the lord of Hamah at that time, used to send every year for al-Yahshur, which, accompanied by the falconer, would go and spend twenty days with him, serving him in the hunt. The falconer would carry it there and return with it. Finally al-Yahshur died in Shayzar."
واتفق أنني كنت قد زرت شهاب الدين إلى حماة، وأصبحت يومًا وأنا بحماة وقد حضر القراء والمكبرون وخلق عظيم من أهل البلد.,"It happened that as I was paying a visit to Shihab-al-Din in Hamah, I arose one morning to find the Koran readers, the “Allah is great” chanters [mukabbirun], and a large crowd of the inhabitants of the town assembled."
فسألت من قد مات؟ قالوا بنت لشهاب الدين. فأردت الخروج خلف الجنازة فماحكني شهاب الدين ومنعني،,"On asking, “Who is dead?” I was told that it was a daughter of Shihab-al-Din. So I desired to walk in the funeral procession, but Shihab-al-Din began to argue with me and prevented me."
وخرجوا في قبروا الميت في تل صقرون، فلما عادوا قال لي شهاب الدينتدري من هو الميت؟ قلت: قالوا ولد لك.,"The dead body was carried and interred in Tell-Saqrun. On their return, Shihab-al-Din said to me, “Knowest thou who was the dead one?” I replied, “I was told that it was a child of thine.”"
قال لا والله بل هو الباز اليحشور، سمعت أنه قد مات، أنفذت أخذته وعملت له تابوتًاوجنازة وقبرته، فإنه كان يستحق ذلك.,"He said, “No, by Allah. It was rather the falcon, al-Yahshur. Hearing that it died, I sent and had it brought hither. Then I made for it a coffin, arranged a special funeral and interred it. For it surely deserved as much.”"
وكان للوالد رحمه الله فهدة في الفهود مثل اليحشور في البزاة،,My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had a female cheetah [fahdah] which was among cheetahs what al-Yahshur was among falcons.
اصطادها وهي وحشية من أكبر ما يكون من الفهود، فأخذها الفهاد وقرمها واستحابها.,"This animal, one of the largest of cheetahs, was captured in a wild state. The cheetah trainer took it, made an incision in the skin of its nose and tamed it."
وكانت تصرع كما يصرع المصاب بعقله وتزبد، ويقدم لها الخشف فلا تطلبه ولا تريده حتى إذا شمته عضَّته.,"It was subject to attacks of epilepsy, similar to the attacks which afflict a madman, during which it would froth at the mouth, and when a young deer was offered, it would not seek it and would show no desire for it but would only smell and bite it."
وبقيت كذلك مدة طويلة نحوًا منسنة، فخرجنا يومًا إلى الأزوار، فدخلت الخيل إلى الزور وأنا واقف في فم الزور، والفهاد في هذه الفهدة يقرب مني،,"This condition lasted for a long time — about a year. One day we went to the marshy canebrakes. Our horsemen entered the brakes while I stopped at the entrance, with the cheetah trainer and the cheetah close by me."
فقام من الزور غزال وخرج إلي، فدفعت حصانًا كان تحتي من اجود الخيل اريد ارده إلى الفهدة، وعاجله الحصان، ندسه بصدره رماه،,"A gazelle rose from the brake and came out towards me. I galloped the horse under me, which was a horse of one of the best breeds, in an effort to turn the gazelle in the direction of the cheetah, but the horse proved too quick for the gazelle and hit it in the chest, making it fall."
فوثبت الفهدة صادته فكأنها كانت نائمة وانتبهت وقالت خذوا الصيد ما أردتم!,"At once the cheetah jumped and caught the gazelle, as though it had suddenly been awakened from a sleep and said, “Receive now all the game ye desire!”"
فكانت مهما قام لها من الغزلاناخذته، ولا يستطيع الفهاد ضبطها،,"After this, any gazelle that appeared, it would seize at once. The cheetah keeper could no longer control it."
فتجذبه ترميه، ولا تقف كما تقف الفهود في طردها بل وقت أن يقول قد وقفت تجدد عدوًا أو تأخذ الغزال.,"It would drag him and throw him down and would not halt as cheetahs ordinarily do in their chase. In fact every time its keeper thought it had stopped, it would start again at a run and seize the gazelle."
وصيدنا بشيزر الغزال الادمي وهو غزال كبير، فكنا إذا خرجنا بها إلى العلاة والأرض الشرقية وفيها الغزال الأبيض، لاتترك الفهاد يركض بها حتى يمكننها ألا تجذبه ترميه،,"In Shayzar we used to hunt the admi, a large species of gazelle. Whenever we took this cheetah to al-‘Alah and the land to the east of the town, in which the white gazelles abounded, we would not allow the cheetah keeper to run with the cheetah lest it drag him and throw him down."
وتغير على الغزلان كأنها كانت ترى أنهم خشوف لصغر الغزال الأبيض.,"It would attack those gazelles as though they were gazelle fawns, for the ordinary white gazelles are very small."
وكانت هذه الفهد دون باقي الفهود في دار الوالد رحمه الله.,This was the only cheetah among all of them which was allowed to stay in the house of my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!).
وله جارية تخدمها ولها في جانب الدار قطيفة مطوية تحتها حشيش يابس،,"He had a special maid who served it. In one side of the courtyard she had a velvet quilt folded, with dry grass beneath."
وفي الحائط سكة مضروبة يجيء الفهاد بها من الصيد إلى الباب الدار يحطها وفيها المرتفه.,"In the wall was an iron staple. After the hunt, the cheetah trainer would bring it to the door of the house in which its couching place lay, and leave it there."
وتدخل إلى الدار إلى ذلك المكان المفروش لها فتنام فيه، وتجيء الجارية تربطها إلى السكة المضروبة بالحائط.,"It would then enter the house and go to that place, where its bed was spread, and sleep. The maid would come and tie it to the staple fastened in the wall."
وفي الدار والله، نحوى من عشرين غزال ادمي وأبيض وفحول ومعزي وخشوف قد توالدت في الدار فلا تطلبهم ولا تروعهم،,"In that same house were, by Allah, twenty admi and white gazelles, rams, goats and fawns born in the yard; yet the cheetah would neither seek them nor frighten them."
ولاتزول عن موضعها وتدخل إلى الدار وهي مسيبة فلا تلفت إلى الغزلان.,"It would never leave its place. Though left by itself, it would enter the yard without even looking at the gazelles."
وشاهدت الجارية التي كانت تدور بها وهي تسرح جسمها بالمشط فلا تمنع ولا تنفر،,"I watched the maid in charge of the cheetah dress its skin with a comb, while the cheetah neither objected nor tried to get away."
ورأيتها يومًاوقد بالت على تلك القطيفة المفروشة لها وهي تتلتلها وتضربها حيث بالت على القطيفة ولا تهر عليها ولا تضربها.,"One day after the cheetah had urinated over the quilt spread for it, I saw the maid shake it violently and hit it because it had urinated on the couch, without the cheetah growling at the maid or striking back at her."
ورأيتها يومًا وقد أثارت من بين يدي الفهاد ارنبين، وقد لحقت الواحدة وأخذتها عضتها بفمها،,"On another day I saw it when two hares started right in front of the trainer. It overtook one and seized it, biting it with its teeth."
وتبعت الأخرى فلحقتها وجعلت تضربها بيدها وفمها مشغول في الأرنب الأولة، فوقفت عنها بعد ان ضربتها بيديها عدة ضربات ومضت الأرنب.,"It then followed the other and, on overtaking it, began to hit it with its two front paws, while its mouth was occupied with the first hare. After giving it a few blows with its paws, the cheetah let it go and the hare went its way."
وحضر معنا في الصيد الشيخ العلم ابو عبيد الله الطليطلي النحوي رحمه الله، وكان في النحو سيبويه زمانه،,"Among those who joined us on hunting expeditions was the learned Sheikh abu-‘Abdallah al-Tulaytuli, the grammarian (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), who was in grammar the Sibawayhi of his age."
قرأت عليه النحو نحوًا من عشر سنين وكان متولي دار العلم بطرابلس.,"I studied grammar under him for about ten years. Previous to that he was in charge of the Academy of Learning [dar al-‘ilm] in Tripoli,"
فلما أخذ الإفرنج طرابلس نفذ الوالد والعم رحمهما الله استخلصا الشيخ ابو عبد الله هذا ويانس الناسخ،,"and when the Franks captured that city, my father and uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon their souls!) sent and procured this al-Sheikh abu-‘Abdallah, together with Yanis, the copyist."
وكان قريب الطبقة في الخط من طريقة أبو البواب،,The latter’s system of calligraphy was very much like the system of ibn-al-Bawwab.
أقام عندنا بشيزر مدة ونسخ للوالد رحمه الله ختمتين. ثم انتقل إلى مصر ومات بها.,"He lived with us in Shayzar for some time and copied for my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) two complete Korans. After that he changed his residence to Egypt, where he died."
