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NOVEMBER 1918 ]
SIDE-LIGHTS ON OMICHUND
271
“Omichund's compliments to Petrus. There's letters gone for Mr. Watts to forbid his coming down 'till permission is given from hence. You and I are one. Let us consider what is for our own interest and act so as to make it pass that we have had the whole management of this affair. If our friend is not set out, keep him a few days; affairs are not yet settled here; hereafter I will write you the particulars. You have a good understanding therefore there's no occasion to write you much. Our success depends upon each other. All my hopes are in you."
We are now in a position to discuss the document itself, and I begin with a transliteration thereof, followed by a translation and a free rendering.
Transliteration and Notes by Mr. S. M. Gregory.
(PLATES I AND II.) Aminâ paitsår Såhåpi Sâhâp 39 Agha 40 Petros.
Arz *1 lini vîrâgriâlin ghullughûman 2 wor minchi wakhtas 13 Şâhâpitzas shenorhå shunemq. Shwât fikrmandam menq, yev Amirchandin 15 gholan lasîtzi yeki Gaurthi Sâhâ pîs haghighâtan 6 khârtzri.
Asâtz qâni qalâmes'17 : âsâtz 'wor griem Amirchandan. Sâhâpis ghullugh ûman bandagi 48 uni. Asûma thae têghaes Wachîn 19 grêtzin, thae mînchi menq grênq woch mochov ghủo woch.
Menâtz yes dû mîn amq. Inch miez lev lini aryes. Lev mêrdî : 50 derân hramann 61 wo'shch mînchî vîrchan myerna. Yev hrâmânôtz tânîtzan khâthirjâm 52 kâtzir yes tegh sâm. Yev ên bêryekâman wor hrâmânôtz khêt golêtza, yêkêla bhariya thae woch, gânî or hetâtznes; zîra 5 dherêvas têghas måslahatan 5 chi yelel. Mâslahậtan lini hakûtz lâzumîn 55 kegríem hrâmânôtz.
a) Ar.-Pers., $dhib-i-saliban, lord of lords. 40 Turki, Agha, a great nobleman, lit., elder brother. 41 Ar-Pers., 'arx,' a petition, a respectful request : be it humbly known.' 12 Turki, quling, service (qui, slave. Urdu, quli, servant); in your service, to you.' 43 Ar.-Pers., waql, time. 44 Ar.-Pers., fikrmand, anxious. 45 Amirchand, correct Panjabi form of the wellknown name Omiohund. 46 Ar.-Pers., haqiqat, real state of affairs, the truth. 47 Ar.-Pers., kalam, words. 48 Pers. bandagi, service, devotion : compliments. 49 Wachin, to Wach, Bengali form of the name of Mr. William Watts, Chief at Kasimbazar. 50 Pers., mardi, manliness, boldness.
51 In the original letter, between the first word of the eighth line, mardi, and the fourth word okhch, there are two contractions, replaced in the copy by aryes, the fourth word in the eighth line, mean. g to do or perform, which makes sense, but does not at all convey the meaning of the original, as de contractions for which it is substituted, derdn hramdnn, mean "the management,
52 Ar.-Pers., khatirjam'a, tranquil, at ease. 53 Turki, zird, because. 54 Ar.-Pors., maglahat, affair, transaction, deliberation. 55 Ar-Pers., Idzim, necessary expedient.
