Letter tablet excavated in Mari (mod. Tell Hariri), dated to the Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) period and now kept in National Museum of Syria, Damascus, Syria
tablet obverse 1. a-na ia-as2-ma-ah-{d}iszkur# ts: ana yasmaḫ-addu en: To Yasmaḫ-Addu, 2. [qi2]-bi2-ma ts: qibima en: speak; 3. [um-ma] {d}utu-szi-{d}iszkur a-bu-ka-a-ma ts: umma šamšī-addu abukama en: thus, Šamši-Addu, your father: 4. [asz-szum ia-szu]-ub#-dingir [i-na] tu#-[ut]-tu#-ul#{ki} i-mu-tu ts: aššum yašub-el ina tuttul imūtu en: As to Yašub-El who in Tuttul died, 5. [a-na] pu-ha-ti#-[szu ab-du-ma]-{d}da-gan ts: ana puḫātišu abduma-dagan en: as his replacement, Abduma-Dagan 6. [i]-na# tu-ut-tu-ul{ki} [a-na sza-ka-ni-im] ts: ina tuttul ana šakānim en: in Tuttul to place 7. ta-asz-pu-ra-[am] ts: tašpuram en: you wrote to me. 8. t,a3-ra-as-su2 ki-i t,up-pa-ka pa-nam u2-ul# szu-ur-szu ts: ṭarassu kī ṭuppaka pānam ul šuršu en: His dispatch, what is it? Your tablet is unclear; 9. asz-ra-nu-um-ma-a a-na ga-am-ri-im-ma ts: ašrānumma ana gamrimma en: there finally 10. ta-asz2-ta-ka-an-szu# ts: taštakanšu en: did you install him? 11. u2 _ugula_ sza-ne2-em-ma ta-sza-ak-ka-an ts: u waklam šanêmma tašakkan en: or another overseer will you install? 12. u3 ab-du-ma-{d}da-gan-ma asz-ra-nu-um a-na sza-ka-nim ts: u abduma-daganma ašrānum ana šakānim en: And Abduma-Dagan there to install 13. i-re-ed-du ta-ki-il ts: ireddȗ takil en: will they lead? He is trustworthy 14. u3 i#-na# a-hi _e2_ szi-ri is,-li-il u3 a-na-at,-t,a3-al-szu-ma ts: u ina aḫi bīt šīrī iṣlil u anaṭṭalšuma en: and ..., and I have been watching him: 15. [mi-im-ma] qu3-ul-lu-ul-tam u3 hi-t,i3-tam u2-ul ir-szi ts: mimma qullultam u ḫiṭītam ul irši en: no sin or shortfall has he, 16. [na-hi-id] u3 ta-ki-il ts: naḫid u takil en: he is attentive and trustworthy; 17. [i-na-an]-na# a-na# tu-ut-tu-ul{ki} szu-ku-un ts: inanna ana tuttul šukun en: so now in Tuttul install! 18. [u3] ki-a-am du-bu-ub-szu ts: u kiam dububšu en: And say to him 19. um-ma-mi am-mi-nim i-na qi2-in-ni ts: ummami ammīnim ina qinnī en: thusly: “Why in the nests 20. sza la in-ne-ep-pi2-szu u3 _a-sza3_ ka-bi-tim ts: ša lā inneppišu u eqlim kabittim en: of not being made, and in a heavy (rocky) field 21. i-na zi-ib-na-tim{ki} wa-asz-ba-at ts: ina zibnātim wašbat en: in Zibnātum do you live? 22. i-na tu-ut-tu-ul-ma{ki} ts: ina tuttulma en: In Tuttul 23. a-szar qi2-in-nam ta-qa-an-na-nu ts: ašar qinnam taqannanu en: where a nest you will nest-build 24. u3 _e2_ te-ep-pe2-szu szi-ib ts: u bītam teppešu šib en: and a household you will make, dwell! 25. _a-sza3_ me-re-mēreštum-tum ma-a-ad ts: eqlum mereštum mād en: Arable land is plentiful; reverse 1. ma-tum szi-i ki-ma ma-a-at szu-ba-ar#-tim# ts: mātum šī kima māt šubartim en: that land like the land of Šubartu 2. i-ba-asz-szi _a-sza3_ me-re-esz3-tum ma-ad ts: ibašši eqlum mēreštum mād en: is, arable land is plentiful; 3. asz-ra-nu-um szi-ib-ma _e2 lu2-mesz_ e-pu-usz2 ts: ašrānum šibma bīt awīlī epuš en: there dwell! Make a household of men, 4. u3 qi2-in-nam qu2-nu-un ts: u qinnam qunun en: and a nest nest-build! 5. a-lam{ki} u3 ma-a-tam a-na-be-li2-szu szu-ul-lim ts: alam u mātam ana bēlišu sullim en: city and land for its lord make safe!” 6. an-ne2-e-tim du-bu-ub-szum ts: annȇtim dudubšum en: These things say to him! 7. ni-ih-szu-ma i-na tu-ut-tu-ul{ki} ts: niḫšuma ina tuttul en: set him at ease, in Tuttul 8. szu-ku-un-szu ts: šukunšu en: install him! 9. i-na i-di-szu a-bu _e2_ ta#-ak#-lam ts: ina idišu abu bītim taklam en: at his side a reliable majordomo, 10. sza si2-ik-ka-tim ta-ak-lam ts: ša sikkātim taklam en: a reliable surveyor 11. szu-ku-un u3 i-na zi-ib-na-tim{ki} ts: šukun u ina zibnātim en: install! And in Zibnātum 12. a-na pu-ha-at ab-du-ma-{d}da-gan ts: ana pūḫāt abduma-dagan en: as replacement for Abduma-Dagan, 13. i-na _dumu-mesz_ ma-a-tim-ma sza-a-ti ts: ina mārī mātimma šâti en: from the sons of that land 14. u2-lu-ma# _lu2_ i-na _dumu e2-gal_ sza i-na re-szi-ka ts: ūlūma awīlam ina mār ekallim ša ina rēšika en: either a man from the sons of the palace who at your head 15. iz#-[za]-zu u2-lu#-ma 1(disz) _lu2_ u2-usz2-me-e-em ta-ak-lam ts: izâzu ūlūma išten awilim ušmêm taklam en: server, or 1 reliable ušmûm 16. a-na# zi#-ib-na-tim{ki} a-na pu-ha-ti-szu ts: ana zibnātim ana pūḫātišu en: in Zibnātum as his replacement 17. szu-ku-un ts: šukun en: install. 18. [sza-ni]-tam asz-szum a-la-ak la-i-im ts: šanitam aššum alāk la’im en: Another thing: about the coming of La’um 19. [isz-tu] u4-mi-im _u4 2(u)-kam_ ts: ištu ūmim ešrā ūmim en: from today, the 20th day, 20. [ik-ka-li] am#-mi-nim a-di i-na-an-na ts: ikkali ammīnim adi inanna en: he has been held back. Why until now 21. [ta-ak-la-szu i-na]-an-na ar-hi-isz ts: taklašu inanna arḫiš en: have you held him back? Now quickly 22. [_lu2_ szu-a-tu t,u2-ur]-dam# ts: awīlam šuatu ṭurdam en: that man dispatch here.