“To my brother whom I love I have given his young wife.[374] May the Sun-God and Istar ... her face. As my brother desires: may ... and may my brother rejoice, in the day when ... the Sun-God and the God ... giving joy to my noble brother, ... let them grant it to be ... and may my brother ... forever.
“Mani my brother's envoy, and Khani[375] my brother's interpreter, as you cause them to be sent, plenty of (provisions?) I shall give them ... them much; as they performed their orders I made all the people protect them. If they do not may my Gods, and my brother's Gods, guard them. Now I have sent Nahramani who is careful in my brother's affairs, and I have sent (an ornament?) of precious stones—of precious stones and gold, as a present to my brother; and may my brother be granted to live a hundred years.”
8 B. M.—The salutation is the same as before, but the writer's name is spelt “Tusratta” instead of Dusratta. The letter is the best preserved in the whole collection.
“Since your forefathers were friendly with my forefathers, thou therefore wast very greatly friendly with my father. So you love me: we are zealous friends. Ten times more you increase it than to my father. The heavenly Gods shall decree that we shall be friends. May Rimmon my God, and Amanu, so pronounce, even forever.
“And so my brother sent Mani his envoy. Thus indeed my brother (said) ‘Does not my brother's heart desire that thy daughter (be) the wife of my young son[376]—as a princess of Egypt’ and I spoke as to my intention about it; and my brother desiring that she should be made ready for Mani, and to show her, so he beheld her, and praised her much. And may they lead her in peace into the land of my brother. May Istar and Amanu make her agreeable to my brother's heart.
“Gilia, my envoy, set forth my brother's message before [pg 283] me. So I heard and it was very good; and so I rejoiced very much. Thus truly I say ‘This is thus arranged between us so that we may be zealous friends.’ Now with firm faith forever let us be friends.
“So I shall send to my brother, and I say thus myself, so let us be much more friendly; and do not you respond to us? And I say thus, that my brother has enriched me ten times more than my father.
“And I have asked much gold of my brother: so he has given me more than to my father. My brother indeed sent to me; and to my father you sent much gold: much (merchandise?) of gold; and besides all the gold you sent him you have sent me bricks of gold (lavished?) like copper.
“I sent Gilia (humbly?) to my brother, and asked for gold. Thus indeed I (said) ‘Truly my brother has given me more than to my father, and may he send me untold gold.’
“May my brother send me more than to my father; and now I say thus to my brother: the (loan?) that my grandfather made, so I may (say), as (one thinking little of wealth?) he made it for thee; and now as regards (what) I say, the gold that my brother shall send, let him send it when he likes.