Section: 1
(Vol. 55, fol. 20: c. 31 x 10 cm., ll. 12 of ordinary epistolary dbu can script, rather close together; much dicoloured, injured by folding, and hardly legible.)
[1]@/:/nang rje blon G.yu(?) bzher la//Khris legs mchid gsol ba'//'Phrul dang mtshungs pa'i zha ngas nas /snyun rnying slar ma ['bre]d [ches][2]thoste glo ba dga' zhing mchis//snyun gsol gi mchi[d yi]g sngar/rnam du ma zhig gso[l] na/[slad] lan ma mchis pa dang /sbyar na/'A zha ngan bdagis gya ga [3]du ma phul ba lta zhig [na']/nang rje po Kwa chu pa'i /Ser sbyong gi spun du bsgos pa/Hi ma ter gdan gshegste/sgrol(sgol? skrol?) bka' 'grosu mdzad na dmag [pu...pyad lnga'(lta'?)][4]las kyang/dog sa [thagstu] rab tu che zhabs thugs myi bde bas/gdan gshegs gyi(bgyi?) kyang 'phrin las mdzad la sman pa myi 'dra bar/ring lugs kyi 'phrin [by]ang [5][d]ang/chad pa'i gzhi /Bde gamsu mchis nas/bdagis/bla 'og dug gsol zhes...pyung shig ches 'byung ba/ring lugs kyi 'phrin byang khamsu mchis m-(mchiste?)[6]...la chad pas [note 1: s below line [note chod shig ches/kha mar stsal nas/rtsi sar gthad dang /khri [m(?)...s] dang sbyar na/sa bar snyad(mkhar chud?) lo chig gi sna stsal.....i..[-ba rdzug][7].......pas gchad pa'i gzhi byung zhing mchis na/de las thugs myi [note 2: myi crossed out [note chud ba tsam dug gsold//slan chad bla nas thugs re ste/'phrin lasu b[sdos st..][8]..........'phrin las gzung bzhin du mdzad pa'i rigs par bdag ngan pa bka' grosu gso[l] zhing mchis//gchen gcu po m[gon] zhi[n(?)/ste][9]...........gs bzher gyi g.yar du stsalpa ni/sman yon ji yang ma bgyiste/'dun sa snar(?) spyi yang myi gda' zhing mchis te//bdag ngan[10]..............rtag tu snyan snyungs pa gsol zhes bka' bab bam myi bab/Mdo gams nas/mjal stsongs/d[ru]l pho che dag gchig s[nga slad] [du]go [mtshams?][11]......rdzas dang/sga g.yer phal mo che zhig mchis shes gda'ba/mched gyi chab sgor phal cher 'phus shes bka' mchid ltos(?) na[12].......snyungs gsol zhing mchis na/phyag rgya stsald te/bang chen 'di las/brdzang na tsam du thugs dphag jir mdzad//
"[ll. 1-2] To the Minister of the Interior, Councillor G.yu bzher, letter-petition of Khris legs. I am very glad to hear that on the part of you, equal to a theophany, there is no recurrence of your old illness. [ll. 2-4] As regards the fact that, though I sent various letters before this inquiring as to your health, no answer has come, and whereas I, a humble 'A zha, have sent various presents: Minister of the Interior, styled of the Ser sbyon family of Kwa chu, residing in your seat at Hi ma te, engaged in saving(?) counsels, from the army also...five...very great distance...your servant is ill at ease. [ll. 4-5] There being unequalled advantage in carrying on the business even while you are in your residence, when the courier's missive and the substance of the orders came to Bde gams, it was opportune for me to submit matter to my superiors(?). [ll. 5-6] Having sent down a verbal order that 'a courier's missive having come into the country, carry out the orders (or punish)...,' I sent to the palace of the census (rtsi sar). [ll. 6-7] As regards the law, the decision to punish having...one year..., accordingly begged to be not weak. [ll. 7-10] Afterwards, being more hopeful than before, and relying upon the business (instructions), your humble servant submitted in council that it was right to act in accordance with the business undertaken (instructions received?). The ten brothers being the leaders(?)...as to sending up to...bzher, no advantage whatever was effected, and in the meeting nothing at all being possible, it was ordered more or less that your humble servant should constantly write inquires as to health. 'From Mdo gams, some market merchandize, very rotten, early and later...things and general indifference (sga g.yer?)', so it was said. Having regard to the saying, 'at a brother's door usually...'we have sent a signed letter of inquires as to health. If you send a letter, please trouble to send by this courier."
Possibly the translation of this difficult document may be improved later.
l. 2. On dang sbyar na = "as regards": see p. 29 (IOL Tib 1253).
l. 4. 'phrin byang or byang alone seems to be in these documents one of the expressions denoting a letter. Some wooden documents (pp. 203-4: M.Tagh.a.iii.0016, IOL Tib N 1577; M.Tagh.a.iv.007, IOL Tib N 1631) refer to themselves as byang 'di"this communication". byang bu is "label" or (wooden) "postcard". The Chronicle also has byang. See pp. 331-2 and Index.
l. 5. Bde gams has occurred already. (pp. 22, 25: back of Ch.87.xiii, IOL Tib J 856).
'byung ba: see p. 29 (IOL Tib 1253).
l. 9. sman yon: see above, p. 48 (Fragment.80, IOL Tib J 1459).
l. 10. snyan snyungs"a letter of inquires after health" seems to mean merely a formal letter of that nature (cf. p. 22: back of Ch.87.xiii, IOL Tib J 856). We have several among the documents.
Mdo gams: see below, pp. 61, 106.
l. 11. chab sgor"by the door of" or "an opportunity of"(?). sga g.yer"indifferent"(?); cf. pp. 21, 22 (back of Ch.87.xiii, IOL Tib J 856).
l. 12. thugs dpag (or pags) and thugs dpag jir(cir) mdzad, asking or stating attention, are common in the documents.