tablet obverse 1. gu7#?-a#?-zu si! sa2-e gi gu esir nu-mu-un-dab5-be2 en: No one holds/catches your eating (i.e., food?) properly with reed(?), a cord(?), or a caulked (container)(?) 2. lu2 lah5#-a-zu szu-ni su2-bi-sze3 nu-ub#?-tag-tag-ge en: Your plunderer does not touch his hand to his skin 3. ambar mah sug-ga dagal-la-ba ga2-e galla-zu-me-en en: In the great swamp, in the broad marsh, I am your ranger 4. u2 du10-ga nu-mu-e-szi-ib-gu7 gu3!-gu10 mu-un-ti-ti en: One cannot eat (its) good food because of me(?), my voice(?) approaches there(?) 5. i7-da nir gal2-la#!?-bi# nu-mu-un-DU#?-DU# ulu3?{+lu}-gu10 ba-dul-dul en: One cannot move(?) in the river/canal confidently(?), my “south wind"(?) covers completely 6. igi-gu10-ta gesz-gi gi-szu2-a mu-e-gir5-gir5-e-ne en: From before me they are diving into the reed-bed and marsh(?) 7. di4-di4-la2-zu-ta sa2 du11-sze3# ma-a-gar#?-gar sza3-gal-gu10#-sze3# u3#?-[...] en: From among your little ones, you (might as well) pile up for me as a regular offering, for my sustenance ... 8. gal-gal-zu ki {gesz}bun-na-ka ki#?-bur2#?-[...] na#-nam en: Your large ones are indeed the “solution"(?) of the site of a banquet 9. ga2-e muszen sa6-ga gal#-an-zu-me-en en: I am the beautiful and knowledgable bird 10. kin2#? sa6-ga ugunu? tag-ga-gu10-sze3! en: Beautiful work (occurred) on behalf of my adornment 11. lalx(TA)-hurx(BIR) ku3-zu kin2 la-ba-an-si-ga en: But there is no one who has prepared the working of your pure wax/mold(?) 12. e2-gal lugal-la#-ka DU-DU he2-du7-bi-me-en en: In the palace of the king, I am the ornament of movement 13. kisal#?-la2 mu7?-mu7?-gu10 me-te-am3 ASZ im-mi-in#-gar en: In the courtyard(?) my noise is a fitting thing, one established (it as such!?)/set it apart(!?) 14. akkil# gar-ra-gu10 nig2-ku7-ku7-da-kam#? en: My cry is “that of a sweet thing"(?) 15. su2-bar {d}szul-gi-re me-te-am3 ASZ im-mi-in-x en: On the body of Shulgi(?) it is a fitting thing, one established(?) (it as such!?)/set it apart(!?) 16. nig2-tuh-hum gurun pu2-{gesz}kiri6-pu2-{gesz}kiri6-a sa2 du11 gal-gal-gu10 en: Fruits of the orchard (are for) my many regular offerings 17. ba-ba-za BU gu2-nida zi3! AN-NA nig2 ka du10-ge-gu10 en: babaza porridge, malt(?), hulled grain(?), and emmer(?) flour(?) (are for) my things/food that sweetens the mouth 18. ur5-ta nam-mah-gu10 nu-zux(SU)? gu2 ki-sze3 la2#-a en: Thus(?) (you?) do not know my greatness! Bow (your) neck to the ground! 19. u4-bi-a muszen-e ku6-e in-sze3 mu-ni-in-dub2 en: At that time, the bird insulted the fish 20. ku6 lipisz tuku a2 nam-ur-sag-ga2 engur-ra nir! gal2 en: The fish, possessed of anger, trusting in the heroic might of the deep water(?) 21. muru9 dugud-gin7 ki nam-mi-in-us2 a-da-min3-e ba-a-gub en: Like a heavy rain cloud it touched the ground, it stood in an adamin contest 22. in muszen a-na-am3 mu-ni-in-dub2-ba sza3-sze3! nu-mu-un-na-gid2 en: Whatever insults the bird had struck it with, it did not ponder 23. gu2 ki-sze3 ba-da-gar inim bur2!