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) 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

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 jál

only

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 only REL-2>1-do ADVZ contempt 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

Un' mina tatniv (réum) je āh-cor-ñuyt'eu-jí, āh-coz-c'ua c'e c'e coz-xauc hez'i jál, xil ne miu setn-xec xedbet iamanad cú xeuayan nu āh-suén je, miu han-xec hez'i xey {Umi-abum} xedbet iamanad cú, hez'i hian-jí ez'e syen ej āh-cu-xañ'-(i)ý-ax xad zíuxañ' mayai eý āh-jiyan'-(i)ý xíc'eu Samas eý je.

COP.CL5>CL5 mina silver pitiful for REL-2>1-{financial debt}-ADJ.VBZ REL-2>2-think ABIL REDUP 2>2-say ADVZ DEM {short time} with PROG 1>CL3-give copper iamanad six xeuayan CL1.POSS REL-COP.1>2 for PROG CL2>CL3-give ADVZ share {Umi-abum} copper iamanad six ADVZ split-ADJ.VBZ NZ COP.1>1 two REL-1>CL5-write-PASS-CAUS PFRM tablet covered at REL-keep-PASS temple Samas at for

Xen

Q

r'úiad

way

āh-cor-jí

REL-2>1-do

jál

DEM

xebdet

copper

je?

for

Xen r'úiad āh-cor-jí jál xebdet je?

Q way REL-2>1-do DEM copper for

Cor-jemyai

2>1-withhold

yail

bag

cüa

money

jen'ire

enemy territory

eý

at

āh-syen

REL-COP.1>1

xenuz;

from

Cor-jemyai yail cüa jen'ire eý āh-syen xenuz;

2>1-withhold bag money {enemy territory} at REL-COP.1>1 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

uc' un' ez'e jí nuj āh-cor-lauax hez'i jutxux (cüa) en.

SUBJ COP.CL5>CL5 NZ do 2.POSS REL-2>1-restore ADVZ all money 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

DEM

eý

at

xebdet

copper

jux

any

xen

NEG

āh-c'an-jí.

REL-{high-quality}-ADJ.VBZ

Coz-āz-(i)ý xen (jir' jir') āh-setn-yaual hej jál eý xebdet jux xen āh-c'an-jí.

2>2-show-PASS NEG INCH.CONT REDUP REL-1>CL3-accept 2.INAL DEM at copper any NEG 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}}