The tale of Gudam: translation

SEGMENT A

¹Gudam ...... the city.
unknown no. of lines missing

SEGMENT B

^1-7Gudam ....... Gudam ....... Inana ....... Gudam ...... within Unug ....... He ...... the storehouse ....... Gudam ...... the beer, ...... the wine, ...... the bronze vessels, ...... the bronze vessels .......
unknown no. of lines missing

SEGMENT C

^1-9They filled the bronze vessels to the brim. He made the tilimda vessels shine like the holy barge, ...... fine chickpea flour, bearded carp ....... ......, he ...... fish like dates. Many followed Gudam on the streets of Unug. They sat armed before him. Her = Inana's (?) singer ...... came out to ...... the forceful king, and looked at the troops. The singer met him with a song, ...... string with his hand:

^10-15"What you have eaten, what you have eaten -- it was not bread that you have eaten, it was your flesh that you have eaten! What you have drunk, what you have drunk -- it was not beer that you drank, it was your blood that you drank! Gudam, many followed you on the streets of Unug; they sat armed before you."

^16-19"...... what the woman ordered me, when I have ......." Gudam slapped his thigh with his fist in annoyance; fear overcame him: "He did not grasp the Car-ur, my heroic weapon. For me the temple of Zabalam ......."

^20-25He lopped off the crossbeams of E-ana as if (?) they were branches. Gudam went out into the street. Gudam crushed many on the streets of Unug, and killed many with his mace. He hacked down the door of the city gate (the other ms. has instead: ...... the gate, the gate of Ickur). He went out from ......

^26-29A junior fisherman, a fisherman of Inana, turned (the other ms. has instead: ......) the double-axe against him and struck Gudam down. Gudam began to weep, and turned pale:

^30-32"Inana, spare my life! I will give you bulls of the mountains, I will make your cow-pen full! I will give (?) you sheep of the mountains, I will make your sheepfold full!"

^33-35Holy Inana replied to him: " (the other ms. adds: ...... bulls of the mountains for me. ...... sheep of the mountains for me. ...... weapon .......) The fields of Zabalam, where you dwelt: its villages ....... Over a wide area, may ...... calm for you, may ...... desire (?)."

^36-37Inana, I will speak of your heroism. It is pleasant to praise you!

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Revision history

05.ii.1998-06.ii.1998 : GZ : translation
20.ii.1998 : JAB : proofreading
23.viii.2000 : GZ : major ../changes
28.ix.2000 : JAB : proofreading
01.x.2000 : GC : tagging
13.x.2000 : ER : proofreading SGML
13.x.2000 : ER : converting to HTML 4.0