أَسود من شعرى سطور طروسها

Ingredients

Black colorant (likely soot/carbon)

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The text does not provide a formal manufacturing recipe, but it describes the physical behavior of the ink used for ruling (mistarah) and writing on paper (turs). The ink is described as having a deep black color ('blacker than hair') and is explicitly noted as being water-soluble, as the poet claims to 'erase it with drops of tears' (p. 451). This behavior is highly characteristic of carbon-based inks (soot mixed with gum arabic) common in 18th-century Egyptian manuscripts, which remain susceptible to moisture unless specifically treated.

Evidence

"وسـطرة فـي رقـة الجسـم قـد حـكـت نـحـولي مـن عـشق وعـضد ضلوعي / أسـود مـن شعـرى سـطور طـروسـها وأبـكـي فـأمـحـوه بـقـطـر دمـوعـي"

Remarks

The mention of 'Mistarah' (ruling) and 'Turs' (manuscript leaves) provides context for the ink's application in professional scribal practice during the Ottoman period in Cairo. The physical vulnerability to water ('erasure by tears') suggests a lack of permanent mineral additives or tanning agents that would make the ink water-fast (p. 451). This poetic excerpt serves as a primary source for the perceived qualities of ink color and stability in the mid-18th century.