CSAI
Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions


Ryckmans, Gonzague 1955: pl. I
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INSCRIPTION INFORMATION

LanguageAncient South Arabian » Sabaic » Central Middle Sabaic
ScriptAncient South Arabian
Script typologyMonumental writing
Text directionRight-to-left
Text appearanceRecessed
Execution techniqueIncision
Chronology
PeriodD
Textual typologyCommemorative text

TEXT

marker


      [... ...]
   1  [w-]ʾs¹dm ʾs¹ʿd bn Hʿn (ʾẓlm) bn (ʾ)s¹ [S²]—
   2  [ʿ]rm ʾwtr mlk S¹bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn bn ʿlhn
   3  (qdm)y ḫms¹ mlk S¹bʾ w-Ḥḍrmt b-ḫlf hgrn
   4  (Q)[n](ʾ) b-ḏt hws²ʿt-hmw S²ms¹-hmw b-kn s¹bʾ w-s²w—
   5  [ʿn] w-bn-hyt hgrn f-ys¹bʾw w-s²wʿn mrʾ-hm—
   6  [w] b-(ʾ)s²ʿ(b) Qtbn w-Rdmn w-Mḍḥy w-ʾws¹n w-
   7  ḏ-bn s²ʿb-hmw Bk(l)m bn hyt s¹bʾtn nḥflm
   8  [.]-Rydn ʿdy hgrn Qn[ʾ] l-mḫr-hmw w-ymẓʾw ʿd—
   9  [y] Ḥrmtm w-s¹bʿ w-ʾrbʿy ʾs³dqm w-ʾflk[m]
  10  mhrgm w-s¹bym w-ġnmm ḏ-hrḍw-hmw bn
  11  [mr](ʾ)-(h)mw S²ʿrm w-ḫms¹-hw w-[ʾ]d[b]tn b-ʾrḍ
  12  [Rd]ʿ ʿdy bḥrn w-yʿdw [q]mʿ Qrytnhn w-ḥ—
  13  md ʾs¹dm b-ḏt tʾwl mrʾ-hw S²ʿrm ʾwtr
  14  bn hyt s¹bʾtn b-w(fym) w-ʾḥllm w-s¹bym w-
  15  ġnmm ḏ-ʿs¹m w-ḥmdw S²ms¹-hmw bʿlt Tl—
  16  (q)m b-ḏt tʾwl Rbbm ʾḫṭr w-ʾs¹dm ʾs¹ʿd
  17  w-s²ʿb-hmy Bklm rbʿn ḏ-Rydt bn hyt s¹—
  18  bʾtn b-wfym w-mhrgm w-s¹bym ḏ-hrḍw-hm—
  19  w w-ḥmdm (b)-ḏt wkb ʾḫ-hw Rbbm ʾḫ—
  20  ṭr bn S¹ʾrn ʿ[...]-hmw w-mṣnʿ-hmw w-[...]
  21  [... ...] bn ʾgys² w-ʾṣḥb ʾḥbs²n b-k(n) [s¹]—
  22  bʾw b-ʿly Ḥḍrmt b-qdmy ḏt hqnytn w-l-s¹—
  23  ʿd-hmw S²ms¹m ḥẓy w-rḍw mrʾ-hmw S²ʿrm
  24  ʾwtr mlk S¹bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn bn ʿlhn Nhfn
  25  mlk S¹bʾ w-l-s¹ʿd-hmw S²ms¹m ʾfql w-ʾṯmr [ṣ]—
  26  [dq]m ʿdy [ʾrḍ]-hmw w-ms²mt-hmw w-l-wz[ʾ S²]—
  27  [m]s¹m hws²ʿ-hmw b-bry ʾʾḏnm w-mqymtm w-[b]
  28  (ʾ)brṯ b-hw yhwṣt-hmw mrʾ-hmw S²ʿrm ʾw—
  29  tr w-l ḫryn-hmw S²ms¹m bn bʾs¹tm w-nkytm w-[n]—
  30  ḍ[ʿ] w-s²ṣy w-tṯʿt s²nʾm (ʾs¹d)[m ... ...]
  31  [... ...]m b-S²ms¹-hmw bʿlt T[lqm]

