Sogdian Ancient Letter 2
- Sogdian Ancient Letters
VERSO
A1
OD ßg(w)
To the noble
A2
xwt'(w)
lord
A3
ßr(z')kkw
Varzakk
A4
nn(ydß)'r(w)
(son of) Nanai-thvar
A5
k'n'(kkw)
(of the family) Kanakk.
B1
pySt [MN]
Sent [by]
B2
xypd ßn(t)[k]
his servant
B3
(nny)ßntk
Nanai-vandak.
C1
[ ] dyk(h) ('t)
. . . should send and to
C2
[](sm'r)knd[h] prsty('t) 't
Samarkand [this] letter
C3
[](ßr)''(t) A(XR)ZYS w(ysp)
bring. And
C4
[](.ß..')[.. ](...t)
[the noble lord Varzakk . . . should receive(?)] it all(?)
C5
[ ].....
[complete(?)].
C6
[ ]p(ySt M)N
Sent [by
C7
[xypd ](ßntk nnyßntk)
his] servant Nanai-vandak.
RECTO
01
OD ßgw xwt'w *ßrz'kkw * nnydß''rw k'n'kk 1LP ßrywr SLM
To the noble lord Varzakk (son of) Nanai-thvar (of the family) Kanakk, 1,000 (and) 10,000 (times)
* MS ßr'kkw.
02
nm'cyw *sp'tz'(nw)ky * AY(KZY) ZKyXM(w) ßg''n(w ß)yrt pySt MN xypd ßntk
blessing (and) homage on bended knee, as is offered to the gods, sent by his servant
* MS sp'tz'.ky.
03
nnyßntk APZYS xwt'y(nß)[ ]Syr myd ZKZYßn (XZY)H S'tyxw 'pwr'ß
Nanai-vandak. And, sirs, (it would be) a good day for him who might see you happy (and) free from illness;
04
AXRZYßn xwt'ynß 'xSth AL(H) d(r)wt'twh AXRZY ZNH grywh (nw)Sk(w)
and, sirs, (news of) your (good) health having been heard (by me), I consider myself immortal!
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05
myn'm AXRZY xwt'ynb 'rm't(s)['](c) (c)wcny drw'k 'yncy AXRZY 'rs'c
And, sirs, Armat-sach in Jiuquan (is) safe (and) well and Arsach
06
kc'ny drw'k 'yncyy A(X)[R]ZY xwt'(yn)b 'st (3) srd AYKZY MN cntry
in Guzang (is) safe (and) well. And, sirs, it is three years since -from "inside" [i.e. from China]-
07
s'r swgdyk ''gt AXRZYm prS(t)t gwtms'c AXRZY drw'k 'yncyy
a Sogdian came --. I settled(?) Ghotam-sach, and (he is) safe (and) well.
08
AXRZY 't kwr'ynk s'r wyt'rt AXRZYcn nwkry nydk ''yst APZYbn
He has gone to Kwr¹ynk, and now no-one comes from there so that
09
np'ys'w MNZKyXMw swgdyk'nw (ZK)[ZY c]ntry s'r wyt'rt kwyd'tn
I might write to you about the Sogdians who went "inside," how they fared
10
krt'y'nt kt'mw ZYn n'pw p(r)[']'gt-'y'nt AZRZY xwt'ynb ZNH
(and) which countries they reached. And, sirs, the
11
prbtm bgpwr m'd w'b'nt M(N) dbn' 'pr'St MN srg AXRZYS
last emperor, so they say, fled from Luoyang because of the famine, and
12
ALZK S'yknw APZY ALZK kndh '('trw)h wgt AXRZY swgt 'xw
fire was set to his palace and to the city, and the
13
S'ykn APZY 'xh kndh w.[... A]XRZY ms LA srg LA 'nkp'
palace was burnt and the city [destroyed]. Luoyang (is) no more, Ye (is) no more!
14
AXRZY ms (ZN)H [xw](n)'nw AXRZYSn
Moreover, the . . . Huns(?), and they . . .
15
'xwmt(')[n] m[']d APZYS[w d]'r'nt k(y.)[. 't] n'(y)n'y(c)h prmw
Changan, so that they hold(?) it(?) . . . as far as N'yn'ych
16
APZY 't 'nkp' prmw my x[w]n [ZK](Z)Y 'zyy myd bgpwr xypd wm't'nt
and as far as Ye, these (same) Huns [who] yesterday were the emperor's (subjects)!
