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Letter from Culgi to Aradju about Apillaca

1-2. Say to Aradju: this is what Culgi, your lord, says:

3-5. The man to whom I have sent you is not your subordinate -- he will not {accept} {(1 ms. has instead:) change} orders from your hand! How can you ignore what he himself has done too, and that it is indeed so?

6-15. As I myself ordered, you were to secure the provinces, and to correctly guide the people and {make them obedient} {(2 mss. have instead:) secure the foundations of the provinces}. When you approach the cities of the provinces, inform yourself precisely of their intentions, and inform yourself of the words of their dignitaries. Let my roar {be emitted over all the lands} {(1 ms. has instead:) fill all the lands} {(1 ms. has instead:) cover all the lands}. Let my powerful arm, my heroic arm, fall upon all the lands. Let my storm {cover} {(1 ms. has instead:) be released over} the Land. Make the ...... disappear into the desert, and the robbers into the fields! Until you reach Apillaca, my 'Sage of the Assembly', ......! Let .......

16-17. That was how I had instructed you. Why have you not acted as I ordered you?

18-26. If I do not make my 'Sage of the Assembly' feel just as important as I am, if he does not sit on a throne on a dais, furnished with a high-quality cloth cover (?), if his feet do not rest on a golden footstool, if he is not allowed by his own highest authority both to appoint and then to remove a governor from his function as governor, an official {from his charge} {(some mss. have instead:) from his function as official} {(1 ms. has instead:) from an official}, if he does not kill or blind anyone, if he does not elevate his favourite over others -- how else can he secure the provinces?

27-28. If you truly love me, you will not bear him a grudge!

29-30. You are important, {but you do not even know your own soldiers} {(1 ms. has instead:) and you even know the soldiers that are at Apillaca's disposal}. Your eyes have learnt something about {these men} {(some mss. have instead:) Apillaca's men}, and about {Apillaca's heroism} {(some mss. have instead:) my heroism}.

31-35. If {you, Aradju, are indeed my servant} {(some mss. have instead:) you, Aradju and Apillaca, are indeed my servants}, you should both pay attention (?) to my written communications. Come to an understanding, you two! Secure the foundations of the provinces! It is urgent!



Revision history

22.iii.2001-26.iii.2001: EFH, editor: adapting translation
18.v.2001: JAB, editor: proofreading
03.viii.2001: GZ, editor: SGML tagging
24.viii.2001: ER, editor: proofreading SGML
24.viii.2001: ER, editor: web publication
01.vi.2003: GC/JE, editor/technical developer: XML/TEI conversion

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