Letter: Unknown (excavation images 1974_P04_06A-07 and 1974_P04_07A-08, object number 74.1.29/11.6)

verso

1. and when the people have heard, inform us about it. God willing, when you arrive, I shall ask you about everything. He took [ ]
2. the commander, pride of the Arabs, Treasure of the Dynasty (Kanz al-Dawla),… my father and my father commanded me that when I needed any instructions, we should write to your father,
3. the commander of the desert river, that we should write to him our letter immediately so that he be informed of your news, God willing. I have followed all that my father advised and instructed,
4. and I, God willing, shall go to Treasure of the Dynasty (Kanz al-Dawla) ʿUbayd, the Greatest of the Progeny, the Noble One. May God, the Mighty and Glorious, preserve the brotherhood that is between us,
5. (This is so that you be aware of it so that I can have an audience with the king. Please bring us to my lord the king.)
6. as a son in relation to his father, for you are the conveyor of my letter to my father and to my honourable lord the king. God willing, I shall travel to the residence
7. of the commander Pride of the Arabs, Treasure of the Dynasty (Kanz al-Dawla). God willing, when my father arrived, you would have heard from him my news. Send your slave boy to me by the time
8. my brother ʿAlī, my lord the commander, returns. I have made preparations to bring forward my journey to his honour the commander Treasure of the Dynasty (Kanz al-Dawla) ʿUbayd, and Model of Victories. He
9. [……………..] as the commander, Pride of the Arabs, Treasure of the Dynasty (Kanz al-Dawla), commanded me
10. [……………………………]
11. My brother, I have brought forward my journey to you. I am making my preparations. Write to me. I am intending (to come), if my great lord wishes,
12. at the end of this month of Mesra (Mesori). Your letters have reached the Arabs and I have heard your news, and the talk, whether it be true or not true,
13. will reach you, if God, the Mighty and Magnificent, wills. I have sent to you, my brother, the commander at the end of the month of Mesra (Mesori). I wanted to inform you of this.
14. I have heard, my brother, what the situation is with the travellers and the Nubians, who are grateful [ Send me]your news by letters.
15. Greetings. Praise be to God alone and the blessings of God be upon Muḥammad and may He save (him). Our sufficiency is God. What a fine keeper is He!
16. May God give you abundant blessings. Let me and the Nubians know about the transport of the horses, so that I can leave, for you are the father. What I have sent is a cash payment. This is because,
17. when ʿUbayd Allāh decided to travel to you, I sent this enclosed with it for you quickly in haste, and I informed him that I shall put forward my journey to you

verso, margin

1. [ ] to it. Greetings. I inform you, may God give you life, that the king, may God give him life, has renewed the governorship of my father. The king said (this) to him - when he admitted the man arriving with him.