17
AXRZY xwt'ynb LA z'n'ymn k[t'rw] ZYn ZNH wy'prgt'kw cyn
And, sirs, we do not know wh[ether] the remaining Chinese
18
ZNH xwn Sk'r(t)w wn'y'nt [MN 'x](w)mt'n AWZY(n)n ZNH p'r'kw (n)'pw
were able to expel the Huns [from] Changan, from China, or (whether) they took the country
19
ny's'y'nt AXRZ(Y) [..](x)[.. 's]t 100 ''ztpydrk
beyond(?). And [. . . in . . . there are] a hundred freemen
20
sm'rkndc ('...)m(h) kn'x(w)s.[.. ..]y [']st <[..].. ry'ny> (40) mrtyy
from Samarkand . . . in [. . .] Dry'n there are forty men.
21
AXRZYb(n) x(w.)[...](MN ... 'kr.)[.. AXRZY 's](t) 3 srd
And, sirs, your [. . . it is] three years
22
AY(MT)w MN cnt(r)[y s'r..](t) (LA) (k)[r](t)h AXRZY MN
since [. . . came] from "inside" . . . unmade (cloth)(?). And from
23
drw''n 't kmzy(m) pr(mw) pr( x)[.. ...]y(k) pr''(dt)y kynpwyn'k dbn'k
Dunhuang up to Jincheng in . . . to sell, linen cloth is going [= selling well?],
24
Swtt AXR(Z)Y (k)y' 'st (n')kr(t)[k A](WZ)Y (b)g(n)k (n'rwbt) n(')-''(y)t AARZY(cn)
and whoever has unmade (cloth)(?) or raghzak (which is) not (yet) brought (to market)(?), not (yet) taken,
25
pr'd(t) [..](kw) A(P)[ZY]. AXRZY xwt'ynb m'xnc w'prmw
[can](?) sell [all](?) of it . . . And, sirs, as for us,
26
ZNH w't d'r'(y)mn ZKZY MN k[mzym] 't drw''n prmw 'skwtt
whoever dwells (in the region) from Ji[ncheng](?) up to Dunhuang, we (only) survive [lit. "have breath"]
27
c'prmw ZYn ZNH syskwny zw''t AXRZY p'pdy 'wby APZY m'sk
so long as the . . . lives, and (we are) without family(?), both old
28
APZY mrkyn'k AXRZYn AYMTw ZNH LA ''t AXRZYbn pySt LA ''m(s')[]
and on the point of death. If this were not (so), [I would] not be ready(?)
29
np'xSt AYKZYn m'xnc b'ymnyy AXRZYbn xwt'ynb AYMTw wyspw
to write to you (about) how we are. And, sirs, if I
30
sxwn np'ys'w AYKZY ZNH cynstn krt AXRZY p'r zyrmh AXRZYbn
were to write to you everything (about) how China has fared, (it would be) beyond(?) grief:
31
cn prg'w nyst AXRZY xwt'ynb 'st 8 srd AYKZYm prySt
there is no profit for you (to gain) therefrom. And, sirs, it is eight years since
32
cntry s'r s'gr'k APZY prn''g[t] AXRZYSy 'st 3 srd AYKZYmnc
I sent Saghrak and Farn-aghat "inside" and it is three years since
33
pcbnt 'by'rt AXRZY Syr'(w)d.[.. ...](s) (')nt AXR[Z]Y AYK ZNH prbtm
I received a reply from there. They were well . . ., (but) now, since the last
34
byz krt AXRZYnc nwkry pcbn(t) [L](A) byr'm kwyd'wtn krt'y'nt
evil occurred, I do [not] receive a reply from there (about) how they have fared.
35
AXRZYm ms <'st 4 srd> prySt 'n(y) mrty 'rtyxw-bntk n'm AY(K)ZY MN kc''n
Moreover, four years ago I sent another man named Artikhu-vandak. When -from Guzang-
36
s'rth wyt'rt AXRZY wr wxwS['](k)[w m]'xw m'[..](w)m't AXRZY AYK
the caravan departed --, Wakhush[akk] the . . . was there, and when
37
't srg pr''gt('n)t AXRZY wr 'w[by...](kt) APZY 'yntkwt APZY swgdyk-t
they reached Luoyang, bo[th the . . .] and the Indians and the Sogdians
38
AXRZY MN dbz wysp mrt'nt (A)[XRZYm] (p)rySt Z(K) nsy'(')n 't drw''n
there had all died of starvation. [And I] sent Nasyan to Dunhuang,
39
AXRZY 'zntt (b)yky AXRZY tg(t) AXRZY ms nwkry 'zntt n'prs c'm(k)
and he went "outside" [i.e. out of China] and entered (Dunhuang), (but) now he has gone without (obtaining) permission from me,
40
AXRZYSy mx'y(x)ch ptwh wm't AXRZY 'wy kr''cyh ptxwst zyt
and he has (received) a great retribution and was struck dead in the . . .
