258 17 8MB
English Pages [334] Year 2018
In Darfur Volume Two
Library of Arabic Literature Editorial Board General Editor Philip F. Kennedy, New York University Executive Editors James E. Montgomery, University of Cambridge Shawkat M. Toorawa, Yale University Editors Sean Anthony, The Ohio State University Julia Bray, University of Oxford Michael Cooperson, University of California, Los Angeles Joseph E. Lowry, University of Pennsylvania Maurice Pomerantz, New York University Abu Dhabi Tahera Qutbuddin, University of Chicago Devin J. Stewart, Emory University Editorial Director Chip Rossetti Digital Production Manager Stuart Brown Assistant Editor Amanda Yee Fellowship Program Coordinator Amani Al-Zoubi
Letter from the General Editor
The Library of Arabic Literature series offers Arabic editions and English translations of significant works of Arabic literature, with an emphasis on the seventh to nineteenth centuries. The Library of Arabic Literature thus includes texts from the pre-Islamic era to the cusp of the modern period, and encompasses a wide range of genres, including poetry, poetics, fiction, religion, philosophy, law, science, history, and historiography. Books in the series are edited and translated by internationally recognized scholars and are published in parallel-text format with Arabic and English on facing pages, and are also made available as English-only paperbacks. The Library encourages scholars to produce authoritative, though not necessarily critical, Arabic editions, accompanied by modern, lucid English translations. Its ultimate goal is to introduce the rich, largely untapped Arabic literary heritage to both a general audience of readers as well as to scholars and students. The Library of Arabic Literature is supported by a grant from the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute and is published by NYU Press. Philip F. Kennedy General Editor, Library of Arabic Literature
ي أ ش � ن ن � �ه��� ا �ل�� ��ه�ا ن ������ ي � ����ه�� �ي ��ل�ا � ا ��ل�ع � � ا ��ل�� �س � ا ن ن ير ن رن و و � �هح�ّم�� � ن �ع�م ا ��لي�� �ن��س ّ ��م � ن � ر و ي� ا��م �ّ � � ش ا ن ن� �ه�ل�� ا �ل�ث� �ي�
In Darfur An Account of the Sultanate and Its People Muḥammad ibn ʿ Umar al-Tūnisī Volume Two Edited and translated by Humphrey Davies Volume editor Devin Stewart
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York Copyright © 2018 by New York University All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Tūnisī, Muḥammad ibn ʻUmar, author. | Davies, Humphrey T. (Humphrey Taman), translator, editor. | Tūnisī, Muḥammad ibn ʻUmar. Tashḥīdh al-adhhān bi-sīrat bilād al-ʻArab wa-al-Sūdān. | Tūnisī, Muḥammad ibn ʻUmar. Tashḥīdh al-adhhān bi-sīrat bilād al-ʻArab wa-al-Sūdān. English. Title: In Darfur : an account of the sultanate and its people / by Muḥammad al-Tunisi ; edited and translated by Humphrey Davies. Description: New York : New York University Press, [2018]- | Includes bibliographical references. | In English and Arabic. Identifiers: LCCN 2017045322 (print) | LCCN 2017045917 (ebook) | ISBN 9781479811038 (v.1 ebook) | ISBN 9781479846634 (v. 1 ebook) | ISBN 9781479876389 (hardback) Subjects: LCSH: Darfur (Sudan)--History--18th century. | Darfur (Sudan)--History--19th century. | Darfur (Sudan)--Description and travel. Classification: LCC DT159.6.D27 (ebook) | LCC DT159.6.D27 T8613 2018 (print) | DDC 962.7/023--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017045322 New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. Series design by Titus Nemeth. Typeset in Tasmeem, using DecoType Naskh and Emiri. Typesetting and digitization by Stuart Brown. Manufactured in the United States of America c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Table of Contents
Letter from the General Editor
iii
Map 1: The Author’s World: from Mali to Mecca
ix
Map 2: Darfur
x
In Darfur, Volume Two
1
The Book Proper, in three chapters
2
Chapter 1: A Description of Darfur and Its People, of Their Customs and the Customs of Their Kings, and of the Names of the Positions and Ranks Held by the Latter, in five sections Section 1: A Description of Darfur
4 4
Section 2: Customs of the Kings of the Fur
34
Section 3: On the Offices Held by the Kings of the Fur
48
Section 4: The Functioning of the Sultan’s Court
64
Section 5: Garments of the Kings of the Fur
82 102
Chapter 2, in two sections Section 1: Marriage Practices among the Fur
102
Section 2: Eunuchs (Known in Egypt as Ṭawāshiyah)
130 160
Chapter 3, in two sections Section 1: Sicknesses of the Blacks; Their Dishes; the Healthiness of Their Various Climes; Hunting; and Some
160
Animals Section 2: Currency among the People of Darfur
192
A Chapter on the Plants That Grow in Darfur; on Magic, the Making of Amulets, and Geomancy; and on Other Matters
204
Colophon
252
Notes
255
Glossary
274
Bibliography
298
List of Images
303
vii
Table of Contents
Index
304
About the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute
319
About the Typefaces
320
Titles Published by the Library of Arabic Literature
321
About the Editor–Translator
324
viii
Se
R.
ger Ni
ga l ne Ri
ver
N U FA
H
Adiqiz (Agades)
Algiers
R N AW
Lake Chad
KATAKŪ
n
Med i
R
DA
WĀ D D ĀY Cha ri
Laqiyyah
Ko
FU
R
rd
Dongola
Tǎrne Ḥillat Jūltū
al-Suwaynah al-Mazrūb Sarf al-Dajāj
Manfalūṭ
al-Quṣayr Medina
Cairo / al-Fusṭāṭ
N
o
R
Sennar
NĀ
Būlāq * al-Khārijah al-Maqs Abīrīs Mecca al-Shabb (= Bārīs) * Salīmah Jeddah
Banī ʿAdī
al-Minyā
Alexandria
an Sea
Rhodes
Bīr al-Zaghāwī / Bīr al-Malḥah
te r ra n e
AL-BĀQIRMAH
Fe z z a
Tripoli
MANDARAH
BA
Tunis
fa
At lant i c O cean
Ā
DĀR TUNBUKTŪ
L DĀ R M A L
Timbuktu
M
OR
O OCC
Cap Serrat
Ni le
SI n
R.
0
Design: Humphrey T. Davies Cartography: Martin Grosch
200 400 600 800 1000 km
* In the author’s account, Būlāq and Abīrīs are reversed.
Island
Region
Fe zzan Rhodes
State
NU FA H
River with lake
Stop with uncertain location
Author’s itinerary with stop
Settlement
The Author’s World: from Mali to Mecca
1000
00
10
ām
ā
Guéréda
Iriba
al-Wād dāy
Murnei
Geneina
Garsila
Birkat Saira
00
1000
Kutum
Turrah
Qirlī
Kas
2000 1500
2500
Jarkū
Hi l l s
Wā dī l
Jadīd al-Sayl
Wada‘ah
Tāldawā
wb
Umm Kaddadah
1500 1000
Ja b a l Mī da
al-Ṭuwayshah
Jadīd Rās al-Fīl
udū l l-JḤillat Jūltū
Rīl Menawashei al-Shaʿīriyyah
Th eH Nyala
bo
Malha
Tandaltī (el-Fasher)
Marbūṭah
Tawila
Kūbayh
a ag
Mellit
T 1000
0
100
Te i g a P l a t e a u
Tǎrne Numlayh Jadīd Karyū
Kabkābiyyah
J. Gurgei
al-Suwaynah
10
Marrah
Sarf al-Dajāj
10
00
al-Mazrūb
Zalingei
Karnoi
rrah
Ma J.
Wadi Ka ja
Wadi Azu m
Wādī Baw w Wadi Ho ā (?) war
z 0
T
0
ūʿ -K
s/ aw 50
Dār
100
une
Ab ū
D Th e Q al-
igh
Pla in
Region, mountain
20
40
60
80 km Design: Humphrey T. Davies Cartography: Martin Grosch
0
Items in bold are mentioned in al-Tūnisī’s text.
Tāmā
Contour line (height in meters)
Seasonal river, wadi
Mountain, hill
Other settlement
Uncertain localization
Settlement (mentioned in the text)
Darfur
ا�ا��هم�ي ���� �ق� ن ش اش ي أ � �و�ي�ه�� ��ل� ��ه�� ا ن� �� او � ن
The Book Proper, in three chapters
� �أ � ا � نل�ه�ا ن� ا �ل� �و�ل �ن ني ن أ أ ا � � � � � � � � � ا ا ا � � � ي � له� وع�و �ه�� �هح�م ��همه� � ر ��وأر و �ه� � � ا أ ي �� ا ن ا � �ه�م �صس�ه�م �و�م ار �لن � �و�ع� او ��ه�� ��ه�ل�و ن�ك�ه�م �ن او �سم� ءي � نم�ه� � �ن ه��� ��م���ه�� �ق���و�ل �و� ي � �أ ّ � �ن �ن ا � �ل�� ��ه��ل ا �ل� �و�ل �ي�
ني ن � ��هم�ه�� � ا ر���ور
اأ ّ ا ا �ن �ن ا � � �ي� ا ��لش ا �� ش � ن �م ا � � ا ��ل ا ن ن � � اأ ن �� � �ي ا � � ن ا�ا� ش ي م��مر�� ��ه� � ر ��ور � �ه�و �لأ� �لي��م �� ل� م� �م� �ل�ك ��س�و� � �و� �ل�ك � ل�له� � م م� أ ش ش ا � � � �� ن �ن ن �� ّ ن ّ � �ي ي ن � � ي ن ا ّ�ا ن ا ّ �ن�ل� � ا �ل��س�و� ا � ا �و�ل �مم��ل����� �أاو ���لي�� ي�ل�عر��� �مم��ل����� ��س�� ر ��م ��ر� �� �ل ��م � ا ر ا �ل ��ور �� � �هر م أ َ ْ نَ ْ ن� �� � ا ي���ل �َ �َ � ا � �ه ا �� ا �ل� � ا ��ل �ا �ي ْ�َم�� ا ��ن ا ا �نّك�ه�ا ا ��ل�� ي���لي�� ا ��لش��ا ��ل ش� �ون� ل � � � ح � � ح�� ه � � � � س� ل�ك أ ي�� و ي� �و رن و ن م��� ون ر �و ن َر أ َ ع َ م يُ نْ ُ ْ م أ �ي نْ � ا نُ نَ ْ � � �يُ�� ا ��لي��ا ��س� � � ا �َم� َّل�ا اأ � �َم�ّ ا ��ل�ه�ا ��مش ا ن ش � � � � � �� � � � � ا ا � � � � ك ا �ل����ا � ��� � او َ� َر ا ل���� نل وله� ل�� م� و� ر ن�� و ر و ر و �� ن ا نّ ّ � ّ � ع ن � � ن ّاي ا�ا� ن ا أ � ن عأ ي ه�� �م� ّل�ا �و��ع� �ي�ا �ع���ي �م��ل�ك ا � �لنه�ل�ا � �و ع� ا � �له�ل� �� �مك� � �� �ر�ن�ا � او �م�ا ا �ل��� �ي� �ي�ا ��� �م ن� ا�امن�عرن� �أ� ��� ي�ل� ي ي م � �أّ � �ي ن �ي � ش ا � ن ن ن � ش ا � ش � ن ����و ا �ل�� �� � �و �له�� ا �ل�� �ل� �و � �ه���� ا ا �ل� �و�ل �و� ن��� ك ي ن ن أ أ �يَ ْ أ نّ � � ن �ي ن � �� � او �عل��� ا � ا � �ليه�� �م�ا ء �يك ��ط��ل� ��و� �ع���� ن�ل�� ن��� ا �ه��ل ا �ل��س�و� ا � ا ��س� ا �ل� � ��ر�ور �ويلع ��و� �ن�� ا �ه��ل ّ أم �م ���ي م ن �� �م ا � � � ي ي ّ � َ ّ ْ أ َََ ْ �ن ا � �آ ن ي �عّ ن ا ا � � ا � � � � � � م � س ا ا ا ا ا � ل� �� � � � � � � � ه�� �ه�� �� � � � � � � � � � � � ع � � ه م �ل ��� ل�ك وك� ر و ي� و و ي� �م�ل���� �نر� ��و � �ل � م م َ َ َ آ ُ ُ ْ ا� ن ي أ ن ً ي �ا ي� َ ْ َ َ ن ي � ن ن ن ن ن� ����ل� ْ ن ���ا �ن��� ا ر � ي � ا�م�عر�و��� ا �يك� � � او �ر�ه�ا �نر� ��و �كي��� ���ل ��ي� � �ل��ك �ن�ا �ر�م�� �وك�����و �و�م ن��� ر� �كي��ه�ا �ل ح أ أ � �أ ن ّ � ًا � ي �ي ي ح�يّ اأ�نّ�� ���ا �ع �نً�ا ����ن �ا�ّ �من � ي � � � � � � ه � ه � ل � � �ه�م �و� �له�� � �ل�يص� �م ن��� ا �ي�ا �م ر ن��ل� �م ن� ا �ه�ل� � ر ر ني � �ل� ل ل � م رور � أ أ أ أ � � � � ّ � � �ل�� ا ن ��� نّ��� ي��ا ا ��ل��س� � ا ن� ن�����ا ��لي��� �م ن اي� ن ا ن�� ي� ن���يه�ا �ل �م ن ا �لي � � �� ن���يه��ل ي� �م ن ي � � � � � � ل � � ل و � رور ن ل � � � رور ي
4
4
� أا ���
١،١،٣
٢،١،٣
Chapter 1
A Description of Darfur and Its People, of Their Customs and the Customs of Their Kings, and of the Names of the Positions and Ranks Held by the Latter, in five sections 1
Section 1: A Description of Darfur Darfur is the third of the territories regarded as belonging to the kingdoms
3.1.1
of the Blacks. This is so because, when approaching from the east, the first kingdom and territory one comes to is the Kingdom of Sinnār, after which is Kordofan, then the Land of the Fūr. Thus, Darfur is clearly the third. According to this reckoning, the territory of Wadadāy2 is the fourth, al-Bāqirmah the fifth, Barnaw the sixth, Adiqiz the seventh, Nufah the eighth, Dār Tunbuktū the ninth, and Dār Mullā or Mallā (which is the base of the king of the Fullān, who, as we have mentioned earlier, are the same as the Fallātā) the tenth. Coming from the west, however, one would consider Mallā to be the first, Tunbuktū the second, Nufah the third, and so on. The ancients gave the name Takrūr3 to certain of the inhabitants of the Land of the Blacks, meaning by it the people of the kingdom of Barnaw. Now, however, this name has come to include several kingdoms, the first4 being the territory of Waddāy or Wadadāy, also known as Dār Ṣulayḥ, and the last Barnaw; as such, it embraces Bāqirmah, Katakū, and Mandarah, and the people of all these lands are now referred to as “Takrūr,” and this has become their custom. A few days ago, I met a man from these lands and asked him, “Where are you from?” “From Takrūr,” he said, or perhaps, if I remember
5
5
3.1.2
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
ش يّ ي ن � ًّ � ي � � أ ّ أ نّ � � أ ن �ن ا�� ن� ن �ّ � � ا �ي� �م ن� ا �لي� � ��ا ر�ير ن���يه�ا �ل �م ن� �ن�ا �ر�م�� � � �ن��ر �ي� أا �ل� ن�ل�ه�� �م��س�ه�� ��� ن��ا �م ن��� ا �ي� �ل� ا �عر�� ل��� م ي أ ن ن ا �يل� ي � ًّ ن � ً أ � � ن �ي � �ه��ي �ن��ل ّ�م�ا اأ ن��� �ن � ����ا ��لي��� �ع ن �ل�� ن �ه� نع �يل��ل�ك ا ن��ل حّ� �لن�ع � � � � ا � م �� � � � � � �ن��ا �ع �ي�س�م�ا � او �ل�� ا � �ل��و�ل ن ر ي� و � � و ن � ن � ع ���ّ� ا �� ن�ل� �م ن � ه��ي ا ��ل ش��م �ي اأ �ي��س ا �� ُك��� � ش����� � �م ن ا ��لن�ع اآ ن� � ا ا�ا� �ا ��ل ��� �ل�عسن � ر� �� � �و� �ور � ن � طَوي و � رن� ر ر م��� ي�ط ي �ي� أ آ ��نل �ا �� � ل��ا أ� ن ��� ن � ا ���� � � ����ن�ه�ا ����ي ا�ا�م����ا ��ل� ���ط � ا ن� � ا َ �ي�م ْ � ا �ّ ��ل � ا �ي�ا �م�ا ��مم��ل�� � ل � ا ا � ء � � � 1 ه � � ل ي و ر ر َر وو ر � ن ي� ر ي نوي � وو �ش � � ح أّ � نَ ْي ْ �ا أ ن ن �و�م ن ا ن��ل �ن ��و ن� ا ��نل � ��ل�اء ا �� � �ه�ا � �ون��ي ن� � ا ر � �َر���ي ي� �و�م ن� ا �ل���سم�ا �ل ا�ا�منرر�و ن� �و�ه�و ا �و�ل ل�� �� ن��ي�� � � ّ ّ � � � ن � ي �ن ن ا ��ل ش�� ا � ّ ي � ي أ � ي ن ي � ا ا ا ا ا ا ي ن �ن��ر ي�ل�عر��� �م ن� ي�ل ��و ن��� �ك�ه� �م� ا �ل��� �ي� ر ا�م� �ه� �ع�� � م�م� �ل��ك ���ه�ي ر� �م� �سم� �ل �م �ري�� � �و���ن�� � � ي ا ن�ي � � � ن ش � � ن ����ي ا � نَرن�ع�� �و�ي �و��ع� �م�م��ل�� �م�م��ل�� ����ي � او ��س�ه�� �و�ك�ه� ��ل�� �ل� ي����و� �� ���� ��ع �ا�ر�ي �و�ك�ه� �����ل��ط�ا � � أن ي م � � و أ ًم � � ن � ي ش � �ن � ا �� ن ي � � ا ن �ن ي اأ ن يّ ���ا ش �و� ك �ه�� ا �ل���سم�ا �ل ا �يك ن� ��س��� أا ��� �����ل��ط� � ا � �ل ��ور ا ��سن��� �ن �له� ���� �م� ��� او �� �و م� ن � ل���� �ن� ل�� ن � ن يأ � ن �ا ي ن �ّ � أ نّ أ �ا�ش � ن اأ ا � �أ �� � ا ا �����ي ا�ا�م��� � � � ا ��ل�َ� ْ ��ي � �ه�م�ا ��مم�� ل��يا ش � � � ا ا �ل � � ل م � � � ه ه � � � � � � � � ل �مم��ل� ي و ن و ن ر ي� و ل�� � كن���ي�ر�� � أا �ل� ا � ا �ل ي ر � �ل و� � �ش ي أ�ش ن ي ً � � ن � ن �و�س� ��ا�ر�ك�ه� ا ��ا�ر ا � �لعي��ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ا � �ل ��ور �م ن� ا�امي��� �و ن� م ع ّ ُ ْ أ ُ � ّ ي ن � ْ َ ْ ن � َ � ن ي ن � ���ي �� � ي ي ْ � � ن � � � ي ي � ا � ل � ا � � �� � � � ا �� م�م��ل���� ا � � ��� � م�م��ل���� � �� � �� �ور �و�يمس�م�� أا �ل� ا � م�م��ل��� ا لن� ر��� � و�ي� ل ل ر �ور � لنَ� رَ و � � ن ر �و و ن � َ ����ي ا ����� ا � � ي ����ي ا ��ل�� �ي� � ا�م�سم�� �م ن � ي � ي � � ا �لي��ن�� ن � � � ��ه�� ا �ل ش��مر�� �وم�م��ل�� ل ن � و ن� � ن �ور ��ي� ا ���و��س ��ط �وم�م��ل�� ن ر �و و ي �و � او �لنصي�� ��و َ ّ � ا ن اً ن � � � � ن ْ ي ي ن � � � � ا � ْ ّ ُ �ن� �ل��� � ���ا� ا ��مم��ل�����ي � ا � َ �ه�� ا ن�ل �م ن ا ن�ل �ي��� �و� � � ل���ل �م ن� �ه�� � ا�ام�م�ا �ل��ك ��ا �� ي���س��مّ� �����ل��ط� �� رو ن � � نو ي و �� � �م ّ � �ّ � ا ن � ن �ا ّ � � ن ن � ي ي ا أ � � � � � � �ه� �����ل��ط� � ا � �ل ��ور �وك��� ل�� �ن� �ي ��و�لي��� �ع�ل له� �ع��� ��� �س� � او � �� �ص��� � او�م�لن ��و��� أا �ل� �م�لك � ي� ��� �ي� ا �ك� ي أم � م ن أ ن ن أ نّ أ ا� ا ��لي��ن�� ن ا نّ� � � �ع ا �ي ا ا ي ي ن � ع � � � � � � � � ا ا ا ا ل م ء ع � � �� � � �� �� �� � � � � � �� � � � � � م � � � � � � م م س س � � ن� �و و � ن ن� �و ن ر ي� � �ل �ور �أ� �� يل�لن���� أ� � ّ � � � ي � ن ن ن � ي ن ش ن � ي ا ا �� ا ا ���� � ا ��� �ل�����ا �� � �ل�ه��ل� �ع��ل� ا ي�ه� �����ل��ط� � ا � �ل ��ور ���لن����� له�م� �م�� ا �ل��س�و� ا ء أا ��س�ه� ر م�م��ل�� ر ور ن و ن ن� ي �م � ي ن� ل�� ���� ح ن �نر�� �ع�� ��ه�� �م� ك � �ي أ ا � � ا ن ا � ش �ي ّ �� � نَ ْ � ا �ي �ن �� �� ّ ك�ا �ا�ا �ا�م����� �ّ��ي ا ��ل � ��ش�� �م ن ل � � ا � � �و �� ا �� ��ط ن ن�� �لن � � � ا ل � � � ع ك � ح�مر � او �َرر�ي�ليه�ا ي� � �ه� ا ل��مر�ي� �و ن نو ي� يي ر � رن ن أ ي َ ي ري أ أ � ن ّا ن ّ ش ش � � ن ن � �ا� �يص���ل��ي �م ن �ه�� � ا � �ليع��ا �أل�� �ل�� � � او � �له�ل� � �و �� �ا�ر�ي �و�ع� ا �ه��ل �ن �ليع �و� ��س�� �� �ي���ل � او �ش�ا ش� � او ��ا�ر�ع� ل ي ن ن ل � ر � م أ أ م ْ َ أ ُ أ � � � ي � �ا ا �سن ا � ن �ي � ا � �لي� �� �ي ا�م��س ّ ا ي ا �ه�� �ش�هحر�و�ي �ل�� ��ا � ن�ل ��و ن� ا ��ل �مر�ي ن�ل��ل �ي���ن�� ��و ن� ا �� � �ا�ا � �وي�ل���ل�� نك�ه� نصي�ل� �م� � ل��ل ي �م� ك ��ا ن� ل ي نم ن أّ أ ن َ ْ ي � �أ نّ أ ي أ ن ًا �� نّ نّ ن ن ن ��� � ك � ن��ن�م�سي� ���لن���� 2ل� �ك�ه� ا �ه��ل �ن �لعر ا �يك� �ه�م ي�لي��و�ع��ل�و� ��ي� � ا ر���ور � �وي�هحرر�ع�و� � او �م�ا ا ه�ل� ل�� � م َْ أ أ 1ال� �ص�ل :ة�ا �م�� 2 .ال� �ص�لَ :ح��لب���ة.
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A Description of Darfur
rightly, “I’m a Takrūrī.” I then asked him, “From where among all the Takrūrs?” and he said “Bāqirmah,” but he only told me this after a tussle, as he thought I wouldn’t know the place. When he told me, and I asked him about some places there, he was quite amazed and spoke more freely with me. The limits of the Fur on the east are the farthest reaches of al-Ṭuwayshah,
3.1.3
and on the west Dār Masālīṭ, meaning the kingdom of the Masālīṭ, and the last parts of Dār Qimir and the first of Dār Tāmah, which is the empty area located between Dār Ṣulayḥ and Darfur. On the south, the limit is the empty area between Dār Tāmah and Dār Fartīt and, on the north, al-Mazrūb, which is the first well one encounters when entering Darfur from Egyptian territory. Several small kingdoms belong to Darfur. On the north is the kingdom of the Zaghāwah, which is large, with countless inhabitants who have their own sultan, though in terms of his relationship with the sultan of the Fur he is more like one of his army commanders. Also to the north are the kingdoms of the Mīdawb and the Bartī, which are both large: the inhabitants of the second are more numerous than those of the first, but despite their large numbers are more submissive to the Fur sultan than are the Mīdawb. Scattered around Darfur are the kingdoms of the Birqid, Barqū, Tunjūr, and
3.1.4
Mīmah. The kingdoms of the Birqid and the Tunjūr are in the center, those of the Barqū and the Mīmah to the east, and those of the Dājū and the Bīqū, as well as the kingdom of Farāwujayh, to the south. Each has a ruler called a sultan, but he is appointed by the sultan of the Fur. These all follow the same pattern in terms of outward appearance and dress, except for the king of the Tunjūr, who wears a black turban. I asked him why, and he told me that at the beginning the kingdom of Darfur had belonged to his forefathers, so he wore the black turban as a sign of mourning for its loss.5 On its eastern and southern sides, Darfur is surrounded by large numbers of savannah Arabs, such as the Brown Misīriyyah, the Rizayqāt, and the Fullān,6 all of them too numerous to count. They own many cattle and horses and much equipage, and most of them are wealthy. They do not mix with the settled population; on the contrary, they follow the grazing, wherever it may be. To their number should be added the tribe called the Banū Ḥalbah, who are also cattle herders; they penetrate deep into Darfur and practice agriculture there. Among the camel herders there are the Fazārah (comprising the Maḥāmīd and the Majānīn), the Banū ʿUmrān, the Banū Jarrār, the Black
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3.1.5
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
� � �َ َّ َْ ن � ّي � ي ن ��ا �ن�� ن ا ��ل���ل�� �ن�من ��ا �مي��� � او�نم �ه� 1ا � ن�لع ن ا ر�ي �و�ع� ا�م ي� � نو�ل ن��و �ع�م ار � � نو�ل ن��و ن� ار ر � او�ام����ي�ر�ي�� ا � نرر�� �و�ع�ي�ر�ع� � ر أنل ّ م م ن �ي مأ ن ي أ أ ن ن � � �اّ ن �ي � ن � ن �مر�لن��� �ي�ا ���� �ه�ا ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �م ن� ا ��� او �ك�ه� ��ي� ���ل ��س�� �و�ع��� ��ا�ل �م ن� �ه�� � ا � �لع��ا �ل� � ن �ل ي م ّ � ��ل�اء �ن�ل�ا �ن ��ن ن� ��ل��ك �ي�لنه�ا � ي� اأ �ّم�ا ا�ا�م����� �ّ��ي ا ��ل � ح�م � او ��ر نر� �ليه�ا ي� �� �لي ��ّ�ويك�ه� �و�ي��و ن�ع��ل�ه� ��ن� ا ��نل �� ير و ل��� ي� ر ي ي ي م م � � � ن � � � � ا ن �ّ � أ �ي أ � أ ن أ ن ن � أ �ّ � �� ي ���ا �ع� يل�� ��ط�و� �ل�ل����ل��ط� � أا �ل� ا ن�� � ا ��� او �ك�ه� �و�ل� �ي�له�� ر ا �ل�ه�ا �م��ل ا � �ي�ا ���� �م ن� ��ارا ��م�ه�ا أا �ل� �نر ن� م � م � ن �ح ُ ّ � � ش ُ � � ي � ن � ن ي ن � او � �ي�ا � ي� � �نل������ أا ��� � �ل��ك ��طر� �ورن��م�ا �كي���ل �و�ل� �ي�ليه�� ر ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ك�ه� �ع���� ���سي� ء �و� �ليه�� أ م �ن � �ل��لن�ع نس اأ نّ ا �� ن � �ي ا ي �ع� ا اأ � ا ��ل � �� ا ن �ي � ا � � ّ ن �� ��� ش ًا �ن حن ن� � � � � � � � �� ه ��م � � م � � � ل � ه ه � ��� ل ك ن �ي� � رري � ط � ي ر ن� و ن � ر � � ن ي رو ر �و ر ح أ ني م ن ي ي ن ن ي ا�اش ً ُ َ � ن � نن ن ن ش �و ن� ن��م� او ��سيس�ه� � نصع���ه� ���ع���ل� او �م��� ���ل�ه� ك���ي�را أا �ل� ي�ه� ن�لن�������� ���ع ّر� او ا �م�ا �م�� �و� ���ل� او ��ي� ا �لن��َرن�� م م م أ � حيّ � �ي �� ش ً � ط�ه�� � �ه� ���ط�� ن ��� ا ن ن ا� ا ن ش ع��م �ي ا �ّ�ا � � � ل � ل 2 �و ن� ���و ن� �و ا�م ي��م��ل�ك ���ي��أ��ا � او �لن��ر ن�� � ع ي����� �ر �كي��� ا�م���� �ر � ر ي م � ي و و ي� ن � � ن � ن �� ن ي ّ ن ن ي أ � �ّ ن ّ� ن� �و �ع�� �ن��ي ا �ر ن���ل �و م� �ل��ي� � �ل�ي� ن� �س�� ��ط�� ن��م�ا ء ي�لن���لن� �� ����ي��� ���س�وح� �كي��� ��� او �� ا �ل��� � او ن� �و�س� � �ل��ك ي م ع ع ي �ن ن �ن � �ن ن ا ا�ا� ن � � � �لن �ي ��� � �ع ن � ا�ا�م��� ا �ّ � ش ه ن� � ��ش��� ش ا أ ن � � � ا ل � � � �ه�� � �� ل ه � � � �س ط � � ط م ��س� �و� �ل ي حر ���� ���ك و � �و و �ي� ر أ �ل � ري� �ي� � ن ع ع ن � ������ل ا �ل ش��سي��ا ء ُ َ ً أّ � گ ْ ن� يّ ن � ن ي � ن ش ّ نّ � � ي �و � �� أا � ��ط�و�ل أا ���لي�� � ا ر���ور �م ن� ا �و�ل �ن�ل�ا � ا � نر�ع�� �و� أا �� � ا ر رو� ��ه � �س��ي� ن� �ي ��و�م�ا ن�ل��ل أا � م گ نَنْيَ م �� َ نَْ �َ ْ ْ َگ ْ ش ا � � � ا ي �ا�ا ن�� ي� اأ ��ا ي ��ش �م ن ��سع�ه�� ن � ا ا � م � ل � ��ه �و���� �ل� ك� ا �عي�ن��ر ا � ح�ه� � �نك�ه� ��� ا ر رو� ��ه �وك ��عر�و �و� ا ر ن�ل��� �ل�� وب�لة� � ر � ن ي� َ ًا ن ّ �يل� � �ن اأ ا ��ل � � ���نّ � � ن � أ ن � نّ أ نّ ا � � ي � �ن � � �ا��ل�� ن� �ي ��و�م� �ه�� ا ك� س� عرل� �ه��ل ن��ل�� � ح�� ل��� ا �ل�� ي� ا ������ ا �ك�ه� �ل� �ك����ل �ل�� �ل�ك ن�ل��ل ن ن ي أ أ � ً ّ ن � ّ ن ُ ح �ي � �م ن ��م����� ن � �� �م�ا ا � ا ي�� � ا ن �ع�� ي� �م�م�ا ��ل��ك ا � ن�لع �ي��� ي� ا �ل ن اي ا ي ��ه�ا 3ي�لن���لن� ��م���� ي� ي و و �ل أو � �ك�ه� �ي�� �م���� � � ع ��و � ري � �ن ح ا ن� ح�يه�ا ي� ا�ا�م�ه�ا �ه���ي ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� � ا ر ا �� ن�ل ��ور �و� ��أو�ّ �و ن� ��ل�� ا ��نل �اور�ي �و��ع� ��ن� ن� ا ك ا �� نر�م ن ا�م���ل � ا�ام�� �� � ي ي ي رح ي ّ ً ّ � ��� �م� ي �ي �ا�ّ � ن �ه��ي ا�ا��من �س���ي �ن�ا ن� ا � ن���ل ي� � ا ا �� ن ن�ع�� � �ي �م ن ��ن� �� � � � م � � �س�هي�� �ه�ا �ع��� ن� ط � � ن ن ر ر و � � ررو ل � ن و أ ي م ّي أ � �ا ي � ش ن ّ ا ي �ا �ل��� ا ��� ي�ل ن��� ��س�ي ا ��ل�� ن� �� �ه� ا �� �لنه�ا ش��م � �� �م�ا ن� � �م ن ن � � أا ��� �� نو�لي��� �م��� � �و ��س��� ا �ي� �م �و�م� �� نو ي أ � ي� ي و ر يو و � ً ًا ن � � ن �ا � �� � �� �م�ا ن� � �م ن��� ا �� ا � �ل�� � �� �م�ا ن� �ن ش ن ا ش �ن ا ش � � � ا � �له� ��مر أا �� ن����ي��� ��ريو ي و و أ � ريل ي و �ه�� ا ا �ل�� �ع��مر �ي ��و�م� �و�م� ا �ر�يل��ل �� ا �� �ن أ � �ي أ ّا � ن � �� يَ �ْ �َ َ ش �اش �ي أ ّا أ أ � �ي � ن ا �� ي � � ّ�ي � � �ه� أا � �لن��ل�� �ي� أا �� ن����ي��� را � لعي���ل ا نرل�ه� ا �ي� �م �و م�� أا � �ل�ل�� � او ��ل �� ا �ي� �م ا �و ا نرل�ه� �و م � ���� � � ا ��ل ش �يك ّ �ي ��ل�� نل�� � �من ا ��� ن ا � ��ن ا ن �ن ��� �� ا ����� ا � � ي ش��م�ا ن�لي���ي �وي�لن���ل��� �ّ��ي �ع�� ا ��ل �ه� ي� ���ل �لأ� ���� � �ي� نلل� ل ن � � و ��مري�� �ور و � �و � او �لنصي �� ��و ي ن� ش ن ن � ش ن ي أ ّ أ ن ً ن ن أ ه�� � ا �ل�ه��ي � �ش�ل�ا �ش�� ن� � �� �مً�ا ا ا ا ن س � � �و �م� ��م� �لي��� ا �ي� �م ا �يك� �ه�ا � ��� � � ي�م���سي� �كي� نر و و ي و أ أ أ 1ال� �ص�ل� :م ب����ه�ل 2 .ا ب��مة�� ب� �ل�����س�لة���ا ة� 3 .ال� �ص�ل� :م��س�ا � حة����. م
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A Description of Darfur
Misīriyyah, and others. Each of these tribes pays a tax, which the sultan takes annually in animals. There are differences, however. The Brown Misīriyyah and the Rizayqāt,
3.1.6
because they are strong and go far out into the desert, give the sultan only the worst of their animals, and the tax official can only acquire the good ones by paying them off. If he sets his heart on getting more, he is expelled, or even killed, and the sultan can do nothing about it. I’ve been told that the Rizayqāt once refused to accept the rule of Sultan Tayrāb, who sent an army against them, which they defeated. He then took the field against them himself. They fled and took their herds into the Barajūb. He followed them and they killed large numbers of his men and he could lay his hands on nothing. The Barajūb is a place that takes the traveler ten days to cross. It consists of soft mud covered with water that reaches to around the groin: the mud is so soft that the legs of riding animals sink into it. What’s more, it is full of thorny trees. It stops raining there for only two months a year, during the winter. It takes about sixty days to traverse Darfur from end to end, beginning at Dār al-Zaghāwah and ending at Dār Rungah. In fact, if one were to take its dependencies, such as Dār Rungah, Fanqarū, Dār Bandalah, Bīngah, and Shālā, into account as well, it would take more than seventy days—this according to information provided by the people of the country. I, however, don’t believe that it extends so far, and think that at its greatest extent it may take fifty days or fewer, and then only if one counts the five kingdoms of the Fartīt referred to above, which at that time were dependencies under treaties with the sultan of Darfur and paid him an annual land tax. To be specific, if you enter Dār al-Zaghāwah from al-Mazrūb and make straight for Kūbayh, the journey takes about six days. From Kūbayh to Tandaltī, which is the sultan’s seat, takes two days. From the sultan’s seat to Jadīd Karyū is two days and from there to Rīl is two days. This makes twelve days. From Rīl to Jadīd Rās al-Fīl is four days and from there to Taldawā three or four days, while from there to Tabaldiyyah takes eight days—Tabaldiyyah is at the eastern limits of the Fur. Then you enter the territories of the Dāju and the Bīqū, and proceed for another eight days. This makes thirty-four days in all.7
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3.1.7
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
ي � ي ي ن ا � ش ً أ �اا ا� � ّ�ي � ي ش�ّ ا ن ا ن � ي �من ا � �ه�� ا �ل ش��م �� ن� � �ون�ا �ن�ا �ع ار ن� ا �لن��ا � �ي�� ك�� �م����ي ر�ي� ���� ��ل�ء م������ �م أ � �ر نح� � �ه�م� أا �� ن� � ر ّ �َّ ا ن َّ ي � ن ي ا ي ا� � � ��صس ا ��� ن�ا �� �لي� � ا ن �م��ل ي ا �� � ي � ن ا ��ل � ح�م � او ��ل ��ه�� ا �ل�عرن� �ن��َ�لي��� � او �رر�ي�له� � �ع�� �م �ل� ي� � ي �ه�م أ �ل � �ه�م أو � � أ � ن ر أ ا ا ن يي � ا ن ن ش ي أ ّا ش ّ ي ن ن ن ا ي ن � ي �ن ن ش � � � � � � � � �و �ع��مر� ا �ي� � �� ���� ���ل �� ��ل�ء م���س� كي��� � ��ل� �ي� � ا ر ا �ن� �ي�م� ك ��� ��ل �ه� �ي� � ط� � ي أ أ ي أم م ن گ ّ ن ّ ي ن ن � � �� �م�� ن � �ش�ل�ا �ش�� ا ��ا � � � ا �كن ��يع � �مش���له�ا ا � ا ي��� �من�ه�ا ��ه �و�م����ا �كي� ا � ي� � �وي��� ���ل أا ��� � ا ر رو� ي م و ر رو � و ل � �ه� �و يو ن ا ن ا � ش ن � �ن ا ن ن ن �ن گ ش ن ن �و �ي ��و�م��ي� �و�م��� �ي��� ���ل �ي� � ا ر ب�لة� � ��ه �ه�م� ��ل�ء ي�م���سي� �كي��� ا �لأ������ � �� ن����سي�ء ي�����ي�ر �و�م � أّ ن ًن ن � �� ش ا� � ا ني �ار�ن�ا � ا ن� ���ط�و��ل � ا ر�ن��ور ن��م���ل �هر ��ل��ك ن��م�ا � �� �ه�م�ا �ي ��و�م�ا � � ن� �� ح�يه�ا �يك�ه�ا �ل� ي�لن���لن� 1 �و���� �ل� �و�م���� �ك � � ع ن � ن��م����� ن � �� �مً�ا � � ي� ي و و أ � � � ّ � � ن ا�م���ل ي ا ي � � ا ��ل �ي��� �ل�� ن� ا � ن�لع ار �و ن� �ن ��و�ل ّ���ي ا � �سي� ن�ل�ه�� � ا ر ا � ن�لع ار �و ن� � �ي��� �و�ه�� � ح�ه� � �عي� ا �لن��ل� � ا ن ن ي ي ّ ن أ آ ا ��ك� � ا ا� ا �ي � ي ي ّي �ن ���� �و� �م�م�ا ��ل��ك ا �� ن�ل �� را � �وّ��ي ا ��ل ا ن�ر� � �مو� ا �ه��ل ا � �ل ��ور �ن� �عي���� 2م���� �� ح�عي ��عي��� �و�م�ا ي���س � و ي � �آ ن �ن أ ا ا نّ ا�اا ن ي ��ه�ا �ن ا ي ن ا� ي ّ ي ن �ه��ي ا ن��ل ا�م�م��� � �م� ر�يل��ل �ل��ر � ا ر ا � �ل ��ور �م� ن� � � ��و ن� �و� ا ر ا �ن� �ي��م� أا ��م� ك�� ��� �م���� � � أ أ ن ً �اّ � � � � � ا � �ي � ي �ي �ّ�ي � � �ع� ا ش� ن�س � ش � �ش ع��م �ي ا �ّ�ا � �� ،ل��أ نّ� ا ��ا � ��م�ا � � ع��مر �م�� � � ل��ا��� ،ل م�لك �ل� أا �ي� �ل� م��س�ه�ل� �� � ي � � ي ن َ م � ي� و أر ي م �ْ أ أ َ ُ ْ ي ا �س� ن�� ��ا �ك�ا� � ن ا ا ا �ا ن � ن��ا � ا ��ل��ي��م ن � � � �ر� �س�ع ن��ا � ا ن��ل � � � � � �ص� �م �و� ا ر 3ا �ن� �ي�م� �عي� � 4ا ر �م�ور ��� � او �ن� �ي�م� ا س�م م�� ن � ح ن �ا ا � ن � �� �� ��ل��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� � او �ل �ا� ���س��مّ ��ل�� ن� ��ل��ك � ا ر ي��م�ور ��� � �ع��� � ا ر ي��م�ور ��� �ا� � ا�م��س��مّ �نك�ه�� ا ا �ل�� ��س� ي� �� �� � � م مأ � ي ا � ا � �أ نً أ ا � ا ي ام � � � �ن �ن ي ا ا ن ن ن � � ل � � � � � � � � � � ل ا م س ا ا ا س � � � ع ا � � � � � ك � � � � ��م � � � � ه � ل � � �� � ص �ن��� ا ر ا �ن� �ي�م� � �وي�له� ن�ل�ل�� ا � ي و ي� ي� �و ي � �ص� ن ح �ل ي ر م � ن أ ً ً شن ش � �ا ا �� ن ن�ع�� � �ي � �م�ا �ل��ل�ه�ا ا ل��ا 5ا �ك ن� ا � �ي�ن ا ��ل��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �وي� �� ��� �و�ه�و �� �م� ر و و ي ي� �� ا �ل���صي�� �و�ي� �ع��� ا � �سي� �ع��مر �م�� � ي أ نّ �� ي � ش ي � �من � � أ ن ً � �ن ا � ن �ي � يَ � ن ي نل � �م ن� � ���ا ��س��مّ� � ا ر ا � نر�ع�� �و� �ن��� ا ر ا �لي���صي�� �و ي� � او � �ل �ه�� ا �ل��مر�� �و�ل�� �ل�ك ا �يك� حيص ش� ا � �� أ أ ي أ � � � �ن ا � � ي ا � ن ا�َ � � � � �ن أا �ا ش ي ّ �ا�ا ن� ��ط�و�ل � ا ر ا �ن� �ي�م� � ا �ن�ا �ي��م�ا � او �لي���صي�� �و ي� م��ه� � �ل��ي� َ� ك ع��مر� ا �ي�ا �م �و ��ط�و�ل � ا ر ا �لي���صي��ا �و�ي� م أا ا ن ا ن أ ا ا � �أ نّ � ن ي أّ ي ُ �ن ا � � اأ � ن ن � � � � � � � ا ا ا ا � � م � � � � � � � � � � � � ع ع � ه م م ��م����� ا �ي�ا �م ���ل ي� � ا ر ا �لي���صي�� و ي� ر � � ر ن ي �ل � ر ن ي ر� �ك� �و أ أ ن ن��م�����ي ا �ّ�ا � � �ش��س ء ������ � �ع ن�� � ا ا ��لي � ��سع�ه��ي ا �ّ�ا � ��نم�ا �ن �لي��� �م ن ���ط� ��كه�ا �نص��ا � � � � � � � � و ر و ر و � ن � � و� ي � ي ي و يم ي ي ر يم ��� � ن � ا ي ن �كه�ا ن نر نري� �� �عر� � ّ ي ش يّ أ نّ � ن ا اأ ن � ��ل��أن�لّن��ا ن� ��ا ش��ّ ا �عل��� اأ ن � ا �ن�� �من نّ� ���طح�م��ي ي�لن ن� ���س�مً�ا �ع� � ��� � م � � � � � � � � � � � م � �� ��س �ه�ا � او � � � ن � م م � ر ور ي �� و ن نل ر ي � ر م � � � � ي � ّي ي ي ن ن ط� ا �لن ن� ��ط �ع ن ا �ي�لنه�ا �ه�� ا �ل ش��م �ي� ��سه�� � �ع ن�� ن� �ه�ا �م ن� ن� ���� �مّ � � �ل� ��ل �ن���ل �مر� أا ��� ن� � �ك��� � ر �ل و ر � ن ل ر ن ع ر � ر ع أ أ أ أ ة أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل� :ةلب���ل ب 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل��س�عة���د 3 .ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا � 4 .ال� �ص�ل� :هو 5 .ال� �ص�ل� :م�ل�ك. �
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A Description of Darfur
If you leave these territories going east, you find a savannah pullulating
3.1.8
with desert nomads too many for any but their Creator to count, such as the Brown Misīriyyah, the Ḥabbāniyyah, and the Rizayqāt, and if you turn west, you enter Dār Ába Dima'ng, which will take you around ten days to cross. Then you enter a savannah that you must cross for two days before entering Dār Rungah, which takes about three days to cross. Dār Fanqarū takes the same, or slightly less. Beyond these is a savannah that takes around two days to cross, after which you enter Dār Bīngah and Shālā, which take two days to cross. In sum, you can see from what I’ve told you that the whole length of Darfur, from north to south, along with its dependencies, takes not more than around fifty days to cross. These dependencies are the southern lands beyond Dār al-Farāwujayh,
3.1.9
the far border of Farāwujayh being the border of the Fur kingdoms proper. The area that the Fur call the High Plain8 stretches from Rīl to the southern limit of the Lands of the Fūr. Dār Ába Dima'ng takes as much as ten days to cross—the ába dima'ng rules over twelve petty kings, each of whom rules over an independent vassal state. Dār Ába Dima'ng is Dār Tomorókkóngá: the name, as we shall describe later, is that of an office and means “the sultan’s right arm,” and the governor who bears this title rules over the land of the Tomorókkóngá; Dār Tomorókkóngá is thus known as Dār Ába Dima'ng. The name is on a par with tikináwi, which is likewise the name of an office, and means “the sultan’s left arm.” 9 The tikináwi also rules over twelve petty kings, and is the ruler of the Zaghāwah and the lands beyond them to the east; for the same reason, then, Dār al-Zaghāwah is also known as Dār al-Tikináwi. If you were to ask, “Given that the ába dima'ng and the tikináwi are on a par, why is Dār Ába Dima'ng twelve days’ riding in length, whereas Dār Tikináwi is only five?” I would respond that Dār Tikináwi is wider than Dār Ába Dima'ng: it takes a little over five days to cross Dār Ába Dima'ng from side to side, whereas Dār Tikináwi takes around seven, so what it lacks in length it makes up for in extra width. Darfur is arranged in a very precise way. We have stated earlier that it is divided down the middle by Jabal Marrah, that the half that’s east of Jabal Marrah is a plain, and that the width of Jabal Marrah is equal to about two days’ travel as the crow flies. Behind the mountains, to the west, lies another plain. To the north, however, are the Zaghāwah and the Bartī, two mighty tribes:
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3.1.10
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
� ا� ن أ نً � �ن �م ن � �ي ا ��ل ش��س ا �� ا � ن ن � ي � � �م�� ن � � ا ء � �م ن � ي � ن ا ن�ل � �ه� �م� ل �ر�ع� �و� ���ا � � �ه�� ا �ل�عرن� ��س�ه��ل ا �يك� ل��� � ن � �ن�� �ل ��و ي ��و ي� وور � ن � � ن � ا ���� �ي � �ه�م�ا �يص���لي�ا ن �ع��س�مي�ا ن �ن�ا ���� �ي �م ن � ه��ي ا ��ل ش��م �ي � ا �� ن ن�ع�� � �ي �م ن � ي � ن � �ه�� ا �ل�عرن� ر� و ر و � ن � و لن ر ي� و ن ي � � ي � � لن ر ي� � ن � � ا ي يا ن � ن ي ن ن � � � � � �ن ع ���س ي ا ن ي �ه�ا �م ن� ن� �ن ��و ن� ن�����ي��� ��ار ��و ي ك �ه�ا ا �ل��ن��� �ور � او �لن��ر��� �و�ه�م� �نصي���ل�� � ي�م�� � ��ع�� � �و��ي� �و��س �� � أ ي ن �ن � ي ّي ن �ن � �ا�ا ن ����ن ا ا ي ا أ نا �و � �ه���� ا أا ��� ن�����ي��� را ��� ا � �لعي���ل � او ر�ي��� ن�ل��ل أا ��� �لن���ل��� �ي�� �أاو � ك� � ن ي � �ه�م� �ن�ل� � �و�كن�� �ل��ل ���ه� ر أ � ا �ا � � � ش �ي � ي �ن ش��ّ �م ن �ع ن��ا ك ا �� ا ��نل ا ن �ه��ي ا ن�ل �ه�� � ا ر ا �ن� �ي�م� ي� ك ��ع��ن��� ا �ل��� ا ن�� أ� � ��و ن� � او �ل��مر� �و ن � ��ل�ء �م� ن� � �و م � � � ي � � ي ي ي � ن ّ � ي ن ا ش �ه�� ا�ا ش ن � ا ��لص��ي �� ��ا �ل��� ا ن�� ن ��ع��ن��� م��مر�� �و��مر��� ن�����ي��� �� �ر ��و ي� ك �ه�� ا �ل�عرن� � او �لنصي�� ��و �م� ن� � �و �م� ن� � و ني و ي ي � ي �� ا ي يا ن � ن ع ���س ي ا ن ا �لن��ر���و � او يم�سم�� �و�ه�م� �نصي���ل�� � ي�م�� � ُ يي أ � أ �ع � �اْن� ا ي �ن � ا �ّ � اأ �ع ا � ا �� ن � � ش��ّ أا ن� ن� � ا �ن���ل �مّر�ي �ل�� ي� ك ��ا � ا � ن�ل ��ور �ش�ل�ا �ش�� �كن��ا �أل��ل ا � �����ه�ا ن�� ر� � ل � ��ع���� � �� � أ �ل ن م ور �و ن م � مي ّ ي � �ي ي �ي �ن �م ن �ي ���� أا ���� �ل�ه�� ا ن��ل حص��� ا ��ك��ن�ه��ر ا�م��س�مّ �مّ �ي ��ا ��نل � � � �و �ع� � ��ع� � ����و��� �و�ه�و �مر� حعي ��ه� ي ن ني ل �� ر ن ي � � ري َ َ أ أ � ّ � � ي � ْ ّ �ان ن ن � ّ � ي � � ن ن ا ا ي ا ا ا ا � � ا ن � ��� � ا ر ا �ن� �ي��م� � ك � نو�ل�ه��� �ن �له�لي���ل أا �� � ��ع����� ا � �ل ��ور م��س � �مو� ��را �َ�ر��ي� � او �م� ا � �ل ��ور ا �ل���� ك� ��و� أ گ گ �ن � �� أ ا � ا �ن����س ّ �ا� � �ل�ه�� � ا ا ��ا � ��م�ا ��ه �م ن �ن �م ن� ي� � � � � � ا ا ا � � ل� � � � � � � � � �ه م � � � � ن و ر و ر ر و ر ي رو رو ي ن � ر � �ن��� ا ر ا �ن� �ي�م� ي و و ن گ � �ه��ي ا�ا� ش ن م��مر�ي� �و� ا ر ن�كن ��يعر�و ن�ل�ه�� � ا ر �ن ار �و ن� �ه��ي ا�امن�عرن� �و �ن ار �و ن� ��ه �ي��� � نو�ل�ه�� � ا ر رو� �ي��� �م� ن� � ن� � أ � ا� ن �اش � ن � أ � � �ن ي��م��� أا ��� ا�م�ع � ا ���ر �و�ك�ه�� ا ي� �� � ا ر �َ���ل�ا � � ���س�ه�ا ا �ه��ل ا ��� او � ا �ي� رن ل��� ي ل ً �اّ أّ ّ ّي � � ً ن ا �ي ع�� �ي � ا � ا �ا � او �عل��� ا ن� ن� �ن��ل�ا � او � �ن���ل �مر� �لي����� ن ���� ا ك���ل�� ن�ل��ل �ه�و � ن �ن�� �ل نل��� ر �و���ه� ر �وكن���ل أ ا � ا ن ي � �� � ي � ن ا � ن ّا ن � يّ أ نّ � � ن� � م �ن ��� � ي�ل�ي اأ ن ل � ح � ا � � � � � � � � ا � � �ل � ا ا ا � � ك � ه � ��ع� �س � � � � ل � � � ه ل � � � � ط � ه � ل ه م ك �� � ا �ل�� � ول ي� ر ن ي ي ع ن ن �ل ون �� ر � � ي � ل � � � �م ي � � ي � ّي � �ي�ليع �ر��و ن� �م ن� ا�ام����ا ��لي� ���ط �م ن� ن� ي�ه� ن�ل ن��و ���لن��� � او�ام����ي�ر�ي�� ا � نرر�ي� �و ن��مي�� ��ه�� ا�امن�عرن� �ي�ول��ل� ن م َ � ع � نا ن � ا ن ��ل ا �نّ ن ا � ن �ش�س ا � ا ش �ي �ن� �كه�ا � ن�ع�� ا�ا�م ��لّ��� � ن �م ن ا � �ليع��ا �ل�أ ا ا � � �م� � ��ر�� � �ع�ي ر ا �لن��� �و ا�� ��ي� �نك�ه� م� �م� �ك�ه� �و��مر � �ه� �و ن �ون � و ي ر �و ي � � ن �ل � � ّ �ي أ � ا�ا� ن ن � � � ن ا نّ �ن �� �� � � �� ي � ن � �ي � �ي ّ �ن � او � �ل��ور ي���س�م� �ونك�ه� ا �ل�� ا را � �وي� ا ي� م����س� �ون�ي�� �ل�ل�� ا ر �أ� �ك�ه� �ي� ا ��و��س�ط �ل� يلع�ن� ر�و� نل�نصي��ل� م م � �أ نا ن � ا ن اأ ي اأ نّ اأ� �ّ ن � ن � ا �� �لي �ا ��نع ّ �ي � ا ا �� ن أ ن ا � � � � � ك � � ا ا � ع م � � � � � �ه�� ل ل �� � � � � � � ع � � � ر �ور وو� ن �ل و �ل ر ن� رل �أو � ر� � � ن ي� ل�ك ي ي ع ن أن أ ً ن ن� ن ن ن س �� � � ا � �� � أ �ي ا ��ل � � يي ا � ن ا��م ي ���نّه�� ن �كه�ا � ا ا ��� �و�ل � �لع ير�لن�� �ل��ل� � � ي� ن � � �ه� ا �� ا ر�� �م ل�ك م� ه�و ع�� ي�ص�� ن �ه�م �و�ه�و �ه�� ا ك��عر��� أ نّ ن �� � �ي � �ه��ي ا ن��ل ل � � ع � ه � � �ن ��و ن� ن ا � �ه�� � ا ن � ي� �
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١١،١،٣
١٢،١،٣
A Description of Darfur
the Bartī to the east, the Zaghāwah to the west. In the middle of the mountains, to the south, is Jadīd Karyū, which is inhabited by two mighty tribes, the Tunjūr and the Birqid. Moving farther south, one comes to Jadīd Rās al-Fīl and beyond; indeed, one will eventually come to Tabaldiyyah, though there are small towns and tribes between them. From there on live the Dājū and Bīqū, all the way to the savannah in the south and east and to Dār Ába Dima'ng. The Dājū are to the west, the Bīqū to the east. To the east of Jadīd Karyū live two mighty tribes, the Barqū and the Mīmah. Jabal Marrah is inhabited exclusively by non-Arabic-speaking Fur. These
3.1.11
consist of three tribes: the Kunjáara, who live from Qirlī to beyond the little mountain itself called Marrah, which is the true Marrah; coming soon after this and extending all the way to the border with Dār Ába Dima'ng are the Fur called the Karakiriit; the Fur who live in Dār Ába Dima'ng are called the Tomorókkóngá. After Dār Ába Dima'ng come Dār Rūngah and Dār Farūjayh, Dār Rūngah on the west and Dār Farūjayh on the east. Dār Fanqarū follows Dār Farūjayh, and Dār Rūngah follows Dār Silā, though this slopes more toward the west, which is why it’s ruled by the people of Wāddāy. Jabal Marrah is not one mountain, but several, both large and small. Before one enters Dār Ába Dima'ng, the mountains come to an end, and what remains is a flat land inhabited by the Fullān, up to the point where they approach the Masālīṭ on the west. Then come the Banū Ḥalbah and the Black Misīriyyah. Except for the Bedouin, all those whom we’ve mentioned live on Darfur’s northern, eastern, and southern edges. People born neither into the tribes nor the Fur they call “territorials,” meaning they are people whose origins may be traced to some territory.10 They are in the middle and are not deemed a tribe. If you want to get from me a clear exposition of Darfur and of how the home territories of these tribes and of the Bedouin who surround it are arranged, take a look at what I’ve drawn—more or less in the form of a chart—to make it easy to grasp (suppose this end to be south):
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3.1.12
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
ن ن �ان ي ا� أ ّ ن �ن ن ��ل � � � ا ن � ش ا �ن � �ني �ه�� ا �أاو � ��ص� �م ا �ن�ي�� �ي� �ه�� ا ا ن��� �و�ل ا �لنصي�� � ا �ل���� �ي� �ل�ه�� �م �س�عر�ي� �ان � � �� ي � ن �ي ا �� �ي �ن �نّ ا�ا�م�ا �ع ي������ي ن��ي� ن ل�� �ه� ��ن� �ن �نل���س�ه�ا ��� � � �ه�ا � ��ور� ح��س�� � � ل ك � �م � � ر � ��ور� ي� ي ن ح � � أّ أ � ي ا ��ل ش�� ا � ا � � ي � ن ن � ي � ش ن ش��ّ ا �عل��� ا ن� ا �ع�مرا �لن��ل�ا � �م ن� ن� ����ر�ي �م�ا �ك �ه�ا �م ن� ا �ل�ه�ا ا� �ه�� �سم� �ل �ن�ل� � ا �لن� ر �ي� � او �ر�ع� �و� �ل� � ي� ًم �م م �� ّ � ي أ يّ ي ً أ � �ي ّٰ �ن ا نّ ا �� �ي � ي ن �ن ن� ّ �� ن � �ه�ا ا � � ن ن � � � �� � � � � � � � � ا ا ا ا � � � � � ل � � او � نك ��طر� م� لل أ� � ل�نصي�� ��ي� �ي� ��ط و ��� � ل�� ا �لن� ر ي� ر� �ل�ون� و ح���� و ن �و ا� س � ��كن� ي �ن� �ر�� �م و �صي ���
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A Description of Darfur
Dā
Ap
e a
Banī ah niyy bbā Ḥa
b
Wā d ā y
Rizayq āt
Ba
Dār
Qimir
n
ah
Za
Desert
us
Mīdawb
ʿI
Ba
zār
Dār Tik w i Dār Zaghāwah in á Rīḥ
e
r ab s
r] al [Dā
Ar
J. Mīdawb
bs
Fa
āt A
Suwaynah
Tīnah Sarf al-Dajāj Qirlī Kabkābiyyah s wn Ma ny p o p ulo u s to
West
Dār
Ara ū
ys valle
Shawbah
Tikináwi Kurubāt
yq
opulous
Kūbayh
r
Dār Masālīṭ
Jabal Ku sā
Dā
Fūr Kunjáara
fu
a Fūr Kunjáar
Tǎrne Kurubāt
ar DBartī
yūd ar
ā āw Sh ū Dunes (Qawz)
Marbūṭah
Wādī l-K ūʿ J. Q
Ba r t ī
Dār Sīlā Dār Run gah
P rāb ulo op l-Ja r a Many p wns to Dār Ába Umá uku rB
Numlayh Kurubāt
J. Ḥ ar
Little Jabal Marrah
Karākrīt
J. K arj iyā t
z ay
Ba r q
J. Fi Jadīd n Ḥillat yar Karyū Rashīd
Jadīd al-Sayl Tandaltī/ al-Fāshir
ra
a rF Dā
yn ūr a D ā r N a j jā m N wad
Tinnah
Abū l-Ju dūl
rtī
istricts d T a x D ngarū
Fūr
Fūr Karākrīt
qid
r Darfu
Bi r
Rīl
Farish
ah
ārāy rB
T
Shaʿīriyyah
J.
ing
Dār Farāwujayh Ba ḥ Dār Tomorókkóngá or Dār Ába Dima‘ng Fullān/Fallātā M B la c k isī r iy ya h
jū Dā Banī Ḥ il (cattle h bah erder s) āl Jadīd da wā Rās al-Fīl
s ne z) Mīmah w
e A ll Th
fan
Ṭuw īthah
s er t
ū Bīq
Ḥillat Fallātā
Dā r B
nde
Dār Bandalah
Tabaldiyyah
D (Q u a
pe
The High Plain
Br Mis own īriy yah
jū
Fa r t īt
Many populous va lleys
B
ra
s rān Banī Jarrār Banī ʿAm Arab Banī Ḥilbah Majānīn Arabs Arabs ders) (camel her se
Kordo
De
South u lā
Shālā Dār
Th
East
rQ
Mazrūb
y yā Ma ḥ ā m ī d d A r i yy a h ab s Arab s
Bid
Dār Tā m ā
a y yā
t
Bīr Zaghāwī
North
Let me add that if I have not been able to give an absolutely clear exposition, owing to my ignorance of drawing and the small paper size, it is in essence as shown. Someone with the necessary skills will be able to turn it into a better likeness.11 The most prosperous lands to the north are those of the Bartī and the Zaghāwah, because of the great number of people. Observe now God’s wisdom, for the two tribes are on the same line of travel, but the Bartī are more
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3.1.13
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
ي � ي أ أ � ن ي � ن � �ا� أ نّ � � � � ي ن ن ّ � ���ط � ا � � ن ا � او ن��م��ل �����ا ءً � او � نر�ع�� �و� �ن�ا �ل�ع������ �مك� ا � ا �ل�� ا ن � �و � او �لنصي �� ��و ��ي� � و ��� � نو�ل�� � ا �لنصي �� ��وا ن��م��ل ن �اّ � ن ا ا�ا�م��� ا �� �ي � � � ن ن ا ي � � � أ ّ ا � � �ي ا ��لي��ن�� ن �ّ � ي ��� ل��ن� ا �لن��ر��� �� �ه�م� يل� �و � او �م� ا �لن� ر�� �و ن � م� ن�ل�� � ا �ل�� ا ن � �ور �كي ��و ن���� ��ي� ���ل م � � �و ل�ن ي ح ح � � ا �لي��ن ن ا أ�ل ن ن ّا �ي ��ل ً�ا �ن ا ًا � � ن� ا ن ن ّٰ � � � �س� � ن � ن � ن �� ��و� ��مر � ي��ل �وك�ه� ر �ل� ي �� ���و� ا لل� �و�ل� ر��س�و�ل�� �و ن���ور � �ه�م نل����� �ي � � نول����� أ أ ّ ّ � � ن � ي ي � �ع�ي�� �� ن �ه� � او �ّم�ا ا �ه�� ا ن��ل ��� � �ن �م�سي� ن� �ن���ل �ن � ���� ��� ا ���و��ا �ش���� � او ���و ن��ا �ش���� � �� م�� له� �ع��� � حأص ي� � � ل ل�� ي م � �ل ي م ن أ ا � ا ي� � � ا �� � ن ا � ا نًا ن������ ا ن � ن ن ن � أ ّ ا ا ا� ا � �� ��ي� � ا ر ا �ن� �ي�م� ن��� ا �ر ن�� ل � او �ل������ ء ح���� �� 1ن�� � م� �ه�� ا � �صع�ه� � او �م� �م���� �لي��ط ن ن � ّ أ � ن � � � ن ن � ي ن ن ا أ� ا� � � او ن��م��ل ا �ل ن������ا ء ��ي� � ا ر ا � ن�ل ��ور �ع�� ا �لأ�� ��ط�ل�ا �ي� �����ا ء ������� �و �عم ي� ن ��س���ي� ا �ل�ع����ل � �وي��� �ه��ن� �ن� �ل�ل ن � أ � ن � � �ا � ّ ي �ن � ن �� ا ا �ل�عرن� ن�ل��ل �ور ن��ا �ك�ه�م ���� �ل��ك � �ون��ي� ا ��� او � ا �ي� �و� ا ر���ور �ل� �ي ��و ن���� ����ا ��ن� ا �لنصي��� �م�ا �ع�� ا ا �ه�ل� ي ا ا � � ن � ��س ن��ي ّ � ن � ن ن أ نّ � � ن �ن��� �� �م� ا �ل�� ي� �� ���� ش� �ع ن��� ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ���ا ن� ��و� �و�ه�و �����ل��ط�ا � ا ��� او � ا �ي� �ع ن ار � ن� ل أ ي �س�و��� �ع��� ا �ه��ل�� � او � � � أ أّ � � ن � ���ّ �من�ه� ��ل�� ن�ك�ه�ا �ا�ا �نر ا ��ل��� �و��ل��ي �ن � � او �عل��� ا ن� ن��مي�� ا �لن��ل�ا � ا � �سي� ��� � ا ر�ن��ور � �سي��� �سو�م��ي �ع��� ا ك� � � ع � � ل ي� � ع أ ي ي � م م أ ا ا �ي�ن ا � � �أ نّ�ا ًّا ن ا ي �ي � ن � ا � ن ح ي� ����� ا ش�ل ن��ا �ع��مش ا � � � � � � � ا � م � ل � � � ا ا � � � � � � �ه�م� �ص�� و�� ل� � و�س��ه�م � ر ن� �ي�م� و ��صي�� و ي� �ل� � �ل � ي �� ر م�� ن ر أ ً ل� ّ � � � ن �ع � ي �ي ���س ّ ن ن � � ا�ا� � � شَ ْي ا � ْ � �ع� ا ���سيم ���ا � � .ا ��ا � ��م�ا ل��ا �� � � �م�� � �� � ���ل م�لك �م �� �ه� �م��ل م��س����ل �وي � � ي � � � ور �مو� � �ل�ك م�لك ��م �ر� ي ن ي � م أ � ن ن � ي � �ي ا � ا � ��م� ْ ا ��ي �ن � � � � ل �ه�م�ا � 2او �ن�ا �ُو�م�ا �و����� �و ي� ا � ا ل��ا �ْمنَ��� ي� �� �صي��ا �و�ي� ي� �� � ا � � �و ل�� ا � � � � � � � �� � � � م ع ل � �� �ع���� ر ر و و ن ر ي� وَ و ي� ي م م ْ أ أ أ ُ گ � � � ي � �� ا �ل� �ي � �ل �م ن ا ��� � �ع��� ا نر�ل�ه�� �م��ل�وك �م ن� ا�ام����ا �لي� ��ط �و�ن��و َر� ا �ن�ا ي� �� �� ع��� نر ه� م� �وك � � ل�� ار ��ار��ي ي� �ُ � �أ ُنْ ُ ��ُ نْ � �� � �� ا ن اأ �ل� �ي �م � �م ن � �ا �� � �ي � ا � �أ ا ��ل��ش � �ن � � � � � � � ا � �� �ع��� نر ه� م�ل�وك � ن�ل � ا لن� ر�� و �ل� ن� ي � � او �ل� ر��� � و ه�و و ن�� ل����ل�ط� � ي � م ا � �أ ح أ أ ن ً َگْ أ ن � ��� ن � �ع�� �م��ل�� � �ع�� ا ر�ل�ه��ي �م��ل�وك ا ي� ���ا �و�َوّر� ا �ن�ا ي� �� ي� �� ي� �و�ه�� � ا �لن��ل�ا � ن�ع�ي�ر �ن�ل� � ا �ل� �م ن��ا ء ك �� �� � ن � � م م ّ آ � � � ا ���أ ش��م ا �ن � ا �� ن عي�ه�ا ء ا ��ل� ن � ���ط�ا � � ا �� �لي� ن ���ا �ي �و��ل���� ��ل��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �ن�ل�ا � ن��ا �ك����ي ��ل�� أا �ل�� ن�لي ��و ي� ا �ن�ا �أ�� � � ل � � مو و �ل ر و � ي� أ � � ا ����ا �� �مش��� �ي �� � �ل�� � ي�ل ن��� � �سي � ن�ع�� �ه�ا ل ري� وري ل و ي� و ي ر ون � ّ � � �أ � ش ن ن أ �� � � � �� ن � يّ اأ ن �ن أ ن ًا �ي � ي ن ع ���س �ي ��� �و�ل أا �� ا نل � �م ان �� ا نل �و م � ا �ل���� ���ل � �� ��� � ��ل ط�ه�� � ي�م� � ��و ن� ح�� �ي� ��� ا �يك� �� ا �ل� ن� أ يح� � ي م ي ّ ي أ ّ ا � ا � ن � ن ا ن ا نّ �اّ � ن �م ن ��ل�ا � ا ��ل��ر�ي�� � او ��ل�� �م ن��ا ء ي� �� ����و� �ع��� ن� � �ه�� �مر� � او �م� ا �ل����ل� ��ط��ي� ا �ك���ه� ر �أ� � ���ل ن � ن � ن �اا �� � �ي ا��مس � ا ��لي��ن�� ا �� � ا � ا ��ل �ي ا � ن ن � ي � ا ا ا ن ي � � �ه� ي �� �����ل��ط� � �م �و �و نصي� ��و �و �ر�ع� �و� �ور �و ل�� ن � �� �ع��� �ن�ل� � ن �م� �ع��� ك�� لن� ر ��و �و ي�م� �و ن � � أ � � � ام � ن م � أ ي � ا ي ّ ش ن ن ا ن �اا ن ي ا� ���ي �� ا ا ��ا � ن�ع�� � �ن�مش�� ًل�ا � �ه� � او � ك�� ��� ا� م� �و�ه�و�ل�ء ا �ل����ل� ��ط��ي� �ك�ه� ا �� ��ط� ي�ل��هي�� � �م ل� � م � � � � � ه ك � م ير ��سو� � أ م ع أ أ � ب ح��س�ا � 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ول� �ه�ا. 1ال� �ص�ل:
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A Description of Darfur
kindhearted and have handsomer faces, and their women are more beautiful, while the Zaghāwah are the opposite. Likewise, the Dājū and the Bīqū are on the same line of travel and the daughters of the Bīqū are more beautiful than those of the Dājū. As for the Birqid and the Tunjūr, both comely and ugly are to be found among them, but the Birqid are treacherous, being thieves by night and fearing neither God nor His messenger by day, whereas the Tunjūr have a modicum of religion and a modicum of reason, which prevent them from such behavior. The people of the mountain are all the same in terms of both ugliness and uncouthness, but when one gets to Dār Ába Dima'ng, one finds that the men and the women are both beautiful; glory then to Him whose work this is! The women of the Masālīṭ captivate the mind and bewitch the heart, but the most beautiful women in Darfur, without a doubt, are those of the Arabs; indeed, even their men are beautiful. Not a living soul is to be found between Wāddāy and Darfur other than the people of Jabal Tāmah; we shall recount later how Sultan Ṣābūn, sultan of Wāddāy, raided the latter and assumed power over its people.12 Know too that the territories in Darfur are all divided up among the high offi-
3.1.14
cers of the state, each of whom holds a portion of them according to his office and condition.13 The largest territories are Dār Ába Dima'ng and Dār Tikináwi: each of the two office-holders in question has twelve petty kings under him, and each king an independent tax district; such petty kings are called shartāys. Thus, the ába dima'ng rules over the Tomorókkóngá, and the tikináwi over Dār Zaghāwah, the Bartī, and what lies beyond them. The ába umá,14 who is the counterpart of the kaamíne, rules over four petty kings of the Masālīṭ, and the poora'ng ába rules over four kings of the Karakiriit. The orondolong, who is the sultan’s face,15 rules over four kings of Dār Birqid, and the shaykh-father rules over four kings too. The órré'ng ába rules over two kings. These lands do not include those of the counselors, sharifs, leading men of religion, and judges. The sultan has no lands of his own except for the houses of his fathers and his forefathers, such as Qirlī, Rīl, Tandaltī, and so on.16 The writ of the shaykh-father runs south from Abū l-Judūl and even includes a large part of Dār Birqid. The counselors rule over the area of Marrah, while each petty sultan rules over the lands of his own people, such as the Birqid, Mīmah, Tunjūr, Dājū, Bīqū, and Zaghāwah. Each of these sultans has a fief off which he lives, even though the territory may have another governor.17 For example, the sultan of the Zaghāwah is the ruler of his people even though
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3.1.15
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
أ أّ ن � ا ��ي �ن � ن نن ي � �ن � ي � ا ن �صي��ا �و�ي� � � �����ل��ط�ا � ر�ع�� �و� ��ا ��ا �ع��� ن��م�ا �عي��� �س� ا �ن�� ��ي� � ا ر ل�� ل��� �ل�� ا �� ��ط�ع �م� � ع أ أ ن � م� � � � ن �نصي��ا �و�ي� ن��ي�را �يك�ه�ا �و � �نصي��ا �و�ي� � �و �ليعيّ���ي ا �لن��ل�ا � �ي�ا ن���� ا �لي��� ا ن����ا �� �ل�� ي�لي��ع ّر ن��� �ك�ه�ا ا �لي��� �ه� ���� ا ن � ي ّ ن � ا � ن ا �� ن ا ي ّ ي � �أي ا � ن � � يّ ي ا� ن ا � ا ا � �� �م� ا �ل����ل� ��ط��ي� ك���ه� ر � �و �لعي��� ا �ل� �� �ي�� �ع�ي ر ا �ل��س��� ا�م�� ��ور� � �� �س�ه� �م�ل�وك ن م أ �ن �ن ا نّ� � ن ��نل �ا �� �ا أ� ن � ن � � � ن ا ����ل� ا � ا ا ا � �� � اأ �ّ ا � ن � � � ا ا � ا ا ء �� م ل� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ل � � � ن ي ون ي� ر ي ي ر و ي أ � و م� عر � ر ور أ � ح أ آ أ ن ًا ن � ش ي � � ��م�ا ن�ل��� � ش ن �ا ن ا �ا أ ن ن ا ن�ر ا ��ك���ط�و� ش�����ي ا �ي� ��ل���ّو��ل ا ��نل ��ل�اء ا � � ع��مر �ي ��و�م� �و�ه�� ا ل�� �� ن��ي����� � �ون��ي� ��ر� �� �ل ��و ي ي أ ن� �ّ � �ي ي � ًا �ّ � آ ن � ن � ش �ي ن ا نّ �اش� � ن ا � � �� � ن � ا � � ي��ل �نك� �ن � � � � � � � � ا ا ا ل ا � ك م م ل � م � � � � � � � � � ه م �س � � � � � � � � � ��م م � ه � � ل � � ل �لأ� � ي�� � �ل ر � ر ي ل أ �ل ر � ر� أ ي ر � ر �ل و ل�ك م أ أ أ َ ّي ن � � ش يّ �ن � ن ن ي����س�مّ �ن�ا �� �لي ��ْو نر � او �ّم�ا ا را ن��س� ن� �ه�ي� ��ط��ي� ا ��س�و� �و�ه�و ن�ن���ل ي � �ن���ل �مر� � � ��س� � ا ر ا � �ل ��ور �م� ي أ ّ �� � آ ا �ا� �ي ّ �� ا� � ّ حيّ �ي نّ � ّ � ي ا ي �� �نّ � �� �ي� ��� � �ي ا � � ي ن ي ا � م � � ط ا�م��ط��ل �ع�� ا � �له� �عر� ك طه� �و ���� ل��� لي����� ل ا �و�ك�ه�ا أا ��� ا �ر�ه� �� كي���ل أا ��� م�����ل �ن� �� � م ي ن ن � أ �ا�ش ي �� � �مي�ي ّ ��� � �م ن � ّ �ي اأ � ا ��ا ���� ا �م� �و�ع�� ا�� ��ل�� ي� �ن �و��ل�� ���ط �ي� �ع�� ����� �و��� �ه�� ا ا ن�ل � ��س�� �� ر� نل�ل ه�و �� ل ط � ع�� م� ن ي ل � ر ي م م ع � � � ن �ن ن �ل� � � ن�ك ا �� �ي� � �ي ا�ا � ن �ي � ا �ل���� ا ي ا � ي � ن �ه�ا �����ل���ط�ا ن� � ا ر�ن��ور �و�� �ه�� ا ا ن� س� أا � ل �� �ه� ل نصي��ل� معر�و�� ن� ن�� ر� �س� ي� �� �و ي � ي� �ن���ل ن ي ي م أ أ ي ش � ن ن ي �ن���� ا ����و نررا ء �ون�كي��� �م ن ا ��نل ي�ه�ا ا � �و�ل��� ا�ا�م��ل�وك � او ن�ر���� 1ل ��ي�را ي� ���سي� ء �اك�ه�و�� �ع�� �ي���� �ن����� �ك� � � أ � أ نّ أّ ك�ا �ان �و�م ن ا � نل�ع ��ش�ي�ر �و ن� ��ل��ك ا ن� ن�كي��� �م ن ا ��لن ��يع � او ��لن�ع ن�� �م�ا ��ل�� �ي��و ن���� ��ن� ن�ع�ي�ر� �م ن ا ��ل�� �م�ا �� � حيص ن� ا � � � � � ر ي م � ا ن � � �ن ش ��س ن� �ع��ل�ه�ا ����ا ي�ً�ا � ��ل�� ��سع�هً�ا � ��ل�� ن�أ�ل�ً�ا ن��مي�� ��� او �ش�سيس�ه� ي�ر�ع�� �و� ����ه� �ن��� �و� راًع �و�ل� يح �و ي� ر و ن و ن م ع أ �ن �ي ّ ن � ن � ّ ي �� � ن� �ي ي � ن � �س��ا � ن�� ي� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ح�مّ�م��� �� ن���� � ن � � �ليه�� ا � ي �س��� �� 1220ا �ل ��و ن��� أا ��� ن� �ن���ل �مر� ل�لعر ن�� و ل ي أ نأيأ ن ي ّي ن أ ّ �ً ً �ل� � ن ن ن � � ن ن ���� ش��ّ ا ن� ن� �� � �ع��ّ ن �س�ع ن���ّ� ا �مً�ا ا ن �و�� �ع��� ّ �م� �ع�� �ل��ل�� ا �ه� ا � � �ك � � ا � � ا ي� و ي � �ي� ��و�� و �ل� �ي� �لأ�� � � ي� �ل ن ن ل م �اصي� ��� �ن �م�ا �نً�ا أا ��� ن��مي�� �ع ّ�م�ا ��ل ا ن��ل � �ن���ل �ي�لي ��و��ل ن�كي��� �و�� ن ي ر ع � � ن � ن ي � � � ا ن � �أ�عن �� ��نل ا ي ا ن ا� �ّ � �����ل���ط�ا ن� ا ��ل�ع ن� � او �نل�ع � م�� ط � او�� �� � ا� � م� �ح� ح� �مر� ا �ل����ل��ط� � ا �ل� �� ر ر م �م م ا ن� ي � � � � � ش � �ا ن �ّ ن ن ا ��� او � ��ي� ن�ل�ع ن��ا �ي�� ا�ام��ل�ك ا �ل�ه�� �ل ا �ك� ن � �ص�ور ا �ل�����ل��ط� � ح�م�م��� ������ل ا�م����ور أا �� ّ ي أ ّ ا �� �ن ا نّ �� ّ ��س��� ا ��ل ش��م � �لن� �ح�مّ�م��� ا ��لي�� �ن��س� ّ ان� ن ن��مي�� �م��ل�وك ن� �ن���ل �مر� ا �م� نله�� أ� � ا ل ي و ي� � ر ي نّ ا ن نًا �ن أ ن � �� � شع ن �� ّا �ي � ّ �ع �ي �ن ّ ا �� ي ل � ا � � ا ا � � م � � � � � � م�� � � � ا �ل��م �ري�ل� ا ل�ه�ل��م� ا �ل ي ��س��� �مر ا �ل ��و��س�ي� �س � أ ي� ير ن ن �ل ن ا ن� ي أ ن نّا ن � � ن ا � ن ن � ّ � �م�ا ن�ك��� � ي�ن �ي�ن��ر ن ���ط�ا �عر� �و�� كي��� �و��� ا � �� � �ن��� �ل�ك ��ل� ي�م�� �م� م ���ل � � يري��� و ي و ع ي أ أ � ن ن � � أأ ّ � � ن ن � ن � ي ا ن ط �م��ل�ه�ا � �و��� ا � ط�� � حنصي��� ا �ل� ��طر أا �لي��� � او ا �مر ���ل �م��ل�ك �ر�ل �ن�� ا � ل � �� �م�� � �يل�� ��� ير و م أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل :وا ب�رو�.
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ن ن ر�م� � �لن�ه�ي�ر� ١٦،١،٣
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A Description of Darfur
he’s within Dār Tikináwi; he holds a fief that has come down to him from his forefathers, and the tikináwi doesn’t oppose him in that. The yield of the rest of the lands is taken by the tikináwi, and it’s the same with the rest of the petty sultans. All territories other than the six I have mentioned are ruled by petty kings. In width, Darfur runs from the savannah that lies between it and Dār Ṣulayḥ
3.1.16
(also known as Dār Wāddāy) to the outer edge of al-Ṭuwayshah, that is, to the beginning of the savannah between it and Kordofan, or around eighteen days’ travel. Half of this territory consists of a plain of slightly sandy soil. The exceptions are its far eastern reaches, where there is a great deal of sand, which is why they are called the Dunes.18 The soil of Jabal Marrah, on the other hand, is a black mud. Jabal Marrah is a mountain range that splits the Land of the Fūr in half from end to end. Some people even say it’s connected to the Muqaṭṭam Hills that overlook Cairo but it isn’t continuous; it’s scattered over a number of places, and many roads lead to it. In these mountains are nations and people too numerous to count. There is a tribe there known as the Kunjáara to which the sultan of Darfur traces his origins. And in these mountains are many caves in which royal princes are imprisoned, and others for the imprisonment of viziers. Jabal Marrah produces great yields because there are more cattle and flocks of sheep and goats there than anywhere else. The amazing thing is that all their animals graze on their own, without anyone to mind them, and the people have no fear of thieves, lions, or wolves. In 1220 [1805–6], I asked Sultan Muḥammad Faḍl for permission to go to Jabal Marrah, to see. At first he withheld his permission because he feared I might suffer at the hands of its inhabitants. He subsequently gave it, appointed servants to go with me, and wrote a royal order to all the district chiefs, in which he stated: From the presence of the Most Mighty Sultan and Ennobled Khāqān, Sultan Muḥammad Faḍl the Victorious, Sultan of the Arabs and the Non-Arabs, who trusts in the solicitude of the Just and Patient King, to all the petty kings of Jabal Marrah—The sayyid and sharif Muḥammad al-Tūnisī, son of the sharif Learned Scholar
ʿUmar al-Tūnisī, has requested our permission to see Jabal Marrah and what it contains and to enquire as to all that is manifest and all that is hidden, and we have granted him permission to do so.
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3.1.17
َ نَ �ْي نَ ا َّ ْن �ن �له� �لع�� �َ �وي��يَ� � � ن�ل�� ا�ا�م ا � وي �ل ر م
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
ن ن ّ َ َ يَ � � �ي ��� �ون�ا � او ��س ��ط�� ن��ي��ن� �� � � ن�و�ي�� ن��� �ليصن���لي�ن� �وا ��� ن��ل�ا َ�َنم�ي� �لي�� � �م� �� ي ع م � � ا �ل���� �ا� و لم
� ا �� � ل�� �ا� لم
أ أ ني ّ ����ي ا �� �لنه��ل�يع ن��ا � ��� ن � �ع��� � ن �� � ��� �م ن ا �ه�� ا ��ل���ل����ي ا �� �سي ا �ن�ا ن�ك�ه�ا �� ي� � ط�� �ك ��و ن� � ي� وي ي� و ن ي � ي� ور ن ل � ل ن �ن ي� أ أ َ ���� �ن�ن� ن ��ل ن��ا ��ن �ل��ل��� � �ليه�ا ��ل ��ل�� نُ� ْ�م��ل ْ��� � ��كه�ا ن�����ا �ن �ن�ا � �� �م�� ن �و��ن� ا ��ل �� � ا ��لش��ا ��ل ش� ا �ي��� ن��ا ا ���ط ا �ن� ا ن��ل � ر � ي و� ن ي ن ي ل ر ي ر ي و ي� ي ي وم ي ا � � �� ن� �ي نَ�ْ � � � ي ا � � �� ن� �ي ��مّ � آ ن ي ا � � �����ل ا ن �ن ن� ن � ن ا �ن أ ر��ي����� �ي�له� �ل �ل�� ا لععي��� ��مر �و�ل�� �و�ل�� �ي�له� �ل �ل�� ا لععي��� ح�م�� � او �ر �ي�له� �ل �ل�� ي�سم� � � ر�ل�� �ي� أ ي أ �� ي �س�يع���ل� �ن�ا �ك���� � ن ن ���� �ن�ا ن���� ي� ر�أ����� ا ��لن���ل����ي �و� ح ن� ��ا �ن��ر�ن�ا �ع� ن��م��� �مر�ه�و � او �و�ل��� � او � � ن و ن � �ن� ر ر ي ي �م ن ن أن أ أ ن � ن �� أ ّ � � ي ن ن ي � ن ن ي ن ي ن ن ش ي ا ا ا ا ا ا ا أ �صي�� ��ي� �كن��� ن�� �لي���لص�� �ل��ل�ك �ه �ر� �ك�ه� ا �مر ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �� �هس � ������� ن����� �ي� � او �ع ��طح� �� او � �م او �ي � او �� � م ّ ّ � �ه� او ن �� أا ��� ��س�و�ي� ن��م��لي��� �و�ه�و ��س�و�ي� ي�ل�ه�م ��ن� �� �ا�ل �ي ��و� ا ش�ل ن��� ن ي� � ن ا � ن� �ي � �مر� �ن� م ي� أ رأ ي �و م� أ له�� ��و ن � ي ا �� ن � ا �ً� ن ا � �ي ن ن � ن ي ن ا ًا ش ن��مي�� ا �ه�� ا ن��ل � �ن���ل ر ن�� �ل� �و����� ء يل�� � ��و� �س��� ل � ل �ه�م � ار��ي� ا �� ���� ����� �ي���ي�� ا �ل��س� او � ��مر ا � �أع� ن ا � �أ ن ا ن �ل��ع�ي� �و �ل���س�� � أ � ن أي � ّ أ ن ً أ ن ً � �أ نّ �ّ��� ن �و��� ن را �و ��ن� ا ن��سيم��� ا �ع�� ّ �مي�ن�ع ي� �م ن� ا ��م ار ر ���و��ي� � او � �� او أا ��ي� ا ��� او ن��ا ا ��� او ن��ا �ل� �ك�هم� �ن و � ي� ي ي� أ � �ان ي ن ن ن � ي � ي ي ي � � ّ ن ي أ ي ا� �ي�لع� �ك�ه� ر� �وي�� �عر�ي� �كن���ل � �ل��ك � او را � � او �ك����� �ع���� ���ن��ي���ل ا �ل���سس�هرا ء �و��ص� أا � � ا ك ن م ي �م أ ع �ن � ن �� ن� �ي ا �� ن� ش أًا �ن ا �ع ن �ّ � أ �نّ أ ي � ن � � ن �� ن ا �� ن �ي� ��� ن � ط� ��وا �ل�� ا �عر� م� له� ل ��ور ���ي���� �م� را �س� أا �ل� ا ي� را ��ي� م� س��ع� م� ا ل�� � ا ي ي نيا � ا� ن �ي �ن اأ � ي � ن � �� � �ا� � � ّ� � � �ن � � �ي ن � � � �ه� و ن ر و �ي� و ن � �و� ا � �ل��و�م �و�� ��� او ن�ي�مس�ي� � �ون��ي� ا � �ل��و�م ���� �ل� ع� ا �ل���ن�� ن� ��ه� ��� او ل �م �� نّ ن � ن ي � � ن� ي � ي ا� ا ن ن� ي ا � �� ي �ّ ي ي � � �أ نّ ي � ن نّ ن �ي� أا �ك�ه� � � يري��� �و� ا � �لع��ك �ن�ك ��ه�ل� �م� � ا ��ه� ��� او �له�ل�� �ع���و�ك�ه� �ل� �ك�ه� �ي�ل��و���و� أا � �ه�� ا م ن ي � �أ ن م ي م ن ي � أ أ � ا� �لن�ن � ��ن �ك ���� ن ا �ّم�� � �ل���ن �ك�ه� �ي�لي ��و��ل � ��و ن� ن ��رل ي� �ع��لي��� � �ن�ا �ن�� �ل��ر ن� ط� ح� � �م�� ���ه�ا �ل ا � � � ���� �ع� � و � ن ح يأ أ � مي ن ن أ م م نا � ط� ن � � � �ي ا �ن نك ��� � �ي ا � ا � ن� ن �� � ن � � ن �� � � � ن ��س� � ن ا � ن ن � �ه�م � �ل��ك ا ��ن��ر� او � او �� ا ��لع�� نح نر� �و طر سه�� ر م� 1ي� رل م�� م� ا ل�� م �و��ي� مع�� م � أ �� ي أ ن � ن شّ ن � �ش ن � ي ني ن ن ي ا � ��� ن حنع ن��ا �ع��لي���ك � او � ن� � ���ا �ن��ك �� أا � ا ن ��حلم� �ع�� ا �رن � �و��ي� �م ن� ا �ل��س�و�� � نصع�ع�سي� ���ل�� ك���ي�ر�و� م ن ا ن أ ي ن ن�ن ًا أ ��ش ن � ن � ّ � ش�ّ ن ا � �� نّ � ��ا � � � � � � ا ا ا ك ا �ع �ع �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ك � � � � � ل ري ي ي و ن ر ور �� ��طر� �و�ع�م �ع�سي� نل ���ل ن � �ه�� �م ن و ن ي� أ � و ً ن � ن أ ��ش�� ا ن ا ��ل��ل ن أ ي ي ن �ن ن � � � �� ن � ن �ش � نو�ل����� ا ن�� ر �م� ي�س � مو� �ورا ��ي�أ ��� ررع �ي� � �ل�ك ا � �� او � �ي� �م� ا �لن�����ل � او �ل ��و�م � او �له�ل����ل � �أ ّ � � ن �� ي � � � �ي �ي ن ن � ي ن�ك �ي �ا� �م ن � ّ � ا ��ل ش��س�ه��ر �ن �ليه��ل��� � او � �� � � � � ا � � � � � � � ح ��و� � او �ل������ن��ر� � او �ل�لن�� � �م ه � � ه ه ل� � � � ر ر ر و و ي ن ي ي ي ل ا �ل� ر و ر � ن ب أ � 1م�لة�ه�د ا ر �م�ا � -ة� ال� �ص�ل� :م�ا �م�لة�ه�د ا ر.
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A Description of Darfur
He must not, therefore, be barred from any place that he wishes to see. I also command every king with whom he stays to treat him hospitably and give him a warm welcome. I have provided him with two of my own royal messengers to act as intermediaries, so that they may pass on to you what he says and achieve the desired end. Farewell. I set off in the company of the two messengers plus two slaves of my own
3.1.18
and a man from the town where I was living. We traveled for two days, and on the third we came to the foothills. We put up in a village called Numlayh, which had a headman called Faqīh Namr, who had one son called Faqīh Muḥammad and another called Sulaymān. When we alighted at the house of the town’s headman, he and his sons came and received us with open arms. We told them of our intentions and showed them the sultan’s order. When they saw this, they paid me many attentions and treated me most hospitably, and so we spent the night. In the morning, they took me to the Numlayh market, which is held every Monday and attended by all the inhabitants of the mountain, men and women, who buy what they need there. I saw many extremely black people, with red eyes and teeth. When the people saw me, they gathered around me, wondering at my ruddy color. Troop after troop came to see me because they had never seen an Arab before, and wanted to kill me out of contempt. At the time, I knew not a word of the Fur language and I only became scared when I noticed that the men who were with me had seized their weapons and bared them in the others’ faces, placing themselves between me and them. I asked them why, and they told me that they’d wanted to murder me. “What for?” I asked, and they replied, “Because they’re so stupid. Some were saying, ‘This one didn’t ripen properly in his mother’s belly,’ others, ‘If a fly settled on him, it would draw blood!’ and one of them said, ‘Hang on a moment and I’ll prick him with a spear to see how much blood comes out!’ When we heard this, we feared for your life and made a circle around you.” Then my men got me out of the market, pursued by a throng of people, whom they chased off only with great difficulty. After this, they took me to a wadi where I saw palm trees, banana trees, and some lemon trees, and I saw that onions, garlic, and red peppers with pods smaller and narrower than a grain of barley had been planted in the same wadi, along with great quantities of cumin, coriander, fenugreek,
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3.1.19
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
أ � � ّ ا ��ل � ن� �ي �� ش ش ط� �� ا �� �ع �� ن ن �ا�ا ن� ن� ��ل��ك ��ن� ا �ّ�ا � ا ��نل � او �َ�ليعش�ّ�ا ء � او � �ليعر ���س� ء ك� ح �ر�لن� �وي��� ا ��مر ن�� �ا��ي�ر �وك� � �� � � ل ل � و ي � �و�ي�� ر � ي ن � ُ نيْ ي م ي � أ ن ن � ح � أ ع أي ن أ ا ط�ه�مً�ا � ��ل�� ن�ّ �ي � ��ي�� ن��ا ��س�ً�ا � � ح ن � ل � � � � � � � � � ا ا � � ا ��مر � او ���عر � او �ه�� و ي� نح���� ع�����ل ر ك�ط�ي ر� �م ن� ا �ل ن���ل و و نو م أ أ ّ � ��ن ا ��ا ح ن �ص��ا �ن��ي � ا ��ل�� ن� �ع�� ش � �� � ي� رم ي و ي � أ �ّ أ أ ً � � نّ ن نن ن ن �� ي ن ني � � اا � � � � ا �م �نر�ا � �ل� ��ل ط� � او � �ي�ا 1 ك � �ص��ا � ��ط��لنص ي� ا �لي��عرن� ��ا ���� �و ��ي� �و� ���ل ن��ا ا �ل��و� �ي�� ��� � � �و�م� ا ن ن ح ح ع ا ن ي ن �اّ ح �اّ أ ّ ن ا ي �نّي �ع � � ن � � ن ي ن � � نل�ه�� � او ً� � �ون��ي� ��ل � او � �ي��ي� ا ���ل �م� مي���ل �م���� ��� �و�ي� ��ل � او ً� ررع نحيص ن� �و�مّ� ء ي�ل��� ��� أ أ � ي ً ش � ّ � � � �اا � ن� ن ّ ����ي �وي��� ا ��ا ���ط ا �ل���ن�� �س��ا ن��ا �م ن� ��ا ن�يصي��� ي�س�م ن�س� ا �ل ن��ا ن ��طر ا �ل�� �ي�لنه�ا ري��� حر �ن�� � �ع���� ر�م��ل ك�� ل�� ي َ أ ن ش �ا�� ش�� ���سم�� ن � ُ �ا��ل ن��ا ح �ي �ع ن��ا ك � ن�ن � ا ���ل ن ن� ��س��ا �ع�� �ش���ا ���ط� أ ا ���� او � �ي� ��ن� ن ���ط��ّ ���ن�� � نَ�ّ ن�� �ن�ا ك� � � �ل ن�� ن� � ي� و و ي ل ر � � ن أح أ ي ن ا ش ّ ن ن ا � � � ي ي �� ��� ن�ك�ي�� ن��ا ن�ك�ه�ا �� ا ��ا � � �ن ���ا ���ه�� �ن�ا ن �ص��ا �ن��ي �و�ا�مّ�ا ا � ن���� ن ل � � ا �م��� أا را � �ل�� ��م � � ن�ص�� �لن��ل�� ح� ن ن �ل ن ي� ي� رم ي � �ن �شن ا ا ن ن� ش ا ش ا � ي � يّ � ن ا ن أ ن ا ن� أ �م ا ش ا ن��ل �و ��ل� � ���� �ع� � ح�� �ع�ل� �و� � � ار �ل�� كي��� ا �م� ك� �ن���ل �ع��ص�� ��� �ع��ي� �ا��ي�ر�ي � �ون�ل�ا � ا � � ي أ أ ن ��ن��أ� ن�� ي���س�مّ ا ��ا �مي��نع ّي���ي ن��ا � ن���ل� �ن�ا �ع�� ش���� ن � ا ن��ل �ا�ا ن� � � �ن���ل �وك� �ر �و�ه�و ن��ا ��ل�� ��� ن���ل� �وي�� � � � ل � ي � و ي � ن ن ر � أش ن �� ن� يّ � نح � ّ ّ ي ن ن ا ��س��� ن ��س��ا ��� ��ا �ع ن ا �ل ي �ن��ل ّ�م�ا � ���ل ن��ا �ع��ل��� � ������ا � ��ل� �م ن ي� � او �ر �كي��� ا �ل��ن��ر ������ل�م ن��ا �ع��لي��� رن ي ون ر أ ن ّ ��س��ا ح� �ل ن��ا � ا ���ل ن �ر� ن ن و ن � � � ي ن ن ا ��ل���� ا �ن � ن ي �ّ � أ ّا ًا ي اأ �� ش ي ا� �� �� � ن ي ن �ه�� ا ا ن��ل �ن���ل �ل� � � � ك�� ي � ير�لع� ��ه��: ط ع �ع��� �� ن� �ي� ا �ل��س��� أا �ل� ا �ي� �م� ��ل� �ل��ل �و�ل����ر� ا�م ر � ن ن ا �� �ليه� � ن ي � ن � ��ي � � � � ن ن � � �ّ � �ن ا ا ا� ن� أ �ن ا أ اّ � �ل� ي ��و ن��� �ك ��ط�ي ر� أا �ل� �ي� �ن�ل� � �معرن� ا �و �ي� �ن�ل� � ا �ور� �ون� � �وي���نص� ع��� ع� � ي�هحرر�ع�و� � �أ � �أ ن � ا ��ل ي � ن ح�ًّ ي ّ ي �نم ح � � ن ي ن � ��ي � �ل�� �نّ�� � � �ل�ه�� � ا �ل�ر��� ا �ك��� ��� �و�ل�ه�� � ح���� ن��� ا � �ون�لعي��� � ا ر ��ور �ل� �ي���نص� �ع��� ع� � آ م م م � �أ � ا �ّ � ا ي ّ ح ن� ا ا �� �لي �ااأ ن �ا �ل ّ �ي �ن ا �نّ� �� ح ن � � ي��� �سي ��م�ا ء ا ��ل����ا �ا �ل��� �وكن� ه � � � � �ا� � � ك � �� ن ي�� أ� � يهرر � ك � نر ي�ه� � و �� ن ر � ا �ل��س ��ط� ر أا �ل� �م� ���ل نو ي ع ح نن � ح�يّ ي� ي��ّ �ك� ط�ن� ��� � م ن � ني ن � ن ا ي ا ��ل ش � ن � ن � � � م�� �ا �ور �ي ��و� �س�ه��ل�و� �م� ا �ل �و� �ر� ر� ��ي�� ��س��� �ي��� �� ن� أا �لي��� ا �ل ن��ا ��� �م ن� ��ا�ل ن��ا ن�� ن� � ا�ا � م م ي ح ي ّ � � ن � � ن ا ء �ش ي ا ا � � ن � � � � �و �لي��و��ل �ك�ه� �م� ي�����ل �� ن �مي�� ا �ل�ه� � �م� � � ��ط �و�س ��طر �و�ر ن� �و���ل�� �ور�� �و���� � ي ي م م م ط��ّ �ي � ن ا �� �� ي�ي نع � �ي ي �ي ن � � ن ا �ن ن �ي���ل�ن اأ�ه� � ا �ن� ��ن ن� ��ل�� �ن�م ن ي��ا �ل�أ � �و�مر��� �و �� � او �ل�� � يلع�ه�� �و� حعي ��ه� � �ل�ك �� � �ل ر �ور ي� ك � �ل ّ ّ ّ ً � � ش �ن ن �� ي � ن � ًّا ا ي � � � ن ا ن � �ا ن ي � ��ش�� ن� ا � أا �نّ�� �م ن� ��طر� ��ي ا ��ل�� ��س� �أاو � ��ل �م� � ��و�� ي�� لي��و� �و�لي�� �و�م� �ي�ل ��و�ل�� �ل�ل�� ��� �م� �طر�ي��� ي� ي � ن �ي � أ ا ��ل�ه�� � ن �ي ا أ نّ �� ��ا ن ن ��� � ن ن� ح�مي�� �م�ا ي� ل � ا ��ل�� �ش � ��سن� �و�ه�� ا ��و�ل ا �ه��ل ل� �و م� � �ل��ل أا � ا �����ل �و�ه�و �ي�ل ��و�ل � ي نر ن م ع أ 1ال� �ص�ل :وا د.
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A Description of Darfur
cucumber, and squash. It was fall, and the dates had turned red, so they cut me down two clusters, one red, the other yellow, and gave me a gourd full of honey the like of which I had never come across before, it was of such a beautiful color and so delicious. Then we spent the night in the lap of luxury, enjoying the most generous hospitality. In the morning, I asked if we could see more things, so they took me into the
3.1.20
wadis, and we crossed one after another, each less than a mile from the next. In each were amazing crops and water that gushed over the sand like silver, the trees encircling each wadi like a fence on all sides so that the beholder could only hope that he would never have to leave. We sat on edge of one wadi in the shade of a tree, and a fat ram was slaughtered for us and cooked under hot stones. After we had eaten our fill, we went on to a village beneath the mountain where we spent the night coddled in the most generous hospitality. The next morning, we went up the mountain, climbing for about three hours without stopping until we reached the top, where we found numerous peoples and widely dispersed villages. People there took us to see the Shaykh of the Mountain, who at that time was named Abū Bakr and whom we found seated inside his place of retreat. Entering, we found him to be an old man, close to sixty and showing signs of age. We greeted him, and he welcomed us and invited us to sit down. A curiosity: the skies clear over this mountain for only a few days a year, and
3.1.21
because there’s so much rain, they can plant wheat. The wheat that grows in their land is of exceedingly good quality, without peer except in the countries of the Arab west and those of Europe. Wheat doesn’t grow in the rest of Darfur because the soil is unsuited to it and because of the lack of rain, though there is a little good soil at Kūbayh and Kabkābiyyah, where they grow wheat that they irrigate from wells till it ripens. There is a certain day, known to all, when people come from all over the area to visit this shaykh, and he tells them what will happen during the coming year regarding drought and rain, war and peace, ease and hardship, sickness and health, and the people believe what he says. The Darfurians differ over this. Some say that it is due to mystical illumination, that anyone who holds the rank of shaykh is a saint,19 and that whatever he tells people is the result of such illumination; this is what people who know the religious sciences say. Others say that the jinn tell him everything that will happen and he passes this on to the people. I have no idea which of the two is correct. In fact, many claims have
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3.1.22
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
أ أ � ّي �� ّ�� �ه�ا �� ن ا �ال�ا ا �� �لي �� ��ل�� ن ��ل�� ا �ع �ن� � ط�� �ا�ش�ي�ر�ي �و� �ه�م�ا ن�ل��ل ي��� �ي�لي��ّو��ل ي� �ع ن��� ا � ��ور ك� �����ل ن� �� �ل�ل�� ��� �و �� و � ر ي أ أ � �ن اأ � ن �ا � � � ��� ��ل ن�ا �ك ���ل ش ّ رر�ن�ا �نر�م�ا ن� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �و �ي ار � �ع��لي��� ا � ن�لع�يعي��� �ح�مّ�م��� �نر ّ� � ن�هح ح ن� � او ��ر و ع � ط�ه�ا �م �� ن� �مرن� ن م ن أي ن ن م أ أ أ ن � ي ش ن ً � � ن � ن ن � ن ح� �م ن �ش�س��ا �كه� �� ا ��ا ء ا �ن�ا ��� ك�ا��ي�ر�و� ��ا ل��� ���ل�ا �ي�ليه�ا �ل �ل�� ا �لي���ن��� ن� �� � ن �و �م� ��� � �لعر � او را ��� ن ل ن � ن م ً�ا � ن ن � ي ا ي � �� �ن ا ��ل��ش�� ا �ي � �ي ا �� � � ا �� ن� �ي � ن � اأ اأ ن � ن � � � � ل � � � � س �� م � � � ع �ع�لي� �ه�م ر ن��ل أم� � �و ي� �رن�ل�� أيلعر� �ن� ن�� �ع� يله� ل �ل� أ لععي�� ري� و ر ي و �ي� ا ��ل ي ن ��� �ن�� ا �ع�� ا �ع���ي � � �ن ن �ّه�ا ��ل ا �ه�� ا ن��ل � �ه�و �و ن �ح �م�� �ع�� � او � لي�و و �� ن و ��� ر �م� ن� � �ن���ل ل � ّ � � ن ���� ��ن�ه��ر �و�ه� ا�م��س��مّ �مّ �ي �و��س��مّ ا ن��ل � م��ا ن� �ع ن��ا ك ن�كي��� ن� �اصن��ا �و�ي��و ن� ش��ّ ر�ن� ���ا أا ��� � � � ي ن و �ن���ل ل ر � ّم أ ن� � ّ نأ ن � أ ي� ي ن � ا ا � ن ا � م��ا �ن�ا ا �ش�س��� ن��م�ع��� ن��مي�� ا �ه�� ا ن��ل � � ك� � م � � �ن���ل ي�ل�عي��يه�� �و ن� �ل�� �ي��سم�� � � � � س ا � ك �ا��ل�� ن� � � �ل�ك ��ل ر �ل�� ي�� ن ن ع ل ي م أ أ ّ �ا �م��ي ا�ا�م����ا ���� �ن�� ن���ل ن��ا ن�ك��� � �ي�� ا ن ���ط��لي��� ��ش��� ي ا ���� �ي ن� ش ا �� � �و�هحر�و ن� ا ن� �ر�مي��� ك حيص� ��� ر حر� كن� ي ر ي و ن ن حر ي � � ي �� ي ي ا � � ن ن �م ّ ن اأ �ي �ن � ن ا ن� ي � ا أ ن ا ن� ن � ًا � ش � ن ن ن ي ل ا �� �ل� � ار � س�م�� ن��ل��س�� كي��� ��لي��ل� �وراي�ل�� كي��� ��� �م� �لصك ���ي ��ه�� � او � � �س�عن�� �ل ا �ل��� �ور �م� �ي� �ي� � ش � � أ ا ا �ن ا � �ً � � ش ش ن �ا � ن ن � � � ي ا ا ا ا ا � ن ���ع�� ا �م� �م ن�� �ل �نك�ه�ا ��ّ ا ن�لي��يه��ل ن��ا �م� � �ل��ك ا� � �� ن�ل ن�� �ع�� � ك���ي ر ����� ء �ور ن�� �ل� م�� � �و�م���س� ا �ل� � � ر م أ م ن أ �ن ا أ �ن ن � � � يّ � � ي ي�ا � ن ي ن ي � � ّ ع ح � � � � �و ن� � � � � ا � � � � � � ا ا ا ا ا ا � � � ل �ه� � 2م� � ���ع� لع ل �ون� 1ول�� ن ��و و ر� ���و �ع��� و ر � ل � ��ه��ل�و�ي� ا ن � م�� � �ل�ك �� � ر ري � م ي أ أ أ ا ا �لن ن �ن � ن ّ ن ن ي � �ي�ا �� �ل�� ن �ك�ه� أا ن� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ا ر����� ��ل���ه�� ا ن��ل � �ن���ل ر ن��ل� � ي �� ط�ن� � � �ي� �نك ���� ا �م�� � �صي��ا ��� �ك�هم� لن ل ل م آ آ اآ ّ م ح ن اأ�ا � ���� � ني � أ �ي � ن � ا �م ّ �ي �� او � �م� ��و�ل ا ل�ل � �وي��ا �ل ا ن�ر�و� �ه�و �لي���� �ن� � �م�� ن�ل��ل �ه�و� ح� �ع���� �ي�ص�� �ك�ه� ه�و � � ���ه�ا �ل ن�ل�� ن� ي � ي � �آ ّ � �أ نّ م � ن أ ن � ن � اآ ّ � ن أ ن أ أ أ � � ا �� �ي �م � � �� �ن ن � ل � ء � ل � � ع �م ه � � ا �ل� � �م�ي� �ل� �ك�ه� ي�لن� � ��ر�و� ا � لي���و� �ل�ل� � �م�ي� � ��و� ا ن�لي���� ا �و ا ر و �و�ل �وم �ل ي ر �و� � ن ي � م ّ ي �ّ ا ��ل�ع � ي ّ �ا�ل ي � ش ا ي ي � ن ا �ي ّ �� � ن � ح ن �م ن ي �م��ي ا � �ل�ن ي������ي �و�ا�م�ا ن�ع � � ك � � �م � � � � س � � � ح ل � � ط � � ع �م ن� ا �ل��ل�ه�� ا �ل�عر�لي��� أا �ل� �س� ا ل��س�ه� �� ويل ��و��وك�ه� ��ي� س ن � ر � ي ن ع أ أ ن � � ن � نّ ا � ن �� ن ي ن أ � ن ي ن �ه �ل��لش��ا � ��ل�� � نك ����ه �م���ن � � �س��ع �ع� 3ا �ل�� ��� ع�س� ن�� ء �� ا ل � ععي��� ر�ي��� � او �مر�ي� ا � ا ���� ر �و ن� � �ي� ن م ي � ر ي � نع ّ ي ّ يا � � � �ّ �ي ��ل � �ي ي ا ن �كي���لش ن أ� � � ي � �� ن أ � نّ �يل��لسش ي ن � ي ��� ك�� � س�م� � او � أا �ل� ا � ��� ��ط ن�ي� ا �ل� � ���ع��ر �و���ي� را � ا �ل��س�و� ا � ا �ي� �م� ا ���ل�ط أ أ أ أ � � � � � � ا ن ن ا ن�نّ ي � اً � � ن �ه� ا �ل�� �مر �و����ا � �� او اي� ن� ا �ل����مر ي��ا � �� او � �� ن� أا �� ا �ل����ل��ط� � �� ل���ل �� او ��لي��ل� �ع��ل ي� م أ �� ن � ي ن � أ �� � ن ��ن��أ� ن�� �ي�� ّ� ن ا � � �ه�ا ا�م ���ّ ا ��ل � �ن ��و�� �سو� �م ن� ا �و�ل�� ا�ام��ل�وك �ن����� ا �ي� ا �ل��ك� � �و�ي و ن � هو�� ا � �سي� �كي� ���� أا �� م ل أ ن � � � ن ا ين ا ش ّ ني ا ن �ا�ا � ا ن� � �ليع� ن � او ����و نررا ء ��من��ع ن��ا ا ��ل ي�ه�ا �وك� � حر��� �م ن� ا ���و���و�ل أا �ل� �ه�م � �ون��ي� ن��م� �عص�� ��مر �ك��ل� ��� ع ن��ي�� � ي يأ أ أ � ن� عيعي��� نر���� ا ��ل�� �م � او ن���ن� �م ن�سّ ا �� ن�لع �م�ا ن� �و ن� ��� أا ���� ر�أ����� ا ��ل ا � ن�ل � � حر��� �و � ار � �ع��لي��� �و�ع ن��� � �ل��ك ي� ر ر ن ي � ي �ا�ا ن � ��� �� ّ�� ن���ل��اأ ي ا�ا�م�اأ �� ��ل�� ��ا ��لي��نع ّ � � ن � � � � ا �ميصش���ل �وي��ا ��ل أا ن� ك� � � � � �م � م �� س ن � � � � �� � � ع ه � ل�� � � � ل � � � ن ي و و ر و ي ي و ن � ن ن � ر � � ح ع أ أ أ ة 1ال� �ص� � :بع �و�ب��ة 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ة��لب��ر����ه�ل 3 .ال� �ص�ل� :م� ب�. ل م
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A Description of Darfur
been made on his authority only for the opposite to happen. We pulled out the royal order, and Faqīh Muḥammad read it out to him, so he welcomed us, honored us, and invited us to eat. Then he beat a drum of the kind called tómbol,20 and crowds of people arrived. He chose about a hundred young men, put one of his relatives—Faqīh Zayd, who was known for his courage—in charge of them, and ordered him and his men to escort me and to look lively and be on guard against the wild mountain people. We now mounted and set off for a place where there is a small mountain
3.1.23
called Marrah, from which the whole range takes its name. On it we found what seemed to be a temple for all the mountain people, who believe they must honor it and hold it as sacred as any mosque. We entered. It is shaded by a tree so large that the sun never sees it. We sat inside for a little and found there servants responsible for cleaning it and for receiving votive offerings from those who bring them. Then we moved on from there, the soldiers walking ahead of us, and many people, women and men, followed us. They took me for a marvel, falling upon me and crowding around me, and the soldiers were unable to disperse them. Eventually one of them said that the sultan had sent the people of the mountain a treat in the form of a man who’d failed to ripen in his mother’s belly, to which some responded, “But he’s a man,” while others said, “He isn’t a man, he’s an edible animal in the form of a man”—for they refuse to accept that a man can be white or ruddy-complexioned. The only Arabic these people know is the two phrases of the profession of faith, which they pronounce in broken fashion and with an ugly accent. When the men with me could no longer hold them back, Faqīh Zayd came and told me to cover my face with a veil through which only my eyes were visible. I put it on and the soldiers formed a circle around me. When the Blacks couldn’t see me, because I’d veiled myself, they were puzzled and asked, “Where did the red man go?” The soldiers said, “He went to the sultan,” so the crowd thinned out a bit. Next, we set off for the place of incarceration, meaning the caves where imprisoned royal princes and viziers are kept, but the guards barred us from reaching them. They and our men almost came to blows, but Faqīh Zayd sorted things out, took the royal order from me, and went to the commander of the guard and read it out to him. At this, the man submitted, but said, “If it must be so, then let the subject of the order come on his own and look. The rest can sit at a distance till he’s done and returns to them.” The faqīh came
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3.1.24
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
ن ن أ ن ن ن � نأ ن� أ �ا ن ن� ن � يّ ي ن ش اأ ن �� ا ��ل�ه� � ��ا ء �ي� � او �ن��ر �ي� �ن��� �ل��ك ��ا ن��ي�� ي� � �ل��ك � او � ر���سي� � �و�� ن�ل�ه�� ح�� �ي�ل���سي� ���� ��� �و�ير ن�ع أ ي� م ن � � � ن �� ن� ن اأ ي � ن � � ن� � � �� ن ��ع ن��ا �و �نر ن� �و�ل أا �� ا �ل��ك�ه�و�� �و ��ط��لنص ي� ا �رن�� ع��ي�� ك�� ��ي� ع� ا �ل�� � ع م � � ي ن ّ ا� أ أ أ ا ا ّي ي ّ ّ � ن ن ي ي أ � ��ه� �م�� � �و �ح�م��ل �م ن��� �و�م ن� �ع ار �� ن� �ع� او ���� ��عم ا � ا �ر ن���ل �ل� �ي��ر�و ن � ا��م ار � ح�� �يك��� � ن � ح أ أ ن ً نّ �م ّ�ي اأ� �م ّ�ي�� ن ��ن��أ� ن�� � �ليه�ا ��ل أا �نّكه�ا �َو���� � ن�كي��ع�يه��� 1ع�� � ل � �ه�ا �و�يل�ه�ا ش��مر�ه�ا �و�م ن� �ع� او �أ��� �ع� ا �يك� ���ا ا � ي� ر و ري� و ي ي � و م أ ن � ن ن � ا � يّ أ نّ � �ي���ل �ي � � اآ�ن ن �ن ا � � � � ن ي � � � � م ��� �ع ا �ر ن�� �ل ح� ا � ا �ر ن��� �ي��� ��� � ا ر� ي ن� ح ��� ا �م ار ��� � ي�� س ع ر ل ل � ا �ل������ ء �ل� ي ن ن� � ّ ن ا ��ً�ا ����ي ش� � ��ل�� �لن�عي��ّ ا ��ل�� ا ن� ا � ����� �ع��ل�ه�ا � �م ن ����صع�عي حنه�ا ء �و�� �س ء ا ��نل �ه� ا ن��ل ��� �لي� ن� �� �� ��و� و و ن أ ��ل� لي� ر و ي أ ن � ي� و ي � م م ن ن � ا �� ن ا �أ � � � �ي ّ ن ن نً �ّ � ن � ن �ع��ا � � �م ن ����صع�عي� اأ �ك ن ً � ن أا � ا ك� �ا�ا �ن�� او � � � ر� و � ن ي �ه� ي � ���ا ا �نل���ل ر ��� �ل� يلعر�و� � �صي��ه�ا أا �ل� أا � ا ك�ا�ا � �م ن� � �و�ي� م يأ أ نّ � �ي ي أ � ن � �اا ن ا ن ا نًا ن� ن ن ا �ل �ه� ا �و �ك�ه� �ن�� �ع��ل�يه�� ا �و ك�� � أ ����� �� ��ا ���و� �م ن��� �و�م ن� �ع� او �أ��� �ع� ا � ا �ك��ن��ي��ا � � او �لنصن��ا ي� ي �رن � م � م ي ً م ّ أ � ّ � � � � ا � �ن � ن ي ن ي ن � �ن ش ��سن� ّ ��م�� ا ش نا � ي �ه� ن�م�ي ر�ل ا �ك���ه� ر �ل� ي���س���ر�و� أا �ل� ن�ل�ه�� ا �لن���ل�وع �كي���لن����� ا �ك� ي� ي ��� �و������ ا �ل��س�� �و��س �� � أ ي � ي نّ �ي ن نّ ن ن ا� ا�ا � �ل ��يع �م�ا ن ا � �ع ن ا ��ل��مّ �ي ا �� � ن� ا ا نً ن ���ه� �ن� ررا �و�م� �ع�� � �ك�ه�م �ع�� �م ا �ل��ر��� � او �ل ��ه��� ��ي� ا�م� ���ل يو ن �� ر � ر أ � و � ّ أ ّ أ أ أ ً ً ً � � � � ي ّ ن �ا� � � اأ�ن ن� ن � ُ � ا ن ط�ه�ا � ا�ا�م ّ ط�ه�ا �م�ا �م ا ك�ا�ا � ا � ���� ن��ا �ل�� ��م�ا �ا�ّ �م�ا � ��� �ن �� او ا �� � � � � � ا ا ا � � � � � � � ك ل ل ل ل � � � � ك � � � ل � � ر و و ن�ل��ل ��ل و ن ل ن و ي و م ر ر ل ن ن ح ا ��ل ن���ي ن � ا ����ي�� ن �� � ��س�و� �ع ن� �ع�ي�ر� ح � � او ل��ل� � و م أ ّ ّ ن � � �ن � � � ن ا � نّ �أ �ي ن ي � ي �و�م ن� �ع�� � �ك�ه� ا � ا �ل ش��سن��ا ن� �ك�ه� ��ي� ��ا�ل ن�ل��ل���� ر�أ�ي����� �و���ا� �ل�ك ا �ل������ ء �ك�ه� ر�ي������ م م � �أ ن أ ا � ا �� ��� ّ ُ ْ ب گ �أ �ي �� ن ا �ي�� ّ ا�َ�َْ � ن ا ن � ن ن � �أن �ا�ا � ��ي� ا �ل�� ار � � او �ل� �عي��ا � � �ر���ي��� �ر ن�� ل ي �س�م� ا �لور �ا� �ور�ي������ 2ا ل������ ء س��م� ا�م�ي ر �أ� � ا ك م أ ح ن �ن �م ّ ياأ �ي � �أ �ي � ا�ا� � �� ي� ��ه�ا � 3ي�����ل��� ن ��� ح�س� ا �� �رأ����� ا � ��ا �ن�� �وي ن� ط�� � ا � ا � �� � � � � � � � ل�� �� � � ه � ك � � � � � و و و � � � � ن ر و ن ن ل � م او س�م ن ع ي � � مي ي ي أ گ � � ن ي ن ن ن ن ن � ا ب ا ن ا ا �م�ا �سه� �ع�� � � ��ه�ا نل � ��ل��م ي�ل�عر��� �ه�و �و��عي� � ���� �يص��عر� ا �لور �ا� � �وي��� � ��و �م� ا�م�ي�ر�م �وي�� �� ن � ن ياأ ا�م � ا ي ا أ ن ي ن ّ ا ي ب گ ن اأ ن �ن �اّ ني ن� ي ا ي ن ا ن �� � ّ ي ن � � � م � � �ك�� �مرا�م�ي�ر�م ن��م� �ع � �ه� ا � ي�ل ��عرك� �ع��� ن �م� �ع�� ا �لور �ا� كي�� ��� ��ل �� ك�� � � �وي��� �عن�� � أا �� ���ل �ل ن ا � ا ن ن�ك � ا �� ا �� ا � � � � � � �ن ن �� � � ا � �� � �من نّ �ص��ح و�ل� ع� ر �ي� � ل�ك ع���� أ �� � � ي �� م� � ي�� أ �� ك� ن �ه� � أّ � � ن �ن � � ي ي �ّ ن اأ � يّ ي �ّ � �� � ن��� ��ل��ل ن�� ا ء � ن ل � � �ولي��هل��� ا ن� ا �ر ن��ا �ل ��ي� � ا ر ��ور �ل� ي�� � � ح �� �� � � � ل �� � �ل �س�ه� �لو أ� �ن� �مر اأ�لنص�� أا �ل� أا رن ي � م �اش � � ش ن ا � ش يّ � ن ا �� ا � ن� � ا � ن � � �ن ا �� ن ا � � �ه�ا �ع��� ا �ل������ ء �و�ل�لر ن�� ل� � � � � ا ا ا ا � ء ء � � � � � �� �� �� ل � ل �س � � � � س س � ه �� ه � �س كي�� �و�م� �و� ل�ك � �م و �و ن �ل ر أ �ل ل و � � ن �� � ا ن حص� �كه نّ ��ا ��ل��ل��� � ا ��لن �ي��ل�ا ���ط ن�ع � �ه�ا ر ��ي� ن��مي�� ا �ل��ع�م�ا �ل �ي ن ن � � ن ي ل و � ع أ أ أ ص ا� ة ة أ ح ب���م ب��ا. 1ال� �ص�ل :و�ة�ل�ه�ع�د 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ور��مة��� 3 .ال� �ص�ل :و� و
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A Description of Darfur
back and informed me of this, but I refused, overwhelmed by fear. I disclaimed any desire to enter the caves and asked to go back, so we went back. One of their strange customs is that a man only gets married to a woman
3.1.25
after he’s spent some time with her as a friend and she’s borne him one or two children. When they reach this point, they decide that she’s fertile, and he makes a contract with her and lives with her. Another custom is that the women do not keep themselves out of sight of men. Indeed, if a man enters his house and finds his wife on her own with another man, he shows no concern and doesn’t get upset, unless he finds him on top of her. By nature, they are coarse-grained and bad-tempered, especially when drunk. They are also extremely miserly and won’t entertain a guest unless he’s a relative, or there’s some relationship between them, or he’s someone they fear. Another custom of theirs is that the young boys and girls wear nothing to make themselves decent until after puberty, when the boy puts on a shift and the female ties a loincloth around her waist, leaving everything from her navel to her face exposed. Another custom is the lack of expensive ingredients and variety in their food. In fact, they eat whatever they can find and don’t turn up their noses at bitter or rotten food; they may actually like bitter food and rotten meat and prefer it to anything else. Another custom is that the young men in every village have a chief, as do
3.1.26
the women. The men’s chief is called the ǒrnang and the women’s the mééram. At weddings, religious feasts, and holidays, the men’s chief gathers his followers and seats them in a certain place, and the women’s chief and her followers come and sit down in front of them separately. Then the ǒrnang goes on his own, approaches the mééram, and addresses her using words that both he and she know. Then the mééram orders her women to distribute themselves among the ǒrnang’s group, each young man takes a young woman, and they go somewhere and sleep until morning. No shame attaches to any of the young women for this. The men of Darfur have no independent decision-making power whatsoever, except over whether to go to war, which the women have nothing to do with. In all other matters, men and women are equal. Indeed, most kinds of labor, and the most demanding forms of it, are women’s to do, and the men mix with them to an amazing degree, by night and by day, in all types of work.
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3.1.27
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
ي أّ � � أ أ � �ا� ن � ن ا �� �ليه� � ن ن �و�م ن ا � نل�ع ح� ��ن� ا �ه��ل ن� � ع �ون�� ن�ل��ل �ي�ن��ي�� �� �ون�� �ن���ل �مّر� ا �نك�ه� �ل� �ي�ا ك��ل�و� م� � � ا �ل��� �ي� �ي�هحرر� � � ن م ي � ن ش ي نً أ � � ن ن � � ن � ن �� �ي � � ح� �ن ا �ي � اأ�نّ �م �ي ن � ن � � ن��ا � او نع �و������ن��� ���و� ن�س�م ن��� � � ح ن� م� � �ل�ك �ع�ل�ط �ل�ونك�ه� �و نحه� �وك�ه� س� ك�ه� �م� رن � �و� ي م م م ع أ أ أ أ ّ ا ن نّ ا � ن ا ين ً �ا�ّ ًّا ن ن ا �ن ا� � ي ا ش ا ا ن � � � �ن� �ل������ ء ا �م� را ن�� ك�لي�� �و�ه�� ا ��ل� � ا�م���� �ع��� ا �ل��س��� ن �مي�� ا �ه��ل �ن�ل� � ا �ور� �ون� �م� ا � ع � يع ن � ّي ي � ن �� �� ا �� ا �� ا ن ا ا � �ي ن � ا � ا �� ن�� ا ء �ي ن �� ن� �ا ن ��� �ي ي � ا � ا � � ل ��� � �� � ك � � ل � ح � � � � � ه ط ك � ��س� ��� � ر ن�� ل أ � م� رن � � �و ن� ل ���� ��� ن� ع�ل � ون � م وي ن و ر و �ن نع أ ّ � � �ي � ً � �ه� ا ن� ا �ر ن��� �����ا �ن ا � ن�لع ا ��� ن� ���و ن� �س�ه�� ��م�ا ر �ي���� �سوي��� ��� �و�م ن� ن�ع�ل�ا ن ��ط�� �� � ا �ل�ه�� �ي����ي را ن��ل�ا �ولي� ن � ل ي ر ر � � �ا من أ ي � ن �ا حأ � أ أ ا ا ي � ا �م� �م�� �و�ل� �يرك�ن��� �أاو � ��س���ل �ي�ل ��و�ل أا � ر�ن�ص��� ا �نك ��ط� ن ي� أ � ن ا ن � ا يش أ � ن ا ن � � � ن ي � ي ّ ي � أ ّ ن ن � ي ن أّ �ن �ه� ���سن��� ا � �له� ��ط ا �ل�ل�ه�� ا �ل��رك� �اي��� �ل�� �نك�ه� أا � ا ي�ه�ا ��م�ا ��� .ا � �له� �� � او �م�ا �ل�عي��ه� ���ه�� �لن�ه�� �ك� � م م ي ن ا نًا ي � ن � � گ ا � �ي ي � ن گ �ا �� � �ي�� ��� �يش��س��� ا ��ل��لن�ه��ي ا ��ل��ي ك�ا ��ّ��ي ��ل���� �س�ع ن�� �ا � �ع� او أا ����� �� �ي�ل ��و���و� �ل� � �ل � او �ل� رك �ي�ل ��و���و� � ل و وي� ن ري ي � أ � � ن � ن � ن �ي���ل�ن �� ن � � ن اأ �نّكه�م�ا �مي��يه�ا �لي��ا 1ا�ا�م�ع نس �ل� � ��� ا �ل ش ��� � ��م � ن ن ح ّر� ا �ل� � �له�ا ��ط �أاو � ا � � �و� � نر �� ن �ل و ن ��سن �ي� ن ���وع سعس�� �اّ ن ا ن � أ نّ ي� � � � ْ � � ي ن ُ ن ي ن ي ن ا ا ن � � ��� � ���ل �م � �ه�م� �و� �ل�ك ا � ا � �ل ��ور �ي�ل ��و� ��و� �ل�ل�عر��� �ي� � ��ور�� �و�ع��� ا �ل��رك �ه�و ا ��س� �ل��لنصيك�� � او � �ل�ن ي � م � ن ي أ ن� ي ح گ ّ ن َ �ي �ن ن ��ة�� 2و�ع ن��� ا �ل��رك �ن��ه��ل �م�ا ن��� ن��م�عن�س� � �� ن� �و�ا ا ���سم� �ع ن��� ا � �ل ��ور ا ��س�م�� َ � ع �ل�ه�� ا � �لَ���� �م� م ة أ يّ � ا ��� � ّ ن�ك �ي �� ن � ْ ا أ ْ ن �� ��لن�عي�ه� ��ل�� نّ� ا ��ل�ه��� ن�ل��لن�عي�ه� ��ن��ي �س���ي � يل ا �ك��ل �ن� لعر�� ي���و��و� َ� �ي�ك �و � � � � � م ه ���� ا �و ا ش�ل ن��ا � و ني �م � م ُي � �ي� أ � ُ ُ ْ ش �اش �ي أ بْ َگ� ْ أ � �ي أ ��ْ ن� �ي أ َ ا نْ � ْ يّ �ي ش�ّ � �ي �� ن ا ��� � ّ � �ي ش� ا ن �ي �سع�ه� �م� �لي�� أَا ي���� ��ل �� ا و���ل ا نرل�ه� ا �و � �م���� ا �و� ��� �� َ�� �ي�ك ��س�� �م يل ��و��و� �ن� لع نر�ي� ن َ َش � �أ � ن ن � �ّ ي يش � ن أ َّ ْ ���س�ه�� ��ّ �ي�لي ��و� ��و� � او �ي�� �و�ه�و � �ل � ��ط �ي��� �ل �ع���� �ع��مر ا �ل��ع�� ا � م أ أ ّ � ا � ي ي � �ن � � ش �ّ ي ���� �مّ �ي ا ن� ا ن�ل ��نه��ي� :م ن ا ن�ع ا ��س ي � � ح ن� �ر�ع�� � �� او ��سيس�ه�م � �سي� �رع�� �ي� �ك�� ي � � ح ن� �م� �م�ع��� ن ن ن ل ر ن �ي أ ّ � ن �أ ن � أن ن ّي � ّ ُ�ّ ا �� � �ه�ا ا ن� ا �لأ�������ا ن� أا � ا ل��ل�ا �ن��� �و� راً �س���ه� �و� �ليه�� ا �ن��ر �ي� �ع�� � ر ن��ا �ل �م�م ن� �ي نك ��� ن� � ���� � م ع أ أّ أ ي أ ي ي أ ن ن� �م ّ ��م� ا �ش�سسه� � ا �� ا ��ل�� ا �ع� �� 3كه�ا ّ��م�ا ���طح�س� �ن�ا ن���ن� �من �ه�ا �ش���ا � ا �و �ن �لعر� ا �و �ع�ي�ر � �ل��ك ر ر ر ن و ي � م ور � � ّي� � نن ع نا ن ن حيّ ياأ �ي أ ا ا� ا ش �ي � ن � � ا � ن � � ا ا ا ا ن ل ن � م � ح �ه� �و ع �� � حر �ع� � � �ه�ا �يل��لي�� ��ي� �ي���� �ن� �ل��ع���� �� �ك�ه� �� �� �ي� ا ر�ن� ن� ا�م� ��سي�� �أ� � �ن� � ي� �ع���� ر ني ا� � �م �كه ا �ّ�ا � ا ��كن �� ن �ع��ل��� � �لن�ع �� �ن�� ش��من�ه�ا ��اأ ن�ع� �يس�م��ي �ل�ه�� ا �ه�ا ن�لي�ه ��ل�� � ن ن�ك ��يع� ن �مرن� ا� مأو ا� � � � � � � � � � � ي و و ين أ أ � � � ي ن و و � ي ن ر ر ي � م أ مّ � أ نّ م ّ � ن � ن ّ � � ي ي ي � ن ن ي �� ر �ع�� ���سم�ا � �ل��ك � ���� ��� �و� �له�� يل � ح�� ن�ل��ل� �من���ل� ا �لي�� او �ر �س� ا �ي� �ل� ا � ر � ع ع ع ع ن ان ّ ن �ن ن� � أ اأ � ن � ان � ي ي �ص ي� ��ن� ن� � �ن���ل �مّر� � ��و ن� �� ي� أا �� � ا ر ر ن���ل �م �ه� �ي� �م�لي��� ا ���� �ل �ع��� �م� � � أ �و���ي� � أي م يً ن ن �ً ن ً � ن � � ً يش را ��ي ي� ��ي� � ا ر� ا � ���� ا � � ل��ن� ���سم�� ي� � ا ���ل ا �ل��� ا ر ��� �و�ا �ع��لي� ��ط�ا �مر�عن��ا ا ���س�ع ّر �م ن��� ن���ل��� �ي� أ أ أ گ �ّ 1ال� �ص� � :م�لة�ه�ا رب�ة� 2 .ال� ص� � : �ة�� 3 .ال� �ص�ل :را , ل � ع � ل بَ ة
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A Description of Darfur
A strange thing about the people of Jabal Marrah is that they don’t eat the
3.1.28
wheat they grow. Instead, they sell it and trade it for millet. Stranger still are their crude sensibilities and their rough-hewnness, even though they mix with their women without restriction. This contradicts the belief held by all Franks21 that when men mix with women, their crudeness vanishes and they acquire refinement and good dispositions. An example of their crudeness is that a man will travel several leagues on foot, with a donkey, and will drive it ahead of him instead of riding it, and if you ask him why, he’ll tell you, “It would slow me down!” Their language is full of enthusiasm.22 Its words resemble Turkish, because,
3.1.29
when they call to someone, they say kéla 23 while the Turks say gel (“come!”). When I say they’re alike, I don’t mean they’re close in meaning. Rather, the resemblance is just in the sounds, even when the meaning is different. Thus, the Fur call a mare yáa murtá'ng, which to the Turks is a word for eggs (yumurta).24 To the Fur, something ugly is jitti, which to the Turks is a past tense verb meaning “he went.” 25 I have never heard a more deficient language than theirs, because the numbers in their language end at six, after which they continue in Arabic. Thus, they say díg for one, aw for two, iis for three, ongngal for four, oos for five, and oosandíg for six. After that they continue in Arabic: sabʿah, tamanyah, tisʿah (“seven, eight, nine”).26 Then they say wayye, which is a term they use for the tens.27 A Curiosity: One of the strangest things I heard when I was on Jabal Marrah
3.1.30
was that the jinn there look after their livestock—the ones grazing in the pastures—and these do not have shepherds. Several men whose word one would normally trust told me that if anyone were to pass by their livestock and see there was no shepherd and perhaps give in to the temptation to take a ewe or a cow or anything else and then try to slaughter it, his hand would stick to the knife at the creature’s throat, and he’d be unable to let go of it until its owners came. They would seize him and force him to pay the highest price for it, after reviling him and giving him a painful beating. I heard this so often it achieved the number of independent transmitters it would need, were it a prophetic hadith, to be accepted as authentic—but I still didn’t believe it. When I was on Jabal Marrah, I went to the house of a local man in Numlayh to ask about this but found no one at home. However, I did hear, coming from inside the house, a terrifying, coarse voice that made my skin crawl, telling me, “Á keeba!” meaning “He’s not here!” At that very moment, I tried to advance
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ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
ن ن� � ي أ أ ن أي ي ّ أ أ � أ ن ي � � أ� ن ّ � �ي�ل ��و�ل �ي� ا نل��ا�ا ي�ل�ع�سي� أا �ن�� �لي����� �ع ن��ا �و��ي� � �ل��ك ا � ��و� ي� ا ر� ي� ا � ا � �له�� �م � او ����ا �ل اي� ن� � �� ن� ني � � ا �� �ن�م ّ � ا �ن �ا ن � ���ن� � نس � �ي�ا �� ا � � �ن�ا نّ ا ��ل�� ن� � ن ن آ ّ ني � � ����ك �ع�ي�ر ا � �م�ي� ���ه��ل ي� �و�م�ا �ه�و ���ه�ا �ل ر ن ي� أ ��� � و ن ن �ي� و ل ر ن� أ � ي� ي ن ��ل نّ ّ � �أ نّ �� ّ ع ن نّ ا ا ًا ن �ل� � نّ ��� ّ � ن ي � ن َ ْ ن �َي ْ ن ��ل ا ا� ح� �ل� � � � ل���ل أا �ن����ا � �م�� �� ر���� �م� ا نح �وي س��م ن�ل�ل�ه�� ا � �ل ��ور � �مر�و�� �ه�� ا ا�� ر��� ن ي� � � أ �ن�ن �ن ي ��� ي� �م ن� � ��ن��أ� ن�� �ور ن� حيص ش� ا �ي�ي�� ي� ح�� �ي أ ّ ّ ي ن ن � ي � � � �ه�� � ا �ل�� نس�عر�ي �و�ي��و ن� �و�ا�م�ا ر ن� ���� �م �� ي� أا ��� ا � �لنه�ا ش��مر ا ن��سم�� ي� �س� ا �ل ش��م �ر�لن� ا ��م�� � � ي ّ �ن أ ن ن ن ن �ن ن اأ ن � ي � ��يعّ �ي ن� ي ا � � ّ �ي � ���� �مر �و� �� ن� ن �ي� أا �� � ا ر ��ور �� �ن� ر�� ا �ل�� �ن��� �و�ي� ا �ل��� �ي� ا ���� �ي� �م ن� �س� ��� ��ه� ل � � أ أ نّ �ان ن أ ّ � أ أ أ أ نّ � ي� � ن� � او ��س�م�عن�س ا ن�ع � ح ن� �م ن� � �ل��ك �و��ا �ل �ي� �ي�ا �و�ل��� �ي� ا �عل��� ا �ي� ��ص ي� ��ي� ا �و�ل ا �مر�ي� ا ���سم� ا � ي� م ع ا ��ل��� �م�ا ن ��ي ي�ل��ا � �ي ش�����ي �� � �م ن اأ ا � �من�ه�ا � �م ن � �ي�� �� 1ن�� ��� ا ��� �م ن ي�ُل�هل��� اأ نّ� �ع ن���� � �م�ا ن ��ي أ ري�� ري�� ن ع و ً ر و � شر أ ي� رو ي ن أ � � م ن � � ن ن ن��� ش�����ي � �م ن��� � ا � � ا ن �ص��� ��ّ ��ا �� � �ليع �ع��ي ن�ك�ه�ا ��ل�� ن � ���� �ن���ه�ا ا ��� ّ� ا�ام�� ن �ل �ك��ا ن���� �ه�ا ي ري� و ��� ا ن��م� �ير� ي م ي ي� ن ر ي� ن� وي � أ � ر ن ر ي ّ ّ � � ن ّ � ّ � ن �� ا�م � � ن � نّ ن� � �������� � نّ �� � ي ا � �ي �ي ا � ي ن� ا � � ن �ن �ا ي �ي �ه� ا ل�ل��ن� �ي� �ع�ل �� �ه� �ويله� �ل� لعر�ع� �سي� كي� � �وي��� ���ل أا � ���ل ا �ل�� ي� �ه� كي�� ي ل�م �ع�لي� ّ ً ا� ش � � � ن � �ي �ي أن ��ن ا ��ل��� ي� ش��ّ � �لي �� ��ل ��كه نّ أا ن� ���ا � ح�ن�� �ن�ل�ا �ن�ا �ع ن���� �م� �ل ك� �ا��ي�ر �و ن��ا �ل�� �ع�لي�� م� ا �ل��مر� � ني م ي و � � ي يأ أ ّ �ش ً ن ً ً نّ ا ً � ن ن ّ � � ن � � ا ي ن ا ا ن � ن ن � � � � � � � � � �� ���� �� ن� أا �� � ا ر� �ل� � �ع���� �لنص�� ك��ي را �و��ي را �ه��ل أا � ��� � م� � � او را � م�س� �� ر���� � ن ً ي ي أ ي ن � ي ي � ي � ً ن� ي ّ أ ّ �ً� ي � � أ ن���ي ن نّ ن ن ا �س ن ن م��ع� ن ا � �ل� � � �له��ل ن �ل� ا � � � � ا �� � م � ��� �ي��� �� ن� �س�ه�� ي ���� �عر�ي ار �و��� ا �� �نك�ه�� � لعر�ع� �م�ل�وء � �لنأص�� ي � � و وي � ّ �نّ ن���ل ن� ن �� �ن ا �� �لي � �ي � �ل��ه�� �عن نّ ح�يّ � ن ���� ن ن�ك ��ي �� ��ل �م ن ا ا � ا ��ل�� ن� �ه�ا � �من ��كه نّ �و��سيم�� �لي � �� � � � ع � ع � ه � � � ل ير و ر ر � � ي ي ن و ن � � � ي� ر ي أ � � ي �� ي ن � � � ن ي ّ � ي ي ن ن ن ي ي ًا ن ن ع� � ��ا ���� �ه�ا ��ي� �م ن� ��س� � ���لي��ل� �و���ي� ي����سم� �نك���و� �و���و�ع�� ��ي� ا �ل��ل��ن� ي�ل�� ��ط�ي� ا � �لعر�ع�� �نك �� ن � وي ع أ ���� ا�ا� ش م�����ي �� ن�ك��ا ن���ن� �ه�ا � �� ن�� ��� �كه�ا ا ��� � ا � � �ل�ه��ّ�لي�ه�ا �م ن �ع� ّل�ا �يكي�ه�ا �سن��ّ ���ط�ا �ي � ���� �ن���ه�ا ��ك���ا � وي ن ن � أ � ر وي � وي � � ن ري ي � ّ أ يأ أ ي ياأ ي �اّ � � ن ي ي � ا �ص��ا � � �ي�ا ن���ن� ا �� �ليع �ع��ي � ي� ��ي ا ا ي ��ي� ن��ي����� �و�ي��و ���ل �ن� � �لعر�ع�� ن�� ر�ي�� ا �و ا �م ار � �� ��ي� ���ل �ي ��و�م �ع���� ا �ك� ن ح و ر و ري�� �م�ا ن�ك�ه�ا �م ن ا ��ل��ل�� ن � �يلن�������له�ا ً ّ � 2ش ّ ي ن ��� ن�ك ا � نًا آ ن � ���ل� �ً�ا ��ن ����ا �عي��� � �يل�ه��ّ�لي�ه�ا ي� � ن� و � ن �ه� �لنص�� ا �ر م ون ي� و � �ي��� ا ��م �ك�ع ي� أ � � � ي ي ن �ص��ا ��ن��أ� ن�� ��ا �م ن ا ��ل���ن����ا ن� �ع�� �م�ا �ل�� �م ن � � � � ا � ا � ل � ��م ك � و � ر �و ي ي � أ � يع �ان ي أ�اّن ن � � � يّ �ا�ش � �ا �� � � �ا ي ا ��ل� ��� � ا ��ن ���� � ���م �ي�� �ن�� �ن�ا � ي ل � ����ل ي� �ع�� �من�� � �ص م � � و ر و ر � ني �و��ص� ا ���� ن� � �ل�ك ح�� ي م يأ رنو أ ن أ ي � ع أ �ّ � � ي ن � � � ّ ا ��ل��م �ي��ي نل � ��و ي� ��لن��� ن�� ا � ط�� � ن�س� 3ن� ��ل��ك �و�ش�ع�� ��ان ��� �ن�ا �مر��� ا � ا �ش����ر�ي� ��م نر�و�ي�� ���ل�� �ل�� ي�م� ��� ي ل � ي ي ي أ ّر أُ ْ �َن ش َّ � ي يم �ن ّ ا� ا � أ ن ي ّ ن ن ا �� ي� ا ��� �� ��س�م�� ي� اأ نّ� �ع ن���� � �م�ا ن ��ي � ���ا ��� � � او ��� ا ��� ��مر ا �ل��مر��� � ح ن� ا�م� �ل ا � � ��و ن� � أ � ر ن �ل ري�� ي ي � أ أ أ ةً � ب ��م ب��. 1ال� �ص�ل :د �م بر و��ا 2 .ال� �ص�ل� :ة ب�ع��س�����ه�ا 3 .ال� ص� :م ك �ل ة ة
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A Description of Darfur
and ask, “Where is he?” but a passerby dragged me away, saying, “Get back! The one you’re talking to isn’t human.” “What is he then?” I asked. “He’s his guardian jinni,” he said, “for every one of us has a guardian among the jinn, and in the language of the Fur he’s called a damsuga.” That scared me, and I retraced my steps. When I got back from this journey and went to the sultan’s seat, I met with
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Sharif Aḥmad Badawī, the man who had brought me from Egypt to Darfur, and I told him the story. “Believe it!” he said, and told me stranger things still: “My boy,” he said to me, “when I was young I used to hear that damsugas could be bought and sold and that anyone who wanted a damsuga would go to someone he knew had them and buy one at whatever price the other would accept. Then he’d bring a gourd of milk and hand it over to the master of the house, who’d take it and go into the room where the damsugas were, greet them, and hang the gourd containing the milk on a hanger in the house. After that, he’d tell them, ‘My friend so-and-so has great wealth, which he’s afraid will be stolen from him, and he’s asked for a guardian. Will any of you go to his house? He has much milk there and lots of good things, and has brought this gourd, full of milk.’ At first, the damsugas would refuse and say, ‘None of us will go with him,’ so he’d talk to them gently and flatter them until they agreed. Then he’d say, ‘Whichever of you wants to go should get into the gourd,’ and he’d remove himself from them a little. Once he’d heard the damsuga fall into the milk, he’d stop the gourd with palm leaves, take it, covered, from its hanger, and hand it over to his friend who’d bought it. Then the latter would take it home and hang it up in his house, where he’d put a slave girl or a woman in charge of going every morning and taking the gourd, emptying it of whatever milk it might contain, and washing it well, after which she’d put new milk in it, fresh from the cow, and hang it up. If he did so, that person could be sure that his property would be safe from theft and loss. “I thought these were lies. But then my wealth increased and the slaves and servants began stealing from it. I tried everything I could to put a stop to that but couldn’t, so I complained to a friend of mine and he advised me to buy a damsuga, saying that I’d then be protected from the evil of theft. My love of wealth prompted me to go to a man I’d heard had damsugas. ‘Give me a damsuga to guard my property for me,’ I said, and gave him what he asked. Then he said, ‘Go and fill a gourd with fresh milk and bring it here.’ I did that and took him the gourd, filled with milk. He took it and went off and after an
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3.1.33
ف فة ف ��ة� �ص���� د ا ر���ور
ي � أ � � ن � � ن ن ي � ي� � ا � أ � �اأ ي �ي �صي��� �م�ا ��ط��لن��� ���يه�ا �ل �ي� ا � �� ن� � او �م�ل �ر�ع� �و���ل ي� �ل�� ا �ع ���ن�س� ��مر�و�� حر��� �ي� �م� �ي� � او �ع ��ي ي ا ي ا ن� ن � ي أي ي ا �� �ي ي �م � ي � نًا �ن اأ ن �ن ا ن � ا �ي � � � � � � � ا � � � � � � � ء � � �م ن� �ل�� نن� ���ليص ن� و�ه� ك�ه� عه�ل� و �ي���� ن� لعر�ع� �م�ل�و � لنص�� � �� �ه� و� �� ن� نوله�� ���� �ع� ا ن � ي ي ن ّ � ا ي ي ا � � ّي ا ش ا � � ن ن ن ّ ن ن ا ن ن أ ن ُ ن �اّ حص� �م� �ل��ك �م حر�و� �و�عر��ي� �م� �ي���ن���عي� ا � �ي�لع�ه��ل ���ل ن�� ء ��ي� � او � �لعر�ع�� �س�� ��ط� � �و�� �ل ��ي� �ع�� �ل � �ه� �ي ّ ن ن ا� ا � �آن�ل �ي ي� � � ن ن ن ي ن � �ا ي ا ي ن � أ ن ي ����ي��� ا �ل��ل��ن� ���ع�ه��ل� � �ل��ك �و�وك���ل� ن�� ر�ي�� �ن��� �ل��ك � او �مص� �ع���� �م� ��ي� �ي ��و�م �م� �ع�����ل �ل� ي�� �و ن أ أ ّ أّ � ن � ن �انص ي� اي� ك ���� ي� �م�ا �� �س�نعي�� �ً�ا � ��ل�� � �ليه�� ا � � � � � ن� ح�ي� ا �ن� �� ي� و و ي ر ��� �ع���� ا � ��و� ��و�ل أا �لي��� �وكي��� �م� ا �ل�ه��ي� ر ني أ ي أ ّ ن ن ي� ي ي ن� ي ي � ّ ي ن �ن �ش� ن �ا ن � � ي ي �ش� �اش � عصي��� � او �ل��م��ه�� �سي� ء ك���ي�ر �و ��ل �م� را�م ا ��� �سي� ء ن�ل�ه�ي�ر أا � �ي� ل����مر ر�نص��� ��ع���ل �ي� �ع�� � � ن آ �� �� � � ا �� � ّ ي �ا�ا ن ا ��س� �� ��مّ �� �ن��ل ّ�ا �ش ّ � ا � ي ي ّي حيّ ��ا ��ش ع��س ي� ا �م ن�ً�ا � � � � � � � م�� � � � � ع �م م ل ح �س م ك � � ��ل��� �ل�ه�� �ل� ي� � � � � �م � ن و � ن ر ي� و و � ي� م آ � � ي أ ّ ن ي ّي ن ن ن عنه��لسي � �ًا � اأ ن �ن� ا�ا� �ن ا يل� � �ن�ي ّ ن ا ا ا ا ن ن � و� ا �م� �ل�� �ن� �لنص�� � � او را � �يك�ه� � �يك�ه� ن�لن������ �رر �و����� ���ر� ن� � � �ي� ي ��و م� و �� مه�ي � � ي ح ا ي �ن �� ا � �ان ي أ ّح ّ اً ن ن ن ي � �أ ي ي أ أ ن � �� � ن ي � ي ن ن ي ل � � � � � � ا � ا � � � � � �� � ��� � � م � � ص ص � ير�ل��� ا �ل��م��ه�ُ� � او را � ا � �ي��� ���ل �����مر ا ل���مر�و�� ر ن و � �ي� ل و � نُ ن ً ن ّ أ ْن ُ ً ن � ً أ� ن� أ ن �ش���� �ي��� ا ���ل�م�ا ا �نَ�� ْر ي� ن��م� �وي�� ن� نر�ع ي� �ع��لي��� ن� نر�ع�� �ع �ي�س�م�ا �و����ا �ل ي� �ع ن� ���ن�� ن� � �ل��ك � او �ن��ر ي� أ أ أ أ أ ن ً أّ � ا �نّ�� ا را � ا ن� ��ا ن���ن� �ش����أ�ً�ا �م ن ا ��ل���مي��ه��ي ن���يعي���ل�� ا ��ل����م ن �و�ي�� � ��� ���ل�ن� ي� ي�� يمصن��ا ا ن� ا ��ل����م نر�و�ي�� �ل�� ي ن� ل�� ي ي � ر � نأ نأ � ن ش � ي � ن أ أ ّ أ ن أ ن ��س �ي ن ش ي ا ا ا ا ن ��ن� ن��ي�م�سي � او ر� � أا � ار ن��� �� نع حر��� �و��ع���و� �لن����� ا � � �صع� �وي�م� ���ن ��ي� �� ���� ر �ع���� ا � ا � ن ي ي� � يأ أ � ن ي �اّ ن ا أن ا ً ش �ا�ّ ع �ن �ي ي ي ن ي � ّ ا ا ا ا � ن ن ن ��� �م � او ن��س� �ك �ه� ا �� ���� ك���ي�ري�� لي���و� �س� ���ل � او � �ه� ن�ل��� �كي��� � �نو� ر�و� � �وي� � ��و� ك�� له� � ��ه� � � ي� أَ ْ م م ع ع � ��ل�ا� ا �� ن�ل �� �َ �ْمنُ� �ي�� ا ��أ�����ْ � �س�ع ن�� �ا � ن� �ك��� ي� � ا � � � ا � � ي � ي ن � ن ا ي �ك��� � ل ��� ن م ور رو يَ َي و ���� �يك ��ط��ل� ��و� ا �لنص�� � �� �وي ي���و ن و و و أ � � ن �ّ ن � � ي ن ن أ ن ن � �� ّ ّ ن ن � � ي ي ن ش ا �� ر�و� ا �ك��ط��ل� �و�ر����� � ا ��� ا �كه� ���� �ل��ك � ح�� �ي��� ���ل�و� أا ��� ام ���ل ا �ل��� �ي� � ي و و�من اي�� ا �ل��سيك ��ط� � �ولي �ر ن � ن ن ّٰ � ن � � نّ ن ن � � ن�� ي �م ن � � ا ش ي نن �ص� � سه� ��مر� �كي��� ا�ام�ا �ل � نر��م�ا ��ا �� �و�عرن� �م ن��� ���ع�ه��ل ي� � �ل��ك ���ع ّر �ولل� ا ��حلم�� �و�ل� �� ا ن ي أ � ش ا � ن ا �ل�� �م� ر�ي��� ا �ي� ا �ل��سي�� ��ط��ي� أ �ي أ ن ن ّ �����ي �ي��س� ّ ع�� �ي ��ا ��ل ا نّ� ا ��لن ��يه�ا ي��� ا �� �سي ��ن ���� ي� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ن�ك�ه�ا ا � � �و� �له�� ا �ن��ر �ي� � م و ر ر � ن ي� � ي ن � ي ي ي � أ ّ � ي �مي �ّ� ا � ش ا � ن نّ ا � ا نُ ن ن ن ���ا ر ن� �نأ�ا � ا �و�ي�� � ��ل��ك ي� ا�امن����ور� � 1سم�ل��ك�ه� ا �ل��سي�� ��ط��ي� � او �ك�ه� رن�م� � ���� ش� �مر��ن ي� ن�ل�ه�ي�ر ن� أ أ ي �عن ي ن �ن � ا �ن� اأ �م � ن ع ���� �� ا �ّم�ا � � �ع�� �ّ ��كه� ا � � � ����ن � � � ه �س��ا ��ي� �ك�ه�� ا �م ن �ر��� � ��و�ي��� � � �ي� ر �ور ر ي أ و � م و ر ن ني � م و ي رن ي ن ي�ّ ح م� ��� ن �ل� � �ل��� �ع���� �ع� او �أ��� ا�ام��ل�وك ي� م � ن ي � ي � �اا � � �ي � � � � أّ ن � ي أ � �أ ن �و � او �لنصي ��ي ��و � او � نر�ع�� �و� � او �لن��ر���و � او�يم�سم�� �و�ع�ي�ر�ع� � او �م�ا �ع� او �أ��� ا � �لعن��ا �ل��ل ا �ل��ر ك�� �لن� ر �ي� � او �ل�� ا ن � م أ ة 1ال� �ص�ل� :م ب�����صور�.
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A Description of Darfur
hour returned with the gourd, covered. ‘Hang it where your wealth is stored,’ he said to me, and taught me what I had to do every day by way of washing the vessel and filling it with fresh milk. I did this and put a slave girl in charge of it and became so convinced my wealth was safe that I’d leave my treasury open, and no one would be able to get to it. It contained large quantities of goods and belongings, and anyone who tried to take something without my permission would end up with a broken neck. I lost several slaves that way. I lived for a while without worrying about my wealth until a son of mine called Muḥammad became a young man and, having reached puberty, started setting his sights on girls. He wanted to give them beads and trinkets, so one day he waited until I wasn’t paying attention, took the keys, opened the storeroom where my property was kept, and was about to enter when the damsuga broke his neck, and he died on the spot. I loved him dearly. When I was informed of his death, I mourned for him greatly and asked how he had died. I was told that he’d tried to take some of my belongings, so the damsuga had killed him. I swore then that the damsuga would not stay another moment in my house and tried to expel it, but I couldn’t. I complained to a friend of mine, and he advised me to hold a banquet and gather lots of men together, each with a musket and gunpowder, and have them all come at once, firing their muskets and yelling with one voice in the language of the Fur, ‘Damsuga ây yé?’ meaning ‘Where is the devil?’ and have them keep on firing and shouting those words all the way till they entered the place where my belongings were kept. Then it might become scared and run away. I did this, and it did flee, praise be to God, and I stopped keeping company with damsugas, or, to put it bluntly, with devils.” Several men told me that among the kettledrums in the sultan’s house there
3.1.34
is one called the Victorious that belongs to the jinn. Sometimes it sounds when there is no one there to strike it, and when that happens some great event occurs in Darfur, either war with one of their enemies or among themselves. This will be discussed again in more detail when we speak of the customs of their kings. The customs of the other tribes, such as the Bartī, the Dājū, the Bīqū, the Zaghāwah, the Barqū, the Mīmah, and others are in some cases close to those of the people of the mountain but in others different. Insofar as they differ, it’s because some of these tribes possess nobility, courage, and refined
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3.1.35
ف �ف ئ ��ي� �ع� او ���د �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
أ ن ا نّ �ل� ن ا ي ��ا �� ن� ا أ ّ ا ا�� ن ��� � �ل�� ن ا ن ن �ي اأ م ا � ن ي ن� ن ن ع ا �أ��� ا �ه�� ا ن��ل � ن �ل نو � �أ� � ن �� �ك�ه� ي� ل � �ك�ه� �ي�لعرن� �م� � �و �ه� ا �م� �� � �له�� كن������ �ه�� � ا � �لعن�� �ل��ل ل أ � � ن ّ ن � ا �� �� ي ��ل�� � ا ا �� ا � �ي �ل�ل�ي�� ا � � ن � ن � ن ن �ا � � �����ي � �ي��ي ������ ن � � ن �ع ��و� ع �و� �ل��ك م� ك� � �كي��� ��رم و ن ور ن ��ه�م لعرن� �ه��ل لن�� �ي� �و ن � ر ا �ل��ي � ي��� ن أ ن أ أ ن نً أ �ي ن � ا �ن �ي ن �م ن اأ ن ح ن ��س� ا ن �ص��ا ن�كي �ص��ا ��ا � �� � � � س � � ع ا ا ا ا ا ا ا ا ا ل � � � � � � � ع س � � � � �م � � � م ه ع ه � � � � � � �ه�م �أاو � و ي� م و و ي � � ر � أ ر و ير ر أ ر و ي ن ا ن م � ن � �أ �أ أ ن ً �ا ن ا نّ � ي �� ن ي � ّ ا ا �ار���و� �و ن� ��ل��ك ن� ��ل� �� ا � �ل ��ور ا �ل� ن�ع ��ا � ك�� �ه��ل ن� را � او �عر�لن��ا ا �� �ن���ل �مر� �و��م�ور ���� �أ� �ك�ه� �ل� لي � ��ر��و� م ي م ن � �ّ � ي ً ا ��كن ��ن � � � � اأ �� ن�ل �ن � � � � � ن� ن �� ا ��كن ��ن ن ن ي � � � ع ا ا ا ع ع �ل �� � �ص � � ه � � � � � � � � ه � �صي � و�ل ي �و و�ل ي رل � ي � م أ �ل � ر � �م � �ه��
�ش ا ن �ن ا � �ل�� ��ه��ل ا �ل�ه� ��ي�
ن ��ي�
�ن أ �ع� او ��ه�� ��ه��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
� ن ��مي � � � ا ن ا � �ا اأ نّ ا ّٰ � ����� ا �ن � � �يل� ا �� ن���لي ا ��ن ��ل�ا �أ��ي � �ليه�� �ي�� � �م�ّ� ن �ع� ن� �� ل �ي��ل�ا �� �� �� �و ن�ه�ل� �ه ل�م � لل ن�� � و ه� �� �� � ن ر و ير م � ي � �أ �� � �أ ا ي ن�ا ي � � ن � � � ي ا ��ل��ه�� � ا ي ن أ � أ� � �وا �ك�ه� �عن� ر� �ل��و�ي� ا �ل��نك��� ر � �و��� ��ر� �ل�� �و ي� ا �ل������ن���� ر ي ل� ا �ل�ه� ���ل أا � ا �ع� او ���� ع� � او � م م م أ ّ � � � ي �ا �ن �ياأ �ّ �ن اأ� ا �� ا�ا ا � � ا ن ع ا �أ����ه�ا � ������ا �أل��ه�ا ا�ا ي مصن ��ّ �ع��ي � �ن�� ا �أ����ه�ا ا ن� ا �� �ليه�ا � � � � م� � � � � � م � م��ل �ي� �و ل ر و ن � و وو ل�ك و ل � �و �ن � � أ أ � ّ ّ ّ ن ن � � ���ّ �� ا �ل �ا�ر ن���ل ي� �ي�� ر�ي�� �و�ع ��ط�م ي� أا را � �ي�� أا ن��م�� �ن��ّو ا � �وا ��ل �ه�� ا ا �ل�ه�ا �ا �و ن� ��ا ���ي� ا �ل�� ن�� �ا�ل �ي��و� � � م م ع أ أ ن ّ ي � � ي � ن ن ��ُ � ن � ��مي ��ا� ا �نّ� ا ن ا �ن نك ��� �ن ا ن � ي ا ن � ني ط �ي�ه � � � �� �هم� ن���م �ري�� �ل� � ��و ن��� ��ي� �ع�ي�ر�ع�م لي��هل��م �ع ��� � ر و �� �� �مك� � أ � طر �ي� ���ل� �� ا �ل�����َ � ْ آَ ي َ َ ُ ُ ن ّ � ا ش �ع�� أ نّم ا آ �ي �ا� � �ا� ي ا �� �ي� ا �� أ� ن � ْ ��اٱ ��ل��لّ�ْ ا ن ن � � � � � � ا � � م ه� � � ل � م م ا � � { � � � ه � � ك ه � � � ل � � او ��� او �ك�ه�م �ور�يك�ه�م �و س�ه� ��س�ه�مَ ل�م ا �ك�ه� ا �ي� َ ن ر م � و َ� ي ََ م نَ ي �َل ُ أ �ْ َ ُ ٱ � َّ ٱْ ل� ّ ي � ��� �ي � ْ �َ اأ ��ْ َ ا �ن ُ ْ ش��ّ ا نّ ا ّٰ � � �� �َ او �ن���َها ر} {�َ او ن� ح�يَه�ل�ا �ن� ا �ل�� َ�سنصَمي �� �صيع�ه� �م و ��وَ�ك�م} م أ � لل ن ��ه��ل � ���ل أا ��لي��م ن َ �ن ن � �أ�ي ا � ��ل ا ّ ن ا � ن ا ا� ي ّ � ن �� � ا ي �� ي ن � ا � ل � ا � � � � � � � ا � � ا ا �� � � � � � س� �م� ا �ل� � ي��م � ر و م��ه� لن�� ر� و م��ه� م ��و س�ط ن�ي� حر ر� او �لن� رو�� و� �ل�ك نح�� ن ن � ش ا �� �ي � ا ���� �ي��ل� �م ن ن� ّ � � � ي ��ا �ن�� ا �� ن�لع�ه�ا ��ل �ا�م�ا �س� اء � �ل�ه��� �ع ن��� � � �� ل � � � � � � � � ء � � � � ه �� � � � �� � لهم� ن ير ن � ��ط ا �ل�� �و نو � ي وو رن لأ ي�م � � � � ي � � � ي ي أّ ي ن � ن �ن �ن�ا �ل��� ل�� �هر ا�ا�م ن ار ��ا �و� ش��سي��ا �ي� ا �لن ��ن��� أا ��� �س�عرن��� �م�ا ا� �يل�عرن��� ا �م�� � او � �ي��ل�ا �� �ي نك �� ����� �و� � � � � ي م ّ � ح ي� ا ��ل�� �سّ ا � � �م�ا ��ُ ن�� ��ل ي� ��ن ا ��ل��أ��س�نه�ا ا ��ل��أ� �� ا ��ل � 1ا ��ل��أ � ا � � ا ن� ا �ي�ليعّ �و�� ��و�ل�� ن� ��ل��ك �ا�م�ا ����ا � ر و و روح أو رر ي� وح و ن ن� ني � � �ل��ك �كن�� ��و�ل �َ �ن � ن � ي � � � ْ ا ��ل � �� ن ي � ّ ي ي �م�ا � �لنه�� �ل��� او �أ��� ن�ع�ي�ر��ع �م ن� ا�ام��ل�وك �وَ�ام�َ�ل َ��ك�ه� ����ل� ���� ا �لي��ا �م�� �ع��ل� ي�هم� �ع�� �� �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور َ م م أ أ � � اأ �� ا� ا ن �ن ي ا �ّ ا ��لي ّ ن �ن�ا ن� ا �يكي��� �من�ه� ا ���� �ن�ا ��ل�� �ُ����ا ��ل �ا�م�ا ن� ا � ا ن� �ع ن ��ل ن� ا �من ا � � � � � � � �� � م �ه�و �� م �� � �ص� � ل �مر�� ل � ي أ ل �م و ي و ر ن أ أ � �أ ُ َ ُ ن � ن� ن �ً �ّ ن ّ أ � ش ن ا �ي ي � ا ا ا ن ن ��� �� ير���� � او � ا ا �مر �ن� �مر �ل� ي� ار ن� �ا�ل ا �مر � � �� ار أا �ل� �م� �نصي���ل ا �ل��س�ه� �ع� �� �كي��� �و���و ك�� � �م� � ي ي أ ع أ 1ال� �ص�ل :ال� �مول.
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Customs of the Kings of the Fur
dispositions, having mixed with the Arabs of the desert and the merchants who come from Egypt and elsewhere. You find that when such tribes see guests, they adjure them not to leave and treat them very hospitably, and when they see a stranger, they honor him. This is the contrary of the non-Arabic-speaking Fur, such as those of Jabal Marrah and Tomorókkóngá. These will neither so honor him nor behave toward him in a friendly manner, and they will not put a guest up in their houses unless forced to.
