01 · Original text
Sabaic
Ancient South ArabianComplete surviving text
Normalized Unicode reading from the cited edition; editorial brackets and uncertain readings are retained.
Scholarly transliteration
Ḥẓyn ʾwkn bn Mʿhr w-ḏ-Ḫwln qyl s²ʿbn Rdmn w-Ḫwln tkrb w-hgln w-tnḍʿ w-s²tftn b-ʿm s²ms¹-hw ʿlyt bʿlt qyfy ʿrn S²ḥrrm l-ḏt tḫmrn-hmw w-hws²ʿ w-hrdʾn ḥmdm w-brytm w-mngwt s¹y w-nʿm l-hmw b-ʾbyt bny Mʿhr w-ḏ-Ḫwln brṯ ḥwr-hmw mrʾ-hmw Ys¹rm Yhnʿm mlk S¹bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn ḥg-n hḥmdw l-ʾmrʾ-hmw ʾbʿl bytn Rydn b-ʾy-mw wqh-hmw w-hs²rʿw s²wʿw m— rʾ-hmw S²mr Yhḥmd mlk S¹bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn bn ʾbyt bny s²ʿbyn b-hgrn Rdʿ ḏ-Qrnʿm w-hrg ṯlṯt ʾs¹dm w-s¹bym s²fqm w-bʿd-n-hw s²wʿw mrʾ-hmw S²mr mlk S¹bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn b-ʾrḍ Rymn w-ʾwlw bn-h— w ṯlṯy ʾḫyḏtm w-s¹bym w-bʿd-n-hw ḥwr-hmw mrʾ-hmw Krbʾl ʾyfʿ mlk-S¹bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn b-ʾbyt bny ḏ-Mḏrḥm w-s¹bʾw w-ḍbʾ ʿdy Mʿlln w-s²ʿb-hmw Mhʾnfm w-ḏ-bn-ʾlhn Ts¹rʿ b-ʿm-hmw w-s¹bʾw w-hw— ṣl mhkbw s¹fl mnqln ḏ-Ṣbrn w-b-hw ʾfq-mw ʿwfn lylytm w-ywmm mhkbw mẓʾ-hmw ḏ-bn ḫms¹ S¹bʾ ḍbʾw s¹n bʿyw ʾrḍ-s²ʿbn ʾlhn w-ts³ʿw b-hmw b-tḥt ʿrn ḏ-Ys¹rn w-thrgw b-ʿm-hmw w-hrg-hmw w-ḏ-bn-hmw ʾḫḏw ʾḥ— ywm w-ʾḫḏ qyln S²rḥʾl Mṯqrm w-ʿldbm w-s²ʿbn ʾtyw b-mhrgtm w-ʾḫyḏtm b-s¹bʿy ʾs¹dm w-bn-hw ḍbʾw ʿdy Rḥbtn w-b-ʿm-hmw ḏ-bn ʾqwl w-ḫms¹ ḏ-Rydn w-tʿbdw w-hbrr b-ʿbd qyln ymnn w-ʿdyw w-nḥbw mṣnʿtn Brḥ w-mṣnʿtn Mtnh w-byt Rdmn w-ʾwlw w-s¹by kl s¹hm w-ʾs¹d w-s²rʿ w-qny hnt mṣnʿn w-dhrw kl hnyt mṣnʿn w-ḏ-ṭd qyln ṯlṯy mhrgtm w-s¹bym w-s²ʿb-hmw mhrgwtm w-s¹bym ġyr ḏ-ṭd w-hrg w-s¹by w-ġnm ʾs²ʿbn ḏ-b-ʿm-hmw ḫms¹y w-ṯty mʾtnyw mhrgtm w-s¹bym ġyr s²rʿn w-ʾqnyn w-bn-hw f-ḥrbw s²rḥtm qyln w-ʾs¹dm ḏ-b-ʿm-hmw bn s²ʿb-hmw Mhʾnfm b-s¹fl mnqln Ys¹lḥ w-Ygrn w-hbrr l-ʿm-hmw Bʾrn b-ʾrḍ Bklm ḏ-ʾlhn w-s²tʾw b-hmw lylyn w-ʾl ḏkyw bn-hmw ʾf-ʾs¹m w-ṭd qyln ṯlṯt ʾs¹dm w-ḏ-s¹ʾr s²ʿbn w-bn-hw f-hwṣlw ʿdy Byt Nḥym w-S¹ḫymm ḏ-b-Rḥbtn w-bḥḍ-hmy w-ġnmw kl rwḥ-hmy w-bn-hw f-wqh-hmw mrʾ-hmw Ys¹rm Yhnʿm mlk S¹bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn b-ywm ʿdyw mlky Ḥbs²t Dtwns¹ w-Zqrns¹ w-ḏ-Mʿfrm