Complaint from a Ugaritic woman to her brother - KTU 2.87
Archaeological missions in Ugarit found dozens of correspondence written in the Ugaritic language, including royal, administrative, and commercial letters, as well as correspondence between the general public,1 including Al-Raqim (KTU 2.87), which was found in the home of a man named “Urten”2 who enjoyed a prominent position in the kingdom. .3
Although researchers disagree about his position and the nature of his work, the large number of cuneiform tablets found in his library, which amounted to more than 600,4 indicates the wealth of “Urten” and his high position in the royal court. The nature of the texts themselves also suggests his position among the nobility of the kingdom. Letters addressed to him from the king and palace officials were found in his house, as well as secret letters from the Queen of Ugarit and her entourage. His library also included royal texts from eras that preceded his time.5
This inscription stands out among the Ugaritic letters because it includes a complaint from a Ugaritic woman named “Apnia” to her brother “Urtin” about the family’s neglect of her and depriving her of her share of the sacrifices of the month of Khyar (perhaps May), which a number of researchers believe to be the first month of the Ugaritic year, and it may have been celebrated There are holidays and sacrifices are offered.
Below, I present my translation of the front side of the tablet; The translation is followed by my reading of the text in the Ugaritic pronunciation and then the text in the Ugaritic alphabet. Followed by a linguistic analysis of the text, and finally notes about the text (you can click on the section title to jump to it).
Translation of the inscription:
A message to build
To my brother, my brother, say:
Behold, I have given it by the hand of Daniel
Two cakes of dates, and three [pieces of cured camel meat]
And four vessels [of wine].
And your sister's heart is sick
Because I am persecuted and I am not asked6 [about my condition].
In [the month of] Khyar, no one asked me [about my condition].
They slaughtered a fat bull, but no one gave me [anything of it].
[I swear] by the life of your life and the life of myself
No one gave me [anything from him].
And my heart became very sick [for this reason].
My reading of the Ugaritic text
(1) Protect my son
(2) To steal my share (3) My brother has been stoned
He made me (4)bd [d]nail ytant
(5) Eshfarim and a third (6) Aarmelhath
And four fools
(7) And your sister Marsa’s mother
(8) So that I was disappointed and not asked
(9) And it is fine, if you wish
(10) And a thousand people cooked
(11) And if it comes to me
(12) Hai Nafsha, Hai Nafsha
(13) They come to me
(14)And Mars Labi (15)Maid
Linguistic analysis
Convey: a message, an order; It is a purely Ugaritic word, for which we do not find an equivalent in other Semitic languages.
stoned: the imperative form of the past verb stoned: he said, he spoke, he answered; Including in Arabic, translation and translation.
Halni: a Ugaritic alert letter, corresponding in Biblical Hebrew to הא (Ha) and הנני (Henini), and in Arabic ha: a alert letter, as in our saying, Here it is, and here I am.
Yatan: gave, bestowed, delivered; In Biblical Hebrew, it is equivalent to נתן (stinking) with the same meaning.
Eshfar: date cakes, and its counterpart in Biblical Hebrew is אשפר (Eshfar) with the same meaning.
Armelhat: Research ignores the translation of this word, and contents itself with writing it down with its original pronunciation. The word appears to have been carved from two words, and we can read it in multiple readings, such as Aram Lahat, considering the meem to be an original letter from the word Aram, which means naked, or Aram Lahat, considering the meem to be the plural letter of the word Ar, which means a camel. We can also read it as Ar Melhat, which literally means a salty camel or donkey. I chose this reading, including the translation of “baked camel meat.” It should be noted that the Ugaritic texts abound in mentioning the camel when referring to religious sacrifices.
Saf: vessel, vessel; Its counterpart in Biblical Hebrew is סף (סף) with the same meaning.
LB: core, heart; It is equivalent in Biblical Hebrew to לב/לבב (Leb/Lebb) with the same meaning; In Arabic, the pulp of everything, its pulp: its pure and cucumber, the hollow pulp, and the palm tree's pulp: its heart.
Egypt: disease, sickness; It is equivalent in Biblical Hebrew to מרץ (Marath) with the same meaning. Mrs. Apnea used the expression “heart disease” to indicate the intensity of her sadness.
Ki: ki/ki, because, because of; It is equivalent in Biblical Hebrew to כי (ki) with the same meaning.
Khabat: a verb meaning persecuted, forced, ill-treated; Its counterpart in Akkadian is ḫabātum (ḫabātum), meaning persecution. There is no equivalent in Hebrew or Arabic.
