The Merchant of Baghdad (تاجر بغداد) — Page 17

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

فَلَمْ يَشَأْ أَنْ يُضِيعَ هَذِهِ الْفُرْصَةَ،

He did not want to let this opportunity slip by.

وَعَزَمَ عَلَى رُؤْيَةِ الْآثَارِ الْقَدِيمَةِ الَّتِي كَانَ يَسْمَعُ بِهَا مِنَ الْمُسَافِرِينَ وَهُوَ فِي بَغْدَادَ.

He resolved to see the ancient monuments he had heard travelers describe while he was in Baghdad.

فَكَانَ يَذْهَبُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ إِلَى بَعْضِ الْآثَارِ الشَّهِيرَةِ، وَيُمَتِّعُ نَفْسَهُ بِرُؤْيَتِهَا.

Each day he visited famous sites, taking pleasure in the sight of them.

وَكَانَ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَيَّامِ يَرْكَبُ زَوْرَقًا فِي النِّيلِ لِيَزُورَ الْبِلَادَ الْقَرِيبَةَ مِنَ الْقَاهِرَةِ، وَيَرَى مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْآثَارِ الْجَمِيلَةِ

Sometimes he would take a boat along the Nile to visit towns near Cairo and view their beautiful ruins.

وَذَهَبَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِلَى أَهْرَامِ الْجِيزَةِ، فَأُعْجِبَ بِهَا إِعْجَابًا شَدِيدًا.

One day he went to the Giza pyramids and was deeply impressed.

وَقَدْ سُرَّ عَلِيُّ كُوجِيَا مِنْ سَفَرِهِ إِلَى الْقَاهِرَةِ، لِأَنَّهُ اكْتَسَبَ فَوَائِدَ كَثِيرَةً، لَمْ يَكُنْ يَنَالُهَا لَوْلَا سَفَرُهُ. فِي بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ.

Ali Cogia was pleased with his trip to Cairo, as he gained much knowledge he would have otherwise missed.

وَلَمَّا جَاءَ مَوْعِدُ سَفَرِ الْقَافِلَةِ الذَّاهِبَةِ إِلَى دِمَشْقَ، رَكِبَ فِيهَا.

When the caravan for Damascus was ready to depart, he joined them.

وَمَا زَالَتِ الْقَافِلَةُ سَائِرَةً حَتَّى وَصَلَتْ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ.

The caravan traveled on until it reached Jerusalem.

فَانْتَهَزَ عَلِيُّ كُوجِيَا هَذِهِ الْفُرْصَةَ، وَزَارَ ذَلِكَ الْمَسْجِدَ الْعَظِيمَ؛ كَمَا زَارَ مَكَّةَ مِنْ قَبْلُ. فِي دِمَشْقَ.

Ali Cogia seized the chance to visit the great mosque, just as he had visited Mecca before.

ثُمَّ سَارَ مَعَ الْقَافِلَةِ إِلَى دِمَشْقَ.

He then continued with the caravan to Damascus.

فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ إِلَيْهَا رَآهَا مَدِينَةً جَمِيلَةً، كَثِيرَةَ الْمِيَاهِ وَالْحَدَائِقِ، طَيِّبَةَ الْفَوَاكِهِ.

Upon arrival, he found a beautiful city abounding in water, gardens, and delicious fruit.

فَسُرَّ بِذَلِكَ سُرُورًا عَظِيمًا، وَبَاعَ فِيهَا وَاشْتَرَى، وَرَبِحَ أَمْوَالًا كَثِيرَةً ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلَى غَيْرِهَا مِنَ الْبِلَادِ.

He was delighted, and after trading there successfully and earning a good profit, he moved on to other lands.

وَكَانَ يَتَنَقَّلُ مِنْ بَلَدٍ إِلَى بَلَدٍ لِلتِّجَارَةِ وَالتَّنَزُّهِ مَعًا حَتَّى وَصَلَ إِلَى بِلَادِ الْفُرْسِ.

He used to move from country to country for trade and recreation together until he reached Persia. What did Ali Koji do after performing the Hajj? ⟶ (sentence continues on next page)

Vocabulary · المفردات (24 verbs · 47 nouns)

• شَاءَ — to want
• أَضَاعَ — to lose
• عَزَمَ — to resolve
• سَمِعَ — to hear
• ذَهَبَ — to go
• مَتَّعَ — to enjoy
• رَكِبَ — to ride
• زَارَ — to visit
• رَأَى — to see
• أَعْجَبَ — to impress
• سَرَّ — to please
• اكْتَسَبَ — to acquire
• نَالَ — to obtain
• جَاءَ — to come
• وَصَلَ — to arrive
• انْتَهَزَ — to seize
• سَارَ — to travel
• بَاعَ — to sell
• اشْتَرَى — to buy
• رَبِحَ — to profit
• تَنَقَّلَ — to move about
• سَافَرَ — to travel
• أَدَّى — to perform
• وَلَدَ — to be born
• سَفَر — travel
• فُرْصَة — opportunity
• رُؤْيَة — vision
• أَثَر — monument
• قَدِيم — ancient
• مُسَافِر — traveler
• يَوْم — day
• بَعْض — some
• شَهِير — famous
• نَفْس — self
• زَوْرَق — boat
• سَفِينَة — ship
• صَغِير — small
• نِيل — Nile
• بَلَد — country
• قَرِيب — near
• قَاهِرَة — Cairo
• جَمِيل — beautiful
• أَهْرَام — pyramids
• جِيزَة — Giza
• إِعْجَاب — admiration
• شَدِيد — intense
• فَائِدَة — benefit
• كَثِير — many
• بَيْت — house
• مَقْدِس — sanctuary
• مَوْعِد — time
• قَافِلَة — caravan
• ذَاهِب — going
• سَائِر — moving
• مَسْجِد — mosque
• عَظِيم — great
• قَبْل — before it
• مَدِينَة — city
• مَاء — water
• حَدِيقَة — garden
• طَيِّب — good
• فَاكِهَة — fruit
• سُرُور — joy
• مَال — money
• غَيْر — other
• تِجَارَة — trade
• تَنَزُّه — excursion
• أَسْئِلَة — questions
• فَرِيضَة — duty
• حَجّ — pilgrimage
• نَبِيّ — prophet