Letter from Lugal-nesaĝe to a king radiant as the moon
- head
Version A (from Nibru)
- v1.1
lugal zalag-ga-ni iti6-gin7 kur-kur-ra pa e3-a
Say this to the king who has made his radiance resplendent over all the lands like the moonlight. Repeat it to the king who renders just verdicts like Utu and regulates decisions like Ištaran, to my king who heeds prayers. This is what Lugal-nesaĝe Lugal-šu , a citizen of Nibru and your servant, says:
- v1.2
u3-na-dug4
- v1.3
lugal {d}utu-gin7 di si sa2 kud-kud-⌈?⌉ eš-bar {d}ištaran-gin7 si sa2-sa2-e-ra
- v1.4
lugal šudu3-de3 ĝiš tuku-ĝu10-ur2 u3-na-de3-taḫ
- v1.5
{m}lugal-nesaĝ-e {m}lugal-šu2 dumu nibru{ki} arad2-zu na-ab-be2-a
- v1.6
udu-gin7 ka u2 gu7-ĝu10 mu-e-pad3 naĝa dub2-ba i-ni-bad
Like a sheep I use my mouth for eating grass and I am unfamiliar with washing with soap. Like an ox bearing a yoke which it cannot support, I have been driven out into the high plains. Like a cow whose calf is not close by, I utter pitiful cries. As happens to a ewe whose lamb is restrained in the milking pen, hands seize me. As happens to a bird, men take my nest away. As happens to a boat which is not anchored to a firm quay, I drift in the wind.
- v1.7
gud {ĝiš}šudul4-a nu-ub-ḫa-za la2-gin7 edin-na ba-ab-ĝen-ne-en
- v1.8
ab2 amar-bi nu-ub-da-la2-a-gin7 gu3 arḫuš-a im-me
- v1.9
u8 sila4-bi e2-ubur-ra dab5-ba-gin7 šu-ni ba-ab-dab5-be2
- v1.10
mušen-gin7 gud3-ĝa2 lu2 šu ba-ni-in-ti
- v1.11
{ĝiš}ma2 kar gen6-na-a li-bi2-ib-taka4-a-gin7 tum9-e ba-ab-dirig-ge
- v1.12
i-si-iš sila nibru{ki}-ka mu-gu7-e-en
In the streets of Nibru grief consumes me. A hostile city has taken over my city and I have no protector. A hostile house has taken over my house and …… against me. In my city, like a slave, no …… and I wear a filthy …… fleece.
- v1.13
iri kur2 iri-ĝa2 mu-da-an-kur9 lu2 en3 tar-re la-ba-tuku
- v1.14
e2 kur2 e2-ĝa2 mu-da-an-kur9 ugu-ĝa2-aš ba-ab-DUN ba-X-X
- v1.15
iri-ĝa2 saĝ-gin7 KUG UD la-ba-ni-DU siki SAĜ SAĜ siki mu-dur7-⌈?⌉ ba-la2
- v1.16
gu5-li dub3-sa zu-a kal-la-ĝu10
My friends, companions, acquaintances and esteemed colleagues look on with scorn as at a man who eats alone. My mother who begot me and whose breasts are crescent-shaped (?) has snatched from my mouth my contented consumption of milk. My father who raised me in his lap has cast me aside. My merciful lady whose house is treasured no longer notices me.
- v1.17
lu2 dili gu7-u3-gin7 igi tur mu-un-gid2-i-eš
- v1.18
ama ugu-ĝu10 ud-sakar ubur-ra-bi ubur-a-gin7
- v1.19
dug3-ge-eš ga-ĝu10 gu7-ĝu10 ka-ĝu10-ta ba-an-kar
- v1.20
a-a-ĝu10 šag4 ur2-bi-ta guru3-gur3-ru-a ki-ta ba-an-ĝar-re-en
- v1.21
nin arḫuš-a-ĝu10 e2-bi ba-kal igi nu-mu-un-ši-bar-re
- v1.22
ĝiš ḫul gurun nu-il2-la-gin7 lu2 na-ma-ši-ḫul2-le
As happens to a sickly tree that has borne no fruit, no one rejoices over me. I am fresh fruit but I have no buds and I do not …….
- v1.23
ĜIŠ.BIL2-ĜIŠ.BIL2-me-en {ĝiš}isimu2{sar} nu-tuku-me-en ḪAR-re nam-ba-tum2-un
- v1.24
lugal-ĝu10 en3-ĝu10 ḫe2-tar-re ki-ur3-ĝu10-še3 ḫe2-em-mi-ib-gi4-gi4-in
May my king care for me and may I return to my former status.
- head
Version B (from Urim)
- gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
- gap
(4 lines fragmentary)
- v2.5
[lugal šudu3-de3 ĝiš] tuku-ĝu10-ur2
…… to my king who heeds prayers. (1 line fragmentary) …… Nibru …….
- v2.6
[…] X [X] X
- v2.7
[…] ⌈nibru{ki}⌉ [X X] X
- v2.8
[udu-gin7 ka] ⌈u2⌉ gu7 mu-ni-in-šub
Like a sheep I set my mouth to eating grass and I am unfamiliar with washing with soap. Like an ox under a yoke which it cannot support, I have been driven out into the high plains. Like a cow whose calf is not close by, I utter pitiful cries. As happens to a ……, hands seize me. As happens to a boat which is not anchored to a firm quay, I drift in the wind.
- v2.9
[naĝa] ⌈dub2⌉-ba i-ni-bad
- v2.10
[gud {ĝiš}šudul4-a] nu-ub-ḫa-za-gin7
- v2.11
[edin-na] ba-ab-ĝen-ne-en
- v2.12
[ab2 amar-bi nu]-!-la2-a-gin7
- v2.13
[gu3 arḫuš]-a i-im-me
- v2.14
[…] BAD ZU AB-gin7
- v2.15
[šu] ⌈ba⌉-ab-dab5-be2
- v2.16
[{ĝiš}ma2 kar gen6-na] ⌈li⌉-bi2-ib-taka4-a-gin7
- v2.17
[tum9-e ba]-⌈ab⌉-dirig-ge
- v2.18
[…] X [X X] X
- gap
(unknown no. of lines missing)
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.