The Great Khan's post houses

Or sachiés por vérité qe de ceste vile de Canbalu se partent montes voies lesquel vont por maintes provences, ce est à dire qe le une vait à tel provinces, et ceste à tel, et toutes les voies sunt devises là où elle vont, et ce est moût sçue chouse.

Now know for truth that from this town of Canbalu many roads set out, which go through many provinces; that is to say, the one goes to such provinces, and this one to such, and all the roads are [named? marked out?] [for] where they go, and this is a very known thing.

Now you should know for a fact that many roads lead out of this city of Canbalu1 to many provinces. One goes to one province and another to another, and every road is named for the place it goes to. This is well known.

1. Khanbaliq, “the khan’s city,” the Mongol capital, called Dadu in Chinese, on the site of modern Beijing.

Et sachiés qe quant l'en s'en part de Canbalu por toutes les voies qe voz ai contes, et il est alés vingt cinq miles, adonc le mesajes dou grant sire qe ceste vingt cinq miles ont alés, il trovent une poste que s'apelent janb. en lor langue, et en nostre langaje vaut à dir poste de chevaus, et de chascune poste treuvent les mesajes un moût grant paleis et biaus, là où les mesajes dou grant sire herbergient, et cest erbergies ont moût riches lit, fornis des riches dras de soie, et ont toutes les couses qe as autres mesajes convient, et se un rois hi venist, si seroit bien, herbergiés ; et encore voz di que à ceste poste treuvent les mesajes bien quatre cens chevaus que le grant sire a stabli, qe toutes foies hi demorent et soient aparoillés por sez mesajes quant il les envoie en aucune part,

And know that when one sets out from Canbalu by all the roads that I have told you, and he has gone twenty-five miles, then the messengers of the great lord, who have gone these twenty-five miles, they find a post which they call janb in their language, and in our language it is worth to say post of horses; and at each post the messengers find a very great palace and fine, where the messengers of the great lord lodge; and these lodgings have very rich beds, furnished with rich cloths of silk, and have all the things that are fitting to [other? high?] messengers; and if a king came there he would be well lodged. And again I tell you that at this post the messengers find a good four hundred horses, which the great lord has established, which always stay there and are ready for his messengers when he sends them anywhere.

When you leave Canbalu by any of these roads and have gone twenty-five miles,2 the messengers of the Great Lord3 find a post. In their language it is called a janb,4 which in ours means "post of horses." At each post the messengers find a large and handsome palace where the Great Lord's messengers stay. These lodgings have very rich beds, made up with rich silk sheets, and everything else that messengers need. If a king came there, he would be well lodged. And at this post the messengers find a good four hundred horses, which the Great Lord has placed there. They are always kept there, ready for his messengers whenever he sends them anywhere.

2. Polo probably counted in Italian miles, a little shorter than the English mile. His distances are rough estimates.
3. Qubilai (reigned 1260–1294), the Great Khan of the Mongols and the first Yuan emperor of China. Polo usually calls him “the great lord.”
4. Polo’s spelling of the Mongol word jam (Turkic yam): the chain of post stations along the empire’s roads, where official travelers changed horses and found food and lodging.

Et encore sachiés que en toutes vingt deus miles ou ongnes trente sunt ceste poste que je voz ai dit, ce est en toutes les principaus voie que vunt à les provences qe je voz ai contés desoure. Et chascune de ceste poste treuvent les mesajes da trois cens chevaus à quatre cens, tuit aparoillés à lor comandemant ; et encore hi treuvent si biaus palais con je voz ai contés là où les mesajes herberjent si richemant con je voz ai devisé desoure. Et en ceste mainere vait por toutes les provences et reingnes dou grant sire.

And again know that in every twenty-two miles, or every thirty, there are these posts that I have told you of; that is, on all the principal roads that go to the provinces that I have told you of above. And [at] each of these posts the messengers find from three hundred horses to four hundred, all ready at their command; and again they find there such fine palaces as I have told you, where the messengers lodge as richly as I have described to you above. And in this manner it goes through all the provinces and kingdoms of the great lord.