Section 2: Customs of the Kings of the Fur God, glorified and exalted, has created all people through His power, distin-
3.1.36
guished them, in His wisdom, one from another, and caused the differences among their customs and conditions to be a lesson for those who have eyes to see and a reminder for those who have minds to ponder. He has done this so that the rational person must inevitably become aware—on contemplating the conditions of different states, their varied endowments and constitutions, their virtues, and their advantages—of the fact that the Greatest and Most Powerful Creator, of power stupendous and will tremendous, has made the circumstances prevailing in this world to be of many kinds, bestowing on this or that people some particular advantage not to be found in others, in order that the magnitude of His power and His wisdom may be known. Likewise, if the rational person observes the differences among their tongues, colors, costumes, and means of sustenance, he or she will realize that these things are a major sign of God’s power: as the Almighty has said, «Among His signs are your sleep, at night or in daytime» «and the diversity of your languages and colors.»28 In addition, God has given a particular nature to every clime. Thus, some are hot, others cold, and yet others, depending on the nearness or distance of the clime to or from the equator, occupy a midpoint. Glory then to Him who effects what He desires; “should He have wished it, He could have made them all one nation.” 29 Through difference, however, virtues are made manifest, and the soul yearns to know what it did not. Were it not so, the restless would not roam and lives not be given over, in search of knowledge and wealth, to journeying far from home. With this established, we declare: The customary practice of the monarchs of the Fur is at odds with those of other countries. Their king has absolute authority over them. Should he
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3.1.37
ف �ف ئ ��ي� �ع� او ���د �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
� ن ي ���� �� � �لن� ن ن ي � او �ل���� �س� � �ل ل� ن �� ���ا ء ��ي� ���ل�و�نك�هم�
� ن� � ّ � �ا ي � �� �ّ ن ن �و�ل�� ي�ر� �ل�� ك�ل��م�� � ك ل��ن��� أا � ا ���ه��ل �م�ا �ل� �يل��لي ��ي� �م ن� ا �ك��طل��� م � ش ن � �و�ل�� �ي�ليه�� ر �و� �ل�� �ع�� ���سي� ء � أ � أ نّ � نأ � �ا ��لي � � � � � � ن �ّ � ��ا �ّو�ل �ع� او �أ��� ��ع ا � ا�ام��ل�ك �ل� لي���و� أا �ل� �م ن� ن��ي�� ي� ا�ام��ل�ك ا �ي� �م ن� ���� �ه� و�ل� ل � � أ م ن م ي �ّ � ش نًا ي يّ ن � ش ا ن ا أ نّ ا� ن � ي ي �ن ّ ي ن � � � � ا ي� � �ه� ا � �م�لك أا � ا � ��و�� �م��ن� ���و�لي��� ا نحم�ن�ي� �ع � ��س��� �ع��� ع�م � �و� �لي� �ه�م� 1و���و ��م �ري�له� �وح���� � ن أ أ �� ���ل�� ��ن ����ي��� � ي ّا � � ا �� ن � ه� �و�ل� ن �� �سع�ه�� ا �ي� �م �ل� �ي� �مر �و�ل� ي�ل � ي ن � ي� ن ي � �ّ ّ يي ن� �ا�� ع � � 2ك� له� �ع���� � �ل��ك أا �ل� � �ل ��و�م �ن�ي� ن� �ي��� �ي�� � � � و� و � م � � �ا ن � ن ن ا نّ ن ي � ي �ا� ّ ا �ل����ل��ط� � �عن��� ا �ر��م� �أ� ��� �ر�� �ع� � �ك�ه�م �مك� �مر أ ن �� ��ا أ� ن �ي��س� ّ ل��ل�ا� �ع� �ي�� ��لصي��� � �ش�ا ��لش�ه�ا ا نّ� ��كه� � ع م ر �ع��� ا � � م �� و ي و � �م ن �� نّ � ا أ ن ي � ن ع ���س �ي �� نّ �أ �ي �ي�� ّ �َّ ا ي ا ��ل � �� � �ن �� �ون� � �و�ه� �ط� له� ي�م� �وك�ه� ر�ي������ س��م� � ّ ا ي �ن ن ن � � � ا ن �ش ا ن �����ي ا ��ل �م��ل� �ن �� �ون� � ��ع��� �ر�ونح ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �ي ��و�م ا �ل�� �م� أ أ ّ ي ن� �����ي �من ��سيم�ع� ن � �و�ا �ي�� ن أا ��لي��� �و �� �ه نّ� ن�لي��� �يك�ه�ا ا نر�ل� �ا�ل � او � � ي� � ي ع ن أ ن أ ي � ن �� � �ي ّ � ي � ي ن ا ُ اْ ً ن ط� �م ا ل ���� ا ا �و � ���� ا ا �و � �ر��ا ن��ا �و���ور�يك�ه�ا أا �ّم�ا � � ط�ه�� �م � � �ه� �ه� �ه� ���� ا ����ي��� ��س��م� ا � �ل� ��ل �� ��ل ع � �ه� � ن ن �ن �اّ �ا ا ا ن ن ي ����� �من ا ����ا �ه نّ �يك� ن� ي ن �م �لن�ه�ا �ع�� �ل�� ن� ا ��� �ه� ���و� � نو�لي��� أا � � ن �ك�ه� ي� ل � �و�ي� ���ل �ي��� ��ر�ن� ن�� � �يك� نر � �� ن ���� �م� ن ن أ ن ّ � � ن ا ��ل � �ن ن ن �ا ��س� �ن أ ن ن �ه�ا �م�ا ء ا � �ور ��س �ي���ل�� ا �ه��ل � ا ر���ور �ي�سم�ا ي�ر�� ن� �م ن��� �يصن���ل ا �لن�ع� ع� ا ن�لي���� �و�س� � ع� �م� ن � � ي شّ ي � � ا � � ي �ّ � ّ أ ن ن ن � � ن � � ن � �ل��ك ا�ام�ا ء �و�ر��� �ن�� �ع��� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �س� ���و�ل ��ال��م �ل� ي�ل�ع�ه��ل�� أا �ل� �ه ن� � �وي�ا ���� � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ع �ن � �� ��� نّ � �ك ��� �ن ن � � ا ��ل��� ي � �لي ّ� ن ا �� ا ا ��لن� ا �� � � ا��م ّ ا ���� ن� � ن�ك � ا ��لن �ي ا �ي � � � � � � � ه ل � � ه � ه � � � � � ير �� أ � ر �ه� وي طع�� ن� ن ي � يو ��و ن � �ي� و س � �وو ل ي ي أ � � � ّ � � � � � ّ ي ن � ن � ن �� �ل ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ك��� ن���ل ن ا �لن��� ي� � �و�ا �ي�� ن أا ��� ا �لن ��يه�ا ر��� ا�م��س�م�ا �ي ��ا �امن���� ر�ي �ك ��ي �ن ن و ي �و �عي� �� ن �و ن ي � ي ي ي� عع�� ي � �ي �ي � � �لن ا �ن ا �� �� �� � �� ا ن � � � نّ � ن � ن �� � �ع�� �ل�� ن �ك�ه�ا � �و �ليه��ل ن � ار ل� � �ه� �ي� ��و��س�ط � او ل����ل�ط� � �و� ل� � � �ه� �ويك� � ��له� �وي ن�ه� � ���� س � ن � ي � �م نر � ا ن ي ن ح � ن ا � � � ا ن � �ا �� ّ �م � ي � ش ن ��ع� �ن� �ل����ل��ط� � أا �� ��ر �س� �م� ك� � ن � ���� �و�ل�ه�� ن���ل�و����� � ا ك �ي��� ن���ل أا �لي��� �ا ا نّ �ّ � م� �ل��س�ه� �م �ير ن � ي ل� ن أ � � � � �� ا �ل��� �ع�� � � � ��ي�� ن��ا � � ا ��� ��ا � و� وي ول �ل م
أ أ ة 1ال� �ص�ل� :م ب����ه�ل 2 .ال� �ص�ل :د �عو�. م
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Customs of the Kings of the Fur
kill thousands, no one will ask why, and should he strip an officeholder of his office, again no one will ask why. He has total freedom of action to do everything he wishes, and if he gives a command, he may not be questioned, even if it be an abomination, other than through intercession,30 and he may never be contradicted. If, however, he acts with an unbefitting degree of tyranny and oppression, they will come to hate him in their hearts, though they can do nothing against him. The first custom is that the monarch must be from their royal house, meaning of their own line: no outsider may assume power, even a sharif whose line of descent they have verified. The second is that when the monarch takes power, he stays in his house for seven days and issues no commands or prohibitions, and no case may be tried before him. All of them have followed this practice, with the exception of Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān: he broke with tradition, as mentioned when we spoke of his assumption of power.31 The third is that there are among them old women called the Grandmothers,32 who form a powerful faction. They have a chief who’s called the Mistress of the Grandmothers, and when the sultan leaves his house on the eighth day, they assemble and go to him, each holding four pieces of iron, called “scourges.” They look either
like this
like this
or like this.
In each hand, they hold two scourges, which they strike against each other.33 One of them has a handful of white palm leaves in her hand and carries a liquid—the people of Darfur differ on the nature of its composition.34 The old woman wets the palm leaves with this liquid and sprinkles it over the sultan while uttering words of which only the Grandmothers know the meaning. They take the sultan into their midst, circumambulate the house, and then go to the Drum House,35 which is where the kettledrums—the sultan’s drums— are kept.36 They enter, go to the drum called the Victorious, and stand in a circle with the drum in the middle. The sultan is alone with them, and they strike the scourges against each other and speak words in that language of theirs. Then they conduct the sultan back to the throne of his kingdom, and as soon as he’s seated on it cases are brought to him and he starts pronouncing judgments.
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3.1.38
ف �ف ئ ��ي� �ع� او ���د �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
ي أ نّ � � ن � � ّ ن �ّ � ي ا ن ن ً�اا ن أ �ا ً � ن ع ���س�مً�ا ا �و�م ن� �ع�� � �ك�ه�م ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �ل� ي����ل���م �ع���� �ع�ي�ر� أا �ل� �ن��ر ن��م� � ���ه�ي�را ك�� � ا �و كن���ي�را ي أ أ أ ً �ا ش ّ ي ّ � ي ن ح�يه�ي�را �وك� �ش��و ن� �ع�� ركن� �اي��نعيّ���ي ن� ��ل��ك ا �نّ�� 1أا ن� ا � ن���ل �ع��لي��� ا �ن�ا ��� ي ن� ا �و � �ه�م ��م ي�لي��هَ�� �م ا �ل��ر ن��م�ا � � � أ نّ ي � نَ يَْ َ �نَ َا نْ ُ َگ ْ �انَّ���َ َ ي���س ّ�م � ا � ��ًا �ل�ه�� � ا � � آ ن � � � ��ه ين� ���� أا ��� ا �ر�ع� �و�ه�و ا ��� �ي�ل ��و�ل أَا � ��و � ��ورا �ل� � د و� ح�� � ا َر ي� �ه�م و �� ن و �و ي� م ي أ ّ ي ��َ نْ ُ ُي �َ ْ ن � � � ي � ّ � ن ن ��ا �ل����� ن نر ن��ل�ا � ����ل�ا � ي�ل�� ��ط� ��ط�ا �ع�� ن�أ�ا � ا ��ّ ا ��س�م�ا ء ا ن�ل ي� ي��ا �ل َكي�ا� َ����ي� � ��ل�� �و�س�ع ن��ا � أا � �ع ن��ا � ا � م م ي َ َگ � ْ �س�ع ن ا � � � اأ � � ح�يّ اأي�ل��ا �عه � ن � � � � ع اء � س � � � � � �ه � � ك � � � � ه ه س � �ل �َر و � �م و ور م � ن �� �م و ُ �ُ �َم ن�كي��ي� �� ا ��ل��ص��� ا ��� ا �ي ن��� ن ن���ل�ن ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن ا�م��س ّ ن �ا ْ�ا � �ول ن ي �و �و� � � �مو� ��ور �� او گ گ ّ ن گ � � بگ ��ه � وب� ك� �و�ي�� �ي�ليه�� � � ��ار ع� � و� ك� ��ه �و�س�ع ن��ا � �را �ي� د و� �را �ي� د و� م م �اا ن �ن � ن � �ن ن ن ن ا ا ا ا ����ل�ا �م ����ل� �م ����ل� �م ����ل� �م �أ� � ك�� � �ي� �ي �� او � ح���ل � �مرن� � ن ن ن � ي ا � � نْ يَ ا ع ����ي�� �م ن ن� ح ش��س ن� أا � � ا ك ���ن���ل �ي�له� �ل �ل�� َ� � �له� ر �و�ه�و ���ن���ل � م � ي � يأ � ّ � ن � � ّ� ن � ا �ل ش��ع � ���ل �س�يه��ل�و ن� ��ك�� ا �ه�� � او � ���� ا �ع ار مي� ن�م��ل�� �م� ن� � � ن � � ً �� � ن ن� � �ل�� ���و ي� �ع�� �ًل � او � ا� لي � ��ن� � �ي �� او �ن�ا �ل� لي���و� � �ل��ك أ م � ن أ ي ن � �أ ّ ي ن� ّ ن � � � ن ن � ن ش��ّ �م ن �ش���� �ي �ل�� �ي�س�م�ه� �ل��ل�����ل��ط�ا � ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � أا � ا �نك��� ��� ا �ل�ر��� ي�م���� ��� ن�لي���� م � � م أ أ ًا � ي � ا ن � �أ ا� ي � ّ � � � � ن ن ي � ي ن ن ا ا ا ا ا ا ن � � � � �� � �م�� ا � �له� �ع��ي� 2ا �م� �م�� ا�م� ��ط�ل�ه�� � 3ا ��م� �ل�ل�����ل��ط� � �و�ل� ���ه� �ل�� �و ل ���� �م ن ا ل � حرك�� ��� � �وا � � ي� ي� ّ ن � ن ن ن� �ا� ي ي ط ن� �لي��ا ء �م�� �ع�م��ي ��ن ����� ن ��ن� ي ا � ا ن� ا يل�ن� ي� �م ن� ن�ع�ي�ر �رك� �ا�ا ي� له�م ���� ���� ي�ل�ع�سي� �يل�� �ل� �� �و ن أو ي� � �� � ��وا ك�� � ح ا ن ن ا ًا ���� َّ �ن ْن � � ّ � اأ ن ا ن ن � �� ن� ن �� � �ن � � � � ن� ن �� � ن � ��� ر�ن� ل ل���� طوا نحر�و� �ل� يل�ل��ط لي���و� ا �ل��ل���� � � � ا �ل�ه�ل�و�ي� �ل�ل���س�� � �أوا � ا �ع ������ ل�� � ح �ّ � نَ ن أ ّي ن �نك�ه�ا أا �ل�� ا ���َور ا �و �م ن� ي���س�و�ي� � ا �ن�� �وا � ا أ أ � ا �ع �� �ّ ���ل�� � ا ��ط� � ا � ا �ع��ل��� ن���م ا �و� � م � � ل�� � � ن � و ل ن � رو و ي ر ح ن ن � � � ن ش �ن ا �ص��� �م� ري���� ا �ل��ه� �م �أوا � �رنح أا �� ا �ك� ي � ن �� �ّ � ن � � ش��س ّ ��س���ي � اأ �ل� �م ا � � ل��ا ��ا �م ن ر و ر و ن يك�ط�لل� �و� ن �م ي � نع ر أح ن ش ا �� ن ا � ن� �ّ ن ا ي � ن �و� ا ��مر �و�ه�� � ري���� ل��ه� �م سه� �له� � ن ن �ح ي � � ن ا�ا�م ار �و� ���س��مّ� �ن�ا �ر� ش��� �و���ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا ي ح ن� �ي ن� ن ا ��ل ش��س ّ �ي اأ �� �� � �� ا ن ��ه��ل� ن� ا�ا��م ا � � ا ش�ل ن��� ن �ع ن ا ��يس�م�� ن � ا ش�ل ن��� ن �ع ن � � ا ل �م � � � � � �� � � � ع � ��س� ل ي ��� ر � كي�ع ��و� ن ط � وي ن و ر وح ي� � ي� و ي� � � � � ن �ّ �ل�� ش ل��س ّ ي � ن ن � �ا �ي � ا �� � ش �م�� � ��من ا �لي������ا ر �كي����ي�ر �ع�� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ن ��ط��ل � او ��س� ��س��� ا�ام�� ��ور و ري��� لك ����و��� ع �و �م ي � أ أ أ 1ال� �ص� :ا ب� 2 .ال� �ص� :ة��ا ع�د � ب 3 .ال� �ص� � :مة����ط��ل�ع�� ب ة�. ة� ل ل ل
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٤٠،١،٣
Customs of the Kings of the Fur
Another custom of theirs is that the sultan only salutes people via an inter-
3.1.39
preter, whether the one saluted is young or old, mighty or mean. This is done as follows: when people come in to see him, they kneel; then the interpreter advances and says their names, one after another, until he’s named them all. He says, “Ínni tawrá falān dóngá kee nágí dárí,”which means “Here, outside, soand-so, greetings, he gives obedience.” 37 When he’s finished listing the names of those in attendance at the assembly, he says, “Kí kíeng dogóla kerker,” meaning “They have children behind them, even their followers and their servants.” 38 Then the slaves who stand behind the sultan and are called kóór kwa, whom we’ve mentioned earlier,39 say, “Dóngá rǎy dóngá! Dóngá rǎy dóngá!” meaning “Greetings! Greetings! Greetings! Greetings!” If the sultan is holding formal audience, a drum called dinqār is then beaten; this is a huge drum made of wood and covered with hide on one side. It has the shape of an inverted pyramid, like this: and makes a loud noise. If the audience is not that sort, then this isn’t done. Furthermore, they exalt the sultan to such a degree that when he spits on the ground, one of the servants sitting in front of him or keeping their eyes permanently trained on the sultan and his actions and movements wipes it up with his hand. When he clears his throat, they all say, “Ts ts,” the t being contracted into the s with no vowel, the tongue striking the edge of the gums above the teeth. When he sneezes, they spit out letters that only a gecko or someone driving a donkey could pronounce. When he sits down and remains seated for a while, they fan him with ostrich-feather fans. And when he goes hunting, they shade him with an umbrella and four large ostrich-feather fans encased in red broadcloth; these fans are called “the feathers” and look like this: They hold the umbrella over the sultan’s head and place two fans on the right and two on the left, ensuring that a large area of shade embraces him. The aforementioned umbrella and “feathers” have their own exclusive master and helpers, who take turns handling them, as they proceed on foot. Another custom relating to the sultan is that when he rides out, they roll a carpet out
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3.1.40
ف �ف ئ ��ي� �ع� او ���د �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
أ ي � � ن ن �ا أ ن أي ع ا ن� �لي��� ا � �� �� �نكه�ا �ن�� ���ي ن�ك ن�� ���ي �م�ا �ش�س��� ن ي� �ع���� ا ��� ا �س�ه�م �و�م ن� �ع�� �� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � أا � ا ر�� ن� ا � � او � �و ي و و � ون نو ي ن أ � أ ن ي � ن اأ نً ي ن� � � ن �ّ ا ��ي � �� ا �م�� � ��من ي�ر��� ا �م�ا �م�� ا �ل���ن�� وك�ه� لك ����و��� � او �ع� او � ي�ل��� ا �و���و�ك�ه� ا �يك� ���ا �و�م ن� �ل�� ���ي�� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ع م ش � � أ نّ � ن أن ن � ن أ ي شّي � ا أّ ن ا �وا �� �و�ع��ر ا ن�ل� ا �ن�� أا � ا ر�� ن��� ن�� �وا � �ر�م�ا � ا �و �و��� �م ن� ����� � ا �ر�� ن��� ا �ك�ه�م �ير���و� ا � �ل���س�هم� � � � أ ن شعي أ ً � ن �� ن ي �ن ���� �من �ه� ر ا ��ل �م��ن� ا � �ي���نص� ا � � ن��مي��ه�ا �م ن� �ع��� ن �� �ي���ل �و�ل� ي� � � � � ع � ه �هر �ر����� ن�ل�ه�� �و�و� � � � � � و � م � ع � � ن � ن أ ��ن � ي أ � ً ش ا يً ن �� ا� � � �ن �ن � � � �ن � � ا ل � � � � ا � ا ا ا � ا � �ل � � � � �� � � ل � �� � � ه � � � م � � � � � ع �� � � � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ن�ل��ل أا � را � ن ��� � ر ن �و و م ير ير �و أ � م � �أ ن ن ن ًا أ ا�ًا ن ن ن ع ���سًا ا� ا � ن اأ نّ ش ا �ي � ا � ي ي أ � � ن �م �ر� ���و�م� � او � ك� �م �ر�� �و�� ا �ل�ر ن��� � �ويك �ا�ا � � ي�م� �م� ي�هحر�و� � �لن�� � � � ���ه�ا ر �ن�ا �مرا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � أ ن ن ّ � ن � � � ن ن ش ي �ي ي � ��ن� � �ي �� ا �ن�� ��ل�� لي � � او � ا ن���ل��� ا �ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �ل���ل �� �� �ل��� ا �ل ن��ا ��� �من��ا ��مر� ن�ل��ل ن� �� او ��س ��ط�� �ر ن��م�ا � أا � و ي أ م نًا � ًّ ا ن ا ن �اا ن م نًا � ًّ � �اا ن ي � � �ي ا ا� �ي � ن اأ ّ �� � ن �� � �� ا ن � ا ن � � ا� لي � �سعه� �م� ر ن ���و� �وك�ه�م ع��� ا ل����ل�ط� � �� � �ي �� او �� �ع� �م� أ� � ك�� � � �ي �� او �� �ع� �م� ك�� ��� ن م أ ط�� ا � � � ا� ي � ن �ن � � � ا�ا � � � آن ���ور �� �اوا �و�ل�� � او �ل� � او �ر�ع� �ع ن��� ا �ل ن��ا ��� ا ��� ن� ا �ل�� �ع�و� � او�م��ر ن ���و� �ي� ا ���و��س ��ط � او �ل������ ��ر�� م � ن � ي �أ ن ن��� �لنه�� � او �ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء � او �ل�� ش��م ار �� ن��ا �ل�� �سو ن� �و�ي�صأ��� � �ي �� او �ن�� ��ك�� ا
40
40
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Customs of the Kings of the Fur
in front of him and this too has a master and helpers who manage it. Another example of their exaltation of the sultan is that if his horse gallops and stumbles and throws him, or the violence of the gallop makes him fall off, they all throw themselves off their horses’ backs; it is unthinkable that any of them remain firmly mounted once the sultan has fallen. In fact, if the servants see that any of them is still firmly seated on his horse’s back and hasn’t thrown himself off, they throw him off themselves and beat him severely, even if he’s someone important, because they think that to remain well seated is to show contempt for the sultan. When the sultan sits in judgment in his place of audience, he doesn’t address the people directly but does so through an interpreter, so long as the audience isn’t public. If it’s a public audience, they’re seven—these interpreters— the first of them standing next to the sultan, the last next to the petitioners. The interpreters are in the middle, the soldiers around the sultan, and the kóór kwa behind him, while the scholars of religion and sharifs are seated. The audience space looks like this: Kóór Kwa The Sultan Sits Here Vizier
Servant
Scholars
Soldiers
Soldiers
Interpreters
Soldiers
Servant
Soldiers
Scholars
Vizier
Petitioners pl
Pe o
pl
e
o Pe e
Mooge Soldiers
Soldiers
41
41
3.1.41
ف �ف ئ ��ي� �ع� او ���د �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
ن ن أ �ا أ ّ � �ي ���� � ا �ي ن�� �� ن� � ا أ��مً�ا � او ��ل ن��ا ��� ن��ا �ش��و ن� �ع��� ركن� ���ه�� �ه� ا �م�ا �م�� � او � ي� ا �ي��� �يك�ه� �ع���� ا �ل��را ن� � او�ا � � مو ن�ي و و � م م أ نن ��ّ أ � �ن ن � � �ي �ا �ي� � ن� �ن ا ن ا �����ّ �� � �� ا ن � ي � ا م� � � � � � ل � � � ا ا ا ا ا � � ا ل �و� � �س��� ��ر لعرل �ه� أ� � ل� ل����ل�ط� � �ع� � � ي�ه� �و ا �ل� ر ن� ن� ي���يك�ه�م أو � ل�م ��� �ي� � ي م م م ّ ّ أ � ًّ ن � ن ن ًّ ي � ّ ن ن� ن �ا �� ي � � �نم ���ل����� �ل�� ي�لن��� ا ا �� � �س��� ��ا أا � ك�ا�ا � �ع نر�لي��ا �أاو � ك�ا�ا � ���ورا � �وي�ا ��ا �ل ل��ل��م أا �ل� �ن �ل ��و�ل�� ���ل��م �ع��� � ي َ ّ ن ي�ّ � ي�ّ أ ن ن �ا � ُ گ �ا نَ� �ل��� � �لي �� ��ل ���ل��� �ع��لي��� أا � ا ي�ل� � �ا�ا ن� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �ه� ا�م� � ح ن�� �و�س�ع ن��ا � � ��ل��ك � او � ا ك� ا �ن�ا �� د � �ل��� � ر و َ ي و و و ي م ا � ّ ن ا � ي ا ني ي � ُ َگ ْ َ أگْ ن �اا ن ا � ن م ّ ي ي � م ُ َگ َ حن ا ن � � � � � � � � � � ا ا ا � � � � �� � ل ل � � � � � د � � ن �س ك ا � � �ن� �ل�عر�ي� �� �ل��ر ن��م� � �ي�ل ��و�ل د و � �ا �ي� � اَة�� ي ي� أو � ن �ور وي ي �ول و َ ي� أ � ن ّ � ح ًّا ن �اا ن ًّا ي � � � � �اا ن � ّ �ي �� � �� ا ن �ن ن � � ن ع � � � � � �� � م � � � � � � � � � ا � � ل ا ك�� � ن �مي�� ُأو � ك� � ع نر�لي�� يل ��ول ل�م �ع�ي�� و�ل� ����و� ي �ص�� ن �ل��� ل����ل�ط� � �ي� � �ل�ك نل��ل ح�يّ ��ن � �ا�ّ � ���ل�� �يل�ه�م�� ن�ك��� � �ع� �� � �ليه�ا ��ل ن� ��ل��ك � ���ل�� ا �� �ليه�ا ن��س �و�م ش����اي ن� ا ��ل��ل�ا � �و��ل�� ي� �ن م م �م�� � ح ن ��ل ن � ل ي و ي ي� � � ن � � أي َ ن ُگ َ أ ي ح ن � ن � � ن � � نّ ��� ا � � ن ن ي ً � � ا ن� �ل�ه�م��ل � �ع�و�� ن�ل�ه�ي� ل��ل�� �يك ��ط�و�ل � او � ك� ��� � �ول�لر� �ل�� �ل�ك ا � ا � د ن ا � � �ا�ا � �����ي�را �لي� � ��ر�ير ر و َ ي أ أي أ م م ّ ن ن �ا�ل �ي �ا��ل�مي � ن ا ن ا ا ن� ي��ي � � � ل���ل�م��ي ن�ل�ه�� �� �ا�ل ك� �ه�� � ا �� � عو�� ن�لن�ه�ي�ر � ��ل��ك ي�ل�ي�ص ��و ن� �ع��لي��� ك � ا ا � � � � � � � �� � � � م � � � � و و ي� ن أ ح أ يّ ا ا� �ا أ ّ ا � �ن ن ًا ن� ن ن ن ن � ن ا � � م � � �و�هحر�و ن� ا �نّ�� ن�ع�ي�ر �مس�م�� ن� ن�ل��ل أا � ا ك� � � ك � � � � � � � � �ا�ا � ��ي� ن �ل��� �� ي ��و� ن� ن� رن ر م� لي � �� ع ير�لن�� ي�ه�� ر ي م م ي ي � �ن ن ن ن ي ي �� ي �و�م ن� �ع�� �� �م��ل�وك ا � ن�ل ��ور ن���لي��� ا �ل���ا ��� �و��عي� �ع�� �� �ل� � ��و ن���� ��ي� �ع�ي�ر � ا ر���ور �و ن���لي��� ن ا ��لي� � �� ن � ا ��لن� ا �� � �يلن�ع � �ل ا ��ك��� � � ّ ي ن ي �مر �ن�ا ��لن ��يه�ا �ي�ي�ر �و�ه�� ا ن��لي��� يل � ��طح��� �ون�� ��و�ل ا�م��س�م�ا � ��ي� أا ���لي�� �س� �� � ه�و ي��ير 1ن�� �و� ن � ي أ ّم ّ ي �ا �ن ّ �ي ن � � أ نّ �� � �� ا ن اأ � نن ��ه��ل� ن� ��ل�� ��� ��س�م�ا ��ن ا ��ل ن ��س��� �و�م�� �ي�� � �سع�ه�� ا �ي�ا � �وك�ي�عي�� � �ل�ك ا � ا ل����ل�ط� � �ي� �مر �ن� ر �وي ن� و و ي� ن أم أ نع � �� �� ن ن �ا��ّله�ا �ن �� � � ا � ن ُ ن ن ش ّ ي ش ن �ن�م ا ��ل��ل� ن ن�ك� ن�� � ن ��و��ل ك� � ن��ل�و� ا ك � ���� �كي���ر �� �ي ��أو�� �ن�ا � �� او ر � � ر و� ي ن � � � �و�ك�ه�ا � �وي�ا ���� �و� و � � ن ي و ّ ي م م ع أ ً� � � ن � ا � � � ن ا �ي � � �� �� � � ل�� �ن ا �ه��ل � ا ر�ن��ور �ي�لي ��و���و ن� ��ن� ن� ��ل��ك �� �ال�ا�م�ا �ل�� �ي�ليعن���ل�� ��و�ل � � م� ن��ل�و��ه� �وي ن �ل�� �و� �نك�ه� ل�لك ا ك� ن � � ي ن ن أ نّ ن � � شأ ن � � ن ا نّ � � �ي � ي � نّ �ُ ْ �� �ي ن ي � ع ل�� � � � � ا ا ا �ص ن� �و� ك �ع����ل �ع�� ���ل�� 2مم�ا ر��� �ل�ل� � � � �ه�� � � � �ه� س��نَ� �� � � ع � ه � ك � � ل ل � � � ك � � � � ير ور � � و و أ � م م � ن ن � �ي � � �ن � ن � أ نّ ا ن � ن � � � ن�ا ن ن م� � ��و نلعر سعر�و� ع��� ع� � او �ك�ه� ��� ي� ا �ل���ن� ي�ل ن��ا � �و� �����ه�ا �ن��� �و� �م ن� ي��م��ع��ك�ه�ا �و�ل� �ي��� ��ر�و� ح م ٰ ع ن ن ا ي �م ن نّ �� � �ن ح نّ �كه�ا � �ي�ن�مس�مه�ا � ل � ا ��س� ا ّلل� �ع��� �ن� � � � � � ا � � م��ع� ه ل ��ه� � �وي�ل ��و� ��و� أا � ا ن � �و ي� ي � و ي � م ُ أ أ ي � ُ ن � � ش ا�ا �� ن � يّ ي ّ ي ن ن ��ّ ��ا ن���� �و ن� �ل �و�س�ه�ا �و ن� � �و��ي� ا �لي ��و� ا �ل����ا ن�ل� �وان �ي� � �وي��رك� 4 �س��� ا �ي�ا � �س� مل ��ه��ل�� 3ي� �� �� مي م م � �ع � ح أ ن ن � � ن ع ن � ّ � �� أ أ ش � ن ن ن ي ي � ن ن ا ي ا ��ا �ي�� ن� ن�ل��ع ك���� � � ا �ع ن��ا � � ����ن� ك���له�ا � يك� � �سه�ا �و��� ��ا �ل ا �ك��ط� ن � � �ل ط��� � ��ا ���� �و� ا �ل���ل � � � � ن ح� ا �ل��� �ي� و و ر ن � � ن و ي و و ي ي و ر ي � مي � ح ح ي ن ن �اّ ن �ي � ً � � � ا ��ل���ل م �� ي ي ي ن ن ن ا ا � � � � ��ن� ا ��نل � ل � � � � � � �وان ��ي� �ويل��ل ط�ه� ���ه�ي ر� �وي ن��ه�ل�و� �ي� ��ل �� ر �م��� � ��ل ط��� �و�� � ��ل ط�ه� �ل��ط �ن� ح� ا ن����ي��� �� ي م أ � � � � � �� ن ي ي � ن ن ّ ي ي ي ّ أ ا ا ا � ش�� � �لع �� ا�م� او ���� �ل�ل�م��ل�وك � او �و�ل�� ا�م��ل�وك � او ���وررا ء �ع��� � ��ه� �ك�ه� � �و �ل � س� � ن � ح � � ع ع �� � � � م ر ن ي � � م أ أ أ أ ة ة 1ال� �ص�ل � :ب�ع��ةر 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل�ع�ا ��ل 3 .ال� �ص�ل :و ةب��ل�ع�ل 4 .ال� �ص�ل :و�ةة��رك.
42
42
٤٢،١،٣
٤٣،١،٣
Customs of the Kings of the Fur
The people are on their knees in front of him with their hands on the ground, and the mooge, of whom we shall give an account,40 remain standing. When the sultan greets them, they rub their hands in the dust, and when anyone speaks in his court, if he is Arab he must first say, “Sallim ʿalā sayyidnā” (“Give greetings to my lord”), while if he is Fur, he must say, “Ába kuri dóngá janí,” which means the same thing. When the sultan speaks, he says, “Sallim ʿalayh” (“Give greetings to him”), when speaking Arabic, and the interpreter says, “Dónga dáíng sīdī.” 41 If the sultan is speaking Fur, he says, “Dóngá janí ” (“Greetings”) if his addressee is not an Arabic speaker; if he’s an Arab, he says, “Sallim ʿalayh.” 42 This is not peculiar to the sultan’s court. The same is said at every gathering where cases are heard, even those of the judges and the village shaykhs, and no case may be heard without Dóngá janí! It follows that discussion is long even when substance is short, because they repeat the phrase after every one or two words. If anyone opens a case without them, they find fault with him and call him uncivilized. Indeed, if he’s at the gathering of a ruler, he will be disciplined with a rebuke, unless he be a stranger, in which case he will be forgiven. It is a custom of the Fur kings to “cover the drums,” a custom found only in
3.1.42
Darfur. “Covering the drums” means changing the skins on the sort of drums that in Egypt are called naqāqīr (“kettledrums”). They make much of this covering and each year set a special seven-day holiday aside for it.43 This is done in the following fashion: the sultan commands that all the skins be stripped off the drums on the same day, and this is done. Then brown bulls are brought, they slaughter them, take a portion of their hides, and cover those same drums with them. The people of Darfur have a story about this that no rational, wellread person can accept, despite which they all agree on it. They claim that these bulls are of a breed of cattle well known to them and that at the moment of slaughter they lie down of their own accord with nobody holding them and without anyone pronouncing the name of God when their throats are cut. They say it is the jinn who hold them and lay them on their sides. They then take the meat, place it in pits, and leave it in salt for six days. On the seventh day, they bring large numbers of cattle and goats, slaughter them all, and cook the flesh.44 While it is cooking, they take the meat that was in the pits and cut it up into small pieces, a few of which they put into each cauldron, mixed in with the new meat. Then tables are allotted to the petty kings, the sons of the kings, and the viziers, according to rank, and over
43
43
3.1.43
ف �ف ئ ��ي� �ع� او ���د �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
أ ن ا� اأ�ا ن ا ن أ ن ن � ن � � ا ن ن ن � ن ا�ا �ا�ّ �م�ا �أ����ي �من ا ا �ه� �� ر��� �م� ��طر�� ا �ل�����ل��ط� � ي�ل� ��طر �م� �ي� ���ل �و�م� �م �ي� ���ل �أ� � ا ا �ن��ر ��ل � أ أ أ أ ّ ّ ً �ن ا �� �ي ن � � �ن ا ��ل � � � نّ ي � ن ن � � ا ن ا ن ن ا ن ا ا� ا�ا ��ا �ل �ل� �ك�ه�م �ي�ل ��و���و� أا � �م ن� ك�ا�ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �ن� � ��ل� �� �م �ي� ���ل ا �مر �ن� لعن���� �ع�لي�� �ي� ن يّ أ أ � ا ن أ ن � � � أ ن اأ�ا ن ن � � ي � �ن �ي �ل � ن �ه�� ا ا �ل���ل ���� �ن�ا �نّ�� ح� � او � �ل�ه��ل�ل ا � �م��ن� ا � �ي� ���ل �م �ي��ا �ن�� �ل��ل�����ل��ط� � ا �و �ع�� ر �ل� ي� � �ي� � ن�� � أ م ي � أ أ أ � � أ ن ن ن �� ن � ن �� 1ا �����ل� ا �ل��� ا � ا �� �م ن��� �س� ا �م �كن�� ا �و �ل�� � �ليه�� ر �ع�� ا �ل �� �ور ر أ ي و ي� ي ع �� ر��� ا �م��ي� ي�ل��طر �ه��ل أري � �� �ا أ � � ن ا نّ أ ي ن � �ّ � ن �اا ن �س� ن ًا � �ي ّ ي ن � �� ن اأ� ا �ن �ي�ا ���ل ا �و �ل� �أ� � ان �� �ي�لعن���� �ع�لي��� أا �ل� أا � ا ك�� � ه�� �ور نل ��و� �مر� ��� � نول���� ه��ل � ر ��ور ح ا ُ� ن حنص ش � �� ن�� ��ا ن ��مًّا � � �لي� ���ل ��ل � � �لي �� ���� ن� أا �نّ�� � ��أ �ي� �لن�ه�ل�ا � �و���� ّ���ي �ا� ي�لن���لن�ه�ا ا ��ل � � وي ن � ر و ط� �س�ه�م� �وي ن ��ه��ل ��ي� ي وو ي يو ن م ني م ع أ ّ � � � � � ن � � ي ن ن � � ي ح� ا �ل ا �� �ليه�� �ور �س� �ل � � �ي �� او �ن�ا ي� ا�ام�� ن� ��و��� �و�ل�� ن��� ا �ل ن��ا �� � �ل� � � ���� � ا ل�� ا ��س� ا �لن�ه� �ا � ن � ي �ول ٰ�ل ن و � ي �و� مأ ل م ًّ � �� ّ � �ّ ن �ن ن ي �� ن ّ ع �� م ّ �ي ن ا ���ح �ي ا ن ط� � � ا �ح�م�م��� ا � او ��س� ا ك��ن��ي�� �� ط�م� � �ه�و�ع�� �ي�� ا �ل���لعر �ن�ا لل� �ور��س�و�ل�� �و�ل�� ن�س� ا� ا �ش���ا �ه�� �ه�� � و � أ ي م م ش ن � �أ أ ً �� � نّ � � ّ� ا � ن � � ا� أ �ي ن � � �أ نّ ن ح� �أ ن � � � ل� � � � � � � � م � ا ا ا ا ا ا ا ل � � �� � � � � � س � ع �ه�� � �� � � � � م � ع ع ع � � � � ط ه ك �ل ر ن � �ل�ك �و�م ا � ي �ل ي� ري ن� و �ل ر ن� �ل لع � �م ��� �ل �ي� أ ط�� � �اش� ن � � ن ن � اأ � ا ن � ن� �ّ ن � �ي أ ن ن �� � ��س�م�عي��� �م ن ا �ن�ا ل��ل�ا� � � � �� � �ل�� ر�� ن� ن�كي��� ا � � �� � � ا ا � س ك � � �ه�� ه � � ل � � � � � ل � � ط م � ي � � � ر � ي ي � و ي ن ي� � م يح ي ي ن ن ن � �� ي أ ي ّ � � ي �ن� � ا�ا ا طا �ا��له�ا � � �لع� �� � �� نك� ط�ه�ا � � �و�كن���ل أا ن� ار ن� ا �ك��ل �� ء � او ��س�ه�� ا �م� �م � ا ر �مر ا �ل������ ��ر ك� � وي و ي� م ح أ � ش �ّ ح ن� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �ع��ل�ه� ��ن ن ��ن��ي��� � ا �ّك� ي ���� ن�كي��ع ن��� �ع��لي��� ا ن�ل ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ش��ّ ي ن� � �ي ��و��� ��ا�ل �م��ل�ك ي� م ي� ري و ن ر ر م ح أ أ �ا ن � يّ �� ��ا ي �ا ��نع ّ���ي ا ��ل�ع ن�� اأ نّ� ا�ا�م��ل�ك ��ا ن���ن� اأي ا ا � � � � ح � � � � � � ك ا ا ك ا � � �ل �ل � � � ل � � � � � � ه�� � � �� �� � � � � � ع ع � � � � � � ن وير � � ي �ل أ � ن ن و ن و وي ي ر � ي � ن � ن � ي ي ي ا ا ا ا �م ّ � � ا ن ن ا ن �اا ن ن � ن � ا ي ن ���ل ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �أ� � ك�� � �م� ا �ل�� ��طح�م� ء �ن�هحرر ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �م� ن��م� �ع��� أا �� �م�ل� �� ��� �س�ه�� ا ر أ � � � ن ن ن� � �اا ن ن � ن � �� ا�ام��ل�ك �و ن��م�ا �عي��� ���ه�� �ن�ي�ر ن� � ��ط� �وي�� ن� ا �و �ش�ل�ا �ش��ي � او ن� ك�� � �ع�ي ر � ع ���ي�� �ش�ن�� ي� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ��ي� ���و ن� ي أ م � � ا ن ش ّ ع ن �� � ّ � � ن�لع�ه� ن� ��ل�� �ش� �ا ش� �م ّا ي� � ��ن ا ��لش��ا ��لش���ي �ل�ع ن ����و� أا �� م ��و ن� �ع�� ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �� �ير ن� � � وي �ل ك ل ��ل� ر و ي� ير م آ ي ن ن � ّ� ًّ ن � �ه� ي�� ن�� � � � ن � ش ن �ا � � ��� � حرنح �م�لك ا �ر ن ن�ي������� � �وي�لع�ه��ل ���� �ل�ك �و�هل��م ن� ار وو� م أ ّ �ً� � أ ن � ن �ا ن ً ي � � � ن ن ن يّ � ن ن � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � را ��� ���ا � �وي���ن�� ا�ام��ل�وك �و� �� ن� ا �و �ل� أا ��� ا �ع ��طح�س�هم� �أ�ا � ا ��م ا �ل�عر��� �رحن ش ّ � � ش � � أ ي ّ ن �ن � ن � يّ � ّ �ع أ � ن ً ��نل ا �� �ا�ّ ا أ ي � � ل � � � � ع ا � ك � � � � م ط ��م أا �� م��ل�� �أاو �� ا ���ل �م��� � �ه�م ا ن �س�ه��ي� ن�ن��را �� ر م و � ����� ا ح�� ي��مر �ع�لي� أ ّ ً ن� ّ ي � ن � � ن � �ي��و�م�ا ���ا � �وا ��ن� �و ن� �ه�� نل � ��ل�ا� ي�ل�� ��طح��� �ون�� �ن�� �و�ه�و ا �نك�ه� �ي�ل ��و���و� �ل�� �نك���و ي� �ع�� �ًل �نر����، � � م ُ ّ � ا � ن ي ن ن � مأ � �ن ْي ا �� ن ن � ن � � �ن ا ن � ا� ّ ا ا ل َر� ك ا ن�ن�� �ل �ن�ل� � �ي �� او �� ،و�ع�ي ر � �ل�ك أ� � ا �ر ا �ل����ل� ��ط��ي� ،ن���ر�ير ا�ام��ل�وك ،ا � ا ن� ا �ل�ه� �س��� ، ي ي � � أ ا ا� ا �� � ن �� ن � � ن ا ن ��ّ ا �ل�عر ن��� � ن���ل ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � � ا ر� �و� ن���ل �ورا ء � ن �مي�� �ص� م� ا ��وررا ء � او�م�ل�وك ع ا ر�ن� ن� ا�م�� � ن م 1ال�أ ص� � :ب ح���صور. �ل
44
44
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٤٥،١،٣
Customs of the Kings of the Fur
each stands a guard sent by the sultan, who watches to see who eats the meat and who does not. If the guard informs the sultan that so-and-so did not eat, he immediately orders him seized, and if anyone makes the excuse that he is sick, or cannot attend, vessels containing some of the meat are sent to him with a trusted guard, who watches to see whether the man eats or not. If he refuses, he’s seized, unless he is excused because of the severity of his illness. Some Darfurians say that a boy and a girl who have not yet reached puberty are brought and secretly slaughtered and that their flesh is cut up and put into the pots with the meat of the slaughtered animals. Some say that the boy’s name has to be Muḥammad and the girl’s Fāṭimah. If this were true it would be an extreme example of misbelief in God and His messenger. I did not witness it myself or attend such a ceremony, for I was a stranger, and strangers are not allowed to observe such things under any circumstances. All the same, I heard it from numerous people who swore mighty oaths that it was true, down to the last detail.45 Before the food is brought out, the soldiers all come and stand in a wide,
3.1.44
open space in front of the sultan’s house. Then the sultan appears in all his finery and pomp, and each petty king, together with his followers, presents his army to him, one after another. The review takes place in the following fashion: each king takes his followers and runs until he reaches the sultan. If he is one of the notables, the sultan moves forward two or three paces from his company to meet him, and if he is not the sultan remains where he is. Then the king and his followers fall back. This is done three times, and on the third they parade before the sultan, after which they go back to where they were standing, and another king comes forward with his army and does the same, and so it continues. When the review is over, the sultan comes out at a run and follows after the petty kings, going first to the greatest of them, then to one who is like him in rank, then to one who is less than he, and so on till he has visited them all, so that none take offense. Each time he approaches a company they shout at him words extolling his might, crying out, “Mantle! 46 Nobly born among sultans! Fetter of kings! Chastiser of the rebellious! Breaker and scatterer of the unlevied mountains!” 47 and so on. When the review is finished, the sultan enters his house, all the officers of state—viziers, petty kings, and sons of sultans—entering behind him, and he goes to the Drum House and takes a rod and strikes the drum called the Victorious three times.
45
45
3.1.45
ف �ف ئ ��ي� �ع� او ���د �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
أ � � � ا � ن ن ن � �ا ن � � او �و�ل�� ا �ل����ل� ��ط��ي� �كي��� ���ل ا �ل�����ل��ط� � أا �� � ا ر اأ ن �ن �ي ن ً �ن � � ا ��لن �ي ا �ّ�ي ا��م��س ّ ا ي �مرن� ن� �ه� ري� �م� � ا �ل���ا ��� � �وي� ��� �� ��ي��ن��ا � �ويكن� � ي ش ا ش ن ا ي ا ��ل�ع ا أ ن أ � ��ل ّ �م �ر� � �و ن�� �ر ا ي� ا � ا�امن����ور� �� 1ل� � �ن �� �ون�ا ي� � ن ��م �ّ ي ا ي � � اأ � نّ �� � ا ل�� �كن �م �لن�ه�ا �ع�� �ل�� ن �كه�ا � ل� � � � � ��� �� � ن� �ن� ي��� �يك�ه� ا نري ن ي نر � �� ن � �ا ي ي ّ ش ّ � ش ن نح ً ن ً ن �مك�� � �له�� � �� ي�م����� ي� ر�و ن��ا ر�و ن��ا ��ك�� ا م أ � ا ن م ن �ن � � � ن �ّ � �ه��ل ن � ح�ي� �ي��� ن� � ا � � ا � � او �ل���ه��ل��ط� � ن�ي� رونح �ل���ي ر � أ ا � � ا ن �� � ّ ن� �ن� �ل�����ل��ط� � أا �� م ���ل ن���ل�و����� � او �ن�ا �ش���ا �ه�� ي� � �ل��ك
ش ّ يُ ن ّ ي � �أ �� � نا ن ط�ه�م��ي �كا� ن� ��ا �ا�ا ن� �ل�� ن � ل � ا ا � � � � � �� � �لعر�� ا �ل� ك � � � م ر أو ن � م ن ً �ي أ � ن ن ي �ن ا � �ل ��ّ او � ا �و ا ���وررا ء �ع�� أ�لن��ا �ع ن� ا � �له�ا ش��مر ��ي� �و� ي� يّ ن أ ي ن� ���ل��� ا ��لن� ا ش ّ ا �� ��� ��م ن�� ء ن�ل�ه�� � �ل��ك � او �ك�ه�م ن�ل�ه�� ر ا �و ن� ي ي ن ش ش ي ّ ي � ش � � ن يي � أ ن � اني ي ن ا ا �� � �ه� �م�ا ء �لن��ع� �ك��� ���م ����� �م�� ا ��� �و���م � ك�ا�ا ن�ل �� �ور � �ل ��و�ل ا �ه�ل� �ي�� ��� ي��� �س�� �م� �م� ء َلي��َ�ي� و و ي ع ي ر ن حر� س�م� � نل لي�� ي� ر ن ن �اا ن أًا ي ي ا اأ �ن ��ل ا � ن ا� ن ن �ن � �لأ�ً�ا نّ ا� ي �� ا � �ه�و� ن� ش���س�ء أا � ا ش��مرن� �م��� أا � ك�� � � � � ل � نر � ا ر���ور أا � ا�م � نر�ل�� ي�ل�ه� �ي� � �ي� �� ل �أاو �أ م ي � ي أ ي ي م � ن � � ي ي ا اأ � يّ ّ ّ ن �ّ ن ي ي� ش��مرن� �م��� ح�ي� ي��مي���� أ � �نك ������ �و�ل� ي�ل ��ه� �ي� ح�� ا �ن�� رن��م�ا ش��مرن� �م��لء ��ا ن�لي��� .ا �ن�ا �ش���ا �ه�� ي� � أّ ن � � ��ن �ن ي ي ي ي � ّ ن ن ن ّ ن �وا ��� ا ��لنصن��ا �ي�ا ي� �ل�� ن� ا ��لنصن��ا ي� ��� � ا ر�ن��ور ��ل�� � �ل�ك� � 2 ل��� �ي� �ك�ه�م�� ��مر��� �و�ل�ه��ل �ه�� ا �م� �� ي ٰ ن شا ّ ي ا� ن � ي ن ن�ا ا � ا ��ّ ن�ع حيصن��� ��س��� ��ر�ه� ن�ل�ه�� أا � ���� ء ا لل� �ل�ه� �� ��و � ن �اّ ن ي ن ي � ن أ نّ � � ا ن � ن ي ي ن ا �ن ن ن �و�م� �ع�� �� ا � �ل ��ور ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �ل�� �مرر�ع�� �س�ه��ل�و�م�� �ي�هحرر�ع�ه� �ل�������� ��ي� ���ل ��س��� �و��ي� أ � �� � �ّ ن ح � �ن �سه ��ا ن � ن �ي �� � �� ن�� ر ا ��ل ع ����ي�� �وي ن� � �ك ح �ه�ا ن�ل�ه�� ا �ل��س ��ط�ا ر ي ن�رن � حرن� �س�ه�� �م ن� ا �لنصن��ا ي� � ن � � ي� ر و ن ن ي ح ح �م ا ي ا��م�ي �ّ �ا ي ا ��لُ ّ ��ل َ ا ن �ن � ن ا أ �ي ّ �ي � ن م �م ا ن �� � ��نل ا ّ ��ل ����ي ��ا �م�ل�ا �ي � ا نح�مي��ل� � ن �حم�ل � �ن� ����� � او َ����� �م� ي�ل ��و� ع� �م� �� ��ن��ي�� م� �� ��ي�� ا�� � ّ آ ي ن َ ي �آ �ا � ن ا ن ي ن م����� ن �ه�� � ا ��ل��أ� ا �ن �ي��س�مّ ��ا ��ل�ُه�م�ا � ن�سع ��ه�ا ُ�عْ�م �ي �نس� ش �ع�� �أ � ��سه ن ا ن�ل��� �ك ا ا ا � � � ا � � � � � ل ه رو �ه� ا�م� �ل �� روو � � ي ي� ر ي ي� و ي� �� ن ر ر �� ّ ن �ا �ا أ � � � � ي ن � ا � ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� � ط�� ح ا ن� ام��س�مي��� ��ور �� او � او � ا �ل ا � ن �ل��ل ط�� ��ا ن� �ن �ورا ء ن��و ي� ���� ا �ل� ن�صي��� ا �ك���ه� ر ا �� �م�ل��ي� �ر � ن نّ ن � ن ن �� نّ ن ن � ي ن � �ا ا ��ا �م��ل�و ن� �ل���ل � او ا ��ل ا �ك���ه�ا ��ي�ر �و�ه�أو�ل�ء 3ي�ل�ع ن��و� ن�ل�ع ن��ا ء ��ا �ل �ك���ه�ي�ر�ع� �و ��ور � �هم� ح ار ن� ي�ل�ع ��و� �س� � م �ن ن ي ًّ ح � ا ��لصن��ا ي� �س� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن �لن�ع نّ��� ن � 4س��ه� اأ �ك ن ��ً�ا �نص ��ي ن ��ل � ي� ن� ��� ح���و�ع�ه� ���و ي� ن��مي���ل ن���� ا � � ن � ي � ي ي ي� ن ر ن � ح م م ع 1ال�أ �ص� � :م ب�����ص �ة 2 .اأ ب��م�� ب� �ل�����س�ل���ا ة 3 .ال�أ �ص� � :ه ب�د � 4 .ال�أ �ص� � :ة ب�ع ب���� ب ة�. ور ة� ل و ة ل ل
46
46
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٤٧،١،٣
Customs of the Kings of the Fur
The old women, which is to say the Grandmothers, surround him, holding their scourges and striking them against each Grandmothers
they walk two by two, as shown here the sultan between the last pair, until they’ve escorted the sultan to the place
The Sultan
where he sits. I witnessed this. uted as we’ve described. If any vizier or
the covering of the drums, and comes afterward and is accused of treachery or
Kóór Kwa
army commander is absent from the sul-
treason, he is given kilí water to drink.49
Kóór Kwa
3.1.46
Kóór Kwa
Kóór Kwa
Next, the different dishes are distrib-
tan’s seat of government at the time of
Grandmothers
other as previously described.48 Then
This is water in which fruits of a tree called kilí have been steeped; the fruit resembles walnuts. The people of Darfur say that if the accused drinks and he is innocent, he will immediately vomit it back; if not, he will drink till his belly is full and not vomit even if he drink a caskful. I witnessed this, but the accusation was theft. This may be a property of plants, for the plants of Darfur have amazing properties, which we shall discuss later, the Almighty willing.50 Another custom of the Fur is that the sultan has a farm in a particular place that he plants each year for himself.51 On the day after the rains, when the seed is sown, he goes out in a mighty procession accompanied by beautiful girls adorned with trinkets and trappings—about a hundred maidens chosen from among his personal concubines, each carrying on her head a vessel full of costly foods, these vessels being called ʿumār (singular ʿumrah). These girls walk behind the sultan’s horse, accompanied by the young spear-carrying slave boys called kóór kwa and by others with pipes. The girls sing while the others blow their pipes, and the spear-carrying kóór kwa sing along with them. In other words, when the girls go out with the sultan, they sing along with these others too, and their companies make a most beautiful sound.
47
47
3.1.47
�ف �ف ف ا �ص� �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور �ي� �م�� � ف
أي أ أ ن � ن � � ن � � ي نن � � ��� ن �وا �� � �وي�ا ن���� ا �لن��� ر � �وي�ا �ي� ا � ���� ي� �م�ا �يك����ل ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � أا �� ا�ا�م نرر�ع�� �ي��ر�ل �ع ن� ن�� و ن � �أ � � ا �ي �س� � � � �م ا ��ل � �� ا ن ا ��ل ن � � اأ �ّ �� � ن � �ي � �ن ا � �أ ��ن ن عصي���� ي� ح�عرا �ل�ر��� ن�م����� ه� وير �ي� ����ل�ط� � ن��� ر و ه�و ول ن��� ر يلع ع �ي� �ل�ر � �ن ن �� � ي �ي ن �ّ �ه�ا ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �ن��ع ن��� ن� ��ل��ك �ي�ي��ن��ه�� ا�ا�م��ل�وك � او ���� نررا ء � او �� �لي ��ّ ا � �نص� ن�� ر�و ن� ا ��ل ح ن� ��ي� ا نل � �ه�� ا � �سي� �كي� و و ن ي � ن � ي ن أ ا� ن ي � ن � � ح � ي ن ي ط�ه�ا � ا�م � � �مر ا �ك�� � �وي�هح نرر�ع�و� ا�ا�م نرر�ع�� ��ي� ا ��مر �و� ي� � نو�ل�ه�� ��م�ا � رر ا��مرر�ع�� ي� � ل � � � ع � � � ل و � � م ع � �م ن ن أ � ي � ن�ا ي ن ع ن أ �ا �ن �ا �م ن��� � � � ن ا �أ � ش��ّ ا ا ا � � � � � � � � � ��� ا � ا ك � ل � � �� � � � � ه م � ل ر�أو�و��� ا �لنصن��ا � ا�ام�� ��ور� �كي ��و� �و وورر و م ير ن� �ي� ط � ي �ل م � ع ا ن � يّ ن � ن � �أّا ا� ش ي ن ن � �س�هر ن�� ��� ح�� �يك����ل أا �� � ا ر �م��ل����� �و�ه�� ا ا �لي ��و�م �م� ا �ل� �ي� �م ا�م��س�ه�ور� ��ي� � ا ر���ور
�ش ا� ش ن �ن ا � �ل�� ��ه��ل ا �ل�ه� �ل� ��ي�
�ن نا ص� ��ه��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور1 ��ه�� � ن
أّ ي ي ّ ي ن ي ن ا� ن � ّ � �اا ن � ن ن� ً ا �� �ي ي ا� �� � ي �ي ا ��ه�ال� ا ن� � او ن� �و� � �له�� ��س� � ا ��� �ع� ا�م�ه�� ي� �ام�ا ك�� � م�عر� ا �ن� له�� ر� ا�م�ط�ل�ه� ح ن� ا ���ون�� � �م ي � ّ ي ا� ّ ن ي أ ح ن �ع� �ع ن �ون� ا�ا�م��ل�وك أا ���� ا ����و نررا ء � او�ا�م�� نّ�ر � ن � او�ا�م��صن��� ن ��لي��هل��� ن�ع � � �مر��� ا � او �لأ�را �� ا �لي��ا �م�� ا�مي�� � ي � ي ي� م أر م � ح �� ي � ن � �� ن� �� ن حي �ا � ��ك���لن �ا�ش �م ّ�م�ا �ك�ه� �و�س���ا ��ل �س�يه�ل�ا �ل ��� �ي��� �ن�ي�ر �م�م�ا ��ل�� ا �ل�� � �ه�م �و���و�ل� � �ل��ك ا �ل��صي�حن ط� �� او � نو�ل� �� او ا �� ر �� ي ّ ا ّم � �أ � ّ ي � ي � � ي ي �ّ � ن ي � ّ ي �� ن ّ �اّ � � �ع ن� � � ن ا � �� ن ن � �ا � ا �� � � � ل��ن � � كي�� م� ك ل ط�عي��ا � ن�ل��ل رن��م� ا � � � ���� ���ل ع اوأ ا �ل� � ��و�عي�� � �سي� �ل� �ل�لي ��� أا �ل� �ن��� ا �� له�لي�� �� م أ ي � ي ن ن � �ن � ن ن �ي � �ي ي ا ا � � ن � وررا ء 2ا ��نل ���ل�نه�ا ء ك� � س � � � ا ا � �ل �ص� � � �ا�ا ن�� ي� �سن�ه�ا�ير�ي �ل�����سم�ا ء ء أا �لي��م ن� ر�ي�� ن� و���ي��م �ل�ه�� ن �� �م� م�� � ن أ أ ن � ن � ن �م�ي ن� � ن ي ن ��ً�ا �ص� � ن ا ء ا�ا�م��ل� ك ا ��ل��آ ن� � ا ��س�م�ا ء �م ن��ا ا � ا � ا ا ء م � �ه�� ل � � م � ك ��ا � �له�� ا �يك ن� �ص� � و �م ن�� � ن ورر ن ورر َ ُْو و ر� � ن � �يآ� ش ن أ � ن � �أ � ن �� � ��� ين� � ��نل ا ن نْ � ا �� ا �ل� �ص� ا ���ور�ر ا �ل� ع ����ن� �مم��ل����� ا �ل �عس�م�ا � ا ��س�م�ا ء ا�ام ن��ا � �� َر���� ا ر � او �ل����ل�ح� � ا ر ط �و ���ا � او ن ي ي م ا �ش ن ن � � ن يي ن � ا�ا�ُُ ْ� ا � ا ����� � ي � ا � � ن � � ا � َ ْ � ّ ا ��� ن � ي ا � � � س � �ل � � م � � � � ه � � � ��م 3 � � � � ل � ع م � � � و � ر ر و ي �و� ر و ن �و ر و ر ن �و ن ي� و ن نح� ن � و ي ر ل�ك � �أو نح�ي� يش�� يأ ش ين � ن أ ا �ش�س شُ َْل�يْ� ا ش ي ن ن ش ي �ه�و ن��ي� �ن�ا ���سي� �و���� ��ط�ا � ا �ع�� ���سي� �ون���ع���ي�ر ا �ع�� ���سي� � �ون�ا ����ا � � او �م ار ء �ن� �ي� �و��مر� ح�ي� �ن� ���سي� �و� � نن أ ا ��ل��أ ���� ���ي � اأ �م ا ء ا ��ل�� ��ل����ا �ي ي وي و ر ّ أّ أ � ن ن ا نّ ��لي�� ن � � ن ا � �ي�س�م�ه� ��ل��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ا�� �ي� ن��يصس�ه� ا أا ��ل�� أا ���� ن� � � � ا � � ه � � � ه ك � � ح��س� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � � � او �م� ا ل ر ور أ � ُ م ن و م م م ْ ُ أ أ أ أُ ْ ُ گ ن��� ّ � ن ّ� ن� �ي �ص� �ن�ا ��س�م�ا ء ا �ع ن� �صنس�ه� ا روب��د و�لو� �و�ه�و �من�� �م او ا�ام ن��ا � ���ا �أ�� ��ا �و�ل �م ن��ا � س� �ص� �ع ���ي�� ا � �له�� ر ن ن أم �� م ّ أ � ن � ّ � ن � نس � ا �� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن � �كه�� ا ا�امن�� ي � ا �ع � ي ا ا ا ���� �ل� ي����ل��� �ع��لي��� � و� �ص� ا �� ��ط�ع ي��سم�� � �نو�ل� � �و��� � ن ��� � ن ���� لي���� نر � ن م أ ب ب ب ب ب ب �ةل� ب�هة����ة بم � ب�� ا] ا �ل�لب�هور و�م�لا ب������ه�ل ول ������� ا �ل��س�����ط�ا � وع��ةر د �ل�ك. �� �م���وك �ة� [ � 1ال� �ص�ل� :ة� �م���ا ��م ب م أ 3ال� �ص� :ب� حو بح�� ل
48
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48
أ 2ال� �ص�ل :ا �لو بر را ء.
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Offices Held by the Kings of the Fur
When the sultan arrives at the farm, he dismounts from his horse and takes
3.1.48
the seed grain, while one of his slaves comes and makes a hole in the ground with a mattock he has brought with him. The sultan then throws in the grain, this being the first seed to fall on the ground in the part of the country where the sultan is. At this, the chieftains, viziers, and army commanders follow suit and sow grain, getting the farm sown in the shortest possible time. Once the whole farm has been sown, the food that was carried on the heads of the girls is brought and placed before the sultan, and he and his ministers eat. Then he rides in procession as before, until he reaches his royal seat. This is one of Darfur’s most celebrated holidays.
Section 3: On the Offices Held by the Kings of the Fur52 He of Necessary Existence, whose essence, unique in the absoluteness of its
3.1.49
power and the untrammeled nature of its perfect will, is sanctified beyond dependence on any helper, has caused kings to have need of viziers, officials, and aides, so that their powerlessness to act independently in the disposal of their kingdoms and interests may be known. Were it not for that need, they would behave even more tyrannically and oppressively than they already do. Indeed, they might lay claim to the divinity that sorts ill with any but His sublime essence. To each land, however, He has given its own particular regulation and organization, which is why one finds that the names of the offices of the viziers of caliphs differ from those of the viziers of present-day kings, and likewise that the names of the offices of the viziers of present-day kings differ one from the other. Thus, in the Ottoman state, the names of the officers are chief vizier, minister of home affairs, keeper of the treasury, keeper of the arms, keeper of the seal, keeper of the pen case, keeper of the wardrobe, and chief doorman, as well as head doorkeeper and others of the same style such as head tobacconist, head sherbet maker, head coffee maker, supervisor of the caftans, and supervisor of the towels, not to mention the pashas, brigade commanders, and regimental commanders. The people of Darfur, however, so revere their sultan that their sole point of reference is his body, and they consequently name their offices after its parts.53 The first of their offices is the orondolong, an office of great power whose holder is known as the sultan’s head.54 Attached to this office are vast fiefs and
49
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3.1.50
�ف �ف ف ا �ص� �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور �ي� �م�� � ف
�ّ گ ي ن �� ّ أ گ ن� ن ن ا� ن ��ا �و�ر��� ا ل���ن� �ا�ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �و���ا � ��ا ��ي ا �م�ا �م�� ك� ��ا را �ي� � وب� � أا �ل�� �ن��� وب� � �ص� أا � ا ك�ا�ا � ح ن� �ه�� ا ا�م�� ن أ ع ن �� �ن ي � أ ن �� ش � ا�ا أ ا �� �ا��ّ� � � ا ��ل � �� ا ن � ا �نًا اأ � �ي ا �ن ��� ش ��ً�ا � ل � � م�� � � � ا � ا ا � ع � �س��يه�� ا � ل � ���� ك � � س ك � � � � � � ����ل�ط� � م���� ر و � � م ��� ل � �� � � ل ي � � و ي ن ن ي ن ي� ر م ي � ُ � �ي أ ن � � ن أ ب گ �ّ � ط � او ن�ل � ن�س� �ع ن��� �ص� ا �� � ل��ا �ْمنَ��� �و�ه�و ��ي� ا �ل��ن �� ��ل�ا �ل�� ا �ع�� �م� ا رو��د و�لو� �ول� � �وش�ا ن�ل� ي�ه�ا �من�� � ن ي ُ � � ��ا ن � يّ �ن � ن � ي � ن أ نّ � م� � ا ن ن �ي ي �ن �� يي � � ن � ل �� � � � ح � � � � ل��� م� �ع� �� ا � �ل��ور ا � ا �ل����ل��ط� � أا � ا ك���ل �ي� ا ا م ل� ل �نر�كن��� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � � � � � � � ح � � � و ن � ر � ن � م �ّ ن � ًّ �ّ ن ن � � � ا �� �م ّ � �أ ي �ن �ن ي ���ل ا �ل��م ن� �ي�لعي���ل� �ون�� � � ر ن� �ن �� �� �ون�� ��م ار �و�ي��و� ��و� �ع�ي�ر� �ل��ل�����ل��ط�ا � ا�امي��و��ي� �أاو � ا �م�ا ي� ل��� ي ع أ �� أ أ � � ن � ن ل�ا �م ن � ���س ّ �ل��لن� �ي ا �ع ن �� �ا ن ا �ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �ع��� �ن ار �ش���� �ل�� �ي�ليعي���ل ا �� � ��ا �م ا � �ل ��ور ا �ن�ا ���ور�ي� ل�� �م��� �و�ه�� ا ا � �� �� ي ��م� ن ه� ن � أ أ ن �ا �ا�ش�� �ي � � ن�لع�ه�� �مش���ل�م�ا �ص� ا �ي� ���ط�ا ن���ل���ل��ي � �ع����ا � �س�ع ن��ا � ا � �� ا �� ن�ل �� � ��ك���ا �ه�� ا ا�ا�من � � � ك ح � � � � و ر و و ر و ي ن ي ر و و ي ل ن ن أُ أ ع ب گ � � � ن ن ن ن ش ن ن ن �ي�لع�ه��ل ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �و�و ���ي ��عي��� ا � ي��م���سي� ���ل�� ن�ي�� ش��� ا رو��د و�لو� � أََ أُ َ گْ �ا �ش �ي ن ���ا ن �ن �ا �ي � ن ن� �ي ي ن �� ا شا ش � � ن �ه�ا ا �ن�ا ا و�م�ا� �و�ه�و ر�� ا � ل�� �م��� �ي� ��ل �سي� ء �و�ه�و ل��� �ي� ع� �ع ار � � � � �و� �ل � �هر ي � �ا ن ن� ني أ ن � ش � ��ش � ش � � �ل�ع�يع��� اأ� � ن أ �ي ��ل ش م���س ن���ل�ن� ا ن��ل �ي ��و � ن ن�ي����� �ل� ي ن ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �و�و ���ي ��ع��� ا � ي� ي� ��� �أاو � ا �ع� ن� ا ن�ي����� �ّ � � ن ّ ن �� ش � يّ ّ ن� �ان ا ي � � ن � ش �م�� ��ا ن��ل ل �ي ��و��� �ع�� �و كي��� ��له� �ي�� �ل�� ���ه�� � او �ل�� ن� �ع� ا ن�ي����� ح�� �ي��� رك �يو ن أ أ � ن �� ّ أّ � شن ش �ه�ا ا �ن�ا �ي��م�ا �و�ه�و ا ع �ار� 1وي� �� ط �م ّ�م ن �ي�ليه�� � ن��ل�ا ��ل��ي � او �نك�ه��ي �و�ع����ا �� � � �ورا ن�ل� � �� �ع���� ا � �سي� �ع��مر م � م م ً � � ي � � � ن � ي �ن � �م�� � ل��ا �م ن� �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور �و�ل�� أا ���لي�� � او ��س� ي����س�مّ� ��م�ور ���ا� �و�ل�� ن��مي�� �م�ا �ل��ل�����ل��ط�ا � �م ن� ا �ل ش����ا را ي� ع م ع ا ��لن ��ا ���ي �ع ن ����ا �ع�� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ا ���سم�� ن ��ا �� �ن�ا نّ� �������ل�� � �ن �ليه�ا ن���ي� ���ط� � 2ه� ل ن��ا � ا ��ل��أ� ّكه��ي �م�ا � ا � ع�� ي ر ن و ن� � أ وو ي � ي� ن� ن أ �ا � ن � � ن �� � �� ا ن ن ش � ا ي �و�و ���ي ��ع��� ا � ي�م��س�ي� �ه�و �و�ع���� ��ر� ع� ي�م�ي� ا ل����ل�ط� � ي أ ن �ّ ش � �ن � ن�ا ي نا ا ن ��ا �ي�� �ع ن� ا �ل����ا �ع�� �ص� ا �لي���صي��ا �و�ي� �و�ه�و �ر� ن� ا �ن�ا �ي��م�ا ��ي� ��ا�ل ���سي� ء �و�ه�و ل� �و�� �م��س�ه� �م�� ن ي �ا أ ن ً � �أ � � � ا ن � ش ن ش ً � ي �ش � ي � ���ا �م ن �م��ل�وك ا ن��ل ا ���م �ل�ل�� �� ��� � �� ع��مر�م�� � �� �ع��� ا � �س� � �ه�� ا �ل���سم�ا �ليّ��� � �ول�� أا ي���لي�� � او ��س� ل�� ا �يك� � � �ل�ي ر �لط � �وي م � ي م ع أ � �أ ن ا ا ن � � �ه� ا �ع�� �م ن ن��م�� ا ن�ا � � ن ي ن �ش ن �ص� ا �ل� ن� ا �ل��ي��� و و �� � ي ع �م� � ��ر �و�ل� �ر�� ن��ي����� � �ون��ي� �و���� ���س�ه� �م�� ن أ ن ح ن � ي � ي� ا �ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� � او � او �مر� ي�لن��نه�� �ع�� ن��مي�� �م ن� � �� �ار �و ن�ع�ي�ر��ع �و�ل�� أا �� ��ط�ا �ع�� ي� ن���لي���ل�� � او �ي��لي�� � او ��س� � أ م � م يع أ ن � ع � ����ي � �و���ا � �س�ن� �ي�ليعي���ل ن�لن�ه�ي�ر أا ن� ن� �و ن��مي�� ا �ه��ل ا�ام�م��ل�� �ص� �س ���ط��ل�و�ي� ا �ل� ي � ح ي� ح ن� �ه�� ا ا�امن�� ن ع ن ن � � �ن � ش � �أ � ش ن � ّ � ّ ّ �ا � �ي � ن �ع � � ن ا � ح�م�م�� �� �ارا ��ي� نر�ي ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �وي��� �ي�ليه�� � ن�ل����� � �ل�ك �ي� � �����ي� ا �ل� ن� ا �ل��ي��� �ي���� �و�ه�و ل ن��� ي� ع� ن م ح أ ة أ ب �را 2 .ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا �. 1ال� �ص�ل� :ع��س�ا ك
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Offices Held by the Kings of the Fur
villages. The fief holder is always greeted with “Dóngá rǎy dóngá!” and a carpet is taken up and carried before him just as it is for the sultan. If the sultan is on the move or hunting, it is the task of the holder of this office to march in front of the army, and no one may precede him. The second office is that of the kaamíne, which is higher in might and maj-
3.1.51
esty than the orondolong. He is known as the sultan’s neck. If the sultan is killed in war and the kaamíne escapes to a place of safety, it is the Fur custom to kill him; they strangle him in secret, then appoint someone else for the incoming sultan. If the sultan dies in his bed, the kaamíne is not killed. The kaamíne is called by Fur speakers ába poor-ii, meaning “Father of the Fur.” 55 The holder of the office has magnificent fiefs and many soldiers and acts just like the sultan. His task is to march behind the troops of the orondolong.56 The third is the ába ǎw mang, who is the kaamíne’s opposite number in
3.1.52
everything. The term means the sultan’s spine, and it is his task to march at the armies’ rear accompanied by an army behind which no one else may march. If an enemy is pursuing the main army, this army of his is sufficient to repel it and keep it at bay until it can be relieved and rendered assistance by the main armies. The fourth is the ába dima'ng,57 who is greater than all the preceding in maj-
3.1.53
esty, pomp, and number of soldiers. He commands twelve of the petty kings of the Fur, has an extensive territory known as Tomorókkóngá, and all the insignia and pomp of the sultan except for the copper drums, for his drum is the dinqār.58 He is known as the sultan’s right arm, and his task is to march with his soldiers on the sultan’s right. The fifth is the tikináwi,59 who is the ába dima'ng’s opposite number in
3.1.54
everything and is known as the sultan’s left arm. He commands twelve of the northern petty kings and has an extensive territory. The sixth is the office of shaykh-father. He is higher than all of the abovementioned—there is effectively no difference between him and the sultan—and his commands are obeyed by all the preceding officeholders and others. He has magnificent estates and an extensive territory. The holder of this office carries a naked sword and may kill without permission. All the natives of the kingdom are his to dispose of. He corresponds to the sultan’s buttocks. I mentioned some of this earlier when speaking of Shaykh-Father Muḥammad Kurrā.60
51
51
3.1.55
�ف �ف ف ا �ص� �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور �ي� �م�� � ف
أ ً أ أ أ ي ّ ن � ����ا �ل� ا ن ا ���� �من �ص� ا ��ل�� �م ن��ا ء �و��ع� ا ر�ل�ه�� �� �ه� �ي��� �ع�� ا �مصن��ا � او � ط�� �ا�ل � او � ��ا ن� �ه�� � � و ن� ي �ه� �م�� � ن ن ي م � أ � � ا ن ش ا ي ا� � � ��ش ي أ � � � �أ � �ي � � � ا �ص� �ك�ه�ا ا �� ��ط�ا �و�ع����ا ��ر �و�لي����� �ك�ه� �م� ���� را � ا�م�لك �سي� ء �و�ه�و�ل�ء ا �ل� نرل�ه� ا�ام ن��ا � ن ع � � � ن �م�ل�ا نر���و ن� �نم ���ل��� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ّ أ أ �ُ �ص� ن���ل���ل��ي ا �� �ليه�� ا ��ل�� ا �نّكه�ا ا �ي��ّ �م ن �م ن��ا �� َ ا ��ا ي� � ��ع �م ن��ا � �ش�ا �من ا ن ا � ل� �ص� � � ن ي �ص� ا � ور ي و ي� و � رأ � ل � ن �ه� �م�� � ن �� ي ��� ا ��ا ي� اأ �ل�ه��ي اأ�ك�ن ي ��ً�ا ا � �أ ن ا ن نر ي �ص� ا ل�ور ي ا �ل� �م�� ء ر�لن��� �و�م�� � ن
ُ َُ ن � � ي ن أ ّ ي ن � ي أي � أ � � �ي�ا ��س� ا ن �ص� ��س�ُو�م نْ��� ي���ل��ْ �و���ا � ���� �ع ���ي�� ا � �له�� ر � �و ا �نك�ه�� �ع �ي��سم�� � او �� ��ط�ا � او ��� او �ل و � ن �ه� �م�� ن َ ع م � � اا ا ن ني � �ص� ��ور ��و � او �ر� � �ويل�لي��� �م�� ن أ ن َ ّ َْ َ ْ ن� ي �ص� ن���لي���ل � ع ���ي�� �و�م ن�� 1ع�� �� �م��ل�وك �ص� �وري�لن��ا �ي�� �و�ه�و �من�� � او �ع���� �م ن� �ه��ي� ن� �من�� ن ن م أ ن � ن �ّ � ن� ّ � �أ ّ ي �� ا �� ن�ل �� ا نّ� ���ا �ص�ً�ا ��ل��أ�نّ�� �ل ن��ا ��ل �من �ه�� ا ا�ا�من � � ا � ل ح �ص� ا �ل�ن� ��و� ن�ل�ه�� � � � � � � � � �ص� � � � ل ل � � ور أ ي ي و ي ن ن ن � �أ � ش � � �ّ � �ّ أ أ ّ � ّ � � ن ن � � ش ي ��س ّ ��� ي� ا �ل� � ا �ل���� ن� ي ن ا ن �ص� ا �ل� � ا �ل���� ن� �لي � ا � � �و���ا � ح ن� ي ي ن ن و � � �و �له�� �م �ل�� ا � �م�� ن � �ل� ي ��و�ل� أ �ل� أ �ي ح ح �ن ا ن ا� ّ نً ن ا� � � ن � � ا ن ا ا ا ن � � � ل �� �ع��� ن �مي�� ا � ��� ��� � �ص�� ا�م� ك��ل�� ن� �ه�� ا ا�م�� ن � � حر�� ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �و�ه�و ا �يك� ح ن� �� �ص� ي �م ي� ي � ّو ي� يم ع أ ن � ن ن � � ن � ���ل�م�ا �ع ن �نع ن ح ي� �ي���� ا ��ل �ن���� �ن � �ص� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �و� �ص ن� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ع��� أا �����ا � ا �ع ��ط�ا � � � ن � � ن ي �ا ح ي� ����� �ع���� �ا � ن��� ��ن ��� ��ل�� �ي����� �ن � � �ا�ش�ي�ر�ي �و�س�عن�س �ور�لن��ا ��� ��ا �� ن�ل ��ورا � �وّ��ي ��ا ن� ا ��ل � � � � � � � حر �� � ك � � و ن ن � ر ي ي ن � ي ي ن ي يم ي ي أ � �أ � ن ا� ش �ص� �م��ل�ك �َ َّ ا �َ ا �لَْ���ْ � �س�ع ن�� �ا ن ن ن � � ا ل � �و���ا � � ا � �ص� ح� ا �مر ا �ل� ن� ��ي�� ور ي ي و � � �ويل�لي��� م�� ن ح ن� �ه�� ا �م�� ن ا � ا � �� ّ ا ا ن أ � ا � ا � �ش ا ن � ح � ن �م��ل�ك �� ن� ا �ر ن�� �ل �و� � ل���ل ن��ي�� ي� �م ن� ن�لي ��و ي� ا�ام��ل�وك � او ���وررا ء �ن� �ن� � ا � ��� �ه�م� �ل��لر ن�� �ل � او �ل�� ��ي� ن � � � � ن ن ّ ّ ا ا ا ا ا �ل��ل ن������ا ء �كن�� ن� ا �ر ن�� �ل ي���س��م �ورا � اي�لي��� � �و� ن� ا �ل������ ء ي���س��م �ور�لن�� �ي�� ن � � ي � �ص� �م��ل�ك ا ��ل��ص��� �ّ��ي � �ه� �من � �ص� ن���لي���ل ا � �ليه�� ر ���ا � ���� ي� �� � �ع��� ن��مي�� � �� � �ه�م�ا �من�� �ي�ول�لي� ني ي و ن و ن ن � ع ن مي أ� � � � ا ن �ن ��ا ��� ن �ا� ��ل��ك � ي� �ع ن� � ا ر� ا ��ل�� ن�ي� ن� ��ن� ا �لن��ل�ا � �ن� ن������ا �أك�ه� � او �و�ل��� ��ع �و��� ح ي� �ي���� عصي��� ا �ل�����ل��ط� � ا �ل ر ن �ن ي م م آ � �ش�س �� � �� ا ن � � ي ا ��ل ن� � ن ن� ي ن ن� �� او �ي� ا ل����ل�ط� � � او �ل�� ��سع م حي�� �و �رن� �و�ع�ي�ر � �ل��ك ر� م � � �يَ ّ ن أ ا� ّ � � �ص� ���ل��� ���ا م��ا ����� ن � �ه� �من � ن � � �ص� �م�لك ا � �ل �� او ر �� ا �ي� ا� ���� ي� �� � � � �� ع � ن � ن ي� و و ن يل � �ويل�لي��� �م�� ن ي م � � ّ � ن ع ���س �ي �ا � ن � ا ��ل ّ ي � أ ي � ن��مي�� ا�ا � م�� ����ي� �و ن �مي�� ��ل�ا�ن�� �و�ل�� ا �� ��ط�ا �و�ع����ا ��ار � ي�م� ن ع ع ع أ 1ال� �ص�ل� :م� ب�.
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Offices Held by the Kings of the Fur
The seventh is the office of counselor. There are four, each of whom bears
3.1.56
this title. The holders of this office have estates and soldiers but none of the insignia of the king. The four of them are attached to the sultan’s assembly.61 Eighth is the office of the groom, which is a position of great power but
3.1.57
one rank lower than that of counselor. There are likewise four holders of this office. The ninth is the office of the overseer of the pages’ place.62 Its holder has
3.1.58
great power and is possessed of great pomp, estates, and abundant wealth. After him comes the office of the chief of 63 the kóór kwa. Higher than either of the immediately preceding offices is that of órré
3.1.59
bayyâ.64 This is a great and powerful office. It is the custom of the Fur kings that its holder be a eunuch, because he will assume the office of the shaykh-father following the death of the holder of that title, and, as we have seen earlier, the office of shaykh-father may only be held by a eunuch. The holder of this post commands all the eunuchs in charge of the sultan’s women and is also, as “keeper of the sultan’s anger,” in charge of the prison. In other words, when the sultan is angry with someone, he gives him to the órré bayyâ, and the latter puts him in his prison. He has many soldiers at his command. The meaning of órré bayyâ in Fur is “the women’s door,” and the holder of the office is under the command of the shaykh-father. He is followed by the office of “master of the órré dee,” meaning master of the men’s door, for every house belonging to a petty king or vizier has two doors, one for men and one for women: the men’s door is called órré dee, the women’s órré bayyâ. Next comes the office of master of the royal slaves. This is an office of high
3.1.60
power whose holder commands all those of the sultan’s slaves who are outside his house in the villages, along with their women and children.65 He also has at his disposal the sultan’s livestock and travel equipment, such as tents and waterskins. After him comes the master of the qawwārīn, meaning the market-toll collectors. This is a high office whose holder commands all market-toll collectors and all traders. He has large estates and numerous soldiers.
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3.1.61
�ف �ف ف ا �ص� �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور �ي� �م�� � ف
أ ا� ن أّ ي ن� ي � � ّا ن ن ن �ص� �م��ل�ك ا ن��ل ���� ��ي� ا �نك�ه�� �ع �ي��سم�� �و�م��ل�ك كن�ا��ي�ر �و�ه�و �م��ل�ك �ن�� �ي��ي� �و��� ن � او �ع���� �م��� �م�� ن أ أ أ ع��م �م�ا ن ���ا ���ي ا �نّكه� ��ا ن���ن� � ن� � ش � ّ��ا ��� ن ا �� ا ��ل�� ن� � ن ح ن� �ن ��و ن� ا ��لن�ه�ل�ا ��ل �م ن ا ��لن��ل�ا � �و�س�عن�س ا ن��ل ��ل � � � ي ي و ن ي � ن ي مي � � ا ن� ن يي� ي � ر رح � � � �ن ا �ن � �� ا � � � ��ي ا � � ن �م ن ا ��ل � � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ن ��و ن� �وي ن�ه�ل�وك�ه� �ي� س�ط� م�ي ر �ل�حصي��حن � أ ّ �ش ي ن ّ �ا � � ي ا � ن � ��� ّ ن � َ ي َ َْ ْ � �و�ل�ه�� ن� ��ل��ك �م��ل�وك ك�ا���ر� � � ����� ش��م �ي�ا � � � � �� ���ا � �مو� ا �ل ش��م ار ��ي� � او � �� �م ا �ل� �� �ي�� �ع��� ع� ي س � ي ن َ ّ ر ي� و م م ُُْ � م �ّ � ش ي �� � � ّ ن ي �ي � � � أ ا ا ش � ا ا � � ن ل��� �م ن ا ��ل��� �م�ا نل� � � � �� � �م � � �م� نل ل���ل �م ا �ل��م ا ��� �ع���� ��ر ك���ي�ر� �و � � �و � � � او � ���� � من�ل ا � �لعن��ا �ل��ل ي س � ل و � � ر ح ح أ ح ا �� ن ا � � ن ن ن ع ا ن� � �ه�أ ��ل��ء ن��ل�ا �ن� ا ��ل����ل�ا ���ط�� ن �ا �ن�ا �ع� ����ا � �ليهً�ا � � � � ك � ا � � � � � � ل ه ر ي� ر م ن ا � �و و و ي� ن� أ � � � � ن ً �� ّ � شّ أن �ص� �ل�� ي�ل�� �� ��ه� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � را ي�لن��ا �و�ل� �مر��ي ن� �� ا �عل��� ا � ن��مي�� �م ن� � ��ار�م ن� ا ر�ن�ا ن� ا�ام ن��ا � ي� ن م � م م �اّع ن � � أ �ي � ا اأ ن �ن ن ا أ �ً� ا اأ ن �ن � ن � �أ � ن ن � � � � � � � � � م � ا ا ا ا � � � ا � � �ه� ��و �ل� و م� ي� ��� � م� �ل� ��و ل1 �ص� ل� ��ط�ع ي� ��� م � �ك�ه�م �ع���� نل��ل �ل � ي� �� ن شي ن � ��� ً�ا � ���� �ا�ً�ا � � � �عً�� � ��ل �� ���ً�ا � � ن�لعّ �ي ا �ن � ا ا ي������ر�� �ن�� �ي ل و ل و رو ون و وي ر � �ه� �ي� ا �ل������ ��ر �ن � ن ّ ي ا اأ ن �ن أ نّ ن�اا ي �� ا �ا��ّله�ا ��ل��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن ��ا �ا�ا �ي ا�ا�م�ا �ش�س���ي �ن�ل�ا �ل ن��ا ���� ن� �من�ه�م�ا ل � � � � ك ك � � � � ي و � �وك�ي ��عي��� �م� �ي� ��� �ه�و ا � رك�� � ا ن و ن � ر ي ً ّ ً ل� ّ � � � � ن أ ن ي �اش� �ي � ح ن � ا ن ��ً�ا � ن�ً�ا � 2و ن� ر�ي �و��س�م��س�مً�ا �و�ن�� ��ل�� �و�ي� ��� ن �ش����أ��ا � او ن��م�ا �� � � ���ل م�لك م �ه� ا ��� �ن�� ك���ي ر ي�هررع�ه� � � و ي أ م ي ً � ي � ي ا ا ا ا �ي�هح نرر�ع�ه� ا �ر�ع�� �� �و� �����ه� � �و��� ر��س�ه� �ل�� ��ه ا �ع��ل�ه �� ي � ر ي� �م أ � ��ل�� ا ��كه�ا �م� � �ه� ا ��كن� ا �ّ ن ي ي ي ن ن ن ا � ا ن �ن ش ن �ه�ا �و��ل�� ��� �ل �م� ر�كي ��� � �ون�لعر �و�ع ��م �و��م�ي�ر �ي�ن��ي�� ��و�ك�ه� �ل�� � �وي� ��� ��م � و � �ل و و � َ � ّ � � � � � � � ي ي ن ي ّ ن ي ي ا ا ��لي��يه�ا � � �و��ع� ا ��ك�ه�� ا ��ا ا � �س � �له�� ��� �كه�ا �ل�� ��� ن ا �لي�� �ل��� � او � �له�� �و� �ع�� ا �ل��ل� � �و�ل�� ا �ل � �َ���ي��� �و��عي� ي ي� ي و � م � ن ي� و ي ي ن من أ � ن ا � ا ن �� �ا � ّ ن � ا ��� ن �ش���ّ ن ا ن آ ن أ ن �ن � ا � � � ل � �� ل ل ل � � �ه� ا ن�� �ي� �� � �وي س��م �ع��� ع� �ن� � �� �� أا � ا ن أا ����� � ا �ر �ي ��و��� ��ي� �عر� � �ه�م ا ��� او �ل �ي��� �� � � م م ح م أ أ نن �م ن ا ��ل ش ا ّ� � ا �� � � �ن� ��ل��ل ا �ا �ا�ّ �من�ه�م�ا �ن��� ر ن��� ا �م ا �ي ��ن� ا ��ل � ن � � � ���� ن م� ل وي��� � ح ار �م �ي ��أو���� �م ن� ��ل � ع �� �م �أاو � ا ا ل ل ر ي ح أ ُ ً ا� ُ َ ا ��ل ا � ن ا � � � �ن � �ن ن �يكي ي ي ي ش ا � � � ا ا ا � � � � ا � � � � � � � � � ه� ك �� � � � � � ص � � � � � ع ه م ل � � ل �� ه ��� �ل ي �ل ووَ ي� ي رك �م� �ل �ع���� � ر ي� ي � و م و �و �ي� ر � �م أ � أ �اا ن ي ي ا ��ل�ه أ ي ��لن � اأ ن � � ن ا �ن ا� ن � ا ا� � ��ا �� ا �ل �ا ا �ي�ا ر ن� ا � �لي�يصي���ل ��ن� ا ��ل��� �ي��ي ��س� او ء ك�� ��� � �ي�� �م�� ا �و � �ي�� ا � � ��ط� �و� �ل�ك ��ل� � ا�م��ط� � ي م م أ أ أ ّ ّ � � ن � � نّ ن � �ن ن �يّ �و ن��ل�ا �ن� ا ��ل���ع�م�ا ��ل ا ��ل ش����ا �ي��ي ا � �سي� لي � ا�ي ا ن � ن ا ن � � ��� �ل �� �وك�ه�م �نك�ه�ا �ل� �ك�ه�م �ي�ن�� ن��و� �ك�هم� �سي� �ي� ��� �و�ك�ه� ن�ل�ه�ي ر �� ي أ � ���� ن�ّ ن ن ن�لي �� �ويك�ه� �وي � حر�و�ك�ه�م ��ي� ن��مي�� ا �ع�م�ا �ك�هم� م ع أ ّ ّ � � � � � � ن � �ا � � ن� ي � ن� �ي �و�م ن� �م ن��ا � ن ا � ن�ل� �م�� � ا�ا � �ي��� � او ��م�ا ا ن� �نر�ا � �ك��ط�و�ل ا � � ل��ل� �ع�لي�� �وع ارن�ل�� �وع ار �ن� �ص� �ور لك م�و ن أ م أ أ ْ 1ال� �ص�ل :ال� �مول 2 .ال� �ص�ل :بد ب� ح ب���ا.
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Offices Held by the Kings of the Fur
Higher than this is the office of master of the tax ollectors, whose holder
3.1.62
has great pomp and is an important malik. He is master of the tax collectors, i.e., those who collect the grain from the villages, “tax” meaning here that they take one-tenth of the grain that is produced and place it in silos for the sultan’s use. There are many more petty kings besides. They call the rulers of the differ-
3.1.63
ent territories sharātī (singular: shartāy) and the rulers of the tribes damālij (singular: dimlij). Each shartāy has many soldiers and each dimlij 66 has his helpers. This is not to mention the petty sultans of whom we spoke earlier.67 The sultan gives none of the abovementioned officeholders a salary, and
3.1.64
none of them is inscribed on his payroll. Instead, every officeholder has an estate, the revenue from which he uses to buy horses, weapons, coats of mail, and clothes to distribute to his soldiers. Under their tax collection system, the zakat tax on grain goes in its entirety
3.1.65
to the sultan, as does the zakat on cattle68—the petty kings have no share in it. Each of them does, however, have many feddans that he sows with millet, sorghum, sesame, fava beans, and cotton, which his subjects cultivate, harvest, and thresh under threat of force. The master of the tax collectors also gets “the strays,” which is anything that
3.1.66
has gone astray, whether slaves, cattle, sheep and goats, or donkeys. These are sold for him and he takes the proceeds. And he receives “the gifts,” which is what they give him on his appointment and on his arrival in the villages, and “the offense,” which in their custom is property forfeited to the ruler by a criminal; they also call it “the sentence.” If one man gives another a sword blow to the head, money is taken from the offender and given to the ruler, and if a man gets a woman pregnant out of wedlock, money is taken from both, each according to his or her circumstances. He also gets “the bloodwite,” which in their custom is when a man is killed unlawfully and blood money paid; the ruler then shares in the blood money with the relatives, whether the killing was deliberate or accidental. And this is not to mention the illegal imposts that they take without justification or the hard labor they impose on the people, who build their houses for them and whom they use as forced labor in all their works. Another office of state among the Fur is master of the mooge, which we’ve kept till last because it requires such a long discussion and because of the strangeness of the mooge—both the office and the behavior of those who
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3.1.67
�ف �ف ف ا �ص� �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور �ي� �م�� � ف
أ أ أ أ ي �ّ ا ي ي �� � �ص� � ن�ع ا ���ي ا �ن��ه�ا ��ل ا �ه��ل�� � �ه� �ع ن��� �ع� ا � �ن ا�ا�م ن��ا ا�ا�من ل�� �نّ ا �� � ل��ل�ا� �ع��لي��� له� ر�لن��� ا � � � � � �ص� � � و و و � � و ن ر ن ن � م �م أّ � �ي � �أ ن �� ّ �ي ا ��ل � �� ن �ي � �أ ّ �ي ا ��� �ي � ل � � ي� ي ا � � ي� � �� ���� �و�ه�و ا ن� ���ا � � � ا ا ا � ل � � � ل �� ح ن� ا م� �ل� ر ي�� و �ل��� �ل�ن���ي� و �� ن� ع��ل� ���نح أا �� �م� ي �� � ن أ ن �ن �� ل��ّ ا �ن �ا ن �ع�يه� ً�ا �� �ّ� ن ��� ا ��ن ��� ��ل�ي����ه�� �م ن ا�ا م�� �و� �يل�� ل ���� ر� � او �و� �و�م�ا � ا � �ل� ن����ل �و�� ن� � ��ل أ ��� � ل يم � ي ر ر ن ي ي ن � ر أع ح ن ن ّ أ ن ّ أّ أي � را �� �ن �نل������ �و�ع�يه��ل�� ن� ��� �� �ا�ل أا �����ا � � حيص ش� �ير�� ا ن� �ع�يه��ل�� ا ��ّ �م ن� � � عي���ل ن�ع�ي�ر� �ورا �ي�� ح ن أي م �ّ أ ّ ٰ ّ ن � ن ن ي � ن ن ن ن ا� ن �م � ا لل� ن�ل�عي �� �و�� �و�ع��ل�م�� نع � حر � �ل������ �ع� ���� �ن�ي�ر ن���ل ن� ح���� �م� را �� �ع�ي�ر� أا �ل� �م� �نك� ر ن � ا ن ن ���ا ّ �ه�ا �س���ا ��ل ��ه� �و� ��� �س� ر ع � � ّٰ ن يي ّ ن � � ن ن ي � ن � ي ا � ن ا� �� � � ن ي له�و � او �ل���سس�هرا ء � او �ل�ل�� ن� �صيع�ه�� �ن�ل� � ا � �ل ��ور ا�مي���ل أا �� ا �ل�� � �أاو � ا � �لعرر � �ل�ك �ك�� ��و�ل �م� ��ن أ أ ً � � � �ي �ي �اا � ن ين �س� نّ�ع� اأ� � ن �س ��� �ن �ي ا �ع� � � ي ن� ي �ا�ا � �� او ا �و ��س�و� � او �ك��طرن� ي�� �عر �� طرن� � ر �ل� ���ل�و ا �و��ا �يك�ه� �ع ن� �س ��طرن� �م��ل�وك�� ك � م ي م ا � � ن م ن آ � � ي � �� ن��ي � � ن � � ������ ن �ا�ّ �م��ل�ك ��ل�� ن�ع��ل�م�ا ن� ��ن�ه�ا �م � ا ن� ��� � � ا � � � � ا � ك � �م ك م � �م� � � � ط م � ه � � � ل � ر رن ن ل �و�ل�� �ل�ك ا �� رو يع ي � م � نّ ن ا ن ً ن نان ح����ا ن ا ����أ�� ا ي� � �ع� ا��م��س ّ ن �ا �ا � � � ل �و و �ه�م ���ه� ��ي�ر �يك���عر�و� �نك�ه� ���ه�ي�را �ه�و ��ي� �مو� ��ور �� او �و�س� � م أ أ ي � ن ا ن �ن �ن �ن ا � �أ� ن�ع ن ا ء � � � ن ا ا ي ا �� �ن ا �ن ح��� ن ا ��� ا � ا �ل�ه��ل�م� � ي�����سم� �م ن � � � ل���� �ل� مر �� س ح���� ���و � ك��ه� � و ر ي � و ع � ع ح��� ن ن��مي�� ن� ��ل��ك ���و ي� � � ع أ أ ّ � � ً ن ي ن ن ن ن ن � � ن ي � ن ّ �ا�ا � �ع ن���� �م ن ا �ل�ه��ل�م�ا � ش ع��م � �مش�� �ا ل��� �من �وك�اي ��عي��� � �ل��ك ا � ا�ام��ل�ك أا � ك� �ه� ا ر�ن�ا ن� � ّ � ر ل ي �و� أ � م ن أ � ي � ي �ي ا ن �ي ن ا �ي � ا �� ن �م� ي �� � ي ���� ���ط ن�ك�ه�ا ا �ك���نه�ا ن��ي�ر ا ش�ل ن��� ي� ا �و �ش�ل�ا �ش�� � او � ار �ل� ع ن�لي���� �ر�ع� ن�� �� �� � �وي� ا �لن�� ��� �سك ي ���ل�� ا � ر ي� ن � ن � � � ن � ن ي ن�ع��لي ن� ��ط � او �ك��طر�� ا �لش��ا �ي� ر�كي ��ي� �ي�ليعن�ن��� �ع��لي��� �ن�ا �لي��� � ��ور�يك�ه�ا ��ك�� ا ن � أن � ن ي �ن ا ��ه��ل� ن� ن�ك�ه�ا �ل�� ن �ي�ن�� � � � � � �ص��ا ء � �وي�لعن�ن� �ك�ه�ا ا �ل�ه�ل� �م ن� ش��مر ��ط ا � لي���و� ي� و ن ن � �ن ا �م ن�� ًّا � ا �� �ي ا � � نّ ا ن�����س � ��ل�� ��س� ن�ك�ه�ا ��� ي� � �� �نّ�ي ل � �س�ه� ����� ن� له� ر ويك�هر�ه� ي �م � ي� و ي و �� ع أ أ ّ ّ � � �� يّ ن ن ��س���ي ا �ل��ا �ي�� � ي�لن�ع ن�� � �ور��م�ا ا ن� ن� �ع��� ا ��� او ي� ا �ك���نه�ا ن��ي�ر � او ل ن ر و و ن � ح نّ ا ي ا ا ي � ا ُ �ن �� � �� ا ن ن � ن ل � � � � � � � � � � � ا �ل � � � ل � � م � � ه � � � � � م � � � � ه � � ل س � ا ل�� ط � ن �� ن �و ري ر � ل � �و � وي ن �ل �ي� ي � أ ن� ا � � �ُ�ي � يّ �ي اأ �ّا � �م ن ا � � ط�ه�م��ي ��ل��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن �م�ا �ش�س��ا �ي � � ل �ون ي� وي� رك �س�� ي� � �ل� � � ي م ّ � � � ن ي ن ن ن ن ن ن ن ّ ن ���� ا �ل�ه��ل�م�ا � �ك��ع ن��� ن �س� ا �ل�ه��ل�م�ا � � ا �ك���ه�ا ��� � ��م�ا ن���ل�ه�� � ط�� � ي و ن ي� ي ر ورن �ع ي �� �اا �� �� � ي ا��م�� ّ ا ي �ن ن ا � � ا �س� �ه�م�ا ������ ًل�ا �م ن ن� ش ر و ح��س ن� م��سك��ي���ل ك�� ك� ن ���ل�� س�م� � �ي� ن � ع
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Offices Held by the Kings of the Fur
hold it. It is, in their view, the lowest office and least in rank. Before speaking of it, however, we must provide some background. The Lord of Eternal Wisdom and Everlasting Power, who has given us minds and granted us His benevolence, has provided each human being with a mind with which to distinguish good, that he or she may follow it, from evil, that he or she may be on guard against it. Likewise, He has placed in each human being a love of the opinion adopted by his or her own soul and mind, with the result that every person believes his or her mind to be more perfect and his or her opinion to be better than anyone else’s—exception being made for those to whom God has granted insight into their faults and taught the powerlessness of their appetites to secure what is good for them and fend off what is bad. In view of this, we can state that a tendency to sport and levity, to play-
3.1.68
fulness and ecstasy, is in the nature of the Fur. The least stimulus to enjoyment provokes them. You find that their every moment, whether they be kings or commoners, is lived to the accompaniment of a singer. They have therefore assembled every musical instrument possible, and you find that every petty king has young boys with beautiful voices, these being what are called kóór kwa. They have pipes on which they make a whistling sound that is at the same time a kind of singing. The beauty of the pipes combines with that of the boys’ voices to produce lovely music. This is done in the following fashion: if a king has, for example, ten of these boys, two or three will have pipes while a fourth will have in his hand a dry, hollow gourd, oblong in shape, wide at one end and narrow at the other, so that the hand can grasp it. It looks like this: Into this they put some pebbles and the boy holds it and shakes it, the mouth having first been necessarily plugged with pitch. The stones inside produce a sound that accompanies that of the pipes, and the six remaining boys sing. Sometimes the sultan sends out some of his slave girls dressed in their finery, carrying vessels of food for the sultan. They walk behind the troupe of boys and sing along with them and the pipes. To these instruments they sometimes add elongated wooden drums like the one called in the common parlance of Egypt darabukkah
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3.1.69
�ف �ف ف ا �ص� �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور �ي� �م�� � ف
ي َْ �ْ �ن ن �م ��ا ��ل��� ا لّ ��� �����ي �وي���س��مّ �ع ن��� �ع� َلن ك ��ال �و� ��ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا � �س � ر ن ن ر �عر � م � ّا ي ي ن � ين ن � � ن ا ��� ّ�ا �ي�ي ���ا ر ن� �ي���� م� له�ل � �ك�ا� ��ي� ا �ك���ور� �كي��� ���ل ا �كن� �و�ل�� �ع�ل� ��� �م ي اي � � � ن ا ��� ّ�ا �ي�ي � � ��نه�� � �وك���ي�ر ا �ك���ن���ل � � ��� �ويك� ح ي� أا �نك ��ط�� � �ويكن� �مرن� ع له�ل � �ع��� ك ي � � ي � ��م�� �ع�� ��� ي� ا �ك� ��نه�ا ن��� � �م�ا �� ي ا ن ي ي �م � �ع��لي��� نل � ير و ��ل�� �ي��� �ي�� � �لع ار � � �� و � ن نّ ن � ن ا ن �ن ّ ن ّ ن �ي ن ي�ل�ع �� �و�� لي���و� ن�ل��ل���� � ا � �ل ��ور �و�ك�ه�م �س�ه��ل� ��و� ي�ل�ه��ل� �� �وك�ه�م ا �ل����ه�ي�ر � �ن � � ا� ن�ا � او �ل�ع ن��ا ء � او �كن� �مرن� �ع��� ا �ك���ن���ل ا�م�� ��ور ش ن أ ّ ن ن ا� ش ي � ن � او� ��سو� ا �م�ا �م�� � �ون�� ن� �ي��� �ي�� ي�لن�ع ن��و� �ع ن��ا ء م����ا � ا �ل���ي� ن� ي��م � ي أ ّ � ن ّ ي ن � � نّ � � اي � � � � � � �ا �ا� ��ا ا �ن ا ن نّ ن � �ر� �و��� � او � و ��� � او �لن�� ��ي� ����� ي�ل�عس�ي� �م� ��ل ����� ��را ي ��� ع�م �وكي��عي��� � �ل�ك ا �ك�ه�م لي��و� �� او ��را ي ن �� �� � �ي ن� نّ � � � � ن � ّ � ن � � ي ا ن ي ا ا ن � � � � ��و�ل �ولعس�� ن �مي�� �ير� �ع�لي��� �نك���و� �ع� �ًل �و�ل�� �ل�ك أا � ا ر�� ن� ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �ك� �مرن� ا ك� ن � ع ا �ل�� ��� ي ًي ْ � ن � ن ّي ن � ي أ �ا نًا �ن � � ن ي � ن ا ن � � ن ا ا � ن� �ل ا ن �ن حش ُشا ُ ا � � � �� � � ط ع � �� � � � � س س �� � ا � � ل ا ا ي � � � � ء ع � ل ه � � � س � � � � س ك � � � � � � � � � � � م � ل � ه � م � م � ي �و � ل�ك � ي ير و �م���� � �ور ن ن �� ع ن �ع ن ي ن � أ نّ � � � ّ � �ن ن ا �لأ������ا � �ع��� ���سم�ه�� �م ن��� � �لي �� �وي�� �و�ه�� � ا �ك���نه�ا ��ي�ر ����س�مّ� ��ط�ي�ر ا �ك���عي��� �و� �ل��ك ا � ن�لن��ل�ا � ش� أ � ح ا ن �ن ا ن �ي � ا ن � ا �� �ن ا �ن �� ��كه�ا اأ ��� ا ي ��� ا ��� ا �يكه�ا � � � � �ع � �ه�� � ك � � � � ع � � � � ه �� ع � � � � � ير � ل و � ���عي��� �ع�م ��ي �ور � رو و ي أ � �أ ن ي ا� �ه�� ا ا ��ل�� نل� ن � ��� �ن ��لن�ه��ي ا �� ن�ل� �ك ���ط��لي �و�لن�ن� �ّ � ي � � � � ا ا ا ا � � � � � � � م � � ط � � � � � � � � ن و ي و ي� و سم �ل��لك ا �ل� و ور ي � ي �� � اأ ن ي � ن � ع ����س �ي �� ا �م�� � ��من �� �� � � �ن � �ن ا �� �ل�ن ل � � ا � �ع�� ا ��� ا � ��� �و نح�س� �و ع� ��ط� � �له�� يم� ك�ه� لك ��و � و ه�و �ي� عر� �ور �� � و أ � ع م أ أ � ا�م��� ن� ي ن �اا ي �ن �ن � �ي ��� ّ � ن �ا�ا �نل مو ن� ك� ���لن ��و��� ا �و � �ي��� �مر ا �و ك�� �ل�� �سو�ر�ي� �ي� �عر� ا �ل� رك � حر� ��ي� �عر�� ا �ه��ل �س� ل��ن� ا�ا � ّ أ أ ن� � � ّ � ي ن �ي � � ن ي ن �ن ��ا �ل�� �م�ا � ��ار �ل� �ن�� ي�لي��و�� �كي���ل �م ن� �ي�ا �مرا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ن �لعي���ل�� �و���ه� ي أ أ ن ّ � ي ي ن ن ا �ه�ا ��� ي��� ا�ام�و ن� ��� �م ن� � �����ي��� �ي��� ا � �يل��لن����� �ع��� را ����� �ع��� �ن�� �كي� � ي ن � ي �ن �ا ي �ي �� �ي � �م ي ���ل �س� ا ��لن�� ��س����ير�ي ا �ل ش��ع � � �و �لن� �و��ي� ا �ل�����ا �ن�� ا�ام�� ��ور� ��ل ط�ه� � ي ع � أ ن ًا � ّي ي � ��� ��م ّ �ي �� ا ��لي�� ن ��� ك� �م ن� � ����ي��� ا �يك� �ا�ا �م��س�م�ا ر �س�ه�� �له�� ن�ني�ط حرر ع��� ن � � �وي�ل� � ن �ي ن ّ أ ي � ن ا ��ل�� ن� �ي� ��ن� ا �ك��� ي������ي ن� حيص ش� أا � ا �ع نر را ����� �كن� �مرن� ا �لن�� � �ويل�� ي ���س � ا نّ�ي � � أ �من ا �ن ا ��� ا �ي � ن� ا�ام�� ��اور �وي �م� �ك�ه� ر�� �ع�لي�� � او �ع��� ��ه�م� �ي� ل���� �ن� ي أ ع � ن ري� ش����� ا �و ري� ش��سي��ا ن� �م ن� ري� ش��� ا �لن��ه�ا � �و���ور�يك�ه�ا ��ك�� ا م ن ن � �ّي أ ن ًا �ن � � � � � ا ��س�م ن ن��� نل ا � � ن � � � س � � � � ل طور �و� �و�رر س�ه� �ل� ا �يك� �و�ع����ا �ك��طر �� � ��� و�ي� ر ن ي �� �ل � ع
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Offices Held by the Kings of the Fur
and which they call tog jêl. It looks like this and has a strap attached, as in the illustration. The player puts his hand through the strap and places it over his shoulder so that the drum is under his arm and, using both hands, he strikes it with sharp blows that are closely matched to the sound of the pipes. They sing in the language of the Fur and have teachers who teach them how to play the pipes, sing, and beat the drum. The foot soldiers who walk before and around the
3.1.70
sultan sing on their own, forming small groups, each of which has one particular singer to whom the rest respond in a loud voice. Thus, when the sultan rides out and the drums beat and everyone, mounted and on foot, sings, a mighty clamor is heard, and this, together with the sound of the pipes and the songs of the boys, strikes fear into all who hear it because it is so loud. The pipes are called “birds of the High Plain” because in that region there are birds with beautiful voices which they call by that name, and they invented these pipes to imitate the sounds these birds make. To these voices are added those of the mooge, a Fur word that is used for both singular and plural. The mooge are a mighty company, with their own master, the word corresponding in the common language of the Fur to khalbūṣ (“jester”), or in that of the Egyptians to maskharah (“buffoon”), or in that of the Turks to soytarı (“clown”). The mooge, however, is different from these because he is responsible for executing anyone the sultan orders killed. The mooge wears a band on his head that incorporates a round, concave sheet of metal. Inside this headband is another piece of metal like a nail, hung from a thread adjusted to fit the depression in the metal sheet. Thus, when he shakes his head, it strikes against the depression and makes a ringing sound. Placed above both of these in the headband are one or two ostrich feathers. The headband looks like this: On the tall cap he wears are shells and beads that also hang down. There are two metal anklets on his right foot and one on his left. Under his arm is a small
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3.1.71
�ف �ف ف ا �ص� �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور �ي� �م�� � ف
ن ّ ي � ن � ن��� نل ا � � ن ���� � ي� ي �م ن ا ��ل � �����ي��� �و��ي� ا �لي����مر�� �� �ل � او � و ح� أا �نك ��ط�� ن� ار ن� ���ه�ي�ر �م��سك ���ي���ل أا � ا ���ل � ّ أ � ن � ن ن ا �����ه�م�ا �كي��� � نو�لي���� �ع���ا �س���ون� ا �ع�ل� �ه�ا ��ك�� ا �ع���ا ن�لي��� �و ��طر ��ط�ور� �يك� ح ّ ن عن� �ن�� ن� �ي��� �ي� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �م ن� ا�ا�م�و ن� �س�ه�� �لي� ن�كي��� ن��ل�ا ن���ل ن�كي ��ي � �ي��� ا ش�ل ن��ا � ي ن ن�ن ن ن أ أ ن �ي ن �اا � � ش �اش �ي ن � �اا ن � � � ا ن � � � ا �و ��ل �أ� أا � أك� � ا �أل����ل��ط� � �ي� �ي �� او �� �أاو � ك� � �ي� ��سعر ا �و ك���� ّ �ال�ا�مً�ا �ا�ّ �من �م ش���س ا �م�ا �م�� ا ر�ل�ه��ي ا �و ن��م�����ي �و �� �ه� ي�لن�ع ن�س� �و�ر�ي��� � �و �لي ��و��ل �� � ل � ن م ي ي � ي ن ً ن ي � ّ � � ا ن � � ا �س� ط��� ���ا �يك� ط�����ك �م ن��� ����ا �س�ه�� �وي�� ��� �لن��ا � ا � � � ل���ل ن� �و���و� ا �ك�هر ي ح نّ أ ن ن ي ّ � � ا �� ن � � ا ��� � ّ ي � � نا أ � � �و��ل���� ��� ر������ ل���مر ن�ل��ل �يك�هر را ����� �وع�� �و� نل��ل��م ا �ل ��ور �ل� �ن� لع نر�ي ي � ي � � ا �ي ا � �أ ن � ن �ي نّ ��ل � ي � ي ن ي ي ��� � ���� كي��� �ن� �ل��ر� �� ر� ا � �مرن� أا � ي��م ن��� �وي���مر� � �ويكن� ����ي���� ا � �سي� ��ي� ��� نل � � ي ن ي ن� ن � � ن ا ��ل�����ا ���ي �ع� اأ ����� � ي� نّ ا ��نل ��ا �ل ا � �سي� ��ي� ����ا �كي��� �أاو � ا ك�ا�ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ن ��� ر و ر� ي ي ّي أ ً ا نً أ ي ا ن ً � ي ن ن ن ي ي � ����� � �ل �� � ا ��� ا �كه� � �ل �� ��� � ��ا ��ا � � ن��م��ه�ا ��ي� ���ا ��ل�� ي�لن�ع نّ�� � ن�ل�� يك��ي��� � � � ا � � � �م���� � ار ا �و �� �ك� � و ي � ي ن و و و ل و م وو ي ي ���ن� ا �م�ا � ا � ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ا ل��ا ��ًا �و � �ه� رن م �ن � ّي ن ن� � � ن � � � � ن� ل��ا ر ��ل�� ���و ن� �ي��� �ص��� ��ي� � �ل��ك �ل��ل�����ل��ط�ا � ن�ل��ل ��ا�ل �م��ل�ك �م ن� �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور ا � نل�� �و�ل� ����و� ي �� ن ن أ ن � ش يّ ين أ ا ن ا� � � ن ن ن ���� �ل� ي� �ي�ل � حش � ��سو� �ن�ا ��� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ع� ا �م� �م�� ��ي� � �ي �� او ��� �وي�م���سي� ��� ا �م�� ��ي� ��س�عر� � او�م�و ن�ي � ن �ي ن � � ا ن أ ً ن � �� ن � ي � � ن ي � � �و�ل� �ع ن� �صن��� �و�ك�ه� ن� ار ء � �ع �ي�س�م�� �ع���� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ��م ن� � � �ون�� �ل� لي��س� � مو� ا �ل����ل��ط� � ا �م ار ً ن م�� أ ً �ن � ش أ نّ ن ��� � � ��� �ًا � �ي �� �ن � �ن ��م �ن � � � � ن ن س ��س�و� ا � � ل��ل�ا� � �ليه�ا �أل��ل�� � نحيص� ا � ح�يه�ي�را ا ا ا ا ا � � � � ه �� ح م � � ل � � � � � � م ه ل ه � ك � � � � � � و أ � ي � ي ي ن و ر وو أ ي أ أم م أ � ي� أ ن � ي � �ا�ا ن� ا �و ن���لي�� ًل�ا ��ل�� ي ن� ك� ��ا �ن��و ن� ���و�م�� �ل�� �� � او � ا ا را � ا �ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� أا �ش���ا �ع�� ا �مر ا �و أا �ع�ل�ا ن� � �� �� م أ م أ أ � � � � ي ن ن �ي��� ا � ي�ل ن��ا � �ي� �ن�� �يصن��ا � �ي� �ن�� ا�ام�و ن� ا �مر ا�ام�و ن� �ي��� ن�ل�ه�� ا�امن�عرن� �و�كن���ل ا �ل�� ش����ا ء �ن��� ا ء ي���س�م�ه�� ا ��نل ا ��ّ ا ��� ا �ّ �� � له� �و م ّ أّ � ٰ ّ � ن ����شر ا ن��ل �ا�ا ن� ي� �و�م�م�ا ا �ي ن�ل ��ي� ا ن� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �عن��� ا �ر��م ن ك� ح ن� ا �ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء �ولي� �ه�م ��ي� ���ل�و��� �س� � ّ � � أ ّ � ً � � ن � � ن �لي���ل�� �و�نك�ه�ا ر� �و�ي��ل�م�ا ي ن���ل��� �ن�م��ل����ا أا �ل�� �و�س�ه�� �ع�� �ا ا �و ا ش�ل ن��ا ن� �ن�ا �عي��ا ن ��ط ا ���وررا ء �م ن��� �و�ي�ا ���وا م ّ �ن ن ا ي ن �� � ا �ه�� ا ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن ��ل�� �ن�� ��� �ع��لصن��ا �ل�ه��� �� ًل�ا � ��ن� ���ي ل ن��ا ��ا �وي ن���ل��� �س� �ه�أو�ل�ء � � ل��� أا � �م� � رن ك�ي ي ر � و ي� ي ن ع أ ن� أ يأأً ن �ّ ���� ا�ا�م� � ن ا ح�ي ن���ل�� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ��ن� � �ي �� او �ن�� �و� �ن� �ي�لع ار ا �ن��� ا ���س�م� � �ل��ك ا � و ن �ي��� �� �س�ه�� � له�م � �مر ي � ّ ا ن � ن �ا ا ًا ا ن أ � أ � � ن ع �ن ا ا� ح ن �م�ا � �لي�صن��ا �ن�� �� �ع��لصن��ا ���� �وي��ا ��ل �ل��ل���� � ا � �ل �� ر ��ل��م� �س�ع ن � � � � م � ا �و�ل��ك ا � ��وررا ء ن�� ء ا� �و ن ي و ن � ن ي و ي� ي
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Offices Held by the Kings of the Fur
oblong bag into which he puts his headband and cap when he’s not wearing them, and he carries a stick with a crook at the top like this to which jingles are attached. Two or three such mooge stand before the sultan when he holds audience. When he is on the move or hunting, four or five go ahead of him, each singing and dancing and saying funny things to make those who hear them laugh, and imitating the barking of dogs or the sounds of cats. Their songs are in the language of the Fur, not in Arabic, and there is no bending of the body in their dancing; they shake their heads right and left and strike one leg against the other, making the metal piece in the bands on their heads ring, and the anklets on their feet too. If the sultan is on the move or hunting, instead of singing they all give one great shout together at the top of their lungs, going, “Yaa! Yaa!” and they keep this up as long as the sultan is mounted. This is not peculiar to the sultan: each of the more important petty kings
3.1.72
of the Fur has his mooge who stand before him in his court and walk in front of him when he’s traveling. The mooge do not fear the sultan’s evil or fury and are extremely daring with him and with those below him. They hide nothing from the sultan—when they hear something scandalous, they announce it in his assembly, naming the one who said it, be he lowly or mighty, without fear of censure. If the sultan wishes to spread some item of news far and wide, or announce some judgment, he orders the mooge to cry it. They do so between the sunset and evening prayers with a cry that reaches elite and commoner alike. Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān happened to love the company of scholars of religion and spent much time sitting with them by day and by night. Rarely would he sit in his assembly without a couple of them. This angered the viziers, who complained and said, “How can he shun us and spend his time with them? Once this sultan dies, however, we shall never again allow to rule over us any man who can read!” One of the mooge heard this and left them to their own devices until the sultan was seated in his court and these same viziers were in attendance. Then the mooge came and said something in Fur to the effect that “No one who knows how to read or write is ever again going to rule over us.” The sultan turned to him and asked, “How so?” and the man replied, “Because you shun your viziers and spend your time with scholars.” This made the sultan
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3.1.73
�ف �ف ف ا �ص� �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور �ي� �م�� � ف
ن ن �ي ي � ي � ي � � � أّ ي � ن � � � ن � �َ ن � ل��ا �ن�� ن��ا �لي��ن� ي� أا �لي��� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �وي��ا �ل َا� � �ل��ك ي��ا �ل �ل�� �ن��ك �ي��رك ا � ��وررا ء �م� ي�ل�عر�� ا � �لع ار ء � � او � ل�� م ن � ي���ل�� �س� ا ��ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء �ن�ا ن�عي��ا ن ���ط ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن ��ل�� ن� ��ل��ك � �ن نك ���ط ا ��ل��� �ن نك ���ط �ي ا ��لن�� ن �ص� � �ن�ا �ن� ا�ا�م�و ن� �ي��� � � و و ر أي ر ن أ ن ن �� ع أ أ � � � ن ن � ن ن ن � � � ن ي ي ا � ي���س ��ط�و �ع��لي��� ���يه�ا �ل �م�ا � ن�سن�� ا �ن�ا ���سم�� ي� �ه�أو�ل�ء � او �ش���ا ر أا ��� ا ���وررا ء �ي�ل ��و���و� � �ل��ك ���ه��لي��� ي ّ � � ن � � ن � � اأ ا ا �� �يع ن � �ل �ن ا ن��� ا �م ن � ا �ّ � ن �ه� �و�و� ن��ا �لي��ن� ي� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � أا �ل �ه� �ع��� � �ل�ك �و ر � ل ن���� ع� �ه� �م� ل���و �� أ �ل� ي� � ي� م ش يّ ي ي ي �م ن ن � مأ � � أ �ه�� �و�م��س�ه�� ���ل� � او ن�ل ��ا �ه��ل�و� �ل���ه��ل ا �ل�هل��� ا �ع�� ا ء ن ن� � م ن �ا � � ا � ن � �ن�ا ن أن � �ا ن ي ن �ش ي ا ي �و�م ن� � ��ل��ك �م�ا � � ��� � �ي� ن�ل����� ا �ل ��ه� � �ن��� ا ر���ور ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط� � ��ي�را ن� ا �ل���� �ل�� ا �ل�� ��ر ن ��س �ي � �أ �ن ي � � ن � ن ا �� �� � ا � �ي ي��ّ� � ��ل ن نك ��� اأ � ّ ا �� �� � ا � اأ� ن ن� ا � طه� � ن�ه� يص طر ي� ك�ل �مر ك�ل � �صع� �وي�م� �ل� �مر ���ي���� �و��ي� �� �� ء أا �� طه� م ح���� ن م �ع أ أ أ � ي � � ن ش ن ن ن ا ن � ي � ��س� �ع ن��� ��ا ن�ع � �صع�عي��� أا �ي�ا ��ار�ي� ل ن��ا�ا �ن�� �و�� � ط�ه�ا � � ��ل �ن��� ��ا �مر �ن�� �ل��ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء ��ا ن�� ي� �ع��لي��� �و��ا �ل ي� أأ م ّ � ن � � � � � ن � ي ن � ن � ن ي ط� ا �م �ل��ل� ش ا ن ط�ه�ا � ن�ع�� �� �ل��ل� ا ء � ا�ام��ل� ك 1ن���يه�ا �ل ا ��م�ا ا ا �ن�ا �ع ن��� ك �نك�ه�� � ا�ام��ر�ل�� �ل�� ��ط�� ��له� �ي� م����ي أ � �و ��ل م ي ري ورر و و ي ح أ ي � � ش ا ن �� ن ي � � أ� � ن �اي ن � ��س��� � ��ول�� ا �م � ��� �ل�ل�م����ي� ل � �����ل ��ل��ك �نرك� ح �ه� ���يه�ا �ل ي� � ��ل ط�ه�ا �م�ي� �ي�ا ك�ا��ل�� ا � ��وررا ء � او�ام��ل�وك � ر ن م ح ع أ أ ي � � � � � � ي � � ن � � � ن ن � � � ي ي ا ا ا ي � ا ا ي ا �� ا ا � ���ا �ي��ك �ل� ��ا ك���ل�� ا �ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء �و�ل� �� ن��� �ي� �ن�ن�رك���ه�م ���ه� �ل �ل� �ي� ك��ل�� �ع�ي�ر ا �ل�ه�ل�م� ء ���ه� �ل� �ل� �و�ي ّ أ � � � ا ن �و ن�ع��لص ي� �ع��ل��� � � ط�ه�ا � ن�ع�ي�ر�ه�ا �ل��ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء ح�ي� ا ر�����ل�� �ل��ل�م��ل�وك و� �ي��ا ر �م ن� ��ل ي ن م ّ أ أ أ ���� �م ن ا ن���يع ا �ه�� � ا �ن�� ��ل�� �نّكه� ��ل���� ��كه� � �ن��ي ا ��ل�� ا ��ل��س�أ ا ��ل �ن�ا �نّكه� � ا أ��مً�ا �و ���ط�ا �أ�لنه��ي ا�ا�م�و ن� ر ر أ � � � ي ر و و أ ي ل � ر � م م نّ مأ �أ ي � ن � �أ نّ � � �ي ن ي ��ا �ن� ا ��ل�� �م ا ء �من ع ��و ن� ا ��ل ن��ا ��� �و ن� ���� �و ن� ا �ل�� �م ار ء �و�لي��� ��ل ن� �ه� �ولي � �ي�ل�� ��ر��� �وك�ه�م �ل� �ك�ه�م �ل� لي���سم�و� � ر ي م ن أ أ � أ أ ً أ أ ن ن �ا ��� ي��لش��ا أا ن� ا � ع او ا ��ل��� �� �� ���� ا ش�ل ن�� او �ع��لي��� � او �ش���ا � ح��� ن� أا �ل �ر�م�� � او � ا �ر�س�ه� ا � �ه� ا � � ���� � �ّ��و� ل � � ي� ر ن أ م م أ أ ن ّ ن �ن ن � � �اا � ش شا ن �ا� � � �و�م ن �من����ه� ن�ع �و� �� � او ���� �ع� او � �م�� ���ه�م �ي� � �ل�ك ك�� �ل��س�ع ار ء �م� ا �ع ��ط� �عم �م�� ��و � م ��ل ّ �ي أ � ن ن ا ن ي �ن ا �ا ن نا �ا� � �من ن �ص� ا � � �ن �� �و�ا ي� �و��� � � � � و �ص� أا �ي� ��ر�ي� �و �� ا ����ل�ع�� ر ن �ص� ا � �ل ��ور �م�� ن �و�م� �م�� � ن ن ّ أ ن ان � ن ا اأ� ن ًا ا ن �ا�ا ن� ��ل��� �ّ��� 2ي �ن��له�ا �من �ا�ا ن� ��ل��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ا�ا�مي�� ��� ا � �ن��له�ا �من � � � � � ك ك � ��ار�� � يك� �ص� �ص� � � � � ن أو ��� �أو ن � و ي� م � ن أ نً � �ن ن ن ا�ا� ن ا ن �� ا � �ي ّ � ن � � ��� آ ن � ن � �ه ا �� �ي أ ي أ�ّ �و� �م� �وله�� را ��ي� ا ���ا � � �ص�� � لي������ سعرري � نل��ل يكط ار � ع��� � ل��� �ه�� ا � م� ا �يك� � � ن و ن م ن � ن ن � �اا ن ي �ي ا � � ش ي ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �ح�مّ�م��� �� ن����ل �و��ع� ن��ا ر���ي �و ن� ح ش����ا ء � ��و ن�لي��� ي� ��ي� � ا ر���ور �ام�ا ك�� ��� ���� �و ي� ع��مر� ي ي ن � ن ن ا أ ي �ّ � ن ن� ش ا ن أ ي �ن � ا أ� ن ا �� ا ن ي � � ا � ع ع � � � � � � ع � � ا � � ل ء �ور وح���� م� ن � �م� ا � �لع ار ����� �ورا ��ي� ن��� � و �ي� ن � � م� ير� �ي� ن � ر ��س�و� � ح ي ي � ي � �� ّ �� ا � ا � �اا ن ي � �ا�ا ن�� ي� �ن�ا ������ي ا �ل�ع�ي���ل �و�م ن� �ن �لي��� �ع�يه�� � ا � �وك� ���ل�� �ع�� ��ار س�� �و �حم� � ا � � له� ك� ��� ن � � ي له� �ر ن�� ل �ع��� ة أ ب �وك 2 .ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا �. 1ا لم ك
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Offices Held by the Kings of the Fur
furious and he looked at him angrily. The mooge feared he’d assault him and said, “What’s it got to do with me?” and he pointed to the viziers. “I heard those men saying that, so I repeated it.” The sultan turned to them, rebuked them, and wanted to have them arrested, and they were only saved from his anger after great effort and trouble. Truly, I observed, “The ignorant are ever the enemy of those with knowledge!” 69 A reliable source in Darfur told me a similar story to the effect that Sultan
3.1.74
Tayrāb, mentioned earlier, held a banquet for some reason I’ve forgotten, and when the food came he inspected it closely to see which dishes were best. When he came to one made by Iyā Kūrī Kinānah and took off the cover, he found it to his liking, so he ordered it be taken to the scholars. However, she objected, saying, “Is my standing with you so low that you would give my food to shaykhs and the food made by others to viziers and kings?” “I only ordered it taken to the shaykhs,” he replied, “because it’s so good, and so that you can benefit from their grace.” “Let my food be eaten by the viziers and kings,” she said. “I have no need of their grace!” “None but the shaykhs shall taste it!” he said, but she said, “I beg you, don’t let the shaykhs eat it!” In the end, she had her way, and he sent it to the petty kings and chose food made by someone else for the scholars. The mooge are numbered among the poorest people in Darfur because
3.1.75
their only profession is begging. This is why they always target princes and leave ordinary people alone. The princes fear them and treat them generously because they disclose everything they hear. If someone treats them well, they praise him and put it about how generous he is, but if someone is stingy with them, they hold him up to scorn and make it known to all. In this they are like poets: they write eulogies to those who give them gifts and ridicule those who rebuff them.70 Among the other offices of the Fur are that of iyā kurī, to which we have alluded earlier,71 and that of the Grandmothers, which we have also mentioned.72 Also, if the reigning sultan has a mother, she holds an office, and if he has a grandmother, she holds one too. These offices, however, are not permanent: they come into being when these two persons exist. I saw Sultan Muḥammad Faḍl’s mother, and she was an uncouth slave woman. If put on sale in Darfur, she wouldn’t have fetched ten francs. I saw his grandmother too, and she was an uncouth old crone, one of the ugliest women I ever saw among the Blacks, and a half-wit to boot—witness the fact that when she went on a
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3.1.76
ن �� ن ّ ة � � ن ��ة� �ةك���ة��� �ن�م��ل��س ا �ل��س��ل��ط�ا �
أ نّ أ اأ �ع ن��ا �ي�ه �� 1ل��ل�� نس�ع ا ��ل��ع��� � �س� ا ن � ا�ا ن ي �ا�ش�� � � �ش��س ا ��ل ا ن � ن ا ا �ه� �م� ا �ل������ ��ر��� �ل� ك� ي ر وو � أ ي� رن ي و � �ه� ن�ل����� ا �ل�� ��� �ن� � ا �ه��ل � �م ّ ن � � ن ن ن � ن ن � ي ي ن ن ن ن ي ي ي ط��� � �ل��� � ن �� ي س� �� � � �� ا �كه�ا � ا ر�ن��ور �ي�ل ��و���و� أا � �ه�� � ا �ل ��ا � � ��� ��ل نو ���ي� �سم��� � �ل��ك ن���ل�� ي� ي و � م أ أ أ ا �� ن ن ّ �ي ا �� ن ن ّ ي � ن �ن � او � ��ا � � ا ��ل �م ي� ن��مي�� ا ي�لن��ا �ع�ه�ا �و�ي�ا ��ل ي� ا �ن�ا ا ��ل ��� �و ن�� ن� ا �ل�� ��ا � �م ن�� ن� ا �ل�� � ���� ا �ل��� �� ن� م ر ع � �ي �� ا اأ �ن ا ا ��ل ا � � � ا ��ل ا ء ا�ا�مه�م�� �ي � � ا �� ا ا ��نل ا � � � ا ��مح� ���ي ا �ّ�� اأ�نّ �ا ��� �ي�ليه�� �ع� ا ��لن� ���طي ��ا ��لن �� ءا ع و ��وك�ه� � �� م ن� �� � ل� و مر ه� �� م ن� ن �م أ �ل ك�ه �ل ر ��� �� ن � أ ن أ ن ن ا � ن ن�ا ا �� ��ي ��ل� ع � ح�يه�ا �يكه�ا ا ا ا ا�م�ع ي ن ن ح ل � � � � ا ا ع �م �ع م � � � � � � � � � � ع ه ه � � � � �ص ر� �ص� ر ر� � ر ن �حم� ن � و ك � ن
� ن � ن ّ �ي �ن ��ه��ل ا �ل ارن�ل� ��ي� ك�اي ���ي�ه� ا � �ل�� ع
��م � �� � � ل��ط�ا ن�2 ن�ه�ل��� ا ل���� �
� اأ� ّ� �ا ك�ا ���ل�� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن �ن�ا �عل��� اأ نّ ���� ي� �����ل���ط�ا ن ا �� ن�ل �� ��ن �ل��ل���� ا��م��س ّ�م�ا �ي ��ا �� �لنه�ا ش � ��نع ّ���ي � م ��م � � � ور ي� ن ن ر م ني و ث يي ن � أ أ � � � � �نا � � ن ن ن � ا�م�� ّ �و��ل�� �و�ك�ه�� ا ن� ��ه��ل �لن�ي��ي��� �ن�ا �ن�ا � ا � � او �ل�� ��� � ���� �ه�م�ا �و�ه�و ا �ل� �ع ��� طم �ه�و س��م� َ � � ن � � َ ّ َْ َ َ َّ ْ َ َ �ور�ي��� �ي�ا �س�ع ن��ا � �ن�ا ن� ا �ر ن��ا �ل � او �لش��ا �ي� �ه�و ا�م��س��م� �وري�لن��ا �ي�ا �و�س�ع ن��ا � �ن�ا ن� أ ن �ن ا ن � ن � ��ا �ا�ّ �من ا �ه�م�ا ��ل�� �ن�م��ل�� ��ن� � ���ل��� �ور�ي��� �ي� �ه�و ا �ل��� �ي �� او � ا �ل� ن���ر ا �ل������ ء �و��ي� ��ل � ن � � � �أ � � أن �ه�� ا ا�نم ���ل��� � او ��س� �و�ه�و ن�ل�ه�� ا � �ي��� ن���ل ا �ل��� ا ن���ل �م ن� ا �لن��ا ن� ا �ل� �ّو�ل و� ن � � ن �ّ ن � أّ � ن � ي أ أ � � ّ ي ع � � � � �و�ل�� ي ن� �وا �ل ا�ام�ه�م�� ���ل��� �كي��� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � أا �ل� ��ي� ا �ل� �ي�ا �م ا �ل�� �ي�س�م�� ا �و �ل�ل�ا�� أّ � � ن� أ �َ َ َ ْ �ا�ّ ي ي ن ن�ا ن ن ا � ن � �ص� ا �ل�� ح ن� ا �و ا�ا�م ْر�عن�ي�� ن� �و��� ���� ��ر ا � ن�ل�� ء ا � �ل ��ور ك�ل�� �ن �ل�� ن أن أي ّ � يْ َ ي أ �ا ي �م ّ � ن ي ا �و ���ل ا �ل��� �ي ��وا � ي���س��م� َ� �له�� ا �ن�� ا �و را �� �ون�� �و� ��ور�ك�ه� ��عي� ا � �ي ��و�� أ آ ّ ن �ا ن� ي ا � �ي ن ن ��ا ن� ش ا ح ش��سن��� �ش�س� ن�صي��ا ن� ��ك�� ا ح���� ن� �م��ل���� ء ��ط�ي�ول�ل�� ��ي� ا �ر ���ل ن �ن ح� � ن �ن ا � �أ ن�� � ن �ن ح�ع ا �م��ي����ا � ���ي ا ��ل�ه��ي � � ي عرو� �ي� �ل�ر � ر �� وي أ ي ا �ي �� � � � ي ن� ��ه��ل�و ن� ا ��ل�� ن� ح ش����ا ن� �م������ � �وي� ا ك��ط�و�ل و � � ن �ل� � ً ي ي ا � ي � � �ن ي ّ �� ن �وي ن��ه�ل�و� ا � ح�عر��س �� � طورا �م ��ه� ن�ل�ل�� �ل� ي����ل ��س�طر أ آ � ن �من��ه�ا �ع ن� ا �ل�� ن�ر ن� حيص ش� ا �نّك�ه�ا يل�� ��و ن� ��ك�� ا ن� ّ � ��� ي� ن �ا��ّله�ا �ع�� ن��م���ط � ا � � � � ��ط ��� �و و ل��ن� ل���و� ك� � � ّ ن ي ن ن ن �ا� � ن ي ن� ش � ا�� ن و ��� �كي��� ���ل�و� ��ي� ��ل ح�عر� ح��سن��� �م� � �أ ن ش ا �اّ نّ ن ش ا ح���� ن� �وي ن� ا �ل�� ��ه��ل�و� ��س�ه� ن� ���ل � ��� أ ب ة ب أب ب �ةل� ب�هة����ة بم 1ال� �ص�ل� :ع ب���ا �ة���ه�ل 2 .ا �ل�لب�����ص�ل ا �كرا ب� �ة� ل ������� ا �ل��س�����ط�ا � -ا ��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا � � م
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The Functioning of the Sultan’s Court
long journey, she’d sit on a chair borne on men’s necks, with a great crowd of soldiers around her. Someone whispered to her that the people of Darfur were saying, “This serving woman (khādim) has gone too far in her whoring.” 73 When she heard this, she sat in her court, summoned all her followers, and said, “I am the ḥādim. The ḥādim brought silver and the silver brought gold” 74 (saying ḥādim instead of khādim because, not being an Arabic speaker, she couldn’t pronounce the kh). There are other offices that we’ve opted not to mention because they aren’t important enough. Section 4: The Functioning of the Sultan’s Court 75 Regarding the sultan’s court, his house is in his town, which is called the
3.1.77
fāshir.76 The people live around it, which is why it is built with two doors. The greater door is called the órré dee, meaning “the men’s door,” the other the órré bayyâ, meaning “the women’s door”; the sultan has a court in both.77 The court of the órré dee is the Greater Audience Chamber and is located immediately after you pass through the first door. This court is spacious, and the sultan holds court there only on great holidays and special occasions. We should mention that all Fur construction is done with stalks of millet or of marhabayb,78 and the place where the court is held is called a liqdābah or rākūbah.79 It is made by fetching long, smooth poles of wood, each with a fork at the end, like this: Then they dig holes of equal depth and cut the poles to equal length. The holes are in lines opposite each other, each lined up precisely with the next so that they look like this: The holes must, however, all be of the same size and in straight rows. They put a pole in each hole, turning the forks in each row so that they face the same direction, and place on top a piece of wood called the baldāyā (i.e., they place
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3.1.78
ن �� ن ّ ة � � ن ��ة� �ةك���ة��� �ن�م��ل��س ا �ل��س��ل��ط�ا �
�م�يّ� ي �� � ي � ن � ن � ا ن� ش ي � � ي ط �ل��ل��ي �ي���سمّ �َل��ْل���َ ا �َ�ا اأ �� �كن� ن ا ن �ه�� � او � ���� �ويك� �ه� �� ن ي ي ي �ه�� نل � ن� � �� ��و� �ع�لي� ح��سن��� �� �يو ��� ��و�ك�ه� �ن�ي�� أ ّ �ي�� � ا �� ي ي ن � ن ن ا ن �ا ش ا �صأ��� �ي�ا � ��و� ��س�ه� ن� ا �ك���� �أ� � ا �مك��ل �نع��� للك ك� ي �اّ أ � �ي � ن�لع � ن�ك��ه��ي �ي��س� ّ �س ���ط�ا �ي ي���� ح�س��� ن� �من �ه�ا ���ل ا نرل�ه� ر� ن و � ن روع ر ي �م� أ � ّ ش � ي ي ي ن � � ا ا � ا ل� � � � � ل �� ء ن�� ا �و ن��م����� ��س� او ء �و� �رك ��ط�و�ك�ه� ن ل حرح�� �ك���ي�ر ين � ن ا ن � ا �ن حيّ ي � � � � نر�م��ي �و� ��و���ل�و�ك�ه� ن�ل�ه�ي ر�ه� �و � �ه���� ا ��� �ك���ي ر �� � طو�ل ي � ن ن � � � ي ي ا� ن � � �ي ي ن � ا � � � � � ا � ا �ل� � ا � � ا � � ل � م� م ل � �ه� له�� ن� م�� �ور �وي ن ّ�و� � عروع ن ل� �ع��� ن � �ً ًّ ي �سك ������ ًل�ا �ا�� �ه�� ا ا �سن�م���ط �و�ري�لّ ��و�نك�ه�ا ك� له�ا �م �رل�ه�ا � او � � ��� ا �م� ي ن ي ن ّ ن ن ن � ���و ن� ���ور�يك�ه�ا ��ك�� ا ��ي� �و��س ��ط�� �م �رل�ه�ا ي� �ك�ي� ن � ن ن ا �ن �ي � � � ا ي ا� ن �ا �ي ش��ّ �كن �� �� ��ل � ن �مً�ا ��� �� ن� ا ��ل �� �� �ع�� �ه�ا �و�ه� �ن�م � � ا ا ل ا � � ل � �ويك� م�� � � � � ل� ��� ��و�ك�ه� ��و� ن ي � �ور م ي و ن و � ي� و و ر � ن � �ن ي � �ن � ّ ن �م ن ن� �� � �� �ي �ن ل� س ع ن��م�� ��ا �ل����س��� �لصن��ا �أكه �و�ي �نرك ��ط�و�نك�ه�ا �س� ا � �لعر�و �ن�ا �ل���ل�ا ء �صيم��� ي و� � ك � ي �ل ن ن ن � �م ع ع ش ّي � ً ّ � � ن ن ي ن ن ي ا حص� ���م � ي ���ل � او ��س�ه�ا �و�ع�� �ه�� � ا �ك���ه�� �ع�ل� 1ا �ل��س� � � ��و ن� �ه�� ا ا�م �ن���ن �ور���� �ي�ا لي�� ���� ع� ن ي ي ر ي� ي � ن � ين �� ّي ا ��ل ه ن � � � ّ � ي ن أ �اا ن �ي ن � ي � � � ا �� ار �� � ع� �ل� ي��مر ���� ع� را ����� �وك�� � كن���ل � �ل�ك � ا �� ا �ل��س� � �ا ن� �ع�� � ن���ي� �و�ل� ي�م�� ا �ل��س� � أ ي � � ّ ّ أ ّ �اّ � � ن ن ّ يي � � � أا ��ل�� ا �� �لنه�ا ر��� ن��ا �ي ن�ل ��ي ا ن� � �ن� �مر �ع ن��� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ر ن��ل�ا � �م�م ن� ا � �لع� ن� ر ��او ن� ا �لأ�ن�ل��ل � او � �ع�� ��ل� � ش ّ يّ ن ي أ أ نّ أ �ن �ا � ي ن اأ ن � ش ا ا ا ���� �من ا ن ���� �ي� ر ��و ن� ا �لأ�ن�ل��ل �و����� ن� ار ��م ا � �ل ��� را �يك�ه�م� �ع���� � � او � � �ه�م� ا ��� ا �ر��� �م� ��� � ن ي ا ن � � � ا ن �نا ��ا � ���مّ ا ن�ل��ه�� �كه�م�ا �م ن � ي � � ي ي ن ي ن ا ن ن �� ح� ا �ل�ل�ه�� ا �ن�� ���را �ع�� �ع��� � �ل�ك �و�رنح ا �ل�����ل��ط� � � او �ل�� ��� �م� �يرلن�� يو ر ن ي ري � � ا � �ي يأ �ا ن ن ن ّ ن �� �ي ي � ���� �ه�م�ا �ن �ليع ن �ن����ا ���� ي� ���ل�م�ا �و���ل� أا ��� ا �ل��ل�ه�� ا �ن�� ا � � � � ه ع � ا �ل��ل�ه�� ا �ن�� �ورلن��ا�ا �و ن��ا ء ا را ��� � ر � �ر ر ن ا � ن ي� � ً� �ن ا ن �� ي ي ي � عن� �نركن� �ا��� ح ي� ا �ل��س�ي � ا �ل�ل�ه�� ا �ن�� �و�رك ن�ل�ه�ي�ر� �و ن�ر� �م��مر�ع� ���� � �� ن�ل�ه�ي�ر� �و�ه�و �� رنح �م� � � ي � � � �م ّ ��م �ل�هً�ا ا�� �ل�ع�يه�� �ش��س ء � ا ��لش��ا �ن ��� ن ����� ي� �و����ل أا �� ا �ل��ل�يه�� ا �ن�� �م�ا �ل أا �� ن��ا ن�� ن� ن�ل�ه�ي�ر� �و�م��ع� ي� و ي� و ر ير م ي نأ ي ّ � � ن ن ي ن ش � ي ح�يّ � ن� �م ن � ي ح��� ن أا �ل�ه�م�ا ا ��� �من ا ا � �ه�م� ن�� ء ن����سي�ء �عر��ي ن� �� � � ي� ح� ا �ل��ل�ه�� ا �ن�� � �ل � ن�لي��� �ي�� � رح � نّ َ َ أ ّ � ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن � ا �ع��ي �ن ا ��ل ن��ا �� ��كه�م�ا �ك ن ا �ي � �ا �ان ْ �َي َ � ْ ��س ا ش � ن �ن ا �� � � ن� � و ر� �ص�� �ع� ا �ر �و ن� � او ك�ه� أم� لعر�� ي� ّ �م�آ ء �و����� نل����� � � ي ش ن ن ن نا ّ ن��ا �ّ �ع اأ نّ ا ��ل�� ن� � ي� �ل�ه�� � � � � �ع� ن ���ه ا �ل�� �ليه�� ا ��� ا � ن �صع� �� � ي� رك ن ي ر و ن ر� ��� � ر ع �و����� ا �ر�و� �� � �ع� او ن � يي ن ن ا� ن أ نّ � ن � � � �ا ن ن ن� حنص ا ��ل��ه�� اأ � ن �صع� �و� �� ا � ا �ل��� �ي� �م� �ل ��ي� ن� ن� ن ي ر �� �ل�� ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �و�م� � �ل��ك ا � ��و�� ر�ي��� ��ي� ع م � ّ �� � �ي �ي �ع�ل�و ا ل�له�� ا �ن� أ 1ال� �ص�ل :ع�ال�.
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The Functioning of the Sultan’s Court
it so that it runs between the forks in that row). When it is complete, they take thin branches called maṭāriq,80 gather four or five of them, and tie them with tree bark, making them into sheaves, which they attach to one another till they reach the length of the aforementioned liqdābah. Then they make an assemblage from the branches in the same way and arrange them into a single elongated square [sic] with squares in the middle so that it looks like this: They place these frames on top of the aforementioned baldāyās and on top of them they place bundled reeds, which they tie to the branches with the bark. All of it together makes an excellent roof, by their building standards. In the órré dee, this liqdābah, or open-sided pavilion, is spacious. Made as described here, the roof is so high that a man riding a camel can pass beneath it without his head touching it. In the past, however, the roof was lower, so that only a man riding a horse could pass beneath it, but it once happened that two men who were skilled camel riders attended the sultan, each claiming to be more skilled than his companion, and they quarreled. They agreed to make bets on mounting and passing under the roof of the pavilion with their animals. The sultan and the people left the pavilion and the men mounted and came at a gallop. When they reached the pavilion, one of them leaped up and landed on the top, leaving his camel, and ran fast and caught up with his camel as it emerged from beneath the roof; then he mounted and charged ahead at high speed with nothing to impede him. When the second rider reached the pavilion, he leaned down to the camel’s side, holding on with his hands until he emerged from the other end. Each of them did something extraordinary, so the sultan rewarded them well and people acknowledged that they were both excellent riders, two bright stars in a single sky. Some, however, held a minority opinion and claimed that the one who had left his camel and run over the pavilion’s roof was cleverer, while others held that the one who had leaned to the side of the camel was cleverer. The sultan judged in favor of the latter, and from that time on the pavilion was made higher.
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3.1.79
ن �� ن ّ ة � � ن ��ة� �ةك���ة��� �ن�م��ل��س ا �ل��س��ل��ط�ا �
ن ش ن � � ��ّ أا ن� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا ن� أا ن� ن���ل��� ��ي� �ه�� ا م ن ا ��ل��� �ي �� او ن� ي ن���ل�� ��� �و��س ���ط�� �و��ل�� ن� ��ل��ك ن�ل ن�� او ��ل�� ن�كي��� � ي �ن أ ن �م ًّ � ً � ا ن ا ن ل�� �ن� �مر��ر� ا �ع�� �م� ن�� ��ن��ي��� ��ك�� ا ��ل�ا �ع�� �لي��ا � � � ّ ن ا �� ّ � � �� م ���ل ا ��ل�ه�ا ���� ا�امي��وّ��س ���ط �ه�و م ���ل ن���ل�و��� ي أ � ّ ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� � ا ��ل�� ن� �� ا ي�� �م ن��� �م ن � ي ا � ن � ن� و ي �ل �ه�� يس�م��ي� � ّ ن � �ه�و ��م��ل ن���ل�و��� ا �ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء � او �ل��� �ي� �ع ن� ي�����ا ر� ي ن ن أ � ن ي ا � ن �� ا � ن ا �� أ ا � � ي �م ّ � �� � �أ ش �ن � � � � � � � ا ا ا ح ع ء ء ل ط � � � � ���� � او ��س�ه�� �أ�ا � ا ا را � � م � � � � م م ل ع ه � � � � و �ه�و ���ل ن��ل�و � ا �ل� ��م ار و � و ر ن أ � ن ن �� ن � ّ أ ا يا ي ن ن � ا� � � ا ن ��ل � ا �ل�����ل��ط� � ا ن��ل�و��� �ل�� �ي�� او � �ع� �م ا �و �م�ل� �� � ن�ل����� ر�����ل ا�م�ل�وك ا �و �ي ��و�م �رح �و��مر�ور ري�� �ا ًّا � � ي �ي ن ���� ا ��ن ا��م ّ ا� ن�ا ��ّ ���ل� ����� ��ا �� ن � ن��ا �ن�ا ي� � ا�ا�م�ي��ّ ا ي � �س�� �و�ع�لي�� �مر�لن�� و م �ل ن و ن رر �صن�� � �و�و� �و ي� ���ل ا�م�� ��ور ��ر� ي ن � � ا ��ل �� �� ا ن �ن اأ�ّك ي � � � ا ��ل�ه��ل ا ء � ا �� ن� �ي ا ء � ا � �أ ش ا �ن � � ي ن �م ن ا ��ل � �ه� و �ل� ��مر � � �و�ل�� �و�و���� حر�ير ن��ل��� ���ل�ط� � �ي� ن ���� و ن��ل��� �م� و لع � � � ن � ا � � � ن ��� � � � �ه ا ا��م��س ّ�م ا ن � ا � �أ�م ن � ن � � �ي��ن �أ ي� ا ن��مي � اأ� ا � � �ي �لًا �م ن � � � �ي��ن ورير ن�ي� ي� ي� و �م� ي�� � ن� �ل� يص��ي� وو � ر�ي����� ر �� م� م� يرن�� �� وو � �ي ي � ّ أ أ � � ي ي ي � ي �اّ ي� � ا ن ن ا �ل�� ا ن��م�� ا �ل ي �ا�ل ي�ر ن��م�ا �ن�� ن �م����ا ن��� ���لي���ل�� ن� ��س���ي ا �م�ا � ا �ل��ر ن��م�ا � ا �ل�� �ّو�ل ��� ن �� حيص ش� ���ل ر ن �م� � ر ي� ن ي� م ً ً � � � ّ � ي ن � ن ن ن ن ن ّ ا ي � ا ا ا ا ا � �ي��� ا �و�و� ��� ا �ل���ور �� او �ن� �ك���ه� ��ي�ر ���ل�ه�� �و��� � ي���س�م� م�م ن �يل��لي��� �س�م�ه� ن� ح ن� ا �ل��� � �له� �س��ه ع � ر � �م � � ن أ �ن ن � � ا �� ن ا �� ا �� ا �ي ن ين ن � ا ا ا � � ن � ط � � � � � � � � �� � � � � ا ا ا � � � � ا ك ء عصي��� ل����ل�ط� � و � ن� ن��� وع� �صن�� ور ل�� � و ن��ل��� ل�� � لن�� ي ��و� �و�و���� ن ّ � �ن ا��م ّ � ا �أ ي � �ي�ن � � � ا� � ي � ي ن � �أ � ي �� �ا�ل � او � �ي��� �ر�لن��ا �م ن� ا �ل��ر ن��م�ا � ا �ل� �ّو�ل �و��� ��� �ي� ���ل ا �ل�ل� ��� �ن� �و�و�� م�لك ا�مو� ن ي أ � � �ا �ن ّي � �ن ا أ ا �� ن� ن � � ن ش أ ي ّ ا ن � ا ن�لي�ن ��� ا�م � ي ��س ن ا � طم ن��ل��� �و��� ر �م�� كي��يص�� �ي� �ن� ن� �ع� او ���� ل��ور � ارأ ن��ه� أا � ������ � او �م�أ أا � ن��ل��� ّ ّ � � نّ �� � �ي �ي ��� ن ��من ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ��ن� �ور�لن��ا ��ا ن�أ�ا ن� �نم �م ار �و�ه�و ا �ش�سن��� ن�� نم ���ل��� ��مر �ل� � ا ل�له�� ا �ن� �ي�� ���ل����� لي�و� ي ي ي � � ن �ّ ن ن �� ين أ ن ن ي � �ي ن ي ي�ه�ا ���ه�ي�ر� �و� ���� �و���و ن� �ي��� ����أ��� �ل� �ي�ل � ع� ا �م�ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � أا �ل� �ر ن��م�ا � � او � ا � �سي� ي ن���ل��� �ك� ي �ش ن ي � � ن ي م� ن � ً أ أ �ش � ن ا � ًا ا � ا ن ن ا اش ا � � � � او � ���� ا �و ا ش�ل ن��ا � �أاو � ���ر� او �كش��ل� ��� � او �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ��� لي���و� ن��ا �ل����ا � او �� ر �م� لي��و� ن�� �ل���� �ن� �ل�لي��ل� ن � �ن ن �م ّ � � �� ��ًا � اأ ��ا ي �ن ا �� ن� ن� ��ل��ك ��ا ��لن�ه�ا ��ش �م�ا �نّ��� ن�ع�� �م ن ّ� ن � � � ا ك � ل � ل� � � � � ع � � � � ل�� ل � � �و��� لي���و� را نل�� و ر ي و ن � ر أو ن � �ي� ل ي ر ري� ً أ نّ � ي ا ن أ ا �نّ � ن � ن � ��ن��أ ن ا �ّ � ����ّ ا ي ���� � �و� را �ك�ه� م ���� �ي �وي��� � �� ا � �و�ل�� �ر��ش� �ل�� �ي ��� أ �ل� ن�� �� � �ار�ن�ا ����ا �ن �ليه�ا ا � �م ن� ا �ل��� او �أ��� و ن أ بگ أ نّ � � ا ن � � � �ّ � �ّ � گ � ا ��ل��ي ا � ا ��ل�� ن� �� �ك��ي ��ا � اأ�نّ�� ا ن� ا �ك��ي � م� � � � � ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �ل� ي���ل�� �ع�لي��� أا �ل� �ن��� وك � رن ي ن �� �را �ي� � و و أ ن �� ح أ ً � �ن ��ل ا � ن ميل�ن� ن ي ا � �ا ي ا �� ن ن � � ّ�� نّ ا �ع ن ا ا ي�ّ �ي��� � ن �ن �ا �ن ا �أ ي ي ا � ا � � �� ���و ���و� ����و� ��ور نو�ي �� � �� ك � ن ي��ي� �ل � ���� �ع�لي��� �ي� ا �� �ل �أاو � ا ��� م ع ح ن �� ي ��ي� ا �لأ��ع�� �� . 68
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The Functioning of the Sultan’s Court
When the sultan sits in this audi-
3.1.80
ence chamber, he sits in the middle. They have therefore built a raised place for him within it, the center higher than the sides, like this: The high place in the center is where the sultan sits, the part that is slightly lower on the right is where the scholars of religion sit, and the part on the left is where the sharifs, the faqīhs, and the great men of the people sit, with a wide space in front of them. If the sultan wishes to sit for a general audience, receive the messenger of a petty king, or celebrate a day of festivity and happiness, his sitting place is decorated with weapons and brocades, and he is given a chair with a silk cushion. The sultan takes his seat in all his finery; the scholars, faqīhs, and sharifs take their seats around him; and his two viziers stand before him, these being the “counselors.” His chief interpreter stands close by in front of him, and the six other interpreters in front of the first, with a distance between them short enough to allow each to hear the one next to him well. The kóór kwa, along with the player of the dinqār, stand with their pipes behind the sultan, while the sultan’s slaves, jailers, and executioners stand behind the people. Each of the remaining persons sits in the place appropriate to him, and the master of the mooge stands close to the first interpreter. The arrangement of the court is thus complete. We have made a drawing of how it functions in the section on the customs of the Fur, which you may consult if you wish.81 When the sultan takes his seat in the órré bayyâ, however, the court is reduced and is closer to a private court, since the pavilion in which he sits is small. On such occasions, only one interpreter and one, two, or at most three mooge stand in front of the sultan. The sultan may be seated, mostly at night, or he may be mounted,82 mostly by day. If he is seated, then it will be in a high place, but not one that is decorated. On such occasions, the place has no furnishings except for a single carpet with a cushion next to it. We have already mentioned that custom dictates that the sultan be greeted exclusively with the words “Dóngá rǎy dóngá!” and that if he spits, the place where he spat is wiped immediately, and if he clears his throat, they make a sound like a gecko. We have explained all this above, so there is no point in doing so again.83
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3.1.81
ن �� ن ّ ة � � ن ��ة� �ةك���ة��� �ن�م��ل��س ا �ل��س��ل��ط�ا �
أ ن �ا ��نع ّ���ي ��م��ل�� �����ل���ط�ا ن ا ��� ا � ا � ن��ي��ن �ي���ل�ن� ن��ا ن�لّن��ا �اي ��نعيّ���ي �ن�م��ل�� �����ل���ط�ا ن� ا �� ن�ل ��ور � او �ّم�ا ك� �ه�� � ك� � �و ي� ي ي ن أ � � نن أ ش ّ ن ن ن� ن ا ي ّ أً ح ن � � �ا ن � ن أ ن � � � ا ا ن � � �ن � ي �ا ا ن� ا ���� ا � ا �� � ا � � س � �م�� �� � � � � � ا ا � � ا � ع ل ل � � � �� � ي � � � � � � �� ��� � � � � ع � � ل �م � ط � ل � ك ل � � � و و ن � ن � و ���� ��ر و ي � ي� � ي ي ي ي أ � ن � ن � � نّ �ي � � ا� � �ا� � ي ن اأ� �� �م ن أ �لي � � ً � � �يّ��� ا �و�ل� ن� �سم� �ع�لي�� ا�م�ل�وك �مك� ن ��سم� �ع��� �����ل��ط�ا � ا � �ل ��ور �ل� �ك�ه�م �ي�هحر�و� �� � ر�يو�� ن أَ ع ع أ أ أ ّ � ْ َ ن � ن � � � ي ن � ن �ن �� ي ا ا�اا � �ا ن ا ن� �ع�� � ا ن��سيم�ا ا �ل ن��ا �� �ع��لي��� ا ��ص� �ل�� � او �ن �لنه�� � � ل��ل�م��� �و�م� ك�� � ا �ل� �مر ���� �ل��ك �و � �ي ��ه�� � 1م� ين م ع � �ي�� ن ���طل��� � ا � ��ا �ن ��س� اأ ن ���ل�� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن ��ل��ل ن �س ���ط�ا ا�� ��ن � �� � ا ��ل���لش ن��� ن � ا ��نل � ح ح�مي���� �و ن� ��ه��ل�وا � م ي� ي وم ي� و � و وع م أو ن � ر م � ي ن � � � ن � � ي � � ن ن ن� ن �ا��نع ّ �ي ��من ن ن ن ن ا ن��ل ����و���� �ي�ليه�ا � �ك�ه�ا �� ا �م�� ا�م��ل� � ��� � ا � ���ا �ا � ����ي���� ا�ا ����ل � ���ل�و����� � �ل��ك ك�ي ي�� م ي� �و ي ��� ك وي ر ن ر كط م وي � مط �وم يّ � � ً ن � � � حص ش� ي� �ور�لن �� او �ل�� نم ���ل����ا ن� �����ل ا�ا�م�ي����و� �م ن� ن�ع�ي�ر ا � �ي��ل�ا ��ط �ن�ا �ل�ه�ا ا� ي م نن � اأ ن �ل ن ا ء ا �� ا ا � �ي ن� ا �� �ن �ل ن ا ء ا �� ن� �ن اأ نّ ا �� ن� � � ��� ن ن � ا ��ل��َ� ن ا �ّ � �و� �س��� ��ار � ن �� ��و � ي� �� ي�� ل� ن �� ل ��ور �ي� � ل ��ور �ل� ي�ن ��و� ن� لن�َ � أ �ل� أ أ ّ ن � � � اً ش ّ � � � ن � ن ن � �ا� ن ا أ ي � ً�ا ا� � � ا � � ن �� � ا�م � � ���ل�� �كي��� � � � ��لي��ل � او � ا �� او � ا ي� ا � ر ن�ل�� �ك�ه�م �ن� ل�ل��ن� ن��ه�ل� او ن��ل��� ا�مه�� �ل�� �ل�ك �ع� �لي�� ي ن � نّ �� ي � � ن ن� ّ ن � � ن ���� ��ن � �� � ا ��ل���لش ن��� ن � ا ��نل � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �س� نل����� � ح�مي����� �و�ل� � ار � ا �ل ن��ا ��� �أاو ��م�ا ي�ل�عر�� ي� و �وا � ي� ي و م ن ع ي ن ن ا ن � ا ي ن �� ���ل�� ا ��ل�� ن� �� �ه� ن�ك��� � �ك��� ي� ا ��ل�َ�َ � ���ي ��ن �ه�م�ا � ا ن���ل�و����� �كي��� � ا نر �ي�� �ي�ن�رر �و�ك�ه� �م� ��ط� �� �ي� نم � ي و ي ون و ن ر ي م � ّي ن � ن ي � �ي ن ي � � ّ�ي � �� � �� ي �ن ����ي �� �� �مر ا ��ل��� رلّن�� �هح ا � ا �� � �مر��� ا �لن� ر� �ي� �و �عي� ��ن���ل ك �ا�ا �ل��� �ون�� ا�م��س�م�ا � ��ي� �س� ل�� ن رر� ري و� ن � ن �ا ن���ي ي � ن ا� � � ن ن ن �ي ا � � �ش � �����س � � ي ن ّ ي ا يا ي ��� �م � ��و� ��ا �ل� ن ك ��ل ��س�م� ���وك�ه� �ع� ًل ����ي��� ي �م ع ا �ل�� ��� ع ا �ل��ن��ر� ��و �ينص ��و���و� �ن� �لن ��و�� � � �ويك� نر ن ّ ن ّ � � ًا أ نّ ن �اا ن ي � �ن ن ا ش ع ����� 2ي �ي� ن� ��ل��ك ا �ل �� � ��� ن �ا ن� �� ��و� ي وم ي ن ���ل�� �سو� ك��� � له�م �ي� ا � �له� ��مر ��� � او � �م� ك�� ��� �ل�� � � �و ي ر ن أ أ نّ � َ � � �ا��َل��ي � ا أ��مً�ا ��ا ��ل��س� ن� ��ن ا �� �لنه�ا ش��م ��ل���سم�ا ا ��ل��� �ع�� � �� � ا نّ� ا ��ا � ا�ا�م ن��ا � او � ا � � � ل� ك ك �ص� � او�ا�م ار��ي ن� � � � م َ ر و و � ن ن ن ر ن و ي أ ع ن � � � ا ن �ن � � ن ��ي �َ شْ �ي �يّ ن �ن ن � � � �ن ا �� �ي ا � �ي ا�م��س ّ ن حن � � � � �م ل� ر ن �م� س �ي� ركن ��و� �ي� � �ل�ك ا �لي ��و�م ن��ل�و��� ا �ل����ل��ط� � �� ا �ل�� � �� ا � � � �م � ن �� � ي ي و� ن رأ ن � و � م �� ا � َ َ َ � � �ن ��يه�ا �يك�ه� �وي� ا� � ل��ل�� � او �ل� � عيه�� �ي � او�ام��ل�وك �ع��� �� ن � �مر ا � �ليه�ا �س�� � او ش��م ار �� ا �ل ن��ا ��� � او �ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء � � ي ن م م أ ن � ش ّ ش � � ح ��ا ��ل َ��سَ��ا ��ل ��مسي ا ن� � ي ي ن �ي�ن� ���ل�� �سو ن� ��ن� ن ���ط�� ���ن�� �ن ن ا ش ��� ّ ن � � ا �ل���� �� ر ن ي ل حر �ي� ا � �له� ��مر ي س��م� � �ل�ك ن�ر ن ي ح� ا � ار �ي�� �م� ّ � � �اي ن �م �� ي� ا ��ل�� � �ّ��ي � ن�� ن� ش ل��ل�ا� � ��ي �م ن ���ل��� ��ن � ا ن��� ا ��ل��� ي� � ن� ن� �م ن س ا �� � ح�� � � و ا �ك��ط� �� �و� رن ن ر � ن ل ي ي ل رح � م ور ي� � م ي م ّ � ا �ي ا� � � � ن ين ي ً � ����ي �س�ه�� �ي ن��ل ���ل�و����� ن� �ك�� ��ط� � �م� حيص ش� �يك���ي�ر �ر�لن��ا ن�م��س�م� �م ن� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �و�و� ��� �ع ن��ا ك ن � ي � ع �ان � � � �أ ش �ن ا ��لي� اّ � ن يا ن ا�ا � ا � � نّ ي ي � ا �ه�م �و���� �ل�ك ا �ل� ��م ار � �و ن�� ر و �ك��ط��� ا �ل������ ��ر �و ن���ل��� ا � �له� �س�ي� � او �ل�ه�ل�م� ء ��ي� �م ار �لن � أ ن � � � � � � �ا� �� � �� ا ن ن ن ن � � ن ي ش ا ا ا ن �ه� أا �� ا �ل�����ل��ط� � � �ل��ك ن�ل�ه�� ا � �ي�ل �� �ل � س ا� � �و ن�� ء �م� �ل�� � � � ل��ل م ا ل����ل�ط� � ح�� � عو�� 3ر��� � و م أ أ ب� ب ة ة حة��� 2 .ال� �ص�ل :د �عو� 3 .ال� �ص�ل :د �عو�. 1ال� �ص�ل:
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The Functioning of the Sultan’s Court
This, then, is how the court of the Fur sultan functions. The court of the
3.1.82
sultan of Wāddāy functions differently. The people of Wāddāy always screen the sultan from people’s eyes, going to great lengths to do so. No one is allowed to see him clearly and the petty kings do not come and meet with him as they do with the sultan of the Fur: the Wāddāy think it more awe-inspiring and more likely to ensure that his orders are carried out if people do not meet him. This being so, and out of fear lest any injustice or injury come about, it is ordained that the sultan shall sit to hear complaints on Mondays and Thursdays. They have a special procedure for these occasions, on which the monarch’s laws are applied, oppressors rebuked, and the oppressed given fair treatment. They have devised a form of assembly that allows for this without any mixing with the common people. We shall describe elsewhere84 how the building methods of the people of Wāddāy differ from those of the Fur, the difference lying in the fact that the Fur only rarely build with mud brick, whereas the people of Wāddāy use mud brick more than anything else. This has allowed them to construct an elevated room for the sultan to hold such audiences,85 and there the sultan sits with some of his retainers every Monday and Thursday, though the people cannot see him. The only way to tell that he is holding court is that a flag is stuck through an aperture in the wall where he is seated, and the sound of the baradiyyah is heard. As soon as the flag appears and the baradiyyah (which is a drum like the goblet drum that in Egypt they call darabukkah) sounds, the kabartū hear it and they blow their trumpets and beat the tog jêl, and the people hear. Those with petitions have, after all, all been sitting in the sultan’s compound waiting for that day, as have the kamkūlaks, who are present on a permanent basis at the compound to hear petitions. The officeholders and persons of rank also wait on that same day for the sultan to seat himself in the audience chamber. When he does so, the interpreters known as “the language mouths,” the provincial and tribal governors general,86 and the petty kings of all ranks come, as do the judge, the sharifs, and the scholars of religion, and they sit in the shade of a sayāl tree inside the royal compound. When the flag appears through the aperture and the baradiyyah sounds, a “language-mouth” enters and climbs a ladder inside the house and emerges from an aperture onto a balcony that has been prepared for him to sit on in such a way that he can position himself to hear the sultan easily. He stands there, the soldiers form rows, and the judge and the scholars seat themselves by rank, as do the sharifs and the merchants.
