The marriage of the amīr Sayf al-Dīn with the Sultan's sister

The wedding ceremony for the Arab amīr Sayf al-Dīn and the Sultan's sister Fīrūz Khūnda. Male and female musicians are mentioned, as well as the practices of playing standing to honour the newlyweds and the Indian custom according to which only the director of the ceremony was supposed to give presents to the musicians.

ولما أمر السلطان بتزويج أخته للأمير غدا، عَيَّنَ للقيام بشأن الوليمة ونفقاتها الملك فتح الله المعروف بشونوبس (بشين معجم مفتوح، وواوين أولهما مسكن والآخر مكسور، بينهما نون آخره سين مهمل)، وعينني لملازمة الأمير غدا والكون معه في تلك الأيام، فأتى الملك فتح لله بالصيوانات فظلل بها المشورين بالقصر الأحمر المذكور، وضرب في كل واحد منهما قبة ضخمة جدّا، وفرش ذلك بالفرش الحسان، وأتى شمس الدين التبريزي أمير المطربين ومعه الرجال المغنون والنساء المغنيات والرواقص وكلهن مماليك السلطان [...] فلما كان قبل ليلة الزفاف بليلتين جاء الخواتين من دار السلطان ليلًا إلى هذا القصر، فزينه وفرشته بأحسن الفرش، واستحضر الأمير سيف الدين وكان عربيّا غريبًا لا قرابة له، فخففن به وأجلسنه على مرتبة معينة له [...] ولما أجلسنه على المرتبة جَعَلْنَ له الحناء في يديه ورجليه، وأقام باقيهن على رأسه يُغَنِّين ويرقصن، وانصرفْنَ إلى قَصْر الزفاف، وأقام هو مع خواصِّ أصحابه [...] فِعْله ودخل إلى المشور، وقد جُعِلَت العروس فوق منبر عالٍ مُزَيّن بالديباج، مُرَصَّع بالجوهر والمشور، ملآن بالنساء والمطربات قد أحضرن أنواع الآلات المطربة وكلهن وقوف على قدم؛ إجلالًا له وتعظيمًا، فدخل بفرسه حتى قرب من المنبر فنزل وخدم عند أول درجة منه. وقامت العروس قائمة حتى صعد فأعطته التنبول بيدها، فأخذه وجلس تحت الدرجة التي وقفت بها ونثرت دنانير الذهب على رؤوس الحاضرين من أصحابه، ولقطتها النساء والمغنيات يغنين حينئذ والأطبال والأبواق والأنفار تضرب خارج الباب، ثمَّ قام الأمير وأخذ بيد زوجته ونزل وهي تتبعه، فركب فرسه يطأ به الفرش والبسط ونثرت الدنانير عليه وعلى أصحابه، وجعلت العروس في محفة وحملها العبيد على أعناقهم إلى قصره، والخواتين بين يديها راكبات وغيرهن من النساء ماشيات، وإذا مروا بدار أمير أو كبير خرج إليهم ونثر عليهم الدنانير والدراهم على قدر همته حتى أوصلوها إلى قصره، ولما كان بالغد بعثت العروس إلى جميع أصحاب زوجها الثياب والدنانير والدراهم، وأعطى السلطان لكل واحد منهم فرسًا مسرجًا ملجمًا، وبدرة داهم من ألف دينار إلى مائتي دينار، وأعطى الملك فتح لله للخواتين ثياب الحرير المنوعة والبدر، وكذلك لأهل الطرب، وعادتهم ببلاد الهند ألَّا يعطي أحد شيئًا لأهل الطرب إنما يعطيهم صاحب العرس [ص. ٣٣٣-٣٣٤]

When the Sultan gave orders for his sister's marriage to the amīr Ghadā he designated the malik Fatḥallāh called Shawnawīs to make all arrangements for the marriage feast and its expenses, and he designated me to attend on the amīr Ghadā and to remain with him during those days. The malik Fatḥallāh brought marquees and with them he covered the two audience halls in the Red Palace above-mentioned. In each hall he erected a pavilion of extraordinary size and furnished it with fine [cushions and] carpets. Shams al-Dīn al-Tabrīzī, the amīr of the musicians [amīr al-muṭribīn], came with the male singers [al-rijāl al-muġannūn] and the female singers [al-nisāʾ al-muġanniyāt] and dancers [al-rawāqiṣ], all of whom are the Sultan's slaves. [...] Two nights before the night of the wedding procession the khātūns came from the Sultan's palace to this mansion, and having decorated it and furnished it luxuriously, they sent for the amīr Sayf al-Dīn (who was an Arab and a stranger and without kinsfolk), put him in the midst of them and made him sit on a cushion which had been placed for him. [...] When they sat him down on the cushion they dyed his hands and his feet with henna, and the rest of them stood before him singing [yuġannīna] and dancing [yarquṣna]. After that they withdrew to the mansion in which the wedding was to take place and he stayed behind with his principal companions. [...] When the amīr entered the audience-hall, the bride had already been placed on a high pulpit, adorned with brocade [hangings] and encrusted with jewels. The hall was filled with women, and the female musicians [al-muṭribāt] had brought all kinds of musical instruments [al-ālāt al-muṭriba]; all of them were standing on their feet to show him honour and respect. He entered on horseback [and proceeded] until he came up to the pulpit, when he dismounted, and made the gesture of homage on reaching its first step. The bride rose up, standing until he mounted to the top, when she gave him betel with her own hand, and after eating it he sat down below the step on which she had stood. Gold dinars were thrown over those of his friends who were present, and the women picked them up; at the same time, the singing-girls [al-muġanniyāt] were singing away [yuġannīna], and drums [aṭbāl], coiled trumpets [abwāq] and straight trumpets [anfār] were sounded outside the gate. The amīr then rose, took his bride by the hand, and came down, she following him. He mounted his horse on which he rode over the carpets and rugs, and dinars were [again] thrown over him and his companions. The bride was placed in a litter, which was carried by slaves on their shoulders to his palace, conducted by the khātūns riding on horseback in front of her while the rest of the women walked. Every time the procession passed by the residence of an amīr or person of consequence, he came out to [salute] them and scattered over them gold and silver coins, as dictated by his interest or concern, until they brought her to the palace of the amīr Sayf al-Dīn. On the next day, the bride sent robes and gold and silver coins to all of her husband's companions. The Sultan also gave to each one of them a horse with its saddle and bridle and a purse of silver coins, ranging from one thousand to two hundred dinars. The malik Fatḥallāh [the shawnawīs] presented the khātūns with silk robes of divers sorts and purses as well, and made similar presents to the musicians [ahl al-ṭarab]. It is the custom in India that no one should give presents to the musicians [ahl al-ṭarab]; only the director of the wedding ceremony may do so.

686-687

1335 circa