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CDLI Literary 000560 (Letter from Ibbi-Suen to Puzur-Shulgi about Ishbi-Erra's Downfall) composite (P478845)
Literary letter and letter-prayer, Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000560 (Letter from Ibbi-Suen to Puzur-Shulgi about Ishbi-Erra's Downfall) composite |
|---|---|
| ID | P478845 |
| 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 | puzur4-{d}szul-gi ensi2 ka-zal-lu{ki} | Puzur-Šulgi governor of Kazallu |
| 2 | u3-na-a-du11 | he said to him |
| 3 | {d}i-bi2-{d}suen lugal-zu na-ab-be2-a | Ibbi-Suen, your king, should not say: |
| 4 | (x) x erin2-ta mu-ra-suh-a-gin7-nam ensi2 ka-zal-lu{ki}-sze3 mu-ra-gal2 | like a ... from among the troops, he was there for you as governor of Kazallu. |
| 5 | ge26-e-gin7-nam erin2-zu du11-da-zu in-nu-u3 | I, like you, lie down with your troops. |
| 6 | a-na-asz-am3 x-gin7 lu2 mu-e-szi-in-gi4 | Why does someone turn away like ...? |
| 7 | {disz}isz-bi-{d}er3-ra | Išbi-Erra |
| 8 | ugu-gu10-sze3 igi-ni im-ma-szi-in-gar | He set his eyes upon me. |
| 9 | u3 ge26-e u3-mu-un-szub ga-am3-gen | Oh, I want to go to the lord of the fallen. |
| 10 | en-na isz-bi-{d}er3-ra kur-re bi2-in-gi4-a a-gin7 nu-e-zu | As long as Išbi-Erra has returned, how can you not know it? |
| 11 | za-e gir-bu-bu ensi2 GIR2-kal{ki}-ke4 | You, Girbubu, governor of Šep-kal |
| 12 | a-na-asz-am3 erin2 szu-zu-sze3 i3-gal2-la igi-ni-sze3 la-ba-an-su8-ge-za-na | Why are the troops in your hands not standing before us? |
| 13 | x ki?-bi gi4-gi4-da | to be restored |
| 14 | a-gin7 mi-ni-ib-szum2-za-na | How did he give to you? |
| 15 | u4?-da? {d}en-lil2-le ki-en-gi hul mu-un-gi4 | At that time, Enlil returned Sumer to ruin. |
| 16 | {ugu2}ugu4-bi kur-bi-ta e3-de3 | “Its crawling-birds, coming out of their mountain, |
| 17 | nam-sipa kalam-ma-sze3 mu-x-il2 | ... the shepherdship of the land. |
| 18 | i3-ne-esz2 {d}en-lil2-le lu2-IM sa10-sa10 nu-luh-ha{sar} | Now, Enlil, the seller of nuḫaḫa-flour |
| 19 | {disz}isz-bi-er3-ra numun ki-en-gi-ra nu-me-a nam-lugal-la mu-na-an-szum2 | Išbi-Erra, without the seed of Sumer, gave kingship to him. |
| 20 | ga-nam pu-uh2-rum ki dingir-re-e-ne ki-en-gi sag2 ba-ab-du11 | “It is indeed a flood, the place of the gods, Sumer shakes. |
| 21 | a-a {d}en-lil2 du11-ga-du11-ga-ni dab-be2-da-asz | Father Enlil, when he speaks to him, |
| 22 | en-na uri5{ki}-ma lu2-erim2-sza mu-un-ri-a | until the enemy came to Ur |
| 23 | isz-bi-{d}er3-ra lu2 ma2-ri2{ki}-ke4 suhusz-bi ba-bu-re | Išbi-Erra, the man of Mari, ripped out its foundations. |
| 24 | ki-en-gi he2-ag2-e ur5-gin7-nam bi2-in-du11 | He said to Sumer: “May it be, like a dog’s, |
| 25 | u3 tukum-bi ensi2 |URUxA| dili-dili i3-gar-gar-re-en-ze2-en | and if the governor of the city alone shall place |
| 26 | inim {d}en-lil2-la2-ta isz-bi-er3-ra i3-bala-e-esz-a | by the command of Enlil they have sworn. |
| 27 | {lu2}tab-zu-gin7 iri erim2-ra ba-szum2-mu-na-ta | Because your rival gave him over to the city of the enemy |
| 28 | u3 za-e ARAD2 ge-na sze-ni-gin7 isz-bi-er3-ra nu-mu-un-zu-a | And you, your servant, like a pigeon that does not know a cry. |
