# Anyone willing to do an Arabic translation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-willing-to-do-an-arabic-translation/185066 "2003-06-29T01:26:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-willing-to-do-an-arabic-translation/185066/1 "2003-06-29T01:26:28Z")
There’s some Arabic writing on [this sword](http://www.fluidmind.com/swords/Sword%20v2.JPG), which is a Nilotic Sudanese kaskara from the Mahdist era (1884-1898). I’d like to know what the words on the blade are, if anyone would be so kind as to translate. My apologies for the script not being very clear; it’s a very old sword and it’s seen a lot of action. Thanks, .:Nichol:. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-willing-to-do-an-arabic-translation/185066/2 "2003-06-29T03:20:54Z")
Are you sure its Arabic? It looks a little like some of the Berber languages. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-willing-to-do-an-arabic-translation/185066/3 "2003-06-29T04:33:05Z")
The writing is hard to make out. But it’s Arabic all right. It looks like the first word (starting near the hilt) is _hâdhâ_, ‘this’. As if it’s saying ‘This is…’ The next word starts with"K-"; looks like it might be _kaffah_ meaning ‘palm of the hand’ or ‘grip’. I can’t be sure. The beginning of the third word looks like “L-” something. The preposition _li-_ means ‘for’ or ‘(belonging) to’ so it might be telling the name of the owner, except that the script is pretty well obliterated after that point. The next two letters might be F-D or Q-D; hard to say because the dots that distinguish Q from F aren’t used here. I’m probably wrong, because the gender agreement of the first two words doesn’t match. If the second word is _kaffah_, the first should be _hâdhihi_. There seems to be some writing down under the K, which might form the ending of _hâdhihi_. The second line of script is even harder to make out. Sorry. You need an epigraphist. I’m printing out the picture and when I go back to work on Monday I’ll ask for help if anybody can make out any more words than I can. ---
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-willing-to-do-an-arabic-translation/185066/4 "2003-07-01T01:54:28Z")
Thanks **Jomo Mojo** , I really appreciate your help! .:Nichol:. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-willing-to-do-an-arabic-translation/185066/5 "2003-07-01T03:05:39Z")
Just out of curiosity, **Nichol** , how did you come to possess a blade of such obvious antiquity? (Yeah, I’m a curious sumbitch. Feel free to ignore me. :)) ---
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-willing-to-do-an-arabic-translation/185066/6 "2003-07-01T07:27:57Z")
The kaskara doesn’t actually belong to me, **Derleth** , though I wish it did. Its owner is an associate of mine, who inherited it from relatives who served in the Sudan and Southwestern Africa pre-WWII. He also has a beautiful Jambiyya from Southern Iraq with a golden sheath, a horn-handled Nepalese Kora, and many other remarkable family heirlooms. I’ve seen kaskaras similar to the one above auctioned for about 300 dollars. .:Nichol:. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-willing-to-do-an-arabic-translation/185066/7 "2003-07-01T08:23:32Z")
I have translated it. **Jomo Mojo** was correct about the first part, he just failed understand the rest which clearly states “made in China”. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-willing-to-do-an-arabic-translation/185066/8 "2003-07-01T10:36:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jomo Mojo \* > The writing is hard to make out. But it’s Arabic all right. Agreed, that script looks nothing like Tifinagh. It appears to be kufic in style. > [@](#): > > It looks like the first word (starting near the hilt) is _hâdhâ_, ‘this’. As if it’s saying ‘This is…’ I agree it starts with a ha, but the next letter is obscure. I suppose it is hatha as you say, but hard to read. > [@](#): > > The next word starts with"K-"; looks like it might be _kaffah_ meaning ‘palm of the hand’ or ‘grip’. I don’t think that is a fa, more like a waw to me. > [@](#): > > Sorry. You need an epigraphist. I’m printing out the picture and when I go back to work on Monday I’ll ask for help if anybody can make out any more words than I can. Good bloody luck, you need a full size image of higher quality I would say, that’s bloody hard script there, and it’s badly worn to boot. As to origins, well old war booty … ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-willing-to-do-an-arabic-translation/185066/9 "2003-07-02T11:15:36Z")
I showed the picture to several Arabic language experts who are better than I at reading illegible script — experts who work all day long puzzling out illegible Arabic script — and every one of them was as baffled as I was. I came up empty-handed. I’m afraid the sword is in such poor condition, and even though I Photoshopped the pic to improve legibility as much as possible, the pic doesn’t convey enough information to allow reading. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![T.rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@T.rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.rex)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-willing-to-do-an-arabic-translation/185066/10 "2003-07-02T23:28:44Z")
It says, “This is the sword used by Joseph, brother of Jesus”.