The Book of Travels. Hannā Diyāb

مر علينا راعي معزي فقالوله القواسه حتي ينزل فقال لهم ايش بتعطوني حتي انزل فاعطاه الخواجه ثلث ابوكلب فلما راء الثلث في كفه فرمي فوقانيه ونزل في الحال وكان غمق ذلك القبر قامه ومدة يد. حيندٍ الخواجه قال للراعي دور في القبر وايش ما شفت اعطيني اياه فدار الراعي في داخل القبر فشاف جمجمة انسان فاعطانا اياها لكن جمجمه بقدر جبسه كبيره فقلنا الخواجه هذه جمجمة رجل فرد اعطانا جمجمة اخري اصغر من تلك فقال لنا هذه جمجمة امراه فخمن الخواجه بان ذلك القبر هو قبر حاكم تلك الاراضي والبلاد. حيندٍ ارما له محزم وقله قش ما تجده في ارضيت القبر واعطيني هو فجمع الذي وجده واعطانا هو فوجدنا بين الذي قشه خاتم كبير سبط فتامل الخواجه في الخاتم فراه مصدي وما مبين له كتابه ولا عرف معدنه انكان هو ذهب ام فضه او غير معدن فابقاه معه. اخيرًا قال للراعي جس حيطان القبر فراء طاقه وداخلها سراج شبه جيرون السمان وما عرف معدنه فاخده ايضًا وشاله وما عاد راء شي فخرج من القبر وراح في حال سبيله ونحن رجعنا الي الضيعه بسلام.

      While we were talking, a goatherd passed by, and the guards asked him to go into the tomb.

      “What will you give me if I do?” he asked.

      The khawājah handed him a third of an abū kalb. Once the goatherd had the coin in his hand, he threw off his coat and clambered down immediately.²⁴ The tomb was as deep as the height of a man with outstretched arms.

      The khawājah called down to the goatherd. “Walk around the tomb and hand me whatever you see inside.”

      The goatherd did as he was told, and found a human skull. He handed it to us. It was the size of a large watermelon.

      “This is the skull of a man,” the khawājah told us.

      The goatherd handed us another skull, smaller than the first, and the khawājah said it was a woman’s. He supposed that the tomb belonged to the ruler of these lands.

      He threw a piece of sturdy cloth down to the goatherd. “Collect everything you find on the floor of the tomb and hand it to me.”

      The goatherd gathered what he found and handed it all over. Among the objects was a large, plain ring. The khawājah studied it and saw that it was rusty. There wasn’t an inscription that he could see, nor could he tell whether it was made of gold, silver, or some other metal. He kept it.

      “Feel around along the walls of the tomb,” he called out to the goatherd, who did as he was instructed, and found a niche. Inside the niche was a lamp, similar to those used by the butter merchants. He didn’t know what sort of metal it was made of, but he took it anyway. There was nothing left to find, so the goatherd climbed out and went on his way, and we all returned safely to the village.²⁵

      ٣٧،١1.37

      وتاني يوم سافرنا من كفتين الي جسر الشغور^١ ومن هناك لا زلنا سايرين حتي وصلنا الي مدينة طرابلس بالسلام فنزل الخواجه المذكور في بيت خواجه بلان الفرنساوي وانا نزلت في خان الغميضا في بيت رهبان الحلابيه اعني بهم رهبان مار يشع ومفتاح البيت دايمًا مودوع عند اوضاباشي الخان فاخدت المفتاح منه ودخلت حوايجي وكان الاوداباشي بيعرفني لما رجعنا من الدير انا ورفقاتي فنزلنا هناك.

      ١ الأصل: الشغل.

      The next day, we left Kaftīn for Jisr al-Shughūr, and continued from there till we arrived safely in Tripoli. The khawājah lodged at the home of khawājah Blanc, the Frenchman. I stayed at the Khān al-Ghummayḍā, in the quarters of the Aleppan monks of Saint Elishaʿ. The keeper of the hostel always held a key to their quarters, so I took it from him and brought my things in. He knew me from the time my friends and I had returned from the monastery, for we’d lodged there.

      ٣٨،١1.38

      فاستقمت ذلك النهار وثاني يوم رحت سلمت علي خواجه رومان الذي كنت جبتله معي مكتوب توصاي فيّ من معلمي خواجه رمزات في اول مره الذي جيت الي طرابلس حتي اترهب فبعدما سلمت عليه اوردتله قضيت خواجه بول لوكا وسالته هل هو صحيح بانه مرسل من سلطان فرنسا لاجل السياحه فقلي نعم صحيح فاستشرته ايضًا هل بتشور عليّ باني اروح الي باريس معه قلي بتكون سعادتك روح لا تخف هذا رجل ناس ملاح.

      I spent the rest of the day at the hostel. The next day I went to see khawājah Roman, whom I’d met the first time I passed through Tripoli on my way to the monastery, when I’d brought him a letter of recommendation from my master, khawājah Rémuzat. After greeting him, I told him all about Paul Lucas.

      “Is it true that he was dispatched on his voyage by the sultan of France?” I asked.

      “Yes,” he replied. “It’s true.”

      I also asked his advice. “Would you counsel me to go to Paris with him?”

      “This is your chance—take it!” he said. “Go with him and don’t worry; he’s a good man.”

      ٣٩،١1.39

      حيندٍ طلعت من عنده ومضيت الي عند البادره الياس الكرملتاني وهذا البادره كان لي معه معرفه لما كنت في دير مار يشع فسلمت عليه وقصيت له قصتي بالتمام مع المذكور اعني به بول لوكا فلما سمع البادري مني هل كلام قلي ان سالت عن هل رجل انا اخدت خبره بانه سايح من سواح سلطان فرنسا وان ردت تروح معه ما عليك باس روح لا تخف وانا بوصيه فيك.

      I left him and went to see Father Ilyās the Carmelite. He knew me from the time I’d spent at the Monastery of Saint Elishaʿ. After greeting him, I told him all about my time with Paul Lucas. The priest listened to my tale from start to finish, then spoke.