APIS Translation (English)
O. MH 4038, recto: (Column A, 1) Contents of the agreement which Talames, (2) daughter of Imuthes, has made, she giving her garden, on (3) his agreement to Peftumont, son of Udjaf: 'If (4) you intend to be gardener for me (5) in my garden, then you are to give water to it. You are to give (2?)8 (6) drawings of water to it, in the proper measure of 28 (7) hins of water to the (pot?), and you are to give 20 drawings (8) (at the beginning of?) (the) water of (inundation?) and 20 (afterward?). You are to (connect?) (9) the (dyke?) to my garden (against?) the drawing which you (10) shall cast; and you are to put it behind the gardens; (11) and you are not to cause me to compel you to do it. I am (12) to ask you for your work at evening, and you are to give it (13) to me, when it is complete and whole. And you are to twist and splice (14) 200 (cubits?) of plait...and you are to (15) stitch 4 (earth?)-baskets; (16) and you are to give them (rim-cords?); and you are to give them (17) their (handles?). And you are to make them as your (18) work at evening, and you are to give them to me, when they are (19) complete, (for?) the cutting which is to be (made) to my (20) garden. And you are to go to "The Island of the Atum," and you are to bring (fibers?) (22) of (palm-leaf?) to it, (namely from) "The Island of the (23) Atum" to my garden. (24) ...... (25) You have not (caused?) it, my eyes being... (26) for sparrows and [food] for crows. (27) And you are to cause that I (find?) them (hanging?) (28) (above?) me. And I am to ask you for your (29) dung three times daily; (30) and I am to probe it with a (stalk?) (31) of (flax?). The (new reed?) (32) which I shall find in it, I am to (take?) [(for it?)] (33) one obol to the (new reed?) (34) among them. He said to her: My mother, (35) if a friend of mine gives me (36) a bunch (of grapes), I am to eat it. (37) [(She said to him?)].....eat in (38) [(my?)] (garden?)..... (Column B, 1) ....(without?) cutting my garden at night (2) and saying: A friend of mine (3) is [the one] who gave to me a bunch of grapes. If you (4) are [a] satisfactory and a good man, a man (5) [who] cultivates my garden by labor, I will cause (6) that you know it at your (first?) wages (7) (at?) your....(great lady?)....If (8) (you?) wish it in wheat, I will give it (9) to you....(at?) your (great lady?). (10) If wheat is what you want, (11) she (guiding?) you to take wheat, I will cause (12) that you....your....three (13) times monthly, it not having been agreed to (14) by me to give to you wheat; (or) I will give you (15) it (at your responsibility?) in gaga-bread (16) (of?) the....before it has been agreed to (17) by me to give to you wheat. If, (however), (18) it be agreed to by me to give to you (19) wheat, I will give it (20) without (substitution?), by the mation (21) of the (handful?) [(at the threshing floor?)] (22) of the.....(of?) the (23) great....(of the?)..... (24) one artaba [(being 1?)]4 mations. (25) You are to (pound?) it and you are to (26) (grind?) it. You [(shall?)]....it (27) on the (gaga-loaves?) (of) the (28) .....which you will bring (29) (at your responsibility?), and you shall not (30) ....yourself (except?) them to eat them. (31) If you wish it (32) [in gold], gold being what [you] wish, (33) I will have you brought (34) to the....three times (35) monthly, it not having been agreed to (36) by me to give you gold.... (37) ........... (Column C, 1) .....(If) you are arrested, (2) I [will come] forth, (if [they] say?): (3) Come. Be surety in regard to him, (4) namely, thy gardener. If, (however), it be agreed to (5) by me to give to you gold-(pieces), I will give them (6) to you in gold of the (infamous?) Queen, "Old Woman." (7) Gold, you shall receive its value (8) .....before they have taken [them] from you (9) to apply them for your taxes. (If) you (10) do not want them in [gold], (but) you want them (11) in refined bronze, I will give it to you (at?) (12) your (great lady?).....If refined bronze-(pieces) are (13) what you want, I will give them (14) without.......(in?) (15) bronze of (the).....quarter of (16) Djeme, (or?).... (17) of Khemnes. Bronze, (18) you shall receive its value..... (19) on the bank, they not having taken them from you (20) to apply them for your taxes. (21) Contents of the agreement which Peftumont, son of Udjaf, has made to (22) Talames, daughter of Imuthes: If you (23) will do these things (thus?), I not having had to make (any) claim (24) against you regarding these things (again.....I?).....wine-press (25) ........Talames, (26) daughter of Imuthes....When you are coming and when you are come (27) to my garden, you are to [wear] a.... (28) on your head because of the sunshine, and a pair of work-shoes (29) on your feet because of the (stones?); (30) you are to gird yourself (away from their strength?) [with] (31) a (leather apron because of?)....a.... (32) ....my (singer?); you are to bring a (33) spear in your hand (34) because of the hyena; you are to bring a sword (35) in your hand because of the wolf; you are to bring (36) [a]....because of the small cattle. (Column D, 1) The (frogs?) have finished giving birth (2) under the bricks of your.... (3) An ichneumon has given birth under the.... (4) of the....of (marsh?). The sheep (5) which have been selected by the shepherd, you (will?) find (6) on [their]....The small cattle (7) which escaped from the herders, you will (8) find on their great.....The (9) grape (10) which has come forth, its eye not having been (ashamed?), (11) she shall gather into (a) basket (12) which is....What she carries (13) (by?).....it being (disposed of?); (14) what she takes to (the) wine-press, it being (bruised?); (15) what she sends to (the) vat, it being (16) ....what she (transfers?) (17) [(to?)]....what she takes to (18) .....(since (the time of)?) oil-crop; what she (19) [(takes?)] of clay and dung (20) .....before her (21) .....she is to load them (22) (on the?)....and you are to (23) .....(pack-animals?) with them; (24) and he is to bring them (for transport?); (25) and you are to transport (the) (pack-animals?) to the (26) .....(and?) (27) you are to load them on the.....(wagon?); (28) and you are to appease robber, thief, (29) ....(trader?) with respect to them; and you are to..... (30) [(losses?)]....... (31) ....and they are to be taken to me for (destruction?) (32) [The] (losses?) which she (will?) receive on (33) ....being sick; and [(you?)] are to..... (34) ....[(in?)] the (lms-wine?) (36) of (Per-.....ben?)..... (37) (to?) [(me?)].....(for?) your eldest son..... (38) [(I?)....wine-press]......... (39) [Talam]es, daughter of Imuthes.....Written.