Arabic Apothegm?

[Peter Tarras]

Dear NASCAS members,

I would like to ask your advice or opinion on the following short Arabic saying attributed to Saint Basil (the Great?). In my view, it might very well derive from a collection of apothegms, but I’m not at all familiar with this sort of collections. It is found on the very last folio (f. 237v) of Ms London, British Library, Or. 4950 after the second colophon of the scribe Stephen of Ramla. Since Stephen produced the manuscript for his teacher (muʿallim) whom he calls ambā Basīl, Sidney Griffith suggested that the apothegm at the end of the manuscript comes from this very same Basil (who is, however, called M[ā]r Bāsīliyūs al-qiddīs here). Here is my admittedly very sketchy take at a transcription/translation (see also the image of the page attached):

(٧) قول لمر باسيليوس القديس (٨) <اهـ>ـرب من خلطه الخبيث ليلا تقتنى (٩) <المـ>ـؤايده (؟) القبيحه فتموت نفسك معه (١٠) فى خطاياه لان العود الخفيف (١١) … سبح فوق الما اذا ربط معه (١٢) <الثقـ>ـل (؟) غرقه فى عمق الما وضد (١٣) <الحـ>ـب (؟) هى مرافقه الشرير تغرق (١٤) …ك لكل من يصحبه فاهرب (١٥) <مرافقـ>ـه الشرير وارتبط بالحب (١٦) <...لـ>كيما منجل فضله تصعد (١٧) <ا>لمكال المهلك لربنا (١٨) الشكر من الان والى الدهر امين.

“(7) A saying by the holy Saint Basil: (8) Flee from mixing with evil so that you do not acquire (9) disgraceful association (?) and your soul dies with it (10) in its sins, because the light wood (11) … swims above the water. If, however, (12) weight (?) is tied to it … it will drown it in the depth of water. The opposite (13) of love (?) is the company of someone who is evil which will drown (14) … for everyone who accompanies him. Therefore, flee (15) the company of someone who is evil and tie yourself to love (16) such that because of its grace you will ascend from (17) the deadly mud. Thanks are due to our Lord (18) from now on and forever, amen.”

If this somehow sounds familiar to you, possibly also from other Eastern Christian traditions, I would love to know. Also, if you have any suggestions for improving my reading/translation, I would be more than happy to hear them!

Best wishes,

Peter

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Peter Tarras, M.A.

Universität Würzburg

Institut für Philosophie

Arabic and Latin Glossary

Reisdenzplatz 2

97070 Würzburg

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