CSAI

Corpus of Sabaic Inscriptions (work in progress)


CIH: pl. XL

INSCRIPTION INFORMATION

LanguageAncient South Arabian » Sabaic » Central Middle Sabaic
AlphabetAncient South Arabian
Script typologyMonumental writing
Writing techniqueIncision
Measure of letters1.9
Chronology
PeriodD
Textual typologyDedicatory text

TEXT


   1  (R)bs²mr Ydrʾ bn S¹mrm mqtwy Yrm (Y)—
   2  (r)ḥb w-ʾws¹lt ʾrs³l w-Brg ʾymn bny B—
   3  tʿ w-Hmdn hqny Tʾlb Rymm bʿl Ḥdṯn—
   4  n ḏn ṣlmn ḏ-ḏhbn ḥmdm b-ḏt mtʿ-h—
   5  w bn kl ʾʾrḫ rws¹y((*w-r*s¹y)) b-ʿly-hw w-ḥm—
   6  dm b-ḏt hʿn-hw bn mrḍn w-l-ḫmr-hw [ʾ]—
   7  tw b-wfym bn Mʿlṣn w-l-ḫmr-hw s¹tw—
   8  fyn w-s¹tbryn b-ʾhn-mw ḏ-qdm-hmw w-
   9  blt-hmw ʾmrʾ-hmw bnw Hmdn w-l-s¹ʿd-(h)—
  10  mw ʾwldm ṣdqm hnʾm w-ʾdymtm ṣdqm
  11  w-qnym hnʾm w-frʿ dṯʾ w-ḫrf w-ʾṯmr
  12  ṣdqm ʿdy ʾrḍ-hmw w-ms²m-hmw w-ʾhn-mw
  13  ytfrnn w-ḥẓy w-rḍw ʾmrʾ-hmw bny H—
  14  (m)dn w-s²ʿb-hmw Ḥs²dm w-nẓr mrʾ-hmw w-(l)
  15  [ḫ]ryn-hmw bn nḍʿ w-s²ṣy w-qhl s²nʾm w-bn
  16  rġm w-ġlyt mrʾm w-s²ʿbm w-nʿbm w-l
  17  hʿn-hmw bn kl qlmtm w-l-hʿn-hw w-mtʿ-
  18  hw bn kl bʾs¹tm b-Tʾlb Rymm
  19  bʿl Ḥdṯnn

Apparatus
5The emendation to rws¹y is suggested by Jamme.
7Cf. CIH 93 for Mʿlṣn as a toponym. Jamme maintains it is a common noun.
11qnym could be a broken plural with an engraver's mistake according to Stein (2003 a, 76, fn. 247).
16nʿlbm as a masdar form of ʿlb (Jamme).

TRANSLATIONS

English

   1  Rbs²mr Ydrʾ descendant of S¹mrm mqtwy of Yrm Y-
   2  rḥb, ʾws¹lt ʾrs³l and Brg ʾymn descendants of B-
   3  tʿ and Hamdān dedicated to Tʾlb Rymm Master of Ḥdṯn-
   4  n this statue in bronze, in praise because He saved
   5  him in all the incidents which happened to him (or: "all the incidents and inconveniences upon him"), and in praise
   6  because He protected him from the sickness, and so that He might grant him
   7  a safe return from Mʿlṣn, and He might grant him protection
   8  and good health in whatever (action) they should have been charged with and
   9  (wherever) they should have been dispatched by their lords the banū Hamdān. And may He grant them
  10  children in good health, loyal vassals,
  11  prosperous possessions and rich spring and autumn harvests
  12  and crops in their land, their field and (in) whatever (field)
  13  they will cultivate, and the goodwill and satisfaction of their lords the banū Hamdān
  14  and their tribe Ḥs²dm and the protection of their lord; and may He
  15  deliver them from the harm, malice and malevolent meeting of any enemy, and from
  16  the ill will and wrath of any lord, tribe and speaker of ill-omened words, and may He
  17  help them against every insect pest, and may He help him and save
  18  him from every harm, by Tʾlb Rymm
  19  Master of Ḥdṯnn.
5The given translation is based on the analysis of rws¹y as a plural fem. perfect form of the verb rws¹ (cf. Stein 2003 a: 173, fn. 102). The second option follows Jamme, who thought of an engraver's mistake: "de tous les mauvais traitements et vexations [perpétrés] contre lui".
6-9"Et de ce qu'Il lui a concédé de rester en parfaite sécurité et en parfaite force en quelque endroit où les ont mis en charge et leur ont imposé une obligation leurs seigneurs" (Jamme).
Stein 2003 aStein, Peter 2003. Untersuchungen zur Phonologie und Morphologie des Sabäischen. (Epigraphische Forschungen auf der Arabischen Halbinsel, 3). Rahden: Marie Leidorf GmbH / Westf.: Marie Leidorf GmbH.

OBJECT INFORMATION

DepositMarseille, Musée Borély, 5303
Support typeArtefact » Base » Of statue with dedicatory inscription
MaterialStone
Measuresh. 51.3, w. 33.3, th. 11
Link to object record

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

Origin
Modern siteNāʿiṭ
Ancient siteNʿṭm
Geographical areaRayda
CountryYemen
Archaeological contextReligious context: Temple of Tʾlb Rymm bʿl Ḥdṯnn
Link to site record

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jamme 1958-1959: 167-173, pl. III, fig. 2Jamme, Albert W.F. 1958-1959. Les antiquités Sud-Arabes du Musée Borély à Marseille. Cahiers de Byrsa, 8: 149-189.
Stein 2003 aStein, Peter 2003. Untersuchungen zur Phonologie und Morphologie des Sabäischen. (Epigraphische Forschungen auf der Arabischen Halbinsel, 3). Rahden: Marie Leidorf GmbH / Westf.: Marie Leidorf GmbH.