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The Poem of the Righteous Sufferer (Ludlul bēl nēmeqi), Tablet
II, entire tablet, read by Karl Hecker
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By kind
permission of Professor B. R. Foster, the translation below is taken from his
work Before the Muses: an Anthology of Akkadian Literature (Bethesda, 2005),
with minor modifications (most of which follow the translation of W. G.
Lambert).
The transcription is based on the transliteration provided in
the editio princeps by W. G. Lambert, Babylonian Wisdom Literature (Oxford, 1960
repr. Winona Lake, 1996), with minor modifications.
Owing to differences
in Babylonian and English word order, it is not always easy for the English
translation to mirror the two half lines of the Babylonian original. When the
match is not exact, the translation begins with an asterisk (as e.g. in line
07).
Original Transcript English Translation
1 akšudma ana
balāṭ | adanna ītiq 1 I survived to the next year, | the appointed time
passed.
2 asaḫḫurma | lemun lemunma
3 zapurtī ūtaṣṣapa | išartī ul
uttu 2 As I turned around, | it was more and more terrible;
3 My ill
luck was on the increase, | I could find no good fortune.
4 ila alsīm | ul
iddina pānīšu
5 usalli ištarī | ul ušaqqa rēšīša 4 I called to my god,
| but he did not show me his face,
5 I prayed to my goddess, | but she did
not raise her head.
6 bāru ina bīr | arkat ul iprus
7 ina maššakka šāˀilu
| ul ušāpi dīnī 6 The diviner with his inspection | did not get to the
bottom of it,
7 *Nor did the dream priest with his incense | clear up my
case
8 zaqīqu abālma | ul upatti uznī
9 mašmaššu ina kikiṭṭe | kimiltī ul
ipṭur 8 I beseeched a dream spirit, | but it did not enlighten me;
9
And the incantation priest with his ritual | did not appease the divine wrath
against me.
10 ayyīte epšēti | šanāti mātitān
11 āmurma arkat | ridati
ippīru 10 What bizarre actions | there were everywhere!
11 I looked
behind, | there was persecution, trouble.
12 kī ša tamqītum ana ili lā
uktinnu
13 u ina mākale ištari lā zakru 12 *Like one who has not |
made libations to his god,
13 *nor with a food offering | invoked his
goddess,
14 appi lā enu | šukinni lā amru
15 ina pišu ipparku | suppu
teslītu
16 ibṭilu ūmu ili | išēṭu eššēšī
17 iddu ahšuma | mēšunu
imēšu
18 palāhu u itˀudu | lā ušalmidu nišīšu 14 who is not wont to
prostrate himself, | nor has been seen to bow down,
15 from whose mouth there
has been no issue | of prayer or supplication
16 who has skipped holy days |
and despised festivals,
17 who has been neglectful | and scorned the god's
rites,
18 who has not taught his people | reverence and worship,
19 ilšu
lā izkur | īkul akalšu
20 īzib ištartašu | mashatu lā ubla 19 who has
not invoked his god | but eaten his food offering,
20 who has snubbed his
goddess | by not bringing a flour offering,
21 ana ša imhu | bēlšu imšu
22
nīš ilīšu kabti | qalliš izkur 21 like one possessed | who has forgotten
his lord,
22 who has casually sworn | a solemn oath by his god,
22a anāku
amšal 22a (like such a one) did I seem!
23 aḫsusma raman | suppu
teslīti
24 teslītī tašīmat | niqu sakkuˀa 23 I, for my part, was
mindful | of supplication and prayer:
24 to me prayer was the natural
recourse, | sacrifice my rule.
25 ūmu palāh ilī |ṭūb libbīya
26 ūmu riduti
ištar | nēmeli tatturu 25 The day for reverencing the gods | was a joy to
my heart;
26 The day of the goddess's procession | was my profit and
return.
27 ikribi šarri | šī hidutī
28 u nēgutašu | ana damiqti
šumma 27 Praying for the king, | that was my joy,
28 His fanfare | was
as if for (my own) good omen.
29 uššar ana māti | me ili naṣāri
30 šumi
ištar šūqur | nišīya uštāhiz 29 I instructed my land | to observe the
god's rites,
30 the goddess's precious name | did I teach my people to
value.
31 tanādāti šarri | iliš umaššil
32 u puluhti ekalli | ummān
ušalmid 31 Praise for the king | I made like a god's
32 And reverence
for the palace | I taught the populace.
