JCS 66, 42-44 // ZA 110, 53–59 (A Father and His Son)

§1

b i 1–6

[Put-Ishtar gave instructions to his son:]

"[My son, I will instruct you!] Pay attention to [my instructions!]

[Do not say] in the midst of a lesson, 'It is I who am best!'"

§2 

b i 7–20

His son answered him:

Putti,

Being a sage is captivity and plunder, it is not so precious to Nudimmud as a guardian spirit.

[Though mighty] be the singer's art, wisdom, intelligence, the man who has a protective spirit, what (more need) he do?

Is the matter too much for you, [(that) you grew] alarmed at my wealth and good fortune?

The sage kneels at the door of the one with a protective spirit.

[At] Enlil's command, in the New Year festival(?), the . . .s pass by.

[(If) a man keeps] sacrificing kids, his god is [appeased].

§3

b i 21–42

His father answered him:

As to what you and your king accomplished in the past for your youth,

As to you who proceeded in my master's shadow, a fine protection,

Now the stringed instrument is put aside, the song of triumph has died away,

There is no excitement, celebration is long over,

The days are past, the years have come to an end.

Protect yourself against sickness! Be ready (for it)!

"The generous hand has gone back into the sleeve,

and evil made (it) disappear, happiness was driven out."

Your lord will use up the property his father bequeathed him,

And what I accumulated you yourself will squander.

§4       

b i 43 His son answered him:

a i 1 [M]annu-utār-issu arose(?) and . . .

a i 2–5

Putti, on account of providing for ever the temple

with the regular offerings, those in the morni[ng]  –

Deprived of wisdom is he who is without protective spir[it];

Deprived of knowledge is he who (the protective spirit) does not look at him.

b i 44–58 // a i 6–13

Putti,

Have you not seen the high water coming from the river?

Six times it rose, seven times it receded.

Famine, starvation, malnutrition, and want,

Are mixed in with people and there from of old.

Like a long-lived reed in the canebrake will fall,

Like a ṭubû reed the child will reach its day.

Putti,

How was it that in times before us, people were shown divine plans?

You are versed in the god's rites, you heard what was secret.

b i 59 – ii 4

It was commanded, they say, from Enlil’s own mouth: "Father should love son."

Why was "Son should love father" not commanded among things destined to be?

And a father did not protect [his] son in good t[imes],

When possibly would a son shelter his father during suffering?

§5       

b ii 5–11

His father answered him:

Mannu-utār-issu,

I, for my part, what do I ask of you now,

Food, oil to groom myself, clothing?

One would think that since you were a child,

You were sent away, you were ignored,

You were forgotten, out of [my] heart!

§6       

b ii 12–16

His son answered him:

Putti,

The one who is dead for the people is alive forever under (the auspices of) god,

But the king will provide for the son who was a cripple in his father’s house.

§7       

b ii 17–29

His father answered him:

Mannu-utār-issu,

I know (the matter) of sons earlier than you,

And I am well aware of the duty, which is pleasant, and what it requires.

God granted in the natural order a son lest the family name die out.

You yourself know full well: a son regards his father, as much as (his) children and (his) wife.

Out of five, six, seven, eight sons,

who would grant (even one) child who is virtuous towards a man?

§8       

b ii 30–35

His son answered him:

Putti,

What is the course of a 70-gur barge, in distress without a rudder?

See here, a man who has no son is regarded with disrespect by his brothers.

§9       

b ii 36–41

His father answered him:

Mannu-utār,

Etana was less than, nor did he measure up to, the king his brother.

Your k[ing] is a potsherd. He who took a single (child) from the street, did [no]t obtain luck.

§10     

b ii 42–51

His son answered him:

Putti,

You know full well that Etana

Wandered the uplands seeking a child,

Like a bird to the assembly of the gods,

He went up to [heaven].

They (the gods) appointed [him] for [shepherd]dship,

To him the gods did not approach,

Nor bestow upon him a child,

From among things destined to be.

