Sogdian Ancient Letter 5
- Sogdian Ancient Letters

VERSO

01
O[D] (ßgw) 
To the noble

02
(x)wt'w 
lord,

03
(s)'r(t)p'w * 
the chief merchant

* Or -p'[n]w?

04
'sp'nd('t)w 
Aspandhat.

RECTO

01
OD ßgw (xw)t'w 'sp'nd't ''prywn nm'cyw              (AP)Z(Y)[S Syr ](my)d
To the noble lord Aspandhat, blessing (and) homage. And (it would be) a [good] day

02
ZKZYß wynt drwk 'ncyw S'txw 'pwr'ßw 'xwcwztw *                                          M[N pryxwt'w] xypdy
[for him] who might see you healthy (and) safe, happy, free from illness (and) content. Fr[om Fri-khwataw] your

* Or -nsw. Not -#w with Reichelt, since # in this document always looks like nc (rather than ns/nt).

03
ßntk     AXR(Z)[Y](mn)[ ](Z)[K ](my)d( prtr)'t AYK(ZY)[ß](n)[ ](x)wt(y)[ wyn'ymn APZY](t)n
servant. And [for me the] day (would be still) better if [I might see] you [my]self [and] might pay homage to you from nearby, [as] (homage is offered) to the gods.

04
'c nztw n(m'cyw) (ß)r'n                     (A)[YK](Z)Y wySnw ßg'nw AXR[ZYm ](s)'r myd
[From] inside (China) [I] have heard worse, not better,             (news) day

05
myd 'ßzt(rw) ptgwSt LA prtrw AXRZYn ('c)        ('.)[.. ']cw * np'yns' **
(by) day, and whatever I might write concerning A[khurmaztakk](?), how he himself went (away)

* Or ](S)w?
** Hardly np'yS'w with Reichelt (cf. note to line 2 above).

06
(k)dZY (xwty)[ w](yt)[']rt AXRZYS 'cw wm't ..[..](py)[. .]d[. ](ß')t
                           and what he had . . . I have become isolated,

07
pwStym (A)[X]RZY n'y kc'ny 'skw'm         AXRZY LA w(r)d LA mrd wyt-r'm *
       and, behold, I stay here in Guzang and I do not go hither (and) thither,

* Or wyt ß'm? Written as two words.

08
AXRZY md'c ABYxw'r * nyst                         AXRZY kc'ny 4 ßn(t) 'spytc pr prstw
and there is no caravan(?) (departing) from here. In Guzang (there are) 4 bundles of "white" for dispatch,

* Or 'ryxw'r.

09
APZY pd'pd[.]h 2 1LP (5)00 pr prstw             APZY 'dßprstk n(y)st 
and 2,500 (measures of)(?) pepper for dispatch, and a double prasthaka of n(''y)t,

10
APZY 5 prstk rysk         APZY 100 styr n'kr(t)k       AXRZY AYK g'wtws
and 5 prasthakas of rysk, and half a stater of silver. When Ghawtus

11
'c kc'n (w)yt'rt        AXRZYS pyS wyt'rt'ym AXRZY ''gt('ym) 't
went (away) from Guzang I went after him,    and I came to

12
drw'n     A(X)RZYm ßyk[y]s'r prg'(S)tw ''.[.].t                      (AX)RZY(n) ..[.]. g'wtws
Dunhuang, (but) I was prevented(?) from straying(?) outside (China). (If) . . . Ghawtus

13
p'rStc r'dwh pyt'y *              AXRZYmn ZKh S'wkt nyznyt'y                  AXRZY
had seen [=found?] a level route, then I would have brought out the "Blacks."

* Or w-.

14
grßy swgd[y](k) ''mtk wm't ZKZYtn nyzt'y AXRZY L(A n)yzt '(k)[r]t'nt
Many Sogdians   were ready to leave, (but) they could not leave,

15
p'rZY ZK g(')wtws ZK(y g)r(y) wyt'rt  AXRZYn 't drw'n ptt'w p'rZY
for Ghawtus went by(?) the mountains. I(?) would (have) remain(ed) at Dunhuang,

16
mntzg'mk wm'tnt            AXRZYt ptwyd'm 'c 'pr'k (')m' srd(m'n)yt
but they * were destitute. I depend(?) on charity(?) from your 'pr'k,

*[=the Sogdian inhabitants]

17
(p'rZY ny)d[k .]...       's(pySy 'skw)'m k<(c)>'ny (AX)[RZ](Y)m [ ]....[ ].. 
for I am serving(?) . . . in Guzang,                and [they . . .] me,

18
AXRZYm ny[.. ..]        'w kwn(yt) {kwn(t')??} A(X)RZYt ZKy '(n)y[']g(w)[n'k {A(B)Y[ ]g(w)[tm'} ] ''try {''sry?}
and they make me . . ., and they obtain my . . .,

19
ßyr'y(nt) (A)[XRZ](Y)mn pr[ ]'(z)mw 'ßz'(w)'ynt   A(X)RZY [ ]'ßzßr'k
          [and] they increase (it) with our . . . And . . . I am very wretched,

20
'ym AXR(Z)[Y ..](m)n.[.]y..[ ..](')tkw ZNH cy(r..)tn [ AXRZ]Ym
    and . . . the . . .                                I heard thus:

21
KZNH pt(gw)S(t) xrstrnk ZYt 20 styr n('kr)[t](k) pr[t](w)[-d'rt AXR]ZY KZNH
     Kharstrang [owed(?)] you twenty staters of silver,         and he declared(?) thus:

22
ßSt ßr''mwt             AXRZYm dßrtw-d'rt ZKw n(')krtkw AX[RZYm ]ptm't
I (will) bring(?) (it). He gave me the silver,          and I weighed it,

23
AXRZY 400 styr 'spt {'tps?}                               AXRZYm ptßrSt (k)dZYm (20) st(yr)[ ..].'tw-
and (there were only) four and a half staters altogether. I asked: If he [sent] twenty staters,  why

24
d'rt 'cwZYm 400 styr dßry                     AXR(Z)Y KZNH wgtw-
     do you give me four and a half staters?  He said thus:

25
d'rt 'spnd't ZYm 'ßyrtw-d'rt 'wy r(')dyh AXRZY-
     Aspandhat found me on the way       and

26
t d(ßrtw)-d'(rt)                                  AXRZYm pr 4 styr 4 * (O)L(Z)K
he gave (it) to me(?). {He said thus: (There are) seven and a half staters of silver.} And for four staters four loads of

* About five letters deleted.

27
'st(k)['](m) 'ß(y)'r(t)  AXRZY ZKy S'wkty ZK n('kr)tk
'st(k)['](m) I obtained. And the "Blacks" took the silver,

28
''yt p'rZ(Y) KZNH wgtw-d'r'n(t) 'zg(')mk ZYn nyst
for they said thus: We(?) have no money. For (according to them it is) better (that)

29
p'rZY p(r)trw 'zw 'ß(z)ßr'k ß'w AYKZY wy AXRZ(Y)tn
I should be wretched than they! (If) you should

30
ptgwSt't 'YKZYm 'xwrmztkk gydrp 'krtw-d'rt
hear how Akhurmaztakk has done me harm,

31
AXRZYn m(s) ptgwS pyS(t)                MN xypd ßnt(k) pryxwt'
then you should pay heed (to this) too. Sent by your servant Fri-khwataw.

32
np'xSt ZNH dykh 'c kc'n pr 'drtyk m'(x)w p 30-'k
       This letter was written from Guzang in the third month on the thirtieth (day).