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A short Coptic letter on an ostracon from the monastic settlement at Wadi Sarga, sending greetings and asking the recipient to send out wine, come and persuade some workers, and bring dates for them. The item is to be given to Apa Enoch through Apa Isaak, and the recipient is urged not to delay so that the men are not left idle.
The Coptic is colloquial and several phrases (notably lines 3-5 and the measure 'mache' of dates) are uncertain, so the translation is tentative. 'Mache' is a Coptic measure or container with no exact English equivalent.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
† ϩⲁ ⲑⲏ μέν ⲛϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲓⲙ ϯϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲣⲟⲕ ⲁⲣⲓ ⲧἀγάπη ϫⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲛ ⲕⲟⲩⲓ ⲛⲏⲣⲡ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲉϣⲱⲥ ⲙⲙⲟⲛ ⲁⲛϯ ⲧⲕⲟⲩⲓ ϩⲟⲧⲥ ⲥⲉⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ϫⲉ ⲉⲛⲟⲩⲉϣ ϣⲟⲙⲧⲉ ⲙⲏⲛⲉ ⲁⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲕπείθειν ⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ϫⲓ ⲙⲁϫⲉ ⲥⲉⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲃⲉⲛⲉ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲧⲁⲁⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲉⲛⲱⲭ ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲓⲥⲁⲕ ⲡⲣϭⲱ ⲛⲁⲧⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉ ⲛⲛⲉⲩⲟⲩⲱⲥϥ
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