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CDLI Literary 000556 (Letter from Shu-Suen to Sharrum-bani about Trench) composite (P478841)
Literary letter and letter-prayer, Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000556 (Letter from Shu-Suen to Sharrum-bani about Trench) composite |
|---|---|
| ID | P478841 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary letter and letter-prayer |
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 | {disz}szar-ru-um-ba-ni u3-na-a-du11 | Šarrum-bani said: |
| 2 | {d}szu-{d}suen lugal-zu na-ab-be2-a | Šū-Suen, your king, should not say: |
| 3 | lu2-kin2-gi4-a mu-e-szi-gi-a-gu10 diri sza3-sze3 x [...] | My messenger, who has returned me, surpassing in heart |
| 4 | u4 e3 a2 ag2-ga2-gu10 ga2-a-gin7-nam ma-[...] li-bi2-ib-diri-ge | The storm that came out, my command is like ... |
| 5 | u4 e3-da-zu-ne igi nu-ub?-x-[...] | When you come out, you cannot see |
| 6 | ge26-e a-na ma-ab-be2-en-na-x [...] | What do I say to you? |
| 7 | sza3 ma-da-ka gen-a-zu-ne | When you go into the heart of the land, |
| 8 | ma-da a-ba? e-te ge6 sa2 na-[...] | Who in the land can compare with me? |
| 9 | lu2 gal-gal-be2-e-ne inim u3-[...] | The great men spoke a word |
| 10 | tukum-bi nig2 te-na-ga2 | If it is something that I have done, |
| 11 | KU-ne-ne KUSZ-a-ni? [...] | ... his skin |
| 12 | lu2 gal-gal-be2-e-ne szubtum6 he2-mu-e-da-su8-[...] | May the great men stand with you in the šubtum |
| 13 | TUR-TUR-ne-ne ub-ta-ri | they will return the small ones. |
| 14 | e-ne-ne-gin7-nam ma-da [...] | Like them, the land |
| 15 | tukum-bi u3 lu2-garza2-be2-e-ne | If the guarantors |
| 16 | dib2-be2-de3-asz-am3 | it is to be passed by. |
| 17 | bur3-da-ne-ne nu-e-da-se3-ge5 | “You will not be able to reconcile with their rivals. |
| 18 | lu2-kur2-ra gar-gar-bi x | Its creation by a stranger ... |
| 19 | iri-bi za3-bi u3-ne-esz2 | They surrounded its city at its edge. |
| 20 | en-na ib2-ta-ab-e3-de3 na-ab-ta-bala-e-ne | Until they leave, they shall not cross over. |
| 21 | nita-bi u3-gaz | that man killed. |
| 22 | munus-bi iri ma-da-ka-zu dib2-ba-am3 la-ab-x x | This woman, in your city of your land ... |
| 23 | a2-sze3 mu-e-da-ag2 | he gave to me as a gift. |
| 24 | a-na-asz-am3 ga2-a-gin7-nam nu-ak | Why do you not act like me? |
| 25 | lu2 gaz-de3 igi hul-hul-le-de3 | To kill a man, to destroy his eyes, |
| 26 | iri gul-gul-de3 szu-zu-sze3 nu-gar-ra | In order to destroy the city, it is not placed in your hands. |
| 27 | nam-nir-gal2 mu-ra-szum2 | he gave you authority. |
| 28 | u4 bad3 igi TA DA KAM {d}szul-gi ad-da-gu10 mu-un-du3-a | When the wall ... Šulgi, my father, built |
| 29 | za-e-en-ze2-en in-nu | “You are the one who lies down,’ |
| 30 | {gesz}gu-za-ga2 {gesz}gu-za {d}szul-gi-ra-ka in-nu | He lies on my throne, on the chair of Šulgi. |
| 31 | {disz}lu2-{d}en-ki ensi2 ma-da zi-mu-dar ki-sze3 | Lu-Enki, ruler of the land of Zimudar, to the place |
| 32 | he2-mu-e-szi-du | may they bring to you. |
| 33 | 1(gesz2) ugnim-ma-ka he2-tum2 | may 60 of the army bring, |
| 34 | [...]-ta he2-mi-ib-gi4-gi4 | ... may he return from ... |
| 35 | [...]-ti pisan-dub-ba bi2-tur-e a2 ag2-ta | ... the basket-of-tablets: ... , |
| 36 | mu-na-an-szum2-ma-ta bad3-bi he2-du3-a | after he had given it to him, may its wall be built. |
| 37 | u3 za-e erin2 szu-zu-ta i3-gal2-la | And you, the troops in your hands are here. |
| 38 | hi-ri-tum2{ki} ba-al-la2 | Ḫiritum was carried off. |
| 39 | ma-da dim2-ma-bi nu-kur2-ru-de3 | In order to change the mind of the land |
| 40 | nam-ba-szum2-mu-un-ze2-en | do not give! |
| 41 | en-na ma-da nu-um-ge-na-ta | As long as the land is not established |
| 42 | erin2 nam-mu-un-du8-re-ze2-en | Do not release the troops! |
| 43 | lu2-kin2-gi4-a-e-ne a2 ag2-ga2 ma-da | The messengers, the commands of the land |
| 44 | {d}utu e3-da-bi ha-ma-tum3 | may Utu bring forth its rising. |
| 45 | a-ma-ru-kam | It is an amaru. |
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.