Judeo-Persian: National Library of China, BH1-19
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Details

Details

BH1-19
National Library of China
Unknown
Gold (given following external peer review through journal/book publication)
Judeo-Persian (Hebrew script)
Letter

Physical Description

paper
1
horizontal

Content

This document is a letter from Hakim to his brother Shawāfradar. The letter discusses family health, the receipt of a previous letter, the delivery and distribution of gifts (including perfume, silk, and food items) to local officials in exchange for sheep, logistical details of the transaction, and news of military events near Kashgar.
 

Dates

  • The Gregorian calendar: None
None

People

  • David
  • Nūrbak
  • Shabilī the illegitimate
  • Hakim
  • Rabbi
  • Khudenak
  • Khashak
  • Harun
  • Mushak
  • Issac
  • Shawāfradar
  • Abū Sahak
  • Nisi Chilag

Publications

  • Zhan, Zhang. “Two Judaeo-Persian Letters from Eighth-Century Khotan” Bulletin of the Asia Institute 31, 2023. pp. 105–133.
    The IEDC translation and transcription have been taken from this publication
  • Asefi, Nima. “An Old Letter from Khotan: A Review of an Early Judeo-Persian Letter Called Dandān-Uiliq II” Persica Antiqua 3 (4), 2023. pp. 49-60.
  • 张湛、时光: 《一件新发现犹太波 斯语信札的断代与释读》, 载《敦 煌吐鲁 番 研究》第 11 卷,上海: 上海古籍出版社，2009 年 9 月， 第 71—100 页
  • Zhan, Zhang. “The Silk Road: A New History with Documents” The Silk Road: A New History with Documents. In V. Hansen (Ed.), 2016. Oxford University Press. pp. 381-382.
  • 吉田豊「コータンのユダヤ . ソグ ド商人？」 土肥義和.氣賀澤保規 編『敦煌.吐魯番文書 の世界とそ の時代』査読あり東京：東洋文庫 2017/3, pp. 263-285

Related Shelfmarks

IEDC Data

1282
29/06/2025
03/07/2025

Citations

Zhan Zhang
The transcription and translation have been taken from a previous publication (see Publications)
See 'How to Cite'
https://www.invisible-east.org/corpus/1282/