-bi im-me en: It was able to(?) set its neck on the ground (sarcastically?), it was speaking freely/humbly(?) 24. 2(disz@t)-kam-ma-sze3! ku6-e muszen-e mu-un-na-ni-ib#-gi4-gi4 en: For the 2nd time the fish replied to the bird 25. muszen-e nam-mah-gu10 nu-zu egir-ga2 nu-zukumx(|ZI&ZI.MIN|)-zukumx(|ZI&ZI.MIN|) bar-ga2 en3# li-bi2-[...] en: Bird, (you) do not know my greatness, (you) did not tread behind me, (you are one who) has not inquired after me 26. x-ga kal-ga-gu10 nu-e-da-an#-zu inim u3-bu#-[...] en: You cannot know (either) my weakness(?) or my strength, (you) have spoken an inflammatory(?) word 27. [...]-ur2# x x x x KA#? x sag? x [...] en: (Possessor of) trimmed limbs, crippled(?) feet, a ... mouth/beak, and a thinned out/flattened(?) tongue 28. nam-nu-zu-a KA mu-x-[...]-x IM ni2-zu ad#? i#-[...]-in-gi4#?-[...] en: By means of ignorance you have been able to sneer/shout/chew(?), (but) you have not advised yourself 29. ga2#-e ku6-e he2-gal2 AB# sikil-la tesz2-bi gar#-ra [...] en: I, the fish, am the one who piles up(?) the abundance of the pure shrine/sea(?) together 30. nindaba# gal-gal e2-kur-ra#-ke4# sag il2-la DU-me#-[...] en: I am the one who brings/goes/stands among(?) the great nindaba offerings of the Ekur proudly reverse 1. {d}asznan-ma-gin7 sza3-gar kalam-ma-sze3! ba-gal2-me-en a2-tah-[...] en: Like (the grain goddess) Ezina (I) am here for the sustenance of the land, I am her helper 2. buru14? ezem-gin7 mu-un-da-hul2-le# en3 tar-gu10 i3-gal2 en: The harvest(?) rejoices with me as if (it was) a festival, my inquirer is there(?) 3. muszen nig2-gal-gal# a-na mu-un-dim2#-ma#?-zu nam-gur4-zu ga-ri-ib#-[...] en: Bird, what is your great thing that (you) accomplished? I will make you known your (over) exuberance 4. sun7-na inim# lul#-la# bala-e-x x umusz-zu-a ga-ri-ib-gi4-[...] en: I want to return (back into) your mind(?) your arrogance and mendacious speech 5. u4-bi-a ku6-e muszen-ra sa2#? im-ke3-ke3-de3# en: At that time the fish was to make plans against the bird 6. si-ga# lul-ba a2-ba mu-un-DU-DU en: Silently and deceptively(?) it went on its “arms” 7. u4 muszen gud3-ba zi-ga amar-bi-sze3#!? nig2-gu7 tum3-u3-de3 en: When the bird got up from its nest in order to bring (back) food for its chick 8. ku6-e ki si-ga-a-asz mu-un-kin2 en: The fish sought the place silently 9. gud3 gar-ra u2 si-si-ga-ni esz3 lil2-la2 mu-un-sag3 en: It struck (the bird's) established nest, its prepared plants, (making it?) a windswept shrine 10. e2 du3-du3-a-ni mu-un-gul-gul erim3#?-ma-ni mu-un-x-re en: It destroyed its built house, it tore out(?) its storeroom 11. nunuz-bi gud3#-bi a bi2-in-gaz-gaz ab-ba im-mi-in-szu2 en: It killed its eggs and its nest with water(?), it covered them in the sea 12. 2(disz@t)-kam-ma#-sze3! ku6-e muszen-e in-sze3! mu-ni-in-dub2 en: For a 2nd time the fish insulted the bird 13. u4-bi-a muszen igi pirig-ga2 umbin hu-ri2#-in#{muszen}-na en: At that time the bird, with the face of a pirig creature and the claws of a hurin bird 14. gud3-bi-sze3 a2 x i3#?