وشاهدت من الشيخ أبي عبد الله عجبًا. دخلت عليه يومًا لأقرأ عليه فوجدت بين يديه كتب النحو:,I witnessed something marvelous in al-Sheikh abu-‘Abdallah. As I entered his room one day in order to study under him and found lying before him the principal textbooks on grammar —
كتاب سيبويه وكتاب الخصائص لابن جني وكتاب الإيضاح لأبي علي الفارسي وكتاب اللمع وكتاب الجمل فقلت يا شيخ أبو عبد الله قرأت هذه الكتب كلها؟,"the Kitab Sibawayhi, al-Khasa’is by ibn-Jinni, al-Idah by abu-‘Ali al-Farisi, al-Luma‘ and al-Jumal — I said to him, “O Sheikh abu-‘Abdallah, hast thou read all these books?”"
قرأتها؟ لا والله، إلا كتبتها في اللوح وحفظتها،,"“Read them?” he replied. “No, by Allah, I have rather inscribed them on the tablet [of my heart] and memorized them all."
تريد تدري: خذ جزءًا وافتحه وأقرأ من أول الصفحة سطرًا واحدًا.,"If thou wishest to ascertain that, take any section, open it and read from the top of the page just one line.”"
فأخذت جزءًاوفتحته وقرأت منه سطرًا، فقرأ الصفحة بأجمعها حفظًاحتى أتى على تلك الأخزاء جميعها،,"Accordingly, I took a section, opened it and read one line of it. He continued repeating by heart the whole page and so he could do with all the other sections."
فرأيت منه أمرًا عظيمًاما هو في طاقة البشر.,Thus I witnessed in the case of this man a remarkable phenomenon which is beyond human power.
هذه جملة إعتراضية لا موضع لها من سياقة الحديث.,The above is a parenthetical paragraph which was inserted in the course of a narrative to which it does not really belong.
وقد حضر معنا صيد هذه الفهدة وهو راكب في رجليه أفدام،,I saw this Sheikh abu-‘Abdallah when he joined us on a hunting expedition in which our remarkable cheetah took part. He was riding on horseback and had his feet covered with rags.
وفي الأرض شوك كثير وقد ضرب رجليه أدماها،,"The ground was rich in thistles, many of which stuck into his feet and made them bleed."
وهو مشغول ينظر صيد الفهدة ولا يحس بتألم رجليه – مشغول بما يراه من تسللها إلى الغزلان وعدوها وحسن صيدها.,"But as he was absorbed watching the cheetah hunt, he felt no pain in his feet; for all his attention was directed to the sight of the cheetah, which crept slyly towards the gazelles, bounded after them, and succeeded in catching them."
وكان الوالد رحمه الله محظوظًا من الجوارح النادرة الفارهة، وذلك انها كانت عنده كثيرة فيندر منها الجارح الفاره،,"My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was very fortunate in having exceptional and clever birds of prey, because he possessed so many of them and could select from among them the cleverest and most rapacious."
وكان عنده في بعض السنين باز مقرنص بيت أحمر العينين، فكان من أفره البازة،,On a certain year he had a red-eyed falcon that was intermewed and was one of the cleverest of falcons.
فوصل كتاب عمي تاج الأمراء أبي المتولد مقلد رحمه الله من مصر وكان مقامه بها في خدمة الآمر بأحكام الله يقول:,"He received a letter from my uncle, Taj-al-Umara’ [the crown of amirs] abu-al-Mutawwaj Muqallad (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), in Cairo, where he had taken his abode in the service of al-Amir bi-Ahkam-Allah, saying,"
سمعت في مجلس الأفضل ذكر الباز الأحمر العينين، والأفضل يستخبر المحدث عنه وعن صيده.,“In the audience chamber of al-Afdal I heard the red-eyed falcon mentioned and heard al-Afdal questioning his informant about it and about its methods of chase.”
فنفذه الوالد رحمه الله مع بازياره إلى الأفضل. فلما حضر بين يديه قال لههذا هو الباز الأحمر العينين؟,"Thereupon, my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) sent the falcon with a falconer to al-Afdal. When the falconer presented himself before al-Afdal, the latter said, “Is this the red-eyed falcon?”"
قال نعم يامولاي قالأي شيء يصيد؟ قال يصيد السمانة والحرجلة وما بينهما من صيد.,"The falconer replied, “Yes, my lord.” He asked him, “What does it chase?” The falconer replied, “Quails, argalas and other kinds of birds included between these two varieties.”"
فبقي هذا الباز بمصر مدة ثم أفلت وراح وبقي سنة في البرية في شجر الجميز وقرنص في البرية، ثم عادوا اصطادوه.,"This falcon remained in Egypt for some time, after which it escaped and disappeared. After it had spent a year in the wilderness among the sycamore trees where it molted, they succeeded in catching it again."
فجاءنا كتاب عمي رحمه الله يقول: الباز الأحمر العينين ضاع وقرنص في الجمَّيز وعادوا اصطادوه وتصيدوا به. وقد أرسل على الطير منه مصيبة عظيمة.,"A letter was then received from my uncle (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) saying, “The red-eyed falcon was lost and molted among the sycamore trees. But they succeeded in catching it again and are now using it for the chase. It is proving once more to be a great calamity for the birds.”"
وكان يومًا عند الوالد رحمه الله، وقد جاء إنسان من فلاحي معرة النعمان معه باز مقرنص مكسر ريش الأجنحه والذنب في قدر العقاب الكبير، ما رأيت قط بازًا مثله.,"One day as we were with my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) one of the peasants of Ma‘arrah-al-Nu‘man came to him with a molted falcon the size of a big eagle, whose wings and tail had broken feathers. I never saw a falcon like it."
وقال يا مولاي كنت أصلي للدلم بالنادوف فضرب هذا الباز على دلمة في النادوف فأخذته وحملته إليك.,"The man said, “O my lord, I was laying snares for wood pigeons [dalamah] when this falcon struck a wood pigeon caught in the snare. So I seized it and brought it to thee.”"
فأخذه واحسن إلى الذي اهداه. ووصل البازيار ريشه وحمله واستجابه،,"My father took the falcon and gave generously to the man who offered it to him as a present. The falconer imped its feathers, carried it along and tried to train it."
وإذا الباز صائد مطابق مقرنص بيت قد افلت من الإفرنج وقرنص في جبل المعرة، فكان من أفره الجوارح وأشطرها.,"The falcon, however, turned out to be a hunting falcon, habituated to the chase, that had first molted in confinement but had since escaped from the Franks and molted in the mountain of al-Ma‘arrah. It proved to be one of the nimblest and cleverest of all birds of prey."
وشاهدته يومًاوقد خرجنا معه رحمه الله إلى الصيد واستقبلنا على بعد رجل معه شيء ما نتحققه.,"One day when I was on a hunting expedition with my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), we saw at a distance a man coming towards us carrying something which we could not identify."
فلما دنا منا وإذا معه شاهين فرخ من أكبر الشواهين واحسنها وقد خمش يده وهو حامله، فدلاه ومسك ساقيه ورجليه – والشاهين مدلي منشور الأجنحة.,"When he approached us, behold! it was a young shahin, that was one of the largest and best of its kind. It had scratched the hands of its carrier, and therefore he turned it upside down and seized its fetters and its legs while the shahin was hanging down with its wings spread."
فلما وصلنا قال يا مولاي أصدت هذا الطير وقد جئت به إليك فسلمه الوالد إلى البازيار فأصلحه ما انكسر من ريشه.,"When he met us he said, “O my lord, I have caught in the chase this bird and brought it to thee.” My father delivered it to the falconer, who put it in good shape and imped the parts of its feathers that were broken."
ولم يخرج مخبره مثل منظره، كان قد أتلفه الصياد بما عمل به.,"But its deeds did not prove as good as its appearance, for evidently the hunter had spoiled it by the way he treated it."
والشاهين هو الميزان ادنى شيء يعيبه ويفسده. وكان هذا البازيار صانعًامجودًا في إصلاح الشواهين.,"A shahin, like the scales of the balance, is spoiled and rendered useless by the slightest bit of ill treatment. As for this falconer, he was very skilled in the handling of shahins."
كنا نخرج من باب المدينة إلى الصيد ومعنا جميع آلة الصيد حتى الشباك والفؤوس والمجارف والكلاليب لما ينجحر من الصيد،,"When we used to go for the chase from the lower town gate, we used to take with us all the outfit for the chase, even nets, hatchets, shovels and grapnels for the game which went to earth."
ومعنا الجوارح والبزاة والصقور والشواهين والفهود والكلاب،,"We would also take with us the hunting animals, falcons, sakers, shahins, cheetahs and hounds."
فإذا خرجنا من المدينة أدار شاهينين فلا يزالان يدوران على الموكب.,"Soon after leaving the town, my father would let two shahins circle around, and they would continue to circle around the procession."
فإذا خرج إحداهما عن القصد تنحنح البازيار وأشار بيديه إلى النحو الذي يريده فيرجع والله الشاهين من وقته إلى ذلك النحو.,"In case one of them raked out, all the falconer would do would be to cough lightly and point with his hand in the direction in which he desired the falcon to go. The shahin would, by Allah, instantly turn back in that direction."
ورأيته وقد أدار شاهينًا على قطعة من الصلاصل نازلة لي مرج فلما أخذ الشاهين طبقته دق لها الطبل فطارت.,"I once saw my father turn a shahin against a flock of wild pigeons [sulsulah] which had alighted in a meadow. When the shahin had made its point, the drum was beaten and the pigeons were flushed."
