Modaina

The greeting which a man says when he comes from a long journey to another village or to some people that are sitting, and what they answer him. The stranger says: "Peace be unto you!" The* people of the village say: "Unto you also be peace! From where [are thou]?"

A: "I am originally from my village, and now I come from this [place which lies] behind us."

B: "What do you report to us?"

A: "Nothing but good [things]."

B: "May the good [things] be plenty, if God wills! What is reported about the land from which you come?"

A: "There is no trouble at all."

B: "What do you see and hear from [other] sides?"

A: "Only good things. There is nothing that troubles the others. And what do you report unto us?"

B: "All is well: there is no calamity."

A: "Wat news do you see and hear?"

B: "Good [things] and peace only. And are the land from which you have come and its

people and its property in good state?"

A: "There is nothing better than they."

B: "Are you well yourself?"

A: "May we see their (i.e. your) well-being! You, are you well [yourselves]?"

B: "Praise be to God! May we see your well-being ! Are you in good health ?"

A: "May we see your good health! Are you well?"

B: "May we see your well-being! Are you the same?"

A : "We thank and praise Him. Yourselves, what are you like ?"

B: "We thank God. Is your family well?"

A: "There is nothing better than they. May He add to their well-being! Are your property and your people in good state ?"

"There is no harm at all. What are young and old like?"

"All is well, we thank God."

"When have you left your country ?"

"It is now our third [day]."

- The greeting chiefly in the Mansa country [partly] following the Sillabario della lingua Tigre,

A: "Hast thou passed the day well?"

B: "May thy day be well! Welcome to thee!"

A: "Mayest thou stay well!"

B: "From where art thou?"

A: "I am from Karan."

B: "What doest thou tell?"

A: "Nothing but good [things]."

B: "May the good [things] be plenty, if God wills! Art thou well?"

A: "May I see thy well-being!"

B: "Art thou in good health?"

A: "Praise be to God, I am well."

B: "How are thy family and thy property?"

A : "Praise be to God, they are all well. How is it with thee ?" ')

B: "I have no trouble at all, praise be to God! Art thou also well?"

A : "I have nothing to complain of. May I see thy well-being !"

B: "Is all well there from where thou hast come?"

A: "All is well."

B: "May it be more so, if God wills! What doest thou tell?

What doest thou see and hear from [other] sides?

What news is told in the country?"

A: "Nothing but good things."

B: "May they give thee good things! Does it rain in the Ansaba country and are the crops growing [well] ?"

A: "It is raining, and there is nothing better than its crops.

May He make it continue to be well!"

B: "Say, Father of Emar, what is the news about the government?"

A: "It has said: 'Do not harm the trees!' Everything else is well; there is nothing [bad] that I have heard."





i) Literally: "thou, what are thou like?"