Translation:Qolasta/Prayer 73

by Mark Lidzbarski

LXXIII.

In the name of life.

It is a well-sealed letter

that goes out from the world.

A letter written with Kustā,

sealed with the signet ring of great ones.

Perfect men wrote it,

faithful men secured it.

They hung it around the neck of the soul

and sent it to the gate of life.

The soul in its wisdom

pressed her nail on the letter.

Her nail she pressed on the letter,

put it in shine and covered it,

dipped it in light and covered it.

How was it that Daium saw

that the soul was carrying the letter?

How was it that Daium saw it

while her 7 sons were gathered around her?

These said:

"Who wrote the letter,

whose secret no one knew?

Who wrote the letter

that is sealed with these constrictions?

With Kuštā the letter is written,

sealed with the signet ring of great ones.

Perfect ones wrote it,

faithful men secured it.

They hung it around the neck of the soul

and sent it to the gate of life".

The soul flies and moves along,

until it came to the guardhouse of the 7.

When the chief tax collectors caught sight of it,

they whispered and said:

"Who wrote the letter whose secret no one knew?

Who wrote the letter that is sealed with these constrictions?

The letter is written with Kuštā,

sealed with the signet ring of great ones.

Perfect ones wrote it,

faithful men secured it.

They hung it around the neck of the soul,

and sent it to the gate of life".

The soul flies and moves along

until it came to the watch house people.

The watchmen bowed their heads,

and the soul passed by the watchmen.

The soul flies and moves along

until it came to the water brooks.

When it arrived at the water brooks,

the outflow of brilliance went to meet it.

He seized it by the surface of the right

and led it through the water streams.

The soul flies and moves along

until it arrived at the house of life.

When it arrived at the house of life,

it sent its call to the house of life.

When the life heard its call,

it sent a companion to meet it.

He seized her by the flat of the right hand,

he led her,

and she was supported on the image of life,

at the place where the shining beings,

the light beings and the shining ones

placed her among the Uthras

and set up among the luminaries.

They erected an ather wreath on her head

and led her out of the world in splendor.

The life supported the life,

the life found its own;

life found its own,

and my soul found what it hoped for.

And the life is victorious.

Commentary

Up to here read about the oil bottle, while it is boiled in clay up to its mouth.

Let it be pure clay from the Jordan.

Mandaic transcription

b-šuma ḏ-hiia

ˁngirta mhatamta

ḏ-napqa minẖ mn alma

ˁngirta b-kušṭa k<d>iba

u-htima b-ˁsqat rurbia

kidbu šalmania

u-zarzu gubria mhaimnia

tiliu b-ṣauar nišma

u-l-baba ḏ-hiia šadru

nišma b-hakimutẖ

ṭuprẖ ˁl ˁngirta alaṣ

ṭuprẖ alaṣ ˁl ˁngirta

atna b-ziua kasiẖ

u-auṭip ba-nhura kalalẖ

mna hzatẖ daium

l-nišma ḏ-ˁngirta dria

mna hzatẖ daium

kḏ knipilẖ šuba bnẖ

u-amria

man kidbẖ l-ˁngirta

ḏ-ˁniš brazẖ la-ˁda

man kidbẖ l-ˁngirta

ḏ-b-halin miṣria mhatma

ˁngirta b-kušṭa k<d>iba

u-htima b-ˁsqat rurbia

kidbu šalmania

u-zarzu gubria mhaimnia

tiliu b-ṣauar nišma

u-l-baba ḏ-hiia šadru

pahra u-azil nišma

alma l-maṭra ḏ-šuba mṭa

rab maksia ḏ-hiziuia

mdandmia u-amria

man kidbẖ l-ˁngirta

ḏ-ˁniš b-razẖ la-ˁda

man kidbẖ l-ˁngirta

ḏ-b-halin miṣria mhatma

ˁngirta b-kušṭa k<d>iba

u-htima b-ˁsqat rurbia

kidbu šalmania

u-zarzu gubria mhaimnia

tiliu b-ṣauar nišma

u-l-baba ḏ-hiia šadru

pahra u-azil nišma

alma l-maṭaraiia mṭa

maṭaraiia kbaš rišaihun

u-nišma ˁl maṭaraiia ada

pahra u-azil nišma

alma l-hapiqia mia mṭa

maṭuiẖ hapiqia mia

hu ṣurik ziua alanpẖ npaq

ligṭẖ b-pras iaminẖ

u-hapiqia mia abrẖ

pahra u-azil nišma

alma l-bit hiia mṭa

maṭuiẖ bit hiia

qalẖ l-bit hiia rma

hiia ḏ-šimuia l-qalẖ

šadar alanpẖ paruanqa

ligṭẖ b-pras iaminẖ

u-dbar ba-dmu hiia asmkuia

dukta ḏ-ziuia u-nhuria

u-pasimkia

lapuia binia ˁutria

u-qaimuia binia pasimkia

klil aiar traṣlẖ b-rišiẖ

u-rabut apquia mn alma

hiia smak l-hiia

u-hiia dilun aška

hiia aška dilun

u-aškat nišmat ḏ-msakia

uhiia zakin

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alma l-haka qria l-šiša ḏ-miša kḏ matna b-ṭina alma l-puma ḏ-šiša u-ṭina dakia nihuia mn iardna

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