وانقلب عليها الشاهين ضرب رأس صلصلة قطعه، وأخذها ونزل.,"The shahin then swooped on them and struck the head of a pigeon, which it cut off. Then he bound the pigeon and went down."
فدرنا والله على ذلك الرأس ما وجدناه، وأثره قد وقع على بعد في الماء لأننا كنا بالقرب من النهر.,"We went around, by Allah, in all directions looking for that head but could not find it. Its traces showed that it had fallen at a distance in the water, for we were close by the river."
وقال له غلام يقال له أحمد بن مجير لم يكن ممن يركب معهيا مولاي اشتهيت أبصر الصيد.,"A retainer of my father, named Ahmad ibn-Mujir, who was not among those who rode with us on hunting expeditions, said one day to my father, “O my lord, I am so anxious to see a hunt.”"
قال قدموا لأحمد فرسًا يركبه ويخرج معنا. فخرجنا إلى صيد الدراج، فطار ذكر وتنر كما جرت العادة،,"My father said, “Offer Ahmad a mare, so that he may ride with us.” We were then going out to hunt francolins. A male francolin rose, fluttering its wings as was its custom."
وعلى يد الوالد رحمه الله اليحشور فأرسله عليه، فطار على الأرض والحشيش يضرب صدره والدراج قد ارتفع ارتفاعًا كبيرًا.,"My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was carrying on his wrist al-Yahshur, which he now threw off upon the francolin. Al-Yahshur flew close to the ground, grazing the tops of the grass with its breast. Meanwhile the francolin had risen to a great height."
فقال له أحمديا مولاي وحياتك كان يتلاه به حتى أخذه.,"Seeing that, Ahmad said to my father, “By thy life, the falcon is playing a game with the francolin.” Finally the falcon seized its prey."
وكان يجيئه من بلاد الروم الزغارية كلاب جياد ذكور وإناث.,"My father used to receive from the land of the Byzantines braches [zaghari], which are hounds of excellent breed, male and female."
فكانت تتوالد عندنا وصيدها الطير طبع فيها.,"These hounds would multiply in our possession. To them, bird chasing was an instinct."
شاهدت منها جروة صغيرة قد خرجت خلف الكلاب التي مع الكلابزي،,I once saw a female puppy which followed the other hounds as the master of hounds took them to the chase.
فأرسل بازًا على دراجة فبنجت في غلفاء في جرف النهر فأرسلوا الكلاب على الغلفاء لتطير الدراجة، وتلك الجروة واقفة على الجرف.,The master sent a falcon after a francolin which had darted into covert within a thicket of brambles on the banks of the river. The dogs were then set loose on the thicket in order to flush the francolin. The puppy was standing on the bank of the river.
فلما طارت الدراجة وثبت الجروة خلفها من على ذلك الجرف. فوقعت في وسط النهر، وما تعرف الصيد وما صادت قط.,"As soon as the francolin rose, the puppy leaped after it from the bank and fell into the river, although it did not know how to hunt and had never hunted before."
ورأيت كلبًا من هذه الزغارية وقد بنجت حجلة في الجبل في بمج صعب وقد إليه الكلب وأبطأ.,I once saw one of these braches penetrate into a thicket of henbane after a female partridge which had sought covert in that impassable thicket on the mountain side. The dog was slow in coming out.
ثم سمعنا حشكة في داخل البنج. فقال الوالد رحمه الله في البنج وحش وقد قتل الكلب.,"We heard a violent noise inside of the thicket My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) said, “There must be a wild beast in there which has killed the dog.”"
ثم بعد ساعة خرج الكلب يجر رجل ابن آوى، وكان في البنج قد قتله وجره أخرجه إلينا.,"After an hour the dog issued, pulling by the leg a jackal which had been in the thicket and which it had killed and was dragging out to us."
وكان الوالد رحمه الله قد خرج إلى أصبهان إلى دركات السلطان ملك شاه رحمه الله,Previous to this my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had gone on a trip to Ispahan to the court of the Sultan Malik-Shah (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!).
فحكى لي قال لما قضيت أشغالي من عند السلطان وأردت السفر أردت أن أستصحب معي جارحًا اتفرج به في طريقي،,"On his return he related to me the following in his own words: When I finished my business with the sultan and desired to return home, I wished to bring back in my company some bird of prey with which I could amuse myself en route."
فجاءوني ببزاة ومعها ابن عرس معلم يخرج الطيور من البنج،,"Accordingly, they brought me some falcons and a ferret which was trained to chase birds out of the henbane bushes."
فأخذت صقورًا تصيد الأرانب والحبارى، واستصعبت مداراة البزاة في تللك الطريق البعيدة الشاقة.,"I chose, however, sakers, which chase hares and bustards, because I considered it difficult to handle falcons on that long and tiresome road."
وكان عنده رحمه الله من الكلاب السلوقية كلاب جياد،,My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) also had in his possession certain slugis of the finest breed.
أرسل يومًا الصقور على الغزلان والأرض غب مطر ثقيلة بالوحل،,One day he set the sakers loose on the gazelles while the ground was still covered with thick mud after a heavy rain.
وأنا معه صغير على برذون لي، وخيلهم قد وقفت من الركض في الطين وبرذوني لخفتي عليه مستظهر، وقد صرعت الصقور والكلاب والغزال.,"I was in his company as a young boy, riding on a hackney of my own. The horses of the other members of the party were stuck in the mud unable to run; but my hackney, thanks to my light weight, triumphed over the mud. The sakers and dogs knocked down the gazelle."
فقال لي يا أسامة الحق الغزال وانزل أمسك من رجليه إلى أن نجيء. ففعلت.,"My father said to me, “O Usamah, follow the gazelle, alight and hold it by its legs until we get to thee.” I did so."
ووصل هو يرحمه الله فذبح الغزال ومعه كلبة صفراء جواد يسمونها الحموية، صرعت الغزال، وهي واقفة.,"When he arrived (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) he slew the gazelle. As he slew the gazelle, there stood by him his bitch of yellow skin and good breed, called al-Hamawiyyah, which was the one that knocked the gazelle down."
وإذا قطعة الغزلان التي اصطدنا منها قد عادت عابرة علينا.,"All at once the herd of gazelles from among which we had separated this one came back, passing by us."
فأخذ رحمه الله قلادة الحموية وخرج يهرول بها حتى رأت الغزلان. وأرسلها عليها اصطادت غزالًا آخر.,My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) immediately seized the collar of al-Hamawiyyah and ran swiftly with it until it caught sight of the gazelles. He then set it loose after them and it caught another gazelle.
وكان رحمه الله مع ثقل جسمه وكبر سنه وأنه لا يزال صائمًا يركض نهاره كله.,"Despite his heavy body and advanced years, my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), who was always fasting, would gallop all day long,"
وكان لا يتصيد إلى على الحصان أو اكديش جواد ونحن معه أربعة أولاده نتعب ونكل وهو يضعف لا يكل ولا يتعب.,"and he would never go hunting except on a fine hunter or a fleet pack horse, and would feel neither weak, worn out nor tired; although we, his four children, while with him, would feel fatigued and exhausted."
ولا يقدر وشاقي ولا صاحب جنيب ولا حامل سلاح يقصر في الركض على الصيد.,"Nor might any servant, any groom holding an extra horse by halter or any carrier of arms lag behind in the chase after the game."
وكان لي غلام اسمه يوسف معه رمحي ودقتي ويجنب حصاني فلا يركض على الصيد ولا يتبعه،,"I had an attendant named Yusuf, who carried my lance and my leather shield and who held the halter of my extra horse, but who would neither run after the game nor follow it."
فيحرد الوالد عليه، فعل ذلك مرة بعد مرة. فقال له الغلام يا مولاي ما ينفعك احد من الحاضرين، والعياذ بالله مثل ابنك هذا،,"My father felt angry with this attendant; he felt so time after time. The attendant finally said to him: O my lord, of all the members of thy party none is of as much use to thee (and in Allah we seek refuge!) as this, thy son."
فدعني اكون خلفه بحصانه وسلاحه، ان احتجته وجدته، واحسب اني ما أنا معكم فما عاد يلومه ولا ينكر عليه كونه ما يركض على الصيد.,"Let me, therefore, keep behind him with his led horse and weapons. Whenever thou hast need of him, thou shalt find him. As for me, consider that I am not in the company at all. After that, my father never blamed him nor showed him disapproval for not running after the game."
ونزل علينا صاحب انطاكية وقاتلنا ورحل عن غير صلح، فركب الوالد رحمه الله إلى الصيد واخرهم ما أبعد عن البلد.,"The lord of Antioch camped against us and, after a combat, departed without concluding peace. Before the rear guard of the Franks had gone any distance from the upper town [Shayzar],"
فتبعتهم خيلنا، فعادوا عليهم والوالد قد أبعد عن البلد.,"my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was already on horseback going out for a hunt. Our horsemen pursued the enemy, who now turned against them. As for my father he was by that time at quite a distance from the town."
ووصل الإفرنج إلى البلد والوالد قد طلع على تل سكين يراهم وهم بينه وبين البلد،,"The Franks went back until they got to the town. In the meantime, my father had climbed Tell-Sikkin in order to watch them as they stood between him and the town."