33 lū idi kī itti ili | itamgur
annati 33 *I wish I knew that these things | were pleasing to a
god!
34 ša damqat ramānuš | ana ili gullultu[m]
35 ša ina libbīšu mussukat
| eli ilīš damqat 34 What seems good to oneself | could be an offence to
a god,
35 What in one's own heart seems abominable | could be good to a
god!
36 ayyu ṭēm ilī | qirib šame ilammad
37 milik ša zanunze | ihakkim
mannu
38 ēkamma ilmadā | alakti ilī apati 36 *Who can learn the
reasoning | of the gods in heaven?
37 *Who understands the plans | of the
underworld gods?
38 *Where might humans | have learned the way of a
god?
39 ša ina amšat ibluṭu | imūt uddiš
40 surriš uštādir | zamar
uḫtabbar 39 He who was alive yesterday | is dead today.
40 For a
minute someone is downcast, | then suddenly full of cheer.
41 ina ṣibit appi
| izammur elīla
42 ina pīt purīdi | uṣarrap lallāriš 41 One moment |
he sings in exaltation,
42 Another | he groans like a professional
mourner.
43 kī pite u katāmi | ṭēnšina šitni 43 *The people's
condition changes | like opening and shutting (the legs) (i.e. in a
twinkling).
44 immuṣāma | imma | šalamtiš
45 išebbama | išanna |
ilšin 44 *When starving they become like corpses,
45 *When sated they
rival their gods.
46 ina ṭabi itamma | ili šamāˀī
47 ūtaššašāma idabbubā |
arād irkalla
48 [The line is fragmentary; not read] 46 In good times
they speak | of scaling heaven
47 When it goes badly, they complain | of
going down to hell.
48 [The line is fragmentary; not read]
49 [u] yati
šūnu[hu] | ireddi mehu
50 murṣu munnišu | elīya innešra
51 imhullu [ištu
išid] | šame izīqa
52 [u]ltu irat erṣētim | išīha ṭīˀi
53 šūlu lemnu |
ittaṣa apsuššu
54-59 [These lines are fragmentary; not read] 49 As for
me, the exhausted one, | a whirlind is driving me!
50 Debilitating Disease |
is let loose upon me;
51 *An evil wind has blown | [from the ends] of the
sky,
52 *Headache has surged upon me | from the breast of the
underworld,
53 An malignant spectre | has come forth from its hidden
depth.
54-59 [These lines are fragmentary; not read]
60 [būnēya] ikkilū |
inaˀˀilū īnāya
61 labanī ētiqū | urammu kišādu
62 irtī imhaṣū | tūle
iṭṭiru
63 šīrī ilputū | raˀība iddu
64 [ina r]ēš libbīya | ippuhū
išāt[u]
65 qerbīya idluhū | unātīya utti[kū]
66 šūlu u hahhu |
ulaˀˀibū ha[šeya]
67 mešretīya ulaˀˀibā | uniššū pitrī 60 [My face]
was gloomy, | my eyes were in flood.
61 They wrenched my neck muscles | made
my neck limp.
62 They thwacked my chest, | pounded my breast.
63 They
affected my flesh | and caused convulsions,
64 [In] my epigastrium | they
kindled a fire.
65 They churned up my bowels, | they tw[isted] my
fingers
66 With coughing and hacking | they infected [my lungs].
67 They
wasted my limbs | and made my fat quake.
68 lāna zaqru | ībutū igāriš
69
gattī rapšat | urubāˀiš ušnīla
70 kī ulilte annābik | buppāniš
annadi 68 My lofty stature | they toppled like a wall,
69 My robust
figure | they laid down like a bulrush,
70 I was throw down like a dried fig,
| I was tossed onto my face.
71 alu zumrī | ītediq ṣubātī
72 kīma šuškalli
| ukattimanni šittu 71 *The alu-demon had clothed himself | in my body
for a garment.
72 *Drowsiness covered me | like a net.
73 palṣāma | ul
inaṭṭal | īnāya
74 peta | ul išemma | uznāya 73 *My eyes stared, but
did not see,
74 *My ears were open, but did not hear.
75 kal pagrīya |
ītahaz | remutu
76 mišittu | imtaqut | eli šīrīya 75 *Numbness had
grasped my whole body,
76 Paralysis | had fallen | upon my flesh
77 mangu
| iṣbat | idīya
78 luˀtu | imtaqut | eli birkīya
79 mašama | nammuššīša |
šēpāya
80-83 [These lines are fragmentary; not read] 77 Stiffness |
had seized | my arms,
78 Impotence | had fallen | on my loins,
79 *My feel
had forgotten their motion.