w-ḫms¹ Ḥbs²t ʿdy ʾrḍ Ḥmyrm w-hs²rʿw ws³ʿ-hmw b-tḥt ḏ-Ṣhbm ḏ-b-s¹rn Ḫbn w-ts³bbw w-tndfw b-ʿm-hmw ṯlṯt ʾwrḫm ḏ-rtʿw ḥrtm ʿbrn ḥrtm f-s²rgw b-s¹rn Bnʾ w-ts³ʿw b-ʿm-hmw b-tḥt Byt ḏ-ʾrtʿ w-ts¹bṭw b-ʿm-hmw w-s¹bṭw-hmw ʿdy hʿdyw-hmw ḥrt-hmw b-s¹ḥtm w-qlmw ḏ-ḫb bn mqtwt w-ʾrgl mlkn w-mns³rtn ḏ-b-ʿm-hmw w-qyln ʾḫḏ qdm-hmw Kmmm ḏ-bn ḥzb Gmd w-bn-hw ʾtyw w-ḫmr-hmw w-ḥwrn mrʾ-hmw Ys¹rm Yhnʿm mlk S¹bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn b-ʾbyt bny Yhfrʿ w-bn-hw s¹bʾw w-ḏky b-ʿm-hmw mlkn w-b-ʿm s²ʿb-hmw Mhqrʾm s²ʿbn Yḥṣb w-s²ʿbn Mʾnfm w-s²ʿbn ʾlhn w-kl ʾs²ʿb ḏ-Bhl w-ʾqwl-hmw w-tʿbdw w-hbrrn b-ʿly bʿbʿt ʾḥbs²n w-ʿly s²ʿbn ʿrybn w- s²ʿbn Ḥbrn w-s²ʿbn Yhgmn w-wḍʿ-hmw w-hs¹bʿn w-ʾwlw kl ʾqdm-hmw w-ʾwṯq-hmw w-ʾwlw s³dʿn-hmw w-mdd-hmw w-s²ʿbn Yhgmn f-ʿdyw b-ḫyl-hmw w-ʿdyw w-hbʿln w-dhr kl mṣnʿ-hmw ḫms¹ mṣnʿm w-kl ʾlwd-hmw w-bnt-hmw w-ʾqny-hmw w-ʾʿṣd-hmw f-ʾwlw w-ḏ-ṭd qyln [mh]— rgtm w-ʾḫyḏtm ḫms¹t ʿs²r ʾs¹dm w-ʾlwdm w-ṯty w-mʾtynyw s¹bym ġyr ḏ-ṭd s²ʿbn ṯlṯ mʾtm s¹bym ġyr-mw s²rʿn w-ʾqnym w-bn-hw s¹bʾw ʿdy s²ʿbn Wṣb w-Gdmm w-ʿrn ḏ-ʾddn w-Dws¹tn w-ʾwlw w-hrg w-s¹by kl ʾʿṣd w-mṣnʿ w-ks³ʾw w-knn b-kl hyt ʾrḍn w-ʾʿrrn w-ṭd q— yln ṯmnt mhrgtm w-ʾḫyḏtm w-mʾt s¹bym ġyr ḏ-ṭd s²ʿbn ṯlṯ mʾtm w-mʾḫḏtm w-s¹bym ġyr s²rʿn w-ʾqnyn w-bn-hw ḫmr-hw w-ḥwr mrʾ-hmw Ys¹rm mlk S¹bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn ʿbd-hw Lḥyʿt ʾwkn bn Mʿhr w-ḏ-Ḫwln b-ʾbyt bny Mʿhr w-ḏ-Ḫwln w-s¹bʾw w-ḍbʾ ʿdy bʿbʿt ʾḥbs²n ʿdy s²ʿbn Ḥdln ḏ-Rḥbn w-b-ʿm-hmw w-b-ʿm s²ʿb-hmw ʾqwlm w-ḫms¹m ḏ-ḏky mlkn w-bḥḍw w-bʿy kl mṣnʿ w-ʾʿṣd hyt ʾrḍn w-ṭd qyln ʾḥd-ʿs²r ʾs¹dm mhrgtm w-ṯlṯy w-mʾt s¹bym w-l-s²ʿb-hmw w-ḫms¹n ḏ-b-ʿm-hmw s¹bʿy [w]-ṯlṯ mʾtm s¹bym w-m— hrgtm w-bn-hw f-s¹bʾw w-hʿnw w-s²nqn ḥyqn m[..]nṭ-hmw w-Ḥẓf s²ʿb-hmw w-ʿdyw ḥyqn ḏ-ʿdnm w-bn-hw qdm-hmw l-ḏ-mḫrm s²ʿbn Ḫdntn b-Mṭwdn b-tḥt Mrkbtn w-thrgw b-ʿm-hmw w-ḥlq-hmw w-hrg-hmw w-hs¹ḥt bn Mṭwdn ʿdy hʿdyw-hmw bḥrn ʿgmn w-ʾl mwt— w bn-hmw ġyr-mw ʿs²rhy[ ʾs¹]dm bn s²ʿbn Ḫdntn w-bn-hw s¹bʾw ʿdy ʾrḍ s²ʿbn Yhnṭl w-ḏ-bn ʾrḍ ḏ-ʾs²rq w-ḏ-bn ʾrḍ Ḫdrm w-b-ʿm-hmw ʾqwln w-ḫms¹n ḏ-wqh mrʾ-hmw Y[s¹rm mlk S¹]bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn w-bʿyw kl hyt ʾrḍn Ḥẓf ṣbʾm w-ʾwlw w-ṯl— lw