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Letter from Sîn-iddinam to the god Utu (Q000566)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | Letter from Sîn-iddinam to the god Utu |
|---|---|
| ID | Q000566 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Nippur |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618)
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) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | {d}utu lugal-ŋu₁₀-ur₂ di-kud mah an ki | Šamaš, supreme judge of heaven and earth, |
| 2 | saŋ en₃ tar kalam-ma ka-aš mu-un-bar-bar-re | The one who inquires after the Land speaks a word |
| 3 | diŋir zid lu₂ til₃-le-de₃ ki aŋ₂ a-ra-zu ŋiš tuku | The righteous dibir priestess, the one who is to live, the place of prayer and arazu prayer(?) |
| 4 | arhuš sud šag₄ gur-ru mu-un-x-zu-x | With a pure heart and a rejoicing heart |
| 5 | niŋ₂-si-sa₂ ki aŋ₂ niŋ₂-zid bar tam-me NE x U₃ x dug₄ | (Sum) The niŋsisa, the place of the water, the nziddisa-demon, the sea(?) |
| 6 | sun₄ mu₂ dumu {d}nin-gal sun₄ {na₄}za-gin₃ X X X x | young male lamb, son of Ningal, young female lamb, lapis lazuli |
| taka₄ la₂ {ŋiš}si-ŋar an ki ku₁₀-ku₁₀ zalag ŋa₂-ŋa₂ taka₄ si-ŋar | “It is dark, it is shining in the heavens and the netherworld, It is reddish, | |
| 8 | en saŋ-kal dili-a-ni pa e₃-a nam-mah-a-ni zag nu-sa₂ | Lord, mighty one, whose alone is resplendent and whose greatness cannot be rivalled, |
| 9 | ur-saŋ dumu {d}nin-gal-e tud-da me saŋ keše₂ ur₄-ur₄ | Ursa, the son born by Ningal, the one who gathered the divine powers |
| 10 | diŋir zid nun nam tar-tar-re a-a saŋ gig₂-ga lugal-ŋu₁₀-ur₂ u₂-na-de₃-tah | (Sum) The true Ŋibira, the princely one who determines destinies, (Akk) The bitter father, Lugal-būra, screams for him |
| 11 | {m}{d}suen-i-din-nam lugal larsam{ki}-ma arad-zu na-ab-be₂-a | Sîn-iddinam, king of Larsam, is your servant. |
| 12 | iri-zu larsam{ki}-ma šag₄-ge pad₃-da-zu niŋ₂-gig-ga im-ma-an-ak | Your city Larsam, your chosen field has become an empty wind |
| sila daŋal ešemen ud zal-zal-la sig₉-ga im-ma-an-sig₉ x-ŋar | In the streets, the streets that have been plundered during the day, he decorated them with reddish gold. | |
| 14 | erin₂ sag₉-ga-zu gu₂ ŋar-ŋar-ra gi gi-sig-ga-gin₇ si-il-si-le-de₃ ba-an-til-le-eš | Your good troops, like a reed stalk, are finished to perfection. |
| 15 | ŋuruš-zu še ud a₂-ba-gin₇ ab-gur₁₀ ba-an-šab-eš gurun gibil-gin₇ mu-X-dub₂-uš | Your young man, like a storm wind, has been carried away like an eagle, he ... like new growth |
| 16 | uŋ₃-ŋa₂ alan im-gin₇ im-ma-an-gul-lu-uš ni₂-bi-a ba-an-til-x | At that time, like a clay statue, he destroyed it and in his own fear ... |
| 17 | di₄-di₄-la₂ ur₂ ama-be₂-ne-ta ud hul ba-an-da-kar-X X | The little ones, from the lap of their mother ... a bad storm. |
| 18 | uŋ₃-ŋa₂ ŋeštug HAR-re muš₃-bi ba-an-kur₂ X x | (Sum) The scepter(?) of the netherworld has changed its appearance (Akk) Its ... was changed |
| 19 | erin₂ ka₃ an-ša-ša šu bar-ra-am₃ kalam zid₂-gin₇ |KA׊U| e₃ x | The troops of the gate of heaven are free, the land is free like a rising flood |
| 20 | šul {d}utu iri-za larsam{ki}-ma lu₂-kur₂-gin₇ bar-ta ba-da-gub | The head of Utu stood outside your city Larsam like a stranger. |
| 21 | kur elam{ki}-ma X{mušen}-gin₇ mah-bi lu₂ uš₂-a nu-ŋal₂-la | The land of Elam, like a great ..., no one can escape it |
| 22 | su-bir₄{ki} muru₉ dugud-da diŋir-re-e-ne ni₂ teŋ₃-ŋe₂₆ nu-zu-a | Subir, the heavy rain that the judges did not know |
| 23 | ma-da-bi nu-ub-ta-be₄ ud-bi nu-ŋal₂-la | Its land does not speak, its days do not pass. |