وما زال واقفًا على التل إلى ان انصرفوا عن البلد وعاد إلى الصيد.,He remained standing on that Tell [hill] until they departed from the town. He then resumed his route for the chase.
وكان رحمه الله يطرد اليحامير في ارض حصن الجسر،,My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) used to chase the roes [yahamir] in the land around the Citadel of the Bridge.
فصرع منها يومًا خمسة او ستة على فرس له دهماء تسمى فرس خرجي باسم صاحبها الذي باعها كان اشتراه الوالد منه بثلاثمئة وعشرين دينارًا،,"Riding on a black mare of his, called the Khurji mare after the name of the man from whom my father had bought it for three hundred and twenty dinars, he knocked down five or six roebucks."
فطرد آخر اليحامير فوقعت يدها في حفرة مما يحفر للخنازير فانقلبت عليه كسرت ترقُوَته،,"As he was chasing the last of them, the front leg of the mare went into a pitfall dug for the wild boar. The mare tumbled over him and broke his collar bone."
ثم قامت ركضت قدر عشرين ذراعًا وهو مطروح، ثم عادت وقفة عند رأسه تنحب وتصهل حتى قام وجاءه الغلمان اركبوه، فهذا فعل الخيل العربية.,"Then it jumped up and galloped for about twenty cubits, while he was still lying flat, after which it returned and stood right over his head moaning and neighing until he arose. The attendants then came and helped him to mount. Such is the way Arab horses behave!"
وخرجت معه رحمه الله الى نحو الجبل لصيد الحجل،,I went out with my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) in the direction of the mountain to hunt partridges.
فنزل غلام له اسمه لؤلؤ رحمه الله لبعض شغله، ونخن قريب من البلد من بكرة.,"An attendant of his, named Lu’lu’ (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), descended from the mountain for some personal affair of his, while we were still near the town, and when it was yet early in the morning."
وتحته برذون، فراى ظل تركشه اجفل منه فرماه وانفلت،,"Under him was a hackney [birdhawn]. The hackney, seeing the shadow of its rider’s quiver, was startled, threw him off and ran away loose."
فركضت والله عليه انا وبعض الغلمان من بكره الى بعد العصر الى ان ألجأناه الى جشار في بعض الأزوار،,"I galloped, by Allah, to catch it, together with an attendant of mine, and kept pursuing it from the morning till late in the afternoon, until we succeeded in forcing it to take refuge among a flock of animals pasturing in the marshy canebrakes."
وقام الجشارية مدوا له الحبل وقبضوه كما يقبض الوحش،,"Those who tended the flock stretched a rope for the hackney and trapped it, as the wild beast is trapped."
وأخذته وعدت والوالد رحمه الله واقف في ظاهر البلد ينتظرني ما يصيد ولا ينزل في داره، فالبراذين بالوحش اشبه مما هي بالخيل.,"I then got hold of it and took it back. All this, while my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was standing outside the town waiting for me, neither hunting nor resting in his home. Thus you see that hackneys are more like wild beasts than horses."
حكى لي رحمه الله قال كنت اخرج الى الصيد ويخرج معي الرئيس ابو تراب حيدره بن قطر متر رحمه الله وكان شيخ الذي حفظ عليه القرأن وقرأ عليه العربية.,"My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) related to me the following in his own words: I used to go out to the hunt accompanied by al-Ra’is abu-Turab Haydarah ibn-Qatrmatar (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), who was my father’s sheikh and under whom my father memorized the Koran and studied Arabic."
فكنا اذا وصلنا موضع الصيد ينزل عن الفرس ويجلس على صخره يقرا القران ونحن نتصيد حوله،,"When we arrived at the hunting field, Abu-Turab would dismount from his mare, sit on a rock and read the Koran while we would be hunting around him."
فإذا فرغنا من الصيد ركب وسار معنا فقال يوما يا سيدنا انا جالس على صخره واذا حجله قد جاءت وهي تتهنكف وهي معيية إلى تلك الصخرة التي أنا عليها،,"With the chase done, he would ride along with us. Abu-Turab related to me the following: “Sir, as I was sitting once on a rock CI7l] a small partridge came all of a sudden trotting heavily along, because of exhaustion, towards the rock on which I was sitting."
دخلت وإذا الباز قد أتى خلفها وهي بعيدة منها،,"As soon as it took cover underneath the rock, a falcon appeared, coming after it, but was still at some distance from it."
فنزل مقابلي ولؤلؤ يصيح عينك عينك يا سيدنا.,"The falcon alighted opposite me while Lu’lu’ was screaming, ‘Look out! Look out, O our master.’"
وجاء وهو يركض وأنا أقول اللهم استر عليها. فقال يا سيدنا أين الحجلة؟ قلت ما رأيت شيئًا،,"He then came galloping, while I was praying, ‘O Allah, conceal the partridge so that he may not see it,’ and said, ‘Our master, where is the partridge?’ I replied, ‘I did not see anything."
ما جائت إلى ها هنا، وترجل عن فرسه ودار حول الصخرة وطلع تحتها فرأها. فقال أقول الحجلة ها هنا تقول لا! وأخذها يا سيدنا كسر رجليها ورماها إاى الباز، وقلبي ينقطع عليها.,"It did not come here.’ He then dismounted from his mare and went around the rock looking underneath it. There he saw the partridge and said, ‘I thought the partridge was here, but thou dost insist that it is not.’ He took it, sir, broke its legs and threw it to the falcon, as my heart was breaking for it.”"
وكان هذا لؤلؤ رحمه الله أخبر الناس بالصيد، شاهدته يومًا وكانت جاءتنا من البرية أرانب جالية،,This Lu’lu’ (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) was of all men the most experienced hunter. I was with him one day on a hunt when a number of hares came from the wilderness and ran freely around us.
فكنا نخرج نصطاد منها شيئًا كثيرًا، وكانت أرانب صغار حمر! فشاهدته يومًا وقد جلى عشرة أرانب طعن التسعة بالبالة اخذها،,"We used to go out and hunt a large number of these hares. They were small, red hares. One day I saw Lu’lu’ rouse ten of them, nine of which he hit with a pike and killed."
ثم جلى أرنب عاشرة. فقال له الوالد رحمه اللهدعها، تقيمها الكلاب تنفرج عليها.,"As he was rousing a tenth hare, my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) said to him, “Let it alone. The dogs will chase it, while we shall be amused by watching them.”"
فأقاموها وأرسلوا عليها الكلاب، فسبقت الأرنب وسلمت. فقال لؤلؤ يا مولاي لو كنت تركتني طعنتها وأخذتها.,"Accordingly, they let the hare run and let the dogs loose after it. But the hare beat them all running, and escaped Lu’lu’ said to my father, “If thou hadst only left me free, I would have pierced and killed it!”"
وشاهدت يومًا أرنبًا تورناها وأرسلنا عليها الكلاب فانجرحت في الأرض الحبيبت، فدخلت كلبة سوداء خلفها بالمحجر،,One day I saw a hare which we roused from its earth and on which we set loose the dogs. It entered a cave in the land of al-Hubaybah and was pursued therein by a black bitch.
ثم خرجت في الحال وهي تتعوص، ثم وقعت فماتت. فما إنصرفنا عنها حتى تفسخت وماتت وتهرأت، وذالك أنها لسعتها حية في المحجر.,"Presently the bitch came out yelping and fell dead Before we left it, its skin had already cracked and it lay dead and rotten. The reason was that a viper had bitten it in the cave."
ومن عجيب ما رئيت من صيد البزاة انني خرجت مع والوالد رحمه الله عقيب مطرقد تتابع ومنعنا من الركوب أياما.,One of the marvelous things I witnessed in the chase with falcons was the following: I set out with my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) after a period of successive rains which had prevented us for days from riding out.
فأمسك المطر فخرجنا بالبزاة نريد طير الماء، فرأينا طيور ممرجة في المرج تحت شرف،,"As soon as the rain ceased, we went out with the falcons, seeking waterfowl. We saw birds lying in a meadow at the foot of a hill."
فتقدم الوالد فأرسل عليها بازًا مقرنصًا بيت. فطلع مع الطيور فصاد منه ونزل فما رأينا معه شيء من الصيد.,"My father advanced and threw off upon them a falcon which was intermewed. The falcon attacked the birds, footed one of them and alighted. But we could see no game with it."
فنزلنا عنده فإذا هو اصطاد زرزورًا وطبق كفه عليه فما جرحه ولا أذاه فنزل البازيار خلصه وهو سالم.,"We dismounted where it was and found to our surprise that what it had caught was a starling, on which it had closed its talons without wounding or hurting it. The falconer went down and extricated the bird, which was safe and sound."
ورأيت من الوز السمند حمية وشجاعة كحمية الرجال وشجاعتهم،,I have witnessed among the salamander geese fortitude and courage similar to the fortitude and courage of men.
وذلك أننا أرسلنا الصقور على رف وز سمند ودققنا الطبول فطار،,Here is an illustration: We sent out our sakers against a flock of geese and beat our drums until they were flushed.
ولحقت الصقور وزة حطتها من بين الوز، ونحن بعيد منها.,"The sakers chased the geese, seized one of them and pulled it down to the ground from among the other geese. We were still at some distance from it."
