تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 13.53: حكاية [امرأة كفتار]

13.53.1

لما وقعت المجاعة العظمى ببلاد الهند بسبب القحط والسلطان ببلاد التلنك نفذ أمره أن يعطى لأهل دهلي ما يقوتهم بحساب رطل ونصف للواحد في اليوم، فجمعهم الوزير، ووزع المساكين منهم على الأمراء والقضاة ليتولوا إطعامهم فكان عندي منهم

When the great famine struck the land of Hind because of drought, while the Sultan was in the land of Tilank, he issued an order that the people of Dihlī be given enough to sustain them, at the rate of a raṭl and a half per person per day. The vizier assembled them and distributed the poor among them to the amīrs and qāḍīs so that they would take charge of feeding them. With me there were

13.53.2

خمسمائة نفس فعمرت لهم سقائف في دارين وأسكنتهم بها، وكنت أعطيتهم نفقة خمسة أيام في خمسة أيام، فلما كان في بعض الأيام أتوني بمرأة منهم، وقالوا: إنها كفتار وقد أكلت قلب صبي كان إلى جانبها، وأتوا بالصبي ميتا، فأمرتهم أن يذهبوا بها إلى نائب السلطان فأمر باختبارها وذلك بأن ملأوا أربع جرات بالماء وربطوها بيدها ورجليها وطرحوها في نهر الجون فلم تغرق، فعلم أنها كفتار! ولو لم تطف على الماء لم تكن بكفتار، فأمر بإحراقها بالنار وأتى أهل البلد رجالا ونساء فأخذوا رمادها وزعموا أنه من تبخر به أمن في تلك السنة من سحر كفتار!

five hundred persons. I built sheds for them in two houses and lodged them there, and I gave them provisions for five days every five days. One day they brought me a woman from among them, saying, “She is a kaftār and has eaten the heart of a boy who was beside her,” and they brought the boy dead. I ordered them to take her to the Sultan's deputy. He ordered her to be tested: they filled four jars with water, tied them to her hands and feet, and threw her into the river Jūn, and she did not sink; so it was known that she was a kaftār! Had she not floated on the water, she would not have been a kaftār. He ordered her to be burned with fire, and the people of the city, men and women, came and took her ashes, claiming that whoever fumigated himself with them would be safe that year from a kaftār's sorcery!

had she not floated she would not have been one. He ordered her then to be burned in the fire. Her ashes were collected by the men and women of the town, for they believe that anyone who fumigates himself with them is safe against a kaftar's enchantments during that year. The sultan sent for me once when I was at Delhi, and on entering I found him in a private apartment with some of his intimates and two of these jugis. One of them squatted on the ground, then rose into the air above our heads, still sitting. I was so astonished and frightened that I fell to the floor in a faint. A potion was administered to me, and I revived and sat up. Meantime this man remained in his sitting posture. His companion then took a sandal from a bag he had with him, and beat it on the ground like one infuriated. The sandal rose in the air until it came above the neck of the sitting man and then began hitting him on the neck while he descended little by little until he sat down alongside us. Then the sultan said “If I did not fear for your reason I would have ordered them to do still stranger things than this you have seen.” I took my leave, but was affected with palpitation and fell ill, until he ordered me to be given a draught which removed it all.