23.3
The Kebra Nagast 23.3 · Blessed are those who hear you📜 Bezold's printed edition
Tamrin goes on. He praises those who serve the king, and then gives his reason for leaving.
· · ·
ብፁዓንሰ፡1
bǝṣuʿānsa
Blessed arefortunate
እለ፡2
ʾǝlla
those who
ይሰምዑ፡3
yǝsammǝʿu
hearthey hear
ቃለከ፡4
qālǝka
your voiceyour word
ወይገብሩ፡5
wa-yǝgabbǝru
and doand they make
ትእዛዘከ፤6
tǝʾzāzǝka
your commands;your orders
; እስመ፡7
ʾǝsma
forbecause
እምፈተውኩ፡8
ʾǝm-fatawku
if I wished,if I desired
, እንበር፡9
ʾǝnbar
I would stayI would sit
ዝየ፡10
zǝya
here
ወኢይትፈለጥ፡11
wa-ʾi-yǝtfalleṭ
and not be partedand not be separated
እምኔከ፤12
ʾǝmǝnneka
from you;
; አላ፡13
ʾalla
but
ባሕቱ፡14
bāḥtu
yetonly
ፈንወኒ፡15
fannǝwanni
send me
ኀበ፡16
ḫaba
totoward
እግዝእትየ፡17
ʾǝgzǝʾtǝya
my ladymy mistress
በእንተ፡18
baʾǝnta
because ofconcerning
ምዕቅብና፡19
mǝʿqǝbnā
the trustcustody
ዘላዕሌየ፡20
za-laʿlēya
that is on me,which is upon me
, ከመ፡21
kama
so that
አሀባ፡22
ʾahabā
I may give herthat I give her
ንዋያ፡23
nǝwāya
her goods;her wares
; ወለሊየኒ፡24
wa-lalǝyā-ni
and I myselfand myself also
ገብር፡25
gabr
am a servant
ላቲ፡26
lāti
to her.
. Blessed are those who hear your voice and do your commands; for if I wished, I would stay here and not be parted from you; but yet send me to my lady because of the trust that is on me, so that I may give her her goods; and I myself am her servant.
Blessed are those who hear your voice and do your commands; for if I wished, I would stay here and not be parted from you; but yet send me to my lady because of the trust that is on me, so that I may give her her goods; and I myself am her servant.
23.4
The Kebra Nagast 23.4 · Sent away in peace📜 Bezold's printed edition
Solomon gives the merchant his leave. Next the chapter has Tamrin tell the queen all that he saw and heard.
· · ·
And Solomon went into his house and gave him everything that was needed, as an honour to the land of Ethiopia, and sent him away in peace; and he bowed, and went out, and went his way, and came to his lady, and handed her all the goods that he had brought home.
ብፁዓን, “blessed”, is the word of the Beatitudes: Dillmann lists Matthew 5:3–11 among his examples and notes that the word often works as an exclamation. Tamrin’s “blessed are those who hear your voice and do your commands” has that shape. It is also close to what the queen of Sheba says to Solomon in 1 Kings 10:8, where she calls his servants happy for standing before him and hearing his wisdom.
His reason for leaving is a ምዕቅብና mǝʿqǝbnā, “a charge, a trust”. Dillmann’s one example is a phrase about the keeping of goods, and goods are what Tamrin carries for the queen. He finishes with ወለሊየኒ ገብር ላቲ, “and I myself am her servant”, the word he used earlier for Solomon’s servants (ʾagbǝrt is its plural).