| 29 | i3-ne-esz2 inim du10-ga gi4-gi4-de3 | Now, to answer me with a good word |
| 30 | lul du8-du8-u3-da he2-ni-ib-tum2-tum2-mu | They shall bring him to an end the falsehood. |
| 31 | ug3-ba buru14-ba he2-ak-e-de3 | so that the people in their harvest do |
| 32 | za-e na-an-gur-ru ugu-gu10-sze3 nam-ma-szi-du-un | You should not turn back, you should not go to my side. |
| 33 | szu-ni iri{ki}-a nam-bi2-ib-sa2-sa2 | his hand should not be placed in the city |
| 34 | lu2 ma2-ri2{ki}-ke4 galga ur-re nam-en na-an-na-ak-e | The man of Mari should not act as en priestess for him |
| 35 | i3-ne-esz2 mar-tu kur-bi-ta {d}en-lil2 a2-tah-gu10 im-ma-zi | When the Martu rose from its mountain, Enlil raised my arm. |
| 36 | elam{ki} ki za3 mu-un-tag-ge u3 {d}isz-bi-er3-ra mu-un-dab5-be2 | Elam touched the ground, and Išbi-Erra seized it. |
| 37 | kalam ki-bi gi4-gi4-de3 nam-kal-ga kur-kur-ra he2-zu-zu | May the land be restored to its place, may it know the mightyness of all the lands. |
| 38 | a-ma-ru-kam za-e nam-ba-sze-be2-en | It is an amāru-disease, you should not approach it. |
| 1' | [...] gi4 | Return |
| 2' | [...] | |
| 3' | [...] x [...] x x DU? | ... ... |
| 4' | [...] x E NE [...] ba-e-su8-ge-de3?-esz | ... they stood(?) |
| 5' | [...] x kur szu bi2-gi4-a a-gin7 nu-e-zu | ... who restored the mountain, how do you not know it? |
| 6' | [...] x GIR2-kal{ki}-a-ke4 | ... of Šepkal |
| 7' | [...] in-gal2-le-esz igi-ni?-sze3? la-ba-an-su8-de3?-esz | ... were there, they did not stand before him |
| 8' | [...] x-da a-gin7 mi-ni-ib2-szum2-mu-za-na | ... how did he give to you? |
| 9' | [...] gi hul ba-an-gig | ... the evil reed was stricken |
| 10' | [...]-de3 | to ... |
| 11' | nam-sipa kalam-ma mu-un?-il2-la | the shepherdship of the land he raised, |
| 12' | [...] nu-ha-ra{sar} | ... nuḫara |
| 13' | [...]-me-a nam-lugal-la mu-na-szum2 | ... he gave kingship to him. |
| 14' | [...] gi? sag2 u3-bi2-in-du11 | ... struck a reed |
| 15' | [...] | |
| 16' | [...] | |
| 17' | [...] | |
| 18' | [...] x [...] RI | ... ... |
| 19' | [...] bi2-in-du11? | ... spoke(?) |
| 20' | [...] x x x x E NE | ... ... V |
| 21' | [...] x-x-er3-ra i3-bala-e | ... turns into ... |
| 22' | [...] x [...] erim2-sze3? ba-ra-an-szum2-ma-ta | After he had given ... to the enemy |
| 23' | [...] x [...]-er3-ra ni2-bi mu-un-zu-a | ... who knows by himself ... |
| 24' | [...]-ze2?-me-en | I am ..., |
| 25' | [...]-e-szi-hul | ... destroyed |
| 26' | [...]-a-kam | It is of ... |
| 27' | [...] x-ur2 illu ba-ni-bala-e | ... the flood swept over |
| 28' | [...] x-gi4-gi4 | ... revert |
| 29' | [...] KA SZU gal2-la-ga2 | ... that is in my hand |
| 30' | [...] gesztu2-ga mu-de5 | ... he brought in wisdom |
| 31' | [...] x x x silim-ma im-ma-an-gar | ... he placed in order. |
| 32' | [...] x DA? x x BU ba-da?-diri u3-mu-ni-ak | ... he made surpassing(?) |
| 33' | [...]-be2-e szu-ga2 ba-ni-in-dab5-be2 KA GISZ BI RA-RA | ... seized my hand ... |
| 34 | [...] BI KID UD SZU e3-de3 BA KI ba-nu2-de3 | ... to go out, to lie down on the ground |
| 35 | [...] x | |
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.