Iraq 78, 245–246 (On Wolves and Kings)
Transliteration
Hover or tap a word for its lemma and meaning.
| Obv. | |
| 1 | [x] ⌈x x x x (x)⌉-ti KU UZ? pa-⌈as⌉-na-qám i-li-⌈ik⌉ |
| 2 | šum-šu ki-ma di-pa-ar mu-ši-ia-ti i-im-⌈ma-ar⌉ |
| 3 | it-ti ⌈da!⌉-pi-nim i-pi-id-du šum-šu |
| 4 | ú-te-ru le-e-ma i-na šu-pa-at qú-ra-di uš-⌈ša-ab⌉ |
| 5 | a-di bi-ir-ka-šu-ma zí-bi-iš i-da-li-p[a] |
| 6 | ⌈ul⌉-li-iš U4-um uš-pa-aš(ras.)-ša(ras.)-ḫu DUMU UR.BAR!.⌈RA!⌉ |
| 7 | mu-ut-tá-ag-gi-šum-ma i-še-eb-bé |
| 8 | ù ⌈la⌉ ṣa-li-lum i-ip-pu-uš É |
| 9 | ú-ul ta-mu-ur i-na ṭá!-pa-aš li-li-a-tim |
| 10 | UR.BAR.RA e-li-ip bu-bu-ut ⌈ŠÀ⌉ |
| 11 | ši-ib-bi-iš ki-ip-pí-iš i-te-né-ep-pu-uš |
| 12 | a-na ma-an-ni-šu ú-ša-ka-al aš-ša-tam UR.BAR!.RA |
| 13 | ⌈ap⌉-lu ib-ni É-ma i-ši-iḫ ma-ak-ku-ra |
| 14 | a-na bu-bu-ti-šu-ú-ma qá-tam ma-an-nu-um |
| 15 | li-ma-aš-ši-iš-šu |
| 16 | šum-ma ši-ra-am la še20-bi ra-ba-ṣa-am i-de |
| 18 | um-ma-at SIPA ta-bi-nim |
| 19 | i-da-al-ma ka-la mu-ši-im |
| 20 | e-li-ku-nu šu-up-šu-uq |
| Le. Ed. | |
| 21 | ⌈e?⌉-li-ka!(ras.) pu-uš-qú-um [x x (x)] |
| 22 | [i?-]⌈ša?⌉-a?-lu-ú li-bi-⌈it⌉-ti? |
| Rev. | |
| 23 | šu-up-šu-uq re-qú-um ki mu-ur-rim i-na ša-⌈di?⌉-[im?] |
| 24 | ⌈ša⌉-ki-⌈in⌉ uz-nim-ma ša-al-la-tam i-ša-la-al |
| 25 | a-li-ik wa-ar-ki LUGAL ú-ul i-ḫa-aṭ-ṭi |
| 26 | du-um-qá-am |
| 27 | ù at-ta ⌈ri-di-am⌉-ma ra-ma-an-ka |
| 28 | ki⌈ma⌉ ⌈a?⌉-⌈bi?⌉-⌈im?⌉ ra-ma (ras.)šar-ra |
| 29 | a-n[a x x x x x] i-na ⌈qé⌉-er-bi/bé-tim |
| 30 | a-d[i] [x x x x] x x e-li mi-im-ma |
| 31 | ⌈mu⌉ [...] |
| __________ | |
| 32 | ⌈x x ⌉ [...] | |
| 33 | (sign traces) | ṣa-bi-tum- |
| 34 | (sign traces) | ma |
| 35 | (sign traces) | [b]i-⌈it?⌉-ra-at- |
| 36 | (sign traces) | ma |
| 37–40 | |
| 41 | [...] x x |
| 42 | [...] ⌈ x x GA?⌉-ta-li |
| 43 | (sign traces) -ti-li-⌈ka?⌉ |
| Le. Ed. | |
| 44 | [(x x)]-ma d⌈GÌR⌉ iq⌉-bi-šum-ma bu-lam na-qí-du-ut sú-ku-lim i-pu-[uš] |
| Up. Ed. | |
| 45 | a [...] |
| 46 | ⌈at⌉-ta ⌈x x x⌉-a-šu⌉ i-⌈ba?-ki?⌉ |
| 47 | [MU?.B]I? [40]+4? ⌈DUB 10-kam⌉ |
Translation
Obverse
§ 1
1 ... he went away powerlessly.
2 He looks at his offspring like a torch in the nights:
3 Are they catching his offspring with the mighty one?
§ 2
4 (When) they brought back eating, he sits in the warrior’s house,
5 until his knees get restless (again) like a vulture.
6 Then, having calmed the cub, the wolf
7 satisfies himself, roaming around.
8 And not sleeping, he builds a house.
§ 3
9 Did you not see, in the (time of) becoming fat(?) during the night,
10 (how) the wolf is swollen up because of hunger in (his) belly?
11 He constantly acts like a šibbu-snake, like a snare.
§ 4
12 For whom, after all, does the wolf feed a wife?
13 Has (his) son (ever) built a house and become great with respect to possessions?
§ 5
14–15 At his hunger, who could possibly match him as to his hand?
16 If he is not sated with flesh, he knows to lurk.
17 Against his hunger ...
18 (could) an army of shepherd(s) (do anything in) the shelter?
§ 6
19 He roams about all night long,
20 he is too hard for you (to catch).
Lower edge
§ 7
21 Hardship for you (sg.) is [...]
22 ... brickwork.
Reverse
§ 8
23 It is very hard to be far away (from the king) like a foal in the mo[untain].
25–26 Who follows the king will not miss any good.
§ 9
27 And you yourself, follow (the king)!
28 Love the king like a father!
§ 10
29 To ... in the middle/on the meadow,
30 until ... on something.
31–36 (sign traces)
(box on the right side) It is the gazelle who is outstanding(?).
37–43 (sign traces)
§ 11
Left edge
44 ... Sumuqan designated to him the cattle (and) he exercised the pastorship of the herd.
Upper edge
45 ...
46 You, ... him so that he cries.
47 [It]s [lines]: [4]4, 10th tablet.
Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman, Sources of Early Akkadian Literature (SEAL), seal.huji.ac.il. No commercial use is allowed. Published under CC BY-NC-ND (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives). Reproduced unmodified. Cite as SEAL no. 1754; view on seal.huji.ac.il.