w-s¹by ʾs¹m-hmw ks³ʾw [... ... ]w-s²wʿw mrʾ-hmw Y[s¹r]m mlk S¹bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn b-hgrn Grby f-hrg ḏ-frʿm b-fnw-hw ʾs¹m w-s²wʿw mrʾ-hmw [Ys¹rm mlk ]S¹bʾ w-ḏ-Rydn b-ʿrn ḏ-Ytly f-hwḍʾw mṣnʿtn l-hmw [... ...] w-s²ʿb-hw w— [... ...] mhrgtm w-ʾḫyḏtm [... ...] b-ʿrn[ ... ... ]w-b-qdmtn f-hrg qyln ṯty lbʾynyw w-ʾtyw b[... ... ]ḏ-l-ṯmnwt w-ts¹ʿhy w-mʾt ḫryftm[ ... ...]
02 · Translation
English translation
1–5
Ḥẓyn ʾwkn ibn Mʿhr and ḏ-Ḫwln, qyl of the tribe of Rdmn and Ḫwln invoked, make known, prayed and asked his Solar deity ʿlyt, the Lady of the citadel S²ḥrrm, because She granted to them, accorded and helped with assistance and safe and successsful undertakings and goods for them in the houses of banū Mʿhr and ḏ-Ḫwln, where their lord Ys¹rm Yhnʿm, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, settled them inasmuch they covered themselves with glory for their lords, the masters of the house of Raydān, just when he gave orders to them and they got ready to perform due service for their lord S²mr Yhḥmd, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, from the houses of the banū of the two tribes in the town of Radaʿ ḏ-Qrnʿm; he killed three soldiers and a sufficient number of prisoners. After that they performed due service for their lord S²mr, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, in the land of Rymn and they brought back from there thirty spoils and prisoners; after that their lord Krbʾl ʾyfʿ, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, settled them in the houses of the banū ḏu-Mḏrḥm and they carried out a military expedition and waged war to Mʿlln and their tribe Mhʾnfm and those of (the tribe) ʾlhn Ts¹rʿ with them. And they carried out a military expedition and proceeded in the direction of the lowland of the path cut in the mountain ḏu-Ṣbrn and there the hunger stopped them, during the night and the day, until some of the Sabaean army reached them and they fought until they invaded the land of the tribe ʾlhn and they engaged the enemies below the citadel ḏ-Ys¹rn and they fought with them and killed them and took alive some of them.
