Page:Egyptian Literature (1901).djvu/259

 21 B.M.—“To Amanabba (by letter) thus (says) this Ribadda thy servant. I bow (at my Lord’s feet). The god Amen of thy Lord, builds up thy favor (with) the King thy Lord. Hear (they have fought) mightily, and over the Egyptian soldiers are victorious, and  to the Land of the Amorites.” The letter becomes too broken to read consecutively, but refers to the Land of Mitana, and apparently to a defeat of Yankhamu. He asks for corn, and speaks of having nothing to eat, in connection with the city of Gebal; and refers to three years of (dearth?), and to the corn failing.

19 B. M.—After the usual salutation to the King, this letter reads: “The King my Lord will say that the choicest of thy great men, and the choicest of thy city that thou hast are among those who guard us. My great men and (those of?) the city, were formerly men of garrison with me; and the King asked of us corn for them to eat, from my poor country. But now behold Aziru is destroying me, and I repeat there (are) no oxen, nor for me; Aziru has taken all. And there is no corn for my eating. And the chiefs—the Pakas—also have been nourished by the cities, exhausting the corn for their eating. Again: (being faithful), the King shall establish for me, as men of government, the men of government of their own cities, the men who at first were with their subjects. But as for me my cities are Aziru’s, and they long for me, to whom destruction is made by him, who is a dog of the sons of Abdasherah, and either you shall do for us as they wish, or you shall give orders for us to the King’s cities in these matters.

48 B.—This begins with the usual salutation, and then continues: “If perchance I send a message to the King my Lord, do not thou refuse the request of my memorial. Lo! thrice has come upon me a year of storms (or tumults), and again a year of storms begins. My wheat is naught; the wheat for us to eat: that which was for sowing for my freemen is finished; their beasts, their herbs, the trees of their gardens, are wretched, in my unhappy land. Our corn has failed. Once more the King will hear the message of his faithful servant, and will order wheat in ships, and his servant shall live; and be thou moved and send us corn. The chiefs (will send?) horses, as commanded, to Zu And thou shalt de-