Contact

invisible_east@conted.ox.ac.uk (Please include the above permalink when contacting the editorial team about this Text)
Folios
1. recto
Tags
Transcription
Translation
Transliteration
Transcription
Folio:
 pannām īzid xudā ī-kirbakkar. sad hazar šalamā bē xudā rab Nīsī Čīlāg, bē āzarmī   1
 Abū Sahak, bē grāmī brādar Šawāfradar, bē Ičhak, u-bē Mōšak, u-bē Harūn, bē   2
 Xāšak, bē xwāharak Xudēnak, bē hamagīn mardōmān iš~mā buzurg u-kōdak, az man  3
 rabī. drōd u-drustī. āgahī iš~marā nibēsum kū: man u-hakīm u-payrō u-mamzēr Šablī  4
 drust u-nēk-um. u-mardamakān ī xāna pa nērō īzid xudā tā imrōz. pas az ēn,   5
 āgahanum bē brād Šawāfradar kū: Nūrbak andar Xōtan āmad. u-nāma iš~mā āward, u-yaftum.   6
 u-bar xwandum ān-ī nibišt būdē. hamagīn kū iš~mā pa tan ī xwaš drust u-nēk   7
 hēd. mā az dūr saxt šād bāšīm. u-spās-dārī kunēm apēš īzid xudā.   8
 u-pas tō āgah bāš kū: mā gōsfand ayāftum az dihgān saxt āzadīhā. hidya ī   9
 framūdē būdēm iš rāst. čūn tīb andar burdum. hamandar zamān tīb pān   10
 bi~kr dīd, u-mar Čikāšī rā framūd kū: “zūd gōsfand ēn sugdī bē dih!”   11
 u-Čikašī u-ān bad paywastan. bē dihgān xišm grift. u-čīz saxwan ī bad mardum   12
 na grift. čahar marand dād. Šablī u-hakīm u-dō γulām raftan pa kūh   13
 šaš~mī māh pa dah saγd. dihgān rā: yakē γulīk u-yak kafīz kabar u-panj šag   14
 dugbīx u-yak šag dambīr u-yak satēr bōy ī čīnī hidya. az mar sīxī rā: yakē   15
 parnyān u-yakē šamsi hidya. čē nēk kardēd! sīxī čikāšī ī duxtar ī dihgān rā,   16
 ???rīk krāk nām hast, yakē parnyān u-dō gand u-dō līmčū hidya. yak panxwān   17
 ī bar gōsfand mihtarā: yakē līkīn u-yakē gand yakē līmčū hidya. dō marand   18
 rā, kū sar šmar ī gōsfand mihtar būdan, yak yak līkīn u-yak yak gand u-dō līmčū   19
 hidya. šubānān rā: bagdū u-gand u-līmčū hidya. u-šudan pa kūh. bē nūz gōsfand   20
 bē dist mā na rasīd. u-padīriftan kū:“gōsfand saxt nēk dihēm.” u-pa nāma   21
 nibišt būdē kū: “nīz pašīz xwāstan pa gōsfand, u-na dādum.” u-na nēk kar~dē.   22
 agar ēn nāma bē šmā rasād, u-duxtar ī dihgān bē~rōn nāmada bād,   23
 [har] čand pašīz xwā[had ](p)a gōsfand aš, bē framāy dādan. u-bā ōy bērōn āyē.   24
 [marā t]ō čišm u-rōšnī-ē. ham ēn duxtar hast dihgān rā. u-saxt spās kun.   25
 [aga]r spās ī ō-rā kunē, čīz gum na buwad. man saxt bisyār nāma frēstum   26
 [bē] šmā. pas na dānum kū bē šmā na rasad. (p)[a pan]j~mī mā pa haždah saγd,   27
 Šablī andar āmad. pa bīst u-panj saγd, dō kinkāx dihgān nazdīk ī   28
 duxtar frēstīd. man pa dist ī ham ān kinkāx sīh nāma frēstīdum   29
 bē šmā. har čē āgahī ī šahr u-nē kāšgar būd hamagīn nibišt būdum. āgahī ī   30
 kāšgar ēn hast kū: tūpityān rā pāk bē kuštan u-bagdū bastan. u-spāfūšī šud   31
 [pa] kāšgar abā pa~sad marand či sawār u-či payāda. u-spas ī spāfūšī,   32
 [pē]nbāšī harb rā u-salām u-xazīm rā bayaspān frēstīd. u-man harb rā čīz   33
 dādum pa māyah ī sad patku pašīz. w-andarz kar~dēd-um, az sōy ī Dawīd rā,   34
 pisar ī Nīsī u-xahar zāda iš~mā rā, ham harb rā u-salām u-xuzām rā, kū:   35
 “agar āmada bād pa kāšgar, har čand xuzīnah xwāhand, čīz bāz ma   36
 ma dā~rēd.” bē ēdōn šnīdum, kū ham Dawīd u-ham   37
 xwāhar zāda.   38
Translation
Folio:
1  In the name of God, the Lord, the benevolent. A hundred thousand greetings to the lord master Nisi Chilag, to the honorable 
2  Abu Sahak, to (my) dear brother Shawāfradar, to Issac, to Mushak, to Harun,  
3  to Khashak, to (my) little sister Khudenak, to all your people, old and young from me,  
4  Rabbi. Regards and greetings! I write to inform you that: I, Hakim, the attendant, and Shabilī, the illegitimate,  
5  are healthy and good. By the power of the Lord God, children of the house (are good) till today. After this,  
6  I inform (my) brother Shawāfradar that: Nūrbak came to Khotan. He brought your letter, and I received (it).  
7  I read what you had written. All of you are physically healthy and sound.  
8  We are, from afar, very happy. We give thanks before the Lord God.  
9  And then, be aware of the fact that: We obtained sheep from the local ruler very generously. The gifts that  
10  we had ordered (are) correct. When I brought in the perfume, as soon as he saw the perfume on that  
11  maiden, he ordered Čikāšī that: Quickly deliver the sheep of this Sogdian!  
12  Čikašī and he did not get along. But the ruler became angry. He did not  
13  accept any words of the bad people. He [the ruler] gave four marand (?). Shabilī, Hakim, and two slaves went to the mountain  
14  on the 10th (day) of the 6th month. The gift for the ruler: a vase, one kafīz of capers, five šag of  
15  dugbīkh, one šag of dambīr, one stater of the Chinese scent [= musk?]. The gift for sīkhī: one (bolt of)  
16  silk and one shirt. How well you have done! For sīkhī cīkāšī of the ruler’s daughter, whose name is  
17  . . . . . . rīk krāk, the gift is one (bolt of) silk, two (units of) sugar and two (units of) līmčū. For the Executive Officer,  
18  who is in charge of the sheep, the gift is one līkīn and one (unit of) sugar and one (unit of) līmčū. For the two marand (soldiers?)  
19  who are in charge of sheep-counting, the gift is one līkīn for each and one (unit of) sugar for each and two (units of) līmčū.  
20-21  For the shepherds, the gift is bagdū (= slave?), sugar and līmčū. They have gone to the mountain, but we have not yet obtained the sheep. They promised that: we will give the sheep very properly. In the letter  
22  you had written: They still wanted money for the sheep, and I did not give. You did not do well.  
23  If this letter shall reach you, and the ruler’s daughter has not come out,  
24  however much money she may ask for the sheep, please give it to her, and come out with her.  
25  [For me,] you are the eye and the light. This daughter is just like that for the ruler. Thank her a lot.  
26  If you thank her, nothing will be lost. I will send a great many letters  
27  to you. But I do not know whether these (letters) shall reach you or not. On the 18th of the 5th month,  
28  Shablī came in [to Khotan]. On the 25th, the ruler sent two runners to  
29  (his) daughter. By the hands of these runners, I sent thirty letters  
30  to you. I have written about all the cities except for Kashgar. The news of  
31  Kashgar is this: They captured and killed all the Tibetans. The Vice Commissioner of the Army went  