6–9
And he took the qyl S²rḥʾl Mṯqrm and ʿldbm and the tribe. They came back with carnage and spoils in seventy men. And from there they waged war to Rḥbtn and with the some of the ʾqwl and the army of ḏu-Raydān and they submit themselves; and he came into the open under the command of the qyl from the right side and the moved and besieged the fortress Brḥ and the fortress Mtnh and the palace of Rdmn; they brought back and took prisoners all the servants and the men and the equipment and the goods of those fortresses and they burnt all those fortresses and a part of the ʾqwl - thirty - with carnage and prisoners and their tribe with carnage and prisoners except what did the part (of ʾqwl); and he killed and took prisoners and booty of the tribes with them fifty and two hundreds thirty of carnage and prisoners not to mention the equipment and the goods. After that they waged war as a protective force the qayl and the soldiers with them from their tribe Mhʾnfm in the lowland of the path cut in the mountain Ys¹lḥ and Ygrn; and he came into the open against them, the Bʾrn in the land of Bklm ḏ-ʾlhn. They initiated hostilities there during the night and they do not even send a man among them (and they did not lose even a man) and a part of the ʾqwl - three soldiers - and what remains of the tribe. And then they proceeded in the direction of Byt Nḥym and S¹ḫymm that in Rḥbtn; they made an incursion against them and took as booty their livelihoods. And then their lord Ys¹rm Yhnʿm, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, gave them orders when
10–13
the two kings of Ḥbs²t, Dtwns¹ and Zqrns¹, and ḏ-Mʿfrm and the army of Ḥbs²t arrived in the land of Ḥimyar, they began to fight below ḏ-Ṣhbm in the wadi Ḫbn and they fought hard and threw arrows against them during three months in which they built camps in front of camps. And then gathered in the wadi Bnʾ and they engaged the enemies below Byt ḏ-ʾrtʿ and fought against them and fought them until they drove them to their camps on the run and they broke him who betrayed among the mqtwt and the infantrymen of the king and the avant-garde with them. The qyl took their chief Kmmm and some of the armed bands of Gmd. After that they came back. Their lord Ys¹rm Yhnʿm, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, granted to them and settled in the houses of the banū Yhfrʿ. After that they carried out a military expedition and the king sent with them and with their tribe Mhqrʾm, the tribe of Yḥṣbn, the tribe of Mʾnfm, the tribe ʾlhn and all the tribes ḏ-Bhl and their ʾqwl. They subjected and went to the assault against the Abyssinian raiders and against the tribe of ʿrybn and the tribe of Ḥbrn and the tribe Yhgmn and they humbled and led to capitulation. They brought back all their chiefs, their guarantees, and they brought back their fellow soldiers and their support troops and the tribe Yhgmn. They moved in their power and moved and seized and burnt all their fortresses, five fortresses and all their sons and daughters and their goods and villages. They moved and a part of the ʾqwl with carnage
14–16
and spoils, fifty soldiers and sons and two hundreds prisoners except a part of the tribe, three hundreds prisoners excluded the equipment and goods. After that they carried out a military expedition against the tribe of Wṣb and Gdmm and the citadel ḏ-ʾddn and Dws¹tn; they brought back and killed and took prisoners all the villages and the fortresses, which they found and in which they settled in all that land and citadels. And a part of the ʾqwl -eight- with carnage and spoils and a hundred prisoners other than one tribe, three hundred and spoils and prisoners, excluded the equipment and the goods. After that their lord Ys¹rm, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, granted to him and settled his servant Ḥẓyn ʾwkn ibn Mʿhr and ḏu-Ḫwln. And they moved a military campaign and waged war against the Abyssinian raiders against the tribe Ḥdln ḏ-Rḥbn and those with them and with their tribe, ʾqwl and army, which the king sent and they invaded and besieged all the fortresses and the villages of that land; a part of the ʾqwl - eleven soldiers - with carnage and one hundred and thirty prisoners; for their tribe and five with them three hundred seventy prisoners and carnage.
17–20
After that they moved a military campaign and attacked and blocked the port [...] and Ḥẓf, their tribe; and they moved to the port of Aden. After that he lead them the next day against the tribe Ḫdntn in Mṭwdn below Mrkbtn and they fought against them and their groups and he killed and routed them from Mṭwdn until they drove them back to the barbarian sea. There were no deaths among themselves excluded twenty soldiers from the tribe Ḫdntn. And after that they moved a military campaign against the tribe Yhnṭl and some of the land ḏ-ʾs²rq and some of the land Ḫdrm and with them the qyl and the army which commanded their lord Ys¹rm, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, and they attacked all those lands Ḥẓf, with an attack. And brought back and made a sack and took prisoners their servants found there ... and they performed due service for their lord Ys¹rm, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, in the town of Grby, and they killed a man who is leading in front. And they performed due service for their lord Ys¹rm, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, in the citadel ḏ-Ytly and the destroyed the fortress for them [... ...] their tribe and [... ...] carnage and spoils [... ...] in the citadel [... ...] in the attack, and the qyl killed two lions. And they came back [... ...] in the year one hundred ninety eight [... ...].
DASI / CSAI, CSAI; line breaks joined and evident spelling errors corrected. Record data: CC BY 4.0.