Ṣan‘at al-arghīn al-būqī صنعة الأرغين البوقي Mūrisṭus مورسطس

Content

Treatise on the construction of a hydaulic pipe organ (الأرغين البوقي; lit. 'trumpet organ'). The instrument is said to have been carried into battle and used as a siren capable of emitting a blast the could be heard for sixty miles. The author states that he made such an organ for the 'king of the inner Franks (ملك إفرجة الداخلة; f. 2r, line 1)'.

A diagram of the organ appears on f. 5r.

Begins (f. 1v, lines 2-5):

هذه رسالة لمورسطس

صنعة الأرغين البوقي الذي يذهب صوته ستين ميلًا

قال مورسطس كانت هذه الآلة تحمل معهم في حروبهم لأن

بلدهم كان كثير الأعداء من كل وجه ...

Ends (f. 4v, lines 9-12):

... فعلى قدر ذلك يخرج الصوت

من ألوان تقطيعه من لذيذ مطرب وغير ذلك إلا أن أصل ما

اتخذت له هذه الألة ذهاب الصوت إلى البعد

فاعلم ذلك إن شاء الله تعالى

Extent and format

Ff. 1v-5r

It is part of

Three treatises on musical organs by Mūrisṭus مورسطس

84 images

Ref: Or 9649

Written in

Arabic in Arabic script

Type

Manuscript item

Access & Reference

Original held at

British Library: Oriental Manuscripts

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

Or 9649, ff 1v-5r

History of this record

Date(s)

19th century (CE, Gregorian)

Related material

Select Bibliography

Edition:

• Cheikho, Louis, 'Thalāth maqālāt ‘arabīyah fī al-ālāt al-munaghghimah', Al-Machriq , 9, (1906), 21-23

Translation:

• Farmer, Henry George, The Organ of the Ancients from Eastern Sources: Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic (London: William Reeves, 1931), pp. 128-135

Subjects

Mechanics--Early works to 1800Organ (Musical instrument)--Construction--Early works to 1800

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Ṣan‘at al-arghīn al-būqī صنعة الأرغين البوقي Mūrisṭus مورسطس, British Library: Oriental Manuscripts, Or 9649, ff 1v-5r, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023512842.0x000001> [accessed 19 April 2024]

Link to this record

https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023512842.0x000001

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