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Letter from Lugal-nesaĝe to a king radiant as the sun


Version A

1-7. Say this to the king who like the sun has made the heart of the Land radiant. Repeat it to the one who removed oppressive toil from the furrow, who {defeated} {(1 ms. has instead:) confronted} Tidnum and holds its sceptre, who is counted as its honoured king. This is what {Lugal-nesaĝe} {(2 mss. have instead:) Lugal-šu} , a citizen of Nibru and your servant, says:

8-15. A punishment which I do not understand has ravaged me and I have wailed my lamenting. In a strange city I moan like a dove and receive no mercy. I am constantly restless like a dog which does not know where to settle down. I am watchful like a bird which has flown from the claws of a falcon. My exuberance has perished in blight like a garden that has not been {watered} {(1 ms. has instead:) tended} . Envy within my king's palace overwhelms me and a bad reputation besets me.

16-31. Grief ……. Woe ……. Like an ox I am overwhelmed, …… my fodder. My descendants and offspring are on good terms …… their nest, …… the mouth for eating food. {As happens on} {(1 ms. has instead:) Like a distant …… from} the …… high plains where the winds blow, …… the mill. I will not be buried on dying but …… ground like grain. My brother, although not an enemy, …… contemptuously.

approx. 6 lines missing
3 lines fragmentary

32-33. The king ……, …… like Utu.


Version B (from Kiš)


unknown no. of lines missing

1-9. …… a bird …… the claws of a falcon. …… like a garden which has been watered. Envy within my king's palace overwhelms me and ……. Grief ……. Woe ……. Like an ox I am overwhelmed, like …… my fodder. My descendants and offspring are worried in their nests. Like a distant …… from the …… high plains where the winds blow, …… the mill. I will not experience being buried as befits the dead but …… ground like grain.


unknown no. of lines missing


Revision history

10.x.2005-21.x.2005: GC, senior editor: adapting translation
31.x.2005-11.xi.2005: GC, senior editor: XML/TEI conversion
16.i.2006-27.i.2006: ER/GZ, project associate/project associate: proofreading
28.ii.2006: JE, technical developer: XML/TEI validation
01.iii.2006: JE, technical developer: web publication

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