تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 13.47.10

13.47.10

ودخلت إذ ذاك في مزرعة القطن وأقمت بها بقية نهاري، وأقاموا على البائن يغسلون ثيابهم ويلعبون، فلما كان الليل هدأت أصواتهم، فعلمت أنهم قد مروا أو ناموا فخرجت حينئذ واتبعت أثر الخيل، والليل مقمر، وسرت حتى انتهيت إلى باين آخر، عليه قبة فنزلت إليه وشربت من مائه وأكلت من عساليج الخردل التي كانت عندي، ودخلت القبة فوجدتها مملوءة بالعشب مما يجمعه الطير فنمت بها، وكنت أحس حركة حيوان في تلك العشب أظنه حية فلا أبالي بها لما بي من الجهد، فلما أصبحت سلكت طريقا واسعة تفضي إلى قرية خربة وسلكت سواها فكانت كمثلها وأقمت كذلك أياما، وفي بعضها وصلت إلى أشجار ملتفة بينها حوض ماء وداخلها شبه بيت وعلى جوانب الحوض نبات الأرض كالنجيل. وغيره فأردت أن أقعد هنالك حتى يبعث الله من يوصلني إلى العمارة.

When we perceived their strength we retreated, while they pursued us, and in this we persevered. I observed three of them coming after me, when I was left quite alone. It happened at the same time that the fore-feet of my horse had stuck fast between two stones, so that I was obliged to dismount and set him at liberty. I was now in a way that led into a valley between two hills, and here I lost sight of the infidels. I was so circumstanced, however, that I knew neither the country, nor the roads. I then set my horse at liberty to go where he would. While I was in a valley closely interwoven with trees, behold! a party of cavalry, about forty in number, rushed upon me and took me prisoner, before I was well aware of their being there. I was much afraid they would shoot me with their arrows. I alighted from my horse, therefore, and gave myself up as their prisoner. They then stripped me of all I had, bound me, and took me with them for two days, intending to kill me. Of their language I was quite ignorant: but God delivered me from them; for they left me, and I took my course I knew not whither. I was much afraid they would take it into their heads to kill me; I therefore hid myself in a forest thickly interwoven with trees and thorns, so much so, that a person wishing to hide himself could not be discovered. Whenever I ventured upon the roads, I found they always led, either to one of the villages of the infidels, or to some ruined village.