فصاحت، فترحل من الوز إليها خمسة ستة طيور يضربون الصقور بأجنحتها،,"That goose began to scream, and five or six other geese rushed to its assistance and began to beat the sakers with their wings."
فلولا نبادرهم كانوا خلصوا الوزة وقصوا أجنحة الصقور بمناقيرهم.,"Had we not been quick, they would have saved the goose and cut the wings of the sakers with their beaks."
وهذا ضد حمية البارى، فإنها إذا قرب منها الصقر نزلت إلى الأرض وكيف دار استقبلته بذنبها،,"The courage of the bustard takes quite a different form. Whenever the saker approaches, it goes down to the ground; and in whichever way the saker circles around it, the bustard opposes its tail."
فإذا دنا منها سلحت عليه، بلت ريشه وملأت عينيه وطارت، وإن أخطأته بما تفعله أخذها.,"When the saker is close by, the bustard squirts on it its excrement, wetting its feathers and filling its eyes, and makes its escape. But in case the bustard misses the saker as it does this, the saker gets hold of it."
ومن أغرب ما صاده الباز مع الوالد رحمه الله انه كان على يديه باز غطراف فرخ،,One of the most extraordinary hunts made by a falcon owned by my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) took place as follows: My father had on his wrist an excellent falcon which was still young.
وعلى خليج ماء عيمة وهي طير كبير مثل لون البلشون إلا أنها اكبر من الكركي – من طرف جناحها إلى الطرف الآخر اربعة عشر شبرًا.,"On a stream of water was a ‘aymah, which is a big bird of the same color as the heron, but bigger than a crane, measuring from the extremity of one wing to the extremity of the other about fourteen spans."
فجعل الباز يطلبه، فأرسله عليه ودق الطبل فطار ودخل فيه الباز، أخذه ووقع في الماء.,"The falcon began to seek the ‘aymah, so my father threw it off upon it and beat the drum for the ‘aymah until it arose. The falcon, striking among the feathers of the ‘aymah, managed to bind. Both fell into the water."
فكان ذلك سبب سلامة الباز، وإلا كان قتله بمنقاره،,"In fact, this was the reason for the falcon’s escape, for the ‘aymah would have otherwise killed it with its beak."
فرمى غلام من الغلمان نفسه بالماء بثيابه وعدته مسك العيمة وأطلعها.,"Thereupon one of the attendants threw himself into the water with his clothes and outfit, seized the ‘aymah and lifted it up."
فلما صارت على الأرض صار الباز يبصرها ويصيح وطار عنها وما عاد يعرض لها،,"When it got on the ground, the falcon looked at it screamed and flew away without interfering at all with it."
ولا رأيت باز سوى ذلك اصطادها، فإنها كما قال أبو العلاء بن سليمان في العنقاء أرى العنقاء تكبر إن تُصادا”.”,"Save this one, I never saw a falcon attack a ‘aymah, because the ‘aymah is in the same position as the griffon, about which abu-al-‘Ala ibn-Sulayman has said: I consider the griffon too big to be caught in a chase."
وكان الوالد رحمه الله يمضي إلى حصن الجسر وهو كثير الصيد فيقيم به أيامًا,"My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) used to go to the Citadel of the Bridge, in the vicinity of which game was plentiful, and spend there a few days."
ونحن معه نصيد الحجل والدراج وطير الماء واليحامير والغزلان والأرانب.,"We would be with him hunting partridges, francolins, waterfowl, roebucks gazelles and hares."
فمضى يومًا إليه فركبنا إلى صيد الدراج فأرسل باز يحمله ويصلحه مملوك أسمه نقولا على دراجة.,"One day my father went there and we mounted our horses to chase the francolins. He flew at a francolin a falcon which was carried and trained by a mameluke, named Niqula [Nicholas]."
ومضى نقولا يركض وراءه وقد بنج الدرج في غلفاء، وإذا صياح نقولا قد ملأ الأسماع وعاد يركض.,Niqula himself went galloping behind the falcon. The francolin put in within a thicket of brambles. All of a sudden the screams of Niqula filled our ears and he himself came back galloping.
قلنا ما لك؟ قال السبع خرج من الغلفاء التي وقع فيها الدراج فخليت الباز وانهزمت.,"We asked him, “What is the matter with thee?” He replied, “A lion has issued from the bush where the francolin fell. So I left the falcon and took to flight.”"
وإذا السبع أيضًا ذليل مثل نقولا لما سمع أجراس الباز خرج من الغلفاء منهزمًا إلى الغاب.,"And lo! the lion also was scared like Niqula. When it heard the sound of the flight of the falcon, it rushed out of the thicket and bounded towards the forest."
وكنا نصيد ونعود ننزل على بوشمير نهر صغير بالقرب من الحصن وننفذ نحضر صيادي السمك فنرى منهم العجب،,"Hunting over, we used to return and sit on the banks of Bushamir, a small stream near the citadel. We would then call the fishermen and see the marvelous things which they did."
فيهم من معه قصبة في رأسها حربة لها جبة مثل الخشوت، ولها في الجبت ثلاثة شعب حديد طول كل جعبة ذراع.,"One of them would hold a reed having at its end a spearhead with a cavity into which the reed fits like a pike Out of the cavity spring three hooks of iron, each hook being a cubit in length."
وفي رأس القصبة خيط طويل مشدود إلى يده يقف على جرف النهر وهو ضيق المدى ويبصر السمكة فيزرقها في تلك التي فيها الحديد فما يخطئها،,"At the extremity of the reed there is a long string which the fisherman ties to his hand. The fisherman would stand at the bank of the river, which was rather narrow, and as he saw a fish he would dart at it the reed with the iron. Nor would he miss it."
ثم يجذبها بذلك الخيط فتطلع والسمكة فيها.,He would then drag the reed towards himself with the string until it came out of the water loaded with the fish.
وآخر من الصيادين معه عود قدر قبضه فيه شوكة وفي طرفه الأخر خيط مشدود إلى يده.,"Another fisherman would have a stick as thick as a fist, having at one end an iron grapnel and at the other a string tied to his hand."
ينزل يسبح في الماء يبصر السمكة يخطفها بتلك الشوكة ويخليها فيها،,"This fisherman would go down and swim in the water, and as he saw a fish he would snatch it with the grapnel and hold it."
ويطلع ويجذبه بذلك الخيط يطلع الشوكة والسمكة.,"He would then come out of the water and, with the string, draw the stick, thus pulling out the grapnel and the fish."
وآخر ينزل ويسبح ويمر يده تحت الشجر في الشطوط من الصفصاف على السمكة حتى يدخل أصابعه في خواشيم السمكة وهي لا تتحرك ولا تنفر.,"A third fisherman would go into the water and swim, and as he swam he would pass his hand under the willow trees on the banks, feeling for a fish until his fingers entered into the gills of one in such a way that the fish could neither move nor escape."
ويأخذها ويطلع، فكانت تكون فرجتنا عليهم كفرجتنا على صيد البزاة.,He would then take it and leave the water. Thus the amusement we got out of watching the fishermen was no less than the amusement we got out of hunting with falcons.
غنائم البازيار وتوالى المطر والهواء علينا أيامًا ونحن في حصن الجسر،,We had successive rain and wind for many days as we were in the Citadel of the Bridge.
ثم أمسك المطر لحظة فجاءنا غنائم البازيار وقال للوالد: البزاة جياع جيدة للصيد. وقد طابت وكف المطر، ما تركب؟ قال بلى.,"Then the rain stopped for a time, in the course of which Ghana’im, the falconer, came and said to my father, “The falcons are hungry and in good shape for the chase. The weather has become fine and the rain has ceased. Dost thou not desire to mount and go out?” “Why, yes,” replied my father."
فركبنا فما كان بأكثر من أن خرجنا إلى الصحراء وتفتحت أبواب السماء بالمطر.,So we rode out. But we had scarcely got out as far as the desert when the gates of heaven were open with rain.
فقلنا لغنائم: أنت زعمت أنها طابت وصحت حتى أخرجتنا في هذا المطر!,"We said to Ghana’im, “Thou didst claim that the weather had become good and that all rain had ceased. And so thou hast brought us out in this rain.”"
قال: ما كان لكم عيون تبصر الغيم ودلائل المطر؟ كنتم قلتم لي تكذب في لحيتك ما هي طيبة ولا صاحية!,"Ghana’im replied, “Did ye not have eyes to see the clouds and the signs of rain? Ye could have said to me, ‘Thou liest in thy beard. Neither has the weather become better, nor is it going to cease raining.’”"
وكان هذا غنائم صانعًا جيدًا في إصلاح الشواهين والبزاة خبير بالجوارح، ظريف الحديث طيب العشرة، قد رأى من الجوارح ما يعرف وما لا يعرف.,"This Ghana’im was an expert in the dressing of shahins and falcons, well versed in matters pertaining to birds of prey, interesting in conversation and of delightful company. He had seen of the birds of prey what was known and what was not known."
خرجنا يومًا إلى الصيد من حصن شيزر فرأينا عند الرحا الجلالي شيئًا وإذا كركي مطروح على الأرض،,"One day as we were going out from the Castle of Shayzar for the chase, we saw something near al-Jalali Mill which turned out to be a crane squatting on the ground."
