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Letter from Išbi-Erra to Ibbi-Suen about the purchase of grain

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 3 - Literary letters and letter-prayers · 58 sections

1. 1

   {d}i-bi2-{d}suen lugal-ĝu10-ra u3-na-a-dug4

   Say to Ibbi-Suen, my lord: this is what Išbi-Erra, your servant, says:

2. 2

   {m}iš-bi-er3-ra arad-zu na-ab-be2-a

3. 3

   kaskal i3-si-in{ki} ka-zal-lu{ki}-še3

   You ordered me to travel to Isin and Kazallu to purchase grain. With grain reaching the exchange rate of one shekel of silver per gur, 20 talents of silver have been invested for the purchase …… of grain.

4. 4

   še sa10-sa10-de3 a2-še3 mu-e-da-a-aĝ2 im-⌈?-?-en⌉

5. 5

   ganba 1 še gur-ta-am3 še sa2 di

6. 6

   20 gun2 kug-babbar še sa10-sa10-de3 SAM2-re-de3 ba-an-ĝar

7. 7

   inim mar-tu lu2-kur2-ra šag4 ma-da-zu kur9-ra ĝiš bi2-tuku

   I heard news that the hostile Martu have entered inside your territories. I entered with 72,000 gur of grain 72,000 gur of grain was brought -- the entire amount of grain -- inside Isin. Now I have let the Martu, all of them, penetrate inside the Land, and one by one I have seized all the fortifications therein. Because of the Martu, I am unable to hand over I am unable to make …… this grain for threshing. They are stronger than me, while I am condemned to sitting around.

8. 8

   72000(ŠAR2×MAN) še gur še du3-[a]-⌈? šag4 i3-si-in{ki}⌉-na-ke4 ba-an-kur9-re-en ba-an-⌈ku4-ur⌉

9. 9

   a-da-al-la-bi mar-tu du3-du3-a-bi šag4 kalam-ma-še3 ba-an-kur9-re-en

10. 10

    ? gal-gal dili-dili-bi im-mi-in-dab5-dab5

11. 11

    mu mar-tu še-ba sag3-ge nu-mu-e-da-šum2-mu […]-mu-un-da-ak-e

12. 12

    ugu-ĝu10 mu-ta-ni-kalag i3-tuš-?-de3-en

13. 13

    lugal-ĝu10 600 {ĝiš}ma2-gur8 ma2 120 gur-ta-am3 ḫe2-em-du8-e

    Let my lord repair 600 barges boats of 120 gur draught each; 72 solid boats, 20 ……, 30 ……, placing (?) 50 …… and 60 (?) boat doors on the boats (?), may he also …… all the boats.

14. 14

    {ĝiš}ma2 72 kalag-ga 20 {ĝiš}ZA ⌈PI X⌉ 30 X X GAN

15. 15

    50 {ĝiš}X ? {ĝiš}ig ⌈ma2 ugu ? ĝa2-ĝa2⌉

16. 16

    u3 {ĝiš}ma2 du3-a-bi ḫe2-X

17. 17

    ?-da ?kur-ra {id2}pa-li-iš-tum-ta

    Let them bring it up May he make them go out by water, along the Kura and the Palištum watercourses, to the grain heaps (?) that are spread out. And I myself intend to go (?) come out and meet them (?). The place there where the boats moor will be under my responsibility. Let them load up huge amounts of grain (?), the entire amount of grain; it should reach (?) you.

18. 18

    du6 sal-la-⌈še3⌉ ḫe2-em-ta-?-de3-! […]-⌈?-ib-ed2-de3⌉

19. 19

    u3 ĝe26-e igi-ni-še3 ga-am3-ma-ši-? ga-am3-⌈?-e3⌉

20. 20

    ? {ĝiš}ma2 kar-bi ugu-ĝa2 e-tuku

21. 21

    ḪI-ḪI še du3-a-bi ḫe2-ĝa2-ĝa2 ḫe2-e-⌈?⌉

22. 22

    tukum-bi še ba-an-tur-re-en

    If you have not got enough grain, I myself shall have grain brought in to you.

23. 23

    ĝe26-e še ga-mu-ra-kur9

24. 24

    lugal-ĝu10 elam-ma{ki} šen-šen-na zi ba-an-ir

    My lord has become distressed about the battles in Elam. But the Elamites' grain rations have quickly been exhausted, so do not slacken your forces! Do not fall head first into their slavery, nor follow at their heels!

25. 25

    še-ba-ni ul4-la-bi al-til-la

26. 26

    lirum-lirum na-an-?-en

27. 27

    nam-arad-da-ni-še3 saĝ-zu na-an-šum2-mu-un

28. 28

    u3 eĝer-ra-ni-še3 na-an-du-un

29. 29

    še mu 15-ta-am3 šag4-gal e2-gal-zu

    I have at my disposal enough grain to meet the needs of your palace and of all the cities all your cities for 15 years.

