In Jurjaneary

5

We stayed in Jurjanya for several days. The Jaifun River was frozen from one end to the other. The thickness of the ice was seventeen shibrs, and horses, camels, donkeys, and carts were all crossing it just like they would on a road. The ice did not budge or sway. This condition lasted for three months.

Notation	Explanation
Shibu	A unit of length based on the width between the thumb and little finger. It retains the numerical value "seventeen" from the main text and has not been converted to meters.

The land we saw seemed like a place from which the door to freezing cold opened towards us. Whenever it snowed, there was always a violent storm accompanying it. When the people of that land wanted to welcome and be kind to friends, they would say this.

"Come to my house and let's talk. I have a good fire going."

This is a word that shows the utmost kindness and consideration. However, the most high God granted them grace regarding firewood, making it readily available at a low price. One cartload of Targ wood could be bought for two dirhams in their currency. The amount was about three thousand ratls.

Notation	Translation
Tagu	A name for a tree used for firewood. Identification of the plant species is pending.
Rattoru	Unit of weight. Because the weight varies depending on the region and era, it has not been converted to modern units.

Those who beg do not stand at the doorways; that is their custom. They enter someone's house, sit near the fire for a while to warm themselves, and then say "bakand." This means bread. If they receive something, they accept it, but if they don't, they leave.

Notation	Translation Note
If you receive something, you accept it; if not, you leave.	This sentence and the following story about two men and a camel include passages that were added by later Yakut editions in the published version. Not everything can be read from just the transmitted manuscripts.

Our stay in Jurjanji was prolonged. We spent several days in the month of Rajab, and also the months of Sha'ban, Ramadan, and Shawwal there. The reason we stayed for so long is because the cold weather was severe.

I heard a story like this: Two men were trying to carry firewood out of a forest with twelve camels. However, they forgot to bring the flint and steel. Because they spent the night without fire, in the morning, the camels had died from the extreme cold.

I saw how cold the air was in this land. The market and streets were deserted, and even when I walked around most of the streets and markets, I didn't meet anyone, and no one greeted me. When I came out of the bathhouse and entered my house, I looked at my beard. My beard had become a mass of ice, and I had to melt it by bringing it close to the fire.

I was sleeping in another room inside the house. There, I had built a small hut with Turkish-style felt domes on the ceiling, and I was covered with thick blankets and furs. Even so, my cheeks sometimes froze to the pillow.

In this land, I also saw camels wearing a type of jacket called a "bustinator," which is made from sheepskin. This is to prevent the skin from tearing and cracking, but it doesn't seem very effective.

Notation	Translation Note
Boosterato	In the main text, this refers to a sheepskin coat worn by camels.

I have also seen how severe cold can cause the ground to crack and large fissures to form. Even old, established trees can be split in two because of it.

In the middle of Shawwal, the year 39 of the Hijri calendar, the climate began to change, and the ice on the Jaifun River melted. We started preparing the necessary equipment for our journey. We bought Turkish camels and made boats out of camel hide in order to cross the rivers that we had to pass through in Turkish territory. We prepared three months' worth of bread, millet, and dried meat called "Namaksud."

The local people we relied on advised us to prepare enough clothing and encouraged us to have plenty. They also spoke of the terrors of travel and emphasized the seriousness of the situation. But what we actually experienced was far more severe than their stories. We all put on a layer of kurtuk, then a haftan on top of that, followed by a boostiin, and further layers of ribada and burnus. All that remained visible were our eyes. For the lower body, we wore a single layer of sarawil and a padded sarawil, along with ran and leather boots called keemfut, putting another pair of boots on top of those. Wearing so many clothes made it impossible to move freely while riding a camel.

Notation	Translation Note
Kultuk	The names of layered clothing items, including "kultuk," are preserved in their original form along with "hafターン," "ブースティーン," "リバーダ," and "ブルヌス."
Sarawil	This refers to the name of a garment worn on the lower body. The original text lists both single-layered and padded versions, as well as "ラーン" (shoes) and leather boots.
Keemfut	In the main text, this word refers to the material used for leather shoes. Identification of specific types of leather is pending.

The legal scholars and teachers, along with the young attendants who had come with us from the capital of Heian, were afraid to enter that country and remained behind, separated from us. Those who proceeded further were myself, the envoy, the "sarraf," and two attendants named Takin and Barlas.

Notation	Translation Note
Sarāf	The original text in this section is سلف له. It refers to a person who advanced with the envoy, but since the specific relationship and identification of the individual are not yet confirmed, it has been transliterated without being replaced by a job title.

The day I decided to leave, I told them.

"Everyone, you have a royal attendant accompanying you, and you are fully aware of the situation. We also have a letter from the Caliph. It clearly states that four thousand dinars in Musayabiya gold coins should be sent to that person. You are going to the land of a foreign king, and you will likely be asked to pay for it."

Notation	Translation/Annotation
Musayabiya gold coin	The name of the currency mentioned in the original text. The amount of four dinars and whether or not one actually has the funds at hand are separate issues.

They replied, "Regarding that matter, please do not worry. We will not ask you for payment."

I warned them, and said, "I understand that asking you for payment is something I need to do," but they did not accept it.

Soon, the preparations for the caravan were completed. We hired a guide named Kalrus, who was a resident of Jurjaneya. And relying on God, the Lord of Majesty and Dignity, we entrusted ourselves to Him.