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Click to printAnonymous, Arabic Translation att. to Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq. "Copy of the riddle that was said to have been found in the temple of Saturn written on a golden tablet." Global Medieval Sourcebook.

Transcription by Joshua Mugler .

نسخة اللغز الذي قيل انها وجدت في هيكل زحل مكتوبة في لوح ذهب | Copy of the riddle that was said to have been found in the temple of Saturn written on a golden tablet

Source Information

نسخة اللغز الذي قيل انها وجدت في هيكل زحل مكتوبة في لوح ذهب | Copy of the riddle that was said to have been found in the temple of Saturn written on a golden tablet

by Anonymous, Arabic Translation att. to Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq

Text Source:

Fondation Georges et Mathilde Salem MS Syr 6, fol. 82v-83r

Responsibility Statement:
  • Transcription by Joshua Mugler
  • Translation by Joshua Mugler
  • Encoded in TEI P5 XML by Danny Smith
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Transcriptions and translations are encoded in XML conforming to TEI (P5) guidelines. The original-language text is contained within <lem> tags and translations within <rdg> tags.

Texts are translated into modern American English with maximum fidelity to the original text, except where it would impair comprehension or good style. Archaisms are preserved where they do not conflict with the aesthetic of the original text. Scribal errors and creative translation choices are marked and discussed in the critical notes.

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Published by The Global Medieval Sourcebook.

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1 ܒܣܡ ܐܠܐܒ ܘܐܠܐܒܢ ܘܐܠܪܘܚ ܐܠܩܕܤ ܐܠܐܗ ܘܐܚܕ IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD
2 نسخة اللغز الذي قيل انها وجدت في هيكل زحل مكتوبة في لوح ذهب Copy of the riddle that was said to have been found in the temple of Saturn written on a golden tablet
3 نقل حنين ابن اسحق وجده في الصحف القديمة Translation of Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq, who found it in ancient pages
4 وتفسيرها للاب مار عمنويل مطران باجرمي And a commentary on it by Father ʻAmanúʼél, metropolitan of Bét Garmay
5 وهذه هي Here it is:
6 قال اذا ما صعد البخار الرطب من قعر البحر وانعقد في الجو سحابا هاطلا فجرت الاودية ولثقت الطرق واظلم نور الشمس والقمر فلم يعرف الليل من النهار وانقطعت السبل واغلقت ابواب المدينة ودعا كل ذي نفس الى ما اعد لنفسه. He said: When humid vapor rose from the depth of the sea and thickened in the air as clouds, coursing down so that the riverbeds flowed, the pathways were turned to mud, and the light of the sun and the moon grew dark, so night was not known from day, the roads were cut off, and the gates of the city were closed, and everyone with a soul called upon what they had prepared for themselves.
c
Critical note:

The Arabic word for “soul” (nafs) is used as a reflexive pronoun so “themselves” could be translated “their souls” and vice versa

وخلا الملك في قبة فرشها الرياضي راكبا فرسا يحجبه جارية راكبة اسد. And the king secluded himself in a dome furnished with gardens, riding a horse that he kept hidden like a slave woman riding a lion. واستدعا من وزيره ما رفعوا اليه اعوانه. واخذ من تدبير امره ومملكته. He asked of his vizier what his servants had set before him, and was taken up with the administration of his affairs and his kingdom. فاستقر الامر عنده انه ان عاش مات وان مات عاش وان اهلك مملكته انحفظت نفسه وان حفظ اعوان مملكته هلكت نفسه. Then it became fixed in his mind that if he lived he would die, and if he died he would live, and if he destroyed his kingdom, his soul would be saved, and if he saved the servants of his kingdom, his soul would be destroyed. فاثر الموت على الحياة وحفظ نفسه على مملكته ورعيته وفي تضاعيف فكره انقشع الغمام وطلع المنيران في القوس وقد كانا غابا في العقد الشمالي. So he preferred death over life, and saved himself rather than his kingdom and his subjects. Between the lines of his thought the clouds were scattered, and the two lights rose in Sagittarius after they had been hidden away in the northern node.
c
Critical note:

The "two lights" might reference the Sun and the Moon or possibly Jupiter and Saturn

فتم الى الجند والرعية ما خامر قلب الملك فهما بالارتفاع به. Then what had seized the heart of the king came to pass for the army and the subjects, so they were being wiped out by it. وفار التنور من الصنوبرة فارسل عليهم طوفان ريح وماء ولم يحدث شيا من غير شي فاجراه كالمد وعاش مستانسا بالوحدة. And water gushed forth from within the oven,
c
Critical note:

