Account of the great amīr Qurṭay

The amīr's son sails in the canal of the city surrounded by other ships with musicians on them to feast. The musicians sang in Chinese, Arabic and Persian. Afterwards, the feast continues at the amīr's house with the presence of musicians. The name Amīr Qurṭay suggests Mongol origins, although he has not been identified with certainty.

وهو أمير أمراء الصين أضافنا بداره وصنع الدعوة ويسمونها الطوى (بضم الطاء المهمل وفتح الواو)، وحضرها كبار المدينة وأتي بالطباخين المسلمين، فذبحوا وطبخوا الطعام، وكان هذا الأمير على عظمته يناولنا الطعام بيده ويقطع اللحم بيد، وأقمنا في ضيافته ثلاثة أيام، وبعث ولده معنا إلى الخليج، فركبنا في سفينة تشبه الحراقة، وركب ابن الأمير في أخرى ومعه أهل الطرب وأهل الموسيقى، وكانوا يغنون بالصيني وبالعربي وبالفارسي، وكان ابن الأمير معجبًا بالغناء الفارسي، فغنوا شعرًا منه، وأمرهم بتكريره مرارًا حتى حفظته من أفواههم وله تلحين عجيب، وهو (رجز): تادل بمحنت داديم در بحر فكرا فتاديم جن (جون) در نمازا ستاديم قوى بمحراب أندري أندريم واجتمعت بذلك الخليج من السفن طائفة كبيرة لهم القلاع الملونة ومظلات الحرير، وسفنهم منقوشة أبدع نقش، وجعلوا يتحاملون ويترامون بالنارنج والليمون، وعدنا بالعشى إلى دار الأمير فبتنا بها، وحضر أهل الطرب، فغنوا بأنواع من الغناء العجيب [ص. ٤٦٣]

He is the supreme commander in China. He gave us hospitality in his house. He gave a reception which they call tuwa at which the principal men of the city were present. He brought Muslim cooks to kill the animals and cook the meat. For all his high rank this amīr brought us the food and carved the meat with his own hand. We stayed as his guests for three days. He sent his son with us onto the canal on which we sailed in a ship like a fire-ship. The amīr's son sailed in another with "people of ṭarab" [ahl al-ṭarab] and "people of mūsīqā" [ahl al-mūsīqā] who sang [kānū yuġannūn] in Chinese, Arabic and Persian. The amīr's son much admired the Persian singing [al-ġināʾ al-fārisiyy]. They sang [ġannū] a poem [šiʿr] which he made them repeat time and again so that I learnt it by heart. It has a wonderful tune [talḥīn]. Here it is: Tā dil bamiḥnat dādīm Dar baḥr-i fikr uftādīm Chun dar namāz istādīm Qawī bimiḥrāb andarīm [When we gave our hearts to sorrow We sank in an ocean of care, But we were stalwart when standing Upright at the mihrab in prayer] A large number of ships assembled on that canal with coloured sails and silk awnings and the ships were painted with great skill. They attacked one another throwing oranges and lemons. In the evening we returned to the amīr's house and spent the night there. The "people of ṭarab" [ahl al-ṭarab] came and sang [ġannū] all kinds of attractive singing [ġināʾ].

903

1345 circa