A private letter to Ischyrion from a correspondent whose name is lost, reproaching him for not writing and asking for news of his health. The writer mentions a difficult period from Phamenoth to Pauni and sends greetings to family members. It dates to the 4th century AD and comes from the Oxyrhynchite nome.
In English machine translation
[recto]
[…]
[…] to you, who are in good spirits and prospering always, […] that my letter be delivered to you.
[…] you, brother, that you have not sent me even one little letter, and that you have informed me of nothing about your health and about what I know of, no reminder at all. So now, brother, put everything else aside and write back to me, first of all about your health. Long ago you too, brother, heard that from the month Phamenoth to the month Pauni I did not have a single day of good cheer (?), and thanks be to God. So do not neglect, brother, to write back to me, first about your health, and second, about whatever you want from me, write back to me, since I will gladly do it.
I greet our father, that is, yours, brother. I greet Barys. I greet Sarapion. I greet all our people by name.
I pray for your health for many years.
[verso]
Deliver to Ischyrion, brother, from K[…]
The phrase 'thanks be to God' and the reference to God suggest a Christian writer. 'Did not have a single day of good cheer' renders a terse Greek phrase whose exact sense is uncertain.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter to Ischyrion). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.