Letter from Lugal-nesaĝe to a king radiant as the sun
- head
Version A
- v1.1
lugal {d}utu-gin7 šag4 kalam-ma mu-un-zalag-ga
Say this to the king who like the sun has made the heart of the Land radiant. Repeat it to the one who removed oppressive toil from the furrow, who defeated confronted Tidnum and holds its sceptre, who is counted as its honoured king. This is what Lugal-nesaĝe Lugal-šu , a citizen of Nibru and your servant, says:
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u3-na-dug4
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i-{d}utu ab-sin2-ta ib2-ta-an-zig3-ga
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ti-id-nu-um{ki}-e šu saĝ bi2-in-ĝar šibir-bi mu-un-dab5-be2
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lugal idim-bi-še3 ab-šid!(SIPA)-de3-a
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u3-na-de3-taḫ
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{m}lugal-nesaĝ-ĝe26 {m}lugal-šu2 dumu nibru{ki} arad2-zu na-ab-be2-a
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šul-a-lum nu-zu-ĝu10 saĝ-ki ba-gid2
A punishment which I do not understand has ravaged me and I have wailed my lamenting. In a strange city I moan like a dove and receive no mercy. I am constantly restless like a dog which does not know where to settle down. I am watchful like a bird which has flown from the claws of a falcon. My exuberance has perished in blight like a garden that has not been watered tended . Envy within my king's palace overwhelms me and a bad reputation besets me.
- v1.9
til4 ak-ĝu10 mu-e-pad3
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iri kur2-ra tum12{mušen}-gin7 še mi-in-ša4
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šag4-ne-ša4 la-ba-an-tuku
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ur-gin7 ki gam-ma nu-zu šu dag-dag-ge ba-si
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mušen šu sur2-du3{mušen}-ta dal-a-gin7 ur5-da i3-ak-en
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{ĝiš}kiri6 a ⌈?⌉-ta nu-dug4-ga-gin7 asil3-la2-ĝu10 ḫab2-ba ba-an-ug5
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igi la2 e2 lugal-ĝa2-ke4 ib2-sig9-ge inim-ĝar gig ma-la2
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zaraḫ-e X X X X […]
Grief ……. Woe ……. Like an ox I am overwhelmed, …… my fodder. My descendants and offspring are on good terms …… their nest, …… the mouth for eating food. As happens on Like a distant …… from the …… high plains where the winds blow, …… the mill. I will not be buried on dying but …… ground like grain. My brother, although not an enemy, …… contemptuously.
- v1.17
⌈?⌉-u8 u8-a-e LA X […] X ⌈NA⌉ ḫa-mu-[…]
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gud-gin7 mur-ĝa2 eme ZU ⌈?⌉ […] šu ša-an-ša-[…]
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peš amar-ĝu10 gud3-bi […] zi ba-ni-in-gi4 ka u2 gu7 ⌈?⌉-[…]
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edin KAL tum9 dal-a-gin7 dal-a-ta AŠ ba9-[ra2-gin7] e2 ar3-ar3-ra ba-[…]
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ug5-ga ki nu-tum2-ma-me-en še-gin7 ar3-[ar3 …]
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šeš-ĝu10 lu2 kur2 nu-me-a igi tur mu-⌈un⌉-[…]
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(approx. 6 lines missing)
- v1.29
X […]
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⌈KA⌉ […]
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sag9-ga X […]
- v1.32
lugal KA ⌈NE⌉ […]
The king ……, …… like Utu.
- v1.33
{d}utu-gin7 X X X GA […]
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Version B (from Kiš)
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(unknown no. of lines missing)
- v2.1
mušen šu sur2-du3{mušen} X X X X X […]
…… a bird …… the claws of a falcon. …… like a garden which has been watered. Envy within my king's palace overwhelms me and ……. Grief ……. Woe ……. Like an ox I am overwhelmed, like …… my fodder. My descendants and offspring are worried in their nests. Like a distant …… from the …… high plains where the winds blow, …… the mill. I will not experience being buried as befits the dead but …… ground like grain.
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{ĝiš}kiri6 a dug4-ga-gin7 X […]
- v2.3
igi la2 e2 lugal-ĝa2-ke4 ib2-sig9-ge X […]
- v2.4
zaraḫ(⌈SAĜ⌉.PA.LAGAB)-e X ?-ba šag4 a mi-ni-[…]
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[u8]-e-a TUL2 E LA MU X RA ḪAR-re ⌈ḫa⌉-X-X-[…]
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gud-gin7 mur-ĝu10 !-ba šid nu-tuku-gin7 šu-ni ša-[an-ša-…]
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! amar-ĝu10 gud3-ba zi ir ba-ni-⌈ib2⌉-[…]
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⌈edin⌉ KAL tum9 dal-a-ta RI ba9-ra2-gin7 e2 ⌈ar3⌉-[ar3-ra ba-…]
- v2.9
⌈ug5⌉-gin7 ki tum2-tum2-mu nu-zu še-gin7 ar3-[ar3 …]
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(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.