§11     

b ii 52–57

His father answered him:

Mannu-utār,

You take good care of yourself in ways not available to me,

But that which, in my old age, you have no regard for,

you yourself will complain about.

§12     

b ii 58–62

His son answered him:

Why, Putti, did you yourself say to me,

Ever since I was a child with you, I am no son?

. . .      

§13     

b iii 0'–9'

[His father answered him:]

[Mannu-utār,]

Why . . . to . . .?

And is it seemly that you covet . . .?

Did . . . not fawn on . . . king of the raging . . .?

[Set] the matter before my lord, by setting things straight he [will . . .]

§14     

b iii 10'–14'

His son [answered him]:

Putti,

In truth, the insufficient they made numerous and . . .

The one [who was important] diminished,

The insignificant one becomes important.

§15     

b iii 15'–20'

His father answered him:

Mannu-utār,

The king gave a command concerning you, but god made (you) important.

Who like you, insulting the father who begot him, [has humiliated him] so much?

§16     

b iii 21'–25'

His son answered him:

Putti,

Deaf is the one with [a protective spirit], blind is the guardian [angel],

And the one the king has esteemed, does not [know] the father.

§17     

b iii 26'–31'

His father answered him:

Mannu-utār,

Why does the one who gets food go around in moaning,

And the one whose god has cursed him, has seen the day(light)?.  

§18     

b iii 32'–40'

His son answered him:

Putti,

Who is the one that throws a brick into a cake?!

Or returned evil to one who did good?

Putti,

You know full well that my having no regard for you is the command of a god,

By the order of Shamash I saved myself from your powerful existence.

§19     

b iii 41'–46'

His father answered him:

Mannu-utār,

You did not fear the king, did not honor god,

My supplications did not fall into your heart.

§20     

b iii 47'–52'

His son answered him:

So! Putti, bring it on! Let's set our opinions before valiant Shamash,

He will bring forth from among us the culprit, so that he may bear his sin.

§21     

b iii 53'–58'

His father answered him:

Mannu-utār,

(Although) so far you have felt no shame, God has ordained penitential prayer for men,

And he who said "I am guilty," God has absolved him.        

§22     

b iii 59'–64'

His son answered him:

I cannot forgive you (the experience) of my childhood,

For the very reason that from my childhood you did not want me as a son,

My heart is angry with you now.

§23     

b iv 1'–5'

[His son answered him:]

[Putti,]

. . . and in . . . they grew fine . . .

He who pays heed . . . did Ea himself not . . .?

§24     

b iv 6'–14'

His father [answered him:]

Mannu-utār,

The left hand seized . . . and the one . . . suddenly . . .

Do not . . . with the king . . . Ninlil . . . snaps off . . .

§25     

b iv 15'–27'

His son [answered him:]

Putti,

You heard . . . before you . . . these fears . . .

They complained in . . . will not the king mention . . .?

And he whom the king h[onors], would the s[on(?)]belittle him?

Putti, you yourself [know:] the one whom a father mentions,

a son belittles.

Now his protective spirit . . . passes by . . .  

§26     

b iv 28'–34'

His father answered [him:]

Mannu-utār,

So! Let him [honor] his protective spirit, let him extol his king . . .!

As for me who begot [you,] never did my supplications [fall] on [your] heart.      

§27     

b iv 35'–43'

His son [answered him:]

Putti,

By not . . . will your mind remember? One would suppose they do not . . . before the valian[t] gods . . .

Why . . .? . . . you . . .

b v–vi (destroyed)

a ii 1–6

[. . .] Mannu-utār-issu:

"[The gods . . .] have [crea]ted mankind.

[They . . .] in the lands.

[(Mankind) is treach]erous and its behavior is strange.

[It keeps lyi]ng(?) and its speech is not understood.

[An]d(?) risen(?) are the waves of mankind."

a ii 7–14

He was full of his/its . . . and was made bitter by its (mankind's) fate:

". . . vast canebrakes.