80-83 [These lines are fragmentary; not
read]
84 ina piya | nahbal | nadīma
85 u napraku | sekir |
šaptīya 84 *A snare was laid on my mouth,
85 And a bolt | barred | my
lips,
86 [b]ābī edil | pehi mašquˀa
87 arkat bubūtī | katim
urˀudī 86 My way in was barred, | my 'drinking place' blocked,
87 My
hunger was chronic, | my gullet constricted.
88 ašnan šumma | daddāriš
alaˀˀut
89 siriš napšat nišī | elīya imtarṣu 88 When grain is served,
| I choke it down like stinkweed.
89 Beer, the sustenance of mankind, | is
sickening to me.
90 appūnāma | ēterik silītu 90 Truly, | the malady
drags on.
91 ina lā mākale | zīmūˀa itta[krū]
92 šīrī ištahha | dāmī
izzū[ba]
93 eṣettum ussuqat | arimat maš[kī]
94 šerˀānūˀa nuppuhū |
uriqtum mah[rū] 91 Through lack of food | my features changed,
92 My
flesh was wasted, | my blood had run dry.
93 My bones were loose, | they were
covered (only) with my skin.
94 My tissues were inflamed, | they had caught
the uriqtum-disease.
95 āhuz erši mēsiri | mūṣe tānīh[u]
96 ana kisukkīya
| itūra bītum 95 I took to a bed of bondage; | going out was
exhausting;
96 *My house turned into a prison
97 illurtu šīrīya | nada
idāya
98 maškan ramnīya | muqqutā šēpāya 97 My flesh was a shackle, |
my arms being useless;
98 My self was a fetter, | my feet being limp.
99
niṭatūˀa šumruṣā | mihiṣtu danna[t]
100 qinnazu iṭṭanni | malati
ṣillātum
101 paruššu usahhilanni |
ziqata labšat 99 My afflictions
were grievous, | the blow was severe.
100 A scourge has whipped me, | one
full of barbs.
101 A crop pierced me, | one covered in stings.
102 kāl ūmu
| ridu iredda[nni]
103 ina šāt mūši | ul unappašanni surriš 102 All
day long | the tormentor tormented [me],
103 (Even) in the middle of the
night | he would not let me breathe freely for an instant.
104 ina
ittablakkuti | puṭṭurū riksūˀa
105 mešrētūˀa suppuhā | ittadda
ahītum 104 From writhing, | my joints were separated
105 My limbs were
splayed | and knocked about.
106 ina rubṣīya | abīt | kī alpi
107 ubtallil
| kī immeri | ina tabaštāniya 106 *I spent the night in my dung like an
ox,
107 *Like a sheep I wallowed in my excrement.
108 sakīkīya | išhuṭū |
mašmaššu
109 u terētīya | bāru | ūtešši 108 *The exorcist recoiled
from my symptoms,
109 *And the diviner has been perplexed by my omens.
110
ul ušāpi āšipu | šikin murṣiya
111 u adanna siliˀtīya | bāru ul
iddin 110 The exorcist could not diagnose | the nature of my
illness,
111 *Nor could the diviner | put a time limit on my illness.
112
ul irūṣa ilī | qātī ul iṣbat
113 ul irēmanni ištarī | idāya ul
illik 112 My god has not come to the rescue | nor taken me by the
hand,
113 My goddess has not shown me pity | nor gone at my side.
114 piti
kimahhu | ersu šukānūˀa
115 adi lā mītūtīya | bikītī gamrat 114 My
grave was open, | my funerary goods were ready,
115 (Even) before I was dead,
| laments for me were over.
116 kāl mātīya | kī habil iqbuni 116 All
of my country | said "How he was crushed!".
117 išmēma hāduˀa | immerū
pānūšu
118 hādītī ubassirū | kabattašu ipperdu 117 When anyone who
gloated at me heard, | his features lit up,
118 *The tidings reached her who
gloated at me, and her heart rejoiced.
119 īdi ūmu | ša gimir kimtīya
120
ša qirib mūde | šamassun irem 119 But I know the day | for my whole
family,
120 When, among my friends, | their Sun-god will have
mercy. |
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