Letter tablet excavated in Mari (mod. Tell Hariri), dated to the Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) period and now kept in National Museum of Syria, Damascus, Syria
Image
© [see publications]
Transliteration
tablet
obverse
1. a-na be-li2-ia qi2-bi2-ma
ts: ana bēliya qibima
en: To my lord speak!
2. um-ma ba-ah-di-{d}iszkur
ts: umma baḫdi-addu
en: Thus Baḫdi-Addu,
3. _ARAD2_-ka-a-ma
ts: waradkama
en: your servant:
4. ha-na-_mesz_ wa-ar-ku-um ik-szu-da-am
ts: ḫanê warkum ikšudam
en: The Hanean rear contingent has arrived;
5. ha-na-_mesz_ pa-nu-um u3 wa-ar-ku-um sza-lim
ts: ḫanê pānum u warkum šalim
en: The Hanean lead and rear contingents are well.
6. u2-ul mu-ur-s,u2-um u2-ul mi-im-ma
ts: ul murṣum ul mimma
en: No sickness, nothing,
7. mi-im-ma hi-t,i3-tum u2-ul i-ba-asz-szi
ts: mimma hiṭītum ul ibašši
en: whatever losses are none,
8. u3 sza sza-ap-ri-im sza-lim
ts: u ša šaprim šalim
en: and the expeditionary force is well.
9. mi-im-ma li-ib-bi be-li2-ia la i-na-a'4-['i2]-id#
ts: mimma libbi bēliya la ina’’id
en: May the heart of my lord not fear at all.
10. sza-ni-tam i-na _kaskal-mesz_ ka-li-szi-na#
ts: šanītam ina harrānī kalîšina
en: Another thing: during all of the expeditions,
11. uz4-na-am sza-ak-na-ku-ma
ts: uznam šaknākuma
en: I am all ears, and
12. ia-ga-a-tum ma-da-a
ts: yagâtum mādā
en: (there are) many worries.
13. i-na-an-na i-na _kaskal_ an-ni-tim
ts: inanna ina harrānim annītim
en: Now, in this expedition
14. uz4-na-am asz-ku-un-ma
ts: uznam aškumma
en: I am listening, and
15. ia-ga-tum u3 mi-im-[ma]
ts: yagâtum u mimma
en: worries or anything,
reverse
1. u2-ul i-ba-asz-[szi]
ts: ul ibašši
en: there is none;
2. s,u2-hu-um-ma me-lu-lu-um-[ma]
ts: ṣuhûmma mēlulumma
en: there is jesting and playing,
3. ki-ma i-na _e2_-ta-ti-szu-nu wa-asz-bu
ts: kīma ina bītātišunu wašbū
en: like staying in their own households,
4. li-ib-ba-szu-nu t,a3-ab
ts: libbašunu ṭāb
en: their hearts are sweet;
5. sza s,i2-ir-mi-im-ma e-pe2-esz
ts: ša ṣirmimma epēš
en: of the endeavor: doing
6. ka-ak-ki-i u3 da-ak na-ak-ri-im-ma
ts: kakkī u dâk nakrimma
en: weapons and killing the enemy,
7. li-ib-bi _ARAD2-mesz_ be-li2-ia i-da-ab-bu-ub
ts: libbī wardī bēliya idabbub
en: the heart of the servants of my lord is speaking.
8. be-li2 lu-u2 ha-di-i
ts: bēlī lū ḫadi
en: May my lord be happy!