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3.1.83
ن �� ن ّ ة � � ن ��ة� �ةك���ة��� �ن�م��ل��س ا �ل��س��ل��ط�ا �
ي ن � � ن ّ �ع��لي���ك �ي�ا ��ا ��سي� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ����ل��� ي م
� � ن ّ ّ أ �ن ي����ل��� �ع��لي� �� � � �ي�ا �ه��ل ا � �له�ا ش��مر ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ي����ل��� م م م ح �ي ���ن� ا�كا� � ن�لع�ه� ��ن �� � ا ن ��ل �و � ��سه�� �ه� �م� ي �ل ي� ي �وم ن� ن ن � ا ن� ن ن� � ن ن �ا ا �� ن �ا ن�ل� ن�� �ي ��ن ���نه�ا ي� ي�ل ن��� ��سي � ،ن�ا ش � � �و��ل�ن�ر ن� � ك �� �� ل � � � � � ��م 1 � � ر � ن ر ع أا �� �م� ح� كي��� م� ر و ي� ر ي � ني �ن �ا�ّ �من � �ا ن ن ي �ه�م�ا � س� ا �لأ��� � ح �� م��ا � � ا �ل�����ل��ط� �� ،و��ي� ن��ي����� �و���ه�� ��ل ن � أ ّ �� � ن ن� ن � ا ن� ّ �� ����ي ا �� ن ن�كن ��ي� �� اأ �ّم�ا ي�ل ن��� ��سي � 2ن� ا ���آ ن �ي�ا �ع���ي � م � � � � ا � م ل� � � � � � م ل � � � ه ك �ه�ا �م ن� ا�ام��ل�وك � ل �ول ه� �ل � ر ور و و � � و � � �ي� � �ي أ أ � ي ي ي �ااأ � � �أ�ي ن ن ن �ي ّ ن ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا � �ع��� ا � ��م ن � ن �س��� � 1206م ن ا �ل� نه �ك�ه�ا �ر�م��ليّ��� ك�� � حر� � او �م�ا ���ه�� ا ر ن� ��� ا �ل� �� او ر � ن ر � ش يّ � �أ�ا ا��م�� ّ �� ن � ن � � ن � � �لن �� �ن�ن اأ �ّا � ا ��لن ي���س� �ه�ا � او ً� �ن�ا �ل�عر��� �و�ه�� ا ا � �� او � �ي� ر ن���ل �م� ا � �� او � �ي� ا �ل� ن���ر س��م� ا ل��و ��� ي� م حري� � ع� ي ّ � ي ن � � ا �� ا � � ا �ن �ا �� � � � ا � � � ن ��م ّ �ل�ع � ن � �ي ا�ا ش ي ن ي ي�م��� أ � � �ل�ك ��و � ي� م� ء �ل يلهن� ر� �ع� نر أ �ل� م� ��ل ن ي��� م� ن��ه� م��مر�� �و��ي� �و� ي� آ ا� ا ن � � ي ا ي �ن آ ن � ش ي ا ي ا ي �ن أ ّ � � ح� ن ن�ك � ا � � ا� ن ن ن ��و ن� ا�مي�� � �و� �ل�ك �� ر� �� ا �ر ا �ل��س�� ء � �و� ر� �� ا �و�ل ا �ك� ي � �ك ن� � �ص�� ي� عر�و� ي�� �ل�ن� ر ي ي أ � �ن ا ش ّ ي ي ي ي أي ن ن �ا�� � ا � � ا ن ��نل �ون��� �م ن ا �ل���� �ه�ا �يش��مرن� ا �ه��ل ا � �له� ��مرك� � حر ي� ش��مرن� �م ن��� ��ا ر� � �و�ا ر� �ي�ا ���و� �و�م � له� � او �ل�����ل��ط� � �� � �أ � ي � ي ن � �و �ن ��� ن� � ��ل�� ن��م�ا ء �م ن� ن�����ي��� ا �ل��سي���ل �ل�� �نّ�� �ير�� ن� �م ن� ي�ل ن��� � �سي� �م ن� ن� �ه�� ا �ل ش��مر�� نل���� � ر ي ي ح �ا�ّ ا ا ش� �ا�ّ ن �ي ��نل ا � ّ ي حن �� �ا ن ي � � ن� نا �ن � ��سوك له� �ن� �ل � �� ��ط� � ن�لي �� �وك�ه�م ا�� ر ن �ي��� ك�� � �ص� ا �ل�� � و ي � نو�ل�� ء ا � �ل ��ور ك�ل�� �م� �� ن أ ��� ّ ن �� ا أ � ��ن ا ّ ن ي �� ا أ � � � ن ّ َ ً �ان �م � �لنه�ا � او ��لص ��و ي� ا �عن�س ا�ا�م����ا �� �� ر ن��� رر�لن��� � او ل �� �ك ��ط ا ل �مو� ا ل �وي س � �� �ك ��ط ا �ل�� ا �� � � ي� �ي ي ني �ي� َري �ن ي ن � ن � �ا��ّله�ا �ع� ��صأ���ي �يك ّ���ي ا �ل �م � �لن� ��كه�ا ��سم�� �كي����و� ا �ك� ي � ك� � �� ي ن ر ي أ � � ُ � ْ�ُ � �نّ ا ��لص �� ي� ا � ن ا ن ن � ن ا �ن ن �ا�ا �ك��ط ن �رل��ك � � �ه�ا 3 ك �ص�� �� ��ي� ا �لنص�� ء �م � ل��� ني و ي � � �ا �ا� ن ن�لي ��و ي� ا�ام����ا �� ي� �و��عي� �م����ا ��ن� �ع ن��� �ع� ���س��مّ� �ن�ا �لنصي ��و ي� م � �أ � ن �ي � �ص� ا ��ل��� ن� ح ن� � نو�ل ��و ي� ا �ل� �م ار ء � او�ام��ل�وك �و �عي� �م� �� ن ي ن ّ ي ن ا�َْ َ َ ْ �ا ن ن ا � ن� ��ل��ك � �من�ه�ا � و � �و �عي� �من���ي��� �مْ� ا��مر�عن�ي�� ن� �مك�� ��س��� ��ر ْ َ يُ ُ ا ّ ُ ي � � ���ل�سي � �من�ه�ا ��ا ���ي �و�من ا ا � � �ه� �م� ي��س��م� ل � ي� و � � �م� ي��س��م� ��ع ل�� ي ا ّ ُ�اْنُ ن اأ ّ ا � ي ن � ي ن ��ع��ا �ي�� ��� ��ور�يك�ه�ا ��ك�� ا �م� ي���س��م� �� �ر��ك �� �م� ا �ل ل�� أ �ن ي �ّ أ ّ � ي ن ي ن �ايع ّ���ي ا ��ل ��سم�� أا �ل�� ا �نك�ه�ا ��ط� �ول��ل�� ر�كي��ه�� �م ن� ا � � ع � ي �� �ه�ي� ��ل ن � ّي �ا� �ل� ن � ��اأ �ي�� ن �����ن�� ا ��لن��ه�ا � �نصش ��يع �� �ن ����ي �ش�ليع��� ن �م ن � � � � � ن وي و� ن ن ي � م ي ن و ل ي ن ي� �
�ع��لي� �� � �ي�ا �ع��ل�م�ا ء � م
أ أ أ ب ب ب ة ب ب أ ب �را �ل�لب�هور 2 .ا �م�ا �ةلب��د �لةل�� -ال� �ص�ل :و�ةلب��د �لةل�� 3 .ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا �. �ر ا �ل�لب�هور -ال� �ص�ل� :م�ا �� ب� ب��د ك � 1م�ا �� ب� �ة���� �م� ب� د ك ة ة
72
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٨٥،١،٣
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The Functioning of the Sultan’s Court
Anyone with a petition then comes and presents it to the sultan, though only after the “language-mouth” has said, “The sultan salutes you, O people of the capital! The sultan salutes you, O judge of the sultan! The sultan salutes you, O scholars!” and so on, just as is done on Fridays.87 Let us now return to our primary concern, the description of the Fur.
3.1.84
We shall give a brief notice of the characteristics of Tandaltī, the seat of the sultan, and of his house, and a description of each, to the best of our ability. Tandaltī is now the base of the Fur kingdom. The first monarch to settle
3.1.85
there and the one who laid it out was Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, in 1206 [1791–12]. Its soil is as sandy as any of the sand dunes to the east, and it is bisected laterally by a seasonal watercourse that is a spur of the larger watercourse named Wādī l-Kūʿ. In the rainy season, the wadi fills with water, and no one can cross it except at a point far to the east. When the water dries up, which is generally at the end of the winter, though sometimes at the beginning of the summer, they dig wells in it—everyone in the sultan’s capital drinks from these. The sultan, because of his fear of magic, sometimes drinks from the wadi, but sometimes they bring him water from Jadīd al-Sayl, which is close to Tandaltī, about three miles to the east. The Fur build exclusively with millet stalks,88 and the outer fence around their houses consists entirely of thorns. This outer fence they call the zarībah, while the inner they call the ṣarīf. The houses, by which I mean the dwelling places, are all dome-shaped, like tents, the inner fences thus serving as a dust-break.89 They employ various types of construction for their houses. There are the houses of the poor, which they call buyūt,90 made of millet stalks; and there are the houses of the commanders and kings, built of the thin canes called marhabayb, as we shall mention below. There is also a type called suktāyah, another called a tukultī, and another called a kurnug. The suktāyah looks like this: It resembles a tent but is tall and narrow at the top. They bring ostrich eggs and make two holes in each, one at either end, and insert a stick. They put three or four eggs onto each stick and, between each, a ball of red earthenware (either the body of a dullong or of a large pot
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3.1.86
ن �� ن ّ ة � � ن ��ة� �ةك���ة��� �ن�م��ل��س ا �ل��س��ل��ط�ا �
�ن�� ن ن � ن ن ن �ي � عو� ا ي ن� ��ه��ل�و� ��ي� ا �ل� ��و� �ش�ل�ا ش� �ور�يك�ه�ا � �وي��� ���ل�و� ��ي� ا �لش��� ن� � � �م� َننّ أ أ أ ّ أ ن �ل ن ���ا ي� ا � ا �ل�هً�ا ����ن�ه�ا �ار�ي �م ن � � � ��ا ر ا ��مر أا �م�ا ا ��س���ل� ر � ن � ن يَّ�� ْ أ أو ن ي � �ُ �لگ ا � ا ��س�ن�� ا � ��ي �م ن ن ي ا �ص� �ون�� �ص��ا �ع�� َ ��ي�َر�ي� �يو�لن�� ن � �ل أ نري�� � � � و أ � ّ � ن ن ي � �ي ي ي ّ ّ ا ا �لي � �� ي � �ه�و ن���� ي� �ش�ع � ���ل�� ��ك�� ا �ع���� �م�� ا � �لعن��� � او �م� ���ل�سي� � ي أ ن ن �ي ي أ ُ ْ نُ ََ ْ أ ّ � � �م ن� ا �ع���� �ك���� ��ار� �و��ا �� �ع���� � رر�يو�لي��ي�نَ� � او �م�ا ا � � ل�� �نر��ك �ّ � أ نّ ي أ م أ ن � �ن �ا ي ّ �ي ن ا ي �� � �� ا ن ن ن ا � � � ا � � � ل � � �ل � � � � ا �� ن�لي���� �ه� �ع��� �ع�� ي�� �ه�و �مش���ل�� أا �ل� ا ��� ��ا �� �ع��� ا نرل � رروي� � و ل����ل�ط� � يك� � م م ن ع ع � � ن� ي �ا � ّ ي ا ����س� اأ�ع�ل�ا �ه�ا ش�ل��ا �ً�ا ��م ا ء � �ل� ن ���ا ��يل��سيم�ّ� ن �كه�ا �ع ن � �ويل � �ه� ا ء �� � � �� �لي��� �و��را ل����� �ولي�� و ير ن � � ي ن ر نو ي أي ي أ ن ن �ا ا ي � � ا ن � � ا�ا � � � ا �ا � � � ي � ن ّ ن �ع�ي�ر� � او ��س����ل � ا �ر� � ل�� �ع�� �ي� � ا �ل�����ل��ط� � � او �لأ� �ي� ��ر ي� � او �ل��م ار ر ي� �ولن��� ر ا �ل�� �و�ل�� نمم�ي� �م� � � ن أّ أ ن � ي ي ُ ُْ ْ ي � ن � ن � ا �ك��ط�� �و� �و�ه�� � ا �ل��� ا أ�ر� ���س��مّ� � ر� ر �� ��طر� ي� � او �م�ا ا �ع�ل�ا �ه�ا ��م ن� ا�ا�مر�عن�ي�� ن� �و�ه�و �ع نر�ر ا � ��ون�� ي � ن �س �ي ا�ا�م�عي ا ي �اي� ���ط ا �ل �� �ي�م� �� �� ل ر أ أ � ن ش � ن ي ن � �ي ن أ أّ أ ���� �ه�م�ا ا �ه�� � ���� ��ا � ا ��لش��ا �ن ا �ه�� � �ل��ا ��ا � او �عل��� ا ن� ا �ه�� ا � �له�ا ��م م ������سم� � أا �� �� س � ا � � � م ور و ور � ن ر و ل ي ل ي ي ل يي ي� م نأ أ ي ا � ا � �� ن � ي �� � �� ا ن � ّ ن ا ا ا ا ن ا م�� � � � � �� � � � � � نو�ي��� ا ك � ل � ��ع� � � ه ه� � �� � �� � � � � � � م � ل ط � � � �ه�� �ن� ن� ا �ر ن�� �ل س��م� ن� ��ور�ي��� �ي� � او �ه�ل� � ن � ل وري ي ي و � ني � � � ي ي ي ن � ن ن شن �ن �ور�لن��ا �ي�ا ي� ك �ه�� ا �لن��ا ن� ا�م��س��مّ� �وري�لن��ا �ي�ا � نرري�لن��� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ���و ن� � ��و�ع�� �ع���� ��س�ه�ي�ر ��ع�� ��و� ن� � ي �ن � � ّ ���ا أ ن ن ا �ن �ش� ا � � � ن ا � ن � �ّ � ن� �� ي ي �ل � �ي � ا � �� او � �ي� �� ا �ل�ه�ل�و ا � ط او � ��ي��ل� �ه� � نو�ي���� أا �ل� �� � �ه�ي� �سم� �ل ا � �� او � �ي� �و�لي����� ن��ي�� � ل�� �� �ع�� ك � ي � �م�مي ّ�� �ي ا �� � �ي ا ��ل ش���س ا �� � ا �ن �ي �ل�ع ���ي � � ا ا �� ا �� � �لن��ي �ه��ي ا ��ل ش���سم�ا �� اأ�م�ا � ا �� ن�ل��ن � ���ا ء و � أ � ن��ه� م� ل م���� � ن ي� ون� ن� ر ن�� ل ي � � ن� ل م ح � أن � ن �شل��ل ش ا أ� ي ا��م��س� ّ ��ا �� �لنه�ا ش��م � �ه �م��يّ��س� � ن ع ����ي�� لي � ��ا � ا � لي���و� �س� � ر� و� �م� ن ي ر و ع م ��ي ��لَ َ نن ا � ا ��ل��آ ن ���نه��ي ن �ل���ي ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن � �ل �� �ي�� اأ �ّم�ا ا �� ن �ل���ي �ن� �م ن �ش �سوك ا � َل����ر � او � ح ش����ا ن� � � �و��� ��ر � رري ن � � رري ن � نوي و هي� � َ ش اش ي ن ن ن ّ ن ن� ا ن ي ن ا ��م ن � ا ن ��ل� ��� ��� ��و�� ��� �� �ا�ل ���نّه�� ن ن���� �و �م ن ن� �ه� ن�ل����� � �له� ر�ل� ح ش��س ن� ك ح� ��ور �ك�ه� ��ي� ي� � ي� ن ي� ي ع ع أ أ � � � � � ّ �� ي ن ن ن ن ا ���أ ن�� � ن ي � ش ا ا ا ا ا ا ا ط ��ل �م ن ن ح�عر�ع�مي ��ه�� � او �ل � ��سوك �م� ا �م� �س�ه� �و���ل� � �ل ر � �ه� ك�� �لن���ي�� � ا��مر� ��و�� �ع�ل�و� ا � �و � ي َّ ّ ن � ن � يا ي ن ن ي ن � ا ن ���� � ��ا � �م ن��� � �� ��� � ن �س��� ي ن���� � �م�ا � �����ل �كي��� ���ل�ل � �ون��ي ن� ا �ل ش � �� �م�� � او ن�ل وع ن رر و ي� ل ��سوك � �ون��ي� � �ان � ا �ن �ي ن� اأ �� � ن ن� �� ي �و نرله�ي� ��ط�و� ا�ام����ا ��� م���� � � أ ي أ � �اّ � ا �ع��ل � � ّ ا � ن ��ي�� ن ا � � ن � ن ح� ن � ���ط�� � ا ��ل��أ � �� ا � ��ل���� ي ا � � ا � � � � � � � � � � � � � س� � � � � � � و نو ن ي �و���ور�ي��� �ي� ا نر�ل�ه�� ا ن و ن ل ن ن ي ن و ن و ي ون و أ َّ � ي � ّ �اا � �أ � ا ا�ا�م� ��ي اأ �ع نس اأ�نّ ا �م ن اأ �� ا � ا ��لن � ح ش��س ن� ن�ل��ل ��عي� ا �ع� او � �م �رك ��ط�� �ن�ا � �ليه�� كه� � ك�� �ل� ن ��و ن� � �ه�و ن �ي� � � �وح 74
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The Functioning of the Sultan’s Court
such as those made at Kīrī), and they set the stick on top of the dome. The tukultī looks like this: On top, it is a semicircle standing on two wooden pillars. The kurnug resembles it but its roof stands on four wooden pillars. The sultan puts ostrich eggs on his suktāyahs, tukultīs, and kurnugs, but he also dresses their topknots with red and white lengths of cloth, of the sort shown here:
to dis-
tinguish himself from others. The lower part of the circular wall that forms the suktāyahs of the sultan, the iyā kūrī, the concubines, and the high officers of the state is built of mud, while the upper part is made of the thin canes called marhabayb, which are hard to find. This circular wall is called the durdur and its diameter is that of an ordinary tent. The inhabitants of the sultan’s capital are divided into two halves, one
3.1.87
of which consists of the people of the órré dee, the other of the people of the órré bayyâ. The sultan’s dwelling lies between them.91 The people of the órré dee live on the side of the men’s door that is called órré dee and the people of the órré bayyâ live on the side of the door that is called órré bayyâ. The sultan’s zarībah, or outer fence, is placed on the edge of the wadi, on the rise there, which is north of the wadi, and there are only a few paces between the two. It extends for a long way to the north. The men’s door opens to the north, and on the other side of it is the enclosure known as the fāshir, which is a huge expanse forming approximately two-thirds of a circle. We shall now describe the sultan’s outer fence and houses. The fence is
3.1.88
made of black thorn or gum arabic branches—three rows, with tree trunks on which some branches have been left between each row. Deep holes are dug in the ground for these and there are thorns in front of them and thorns behind them, put down in layers. The fence is taller than a man and the tree trunks rise above it. Each year, any gaps that may appear are repaired. Between the thorns and the dwellings is a space of about four paces. Órré dee has four doors, each of which has doorkeepers who watch over it in turns. The doors, however, are not like ordinary doors, by which I mean that they are not made of planks of wood: rather, they are made of logs lashed together with straps of rawhide, by which I mean untanned hide, and they
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ن �� ن ّ ة � � ن ��ة� �ةك���ة��� �ن�م��ل��س ا �ل��س��ل��ط�ا �
� أ ن � ن ي ا � ن�س�ء ا �عن�س� ن�ع�ي�ر ا�ام�� ن� ��و �ع��� �ي�صأ��� �شَ�سن��ا ك ��ك�� ا ي � ي � � ي ع ن � �� ل� ّ �ن� ي ا ��م � �ي ُ� َ ن � � � � � � � ن����ول� �� � � � ك � �� � �و �� ن�َه��ل ي�� ��ل����ل� م� �� ي��� و �ل 1ن � �و�َ ن� ن ً ن ني أ �ش ي ن ن� ش ن��ي� � ي ن ا �ه�ا ا �ع� او � ك�ا��ي�ر� �م� ح��س ن� ن� ��ه��ل ا �ل�����ل�����ل�� ��ي� �ع�و� ��ي� �� �ك � أ �من ا ن �ن ا ��ل � ي ي ن �ي ن �اا �ي ن ا � � ن �ن �ص��ا � �ي��ي �و� �� � �ه� � �وي��� ���ل �ي� ��ل�ع���ي� �����ل ك�� ��ه� �ل ا �ك� � م��ع�� � � ن � ي ّ ن ا ا �لن �� او �ن�ي�� �ر�� ن� م� ا �لن�� ن� ي أ ً ا ن ���� � ا ن��� ا ��ل��ا � �ن� ن� ا ن�أ�ا ن� ا � ن��� ا ��ل��� ا ن��� ��ن� �ور���� ا ��ا �م ن ا �ّو��ل ��ا ن� ي ن� ��� ء � او ��س�ه� �و��ي� ل ن ن ل ن ل ي ي ي � آ � ن ن � � � ي � ن ن ن � ي � � ن ي ي ا ن ا ن� � ا ��ل��ل�يه�� ا ��� ا �ل���� �� ا � �س ��ع � � �� ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ك���� � �ع� �����ا ا �ل��� ا ��� � ��� � �� ��ا �ه�ا � و ر ر � و ي ن ر ر ي� ي و ن ل �ي ا يً � ن � � ن �م ّ �� ن ي ي ا �� ا ��ا ي� � �ع� ��ن �ع ن�ك ن��ا ا ا ا � ن � � � � س ���� �ن �له� �ور �م�� ���ور�ك�ه� �ل� أا �ع� �� �و�ع��� ي�م��ي� ا �ل�� ا ���ل ���ل ا ل�ور ي و م ي� ر ��س�ّ ا �� ا ��لن ���� � ا ��ل��أ���ا �ل�� �ي �ل���ي �من�ه� � ��ع �� �ليه�� ا ���ي ���ط� �ل��ل��ي �ي��ل���ل��ي ا ��ل�ع ن�� �م � �� ���ط ن�ك�ه�ا �ي ل و يو ي ن ل يرن � م و ي� ر � نرو ي� و � ن � �أ � ي ا ��ل�ن �ش ا ن ي ن� ي ي ي ن � � � ن ا ا ا ا � �ي ��و�ل ا�م��لك � نو�ل�ه�� ا �ل���� ن�ل��ل ن��ي��� �� ��� � نو�لي ��و� ��� �م��� � ير�لن��� �م��� � او �لن�� ن� ا �ل�� �ي� �ّ � � � �� � � يي � ن � � � ي ���ا ء �ل��س�و�م ن��� ���ل�� � او �لن��ا ن� ا �لش��ا �ل ش� �ل��ل���ور ��ا او � او �لن��ا ن� ا � ارن�ل� �ل��ل��ط� او �ش�سي��� � �ون��ي ن� ��ا�ل �ن�ا �ن�ي� ن� �� ن� أ ً ع ّ أ � ن �ا� ا ��ل��ا � � ا �ك ن ا ن � ��� � ���ا � ا ن���ل ا ��لن��ا ن� ا ��لش��ا ��ن� � �ليه�� ا �ن��ي ا ن�ر�� ي ن� � ل�� �و� � �م �ري�ل� �� ن�ر �و�ع�لي��� �مر ن ن ن و ي � ي � � � ن ن � � � ي ي ي � ّ � ن ا ��� �ي ا � � ا �ل � � ا � � ن� ا � ا ن ا �ل ا ا �لش ا � ش � �ي ا � � �ش ا �لش � � ن� � ي ��� �و� ���ل ن�� ن� �� ل� له�� ن� � �� �ه�ي ر� �و � ��ي� �ه�� � لله�� ن� ����ل�ط� � س � � ّ �� � ن � �� ن� ع��ّ ن� ّ � � ن� � � ن ا ل ل م � � � ا � ا � � ا ا ا ا ا � ل � � � � � ل � �� � ح � � � � � � �وا � � �ه�ا ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �س� � ي ن �ل��� كي� �وا � و �ل ن ن� رنع رم و ن �و ر و �ل ع ن ش ا ّٰ � ن � � � ا ن �ا� ن ّ � ��ع���س� ا �ل����ل��ط� �ك� � س أا � ���� ء ا لل� �س���صن��� ��ا � �� � � م ني ن ر م � � أ أ � ن اان �ا�ش � ن � ن � �ن آ ن �� �ي �ي ن ّا ��� �و�ي� ا �ر� له�� ا �ن� ���ا ء ��ط�و�ل�� ا �� ر م� عر� �ه�و �ن�ا ن� �ي��� ���ل �م ن��� أا �� �� ن� � او �م� �وري�لن�� �ي� � � �ي ن � ي ي� ن ش ش ش � ي ي �� ا ا ا ن �ي ي ن كن���ي�ر� ل���و� �م���ل �ل��ل� ا �ل��ل�ه�� ا �ن�� ا �ل��ن��ر�� ا � �سي� ��ي� �ور�ي��� ا �ي� �و�ه�� � ا �ل��ل�ه�� ا �ن�� �ع� ي����� ر ن � ُْ أ ن ي � ن ي ي � � ش ا � ن �� �ي �ي � ن ا �ل��� ا ���ل �و�ع ن� ي�� يمصن��� �م ن� ن�ل�ه�� ا ن����يّ��� �ل��ل�ه�ل�ا �ك ن��� �و�ل��لن ��ّ او �ن�ي� ن� �و� ا ���ل ا �لن��ا ن� ا �ل�� �ي� له�� ا �ن� أ ن أ ن ن ا � ن ن� � � ن � � ن � ّ � ن ن� ّ ن ا �وا � �ه�ا ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ن�ا �ل��لي���ل �س� م� يح ن� م� � ���� �و�ع� ي����� ر �ه� لي���و� كي� ا �ر�� ا ���عر�م � ع أ ي �� ن �ي ي ن � ا ��ل�� �ي ا � �ي ا ��ل ا ا ��لش ا �� ش � � � ّ ن �ا �ا�ا �ن�� ��ي� ر ��ن� [� 2 ]...و��� ر��س�م ن��ا �ع ن��ا ���ور� ا رري�لن�� �ه�� له�� ن� ن�� ن� �� ل� و ه�و ك آ أ � � � ن � ن ا �ن ن ّ ي ي ن ي � � ن ا ا � � ن ّي � ي ن ي �ك�ا� ي�ر�� ��ن� ا �ك� ط�� �ي� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا �لي��� � او �لنصي ��و� �م ��ه�� ا �ل��لي��� ن�ل�ه�� �ه�� � �ل� ���ك �ل�عر�� �م� � ��ر�� � �ي� ي أ أ أب ب ة ة ة ة بب �ل 2 .ال� �ص�ل ب�ا ����� ��ا � ب���ر ا �ل��ر ب�����ة ال� ب��ل�� بةر�ة��ة ا �لةل�� ��عة�م�ل�م�د ع��ل� ا �ل��ر ب�����ة ا �ل�لب��ر���س�ا و�ة��ة. 1ال� �ص�ل :و � ة
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The Functioning of the Sultan’s Court
are put together in the form of a grating, like this: An iron chain is attached to each door and each door opening has, attached to its edge, numerous pieces of wood. The chain is attached to one of these. A lock like those used for chests is inserted through the doorpost and the door. The doorkeepers’ dwelling is close to the door. If one enters órré dee by the first door, one first comes to a wide space at
3.1.90
the end of which is the Great Pavilion, which is the sultan’s audience chamber. This is on the left as one enters. We have mentioned this above and drawn a picture of it, so there is no need to go over it again. On one’s right as one enters is the place of the kūrāyāt, who are what we would call grooms. The stables are close by and consist of a long, not very wide, pavilion where the monarch’s horses are tethered. After the stables is the Drum House, and close by are the houses of the servitors of the drums. The second door leads to the Pages’ Place, the third to the kóór kwa, and the fourth to the eunuchs. Between each door and the next there is a space and an inner fence, into which a door has been let. Beyond the second door is another pavilion in which the sultan sits with his intimates, and beyond the third is a third, small, pavilion where the sultan sits with those with whom he is most intimate. Beyond the fourth door are the women of the household, the slave women, and the sultan’s private apartments, as we shall show in a drawing, God willing. The órré bayyâ is a door through which one enters a courtyard longer than it is wide and at the end of which is a large pavilion, about one-third the size of the great pavilion of the órré dee. This pavilion is on the left as one enters. On one’s right, at a distance, are buildings for the heralds and the doorkeepers. Beyond the second door is another pavilion, smaller than the last, where the sultan spends the evening in the company of whichever of his intimates he wishes, and on the left of this pavilion is the third door, which is, as it were, in a corner92 of the inner fence. Slave guards are posted there, as at the other doors. This last door leads directly to the women’s quarters, which consist of a considerable number of houses, where the concubines live. Each has her own house, for herself and the slaves assigned to serve her. Beyond are the living quarters of the iyā kūrī and, to the right, those of the sultan. The iyā kūrī’s are composed of seven or eight suktāyahs within her inner fence, which are occupied by the iyā kūrī herself and the women attached to her service. The living
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ن �� ن ّ ة � � ن ��ة� �ةك���ة��� �ن�م��ل��س ا �ل��س��ل��ط�ا �
ا نًا ن � ي ن� ا ن ي ن � � � ن� ًّ ا ي� ن �ااأ نّ ي ش ا ي ن � � �ل�ك س�� �ه� ���ه�� � ا ر ���ل� �ول���و� ك�� ���ك ��� ���� �ه�� � � �ل��ك �عي�� �� �و�ه�� � ا �ك� ��ور� كي� � � � ن ن �� �ي ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ��ي� ا ن ��حلم�ل�
أ أ أ نن� � ا �عل��� اأ نّ اأ�ه� ا �� �لنه�ا ش �ا�ّ �من �ا�ا �ن�� او ا �ه�� �ور���� ا ��ا ا �و ا �ه�� �ور�لن��ا ��ا �� � ا ء �� ��م س ك �ه� ي��ا �� ��ط � � ل ر و و م � �ل ل ي ي ل ي ي ّم �ّ ّ ً ً ّ ن ن � ن ن ن ن � � � ن ي � �ن �ع�ا � ا � ن � � � � �ص��ا �ي�ن�م�س� ن����ي��� ��� �م ���ل ���ا � �م � ن� ح ن� �ع��� ���ل أل�� � أ��ل�ه� ع� ����ل� ��ل م� أي�ل ��و�� م�� ن ي ي ي � ا �� � ن ا � � ّ �� ا ي ًا � ن � �ن ن � ن �ان � �ا�ا � �م ن� ا �ه��ل �ور�ي��� �ي� �ل� ي� � �ص� �ل� �ول �و �ر�لن�� 1م�� �م� ك ا�امن�� ��ع��ن� ��ي� �وري�لن��ا �ي�ا �و���� �ل��ك ن ي أ � ّ �ي � �ا ي ا � �ي �ن ن � � � �أ�نّ � ا �ن ن �� ن �ان � �� �ن ا ��ل�� ن ا ���� �و��ل�� ن� � � � ا ك � � س � � � � � � � � م � ع � � � ع � م � � �ص� � ه ه � � ط � ك � ل � � ل ل � � � � � ك � ل ي � �م و �و �ي� � � و و � ي ر أ ي ا �ل�ع�� � � م ا نً ي ا ن ي ن ن ني � � ن �س�مي � �ن � �ليع� �ي �ن � �ا �ص� ا ��ل������ا � ك � � � � ه � ���ل�و ا �لي�����ل ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ن�ل������ا ��ار� �م���� � ار �م�س� �م� �ك��ن��� � ي � ن ر ن ي �اّ ن �ن ��م �ّ ا� ن� ح ش �� �� ن� ��� ن ا�ا�م�� �ل ن���ي ��ن ا ��ل�� �ي�ا �م��ي � ��� ن � � � � � � � ل ل م � � ه ص � ن � � ل س� � �ل��ك ���ل �م � �ه�م �ي� �ل�� ا� وم ي ون ي� ح�� ن ي و ن ي� ي ي� أ ّ أ ّ ن � � � ن �ّ ن �ا�ر ا�ا�م ن��ا نر��ل � او �ي����ا ا ��لص ��و ي� � او �ّم�ا ا ن��ل �ه�ا ي� �ن � ا�ام�ن� نر��ل��ي ��� ا �ل�� نس�عر �نر�ي� أا �ل�� ن�� �ه�م ي�ل�عر�� ���ل �م � �� ع ين ي �م ّ � ن � أ نّ � � ن أ ي � �أ نّ ن � ي � � نن �ي ن ن ���ل ا �لن��� ن�� �ن � ��ا �ك�ه�م ��ي� ا�ام��ي�ل ن��� �و�م ن� � �ل��ك ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ي�ا �ي� �ن�ا �ل��لي���ل أا �� ا�ام��ر�ل�� �كي��عر�� � � �ان أ ّ ن �اّ � ن � � اأ� � �ل� �ن � ن� ن �� � � � ا ن ا ا �ّ � � ي ا ن أ � � � � � � ا ا � ا � �ع��ا � م� �ع�ي ر ��س�و ل و��� �لن�� �ع� �ل ورير و م�ي ر ي عر� م� رل� و م� � ك أ �ل� ��م��ل � ل ن�� أ � أ � � ن ا��م ا ن ن � ي ا� ن ا ن � ن ن � ن أ ن �ه�ا ا �نّ�� ���و ا ر�����ل ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �لأ���ن����ا ن� �يك ���ط��لن��� �� �� ��ط�� �ع��� ا�م�� ر�ل �و��ي� � �ل��ك ��� او ���� �م � م� � �� أ أ � � �ن أ نّ ن ن � ي ن ا ن �ن �ل� � ي � ن ا ن ّ ي ن� ن � ��ا �ل��ل��� �ل� �����ا �ل ا�ا�م ����� ا � � �ه�� ا � �له�ل� �لي��� كي��� �� ن� ���ا ن�ل��ل يل�عر� ا � �م��ر�ل�� ��ل� � �ي� ا ن � ر ل ن يل ي � أ �ان � أ ن � ن أ ا� � � � ن ن ش � �ك�ه� � أا �لي��� �م ن� �ع�ي�ر �� �سأ او �ل ا � حيص� ��� �و���� ا � ��و ا ر�����ل ن�ل����� ا � ��وررا ء ا �و ا�م�ل�وك �لن���� م ن ن نن � ا نّ ا�ا�م ن��ا ن �� ��م ن ن � ي � � � ي ا �اّ ن ���� �و�ه�� ا أ � رل ح� ��و ��ط�� �ك�ه�م �ل� ي�ل��� ن� ر�����ل�ه�م ن�ل��ل ���ل �م��ه�م ي�ل�عر�� �م��ر�ل ��� � ن أن �ن �م ن� ا �عرن� �م�ا لي���و�
أ ة ��. 1ال� �ص�ل� :ر�ةل ب
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The Functioning of the Sultan’s Court
quarters of the sultan are formed, as I have said, of two very tall suktāyahs within a separate inner fence that has two doors. In front of the sultan’s inner fence are two buildings of mud brick, called dinjāyahs, which are the furniture depositories or, more accurately, the sultan’s magazines. These are made of mud brick to avoid the incineration, should an accidental fire break out in the suktāyah, of the jewels, costumes, silver, and precious objects held in them. Finally, on the left is a very long pavilion where slave women spend the day grinding millet and wheat using hand mills. These women, whose houses are in front of their pavilion, are called marāhīk (singular marhākah), meaning “millers.” Here, as you will see on the following page, we have drawn a picture of the sultan’s outer fence and the houses, so that you may become as conversant with its features as if you’d seen it with your own eyes; it constitutes an overview of the sultan’s abode. Every inhabitant of the capital, whether of the people of the órré dee or of the órré bayyâ, maintains the same place of residence from one generation to the next, because everyone who assumes an office builds his home in the same place as the first holder of that office, or close to it. Thus, a person from the órré dee will never reside in the órré bayyâ, and vice versa. Nor is this something peculiar to the long-term settlements, for they maintain their places even on the march: if the sultan moves with his soldiers, as soon as his tent is pitched, the soldiers pitch theirs, each, in accordance with this system, in its accustomed place. Thus, there is no difference between the city and the site where they halt when traveling, except for the size of the plots and the dimensions of the houses. As far as finding one’s way around is concerned, everyone knows where everyone else is, so it’s just as though they were in the city. For example, when the sultan comes to the campsite at night, he knows where his accommodation is without having to ask, and it is the same with his entourage: each vizier and emir knows the location of his campsite simply because they keep to the same positions. This has certain advantages. For example, if the sultan sends for someone at night, the messenger does not have to ask; he knows that so-and-so’s campsite is in such and such a direction, so he goes there without asking anyone. Similarly, if one vizier or petty king sends a message to another, the messengers face no difficulties, as the same sites are maintained: each one knows where his friend’s dwelling is. This is quite remarkable.
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ن �� ن ّ ة � � ن ��ة� �ةك���ة��� �ن�م��ل��س ا �ل��س��ل��ط�ا �
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The Functioning of the Sultan’s Court
North Ába ’s a‘ng Dim se u Ho cle Un use al rn Ho ate ā’s M zār Fa
on Ho dolo us n’s e Royal slaves
Men’s Side, or Great, Pavilion (the Sultan’s Court) Huts of the Poor
Doorkeepers Heralds
Saʿīd al-Barnī’s House
Second Door
Pavilion of the Elite
and Servitors
Road
Third Door
Eunuchs Fourth Door
Miller Girls
Storehouses
Slaves Doorkeepers
Concubines’ Houses
Slaves Doorkeepers Inner Fence Second Door
Pavilion for Evening Parties
East
Pavilion of the Inner Circle The Sultan’s Residence
Third, or Women’s, Door
Slaves Heralds Doorkeepers
Outer Fence
ʿĪsawī’s House
First Door, or Women’s Side Door
Women’s Side Pavilion
The Wadi, a Spur of Wādī l-Kūʿ Pavilion
M S S ʿA an ultan ater Isḥā ulay bd a ’s G ’s na q m l-S Shaykh-Father’s ran Mo l Un Qāb ān T ayy dm the cle ā’s īr’s id’s House oth r’s H Ta Ho Ho Ho u y us use er e ’s H ouse tal’s se H. . South Su lt
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Men’s Side
Outer Fence
Drum House
Inner Fence
Women’s Side
Counselor Dardūk’s House
ʿAbd Allāh wad al-Naww ’s House
First Door, or Men’s Side Door
Royal slaves
The Iyā Kurī’s Residence
Faqīh Mālik’s House
se
Women’s Side
Horse Pavilion
Kóór Kwa
Mills
u Ho
Huts of the Poor
West
ī
j’s irā hS
Courtyard
Outer Fence
The Pages’ Place
Faq
Royal Grooms
Counselor Yūsuf ’s House
Butchers
Outer Fence
The House of Mééram Ḥawwā and Her Husband al-Anṣārī
Market
Road
Men’s Side
Ibrāhīm wad Ramād
Or
in áw i
’s H ou íne se ’s H Haṣ ou īn w se ad ʿ Um ārā Counse lor Ḥām id ibn al-A nṣār ī
Ka am
Inner Fence
Ti k
Judge ʿIzz al-Dīn’s House
�ف ف ا ��ي� �م�ل� ف���س �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
ن �ن �ن ا ��ه�� ا �ل �ه� �م��� ��ي� ا � �ل�� ل
�ن ��ه�ل�ا ن���� ��ه��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور1
أ أّ � ي � �ا ن ن � � ش ّ ي ّ ا � � � � ن � او � ّ�ه�ا نر�ّك�ه� ��ن� ا�ا�م�ل�ا ��� ن��ا �عل��� ا ن� �ن�ل�ا � �ع� ��ن� ا ��ل ح ار ر� ن � �م�� � �ع ���ي�� �و�ل����� � �ر�ه� �ل� ي ك �هم� �م�� � ن � مي ي مي أ �� � ن من ي �� �ن ي ن ا �ي ن �ن ن � � �ن ا � �أ ن ن ام ��� ن � ش ا �� ن�ك �ي �ّ � � ن ش ا ا ن� �ل�� ل ا � � ل��� ي�ل��ه� �و ��و� �� � �ل�ك � �ل� �عصي�� ء يللن����س�و� ا �لصي�� ن� ا ري�ه�� � ا ا � ع �� ل ا � ح ل �� � � � ه � س � ص � � ل � أ ي ن ي ي ن و ي ًّ ن � ن ي أ ا اأ �ّ ا ا �� ن� �ي ا �ن ا �نّ �ل�� ن ش ا ن� ش ن �ي اأ�ّ ا �� � �� ا ن ا ا ا ن���� ا ن�لي�� ��� ء ك�� ��� ا �و ��س�و� ء �و م� لععر ء أ� ك�ه�م ي لن����س�و� �لي�� ن� ح��س�� �و م� ا ل����ل�ط� � ن ا نّ ً � ش ن أي ا� � ن �ا�ّ � ا � � � ن �ا�ا ��ل�� ��س����ي رن�كي��ه�� ن ن���ّ� ا أا �ّم�ا �م ّ�م�ا ي ن� �ه� �يل�لن���� � �� �و��� ك� ���ل ن� � او ���وررا ء � او�م��ل�وك �أ� � ��ل و ي� ��� م � م � ن ي �اا ن ا � ن � ن ن ا �نّ ا � ن ا ن �ن ن � �ي �� � ن � اأ �م ّ ا �ل�ه �ن ا �ن ��� ن �مر �و �م� ي �م��ل �ي� � ر ��ور � ل��ن� أا � ك�� �� م� ا �لنصيك��� �أ� ك�ه�م� لي��� �و� � �ي� �ع� �ي� ك�ه� م� س� م � ن ا ن ن ن � ن ن أ ن اً ن � ا ن� � ن ن � ا �ن ي ن �اا ن ا ن � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ا ا ا � � � � � ل ل ا � ��� �م� ا لنصي�� � و ل��ط� � أو � ك� � م� ��س�و� ي �و� � ك��ي�ه�ي� يك� � � �سي ّ� ن �� � �� ا ن � ن ن � �ن ن � � ا �ّ � � ا ��� � ن � ا ي ا �� �ليه�م � ن ن � �و�ل� ي �م�ي ر ا ل����ل�ط� � ع� �ع�ي ر� �ي� � �ل�ك أ �ل� ن�م� يللن������ ري� �� �ع��� ي���� ي� �و� �ل��ك ش أ أ ��ا � � ن ّ �ن ن � �ش��س �ًا �ع � � اأ�نّ�� �كن � � � ا ��� � ك �م� � � � � �� �� � � ع � � � م �ه� � �ل��ك � او �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ي�لي���لش�� ن� ش����ا ��� ا ن�لي�ن��� �يكن� � � ل � ي �ر ي ر ون م أ � م � � ع ي أع أ م � � ن ن ّ ���� ن��� ا �ك�ن ي ��ً� نا ا ا � حص ش� �ل�� � نك ���ه �م���ن ن ن ش � ��� � �و�ع���� �م�� � او � �له�� �ل�� �م �م��� �و�ع���� ن� ن ي ي ي �ر �ع���� را ����� �م��� �� ي ي ّ أ ّ گ �ّ � � �أ � �ي �� ي� ش ن � � � ن نن � ل�� �ن ا ��ل��لش��ا � ي� ش����ا رك ن�كي��� ا �ور� �ون��� �ل� � او �� � أا �ل� ا �ل�� � ل��ا �م ن��� �أ�ا �ك�ه�م�ا ي�ل��ل�سم�ا � ك�ا�ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ���ا � � م ّ �� أ ً �ن ّ �ان � � � ا � ن � ن ا �لي���لش ن ن ا ��نّ � ي ّ ن ا � �س��ن� ا�ام�� �� ن� � او �نل� ��� � ك ح�ا ن� �و���� �ل�ك ا �ل����ل� ��ط��ي� ا �ك���ه� ر ي �سم�و� ا �يك� ل����� ي �سم�ي�ر �ن� �ل� ي �ن ّ ّ �ا ا � ش ا � � ا� ن ّ ي � ا �ا� ن �� �ّ�ي ا ن � ا � ا ��سي �ا�ا ن� ا ل��ا �ا�ا ع�� �ي ا ن��ل � � � � ا � ا � � � �ع ل � � � � � � � م�� � � � � ا�ام�� �� ن� � �ون� م�ط�ل� ��م � � � ك ك �� � � � � ن ن ور ن و و و و ر أ ن ر و ي� ر � ن ن ي ح � ّ �ّ أ ن �اا ن �ن � ّ �� �ن ��س� ا � ا ن� ي ن� ��ه�� �وا �� � او � ك�� � �� م له�ا �ع��� ن� �م�� ���ل ن���ل�و����� �ل�� ي�لي���لش�� أا �ل�� �ه�و �و� ����� �ل� ي� � � � و � ي � أ نُ أ �اّ ن �ن �اام ن � ن اأ ن �لي���لسشّ ا � ن �ي � ا �ّ � ا ن �اَ � � �اا �ن � ا ن ن � � � � � � � � � � � � ا ا ا � ك ك م �م� س � ي � � � � � � � � �م ه � � � � م � ن ك ك ه ه � و � �ل � �م �ي� �و�م� �َر �ل ي � �م � �و � ر أ �ل أ � �و ر ن ي� ��م��ّ � �� �� �م�� �و� �ي �� او �ن�� ل أ أ أ � ْ � ش �َ ن � او �ن�� او �م�ا �يل��لن������� ا �ه��ل � ا ر�ن��ور ا ��ل�� ن�عنص��ا ء �م ن ا�ا�م�ل�ا ��� �م ن ا�نم ���ل�و ن� ا �ل ش����ا ��� � او �لن��� ي� ن � � ي � ع � ي � ا ��لن � ن � � ن� � �ن � ّ � ن � ا ا � � او ��لشص��ا ن� ا ��ل � � � � � ا � حر�ير ��ي� �ي��و�م ا�ام�هر ن��ا � كي��و�م لعي��� �و�ي��و�م ن �لي��� �� ��� �و�ك�هم� ي ا �لأ� ن �ل�ي ري ّ ّ � � ن ن �ا�ا �ام�ل�ا ء �ي ا �س�ي ي�لي��� نل�ع� �كه�ا �� ا ي���ل �� �س� � ّ ا ن حن� ي�لي��� نل�ع���و� �نك�ه�ا �و��ع� ك� �م�ل�ا� � ي� ع ن � ي� أ ي �م ّر �و �عي� أا �م� �م� ي م ن �� � ن ي ُ �ش � �أَ� � ي أ � ن � ش ا ش �� �ن � ن � ا ُ ْ ٌ �� � �كه�ا اأ� �ي� �ن � � ي ا � م � ل � � � � � � ��� � �ل ل ل� � � � � � �ه�� �� � ل �ه � � ه ح ه � ط � و � � ن� � � و ا �ل� �ل� ن��� ا �و م� ا �ل���� ��� � ي و� ك� �ويل � ن ّ ي وح �ن � ن � و ع أ أ � ن �ا �ن �ن ���� � ا ��ل�� ل��يا �م ��ل�����سه�ا ا �م�ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � � ش����� �كه�ا � ��س ��ط�� � � �ل��ك �م ن � ا ا � � � � � و و و �ع��� ا �ك� ر و � � ي ن ر ن � أ م � � �أ �ك�ا� �ل ا �ل�� ن� �ع ن��� �ع� �م م ب ة أب ب ب ب ب 1ا �ل�ل�����ص�ل ا ����ا �م��� �ة� �م�لا ب���� �م���وك ا �ل�ل�هور -ا ��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا �
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Garments of the Kings of the Fur
Section 5: Garments of the Kings of the Fur 93 Regarding their garments and how they wear them, their countries are
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extremely hot, and they accordingly can wear only lightweight clothes. All the same, there are differences among them. The rich wear very fine clothes, of white or black cloth. The poor, on the other hand, wear clothes of coarsely woven fabric. The sultan, viziers, and petty kings all wear two garments of very fine quality resembling shifts, either imported for them from Egypt or made in Darfur. The white ones are extremely white and clean, the black likewise. The sultan is indistinguishable from others except that he wears garments
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in addition to the two shifts. He wears his cashmere shawl over his head, which others aren’t allowed to; he also veils his face with white muslin, which he arranges over his head in folds so that it covers his mouth and nose as well as his forehead, leaving only his eyes visible. The orondolong and the kaamíne also cover their mouths, veiling themselves in the same way as the sultan, and the petty sultans do the same. The sultan is distinguished, however, by his gilded sword and gilded amulet,94 and if he is mounted, by the umbrella, as well as by “the feathers,” the gilded saddle and stirrups, and the caparison of his steed, which is of a kind no one else is allowed to use for his horse. If he is in his court, only he may be veiled. Others mentioned are only allowed to veil themselves in his presence if they are riding with him or if any of them is in his own realm and audience chamber. The various imported garments worn by the rich of Darfur are made of muslin, English cotton baft, and, on festive occasions such as the Feast and the day of the covering of the drums, silk stuffs. They also swathe themselves in wraps resembling the milāʾah which people wrap around themselves in Egypt.95 This is made either of a glossy, striped material of cotton mixed with silk or of muslin, but with a long fringe. This wrap is thrown loosely over the person or placed over the chest and shoulders. If someone wearing a wrap of this sort finds himself in the sultan’s presence, he ties it around his waist, it being considered the acme of good manners to do so.
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�ف ف ا ��ي� �م�ل� ف���س �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
�ْ َ َ � ًّ � ي� ن � ن �ن ش �ا�ا ن� �م ن ن�ع�ي�ر ا�نم ���ل�و ن� ن��ا �� � � او ن� ك� طو��ل�� ل���ل���ل� �و�ه�و � ��و ن� �م ن� �� ��� ن� �ع ن �رل�� ر�كي�� ن���� ا �� � � أ ع � شَ َْ ن �� ش ن ن ً ن ن � � ي ّ �� �ا �ي ا � � � م � � � � � � ��سوي�ر �و�ه�و ل ن��ا� ي�� ا �� ا ا ا � � � � ل م � ��� �� س� ��� � �ع��م � �ع� ع � �ه� يل�لن����� م� ن �ل�و ن� � روّ� ر و ر أ رع و و و �ي م أ � � � � ن ن ي ش �ن �ع ن� ا �ل�عَن���ك ا�ام� ن � �ص�و ا رر�� �وي ن���ل ن� �ك�ه�م ن�ل�� ن��� ��م�ا ��� �م ن� ا�ام�عرن� ا �ي� �م ن� �ن�ل�ا � ا ��� او � ا �ي� � ن � ا ي ع ّ �ي َ �ْ � ي � نّ �� � نّ ا ن � � � ن ي � �أ نّ ن � ش يّ ي ي � ن � � � ا ا � ك ل� � �� � ل ه � �ه� �ع�ي ر عرك� � ���� �ل� � �عر��� ا �ل��س�ه�� ��ي�را ��ط�ا � � او �لن��ر� ��و � او �لن�� �ر�م�� ي���س��م� ا �لَصيم و و ي� � ي أ � ن � ن �ن �� �ا ا ن � � ن � ن�صيع�ع ن �ن ن ��ه�ا � ا ��لي ���ا ��� ي ل�� � ���و � او � �ليه�� ا �� ا�ام�� �� �ن ا � �ليه�� ا �� �س� ا �نّ�� � م ص � �� � س � � ر و �ل� �ع�ي ر ي ن ��و� �ي� � ي و و ي � أ ي ي ع أ �� � �ن �� ن � � ن � ي �ن ن ن� �ا��ل� ن� �ي�ا �م�� � ا ��ل��س� � �و�م ن ن�ع ل � � � ا � � � �� ل � � � �م � ح س ك ه � � � � � � � � حيص ن� �م�ا راي�لي��� ��ي� � �ل��ك � � ير ر � � و ن ي و ن � ر و ا و م و � أ ن � نّ � ي ن ن ا �ّ اأ نّ � � � � ا ن ا يل�ن ن��ّ ن ح ي ا ��لن ن ��ا �م��ي �م ن � � � ���� ر� ��س�و� ا ء �و� �ل��ك ا � ا �لنصي���ل�� �ي��� ���ل ��ي� �م���� � � ن � �ل�ن ���� أ � ح�م ر � م أ أ � � ً ً ً حيّ ي أ ّش �ن ي ن � ن ن � � ل��ا �ل��ل���� �ش�� ��� ن �ا�ا �م��ل�� ن��ا �ل�ع نس� ّ �����ل��ط�ا �ن�ا ���� � � ��ا ن ��حل ح � � � � � � ا ا ا � م � � � ك � � و ورير و ر و ن ��س�م�� �� ���و�ر �ي� ي� ي ن � ون ي� ن أ ً ن �ّ ً � � ي � �م���ل ن �ي �و��م ار �و�يل��ل �و�ع��� را ����� ��ط �ر��و��ش� � �ون�ا ��ي� ا �ل ن��ا ��� �ل�� �يل��لن���� �سو� أا �ل�� �ش�� �و�ا � او � ���� ا �و��م ار �و�يل��ل �و ح�ه� نأ � ين ّ ي ن أ � أ أ�اش ن � �� ن� ا ����� �ع ��ا �نً�ا ا ا � � � � � � � �ل � ع ا ا ا ك � � � ل ء ء أا � يل � ��ن� �و�ع��� را ���� �ط� ي�� ن ي�� ��� و ��س�و� و � ر �م ي و ر ري �أ � اأ �ّ ا �ن ا �أ �ع �ن ا �نّ نّ ��� ن � أ� ن ًا �ن اأ � ا �� نّ ���س ّ �ن � �ن � نَ ْ ي ش ّ � � ��ا � �ه�م ا � �لعر�� ��م ا �ل� نل ر �ه� ي ��م� �ي� عر � و م� ���� و �م أ� ك�ه� يللن������ م� رر �ي� و���� � � أ � ُ ن ّ ي ن �ي � ن � ي � � نا ي ن ا ي ن نّ ي ا � � ا � � �يل��لن����� ن� ���و ��ط�� ��ن�ه�ي�ر� �ع��� � ���� �ور�ه� �ي�له� �ل �ك�ه� ا �ل�� را �ع�� �و �عي� �لنص�� � ا �ل� �عصي�� ء ل���و� �م� أ � � أ أ� �ا ا � � � � ��� ن �ن اأ� ا ��� نّ �ر�ر ا �و ا �ل�� ن���ي ا �و �ن �نل� ي� �و��لنصن��ا ي� ا � ن�ل � ���و ن� �م ن� ا �لي�َ � عيع ار ء يل� �� �ي�� وي نرك�� �ي� و���� � �ه� ي �ُ ن أ أ ش � ي � � ن ن� ا �� �نْن� �� � ن نّ � ا ي � ن � ن ل�ا ن � � � ن � ا � � � � � ا ك ���� ا نر�ل� ع ك �� ع م ���ه ل� ع ل � � ل � �� � � � � ه � � � � � 1 ع �� س � ه � � ط � � �ن � نر ا ��مر ي ن � ي� ي ��� و �و � � � وح ر � أ نع أ أ ي � � � ن ن � ي ن �����ي �من ّ ي ن ن ن � ا �و �م ن� �ش�ل�ا �ش�� ا � ر �ي�ا ن���� � ا ��� او � � ار ر�يك ��ط �و ��ط�و�ل�� �� �ه ن� � �و��� ���ل ��طر��� �م� ا �ل��م� �م ��ي� � � � � ن ع �� �� �ن � �آ ن ن ن�ن � ���ن� �كه�ا � �يش ���� ��ن ا ��ل ش��م �ك ���ط �م ن � �ه�ا � �وي ن�ل ��ّو ي� ا ك�طر� ا �ل��ر �ن�� ��س � م ا �ل ش��م �رك ��ط ا � �سي� ��ي� �و��س �� و � � � ي � � ر ن ي ي ي ي ي�اا � ن ا ن � ن ن ا ا� ن ن أ ّا � ن �ّ � أ نّ � ��نل � ن �ن ن�� �� �� �ع ن��� �ن���� ءا � � � ل ل � � � � � � � � ا ا � ا ا ا ا ك � � ع � ء ل� � � م�� �� � � � � � � � ه � �� ه ح ك � �� � � � ط ل � � � � ي� ي م ي � أ و� ا��ل� و و ن أ � يًا ن ي ن ّ ي � � � ي ن ً ��ن�� �ل�� �ل��ل�� ن ا �� ن�ل �� ��ل�� �ل�� ��س��� ��ل�� ن��� ا ��ل ��س��� �س ��ط�� �له� � او � ا ��هحر�و ن� � س� أا را را �� ل ��ر �لن���� ح� ا �لن� � ي ور ي ن ن ن ي ل ل � أ ً ش� ا ي ن ا ي ي � ي ن ّ ن� ا ا� أ ي ش ن ن �ي ّ ّ �ا��ي�را ي����س�م ��� �ع � كن� �ه� ا �ل ��و ن� �و�ه�و �عن�� ر� �ع� �م�ل� ء � �ل�ل��� ك� ي�ه� ا��م ار � ��م �ه�و �ع��� �� ر � � ي ر م أ أ � � � � �ا � ا ��ل�� ن�عنص��ا ء �م ن ا ��ل ش � ي �ا � عيعر�ن ن������ا ء ا � ن�ل � �س�يه�ا �م�ا ي� ا ��ل ن��ا ��� ��ن� ا �لن�عن�س� � او � ن�ل � عيع ار ء ا �ش�� او �نك�ه نّ �م ن� ا �لي� � ��سو�ر �� �ي� و ي � � ي أ ��ن أ ا �� ي� أ �� �ي � ن أ �� ن ي � � � ن � ن � � � � ن أ � � �ي � ا �و ا �� � ل���ل��ل� ا �و لصيم���و ا �و ا له�� ا �ي� ا �و ا لن ���� �و�ل� لي���و� م� �رر �و�ل� م� ا �ل� ن�� ي 1ال�أ �ص� :ا � ش ل���رط��ة. ل
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Garments of the Kings of the Fur
If the garment isn’t imported, it will be of kalkaf, which is a stuff made of
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cotton of a very fine yarn that comes in bolts of twenty cubits in length and a cubit in width. The middling people wear, among the imported stuffs, shawtar, which is a kind of blue-dyed camlet. Certain kinds of cloth are also imported from the west, i.e., from the countries of Wāddāy, Barnaw, and Bāqirmah. These are called tīkaw and qudānī, but aren’t wide, the width of a piece being no more than a couple of inches.96 This makes them difficult to sew. The tīkaw and the qudānī mentioned here are black, but some red may be detected in the qudānī, despite its dark color, so that it looks like the neck of a black pigeon. I observed a remarkable thing about this: if its wearer hawks, the sputum comes up black from his chest. This is because the indigo enters his pores and permeates his body till it affects his chest. In general, the rich man, be he sultan, vizier, or petty king, wears two layers of dress plus baggy drawers, with a tarbush on his head, while the rest wear a single layer of dress with baggy drawers, plus, on occasion, a wrap, with a white or black skullcap on their heads, though most go bareheaded. The women wear an apron around their waists that they call in their parlance fardah. In addition, virgins wear a small piece of cloth called a durrāʿah over their chests;97 for the daughters of the rich, this is made of silk, cotton mixed with silk, or coarse cotton baft; for the daughters of the poor, of lengths of raw calico. Around their waists, they tie bands to which they attach a kanfūs, which in their dialect is a kind of woven fabric four inches wide and about thirty cubits long. A woman takes one and passes the front end of it through the band at her waist; she passes the other end between her thighs and knots it onto the band at the back. It acts like the breechclout the city women use when they have their periods. The Fur women don’t, however, wear the kanfūs only for the menses; they wear it all the time. When a virgin marries, she wears a large length of cloth that is called a thawb in their parlance, which is a sort of wrap with which the woman envelops herself. This also varies according to people’s standing in terms of rich or poor: the thawbs of poor women are of raw calico, whereas those of the rich are of blue camlet, kalkaf, tīkaw, qudānī, or baft. They don’t use silk or cotton mixed with silk.
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�ف ف ا ��ي� �م�ل� ف���س �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
أ � اأ ن ن ا ن � � ن � �ل ي ّ � ن �ن � او �ّم�ا ��� ّ ا ��ل ن������ا ء �ع ن��� �ع� ن��ا �نّك�ه نّ �يل��ل����� ن ا ��نل أ � ن ح ار �م �و�ه�و �ل�ل� �عصي�� ء �م� ا �ل�� �� ن� �و�ل� �م ��و��س ��ط��ي� � م � � ن � ن ن يي � ن ا ��لن �اّ �ن ا �� ن ن ي ش ي ن ا ���ل�ي ّ ّ � � � ل � � � � � � � � �� � � ا ل � � � � � ء �م� ا � �ل�� ���� و لععر م� � � و ه�و �ع��� ��و�ع�ي� � �ل�� و� � �سوي� � �ي� ي ي ن ن ا ي � ن � ي �ي ن� ش �ه�� ا ا ��لش�ل��� ن� ��ه��ل ن�كي��� �مر ن��ا �ن��ي �و�ه�� � ���ور�ي�� �عن�� ر� ع� ��ل�ه� ك �ه�ا �ل��� � و م ي� م � ش �ّ � � ي ن ن �ا ي � � ن �ا�ا �ل ش � �� �ه�ا ر�كي�� ك� �ه�ا �ع��لي ن� ��ط � �ونك� ن�� ��سو��ا� �عن��ا ر�ي �ع ن� ���ل�يه�� �نك� ن�� ا �ل � � ��سو�� ي ن��ه�ل� �و أ� ي ع أ ن�ك��� ا �ل� �م ��ا �ن�ا ي ����ن�ه�ا � ّ ����ي �م ن ن� �� ا � �ش� �ا ش � ّ ����ا �ه�ا ���ا ي� أا � ي ر ن � ن � ن ن� و ل � ن � نع أر � ن ي � ن ن � �ا ّ ي ّ ي � �أ �� ن ن ي �� ي ك� ���� �م �ل�ه�� ا �ل� س� � ط � ��� �و���ور��� ��ك�� ا � �� ن� �ورا ��� �طر��� ا �ل�ه�لي� ��ط � ن نر �ا ً � ن �ن ن ّ � �ل�� ن �ن اآ ن ا �ن نّ اأ ن ����ي � ن ح �� �من�ه نّ �نك���ن� ���ط� � ��لأ�� ّل�ا ��ً�ا ل��ا ير ن� ا ��نل � � ا ا م � � � � ر �ل و ر � � ن يو لن������ �ي� � ك�ه� ر � ر � ن نّ ي� �ش�ي � � ن � �أ ن � ا ي � ن � ي �ي ي ن �كن ّ اآ ن ا �ن نّ � �ك ��� ن ّ ي ���� ن�ل�ه�ل�ا ��� ��ي� ر�أو�و��س�ه� �حم��ل له�ل�� ع� ا �ل�� � �و�ه�و عن�� ر� ع� ��ل�ه� ي� ير �مر �أ ك�ه� ن � أ آ ّ ن ا� ي � ن ن اً ّ � � � � � � � ي ي ي ي ن �ّ ���� ا�ا�م �ل�ه�� ا �ل�� ��س �� ���� ��ط �ك�ه�ا �ش � ا � ن �اا � �ا�ا �نل ح نا � �و�م � ن� ط ��� ك� � ��� � ار �م� � او ��س�ه�� ا � ر ي� �سو�ي�� � او �ل��ر ك�� ل ن نر ر م � أم أ أ ّ � � ن ن ا � �ي � �ي � � � ن� ًا �ي ّ �ش�ي ا �ن ن� ا �� ا �ن �ي ا � � ّ ي ن ن ي �سك �� � ي ي ش ي �ه� نل��ل ط�ه� و�ل� ر� ���� �رر �م� ي ���ل�� �و������ � �ل� ن� ا � �لي� ��� ����� ل� ن� ل � �ه� ن�مر ن�� � و ن أ أ � � ن ي �ي � ن �ّ � � ن� ن ط�ه��ي �م ن ن� ح ش��س ن� �م� �ل ن� ن� ��و��� ا �ل�� ح� ا �و ا �ل�� ر� ا �و � ��ل �
ن أ � ن ���ا � �ه نّ �ع�ي� �ًا �م ن اأ�ن� ا ا ��ن �ا�ا �ا�من���� �� � �ه� �ع ن��� ��ع �ع��ا �ي �ع ن ل �وي ن� � � ��ه��ل ن� ��ي� ا ح ك � � ن ر و ر � ن ي و و � � و � وع ر م ي أ ّ � ّ ن �� � �ن ي � �ن �ن �ا �من�ه�م�ا �ن ا ��ك��ن ن� ن اأ � ن��ع �م ن �ا �كه ��ا ء � �ه� �ن�� �ع�� ن ��ا � � � � � � ا ا � � � س � � � ل � ع ع ط � � � � � � � ر � � رن و و و رو ي و ر و رر ي� ر ل ر � حم� ي �� أ ن ن� � ن� �� � � �ي ّ �ي ن ي ن �� ش ا ن ن � � او �ل��ن��ر � او �ر���� �و�ه�و �ع��� ع� �عن�� ر� �ع� �رر � �سك��ي���ل ا ن�لي���� كي�� ��ط�و ��ط ��لعي�� ي م ا�ُ ي ّ أ ن أ ن ا �� أ ن � ن � ن� �� �� ّ � ن � ا � � م�� ��سو�مص� �وك� س � � � ع س ا ا ا � ح ع � ل � � � � �ا��ل�� ن��ا �م�� �� � � � � � � � �م ع ه ه ��سس � ط � � ا ن�لي���� م�� �و �وط ر و �و ��� �و م ن � َي �م� ع أ ي � ن ن ن �ا�ش�� ا ��لن �اا نّ ن ن ا ن � ن � � ���ط�و ���ط ن�كي��� ����ل ن� ك�� ��� �م� ر�� �م.ي ن���ل ن� �م� ا �ك����� �و�ه�و �رر ر�كي�� �م��سك ���ي���ل ك� ي ر ّ ّ ع ي �ي ي ن �� ن ن أ � � ن � ن ���س�مر� � .او �ل�ع�عي��ي� �و�ه�و �عن��ا ر� �ع ن� �رر ا ��مر ��ار�و�ي� ك�ا��ل�� ي�لي��ه�ا �و ي� ��ي� ا �ل��ن��ر � او �ك���عر �و�هو� ن ن ن � ّ �ي ّ ا� ا ن ن ن أ � نّ ي �سك ������ ي���ل��ل�ا ن يي �م� �ع�عي ��� � .او��مر ن�� � �و�ه�و � ��و�ع�� � � ��وع ي��س��م� ا � �ل���� �و�ه�و�رر ا ��س ��ط� او ��ي� �م� ي �ل ي ن ن نأ ن � ّ ا� ن ن �ا ّ َ ْ � َ � ن �ان ن ا �و� ��وع ي��س��م� ا�م�� ر� �م �و�ه�و �رر ��ر�و�ي� �و� �م ا �ر�ع� �� �و�ه�و � ��وع �رر ا ��مر� ا ��� �م��� �م� �ه�و �ا ّ ن ن أ � نّ ا أ ّ �ن � ي ن���ل ن� �م ن� �ن�ل� � ا �ور�ن�ا � او � �له�ا �و �و�ه�و �مر ن��ا � ا ��س ��ط� او �ي� �و�م ن��� �م�ا �ه�و ��ر�و�ي� �و�ه�و �م ن� ر ن��احن ّ ن ً ن � �ّ نا ّ ا � �و ���ط�و�ل�� ك� �ا��ل�� �كي��ه�م��ل�و ن� �م ن� ن��مي�� � ��ل��ك �ع�ي��و� ا � �ص�� �ع�ي� ��ر�و ل ي ي � ن � ع ّ ي ن ي � ن ا�ا ن �ه ن� �ع���� ��� ر ��ا �ك�ه�ا ��ي� ا �لي������ا ر �و�ع�� �م�� ���ر�� �ي�ول�لن����سس�ه� ���ل �م � ن � � ن ���و ن� �ك�ه�ا � � ���و ن� �ك�ه�ا ا ش�ل ن��ا ن� ��ك�� ا ���� �و�م ن� لي� �ه نّ� �م ن� لي� عيه�� � او � �م �
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Garments of the Kings of the Fur
Regarding jewelry, the women wear the nose ring, which is made of gold
3.1.98
for the rich, silver for the middling, and copper for the poor. There are two types, “ring” and “thorn.” The “ring” is a ring with a gap in which a piece of coral is fixed. It looks like this: The “thorn” is a ring, half of which is thick and half thin, like a thorn. They attach four pieces of coral to it with a gold bead between each piece, or three beads, one of which is gold with a thick knob resembling a four-sided bead at the end. It looks like this: In their ears, they wear large hoop earrings of silver, each weighing half a
3.1.99
pound. So that these don’t injure their ears, they tie them with a strap to their heads, thus relieving their ears of the weight. An earring of this type consists of a large ring, one of whose ends is in the form of a thorn and the other like the four-sided bead on the nose ring. The woman who can’t afford a nose ring or hoop earrings stops the hole in her nose with a piece of coral or a single oblong bead and the holes in her ears with a bit of millet-cane pith, a grain of sorghum, or a bit of wood. Around their necks, they wear necklaces made from beads such as the 3.1.100 manṣūṣ, which in their usage is a kind of yellow bead made from amber and comes in two forms, spherical and flattened, individual specimens of both kinds varying in size. There are also “feathers,” which are white elongated beads, some marked with white circular stripes, others with dark stripes. They come in various forms, of which the best is what they call soomiit. In all forms, it is as unyielding and hard as marble. It is imported from India—a slender elongated bead with many darkish striations. There is also the ʿaqīq, which is a spherical red bead no two of which are the same size and which is made of agate;98 there is coral, which comes in two types, one of which is called “cut,” which is a slightly elongated cylindrical bead, and the other “ground,” which is a spherical bead; there is the dam-l-raʿāf,99 which is a dark-red bead, some cylindrical and some spherical, and which is made of glass and imported from Europe; and there is the pǎw, which is an artificial coral, spherical and long in all cases. From all of these kinds they make necklaces, each woman according to her degree of affluence or lack thereof. Some you’ll see wearing one string, others two, like this
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�ف ف ا ��ي� �م�ل� ف���س �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
أ � أن ن ���و ن� ��ك�ه�ا �ش�ل�ا �ش��ي � او �ع ن��ا �ه ن� �ل�� ي� ن �ر��� �ع��� ا ر�ل�ه��ي �ع�ي ��و� � �ه� ���� ا �و�م ن� لي� ن ي � يّ ن ��نل ن ا� ن�ا ن� ا ي ي ًا � نًا � ش اأ � ن � ن ن �� �و� �ر��ن� ا � � ط حرر ا�م�� ��ور ك� ي�ه� � �ر�ي��ن�� ح��س�� نحيص� �ي� � �له�� ا �ل� ر ي � � ي ا � �يو��مي���ل �ل�ل� ن������ ا � �له�ل ن� ن أ نّ ي� ا أ� �م ن � ّ ن�ل ا ي ���س ّ ا ��ل ش ��ش � � ّ أ � �وكن� ن � �م ���ع�� �ع��� ر�و�و��س�ه� �م� �م � ح ن� ن�� � ي ��م� ��س�و � �و ه�و ح ن� ���ه�ي�ر ا ر �اا �يُ َّ ا ن ا ن �اّ ن �� ّ أ ي ن ي �ًّ ي ي ي � ّ ن ن ك�� �ل � ن ل ����� ��س�و� اء �و�ه�� ا ا � ���� �م��� ل ك ح ن� ر�يو�ل��� �س�ع ��� ��� ا � � � ن ��ل�� ر �و��ي� ن�� �� ن� ���ل � ن ر ن ْ ووع ن أ أ �� � � ن � ن� �ي��م ن ّ � � ن ن ي ن ن ل ا ا ا � ن ن ن �و���و�ل �و�ه�� ا ا � �ل ��و�ل �ع��� �ع�م � �و ا � �� او � �م��� �م� �ه�وا ��مر �� ��� اح�مر� �و�م��� �م� �ه�و َن �سي� ا �ل�ل�و� أ ّ �ن ش ي ن � ش ش � ع � ن � ن ي� ���طح ن ا ��ل ش ش ��سو��� � او ���و� � او � �ل ��و�ل � �ولن �م� � �و�م ن��� �م�ا �ه�و ا ��س�و� �و�م ن��� �ع������ يص��ه��ن� ا �ل � ��سو��� ن ي أ � �اّ ي��مس �ي ّ ا ���ل ً�ا أ ع �ي �ن � � � ن �ن أ �ين ��ه��لن � � �ه�ا �ع ن��ا �يكي��� � �ه� � ا ا ���� ا � �و� ����� ��م�ا �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ع م م � � ي ل ن � ن ي ل��� ي ن�ه�ل� �ي� ا ��س ل ل أ ن و و و � م أ ّ � ي ن ن ي �ن ن � ن ن � �ا�ل �يل�ع ن� ��� ن ن� �� حرر ا رر�� ل��� �ي�ل����ل� �ن�ي�� � ير أ � ن �ن أ ا � نّ ن نً أن ن ن ا � � ن ن ا � ن ن نً �ا ً ش �ي�ول�لن������ �ي� ا �و���� �� � �ه� �ررا �ع���� ا � �� اوع ������� ء ا �ل� �عصي�� ء �يل�لن������ �ررا كن���ي�را �م���ل � � ن � � عيع ا ء �ل��ل����� ن ا ن��ل � نر ي���س��مّ �ع ن��� �ع� ري��ا � ا � �لنه�ا ي���ي �و�ن����ا ء ا�امي�� ّ��س ���ط�� ن �يل��ل����� ن ا�م�ن�� � �ور �و�ن����ا ء ا � ن�ل � � � ي و و ن ن ي� ر � � ّ ا � َ ش� ّ ا م�نَ ُّ � ا نُ�ا �ُل�ه �ن �� � � � ن ّ � ش ا �� �ن �ي ا � ن ا �ي �ي ن ل ا � ا �ل ح ��� � او �م� ا �ل � ا � � � � � ل � ا � � � �م � � � ���� ور و ن ي� م� � �ر ي �م��ل �ي� ي���ل م� نر ا ل���� � ل�� ر � � له� � أأ م� َر ً أ أم ع أ أ أ ّ ّ ي � ي � ن ن ن ي ْ ي ن ا �م��ل�� ن���� ا �و�ه�و �م�ا �ن�� ن ا ن� �مر � او رر�� � او ���عر �و�َم ش����ا �عر� �و�ه�و�رر ا ��س�و� �من ��� ��ط ن�لن ��� ��ط �ن� ي� ن � �� ن �ان � ن � �أ � ن �ّ � أ نّ أ ً ي ي ا ن �ن ش �ي ن ن � ن �ور ���� �ل��ك ��� ا �ل� ��� او � أا �ل� ا ��� ا ���ع ن �ح� ن�لي���� � اوم�ن��� حم�� �م��� �و�كي��� �ر�و���� �و�ع�� �م أا � �له� � �ي� ر ي �ّ � ن � � �ا ل�� ّ �ي � � �ن ن ن � ي �� �ن �نّ��� ��ن�ه�ي�ر ك ���ي �س� ا ��ل �ص��ا �عي��� � او ��ل ��� ل�� � حر��ش� ��ي� � �� �ونك�ه�م�ا � ك حر�و�ش���� ا � ��لي�� �و�ل� ع� � ��و� ح� ن� ا �ل�� ن ّ أ أ أع � � � �ن ا �نّ� � ّ � اأ �ّ �ا ا ��ن � اأ ��س ���ط� ا �نّ � �ه� ا �م�ا ا ��م ا � ا �ل�ن ل � ح � � � � وم � ن و و ور أ � وي و أ ن ر ي � أ ً � � � َْ َ ي ن � ن ن ن ي � �ه نّ� �ع�يه�� ا ي����س�مّ� ا�ام�� ر�ع�� ��ي� ا�ام������ل �ن�ي� ن� ا � ن �نر��� � او �ل����ا �ع�� �و�ه�و �ع�يه�� �ي�ول�لن����� ن� ��ي� ا � ر�ع � ّ ّ أ ن أ أ أ ن �ا �م ن ن� ن ا ��س ��� ا � نّ ��� �� ا ��ن � �ي�� ا ���ط�� ن ح ن �ي �م ن ل � � � � � ي� �و�ه�و أا �م�ا ا ن�لي���� ا �و ا ��س�و� � � 1 ط ط � � � � � ل و ير و ي� و رر �مر ن � رر ّ �ُ � ي ن ن ن ن ك ��ح ن ن� ي �ل ن ا ن ي ننن ن �ا ن ي ن ّ ���� ا �ّم�ا ��سُو�ور �يص ط�م� رر� ن ي�� �وي���س��مّ� ا �ل ش � ��� ء �و�رر� ��س�و� ا ء � �وي�ل�����ل ن� �ن�ي�� ���ل �رر���ي� ن� ن أ � ّ اأ �م ن ا�ا� ا ن ا ��ك���ط� ن اأ � ا �� ن ا �ع ّ اأ �م ن � ّ � ا �� �ع�� �ن� �و ن� ��ل�� �م ن ا�ا��م ن��ا ن� ا ��ل �ص�� �ي� � حر � � ح � � �م ع ك � � � � � ك � � و و ن ن ر ي � � � ر � ر ن � ا �� نّ �ن ا �� ن� �ي � ا ��لن� ن ا � � ن � � ّ ي ح نّ ا ����َّ ��ّ ا � ْ � � ����� � ن�ع��ل ن ��� �م ن ا �� ن�ل� ن ّ �ي �نك���ن ��� �ه� لل� ي� و ه�و لك ي�ط � � � ��� ر �� ك�ه� �ي� لععر و ع�� ء و م� �لي � �لن ن �� ن ن � ن �اا �� نّ �� ن ن ��س��ا ر�ي ن�كي ��أو ن���� �����ل�ك رن�كي�� �م ن� ا ��لن� ��ا ��� �وي� � ا أ�ر�ي ��ي� ��طر�كي��� ا �ع�و ن��ا ن� ك�� ل طم �كي��� �م����و��� ح ع أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل� :م��
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Garments of the Kings of the Fur
and some three. The richest women never wear more than four, like this: They arrange the abovementioned beads prettily, in such a way as to catch the eye and draw the heart to the one wearing them. On their heads, the women place amulets made
3.1.101
from the seeds of a plant called shūsh 100—the seeds are small and red, like those of the pomegranate flower; each has a black spot on its side and they are very pleasing to the eye—as well as amulets made of shells and of beans. In their country,101 these beans are colored, some being bright red, some straw-colored, some black, some honey-colored. They bore a hole in the shūsh, the shells, or the beans. They also make the shūsh into amulets on their own, though they attach to the bottom of each amulet either a little bell or a shell, and make them into clusters, like this: However, they separate each pedicel from the next with a blue bead. The women wear various kinds of beads around their waists.102 The women 3.1.102 of the rich wear beads as large as walnuts that they call ruqād al-fāqah,103 the women of the middle class wear manjūr,104 and the women of the poor either ḥarish105 or khaddūr. All the kinds mentioned here are made in Hebron, in the hinterland of Damascus.106 The ruqād al-fāqah, however, are very glossy and the color is something between green, blue, and yellow. There is also the mishāhrah, which is a black bead with white spots. The manjūr are the same in color but smaller and somewhat rough and crudely made. The ḥarish are of the same color as the last two but small, the size of prayer beads, and rough all over, with corrugations. The khaddūr is a cylindrical bead and is either red or white.107 On their arms, at the wrist, the women wear a string of beads called a 3.1.103 madraʿah. This is composed of cylindrical beads, each about two inches long and either white or black. It is also called a shuwūr. They string a white bead and then a black and separate each pair with one of another kind—either of genuine or “cooked” (meaning artificial)—coral, or of raʿāf,108 depending on how well off they are. Another form of finery they wear is the laddāy, which is a thick, semicircular silver wire with a curved-over bit like a fishhook at either end. Thin copper wire is taken, manṣūṣ, coral, and ʿaqīq are threaded onto it, and the two ends are secured at the curved-over bit that is like a
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�ف ف ا ��ي� �م�ل� ف���س �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
� �م ��ا ن� � �ع�يع�ي � � �ك ���ط ���ط ن��ا � ��ن ا ��ل�� � � ا � � � ن �اا � نّ ا ي ن �� �� ن ن و ر ن و ي �� وي نر ر ي� عو ن��نح ا �ل�� �ي� ك�� �ل��س�� ر� �م� ا ك�طر��ي�� � ن ن � ن� �اا � ي �� ن �ن ي ي طو� كي��� ك�� ���و�ر �ل�ل� ��و��� �و���ور��� ��ك�� ا ا �ل�����ل� ا � �ك�� � �م�ا �ه �م� �� ن ك ر يع و �و � م ���� � ن � ي �ي ا � ن � ا نّ ش � � � � ن ن � ن ي ن��ه�ل� ا ���و�ر ر�لن�� م� ن�ن�� ���ه� �وي���سنم � ��ن� ا �ل�����لك ا �ل�ه��لي� ��ط ��ي� أ أ ي ن أ ن ّ ي ي ن ن �ش�س���ور�ه نّ� � �ول��لن����� ن ��� ا �ي�ا � �يك�ه نّ ا ����ا �ور� 1م ن� �ع�� ن� ا �و �م ن� �ر� ن�أ�ا � ا ك� �ا�ا ن�� ي� �م ن� �ر� ��س�ميص ي� � أ ي � ي ح ن � �نّ اأ ا � �ل ن ا ي ا � �أ ن� ن ا ء �م ن ا �� ن�ل� ن ّ �ي � ا ��ل� ا � �س� ا � �ن اأ � نّ �ي�� ا �و �م ن � ��ا ��� � ل�� �ن�ا �� َل�� � � � ع �� � �� � � 2 � � � � ه ه � ه ل � � ص � � � � ل ن ن ن ر و و ور � � ي � � � � ي ح � � �أ ح �� �نّ ن �ا ن � �ام ن ��� � ��ع �م ن ا ��لن���ا �� �نل���ل ���� �ل ن��ا ي� 3ا �� ن�لع�يع ا ء �م ن ا ��لن���ا ��نل � � � � �� ا � �م � ل� � � � �م � � ل ل � ن و � ي � ي � ي ل ر � ا �ل ل ي � ر ع � ن ا ي � �أ ن ن ا ن ا ��لن م � � ا ��ي ي ا �ن ً � ن � ي ا ��لن� ا �� ا ا� � �ن �ي ن �ا ن ��ا �� ا�� ن � � ��ل�و ��ط �ن� ل ��و�لي�� ار را م� �مر� �� � �معر�و� �و��ل � �ي���ل ن�ل�� � 4ا �ل� �عصي�� ء �م� نأ � � �نل� ن � � ن � ن� ا� � ّ ن � ا �ي � ن أا ���� ا �ل��� ن��ع ا ر ا � �ليع ��� �ل��ل� � ا �ل��� ��� � ي ن� ��ه��ل ن� �م ن� ا � �� او ا حرر ا �ركي�� ا�م�ل�و� ع��� � � � � ع � ر ري ن و ن و � ن � ع ع � ا نّ � �ن اأ � ا � نّ � ن ن�� ���ه� و�ي� ي� �يك�ه� �َْ َ �� �� أ ّ ا �� نّ �ن ا��م�� ّ �� �ن ا �� ن� � �ي أ�ّ �ا هو ا ��ل���ن��ن��� � او�م � ا � �ص ن� �و�ه�و س��م� نلعر� ل ��ور عر� ا � ل � ك ���ل � � � � � و � ي ل � او �م� �ي ن ن �صنس�ه� م أ أ أ أ ي نن � ن � �� ن ش � ������� ا أ� ي ���� ا ن�لي�ن��� �ل���ن�� ن� ��� �ون�� ا �ل�ن�لي�ن��� ن����سي�ء ا ���س�مر � او ���عر � نو�ل�عر�� �س� �مر�عر�� ن�ل ������ن� ن ن ن ر �ح أ � ن � �ش �اا ��َ ا � ن ي ا � � � نُ � نْ �� شَ ْ �ي �و ن� �ص��� �ل �و��س� ء ك�� م �� ر ا �ك���ه�ي�ر �ي�له� �ل �ل�� ا �ك�� � طعر �و�ه�وا ���س�مر أا ��� ��س� او � � او ل���ي��ن�� ح ش��س ن� ا �ك� أي ن ش ن � ��اا ي � ّ ن ا ��لَ َ � ا�ا��مَْ����� ن ��ل�ا � �و�ه�و ن���ل��� �ن�� او ن �� 5ا�ا�م�����ك �و�ع ن��� �ع� ش���م ���ن� � ي� � نو�ل����� ا �ل� ك�� �نر ي�ل� �� �ص ��و� �ن� ن ي حر م ر ن و ّرَ �ح ّ أ أ � � ي � � �يع ن � ا �� ن ا �ن ي �ا ي ن ّ � � � � ���ل�������ن ح� ا ��م ي��م��� أا �� ا �ك���ع � ي � ن� � ��� � � ح �� ل������ ء �وي ر يل ر ر �ي� 6ا � ار ��� ي س��م� ا �ل�� ا �ي ��و� �و�ه�و� ن أ � �� ي� � ن ا � � �ش �� �ن ��� �كن �ك ����صسه نّ � �م ن �ع�� � �يكه نّ اأ ن لي�� ل� ��� ���ع� ن ا � ك ��ال ��ن� ا �عصنس�ه نّ ن�ل��ل ي ن� � ��ه��ل ن��� � � ل� � ل � �م�� � � � ع � � � � ل ل �� � � ي ن ين � � و � �ن أ ي ي � � � � � �أ � ن � � ي � �ال ن � شّ ا �ي نّ ن ن � ��ا ن� �ك���لي����ي �ع��ل�ه�ا � �� ا ��س ��ط�� ا �ل��� �ه ن � ل �� حنه�ا ن� ا ��ل��س�ه�� � ا �ل�ه��ل��ا �م ن � ك ل � � ا � � ه ع��� � ي ي ا �ل� ن � ي� ن و �و � أ �� � و ي � رح ّ ي ن � ي أ نّ � ا ش ي ا ن �ن ن �ان � � � ّ ي ي � � ن �ا �ا شااي �ا��له�ا �م� ك� ش ا �س� �ي� ��� ��ل�� ���� �ل��ك �و�م� �ع� � �ك�ه�م ا � ا �ل�ه� � � ���� �ل��ك ���ر�� ا �ل��سن�� ن� � او �ل���� �ن� � ك� � �ن�ي ن� ً � ن � ن ��م ي � ش أًا � ن � ّ � ن �اا ًا � � ��س ا ا ن ا اأ ا � � � ّ �ه�ا ا�ام�عر�و�� � �ول��لن������� ا ��ا را �ل�� � �وي��� ك�� ر �ل� �م�ه� �أو � ��� ن� س�هم� م� �ن �� نو�ل�� ���ي���� م� ��لي � ي أ ش ي � أ ن ا أ ن ن ا ن ي � ي ي � �ان � � أ ن اً ��� �و ��ل� ��� �و �عي� � �ل ��و�ل ���� �ل�ك ا �يك� ا �و �ع��ر �ي�ل ��و�ل ا �� ا �� أ ن نّ � ن ن أ�ش � � ن ي � ���� �ر��م�ا � ن���ل ا �ر ن���ل � ا ر� �ن��و ن���� ا �م ار �ي�� �س� � او ��ا�ر��ع �ل� �ع�ي�ر� �ل�� �ع��� �عر� ع �ع�ي�ر� ��ي� ن م ن أ أ ن ا� ا أّ ا ن ن ي ن ن ن ن � � ي ي � � � ���� ر�ه� � او �م� أا � ا � ���ل �و�و ن��� ا ن������� ا �و ا ���� �س� ن���ل�و� ��ل�ا يل�� �ص ن� أا � � ي ن���� �ع��� � � م ع أ حنم ّ � � � أ ن � � � ّ� ا ّ � � ن �� نّ اأ نّ ن � ي ��� ن� ������ً�ا �� ن � � � ا � ل � � � � � � � ��م � � م � ل �ه�ا �و�م ن� �ع�� � �ك�هم� ك � ي و ن ن رو ن � ا ن �ن�ي� �ل� ي��س�و�و� � �ل�ك نل��ل رن ر ن و � ن� ن �كي����و�
أ أ � ال� ب�عب�م���ا� 3 .ل ك ب ب ح��� �لب��ا ة � ال�أ ب�عب�م���ا ء -ال�أ �ص� � :لب��ا ة �� ب اأ ��س�ا �لب��ا ة � -ال� �ص� � :ل ك ب �� ب� ح�لا �ةل ب 1ال� �ص�ل :ا ��س�ا ورا� 2 .ل ك� ور ب ة ة ��� ل ل وب أ أ أ ب ب ب �ب ب ة ب ا ب� ب ة ب ة ك�. ب�ل��ا � 4 .وح�ل حة���ل ب�ل��ا � -ال� �ص�ل :وب�ل��ا � 5 .ال� �ص�ل� :وا� 6 .ال� �ص�ل :د ة
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Garments of the Kings of the Fur
fishhook, one at each end, so that the thin wire and everything that’s threaded onto it are like the string of a bow. It looks like this:109 They place the string close to their foreheads and fix the thick wire in their hair. On their hands, they wear bracelets of ivory, horn (the latter called kīm), or copper. The bracelets worn by the daughters of the rich, however, are of silver and ivory together. On their legs are anklets, which are copper for everyone, but those of the daughters of the poor are of red copper, those of the daughters of the rich of copper mixed with zinc, as a way of reducing the everyday red of the copper in favor of a yellow close to gold. They also make bands from the various kinds of small colored beads, to be worn on their foreheads and wrists. The perfumes worn by the women are spikenard; mahaleb; kaʿb al-ṭīb 3.1.104 (called “white root” in the parlance of the Fur because of its color, which is white with a touch of brown and yellow, and in Egypt “root of violet” because of its smell); sandalwood; something like a small mollusk, called ẓufr, which ranges from brown to black; artemisia;110 and myrtle. Some great men perfume themselves with jalād, which is the skin of musk glands.111 They also use the fruit of a sweet-smelling tree called dāyūq;112 this is a yellowish-red berry that the women crush and mix with their perfume. It is a custom of the women to use a kohl made of antimony. However, they do not put the kohl on their eyes but on the lower and upper outer surfaces of their eyelids, and the antimony is made to adhere with fat. The women anoint their lovers’ eyes this way, and one sees all the young men and women made up like this. It’s also a custom of theirs for a lover to take some piece of finery from his beloved and wear it out of pride and as a memento; if any trouble befalls him, or he suffers some setback, he’ll say, “I’m brother to” this or that woman, and women do the same.113 Most of the men aren’t jealous of their honor. A man will enter his house to 3.1.105 find his wife alone with another man and not be angry, so long as he doesn’t find the man on top of her. If he enters and finds his daughter or his sister with someone from outside the family, he sees nothing wrong with that. Indeed, he may rejoice and think it will lead to her getting married. Another custom of theirs is to give a girl a room of her own to sleep in when her breasts start to grow, where anyone who loves her may come to her and spend the night. Most of their daughters become pregnant as a result, but there’s no shame on them for this, and a boy born out of wedlock is regarded by them as the
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�ف ف ا ��ي� �م�ل� ف���س �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
أ اأ نّ ا ��ل� ن�� ي� ا ن� ا ���ل ش ا ن ن � ا � �� ّل�ا �ي���ص ي� ن�ك��� � ��ا ي�ل ا ن ��ّه�ا ن�كي��� � �وي�ن��يص ي� �س�ه�� � ن أ �ه� �م� ي� ن � ط�ع� ن� ���� �يك�ه� �ي�لعر� �و� �ك�ه� م ن ي ي وي ي� أ ش � � �ن ن � � � � �� � ن �ن ا ء �ع ن �ع � ن � � ي ي ا �و�م ن ن� ��ل��ك � �لع� ا �ل � �ن���ل �ن�ا ���ر ن�ل ن��ا �ك�ه� �و�ل� �ع�� ر �ع��ل� س� ي�ه�م �ي� � �ل�ك وول�� ر� ��� �مأ ي����� ن م � �� ن � يع � � � ن � � ن ن � ن ن ي � ن ي ّ ��ا �ل�� � ���ا �� �ل��ك ا �لصن��ا ي� ��ا �ل��� ي� ا � �س يل��� � �م ن �ه�� ا ا � �ل�ص��� ��هح � ن� ا ن ا ا ا �ا ن �ل و ن ي ل ي رو � ن �ه� �� �ك�ه� � �وي� ��ل �م� ي� و � ن ي � �ي ا ا �ً� � � � ّ �� ي � � � � ن �� ن أ ن ي� ين � �ع�سم�ا أا ن� ك� �ن� ��ي� � ا ر ا �ل ��ور ا � � مصع� ا �ل ن������ا ء �م� �ا�ا ن�� ي� ن��مي���ل�� � �ون�ا ن ��حلم�ل�� �ل� ي � � �ه� �م� �ل� �ل� ي ���� ا � ع أ ي ن � � � � � � � ا ن � ن ا � ن ي � � �ا ن � ن �ن � � � � �ع ن� ا �ر ن��ا �ل �و�ل� ا �ر ن��ا �ل �ع ن� ا �ل������ا ء ن�ل��ل �ل� ي� � �م��ن� ا �ر ن���ل � يحرر ن����� ح ي� ك� ��ه�� �و� ��و ك�ا�ا � ّ يُ ن ن � ً أ ّ ن �ا ن ن ي ً ن نّ ن �ع �ي�س�م�ا ا �م�ا أا � ك��ا � ���ه�ي�را �أ�ا ��� �يك�ه�ا � �و�ي��أو� �� �ورن��م�ا �كَي��ل� ّ أّ ً ن � ي �ا�ا ن �لن��ا �ع��ل ا � � ن أ ن � ���ّل�سه�ا �و�م ن� � ��ل��ك �م�ا ا �ي ن�ل ��ي� ا ن� ر ن��ل�ا ك� �ا�ا ن�� ي� �ل�� ا ن�ل ن��� �وك� � ي ه ر � ي�ه� �و�ل� �ير��س� ا � لي � � أ �ن ا�� ّ حنم ّ � �م ن �ش ���ي ن �اا ن � �ي � �ن�� �ع��ل�ه�ا ا ن� �هر�ه�ا �ع�� ا ��لنصي��ا ي� �س�ه�� �� م � � ���ل ا ��ل�� ن� �ي� �ه�و ن�كي��� � ل �� � ك � � ن� و ي� ي� و � ي ي� أ � �اا ن ي ن �ل� �� � � �ا ن ن�ا ن � �� ي أ ا ن ا ن � ّ ن ي ي ا ا ش � �م�� � � � �وك�� ��� �م� ا ن �حم� �ل ن � �� � ا �ل��سن�� ن� �ي� � ��و� �ع���� �ع� � �ك�ه�م أا �� ن��ي��� ا ن�لي � �ه� �أ� � ا ح��� أ أ أ ن � � � � ي ا � � � ن � ي �ي �م� ي �� � �ي ن ن � ّا ا � ن ���ل� �ه�م �و ��طر� �ع�م ��ل�م� ا �عي�� �ع�م ا �مر� ا ��� �� او �ع�لي�� � او ��� � او �ر�ع� �سك ي �نك�ه�م ر ن�ر�ع�م �و�ل�ع � أ ن ي � ا يي أن ن �ش� � ا ��لّ�ه�ا � �م�ل�اأ � �ه�ا ��� ا ��لنصيكن��س ّ �ي�ن��ي�ه �ل�ع ن��ي � ��ي��� ا ن �و�ه� �م� ا �ع��� � او �رن��و ن � و و ي� � �ي� ن � و ��لي��ل� � �لعرن� �م� ا �ل��ع �ل � � يّ ي ن � ن ي ّ ن أ �ً �ً� ا �� نا �� ن ن � � ًا ن ا �ع�� �ك ��ط�ا �ون���و�ل� �و� ّر ��او� ح�� ا �م��ر ن ن�لن���� ���� �و���و ن� � �ه� او أا �� �م��ر�ل�� �لي��ل� � �و� � �و� �ي� � او �ل�� �� �مر ح ن ا ن ي ياأ ي ��ل ن��ي � � ي � ّ ن ن أ ن ���ّ� ش� �س��ه�ا ن���يه�ا ن � ور ن�ر ��م�ا ا ن��ا � � ��ل��ك ن�ل��ل ي��ا ��� او ��ل�� � � � � � � س� � � � � ل � � � � ع �� � � ع ع ��ل� ��� �� � � و�و ن ي � م �� ن ً ّ � ن ن � ي أ نّ ن ي �ه�ا ��ل ن��ا ن��ا �عي��ا ن ���ط �من ح ن ��ل�� �ن��ر� � � حر ن� ح�ي� ن� �ه� �و�رن� ��ا � ���� ا ��طر� �ع� �و�م� �ع� � �ك�ه�م ا �ك�هم� � � ن م �ح � ح �ّ ن م � ي ّ �اا ن ن ��س أ نّ ن ا � � � ن� ّ ن ن � � � � � � ا � ��ن��ي��� أا �ل�� ��ي� �يل��ل�ك ا �ل��لي���ل�� �نأ�ا �نك�ه� �ش�ن��ي��وا ا ا � ك � ل م ك�� � �� او أا � ا م��و � �� ر ن أ � ي�ه�م يلعرو� �� � ي ح م أ أ أ �ا ن � � يّ ن ا � ن ن ن ي ي ا ن ���� �ع� ا �� �ليع �ع��ي �م ن � � � � ح � � �و�م�����ك ا � �ه� �و�م� �ل�� �� ا �رن را ����� �م� �ن� ن� ا �لن�ي��� ر��� �ي���� ع � م ر � � ح ع أ أ � ي ي ا � ��لن ا � ي ي ن ا ن� ي حص ش� ا ��ل�� ن� �� ن�ك�ه�ا ا �ن �ل ��ّو� �و ن� ي ي� �مرن� �نك�ه� را ��� ا �ر ن���ل �ن� � �لعر�ع�� �� ل����مر� �ع���� را ����� �و���� �ل ا �ن � ن اأ � ش ا � � � � ن �ل ّ ا �ش�سّ ا � ا أ� ي � � �رك�ه��ي ���ا � ي� ش��عي�� ن���يه�ا � �� او ��ل�� ا ��ع�� ل�� � ي� �ه�� � ��� ا � � �ع���� ر ���� �و�لي�� ن� �و�و ن � �ه� �� �م� �م �ر ح ي م أ أ � � � ي � ي ا � ي ن � ن ي ن ا �ي ي � ن ا ن ا ي ن � � ن � ي ن � ��ط ا �ر ن���ل ا �ه��ل�� �و ن��ا ء �و� ������ ك��ل�� ك �� �ي�ل ا �ل��لي���ل�� ���ه��ل ن��ا �ه�� ا �س�ه��ك � او �ل�لي��ل�� ا � �له� ن�ل�ل�� أا � �ع� ر� ن ّ أ أ ن � � ني � ي � ن ا ي ً ي �ّ � ا نا ن ي � ا نا نا ن ن ح ح � �ل ��و�س�ه� �� � � � � �هرا �ع ن��� � � � ا �� � � � � � � � ل � �ص ن� � �و� �م �و�� �� �م � �ه�م ��ل�م� ا ن ر ن ن�م� ء �� �ع�������ل � �وك ��ي نر ح ي � �ه�ا �ع�� � �يكه �و ن�ر� �ع�لي� � �م ً ح ش���سم��ي � اأ�ّكه��ي � �عص��� � ن���� � ل�ي�� ّ ح � �و��ل أا ���� ا ��ل �ا�ا ن� ن�عنصيّ��ا ���ا � ����ل�و ن� ��ن� ا ��ل��� ن� � او ن� ك� � حر�� � ي � و و و � ي ن ي ن ن ي أ م يم أ � ن ّ �اا � � ن ا �� � � � �ي � ا ��ل ن������ا ء � �م ن ن� ��ل��ك �م�ا ا �يّ ن�ل�ي اأ نّ �� ًل�ا ن ا �� � � � � � ا ا � ل م � � � �سع�ه� � � � ع ل � ك � � نر �� � ر ن ن � و� �ن� �ل�لي���ل و �و ��� ر ي
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Garments of the Kings of the Fur
offspring of his maternal uncle. A girl in the same situation will be found a groom by her maternal uncle, who benefits materially from the bride-price, especially if she’s pretty. Generally speaking, in the lands of the Fur the women can’t be kept from the men, nor the men from the women. In fact, no man, even if he’s powerful, can keep his daughter under his wing, and if he’s poor, he’s regarded with contempt and may be harmed, or even killed, if he tries to do so. For example, it happened that a man had a daughter of whom he was very 3.1.106 protective and to whom he allowed no outsider to speak. So frightened was he for her that he used to force her to spend the night in the same room as he. She was extremely beautiful and young men used to come, as is their custom, to her father’s house. When he heard them, he’d berate them, curse them, and throw them out. Fed up with this, they decided to play a trick on him and took a slightly elongated gourd, egg-shaped but ending with a neck, cut it open at the top, extracted its flesh, filled it with feces and urine, shook it so that everything was well mixed, and went at night to his house. There, they called out to him, “Hey Dad, tell so-and-so to come out and talk to us!” As usual, he got up and cursed and swore and scolded, but it did no good; in fact, they told him, “We aren’t leaving till you bring her out to us.” He became very angry with them and came out himself, intending to drive them away, as they usually fled in fear when they heard him coming out. That night, however, they stood their ground, and one of them took the gourd by its neck and hid out of sight until the man poked his head out of the door of the house. Then he raised his hand and brought it down hard and struck the man on his head with the gourd, which broke, and the filth inside it poured over his head, clothes, and face. When he smelled the horrible smell, he shouted curses but they told him, “Hold your tongue! Tonight we’ve done this to you. Tomorrow night, if you stand in our way, we’ll kill you.” So the man woke his family and they came and washed him with water. He bathed and put on perfume and slept, and he was afraid of them. In the morning, having no other choice, he gave his daughter a room of her own to sleep in, and things went with her as they usually do. If the father is rich and a man of respectable ways and outward show, with 3.1.107 slaves and servants, they’ll try any trick to get into the harem at night, even if they have to dress as women. For example, it happened that a great man had seven sons and one daughter. She was of a unique beauty, and many had asked for her hand, but he’d refused them all. When things had gone on like
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�ف ف ا ��ي� �م�ل� ف���س �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
أ ن �اش ن ن أ أ� ن � ن ي ن ا � ��� ا ن ا �ا�ا ن�� ي� �ن �ر����ي � �����ي �وك� ا �و�ل��� � �� �اور� 1و�ل�� ن���� ي� � او � ��ه� �م��� ا �� ��� ك���ي�ر�و� �� ن �� ح��� ن� �و��� � ن � ي ن ن � � � �أ ا �� ن ي ي� ّ � ي أ ن � ي ش ا ًّا �� �� نًا � ن ا ��ل��ش��� ا �ي �ا ن � ي�ه� � � ��� � ا � � � ���ل� و � �ل� ���� ن� ك� �ع��ل� ي� ��ط�ا �ل ا �ل��م�� �ع��� لن���� ��ه� م� ن � �ع� ن�م�� � ي ي م ُ أ أ أ أ ي ن ا يّ ن ي نّ يَ ن� ن � �ن � ش ن ا ا ش ا ّٰ ن � ش ن ي ي �َه�� �� � �ل ��� ا ��� ا َ��ي� �ع��� �ع����ه� �م� ���� ء ا لل� ا � ي��م��� � او �ك ��ه��� ا �ه��ل�� �ل��م ي�ل�عر��� او �ل�� ن� � أ � ش��م ا � �ن ش��م � � �ا�مّ�ا اأ ن���ن� �ي�� ا ��ل ن�� ش ح � ن� ن���يه�ا ��ل ي� ��ل�� ا ��ل� ن�� ي� ا �ْ ْ �� � � ��سو�ي ���ط��ل� ا ��نل � � و رن و ن ن رن ��نَ��ر أا �� ا �ل�لي���ل ر ن ح نأ ي � � � أ �ّ � � �آ �اا ن أ ا ن� ي ا ا � ن ن ن ن ن ا ا � �ل � �ه� �و�رن� �وك�� � ا ن� ��و�ه� � او � � ��ان �� �و�� �ل �ل� ا �رن � أا �ل� ا �ل�� �و�ع��ل ن� �ع�لي� �وك�ه� ن�� ����ي� �ع���� أ ح ح أ ن � ي ين � ّ �ّ � ن ش ن ّ �ن�ا ن� ن��ي��ي��ه�م ��م�ا ��س�عر� او �ن�ا �ل ش����ا ن� أا �ل� �و�ه�و ��ا رحن � �����اح� ا ن� ��و��عم �ع��� ن� �� او ن� ا �لن�ي��� ا �����ل� ن ا ��ل��ا � �ن��ل ّ�م�ا �ي��ن�� ا ��ل��ا � اأ �م ا ��ل��ص��� ��ا �� �ليع�ن�� �ع��ل��� �ن�ا ن��سيم�� ي� ا ��ل��ص��� ��ل��يع� ن ح� �� او �ع��لي��� ن� � � � ني ي ن �ل ن ن ر ن ي ن ن � ي ن ن رح ي ن أ ن ا ًا ين � ي �ن�ن � ا � �أ� � � � ا ��ل��سع� � ��م ّ� � ن ا �ل � �ا � �ع��ل � ي ا � ����ي� ن �كي��ل��� �ه� ا �� ���� � ا �مصع� �ع�ل �م �ه� حرن �ل� و�ل� ن ه� نحري � ���لح ي�� �� � � ٰ و ّع ي� م ح �م أ � ن � ن ّ � ن نن � �ك ن��ا �ش���� �ع� ا لل� ا �ل� ا �ل�ه�� � ا �ع ن��� � ي� ��ا � �� 2م�س ا � ��������ل�� ��ا � �� ا � ي� ا � �� ا �ع��ل��� ���ع ّ �من�ه أ ن و ً و ر و ي �ي� أ � ن ي ن و و ر و ي ر � �م م ن ي � ا ن���يعي�� � ا � �� ا �من ن� �ور�م�ا ��ع ��ا ��ل ي�ه� � ��ل��ك �ور���و� �ن�ا ��ل����ل�ا � �ي�هحر�و���و ن� �كي���ل�� �ه� ���ن��ر �ع��ل� حر ن� �ل و �� � ن ح م م ً � يّ �ي ي ن � �أ � �ن ا م ن � ي ّ ّ � ن ن ن حنع ��نهً�ا ا ا ي ن � � ح �ه� �� ك���ل �م� ا �ل� �و�ل� � ��س��� �و ن�ر ا �ل���� ن�ل� ���� ر �ي��� ن� �ع� � �ل������ � � �م ع ن�ر�� � ي ح وير ي� م �ن ن أ � ن ن ن � � � � ن� ن ي ي �ن ��� ن� � �� ��� � �ل�� �و ن�رن� �و ا� لي � � �ل�� ا �لن��ا ن� ������ ي� را �� � او �ل��� �ع� � �ل��ك �ن�ا � �� �ي�ا �ع�ل�ا � ا ��� ر ن � م ح م ح م ح ح أ أ ّ ً ً � � � ن ي ن �ا�ا ن� �ميصن ��يعن��ا �وك� �و ا� ي�ل�عر�ن� �م ن� �ه�و �ل�� �نّ�� ك� �ا�ا ن�� ي� ا ن����ي��� ���ن��ن��ا ��ي� ن� ار ن� ن��ي��ي��� �و�كي���ل ا �و�ل���� �و�وي��ا �أل� م ً � أ نّ � ن � � ن ن � أ ع �اش� ي ن ن �ه�� ا ا �� �لي�ص��� �ي� ن�� ��� ا ��ل��� �م�ا ء ن�ك�ه�ا �ه�� ا �ل�� � ا �ل��� ي� ا � �سي ل��� � �ه�� ا ا �ل�� �م �م ن � � ر ي� ن ي� ي و ني ل ر� ك��ي ر� م� ن أ �ش �اأ �ن �ا ��� ي ن ��� ا ��ل ن��ا �� ��ا ��س� ا �� �ليه�ا �يل�� � ��ل�� �م ن �ه� �ل�� �ي����ا �� ا �م �ه�ا ا ن� ا � أ �س���ل ي� �عّ�م ن � �� ك�ه �ل ر ر أ ل و � و نل � � ن ر أ � ن �م ّ أ أ أ � � � ن ن ن � ي ن ن �ن��ه��ل �ه�� ا ا � ن�لع�ه��ل ا � �ي�ل ��و�ل �ل�� ا �عل��� �و�ل�� ي����ل��� �م ن� �ه�� ا ا �ل�� �مر ن��ي�� ي� �كي��� ا ن� �سش� أا �ل�� أا � ا ك� �ا�ا ن�� ي� م م أ ح ش����ا ء ا � �كه�ا �ع�� �ه��ي ي�لن ن��ّع ا ��ل ن��ا �� �عن�ه�ا �و ن� ر � � و ن� � ن �ن ن ن � � �ن � � �ن ن � � � ّ ن ي ا �ي � � ن ح�ي� أا �نّ�� ن� �ه�� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �عن��� ا �ر��م� �ي� �م�� � �ل�ك ل�� ي ك �م����� � �ل�ك ��ه��ل ��ي� �و��� ن� � م ع ً نا يا � �م ا ��� �ي ا �� ا �� � ا � � ن � ا ن ا�اش ن � ن ن � ن ا ن � ن � ي ن � �ي��ل�ا ���ط �نك�ه� �� � ��� ر ن�� ل و �ل� �ص�� �� ك���ي�ري�� ي�م����و� ا �ل������ ء �م� � ن ��� ��� او ا �ل��س�و�� � � ي م � ي � ي ن ا أ نّ � � ن ن �� ��� ًل�ا ن�ع �ا�ا ن� ي���م ّ ��ا ��لن� ن�� ي� ا �س�ي �لن�ع � � �ن��� ن�كي ��ي��و��ل �ك�ه�ا �ي�ا ن��ن��يّ���ي �م�ا ��ل�� � ك � � � ن حيصن��� �م � ��ي� � �ل�ك �ي �ه� ا � ا ر ل رن ي� ا � �� ن � �أ � ّ � ش ن ي � � يا �ا � ������ �و�ش���� ن ن�ل�ع �ن� ن � �ه�م �ع�ي�ر ن �مي���ل ي� ر را ����ك �����ي� �م���ل � �ي�ك ا �ل��س�ول��� �ي�� �و�م� �ل�� يلعس�ي�� 3ل� ي ن ن أ � ي �ا ي � ش ن � ن� ي � � أ ن ن�كي��ي��و��ل ��ع� �و�ل ن��و ا �ل�� �سول��ا� �ي�� ي� ا�امي���ل را ��س�� �و�و�ل ن��و ن��م�عن�س� اي� ن� �ه�و كي �� ��و�ل �لي � � � ا ل � ��� ��ا ا �ي� � ا ك ي ي ي ي � �صع�ه�� ن�كي��ع �ن��ه�ا �و�ل�ه�� ا�ا�م����ا ء �ي� ن�� ��� أا ��لي��� ن�كي���ص ي� �ع ن���� �و�ا� ي�لن ن��ع� ا ��ل � حر��� ن� ش���س�ء �يو�لن��عي��ه�ا �ك�ه�ا �ن�اأ � ن ر ن ن ي ن ي م ع أ أ أ ب ة � � ا ب� 3 .ال� �ص� :ا � ب ع��. 1ال� �ص�ل :د � �ورا 2 .ال� �ص�ل� :ر�و ل
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Garments of the Kings of the Fur
this too long for the girl’s liking, she played a trick and brought in a nice young man known for his courage, who spent with her what time God was pleased to allow him. His family noticed his absence and could find no trace of him. Now it happened that he’d brought with him something to drink. He drank, and when the intoxication took hold, he wanted to leave. “Wait till night,” said the girl, but he refused, saying, “I have to leave right now!” and forced her to let him go. Her father and brothers were sitting at the door of their house and caught sight of the youth as he was leaving. The father shouted to the doorkeeper, “Close the door!” and when he’d done so, ordered the slaves to seize the boy. The slaves gathered to do so, but he wounded some of them and kept out of their reach. Then the seven sons came out, unsheathing their weapons and bent on killing him. He beseeched them in God’s name to stay away from him and let him go his way, but they refused and threw themselves at him, so he fled, throwing spears at them and killing one. This enraged them, and they threw their spears at him, intent on killing him, while he defended himself and threw his at them. In the end, he killed six of the sons and lightly wounded the seventh. When their father saw this, he called out, “Slave! Open the door for him!” which the slave did, and he left without a wound on him, and they never found out who he was because he was wearing a veil. His daughter was the ruin of his house and caused the death of his sons. Many an incident of this type has led to blood being spilled with impunity because the girl involved won’t tell anyone the killer’s name or who he is. Indeed, the most she’ll do, if asked who did it, is say, “I don’t know.” Not a house with a female in it is spared such things, unless she’s hideous or has some defect that makes people shun her. Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān tried to prevent the practice but couldn’t. He even 3.1.108 put large numbers of eunuchs in the marketplace to stop the women from talking to the men and mixing with them, but they came up with some remarkable tricks to get around this. For example, if a man passed a girl who took his fancy, he’d say “Yā bunayyah māluh rāsik shēn mitl dīk al-suktāyah” 114—māluh means “why?” and shēn in their parlance is the opposite of “beautiful”—and she’d say to him, “Wēnu al-suktāyah al-shēn al-mitl rāsi” 115—wēnu meaning “where is it?” Then he’d say “Dīka”—meaning “that one”—and point it out to her with his finger. Thus, she’d know where it was, and in the evening she’d go there and spend the night with him and the eunuch guards would have been of no use.
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�ف ف ا ��ي� �م�ل� ف���س �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
��نل ن أ ًا � ن ع ��� ي � يّ �ا أ نّ �ن��� � ا � ي ا � ي � ن ا �ي�ه�� ��ن �من�� ش��م � ا � ح�مر ��م�ا ا � ك م�� و ��� �ل� ا �ل�� ��� �ي �مك�� ا ��� ا ن� � ي� ع رن ���ل� ي�سم�� ح�� أ أ نّ � ّ ي ن �ّ�� � ن � � ش�����ي � ن� �من�ه� ا ��نل � �ا�ا �ن�� او ��ا �ي��و ن� ��لص ��و ي� ا ���حنل ح�مر �و� ��ور �و ن� �ام ن� � ا ير ��عم ا �ك�ه�م ي� ش�����ر�و� م و ر و ر � ك� ي ي ي� ُ ي ني ْ أ م أ ن �ا ن ن ن نً ن� ��ا �ن�� ا � �لي �� ���� ن� �ل��لن�عي يُ ي ُ َا ن َ ا ن ن �ا ن �ه�م � �لعر�و �ن� �َي������� ا �ي� َ�ن��ر �م� �ع��� �ه��ل ا �ي� �ه��ل �ع��� �م� �ن��ر �ن��را � � و ي و و ن � ي � أَ � ن ن أ نّ أ ن ن ن ن ن أن � ن � ن �وا ���ي����� ��طر� �و�ع� �ن �ل ��و�ك�ه� اَ نل��ا�ا ي�ل�ع�سي� �م�ا �ع ن��� �ن�ا �أاو � �عر��� او ا �ك�ه� ا �ع ار ن� �أ�ا � ��ا ��� او ا � لي���و� �� او ن�� م م م ا ن � � ا �� �� �ع � ا � � ن ن ن �ا�ا ن ا ��ل�����ل����ا ن �ن اأش�ل ن��ا ء ن� �� � ��اأ�م � ش�� ّ � � � �� � ك س �ي��� ���ل�و�ك�ه� � ���ل ا �ل�� ر �ويل�� � طو �م م� يري و� و � ل�ك ي ر ن � ط � �ي� م �ن ن ي م أ أ ن أ�اا � � � ي �ن� � ا نًا ا �ل �اش � ن ا � ا ��سع� ا �ن�� او � �م ن � �مر ن�م��ل����� �م� ا ك�� �نر ا �ل�� �و�ل�� �و��عم ا ���ر ا �ل�� ��� أا � �م� �� �ع��� ح�مر �� ه�م��ل� او � � � ن � ي � أ ي ن ن ن ��ش� ي ا � � � شَ ْ ُ �ن ا ي ش�ّ ��من��ن� ن ن ن ن ا � ش ا � � � � � ��� ر�و ن� حر �ي�له� �ل �ل�� ا �ل��س�ه� �لو ن� � �لأ� را �ل�� ا � ار ��� �س� �ه�م �م ي � ��و� �� � �� او ي���م �نر��و� ��له�ي�ل � أع ع � ن أ ن ي ن ن � � ن ي ي ّ ي ��� ا �ل � سّ�م ن ا �ن�� او ���ه� را � �ه� � او �م�� نر ن� ���ا �أل� �� �ر ي� ��ي� �� �م ن��� ��ل�ا � ش�� ح�مر ا �لنصي��� �و�ه�� � �ع� او �أ��� ا ريل � ح ي� � � ن � م م �اا ن ي �ن � � �ا ��م ّ �ي حم �ن ا ي ن ي ّ ي ن ���� �سه� � ��ل ��س�ه� ���� ر� � �س��� �م نيصع�ه�� �أاو � ك�� ��� �ي� ا �لأ� ����ل � حر�م� م ن �مو م أ ن ي ن ّ� ن ً � أّ � � أن ع او �أ��� �ع� ا ن� ا �ر ن���ل أا � ا ��هحر�ون �وك� �ا�ا � ن���يه�ي�را �و ا� �ي �� او �� �سو� ا �ه��ل�� ا �ل�� �عنصي��ا ء �و ن��ا ء �و�م ن� � � م ح م أ ح�يّ ي���� �م�ا �ش�س���ي ا �ي � ا ��ل ن��ا �� ا ��ل��� ن�ك��ع�يع �من�ه�ا � �� � ا ���� ���سم��ي ي�ل�ه�م�� ا �� �م �ع� ا�ا�م� ا �ش��س � � أي ي ر � ن ي رن أ � ر � و ي� � ي وم وي أ أ � ً ً � ا ن ش � ن ن ن � ش ش ن ح� أا ن�ل�� � او � ا� لي � ن �� �ا�ا � ���ا � �م� لي�� ��لعي��� ���و�س�مي��� ���ورا ا �و ���ور � ن� ا �و ن�ل�ه�ي�را أا � ك� ل ��� �سي� ء �م� ن ي أ ي م أ ّ ا ً ن � ن� ن � ي �اه�اي�لي��� ن�أ�ا ن� �ن� ���� ن ر نّ� ا�ام�ا ��ل ��ل�� �و�من��ه�� �يكن���ل ا �ل�ع�يعر ر��م�ا ي��ا �يل��ل�� ��ا �ش���ا �ع���� ��� ر ��ل � �ل��ك �ن� ا نل�� � ن ح ن �ش � ن � ا �� �ليهس �ي ن� �ن ا � ا �� ي � ا ن �ّ ��� �ل � �� � �ي ا ن ا �� 1اأ ن �لن � � � � � � � � � ا ل ك � � � � � � � س � ل �� �� ل � ل � ط � � ه � � � � � م � � � � ع ل ه ه ل ل م � ير ن أ � ي ي � أ � � ي ن� أو � ح و ن �ي� ي ر ��� ح � �ن � ي ّ ��ل � ��� م�ي����مر ا �ا لي � ��ا �ل م � �م ن � �ي اأ نّ ا �� ن� �ا � ا ن ا ا ن �ي���ي ن ي ن� ��سيم� �ع��لي��� ��ن� �ش�ا ��ل ش� �ي ��و� ن� � حيصن��� أا ��� ����ا ن�ل� �ي ��و� و � �ع� � ك�ه� � له�ل أ � � ع م م م م ي ي أع ن ي ي أ ن ن ن � ن� � ن �ن � � ّ ن ن ن ن � ا ا � � ن � م � � � � ن��مي�� �ع��ل�م�ا � ا �لن���ل��� �و�ع�ي رع� �م� �ل�� �نك�ه� ار �ن�� ا �و س�عر�� � �وي� ��� �و� ا �ل��س�ه� ر�ي�ك �ويحر ن � �و� �ي� م م ع ن � ا ا �� � اي � � � �ع ا ��ل �ا ا �� �لي �ل �ي �من ا ن �ا � ح ن ا �ي ا �ّ � �يكي � ا ا ن ي ل � ا � ��� � � � � � � � � � �� ل � � � � � ه � � � � � � � � � � � � ع ك ع � � �ص � � ه ه � ه � � � � � ل � ل ل � � و أو ي رو ن ن أ يرن � نل�ل�� م و ن رو �� ن � ن ي أ أ ّ � ش � ن ن� ح�ي ي ن� ا ن���ن� �و�ه�ا � ��سيم� �ع ن��� �ع� � ن��ا ن� ك� �ا��ي�ر �و�ل�� �ي�ليه�� ر ا � ���� �م ن� ا �ل ن��ا ��� ي�ل�ه�ا ر ن� �ك�ه�م ��ي� � �ل��ك � ح �ا ن � ن ع ن م � ن ا � ش � �ي � ي ي ا � ي�ه� ��مرله�� � � � � ل �م �ر��و� �و �ع ��ه� ر �ل� له� �ع� � � �� �م �ع� �كه م و �ل � ر� � �م � ن م ي م أ ن ين � ن ا ي � ّ ن أً � � ن�ه� ��ن ن� ��ل��ك �ع�� ا �ي����ا � �ن�من ل�� �ه� �م ن� �ل�� �ير�� � ��ل��ك ا �ن��� ا �و�م ن� �ع�� � �يك�ه� ���� ا �لنص�� � � ك � � � ي � م م م م � يأ ن ن ن ن ن ن ن ًا ن ن نً � أ�اا � � �ع� اأ �ع ا � ا �� ن ا ا ا ا ن ن � � � � � � � � � � � �� � � � ع � ا ا ا � � م ل م ع �� � � � ه ل ح ل س � � � ح � � � �م � � � � � ه ه � ك �� ه � ح � � � � � ي � نر ي � و م ن�� م ور و � م � � ل ر وم أ 1ال� �ص�ل :ال�.
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Garments of the Kings of the Fur
He also worked hard to put a stop to the drinking of alcohol, but failed. 3.1.109 People came up with some astounding tricks. They went so far as to go to the houses of the brewers, buy alcohol from them, and pretend to any who might see them that they were buying bread. They’d say in their language, “Tugúra baing sá,” meaning Bread-you-at-is, i.e., “Do you have any bread?” If the brewers feared they were spies, they’d send them away by saying, “Á keeba,” meaning, “We do not,” and if they knew they were unknown to the police,116 they’d admit them to the house and give them what they wanted. While this was going on, the sultan gave orders that the breath of the high officers of state who attended his court (who were the persons most addicted to alcohol) be smelled, so they’d chew the branches of a tree called shaʿlūb to get rid of the smell; they’d drink their fill and then chew some of it, and the alcohol couldn’t be smelled on their breath at all. These ways have become integral to their natures and part of their blood and flesh, and they are now accepted practice, even though they’re forbidden in Islam. One of their customs is that when a poor man marries and his better-off 3.1.110 relatives refuse to help him with the expenses on the banquet day, he takes himself off to the livestock pasture in search of animals belonging to his closest relative and hamstrings as many as he needs, be it an ox or oxen, or a camel if the relative has any. If the relative has none of these, the man will slaughter sheep of the number required. If the animals’ owner is aware of what he wants to do and forbids him before he’s hamstrung any, he may fight him till he beats him. If the other still refuses to help him and summons him before the judge, the latter will oblige the first to pay the value of the beasts, in installments if he’s not well off. Another custom is that when a boy is circumcised, the other boys in the 3.1.111 village, as well as any others who are related to him or know him, gather, starting from the third day after his circumcision and continuing until the seventh, and they take throwing sticks, go out into their village and the nearby villages, and kill any chicken they see or, if they can, catch it alive and take it, till they’ve collected a large number. No one dares stand in their way, and if any does, they beat him. They’re young, so no law can be applied to them. Another of their customs is to circumcise their daughters, though they 3.1.112 have different ways of doing this. Some don’t think it necessary at all, these being the non-Arabic-speaking Fur. Others—the great among them—perform a light circumcision, in the same way as the Egyptians. Yet others perform
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�ف ف ا ��ي� �م�ل� ف���س �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
ن ن � ��نل ن ا ن � يّ �ل�ل�ي� ا�� ّ ����ل ن �ا�م����� � ا ��ل �� � ا ي � �من ح� م حه� ��� ح�� ي � �ه�ك ا � � لك ن ��ول م� �� �سور� �ه� �م� ي�ل ���ل ن�لن��� ن� ���� �وي ن� ه �و� و � � م ن �م � � ن ن ن حيّ ش �يّ ن �� ن � � ّ ي ي ن ن � � �ه�أ �ل�ء ا � ا � ن�� ي ن �ك�ه�ا ��� ي���س ��و� �ل� �ه� �ل� �ي�له�� ر ا �ر ن���ل �ع��� ا �ك�� ���ا � �م� ���ي��� و و أ رو �وا ا ن���� � م أ ح أ � �ش ن ا ن ا � ن ا� ن ن ي ي � � � ي ا �ن� ��ل�� ا �ك ن� ًا أ � � ا ا�م ّ ا ا� � ��� �و�ه�و�ل�ء ا ���ر ���ل �ن� �م�و�س�� �و�ع�� ك ����� ء �ك�ه�� ا ا�م�ع�س� �و��ي� �و�� ا ���و�ل��� ��� ك ي � � ا � أ�ًا � ن� � ن ن � � ن� ن � � ن � �ل ن��ا ي� ا �� ن�ل �ي ا� ن � � ���ا ن��� �ن�ا � ن �نر�ا �و�س� �و�� ا �ل� �كي� ن� ه�م��ا ي� �س� ا �ر ن�� �ل � ا �م� �ويلع�ه�ل�و� � �ل�ك � عع ار ء ا�م � ن ّع ن أ ن ًا ن �� � ن ن � � عي ي � ن � ي ن ّ ن ي ن ي ا ا ا � ن � � � �ل��ك � �لع� ا ل �ه ن �و�ه ن �ع��� �ل��ل�ك ا �ل � حه� ��� ا �لنص�� � يل�ه�م��ل�و� ا � ار �� عي��سم�� �� �ل�� �و��ي� � � ��� �ك ي ع ن �ل ي� �� � � أ أ � � ن � � � أ ي ن � ن� ن �ي � ن ا �� ا �� � �ي ن� ن ن ن � ي ي ن ي �و� �� �ا�م� � ا ��� �ل� �� ا �ل�� �ي��سم�� �و�م ن �ع�� � �ك�ه� ا � ا ��ا ر ن� ا �لن���� ا�م ح ��و� ��� م� ر ن�� ل يلع ��و� � م يو و و م �ن � ن ا ن ا ن ّ ي ي �ي ي �� ن ا � ا��م ّ � � ن � ي ن� ن ن ن� � �� ن ي � ن � �ن ا �ن ن ا ل � � �� ر ن ���ل ا �ل�� ي� � ح���� كي�� ا لن���� � او �ل������ ء لي � �� ع����ه� �أ� � ���و��� �و � ا حه� � ح أ ّ � ي ن ح ي� ��ل�ع ن�� �ه�ا � ي �ا �ه�ا � ا ���� ي � ���ا �ه�ا �� � � �ا�ل �م ن� ا ي��ا ر�ك�ه�ا �ع��� ي��� ر ��ا �ل�� �و� ار �لي��� � �ع � � � � و و ر و أو و نر و ن � ن � ن �ن ً � � ي ي ي ي ي ي ا ا ا ن ن ن ن ن ن ن ن �ه�م �م� �يك�� ن� �ك�ه� ر�كي ��ه� �و�م � �ه�م �م� �يك�� ن� �ن �لع ار � �و�م � �ه�م �م� �يك�� ن� �ك�ه� �ن �لعر� �و�م � �م � �ه�م أ�م� أ ّ ي �ش ي أ ا ن � ا �اش � ا ش ا ي أ ش ا ًا � يّ ي ا ّ ا ن ا ��� � �ك�ه� ا ���ر �يك�� ن� �ك�ه� ���� � ا �و ��سي�� �ه� ح�� �ك���ي�ر �م� ر�ن� � ا �ل��ر�و� � او ن� ��و�ه� � او �س�ه� �يك� ن � ن � أن �ا�ا �ن�� او ا �عنصي��ا ء �م ن� ن��مي�� ا �ل ن��ا ��� أا � ك ع أ � ن ا ي ن ّ� ا ي ن ّ ي � ن ي � ��ع ي ن � ن ن ي ي �و�م ن� �ع�� � �ك�ه� ا � ي�لش��يه��ل� او �س�ه�ور ا �لنص�� � �ر�م� ��هحر�و ن� ح� ا �لن���� ا ���و يس�م�� �م� ا � �ل � عع ار ء أن م أ ن �أ � � ن �ن �ي عيه�� �و ن� ا �ل� � ن�ل�� ش��مر� ن� �ن �ليعر�ي �و ن��ا ر���ي �و�عن��� ن�كي��ا ن���� ا �ل�� ن� � او �ل���ّ ن��مي�� � ��ل��ك �و�ل� � عيه�� �ع���� ن��� �ع� ي ي م ي ن � ي � � ن � � ن ن � � ي � � ن ا ش أ�اش ن �ع� ي � �ن�ا ي � ن ن � �أن ش ي� اأ � � � � ل �و� ن� ��و�ل� �� ا �لأ� �� � ا ���ر �م� �و�ل� �� ا �ل�� ��ور � �و �ل ��و� ��و� أا � ا �ل�� �س� �م�ل� � ل � � � � � ع ع ل �م� ا �ن ر و ل�ك ي ر � ي أ ّ � ن � ن ي ن ي ن ّ� ي � ش � � � ن� � ً ن ي �ار ي ن� ا � نرر�لن���ي ن��ي�را � او ��ل��� �� ح ي� ��م��� نل�ه�� ا �ل�� � �و�ل ح �نرك�ه�ا �و�م ن� �ع�� � �ك�ه�م ا � ا �لن���� أا � ا ��هحر�و ن ي �ن ن� � ا ��ل ي ن � ا ا �ّ � � ا �ن � ي اأ�ل ا � ن �ي اأ �� ن��ي � ن � � � � � � � �م� ل � � � �� �ه�� ه�� � � � � ه ه � � � � ل ن ن ن ي � نك�ه� �ي� ن�ي��� ن ي � �ه� �س�� �و � ��ي� �و�ل� � رو � ن ي رو � أ ن ّ � أ ا ا اأ �ي � ن �� ن ن ي �ن �ي�� � ا ا� ّ ي � ن ���� � او ل �� � �ه� �و�م� �ي� �ي� �ن�� ا �ر ن���ل �ي� للك �م�� � لي� عيه�� ��ي� �يل��ل�ك ا�ام�� �ي �ع��� ا ن�ل � � � ع � � � ن� � � و �ي � ي � أ � ً � � ن ن� � ّي � � ن �اا ن �يك ن � � �� � ا ن ���ن��ي���ل ا �ك�ه�� �ي�� �و�م ن� �ع�� � �يك�ه� ا ن� ا �ر ن���ل أا � ا � ��� ن� ن����ي��ا �وك�� � ن���ل � �ل�ك ل� �ي��ل�ا ��ط م أ أ � � �� �ي ن � ّ ��لن �ي�� �ا ��� ��اأ�ل��� � اأ�ّم�� اأ�ك ن ً�ا �ي� ن�� �� �يل��ل� ا�� ن ��ا ��ك���ط��ي ن��نم م �ن�ا ن�لي��ه�ا � او �ّس�ه�ا �وك� ��� �� ن� ك �ا�ا ن�� ي� �ك�ه�ا ا � لط ن ن ي و ي � حر� ا �� ن أ أ �اّ �من�ه ن�ك��ه�� ن� ���� ا ن� ا اأ � ا �� �� اأ ��ا ا ��ل� ن�� ي ا�� ن ي ��س� � ش � ���ط� ���ي ا � ا �ّسه�ا � ن�لع ّ �م ن م � ل ك أ ر � ر ن �ل ن ن � ح��� ���ل � �م ن �وي� �و ون و � ي ر � أ أ أ أّ ن أ �ان � � � ن � � ن � � ي �ي � �ا� �ل��ك ا �لن��� ي� �ي ن�لع ّر �س�ه�م�ا را ي� ا �ن�ا � ا �و ا �م�� �و��ي� ا ش�ل ن��ا ء �ه�ا �و�ه�م�ا ���� �ل�ك �و�� ا �ك��طر�ي��� ا � �سي� �ه�و �ع�لي� �ني أ أ ن أ � � ن ن � � أّ � ن �ي ا � ��ل��ك أا � ا � ن���ل ا �ر ن���ل ا �لن�ي�� ي� �ير�����ل ا �ل����ل�ا� �ل�� � ا �لن��� ي� أا �ّم�ا �س� �ه� ا �و ع ا �لن���� ا �و ا � � م م � � �� �ا� اأ � ن ًا � � �لي �ا �ي ا ن � � � ن ا � ن ا � �ي �ن ا ��ل ي ن� ن � ��� �و�ل� ي ��ل كي�� � �و�ل� �و � �ل��ك �و��عي� ي�ر�����ل �ل� ا ل����ل م يك� ن�� ري� �ي� ن�ي��� �و � ير ���و� أ �ن � � � ّ ّ ا ح�ي �ي�ن�من�س �نك�ه�ا �ن��ع ن��� ����ا �ل� � � � ن � ن ا ن� حرن� � �و �ليعن���ل را ��� ��م�ا � �و��م�ا �ي�� ن ���� �ل�ك � ي� ع ي ��وم م� ا �لنص�� ء ي ح ي 98
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Garments of the Kings of the Fur
a circumcision so extreme that the place knits together and they have to insert a metal pipe to let the urine escape. When these marry off their daughter, the man can only deflower her after they have slit the place for him with a razor, there being women whose job it is to do this, and it’s the same when she gives birth. This affects most of the daughters of the poor, who are always obsessed with men. They do it out of fear that they’ll be deflowered out of wedlock, despite which they still get pregnant sometimes even in this state. They hold huge celebrations when girls are circumcised, and put on huge feasts. It’s a custom of theirs for the circumcised girl’s male relatives to stand outside the place where she’s being circumcised, while the women are inside. If she cries out at the moment of circumcision and screams, they abuse her and leave, but if she endures, each of her male relatives gives her a gift, depending on how much he can afford and how closely related he is. Some give her a cow and others several cows, some a slave, and others a ewe or several ewes, so that she ends up a wealthy woman. Her father and mother give her more than all the rest, if they are rich. It is their custom to demand high bride-prices for their daughters. A good- 3.1.113 looking but poor girl may marry for twenty cows plus a slave girl and a male slave. The father and mother will take all of that and seal the contract with a heifer. This is why they celebrate the birth of a girl more than that of a boy, and say, “A girl fills the homestead with good fortune, a boy reduces it to ruins.” It’s also their custom for a girl to remain at her father’s house for one or two years after the consummation of the marriage, and she can only be made to leave and go to her husband’s house with great effort. During this period, her father supports her, and anything that her husband brings is as a gift. Another custom is that if a man becomes engaged to a girl with whose father or mother he has previously been on friendly terms, and the girl too has been on friendly terms with his father and mother, that friendship comes to an end the moment they become engaged, and all behave like strangers to one another. From then on, if the man sees the father or mother of the girl to whom he is engaged, he turns around and goes another way, and they do the same. Likewise, the girl flees whenever she sees his father or mother. If the man enters her house during this period, he sends his greetings to her mother via the girl or her sister or a slave girl, or whoever is in the house, and her mother sends him her greetings by the same means, and they never meet. They go on like this till he consummates the marriage. Then, on the seventh day after the consummation, he goes
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�ف ف ا ��ي� �م�ل� ف���س �م��ل�وك ا � �ل ��ور
ي أ نّ ًّ �ي � ا ن � � � ي أي � �ه�م� �و��� �ا� ��ل��ك ا �لن� ن�� ي� �و�م ن� �ع�� � �ك�ه� ا � �� �ال�ا �م ن� ا � نر�ون� � او � نر�و ن��� �ير�� ا ��ا ر ن� �وي ن �سم� �ع�لي� ح م ن ع�ااأ ي ا �ن� ي � � ا ��� ا اأ �ّ أ ن ��ا ��� ا أ ي أ ّ أي ن �ي�ه�ا ا ن� ��ه� �ن� م�ي� � او � � ���� �ي� ان� �سي� � او �م ا �م ار ��� ي � ن � ر �و ن��� ك�� �� ر�ن�� ي����ر�م ا �ر ن���ل ��م� � �وي ن آ � �� اأ ن �ن� ���� � ��هح � ن ن� ���� �م ن ا ���ا حي � �ع ���ا � ح�ي �� �ي� �ع�� ل � ا ل � � ل ل �هم� ك ك � � وي رو �ن� ي� و ي� و ي� �
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Garments of the Kings of the Fur
out and kisses his father- and mother-in-law’s heads and meets with them, along with the girl. Another custom of theirs is that the husband and the wife each regard the other spouse’s relatives as their own. Thus, the man treats his father-in-law with respect and addresses him with the words “My dear father,” while he addresses his wife’s mother with the words “My dear mother” and her sister as “My dear sister,” and she does the same.
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� ا �ش ا ن ا � نل�ه� ن� ا �ل�ه� �ي� �ن ن ن ه��� �ق���ل�ا � 1 �و ي ن ن ��� ��ه��ل ��ي�
��ق ���ط�ل�ا � ا� ح
�ي�هح ن � � ن � ا � �ل ��ور روي ن ح
أ أ � ن ًّ � ا� ّ ا ن � ّ ن ن � � ن ��ه� ك� �ا�ا � ا�امي��و���� ��ي� � ا �ي�� �و���نه�ا �ي�� � او �ن��ه�ا �ل�� �عنصي��ا �ع ن� ا � نر�ون� � او � ��و�ل��� �م�ا ا �ن �ل�����ل �ع ن� ا � ���� ح ّ أ � ن � � ي ا � ا� ا ن�ا � � �� ا ش ا� � ن ��� ن ا ��ل�� ن� �� ��ل�� � ن ��� ن �م� � ��ر أا �ل� ا ل ��� أا � �ل� ي� �� � � ا� �س��� ��ل�� �و�ل�� ي�لن�������ل �ع ن��� ا � م��ع��ي� ي ح ْ ّ َ يَاأ ن ُ نُ ُ ����� ا ن ي ا �� � ّ ّ َ يٌ ََ نَ ْ ٌ ا ��ل�� ا ّٰلل� � ��ل�� �س�ه�� ن � �يكي ��و� {لا �� � � � � � � � � ل � �ه�� � ���َث ن��� �ولا � ��و�م} � � ه � ه � � � ن و أ ي� و و و � ي أ ٌ ن ٱ اْ�ُ ْ ْ ا� ل�ي ن �ن ا ي � � � � ْ َ م�َ ْ َ ُ نْ �َ ُ ن ش � � � � � � ط ��� � � �س�م�� � ي � ��� ا � � او � ���� �و�ل� �و�ل�� {�و �م �ي�ك�� �ل�� ���َهحَر�ي�ك �ي� ا��ه�ل َك} ��� ��� � ن َ رُ َ ُ ُ منُ ً أَ َ أ آ ٌ � �ا �َ � ن � ي �ّ ن � �ي ن ي ن {�َو � ْم �يَ�ك� نْ� �ل�� ��ل �� او ا �ه��} ��� �ل� ا � �م ا �ن�ا ا �لن�� ش��مر�م ن� ا �ل��را ن� �و�� �ل� � �وا ء ر�و ن��� �م� � � ي � اأ �ي��م ن ����ل� �م ن ا ن��ل � ��ه�� ا �لي����مر�� �ع��� ا �ك��� او ن� �ر ع � َ اأ ن ن � � � ا � ن ا� ّا�اا ن ّ ن ي أ ن � ن َن � نَ يً �ن ٱ �ْ �أ ْ ن �و�م� ك�� � ��مر���ل�ه�� ا � لي���و� {�َ�لي�ثم�ه�� َ�ي� ا �ل� ر��َ�} �يو��م�ل� �م� �����ل�� ��ط�و�ك�ه� � او �ل�عر��� ّ �ن ي � � ي �� ن ّ �ي �ا�ا ن� اآ� � ��� ن ����� ا ��ليصن��ا �ا� ن�ك�ه�م�ا ا ��ل ش��سه� �ي ا ��ل�� ش��م �ّ��ي ��يل � � � � ا ل ا ا �� � �� �� �� � � � � � � � � � ك � ل � � ي� ي و ل و � أر ل م ي� رن � و ن ري �ّ أ ن ي آ أ � ن ي� ي � ن ن �� ي ن ي ّ ي ا ا ا ا ن ا ن ط � �ن�� �ي��� ي� �م���ن ن � ���ل��� �� �وا ء �ي� ��س��� �م� ا �ل ��و�م �و�م� ا �� �� را �ه� ا �م� �م�� �ع���� �ر�ي�� ن� م�� �وم و أ أ ن ي ا أ ّ � �أ � �� �ي�� ا ��ل�� �ع ا ن ���ا � ي��ا ��ل ي� ا �ن�ا ��ّ ي ن � �ي ن ّٰ ن يا � � ا ن وع أ ن �� ن� �و�� �ل �ك�ه� �م� ا ��� �ي� ا �عر ا �ل�� ن ن �وا ء �و��� ��له�ي� ا لل� �م� أ أ آ أ ّ ّ ن � � � � ن � � � � ن ن ن ي ّ ّ ي ي ي ي ي ي ن ي ا ن���ل�ك �ي�ا ا � � �و��� ر � �ل��ك �م ن� ا ر�ل � �له�ا � � ���ه�ا �ل �ك�ه�ا �هل��� أا �ي� ���ه�ا �ل� ن�ل��ل ا �� ي� �ل�ه�ا �ل أا �ي� ���ه�ا � م م م م آ ا � � ا ��ل�ه�ا �ن����ا ي� �ع�� ��ي ا �� ��ا ��ل ا ��ل�� ن� �ه�ا � ا ��� ا ��ل ن������ ءا ر ن أ� رن م أ ي� أ � �ا�مّ�ا اأ ن ���ل�� �س��ه�ا � �م��ّ �ل��� ��� ن� ح��س�مه�ا ���ّ ي� ن�ك��� ا ��ل ش��سه� �ي ا ��ل���ن����ا ن�ل ّ���ي � ا ا � ��� ا �ي��عي�ه�ا � و أ ي ور و � � ن ي و � ن � � و � ني ي ة ب أ ب ب ب ب 1ا �لبل��ا ب� ا �لشل��ا �ة� و�ة���� ����ص�لا � -ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا �.
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Chapter 2
In two sections
Section 1: Marriage Practices among the Fur Given that He who is unique in His essence, attributes, and acts—having not
3.2.1
been disjoined from any and none having been disjoined from Him—needs neither spouse or offspring, the only one that has need of these last is that pitiful being, newly made, who has no support but God and likewise no aid, He, glory and power be to Him, being the Living, the Everlasting, whom «neither slumber nor sleep may overtake,»117 Single, Solitary, Unique, Eternal, who has taken neither wife nor son,118 «and who has no partner in His kingdom»119 «and no like,»120 who created Ādam, the father of humankind, from dust and created Ḥawwāʾ, his spouse, from the shortest rib of his left side, as was just. And given that God’s intention in creating him was that he should be
3.2.2
«a vicegerent on earth»121 and fill it with his issue throughout its length and breadth, He instilled in them human lust, that propagation might proceed, as the Sublime Will has decreed it must. When Ḥawwāʾ was created, Ādam was enjoying a light sleep,122 and when he awoke, he found her before him, limbs neatly disposed, and saw that she was pleasing. He asked, “Who are you, dearest beloved?” and she said, “I am Ḥawwāʾ. God has created me for your sake, Ādam, having decreed this from most ancient time.” “Come to me,” he said. “No, you come to me,” said she. So Adam got up and went to her, which is how it came about that men go to their wives. And when he sat with her and touched her body with his hands and was seized by human lust and wanted to have intercourse with her as animal nature
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3.2.3
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
� ا ن�ل ّ �ي �يك �� � �َ �ْ � ا اآ � � � ي� ّ � �ّ � � ��ا � �ك�ا� �ه� �س�يعي�ن��س ا ��ل ���� ا �ي� �و�ع�يه�� نل � �ي ��و ي�� ي���ل ل� م� ي� � �ل� �� �ّوا ء أا �ل� �نك� � � �م و ل � م ح ّ ٰ � � � � نّ ي � � � � ي ّ � ن ي ن ن ي � ي � ن ا ا ش��ّ أا ن� ا لل� �� � ���� � ��ا � �����ا ��� �و�ل�ه�ا �� � ��ه�م�ا نل � ���� نل � � �� ن ��ل��م�� ا � �له��ي��م ���ه� �ل ا ��حلم�� �ل�عر�ي� ن ن � ن ٰ ي أ نّ �ن ي �ا ّ ّ � � نّ أُ شْ ُ ام ��� ن �� ي � � ي ا ي أ ا ا ا � � � � � ل � � � � � �ع � عصي��� ي� � او �� ا ��س�ه�� � �ي� �م�ل� ل��س� �و� � �و ل��طح�م�� ��مس � ا �ل� ك�له� � �ع�� � س � �م او �ي� ا �ي� أ ي ي ن �ي� ن �و ي � � أم ن � آ أ ي َ م ّ ّ ن ن �ا ن ن ي �ّ ا ء ا �مسي ��� � ���ل��هي ���� نر �ّو ن� ح ي� �ن���ي�ل�ه��ي �� ��طر��� � حن�� � �وك�ه��ل�ل نس�� �ن � ���� ا �� ا � ي��� ن � � ع � � ل � � �� � � � ي و � � � ي ي � ي ي ي ي م نّ ي � أ � ن� � �ل��ك � �س��� �ل�� �و�ل���� ��� � ّ ن �ي � �ن ي ا � �أي ا � ا �� � ن� ا ي �ي� ّ ي ا �� �ي ا �أ ا � � �� �ا ا ي � ن �ك���ط�ل�ا � � �ك�ط�ل �� � ك �ا�ا � ا � ل��ن� �ام�ا ا � ��ل�� �ل� �� �ي�� �و ل�له� � �وله�� � � لعن�� ل��ل �و �ل�� ح م آ ّ � ا � ن أ نّ ً ً ن ا نا � � � ا� ن ن ن ن � � �� �ك��ط�ل� ا �ر�� � او � ك� �ا�ا � ا �ل�ع�يه�� � او�ام�هر � او � �ا�ل �ي��و� �من��ي�ل � � � ���� ا ��م ن� ا � � � ل �ك��ط�ل�ح� ا � �ل ��ور ا � ح ي أ م أ � ا �نً�ا �� ن�� ش��سأ�� ن ن��م��هً�ا �ن��ن ��ن�ع �ع� � �ع� ن ا ��ل�� ن�ع ن��ا � � ��ل�� � � ّ ن ن شً ن ا حا ن ا �ل ش��سن��ا � أا ��ا ��ا �و� ��ر ي و� ي �ي� ر م ير و� �� ن� ن��ي�� � مو ن �ه�م �ع��� � � ش ا ّ ا �� ّ ي � ن ن � � �� ��� ن � ا �نل�ع�يه�� ي ����ن�ه�م�ا ا�ا�م �ّ �ي ا ��سي ا ��ل��� � ا � �ن ّ��م�ا ا � �ك �� ط ل � � ا � ك � �� م ا � ل � � ح � � � � ��� � � � ل � � ك � ني � ي� و و ي� ن و ني � و ر ن � � ي م ن � ّ � ن �ن ي أ ّ أ ّ �ان ا ��ل�ه�ا � ���ا �لن�ه�ا �ع��ل�ه�ا � ��ل�� � �ن ن ���ا �ه�ا ا ي ��ه� � او � حنص��� ر ��� أ ي� و ر ي ر ي� و ير �ل� �لن����� �ع���� م��مر ا �ل��س���ي� �م�س� ا � ن � ن أ أ أ أ ي ا ش ن � � نأ ن اأ � ا اأ � ا �ّ ���� ا �ي�ا ��� �� ن � � �����ه�ا �ن�ا ن� ا ا �نل�ع�يه�� ����ن �� �ه�م�ا ا �� � � � ل��ل�ا� ا ا � � � �� � �� � ����� � م � ي � � ير ر و و ن �� � � �ع�ي ر� �و ي � ن أ ل ن ي ن م �� ا ن ن ا �ن� � ش � � ن� ش��م � ���طً�ا � �ون �لنه ن�� �ع�� �و �ن��ي ا�ا��م ا � ن��س�� ي� ا ��ل ن��ا ��� ��ل�ل�ا�م�ل�ا ك �و� �مر ا �ل��س�ه�و� �ل�لَ�م�ل� ك �كي��� ��رو رو � ر أ � �أ ّ أ �ن أ �اش ي � � ن أ م �ً� ن ي �ا ّ ا اأ ن ن ا � �أ ��ا ��ل ا � ا ��ل��عّ � �ل�ع�يه�� � ن� ��كه�ا ن � � � له� �ي� ��� �ه� ا �ل� ن� � او �ل��م ا �و ا ل و م وي و � ك���ي�ر� � �ويك ��ط�لن ��و� ا ��� او �ل� �عر�ير� �وك��� � ن ن نّا ن � �ع�� �ش��س� ء ي���لي��� �م ن ن� ��ل��ك ا�ا�م�ا ��ل ا ن��ل � ��ا ي��� � �� �ار�ن�ا ن�لن��� �ي �م ن� � ��ل��ك ن���ل��يرا ن� ح نر�ل��ل �ول�� �� � 1ع ن��ا �ل��ك ل � �� ي ي ع ي� ا � ي ي�ا ن � �أ ن ًا ن ًا ّ شّ م�� �ي ��� ي ش ّ � �ي ن �ن ا ن ��س�� � � �هم� طي�ول��ل�� ��م ي ن �سم� ��و� ي�سم� ن��ي�� � ��س�� �م�� ي ��م ن�ل�ه�� �م� �م ا �ل�ع�ه�� �ي��ر ��و� ا �ل� �مر � ي أ ي ي ن� ن نّ ن ن ا ن ن � ن � ن � �و���ي ش����ا �ور �و ن� ن�ينصع�ع�يه�� را �يك�ه� �ع�� �و�� كي��� �ير���و� �أ� � ك� �ا�ا � ا �ل�عر�و����ا � �م ن� � �و�ي� ا �لنصي ��و ي� ي م � �ي � ا ���ن�نا ا� ي � ن � ا ي أ أ � ا �ن ي أ �ي � � ن ا أ� � اأ ّ �ش� ي ا ش ا � � �ص�� ا �ل�� �ن� � او �ل��م ار ن� كن���ل ا ل�عر��� �ن� �ي� � ك��ي ر� �� �م � او��م ار �� ن� ا �ل�� ��ط� �م ا ن�ل��� ا ا �ه�ل�ه�م� �ي� �ك� ي م �ح أ � � � � � ن � ش ن ن ّ ��ّ ي�ر�����ل�و ن� ا �ر�����ل أا ���� ا � ���ا �نك�ه� �م ن� ا �لن��ل�ا � � �وي�لي��و���و� ا �ل�عر��� ��ي� ا �لي ��و� ا � �لنه�ل�ا ��ي� ا�ام�عي��ا � ن م م م � �ن ا ي ��ن �م � ا �م ن ا�ا��م نْ � ا ��ل ن���� ن�� ا ��ل��أ��م ا��م��س� ّ �ع ن��� �ع� ��اأ�ّ �ل��ل�� � �م ن ا ��ل ��يع � ا ��لن�ع�ن � � ل �� � � 2 � � م � و ن و � رو � َ رر و ن ي �وي و �و أر ن �ً� أ ن ًم ن م ن ن لن � ر � �م أ ن � ن �ن ي ن ي � � ّ �م�ا �كي��� ��لاه�ا �ي�� �كي��ا �ي� ا �ل ن��ا ��� ��ي� ا �لي ��و�م ا�ام�و�ع�و� ا ��� او ن��ا ا ��� او ن��ا �و�ع ن��ا ك �����ا ء �س���ه ن� �� ن � ��و�ل ����ي �ا�ّ ا �م اأ�ي �س��ه�ا �ش� �ا �ش��ي ������ �� ا ش�ل ن��ا ن ��ن�ه�� ا ن �اآ ن� ك�ا ا �ا نا ���ي�ر �ع�� �ي�صأ���ي ا ��ل��� رلّن�� ���ه� ر �ولن��� ر ��ل ر � ل ن ول � ي ر � و ر ن � أ ي ي � �أ أ � �ش ن ا ن � ن ن أ ن � � ي � � �ه�ا � ��ا � �ي�ا � ا ��س����ل ا � ك �����ه�ا �و�ه�و ا � ك �ه�ا ا �ل��ي���مرا � �كن� ل��ن��ي�ر �م ن� ا �ع���� � او �ل��ل�� � ي ل��ن��ي�ر ح� أا �نك �� � ��� � أ أ ب 1ال� ص� :ب��لة�� � �و�. ح�ل 2 .ال� �ص�ل :و�ة ك � ل ر ب�
104
104
٤،٢،٣
٥،٢،٣
Marriage Practices among the Fur
requires, he heard a voice say to him, “Gently, Ādam! Ḥawwāʾ can only be yours in religion through payment of a dowry and the making of a marriage contract.” Then God, glorious and mighty, pronounced them in His eternal uncreated language man and wife, saying, “My power be praised! In My majesty lies dread of Me and all Creation are My slaves. I take you, O angels and habitants of the heavens, as My witnesses that I hereby give the marvel of My creation, Ḥawwāʾ, to Ādam, My vicegerent, with, as dowry, that he glorify Me and celebrate My oneness,” 123 and this has been the practice of His children ever since. However, given that climes and languages have diversified, tribes and con-
3.2.4
ventional practices multiplied, each people’s practice has come to differ from others’, though the contract and the dower are the same. It is, for example, a practice of the Fur to raise their young people, females and males, together. Thus, when young, they watch over their flocks with no barrier between them, day in and day out. A boy and a girl may become friends from then on, and a bond of affection be tied that never wears, despite the passing of the years. When he loves her and she loves him, he becomes dependent on her and jealous of her and doesn’t like to see anyone else talking to her. At that point, he sends his father or mother or a relative to ask for her hand. If they agree on terms and things go according to plan, people gather for the wedding, the witnesses come for the betrothal, and they set out many conditions and ask for ample assets, all of which go to the father and mother, or the maternal or paternal uncle. They conclude the contract for her on the basis of a small part of that copious wealth; we have given a brief account of this earlier to which you may refer.124 Following the conclusion of the contract, they set the matter aside, as though it were quite forgotten, for a long while. Then they meet and consult among themselves and agree when to hold the wedding. If the bride and groom belong to great houses and hold high rank, their relatives start preparing the slaughter animals and the drink many days before the wedding. Then they send messengers to their friends in the villages and say, “The wedding is on such and such a customary day.” By this time, they will have assembled sufficient millet beer, the red wine they call umm bulbul,125 the cattle, and the sheep; and the people arrive on the set day, troop after troop. Certain women bring with them small and large drums, each having three, two small and one
105
105
3.2.5
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
� َ �ُّ �ا��ّل ا ا ء ي �� ا �أ�ن �ي ن �ا�ي ين ي �م � �ل����ه�ا �ع�� ا ��لش��ل�ا �ش��ي � ��م � � � � � ك � ح � ل � � � � � � ه م � � ح� ��و�ع�ه�ا ي���س��مّ� �ع ن��� �ع� ا �ل��� � �و و ن � ط رن � � �وك� رن ن ي ون �� م �ا �ا�ًا ��م�� � ن ا � � �م ن � �ي �� نّ ا ��ل ن������ا ء ��ا ��ك����� �� � �كن�م �لن ا ي �ه� � �وي�له��ل ن� ��ل م� ي � ن ن �ول وي � نر � ��ه� ن� �� ��وك�ه� َ ْ ن َ ْ َ نْ ��عي� �ن�ا �ي� ��عي� ن���نث�ا � َّ � َ نْ � ��َ�نث�� ن ي� َ� ح��� ا � نل�ث ن��ا � ون َ � ن ي ن ��ا ��ثح ا � ن ا � �ل�ث ن��ا رر ي� يَ َ أ َ ْ يْ � ن�ث ن��ا ا � ث� �� ا ر��ي� �م� ي ن� ي �م ن ��ل ْ ا � � ا� �ل� ��ث�ي� ح�� �سو� �ن� �ثح��م� ا ن ن ن ��ل ط ار ن� �ي� ��هحرا ر�ي�ا �َ أ َ ا ر�� ي� �م�ا ي ن� �م ن� �ي� �� � � ار ن� ي ن �� � ْ �ن ا ��ُ ي ل �ع��ي� ا ح��س�و� �ي� ل� ار ن�
�ا��ّل ا �ي ا �� ي � ً � ي أ ن ي � ن �ال�ا�م�ا �ي�ا �ل ي� �كن���ل ا � �ي�ل��و�ل �ع�ي�ر� �وك� �م� � ل� � ن ن ��عي� �ن�ا ��ي� ��عي� ن���نث�ا � ن � ن � ا �� ن ن �ون���ث�ي� ح��� نل� ث��ا �
نّ� ا ن ��� ا � � �� ن ش أًا ا �� � �ي ي �ي �ان ي ّ ي �أ ي �� ل � أا �م� �ه�� ا ا � � ا ع � � � ح ح � � م � ه ص ص � � � ن ل��ل��م �ل� يلع�سي� ���ي���� �ن� ي و أ� ر ي� �و��ا �ل ي� � ْ �َ ْ ْ ا �ل ش��م �ر�لن� ن��ا �ي� �م ن� ا�ام َ��سي��� ي �ن ْ � يا ْ �� أا �ي�ث�� �ك � � ا � َ ن� ي �ن ْ � نْ �� أا �ي�ث�� ث��� ي � او �ل��� ي َ َ � ن �ي َ ْ � ْ � �و م� ثن���ل ي ن�َسيص ن ْ � ْيْ ْ ث��� ا � نل�َثحر�ث�� � ن ع� ي
�ان ي أ ن ن � ن �ا ا نّ �اش ً ن �و��ص� ا � ���ي�را ����ي��ي��� ح�� ��ط �م� ��ل��س�ه� ك 106
106
� �� ن�كي�� ّ ن ي � عر � عر� �ص� ��ي�
ا � اأ ي مر �
Marriage Practices among the Fur
large, of the same shape as the darabukkah, which she puts under her left arm. One, the largest, is on top, while the two smaller ones are next to it, underneath. Then she beats on the three of them with her hand, the whole set being known to them as the dallúka. Every time a group arrives, the women go out with the drums and beat them, singing their praises with songs such as the following: Hay bānī! Hay banān! Wa-banīna ḥiss al-banān! O shakers of the lances, Death spare you its advances! Blinded be the eye of the envious! O shakers of the spear, Ruin come not near! Dust in the eye of the envious! Whenever she sings, she says before anything else the words Hay bānī! Hay banān! Wa-banīna ḥiss al-banān! though in fact they mean nothing. Once I arrived at a wedding and a woman blocked my path and sang: The sharif comes from the mosque, Book in one hand, Sword in the other. Before, he brought The Birqid as slaves.126 I used to know a lot of the words these women sing by heart, but I’ve forgotten them now.
107
107
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
�نين أ � ي يّ ن � ي ا ن �اّ � ا أ ن ي ياأ ي ا �� ن ا �ن��� ن ط�� ا ��� ح ن� ا � ��ه��ل�و� �� ن� ا �ل�عر��� �يو�ل���ل� ��و� ا � �له� � �م��ي� �و ���ل ��ط� � �له�� �� �ي� ر ن�� ل �و����� ء ي ن ّ رح أ أ � أ أ ن ي �ا � ا أ ن ي �ن �م ّ ا ي ن � ا � � ��ل � ط�ه ي � � ش ي � س� �س�يه�ا �سه ��من�ه ��ا � �� �نكه ��ل ��ط� � �له�� �ي� ���ل � �وي� � ��و� �ك�ه�م �ن� �ل� �م�� � او �ل���م �نر�� �ع��� ح�� ن � �م � �م أي و � �م � � � ا � ن ي ا ��ل��ل � � ن ��س ا ء� � 1من �مر �ن� �لن ��ور� �و� �ه� �م ن� �ي�ا �ي��و ن� ��ل�� �ن�ا �ل�����ا �أ��� � او�ا�م نرر ا�م��س��مّ� ��ي� �س� ح� ا �ل�����لي ��ي� � او �ل ش � و � و م م أ �أ � �ن �ا�ا ��ل ن���� ن�� ا��م��س�مّ �عن �م �ع� ن��م�ا �ع��ي �م ن �ه� ��ا �ّ ن�ل��لن��� � او ن� � �ن�ا � ن�ل� ���ط�ي�ر � او ��ل ش��م ار ن� ا �ل����مر ا ��ل�� ن� �ي� ك� � � � ي ل ن � ر ن � أ م � ا � ا �ي�� ّ ن �م نْنَ َا ش ّ ي ّ ن �ن أم ا�ان � يّ � ا �� ن� �ي أي � � � ح � � � � ا ا � ك ع ل ل � � � � � � م � � ه � �ه�ا ء ا � ��و�ع� �ن�ا �ل�����ا �أ��� � او �ل���ل� �و�م � �ون� �ل�� �س نو�لي�� �و س��م� �ع��� ع�م َ� �ي ر ي م ي ي و� �ي� لع � � �م � م � �� ّ �ل� ن � � ��� � ا ل � ط ا ����ن�ء ح � ي��� ي نر ر و م ي ين ّ ي � ن �ن � � ن أ�ا ن ي ي �نين ح � ّ ي � ا �ل ش����ا �ن�ا � �م ن� ا �ل������ا ء �م��ري�ل ن��ا � � او �ل ش��سن��ا ن� �م ن� ا �ر ن��ا �ل ��ي� ا �مك��ل ري�ل ن��� �ي�له�� ر �و� ���رحن نّ ن نً ن نً �اّ ن ّ � ّ ن �ن � �ل � �ي �� �ن ّ � ن ي �ك� ع�ي�� �وك� ط� ا �ل������ا ء ��� ��و��ا ��� ��و��ا �و ���ل ����� 2م ن� ا �ل������ا ء �ي�له�ا ن�ل��ل�� ���� �م ن� ا �ل ش��سن��ا � ّ أ � ي � � ن ن ن � ي ن� � ا �� ن�� ا ء �� �ا � �س� ّ ن ن ��و�ل �كي�ن� ن ي � ن ن �ا ا نّ � �ه ن� ا �ك�� ن � وحرنح ل ���� ا ل�ل �ي�� 3 �م نر�� � �وي�له�ل� �م� ��ل��س�ه� كي�ن��رر ���� �م� أ أ ي ً ّ � � ��ا �ن ه نّ � �لي��يه�ا ن � � ن � ي ن ن �ن ا ش م����� ن �َه�ْ �ن�ا � � �ي�� ن ا ا � � يو � ��� ��و�� ا �ل������ ء ي�� ي� و وير �مر� أا �� ا �ل�ر��� ح�� �يك����ل ن� أا �� ط��� �ن� ل�� � ي نّ أ ن ن ّ � ا � ن� ّ حيّ �يكن ��� �ش���ا �ّ��ي �يل�ه�م�� �ش���ا �ًّ�ا � ���� ا �ر ن�� �ل � � ����ه�ا ��ن� �و ن� ��� �و ن� �و� � ��ه�� �و�ك�هر را ��س�ه�ا �� � ل ن ن � ي ع أ ن ن ي � � حيّ �يكن � ��نه�ا أ�ر�ه�ا ��ن� �و ن� �ص ن� � او �ن�� او �م�ا ي�ل�عر�ن�� �ون�� �ه�� �و ن� � �م �ر�� �نكن� � ��نه�ا أ�ر�ه�ا أا � � ا ك �م�� �ه� �ون�� �ن�ا �ك�� � � ي �� ي ن ع اأ ا ش�ّ �ي � ي�ن ي ا � � �ي ن�ك ي � ا � يّ � � ن ا ��ل�� ��� ن�ك�ط� � ش ا ّ نّ ي م� طر ي� ي ن� �ه� ح�� أا ��� � ا �ل���� ن� �و�يك�هر � نر�ل��� �ع���� ر ��س�ه� �م ل�ل��� ر ن�ه� ي���ن� � � ّ � ّ � ح�ي �ن ن � � �أ � ن �� ا�م � ن � ن ي� � � �ع ا � �ي ي � ي ي � � م��ا �نك�ه�ا ا �ل� �ّو�ل �كي� ���ل ا �ل��� �ي� ك�ا�ا � ع� �كي��� ا �ر ن���ل �و ر ن� �ي� ل � �ع�عر�� ح�� �ك����ل أا � ع أ ن ّ ّ ي نًا ن � �� ن ن ن � � � �ن ��ن��أ��� �م ن� ي�لي��ا �م��ل ي ن���� ���ن� ا �ل ن������ا ء �ش�ن�� ي� ��� � � م��ا � ���� ا �ر ن��ا �ل � او ���ه� �كي��� ا �ر ن���ل ي ي ن � ّ ّ ن � �� � � ي أن � ا نا � ن �ا�ا � �ع ن��ا ك ن�ل�� ن��� �ش�سن��ا � ا� �ي��� ن���ل� او ��ي� ا �ك���ن� � او � � �ون�ا �ل�ع������ �أو � ك �ص��ا �ي�ا � �ري��� ا � ��� � ا �ك� ن أ ن � من ّ �ّ ���� �من�ه �ي�اأ �� �لنه�� ي ن � �ش�س�ع �ه�ا يا ح�يّ ي � � �وي� ن�� ��� أا ��ل��� را �ي�����ي � ح ن� � � � ا � � م � ل ك � � له�ا � او � � � �ي�له� ن�ل�� � ن ي رح � ر � ن م أ ن ّ � �اا ن � ًا � � ��س �ي �ع�� ا �ن �لنه�� �ك � �و�ك�ه نر �ر�لي��� �وي ن� � � �وك�ي�� � يط� حرن� �وراء �ه�ا � او ن� ا� ي ن� حرن� ك�� � �م�ل�و�م� �و�ع�لي�� �وي�م� � � ي� ح أي ح ي ن �� ن أ م ح ح �اّ ن ّ �ن �ا ن � �آ ن ي ن� � � ن ا �ي ا ي � ا � ش � ي ن ��ل�� ن ي �ل�ا ر ن��� �ل�� �و�ل�ه�� ا � �ي���نص� ���ل ���� �� � � م�� � ا �ل��رحرنح ا �ل������ ء را ���� � � او �ر ن�� �ل ي ن ي ا � اآ ن �اّ ي ن �اّ حيّ ي ا �ي � نّ ا ن �ن ّ � ي ي ّ ي ش ش ا ا ا ن � � � �ه�م �س�ه� ن�ل��ل �ل�ل��ر �و ��ل ���� �ن�� �س�ه� ن�ل�ل�� �ل���� ن� �� ي�ل��ل� �� ا �ك���ه� � �ي� را ������ي� �و ���ل �م � � � � �ّ ّ ي � ّ أ � ش ا ّ ا� ي ا � ا � ش ا ّ نّ ن �و��س ��ط ا�نم ��ا �ل �و ��ا�ل �ش���ا �ن�� يل�� ن� را ��س�ه�ا ��ي� � ���� ر �و�و ن��� ا �ل���� ن� ا�م�ه� ن�ل��ل �ك�ه� � او �ل���� ن� �يك�هر أ ّ � ي يي ّ ا � �� ن � ن �ا ن � �ه�� ا ا ��ك� ا � ن � ��� � نر�لي��� �ع���� را ��س�ه�ا � �ويك�ي��� �ص��ح ا �لعرح �و ي � �ي �ص��ح �ع��� ع�م ي س��م� ا �ر�ر��� �و ��ل �م� ح أ أ ة أ ب ش ل��سوا 2 .ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا � 3 .ال� �ص�ل :ا �لةل��. 1ال� �ص�ل :ا � َ
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Marriage Practices among the Fur
Then the hosts come forward and receive the guests as they arrive. Each
3.2.6
group includes men and women, and to each group the hosts assign a place and bring food and drink in accordance with their station. Some are brought different kinds of flour-and-butter paste and the beer that in Egypt is called būzah,127 as well as boiled meat and grilled meats. Others are brought rounds of layered flaky pastry and the red wine known to them as umm bulbul. If a group of men of religion arrives, they bring them different kinds of flour-andbutter paste and sūbiyā,128 known to them as dééng saaya. Then everyone naps where they are till the air cools and the shadows lengthen. The girls now separate themselves from the women and the boys from the men, wearing the most beautiful finery they can obtain, and the girls129 arrange themselves in rows, with a row of boys facing each row of girls. The women who carry drums also advance, beating their drums and singing their songs, and a row of girls moves forward at a leisurely pace, shaking their shoulders and crouching close to the ground, till they reach the row of boys. Each girl now moves in on a boy till her face is right in front of his and moves her head backward and forward in his direction till her braids (which on such occasions are anointed with perfume and the various kinds of scent they’re familiar with) are striking him on the face, exciting the boy and causing him to brandish his spear over her head. Then she turns around and goes back. But the boy follows her all the way to her original place, where he now stands while she retreats till she reaches the place where he was standing before. The onlooker will now observe that the girls’ row has taken up position where the boys’ was, and vice versa. If there are any boys who haven’t joined the row, and a girl wants one of them to meet her and get to know her, she leaves the row and goes to him, dancing, and throwing her head back, she brings it suddenly forward again so that her hair falls over his nose, at which he gets excited and cries out and brandishes his spear and follows her; if he does not, he is regarded with disapproval and must put on a feast for the girl who went up to him. Once each row has taken up position where the other was, the girls and the boys come forward, dancing, each group facing the other and each girl facing a boy, till the two rows meet in the middle, and each girl moves her head back and forth in the direction of the chest and face of the boy facing her, while the boy brandishes his spear over her head and lets out cries of joy, this cry being known to them as the raqraqah. All the boys and girls are intoxicated from what they’ve
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3.2.7
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
� يّ ح��
اأ ي �ي� �ي�
� ن ي �اّ ا �ل��لي���ل ���ر ن� �� ع ���ل
�� ن� ن � � ش ّ � ير � ��و ن� � ا �ل ن������ا ء � او �ر ن��ا �ل ��م��ل �م�م�ا ش��مرن� �و�ل� � ا �ه� ���� ا ي � � �أ � ط�ه �ي � �أ ش �ي ي �س�ع ّر�ه�ا �و�ي��أو�� �ك�ه�ا �ن�ا �ل� ��ل �م� � او �ل���م �ر� ن �ّ � ن ا��م�� ّ � �ي � ��� ا � � أ نّ� � � ن � �ي ن �� ن �ه�� ا ا ��ل ن س ا � � � � ه � � � � � � � � ل � � م نر و أ � َ آوع و � َّ � ُّ�ه�� ا �و�ل� ي�طر ن�لن�� �ل�آك ا �� �لي����� ع��� �عم رآ � �ْ ن � ّ شَ � َْ �َ� � ي �ن � ن ���ا ك 1ر�ي��� ا ن� ي���س��مّ ��ا ن��ل � ا �ل��� � ��و���ا� �ي���ل � او ن�ر ي���س��مّ� �ل ن���ي� � او �ر ي��س��م� ��ع ك ��ن��� ر�ي� � ر ن َ � � َْ ي ي � ّ ةب گ ّ يُ ن ي �ن �ا � �ع ن��ا ك �ي��� اآ ن� ���س� ّ �� ا ي م �ور����� ا �ل� ن�صي��� � او �لأ��م� ء ي���س��م� ���ور�ي� �ور����� ا � �ل��ور ي����س�م� �ل� َ�د � و ر �� ر �� ّ أ أ َ �ي ن ن ً� ن ن �ه�� � ا ����أن� ا ن��ا ��ل ن������ا ء ا ن �ل � ن�لَ نْ�َ�� ��ل��ْ �و��ن� ا ��ل���ع ا ��� �� �ا�ل ا �ن�ا ��� �ير�� ��و� � ��و�ع� �م ح�مي��ل�ا ي� ن�ل ن��ا ي� �ل � و � ر أ ي أ ع � �ّ أ �اا � � �ي � ن � اأ � ش ا �� نّ � ن �� ش ّ ا ن �� �ا�ي � ا � ا ��س ���ط ا ��ل ن������ا ء �س� ا �مش��ا ��كه نّ �م ن � � � � � � ا ا �ل� ك�� نر ير�� ط� � س م�� ك�ه� م� ل��سن�� � �ع��� ا ل�� ��و� و و �� � ع � ّ ن ي ع ي � ي ن ش ا ط�� ن ا ن��ل � ط�� ن� ا �ل��ل ن����2 �ي���ل �و�م ن� � �و�ك�ه�م �ير��� ا �ل��سن�� � �ير��� � ي أ �� � ا �� � �ي �ن اأ ّ ا �ي �ا �ن نّ � �كن � ن � اأ � نّ ط�� ن ��ا ل��يا ���� �نيصي��يه�ا �ل�� ن�ك��� ا ��ل ن������ا ل � ا ا � � ء � � � س � � �م � � � � ه ه ل � � � � � ل ن ير ن ع رن نل ي � �م� ر � ي ل � ن � � وي نر � ن ر � � �أ � ن � ن � � �ا � �ي �ي ن ا ن ا � ن� ن � ن �� ن ا �� ي� �ي � �ن � � �ا� �ل��ك � �� ا ي�س�من�س� �ع��� ا �ل��ر ن��� � او �ر ن��ا �ل ��� ل�� �ي� ��ل ��له� �ع�� ك ����� ء يلع��ي� � او ل�� � ر���� � ن� ن ا أ نّ �ن �ي ا ����ل ني �� ن �� ن ا �لن� نّ � ن � ش ا ّا ي �� ش ّ ا ن � ن ن � � ل ا ع ا ء ا ل � ل ك � � � �� ل � � � ل �م �ر��و�3 � � � � � � �� ه � ��� � � � ��س ي ي� و ن � و ن � ي � �أع���� ع�� �ك� � أ و�ي� ر �� �ي� ن �� � ��ن � ش ّ ا ن �ّ ن ن�ا ً � ي �� ن ا �ا�ّ �من �ه� �نر ن���لي��� ا �يس�من�س� � او �لي����مر�� � � ل��� ا �ل��سن�� � ليَ� ��ر�و� ��ر�ي ار � �ن� ر ن���ل�ه�م ا �ل�ر��� �و�ير����� ��ل م نً � �س�عر�و��ا �ك�هم� ن أ أ حن �ن��� � ي�� ن�� � اأ �ّم�ا ا ��ل ش ��سيم� ا ��ل ش��سّ��ا ن � ا ��ل ش����ا �ّ�ا ي �ا�ّ ��� ��ا ن���ن� �ش���ا �ّ��ي ا �م�ا �م�� �يل�ن�� � � � ع ك � � ��ع � 4 � � � � � ن و و ي� ي� ن ول ر ل ي ري ع ن و ن يّ � ن �ا ّ ن �ا� ا أ� �ي �م�����ل�����ل��ي اأ �ع نس ا ����أن�سش �يك�ن ��� ���� �كه�ا ا � � �و��م����ك � �� له�م ��� ر �مر�ه� ن�لي��� �ي�� ح�� لي���و� �� او ك��� � �ي� ل �� ع ي ي � ي أ أ َ يْ � �أن ش � َ ن ن ن � � � � � ي ي ن ا ا ا ا ا ��� �ي��� �ي�� �ع��� � ح� ��و�ي� ا �ل�� �س� ا � �س� ��ع� ا �م� �م�� �ع��� � � ح ��و�ي� ا �ل��� ��ر ا �ل��� �ي� �ه�و ا �م� �س�ه� � او �ل��� ��ر �يك� يأ ي � � ع ً ً �ا ّ �م�ن� ن ن � يّ �ن �ا ا أ� ي ي ا �ّ �ي � ش ن � ن ن � � � ح � � � � � � ا ا ا ا � � � � � � ل ��سو� روي��� روي��� س � له� حصي ��و� �� ي �و ��و ��� ر� � م� يو�م � �مرن� ر ن �ل�ه�م �ي� �وك��� � م ع أ أ � � � ي �ي ا � �أ ن�� � � ا ن ���س � �ن � ن ن �ا ن ����له نّ � ا ��لصن��ا ي� ا �� �سي �لن�ع نّ��� ن � ي� ن��ا ر ن��ا ي� �ع ن� ا �ل�ل�ه� �ل�ر � �ل� ن���ل � 5ي �م ي� ي ع ر�ي� ��ل ي � � و ن أّ � أ أ � أ �ّ ا �� ن � � �ن ه �م ن� ا �ن�� او ر�ي��� ا ��ل� ن�صي��� �و�ه�و ا ن� ا �ل�عن��� �ي�ا ��ي� �ن�ا ��ل ن��ا ر ن� �ي���ل ا�م��س��مّ� �ع ن��� �ع� � أ أي �َ او م� ا لنص��� �ل� � �ي� أٌَُ ع � م ً ً � �َ�ْ � ا �ن ن � شي ن �ا�ي ا�ا� �ن� �لن� �� �م ن � �ش �ا �ش ا ا ا �� ا � ن �ا � �ن�ا �ل��� �ليص ن� �يو�ل ��عن��� �و�ه�و ا ��ر �مش���ل ��ر م�� � �وي � �ه� �ي� ط �� �ل � �و نرله� �ي� �ي� ��ط �و�ي �نرك �� � ع م ��� نل ا � ن � ا �� ن �اّ �ع��� � ن�لع�ه� ن� �� � � �ي�لي �ا�ا ��نل عن� ن��ا ر���ي �م ن ا ن�� �ل � ر ن���ل�� ك� �وا ر�ي� ن���ل�نه�� � �� �ل ��ي� ا �ر ن���ل يس�م�س� �و ���ل ن ي �ل ل�ك و ي � آ ن �ا أ ي � �ا ��من � �� ن� � ا ��� ن � � ن ن � � أي ي � �ول�� ��و�ن��و ن� ���� ا �ر� �و�ك�ه� ��ر�ر ����و�� ي� �ه�م �ل��ر ��ي� �و��س ��ط ا �ل��� ا �ر� �ويل����ا �و�ل حرنح لعن��� �م � ي م ي � اأ ن ي � ��ط� � �له�� أا ��
أ أ أ أ ة أ ب بة ل��س�ل���ا ة ب ب ب ش � 5 .ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا �. 1ال� �ص�ل :و�ه���ا ك 2 .ال� �ص�ل� :لل���ة� 3 .ال� �ص�ل :و�ة����ر ب�� 4 .ال� �ص�ل :وا � ب
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١٠،٢،٣
١١،٢،٣
Marriage Practices among the Fur
drunk, and they keep this up till night comes, when each group goes back to its assigned place and is brought food and drink. Do not imagine for a moment, however, that this, which is called the
3.2.8
dallúka,130 is the only kind of dance they know. There is a dance called the jêl, another called the lanngi, and another called the sangadiri, and there is the dance of the male and female slaves, called tawse, and the dance of the Fur, called tindinga. There is also another dance, called the bindalah. At weddings, each type of person dances one type of dance. Thus, the beautiful daughters of the great dance to the dallúka with their like among the boys, the daughters of the middling class and their like among the boys dance the jêl, and lesser people dance the lanngi. In the jêl, the women face the men, shake their shoulders, and stamp the
3.2.9
ground with their right feet, and the men do the same, but in each circle there are women who sing, and the people dance to their singing. In the lanngi, some of the women sing, while the girls and boys stamp the ground, and each dances with his or her feet, right and left. The boys, for their part, make the sound known as karīr.131 In the sangadiri, the boys and girls assemble, and each boy takes a girl
3.2.10
who is in front of him. She bends over and he takes hold of her waist, so that together they form a sort of circular chain, meaning that the female puts her hands on the hips of the male in front of her and the male puts his hands on the hips of the female in front of him and all of them are bending over so that together they form a closed circle and they move very slowly, stamping their feet so that the ringing of the girls’ anklets can be heard. The girls who sing stand outside the circle. The bindalah is a slave dance. It consists of a male slave bringing the nuts— resembling coconuts—that they call dalayb, making holes in them (the nuts being round, like cannonballs), stringing three or four of them on a lace, and tying this to his leg like an anklet, on the right foot; each male slave does the same and a female slave stands behind each and they make a kind of circle. They also have a special sound they make. A slave advances toward another in the middle of the circle and competes with him at this sport, which is based on bodily strength and suppleness, as though they were performing acrobatics. After they’ve competed for a while, one of them will strike the other with the leg to which the nuts are tied and not stop till he makes him fall or fails in
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3.2.11
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
ن � � � ن ن ن أن �ه�� ا ا ��ل��ل��� �مم ن� ّ � �ا حنّه��ي ا ن��ل � �ع��� ا � �لي ��ّو�ي �و ن� � �س�ه�� ��ي� ا �ل��ل�� ن� � �ه��ل� او � �كن��ه�� ا � و ن ح��س�م �مك�� �يل��ل�� ن� ا �لن � ن ي � أ أ � ا � ي ن� ا � ��� � 1ن� �ا ن ل�ي���ا � ��ل�� �م��ل ّ�ً�ا �كن ا �م � ا � � � ا ا ن � ���ل�و أا �ّم�ا ا ن� �ي ��و�ي��ه�� � � � � ا ك ���� �نر ن �ل� �سي� � � ي�ه� ل�� ر ن ي �ل ل ي ��� ه�م� ��� � ن ي و ي ي رن أ � ا �ي ي ن ي اً � ن � ن ن ي ��ن ا ��ل��أ ن�� اأ� ��ل�� ��ا �ام�ا �ع �ه ا �ل��� � ا ن �م � ���ا � ��� � ���� ا �و���ه�� � او �لن�� �ي� �ير�����و� ر��� ي� ر � و ن ر �و ي� أ � رن � � ي� ُّ ن �ا ّ ا� ن نّ أ � � ا� ن� نّ ا ي ن ا � � ن ا ��ل � ي �ي ّ ن ي ا �ل� ل����م �ك��� � ك��� له� �ير� �و� �ع���� ا�م��صي�� � �و�ه�و�ل�ء 2ا�م�صي�� � �� ر ن ع� ��ل�ه� ح ري و �م أ ّ ا �ي ن � ن أ نّ ً � � � �ن � � �و��ل�� �ه�و ا � �عن��� ا �م ن� ا �ل� ن�صي��� �يكن� �مرن� �ع���� ���ن���ل كن�ا��ي�ر � او �ل������ا ء � او �ر ن��ا �ل �� � او �م� ا �ل ��ور ي� � � أ أ ّ يي �ا ا � ا �ي � ا ن��� �ي ��� � ا �� � ي �ا�ّ �� � ا ن ح�ي ��و�� ا �م ا �ي �و �� ��� �ي��� �ي�� �ع��� � � � م � � ع ه ه ك � � � ح� ��و�ي� و ���ل�ه�� �و ��ل ر ن �ل و ل � ي � ي ر ر ي � � ع � ���ا ء � ��م ش��س ن � ����ًا � ا ��ل ن������ا ء �كن �م � ن �ن �س� ا ��ل�� ن�لي����ا � � او ��ل�� �عي��� ا ��ل ��ل�� �س� ا ��ل��ن� ن ل�� ر ن���ل � � � � � و و ر و ي ن نر � � ي و ي ع ن � �ا�ّ ن � ع ا � �ي نّ ا ��نل �ا ن اأ ���له نّ �ل��� ن ��� ا ��س�ي ��ن اأ ���له نّ � �م ش � � له� ��ي� ا �ل��� ا أ�ر�ي �ع�� �كن �� � � ك � ��س � � � س ه ه ل �ك � � ل � ط� � ر ن � � نن � ر ي ل ي� ي� ر ن � � و ي � م � م � م � ن ن أ ن ًا �ا أ ي ا� ن نّ ا ي ن ا � ��ل � ي ي أ ّ ا ة ب گ ن � � � ن � �ليع ار ي� ا �ك���ن���ل �ولي���و� ��و� ا �يك ��� ���� ا �ر� � او�م��صي�� � �� ر ن ا��ل�ه�� � او �م� ا �ل�م���د � � ه� �ل�� ن� � ي� �ا � � ح أ ن �ا ن أ نّ � ن ا� ن � ي �ن نّ ا � ن ي ن ش ��سو ن� ن�كي��� �ه�م�ا ��ي� ��و� ا � ا �لي��ور�ي� ي��م ش � ا �لن��ر��� � او � �ل ��ور �و�ه�و ا ��سن��� �ن� �لي��ور�ي� �أاو ��م� ا � �لعر�� ن��ي�� � ً ةب گ ح�يع �ي �ي ا ��ل�ع ا �ي � � �ي�ن � ن �� � � �أ نّ ا�ا� ش ا �ه���ي � ش��س ء اآ ن �ا�ا ي� � ن عص��نه��ي � �و�ا ��ل � � � � �� � � � ح � � ه � � � � ك م��� ا � � � � ل � ل ل ك ن � � ن ر � ي ن ي� ر ي� ن ر � �وي��� ا �وا �ل�م���د ر ي ن ش أًا � � � � �ن ّ��م�ا � �� ا�ا� ش م����ا �ه�� ���ي���� �ل� ي �� �ن ا �لي��عن��ي�ر �ع ن��� نر ير �م�� ن اأ ّ ا ن ن ا �� ��� �ن�م ن � �ي �� نّ �� ل��ّ �ي �م ن ا � �أ �ي ا �� ن�ع ن ا ء ��من ل � � ا � � � � ء ع � � � � � � � � �و� ��ل ر���� � �ل�ر � � �� م � ه � ك � � � ن و� يل و �� � ا �ن �َ ْ � ا ن � نْ ي �� �و� � �ع� ي �� �و� ��ي � � ن ْي َي ْ�نُيْي ْ ا �ل��لي���ل ن� �� نو��� �ي�ا �ام ��ه�ا �ل أ ن ْ نا ا �� را ���سي� أا ��ه�� ا ر � ْ َ ْ�ُْ ْ ا �ل��لي���ل ن� �� نو�� �ي�ا �امي��يه�ا �ل أ ن ْ نا ا �� را ���سي� أا ��ه�� ا ر
ن ً� ل��ّل ا ي � ا �ن � � ا ن ن � � ي �����ي �من نّ ي ن ش ي ي � � � �ه�� � ا �� � ل�� �� �م� � ي �� �و� ي� �عي� ي �� �و� ��� �ن� � او � ي� �ل� �ل�عن�س� �ش��ي��أ��ا � � �و � �ه� ��������� � �و �ل ��و�ل ا �ل�لي���ل أ ن ن ي أ � ن � �ي � نّ ا ا� ي ي ا � ن�يي � � ن ا � � ن ن ا ��س ن ن� �� نو�ي� �ي� �م��ه� �ل ك�� ��و�ل ا �ل������ ء ا �ل��ر ا �� را �ي� أا ���� ا ر �و م�� ��و�ك�ه� أ أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل ب��ر ب� حة���ل 2 .ال� �ص�ل� :ه�د �.
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Marriage Practices among the Fur
the attempt, the skilled performer being the one who topples his opponent with a single kick. The rest dance a dance in which there is no bending of the body, and all respond antiphonally to the female singers, who are outside the circle. The tawse consists of a male slave beating on a large drum, with the women
3.2.12
and the men around him in a circle, each man putting his hands on the hips of a woman and each woman putting her hands on the hips of a man, but standing straight up and not bending over. Then they move ahead slowly, the women striking their feet together so that their anklets ring. They all proceed in a circle in time to the drumbeats and also form a circle, with the female singers on the outside. The tindinga is a sport of the Birqid and the Fur and is most like the tawse, the only difference being that in the tawse they move slowly, while in the tindinga the movements are violent. In truth, though, these descriptions don’t get to the heart of the matter, because seeing something is quite different from hearing about it: sometimes an observer sees things words cannot convey. Each of these dances has its own song. The words sung by the women for the jêl go: Yūbānī hay yūbānīn The night is passing, my gold piece My head is spinning The night is passing, my gold piece My head is spinning132 The words yūbānī hay yūbānīn mean nothing, but one of the women sings out: “The night is passing, my gold piece,” and the others respond, “My head is spinning.” They also sing:
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3.2.13
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
� ْ َ ا �ل�� يل�ث��ل ن� �� نو�� َ � ن�َ ْ � ا َر�ن��وْر ن�هم�ث�� ن أن ا ��ا را ��س�ي� � ��و��
� ن � �ي � نّ �و م�� ��و�ك�ه�
� اأ �ّ ا ن�ع ن ا ء ا ��ل��ل ن�ي �ن�م ن � �ي �� نّ و م� �� ��ي� �� ��وك�ه�
ُ � ا ن َّ ْ �نثحَر�ْل� 1ا ��ل �ث� َ��ي�ث�� ي َ َّ ْعيُ �ل� � ا ن َّ ْ ���ن�� ن�ه ��و ا�ث� َ��ي�ث�� ا نُ َْ � َ ْ َ �ْ � �وي� � �رل� 2ا �ك� �صن��� �ل ن يْْ ع ا ي ا ْ َ نَْ �ْ ��� ن� ��َ �و�ي�� ن�� �� � ر���� ل� ي ي م
ْ �ي�ا �َ�هي��ا �ل � ْ ن� حي�ثن �� او ا�ا�ث�ا �ل ْ ْ نَ نْ َ َگ َ ْ نَ َّ يْ ���ي�ق�� � �ل�د� �و� ن����ي�ث�� � َ َ َ ّ َ ن ��لن ْ �ن َ�اْ ��هن �� او � ر�ر ا � � �ي���ل �ي� �� �ر ��و َي نَ نْ َ ْ َگْ َ ْ نَ َّي يْ ���ي�ق�� � �ل�د� �و� ن����ي�ث�� َ � َ
ن أ ن �ا�ا �ع ن��� ا �� ن�ل �� ر ��م ن��� �ي�� ��ك�ه ن � او �م�ا �ع ن��ا ء ا ��ليصن��� ك� و و �
١٥،٢،٣
��ا ��س� ���ط�ا �ع �ُ ُي��ل�ا ن يَ� َ ًرگ ْ أَ � اَُ � ا ��ا نَ�ي� �ل ن�ه� وَد َو�ة ن � ْ ُ ْ ي ط���َ�ن ْ گْ �َ ْ نَ ْ ْ ن �ه��ل�ه�ي� ن� َ�كي��ا 3 َل��ا�ا ن� �س�ح� �ل� ْ َْ ُ ُ �اسَ ْ ا �ْ�ل�ا ي� � � � ن � ير��ه�� �و ي� ر ي ة َگ ُ ُ َ يَ ْ ُ َ �َ �ا ��ه�� �و � �ا ر � ��ج�م�ه��ل ن�� �و ن � َن ج�سي�
أ أ أ بُ ََ ْ بُ َْ َ َ َْ ْْ 1ال� �ص�ل� :ر�ة 2 .ال� �ص�ل� :ر�ة�ع�ا 3 .ال� �ص�ل :ح��ل ب�هة�م ب��بَ�هةَ���ا. �
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Marriage Practices among the Fur
The night passes Darfur is loveless My head yearns133 They also sing: O little branch so tender You’ve made me surrender O little branch of sandal— Over our little house you grow and dangle.134 For the lanngi, the women sing, among other things:
3.2.14
Boys, Get rich! Join Daldang, son of Binayyah! 135 The pounding of hooves sounds in Karyū. Join Daldang, son of Binayyah! 136 For the tindinga, the women sing, among other things: Báási Tahir dogólá Bála bá díéng ába Kitab musab láng álpen piá, Tárímádó kábí raaye ela. Tarang mado sagal dió jábí.137
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3.2.15
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
� يّ ن أ � �ي � � ا � ��ل � �و� ��و �ي���ن��ع ن��ا �ع ن��ا ء ا �ن�� او ا �ر���� �ك��ط� �ل ا ��ا �ل ع أ أ ّ ّ ّ � � � نن ن ن أ ن ا�ا ش � ��ل ا �ل���ل��� � ��ا �ي�� ن� �كه�ا ا � � �ا ي ن ن ا �كن��ه�� ا � �ي� ك���ل� او �وي���م �نر�� او �ير���و� ا �ل�عر�و��� �ن� �ل�� � ��و���� �ي�ول��ل� ��و� �نك�يه� ��و ن وي و ن � � ��ل��ل�� ّ � � ن أ ّ � � � ن� � � ن ش �ش � � ي � ّ ن أ ن ن ن ي�ه�ا �كي��� ��ّ ن�ل�ه�� ا �ل�� ش����ا ء نل ك �و�ل �ع�ل� ����ي ر ن ���ل ا �ل�� �ي� ا �ع�� �ل�ل�� � ��سم� ا �ل ش��سن��ا � � �وي�ا ���� �و� م ع أ ّ ن �� ا��م ّ � حيّ ا �ي ن ا ��ل�ع ��� �و� نر�ن�� �ن�� ��ا ��لن�ع ن��ا ء � او �� �ي �ي��ي � ���ل ا�ام�ه��ل�و� ي��ن����ل��س�و ن� ن��ا ر ن��� � � � ا � � � � � � � رر � ي و ن أ � ري � ي و ن م � ش ا ّا ي � ن ن � � ي � ن ن � � ي ّ ن ي م � م ا ش � � ����أ��� ن��مي�� ا �ل���� �ن� � ن �سم�ه�� �س� ا �ل�عر�و��� � او �ل��سن�� � نح���و�ع�و� �ع��� ا �ل�عر���� �و��� �و ي � ي ع ع أ أ أ � � ن � نّ ن� ن � � نّ� � ن ي ن �اا ��ل � �� ا ن ا � ي ن ي ا �ل� �� ا � ا ي �س�ورر� عر�و � مر � ����أ��� ك�� ����ل�ط� � �و � �س�ورر ا �ل�عر���� ا عر أا � ا� � �وا �� �ل� �� ي ي � �ّ أ ي � � � ن ا� � �ن ا ن � ّ �مو�ه�ا �م�ي�ر� ن�كن��ه�� ا ن� ي ن���ل�� ا �ر ن��ا ��ل �س� �ع ���سه �ك ��ط�ل �� ا�م� � � � � حرن� �ك�ه� أا �ل� �و��س � � م ع ري � �م ي ن و� ي رم ل ح � م � ن� ا � ي ن �ن ي ي ّ � ا � ن ������ّ � ا � �� �ن طن� � �يل��ل�سيم�� � 1من�ه�ا � � � ا � �� ل � � �ه� ن�ل�ل ع �� � � نل�ه�� � و � � �و ���� ع���ي� يص ��ه�� �م �ك�ه� ا ���ور�ير �وي ل�م �ع�لي� ور رو � أ أ �ي ي ن ن ي � � ن أّ ا ن � � ن�يي � �ن � ا � ن ن ي � ن ن �أ ي ا � ا �� ك �� ��و�ل �ك�ه�م م� ا � ��م �و م� اي�� نحم ��م �و�م� �عي� لعر�و��� � �سي� � �ري��� �و� كي �� ��و�ل ا ���ور�يأر ا �م� ح� �ن ن �ن ي أ ن ا ن ا � ي ن ا� ���ي ي أ ن ن �ن ن ي � � ّ � �����ي �صي ��و� �و��� ن� �ه�ا �كي�� ��و�ل �ل�� ا �م�ا ا�ام��ل� حص�� �م� �ن�ل� � نل�عي���� �و� �ري��� ا�م�ل���� � �� او ���� � �� �صي ��و � َ أ �� ي ا �ن ن ا ن�ي� �ي أ� ا � ن ��� ن ي � � ن �ن�م ش��سن�� ��ل��ي � ش��سن�ه� � ن ع ����� � � 2ه�ا ا �ن�ا � ل��ا � �و�م� �يل�لر� �� � �و ار ل �� �صي�� ك� �� ل � � ه � � � � � � ل� �كي�� ��و�ل ا ���ور�ير و و � � ي ي م م ن نو أ ننّ ن ل � يم � �ن م �ن ش ا أ � ن � م ا ن�يي � � ن � � ن ي � � � � � � ل��ن �ل ن��ا �س��ه�ا �� �م��� أا ���� �و� �ل�ه�ي ر�ه� ك �� ��و�ل �ل�� أا � ا �ال�ا� �ل� ي� � ح ن �ل�هل�� ا �ك � ا ��� ���ا�ي � ا �ل���له�ا ��� � � � �م � ي��ك لن ر و ي � أ ّ � أم ّ أ �اا ن �ان � �ن ا ن � � � ي ا ن � � � ن ي ا �� ي ن ن � ��ا �كه�ا � ��ل�� �ي�ا ��ي ��ك���ط� ّل�ا �كه�ا ك�� � ���� �ل��ك �م� � ا �ل�ل�م��ل����� �و�م� � ا ��ي� �ل� � �ع�� � �ك�ه� ا �ل� � ن��رر �م� نح ن � و ي� ن� أ �ّ � ُ �اّ ا � � ي ن ا ن � ا � ا ي ا � � يّ � ��ْه��ل ن�كي ��ي ��و��ل ��ك�ه�ا ا�ا�م�ا ��ل � او ��ل�� ر� او � �و ���ل �م� ��ط�لنص��� ��ل� � ا � أا �ل� ن ن� ير �ل ي�� �و�ك�ه� �و�� �و�ل�� ح�� ح ّ ّ ّ � �ي ن ا ن � �ا��ل�� � ا ��ل�ع � �����ي �ي �ل���ي �من�ه� � اء � ي � ن ا � � ي�ل�ي � �س��ا ر�ي �� ك� ا �� ��� � ش�� �ي� را � يرن � م ور �صي�� �و�ه�� ا ك� و رو ل���ه� �ل� ل�م ن �سي�ء �و لعري���� �� �ن � �ا ي ���ا اأ �ك ن ��ا � �ي ��� ن ا ��ل���لش ن��� ن ��ً�ا ����ا ا � م � � � � � � ل � � ك ي و ور ن ي� ي� أ ن ني � � ن ّ �� ن � �ن�ا ن� ا � �ي�� ا ��ل��ي ا ن��س �ن��� ي� ا ��ل ي ��س��ا ر�ي ��ين�� حرن� ا �ل�عر�و��� �كي �� ��و�ل ا ���ور�ير ا �م�ا ا�ام��ل�����ي ���ل�ل�م��ل�ك أ و ر ي� ر � ح ن � نع ن � � � ي ��ن ي �م ن � �ي�لي�� �� ��كه نّ اأ�لّي�ه�ا ا ��لصن��ا �ي � ا ح ن ن�يص ن��ا � �م�ا � ا �ل ن��ا � ن ا � � � � � ا � � � ا � �� � � ا � � ل � � س ل س � � ع � � ل م � ص � ي ل � � � و ي� ع رو � ر و و �� ي � ن ي ي رم ن � ن� ّ ن ن � ي أ ن ي ن أ أ ً � � ي ن ن � � ّ ي ي ا ن ا ا ا ا � �ن ا ر�ي��� �م� � ��ن� ��ي� �ه�� � ا �ل�لي���ل�� ا � � ��أ او ���� ن� ا � ��� �و��را �م�� �و��عي� �صي�� �� ا�م��ل����� �كي ��ه�ل� �ك�ه� � ن ي ّ ن ا ن ي �ا ن ن يي � ن ا ن ي �ا ن ن ان ن ا ن أن �ا�ل ����يّ���ي �و��م �ل�هل��� �� �ن ��و�نك�ه�ا �ك�� ��و�ل �ي�ا ��ل� ��� ��و�ي� �س� ��ل� � � او �� ي� �ي�ا ��ل� ��� ��و�ي� �س� ��ل� � ن م ع ع ّ أ أ ّ � ّ �� �ا ا � ا ��ل�� ن� � ��� ��م ي � ن ن ن � ���ن� ا � ح�يّ ��ل�� ي�لن ���ي أا ��ل�� ا � �سي ��ل�� ��م � �ه� �ن �� �ون�� �ل�� �كي��ا ���� ��ا�ل �ش���ا ن� �ن ��و ن� ك�ه و ي� �ل �و ي� � � �� ي ن �� أ ن ي � ّ ن � ن ن ي ��م ي �ه�ا أا � �و��س� � ام � � � � � ا �� � �ن �� نو�ل��� � �وي�ن��يص� �س� � �ه�م ���ل ا �ل�� ي� ع�م كي�� �و���ور� � �ل�ك ا � ي�ن��يص� لعري���� أ أ ط� . 1ال� �ص�ل :ة���ة�م�ل�م��� 2 .ال� �ص� � :ع�� ل ةم
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Marriage Practices among the Fur
It would take a very long time to list all the songs that go with each kind of dance. After they’ve eaten and drunk, they process with the bride to the music of
3.2.16
the dallúka drums, taking her on a tour of the village and ending at the place prepared for her deflowering. Then, a long while after dinner, the young men assemble and take the groom and accompany him in procession, singing and making the raqraqah,138 till they come to the place in question, where they sit down outside. By this time, all the young women will have assembled with the bride, and the young men will have assembled where the groom is, and the groom will have appointed his dearest brother as “vizier” (for at that moment he’s like a sultan), and the bride will have appointed a woman as her vizier, whom they call the mééram. Once the men have sat down with their groom, they call for the mééram, but she refuses to come out to see them till about two hours have passed, at which time the vizier presents himself to her and greets her politely, requesting her to bring the bride. She asks them, “Who are you, where have you come from, and who is the bride you seek?” The vizier replies, “We are guests come from faraway lands, and we seek the queen, so that she may entertain her guests.” She says, “The queen is busy with a matter of great importance, but here am I, as her representative, to offer you hospitality, entertainment, and whatever you need.” The vizier responds, “We know that you are a capable person and well up to the task, but we have something to say to her that we can reveal to no other.” She then says, “If that is the case, then what is there for the queen, and what for me, for it is her custom not to come out from behind what conceals her or go to those who ask for her unless there is a reward,” to which he answers, “Our wealth and our lives and whatever she may ask.” They continue in this way, bandying words with one another, until they agree and that’s the end of things. While this is going on, the bride is close by, behind a curtain, but she says nothing, and the groom too is silent, the argument being between the other two. When they reach agreement, the curtain is lifted, the bride comes out, and the vizier says, “The queen is for the king, but what is there for us?” so the mééram calls out for the girls who are with the bride, and they come, and she tells them, “Girls, I want you to entertain the queen’s guests tonight,” and they reply to her, “With all love and honor!” The mééram knows each girl and her boyfriend, so she says, “You, so-and-so, be with so-and-so, and you, so-and-so, be with so-and-so,” and so on till only the girls who have no boyfriends and
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3.2.17
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
ً ًأ ّ ي � �و�ع �و����� � او�ا�م�ي�ر� � او �� ��و نر�ر �و �� �ا�ل نر�و ن��� ن �س�ه�ا ���نّه�ا ا �و ���نّه�� ن �ع��� � ��� ح�� مو ن� س� ��س�ه�� ا�ا � ي� ي� ر ن ي � � م ّع ّ � � ّ ّ � ي ن � ن � ش ا� ي ن � او ن� �ا ���س� ا�م � ��� �س� ا �ل�ع �و����� ن �و� ��� ا �لن��ا ��� � � ���ل ����ا ن� أ مي ���ل ن �مي����ه�م ن����ي� �م� �و��س�ه�� م ل ع ر ي� ن ي أ � ي ن أ اأ ن �ن ع �م ي ي ّ � ���ا �كه�ا � ��ل�� �� ن�� ��� �كه�ا ا ا ن ي � � � �م � �ه� ا �و أا �� ن��ي��� ن�ل����� ا � ن ن � و ي ن ن � �ه�م �ي� ��� �ن �� نو�ل��� �يو�ل ��و ن��� �نك�ه� أا �� ن��ي�� � ّي ا �� ���ي � � �أ�نّ ا � � ي� ن� ن � � � �أ نّ � �ي اأ ن ا �� ش ا ّ �م ي � ا اأ� ّ أ �� ن�ي �� �ل� ك�ه� �ل� ر �س� � �ل�ك �ل� � �ع� � ك�ه� � ل���� ن� س�� م� ح ن� ��ن��ي��� �و�ع��ل�م ي� م َ َ ْ ً اأ �ّ ا � ن � � � � �ي�ي ا ��� � اأ� ًا � � � �ي ا � � ا ا ن ا اأ�ي � �ن ��� � ي ا�� ي� �� ا � ن �ا ي ا ن م � � � � � م � � � � ل � � � � � � ط ه �� له� �أو � ر �ي� ر �� و م ر ك� � نر � س�ه� ن��� �ل�ك �ل� له� نلل� ن��� �و�ل� يله� نل� � ّي أ �ان �� � � ن�لع� �ل�ع ن ح�ي ���م ّ ��ن ا ��ل��أ ن�� � ����� ��ل ي� �ش�� �كه�ا �ع� ا ��سه�ا ��ه�ا � � � � � � � س �� ه � ه � � ل � ك � � ن ي ي و و و ي� ر � و � � و� � ر � ي � ر و ل ي� �ّ � أ ن ي� ً ن أ آ ن � � ��لن�� ا �أ �� ن � � �� �ع� �ع�ع��� �ه�ا ��ا ا ن� ا �ه�ا � �ع ��ه�ا م��ن � � � � � ا ا ا ا ا ك � � � � � � � � � �و �� ك�ط � ل ل �ه� � ك � � ن ن ير أو رن أ ر و � أ ر و ر� ع � ن أ � �ان أ ��ش�� ي � ّ ي ش � � ن ن � ي ن � ا ا ا ا � � ا �و ن� ح�ي� ���م ّر ��ّ �ير�����ل �ك�ه� ا �ل����ل�� أا � ك�� � �س�ه�� ا � حر� ��� �و���� �ل�ك �عي� � �لع�ه��ل ن�ل�ه�� م م أ أ ن �اّ � � � ا ن �اا ن �ن �س�ه�� ا � � ي �مر�ور� أا ن� ا� لي �� �ه�ا ا � ���� �و�ه�� ا ك���ل�� �ع ن��� �ع� ��� �ر�����ل �ل�� ا �ل����ل��م أا � ك�� � �س� � �� م م � ا ا ��لي� ن �� �م ن �ن��و ا ��ل � � ء ��� و ���ي�� ي � ع م أ أ أ أ أ أ أ ً ّ ّ � �ا�ا �ّم�� ن�ل��ل ا �ش���� ا ���يرا �م�ا � او ن� ��و�ه�ا ك� �و�ع ن��� ��ع ا �ه��ل ا � نر�و ن���ي ��م��ير���و ن� �ن�ا �ّس�ه�ا ك� �ا�ا ن�لي��� ن�ل��ل ا �ش���� م �اا ن� ي � �ع �مش � � �ن ن � � ن أ ي أ�ّ � أ أ ا �ن � ي ��� � �يًا ن � ا ن� ي ّ ي � � � �و�ك�ه�ا ك�أ� � أو � � �و� �و �ي� ��ل� �ي� � �ل�ك أا � ا را � ا م� ا �و ا �ن� � ر� �و����ل�� طريله� �ع�ي ر أ �أ أ أ ً � � � ���ط � �لي ا ي ا ���� ا �من�ه� � �يل�عي��� ا ��ا � ك�ا�ا �ل�ه�ا �ه�ا �و�ل�� �ي�� او ن��� ا � ري � � م و ن ر ن ني� �ه�م� �و�ر�����ل ا �ل����ل��م ا �و �ير�����ل أا �لي� � ن ش ا ن�ا ن ا �ن � � �ن � � ي ن � � ��م � ا ا �� �م ّ اآ ن� � � ي� �ن �و � �ه���� ا �م���ل �م� � ��ر�� �ي� ا �ر ن���ل �و�ل�� �ل�ك ���� �� ن� س ع �ن ��ونك�ه� أ � ���ل ر �و�ل� ر �س� أ أن ن ن ن ي � � �ا � ش ي � � � ا � �ي��� �� ن� �س�ه�� أا �� ن��ي��ي��� ن�ل��ل أا � � ���ا � ي� ا �ل� �م�ا ��ن� نل����ر� ا �ل ن��ا ��� �و�لي����� �ع ن��ا ك � ا ر ��س�و�� أ أ � ا اأ�ل � � � �ي ن�� �� �س� � ا ��ل ا �ل� � ن�� �ع ا ن ا �� ا ��ن ��ل�اء � ����صي��ا ن� ن�ك��� � ا �ّم�ا � ا ا ن�ل�ه�ا �م ن ل ي و �ه� ن �ل ي� ن�� � أ �� ر ن ي�� �ل� � ن� ه� أ ي� ر ي� � وين ي ن أ ي �� ا أ ا ن ا نّ � ن � ش اأ نّ �� ا �م ًّا ًّ � � ن � ي �ه�ا �كي��� �م� ا را � � �و�ل� � ا حيص� � ك�ه� ��ل� �س�ه�� ا �ل�� �ل��ك �ي�ن��يص� �س� � ير �ه� ا ن� �� او �ه� �أ� � ا �ر ن���ل � أ أ ن ن � أ ���� �من�ه�م�ا �ه�ا أا �لي��� �وي ن� حرن� �ع ن��� ا �ن��� �ي��� �� ن� �س� حر � او ن� �� او �ه�ا �ن�ا ��م�ا ن� ن��ل�ا � ا ير � ا � � � ح أ ن � � ش ي ن ن ن ي ي ني � ّ �� أا ��� �م�ا � �و��ل�ن�ر ن� ������ �كن �� ��و�ل �� �ي�ن��يصي ��و� �ل��ل�ك ا �ل��لي���ل�� �أ�ا � ا ا �ن��� ح ن� �نك� �ص��اح� ��ا �م ي� � ا �ك� ن م ش أ ن أ ن أ نّ ي ن ح أ أ �اّ عي ي ّ ّ ��ه�ا � ا ���ط ا �ن�ه�ا ا �� ي� ا �� ���� ي� ا � �� �كه�ا ن�كي�����ل ا ا � ���� �ك�ه� ا �ع�سي� ا �ك�ه� �ل�������ل �و ن� � � و ر � ���ل ��ن��ي��� �و� ��و ن� � أ � ن ي ن وي� أ ��� ي ي �ّ ح� ن ��ن��ي�ه�ا � ���ا �ن� ��ل��ك ا ��ل�ع � �� �ي��� ن��� �ع ن��� ا �ّسه�ا �ل�� ّ��م�ا ا ن�ع��ي�����ل ي� ش��ّ ي�لي� ��� ّ يل� ��� �و ن� ��� ري � و نل ر � رو � م ي ل �ص ن� �و � ل ني ن ش أ ن � ن � ي ي �ااأ ن ن ن ن � ي � ن ن ا � � ن ن ي ي ا ا � ا ا ا ا ا ا ا � �ك����ل �ع ��و� أا ��� � �ي� رع�م أا � ك�� ��� � ير�لن��� �أ� � ك�� ��� ن�ل�عي���� ك�� � � ���� �ك�ه� �و���� ا ا �ر ن�� �ل �ي��� ن أ ح أ � ن �ان � �ا�ّ �من �ا�ا �ن�� او �م ن ن�ل��ل��� ا ن�ر�� �� ن�� ��� �� �ه� أا ��� � ا ر ���ا � ك� ح ن� �ل�� �كي�����ل � �ش���ا �ن�� �ع ن��ا ك �و���� �ل��ك � ل ي � ن م ح 118
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Marriage Practices among the Fur
the boys who have no girlfriends are left. Each boy then takes his girlfriend and spends the night with her—right where they are, if there’s enough room. This is done as follows: the bride and the groom, the mééram and the vizier, and each couple spend the night together in one or two rows, depending on how much room there is. If there isn’t enough room for all of them, those for whom there’s room remain, along with the bride and groom, and the rest go, each boy taking his girlfriend to her house or to the house of one of her friends. He doesn’t take her to his house because she wouldn’t agree, since it’s their custom that when a young man loves a girl and her mother finds out about it, the mother must never meet with him nor he with her. If she sees him on the path and can find no way to avoid him, she kneels on the ground and drapes her wrap over her head and face until he has passed, and he does likewise, meaning that if he sees her and recognizes her, he turns on his heel and flees, if he can. If he cannot, he turns his face to a wall or a tree till she has passed. If there is someone else with him, he sends her his greetings via that person, and she does the same after he’s passed. If there is nobody with him and she has somebody with her, she sends him her greetings via that person. All this, in their view, is a matter of modesty and respect.139 For them, all the members of the wife’s family are taboo. Her mother is like
3.2.18
his mother, or to be treated with even greater respect; her father is like his, or more so; and her brothers like his. The same holds true for her. If she sees his mother or father, she flees and takes another path and sends her greetings, or he sends her his, and must not come face to face with either of them, and she treats his father like her own, and so on, just as we have described when referring to the man. This is why she goes somewhere else with her boyfriend and won’t agree to go to his house with him. In fact, if there are too many people and too few places, she still will not go with him to his house. Instead they will go into the open countryside and spend the night there. In the case of her father’s house, however, given that she has a place of her own prepared for that purpose there, anyone she likes can spend the night with her there without her father seeing her. If the man goes there with her and leaves at dawn while her parents are asleep, neither of them will see her. But let us return to our original topic. They pass the night, and when morning comes, each girl gets up and goes to her parents’ house and performs her toilet, by which I mean that she washes her face and limbs; indeed, she may perform the ritual ablution of her entire body. Then she perfumes herself, adorns
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3.2.19
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
ي � ا �ي � ش اأ ن ا ن � �أ نّ � ن ا ن �اا ن ي ا� أ ي ن � أ ن ي ن � ��ي��ن��� �ك�ه� ك���ل �ه�ا �ل� � ا �ل������ ء أا � ك�� ��� ا��م ار � �م� ن�ل��ل�� ا �ر�� ���� �� ن� أا �� � ا ر � ن � ���� �ك�ه� �كي� ح ي ّ � �ا� �ش���ا �ّ��ي �من ���االه�ا �و�ع ���ط �ه�ا �و�م�ا � ي �م ن� ��ل��ل�ع ��� �س� �� �ه نّ ك ا ��ل ش����ا �ّ�ا ي� ا ��ل�ل�ا �أ� � � ���ا ن� أا �لي��� �ن� ل � � ن ر ر ر � ن أ ي ح � �� �م ّ � حيّ � �ي ا ��عكنط� ن� ياأ �ي ا� ني ن ن ن أ ن ا ن � � � � � � � � � �ش���ا �نك�ه�ا �وي ن �ل���� �� يلعرن� ��� �ك�����ل ح�� ك�� �ي� ا�م�ي ر�م أا �� ���ل ا �ر� � � او ل�عر���� �ع� �� ن� ي أ � �آ ن ن�ي�ي � ي ن نّ �� ن � �ي ن� ش � �ي ح�ع نس �ع ن��� �يك��ا �م�� ��ل�����ل�ا � �ش���اأ�ن ��سّ أ �نم ��ا ��ل����� � ك ك � �ل ا �ع ن��� ا � � ل ه � � � � � � � � ط � � � م � ع ه ه � �� � ل � � � و ي و ر و ر و ي� � أ ي ح أ �ن� � ن ن � نًا �ن ن ين ّ ن � ���ا �يك�ه�ا 1ن�كي��ا �ي� ا ��ل�ع ��� ي ن� �ه��ل �ع��لي��� ���� �ك ���ي ��ه� ي�ن����ل��� �ه�و �و�ور�ير� �و�ل � �عي� � نو�ل����� � �� او � ن ر ي� ي ن ا ��ل ش��سنّ��ا ن� �ي�ن����ل��س�و ن� �س�ه�� ّ أ ي أ ّا �ا ّ � �ا�ي �ن ط� ��ا ن� ا ��ل�ع ��� ��ا ��ل ش��ّ ا � ��سع�ه�� ا �ي� � ك��� � له�ا �ن�ا ��ر�ي��� � او ��ل��� �� ��و��� �ي��ا ر أا ن� �ش���ا ء � او ن� ��ه��ل� او ا �ل ن � ر ن � م م �ي ن � � ا � �ن ا ن ن �� ا �يكي ا �ع � ا �� ن �ن �� �ي ي ش ي ا �مر� او �ع�� ي ��و �و � ��� أ� � � �أاو � ���� ء � او ا ك�� �صي ��و� أا �� �و � �هر ���� ر � ن��ل��� ك� � � م �م �ّ � أ � � � � � �ن � �ا�ّ �من �� �� ط�ه�ا � ر ن� ا �لن�ه�� ا ء � 2نو�ل�ه�� ي�ل ن��ا �و�ك�ه� ا �ك��ل �ه� أا ��� ن�ل��ل���� �و ا� ي�لن ��ي� أا �ل� ا �ه��ل ا �لن���ل��� ا �ل��� �ي� �ع� � ل م م ع أّ أ م م م ن أ ن � يّ � ن � � � �ي ن �ل ا ا ن � ي ا ا � ط � � � � ا � � � �� ك � ا ا � ل ا � �م ع � � � � �� � �� � � ع � � � � ع �كي��� �أاو � ا� �ي�هحر� او ا �ل� � �س � ه ر و �و � ن� ر � يري و� � ي ر � �م أ � م �ي ّ ا ��ل��سع�ه��ي اأ �ّ�ا � اأ �ي�ا ��� ا � � نك ����ه ن� ��ل��ك نل�ي����ّ� � ا ��ل�� ن� ��ا أ� � �ع� ��نل � ��أ � ي و� �مراح���ور � او �ل � نح و ن ن ي م و وي � ر أ أ نّ أ �اّ ن ين � ا �ن ُ � �ه�� � ا ���� ���سم��ي ��ا �ي�� ن� ا �ّم�ا ����نصي��� :ا �عل���م ا � ا �ه��ل ���ل ن�ل��ل��� �م ن� ا �لن��ل� � ا �ل���ي� ن� � �ع� او أا �� �مش��ل� وي ي و أ أ أ أ أ � � � ي ن�ن � ن�لن ��يع �ير�� ن� ا �و �ش��ور � ن� ا �و �ش��ور ا �و �ن �ليعر�ي ا �و ن� ش��سي��ا � أا �ع�� �ن��ي �ك���ا � ح ن� ا ���وي��سم�� �أاو � ك�ا�ا � �ك�هم� ي أ ي يأ ي أ أي ن أش أ ن ي ي ي ي ن ن ا ا ا ا ا ن � � � � ا ��ا ر ن� �� ر ن���ي� �ع� ن�ل�ل�� �ك�ه� �و� �ع� او �ي� � ��و� �ن� � �� او ر ا �و �ن �لعر �ع�ي�ر �م� �� �� ��� ا �ه� �ل�ل�� �كه ي� ن �ل ن � �م م � ن �ي أا �ع� �� أ شّ � ش �ا�ّ �ن � � �م ا ش ي � �ا ش نط� � نش � � � ن ن ا� � �� ي ك �ص ن� �� � ��� أا �� �م�� ��و� �ك�ه� رع�م ك�ل�� �ي� �ل�� ن� �و����ك � او ���م ارح � او ��ل �و��مرن� �و ��ي � م ّ � � ا ي � يّ �� � � ا ي � � � � �اا ي ن � ن � ش ا �ن � �ن � ن ي ن � ح � � ا � � � � � � ك � � � � ع م ا � ا � � � ل � �مر �� ا �ل��� �مرن� ك ن � ��ول �سي� �ي� ا ل�� ��وك� � ويلعه�ل�و� ���ل م� �ه�ل�و �ي� ي ��وم ا ل���� ن ��� �� أ ا �ً� ن ا ن ن ن �ي ن ن ن� � ا ��� ا ��ل��ل��� ن�ك��ا ي�ل�ه� ا ��ك���ل ا � ش ط�ه� �م � او �ل��م ار ن� � نو�ل�ه�� � ار �ع�ه�م �م� � �ل��ك ي ن �سم���و� ر ن�� �ل� �و����� ء ��ي� أ � ي ل ي ي� � ّ � ن ن ا ن ن� �ي م ا ش ن يّ � ن ن ن � ش ّ اأ ن �ن �اّ ّ ش ي ا ي � � � � ���ل ا �ر�� �� ي � م ��ي��نص��� � �وي�ن��يص� �� � � ��و� ح�� أا ��� � �و �ك���� ا �ل�لي���ل ��م �ي� ��� ���ل ���� ن� � ن أ ن � � ّ ي � ن�ا ي ن أ ن � �أ � � �ن ا أ ي ن �ه�ا � عور ا �ل� �مر أا �� ا �ل�� �ن� � حيص ش� �ن�ا �ي�ا ا �م��س�ه�م�ا �يو�لن �� ��و� �ع���� � �ل��ك ا�ام�� � ا�ام�� ��ور� �أاو � ا ا � � �س� � أ أ أ ح أ أ أ أ اأ ن �اا ن ا ّ � � �ن ا� �ل�ن �م ن � ن ���� ا �ي�ا �كه�ا �م ن� ن� ا � �� ا ��ل�ع � �� ا � ا ن�� ا � �ن� � ك�� � �م� ا �ع�� �ل�ل�� � � � ل � �� ر رح ن و رو � و �و�ه� ا �و ا � رن � ي � نح م أ أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل� :صوا � ح ب�مة����ه�ا 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل ب�ع�د ا ء.
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Marriage Practices among the Fur
her eyes with kohl, and rearranges her finery. It is the same with the bride, who enters her mother’s house and performs her toilet. Likewise, the men go to their houses, if they are nearby. If these are far away, as in the case of those who come from another village, each goes to a friend’s house and performs his toilet there, and it’s the same with the women: if a woman is from another village, she goes to the house of a friend and performs her toilet there, for each of the young women who goes to the wedding has with her her kohl, her perfume, and everything she needs. She performs her toilet and the women sit together till almost midmorning. Then the mééram goes to where the wedding festivities were held while the groom isn’t there (by which I mean when he too has gone to perform his toilet) and, along with some of her friends, sets it to rights, cleaning it, spreading out mats, and preparing the places where people will sit. Then the groom comes and finds it clean, so he sits there along with his vizier, and the young men come in droves and sit with him. After this, it’s up to the hosts. If they want to, they may pass the whole seven
3.2.20
days in dancing and dallúka, or they may limit the celebrations to one day. If it’s clear that they want to keep things short, the guests stay until lunchtime, and after eating each returns to his village and only the people of the village where the festivities were held remain. If the guests do not want to keep things short and know that the hosts want to extend their celebrations to seven days, they take up residence. This is made obvious by new animals being brought to be slaughtered, wine being pressed, and other preparations. Note: The people invited to such feasts from each of the villages bring with
3.2.21
them either two cows or two bulls, or one bull or one cow, or ewes as a contribution for the host, and if they have relatives living outside their village who are invited, these bring bulls and cows over and above those brought by the people of their own village, in order to be of assistance. They spend the whole of the rest of the day playing, laughing, and relaxing, eating and drinking, and engaging in pleasant conversation till the late afternoon. Then the drums, those called dallúkas, are beaten, and they do as they did the day before till night comes, when food and drink are brought. When they’re finished with those, they gather, men and women alike, in the place where the celebrations are held, and talk till around midnight. Then each boy takes his girlfriend and spends the night with her in the same place as the day before, and they go on in this way for the allotted time. If more animals have to be slaughtered, the number prepared being too small for those present, the
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3.2.22
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
أ أ أ أ � ا� ن� ���ّ �م�ا � ����� �م ن ا ��ل ��يع ا �م�ا �م�� �ع�يع �من�ه�ا �ش�� ًا ا � �ش�� � ن ا � � �ليع �ي ا � �ش�س��ا �هً�ا أا �� ا��مر�ع�� � �ل و ن ر � ور و وري � و ن ر و ي � نر � اأي ن �ل��ل � � ن ن ��ل نّ ن ن� ن � � �صي ��و�ن� �و � �و�ل�ه�� ا �ل�ع�يعر �ير�����ل ا ن� �و ن� ا �ل�ع�يه�ي�ر � �و� � ��و� ن �ح �ه� ���� ا �نأ�ا � ا ن�ل��لن� ح ار ري�� كي���ن � �م�� أا �� ا �كن� ن ي �ع �ش ن ن ن أ ّ أ � ي � يّ � � � ن ن ي ن ن ا ي ا ا ن � � � ا � ل � � � � � � ح � � �� �و�� ا �و ي���ع�� �� ي�لن ��� �ل�� ا�ن� ر ��� ح ن� ا لن ��عر �ل� ي��ل�و أا �م� ا � �يك ��ط�ل ن� س�م� �ي ر� � � ا � �آ ن � ا � � � ن � �ي � ن � �ي � �ي َ ّي �يٌ � َ ّيَ �ي �� � ن �� ن ي � �� اأ� � �أ� أ ي عر � و �ل� ���� ا ��ا ر�ن�� �كي��ع�عر �ه�و �ل��ر م� يري��� م� نلعر م� ععر نلعر� �و� �� نَ��� ��ً �ول�� �ل�ك أ أ أ ي � ش ا ا� ن ُ�ع َ � �� ن� ا �ن م او ��س�� �م ن ا �ل�ع�يع ن�كي��ا �م �و ن� ر�ع�� �يك�ه� ا ن� ي�لن��ه�� � او �ك�ه�ا ��ن� ا ��نل ا ا � ��ل�اء � � أا � ا �َم��ل عر � �� � � � ر ن ن � ر ر ن ي ي م ّ أ � �أ�نّ � � �ل�ع�ي � ن ا � � �م ن ا � �� ا �� ا �� �لي �ل �ي ا�ا� �ع � ن � نّ �ي ا � �ي ن�ك � �ن �يل�� � ا�ا� ّ ي ي�ه� و�ي� لك م�� � �ل� ك�ه� �ل� ي عرو� أ �ل� � �ل� ��و ل عرن�� �مر �� و�ه�� � �س�� �� � � ي � ن ري ن م � م �اا ا� ا ي ا ا �ن � ن �� � ا ي ش � � � � � � � �ه� �ي� �ل�� ن� � او ���م ارح � او ل�عري���� ��� �ل�ك ��� �ك�ه� �س� � ا �ل�عر�و��� ك�� �م�ل��� �و��� او � ن أ نّ ن � ي أ نّ � � �ّ � � ا ��ل ي أ ّ � � � �ن ي ن ّ ن � � � ا ل ل ع � � ه�� ل �� � � ع ع � � � � � �� � � ل ل ��سع�ه�� ا �ي�ا �م �س� ا �ك�ه�م�ا �ي�ن��يصي��ا � ن �و�م� �ع� � �ك�ه�م ا � ا � ري � ي � رو أ ن ع �مي� ا �ن �ي � ن � � ا �أ ����ن ا � ن ن � �ا ي � ا � �أ ا � �أ نّ ي � ن � � ي � �أ � �ه�م� �وي ن �ه� له�ي� �ل� �� ل��ل ن ي � ��ه��ل�و� � �ل��ك ��را �م�� �ك�ه� �و�ل�ن� ��و�يك�ه� �ل� �ك�ه�م �ي�ل ��و���و� ا �ل�لي���ل�� ا �ل��و ��� أ أ أ أ � �ي ا � ن ن � ا ن �اا ن ن �ا ا � �ي اأ�ل ا � ش ا ن ي ن �ا ي ّ ا � ش ا ش ي ن �ا ي ن �ه� �و � �ه���� ا �ه� أا � ك�� � ا �و ا � � �ه� � او �ل�� �لي��� ��ي� ��را �م�� ا �س�ه� � او �ل�� �ل��� ��ي� ��را �م�� ا �ي� ��ي� ��ر م� ن ي � أ ي ن � ي � � �ن نّ �يك ي� ا � ن � � ُ� َّ َ ح�يّ ي� ي��ّ ا ��ل��سع�ه��ي ا �ّ�ا �سع� � � �ع��لي��� �و�ي�ا ���� او �ي�� ا ��سعن�ع ع � � ا � م � � � ع � � � � ص � م � � � ل ك ��ل� � � و و ن ن � م ن يم � ين ل � ل م أ � �ن � ن ا��م ا � ن � �ن ي نّ ي ش ش � � �و� � ل��� م� �� �ل ا � يلع�� �ك�ه�ا �كن���ل ��ل�ا � �لي��ا �ل أ نّ � أ ي � � أ �ا اأ � ا � ن � � � ن � � ن ن � ي ن أ ا يا ن�ع � � � � م � �ه�ا �و�ل� �ع�ي�ر� �م ن� ا �ر ن��ا �ل �أاو � ا � ��ل� ن حيصن���� :م� �ع� او ���� �ع�م ا � ا��م ار � �ل� �� ل م رو � أ أ ن ن � ن �ا �� � ا �ي�لي��ّ�� ن ا� أ ي ا � ي ن � � ا � ي ا�ا ي ا ي ن ّ ي ��� ء �و ن � رو ن � �ه� �و �عي� �� ���ل �� �م� �و�ر� �و�ه�� ا �ع��� ع�م �م� ا �مك��ل ا ل ي �و� �ع���� ا��م أار � � �سي� أ ي ن� ي ي � أ يأ�ا أ ي ن � � ي � � � ا ا ي ن ا ا ��ا ���ل ا �م� � ا �ر ن���ل �و���ي� ��ص� �ع ن�� ك �ورا ��ي� � �ل��ك ���ل� �ك�ه� ا ������� ح�� �م ن� ا �ل� ���ل �س� م م ي ن ع � �� ن � � أ نّ � � �ي����ي � ن ش ن ن �ه�ا ا ا ن ل � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ا � � � ا � � � ل ك � ا �ر ن���ل �و�ل� ح�� م� ��و سه� و � ي��� ���ل ن�ي� �سعن��ه� وي��ون � ي�ه� وير� ر ن � م ي ي � ن � � � ن ن أ ّ أ ن ي ن ي ن ي ن نح � � أ � � ��ا �ه�ا � �و��� ���ل �كي��� ا �ك��ل �مرر �كي��� � او �م�ا ا �� � 1ل��� �و�م�ا ��عي� �ع��لي��� ��ا ��� او � �ل��ك �ل� � ط�ه�ا �م ا �م�ا �م ا �ر ن��ل� ح �ن ن ه�� ا �ش�س� ء �ين��� ن ي � � �� ي� ي � ا �ل � ه� ح أ أ أ أ � �م ن �ع�� � �يكه� ا ن� ا �� ��� ��ل�� ��ا ن���ن� �ع � ����� � ���م نس� �كه�ا ��ن ����ي��� �ل�� ��ن ���� ي� ا �ّسه�ا � ا �ل�ه�ا � و ني� رن ل ي و� رو وي ن ي� ن � ي� ن ي ن ل ي� ن ي �م أ أ � ي ح�يّ �يل��ل��� � ��ل��� � ن ا � �ش�ل�ا �ش��ي ن��ا ن� ���ط��ل�ه�ا ��ل��لن ��يه��ل��ي �س�ه�� �يك��� ن� ��ل��ك ا �� ي� �ع��ل��� � ّ��م�ا ح ن� �س�ه�� � �و�ل�� ن� ور و و ي � ن ن ي ن أ ل � � ر أ ن ح � ان ا ً ن � ي أ نّ ا � � ي ن ن� � �ي� ا �� �� �ا �ي � ا ن ا � � � � � � س � �� � � � � � ا ا ا ا � � � � � و� ك�ط�ل � ن ي � �ه�م� ن ���ن�� ن� � �ل�ك و م� �ع� � ك�ه�م ك�ه� �ل� ��� �ر �م� �ع��� ل���� ك�ه� ن��� نل��ل ع ة أ ب 1ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا �.
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Marriage Practices among the Fur
bride’s father, or her brother or a relative, goes out to the pastures and hocks whatever animals he finds before him—a bull or two, or a cow, or ewes—and, having hocked them, sends the butchers, who slaughter the hocked animals and bring the guests their meat, and so it continues. If word reaches the owner of the cattle, he either asks for the price and is compensated, or does nothing until he himself or one of his relatives holds a wedding, when he hocks whatever he wants of the cattle belonging to the man who hocked his, tit for tat. This is why, when a wedding is to be held, animal owners order their minders to take them far out into the savannah, since they only hock animals grazing nearby. Throughout this period, the bride is treated like a queen and her girlfriends are with her, playing and enjoying themselves, and it’s the same for the groom. Another custom of theirs is that the groom doesn’t deflower his bride till
3.2.23
after the seven days have passed, even though they spend the night in one another’s arms with nothing between them. The grooms do this out of respect for the bride and her parents, saying that the first night is out of respect for her father, the second for her mother, the third for her brother, if she has one, or for her sister, and so on, till the seven days are up. They think badly of a man who hurries and deflowers her before then, saying, “What a hurry he was in!” That he should deflower her before three nights have passed is unthinkable. A remarkable thing. It is their custom that a woman mustn’t eat in front of
3.2.24
her husband or any other man, and if her husband enters while she’s eating, she gets up and flees. They see this as the acme of modesty and denounce any woman who eats in front of her husband. When I was there and saw this, I asked them, “How can she be ashamed to eat with her husband when she is not ashamed to sleep with him or let him enter her embrace, penetrate her, and see her vagina and every other bit of her?” “There’s no harm in any of that,” they replied, “but for her to open her mouth and insert food into it in front of her husband is an abomination.” Another custom of theirs is that the man doesn’t take his bride and consummate the marriage in his own house: he does so in her parents’ house, and she doesn’t leave it and live with him till she’s borne two or three children. If he should ask her to move in with him before this, she refuses, and they sometimes even get divorced over the issue. Another custom is that she never allows his name to pass her lips. Instead she will always say, “He told me such and such.” If she’s asked who told her, she’ll say, “him”—this till such time as
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3.2.25
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
� � � ا �ن ي �ي ��و�ل�� �ك�ه�م� �م�س�
� يّ أ�ًا ي ي � ي ا � � �ان �ان ن ا ن أ � ي ن � � ن ي ا � ي ي � � ا �م� � �ل ��و�ل �� �ل �ي� ���� ا �و���� ا �أ� � ا ��س��ل� �م� ا �ل�� �ي� �� �ل � �ل ��و�ل �ه�و ح�� � � �� ا �ي ا � ي أ �ن ا ن أ أ �ن ا ن ي ا �� � ن � � ن �اا ن ن �اًا اأ � اأ ن�سش � � �و�ل�� ك�ه�م� � �ل� ا ن� ��و �ل� � ا �و ا ن� ��و �ل� ��� �ن� � � � و سم م� �ي ��و�ل�� أا � ك�� � ر � � ن �ّ �أ � أ نّ � ني ن �س��� �نأ�ا � ن��ا ء ن� ش���س�ء �و�م ن� �ع�� � �يك�ه� ا � ا �ر ن���ل �ل�� ي�لن ن�� ��ي� �ع�� ا�ا�م ار �ي ن�ل�ه�� ا � نر�ن�ا �� أا �ل�� ن�ل�ه�� � أي م � ّ ي� أ ّ � � أ �ا �ّ � أ نّ �م ّ ا اأ�ا� ن ن�س�ن نّ �ي � ن ي ن ا � � � كن���ل ا �ل ��س��� ن��ا ء �ن�� �ع�� ���ن��ي���ل ا �ك�ه�� �ي�� �س� ا ��� �ل� �ي� ��ل أا �ل� ا �عر �م� �ي� ك�ل�و� ي � �م�� ا �ك�هم� � ع �آ � أ أ ي ً ً ً ً ً � ن � � � ي ن � �� ط� ن�� �و� �ل�� � ن��ا ن��ا ا �و��م�ا �م�ا ا �و ��حل �وا �ش����أ��ا �ن ي��� �م�� �و�م ن� �ع� او �أ��� �ع� ��ا �ك�ه� �م ن� ا�ام�ا ��ا�ل ا �ر�ي�لأ��� � �وي��� ن�� � ن ي م � م ّ أ نّ � �ن ي أ ن � ي � ن ن � �� ي ط�ه�ا �مً�ا ن��م�� ًل�ا ���ّ�ًا ن�ع�� ا �ل�� ش���� ءا ا ا � ا �ر ن���ل �م�� � �م� �ه�و �ي� ن��ي��� ان �ي� ر�و ن���� يك� �صع� ��و� �ل�� �ل ي ن ير َ َگ ْ ي � � ّ ا ّ ي أ ّي ن أ ش ا ش ّ ي ���س ّ ن � �أّ � ن ي � ن ُ �ي��� ن��ا �و�ل�� �ن�ا �ل��لي���ل أا �م� �مر� ا �و �م �ر��ي� ا �و ��ل� � �م ار �� 1وي � �مو� ا �ل� �و�ل ن�ل��ل�ه�� ا � �ل ��ور ن�َر�ي� ب�را� ُ ُ ُّ أ � ش ا � ن َة ْ َگ ُ ��س � ا ��لش��ا ��ل ش �ْ نَ��� �لو �و�م ا � �ع� �� ن�� ��ل��ك �ي�لي��و�لي��� �ع�� ا ن ���حل � � �م�� � او �ّم�ا ا ��س�م�� � � � او �ل�� �ي� �ا ر � � � �ا َن�ي�� و و ن ر أ م ن � ي� أّ � ّ ع أ أ ح أ َ ش � ني � � َ ّ ن ي ي ن �ا�� ا �ل�� ش ا ء � �ن �� ا ا ء �ع� ن ن �ا��ل�و� ن�ل�ه�� ا ك� �ا�ر ا �ل�� �عنصي��ا ء �ي�ا ك� �ه� ا �ل�عر�ل ّ��� �َورا ن�ليّ��� � او �� �ل�ل�ع له� ���� �ل� ك�ه� رنم� ن�� � �صي ��� � َ ي ن � مّ ن م � م م أ ن ّ � � ي � �اا ن ا �� ش ا ن � � ّ ن �ا � � � ن ّ ن ّ �ي � ا �أ � �م ن ا �كن ن �ن �م ن ا �ل ش��سع� � �ل��� ي�س � �صي ��� ا �و ك�� � ل����� ء �ع�ي ر ن�ي��� ��ل �ن��� �ل� م� �ورا �لي�� ��� � � � �م��� � ن ع لي م � �س�ع نس �ي� ��كه � � � اگ ا ن� ن ا �� �ليه�م � �ن�ا ن � � �س�ع ن��ا � �ي�م � � � اگ �س�ع ن��ا � ا ن� ن ي��� و ب ر� و �� �و � � ن ر ي� ب ر� ي��� أ � ن ر ي� م رع �رع ْ گ گ ن ْ ن َ ة ا ا ا ا ن ن ن � � � � � � � �ا س�ع�� � ر ن���ل �و ن�ي����س�و س�ع�� � �م����ك �و ن��� �ا ن�ي����س�و س�ع�� � �م����ك ا �َر ن���ل أ� � �ا ر � وة�ا ر � � ح �ن ن���ل�و �س�ع ن��ا � ���ط��ل�و ا �ن��� حر ع أ أ أ أ أ ّ � � � � ّ ي ي ن ن ّ �ا��له�ا � اء ا �ل�� ش����ا ء ا �� �ل�ه�� �م�ا � ا �ن ا � او �ّم�ا ا ����وّرا ن�ليّ���ي � ه� �عر�لي��� �م����س� �ون�� ���ورا ء ن� � ���� ا �ل��م� �م �ل� ��� �ي� ك� � ور � � ي ن ي ن أ ن �ا �� ش ا � ن ي� � ن � �اا ن �ع ن��� �م ن �ل� نّ �ع��ل � �م ن ا � � ن ��ن ا ن �وا ن� �و� � � � �ي�ا ���ل ا ل������ ء �و� �� � ا � ا ا ا ل � ه�� ل � � � � � � �م ع � � � � ك ك � � � � ي ر ي � �لأ � �أ � � ن ن ر � أ أ ن ي � ن � يّ ن ن ن �� � شا ���ل�� ش��ّ ���� �ع� ن��ا � �م�� � � �لي �� ��ل �ه�� �م ن ا م ح � � � � ا �ل������ ء �س�ه�� � او را � ا � �ي�ل ��و�م يم�ه� �� ي�ل����� ن � م ي و وي و ل � �ّ � أ ّ � �أ ش �ا ن�ك �اأي�ل��� ا ��نل�ا � � ��ا �� ّ ا ن�لّ���ي ن�ك �اأ �� ن ً ن � � ُ ن ���� �ي�ا ء ���سي� ء �ي ��أو ���ل ي� ي � ن ��ور ي ي� �ال�ا � �س�ه�ا �و�ه�� ا �ل� �ي�لع�ه��ل أا �ل� �س� ا �ع نر ا �ل�� م ع ن �� ّ ن ّ �ي ين ن أ� ا نًا �� � ن ن ا� ن ا أ ا � � � �و�ه�� � ا ��ورا �لي�� �ل ��ع� ��� �� ل�ل� �صي ��� ا�م�ه� ن��� �ن� �ل�لي���ل ا �ل��� ا ن��ي� عا ي � �أ � � ي ا نًا ن � ا ن ط�ه �ي ً ن ن ن �اّ ن � ن �اا ن ن �ا �ن�ا � �م ن ا ����ي�� ���ا ر ا �ل� ��ل �م� � ن� �و�ه�� ا ك���ل�� أا � ك�ا�ا � �عر����ا �أ�ا � ك�� � ��� �� ���ه�ل� او �م� � ��ر � أ � � ي � � � � نّ � � � او�ا�م نرر � او � ن�ل��لن���ل � او �ل��� �ي�ن� نرا �ي�ا � 2و� � ع او ا �ل ن��ا ��� �ور��� �� او �ع��� ا �ل��� �ل�� �لي���ك �ور�ن�� او ا�ام��ط�ا �عر �و ن��ا ء � أ � م � ا� �� �ا � ن ا ا ن ا�ا� ن ّ� ن �ن�ني ن � اأ� ا �ي�ن �ن ا ن ن ن ي ا ن � � � � � � � � � � � � ا � � � � � م �� ا�م�ط� عر لعر 3ه�ل� �� و ر �و� و س� � �مري� حص�� و ن ��و� و �� أ� � نل � ��و أو � ��ن� ر أ أ ْ ة ب أ ب 1ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا � 2 .ال� �ص�ل :وا �ل�د ب� براة�ا 3 .ال� �ص�ل�� :لب��ر.
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٢٧،٢،٣
٢٨،٢،٣
Marriage Practices among the Fur
they have children, when she’ll say, “the father of . . . ,” supplying the name of their child, whether a boy or a girl. Another of their customs is that the man doesn’t support the woman until
3.2.26
a year has passed since the wedding. If he brings her anything before then, he does so as a gift. At the same time, though, he always eats better than the rest of the family: they may cook any disgusting kind of mediocre food for themselves, but for him they’ll slaughter a chicken or a pigeon or prepare meat. Another custom is that, while the man is in his father-in-law’s house, they prepare very good food for him once, twice, or even three times a day, in addition to the dinner that he takes at night. The first meal is called in the Fur language juri jaráng, the second tarnga jíso, and the third subu jelló, their hope being that this will strengthen him for intercourse. In their Arabic such a meal is called a warrāniyyah. Most well-off people eat again after their dinner, because a guest may have come to see them, which requires that they not eat their fill out of respect for him; or the dinner may not have been good, so they must have a warrāniyyah. Their term juri jaráng means “take off the shirt,” juri meaning “shirt” and jaráng meaning “take off.” Tarnga jíso means “grasp the leg,” tarnga meaning “leg” and jíso meaning “grasp.” Subu jelló means “the coming of dawn.” The word warrāniyyah is Arabic and is derived from warāʾ,140 meaning
3.2.27
“behind” (the opposite of “in front”), because they eat it “behind” dinner, i.e., after they’ve eaten dinner. This is why you will find that some people, if they have a particularly dear friend, and he’s had dinner with them and is about to leave, will prevent him from doing so till all the rest of the company has left. Then they’ll call their servant and ask him, “Is there anything to eat?” at which the servant will bring them the warrāniyyah and they’ll eat together. This is done only with their best friends. The warrāniyyah also comes in useful for the unexpected guest who arrives in the middle of the night. The above applies to weddings. If the celebration is a circumcision, they do everything we’ve mentioned in terms of preparing food, millet beer, umm bulbul, and dééng saaya, and invite people and dance to the dallúka drums, and make a procession with the boy who is to be circumcised, the barber coming and circumcising him while his father stands by. If the boy being circumcised cries, his relatives treat him with aversion and leave him. If he is patient while being circumcised and does not cry, his father says, “Be my witnesses, everyone here! I hereby give my son a cow” or a bull or a
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3.2.28
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
أ ً ا أ ا��م � أ نّ أ � � ��ا �� ا ��نل ي ن ا� � ي ا � أ ش �ص ي� �و�ل��� �ي� �ن �ليعر�ي ا �و �ش��ورا ل ���� �و�م ي�لن��ك �� �ل ا ن� ��و� ا ��س�ه�� � او �ي� ا �ه��ل ن ��ل��� ا �ي� ا �ع ��ي أ ً أ أ أ ي ا � ي أ ّ �ان � �اّ ّ � �� ي ي ن � ا �و �عن��� ا ا �و ا �م�� م�م�ا �ي�له�� ر �ع��لي��� �و�� �ل� ا �م�� ���� �ل��ك �و ���ل �م ن � �مر�م ن� ا �ه��ل�� �يك�ه�� ي� �ل� �� � ّ َ ش ً ن ن �ا�ا ن اأ�ه��ل�� اأ ن�عنص��ا ء �ن�ا ��ل�� �من�ه� �ش��س ء ك�ا ح��س� ن�ع ن�� ءا ��ش�ي�ر ن�كي����ي�ر ن�عنصّ��ا �و ن� ��ل��ك ك� �ا��ل�� ن� ���ي��أ��ا �أ�ا � ك� � � م ي� ي ي ن � � اأ ن �ن ن ا �� �ن ا � � ن ��سيم� أي اأ�ه��ل�� � ن���يع �ع� ش��ّ ي ن� ن شا � ش �ه�ور � �وي� ��� �و� ل��سه� ر�ي�ك �وي ن � �و��س�و� ع ا � ار �ن�� ��ي� �� �ل� �ي ��و�م ا �ك�� � و�رم م ا ً � � �اش�ً �ن ن � ن � � ن ن ي ا ا ا �م �ر��و� ا �ل��� ن�� ن� �كي ��عي���ل�و� � ن�� ن�� ك���ي را �و�ي� را ن�ل� �ي ��و� أا �� ا �لي ��و� ا �ل���� ن�ل� ��ل�ا �ل ا �لن���ل��� �يكن� م م ن ح �ع ّ ع ّ � ّ ن ��ا �ور�ي ��ك�ه� �ن�ل�ا �ي�هحر�و ن� � ن��ا ن���ي أا ��ل�� �يكي���ل�و�ه�ا �و �� �ع ��و ن� أا ��� ا ��لن��ل�ا � ا�نم �ا�ل �ي ��و� ي�لي��و ن� ��ه� او �لن���ل��� �ي��� ن م م أ ن ن � � اأ ًا ن �اا ن ن ن ا ن ً � � �ه�ا � او � ط�� �ي�ليعي���ل�و ن� � ن��ا ن� ���ا �ن��ه��ل� او ن�كي��� ��ا ن� ا �ل��� ن��ا ن� �ل�� �ي�هحر�و� �ن��� �ل�ك �ن� ���� � او � ك�� � � � حه� � � أ ح ّ ّ � � ن �ن ن ّ ن� �ا�ا ��ل �� �ار�ن�ا أا ��ل�� ا ��ل��� ن��ا ن� ن��ل�ا �ي�ليعي���ل� �ون�� � او ��نل حنه�ا ن��� �ل�� ي�لي�ن�ه�ا ���و ن� ن�كي��� ك� �ا�ل �م�ا � �� �� �ي��ا � �و�م�م�ا � ��ار�ن�ا � ي�ل�هل��� أح م � � � � ّ �س�ي�� �� ن ا ��م � ن � � �سي ا � ا � �ن ا �أ ي � ن ا �� ا �أ ي ا � �� او �ي��ن� �ع��� ر���ليصن��ا ا ن�ل ن��ا ا � ي � �ي �� ن ي� � �ل�ك �م� له� ���� �وح���� له� ���� � م ع أ أ � أ نّ ّ � ا �ن � �� ي �ي �ل ن � ش��س ء �ن ا � �ع � � ن ا �� ن�� ا ء �� ا �ن نّ ا � او �عل�� ا � � ه � ل � �� ل � � � � � � �س� ه �� ه � � ك � � ل � � � � � � � � ن و ر ر ر أ � � ن و ي و و ن ل ل � ّ � ي ي م ّ أ � ّ � ن ً �انم �ن � � � � � �ن �� � � ا �ل�����س �ي � ���� ن �� � �ن ا ن � � ا � � ي ّ ا � � � نّ شا ل ا ا �ه� � 1ي� ن �مي�� ا � ي����� رك� � �وا �ك�ه�م أ �ل� �ي� حرو ن� يم� ول � ل�ك أ� � 2عر��� �ل� ي� ��م أ �ل� نك�ه� م ع ن ن ن � �أ أ اأ� � ن �نً�ا ���ا �ن� ��ل�� � ��� ��ل���ه نّ �م�ا ا � ي �س�يه�ا � ��ل���ه�� � ا �ن�� �ش��س ء �ن��ي �� ا ��ل ن������ا � � � � ا ء � � �م � ي � � � ل � � ك � ر ي� ور م ل ر ور ي� ر و ر وو � ا� ّ ي � ن ن � � � �أ ن � ن�لع�ه�� � اأ� ا ��ل �ا ا�ا�م ي ��سع�ع � ن اأ �عسن ن ن � ن ا ا � �مرن� ي ل� ه��ل ن��ل � �م �نر��ي� � ا�م�ه�م�� �و م� � �ل�ك ا �ل�� ك�� ر �و �عي� �ع���� � نر��و� �ي� � ن�لع�ه�� � اأ �ع ا � ن �م ن ��لي���� �س او ن�نل�ع � ح� �و ن� �� �م ا � �ل ��ور �مرن� ي ل� ن � م � �أ � ن اأ ّ ا � �أّ � �ن �اا ن � ��� � �ي �ي ش���� ن �م ن ا ��ك� ن�ك ّ �ي اأ� � �� ّ هو �م�ا ك� � �م ن� ا �ل��و�لي��ا ء � � � � ل � � � � ع ه ع � ط � � � � � � � �� �م� ا �ل� �و�ل � و و و � ي ي و � � � ر ي � أ � ي ح ّ ن ّ � ن ن� ن � �ا�ل ��ي�� �� �ار ا �م ار �ي �ي� ن�� ش����� ��ك�ه� � او ��ل ن������ا ء ن��� نل���ه�ا �و�ي��و�ن� �ل�� ي�لي� � �مر���ل�يه��ي ا ��ل��� �� �ن� ���ل�م ن� ن�ل��ل ي�لن� ��طر� م أ أ أ � ّ � �ي ّ �ي أن ن�ً ي ن �ن �ه نّ � او �ي�ا ر�ك�ه نّ �لي��ه��ل�م ن ا �يك�ه� ا � � ا � ح��� ن� � ��ارا �و��� �ي��� ش����� ر ن���ل � او �ل������ا ء ي���س�م�ع� ن� كن�ا�عي�� ن � ن � ا رو � � م � � ا �ر ن��ا �ل ٰ يي ن ن� أن ي ن �ش �ا �ي� �ا �م� ن�� ا ��ل��ش�� ن ي � � �ن�� ا ّلل� � ي� �و�م ن� � �ل��ك �م�ا �و�ي�� ا � �ل��ل�مي��� ا �ل��ي�� ن� �ن� � ي�ل�ع� ��و ن� �مر���ل�ه�� � ��ر ل ي ع ي أ ن ي ا � ن ا ��ل��ش�� ن� نع ا ن ي ن �ل ّ ا ح � � ن حن � �ا اأ ا اأ� �� �ي �ا �م ن ا ��ل��ش ي ن ن � � � �ل � � � � ا � � ل �� ع � � �� � � � � � ي� ي �و ن� � ي � � �ون��ي� ��ل� مي��� ي���ي� �س�ه� ����� �� �م� ���مي� ا �ل� ر ر لي ح �ي �ل ن ا ��ل��ش � ن ن ّٰ ن ي � �ع��� ل� �مي��� �� � � ��� ا لل� ���ه�ا �ل يح ع أ أ ة ب 1ال� �ص�ل � :ش��س�ا ر����ه�ل 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا �. م
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Marriage Practices among the Fur
male or a female slave, depending on what he can afford. His mother makes the same declaration, and every one of his relatives who is present gives him something. If his family is rich, he will receive much property from them, and become well off, all according to his family’s access to or lack of resources. On the third day of the circumcision ceremonies, the other boys of his age get together and take their throwing sticks and roam through the village knocking down chickens and killing them in large numbers. From the fourth to the seventh day, they go to the neighboring villages and kill every chicken they lay eyes on. Each day they go to a different village to kill chickens, and the owners of the chickens see nothing wrong in that. If it’s a female circumcision, they do everything we have described, except that they don’t kill chickens. They don’t go to as much expense over the circumcision of a female as they do over that of a male. Anyone reading this account will know that we’ve gone to some length to describe these things simply so that the best benefit may be provided, the greatest gain derived. Know too that the men of Darfur undertake no business without the par-
3.2.29
ticipation of the women. Indeed, these take part with them in all their affairs, exception made for major battles. This is why no wedding or funeral takes place without them and why without them nothing would be considered by the people of Darfur to have been properly done. Thus you’ll find women present on all great occasions. An example is their dhikr ceremonies, which are of two kinds: those performed by the Arabic-speaking inhabitants of the country, by which I mean those who do not speak one of the non-Arabic languages, and those performed by the non-Arabic-speaking Fur. The first kind is in accordance with the practice of a particular Sufi shaykh
3.2.30
or holy man. In either case, a woman will be present at the circle of remembrance to chant to the men, and the rest of the women will stand behind her, saying nothing but watching their husbands and relatives to see which of them is the best performer: a man may chant on his own while the women, like the rest of the men, listen. For example, a disciple of Shaykh Daf ʿ Allāh once attended the dhikr ceremony of the disciples of Shaykh Yaʿqūb. There was tension between the two shaykhs’ disciples, and once the dhikr had warmed up one of the disciples of Shaykh Yaʿqūb decided to make fun of Shaykh Daf ʿ Allāh’s disciples by singing:
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3.2.31
�ف ا ���� �ا � �ي��تف � � ف �ي� � � ا � �ل ��ور �صطلج روي ف ج
َْ ش نًا نَ �ه�ا ��ا ا�ا��ه�ا � ن �ه��� �و ���ثي�� � �� 1ع ار ن� ن ن� ْ َ َ �يَ �ي نَ شّ ���َه�ا ��ا لا �ي�ه�� �ه��ل � ره� �و� ن َْ ُ �ه��� � �ش��ث� ن�ْ ا�ا��ه�ا � ن ��و ن� � ��م� ي � و ي ا � ن� ْ �َح �َ�يَ �يْ �� �ي ُ ل ي�ه�� �ه��ل �ث�له� يلع ��و ن�2
أ ٰ ن ي ن �ش � � �ن�� ا ّلل� �و�عل��� ا �نّ�� ���س�م� �ل��ل�مي��� ا �ل��ي�� ن� م ح ع ع نَ ْ ن�ُ ْ َْ� نُْ ُيْ َ َي ا ن ��ه�� �ه��ل �يوس��ثحر�� �م�هم��ه� ��ي� أ � ا � نَّ َّ يَ ا �ل�ه ْ �� ا ن �نَ� �ل�ثي��� � 3و ��ث��ل ا ك� ��ث� ��ي� ن أ ّٰ ْ ن ي � ن � ��� ا لل� ���و��ي� ��ط�ّ او �َ� ع أي ن ي ي ن� أ ن �ن�ا � ر�ي� : �ن� �مر ي� ا �م ار � ��ي� ���ل�ه�� � ��ار � او � ش����� ي� ن � ني � �ع ن��ا � �ن��� �ل��ك ���ه�ا �ل
نُ َ َّ يْ ُ ن �َ � ��ثنم��ع �� �� ل�م �مر�ي���ث�� � � او �ي� كأ� ي� َ ن ا َ نََا ي � ْ ن ا ن � او �� ��ثحر�ن� ن��ي�ث�سي� ���جحر�ث� ��ي� ا نُيَ ن ن ان �ي� ����ثحرا ��ه� �كي�ك�م را ��ي�
٣٢،٢،٣
ش ا ّ ن ا� ن �اا ن ي � ّٰ ْ َ �اا ن ن � ن �ّ �ن��س�م��ه�ا ا ��ل�� ن� ا ��ا � � � ا � � � � � ع � م ا ك � � � � � س ل � لل � � � � � ك ك ه ه �� � � � � � ل � � � � ي� � رو و ي� م ن � م � و ي و ن �ن أن ا ن �ن را �ي� ا �� را �ي� أ أ ّ ا أ �ع � ن ن ّ �ي ن �ا�ّ ن��� �من �ار ���نّه�� ن ا �و ���ل�يه��ي �و �� ع ��و ن� ��� ا ��ل��� �� ��ا � ا � ن�ل ��ور ن�كي ��ي ن� � او �م� ا �ه� ���ل�نه�� ��ن��ي�� ر � ل ل ي� ي ن م م ن ن ن � �ا � ن ن ش ا نّ �ي � نّ �ا � � �ا ن � ن ا �نش ن � � � او �ل������ ء ي�������� � �و ع�م �ي��� �ر�و� �و� �ر ع�م �ر�ير �م� أا ����� � �ه� ��و�ك�ه� ُ�اُّ �اُّ �َْ ا ا� ً ث�ا َن���ث�ا ��ر�و �� َر�و ي�ي� ��ث� �� ْ َگْ ُ �ا َْ َ نّ َْ َ� ط�� � �ل� ��و�� ن� �ه��� ي ي ح َ ُ ْ ط��ْ گ �ا َْ َ� � �ل� ��يو�ي� ح
ب ب أ ب ب أ ب ب أ ��� ا �ة� ال� �ص�ل. ��� ا �ة� ال� �ص�ل� 3 . ��� ا �ة� ال� �ص�ل� 2 . � 1
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أ �ن����ا � �لي�� ��ل ا �ن�ا ريو
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Marriage Practices among the Fur
He who has no shaykh to protect him, oho141 Shouldn’t let himself get caught twixt shield and arrow He who has no shaykh worthy of veneration Shouldn’t enter Yaʿqūb’s circle of recollection Shaykh Daf ʿ Allāh’s disciple heard this and understood that the man was referring to him, so he sang: We enter and shall leave in good health Pure in deed and intention Daf ʿ Allāh’s above me at every revolution An amusing anecdote. A woman once attended such a ceremony and
3.2.32
chanted: I’ll pour you a big pot of beer I’m single and live on the edge of town Sufis, is none of you a fornicator? Those performing heard her, among them a young man who understood what she meant. He’d been saying, “God lives!” 142 but he changed and started chanting, “I’m a fornicator! I’m a fornicator!” The non-Arabic-speaking Fur stand in two lines or a circle during the ceremony, with a girl behind each man, and the women sing while the men chant, their chanting consisting of the sound called karīr.143 One of the women’s songs goes: Kurú kirrô yé-ii áálima'ng nima-ii Sa láng koo jánná Sa láng koo
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3.2.33
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
ش ي ُّ ن ن � ُ ُّ �م ا ء �و�ع�� �ا�مً�ا ن��م�ا �س�ع ن��ا � ن ���ط��ّ ا ��ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء �و� ط�� �ار�و�س�ع ن��ا �ه�ا ���ن�� �ار�و�س�ع ن��ا �ه�ا ن� � حر� �و�� �و�س�ع�س� � �ل��ك �� �ن� ل ر َ ح ن ن ط�� گ گ � ي �� � ش �� � ش � نّ���ي � �ا � �س�ع ن��ا � � � نّ���� 1 م���س أا ��� ا ن��ل م���س أا ��� ا ن��ل � �او�� ن� �ل� �� � نّ��� �و�س�ع ن��ا � ط� ي� � ط� ي� � � �ل� ��يوي� � � ي� � � ي� ي ي نّ ا ��ل��ش � ن ح ن � ّ �� � ا ن� ن نح ن ��ل نّ ي يًّا ن ن ح �� � نّ �ي � �يًّا � �م ن � �ي �� نّ ح �ي ا ��لن � ل � � � � ا ل � � ا ا � � � � � ل ا ء ء � ه � � ح � �� �� � � � � � � � � � � � � �م � � م ه ه ح � ح � � ه � � ك ط � � � � � ل ن و � ل ن ر ل أا � ن ر و و �� َ ْ ْ َ� َ ْ َ ْ ح ن�ْهحرا ا �يل��لي�ْه�� َ�مي�ك�ا ا �يل�� يل�ث�� 2 ن ُ�ُّ ْ � �َ نَّ ْ ُ ��ا�ل ���هن��ا ��ه��لك�ا ا نل ح�ه�� َ
�ا أ �اّ �و�س�ع ن��ا � ن�ن��را أ�لي���ل �و�مي� � �� �لي���ل ���ل
� نّ �ي � ن �ي � نّ � ن �ي � � � ا � � ن ا ن ا ��ل ح��س�� ي�م�لك �نك�ه� ا �لأ������ � 3ن��� �و م� ��و�ك�ه�
ّٰ ُ َ ّٰ للَ� �ي��و�� للَ� َ َ ن ْ أ ّٰ أَ َْ َ ��ه�ا ن� ا لل�ْ ا �ن�ه�� �وا �ش��ش�عْر ر�س� َ �اا ��ْن� ا نْ َ ْ ْ ك�� ل�ث� �ر�ن��ي�ث�� َ
ّٰ ّٰ ّٰ � ن ن ���ا � � � او ء ا لل� �و�س�ع ن��ا � لل� �ي�ا أا �م�ا ء ا لل� �ش�س�هر ر س� ن �ا�ش�� ��� �ي�ي��ّ��ع ن��ا � ��ن � ن��ا ا �� ا ��ل�� ��سه�ا � � ���لصن��ا ا�ا�م��ل� ��ل��أ� �� ا ��ل��أ ��ل��ا � � �ن�سم�ا ش ل � � ح ن �و�م���ل �ه�� ا ك� ي ر �و ن ن و و و أ � � ل � ن ن ن ر أ أي ن ي ّ أ �ن ني ن ن � ن ا ان ي � �� ن ا ن � ي ن ا ي ّي َ نَّ � ن ا نّن ا ن ن ا �ن ن حص ش� ا ن�لّن��ا يل � �ه�ا �ي�� � � � ��ار�� � ��ل ��ل�م�� ��ي� ا �ل��ر�ويحن � �و�م� ي�ل��ه�� �ل� �ن�� �ع� �ل�� ا �ل�� ���� ��ر �لن��� � ��ي� ل��� �م� �ي ُ حّ �اّ ي ي ن � أ ن � � � ن ا � ا��م�� ّ ن �ن ا � � ش ي اأ ن ي �� � � ا � �ي � ��ا ل � � � � � س � ا ع � � ا ا ا � � � ك ا ء � � � � � � �� � س � � � � ك ل � � � � � � ح � � �م � � �م ع � �� ع ط �س � ل � � � � � � � � ن ن ريم ون ر ي رر ر و ي� ر ن و ي ون و وم � �أن أ �ل� ني � ا �ل� �ك�ه� ا �م ن�� ء �ع��� ا � حري��م � �و �ل ��و�ل � م نن �وا �ن�� ��ا �ر��
ن ن ��� ��ه��ل ��ي�
ا ن ا� ن ن ن ا �لن � �� ه�� � ا�م��هحر�و�ث��ي� ��ي� �� ي
ا �� �� �ش �ي ث�� ��ق��ر �ن� ك�ط� او �� ي
ً ً ّ ّ � ّ �ا ن � �يّ ��ا �ن�� �و�يل�ه�ا ���� ن�عي ��ورا �ع�� �عن��ا �� �و �م ��� ��ا ر�م�� �منصي ��يه�م�ا �م�م ن� �يل�ه�� �� � ���� �و�� �� �� ن �ا�ه�ا ك��ا � ا �ل� � آ أ � � ً � � ��ا ن� �م�ا ش��م�� �وك� �ا�ا ن�� ي� ا �لن�ه�ي�ر�ي �و���نه�ا �م ن� ا �و���ا ن��� �و��ل�� ن� ا � ّر� ا � نك��طل��� �ع��� �ن �نل������ �و ن��ل�ا ن��� �ن�ا ريل � م مأ� ن آ �ن ي ّ � ن ن � يا ن ن ن � ن يي ا �ا ن �ي ��ن ��� ا ن� ��ه��ل ا �ل�ه�ي�ر� �مر��ور ي� ن ���ع ن� �سي� ا � �م �م� ر�م� ����ل�� � �و �له� � �م � او �و�ل �م� �ع� ر �� ن�لي���ل أ أ آ أ أ أ ّ ي � ن � ي � ا ���لس ا ا� ا ا ا � ا ن � ن �ّ � ا �م ن ا �ل � � ن �ّ � �م ن ا ن ن �ا ن ن �ي��� � �يم�سم�ا �ن � �ع��� ا ��� ي�م� �م� �مر � م � ي�هحرو ن � �� � �م� �ه� � �ه� ني���ل ويرو ن�� � َ َْ َ ْ َ ْ َ أ أ أ ب ب 1ا ب��مة�� ب� �ل�����س�لة���ا ة� 2 .ال� �ص�ل :بحب��را �ةلة��ل�� َ�مة�� � ��ااَ ة���لةْ���ْ 3 .ال� �ص�ل� :ل�لا ���س�ا �. َ
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٣٤،٢،٣
٣٥،٢،٣
Eunuchs
The meaning: kurú means “tree”; kirrô means “green”; áálima'ng nima-ii means “the shade of the scholars of religion”; sa láng koo jánná, sa láng koo means “It’s true we’re going to Paradise. It’s true we’re going to Paradise.” Thus, the meaning of the whole is “The green tree is the shade of the scholars of religion, and we’ll enter Paradise for sure, we’ll enter Paradise for sure.” Another chant of theirs goes: Jibraaîla Mikaaîla Kullu sibā mulkā l-jannah 144 which means “Gabriel! Michael! Every good deed gives one possession of Paradise.” And another chant of theirs goes: Lullá káwi lullá, Shâr ramadaan Alla'ng dawa-ii Kál pááreng beeng kíye which means “Daughters of God, O daughters of God! 145 The month of Ramadan is God’s remedy,146 so rejoice in it!” The Fur have many such customs; to pursue them would be to diverge
3.2.34
into verbosity, and so induce, among the intelligent, animosity; we have said enough. Given that we have mentioned marriage and associated matters, however, it behooves us to provide a brief account of the guardians of women, namely, those persons who in Egypt are called ṭawāshiyah (“eunuchs”) and “aghas of the harem” or, in Turkish, kızlar aǧası (“girls’ aghas”), because they have custody of the harem.
Section 2: Eunuchs (Known in Egypt as Ṭawāshiyah) Given that the Truth, glorious and mighty, is jealous both of the well-being of His mortal slaves and of the maintenance of His strictures, just as He is bent on vengeance against those who overstep His bounds by committing what He has declared to be offenses, and given that covetousness is one of His attributes and that He has, for these reasons, prohibited injustice to Himself and to other than Him, He has caused covetousness to be embedded in man’s nature from times past and immemorial. The first man to feel covetousness was Qābīl,
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3.2.35
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
ّ �ي آ ن ي ي � � ن ي ن ن � ن ي ن أ ا ا�اا ن ي ي ي ا أ ن ا �ا ا �ل�ه�ي�ر� �م� ا �مر�ه�م� �م� ك�� � �و�ك���ل �� ن�لي���ل ا �� � �مك�� �ور� ن�لن���� ا � �لع ار � ن�ل��ل ��� � ��و ن��� ا �ل�ه�ي�ر� ��ي� �ع�ي�ر ي أ آ ا� ا �اا ي � ّ ا � ن ا أ�اش � �� ا ن� �ع�� ا ن�لش��ا � �و� � �� ا �ن�ا ي� ن�كي�ن�ه�ي�ر ا ��ل ن� ن�س ا � � �م ن ا ��ل � � �����ل ا�م�ه� رك�� � ي �ع�سم� � او �ل������ ء ا ���ر ي� م � ي و يو � ي ي� ن نّ � � �ه ّ �ي ش يًا ن � ي � � �ه� �و�ل� �م� ��سن ��ه� �و�ع�ل�م�� �و�ل� �مر�وء � �م�� � �اا ن �� ن ا �� ن ا �� � � ن �ن ا �� ن� � ي اأ �ا ا ا �يي �� ن ي ا ا � يّ ن �وك�� � نل���� ل�� � نل�ل� �ي� له�ي ر� �ع�ل �ه� �و ر ���� أا �� �مصس�ه� �ه� ح�� أا � ن�ل�� ن� �ك�هم� �ّ �ع أ � � ن �اش� ا �� ن� � ي حيّ �م ن ا � ن� ا ا � ن � ن ا ��اا � �� ا ا ن ن ن � � � � � � ء ك ء م �ل م � � � � ل ل � � � � � ه � � م � � ه � ه � � ل ل � � � � � �ل� �ي�هحر�و� ا �ل������ ء أا �ل� ك�� �لأ�� و � م � و ي ر ي ر � � أ و و ن ن �ل ن ن �من�ه� �م ن ��ا ��لن� ��ن ا ��لن�ه�� �ي �ن����ا �لن�ه�ا �ع��ل�ه نّ �م ن ا ��ل��ل��� � ا ��لن ا ن �ه�م �م ن� ي�ل�ه�ا ر �م ن� �عي ��و� � م � ن ي� ي ر �ه� ر �و�م � ر ي ر ي� � � ي ل و � ع � � ا ��ل�ن� � أ ن ي �ك�ا� �ي�ا �ل ا �ل ش �ا �م�ل] ����ا �عر [ � رن ح��� ا � � ار � �م ُ ُ َ ٱ�َ نْ � ٱ �� ْ��يَ�َ ْ يُ اأَ نْ أُيَ َّ َ ُ أْ ن نُ نَّ ُ نُ َ � � ح�� �َ�ه�� َك ا � ح �� �ون�� َك �يَ�ا �عي ��و ن� ا �ل نّ�ْر ن� �� ��ق��س� ن� � س حيص� �نَ� � ا كن���ل � �� َو َ �ي� َ َ� ي َ َ َ ٱ �ْ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ُ َ َ َ َ ن �نّ ش َ ن� ُ � ْ ي نْ َ ح�بص ُ �ي� �� �ّل��ل يْ �َ �ث نَ�ا �ي�ُ ��ُ �َ ��ُث� نلُ نا ل � � � � �� ا � � � � � م � � � �س ث ه �� �م ا نَ ي ن� ن � و ن ث و ي �و � �و َق�� م ��َ�
� � � � �ن � �و�ا ��لن� �ل�� ن� � يّ نّ ن � �ن �� ن� �م ن �ن �نل������ �و�م ن ا�م ا�م � �ن ��و ن� �و�م ن� ا � نر�م�ا ن� � او�ا � م��ا � ن ن � �ك�ه�م ح�� أا ��� �ع� ر �ع���� � و � �ا� ي ا �ع � ب ش ا �مك� �� �ل ا �ل���� �عر [وا �ر] َ نَّ اأ �نَ �ا ُ ��َ ��لَ ْ � �م نْ َ�ع�ْث ن � � س � � ث � � � ه ث ك � �� ر ي َ َ � ي َ ي� َوَ ي َ �َ ْ أَ نَّ َ نَ ْ ُ ن ُ نُ �ن ����ثي��� َك ��� ن� �� �و� ��و ا ��ي� �و� �ه�م��و َي َي
�و�مش���ل��
ي� ب ���و�ل�� [وا �ر]
ٱ � َّ ن َ ْ َ ْ َ �و�َم ن��� َك �و�َم ن� �صك�ا �نَ�� َك �َ او �لنر��ها َ� �نَ � ن ا ��َ �َْ � اٱ ��ْ�لي�ثَ�ا �َ� ��ي �َ� �ا َ��لا ا � ث أَ �� ي ��و َم َ ي� ث َ ث � َي�
ُ َ نَّ َ ّٰ نَ َ ْ أَ ْ َ َ َ يَ َن ُ ��ثحًّا �� �ليُ�ه��لْ ُي � � ��ثم��ث��ن �ي� �ن�ا للَ� �ث�� �لو ا �م���س� ��ه��� �ل��َل��عي� � حَ� ر َ َ ْ نَ َ ََ يَ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ � نَ ا نَّ أَ ن َ ا ُ َ َ �ْ ن َ ن � � � � � � ك � نَ� ��و� �ولا ����ثح�� ��ثَ��ل�ك َ�ي� �ثَأ� �ي� ا ��ه� ر ��ه��لًي�� َك َم�� َك �ي�� ح � أ � ن ط� � ش ي� يي � � ي ن � ��ا �ل [طوة�ل] �ك�ه� أا �� ا �ع���� ا�امن��ا �لن�ه�� ��ن�ه�ا ر �م ن� ا �ك��سم�ي ر حيص � او ر� �ل�ع� ن�ل�� ن� م
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نْ ن َر� َ�ي� نَّ �َ�ه�سي�
٣٦،٢،٣
Eunuchs
with regard to his sister, Aqlīmā, when Ādam gave the order that she should marry Hābīl and he should marry the latter’s sister, Dhamīmā.147 Jealousy then led to the consequences that followed for each, with Qābīl killing his brother, as found in the text of the Qurʾan.148 Indeed, covetousness and jealousy are to be found in animals other than humans: animals are jealous of their females and fights occur. This is especially so given that the female has a stronger libido and carnal appetite, and no amount of manliness or zeal can hold her back. Some people, having arrived at the pinnacle of covetousness and climbed to its very peak, go so far as to consider all women slaves. Among them are those so given over to jealousy that they feel jealous of their brothers and their sons. Indeed, some men go to such extremes that they feel jealous of the day and the night, and some are so jealous that they cannot bear that even the eyes of narcissi should behold their women. As the poet says: Lower your lids, you eyes of narcissi— you make me too shy to kiss my sweet friend. When the beloved sleeps, his cheeks149 lose their color, yet your eyes are steady, and their lids never descend. Some go to such extremes that they feel jealous of their own contact with the beloved, of the beloved’s contact with them, and even of time and place. As the poet says:150 With you I feel jealous of my eye and of myself and also of you, of where you are, of Time. If I tucked you inside my eyelids from now till Judgment Day, it still would not suffice. Similar are the poet’s words:151 Should he to my destruction set his mind, I’d say, “Torturer, I beg you, give me more and do not grant me your embrace, For if I’m jealous of you, then of myself how much the more?” One poet went to such exaggerated lengths as to be jealous of his own heart, saying:
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3.2.36
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
ْ نَ أَ نَ ا ُ َ َ ط � نَ َ ا �َ ُ َ ً َ َ ن � يّ ٱ ّيََ ْ يُ َ َ ْ ن � س � ح � � � � � � ا ا ا ح � � � � �م م ح س � � �م � ه � � � � � � ه ل ا ��ه� ر �ع��ليث َ َ � َ ي َر ي� يث �و� ر نَ �ي� � � � ن �و َرَ �ي�
� ن ي ا� ي � ي ن أ أ ن��ي�� ّ � ن ا �ن � ا � ا �ا � � ا� ا � ن � � ن � ن �ي ��ل �ي���ل ا �ل�� ��� �ي� � ار ���� ا حري�م �أم� ع��� ع�م م� � ا ء ا �ل�ه�ي ر� �مع�ه�� ا�م�هي��م �م� را � او ا ح���� ي ن ان � ن ي � � � ن ي � أ نّ � � ن ن ط ا �ع ن� ا � ي ن ا ن ��� ء ا �لص�� �����ل �و�ه�و ا �ل�� �ي� �ك ��طح�م��� أا �لي��� ا �ل �� ��و��� �م� � ار ����� أا ����� � لي���و� �س�� �� �و ع أ أ أ آ ّ ّ ً ش � ن � حيص��ا ن��ا ��ل�� ن� ��ل��ك ا�ا�م��ل�وك � او ��ل�� �م ا ء ��ل�� ن� �� �ا�ر ا ��ل ن��ا ��� ا � ��� ا �ل�ه�ا ن���ل � او �ل�� ن���ل � او �� �ا�ل � او � ���� �من�ه ي ر ي � �م ا� ّ � ن ي �ا�ا ن�� ي� �م��ل� ك ا ��ل��س � ا ن اأ ��ا ا ��ش ا ��ل ن��ا �� ��ل��ل ن������ ءا ا ا ا � ن � ح � ي ن �س� �م� �� ر �ع�لي��� �م� ا �ل������ ء �ن�ل� �م ار ء �و�م� ك� �و � ر و � ع أ � � ش ن �ا � � ��ّ ن��س�هً�ا � ا �� ن�� ��كه� ��ن ن� ��ل��ك � ��س�هً�ا �ا�ا ن� � �� ن���� �ع ن��� ا�ام��ل�ك �م ن ا � نل � � � ك � �ص��ا � �ع��� ك���ي ر و ن و و ن � م ي� يو ي أ � م � ن ن � �أ � ن أ ش � �� ن �ن ن � ن � ا ا ن � � ا �ل� � �ل ا � ا ��� � �ع��ل �ه� �م��ل�ك �م �ه� �و ع� �ل� عه�ي�ر �كي ��و ن���� �ع ن��� �����ل��ط� � ا ا � �ل �� �� � ر ور و � و ر و ي� �م �م م � � ن � � يّ �ن ي � � � ا ن ا � ن � ن �ل���ل ي �� � ح ار ����� �يو�لن��ي�ع� �ع ن���� ك �ا�ا �ل������ا ��ار �و�ه�و ا �ل�� ي� ير�� ن� �ي� ن��ي��� ا �ل����ل��ط� �م� �ل�ل � م�ه � ي رم � �م ي ا ن �� �ي ي ��ل ا �ي �م� را � أا �� �و � ا�� ن�� � �أ � ي أ ًا �ن ا �� ن� �ن ا ن �� ن � ا ن �ّ ن �ا�ا � ن ��نل � � � ا ك � � ل � � � � �ر���و� �ع ن��� ا �ل� �� ك ه � م� ك �ص�� � � � � � � � � �ه�ا ��س ��ط�و� � او �ي� � نر و ي� ر ور أ � م ي� � او �� ي � � ن � ا � � � � ا ش � ا � � يّ ن � � ��س ���ط�و�ي � او �� � ل���ل�م��ي ا �ل ن��ا ن��� �ي � او � �لي ��ّو�ي �و� �سيه�ا � �و� �سيه�ا �ل �و�� �ل �ل� ي�م� �ل�ل�� �� � ح�� أا � �ك�ه� �ع ن��ا ك ل م ن �� �� ن ن مّ أ � �أ ّ ي � ش ا ن � ا ا ن ن ن � �ص��� ن ن���لي���ل�� �ل� ي�لي�� �ل� �ه�م�ا �ع��ر � � ه � � � � � � م م ا ا ا ���س� ا � ل ل � � � � � �� � � � � � م � � � �ص� ن ن� ي �م�� ن ي� ي� و �ص� �ل ن �و و ي� � ن � ن ي أ �� ا ن � ��من ي ّ ن ي ن �ن �ي��س ��� ن ��� ن ّ ي�ان � �ن � ا �ي�� ��ل ا نّ� �من � � ����ي��� ���� �ل��ك �ص� ا لن�� ن� �ع�ي ر أ ����� �ن��� ا ر ا � �ل ��ور ن�ل��ل ��ي� � ��و���� �و�ي� �� ي وو ن أ � ن ن گ � ن ن �� ن ي ن ن � اأ ��� ا � ن ���� �كه� �ع ن��ا ك � ��ا �ص��ا � ا �ل��� � ن �� � ا ��� �م ن � ل � � � � � � ا � � � ل ا. ه � ك ل� � � ي � � � � � وي و ن � م أ � ي � ي� ر ور � ن رو و �ل ي و �ُ م ّ ً ّ ش � ن � ن ّ ي ن ن ن � �ا���ر�و� ن���� ا �و�من�ه� �م ن ي� � ا ر�ن��ور �ع��� ���ن��ي���ل ا �ك�ه�� �ي�� � ك ��س�� ��ي� � ا ر���ور ل�� � �ه�م ك� ي �م � � ن � � ي �ن ن� ا ��سش ا ن �ي ن � �� �ليه�� اأ�� ي� ��� ن ي� �� �اص ي� �ع ن��ا ك �ع�ل�ا �م�ا � �و �م� �لي�� ح��� ن� ا ���و ن��� ن��مي���ل ا �ك���ور� �ي� � و ري أ ُ ن ّ �اا ن �م ن ن � � ا �� � �� ا ن ��مّ � �ن� ن� اأ� ّ ن � ن�ع��ل�م�ا ���ن ن ش ن� � � �ع��مر���سي� �ي� � ا ر ��ور �و���ن��ن��� ا ��� ك�� � � ��� م ل����ل�ط� � ح�م�� ���ل �و ح ن �ي ن أ �ن ُ ّ ن � �ا�ا ن ��ل�� ��س�ه�� �ي�ا أ�� ي� ّ �ن ���� ا ��ل ن������ا ���ا ء ا �و ���ط�ا ر�ه نّ ن�ع�ي�ر ا ��ل � � � ن��ا ء ء ل � � ا �ل���ي� ن� رن� �� او ��ي� ا �لن�ي�� ي� �وك� � م ن � ن أ ي نّ أي � � ن نن �ا�ا ن� ا ��س�م�� �����يل�سم�ا ن� �ي��ر � � �وك� �ص ن� �ع��لي��� � او را � �كي���ل�� �م او �ع��لي��� �ع ن��� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ���� ن� ح������ ا � ار �ن�� �و� � ي أ أ ّ ن � ن ي � � � ن ن � � � ن��اأ �ش���ا �ع��ل��� �ل�� ن� � ا �أ�� ن�ن �ص��� �وي��ا �ل �ل�� �م ن� � � حيص ش� ا � ا �ل� �مر ���ا� �ل��ك ا �� ��ل � ط� �م�ا �ي ��أو� �ي��ك ر ي ن �� ورر ي ع أ ّ ي �ي � ن �ي � � �ي�ي ي � �ن�ن ا � ش � ي � �اا ن ن ن �ص� ن��مي���ل � او �نك�ه� ح��س�� �ن�� �و�ل� لع��ل�� ���� � �و�ع� ��� � او ن �سم��� �ع�لي��� �وك�� � � ا �م�� ن
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٣٧،٢،٣
٣٨،٢،٣
٣٩،٢،٣
Eunuchs
With him, of my own heart I’m jealous. A love that accuses part of me—how suspicious! Afflicted as they were by the persistent, crippling malady of jealousy,
3.2.37
people pondered how to guard their harems and could come up with nothing better than to place them under the guardianship of a person whose organs of procreation have been cut off, a person of whom one can feel sure, in both the long and the short term. Those most in need of such things are kings and princes, for it is indisputable that each of them collects as many women as he can, and given that the kings of the Blacks are the most assiduous of men in collecting women and go to the greatest lengths in this, each one, you will find, has a large number and enormous throng of eunuchs. The sultan of Darfur, for example, has around a thousand or more, and they have their own master, who is one of them and to whom they are like soldiers to a king. It is he who organizes them as needed to act as guards within the sultan’s house, keeping the surplus with him to use in time of need. Eunuchs are treated with respect by the great, especially in the lands of
3.2.38
the Fur, where they possess—and to what a degree!—authority, influence, power, standing, repute, and a station unlike any other. They even have two eminent positions that only eunuchs may occupy, one of which is that of the shaykh-father, the second that of the door.152 I note that the door is not peculiar to Darfur; it exists also in Tunis, and in Constantinople too. The eunuchs in Darfur come originally from the town of Rūngā. They castrate them there and bring them to Darfur as gifts.153 They are, however, very numerous, and some are castrated in Darfur. When I was there, I saw a youth with a pretty face and attractive appearance, aged about eighteen, who had been castrated in Darfur. He had been a servant of Sultan Muḥammad Faḍl and was the best loved of those who’d been raised as part of his household. His star was rising, and the women were fond of him because he satisfied their innocent needs.154 His name was Sulaymān Tīr. His peers, who were envious of him, slandered him before the sultan, who became angry with him and wanted to kill him. One of his viziers, however, advised him to castrate the youth, saying, “If it must be so, cut off the thing with which he harms you but don’t kill him,” so the sultan had him castrated and he survived. I met with him, and he had an excellent position and splendid clothes, though the sultan was distant with him because of what he believed
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3.2.39
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
أ �ّ أ ّ � أ� � � � أا �ل�� ا ن� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ك� �ا�ا ن� �ل�� �ي�ا � �لنه�� �ل�ه�� � ���ل�ا���� 1و�ام�ا �يكي���ل ن�كي��� �و� �ليه�� ��س�م�� ي� �م ن� �ش�ليه�ا ي� ا �نّ�� م أ � � �� � �� ا ن � ا اأ ي � ن �� � � ا ن� أ � ي ن� �ي ا �� ي � ن �����ل ا ن �ي � �ن ن ن � ل ا �هر �م�ل�ه� ��س��ل� �ه� ل� م� �مي�� � �ي ر ��� �ص ن� �ع�ي�� ل����ل�ط� � ا � ن���ل �مر � و� � � ن ا ا يًا أ نّ � �أ � ش ن � ّ � اّ ي ن ن� ا � أ ن � � أ أ � � أ ي � � ح�م�م�� �� �را � ا �ع ��ط�ا � ا�ا�م ار � �و�و�ل����ه�ا �و��� � ��ار�� ���� �ن �له� ا � ا �ل� ن� ا �ل��ي��� �و���� � � نول�ه�� ا � نر ن ن ً ن �اا ن يّ � ا يّ � ح� � �� ا ن � ن �ن �����ل ا ي � � ��س� �ن �نل������ ن�ل���� � �ن��ه�ا �ل��ل ��� � � ��ط�ي� �ع ن��� ا �ل����ل�ط� � ي ك�� � ا �ك�ه�م ن�م� ا �ك�ه�م �ن�� ي�سم� � ��ي�ر � ري ن أ �و���ا ر �م�ا ���ا ر �م ن� ا �مر�
�ي�ي �م ّ ا �ي � ن � ي ّ� ي� ّ� � أ ن �سي � ن أ ا �� ن� �ن �م ّ ن ش � ن� ن �ي نل ك ���� � :م� �و�� م� ع ��وع� �و ن�ن� رع� ا � ا ن �م� نل����� ا �م ار ء ل ��ور �ي� ���ل ا ���م ار �و ر�ه� ح م م اأ�ا نع ش ن ��لن ّ �ا � ن ن يّ ن أ نّ ن� ّ �ن � �اا نع ن ن ��ه��ل� ا �� ك���ل� � �و���م � �� � � او � � � � � ك ��س�� �� او � س � ه � �ه�م ��ا � �ل ��ي� ا � � او ��ن������ا ��ط �وك�� � � ن ��� �م � ي� و و ي نرو ي ي� ي م أ � ي� � ن � �ن اأ � ن ي ن ����ًا �م ن �ه�أ ��ل��ء ا ��ل�� �م ا ء �س�ه�� �م ن رر� ��ن� ا�نم � م � ح � � �� ل ه � � ���ل��� �و��ا �ل �ه��ل �ل�ه��ل���و� � ر ي ل � ري ن � او � � و ر ي أ آ � ��ل�ل�ي ّ � � � � ا� ا ن �ك� � ن � � ���� �ع� � �ك���� �ا � ا �ل�ع �ي� �وي��ا �ل ا �ل�� ن� �ه� �يك���ل � � � �ه�� ا ا�ام ن���ي�ل��ل ن���يه�ا �ل ا � ه�و ي ل �م� � ا ي ��ل � ن �حم��ل ر و � م���� ر �أ م ح ح ح أ آ ّ � ي � ح� ن نش � �ي �ن � ي ي ط� ��ي �� � �ل�� ن� ي ن� �ا�ل � او � � او � نر�ل ن��� �و��ا �ل ا �ر �ه�و �يك����ل ��ه��ل �ع���� � ���� �ي�ل ��و�ل ���� ر ا � �س� ن �مي��ل�� �و� � ي ا � ا� ن ح ي � � � ا� ّا أ ا � أ �ي � � �ي � ن ا أ ن ي ا� ا ن �ك���� ن� ي ا � ا � � ا � � � � � ��ه� ل� � � ك � ع ا ا ا ا ا � � � � �م� �ن��� ل� و��� ح ن� م���يل��ل يل ��ول �ل� و�م� عي�� � �مر� ي���ل ل� ��ل ل�� ��� �م� � ي ل م �ّ � أ ن ي ��ن ح � � �� ن �� �ن ا ����ي�� ن �ي � �ي�� ا ��نم�ا ا �عه� ا �ل� ا � ��ا � ا ل ��س� ّ �م ن � �ل��ل � ل � � � � �م� � � ا � ا ك � ح �ع� ل � ه�� � � � ح �ه�� ا �يك���ل ل � ��س� � � � � � ن م ن ي� � و و و و رأ � م أ أ ّ م ع ح �ً ح ن ي � �� ّ � � � ي ن ن �س�نه�� �ي�هحر�و� �يكي���ل ���ا � �ه� ���ا �لي��ا � ي � ح ن� ا�ام ن���ي�ل��ل �وي��ا �ل �ل�� ا �ل�ع ّر��� ن ��ي� ا ��ي� �س�� ��ط�و �ل� �ن��� ن��ي�� � م م ع � ي � ّ� حيّ أ ن �ن � ي� �ا��ّله�ا ط �� او �ن�� �و�ه�و �ل�� �ير ن� �م ن� �كي���ل�ك ن���يه�ا � �� او أا �لي��� � �ويل��ل�� ن� �� �ع ن� ���و�ل�� ��� ا ر� � ��و� ن �ي ��و�ك�ه�م ك� � � � �نعن أ � ن ن ا ن �اا ن ا ��لن ��س ّ ��ل�� ن �ل��ل��نه��ي ا � ن ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن �ي �ا �ه�م�ا � � � � � � �� ا ا � ا � ع ل � � � � ل � 2 � � ل� � � �وك�� � � ن ر ي ي ي ن ر � � ي� أ نّ � �أ � ش ّ أُ ْ َّ �ن �اا ن �ن اأ ّا � �� � �� ا ن � ي ا ا ن �و�م ن �عي��ّ��ع ا � ا �ل� � ا �ل���� ن� ��م � � � � � م ا � � ا �ص� ي ن � و � ح�م�� ا �ورَ� ك� ك� � �ي� ي� م ل����ل�ط� � �ي ر ن� �ي� �� ن ح أ م ي � �أ �أ � ّ ّ �اّ ن ي �ن �ن � � ن � ن ش ا � ي ن � � � � � � ا ل � م �� � ا �ل��ن� ��ّو�ي �و�م ن� �ع� �� ا �ل� ن� ��ي� � ا � ي�ل ��و ن��� �لن��ل� �� �و���ل م�� �ي� ��ل ��س��� �ي� �����ل ا �ر�ل�� � ن نيع ح أ � أ ن � ا� ح�س� ا �ه�� ا ��ل��ل�ا � ��ن � �� � � ا � � � ا�ا ن ا يّ ن ي نّ � �وي ن ع ل ن ي� ي وم و �ه�م ��ي� ��� �و�يل�عر��� ا �ر ن�� �ل �و�ير�� ا �ل������ ��ر �� � �ل ��� ا ��� ن �س� � أ حيّ ن ا ي ي � ي ا أ � ي �نن ن ا� ن � ��ل ّ ن حرن� �ك�ه� ��� �� ��� ا � �له� �ل�ل�� � ����ي � او ��س�ه��ي ا �م�ا � � ا ر� �و� ي� �ي ��و� �ش���� �ي��� ا � حرحن ��� 3ي� حر ��ي� ر� ن م أ م � م ح م �ً ّ � ن � �ّ � ن � � ن ّ ا �ل ش ���ل ن �� � ا �� ا ء � ا �ا� ا � � � ن ا ا ي � �� � � � � � � ا س � � � � ا ا � ل �و �� و ن�صي��� يك�ط�لل�و� م� ر �م��� �وي ن ن ��و� ل� ك�ه�و ن� �مر و و رن 4 ا �نك���� ر نل�� ن � ح ح ّ � أ � � � � ن��ّ� ا ا ��ل ن��ا �� � ن��� �نً�ا ���ا ح ّ � ا �م ا ��ل ن��ا �� ا أ�ر�ي �و�ه�و � او �ي��ن� ي�لن ن� ���ط �ع� �و�ي�� ا �ش�سي��� ا �ل �� ا �ل� � � � ���ع��ر و � �ر و ر � و و ر م أ أ أ أ بْ ب�ب أب �ر ب 4 .ال� �ص�ل :و ب�ر ب . - 1ال� �ص�ل :ل� ة�ا �ل�ل� �����ص�لا ح�� 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل�دة� ب� 3 .ال ص� : � � �ل �
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Eunuchs
to be his immorality and what had been said about him. I heard from trusted sources that he’d made a woman pregnant and this had shown, so she had been questioned and had said, “From Sulaymān Tīr.” This was what made the sultan furious, and led to his castration. When it turned out that he was innocent, he gave him the woman and her child. We have mentioned earlier that ShaykhFather Muḥammad Kurrā was accused of the same offense as Sulaymān Tīr, so he castrated himself with his own hand to remove any doubt. Thereafter he enjoyed the good graces of the sultan, and things went with him as they did. A joke: an example of their effrontery and arrogance is that some Fur emirs
3.2.40
had gathered to relax, take their ease, and enjoy themselves, among them a eunuch. They set to eating and drinking, the eunuch along with them as though he were one of them. It happened that one of the emirs had a silk kerchief with him, and he showed it to the gathering and said, “Do you know what this kerchief is good for?” One of them replied that it was good for wiping off sweat, another that it was good for looking attractive and adorning oneself, another that it was good for attaching to the bosom of a beautiful female, and so it went, each saying what he thought, while the owner of the kerchief kept saying no. When they grew tired of the business, they told him, “You tell us what it’s good for.” He replied, “It’s good for wiping yourself off after sex,” and they all thought this was a good answer and said no more. All of a sudden, they found that the eunuch had stood up and drawn his sword, with the intention of killing the owner of the kerchief, to whom he said, “Are you hinting at my having been cut? I shall certainly kill you!” They leaped toward him and spoke to him gently but he refused to take back his words until they’d mollified him by giving him all their horses. He was a eunuch belonging to the Successor, son of Sultan Tayrāb, both of whom we have spoken of earlier. Another example of their effrontery is that in the days of Sultan Tayrāb, Muḥammad Órré Dungo155 held the office of shaykh-father, and it is customary for the shaykh-father to go to his lands and seat of government every year in the spring.156 There he gathers all the people together on the same day and reviews the men and inspects the soldiers. One extremely hot day, Muḥammad Órré Dungo had everyone assemble in a wide space in front of his house and didn’t emerge to see them until the hottest part of the day had passed. Then he came out in all his splendor, riding his horse, his slaves shading him from the heat of the sun with parasols and fanning him. The soldiers now also came out and the people formed rows, making a circle, while he sat there watching
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3.2.41
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
ي ن أ ن�ا ن � � ن ا ن ن � � ي � �ا حُ�ش ّ ��ا ن��ل � �ه� �و� ر� � �ع��� ركن� �ه� �و����ل�ا� �ه� ��� ا �ي��� �يك�ه� � � �ه� �ل� ي�� ��� �سك �� �� � ا �لأ������ � �م � � � � ي م ي ن �َي � م م م ً � أ أم � ع ش � � � � ي ي � � � � ي ي ّ ا ّ ن ا ن�ل ش �ا ا ا ا ح�ش ّ ��ل ش��� ّ�� � � ا � �س� ا � ن ��� ء �و���� �ل ا �ل�عر�� �و ���ر ا � �له��ل�� �و�م��� �م�لي�� �ل� �ي� �مر �ن� �مر �و�ل� ي�ل � ر ر � �ه�� ي أ أ �ش �� � اأ ن �ن �ع ا � ن �ع ن �ش��س ء � �ع ��� ش ��� ا ��ل ن��ا �� � ا ن���ن� �من �ه� � ّر ا �ل���سم��� ا ن��ا ر م� ��� �و � ��� نرو� � � ع � � و � ي� و � � � ي � م ا ي ن ا ّٰ � يّ ن � � ش ا� ّا أ � ي � يم � ا ا� � �ّ ن ي ا � � ��� � ا لل� �ع�ل �كه� �م ا �ل�� ����� � �م� ا ��ل� ا �ل�ه� � � �� ع� �م� ��� �ه� ح�� �م� � �ل��� ن ي� م ن � � م ُ� ُ ُ � و ر �َ ُ � ً يَ ْم َو ًي ر م أ ً َ َ َ ي� � ن ن ا ن�ع �ن��� ن� ��ل��ك �و� � ط�����ك �و��ا �ل ن�ل��ل����ا � ا � �ل ��ور ن�لي��و ن�لي��و ن�لي��و { �ي ��و��ه�ا ��ثن ��و���ه�ا ��س���طحَري� ار} � � �� �ي �ن ي � � �َ ْ َگ أ � ن ن �اّ ا ّ�ي � ن اأ �ش �اشًا � ن ا م � � � س � � � ل �ا ا �ي� ا �ل�عر ن��� �م�ا ي�ل ن��و�� �ع ن� ر�ه�ا ء �و��رر�ه� �مر�ي� �و �ل �� �وك �ا�ا � ا �ل�ه�ا �ا ن �م �ي� لك ا ب �لَ�د � م ع أ أ َ ن �� ا �� �ْ �ن � ن �اا ن ن ش ع��م � ن ا �� �لنه�ا � � �ليه�ا ��ل ��ل�� ا ��ل��ش�� ن ل � � � � رر �و�ي�ا ��ل �ن�ا �ع�� ��� �وي�� ا ل� ك � ح � � � � � � � ك � � ه � ��� � � � � ن ي � و ن � ري� و ي� م ر ل ح ي � ّ أ �ي ا ن ً ن ن � ن ا ��ل ش ن � � ً ن �ش ح ن� ا ��ع��� �ي� ك� � �ي��� �ي�� � ا�ام�� ��اور �و�و ��� �ه�ا ر�ن�ا �ور��� ا �ل��ي�� ن� �ا�ا �ر �ش�ل�ا �ش�ا ��ا ن���� � ا �ر�ع ن� �م� ��ي��� ع ٰ ح ح � ّ � ن ّ � ي � � نن� �ال�ا�م�� � ��ا ن� �مش��� ا ن�ل أا ��� ا �ل��س�م�ا ء �وي��ا ��ل ا ��ل�� ح�ي� ا �ري ن�لع� ا �ل���� له�ّ ا ر�� �عن��ا � ك ��م�ا ��ّ �� �ن��ا �ل �و�ر�ل � ل ًم م�اا ن م ً ع �� ش ن أ ّ � ن � � ين ي � ن ش ا ا ل � �� � ا �نّ�� �مش���ل �ن �نل������ �ن�ا �لأ�� ��ل�� � � � ا � �ص ن� ي � ا�ام��طر � �و �لع ّر�� ا �ل ن��ا ��� �وك�� � �ي ��و�م� م��س�ه�ور و���ن�� ن� 1ع� � � ّ ّ ّ ّ ن � حش �ك�ه� �ل���ل ح����ا ن� �و�مش���ل �ش���� �ي � ّر ا �ل���سم��� ن� ش����� �ي � ّر �ي ��و� �و�مش���ل �عر��� ا �ل ن��ا ��� �ع��لي��� ن�ل�عر ن� م م ي ش ي � ن ي ا � �آ ي �� � ي نَ � � ن ن � ا �ي �ه�� ا � �يُ ��م�ع ن � ي ا ي � �ن � � � � � ع � م � � � � � ا � ل � � � س س ا � � � � � � م � � ل� � � � ل � � ن ن � � � و و � ي وم و ن ي� ا � �لعي�� �م�� �و�ل�� �ل�ك ا �������س�ه�� �ن �ل ��و�ل�� �ل ��و ن ي ير و � ن ّ � �آ �ي �� � �ي ل��ر�م� �ه�و� 2ك��� ا �ل��ي� ا � � ي أ ّ � ن ا ي ُ� أ نّ � �أ ا ��ل ش � ن ��مّ � أ ّ � ن �اور ك� � ح�م�� ا �ور� ك� �ا�ا ا�ام�� �� �ا�ا ن� ي���لي���ل ا �ل�ع�ي���ل �و�م ن� ي���ل��ي �ع�يه��ل�� ا �نّ�� � �� �� � � � : �� ا � ا �ل� ن� ��ي�� ّ ّر ي ّ أ ح أ أ أ أ ي � ن ي ي �ي ي � � ي � ن � � ن �� ي � ل��ا �ن��ي �ن�ا � �ص� ا �ل�ن� ��ّو� ا �مر� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ي�ي�را ن� ا � �ي�لع ار �ليصع�هل��� ا � �لع ار ء � � او � ل�� �ن� �ام�ا � ��و�� ��ي� �من�� �مر ن ن م يأ � �اّ ي ن� ن���يع ًا �ل�ه��ّل � �ن �صي� ��ل�� �ر�و�ن� ا �ل� نه � � �ه� ي �م� ��ا ء �و���ا ر �ي�لع ار �ع��لي��� ��ي� ���ل �ي��و�م � او ��ع�س�م ّر �ع��� � �ل��ك ي� ن � ن�كي�� نّ ن ن � ن � � ن أ ّيأ � ن ش ن ّ ّ � ن ّ ن ي � ا � � � � ا م ط � � � �م�� � ا �� � �� أا ��� � ا � �ي ��و� ��ط�ل� � � �� ح� � ح��ء �ن�� �ل�� ��� � �وك ��طر �ي� ا �ل��س ��ط�ور � ار � ني ً ين م يم ن ن ي � �م ن ي ن ْب گْ أ � ن ن� ي ا � ا � ن� �ي � �ن� ن� ي ا � � ن َ �ه�ا �و��ا �ل �ل�� �ل � ععي��� َأا �م�ا� � او �َو ي�ل�ع�سي� ا �لي����� �ه�� � � او �و ��ه� �ل لععي�� لع� ��ه� �ل � او � او �س�عر�� ���عر� � م أ � ي ن ن � ي نُ ّ ن ي �سي�م ي ا �� �ليع اآ ن � ا �م �� ن�� � ا ��ل�� ن� ��ا أ� � ن�م ا ��ك����� �� � � ن �صع� �وي��سم�� �ع �ي��سم�� ���ه�� ي� �ه�� � ��� � ر � و ر ن نح نح و� رن� ن �ول و ع ن ّ � حنه��ي �ع�يه��ل�� �م ن� ��طي�� ش����� �و� � ّ ��ش �ي ا ��ن ������ ن�كن ��ي� �� � �س� ��ا �� ا ��� �م�ا ل ن��ا ��ا �ص��ا ن� ��ن � ا ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ا�� ي����ل��� �م ن ل � � �و��ل�ن�ر ن� ك � � � � ل ي ي� ر و و ر أ � ن م م � � ن � �أ ّ� ي ي ا ن نّ � �ا�ش ي نّ �ن ع�� عنّ ا �� ن ا ء ش ا �� � ن � � �لن� �ل نّ ن � � � � ع � �ع ا � � �ه � � ع�� �� ل � � �� � � � � ع � ه ك س � � � � �ه� ن ي�م و م ر � ن ي� ر � � ي� ا �ل������ �ل� � ل������ ��سي�� �ط�ي� �ل� ي ه� ن � أ أ �� 2 .ال� �ص�ل� :هة�. 1ال� �ص�ل :وب���سب�م ب
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Eunuchs
them. The heat was intense, but he ordered the people to go down on their knees, still holding their weapons and shields. The ground was so hot it was hard to kneel, and the sweat flowed and the suffering intensified, but he just stood there awhile without telling them what was expected of them. The people grew thirsty and the heat took a great toll on them, but they endured what God had ordained for them, to the point that some died of thirst. When he saw how thirsty and dismayed everyone was, he was pleased, laughed, and said in the Fur language, “Na-tū, na-tū, na-tū 157—«a frowning day, inauspicious!»” 158 and repeated the phrase two or three times. The number of people gathered for this galanga, or review, was around twenty thousand and included a righteous man called Shaykh Ḥasan al-Kaw. He now stepped forward and cried out three times at the top of his voice, “Silence, you infidel!” and the man was seized with terror at the shaykh, and turned and fled. Then the shaykh raised his hands to the skies and said, “O God, have mercy on Your slaves!” and before he’d stopped speaking, clouds had reared up like mountains, and the rain fell and everyone scattered. It became a celebrated day. The shaykh was angry because Muḥammad Órré Dungo had likened himself to God and the presentation of the people to him for review to that of their presentation for Judgment, while he’d likened the extreme heat of the sun to that of the Day of Resurrection, which is why he used the word na-tū to introduce the Noble Verse (na means “this,” tū means “day,” and the rest is the text of the Noble Verse). An amusing anecdote: it is reported that the Shaykh-Father Muḥammad
3.2.42
Órré Dungo of whom we speak was of limited intellect. By way of example, when he assumed office, Sultan Tayrāb ordered him to study so that he could learn to read and write. He engaged a man of religion to teach him, and the man wrote out the letters of the alphabet for him and began giving him daily lessons. This went on for a few days until the day came when the shaykh-father asked for a copy of the Qurʾan. One was brought and, leafing through it, he saw a freestanding letter wāw and recognized it and asked the man of religion, “A mang waawi?” meaning “Isn’t that a wāw?” “It is,” said the man. Órré Dungo said, “I’ve finished the Qurʾan!” and he ordered that animals be slaughtered and drums beaten and he held a great banquet. This was considered an example of his silliness and lack of brains. Let us return to our original topic. Given the large number of eunuchs in the sultan’s house, the place has not escaped defilement, since women are devils whom none can control, and especially since the excuse may be made
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3.2.43
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
أ � �ا � ا�ا�م�� ن��� � ش �ي ن�ك نّ ح��� ن ا�ا�م�ا �� ن���� ي� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �و�ه نّ� ��ن� ��� نّ� ا ��ل ش��سن��ا ن� � او � ار ���ي �و� ل �� ل��س ه � ه ل �� � � و � ل ي� و ن ي � � � أ ن � ّ �ُ َّي ن ن �� ي ّ ن � � � ي ن ّ � ّ ����ل�� ��من ن ن �ن ح ن ��� �ه�� ا ا ل���ن� �نك����� ا �و � �و�ام�ا ��ن�� �و�ل ا �ر ن��ا �ل نل � ����ل ن� �ع��� � �� ���ل �ي � ح� �ي �ه� �م� ر َ ين � ي ي ا � � ن � ا � � ن ��نل � ي � � ن ن ا � ن نّ � ن � ا �ع ا أ ن اأي ن ا ا � ا � ا �ه� �ن� �ر ن�� �ل �ه� م� �ك�ه� ن�� �ر �ي� ��ي�� � �ك��� ح ن� م� ا �ر ن�� �ل م� ا��� �م�� ا �ل��ي�� �ن� �لن�� ن� �و�م � � أ نّ � � ن � � � ي � ن يأ ّ ن � ن ن � ن حيّ ي� � ا �ل ش����ا ّ ا ن �ل � ح�مي���ل ا �ل��� �ي� �ل� �لن��ا ي� ن� ����ل�� �و��عي� ا � ا �لن�ع� �ور ي�ل��ا �م��ل ��ي� ا � �ل�يصي��ا � ��� ر� ن ي ن أ أ ّ ّ ي ي ن ّ َ َ ن � � ن ن � � � � �� �ن � ي ي ن � ْن �صْ�������� 1 �ي���ل �ع�لي�� نل�ل�ط� ح�� ��ا ���� � أا �� � ا ر�ه�ا �و�م ن� ا�ام�ه��ل�و�م ا � �ش�سن��ا � ا �ل�� �سو� ا � ن�لَ�عر� ي ّ ي � � � � ن ي ن � ن اأ �ل�� ي���ل�ي ��و ن� ر �أو�و��س�ه� ن�ل��ل �ي ��و�نر�و�نك�ه�ا ن�كي����ي�ر ا ���و�نر�ي �ك�ه� ��ا ش��س�عر ا ��ل ن������ا ء �و ن� ��ه��ل �و � �ر�� ��ط�ه� �ر م م يأ �ن� �م�ن�� �ي � ّ � ّ �ي ���االّ ّ ي طنه�ا أ�ر ا ��ل ن������ا ء � �ويل��لن������� ���ليّ�َ�ا ك � �ا� �� � �ور �ول�لن������ � را �ع� �ه ن� �م ن� �ع� ��و� �و ��م�� �� �و�م�� ا ر �و ن � � ي م ع أ أ ن �و�ن ��ي �و�ش�� �ً�ا ن� حص ش� ��ل�� � ش����� ّك را أ�لي��� ا �نّ�� ا �م ا �ي � �وي��� ن���ل�� � ا ر ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� ��� ن �ن����ا ء ��م�سي �و ن��ل � ن ي � � ر ي ي ر ون ح �ّ � أ ا �ن � ش ا ش ا ّٰ أ ن � ش ن ا ن ي ّٰ ن ن ن ن ا ا ي ي �ه� �و���ل�م��� �م ن� ا � ���ل��� �نر��س�م�ه� يس�م��� �م� ���� ء ا لل� ا � ي��م��� �أ� � �����ر ا لل� � �� ن� �� �و� � ّ أ أن ي أ ُ ن �ك�ا� � ن��� � ا ن� �ع��ش �ع��ل��� �يكي��� � ��ل�� �ُل�ه��ش �ع��ل��� ا ��ل�� ��ا ��س��ا � �من �ه�ا ا � �ل�هل��� ا �مر� � � �ع��لي��� �رن م ر و ر و أ � ي ي ن ي ل ل ن ن أ ح من أن ن � ن ن ا � �� � ن ا أ� ا ن�كي ��� �ل � �من ا ن�كياأ � �ع ن� ً�ا � � اأ � � � ن � � � ا � س ����أ��� �� �� � ه أ �� � � � � � � �ه� �� ن�� �ي� ن��ل ن� �و �ل� ير � و ي ن ي �مر ر�ه� �ط� ن�� � أ ن أ أ ّ َ ْ � � ن � � َ ش ن ن ن ي �ح��� ا � ن ن ن � ي ن ين � �ه�ا ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ��ا �م ��ا �لي��نعي��� ش�� ي���� �ن� له� ا �ل�عي� ��ط �ع���� ا � � �له�َ�� �ع�لي��� �كي��ه��ر �ع�لي��� �و�م � م� �مر ي أر ن ي � ّ ّ ن ا نّ� ن ي � ن � � � ي ا ��ك��� � ش ي�ا ن يش ن � يي �ه� ا �� �ير�ه�� م� �� � طو�ل له�م � �وي�له����� �س� � ط او ��سي��� ك��� � �ه�م ا �لنصي ��و� �و�م� �و ن��� �و� �ك���ل�و� �و�م � ٰ ا� � ش� �ن� ن ����� ن�كي��ه��شر �ع��ل��� ا ��ل ��ّ ا � �� ن� �و�ه� ن��ا ر ن� ن�كي��يعي���ل� �ن�� � او ن� �����ير ا ّلل� �ع��ل��� ن� ن� ح ن� � � � � و ن و ن ي ي و وو ا�م�� ي ر أأ رح ح ح �ّ � � ن �ش ي � اأ ن�ع��ل� �م ن ���� ن�� ��ا ��ك���نه��ي ا ��سي ن� ��ا �ر�ن�ا �ه�ا ��ل�� ي ن� � أا �ل� �ن�ا �ل��لي���ل ا �و �س� �����ا ء ك�ا��ي�ر� �و�هو� حرحن و ن � ي �ل ن �ي� ع �ن � �� ��� نّ �ي� و س � �ه� � ن ا ن ي � � ا ن اأ ن ن ّ � ن ا�ا� اأ�ي �من نّ ن ا ��ل� ��ا أ� نر �م ن يل�ي�� ّ � ن �ن ن � � � � �م ه � � � �و�م� نع � ي ���ل�� 2ي� أ�ر�ونح ا �ل������ ء م� ن��ي��� ا �ل����ل��ط� � �ن� � ي�لأ� �أر ر � � � � ش ا � ن �ي ي ن ي ن� � ن ا � ا � ا �� ن ا �� � ً ن ش ن ���� ا ��لن � �ه�ا را ن�أ�ا � ا �ع��ر �نك�ه�ا ا �لن ��ّ او ن� ا �و ا � �ص��ا � �ه� ا م� م ل�� � ن � ن���ي�� ن� س���� ��� ر� �ويحر ن� � �� ي �ّ أ ً ن �ا�ا ن�� ي� � ن���ل ي� �س�ع ن��ا �يل��ل�سيم�� �س�ع � �ن�ا � �من�ه نّ �م ن ���� �ل�� �ع��ل�ه�ا �يكي���ل ��ل�� �ه�� � ا �م ار �ي �م��ع�� �يصن���ي ك� � رو و � � � ي � ي� �� ّ أ ّ ن � ن ا �ّ � ا ن ا �ع�� ا ��لن ن ن� �� ن نني ا ��نل � � ��ل�� �س�ه�و�� ن���يعي���ل ن�كي��� � ا �ن�� أا � �عر��� ا � �ل��� �ص��ا � �و� �ل��ك �ل� لي���و� أ �ل� أ � ل� �� � سي� ي م ح � ين أ ن � نأ ن � ي� �ي�هًا �ع ن��� � �ي��� ن�� ا�ا��م اأ�ي � ي ن ح ن� � �ي��� ن�� �م ن �ش���ا ء ي� � ا ح ش�� ��ا ���ً�ا � �م ن � � � �ي ������� ي���ع�� � ر وم � ن و � و �ل ر و رح و �ل � أ أ َ 1ال� �ص� :ب��عَر ب�َ�مةْ���� 2 .ال� �ص� :ة�ة� �ة���ل. ل ل
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Eunuchs
for them that many of those in the sultan’s house are young and at leisure, and eat and dress well. This gives greater rein to their appetites, and, being prisoners there, they spend their time thinking of how to bring men in by any means possible. Some of them make friends with one of the male servants at the door. Others have old women who bring them men using the following stratagem: the old woman watches the young men until she sees one who is beautiful and has no down in his armpits and she works on him gently and eventually takes him to her house. Now—it being well known that the young Blacks do not shave the hair on their heads but let it grow so long that their tresses are like a woman’s—she takes these tresses and braids them like a woman’s and dresses him in women’s finery such as necklaces and amulets, with madraʿah beads at his wrists159 and manjūr beads around his waist,160 and she dresses him in a pinafore, an apron,161 and a body wrap, so that any who sees him will have no doubt that he’s a woman, and she introduces him into the sultan’s house along with other women. Once he’s in, she loses all fear and hands him over to the woman who commanded her to get him. After that, he stays as long as God wills. And as long as God continues to provide cover for him, he will leave as he came in; if discovered, however, he will be killed. A number of things may lead to his discovery. One of the girl’s co-wives may learn of his presence and ask her for him. The girl may then refuse, being too miserly to give him up, or the youth may not agree to go to her. Anger will then drive the other woman to inform on him, leading to his discovery. Or the sultan may order a search: then all the eunuchs come, he searches the huts with them, and they kill anyone they find. Another is that the young man may grow tired of staying there so long and leave on his own, but the doormen come across him as he’s leaving and kill him. If God provides cover for him, though, he will escape. Most of those who enter in the way I have described leave only at night, or in the middle of a large group of women. Some old women find ways to get women out of the sultan’s house by disguising them in the clothes of some squalid profession and then taking them out right under people’s noses. If the doorman or a eunuch happens upon her, they’re told, “She’s just a poor woman who came in with us to beg for a handout.” In other cases, the eunuchs connive with the old woman; this occurs when the eunuch in question realizes that an abyss may open into which he could fall and be killed if he gets involved. In such cases, he says nothing, despite himself, and the woman comes and goes and takes in whomever she
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3.2.44
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
ن � � � ا �ي� � ن �� ن �م ا ن �� �� � �� ا ن ا � ن � � يُ� ْ �يُ نَ � ْ ��مّ � � ن �عّ ا ن ن�ا ن � � �ل�ك م� �و� م� نل���� �� �ط�� ا ل����ل�ط� � ��� ن ��و� س رك��ك ح�م�� ن � �س�ه� �و� �س��� ��ر � �ل��ك ي ن �َ َ ْ ي � ع � �� ا ن ا � ن � �� ا ن ع ن ش ا ا ّٰ �ي� ا � � � � ا ا ا ا ا � ء ��ي� ����ي�ر� ا �ل����ل�ط� � ��� ن ��و� ����ل�ط� � � ر ��و � � أ � ���� لل له� � ن ّ � �أ � ن ي أ�ش � �أّ � � ن � ا �ع�� اأ ن ن ا ا �� ا ن �ا�ش�� ا ي� ا ��ل ش � ك �و ل� � ����� ء ل��س�و� ��س ��ي� � او �ل�ه��ل�م�� ا ��ا�ر �م ن� �ع�ي�ر�ه ن� �ل����ور .ا �ل� �و�ل � �لعر ��ط � ر ي ن م � ش ا � ن �� نّ �س�ي � ا �ي ا � � �ي ���ش �ي � نم�ا ��ك��� ي نّ ����ل �ا �� .ا ��لش�ا ��ل ش ��ل�ه�� � � �ن نّ � ا � ي � � � ا ا ل �ه ل� ل ع � . � � � � � ل � � ه ه � �� ك � � � � ل � ل � ي� ر � � رن رر أ ي م و � � و رر � �ن � ي �نم ن ن � � ي � ا� أ ي ن نّ � � ي ي ن ن � � �ّ �ي � ن � � � � ��� �ع��� � �ه� �ل� � �لع�� �ن�هحر�ون �و�ل� ن��لي���ل � او � ��� ��و�ل �ي� ا �لنصي ��و� �م� � �ل�ك �ر� ا��م ار � �م � � ع ح ا ��ل ش ����ا �عر [�� بر ب ] �
٤٥،٢،٣
َ أََا َ نْ �َ ْ َ ُ ْ ن َ ا ن َ � ٌ ََ أ ��ْنَ ا ن�َ ُ�َّ َ ��ه�ي��� � �هَ��لي�ث��ل � �ا�ل ��ه�ا َم� �هَ�لي�ه��ل �ولا ا �ل�ث� ا �ي� �م� �لي����� �ي�هحر َ� ً َ أ َ �َ�لي َّ �يً � نْ �يَْ ُ �َ�س �نَ ُ ْ �َ � �َ ْ �ُ نَ َ َ َ �� َ � ا � م ��هنَ� ر�و� �ع��� �ل ط��ه�ا َم� � ث ل ح ك � � � � � � � ك � � ل � � � ا ر َ ن َ ي َ � و َم و � � م ي �
� � نّ � نّ � �أ نّ � �يي ا أ ن �ن ان �ا�ا ن ن� ا �ي�� �ي ن � �م ن � � � ل � ا ا ا � ار �ل� م ل � � � � ع � � ك ك � ه ه ه � � � � ل � � � � � � ن ن ر ر ل �مأ ع �ل�ه�� �م ا ك���� ر ا رو � � ي� � � ن ح أ ّ ً ّ ن � � ي � ّ � ن � أ �ا� � �ل��ك �ع�� ي��� ��ا �ل�� � ا �ل ن������ا ء �ش�س�يه�ا �أ�ي ا ن ن � � ا ��ل و �� ر ح ار �ر ا نر�ل�ه� �و���مر� ن�ل�ه�ي�ر�ه� �م� ا �ل��م ار ر ي� �و ��ل �� ً � � ي ن � � � � ّ � ي �� ��� ن� هو�ي � او �ك�� ا �ر ن��ا �ل � او �لن ��ن���� � او � ���ا �و�ع ن����ه ن� �م ن� ا �لن�ه�ي�ر� �م�ا �ل� �م ن �ر��� �� ��و� ����� ��ي� ا �ل ش��س� � ن �ي نّع ياأ ن �ن � ��سي ا � ن � ن �ع��ل��� �ني��ي�� ّ �ا�ّ �من�ه نّ ��ن ن ����ل ن �م �و� �م ن ا �ل � � � � ا � � � � � ن � ل � � � 1 � � � ع � � ه ه م � � � ل �ي��ل� � ن و و ر ر � ل � � ي ي عن � ي رن � � ي� � يأ � ي ّ �� � � ّ ن ن ن ن ن � � � ن � ي ن عو�ك�ه�ا � او � ك� � �ك ��طر� أا ��� �ع�ي�ر ا �م ار ��� �ا�ا � �ل� �ي�ليه�� ر �ع��� ا �ل����مر�ي� �طح�� ي�ل ��و����ل �ن��� �ل��ك أا ��� �مر� � ن أ ن � ي أ ن� ح ن� � ا ��نل ا � ا ��� ا ي � ي ��مس�ي� �ع��ل�م ي� ا �م ار �ي�� �ن��� �ل��ك � ����ا �ه�ا ��ا � �ي� ا �لن�ه�ي�ر� �ع��� ا �ل�� ن��سم�ا ن�له�ي ر� �� .م��� له� �� أ � � نع �ا � يّ ن ّ ي ي ّ ن �� ي �ا� ن ن� ّ � �أن ّ ن � � ح � � � � م ا � � � � � � � ع � ل �ل� �ك�ه ن� �م ن� ���عر�ه ن� ��� �ل� ��و� � ا �ل� ن��سم�ا �س� ا ي� ار �نك�ه ن� � �ور � ن ر� ��� ل�ك ع ي ع ن ي ن ّ � ي � � � � ن ا � � �ي ا ي ��� �ًا �ن � �ن � ي ��م ي ا � او ��ل�ه�ا ��ي أا ن� ا ا ������ �� � �� � � ك ا ا ا � ك ��ه� �ل�� �ل�ك أ � �هحرو نح� �ل� ي�م� � � � � � � � � ع � ه � � � � � � ل � ر ر ن � � ّ ّٰ ن � ش أ نّ ن ن � ن ن�ك نّ �ك���� �من نّ �ه�� ا ا ��ك������ �م �ا ���� ا ��ل�� �م ن � � ا ا � ر �ون� � او � م ح � � لل ص ه ه � � � � � � ر أ و� ي � نعّ رور ي� � ي ر � � ح م ّ � ا �ك���� ن�� �ن �� � � � � � �من نّ �م ن ا �يكي� ي � �ل��� ا ا � � ا �� �لي �ا��ل�م�ا �ي�ليه�ا � � ا �� ن �م ن � � ل � ه ك � � � � ه � � � �م ع � � ه ل ه � ل� � � � � � � ل ل ل � ك � ي �ل و م� ي ر ر �� ن � أ م ر� ير � � � ّ �ش � ك� �ا��ل�م�ا ��ا�ر ا � �نل�����ا � �ع ن��� �ع� م � ّ � ّ �ن ا �ن اأ نّ ا ��ل ن ا ا ن ا ا �ش ي �ن �ن�ا � ر�ي� :و�م ن ا�نم �سع�ه��ل ي� ��ن� � �ور � او �ش�سي��� �وي����ه�ا �و ن�ع � � � � ح � � � � � حر� او ر ر ر أ � ن و � ر � ي ي ن أ ي أ ي � ن ا� َي نْ ن ي ّ � �نييُ ن ْ � ي � ن ا ن ا ش ا ن ا �ي ا ن نا ع �ور � �ر� �� ��ط ��� � ح � ك��� ��و��س�ه� �و�����ي�ر �ن�� �ل��ل ن�� ر �ع��� �� � � او �ه��ل �م� ��ط� �عر� ك�� �ي� ا �م ار � ن � م َ َرنح أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل :وة�ا بح�د.
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٤٦،٢،٣
Eunuchs
pleases, fearing no ill. Something of this sort happened involving a concubine of Sultan Ṣābūn’s and her cousin Turqunak Muḥammad; we will mention this when we tell the history of Sultan Ṣābūn of Wāddāy, the Almighty willing.162 The women of the Blacks are more lustful and libidinous than other women
3.2.45
for several reasons. The first is the region’s excessive heat. The second is that they mix so much with men. The third is the lack of surveillance over them and the fact that they don’t keep to their houses. It follows that these women are never satisfied with one husband or lover, as alluded to by the poet when he says:163 You whom just one lover cannot please, nor even two thousand in a single year, I think you must be what’s left of Mūsā’s folk, for they won’t put up for long with the same old fare.164 The fourth is that their husbands don’t limit themselves just to them: if a man has the means, he’ll marry four freeborn women and take concubines as well, depending on his social condition. However, women are the female counterparts of men and the appetitive soul is the same for everyone where lust and physical nature are concerned, especially since there is no one more jealous than a woman. Thus, they come up with ways to meet with men other than their husbands, each using a different stratagem to achieve what she wants. If a man can’t afford to take concubines, he’ll set his sights on some woman other than his wife, and when his wife finds out, her jealousy will drive her to meet with other men. The fifth is habit, for they are accustomed to mix with their male peers from their earliest years, so they grow up that way, and habit, if it takes hold, becomes a deep-seated trait. It follows that when she marries, she cannot limit herself to a single husband, unless God has mercy on her. As this trait is embedded in them, they get up to what they get up to. Thus, only a few can be found who limit themselves to their husbands, and as time passes, so corruption among these people increases. An amusing fact. It is a tried and true fact that if a house catches fire in Darfur and the fire takes hold and they can’t put it out, they cry, “Is there a chaste woman here?” and an old woman who has never committed adultery comes, pulls out her breechclouts,165 and waves them at the fire, which will then be extinguished, if the Almighty wills. This is one of those things they’ve learned from experience. When I was there, a fire broke out and took hold in
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3.2.46
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
ن � أ ن ي ّٰ � �ان ي �ع ن ا �ي� � � ي �ن � ي �ّ� ي ح ّ��ا �يكه� � ��� ن �ه�� � �م ن �ن�م ي� ��ص� �� ك �و� ر ��� �ي� ن�ي��� ن�� � �كي� ��ط�نه�ا � 1ن�ا ر� ا � ا لل� �يل�ه�ا �� � و و � � ر أ أع ي ن � � ن نن م أ � �ا ن ش ي ّ � ي �ن �ن �� ن ن أ ا ا ا ا ا ن � � � � � � � � � � � � �ل ا ا ا ا � � ل � � � � � � ا ك � ا �ل�����ل��ط� � و �س��� و�� �مر ل����ل�ط� � ن ������ و رن� ن� � و �� �م� م���ه�م أ �طه� و� و� � � أ أ ن � ا ي ي�ّ � � � ن ي ي �ن� ن � ن ي �م ن��ا � �ي� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ه��ل �م� ��ط� �عر� �ول � ��رر ا �ل ن��� ا ء ��ي� ا �لن���ل��� ��م�ا ��� ر ي� ا �م ار � �ي�ا ��ي� �ل��� �ل��ك � �ن � ي� � � �آ ن ن ن ن ا �� � أ نّ � � �ن ��س� � ي � اأ نّ ن � � ي � ي ا ��ل � � �ه نّ� ��ط�ا �عر� � � �� � � � � � � ل��� م�� ن� � � �ل�ك ي و ن ي� حر�ي��� �و�م� �ع�� يلهل��م ا ��� �ل� �ي ��و ن��� ا �ل�� �كي� أ أ أ أ أ �ن����ا ء ا �ع ا � ��ا � �لي�ه� � ا �ّم�ا �ن����ا ء ا ��ل�� �س � ا ن� ن���ي���ّ ا ن� � �� ���� ن�ك ّ � ا ي � � نّ ا� ي ن �هم� رن ن ي� م و �ه ن� ��ط� �عر� �ل� � ا��م ار � �م � ل ي و ن ي� و أ ين حص ش ��� �ع�ي�� � � � ه�ا � ��� ن� �ن ن ير�ر�ه�ا �و��ل�� �ي� ن ي� ار �عي��� �ي ن�لع�ه�� �م�ا ا را � ي� ن�ل�� �ي�� � �ل��ين� � ح �ي � �ل �ل ير ع� و�ل � ل ل � ر �و� � ن ي أ أ ّ � ش ي � �أ �ان ي ���� ي ا ا � ن يي � � �ن ��ا � ط ���� �و����و��ل�� ا ��ن� �م ن ا ��ل � � � � � ح��� ن ن� � � � � � � ا ء � � � ل ن � � � � � نل����ر� ا �ل� م � ص � � � � � � ل �م��ا � ي ن ي� ن وو و ي � � ش ن � �أ � أ�ن � � � �م�ا ا � �لهن�� ا �ر ن��ا �ل � او ريل نك �� �� او �م ن� ����ا ��ي� ا �ل� �ه� او �ل ي أ أ أ � ّ ّ � � ن ن ن � � ن ن ن ا ش ي�ن م���ه�ا ي ا ي �اا ا � � �و�م ن ا � نل�ع � ح ن� ا � ��ي� �ن�ل� � ا �ل�عرن� أا � ا ا ������ ا��م ار � �وك�� � �ك�ه� �و�ل�� ن��لي���ل � �و ��س�هر� ي� � � � ن ن ا ن �ي � ّ � ن � ن � � ي ن ن ّ � � ن ي ا ا ا ا ا ا ا ي ن � � ��ل��ك �ع� ا رل � �� ن� ا � �ر� �و�ع� ا �ل� ��ط��ل� �ه� أا � ك�� ��� ع �ل��لر ن�� �ل أا �م� �ل�ه�ل�س�ه� ن�ل�ه�� �م ا �ر�عن��� �كي� ّ أ � �ن�ه�ا �ع� �س�يه�ا � � ��ل����ه�ا � �� �ا ��ل��ي �ي�� � ا �ّ�� �ن����ا ء ا ��ل��س � ا ن ن���ي �م ن � �� �م ن ��س���ي ا �و ��نل � � � �� ه �� � ل � � ل � � � ن ر و و أ � � و و � ي � � م أ أ أ � � نّ � � � ن ّ ن ّ � اأ � نّ حصي��� ��ل�� ا ن� ��ا ط� ��ان ��� �و��� �نً�ا �ك� ط�� � � � ا �ر ا ��س�م�� ا � ن��ا �ل ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ح�م�م��� �� ن����ل ا�م��س��مّ� �ح�م�م��� و ن ه�و عر أي أ أ أ ن ن � ي ي � ّ ن �يَ�ْ��َي ْ ن ّ � ي � ا ن �ش �ا �ش � ن � ن � � ا � ا ي ن � �و��م��� �و�ل �ي� �س�� ن� مر � ي ���ل ر �و ن��� �ي��� �و��عي� ا �لن ��و����� 2ا �م ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �و�ع�مر�ه�ا نل���� � ن ً ً � � �م ن ����ي ا � � ن �صع�� ي� ��ل�� �س�هر ن��ا �ن�ا �ع �ي�س�م�ا �عر ا �ل ن��ا ��� �ل�� نل�عر ن���ي �ع��لي��� �ه� و � ني � ع ن اأ ن � ن أ نّ �اا ن � ن � � ي ا�ا� ي�ن ّ ن ي � ن أ ن ي ن ن ي أّ � � ن �� �ن� ر �ي� ا ��� ك�� � م� ن �م�ل�� م�عر ن��� ي� ��ا �ل ن��ي�مس�م�ا ا ��ا � او � ��� أا � ن��ا ء � ا �م ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � أ ي �ااأ �ن نّ ا ��لن� ن � � ن � �ع �� ش م��س ا � �ا � نّ � �ه نّ ن��� ن ن �ن ا ا �ه�ا �و��ع� ك� � م ل ه س �ا�ا ن�� ي� � و � � � � �و�س���ه� ��مرن� �م� ا �ل������ ء ك�� ك�ه� عر�ل� � و �ي� ي� ي أ أ أ ّ � ّ � � ن ن �ا ن �ن ا ي ش ي ا� ن ن � ش ��سّ �ه��ي ا ��نل ���ل�ي� � ن�ليّ���ي ا �ل������ل �ل�� �ن�� �ل�� �ي ��و ن���� ��� � � �ع�� � � ا ر ا � �ل ��ور ا � ��� ن�� ر�ي�� ن���س�ه�� ا�م� ��طر�م �و ي أ ن ن ا ّ �ّ � ن ن ّٰ ي ا � �ا�ل �م ن ا ���� ا �ي��نه�� ن ي�لين��ع � ا ���ل�ا �م ن ا ��لنصي ��ي ��و ا ��ل�� ن�ي� ن ��ع� �م � � �صع� ح ن� م� � ع ا لل� �ل�ه� ��� � � �ه�م ���� ر � � و ي� ي أ ن �أ �أ أ ّ ي �هً�ا � ا ��ل�� ن� ا ي� � او �ل������ل �ع��� �م ن� �ه نّ� ا � ا ن� ي��� � �ه�� � ا�ا�م ار �ي �س� �م�ا ��ع� �ع��لي��� �م ن� ن�� � ح��� ن� �و ن� � ي � م ح أ ًا ن يً ع� ا �ً� �ي ا �� �ن اأ ن ن ً ي ا ا � � ي�ه�ا �ي�ي��ي���ل �وك� �ا�ا ن� �و�ي ي� ن�ل ن��ا �أ�� ن�ل�عر����� ا � � � � � � ء � او ���ل� و� � ونك�ه� و ن �م� �ل� � ل �� �ل� �ع��� �� ��ل ّ � ي �� �� ي شّ ن ح ي �ي ا �� ن�ل�� �ن ش��س� ا �ّ � � �ن�� ن ا ��نل� �ا ن �ن �ش ي ن ا ا ع � � � ك � � � � � �ص ن� � � � �ع��ص� �ع���� �نر�ه�� ��م �ر ن�� � ل �م عر أ �ل� نري� �ل ل و ي� و ن � ي �ن� � ن ا أ نّ ا ن ا ي ن ي ن ن ا نًّا � ّ ح ي� ا�� اأ �ش�س�ع �كه�ا ا �ّ�ل�� � ي��� �يك� ن �ص ي ح�ي� أا ن� ا ن�ر ن� � � �ه�ل�م�� ا �ك�ه� �� ر ن��� ���و���ع�� ���ه� ع � � � و أ ن � ن � ر � م أ أَ ْ ب 1ال� �ص�ل� :ة����ط�لب��� 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا ب�ل�بو���.
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the sultan’s grandmother’s house, and the sultan himself came along with the high officers of the state. They were unable to put it out, and the sultan’s crier called out, “Is there a chaste woman here?” The cry was repeated throughout the town and not one woman could go to the fire, showing that there isn’t a single chaste woman in the place these days, though I’ve heard that some such are to be found among their desert Bedouin. Rarely, though, is a chaste woman to be found among the Blacks, for such women—given that they have no brain to restrain them, no fear to hold them in check, and no religion to observe—do whatever they want. Indeed, women boast of how many lovers they have, saying, “If I were ugly, no one would have come to me, and if I were not so beautiful, men wouldn’t have been my intimates and performed doughty deeds for my sake.” It is an amazing fact that, in the Arab lands, if a woman grows old and has a
3.2.47
son who is well-respected and well-known, this prevents her from committing adultery and running after men, either because she’s aware that no one wants her, if she’s old, or because she fears for her son’s standing and the respect with which he is viewed. Not so the women of the Blacks. Thus my dearest friend (I won’t mention his name so that I can keep his friendship) told me that the maternal uncle of Sultan Muḥammad Faḍl, who was called Muḥammad Taytal, was married off by his sister, called Anbūsah, who was the sultan’s mother and aged about thirty-five, to a woman of her household, and held a great celebration for him that everyone hurried to watch. My friend told me that he had been an onlooker. He said, “I was standing there when the sultan’s mother came, along with a herd of women as lovely as gazelles. She was walking in front, they behind. She was a slave woman of hideous appearance, deformed physique, and base origin, for there are none in Darfur of origin baser than the Bīqū, to whom she belonged. All the onlookers marveled at the doings of the Almighty, that He should give this woman who was ugly in both person and origin precedence over those better favored in physiognomy, origin, pride, and beauty. She went in to see her brother Muḥammad Taytal, who had just consummated his marriage, stayed with him awhile, and then came out again. No sooner did she do so than we heard the ringing of anklets and jewelry, smelled a waft of perfume, and realized she was leaving. We stood in a line, but no sooner had I set eyes on her than she grabbed me by the hand and pulled at me to make me go with her. I tried to hold back but it looked as though I was refusing, so the women behind her
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3.2.48
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
ا ن اأ ي � � ي ن ا �ااأ نّ ي ا ي ن ن ن � ن ا � ا أ �ن ي ن � �ن ا �ه� �� ر� � ا �ل��مص��ع �وك�� �ي� �ل�ه� ��ي��� ��� ���ع�سي� ا �ل������ ء ا �ل�ل� �ي� �ي��� �ي� �و ن���ن���م�سي� �ل��ل�� �ه� ن� �س� � م����� ي� �س��ه�ا ��م�ا ن� �ً�ا ��كه�ا � ��ع ��ا ن�س �ي�ا �ك ن �ا �� ي� اأ ن� � ش��س�ع ا ��ل ن��ا �� �� ن�� ��ل��ك ��ن ش ن��� نل� ا ����ي �ع�� ّ � ن ن� و � ن � � � ن ي �ه� �و��ر ي ر �ن ي ي� ي ي� أ ّ أ نّ ا� �ن � � ن � ي اأ ن �ن��ل ّ�م�ا ل ن��ا ��ا ��ن اأش�ل ن��ا ء ا ��ك���ط ��ي �ي�ا ��ل ي� اأ �ن�ا �يل��ص ي ��ه�ا � ����ي�ه�ا �ا�ش �م ن � � � � � � � ا ا � � ل � � �� س � � � � � � ر و � � ي� ي ن � م � ن ي� ن ي ري� ي ني ا أ ي ن� � ي �ي � � ن� ن أ نّ ا �ي يّ ا � ا ا �ع � � ا ن �اا ن ي ن أ �ي ّ �� � ا � ا�ا�مصي� ن�� ��ل���ي ل � � ل �م� ��� � ��ط�و� �و �� ن لع�سي� ا �ك�ه� كن���ل ا �ك��� �ك�ه� �ن� �ل����ل��ط� � ك�� ��� �م� ا ��ل ا ن �و ر ي� ن أ أ ا أ �ي � �آ ن ي ش � ��ل��ل�س� ن ��ا ن�� ي� �ي�ا ��ي� ��ا �ا�م�ا ء � او ��ل � ����� �ع�� را ��س�ه�ا �م ن ا ��نل � ����ي �ن � ��ل�اء � او �ل�� ي�ل��� ن� �م ن� �م��س��� 1م� �� � ن � ن ي � ي ن� � ي ي ا � ن� ي � ي � ا ن �ا�ش ي ا � ن ي �ن ن � ان �ه�� ا ا ��ل� � ي��ا �� ش��ّ � ن���ل ن��ا ا ��ل��� ا � ا ��لن � � �ص� طو� �� �ل ��ه�ل� �ك�ه� �م� �� ر� �م� �ع� ����� � � � �� � ر و �ي � ي أي� ّ ي وم ل ن م أ ن ي� � ا �ي ن�� �� ن �ع� ا ��ل��ا � ��ل�� ���ي � أ �ل��� � �ي�� �ع �ن�� � �س��ه�ا � ا�� ن ين ر ��� �م � �ه�م ا � ي�ل� �م و ر وي� � و و� �� ن ن أ ن ش ح �يكه�ا � ن���ل ي� �ن�� ن���ل ي� �س��ه�ا �ن�ا ���ط��ل�ي� ي� ���� �� ن� ي �ن��ل ّ�م�ا �و����ل ي� أا ��� ن�� � حر � ي ي ن ���ل��س� �ع��� � ار ��� � � ا يي�ي �ّ � ن �ي ي �ي نّ �م�ن�� ا �ل � ا ش�ّ �ي ا � ي �� �ع ن��ا ك � او �نك ��طر� � � � � � � �� ل � � ه ح ي� ��عي� �ع��� ��مرر�ه� �ل�ه�ل ن� ي�م�� � � � � ��م ك ه ه ك � � � ن ر و و ي� � ن � ر و ي ي ر ي � � � يأ من � � ي ا � ي ن ا ي أ �� � �� �ّ ن حأص ي� ا ��ل�ه�ا ا نّ� �� � ً� ن ي � ي ا ا � � � � � �� � ل ا ل � � � ه � ل ع ل � �� �� � � � � � � � � ع � � ل � � � � � ك ي ن ن أ ن ي� أ ي� ر ي� ي ���� ا �ع� ���ه�ل� �ك�ه� �ل� �ن� � ي أ ا أ نّ ي � ي أ نّ � ن � � ي ي ن � � � ي � ي ي ن ا ا ا ن � �و��� �ع�ل�م� ا � � �ل��ك �ي � �ه� ا � � �ل ��و�ل �ي� �ي�ص� �ل��ك �س� �ه� �م��� ��و��ه� � او � ا �ل��ن��ر ي�م�� � ���ل�� �م � ع ّ أ � ن ا �ي ا � �ي اأ نّ � � ن � ن �ن �� �ا�ا � �س���ه�ا �م ن� ا �ل������ا ء � �� ن� �و�ا ي�لن ��ي� أا �ل� ا �ن�ا �و��عي� �و�ع ن��ا ك ن�� ر�ي� ن�� �ل���� � ن �مي�� م� ك م ع ���ا ح ي� ا ��� �ش��س ء � �عي ن��ا ر ن� ا ��ل��ا � أا ن� ا � ي � �ه�ا ��ل�� ن أ � ي� � ح ن ن أ أ أ ّ ��ش ي� �م ن ا ��لي��يه��ل � ا�� ي� �م نسّ �م�� �ا ا ��ل ا � ي ي ا � �ن � ّ ا ا عمن� ��ل�� �ي ا �ع� � ن ا ن� ن ن� و م ر �ي� ي ل أ ي� �� �ل �ل�م� ا �� ر � ���� �ع�ه� ���ي� �ه� �ي ي� ر �� أ ا ي �ي ن � ���� ن�ع�ه�ا � او ن�لي��� ا ي� ا �� �ليع ا ء �ي ا ر�يل�� ش��س ي� � ح ي� �ي��� �ي� �و��� ر� ك� �و ن� ���� ي� �ي��� �ي� �ع���� � �ك��طرن� ر أ ن ن � أن ي أ ن ن ا� ن � ي ياأ ّ ن� ش��س ي ن ا أ� ي � � �ه� را ��� ا �ك�� �ك��ط ار ن� ا�م�� ن� ��و �و�ل�� �و� �م�م� �م �ص ن� ن��ا �ل�� ش����من�س� � او ن���� �ي� �م�ا �ي�ا ن���� ا� � ي ي ح أ أ أ أ �ن ش � ن � �ا ن ن� ن ن ن ن ن ا � � ا ن � � نّ ي �ه���م ي� ا � ا �ع��ل�و�ه�ا ��ا � ر���سي� � ا �ر ن���ل �م ن� ا �ل������ا ��ط � � �و�� �م� ا ن�ل��ه� ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �ل� ��� �م�س� ً ي أ ن ن �� �ّ � ن � ن � �� � � اأ �ّ � اأ� ��ًا �يكي��� � �ي ح �ع��ل�ه�ا �لن � نّ�ه�ا � ي � ه � � � � � ا ا ا ا م ك �� �� � ل� � � � �� �� � � � � م � ه � ل � � ل � ك � � ر ر يو ن ي� ن ي ر رر �و ن�� س م� �� ل� �و � ع �اا ن � ن ا أم � ي� ّ � ي �ن ن � ي ا � ن ي��� ���� ي ���� اأ �ن�ا � ً�ا ن حصأ��� ن��ا ��� � �نكه�ا ن�� م � � � ا ع � � ��� �� � � � ه ك ل �� ر� � ���ل� �ي� أا � ار ن�� �� �ل � � ي ي ن رو � ن ي أ أ أ ّ أ � ن ً َ � � ّ ّ ن � َ � ن� �ن �م � �ه� ا�ا�م�ه�� ��� �ع ن��� ا �ل �اص ي� ��س�م�� ي� ا �نكه�ا �س���ا ���ي ���� ا ء ا �ل ���ا ��� �ل�� �� �� ��� ء ��ك ح� ي� ا �يك ن� � �م و � �� ر و و ن ر ن ن ن ي ي ا ن � �أ ن أ ن أ ّ ّ ّ � ن ي ن � ي ا ش ي ا ا �ع�سم�ا �و��� ����ا �ه�� � �م ن� �مر��� �ن�� ��س��ل� � ا �ل�ن�لي���� ا �ع�سي� ا � ���ل �م ن� � او �����ه� ا ن�لي���ي� �ن�� � ي �ن� �ل ي أ ي ّ� ً ���� ن �من ا ي ا � ن� ن �ي � �ن� �م ن �ه�ا �ي�� ن ا ن��ل �ا ن ��نل � ي� �نر� �م�ا ن ��� �ي��لي��ل�ا �وك� �ا�ا ن�� ي� ��� ا ��ط��ل�� ي� �� � �ه� �� �ل ���ي� ا � ر��سي� ا ��و � ي� ي أ 1ال� �ص�ل� :ش��ة�.
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pushed me. I didn’t want people to notice, so I walked with her, side by side, her grip on me never loosening. “On the way she told me, ‘I’m tired’ (even though it wasn’t more than a
3.2.49
hundred paces from her brother’s house to hers, and I’m told that before her relationship with the sultan she’d been one of the lowest of the slave girls, and with a lowly job too, as she used to bring water and firewood from the countryside—and now she was tired out after walking a hundred paces?). Anyway, I told her, ‘It must be from everything you’ve had to put up with today!’ Then we entered her house, the eunuchs who were standing at the door not daring to say anything, even though they could see me with her. “When she reached her room, she went in, so I went in with her. She let go
3.2.50
of my hand, so I sat down on some cushions that were there while she flopped onto her bed, twisting and turning right and left and flapping her manjūr beads with her hands. She told me, ‘I have a headache,’ so I said, ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ ‘Recite some verses from the Qurʾan over it,’ she said. ‘Maybe that’ll make it go away.’ So I went over to her, though I knew it was a trick to get what she wanted and that only her pride in her status prevented her from telling me, ‘Get over here!’ even though all the women who’d been with her had gone, and only she and I were left, plus a female slave sitting outside the door whom she could call to if she needed anything. Having twisted and turned a lot, but finding no sign that I was attracted to her, she called on me to recite verses from the Qurʾan over her temple. “When I placed my hand on her temple and began reciting, she started trembling and thrashing about like an animal being slaughtered, and moaning. Then the smell of perfume wafting off her reached my nose and this stimulated me and the vigor of the male seized me and I set about mounting her— but then I was overcome by fear of her son, the sultan, because every time he found a man with his mother he killed him; he’d done so many times before, when he’d burst in on her unannounced. She, however, had positioned men to watch for him and inform her when he was coming, and if anyone was with her she’d work out a way of getting him out. I was afraid for myself too, because I’d heard she suffered from al-ḥaṣar, which doctors call ‘leucorrhea,’ meaning that anyone who had sex with her caught it—especially as I’d seen men who’d caught it from her.166 Overcome by fear on both these counts, I cooled off a bit. She’d taken a look at my state straight away, and when she saw how limp I’d become, she thought I must be hungry, so she called a slave called
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ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
ن ا � أ ّ �ً� ن �ل ّ ا أ ي � نّ �� �ن ي ن �� نّ ي أ نّ ا أ ن ي � ي � ��ا ر�ي�� �ك�ه�ا ا ��س�م�ه�ا � را �ع��� �� �ي� ا �و �ل� �� �م� را � م�س� ا لع ��ور ��ص� ا �ي� ن�� �ل� ع ��� �ع� ن ن � ي نع أ � �ي ا � ي � ا أ ي � �� ا � �ن اأي ي ��ل ا ي ا ن ا ن �ن ���� �ه�م�ا ��م�ا � �س�يه��ل�ّو ��� � � � � � �م � � ا ا ا � � � ء � ن � ا � �ليه�ا � ر و � ل� ك�ه� ��� نك�ل طه� م ي���ل � ��� ن � ري� ن�أ � ي � �ي� ي أ ّم � أ آ � � ن ن ا �ل��س�م ن �و��ن� ا ��ل�� ن�ر �ن� ���ط�ي�ر ��ا �ل������� �و�ي�ا ��ل ي� ���� �� �ا�ل �ي�ا �ل �ن�ا ن��ي�� ي� � او �عي��� ر ي� �ن�ا ��ي� ن�ع�ي�ر ن��ا �أل� ل ن � ي ي ع �ان ي �ن �ي � � �� � � ي ��م ي ً � � � � ن� � �ن ي ّ ن � ط�ه�ا � � اأ ن�ع � حنمن�� �و��ص� �� ل�لك ا ل�لي��ل�� ���ا ن��ا �ل��ل��ل � �يص ن��ا �و�ل ي� �م ن� ا �ك��ل ط�ه�ا � 1 ��ل�� �ع�� و ي ي م م �ي ���م ن ا أ ن ا آ� ن ن ي � ن �ا�ا ي� � ن �ا���ي �و ن��ا ء ا ��نل �اركن� �ا�ل أا � ��س�م�� ي� �رك� عصي ��نه��ي �و�� � نو ي�سم� ا �� ا � ���� �م �يك�هر�ع�و� � �وي�ل ��و���و� أ أ ن � ش ا ن ن اأ ن �ن ن �ل� ي ن � ني � نّ � � ن ي ن ن �و� �م ن� ا �لن��ا ن� ا �ل�� �ي� �� ��� �ي� ا ن�� أا � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ��� ا �� ���ه�ا �ل ي� ���� � او �ه�� ا � او �رن�� �وا ر ّٰ ي � أ نّ � � ن � اأ � ا �ن ا�ا� ش حيّ اأ ن� � �ن �م ن ا �� ن �ل �ي � �م ن ��ك��� �ن م���س � � � � � ط� ا لل� �ل�ه�ا �� ا � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � � و ر � ن � و ��مرع�و �ي� ي� � رن و ي � ر ي ا� � ن � � � �ن � ن � � اأ� �ي��ن ا ن � �ه�ا �م ن� ا �لن��ا ن� ا �ل��� �ي� �ع�� � �ي�� ا �ل��� �� �و�ل �م ن��� ن�ل��ل �م ن� 2ا �لن��ا ن� ا�ام�� ��ور و و � �م �ي��� ���ل �ع�لي� ّ أ أّ �ّ ن ن ن ا �� ن �ع��ل��� � ���ً�ا �و� ا ر � ح ي� �م ن��� ��ل�� ��ن� ن��نم ح�ي� ا ��ي� ��ل��لن��ا ن� ا ��ل�� ن� �ي� ن�ر ن� ي ر حر� �ر�و ن��ي� � او �ن �ل���� �ي� �ع� ي أ �ن ي أ أ ا � ن ���س � ي � ي � ي ن ي ن ن ي ي ي � ا ��ل��ا � را ��ي� � �� ا ��س ا ل � �ي���ل ��� ا �كن���ل� ���و����� �ع���� ن�ل�ه�� ا ر�� �م� لي���و� �مع�� �ي�ل ��و�ل ن ن و ي� � � ّ ن ن ن � � �آ ن ن ن ا ن ي ا � � � أ � ن ي ا � أ � � ن ا ن أ ن ا أ ي ن ا ن اً ��� ���ه� �ل ا � �ل�لن �� او �ن�ي�� �م� �رن ا �ل�� �م� �ع�� ���ه� ��� او �ل� ا � ��� ا � �لعر���� � ا �� را ��ي� أا ����� �� ح أ أ ً�اّ ن � أ ن ي ن أ � ن ن ا أ ن �� �اا ن ن ا ن� ي ا � ّ ا ا ا � ن � ن � � � � � ا �ن ن�ل�����ل م� �ع�� � او ����� ك�� � �ع�� ��ه� �ل ن �مي�� ��� ا ��ل � �ل�ك � او �� � او ��� ا س�م� �ه� �م� راي�ل�� ا � � م ع ي ّٰ � ن أ ح ن �يك�� � �� � ا �ّ � �� � � ا ا �� ا ��ل ا �يك�� ن ن � � � � ل � � � � � � � � � � � � ل � ن �و��م�� � ا لل� ا �ل��� �ي� ا �ر ن �ي� ن �ل و���وك�ه�م أو و و و أ � ن ن ن �ل رو ي� �ان ي أ ّ � يي ��ص� ا �و�ل �صي���ل ي � �ن ن ��س ي ن ن ن �� ن ن ح � �ع��ل�م ي اأ نّ ا ��لن �ه�� � ا �� �لي��ّ ي �ل�ع حّص ي� ن�ع�� ���ي ا � نل�ع � ���ي� �م��� �م��� �ص��ا � �ل� ي�لن ��ع� ��و� � ن� و � � ي ���� ن�ن �� ي أ �لن� � ّ أ ن ن ش أ اً ا �ّ � � � � ن� ن�� ا �� ن ا ء � �م ي � ن � ي ن ن � � �صع� ���ي���� أ �ل� س �ع�� عر � ل������ و س�� ك �ا�ا � �ل��ل�م ار � �عر��� �ل� �ي�ليه�� ر ا ��س�ي� ا � �يك� ع أم �ع أ أ أ �ن ي ي ن � � ن ن ن� ّ ن ي ّ ن ّ ي ي ي ن ا ي ا ا ن � � � � � � � ��ا �ك ��طر �ي�ا ا ��ي� كي ��� �و���� �ه�� � ا � �ل�� ���� م� �ه�� � ا��م ار � �س� ا �ك�ه� ا �م م�لك �و���و �و���� � ع ّ ن ن ا �� � ن �ا ن ه�� � � ��ا ن ��حل �م��ل��ي ن��ا ��ل ن������ا ء ��ل�� ن��� ن�ك�ه نّ ا ��ل�� �م ن �ه�ا �نم ��ا ��ل �ن ك� ل��ا ن� �ل�� � �م� �ع�ي�ر�ه� � � � �ن � ل��ل��م �كي� ي ر ي� � أ � �ي�� نك� ون ن ن � ّٰ ٰ ي� ّ � �ه�ا ا لل� �ور�� ا لل� �م ن� ��ا �ل [طوة�ل] ح�� �� � م
أ ة أ ب 1ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا � 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا ��.
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Eunuchs
Dhirāʿ al-Qādir167 and told her, ‘Bring some good food!’ So the slave brought two vessels, one of them holding pigeons fried in clarified butter, the other a round of flaky pastry with molasses, and she said, ‘Eat!’ I refused, making the excuse that I wasn’t hungry, but she swore I had to, so I took some of the food, which I liked, and I was in fact in need of food. “While I was eating, I heard violent activity and confusion outside, and the
3.2.52
servants rushed in saying that the sultan had come. ‘Take him away,’ she said, and they got me out through the other door. The slave women led me at a fast pace till they’d gotten me out of the house enclosure. It was only through the grace of the Almighty that instead of going in to see her through the door he usually used, the sultan went in through the one I just referred to, leaving a guard at the first and going around till he came to the door through which I’d exited, for no sooner had I gotten out and moved away from the door than I saw the heads of the horses that had arrived. I stopped at a distance to see what would happen. I heard him saying to the doormen, ‘Who came out this way just now?’ and them replying, ‘No one.’ Then one of the horsemen said, ‘I saw someone moving away and I think he may have been here.’ All the others repeated, ‘We didn’t see anyone.’ All this was going on as I stood there listening, and I thanked God I’d gotten out before they arrived, because, if they’d gotten to the door before I did, I’d have been done for.” 168 When I heard this story from him, I was quite astounded and realized that eunuchs are of use only if women have nothing in mind, but if they do, a eunuch avails nothing. Observe, my friend, how these goings-on were the doings of this woman, even though she was the mother of a monarch. If it had been anyone else, there would have been no end of talk, so how much more in her case? By and large, women have nothing good in them, with the exception of those whose chastity God has preserved. May He bless the poet who said:169
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3.2.53
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
نَ ن� نَّ �َم نْ �يَ ْ َ � شَ� َ ا �ن � نَ �َ ْ حَ ًي ��سو� ��ه� َ�ي� ن�كر� � َهمه�ي�ع�� � � َ نَ َ َ ْ َأْ ي ٱ � نْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ن نّ ن ي ا ا � � ي َ َ ٌ �و� َه�مه�ي�َع�� �م� �� َ�ي� له�� �و�ه�و ��هم��َ��مر ْ نَ َّ َ ْ َأ ي ٱ �ْ نَ َ ْ ُ ٌ �َو� َهن�مه�ي�ع� ن� �م ن� �ي�ا �ي� ا � �له�ي� �َو�ه�َو � ��و���َهحر1 َ َ ٱ َ َ ٰ َ ْ نَ َ نَ ن ّ َ نْ � ْ ْ ُي ّ ُ �كَه�ا �و� َه�مه�ي�َع� ن� �م� �م ي����ه�َر ا لل� �َ�هحر� � نَ َ�ا َ َ اٱ �� َ�ْ نُ ن�َ يَ ٱ � ن َ �ه�ا َ��أ�نَه�� ا �لَ�����ه�ا 2 ��ل رَ��م لر�هح�م�
َ ن َّ َ نْ يَ نْ ُ �ث��لْ��� ُ��َ �و�ثي� ن � �ه� �م� �ل��ث� �لو نَ ن�َ َ �وا َر�َ َ َ ُ ٱ ْ ُ َ ّ �نَ ُ نْ � َ ط���ْ ن َ �ا ا �لن � ْ �ن � ط��� َ � ه�� ح�ي� �و ��ل حي�ثحَر َ�ي� حَ� � ا َر�َ ي َ ��ْث� �َ َ ْ ْ َ َ َ �نَ�ُ ق � �ُ � ْم ي���هَ��ل�ك ��ثَ��لي ��ي� َ���ه�ا َر َ� � ي ن َ َ َح ٱ ا ن� ا ن�َع�� َ� َ�عن َ ا � نّ ْ ُ� َ َ� يْ ��لَا � ن أَ �ه� ا �ر�ونح را ح� َن�� َر�َ َ َ َ ُ أ �اّ ٱ ْ��لن �َث�ا ��أ�نَث�ا ي نَ ا َ �ْ َ ي � � او �ثحر�� ��ل ا � َ َ � نَ���ث� َر�َ
أ أّ �ا�ّ �س�������ي �ي�ليع� ا ����له�ا � ��ولي��هل��� ا ن� �� ل � ن ي م ا �ن نّ � ع �� ن� ي ن ا ا ش ن � � � ء ل � � � � � � � � � ع م � ط ه � � �و��س�ه��� � � �سي ي� ��� نَّ ٱ � نَّ َ ا َ شَ َ ا � نُ ن ُ ْ �َ َ َ ُ نُ ّٰ أَا � ا �ل�����ه� ء ���ثي�� َ ��ط��ي� � �ث�َ� �ليع� نَ� �ل�نه�ا �نل� ��و� �ن�ا للَ� َ
� ّ ي � ن � ا �ل ن������ا ء �ن �� �ه ن� �كي���ل ي� �م��ل�وك �و�رن�� ي� �م�م�ا �ل��ك � ن����ن��ن � م ���ّ� �ي�� ��ل ا ��ل ش ����ا �عر ب[���س�لة����ط] � و نْ �َم�
ٱ َ �ش�َ�َّ ا ��ل شّ���ثَ��ا ���ط�� ن ر ي َ ي َ�
أّ ن ي �س�يعي ن أ نّ � ا ن � ا ن ي �� ن ح �� �ع ن ا �� ن��ا ��ل ا ن� ا ��نل ��ه��ل� او ا ��نل ل � � � � � ا � �عر�لن����� :س ا � � � � � � ك ه �ص� �ص� ك � � � � �ص��ا � � ن ريم � ر ي ي ي ي �� � م أ أ ّ � � � ن ّ ن � ي اأ �م ن�ا ء �ع��ل نّ �م ن ���ط � ا �ل��س��� � ا �� �م ن ��ا �ل�ن� � �ل��ك ن���يه�� ا �ل ن��ا �من � �ه� �م ن� �ع ن���� �ع�� � ه � � ل � ي و ري � ي� � � ر ّ ري أ � م أ ن ا � ي يّ ن ن أ � ن � � س �ارا ا ��ل��� �ي� ا �����ل�نع ن��ا � �� م�� �نك�ه نّ � او �ّو�ل �م ن� را ��ي ي� �ع ن���� � ��ل��ك �ح�مّ�م��� �� �ار� �و� �� ��� �ي� ����� ءأ ي �ع أ � أ أ ّ ن � ّ � ن ي � � � ن �اا ن �ع ن ا � ا ي �م ن� ا �ش��ي� �ن�� ا �ن�� �ام�ا را �� ا �لن�ه��ل ن� �ع��لي��� ��ي� �كي��ا �ل ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ح�مّ�م��� �� ن����ل ك�� � ���� مر � � ن اأ � �� ن ا �ن ن � ا ا �� �ل �يك � �ي � ��لأ ّ�ا ُ�َْ � ن ن �ن ا � �ي ا �� ن� � ي �ن ��ط��� 3نك�ه�ا �ع�ي�ر� �و�ه�� � ك�ه� ي� له�ي ر� �ه� �ن� ل�ي���ل ن���ل ��و� ��ل ي م� ن �م��ل ا ل������ ء ��ن � أ ّ ً � ش � ن ن ا أ� ن � ا ء � ي �ا� �من �ا���را �م ن ا � نل �ص��ا � �� � �ورا ��ي ي� ��ن� � ا ر�ن��ور �و��ن� ا ��� او � ا �ي� ك� �ه� �� ر ���� �ع��ي���� �� � ل ي ي � ي ي م �ا ّ � اأ ��ل ي �م ن اأ�ه� ا ��نل � �ي � ا �ك� ن ن ّ ���ا ء ا ��ليصن حص ش� ا ن اأ �ع�ن ا �� � � � � �صع� ��و� �نك�ه ن� �و�ع�م �ك�ه ن� �م ن� �ي أ � و���� � � �ل �ن� ر م� ي �ل ّ �� ا � ي ي ا� ا ي ي � يّ ّ ح�ي ��و ن� ا ��ل ن������ا ء �و� ش��سي��� �نك�ه� ا ل � نس�ع�ي ��و��ي ن���يعي���ل ��� أا �نك�ه� ي�����ا � �� �ل �و�� ا�م���� � ح�ه�� ح�� ي ي م م ن ًّا أ ا�ً �� �ان ي ن ن نّ� ن ّ � �أن ش �ي ي � � ن ن � �ل�ه�� ا �� �� ّ اأ ّ �ي ا ل � � ��� ���و�م� �و�ص� أا � � ا ك �ه��� ن ل� ك�� ن� � أا �� ي�ل����� ا �ل��س�� �و � ا �لأ�� ار �ل �ع� ���� � ن�ي م ّ � � ن� � � ي ي �نّ ا � �آ ن � � اأ ّ ي � �أ نّ ن ن ��و ي��� ن���يه�� ي� �ن ن�ل � عيه��� � او �ل�ه��ل�� �ي��� �ور �س� � �ل��ك � � ل��� �ل�� �ل� � ���� ��� �ل� � �و ���ي ��ه�� ا �ل�� ن� � ع ا� � � �ًا � �ع�� �مً�ا ا�م�ه��ل�و�ل �و ن��و و ب ب أ أ أ ب ��� ا �ة� ال� �ص�ل. 1ال� �ص�ل� :م أو���ر 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل�م��س�ا ء� 3 .
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Eunuchs
Among them are some worth eighty young she-camels; for others one newborn calf ’s too much to pay. Some become a young man’s bride when he’s still poor, but he finds his courtyard stuffed with wealth one day. Some become a young man’s bride when he’s living high but finds one morn that for donkey fodder he can no longer pay. Among them are those whose honor God does not protect: when her husband’s away, she goes to his neighbors to play— So let the Merciful show no mercy to an unfaithful woman and burn in His fire any who would her spouse betray! Women are at the root of every disaster that occurs. How many a king has been killed for them! How many a kingdom ruined! How much blood spilled! They are devils made for us, as says the poet: Women are devils created for us— God save us from those devils’ ways! A strange thing: a concomitant of the fact that they’ve made eunuchs to preserve their womenfolk from other men ought to be that the eunuchs deal honestly with their masters regarding them, but that’s not how things are. We’ve seen eunuchs who keep a number of women for their pleasure, the first I observed doing so being the Muḥammad Kurrā of whom we’ve spoken earlier. Someone in whom I have every confidence told me that when the latter saw he was about to be defeated in the fighting with Sultan Muḥammad Faḍl, he had a woman of exceptional beauty with him, and he cut her throat the night before he was going to die so that no one else might enjoy her. There is no jealousy more extreme than that. In Darfur and Wāddāy, I saw many eunuchs, each of whom possessed many women, and I asked men of experience what they did with them, given that the eunuchs were just like the women, in the sense that their organs of procreation were missing. I was told that they ground their bodies against the women and that when they did so they would become so excited that they would bite the woman painfully on ejaculating. At the time, because of my ignorance of medical science, I believed this, but now I do not, because the function of the member is lost with the loss of the member itself, and cause goes with effect whether we’re talking about what is or what is not.
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ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
أ أ ن أّ ي �َ ْ ن أ ن ن �ا ��نع ّ���ي ا ��نل �ن��ر�ي �ع ن ك� �اص ي� ����ا ��ل ي� ا �ه�� ا ��نل �و�� �ك�ه� ا �ن�� �ي ��أو�� ن��م ن� � ا ير � ���سي� ��ا �ن��ر �ي� ن�ل�� ن� ي ي ل � م أ ً ً ا� ن اّ ن ن � ن� ن � ن � ا � ّ ي �ن �ا� � �ي ي ��� ��س��ا ����ل ن��م�و���س� �� � �و�ي��و� ا � �لع�ه��ل �ن� كي�� �صنك ��ط � �صنك ��ط� ن �ي��� ا �و��م�����ك ا�م�� ا ��ي ر و ع ��ي� ش ي � � � � أن ي ن ي ن �ن � أ ّا ن ّ � ن �ي�� �ُ�� ن حّ ن ا ��ل��س�م ن �ع� ا ��ل ن��ا � � �ل�� ن�م � � � ل � ����� حر� ا �لن ��و�ل ا �لن �� �ون�� ���ه�ي�ر� �م� ��ي��� � � � � � � ر � �ل��ل� �ي��� وي و ن ً �ي��� ن� نًا ّ ً �م ّ � حيّ ن ش حي �� � أ ن � ن �م ّ �� �ي �� � ّ �������� �ًّ�ا ا � � � حيص�� ن� ط� ط� � نول�ه�� ا � لي���و� ���ل ا ل��ل �ي��� ا �� �ع���� �� لي���و� �ن�� ���ل ا � �ل��ل ع ن�ر�� � ي ي م ع أ أ ً � ً ّ � ش ا ين ا ن ا ّا ّ ني ح�ي � ش �ن � �ي � � ا �ي ن ي � مو ي� ��س� ا �و ي�� � ي�ل ��ه��ل ن� ن�ر�� �� ر�ي� ��م �ي��� ا �و�� �ن� �ل��عي��ي�ر �ع�لي��� �ن� �ل���صي��ك � او �ل�ر�نك ��ط�� � ي � نّ ن ن ي ن ً � �ّ � � ي ن ن ي � ���� � ش �ن � �� ا ن ا ��ل ن��ا ���طي � �ي� ���ل ً � ن ��س� �م ن��� أا �ل� ا � �له��لي���ل �أ�ا � �كي���ل أا � ��ي� �ه�� ا �ل�ه��ي�لن��ا �ل���لي و � ط�ه�ا �ل��ليص��ا ����ل� �� و ول ي � ً � ش ن ن ن ي ي � ا�ا�م�اأ �� ل���� �ي�� ش��م �ع�� ��ه � ا � ���ل ي �ل�ع ��� �م ّ � ���� �م ن ا �ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء ن� � حر�مي��� ا � � � � ع �ور ن ر ر � �و ر م � � � ر ير و � م ّٰ ن ا نّ حّ ا �� ي ن اي �ا � � ن � أ �ّ ن �ن ��ً�ا ن��ل�ا ��ل ا ��ل���ي� ن ا ��ل � � ّ � ن� �م � �� ل�� ����و� حري��م ��ي� ل��� �ن�� ا �ل�� ي� ا � �له�� �ي� � ي ��س�و ��ط�ي� ر �م�� ا لل� �أ� ��� � رح ن � ا ن �� ن � ّ � � ن ا ن �� � ي نّ� ا �ن � �م��ي ن���� �م��ي ا ��لن �ن ا �ن ا ��ل ل�� � � � � � � ع�� �� ك � � � �س� � �م � ل �ص� � � � � و ر ي ي حر�م�� �ع���� ا � �له� �ع��ل �أاو �م� ي���سي� ر � ح يأ � ن � ن ن ن � ي � ي ن ا ��لن ا ا �ص��ا ��� � �م ن ا�م � � �� � ��ا � �� �كه ا � �� � � ا �ل� ���� � � �ك������� �كه � �كه�ا � � �كه �� �� � ي � وم � ن �و � وي و� ن � ��ّم أ �� ن ل أ أل م ي ن ي و � �م وي � و�� ن � �م ا �لن � ن � ي� �نا ّ ا ����ي ن� � ا � ن ن � � �و�ل� ي��س�� �ع��� �ي��� ا�م����ل�م��ي� �م � �ه�م أا �ل� ا � �له�لي���ل ا �ل�� � ر � او �م� ا ���ا �س�ه�م ن�ل�ه�� ��س�ي� أ � � ن�� �ا ن�م ن�ك��� �ل� ن�ك��� �ش� ا � ن ن ���� ��� ا ��ل � ع ����ي�� ��ل�� �نّك�ه� ����و ا�� ي�����ي ن� �����ل �ك�ه� ا �كن� ل � رر ي ن �ل ي �و ن� و �مرر �م� م م م م ّ � � � ن � ن ي ي� �� ا�ا� � � ن� � � ي ط� � ي ن ا �ه�� ن ا ��ل��أ�ّ ��ل �م ّ�م�ا � �ي�� �ع��ل�ه� �م ن ا � نل مو نح ن� ل عيه�� ا �ل��ل��� � ا �ل�� �ي��سم�� �و�� ��ل � �سي� � �و ن� � ي� و ع ا �لص�� �����ل وع ي� م � � ش ا �ن � ن ن ي ا ا� � ش �ي �صي ��� �مهي������ � او �ل�� ي� م� � ن �اا ن � �أ � ن �اش ً ن � ن ا ن ن ا ن �ي �ا�ا �ا�م��ل� ك � �م ن ح �� �ن�م � � ا ء � م ك ي و ح ار ��عم ي نح�س���و� ك���ي�را �م� ا �ل������ ء ��ي� ن و �أ� � كي���ل أا � ك�� � ا �ل� ر أ � ري ن ا� � ي ن � � نّ � ن ي � ��ي ن�ك ّ� �ا�� ّ ش ا ّا ي �ه ن� �مك�ا� ��عي� ���ون � �و�� ��ي� ا �ر ن��ا �ل له ن� ���� �ن� � �و�م� ا�م�ه��ل�و�م ا � ا �ل�ه�ي�ر� ���ون��و ي� � �ور�ع�م �وك� � ًا ن أ� ّ � � �أن نّ ش ي ا أ ي ن � ا � ���ي �من نّ �ن �ك�ه نّ ن� �ه� �ن ك ��� أا � ا ا ح ن� ا �ر ن���ل و �� �ل� �ك�ه� ��س�ه� � �ل ����و� ��ي ��� ي�ل�ه�ا ش��مر� ن�ل�� ن� � � �ه� � م أ أ ّ � ّ ن نّ ي�سي نّ � � ا �ع ن�� �ع ن ن�ع�� �ه�ا ي���ل ي� ا ن� ا �ل�ه�� ا � �ي � ا �ي��ه��ي ����ن �وا ��ك�ه نّ �ن � �ه نّ �ع��� ي��� ر ا � � و و ر و أ ���ل �م � � ي � ن �ه� �م�س� � ر � ي �ّ � �� أ أ ي ّ � � � � � ي ن � ًا ا ن ن � ا ن ن ن ي ح� ���هر ا � نر�ون� � ل��ن �ام�ا ��ن� � ��ه�ا �و�ل� �ي�ا �ل�� ��س� او �ه�ا � ا � ي���ل�و� 1ك�ه�ا �و ن��� ر �و ن� � ����و� ��� أ � � ح ً �ا ن� ن ن ا �� ن ن ا ن � ن ا� ّ ي ن � ي نّ �ن ن حنه�ا ء �م�ا �لُْ� ���� نَّ � ا ن ����ه�ا ك� �ا�ا ن� �م�� � ل�� ي � �هر� ا�م�و� � �و�ه�� � �ع� � �ك�ه� �ي� أا � � حه��ي� لن���� ي ن َ � أو � ر ��� ء � �ويك �� � ّ أ أ ّ � � � � ي ش ا � نأ ن ن � � ن ن ن � � � ن �� � ا ا ن� �ن ي ا�ا ا �ي �من ّ � ن �� ا ������� � �ه� �و�م��ل��� ر������ه� �و ي ���� �و�ل� يك � �ه ن� أا �ل� أا � ا را �ل�� 2و � �هر م� ح�� �مر � ً ا�اا ن �اا ا ن ين� ���� �ه�ا �هر �م� ك�� � ك�� �م ن�� ��ي� � ر �ك �� � أ 1ال�أ ص� :ب ��ل 2 .ال� �ص�ل :برا د. �ل ة
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Eunuchs
I also asked men of experience how the castration was carried out. One of
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them told me that the subject is brought and bound tightly, then the testes are grasped and removed with a sharp razor and a small metal cylinder is inserted into the urinary canal so that it doesn’t become blocked. Clarified butter will have been heated over the fire till it’s boiling and the site of the incision is cauterized, transforming the cut into a burn instead of a metal-inflicted wound. Thereafter, it’s treated with changes of cotton pads and bandages until the man either recovers or dies, though only a few recover. If it be said that this constitutes the torture of a rational being and a disruption of the procreation whose increase is commanded by religion and should therefore be forbidden, I would reply, “Indeed, more than one scholar has made it clear that this is so, above all Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī, God have mercy on his soul. He states that it is forbidden in his work The Prohibition on Using Eunuch Attendants at the Tomb of the Prophet and his Descendants. However, the prohibition applies to the one who carries out the act, and eunuchs are castrated by a certain Magian people170 who bring them into the lands of Islam for sale or in payment of tribute, and only a rare few are castrated by Muslims. As far as employing them after castration is concerned, there is no harm in it; on the contrary, it brings with it great divine reward, for if people did not employ them, they would suffer from two perspectives, the first the fact of castration itself and the loss of great pleasure and disruption of procreation that that entails, the second that they would find it hard to make a living.” If it be said, “Emirs are like kings, and any who imitate them will gather many women into their homes, all of them young, and at the same time it is a known fact that jealousy is as much present in them as it is in men because the former are the latter’s counterparts, so how can these women be friends with one another, especially when the husband loves one of them and avoids the others?” I would reply that enmity occurs among them in keeping with their circumstances. Each would like her husband’s face to be hers alone and that he be intimate with none but her; however, given that they are at the mercy of their husbands, especially when these are kings, they conceal their hatred and display affection, and this is the way of women—they conceal what is inside and display its opposite. What a woman is hiding will appear only when she is no longer afraid and has regained her capacity to judge wisely. Only then will she reveal what has been lurking in her breast.
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ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
أ � � ن �ن ��ل � ن ن ي أّ ن ي ن �م�� �ل ي���ل ي� ا �عل��� ا ن� �����ا ء ا �ل�� �سو� ا ن� �ع��� ا �ي����ا � �أ�ا � �كي���ل �م�ا ري�لن��� �����ا ء ا �ل�� �سو� ا � �ي� ا ن �ح � م م أ نّ � ا �� �لي� � �� � ّ ي ن ن� �اّ �يص�����ي � ���� ن�ك ا ا ��ل � ل� �ن� �ع ن��ا ك �كن��ا �أل��ل �ي ��و ن���� � � ��ي� � �ل��ك �و�م ن� ا�ام�ه��ل�و� ا � ���ل ن ي ل ي ��و ن � �� ي�ه� نح�مي���ل �و ن ي م أ ن� ا �� � ن� � ��ش أ �ي ّ �ي � �ي �نح � ن � �ن �ي ا ��ل � ��ش � اأ ن �� �� اأ ��ا � � ك � � � � ��سو� ا ��ا ر � او ��ل نصي��ل� �ي� � ا ر ا � �ل ��ور س�عر�و� � 1ن� ن �ح � �ه�ا ا �ل ش � � �م�� �ل � �ه� ا ن �حلم� ل ر و ر ي و ن ي� كي� ّ ن أ أ � ا ش �ان �� �ا ي ي ن�ا ن ا ا ي اً � ّ � ي �ا� �ل�� �نك�ه� �و� �ع� ا ��سم�ور ��� ح ش��سي ��و� ا �ه��ل ن� ل�� ار ��ر��� �و��� � ��ر�� ���� �ن �له� �ن��ا �ل �و��س�وء �س�ه� ��� �و���� ا ا � � ي م أم أ � ا نّ� �يص���ل��ي ا ��ل�� �ي � ا�ا�م��� � � ا ن��م�� �ن����ا ء �م ن ن�ع�� �ه�م�ا � �ل�� �ه�م�ا �ينصي���ل��ي ا ��لنصي ��ي ��و � او ��لن��ر�ي��و � او�يم�سم�� ل � ي ر يو ي� ني ن ر� و ي ون ل أ ش ي ي أ �ن ن أ � � ي ا� ا � � �ا أ نّ � � ن � او �لي��نن�� �سو� �كن��ا �ل��ل ا � �ل ��ور �����ا ء ا ن�ع �ور � او � ��ا � ا � �ل ��ور �ي�ول��ل� ي�ه� ا �ل��� ا ن�� � � �و � او �لن��ر��� � او�م���� �لي� ��ط �مك�� ا � م م َ �� ن �� � �ي ��ل ي أ ْ َ نُ نْ �َ �َنْي ا أ َ نَنْ ي ا أ � �� � ن � �� ����ا ا � � ��ي� � ا ر اَ �� او � ا ي� نصي� �سي� ا ن� ��س ��و� �و م�ل ��ه� ا �و �مص ��ه� ا ن �م��ل ا �� او � ا ي� ����� ء �ي�ول�لي� �ه�م ا ل�و �ْ أي � �ن ن �ه�ا �ن����ا ء ا ��لي��ا �م�ا � �ل��ل�ه�ا ا ��ل�� ي��� � ا�ا�م����ا ��ل� ��� � ا ��ل��� ا � � � ي � او��يم�سم�� �و��اش���س�م َ�ي � او ن�� � � يو ي� ن ر و ي ط و ن � �و �و�ل� �ي�له�� ر ا �لأ������ا � � َر � ي �ا �ن � � ن اأ ن ا � � � ن � ا �� اأ� ا ��ل ا ن ن � �ع � ن اأ� � �ا �ن ا � � ن � ي����� �و ي� ن�ي� ن �م� ل ه��ل �� �سو� � �و�ع�ي ر �م م� ه��ل ن�ل � � �ل����ل � ا �ل�ل�و� أ أ َْ �ي� ن��ص��� :ا ن��م�� ا �ه�� ��ل�ا � ا ��ل�� �س � ا ن� �ع� �� �مً�ا �م ن �م ش��م �ي�ه�ا �ا�من�ع �كه�ا �ن����ا ء � �ن ن � �هم� عع ��و �ي�ول�لي� نر � و � ر� و ن ني ل ل �ُُ � َ أ ّ أ ي �يَ� ا �ل� � � � �� �ي ن ن � ��ا �ي �م�� � � � �� � � ن �س��ا � ا � ��س ���ه ا ��� ا � ا � � �ل��ل�ه ا � �ل �� � ا �� ��ه� ا �لينص ��و � او � ك � ل������و � �ون� ن �حم�ل� ن ر نو ر و و ّ ر و و � �م وّ ي� يو ي� �م ور و ن أ م ي ن � �ن � ي ي � �ن ا ��ل � � ي ��ش �ن ن � ����� ا ن � ن ن� ّ ل�� �م�� �ل �ي ��و ن��� �ي� � �ن� �ي�� �ي�ل���ل ��ي� � او � �ا�ل �نصي���ل�� � � � ن �ح ���� �ولي��� رأ �ي� ا �ر� �و ن�� �أ م� ���� ّ �ا � ��اّ � ا ي ي اً ً ن � � �م ن �ش���ا ء ن��م�ا �ش���ا ء �ل�� ر نّ� ن�ع�ي�ر� �و�ل�� �س� نع ��و� ��س� او � ��م�ا �� �ا�ل ا ��س��مر� � م��ع�� �و�ل� ���ل ا �مر �ي� ��� �و� � �نً � ��اّ أ ً ن ش أ ي ي ي �اّ أ � ��اّ أ ن ا ً � ��اّ ا� ّ ا ا ا ا � �� � � � � �و�ل� ��ل ا �� �سو� ر�ن� � ا �و�ل� ��ل �م�ع �م� ���� �أاو � ������ ��ل� �م� ��ل ا �� �سو� �حم� �و�ل� ��ل ا ��مر أ أ أ أ ّ ً � � ��س ن �� � �ا ا �ل ن � ا ن� �ي � � �� �ن ا � � �ً� � � � ��� ��ل �م�ا ��ل�� � �� ���� ��ن ا ��ل���ل�ن ل � � ا ا � � م � � �� �� � � � � ه �م � ح � � ��حلم� و�ل� � س � � � � � � � � ل ل � � � ن م ن ن و ر ن ن ن � � ل ي ي ي و و ر� ي و ي ي � � ي ي ي � �� ن �� �ل ا ي � ن أ � ن � ّ �� �� �ااأ � نّ ي ا أ ي � �ش ا ي �ن �م ن ل � � ا � ا � ا � ا ا ل � � � � ل� � ك � � � � � � ه ط � ح � � م � � ��س� ك ط � � � � ل � � ا �ل���� �ه�� �وك�� �ي� �ن �له� �ل��ل �ي�ل ��و� و ل و ور و ل و رور � � وي � ن ا � ن �ي� ش ي �ن ا ��ل��س � ش ي � � ��ا �ل [طوة�ل] ��س� �ي� ��مرحيص ا �ل�� ��� م� ل� � َ ن ٱ �� ُّ ْ َ ْ نً �َ ْ يَاأَ َّ ْ يَ ُ ْ َ ُ َ�َا َ يَ يْ َ ْنَ ا َ ن ً ا َ �َ � ُ �ْ َ �و��� ا ل��س��هح �س�ع�س � �� �� �م��ل� � ��ه� �و�ل� ��هحرا ح���ثن��� �ام� �ع ش���َه�م�� �عيص�� ك نَ�لي�� َر � و َي حيّ �ي ا �� � ن ا �� �ن � اأ� ّ � �ل�� ن �كه� ا ��ل��س� ا � � �و�ا ��لن� � ا م � � � � ل � � ن م و نع � � ور وح ن
ة أ ب 1ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا �.
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Eunuchs
If I were asked how the women of the Blacks rank in terms of beauty, I’d
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say, “They fall into different classes. It’s an acknowledged fact that the beautiful and the ugly are to be found in every tribe, but there are tribes among whom beauty is more common, and others among whom misshapenness is more common. The tribe in the lands of the Fur least known for beauty is the Tomorókkóngá, because they are a savage mountain people, and live roughly. The Karakriit are the same. We have stated before that women of the Bartī and Mīdawb tribes are more beautiful than those of other tribes.171 The Bīqū, Barqū, Mīmah, and Tunjūr tribes come next, and the most misshapen women are those of the non-Arabic-speaking Fur. Next come the Dājū, the Birqid, and the Masālīṭ. By the same token, in Dār Wāddāy, it is the two tribes of the Ab Sanūn and the Malanqā (or Mananqā) that have the most beautiful women, followed by the Kūkah, the Mīmah, and Kashmirah, while those with the ugliest are the Tāmā, and after them the Birqid, the Masālīṭ, and the Dājū. One cannot draw comparisons between the beauty of Blacks and of others because of the difference in color. ” Note: generally speaking, the most beautiful inhabitants of the lands of the
3.2.58
Blacks, be they of the east or the west, are the women of ʿAfnū, followed by Bāqirmah, Barnaw, and Sinnār; those of middling beauty are the Wāddāy, followed by the Fur; and the ugliest are the Tubū and the Katakū. In summary, beauty is to be found in every tribe but may be less in one or more in another— glory be to Him who allocates what He wishes to whom He wishes and other than Whom there is no lord or object of worship! Thus, not everything that is brown is musk, not everything that is red a ruby, not everything that is black civet, not everything that shines a diamond, and you might, if you wish, add that not everything black is charcoal, not everything red flesh, and not everything white lime, for as much beauty may be found in brown and black as in shining white.172 Now methinks I hear a voice saying, “Can dark and light, or shade and a hot wind, be equal?” 173—and yet there are people who fall passionately in love with the brown-skinned, as when the poet says:174 The dusky-skinned have something, whose beauty, once gazed upon, will never let your eye love white or red again. Someone once loved black so much that he went overboard and said:
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3.2.59
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
أُ ُّ � �أَ ْ � َ ا ٱ � ُّ َ نَ � يّ أُ َّ � �أَ ْ � َ ا ُ َ ٱ �ْ� َ ا ��سو� ا � ح�� ا َ� ا َ� �سو� ا �ل َ� ح ن� َ�ل� ن� ح ن� َ�ل� ن� � � �هَ�ل��� � � �هَ�ل��� ا �ل � ��ل نَ
�انص ي� ي��� ��مً�ا �و�� ي
ن ً ن �ن �س�عر�م�ا �نك�ه�� ا ا�ام�� �� ن�
ب ن���يه��ل ي � [وا �ر]
َُ ُ ن َ َ ُ �ث َّ َ َ ��سْو� ا 1 �يل�� �لو� ��وَ��ي� ��ث��� � نس�ي� نَ� � نَ يُ ْ يُ �َ ُ ْ َ ُ ن �َ َ ُ ��� � � عو��� �ل�� �يل�� �لو���وا همه�ل� ك�ه�م � � َي ََ ٱ ُّ ٱ ْ �َ ا � َ ن �َو نُ��� ا ��لصكن�� �� ��ْو��ل�� ا ��ل �ن��ا َ� �ه� َن ل نَ ي َ� َ َا� َ �ه�ا ُ�ع ش���ه�ميُ�� ا �َ ��ل�� �نُ نك ���طُ� ا �ل�َ�ه��ْ ن � َ و و َ رو نَ ي ً�
ن � �أّ � � �� ن �ُ َ ن �و��ي� ا �ل� �و�ل ا �ل��س� او � ن�مع�س� ا �ل � ��سو� � �و��ي� أ � � � ا ��ل ��ش��ر ا ن�لي � ح�يعي���ي ّ �و��ن� ا � ار �ل� ا �ل�ه�ا ا� ا �� ك� � ه ي ل� ي � �� � ن ع م ي � ي �ك�ه� ب[���س�لة����ط] �و��ا �ل ن�ل�� ن� م �يَ ا ��ُ ا �يَل�َ� شَّ �ْي يَ َ ا َ ْ َ ا �نَ �يُ �ْ يُ ��َ ُ ْ �سو� همه�ل ك�هح ه� ��و ��سه���ه� � � � � �م نَّ ٱ ْ ُ أٌ �َ ْ َ ُ ُّ ٱ �ْ ن َ ْ�َُ يً َأا �� ا �مر�و �لي���� � ��ر�م�� ح ن� ا �لنَصيك��� �م � � ي َ
�ش ا ن ا �ل�� �ي�
� َ نْ ي
�ش ي � �ن � �عن��� �و��ا �ل ا � �له�ا ن����ل ا �ل��ي�� ن� ح أَ �َ ُْ َ ٌ ٱ� �ن�ا � ُّر�و� ا � ْ��ثحَ�م َر �ن �لي�ح ����ج��ي �َم نْ� � ��ْ �ون�ث�َ� َ َ َح َ ْ َ ٱ ٱ �َ ���� ا � ْ��هيَ��يَ�ه��ّ �م نَ ا ��ل�َهَ��ا ن�� ن��مشْ���ل َ�ث�ا و َو ل َ � ن ي َ� َ َ َ � َ َ ا نْ ُ َ ا نَ ي َ ْ ُي َ نّ� َ ��ه�ا كحر� �أَاو �م� �َم� ���ه�ل� ��َه�َ� ��س َ ْ َ� َ َ اٱ��َمَا نُ �َ ْ نَ َ ا � يّ ٱ شْ َ َ ْ �ك�ه� ح�� ا ��عي��� ي� ح����� �� �َ��� نل��� �
َ َ َ ُ ٱ � َ َ يَ ن ٱ � َّ ��سَ او َ� م او ا �ل َ��سي��ا � � َ��ي� ا �ل � �و�م�ا �َعل�� � نَ نَّ ٱ � ُّ َ َ ُ ٱ � َّ ��سَ او َ� ��سو� ���ه�ا � � او �نَ�ا �ل � �ثأ�َا � ا �ل � َ َن �ُ ٱ ْ�نَ َّ َ � ُ ن ٱ � َّ �و��ا �ل ا �ل ��سَ او َ� ���� ��اَ�ل��ك َ��ي� ا �ل � َ �� َّ ٱ �ْنَ ن َ يَ ن ٱ � َّ ل��ن� ا � �ل�قَ� �و� َ� ��سَ او َ� ��ثي���ل�� َ��ي� ا �ل � � ن ا� ا � ن ن�م�ع�س� ا�م� �ل �و��ي�
٦٠،٢،٣
ٱ �ْ ُ �َ نُ ٱ � َ � �َ ْ نُ ٱْ� ْ � ��ْو� ا �لن� ��َ او �ي� �َو� ��و� اَ�ام����� َك �َ او �ل� ��و� َ َ َ �َ ْ َن َ ي ٱ � ُّ نْ َا َ ٱ � ُّ ْ َ�ع ن� َ�� �ي� �و� ��و ���ل َ ا ���� �ل �م ن ا �ل ��سو� � ل ي�� َ � � َ
ا � ��م ن ا �ك� � ّ �ا �م�ل] ��ه�� [ � ر � ي
ٱْ َْ �ُ ْ �َ َ � ََ ��س اٱ ��ل�َهَ��ا ن��َ �م نَ ا ن ��ل ي � ح��ه�ا �ل َ�ش�س��ه�ا را � � ل و ن ي � َ� � �ٱ ْ يَ ا ن�َ � نْ شَ ْ ٱْ� َ َ ي َ َ � ا�َا�ه�ل�ا��َ� ��ه�ا را �ل� �ع�ه� ��َ 2م� � ��و نَ يَ ََ �ا يْ َ َ � نُ ُ ٱ ��ْ ُ يُ �َ َ َ َ �س او �َ �ل�ث�� ا ل��ث�م ��و�ل� 3 ��ثحر��� � � حي�ه�ا ر�� َ ُ ُّ ٱْ�َ � َ ا ن أ نْ يَ ُ َ نَ َ �� �ا�ل ا�م كو ن� �َ�ه�� ا را �ه� �َ��َ� ا � �� �
أ أ أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل� :ل��سود ا 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ل� ا �عة���ا �� 3 .ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل�لة�هول.
156
�ش ا � ش � � ن ا �ل�� �ل� ن�معس��
� ا �ل��س� او �
156
Eunuchs
For her sake, I love blacks— for her I even love black dogs! I myself was once so taken with women of this persuasion that I declaimed: They censure me for loving a black-skinned girl (sawdā), Unaware that nobility (siyādah) lies in glory (sawād), So I told them, “Let me be and be not censorious, For the blacks (sūd) have become rulers (sādū) through their wealth (sawād) And most whites, were it not that their eyebrows And their cheek moles are of the darkest black (sawād), Would be neither loved nor looked at— But good qualities were ever the preserve of the masses (sawād).” In the first line sawād is used to mean “rule, lordship” (sūdad), in the second to mean “wealth,” in the third in its true meaning, and in the fourth to mean “a large number of people.” Another poet has said:
3.2.60
“You’ve fallen for a girl who’s black!” said they, so I replied, “’Tis the color of galias,175 of musk, and of aloeswood! I’m the type to whom love of whites would seem no virtue even if there wasn’t a single black left in the world.” And Learned Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Ṣaftī says: My soul I’d give for a brown-skinned boy, one spot of whose color would invest white skin with beauty’s name176 While one white spot upon his face would transform the cloak of cuteness into shame. It’s not from his wine177 that I’ve become drunk— it’s his sidelocks that drive us men insane. His charms so envy one another that each to be the down on his cheeks lays claim.
157
157
ن ��ن� ا ��نل � �ص��ا � �� ي ي
ي�ن ا ي � �ان ي � ن ي � � �ي �ص���� م �ص�� نل � � ه � � �و��ص� �ع� ر� � ي ي َ ْ��لَ ُّ أَْ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ �َ يَ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َُ �ي� ا ن��ي�حن��� � ��ث�مي�ه�ا �ل�� ��ثم�� ش���ر ي��� ��ه�ا �ن��� �وا ا �� ً ع ي ا � ا �� ن� ي ّ أ ن ً ���ا ب[���س�لة����ط] �و�� �ل ك��ه�ي� ا �يك� �ا �م�ل] ���و�� [ �
٦١،٢،٣
ٱْ َْ � َ ُ ٱ ْ ي ْ� َ َ � ن�ه�ا را �َ او ��سيم�� ن�هحر� او ا ��سَم�
َ ُ ٱْ َ ُ ٱْ يَ �ُ يََ شَّ يْيَ َ َ ْ َ نَ يُ ْ ُ �َ ٱْ �َ َ ي �ج�ا � �� ا �ل����س�ه �ه�ا ��س��ثح ا �هم�ه��ل ي � �ك�ُ�هح�ْ �� ��ْو ن� ا ��لن�َ��َ او ��� �َو�� ��ْو ن� ا�ا�م ْ����� َك �َ او ��ل �ج�� �َ� ر و َ �� َي م َ ّ ْ أ َ ْ َ ْ ٱ ْ ٱ َ ٱ َ َ َ ّ َ َ َ يََ�ا يُ ََ ن � ن ْ نَ � ن َ � ش ْ َ � ��ان ن ن ن َ ي �و�م�ا ��هحر��� ن�لي��ا ��� ا �لنَصيك��َ� �ع ن� ��ه��ل��ًط َأا �ي� �َم ن� ا �ل���ي�� نَ� � او �ل� ��له�ا َ� َ��ي� �هحر�َ�
ن � ن �ا � � ي� ين � ن ن� �ك�ه� ��� �م�� � ا ��لنصي��ا ن��� �و� �ّ ا �ل�� �س او � نل � ��ل��م �يك �� � �و�ل�ه�ا �� ن�ل�� ن� طو�ل �و��ا �ل �م ن� �ع�� �ن��� ��ي� � �ل��ك ي م ح م َ ي� ي � �نهح�َ��َْ�نَا اآ�َ�يَ اٱ �� �َّ ْ �َ َ� �َ �لْنَ ا اآ�َ�يَ اٱ ��نَّ َ ا �ُ�هْ ًي �مَر� } �و� ي� ل�لي�ه��َل و ن�ه� �� ي� ���ه� َر ن�َ� �ع�ميص ي� �نك���ي�ر�ي�� �ع ن� ���و�ل�� �ل�ه�ا �� { � َ �� ُ ًّ �ْ َ يٌ ُ ُ �َّ َ �م�ه�� �ه�َو ���َو����ه�ا} {�وَ�ك��ل �َو ن ي َ � � نَّ ا �� �نسَ �َ�ْ شَ �يُ نَ َ نَ ُ � �وَ�ل�ل�ه� َ� َي�ما يل����هم ��و� �م�� ا َ�� ن
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158
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Eunuchs
I countered178 this with a poem of my own, which goes in part:
3.2.61
The truth is white! Forget a certain tribe of obstinates and swollen heads who claim it’s not! Al-Ṣaftī also says:179 “You’ve fallen for a girl who’s brown!” said they, so I told them, “’Tis the color of galias, of musk, and of nightshade! I’ve not abandoned the whiteness of white-skinned girls in error— white hairs and shrouds make me so afraid!” Some people go to great lengths in their praise of white and dispraise of black, claiming that the discernment of any who oppose this point of view has been blinded to the words of the Almighty: «We have blotted out the sign of the night, and made the sign of the day to see.»180 The fact is that «Each man has a direction to which he’s turned»181 for one man’s meat, in love, is by another spurned.182
159
159
3.2.62
ا ��ل�ه�ا � ا ��ل�شه�ا ��ل ش � ن ن �ن ن ن ه��� �ق���ل�ا � 1 �و ي أ ن ن أ ن � ن � �ا � � ي ��� ��ه��ل ��ي� ا �م ار ��� ا �ل��س�و� ا � � او�ا�ه�ا ��و�ل� �� ط� ّ ي � �أي ا � � ي ه��� �و�ل�� ن�� ا ��ل ا� � ��� � � ك �� � �ي �� او �ن�ا �� �و �ه� ا �ل� ه� �لي���م �و ي ن �
أ ن �اّ أ نّ ّٰ ن ّ ّ � � ن ��� �� ي ن� ث��� ا ن� ي�ل�هل��� ا � ا لل� � �ا�ل أا �ي��لي�� ن��م�ا �ل�� �ي ��و ن���� ��� ن�ع�ي�ر� �و ن� ح ن� �ع�� ا �ل�� ��ه��ل ��ي� ��ل� ن � ي � م م � �أ ن ��� ن� �ه� ا �أ �ه�ا �يص���ل��ي ن��ا � ّ ي � � ي � ن ن ا � ن ن ي ن ّ ن ا ن ن �ص��� �ل� � ��و ن��� ��ي� �ع�ي�ر�ه� �و�ل��� ا أا � ا �ل�عرن� أا ����� � �م� ن�ل��ل���� �ل��ر�� لي�و و و ني ي ي � ش يّ ا ي �ن ً ن ي ن ّ� � � � � ن ن ن ه ا ء �ن ّ��م�ا �م�ا �ي ا ا �� � �له� � 2ك� � � � � �م ه او ء ن�ل�ل��� �����ل �ل�� �م��س�ه� � ي�س�مر��� ���ي� ي�ل��ه�ي ر �ع�لي��� ا �ك� �و نر � ح�� � ّ ن � � � � � �ن ن�ك�ه�ا �ّ ن� �سم�� ���� �و�ل�� �يك� ح�ي� ي�ل�عي��ا � �نك�ه� او ء ا �لن���ل��� ا � �سي� � � ط�� �أاو � �ا ي��م ي� �يك ��ط�و�ل �مر ن� �ع��� ي� ي م ح �ل� �� �� ا�ا� ّ ي ن ه�� �ط�ول م�� �
ًأ � � أّ أ ن ّ �ن � � ن � �أ � � � ن ي ن � ّ� ن � �أ ا �و�ام�ا ك�ا�ا � ا �ل� �مر ���� �ل��ك ك�ا�ا � ا �ل� �و�ل� � ا �ل���ي� ن� �ي��� ن��ا �����ل�و� �م ن� ا �م � او ن� ���ورا � �وي��ين� �مش��ل�ا ا ��ط�و�ل � � أ�اش أ ي أ ّ �ان أ أ أ ا �ع�م�ا ًا � ا �ي�� �� ��ن�����ي � ��ل�� ن� ��ل��ك ي� �� ا �� ��� ��ل�� � ش ع��م �ي �م ن ا ���و�ل��� � او ���ر ا ��� �و�ا ء ا � ط�� ��ا ء �و���� ا ا �ع ار ن� ن ر و و ر ن ي ر و ل � ر ً ي ن � يّ � ا ي نا � � � ي � � � ا � �أ اأ ن �ا�ش��ًا ن���ل ا �ن � � � � � م ل � ع� � ا �لن�� � �ي�� �ع�� ك �ل� ي� � �هم� ح�� �ير�� �م ن� �و�ل���� �ع��� ا ك� ي ر و ���� �ل ر ن � مو� ا �ر ن���ل �م � � �ّ أ ن ً ً �ا �� ي � ن ن ي �ي ن ّ � �ن � ّ � ّ �ي � � ّ ن ّ ي ���نه��ي ��ل�� �ل�ه�� ش�� �من�ه�ا ا �ل� �م�ا � ���ورا � �وي�� ي�ر�� ����ل ل�� � يي � �أ ���عي��ه�� � ي �هحر�ونح ��ورا �و ي� ع نر�لي�� ا �وع نر ي أ ن ا ّ ّ ي � � ي � ن ن ا � �أ نّ �اّ ن �ه�� ا �م ّ ا � ��ّ � ا نّ �ن ا ��ل��� � � ا ��ل ن يّ ن �صي��� �ل� � ��و ن��� ��ي� �ع�ي�ر�ه�م� �ل� � ��ل� ������ �� � ���ل � �و��� ر �و �م� ي��� ل ع��� � �ي� ن ل�� و ن � ن أي ن ي أ � � ن أ ن ن ن ���� � �ل��ل��� � ا � � اا ط��ّ ي ي � ن � � � �و�ل��� �ي ��و ن��� �م� ا ن� ��وي�� �م� � ��وع � او � نو و ��� ك�� � ا ���و� ن����ي��� � او �ع�� �ل ��� �و�ر� �م� ن � � ن � �أ ن ً � ��نهً�ا ���عي ��نه�ا ن��ا ����� ا �ل��ل�و ن� � ي � ا �ل�ع������ �كي��� ا �ل� �مر� أ ة مب ب ب أ ب ا �لش � ش ب ب ��ا �ل�ل�. �� و�ة���� ����ص�لا � -ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا � 2 .ال� �ص�ل: 1ا �لبل��ا ب� ل��ا ل
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160
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Chapter 3
In two sections
Section 1: Sicknesses of the Blacks; Their Dishes; the Healthiness of Their Various Climes; Hunting; and Some Animals Mortal man should be aware that God has made specific to each territory things
3.3.1
to be found in no other and allotted to each tribe a peculiarity to be found in no other. Thus, if one leaves his country for another whose air differs from that of his own, afflictions will beset him: he will become sick when the change of air has its effect on him and may die, or if he does not die, his sickness may be prolonged and his body not become well until, at length, it accustoms itself to the air of the country in which he has come to reside. This being the case, children who are born of a father and a mother who are both Fur, for example, live longer and are more strongly built than others. This explains why one may find a man with ten or more children, all of whom are strong and healthy. The same applies to the Bedouin of the deserts there: none of them ever dies without first having looked on large numbers of offspring. Conversely, if a Fur man marries a Bedouin woman, or a Bedouin man a Fur woman, you will find that his offspring are weak and thin and only a rare few of them survive. This is one of those things that indicates that each country and race has something special not to be found in any other, for any child born of parents of one and the same type and one and the same country is better built and has better health; if the converse is the case, you will find that he is weak, of a bad color, and thin.
161
161
3.3.2
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
ط��ّ ي � � ن أ ن ن � ن أ ن ن ن � اأ�لي �ن � ا �ن � � ا � ا � ا � � ي ��سع��صن ��و ن� �ع�� � ��� ا �ك��ط����ل �ن�ا ���� ا �ل��� �م �كي��ا ���� �و� �ه�م �ي� ر ��ور و ر و ي� ي وري � � ي � أ أ � ً � � � ي � ن � � ���� ن ا �ع نس ا �س�مسن ي �ك�� ا �ل�ه�� ن � �� �م�ا �م ن � �ل�� ��� � � ش��م ��ط� � �ك �� ن �ي ���� �م ن ا ن�ل ا ��ك���ط�ن��� ��� ن ي���سم � � م ي � � � و و ر ن ل ي ي ر و ي� ي� � � ن ي� و � ل ي� ي� ش اش ي أ �ش � ن � � ن ن ي ن ن ش ا ن ش ا � ن ن � � �سم � � � � � او �لي����مر�� �ي���� ر�ك ��ط ك��ي ر� � �و� ر�ل �م��� � � �عر�ر �و���ي� ي �مك��ل ��ل� ��� ا ��س�هر �ي�لع�ه�ل�و� �ن�� ي ي م ي ّ � ن � ��ل��ك � او ن� ا� �ي ن�لع�ه��ل �ن�� ر��م�ا �ه�ا ن� �ع��لي��� ا ��ل��� � ن���يعي���ل�� ن م أ م ح أ ا� ن � ّ أ أ � � � � � �ي � ا �� ��� �ن ن �ا�ش اأ � ا ن�� ا � طن ا ا ن � ا � م�� � � � � ا � � � � � ع � س ا ا � ع ك � ء ط � � ل � � ل �� � � � � �م � م � � ه � ه �� ه � � � � ل � � � ل � م � او ر ر � م ر � �� ن و �ل و و ي ري ٰ ن ن ّ ّ � ي طس ي � اأ � � ن �� � ا ي ���� � ش � � ن� ا ن ا �أ ي � ن ن �ع��ل �ا��ل����ا � ا �ل��� ن�� ��ور �ع ن��� �ه� ر ���� ك له� � ��� � �ل� كي� ��ي� ��م�� ي� ع��� ا ل� � أ � آ�ي � ي � ن �ي � ا ���� ا ��ل��ل����ا ن� ن�كي��ه�ا ن��ل � ط���و�نك�ه�ا �نك�ه�ا ��ك�� ا ط� �و���ور�ي ا �ل�� �ل�� ا � �سي� �ي�ل� ��ل �و�نك�ه�ا �ن�ا � �ل� ��ل � ل ي ع ي ّ ن ي � � ا �ي� ��� � �ي ن ن ح ش �ي �ن ا �ع� �ي ن�ك �� ن � ا ش � ن � � � � �و��عي� � �ه� ل ����ي���� �مركن��� �ي� �ي��� �م� ح��س ن� �و س � طه� ��سن�� � م� ي� ���ل حيّ � ّ � ا �� ا��م ّ � ن ن � أ ي � ن � ي أّ� � ا ��ك������� ا ��لن ح ش��سن��� ا �و�ل� ��� ي ��و� ن ي ن� ���ل ا �ل��� �ي� �كي��� ا � ن ار ����� �ولي���و� له� أا �� ��� � أ ً ً ّ � ش ا ا ا�ا � ّ � ا ��ل�ه��ل�� ي��� ن�صك ��� ن ����ا � ّ ���������ي � ي ّ ن ��ل � نط � ح�� �يك����ل ر ��س�ه� م ��وحن �صنكط ن � أا �� �ي��� ا ��م �ي��� ���ل ا � ي ي �ل أ أ � � � � � � ي ي ي ي ي � ن ن ّ � أ ي أ أ ي � �ع��ل�ه�م�ا �ش ي ��������� � او �ل ا ���� ا � ن ار ����� �م ن ا ن�ل �ه�� ا �ل��ر�� �و�ل ��� ا � ن ار ����� ��� ن ا �ل � � ح��سن��� �يو�ل� ��� ي� � ي ل � ن ي� ن� �� ا �نين ي � � ن أ ي ن ا ن�� ن � ��ل � ي �� � ش ي �ي �� ي ن ن ن ا ش ل ل � ط�ه��ي ��ح�ل � � ا ا � � � � ط� ا � ا ����� ����ه�م� � حرن ا � ����ي���� �و ح��سن��� �س�ه� �ي ر� �ع�� ح��سن��� ��ل �س�ه� ص ��� ��ل � ع ر ني � ي ي ح ش ّم ُ ً � � َ ي ن ن ن ي ح ن ّ � ��� � ي��� ا ������ ����� ن ا �ن � �ي ن� �يّ��� ا �ن�� ن� ن�� �ن� ���ه�ي�ر� �ولي�و حري�� ��م ي�لن���ل �مر �ع���� ��لي���ل �م� ل��طر�و� �و َ �� ي ن ن ن � ا��م���� ي ن � أن � ن �صع�ه�� �وي ن� ��ه��ل�� �ع���� �� �و�� �كي���لي�� ��ي� �ن�� � �وي��� ���ل�� ��ي� ��م ا �ل�ه��لي���ل ن�ل�ه�� ا � لي���و� ا �ر ن���ل أا � ن أش � �ن � � � � ا �� ��م ّ � �أ�ا� � يّ ي ي ا ن � ش �ي ن � ن � � ن �ي�� اأ ن ا ��لن �ا�ا � ا �ك��ط����ل �ي�� ا �لن�عر� � ح��سن�� أا � ك ل��� �ل� ي ��و���ل�ه� أا � ��ل ا �ل� م ن�ل�ل� ح�� ل�ن��� �ور � ���ل � ّ � ي � �� � ًّ ن أ أ اً � ش ن � ي ّ ا� ن ط� ��ا م��� �س��ا ن� ا �ل�ه�� � � � � م � � ع�� ن� � � � �صع�ه�� � � � � ا ل � �ي��� ا �كي�ن��را ا � ا � � � ل � � � � � � � �� ل � � ع � ل � � � ع � ك � � � � � أ ن ي ن و يل ي ل � ن أ نم ي أ ع ن�ا أ ن � � � � � � � ن ن � ش ا ا ا ا ن ع � س ا �ك��ط����ل �و����� �ع��� أا ��س�ه� �ل ن� ا �ل�ه��لي���ل �ن� ن�� ��ل��ك � او � ا �رك ا ن� ��و ا �ل�ل���� � ا�م�� ��ور ا � حيص ن� ���ل نح�� � أ م ن ً ن ي �ك ���و ن� ���ن��ن��ا ��� �كي���ل�� � � ي ي ّ أ أ آ أ ُ ً � � � ُ � � �ن � ي � � � ن�� ن ���س ّ � ن �ع �ّ �ي � ي ���ا �و��عي� ا �����ر ن��ا ء �ويل�لي�� �مر � ا �ر ي ��م� ع��� � ا م � ��ع� �و�ل� ي�ل�ه��ر�ي� أا �ل� ا �ل� ��ط�ه�ا �ل ا �يك ن� م ع ن ّٰ أ ي � � �� ن � ن �ا � ن� ّ �� �ن � ن� � ن ن � ا ش ا � � � � ا �ي�ليع� ��� ا ��ل��ل�ه�ا �ي � �و��شر�ي � � � ل ل ا � ك � � ك � � � � � ���� ش� �ك� ي�ه�ا �ل ي��مرن� ه ي���ل ل�ل�ن� و�ل� ي� �ل وي �عر ��و� ي��� ع�و� ي ن ن اأ �ي �����ي � ن � ن �ا� ي ي ّ ن �� � عا �� �� � ش �ي ن ����� ا �ن ��ن ا ��ل�ه��ل�� � ��� ن ل � � � � ا ا � ��� �� ل��طر�و� �مك� � �له�� �م �ويك� ��ي�� ن� كي�� �ي� �وي � �ل�� �ن� ك� ن ع ح��سن�� �و� ه� �ي� م ي �ل وي� ���ل أ � �ً � ي ن � ش � � ن ن ش �صع�ه�� ن��� �ن�� ا ي ن عيه�ا ا �ل���ر�ي ا � �سي �ي�� ���� �ك��� نر�ل �من�ه�ا � � �و��� ّ �� �صع�ه�� �من���ل�و�ل� أا � ن ي ر � ��م يله�م��� أا � ن � ي� و ن ي ع �ك�ه� ��� � �وي�ل � ن ي م ح
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Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
In Darfur and Wāddāy, I saw that people resorted to bloodletting to protect
3.3.3
their children’s health. Once the child had completed forty days from the time of birth, they’d take it and make incisions on both sides—by which I mean on the right and the left—of its belly, making it bleed copiously. When it had completed three months, they’d do the same again; if they didn’t, the blood was liable to rise up against it and kill it. The childhood disease most widespread there is that called abū l-lisān
3.3.4
(“tongue disease”).183 It afflicts the child in its epiglottis, i.e., in its uvula. This acquires an excrescence like a sparrow’s tongue at the base of the tongue, which they treat by excision, using an instrument that looks like this and consists of a blade mounted on a wooden handle. It comes with a smooth piece of wood, and the doctor first inserts this piece of wood until it reaches the site of the excrescence, the patient being tightly secured. Then he inserts the blade till its curved end reaches the base of the excrescence on the other side, the excrescence thus being between the blade and the piece of wood, and compresses the two of them, resulting in the excision of the excrescence. Then he removes the blade and the piece of wood together, and a small piece of flesh may be observed on the piece of wood. The doctor will previously have prepared a little natron by grinding it finely between two stones. The man wets his finger and puts it into the powder, which sticks to it, and inserts the finger into the patient’s mouth, having first inserted the piece of wood, if the child’s teeth have grown in. However, he does not let the latter intrude all the way to the site of the pain but rather until it intrudes just beyond the patient’s teeth. Then he rubs the site of the excision well with the powder on his finger and the patient is cured. If this “tongue disease” is left untreated, the child’s body will become emaciated and it will cause terrible diarrhea, possibly leading to death. This is followed by another disease, which they call umm ṣuquʿ,184 which also afflicts only children. It consists of a softening in the uvula and the appearance on it of a pustule. This leads to the patient not drinking milk or eating, and a paling of the complexion. They therefore call in the doctor, who comes and grinds natron as previously described, places the piece of wood, on its own, in the patient’s mouth, inserts his finger, and raises the uvula, bursting the pustule, from which blood and pus discharge. Then he wets his finger with his saliva, dips it in the natron, and rubs the pustule with it, along with
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163
3.3.5
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
ّ ن � �ش ي � �ّٰ ي � ي أّ �� ن � � ن ل�� �ن� �ي ن�لع�ه��ل � ��ل��ك �ش�ل�ا �ش�� ا �ي�ا � له�ا � � � نري�ليه�� ��ي� ا �لن� ��طر�و� �وي���ك �ن�� ا �لن�� ر� � او �ل� � م ي ي � � ا � ا� ن � � � ُن نَ � ن � � ن ن ا ن �اا ن ن ن ن � �و��� �ي�لع� ا �لأ���س�ه� �ل ا� م�عر ��ط � � ل��ن� ي�ل� ��طر ��ي� ا �ك��ط����ل �أ� � ك�� � ان�� ��س���ي� �و�و ن��� � او أ ّ ا ا� �ي � ي ي �عن � ن ��م �ّ ا �� ا ش ي ن ي حيّ ن���يه�ا � ا �م�ا ن�ك� ا ن � ش له� ي�ه� �م� ا �لنص��ور ����و�ه� ن���س�ع�ه�� ��� و �معه��� � ن� رر م� � � أ أ ّ ن �اا ن ن ً �اا � ن � �ي ا�ا� ن �ش ي ا � ��ن� ن ��ل �من ا �سع�ه� �ه� � �م ك���ي�ر �و���ل�ل� او �م� ك��ل�� �كي�ن��را �أاو � ك�� � ���ه�ي�را ك�� ن � ن ور � ّ � � ّي أ أ يش أ ش ا ن ي أ ن ن � � ا ي ا ا ا � �و�ل ا �ل��مر� ا نر�ل� لي��� � ��ك�� ا � �ه� �� �و� �� ا ��سه ا �و ��م� �ل��� ا �و � أ � ر� ن � ي ن �و �و � ن � ّ أ ع أ أ أ � ا �ع�ل�ا �ه�ا � ا ��س�نه��له�ا � ا ��من�ه�ا � ا ���م �ه�ا ا �عن�س� يل���و� ا �ل��مّر�ي ��ي� ا � ��و��س ��ط �ولي���و� ا � �� ل�� و � وي � وي ر ي ي أ � ّ � ُ � � ش � � ا � �ي �ن ا� ن ي طنه�ا ��ل ا�ا�م ن�� ا�م��س�مّ ��ا �لن�ع نَ �َل�� � �ه� �م ن�� �ن�ا ��س� أ �وي��� ي�ل�ه��ير�ي� ا �ل�� �� � � �ع ن� أا ��� ن� �ي� م �ّ �ي��رك ر � �� ن ريل و و ر � أ �ح أ � � ن ��ل � أ � ا �ك��ط�ن���ل ي�ل� ن�ص ش� ن�لي��� �ي�� �ور ن���لي��� �ع�� �ع�ي� �مرك� �ا�ا �ه��ل �ي��و�ن�� �ي�لي ��و���و ن� أا �نّ�� ��ا ��ل��ي ا�ام�ا ���و�ن��ي � او �ه��ل � ا س � ر � � ن ��ل ا نّ ن ي ا �� ّ � �ن � ّ ن ��ل ا ش ن� �ي ي �ن �ي ن ي م � �م� ا ن�� � ���ي� �ي��رك ك� ��سن�� �و� ���� �ي� ���ل ي�ل�ه� ر�ي�� �ه�� ا ا�� � � كي�ع���ل �ي� �س� �مر �و ��و���� ي أ أ � ن �ً��ش ي ن ّ أ ن ي ن ن ن ا ا� ي � �� � ل��ا �ن�ا ي� �ل� �عي��يه�ا � �ع� �مر �ي����سع�ي�ص ��و� �� 1ي� �ع�ل� ن��� �ن� � ل�� � �ون�ل�ا � ا �ل�عرن� ا ��ط�ه�ا �ل� ك�ا��ي�ر� ��ا �م�ا ا �ه��ل �س� م َ أ َْ ي اأ�نّ� � ن ا ��ل ا نّ ن اأي ن � ش ي ن � ُ ي � ن أ � � ي ا ن �ي � � � �� � �كي�� � ��و� ن��م ن� �ل�� ��س�هر� ��ي� ا �ر��� � او �ل�ع ار ��م � او �ل� ����� �م �كي���ص ن� �ل�ل�ه�لي���ل� 2و�يرَ��ي� � م� ن أ أ أ أ ّ ّ � ن �� � او �ّم�ا ا �ه�� ا ��ل��س� � ا ن� ن�كي��ه�ا ن��ل حن� ا�ا�م�� �و�ي�� ��ل�� يل�نن�� � �ون�� �و�ه�� ا �ي�� �يك���ا � �ن� ا ن� ا �ل�ه��لي���ل ي ن� � �� ل و � نع ن ا �نا �ّ أ ن � �ي اأ نّ اأي � ّ �ي �ي � ن �ي ح ن � ��ل�ا � � �ّ ��ن� ا ن��ل � � �ن�ا �� �� ا � � ل ا ح�ي� �ي�ا ن���� م�� � � � � � س ل ه � ك �ص� � � � و ن� ر �و �ن � �ه� �ن� � �ي� � �� او ن�ل�ل ن� �� ن �ص�� م� ل�� ن ي ي ي ن� ا ي ي � ا ن ي�ان ي ا ��ل ش�� ي ا � ي يُيَ ّ � ن � � ن ا ��ل�ه��ل�� � ا ن�ك � اأ �� �يكي � � �م ن اأ� ا ��ن � كي� �ه� �و�لن ���� �ك�ه� ر�عر� ��ر�عر� س�م�ه�� � �سي� � �ل� ��ط كي����وو� ي �ل نك�ه� ي�ن� ر ��و �� و � مر � أ أ � ّ � � ا � � ��� �ن ا �� �ع ن ا ا � �ن � � � ن�� �� �ي � ا �ك��ط�ن ن�ك �ن� � �ن � �ك� ن�� ّ � ن�� ي ن �� ا � ي �ل�طه� ل �� ك ن ��و ��ه�ي ر �و ه�و مر � يله� ري� ���ل ي� ����� ��و� �وي عر عر� �ط� عر� ا��م�� ّ �ن �اي ا �� ��� ّ � ا �� � �ي ا ن ا � �أ� ن � � � � ك ع � � � � � ص ل � � � ل � ر � ي ن ن ر �و�ه�و �س�م� �ي ن ن ا أ ن� � ّ �ي ا �� ن � �� حّ ���� ن�ك�ه�ا ���ّ� ��س� ا ء �ن�من�ه�ا ا ���� ْ ��ي � ��ع ا ��ل � � ك � ل� � � ع � م � و ر ر �و�ع�� ك ا �م ار �� �ع� �م� ك���ه�ي ر � او � � ي� � ي ن و َو أ ي � � أ � � � � �ا ل�ن�� ن ا أ � �ن �ا�ّ � ن �س���ي � �وي���ي�����ل���� ن �ع ن��� �ع� ��ن� ا �ّ�ا � ا ��نل � � �و�ل� لي � � ح �ر�لن� � او �ّو�ل ا �ر�ل�� �ه� ا � �� � ي ن � ��� �ي� ل �و �م � � مّ ي � يْ م � ي أ ي ن ّ ن يع ن َ ْ َ � ي ي ا��م��س�مّ �ع ن��� �ع� ��ا �ل��� ي� � �ه� � � ي� ن� � �لنع ن��ا � �ي��� ن��ّ ��من �ه�ا ���م ا ���ور� ا � �سي �ي�ا ��� ��� �� �ا�ل �ي ��و� من ر ووو � ري و و � ي ي � �� َ ي م ع � ي يأ ً ً ّ � ي ن � ي ي ّ ّ ّ ي ش ن ن ش ي ا ا ا ا ا ا ن ن ن �ه� ���م� ا �لص���ليص� �ه� ���م� ا �لَ�� ن� �و��عي� ا � �سي� �� �ي� �ي ��و�م� �و�ل��يص ن�� 3ي ��و�م� �و�م � ��ي� ���� �ع�� �س�ي�ص��� �و�م � أ أ ّ � � ا � ي ياأ ي �ا�ّ � �� �م�� ن � ي ي ا ي �اّ ش اش ي ّا � � � � � � ي� �و�من��ه�ا ���م� ا � �رل� ل ه�� ع �و��عي� ا � �سي� �� �ي� ن�ل�ه�� ���ل ��ل� ��� ا �ي� �م �و��عي� � ل ي ن و �أو �عي� أ�سي� �� ي ن أ ي حّ ا�ا�ُْ ��� �ي �ي �ع ا �� ي � � ن ح�ّم � ا �ي��ّ �من�ه�ا ���� ���ي ��ّم ا ��ليصش���لص ش� � �من�ه�ا ا ��ل ��ل � ���م� م�نَ�ه� �و �ي� �سي� �ل� ا ���و�� ا � �� اوع ا �� و ل � ن ر ن �� ي و � أ أ أ ة ب ب ب ��. 1ال� �ص�ل :ة���س�ل���عة�م��و� 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل�ع��ةل��ل 3 .ال� �ص�ل :و�ة�عة�م ب
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أ ن� � � كي�ن��را ا �ل�ه�لي���ل
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٧،٣،٣
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Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
the uvula. This time, however, he does this for three days in a row, after which the patient recovers. Severe diarrhea may occur, but in this case the child should be examined;
3.3.6
if it’s more than two years old and they find that its backside protrudes too much, they scrape it with a pottery shard, producing much blood, and reduce the child’s food, after which the patient recovers. If the child is very young, say seven or eight months or so, they cauterize it around the navel, making four brands, in the following fashion: I mean that the navel should be in the middle, the brands above and below it and to its right and left. Children may be afflicted by the disease called al-ghuzayyil, which is caused
3.3.7
by an injury to the brain that leaves the child waving its hands and feet about in an abnormal manner. In Egypt and Tunis, people say it comes from the jinn. This disorder afflicts a child who is left alone somewhere. It kills many children in Egypt, Tunis, and the Arab countries. To treat it, the Egyptians have recourse to written amulets185 because they believe that it’s caused by jinn. Thus, they fetch someone well known for spells, incantations, and conjurations and he makes written amulets for the patient and performs his spells. This may or may not coincide with the patient’s pain being cured. The people of the Lands of the Blacks treat the disease by cauterization of the forehead and by obtaining some millet-cane pith, which they pass back and forth over a fire until it catches and forms a flame like that of a trimmed candle, with which they cauterize the patient, who recovers immediately. Another children’s disease found there is abū ṣuffayr; it’s an affliction that spoils the child’s skin color and produces a distinctive yellow. It is what’s called in medical books “yellow jaundice.” There are also nonspecific diseases that affect young and old alike. Among these are wirdah, which is a fever, from which almost everyone suffers at least once a year. It is at its peak there during the rainy season and at the beginning of the spring, which they call darat and which is the same as our autumn. This fever is of different kinds: there is time-specific fever, which comes every day at a certain hour; quotidian fever, which comes every second day; tertian fever, which comes every third day; and quartan fever, which comes every fourth day, this last being the strongest; tertian is a shade less strong.186 There is also total fever, which leaves the sufferer only upon recovery or at death and which in Egypt is called al-nōshah; doctors now refer to it as
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3.3.8
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
ي ن ن ي ي ن � ن ا � �ّ � � ن أ � � شي ن � �ر�لع� مو ي� �و���س��مّ� ��ي� �س� ��ه�ا أا �ل� �ن�ا �ل ش��س�ه�ا ء ا �و �ن�ا �ا � �مر �ن�ا �ل ن��و����� �و��عي� ��ي� �عر�� ع ع� ��� ن � أ آ ي ّ � ّ ن ّ � ي � � ّن ن ا ���أ ��� ّ ّ �ا ���ا ء ا ��ل�� ن� ا ��لي ا له�ا �ع ن��� ا �ه��ل ا �ل��س�و� ا � ����س�م� �ن�ا ���ور�� � .ل� ي��م�ي�ر�و� �ه� ن� �س�ه�� �ي� �س���و�ي� �وك��� � � �ل ن أ � � � ن � �اا � � ا ن �ن � ّ ي ي ن ّ � ن ّ �ه�ا� .و�م ن ا �ل� �م ا ��� ا �ل�ه�ا �م�� ا ��� �و�ا أ�لي��� �ع ن��� �ع� ا ن�ل �ك ���� ر�ي� �و�ه�و �ع��� ع� ك�� �ك��ط� �ع�و� �ي� �س� ي� � �مر ر ن أ م م أ ً ن � � � �� � ّ �اّ �م ن � ن�� � � �من ا ن ّ ن �و�ن� ن � � نّ �ي يّ ا � �ّ � م � � � ا ل ا م � � � � � � � م � � ه ل� � � � �وي� ش��سي��� �� � �ه�م �م��� �ل� ��� ك�� �ل ن��� ا �و ��ل � ر � ن � م رن و � ن أ � �ل آ � شّ ي ي ا� َ �ّ � ن ا ن�ر ��ن� ا ��نل �ا او �ع ن���� �م ن ي ن� �ْ�ر�ا �ن��ي �وي�ر �� ��ل�اء �و�ل ن�� او �ل�� � ل�� ع����� ���س��مّ� �ع ن��� �ع� �ن� � � ���� �م�� م�م ن� لي���و� � ي ن ن �ا�ّ ا ن آ ن ن ي � م � �ن ن ن� ا �� �� ّ �� �ن ي ن �ي �� ن ا �ي ن ي ل � � ل � � � � � � � � ا � � � � �ه� ا ا ا � ل � � � � ل�ر���يص�� نل ي�صس�ه���� .نصي�� : ��� �مر � ن� ن �� ر ي� وك� �م� �مر � ر له�ل�و� أ ي�� و ��� و�ه�� ه�و ا � � ّ أ أ ا ي � �أ نّ ��ل � � ّ اأ ن ��� � ا ن� � ن��� ��ن �� ّ �م ن � �ن� ا �ه�� ا ��ل��س� � ا ن� �م ن � � ل � � ا ا ا ا � �ل � � � � � � ع � � ه � � ل � � � � ن ري أ ل و و ل ي� ي� � � نأ ر ي ر ن ن ي � م اأ� ا �أ اأ ن�ك ن ا � ن � �ن �� � ي� ا �ع ا �ن � �ن� ا ��ل ن��ا �� �م���ن � ي ��� ك�ه�م �� ��ل�� ل�ك ر �م �و َ أ �ي أ ن ن �اا ن ن� ا ��ل ّ َ ّ ْ أ نّ ن �اا � ي ي ا � � � ش ا ن ���� ر�ي� �و� �له�� ا �ن��ر ��ي� ر ن���ل �م� ا ك�� �نر ا �لن��ر��� �ي�له� �ل �ل�� ع�سم� � �و� �ع�� �لو ا ��� ك�� � �مر�� �ن� ن ن �ن ش ّ ش ن ّٰ ن ّ ي ّ ي أن ي ي �و��ا ��س�� �م�ا ��ا ��س�� �� ��س�ه�ا � ا لل� ���ل�م�ا � ش��مر ن���� ر�ي�� �و�كن���ل ا � ي�ل ن��� �م��ل ���ا ر �ي ��أو� �ي�� ا �ل��� �ن�ا ن� م ن أ �ن� ن ّ � �أ ن � ي � ن أ ن ّ ين � ��ا � ي�لي���لش�� �ل� ن���ل � �ل��ك ��ا �ل ن��ي�م�سم�ا ا �ن�ا � ا ي� �ي ��و�م �مي���لش�� � او ���� �ع��� �ن�ا ن� � ا ر�ي� أا � را ��ي ي� م م ّ أ آ حيّ ن ا � نّ ����� ّ ش ّ ي � اأ � ا �لًّا �ي�� ا ء �� ش م��س �م ش ��ي ا ��ن ��ا �أ�لن� �ن��ل ّ�م�ا را ��ن� ا �يك��� �ع�� ّ ل � ��س � ��م ��ا �ل � � ��� � �� مس�ي� �و ل�م �ع�� عرني�� ن�� ي ي� ي ي ّ ي نن ل ّٰي ن ّ أ � ن � ي أ ي ن � ش ّ � ان � � ن ي � ي �ا ا ن ا ي � شا ن ا �م�ا �ن�� �ع��لي���ك �ه��ل ��ي� ���لي� �� � �ه�� � ن��� ر ي� ���ه�ل� ��له� �� ا لل� ��مر ا �ل��م� ��� �ور����� ا �ل�ل�� �م �ع� ا �م ��� ي � ن �ن ن آ ن ع ����س �ي � �� �ي ��� ا �� ا � �أ ن�� �ن ا ء ��ك����� ي � ا ن � ا �ن�� �م ن ي� � � �ه� ��� � س � �� � � ي� را �ي� ��� � � م ��� ي و ط أ � �ل ر � ن ي أ �و � �و نأ � ي� ح أ ن ن � ّ ي ن ن �ا ي ن ا � ن ا ن� ن نن ن �� �وا �ن�� �رر ي� �لأ��ل�ا �ي�لعي���ل�و�ي� �كن���ل�عن�س� ن�ل�ه�� �ع �� او �ن�� �و��ص� ا �� ��ي� ن�� ء أا � ا �ل��ع ار ن� �ر�����و� �و� ن ي ن أّ ي أّ � ��ل��ك ا �ن�� �م�ا ي� ن�ل�ه�� �ش�ل�ا �ش�� ا �ي�ا � م � �ّ أ ن ن ي أ ن �� ُ � ن نّ ي � ن نّ ��ل � � ّ ا ن � � � � � � ا � ا ا ا ا � ل � � ه ل �� � � � � �ي �� او � �ل� ي� ش����ا �ه�� أا �ل� س ه � ك � � � � � � � � � م ي وو أ �و�م� � ار �� � ا ل و ن ري أ أّ أ أ � ن ن� أش ي ا � � ن ا ن ن� ي ي �� ي ن �اش ن �ه�م ا �ن�� را �� ا ش�ر� �يو�لي�� او ��ط�ا �و� �ع���� � �ل��ك ا �ر� ي�ل�ه��ل�� �ن� �لأ������ � كي ��ع���ل�� �و س�م��� �م� ك���ي�ر �م � ن � أ َ أ ي � ي � ي �� �ي � ّي � أ �ن ��ً�ا � ����ا ��لي �ه� �ع ن� ا ش�ر� ك�اي ��� �ه�و ���يه�ا � �� او 1ا ش�ر� نلُ�� ي� �م��س���ير� م �� او لي�� �ويك� �ك�ه� ن�ل�� ن� ���� �� ن�ل�� ن� و � م م أ أ أ ّ ن ن� � ن ن � ��� ���� ي� ا � ن���� ن �ع�� ��س ���ط � او � � ن � � �ه� ���� ا ���ا �وراي�ل ن��ا � �ل��ك ا �ل���شر � ن���ل �كي��� ن���� � ر ��� � ل ن ي أ ي أ � ا �ه�ل�� ��� ا ��ي ن�� �� او ���ي ا �� ا ا � � ن ا �� حص���ي :اأ ن��� ��ن ا �� �ليه�ا ن�س ا ��ل��� ��ل�� �ي�ا ن�س ا �� �لي� ن ���ا �ي ن� �ع � � � م� ا ء ل� � م � � � � � � � � � � � و ي ي� ن أ � ن ر ي� ن�ي ن �ي� ي �ل �ي� أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل�� :لة�ه�ا ل.
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٩،٣،٣
١٠،٣،٣
١١،٣،٣
Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
“gastrointestinal inflammation.” 187 All these types are known to the people of the Lands of the Blacks, without distinction, as wirdah. Among the nonspecific epidemic diseases is smallpox, which to them is as the plague is to Egypt, and which they fear since it is often very deadly. If anyone contracts it, they remove him from the village to somewhere in the countryside and build him a reed hut, called a karbābah, leaving someone who has already had the disease to tend to him. Each time another falls sick they take him there and so it continues, this being precisely the same as quarantine. Note: The people of these lands who most fear smallpox are the desert Bedouin, because once it enters a tribe it decimates it. Thus, they fear it more than anyone else. A prominent man of the Birqid tribe, called ʿUthmān wad ʿAllaw, told me
3.3.9
that he had once been sick with smallpox and suffered through it. Then God cured him. When the papules formed scabs, and before these had healed over, he was greatly bothered by the flies, so he used to veil his face. He told me, “One day, I was wearing my veil and standing at the door of my house when I saw a Bedouin coming along, walking as though terrified. When he saw me, he approached till he was close and saluted me. Then he said, ‘Tell me the truth! Is there smallpox in this village of yours?’ ‘God preserve us from the evil of hiding the truth!’ I said and I lifted the veil from my face. The moment he saw me he let out a great cry and fell to the ground. At his cry, his Bedouin brothers came and picked him up and took him away. I fled the moment his brothers arrived, so they wouldn’t kill me. I heard afterward that he died three days later.” The people of the Lands of the Blacks claim, among other superstitions,
3.3.10
that the smallpox is a creature of which nothing is ever seen but the tracks, which stick to the person and then kill him. I heard many of them say that they had seen its tracks; they connive with one another over this and believe one another. I asked them what its tracks looked like and they said, “Its tracks are round spots that follow one another, like this
in single file. In any
house where we see these tracks of a morning, we find its inhabitants have been stricken.” An Amazing Thing. When he came to Cairo in 1257 [1841–42],188 Judge al-Dalīl, chief judge of the kingdom of Wāddāy, told me that the disease called al-hayḍah—known as “the yellow air” to the Egyptians—189which came to
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3.3.11
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
أ ن ا� ن � ّ � َ ْ ن ي أ �� ّ � � �أ ن � ن �يا ي ن ي ا � �له� �عر� � �س��� 1257ا � ا��مر��� ا�م��س��م� �ن�ا �ك��ي�� ���� � او �ه��ل �س� �مو� ا �ك� � �مر س � ه او ء ا �ل����عر ا �ل��� �ي� � � ا � أ ن ا �ي ي ن ا � ا� اً ن �� ا ن ن ي �اا ن اأ �ي ا �� �س �م ن ا �ل �ه� �ع� �م� ك�� � � أ � � ح� ر ��س��� �� � 1247ن� أا �� �ن�ل� � �عم � او �ر�نك�ه� �وك���ل �م � �مر � ن ا ّ أ ن ��ش��ًا ل ن��ا ��ا ن� ا �� ن�لع�ّه�ا ��ل �ا�مّ�ا � ���� ��ل�� �س�ع�يّ�� ��ل � �� ��ا �ن نك ���� نّ ا �نّ�� ��ل�� �يك���� أا ���� �ع ن��ا ك ��� ��� �� �م�� ن ير ك� ي ر ل ن � ي ن � �أ ن � ا ّ ي ��ش ي ��ل � ن � ا� ن � � ن ن حّ ل����ي�ر� ا � ����و�ل �ع��� ع� ا��م �� ا �ل� � �و�م� ا �ل� �م ار ��� ا �ل�ه� �م�� ا � ك � � �وي���س��مّ� �ع ن��� �ع� م م ر �ّ� أ رن �ي � �يّ ْ �اش ي ن � ش � ي ن � �ّ �ّ ��ا ن��ل � �و���نه�� �ه�� ا ا �� �� ����ر�ي ا � �نل�����ا � �و��لي����� �ل�� �ع ن��� �ع� � � او ء أا �ل�� ا �� �� حعي���ل �و ���ر��� ن��ي�� �ه� �ل� ل� � ل�� ن َ �ي ي م م أ نّ اأي ن � ي � ا��م�� ّ ا ي ن � ا �ل� �َ شّ ا ش ي ن �ل� ط �ي � ������ي �م� ي �سك �������ل��ي � ن�سع ��� � ا �ك�ه� �ي� � ��و� ن� ����ي���� �و �عي� س�م� � �ع��� ع� �ن� ح���� ����� �و�ه�� � ا�� ي� ي ي ر م ن أ ّ نم ا ل�ن� ي � ن � � ا ل�ن � ن� �ي �ي � �� يّ �س���ي ي�� � ح�م ّ � ��كه�ا �� �ه�ا ��ا ��ل ن��ا � ح�يّ � � � ح ا ا � �و �م���� ر ريك�ط و � �و ��ي�را ��ط��ي� �و ��ط�و�ك�ه� ن � �ك�ه� ن �� �عر� �و ن ر � ر و � ّ أ أ � ا نً ّ �ي ن � � ي ن ي ن ي ا ���ا �ن�ا ن� ا ا ��م ّ ي� ا ��ل �و�ه�ا �م ن� ا �ل ن��ا ر �و� ن � �����ي���� ا �رن�� ���ور� ا �لن �� �ون�� �مركن���� ��ي� �و��س �� � �ص� او �ه� �عر� أ ر �أ �أ ً � ن ا�� ّ �ع��� ا �ل�� ن�لن �� �و��ي �م�ا ء ي���لي��ل�ا ش��ّ �ي��� ن���ل�و ن� ��ن� �يل��ل�ك ا �ل�� ن�لن �� �و��ي �ع�و� ا �ير�ن����و�نك�ه�ا �ن�� �ول���و�و� �ن�� م ���ل ي ي � ن ن م أ أ ن � � � ن � ن �� ن � ي ���� �و��ل�� ا �ه��ل �� �هر �كي��� ا �ل��� ا ء �م ن� ن�ع�ي�ر ا �����شصن��ا ء �و�م�سي� �م�ا �ش�س�ه�� �ه�� ا ا �ل��� ا ء �ع��� ا � � �او�و� ا �ل�� ي� � � أ ٰ ن � ���� �ي�هًا �ع ن ���ي �ش�س�نه�ا � ا ّلل� ��ا �ي � ن �م ن ه�� � ا�ا�م�ه�ا ن��ل � � � � � ك ر و � وو � ر ن � ن ر ن أ ن أ�اش ن � � يّ نّ ن ن ن ا� ن ن �ا ن ا � �اش ن �و�ه�� ا ا��مر��� ��ي� ��ر� �� �ل ا ���ر �م� � ا ر���ور �و� ا ر���ور ا ���ر �م� ا ��� او � ا �ي� ح�� أا ��� ��ي� أ ن ا �� ا ا � � � ���س ا ن ا ن ن ه�� ا ا ��ل��� ا ء ا �ّ��� �ن�ا � ًا � ������ ��ا ��ش �ي�� ��ن ��ا �� �ن�ا ��ل ا نّ� �م ن ��و � ي� �ل� ي �م� ع �ن�أ ����� � �مر��� �نك� أ ل ر و ن ن ر ي� ر � أ أ أ ّ ّ ا� أ ن �ّ ّ ن �ا��ل ا ا �ع�� � ن� � � � � ن� �ن ا ����� �من ح� �ع ن��� �م�ا �ه�و �كي��� �و� �ي��� ر ا �� � ع�ي ر ن� �ه� �ن�� ي�ل�عي��يه�� ا �ن�� ك� �م� ي � ي ن م مأ أ �اا ن ا � اأ ي �� �� ا �ع�� �� �م�ا �أ��ي ا ��ل�ن� ا�� �لن��ي��� �م ّ�م�ا �ه� ن�ك��� �ش��س ء ن���ي �� ا�ا��م �كن�� �من �ه� �� �س او ء ك�� � مر � ر � � ي ي و و ر � ي � ًم أ ن ي ن �اا ن م�اش ً ��نّ ا� اّ ً ش ش ً ن ن �اا ن � ن � ن � ي ا ا ا ا �و ر ن��ل� ي�ل�ه�� �ي� ���ل�ه�ا ك���ي�را ���ل��� �ل��ك ���ر �ع ن��� ��ع �و��ي� � ا ر���ور � او � ك�� � ك���ي�را � ك ل����� �م� ك�� � أ م �� ي أ ن ان �ي �ل � ن � ن ������ي ن ح ا ن� � ا � ا ��ل ن��ا ن ن � � � � ك � �� � � � م م � � � � � � � ه�� ك � � م � ه � ع �� ه � � � � ح ي � ير �م � �ه�م �م� �ل� ي�������� � ري ي ي ي ر و و ي ل و � م � �ي� � ي يّ أ ن أ ّ ا �ن � �اّ ن ن �اش ن ي ّ ن �ن ي � �م ن� ن� ��ل��ك ي��ن� ���ل��� �ي� ن��ي����� ح�� �ي�ن�را �و�ه�وك���ي�ر ������ل �ع��� �ع�م � او �م� �ي� ا ��� او � ا �ي� ���ل �م� �مر��� � �ّ ّ أ ً �ن ���ل�� � ��� � ن � م ح�ي� �ي��را �ن � �و�� �ن�ا � را ��ا � �و ن�� ن ن رم أ �و�م ن��� ا ��ل �م �و�ه� ا ��ل��س��ل�ا ن� ا ��ل��ن�ل�ن�� �و�مش���ل�� ا ��ك�َ�ُ�� � �و�ه� ر� ي�لن��ع�يه�� ��ن� ا ��ل� ���� ن � � � ن ن ن و و و ي ر ي � � ي يح أ ن ا� أ ي أ � � ن �ا�ش �م�ا � �� ���� ��ن ا ��ل ن������ا ء � � �لي �� ���� ن� ا �نّك�ه�م�ا �س�ه�� ��ا ن� � �م ن � ا � � � � � ن و و ر و أ ن � ي ا �ل��س�ه��� �م� ا��م ار � ا �و ا �ر ي وو و ل ي � ي أ ن � �أن ن أ � ن � �أ � �أ ن � ن ا ش ي ن � ��لُ ن �ن � ا �ا ���� ا �م �و�ه�و �ي�ا ���ل �م�ا ر� ا �ل� � �ل� � او ��ط ار �� ا �ل����ا ن�ل� �و���� �ل��ك ا �ل� �م ار ��� ا � �له� ��سي��� �ع��� ع�م ا ن ع ن ي �� �ا � � ن � ا �� ي ش � �� �َ�َ�� �ّ � أ نّ� أ ي ّ � ن ا أ� ا �� ن� �ن حن ل � ا ع ا � ع � �� � � � � � ل �� � � � � ك � � ع ��م � ع � ه ص ط � � � � � ل ن ن و ن ا �لن� ر � أا �ل� ا �� ا ���ل �و م � �ه� ا ن ��و ك�� ��و و و م ن ري �� 168
168
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١٣،٣،٣
١٤،٣،٣
Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
Egypt from the Hejaz in the year 1247 [1831–32], spread to their country and devastated it, killing large numbers of people, “though we’d never thought it could spread so far—so glory to Him who effects what He desires; nothing can stand in the way of His wisdom!” Another nonspecific disease that occurs frequently among them is the
3.3.12
Frankish disease,190 which they call al-jiqqayl, whose prevalence is due to the prevalence of depravity and for which the only cure they have is cauterization. They do this by fetching an iron instrument that they call a ḥashshāshah.191 The instrument is elongated and flat, about two inches wide and five or six inches long. They heat this in the fire till it turns red. It has something in the form of a cylinder mounted in the middle, crossways. When the instrument has reddened, they take it out of the fire and pour a little water over the cylinder and insert into it a length of wood by which they can lift it, and with it they cauterize the place where the disease has appeared. No exceptions are made. When the disease is observed on anyone, they cauterize him—assuming he is married—using force if necessary. With this treatment God cures him very quickly. This disease is more common in Kordofan than in Darfur and more common
3.3.13
in Darfur than in Wāddāy, so much so that one only rarely hears of someone becoming sick with it in Wāddāy. The reason it’s so frequent in Kordofan is that those who contract it there believe that the more people they infect, the better they’ll get. They have no idea that even if they infect a hundred thousand, it will in no way alleviate their own condition. You find that anyone who has it, man or woman, will infect many more, which is why it’s common among them. It is less common in Darfur, though it is widespread there, because, while they have people who are not ashamed to let everyone know that they are sick and therefore infect others (though these are few), they also have people who are ashamed to do so and therefore stay at home until they get better (these are numerous). In Wāddāy, however, everyone who contracts the disease keeps to his house until he recovers, so it is of rare occurrence. Another such disease is al-ḥaṣar, which is leucorrhea.192 Similar is al-habūb, which is wind trapped in the lower part of a woman’s or a man’s belly (though more often found in women).193 Both, they claim, are infectious.194 Another disease widespread among them is leprosy, which eats away the fleshy part of the nose and the ends of the digits. Vitiligo is also widespread, though less so. Another disease is abū l-ṣufūf,195 which is pleurisy, which they treat by
169
169
3.3.14
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
ّ أ � �أ ن ا ن ش ّ � ن أ ي ن ن أ ن ي ّ ن أ ن طو� ا ر�ل�ه�� ��� ��و�� ا �و ��م����� �� �ا�ل ���ن� ا ر�ل� ش��مر ���ط�ا ي� ا �و ��م�� � � ا �ل�� � �ه� ���� ا � ن ���لع �ي����مر� � ن ع ن � � � � ي � � ن ا� ���ّ ن�ل�ه�� ا ��ل��ي ش��م �ك ���ط ن��م���� �و�ي� ا �لن� ��طر�و ن� ن�كي��ن� نر�ل �م ن� ا � �ل�����ا ي � � �� � �وي��� �ع���و� م ل ر � م ي أ �ش� � ن � ��� ّ �ن � ن ا ا �� ن�َ َنْ يْ � � �ه� ك�ا ا ��ش�� ن�ك��� ا ا�ا�م���ا � ع � س ع م ل �� � �� س ي � �� � ع � �م � � � � ه � � � � � م ن و � ر َي و و ير ك� ي ر ي ن ر م و �� ي� ر ْ � ش �ن � ا ي أ � أ �ن � ّ آ ن �ن ي� ّ ن ن� �ي نُ َ �َ ْ ��� � �� ا �ل���� �� ا �و ا �لي��� ا �و �� م �ن�ا � ن�لع �ير��� ي� �و�ه�و �ور� ي� � �يصع�ع ���ل ا �ر يصم���و� كي��� ي�� � ي ي َي �ح ن ح � ّ �م ن � أ ن � أ ا� ا �ّ � اأ�نّ� ن � ن ا ا ش ن ي � � ا ل � م �وي ن� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ا ا � م م � ل ل �ل � � � � � ل � ع � � � � � � � � � � � ك ع � � ط �س � �ص� �ص� أ �ل ي ر ي� � ن حرنح � �ل نن� ي ط ن ي��� �وي�ل ن ن � ن أ ح�أ ا ا ��ل � � ن ي ي �ُ َ � ن � او �� نك���ط�ا �عر ا �نّ�� � �ي �� او ن� �ل�� �نّ�� ي ن� حرن� � �وي��� ن���ل �و�ع�ل� ن��� ن�ع � � او �لي��� �كأ��� ن� ��ور�� ا �ل�� ش��مر ا�ام�� �ه�و� ح ن ح ��ا ��ل��س�م ن ا��م��� ن حّ ن �ع� ا ��ل ن��ا � � � ن � � � ر ن � �أ ن � ن ّ ي ن � � ُ � ّ � �ا ي ��س ي�ل ّ���ي � ��ع �م ن�� ن ���� �و�ه�و �ور� ���� ا �ر نك � �و�م� ا �ل� �م ار ��� ا �ل��� � ي �� �وي�� �ع��� ع�م ا �ل و ي و ي� ر � � م ن � �ي �اش � � أ � يّ �ل ا� ّ � �� �لي� ّ ن �اا �� ن�ل �ن���� ي ا �ّ � اأ�نّ� � � � ن ��� �� � ن � م � � ح � � � � ا � ا � � ك � � � � � � � � ع � � � � � � ل � � � � ط � ل � � ي � � ك�� عر� ي� أ �ل� � �ل� يك � �هر ل� ي يو و ي ي ر و ي نر � نن �ل �ح ح أ أ ّ ّ ً ً ش ي �ا ��ا ي� ا � ا �ل� ن�ك��ن� ن �� �من�ه�ا ����ا اي ن ن ش ا ش �ل� ن�لن�ع ا ن � أ ش اش ي ن ن �ن � �� �ع� � ار ��ل� ��� ��� ��و�� �ي� ��ل ���� ��ل� � ن نع و نرع ي رل � ي � ك���ي�ر � �ون� �ل����ه��ي� ن ن ّ � يح ُْ � أ � � � � �ن�ا �ل��س�م ن � او �لي��� ن�كأ���ي �ي��را ا �ل�ه��لي���ل �و�من��ه�ا ا ��ل��� �ير�� �و�ه�و �مر��� ي� ���� ا �ل����ا �� �ع��� ��ط�و�ك�ه�ا �و�هو� ن � ي � ي ّ ي �ّ � أ نّ ن � ي ّ �ي � �ي � ا �ص���ي ا ��ل����ا �ي � ن� ا ك �س�ي���� �ع� ا �� ك���ا � و ور �� ر ن �ور�م ��ور�م ا �ل��س�و�لي��� أا �ل� ا � �ه�� ا ي�م��� �ع��� �� ن َ ا �ا ا � ي ّ ي �ّ � أ نّ � ْ ّ ّ � ي ّ �� ن ���نه�� ن �م ن �َ ح ش��س��� ا �ل����ا �ي� � ���نه�� ن �م ن � � ل � � � ل ع � � � �و�ع�ل� ن��� ل��ه�ل�نح ا �ل��س�و�لي��� أا �ل� ا � ا � نن ي و ي� � و َ ي و ي� � ْ َ �ح أ أ � �ي �ُ� ْ ُ � � ا �� �ي ن ّ�ي ا �ن���ّ��ي �ه�ا �و�م ن ا ��ل�� �م ا ن�� �ع ن��� �ع� ا � �سي �يك����� ا ��ل�� ���ط�نه�ا ��ل ا ��ل �ص�� � 1او �لن� ر ن��ك �و �عي� لعر�م �ر� �� � � ي ن � � ر ن أَ َ يَ أ ي ��مك �� ي� أ أ � � ي ّ � �ا� � � ا � ������ي �ي ا ء � اأ �ن ا � � اأ ن � ا � � � ا ��ن ن ن طا �� ا � �و�م ن� ا �ل� �م ار ��� ا �ل�ه�ا �م�� �و ن� �� �ل ا �ع�سي� ن�� ر و �ل� ��سه� ن� ��و �ع� و �ع�ل ن� �ل� مر � ع ّ �ع ن��� �ع� ا ��ل�� ا ��ك���ط�ا �ع� ن� � ا ��ل�����ّ �ن�ل�ا � �� ����ا ن� � ا ن� � ���� ا ��ل�����ّ ن�ك ن��ا � ل ر مأ أو و ن و و ل يو ن أ ّ ا ��ل ي �ن ي ي ّ ي ن ����ش ي � ن ي ن �� � � � يّ ن ح � � �ن��ي ا �ع� ي�ن �يّ� ���ط�و ن� ا ن��ل ل � � او �م� ا ن� ح ار ��� �م ��ه�� �م�� �����ه� ل��� � ا � �له�� � ا حرو� ح�� أا � أ ح ن ي � م � ر � و أرو ن ن ر م أ � ش ّ ّ ن ن ن ن ح ي ا �س�ه�ا �أ � � � � �نكه�ا � �ن � �ا� ا �ي��� ا �و�و� ا �ل���ن� �ه�ا � �و�ن�را �و��� ��ا ن� �ن�ا � �� او �ع�ه�ا � 2و�ع ن��ا ك �م ن� �ر ن�� و ير و � وي �ي� ��ط�و� �ع�لي� ي ح � ي � ّ ي �� � � أ ي �َ ن ا � ّ ن شَ ّ گ ن ����َيَا �يَ�ا �م ن ا ��ل�ه�� ن �مو� ا � �ة�� ب� ي�ل�ه�م��ل�و� �ع�م��ليّ��� ا �ل� ي� �س� ا�ام�ه�ا ر� ا �لي��ا �م�� �و� � ل��س�لا � ل��ن� �ل� ا �عل��� �� ��� ي��س � ر � م ع � أ آ ي ً �ا��نع ّ���ي ا ��ل�ه�م��ل ّ���ي � ��ل�� ا ��ل�� ��ل�� ي� ا�ام��سع�ه�م��ل��ي �ع ن��� ��ع ��ل�� ن� ��ل�� � ا �ع �ن �من�ه �� ً�ا �ش�سه�� ا ����س ّ ي و ك�ي ي م ك و ر� � �م ر ن أل �ي ر يأُ �م� أ ّ �� ن ن ّ � � ي ��سع�ه � ن ا ��ل �ي � � ا �� �ي �� � � � ا � ����ي��أ ا �� ا � ا ن�� ا � � ْ ي ال ط �و�ل� �ل� ���� ل �و مر � �ل�� ر� ��ا ن� � ��ور �ع�ي�ر ا �نك�ه� �ل� ي� �م�ل�و� ن�� ر �و�ل� ل��ل ح م ن ن� ع � �ي � � ي ن � ن �ه�� ا �م�ا ا ن�لي �لي��ل�� �ع��� ع� � ه� أا �لي��� �ع��ل��م� ��ي� � �ل��ك � � م ي أ أ �� ْ 1ال� �ص�ل :ا � ح����م ب���ا 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ب�ا ب�وا . ع
170
170
١٥،٣،٣
١٦،٣،٣
Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
scarification of the ribs; they cut four or five rows, each row consisting of four or five cuts, as here,
rubbing the place after scarification with
natron powder; a large
quantity of blood comes out of the open-
ings and the afflicted
person gets better. Another is guinea
worm (al-farandīt), which is widespread among them; in Egypt it is called al-fartīt. It consists of a swelling that occurs in the leg or the hand or some other place. Pus forms in it so they slice it open and a long white thread like a sinew but softer emerges from the place where it has been sliced. It would seem to be an animal because it goes in and out. The treatment is to slice open the swellings and warm them with leaves of Sodom apple daubed with clarified butter heated over the fire. Diseases of the limbs from which they suffer include al-sūtiyyah, which is a
3.3.15
disease that affects the knee and consists of a swelling like al-farandīt but does not produce a thread. Much pus is formed inside the swelling and it only gets better if three rows of deep incisions are made at the affected place, each row consisting of three or four incisions from which copious pus will then emerge; following daubing with clarified butter and warming, the patient will recover. Another is al-duqrī,196 which is a disease that affects the leg along its length. It consists of a swelling like that of al-sūtiyyah except that the former extends along the shin while the latter is limited to the knee. It is treated the same way as al-sūtiyyah, except that the incisions are made in two rows at the back of the leg and two at the front. Other diseases that affect children are measles and al-burjuk, which is scarlet fever. Other nonspecific diseases are pain in (by which I mean enlargement of ) the spleen, and dropsy in all its forms. Most epidemic diseases occur among them except for the plague and tuberculosis, which are not present (tuberculosis may occur, but is rare). Surgery is well advanced among them because of the frequency of conflicts and wars. They sew up wounds; if someone’s guts come out they can even put them back in place and sew over them so that the man recovers. They also know how to treat head wounds of all types. There are people, called shallangīns, who are able to operate with great skill on eye cataracts, though I was unable to find out how the operation is performed or what instruments they use for it. I knew one such celebrated individual, a man called Hajj Nūr. They do not, however, employ amputation, scission, or excision, and scrotal hernias are rare. That is all I know about the topic.
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3.3.16
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
ن ّ �ع ن �ا ي� ن ��� ًا ش ا �ًّا ا �ّ � �ن ا ًا �م ن � �ن ن ي � � ّ � اأ ��� ّ ���� �ك �ص��ا �ع�� ا �ك��� ن� ���ا �أو�ع� �م � ��ي��ن�� ���� ن� أ �ل� � � ر �و � نر �ي� � �هم� ��س�و � ��ل ي� ن ن �م و ن� م ً ً أ شع ني أ � ّ �� ي ش � �� ّ � � ي � ا ا ن ي ا ��ر��� �و�� أا ��را �م�ا ��ا �م�ا � ا ��� �ع� �� �ك�هر أا �لي��� ا �ل ن��ا ��� �و���و �م ن� �م����ا ��� ا �ي�ا �م �ولي � �ه� ا ل����مرك�ط ي � و ر � ل ن � �م ��سع� ن ن � ا � ن �ّ � ا �� ي ن � ّ � ع �� � ي ي ّ �� �ّ ��� ّ ه � � او �ل������� ا �لن� � س � � � ا ا �ع ل م � �ا � �� ل � � �م � ل� � م � � � �� �و�ل� ي � � ل � � 1او �ل��س�م ن� ا �لن ��عر�ي� � أ و ن ي ل � ر � و �ي ي أ � ي أ نّ ن أ � �ي أ ن � � ن ��ش�� ن ا �� ن� �ي � � نّ � ن ي ا � ّ ن�ع � �ع��لي��� ���� ��ا �� ن� ا �ر��م�� ا ��� ك� حيصن�� :ا �ن� ر �� ي�� �ا�ا � ا ��ي�� ن� ح�ي� لععي�� �م�� �ي� ا � �ل �� �و� �و ي ي أ أ � ن ا�� ّ �ن �اي � � ّ � ���� ا ء ا�ا�م��ل� ك � ا نّ� ا �ع ا �ل ّ��ا �� ا� ن ا �ن�ا �لن ��يعر��� ا ��ل��� �ي� �ه�و �و ن� و و رني ع ا�م�ه� ����ل �و�ه�و م��س��م� �ي� ��ص ن� ا �ك��� ن ن أ � � ن � � � �ي �ن �ن ا ��ل�� ن �� �ي ّ �ن �ا�ش��ر �م ن ا �ل��س�م ن � ن���يه�ا ��ل ا �م ي� ��ا � ���ا ر ك� �م ن� ا �لن��ا � �ي��ي �و���� �ل� ا � ��و ��و� �� س�م� ا لن�عر� � ي ن � ر � ي ي أ أ � ي ّ �ُ�� نَّ َ � ن ا � يّ ن � أن ن ا نًا ي ا ًّا ن نُ نَّ �َ ن � ا ي ا ا �لن��ع �� �و �� ح�� � ا ن� � � �ون� �� �� �م� ���ر�ل �ع� ا �ل ن�� ر �و�رك أا �� ا � �ه�� ا �و��� ر ح ن� �ع��� ا �ل�� ر ري أ ي � �ّ� � � ن ا ن ُ َ � �� � �ن ي عن� ا ��لن��� ي� �و���ا ر��� 2ط �ن�ا � ن�ل��� �� � او �ن ن ا �ل��س�م ن يل� �ح�م�ل�� ا �لأ������ � �ور�نك ��ط �� �ن���ل �� ��س� � ي ي ي ر ر � ي ي َ � نع ْ � ي � يُ �ن � ا ��ل � �ا��ي�ر�ي �و ن�ع�����ل ي� ر ن���� �و�و�ي��ن� ي� ��ن� ا �ل��س�م ن �و�َم َ��ع�� ��ن� �����ه��ي كن� �ن���ل ا�ام�� �� �اور �ن � ��ا � � ي ّي � � � ي ن ي �ي� ن أ � � �� ً ن � ش �ا��م ��ا ن ا ��ل�� ّ � ا ا ن � ل � �س��ص�� �� �ع�� �� � ط �ل ا � �� ��� �� �� �ل ل�� ا ��س�ع أا �ل� � او ��س�م ن ���م �� ��� نح��س�م �� � س� ن ي أ ّ ي أ �ً��� و � و و ي ش �م �ا ر ش � نن ن� ّي ش ر ي ي ن �ي �� ري � �أ م � ا �ن � ا �ّ ��� ا � ا � ّ �ّ ا � ��مي ّ �ّ ا � � � �� � �ّ � � ا �لن�� �ن ا �ع�ي ر � أو �ل� ه�� أ � ���� �ي� �م أ � ر ن �ي� �م أ � � ي� �م ��مر� �ي� أ �� �ل��ع��� ش أًا �ن ش أًا � يّ � ني ن ا ن �ن ن ن ح��ّ ��� �ك���ه�� ��ن ن� �مر ي� ا � ح��س��م� ���ي���� ���ي���� ��� ي ح�� �و����ل أا ��� �ع ���ي� �� ��� ��ي� � � او ر � ن � ي ي شّ ن ن ش ا أ ن ن ن �ش ط��� � ن �ا ي اأ ��س�ي� ��� ن�كي��� �يّ�ا � ن ا ��ن ��� �و�ع ش���س �ع�� ّ � � � � � ل � س � � ا ا �ل � � � � � � � � � � � ع � � � � � � � �و����� � � م و رو ي� ي� ي ن ي� و ن و ي� �� ر ي� ط له �ي� ي� ي� � ن� ن ُْ أ �� أش ش � ّ � �ن � ش ّ أ ن ي �ص��ا � � او �ن�ا �ل� ا ��س�عر ن����سي�ء �م ن� � �ل��ك �َ��يه��ل ي� �نك�ه�ا ر�ي� ك�ا��ل�� �و�ل����� ���ا� �ل��ك �� ا ���� ي� �ع ن��� ا �ك � ن ي ح أ ن ا ن ا ش � �ااأ نّ� ا � � ي ن ي ا � أ ي أ نّ ن � �ي نّ �ي �امش �ا � � ا �� ا أ� �ي � ن � � � � � م � � ك � او �� �� ��س ��ط ك�� �م� ��لل� �م� �ع�ه� �ل �ورا ��ي� ا ��� �رنح �سي� عر� ��ي ر �ري� ر � ون��� �ل�ك أّ أ � ا ي ان ن ّٰ أ ن حيّ � ن ن ن �ه�� ا ا ��نل ���� ا ن� ا �ه��ل ا �لن�� � �ي�� ��� �ن��ر �من���لن� �� ا �ي ن�لع�ه��ل�و� ��� ن�ل�ل� �ش�س�نه�ا ��ي� ا لل� � او ن�ن��ر ��ي� ن�ع�ي�ر � او � ن ن �ع أ ع ن ا� ي �ي ي �� ن ي ا � ن ا ��ل��� �ش ً � ي ا �ل �� او �ر �و�ل���و�ك�ه� ي�ل��ه� ��ط�و� � � حرك�ا��ي�را ي�لي��� ا �و�و� �ن� � ل�� ل��ا �ن�� �و�ع ن��� �ع� ا �ن�ا ��� �م ش��س�ه�ور�و� �ن��� �ل��ك م م أ �ا�ش �ع� �ش�سه �ي نَ�� ّل�ا �ي�ا � او �� ر م � ر � �ن �ا ��نع ّ���ي ا ��� �����ي �ع ن��� �ع� اأ�نّ�� ا ن� ا اأ ن���ن� ا�ا��م اأ�ي ا ��ك���ط��لي اأ �ي�ا �ه�ا �ل�� ن� ا ��ل�ع ن �وك�ي ي �و�ل ��ا أ�ر �م ن� ا �ل������ا ء �ور�نك �� � م أ ن �� ن ط او �� ر ن ّ ي ي ّ � � � ا� ً ن ���� �و��ع� � او �ي��نه��ي � �ول�هسي�م�� �ع��لي��� ك� عن� ا �لن�ي�� ي� � �سم��ع�� �ا��ل�م�ا ا �ش�سي��� �نك�ه�ا ا ���و ن� ���ل�ا ��� ��س�ي � �� �ك�ه� ن ي ي ي � ع � ا �ّ � � � ن ّ ي ���� �� ا ��ل ن������ا ء ا ��ل ح�ي� ي���س�ي� ��ط ا�ام�و���و� �يصي���ل�يه�ا � أا � � �وي ن�لعرن� �ن�ي� ن� ر ن��ل ط� ��م ّر� �م ار ي� � �و �ل� ��ل �ه� ��ا ن� ي� ي نْح ي ّ ن ن ع ي ��ع� ن ا ��لن ��ن�����ا ء �ع� �ن ا �ش�سه�ا ن��ا ن� ا ي��ّ ��ل��ل� ��ل��� اأ ��س� �ع�م��ل� ا ��ل�� �ع�يع ��ي �ا� ا �����ا � �وك� � ط�ن�� � � � �� � � � ع ه � � � � �� ر ي لأ ن وع و �� ر � أ م و َ � ن � � � � � ن ي ن � ش ا ي ن� ياأ � � ا � � ��ي�� ي � ��سم� ا �ل ن������ا ء �ع ن��� ا �لن ��ن�����ا ء � او �ر ن��ا �ل �س� ا �ر ن���ل �ولي���و� ��� �ن ���� � ك�� � �ا�ل ا �ل ن������ا ء �� �ل� ن ح ع ع
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١٧،٣،٣
١٨،٣،٣
١٩،٣،٣
Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
Their doctors are their old men; one rarely finds a young man among them.
3.3.17
People flock to those who are masters of the craft of medicine, even traveling for days, and they respect them utterly. The treatments they use most often are scarification and cauterization, and the only things they use for internal treatments are tamarind, honey, and clarified butter made from cows’ milk. An Amazing Thing. My teacher, Faqīh Madanī al-Fūtāwī, may clouds of
3.3.18
mercy hover above him, informed me that he was afflicted with gout—pain in the joints, called in medical books “the disease of kings”—and that a Bedouin man prescribed standing in clarified cow butter. “So,” he said, “I ordered a large quantity of clarified cow butter brought and it was heated over the fire till it was completely melted. Then it was taken off the fire and left till it had cooled enough for a person to be able to stand it and they hung me a rope from the ceiling of the house with its two ends in my hands and emptied the butter into a large wooden bowl. I washed my feet, stepped into the butter, and took hold of the rope, which made it possible for me to stand for all that time. Suddenly I felt as though the butter were running through my body like a poison, ascending first to my legs, then my knees, and then my thighs, after which it flowed into the upper half of my body. I could feel it climbing through my body little by little till it reached my neck, and then I started to feel dizzy and fainted, and would have fallen but the servants caught me and wrapped me in my clothes and laid me down on my bed, though I was unaware of all that. I slept on through the rest of the day and that night too, and in the morning woke up feeling as lively as if I had been released from shackles. I could see that a great quantity of foul-smelling sweat had come out of me, and that was how God cured me.” So many people told me that the desert dwellers do this that it was as though the information had achieved the status of common wisdom. Because they practice magic so much, they use written charms a lot and they have people who are well known for that, the most famous being Fallātā. They manage childbirth as follows. When a woman is taken by birthing pangs, old women come and tie a rope for her from the roof of the house, which she grasps, standing, and leans on every time the pain becomes intense. She also keeps her feet wide apart until the newborn falls, whereupon one of the women attending her catches it and cuts its umbilical cord. The women then lay the mother on her bed. When the baby is one week old, they prepare a meal to celebrate, each according to his means, the women gathering with
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3.3.19
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
ن ن � � �أ � ا ��ل ش ا �ي ي���س ّ�م ن ا�ا� �� � ش��ّ �لي��ن ّ �ي ن � �يك ���ل ن � ن � او ��ر ن��ا ��ل ��ل �س�و �ع ن��� ط�ه� ��و� ا �لن �������ا ء ��ي� � �ل��ك ا �ل� � ن � ح� ���� �و �و� � مو ��و م ي عر ��و� و م يأ � ي نيأ � ََ ْ � عْ � � ن �ي �ن �م � او ��ل ح �ر� ن�ل�� �ص��ا � ا�ا�م�� �����ي �و��ع� ا �ل � � � � � ل�� ا � ل � ه س �ر�� نل�ل�ه� � ه ح��س�و ن�ل��لن�ه�� ا �ه��ل ا�ام�عرن� � او � � � � ا �ك� ن ح ي ل ر ي ر ي أ يم � �ن ن ن �ن� �اا �ن ا اأ ن� ن ا �ن ا ن ي ن �ا�ا �ن�� ا ن���يع ا ء �ن�ا �ا�م�� �����ي ا �ك ن � �هر ��ل � � � ع � � �� ح� � ن��ا ن��� أا � ك�� ��و عصي�� ء أ� ك � � � و ي� � �و�ع��� ا �ك�� � ا �لأ� �رحن ي ي و ر ي � ن م � أ � ّ �ْ��ل� ن ا ن �ا���ي �م ن � �ك�ي ��� �ا�ا ن� �كه�ا �ا�ا ن�� ي� �م ن ا �ل� نه ح ن � � �يك ��ي ا ��ليص���ل��� �� ا � ا �ل� نه � � � � � � ل ا ك � ا � � � م � ل � ك ك � � � � � ن � رر � و ي � ن ي و َ َي ن أ �مر ن � ي �� � أ ين ح ح ّأ � � ي �ا�ا ن�� ي� �م ن� ا ��ليصن���ل��� �ي� ك� � او ن� ك� ����ي ن�أ�ا ن� ��ّ �ل��ل� ��و� ��و� �ش�س�هرا ن� ا �و �ش�ل�ا �ش��ي ��م��لي��� ا �م�� �ا�ا ن�� ي� ��ا �س ن� أ م �� ي ي ن��ي �� �ان � � ي ن ن �� � ا � � �� ي � ش � ا ���س ّ ن � ش � �سأ � �نكه�ا �م ن ل � � ا � � � � ح � � ح � �ل � ا �ع��� � � �هر�ه� ورنك��� ن ��ونك�ه� �وي ��م� � �ل�ك �م��ل ��و ��و �م�ل� ��� �ل�ك و��� �� ن� أ � � �وو � � � حيّ � ش ّ نرر �و�م�ا ء �و� � ��� ن� ��� ي��س ن� ع أ أ أ ّ � � � ّ � ّ ي � � � ن ن ّ ّ ّ ّ ن ا ن ���ع� ن ا � �ل�� �ه ن �� ن ا �اا �ن ن � ي ن ن ن �و�ل�ي�� �� ���ل ك�� �لأ� ����ل� �مي���ي� �و�ل� �ي�هحر�و نح� �و�م� �ع� � �ك�ه� ا �ك�ه� �ير� � و � �ّ � ن ن ي � ن ي �� ن اي �ل�� � �ع ن� ي �من ن��ع�ه��ي ا �� �� � �� �لي ل �صش ي� �ع ن ا � � � � � ع �سع� م� �� �� � ه � � � ر ن �ل و ن�ل�� �ك�ه�م أا �ل� أا � ا ن�ل�ل��� ا �لن���� م و ر ي � ن �م نع أ � ن ن �س��� ن �م�ا را ��ي ي� �ع �و���ً�ا �ي�هح نر�ّو ن� ي �ي � ن ا ن ي ي ا � � ح� كن���ل ن�ل�ل�و�ع�ه� �أاو � �ع�ه�� �ع�ه���ه� كن���ل ا �لن��ل�وع �ل� �ي�ن�م�سي� � ي� ر ّ � ن ا � �أ نّ � ي أ نّ � ا � �� �� � �ي ا �ّ � م�� �ي �ن�من� �م ن ��� ���م ن � � � ا � � � ا � � م � ل س ه�� ل � � ل � � � � � ع ه � ه � ه ك � ل ع ك ك � � ل ل � � � � � ي � ن ي ر و � � � و ن ر ل �نك�ه� ا �ر ن���ل أ �ل� ن م � ن ي� ي م ّ ش ا ش ا��م ي ن ي � �أ نّ ��سع� ��� �من �ل�ع ����� ا ��ل�� �ل�ه�� ���ن��ي��� ن � �من ع � � � � �ه� �ي�ن�من�س� ن�ل�ه�� � ل � ه�� � � ه � �س��� �ل� �ك�هم� � ل ي� و � م ن نر أ ن و نل � م ي � � ُ� ْ�َ� ن � ا �ّ � ن ن ن ي � � ن ن �ن � � أ ّ ا � ش ّ ن�ك ن ا � �ه� أا �ل� أا � ا �ك�هر� ا �لن��ل�و � .ه�� ا �ي� ا �لن� � �ل� ي�م�ل���و� �ع�لي� ��ر � او �م� ا �ل�ي�� ن� ي�ن�م�سي� �نك�ه� ا �ر ن���ل ع � � � �ا �� أ ن �ا� ا �و �ع��� ي ��و م�ل � م ّ أ آ آ أ أ ً ْ ن ّ ّ ُ � � � � � � ّ ن � ن �ي � ن � او �ّم�ا �ي ار ء �ي ا � �ليع ار ن� ��مي��ا ن�ر�ي ن���� ا �ل�� �نك�ه� �ل�� �ي�ليع �رأ��و ن� ا � �ليع ار ن� أا �ل�� �ن�ا �ل��لي���ل ��� ا�ا � م��ا �� ن� �كي����و� ي من أ َ أ � ً ن � أ ن � ��سن� ّ ��ن ا ��لن ا� ك �� ��� ا�ام����ا ء �ي�ا ن���� ���و��� �ه�ا ر ����ا ر��ا ن��م�ا �ش��ي��ي��� �م ن� �ع ن�� ا �و �ن �ليعر �و�ل�ه�� ا ن� �ير ن� � � � عي ي� ي ن م ّ ن �� ا��ي � �� � �ًا ن�ك �ي ن ا �� ن ا � � ن �ا ��سن� ّ ا ��ل���لي��ا ن� ��ا ��ل � �� ��ط�و� ��� ن� ي ��و م� ي�عي��� �و� ل�� ر �وي ي � �وي��� �� ن� أا �� ا�م��ص ن� �و�ع��� ��ل � ي� أ ي ن �ي ن � ن� � ن � � ا �� ن � ن� ن �� ن ����أ� ن �ك ن أ ن ين �ه� ن�ع�ي�ر ن� ح ن� �� طو� �ولي�� نص ��و� � �يّ��� ��وء يح�� � ��و�ك�ه�ا �و�ع���� � �ل�ك ك� � �نك�ه�ا �ي����سك� ي �و� ن � � و � م آ ّ ن ن �ًا ّ ً أ ّ ا ي ي � � �ن ياأ نّ ي أ ن � ن حن � ���ط ا �� �ليع ا ن� �من ح� ��ط� ن� � ن���ل��� ��ل��ك ي���ل �م ن� ي� ن� ���� �ل�ه�� � �ه� � � �ي��� ا � او �م� � ار ء � ا �ل�ه�ل�و� �م�� �ر� ا ك � � ي ر م م م أ � �ا�ش �ي ي �� � ن� ي � ��ي � أ ّ ا ا� �ي �� ن �ًّا � �ي �ّي � � � � �ي ن ي � � � � ل � ا � ا � � � � ل � ء � � ه � ا �ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء � او �� ر ار ء �ك�ه� ل�لع�ه� � او ل و� ���� و م� مع ��ول ي���ل ن �� و س � �� �ل� يلعر و� ي م � ع � � �ّ � �ي � ًا ن ا ��لن�� أ � ن �و � او �ّم�ا ا�ام�ه�ا ��� � او ��لنصي��ا ن� � او �لن���ي�ل� � او�امن� ���ط�ي� � او �ل�عر�و ن��� �ن�ل�ا ي�ل�عر�ن��و ن� �م ن��� أا �ل� �لي��ل� �م� � ي ع آ �ا �ي � �يّ ا ن� � ن ا ن ا � �� ا �ّ � ا � � ��س �م ن �ل� ن ��� ن� ي��� �يلن�ع ّ� ��ل���ل��� ا ن� �� ن � � ك � � ا ل م � � � �س ل � � � � � � �م � ل � � ه ه � � � � ر رو ي أ ر نع أ � رن ن أ �ل� �ل� �م �و � ي عر � م ي و
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Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
the new mother, the men with the father. They will have slaughtered a ewe, and the women and men eat the meat and name the baby; then they disperse. During that week, in the mornings, they feed the mother madīdah, which is what Egyptians call ḥarīrah, the people of the Maghreb ḥasūw, and Franks crème. At noon, they give her chicken to eat, if they are well-off; if they are poor, madīdah again. This is composed of millet flour and tabaldī or hijlīj flour. If made with hijlīj, it is somewhat bitter and if with tabaldī it’s sour. Once the newborn is two or three months old, the mother starts carrying it on her back, tying it there with her wrap; this way of carrying the child is called qūqū. She puts the child there and goes about her business, be it farming or bringing water or fuel, till it is grown. Another of their customs is that the women suckle their children for two
3.3.20
years or less, as elsewhere in the Islamic world. And they do not give their daughters away in marriage until they have attained puberty and learned the value of a man. I lived seven years among them and never saw a bride marry before she had grown to maturity, and if she were betrothed before that, the man would only consummate the marriage after she had done so, as it is their custom that the man should marry and then leave the girl alone for a period. Some of them only consummate their marriage after two years, others after three; if one of them is in a hurry, he will consummate it after a year. In any case, they are given possession of their brides only after the latter have reached maturity. The preceding applies to virgins; if the woman has been married before, the man consummates the marriage the day of the wedding, or the following day. They memorize the Qurʾan very late in life because they read it only at night, in the schools, since by day a boy is out in the countryside with his flocks or cattle; he takes his tablet when he returns in the evening and goes to the school. Each boy also has to bring firewood one day a week. They light a fire and sit around it, making use of its light. By this light they memorize and copy out the Qurʾan, but they memorize it poorly, which is why only a few of them know it well by heart. The study of the sciences also occurs at an advanced age since there are few scholars. Most of what they study is religious law and theology. The rational sciences197 are very rarely taught, though that’s more than one can say for grammar, which they hardly study at all. Of the sciences of rhetoric relating to motifs, metaphors, and figures of speech, and of logic and
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175
3.3.21
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
� ا ا� أ�اش ا ا ن ن � ا نّ � � ّ � � � � ّ ن � � او �ل���� �مو ن� �عل��� ا �ل���� ن�ل��ل���� ك� � �ا�ا ن� �ه�و ا �ل�ه� � � او ���ر �م� ي�ل�ه� � �� �و�� ا �ر�و�� � حر �وي���س � حر�عل��م ا �ك��� ن� �و�م� ي م م أ ي نن ن � ن � ن ّا ن �اش ن ن ّ َ � َّا ّ �ا �م�ا � �ي�� ن ن � � �س�هر �كي��� ���س�مي� ���ن�� ن �ي� �و�ه�� ا ا �ل�هل��م �ي ��و ن��� �ع��� ا � �له�ل� � ا ���ر �م� �ع�ي�ر��عم �و��� ���� ��ر و ع �م� أ � ّا � � ّ � عيعي��� �م�ا ��ل��ك ��ن� ا � �و�ل��� ا ��ل����ل�ا ���ط�� ن �و����� ح�ي� ر ن� ا � ن�ل � ���� او أا ���� ا � �لنه�ا ش��مر ن�ل�ه�� �م�ا �ع �ر��وا حر� أا �ي� ع� ي� ي ن م ا ي ن � ن ي َي ُُّ �م ن��� �و�م� �و��� �م� ا � �ل � ععي��� ���مر�و ع أ ّ ّ ي ً ً ين ن ن ن � �����ي � ا �أ � ا ��من ن �اا ن ي �ا � له�ا أا ���يلس�م�ا � او � ���� ا �و��مم��ل�����ي � او � ه�و و ه� �ي���ل�� ����نصي��� :ا �عل��م ا � � ا ر���ور �أاو � ك�� ��� ك��� � يأ � ي أي أ أ أ ي ط��ّ � ن � او � �ه�ا ا �� �لي ��و نر ن���ل��ن� ��ل��ك ن� ���� ���� �م ن� �كي��� �م ن� ا �ع ار ن� ا �لن��ا � �ي�� ا ��� �وي�ا ء ا ن� �ري�ا ء �ل����ل�ا �م�� ا ر ن� �� أ �نّ ا أ �ي � ن� ي ن � ن � ن ن ا ي � َ نَ �� � �ا �ن�ا ����ا � �ليهً�ا ا نّ� �من � � � � ل � � � �ه� �م ن� ن��ي�� ن��� � �ون�� ن� ا�ام�ا ء ل� � � � � � �� � � ه � م � و � ي ر ن ل م� ا ل�ع� �� �و� � � اوأ ���و��م � ي ي م � ن � ن اش ط��ّ �ي � �ا ا � ن ن � ي ا�م��س ّ ا ي � ا ا � � �ن � �ن � � � �� ا � ن ن � ي �م����ا �ن��ي �ي ��و�م��ي� � او �� ��ر � �ويل��لي��� ��ي� ا �ك��� ن�ل � �ر�ع� �و� �م� � ن��� ر �ر �ل�� �ل�ك ن�� �ر�ع� �و� ي ح �ا � �ي ا � �أ� ن ا ء اأ اأ ا � ا ء ا ��ك���ع ����ش ي ن ن ي �ي ي ���� ن � ا ��ل�َ�� �َ�ا ي� ا �� �ليه�ا ��� ن ي��� ل��� ر� ي� �نك�ه�ا ��ي� �ع�� �ي�� ا � �ل ��ّو� �و����ل م� �ل�ع� ��� �و ر� �ه� هو� و َن ي ن ن �� � � � ن أ ً ن ن � ي �س �ي ا �ّ � ن ن ّ ا ا ا ا ا ي ي �مي��ا ���ه� � ��� ن� �ه� � � ل��ن� �ل� ل���و� ا ر� �� ��و� �ن�� �ل �مر� �و�و��س�ه� �و�ع� ��و�ل � ���� �و ي�م� أ �ل� �ع��� � �� �اش ي أ أ أ ط��ّ ا أ �ي ا �� � ن �ا� �ل� ي ا أ �ّ ا ا� �� ن ن �ن �ع ن��� ��ع ا ل � ي�ه�ا ي� ار � � � ل�� � ع ح��م� ك���ي�ر� � او ر� ا ا ا � ء ء ك � � � � � � � م� م ي ع����ه� � او م� ا�م�و��و� �و� وي أ� م م �ا �ل �ي ا �ّ ا �ا ن�كن ��ي �ل گ� �ش ا � � �م ن ا ��ك���ع��� ا�ا�م�� ن � اأ �ي� ا �ه�ا ا �� �لنه�ا ش��م � �ل��ل��� �ا � �ل��� �وكن� �ا� � �� ن ي�� �و م� ����ل �و عر�و وبة���ا �و��� �ل� ي � و �و � ر وي ي � نو ي ن اأ ن � �أ �ا�ّ ا �� ش ي � � ي ن � ��عي � �أ � ا � �أنّ ا � � ين �ي �� �ن � ن �ي � ا ا ن له� �ل����ر� ا �ر ��ط� �و�� �ع��� ع� � او س��م ار ر ا �ل��س ��ط� ر �ل� �ك�ه� �ل� �ل���ل ط� �ي� ا �ل��س�� �� �و��م ا �ل� �م� ��� ك�� � ن م ع أ �ّ � ّ ي ش � ن ش �اش �ي أا �ل� �م�� � ��س�هري� ا �و ��ل �� أ ّ � ن أ� � ّ ن ن �ا�ّ �من �ار�ن�ا � �م ن ا ��ل�� �م ا ن��� �� �ه� ي� �ع�� �ن��� �و�س� �م�ا ��� � ا ر ا � ن�ل ��ور �م�م�ا � �� ���� � �و�ا �ل�ن� � ك ح ن� �و �� � ل � ر ع ي ي م ن ي� ّ � � ن � � �سي نّ � � ن � � �ن ن �ه�� � ن�ع � نر�ي ن� � � � �و�ل أا �� �ع�ي�ر� ي�لن� �� ا ل � � � � �ن���ل �ع�ل� � �أاو � ا � ي�ه�ا ا �لأ������ا � أ و ي �� �ع�لي��� �وي�م�س� ا �رن و ر ي ي ع ّ ّ � ن ا ن ن �ن � � �اا ن ا� � نا ن ن ي ّٰ � � ����� � نّ �ك��� ن � او �نك ������ � �ه�ا ا ن��ل ع �ع�لي� ن ��� � �م� ���ي��م ا �ر�م� � ���ل�� �ل�ك ك�� � ا�م� � ط�� ����� ا لل� �ع�لي�� �و ل�م يح� ي � � � أ نّ ّٰ أ � ن ا� ي � �أي ا ّ � ّ � ���ي �� ا �� �لن��ي � ا �يّ�ن ا �ي � ي ن ا ا ش ي ن ن � أا ��� �م����� � ����ي� ا�م��س�� �� �و���و�ل� ا � ا لل� ا �مر� ن���ع���س� ا�م��ي�ل��� �ل� �� � ن�م��� نله�� � � ن� له� � م ح أ أ أ أ ّ � � � ن ن �ا�ا ن�� ي� ا �ع�م�ا �ع� ا ��� � � ن �ن �م ن� � �� ل�� �ن � �و�ا أ�ليّ���ي �يكيّ��ا ��ل��ي ك� حيص ش� ا � ا �م ار ن��� �ن�ل�ا � ا �ل�� �سو� ا � ا� يل � �� ر طو�ل �م� � � ن م م أ أ أ �ع ا ن � � �ن � �ن � � ي� � ن� ا�ا� نّ ح�يّ ي���� �م ن ي��ا � ن ا�ا�م�ا �أ��ي � � ش ��س��� ن � ع��مر� ن� � او �ّم�ا ا ن�ل ن��ا ء ا �م� ر �ع�ي ر �ع �ل�� �ل�ك ن �� ك� و ور ن ن � ي�ه�م م ي� � ي م أ � �ّ ن ا �� ش ا ن ن � ي ن �ن ا �ا ن � � � ّ � � �َي ن ���ش ي � ا �ل ��سع�ه��ي� �و �سم� ���ي� � او �ل����س�ه��ي� �ل� لي � �مرع� ا �ل�ه�� �و�ل� �ي ��و ��� ل��� ر�ك�ه� �ع�� � ���. �� � ا � ي�� ن م � � � أ ّم ن � �ن ن �ا�ّ �يص���لي��� ن �من�ه� ����ن ح �و� � او�م � �ه�� ا �س� �م�ا ا ن�لْيُ�َ��ليُ�� او ��� �م ن ا �� �لنه��ي ن � او ��ل � �ه�م�ا � �م �م��س� ��وك ح ن� �ل� � ل ن ي ي� � م ن ي � �ر ن ن � � ع
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Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
prosody, they know nothing but the names. Anyone who knows that much will have traveled to another country, such as Egypt, and come by their knowledge there. On returning to his country, he becomes the scholar of his locality. They pay the greatest attention to the spirit world and to magic, calling the science of magic the science of ṭibb and the one who practices it a ṭabbābī.198 This science is found mostly among the Fullān. We may describe later what Faqīh Mālik did with the sons of the sultans and how he bewitched them so that they returned to the sultan’s capital after first fleeing from it,199 and the doings of Faqīh Tamurrū.200 Note: Darfur, though a single territory and realm, varies in terms of its air.
3.3.22
The healthiest part of it is the Dunes, which is why one finds that the desert Bedouin there are strong and bold, their land being free of rottenness and impure air. It has, however, little water; as we have mentioned earlier, some of these Bedouin live two or more days from any water.201 The next healthiest is the country of the Zaghāwah, known as Dār al-Rīḥ, which is why one finds that the Zaghāwah and the Bidayāt who live there are extremely strong and sound of limb. The worst part of Darfur in terms of air is the High Plain, because of the copiousness of its waters, especially in the mountains of Jabal Marrah. The strongest part is the sultan’s capital, followed by Kūbayh and Kabkābiyyah. Silā, Fanqarū, Bīngah, and Shālā are the places with the foulest air because of their high humidity and continuous rainfall, which lets up for only two or three months a year. Despite all the sicknesses I’ve described as being found in the lands of the Fur, they all love their homeland and feel at ease there. If one of them is transported to another country, he weeps for it and wishes he could return. This is an instinct that has been created in humans and with which the heart has been imprinted from time immemorial. Because of this the Chosen One, may God bless him and give him peace, longed for Mecca like a lover; had not God commanded him to live in Medina, he would, for sure, have stayed there. However, given that the diseases of the Land of the Blacks are not epidemic and fatal in nature, their lifespans are longer than others’. This is why you find so many old people among them, even some who have passed one hundred and twenty. Seventy-, eighty-, and ninety-year-olds are almost too numerous to count, too many to render in account, and this despite the conflicts, wars, and trials with which they have been afflicted. There are no two tribes among them who in
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3.3.23
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
ن � ي نّ � � � شأ � � ن ي � ي � ي ن �ك�ا� �ن�ي� ن� ا �لن��ر �ي� � او � ن �ري�ا � �ي�� � نو� �سي� �ع�م ار � � او�يم�سم�� �و��ل�ا �ي�ا � او�ام����ا �لي� ��ط � �و�ا ر �س ��ط�ا �ل ن� �ن�� �ع�ي�ر �م��ر�وك �م � � ّ� � � ا�ا�م����� �ّ��ي ا ��ل � ��ا � ي� ��ا �ن�� ن �و� ن�س ن� ار ر � او �� نرن�ع�� �و�ي � او�م ح�م � او ��ر نر� �ليه�ا ي� � او�نم ��ا �مي��� �م�م�ا �ل�� لي � ��س��. ي� ن ي� ر ي و ي ري ن ن ا �ن �ن ي ن ا �� ن �ا �ن � ا � � �م ن ا �� �ليعي �ن �م � ا ��ل ش ا اأ �ن ا�ا� � ا �ن ي �ه�� ا ��ل� � ��� ا�م�ل�وك �و��ل � م� يك���ي ر � ���ل �ي� ن��ل��� ��مر ن� �و �ي� مه� ���� �أ � � � ن �ا � � � ا � � ن ي � ن ن �� ش ي ��� او �ع ن� ا �ل���ي ار ن� �و���و�ل�� � ��ل��ك �� � �ع��� ا �ل� �ونح �و� �ونح �و م� ن � ل��ا � �� او ��ي� ا �ل����ر� لي��ا� ن � ���ا �� �نك�هم� � ا �� ن�ل��ن ���ا ء � او�ا��م �ون� رح ن ن ي ي ن �ا ن � �أ ن �ا �ن ا � ا �� ا �� ن ا ء ا ��ل�ع ا أ� ن ي���ل��� �ي � � اأ�نّ نّ � � � �ي ا �ي � ن � � �ك�ا� � ��ر �م� ن� ل ل������ ن�� ر ي ل� س ك�ه� �ل� يله� ل�ل� �و�ل� �أ�ا � ���ل� أا � ا ك��ا � ا �ل� �مر �م ط�� ً ن �اش ي � � �اا ن ع� �� ن ا ا�ا� نّ �ن�م ن � � �ً�ا �ن��ل ك� ن ن� � �و� ا ل������ ء م ��س��ا ي� �ا�ا � �م�ا � ��ار �ي����ا ��ي� �ع�� �م ���ر� ا �ر ن��ا �ل ك�� � �و ن � ي� � ر� رون �و � � ل�ي ّ أ أ أ ي ّ ي ي ا� ّا�انّ ا ح ن ن� �ع�� �م ن �يكي��� ��كه نّ �م ن ا � ��ا �ل � ي �ح� ��ش��ًا �س� ا �نّكه نّ �مش �م��ل ن � � � � � � � ا ا � � � � � ل � � ل ه م � � ي � ك� ي ر ع � � � م و ل � ر � � ل � � � رن و � � � �نّ � ن ي � اأ ن ا� ي ��ل ا � ي � � ن ّ ي �� ا ا � �م ّر � او �لن� � ��ا �ل ��� عر� ن�ل�ه�� �ع� ا �كن� ���� �ل�ل� �م ار ��� ا��مرأ� �ي�� ا ن�� �لن��� �ل�ل�مصي��� ن����ن�� ن� �م� ي�����ل م نّ �اش ن � ا � ا� نّ ن � ي �ان �� نّ � ن ا � � �ن�ن � ا � � ي ا ��لن �ن ا ن�ل ّ �ي � � ن � ي � � � � � ا � � � � ا � ا م �ه م م � ل � � � ع � �� � ل � � س � ه � � � � � � ��س� � � ص � �� ه � ك�ه� � �ل �ل � � ي و ل�ك � ر � ر ن ل ي� و ّ أ ع �� � � أ ي ن ا ن ا� نّ ن ا� نّ ا ي �اش ً �ا ن اً أ ّ ً ن �ع�� �� �و�ه�و ا ن� ��و ا نل ��� ن�ل��ل����ي ا �ي��ل �ع�م�ا را �و� � ي�ه� �م� ا�م��س���ي� � او�م��س�� � ك���ي�را ��� �و�ل �ورا ��ي� �ك� ي �ا�ّ ا ن � ي �ّ ي أ � ن ا أ اش أ نّ � ش ي �ن ن � ي � � ن � � � ��ر �م ن� ن� ��ل��ك �س� ا � س�هي����سس�ه� �� �ع� �ي�� ا �ل� � �ه� ا �� � ��ط�ا ��ط ��و� �وك��ل�م� � ��ل� ��ل�� ا ر� �كي� ي م ع آ أ أ أ ا نا ّ ي � ي � ن �ا��له� ا �ّم�ا ن � ن ش ا � � �أ نّ �اش ا ين ا � ن ���� �م ن� ا �ه��ل �ن�ل� � �� �مر� � او � �ه�ا ا � ���� �ل��� �� ن� �م��� ا �ل������ ��ط �ل� � ا ���ر �م� ك� � م أ �ل�� �و�ل �م � ُ ّ ي أ �مي� �نّ ن �ي � ن أ نّ ن � ا ��لن��ه �ي ا��م����ي�� ن �ي ح��س�� �مر� ا �و �عع�� �وي�هحر�و� ا � �ه�� � �عي� �م� أ �صع� ا �ن � � ا ���ي � ن أ ن ن �انص ي� ��� ن ���ل�ل ي� �ل��ل�ا � �ع� � ا�� ا �عي��� ��ا � ي �و�� عصي��ا � �ع� � ��و �ي� ا �ل�� ر �ولي��� �و� � عو�ي� ا � نن ن ي� م وم م ن � أُ آ أ أ أ ّ �ا � ن ا �ن ا � ي ا� ا ��س � � � � ن � � �ي ا �� � حص ش� �ا� ي�ر ن��� ا ن� �ي�ا �� � � � �ا�ل �م ن� �ه�� � ا �ل���ْ � ا � � � � � م � ا � � �� � � � �� � � � � � ل ه � م م � � ل � ك ل � و و � ل � ن ي ن ي ي ي م م ع أ ّ �َ ا �م�ي ًّ �ن ن � �صع� ��� ا نًا �ل��ل�� ن � �ا�مّ�ا �ي�� ّ� ي �� � ن ا ش حأص ي� �ع ن��ا �و��� ر � ��ا ن� ي�لي� � َا� ن� ��ي�را �ن � ��� �ل� � �ويك�ع ي� رر ن ن� و و ن � ��� أا �� ا � �له� ��مر م نأ ن ن � ي �ن ي � ن ي ا � � � ن ي ا � ّ � ن � ن � أ ً ن أ� �و� �رل� �� ن��ي��� ا � �ل � �مرا �ل�� ش����ا ء � ار��ي ي� ا �ل��� � �مّ ار �����ا �ل ي� �م�ا �ه�� ا ععي��� �م� �ل�ك ا � �ل �� �و� �و ي� � � م أن آ ن ي � ي ن � ي ا ��ل ْ ن أ �ا � ن ا �ن ا �ن اأ آ ن ن� ش��س ي � ن � أ� �ي ي ���ل�� ا ه � �ه� ن�� ء �و ي� �ن� � � ا �ر �م�م� م�� را �� � �� ن��ي��� ا � ا ���ل م � ��عي���ل �ي� �ه�� � �ولي����� َ� نَي ن م نأ ح ّ ن ن ي ي ن ي ي ا � ن يّن ن ي � ���ي ا �� �َ �ْ َ � � �ع � ّ ي �ي���� �ع ن��� ��ع ��ا ن��ي�� ي� �م��� ن��� ���ه��ل� �م� �ك�ه�� ا �م ن���� ���عي���ل �ي� �ه�� � �ولي��� ل�� و� ر ي� و �ي� ن أم أن آ أ أ ً ً � ن �ا� �من � عيعي��� �م�ا ��ل��ك �ن��� ��ل��ك �ن�ا ر�����ل ���� ��لنصن��ا ���ليصن��ا �ع��لي��� �ع�����ل �ن�ا ك� �ه�ا �ن�ا ن�ن��ر ا � ن�ل � �ا��ل ي� �م ن��� � ا� ا ل � ي � �� أ � ّ َ � � ن � ���ل� أ � � � ن� ي � ي �� � ي � �ن �و�ا�م�ا � � ا �و ا �ل�� �و� ر ي� ��ه�ل� �ل� �مر ��ي� � �ي �� او �ن�� �ل��ل��س��مر ��ا �ل ��ي� َا� ا� �ي�ا ��ا�ل �م ن� �ولي�����ي ا ل� نهي ن� � م م ح
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٢٤،٣،٣
٢٥،٣،٣
Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
bloodshed have not been involved and between whom no feud is ongoing, unresolved, including feuds between the Bartī and the Zayādiyyah, the Banū
ʿUmrān and the Mīmah, the Fallāta and the Masālīṭ, the Brown Misīriyyah and the Rizayqāt, the Majānīn and the Banū Jarrār, the Zaghāwah and the Maḥāmīd—feuds too many to number. And this is not to mention the conflicts between their petty kings that erupt out of rage, or the killings that occur when they’re in their cups or during quarrels over maidens with “swelling breasts, like of age”;202 absent these, they’d be as numerous as Yājūj and Mājūj and their race, and fill to overflowing every meadow, every open space. Were you to say, “If things are as you describe, how is it that old women
3.3.24
are few, even though they don’t fight one another or go to war, and if what’s been said regarding the small number of men is true, elderly women should have a significant presence, while in fact they are similar in number to men, or fewer?” I would reply, “Given how much they mourn for the men who’ve been killed for their sake, and given the harm and suffering they put up with when these die, they are vulnerable to terrible, fatal diseases resulting from their psychological reactions. That said, there are still more of them than of elderly men. I was in a town that was relatively poorly developed and held relatively few inhabitants, namely, Abū l-Judūl, and I saw many elderly men and women there, and every time I entered a village I would see even more, even though they live in conditions that are extremely debased—so much so that were someone from our country to suffer them even once, he’d lose all vigor, for most of what they eat is either bitter or rotten, though they believe it to be the best food anyone could wish for.” Once, after I’d had just arrived in their country and before I’d become used to their ways, they made waykah 203 at home and invited me to eat some, but I refused. When my father heard, he said, “If you aren’t ready to eat that kind of food with your bread, why did you come here?” and he didn’t know what to do. He’d go to great lengths to please me, and would make me rice puddings. When I went to the sultan’s seat and stayed at the house of Faqīh Mālik al-Fūtāwī, dinner was brought. I thought the dish accompanying the bread was bitter and asked, “What’s this?” and was told, “It’s waykah made from hijlīj.” I refused to taste it so they brought me another dish, but it smelled rotten to me so I asked, “Why is this rotten?” and they told me, “It’s dawdarī waykah,” which they find very good. Again, I refused to taste it. Faqīh Mālik was told of this so
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3.3.25
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
أ ا ن ا ن ا� ا�ا �ن�ل� � �� �و�م� �م �ي� ���ل
نّ ي ن � ن � � �ن ا ّ ي شا ن ي أا � �ه�م�ا �مي��ع�ع ن��� ���يه�ا �ل �ه�� ا �ه�وا �ك��ل ط�ه�ا � ا �ل��� �ي� �يك����ل � ����ا �ه�م� �مر� � �و� ��ي�� � م ح أ �ن ن ن �� ن �ش نن � �ه���� ا يح���س� �ع��� � �ل������ �م� ا �ل� �م ار ��� ّ أ نّ أ ن ن ن ����ي يل�يّن ����ن� �م ن � ن � ن ي ع ���ط�ا � ا ��لن�ع ن�� � او ��لن��يع �و����ا أ�ر ا ��ل � �ول�� � او ��ل��� �و� ر� �ي �� او ��ا � �و�ه�و ا �ك�ه�م �ي�ا ���� �و� � ر ي ي م � ي � ن �� � �عن �� � � ّ ن ام � ا � ن ا ��ل���ل ش�ّ � ن � ن �� ن � ا �ن ن ا �ي ط ا �ركن�ا��� �وع� ���� ر � يو نحر� �و� �م� �ع�ل �ه� م� ح� � يك� ����و� ا ل�� ��ط� � �ي� �� ن�لي�� ط ا �ك� � �� ي� م م م ي م أ ّ ً ّم ن �� ن � ن ���� ّ ن ن �ا ن ا ا ا � ي ي ن ن �� ن ن ا ح �� ن ا ا �ي ن ط ��� ا ل�ل ح� �ه �� ا ل�� ��� �و�ك�ه� �و�يك�هر��س�و�ك�ه� ��ي� �ه� �و� ح� ي�ل � � �وي��ر ��و�ك�ه� ا �ي� �م� ح�� �ل�ع�ع�� ي��ر ن � � � أ ن ر �ي � ي م ي يم � ي ي ن �� ن ن أ ن �ك� ن ط�ه�� �م ن� �� �صع� �� �ون�� �� �ارا ي� ��ي� ن�ر� ا �لن�� �ر �له�ا � ا � ك �ار� � ا ن���� � او �� ��ل ل��ن��ي�ر �أ�ا � ا ا را � � او ا �ك��نط� ن� �وي م ح ّ � ن ا ي ش ّ ّ ن � ا� ا ن ن ن � ن ن �اا ن ن�ك ا �ي� ���ل� �م ن �عن �� ن �و� �ّون� ��و�ه�ا ��ي� ا�ام�ا ء �أ�ا � ك�� � � ط ��� ��و�ه�ا �م ن� �س���ه� � �� � ن � ي�ه� ط � � �ص� او � �ل��ك ا�م� ء ��ي� م ع م ن � �ي �� � حيّ �ك���� ��ل�� �ي� ا � ن�ك��اأ �ي� ن � �لي ط��� ن ن�ك��� �ي��ل�� ًل�ا �ا � � � ل � ل � � ا � �ليه�� ر �و�و ن� �� ه � ه � � � � ي �����و� �ع��� ا �ل ن�� ر ��� ي ي ر و م ي و ن ر ي ر و ي ي � ً � � �ي � ن � �ن ي �ل � ن ا ��ل��س ن � ن ن� ن � � � ن � � �كن ن ن �صي��� �و� �ل�� �ل�ك �وي� �����و� �كي��� �ش��ي��أ��ا �م ن� ا�ام��ل �م ن� ا �لن�����ل �ويله�ل� �و� �ي� ��ي���ل م� �م� �ويك� � �ُ ح ن �� �ن ن �ْ ا ا ن ط� ا � � � � ��� ا �ّ � �ن �ل ي اأ � ا ء ا �� ن ي � � � ل� � ا � �م � � � ل �ه�� ل � � م � � � � � � ه � � � م �ل ي �و ن أ �ل �ي� ني �و� ر �ور � او � �له��ل����ل � او � ن أ � و ن � و أ ّ � �� ���ل� ن �ا ن� � ا �ّ ا اأ ن � ن � ن ا �� �ي اأ � ن ا ��سش ن ا �� ي � ن ا �� �ي يا ل ي ه � � ل م م م � � س ل � � � � �م � � م � � � � � � � � او �م�ا �ولي����� ن ي ن� ل ي و أ � و� � �ور� و � ر �ي� � �ور� ي ن ن �ح ي ا ي ا �� �� ّ ي ��ل � ش ي �يّ ن ا ي ن ن � � أ نّ � � ��� ��� ا � �ليه�� ر �ع�� ا �ل ن��ا ر �و� � � � � � � ا ا � � � � � ��ل ك � � � �� �� � � � � � � � ل ط ه ه ه � � � ك ك ح ّرك � � � � � � � ي � و و ر ي ن � � ي و وع ي �عي� ا � م و و ي ري � ش �ن� ن ّي نّأ � �ّ � ح�ي� ي��م��ي نر ن� �س� �م�ا ن�كي��� �م ن� ا�ا�م�ا ء � او ��ل��� �ه ن� � او ن� ك� �ا�ا ن�� ي� �م ن� ا ��س�مر � ك �ن�ا �ام��س� او �� ط ��ي ���يصس�ه�ا ا �ك�هم� أ ح ن ا � �ّ ن نع � ش ��حل �اّ ن � أ ن ن ن أ ن ن �ش ي �ي�ا ن���� �و� ا ��س�مر �يو�لن ��ع��� �ون�� ��ي� ا�ام�ا ء ��ّ �يك�هر��س� �و�� �ن� �لي��� ح�ي� �ي��� �� ن� � �م�� ك���ل�� ��ي� ا�ام�ا ء � �وي�ا ���� �و� م �ش أ �ا� ا ا ن ن � � ا� ا � ن�ّ �ن � �ن ي ن ا ن �اا �ن ا ن���ي ا ء ن��� ا �ل � ي ا � ا ل� ن � � � � � � � � � ا ل م � � � � � � � � ع ل � � � � � ع � � ك ك � � � �ل�ك ا�م� ء �ويك�� ��و� �ي� ��� ر �أ� � �و ر و �و ي ي ل � ح� و و أو � أ � ن ا � يّ ي ي ي� � ي ن�ا ن م ن � � ي شّ �اا ن ن ن ا ي ا ح�� �يك���ي�ر �ل�� ��� او �م ��م �ع�م��ل� او � �له��لي��� ك�ا�ا � �سي� � ��ر��ا �ه�ا ��ي� ا �ل��� �و� ر�ي� ك�� � �� او ا �عصي�� ء �� � � او ا �ل�� ر ّ أ ن ا �ن � ا �� �ً� �م�� �ي� �يً�ا �م ن ا �� �لي � ا ا ن ��ل �ص� ا ن�ك�ه�ا ا�ا�م�ا ء � ي� �ا � ح�م�� �ع�� ا ��ل ن��ا ر � ح�يّ ي� ل � � �� �� ه ��� �� او �ك�ه� � ح � او � � � � � � � ����ل� م ر ي و ن و ي� � و � و و يع � أ أ � � ن ن � � � � ن ن ّ ن ي ن أ ط � �و�ا َ� ا �ل���م�� نرا ن� ا �لي��ا � �كي��� نر�ل �ع ن� ا �ل ن��ا ر �و�ه�� � �م ن� ا �ع �� �اك�ه� � .ه�� ا ��ل ط�ه�ا �م ا �عنصي��ا �ك�هم� � ي ح م مَ م أ أ نّ أ أ أ �ًّ ً �ي ّ ن � ن ن �ا��ل� � ا �ل��� � ن ن يي ش ّ ا ن ي أ ن ي �ا ن ا ا ي ا ن ا � ن��� ا ��� � او �م� ���ع ار �و�ع�م ���ه�� � ��ر�� ���� �ن �له� ا �ك�ه�م �ي� ك� و ح� ن�ل�ه�ي�ر � �ل�����ي�ر � او � ا � �س�ه�م ن ي � �أّ ّ َ �َ � أ � � ّ � ي ا ��ل ه � � � َ ْ أ شن � ح أ � ا �ك��ن�ه�ي�ر ا �ك��طر�ي� ا�م��س��مّ� �ع ن��� �ع� �ن�ا �لَنصي���ل� ��و ا �و � �ل���ل ا �ل��س�م��س� ا و� �ل� �ن�� أا �م�ا ��او�ل ا �و �ور�� � ن��يل�ن� م َح ُّ أ ش ا ��ل ه � � �أ ن ن � ن ط� � �ْ ُ �اًّ �م ّ ا نُ�اَ � ا ُ ا��م�� ّ ا �� �ن م�� �ي �ّ�ي �م ا�م���س�مّ �عنْ��يَه�� �لو ا �و ش���م � ا ��ل ن��ا �ن� ���م � ن��ل�� � � � � ا � س � � ���ل �م� ��َر رم� � ��م� ن� ل� نص ��وله�ل� � �وَم�ل ر � ا �ل�أ�� ر � ر ين ح يأ أ ح أ � ح ي ن � � ن �� � �ي ي � � � ن ا ا ن �ن ن ن ي ّ ا ا ي ش ن � � � � � ا�ام��ل � ن�ع��ل � � ا � ا ل � عع ا ء م ل� �ل� � �� � ا � لع � ��ل �ل سه� � �� ��� ����� � �� ���� � � و �و و ر� ر � �و� �سي و ن ر ي ن� نص � وي رن وي م ح
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ن ��ي�
٢٦،٣،٣
٢٧،٣،٣
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Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
he sent me fresh milk with honey and I ate some. When he came to his reception room to pass the evening with his friends, he asked me, “Why wouldn’t you eat either the hijlīj or the dawdarī waykah?” I said, “One was bitter and the other rotten,” and he said, “This is the food that suits our country. Anyone who doesn’t eat such things should worry about falling ill.” Dawdarī is waykah made from the bones of sheep, cattle, or any other
3.3.26
animal. They take the knee and chest bones, strip them of the meat, put the bones in a vat, and leave them for a few days till they become putrescent. Then they take them out and grind them up in a mortar until the bones and meat have turned into a paste and make them into balls the size of large oranges. When they want to cook, they take a bit from a ball and dissolve it in water, removing any pieces of bone that may remain with a strainer. Next, they pour the same water into a cooking pot and put it on the fire and leave it till it has thickened. They now fetch a small pot into which they’ve put a little chopped onion and they fry this in a little clarified butter and add it to the large pot, along with a certain amount of salt, pepper, and kumbā, if available. It’s a dish found only in the houses of the Fur emirs. The waykah made with hijlīj may be made from either the leaves or the
3.3.27
fruit. To make the kind that is made from leaves, they harvest the fresh young leaves and pound them. These are then put into a pot over the fire and stirred with a stick till well mixed with the water and fat already there. If made from the fruit, the method is to take the fruit and steep them in water. Then they crush them by hand until the flesh is all transferred to the water. They take that water and strain it into a pot. The poor add a little fat to it and eat it. The rich leave it over the fire till it thickens, then make a fried garnish like the one we described when speaking of dawdarī, adding pounded jerked meat, and pour the water onto it and leave it all on the fire till completely blended. It is then taken off the fire. This is one of their most splendid waykahs. It is the food of their rich. The poor, as noted above, eat unhusked millet, and the food that goes with it is quite disgusting, consisting of either kawal 204 or small fresh hijlīj leaves, which they call nyúlmá, or sesame lees, or green hijlīj fruit, called ʿanqallū, or its mature fruit. For all of these they use kumbā ashes instead of salt, as real salt is scarce and expensive. The best-off among the poor are those who have sheep or a cow they can use for fresh milk, whose butter they can take, and
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3.3.28
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
أ يي �� ن � � � �ل� �ن ن ا ��ل���ل �ّ � ا ن ن � ي �ن � � � ي ي أ ش م �ه�ا ن��م ����� �ني � ح� أا �ل� ن�ل�ه�� ا �ش�س�هر أ � �ن ��� �و�ل� ي عر ��و� ح� �ي� ا �لن��ل�� �ن �لعر� ا �و � ��ور � او س� �و ي ًم � أ أ آ �ن� ي ن � � ن� � ن�ك��ا ن���ن� ا �� ن�لع�يه�� �من �ه� ���س�م�ا �ع�� �ي�� ر ��ا �ل�� �ن�ا �م�� ا � �م� ا � ح ن� �ل�� ن� ش���س�ء ا ن�ر �و�ل��� �ل��ك ن���� � � ل ر � ي ي ي � م أ ش � ّ ن ن � ي ن ا ��ا� �ش�س��ا �كه� �ل�ه�ا � �� � ا � �ل�ن � ك ص � ر ن �مي و ي � أ أ ّ � ن ا ا يًا ن ً َ ْ بگ � ي ن � ّ ن ن � ����ل�� �وي ن� ���ا ا �ن�� ��ي� ��ا�ل ���ن�� ي� �يكن� �و��� � ��ار�� ���� �ن �له� ا �يك� حرحن � 1ا �ل ش��سن��ا � �مرن� ا �لور �ا� �� ن أ �ا ّ � ن� ���ّ �من�ه� ��ا ��ي ��ن ا�ا�م����ا ء ��م�ا �ي��� ّ��م �س�ه�� ��ل��أ نّ� ن�ع�� ��ا �يكه� ن�ك�ه�ا �ا�ش�� �م ن ك��� � ك له� �س�ه�� �ل��ل� �ص��� � �ل � م ي ي� ي� � ي ن � م ي� ي ر � ن ي ر م أ أ أ ُ � ش � � ْ � � ش ش ش � َ حش �ص��� � �ون�� ا �ل�� رن��� ��ّ ا �لن�ع ن ا ��ل ��ّ ا � �� ا �ل ا ��ل �ي �� او �ن�ا ي� ا � ��و� ���� ن� ��ّ �ن �ليعرا � ��و� � ح ش��سيّ���ي ن��ا �� �ا�ر �م�ا � � ك �� � � ي ن و ي ر ن ي � م ن ّ ي ي ي م �ي��ي�� م �� � ي ي ًا ن ًا أ أ ن �ن �� ا ��لي��ي � ا ن ن ح ش��س ّ � ل � � س � ح ا ا � � � � � ك � � � � � � � � � ل ��� ا �و ا �� � � � ع ع � � م � � م �أاو � �و ن��� � او ��ي����ل� �م �رك� � � � � � � و و و و و ي ل يو و ي� � ر ي ًا ن اأ ن �� ن أ ان �اا ��ل�ع � ي ن ن �ع� � �ي ا ��ل ��يع ا ���أ�ه� ّ ا �ّ�� اأ�نّ�� اأ ��ن � � � � � � ح � ع ط � � � م � � � ع م ك �� ��ور ن ر �ل �� أ �ل ���ل �و�ل�� � �ر�ا � ���ا �ع�� ا � �م�ا ��ل� � ن ن ر ر أ ّ ن � ّ ي � ًا ّ ا ��ل�� نل ن أ ي � أ � ن ي ح ش ��ي � �ك � �ن � �ا ي �و �ش��ن��ري� ن� � او ���ل �و�س� �و����ي �� ي�� ��و ن�ل �� ��لي��ل� أا �م� ���ل�� ا �و �ل�ل�ا �م�ا �م ��ط� �وك�ه�م�ا نل���� شع ع ّ أ أ � ش � ن ا نّ � � �ا��� � ن � ا �ّم�ا �م ن ���ل�� ن نا م��ا �ن�� ي� ا �و �ش�ل�ا �ش��ي ر ن��ا �ل ن��ل�ا �ي ن�لع ّر ن�ل��ل �ي���نص ي� � � ��ل� �ي�لعر أا �ل� �م ن� �� ��� ك� ي ري � و � ر ن ن أ ي � ن أ نّ �لن ن ��� ا �� ن ن � ا� أ ّ ي � ي ن �يو�طر أ ل� ي�ه�م �ك ��طرا�مي��ا �م��ل �و�م ن� �ع�� �� ا � �ل ��ور ا �ك�ه�م أا � ا را �و� ي�ل ن��ا � � �و�� �نك���و� �ع�� �ل �ي�ا ��ي��ي��ل� ّ أ ا�اا �ن ن� � ش ا ن� ًا � �اا نّ ن � ي �ن � � ن ن ن ����ر ش� �نك�ه� �ن�ل�ا �ي��ر� �م ن� � � ��� ا �ل �ه� ك�� ��� �ع�ي ر �م� �ي� ك�� ر كي����ي ر ���� �� م��ا ��� أا �ل� أا � ا �ي��� � ��و� ن ح آ م أ ي� م � ن ّ �ا ًّّا ن ً ً ّ � ن � � ن � نأ ن � ش ن ي ن نا � � � � أا �لي��� � � �� او ك���لي�� � ي ������� ي�م���سي� ر� �وي��� ا ر� �وي��� ا �أ� � را ع�م ن��� � او �ي� ��ط�لن��� �عر�و�ل � او � �لعر�� �ن�ي�� أ ن �ا�ا ن �ن �عً�� �م ن � �ليع ا �� � ش �ّ � أ نّ أ ن ا ��لي���ي��� � � �ليع ا �� �� � ش ا� ي ا نّ � ي ي ح��� ا�م�ع�� � ا � ا �ل�ي�����ل �أاو � ك� � ��و � ن ر ��و ي ل ون ر و ح��� أا �ل� ا ��� ا ���عر أ ي � � � ش � � ��ً� ي ن ي ن � ي ن ن � ن ن ي � ا ن ا ن ي ن يي ن ي ن ن � ن �ح حم� �و �ر� �و�� ����نص� �س�ع��� �ل�� ��لعر� ا �ل�ع ار �ل � �ون��ي� ا � �لع �ر��ي� �م� ا �ع��� ا � �لع ارنح ك���ي�ر �و���و� ا �ل�ي�����ل أ أ أ أ أ ّ ن � � � � � � ن � ّ � � � �ي��� �� ���� ا ��ن ن ي ن ش � ح��س ّ ��من�ه ا ���س � � ا ����ع � ا ��ل��لي ا �ل��� � �� �ن�� ��من ا ���ع ك�ا��ل�� � ا �م�ا ا �ل ��ع ا ��� � � ل � � ط � � � ل ل ل � � � � � � و و ر و ن ر و ي� � نن ي � رو ن� ي و �ي ن � ي � �أ ّ �نم � ن � ن � � ش ح� �ا �� ي أ ن ًا ن � � ك � ا ه�� ا �يل�هل��� � ح � ك� �ا��ي�ر �و�ير� �ون�� ��لاعر�و� ا �لن ��عرا �ل��ه��� �� ا �ل�ه�ل��ط � او �ل��ع�و ن�� ن �و ن �حم�� ن� ��� �و�نك ح� ا لن ��عر ا �يك� � ي ي� ح م م أ نّ � � � � � ن ي �ا ي ا � ا �لي�ي��ي���ل �ن��و �م ن� ا �لن ��يعر � ن�و�ي�� ن��� � �ون�� ن� ا �لن ��يعرا � ن�لعر�و�� ا�ام�� ��ور� ي ع أ ّ � � � � ني � شن ن �ا �من ي �ص��� ا �ل � �ه� ��� �و���نه�ا ك ا �ن�ا ��� �م��س� ��و� ��و� �نك� �ي �� او �ن�ا ي� �ل� �ر��� �ك�ه� �� �س او �ه�ا �و ��� � ل ي م م � اأ ّ � � ن � � ّ ي �ن اأ �ّ ا �� ش ّ ا ن ن��� ي � ن ن ل� �ا � ا ��ل �ن ا � � � � ن ا �� � � ا � ك � ع � � � �ص��� �ن� � ��ل ن� و ��سه� ري�ك �ل� �ع�ي ر �ع�� �ل�� �ل�ك �ع�� � � م� ا ل��سن�� � ي ��سع ي�ص ��و � ي ن � � ني � أ ّ ا �� �� ا �أ�ن �ي ا �� ّ � ن� ���ا ���� ن� � �من ���ّ� ا � � ن� ي�� ي � ل � � � او �م� ا �ص��ا �ي� ن� ا�ام�� ��اوري� ن� �ل� �ر��� �ك�ه� ��س� او �ه�ا �و�ع� � ل � � ه ك � ه ط � � و ي م و و �م م �ي�� ن �ع���� س�م��ي� أ ة 1ال� �ص�ل :و �بر ب . �
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Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
whose buttermilk they can use as an accompaniment to food. They see meat only once every few months, if a cow or bull is slaughtered in the village and they divide it up, in which case the poor man may buy a portion, depending on his means, paying in mudds of millet, nothing else. It follows that most of their young men are keen hunters. We’ve mentioned earlier too that every Saturday the ǒrnang beats his
3.3.29
drum and all the young men go off with him on a hunt.205 All of them return in the evening with at least something, as their forests are full of wild animals. The animal they hunt most is rabbit; after that gazelle, then fox, then wild cattle. If they come across a taytal that is sick or they happen upon one inadvertently, they kill it and divide up its meat. The taytal is a wild animal that looks like the domestic cow but is smaller in size, the largest being the size of a calf. It has two horns that incline slightly as they rise, either backward or forward, and that are two handspans or less in length. Though wild, it is somewhat sluggish; it runs away only when faced by a large number of people. If there are only one, two, or three men, it stands still and looks at them placidly. When they see one, the Fur customarily call out to it, “Taytal, you infidel!” and it trains its eyes on them as though quite unconcerned and only moves if they get very close. When this happens, it walks away slowly, and only trots off if it sees they’re serious in their pursuit. The difference between the taytal and ordinary wild cattle is that the taytal, though a form of the latter, is smaller and its horns grow straight, like the horns of the gazelle, with a large space between them at the top, and it is yellow all over. The term “wild cattle” includes the black, yellow, and piebald forms, the color of the latter being mixed with a lot of white. Its horns are as thick and curved as those of the domestic cow and it is the same size as a cow too. This shows us that the taytal is a kind of cow, with differences as noted.206 Certain people devote themselves to hunting animals and have no other profession. Each kind of hunter equips himself appropriately. The young men rely entirely on dogs and throwing sticks. The smiths use special equipment. The hunters we mentioned as having no other profession are smiths, and fall into two groups.207
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183
3.3.30
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
ن ي��سيمّ ن � ن ي � �أ �اا � ن ن � ي � ح ش�� � ا �� �لنع��� � ا ��ل ا ن �ه� �م� � �ص��� � � او � ا �ل� نر�ل� �م � ع ك�� �ل�ع ار �ل � �ون�لعر ا � ��و� � و ي ل و ن �� � ��و��� ���� �ك� ي م ��ن ي ي ن ا أ � � ي� ي ن ن ً ن ً � �اّ �ن �ي �ي � ن ن� �ي �ص��ا � او ��ل��س��ا � او ل � ��سم���و� �ر�ي�ا �ر�ي�ا ���ل ر� م �و�ه� �و�ه�و�ل�ء ن �ه� �م���� ح �ر���ي� �و�� � او �كن� � ن ن م أع ع ا� ا � ن ن أ ن ن ا أ يّ �س���ي ن�ك��ا �ي�� ن� ��ل��ل���ط ��ي ا �� �سي ���م ّ �ع��ل�ه�ا ا �� �لنع�� � ن�ع�� � ��� ن � ي� �ور�و�� �ع��� ا�م� ء �وي ح�عر�و� � � ي ر � � ر ي� ي ل و ي ر ا � �له� ر ا �و ي و ن ي ي ي أ � � ي ي ي ي يّ ن ن �ان ي ً ّ � أ ّ � ا ا ن ا ن�ك�ه�ا � � ن ي� ح�عر� ع�مي ��ه�� ا ��ط�و�ل �م� �� �م�� � �وي��� ���و� ��ي� �مر��ر�ه� � �و��� ا � ن م���� ن� ا � ار ��� �� � ا �ل���� ّ �ل� � ن ي أ ً ن ن ي ن ّ � ن ا ا ��ل ش ش ش ّ ن ّ � ن �ل� � ن � ح ش�������ش ا ا �� �رم طو� ا � طو�ك�ه� �ن� � ك� ع او � ا � ح���ي����� �� ي�ل�� �� � ���عي ��ه�� �و�يل�� �� � � � �ويك����لن ��و� �ع���� ا ح�عر� ا � � ي � أ م ح أ أ أ أ � � � ا � �� ا � ا ��نل ��ا ��ل��يرا ن� ن�كي��ا �ي� ا �َ�لنعيَ���ل��ي ا �و ا ��ل ا ا � � �لي ا �� � ش ا � ا ��ل � ح �ير��� ي� � او ر��ي �ل��ل�م�ا ء ن ن ي ��س��ع و ن عر أ��وح��� و ن � ��و � يو أي ن� ي ّ ي � � �� � �ي �� � ن� ي �ن�م ي ا �ش�ي ا �� �� �ّ � ي ي ي ل � � س � ا ��مر �ع��� �ل�لك حعر� �س� �م� ل���ل �ع��� ا �ل��ع� او � ��و�طء ل���مر� ح� ا �� له� �و��س��ط رن � م أ ن � �ن ا ��ل ن � ي � � ن � �ن ا �ا ن ن ح�ع �ي �من ا � ن شي � � �� ا ن� ا �و ا ش�ل ن��ا ن� ��م�سي ن� نر��ل ا ��ل �ي� �ر � �ه� �ي و �ي �� او � ن�ل ��ه�ل�� �ع���� ا ��� �و��� ا �ل�� ي� �ي� ا��مر��ر � ���ل � أ أ أ ن �� � ن ّ � ي ي � � ن� ي ��ي ّ ي ا �م�� ن��ل�ا � �ليه�� ا ن� يل��� ّ � ي ا ن� ��ل��ك ا � �� �ي��� ��ن ��حل ح� ا �ل �م� �كي���ل�� � �و�ا ن���� ��حلم�� حعر� يس ي ر و ي� حرك ح�� �ي� �ي� ��� � ن ي م � ن أ أ ن � � ً � ّ � � ن � ي ن � ّ � ن���ل���� كي��ه�م��ل�و� ا �ل���ل ن�ل�ه�� �����نل ح� ��� �ي��� ا �و�ه�و ا�م���س�م� �ع ن��� ��عم �ن�ا �ل ش��م ار �مي� ��ط �ل� �ك�ه�م ي� ش��مر�س ��ط� �و�� ا �ي� م أ ي � نح �ا��ل� ن� �م ن��� ���ط �ًّ�ا �س� ًا � ��ا � �ي�ل� ��ل � ك � ط��� �و�� ي ور وي و ري �� � � يّ ن ا ن �اا ن ن� ًا أ ن �ن نّ ًأ ن ي �� ا ن � ن ل � � ح ا ا � � �ا�ا � ن� �ير���ي��ا ا ن���� � او � �نر�� �و ن���ل���� �� � � � � � �� � � � � � � �س� ك ل� م � ن أو و و و �أ� � ك�� � كي��ل� ا �� و ي أ ي ن � ن � �ا� ن ن � ن ن �ّ ن ي ي � �وي� ّ�� � � او ���حل �م�� �و�ه�� ا ا � �ليه�� �ي��� �ي�ا ك��ل�و� �م��� �و�ن��ي����و� �م��� �و � �ا�ل �ر��� �ك�ه�ا ن��م�ا �ع�� ��ي� ا �لن���ل��� ي ن ي ن ن �ّ أ �ن � اأ �ي �ن � ا � ي ا � ن ن � ن ن �س�و �وي� ��وك�ه� ن�م� ي��� ن � �ي�لعي��ه�� �و�ك�ه� ��ي� ��ا�ل ا � ن � � �و�� �م� ا � ار � �و�ع�ي�ر� �ولي���و� �س� � �ه�م ن��م��ل م م �� ن ا � ن ن �ع ن � نّ ا �� �ن ن� اأي ن ا �� �� � � ا �� �ي ن ي � ل ل � � � � � � � � ا ع ع � � ا ل � � � � � � � ع ي �حم�ل�و� �م� ي ن �� و� ��� � م� له��ي��� و ن �ل�و� و لعرو� و��� ي���ل كي�� ��و� ن� ن �ل�و� م ن�ك��ه � ن ن ا � � �ي � ا � � ن � ا � �ي ن �� � �ي ي �� ا �� ��ل�ل�ي�ّ ا ������ ن ن ل ��س�� �ط ن�� ر �وي ن ي ��و� ي �م�ل�و� �م � ��س�� ��ط �وي�ن��ي����و� ا �ل�ه�نح �و ر� ا حر���ي� � او ل ي �ه� ا �ل�� ر� � او �ل ي أ ً � � ي � � � � ا ّ � ي ن ي � �� � �نك�ه� ا ���� ا �و�ل�� ��� نر�ّو ن� �مو� ا �ل��� را �م���ي ن��ل�ا ي�ل ن��ا ك ���ع�� ا �ل��� ر�� �ل��ل� � �ر �و�ع� ���و�م �ل� �ع�ه�� �ك�ه� �وي���س � � و ن ي ح م م م ّ �ّ �� � أا �ل�� �م ن� ن� ن������� ا �ل�� ر� ��و� �ي
ّ ن ل�ي� ّ � اأ ن اأ ي ��م ّ � � ش اأ ي ن �ن��� �م ن َي��� �مي��� ن ي ن� �ه� �م� ي� ��ه��ل�� �ص��� �ن� � �ي� �ي� ���ل ا � ��و � �و�م � �ي���ل �ع���� ا �ك� ي �و��� � �وي� �ي� ن� ل � ي� م أ ش نُ ْي �ي ح ش�� �و� ن���ل ي� ر ن���ل�� ��ن� ا ��نل �ي �ن ا ن ّ � � ��س � ن �� � � ح �ير��ي �و��ع� � ا أ�ر�ي ا �ش�سن��� أي � �ر� � او ��س�ه� أ� � ا �مر �ع�لي�� �ي� ء م� ا ��و � ي � � ن ن� � ي � � ا ا � حش �ن �ي ا �� �ي ا �ن �ا � �ي ا �� � �ن�ا �ل�عر�و�ي �نر�ن�� ا �� � ح ش �� � ا �� ��ل � � ع � ك� ع ��و ن��� ر ن ل� ح أر�� ع ي�� و �ي� م� �� �ل�و� � �ل يله�� ر ��و ���ي �ع��� ي� ��ه�ا ح�يّ ��ا �ي�� ا 1أا ��ل��� ن�ك ��يعي���ل� �� � 2من�ه� �م ن �ل�ه��ل� �ع�� ��ش��� ي ي ّ ي ط��ه�ا �و��ل�� ي���ل� ا � � ش � حر� �ي�لعي���ل � � � �� ��ل � �ه� يس�م��� � ي و ي ي و و � م � ي و �� ن أ أ ب ب ب 1ال� �ص�ل� :ة���ا ة�و� 2 .ال� �ص�ل� :ة��ة�هة�����وب���.
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Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
One group devotes itself exclusively to the hunting of quadrupeds, such
3.3.31
as gazelle, wild cattle, elephant, buffalo, hyena, lion, rhinoceros, and so on. These hunters band together in teams of five or six persons. They go to the track along which the elephant or whatever will pass on its way to water and dig in it a pit deeper than a man’s height. In the middle of the pit they hammer a stake with a pointed end, sharp as a spear at the tip, and lay a latticework of thin sticks over it, and cover these with grass. Then they cover the grass with soil. The elephants, or lions or wild cattle or buffalos or rhinoceroses, come to drink and pass over this pit, so when their weight becomes too much for the sticks to bear, they break beneath their feet and one or two animals fall in. When the weight of the animal comes down on the stake in the middle, the spike enters its flesh and the animal is immobilized until the one who dug the pit comes and finishes it off, and takes its meat after removing its skin. They make the meat into jerky, which they call “shreds” because they shred it, meaning they cut it into strips. Some of it they also eat undried. If the animal is an elephant, they remove its tusks and hide and make the
3.3.32
meat into jerky. If it’s a rhinoceros, they remove its horn and hide and make its meat into jerky, some of which they eat and some of which they sell. Each team has a group of people in the village who each week go and look for them, bringing them what they need by way of supplies and so on. These people have a camel, which they load with whatever jerky, hides, horns, and elephant tusks they find with the hunters. The hides they make into shields and whips; they sell the ivory, rhinoceros horns, and whips to the merchants and the shields to the soldiery. They are a people who recognize no law and are called Darmūdīs; others never contract marriages with them, and the Darmūdīs will marry only their own kind. Others use traps, as follows. They go where the wild animals are, bringing a tether of strong leather that they make into a large loop. When a wild animal passes over it and its foot enters the loop—which is circular and resembles a noose—and the animal raises its foot, it becomes caught in it. The loop is well secured with pegs, so the animal can neither break it nor pull it out, and it remains trapped like that till they come and kill it. Others climb trees beneath which wild animals nap, having with them one
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إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
أ ي � ّ � ن ���و ن� �س�ه�� � �ر��ي ا �و �ر�لي��ا ن� �م ن ا ��ل ح ا ن� ا �� �� او ��س�ه�� ا �ل ا �� ��و� � ��ا � �ي ا � �سي� ��عي� ��ك�� ا ح ش��� �ولي� � ر ن ن ي �ن � ش �ن أ ا ��ل��ش�� ي � يّ اأ ي � ش ي ّ أ ن ن ن �� ا� �ي ن � � � ح � يس�م��� �� ا �ع�� ن� � � � ع � ا ل ا ك � ص � � � � حر� �� ي� ي� ��وح��� وي ي���ل ويك�ه�� ي طر م� ه�و ر�� ن� ي � � ي ن ا أ ن � ن نين ن ا ي � ش � � � ش ا�ا ��� � ن ي � � � � � ا � � � � �م ن��� � �وك ��ل �و��� �س� �س�ه�� �و�م�� م ل ط�ع ن��� �و�ه�و �� �� �ي� نك����� ص ��عر �ن� �ي� ا ���و � ط��و� ي ي ي م ن�ك ن� ن �� ا ��ل � ا �� ّ ا � �سي ّ �م� �يكي��ل��� �ص�� � ي�� رل أ ي�� ك� ي يو م ن ي�س�يمّ ن � ا ن � �� �� �� � أ� ن �� ن ل � � �ه� �م� � � � ا ع ا ا ع � �� ك �� ك � � � � ح � � �ص� � � � � ك ط ط � ��� ���ا ر�� �و�م � ير و � ير ي م ن ���� � ي م ن� أ � �� ن �أ �ا� �م ن ا ��ل��� ��ا � ّ � ن أ ن �و�ه�و ��ط�ا �ر �ع ���ي�� ا ن�� ر � ن حن � ا �ر�و�م�ي� � �� �و�� ا ن�لي���� ي��مي���ل أا �� ا �ل����ع ار ر م أ ً � �� ًّا � � ً ن أ � � ا ��لن �ن� ي ��� ن �ن ّا � � ي �� نًا ن �ًا � ن ��ل � ���نه�ا �و�ه�� ا �ي�ا �ل�ن� � �و� ا و �مر� ي س�م� �ي� ا �ي� �م ا �ل�� ر� س�م�� �س�عر ��ط� �ولي���و� �حم�� �ط �ري� �ك�� ي أ ً � � ن ي � ّ ن ن � ي ن ن ا ن � �ش ي �ص��ا � ���� ا ك ا �ل��� �و� � او �ل ا� � ح ش��م ار ي� �ول���و� �س�ه�� �س�عر�و�� �ع��� ع�م �وح��م ار � ���ه�ي�ر� �كي�� �ي� ا �ك� ي ن ي � �ّ ن ي ًا ً � � � � ي ن � � � أن ي ن ���� ا�م �ص� �ك��ل� ن� �يّ��� ا �و�ه�و رن�كي�� �ل�� لي � ��ا � ا � �ير�� �ل��ل��ط�ا أ�ر � �وي�ل�� �ي� ��ط ��� �كي���ل�� �م ن� ا �ل��� ��ا �ل ن ع يأ ن� ا �ن ي أ � ّ ا �� � � ��ي �ن ن �ي ن � ���ّ �ك ���ط � ش � ا �ي� ��ط ��� ر�� ��ي� م ل نر ح��مر� ا �و � �و �ي� �ص��� كي� �ص�� � ا ل ن ا � �سي� �يك� ي �ه� �م�س� را �� ا �ك� ي � ��لن � �ن أ ن ��ش�� ي ن ن ي ا �ن �� � �� � ا � � �ا ��ي � � � ا �ور�ك ��ط ا � �ي� ��ط �� ا ��س����ل ن� ��� ر� ن�ل �ل� ��� ر�� �ي����س�و���ه� �و�ي� ا ل ن حر� � �وي��� �� ن� أا �� ا ل ن ن ي أ أ ي�ا ي � � يّ � � ن ا ن ن � � ا �ن ي ا ��ل ي �� ح ش ي ا ا �� � ي ي ح�يّ ي� ا �ه�ا � ل � � ا � ح � � ل� �ه�� ��مر� �و ل�� �و�� � ر �ه� ن � �� � �ك ��ط�ي ر �� ي�لعرن� ا �لأ������ � ا � ي�م��ع��ك�ه� ي����س�و � يأ ي � ا ي � ي ا ا� ّا ا ي �ل� � ش ي �ن � � ي ا أ ي ي ن ا �ن ي ا �ه� � او را � � ���� �� ن� �ه� �و�م� ��� ر� ا ح��مر� �ي� � �و���ل � �ه� � او ن�ل��ل�ع � �م�س� �م� را �ك�ه� �عر�ع� أا �لي� ن �ن � �ن �� � ن � � ن ا ن� اأ �ي ا �� ّ حش ي �ه�ا � �كن �ن �ه�ا �س�ه�� �و� �رك ���ط ��ن� ا ��ل �ه�ا ا ��ل �ص��ا � ن�كي���ن� � � ك م ا �ي� ��ط ���مر� �� � � � � � � � ك ل ه � � � ط � � و � � � ي�م�� � ي ي ن ي � ن ي ي ي ي اأ ن� � ا ن ���ا � � � �� ���� اأ �ك ن ���� ���ط�� اآ ن� ي����سمّ اأ ��ا َ ����نْ َ� ���ط َ�ي � �ه� اأ�ل�ن �ا�ا ن� �ع ن��ا � � � ك ك � � � � ن و ر و ر ر� أ ن ي � ي ن يو ر � ن ر وأ ي � أ � � ن � � � ن ي � � � ش ن � � � ن �ي � �ا �و�ه�و ���ط�ا أ�ر ا ن��ا�ر �م ن ا �ل ح �و ��ط� ّ ا �ل��ع � � � ��م ���ل ا ��س�ه��ل�� � ن ا � � � �ل � ��� ر� نله�ي���ل �أو�ل� �ي� ع�ه� ي����� �ط�ويل��ل ر ي� أ ا ن ّي ي � �� � ش ي ن ًا�اا �ل� ا ل � �صي ��� �ي�ن����ل� ا ح��م ار � ا �يك� � او ��س� � او �ع�ل� � � ��� ر� ��� ك�� � ن ع ع أ ً � � ّ � ن � � � � ن ن �� �ن�� �لن�ع � ��ور ا �ك��ن�ه�ي�ر�ي �ن�ا �ل ش��سن��ا ك �و�ه�� ا ا ي�� ا �ل��� ا �م���ي ��ا��س��ا �ل� �ص��� ا �ك��ي � �و�م � �ه�م �م� �يك� ي �ل ر أ ن � �و ي رم ّ أ أ ًَ ن� ا ي �ن ا�م ّ � ن �نّ��ا أا ن� ا ��ل�����ا ن��ي�ر � او ن� �� � �� ��س�� � او �مش��ا ��ك�ه�ا ��ل�� �ي�ليع� أا ��ل�� �ع�� ا ��ل � � ���ل ا �ل��� �ي� �ن ��و ن� كي�� �ي� �ي� و و � � ع أ � ش �ي ��ي �ّ �ي � ن �ي ن �ا ي ن � ير��� ا �ك� ي ن� � ش � �� �ص� ��سنم ك ����� �و��عي� �ش�سنم���� �مرل�ه� �ص��� كي��� نحيص� لي��و� رن� �ك�هر ا �و �نر��� �يو�ل�� ن ي ن ن �و���ور�يك�ه�ا ��ك�� ا
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Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
or two of the spears of the broad, sharp kind, as in the illustration: The hunter stays at the top of the tree until the animal arrives, naps, and settles down. He fixes his eye on one that is close to him and stabs it in the belly as it sleeps. This causes the rest of the animals to run away, but the one that has been stabbed stays put and the hunter descends to finish it off. Some devote themselves exclusively to hunting birds, the best of
3.3.34
those hunted there being the bustard. This is an enormous bird, larger than a turkey, in color white shading into yellow and green. It grows extremely fat during the hot season, and its meat is tender and delicate. It feeds on a certain kind of worm that is common there, as well as small insects. The hunter brings some of these worms and insects and will have on him some line that he’s carefully made out of well-plaited sinew so fine the bird can scarcely see it. He goes to the places where these birds are hunted, and when he sees bustards in a particular place, ties an insect or a worm onto the line, ties the line to the bottom of a tree, goes toward the bustards, and drives them (bustards being so sluggish that they can hardly fly even when a person is close enough to catch them) in the direction of the insect or worm, till it sees it. As soon as it does so, the bird rushes toward it and swallows it. When the insect is in its craw and the bird wants to leave, the line prevents it from doing so. The hunter comes, cuts its throat, sets it beside him, and if there are more bustards there ties another insect to the line. There is another bird also to be found there called abū ṭanṭarah:208 it is white, slightly larger than the bustard, and has a long conical sac on its neck that is wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. Like the bustard, it eats insects. Another group hunts small birds with a net. These are the Darmūdīs who earn the least, because they have to cover the cost of grain, as sparrows, whydahs,209 and the like alight only on grain. Such a hunter goes to the place where he wants to hunt, such as close to a river or pond, and sets up his net. The net is square and looks like this:
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3.3.35
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
أ أ � ا ن � ي �ان ا ي ن ����ل�� ن ��� � � ن � ��كه�ا ا �ل�ه��ي ا � �ي�ا � � �ي��� ا ن� �من ا � ا ن �ن � و � نر و و � طي�ول�ل��ي� �ه� �م �نر��و ��ط� � �ك� ��� ر��صيس�ه� �و� �و��� ا � �م �نر��و ��ط� � �ي� ن ي� ن ي أ أ أ ّ أ آ ح ش��س ّ ��� �مي��� ن �ا�ا �نكه�ا ا ���� � ��� �انصس�ه�ا ا ��ل�� ن� � ن 1ن�كي��� �ي� ا ��ل�� � �وي�ا � ��ن� ا ��ل��ر ن�� �و�� � � ��ن� ر�� � ا ا � � ك � � � ر � � ن � ي رن ري� و ي� ل ي� ي ي ي �ًّ � ش � ي ن ��ل ّ أ ا ا اأ ن �ن � ن �� � �� �� � ن � ن ش � ل � � � � � � � ا � �ص� ا ل��سنم��� �يو�لن��� ر ا ح ن� ا �م� �س�ه� � �وي� ��� �طر� �ن���ل ا ك�ط�و�يل��ل �يو�م�� ��ط�و�يل��ل ن��� ا يصك� ن ن ً ش � ��ل ّ �ان اأ � ش � ي � ا ا �ل� � � ن � �ن � � �ه� �ن� � �ا�ر ي� �ع��� ا � ��ور �و �� ن�ل�عي��� ا �ع ن��� ��م�سي� ن� ن �رل ي� ا �ك�� � �ن���ل ا �ل�� ي� �ي� ح ن� ��له� ا �ل��سنم����� �ع�لي� ي � ن � � � ن � ي ن ا �ش� ن� اأ ي ����ي ن ّ�ي �ي ��ّ�ًا ن�� �ا ن� � �من ا �ع� ن س � � � � � ء ك م � ل � ل � ه � � � � � � ه ه � � � �ي���� �و�عي ��و� ا �ل ش��سنم�� � �ور و�ل ي � � ي� ي ي� �صي�ه� ن� ل يحرنح � � ن ا ن ا ن �اا ن ن� ا ا ن � � ا �� ش ن � ُ ّ أ � ��ي اأ ن �ن �� �� ���ا � ي�ه� �م� �ه�و �ع� �� س�م ك� �ه� �أ� � ك� ��ور � �ا�ا �ل��� ر�ي ا �و ا �لن نصعن�ه�ا ء ك � م ح ن� ا �ل ش��سنم���� � �وي� ��� ا ك � � � � � ي ي � َ ْ أ ي ن � �ن ��� ن ا� �ن ن� ا ن � � ن �ا��ّله�ا � �� ن�� � ّ ���� � ي� ���ا � � ا ن���ن� � ش ��ً�ا �ه�ا � ن��ا � � � � م � � � � � ل � ا ك � � � ل � � � � ك � � � � ه � ل � �� � ل � ك ن � َ ن ر ي و ي� أو م ي � ي� � � ون ر ن �و و ري � أ ن ن ن � ن � � � ي ااا ش اآ ن� � ��� ن �اص ي� ا � ا ا �����ي �و�� ي� �� �اص ي� �ع ن��ا ك ك� �ا�ا ن�� ي� ��ي� �ش�سنم� �سع�� ي� رو �ك��ط� � �نك�ه� ��ي� ن��ي�مس�ي� �� ��ط� �م� � ن � ن � � ن ا ن �ن �ل� � ا� ن ي ن ا ا ا ن ن �ص��� ا � �لعر�و� � او �ل������ ���� �ي� ا ن�ن�� �ل �ص��� �ي� �نك�ه� �و�ع�� ك �م� �ه�و �س�عر�م �نك� ي �م� ا �ل����� ��ي�ر �نك� ي � � أ ن �ا ن ّ ي �ك������ا � ��ع �كه�ا �و�ل� ا �عر�� ك�ي��عي��� ا � ي م ن � أ �ا�ّ � � �اا ن � � ن �ي �ي � �أ نّ � � ن ن ح��� ن �م ن ن� ��ل�� � � � � ا � ك ك �ص��� �ن�ا �لن��ا ر �و� �ل� � ا �لأ������ا � �ع ن��ا ك �م�سي� �م�ا ك�� � س�ه� ن�ل��� � � ل � ك ي � او � � أ � ا �ن ا ي � ن� � �م ش �يّ �ي �م ن ا � � ن� ن ا ء �م ن � ش �ي � �م ن ا �� � ا � ي � ّ����ي � ش��سع� �م ن ��ل � � ا ��ل � � �ي ��و � � نله�ي ر ��سه� �و � �ل�عصي�� � ي���� ري� � ل�� ر م��� ن ي ي نع � �وم ب أ � 1ة� ال� �ص�ل :ال� ب�ر�ة��ةب�.
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Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
It has four pegs, two of which are tied directly to two of its corners while two are tied to two long ropes attached to its two other corners. The pegs are hammered into the ground, and close to one of its upper corners is a strong, very long rope. Then the net is set upright and grain scattered in front of it. The hunter takes the end of the long rope and stays there, at a distance. When the birds have come down in large numbers on the grain, he pulls the net down on them using the rope in his hand. The interstices of the net are very narrow so no birds can escape and nothing can get through. The owner of the net then goes and extracts the birds. If it contains anything of high value, such as a parakeet or a parrot or the like, he takes out its wing feathers and leaves it in his basket; if it doesn’t, he cuts the birds’ throats and scatters more grain. When I was there I had a net, and used to hunt with it at home. Often, I was able to satisfy my appetite with the birds I caught. There are others who are fond of hunting apes and monkeys in the mountains, but I don’t know how they catch them. Better than all the above is hunting using gunpowder, for anyone with a good musket can eat as much meat as he likes with no effort. Some of the wealthy buy a Darmūdī slave and use him just for hunting; if the slave is clever, his master will never go without meat. At the home of my teacher Faqīh
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3.3.36
إ ��خ� � �م � خ��� � ��ل��س� د � خ� إ� ��خل � ي ر و �
�� � أ ً � � � ّ ن �ّ � � ن ّ ن ّ � ن� ��ل��ك ا ��ل�ع��� اأ �ش �س���� �م ن ا �ل��ل �عن��� ا �و�ل� لي � �سع� � �ص��� ���ل�م�ا �ك� ح� �و� �ليه�� را ��ي ي� �ع ن��� ط�� ��� �له�� أا �ل� �ن�ا �ك� ن ن ي ي � ع م � أ ح أ أ ً ً ً � ن � نّ ا ن ا ن ن نّ ّ ��ش����ن ا � ن ي نّ ّ �ص��ا � � ا ��ل ط�ه�من�س ��ل ح� �ع نار �ل ي � ن�� ا � �لع�عي��� �م�� �ي� �عن��� ا ي����س�م� ��س�عي��� ا �م��س�� �� �ن��ر �ي� ا ��� � ي و � ي ً نم أ أ أ أ أ ّ � ّ � ي ّ ن ن ّ ّ � � ي ن � � � �ص���� � او �ن�� �ل� ���� �ل�� ��� ��ا�ل ن��س�ه�� ا � ��ا ��� �ل�� ��ا �ل���ل ح� �م �ير��ي ن� ا �و �ش�ل�ا �ش�ا ��� �و� ��ار ا �ن�� �م ن� � �مر ي� ي ن ن ي ي ي م ن أي��م نّ أ ن ���و ن� ���� �عن��� �مش���ل�� ��م�ا �ع��شر ي� �ع��لي��� ا �س� ا � لي� ي أ �ا ي � � َََ ي � � �ي �م�سيمّ ن � � �ا�ا �م س� �ص��� ا � نررا �ن� � او �لن��ه�ا � �و�ع� ا �ع ار ن� ا �لن�� � �ي�� ك� ك � ��ا �مي��� � او � ن �نر��� � � او �ل�ع �ر�ليه�ا ي� �و �� � ���� � ي ي م م م � � �اّ ن أ �� � � ََ ّ ي ��ا �ن�� ن �ن��� ا ر ا �� �� او � ا �ي� � او�نم ي� � او � ن �ر�ا � �ي�� � نو� ن�س� ن� ار ر � او �ل�ع �ر�ليه�ا ي� �ن��� ا ر ا � ن�ل ��ور �و ���ل �م� �ه�و�ل�ء ي ي ي � نأ ن أ ً ًا اأ �ي � ا ًا ش�ّ ا نّ ا � � ن ا ن �ن ا ن �ك���ط�ا � �ع�� ا �ل �ا�شر� � � � ع �ص��� ا ا ا ا � م � �� � � � � �ص� � � � � � � �� �س� ه ه � � � � ل � �يك� � � � � � ن ر أ أ � � ن م و ي �ي���ل �� م ي أ � م م أ أ ّ � ا � يّ � ا ن � ي ي� �ن ن ن ي ي ن ّ � ن �وي�لن��ه�� �ل�� �ي�لي ن� �م��� �م� �ر� ع ��و ا ش�ر� ن�ل��ل ي�لن�� ر�ي�� ح�� ي�� � �ي�� �و مس�� � ��س��� �ع�عر�ه�ا ��ا �م�ا ا �لن��ه�ا �م �أاو � ي ن� � ن �ل��ل ي أ ّ ا � ن �ن ن ا �ا �ل��ل ي ن � � ن �ن� �� � ي� �ا�ا ن� �ش���� �ي��� ا �ل�ه�� �و كي ��و ن��� �م� ي� ك� ح�ه�� � او �م� ا �ررا � ��ل� لي � ح�ه�� ��ي� ا �ل�ه�� �و �ر��� �و�ل��� �ل��ك ّ أ ّ ن � � � � � �ل���ل ي � ن � �ن � ّ �ا�ا � � � ا �ع ا � ا ��ل��ا � ���ي ��ن � ا �ن�� � � ا � ا � ا �� �من��ه� �� ن� � �سم�ا �ل� ي و ي ح�ه�� أا �ل� ا � �لعر��� ا �ل�� �ي� ي��مر ك� يرح و ر ن ن ي ي� ر ور و ر و ي ّ ش ي ن � � ي ا ن � � � � � ن� � ن ي � � ���ا ن�� ن ن �ن � ش�����ير�و ن� �م�ا ي� ي ي���سس�ه�و� �ل� ي� ح ن� � او �ل��� ر� � او�ام��لن ��و����ا ي� � � �و� أا �ل� أا �� ا �ل�� ��� ن�� � �و�� �م� ل��� ي ن ا ��ل�� ن � � ي � � � يّ � ا ن ن� ن ا �ن ا ي ا� �ش� � �ل��ك ن��م� را � �ع� ��له�ي�ل � �ه�م �م� س�م� � او �ل�������ل � او�م� او �سي� �و ن���ل�و� ا �ك� ي �ص��� � او �لن ��عر � او �لأ�ن�ل��ل ح�� �ُ َ � � �� � ا �� ا� ن ي ا �نّ � � ن � � � � � � � ن � �أ ي � ي �ص�و�ع�� 1 ��� ل ا�م� � أ ك�ه�م ي ن ��لن ��و� �ل�� ا ر ا ��� او � ا ي� �و�ل�� ا ر ا � �ل ��ور ا �ل� ن� �نر�� � او � �لعرن� � او �لن� �����ط � او ل ن َ � � � � ن ح � ّ � ن ن� ���ل��� �ّ��ي ��ا ��َ� �مو ن� �ه�� � ا �ل �س�ور ا ن�ل � ن ا �� ا �ل ���ل��� �وي���س � �م ن� � ي � ��س��ا ��ط �و�ع�ي�ر � �ل��ك � � او �ل ي ��� ل ن ي ن �و نن ح ن أ أ � �ن � �أ��ش� � أ ّ � ّ ن � او �ّم�ا ا �ل��س�م ن ��م ن ا �نل�ه�ا �س�ه� � او �ل�������ل �م ن ا �ل� ن� ��ا ر �ل�� ن� ا ��لن� �ه�ا �و�ع� ي ن� حيصن �� �ون�� ���ل ي�ل�� ش��س ش��� �ك ي� � � � م م � �ان ي �ن �ان �ي ن �� �اش� �ن � �ن ي� � ش ا �� ن ا � ن � � � �يس �ي � ن ي ي ن ل � � � � � ل ا � � � ع ا � � ع � � �ص��� ك���ي ر �ل�� ا ر� ري���� �ه� م ��� �م �ل� ي�م� ل� و��� ر� حر���ي� و �ي� �ص� �ي� � او �ك� ي أ � � � ا ن ا ��لي�ّ � � نّ ن � ��ا ر �م ن� � ن ار � �يك ��ط��ل ن� ري� ش��� ا �لن��ه�ا � �و ��ط��ل ن� �م ن� ا �ل ش��م �ر�لن� ا ��م�� � ا ر ا ��� او � ا ي� ن�� ء ن�ل����� ن م ي � ن ّ � ن ي نّ أ أ ن �ي � اي �ا ًا �� ا ��ل��ش�� ن ش ش ش���� ن ا��م ا � ا �� ّ �ي �ص�� �سو ي � ا � �له�ا ��س�ي� ا �ل��� �ي� � ��ورر ن�ل�ه�� ان ��ي� ا � لي��ص ن� �ل�� ل��� �ن� أا �� ي � �سو� � ��� � �� مي��� �ن� ��و� ي ح أ ن اأ � �أ ا� ن ح ن �ً� ن ن � � � �ن ي �ن ا ��سش ن � ن � �ا�ا � �س�ه�� ��م�� �سو� ر�ي�ا �ل� � ار �����ا 2 �ص��� �ل� نر ��� �ي� �م� �وك �ع�لي��� � او � �ي� �مر ا �ل��ع ار ن� �ن� �ك� ي أ � ي ّ � � ن�ي � � ن ن � ن ن � � � ل��ا ن� �و�ي��و ن��� أا ��� ا�م ���ص ن� �ل�� ا �ل ش��م �رل�� �ن��� �ل��ك ��ا ن���� ا � ل�� ��ا �مي��� �ن��� �لي���ل �م ن� ا �ل�عرن� �و�م�� ش� أ ش ي ّٰ أ � ش ا� ّا ا أ ن � ن ا اأ ن �ّ ن �� � ّ ن ا ا ا ��ه� � ����ا ��ل �ع ن � � �ع ن�� ك �م� ���� ء ا لل� ا � ي�م�� �و�م� ن�� ء ا �ن� ر�� �ن� �� ���ي� �و����ل أا �� ي � م و � أ أ ي � ش �ّ � ن � ن �ا � ن ح� ن� ن ��ل � �ا�مّ�ا اأ ا �ع� ل��يا �صي��ا ن���ي � او ر� � � �ل �ع��لي��� ن��ن� نر�ل ��� ا �� ��ا ن� ا �ل ش��م �ر�لن� را � ن��ي��� ا �ل��ي�� ن� � ر ر و ر ن ي م ي م ح أ أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل :و�ب���ط�ط و� ح ب���ا ل �م����م ب��وع��ة 2 .ال� �ص�ل� :م� ب� ا �ل�لب��را ���س�ا.
190
190
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٣٨،٣،٣
Sicknesses of the Blacks, etc.
Madanī, I saw a slave called Saʿīd, who was advanced in years. Faqīh Madanī told me Saʿīd was a hunter and fed me gazelle meat, mentioning that it was Saʿīd who had shot it, and that Saʿīd had to bring him meat two or three times a week. I started looking for a slave like him but couldn’t find one. One group devotes itself exclusively to hunting giraffe and ostrich, namely,
3.3.37
the Bedouin of the savannah, such as the Maḥāmīd, the Zabadah, the ʿIrayqāt in Dār Wāddāy, the Majānīn, the Zayādiyyah, and the ʿIrayqāt and Banū Jarrār in Darfur. They all hunt on horseback. The best hunter is the one with the fastest horse—when one of them catches sight of his prey, he doesn’t track its spoor but chases it till he comes alongside it. When the prey is within reach, he hocks it. Though ostriches run fast, there are those who can out-gallop them. As for giraffes, however, a horse can only barely outrun them, so it takes a horse that runs like the wind to actually catch up with one. The Bedouin of the savannah in Darfur and Wāddāy are blessed with every comfort they could wish for, except millet, sorghum, and clothing. Their requirements in terms of these, however, they buy with whatever clarified butter, cattle, wild-animal skins, cows, and camels they do not need for themselves. They can even afford to import into Dār Wāddāy and Darfur scabbards, waterskins, leather butter flagons, ropes made from leather strips (which they call wajaj), whips, and other things besides. Their clarified butter is from their own cattle, and their honey from trees— the bees nest there and they harvest it. Hunting is widely practiced, which is why you’ll find that ostrich feathers have no value for them, and the same goes for rhinoceros horn. When I was in Dār Wāddāy, a merchant came from Fezzan looking for ostrich feathers and asked Sharif Aḥmad al-Fāsī, who was vizier after my father, to write him a letter of recommendation to Shaykh Shūshū, shaykh of the Maḥāmīd, and order the Bedouin to hunt for him at a reasonable price. He brought with him fifty French dollars. The sharif wrote him a letter to that effect, and the merchant went to the Maḥāmīd with a Bedouin guide. He stayed there awhile and when he came back told us that when he reached the place where the tribe had settled and asked after the shaykh’s tent, he was shown the way, received with the most lavish hospitality, and put up in the grandest style. When he showed Shaykh Shūshū the sharif ’s letter, the shaykh became yet more generous in his hospitality and treated him with extraordinary kindness and charity, allocating him a tent with its furnishings
191
191
3.3.38
ةأ ف ف ا ��ة� �م��� �مه�ل�� ا ��ه�ل د ا ر���ور
أ ا ��ل ش � ن ن �ا � ا � ن �ن � ي ّ � طن� � ا ��ل�� ّ � ��� 1ا �ن � ��ل�� ����ي�ً�ا � ��ي� أا ��را �م� � �ون� �ل� ��ي�� ع �ي� ا �ل���ل�� � و ن ر ن و ر ين ّ ح ً �ا � �ن ا � � ن ي � ي ���ا �م�ا ي� ي � ���ا ء �س�هّ�م�ا �ي�� � � � � � � � �ص� ه � �ص��ه�� � �ل� ن� � � و و و و و ن ل ي ي شأ � أ ن ّ ي ��� ش � ن ا� ن ن ن� � �ا ن���يه ّ�� �سه�ا ��ل�� ن���يع���له�ا �م ن��� � ا ��ا � �ع��ل�ه�ا �وك� �ا�ا � � �ل��ك ا �لي��ا ن�ر ا ن���� �س�ه�� �ه�� �ي�� ل ل��ي�� � ا�م�� ��ور و ن ي� ن � � ّ ح � � ن ا �ً� �ن � � ا �� ش ن � ن ي� � ن ش��ّ ا نّ ا ��لي��ا � ���ل�� ��ل�� ش � ا �نل ح�م�����ي� ر�ي� �ل� � ��ط�ل ن� ل��ي��� ل��ي�� ن� � � ا �ل�عرن� �و��ا �ل �ك�ه� �ه�� ا ر ن���ل �عر�� ن� م أ� ي � م ن � يرأ م ح ح أ ن � � � ن ن � ن � اأ ن ا �ن ن � ا �ل� ا ّ ش ن ا � ن �اا ن � ا � ي �� ن � � ��� �ي� و ن �� أا ��ي� �و�ي �ري��� ري���� ا �ل��ه� �م �م� ك�� � �ل�� ا ر ن� �ي� ا � �ري� �ل�� �لي��ه�� �ل�ل� ي �ص��� �م� أ أ ّ ا � ن ا ي نّ � ي ي � ن �ا � ن � � � ن �ص��ا � �و �� ا� ���ل��� ن ��ط��لي�� ���ل�� �نك���ن� ر��ا �ل �و�م ن� ا �� � ن� ا م ك � � ن نر��� ا ء ���ل�� نر�ل� ر�ي� �ل �� �ه��ر � ل ن ن � ي ح ن � ً نع م أ ن � ا� �� � � ����� �ي ا �ن ن ن � �ش ع��مر� ن� ��ط��يلس�م�ا ��ع�� �وا � ك���� � ش� �ع ن��� ��ع ي� ����ن� �ي ��و� � او � ���� ��ا ء � ا نل���� ا �ل�عرن� �م�ط�لن�� � او ن � ن ي م ن و و � ي م ن ن ن � �م ن � ش ح�س� ن�ك�ه�ا ع��م � ن ��� �مً�ا ن �� � �م�ا �أ��ي ن���ل��� ن ���ط��ل �� �و��م��له�ا ��ل�� ا �ل��ش�� ن � � � �ع�� أا ن�ل��ل�� �ور�ّو�� � ن ا نر � � � � � و � ري� ي و ع ي� و يح أ � ن ّيم ن � � ش ي ي �اش� � ن � ن ن ا ا ا ن ن � �ا�ا � �م ن� ن��م��ل�� �م�ا ن��ا ء �ن�� � �ه� ا �ل��ه� � �أ� ��� ن�� ء �م��� نل ك ك���ي ر �وك ����ي�ر � او �� �و�س�ه�� �م� ا �ل�������ل م � َ نْ ْ َ � � ش ش � ْ ن �نْ ا �� َ ْ�ن �ي �� � او �ل�� � �رنُ��و���س� ء ك� �صيم�� �ا��ي�ر � �و�ا ��� � او ر�ي ا � نك���ط��لي�� ن�لش��ل�ا �ش��ي ر��ا �ل�� ي� �و ا� ي�لن ��ي� �س�ه�� � ا ل � � ا � ��م 2 � ل� � ص � و و ي ر ي نع ي ي م م ن ًا�اش ً ا �ّ � � �ش ��� ع��م �ي �م ن ا ن��ل � ور� نر�� ك���ي�را � ل � � � و أ �ل� و ر � نح ن أّ � أ أ ّ � ن � � نن ن �ي ّ � ًّ ً ا ن ا� ح ا ��ل�� ن���ل� �� �ي���ي���� �كه�ا � او �م�ا ��حل �م�� ن�كي��ا ك� �ا��ل� �ون�� ��ط �ر�ا �و�ي�� �ي��� ا � او �م� ا �ررا �� �ل� � �لع� ��ي� م�ن��ر أ � و ن ن و ي ع � أ ا �ل ه � ا �� ي ن � ّ � � � � ن � ن ي �� �و�ي��و ن���� �ع ن��� ا �ل�عرن� �م ن� ا �ل� رر � او �ل��� �ر� � او �ل���ور��ي ن� �و � ن��يل�ن� � �و �س�مر �ع��� ي� � او �ل�������ل أ ّ � ن ا ي ي �ح �� ش ي أ ن ن ن ن ��� ن � ن ي � � � او � ل�� �ر��و � او �ل��م �ر�� �م�ا �ل� �ي��و ن���� �ع ن��� �ع�ي�ر�ع�م � او �م�ا ا �ل��ل�� نن� ��ل� ي��سم�� �ل�� �ع ن��� �ع�م �ل����ر���� .ي�ا ���� �و� أ أ أ ّ � ً ّ � ي ن ن ح�ي ا ن �م ن ا � ا �� ا � ا أ �� �� � ا ن أ � ن ا �ل�� ن ���ا ء ا �رر�ي�ليه�ا ي� ��� ا �ي �م��� س�م� �و�ير� ��و� را �لن��� � أ � � � أ � ي ��� �ك�ه�م �و� و �ّ � ا�ا�م����� �ّ��ي 3ا ��ل �ا��ّله�ا ��لصن�ً�ا � ���ا ن�ل ّ���ي ي���� ا ��لن�ه�� ا ن� � ا ��ل�� ك ا �� �ليع �ل���ي �من ح�م � او ��ل � ك � ه � ر و ر � � ن ن ي ن ن ن ير ر و ي ري م
ن ن ��� ��ه��ل ��ي�
� �م ن� ا �ل ش��س�عر �ن ن�لعر�ش���� �و ن��مي�� ع
٣٩،٣،٣
٤٠،٣،٣
يأ ن ا �س��ه� ��ه��ل�� ا ��ه��ل � ا ر���ور
أ نّ �� ي ي ا � ي أ � ا أ ن ن ّ ن �� � ّ ن ��ّ � ا�� ن ي ي ي ّ ن � �ي ���� ا � ا ل م �ه�و ���ا � ح ن� �� �� �� �ل�ه� �ل� ا ��سم� �و� �ع�سي� �ع� ام �ل و �ك��� � � �ث�� � �لعرر ��ي� �عل��م ا �ل ��و�ي � ا �� ن� ن ا ا ا� �� � ي � � � ي ا � �� أ � � ن ن � �ي � � ا ��نل أ � ن ����ل�� ��م ي �و ن� �و�ل ن�� او ��ل�� ��� م ��له� �و ن �م�� لع�� ء �م�ط�ل�� �ل� ي��� ن أا �� ا � ��ل�ا � ��ي� � �ل� ن� ���ا ن�� أ ح ن� ن � � يع ّ � � ل��� �من ����ا �أل��ل� ن� � �ع�� ا � �� ا � ��مي��� �م ن � ���� � �كن ن� ��ط أا �ل�ه� �ل�ه�� ن ��مي � � � � � �� � � � �هم� ر ي� م ن ي� ر و و �� ن و ن ر ل � ر و وو ن َ ْ ْبْ أ أ أ ا� ب ��مة���ا 3 .ال� �ص�ل :و�م��س��ةر�ة��ة. ��مة���ا ل ���بر 2 .ال� �ص�ل :و ل ك 1ال� �ص�ل :وا �
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Currency among the People of Darfur
and everything he needed, and appointing a senior male and female servant to see to his needs. The merchant had brought with him a gift for the shaykh, which he pre-
3.3.39
sented to him and which the latter accepted and requited with gifts of his own. Then the merchant handed the fifty dollars over to the shaykh, and the shaykh summoned the Bedouin and told them, “This man is a stranger who has claimed my hospitality and sought my protection, and he desires ostrich feathers. If any of you would like some of these dollars, let him go hunting tomorrow morning. For each ẓalīm ostrich he brings he will receive a half dollar, and for each rabdāʾ ostrich a quarter dollar.” 210 The Bedouin leaped to obey his request and set off to hunt the next morning—in one day they brought around twenty ẓalīms. The man stayed with them for some twenty days, during which he collected about one hundred ẓalīms. The shaykh had loaded these onto his camels, and gave him a large stock of provisions. Among the items he provided was ostrich fat, of which the merchant brought a large quantity. He also arrived with large quantities of honey, kenykenya candy, hijlīj kernels, and yellow jujube fruits. He sold the ẓalīms in Wārah for three dollars apiece and was left with only around ten skins. He made a large profit. Giraffes have no value as a trade item, except for their skins, which they
3.3.40
sell. They eat the meat fresh and jerked. The Bedouin also have more rice, sawa millet,211 kūrayb, hijlīj, tamarind, honey, yellow jujube fruits, and hijlīj kernels212 than anyone else. Milk is so abundant among them that it has no value: they take the clarified butter and throw away the curds. It’s so plentiful that anyone who goes to their settlements, especially those of the Rizayqāt, the Brown Misīriyyah, and the Ḥabbāniyyah, will find the nearby streams and ponds awash with milk.
Section 2: Currency among the People of Darfur It is acknowledged in theology that the Truth, may His names be exalted, has no need of place or particularity. He possesses absolute sufficiency and is in no need of any of His creation, while all creatures need His bounty, plead for his charity, and crowd together at the gates of His mercy. He has therefore bestowed on them the gaze of His benevolence, granting to each that which will support him and his family, while favoring some over others
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ن نّ ي أ �م�ا �ي�ل ��و�م �ن�� � نو�ل�ه�ا �ل��لي��� �و������ل ن�ل�� ن� �ك�هم� � � ا ��لن�عن�س ّ � �من �ه� ا �ك���ه��ل�وك �و ن� ��ه��ل �ك�هم� � ي� و م ا � �� ي ا ن� �ن ا � �� �ا �ي �ه� � � �و� �لأ� م�ل � �و �ل� ن� �
ةأ ف ف ا ��ة� �م��� �مه�ل�� ا ��ه�ل د ا ر���ور
ن ن � ا� ن ن �ع��� ن�ل�� ن�� ��� ا �ر نر�ي� ن�� �هم� �ه�م ا�م��ل�وك �و�م � ��ه��ل �م � � � ي أ ا ًا � ي ن ا �ن � � � �أ ن �ي أ ا � ا � ن ��� � � � ا ا ا � � � �س�� �ن� ي ن���و�ك�ه� �ي� �ط�ل ن� �ل� رر � و �مر ن� ل��س�ع�
َّ أ � � � � � �ً� ن نن � �م ن � ن ع ����ي�� �َمنصَي��َ� ا ن� ن� ��ه��ل ا �لنصيع� � او �ل ش��م ار ء ��ل�ا �ل� �ن�ي� ن� ا �ل ن��ا ��� �ليصن��ا ��� او �م�ا ��ي� � �ل ��و��س�هم� و� ع م �ن �ن � ا ا��مي ّ ن � �م�� �ن��ي ا ��لنَ��يْهَ�� ْ� ن �ي ّ�ي ��ل��ل�ه�� ن �ل ن��ا ���� ن�� 1كه�م�ا ا ن ��ه��ل �� ا �لن��ل� � س �ه� ا �لن�� ��� ن� � �و��� �� ن� �ع ي َ� ر ي� ي و ن � � ي ي ن م أ � ن �� ّ ن � �ن ن� ّ ����� ا �ن � �ي� ا �� ش ش ي ا ا ا ا ن �م� ي� ي � �و�� �م� ا � ��ور �س�ه� ��س�ه� �ويك� ��� ن�� �ك�طر�و� أا �لي��� �� ا ر�لي�� ��س�ه�م �و���� ن�� � �وله� � م أ ّ ّ ا �� �ن �ي ����ي ����ي �س�ع � �ن��ي � � ا ��ع � � �ن�ا �ن�� ����ن �ا�ل �م�م�� �� � � � ��ع� ل� �ه� �م� ��و� ر و ر و و � ي ن ن ر ي م م �� � ّ� ن ي أ ن �ن ن ن ا �� ي ّ ن � ن � �ن ن � � ي � ّ ي�ا � � � � ا ا اا ح ش��سي��� ك��ا �ل��لي��ل� ل��ن� �م� ك�� ��� ا �ه��ل ا �ل��س�و� ا � �ي� ن� ��و� �ع� س�م�� � ا �ل�� ���ي�� �و�ي� ��ط�ل�م�� �و م أ � �ن ن � � �ي ن � ا � يّ ن �ه� ��ل�� ي��م�يّ� نر ا ��ل�� ن� ��� �م ن� ا ��لن� ا �ل �ا�ا � ا �ع��ل � �� ك ��ا ��� �و�ل� ا � �ل�� � � ن � ن ي �����ير �م� ا �ر��� ��� ح�� �م� ن م م ن يً ن أ نّ �ان � � أ � � ّ ن � �ن �����ي �ا�ا ن ��ن ��ل�ا � � � � ك� � � � � �� � � �ل � � ع � ا ا ا � � � ا س � �عس�م�ا ��مم��ل� � ح � � � � � ه�� �� � � � � �� ه � � � ه � ل � � ل � � ك � � � � ر وي ن ين ي و ن ر وي رو ني � ي� ن م ّ أ أ ّ � ّ � � ش � � ا ر�ن�� ر ��ل���� �كه�ا ��س� ء �م ن ا�ا�م�ه�ا � ن� أا �ل�� �م�ا ن���ل� أا �ل ا ن � ي � ا � ح�ي أا ن� ا �عن ��� ّ ن ي� �ه� �م� ا �ل� �� ��ط� ر � و ي � ن � ي� � طم ����ي� ن أ أ أ ّ � ن � �ن � � ن �� � ن ا� ا � � �ي ا �� ن� ن ّ �ي ن � ن أ � ح�ا ر � �ك�ا� �ي�ليه�� � �م ن� ا �ن�� او ا �ل� ن� ��� �ه� ن�����ير �و� ا � لي���و �� او ن�معرل ع� ا�م�ه� م�ل� �ن� ل�� �����ا �ك�ه�م �م � م م ع �� نُّ ن � �ن ا� ّا �� أ ي � �ا �ع ا ��لي�ّ ا ي� ّ ي ا �ا� ي ا ن� ا ا � �أ� ا ا � ي ا �� ا �� � ا ك � ���ا ر � � م � �م � � س � � � � � � � �م � � � ه �� � � � � � � � � � او ل�� ل � ل ن ر و أ� ر ي� ل��� �م� �و��ص� ن م ن ر و ر ن ن ن � أي ً أ ّ ن ي ن �اّ �ي ي ن ن ن ن �ي ي س ��ع����� �نك�ه�ا ي�لي��ه�ا �م��ل�و� �وي� ش�����ر�و� �نك�ه�ا �م�ا ي� ش��سس�ه�و� ��ا � �ل���س�م� او ��ي� � �ل��ك ا �����ا �م�ا � او � �� ن� ���ل �� � م � � ي ً ن �ه� ن��م�ا ا � � �ع��لي��� �م ن� ا�ام�ه�ا �م��ل�� َ�ي �� او �م�ا 2 �ك��ط��ل �م � م ح أ ي ّ � � � ن ي ي ن ي ا� ن � ي � ن ي ي ن��ا �ّو��ك�ه�ا ا �� �لنه�ا ش��مر �و�ه�و �س�عر ا �ل����ل������ �و� ح� ا�م�م��ل����� .ن� ��ه��ل� او �م� ا � �ل�� �وا �ي�� �����ير �� ن ن� م ا� � � ش�����ي � ن� �كه�ا �م�ا ي� ي ا � �ن�� �م ن ��ل � ����� �و ن� � � �ن� �م ار � او ي� �و�ع�ي�ر � �ل��ك ي رو ن � ح�م �و� ن��نح �و ��ي ��� ن��و � �ص ن� �و ن ي � َ �ي�� ن ن � ن � ي �ي�� ّ يَا ْنَ ْ ْ يُ نْ يَ ا نَ ْ ْ ن� ي �ي�� ّ يَا ْنَ ْ ْ ْ ْ َ ي ّ ن ْ �و���س��مّ �ن�ا � ن�ل ��ورا � �و�� �ي�ا ر�لي��� �و��ع� �ع�� س�م��ي� �ع�لي� ��ط�� �و س��م �� ر�لي��� � �� �و �له� �لي��� �وركي��ه�� �و س��م �� ر�لي��� � َ � ن ي ن ن ي ن �أ �ا ن�ا ن ا �� �أ ا� ّ ي ي ا ن ن ا ا � � �ا �ا � َ ّ َا ي ي ا ا ا � � �ه� �ن� �ل� �� �� ن��ي��ي�� ي�ل��ه�ّ �م��ل�و� �نك�ه� �� ��س�ه� �� �س� ا ���ورع�م �مك�� � ��ر�� � او �ل����ور ا�م�ه�م�� ي�ل��ه� �م��ل�و� �كي� َ ن ان �َّ ي � ش يّ ي � ن ن ن � �ي � ن � � ا ش ي أ ن ن ن � طو�ك�ه� � ن��س� يُل ك ��ي��� �و �عي� ��س�ه�� م� �ع �رل � ���� �� � ع��مر� ا � ر �و�عر� �ك�ه� � راع �و �عي� �ع���� � ��و�ع��ي� ع ع َْ � �ن ن � �أّ � �ا ي � ن � �وك� ح�نعي��ن� ن�ع�ي�ر �م ن��� ن�م ���� �و�ه�و �م ن����س�ون� ن� �شَ�سيم�� � �ا�ي � �ه�ا �ش�ليعي���ل �م ن��� ن�م �م� ا �ل� �ول� �� � �و م����سو� ن � ح ح � نح ّ أ � �� ن ن �اّ ا ش ن � ن �ن �ن � � ا �� �ن ا ن ا � ا ا ن � ا ا ن ش � � � �� � �ا�ل ا ر�ل� يل � ��ا ��ا� � � نري�ا �ل ار ����� �و�م� ا �ل�� �ي� ��ل �ل��ي� �وك��� نري� ل ر ����� �و م� �ع�� � �ل�ك نع
ُ أ أ أ ً ة ب 1ال� �ص�ل :ة��م ب��ا �لو� 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا وا �م�ا.
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Currency among the People of Darfur
in terms of the livelihood they receive, making some kings, others rich men, and yet others paupers. He has created for them means to use in pursuit of their livelihoods and commanded them to strive and struggle lest they fall into poverty. As a part of His vast favor, He has made buying and selling permitted to
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men, so that they can obtain what they hanker for and be relieved of misery. Thus, in civilized countries He has made the two forms of specie213 sources of consolation by means of which men may obtain the things needed for their daily lives and necessary for them to accumulate wealth. Likewise, He has in His glory and exaltedness assigned to each realm a recognized mintage and gold and silver coins they recognize. Given that the people of the Lands of the Blacks are so far from civilization
3.3.43
and its might, and live in a darkness as savage as the blackest night, most of them, it must be said, cannot tell gold from brass or tin from lead. Even those whose lands contain gold as a mineral sell it as ore, believing that to sell it that way is more proper. This ignorance is particularly characteristic of Darfur— it has no metals other than those imported from other lands,214 so that even the most splendid of its women’s jewelry consists, as noted above,215 of different kinds of stone. Predictably, then, these people do not have the benefit of silver and gold as currency for their use. Despite this, given that merchants have set foot in their country and that their cities have grown because of the presence therein of commercial establishments, they have come up with equivalents of minted currency with which to carry on commerce and to buy what they want. For this purpose, they are divided into different areas, and each area has adopted the currency it finds appropriate for daily use.216 The first area is the fāshir, the headquarters of the sultanate and seat of government. The people there have made rings of tin with which they buy whatever meat, chicken, perfumes, fuel, vegetables, and so on they need. In the language of the Fur these rings are called tǎrne and come in two forms, thick (called tǎrne tonga nia) and thin (called tǎrne bayyâ). They use these as currency in their small-scale transactions, as stated earlier.217 For larger transactions, they use takākī (plural of tukkiyyah), which are pieces of cotton cloth ten cubits in length and one cubit in breadth. This cloth is of two types: shīkah, which is of a light, loose weave, and katkāt, which is of a heavy, compact weave. Four takākī of the former are equivalent to one French dollar, as are two and a
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3.3.44
ةأ ف ف ا ��ة� �م��� �مه�ل�� ا ��ه�ل د ا ر���ور
�ا�ّ ي � �ش ن � �أ � ن � ا ن ي ا ا � ي ي ن ي ا � ن � ن ش �نصيع� � �ه�م ك��ل�� ا �����ن��� ا �ل ��سي� ء ن����سي�ء � او �ل�� ��ور ا �ل�� ��ط� �م �ع��� �ع�م �لن��ع �ن� �ر�كي��� �كي ��ه� �ل �ه�� ا ا � �لعر��� َّ ْ ن أ ش �اش �ي ُ ّ �س�ً�ا � ا ��ل����� ا ���س ّ �ع ن��� ��ع ا ��ل�ع��� ا ��ل�� ن� �� ا ن� ا �ي���� ��ا ��ل ش����� �م ن ا � ����� �س��ي�� ا �و ن�ل��ل �� ر و أ � ن ن ي ن������ ا � ي ي �ن ي � ي م ّ أ � ّ �س���ي ���ا �اع��� ا ��� �ش�� �م��ي اأ ن� �ن �س���ي ا �ش�س��ا �ا�ا ن� ���ط� ��ل�� � ي �ن� ��ل��ك � ي��سم��ي ا ��ل����� ا ��س� ّ �م ن � � � � ح ا ا � � ل����� � � ك ن رو ل�� ن أ � و ي ي� � وي ّ � �� ن � ّ���ي � �م ن ا ��ل ش � ي � ن ي يّ ي � ن ش� ا ن ي ن � ي يّ ي ن ا �لي� � ��ا ��ا� �ش�ل�ا �ش��و� يل ك ��س او �ر ا �رر�� ��س��� � او �لنصيك��� �م� �لي��� �و�م� ا �لن ��عر ��س��� �و�م� ��ي و � � ا �� ��ا ��ل�� ي� �ن ا �ن����ا � ش �ا�ل أا �ن����ا ن� � ش�����ير�� ن��م�ا �ع ن���� �و��ل�� ي�ل�ع �ن�� ن� ا�م ع��م �ي ر��ا ��ل�� ي� �و �� � �ن ��و ن� رو ر ر ي ي ي ري اي أ � � � � � ش ا� � ا� � ّ ي ن � � � � ن ي ش ن �و��ل� ا � �لع ��� �و�ل� ا � �لع ا �ن��ك �و�ل� ا �ل ��ي�ر�ي�� �و�ل� ���س� ء �م ن� �س�ه�ا �م�ل� � ا �ه��ل ا�م�� � ��س�و�� ا � �ري� �ل ر ر ا �� ن�ل ا �ن ا ا��م��س ّ �ع ن�� �ع اأ � ا �م�� � �ن عر ���� ��م� � � � � م ن ع �ن � � ا � �ن ا نّ ي ا � ن ا �� �ا ّ �ي ن ن � � �َ ��ش �ا � اأ�ّم�ا اأ�ه� �ا � ل � ك � �ل � � � � �ل �ل � � � � � ا � � � � � ل � � � � � � ح � � � � 1 ��م � � م ه �� ل ه � ه � ك ل �� � � � � � ن ن ن ي و ن َر � و و رر ي � و � �ل نو ي و أ ي و ر أ ن ح أ � م ّ ً ّ ي ي ي ن ن �ا ����� ا أ ّ ي � ���� � ي��� ي��� �م ن��ا ��ا ��لن�ه��لي ن� ���ط �و�ل�� ��ا ��ر�ك�� �م ن��� ا ن� ��� �ن� ��ا ���ل ن �مر �و�م ن��� ا رر��.يل�ه�م��ل �� ن ��� �م� ��� � ن و ن ن ن يع ن ن ا ن � �أ � ن � ن ن ن ن ّ ي ع �ن ش ا ا ��ً�ا �ع ن ور���ي� ن � ا� � � � � � ّ � �ه� �يصع�ه� �م��ل�و� �ن�� �ي� ��س�ه� �� �س� ا �ل�� ��ور � �و � ل��مرح �ع�لي�� �ي� ����ي� ا ل������ ء � أي أ � � ي� ي ن ن � ن � ي ا ��لي��ا نر�ل��� ��ن� ا �� �لنه�ا ش��م �و�م ن ا �لن�ع ��ا ��أ ن� ا � ا �لي��ا نر�لي��� ��ي� �ه�� � ا �ل����س� او �ي� ا �لش��ل�ا �ش�� �ل�� ��� �س�ي� ش��م �ر�� �م�ا ء ر � ي ي ي ن ا� ا � � ي ا �� � ��ش � ن ن� �ي � ّ ا ي �� ا أ �ي � ن ����� �ي �� � ش ي �� ا � � ن ا �ي ل ��� � أا �� �م� �� �و م� ن�� أا �� ع��مر� أا �� �م� �ل� �ك�ه� �ي� ن�ل��ل ا�م�ه� م�ل�� �ن� حر � م� �م���� 2ن � ي ي � ّ أ � � � ي � ّ �ي �ع ن �ع ش� ا � ن ���� � �ليع ّ � ا � �ا�ا � �لنه�ا ش � ي � � � � ا ك � � �� � � � � � � � ��م � 3 � � ك � م � � ل � � ل م ي� ن ون ي �ل�� �ويس�م�� ا �ل� ي و ر ح � اأ �ّ ا ي �� � � ا � ��ل ا �نصيع� ا � � ن � ا �� �لنه�� �ي � � �م�� ن ا �ع ّ �م����ين�� � ي� ا �ًا �م ن ا � �أ ��ن �ه� 4ي ه� م�ل�و� ن� ل��و و ه�و ل �� و م� �ر�ي� و م� و ي� �ص�� �ي� حرنح ر ن� � �ل�ر � ح أ أ � � � ّ � ّ � � ن ي ي ن � ّ ن ن � ن �ص�و� �ع��لي��� ا�ام�ا ء �ع��� �ع�� �ل ن� ��� ن�س� �ر�� �سو ن� ا �ل���و����ا � � او �ل���ي �نر�� � �ويك� ���ن� � �وي�ل� ��طر�و� �م�ا ء � �ويك� ن � ّ� ي ح ن أ � ّ� ن ن ي �ا�ا ��ل�����ا ن�ل� ي�ن� �ح� ��لن��ي��� �ه�� ا ا�ا�م�ا ء �و�لي���ل�ي ��و ن� ا�ام�ي� ��طر �م ن��� ��� �ي�� او ��ل ن� ك� �م��� ن�ل�ه�� �ن�هحر�و� ��� � �ويك���ي�ر ي � ي أ ن ا� �اا � �أ ا �ي ش ا ي �م ا �ّ ����ي ع اأ ا � ن ا ��ي�ي �� � ش ا � ن ن ي � � ا � � � ك�� �ل���� ن�ل� �و �� ���� �ه�� � �� �ل ا � ح ار ن �ه�� ا مل � �ورا ��ي� �و �ي� ل���ط�ي ر �وي����� نك�ه�و� ح ح أ أ عن � � � � � � ن أ ن اً � � ن ي � � � � �أ ن �ص��ا �ّ���ي � ��ل�� �نل�هل��� �م ن ا � ���� �ه�� � ا �ك� ن � � � ا ل � � ��� ا �لن� را ا �ل� � ع �ه� � او �ه��ل ا �لن��ل�� �ل� ي�ل�ه�ل���و� ا �يك� أ و و ن ي� ي ل � ر م م �ي ا أ � ن م أ � ي ا � � ي ا أ ن �ّ � ن � ن ا ي أ ن ي � ��ش � ل � � � � ا � � ع ا ا ا ا �ص�� �ع�� ا � �ي�ل ��و� �� او �سي� ء م � � � � � � � �ه�� ل ع � ل � � � � �ع� � � م � � ك � � � ه �س� ك � � ر� ر م أ ن�ل��ل و و ل � �م �ل � م أ آ � � ن � �����ن ا ا � ا ء �ن ا � ن�لع� �ل �ن � ن� ن��ع�ه��ل ن ا � � � � �نل� �ن ا �ّ �� �م ن � ن � � او �ش����ير�لي��� و ن � ن� � ي ه� �و� �صع�ه�� �و� �ليه�� �ع�� �م��ل ي� �نك�ه�� ا ا�ام��ل �� و�ل� عر� ول � ي ّ أ � ّ ي � � � � ّ � ن ّ � ن ن ن ح��س ي ي � ن ن ن ا � ��ل�� ��ل�� ن�ّ �ي � ��ا �ل�� �ل��� � ا�م�� � ا �ك���صع�ع ّ ط� حص���ي ��ن� �� ل ع ه � � � � أا �ل� ا �ن�� �ع�ي�ر �ش�س�ه�ا �� �و�كي��� � �مر� � � م ل و ن ين ي ح ن ي �ي أ �� � ن ا�ا� �� ن ي نن ّ ن أ � ن ّ ني �صع��ع ّ ي ن� � �� حرن� �م ن� �ن��ر ا � نر�ع�� �و�ي� �و���ل���و5 � ��ي� � ا ر���ور �ش�ل�ا �ش�� :ر�ع�� �و�ي� �و�ه�و م�ل � او ��� او مل ن ي � ي ح ح عح أ أ ب ب أ أ ب ة أ ب ش ب ��� ا �ة� ال� �ص�ل 3 .ال� �ص�ل� :م�ا � 4 .ال� �ص�ل :ول� �ه�ا 5 .ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا �. 1ال� �ص�ل�� :ر��� 2 .
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Currency among the People of Darfur
half of the latter. For all other transactions, they barter. For major transactions, they price things in slaves. Thus, they may say, “This horse is for sale for two, or three, sudāsīs,” the sudāsī being, in their parlance, a slave who, when measured from heel to earlobe, is six handspans tall; sudāsiyyah is used for females. A sudāsī is equivalent in value to thirty takākī of six blue, or eight white, lengths of camlet, or to six head of cattle, or to ten French dollars. People make their purchases using whichever of these currencies they possess. They know nothing of the sequin, the piaster, the franc, the khayriyyah, or any other currency used by the people of the cities, with the exception of the French dollar, which they call “the cannon coin.” 218 The people of Kūbayh, Kabkābiyyah, and Sarf al-Dajāj use ḥarish as cur-
3.3.45
rency. These are beads that are neither thick nor thin, some of which are green, some blue. They gather these beads into strings of one hundred; we’ve already described them in the section on women’s finery and adornment.219 They use these as currency for their small-scale transactions in place of the tǎrne used in the fāshir. It is remarkable that in these three markets one can’t buy even a sip of water with tǎrne—all exchange is in ḥarish, in quantities from five to a hundred beads, and in anything from one to ten to countless strings. Among them the tukkiyyah is worth eight strings, and everything else is the same as in the fāshir. In Qirlī and its dependencies they use pôlgo, which is manufactured salt
3.3.46
extracted from the ground in the form of dirt. They pour water on it, or so I imagine, so that the impurities and soil particles settle, then strain, filtering the water, which is small in quantity, and put the filtrate into finger-shaped molds. On cooling, this hardens and turns into finger-shaped pieces. I saw the places where they extract this salt and saw the filtering vessels, which resemble Frankish cooking pots. I have no idea who introduced this craft to them, and the people of the country don’t know either. The most they are likely to come up with if any were to ask, “Who taught you this craft?” would be, “Our fathers used to do it, so we do it too; we don’t know who first practiced it.” I have used this salt as currency myself and bought it; it has a remarkably delicious taste, different from that of natural salt, but is cloudy and brownish. There are three kinds of salt in Darfur—zaghāwī, which is a natural salt taken from Bīr al-Zaghāwī, pôlgo, which we have just described, and mīdawbī, which is also a natural salt but bloodred in color. Mīdawbī is extracted in pieces
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3.3.47
ةأ ف ف ا ��ة� �م��� �مه�ل�� ا ��ه�ل د ا ر���ور
أ ن ً �ّ أ � أ ّ ي ي ن ا ن�ا � � ����صع�ع ّ ح ن� �ا�ا ��ل��� � �وي��� ي�����ين�� ���ا أا �ل�� ا �ن�� � �� �ون�� ا ��مر ك� � ا �يك � �و��� ��� �م�� � ��ر� �و�مي��� �ون �ي� �و�ه�و �م�ل ن ي � ر � م ّ ح ي ح��� ن �� �ا ً ي� �م�� �م ن��� ا ���� � �ا�اأ � ط�هً�ا ل��ا ط � ا ��ل��� ي ح�ا 1ا ��ك���ط�ا ح �ن �س��� ا ر�ي � �وش�ليه��ل�� ��ل�� ي �ح�م�� ا ن ��حل �و ن� ��ن� ا ل ح � � � � � � ا �� ��ل � ك ل � � و ر ر أ ل ل ن ن ن ري� ي م أ � � � ن ط�ع ��ل�� ن� �� ن�� اأ ��ا ��ش �م ن ا ��ل ن�� �ع�� ن ا ��ل��آ ن� � ن � ا ن�ع� ش��م ن�ً�ا �من �ه�م�ا �و�ل�� �ل�هل��� �م�ا ���ن�� ن� ا ��م ار ر� �و�ل�� ��ل � � � و ر ر و ي � � ي� � ي � م � ن م ّ نأ �ي ي �� �م��ل��ي ن��اأ ن�ع�� ا ��ل��أ�م�ل�ا � ا�ا�م��� � �� ّ � اأ� ��س ����ه�ا ا �� �لنه��ل�ي �� � اأ� �ن ن ا ا ا � ��ا ن ��حل � � ا � � � ه � �� � � � � � � � س ع � ه � � � وو �ل و� ري� ح ي ون ي� و و � � ر وي ون � � ي ا ن �ن ا � ا ي ا � ن ا �ا� �� ا �� �ن � ي �ن ن ا ن أ � �اا ��ل ش �ن � ا � له�ل� ��و �� ��س�ه� �� �س� ا � ��ورع� ك�� � �ه� 2ي�ل��ه� �م�ل�و� �ن� مل حر��� �ي� �� نو�لي��� � او �ل�� ر�لي��� �ي� �و�م� �و�لي� ي � أم ح � � ن � � �� ن �� ور ن� ن�ل��ل �ن�ا �ل�����ا ن�ل� �نيصن��ا �ه�� ا ا �ل ش���س�ء �ن �لنه��ل�ي �� �و�� ���ل �و�ل� � � نل لي�� ا � �لنه�ا ش��مر �و�ل� ي�لن��ا �ع ن��� ��ع ا�ام��ل ي ي م ن ع ع اش يع ن ي ّ ا ي ح� ن ي � �أ � � �لنه�� �لي �� �لي��� ن ي� 3ن�لش��ل� ��� ��� �ل �� �و� � �و � �ه���� ا � �ون�ا ��ي� ا �ل����ور �ع� ل��اه�ي�ر�ع� ن يو ي م م ُ ّ � ن ي ي ا ا�ا � ّ � ن ن ن �اَ ا �ني � ا � � ن ن� � ا � � ن ا ن اأ �ّ ا �ي � �� � � � � ل ل �م �ون�� ا �لأ�� �رن� �و�ه�� ا س � ك � ع � ع ص ل � ي � � � � � � � � م � ل � ه ��� � � �ه� �� �ن� �مك�� ي��س � � � م � �و م� ��س�و ي � و ي ن � أ و �� ن � م ح � ّ ي ّ ا �ن � � ا �� ا ن ���س ّ ن � � ن ا ن � ��ا ��أ� �و�ل�� ن� ا ��ل�� �ي�لنه�ا �ي� �م ن ا �لن�ع ����و� �ص��� �ل��ه��ل � ر ��ور نل��ل ن �مي�� ل��س�و� � ي � �مو� ا �ل�� �� � ي � ن أ أ نّ ن أ أ ي �ي �� � ا ا� ن� �ن����س ّ ن � يَْ نًا �نع ن �ي ي ا �ص���� �� � �م �و� �لن��ه� �و�� ��س�� 1232 �ي�ا �ن�ا � او �م�ا ا �ه��ل � ن ار � � او �ه��ل �ط ارن�ل�ل��� �معرن� ي � ر ي� � ي � � � �ّ�� ن ��ن ��ّ ش��م � ا ��ل��� ن��ا ن� � اأ ن ���� نّ �ي�ا ن� ل��يا ��ا ن�لي�ه�ا ��ن � ��س ���ط ا �� �ليع ن� ا ��لي��ا ��س� �م ن �لن��� ن��� ا �لن� � ��ريي� ي� � و ر و � � ن ل ع � ر ر � ي ي ح � � ي � �ي �� ن ا �ل � ه ك � ل � �ه�ا [طوة�ل] ح � � ل ن ر ي و ي� َ َ �َي ْ أ نْ���� َ َ ّٰ ُ ٱ ��ْ�يَ ُ � ْ نَا نََا يًا ُ َ َّ ٱ � يَّ ْ نَ � نْ َ�ن ْ ُ ْ َ �ي ا ا � � � � � � � �مر� �لن�� � ي���هح��م� ا �ل�هن�ل �و �� ا ظ�عر لل له�� � ن�ق� ع َم� عي�َر �مري�ه�َ َ ي ر ََ َ ٱْ نَ ْ يَ ا ُ شَ نَّ ا ي َ َا ُ َ َّ �َ �ي � �� �َ �ن�َه��ْ ن �َ ن ��َهنُْ� ���ط ا ��لن�َه��ْ ن �ن� َ��ا �نَ �ل��ي� � ج و و �ه�َ نَ���ج� ًء ��مص�� ً� � �ون� ًء ���و� ً ي ً� ي َ� َي� � �من�ه�ا و � َ َ َ َ ٱ �ّ َ �ْ َ َ أ ْ اأ َّ �ي آ َ �ي � ْ ً�ا �نَ �يُ ْ �َ�ُ اأ � َّ َ � �َو�َم نْ ��َه ّ��َ�ع�� ا �لي� ط َري��م ن ���ل هم���ل �ل� �نَ� ي �� � �َلي�ج��ًل ا �م �نَ� �ي�ج�َ ا �ي�ج�َ �ي ي َ َ َ ْ ّ ٱ َ أ َ ُ َ ٰ ٌ ّ ّ ُ ن �ّم َ ا �نَ �ي ْ � � َ ا ��لي��ْ � نْ �َ ْ� َ �ي َ �َ ْ َ َ ا ُ � َ �و�لي����� َن���ه� ��ع��عر �ولا ا لل� � ��ه� 4هم ��و�ل�ك �نَ� حَ �ري�هح�َم َم� ا ي� �َو ن � ��ه�َ � �من�ه�ا و � َ �نَ ا نْ ��يَ نْ يَ ش يْ ُ ّنَ ا نَ َ ا �نَ �َيَ� اٱ �� شَّ ن� َ ا �نَ َ�ا يَ نْ َ اٱ ْ ٱ ّٰ أ َّ ��َ �َ َّ �ي ��س� � �� ���� � ر� ل��س�ه� �ل ������� �نَ� ���هح�َ ا للَ� ا �ول �ق� َأ� � �ه��َ � ���َ م َ يُ ْ َ ْ َ نَ َ ٱ ْ�� حَ ْ ُ ّٰ َ �ْ َ ُ َ�ن� َ ْ ُ َ �� �ْلَ ْ ��َ ن َا َ يُ �نل�ْ َ �ي ل � ح ح � � � � �و���ل ن�ل�ه�� � ا ك ا ��ه�� للَ و�ه�� � ج�م�� ك َل� ���و� َري� � � َ �ج�م�َ
أ أ ح�ا 2 .ال�أ �ص� :ل� �ه�ا 3 .ال�أ �ص� �� :لب�ه��ةل�ه ��� ��لب�ه��ةل�ه ة��� ب ة� 4 .ال� �ص�ل :بر�م��ه�ا. 1ال� �ص�ل� : �ا ����� ب� ر ل و ل ب وب ب و
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Currency among the People of Darfur
as large and round as millstones and so heavy that a camel can carry only two. It tastes delicious, more so than the two other kinds, and is more expensive. We have no idea how it comes to be red. To summarize: the most expensive kind of salt is the mīdawbī, the middling is the pôlgo, and the cheapest the zaghāwī. The people who fall within the market area of Qirlī and its dependencies use pôlgo as currency for small-scale transactions in the same way that in Kūbayh they use ḥarish, and in the sultan’s capital tǎrne. Salt isn’t sold among them by volume or weight, but by finger. A given item may be sold for one finger of pôlgo, two fingers of pôlgo, three fingers of pôlgo, and so on. All other transactions they conduct the way the others do. In the Kusā market area, they use tobacco—which is called tābā, in their language as in the languages of the Franks220—as currency. This is a remarkable coincidence, and not something peculiar to the people of Darfur: all the Blacks call tobacco tābā (the people of the Fezzan and Libyan Tripoli call it tabgh). In 1232 [1816–17], I saw a poem by a member of the Bakrī family on the permissibility of using tobacco; I think it was written in the middle of the ninth century [late 14th/15th c. ad].221 He says: God, All-powerful, has caused to appear in this Egypt of ours a plant called tabgh, let no one this gainsay, Written with t and two dots, an undoubled b, and ghayn (the ghayn being voweled with an a). And from the same poem: To any who claims, in his ignorance, that it’s forbidden, to him “On what evidence and per what Qurʾanic verse” say, And “It intoxicates not and neither has God forbidden it so whence your claim that God says nay?” And still from the same poem: If you inhale its smoke, you’ll find yourself cured, So forget not “In God’s name!” before you puff away, And say thereafter, “Praise is due to God alone,” for when you praise the Lord, more grace will come your way.
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ةأ ف ف ا ��ة� �م��� �مه�ل�� ا ��ه�ل د ا ر���ور
أي أ � ّ ن � ن ني �ه�� ا ا ��لي��ا ��ا �ه�و ا ��م�ا ا �ع ا �ميّ���ي ا �ل ش��ع � �ص�و�ع��ي �م ن� �ور�ي� ا ��ل��� ن��ا ن� ن�ل�ه�� � ي��� ���ل �س� � �ه��� .و ا �ل � ن ع ر أ ن ن ش � يّ � � ن � � � �ن � اأ �ي ا ً� � ن�ّ ن �ن ع �� �نكه�ا �اا ��� �م ��ن� �س�هرا ��� �م � �و�ه�و ا ن� � ح��س ن� ح�� �يك���ي�ر ك�� لنع�ي� �وي ن�ه� �لو� �م� �ع� �وي ن ح �و� � ر ن ن ن أ ن �ش ي ن ن ن � ن ن ي ا ا ا ا ا ا � � � � � � � � ��ي� ا �ل���سم��� � نول�ه�� ن� � �ه� �يو�ل��ه� �م�ل�و� �نك�ه� �ي� ��س�ه� �� �س� ا ���ورع� حه� �ه� �ي�نرر�و�ك�ه� أا �� ��س� � � و م م ن ن � � ن ا ن �ي � ّ �ا ن �ش�س ّ � ن ا ن أ ن اأ ن �ن � �ه�� � 1ا ��ل��أ��يم�ا �من�ه�ا � � ا �� ار أ� ���ي لي � ا ا � � ا � � � � � � � � � ل � ور و ع � �� � أا � ا �م� أاأ ����� � ي �و�ه�� ا ا �ل�� �� � ��و ي ّ � �ش ا �ا �ا���ن�ه�� �ه�ا ن ا ن �ا�ر ا � �� �� �ن��ي�ر�ه�ا ك� �ا�ا ن�� �ه�ا �م�ا �ه�و ��ن�ه�ي�ر �ن ك ل��م��ر�� �و���ه�ي�ر�ه� � ي ر �م� �ه�و كن���ي�ر �و�م � أ َ �ه�ا ��ا �� ُ�َك ���ط �و��ع� ر�ك ���ط ن�ع ن �ْ�ل �م ن �ي� ���� ن �ا �ر ��و � او ��ر�ل�� � او ��ل ش��س�ه�ي�ر�ّ��ي ن�أ�ا �نّك�ه� ي�لي��ه�ا �م��ل�و ن� ن� � او �ّم�ا �� ك ي� ر ل ن � ر ي ن أ � ي ن ي أ ي ن مي � � � ن ن ع��م �ي ا ن� � ن�ك�ه�ا � ش � � ا ش ع��مر�و ن� �كي���ل�� �ل�� ن�ع�ي�ر �يصيع�ه�ا �م��ل�و ن� �ن�ا � �رك ��ط ��ي� ��س�نه�ا �� �سن� ا ���ور��ع ��ط�و�ك�ه� � ر رع و ي � ن م ُ أ ي ا ن ن � �أ ً � ي ا �ن �ك�ا� ي ن� حيمن� �م ن ��ش� ح �ي�� ا �� �لن�ه�ل�ا ن�كي��� ا �� �سي ن� ن� �ه��ي ن���ّ� ا ��ا �� �لي� ���� ن � � � � ا ل � � � � � م �يو�ل��ه� �م��ل�و� ��ي� ا �ل� ور � � � نر ي ن ن � ي� � ي رح أ أ أ ّ ن ن ن ي � ا �ل ن� � ن �� �ا�ا �و�يكيّ���ي � او �و�يصي��� ن � �وش�ل�ا ش� ا � او �ي� �ع�� �����ي��� ا ��ل ط� �م ن��� ك� �ه�ا �يصيع�ه�ا �م��ل�و� �ن �ل� ��ل �م � ً �� ن ل ��� ��� �و ح�م��ي� ي ي� ع أ أ � � � � ّ ي� ي � ي �� نن � �ل� �ن�ا � ��ور� � او �ل�� ��ور ا�ام�ه�م�� نل��ا�ا ��� ا �ل��� �س او �� أ � ش �ي ن � � أ � � ي ا �ن �ي � ا �ّم�ا �� �س �ي� ن��م��ل��� � �م�ا � ا ��ل���ه�ا ��نس�ه�ا �م��لي �ه� �ن�ا �لن�����ل ي����� ر�و� �ن� ن �مي�� �ه� و و و ع ا � ��ورع�م ا �ل�� � � ي و � م أ أ � �ا � � � �ن ن ش� ي � � �ي � ن ��س ا ي� � ��ل�� ا �� ��ا ��ل���ي ���� � او � �رك ��ط � �و�ا ��� ا ���ور��ع �ن�ا �لي� � ��ا �� � � ل�ع � ا �ل � او � �ل� ��� ن� ا �يك� ن ن ي� و�ل ي ر �و� �و ر و ري م أ � ن ن ا ��ل ّ ي� ن �ص� ���نه�ا أ� � ��كه�ا � او �ّم�ا ��س�و�ي� را ��� ا � �لعي���ل �كن�� � ط� �م ن� � ح ش����ا �ش���ا ي� �و��عي� �� ��ل �����ي��� �س� و� ح و� ع ع أ ن ن�ك��� ن���ل� ن ��ن ���ط �ن�ه�ا ا ���أن�ل� �� ّ �ي� ن �����ً�ا ا ن�ل �� ���ي � ��� �يكه�ا ا �� � � �ك � ل � � ن نو ي� ي و ي� ر � ن ون و ور � ين �� � ش ش � � ن � �ن � � � ن � � ن � � ��سّ ي �ش ن ي ي ن ن ل ط� ح �ر��و� �نك�ه�ا ا �رر �ك ��� ��ل ا ح���ي����� ا �ل�� ي� �ي� ا �رر �و�ل�� �ل�ك �ميص� �وي ع ع ع أ ّ ّ � � ش ا ش �ي ن�ي � ا � � ن � ا �ن �ن ا �ن ا � �ع ي ا �ن ا � ن � ش ا ش ي � ش ن ن � ا �ل ح���� ����� أا �� ا �ل���ي� أا �� ح���� ���� يصعه� م�ل�و� نك�ه� �ي� ��سه� ��س� ��ور �م � �و� � ���ه� م� أ � ن �ي �� ي �ا � ا ��ل ش � ي ا �ش �ا ع��مر� ن� �و�م�ا نرا � �ع�� � ��ل��ك ن�كن��ا �لي� � ��س او �ر لن���ا ��ي� ا �ل���س� او �� �� ��� و � ي أ ّ ا ي أ � ا ��نل �ّ ا ��ل � ن ن ن �ا� ��نس�ه�ا �م��لي � او �ّم�ا ي��م�ور ��� � ا �ل���ا ��� �و��عي� ��ي� �س�ه�م� � ا ���ور �ع � �ون� �ه� �ن��� �م� ن ��� �ور ��ي� � ّم م أ ح � � ا ��ل ��نل �ّ �ن ي ّ ا �� ن ا ء �ن �ا ا � ي ن � � ��س�نه�ا �� �سن� ا ���ور�ع� �و�ي�� �ي�ليه�� � ل�ع �ر�ل� ا �ل�� �م� ن � او��� �ور �ي� ��� ل������ �ل أ �ع� �� ي� م ي م ح أ أ أ ي ّ ن ن � �اع ن �ي � �ن ن �ي ن ن ن ن ي ن �ا ح ن �� ��س�ه�ا � ا �ّم�ا ا �ه�� ا �� �لي �� �صع�ه�ا �م��ل� � ��ا � � � � � � � ع ا � �� � � � ك � ��� �وحع�� � ل س له�ا ��ل ن�� � � و و ن � � ور م � ل ور ي ن ن ي ن � ن ن ُ ّ ا �ي أ � ا� ّ ي ا � �ا �ي � �أ ي أ�اش � � ا� ا � � ي ي ا ا � �و� ح��ص���ي� أا ��� �ك���� �م�� � �و� �� ا ���ورع� ا�م�ه�م�� �ن� �ل� � �� �ي� � او � �ري� �ل�� نل��� �ي� ا �ل���س� او �� � او ���ر ني م أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل :و�م� ب� �ه�د �.
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Currency among the People of Darfur
This tābā consists of pyramid-shaped cones made of tobacco leaves
3.3.49
pounded while still green in a wooden mortar till they achieve a doughlike consistency. They make this into cones, which they dry in the sun. Once the cones have dried out, they take them to their market and use them as currency for small-scale transactions. This kind of tobacco has such a strong smell that one almost faints on smelling it. The cones come in two sizes, large and small; the large are the size of a large pear, the small the size of a small pear. In Karyū, Rīl, and al-Shaʿīriyyah, they use skeins of spun cotton yarn as cur-
3.3.50
rency, each skein being ten cubits in length and containing precisely twenty strings. They use these skeins for small-scale transactions. For trivial transactions they use cotton harvested from the bush, i.e., still in the boll out of which it has burst; they use small amounts of this cotton, such as one, two, or three ounces, by rough estimation or guesswork, without weighing. Major transactions are as in the other markets. The market area of Numlayh and its dependencies use onions as currency;
3.3.51
they make all their trivial purchases with these, as well as with cotton and cotton skeins. For other purchases, they use takākī. They are unfamiliar with both shawātir and dollars as currency. In Rās al-Fīl, they use hoes, which are pieces of iron ham-
3.3.52
mered flat and with a cylindrical attachment, as in the picture: They insert a handle into the cylindrical end and use the hoe to dig around the plants; they cut the weeds that are among the plants, which is why one such hoe is called a “weeder.” 222 They use these as a currrency for their small-scale and trivial transactions ranging from one to two to twenty hoes.223 For larger transactions they use takākī and shawātir as in the other markets. The Tomorókkóngá use copper bracelets as currency. This is for their
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major transactions; for their small-scale transactions, they use khaddūr beads. Descriptions of their bracelets and of khaddūr beads appear earlier224 in the section on women’s finery, so there’s no need to repeat them here. The people of the desert use millet as currency for all their small-scale transactions, in quantities such as a handful, or enough to fill the cupped palms, or twice that amount, up to half a mudd. Their other, major, transactions are made with takākī and dollars, as in the rest of the markets. What they most
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ةأ ف ف ا ��ة� �م��� �مه�ل�� ا ��ه�ل د ا ر���ور
ي ي أ ا ي ا � ن � ي ن� ي � ن ن � ن ش ش ن �م� ي�ل��ه� �م�ل�و� �ن�� ا �لن ��عر كي �� ��و� ��و� �ه�� ا ا � �لعر��� ن�ل����مر �ن �لع ار � ا �و ن�ل����مري�� �ا �ن ي ن ّ ي � ا �ا ي ا ن ���ي ا � � ي � ن ن ا ن ن � أ ّ ا ا� اأ ّ � أ � �ي���ل�� ي� ���� ك�ي�� �ل ��و�ع� س�ه� �م�ل �ك�ه� � او �� �ك ��طر ا �يك�ه� ا�مي�� �م��ل أا �� ا �ه��ل م�م��ل��� �و أ نً ً ي ً � � � �وا ��ك�ه�ا �ن��ير�� �ه�أو��ل��ء �ي�هحر�و ن� �ش����أ��ا � ا� ��س��ا �و�ه�أو�ل��ء �ي�هحر� �ون�� � ن ي�����ا � او�ام��ل�ك �ل�� ي� �� ح �� � �ع��ل� � ي�هم� ي � �أ أ ي �اّ ي ن ي � ا ا � ي ا ا من������ ا ن ي ي � � � � �ن�ا ن� ار ء �س�ه�ا �م��ل�� � او � ����� ��ي� ن��مي�� ا �ل���س� او � ن�ل��ل ا ن ���� ��ل ��و�م �ع��� م� ع�� � �و ن�� � أ ن ا� ا ا ي � �أ نّ � ع�ي � � � ن ن ّ � � ن ن ن � � ن ا ا ن ن ا ا ا ا ا ا ن � ن � � � � ير��� �و�سم����ك �ع�� � ا ل�ل�� �ع� ا �ر���� �� �مي��� ا � ا�م�ه� �م�ل� � �ل� � �م� � ��ر�� � �كي��� ا �� � � � � � ي لعه� ل �م� ي م �انه�ا ���ي ��ن ا ��ل�� � ي عصن��ا را ي� ��ل ي ي�
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Currency among the People of Darfur
commonly use as currency, though, is cattle. They say, “This horse costs ten head of cattle” or “twenty head of cattle.” Behold, dear observer, how diverse are the currencies used by the people of a single realm, and how varied their conditions: one finds that some people believe a certain thing to be an object of value, while others believe that same thing to be worthless! The monarch doesn’t insist they use one currency in all markets; on the contrary, he has left each group to follow the system to which it has become accustomed. Glory to Him who effects what He desires! Let us now rein in the pen from its canter over the parade ground of currencies and commercial transaction, for what we have stated is enough by any consideration.
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3.3.55
��ا � ن�ه�سم�ا ���نبص ي� ��ن � ا �ن� �م ن ا ��ل�ن ي ه��ا �� ن � ن ن ي � ي ن ي� ر �ور � � ن �ن ن �� �و��� ا �ل���� � �هحر � او �ل�يهم�ع ن �ر�هح� �و ن� ��هحر ن� ا �لر��ه��ل �وعي�ر � �ل�ك ي يم ي �أ � ا أ نّ ا �� ن� ن ّ ن ا�ا� ي � �أ ن �� � ر � او �� نك��طل��� � او ��ل �ي��ن� � او�ا�م�ن� نّر� �ع ن ا ن��ل � � ك ���ن� ���س� ا �ل���ش�سي��ا ء ل� �و� ا ��ث�ل� ا � لع�سي� �ع� م�س� � او �ل�ي�� � او ي � م م ّ �م ا أ ن ن � ً � ن حّ �ا ّل�ا �من ��ه�� ��ن� ا ��لن��ل�ا � ا �ل ش���سم�ا ��ليّ���ي ا ��لن��ر� ا ��ل ش����� ���� �و��ن� ا ن��ل �ن ��و�ل ّ���ي ا ��ل �ه�ا �م�ن� نر��ك�ه�ا ن� � � � �و�ع�� �ك�ه� � او �ر�ل �� � ني ر ي ي ل ي أ � � � � ش � � ن ّ ا ا �ا �ن � ي � � � ا � ن ا �ل��س ا � ا � � ا ��ل�� ن� �ي� �م�ا �ع��لي��� �م ن� �م ن �ر��� � �� ل�� �ر �م�� نلعنأ�� �� م� �ع���� ا �ه��ل �م� ل �ن� �ل�� � ء �ن� �م�ل ن���� ي أ ن � � ا ن � ي � ن �ن �� �ا ن ا �� ي � � � ن� ا ا��م ا � �ن نك ��� � � ا� � ا ن � ل � � ا � � ل � � ا � � � � � � ا � � � � � ل ل � � � ه � �� ل � �س � � � ه � � ط � � ه ه � � � ه � �ون� �ل�ل ن��� � �س� �ل� �ي�نر� كي� ن ��� و ر �ل �ل ن �و ن� ن ي� �لأ � و ي � ن �ل ا�ا�م��� � ن� ن �� �ع��ل � �ي ي ا �ش ي�� ا � ا�ا�َم ن ي�ه� و � �س� طر ي� رل � َ� �صي��� م �اا ن�� ي اأ ن�� ا �� ن� �م ن ن ا ا �� �لي� � � �ن � �ي ي ا ��ك �ن � ش ي ّ ن�ك � ن ا� ّا �ص�� ي��س��� � ي�ه�ا ا �ل�ه��لي��ل� �و�م� ك�� � ر � ل ��ور � �ه�� نصي��ل و�ي� و � � ي � �ُ �� �� �نًا � ن ا ��� ن � ن ا �� ن� ن� �ن � ن � ن �اا ن � ا ا �� � � ��� �ن أًا �� �ه ن � � � � ا �ل � � م ل ل ك�� � م�� ر ر ��ونل��ل سطع�� ��و ن ح � ل�ك حرور كطه� � عرير ع��ور �ي ررع�و� �ع��� ن � نّ � � ن ن ُ ًّ � � � ن � � ن �ص�ن� �وي���س ّ�م�و ن� ن� ��ل��ك ا � �ل����� ��ا �نل � �س ��طر ا �ك� ي � ح �ر�لن� ن���ل��� �ل��ك �ع��� ���س�� �ل� �ي�هحرر�ع�و� �ن�هحرا ل ن � ي ي ًا � � �ّ ًا � � ن ي � ن � ا�� ش � � �ش � �ًا � � �ن �ً� � � م���س ش � ن� م�� �و��ل�� ا ��ن�ل � � ع ع � �� ع��� � � � �� � �س � � � � � �و�ل� �سه�ي ر �و�ل� ��و�ل� �و�ل� ص �� �� � � � � ل ل و و ي و ن � ح م ن ّ � � �و��ل�� ا ��لي��نّه�ا � �و��ل�� ا �� �ّم�ا ن� �و��ل�� ا �� ن�لي�� ن� �و��ل�� ا ��ل��ر�ي�� �ي� �و��ل�� ا � �� ��م��شر�� �و��ل�� ا ��ل��ير ن� �و��ل�� ا �ل��يل�سم�و ن� ا ��ل ل� ���ل�و ر ن و ير و ح ح � � � ي ي ا ن � � � � ن � � � ن �ي � � � ن ي ي � � �ل� � ن � � ن� ن� ن �� � �ور �و�ل� ا �ر�عر�ور �و � �و�ل� «ا �لن�� �ر �له� �» �و�ل� ا �ل�ل�ور �و�ل� ا �لنص��� � �و�ل� ا �ل���س��� �و�ل� ا ن � �و � �ل�ك
ّ ن ن � ن ي ي ن حن � � ّ ن أ ن ش ن�ل��ل �ي�هحرر�ع�و� ا �ل��� �� �و ه� ح ن� ���ه�ي�ر ا ���عر�م ن��� �ي�لعي��ا � ��و� �ع� �و� � او �نك�ه�م �و��� او ��سيس�هم� و م ا ن �ن ا ��لن� ن ا ء ا � �أ �ع ن �ع � ح ن � ن ا �� � ن ي �ي��ل�ا �ن� اأ�ن�� ا �ع�� � ي���س�مّ �ع ن��� �ع� ا�ا�م�ا ��ي � � � � � ع � � و و � � م ري�� � �ه�و أه�� �ر���ي��� ��� �م وي�هررع�و� ل�� ر � َ أ � َ َ � � ن � ن ح ا ء �ن ���س ّ ا � ا ش � ْ � ْ � ا �� � ن ي ي ن � ّ ل ن � ن ن �و�ه�و ا � �� او �ك ��و �م��� ي���س��م� ا �ل�عر�ر �و�ه�و ا �ل��� ر� ا �مر �و ��و ي ��م� ن� ���� �لو ��و �و ه�و ل�� ر� َ ي �ن � ي ن ع ع ع ا ��ل ن ا ء � �ن ���س ّ اأ � ا اأ � ا ْ �� � � ا � � �ي ا�ام� � �ن � ا �� � ن �ي ا ��ل ش ا �م ّ � � � �� ح ن � � � �مر ن� ل�� ر ���� � �ل� ه ��� و ��و ي ��م� ن� ن� �ط و ه�و ل�� ر عرو� �ي� س� نصيك� يي� و ي ررع ع ّ أ أ � � ا �� �لي ش ن ن � ن � � ي ي � � � � ي ا ّ ��� �مّ � �ل���� � ا ���س ��ط�ا �ك��� ا � �� �ا � � �ع ن ��ا ن�ل��� � ���س� �� �ن�� �م ن � � � � ه � � ك � ع ا �ل � � �� � � � � � � � � ل ل � ن � ن م أ ي� ن ل ر ر ر ي و ي� نو ي و ي وي و � آح نن �� ن ّ ن� ح ن �ع ن��� �ع� �ن�� �ع�� ن �ن�� �س�عي��ا � � �1ن�� ���س� ّ ا ��ل����ا ر � � ح�يّ ي� ي��ّ �ك� ط�ن� ��� �ك�ا� �ي�ليه�� � � �ل��ك � او �ل�� � م و � م و ن � � و وع ي �م� م ع م ة أ ب 1ب�و �م�عة���ا د و -ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا �. ع
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A Chapter on the Plants That Grow in Darfur; on Magic, the Making of Amulets, and Geomancy; and on Other Matters
Know that He who is without need of any when, where, or how and is devoid
4.1
of any tyranny, injustice, or prejudice has divided things up, arranged them in order, and sent them down, each to its appointed place. He has put extreme cold in the lands of the north and the hottest possible heat in those of the south. He has also, however, out of His mercy for His mortal slaves, bestowed warmth on the people of the north through the agency of clothes and of homes where men may gather without feeling the cold, and has turned on the people of the south the gaze of succor and mitigation by causing rain to fall on them when the summer is at its height. Given that the territory of the Fur is of this second type, and that in summer
4.2
thirst becomes extreme, the downpours that extinguish the blazing fire of that heat are an act of kindness from the Mighty, the Forgiving—for they sow at the coming of the summer rains and call that season the “autumn.” It is for this reason, or so I imagine, that they cultivate neither wheat nor barley nor fava beans nor lentils nor chickpeas, and grow no apricots, peaches, apples, pomegranates, olives, plums, pears, citrons, sweet lemons, oranges, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, medlars, or the like. Instead, they grow millet, which is a small yellow grain they use as food for themselves, their mounts, and their cattle. It is their primary means of subsistence. They also grow sorghum in its various forms, calling it mārīq. It consists of different types. There is a kind called ʿazīr, which is red sorghum; a kind called abū shalawlaw, which is white sorghum; and a kind called abū abāṭ, which in Egypt is called Syrian sorghum.225 Wheat is grown only in Jabal Marrah, where there is abundant rain, and Kūbayh and Kabkābiyyah, where they water it from wells until it matures, as already mentioned.226 The millet that they have is of two kinds, an ordinary kind and a kind called dinbī,227
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4.3
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
�ّ أ أ ّ �اا � � ن� � ��ا � ا �� ن�ل ��ور ��ن� ا ن��ل � نْ�ن�س �و�ه�و �م�ا �ي�هح نرر�ع�� ا ن�ع �ن��ا ��ل �و ن�ع�ي�ر�ه�ا �و�ه�و � � ح ن� ا�ام�عي��ا � أا �ل�� ا �نّ�� ح ن� ك�� �ل�� َ ي� ي ن مأ اً ن �ي � �ن ي � ن � ن � ن ن ن ن � �ع�� �ك���ل�� نل���� ش ن ي��مي���ل أا �� ا �لنصي��ا ��� �و�����ن���ل�� ا �ع��ل��ط �م ن��� �يو�ل�� ط�ن� رر ن �و �ع��مري�� �ي ��و�م� �و�ه�و �لي���ل �ي� ّ أ ح أ أ أ �اا � � ن ��سه� � ا �ن�� � ��ل�� ��اأ �� ن�ل �� �ن ح ن ا ��ل��أ� ن��ع � ا �ّم�ا ا �ن�� ا ا ��ل�� ن� �ي �ن�ل�ا ��ا �� ن�ل �� ن� �من�ه�ا ا ��ل�� ا ��ل���ل�ن � � � � � � � � � ل ك � � �ل ر ور و ي و � أ رأ و أ وع ر ي و � أ أن ي � ً � � � ن ن ن � � اأ �� �لنعي �� � � � ����ش � � �م ن ي�ل ن��ا � �ل�� � ا �ّم�ا ا � �� ا ��ا ��ط ن��� ن �ع� � �م ن��� ي���ل��ل�ا �ل�� ش ل��س�ه�و�ي �كي��ا ك� �ا��ل� �ون�� � ل �و س ع � ي ي رر و �ه�م ل� �ل� ي رو � و و ن و ن أ ّ أ ً ً � � � � � ش ا � ن� ن ن ن � ن � � ّ ا ّ ا ن ن هو �من�ن� ��و ن��� �ع ن��� �ع� �ل�� ��ا ك� �ا��ل�� أا �ل�� ا � ن�ل � عيع ار ء �و�ع ن��� �� �م � ��� � او �م� ا �ل�عر�ير � � ��س �وي� �و�ل� يح �ر��و� م�� ن م ي ن أ ّ ��ن �ك���ط ا � �� ن��ص ي �ع ن��� ��ع �ن ا ��ل�� ك � ا ��لن�ه�� ا ن ا ن �� ن��ص ي ���� � ن ن ا ي���� ح�س���و ن� �م ن��� �ي� ن ر و ر � رر ي ن � ن و� ر ر ن ا �ل�� ر ر وي ن � م ع آ �م�ا �ي�� � ا �ع��ل��� �ن اأ �ّ�ا � ا �� �ل�� ن�كي� ���ط� ن � �ن�� ��ا ��ل��ل�� ن �م ن �يص��� ا ��ل��ي �نّ�� � �ع ن��� �ع� �ن�� ا ن� � �ليع � �م ن � � � رو ي �ي� ي م نريع ن و ن ن� � ن ي ل ر و م وع ر ي رن � ن� � اأ ��ن� �م ن � ّ ا � �أ نّ �� � اأ نّ ���س ّ � ا �� � ْن ي � � ّ � ا ��ل��أ نّ � ن�ك��� �ل�� ن � � ح � ع � ه � � ير ر� ن �ل� �رر �ولي����� ن� رر �وي ��م� ن� ل�َ�أ�ر� �و ه�و ح ن رر و ي ن � أ � �أ نّ طي ش �ن �� � ا ن ا � ن ن �اش ن ��� ����� �ي��� ا �لنصي�� ��� �ي� � �ل �� �و�� ا ���ر �م� ا �ل� رر ر أ � � ً � أّ � ن ن �ا�ش�ي�ًرا �و�م ن ا � نل�ع عو ن� �م ن� ا �ل��س�م��س� �ش��ي��أ��ا ك� ح ن� ا �نك�ه� �ل�� �ي���ي��نع� ��و ن� �م ن��� � ننر�� ي� ن�ل��ل �ي�ا ك� �ا��ل� �ون�� � �وي�هحرر� � � ي م أ �م ّ � أّ � ا ��لن� ّ ش ش � ن ���ا � �يك �� ط�ه�مي � ن� �م ن��� ��ن ا ��ل ط� ن�� �ك�ا� ا ن� ا �ل�������ل ��� ك� �ا��ي�ر �ع ن��� ��ع �و�ل�� �ي���ي��نع���و ن� ن����سم�ه�� . � ه � � ن � م � � �ن و و ي أ ي� م أ � م ن ي �ل� � � نّأ أنن ن � � � � ن ا ��ل ش��س � �ع ا � � � ن�ل��ل �ي�ا ���� �و� ا �ل�������ل �وير��و� �م �و � � � ا �ل� �ن�ا �م أا �لي��� �أاو ��� ر��ي� ا ���سم��س� �ل� �ك�هم� �وحن م ن �� ي �سك���� ن �ن ي ا ��ل � ع م�اش ي �� ح ن �م ن � �ن��ً �لن ن � ����� �ع ن��� �ع� ��ل�� �ي�� � ل � �و� �� ن�ل �� �وك�ه� �� � � ��� ن� �و�س� ���ر� ا � � ي ع � � � � � ح � ن�� �هم� � � � مي � و ن ن ي ي م م ع � �و�ل�� ي�ل�عر�ن�� �ون�� � ّ� ن اأ ّ ا � � ا �ن � � � ن ن � أ ن � �س� ا ��ل��� ن� ح ن� �� �س او ء �� �م� ا �ل�ل� نو�لي�� �ه�� ك عو� ا �ل��ل� نو�لي��ا � او �لن� ��يط� ن� �ا�ا �ل��ل� نو�لي��ا �ن�ا ر��� �س� �وي�هحرر� � � �م�ر ي ع أ �ّ � أ نّ أ ح أ أ � ن � ّ � ن � ا� ّ �ا� � � نّ ا � ن � �ي�ي �ا�ش � ��ن� � ا �ل � � ا �ّم�ا ا �لن ّ� ���ط� ن� ن ا ح �� � � � � � � ا ا ع أا �ل� ا �ك�ه�ا ا � � ع م ل ح �� ل م � � � �م ع � � � ه ك � � � � ل � ل ح� � �� �� ر ه�ي ر و ر ن � ن ن آم ر � ن و أ ر ي � � ن ينح ن ن �� � ن م �اا ��ل ّ ���� ن � ن � ن �ن ا ن� �ن���� ا ��ل ّ� ���ط� ن ن � ي ي ن ا ��� � ��� ا�ام�عش��ا � �أاو � ا ����مر لي���و� �ع�ي�ر �ك�ي��ن� � ا �ل��� �ي� لي���و� �� ر �ل ن ي � ك�� ن�يط� ل��ن� ا �ل��� �ي� ن � �أ � أ نّ ح أ ح � � ّ � ن ن � ن ن ن ح ن ن � �ش�ل�ا ش� �م ن��ا ��� ا �ل��و ��� ا �ك�ه� �ي�ا ك� �ا��ل�و� �م ن��� � �و�ك�ه� ��ي� ا �لن� ��يط� ن� ��ي� � ا ر ا � �ل ��ور �س� ���عر� �ك�ي��ن� م م أع �ا � ّ �� ا � �نك ن �ان � �ح ا �� ش ا ن �ي اأ�نّ ع اأ ن �ن ن ا ��ل ّ� ���ط� ن� �ي � ن� ن � ن ح� ن ط�� � ن ن ش ا ا � � ن ك ط � � � � � � � �ل � ء ل � � � � � � ن ن � � �� � � � � � � � ��م � � � م ع � � ه � ك � ل�ك ي � �م ي و� ي وي ر �و� ��� �مك�ا� ��ا �ل ي وي نر�و� �� �ل � ن يش ا ا � ّ �ن شّ ي � حيّ ي� �ن ّ �ن� ن�� ن ن ن �ي ط�� �نكه�ا اأ �ل� �ي� ���ل ي�ا ن ط� � �وي��ر ��و�ك�ه�ا ��� نح� ي ح ن �ر��و� �م ن��� �م ن� �ه�� ا ا � �ل�نصي��ل� ���مر�ه� �ن� �ل��ع����ي� ��م �ي�ل� ��ل �و � نر ع ع �ش�ًا �ن �ي ي ا � ��ي ا � � �يّ �ن � �ن � ا �� �م ن ن ش أًا ا حش ح�يّ �ك���� � �يك ��يهً�ا � � ه � � س ��س � � � ن � ي ير ي ���ي���� ك���ي ر �و�ي� �و � �ل�حصي��نح ي��� و ي� � ر � � ي ن�ك�� ن ن َ ُ ً ي � ا��م��س ّ ا ي �� �ن � �أ ّ ا ا �� � �ي ي ه�م��ل�و� �م��� � ل��ر�م� ��سّ او ي� ش��مرن� �و���س��مّ� �ع ن��� �ع� �م�� �ي���� �و �عي� �م� � نلعر� ا �ل� �ور� �ون� �ن� � � ح � ي �م ّ أ أ ّ ً ً � � ش ّ ي � � ا ��لش��ا �لش���ي ا �نكه� ي ن� �ا��ي�را �وي ن� ح�س� ��و ن� �م ن� ا ��لن�� نرر �ش��ي��أ��ا ك� �ور��م�ا ا ك� ح ن �رن�� �ون�� �ا��ل� او �م ن��� ن�لن�ه�ي�ر � �� �و�ل� ��نط� ن� � ن م ح 206
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
which is what is grown by the non-Arabic-speaking Fur in the mountains and elsewhere. It is a cereal like ordinary millet but whitish in color and with larger ears; it also ripens some twenty days before the latter. It is little found in the Darfur plain, where they are less familiar with it than they are with yellow millet. Of the different kinds of sorghum, they are familiar only with the white and don’t eat much of that, despite their familiarity with it. The kind called abū abāṭ they grow in small quantities because they find it tasty; they eat it grilled and don’t store it as grain. They dislike the kind called ʿazīr; only the poor eat it, or others when they have no choice. Rice grows wild there in ponds and watercourses without being sown; they gather as much of it as they can during their spring228 and cook it with milk as a luxury dish. They have another kind of cereal too that is similar to rice but isn’t rice, called difrah; it has a small grain, smaller than rice, slightly flattened and extremely white. They are more familiar with this than they are with rice. They cultivate a great deal of sesame but, remarkably, don’t use it to make
4.4
oil. They eat it as a grain and use it in their cooked dishes. Honey is also plentiful there, though they make no use of the wax; in fact, they take the honey and throw the wax away, though no one is in greater need of it, or of sesame oil, than they, since they use dry fuel to light the lamps in their houses. Similarly, despite the plentiful supply of fuel wood, they don’t use it to make charcoal, which would be of use to them; in fact, they don’t even know what it is. They also grow black-eyed peas and watermelons alongside the millet. The black-eyed peas are like those found in Egypt but larger, growing to nearly the same size as fava beans in Egypt. The watermelons are of a smaller size, like those found in the melon patch at the end of the season, which, if one breaks them open, turn out to be unripe; the ones in Darfur, however, are ripe, despite their small size. They have three different uses for watermelon. First, they eat them as soon as they ripen, as we do our melons; they also drink the juice. Second, they take the melon, remove its rind using a knife, and cut it into four pieces, which they leave till dry. They store it, treated this way, in large quantities, and when they need it, pound it in a wooden mortar till it turns to flour, which they use to make a broth that they drink called madīdah, which is what the Franks call crema.229 Sometimes they eat the dried watermelon unpounded and uncooked. Third, they gather large quantities of the
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4.5
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
ّ � اأ ن �ن ن � � ّ ن�ك� ���ط� ن�� ن ن ن ن ن ي � �و��� �ي�� �ون�� �و�ي ي� ا �ل��� � � �وي�����س� ��و� � ش��مر� � �وي� ��� �و� ا �ل�ل ن� ي ن � حيصي��احن � �و�� ��ي� ي � ن � �� � ��م��ي اأ �ك�ن ��ً�ا � م�� ا � ل�ير ي ن � �� � ي � ّ � ش ا ن � � ن � ن ا ��ل�� � ا ��لش � � ا �� �لنه�� �ن � � � ّ ح ن� ���ه�ي ر � او �ل������ن� ر� �و ح ن� ا �ر���� � ��ي� وي�هحررع�و� ن ���ل و ��وم و ل���ل و ه�و �ا ّ �ي �ن اأ � �ي � ا �� ا �� ن� �ا� �ي�ي ّ � � ن � ن ا �� �ي اأ �ن ا � � ن � ن �ا � �ل��� �وكن� �ا� � �� ن�لي�� �و�ي� �و�ي� ن�ن�� ل ل ��ور �مك� له�� م �وي�هحررع�و� لعر �ن� ��و �ع� �وي�هحررع�و� � نو ي ع �ن ا ا �� ن� �يّ �� ا �� �� � ا �� ا ن ن� ن �ا ن ً� ن � ي شّا �ن �ا �� ��ا ن�ل ّ���ي �ي�هح نرر�ع�و ن� ا ��ل ��ا � �ي�� ر �و لع ��و � ك�ط�ويل��ل �و لن�� � ن � ��و�ع� �م� ا � �لع�� ء �و�ي� �� نو�لي��� �وكن� � ي ا ا� � ن ن � � � ا��م�� ّ ا ي � � ي � ن ا ش � ّ ي � ا ي �ن ن �ه ا � � ن ا �و�م�ل�و �ي��� � او �لن�� �مي��� �و�ي� �ع�ي�ر �م� �ل� �و�ع�� ك � او � �ن�ي�� ا �لن��ل�� س�م� � 1ن��م �نر��و ��ط�� � او � �له� ��مر ّ أ ن �اش ي � � � ن �� � ن ��و �ي�لنعي�ن�� �و�ي ي� ا ��نل ي����س�مّ � او � �ي� ا ��ل�� ح �ريل�� �م ن� ���ر� ا �ل��س ��ط�ا ر ��ل�ا ي�ل�هن��ر� أا �ل� �م ن� ي�ل�عر�� � � ع ن ا ��ل ا �ي � ن�ك � ي�ل ّ ا �ش � �ن ا ن ا �ن ا �ن �ه�� ا ا �� ا � � ��� �ن ا ا�ا� ا ء � �ش ا ��� أ � ش�ّ �كن ن � �ص ن� ��و � ي� وطه� م� ع��� ��� �صي�� � � ��س�� �� و ي�� ي�� ر ����ي��� أ� � � � ن م � ش ش � � � ن � ي ي ن ن ن ن ح�س�� �ل�ي ي ن � � ا ي ا ا ن ن � � � � �هر�ع�و� أا �لي��� �م ا نل � �ي���نص ي� �كي��� �م� ا �لن�� �مي��� ��سي� ء ك���ي�ر �ك �ه� � ا � �لعر�لن��� �ل�� �وي ن �و� لك ي� � � ي � ا ي نّ ن ن ا ّ ن ن ا � �أ �ا��ّ� � ن ا ا �� ا � � ش يّ ا �ن � ا ��ل� ن � ا ا �لن�� �مي��� �وي ن� � ح� � � � ��س ع � � ع �� �وك�ه� � �وي��� �ر�و�ك�ه� �ل�� �س�ه�م ا �ل�ه� �م ك�ل� 2و�ه�� ��و � ي� ي �� ر �ور ن ر � آ أ ش ا � � ن ����� �� ن � ���ا ��ل �مّ �ي � �ع� �ش���ا ��� أ �م ن ا �ّ ��كه�ا ا �� ا ن� �ه�ا � �ن ش����ا �أ � �م ن � � �س�� ن م� نحر ا ل� � � � �ص �سك ��ط � ن و و و و أ � � ن ر ي � � ر � يح ن � ا �ّ �اّ � ي � ن � ي ا ن �ن � ن �ن ��� ن� ن �ّ � �ن ن ن ن ّ ا � ن ا � م � � � � ��صي��� �م� ي�ل ��و� ع� ر���ي� أا �ل� �ي� ن�ل����� �� �ل �ه�� م� ن � �أاو � ا � �� يلع�م �م� ��ل ن � ��اا ان ن ا � �ليعي � ا � � ا �� � ��س�عي � �ن �� ن ا��م ا ��ّ كن ن ن �كه�ا اأ� ��س� � ّي ن ��يل�ن� � �س� � ��� ي �� �رم� ل و �� �ي� نل���� �� ل �مر �و��� ن�ل��� � و ع ن��م �ر��ي� .ي����� �ر ح أ � ي � ن ش � �أ نّ ن ّ ً ن � ا ن ا ن�ا ي نّ ن ي ش ا ا�ا�م����ا �ن �ع�� �ش���ا �� أ ���� �� �و ��م����� �ع��مر �ي ��و�م� �أاو ��م� � ��ر� ا ��� �ن�ي�� �م �نر��و ��ط�� � او � �له� ��مر �ل� �ي� ر �� �ّ ن ن ن �ً� ي ن ي� ن ي ً ّ ش ن ن � � � � � ا ا ي ي �مرر ي� �ن�� ك���ي�را �م ن� �ع ن��ا ك � او �ل� ���ه�و م�مي��� �مك�ا� � ��ر� � �و�هحرر�ع�و� ���و�ل� �ر� �و�� ل���و� � ح� ي أ أ � نّ ا ّ آ أ ّ � �اا � ن � ا��م�� ّ �ن �ي حص���ي �م ن � ا ��ل�� ن� ��ل�� ن� ن� ا ك ن�كي��� ا ���� ا ن� ن�ع �م ا �ل��س�� ر� � و ين � ا �ل��را ن� �و�لي����� ك�� � �ل ��و�ل س��م� �ي� �س� ر ي اأ � �ن ا � اأ ن� اأ ن � نّ ّ � ي ي ّ ن � �م � �� � ��ع � �ل � � س � �مك�ا� � �له�� �م � �ل��ك ر ع و ر و ن ي��� نو �ي � �أ�ش �ن �ا ّ �ي أ�ّ ا � �أ��ش�� ا ن �ا �ل��� � ك�ا ��ا ا�ا�م�ع � ن���ي ا �ّ�� ا ��لن ن � � �� � � � �� ن�لي�� ه � � � � � �� ر ���لي����� �ع ن��� �ع�م �م ن� ا �ل� ��ن� ر رو أ �ل �ل و و ي� نو ي و ن � او م� ا �ل� ن ّ ّ ش ّ � ن ن ن � �� ���� �مّ �ي � ��ن ��م��ل��� �ل�� ن�� ����� ن �ك�ا� �ي�ليه�� � ن� ��ل��ك ��ن� ا �لي� � �و��مر�� ا �ل��� ن��ا ن � �و��م��لي��� �م �ل��م �ع���� ن� ن ل ر و ي� ي ن � ن حر�م� ي م ح ي ا �ا ّ ا ن ا ي يٌ ش � ي ّ ي � �أ ش � ن ا�ا�م�و نر �و��ن� �ي ��� ���ن�� ح ا ي� �م ن ا �ل��يل�سم�و ن� ا ��ل له� �� ن�ل��� ��ا �سن��� � �ون�لعي��� ا �ل� ���ن���ا ر ا�ام�ون�� �و�� �ع�� ك ك��� � � ر ر � يً ني �ني ا ن اأ ن � ا ن ن ي ا ��ل ه � � ن ن ا ��ل ه � � �أ ن ا ��ل ه � � �أ � ل � � � � � � � � � � � ا �ل����عر �و � ن يل�ن� � �و�ل�� ���و�ع� � � ن يل�ن� �صيع�ه�� ��ي� ا ���ل�ء � �ع�طح�س�ه� م ��ع�ه�� � ن يل�ن� ��ن � ا �ل� �مر � حن � �� َُّ نْ ن �ش ح ح ش ن� �ك�ا� ي�ل�� ��� ل ح�� � ن ش ا �ا�ا ��ل����م ا ��لن�ه��ل ن� ���ط � ا �ل� نه � �و ن� ��ل��ك ن� � ���ن�� ��ي�ل�ن� حر ي�ل�� ��� ط �م ط ا نح�م�ي�ر س� ���و� ���مر�ه� �و�ه�� ا ا ��س�مر ك� ن ر ي و ن م م ح أ أ ة �����ه�ا. 1ال� �ص�ل :ا لم��س�ل�م�� 2 .ال� �ص�ل� :
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أ أ ن ا � �س�ه�م ا �و ي�ل�ه�م��ل�و�
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٧،٤
Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
seeds, which they store and pound as needed. They also pulverize the rind, remove the flesh, and cook the rind to be used as a condiment or, again, make crema from it. In Kūbayh, Kabkābiyyah, and the valleys of the Fur mountains, they
4.6
grow onions, garlic, pepper (which has a small grain), coriander, and cress, as mentioned earlier.230 They also grow different varieties of squash and a type of cucumber. In Kūbayh and Kabkābiyyah, they also grow cucumber, long cucumber, eggplant, Jew’s mallow, and okra; elsewhere they do not.231 There is a seasonal watercourse between the village called al-Marbūṭah and the sultan’s capital that is called Wādī l-Kūʿ. It is flooded during the autumn due to the copious rains, and only those who know how to swim can cross it, as it has a strong current. When the wadi floods, and the water overflows its banks and soaks into the ground, okra sprouts in large quantities and they rush there from nearby parts and gather it, dry it, set it aside, and use it as something to eat with their bread for the rest of the year. This wadi traverses Darfur from beginning to end breadthwise, and has its origin in Jabal Marrah. It has a belt of acacia trees on either bank, and when it overflows it covers approximately two miles in either direction, except in a few places where the sands constrain it. In some places it’s as wide as the Khalīj in Cairo,232 in others twice as wide. One traveling along its bank can go for fifteen days. I describe it as being between al-Marbūṭah and the fāshir simply because I passed it so often at that point; in fact, it runs a long way, as I’ve explained. They also grow a kind of bean whose pods grow below ground; it is not the same as the bean now called in Egypt the Sinnār bean, because the first has remarkable colors, including bright red, yellow, white, and brown, as mentioned above.233 As far as trees are concerned, they have none that are well-known, with the exception of the date palm, which is found in Kūbayh, Kabkābiyyah, Sarf al-Dajāj, and Numlayh, as mentioned in the course of the earlier discussion of Jabal Marrah.234 At Numlayh there are some banana trees, and at Qirlī bitter lemons. All the rest of the trees in Darfur grow naturally in the countryside. The most useful of these is the hijlīj tree, of which there are two kinds, yellow and red, the names according with the colors of the fruit, which are the size of large unripe dates. The hijlīj is a tree that grows to a great size, like the
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4.7
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
� � أ ي ن ّي ً � ش ي � � أ� �ي ن ا ّ �ي ن أ ن �صي��� ي���لي��ل�ا �و�ل�� ���مر ���ل�و ا �ك��ل ��� ط�ع� ن�لن��� ن��� �م ار ر� �و�ل� را �� �� � ��ي� ا ر��� �س� �مر ا �ورا ��� ن�لي�� م � ن ا �� ش ن ا ن �� ن �ع��ل��� � �ه� �ي ش��م �ي ��ل���� ي س� ��ا ��لن�ه��ل ن� ���ط��ي � ��ل�� ��ا �� ن�ك��ه��ي ن�ك��ن� ن�ع� �نكه�ا ن ي و ن ري ي ر و � �ن�� �و�ك�ه�� ا �س�مر �ع�ل� �� لي��و� ي و و ر ي ّ ن � ش ًّ أ ّ أ ّ � ن ن ن � ّ � ش�� � � � ���ا ��ل�� �نّ�� ن� ح ش��س ن� �م�����س�و ن �سي�ء ك ��و� ا ��س�مر�س� �ا�ا �ك��ط�ل�ا ء ي��مي���� ا �و ي�لن���ل �ن�ا �ام�ا ء �أ�ا � ا � �� ن� �يو��م� � � ن � ا ا ��لن �اا � ن � ش أ� ن أ ن �ص�� � ��صأ���يً � �ل��ا ن� ًا ن ا �ن �ل ش � ��� �و�ه�و �ن�هحرر �� ر ح��س ن� ا ي� � �� او � ا ن�لي���� �و�ه�و �ع�ل� � ��س�ي�ء ك� �ك� نور ي نوي أ أ ن � � ن ّ �نّ ّ ا � � � �ك � �� ن ن �ن ا� ا � ش اش ي ّا ن ن ا ن �ّ � أ نّ �ا� ن �� � ل����� �مر ك�ل حم�� � ك أا �ل� ا ��� ا ن�� ر �م��� ن �ح �� �و�� �ي� ا�م� ء � طع� ي��� � �و ��ل� ��� ا �ي� �م �و�يل�ه�ي�ر�و� �م� ء � ��ي� ّ ن نم � ّ � �يك ��ط� ن � ي �� �ا�ل �ي ��و� ن�كي� ن�� ��� �م ا ر�ي�� �و� ���� �ك�ه� ي�م���ل�� �ن�ا �ام��ل �ك�ه� �ي�له��ل�و� � نو�ل�� ن� � � نو�ل�� ن� ����أ��� ن�ل�� ن� �ك�ه�م ن ي ن ر م م م �� ح � � ن �اا ن � � ًا�اا ن ��ل� �ا � ط�ع� ا ��ل��ل� ن ا�ا�م�م��ل� � � �ع ن��ا ك �ن�� �ش�ا ��ن �م ن ا ل� نه ��ي�ل�ن� � �ن�ا �ل�������ل �أاو � ا ك�� � �مم�ل�و�� ك�� � وح و طه�م�� �� ��ل ور وع ي� � ن نم � ن ح ن ن ن � �� ���ل�� ا ���أ��م ن�ك��اأ ن���ن� � ن ��ل ّ طس�من� � �ل� � �ه� ا �ل � ن�� �ن � ه � ع ك ط � ك ا � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ك � � ل � ل � ك � � ع ه�� � � � � � � � �ص � � � � � � � � ل � � ي ن � � و ن و ن ي ير ن وي ي و ي و ن و و ين ح نً ر ي � � � ي أ ن ن ش �� ن ً ًّ � �ا �ن ّ ا ي ��من ي � نع�ي ا � ل ا ا � ا ه � �ع���� ك�ي�عي�� � ���ل�ه� ���ل� او �م ار �ل��� �ي��� ا �و�ع���� ا �لأ� ��ط�ل� �� �ي� ك���ل�و� ���مر � ن��يل�ن� ح � ش �� ن � �أ���ش ��� ن ن ا ن � � ي � ن � �ن ن � �ل����� ا ل ��ا �� .ل�� � � �� ن� �م ن��� �ش����أ�ً�ا ه � � � � � � ل � � ع � ا ا � ع م م � � �� �ه�� � � � � � � � � � � ع � � � حر ن ي ن� �ل �و ن و ن م �ي� ي ر � �ل ن ر ير و ي عأ ّ ي ن نّ � �� ح ن أ أ � � ن � ّ ّ ن ين ن ن ن ن ن أ � �و� ا �ك��طر�ي� ا �ل�� ن��� �م ن��� ��ي� ا � �س�ه� � او � ا ط���� ن�ل��ل �ي��� ��ع���و� ن نح�مي�� ا ن� ن ار ��� ��ا �م�ا �ور���� 1أ�ا �ك�ه�م يك�ن م نأ � � ن ن ن ن ن � ي � يّ �اا ن ا ن ا ن ع� ن ��� ن � يو�لن �� نع � �ا�ا �لن�ع � � ح � � � �ون�� � � � � ا �م ا �� ك م � � ك �ه�� � � � � � � 3 � � ك � �� � � � � � ي ور � ي ي ر ك�� � �ن�أ ����� � ن�رح 2ي و و � ي� �� أ أ � ن ن ّ � ش ن ن � � � � �نصن�ي �م ن ا ����� � � � �لن ن �� �ن ن �� ح� ا �ل ن���ي ن � ��ا ن���� �� ا �ل�� ء � ا � ا ا ن���� ���م ا ل� نه ��ن� ا ن��ل حر ي ��� � ل و يو� ��ي�ل�ن� � ي� ن ر أو ط� �م� ا ل��ل � و ر ي ي أح � ح ُ � يّ ام �اا ��ل�ع ن ن ن �اا � ا ن �ن ن ن ن ش ا �و�ه�و ا ن� �� �مر �و�عر��� ��ي� �س�هرا ��� ح�� ��� ر ك�� ن���ي� � �لع� ك�� �ك��� ن� ��و� �ي� �ع�����ل ا �لصي�� ن� ع ّ أ �اا �� ا ن �لُ نْي � �أ ا ن� ن نّ �� �ن ا نّ �� � ن� ي طن� ا ��لشص��ا � ا�ا�من����س� ��ل��ي ��� ا ��ل�� ا �نّ�� �ك� ن��ّع �ه�ا � � � ا �ل � � � عو� � ك � �� � � � � � � � ك � � � ل � أ� � ل� ر � � ي ي و و أ � ن ي ن و ن ر و � ح �ي ُ � ّ ن ن ش ش ن ُ ن � ي ي ن ن ي ي � ن ن ح � � �وي��� �� �و�ل������� �ك�ه�ا �كي��ع�ه�� � �ل��ك �و� �ي��لي�� ًل�ا � او ن� ا ا�� لي � ن � ي ا � أ � � ا �ل���� ح ش��سن��� ي لن ل ��� �و � �س�مر ���و��� ن��� �ور ن�ر أ م � �أ ن ن ش �ي نً � � ن � ّ ي � � ن � ن ن ي ا ا ا � ن � ل � � ه � ي���سك�ن��� � �ن�� �ي� ا �لنصي ��و� �ن� �ل�لي���ل �ع�و� ��� �ع� ا �ل��م ارنح �ل� ��� �ل� � �� � �ل�� �و�م� ح��سن��� �م��ل � ن � ��ن أ� ح ي �ي � ن� � �ن�� � ����ا �أل��ل �ي ��أو ن���� �م ن� ا �ر�م�ا � ا�ام�� ��اور � �ويك ��نط� ن� ا � �� او � ا � �لع ار ء � �و�م ن� ر�م�ا �� ي�ل�ه�م��ل ا �ل�� نص ��و �و�ه�و�م��ل ح ح ن �� � ي ّ ا �ّ � اأ نّ � � ا ًا ن � حي��� � ن�ع��ل �ّ � ن ل � � � � � ل � � � م � � ع � ا ا � ل ع أ �ل� � ن� �مر ر و� �ل�ك ��� أ ع�و ر � ل � له� و �و م ح أ أ أ ً حً� � ن � � ّ � �ا�ش ��ل ن ا � ن ن � ن ن ّ َ�ْ ن � ن � � او �لننص ��ي� �و�ه�و � ��و�ع�� � �عر�ي� �و��ا �ر ��و � او �لش��ا �ي� ا ن��ا�ر ن��ح�م� م� ا �ل� �و�ل � او �� ر �ح �م�� �وي�� � �له�� ��ي� ن � ن ن ن � � ن �ن ا نّ � ن ي ا� � ي ا ا ��� � ّ ن ن � ل�� � ا � ن��ع ّر �و�ه�� ا ا �ل ا�مع � ل � �رن��و أا � ا �كن� � أا � ا �كن� ا �ل ط�ن� ط�ن� � ا ��م ّر ��� �ون�� � او � � أ ل� �و� أ� � أ نص��� �� ع نر�أي ح ح ّ � ّ � ش � � ي � � ن ا �ي ن ن ا �ن ا �ن ن�لع� ن � ّ �ن �ن � � ا �ي �ل�ع ا �س �ع ن � ع �م� ا �ل� �و�ل �و�م� �م�� ��ه�� ا � ��مر نحيص��� ي�م����ك أا ��ط�ل� � ا �لن� ���� �وكن���ل �م� �ي��� � �وي نح� أ أ أ ب ة 1ال� �ص�ل :ور� 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ب�را 3 .ال� �ص�ل� :ه�د �. �
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
sycamore-fig in Egypt. Its leaves are slightly rounded, and its fruit tastes sweet, with a hint of bitterness, and has a distinctive smell. The fruit also has an outer covering around it, a rind that is neither thick nor thin and which they peel off to better suck on the fruit, the latter consisting of a woody piece covered in a kind of coating that they either suck off or soak in water. When that is gone, the woody piece, which is to say the kernel, turns white. This is itself a covering for something like a pine nut in shape and in whiteness, which is a seed, albeit larger than most seeds. This, however, is bitter in taste, so they steep it in water for around three days, changing the water every day. This removes its bitterness. At this point, some salt it, others roast it, and yet others stew it with honey. Salted, it tastes like salted almonds. There is another kind of hijlīj, which is the red hijlīj, the flesh of whose ripe fruits they take, adding gum and then kneading the two together, producing something deliciously sweet and sour. In sum, they eat the hijlīj fruit prepared in a variety of ways. The hijlīj has useful properties not to be found in any other of their
4.8
trees. They throw none of it away; on the contrary, they use every part of it. The leaves they cook when fresh and juicy as a condiment for bread. If someone has a worm-infested wound, they chew some of these leaves till they turn into a kind of paste and spit this into the wound. This cleanses it of the worms and cleans out the rotten flesh, so that it starts to heal. The fruit of the hijlīj can be taken when green and pounded in a mortar till it turns into a paste and can be used like soap for washing clothes; it makes a foam like soap that removes the dirt and cleans clothes washed in it, though it does make them slightly yellow. If it is not the fruiting season, the roots of the tree are taken and pounded and used to wash clothes, for they act in the same way. The wood is used for lighting in the houses at night in place of oil lamps because it makes no smoke. From its wood, too, reading tablets are made, and from its ash kumbā is made, a liquid salt extracted from the aforementioned ash; it is used for cooking but is bitter. They use it when they have no ordinary salt, which is costly and hard to come by. There is also the jujube,235 which comes in two forms, “Arabic” and karnū, the second being larger than the first, having fleshier fruits, and differing from it in color, the fruits of the ordinary “Arabic” jujube being red when ripe, while
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4.9
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
أ ل�ن� ي � � ي � ن � ا ي ش ّ �ل� ن ن أ ي ً ن� ���ا �وي ن� ن� ح ن� ي� ع ��و�نك�ه�ا � �و�ا ك� �ا��ل�و�نك�ه�ا � او � ا ��ا��مر �ن�� او � �ي ��و ن���� ح� ن��ل�� ��� ا �ك��ط� �عر� �� ي ه�م��ل�و� �م��� ا � ار � ي أ م أ ّ � � � ا ن �ن ن ن ن ش ن�كي��� �ن�هح نرر�ي�ا ن� ��ن� � ك� � ن ن ا �� � � ن ا � ن � � ن� ن� ن � � ا �ل��س م��ع����ي� �و لعرن� �ي� ��� �و� �ه�� ا ا �لن� رر ك���ه�ي ر �وي نحع �� �و� �� �م��� ي ّ �ان ش ّ �ك ���ط� ن� ن � � ن� � � � ن نً � ن �ن �اا �� ن ن � ن � ا ا أ � � � � �� � � ل �� ي ن�� � �و�� �ن�ا �ل�������ل كي����ي ر �ل�� �ي��� ا �وي�ن��ي���� �و�� �ي� � ا ر ا � �ل ��ور �وي س��م� �صيم��صي�� كي ��و ��ل ك�� ��ل�و� م ي ن � ا ن ا �سن ن� �م ن � � � ا �� �لي �م ن � �ي ا ��لن ي �� � ن �ي � �ر��و � او ر� ر� �ري�ليه�� �كي���ل � �و� ا � �لعر 2 ل� �� � ن� � و� عر � 1ور� نص ��� ا � أو � � ع ع ع أ � ا ن� ��� �م ّصي�ً�ا و رن ي ن � ن أ ��ش� ن � ن � ي ن ط� ن�� أ� �ن ��ل ن ن � او ��ليصن���ل��� �ي� �و�ه�و ن�� �و� ا ���� �ي���نص ي� ��ي� ا � �لنعي��ا ��� � او �ه��ل ا �لن��ا � �ي�� أا � ا حر�ع ���ي�� �ح� ا ن � ن ع أ م م �أ ي ن ا �ش�سي� ّ�� �كه� ا ��ل�� ��� ش ��� ��ن� ن�ع�ي�ر �و�ي ي� ا �ل���س ���ط�ا ر �ي�ا �ي��و ن� أا ��� ا ��ليصن���ل��� �ي� �ي�ن����� �و ن� ��ن� ن� � �و �لنه�� �م�ا ء � ي � ي ي � ً ن� م أ � � ش � � ن � ن ش �اا � �أ �� ن ن ن ي � ن�م ا ��سيم�ه�ا �م ن ا�ام��ط �ي�� ش��م ���و� �م ن��� � �و��� ��� ا � او �س�ه� �و�ك�ه�� ا ا �ل���ن�� حر���مر�م��سك ���ي���ل كن���ي�ر ك�� �ل� �� او ر � ر ر ن ي أ ن � م ّ �ا ّ � �ي �ن ا �ل ن ا �ن ن �ا� ن ا ��ن � ح ّ � � ��ن ا ��ل��ل� ن� ا ��ل�� اأ�نّ�� ن�ك��� � �يك�ي ح� ك ح ل � � � � � � ا � � � ل ح م�� � � � ��ي� �ن� ������ �ن�هحرر ا ��مر ن ر � ي� ن و ن رر رو ن � و أ ي ي �� م أ � � �س�ن ّ �م ن��� ن�ك� ���� �مًّا � ا ��ل��� ي �س�نه�ا �ن� �م ن��� �ع�� ا �� ��ي � �ليع��ن ا ن�لي�ن�� ��ا �سن�� ا �ك�� ط�ع� ي�� ي � � ل � � � � و ن ي ن ر و ي � ر � � � � � ي ا �� �ا �ي ا �� �� ن �يل�ه م � ن � �� � � �ي � � ا �� � �يك ي ن�كي � �� � ن � ن ي � � م ل�ر�م� س ل�� ي ��� ����ي ر ل��ي��� � أ �ط�ل � لن���� و �م��ل �� ا � ي ع ش � ُ �َ � ا ��ل ن � ن ّ �ّ � أ نّ ن ا ��ل��ش�� � ن ن �و���ن�� �ور ا �ك����� �ي� أا �ل� ا � �ه�� ا ن� حر �ل�� �ي ��و ن���� حرا �ل��� �ل ن� �و�ه�وا�م���س�مّ� ��ي� �عر�� �س� �مر �ن� ن�� ّ � َ � َْ ن ن �ن � ن ّي ن �ه��ي ا ن��ل ��ن� ن��مي�� � ا ر�ن�� ر ن�ل�� ��ل�� �ي �� ن���� أا ��ل�� ��ن� ا ن��ل �ه�ا �وي���س��مّ� ��ي� �عر�� ا � �ل ��ور �ن�ا �ل��� �ليص ن� �� � �� نو�لي��� �م � و ل و ي ي شع � � � � ن ن أ أ نً�ا ً � ا �ن ا �� ن �ن ن � � � ي ن ن ا ن ا �و�ه�و���ن�� حر ��ط� او �ل ك�ا�ا �ل� ���ل ا �و ا ��ط�و�ل �وي����ن� � ن�� �ورا كن���ي�را أا � ا ����مر�ع�ل� ��� �و ن��� �م� ء �ي� �ن� ����� �ي� ّ نن ط�� ّ ح �ن �اا ���� � ن � � ا ��ل �ا ي ا �� � �نّ ي ن�ع�� ���ي ا ��ل��ل��ن� �ي ��ل�� � �ع�سّم�ا �يكن��� ي��م�ا � �ك� ��� ن�أ�ا �ن�� لي���و� ك�� لل�ن� س ��ل �و� �و ل�ل�� � ي ن ي ل م ع َ ّ �� ُ ��ش� ش ا أ أ ن أش ط� ن� ا � ن � ش� � ّ � � � ا �ّ � ��ا �ع� ا ل � ح�ميْ�ن�� �و�ه�و ن�� �و�م ن� ا ���ن� �ا�ا �� ح� �م� لي���و� �و�ل�� ��مر ك� حر ���� ���ك ك� �ا�ا �لي��نه�ا � ا � ك ل��ن��ي ر أ �ل� ر � ح م أ نّ � َ �َ�ً ن� � � ن �ي � � ن ن ي �� ن � أ ن � م� ا �� ن� ي � ن أ ��ش��� ا � � � � � ع � � ا ا �م � � � � � � � ا ك � ا � �ل�� ن��حعم� �وكي�� ���و� ��� ل��ي��� � و��و� ن�لي���� ي ي���ل أ � �عر� و م� ن � ر � ا ل�� وم و هو� �َ ُ م ّ ا ا�ُ ش ��ش ن ن ميْ�� اأ �ك ن ًا � �م ن اأ ��ش�� ا �ع ا �ل�ع نْ � ���ن�� ح� � � �مر �وي���س��م �ن� � ا � � �� � � � � ه � �� حر�س�عر�و�� ��� ���عي��� �س� � � � � ر و ي ن ل � ر ن و و نر � ّم ح ي �مي�� ّ��س ���ط ��ن ا ��ك���ط� ��ل � ا ��لن�ه�� نل���ط ي �ح�م�� ش���مًا اأ �ش�س��� �ل� ن�ص� ا ��ل�� ن� ��أ� ا ��ل�� اأ�نّ�� اأ ��م ي��ا ��ن أ ا ��ل ��مر� ي� و و ن أ ر � و ل ر ن ن ن ن ا �� ش � �� �� ن ط� �ًّا �لن��ن ط� �ن اأ�ّ �� �ن���� ا �� � ي اأ � ا � �ل � �ل��ل�عن � ي �و��ل�� نع � ح� �كي��� �و�ه�� ا �س�مر��ل�و 3ا ك� ل � �ل ل�� ر� ي� �ري� � � � ع � � �هم� ي ل � و ن � عن � ح ي ن ن م أم ح �ل�ن� �ع ن��� �ن�ا �و�ه�و ا �ّو��ل �ن����� ا ��نل � ل ري أ أ ّ ش ً ً َ ح 4ا �� �ّم�ا ن� ي �ح�م�� ش���م ا ��ن�ه�� ا ن� ا ن���ل�يعي��� ن �و�م ن ا ��ش� ح ا �ش�س��� ن���ش�ن� ��ا ر��ع ا ��َ�ليه��ي�� �و�ه�و���ن� � � ي� �ع��لي��� ل ر ير ن �ر ر ر ن � م م أ أ أ أ ش 1ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل�لة��ر 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل�لة��ر 3 .ال� �ص�ل :ح���وا 4 .ال� �ص�ل �� :ب�ر. � �
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
those of the karnū are yellow. The former also has more useful properties than the latter, one of which is that a paste made from its fruit prevents defecation. Before it is pounded and kneaded, its outer skin is scraped off. Then they make it into disks, which they dry and eat. When its kernel is broken open, two seeds will be found inside, each in a pocket of its own. The Bedouin take this small seed and dry it in the sun. Then they stew it with honey, and it turns into something delicious called kenykenya, which they sell in Darfur and which is eaten as candy; also, if anyone with roundworm chews karnū leaves and swallows his saliva, it kills the worms and expels them dead. There is also the tabaldī, which is a vast, mighty tree with a hollow trunk
4.10
that grows in the deserts. When desert dwellers grow extremely thirsty in the dry season, they go to the tabaldī and find rainwater that has collected in its cavity. They drink and their thirst goes away. The tree has large oblong fruits like almond trees, and inside these are red seeds like lupine seeds in size and carob seeds in color. These contain a white flour with a sour taste that people eat by the handful. They taste bitter, and eating them on an empty stomach prevents defecation. They make a crema using the flour, which makes it delicious. There is also the dulab, which the Egyptians call al-jawz al-hindī. This tree
4.11
isn’t found throughout Darfur, however, only in the south. In Fur parlance it is called dalayb.236 The trees are as tall as date palms, or taller, and produce a large nut, inside which is an extremely delicious juice, especially before it is fully ripe; it is almost as sweet and tasty as milk.237 Also among their trees is the ḥummayḍ, which is a huge thorny tree that
4.12
has a fruit like a large apple but with a pit. It is deliciously sour and is white in color, shading to yellow. Another is the doum palm, well-known in Upper Egypt and also called muql. Another is the ʿandurāb, a tree of medium height and girth that bears a fruit resembling black nightshade, though it is deep red and seedless. This fruit is very sweet and ripens at the start of the darat, which is to say, in their language, the spring, which is the beginning of autumn in our country. Another is the qiddīm,238 which is a tree very like the pomegranate. It bears a small fruit that is divided into two halves and covered with a bright-red skin
213
213
4.13
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
أ ا ���� ��ل�� �ش�����هً�ا ن ن ي�
� ي ن � ي ن ا ي ��ل ن���ل��� ��م ار ء �� ���ه�� اح�مر� ��ي� أ ّ ا �مش���ل�� �ن�� ش �ُ أش ن� أ ن �ن ن ي ن �نَّْ � ��ش��� ن � � ش� ً � � ن ح ا�م �و�م ن ا ���ن���ا ر��ع ���ن�� �ي� ��ط �و�ه�و نحر���ه�ي ر ي �حم��ل ��مرا �ا�ا �لننص ��ي� �كي��� �م ار ر كي ��و��� �و�ل��ع� ك ع ��ي� � م ر ي ن نّ ي ن شّ � ا� � � �� ا� ا أ ّا ًا ن� ي ن � ن � ا ا ن ن أ ن ا � � � � ك � � ط � � � � �و� ��و ��ل �و�م� ا �ل�� ��� �م� ي ن � ح� عه�� نل�ه�� ا�م� ء ا �ي� �م� ك��� �� ن� �م ار ر��� �ي ر��� �ع�لي��� مل � �وي نح� ي أ يً ي ح ّ � ن ي ���� ي � ّ � � ن ّ ا �ل ��ع� �وي � � ح�ه�� �ص����ي �و�ه�� ا ا � ن�لع�ه��ل ن��ا ��� �ن�ا �ي�ا � ا �لن�ه�ل�اء ح�ي� �يك���ي�ر � �كي ��يه�ا � �ول�ه�م��ل �م ن��� �ع � ي م ا شع ي ا �� � � ل� �و ��س��� � ا �رن� ش ً �اش ش � �م ن اأ ��ش�� ا �ع ا �� �ُ ��ُ � � ��ش��� ي �� ن ا��م�� ّ � � � � ن ا ��ل ح ا ن��ل ن ���� و � ن�� ر �م ل� �لو ��و و ه�و ن �ور س��م� ن�ل�ه��أي� ن �حم��ل .ي �حم��ل ��م ار �س�م�ر حر �ي�لعرن� �م� ن�ر ّ أّ أ أ � ن � �ا ّ � �ا� �م ن ا ��ل ن �ي �ن ا �ل �نّ ح� ان �� �ن �و�ي أا ��ل�� ا ن� ش���م ان �� �ن �و�ي ن�ك��� �ي ن�لع � �ه�� ا ك ح � �� � � ا �لنصن��� �ي� � ك � ط � ح� و ل����� ا ن�� ر � نص��� � �ي� ن ي ر ر ي ر ي ر ن �َ ْ َ� م ا � أ ن ي أ ن ي �� ح ّ �ن ا � �ي ا ���ا ي ن ا �ن ن ي ي ا ا � ح م�� � � � ي����� �و�ي� نح� ان�� ر�و� � او ن� ��و ر�و� �ه�و س��م �� �ن�ل� � ا �ل� رك �ن� � ل�� ������� �و�ي� � ��و���� �ن� � �ل�� �ك��ط��ل م ي ن أ �ّ � ن � � ي ي � ّ ي ن آ � ن ي �� ن ا ا ��سش �� ّ � ن ا ن � � � � � � � �ه�� ا نل � � ��س� �و�ل� �ي �� ن��� أا �ل� �� ا نل � �ه�� �ن�ل� � � �� نو�لي��� �ي� ا �ر � ا ر���ور ا ي� �ي� ن� � �� و �وك�ه�� ��مر ل ن ي م أ أ أ ً ً ش � � �ا�ر �ش�سس�ه�ا ��ا ��ل ش�����ر ن� ا � ن�لع �ير��� ي� � او �ه��ل �يل��ل�ك ا ��ل ن��ا � �مر�و ن� �م ن��� نر�لي��ا �و� �ليه�� راي�لي��� �و�و ن�����ي�� ا �� ����ي ي�ل� � � ي ي ن ن ي ي ح أ � أ �ن ا �� أ �ي � ن ي ا �� ن ي ن �ن ا ��ك���ل� ن� ن ن ط�ه�مي�ه� � � �� ���� ن ��ه�� �ل �ن�� ا � �مً�ا ��ن ا ��ل � � � ك ط � �ل م ��ع � م ويو ن �ص�� نو ر��ي� ير ��و� �ي� ع� ي�� ��و� �� �وي ن و ي� �� ك� ي �� م ّ � � ن ّ � ن ش ن ن �َّ �ل ل���ه�م�ا � �لأ��� ن � ا ��نل ي� �ل� ي�لن ��ع�ه�ا � ن���س��ء حر�و ن� � او نح�م�ي�ر � ك � ر ي ي ن ن � ي � ن ن � � � � � � ّ ��� ّ � ن � ا ��� � ّ ا �� ن ّ ���� �ي� �وي���س��مّ� �ع ن��� �ع� � �وي�هحرر�ع�و� ا � �ل� ���� ن�ل ��وعي�� ا �لن��ل�� ي� �وي س��م� ع��� ع�م �ن� لع نر�ي� �و ك� م ا � ي �ا� ي ّ ن ا ن � � �ن ���َل � ّ � ��ن��ي��نع�� ن �ع ن��� اأي��ّ ا�ا�م ن�ا �ن�� � �أ نّ ن ا � ا � نل �َو ي� وي �و� �ه�م �مك� ��� �م�� � �ل�ك �ي� ع �ل� � �م��� ������ �و�يك�ه�م � �ون�� �س�ه� �م�ل � م � �ن�ا ن� ا�ام�ه�ا �م�ل�ا ي� � ي � � �ا � ش ن�ش ي ًّ � أ �ّ أ ي أش �� �ن ��ا ر ا � �س �ل� � ��أ ���ل �ك�ه�ا � ح ي� � � او �ّم�ا ا ��ل�� ���ن� ��ا � ا �ل�� �ي��� ن���ل � ل�� ����ي�ر� ن���� ا يل � ك � � � � � �م �م � و ي و � ر ر � أ ي أ نن أ ش ن � َ ّ � �ار ا �ش�س�هر�ه�ا � او �ن ن�لع���ه�ا ن�كن��ي ��و��ل �م ن ا �ن ن�لع���ه�ا ا �ل�ُ� ش��م �و�ه�و ���ن�� حر �ي����ي�ر �مي��ه�� � ا � ن�لعر�و ن���� �ع�� ���� �� � ر ن ع أ أ � ن �اا �ل��ش��� ن � ش ��ن�� ���ط ��� ن ا ��ل�����ا �ل� �لي��ن�يّص ي� � �ي�� ك�ا ح ن� �ا��م ي ن� ���ي�ر � او � ا �� ح� أا � ا ن� �م�����س�ّو ن���س�ي�ء ا ن�لي���� ك�� ور ي ن ن ن � ر ر ي أ ح ع أ ا ي ن ا �اا � � نم � ش �اا �� � �ي � ا ��� ن � �م�مي أ � ش �ا�ا �� ن ن�ع� ا � ا ���� � �لي� ���ط�ا � � � � �� � ء � س � � � �� � � �م ك ك ل� � �م ن��� �ع��� ر� ن�لي�� � � �� ن ي� ر ن و نور ي ير ��� ء ك�� �ل�ل��ن� �و�ل�� ر ر ن �ن نّ � ن � ا ن ن أ نّ ن � ن �� � ن ه ا ء �ل ه�� ا ا �ل��ش�ن�� �� حر �م ن�� ��� �م �ه�ا ا � �ع���ا ر�ي�� أا � ا �و ن� ���� ي� �ع���� ن��ل�� حعي��� �و�ك ��ي� ا �ك� � �ي �� او � � � و ع ن � ن ي� � ن�ي ّ � � ح � � � �لنعي �من ا ن أن � ش �ي ��و ��ط ر�كي��ه�� ك�ا�ا �ل �و ن� ��ل ��ا ء � ن�كي��و ن���� ن�كي��� � � حر�ر �ن���س وي ���ل ��ه� ا را �ل ي� ��س�عر� �وي�ل���ل� �ي ��و ��ط � � ي � ع � � ن � �ن ا �� ش ي ّ ح ن ا �� �ليع � � � �لنعي��� �م ن ا ��ل��ل ا ي�لن ن��ع� ��نل ���ا ��ل �نيصن ن��ع� ��ل��ل �رك ���ط � او ��حلم��ل � او ���و�ر ا �ل�� ي� �� �س�مر������ �ن�� �� ء � ن ع �رر رن وي ل � ي ع ن ن �ا � � � ��ل�ا � �ي � ��حع ن�ع�� ���ي ا ��ل �م�� كن���ي ر �و�ل� ي و ون
214
214
ن ��ي�
���ا �اك� ن �ن�� او � ١٤،٤
١٥،٤
١٦،٤
١٧،٤
Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
and is extremely sweet. The pit is large, and I can’t think of another fruit we know that resembles it enough to compare it to. Another is the mukhkhayṭ, which is a small tree that bears a fruit like that
4.14
of the jujube but bitter. It is taken and steeped in water for several days, which rids it of its bitterness. Then it’s sprinkled with salt, stewed, and eaten. Some people dry it after the steeping and pound it until it turns into flour, from which they make a thick paste with clarified butter. This they do only during times of high prices and extreme hardship. Another is the shea, which resembles the tree that produces the nuts called
4.15
walnuts. It bears a fruit like the chestnut, though the chestnut has a flattened shape whereas this one looks like a hazelnut, though larger, about the size of a chestnut (the chestnut is what in Turkish lands is called kestane and in Tunis qaṣṭal). The fruit has a fatty flesh and is found only in the southern extremity of Darfur, i.e., toward the country of the Fartīt, where the people extract an oil from it. I’ve seen this and it seemed to me that it was most like sesame oil in appearance and olive oil in taste. They use it as a rub and also make it into a condiment to eat with their various dishes. Carob and sycamore-fig are also found, but are of poor quality and have no useful properties. They grow cotton in both its local variety, which they call “Arabic,” and its
4.16
Indian variety, which they call lawī. They make the most complete use of it because they not only get their clothes from it but also use it as currency, as we have described in the chapter on such things.239 The number of trees whose fruit is not eaten is large, almost too large to count, but we shall mention the best known and most useful. One of the most useful is the Sodom apple, which is a low, many-branched tree whose trunk is coated with something white resembling grease. Its large leaves crumble when pressed between the fingers and emit a white, milk-like juice when torn. It has fruit like a ball that is filled with something like down or nap that’s so light it flies about in the air. This tree has useful properties, one being that its juice, if placed on an animal’s hide, removes the hair. They peel off its bark, and inside are found fibers as fine as silk; these are gathered and threads are spun from them that they use to sew waterskins. Ropes are also spun from the fibers, and are good for tying things and securing loads. The nap inside the fruit is used for stopping up holes in waterskins. If they steal a donkey or a horse,
215
215
4.17
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
ً أ ن ً أ ن ي ن ي �ي ي ّ ش ي ��� �م ن��� �ر�و�� ا � �لعرن� �و�م ن� �ع�� � �ك�ه� أا � ا ��مر��� او ��م�ا را ا �و �ر����ا � او را � � او �لن�ه�ي�ر ��س�عر � ��و ن� م ع � ن ين ّ ن � ا ي ن� ن ن ن ا��م ّ � � ن ن ش ���ل�نه�� �ش�س�ع اأ�ل���ن � � � ا � � � � ل � ا � � � � � � ك � ل ��س � � � ل �� ه�� �� � � � �� � ع � � � ك ه � � � ي � � ير ن ر ر و � و ي ي ن ر ن ر ي � ي��� �ع ��و� ��لأ ا �ل� ي ي �ا شن � ن ي ن ن �� � ا ي � ن ن ح�نعي ��ن� ك عص��ا � ��� �و ن� � ح ش��سن��� ن� �ي�� ش�����ن��� �ع�� ا ر�ن�ا �ن�� � � ح���س ن� ل��ن� �م � �ه�م �م� ي�ل�عر�� � �ل�ك �ل�ل� � ي ن � � يَ ن � �� �ن ا ��ي ا ��ل ّ �ي اأ � ن �ع ��ش��� ي عنَ�� � اأ�لي�ه ���سّ � � ن ا ��ل��ا � � �ن �نل ه ح �� � � � حر� �م ن��� �و��ي� ا �ك���عي��� � � � � � � � � � م ا � �ل � �ل وري � �م ي �و و� ن رو و ي� ن ي ن ي� ر ن �ل ن أ �ش ���� ك�ا��ي�ر �م ن��� ا �يك ن� نن � ن � ّ � أ ش ن ش ح ن� � �ش ح ي���س��مّ ا ��ل حَ شَ����ا ن� �و�ه�و ���ن�� �ه�ا ���ن�� � �سوك �و�م ن��� �ي ��أو���� ا �ك� � �و� �ليه�� راي�لي��� طس�م� ا �ل�عر� � و �م � ر ر � ع ني أ � ً � �ان ا�ا�م��ّ ���� ش�����ي ا �� �م��ل ّ���ي � �من�ه�ا ط�سمن� � ّن ا � ي ّ �اا � � � ن ي �ن � � ا � � او ن� �ي� ن��يص ي� �م ن��� ا �ك� ر ي و � ع �ليص�� ي�م��� ك�� ل�ه�لك � �وي���نص� �ي� ا �ل� �م� �� ْ ��ش� َ ن �ن � ي � ن � � � ش ا أ � نط� ن ن � َ � ْ ح ا �� �ليع َ ن ���ط �و�ه�و ���� ��ك ��� ا ��ل َ��سنك ���ط �و�ه�و ن�� �ص��ل�� ا �ل� �سك ��ط � او �ك��ط��ل �ه�ا ا �ك��ط��ل � ح�م �و�م � � �و�ه�و �م� �� ي ر ر أ ي ّ�ا ح ي ي � أ ش � � شُ َ ح �� � � �ي ��ا �أ �ا�ش �م ن ��ا �ا�ا ��ل���نر � � ��� �م ��� �م ن � � ���ن�� ل � � � � ا � � � � � ل � � � � � م �م � �س ك ل ل ط ك � � و و حر ي�ل�ه��ل�و ا ر يو ر و و أ و ور ر ن � � أش ي� ن � ي � َ َ ا � ��ش��� � �ن اأ ��ن� � ن ا ��ك���ط�� � ن يا ي طو�ل��ل ي�ل�ه��ل�و ا �� حر �� �ا�ر �م ن� ي��ا �م�� � � ل��� عر م� ل � � �و� ��و� �ور�ي�له� � ���ه�ي ر� .ا �ل��سي�� �ل 1ن ي أ ن أ ي ّ�ا ي ّ ح �ي ش��م � اأ ن �م �كن �ن �م � ا �� ا ��لص��ا ن�� � ��ل�� �ش �ا� � �ي��ي �م ن �سوك ا ن�ل��� � او �ورا ��� �م كن���� �� � � � � ور و أ � ل ي � ر رن ني � ر ر ي � �ش ��ش�� ن ن � ي ن ا ����ي �اا � نّ ا ي �� ن ي � ا ي ش ش ا ي ا � � � � �ه� ا َل��َ� ر �و�ه�و ن� حر � �و ��س�وك �و ر�و ك��ي ر� �و��س�و��� ك�� �ل��س�� ر� �و�ل� �ور�ي�له� � ���ه�ي ر� �و�م � ع أن أ � �شا طس�من� ي ن� طس�من� ا �ل �نّ � � � حيمن�� �م ن��� �� �� ح��� ن �م ن��� ع ح���� ن� ا �ع���� � او � ل�� ع ن َُ � ��ش�� ن ن �ا�ش�ي�ر�ي ن�كي��� ا ن� �سوك ��ن�ه�ي�ر �و�نر�و ك� �ه�ا ا ��ل�� �لأو�و ي� �و�ه�و ن� �م ار ر �ل�� �ي�لنه�ا ري��� �ن� حر���ه�ي�ر � �و �ش � �و�م � ع َ َ ش � أ ي ن � �ن ّ ن ي ش ��ل ا أ ش ّ � ن � � ي �ا �ي ن ا ّ �ي � ن ا ا � �ي �ن � � ���� س 2م�� را ��� �� �ريك�ه� �� � �أاو � نح� .أا � ا ���مر�� �و� ��� � ��� �و م � �ه� لع���ل �و�ه�و نحر �لي����� م � � � ن �� ّ أ � ن ش � ���ا ��ل � �من ح �ه�ا �أل�� ا �ك� �ا�شر� �ي� ن��ص ي� ��ن� ا ن��ل ط� ن�� �ه�ا ا ��ل حََا نر �و�ه�و ���ن�� � ل�� � � ل��ن� ا �ن�ا � ك �ن��ي�ر �و�ل� �ن�ا �ك���ه�ي�ر � � � ح� و � ن ن ل ر ر ي ّم ّ ن ن ّ �ل��ن �� �ن � يّ � � ين � �� ن حي ي�ه�م�ا ن ���ط��ل�� ن ���ط��ل��� � ط� ن��� �ع�� ح�� �ل� ي�ل� �سوك ي � �ص ��يه�� ا �ر ن��ل�ا � أا � ا �م�� ا �ن�ا �ع� � او �ل��ن��ر � �و �ش � � يل � أ�اش نّ � ن � ا � � �ن م ن �� �ّ� ا أ �ي � � ا � � � � أا � م�� �م� ي ن��ل��� �ي� �ط�ل� �م� �� ر ن �ل و ر � ي � � �ا � ش ين ن ن أ أش ي � أ ن ن ا نّ ط��� ن� �من�ه�ا � ��ا ن ���حل �م��ل��ي ن��ا ��ل�� ���ن� ��ا ر ا � �س� �ل� �ي ��أو ���ل �ك�ه�ا ���مر �ل ��ع� ع ��ي� ا ���ور ا �ر �أ� �ك�ه�م �ي�ل� ��ل و � ون ي أ � �أ ن� ش ا � ي أ ّ ا �� ن � ن� �ي ن � � � � � ا ن �ش � � �� �� ط �ل��ل��ي �ع�م�� ��لص �� �يكه� � ا �ّم�ا ني و � م و ا �ل�ح���� ن� �لنصي �� �وك�ه�م ا �م� ا ل��سك ��ط �عر ��ط� �ل�ل� َ� �ن�ع �و�سعن�� ا ك� �يو ا �� �لأ � ي �ن���ل ا �أ � � �ك ��� ن � � �� �ي �ن ا ��ل ي � �ن � � � � � �ل �ن ا �ن ا ��ل��س�ي �ن � �ن ا ��ك ن ��و� و�ي� � �م �ريل�� ير ط�و� ن� سع� نصي ��و� و روع� ي ن�ه� �وك�ه� �ي� ل� �وو� � و ن نأ ن أ ن � � ي � � � ن ّ ن � أ ن ح ش����ا � �ك��ا ���� � � �من�ه�م�ا ��ا �ك ��ط �ع ن��� ��ا � او �م�ا ا �ل����ر � او �ل �م � �لن� �ع ن��� �ع� �ع�و��� �ع ن ا �ل � او �ك� � ن ي و � � ر ي م أ أ ََ ة 1ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل��س�لةّ���ل 2 .ال� �ص�ل :و� ش��� . م
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
and want to change the color of part of its hair, they anoint with its juice the place they want to change; the hair disappears, and white hair grows back in its place. In such cases, there will be doubt as to who is its owner, though some owners are familiar with the ruse, having been subjected to it before. Its wood is as light as that of the qafal tree. I’ve seen them blackening gunpowder with the charcoal made from it. There’s a specimen at the Abū Zaʿbal hospital, and many are to be found in Upper Egypt too. There is also a tree called ḥashāb. It is thorny and gum arabic is extracted
4.18
from it. I’ve seen it and gathered the gum from it while it was still soft and stretchy like mastic. It grows in arid, sandy places. There is also the sant tree, which is the tree that produces qaraẓ pods. It is huge and thorny. And there is the ṭalḥ, which belongs to the same species as the sant. Ṭalḥ grows taller than a man, its bark is red, and it has long thorns like needles. Its leaves are made up of smaller leaves. The umbrella thorn acacia is a tall tree that grows higher than a man but is smaller than the ṭalḥ, while the color of its bark is whitish green. It has white thorns and each leaf is made up of smaller leaves. Another such tree is the kitir. This is a thorny tree with many branches; its thorns are like hooks. It also produces a gum that is harvested, though ḥashāb gum is more expensive and of better quality. Another tree is the laʾūt,240 which is a small tree with small thorns and many
4.19
branches that have a greenish tinge that never disappears even if the wood dries out. When its bark is peeled off, a distinctive, unpleasant odor may be smelled. Another is qafal, which is a tree that is neither large nor small but grows mostly in the mountains. Another is the ḥarāz. This is a thorny tree of enormous size whose trunk grows so large that two men cannot put their extended arms around it. It provides extensive shade; some are so large that a hundred or more may sit in its shade. In general, the trees whose fruit is not eaten are useful for other purposes. They cut timber from them for their houses. The pods of the sant are used for tanning, and its long branches as pillars for their houses. They use the bark of the laʾūt to tie the ceiling beams of their houses together and use its branches to make ceilings and ṣarīfs, which serve the same function as enclosure walls around our houses. From kitir and ḥashāb they take gum, and sometimes they cut off their thorns and make them into hedges for pens for their animals,
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خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
� ي � �أ نّ �� ّ ا ��كط ن أ ً ي � � ا� �ا ا � ن ط� �� ن �ش م او �ش�سس�ه� �و�لص �� �وك�ه� �ل� � � � �س�م� ���ا �ن�ا �ي�ل� ��ل ��ه��ل�و� �م ن��� ا � نررا ��ي ن� � �سو�ك�ه�م� � � ي � ن ل���ل ع � او �ي و ي ن م ي م ً � �ا ي � ن ��ل ا أ � � ي ن ن ي ن � � ي �م �ر�لنه�ا �و�ه�و ل ن��ا� �ي�� ع� ا ن��ي�� ي� رري�لن��� �ع�� �ل��ا � ��ع ل ن��ا�ا ��� �ع ن ا �ل��س � � �� �ك ��ط � او �لنصي ��و� ��� ن و � ي � ْ ُ �ور و ي � � ا � ي ّ ا � ن �ي ا ��� ��س ��� اأ �ش�س��� �ش��س ء ��ا ��لن ح� � ا �� ُك���ط ن ��ل�� ا�ا�من حن �ص� ا ��ل��� ن� � � � ا � م ا � � ل � � � � �م م ه � ص ك � � � � � � � ك � �و ط ن � ن ي و ور � رو ن و � و ني و أ أ � ن ّ أ � � م� أ ن � ي ن �اا � � � � �ي ن � � � ا �و �م ن� ��� �ص� ر�كي�� ي���س��مّ� ا�ا�مر�عن�ي�� ن� � او �لش��ا ��ي� �ل� ي�ل�ه�م��ل أا �ل� �ل�ل�ا �عنصي��ا ء � او ك�� نر ا �ل�� �و�ل� �و�هو� ن ع أ ن �اا �� �اّ � أ نا ي� � ي �� ا �� ن� ي ن � ���ي ن ن ��ً�ا ا ل � �� � � � � � � � س � ا ا ا ك �م � ل ا ك � ل� �ل � � � � � � � � � � � 1 ع � � ك � م �و� ��� �ص� �� �ع�م ��لي���ل ا � �و ن� ر ر ن ي��� ي ي �ل أ � ي ر ر ي� ر ن ع ن ن � ا� �� ن�ل�ه�� ��هحر�و�ل ا�م�طر أ أّ � ّ � �ا�ش��ر ��ل�� ي� � او �عل��� ا ن� ا ��لنصن��ا ي� ��ن� �ن�ل�ا � ا ��ل��س�و� ا ن� ك� ��س�� ا �ن ار �� ا �ل�ه�� �و�ل�� �ي ��و�ي��ن� ��ل�� � � ع � ي أي أّ � م �ّ اأ ي ش ي � ي ا � � ن �ان ن ن � �ن ا � �ي � � � ّ � � ش ي ي ا ن � � � ك�ه� ي� �و�ل� ���� �و�ل� ا �عر� �م��� أا �ل� �م� ا ��سس�هر �و� ا �و�م�ل� � ��س�ه �ر�� ا �لن ��ه� �ل��ي� �ص� � � ع ّ � ا ع �� �ن �� أ ن ����ش �ي � نم ي ا أا ن� ن� ا ك ��ن� ��� نّ ا ��ل ش��س��ا � � او ن��ل � ل� ل� � ��ا �ك���س�� �نك�ه�م � او ��س�ه�ا ر�ي� �� �ه��ل ���� ن�ل��ل �ع���ي� ن��لن�� ن� � ر ي � ن ن � � أ ي أ ن أ ّ ن ي� نً � � �ا��ل ّ�ً�ا ا ن ي ا ني �س� � �ه�م �عر�� �م� �عر�ك��� �ن� �ل� ��س�م �و�ل� ا ��� ر ا � ا �م�ي�ر� �مي��ي�را 2ك� ي ن ا �� ن � أ � � ن أ�اش � ح ا ��ل ش �ا � � �ه ��ش��� � ن �ن ن ��ش� حر كن�ا��ي�ر �و���ه�ي�ر �و���ه�ي�ر� ا ���ر �م ن� كن�ا��ي�ر� �و�ه�� ا ك���ه�ي ر ا �� � طو�ل �م��� ن��ر ��� و و �و ن ا �ن ي � �ي ي ي ن َّ ي أ ن أ نّ � ن ا أ ن � � �أ نّ ي ش ي�ا ��سور� ن� ��س��� �ل�� ك �م ار ء �ن� �ل�� �ن� �م ن� ا � �له�ا �م�� �و� ش � ل��ن��ي�ر �ل� � ���مر� كن���ي�َر�َ �س�هن��ر� ا �ع�سي� ا � ���و�ك�ه� ا �عن��ر ن � ن �ن ي � ن � أ ً ن ّن ي أ� �و�ه�و ا �ل��ل�و� ا �ل��� �ي� �ي�لعرن� �ل��لنصي��ا ��� �و�لي����� ا ن�لي�ن��� �ن�ا ���ه�ا �وي �ح�م��ل ��ي� أا �ن�ا � ��م��ل�� �ع ن��ا �كي��� �ي�ا ��ال� ّ أ �ن أ أ � � ن ن � ناي ن ن �من ا �ه�ا � ح ن� ك� �ا�ا ��ن�عرا �ل� ن�ص ن�� .م�ا �كن� � �م ن��� لي���و� ا ��س�و� ط�ن� �ه� ا �ه��ل ا �ل��س�و� ا � �و�ه�� � ا �ل�ع�� �كي��� �كي� � � ح �ن أ ي �� ن ن � ن أ � ن �ي ن ي ن ن ن ا � ا ا � ن �م �و�ل � �و�م� �رن� �ل�ل�� طه�م�� ���ل�و �كي��� ن�ل����� � ار �� ط�ن� � لي���و� ا ��مر �و�م� �م �ي�لعرن� �م��� لي���و� ا �� ر ح أ أ أ أ ً ي ن �� نّ نّ �ل ن ّ ن ن �ن ن �ن� � ن � ا �ا �ن ي ن� �صّ��ا ا ن� �و �ور��� ي�ل�ه�ل ن� �ع��� ���سي� ا ��� ن ي���سي� ا �و �ي�لعرن� �م� ا � لي���و� ن�لي�� ي �مرا �ك��ط� �عر � او �لن�� ���� أ �َ ُّ� ش �ا � � ا �أل� ا�ا�من ن� ��� اأ ن� � ا �� �ل ن ن�ع��ل ن ��� ا ��ل ا �ي ����ل ا ��لن طو� ���ن� � � ح ش��س ن� ا �ورا �ي�� ن� � او �لن� �� � حر كن���ي ر ه� �ل طر عن� ر ل� �و� ي�ط ���� � م أ � ن� � ي �ل ن ّ �ي �ن � ا ن�ك ا �ي ن�ّ ن ي� � �ي ش ي ا �� ا �ي �م ن ا �� �ن �م ش �يّ �ي ي ش ي يًا ن �ه� ���� � �و ر� ��مر� ل���� � � س���ل ��س �ه�ي ر� ن ي�� �صي�� �ي� � عه�� ��س���و�� �ع�ي�ر �و ي� ّ ش أ أ أ ّ � ً � � ا � ن �ا �ش ن � � ي ي ن �منصي ن �ّ ك ���طح�م��ي � ش���م � ��س�م ا �ل ش����ا � � �ع ن��ا �ك���� ا �ك ن ���ا أا �ل�� ا � �ه�� ا �ل ���� ا � �ن�ا ن� ��ط� �ول��ل�� �و�ل�� �ي��أو ���ل ��مر� � ور ر و و ي ي ن ً ي ي أ أ ش � �ا�ش � ن ي ا � ي � ن ن ن �اش� ي ي ي� �وي�لي��ع ّر �ر�و�ع�� ك���ي ر� �و�ه�و ا ��ن�عر�م ن� ���مر ا �ل ش����ا �و �و�ل�ه��ل�و ����ا ��� ا �� ر م� �� م�� ع ُ َ أ ّ ن ��ش � � َ ن أ ّ ا � �أَْ نُ � يْ �ان �ي � ا ��ل ن �� ي���ل � ن ح �مي� ّ��س ��� � �ي ش��م �ي�� ن ن ا � � ل � � � � � �� ا ا ا ك ء ح � � � � � � � � �م � � ص � � ه � و �ل ن �و � ن أ ي � � او �م� ا �ل�ن�ل �و � � �و ن ر �و ط و ر � ر أ أ ّ �ّ � أ نّ ا ن� ن �ن � ن �� ا �� ن � ���ل�م�ا ح�نع��نّه�ا � ي ش ي ن� ش ن ي ن � � � � � ا ا � � � � ل � �� � � �م ه �� � س س � � �� � � ل � � � � و أ ي و ي و و ا � �ل���مر� ا ل����س��� �ع� �ع�و� ا و ر ين � أ أ ة ب ك� 2 .ال� �ص�ل� :م�� بةرا. 1ال� �ص�ل :د ة
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
because generally speaking every house has a zarībah, which is a kind of outer wall, and a ṣarīf, which is a kind of inner wall, with the houses in the middle, much like tents with dust-breaks erected around them.241 The houses are made either of millet canes or of thin canes called marhabayb, the second being used only by the rich and the great men of the state. It is a cane with few knots, and is as thin as a reed, yellowish white, and sweet-smelling; the smell is strongest after rainfall. The plants found in the Lands of the Blacks are so numerous that the differ-
4.21
ent species are too many to count, and to their number no end or limit can be found. I am acquainted only with those that are well-known and widespread and whose fame has filled the globe, for at the time I was but a youth, ignorance my very robe. Despite this, and because I mixed so much with the Blacks and made so many journeys with them, I learned many by name, though I can’t distinguish each and every one of them. Among them are the shāw, a tree that occurs in large and small varieties,
4.22
the small being more plentiful than the large. The small variety is taller than a man, and its bark is green compared to that of the large variety, because the bark of the large form is “dusty,” by which I mean gray (which is a color close to white but not as bright). When it puts forth fruit these come as clusters of berries resembling small grapes, which the inhabitants of the Lands of the Blacks eat. Those that ripen are black, and those not quite ripe are red, while those that are unripe are green. They taste sweet, with a certain piquancy, and the leaves, if I remember correctly, are ovoid, or almost so, and green both above and below. The baṭṭūm is a large tree, impressive to look at, grayish in color, with a
4.23
thick trunk, hard wood, and small ovoid leaves with teeth around their edges. At the bottom, the bark of the trunk appears irregularly cracked. Its fruits resemble those of the shāw, as do its clusters, but the baṭṭūm has long tails to its berries, and its fruits, which are smaller than those of the shāw, cannot be eaten. Its trunk reaches more than twice a man’s height and divides into many branches. The ebony tree is a medium-sized tree with a dark-green bark. Ebony is its heartwood: when the bark is peeled off, a black wood is exposed, though the black is not very intense when the wood is green; the more it dries, though,
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خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
أ أ ا أ ن �ن ن ��ل �ن ن �ن ا ي � � � ن �ن ا ن � ا � �� �س ا �ًا � ا � ن � � ن ��� �ور �و�ه�� ا ا �لصن�� � �ل� �ي ��و ن��� ��ي� � ا ر ا � �ل ��ور و و ر ح���� ا �ل�ن�ل ��و��� �م� ا ��� �م� ا ن ّ � ن ي ي � ا ��لُ ن ا ن أ ��لُ ن � ن �ان � � �ّ � أ ن �ل� � ن ا ن � �ش ن �أاو ��م�ا ي ن���ل ن� �م ن� � ا ر ا � �لع �ر���ي� أا �ل� �و�ع� � ���� �ل�ك أا �ل� ا � ا ن � �و�� � ا �و ا ن�� ي�ه� � او ن�� �و�� � �ل�� ��مر َ َ � أ ْ ح � �� �� � �ن ��ش��� ّ � �ي �اا ��ل ن �ي �ن ا ��ل �ا�ا ��لن�� ن�م � �ن � ا �ّم�ا ا ن�ل � � ط�ع� ن�ك��� �ل�� ن �� ع ا � � � ك ل � �ل ل �� � � � � � � ك ه � � � ح � حر�مي��و��س ��ط � � � � � رو و نع � و ن ك�� نص��� � �ي� ن م و م ي ن � ين و أ أ � ش ن � � ن ح �ي ن � ��� ي � ي ن ��ً�ا � ���� ن� ����ا ي��� ��م�� ا ��� ا ��ل ��مر �و�ر�و�ع� لي �� �سوك ��ط�و�يل��ل � او � �ن�ا ن� ا �يك ن� س� ك�ا��ي�ر� ا �لي��ع ّر �و�كي��� �ش � يي� و أ � و ل ع أ ي ي ي ن ّ � ّ أ نّ �� �ي اأ ن �ن ا � ا ن ا � �أ ا �ي �م ي � ي ي ي �ن �مر � � نك�ه� �و�ه�� � �ل��ور � ��س���ير� ا �ورا ��� �����ي�ر� � نر��م�ا ن ��� ن� ا �ك�ه�ا �م��لي����ه�� �ن�ا � �لعر�و ل�� ع نّ ي ي نّ ً ن ً ش ا �ش � �ان �ّ � أ نّ� �ن ن �ن ّ أ ن� � ن� ش ّ �ي ن ا � � ح � ا ا ا ك � � �مرو�ي� و ي�� ���ن��ي�� �م����� ن��� ������ ن��ا �ع�� أ� ار �و���مر� ��س�مر ا � نر�عر�ور �و�كي��� �م���� � أ �ل� � ع� أ أ ن � ن ��� نّ أ نّ �ن � ا�ن �ان ����ن�ه�ا �ا�ّ ش���م �ي ا �ل�ه��ي �م����ا � � � � � � ن � او �ع�ل ن� �س�ي� ا � �ي� ل ر نر � ني � و ر ن ا��م ا ن ن �� � � اأ �ّم�ا � ا �ن �ي��� ي� � �ع� � �ن �� � � ا �ن�� ن�ك� ن��ص ي� ن�ك�ه�ا ا �� �ليع ن��ا � �من�ه�ا م ل � � �� � ا ا ل � �� � � � � س � � � � � و و � و ن و ن ر ور ي ن ي� ر ري و م ن و � و أ أ�اش أ ن ن أ ن � ن � � ي ن ي ا ن � � � �يك� �صع���و� ا �ع� او � � ار �نك�ه�م � او ���ر ا �ع� او � � ار ن� ا �ه��ل ا �ل�� �و�ل�� �� � ا ر���ور �م� ا � �لع�� �و�ه�و ن �مي���ل ً ن ن���ّ� ا �وي ن� ���ل ن� �م ن� � ا ر � �ير���ي ي� أ ّ ا � ن ايا ي � ي ن ��� � ��ع ��ش��� ي ي ّ � ي � � ش � ا ��ّ �ن�من�ه�ا ��ش��� ي ا �س ك ن�ك�ه�ا �ه�ا ا ��نل حر� �م ��و��س ��ط�� �ل� � �و ي� � او �م� ا �لصن�� �� � ا � �سي� �كي� حر� َلي�َ��ي� و ي� ن ��و � � ن ّ أ ي� ش ش� ً � ن ح ش��عسن� ّ �� � .أ ن���ن� ا ���سش�م � �لن��يع� ��ن ا�ا�م�ا ء � ي��� �سي ا�ا�مي �ا�ا �� ن�ع � ا ��ل�� ا �نّ�� ن� � �ه�و� �و���و ن� �ه�� ا ا ك و ور أ � � � و ي ي� و �س�مر ��مر ر ر � ر يع ي م ��ش�� ن ن ن� ش ّ اش � �ش ّ �َ ْ ن �ا��ل�و ن� ا ��ر�ّم�ا ن� ا ��ل حر�ك���� ح��عسن�� ك� ا ��س�مر ك� حن� � او �ل ش��س�ه��ل�و ن� �و�ه�و ن� ��ا �سن�� أا � ا ن� � ���ي�ر ا � ن�لعر� و � ي � أ�اع � �ا ي � ّ �اا �� �ي ��ل ّصنسه�ا �ورن�ك���ه�ا ي��مي� ّ�� �ن �و�ع�� �و�ي ش���ي�����ك ن�ل��� ن� ا ي � ح�ي �يك���ي�ر ا �ل��ش�ن�� حر�ي �و� �����ه�ا ك�� �ل��م� ي� ي� ن ن �ك�ه� �م��را �م�� � ر � ش �اا � � �� � �أ � � � � �ن � ن� � ن� � � ا ي ��ل ن ّ �ي ن � ن �ي � ن ن � �م �و�ل� نع � � ا� ك ح� �و�ل� ��و� كي�� �وكي�� ع��� ر� ن���ي�� ن�لن������ �ر�و ن�� 1. �و�ل�� ���مرك�� �ل ن��ل ل��ن��ي�ر ا �ل��� ر م أ � � ّ � ن �ن�م ��� � �لنه�ا �ي�� ��� ن ا ��لن ط�ه�م�� �ل� ن�ح �� �ا � �ي ا �لي��� ا ءً � � ا �ن��ي ا ن�لي ً ن �ك��ل � �مر�ي �و���و ن� � حن� أا � ا � � �ن� ل �ه�ا ء .ا � � ر �ل ي ر �و� ن و و � ر ن � ا ��ن ح اأ ن ا �� � ي ا �ي �ي�ي ّ � ن � ل �سن� ن ش ا � � ��ه� �و �� له�� م � �ل�ك ���ه�� ���� ر ن� �مر ر ل ير � َ ح ش����� ش�� ّ �� ن�� ي �ن ا � �أ ا ن� ا ��ك����ل �ي اأ� ا �ي � �يك �ي �ي ن�ك ن � �من�ه�ا �َ �يَ�ي � �ه� ن�ل��ا ي� � س س � � � � � ه � ص � � � � ل �ه�ا � و� � � ي و � ر وون ي� ي ن ي� نر � ي� � ن �ور ّ ير ي � ي� ع ي ي ن �يّ � �ي �ن اّ ن ا ن أ ا ا ا ا ي ي � �ه� ن� �� � ا ��س��� ا ر� أا � ا � � ا ���ور� �ي� �ه� �و� �و�ع� �مر�م� �و� �ي� ا �ل�ه��ي� ا �ر�م�� ا ء ا�م ��ور�م�� �ن� �ل � أ اً أ أ �ي ن ً � ن � �ش�ل�ا �ش��ي ا �ّ�ا �اص ي� ��ن� �� �س �ي� ��م��ل��� ��ن� ن�ع��ر ر�أ �و��ي ا ن�ل � نر � �و� �له�� �� �ص��ا ��ا �و�م���� ء ا � � ا �ن���ل �و�م��ع�� ي� � ي ي و ي ن ي ي ي م ي أ ن ا ن �ي ش ّ ي � ن� ي ن � ا �� �ن � �ن ي ش ا � � � � � ك � � � ع� � ل � � � ه ا �ل � � ن�لي��� ي� ل���ل و� عص�� ي� �� ��ه�م� ن ي��� ي� �مر� ن عص� ن� �م ن�ص� يرح �ه�� ��ي� ي أ ّ أ � ن ي أ � ن � ن ن ي ا ا� ي ا�ًا � ن ع�� ًا �ي ي ا �ن ��ل � ن ن�ا � س ا ل �ص�� � 2ي� ا � � � �و����ي��� ا �مر ا � �له�ل����ل �ك�� �م� ا�م� �م ��ا �ل �و�ور�مي��ا � 3ر�ن�ص ي� �و����ا �ر ي� ي و �ن أ أ أ 1ال� �ص�ل� :ك بروح��ة 2 .ال� �ص�ل :وا �لةل���ه ب���ا 3 .ال� �ص�ل :وور�م�ا.
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٢٥،٤
٢٦،٤
٢٧،٤
Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
the blacker it becomes. The best ebony is that taken from the roots. It is not found in Darfur but imported from Dār Fartīt. The jackalberry tree is the same, but the jackalberry has fruit like hazelnuts in size, sweet tasting, with a certain toughness, like gristle. The jaʿjaʿ is another medium-sized tree, with a reddish trunk and branches with few bifurcations.242 It has long thorns and the stalks of its leaves are so short one might think they were stuck straight onto the branches; these leaves are round and deeply indented. The fruits resemble medlars and contain compartments, but are gristly and have a certain woodiness. To the best of my recollection each fruit contains four compartments with walls between them. In the lands of the Fartīt (who are the Magians among the Blacks243 and
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who live south of the borders of Darfur) grows qanā, from which they make the shafts of their spears; most of the shafts of the spears of the officers of state in Darfur are of this bamboo, which is very beautiful and is imported from Dār Fartīt. Plants that have special properties include the kilí tree, which is of medium
4.26
size, without thorns, and bears a fruit like a medlar but woody. The fruit is steeped in water, and given to one charged with a crime to drink.244 The color of the fruit resembles that of sour, dried pomegranates. The shaʿlūb is a semiwoody tree with numerous soft, thin branches, which spread out and interweave with one another until the tree, when standing alone, ends up looking like a hill.245 It has fruits like large green dates with neither pit nor kernel that contain a milky, somewhat viscous juice. The fruits taste sweet at the beginning and piquant at the end; it is green, the green never disappearing, even when they dry out. If someone who’s been drinking wine chews them, they get rid of the smell, as noted earlier.246 Another is the daqarah,247 which is a grassy plant that grows in hard soils. Its leaves are delicate and somewhat rounded. When the leaves are pounded in a mortar and their juice squeezed for three days, morning and evening, into a diseased eye that is acutely inflamed and swollen, it will cure it. I was in the market at Numlayh once (not the time I went to see the mountain)248 and I picked up some pepper with my hand and toyed with it for a moment. Then there was a gust of wind and my eyes got dust in them so I rubbed them with my hand, forgetting about the pepper. It hurt terribly and my eyes immediately
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4.27
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
أ ي �ع ن ن ن ن ي ّ ن أي ّ ي � �أ � ن ن ��ا �ور �ك �ه�ا �ل��� �ل��� ا ��� ر �ع���� ا �ر ��و ن� �م ن� �ش���� � ا �ل� ا�م ��� ���ل ي� ��ي� ن�ل��ل���� �ون�� ي� �ع ن��� ا �م ار � ن�� ي� � م �ي ��ل ن ن ا ن ن ن �ًا � يّ أم ��ا يّ اأ ي�� ��ل � �ي ن ن ن ي ّ ي ش ن ن � � ا � � � ل � � � ه ح عم � ا � � � � � � ح ا � � � � �ل ا ��ل ن ��و ون��� ن� ن � � ي��ل� و له�ل ن� نحع�� � و�ع�ل�ط� �� ���ي��� �ع��� ي �ي� م� ��م� م ي � � أ � �ن ح�لن �ي ن � ن � ن ن � ا � �و� �مر� �ل� ا عر� �م� ي �ه�� �ي� م� � �ل�ك ين � ن ن ن� ي نّ ي ّ ي � ش ّ ي � ي ن أ ن ّ أ � ���� �� �� ��ا �ص��ا � ��ا � ا ع � � � � � � عم � � � � � � ا ك ا ا ء � � � � س �ه�� ل م � ك ط � � � � � � � � � � ن ��ل�م� ا ن ن ح ن ي� ن ور و ر ي ي� و و ر ي� أ م ش ح � ي � أن ن �س��� ن ا � ش��م�ا ن�ل���ي � ي��ا ��ل ي� ��كه�ا ��س�ه��ل ��ّ � �ع ي� �ن�ا ن�ل ن���ي �ك�ه�ا ��ن�ه�ي�ر�ي يل � ���و ن� ا ن�ل ن��� � ��ا � ا � يل� �سع� � ي� و ي و � ن م � أ ن �� �أ���ي ن اأ �ي نع � ن ا ي ا��م�� ّ ي ي ن ن ن �ل��لن� �ي ا �� ن ي ل � ا م � �ه � � � س ا ا ا ا �� � ا � � � م � ا س � � � � � � �� ل � � ل � � � � � � � �ص � � ص ن� ن ه� �ور ن�ي� أ � �ل ن ن �ل و ي ي� ن ور � � ن � �م� ر أ أ ّ � ا ��ك� �� ّ �ي � ن � ي �ي �ل ً�ا ش�ّ ا ء ي � � � ا ا � ا �ي � ن � � �ي ي� �ل�� ن �كه�ا ��� ن �ا�ش�ي�ر�ي �ن�ا ن���ن� �يك�ه�ا ا �لن�ع � � ك � � � و ر �ن ي�� و�ع� ن��� �ي��ل �م ن�� � و س��ه� ور � ن و ن ي� � ن � يّ ش ن ّ �اا ��ل�ع � ن � اأ � ي � �لن��ي ّ ن � �عم ن ّ �م ي� �� �عم� ّ �م ن � � ح ن� � � � � ع � � �� � � � م�� � � ح�� ���ا ر ك�� ن��ي� و مر� ك � � ن و ي ي ي ر ي� ي ي� � � حري�� ي م أ أ أ ح أ ً ّ � � ن ش ن ن � ن � ن �ا �لن�ه�� ا ا� � ي �ا�ا ��م�ا �� �عم ن ّ ّ ي ا �ا ن��� ن �ل �� � ن ّ ا ا ي ن اي ا � � �و� ح�� ك� ي� ي � عم�ي� �ن� ر� ا ��م ا ن�ل��� ا �ي� ���ل ن ي ر �ع��� ر� ا �لصن�� � ا�م�� ��ور ر ي� ي ي م يّ ي ّ ن أ أ ط�س ّ ن اأ ي �سك ������ � � ن � ا �صك ���ط �ع�� ّ �ن��ه�ا �ن��� ي� �م ن ن� ��ل��ك �م ش��س�ه�� � ح�ي� ا �م � او ر�ي��� ا � �ع��ك�ه�م� ن�لي��� �ي� ��ل� ا � ي �ي� ي ع �ل�ل� ن ���ل � � �أ ي ن ي ي �ن ن � ّ ي � ن � ع ���س �ي ن��� أ �ن ي �ّ � �ي �ال�ا ن� � ��ا ء �ن ا ��ل ن�� � �نسن�م ي � � � � م � � ا � � �سع ا ا ا � ل � ل � م�� � � � � �م ع � ا �ل� م � � � � � � � � � ل � � ي و و أ � � � ن رن ي و ر م � ر ي وي م نأ أ ح��س�� ي �ن �عم ن ّ ن �ا�ا ن �م ن ا ��ل��ل�� ��ا ء ي حنّه��ي � ن� ��� ا ��ل�� ا�� � �ا�مّ�ا ��ا �م ي� ��� �م ن � � � � � ع � ك � � � س� � � � مو � يل ن و ر ي� � ي� ي ي� و ن أ أ � ي ّ ن � ي ن � ي ��ً�ا ن��ا �ن �لن��ي�� ي �ص��ا � �ع� ي � ن �ل��ل�ك ا �ل�����ا ر� �ون�� ي� �ن�ا �ل��ع �لي���ل�� �و��ي� ا �ك �ه�ا ا �يك ن� � عصن��ا �ي� �مر� ��ي� �م � ن ح� �ي ح م أ أّ � أ � ً ً � � ن �����ً�ا ��س�مصن�ً�ا �ا�� ش����ا ��س�مصن��ا � �و�سم��ي ��ل ش��س�نه�ا �أ� � او �ع ��� ي ا �ل�ع �ا�ا �ن� ا� ا ر�م�� �نك�ه�م�ا ن� ن��ن� ح ي� أا ن� ن� ا ك ن� � ك� ي �ص� ن��ور ن ي ي ي ي ي و ي م آ � ا �� �ن � ن ن ا � �أ�نّ ���س ّ ن � ن ح ي�س�ش�م ��ن� ا ن�ر نر�م ن ا ��نل �و ن�ع�� ��ل� ا ��لنص��ا ي� � او �ل��ش�ن� � ح �ر�ل� �و�ه�و ك� �ص�� ع��� �� �ل� ك�ه� ي � �مو� ي ن ن � ر ر ي ي م ً � ن ا نًا ا� ن� ي ن ا �ّ � �ن ن ن ن ن ن ي �ص��نع ن��ا ن� � �لنهً�ا � � � �لع ن��ا � ��ا � �� �ع ��ه� �ل�ع ن �ل � � � ا � � �ل � � ع � � � � � � � � ور �ص��ه� �و�م �ي �� او �� �� �و� أا �ل� �ي� �ي ي ري و ري ر و ي� ر � م ي و ن نريع ن ي ّ � � ي � � ن � � � ي ن ن ن ح�ع ��ي ّ �ص�� ا �ل � ا �ل ش��سي��ا ء �أ�ا � ا �ل ش��سي��ا ء �ع ن��� �ع� �ه�و ا �ل ش��سي��ا ء �ع ن��� �ن�ا �و��� ا �ك� ي � � ��م��ط ار �ل��س�م�ا ء �ع ن��� �ع� � ي ي م ي ن ن � �أ نّ أ ّ � ي �م � � ن � � ن ّ ن �ُ ش ش ن � � ن � �وي�هحرر�ع�و� �ل� � ا �و�ل ��س���و ��ط ا�ام��طر �ع ن��� �ع� ��ي� ا ن�ل� �ورا ء �وي���س�م� �و�� ا �ر����ا ��� �و��ي� ا �ل��مر ��ط�ا � � � ش ا� �� ي� ي م� �أ ي ن � � �ي ن ا ي � ن ا� ي�لن ��ن��ي ا � � ل � �ع ن ا ��� ا �ل���� � ه ا � � ��ا ن� �ولي����ر ا�م�طر �و�م���� أ ا �ل��و� �ي�� � ن� ا � ل �� ل م � �� � �� � � ص �� � � � � � � ي �ل ن رك � ل � ك ر و ر ن ن ي ي � أ ح أ ّ�ا أ نّ ن � � � م �ن �ا�ش ي � �أ� �� �ا�ش ي ن ا �م ّ ا ن �م �م�ا � �ي�� �م ن � � � � � � �ل ع ا ا ا ا ا ع � ل ل �و�م� �ي ��و��� ا � � ر� �ل� س�ط� ر ��� ه��ل ��س�و� � �ي� ���ن�� ن� �ي� � ر� ي���ل س� ر وع � أ � ّ�ي �ي �ن � ن ا ن � حيّ أ � �أ ّ � ن ا �� �ليه� � ا أ �ي ا ��ل�� �يّ�لنه�ا �ي� ا نّ� � ن �س���ي 1253ن�ع �مر�ع�ل�ء � � ن�م� �� ع ���ي�� ��� ا ن�لي�� ا �ل�ر� ن� م� � ح �ر� �و�� �ي� س� ن ً ّ أش ي ع ن ن ا ن � ن م �ا ا يع ن أ ن ن حش ّ ً ش ا �ا � ن� ن ��ا � � ������� �� �اص ي� �م��ي��ع�� � � �� ك � � � � ا ل � � � � ل ع�� � � ص � � � ه �� � � �و �م�����ي� �عر���� ن�ل��ل ا ���ر �و���ن��ن��� م ي و ي ي �ل ي ن � � اأ ن � ني �ش �ّ � �ن ا � ي ا ن ن أ �� ي ي �ه��ل �و��� ع � �ل�ك �ن� ر��� ا �ل�� �سو� ا � ا �م �ل� � �ون�ل�يص� �ع���� ا �ل����ك أا �� ��س��� 1257ن�� ء ا � �له� ��سي�
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
became inflamed and swollen. I mounted and left but couldn’t go on riding because of the terrible pain, so I entered a town and spent the night in the house of an old woman. I was unable to sleep and spent a horrible night, my eyelids inverting and emitting a viscous liquid. I feared I might go blind and had no idea what could save me. In the morning, the old woman came and saw my eyes and felt sorry for me.
4.28
“That’s easily dealt with,” she said, and she called a young daughter of hers, aged perhaps seven or eight, and told her, in the language of the Fur, “Go to the foot of the mountain and bring me some leaves of the plant called daqarah.” The girl went off and was away awhile. Then she came back, bringing a large quantity of leaves, which the old woman took and some of which she pounded between two stones till they turned into something resembling dough. She ordered me to open my eyes and take her hand, and she squeezed some of the juice of this plant into my eyes. At first it felt cool to the eyes, but then it began to itch, though without pain, as though there were worms in my eyes. I wanted to rub them, but couldn’t because I was being held down, so I had to suffer some discomfort until the itching died away and I fell asleep. I slept deeply for a long time, not waking till it was almost time for the afternoon prayer, and I felt a lightness in my eyes and the pain had gone. At night, she came and squeezed some more juice into my eyes, and I slept most comfortably. In the morning, she squeezed some more again, and my eyes cleared, as though they’d never been inflamed. I slaughtered a fat ram for a feast to celebrate my recovery and gave the old woman a fat young goat. Most plants and trees fruit at the end of the “autumn,” which is the summer in our country, because they call our summer autumn and our autumn darat, by which they mean spring in their parlance, though our spring they call summer.249 The only thing they agree with us on is the winter—when it’s winter in their country it’s also winter in ours. During the true summer, it rains where they are, and they sow their crops; the first rainfall there coincides with the appearance of the Twins, this being what they call “the sprinkle.” 250 In the Crab,251 the clouds open, there’s lots of rain, and the wadis fill. It is this, you may be interested to know, that causes the rising of the Blessed Nile. That the plentiful rains where the Blacks live are the cause of the rise of the Nile in Egypt is confirmed by, among other things, the great rise in prices that occurred in Egypt in 1253 [1837–38], when an irdabb of wheat was sold for 150 piasters
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4.29
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
ن اأ ن ن أ نّ �ن ي � � � ن ي ي ّ � يَ ْ � � يّ � � � ي ا ن �ي ن ا ي � �� ي � � ا �ل�� �لي���ل �� ��سي� ا � �ل�� ��� � ن�م�م�ل����� ا � �� اوأ� ا �ي� �� �ن��ر �ي� ا ��� �ي� �ل�لك ا �ل��س��� ���ل ا �ل� ��طرح�� أ �� ���ن � اأ������ ي� ا ��ل��أ ن�� � ن�ع��ل ي� ا ��ل�� �ي�� ا ي ل��ل�ا � �و�ه� ا �يّ�لنه�ا �ي� ن�ع �ا��ل ي� ا ��ل ن��ا ��� ا ن��ل � � � � ا ا � � ك � حيص ن� � و و ر�و ي ن ن ن و و أ أ ّ ن أ � ا ي � � ا ّٰ � ن ن � ن ن � ي � �ي � � � ا � ��ّل� � 1ل��� �ع� ا � ��ا ح ا �لنص��� �م ا �س ��ط� ر �ل��لك ا �ل��ل� � �ولل� ��� � �ل��ك � �� � �� ��م� �ل� ن � و ن ر يل � ي ري ّي ل � � � ا � � يل�ه�ل�س�ه� أا �ل� �ه�و
� ا � ا� أي ن�ا ي أ�اش �م أ ا �ن أ ي ا ي � �ن ي ي � ش ا ش ��ش �� � � او ���ر ن� � �ع ��و ن� ا � �ر� � او�م� �و �له � ل � �م �و�ي� �و�� ا �ر���� ��� لي��� � ر ن حيصس�ه� �ي� ا �و�� � ا � ر يح � ي ّ ي � �أ ن ي ن �� ي ي� ن ّ �اا �ل���� ن ���و ن� ��م ا ء �و��� ����� � ا �ل� ��� �م ا نل �� ا ��ا ن� �كي��ا ر�ي يل� �أاو � ا � ن�ص ي� ي�ر�� �م ن� ن�ل�ه�� ك�� �ه�� � �سي� � � ر ًأ أ ن � � ي ن� أ أ ن � ��ا ي� �ي�ا �ي �م ن �يك��� ا�ا� ش حصأسه�ا �ن �ي�ا �ي �من�ه�ا � �ع�� �ل� ا�ام�أ م��م �ي� � �ون�ا � را ا ن� �ي�ا �ي� �م ن ا ن��ل � � � ل ه و � � � ��و ن� �و��ي� ن�مي � � ن ن و ي � ي � ل ر ي �ش ي ي �ش ً ن �ي ن � ن ي ّ � �اّ أي ن� ي ياأ ي � ّ ي � � �أ نّ ً ا ا � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �م ن� ا �ل��مر� �حم��ل ر�م�ل� ك��ي را �م� ا � �ل ��ور ا �ل�� ي� ��مر �ع�لي��� �و ��ل ��� �و �له��� �� �ي� ن�معي��� س�طر �ل� � ّ ي �ّ � ّ � ش ش ن ن � ا� � � ي ن ح�ي� أا �نّ�� ر��م�ا ن� ن ��رل ي� �م ن��� �كن���ل � �ه�ا �نك�ه�ا �ير�ع�� ا �ر�ع�� � نو�ل�ه�� ا �ر����ا ��� �ي��ر�ل ا�م��طر �نر�ع�� ���و ي� ن أ ��ش� ي �ع � ن� ي ن ا ن ً � ن �� ا � ي �ن ن ع ���س�مً�ا �م ّ ي� �و�� �ليه�� را ��ي ي� ���ا �ع�يه��ي ن� ن ��رل ي� �ع��� ن�� حر� ن��يل�ن� �و � �ه� �ر�ع�� ي � �����مر� �م � ع� �� ر � ي ن ن ي ن ح ن ا� � ي أ ن ي ن � �أ ن أ � ن ن ن ي ي �و����ا � ح� ��ي� ا �ل�ر��� � او �ر�� � �رل� �ع��� ن��ي��� ��� ���ل� ��ا ر �م ن� ��ل� �ل ا �لن�ي��� � او ���ا ن��� أ أ أ ً ي ن ا ن� ي �ن ا � � ن�� ��س � ي � ن ا نّ � ن � ن ر ن��ل�ا �ن�ا �ر� ي� � را �ع�� �و���� ح� �ي� �ل�ر � �و �م�� م �ا�ا � �س�ه�� � �����ي��� �ه� � م� ك � م أ � ن � � يي � ا ي ي ن �ه�� ا ن��ل�ا �ن� را �ي� ا �ل�� �نرن� �ل� � �لع �نر�� ا �ك��� �ع�ه�� �و أ ح ن � �أ ن � � أ ن ن ً �ش � � ن� � ن ن ّ �ص� �ه� ا �ل��� �ي� ���س�مي��� نر�لي��ه�ا يل����ر ا � نر� او ن�ل� �و�ير�� ا �ل��م ار ن� ��ي� ا �ل�ر��� �و�ل� ا �عل��� �و��ي� ������ل � � ي م م أ أ أ عأ � � أ ن ًا � ش ن� � �ا�ا ر ن��� ا ��ل�� �سو� ا ن� � او � �ه�ا ا � نر� او ن�ل� � او ��ل��م ار ن� ك� ح��� ن� ا�ام��طر�ع ن��� �ع� � او �ع ن��ا � �م�ا �ي�ليع� ا ر� ��� لي����ر كي� م �ع ع ّ أ ن �اا ن ���� ن�ك��� �ع�� ا ��ل�� ا �نّ�� ��ل�� �كن� ّ �ا ن ا ا �� �م ّر ا �ر�ع�� �ك�ا� �يكن� �مر �م �ن� �ل�لي���ل � او �ل ن�� ��� �لي�� �م �و�ه�و �أاو � ك�� � ي� �ل ي ر أ ي � � ن � اأ �ي ا � ن ا � ش �ي ي ن � ن � �ن �ي ي ن ن � ا� �� � ن �ن حيّ نّ � � � � � ا � ل � ط � � � � �ه� ر �ولي����ر ��و��� �رح �ع��� ع�م �ي� �و � ��هحر�و�ل ا�م ر � أ ي و ي� ا �ل�� ي� �ي� �ي� �ن� �ل � أ أ ّ ن � ي � ن � ي ي �اا �� �ي �� � ن ا � ا � ن ن ��ا �ل ا � ��م������ .من �����ي ��� ا ر�ل�ه�� �م �ه� م� لي� �ه�ا �م�ا لي� ا �ل����ا �ع�� ا ��� او � ���و� ك�� ل ��و � �و م � � � ع � � � و � � و � ن ي � أش ن� ّ �� ن �ع� ن� ّ � �م�ن�� ن �س�يهي�� �و�ه�و ي���لي���ل � او �� � ���ط �م� ي � �ا�ر� لي� � � � و � � ��ط ح�ي� � م � ش ا ش ن � ن �ن ًا ن� � ن ن � � ن� ن � � ن ي اأ ن � أ � � ي ش عو� ا �ل�� ح� � او �ل�� ر� �ن� � �� او �ع� � او �� � �و �م����� �ع��مر �ي ��و�م� كي�� �ي�هحرر� � � او �ر���� ��� �ع��� ع� �� طو�ل م أ أ أ ً ً ن� �ل�ن �ع ن�� �ع � يّ ن � � ا ن � ا �ّا � ا �� �ش ا ��ش � ا � �� ��� � � يّ ن � � ا � ا �ّا � ا �� �ش ا ��ش ر� � � �س�و� ي ��و م� �ع�ي ر ي� ر��� � و و سط� � � �س�و� ي ��و م� ن� ي� م ر��� � أ ييّ � � ّ � م أ ن أ ن � ن ن م ي أ ن أ ن ًا أ ي ّ ن ن � ي ن � �� ���� �ل�� � او �ع��لن��� ا � لي���و� ��م����� � او ر�ل�ه�� ا �و ��م����� �ي�� �م� � او ��� �م � �ل��ك � � او ���ل�� �ل� � ��ط ي� و ل � ن ي� أ 1ال� �ص�ل :ا د ل.
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
or even more, the cause being the failure of the Nile flood to rise as normal. At the time, I had no firm information as to whether the same had occurred in the Lands of the Blacks or not, and my doubt remained unresolved until 1257 [1841–42],252 when Judge al-Dalīl, chief judge of the kingdom of Wāddāy, arrived and told me that in the year in question there was so little rain that the earth failed to produce any plants, food prices rose, and the people ate carrion and dogs. This is a remarkable coincidence and the best evidence that the rise in the River Nile is due to the rains in that country—an instance of the divine wisdom comprehensible to God alone. At the time of “the sprinkle,” strong winds and violent storms often arise,
4.30
most often in the late afternoon. When they blow, you see in the distance something like a cloud, which is sometimes red, while the horizon fills with dust in the direction of the storm. Most storms come before sunset, and rarely from the south. When they come from the east, they bring great quantities of sand with them from the Dunes, over which they pass. Every storm is accompanied by rain, because before it passes there is thunder. After the sprinkle, the rains fall, with thunder so strong it can cast damaging thunderbolts. Once I saw a thunderbolt hit a hijlīj tree and break off a huge branch before piercing the ground like an arrow. Another hit a house, and even before it pierced the ground the whole place caught fire and a man was hurt when his arm was burned. They told me that a thunderbolt will not go near anyone with iron on him, which is the opposite of what the Franks believe. In their summer season, which we call spring, dust devils become frequent,
4.31
and mirages can be seen on the ground; I know no other country that has as many dust devils and mirages as the Land of the Blacks. Their best and most beneficial rain falls at night, while people are asleep; even if accompanied by thunder it does less damage than the thunder that comes during the day. Rainbows are so frequent there when the rain is falling that one may appear in four or five different places during a single hour. Some are like a bow and some a straight line, though these are few; most are curved. The “sprinkle” lasts for about fifteen days, during which time they sow millet and various kinds of sorghum. The “autumn,” or rainy season, at its longest lasts no more than sixty days, not counting the sprinkle; the average is sixty days including the sprinkle. There is no limit to how short it can be. Most often, it lasts forty-five or fifty days; less than that means drought and crop
225
225
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خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
�ّ � ن ا ي ن ي ا� ّ ي أ � ا ن ن ي ي � �أ ن ًّا � ن � �ن �اا � ع ���س�مً�ا �� هو ك�� �ل�ه�� �م أا �ل� أا � ن�� ء � ��ي� �ل��ل�ك ا�م�� � ا �س ��ط� ر �عر�ير� ر�و� ا �ل�ر��� ر�ي� ي �و ن��� ن� � أ آ ش ن �ا� ي ّ � � ًا �ع ن ا ن� ا �� ن�ل�� � ن م�� �ي ا ��نل ن� � � ح �رل�ن� �و �� �ي��ا � ا � نرر � او � ا ��ط� �ل� � �ا�ر ي� ا �س ��ط�ا ر� ��� ��� ر �� ����و� �ل و م ع أ ي ��س ّ ن ن �ي َ ن � �مو� � �ري�ل� ا �َيل�س�م�ا � أ ن � ا �� ا ا � � ا ��ل� �ل ّ �ي �ن �ا �ل� �ن ن ا � �أ�ش ا � �م ّ �ي � � �ن � او ��س�م�ا ء ا �ل ش��س�ه�ور ��ي� �ن�ل�ا � ا � �ل ��ور �و ��و � ي� ن� عر ي�� �ل ي عر ��و� �ل� �س�هر �ر�و ي�� �و�ل� ن ح�مّ �ي ن اأ � ا ��ل�ه�� �من ���س ّ �ن ا�ا� ��س ّي ا ا ��ل� ي �ًا � ا � �أ��س ا ء ا�ا� ش ي �ي � ّ ����ي � ��� ا ���أ ن�ع �ه� عرن� ���ي�م� ن� �ل� �م� م��س�ه�ور� �م � ي�� �� ه��ل ل� ا � �لعن� �� ي و�ل �ل �ه� ي � � �موك�ه� �مك� � مأ م آ �ا أ أ ن ّ � ن ا �ن���� ّ ن � ش ح ّ � �و� ن��ع �ور�ل�� ا ��نل ا ��ل�� ن� ��� � س �� � � � � � او �ّم�ا � ا ا ا ل ل هور �ن�ا ��س�م�ا ء ا ن�ر �و�ه�� � � ��س �م ع � ي � �و� � � � و ي ر ر ن م م ن اع ا ح ًّا �� نّ ا �م��عي أ ن �ن � ن �ي ش ّ � � ن �ي �اا ن ا � �أ��س ا ا ن ا ه � � � � � � � � ��س او ل� � ا � �ل س ا � � ك �ل� �م� ء �أو � ك� � ع�� �ه� عر�لي�� ل���ه� � ن��� يو ن��� و� �ي� ح���� ن� ل��س�� ن � ن � َ �ّ ي ا ��كن �ن ا �� آ ن ن����� ّ ن ش ّ �ً� ا �� ن�َ ُ �� ن � �� �ي ي �ن ْ �� َ ْ ن ن � � ل ط��� ّ ا ح ّ�مً�ا � � ����ي �و��م ح �� �مو� � � ل��� �ن� س� ا �ر ي س � �س او �ل� �ن� ل��طر �و� ي� ا لع�ه��� ��طري�� �و� ي� ن��� �ن� ي ر �ن ّ م ن ا� � �أّ � �ل �ًا ا � �أّ �� ا �� � ا �م��ي � ً � ن � َ ْ ط��� ي ن ��ا �ك� � � � � � � � � � � � � �� �� � � � ع � ه ل� � � � ل � ور�لي��ه�ا ا �لش��ا ��ي� �ن�ا �لي��و�م �و ن��م�ا � �� ا �ل� �و�ل ل حيص���ي� و ر ن و ي ن وري و ن ر ن ن �ّ ا ي ا ��يل� ا ن ا� � ن � ن � � � ن ان � ن ي ن ا ا ا ي �ن� �ل ��و�م��ي� �و ن��م� � �� ا �لش�� �� ن����� �ي�� ي�سم� � �و� ي����ل�� �م� ا �ل��عي��ي�ر أا �ل� ر ن� ح ن� �ور س� ��� � � ي م م َ ُ ا ��� ّ ن ش ا ن � � ّ َ ن ن ي ن ن ن ا ا ي � ن�كي��ي ��و���و ن� ر ن� � � � � � ا ا � �ن�� �وي س � �مو� ��سعن�� � ل�� ��� � ر س� ���ي ر ور س� ��� � �ل � �ه�� أّ أ ن �� �ي �ن�ن � ّن � �ن � � � � ��ا ن ���حل ح�يّ ا �ن ا ن� � ي� � ا ��ّ ا ��لنص��ا ي� ��ن� � ا ر�ن�� ر ن�ع �ار�يك�ه�ا لي � ح ش���س� أا ن� � �� � � ���� ن ��وي� و�ل� م ل � حيصن��� � ي� � و و ن ي أ ون أ ً �ش ��نل ّ �ن ��ل �ن ن ا � � �ّل ن ن ا ي ّ ن � ن � � ا �وا ��� �ي� ا ن��� �ور �و�ع�� ك سه� ��� �ل�� �ل �� �كه ا ن���� ��ي� �ش���ا �ه�� ا �ع��� � �ل��ك � او ���ر ا �� ي ّ و� ن ي و �� أ � �م أ يأ أ ن � ا �� ل� ن� � � ن � �� ن � �ي �ا�شر ا �وي��ا �يك�ه� �م����ا �ن �و ن� �يك���ه�� �و ن� ا �ع�� ���� ا ن��ل �ي�ل�ا�م�� �ي �ع�� �ي���� ا �� �ن�� ل �وي��لل�و� نك�ط�و� ا �ل��و� �ي� ر ي م � ن ا ي �� �ّل ن ي ا ن أ � � �ي ��� ّ ن ا ا�ُْ �ي ّ ن � �ن �ن ن م�� �ي � � س � ا � � � � � � � ا � ك � ء م � � � ل � � � ع � � ه � �م ه ه ك ك � ي ح�عر�و� �ع���� ا �لصن�� � �ويله� � و� ل � �م و �و�ل �وم ي �و� ن ر ي ي� و � �م �ي� آ أ ّ ي � ��ل �ن � ن ن ن ي ي � ن ا ن ن ير��� ا � � � � ا ر���ور �ش�سن��ا � �و�ك�ه� �س�ه�ا ����� �س� ن�ل��� � � ن � � ير�لع� ��ي����� �و ن �مي�� ا ن��� �ور �ك�ه�م ��ل م��ه�م ي م ع ع ع ��� �ن ا �ن �ي � ن ا ��لن� ن �� � �ن �ي � ن ا ��ل ��ي ا ��سي � اأ ن��ن� � �ن ا �كن � ل ع � ع � ه ك � � � � � � � � �ي� ي� � وك�ه� ي و � ي� رو م ن ل و ي� رو ن ر � أ � ّ ي �� ي � ��ل �ن ا �� ي � � ن � � �ي�� ّ ن ا ي �اا ن �ن � ��ع �ع�� ا �ن�� ا �من�ه�ا �م�ا �ه� �ل��ل� � � � � ا � ا س � � ع ل � � � � � � � س � � � � �� � � � ل ك � � � � ل � ك ل � � م �� ر و ي� و ي� � وع � و ن و ن و و ن ور ي� أّ أ � ّ َُ �ْ � �ا �اا ن ي ّ � � � � �ا�ا ن� �م ن �ع ش��سي ا �ي�ا �م ن��ا ا �ش�س�هر ا �ل ن��ا ��� �نك�ه�ا ر ن���ل ي��س��م� نل � �� �ر��و ��و �وك�� � �س�عر�أ ن ن����ي��� ا �ل��سي���ل �وك� � �� ّ ي � ين ي � � ن ن ً ن ن �� � � �ا ن ا ن �ن ن ن ا ي � ا �ه�� ���ا �كي��� � �� ن� أا � نل � ��ن��ي��� � او مصع��� �ع�لي��� نل��� �� �ر��و ��و �� ��� �م��� �� ر� �و� �ل��ك �نك�ه� �و ن� � أ �اين ا �ش ح��س ه�ا �ن� �ي�� ّ ن� ���� ��ن �ي��ل�ه�ا � �و��� ��� �و ن� ��� أا ��� ��م �ن �� نو�لي��� �و�م���� ع � ن ي� ن � � ن�لي���� �ع��� ك�����ه� ا �و ��سي� ء �م� ن �م� �و ي ن ي ش � � يي ي ن ي ن ن ح أ أ � ن ن ن ّ ي ش ا ا ا ا ا � � � ن� � � � ��ه� � اون�� ا ن� �� او �ه� ر� �س�ه�� حيص� � � حيص� �ل� � �له�� ر � �له� ر �� كي ��ع�ه��ل �نك�ه� �م� � � يري��� يري��� �أاو � � �� ن � َ ّ َ ي ن ّ � ي �ي ً � ن ا ن �اا ن � ا ي ا ا� � ن� ش أ � � يُي نّ ن � �هرا ع � �ه�م� �و�م� ك�� � �ل�� �� ن��� ن�لن�� ن� ا�م��لك �وح���سي� ا �ل� � �ل���س� �و� �� ن� أا ��� � �و�هحر�و ن���� � 226
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٣٣،٤
٣٤،٤
٣٥،٤
Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
failure. Then there is nothing, unless heavy rains come during that period and thoroughly irrigate the soil, which tends to happen especially at the end of the season, when the sowing is coming to an end. If the rainy season goes on for a long time and the rains are plentiful, they call it “Twins’ autumn.” 253 In Darfur and Dār Wāddāy, the names of the months are Arabic; the
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Roman,254 Coptic, and Persian months are unknown. Educated persons use the same currently well-known names that were used by the ancient Arabs, such as Muharram, Safar, Rabi ʿ, etc.255 The common people, however, use other names, which, though they have Arabic meanings, are bastardized forms. They begin the calendar with Shawwal,256 but use another name, calling it al-Faṭur; Dhu l-Qaʿdah they call al-Faṭrayn, Dhu l-Hijjah they call al-Ḍaḥiyyah, Muharram they call al-Ḍaḥiyyatayn, Safar they call al-Waḥīd, Rabi ʿ al-Awwal they call al-Karāmah, Rabi ʿ al-Thani they call al-Tawm, Jumada al-Awwal they call al-Tawmayn, and Jumada al-Thani they call Sāyiq al-Tīmān.257 Only Rajab and Ramadan have been spared change. They say Rajab, but they call Shaʿban al-Quṣayyar, and Ramadan Ramaḍān. To sum up, the special properties of the plants of Darfur are so remark-
4.34
able that I’m afraid to list them all lest people call me a liar, and I won’t be able to find anyone to bear out my claims. Most of these special properties are in the roots. There are plant masters with many students who spend most of their time traveling, climbing the heights of mountains, descending deep into the bottoms of wadis to dig about for plants, and teaching their students. People of this type are called muʿrāqīs, and in Darfur their skills are recognized. They are always stubbornly at odds with one another, each wanting his reputation to soar higher than his rivals’. They put all the roots into goat, sheep, or even cow horns. These roots are of different kinds. Some are for love and acceptance; the roots used for these purposes are called nārah.258 The man most famous for these in our day was named Bakurlūkū; he had his headquarters at Jadīd alSayl. Any man in love with a girl who rejected his advances because she didn’t like him would go to Bakurlūkū and get nārah from him and massage his face and hands with it and then go to his beloved and rub his hand on her shoulder or any other part of her body. At this, her heart would become so full of love for him she’d be unable to leave him. Then he could do with her as he wished: if he asked for her hand in marriage and her parents refused, she’d run away
227
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4.35
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
�انّ � � �ا أ ن �ن ن ي � �ه�� اأ� ّ ط�ه��ي �م ن ا ��ل ن��ا �ي � � ��ل��ك � ش���س ء �من ا ن � م� � � � ���� � ع � � � � � � ع � نل � �ه� �ن�ي�� ��ل ي و � ��� و ن � �� �ر��و ��و � او ��� �م��� �� ��ل � ر و ن ي� � ن ح أ ّ ً � شي �� � �ا � ن ا ا � � � يّ ن ا � ي� ا ن � ن ين ا�ام��ل�ك �و����س� �� ن��� �أو � ك ���ا �م ار �ل�� ��س�وء � او ��سس�هر نل � �ا�ا � ن� ح�� أا � �� �ر��و ��و نك�ه�� �ل� �مر � ن ا ��ل ن� نّ ن � ي � ن ا �ل������ ء ي�ع���ي� �ن� � �وي�له�ل� � أَ ا � ا �َ�ا ن��كحر���و ��و ن �� ن���يه�� ن ي� ن����ه�� �� ن
أ أ ّ ن ا أ نّ � �نا ي ��ه� ا �� �� ���ي ن �ّ ن� ��ن��ي��� ن �او أا ن� ا را � ا ن� �ير ن� � �ر��و �� �� ي�1 �و�س�ع�� � ا � نل � ���� �س�ه�ور ا �لنص�� � ي ن� �ل ر ن �ل ي روح ن أ أ ً ّ ً ً � ن ن � ي ا ا � ّ ا ي ن ي � ن ن � نّ ن ش ي ن � � ن������ �� � 2او � ��� � او �ل����� �� �ه�و �ع��مر� ا � رع �عر �ل� َ�كي�� �م� �وم�م� ا � �ل ��� �ي� ��ي� � �ل��ك ا ��� ��ي� ي ّ أّ ن ن ع ��� ي �ًّ أ نّ أ ن �ن ا ن � � � �أّ �ا � �ي ��و�م �م ن� ا �ل� �ي�ا �م ن��ا ء �ي� ر ن���ل �س�ه�� �ن�ا ر� �ي��� �ع�ي� ا �نك�ه�ا � ي�سم�� ن��� ا � او ��� ا ��� �ه� �م� نل � �� �ر��و و� ن ا ّ � � ش ن� ي � ي � ا ن نّ� ا � ي ا � �� � ن ا ي � ن ي ن ن � ن ا أ ن ا �ن �ك�ه� � 3ع��� �ل�ل��م ار ء ��ه�ل� �ل�� �ي� �ه�� ا أا �م� ي��� ن أا �� ا �ل�� ر� م� �لن���� �و�عر� ���� ا �ل������ ء � او �� �ي� � ح ني ّ أ � ن � ي � � ��ن �لن�ه�� �ه�ا � � ي ���ا ن� �� �ش�سن��ان ��ي� �ه�� ا � �وي�ي������ي�ر ��ا ��ي� ���و ا ر� ي� ا ن�ل ن��� ا�ام��ل�ك �ام�ا �يل�ه�� ي� �ع� ّ �ن ك رأ ّ ��ي� ي � ن ي ر وي ح أ ن أ � ي � ن� ��ن ن � ا ��ل ا �م ن ي�ن ش طو� ا�ام��ل�ك � او �ن�ا ��ي� ا �م ن� �م ن� � �ل��ك �ل� �ي� �عر�� ن� �و ش��م �ر�لن� �و �ي� �ع ن��� ح���س� ��س �� � أ ي� �ه� � ي ي أ أ أ ّ أ � ن ا ي � ان ا � نّ � � ن ن ا �ن �ن �ل�ن ن ي � ن ن ن ن �ك�ه�ا �ع�� �ع�ي�ر�� � �صع� �ه�و ا �و �� �نك�ه� م�سي� �ل� �ي� ا �� �ي� ��س�ي� �� ر� �م� ا � ا�ام��ل�ك �ر�م�� ��ا �عر� � ي � ع أ ��ا ��ل ن��ا ر�ي ا ن�لي � ه ن � �� ي ي � ن ّي ن � أ ن ��سع�ه ��ل��ل ن ي أن ن �ي � ّ ا ن �ه�ا �م�ا ي� �م��ل �س� �م ّر� �و�ه�و �ع��� ا � �� او � ��و ي���سع�ه�م��ل � �لعي���ل ا �ل�ه�� �و �وك�ي��عي��� � �ل��ك ا � �و�م � ع ع � ي ن ن � � شّأ أ أ ن �ن ��ل �ن � � ن � ن� ن ا ّ �صّ���ي ا �� �ليعي��� � �لن�ع ن ��ن ن ���ط��ّ ا �� ا�ا�م ا � �كي���ل�� ��� ا �ل ا ا �� �ل ي�لي�� �ر �ي ��و��� ا ن��� ر ا �ل�� ي� كي��� �� � ي ل وي رر ي� ل ر � ر �ي� ً ن ن � � ًا � ن ّ ن � �� � � �ّ � �ل ��ي ا ��ل��ش� ن �ي ��� ا�� ن م ���� �ل� ي�ل��ع� �ش��ي��أ��ا �أ�ا � ا� ي�لي��� ا رك ��مرل�ه� نك� ���� �م�ا ���ه��ل �ل�� �م�ا ي� ع و � ن �ي�ول�ل � ن � ي م ي ي ن أ ح � ا � ن ن ن ن ��ل �ن �ن ن � ّ � ن ا� �ا� �ا�ا ��ل��� اأ � ا �� �� �ن��ن � � � � ا ا � � � � � �م ك ك ل ط ��و �م��� ي�ل�عرر ا ن��� ر �ي� ��ط��ل ا �ل��� � �أاو � ا ا ر�ي��� أا �نك ��ط� �ل �ع� � � ن و أ � ي ��و ا� ر ن ر ل ي� � ن ي�ن ن ّ ن ن ّ ي�ن ّ ي � � ن ن � ��ا �� �لي��اأ ّا�� ا ��ل�� ن �� � �ل��لي ا ��ل � �ورن��م�ا � �� ن� �وي����ه ������ش ي� �كي��� �ع�� � ل��اه�� � ا �ك��ط�ا �ع�و� �أاو � ا� ي�لي��� ا رك � � ل و � ي و ي م م ن ي � اح � ��ًا ��ن��ي��ن ن � ن � � ��� �ا ن ا �� ن �� ا �أ�لن �ا��ّله�ا ي � � � � ا � �� � ا ح ل � �� ل �� ع ك � ك � � ه � � � ط �� ه � � ط � �ص� � � � � ل ه � ��م يرله� ي وي � �ي� ن أ � � و ن ون ح � ا ن� ا اأ ���� اأ ن �ك���ا � ��ا ��ل��� � ا � ��ا ����ي ء �ع ن��ا ك ���ن� � �ي� �ن ��� �ع�� ا ن ��ل ح�م � �لي���ل�ّي � ن��ا �نكه�ا � � ن ور �و ع �� ر يو �� أو ري � ي ن ن و ر ون �ي� � ً � ّي � � ً ن ّ ش ن � �ا ّ ش� � ن �ّ � ي ي � ّ��� ا � �لي�� ��� �ل��ل��� ن �� ��يه�ا ن� ��� �ع�لي��� �� ن � �و� ��و ��ي� ��ا ا �لش��و ن� � �وك �� ���� ا�ام��� ��و� �كي ����� � �� ا �ل ��و ن� � و ن ن ي و ي ي حم م أ أ ة أ ب ب 1ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا � 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ب���س�د ا ءً 3 .ال� �ص�ل� :عر����ه�ا.
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
with him to wherever he wanted, and he could marry her in spite of them. Also, anyone who had business before the king’s court and was afraid that it might not be seen to, would go Bakurlūkū, obtain a piece of nārah from him, massage some of it between his hands, and rub it on his face. He’d then discover that the king had taken a fancy to him and seen to his business, even if he had harbored ill will toward him. Bakurlūkū became so famous for these things that the women used to sing songs about him, saying: Bakurlūkū could make them give away Two girls for one sadā meaning that if Bakurlūkū wanted to bring down the cost of dowries, he could have a man marry two girls for a single sadā, a sadā being ten cubits of straight yarn. Apropos of this, it happened that one day a man brought me some nārah that he claimed was very powerful and that he said he’d obtained from Bakurlūkū. He offered to sell it to me but I told him, “Fellow, only a man whom women hate has need of nārah, but I’m still in my youth as you can see, and blessed with wealth—if I wanted the king’s daughter she wouldn’t be beyond my reach, so how much less so other girls? The kind in need of it is afraid of the king’s power, but I’m safe from that—I’m not from this country; I’m a descendant of the Prophet, and I’ve been granted protected status by the king. Offer it to someone else. Others need it more than I do, because I’m a love potion in and of myself!” Other roots are used to cause harm. There’s a kind used to kill one’s ene-
4.36
mies. To do this, obtain the deadly root and thrust it into the shadow of the head of the man whose death is desired. He will feel the effects immediately, his brain will become inflamed, and he’ll lose consciousness. If an antidote isn’t quickly administered, he will die. If the desire is to render a particular limb of his useless, the root is stuck into the shadow of the limb, whether hand or foot, whose disablement is desired. That limb will immediately feel pain, become inflamed, and swell up. Sometimes buboes like those of the plague will appear on it, and if it isn’t treated quickly, the limb will swell, eventually losing sensation in the sinews, and all its functions will be disabled. If one wants to make someone dizzy and nauseous, there are roots that are put on embers whose smoke is then captured, for example in the sleeve of a garment. This is then carefully folded and dispatched to the intended
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خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
ن ي أ ن ن ن ي � أ ي ن ا ن ��ل �ن �ن أ ن ن ن� ي �ن �� ا � � يّ ط� را � ل ��� � �� � ا ن��� ر �ي� ا � �له�� كي ��ع� �و� �ن �لعرن� ا � �له�� �����س ��ل �و�� ع �ي� ا�� �ل ح�� ن �ع أ أ �ن �� ا � ي �ان � � أ ّا اً ا �ع�� �م ن را ����� �نأ�ا � �ا ي�لي��� ا رك �� ا ل �� �ل ن����� ���� �ل�ك ا �ي� �م� � � ي م ي ي ي ي ن ا �ن ن ��ل �ن ���سع�ه � ا � ا �ي ن � ا ن نا ّ �� ّ��ي ا �ن �ه� ن���ل ن� ا �ل ��و�م �و�ه�� � ا ن��� �ور �م�ل�ه� ا �ل���� ر ��و� �و ن ��ه��ل�ه� ��ي� �ه� ن��� �ور �� � ي � �و�م � أ � ا�� ّ � ي � ن �ير�و ن� ن�كي��� ن���ل ا ��ل����ا ر�ي� �ن�ا ��ل��لي���ل �ع�� م �ه� �ن�ا � �ليعرن� ا ��ل�� ن� �ي� ن�كي��� ���ل � او �ه��ل�� �م�����ي ��ي ن� ��ط�و� �ني�� ش����ي�ر أا �ل ي� م أ � آ ا ��ل �ن ش ا ش ّ ي ن� ن �م � ا ّٰلل� �ع�� ا ن� ا �نكه� ن��ل�ا �ل��� ن� �ش����أ�ً�ا ن�ك��� ن��� ا ��ل����ا �ي� � ��ا ن���ن� �م�ا ر و ن ��� ر ��ل� � �م ار � كي�� رن �� � م ي و أ ي ي ل ي أ أ �� ن ن �اّ ّ ن ن � ي � ن ا ش ن ل � ش ا ا ا ا ا � � ن ن �� � �� �سو�� �م� ح�س�ه� � او ���ل �و�و� ��� ��ي� �ي��� ���ل �م� ا ر�ن� ن� �ه� �و� � يري��� ا ��� � �ورن��م� �ن � ا �ل���� � �و ��ل � ح ع �أ أ أ ا�� ّ �ي � ي ن �� ش ّ ن ن � ني ن ن ن م ط�ه�� �م� ا � ك ���ل � ��ل � � نو�ل�ه�� �ر�و ن��� �م ن� ا �ل��� ا ر �ي�لعي�� ��و� �وي�����ا �ل ل��ن��� ��م ا ���� �م�ا ا را � �و�رحن أ أ أ ّ ن ًا ن � �� �من ي � ي � � � ا ن � ن �اا ن ن� �ك�ه� ن�ل��� ن�ل�� ن� ��� �ع� ا �ر ن���ل ا �ل��� �ي� ك�� � �� او را �و� � ��ل � �ه�م �ي�ل ��و�ل راي�ل��� �و�ل� ا � ر ي� �م� ���ه��ل م أ أ أ ن��ا ن� ا ن� ش ن � ���ّله� ��هح � ن� ا �نّ�� �م�ا ي� ك ��كه� �ش����أ�ً�ا � ي��� ن��ا ن ��م�ا ا ن���ن� ن�ك��� ن�ّ � ن ن ا لهم� ي ر �م ي و رن � �� او ��ي� م � م ي رو ��و� ا �� �م�� � أ ً ّ ن ي ن ي ا �يل��ل � عه� � ��� ا �مصع� �ع��ل�ه � و ع ي� �م � � ن� �ان ي اأ � ي ن ي � � ��ن ّ �� ي �ن ن � �أ ن ن ا ��ل �� �و��ص� ���� �ل� �ع �ل�لك ا ل �� �ه�� ا ا �ل� �مر ��ي� � ا ر���ور �م ش��س� � � �ون� ن �حم�ل�� � �وا ��� � هور �ل� ي�ل� �ر � � ن ي ي ّ ن� ن أ ن ن أ نّ ��ي ّ أ ن �ن ي اأ ي ن � ن ي نّ � ن � �س��ا � �ي� ا � �لع�عي��� �م�� �ي� ا � �ل �� �وي�ا �و�ي� ا ��ا ا � �لع�عي��� �م�ا �ل��ك ا �ل��� �ي� � �له�� �م � ��ار� ��ا �ن��ر �ي� ا � ا �ل��ص ن� آ ن � ن � �أن ا �ن ن ي �ن � �أ ن� أن ي ّٰ ن � � ي ن ن ا�ام��ر�ل�� �ع�� ا � � �و�ش��ي�� ش� � او � ا نر �هي�� �و�ع�ي ر� �م� ا �ل���ن��ي�� ء � ص� �ي� ا �ل�ر�� � او ��ن��� ا لل� �ه�� � � أ م م � ن ا ي ا ي ن �� �� � ا �� ��ا � ��ن ا ��ل��أ ن�� �ن���عّ ن�ل��ا �يكه�ا ���ّ ا ��ل�� ن� �� � ن�نص ي� ن�ك��� � ا �ن���ي ش��م ��هح ن �ه�ا � ا � ك � ي و ر ن رر ن � ن و ن ريح ي� ر � م ن � ا �لصن�� �� � �ي� م ل ي أ � ن ين ي ن ا ن � �ّ ا ��لي�� ي أ ي � �ه�� � ا ��نل �ه�� ا �ن��و �م ن ا �ن�� او ا �ل���� � او �ن���ي ش��مر � او � � � ح �ر�� .ا ���و�ل � �وا �� �ن� �ه� � و �س�عي��� � �م � ن � حر ن ع ع � ن ن �مر� �و�� �و ن� �مرن� م� � ن ي�ل ي ن ����
ر ن��ل�ا �
ن ا ن �� ا � ي � �أ ا � ّ ي � ن ّ ي ن ن � ن ي ن � �ا ي �ي ن �ه� � ��و يله�م��ل �ن� � ل�� ل�� �ن�� � او �ل��عري��م �ع��� ا �ل��م�ل� ك ا �ل�ه��ل� �وي�� � او �ل��س�ه��لي��� �و�م� �ه�� ا ا �ل ��وع �ك �� � �و�م � �هر ع أ أ أ اش � � ن � �ن نّ �ن �م ا �ي ��نل ن ي � � ن ا ���ور ك� ���ي�ر�ي ن��ا ر�ي��ي �ل��ل�ه�ا ��ي � �ليه�� ا ن�ن��ر ��� ا �لش��يه�ا ي�� 1ن��� ا ر ��ور ا � �� �� ر�ن� ا ���لي ��ه�� �ل��ل�����ل��ط�ا � ي ي � � ن �اا ن ��ل�� نل � ن ي ّ ي ا � ي ّ ن ا � ن ي ن���� � � ا ي � � ا ن � يّ �عن��� ا �ر �م ك�� � ��لي ��ه�� �ع�� � ر ن�� �ل �ي�ل ��و��س�و� �� �لنص��� �� � � ن حرع�م ن �م� �ع�� ا �ل�����ل��ط� � ح�� � � � � � � � � ن ي � �ا�ا ن �ل�� �ك�ن � � ن ي �م ّ ا ا ا ن ا ا ا � ن ا ن ا �ل��ا � � ك�� � حرن� �م� ا �لنص��� �� ك�� �من���ل�و�ل �ل� ي��س�م� ع �ل�� � ��و� �ور��� ���� ك� � ي ر أ � ن رو � ي ح ي � � ن � ن � � ي � نو�ل ن��� �� ن��م�ا �ع�� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ن�ل�ع�������� ��ي� ا �ك���و ي� � او �كن� �مرر أ ة 1ال� �ص�ل :ا �لشل�ة�ه�ا �.
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
victim. The latter will then open the sleeve of the garment or the like close to his nose, the smell of the smoke of the root will fill his nose, and he will straightaway fall down, legs in the air. If not treated immediately, he will stay like that for days. There are roots whose special property is to induce sleep. These are used
4.38
by thieves, who place them in a horn and at night enter a place whose occupants are awake. They wave the horn containing the root at them three times and God blocks the occupants’ ears, so that they become insensible to everything. The thief then enters and takes whatever he wants. Sometimes he will slaughter a ewe, flay it, grill some of its meat, eat it, and place a piece of its liver in the hand of each person in the place, then take what he wants and leave. After he’s left the house, they revive and ask each other about the man they saw, each saying, “I saw him but I don’t know what he did.” When they search their place, they find that he’s left nothing and has succeeded in getting away with what he’s taken. At this, they bite their fingertips in grief, for he’s escaped and there is nothing they can do about it. To sum up, such things are well known in Darfur and not forbidden. I asked
4.39
my teacher, Faqīh Madanī al-Fūtāwī, the brother of Faqīh Mālik of whom we spoke earlier, and he told me that the books of revelation sent down to Ādam, Shīth, Ibrāhīm, and other prophets were buried in the ground; God then made these plants grow where the books were buried, their seeds were scattered by the blowing of the winds over the land so that the plants became common and widespread, and by trial and error people learned to take advantage of their special properties. I say it’s all a form of magic. Another type is the kind that uses writings and charms to invoke the upper and lower angels. This kind of magic produces many extraordinary things. Trusted sources in Darfur informed me that at the battle between the Successor and Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, the Successor had a number of men firing muskets, and the sultan’s side put a spell on them so that the powder would spill out of the musket as though wet, making no sound, while the sultan’s muskets, on the contrary, made lots of noise and did a great deal of damage.259
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4.40
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
� � � ن ن � ي أ نّ � ّ ي نّ � � ن � �ّ ي �وم�م�ا �و��� �م ن� �ه�� ا ا � �ل�نصي���ل ا � �ام�ا � ��و��ي� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �عن��� ا �ر��م ن� �و�و �ي� ا ن�ل ن��� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ع أ �� � � ن �ّ ن ن � م��ا �ن�� اأ � �ع��ل��� اأ � ��ل��� ا ��ل����ل�ا ���ط�� ن �أ � � � � ن ي ي� ك�ا�ا �و�ل�� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ��ي�را ن� � او �و�ل�� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � ح�م�م��� ������ل � � ن� ي و � � � � ي اأ � ا �� �ي ا ��س اأ � � ا ��نل ن ي أ � � � � ن � ا ن ن ن�ي� له� � �و �و�ل�� � �وا �ع ن� ا �ك��ط�ا �ع�� �وركن�ا و� ���لي ��ه�� � او �و�ل�� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ع�مر �و�رن�� �ي ��و�ك�هم� م ن أ � � ن ن ً ً ّ ّ � � ش ن �ش � ا ا ��� ا �� �ليع �� � ��� ش ��س ا ��� ش����ا �ع��س�م�ا � � �ح�مّ�م��� �� �ارا �م ن� ن���ل�ل �ي�ليع� ح���سي� ا �ل� ن� ا �ل��ي�� ن� � ي �و�رن��و أ � ر و ن ي و ن ي ح ن ي ن � أ ن نع � � عيع��� � �ا �� � ا �� ن�ل� �ي�ا � � ّ � اأ�ع��ل�م�� �� �ا ن طس�م ن ح ش����ا � �م ن� �ع�� �أل��ل�� �ه�� ا ا �ل�� �مر��� � ��ن� ا �لن��ل�ا � ن��� �ع�� �ن�ا � ن�ل � م م � ل ي � ك � ن و و ي و ي � ي �� � اأ ن � اأ �ي � ا �� � � ن � � � اأ ن �ّ �ء �ن اأ ن� � ا � �أ ا ��ل��ش�� ن ��مّ �اّ ا ن��� ش���ً�ا ��لن ن� ���ط ا�ا�م��ل�ك �ح�مّ�م��� � � ل� � ي� ي� نك�ه� أ � ن�ي� ي���ي� � �ل� � رن �ل� ن� ي � � ح�م�� �ر ي ر ح م �ن ي ح ن � � ن ن � ّ ي � � � ا ن ��مّ � �ن ن � ن � ا ا � � ن � � � � � ه � ع � � � �ل�� � ان�� ع�م�� ا �ل����ل��ط� � ح�م�� �����ل �و� �� ن� ا ل � ععي��� �م� �ل�ك �م��ل �م� � حر� �م� �م��ل � �اا ن ي أ � � � ا � ن �ن � ّ � ن ن ّ ن �ه� ا �ل���� �وك�� ��� ا �و�ل�� ا �ل����ل� ��ط��ي� �� م � ���ل ن��ي�� ن��� � �و�� ن� ا � �لنه�ا ش��مر �م����ي�ر�ي �ي ��و�م�� ي� ���ل�م�ا �ع�م��ل �ك ي� حر ي ن ي ش مأ أ ً � � � � � ن ن �ا ا ن ّ ن ن ا � ا ن �ه� ن ن� �و�� �م ا�م��ل�ك ح�م�م��� � �ل��� � ا � ي�� نه � ح� �ع��ل �ي ��و�ك�ه� �ع ن��� ا�ام����ا ء �� �ي������� � او را � � او ي� ركن� ��و � م م م ن � ا� � ن ا ��ل��ه�� ���ه��� ا �ع ن ا �ك���ط ��ي � ��ا �ي�� ا ��ل���لي�ه� �يل��ل�ك ����ا ّ � ن ا �� � ي � ن ش �ه�� ا � �له�ا ��مر � او�م��ل�ك � �ل��� � ن ري � أ � ن � ون أ� ري ��ّ� ون وي ي � م � � �لي ح ي ا �� �ن ا ش � �ا� ّا اأ ��� ا �� ا � � اأ� ا اأ�ن �ل�ن ��ن� أا ش�ر�ع� ��م�ا ا � ن���� � ك �وا أا �ل� �و�ع� �� له� ��مر وم� ن � �ص�� ور و ��س�ه� ن عرن� � � ن ي أ � ح ّ أح م م م � � � ح� ن ّ � ش ن � ن ن ا � ش ن � ا ا ا ا � ن � � ا � �له� ��مر ���� ��� او �ع���� ��م �ر� �ك�ه� �و س�م� �نك�ه� ا �ل� ن� ا �ل��ي��� � ح�م�م�� ��را �� ر�����ل �ك�ه�م �و ي �سم� �و����ل ي م ع م ح أ أ ّ � �� ��� ش�� ا ��ل�ه� اأ �����ي �ع��ل�ه� ��� ش�� ا�ا�م��ل�ك �ح�مّ��� � ��ل��� ن� �ل�� �نّ�� ��ن ا ش� �ع� � �ا�م�ا ���ا � ا ��� ن �م ي� ر م و ا نلي � أ ي� م ن �� ي� م ن ي رو ن ي� � � � �ن �اا �ن ا ا ��لي ن�ّ ا ���ل � � �ي ي اأ � � � ا ��ل �ا ��� � ن �ن �ن ن ن � ���ع�� ل ع �ر� ن� ا �نك�هر�م ي� ا �ل ن��ا ��� ا �ل���ي� ن� ك�� ��و � ��و ع � ا �ل� � ي�ه�م ونل�يص� و�ل�� ����لط�ي� �ي� ر ي �ّ ن أ �ي��ل�� ن���يع�ن�� �ع��ل�ه ا�ا�م��ل�ك �ح�مّ �� � ��ل��� ن � �ي�� ّ��� �كه ا ��� ا ��ل��أ� ا ��ل��ش�� ن� ّ ا � �ح�م�م��� ��را ��ا �مر �نك�هم� �م� ي � و و ن ن � �م أ � ن ي �ل � ن � يي� �م ح � � � ن � � ن � ن �ش ن ا ح � ��� �ل��� �ل ا أا ���� ا �ل���ن�� ح ن � او ك� �ا�ا � � �ل��ك �م ن ا �ل���� �ا���ن ش��م ّر�ع� �وك� �ر و و ن �� ��س� او ��ل� �ل � ا ر���ور �و�ع� � �� او � � � ّ م� ن �ه�ا � او �ي��س� ا ��نل � حر�ي� �ع��� ا � ار �ي�� �ك ي� � ع ع ا � �أ ا � �� � ا�� ن ح �ّ��ي ��ن � ا �ن�� �ع� �يص���ل��ي ا �� �لنه� ّل�ا ن � �� �ليه�� اأ�� ي� �من�ه� �� ًل�ا ا ل� م � �� ��و��� �� �ل��ع�م� �ل ��� � م رن و � و ري �ري ي� ر ور م ن ي ن ّ � ن ي َي ُُّ ن ي � نّ ي � ن ي ّ ي ن ّ � آ ش ّ ي �س ن ط ي ن �ا ن ن � ا�ا ش مص��ا � ا � �ل ��و�كي��� �و� � ي����س�م� ا � �لع�عي��� ���مر�و �ن �ل��� سم ا�امي�� � او �ر� را ء �م����� �� ��سم�و�م�� �ي��� ��ر�و� م ��� ن ��ن 1ن� ��ا حص���ي � � �لنعح� ن ن � ي �ع ن��� اأ ��� ًا � � �ه�ا �س� ا ��لي ���� ���ي ��كه�ا � يّ ن ي ا ع � � � � � ح�� ن�ل��ل��� �ع ن�� ك �من���ل� ا �لي�� او �ر ي� � ور ن ي ن وي ي و ي� ر ع أ � � ع �ي ّ ي ن � ن �ل � �ن�من ا � ا اأ ن � � ن � � ا �لش�ي � �م ن ن� �ي ا ء ا �ن ا �ن � ا � � ا � ن�ل �ي ا ��ل�� ن� � �� ي مصنع� يل � �ه� � ر ��ور � ���� �ر س �ه� م� �ن� ر �ي� ن� �ه� � � ����ي ن�� ي� ي ععي��� ��مر�و � � ع عّ ّ � ن أ �ن � � � ا�ام�� �� �� �س�ه�� أا ��� ن�����ي��� �� �اور �م ن� ن�����ي��� �� �ا �ر ��و أا ��� ا � �لنه�ا ش��مر �ور ن� �ا �ر ��و ن���يه�ا �ل �ام�ا ل ن��ا�ا ��ي� ا ش�ل ن��ا ء ي ي ع ا �� �� � ي ش ي ّ � ن ا ّ ا ��ل ش ��ًا �ع� ن��م� �ن�اأ ن���ن� �م�� �ا�ا ن� ا �� ن�لع�يع��� ي���م � ا ل��ا ح�نعي��� � �ن ��ه�ا ل �� � � س � � ك�طري��� ا ��س��� �ع�ليص�� ر �م��� وك ي رو ر ن �� �ل ور ة أ ب 1ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا �.
232
232
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
Similarly, when Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān died and his son Sultan Muḥammad
4.41
Faḍl assumed his place, the sons of the sultans, such as those of Sultan Tayrāb, Sultan Abū l-Qāsim, the Successor, and Sultan ʿUmar, refused to accept him and rebelled. They mounted their horses, rode out to the villages, and gathered a mighty army. Shaykh-Father Muḥammad Kurrā was afraid that harm might befall the country, so he summoned Faqīh Mālik al-Fūtāwī and told him of his fears regarding the havoc that might ensue. But Faqīh Mālik assured him that he would bring the sons to his feet in humiliation. Shaykh-Father Muḥammad Kurrā then dispatched an army under the command of Malik Muḥammad Daldan, nephew of Sultan Muḥammad Faḍl, and Faqīh Mālik accompanied it. He worked his magic when the sons of the sultans were about two days’ march from the sultan’s capital. That evening, after he’d cast his spell on them, they mounted their horses, fearing that Malik Muḥammad Daldan might attack them with his army and seeking to put distance between them. However, they lost their way and spent the night moving in the direction of the capital, with Malik Daldan in pursuit. When morning came and they found themselves close to the capital, they regretted they’d ever set off. Shaykh-Father Muḥammad Kurrā heard they were there and sent an army against them. When it arrived, the army of Malik Muḥammad Daldan closed in on them because he was right behind them. Finding themselves between the two armies, the people who’d rallied to the sons of the sultans lost their resolve, and the sons were left with a small band. Malik Muḥammad Daldan then arrested them and took them to Shaykh-Father Muḥammad Kurrā, who commanded they be sent to prison, thereby ridding himself of their evil doings. This was due to magic: without it they would have run rampant, ravaging Darfur, and the damage would have been beyond repair.260 The magic specialists in Darfur are the Fullān. I met one of them, a man called Faqīh Tamurrū—spelled a after T, u after m, double r, and ū at the end— of whom remarkable things were said. People there so often stated these things and affirmed their truth that they turned into one of those things that can’t be denied simply because the number of those reporting them is too great for them to be colluding in a lie. For example, a holy man of Darfur whom I trusted told me that once he went with the aforementioned Faqīh Tamurrū from Jadīd Karyū to the sultan’s capital and then back again with him to Jadīd Karyū. “When we were on the road,” he said, “we found the heat of the sun unbearable. Faqīh Tamurrū was riding a camel, and he took his cloak, unfolded and
233
233
4.42
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
أ أ ن ش ط ّ ا ن � ي أ � ا � ن أ ��س ا ش�ّ ي ن �ن �ه�ا أا ��� ا �ع��� ن��ا �ن ن�لعر� ي�� 1ع��� را ����� ��ّ ر ن� �ه� نل����� ا �م� ء �� �و�س�م�ه� �ن�ي�� �ي��� �ي� �و� ار �ع�ل �� � � � ي� � � م عُ � ّ ي ن � ّ ن ّ ا ��ل ش�� م�ااأ نّ �ااأ نّ ن � �ا�ي �م ن اأ ���ط ا �ن�ه�ا ��� ن ���ل�� ن ا ا ا ي � � � م � � � � � � � � � � � � س � � ط � � � � � ل � � ك� ك�ه� ط�ل� و ل �� ه�و و��� ن ��� م� ر �م��� ك� ك�ه� م��س�و� � ر � ن ي� ر ن ي� أ أ أ ا أ ن ا ي ّ ا �اا ا� ن ّ � ي ن ن ن � ���� � �من�ه�ا ن���م�سم�ا �ه�م�ا م���ط��ل��ي �و�ه�� ا ا �ل� �م �م ن ا �ع ن� �م�ا ي���س�م� � او ن�ع �ي���ن����ه�م� اي��سم� � ��و ن� �ه� ك�� � �ن و � ي � � ر ر ع � � � ن ن ن � عيع��� ي���م � ��ن �ا�ا ن �س��ه�م�ا ا �أ�ي�م ن ��ا ل �ه�م�ا ا�ام��طر ن���يه�ا ��ل ا � ن�ل � � ����ا أ� ار ن� ��� �� نس�عر�ه�م�ا � ا ك أا � ن� نر�ل �ع��ل � س � ك � � � ي� و ي ي� ر ي م يأ ن � ّ أ ن � �يع ن ي �ا�ل ا ي ش�ّ ن �ش � �ي �ي ا � ���� �م ن� ا �ل��را ن� �ك ن��ا �و�ل�� أا �ي�ا �ه�ا ن��ا ن���� �ه�ا ن�لي���� �و� ار �ع��ل � ا � � � نل ن�� ر ل ر ن� �ه�ا ن�ل�� ن��� ك�� �م� � ي� م أ � ا� � ن ن � ن ن �و��ل را ����� �ن�ا �ن �لي� ش��س� ا �ل���� �� ��ا ن� �و���ا ر ا�م��طر �ي��ر�ل �ع ن� ي�� يمصس�ه�م�ا �وي�����ا ر�ه�م�ا �و�ه�م�ا ي��م ش��سي��ا � ع أ ��ن ا ��ل����� ��ل�� �ي�ن� ن ��ل �ع��ل�ه�م�ا �ي� ���ط �ي � �م ّ�م�ا �ل��لن�ع نس� ا نّ� ا�ا�م����ا ��ل� ���ط ا �ييص ي���ل� ا �س� �� �ن ّ�ا ن �ن � ن ر ي� و ي ر و ن ي� ع ا له�ل ن� �ي� نلأ����� ي� أ ي ن � أ أ ن ً ّ � � � ي ن ن ن ش ش ي ا � ح � ا ا �ع�� ن � ا ا � ي � ن � ن أ � � � � � ه � � � � � ���ا ن� �و�ع ���وع� � او �ك �� �� او ا �رع� �لي����س�� ����ل�وع� �م�� ا � �له�ل� � ������� �م � ا �ل��� � ي م ل ي � حرع�م �رو ي� ر ّ ّم م أ � ًا أ أ � ا�ا�م����ا ��ل� ���ط � �ا�ا �ن�� او �ي�هحر�و ن� ا ش�ر ا ��ل�� ن� �ه�ا ن� �س�ع���و���� ك� ح�ي� أا �نك�ه� ك� �ا�ا �نّ�� ا ش�ر ا�نم ح��ء � ي م ي � �� �ي �ل��لن�ع ن �م ن ��ش����ن � ن عيع � � �نّ ا �� ن� �ي ا � � ّ ���ل � ���� ا أ � ي أ نّ � � � ن � ن��ا ا � �ل � ي�� م�� ي� ل ��و� و ي� ع ي�� وله�� ن �سي� � ي �� �� ن� ا �ر��م�� ا � �م�لك ا �لن��ر� ��و � ا � ن ا � � ن � �أ � ن �� �ا�ا ��ي� ن���لي��� ا �� �ليه�� ر �ع�� ن�ع�� �ي��ي �م ن ا ��لي��ي��و�� � او �ك���ل� ن� �ا�ا ن� ��ل�� ك� ك� ط �� ء أا �لي��� ا ���ور�ير ا �ل� ع�� ل � ن � ح م أ أ أ ن ي�ي يا ً ي � � نّ � �ن ان ن � ��ا �ن�ا �� �لنه�ل�ا ن� �س� ط�سم� �ون�� ���ا� ا �و��� ل��ا ��ي ن� �ع��لي��� �� ا �ن�ان ��� ا �� � �و��ا �ل �ل�� أا � ا�ام��ل�ك �ي�ا �مرك ا � ل��ص ن� ل�� ي � � � أ�اي �ّ � أ ن ي � � � � ن ن أ ا ي ي �ّ �� �ي ا ا ن � � � � � � �� � � � � ���� � � �� � � م ع � ع � � � ل ل � �و�� �ل �ل� ا ��ص ن� أا �ل� ا � �ي�ل ��و�ل ��ي� ا �ل�����ل��ط� � ن�ل �������� ا و ير �ل ي� �� أ � ن � � ن ي� � �ي ن ر�� �سو��ل�� ن��� �� ن� ا � ��و نر�ر أا ��� ا �ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� � او ن�ن��ر� ن��م�ا ي��ا ��ل�� ا �� � ل��ا �� ن� ��� �ع�� � ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �و��ا �ل ي أ أ ن �اي �� ن أ ن � ا ن أن ي ي ن �ا�ّل ا �ي ا �� � � ��ل�� �ي�� ا ن� ن�لي���ك ا ن� ك� �ا� ا �ع�� �ل���� �� ا � ل�� ل���� ا ا �و ��� ور�ر�ي� �ه�� ا ا ��ص ن� � � �ص ن� ��ل�� � � � � � � م � ل ك ل � ي ي � ن�ا ن ي ش أ أ � � � ن �ن ��ا ي�� ا ��ل�� ن� � ي ن � � حي�� �ن�� ا �ل�� � او �مر ا �ل�����ل���ط�ا ن�ليّ���ي �س� ا �� � ل��ا ��ي ن� ا�ام�� ��ور ��ا �مص���ل ا �مر� �وك�ا�ا � ا �ل م ي� أ ع � �أّ ي � � نّ � � �ا�ّل ا أ م � يّ ّ �ي � �و���ا ر لي��ص ن� �ل�� ك�� �م� ا را � ح�� أا �ن�� ن��ا ء أا �لي��� �ي ��و�م �م ن� ا �ل� �ي�ا �م �و��ا �ل �ل�� أا � ا�ام��ل�ك �ي�ا �مرك أ أ �ي ا �� ن �ا ن ا�ا�م�� � اأ ن �لي ّ � ا �� ا ��� ا � � ن �ا ن � �ليعي��� � �� ي ان ي� �سك� ���ن ا ��� او ��ل�� ي� � ل�ص ن� أ �� �� أل � لك � ي ��و ن�� أ �� له� م�ل ��ل � �وي ل� �وي ن � ن ي ن ن له�ا � ط�� ����ي را ����� ��� �ص ن� ��ل�� � ��ل��ك � او ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �ل�� ي�ل�هل��� ن� ش���س�ء �م ن� � ��ل��ك ��م�ا را �ع�� �و�ير����� � �ن ي م � ّ � أ أ ش ن �ي ا ��ل�� � �ي�� ا �مي��ل�اأ ي� ا �لن� �� ��ا ء ��ا ��ل����� او ��ل � او ��ر�يك ��ي � او ��لن��يع � او ��ل��ن�ل�� � او ��لن�ع ن�� �ورا ��� ��� ن� ط � ��و�ع� ���� ���و� � و أ ر أل ن ي� ّ � �ن اأ �� �� � �� ا ن � ن ا ��نل � �ن اأ ن � اأ نّ ن ا اأ م�� �ن �ا ن ن ا � ا �� � �ي �ع��� ��� ن� ر�م ���� ل ا ل����ل�ط� � ع� �ن� ر � �ن� ر � �ه�� ر � �ل � �و�ه�� م� ل� �و �� ي � أح ي ن أ � ا �� � �� � �� ا ن ل��ا ��ي � ي��ا �� �م ن اأ�م � �ليعي�� ن�� �ا ن � ا � ي � ا � ي ح��ع ا ن � � � ا �سك���نه�ا ء ل � � � � � �� � � � � ع � ل ل � ط � ل ل � � و ن و � ر ن �ل و ن ك���ل ن �سم� ا �مر� �� ر أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل�� :ا ب��لب��رد.
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refolded it, held it between his hands, recited over it certain names, and then tossed it into the air. It spread out above his head like a patch of shade,” and shaded him and his friend from the heat of the sun as though it were being held by a man at each end; it followed them like a sunshade wherever they went. This is one of the strangest and most remarkable things one could hope to hear. In another example, the two of them were proceeding on the same journey when it rained on them. Faqīh Tamurrū told a servant who was with them, “Get me a handful of soil.” When the man handed him the handful of soil, he took it in his hand, recited a few words over it, and sprinkled the earth over his head—the clouds moved aside and the rain started falling to their right, while they proceeded in the dry, without a drop falling on them. I’ve been told that once the Masālīṭ fought with the Fullān and defeated them and were tracking them as they retreated, intending to exterminate them. The Fullān worked a little magic and bewitched the eyes of the Masālīṭ, with the result that they saw the tracks of those retreating back to front, as though they were the tracks of people coming toward them. I was told by my teacher, Shaykh Madanī al-Fūtāwī, may clouds of mercy
4.43
hover over him, that the king of Barnaw had a scribe of great accomplishment, who was God-fearing and righteous in the extreme. The chief vizier went to him and said, “Our monarch commands you to write a letter to so-and-so containing the following.” The scribe, however, refused, responding, “I write only when the sultan himself tells me to do so, or sends me some token to show that his messenger is telling the truth.” The vizier went to the sultan and told him what the scribe had said, so the sultan summoned the man and said to him, “I hereby grant you permission to the effect that, whenever this vizier of mine tells you, ‘Write such and such!’ in my name, you may do so.” Now, the seal with which royal commands were sealed was in the keeping of the scribe in question, so he obeyed the sultan’s command and started writing for the vizier whatever he wanted. Then one day the vizier came to him and said, “Our monarch commands you to write to Malik So-and-so that he should go to the tax collector so-and-so, kill him, impound his wealth, and send it, along with his head.” The man wrote this but the sultan had no idea what was going on and was surprised to see the courtyard filled with treasures: slaves, cattle, camels, and flocks of sheep and goats, along with someone’s head on the point of a spear. The sultan inquired and was told, “This is the head of so-andso and these are his assets. He was killed at your command.” The sultan denied
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خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
ن � ي ا � ن � ي ي � ن ا نّ أ � ن ي ا � � أن ي ن ي ا � � ن أ ّ ي ي أ ي ا � �� او �ل�� ���ه� �ل �ل�� ا ��� ���ه� �ل �ل�� ��ي� ا �ي� �و�� ا �م �ر��ك �ن��� �ل��ك �� �ل ��ي� ا � ��و�� ا � �له�ل� �ي� ن ا ن ي ا � � �اي � ن ا ن ا� � � ا �� ا ن ن � ي � ن انّي أ ن ي ّ � �ه�� ا � �له�ل� �لي��� ا � ي�ل ��و ن��� أا �� ن�� ء �ي� �ور�يرك ��ل� � �و�� �ل �ي� ا ��ص ن� أا �� ��ل� � ا�م�لك� 1ن� نل � �ا�ّ ن ي � � ي � ن انّي ي � أ � ط� اأ ����� � � �����له�ا �ع� � �ن�ل�ا ن� ا ��ل�ه�ا �م�� ��ا ن��ل م � � � � � ا � ا �� � � � � ك � � ل � له�ا ���ه�ا �ل � ر �ه�� ا � �له�ل� �لي��� � �وي�ل� ��ل ر � � وير � �� رح وي ل و لن ع � أأ أ نّ� �اي ي أ ن ن � نّ ن � ي � ن ن ا ي ي � � ن ا� ا ا �مر� �ن��� ��ل��ك �وك�ي ��� �س� �ع�ه�لك �و� ح���� ���� �ن�ي�رك ا ��ك ك��ن��� �ل�� ن�ل�ه�ي�ر ا �������� ا � م�سي� م �ا�ّل ا ي ا �� � � ن ن� �ي ا �� اأ�ّ ا ّٰ � � �ن ا ا نّ�ع ي � ي� ن �ن ا �� � ا �� �ن �ا �نّ ي � ي � � � � � � ل � � � ك � � � س �� ل ل � � � � �� � ه � � � � � � لل � � � م � ه ع � ل ي ك �و�ل أ �ك ل ل�ك وريري� �و �ي� �ي� ي �وم ل ي� و � ي� � ن ن�اي � ن ي ش ي أ ن �اي �� ن أ ن � ن � ي � ا �م �ي ي ا ا ن � ا � � �ه�� ا ا ��ص ن� � � ل���� ا ا �و ���� ا �ع��� �ل���� �ي� �� ��ص ن� �ل�� �� �مص��ل� ا �مرك �م� � �ل�ك ا ���و � �و� ر أ أ�اي � ّ ن ا ��ص� �ل�� �� �ا�ل �م�ا ا �مر��� �ن�� ن ي أ أ أ ّ أ � � ا ن ي ا � � ن ا� ن � � ا� ّ نن ن ي�ي � �ن ش ���� ن� �ص ن� ا �ل�����ل��ط� � �و�� �ل أا �ي� �م ا ا �مرك ا � ل��ص ن� �ل�� �ي� �مَ���ل �ه�� ا ا �ل� �مر ا�م�ه�م ن�ل��ل أ �ي � � �ن � �أ� ا �� ي � � ن ن ن � �أ � ن أن � � ي أَ ا �م �ير��ك ا � يل��ص ن� �ل� �ي� ا �ل� ��ور �سي� �ل� � �ه�ا �ع���� ا �ل��� �و�ل�� .ا �و�مش���ل �ه�� ا ا �ل� �مر لي���و� �مرر �كي� �أ ي أ ن ن ن ي ا � ��ا ي نّ � �ن ا ا� ي أ ً ن أ ن ي� ا �مر�� �نك ���ط�ا �عي��� ن�لن�ه�ي�ر ا �������� ا � ���ه� �ل ا � � ��س���ش ن� ا �م ار �م ن� ا �ل��� ��ور ��� ل�� �� ن� أا � � ��و�ل��� � ي� َ ي م �� ي ن ي أ أ � � ن ن � ���� �ع�� ا � �ليعن�ن�� �ع��لي��� �ص ن� ا �ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� � او �مر �ن�ا � �ليعن�ن�� �ع�� ا � � ل��ا �� ن� �ل��� �ي� ا � �� ل ه � ن ار � �ع ن� ر � � أ� � م ا ن �ّ � أ نّ �اّ �م ن � ّ ا ��ل � � ًا ��ل �يع ن ���ل � ي�لَ ْ َ �ن �ا � �ي ا ن ����شن ا � �ي � � � � ك ع �� م�� � � ل �� � � ه � � � � � � � � �� � � ه س ص � �� � � ل � أ ي ي ي ن � ي ي ن � ي ر ي ي � و ير �و�م� � ا ك أا �ل� ا � ل � أّ ي � ن���ل ّ ا اأ � ا ��ل �� �� ا ن ن� �� � ي ا �� �� � ا � �ن �� ن � ��أ ن ط�ه��ي ن� ك� �ا�ا �نك�ه�ا �� ��ل ح ش��س ن� �م� ر � ���ل�ط� � ل�ك �� ل ل� ع� �ع ن� �ه�أو�ل�ء ���يه�ا �ل �ل� ا �ع� ��و2 ّ أ أ أ ن اً � ن ���� �م��ي � �ع�نه�ا �عن ن ���� �م��ي ن��ا �ع�نه�ا � �م ن ا ��نل �ه� أا �ل�� أا ن� ا �ع�نه�ا �� ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� �م ن ا ��نل ��� �ه� �ه�و ا �يك� و �ع � � � ي �ّم م أ ّ ّٰ ن ي ي� ن ن �ن�ل�ا ن�� ي� ا �ي��� �يك�ه� �ور ن� �ك�ا� ك� �ا�ا ن�� ي� �و�ه�� ا �س� ���� ا �� ���و�ل�� ����� ا لل� �ع��لي��� �و���ل��� �م ن� ��ا �� ��� ي� � م م م ن ا� ن ن ّٰ ن ّ ن ّٰ ٰ �اّ �ش �اّ �ش ن ن � � � � � � � �م ن� ا ّلل� ن��ا �ن� �م��� ��ل �س� ء �و�م� � ي � �و�� ا لل� �م� ��ل �سي� ء ح� ا لل� � ي م أ أ� ي أ ّ � ن ن ��ا ��أ�� 3م�ا �ش���ا �ع� ا �ل ن �و�م ّ�م�ا يل�ن ن�� � �ن � � ن ا �ل�ع ��س��� ا �ه��ل � ا ر���ور �م ن� ا � �ع ن��ا ك ع � حر ��ط �ي� ����لك �ه�� � ن ن � ي ّ � � ا ن اأ ش � � �يص���لي��� ن ����ا �ه�م�ا ���س��مّ �م����ا ��لي� ���ط � 4او ��لش��ا ن�لي���ي يي��سم�ور ��� �ا� �ي���ي ش��ع � ��ل� � �ن� ��ع � ي� �م ن� ر�ع�� �ي�ا ا � ن�ل ��ور أا � ��ا �ل ني � � � يي ش ّ أ أ نّ � ش� � � ّ � � � � ّ � ن � ي ن ا ش ل���ل� � ا �ّم�ا ا ا ا �ل ���ل ن���ع � هور ا � �م���� �لي� ��ط������ 5ع � � �ي �� او �� � � � ل��ن� ا�م��س� � �صع� � او �ك�هر � او � � ن و ���ل ا �ك� ن ع ّ أ أ ّ ن � � ن ن ن ن �ي ي ي � ن � ��سع� ��ل�� ن�ع�ي�ر � او ن�ع ���ل ن� ش��ع � �ا� �كي���ي ش��ع � يي��سم�ور ��� � ���ل ا �ل ح ن� �م ن� � ا ا � �ه�� � ا � �ل�نصي���ل�� �ي�ل ��و���و� �عن��ه�ا أا � ن أع آ ا� ّ مص ي� �من�ه�ا � �لي �� � �ل�ه�� �ش�ل�ا �ش��ي ا �ّ�ا � �م ن �ي�� � � �لي�� ّ��� ا ��� �ل��ل��� ا ن� � ���ي ن �ّ ن� �كه�ا � �ل�ه�� ش�� ن �م ن�ً�ا ر وي روح ن � وي ي � ر � ي وم ن ي م � ن ر يو و ن أ � ن ا�ي أ� ي أ أ �ن أ نّ � � � � ا ن � ا أ ن ي � ن ن �� �ي � ي � ا �ن �ي ش ن �سع� له� �ي� ع �ع���� ا �ل��س��� ا �ه��ل � ا ر ��ور ا � �ل�ل����ل��ط� � ��ط� � �له�� م� �ه�� � ا ل�نصي��ل�� �ير���� � �و� �له�� ا � ي أ أ أ أ أ ب �ع أ �� 4 .ال� �ص�ل� :م��س�لا ط 5 .ال� ب�ص�ل� :م��س�لا ط. 1ال� �ص�ل :ا �ل�ع�ا �م�ل 2 .ال� �ص�ل :ا �ع�ل� 3 .ال� �ص�ل :ال� ب��ا �ل ب
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this, summoned the scribe, and asked him, “Who ordered this man to be killed and his wealth impounded?” “You did,” replied the scribe. “When?” he asked. The scribe said, “At such and such a time, so-and-so, your vizier, came to me and told me, ‘Write to so-and-so, the malik, in such and such a place, that he should go to the tax collector so-and-so in such and such a place, cut off his head, send it on a spear, and send all his assets.’” “I never commanded you to do that,” said the sultan, “so how could you, with all your intelligence and professionalism, write to him so without seeking my permission?” “God aid our master!” the man replied. “You summoned me on such and such a day and told me, ‘Whenever this vizier of mine tells you, “Write to so-and-so” in my name, do so!’ I have obeyed your command from that time on and gone ahead and written everything he ordered me to.” The sultan now grew angry and said, “I never ordered you to write what-
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ever he asked on a matter as important as this! I commanded you to write what he asked in matters of no danger to the state. Do you imagine that things of this sort can happen without my permission?” And the scribe replied, “Our master made no exceptions when he commanded me to obey the vizier.” The sultan grew angrier still and ordered that the scribe be seized, but no one could lay a hand on him, for every time someone stretched out a hand to seize him, it would go stiff, its owner unable to bend it, and it would be like a piece of wood. When the sultan saw this, he said to him, “Release these men!” but the scribe said, “I will release them only when the sultan releases me from his service.” The sultan released the scribe from his service, and the scribe released the men in turn, and their hands relaxed and became as they had been. This demonstrates the truth of words of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, when he said, “All things fear the one who fears God, and he who has no fear of God, God will cause to fear all things.” Also to be numbered among such wonders is the story told by the people of Darfur to the effect that there are two tribes subject to the Fur, one called the Masālīṭ, the other the Tomorókkóngá,261 who assume the shapes of animals. The best-known version of the story, though, is that the Masālīṭ take the shapes of hyenas, cats, and dogs, while the Tomorókkóngá take the form of lions only. Even more remarkably, they say that after three days a man of this tribe who dies will rise from his grave, go to another village, marry there, and live on for a time. The Darfurians commonly say that the sultan has a group of men from this tribe whom he sends on his personal business and that they have a
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خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
أ ً �ا ا ً أّ � �ا� � ا ا �� ن� ن �ن ن ا �� �� ا �أ�ن �ي � يّ نّ ي � ن �س�هّ�م�ا ي� ا � ��ور� � او ن� �ك�ه�ا �م�� � �ه� �يو�لن�� ل ��و� �ي� �ه�� � ك�ط� له� ح�� أا �ك�ه�م �ي�ل ��و� ��و� ل�� �� �مك� �ع�لي� نّ ي ي ش ّ �ي ش ّ ن ن ا �ي � � ا��م � ن ن ح�م � اأ�ن � � ��� ن ن� ح�يّ ا �� ن��� �من ��ل�ا ي� � � � ا � أا �ك�ه�ا ������ع �� ل ا ��ع � � �ه� أا � ا � � ��ا �ل �و��ا �� � ل ي ��� � �ع�لي�� ن ع و � ر ل م ع � �ً�ا �صنك ���ط �ع��لي��� ي�لن ���ي ر� �م ن� ا �كن� � ي َ أ �ا ي ا � ن � �ْيَ � ن ً�ا �م نًّا ن� ن �ا�ا ن� ي���س��مّ �ع�� ّ �و�� �ليه�� ا � ر�� �ا �ه�� � ا �ك���ط�ا �أ�لنه��ي �وك� � �ا�ا � ر ن��ل ��س�� � � � ��ار�� ن� �وك � ���عي ��� �م أ � � شي ّ � ن � � � ن �� �اا ن � ّ � ن ن ي ا ا ن �ا�ي �م ن ن���يع ا ء ا ن�ل ا ��ل ح ��� � �هر �ع��لي��� ا ش�ر ا �ل��شر�و�ي �� أا ��� �م� � �و�و ��� ا ن�ل��� � � � ك �� �� � � ل م�� ��� �وك�� � � ي � ر ر ي ًّ � أش � شم ي �اا ن �ا � ي ا ي ن �� ح��عسًا َ نْ� ش ا ��نل � ي �ي ��� ن � �ن ل � �ش���ا �ن�ا ن� ي�م� �وح��� ��ل�ه� � � � ل��ن� �يك �� � �هر �ع�لي��� ا �ر ا �ل��ر�و� �وك�� � �ير�� ن� ا �ل�ع�� �� �م� ا ي �ل أ ّ ن �ا�ا ن ����س ّ �و��ل�� ن���� � � او �ّك�ه��ي �ن�ا �نل�ع�يه�� ي� ن���من�س � �و��� ن��� � ط�� � ����ي �و� � ن�ص ي� أا ��� � ا ر� �ع�� �ي �م ار ر �وك� ي � م � ن م ن أ ّ ي ي� ن ي � أ ّٰ ا � ��ي� �ن�ا �يّ ن�ل ��ي ا ��ن ن���ل� ي� ��� ��ن �ل�� ن�� ا�ا��م ا � ����ا ��لي��� �ع ّ�م�ا �ي�لي�� ��ل ن�ك��� ا ��ل ن��ا �� �م ن � ي� و ن ي� ن � ر ر و و ي � � �عن��� ا لل� ��ر ن � ّ ي ن ن ن � آ � ن �ي ش أ ن � أّ ا �ل��ي ش��ع � ع��مر�ي ا �يّ�ا � ��� �نر�ه�� � ش����ا �ع��ل�س� نل � ���ل � او �ن�� ي�����ا �نر �م����ي ر� � ��ل�ا� ا ن�ر �و ا� �ي�لنه�� ��ي� ن� ش���س�ء ي ي م ٰم أ � ش ن ً ن م يي ي آ � ن ن �ي �ي ن ن � ّ ن ّ ن �ان ي اأ ن ��� نّ ي ي ا ا ا س �و�� �ل �� ��� �� � ا لل� �م� �� �ا��� ��� � ��ل��ك ا � ��و�ي ي� �و����ا �لي��� ��ا �لي��ا ��� �و�� ا �ر�ك �� � �� ص � � � ن ن � ي أ�� رك ي م أ ا �نّ� �يك ّ ي ن �ي � ش ّ ش ا ن � ن ن ن � � � يّ ن ح ي �م ن �ع ن���� ش��ّ ا ن� ني ل� �ك � ��ر�س�عر��ي� ���� �� �ه�� ا ا � �ل ��و�ل ��م ���� �ع�ل�سي� ن�ل�ه�ي�ر � �ل�ك ح�� �ر ن�� � م � ��أ أ أ أ � ّ ً � ي � � � ن ي �ل�ه�� ن� ��ل��ك � ���ا ���م ّ �ع�� ّ � �ل� �ل��لي��� ي� ن�ل ���ا �ام�ا را ��ي ي� �م ن� ي�لن� � ��ر� �و�ل� ا �عل��� ���سي� �وي�رك�ا��� ا �ن�ا ا �يك ن� �� ن و ر ي ر ي� و ي م ً � �ن أ � � �ن ن ا � ش اأ ن � � ا ي � � �ل�� �ل�ك ���ن��ن�� ��س�و� ل � �� ار ر ��س� او �ل� �ي� �ه�� ا �ل���� � نَ � � َ ن �ن � ن �ن � �و� �ليه�� ����ا �ر ي� �ل��ل�ع نر�و �س� �م��ل�ك �م ن� ا�ام��ل�وك ا ��س�م�� �عن��� ا � � ل��ري��م ن� ن� �َ�مي����� �ع ْر�م�ا � �وك�ا�ا � ع أ أ ن أ ن� ح�يّ �م�ا ي� � ���ا � ��ل���� ن��ا � �مً�ا ط � ن ا ء ا ��ل�����ل���ط�ا ن� � �ن �لي�ع �ع��ل��� � ا ��ّ�� ��� �ن � � � � � � و رو ا ن� ��و� �م� ا �ع ��� ورر و ي ون ن � نن � �ي حيّ اأ م ��ل�� ن� ن �ن ا �� ن� �ي ي م � ن � � �أ ي �س�و�ن�ا � �م ن��� �ل��ل��� �و�ل�� ��� ر�����ل لعر�و �ي� لعر���ي� �وك �ا�ا � �ي� �ع��لي��� �ي� ن� ��� � ن�ص ي� �س�ه�� �ل�� � ّ ن�ي نّ � ن ا �ن ا � ن ي ي ّ ن ش �ي � �ا �ن �م ّ � � م�� �ي �ش�ل�ا �ش��ي اأ �ش�سه � ل ن��ا ك ��و�ع�ل�� �ي� �ن�ل� � ا � �لع �ر���� � � � ���ل �ل� �ي ��و ن���� �كي��� ���سي� ء �م ن� ا �لن �� ��و�ل � ر و ي� ي �ن �م ا � ا ي� 1ن��� �ع�� ��ن ن� ا ي� � �� � �م ن ا ��ل��أ�ّ�ا � ن���ل ّ�م�ا � ن���ل ي� �ع ن���� � ���� ي� �ك��� ًل�ا �و��ل�� ا ��نل � � و ون � ن ي و ي � ر ي م م أ �ا�اأ نّ��م�ا اأ ن���ن� �م ن �س�يعش��اأ �ي�� ا ��ل��آ ن ن�����اأ ��لي��� �عن�ه�م�ا � �م ن اأ � ن � ���ل�ا �ن� ن يّ ًا �اّ ن ا ن� �ه�م�ا ك� � �مر �و��� ��و���� �و ���ل �م � � و � ي� و � ن ن اأ � ي � ّ ن أ ي � �ا��ن� � �ليع��ا ���ط �ّ�� ن �س� �ل�ه�� ا�ا�م����ا �ن��ي ��ع�سّم�ا ا � نيا � ن ي �ل�� ���ه� �ل �م� � ا ر���ور ����� �ل��� ع�م� ا �� �ل�� �نك�ه�م� �وك�ي ن ي ريي� ع ن � ن يّ ا �ن أ �ي ّ ن ن �ن ن �� �� ي ا ن ن نّ ل���لّ ّ �ي ن� �ي ا �� �ي �ا�ا ن �نع ن ّ �� � � � ا � �ل � � ك � �ه�� ا ا ا � ا ء م � ك � ه� �� � � ط م � � � ع ��و��� �أ�ا �ن�� ك� � � ن ���ا �ن�ا � � ي�� �ه� ل � � ر و ر أ � � � ن ل � ر ي ي ي ح أ أ ن ي ي � � � � ن ن � ن ن ي ن ن نا ���ا �ن�� �ن��� ا ر�ن��ور � �وي�ا ر ن� م�� ��� � ��و ن� ن��ا ن���� ي� ا�ا ك ا�ا ك م�� ��و ن� �م��� � �وك ��طر� أا �لي��� �أ� � ا �ه�و �م� ن�ل����� ا � ن ي 1ال�أ ص� :ا ��ب ح�ب��� ا ة �. � رو �ل
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
malik who rules them. They even go so far as to say of this group that they can assume any shape and that if one of them finds himself in a tight spot and is afraid he’ll be captured, he turns into wind. I was there when the man in charge of this group, who was called ʿAlī
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Kartab, was still alive. He was old and feeble, a poor soldier in whom it was almost impossible to detect any sign of wealth. Then he died, and his son took his place. He was a well-built young man, hideous to look at but giving every sign of being well-off. He rode the best-bred horses and had servants and pomp. He and I became friends and I went to his house several times. His name was ʿAbd Allāh Kartab, and I happened once to find myself alone with him, so I asked him about what people said about his assuming different shapes, and that he could travel a ten-day journey in an instant. He distracted me with talk of other things and gave me no information, so I didn’t pursue the matter on that occasion. Then, on another occasion, I asked him again and he smiled and said, “Goodness gracious, I never thought you’d believe such talk!” Then he distracted me with talk of other things, till I left his house. After this, he denied knowing me and took to walking past me without turning to look in my direction, so I too left him alone once I saw how he snubbed me. I can think of no reason for it except that I’d questioned him repeatedly about this business. Once I traveled in a slaving party with a petty king named ʿAbd al-Karīm ibn Khamīs ʿArmān. His father had been one of the sultan’s greatest viziers but the sultan had turned against him and held him in prison till he died. His son became a servant of the state and was eventually sent to raid the Fartīt. He owed me a debt, so I went with him to get it out of him.262 We had penetrated three months deep into Fartīt country and were in a place where no pulses or vegetables were to be found. One day he invited me to eat with him, so I went into his house and found green onions and cucumbers, each as fresh as if they had been pulled that minute from their bed. I asked about them and where they’d come from and he said, “Darfur.” I asked him who’d brought them to him and how they’d stayed fresh in spite of the distance, especially the cucumbers, which were as juicy as could be. He said, “They were brought in the shortest possible time. Look at the date on this letter.” So I took the letter and looked at it and found it was from a friend of his in Darfur, and that the date was the morning of that very day. I was astounded and showed my amazement that such a thing could be, and when he saw how surprised I was he said,
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خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
ي �مي�� ًّا ن ن � ن ّ ا أ �ع ي ا � � � � �يل� ّ ن نّ ���ي ن� ��ل��ك ا ��ل �� � ن�ك�� ي ��� �م � �ل��ك ���ل�م� را �� ن� � ح�ن� � ��1ل �� �ل� نع �م � نع �صن ي��� � � � � � ح ن� �أ�ا � و ي وم ن � ن � � ر أي ي ّ أ � � نا ا ي ن ي � �ن ن � �ا� � ن�ك ي ّ ي ي ش � ّ ن ي ن ني �ع ��و� أا �� ا ن�ل�ه�� ��م��ل ��ي� ا �رن� ر�م ن� ���ه��ل ي� �س�ع�� ن��م� �ع�� �م� ا ��سم�ور ��� و ي � �ه�م ���و� ا �ل����ع ���ل ي��� ن اأ � اأ ن ي� � ن اأ �ن ا ّ ا � ن ن ي � � ن � �ه�م ���ه�ا �ل �ل��ك � �ل��ك ري��� � ير �سي� � ���� م � � � ن ا �� ي ا �� �ن����� ي� ا ��س�مه�ا ش��ّ �ا�مّ�ا �ي��نه��ل ن��ا ن� ���� � ا �ن�� � � ����ل ن��ا ا ��ل ا ي ن ا ن � ا ري ر ور وو � أ ي� �ه� ن������ �نك ��ط� �عر ن�ل�ل�� �م� �ن�ل� � ا �سم�ور ��� ي ّم نأ أ ّ � ش �اا ن ن � ن �ّ � ن ن � � �ا�م�ا � � � ا ع �� � � ك ك �ص��اح� ن��ا ء �ن�ا ا �ن�ا ��� ك�ا��ي�ر�و� ي������ل���و� �ع���� ا�ام��ل�ك � او ��ا ن��ا �ل��� �س�ه�� �رح ن� � � و ن أ �ا ا أ ا � ش ا ًا � ن �ي ن� ن� � ن � � ا� ّا أ ن ا � � ي ا � � أ ا � ا ���� �ل� � �م� ا � �� ا � ��� �� � ������سه �نك�ه� � او ��ر�س�ه� �و������ ر�و���� ء ع� �لي�� �ن� ح��س�� �ع � ً ر و ن ك و �رأ ّ ر ي �ل ل ر ي � �م م م �م نّا ن ّ � ن أ ي �ن ي � ��س��ا �ع�� �ن�ل�ا ي��م ّ��س� �ه�ا ���س� ء �ل�� ن� ن��م�� �م�ا �ي�هح � �ن�� �م ن � � � � � � � ا ا أا �� ��و� � أ � ري��� �ي� طريله � �صيم � ي و ن و � ن رو � م م م ع ن أ ن ن ن ن أن ن � ا ن ن �� � �ي � نّ ا ن� �ي ا �� ا�ا� �� � ح ن � �ر��� ا � ���س�م� �م ن ن�ل���� ا � ط�� � ��ا �ن��ك ��س��ع ��ي� �ه�� � ا نل � ا �ل ن ع � � �ه� م�� �ه� ل ملك أأا � � ا ك � ي ً ّ ش � ّ � ي ي � � ي ا ��ل��آ ن� ن���يه�ا �ل ��س�م�ه�ا � ��ط�ا �ع�� ��ّ �ن��� � �ش�ل�ا �ش�� ا �ن �لنه�ا �من � ا ن ي ا �ه� او أا ��� ا �نل ��ل�اء و �ه�م �س�م� �ع�م ���ه� ��� او �و� ��و ن� � ر � م ن ن� أ نأ أ أ ن ن �� ّ ن ي ا � � ن ن ي � �ه�� ا � �� �ي ا �ن�ن�ه�ا ن� �� ا ي���لي��ل�ا ش��ّ ��س�م�ع ن�� ر���ر ا ����� �ع ��� �� ا ر نع و � ا � �له��ل�و ن� � او �رع ا �ل�� � او ن� ���ه� � �� او و ي ي ن ا ن ش ّ �مي ن أ أ آ ن ي م ح ش ا ش ن أ � ن ش ن ن � ن ّ ي ي ا ي ��ل� � �� ��ع��� �ورا ر ا ����� ا �ر �ي�لعرن� �م ن��� ��ل� � را را � ���ه�ا ��� او �ه�� ا ��ل� � �� ��ع��� � م ن ن أ أ ن � ن � نأ ن � ا ي ن � يّ �اا ي أ ن يل�ن ن � ي م �� ا ل �� ط �م� ا � �ر��ر �� ا �ل���� �ن �له��ي� ح�� ك�� � � ا � ����ل� ا � �له��ل�و ن� س�م� �ع�� �و�س�م� ن�ل�ه�� � ا ك ر��ي�ر ا �ع ��� ي ي ع م ي ن ان ّ أ ن أ ن� ي ا �ع ن أي � �آ � ّ �ي ع ���طح��� ا ا �م � ش��ّ �ل�ه�� ي���ل��� ��ا �ه�� ا ��� � ��ل� � � � � س �ع ا ا ء �� � � � � � � �ه� ا �ل�� مي�� ع �م � � و و و ر من و ��ه� ��� او ي لً ن و �� ي � م أ ي � ن ا � نن يّ ���ل ن��ا �ا �سه� � � ن أ �ا����ا �ع� ش�لي��ا ��ا ن��ا ن�ر�ي �و�و�ّ �ع ن��ا �ع� � او ر� �و�كن���ل� او �ي��� ا�م��لك ���عرح� �نك�ه�م � او ��ر � م و ي ������� �� م ن م ن � ن يّ أ � � � � ا أ ن ي � � � ن ن أي ن ا ا � ح ن �ن اآ ن �و� ن أ ن ي ا � � ا� � � � ل � � � ا �� � � � � � � � ل ع � � � � ن و و � ي � � ي ر و ������� �� �ل �ي� ا�م�لك �ه�و�ل�ء ا �ك��ط� � �له�� �عم ا �ل��ي�� ا � �� �و� �ن� � ل ن ي ي ني �� � ا ر � �ر���ي� ا �ل � ه� ن � � � � �أ نّ ي � ن ��ا ��أ �م�ا � �لي� ��ل�� ا �� �ّم�ا �� ن ��� ن �كن�م � ن ي ن � ّ �� ح ي� ا �ر�م��ل �ل� �ك�ه�م �ي�ل ��و���و� �ي� �نك�ه�� � ا �لن�ع ن� ي �و ر ��و� ي� ي � نر��و� �وم�م�ا يل��ل� أ يي أ �ا �ا�ًا �ي � �ا ن ا ن � � �ل�ه�� � � اأ � ا �ّ � ا ّٰ �ي� ا �� � �ي �� ن �ا�ا �نّ�� � ا �ه�ا � � � � ا � ��ل م� �و�� �ل� أل ����� � �ل� ي ل� ن� � � ل � ع � ع ك � � � ير ��� أ �ل� لل� له� �� �ويل ��و��و �� ور م ع أ أ ّ � � ن �ي اأ �ي ا �� ا � � ن ا ي ا �ن ي�ي ا �� � ن ا �ن ا �ل ن� � �� ن � �ن حّ اع � �ن � � � �� ا م �ل س � ���� � � � ع � � � � � � ه ه ك نل ي�ص�� ���م� � �ع� ي� أا � � � �و � �م ي� ي� ر � �ل ل � ر �ور و ر أ � ي ا �� � � ا ا� � �ن � � � اآ ن �ا�ا ن �ن ا ��ل��� ���ي ا ��سي �انص ي� ن�ك�ه�ا � � � � � � � � � � � ه �� ل � � � � ل �ك ه ل ل � � � ل� � � ل � ن ر � � ي� ر ر لي ي ن � ا ر � او � ا �ي� ك� � �ي� ن ل� �ي� م أ �ان � � ن ��لي�� ّ ا � ا ��ل ن� ّ ن ي ا � � � �ي ا �� �� � ا ���� ي �صي ��ي� ا �ك� ��ا �� �م�ا �عر ��ي� �عل��� ا �ر�م��ل �و��ص ي� ن� ���� ر ���مر ��ور ��سعر�ع�� يله� ل ل� أ � ���ه� �ل ��ي� ن أم �ي ّ ي � ن � � � � ا ���� ي ي � � ن� ��ا �� �يكن� ����ا ا�م ا�ام�� ��اور �ه��ل �ل��ك ��ي� ا � ي�ل ��و ن��� �س��ع� أا ��� � �مرن� �ل��ك ا �ر�م��ل � �وي�ل ��و�ل �ك�هر ي� أ ي أ 1ال� �ص� � :بع ��ا ب�ة� ل
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
“Don’t be surprised. There’s a party of Tomorókkóngá with us and they have the ability to change their shapes and go to the farthest place in the shortest time.” I said, “I’d like you to show me some of them,” and he said, “And so I will.” When we’d assembled our caravan and reached Darfur, we spent the night
4.49
on the outskirts of a Tomorókkóngá village whose name I’ve forgotten. In the morning, crowds of people came to salute the malik, with whom I was sitting. He welcomed them, provided them with hospitality, and gave their leaders handsome robes, which pleased them greatly. When we wanted to depart, their chief said, “We advise you, if you see any lions on your way, to do them no harm, as any lions you may see in this neighborhood are from our village.” “In that case,” said the malik, “we’d like to hear from some of your friends right now.” “To hear is to obey,” said the chief, and he picked out three individuals by name, who rose and went off into the open country. A short while after they’d disappeared from sight, we heard a mighty lion’s roar that struck terror into our hearts and panicked the riding animals. “That,” they said, “is the voice of so-and-so.” Then that lion stopped, and another lion close to the first roared three times. “That,” they said, “is so-and-so.” That stopped, and after it a roar was heard that was so much mightier than the first two that our hearts almost leaped from our breasts on hearing it. “That,” they said, “is the voice of so-and-so,” and they named him and sang his praises. A little later the men came back, in their human form, and kissed the malik’s hand. He was delighted with them, offered them food, and gave them fine robes to wear, and we bade them goodbye and went on our way. At this point the king told me, “Those are the people who brought us the onions and cucumbers when we were on the far side of Dār Fartīt.” To these wonders may be added the pronouncements of geomancers when they perform their operations, for they speak of events that have happened to a person of which no one but God Almighty knows anything and report things as though they were occurring before their very eyes. One of the things that has made me believe in what they say is that, when I wanted to leave Darfur and go to Dar Wāddāy, there was in the town where I was a man called Sālim. He had an in-law in another town called Isḥāq who was skilled at geomancy. I was depressed because my travel arrangements weren’t going well, so Sālim asked me, “Would you like to go with me to see my in-law Isḥāq, and have him cast the sand for you and tell you what he sees?” I accompanied him to the
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4.50
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
ن �ن � � � ا � ن ��� �� � ن اأ� ي � �� � ن � � �ي ّ� ي � � � ��ل � � ي �اور ن��� ن���ل ن��ا �ه�ا � �ك�هر� ا�ام�� �� ط��� ��� سه� ن��ل��� � ح �هر ل� �� نحنص�� ل�� �ل�ك �و ��و ن � �ل�ك م� يك � � � أ أ أ حيّ �ي �ن ّ � ش �ا �م ن��ا � ا �ي ��ل ن��ا �لن ح� �ل ن��ا �ن ا �ل ن��ا � ن�ع��أ�ل�ً�ا ��ن نرر�ع�� �ن�����ر�ن�ا � � ح��� ن ��ّ �ي�ا ��ل ��ل�� � � � ا ا � ء �� �� � ه 1 � ن و و � � ن ن ن ر � م ر ن ي ري �م أ ا ا� ن � ي � � �ا ن� ي ا �� ا ��ل��س � � ا �ي ن ي ي ن ن � ش ا � ن � ل � ل � �مرن� �ل� ر�م�ل ��ه� ل �م� � او �ك��ط� �ع� �ك�هر� ���� �م أا � ا �ل��م �ر�ل� �� ن�� ء ي �سم��� �م��ك ا � �ك� � ي أ ي � � نأ ع ي�ّ ٰ ن ن � � � ّ ّ ن � ي ا �ا ا ا�ا ي �ا� ��� �ك��� �ن�� ا لل� � �ليه�� � �ي�� ن��م�� ا ا اا �� ن �و ن� وع ي �مرن� ا �ر�م��ل �و�� �ل ��ي� ��ل��م� ��ص� ا ��� ن ي و ع �م� �� �ل�� �وك�� ��� ل�ل��م �م� ين � � أ �ن � ي ن ن � أ ّ � � ّ � ا �� �ل � ا��م ن ح�� ن ��� ا�� ن �ا��ل�م�� ��م ن� � �ل��ك ا �ن�� ي��ا �ل �ي� أا �ن��ك � � ��ط�� �ي� ك ل� � � �وط م ي �س��� �� ن� أا �� � ا ر � او � ا �ي� وح أ ّ أ أ أ أ ن �ا �ان ن نّ � � ي ن ي� ي �ع ن �ي ��� ن ن� ح�مي�� ا �ه��ل ن��ي��ي���ك �م�ا �ع�� ا ا �م ار � ا ن�لي���ك �أ�ا �ك�ه�ا �ل� ���� �� ن� �س�ه��ك �و��ص ي� ا ���� �ن�� � او ���و�ل � ري �ن ن ع أ نّ ا أ � � ن ا � � �ن ا �ن ّ ك�ا ���� �ي� ا ّٰلل� �ي�� ��ل�� ن�ل��� �ي� ن�� ��� �س�ع ن��ا � �ي ��ن� �ل�� �ي��� �� ن� �س� ا �ك�ه� ا �ون ا �ل�� ��� �ل�ل�� �ه� ن� �� � و ن ع أ ح م نا �ّ �ع � ي � ن ا � ي ّ ي �ا�ا ن�� ي� ��ل���ل��ي ا �� � ن ن ّ ي ي �ا ي� ا ��ن��ي�ه�ا ح�ي� ك� ����ل�� �و��عي� ا �نك�ه�ا �ن �ل�يص ي� �س�ع�� �و �م�ل� �ع�ليص�� ي �ي���ل ���عر� �و�ر�� ن � ي ر أ أ ن ن ن � ن �� ن�� ي� ��سع� ن ���� ��كه�ا ا ش� ا � ����ا �ن �ن�ا � ا� �� ي �ي ّ � ا �س��� ن ن���ل ّ�م�ا ا � ن���� ن ���ا ���ط��لصن��ا �ه�ا �ل��� � �س�عر �ك�ه� �ع���� �ن��ر ن ن ن ع � ي� م ن أ � أر و ر و م أ � ا ي ن ي ا�ان ن � ّ ي � � ي ي ي �ان ا �ن� ���ي ن ي �و�م ن� � �ل��ك ا ��� ��ا �ل �ي �ل���ل�� ��� �و�م��ك �ع�� ����� ا ن�ل���ك ��ا � �� �ن��ك ن�� ر��� ���ع�ه� ���� ا �و���� � � ي � � ي ي أ � ن ي ن ي ي و ن ني ن � � � أ ي وع ��ا ���ا � �ك�ا� �ي�ا ��ل � �من�ه�ا اأ�نّ�� �ي�ا ��ل �� �ل�� ن� �� �ل��ك �و ا� ا ن��سم� �س�ه�� ��سم� �ن�ا ن�لي���ك ��� � ا ر � او � ا �ي� �ن � � �م و � أي أ ّ ي� � � ع ّ �أ نّ � ي م ُ نْ يعن أ ن � ن ن ا ��ل�� �� �ي�� ��� � �من�ه�ا ا �ن�� ي��ا �ل �� ا � ���� ي �� ��ط�ا �ن�� ��م ك�ا�ا �كه�ا ��ط��لص� ن��م�ع � � ا �لي�ه�ا � � ا �ل � � � ك ر ري � � و و � ي ر � ي ي� أ ن ي ن ي �ان � ي ا� ن� ي ن � � ن أ شّ ���� ي ن ن ا � ً � � ن ن ن ي ا � ح � �� �و�� ا ��م ���� ي � ح � �صع� ��و� �ن�� ح� �� �و�� �� ع�م� �كي� ��ط��� �ن�� ا �لنصي ��و� � �ويك� ���� �ل�ك � او�م�عر� � ��وع ن�ر ر � � أ أ ً ً ا ��ك� ن � أ ن � � � � �� ن � ّ ي � � ّ �ا �وا � ا ���ل��ط �س� ا �يك� ط�سمن� ��ي� ا�ام�ا ء �و�من��ه�ا ا �ن�� ��ا �ل �ي� أا �ن��ك ي�ر�� ن� �ع ن��ا ك ن�� ���ا ا �لن� ر ا �ل� �مر ي ع ع �ن �� � � �ي ا �� �� ا نّ ا ��ل � �� ا ن �لن�� �ل � � ا � ن � � ا �ن �ن �ن � اأ ن ��ا ن ���ا ��ا ن �كا� ن� ��ا � � � � � � � � � �� � � � � � �م � � ع ه ع ل � � � ط � ع � � ل ن � ك ك � � ل � � � � � ي م ي ن و ر و ير و ي� أ ر ر م ّ أ أ أ ن ن طس ن � � �ل� ن ّ ح� �م�ا � �ي�� ��� ن ل ن��ا ن �ع ��ا �ع ن���� ا ن� 2ن��ا ء �ي�� �ن��س�و�ي يل�ي ن� � ��ا ��م� س ن �� �ك�ه ن� �و�ير� � 3ا � وع ي� �و�م� ا ن ن ع � ي� أنن ن �اّ �من ّ ن �م � ��كه نّ �م� ًل�ا � نك ����ه ��� �م�ا ��لً�� ن� ا أ ًا ��لي� � �ه ن� �م ن� ا ���� � �� ن� �مرن� ا �ر�م��ل �و��ا �ل ��� �ل�ه� �هل��م ���ل � �يك� رن � � ر ي � ر ن �من ّاأ �ن ي ا � � �نّ ن� ن اأ � �من ن ��� � �ن ن � ن نّ ن ي � �ي� ���ط �و�ه�و � ���ا � � ��� ن� � ا �لن�ي�� ي� ا � �له�ل�ا �ي� ���يه�ا �م ي� ل��� رر �مر � � �ن�� �ي� َر��حن طوم �ي� ع � � �ن ا� � �ي � ن � �آ ن �ن ي � � � ن نّ � � �ن ن� ّ � ا �م اأ�ي � اأ��ي ي� ��� �م ن ا �� �ي�ا � ن�ا �ك�ا� �ي�ا �ل � � � ��ط � ا�ام�� ��ور �م ل��� �م يل���ل م� ا �ل���� � �ل� م��ه� �و�ل� �ي� ر و ن � رنح � ا � ا �ر�م��ل �ن�ع ��ط�و�يل��ل ّ � ّ أ أّ ن ن �ه�� ا ا �� �لي�ص�� �م�ا � �ّ ش ن ��س��� ا ��م�� نر ّر�و�ي� ا ن� � او ��ل��� �ي� �ع��لي��� ���� ��ا ��أ ن� ��� � �سي� �ن�� �ع��مي� ا �ل ي ن ي �ل �و�م� ّ � � ن � � ي ي � ن ن ن ن ا �� ��م��ي � ا � ن �ا�ا � � ط�� �و� ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � �ح�مّ�م��� ���ا ن� ��و� ��� �م ��ا ر��� ن� ���� ا�ا�مر� � �� او � �ام�ا ك� �ن���ل �ي�ا �م�ا 4 � � � ن ر ور ن ي م أ أ أ ب ة أ ب ب 1ال� �ص�ل :ب� ب�ع�د ا ء 2 .ا ب��مة��� �ل�����س�لة���ا � 3 .ال� �ص�ل :و�ةر�ة�د � 4 .ال� �ص�ل :ة�ا �م��.
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
in-law’s town, which we entered late in the morning, only to find that he wasn’t there but working his farm. We waited until he returned, when he welcomed us as honored guests and brought us an excellent lunch. Then Sālim told him, “The sharif has come to ask you to divine for him.” “To hear is to obey,” said the man, and he performed his divination and told me things for which I called him a liar but which, I swear, came to pass—as though he’d been reading from the Preserved Tablet: not one word he said turned out to be untrue. Among the things he told me was, “You will soon go to Dār Wāddāy with all your family except your stepmother, who will not go with you.” I called him a liar and said, “How can she not go when she’s the one who most needs to?” but God made his words turn out true, and she didn’t go with us: she played a trick, staying with us up to the last night before our departure, then running away, leaving her daughter who was seven years old. When we woke, we looked for her but could find no trace of her, so we left without knowing what had happened to her. Likewise, he told me, “On the night of your arrival at your father’s house, they will bring you a slave girl with the following characteristics,” and it turned out as he’d said. Also, he told me, “You will not meet up with your father in Dār Wādday,” and so it was; I only met up with him in Tunis. He also told me, “The walls of your father’s house are red, as though plastered with mughrah,” which is a type of stone, red in color and crumbly, that they crush until smooth and use to plaster houses; they make red ink from it too, mixing it with water and gum. And he told me, “Your son will ride a gray horse there,” and it came to pass, and “the sultan will bestow slave women and other things on you,” and it was as he said. One of the most remarkable things that occurred when we were at his house
4.51
was that some quarreling women came to him and asked him to divine in order for them to discover the whereabouts of some property that had gone missing, and so determine which of them had taken it. He performed his divination and said, “You’ve lost some red beads strung on a thread, and they’re hidden in the entryway to so-and-so’s house.” Then one of the women got up and fetched the beads from the entryway of the house in question, as he had said, but he did not say which of them had taken them. He was extremely knowledgeable about geomancy. My uncle, Sayyid Aḥmad Zarrūq, told me something similar, to wit that when my father, clouds of mercy and favor hover above him, accompanied Sultan Muḥammad Ṣābūn on his campaign against Jabal Tāmah, he lost a
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خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
أ نن � ن ���� � ��ل ��نه��يّ ش ���ا ��ل�� ن��م�� ��ا نر��ل � او ر����� ا ��ل��صي��� � او ��نل ط �و� ًل�ا ش��ّ ر ن� �ع �� او �و�ع�� ن� �� او �� ��س او �ع��لي��� ��� ن� � � ي ن �� �� او ن ل لن م �ي م ع � ي نأ � �� �ن ن� ّ ��ا ��لن �ا�ا ن� �م ّ�م ن � ط�� �و� � او ��ل��� �ي� �م ن��� �وك� � ���ط ا �ر�م��ل ن���يه�ا ��ل ��ل�� حيصن��� �كي������ ا�ا�مر�� ���� ر ن���ل يلعر� �ن ن � م ّ ا � ن ا ن �ان ي � ن ا ّ ن � ن ا �� � اأ �ي أ � �� ن � � ّ �� ّ � ن ن ن ن ن ا ن ل � � ل � ل ا � � � �مرن� ا ��ط �مر�� أا ��ك ر ن���ل ر�م� �ل أ� � �ص� �ع� ر � �ن�ي�� �ل�� ن �حم��ل �ي� �ي� ا �م �ل� �� ن�ل����� ا�� � � ي � � ن ن ن � ن نا ن � ا نا ن ن ني ي ي ا � ن �ل � � �و�� �ل أا � ا ن �حم��ل �ه� �ع�� �ع�ي�ر ن�ل�عي��� ��� ��و��� او � او �ك ��طر�و� �ي� أا ن�ل��ل ن��ي�را �ل�� ��� � ن�ص� ا �ل� ن�صي��� أا �� أا ن�ل��ل � �ّ � ا ً �اا �ن � ن ن ي � �ي ي ن ا ��ل ن ن � ��ل �ه�ا �و�ع �ن�� � �و ن��ا ء � او ��� أا �� م ���ل�� �و�ه�� � �ع�� �ي�� ا �لأ� � �له�ا � ن ��ي�را � ���و ن��� � او ا ن �حم��ل �ن� رك�� �ي� �و��س �� � ر و ن �ن ��� � �ي� عل�م ا �ر�م��ل أ أ ن ن �ه�� ا ا �� �لي�ص�� اأ �ك ن ��ً�ا �م�ا � �� �ل�� ن�� ا ��ل�� ش��م ا �ن� ��ن � ا � ا � ا �� ا نّ� ن��م�ا �ع��ي �م ن � � �� � � و ر � � ن ي �ل ي ي � �و�م� ر ي � ي ن � � � ّ ن ��سي � � ن �ن �م ّ ن�ك �م ن �ل� �ن �ع�� ا � � �س� �ن �ي ن � ا �ل�ه��ل�م�ا ء ك� �ه� �م ن� �ي��� �عي��� �ن��ي�ر �و�ك �ا�ا �ن�� او ن�ممه�ي� �ي� ���ل � �ه� � ي عر� ل� �رم��ل عر� و � � ي ي م ّ م � أ م � ن � � ن � ن � �ا � ا ��ن �عل��� ا �� �م� � ا ��ل�� ن� � ���� �ع��� � �لي� � ا �ن�ا ن ن�كي��� ا �� �مر�� ي� ا �ر�م��ل � �لنه�ل�ا � ا�ام��ل�ك �و� �لنه�ل�ا � ا � �ليه�ا �أ��� � � ل � � و و � ي ي ر ر و ي ي ل ي ن أ ن � ي ا �م ن �ان �ن � � � ن � أ � �� �م � ��ل�� �ن��ن �م � ن اأ ن �ك�ن ��ا �ن �ال�ا�مً�ا ل � �مرن� �وي��ا ��ل �� � او �ن� ر�ك�ه�م� نل � � ا ا ا ا م � � � � ل �� � �� � � � ط ���� و � ن� ري� � ي رن أ أ ّ � ّ� � نّ ن ��� �ُلن�ْع نس �ش����أ�ً�ا �ن�ا ��لي��ن� ي ا ��ل�ه�ا �ن ا �� ا ��لن ي ا ّ ش ّ ي ا � ن ّش � ��ط ا�امن� �مر�و ن� � �و� �م��ل�� ��م �� �ل أا �ي� �من����مرك ا ���ك ��ي� � ر� أ � �ل ي �ي� ي أ �اا ن � �أ �ا� �ي ا � � ي ّ � ن �س��� ن ن�ع�� �ي�ليع�ن�� �م ن ا �ل�����ل��ط�ا � � ي ي� را ��� ر�كي ��ي� �وك�� � ا �ل� �مر �مك� � �ل ن � � أ ّ � ن ن ن� ّ �� ل�� �ا� ا ��� �عل��� ا �� �م� �ن��ل ن� ن�� ��ا عن� �نك�ه�ا ا�امي��ا �ّم��ل �ع�� �م�ا �ي�صي��� �ر �م ن��� ن�لن��� �ي �ي�لي � �أاو � 1ا نحر ا � �ل م أ � م ر �ل أ أ � أ ش� أ �أ � � �ا � ن � ��ا ��ل ا ��ل��س�عي����ي � او ��لن�� ح�����ي � او�امي��وّ��س ���ط��ي ن�كن ��ي ��و�ل ا �ّم�ا ا �ش�ع � ��ا ��ل�� � او ��س�م�ا �أ�� � او �ل���ش�ع � � او ��ع � �� �� �ل�� � � هي� ّ ي � أ أ � � ً ن � � يّ �س���ي � ش �و��ع� ن� ع��مر �ش�ع � ��ل�ا ا �ّو�ك�ه�ا ا �ك��طر� ��ي� �و� ��ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا � �ي���� �ام ن� ا را � ي ي أ أ ن ًا ن ا نّ ا ي �ّ � �� ن � ن � � ّ�ي ا� ن � ن ي �ه�ا �ام ن� ي�����ا �ل �ع ن� ��� �و� ا �لن�ه�ا ��أ ن� �ور� �ي� �م� ك �ا�ا � �م �رك� ا ل��س�عر � او ن � ��� �أ� �ك�ه� ���� �ل �و� �م � م ي � ي �ي �ع��� ��ط �ري�له�� �ل��ل�هن��ر ن نّ �ّ �ّ � ن � ن ش ا ن ا ��ل ي � �و�ه�و�ش�ع � �م�� �ع�� �و���ور�يك�ه�ا ��ك�� ا �ه� ا ن �ح ���ل ��س�عي��� أا �ل� ��ي� ا�ا�م �ريكن��� �أ�ا ��� �ي��� �ل � �و� �لي� � � ي ن �ع�� ا ن��سم�ا ا �ل ن��ا ��� ن�ل � � ن��ا ر�ي�� �� ع َ ش ا �ش ا ا ��ل��لْ ن � � � �ن � � �أ� � ش� �ه� � �ي��ا ن� �و���ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا �و�ه�و ��ع ���ل �سعي��� �ي� ن �مي�� ا �ل� � �وا �ل � �و� �ل � ع ش� ن � ن ن � �أ� � �و�ه�و ��ع � ���ل � ��ي����� �و���ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا �ه�ا ا �لن�� ح��� ��ي� ن��مي�� ا �ل� � �وا �ل �ورا ن�ل� � ع �ّ � �ن �� ا ن ا نّ ا ي � � ن�اً أا �ل� �� ا ل �� �م��ل �أ� �ك�ه� �ل�ل�� � ��را ي أ ب 1ال� �ص�ل :وا د ا.
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
nine-year-old camel and sent out slaves and servants to search for it. They left, were gone a long time, and in the end returned emptyhanded, so my late father gave up on it. One of his companions was a man who knew how to divine using geomancy. One of those present said to him, “You’re a geomancer. If you know, show us whether the camel will return or not.” The man performed his divinations and said, “The camel is right here, nearby. Go look for it among your neighbors’ camels.” They found the camel kneeling in the midst of the herd, identified it, and brought it to him. This represents the acme of perfection in the science of geomancy. Similarly, a sharif in Wāddāy told me that a group of religious scholars were
4.53
gathered somewhere, one of whom had an expert knowledge of geomancy while another claimed the same but falsely. They were swapping tales of their experiences with that science, and the one who merely pretended to have that knowledge said, “I divined for Malik So-and-so and army commander soand-so and gave them information about such and such.” One of the company asked him to divine for them, which he did, saying things that made no sense. Then the man who really knew turned to the shapes that had been formed and contemplated them. Eventually he said, “I have good news for you. Tomorrow you will receive sixty head of slaves from the sultan,” and it was as he said. As our talk has turned to geomancy, let me set out an epitome that will
4.54
allow the observer to contemplate its nature, forms, and names, along with its patterns, be they auspicious, inauspicious, or neutral. Its patterns are sixteen in number, of which the first is “the Road,” which looks like this: This is excellent for one who intends to travel, even better for one who is asking about the arrival of one who is absent, and bad for one who is sick, in which case it indicates the road to the grave. The second is “the Group,” which looks like this:
This is an auspi-
cious shape, except for a sick person, in which case it
indicates people
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gathering at his funeral. The third is “the Jawbone,” which looks like this:
This pattern is aus-
4.56
The fourth is “the Upside Down,” which looks like this:
This pattern is
4.57
inauspicious in all cases except that of a pregnant woman,
when it means
picious in all cases.
she will give birth to a male.
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خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
ن � �أ � � �و�ه�و�ش�ع � ���ل ��س�عي��� ��ي� ن��مي�� ا �ل��ع�م�ا �ل ع
ن � ي �و ن��ا �م��س�ه�ا ا �ل�� ن��سم�ا �و� ��ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا � ع �ّ ن أا �ل�� ��ي� �يكن�ن��� ا �ل��� را ��ع م ّ ن ن � � �ش � � ����ا ���سه�ا ا ��ل�ُع�يْه��ل��ي � ��� �ي ح�� ا ��ل�� ��ن ا ��ل��س�أ ا ��ل �ع ن � � � � �ع ا � �� � � ه �ك � � و و ور و أ � ل � و و � � ي ��ل ا ا�� �م��ل ن ن ا � ا ا ��� ي ي � ي � �و�ه�و �ش�ع � �صن��� ا �ل��� ا ن���ل�� �و���ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا ���ل ��س�عي��� ��ي� ن��مي�� �ه� ل �و���� نل� � ع أ أ � �أ � ن ن � � �اا ن �سن�ه �ًا ن �� �نع ّ � ا ن ن ن ّ � � ��ط�� �ه�� ا ا �ل ش��ع � �ا�ا � ا �ّو�ل ن� �وا ��ل ��م ن ك� ���ل ا �و �ش�ا ن�لي��� ا �ل��� أا � ك�� � ���و م� را ل �م� �أو � � ّ � � � ًا ن � ن ُ ْ ً ن � � ن ي ك� �ا�ا ن� �م��ير�يكن��ا �نم �ا�ا � �س��َ��م ار را �ل �ع��مر� ح��ء �ع�� ��أ ن� ��� � �ع�لي�� ��م �رل�ه� �أاو � ك م ي ي �ّ ش� ن ن ش ا � ن ا ا ��� ي �ي ��نل ي �و�ه�و ��ع � ���ل � �ه� ل�صن�� ا ��ا ر ن��� �و� ��ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا ح��� �ي��� �ل �ع���� � ��و ي� � �و� م � أ ��ل ا ي ن � � ي � �� �ا �ي �� ن �ي �� ا�ا�م �ركن��� �و�ل�� ���ي���ل ا �� ن��� � او � �و�ط�ل � ا ر�و ن�� �ك��ط ار ن� ا �ل����ور ي �ّ � ن � � �و�ه�و �ش�ع � �� �م �ي ن � � � � �وي�ا ��س���ه�ا ا � �ليعن�ن��� ا �ل��� ا ن���ل �و���ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا � � ع ل � �ل �م� رنح ي��� � � ن � ن ا � ّ �� ّ �ّ � � � �يكن�ن�� ا ��ل��� را �ع� � او �ك�� � ل��ن��� �ي��� � طعر �ن� �ل�ه�� �و �و� ك � � ع ���و ي� ا�ا�م �ركن��� �و�ن����� ا�ام��ط��ل�و ن� ل � � � ي م � ��ل��ل ا ��ا �� م ش � �ّ ن �و�ه�و ��ع � �و�ع�� ش��م �ه�ا ا �� �ليعن�ن�� ا ��نل ���ل �ي��� �ل �ع��� �ع�� � ��ا ر ن� �و���ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا ر � � م ح � �آ �ّ � � � � ن ي ي � ن ن ّ ا ي ي ا ا ن ن ر�� ا � � � ل����� ���� �ل �ع�� ا �ل ��ل� ��� �ك ي ن �وع �م� �رنح �م� ا �لي��� �و� �ه� ن� ا �ل�ن� ��� �أاو �ن� � ا �ركي��� �� � � � � � ن م�ا ن � �آ�ن ي � ن ي ا ن �م ن ا �ل �ن����� �و�ع��� ا �ل��س�عر � او �ل��ل��ه� �ل �م� � �� � �ل� ر � أ ّ ن � �ّ ن �ا � �� � � � ��ا � �� � ش �و�ه�و�ش�ع � ع��مر�ه�ا ا �لنصي��ا ن��� �و���ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا �ي��� ��ي� ���ل ا �ل� � � او �ل ���ل ن و ي ّ �� نن �ّ � �ن ا� ن �ن ا نّ� � أا �ل� �ي� ا��م �ريك��� أ� �� �ي��� �ل �ع��� ا �ل���لع�� �ّ ن ي � ع��م �ه�ا ا ��ل شا �ن ش � �و�ه�و �ش�ع � ح�مر�ي �و���ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا ���ل �ي��� �ل �ع��� أا �ع ار �� � �و� �ي� � ر ن نّ ي ن�ً �ّ � � � � � �نّ��� ��س�ع��� ��ل��ل ا ل�� ا �ل��� �م�ا ء �و�ع��� ا � �ليهن��ر �ل��ل�م �ركن��� � ك �أ�ا �ك�ه�ا �ل��ل��� � ��ارا � �وي��� �ل �ع���� ا �لشصي��ا ن� ي �� �م��ل � ي ا ��ل �ك�ا� اأ نّ� ا ��لص��ا ن�� ���� ��ّل �ع�� ا ��لشص��ا � ا ��لصك�ن � ح � �م � م � ن � ي ي ي ن ي ر ن � �
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Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
The fifth is “the Gathering,” which looks like this:
This pattern is aus-
picious for all activities, except the collection of The sixth is “the Knot,” which looks like this: pattern unless the question posed concerns a
4.58
money. This is an inauspicious
4.59
pregnant woman.
The seventh is “the Incoming Threshold,” which looks like this:
4.60
This is an auspicious pattern in all cases. If one is sad and has this as the first or second pattern in his series, his sadness will vanish; if one is waiting for someone to come, he will come quickly; and if one is in hard straits, his difficulties will disappear. The eighth is “the Outgoing Threshold,” which looks like this:
4.61
This is an inauspicious pattern indicating the death of one who is sick, postponement of the fulfillment of a need, disruption of one’s affairs, or the divorce of a wife. The ninth is “the Incoming Fist,” which looks like this:
This is a
mixed pattern that indicates collection of money and victory
over one’s
4.62
enemy, but also death of a sick person and imprisonment of someone wanted by the authorities. The tenth is “the Outgoing Fist,” which looks like this:
This indi-
cates the failure to return of what has previously left the hand,
the disap-
4.63
pearance of a runaway slave, and the flight of slaves, but it may also indicate release from imprisonment, travel, and removal from one place to another. The eleventh is “Whiteness,” which looks like this:
This is a good
pattern in all cases except for a sick person, in which
case it indicates
4.64
a shroud. The twelfth is “Redness,” which looks like this:
This is a sign of the
spilling of blood and, for a sick person, the grave,
but it is auspicious
for a pregnant woman as she will give birth to a male; it is also a sign of red garments, just as “whiteness” is a sign of white garments.
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4.65
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
�ّ ن � �ي � شا � ش ش ع��م �ه�ا ا ن��ل �و�ه�و �ش�ع � ���ل ��س�عي��� �ي��� � �و� �ل�� �و� ��ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا � � ع � � ل � � �و� �ل� � ر � أ أ نّ � ا ي أ ن ش أ نّ � �أ أي � �ن � � �� �ل �ي�ا �� �ع�� ا � � م ح��� ن� ��ا �ل ا � �لعرح � او �ل��مر�ور � او � ا �� �م��ل �ل�ل�� ا � �س� � او � ا �ل� ر ي � �ّ ش� ن ش ا ن ي ّ ��نل ّ ن �و�ه�و ��ع � ���ل � ح�� � �و��� � �ورا ن�ل� �ع��مر�ه� ���� ا ���� �و���ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا � � ع ل � ي� � ي � � ش ا ع � ّ �� � � ا� � ش �ن � � �� ����� � �يك�ن�� � � ا�ا��م �ك��ن ا م ل � � ا � � � ا م� � � � ط ه � � � � ل ل ي� ا �ل��سن�� ن� � او �ل�ه�� �و ن � و و و ن � و ن � روح ري � � ن � ي � � ن��ا �م�� � ش �و�ه�و �ش�ع � �مر�ي ا �ل��� ا ن���ل�� �و���ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا ���ل ���هم�عي��� ع��مر�ه�ا ا �لن�� و � �� �ّ �ن�ن ي ن ا � ا ي ن � � � ن �ل� ي ن ا ا ا ا ن � � م� � �مر � او �ك�� � ل � � ا �ي��� �ل �ع���� ا �ل�� طعر �و��� �و ن�� �و� � او�� �م��ل ��� ء ا�� ن�� �و ن�� � ��م �ريك��� ش � �ّ ن ا �� � ش ا ا ��لن ي ��نل ي �و�ه�و��ع � ���ل �ي��� � �مر� ا ��ا ر ن��� �و���ور�ي�� ��ك�� ا � � ع �و���� � � ع��مر�ه� �� � ل � � ّ أ ّ � ��� ش ��ا ر���ي ا �ل�ه�� �ّو ن�أ�ا �نّ�� �ي��� ��ل �ع��� ا �نك�ه نرا � ا ن��ل ا � ��ور��مي����ي أا ��ل�� ��ن� �م �� ي ن � ي � م أ أ � ي � � ن ن��ا ن� ا اأ ا � ا ��ل���ن����ا ن ا ن �كن �مرن� ا �ر�م��ل ا�ام�� �� �اور �ي�ا �� �نر�م��ل �ن نك ���ي ��ن� �ن���ي ّ � �و�ن����س ���ط�� � � ع � � أ ر أ � �ي � ي أ ي� ي � � � أ يأ � � � � ن � � �أ ن ش ّ يّ � ن � � ا ا ن ن ا �ل�ر��� �� ي�لن��� ��ط �كي��� �ن�ا �لأ�� �صع� ا ���و��س ��ط�� ا نر�ل�ه�� ا ��س ��طر�م� �ع�ي�ر �ع��� �ن� �ل���س ��طر�م� ا �لي������ ر ن � م ع ش ّ ييّ ن ًا ن ن ً ن حيّ � ن ا ��� ا ��سم�� ن ا ي � � � ي� ��ك�� ا أ� ي �� ��م ي��� نصع�ه�� ر�و ن�� ر�و ن�� �� ي��� � هي� ن ي ن ً شأ � �آ ن ن ً شأ آ ن ن � ��ن ن � ا �ل��ر ر�و ن��ا ا ��ن��ي��� � او � ن���� �ر� ا ا ��ن��ي��� أا ��� ا �ل��ر �أ�ا � ك�ا�ا � أ ي� ن ا ��ل �� � �أّ � أ ّ �ً� ا ي� ّ ن� ش ي ا ي� ّ ن � ش ا ن ي� ي � ن ح�يّ ي� ي ّ �����ل �م� ا �ل�� �� ���� �و � �����ل �م� ��س�طر ا �ل� �و� � ا � � � كي���نص� �م� � م �ه���� ا �� �� � ل ل و و ي � م ن أ أ أ ي �ا �� � يّ �ي � ش ا�ا� ي ّ ي � �� �م ن ا ����ش ��ّ��� �من ا ��ل��ر�ل�ه��ي ا ��س ���ط �ي���� �ه�ا �ش�ع � � � ا ل � م��يه�� �م�� �و�م ن� �ا ي ن���� �ع � ع��م � ��س� � � ل ل ل � ل � ر ر ن م �ّ �م � ا ��ن �م� ً�ا �ن � ���ط � ن�ل �� �� اأ� �ّ�س�� � �ه� ا �نّ�� ��اأ ن���ن� �يك��ن ����ي �م ن ن�ع�� �ع��� � ���س�ي� ����ه�ا ن � �ً�ا ل ن � ير وي � رو ن ر ل رن ن ول و � و و أ ي أ ن �اا ن ن ًا أ ن ً � ن ً ش ر�و ن��ا � �و���نص ي� ا �ل�� ن��ي�ر أا � ك�� � ر�و ن�� ا �و �ر� ا ي أ أ ّ أ ّ ّ � ن �� �ا � ��ا ��ل�� � او �يك���ا ��ل�� �يك�ه�ا �و�م�ا ي�لي��ه�� �لي �نك�ه�ا �م ن ا ��ل����س�م�ا ء � او ��ل � او �ّم�ا �ي��و��ل��� ا ي� ا �ش�ع � حر�و�� � او �ل��� او �� ن� � � ن ان � �ا�ّ ن � � أ �ّ ن ا ي � � � ي ي ي ي � ي ي نن� �� ل��ل�ا� �ع��ل�ه�ا � او �ل�ه�ا �كن��� �و�ع�� �كن��� ا �ل�ه�ا �كن��� ��� �ل��ك ك��ل�� �م ��و ��ط ن� � مو� �له� � �عل��م ا �ر�م��ل ��ل� �ك ���ي���ل ا � � م ي�
248
248
٦٦،٤
٦٧،٤
٦٨،٤
٦٩،٤
٧٠،٤
٧١،٤
Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
The thirteenth is “the Bed,” which looks like this:
This is an auspi-
cious pattern that points to joy and happiness, that a
pregnant woman
4.66
will give birth to a female, and that things will turn out in the best possible way. The fourteenth is “Pure of Cheek,” and looks like this:
This is an
inauspicious pattern that is a sign of young men, unknown
enemies,
4.67
long imprisonment, and an invalid giving up the ghost. The fifteenth is “Incoming Support,” and looks like this:
This is an aus-
picious pattern that is a sign of support from God, victory,
fulfillment of
4.68
a need, and an end to suffering for the sick, the imprisoned, and the pregnant. The sixteenth is “Outgoing Support,” and looks like this:
This pat-
tern is a sign of benign matters, except where battling one’s
enemy
4.69
is concerned, when it is a sign of the defeat of armies and failure to achieve victory. If someone wants to “cast the sand” in the manner described above, he
4.70
fetches clean sand free of rocks and spreads it on the ground. Then, using his middle finger, he makes four rows of holes in the sand without counting the number of holes in each row and going from left to right, so that it looks like this:
Then he moves his finger along the row, going
from
each pair to the next, erasing every second
hole until he gets to the end of the row. If the last hole is the second of a pair, he leaves it in place, and, likewise, if a single hole, he leaves it in place. Then he writes down first the total number of holes resulting from the application of this procedure to the first row, and below it the result for the second row. He continues doing this until all four rows have been so treated. From this procedure one or other of the sixteen preceding patterns will result. If he cannot find sand, he may cast the line using beans or chickpeas. He does this by taking a fistful without counting, dropping the beans or chickpeas, and moving through them two by two, leaving the last in place, whether it be a single bean or the second of a pair, as described above.263 As to the means of generating the different patterns and their interconnections, the names, letters, planets, and outcomes, and the outcomes of outcomes that are associated with each, these all depend on the books written on the science of geomancy, so we will not speak of them at greater length. We have provided this brief epitome so that any who peruses this travel
249
249
4.71
� ا نّ��م�ا و أ �ل� �� �ي ا ن �حم�ل�
خ ت��م�ا �ت� خ��� ت� ��خ� د � ر�خ�� ر �م خ � �� خل���ا ت� إ� ��خل � و � خ خ ت �
ن�ا ن ن � ن ي � ي � � ن � ��ر��ا �ه�� � ا �لنصن��� � ا �لي������ي�ر� �لي����و� ن � ي � ّا ي ن �و�لأ��ل� ���ل�و �ه�� � ا �ر���ل�� �ع ن� �مش��ل�
250
ي ن ا ن ا� ا ا ّ ي � ن � نا ن � ن �ل��ل�� ��طر ��ي� ر���لص�� �ه�� � أا�م� �م ن��م� �عي��� ا �ر�م��ل ��ي� ن � ن ا أ ي ّٰ � ا� �ه�� � ا � �له� ����� � او لل� �ع� � م
250
Plants that Grow in Darfur, etc.
narrative of ours may be well informed as to the nature of geomancy as a whole, and so that the work not be devoid of this useful information, though God knows best.
251
251
َ ح ن �ا�ْ ْ �َ�ْ نْ � �ي �� ������ � ا ��ل �ه�� � ا ��ل ن����� ن ���ل���ل��ي ا��م�سن ّم�يه��ي ا ن ��ل ح�م���ل��ي ���� ا ������ا �ع��ي ا ��ل��� ّ � � � ���ي ا ن��ل � � � ه � � �� � ث� ح ل ر ي ي ي ي ن ن وث نع ن� ن ر پ ي� � �ا أ ن �ي � ن �ي ا � ن � ا ي ن � � � �� ن� ّ �� ا ��ل ّ َ ْ ُ نْ ا � �لنه�ا ن�ر�ي ا �� � ل�� �ل�� ن�م��ي�ل�� �ن� رر ا �لن�� �عر� �و� �ل�ك ن�هحر س� �و��ط ��� ي �� ي ث��� پي�هحر�و � م �ا��ه� ������ه�� �ع� ن� �ّمي��� � �ن نك ���ط � � �عّ�مي��� �ن �����نل �ش�سه �ن ن ن���نثم�ه�م��ي ا ّٰلل� � �ع� �ن�� � �� �� � ح ث � � � � � � و ر و وو و ن ي� � ر ون ر � ل � ح � ن �ي ن� ن ش� ا ن� ا أ �ي �� � �أ �� �ن ا��م���ه��� ّ �ي ث�� ��ث�� �م�����ي� �و�م� �م� �� نله�� ا �ل� ل� ي� ي ّٰ ن � � �� ن ي ن أ � � � � ن ا ���ن ا �ي � او �ل � �جح�م�� لل� ��ي� ا �لن���ء � او ل �ه�ا �ي�� �و�����ا �ل�� �م ن� ا �نل�ي ر ن�ل�ل�و ل�ه� �ي�ج� � ع آ ا ��ه�� ن ي�
252
252
١،٥
Colophon
This beautiful, elegant, weighty copy was printed as a lithograph at the deluxe printing house of Monsieur Kaeplin,264 in the dazzling city of Paris, using, through God’s grace and boon, the hand and penmanship of Monsieur Perron. Production was completed— at his expense, under his supervision, and as a result of his zeal— at the end of the month of November of the year 1850 of the Christian era. Thanks are due to God at commencement and completion, and we beseech Him to grant us His most perfect benediction. Amen.
253
253
5.1
Notes
1
The term “kings” as used here is ambiguous, referring on some occasions to the sultans of Darfur and on others to its “petty kings,” i.e., the tribal and clan chieftains (see further, translator’s note in volume one).
2
A form of Wāddāy (Wadai); see §3.1.2 below.
3
According to Nachtigal’s editors, the term had acquired by his day “a curiously wide currency in the Middle East, where it was popularly applied to . . . the western, and sometimes also the central, Sudan” (Sahara and Sudan, 4:233, n. 1); by Sudan, the editors mean here the Sudanic belt of countries (see Introduction, p. xxvii), not the modern state of that name. Umar attributes this broader use to the fact that its inhabitants were the first West Africans to make the pilgrimage to Mecca (Travels, 209, n. 1). For more on the term, see al-Naqar, “Takrur.”
4
I.e., the easternmost.
5
A Tunjūr state existed in Darfur and Wadai in the sixteenth century; however, the relationship of the Tunjūr state to the Keira state that superseded it lies, as O’Fahey puts it, “tantalisingly beyond our ken” (O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 25; see also more generally 24–33).
6
On the identification of the Fullān as Arabs, see §2.2.29 and vol. 1, n. 150.
7
The trajectory outlined here, which can be followed on the author’s map of Darfur (§3.1.12, images), runs north-northwest to south-southeast, rather than simply north to south, which explains why it ends at “the eastern limits of the Fur.” A major inaccuracy in the map is that it places Rīl northwest of Jadīd Rās al-Fīl, whereas in reality it lies southwest of it.
8
Arabic al-Ṣaʿīd, a term also used in Egypt, where it applies to the Nile Valley from Cairo south to Nubia (i.e., Upper Egypt).
9
The title ába dima'ng appears to predate the Keira dynasty and to be associated with the Konyunga, “the most powerful of the Fur clans after the Keira . . . according to one tradition the takanawis were chamberlains to the [Keira] sultans at Turra” (O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 118).
10
Perhaps meaning that the dārawiyyah are so called because they trace their origin to some dār (tribal territory) elsewhere.
255
255
Notes 11
Perron writes: “The shaykh had no idea of what a map was. He simply placed the localities relative to one another and not in such a way as to show the distances as one would measure them on a geographical scale. The shaykh’s long stay in Darfur, as well as his intelligence, allow us to accept his information as accurate and preferable to that derived from the accounts of European travelers. None of the latter was able, as he was, to roam through the country in all directions or explore it as thoroughly” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 135, n. 2). Despite this, the map contains some major errors. To name but one, Dār Ába Umá appears in the map to the west of Jabal Marrah whereas in fact it lay to its southeast, around today’s Kas (personal communication from R. S. O’Fahey).
12
The episode is recounted not in this book but in the author’s account of his time in Wadai (see El-Tounsy, Voyage au Ouadây, chapter eight).
13
For the author’s systematic presentation of the hierarchy of officeholders of the Darfurian state, see below §§3.1.50 ff., and for O’Fahey’s critique of this, see n. 53.
14
Given in other sources as abbo uumo, which is said to mean “Lord of the Fontanelle” in Fur—despite the author’s later characterization of this official as being, in military terms, “the sultan’s spine”—see O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 177–78.
15
On the association of certain titles with parts of the sultan’s body, see §§3.1.50 ff. below.
16
All these places were at some time fāshirs, or royal compounds.
17
O’Fahey writes: “Both within and on the margins of the provinces a number of tribes, or more accurately tribal territories, preserved their identity and a degree of administrative autonomy” (Darfur Sultanate, 181).
18
“the Dunes” (al-qawz): an area of stabilized dunes with poor, light, but cultivable soil in the open wooded country that stretches from the Jabal Marrah range eastward into Kordofan (see O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 4).
19
“saint” (walī Allāh): literally “a ward of God,” meaning a person who enjoys God’s special favor and to whom He often grants the power to perform miracles; in the literature on Sufism, the term is sometimes rendered “friend of God.”
20
According to informants, tómbol is the generic word for “drum” in Fur.
21
I.e., Europeans.
22
It is not obvious what the author means by this. The same sentence (wa-ammā lughatuhum fa-hiya lughatun fī-hā ḥamās) was listed, along with other faux pas, by Aḥmad Fāris al-Shidyāq as an example of the pernicious influence of Nicholas Perron on the text (al-Shidyāq, Leg, 4:443, see Note on the Text, pp. xxxiii–xxxiv). Grammar, however, cannot be the issue, as the sentence is grammatically correct. Perhaps al-Shidyāq thought that this was an unsophisticated or absurd way to describe a language.
23
kéla means “we come”; “come!” is béla.
256
256
Notes 24
The author’s memory may have betrayed him: according to informants, murtá'ng means “horse” while yáa means “mother of ” but is not used of animals.
25
In fact, the Turkish for “he came” is gitti, with a hard g; perhaps the author assumes that because in Darfurian (and generally in Sudanese) Arabic the soft g replaces the hard g of Egyptian Arabic, the two phonemes are equivalent.
26
The French translator transcribes these as saba, temâny, tiçâh, presumably to represent how the Fur pronounced them.
27
Thus eleven is wayye na tog, and twenty wayyenga aw (wayyenga being the plural of wayye).
28
Cf. Q Rūm 30:23; 30:22.
29
Cf. Q Māʾidah 5:48.
30
I.e., the sultan may not be questioned as to the wisdom of his commands but a simple plea by one person on behalf of another may be entertained.
31
See §2.3.5.
32
“Grandmothers” (ḥabbūbāt): the word, if taken to be Arabic (plausible given its form), might be interpreted as “the Beloveds.” However, Nachtigal asserts that the word (which he spells differently) means “grandmother” and implies that it derives from the Fur title abo and refers to “widows or aged relations of the royal house, whose land was exempt from all taxes and dues” (Nachtigal, Sahara and Sudan, 4:326, also n. 2). Nachtigal’s glossary describes the complex usage of the word in Darfur and Wadai (Sahara and Sudan, 4:408).
33
Though the author uses the word kurbāj, which usually means a leather whip, to describe these, they must be the same as the “royal throwing irons . . . carried before the king on public processions” described by Nachtigal, which likewise were struck against one another and flourished (Sahara and Sudan, 4:337). O’Fahey describes “throwing knives” (sambal) as being “the wartime version of the common wooden hunting-stick (safarog or dorma) [for which see §2.3.8] . . . shaped like a large question mark, with sharpened edges and wings to ensure straight flight . . . carried three or four at a time in a holster and . . . a formidable weapon, [though requiring] great skill to be effective” (Darfur Sultanate, 194).
34
The liquid may have been wheat soaked in water and boiled (Arabic: balīlah) (see O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 93, n. 26).
35
Literally “the House of Copper” (dār al-nuḥās).
36
Copper kettledrums were “the paramount symbol of autonomous authority throughout Darfur and beyond” (O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 183). The sacred drums of the Keira dynasty numbered seven, some of which were regarded as male, others as female. The smallest but most sacred was that called the Victorious (al-Manṣūrah), mentioned
257
257
Notes in what follows; others were the White and the Liar. The drums served “as a rallying point in time of war and the ultimate symbol of legitimacy” (O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 183). 37
The Arabic translation is more or less word by word; the meaning is “So-and-so’s hands are [i.e., So-and-so is] outside and humbly greet[s] you”: falān in Perron’s transliteration is equal to fulān (Arabic: “so-and-so”).
38
The Fur does not include “even their followers and their servants.”
39
See §2.2.44.
40
See §3.1.67 and §§3.1.71–75.
41
dónga dáíng sīdī: “(They give you) the hands, my lord.” This is how the phrase is understood by modern informants; Perron may have misunderstood, since the speaker is the sultan and not the petitioner; cf. n. 37.
42
According to Nachtigal, if the sultan responded directly to a greeting, he did so “without opening his mouth with a faint drawling ‘hm’, or at most replied with a scarcely audible low afia, good health” (Sahara and Sudan, 4:327).
43
The festival probably took place in February or March (O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 94, n. 29).
44
According to other sources, what follows constituted a separate feast, called the kundanga (meaning “human liver,” on the significance of which see below), held three days after the drum festival, and the flesh eaten was that of a specially slaughtered wether rather than that of the bulls used to make skins for the drums. “If the ‘covering of the drums’ was a public affirmation of royal power in its eminent symbol, the drums, the kundanga feast was a direct and fearsome affirmation by the Keira clan of loyalty to the ruler, a kind of trial by ordeal” (O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 95–96).
45
O’Fahey notes that evidence for human sacrifice at the drum festival is “contradictory and inconclusive,” with some sources claiming that it was abolished by Sultan Sulaymān Solongdungo, the dynasty’s founding father, others that it survived as late as Sultan Muḥammad al-Ḥusayn (r. 1838–73) (Darfur Sultanate, 96 and 96, n. 37).
46
“Mantle!” (burnus): the French translator understands this to mean “Protector [of the nations]!” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 168). The sultans of Bornu wore richly decorated burnooses (Nachtigal, Sahara and Sudan, 3:119), which suggests that the mantle was a symbol of authority elsewhere in Sudanic Africa.
47
“Breaker and scatterer of the unlevied mountains” (firtāk al-jibāl bi-lā dīwān): The meaning is uncertain. The word firtāk may be related to fartaq “to cut something up into tiny pieces and scatter them” (Qāsim, Qāmūs, art. fartaq). By “unlevied mountains” presumably are meant mountains whose tribes did not pay the four-yearly tribute referred
258
258
Notes to by Nachtigal (Sahara and Sudan, 4:359), i.e., tribes living beyond the reach of any authority. 48
See §3.1.38.
49
Also dilí, according to informants. The tree is said to be important, particularly in places where rainfall is scarce, as it holds a huge quantity of water in the roots; it has not been identified.
50
Nachtigal also describes “the great drum festival,” adding details not mentioned by the author, including many relating to its pagan origins (Sahara and Sudan, 4:338–40); for a description of this and other royal rituals that incorporates all available accounts, see O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 92–99.
51
This “first sowing” started three days in advance of the great drum festival.
52
In the original, this section is titled “On the Offices Held by the Kings of the Fur and Their Garments and the Functioning of the Sultan’s Court and So On”; however, the present section in fact deals only with offices, while the descriptions of the functioning of the sultan’s court and the garments of the kings of the Fur are allocated their own sections (§§3.1.77–92 and §§3.1.93–96, respectively). The title has therefore been amended here and the sections on the court and on clothing have been given their own headings.
53
Many of the holders of the various titles listed in what follows held their offices by virtue of descent: “The Fur had come down from the mountains under a line of warrior sultans. In the course of their expansion, the lineage chiefs, ritual experts and war leaders . . . had grown into a class of hereditary title-holders” (O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 47).
54
Elsewhere (§3.1.14) the Sultan’s Face; as the author is the only source for these associations of officials with parts of the sultan’s body, it is not possible to say which is correct.
55
According to Fur informants, the author is mistaken: ába poor-ii is simply an honoric title that might be given to anyone in power; “Father of the Fur” is poora'ng ába.
56
Nachtigal describes the kaamíne as “the king’s shadow” (Sahara and Sudan, 4:326–27). He adds: “Despite his lofty title, in actual importance the kamene stood third in the royal household, definitely inferior to the [shaykh-father], and facetious people there called him ‘the cow’s vagina’. . . corresponding rather to our ‘neither fish nor fowl’” (Sahara and Sudan, 4:328). O’Fahey characterizes kaamíne as a ritual title from the remote past (Darfur Sultanate, 113).
57
On this office, see also §3.1.9 and following paragraphs.
58
Apparently from Fur dunggú. The dinqār was made of wood (see §3.1.39); no Fur chief could possess a copper drum, for that was the exclusive prerogative of the Keira sultans, though the sultan might grant that right to a non-Fur vassal (see O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 184).
259
259
Notes 59
On this office, see also §3.1.9 and §§3.1.11–12.
60
See, e.g., §2.2.29.
61
See also §2.2.43. Nachtigal describes the counselors as the king’s confidential advisors (Sahara and Sudan, 4:330, 403).
62
See also §2.2.43 and Glossary.
63
“the chief of ”: missing in the Arabic. The French translation has “Après le soum-indogolah viennent les chefs kôrkoa” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 174).
64
Presumably the full title was “master of the órré bayyâ,” in parallel with the “master of the órré dee” mentioned below.
65
The sultan received a regular flow of slaves as tribute (and to ensure protection from raids) from the non-Muslim Fartīt tribes, as he did from war and from raiding by his subjects, one tenth of those captured being paid to him as a tax (see further O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 208–12).
66
According to Perron, the word originally meant “a bracelet worn above the elbow” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 176, n. 1); it probably derives from Arabic dumlaj “upper arm.”
67
See §3.1.15.
68
Nachtigal states that “The taxes which these people had to pay consisted chiefly of tribute in the form of corn and cattle, property tax, customs dues and the so-called diwan,” the latter being a levy imposed every four years “according to the occupations of the tribes and the yield of the regions” (Sahara and Sudan, 4:358–59).
69
These words, though printed in the original as prose, form a hemistich in basīṭ meter.
70
Browne gives the following description of what appears to be a mooge at a royal ceremony: “A kind of hired encomiast stood on the monarch’s left hand, crying out, à plein gorge, during the whole ceremony, ‘See the bufalloe . . . the offspring of the buffaloe, a bull of bulls, the elephant of superior strength, the powerful Sultan Abd-el-rachmânel-rachîd! May God prolong thy life!—O Master—May God assist thee, and render thee victorious!’” (Travels in Africa, 213–14).
71
§3.1.59.
72
§3.1.38.
73
In standard Arabic, khādim means “male servant”; in Darfur, however, it means “female slave or concubine” (O’Fahey, “Slavery,” 84).
74
Meaning that she had given birth to her daughter, and her daughter had given birth to the sultan. See also §2.3.4.
75
See n. 52.
76
See §2.2.30.
260
260
Notes 77
O’Fahey points out that the sultan’s residence “was the Fur household writ large; the male and female entrance, the layout of the huts, the diwans or places of audience, the messes . . . where men ate communally—all were features common to royal palace and prosperous households alike” (Darfur Sultanate, 101).
78
“Thin canes” (see Glossary). When the author speaks, here and elsewhere (e.g., §3.1.86), of “construction,” he apparently has in mind specifically the roofing material used. Both Browne (Travels in Africa, 286) and Nachtigal (Sahara and Sudan, 4:260) state that the walls were made of clay, covered in the case of the homes of the better off by white, red, or black plaster (Browne, same reference), while modern sources specify that marhabayb is a roofing material (see, e.g., Tully, Culture and Context, 93–94).
79
According to Perron, on the author’s authority, the liqdābah or rākūbah was an opensided structure; if walled, e.g., with canes, it was called a karabābah (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 186, n. 1).
80
Qāsim, Qāmūs (sg. mutraq): “light stick from a recently cut branch.”
81
See §3.1.41, images.
82
Perron elaborates: “When the audience is during the day, the sultan sometimes remains mounted throughout, which is to say for perhaps one or two hours. He has for this purpose horses trained to remain perfectly still and accustomed to doing so” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 190).
83
See §3.1.40.
84
The author apparently intended to deal with construction in Wadai in greater detail later (see El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 192, n. 1) but the passage has not been identified in the Voyage au Ouadây.
85
The Voyage au Ouadây states that the sultan “sits for this purpose [i.e., that of holding public audience] in a room that looks out over the public square of the fāshir” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Ouadây, 365).
86
Arabic: ʿaqadah. See El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 192, and Voyage au Ouadây, 365.
87
See El-Tounsy, Voyage au Ouadây, 366.
88
Meaning that they make their roofs with millet stalks, see §3.1.78.
89
Thus, the homestead as a whole is surrounded by an outer fence of thorny branches (zarībah); inside are the houses, or huts (buyūt), which are roofed with millet stalks and each of which is surrounded by an inner fence that serves as a dust-break (ṣarīf). A later reference (§4.20) indicates that subsidiary zarībahs for animals, here meaning circular pens fenced with branches, might be located within the larger enclosed space.
90
The significance of this addition is unclear, given that the author has already used the term bayt (pl. buyūt) to designate houses in general. It has no equivalent in the French translation.
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261
Notes 91
According to Nachtigal, the royal dwelling “was enclosed only by a straw fence, with a thick, high, broad thorn hedge inside. This formed an oval with the longer axis running from northeast to southwest, and it took at least a quarter of an hour to go round it” (Sahara and Sudan, 4:261).
92
From “of the inner fence” to “millers” is absent from the Arabic and has been supplied from the French translation (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 200–1). That an equivalent passage was part of the original is evidenced by the abruptness with which the sentence stops in the lithographed edition and the absence there of the expected description of the sultan’s quarters. In addition, the occurrence of the phrase “as I have said” indicates that this passage in the French is not simply an elaboration of Perron’s.
93
See n. 52.
94
Umar states (Travels, 306, n. 1) that this consisted of a copy of the Qurʾan, which presumably was kept in a gilt holder or had gilt covers.
95
Lane describes the early nineteenth-century Egyptian milāʾah (milāyeh in his transcription) as “a kind of blue and white plaid” which the men “throw . . . over the shoulders, or wrap . . . about the body” (Lane, Manners and Customs, 32, n. 5).
96
“a couple of inches” (qīrāṭān): the term qīrāṭ (from which English “carat”) is not commonly applied to cloth. Its basic sense is “one twenty-fourth part,” so what is meant here may be two twenty-fourths of a pik (Arabic: dhirāʿ, otherwise “cubit”), a measurement of length used in the eastern Mediterranean that varied from country to country. In 1885, the Egyptian pik was equal to 26.37 inches (Baedecker, Egypt, 28).
97
Perron describes the durrāʿah as “a piece of white cloth that the Negresses place over their breasts, passing it under the armpits, tying it almost like a belt, and throwing the loose end over their left shoulder. The same piece of cloth also serves them as a cover for the body, at least to the knees” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 258, n. 1).
98
ʿaqīq in fact means “agate.”
99
dam-l-raʿāf (“blood from the nose”): this voweling, specified in the lithograph edition (al-Tūnisī, Tashḥīdh 1850, 192), rather than the standard dam al-ruʿāf, may be intended to represent the Fur pronunciation, which is given in the French translation as “dengueraf ” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 208, n. 3).
100 Erythrina abyssinica, sometimes called “lucky bean tree.” 101 The author may have added this qualifier in the belief that his Egyptian readers would be more familiar with the common (fava) bean (fūl), which is green when fresh, brown when cooked. 102 Writing in 1937, A. J. Arkell states that such waist beads “are quite out of fashion and the younger generation will have nothing to do with them, occasionally referring to them with contempt as the jewellery of slaves” (Arkell, “Hebron Beads,” 300); by that time,
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Notes all such beads had come to be known in Darfur as manjūr (see below) (same reference, 302). 103 Meaning “tranquil noontime sleep,” implying, according to Umar, that the women who wear them “could afford to sleep most of the day without doing any housework” (Travels, 315, n. 1). 104 Perhaps meaning “squared off ” or “chipped, nicked” (Dozy, Supplément); however, Arkell believes the word may have an Indian origin (“Hebron Beads,” 300, n. 1). Today in Egypt, the manjūr is a broad leather belt to which goat’s hooves have been attached that is worn by one of the musicians involved in the exorcism ceremony known as the zār; by shaking his waist, he produces a sound like that of maracas. 105 Perhaps meaning “crude, rough to the touch” (Qāsim, Qāmūs; Dozy, Supplément). 106 On the history of Hebron, or al-Khalīl, as a beadmaking center, see Francis, “Beadmaking in Islam.” 107 From the Arabic root kh-d-r, related to concealment. Nachtigal writes, referring to Wadai, that they are “used as women’s ornaments, worn under their clothing around the waist” (Sahara and Sudan, 4:201). 108 See §3.1.100. 109 Browne lists “brass wire” among the goods regularly imported to Darfur from Egypt (Travels in Africa, 303). 110 Specifically, Artemisia arborescens. 111
From the civet cat (Qāsim, Qāmūs); civet, as an ingredient in perfumes, is in fact taken from the perineal gland, rather than the skin, of the animal..
112 Perhaps the same as dāyūk, a name applying to “Solanum spp.” (Vogt, Murshid, 278). 113
The French translation explains that by “brother” the man means lover and that the lover does this “as a way of consoling himself ” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 212).
114 The words are colloquial (hence the author’s explanation) and mean “Girl, why is your head as ugly as that hut?” 115
“Where’s that hut that’s as ugly as my head?”
116 The text says, “If they knew they were strangers.” Perron’s translation understands this to mean the above (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 215). 117
Q Baqarah 2:255.
118 Cf. Q Jinn 72:3 but also Isrāʾ 17:111. 119 Q Isrāʾ 17:111. 120 Q Ikhlāṣ 112:4. 121 Q Ṣād 38:26. 122 Perron states, presumably on the authority of the author, that Muslims believe that Adam was allowed to sleep only lightly so that he would be aware of the extraction of
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Notes Eve from his rib cage, be conscious that she was flesh of his flesh, and therefore love her more (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 222, n. 1). 123 The wording mimics that used at marriage ceremonies. 124 See §3.1.113. 125 Literally “Mother Nightingale.” Perron says that it is made of sprouted barley and is a fizzy wine “like champagne and very intoxicating” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 426–27). 126 The Birqid were a people living in southeastern Darfur. They rebelled under Sultan Muḥammad Tayrāb and were brought more firmly under Darfurian rule (O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 51–52). It may be that the singer sought to flatter the author by associating him with this (by then long past) incident. 127 Barley beer (also sometimes būẓah). 128 A viscous cold drink of slightly fermented rice, sugar, and water that is not considered alcoholic. 129 Despite having originally made it clear that the dancers are young men and women (shubbān, shābbāt), the author proceeds, in the Arabic, to refer to them frequently throughout the rest of the section as “men” (rijāl) and “women” (nisāʾ ). In the translation, the dancers are referred to as “boys” and “girls” throughout, for clarity. 130 Presumably because of its association with the drums of the same name; see §3.2.5. 131
Described as “a sound in the chest like the sound made by one who is being throttled or is making a great effort” (Qāsim, Qāmūs).
132 According to Perron, the author glossed the verse as follows: “The night passes and leaves. O my love, my treasure, you who are as dear to me as a gold piece, come, for my head is spinning with sleep; come sleep with me” (my translation). The mutqāl referred to in the Arabic is explained by Perron, on the same authority, as meaning “a piece of gold, or a weight used mainly to weigh gold” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 429). 133 According to Perron, the author glossed the verse as follows: “By Darfur is meant the world. For the Darfurians, Darfur is the universe . . . [jafah] means ‘without happiness, without love’ . . . [nawā] means ‘wanting’ (to sleep), meaning ‘My head has need of sleep; come with me’” (my translation) (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 429). 134 According to Perron, the author glossed the verse as follows: “O you whom I love, you lean toward us like a flexible branch, love sweeps us away and you make us sigh for you. You love me, you prefer me to the other girls of the village and by so doing excite their jealousy of me and attract their vengeance because they believe that you must have disparaged them to me. O you whose love reminds me of the scent of sandalwood, you grow like its sweet-smelling branches and you lean over our dwelling places to cast your shade over them (meaning, to stay with us forever). With you, happiness will also
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Notes always be here” (my translation) (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 429–30). The unusual spellings furayaʿ/furayʿā in the Arabic may point to a Fur word that the author did not understand, perhaps periya, “a kind of spice cut from the twig of a tree” (informants). 135 I.e., Muḥammad Daldan wad Binayyah (see Glossary). 136 According to Perron, the author glossed the verse as follows: “Young Darfurians, go with brave Daldang to seek rich booty and become wealthy. Run, catch up with him! His horsemen are still at Karyū!” (my translation). Perron notes that Daldang, son of Binayyah, a princess, raided the Fartīt during the reign of Sultan Muḥammad Faḍl and returned with vast booty in the form of slaves, occasioning the composition of these lines (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 430). He also notes that the “riches” are to be used by the young men to pay dowries (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 233). O’Fahey regards Daldan as a typical fāris, or professional warrior imbued with a chivalric ethos fighting for booty, a figure common in eastern Sudanic Africa during this period (Darfur Sultanate, 121). 137 The translation of this song, which is entirely in Fur, goes (from Perron’s French), “Children of Báási Ṭāhir, You and your father, You swore on the Qurʾan, But in Kūbayh you’ve set, Treachery’s foot by breaching its walls” (my translation) (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 233–34, 431). Perron points out that the song is hardly appropriate for a wedding and is sung simply to allow people to dance. 138 See §3.2.7. 139 “The Fur compare their chiefs, their parents and their wives’ parents to the sun [for] ‘You cannot look them in the face’” (O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 176). The author has already touched on this custom above (§3.1.113). 140 The expected form would be warāniyyah, but both Tashḥīdh 1850 and 1965 write it as given above. The word does not occur in Qāsim’s dictionary of Sudanese Arabic. 141 “to protect him, oho” (farajābā): according to Perron, on the authority of the author, the word farājābā (“to protect him”) in the Arabic text consists of farāj, meaning “as protection,” plus the meaningless syllables –ābā, added to fill out the line and provide the rhyme (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 434). 142 Allāh ḥayy, a chant used in dhikr. 143 See §3.2.9. 144 The first line uses the Fur forms for the names Gabriel and Michael but the second line appears to be Arabic. 145 This translation follows Perron’s, which reads, “Filles de dieu, ô filles de dieu!” (ElTounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 249); presumably the women singers are referring to themselves.
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Notes 146 According to Perron, on the author’s authority, the fasting month of Ramadan is described as God’s remedy because during it “God cures souls of their faults, or corrects the defects in men” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 437). 147 According to legend, Qābīl and Hābīl (Cain and Abel) each had twin sisters, Aqlīmā and Labūdā (thus elsewhere for the second, though the name given here is Dhamīmā), each destined to be the bride of the other. Qābīl, wanting to marry his own twin, agreed to let the matter be settled by God but, when God’s judgment went against him, he murdered Hābīl and married his twin (EI2, G. Vajda, art. Hābīl wa-Ḳābīl). 148 Q Māʾidah 5:27–32. 149 “his cheeks”: Arabic poetic convention addresses the beloved using masculine grammatical forms, regardless of the actual gender of the addressee. 150 Attributed by Yāqūt al-Ḥamawī to Ḥafṣah bint al-Ḥājj al-Rakūniyyah (ca. 530–89/1135– 91), a poet and princess of Granada, and by others to another aristocratic Andalusian poet, Walladah bint al-Mustakfī (d. ca. 484/1091), daughter of the Umayyad caliph al-Mustakfī bi-llāh. 151
By the Egyptian poet Yaḥyā ibn ʿĪsā ibn Maṭrūḥ (592–649/1196–1251), also known as Jamāl al-Dīn.
152 I.e., the orondolong, or “doorposts,” who controlled access to the sultan. 153 Rūngā was in Dār Rungā, a territory south of Darfur inhabited by Fartīt, or pagan, enslaveable, people, from whom the slaves to be made into eunuchs would have come. “Gifts” probably means here “gifts for the sultan,” i.e., tribute (see §3.1.60). 154 “their innocent needs” (awṭārihinna ghayri l-khanāʾ ), khanāʾ being perhaps from khanī, meaning “foul-mouthed.” 155 According to Perron, the name means in Fur “black young man” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 254). 156 I.e., the hot rainy season that occurs toward the end of the year (see §3.3.8 below). 157 According to informants, the phrase is more correctly in attô; however, the author apparently heard it as given (see below). The meaning is “This is the Day, this is the Day, this is the Day” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 438). 158 Q Insān 76:10, the reference being to the Day of Judgment. 159 See §3.1.103. 160 See §3.1.102. 161 “pinafore . . . apron”: see §3.1.97. 162 The author tells the story of Sultan Muḥammad Ṣābūn’s attack on Tāmah, in which his father was involved and on one occasion even saved the day, in his second work (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Ouadây, 187–210). 163 Abū Nuwās (ca. 140–98/757–813).
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Notes 164 Cf. Q Baqarah 2:61 «And when you said, “Moses, we will not endure one sort of food.”» 165 See §3.1.97. 166 Since leucorrhea is an exclusively female condition, the author may be confusing it with a sexually transmitted disease such as gonorrhea, which also produces a discharge in males. Elsewhere al-ḥaṣar is defined as “retention of the urine” (Qāsim, Qāmūs). 167 Literally “The Arm of the All-Capable.” 168 The author commented to Perron: “The affair caused great public scandal. I knew several Fur who, more unfortunate than my friend, had cause to repent of having satisfied the desires of women who seduced them” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 263, n. 1). 169 The first line is attributed to Fayṣal ibn Muḥammad al-Jumaylī (875–965/1470–1557); the rest are attributed to Imam ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (d. 40/660). 170 I.e., by pagans. It is stated above (§3.2.38) that most eunuchs in Darfur were castrated by the Rūngā, a non-Muslim tribe living southwest of Darfur within the sphere of influence of Wadai. The term “Magian,” i.e., Zoroastrian, believed to have its origins in the situation of Zoroastrians as non-Muslims living in contact with Muslims in Iraq (formerly) and Iran, was also applied to non-Zoroastrians (e.g., the Vikings, see EI2, art. al-Mādjūs) by premodern Arab writers; the same terminology was used by the Fur, who referred to pagans as majusinga (O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 167). 171 See §3.1.14. 172 The Arabic reads al-abyaḍ al-shāhiq, literally “braying (like a donkey) white” or “breathinhaling white”; perhaps a slip of the pen for abyaḍ sāṭiʿ “radiant white.” 173 Cf. Q Fāṭir 35:19–21 «Not equal are the blind man and the seeing man, and the shadows and the light, and the shade and the torrid heat» (Arberry, Koran, 446). 174 Attributed to Qays ibn al-Muwallaḥ, known as Majnūn Laylā (first/seventh century). 175 I.e., of different kinds of galia moschata, “a perfume composed of musk, ambergris, camphor and oil of ben” (Lane, Lexicon). 176 I.e., even a little of the beloved’s color, in the form of a beauty mark, would be enough to make a white person beautiful. 177 I.e., his saliva. 178 “Counter-poems” (muʿāraḍah), with which a poet attempts to contradict, or outdo, an older poem while retaining the original rhyme and meter, are an established genre (see EAL 1/82). 179 Al-Ṣaftī’s is also a counter-poem, “outdoing” the one that opens “You’ve fallen for a girl who’s black!” above. 180 Q Isrāʾ 17:12. 181 Q Baqarah 2:148.
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Notes 182 The quotation forms a hemistich (meter: ṭawīl) that appears in the work of many poets and seems to be proverbial, though it is sometimes attributed, incorrectly, to Bashshār ibn Burd. 183 Literally “the father of the tongue” or “that of the tongue.” Tonsillitis may be meant. 184 The literal sense is unknown; elsewhere umm ṣuquʿ is defined as “a swelling in the sinuses” (Qāsim, Qāmūs). 185 I.e., verses of the Qurʾan written on slips of paper, which are then attached to relevant parts of the patient’s body. 186 Quotidian, tertian, and quartan fevers are symptoms of infection by different strains of malaria; it is not clear what “time-specific fever” refers to. 187 I.e., typhoid fever. 188 The date of his visit is given in the French translation as October 1841 (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 341). 189 I.e., cholera. 190 “the Frankish disease”: a sexually-transmitted disease; probably syphilis or gonorrhea. 191 A kind of hoe (see §3.3.52). 192 See §3.2.51 and n. 166. 193 The same word is applied to the intense dust storms carried on weather fronts that affect Sudan, where they were first described, as well as other parts of the world, and that are known in English as “haboobs.” 194 Perron believed that the malady in question was “hysteria”: “Hysteria, as is well known, sometimes manifests itself in men but is frequent in women. I find it hard to believe that the lubricious habits of the inhabitants of Darfur and other regions of Sudan, the frequency of sexual intercourse, the ardor of their temperaments, and the hot climate are not sufficient causes to engender hysteria among men there much more frequently than among the men of our countries. This would explain their belief that this malady is contagious” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 285, n. 1). 195 “Causing rows.” 196 Unidentified. 197 See §2.3.23. 198 Elsewhere, ṭibb means “medicine” (as a science and a profession); a practitioner of medicine is called a ṭabīb. 199 See §4.41. 200 See §4.42. 201 The author does not, in fact, refer to this elsewhere. 202 Cf. Q Nabaʾ 78:33.
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Notes 203 This dish, a stew made from rehydrated ingredients, is typically made from okra (see, e.g., Qāsim, Qāmūs); however, as the following shows, it may be made from a variety of ingredients. 204 Either of two bushes (Cassia absus and Cassia tora, see Vogt, Murshid, 294). The method of preparation is described as follows: “It is chopped, stalk and leaves, then gathered, wrapped, and placed in tightly sealed earthenware pots until it ferments and becomes as soft as dough. Impurities are then removed and it is turned into small disks and left to dry. When used, it is crumbled like a condiment or spice” (Qāsim, Qāmūs). 205 There is no such earlier reference. 206 On the basis of the descriptions that follow, “wild cattle” may mean any of various species of hartebeest (still found in the extreme southwest of Sudan), while by taytal may be meant the Bubal hartebeest, once present in North Africa but now extinct. 207 On the face of it, the text contradicts itself (people cannot have no occupation other than hunting and at the same time be smiths), and the passage is absent from the French translation; the solution may lie in the fact that smiths formed an outcaste group in Darfur as elsewhere in the Sudanic lands; below (§3.3.32), the author gives them the alternate name of Darāmidah and says they are outlaws and marry only among themselves. Thus, the hunters in question may have belonged to this group by birth but lived exclusively from hunting. 208 Perron hazards that this may be the marabou stork (Ardea argola) (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 307, n. 1). 209 “whydahs” (abū mūsā): the identification is tentative and based on Cave and MacDonald’s naming of the paradise whydah “abu mus” [sic] (Cave and MacDonald, Birds of the Sudan, 414). 210 Ordinarily, ẓalīm means “male ostrich” while rabdāʾ, a feminine adjective, means “of a grayish color.” Perron explains, however, on the author’s authority, that in the usage of Darfur ẓalīm means (of an ostrich) “having four large and four small pure-white plumes” while rabdāʾ means “having eight gray plumes” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 459). 211
dafra (Echinochloa colona/frumentacea) (voweled in the lithograph as difrah) is a cultivated grass (see Vogt, Murshid, 279; also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinochloa_ colona accessed 1 January 2016).
212 “hijlīj kernels”: Perron transcribes the word as serneh and describes them as “kernels of the hijlīj fruit from which the bitterness has been removed by maceration in cold water” (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 459). The fruit and leaves of the same tree were also eaten (see, e.g., §3.3.19, §3.3.25, §4.7). 213 I.e., gold and silver coin.
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Notes 214 On the contrary, copper ore, mined at Ḥufrat al-Nuḥās in the far southwest of the sultanate, was one of Darfur’s most lucrative exports (O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 80), while Browne refers to “copper, white, in small quantity” as a regular export (Travels in Africa, 304). 215 See §2.2.26. 216 These were the catchment areas of the markets of various towns, as is made clear further on (§3.3.47). 217 No earlier reference has been found. According to Browne, the size, and therefore value, of these rings varied greatly: “These rings are made of so many sizes, that I have known sometimes twelve, sometimes one hundred and forty of them, pass for a given quantity and quality of cotton cloth” (Travels in Africa, 290). 218 The Spanish (rather than the French) dollar bore the image of two pillars, which were interpreted in Arab countries as cannons (see Lane, Manners and Customs, 573). 219 See §3.1.102. 220 E.g., (approximately) French tabac. 221 Various members of the Bakrī family, which claims descent from the first caliph, Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, were prominent in Egypt as scholars, poets, and religious leaders from the sixteenth century through the seventeenth and later, and tobacco first appeared in Egypt in 1606 (Zack, Egyptian Arabic, 70). The author is, therefore, mistaken in attributing the poem to the ninth century ah/late fourteenth to late fifteenth centuries ad. 222 The word ḥashshāshah (“hoe”) is an instrumental noun derived from the word ḥashīsh (“weeds, grass”). 223 By 1830, these hoes had been reduced, as a part of their conversion into a true currency of purely conventional value, to two or three inches in length, and an observer failed to recognize them for what they were (see O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 243). 224 For copper bracelets see §3.1.103 and for the red-and-white cylindrical beads called khaddūr see §3.1.102. 225 I.e., Indian corn, maize (Zea mays). 226 See §3.1.22. 227 I.e., “dimbi,” a red-seeded cultivar of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L., also known as “bulrush millet”); by “ordinary millet” the author probably means other, white-seeded, pearl millet cultivars (see Ali and Idris, “Germination,” 1). 228 I.e., the hot rainy season that occurs in autumn (see §3.3.8). 229 See also §3.3.19. 230 See §2.2.27 and §3.1.20. 231 The last statement is contradicted by what follows, not to mention that okra is a staple of the diet in Darfur and Sudan generally. Perron corrects the author by translating as
270
270
Notes follows: “One rarely finds these vegetables elsewhere, though an exception must always be made for okra.” 232 Perron states that this canal—al-Khalīj al-Miṣrī (“the Cairo Canal”) in full—which ran southwest to northeast through the center of Cairo, was about twenty feet wide (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 327, n. 2); it dated probably to pharaonic times, was re-dug on several occasions, and was filled in in 1897. 233 See §3.1.101. By “a kind of bean whose pods grow below ground” the author may mean either the peanut (Arachis hypogaea), introduced into western Africa from South America in the sixteenth century and known in Egypt today as “Sudanese beans” (fūl sūdānī) or the indigenous Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea); the same applies to “the Sinnār bean.” 234 See §3.1.20. 235 The nabk (Arabic: nabq), or Christ’s-thorn jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi). 236 The tree denoted in Fur by the word dalayb (see below) is the deleb palm or toddy palm (Borassus aethiopum), whereas the fruit denoted by al-jawz al-hindī (literally “Indian walnut”) is the coconut, whose seeds resemble those of the deleb palm. The term dulab does not occur in Arabic dictionaries; the author may have confused Fur dalayb with Arabic dulb, which, however, refers to the plane or sycamore. 237 According to Nachtigal, the people of Darfur also ate the seeds of the deleb palm (Nachitgal, Sahara and Sudan, 4:238). 238 qiddīm: perhaps a local pronunciation of or an error for qiḍḍīm (Grewia tenax) (Bakri and El Gunaid, “Plants Use,” 63). 239 See §3.3.49. 240 Probably a local pronunciation of or an error for laʿūt (Acacia nubica) (Bakri and El Gunaid, “Plants Use,” 63). 241 See §3.1.86. 242 Umar defines jaʿjaʿ as Fadogia glaberrima, a member of a genus of flowering plants found widely in tropical Africa (Travels, 451). 243 See §3.2.56 and n. 172. 244 See §3.1.46. 245 I.e., the tree comes to look like a solid object, not like an ordinary tree with branches sticking out. 246 See §3.1.109. 247 Umar identifies it as a species of Adenium (dogbane) (Travels, 453. n. 3). 248 See §3.1.18, and what follows. 249 I.e., what is called “autumn” (al-kharīf), the rainy season, occurs in Darfur during what in Egypt is the summer, while the hot season (al-darat) that follows this “autumn” in
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271
Notes Darfur is called the spring (al-rabī ʿ ) because it is when the plants grow, and what is called spring in Egypt, they call summer (al-ṣayf) in Darfur. Depending on latitude, the rainy season in Darfur starts between September and October and ends between November and December. 250 The Twins (al-Jawzāʾ) are the stars Castor and Pollux of the constellation Gemini, which appears in Darfur in late June; thus the “sprinkle” (al-rushāsh) is what are sometimes called “the little rains” that occur during the dry season. 251 I.e., the constellation of Cancer. 252 See §3.3.11 and n. 191. 253 Perhaps because the constellation of the Gemini is associated with the onset of the rains (see §4.29), and therefore with abundance of rain in general. 254 By the Roman (rūmī) calendar the author probably means the Julian calendar. 255 These old Arabic names are also the names of the Islamic calendar, hence still in use. 256 The Islamic year starts with the month of Muharram; Shawwal is the tenth month. 257 The meanings of the Darfurian names for the months of the Islamic year are (following the author’s explanations to Perron): al-Faṭur (Shawwal) = “Breaking of the Fast” (because this is the month following the fasting month of Ramadan); al-Faṭrayn (Dhu l-Qaʿdah) = “Double Breaking of the Fast” (because this is the second month after Ramadan); al-Ḍaḥiyyah (Dhu l-Hijjah) = “the Sacrifice” (because the Great Feast, when animals are sacrificed, falls on the tenth day); al-Ḍaḥiyyatayn (Muharram) = “Double Sacrifice” (because this is the month after al-Ḍaḥiyyah); al-Waḥīd (Safar) = “the Lonely” (because it comes between two months that have their own, significant, names, meaning that it is a kind of orphan month); al-Karāmah (Rabi ʿ al-Awwal) = “the Miracle” (because this is the month in which God first revealed the Qurʾan to the Prophet Muḥammad); al-Tawm (Rabi ʿ al-Thani) = “the Twin” (i.e., the month that is the twin of the month that follows); al-Tawmayn ( Jumada al-Awwal) = “Double Twin” (see the preceding); Sāyiq (Sāʾiq) al-Tīmān ( Jumada al-Thani) = “the Driver of the Twins” (because it follows immediately after the Twins); al-Quṣayyar (Shaʿban) = “the Short” (because, as it precedes Ramadan, it always seems too short) (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 468–69). 258 The word nārah is not to be found in the dictionaries but is presumably from nār “fire.” 259 See §2.3.13. 260 According to Browne, the sons of the sultans (whom he refers to as the rightful heirs of Muḥammad Tayrāb), following their defeat, “are now [in 1794] wandering about, scraping a miserable subsistence from the parsimonious alms of their usurping uncle” (Browne, Travels in Africa, 278). 261 The Tomorókkóngá are generally regarded as a subgroup of the Fur.
272
272
Notes 262 I.e., the author expected to recover his debt in the form of slaves captured during the raid. 263 The text in this passage is so laconic that it has been necessary, while following the Arabic as closely as possible, to draw on the French translation, which expands on it (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 365–66) in the following instances: “erasing every second hole”; “and moving through them”; “as described above.” Perron describes even his own translation of the text as “much too abridged” and follows it with a further explanation, some one thousand words in length, that he was given by the author orally (El-Tounsy, Voyage au Darfour, 366, n. 1). 264 See Volume 1, Notes to the Frontmatter, n. 80.
273
273
Glossary
Names of persons are alphabetized by the first element of the name. Names are given in the form in which they appear in the text, which generally reflect al-Tūnisī’s spelling. Other spellings found in the literature (especially O’Fahey, Nachtigal, and Browne) are given in parentheses, e.g., “Fartīt (elsewhere Fertit).” The ascription “Fur” in parentheses after an item indicates that the word is used in the Fur language, but not necessarily that it is ultimately of Fur origin (many terms used in Fur are also used by other ethnic groups). The names of beads, other accessories, and perfumes are ever changing. Items (such as certain plants and diseases) that it has proven impossible to identify satisfactorily are omitted here and dealt with in the notes.
Ab Sanūn
a people, also called Kodoi, related to the royal family of Wadai.
ába dima'ng (Fur) ába poor-ii (Fur)
see Dār Ába Dima'ng. according to the author, a title of the kaamíne.
ába umá (elsewhere abbo uumo; Fur)
commander of the rearguard of the army
and hereditary ruler of Dār Umá (Dar Uumo), one of the four primary provinces of Darfur, southeast of Jabal Marrah. a title of respect.
abbo (Fur)
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Rashīd sultan of Darfur (r. 1202/1787 to 1218/1803–4). Abīrīs (= Bārīs) an outlying oasis west of the al-Khārijah group, fifty-four miles from the town of al-Khārijah. abū abāṭ
Indian corn, maize (Zea mays).
Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad al-Wirghī (d. 1190/1776) Tunisian chancellery secretary and poet. Abū l-Judūl an estate or group of villages near Tandaltī (El-Fasher) granted to the author’s father as a fief and where the author lived during his stay in Darfur. Abū Muḥammad Ḥammūdah Pasha Ḥammūdah Pasha ibn ʿAlī II (r. 1196–1229/ 1782–1814), ruler of Tunis.
274
274
Glossary
sixth historical sultan of the Keira dynasty (r. ca. 1739–52); pre-
Abū l-Qāsim
ceded by ʿUmar Lēl and succeeded by Muḥammad Tayrāb. Abū l-Ṭayyib al-Mutanabbī see al-Mutanabbī. abū ṣaffayr
(so voweled in the original) jaundice.
abū l-ṣufūf
pleurisy.
Abū Zaʿbal
a locality north of Cairo, where the first modern Egyptian medical
school was opened on February 28, 1827, attached to a military hospital; the school was transferred to Qaṣr al-ʿAynī in Cairo in 1837. Ādam Adam, father of humankind; also a male given name. formerly a city-state, now a region of central Niger.
Adiqiz (Agadez)
ʿAdnān putative ancestor of the Northern Arabs, i.e., those who speak Arabic as it is commonly known, versus the Southern Arabs, who speak the now largely extinct South Arabian languages.
ʿAfnū Hausaland. Aḥmad Bukur (or Bukr)
(r. ca. 1700–20) third of the historical Keira sultans,
associated with the second phase of Islamization of the Darfur state. Aḥmad ibn Sulaymān
a teacher in Tunis and the maternal uncle of the author’s
father. Aḥmad Zarrūq
an uncle of the author’s; presumably a son, born in Sennar, of
his grandfather Sulaymān. al-Alfī
Muḥammad Bayk al-Alfī (d. 1226/1811), a Mamluk army commander
who, shortly before the events described by the author, had played a role in the failed attempt to restore Mamluk control over Egypt; his sobriquet, from alf (“one thousand”), means “purchased for a thousand dinars.”
ʿAlī, Imam
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muḥammad
and fourth caliph (r. 35–40/656–61), famed for his wise sayings.
ʿAlī al-Darwīsh
ʿAlī ibn Ḥasan ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ankūrī al-Miṣrī (1211–70/1797–
1853), Egyptian poet, laureate to the viceroy ʿAbbās I.
ʿAlī al-Ghurāb ʿAlī ibn al-Ghurāb al-Ṣafaqisī (d. 1183/1769), poet from Sfax, known for eulogies of the rulers of Tunis and bawdy verse.
ʿAlī Pasha I
ʿAlī I ibn Muḥammad (r. 1148–70/1735–56), second Ḥusaynid ruler
of Tunis.
ʿAlī wad Jāmiʿ
a grandee at the court of Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān and patron of
Shaykh-Father Muḥammad Kurrā. Anbūsah
(elsewhere Umm Būsa) a slave woman belonging to Sultan ʿAbd
al-Raḥmān and mother of his successor, Sultan Muḥammad Faḍl.
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275
Glossary
ʿandurāb
a tree: either Cordia monoica, “snot-berry tree,” or Cordia sinensis,
“gray-leaved cordia.”
ʿanqallū
green fruit of the Jericho balm tree (hijlīj). literally “the helpers”; i.e., the men (of the peoples of Aws and
the Anṣār
Khazraj) of Medina who supported the Prophet Muḥammad, as distinguished from the Muhājirūn or “emigrants,” i.e., his Meccan followers who moved with him to Medina.
ʿaqīq round agate beads. ʿArafah al-Dusūqī al-Mālikī Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿArafah al-Dusūqī (d. 1230/1815), a prominent Mālikī jurisprudent and scholar of his day. the premier mosque and teaching institution of premodern Cairo,
al-Azhar
built 361/972. báási (Fur; approx. “royal”)
a title originally given the brother of the sultan
and later extended to apply to all his male relatives. Bāb al-Muʿallā Banī ʿAdī
Mecca’s most ancient cemetery.
a town in Upper Egypt near the west bank of the Nile in the gover-
norate of Banī Suwayf and the terminus of the so-called Forty Days Road (Darb al-Arbiʿīn) between Egypt and Darfur. the Banū Ḥalbah cattle-herding nomads living south of Jabal Marrah. the Banū Jarrār the Banū ʿUmrān
cattle-herding nomads belonging to the Fazārah group. cattle-herding nomads belonging to the Fazārah group.
al-Bāqirmah (Bagirmi)
formerly, a state southeast of Lake Chad in what is
now Chad. Baradiyyah
in the Wadai sultanate, a goblet drum.
the Barajūb
probably, the swamps of Baḥr al-Ghazāl and Baḥr al-Jabal, south
of Darfur. the Barqū
a people, originally from Wadai, with many communities in Darfur
(cf. Dār Barqū, a name for Wadai). the Bartī (Berti)
a people living in eastern Darfur, formerly speakers of a now-
extinct Nubian language. al-Basūs, War of
a pre-Islamic intertribal conflict fought toward the end of the
fifth century ad that lasted forty years and was blamed on an old woman called al-Basūs whose camel had been killed by a member of a rival tribe. baṭṭūm Bawwā
a tree: probably terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus). a wadi in northern Darfur, perhaps the same as the “Wadi Howa” on
modern maps.
276
276
Glossary
a non-Arabic-speaking people found in northwestern Darfur.
the Bidāyāt bindilah
a kind of dance.
Bingah
a Fartīt people living on the southern fringes of the sultanate.
the Bīqū (Beigo)
a Dājū-speaking people of originally servile status living in
southern Darfur. Bīr al-Malḥah (“Salt Flat Well”)
alternative name of Bīr al-Zaghāwī.
Bīr al-Zaghāwī (“al-Zaghāwī’s Well”)
a well on the road from Asyut to Darfur
south of Laqiyyah, also called Bīr al-Malḥah. the Birqid
a people living east of Jabal Marrah and south of Tandaltī (El-Fasher)
who spoke a Nubian language. Bornu (Barnaw)
from 1380 to 1893, an empire that at its height incorporated
parts of what are now Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger; in the author’s day, the state immediately west of Wāddāy (Wadai). al-Bukhārī, Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl (194–256/810–70) author of an authoritative collection of some eight thousand sound prophetic hadiths. (1) the name of two localities in Cairo, one (Būlāq Abū l-ʿIlā) being the
Būlāq
city’s port, on the east bank of the Nile; the other (Būlāq al-Dakrūr) a settlement on its west bank, in Giza; (2) a village on the caravan route from Asyut to Darfur, seventeen miles west of al-Khārijah. al-burjuk būzah
scarlet fever.
in Egypt, barley beer; elsewhere usually spelled būẓah.
the Caravanserai of the Jallābah (Wikālat al-Jallābah) a wikālah was a combined warehouse and hostel for merchants; the jallābah were traveling merchants drawn largely from Upper Egypt and northern Nilotic Sudan who traded between the Sudanic countries and Egypt. The greater part of their trade from Darfur was in slaves, but ivory, ostrich feathers, wildanimal parts, camels, and other merchandise were also taken to Egypt, while beads, tin, cloth, swords, coffee, paper, and more were taken from Egypt to Darfur. counselor (Arabic: amīn, pl. umanāʾ) a confidential advisor to the sultan of Darfur. the Dājū
a people living in southern Darfur whose ancestors are said to have
ruled the first Darfurian state and who were superseded in the sixteenth century by the Tunjūr.
277
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Glossary
al-Dalīl, Judge
chief judge of Wadai, who passed through Cairo in October
1841 on his way to Mecca and there met with both the author and Nicolas Perron. dallūkah
set of three goblet drums.
dam-l-raʿāf (= dam al-ruʿāf, literally “nosebleed blood”) a kind of coral bead. damsuga (Fur) Dār
personal spirit guardian purchased from the jinn.
literally “house” and, when followed by the name of a group or individual, “land of, territory of ”; hence Dār Fartīt (“the Land of the Fartīt”), Dār Bagirmi (“the Land of the Bagirmi”), Dār Wāddāy (“Wadai”), Dār alTikináwi (Darfur’s northern province, governed by the Tikináwi).
Dār Ába Dima'ng (Dar Aba Dima; Fur) literally “The Land of the Lord of Dima'ng”; an autonomous area southwest of Jabal Marrah ruled by a line of hereditary chiefs. a Fartīt people, non-Muslims living on the southern fringes of
Dār Bandalah
the sultanate. Dār Mallā (Mali)
formerly (tenth to fifteenth centuries ad), a western Sudanic
empire between the Upper Senegal and Upper Niger rivers. Dār Qimir (Dar Qimr)
a sultanate subject to Darfur, north of Dār Masālīṭ and
south of Dār Zaghāwah, ruled by a dynasty allegedly originating from the Jaʿaliyyīn ethnic group in the Nilotic Sudan. Dār al-Rīḥ
literally the Land of the Wind; an alternative name for Dār al-
Tikináwi, the sultanate’s northern province. Dār Rūngā the territory of a Fartīt (non-Muslim) people living on the southwestern fringes of the sultanate. Dār Silā (Dar Sula) a Dājū-speaking kingdom lying between Darfur and Wadai and paying tribute to both. Dār Ṣulayḥ (also Dār Ṣāliḥ) an alternative name for (Dār al-) Wāddāy (Wadai), either because its inhabitants claimed descent from one Ṣāliḥ (of which Ṣulayḥ is the diminutive) ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās, or because its second founder, Sultan Jawdah (r. ca. 1747–75), bore the epithet al-Ṣāliḥ, meaning “the Righteous.” Dār Tāmā, Dār Tāmah an area between Darfur and Wadai in the west, never comfortably part of Darfur or of Wadai; it takes its name from the Tāmā (Tāmah) people of Jabal Tāmā. Dār Tunbuktū (Timbuktu) a state on the Niger River, today in Niger.
278
278
Glossary
a period of extreme heat lasting about forty days from the end of the
darat
rainy season (see kharīf), during which the sorghum ripens. a formerly independent sultanate located between al-Wāddāy (Wadai,
Darfur
now eastern Chad) on the west and Kordofan on the east; since 1916, part of Sudan. The name is a contraction of Dār al-Fūr, the Land of the Fur. darmūdī
member of an outcast group of hunters and smiths.
dawdarī
kind of waykah (q.v.) made from bonemeal.
dééng saaya (Fur) a slightly fermented drink of rice, sugar, and water (= Arabic sūbiyā). Sufi ceremony that, through rhythmic movement and sound, allows the
dhikr
participant to achieve mystical unity with God; the specifically Fur form of the dhikr described by the author differs, however, from this norm. difrah a grain; probably sawa millet. dimlij (pl. damālij)
literally “bracelet”; subchief under the authority of a
shartāy. “dimbi,” a cultivar of pearl (bulrush) millet.
dinbī
dinjāyah
a mud-brick storehouse within the fāshir (q.v.) of the sultan of Darfur. a large wooden drum of state.
dinqār Dongola
a town on the Nile in Sudanese Nubia.
dullong (Fur)
a kind of small clay pot.
al-duqrī osteomyelitis. a circular wall of mud forming the foundation of the walls of the houses
durdur
of members of the elite. durrāʿah
a length of cloth wound around the upper half of a woman’s body.
durzūyah a wooden pillar used to support the roof of a tukultī (q.v.). emir army commander. The Epitome (al-Mukhtaṣar) an authoritative handbook of Islamic law according to the Mālikī school of jurisprudence by Khalīl ibn Isḥāq al-Jundī (d. 776/1374). Fallātā, Fallātah (from Kanuri, “people”; Fellata) name of a nomadic people found from Mauritania to eastern Sudan, who call themselves Fulbe (sg. Pullo); also called here Fullān (sg. Fullānī), from the Hausa. the Fanqarū (Fongoro) faqīh
a people living in southern Dār Ába Dima'ng.
(1) (used of non-Darfurians; plural fuqahāʾ ) a man trained in Islamic legal science, a jurisprudent (2) (used of Darfurians; plural, anomalously, fuqarāʾ ) a holy man, i.e., a man, not necessarily learned, from a family,
279
279
Glossary
usually of non-Darfurian origin, credited with religious charisma (barakah) and supernatural powers who often acted as a village schoolmaster. the Farāwujayh (Feroge) a Fartīt (non-Muslim) people living south of Baḥr al-ʿArab. apron-like garment worn by women.
fardah
non-Muslim peoples living on the southern margins of Darfur; they
Fartīt
were regarded as enslaveable by the raiders from the north; despite this, it was recognized that in some way the Fartīt were related to the Fur. fāshir the compound forming the seat of the sultan’s government, in former times itinerant but from 1791 located permanently at Tandaltī (now known as El-Fasher, capital of the federal state of North Darfur); the term, which is used from Lake Chad to the Nile, is of unknown origin and seems to have referred in the first instance to the open space before the encampment of a king or chief. a generic term for the cattle-owning, Arabic-speaking nomads of
the Fazārah
southern Darfur. feathers (Arabic: rīsh)
(1) “the feathers”: the sultan’s ceremonial fan; (2) a kind
of bead. Fezzan
Libya’s southwestern province.
Fullān (Fulan, Fulani, Fulbe)
an alternative name for the Fallātā (q.v.).
fuqarāʾ see faqīh. Fur
the largest ethnic group in Darfur, forming about one third of the population and speaking a Nilo-Saharan language. Sultans from the Fur ruled Darfur from the mid-seventeenth century until 1916.
al-Fusṭāṭ site of the first capital of Egypt under Muslim rule, just south of Cairo. The Glittering Ladder
The Glittering Ladder on Logic (al-Sullam al-murawnaq
fī l-manṭiq) by ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad al-Akhḍarī (918–83/1512– 75), a well-known didactic poem on logic. the Ḥabbāniyyah (Habbania) an Arab-speaking, cattle-herding, semi-nomadic people of southern Darfur. wind trapped in the lower belly.
al-habūb Hadith
the corpus of reports (hadiths) of the words or actions of the Prophet
Muḥammad. the Hafsids
the dynasty that ruled Tunisia and eastern Algeria from 627/1229
to 982/1574. al-Ḥājj
title of Muslims who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca.
280
280
Glossary
al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf (ca. 41/661 to 95/714), governor of Iraq, who bru-
al-Ḥajjāj
tally crushed several revolts against Umayyad rule. a historic district of Tunis (Halfaouine).
Ḥalfāwīn
the fortified port of Tunis (La Goulette).
Ḥalq al-Wād
Ḥammūdah Pasha
see Abū Muḥammad Ḥammūdah Pasha.
ḥarāz a tree: apple-ring acacia (Faidherbia (or Acacia) albida). al-Qāsim ibn ʿAlī al-Ḥarīrī (446–516/1054–1122), Iraqi prose writer,
al-Ḥarīrī
poet, and civil servant, author of fifty immensely popular maqāmāt (compositions in a highly polished style), which he arranged in a work of the same name. ḥarish a kind of bead worn by poor women and used in certain localities as currency. Ḥasan wad ʿAwūḍah
chief imam of Kūbayh under Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān.
al-ḥaṣar leukorrhea. ḥashāb
a tree: gum acacia (Senegalia (or Acacia) senegal); elsewhere spelled
hashāb. a kind of iron hoe.
ḥashshāshah al-hayḍah
cholera.
Ḥawwāʾ the first woman, the Qurʾanic equivalent of Eve; also a given name. the High Plain (al-Ṣaʿīd)
the name given in Darfur to the area from Rīl south to
the farthest limits of the country. hijlīj
a tree: Jericho balm (Balanites aegyptiaca).
Ḥillat Jūltū
village in the district of Abū l-Judūl.
ḥummayḍ a tree: marula (Sclerocarya birrea). al-Ḥusayn, Shrine of
mosque in Cairo containing a tomb said to hold the head
of al-Ḥusayn, grandson of the Prophet Muḥammad. Ḥusayn ʿAmmārī al-Azharī
Bedouin shaykh from Kordofan, known as the
introducer of tobacco to Darfur. Ḥusayn Pasha
al-Ḥusayn I ibn ʿAlī al-Turkī (r. 1117–48/1705–35), founder of
Tunis’s Ḥusaynid dynasty. Ibn Ājurrūm’s Text (al-Ājurrūmiyyah) widely used brief compendium of Arabic grammar, formally entitled al-Muqadimmah al-Ājurrūmiyyah, by Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Dāʾūd al-Sanhājī (672–723/1273–1323), known as Ibn Ājurrūm. Ibn Ḥajar Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Hajar al-Haythamī al-Makkī al-Ansārī (909/1503–4 to 973/1565–66), an influential Shāfiʿī jurist.
281
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Glossary
Ibrāhīm the builder of the Kaaba, identified with biblical Abraham; also a male given name. Ibrāhīm al-Riyāḥī
Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Aḥmad al-Riyāḥī al-Tūnisī
(1180–1266/1766–1850), Mālikī jurist, chief mufti of Tunis, and poet. Ibrāhīm wad Ramād powerful Fur clan chief and Master of the Drums during the reign of Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān; his name, “son of Ashes,” alluded to his illegitimacy. the Illumined City Imruʾ al-Qays
Medina.
(sixth century ad) celebrated pre-Islamic Arabian poet.
the ʿIrayqāt (Ireigat)
an Arabic-speaking, camel-herding people forming part
of the Northern Ruzayqāt. irdabb a dry measure equal to 198 liters. iyā kurī (Fur: “mother” + “power”)
title of the sultan’s premier wife.
ʿIzz al-Dīn al-Jāmiʿī (elsewhere, al-Jāmiʿ) a judge during the reign of Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān and later chief judge of Darfur and its territories; member of the Jamāwi ʿah family of holy men whose ancestor came from the east and was invited to settle in Darfur by Sultan Sulaymān Solóng. mountain range in western Darfur; homeland of the Fur and
Jabal Marrah
cradle of the Keira dynasty of Darfur sultans (see O’Fahey, Darfur Sultanate, 3, 33–36). The author refers to a specific peak within the range as “the true Marrah” and on his map of Darfur draws a Little Jabal Marrah (presumably the same) about halfway between the north and south ends of the range but slightly to the west. It has not proven possible to identify this peak. Jabal Tāmah (Jadīd) Karyū
see Dār Tāmah. a village south of Tandaltī, on the estate of Faqīh Mālik al-Fūtāwī.
( Jadīd) Rās al-Fīl a village in southeast Darfur, northeast of Rīl; formerly a fāshir (q.v.). Jadīd al-Sayl a village near Tandaltī (El-Fasher). jallābah (sg. jallāb) traveling merchants trading between Egypt and Sudan. Jarkū
perhaps modern Jarkul, near Mellit.
jêl (Fur) kind of dance. al-jiqqayl
a sexually-transmitted disease; probably syphilis or gonorrhea.
jūghān or jūkhān
a tree: jackalberry (Diospyros mespiliformis).
kaamíne (kamni, kamene; Fur)
the “shadow sultan,” an ancient ritual title of
enormous prestige but little power. kaʿb al-ṭīb literally “the best of perfumes”: a perfume made from a certain root.
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Glossary
the Kabābīsh
an Arabic-speaking group of camel nomads living between
Kordofan and Sennar. in the Wadai sultanate, officers of the law, executioners, and musicians
kabartū
of a low caste. Kabkābiyyah (Fur; literally “they threw down their shields”)
a town ninety-two
miles west of Tandaltī (El-Fasher), named in reference to the defeat of invading Wadaian forces by those of Darfur under Sultan Aḥmad Bukur. a city in northwest Tunisia (Le Kef ).
al-Kāf
a book of animal fables translated
Kalīlah and Dimnah (Kalīlah wa-Dimnah)
by ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Muqaffaʿ (second/eighth century) from the Persian and ultimately of Indian origin. a fine cotton cloth.
kalkaf
in the Wadai sultanate, a counselor attending the sultan at audience;
kamkūlak
or one of four with this title, one of whom was in charge of the administration of the sultan’s palace while the other three assisted with the administration of the sultan’s estates; said to mean “sweeper of the sultan’s house” (same reference). kanfūs (pl. kanāfīs)
women’s breechclouts.
one of the three great sections of the Fur; the Karakriit live in and to
Karakriit
the east of Jabal Marrah. karbābah
reed hut.
a variety of jujube.
karnū
literally “uncoverer, inspector”; in contemporary Egypt, governor of a
kāshif
minor province, as a rule drawn from the Turkish-speaking military elite. the Kashmirah
a people living in Wadai.
Katakū (Kotoko) formerly a kingdom covering parts of modern Cameroon, Nigeria, and southwest Chad. katkāt
a kind of heavy tukkiyyah (q.v.) of a compact weave.
kawal
either of two bushes (Cassia absus and Cassia tora) and the condiment
made from their fermented leaves and stalks. kenykenya (Fur) Khabīr
a kind of candy made from dried jujube seeds.
literally “expert”; title of the leader of a desert caravan; also a given
name. khaddūr
kind of bead worn by poor women and used as currency for small
purchases; Nachtigal describes the beads as large and made of clay. Khalīl [ibn Isḥāq al-Jundī] (Khalīl al-Mālikī)
(d. ca. 1365), author of The Epit-
ome (q.v.).
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Glossary
kharīf
the rainy season in Darfur, which starts between September and October and ends between November and December depending on latitude.
Khāqān a title of the sultans of Darfur, as also of the Ottoman sultan. al-Khārijah (Kharjah) khayriyyah
a group of oases in Egypt west of Asyut.
an Egyptian gold coin of the value of nine piasters (see Lane, Man-
ners, 573). Khūrshīd Pasha Aḥmad Khūrshīd Pasha, Ottoman governor of Egypt from 1804 until ousted by Muḥammad ʿAlī in 1805. kilí
a tree (unidentified) producing a drink used to determine the innocence or guilt of accused persons.
kīm
horn bracelets worn by women.
Kīrī
a village; according to informants it is close to Qirlī at the foot of Jabal Marrah.
kitir a tree: blackthorn (Senegalia mellifera). kóór kwa (Fur)
literally “spearmen”; slaves with spears who stood behind the
sultan as part of his bodyguard when he held audience and surrounded him when he rode out; among them were young boys who sang and made music with whistles and maracas. They were also used as messengers and for other services. Kordofan the region from Darfur’s eastern border almost to the Nile; unlike Darfur, and Sennar to its east, Kordofan never underwent a process of state formation. Today, as part of Sudan, the area is divided into the federal states of North and South Kordofan. Kūbayh (Kobbei, Kobbé) a town, now abandoned, thirty-five miles northwest of Tandaltī (El-Fasher). Kūbayh formed the southern terminus of the trade route between Asyut in Egypt and Darfur (the “Forty Days Road”), was inhabited almost exclusively by traders, and constituted the commercial capital of Darfur; in its heyday in the eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth centuries, it may have been the largest town in the sultanate, with six to eight thousand inhabitants. the Kūkah a people of southwestern Wadai. kumbā (or kanbū: both occur in the text; from Fur kômbo)
as defined by the
author, a liquid extracted from the ash of the hijlīj tree ( Jericho balm, Balanites aegyptiaca) and used as a salt substitute.
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Glossary
Kunjáara (Kunjaara, Kunyjaara) one of the three great sections of the Fur people and that to which the Keira dynasty belonged; the Kunjáara live in and to the east of Jabal Marrah. kūrāyāt
literally “grooms”; four high officials in charge of the sultan’s horses
and servants. The word, though presumably Fur, was not recognized by informants. either of two grasses that are used for fodder and as famine foods:
kūrayb
Egyptian crowfoot grass (Dactyloctenium aegyptium) and dropseed grass (Sporobolus festivus). kurnug a kind of house resembling a tukultī but whose roof is raised on four rather than two wooden pillars (see §3.1.86, images). a region of central Darfur.
Kusā laddāy
a woman’s headpiece of silver wire and beads.
lanngi (Fur)
a dance.
Laqiyyah (Leghea, Laguyeh, Lagia)
an uninhabited oasis on the route from
Asyut to Darfur, south of Salīmah and close to the northern marches of Dār Zaghāwah. lawī
a variety of the cotton known as “Indian.”
liqdābah (apparently from Fur libdenga) a roofed, open-sided structure within the sultan’s compound used as an audience hall, mess, etc. Little Jabal Marrah ( Jubayl Marrah)
the author’s name for the peak, probably
that usually referred to on modern maps as the Deriba Caldera, that lends its name to the entire Jabal Marrah mountain range and plateau. Lubad According to ancient Arabian legend, Luqmān the Long-lived, a preIslamic figure to whom wise sayings are attributed, was granted, as a reward for his piety, a life as long as that of seven named vultures (the vulture being a popular symbol of longevity among the Arabs). The last vulture was named Lubad; when Lubad died, so did Luqmān. madīdah a broth made from pounded desiccated watermelon. madraʿah a bead bracelet worn by women. Magian
literally “Zoroastrian”; applied in Darfur to the pagan peoples on its
southern borders. the Maḥāmīd the Majānīn
cattle-herding nomads of the Fazārah group. Arabic-speaking camel-herding nomads living in eastern Darfur
and western Kordofan.
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Glossary
a title, equivalent to “king,” used by rulers in the Nile Valley, such as the
Makk
Makk of Sennar; also used by the chief of the Birgid of Darfur. the Malanqā (also Mananqah) a subgroup of the Ab Sanūn (q.v.). a title used of (1) a king; (2) a tribal chief or person related to the royal
malik
family to whom some of the accoutrements of Sudanic royalty (such as the possession of copper war drums) pertained; (3) an official in charge of a significant place or specialized group. See further Volume One, Note on the Text, pp. xliii–xliv. Mālik al-Fūtāwī Mālik ibn ʿAlī ibn Yūsuf al-Fūtāwī (d. ca. 1820), a prominent member of the Awlād ʿAlī family of holy men and an influential vizier at the court of Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān; sponsor of the author’s father. Mālikī
follower of the school of jurisprudence established by Mālik ibn Anas
(179/795); most African Muslims, apart from those of Egypt, are Mālikīs and the designation often appears in names, e.g., Shaykh ʿArafah al-Dusūqī al-Mālikī. the Mananqah Mandarah
see Malanqā.
a kingdom (ca. 1500–1893) and people in what is today northwest
Cameroon. Manfalūṭ a city in Upper Egypt on the west bank of the Nile north of Asyut. manjūr a bead worn by women of the middle class. manṣūṣ
(literally “squashed”) round, flattened amber beads.
maqāmah a short independent narration written in ornamental rhymed prose with verse insertions, a common plot-scheme, and two constant protagonists: the narrator and the hero. al-Maqs (Macs, Maghs, Mughess)
the southernmost oasis of the Khārijah com-
plex, uninhabited in the author’s day. al-Marbūṭah
a village on the banks of Wādī l-Kūʿ not far from Tandaltī
(El-Fasher). marhabayb a species of thin cane (Cymbopogon nervatus and/or proximus) with which houses are roofed; elsewhere sometimes spelled marḥabayb. mārīq a generic name for sorghum. Marrah see Jabal Marrah, Little Jabal Marrah. the Masālīṭ (Maṣālīṭ, Mesalit) a large people with its own language living to the west of Jabal Marrah. al-Mazrūb
a well marking the northern entry into Darfur for those coming
from Asyut in Egypt.
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Glossary
mééram (Fur) a title given to the daughter of the sultan of Darfur or to younger marriageable women of the royal family in general, as opposed to the habbūbāt, and to the representative of the bride and her friends at a wedding. The Memorandum (al-Tadhkirah) the Mīdawb (Meidob)
see al-Qurṭubī.
a people living on Jabal Mīdawb in far northeastern
Darfur who speak a language of the Nubian group. mīdawbī
a kind of naturally occurring salt. a people centered on the town of Wadaʿah east of Wādī Kuʿ in east-
the Mīmah
ern Darfur. al-Minyah
a city in Upper Egypt on the west bank of the Nile.
mishāhrah
a bead worn by women.
the Misīriyyah (Misiriyah, Messiria) the Brown Misīriyyah (al-Misīriyyah al-Ḥumr) are camel nomads living in northern Kordofan, the Black Misīriyyah (al-Misīriyyah al-Zurq) are cattle nomads living in southern Kordofan; both peoples have offshoots in Darfur. mooge (singular and plural; Fur—pronounced as two syllables)
jester cum eulo-
gist cum crier who shouted the praises of his master (for example, the sultan) on public occasions, was licensed to speak audaciously, and sometimes acted as public executioner. the Mother of the Book the Qurʾan. mudd
measure of volume used for grain; Perron states, on the author’s authority, that the Sudanese mudd was equal to the Egyptian malwah, i.e., 4.125 liters.
Mughulṭāy al-Turkī Mughulṭāy ibn Qalīj ʿAbdullāhi al-Bakjarī al-Miṣrī (689– 762/1290–1361), Egyptian historian and Hadith scholar of Turkic origin, also known for his book on martyrs for love, al-Wāḍiḥ al-mubīn fīman ustushhida min al-muḥibbīn (The Clear Exposition Concerning Those Who Gave Their Lives for Love). mughrah
a stone from which a red pigment is obtained.
al-Muhallabī, the vizier
al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad al-Muhallabī (291–352/903–
63), administrator and general for the Buyid princes of Baghdad, and a litterateur. Muḥammad ʿAlī (r. 1805–48) ruler of Egypt under the nominal suzerainty of the Ottoman state.
287
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Glossary
Muḥammad Daldan (Fur: Daldang) wad Binayyah
(d. 1804?) Keira war-
lord and slave trader, styled “King” because he was a grandson of Sultan Muḥammad Tayrāb. Muḥammad Faḍl (elsewhere usually al-Faḍl) ninth sultan of Darfur of the Keira dynasty (r. ca. 1730–39), preceded by his father, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, and succeeded by his son, Muḥammad al-Ḥusayn. Muḥammad III ibn ʿAbd Allāh (r. 1171–1204/1757–90), ʿAlawid ruler of Morocco. Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim ʿImād al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqafī Muḥammad al-Ḥasanī
(ca. 695–715), a Muslim general best known for the conquest, at an extremely young age, of Sindh and Multan. Muḥammad al-Jallūlī Ḥusaynid governor of Sfax in Tunisia in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. Muḥammad Kurrā
(d. 1804) in Fur “Muḥammad the Tall”; a palace servant
in the days of Sultan Muḥammad Tayrāb who rose to become, despite temporary setbacks, shaykh-father under sultans ʿAbd al-Raḥmān and Muḥammad Faḍl and, for a time, master of Kordofan. His rivalry with Muḥammad Faḍl led to his death. The author was a protégé of Muḥammad Kurrā’s associate Mālik al-Fūtāwī and met Muḥammad Kurrā shortly before the shaykh-father’s death. likely the leading merchant of that name (d. 1232/
Muḥammad al-Maḥrūqī
1816–17) appointed by Muḥammad ʿAlī to advise his son Ṭūsūn when the latter was given responsibility for the campaign (1811–16) against the Āl Saʿūd rulers of the Hejaz. Muḥammad al-Muknī
nineteenth-century governor of Fezzan (southern
Libya). Muḥammad Órré Dungo
a eunuch belonging to Sultan Muḥammad Tayrāb
and a shaykh-father. Muḥammad Shihāb al-Dīn al-Miṣrī Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl ibn ʿUmar (1210– 74/1795–1857), known as Shihāb al-Dīn al-Miṣrī, a scholar and poet who became coeditor of the official Egyptian Gazette (al-Waqāʾiʿ al-Miṣriyyah), was associated with the royal family, and wrote much occasional verse. Muḥammad Tayrāb (r. ca. 1752–53 to 1785) third son of Aḥmad Bukur to become sultan of Darfur; invaded Kordofan toward the end of his reign and incorporated it into the sultanate, thus creating the largest premodern state within what is now the Sudan.
288
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Glossary
a tree: Boscia senegalensis.
mukhkhayṭ
Murād Bayk Murād Bayk al-Qazdaghlī, a Mamluk who ruled Egypt in partnership with Ibrāhīm Bayk from 1784 until the French invasion in 1798. muʿrāqī
literally “rooter”; one skilled in the gathering and use of medicinal
plants. al-Musabbaʿ brother of Sultan Sulaymān Solóng (q.v.); left Darfur for western Kordofan, parts of which his descendants thereafter ruled. al-Musabbaʿāwī, Hāshim (fl. 1770–1800) a descendant of al-Musabbaʿ who, during the reign in Darfur of Sultan Muḥammad Tayrāb, attempted to create from his base in Kordofan a state that would rival or supplant that of Darfur. Musāʿid (ibn Surūr)
a member of the family of the Dhawū Zayd dynasty of
rulers of Mecca resident in Darfur during the author’s time there. al-Mutanabbī
Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn Abū l-Ṭayyib al-Mutanabbī (ca. 303–54/
915–65), a renowned poet of the Abbasid era. nārah
a love potion.
Nufah (Nupe) a state, founded in the mid-fifteenth century, in what is now north-central Nigeria. Numlayh
a village in Jabal Marrah, in the area inhabited by the Karakriit, a clan
of the Fur (not to be confused with Nimule, a town in South Sudan). Nūr al-Anṣārī a holy man living in Kubayh and married to the daughter of Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān. nyúlmá (Fur)
sesame lees. a popular textbook of grammar
The One-Thousand-Line Poem (al-Alfiyyah)
in the form of a poem of some thousand lines, by Muḥammad ibn Mālik (ca. 600–72/1203–74). ǒrnang (Fur) the representative of the men at a wedding and organizer of hunting parties for the young men of a village; the ǒrnang may be evidence of a residual age-grade system, comparable to that of the Maasai or the Zulu, in which he acted as a war leader. orondolong (Fur)
literally “the door posts”; the highest officer of state, also
known as “the sultan’s face” (or “the sultan’s head”). In peace, he acted as majordomo of the sultan’s compound and the main intermediary between sultan and subjects; in war, he marched at the head of the sultan’s army. He also governed four tribal territories.
289
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Glossary
literally “the narrow door,” but generally referred to as
órré bayyâ (Fur)
“the women’s door”: the southern entrance to the sultan’s compound or fāshir; also, in the author’s usage, the superintendent of the warrābāyah, who supervised the eunuchs of the harem and acted as jailer and executioner. órré dee (Fur) “the men’s door”: the northern entrance to the sultan’s compound or fāshir. a title listed by the author as that of a member of the state
órré'ng ába (Fur)
hierarchy who governed two tribal territories, without further explanation of the title’s meaning or its holder’s role. pǎw (Fur)
artificial coral.
Perron, Nicolas
(1798–1876) the translator from Arabic into French of The
Land of the Blacks (Voyage au Darfour) and other works. See Volume One, Introduction. The Poem on Words Ending in –ā and āʾ (al-Maqṣūrah) a pedagogical poem by Mūhammad ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Durayd (223–321/838–933). pôlgo (Fur)
kind of manufactured salt, sold in finger-shaped pieces.
poora'ng ába (Forrang Aba; Fur) literally “Father of the Fur”; the guardian of Fur law and custom, a ritual title dating from the Fur state’s remote past. Preserved Tablet the Protected City
the urtext of the Qurʾan, preserved in Heaven. an epithet of Cairo.
a tree: perhaps in this context frankincense (Boswellia papyrifera) or
qafal
African myrrh (Commiphora africana); identification is tentative as the word was applied to a number of trees used in perfumes, medicines, and incense. qanā
savannah bamboo (Oxytenanthera abyssinica).
qaraẓ
the pods of the sant acacia (Acacia nilotica), used for fodder.
Qimir
see Dār Qimir.
Qirlī (Gurly, Gerli, Gerle) a settlement, now disappeared, that the author places between the northern end of Jabal Marrah and Kabkābiyyah on the west, site of a fāshir of Sultan Muḥammad Tayrāb. The Qualities
The Prophetic Qualities (al-Khaṣāʾiṣ al-nabawiyyah), a work on
the qualities of the Prophet Muḥammad by Egyptian historian and Hadith scholar Mughulṭāy al-Turkī. qudānī
an indigo-dyed cloth.
quffah
in Egypt, a large basket.
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Glossary
qūqū the practice of carrying a baby by tying it to its mother’s back. al-Qurṭubī
Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Abī Bakr al-Anṣārī al-Qurṭubī
(d. 671/1273), author of a renowned commentary on the Qurʾan and other works, including his Memorandum on the Conditions of the Dead and Matters of the Hereafter (al-Tadhkirah fī Aḥwāl al-Mawtā wa-Umūr al-Ākhirah); originally from Cordoba, Spain, he relocated to Egypt. al-Quṣayr
a port on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, the point of embarkation for pil-
grims going to the Hejaz. Quss ibn Sāʿidah (sixth century ad), a pre-Islamic Arabian Christian
Quss
renowned for the eloquence of his preaching. rabdāʾ (of an ostrich) having four small, pure-white plumes. seventh month of the Islamic calendar; it has the epithet “the Separate”
Rajab
because, under the pre-Islamic system according to which no fighting was allowed during certain months, it was the only such month that was neither preceded nor followed by another sacred month. Rās al-Fīl
see Jadīd Rās al-Fīl. one of thirteen ponds or lakes that existed in Cairo until the nine-
al-Raṭlī Pond
teenth century. rééka (Fur)
a kind of large basket.
The Reliable Compendium
(al-Jāmiʿ al-ṣaḥīḥ; al-Ṣaḥīḥ), a collection of some
eight thousand sound hadiths, by Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī (194–256/810–70). a son of Sultan Aḥmad Bukur who was passed over for the succession in
Rīfā
favor of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān. Rīl
town in southeast Darfur (Dār Birqid); formerly a fāshir.
Rīz
a son of Sultan Aḥmad Bukur who was passed over for the succession in favor of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān.
Rizayqāt (Rizayqat, Rizeigat)
a group of nomadic Arabic-speaking peoples
with northern (camel-herding) and southern (cattle-herding) sections, the former living in the north and west, the latter in the south and southeast of Darfur. rubʿ a measure of volume used for grain, equivalent to 8.25 liters. Rūngā
a town in Dār Rungā (q.v.).
ruqād al-fāqah
(literally “restful sleep”) a kind of large bead worn by the
women of the rich. Ṣābūn, Muḥammad
sultan of Wadai (r. ca. 1805–16).
291
291
Glossary
the Sacred House al-Ṣaftī
the Kaaba at Mecca.
probably Aḥmad al-Sāʾ īm al-Safṭī, shaykh (rector) of the mosque-uni-
versity of al-Azhar in Cairo from 1838 to 1847. Salīmah (Selima) an uninhabited oasis on the route from Asyut to Darfur, between al-Shabb and Laqiyyah. sangadiri (Fur) a dance. sant acacia (Vachellia (or Acacia) nilotica).
ṣanṭ
Sarf al-Dajāj
town northwest of Jabal Marrah and west of Kabkābiyyah;
according to Perron, sarf (Fur) means “brook”; thus the name means “Chickens’ Brook.” ṣarīf
internal fence within a homestead acting as a dust-break for the huts.
sayāl
umbrella thorn tree (Vachellia/Acacia tortilis).
sayyid
male claiming descent from the Prophet Muḥammad; also the title of
such a man, used interchangeably in this work with “Sharif.” sequin
gold coin minted in Venice.
al-Shabb (Sheb)
literally “alum”; a small oasis north of Salīmah on the road
from Asyut to Darfur. al-Shāfiʿī, Muḥammad ibn Idrīs
(150–204/767–820) a leading jurist from
whose teachings emerged one of the four canonical schools of legal interpretation, and a much-quoted poet. al-Shaʿīriyyah Shālā
a village near Tandaltī (today’s El-Fasher).
a Fartīt people living on the southern fringes of the sultanate.
shallāngīn
(Arabization of Fur sagala kin) traditional eye doctors specializing
in the removal of cataracts. shaʿlūb a vine (Leptodenia arborea). sharāmīṭ literally “shreds”: jerked meat. sharif
a male claiming descent from the Prophet Muḥammad; also, the title of such a man, used interchangeably in this work with “Sayyid.”
shartāy (pl. sharātī)
head of a shartāyah, one of the districts into which the
provinces of the sultanate of Darfur were divided. The shartāy was the representative of the ruler and his village was the center for the collection of taxes, the administration of justice, and the levying of troops. shāshiyyah
in Tunisia, a rigid red felt cap similar to that called a tarboosh in
Egypt. shāw a tree: arak (Salvadora persica).
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Glossary
shawtar (pl. shawātir) a kind of camlet (a fine woolen fabric, originally of camel hair), sometimes dyed blue, and used in some areas as currency. shaykh-father (Arabic: al-ab al-shaykh; Fur: abbo shaykh (daali))
chief eunuch
and traditionally governor of the eastern region (Dār Dālī); the holder, though not necessarily himself a slave, was head of the slave hierarchy. Arabic ab “father” assimilates Fur abbo, a title of respect. a kind of raw calico (tukkiyyah) of light, loose weave.
shīkah
Seth, third son of Ādam and Ḥawwāʾ (Adam and Eve) and one of the first
Shīth
prophets. shūsh small red seeds used to make amulets and as hair decorations for women. shuwūr a bead bracelet worn by women (synonym of madraʿah). Silā
see Dār Silā.
Sinnār (Sennar)
a town in the area between the Blue and White Niles now
known as al-Jazīrah; home of the Funj sultanate, which lasted from 1504 until its conquest by Egyptian forces under Muḥammad ʿAli’s son Ibrāhīm in 1821. a promontory on the coast of Tunisia between Sejnane and Tabarka
Ṣirāṭ
(Cap Serrat). Sodom apple
a tree (Calotropis procera; Arabic: ʿushar). the pages’ house (literally “the children’s house”). The
soom'íng dogólá (Fur)
author describes these pages or cadets as agents who oversaw the sultan’s business. The soom, located within the fāshir’s public area, was also the assembly place where the people came together for conversation or for a common meal; it also functioned as a school where the palace pages or cadets were taught. soomiit (Fur) sūbiyā
a kind of bead.
in Egypt, a cold, thick nonalcoholic drink of slightly fermented rice,
sugar, and water. sudāsī (fem., sudāsiyyah)
literally a “sixer”: a slave measuring six handspans
from heel to earlobe. suktāyah
a kind of house (see §3.1.86, images).
Sulaymān al-Azharī
father of the author’s teacher Aḥmad ibn Sulaymān, and
the maternal grandfather of the author’s father. Sulaymān ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān
sixth caliph of the Umayyad dynasty
(r. 96–99/715–17).
293
293
Glossary
Sulaymān Solóng (r. ca. 1660–80) founding father of the Keira dynasty in its historical manifestation. This sultan, generally known as Sulaymān Solongdungo (meaning “the Arab” and/or “of reddish complexion”), who ruled from ca. 1660 to 1680, though regarded as the first historically documented sultan of the Keira dynasty, is said, in Fur tradition, to have been preceded by at least three earlier sultans. With his two immediate successors, Mūsā and Aḥmad Bukur, he was responsible for the transformation of their Fur tribal kingdom into a multiethnic empire and played a major role in the Islamization of the Darfurian state. Sulaymān al-Tūnisī
the author’s paternal grandfather
suspended ode (muʿallaqah) one of the seven renowned poems by seven renowned poets that (according to legend) hung in the Kaaba in the days before Islam. inflammation of the knee joint.
al-sūtiyyah
al-Suwaynah (Sweini)
the first village in Darfur reached by caravans coming
from Asyut. a prolific Egyptian polymath (d. 911/1505).
al-Suyūṭī, Jalāl al-Dīn tobacco.
tābā ṭabābī
a practitioner of the science of magic (ṭibb).
tabaldī
a tree: the baobab (Adansonia digitate).
Tabaldiyyah a place northeast of Nyala where Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān inflicted a defeat on his rival Isḥāq. Ṭāhir a son of Sultan Aḥmad Bukur to whom Muḥammad Kurrā allegedly pledged allegiance when the latter revolted against Sultan Muḥammad Faḍl. al-Ṭāʾif a city in the Hejaz ninety miles northeast of Mecca. see tukkiyyah.
takākī
al-Takrūr
a name used in northern Africa to designate West Africans in gen-
eral; now pronounced Dakrūr. Tāldawā a hill northeast of Nyala. ṭalḥ
a tree: red acacia (Vachellia (or Acacia) seyal).
Tāmā, Tāmah
see Dār Tāmā, Dār Tāmah.
Tamurrū al-Fullānī Tandaltī
a holy man known for his skill as a magician.
a town east of Jabal Marrah where Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān estab-
lished his fāshir, or royal compound, in 1206/1791–92. Subsequent sultans
294
294
Glossary
maintained the tradition; El-Fasher is now the name of the capital of North Darfur State. Tǎrne (Tarni; Fur)
a village southwest of Tandaltī (today’s El-Fasher).
tǎrne (Fur)
a ring of tin used as currency.
tawse (Fur)
a dance, performed by slaves.
Ṭaybah
a large wrap worn by women.
thawb ṭibb
a name for Medina, site of the tomb of the Prophet Muḥammad.
magic.
tikináwi (takanawi; in the author’s spelling takaniyāwī; Fur) title of the hereditary governor of Dār Zaghāwah in the sultanate’s northern region (also known as Dār al-Tikináwi); the tikináwi had a position of command in the army and was known as “the Sultan’s Left Arm.” tindinga (Fur) tog jêl (Fur)
a dance.
a kind of goblet drum.
Tomorókkóngá (Tamuurkwa; Fur)
one of the three great sections of the Fur
people; the Tomorókkóngá live to the west of Jabal Marrah. the Tubū (Toubou, Tebou) an ethnic group speaking a Nilo-Saharan language that inhabits parts of today’s Chad (where they are concentrated in the Tebesti region), Libya, Niger, and Nigeria. al-Ṭughrāʾī
Muʾayyid al-Dīn Abū Ismaʾ īl al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Ṭughrāʾ ī (453/
1061 to 514/1120–21), Arab poet and administrator under the Saljuq sultans of Mosul and Baghdad. al-Tuhāmī
Abū l-Hasan ʿAlī al-Tuhāmī (d. 416/1025); poet and scholar of
Yemeni origin. tukkiyyah (pl. takākī) raw or unbleached calico; bolts of the latter ten cubits in length and one in breadth were used by poor women to make their robes and also, especially in the area around the sultan’s capital, as currency. tukultī
a kind of house with a roof raised on two wooden pillars (see §3.1.86,
images). al-Tūnisī, ʿUmar ibn Sulaymān al-Tūnisī, Sulaymān
see ʿUmar ibn Sulaymān al-Tūnisī.
see Sulaymān al-Tūnisī.
Tunjūr a people living in central Darfur who in the sixteenth century superseded the Dājū as its rulers and as rulers in Wadai; in the mid-seventeenth century, they were themselves succeeded in Darfur by Fur sultans of the Keira dynasty.
295
295
Glossary
Turqunak in the Wadai sultanate, one of sixteen freeborn men, four of whom acted as overseers of persons of the royal blood and four as captains of the sultan’s bodyguard, while eight assisted the kamkūlaks (q.v.) in the provinces. a generic and pejorative term applied by Darfurians to enslaveable tribes
Turūj
living south of Kordofan. al-Ṭuwayshah
a town close to Umm Kidādah on Darfur’s border, and its sur-
rounding district.
ʿUmar ibn Sulaymān al-Tūnisī the author’s father. ʿUmar Lēl (or Lēle) (r. ca. 1730–39), fifth historical sultan of the Keira dynasty, preceded by his father Muḥammad Dawra and succeeded by his uncle Abū l-Qāsim. umm bulbul literally “Mother Nightingale”; a kind of barley wine. the Victorious (al-Manṣūrah) smallest and most sacred of the royal kettledrums of the Darfur sultans. a general title (rather than an office) of high officials in the courts of
vizier
Tunis, Darfur, and elsewhere. al-Wāddāy (Waddāy, Wadadāy)
Wadai, formerly a sultanate immediately to
the west of Darfur, also called Dār Ṣulayḥ or Dār Ṣalīh; today part of Chad. Wādī l-Kūʿ a seasonal watercourse running south from Jabal Sī (north of Jabal Marrah), on whose banks at Tandaltī Sultan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān built his fāshir. Wārah
the capital of the sultanate of Wadai.
warrāniyyah waykah
a meal eaten in addition to regular meals.
a dish made from rehydrated ingredients, most commonly okra.
Yājūj and Mājūj
monstrous peoples who, according to the Qurʾan and the
Torah (where they are called Gog and Magog), will invade the world on the last days before the Day of Judgment; they are said by some to number 400,000, by others to be nine times as numerous as humans. Yūsuf Pasha
Yūsuf Pasha al-Karamanlī (1795–1832), hereditary governor of
Libyan Tripoli. Yūsuf the Seal Bearer (Muhurdār)
Yūsuf Ṣāḥib al-Ṭābi ʿ (ca. 1765–1815); a slave,
possibly Moldovan, bought at around age thirteen in Istanbul by Bakkār al-Jallūlī, an army commander and rich merchant of Sfax. Yūsuf was raised in the Jallūlī household and presented to Ḥammūdah Pasha, ruler of Tunis, when he was eighteen; he rose to be the latter’s principal minister and the
296
296
Glossary
country’s most powerful figure, with control over much of the economy. He was assassinated not long after his sponsor, Ḥammūdah Pasha, died. al-Zaghāwah
peoples speaking a language of the Nilo-Saharan family and
living on the northern marches of Darfur and in Wadai. al-Zaghāwī (or, Bīr al-Zaghāwī)
a well on the road from Asyut to Darfur south
of Laqiyyah, also called Bīr al-Malḥah. zaghāwī
a kind of naturally occurring salt.
a property tax disbursed by the state in the form of alms for specified
zakat
categories of persons. (of an ostrich) having four large and four small pure-white plumes.
ẓalīm zarībah
a fence of thorny branches surrounding a homestead.
al-Zarqāʾ a spring in Medina. the Zayādiyyah
Arabic-speaking camel-herding nomads of the Fazārah group
living in the northeast of Darfur. ẓufr
literally “fingernail”; Unguis odoratus: fragments of the operculum, or plug, of certain kinds of mollusks, which when broken up resembles blackish fingernails and which is used in perfumes.
297
297
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List of Images
The safrūk
§2.3.8
Tribes and Bedouin of Darfur §3.1.12 Scourges (3)
§3.1.38
The dinqār
§3.1.39
“The feathers”
§3.1.40
Cauterization for diarrhea
§3.3.6
Tracks of the smallpox creature
§3.3.10
Cuts for treatment of pleurisy
§3.3.14
The sultan’s place of audience §3.1.41
Spear for hunting
§3.3.33
The sultan’s escort
§3.1.45
A net for bird-hunting
§3.3.35
The gourd of the kóór kwa
§3.1.69
A hoe
§3.3.52
The tog jêl
§3.1.69
Geomancy patterns:
The mooge’s headband
§3.1.71
“the Road”
§4.54
The mooge’s stick
§3.1.71
“the Group”
§4.55
Pole for the liqdabah
§3.1.78
“the Jawbone”
§4.56
Post holes for the liqdabah
§3.1.78
“the Upside Down”
§4.57
Roof frame for the liqdabah
§3.1.78
“the Gathering”
§4.58
The sultan’s audience dias
§3.1.80
“the Knot”
§4.59
Decorative cloth for sultan’s hut topknot
“the Incoming Threshold” §4.60 §3.1.80
“the Outgoing Threshold” §4.61
The suktāyah
§3.1.86
“the Incoming Fist”
§4.62
The tukultī
§3.1.86
“the Outgoing Fist”
§4.63
Órré dee door
§3.1.89
“Whiteness”
§4.64
The sultan’s fashir at Tandalti §3.1.92
“Redness”
§4.65
Women’s noserings (2)
§3.1.98
“the Bed”
§4.66
Women’s necklaces (2)
§3.1.100
“Pure of Cheek”
§4.67
A shūsh amulet
§3.1.101
“Incoming Support”
§4.68
“Outgoing Support”
§4.69
§3.1.103
Arrangement of holes for
Women’s forehead ornament (laday) Tool for treating abū l-lisān
§3.3.4
303
“casting the sand”
303
§4.70
Index
Ab Sanūn, §3.2.57
alcohol, §3.1.109, 284n128. See also beer;
ába ǎw mang, §3.1.52
wine
ába dima'ng, §3.1.9, §3.1.14, §§3.1.53–54, §3.1.92, 255n9. See also Dār Ába Dima'ng
Alexandria, ix Algiers, ix
ába poor-ii, §3.1.51, 259n55
ʿAlī [ibn Abī Ṭālib], 267n169
ába umá, §3.1.14. See also Dār Ába Umá
ʿAlī Kartab, §4.47
ʿAbd Allāh Kartab, §4.47
amber, §3.1.100
ʿAbd al-Karīm ibn Khamīs ʿArmān, §4.48
amulet, §3.1.94, §3.1.101, §3.2.43, §3.3.7
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Rashīd, §3.1.38, §3.1.73,
Anbūsah (mother of Muḥammad Faḍl),
§3.1.85, §3.1.108, §§4.40–41
§3.2.47
Abīrīs, ix
ʿandurāb (tree), §4.12
abū abāṭ. See sorghum
anklet, §3.1.71, §3.1.103, §§3.2.10–12, §3.2.48
Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (caliph), 270n221
ʿanqallū (fruit), §3.3.28
Abū l-Judūl, §3.1.15, §3.3.24
antimony, §3.1.104
Abū l-Qāsim (sultan of Darfur), §4.41
ʿaqīq (bead), §3.1.100, §3.1.103, 262n98
abū shalawlaw. See sorghum
Aqlīmā, §3.2.35, 266n147
abū ṣuffayr. See jaundice
Arab, Arabs, §3.1.5, §§3.1.12–13, §3.1.17,
abū l-ṣufūf. See pleurisy
§3.1.19, §3.1.21, §3.1.35, §3.1.41, §3.2.47,
abū ṭanṭarah (bird), §3.3.34, 269n208 Abū Zaʿ bal, §4.19
§3.3.7, §4.33, 267n170, 270n218 Arabic (language), §3.1.11, §3.1.23, §3.1.29,
acacia, §4.6, §4.18, 271n240
§3.1.41, §3.1.71, §3.1.76, §3.1.112,
Ādam (Adam), §§3.2.1–3, §3.2.35, §4.39
§§3.2.26–27, §3.2.29, §3.2.33, §3.2.57,
Adiqiz, ix, §3.1.1
§4.3, §4.33, 255n8, 257n25, 257n32,
ʿAfnū, §3.2.58
257n34, 258n37, 260n63, 260n66,
Agadez. See Adiqiz
260n73, 261n86, 262n92, 262n96,
agate, §3.1.100, 262n98
263n107, 264n129, 264n132, 264n134,
agha, §3.2.34
265n140, 265n141, 265n144, 266n149,
Aḥmad Badawī, §3.1.32
267n172, 271n235, 271n236, 272n255
Aḥmad al-Fāsī, §3.3.38
artemisia, §3.1.104, 263n110
Aḥmad Zarrūq (author’s half-brother),
ʿazīr. See sorghum
§4.52
304
304
Index baft, §3.1.95, §3.1.97
Bīr al-Zaghāwī (Bīr al-Malḥah), ix, §3.3.47
Bakrī (family), §3.3.48, §270n221
bird, §3.1.70, §§3.3.34–35. See also abū
Bakurlūkū, §4.35
ṭanṭarah; bustard; ostrich; parakeet;
baldāyā, §3.1.78
parrot; sparrow; whydah
bamboo. See qanā
Birqid, §3.1.4, §3.1.10, §§3.1.13–15, §3.2.5,
banana tree, §3.1.19, §4.7
§3.2.12, §3.2.57, §3.3.9, 264n126. See also
Banī ʿAdī, ix
Dār Birqid
banquet, §3.1.33, §3.1.74, §3.1.110, §3.2.42
Black Misīriyyah. See Misīriyyah
Banū Jarrār, §3.1.5, §3.1.12, §3.3.23, §3.3.37
black thorn, §3.1.88
Banū ʿUmrān, §3.1.5, §3.3.23
black-eyed peas, §4.5
Banū Ḥalbah, §3.1.5, §3.1.12
Blacks, §§3.1.1–2, §3.1.23, §3.1.76, §3.2.37,
(al-)Bāqirmah, ix, §§3.1.1–2, §3.1.96, §3.2.58
§3.2.43, §§3.2.45–47, §§3.2.57–59,
baradiyyah (drum), §3.1.83
§§3.3.7–8, §3.3.10, §3.3.23, §3.3.43,
Barajūb, §3.1.6
§3.3.48, §§4.21–22, §4.25, §4.29, §4.31
barley beer. See beer
bracelet, §3.1.103, §3.3.53, 260n66, 270n244
Barnaw, §§3.1.1–2, §3.1.96, §3.2.58, §4.43
broadcloth, §3.1.40
Barqū, §3.1.4, §3.1.10, §3.1.35, §3.2.57
Brown Misīriyyah. See Misīriyyah
Bartī, §3.1.3, §3.1.10, §§3.1.13–14, §3.1.35,
Browne, W. G., 260n70, 261n78, 263n109,
§3.2.57, §3.3.23
270n214, 270n217, 272n260
baṭṭūm (tree), §4.23
Būlāq (near Cairo), ix
bead, §3.1.33, §3.1.71, §§3.1.98–103, §3.2.43,
Būlāq (oasis), ix
§3.2.50, §3.3.45, §3.3.53, §4.51, 262n101,
al-burjuk. See scarlet fever
263n104, 263n106, 270n224. See also
bustard, §3.3.34
ʿaqīq; dam-l-raʿāf; ḥarish; khaddūr;
būzah (būẓah). See beer
manjūr; manṣūṣ; mishāhrah; ruqād Cairo, ix, §3.1.16, §3.3.11, §4.6, 255n8,
al-fāqah; soomiit beans, §3.1.65, §3.1.101, §4.2, §§4.5–6, §4.70, 262n100, 262n101, 271n233
271n232 Cairo Canal. See al-Khalīj al-Miṣrī
Bedouin, §3.1.12, §3.2.46, §3.3.2, §§3.3.8–9, §3.3.18, §3.3.22, §§3.3.37–40, §4.9 beer, §3.2.32; barley (būzah); §3.2.6; millet, §3.2.5, §3.2.28
calico, §3.1.97 camel, §3.1.5, §3.1.79, §3.1.110, §3.2.53, §3.3.32, §3.3.37, §3.3.39, §3.3.47, §4.42, §4.44, §4.52
Bidayāt, §3.3.22
camlet, §§3.1.96–97, §3.3.44
bindalah (dance), §3.2.8, §3.2.11
Cancer (constellation), §4.29, 272n251
Bīngah, §§3.1.7–8, §3.3.22
caravan, §4.49
Bīqū, §3.1.4, §3.1.7, §3.1.10, §3.1.13, §3.1.15,
carob, §4.10, §4.15
§3.1.35, §3.2.48, §3.2.57
cashmere, §3.1.94
305
305
Index castration, §§3.2.38–39, §3.2.55, 267n170. See also eunuch
cress; cucumber; dinbī; eggplant; fava beans; garlic; Jew’s mallow; kawal;
cattle, §3.1.5, §3.1.16, §§3.1.42–43, §§3.1.65– 66, §3.2.5, §3.2.22, §3.3.21, §3.3.26, §3.3.29, §3.3.31, §§3.3.37–38, §3.3.44, §3.3.54, §4.3, §4.44, 260n68, 269n206 cauterization, §3.2.55, §§3.3.6–7, §3.3.12, §3.3.17. See also surgery
kūrayb; long cucumber; millet; okra; onions; pepper; sesame; sorghum; squash; wheat cucumber, §3.1.19, §4.6, §§4.48–49 currency §§3.3.41–55. See also bracelet; cattle; cotton; dollar; franc; khaddūr;
childbirth, §3.3.19
ḥarish; millet; onion; piaster; pôlgo;
cholera (al-hayḍah, “the yellow air”),
sequin; shawtar; sudāsī; tǎrne; tobacco;
§3.3.11, 268n189
tukkiyyah
circumcision, §3.1.111, §3.1.112, §3.2.28 cloth. See textiles
Daf ʿ Allāh, §3.2.31
clothing, §3.1.25, §3.1.64, §§3.1.93–97,
Dājū, §3.1.4, §3.1.10, §3.1.13, §3.1.15, §3.1.35,
§3.2.39, §3.2.44, §3.3.37, §4.1, §4.8,
§3.2.57
§4.16, 259n52, 262n97, 263n107.
dalayb. See palm
See also durrāʿah; fardah; kanfūs;
al-Dalīl (judge), §3.3.11, §4.29
milāʾah; thawb
dallúka (drum, dance), §3.2.5, §3.2.8,
Constantinople, §3.2.38
§3.2.16, §3.2.20, §3.2.22, §3.2.28
copper, §3.1.53, §3.1.98, §3.1.103, §3.3.53,
damālij. See dimlij
257n35, 257n36, 259n58, 270n214,
Damascus, §3.1.102
270n224
dam-l-raʿāf (bead), §3.1.100, §3.1.103,
coral, §§3.1.98–100, §3.1.103
262n99
coriander, §3.1.19, §4.6
damsuga, §3.1.31, §§3.1.32–33. See also jinni
cotton, §3.1.65, §§3.1.95–97, §3.2.55,
daqarah (plant), §§4.27–28
§3.3.44, §§3.3.50–51, §4.16, 270n217 counselor, §§3.1.14–15, §§3.1.56–57, §3.1.80, §3.1.92, 260n61
Dār Ába Dima'ng, §§3.1.8–14. See also ába dima'ng Dār Ába Umá, 256n11. See also ába umá
court (of the sultan), §3.1.41, §3.1.77,
Dār Bandalah, §3.1.7
§3.1.92, 259n52. See also fāshir; órré
Dār Bīngah. See Bīngah
bayyâ; órré dee
Dār Birqid, §3.1.4, §§3.1.14–15. See also
covering the drums, §3.1.42, §3.1.46,
Birqid
§3.1.95, 258n44
Dār Fanqarū, §3.1.7, §3.1.8, §3.1.11, §3.3.22
crema, crème. See madīdah
Dār al-Farāwujayh, §3.1.4, §3.1.9
cress, §4.6
Dār Fartīt, §3.1.3, §4.15, §§4.24–25,
crops. See abū abāṭ; abū shalawlaw; ʿazīr; beans; black-eyed peas; coriander;
306
§§4.48–49. See also Fartīt Dār Mallā (Dār Mullā), §3.1.1
306
Index Dār Masālīṭ, §3.1.3. See also Masālīṭ
date palm. See palm
dār al-nuḥās. See Drum House
dawdarī, §§3.3.26–27. See also waykah
Dār Qimir, §3.1.3
dāyūq (tree), §3.1.104
Dār al-Rīḥ. See Dār (al-)Zaghāwah
dééng saaya, §3.2.6, §3.2.28
Dār Rungah, §§3.1.7–8
Dhamīmā, §3.2.35, 226n147
Dār Silā, §3.1.11, §3.2.22
dhikr, §§3.2.29–33, 265n142
Dār Ṣulayḥ. See Waddāy
dimlij (pl. damālij), §3.1.63, 260n66
Dār Tāmah, §3.1.3, §4.52, 266n162
dinbī, §4.3. See also millet
Dār (al-)Tikináwi. See tikináwi; Dār
dinjāyah, §3.1.91
(al-)Zaghāwah
dinqār (drum), §3.1.39, §3.1.53, §3.1.80,
Dār Tomorókkóngá. See Dār Ába Dima'ng Dār Tunbuktū, ix, §3.1.1
289n58 disease, §§3.3.4–5, §§3.3.7–8, §§3.3.11–15,
Dār Wāddāy. See Wāddāy
§3.3.18, §§3.3.23–24, §4.27, 267n166.
Dār (al-)Zaghāwah, §3.1.3, §3.1.7, §3.1.9,
See also cholera; dropsy; al-duqrī;
§3.1.14, §3.3.22. See also Zaghāwah,
al-ghuzayyil; gonorrhea; guinea
tikináwi
worm; al-habūb; jaundice; al-jiqqayl;
darabukkah (drum), §3.1.69, §3.1.83, §3.2.5
leucorrhea; leprosy; measles; plague;
darat (season), §3.3.8, §4.12, §4.29, 271n249
pleurisy; scarlet fever; smallpox;
Darfur, ix, §3.1.1, §§3.1.3–5, §§3.1.7–8,
al-sūtiyyah; syphilis; tuberculosis; umm
§3.1.10, §§3.1.12–14, §3.1.16, §§3.1.21–22, §3.1.27, §3.1.32, §3.1.34, §3.1.38, §§3.1.42– 43, §3.1.46, §3.1.48, §3.1.50, §§3.1.74–76,
ṣuquʿ; vitiligo; wirdah dollar, §§3.3.38–39, §3.3.44, §3.3.51, §3.3.54, 270n218
§3.1.93, §3.1.95, §3.2.13, §3.2.29,
doum palm (muql). See palm
§§3.2.37–39, §3.2.46, §3.2.48, §3.2.54,
dropsy, §3.3.15
§3.3.3, §3.3.13, §3.3.22, §3.3.37, §3.3.43,
drum, §3.1.22, §3.1.34, §§3.1.38–39, §3.1.42,
§§3.3.47–48, §4.3, §§4.6–7, §4.9, §4.11,
§§3.1.45–46, §3.1.53, §3.1.69, §3.1.70,
§4.15, §§4.24–25, §§4.33–34, §§4.39–42,
§3.1.83, §3.1.90, §3.1.92, §3.1.95, §3.2.5,
§4.46, §§4.48–50, 255n1, 255n5, 255n7,
§3.2.7, §3.2.12, §3.2.16, §3.2.22, §3.2.28,
256n11, 256n13, 257n25, 257n32, 257n36,
§3.2.42, §3.3.29, 256n20, 257n36,
260n73, 262n102, 263n109, 264n126,
258n44, 258n45, 259n50, 259n51, 259n58,
264n133, 265n136, 266n153, 267n170,
264n130. See also baradiyyah; dallúka;
268n194, 269n207, 269n210, 270n214,
darabukkah; dinqār; kettledrums;
270n231, 271n237, 271n249, 272n249, 271n250, 272n257
naqāqīr; tog jêl; tómbol; the Victorious Drum House (House of Copper), §3.1.38,
Darfurians, §3.1.22, §3.1.43, §4.46, 264n133, 265n136
§3.1.45, §3.1.90, §3.1.92, 257n35 dulab. See palm
Darmūdī, §3.3.32, §§3.3.35–36
dullong, §3.1.86
307
307
Index the Dunes, §3.1.16, §3.3.22, §4.30, 256n18
fardah, §3.1.97
al-duqrī (disease), §3.3.15
al-fartīt. See guinea worm
durdur, §3.1.86
Fartīt, §3.1.7, §4.15, §4.25, §4.48, 260n65,
durrāʿah, §3.1.97, 262n97
265n136, 266n153. See also Dār Fartīt
dust devils, §4.31
fāshir, §3.1.14, §3.1.77, §3.1.87, §§3.3.44–45, §4.6, 256n16, 261n65
earrings, §3.1.99
fava beans, §3.1.65, §4.2, §4.5, 262n101. See
ebony (tree), §4.24
also bean
eggplant, §4.6
Fazārah, §3.1.5. See also Maḥāmīd; Majānīn
Egypt, Egyptians, §3.1.3, §3.1.32, §3.1.35,
feathers, §3.1.40, §3.1.72, §3.1.100, §3.3.35,
§3.1.42, §3.1.69, §3.1.71, §3.1.83, §3.1.93, §3.1.95, §3.1.104, §3.1.112, §3.2.6, §3.2.34, §3.3.7, §3.3.8, §3.3.11, §3.3.14, §3.3.19,
§§3.3.38–39 the feathers (the sultan’s fan), §3.1.40, §3.1.94
§3.3.21, §3.3.48, §4.3, §4.5, §§4.6–7,
Fezzan, ix, §3.3.38, §3.3.48
§4.12, §4.17, §4.29, 255n8, 257n25,
franc, §3.1.76, §3.3.44
262n95, 262n96, 262n101, 263n104,
the Frankish disease. See al-jiqqayl
263n109, 266n151, 270n221, 271n233,
Franks, §3.1.28, §3.3.12, §3.3.19, §3.3.46,
271n249, 272n249
§3.3.48, §4.5, §4.30. See also Europe
elephant, §§3.3.31–32, 260n70
French, §3.3.38, §3.3.44, 257n26, 258n46,
El-Fasher, x
260n63, 261n90, 262n92, 262n99,
emir, §3.1.92, §3.2.40, §3.2.56, §3.3.26
263n113, 265n137, 268n188, 269n207,
eunuch, §3.1.59, §3.1.90, §3.1.92, §3.1.108,
270n218, 270n220, 273n263
§3.2.34, §§3.2.37–38, §3.2.40, §§3.2.43–
fruit, §4.17, §4.20, §4.29. See also ʿanqallū;
44, §3.2.49, §§3.2.53–55, 266n153,
banana trees; baṭṭūm; dāyūq; hijlīj;
267n170. See also castration
ḥummayḍ; jackalberry; jujube; kilí;
Europe, §3.1.21, §3.1.100, 256n11, 256n21. See
mukhkhayṭ; pomegranate; qiddīm; shaʿlūb; shāw; shea; Sodom apple;
also Franks
tabaldī; tamarind; watermelon Fallātā (Fullān), §3.1.1, §3.1.5, §3.1.12,
Fullān. See Fallātā
§3.3.18, §3.3.21, §3.3.23, §4.42, 255n6
Fur, §§3.1.3–4, §3.1.7, §3.1.9, §§3.1.1–12,
fan. See feathers
§3.1.19, §3.1.29, §3.1.31, §3.1.33,
Fanqarū. See Dār Fanqarū
§3.1.35, §3.1.37, §§3.1.41–42, §3.1.47,
faqīh, §3.1.18, §§3.1.22–24, §§3.1.79–80,
§3.1.51, §3.1.53, §3.1.59, §§3.1.67–68,
§3.1.92, §3.3.18, §3.3.21, §3.3.25, §3.3.36,
§§3.1.70–73, §3.1.76, §3.1.78, §3.1.80,
§4.39, §§4.41–42
§3.1.82, §3.1.83, §§3.1.84–88, §3.1.97,
al-farandīt. See guinea worm
§§3.1.104–5, §3.1.112, §3.2.4, §3.2.8,
Farāwujayh. See Dār al-Farāwujayh
§3.2.12, §3.2.26, §3.2.29, §§3.2.33–34,
308
308
Index Fur (cont.), §3.2.38, §§3.2.40–41, §§3.2.57–
ḥarīrah. See madīdah
58, §3.3.2, §3.3.23, §3.3.26, §3.3.29,
ḥarish (bead), §3.1.102, §3.3.45, §3.3.47
§3.3.44, §§4.2–3, §4.6, §4.11, §4.28,
Ḥasan al-Kaw, §3.2.41
§4.46, 255n7, 255n9, 265n14, 256n20,
al-ḥaṣar. See leucorrhea
257n26, 257n32, 258n38, 259n52, 259n53,
ḥashāb (tree), §4.18, §4.20
259n55, 259n58, 260n77, 262n99,
ḥashshāshah, §3.3.12, 270n220. See also hoe
265n134, 265n137, 265n139, 265n144,
ḥasūw. See madīdah
266n155, 267n168, 267n170, 271n263,
Ḥawwāʾ (Eve), §§3.2.1–3
272n261
al-hayḍah. See cholera
al-Fusṭāṭ, ix
Hebron, §3.1.102, 263n106
al-Fūtāwī. See Madanī al-Fūtāwī; Mālik
the Hejaz, §3.3.11
al-Fūtāwī
hijlīj (tree), §3.3.19, §3.3.25, §§3.3.27–28, §§3.3.39–40, §§4.7–8, §4.30, 269n212.
galanga, §3.2.41
See also kumbā
garlic, §3.1.19, §4.6
hoe, §3.3.52, 270n223
geomancy, §§4.50–54, §4.71
honey, §3.1.19, §3.1.101, §3.3.17, §3.3.25,
Gemini (The Twins; al-Jawzāʾ), §4.29, 272n253. See also Twins’ autumn
§§3.3.38–40, §4.4, §4.7, §4.9 horn, §3.1.103, §3.3.29, §3.3.32, §3.3.38,
al-ghuzayyil (disease), §3.3.7
§4.34, §4.38
gold, §3.1.76, §3.1.98, §3.2.13, §§3.3.42–43, 264n132, 269n213
horse, §3.1.5, §3.1.40, §§3.1.47–48, §3.1.64, §3.1.79, §3.1.90, §3.1.92, §3.1.94,
gonorrhea, 267n166. See also al-jiqqayl
§§3.2.40–41, §3.2.52, §3.3.37, §3.3.44,
gourd, §3.1.19, §§3.1.32–33, §3.1.69, §3.1.106
§3.3.54, §4.17, §4.41, §4.47, §4.50,
groom (in marriage), §3.1.105, §3.2.5,
257n24, 261n82, 265n136
§§3.2.16–17, §3.2.19, §3.2.22, §3.2.23
House of Copper. See Drum House
groom (office) (kūrāyāt), §3.1.57, §3.1.90
ḥummayḍ (tree), §4.12
guinea worm (al-farandīt, al-fartīt),
hunting, §3.1.40, §3.1.50, §3.1.71, §§3.3.30–
§§3.3.14–15
31, §§3.3.34–39, 257n33, 269n207
gum arabic, §3.1.88, §4.18, §4.20
Ḥurmat khidmat al-khiṣyān li-ḍarīh sayyid wuld ʿAdnān. See The Prohibited
gunpowder, §3.1.33, §3.3.36, §4.17
Nature of Using Eunuch Attendants Ḥabbāniyyah, §3.1.8, §3.3.40
at the Tomb of the Lord of ʿAdnān’s
ḥabbūbāt, 257n32
Descendants
Hābīl (Abel), §3.2.36, 266n147 al-habūb (disease), §3.3.14
Ibrāhīm (Abraham), §4.39
ḥarāz (tree), §4.19
India, §3.1.100, §4.16, 261n104, 270n225,
harem, §3.1.107, §3.2.34, §3.2.37
271n236
309
309
Index indigo, §3.1.96
al-jiqqayl (disease), §§3.3.12–13, 268n190
interpreter, §3.1.39, §3.1.41, §3.1.80, §3.1.83
jujube, §3.3.39, §3.3.40, §4.9, §4.14, 271n235
Iraq, 267n170
juri jaráng, §3.2.26
ʿIrayqāt, §3.3.37 iron, §3.1.38, §3.3.52, §4.30, 257n33
kaamíne, §3.1.14, §§3.1.51–52, §3.1.92,
Isḥāq (“the Successor”), §3.2.40, §§4.40–
§3.1.94, 259n56 kaʿb al-ṭīb, §3.1.104
41 Islam, §3.1.109, §3.2.55, 263n106. See also Muslim
kabartū, §3.1.83 Kabkābiyyah, x, §3.1.12, §§3.1.21–22, §3.3.45,
ivory, §3.1.103, §3.3.32
§4.3, §§4.6–7
iyā kūrī, §3.1.76, §3.1.86, §§3.1.91–92. See also Kinānah
Kaeplin, §5.1 kalkaf, §§3.1.96–97 kamkūlak, §3.1.83
Jabal Marrah, x, §§3.1.10–12, §§3.1.15–17,
kanfūs, §3.1.97
§3.1.23, §3.1.28, §§3.1.30–31, §3.1.35,
karbābah, §3.3.8
§3.3.22, §4.3, §§4.6–7, 256n11, 256n18
al-Khārijah, ix
Jabal Tāmah, §3.1.13, §4.52, 266n162
karīr, §3.2.9, §3.2.33
jackalberry, §4.24
karnū (jujube), §4.9
Jadīd Karyū, x, §3.1.7, §3.1.10, §3.1.12,
Karyū. See Jadīd Karyū
§3.2.14, §3.3.50, §4.42, 265n136
Kashmirah, §3.2.57
Jadīd Rās al-Fīl, x, §3.1.7, §3.1.10, §3.1.12, §3.3.52, 255n7
Katakū, ix, §3.1.2, §3.2.58 katkāt, §3.3.44
Jadīd al-Sayl, x, §3.1.12, §3.1.85
kawal, §3.3.28
jaʿjaʿ (tree), §4.24, 271n242
Keira, 255n5, 255n9, 257n36, 258n44,
jalād, §3.1.104
259n58
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī, §3.2.55
kenykenya, §3.3.39, §4.9
Jarkū, x
kettledrums, §3.1.34, §3.1.38, §3.1.42, 257n36
jaundice (abū ṣuffayr), §3.3.7
khaddūr (bead), §3.1.102, §3.3.53, 263n107,
al-jawz al-hindī, §4.11, 271n237. See also palm
279n224 al-Khalīj al-Miṣrī, §4.6, 271n232
al-Jawzāʾ. See Gemini
kharīf (season), §4.29, §4.32, 271n249
Jedda, ix
khayriyyah, §3.3.44
jêl (dance), §§3.2.8–9, §3.2.13
kilí (tree, fruit), §3.1.46, §4.26
jewelry, §3.1.98, §3.2.48, §3.3.43
kīm. See horn
Jew’s mallow, §4.6
Kinānah (iyā kurī, wife of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān
jinn, §3.1.22, §§3.1.30–31, §3.1.34, §3.1.42,
al-Rashīd), §3.1.74
§3.3.7, 263n118
310
310
Index king, §3.1.1, §3.1.4, §3.1.9, §§3.1.14–15, §3.1.17, §3.1.34, §3.1.37, §§3.1.42–45, §3.1.49, §§3.1.53–54, §3.1.56, §3.1.59,
leprosy, §3.3.14 leucorrhea (al-ḥaṣar), §3.2.51, §3.3.14, 267n166
§3.1.63, §3.1.65, §§3.1.68–69, §3.1.72,
lion, §3.1.16, §3.3.31, §4.46, §4.49
§3.1.74, §3.1.80, §§3.1.82–83, §3.1.86,
liqdābah, §§3.1.78–79, 261n79
§§3.1.92–93, §3.1.96, §3.2.17, §3.2.27,
livestock, §3.1.30, §3.1.60, §3.1.110
§3.2.53, §3.2.56, §3.3.18, §3.3.23, §3.3.41,
long cucumber, §4.6
§4.35, §4.43, §§4.48–49, 255n1, 257n33, 259n52, 259n56, 260n61
Madanī al-Fūtāwī, §3.3.18, §3.3.36, §4.39,
Kīrī, §3.1.86
§4.43
kitir (tree), §4.18, §4.20
madīdah (ḥarīrah), §3.3.19, §4.5, §4.10
kohl, §3.1.104, §3.2.19
madraʿah (shuwūr), §3.1.103, §3.2.43
Konyunga, 255n9
Magian (pagan, Zoroastrian), §3.2.55,
kóór kwa, §3.1.39, §3.1.41, §3.1.46, §3.1.47, §3.1.58, §3.1.68, §3.1.80, §3.1.90, §3.1.92
§4.25, 267n170 magic (ṭibb), §3.1.85, §3.3.18, §3.3.21,
Kordofan, §3.1.1, §3.1.16, §3.3.13, 256n18
§§4.39–42
Kūbayh, x, §3.1.7, §3.1.12, §3.1.21, §3.3.22,
mahaleb, §3.1.104
§3.3.45, §3.3.47, §4.3, §§4.6–7, 265n137
Maḥāmīd, §3.1.5, §3.3.23, §§3.3.37–38
Kūkah, §3.2.57
Majānīn, §3.1.5, §3.3.23, §3.3.37
kumbā, §3.3.26, §3.3.28, §4.8. See also hijlīj;
Malanqā (or Mananqā), §3.2.57
salt
malik, §3.1.62, §4.44, §4.46, §4.49
Kunjáara, §3.1.11, §3.1.16
Mālik al-Fūtāwī, §3.3.25, §4.41
kūrāyāt. See groom (office)
Mananqā. See Malanqā
kūrayb, §3.3.40
Mandarah, ix, §3.1.2
kurnug, §3.1.86
Manfalūṭ, ix
Kusā, §3.3.48
manjūr (bead), §3.1.102, §3.4.43, §3.2.50,
Land of the Blacks, §3.1.2, §3.2.58, §§3.3.7–
manṣūṣ (bead), §3.1.100, §3.1.103
262n102, 263n104 8, §3.3.10, §3.3.23, §3.3.43, §§4.21–22,
al-Maqs, ix
§4.29, §4.31
marāhīk. See marhākah
Land of the Fūr, §3.1.1, §3.1.9, §3.1.6
(al-)Marbūṭah, x, §3.1.12, §4.6
language mouth, §3.1.83. See also
marhabayb, §3.1.78, §3.1.86, §4.20, 261n78
interpreter
marhākah (pl. marāhīk), §3.1.91
lanngi (dance), §§3.2.8–9, §3.2.14
maribou stork. See abū ṭanṭarah
laʾūt (tree), §§4.19–20
mārīq. See sorghum
lawī (cotton), §4.16
market, §§3.1.18–19, §3.1.61, §3.1.91, §3.3.45,
lemon tree, §3.1.19, §4.2, §4.7
§§3.3.47–52, §§3.3.54–55, §4.27, 270n216
311
311
Index Marrah, x, §3.1.11, §3.1.15, §3.1.23. See also Jabal Marrah
mughrah, §4.50 Muḥammad (the Prophet), §3.2.55, §4.35,
marriage, §3.1.113, §3.2.3, §3.2.25, §3.2.34, §3.2.48, §3.3.20, §3.3.32, §4.35, 264n123 Masālīṭ, §3.1.3, §§3.1.12–14, §3.2.57, §3.3.23, §4.42, §4.46
§4.45, 272n257 Muḥammad Daldan wad Binayyah, §3.2.14, §4.41, 265n135, 265n136 Muḥammad (al-)Faḍl (sultan of Darfur),
master of the tax collectors, §3.1.62, §3.1.66. See also taxation
§3.1.17, §3.1.76, §3.2.39, §3.2.47, §3.2.54, §4.41, 265n136
maṭāriq, §3.1.78
Muḥammad al-Ḥusayn, 258n45
al–Mazrūb, ix–x, §3.1.3, §3.1.7
Muḥammad Kurrā (shaykh-father), §3.1.55,
measles, §3.3.15
§3.2.39, §3.2.54, §4.41
Mecca, ix, §3.3.23, 255n3
Muḥammad Órré Dungo, §§3.2.41–42,
Medina, ix, §3.3.23
266n155
mééram, §3.1.26, §§3.2.16–17, §3.2.19
Muḥammad Ṣābūn (sultan of Wāddāy),
Mīdawb, §3.1.3, §3.1.12, §3.2.57
§3.1.13, §3.2.44, §4.52, 266n162
mīdawbī. See salt
Muḥammad Tayrāb (sultan of Darfur),
milāʾah, §3.1.95, 262n95
§3.1.6, §3.1.74, §§3.2.40–42, §4.41,
milk, §§3.1.32–33, §3.3.5, §3.3.17, §3.3.25,
264n126, 272n260
§3.3.28, §3.3.40, §4.3, §4.11, §4.17
Muḥammad Taytal (maternal uncle of
millet, §3.1.28, §3.1.65, §3.1.78, §3.1.86,
Muḥammad Faḍl), §§3.2.47–48
§3.1.91, §3.1.99, §3.2.5, §3.2.28, §3.3.7,
Muḥammad al-Tūnisī, §3.1.17
§3.3.19, §3.3.28, §3.3.37, §3.3.40, §3.3.54,
mukhkhayṭ (tree), §4.14
§4.3, §4.5, §4.20, §4.32, 261n88, 261n89,
Muqaṭṭam Hills, §3.1.16
270n227
muql. See palm
millet beer. See beer
muʿrāqī, §4.34
Mīmah, §3.1.4, §3.1.10, §3.1.15, §3.1.35,
musket, §3.1.33, §3.3.36, §4.40
§3.2.57, §3.3.23
Muslim, §3.2.55, 260n65, 263n122, 267n170.
minerals. See agate; amber; antimony;
See also Islam
copper; coral; gold; iron; natron; pǎw;
muslin, §§3.1.94–95
salt; silver; zinc
myrtle, §3.1.104
mirages, §4.31 mishāhrah (bead), §3.1.102
nabk (nabq). See jujube
Misīriyyah, §§3.1.5–6, §3.1.8, §3.1.12, §3.3.23,
Nachtigal, Gustav, 255n3, 257n32, 257n33,
§3.3.40
258n42, 258n47, 259n50, 259n56,
mooge, §3.1.41, §3.1.67, §§3.1.71–73, §3.1.75, §3.1.80, 260n70
260n61, 260n68, 261n78, 261n91, 263n107, 271n237
mortar, §3.3.26, §3.3.49, §4.5, §4.8, §4.27
312
naqāqīr, §3.1.42. See also kettledrums
312
Index nārah, §4.35, 272n258
pepper, §3.1.19, §3.3.28, §4.6, §4.27
natron, §§3.3.4–5, §3.3.14
Perron, Nicolas, §5.1, 256n11, 256n22,
Nile, §4.29, 255n8
258n37, 258n41, 260n66, 261n79, 261n82,
non-Arabic-speaking, §3.1.11, §3.1.35,
262n92, 262n97, 263n116, 263n122,
§3.1.112, §3.2.29, §3.2.33, §3.2.57, §4.3
264n125, 264n132, 264n133, 264n134,
Non-Arabs, §3.1.17
265n136, 265n137, 265n141, 265n145,
Nufah, ix, §3.1.1
266n146, 266n155, 267n168, 268n194,
Numlayh, x, §3.1.12, §3.1.18, §3.1.31, §3.3.51,
269n208, 269n210, 269n212, 270n231,
§4.7, §4.27
271n232, 272n257, 273n263
nyúlmá, §3.3.28
petty king, §3.1.9, §§3.1.14–15, §3.1.17, §§3.1.43–45, §§3.1.53–54, §3.1.59, §3.1.63,
O’Fahey, R. S., 255n5, 256n13, 256n17,
§3.1.65, §3.1.68, §3.1.72, §3.1.74, §3.1.80,
257n33, 258n45, 259n56, 260n77,
§§3.1.82–83, §§3.1.92–93, §3.1.97, §3.3.23,
265n136
§4.48, 255n1
okra, §4.6, 269n203, 270n231, 271n231
petty sultan, §3.1.15, §3.1.63, §3.1.94
onions, §3.1.19, §3.3.51, §4.6, §4.48, §4.49
piaster, §3.3.44, §4.29
ǒrnang, §3.1.26, §3.3.29
pilgrimage (to Mecca and Medina), 255n3
orondolong, §3.1.14, §§3.1.50–51, §3.1.92,
plague, §3.3.8, §3.3.15, §4.36
§3.1.94, 266n152
pleurisy (abū l-ṣufūf), §3.3.14
órré bayyâ, §3.1.59, §3.1.77, §3.1.80, §3.1.87, §§3.1.91–92, 260n64
pôlgo, §§3.3.46–47. See also salt poora'ng ába, §3.1.14, 259n55
órré dee, §3.1.59, §3.1.77, §3.1.79, §3.1.87, §§3.1.89–92, 260n64
pomegranate, §3.1.101,§4.2, §4.26. See also qiddīm
órré'ng ába, §3.1.14
The Prohibited Nature of Using Eunuch
ostrich, §3.1.40, §3.1.71, §3.1.86, §§3.3.37–
Attendants at the Tomb of the Lord of
ʿAdnān’s Descendants (Ḥurmat khidmat
39, 269n210
al-khiṣyān li-ḍarīh sayyid wuld ʿAdnān),
ostrich eggs, §3.1.86
§3.2.55 pagan. See Magian
prophet, §3.1.30, §3.2.55, §4.35, §4.39,
palm, §3.1.19, §3.1.32, §3.1.38; date, §4.7, §4.11; deleb (dulab, dalayb) palm,
§4.45, 272n257 The Prophet. See Muḥammad
§3.2.11, §4.11, 271n236, 271n237; doum (muql), §4.12
Qābīl (Cain), §3.2.35, 266n147
parakeet, §3.3.35
qafal (tree), §4.17, §4.19
Paris, §5.1
qanā (bamboo), §4.25
parrot, §3.3.35
qaraẓ pods, §4.18. See also sant tree
pǎw, §3.1.100
qawwārīn, §3.1.61
313
313
Index qiddīm (tree), §4.13, 271n238
Sarf al-Dajāj, ix–x, §3.1.12, §3.3.45, §4.7
Qirlī, x, §§3.1.11–12, §3.1.14, §§3.3.46–47,
ṣarīf, §3.1.86, §4.20, 261n89
§4.7
sayāl, §3.1.83
qudānī, §§3.1.96–97
sayyid, §3.1.17, §3.1.41, §4.52. See also
qūqū, §3.3.19
Aḥmad Zarrūq
al-Quṣayr, ix
scarification, §3.3.14, §3.3.17. See also
raʿāf. See dam-l-raʿāf
scarlet fever (al-burjuk), §3.3.15
rabdāʾ, §3.3.39, 269n210. See also ostrich
scholar, §3.1.17, §3.1.41, §§3.1.73–74, §3.1.80,
surgery
rainbow, §4.31
§3.1.83, §3.2.33, §3.2.55, §3.3.21, §4.53,
rākūbah, §3.1.78, 261n79
270n221
Ramadan, §4.33, 266n146, 272n257
sequin, §3.3.44
raqraqah, §3.2.7, §3.2.16
servant, §3.1.17, §3.1.23, §3.1.33, §§3.1.39–41,
Rās al-Fīl. See Jadīd Rās al-Fīl
§3.1.107, §3.2.27, §3.2.39, §3.2.43, §3.2.52,
Rashīd. See ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Rashīd
§3.3.18, §3.3.38, §4.42, §§4.47–48, §4.52,
red sorghum. See sorghum
258n38, 260n73
religious scholars, §4.53
sesame, §3.1.65, §3.3.28, §4.4, §4.15
rhinoceros, §§3.3.31–.32, §3.3.38
al-Shabb, ix
Rhodes, ix
al-Shaʿīriyyah, x, §3.3.50
rice, §3.3.25, §3.3.40, §4.3, 264n128
Shālā, §§3.1.7–8, §3.3.22
Rīl, x, §3.1.7, §3.1.9, §3.1.12, §3.1.14, §3.3.50,
shaʿlūb (tree), §3.1.109, §4.26
255n7
sharātī. See shartāy
Rizayqāt, §§3.1.5–6, §3.1.8, §3.3.23, §3.3.40 root, §3.1.104, §3.2.53, §4.8, §4.24, §§4.34– 38, 259n49, 263n107
sharif, §3.1.14, §3.1.17, §3.1.32, §3.1.38, §3.1.41, §§3.1.79–80, §3.1.83, §3.2.5, §3.3.38, §4.50, §4.53
Rūngā, §3.2.38, 266n153, 267n170
shartāy (pl. sharātī), §3.1.14, §3.1.63
ruqād al-fāqah (bead), §3.1.102
shāw (tree), §§4.22–23 shawtar (pl. shawātir), §3.3.52, §3.1.96
sadā, §4.35
the Shaykh of the Mountain, §3.1.20
the Ṣaʿīd, 255n8
shaykh-father, §§3.1.14–15, §3.1.55, §3.1.59,
Salīmah, ix
§3.1.92, §3.2.38, §§3.2.41–42, §4.41,
salt, §3.1.43, §3.3.26, §3.3.28, §§3.3.46–47,
259n56. See also Muḥammad Kurrā
§§4.7–8, §4.14; mīdawbī, §3.3.47;
shea, §4.15
zaghāwī, §3.3.47. See also kumbā; pôlgo
shīkah, §3.3.44
sand dunes, §3.1.85. See also the Dunes
Shīth (Seth), §4.39
sangadiri, §3.2.8, §3.2.10
shūsh, §3.1.101
sant tree, §3.2.91, §4.18, §4.20
Shūshū (shaykh), §3.3.38
314
314
Index shuwūr. See madraʿah
sudāsī, §3.3.45. See also slave
sickness, §3.1.22, §3.3.1, §3.3.23
suktāyah, §3.1.86, §§3.1.90–91, §3.1.108
Silā. See Dār Silā
Sulaymān Solongdungo, 258n45
silk, §3.1.80, §3.1.95, §3.1.97, §3.2.40, §4.17
Sulaymān Tīr, §3.1.92, §3.2.39
silver, §3.1.20, §3.1.76, §3.1.91, §§3.1.98–99,
surgery, §§3.3.16–17. See also cauterization;
§3.1.103, §§3.3.42–43, 269n213
castration; circumcision; scarification
Sinnār, §3.1.1, §3.2.58, §4.6, 271n233
al-sūtiyyah (disease), §3.3.15
slave, §3.1.18, §§3.1.32–33, §3.1.39, §§3.1.47–
al-Suwaynah, ix–x
48, §3.1.60, §3.1.66, §3.1.69, §3.1.76,
syphilis. See al-jiqqayl
§3.1.80, §§3.1.90–92, §3.1.107, §§3.1.112–
Syrian sorghum. See sorghum
113, §3.2.3, §3.2.5, §3.2.8, §§3.2.11–12, §3.2.28, §§3.2.35–36, §3.2.41, §§3.2.48–
tābā. See tobacco
52, §3.3.36, §3.3.44, §4.1, §4.44, §4.50,
tabaldī (tree), §3.3.19, §4.10
§§4.52–53, §4.63, 260n65, 260n73,
Tabaldiyyah, §3.1.7, §3.1.10, §3.1.12
262n102, 265n136, 266n153, 273n262
ṭabbābī, §3.3.21, 268n198. See also magic
smallpox, §§3.3.8–10
ṭabīb, 268n198
smith, §3.3.30, 269n207
Ṭāhir (son of Aḥmad Bukur), 265n137
sparrow, §3.3.4, §3.3.35
takākī. See See tukkiyyah
Sodom apple, §3.3.14, §4.17
Takrūr, §3.1.2
sons of sultans, §3.1.45, §3.3.21, §4.41,
Tāldawā, x, §3.1.7
272n260
ṭalḥ (tree), §4.18
soomiit (bead), §3.1.100
tamarind, §3.3.17, §3.3.40
sorghum (mārīq), §3.1.65, §3.1.99, §3.3.37,
Tamurrū al-Fullānī, §3.3.21, §4.42
§4.3, §4.32; red (ʿazīr), §4.3; Syrian (abū abāṭ), §4.3; white (abū shalawlaw), §4.3
Tandaltī, x, §3.1.7, §3.1.12, §3.1.14, §§3.1.84–85
spikenard, §3.1.104
tǎrne, §§3.3.44–45, §3.3.47
spleen, §3.3.15
Tǎrne, ix–x, §3.1.12
the sprinkle (season), §§4.29–30, §4.32,
tarnga jíso, §3.2.26
§4.42, 282n250
tawse (dance), §3.2.8, §3.2.12
squash, §3.1.19, §4.6
taxation, §§3.1.5–7, §3.1.14, §§3.1.61–62,
stork. See abū ṭanṭarah
§§3.1.65–66, 257n32, 260n65
sūbiyā, §3.2.6
tax collector, §3.1.62, §3.1.66, §4.44
subu jelló, §3.2.26
taytal, §3.3.29, 269n206. See also cattle
the Successor. See Isḥāq the Successor
textiles. See baft; broadcloth; calico;
Sudan, 255n3, 257n25, 258n46, 265n136,
camlet; cashmere; cotton; kalkaf;
265n140, 268n193, 268n194, 269n206,
katkāt; lawī; muslin; qudānī; shawtar;
269n207, 270n231, 270n233
shīkah; silk; tīkaw
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Index thawb, §3.1.97
ʿUmar Lēl (sultan of Darfur), §4.41
ṭibb, §3.3.21, 268n198. See also magic
ʿUmar al-Tūnisī (father of the author),
tīkaw, §§3.1.96–97
§3.1.17
tikináwi, §3.1.9, §3.1.12, §§3.1.14–15, §3.1.54, §3.1.92
umbrella thorn acacia, §4.18 umm bulbul. See wine
Timbuktu. See Dār Tunbuktū
Umm Ḥabīb. See Kinānah
tindinga (dance), §3.2.8, §3.2.12, §3.2.15
umm ṣuquʿ (disease), §3.3.5, 268n184
tobacco (tābā), §3.1.49, §§3.3.48–49,
Upper Egypt, §4.12, §4.17, 255n8
ʿUthmān wad ʿAllaw, §3.3.9
270n221 tog jêl (drum), §3.1.70, §3.1.83 tómbol (drum), §3.2.22, 256n20
the Victorious (drum), §3.1.34, §3.1.38,
Tomorókkóngá, §3.1.9, §3.1.11, §3.1.14,
§3.1.45, 257n36, 260n70
§3.1.35, §3.1.53, §3.2.57, §3.3.53, §4.46,
vitiligo, §3.3.14
§§4.48–49, 272n261
vizier, §3.1.16, §3.1.24, §3.1.41, §3.1.43,
Tradition, §3.1.38, 255n9
§3.1.45, §3.1.46, §§3.1.48–49, §3.1.59,
tree. See acacia; ʿandurāb; banana tree;
§§3.1.73–74, §3.1.80, §3.1.92, §3.1.93,
baṭṭūm; carob; dāyūq; doum palm;
§3.1.96, §§3.2.16–17, §3.2.19, §3.2.39,
dulab; ebony; ḥarāz; ḥashāb; hijlīj;
§3.3.38, §§4.43–45, §4.48
ḥummayḍ; jackalberry; jaʿjaʿ; jujube; karnū; kilí; kitir; laʾūt; lemon tree;
Wāddāy (Wadadāy), ix–x, §§3.1.1–2, §3.1.11,
mukhkhayṭ; palm; qafal; qiddīm; sant
§3.1.13, §3.1.16, §§3.1.82–83, §3.1.96,
tree; sayāl; shaʿlūb; shāw; shea; tabaldī;
§3.2.44, §3.2.54, §3.2.58, §3.3.3, §3.3.11,
ṭalḥ; umbrella thorn acacia
§3.3.13, §§3.3.37–38, §4.29, §4.33, §4.50,
Tripoli (Libya), §3.3.48
§4.53, 255n2
tuberculosis, §3.3.15
Wādī l-Kūʿ, x, §3.1.12, §3.1.85, §3.1.92, §4.6
Tubū, §3.2.58
wajaj, §3.3.37
tukkiyyah (pl. takākī), §§3.3.44–45,
Wārah, §3.3.39
§§3.3.51–52, §3.3.54
warrāniyyah, §§3.2.26–27
tukultī, §3.1.86
watermelon, §4.5
Tunis, ix, §3.2.38, §3.3.7, §4.15, §4.50
waykah, §§3.3.25–27, 269n203
Tunjūr, §3.1.4, §3.1.10, §3.1.13, §3.1.15,
wedding, §3.1.26, §§3.2.–5, §3.2.8, §3.2.19,
§3.2.57, 255n5
§3.2.22, §3.2.26, §§3.2.28–29, §3.3.20
Turkey, Turks, §3.1.29, §3.1.71
wheat, §3.1.21, §3.1.28, §3.1.91, §§4.2–3,
Turqunak Muḥammad, §3.2.44
§4.29, 257n34
al-Ṭuwayshah, ix, §3.1.3, §3.1.16
white sorghum. See sorghum
the Twins. See Gemini
whydah, §3.3.35, 269n209
Twins’ autumn, §4.32, 272n253.
wild cattle, §3.2.29, §3.3.31, 269n206
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Index wine, §3.2.20, §4.26; metaphor for saliva, §3.2.60, 267n177; umm bulbul, §§3.2.5–6,
Yājūj and Mājūj (Gog and Magog), §3.3.23 the yellow air. See cholera
§3.2.28, 264n125 wirdah (disease), §3.3.8
Zabadah, §3.3.37
woman, women, §3.1.13, §3.1.18, §3.1.23,
Zaghāwah, §§3.1.9–10, §§3.1.13–15, §3.1.35,
§§3.1.25–26, §3.1.32, §§3.1.37–38,
§§3.3.22–23. See also tikináwi, Dār
§§3.1.59–60, §3.1.66, §§3.1.76–77,
(al-)Zaghāwah
§§3.1.90–92, §§3.1.97–105, §§3.1.107–8.
zaghāwī. See salt
§3.1.112, §§3.2.5–7, §3.2.9, §§3.2.12–16,
zakat, §§3.1.65. See also taxation
§3.2.19, §3.2.22 , §3.2.24, §3.2.26,
ẓalīm, §2.3.39, 269n201. See also ostrich
§§3.2.29–30, §§3.2.32–34, §§3.2.36–37,
zarībah, §§3.1.86–87, §4.20, 261n89
§3.2.39, §§3.2.43–48, §3.2.50, §§3.2.52–
Zayādiyyah, §3.3.24, §3.3.37
59, §3.3.2, §§3.3.13–14, §§3.3.19–20,
zinc, §3.1.103
§3.3.24, §3.3.43, §3.3.45, §3.3.53,
Zoroastrian. See Magian
§§4.27–28, §4.35, §§4.50–51, §4.57,
ẓufr, §3.1.104
§4.59, §4.65, §4.66, 263n103, 263n107, 264n129, 265n145, 267n168, 268n194
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About the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute
The Library of Arabic Literature is supported by a grant from the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute, a major hub of intellectual and creative activity and advanced research. The Institute hosts academic conferences, workshops, lectures, film series, performances, and other public programs directed both to audiences within the UAE and to the worldwide academic and research community. It is a center of the scholarly community for Abu Dhabi, bringing together faculty and researchers from institutions of higher learning throughout the region. NYU Abu Dhabi, through the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute, is a world-class center of cutting-edge research, scholarship, and cultural activity. The Institute creates singular opportunities for leading researchers from across the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, engineering, and the professions to carry out creative scholarship and conduct research on issues of major disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and global significance.
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About the Typefaces
The Arabic body text is set in DecoType Naskh, designed by Thomas Milo and Mirjam Somers, based on an analysis of five centuries of Ottoman manuscript practice. The exceptionally legible result is the first and only typeface in a style that fully implements the principles of script grammar (qawāʿid al-khaṭṭ). The Arabic footnote text is set in DecoType Emiri, drawn by Mirjam Somers, based on the metal typeface in the naskh style that was cut for the 1924 Cairo edition of the Qurʾan. Both Arabic typefaces in this series are controlled by a dedicated font layout engine. ACE, the Arabic Calligraphic Engine, invented by Peter Somers, Thomas Milo, and Mirjam Somers of DecoType, first operational in 1985, pioneered the principle followed by later smart font layout technologies such as OpenType, which is used for all other typefaces in this series. The Arabic text was set with WinSoft Tasmeem, a sophisticated user interface for DecoType ACE inside Adobe InDesign. Tasmeem was conceived and created by Thomas Milo (DecoType) and Pascal Rubini (WinSoft) in 2005. The English text is set in Adobe Text, a new and versatile text typeface family designed by Robert Slimbach for Western (Latin, Greek, Cyrillic) typesetting. Its workhorse qualities make it perfect for a wide variety of applications, especially for longer passages of text where legibility and economy are important. Adobe Text bridges the gap between calligraphic Renaissance types of the 15th and 16th centuries and high-contrast Modern styles of the 18th century, taking many of its design cues from early post-Renaissance Baroque transitional types cut by designers such as Christoffel van Dijck, Nicolaus Kis, and William Caslon. While grounded in classical form, Adobe Text is also a statement of contemporary utilitarian design, well suited to a wide variety of print and on-screen applications.
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Titles Published by the Library of Arabic Literature
For more details on individual titles, visit www.libraryofarabicliterature.org Classical Arabic Literature: A Library of Arabic Literature Anthology Selected and translated by Geert Jan van Gelder (2012) A Treasury of Virtues: Sayings, Sermons, and Teachings of ʿAlī, by al-Qāḍī al-Quḍāʿī, with the One Hundred Proverbs attributed to al-Jāḥiẓ Edited and translated by Tahera Qutbuddin (2013) The Epistle on Legal Theory, by al-Shāfiʿī Edited and translated by Joseph E. Lowry (2013) Leg over Leg, by Aḥmad Fāris al-Shidyāq Edited and translated by Humphrey Davies (4 volumes; 2013–14) Virtues of the Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, by Ibn al-Jawzī Edited and translated by Michael Cooperson (2 volumes; 2013–15) The Epistle of Forgiveness, by Abū l-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī Edited and translated by Geert Jan van Gelder and Gregor Schoeler (2 volumes; 2013–14) The Principles of Sufism, by ʿĀʾishah al-Bāʿūniyyah Edited and translated by Th. Emil Homerin (2014) The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muḥammad, by Maʿmar ibn Rāshid Edited and translated by Sean W. Anthony (2014) Two Arabic Travel Books Accounts of China and India, by Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī Edited and translated by Tim Mackintosh-Smith (2014) Mission to the Volga, by Aḥmad ibn Faḍlān Edited and translated by James Montgomery (2014)
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Titles Published by the Library of Arabic Literature
Disagreements of the Jurists: A Manual of Islamic Legal Theory, by al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān Edited and translated by Devin J. Stewart (2015) Consorts of the Caliphs: Women and the Court of Baghdad, by Ibn al-Sāʿī Edited by Shawkat M. Toorawa and translated by the Editors of the Library of Arabic Literature (2015) What ʿĪsā ibn Hishām Told Us, by Muḥammad al-Muwayliḥī Edited and translated by Roger Allen (2 volumes; 2015) The Life and Times of Abū Tammām, by Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā al-Ṣūlī Edited and translated by Beatrice Gruendler (2015) The Sword of Ambition: Bureaucratic Rivalry in Medieval Egypt, by ʿUthmān ibn Ibrāhīm al-Nābulusī Edited and translated by Luke Yarbrough (2016) Brains Confounded by the Ode of Abū Shādūf Expounded, by Yūsuf al-Shirbīnī Edited and translated by Humphrey Davies (2 volumes; 2016) Light in the Heavens: Sayings of the Prophet Muḥammad, by al-Qāḍī al-Quḍāʿī Edited and translated by Tahera Qutbuddin (2016) Risible Rhymes, by Muḥammad ibn Maḥfūẓ al-Sanhūrī Edited and translated by Humphrey Davies (2016) A Hundred and One Nights Edited and translated by Bruce Fudge (2016) The Excellence of the Arabs, by Ibn Qutaybah Edited by James E. Montgomery and Peter Webb Translated by Sarah Bowen Savant and Peter Webb (2017) Scents and Flavors: A Syrian Cookbook Edited and translated by Charles Perry (2017) Arabian Satire: Poetry from 18th-Century Najd, by Ḥmēdān al-Shwēʿir Edited and translated by Marcel Kurpershoek (2017)
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Titles Published by the Library of Arabic Literature
In Darfur: An Account of the Sultanate and its People, by Muḥammad ibn
ʿUmar al-Tūnisī Edited and translated by Humphrey Davies (2 volumes; 2018)
English-only Paperbacks Leg over Leg, by Aḥmad Fāris al-Shidyāq (2 volumes; 2015) The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muḥammad, by Maʿmar ibn Rāshid (2015) The Epistle on Legal Theory: A Translation of al-Shāfiʿī’s Risālah, by al-Shāfiʿī (2015) The Epistle of Forgiveness, by Abū l-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī (2016) The Principles of Sufism, by ʿĀʾishah al-Bāʿūniyyah (2016) A Treasury of Virtues: Sayings, Sermons and Teachings of ʿAlī, by al-Qāḍī al-Quḍāʿī with the One Hundred Proverbs, attributed to al-Jāḥiẓ (2016) The Life of Ibn Ḥanbal, by Ibn al-Jawzī (2016) Mission to the Volga, by Ibn Faḍlān (2017) Accounts of China and India, by Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī (2017) A Hundred and One Nights (2017) Disagreements of the Jurists: A Manual of Islamic Legal Theory, by al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān (2017) What ʿĪsā ibn Hishām Told Us, by Muḥammad al-Muwayliḥī (2018)
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About the Editor–Translator
Humphrey Davies is an award-winning translator of some twenty works of modern Arabic literature, among them Alaa Al-Aswany’s The Yacoubian Building, five novels by Elias Khoury, including Gate of the Sun, and Aḥmad Fāris al-Shidyāq’s Leg over Leg. He has also made a critical edition, translation, and lexicon of the Ottoman-period Hazz al-quḥūf bi-sharḥ qaṣīd Abī Shādūf (Brains Confounded by the Ode of Abū Shādūf Expounded) by Yūsuf al-Shirbīnī and compiled with a colleague an anthology entitled Al-ʿāmmiyyah al-miṣriyyah al-maktūbah: mukhtārāt min 1400 ilā 2009 (Egyptian Colloquial Writing: selections from 1400 to 2009). He read Arabic at the University of Cambridge, received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, and, previous to undertaking his first translation in 2003, worked for social development and research organizations in Egypt, Tunisia, Palestine, and Sudan. He is affiliated with the American University in Cairo, where he lives.
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