22.3
The Kebra Nagast 22.3 · Tamrin goes to Solomon📜 Bezold's printed edition
Solomon has sent for red gold, black wood and sapphire. Now the queen’s merchant goes to the king.
· · ·
ውእቱ፡1
wǝʾǝtu
And thisthat
ነጋዲ፡2
nagādi
merchant
ዘስሙ፡3
za-sǝmu
whose name was
ተምሪን፡4
Tamrin
Tamrin,
, ለንግሥተ፡5
la-nǝgǝśta
the queen ofto the queen of
ኢትዮጵያ፡6
ʾItyoṗyā
Ethiopia’s
ነጋዲሃ፡7
nagādiha
merchanther merchant
, ወሖረ፡8
wa-ḥora
wentand he went
ኀበ፡9
ḫaba
totoward
ንጉሥ፤10
nǝguś
King
ሰሎሞን፡11
Salomon
Solomon;
; ወነሥአ፡12
wa-naśʾa
and he took
ኵሎ፡13
kʷǝllo
everythingall
ዘፈቀደ፡14
za-faqada
that he wantedwhat he wanted
እምኔሁ፡15
ʾǝmǝnnehu
from him,
, ወወሀቦ፡16
wa-wahabo
and gaveand he gave him
ለነጋዲ፡17
la-nagādi
the merchantto the merchant
ዘይፈቅድ፡18
za-yǝfaqqǝd
whatever he asked,what he wants
, አፈድፍዶ፡19
ʾafadfǝdo
in abundance,abounding
, እምንዋዩ፡20
ʾǝm-nǝwāyu
beyond his goods.than his goods
. And this merchant whose name was Tamrin, the queen of Ethiopia’s merchant, went to King Solomon; and he took everything that he wanted from him, and gave the merchant whatever he asked, in abundance, beyond his goods.
And this merchant whose name was Tamrin, the queen of Ethiopia’s merchant, went to King Solomon; and he took everything that he wanted from him, and gave the merchant whatever he asked, in abundance, beyond his goods.
22.4
The Kebra Nagast 22.4 · A wise man watches the king📜 Bezold's printed edition
The book now shows Solomon through the merchant’s eyes. Tamrin will carry what he sees home to the queen.
· · ·
And he, the merchant, was very wise, and saw the wisdom of Solomon, and marvelled, and watched closely to examine the answering of his words, and his judging, and the eloquence of his mouth, and the sweetness of his speech, and his walk, and his sitting, and his rising, and his work, and his love, and his order, and his table, and his law…
The book names Tamrin again and gives his rank: nagādiha la-nǝgǝśta ʾItyoṗyā, “the merchant of the queen of Ethiopia”. He goes to King Solomon, and Solomon takes everything he wants from him. Dillmann’s entry for nǝguś, “king”, notes the title ንጉሠ፡ ነገሥት, “king of kings”, and says the kings of Ethiopia bore it themselves.
Then comes the pay. Tamrin is given what he asks, ʾafadfǝdo ʾǝm-nǝwāyu, “abundantly, beyond his goods”. Dillmann’s entry for nǝwāy opens with vessels and tools and later gives “what a person owns”, so for a merchant the word means his wares. Solomon is shown as a generous buyer, and the price runs past the value of the goods.