These posts stand every twenty-two or every thirty miles on all the main roads that go to the provinces I told you about. At each one the messengers find from three hundred to four hundred horses, all ready at their command. And they find palaces just as fine as I described, where the messengers lodge just as richly. In this way the posts run through all the provinces and kingdoms of the Great Lord.

Et quant les mesajes vont por desviables leus que ne i trouve ne maison ne herberges, si hi a fait faire le grant sire poste en chascun leu desviable et palais et toutes les chouses come ont les autres postes, et des chevaus et de arnois, mes ce sunt plus grant jornée : car il sunt faites les postes à trente cinc miles, et tiel hi a à plus de quarante, et en ceste mainere qe vos avés hoï vunt por toutes pars les mesajes dou grant sire, et hont herbergies, et chevaus aparoilés à ogne jornée, et ce est bien la greingnor autesse et la grandese greingnor qe aie ne baust onques nul enperaors, ne nulz rois, ne nul autre homes teroine.

And when the messengers go through out-of-the-way places where one finds neither house nor lodging, the great lord has had a post made there in each out-of-the-way place, and palaces and all the things that the other posts have, both horses and harness; but these are greater day's journeys, for the posts are made at thirty-five miles, and some there are at more than forty. And in this manner that you have heard, the messengers of the great lord go through all parts, and have lodgings and horses ready at every day's journey. And this is truly the greatest loftiness and the greatest grandeur that [ever had?] any emperor, nor any king, nor any other earthly man.

Sometimes the messengers travel through remote places where there is no house or inn. There too the Great Lord has had a post built in each place, with palaces and everything the other posts have, both horses and harness. But these are longer day's journeys,5 for here the posts are thirty-five miles apart, and some more than forty. In this way, as you have heard, the Great Lord's messengers travel everywhere and find lodgings and horses ready at the end of every day's journey. This is truly the greatest grandeur and splendor that any emperor, king or other man on earth has ever had.

5. A jornée is a day’s journey, the distance a traveler covered in a day, used as a measure of distance.

Car sachiés tout voiremant que plus de deus cent mille chevaus demorent à cestes postes propemant por les sez mesajes, et encore voz di que les paleis sunt plus de dix mille qe sunt ensi forni de riches arnois con je voz ai contes, et ce est chouse si merveilose et de si grant vailance, qe à poine se poroit bien conter ne scrivre.

For know quite truly that more than two hundred thousand horses stay at these posts properly for his messengers; and again I tell you that the palaces are more than ten thousand, which are thus furnished with rich furnishings as I have told you. And this is a thing so marvelous and of such great value that it could hardly be well told or written.

For you should know quite truly that more than two hundred thousand horses are kept at these posts just for his messengers. And there are more than ten thousand of these palaces, all furnished as richly as I said.6 It is so marvelous a thing, and worth so much, that it can hardly be told or written.

6. These figures are Polo’s own claims.

Et encore voz conterai una cause qe je avoit dementique, qe fait à nostre materie qe je vos ai ore contés. Il est voir qe entre le une poste et l'autre sunt ordreé ogne trois mile ha un chasaus, qe hi poit avoir entor quarante maison esquelz demorent homes à piés qe encore font ceste mesajarie dou grant sire, et voz dirai comant; il portent une grant centure toute pleine environ de sonaille, por ce qe quant il vont qe il soient oï de bien longe, et cesti vont toutes foies au grant gallon, et ne vont for qe trois moilles ; et les autres qe est à chief des les trois miles qe bien de longe le oient venir, demore tout aparoilles, et tant tost qu'il est celui venu il prant la chouse qu'il aporte, et prant une carte petite qe li done l'escrivain, e se met corant, et vait jusque à le autre trois miles et fait ausi come avoit fait le autre.

And again I will tell you a thing that I had forgotten, which belongs to our matter that I have now told you. It is true that between the one post and the other there is ordered, every three miles, a village, where there may be about forty houses, in which live men on foot who also do this message-service of the great lord; and I will tell you how. They wear a great belt all full of bells around, so that when they go they may be heard from very far; and these always go at a great gallop, and go only three miles. And the other, who is at the end of the three miles, who hears him coming from far off, waits all ready; and as soon as that one has come, he takes the thing that he brings, and takes a little paper that the clerk gives him, and sets off running, and goes as far as the next three miles, and does just as the other had done.