| šimaški-e ki diŋir-re-e-ne-ke₄ nu-gig lukur nu-mu-da-il₂-e šimaški diŋir-ra-ni nu-gig lukur-bi il₂-la nu-mu-un-zu-a šimaški ki diŋir-re-e-ne nu-gig nu-bar-e nu-x | Šimaš, the place of the intercession rituals, the nugig priestess who does not raise a nadītu-priest, his intercession ceremony, the nominated one, whose lukur-demon does not know, Ṣumma-šarru, [the place of] the [ir]eigners, the [nammi]t prieste[ss], the nobility does not ... | |
| erin₂-a-ni u₂-gin₇ lu-lu-a numun-a-ni daŋal-la he₂-mah | May his troops, clad in splendor like the wind, his seed flourish. | |
| 26 | za-lam-ŋar til₃-la ki diŋir-re-e-ne-ke₄ nu-mu-un-zu-a | The one who does not know the balaŋ drum, the place of the intertwined drum, |
| u₂-ma-am-gin₇-nam u₅-a zid₂-eša sizkur₂ nu-mu-un-zu-a zid₂ sizkur₂ il₂-la | Like an eagle, he who does not know a sizkur prayer, raises a šigû-offering. | |
| nam-tar hul-ŋal₂ a₂-sag₃ niŋ₂-gig-ga nu-mu-un-na-tum₃ nu-mu-na-te | The evil fate, the asag-demon, the niŋgi-disease did not bring to him, did not approach him. | |
| 29 | lu₂ mu diŋir sal-la-bi niŋ₂-gig-ga i₃-gu₇-e ugnim-bi silim-ma | (Sum) The one who eats the ... of the fallen (Akk) The man who ... the fallen and the fallen, its army is well |
| mu 7-kam-ma-ta iri-ŋa₂ me₃ šen-šen la-ba-an-tuku uš₂ da-bi nu-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ mu 5-kam-ma-ta iri{ki}-ŋa₂ šen-šen-na la-ba-du₈ nam-uš₂-a a₂-bi nu-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ | for the 7th year he did not have a battle (or) a šēnu-demon. The strength of his arm was not equalled. For the 5th year the city was not able to hold back his weapons. | |
| edin-na ur-mah-e lu₂ gu₇-e nu-mu-ni-ib-la₂-X nu-mu-ni-il₂-la₂ | In the steppe the lion does not ... the one who eats it, does not raise it. | |
| diŋir inim sag₉-sag₉-ge-de₃ nu-zu-a ŋe₂₆-e im-ma-an-ak-X im-ma-da-keše₂ | ... did not know the way to make good words, he ... and bound them. | |
| 33 | diŋir gal-gal-e-ne sizkur₂ ud šu₂-uš-e al-gub-be₂-en inim sag₉-sag₉-ge-ŋu₁₀ mah-am₃ | I am the one who stands in the great cult centers for the šuʾû-offering of the storm, whose words are supreme |
| 34 | šul {d}utu nam-bi-še₃ iri-zu larsam{ki}-ma igi zid bar-mu-un-ši-ib | Look faithfully upon your city Larsam, the head of Utu! |
| 35 | a iri-zu dug₄-ga-ba-ab | “Ay, your city, be reconciled! |
| 36 | a eš₃ X X dug₄-ga-ab | O shrine, ..., give it to me! |
| 37 | arhuš sud larsam{ki}-ma šu te-ba-ab | The heart of Larsam is well, the hand is strong |
| 38 | niŋ₂-gig-ga ak-bi en₃ tar-bi-ma | (Sum) Its niŋgi-disease is investigated, (Akk) It is a matter of rejoicing, it is an issue |
| 39 | x X X larsam{ki} e₃-ni-ib | ... Larsam, come out! |
| x X niŋ₂-gig-ga šag₄-bi zig₃-ab-ta šag₄ larsam{ki}-ma x | ... the niŋgi-disease that rises from its midst, the midst of Larsam | |
| 41 | x huš-a šag₄ larsam{ki}-ma-ka šu X x | The furious , the heart of Larsam |
| 42 | X taka₄-a šu nam-uš₂-ta ba-e-šub-bu-de₃ | In order to make the hand of a dead man stand in the midst of ... |
| 43 | X-til-le-eš numun-bi he₂-mah | ... may his seed be abundant |
| 44 | a₂ taka₄-a ka tar-zu he₂-si-il-le | May your uttered commands be pure. |
| 45 | u₃ ŋe₂₆-e ni₂ teŋ₃-ŋe₂₆-ŋu₁₀-uš nam-til₃ šum₂-mu-na-ab | And may he say to you “I am afraid, I want to live!" |
| 46 | zi su₃-ud-ŋal₂ niŋ₂-ba-e-eš₂ ba-mu-na-ab | You will give him the life that he desires. |
Sources & licences
- Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618) · ORACC project editions, https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ ; cite the individual project (see texts.extra_json.project)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-18.