Neacșu's letter

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Original text in Cyrillic from Neacșus letter

The letter from Neacșu from Câmpulung is the oldest known document in Romanian .

The letter was on 29./30. Drafted June 1521 by the merchant Neacșu Lupu in Câmpulung (Langenau) in Cyrillic script and addressed to Johannes Benkner, city judge of Kronstadt (Brașov). It contains information about an impending Ottoman attack on Wallachia and possibly also on Transylvania . The document was rediscovered in 1894 by the Kronstadt archivist Friedrich Wilhelm Stenner. The letter from Neacșu has great significance for Romanian culture and is kept in the State Archives of Brașov . A copy is in the Museum of Printing and Old Romanian Books in Târgovişte .

text

The translation of the Cyrillic into the Latin alphabet follows the norms of Slavic studies. Slavic words in the original text are shown in italics. The text consists of 190 words, 175 of which are of Latin origin, which is a percentage of 92%.

  1. m (u) drom (u) i plemenitom (u) i cistitom (u) ib [o] g [o] (m) darovannom (u) župa (n) hani (š) be (g) ne (r) o (t) brašo (v) mno (g) [o]
  2. z (d) ravie o (t) ne (k) šu (l) o (t) dlugopole i pa (k) last štire do (m) nïetale za lukru (l) tu (r) cilo (r) kum ami
  3. auzi (t) èu ku ipuratu (l) au èši (t) de (n) sofïe ši aimi (n) tre nue ši seu du (s) i su (s)
  4. pre dunure i pa (k) su štïi do (m) nïjata ku au veni (t) u (n)? (m) de la nikopoe de mïe me (u)
  5. spu (s) ku au vuzu (t) ku? kïi loi ku au treku (t) cele korabïi ce štïi ši do (m) nïjata
  6. pre dunure i su (s) i pak su štïi ku bagu den tote? rašele kute [50] de? mi (n) su e
  7. fïe in ažuto (r) i korabïi i pak su štïi kumu seu prinsu nešte me (š) šte (r) de (n) c [a] ri
  8. gra (d) ku (m) vori trece acele korabïi la loku (l) cela (st) rimtu (l) ce šttïi ši do (m) nïjata
  9. i pa (k) spui do (m) nïetale de lukru (l) lu mahame (t) be (g) ku (m) u ami auzit de boeri ce sunti medžïja (š)
  10. ši de dženere mïu negre kumu eu da (t) ipuratu (l) slobozïe lu mahame (t) beg pre iu i? i va
  11. fi voe pren cera rumunesku jaru èli su treku i pa (k) su štïi do (m) nïjata ku are
  12. friku mare ši busurab de ace (l) lotru de mahame (t) be (g) ma (i) vurto (s) de do (m) nïele vo (s) tre
  13. i pa (k) spui do (m) nïetale ka ma (i) marele mïu de ce ami icele (s) šïeu eu spui do (m) nïetale jaru
  14. do (m) nïjata ešti icelepti ši aceste kuvi (n) te su cïi do (m) nïjata la tine su nu štïe
  15. umi (n) mulci ši do (m) nïele vo (s) tre su vu puzici ku (m) štici ma (i) bine ib [og] i te ve (s) [e] li (t) am [in] u
  • Transcription according to current orthographic norms
  1. " Mudromu I plemenitomu, I cistitomu I bogom darovanomu jupan Hanas Bengner ot Brasov mnogo
  2. zdravie ot Nécsu ot Dlagopole. I pak dur stire domnie tale za lucrul turcilor, cum am
  3. auzit eu ca împaratul au esit den Sofiia, si aimintrea nu e, si se au dus în sus
  4. pre dunare. I pak sa stii domniia ta ca au venit un om de la Nicopole de miie me au
  5. spus ca au vazut cu ochii lor ca au trecut ciale corabii ce stii si domniia ta
  6. pre Dunare în sus. I pak sa stii ca baga den toate orasele câte 50 de omin sa
  7. fie de ajutor in corabii. I pak sa stii cumu se au prins neste mester (i) den Tari
  8. grad cum before treace ceale corabii la locul cela strimtul ce stii si domniia ta.
  9. I pak spui domniie tale de lucrul lui Mahamet beg, cum am auzit de boiari ce sunt megiias (i)
  10. si de generemiiu Negre, cum i au dat împaratul sloboziie lui Mahamet beg, pe io i va
  11. fi voia, pren Teara Rumâneasca, iara el sa treaca. I pak sa stii domniia ta ca are
  12. frica mare si Basarab de acel lotru de Mahamet beg, mai vârtos de domniile voastre.
  13. I pak spui domniietale ca mai marele miu, de ce am înteles si eu. Eu spui domniietale iara
  14. domniiata esti întelept si aceste cuvinte sa tii domniiata la tine, sa nu stie
  15. umin multi, si domniile vostre sa va paziti cum stiti mai bine. I bogi te veselit aminu .
  • translation
  1. The wise, noble and honorable and gifted by God Mr. Hans Benkner von Brașov, many
  2. Greetings from Neacșu of Câmpulung. And so I let you know about the Turkish cause, like me
  3. heard that the emperor had left Sofia and it was no different, and left
  4. up the Danube. And so you should know that a man has come from Nicopole who is me
  5. said that he saw with his own eyes that the ships you also know
  6. happened up the Danube. And so you should know that they deployed 50 men in each of the cities
  7. assisting with the ships. And so should know how some masters from Tsarigrad
  8. have committed themselves to lead the ships to the narrow place that you also know.
  9. And so I tell you about the Mahomet beg affair, as I have heard from neighboring gentlemen
  10. and from my son-in-law Negre, as the emperor gave Mahamet Beg free license, so
  11. to march through the Romanian country according to his will . And so you should know that too
  12. Basarab is very afraid of this robber Mahomet, more than your gentlemen.
  13. And so I tell you, like my superior, what I understand about. I tell (it) to you and
  14. You are wise and you should keep these words with you so that not many people are
  15. experienced, and your masters should protect themselves to the best of their knowledge. And God should make you happy. Amen .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The dating was based on the historical events described
  2. ↑ Gernot Nussbächer (historian and archivist in Kronstadt): Stenner, Friedrich Wilhelm . In: East German Biography (Kulturportal West-Ost)
  3. ^ "Scrisoarea lui Neacşu din Câmpulung", secretele celui mai vechi document scris din limba română , July 17, 2016, Adevărul

literature

  • Aurel Nicolescu, Analize gramaticale și stilistice , București, 1981

Web links

Commons : Neacșus Brief  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikisource: Neacșus Brief  - Sources and full texts (Romanian)