30. 30

    u3 iri du3-a-bi du3-a-zu šu-ĝu10-ta i3-ĝal2

31. 31

    iri i3-si-in{ki} nibru{ki}-a en-nu-uĝ3 ḫa-ra-ab-ak-e en-nu-uĝ3 ak-de3

    That I should guard for you To guard the city of Isin, and Nibru: let it be my responsibility. my lord, is this my responsibility? My lord should know !

32. 32

    ugu-ĝa2 ḫe2-tuku lugal-ĝu10 ugu-ĝa2 e-tuku

33. 33

    lugal-ĝu10

34. 34

    lugal-ĝu10 ni2 nu-te ni2 nu-gid2-i šag4-ba ĝe26-e nu-⌈te⌉-BU

    My lord, I am without fear! I will not delay (?); I will not …… in their midst. Each one of Isin's and Nibru's gods may search there for faces (?); I have indeed looked for them. Their widespread people, their population ……, huge ……, are indeed healthy; the true seed is indeed great there precious .

35. 35

    diĝir dili-dili-bi ? ḫe2-ni-ib2-kiĝ2-kiĝ2-e ki-bi ḫe2-kiĝ2-⌈kiĝ2⌉

36. 36

    uĝ3 daĝal-bi nam-lu2-ulu3-⌈!⌉ […] X BI maḫ

37. 37

    ḫe2-silim-me-⌈eš⌉ numun zid-da ḫe2-⌈en-gal-le⌉-eš […]-⌈kal⌉-le-eš

38. 38

    urim2{ki} ⌈iri⌉ kug-zu an ki-⌈da mu2⌉-a

    Urim, your holy city, rivalling heaven and earth, whose great prince you are ……, of which the appearance is precious, which dispenses the divine powers and makes the foundations (?) and the plans firm both in the south and in the uplands, will surely escape from the grasp and will cry …….

39. 39

    nun gal-me-e GAG [(X)] X saĝ-ki-bi kal-la

40. 40

    me šum2-mu ? ĝiš-⌈ḫur ge⌉-en-gen6-ne2 sig igi-nim-ma

41. 41

    šu-ta ḫe2-kar-re ⌈?⌉ [(X)] X-bi ḫe2-eb2-be2

42. 42

    e2-kiš-nu-ĝal2 eš3 an ki šu2-šu2 X X X nu-tuku

    Elam, a raging dog, a destroyer, will not defile E-kiš-nu-ĝal, the sanctuary which covers heaven and earth, which has no ……. Its protective spirits shall not be split apart! My lord: the loudest roarer (?), the runner, has taken flight (?)!

43. 43

    elam{ki} ur-idim lu2 niĝ2 ḫa-lam-ma-ke4

44. 44

    šu !-el nu-ma-ak-e {d}lamma-bi nu-si-⌈il⌉

45. 45

    lugal-ĝu10 KA sig10-sig10 gal-gal dub3-tuku mu-⌈un-?⌉

46. 46

    {m}i-bi-{d}suen-ka šag4-ta-am3 ki ⌈aĝ2⌉-me-eš

    May An, Enlil and Enki, who have loved Ibbi-Suen from the womb, look upon him approvingly. …… is indeed placed there; they have changed (?) their appearance. With the …… and (?) the city-gates of Urim opening, they cry Aee! If …… says, Who is my lord? -- You are the king to whom Enlil has given …… no rival!

47. 47

    an {d}en-lil2 {d}!-ki igi zid ḫu-mu-un-ši-bar-re-e-ne

48. 48

    [X X] X (X) RU E X X X ḫe2-en-ĝar igi-bi ḫe2-eb2-[gi4]-gi4

49. 49

    [(X)] X ! urim2{ki}-ma ĝal2 !-!-da a-a

50. 50

    X ḫe2-!-ib-be2 a-ba-am3 lugal-ĝu10-e-še

51. 51

    ⌈lugal⌉ {d}en-⌈lil2⌉ [(X)] X gaba-ri nu-tuku-me-⌈en⌉

52. 52

    [X] X X X […] šag4-zu na-an-gig-⌈ga⌉

    Your heart should not fret over this, ……! For …… has avenged (?) ……; he has made its foundations firm for you. Let your heart be glad over …… and (?) its seed. As long as my lord is alive, he will exercise kingship over Urim.

53. 53

    [X] šu mu-⌈un⌉-gi suḫuš-bi mu-ri-in-ge-en

54. 54

    [X] X numun-bi-a šag4-zu ḫe2-en-dug3-ge

55. 55

    ⌈en⌉-na lugal-ĝu10 al-til3-la nam-lugal urim2{ki} mu-un-ak-e

56. 56

    niĝ2 na-me lugal-ĝu10 kiĝ2 mu-na-ni-ib2-gi4

    Do not suddenly reject anything that is sent as a message (?) to my lord! Before Utu, I will not change my word (?).

57. 57

    a-ma-ru-kam nam-ba-e-šub-de3-en-ze2-en

58. 58

    ⌈igi⌉ {d}utu-kam ka-ĝu10 nu-bal-e

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.