Lamentation on the Pillage of Lagash by the Elamites. 2154 (No. 6)
This neatly written but seriously damaged single column tablet carried when complete about fifty-five lines. In style the liturgical lamentation has a striking resemblance to the lamentation [pg 269] on the invasion of Sumer by the people of Gutium, published in the author's Sumerian Liturgical Texts, 120-124. The same refrain, “How long? oh my destroyed city and my destroyed temple, sadly I wail,” distinguishes both compositions.[183] Other lines are common to both threnodies. The contents are similar to the lamentation on Lagash published in Cuneiform Texts of the British Museum, Vol. XV 22, of which Zimmern has published a variant VAT. 617 Rev. II 10-42, in his Sumerische Kultleider. A translation of the British Museum text will be found in the author's Sumerian and Babylonian Psalms, p. 284, an edition which can now be improved.
1. a-a[...]
1. Father [
2. ? dingir[...]
2. ...
3. a uru-gul-la é-[gul-la-mu gíg-ga-bi im-mi]
3. How long? oh my destroyed city, my destroyed temple, sadly I wail.[184]
4. ud-ba enim ud-dam bi-[...]
4. At that time the word like a storm ...
5. enim d.En-lil-lá [...]
5. The word of Enlil ...
6. d.En-lil galu nam-tar [...]
6. Enlil who the fate of ... determined.
7. d.En-lil-li nim-[...]
7. Enlil ...
8. d.Mà-mà[185] dumugu [...]
8. Mama the princely son ...
9. d.Nin-mar-(ki)-ra-ge gú[...]
9. Ninmar ...
10. azag dāg-zagin gišmá-gal-gal-la bal-[...]
10. The holy one who lapis lazuli in great ships ...
11. nin nig-ga-šù igi-[...]-ti-la a azag pi-el ...
11. The queen ... humiliates ...
12. nin-e KA.? gim NE-a im-da-ra?
12. The queen ...
13. ki lagaš-(ki) nim-ki šu-ni-a im-ma-ši-in-gí
13. The land of Lagash he abandoned unto the hand of Elam.
14. ud-bi-a nin-e ... ud-da-ni sá-nam-ga[186]-mu-ni-ib-dúg
14. At that time his wrathful word verily attained the queen.
15. d.Ba-ú galu-sukal-lu-gim ud-da-ni sá- nam-ga-mu-ni-ib-dúg
15. His wrathful word attained unto the divine Bau even as a messenger.
16. me-li-e-a ud-dé šu-ni-a im-ma-ši-in-gí
16. Woe is me, the spirit of wrath into her hand he entrusted.
17. ud uru gul-gul-e šu-ni-a im-ma-ši-in-gí
17. The spirit of wrath that destroys the city into her hand he entrusted.
18. ud é gul-gul-e šu-ni-a im-ma-ši-in-gí
18. The spirit of wrath that destroys the temple into her hand he entrusted.
19. [uru?] d.Dumu-zi-abzu-ge-ta ki nir-ša-ki-ba-ge im[187]-ma ba-an-teg[188]
19. In the city(?) of Tammuz of the sea, the place of wailing ... terror it caused.
20. ... nir-šag-(ki) uru nam-šibir-ka ni-ḳar-ḳar-ge izi-ba-ab-dúg
20. The city ... nirsag, city of ... with fire it consumed.
21. ... uru(?)-ni Ninā-(ki)-a kur-ri ba-ab-gar[189]
21. ... of her city Ninā it seized away to the mountains.
22. [Si]rar[190]-(ki) ki-dúr kenag-gà-ni ģul-gál-e ba-ab-šub
22. Sirar her beloved habitation an evil one has overthrown.
23. [191] im-me
23. How long? my destroyed city, my destroyed temple, sadly I wail.
24. [gè-pàr][192] azag nam-en-na-ba šu-ba-e-lá-lal
24. Of the holy “Dark Chamber” the priestly rites are suspended.
25. [en]-bi gè-pàr-ta ba-da-an-ḳar ki-erim-e ba-ab-KA(du)[193]
25. Its high priest from the “Dark Chamber” has been taken and unto the land of the foe has gone.
26. ... KU-si-na d.Nannar-ka da-dugud ba-ši-in-du
26.
27. ... gan kaskal-gid d.Nannar-ka tùr-dugud ...
27.
28. ... ḳar-ra-gim íb-ri ba-ra- ...
28.
29. ... gim íb-ri ba-an-de i-im-gul-gul-lu-ne[194]
29. ... they destroyed.
30. ... azag-ga-bi im-zí-ir-zí-ri[195]-e-ne ... -e-ne
30. Of the ... its holy ... they shattered and ...
31. 31. How long? oh my destroyed city and my destroyed temple, sadly I wail. 32. [gè-pàr] azag nam-en-na-ba šu-ba-e-lá-lal 32. Of the holy “Dark Chamber” the priestly rites are suspended. 33. [en]-bi gè-pàr-ta ba-da-an-ḳar ki-erim-e ba- ab- du 33. Its high priest from the “Dark Chamber” has been taken and unto the land of the foe has gone. 34. ... gid-da-bi[...]a-nir ba-an-da-di 34. 35. ... -bi nu gud-du sag me-te-a-áš li-be-íb-gál 35. 36. ... KA íb-bi ba-ra-an-kád[196] 36. 37. ... a ... a-ri-a-e ba-da-ab-lal 37. ... has bound with him(?) 38. ... ka lù-erím-e ba-an-? 38. The ... of the ... the foe has ... 39. ... -da(?)-ab-ag 39. 40. é ... -sug-ga ba-an-dū 40. 41. ki ... LU a-ri tùr-dugud-gim ba-gul 41. ... like a ruined cattle stall has been destroyed. 42. dingir Nin [...] mà [...] gĭr kúr ba-ra-an-ku 42. As for the goddess Nin ... her ... the foe has set his foot.[197] 43. d.Nin-lí-ga-ge im ... na er-ni-šéš-šéš 43. Ninliga ... weeps bitterly. 44. a uru-gul-la é-gul-la-mu gíg-ga-bi im-me 44. How long? oh my destroyed city and my destroyed temple, sadly I wail. 45. gè-pàr-azag nam-en-na-ba[198] šu-ba-e-lá-[lal] 45. Of the holy “Dark Chamber” the priestly rites are suspended. 46. en-bi gè-pàr-ta ba-[da-an-ḳar ki-erim-e ba-ab-KA(du)] 46. Its high priest from the “Dark Chamber” has been taken and unto the land of the foe has gone. 47. d.Nin-a-zu-ge ... 47. Ninazu[199] ... 48. d.Nin-ģar-sag ... 48. Ninharsag ... 49. tu-(ģu)-gim ... 49. Like a dove ... 50. a uru-gul-la é-gul-la-mu gíg-ga-bi im-me 50. How long? oh my destroyed city and my destroyed temple, sadly I wail. ... ...[200]