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Letter from Puzur-Šulgi to Šulgi about the advance of the enemy

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 3 - Literary letters and letter-prayers · 36 sections

1. 1

   lugal-ĝu10-ra u3-na-a-dug4

   Say to my lord: this is what Puzur-Šulgi Puzur-Marduk Puzur-Numušda , the commander of the fortress Igi-ḫursaĝa, your servant, says:

2. 2

   puzur4-{d}šul-gi puzur4-{d}marduk puzur4-{d}nu-⌈muš⌉-[da] šagina bad3 igi-ḫur-saĝ-ĝa2

3. 3

   arad-zu na-ab-be2-a

4. 4

   lugal-ĝu10 kug-sig17 kug-babbar kug-sig17 {na4}za-gin3 kug-babbar kug-⌈sig17⌉ diĝir-re-e-ne diĝir gal-gal in-ne-dim2-dim2-ma

   All the gold and silver gold and lapis lazuli silver and gold that my lord has been fashioning for the great gods -- is it not for his own life? For the life the well-being of the troops and his land, my king has built the great fortress Igi-ḫursaĝa for the people of his land, because of the wicked enemy.

5. 5

   zi-ni-še3-am3 in-nu-u3

6. 6

   lugal-ĝu10 zi silim-ma ugnim u3 kalam-ma-ni-še3

7. 7

   bad3 gal igi-ḫur-saĝ-ĝa2 mu lu2-kur2 ḫul-ĝal2-še3

8. 8

   uĝ3 kalam-ma-ni-še3 mu-un-du3

9. 9

   i3-ne-eš ugnim lu2-kur2-ra im-ma-an-zig3

   And now the enemy troops have risen up. One …… man who had fled from me has been brought back. Having been caught, he has given me evidence of this, and went ahead …… go!, and I (?) went .

10. 10

    1-am3 [X]-⌈ni⌉-am3 lu2 igi-ĝa2 saḫ6-bi i-im-tum2-ma dab5-dab5-be2

11. 11

    inim ma-an-dug4-ma igi-! ib-DU […]-ĝen-na-ab ba-ĝen

12. 12

    ĝiškim lu2-kur2-ra ĝe26-e i3-zu

    I am also well-informed about the oracular signs concerning the enemy: the enemy has replenished his strength for battle. However, my strength is limited. I cannot strengthen the fortress further or guard it guard the cities (?) against him.

13. 13

    lu2-kur2 !-še3 usu-ni im-ma-til usu-ĝu10 i3-tur

14. 14

    bad3 nu-mu-un-da-kal-la-ge en-nu nu-mu-da-ak-e ⌈?⌉ en-<nu> nu-un-da-ĝa2-ĝa2

15. 15

    nam {m}šu-{d}nu-muš-da {m}šu-{d}marduk puzur4-{d}nu-muš-da ensi2 ĜIR2-lum-tur-ra{ki}

    As for the sector (?) of Šu-Numušda Šu-Marduk Puzur-Numušda , the ruler of Ĝirilumtura: five nindan lengths of it are cut off. As for the sector (?) of Lugal-melem, the manager of the Šegšeg watercourse city of : 40 25 30 45 (?) nindan lengths of …… on top of it are no longer fixed. As for the sector (?) of Ka-kugani, the ruler of the territory of Murub: 45 nindan lengths were destroyed when the opposite side was captured. As for the sector (?) of Tākil-ilišu, the canal inspector ruler of the Ab-gal and Me-Enlila watercourses: 50 nindan lengths of the edge have been removed, and in the middle of it they collapsed.

16. 16

    5 nindan ḫe2-ni-dar-dar

17. 17

    nam {m}lugal-me-lem4 šabra {id2}šeg5-? NI.ŠIM.X{ki}

18. 18

    40 25 30 ⌈45⌉ nindan GAM ugu-ba nu-ub-ĝar

19. 19

    nam {m}KA-kug-ga-ni ensi2 ma-da MURUB4{ki}

20. 20

    45 nindan gaba dab5-ba-bi ba-gul-gul

21. 21

    nam {m}ta-ki-il-i3-li2-šu !-gal ensi2 {id2}ab2-gal u3 {id2}me-{d}en-lil2-la2

22. 22

    50 nindan saĝ ba-sud4 murub4-ba im-da-an-ri

23. 23

    ud lu2-kur2 im-durunx(KU.KU)-na-a ugu-bi-še3 nu-ub-ĝar nu-ub-dug4 u3-nu-ub-zu

    Moreover it is not established stated known when the enemy will pitch camp. Once the enemy is camped I will replenish my powers The enemy will replenish his strength for battle . I will fortify …… and ……. His troops are camped among the hills.

24. 24

    lu2-kur2 i3-durun-na-a usu-ĝu10 im-til lu2-kur2 me3-še3 a2-a-ni im-til

25. 24A

    […]-⌈kal⌉-la-ge […]-da-ak-e

26. 25

    ugnim-bi šag4 ḫur-saĝ-ĝa2-ka i3-tuš

    If my lord agrees, may he send to me speedily ……, let there be available 7,200 soldiers as workmen who will carry baskets for me. May he send to me speedily May there come, at my disposal, 70 Šimaškian attendants …… …… …… .

27. 26

    tukum-bi lugal-ĝa2 an-na-kam

28. 27

    7200 erin2 lu2 kiĝ2 ak-ne {ĝiš}dusu-a ma-ab-il2-e ul4-la-bi ḫu-mu-ši-[in]-gi4-gi4 KIĜ2-KIĜ2-bi X […] ⌈ḫe2⌉-em-sug2-ge-eš

29. 28

    70 aga-us2 šimaški RI ib2-⌈?⌉-a LU2.! ! nu-um-KU-a ⌈LU2⌉.[…] X ?-til ⌈ib2⌉-[…]

30. 29

    [ul4]-la-bi ḫu-mu-ši-in-gi4-gi4 ugu-ĝu10-še3 ḫe2-em-sub2-be2-eš

31. 30

    dim2-ma-bi in-dab5 ki-tuš-bi ga-ba-ni-kur2 dim2-ma-ni in-dab5 ki-tuš-bi in-kur2 dim2-ma-ĝu10 ib2-! ki-!-bi ga-ba-ni-kur2

    The enemy has devised their plans concerning this: I will resettle them The enemy has devised his plans and has resettled the people Plans concerning me have been devised: I will resettle them . May it be known that, by night or by day the enemy's sins are forever grave.

32. 31

    ḫe2-zu ĝi6-ta ud ul-le2-a-aš nam-tag-ni dugud

33. 32

    arad {d}šul-gi lugal-ĝa2 gen6-na-me-en

    I am the loyal servant of my lord Šulgi. …… which is not negligent. Let this not be the death of me! May my lord know! It is urgent!

34. 32A

    […]-a KA-ĝu10 niĝ2 gu2 šub-bu-bi in-nu-u3

35. 33

    nam-ba-da-ug5-en

36. 34

    lugal-ĝu10 ḫe2-en-zu 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.