I will tell you something else that I had forgotten, which belongs with what I have just told you. Between one post and the next there is a village every three miles, with about forty houses. In these live runners, men on foot who also carry the Great Lord's messages. I will tell you how. They wear a large belt hung all around with bells, so that they can be heard from far off as they come. They always run at full speed, and each goes only three miles. The next man, waiting at the end of the three miles, hears him coming from far off and stands ready. As soon as the first man arrives, the next takes what he is carrying, and a little slip of paper that the clerk gives him. Then he sets off running to the next three-mile stop and does just as the other did.

Et si voz di qe en ceste mainere ha le grant sire de cesti homes à piés noveles des dix jornée en un jorno et en une noit. Car sachiés qu'il vont cesti homes à piés en un jor et en une noit dix jornée, et en deus jors et deus noit aportent noveles de vingt jornée, et ausi auroit noveles en dix jors et en dix nuit de cent jornée. Et si voz di qe cesti tielz homes aportent au seingnors plusors foies fruit de dix jornée en un jor.

And so I tell you that in this manner the great lord has, from these men on foot, news from ten days' journey in one day and one night. For know that these men on foot go in one day and one night ten days' journey, and in two days and two nights they bring news from twenty days' journey; and so he would have news in ten days and ten nights from a hundred days' journey. And I tell you that these men often bring the lord fruit from ten days' journey in one day.

In this way the Great Lord gets news from these runners from ten days' journey away in one day and one night. For you should know that in one day and one night these runners cover ten days' journey. In two days and two nights they bring news from twenty days away. So in ten days and ten nights he would have news from a hundred days away. And I tell you that these runners often bring the lord fruit from ten days' journey away in a single day.

Et les grant sire à ceste tielz homes ne prant nul treu, mes fait lor doner dou sien et des chevaus qe je vos ai dit, qe sunt tant por les postes por les mesajes porter. Voz di tout voiremant qe le sire grant les ensi establi, car il dit qui est près à la tel poste la tiel cité, et il fait veoir quant chevalz puet tenoir por les mesajes, et l'en li dit cent, et il li est comandé qe il mètrent à la tel poste cent chevaus, puis fait veoir toutes les autres viles et chastiaus quant chevaus puent tenir et celz qu'il puent tenir, et elz comande qu'il tienent à la poste. Et en tel maineres sunt ordenée toutes les postes, si qe rien ne i met le grant sire, for tant seulemant qe les postes des leu desvoiables fait-il fornir de sez chevaus propes.

And the great lord takes no tribute from these men, but has them given [something] from his own. And [as for] the horses that I have told you of, which are so many at the posts for carrying the messengers, I tell you quite truly that the great lord established them thus: for he says, which is the city near such a post, and he has it seen how many horses it can keep for the messengers, and they tell him a hundred, and it is commanded that they put a hundred horses at that post. Then he has all the other towns and castles seen, how many horses they can keep, and those that they can keep he commands them to keep at the post. And in such manner all the posts are ordered, so that the great lord puts nothing into it, except only that the posts of the out-of-the-way places he has furnished with his own horses.

The Great Lord takes no tax from these men. Instead he has them paid from his own goods. Now for the horses that I told you of, so many of them at the posts to carry the messengers. I tell you quite truly that the Great Lord arranged them like this. He asks which city lies near a certain post, and has someone find out how many horses it can keep for the messengers. They tell him a hundred, and the city is ordered to keep a hundred horses at that post. Then he has all the other towns and castles checked to see how many horses they can keep. He orders them to keep as many as they can at the post. That is how all the posts are arranged, so that the Great Lord pays nothing for them himself. Only the posts in remote places he supplies with his own horses.