Sha'al: The passive form of the past tense verb sha'al: he asked, requested, entreated (in prayer), and its counterpart in Biblical Hebrew is שאל (sha'al) with the same meaning.
D: The relative noun in Ugaritic, meaning the one; Its counterpart in Biblical Hebrew is זה (Zeh), which has the same meaning. In Arabic, it is equivalent to Dha / Dha / Dhi.
Cook: slaughter, make a sacrifice; Its counterpart in Biblical Hebrew is טבח (טבח) with the same meaning. In Arabic, “to cook” means to cook meat and other things until they are cooked and tender.
A: bull, calf; Its equivalent in Biblical Hebrew is אלף (alef) with the same meaning. It should be noted that the letter Alif in Semitic languages was inspired by the bull.
Marwa: fat, fattened (for domesticated animals); Its equivalent in Biblical Hebrew is מריא (esophagus) with the same meaning. In Arabic, “I saw the food” and “I was pleased with it,” and “I was fed” with “I was fed.”
Ein (Ein): A linguistic tool in Ugaritic and Hebrew (אין = Ein) that denotes nothingness, meaning there is no; It is found in ancient Aramaic as Lith, and in Mandaic Aramaic as Leith. In Arabic, lis is: an exception letter and an ungrateful letter. Its origin is la ays. The evidence for this is the Arabs’ saying, “Bring it to me from where it is ays and not.” That is, from where it is and it is not it. The hamza was subtracted and the lam was joined to the yā. The meaning of “la ais” is: “he did not find it.”
Nefesh: breath, breath, spirit; Its equivalent in Biblical Hebrew is נפש (nephesh) with the same meaning. In Arabic, the soul: the soul.
Eth (Eth): A linguistic tool in Ugaritic that indicates the meaning of being and existence. Its equivalent in Biblical Hebrew is יש (Yesh) with the same meaning; In Arabic, Ays: Its meaning is like the meaning of where, i.e. being and existence, and its opposite is yas. It is worth noting the phrase of the Canadian philosopher in his description of God: “The One who establishes existences from nothing,” meaning the Creator of existences from nothingness.
Maed: a lot, very; Its equivalent in Biblical Hebrew is מאד (Meaod) with the same meaning. In Arabic, the mad oud is called madad: when it is full of watering.
Notes about the text
This Ugaritic letter is distinguished by a number of features; Unlike most of the correspondence found in Ras Shamra, this letter lacks an introduction and a preamble with which the sender begins his letter, which includes ready-made “clichés” that are repeated without significant change, such as the phrase “May you be greeted, and may the gods guard you and deliver you,” which always tops letters after introducing the sender. And the addressee. We can attribute the absence of this preamble to the psychological state of Mrs. Apnea, which is evident in the body of the text in which she complains about her condition to her brother. Perhaps she wanted to show her anger by avoiding the use of expressions of courtship and wishes of goodness and peace.
As I mentioned previously, this inscription was found in the house of “Urtin”, which seems clear from its contents that he and his family enjoyed wealth and social status. Also, the list of goods/gifts enumerated in the text, which “Apnia” sent to her brother, indicates that she was not in a weak condition, and her mention in the letter was not about slaughtering the bull in the month of Khyar and depriving her of some of it because she was suffering from it, but rather to show her brother the family’s neglect of her and explain The injustice done to her.
In this research, I intended to translate the first side of the long letter, in which “Apnea” in the back side repeats her complaint and emphasizes her “heart disease” and sadness. She also discusses commercial affairs that link her to her brother, mentioning a group of goods that include clothes, dyed wool, and wine.
Bordreuil, P., & Pardee, D. (2009). A Manual of Ugaritic. Eisenbrauns, p. 9.
︎ The noun was written in the Ugaritic tablets as ???????????? (Orten), and it is like other nouns in the Ugaritic language. The vowel at the end changes according to its syntax and its position in the sentence. However, researchers have used the pronunciation of its name as “Orten / Ortenu,” meaning in the nominative case. ︎Pardee, D., & Lewis, T. J. (2002). Ritual and Cult at Ugarit. Society of Biblical Literature, p. 86.
︎Bordreuil, P., & Pardee, D. (2009). A Manual of Ugaritic. Eisenbrauns, p. 7.
︎The previous reference.
︎In his book A Manual of Ugaritic, Dennis Pardee translates the words “asked” and “asked” as “consulted” and “consulted with,” but I believe that this meaning is far from the spirit and context of the text; Contrary to the meaning contained in the expression that is still prevalent in the Levant today, as in the famous Fayrouz song: “You stay in love, you stay in ask.”
︎Source: websites