فنزل غلام قلَّبه وإذا هو ميت وهو حار ما برد بعد.,An attendant dismounted and turned it over to find that it was dead.
فرآه غنائم فقالهذا قد اصطاده اللزيق. فتش تحت جناحه.,"But it was still warm and had not yet become rigid. On seeing it Ghana’im said, “This must have been the victim of a luzzayq. Search under its wing.”"
وإذا جانب الكركي مثقوب وقد أكل قلبه. فقال غنائم هذا جارح مثل العوسق يلحق الكركي يلصق تحت جناحه يثقب أضلاعه ويأكل قلبه.,"The side of the crane was found pierced and its heart eaten out. Ghana’im remarked, “The luzzayq is a bird of prey similar to the ‘awsaq. It chases the crane, sticks under its wing and then pierces its ribs and eats its heart.”"
وقضى الله سبحانه وتعالى أنني صرت إلى خدمة أتابك زنكي رحمه الله.,By the decree of Allah (praise be to him) I became attached to the service of Atabek Zanki (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!).
فجاءه جارح مثل العوسق أحمر المنسر والرجلين جفونه عينيه حمر وهو من أحسن الجوارح.,"While I was there, he received a bird of prey similar to the ‘awsaq, red of beak and foot and of red eyelashes. It was one of the most excellent birds of prey."
فقالوا هذا اللزيق. مابقي عنده إلا أيامًا قلائل وقرض السيور بمنسره وطار.,"They told us it was a luzzayq. But it stayed with Zanki only a few days, for it tore the straps with its beak and flew away."
وخرج الوالد رحمه الله إلى صيد الغزلان وأنا معه صغير.,"My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) went out one day to hunt gazelles, and I was in his company as a young lad."
فوصل وادي القناطر وإذا فيه عبيد حرامية يقطعون الطريق فأخذهم وكتفهم وسلمهم إلى قوم من غلمانه يوصلوهم إلى حبس في شيزر.,"When he got to Wadi-al-Qanatir [the valley of arches] he suddenly came upon some negro vagabonds carrying on highway robbery. My father laid hold on them, pinioned their arms behind their backs and delivered them to a band of his attendants with orders to take them to the jail in Shayzar."
فأخذت أنا خشت من بعضهم وسرنا في الصيد، وإذا عانة حمير وحش.,"As for me, I took a pike from one of them, and we proceeded to the hunt. All of a sudden, a herd of wild asses appeared."
فقلت للوالديا مولاي ما أبصرت حمير الوحش قبل اليوم، عن أمرك أركض أبصرهم. فقال افعل.,"I said to my father, “My lord, I never before saw wild asses. By thy permission I shall gallop and look at them.” My father replied, “Do so.”"
وتحتي فرس شقراء من أجود الخيل، فركضت وفي يدي ذلك الخشت الذي أخذته من الحرامية،,"Under me was a chestnut mare of the best breed. I galloped, holding in my hand the pike which I had taken from the vagabonds."
فصرت وسط العانة فأخذت منها حمارًا وصرت أطعنه بذلك الخشت فلا يعمل فيه شيئًالضعف يدي وقلة مضاء الحربة.,"When I got in the midst of the herd, I isolated one of them and began to stab it with the pike without leaving the least impression on the animal on account of the weakness of my arm and the dullness of the spearhead."
فرددت الحمار حتى ردته إلى أصحابي فأخذوه. فعجب والدي ومن معه من عدوا تلك الفرس.,"I turned and chased the ass back as far as my companions, who laid hold on it My father and those with him greatly admired the way my mare ran its course."
فقضى الله سبحانه أنني خرجت يومًا أتفرج على نهر شيزر، وهي تحتي،,By the decree of Allah (worthy of admiration is he!) I went out one day to amuse myself by the sight of the river of Shayzar. That same mare was under me.
ومعي مقرئ ينشد مرة ويقرأ مرة ويغني مرة، فنزلت تحت الشجرة ودفعت الفرس إلى الغلام فعمل فيها شكالًا. وكان إلى جانب النهر فنقرت فوقعت في النهر على جنبها.,"In my company was a teacher of the Koran who would sometimes recite poetry, sometimes sing I dismounted under a tree and turned my mare over to the attendant, who shackled it on the border of the river. The mare took fright and fell into the river on its side."
وكلما أردت تقوم تعود تقع في الماء لأجل الشكال. وكان الغلام صغيرًالايقدر على تخليصها. ونحن لا نعلم ولا ندري.,"Every time it tried to rise, it would fall again into the water, and that because of the shackle. The attendant was too young to be able to save it, and we were entirely unaware of what was going on."
فلما قاربت الموت صاح بنا فجئناها وهي في آخر رمق فقطعنا شكالها وأطلعناها فماتت، وما كان الماء يصل إلى عضدها إنما الشكال أهلكها.,"Seeing that the mare was on the point of death, he yelled to us. So we came and found it dying We immediately cut the shackle and took it out of the water, but it died, although the water in which it was drowned was not deep enough to reach the upper part of its leg. It was rather the shackle that killed it."
وخرج يومًا الوالد رحمه الله إلى الصيد وخرج معه أمير يقال له الصمصام من أصحاب فخر الدين الملك بن عمار صاحب طرابلس على سبيل الخدمة، وهو رجل قليل المخبرة بالصيد.,"One day my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) went out for the chase accompanied by an amir called al-Samsam, who was a comrade in arms of Fakhr-al-Mulk ibn-‘Ammar, the lord of Tripoli, having been in his service. He was a man of little experience in the chase."
فأرسل الوالد بازًا على طير الماء فأخذ منها طيرًا ووقع في وسط النهر،,"My father having sent a falcon after certain birds of prey, the falcon clutched one of them and dropped into the middle of the river."
فجعل الصمصام يدق يدًا على يد ويقول: لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله، كيف كان خروجي في هذا اليوم؟ فقلت له ياصمصام تخاف على الباز أن يغرق؟,"Al-Samsam began to beat one hand against the other, saying, “There is no power and no strength except in Allah! Why did I go out today?” I said to him, “O Samsam, art thou afraid that the falcon will drown?”"
قال: نعم، قد غرق. بطة هو حتى يقع في الماء ولا يغرق؟,"“Certainly,” said he. “It is already drowned. Is the falcon a duck that could fall in the water and not drown?”"
فضحكت وقلت الساعة يطلع. فأخذ الباز رأس الطير وسبح وهو معه حتى طلع به.,"I laughed and said, “It will be up in a minute.” The falcon seized the bird by its head and swam with it until they both got out of the water."
فبقى الصمصام يتعجب من ذلك ويسبح الله سبحانه ويحمده على سلامة الباز.,"Al-Samsam was for a long time after this amazed at the action of the falcon, repeating, “Praise be to Allah!” (worthy of admiration is he!), “Glory be to Allah!” for the safety of the falcon."
ومنايا الحيوان مختلفة الألوان. قد كان الوالد رحمه الله أرسل زرقا أبيض على درّاجة، فوقعت الدرّاجة في غلفاء ودخل معها الزرق،,Animals meet their deaths in various manners. My father once set loose a white hawk on a francolin. The francolin fell in a thicket of brambles and the white hawk went in with it.
وفي الغلفاء ابن اوى أخذ الزرق قطع رأسه، وكان من خيار الجوارح وأفرهها.,"In the thicket was a jackal, which seized the hawk and bit off its head. That hawk was one of the best and most skilful birds of prey."
ورأيت من منايا الجوارح وقد ركبت يوما وبين يدي غلام لي معه باشق فرماه على عصافير فأخذ عصفورًا.,I have seen other cases of death among birds of prey. One day I rode out having in front of me an attendant carrying a sparrow hawk.
وجاء الغلام ذبح العصفور في رجل الباشق فنفض الباشق رأسه وتقيأ دما ووقع ميتا، والعصفور في تلفه مذبوح فسبحان مقدر الآجال.,"The attendant hurled the hawk against a group of small birds and it caught one of them. The attendant came and killed the bird held in the claws of the hawk. The hawk shook its head, vomited blood and fell dead, as the little bird lay slain in its claws. Worthy of praise, therefore, is he who fixes the lengths of lives!"
واجتزت يومًا من باب فتحناه في الحصن لعمارة كانت هناك ومعي زربطانة.,"One day I passed through a door, which we had opened in the citadel leading to an adjoining building, carrying a pea-shooter."
فرأيت عصفورا على حائط انا واقف تحته فرميته ببندقيه فأخطأته وطار العصفور،,"I saw a small bird on a wall at the foot of which I was standing, and I shot at it. The ball missed the bird, which flew away."
وعيني إلى البندقية، فنزلت مع الحائط وقد أخرج عصفورا رأسه من نقب في الحائط فوقعت البندقية على رأسه فقتلته ووقع بين يدي فذبحته، وما كان صيده عن قصد ولا اعتماد.,"My eyes followed the ball, which, going down the wall, hit the head of another small bird, which had just stuck its head out of a hole in that wall, and killed it. The bird dropped right in front of me and I slit its throat. I neither intended nor desired to shoot this bird."
وأرسل رحمه الله يوما الباز على أرنب قامت لنا في زور كثير الشوك،,My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) flew one day his falcon at a hare which rose before us in a marshy canebrake which was full of thorns.
