CDLI Literary 000540, ex. 005 (P346266)

Literary letter and letter-prayer tablet excavated in Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar), dated to the Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) period and now kept in British Museum, London, UK

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Transliteration

tablet
obverse
1. [{disz}]ARAD-gu10-ra u3-na-a-du11
 en: When you speak to Aradgu,
2. [{d}]szul#-gi lugal-zu na-ab-be2-a
 en: thus says Shulgi, your king:
3. [...]-in#-szi-gi4-na-zu lu2-dun-a-zu#? in-nu
 en: Your man who I sent to ..., isn't he your trusted subordinate(?)
4. [...]-zu#-ta a2 ag2-ga2 szu# la-ba-ra-te-ge26-e
 en: Doesn't he take orders from your own hand?
5. [a]-na#-asz-am3 nig2 bi2-in-ak-a-ni ur5# i3-mex(LA2)-a nu-zu
 en: Why do have (you) not been aware of that which he has done, such as it is(?)
6. [...] ga2-gin7-nam ma-da gin6-ne2-de3
 en: I myself and that which is like me (my representatives/my instruction?) are to solidify the land
7. [...] x-de3 suhusz ma-da gi-en-gin6-ne2-de3
 en: To ..., to strengthen the foundations of the land
8. [...]-e-te-ge26-de3-na-zu umusz-bi zu-zu-am3
 en: Your (dissemination of the news that?) “I approach the cities of the land,” to ascertain its thoughts (i.e., reaction)
9. [...]-ne# inim-bi he2-en-zu
 en: One should learn the speech of the dignitaries
10. [...] kur-kur-ra he2-en-dul
 en: My scream should cover the lands
11. [...] nam-ur-sag-ga2 [...]-ra# he2-en-szub-szub-bu
 en: My might, the arms of my heroism should be cast continually into the land
12. [...]-ma# he2-en-ri
 en: My “southern storm” should be imposed in the homeland
13. [...]-lib4# a-sza3-ga u2-gu de2-ni-ib
 en: Forget about the empty breezes of the plain and the robbers(?) of the field
14. [...] sa2-ne-en
 en: Until you reach(!?) Apliaša, my prefect
15. [...]-ab igi-zu he2-in-szi-ku4
 en: Bring out your face/eye, so that you bring your face/eye towards him(?)
16. [...]-e#?-da-[...]-ag2#
 en: I have ordered you
17. [...]-x
  rest broken
reverse
  beginning broken
1'. [...]-ensi2#-[...] garza2# nam-garza2#-[...]
 en: Governor(s) from the office of governor, office holder(s) from the practice of holding office
2'. [...]-am3# li-bi2-ib#-[...]-ta-gub-bu
 en: If he himself had not installed and removed them
3'. [...] nu-un-hul
 en: If he had not killed or blinded(?) anyone
4'. [...]-ni#? lu2-lux(URU) al-diri-ge
 en: If a man is (not deemed) surpassing by that of his own observation
5'. [...]-da ib2-gin6-ne
 en: How could he establish the land?
6'. [...]-mu-ag2
 en: If I(?) love him(?)
7'. [...] zu2#? kesz2 ba-ra-na-ga2-ga2
 en: Your heart should not become a heart bound up (by wrath?) for him
8'. [...]-x aga-us2-zu nu-zu
 en: You are “thick,” (you) do have not understood your own soldiers
9'. [...]-lu#-ni u3 nam-ur-sag-ka-ni [...]-zu#-u3 bi2-duh
 en: You eyes have seen his manpower(?) and that of his heroism(?)
10'. tukumbi# ama-a-tu-gu10 za-e-me-en
 en: If you are my house-born slave
11'. [...]-ne-ne im sar-ra gu3# he2-em-ta-de2-de2-e
 en: Your two eyes(?) shall read this inscribed tablet aloud
12'. [...] si-ge5 suhusz ma-da gi-en-gin6-ne
 en: Come into agreement, establish the foundation of the land!
  blank space
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