32  to Kashgar with 500 marand (= soldiers?), some on horseback, some on foot. After the Vice Commissioner of the Army,  
33  the Commissioner of Soldiers and Horses sent a messenger for the battle and for peace and victory. For the battle,  
34  I donated a sum worth 100 strings of coins. You have given me advice for the sake of David,  
35  Nisi’s son and your nephew, also for the battle, for peace and victory:  
36  “If it [the war] had come to Kashgar, however much they may want  
37  do not hold back anything.” I listened to it [= followed your advice] as well as that of David  
38  and the nephew.  
Transliteration
Folio:
1  pnn’m yzyd kwdh yqrbqr sd hzr šlm’ by kwdh rb nysy cyl’g by ’zrmy  
2  ’bw shq by gr’my br’dr šw’prdr by ychq wby mwšq wby hrwn by  
3  k’šq by kwhrq kwdynq by hmgyn mrdwm’n yš m’ bzwrg wqwdq ’z mn  
4  rbyy drwd wdrwsty ’ghy yš mr’ nbyswm qw mn whqym wpyrw wmmzyr šbly  
5  drwst wnyyqwm wmrdmq’n ’y k’nh p’ nyrw yzyd kwdh t’ ymrwz ps ’z yn  
6  ’ghnwm by br’d šw’prdr qw \nwrbq/ ’ndr kwtn ’md wn’mh yš m’ ’wrd wyptw\m/  
7  wbr kwndwm ’ny nbyšt bwdy hmgyn qw yš m’ p’ tn ’y kwš drwst wnyyq  
8  hyd m’ ’z dwr skt š’d b’ šym wsb’s d’ry qwnym ’pyš yzyd kwdh  
9  wps tw ’gh \b’š/ qw m’ gwspnd ’yptwm ’z dyhg’n skt ’zdyhh hdyh ’y  
10  prmwdy bwdym yš r’st cwn tyb ’ndr bwrdwm hmndr zm’n tyb p’n  
11  by qr dyd wmr cyk’šy r’ prmwd qw zwd gwspnd yn swgdy by dyh  
12  wcykšy w’n bd pywstn by dyhg’n kyšm qrypt wcyz skwn ’y bd mrdwm  
13  n’ grypt chr mrnd d’d šbly whqym wdw gwl’m rptn p’ qwh  
14  šš my mh p’ dh sgd dyhg’n r’ yqy gwlyq wyq qpyz qbr wpnc šg  
15  dwgbyk wyq šg dmbyr wyq styr bwy ’y cyny h(dy)h ’z mr syky r’ yqy  
16  prny’n wyqy šmsy hydyh cy nyyq qrdyd syky (cy)k’šy ’y dwktr ’y dyhg’n \ r’/  
17  ???ryq qr’q n’m hst yqy prny’n wdw gnd wdw lymcw hdyh yq pnkw’n  
18  ’y br gwspnd myhtr’ yqy lyqyn wyqy gnd yqy lymcw hdyh dw mrnd  
19  r’ qw sr šmr ’y gwspnd myhtr bwdn yq yq lyqyn wyq yq gnd wd lymcw  
20  hdyh šb’n’n r’ bgdw wgnd wlymcw hdyh wšdn p’ qw\h/ by nwz gwspnd  
21  by dyst m’ n’ rsyd wpdyryptn qw gwspnd skt nyyq dyhym wp’ n’mh  
22  nbyšt bwdy qw nyz pšyz kwstn p’ gwspnd wn’ d’dwm wn’ nyyq qr dy  
23  ’g(r) yn n’mh by šm’ rs’d wd\w/ktr ’y dy\h/g’n by rwn n’mdh b’d  
24  [hr ](c)nd pšyz kw’(h)[d ](p)’ gwspnd ’š by prmy d’dn wb’ wy byrwn ’yy  
25  [mr’ t]w cyšm wrwšny’y hm yn dwktr hst dyhg’n r’ wskt sb’s qwn  
26  [’g]r sb’s ’y wr’ qwny cyz gwm n’ bwd mn skt bysy’r n’mh prystw\m/  
27  [by] šm’ ps n’ d’nwm qw by šm’ n’ rsd (p)[’ pn](c) my m’ p’ hzdh sgd  
28  šbly ’ndr ’md p’ byst wpnc sgd dw qynq’k dyhg’n nzdyq ’y  
29  dwktr prystyd mn p’ dyst ’y hm ’n qynq’k syh n’mh prystydwm  
30  by šm’ hr cy ’ghy ’y šhr wny q’šgr bwd hmgyn nbyšt bwdwm ’ghy ’y  
31  (q)’šgr yn hst qw twpyty’n r’ p’q by qwštn wbgdw bstn wsb’pwšy šwd  
32  [p’] q’šgr ’b’ p’ sd mrnd cy sw’r wcy py’dh wsbs ’y sb’pwšy {hb}  
33  [py]nb’šy hrb r’ wsl’m wkzym r’ bysp’n prystyd wmn hrb r’ cyz  
34  d’dwm p’ m’yh ’y sd ptqw pšyz wndrz qr dydwm ’z swy ’y dwyd r’  
35  psr ’y nysy wkhr z’dh yš m’ r’ hm hrb r’ wsl’m wkwz’m r’ qw  
36  ’gr ’mdh b’d p’ q’šgr hr cnd kwzynh kw’hnd cyz b’z m’  
37  m’ d’ ryd by ydwn šnydwm qw hm dwyd whm  
38  kw’hr z’dh