—plentiful and immense. He died (1) a little short of sixty years of age (2). His reign had lasted twelve years, and he was handsome and imposing, clothed in the splendor of sovereignty and the majesty of kingship: tall of stature, well-bearded, lofty in aspiration, courageous and dignified—may Allah pardon him.
The emir Ḥusām al-Dīn Turuntāy (3), viceroy of the Manṣūrī sultanate in Egypt, was seized by al-Ashraf, who imprisoned him in the Citadel of the Mountain, then killed him. For eight days no one knew what had become of him; afterward he was wrapped in a reed mat and thrown onto a refuse heap. Some people mourned him, and he was finally shrouded like any of the poor, after all the luxury, the vast worldly domain, and the authority his word once carried. The sultan took from his treasury (4) six hundred thousand dinars and seventy quintars of Egyptian silver, together with a great quantity of jewels—besides horses, mules, camels, furnishings, fine carpets, costly weapons, and other assets (5) and properties in Egypt and Syria.
He left (6) two sons, one of them blind. This blind son came to al-Ashraf, placed a handkerchief over his face (7), and pleaded, “For the sake of Allah,” explaining that they had gone for days without anything to eat (8). Al-Ashraf felt pity for him and released the estates so that they might live off their revenues. Exalted is Allah, who disposes of His creation as He wills (9): “He grants honor to whom He wills and humiliates whom He wills.”
The shaykh, the learned imām, Rashīd al-Dīn ʿUmar ibn Ismāʿīl ibn Masʿūd al-Fāriqī al-Shāfiʿī (10), instructor at the Ẓāhiriyyah.
(1) In manuscript B: “and his age was nearly sixty.”
(2) After this, in manuscript B: “and some of them said eighty years,” which makes no sense and is entirely untenable. Al-Dhahabi says in his History of Islam: “I saw him several times, the last when returning from the conquest of Tripoli, and he was in his sixties.” I note that the conquest of Tripoli took place one year before his death.
(3) Biography “Tarantay” in History of Islam (vol. 15, p. 632), where it appears in his own hand with a dhamma on the silent ta and on the ra; in Al-Ibar (vol. 5, p. 361) it is misvocalized with a fatha on the ta—a scribal error; also in Al-Nujum al-Zahirah (vol. 7, pp. 383–385) and Al-Dalil al-Shafi (vol. 1, p. 361). In some copies it is corrupted to Taraqtay.
(4) In B: “He was imprisoned, died at the Citadel of the Mountain, and lay undiscovered for eight days; then his body was wrapped in a straw mat and a shroud like that of a poor man, and interred.”
(5) In B: “1 dinar and 171 qintars of Egyptian silver, excluding horses, mules, baggage, weapons, and other accouterments.”
(6) In B: “and he left [it].”
(7) After it, in B: “and he stretched out his hand and said.”
(8) In B: “they did not find anything to eat.”
(9) In B: “So glory be to the One who disposes of His creation as He pleases.”
(10) Biography—Rashid al-Din al-Farqi: in History of Islam (vol. 15, p. 637); al-‘Ilam (p. 288); Al-Ibar (vol. 5, p. 363); Al-Isharah (p. 377); Al-Wafi bil-Wafayat (vol. 22, p. 431); Fawat al-Wafayat (vol. 3, pp. 129–131); Tabaqat al-Isnawi (vol. 2, pp. 286–287); Al-Nujum al-Zahirah (vol. 7, p. 385); Al-Dalil al-Shafi (vol. 1, p. 496); Al-Daris (vol. 1, p. 351); Bughiyat al-Wa’ah (vol. 2, p. 216); Shadharat al-Dhahab (vol. 7, p. 715).