To the noble lord, the chief merchant Aspandhat. -- [Sent]
by your servant [Fri-khwataw].
To the noble lord Aspandhat, blessing (and) homage. And (it
would be) a [good] day [for him] who might see you healthy (and)
safe, happy, free from illness (and) content. Fr[om Fri-khwataw]
your servant. And [for me the] day (would be still) better if [I
might see] you [my]self [and] might pay homage to you from nearby,
[as] (homage is offered) to the gods.
[From] inside (China) [I] have heard worse, not better, (news) day
(by) day, and whatever I might write concerning A[khurmaztakk](?),
how he himself went (away) and what he had . . . I have become
isolated, and, behold, I stay here in Guzang and I do not go hither
(and) thither, and there is no caravan(?) (departing) from here. In
Guzang (there are) 4 bundles of "white" for dispatch, and 2,500
(measures of)(?) pepper for dispatch, and a doubleprasthakaofn(••y)t, and 5prasthakas ofrysk, and half a stater of silver. When Ghawtus went
(away) from Guzang I went after him, and I came to Dunhuang, (but) I
was prevented(?) from straying(?) outside (China). (If) . . .
Ghawtus had seen [=found?] a level route, then I would have brought
out the "Blacks." Many Sogdians were ready to leave, (but) they
could not leave, for Ghawtus went by(?) the mountains. I(?) would
(have) remain(ed) at Dunhuang, but they [=the Sogdian inhabitants]
were destitute. I depend(?) on charity(?) from your 'pr'k, for I am
serving(?) . . . in Guzang, and [they . . .] me, and they make me .
. ., and they obtain my . . ., [and] they increase (it) with our . .
. And . . . I am very wretched, and . . . the . . .
I heard thus: Kharstrang [owed(?)] you twenty staters of silver, and
he declared(?) thus: I (will) bring(?) (it). He gave me the silver,
and I weighed it, and (there were only) four and a half staters
altogether. I asked: If he [sent] twenty staters, why do you give me
four and a half staters? He said thus: Aspandhat found me on the way
and he gave (it) to me(?). {He said thus: (There are) seven and a
half staters of silver.} And for four staters I obtained four loads
of'st(k)[•](m). And the "Blacks" took the
silver, for they said thus: We(?) have no money. For (according to
them it is) better (that) I should be wretched than they! (If) you
should hear how Akhurmaztakk has done me harm, then you should pay
heed (to this) too.
Sent by your servant Fri-khwataw. This letter was written from
Guzang in the third month on the thirtieth (day).