I shall state my case

Menaḥem Ibn Sarūq sent this poetic Hebrew self-vindication, formatted here by the translator as prose paragraphs, to his patron Ḥasday (here, Ḥisdai) Ibn Shaprūṭ, after accusations had led to Menaḥem’s falling out of favor with Ibn Shaprūṭ, who served the Umayyad caliph ‘Abd al-Raḥmān III (r. 912–961) in Córdoba. Menaḥem refers to earlier written exchanges, now lost, and pleads for Ḥasday to render fair judgment. His entreaties were ultimately unsuccessful, and he never regained his membership in Ḥasday’s inner circle.