Letter from Šulgi to Aradĝu about Apillaša
- 1
{m}arad2-ĝu10-ra u3-na-a-dug4
Say to Aradĝu: this is what Šulgi, your lord, says:
- 2
[{m}]{d}šul-gi lugal-zu na-ab-be2-a
- 3
lu2 in-ši-gi4-in-na-zu lu2 šul-a-zu in-nu-u3
The man to whom I have sent you is not your subordinate -- he will not accept change orders from your hand! How can you ignore what he himself has done too, and that it is indeed so?
- 4
šu-zu-ta-am3 a2 aĝ2-ĝa2 šu la-ba-ra-ab-teĝ3-ĝe26-e ⌈la⌉-ba-ra-ab-bal
- 5
a-na-aš-am3 niĝ2 a-na an-ga-am3 bi2-in-ak-a-ni ur5 i3-me-a nu-e-zu
- 6
ĝe26-e niĝ2 ĝe26-e-gin7-nam ma-da gen6-ne2-de3
As I myself ordered, you were to secure the provinces, and to correctly guide the people and make them obedient secure the foundations of the provinces . When you approach the cities of the provinces, inform yourself precisely of their intentions, and inform yourself of the words of their dignitaries. Let my roar be emitted over all the lands fill all the lands cover all the lands . Let my powerful arm, my heroic arm, fall upon all the lands. Let my storm cover be released over the Land. Make the …… disappear into the desert, and the robbers into the fields! Until you reach Apillaša, my 'Sage of the Assembly', ……! Let …….
- 7
uĝ3 si sa2-sa2-e-de3 gu3 teš2-a sig10-ge5-de3 suḫuš ma-da ge-en-gen6-ne2-de3
- 8
iri{ki} ma-da ud teĝ3-ĝe26-de3-en-na-zu umuš-bi zu-zu-a
- 9
lu2 gal-gal-be2-ne inim-bi zu-a
- 10
za-pa-aĝ2-ĝu10 kur-kur-ra ḫe2-ri kur-kur ḫe2-eb-si kur-kur-ra ḫe2-en-dul
- 11
a2 kalag-ga ! nam-ur-saĝ-ĝa2-ĝu10 kur-kur-ra ḫe2-en-šub-šub
- 12
u18-lu-ĝu10 kalam-ma ḫe2-eb-dul ḫe2-en-ri
- 13
PA-PA edin-na lib4-lib4 a-šag4-ga u2-gu de2-ni-ib
- 14
en-na a-pi-il-la-ša gal-zu unken-na-ĝu10 sa2 an-ne-en
- 15
igi-zu e3-ni-ib igi-zu ḫe2-en-ši-kur9 ḫe2-en-ši-UD
- 16
a2-še3 mu-e-da-a-aĝ2
That was how I had instructed you. Why have you not acted as I ordered you?
- 17
a-na-aš-am3 ĝa2-a-gin7-nam nu-un-ak
- 18
tukum-bi gal-zu unken-na-ĝu10 ĝa2-a-gin7-nam nu-ub-gur4-re
If I do not make my 'Sage of the Assembly' feel just as important as I am, if he does not sit on a throne on a dais, furnished with a high-quality cloth cover (?), if his feet do not rest on a golden footstool, if he is not allowed by his own highest authority both to appoint and then to remove a governor from his function as governor, an official from his charge from his function as official from an official , if he does not kill or blind anyone, if he does not elevate his favourite over others -- how else can he secure the provinces?
- 19
{ĝiš}gu-za barag {tug2}šutur-e ri-a nu-ub-tuš
- 20
{ĝiš}ĝiri3-gub kug-sig17-ka ĝiri3-ni nu-ub-ĝar
- 21
ensi2 nam-ensi2-ta
- 22
lu2-ĝarza2 ĝarza2-ta nam-ĝarza2-ta lu2-ĝarza2-ta
- 23
ni2-te-ni2-te-a li-bi2-in-ĝar u3 nu-ub-ta-gub-bu
- 24
lu2 nu-un-gaz igi nu-un-ḫul
- 25
lu2 igi bar-ra-ka-ni lu2-al li-bi2-dirig
- 26
a-na-gin7-nam ma-da ib2-gen6-ne2
- 27
tukum-bi ki um-mu-e-a-aĝ2
If you truly love me, you will not bear him a grudge!
- 28
šag4-zu šag4 zu2 keše2 ba-ra-na-ĝa2-ĝa2
- 29
i3-gur4-re-en aga-us2-zu nu-e-zu aga-us2 saĝ ?-ni i3-zu
You are important, but you do not even know your own soldiers and you even know the soldiers that are at Apillaša's disposal . Your eyes have learnt something about these men Apillaša's men , and about Apillaša's heroism my heroism .
- 30
nam-lu2-u18-lu-bi nam-lu2-u18-lu-ni u3 nam-ur-saĝ-ni nam-ur-saĝ-ĝa2-ĝu10 igi-zu bi2-in-zu
- 31
tukum-bi ama-a-tud-ĝu10 za-e-me-en me-en-ze2-en
If you, Aradĝu, are indeed my servant you, Aradĝu and Apillaša, are indeed my servants , you should both pay attention (?) to my written communications. Come to an understanding, you two! Secure the foundations of the provinces! It is urgent!
- 32
igi 2(MIN)-na-zu-ne-ne im sar-ra gu3 ḫe2-em-ta-de2-de2-e
- 33
gu3 teš2-a sig10-ge5-NE-en-ze2-en
- 34
suḫuš ma-da gen6-ne2-eb-ze2-en
- 35
a-ma-ru-kam
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Copyright holders: Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham, Jarle Ebeling, Esther Flückiger-Hawker, Eleanor Robson, Jon Taylor and Gábor Zólyomi. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Source.