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CDLI Literary 000555 (Letter from Sharrum-bani to Shu-Suen about Martu) composite (P478840)
Literary letter and letter-prayer, Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000555 (Letter from Sharrum-bani to Shu-Suen about Martu) composite |
|---|---|
| ID | P478840 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary letter and letter-prayer |
| Find spot | uncertain (mod. uncertain) |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)
Machine draft. The right-hand column is machine English from ixmon/atf-to-english (atf-en-t5base-F, 2026-10-17), generated line by line from the transliteration. It is unreviewed and is not a scholarly translation.
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| surface a | ||
| 1 | {d}szu-{d}suen lugal-gu10-ra u3-na-a-du11 | Šu-Suen spoke to my king: |
| 2 | szar-ru-um-ba-ni gal-zu ukken-na ARAD2-zu na-ab-be2-a | Šarrum-bāni, your wise one, the assembly, is your servant. |
| 3 | bad3 gal mu-ri-iq-tidnim-e dim2-me-de3 kin2-gi4-a-asz bi2-gi4 | The great wall, whose design is to be admired, was restored to its place. |
| 4 | igi-zu mu-e-gar-ma | You set your eyes upon me, and |
| 5 | mar-tu ma-da-asz mu-un-szub-szub-bu-usz | The Martu fell to the ground in its entirety. |
| 6 | bad3 du3-u3-de3 giri3-bi ku5-ru-de3 | In order to build a wall, in order to cut its paths, |
| 7 | {i7}idigna {i7}buranun-bi-da | the Tigris and the Euphrates |
| 8 | gu2-giri3-bi a-sza3-e nam-ba-e-szu2-szu2 a2-sze3 mu-e-da-ag2 | Its arrows do not reach the field, you give instructions to the field. |
| 9 | zi-zi-da-gu10-ne | when I rise, |
| 10 | gu2 {i7}ab2-gal-ta en-na ma-da zi-mu-dar{ki}-ra-sze3 | from the bank of the Abgal canal to the land of Zimudar |
| 11 | [...]-bi i3-zi-NE | Its ... rises. |
| 12 | bad3-bi 2(u) 6(disz) danna-am3 dim2-e-da-gu10-ne | When I built its walls for 26 leagues, |
| 13 | dal-ba-na hur-sag 2(disz) | Dalbana, the mountain range: 2 |
| 14 | dim2-me-gu10-sze3 mar-tu hur-sag-ga-ka ib2-tusz-a gesztu2 mu-szi-in-ak | I have listened to the Martu of the mountain range, who dwells in the mountains. |
| 15 | si-mu-ur4{ki} nam-tab-ba-ni-sze3 im-ma-da-gen | Simur for his partnership he went. |
| 16 | dal-ba-na hur-sag {ebih}ki-ke4 {gesz}tukul sag3-ge-de3 im-ma-szi-gen | In order to strike with a weapon his way through the mountain range of Biḫ, |
| 17 | u3 ge26-e erin2 {gi}dusu i3-il2-il2-esz-am3 igi? nu?-um-mi-du8 | And I, the workers carrying reed baskets, did not look at me |
| 18 | {gesz}tukul sag3-ge-de3 x-ri-ni-sze3 ba-gen-na? | To strike with weapons, he went to his ... |
| 19 | tukum-bi lugal-ga2 an-na-kam | If my king is of An, |
| 20 | lu2 kin2 ak-ne ha-ma-ab-tah-e a2 ha-ma-ga2-ga2 | May the one who does work bring it to me, may he put it at my disposal. |
| 21 | gun3-a ma-da sa2 nu-ub-da-du11-ga du11-en?-de3?-en? | We are to speak as one whose land cannot be equalled(?) |
| 22 | ma-da {muru2}ki-sze3 lu2-kin2-gi4-a mu-ni-gi4 | to the land of Uruk the messenger returned. |
| 23 | ma-da dim2-ma-bi ba-da-kur2 | The thinking of the land was changed. |
| 24 | bad3 du3-u3-de3 nu-szub-be2-en i3-du3-en u3 {gesz}tukul i3-sag3-ge-en | You will not abandon the wall, you will build it, and you will strike with weapons. |
| 25 | gal-zu ukken-na im-ri-a gu-la-am3 he2-em-ma-da-ri | May your greatness surpass the assembly of the assembly. |
| 26 | dim2-ma ma-da nu-ub-da-kur2-ra na de5 mu-un-e | The creation of the land that cannot be changed, she decides a fate. |
| 27 | u4 lu2-kin2-gi4-a-gu10 igi-zu-sze3 mu-e-szi-gi4-a-gu10 | When my messenger comes before you, |
| 28 | egir-ra-ni-ta {disz}lu2-{d}nanna ensi2 ma-da zi-mu-dar-ra{ki}-sze3 | after him, to Lu-Nanna ruler of the land of Zimudara |
| 29 | lu2-kin2-gi4-a mu-ni-gi4 | he returned to the messenger. |
| 30 | 2(szar2) erin2 mu-e-szi-in-gi4 | 2 car labor-troops he returned. |
| 31 | lu2 {gi}dusu ib2-si lu2 {gesz}tukul sag3-ge bi2-ib-tur | The one who touches the reed screen, the one who scatters the weapons, |
| 32 | tukum-bi lugal-gu10 erin2 kin2 ak-de3 du8-u3-bi ab-be2 | If my king orders the work-troops to do it, he says: |
| 33 | u3-szub {gesz}tukul ga-an-da-sag3 | I want to strike with a weapon |
| 34 | lu2 gal-gal ma-da-za lu2 in-ne-szi-in-gi4 | The great men of your land have turned away. |
| 35 | igi-ne-ne ma-an-gar-re-esz-ma | they placed before him, and |
| 36 | me-en-de3 iri-iri en-nu-ug3 nu-mu-da-ak-en-de3-en | We, we do not guard the city. |
| 37 | a-na-gin7-nam ugnim a-ra-ab-szum2-mu | Why would you give the army to me? |
| 38 | lu2-kin2-gi4-a-gu10 mu-na-ni-in-gi4-esz | They returned my messenger to him. |
| 39 | u4 lugal-gu10 a2 mu-e-da-ag2-ta | When my king gave me orders, |
| 40 | u4 te ge6-ba kin2 im-mi-ib-gi4-gi4-in u3 {gesz}tukul i3-sag3-ge-en | At that time, the work was done, and I was struck down with weapons. |
| 41 | mu inim lugal-ga2-ke4 i3-gub-be2-en {gesz}tukul ib2-lah4-lah4-e | I stand by the name of my king and he brings weapons against me. |
| 42 | usu nu-um-gar {gesz}tukul-ta nu-um-me-ge-en u4 kur-kur he2-en-dul? | You have not established strength, you have not been established with weapons, may the storm cover all the lands |
| 43 | lugal-gu10 he2-en-zu | may my king know! |
Sources & licences
- Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched) · Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), https://cdli.earth/ ; cite CDLI and the P-number
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-18.