It (mankind) has sworn a contentious speech and an unreliable word.

. . . he established,

. . . so that they look upon me.

. . . take your (pl. f.) decision!

. . . they (people?) are not on the right way. Enough for you (sg. m.)!"

. . .

a iii 1–5 (broken)

a iii 6–15  

The wise [. . .]

Fals[e . . .]

The wise ḪU.NUMUN [. . .]

With the fami[ly(?) . . .]

And he knows in [. . .]

The young man is treated unjustly [. . .]

 [The young woman(?)] is murdered [. . .]

To whom [. . .]

May he bring the e[vil . . .]

[. . .]

a iv' 1'–4' (broken)

a iv' 5'–10'

"ḪU.NUMUN [. . .]

An eye not weepin[g . . .]

His eyes . . . [. . .]

May they know [. . .]

If you [do(?) . . .]

To slaughter [. . .]"

a iv' 11'–13'

Putti heard this [. . .]:

"My friend has become tired, he who [. . .]

He walks like a [. . .]"

b vii 1' – viii 2' (too broken for translation)

b viii' 3'–23'

. . . I myself . . . My eyes [fill]ed with tear(s).

Let his [. . .] take me along. [I will] approach death and turn back to clay.

Now, after the death of Naram-Sin my lord, I look about for my place of rest,

Where neither son nor wife will weep for me,

Where people will not see my face,

Nor will my boon companion say,

"Alas for my brother we trusted in!"

I shall certainly die in the midst of the city of Agade. The house (grave), into which I shall enter, will have no door.

Shall I go up, like Etana, into Anu's heaven?

Shall I go down towards the Apsu?

No one will know!

Am I not a valiant warrior, seed of the Hero?

b viii 24'–50'

I will enter Ereshkigal's Land of No Return, I will establish my valor (there),

I will establish my valor in the netherworld, in the speech of the teeming peoples,

The teeming peoples will speak praise of my valor:

"Put-Ishtar went up to heaven in the presence of his son,

He went down to the Apsu, there is no one who has seen him."

I will make future folk and people say,

"Put-Ishtar, the sage Watar-hasis, descendant of Umanu, is mixed with the dust of the netherworld!"

As for that one, after my death, may people shun him,

The one who treated me so, may a son so treat him.

May he build no home in happiness for him,

May he have no son but may his lineage die out.

May the city Agade curse him, the urban center of the land

May [his] father's curses [pursue him.]

May [the] people revile [his precious life(?).]

. . .

b base 1–24   

. . .

[May the king,] his [. . ., have them] escort him from his palace.

May [his city] Agade (and) Eulmash curse [him, that] he not get past the courtiers who block his way (back).

May [the queen] who makes words favorable, make his words contemptible as a [slave's],

May she make eunuch and courtier turn against him before the king.

May [Ishtar], warrior among goddesses, ordain for him disorder and rebellion in his household,

[May he not ea]t bread . . . may he tremble (of hunger).

May he experience nothing good [in] his [ho]me.

May [Kilili], the lady who leans through the windows of the teeming people, ordain for him [anxiety], insomnia, and sleeplessness,

[May she scorn] him, may his frame shrink, may she [carry] off his protection and take away his virility,

May Mama who bore him, creator of his name, make him known(?) to the heart of the king with evil intent,

May she take away his virility and deprive him of his vitality,

Among his brothers may he be a byword for a fool.

May Aruru, mistress who created mankind, ordain his destiny for evil.

May he build a house (but) hold no housewarming ceremony,

May he take a wife (but) raise no child.

[May . . . all the] young men [of the black]-headed [race be] visitors to (his) bedroom.

May he himself make no [. . .]

[Because . . . he was not] well-disposed but angry (with) his father,

[By command of] Shamash, judge of heaven and earth,

May [his case] never be resolved.

b base 25 

Finis