Literature:Complaint tablet to Ea-nāṣir

The Complaint tablet to Ea-nāṣir (UET V 81) is a clay tablet written in Akkadian cuneiform that was sent to Ur circa 1750 BCE. It is the oldest known written complaint, written to a merchant named Ea-nāṣir from a customer named Nanni.

Translations

Complaint tablet to Ea-nāṣir

Akkadian

Obverse

1. a-na e2-a-na-s,i-ir

2. qi2-bi2-ma

3. um-ma na-an-ni-ma

4. a-nu-u2-ma ta-al-li-ku

5. ki-a-am ta-aq#-bi#-am#

6. um-ma at-ta-a-ma

7. gu-ba-ri da-am-qu2-tim

8. a-na gi-mil-{d}suen a-na-ad#-di-in

9. ta-al-li-ik-ma ta#-aq-bi-a-am

10. u2-la te-pu#-usz

11. gu-ba-ri la da-am#-qu2-tim

12. a-na ma-ar szi-ip-ri-ia

13. ta-asz-ku-un#-ma um-ma at-ta-ma

14. szum-ma te-le-qe2-a le-qe2-a

15. szum-ma [la] te#-le-qe2-a at-la-ka

16. ia-ti a-na ki-ma ma-an-ni-im

17. tu-szi-im-ma ni-x-(x)-x-x-ma

18. ki-a-am te-me-sza#-an#-ni

19. ma-ri a-wi-li a-na ki-ma ka-ti

20. a-na ki-si-ia ma-ha-ri-im

21. asz-pu-ra-am-ma

22. tu-me-i-sza-am-ma

23. i-na qa2-qa2-ar na-ak-ri-im

Reverse

1. isz-ti-isz-szu u3 szi-ni-szu

2. ri-qu2-su-nu tu-te-er-ra-am

3. i-na a-li-ik te-el-mu-un

4. ma-an-nu-um sza ki-a-am

5. i-pu-sza-an-ni-i-ma

6. at-ta ma-ar szi-ip-ri-ia tu-me-e-isz

7. a-na ma-<la> ka-as-pi-im

8. sza i-na qa2-ti-ia tu-sze-s,u2-u2

9. ki-a-am ta-da-bu-ub

10. u3 asz-szum-i-ka

11. a-na _e2-gal_-li

12. _1(u) 8(disz) gu2 uruda_ a-na-ku ad-di-in

13. u3 szu-mi-a-bu-um

14. _1(u) 8(disz) gu2 uruda_ i-di-in

15. e-zi-ib sza a-na _e2_ {d}utu

16. ku-nu-uk-ka-am ni-zi-bu

17. a-na wa-ri-im sza-a-ti

18. ki-i te-pu-sza-an-ni

19. ki-si i-na qa2-qa2-ar na-ak-ri

20. tu-uk-ti-il

21. ki-si a-na qa2-ti-ia

22. szu-lu-ma-am e-li-ka i-szu

23. ki-ma an-ni-ki-a-am

24. we-ri-a-am la du-mu-qa2-am

25. la a-ma-ha-ru-ka ta-la-ma-ad

26. i#-na# ki-sa-li-ia

50. isz-ti-na-a u2-na-sa3-aq-ma

51. e#-le-qe2

Left

1. u3 a-na sza tu-me-i-sza-an-ni

2. na-si-ih-ta-am e-pu-usz-ka

English

Tell Ea-nasir: Nanni sends the following message:

When you came, you said to me as follows: "I will give Gimil-Sin (when he comes) fine quality copper ingots." You left then but you did not do what you promised me. You put ingots which were not good before my messenger (Sit-Sin) and said: "If you want to take them, take them; if you do not want to take them, go away!"

What do you take me for, that you treat somebody like me with such contempt? I have sent as messengers gentlemen like ourselves to collect the bag with my money (deposited with you) but you have treated me with contempt by sending them back to me empty-handed several times, and that through enemy territory. Is there anyone among the merchants who trade with Telmun who has treated me in this way? You alone treat my messenger with contempt! On account of that one (trifling) mina of silver which I owe you, you feel free to speak in such a way, while I have given to the palace on your behalf 1,080 pounds of copper, and Umi-abum has likewise given 1,080 pounds of copper, apart from what we both have had written on a sealed tablet to be kept in the temple of Samas.

How have you treated me for that copper? You have withheld my money bag from me in enemy territory; it is now up to you to restore (my money) to me in full.

Take cognizance that (from now on) I will not accept here any copper from you that is not of fine quality. I shall (from now on) select and take the ingots individually in my own yard, and I shall exercise against you my right of rejection because you have treated me with contempt.

Soc'ul'

Cohxauc Ea-nasir: hanr'úzax Nanni jál sutxiux:

Xil eý āhcozr'úz, corxauc jál: "Uc' sehxec Gimil-Sin (xil eý āhr'úz) eylziax xedbet c'an." Cozñéi xil eý í corseñerai. Coxmiuji eylziax āl sutxih en eý xen āhiycualjí (Sit-Sin) cuxauc: "Ih coxxeý coxey, āhcoxey; ih xen coxxeý coxey, āhcozñéi!"

