BES20 14

Siglum: BES20 14
Transliteration: l s¹ʿdn bn ḥg bn ʾs¹r bn mlkt bn bḥrmh w {h} ʾlt flṭ m- dn {w} ḥf{f} ----qqt s¹----
Translation: By S¹ʿdn son of Ḥg son of ʾs¹r son of Mlkt son of Bḥrmh and {O} ʾlt [grant] deliverance from debt {and} shortage of means ----qqt s¹----

Interpretation

Commentary: {h} - Letter read as the vocative particle h despite its unusual appearance. The prong closest to the edge of the stone is a different width to the rest of the letter and looks similar to damage. flṭ m-dn - If one reads ḥff as "a shortage of means" (see below), it is possible that dn here is to be read as a parallel to the Arabic dayn, "debt" (Lane 944a). Note than dn can also be translated as 'deliverance from contempt' following Al-Jallad 2019 (see dn3). The final section of the text cannot be read with any certainty from the photographs. {ḥff} - If the reading is accurate, one might compare ḥff with with the Arabic ḥafaf, "a bad state, shortage of means" (Lane 598b).

Lane, E.W. An Arabic-English Lexicon, Derived from the Best and Most Copious Eastern Sources. (Volume 1 in 8 parts [all published]). London: Williams & Norgate, 1863-1893.
Al-Jallad, A. & Jaworska, K.A. Dictionary and Grammar of the Safaitic Inscriptions. Volume I: Dictionary. Leiden: Brill, 2019
Inscriptions recorded during the Badia Epigraphic Survey 2020 and published here

Site: Wādī al-Mismā al-Šarqī, c. 52 km north-west of Al-Ruwayšid, Al-Mafraq Governorate, Jordan