Geniza Lab

Recto/verso: recto

Letter on the topic of friendship between two educated young men. In Judaeo-Arabic, possibly with influence from Judaeo-Persian in the iḍāfa constructions, as ציק אלצדר is spelled ציק יצדר and גמיע אלצביאן is spelled גמיע יצביאן. Goitein's translation: "I do not enjoy life without you. By God! Have compassion with my loneliness, weakness, and constrained heart, and, by God, satiate me with looks at you before I die. So, do not absent yourself longer than you have done. For things between you and me have not been like this before. Of all the young men who have been with you, not one of them has mentioned a word you might have said about me, which saddened my heart. So, as soon as you have read this letter, send me one, telling me how you are. And Peace." It is also entirely possible that this is a parent writing to a son. The tone is more admonitory than Goitein's discussion implies. (S. D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society, 5:285, 586, and CUDL) EMS. ASE.