-ke3#-e dal-bi sag im#?-gi4# en: It was beating(!?) its wings towards its nest, (but) its flight (path) was blocked(?) 15. ka-bi nu#-x-gig-gin7 an-sza3-ga gu3 mu-un-dub2-dub2-be2 en: (With) its mouth(?) it was screaming in the midst of heaven like the nugig midwife (of heaven, i.e., Inanna) 16. u4#-bi#-a muszen gud3#-bi-sze3! igi tab#?-ba a2-ur2 ba-bur2-bur2 en: At that time the bird, which was looking (carefully), (its) limbs were spread out(?) 17. {tu15}mar-rux(TE) an-sza3-ga-sze3! x-de3 an-na#? mu-un!?-ni10-ni10 en: (Like) a stormwind that is to shake(?) to the midst of heaven, it roamed(?) in heaven 18. muszen#-e# ku6 engur#-ra mi-ni-in-ni10#!?-ni10# sug mi-ni-in-kikken2 en: The bird was searching the fish in the deep water, it sought it in the marshes 19. muszen#-e# ku6#-ra# engur-ra# igi im#-ma#-an#-duh# gesztux(|GISZ.TUG2|)# ba-szi-in-gub en: The bird saw the fish in the deep water and planned against it 20. i-ni#-in-dab5 a-e ba-da-kar umbin mu-ni-in-la2 en: It seized it, (it tried to) flee in the water (but) (the bird) held it with its claws 21. agargarax(NUN) tur#-tur#-bi tesz2-bi bi2-in-gar zar#!-re-esz mu#-un#-du8-du8 en: It heaped up its little spawn(?) together, it heaped them in the manner of sheaves 22. muszen-e szu gar-bi im-mi-in-gi4 sza3-bi nu#-[...] en: The bird took out revenge, (but) its heart was not cooling 23. 2(disz@t)-kam-ma-sze3 muszen-e# ku6-e mu-na-ni-gi4#?-[...] en: For a 2nd time the bird was replying to the fish 24. galam?-ma? hu-ru# u2-hub2 galga suh3 ku6 nam-ta-e3#? en: "Clever” one(?), inferior one, deaf one, with muddled plans, fish, (you) should not come out(?) 25. x ni10-ni10 ka-ka-bi nu-gu7 sza3-gal u4 szu2-szu2 en: Roaming the harbor(!?), its mouth(?) not eating, “a storm blowing away(?)” fodder 26. szah2# is-hab2 szed6 ni2-bi gu7-gu7 sag szu bi2-in-du11-ga en: Pig, rogue, eating its own excrement, ... 27. {lu2}en-nu-ug3-ga2!? e2 kesz2-da ti-la ni2-bi-ta sur-ra en: Guard who dwells in a bound-up house, slithering by itself 28. ku6# ga2-ra izi-gin7 mu-un-bar7 ki SZAKIR3 mu-un#-[...] en: The fish burned ... for me like fire, it sought the place silently(!?) 29. nam-nu-zu-ta sag ba-an-gid2 szu usz2-a i-ni-in#?-x en: Out of ignorance it got angry, it spattered(?) (its) hands in blood(?) 30. sza3 gur4-ra ni2-bi ak-a-ba ni2-bi mu-un-gul-gul en: In making itself feel wonderful it has destroyed itself left column 1 1. ge26-e <<re>> an-na dal-dal-e-me-en ki#?-a DU-DU-me#-en# en: I am the one who flies in heaven, I am the one who goes about on earth 2. DU-DU-gu10-sze3! mu sze21-a-ba a#-la# mu-un-szi-gal2-le-me-en en: (Wherever) I am going, whatever is its name, I am the happiness that is present on behalf of ...(?) column 2 1. itix(UD)-za3-gar u4 x-[...] en: Month of baragzaggar, day ... column 3 1. 1(disz) szu-szi# 2(disz)#? en: (Total) 62 lines