Request for Translation on a Pair of Yataghan

[drac2k]

I was fortunate to pick up these swords this weekend. They appear to be made by the same person, even though there are some small variations between them. In the event that they weren't made by the same person was there a set pattern (military or otherwise), that these blades conformed to?
A translation would be appreciated if possible.

[gp]

I think they looks like standard or common bjeloscapi (white) Yataghans, nice ones though.
But would not go as far say they come from the same maker. If you check auction catalogues, you'll find most look alike or close to yours.


Tip: both handles could use a little restoration or threatment to stop the splitting getting worde and I would recommend to give the right one in the second picture a nice soft cleaning to avoid deteriorating and bringing it back to its former glory. You will be very please by the result !


More info on the yataghans you can find in some older threads:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ataghan&page=2

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...light=yataghan

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...light=yataghan

[drac2k]

Thanks for the informative links.

[drac2k]

Since yataghans are the topic of the day, I thought that I might try again to get a translation.

[Battara]

Nice. Balkan with coral and walrus ivory.

[drac2k]

Thanks.

[JBG163]

For the date... i would say 12X2 for the first and 1272 for the second. Would need better pic to find the first one date. For the second, it correspond to 1875 in the gregorian calendar

[drac2k]

Thank you very much!

[faisalsonbol]

the first it says "work of Amran ?? Ibrahim"

the second one is "work of Al-hajj ????"
I can't read his name
al-hajj is not a name. It's a word people call someone who did the pilgrimage to makkah

[gp]

Originally Posted by faisalsonbol

the first it says "work of Amran ?? Ibrahim"

the second one is "work of Al-hajj ????"
I can't read his name
al-hajj is not a name. It's a word people call someone who did the pilgrimage to makkah

don't worry too much! Your translation is correct ! My respect.☼

Amran is both a surename as well a male first name in Bosnia.
And the use of nicknames in BiH is normal; almost everybody then (and still now) has one
( even I got one after some time staying there).

Al Hajj indeed might refer to either the man himself having been on a Hadj or wanting dearly to go ;
during my stay in Visoko 1985/86, a very nice man was called "Hajji Ali" because he wished so strongly to meet this Fifth Pilar and talked about it so often, they nicknamed him kindly "Hajji "

The challenge also with yataghans made in Bosnia is that the scripture is often trilingual: Bosnian into Turkish which was written in Arabic at that time.

So for a native Arab speaker or even an Arabist, this is not easy to translate.
Also for someone with Turkish knowledge or background it is the same:
as you have to go back to the lingo of more than a century ago...

Some Bosnian words I know, are from Turkish origin but only some old folks in deep Anatolia do know them...and in non Bosniak parts of today's Bosnia not everybody knows or understands them...

Back to the yataghan concerned: as for the writting, if the writer was not too highly educated, he might have used a kind of "Pidgin" Bosno-Turkish.

but in this case Sidi Faisal is correct 100 %

Enclosed is Bosnian versus Turkish in Arabic scripture from the 17th -20th century

[gp]

Originally Posted by Battara

Nice. Balkan with coral and walrus ivory.

indeed it is, actually Bosnian and very identical to one of mine as you can see on the pics
The bottom one with the Tughra is the same and Drac2k's but without the dots
and also very similar to four I am trying to restore at the moment, bringing them back to their former beauty...