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41
AXRZYm xwt'y ßrz'kk 'xw mSt(t) 'nwtt t'ßk kwyt xwt'w AXRZYmc
Lord Varzakk, my greatest hope is in your lordship!
42
d'rt ALH pysk drw'spßntk 5[ ].. * 4 styrch AXRZYSy pr
Pesakk (son of) Dhruwasp-vandak holds 5[...]4 staters from me and he
* Unclear numerals.
43
sk''nk krt LA p(rß)'rnyk AXRZ[YS](w) tgw d'ry [ ](cn)wkry tßt
put it on deposit(?), not to be transferred, and you should hold [it . . .] sealed from now (on),
44
'PZY n'prsw (s)[....]y[ ] (drw)'s(ßn)[tk * .. ]y (nnydß'')r ßrz'kky ptpr'wy
so that without (my) permission . . . Dhruwasp-van[dak] . . . [Lord] Nanai-thvar, you should remind Varzakk
* Sic.
45
APZY 'tw sk'['n]kw (')nzßr't AX(R)[ZYSw] ptSmrydy AXRZYSw 'YMTw *
that he should withdraw(?) this deposit(?), and you should (both) count [it], and if the latter is to hold it,
* Apparently 'ymsw.
46
xyd d'r't-k'm AXRZY ZK wrtw O(L)[Z](K) * m'Skh 'pdr'yydy AXRZYSw pr
then you should (both) add(?) the interest to the capital and put it in
* Doubtful.
47
* prß'rnykw pwstk wnydy [A]XRZYSw ms ßrz'kky dßryy AXRZY
a transfer document, and you (Nanai-thvar) should give this too to Varzakk. And
* A word (perhaps sk''n?) deleted.
48
AYMTw m'd s'ckw mynd APZYSw xyd L' d'r't AXRZYSw ''sydy
if you (both) think (it) fit that the latter should not hold it, then you should (both) take it
49
AXRZYSw 'nyy dßr'ydy ky'wt xw(t)y s'ckw mynd APZY ALH KSP pr(t)r
and give it to someone else whom you do think fit, so that this money may thereby become more.
50
ß't OLZK APZY n'y 'yw t'ywk [ ] w'r'(zx) ZNH zmnh APZY AYMTw
And, behold, (there is) a certain orphan . . . dependent(?) on this income(?), and if he should live
51
zw''y APZYn srdy pr''gt ß'y APZYS 't 'ny 'nwt nyst AYKZY kyt'yd
and reach adulthood *, and he has no hope of (anything) other than this money,
* [lit. "years"]
52
KSP AXRZY nnydß''r 'xSt''t APZY tkwt ANwZK ßg' 'pz'wt AXRZYmßt
then, Nanai-thvar, (when) it should be heard that Takut has departed(?) to the gods
53
ZK ßg' pytd'r 'nt APZY 'xw ABY rw''n APZY AYMTw txs'yc-ßntk mz'y(x)k
-- the gods and my father's soul (will)) be a support(?) to you! -- and when Takhsich-vandak grown up *
* [lit. "big"]
54
ß't AXRZYSy wdwh dßr' AXRZYSw cyty grywyh LA w'cy AXRZYnnc
is, then give him a wife and do not send him away from yourself.
55
ZK mrtk ßrxs'm pz'wt 'my( )[ ](O)LZK APZY myd myd ZNH mydrw
Mortal(?) gratification(?) has departed(?) from us(?) in the . . ., because (from) day (to) day we expect
56
p(c)p'(ym)n APZY wmrzw AXRZYßn 'y(t)[.] z(g)'mk gw''t AXRZY cn KSP
murder(?) and robbery. And when (the two of) you need cash, then you (Nanai-thvar)
57
''sy kt'rw 1LP s AWZY 2 1LP s AXRZYm prst't wnrzmk 't drw''n
should take either 1,000 staters or 2,000 staters out of the money. And Wan-razmak sent to Dunhuang for me
58
32 yxsyh tkwty xypd APZYSn t'ßk prstyy AXRZY AYK pr'ßyr't
32 (vesicles of) musk belonging to Takut so that he might deliver them to you. When they are handed over you
59
AXRZYSw pnc y'tk wny AXRZYcn 3 y'tk txs'yc-ßntk ''sy APZY
should make five shares, and therefrom Takhsich-vandak should take three shares, and
60
pys''kk * 'yw y'tk APZY 'yw y'tkw tgw
Pesakk (should take) one share, and you (should take) one share.
* Or pyt''kk with Harmatta.
61
AXRZY ZNH dykwh krt AYKZY
This letter was written * when
* [lit. "made"]
62
cyrdsw''n MRAY 13 (s)rd (w)m'tw
it was the year thirteen of Lord Chirth-swan
63
pr tgm'ycw m'xw
in the month Taghmich.