Author
Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ‘Alī ibn Qays al-Kasdānī
Publication Date
13th century (CE, Gregorian)
Type
Book
Language
Arabic
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
Yes
Pages Count
1
Physical Dimensions
265 x 175 mm
Library
Qatar Digital Library
Library Asset ID
Add MS 22371
Record ID
vdc_100026482773.0x000001
Library Location
British Library: Oriental Manuscripts
Date
13th century (CE, Gregorian)
Notes
Volume Two of a copy of the
Basic Agriculture
(الفلاحة النبطية), a work on agronomy in the tradition of the Graeco-Latin
Geoponics
, which mixes various subjects related to farming such as plant, animal and weather lore; descriptions of agricultural techniques; and much material of a more legendary and magical nature. According to the preface, not present in this manuscript, the text was translated from Nabataean (Aramaic) into Arabic in 291/903-04 by Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ‘Alī ibn Qays al-Kasdānī (Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Qays al-Kasdānī), known as Ibn Waḥshiyah (Ibn Wahshiyah), and then dictated to AbūṬālib Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī ibn Aḥmad al-Zayyāt (Abu Talib Ahmad ibn al-Hussein ibn Ali ibn Ahmad al-Zayat) in 318/930-3
According to the
colophon
Section at the end of a manuscript text.
(f. 256v, line 15, transcribed below), this copy was completed in Ṣafar 389/January-February 999 by Abū al-Khayr Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Ma‘arrī (Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Shahair ibn Muḥammad al-Ma‘arī), but the hand appears to date from the 13th century. Perhaps the
colophon
Section at the end of a manuscript text.
was copied along with the text from the copy.
The beginning of the text in this volume corresponds to p. 715, line 6 of the edition by Toufic Fahd (Dimashq: al-Mahad al-ʻIlmī al-Faransī lil-Dirāsāt al-ʻArabīyah, 1993-95) vol.
Begins (f. 3v, lines 2-5):
And know that the garden if the grass is on what we described and you can brew the grass in it and the wine will grow those grains are the grass
Ahu (!) Eden al-Dahn wa'ql dahn'a bl أقول إنما فيه ديه من النبات وقد طاب ريحه فإن يكون طيب الرائحا جدًا أكثر من
Other than the words of the Quyami (!) Then the words of man in the way of comfort on the attribute that enters into your mouth
All attributes are good and those in our words are contrary to non-technical words
Ends (f. 256v, lines 4-10):
... وأما سياسة البقر والغنم
And besides the duty appointed to us on the farmer and the strong on all our salaries we have created
لە كتابًا جعلنا جعليًا لهذا الكتاب وألحقن فيه بذلك من اتخاذ الحمام والوراشين
Wastjalabaha wa al-asafir wa al-kraki and others of the breeds of birds for those who administer to it and its work
So seek from that book and say this is the end of our book and peace be upon him
Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Wahshiyah what is the place for this book which mentions Quthami and he is the alphabet in the policy of al-Baqarah and others from al-Mashiya and his opinion and the place for his translation
Colophon
Section at the end of a manuscript text.
(f. 256v, lines 11-15):
The book of the farmer is in Basrah
Praise be to Allah and Him
Peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions
Hasbi Allah and Na'am al-Wakil
From the book of 'Abd al-Faqir for Allah, by Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Shahir, by Abi al-Khair al-Ma'ari, 389 AH
Erişim Koşulları
Unrestricted
Bulma Yardımcıları
Cureton, William and Charles Rieu,
Catalogus codicum manuscriptorum orientalium qui in Museo Britannico asservantur. Pars secunda, codices arabicos amplectens
(London: The British Museum, 1846-71), Item 997, pp. 462
Hamarneh, Sami,
Catalogue of Arabic Manuscripts on Medicine and Pharmacy at the British Library
(Cairo: Les Editions Universitaires d’Egypte, 1975), Item 69, pp. 61-2
Edinme Kaynağı
Purchased from the Rev. Benjamin Webb (1819-1885), 8 May 1858
Köken
Many illegible owners' inscriptions, some erased (f. 2r);
Semi-legible seal, and associated owner's inscription with name defaced (f. 3v).
Seçilmiş kaynakça
Edition:
Ibn Waḥsiyya, Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn,
al-Filāḥah al-nabaṭīyah. L'agriculture nabatéenne
, ed. by Toufic Fahd (Dimashq: al-Maʻhad al-ʻIlmī al-Faransī lil-Dirāsāt al-ʻArabīyah, 1993-95) 3 vols
Study and partial translation:
Hämeen-Anttila, Jaakko,
The last pagans of Iraq : Ibn Waḥshiyya and his Nabatean agriculture
(Leiden: Brill, 2006)
Studies:
Alves Carrara, Angelo, 'Geoponica and Nabatean Agriculture: A New Approach into their Sources and Authorship', in
Arabic Sciences and Philosophy
, 16 (2006) pp. 103-32
Ullmann, Manfred,
Die Natur- und Geheimwissenschaften im Islam
(Leiden: Brill, 1972), pp. 440-43