Et si voz di qe quant il est beinzonz qe mesajes de chevaus aille tostainemant por conter au grant sire d'aucune tere qe soit revelles, ou d'aucun baron, ou des chouses qe soient beizognables au seingnor, il chevauchent bien deus cent miles en un jor, ou voir deus cens cinquante, et voz mostrerai raison comant. Quant les mesajes vuelent aller si tostainemant et tantes miles en un jor con je voz ai contés, il a la table dou gerfaus, en senificance qe il vuelt aler tostainemant.

And so I tell you that when it is needful that mounted messengers go very fast to tell the great lord of some land that has rebelled, or of some baron, or of things that are needful to the lord, they ride a good two hundred miles in a day, or indeed two hundred fifty; and I will show you the reason how. When the messengers want to go so fast and so many miles in a day as I have told you, they have the tablet of the gerfalcon, in sign that he wants to go very fast.

Sometimes messengers on horseback must go very fast, to tell the Great Lord that some land or some baron has rebelled, or about something else the lord needs to know. Then they ride a good two hundred miles in a day, or even two hundred fifty. I will show you how. When the messengers want to go so fast and so many miles in a day, they carry the gerfalcon tablet.7 It is a sign that the rider wants to go very fast.

7. A paiza, a tablet given to official travelers as a pass. From 1261 Qubilai issued urgent post paizas marked with a gerfalcon, a large hunting falcon, instead of a tiger’s head.

Se il sunt deus, il se muent dou leu où il sunt sor deus buens chevaus fors et corant, il se bindent tout lor ventre, et lieu lor chief, et se metent le grant cors tant con il plus puent, et corent tant qu'il sunt venus à l'autre poste de vingt cinq miles, et adonc treuvent autre deus chevaus aparoilés, fres et repousés, et corant. Il montent tant tosto qu'il ne se repousent ne pou ne grant; et quant il sunt montés, il se metent maintinant tant com il puent dou cheval traire, et ne restent de corer tant qu'il sunt venus à l'autre poste, et iluec treuvent les autres chevaus aparoillés, et il montent ausi crament et se metent (à) la voie. Et ensi font dusqe au soir : et en ceste mainere qe je voz ai contés vont cesti tiel mesajes bien deux cent cinquante miles por aporter novelles au grant sire, et encore quant il beizogne vont-il bien trois cens, et cesti tielz mesajes sunt mont preziés. Or voz laison de ceste raison des mesajes que bien la voz avon monstre apartemant, mes desormes voz conterai d'oune grant bonté que fait le grant sire à sez homes par deus foies l'an.

If they are two, they set out from the place where they are on two good horses, strong and swift. They bind all their belly, and [bind?] their head, and set off at the great run as much as they most can, and run until they have come to the next post, of twenty-five miles. And then they find two other horses ready, fresh and rested, and swift. They mount so quickly that they do not rest, neither little nor much; and when they have mounted, they set off at once as fast as they can draw from the horse, and do not stop running until they have come to the next post; and there they find the other horses ready, and they mount just as quickly and set off on the road. And so they do until evening. And in this manner that I have told you, these messengers go a good two hundred fifty miles to bring news to the great lord, and still more, when it is needful, they go a good three hundred. And these messengers are much prized. Now we leave you this account of the messengers, which we have shown you clearly; but from now on I will tell you of a great kindness that the great lord does to his men twice a year.

If there are two of them, they set out from where they are on two good horses, strong and swift. They bind their bellies tight and wrap their heads.8 Then they set off at a gallop as fast as they can go, and ride until they reach the next post, twenty-five miles away. There they find two more horses ready, fresh and rested and swift. They mount at once, without stopping to rest at all. As soon as they are in the saddle, they set off again as fast as the horses can go. They do not stop until they reach the next post, and there they find more horses ready. They mount just as quickly and are on their way. They keep this up until evening. In the way I have told you, these messengers ride a good two hundred fifty miles to bring news to the Great Lord, and when it is needed, a good three hundred. These messengers are highly valued. Now we will leave this account of the messengers, for we have explained it clearly. From here on I will tell you of a great kindness that the Great Lord does for his people twice a year.

8. Apparently to stand the shaking of a long gallop. The word for wrapping the head is unclear in the edition.