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 be-li2-ia qi2-bi2-ma ts: ana bēliya qibima en: To my lord speak! 2. um-ma i-ba-al-dingir ts: umma ibal-el en: Thus Ibal-El 3. _ARAD2_-ka-a-ma ts: waradkama en: your servant: 4. t,up-pi2 i-ba-al-{d}iszkur isz-tu asz2-la-ak-ka{ki} ts: ṭuppi ibal-addu ištu ašlakka en: The tablet of Ibal-Addu from Ašlakka 5. ik-szu-da-am-ma a-na asz2-la-ak-ka{ki} ts: ikšudamma ana ašlakka en: arrived here; to Ašlakka 6. al-li-ik-ma a-na ha-a-ri-im qa-t,a2-li-im ts: allikma ana ḫârim qaṭālim en: I went, but to slaughter a donkey foal 7. bi-ri-it ha-na-_mesz_ u3 i-da-ma-ra-as, ts: birīt ḫanê u idamaraṣ en: between the Haneans and Idamaraṣ 8. me-ra-na-am u3 'a4-az-za-am isz-szu-ni-im-ma ts: mērānam u ‘azzam iššȗnimma en: a puppy and a goat they brought! 9. be-li2 ap-la-ah-ma-a me-ra-na-am ts: bēlī aplaḫma mērānam en: My lord I revered, and a puppy 10. u3 'a4-az-za-am u2-ul ad-di-in ts: u ‘azzam ul addin en: and a goat I did not give; 11. [ha]-a-ra-am _dumu_ a-ta-ni-im ts: hâram mār atānim en: a donkey foal, the young of a donkey mare, 12. [a]-na-ku u2-sza-aq-t,i3-il ts: anāku ušaqṭil en: I had slaughtered; 13. sa-li-ma-am bi-ri-it ha-na-_mesz_ ts: salīmam birīt ḫanê en: peace between the Haneans 14. u3 i-da-ma-ra-as, asz-ku-un# ts: u idamaraṣ aškun en: and Idamaraṣ I established; reverse 1. [i]-na# hu#-ur-ra-a{ki} ts: ina ḫurraya en: in Hurraya, 2. i-na i-da-ma-ra-as, ka-li-szu ts: ina idamaraṣ kališu en: in all of Idamaraṣ, 3. ha-na-_mesz_ i-sza-ab-bi-i-ma sza-bi-'u5-um ts: ḫanû išabbima šābi’um en: the Ḫanu people will be satisfied, a sated person 4. ge-re-em u2-ul i-szu-u2 ts: gērêm ul išū en: no enemy has; 5. be-li2 li-ih-du t,up-pi2 an-ne2-e-em ts: bēlī liḫdu ṭuppi annêm en: may my lord rejoice! This my tablet 6. i-na ra-ta-as,-pa-tim{ki} ts: ina rataṣpatum en: in Rataṣpātum 7. a-na s,e-er be-li2-ia u2-sza-bi-la#-am ts: ana ṣer bēliya ušābilam en: to my lord I sent; 8. wa-ar-ki t,up-pi2-ia an-ne2-e-im# ts: warki ṭuppiya annē’im en: after this my tablet, 9. a-di _u4 3(disz)-kam_ a-na s,e-er be-li2-ia# ts: adi ūmim šalāšat ana ṣer bēliya en: on the 3rd day, to my lord 10. a-ka-asz-sza-da-am# ts: akaššadam en: I will arrive. 11. na-wu-um u3 _dumu_ si-im-'a4-al sza-lim ts: nawûm u mār sim’al šalim en: The steppe and the mār-Sim’al are well.