Travels of Ibn Baṭṭūṭa
On the Pacific Ocean off Java
Title
What the sailors sing on the Pacific Ocean
Short description
The sailors sing on the Pacific Ocean while while carrying out activities necessary for navigation.
Text on source
وبعث إلي بضيافة ثلاثة أيام، وسافرنا في البحر، فوصلنا بعد أربعة وثلاثين يومًا إلى البحر الكاهل وهو الراكد وفيه حمزة زعموا أنها من تربة أرض تجاوره، ولا ريح فيه ولا موج ولا حركة مع اتساعه، ولأجل هذا البحر تتبع كل جنك من جنوك الصين ثلاثة مراكب — كما ذكرناه — تجذف به فتجره، ويكون في الجنك مع ذلك نحو عشرين مجذافًا كبارًا كالصواري، يجتمع على المجذاف منها ثلاثون رجلًا أو نحوها، ويقومون قيامًا صفين، كل صف يقابل الآخر، وفي المجذاف حبلان عظيمان كالطوابيس، فتجذف إحدى الطائفتين الحبل ثم تتركه، وتجذف الطائفة الأخرى وهم يغنون عند ذلك بأصواتهم الحسان، وأكثرها يقولون لعلي لعلي [ص. ٤٥١]
English translation
We set sail and after thirty-four days reached the Sluggish or Tranquil Sea, which has a reddish colour; they claim that this is because of the earth of the land which bounds it. It has no wind and no waves and no movement in spite of its extent. For this reason every Chinese junk is accompanied by three boats, as we have said. They are rowed and tow it. Besides there are in every junk about twenty very big oars like masts. Some thirty men assemble by each oar and stand in two ranks facing each other. Two very big ropes like cables are attached to each oar. One party pulls the rope and then lets it go; then the other party pulls it. They sing with fine voices as they do this, and usually they sing laʿalā, laʿalā.
Folios/Pages
884
Date
1345 circa
Observations on the events description
Currently, there are no hypotheses in the literature for this singing, which has been read either as "laʿalā" or "laʿalī".
The dots on the map indicate the places where sound and music events were described. They don't represent travel stages.
Participants
No other participants in this event description.
How to quote
Pintimalli A., "What the sailors sing on the Pacific Ocean" (Event description), Echos. Sound Ecosystems in Travelogues. Published 2024 07 29.doi: 10.25430/echos.travels.130
This work is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 