Apparatus
Ryckmans' reading cannot be confirmed from the picture published.
Beginning: Ryckmans integrates [Rbbm ʾḫṭr bn S¹ʾrn ... ...].
7(end): Beeston reads nḥql-mw.
12Reading qmʿ for the original editor's gmʿ (Beeston).
30-31ḏ-qrbm w-rḥq]m (Ryckmans).

TRANSLATIONS

English

      [... ...]
   1  and ʾs¹dm ʾs¹ʿd son of Hʿn ʾẓlm, from the people of
   2  S²ʿrm ʾwtr, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, son of ʿlhn Nhfn,
   3  were the commanders of the group of the king of Sabaʾ and of Ḥaḍramawt in the vicinity of the town
   4  of Qnʾ, because their S²ms¹ favoured them, when they campaigned in the service (of the king).
   5  From the abovementioned town they campaigned in service of their lord
   6  and the tribes of Qatabān, Rdmn, Mḍḥy and Awsān and
   7  some troops of their own tribe Bklm from this campaign, particularly
   8  [from] Raydān to the town of Qnʾ against them, so they
   9  proceeded against Ḥrmtm, with forty-seven small and large transport vessels
  10  in killings, captives and booty enough to satisfy
  11  their lord, the king S²ʿrm, and his group and his servants in the territory of
  12  [Rdʿ] as far as the coast, and they furthermore subdued al-Qaryatan (?). So thanks
  13  are offered by ʾs¹dm, because his lord S²ʿrm ʾwtr returned
  14  from this campaign in safety with spoils, captives and
  15  booty in abundance. They also give thanks to their S²ms¹, the Lady of Tlqm,
  16  because Rbbm ʾḫṭr and ʾs¹dm ʾs¹ʿd
  17  and their tribe Bklm, portion of Rydt, returned from this campaign
  18  in good health and (because) of the booty and the prisoners (taken), which gave them satisfaction.
  19  Also in gratitude because his brother Rbbm ʾḫṭr
  20  ibn S¹ʾrn [...] and their strongholds, and [...]
  21  [...] from the detachments and auxiliaries of the Habashites, when
  22  they had campaigned against Ḥaḍramawt previously to the present dedication;
  23  and may S²ms¹ grant them the goodwill and satisfaction of their lord S²ʿrm
  24  ʾwtr king, of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, son of ʿlhn Nhfn
  25  king of Sabaʾ, and may S²ms¹m grant them good crops and
  26  fruit crops in their land and their fields, and may S²ms¹m
  27  grant favour to them in the prosperity of faculties and resources, and in
  28  [all] the battles in which their lord S²ʿrm ʾwtr ordered them (to fight)
  29  and may S²ms¹m deliver them from the harm, mischief,
  30  maleficence, malice and slander of any enemy [... ...]
  31  [... ...] by their S²ms¹, Mistress of Tlqm.
Following Beeston for ll.1-22.

OBJECT INFORMATION

Support typeMonumental stela
MaterialStone
Link to object record

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

Provenance
Modern siteRayda
Ancient siteRydt
Geographical areaRayda
CountryYemen
FoundReemployed. In modern times
Link to site record

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ryckmans, Gonzague 1955: 297-308, pl. IRyckmans, Gonzague 1955. Inscriptions sud-arabes. Douzième série. Le Muséon, 68: 297-312.
Beeston 1976 b: 49-50Beeston, Alfred F.L. 1976. Warfare in ancient South Arabian (2nd.-3rd. centuries A.D.). Qahtan. Studies in Old Arabian Epigraphy. 3. London: Luzac and Co.