تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 13.47.11

13.47.11

ثم إني وجدت يسير قوة فنهضت على طريق وجدت بها أثر البقر ووجدت ثورا عليه بردعة ومنجل، فإذا تلك الطريق تفضي إلى قرى الكفار فاتبعت طريقا أخرى فأفضت بي إلى قرية خربة ورأيت بها أسودين عريانين فخفتهما وأقمت تحت أشجار هنالك فلما كان الليل دخلت القرية ووجدت دارا في بيت من بيوتها شبه خابية كبيرة يصنعونها لاختزان الزرع، وفي أسفلها نقب يسع منه الرجل فدخلتها ووجدت داخلها مفروشا بالتبن وفيه حجر جعلت رأسي عليه ونمت.

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.