فأخذها وانفرطت منه فجلس على الأرض وراحت الأرانب،,"The falcon seized the hare, but it got loose again and escaped. The falcon dropped to the ground, and the hare ran off."
فركضت أنا فرسا دهماء تحتي من جياد الخيل لأرد الأرنب،,"I immediately galloped on a black mare of excellent breed which was under me, in order to turn the hare back."
فوقت يد الفرس في حفره فانقلبت علي، فملأت يدي ووجهي من ذلك الشوك وانفسخت رجل الفرس.,"The front leg of the mare struck a hole and the mare tumbled over me, covering my hands and face with thorns. The hind leg of the mare was dislocated."
ثم انتقل الباز من الأرض بعدما أبعدت الأرنب لحقها اصادها! فكأنه كان قصده اتلاف فرسي واذيتي بالوقوع في الشوك.,"As for the falcon, after the hare had gone some distance, it flew from the ground, pursued the hare and clutched it, as though it had no other object but to destroy my mare and to cause me mischief by falling among the thorns."
فأصبحنا يوما في اول يوم من رجب صياما، فقلت للوالد رحمه الله اشتهي أخرج أتشاغل بالصيد عن الصيام.,"Early one morning, the first day of Rajab, when we were fasting, I said to my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), “I wish I could go out hunting in order to keep my mind away from the fast.”"
قال أخرج، فخرجت انا وأخي بهاء الدوله ابو المغيث منقذ رحمه الله ومعنا بعض البزاه الى الأزوار،,"My father replied, “Go.” So I set out with my brother, Baha’-al-Dawlah abu-al-Mughith Munqidh (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!), towards the canebrakes, carrying with us a few falcons."
فدخلنا في سوس، فقام لنا خنزير ذكر فطعنه أخي، جرحه ودخل ذلك السوس.,"As we penetrated among certain licorice trees, a wild boar rose before us. My brother struck it with the lance and wounded it. The boar ran in among those licorice trees."
فقال أخي الساعه يكربه الجرح ويخرج استقبله اطعنه اقتله.,"My brother said, “In a minute the wound will begin to hurt and it will come out again. I shall then face, strike and kill it.”"
قلت لا تفعل يضرب فرسك يقتلها. نحن نتحدث والخنزير خرج يريد زورا آخر،,"I said to him, “Do not so, for it may strike thy mare and kill it.” As we were thus conversing, the boar came out, seeking another brake."
فالتقاه أخي طعنه في سنامه أنكسرت فيه عاليه القنطاريه التي طعنه بها،,"My brother encountered the boar and struck it on the hump of its back, inside of which the lance with which he struck broke."
ودخل تحت فرس شقراء تحته عشراء محجله شعلاء ضربها رماها ورماه. فأما الفرس فأنفست فخذها وتلفت، وأما هو فأنفكت اصبعه الخنصر وانكسر خاتمه.,"The boar charged under the chestnut mare of my brother, which was pregnant and had three white legs and a white tail, struck it and tumbled it over. The mare had its thigh dislocated and it perished; as for its rider, his little finger was disjointed and his ring broken."
وركضت انا خلف الخنزير فدخل في سوس مخصب وخناث فيه باقوره نائمه ما أراها من ذلك الغاب.,"I galloped behind the boar, which entered a field covered with luxuriant licorice trees and asphodel, in which lay a herd of cattle which I could not see on account of the thickness of the growth."
فقام منها ثور في صدر حصاني فندسه، فوقعت ووقع الحصان وانكسر لجامه،,"One bull attacked my horse, striking it in the chest and overthrowing it. Both I and the horse, whose bridle broke, fell to the ground."
وقمت أخذت الرمح وركبت ولحقته وقد رمى نفسه في النهر، فوقفت على جرف النهر ورزقته بالرمح،,"I got up, took the lance, mounted again and pursued the bull. It dashed into the river. I stood at the bank and threw my lance at it."
فوقع فيه وأنكسر منه قدر ذراعين وبقيت الحربه فيه وسبح إلى ناحية النهر،,The lance hit it and broke at a length of two cubits. The point and the broken part remained in its body. Still it swam to the other side of the river.
فصحنا بقوم من ذالك الجانب يضربون لبنّا لعمارت بيوت في قريه لعمي،,We called out to some people who were on that side and who were beating brick to build houses in the village belonging to my uncle.
فجاءوا ووقفوا عليه وهو تحت جرف لا يقدر يطلع منه فجعلوا يرمونه بالحجارة الكبار حتى قتلوه.,They came and kept watch on the bull as it tried in vain to climb a steep part of the bank. They then threw big stones at it until they killed it.
وقلت لركابي لي أنزل اليه، فقلع عدته وتعرى وأخذ سيفه وسبح إليه ثم قتله.,"In the meantime, I said to one of my grooms, “Go down to it.” He immediately took off his outfit, unclothed, and, sword in hand, swam to and finished it."
وسحب برجله وأتى به وهو يقول غرفكم الله بركات صيام رجب! استفتحناه بنجس الخنزير.,"Then he dragged it by the leg and brought it, saying, “May Allah bestow upon you the blessings of the fast of Rajab, which we have inaugurated by the impurity of swine.”"
ولو كان للخنزير ظفر ناب مثل الاسد كان أشد بأسا من الأسد.,"If the boar had claws and teeth like the lion, it would be even more deadly than the lion."
فلقد رأيت منها خنزيره قد أقمناها عن جريات لها وواحد يضرب حافر فرس غلام معي بفمه وهو في قد جرو القط،,I once saw a wild sow which we roused from its farrow. One of the young began to strike with its snout the hoof of the horse of one of my attendants. It was the size of a kitten.
فأخذ الغلام من تركشه نشابه ومال اليه طعنه بها ورفعه بالنشابه، فعجبت من قتاله وضربه حافزا لفرس وهو بحيث يحمل في سهل نشاب.,"Taking from his quiver an arrow, my attendant inclined towards it, pierced it and lifted it with the arrow. I could not but admire its fighting spirit and its striking the hoof of a horse, while it was small enough to be carried by a mere arrow."
كان من عجائب الصيد اننا كنا نخرج الى الجبل الى صيد الحجل ومعنا عشره بزاه نتصيد بها النهار كله،,"One of the marvels of the chase took place when we used to go out to the mountain to hunt partridges, having with us ten falcons with which we used to carry on the chase all day long."
والبازيارية مفترقه في الجبل ومع كل بازيار فارسان ثلاثه من المماليك،,The falcons would be scattered all over the mountain. Each one of them would have with him two or three mameluke horsemen.
ومعنا كلابزيان اسم الواحد بطرس والآخر زرزور بادية.,"We would also have two masters of hounds, one of whom was named Butrus [Peter] and the other Zarzur Badiyah."
وكلما ارسل البازيار على حجله وبنجت قد صاحوا يا بطرس! يعدو اليهم مثل الهجين.,"Every time the falconer flew a falcon at a partridge and the partridge took the air, they would shout, “O Butrus!” Butrus would make in to them as swiftly as a dromedary."
كذلك النهار كله يعدو من جبل الى جبل هو ورفيقه، فاذا اشبعنا البزاه ورجعنا أخذ بطرس قلاعه وعدا خلف واحد من المماليك ضربه بها، اخذ الغلام قلاعه وضرب بطرس.,"All day long Butrus would run in this manner from one mountain to another, both he and his companion. After feeding the falcons full and on our way back home, Butrus would take a stone, run after one of the mamelukes and hit him with it. The mameluke would in turn take a stone and hit Butrus with it."
فلا يزال يطارد الغلمان وهم ركاب وهو راجل ويرميهم باقلاع من الجبل الى باب المدينه ما كأنه كان نهاره كله يعدو من جبل إلى جبل.,"Thus Butrus would not cease chasing the attendants, who would be riding while he was on foot, and exchanging with them missiles from the mountain until they got to the lower town gate — as though he had not been all day long running from one mountain to another."
ومن عجائب الكلاب الزغارية أنها ما تأكل الطيور ولا تأكل منها إلى رؤوسها وأرجلها التي ما عليها لحم والعظام التي أكلت البزات لحمها.,"One of the strange things about the braches is that they do not eat birds. The only parts they eat are the birds’ heads and feet, which have no flesh on them, as well as the bones, the flesh from which had been eaten by the falcons."
وكان للوالد رحمه الله كلبة سوداء زغارية يضع الغلمان بالليل على رأسها السراج ويقعدون يلعبون بالشطرنج وهي لا تتحرك،,"My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) had a black bitch of this breed on the head of which the servants would put in the nighttime a lamp, beside which they would sit and play chess while the bitch would not stir."
ولا تزول حتى عمشت عيناها وكان الوالد يحرد على الغلمان ويقولقد أعميتم هذه الكلبة! ولا ينتهون عنها.,"It would keep its position until its eyes became blear. My father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) would feel vexed with the servants and say, “Ye have blinded this bitch,” but they would not refrain."
وأهدى الأمير شهاب الدين مالك بن سالم بن مالك صاحب القلعة للوالد كلبة عروفًا ترسل تحت الصقور على الغزلان فكنا نرى منهم العجب.,"Al-Amir Shihab-al-Din Malik ibn-Salim ibn-Malik, the lord of al-Qal‘ah, sent to my father a bitch distinguished for its intelligence, which could be sent below the sakers against the gazelles. From this bitch we saw marvelous things."
