Literature:Complaint tablet to Ea-nāṣir
 |
| Songs & poems |
|---|
| Stories & legends |
| Fables & declarations |
| Religious texts |
| Word-list templates |
|
| Relays |
|
Starlings' Song |
| Library portal |
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
Akkadian[1]
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[2]
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) je āhcorñuyt'eují, āhcozc'ua c'e c'e cozxauc hez'i jál, xil ne miu setnxec xedbet iamanad cú xeuayan nu āhsuén je, miu hanxec hez'i xey Umi-abum xedbet iamanad cú, hez'i hianjí ez'e syen ej āhcuxañ'iýax xad zíuxañ' mayai eý āhjiyan'iý xíc'eu Samas eý je.
Xen r'úiad āhcorjí jál xebdet je? Corjemyai yail cüa jen'ire eý āhsyen xenuz; uc' un' ez'e jí nuj āhcorlauax hez'i jutxux (cüa) en.
Cozāziý xen (jir' jir') āhsetnyaual hej jál eý xebdet jux xen āhc'anjí. Uc' (jir' jir') setnhiandoc' setnídui setney eylziax eñjar en eý, āhsocjí hez'i yanux az' en āhun' je āhcorjí hez'i curiuc'.
Coh-xauc
2>CL2-tell
Ea-nasir:
Ea-nasir
han-r'úz-ax
CL2>CL4-come-CAUS
Nanni
Nanni
jál
DEM
sutxiux:
message
Xil eý
when
āh-coz-r'úz,
REL-2>2-come
cor-xauc
2>1-say
jál:
DEM
"Uc'
SUBJ
sehxec
1>CL2-give
Gimil-Sin
Gimil-Sin
({xil
when
eý}
REL-come
āhr'úz)
ingot.PL
eylziax
copper
xedbet
high-quality
c'an."
Mismatch in the number of words between lines: 9 word(s) in line 1, 8 word(s) in line 2 (help);
{{interlinear
|Coz-ñéi {xil eý} í cor-señerai.
|2>2-leave then 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
"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
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
{{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
Cozen
COP.2>2
jál jál
only
āh-cor-jí
REL-2>1-do
hez'i
ADVZ
curiuc'
contempt
sutxih!
messenger
Un'
COP.CL5>CL5
mina
mina
tatniv
silver
(réum)
pitiful
je
for
āh-cor-ñuyt'eu-jí,
REL-2>1-{financial
āh-coz-c'ua
debt}-ADJ.VBZ
c'e
REL-2>2-think
c'e
ABIL
coz-xauc
REDUP
hez'i
2>2-say
jál,
ADVZ
xil
DEM
ne
short time
miu
with
setn-xec
PROG
xedbet
1>CL3-give
iamanad
copper
cú
iamanad
xeuayan
six
nu
xeuayan
āh-suén
CL1.POSS
je,
REL-COP.1>2
miu
for
han-xec
PROG
hez'i
CL2>CL3-give
xey
ADVZ
Umi-abum
share
xedbet
Umi-abum
iamanad
copper
cú,
iamanad
hez'i
six
hian-jí
ADVZ
ez'e
split-ADJ.VBZ
syen
NZ
ej
COP.1>1
āh-cu-xañ'-(i)ý-ax
two
xad
REL-1>CL5-write-PASS-CAUS
zíuxañ'
PFRM
mayai
tablet
eý
covered
āh-jiyan'-(i)ý
at
xíc'eu
REL-keep-PASS
Samas
temple
eý
Samas
je.
at
for
Mismatch in the number of words between lines: 46 word(s) in line 1, 47 word(s) in line 2 (help);
Xen
Q
r'úiad
way
āh-cor-jí
REL-2>1-do
jál
DEM
xebdet
copper
je?
for
Cor-jemyai
2>1-withhold
yail
bag
cüa
money
jen'ire
enemy territory
eý
at
āh-syen
REL-COP.1>1
xenuz;
from
uc'
SUBJ
un'
COP.CL5>CL5
ez'e
NZ
jí
do
nuj
2.POSS
āh-cor-lauax
REL-2>1-restore
hez'i
ADVZ
jutxux
all
(cüa)
money
en.
1.DAT
Coz-āz-(i)ý
2>2-show-PASS
xen
NEG
(jir'
INCH.CONT
jir')
REDUP
āh-setn-yaual
REL-1>CL3-accept
hej
2.INAL
jál eý
here
xebdet
copper
jux
any
xen
NEG
āh-c'an-jí.
REL-{high-quality}-ADJ.VBZ
{{interlinear
|Uc' (jir' jir') setn-hiandoc' setn-ídui setn-ey eylziax eñjar en eý, āh-soc-jí hez'i yanux az' en āh-un' je āh-cor-jí hez'i curiuc'.
|SUBJ INCH.CONT REDUP 1>CL3-choose 1>CL3-{do individually} 1>CL3-take ingot.PL yard 1.POSS at REL-1>2-do ADVZ freedom reject 1.POSS REL-COP.CL5>CL5 ADVZ contempt
||display-messages=no|italics1=yes|italics2=no|italics3=no}}
- ^ "UET 5, 0081 Artifact Entry." (2010) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). February 1, 2023. https://cdli.ucla.edu/P414985.
- ^ Oppenheim, Adolf. Letters from Mesopotamia: Official Business, and Private Letters on Clay Tablets from Two Millennia. United Kingdom: University of Chicago Press, 1967.