Xen corteirí, āhcují hez'i curiuc' curiuc' xad āhcoren? Sehr'úzax ratspfer' āhxeyjí coil sutxié je āhhandi yail cüa en ne (socnejíl) í corjí hez'i curiuc' āhñéiejax cuder hun' xen' syen je, āhziñuz jen'ire. Xen hazen jux xauauñ'an ne āhxec' Telmun āhharjí hez'i jál? Cozen jál jál āhcorjí hez'i curiuc' sutxih! Un' mina tatniv (réum) āhcorñuyt'eují,

Coh-xauc

2>CL2-tell

Ea-nasir:

Ea-nasir

han-r'úz-ax

CL2>CL4-come-CAUS

Nanni

Nanni

jál

DEM

sutxiux:

message

Coh-xauc {Ea-nasir}: han-r'úz-ax Nanni jál sutxiux:

2>CL2-tell {Ea-nasir} CL2>CL4-come-CAUS Nanni DEM message

Xil

short time

eý

at

āh-coz-r'úz,

REL-2>2-come

cor-xauc

2>1-say

jál:

DEM

Xil eý āh-coz-r'úz, cor-xauc jál:

{short time} at REL-2>2-come 2>1-say DEM

"Uc'

SUBJ

sehxec

1>CL2-give

Gimil-Sin

Gimil-Sin

(xil

short time

eý

at

āhr'úz)

REL-come

eylziax

ingot.PL

xedbet

copper

c'an."

high-quality

"Uc' sehxec {Gimil-Sin} (xil eý āhr'úz) eylziax xedbet c'an."

SUBJ 1>CL2-give {Gimil-Sin} {short time} at REL-come ingot.PL copper {high-quality}

{{interlinear |Coz-ñéi xil eý í cor-señerai. |2>2-leave {short time} at but 2>1-{break promise} ||display-messages=no|italics1=yes|italics2=no|italics3=no}}

Cox-miuji

2>CL3-put

eylziax

ingot.PL

āl

face

sutxih

messenger

en

1.POSS

eý

at

xen

NEG

āh-iy-cual-jí

REL-CL3>CL3-good-ADJ.VBZ

({Sit-Sin})

Sit-Sin

cu-xauc:

2>CL5-say

Cox-miuji eylziax āl sutxih en eý xen āh-iy-cual-jí ({Sit-Sin}) cu-xauc:

2>CL3-put ingot.PL face messenger 1.POSS at NEG REL-CL3>CL3-good-ADJ.VBZ {Sit-Sin} 2>CL5-say

"Ih

if

cox-xeý

2>CL3-want

cox-ey,

2>CL3-take

āh-cox-ey;

REL-2>CL3-take

ih

if

xen

NEG

cox-xeý

2>CL3-want

cox-ey,

2>CL3-take

āh-coz-ñéi!"

REL-2>2-leave

"Ih cox-xeý cox-ey, āh-cox-ey; ih xen cox-xeý cox-ey, āh-coz-ñéi!"

if 2>CL3-want 2>CL3-take REL-2>CL3-take if NEG 2>CL3-want 2>CL3-take REL-2>2-leave

Xen

Q

cor-teirí,

2>1-deem

āh-cu-jí

REL-2>CL5-do

hez'i

ADVZ

curiuc'

contempt

curiuc'

REDUP

xad

PFRM

āh-coren?

REL-COP.2>1

Xen cor-teirí, āh-cu-jí hez'i curiuc' curiuc' xad āh-coren?

Q 2>1-deem REL-2>CL5-do ADVZ contempt REDUP PFRM REL-COP.2>1

{{interlinear |Seh-r'úz-ax ratspfer' āh-xey-jí coil sutxié je āh-han-di yail cüa en ne (soc-nejíl) í cor-jí hez'i curiuc' āh-ñéiej-ax cuder hun' xen' syen je, āh-ziñuz jen'ire. |1>CL2-come-CAUS gentleman REL-{in common}-ADJ.VBZ REFL messenger.PL for REL-CL2>CL3-collect bag money with 1.POSS 1>2-{entrust with} but 2>1-do ADVZ contempt REL-return-CAUS many COP.CL2>CL5 nothing COP.1>1 to REL-{go through} {enemy territory} ||display-messages=no|italics1=yes|italics2=no|italics3=no}}

Xen

Q

hazen

COP.CL2>CL2

jux

any

xauauñ'an

merchant.PL

ne

among

āh-xec'

REL-trade

Telmun

Telmun

āh-har-jí

REL-CL2>1-do

hez'i

ADVZ

jál?

DEM

Xen hazen jux xauauñ'an ne āh-xec' Telmun āh-har-jí hez'i jál?

Q COP.CL2>CL2 any merchant.PL among REL-trade Telmun REL-CL2>1-do ADVZ DEM

Cozen

COP.2>2

jál

one

jál

REDUP

āh-cor-jí

REL-2>1-do

hez'i

ADVZ

curiuc'

contempt

sutxih!

messenger

Cozen jál jál āh-cor-jí hez'i curiuc' sutxih!

COP.2>2 one REDUP REL-2>1-do ADVZ contempt messenger

you feel free to speak in such a way, while I have given to the palace on your behalf 1,080 pounds of copper, and Umi-abum has likewise given 1,080 pounds of copper, apart from what we both have had written on a sealed tablet to be kept in the temple of Samas.

How have you treated me for that copper? You have withheld my money bag from me in enemy territory;

it is now up to you to restore (my money) to me in full.

Take cognizance that (from now on) I will not accept here any copper from you that is not of fine quality. I shall (from now on) select and take the ingots individually in my own yard, and I shall exercise against you my right of rejection because you have treated me with contempt.