وصيد الصقور بالترتيب. يرسل في الأول المقدم فيعلق بأذن غزال يضربه،,"Hunting by sakers follows a certain system. At first should be sent the leader [al-muqaddam] which, striking a gazelle, binds on its ear."
ويرسل العون بعده فيضرب غزالًا آخر، ويرسل العون الأخر فيفعل كذلك،,"The auxiliary [al-awn] is sent after the leader, and it hits another gazelle. The second auxiliary is then flown and it does likewise."
ويرسل الرابع فيضرب كل صقر منها على غزال، فيأخذ المقدم أذن غزال ويفرده من الغزلان،,"The fourth saker is then flown under like conditions. Thus each saker hits a different gazelle. The leader, now clutching its gazelle by its ear, isolates it from the herd."
فترجع الصقور جميعها إليه وتترك تلك الغزلان التي كانت تضربها.,Thereupon all the other sakers leave the gazelles which they had been binding and join the leader.
وهذه الكلبة تحت الصقور لا تلتفت إلى شيء من الغزلان إلا ما عليه الصقور.,"In the meantime the bitch would be below the sakers, paying no attention to any of the gazelles except those particular ones on which the sakers were."
فيتفق أن يظهر العقاب فتحل الصقور عن الغزال فيمضي الغزال وتدور الصقور.,"It sometimes happens that an eagle appears at this juncture. The sakers would then let go the gazelle, the gazelle would run away and the sakers would begin to fly around in a circle."
فكنا نرى تلك تلك الكلبة قد رجعت عن الغزلان وقت رجوع الصقور وهي تدور تحت الصقور في الأرض كما تدور الصقور في الهواء حلقة،,"At the same time, we would see the bitch letting alone the gazelles, simultaneously with the sakers, and turning around in a circle on the ground below the sakers, as the sakers were circling in the air."
ولا تزال تدور تحتها حتى تنزل الصقور إلى الدعو، فحينئذ تقف وتمشي خلف الخيل.,The bitch would continue to run around below them until they came down in response to the lure. It would then stop and start walking behind the horses.
وكان بين شهاب الدين مالك وبين والدي رحمهما الله مودة ومواصلة بالمكاتبات والرسل،,Between Shihab-al-Din Malik and my father (may Allah’s mercy rest upon his soul!) were special bonds of amity. They communicated by correspondence and by messengers.
فنفذ إليه يومًا يقول خرجت إلى صيد الغزلان فاصطدنا منها ثلاثة آلاف خشف في يوم.,"One day the former sent word to my father, saying, “I have been on a gazelle hunting expedition in the course of which we caught three thousand fawns, all in one day.”"
وذلك أن غزلان عندهم في أرض القلعة كثيره وهم يخرجون وقت ولاد الغزلان،,The explanation is that gazelles abound in the region of al-Qal‘ah. They choose the period in which the gazelles give birth to their young.
خيالة ورجالة فيلأخذون منها ما قد ولد تلك الليلة وقبلها بليلة وثلاث ويقشنها كما يقش الحطب والعشب.,"They then go out on horseback and on foot and seize of the young such as were born that same night, the preceding night and two or three nights before. They collect them in the same way that wood or grass is collected."
والدراج عندهم كثير في الأزوار عاى الفرات. وإذا شق جوفه الدراجة وأزيل ما فيه وحشي بالشعر لا تتغير رائحتها أيامًا كثيرة.,"Francolins abound in the marshy canebrakes on the banks of the Euphrates. If a francolin is cut open, drawn and then stuffed with hair, its odor does not change for many days."
ورأيت يومًا دراجة قد شق جوفها وأخرجت قانصتها وفيها حية قد أكلت نحو من شبر.,"One day I saw a francolin the body of which had been cut open and the crop also taken out. In the crop was a snake, about one span in length, which the francolin had eaten up."
وقتلنا مرة ونحن في الصيد حية خرج من جوفها حية قد بلعتها صحيحة دونها بيسير.,"As we were once hunting, we killed a snake from the belly of which came out another snake which the first snake had swallowed whole and which was just a little smaller than the other."
ففي طباع جميع الحيوان اعتداء القوي على الضعيف.,It is thus the nature of all animals for the strong to prey upon the weak.
والظلم من شيم النفوس فإن تجد *** ذاعفة فلعِلَّةٍ لا يظلمُ,"Injustice is a characteristic of all souls. If thou therefore findest
Someone who does not practice it, then there must be a special reason for it."
"الخاتمة
حصْرُ ذكر الصيد، وقد شهدته سبعين سنة من عمري، غير ممكن ولا مستطاع.","Epilogue
To encompass all the accounts of the chase, which I practiced for seventy years of my life, is neither feasible nor possible."
وتضييع الأوقات في الخرافات، من أعظم عوارض الآفات.,And to lose one’s time in relating fables is one of the worst calamities that may befall a person.
وأنا أستغفر الله تعالى من تضييع الصُّبابة الباقية من العمر، في غير طاعةٍ واكتساب ثوابٍ وأجر.,"As for me, I would seek the pardon of Allah (exalted is he!) if I were to waste the little that remains of my life in other than obedience to his will and preparation for final reward and recompense."
وهو، تبارك وتعالى، يغفر الخطية ويُجزل من رحمته العطية. فهو الكريم الذي لا يُخيِّب آمله ولا يَردّ سائلَه.,And Allah (blessed and exalted is he!) forgives sins and lavishes bounties from his own mercy. He is the generous one who does not disappoint the man who sets his hope on him and from whom the seeker is never turned away.
والحمد لله رب العالمين، وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد نبيه، وعلى آله الطاهرين أجمعين وسلم تسليمًا، وحسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل.,"Praise be to Allah, the lord of the universe. And may Allah’s grace rest upon our master, Muhammad, his prophet, and upon his holy family, and may he give them peace! And in Allah is our sufficiency and he is the best to trust."
قرأت هذا الكتاب من أوله إلى آخره، في عدة مجالس، على مولاي جدّي الأمير الأجل، العالم الفاضل، الصدر الكامل، عضد الدين، جليس الملوك والسلاطين، حجة العرب، خالصة أمير المؤمنين، أدام الله سعادته،,"At the end of the book the following words occurred: I have read this book from beginning to end in a number of sessions under the direction of my lord, my grandfather, the most eminent amir, the meritorious savant, the perfect leader, ‘Adud-al-Din, the companion of kings and sultans, the great authority among the Arabs, the confidant of the commander of the believers — may Allah perpetuate his happiness!"
وسألتُه أن يُجيزني روايته عنه، فأجابني إلى ذلك، وسطّر خطّه الكريم به، وذلك في يوم الخميس ثالث عشر صفر، سنة عشر وستمئة.,"And I have asked him to give me a certificate authorizing me to transmit the contents of this book to others, which he did, inscribing the certificate with his own noble hand. And that was on Thursday, the thirteenth of Safar, in the year 610."
صحيحٌ ذلك، وكتب جَدّه مرهف بن أسامة بن منقذ حامدًا ومصلّيًا.,"“I certify that this is true. Signed by his grandfather, Murhaf ibn-Usamah ibn-Munqidh, Praising Allah and imploring his blessing.”"
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم,"In the name of God, merciful and compassionate"
الحمد لله الذي خلق السماوات والأرض، وجعل الظلمات والنور، ثم الذين كفروا بربهم يعدلون.,"«Praise be to God, Who has created the heavens and the earth and made darkness and light. Yet those who do not believe ascribe equals to their Lord.»"
والحمد لله الذي لا يُؤدى شُكر نعمة من نِعَمِهِ؛ إلا بنعمة منه توجب على مؤدي ماضي نعمه بأدائها نعمةً حادثةً، يجب عليه شكره بها.,"And praise be to God for Whose acts of grace no one can be thankful save through another act of His grace, which, through its bestowal on one giving thanks for past acts of grace, constitutes a new act of grace for which He must be thanked."
ولا يبلغ الواصفون كُنه عظمته. الذي هو كما وصف نفسه، وفوق ما يصفه به خلقه.,"Those who seek to describe Him do not capture the magnitude of His greatness, He Who is as He has described Himself and is above His creatures’ description of Him."
أحمده حمداً كما ينبغي لكرم وجهه وعِز جلاله.,I praise Him as befits His honor and sublime glory.
وأستعينه استعانةَ من لا حول له ولا قوة إلا به.,"I, a creature without power or strength save through Him, seek His assistance."
وأستهديه بهداه الذي لا يضل من أنعم به عليه.,"I beseech Him for His guidance, through which none on whom He bestows it goes astray."
وأستغفره لما أَزلفت وَأَخرت: استغفار من يُقر بعبوديته، ويعلم أنه لا يغفر ذنبه ولا ينجيه منه إلا هو.,"I seek His pardon for what I will do and for what I have already done, a pardon for one who affirms his own servitude and who knows that none can forgive his sin or save him, save Him."
وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وأن محمداً عبده ورسوله.,"I witness that there is no god but God, alone, Who has no partner; and that Muhammad is His servant and Emissary."
بعثه والناس صنفان:,God sent Muhammad while people were of two classes: