Al-Mas'udi (المسعودي) — Page 18

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

الْعَبِيدُ الْأَتْرَاكُ، وَتَعْلِيمُهُم فُنُونَ الْحَرْبِ، وَاتِّخَاذُهُم حُرَّاسًا لَهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ عَدَدُهُم حَوْلَهُ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافِ رَجُلٍ.

They employed Turkish slaves, training them in the arts of war and taking them on as personal guards until their number reached four thousand.

وَقَدْ أَدْرَكَ الْمَسْعُودِيُّ خُطُورَةَ الْجُنُودِ الْأَتْرَاكِ الَّذِينَ شَجَّعَهُم نَجَاحُهُم عَلَى قَتْلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ، فَشَارَكُوا فِي قَتْلِ خُلَفَاءَ آخَرِينَ.

Al-Masudi recognized the danger posed by these Turkish soldiers, whose success in killing Al-Mutawakkil emboldened them to participate in the assassinations of other caliphs.

وَلَكِنَّ بَغْدَادَ تَوَسَّعَت عَلَى ضِفَافِ دِجْلَةَ، فَأُقِيمَت فِيهَا دَارُ الْخِلَافَةِ، وَقُصُورٌ، وَمَسَاجِدُ، وَحَدَائِقُ، وَبَسَاتِينُ.

Baghdad expanded along the banks of the Tigris, where the Caliphate established its seat, along with palaces, mosques, gardens, and orchards.

وَكَانَت بِرَكُ الْقُصُورِ مُزَيَّنَةً بِأَزْهَارِ اللُّوتَسِ وَالْحَدَائِقُ مَزْرُوعَةٌ بِأَنْوَاعِ الْوُرُودِ وَالنَّرْجِسِ، وَشَقَائِقِ النُّعْمَانِ وَالْبَنَفْسَجِ، وَالْيَاسَمِينِ، وَالرُّمَّانِ وَالْقَرَنْفُلِ، وَالزَّنْبَقِ، وَالرَّيْحَانِ، وَالْأَزَاهِيرِ الَّتِي تَمْلَأُ الْجَوَّ بِرَوَائِحِهَا الزَّكِيَّةِ الْعَطِرَةِ.

Palace pools were decorated with lotus flowers, and the gardens were planted with roses, narcissus, anemones, violets, jasmine, pomegranates, carnations, lilies, basil, and blossoms that filled the air with their sweet, fragrant scents.

وَلَمْ يَبْخَل بَعْضُ الْخُلَفَاءِ بِإِنْفَاقِ الْأَمْوَالِ عَلَى شِرَاءِ الْأَشْجَارِ وَالنَّبَاتَاتِ مِنَ الْهِنْدِ، وَنَقْلِهَا عَبْرَ عُمَانَ وَالْبَصْرَةِ.

Some caliphs spared no expense in purchasing trees and plants from India and transporting them via Oman and Basra.

وَيَصِفُ الْمَسْعُودِيُّ حَيَاةَ الْحُكَّامِ، وَطِبَاعَهُم، وَلِبَاسَهُم، وَحُرَّاسَهُم، وَآدَابَ الدُّخُولِ عَلَيْهِم وَالتَّحَدُّثِ إِلَيْهِم.

Al-Masudi describes the lives of these rulers, their temperaments, their attire, their guards, and the etiquette required for entering their presence and speaking with them.

كَمَا وَيَرْسُمُ لَوْحَةً كَبِيرَةً لِلْوَلَائِمِ اللَّيْلِيَّةِ وَلَعِبِ الشِّطْرَنْجِ، وَلِأَسْوَاقِ بَغْدَادَ وَحَمَّامَاتِهَا، وَدَكَاكِينِهَا وَبَضَائِعِهَا، وَأَطْعِمَتِهَا وَتُجَّارِهَا مِنْ عَرَبٍ، وَفُرْسٍ، وَهُنُودٍ، وَصِينِيِّينَ.

He also paints a vivid picture of nightly banquets and chess games, as well as Baghdad's markets, baths, shops, goods, food, and the merchants who came from Arab, Persian, Indian, and Chinese lands.

غَيْرَ أَنَّ سَبَبَ شُهْرَةِ بَغْدَادَ لَيْسَ الْقُصُورَ، وَالْحَدَائِقَ وَالتِّجَارَةَ، بَلْ هُوَ أَنَّهَا كَانَت مَرْكَزَ عِلْمٍ وَثَقَافَةٍ يَقْصِدُهُ طُلَّابُ الْمَعْرِفَةِ مِنْ جَمِيعِ شُعُوبِ دَوْلَةِ الْخِلَافَةِ.

Yet, Baghdad’s fame did not stem from its palaces, gardens, or trade, but rather from its status as a center of science and culture, sought out by students of knowledge from every corner of the Caliphate.

كَانَ الْأَوْلَادُ، وَهُم مَا بَيْنَ الْخَامِسَةِ وَالسَّابِعَةِ مِنَ الْعُمْرِ، يَتَعَلَّمُونَ الْقِرَاءَةَ وَالْكِتَابَةَ بِحِفْظِ الْقُرْآنِ الْكَرِيمِ عَلَى يَدِ شَيْخِ الْجَامِعِ فِي كُلِّ حَيٍّ.

Children between the ages of five and seven learned to read and write by memorizing the Holy Quran under the guidance of the local mosque sheikh in every neighborhood.

وَيَدْرُسُونَ التَّفْسِيرَ، وَالسِّيرَةَ النَّبَوِيَّةَ، وَالْحَدِيثَ الشَّرِيفَ، ثُمَّ يَنْتَقِلُونَ إِلَى قِرَاءَةِ الشِّعْرِ الْعَرَبِيِّ وَحِفْظِهِ، مِنَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ حَتَّى أَيَّامِهِم.

They studied interpretation, the Prophetic biography, and the noble Hadith, before moving on to read and memorize Arabic poetry from the pre-Islamic era down to their own time.

وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ يَتَطَّلَبُ مِنَ التِّلْمِيذِ الْجِدَّ وَالذَّكَاءَ، وَالرَّغْبَةَ، وَالصَّبْرَ الطَّوِيلَ.

This required the pupil to possess diligence, intelligence, desire, and great patience.

وَبَعْدَ ذَلِكَ يَسْتَمِعُ الطَّالِبُ إِلَى أَسَاتِذَةٍ مِنْ كِبَارِ الْعُلَمَاءِ يُلْقُونَ دُرُوسَهُم فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ، وَيُعْطُونَ الطَّالِبَ شَهَادَةً بِكُلِّ كِتَابٍ حَفِظَهُ غَيْبًا، وَنَسَخَهُ أَيْضًا.

Afterward, students would listen to senior scholars deliver lessons in the mosques, receiving a certificate for every book they had memorized by heart and transcribed.

وَيَسْتَمِرُّ الطَّالِبُ بِالِاسْتِمَاعِ وَالْحِفْظِ حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ عَالِمًا.

Students continued this process of listening and memorizing until they themselves became scholars.

وَلَمْ يَكُنِ النَّاسُ قَدْ عَرَفُوا آلَاتِ الطِّبَاعَةِ بَعْدُ فَكَانَتِ الْكُتُبُ تُنْسَخُ بِخَطِّ الْيَدِ، وَهِيَ صَنْعَةٌ يَقُومُ بِهَا نُسَّاخٌ غَالِبًا مَا يَكُونُونَ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الْفُقَرَاءِ.

Before the advent of printing, books were copied by hand—a craft performed by copyists who were often from poor families.

أَمَّا بَيْعُ الْكُتُبِ فَيَقُومُ بِهِ الْوَرَّاقُونَ فِي دَكَاكِينِهِم.

The sale of these books was handled by stationers in their shops.

وَكَانَتِ الْمَكْتَبَاتُ الْمَنْزِلِيَّةُ فِي بُيُوتِ الْمَيْسُورِينَ بِبَغْدَادَ عَادَةً مَعْرُوفَةً مُنْذُ أَيَّامِ الْخَلِيفَةِ الْمَنْصُورِ الَّذِي جَمَعَ مَكْتَبَةً ضَخْمَةً فِي دَارِ الْخِلَافَةِ.

Home libraries in the houses of the wealthy had been a common practice in Baghdad since the days of Caliph Al-Mansur, who amassed a massive collection in the House of the Caliphate.

وَمَا وَصَلَت مَكْتَبَةُ الْخَلِيفَةِ إِلَى الْمَأْمُونِ بِالْوِرَاثَةِ، جَعَلَ مِنْهَا مُؤَسَّسَةً عِلْمِيَّةً شَهِيرَةً تُعْرَفُ بِـ «دَارِ الْحِكْمَةِ».

When the Caliph's library passed to Al-Ma'mun through inheritance, he transformed it into a famous scientific institution known as the 'House of Wisdom.'

وَكَانَت مَكْتَبَةُ الْخَلِيفَةِ فِي بَغْدَادَ، أَيَّامَ الْمَسْعُودِيِّ، تَحْتَوِي عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِئَةِ أَلْفِ مَخْطُوطٍ مُجَلَّدٍ، فِي حِينِ لَمْ تَكُن أَكْبَرُ مَكْتَبَةٍ فِي أُورُوبَّا تَضُمُّ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ بِضْعِ مِئَاتٍ مِنَ الْمَخْطُوطَاتِ.

During Al-Masudi’s time, the Caliph's library in Baghdad held over one hundred thousand bound manuscripts, while the largest library in Europe contained no more than a few hundred.

كَمَا شَاعَت مَكْتَبَاتُ الْوَقْفِ الَّتِي كَانَ يَتَبَرَّعُ بِهَا أَصْحَابُهَا لِلْمَسَاجِدِ لِيَقْرَأَ مَخْطُوطَاتِهَا مَنْ يُرِيدُ.

Endowment libraries also became widespread, as owners donated their collections to mosques so that anyone could read their manuscripts.

وَكَانَ أَيُّ شَخْصٍ يَأْتِي إِلَى بَغْدَادَ يَسْتَطِيعُ الْحُصُولَ عَلَى مَا يُرِيدُ مِنَ الْكُتُبِ، بَلْ وَعَلَى غُرْفَةٍ لِلْإِقَامَةِ، وَأَحْيَانًا عَلَى بَعْضِ الْمَالِ لِلْمَصْرُوفِ الشَّخْصِيِّ.

Anyone arriving in Baghdad could obtain the books they needed, along with a room to stay in, and sometimes even a stipend for personal expenses.

Vocabulary · المفردات (39 verbs · 121 nouns)

• بَلَغَ — to reach
• أَدْرَكَ — to realize
• شَجَّعَ — to encourage
• قَتَلَ — to kill
• شَارَكَ — to participate
• تَوَسَّعَ — to expand
• أَقَامَ — to establish
• زَيَّنَ — to decorate
• زَرَعَ — to plant
• مَلَأَ — to fill
• بَخِلَ — to begrudge
• أَنْفَقَ — to spend
• وَصَفَ — to describe
• رَسَمَ — to draw
• قَصَدَ — to intend
• تَعَلَّمَ — to learn
• حَفِظَ — to memorize
• دَرَسَ — to study
• انْتَقَلَ — to move
• تَطَلَّبَ — to require
• اسْتَمَعَ — to listen
• أَلْقَى — to deliver
• أَعْطَى — to give
• نَسَخَ — to copy
• اسْتَمَرَّ — to continue
• أَصْبَحَ — to become
• عَرَفَ — to know
• قَامَ — to perform
• جَمَعَ — to collect
• وَصَلَ — to arrive
• جَعَلَ — to make
• احْتَوَى — to contain
• ضَمَّ — to include
• شَاعَ — to spread
• تَبَرَّعَ — to donate
• قَرَأَ — to read
• أَرَادَ — to want
• أَتَى — to come
• اسْتَطَاعَ — to manage to
• عَبْد — slave
• فَنٌّ — art
• حَرْب — war
• حَارِس — guard
• عَدَد — number
• رَجُل — man
• خُطُورَة — danger
• جُنْدِيٌّ — soldier
• نَجَاح — success
• قَتْل — killing
• خَلِيفَة — caliph
• ضِفَّة — bank
• دَار — house
• خِلَافَة — caliphate
• قَصْر — palace
• مَسْجِد — mosque
• حَدِيقَة — garden
• بُسْتَان — orchard
• بِرْكَةٌ — pool
• زَهْرَة — flower
• لُوتَس — lotus
• نَوْع — type
• وَرْد — rose
• نَرْجِس — narcissus
• شَقِيقَة — anemone
• بَنَفْسَج — violet
• يَاسَمِين — jasmine
• رُمَّان — pomegranate
• قَرَنْفُل — carnation
• زَنْبَق — lily
• رَيْحَان — basil
• زَهْرَة — blossom
• جَوٌّ — atmosphere
• رَائِحَة — scent
• مَال — money
• شَجَرَة — tree
• نَبَات — plant
• حَيَاة — life
• حَاكِم — ruler
• طَبْع — nature
• لِبَاس — clothing
• أَدَب — etiquette
• دُخُول — entry
• لَوْحَة — painting
• وَلِيمَة — banquet
• لَعِب — game
• شِطْرَنْجٌ — chess
• سُوقٌ — market
• حَمَّام — bath
• دُكَّان — shop
• بِضَاعَة — merchandise
• أُطْعِمَة — food
• تَاجِر — merchant
• سَبَب — reason
• شُهْرَة — fame
• تِجَارَة — trade
• مَرْكَز — center
• عِلْم — knowledge
• ثَقَافَة — culture
• طَالِب — student
• مَعْرِفَة — knowledge
• شَعْب — people
• دَوْلَة — state
• وَلَد — child
• عُمْر — age
• قِرَاءَة — reading
• كِتَابَة — writing
• حِفْظ — memorization
• قُرْآن — Quran
• يَد — hand
• شَيْخ — sheikh
• جَامِع — mosque
• حَيٌّ — neighborhood
• تَفْسِير — interpretation
• سِيرَة — biography
• حَدِيث — hadith
• شِعْرٌ — poetry
• جَاهِلِيَّة — pre-Islamic era
• يَوْم — day
• تِلْمِيذ — pupil
• جِدٌّ — diligence
• ذَكَاء — intelligence
• رَغْبَة — desire
• صَبْر — patience
• أُسْتَاذ — professor
• عَالِم — scholar
• دَرْس — lesson
• شَهَادَة — certificate
• كِتَاب — book
• غَيْب — memory
• آلَة — machine
• طِبَاعَة — printing
• خَطٌّ — handwriting
• صَنْعَة — craft
• نَسَّاخ — copyist
• بَيْع — sale
• وَرَّاق — stationer
• مَكْتَبَة — library
• بَيْت — house
• عَادَة — habit
• وِرَاثَة — inheritance
• مُؤَسَّسَة — institution
• حِكْمَة — wisdom
• مَخْطُوط — manuscript
• مُجَلَّد — volume
• وَقْف — endowment
• صَاحِب — owner
• شَخْص — person
• غُرْفَة — room
• إِقَامَة — residence
• مَصْرُوف — expense
• كَبِيرَة — big (feminine)
• ضَخْمَة — huge
• مُزَيَّنَة — adorned
• مَعْرُوفَة — known
• أَكْثَر — more
• شَهِيرَة — famous
• خَامِسَة — the fifth one (feminine noun); fifth (feminine adjective)
• مَنْزِلِيَّة — domestic
• أَكْبَر — bigger
• عَطِرَة — fragrant (feminine adjective)