A reference to the story of Noah’s flood as found in the Qur’an (see Qur’an 11:40 and 23:27)

so he sent upon them a typhoon of wind and water, and nothing came from nothing, so he made it flow as a flood. And he lived on in intimate acquaintance with his own solitude.
فمن ضحك بكا ومن بكا ضحك. So whoever laughed wept, and whoever wept laughed. والسلم على النفوس القريبة من مبديها. والرحمة على البعيدة لتلحق بها. والسبح لناظم الكل Peace upon the souls that are close to their Creator, and mercy upon those far away so that they might catch up to them, and glory to the one who arranges all things.
7 تم اللغز. يتلوه التفسير The riddle has ended. The commentary follows.
1 ܒܣܡ ܐܠܐܒ ܘܐܠܐܒܢ ܘܐܠܪܘܚ ܐܠܩܕܤ ܐܠܐܗ ܘܐܚܕ IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD
2 نسخة اللغز الذي قيل انها وجدت في هيكل زحل مكتوبة في لوح ذهب Copy of the riddle that was said to have been found in the temple of Saturn written on a golden tablet
3 نقل حنين ابن اسحق وجده في الصحف القديمة Translation of Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq, who found it in ancient pages
4 وتفسيرها للاب مار عمنويل مطران باجرمي And a commentary on it by Father ʻAmanúʼél, metropolitan of Bét Garmay
5 وهذه هي Here it is:
6 قال اذا ما صعد البخار الرطب من قعر البحر وانعقد في الجو سحابا هاطلا فجرت الاودية ولثقت الطرق واظلم نور الشمس والقمر فلم يعرف الليل من النهار وانقطعت السبل واغلقت ابواب المدينة ودعا كل ذي نفس الى ما اعد لنفسه. He said: When humid vapor rose from the depth of the sea and thickened in the air as clouds, coursing down so that the riverbeds flowed, the pathways were turned to mud, and the light of the sun and the moon grew dark, so night was not known from day, the roads were cut off, and the gates of the city were closed, and everyone with a soul called upon what they had prepared for themselves.
c
Critical note:

The Arabic word for “soul” (nafs) is used as a reflexive pronoun so “themselves” could be translated “their souls” and vice versa

وخلا الملك في قبة فرشها الرياضي راكبا فرسا يحجبه جارية راكبة اسد. And the king secluded himself in a dome furnished with gardens, riding a horse that he kept hidden like a slave woman riding a lion. واستدعا من وزيره ما رفعوا اليه اعوانه. واخذ من تدبير امره ومملكته. He asked of his vizier what his servants had set before him, and was taken up with the administration of his affairs and his kingdom. فاستقر الامر عنده انه ان عاش مات وان مات عاش وان اهلك مملكته انحفظت نفسه وان حفظ اعوان مملكته هلكت نفسه. Then it became fixed in his mind that if he lived he would die, and if he died he would live, and if he destroyed his kingdom, his soul would be saved, and if he saved the servants of his kingdom, his soul would be destroyed. فاثر الموت على الحياة وحفظ نفسه على مملكته ورعيته وفي تضاعيف فكره انقشع الغمام وطلع المنيران في القوس وقد كانا غابا في العقد الشمالي. So he preferred death over life, and saved himself rather than his kingdom and his subjects. Between the lines of his thought the clouds were scattered, and the two lights rose in Sagittarius after they had been hidden away in the northern node.
c
Critical note:

The "two lights" might reference the Sun and the Moon or possibly Jupiter and Saturn

فتم الى الجند والرعية ما خامر قلب الملك فهما بالارتفاع به. Then what had seized the heart of the king came to pass for the army and the subjects, so they were being wiped out by it. وفار التنور من الصنوبرة فارسل عليهم طوفان ريح وماء ولم يحدث شيا من غير شي فاجراه كالمد وعاش مستانسا بالوحدة. And water gushed forth from within the oven,
c
Critical note:

A reference to the story of Noah’s flood as found in the Qur’an (see Qur’an 11:40 and 23:27)

so he sent upon them a typhoon of wind and water, and nothing came from nothing, so he made it flow as a flood. And he lived on in intimate acquaintance with his own solitude.
فمن ضحك بكا ومن بكا ضحك. So whoever laughed wept, and whoever wept laughed. والسلم على النفوس القريبة من مبديها. والرحمة على البعيدة لتلحق بها. والسبح لناظم الكل Peace upon the souls that are close to their Creator, and mercy upon those far away so that they might catch up to them, and glory to the one who arranges all things.
7 تم اللغز. يتلوه التفسير The riddle has ended. The commentary follows.
Critical Notes
Translation
Highlight prose section
Critical note:

The Arabic word for “soul” (nafs) is used as a reflexive pronoun so “themselves” could be translated “their souls” and vice versa

Translation
Highlight prose section
Critical note:

The "two lights" might reference the Sun and the Moon or possibly Jupiter and Saturn

Translation
Highlight prose section
Critical note:

A reference to the story of Noah’s flood as found in the Qur’an (see Qur’an 11:40 and 23:27)

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