310-320 "I am one who, sitting in a debtors prison among its inmates, can make no extravagant claims. In that place I approached the Lord for the sake of His city -- I weep bitterly. I approached the Lord for the sake of His house -- I weep bitterly. I approached Him for the sake of His destroyed house -- I weep bitterly. I approached Him for the sake of His destroyed city -- I weep bitterly. Woe is me, I shall say "Fate of my city, bitter is the fate of my city". I, the lady, shall say "O my destroyed house, bitter is the fate of my house". O my brick-built Urim which has been flooded, which has been washed away, O my good house, my city which has been reduced to ruin mounds, in the debris of your destroyed righteous house, I shall lie down alongside you. Like a fallen bull, I will never rise up from your wall.

321-327 "Woe is me, untrustworthy was your building, and bitter your destruction. I am the woman at whose shrine Urim the food offerings have been terminated. O my Agrun-kug, the all-new house whose charms never sated me, O my city no longer regarded as having been built -- devastated for what reason? O my house both destroyed and devastated -- devastated for what reason? Nobody at all escaped the force of the storm ordered in judgment. O my house in Urim, bitter was its destruction."

329 "Alas, my city, alas, my house."

331-341 O lady, how is your heart ......! How you have become! O lady, how is your heart ......! How you have become! O good woman whose city has been destroyed, now how do you exist? O lady whose Land has perished, how is your heart ......! After your city has been destroyed, now how do you exist? After your house has been destroyed, how is your heart ......! Your city has become a strange city, now how do you exist? Your house has turned to tears, how is your heart ......! You are not a bird of your city which has been reduced to ruin mounds. You cannot live there as a resident in your good house given over to the pickaxe. You cannot act as lady of a people led off to slaughter.

342-347 Your tears have become strange tears, your Land no longer weeps. With no lamentation prayers, it dwells in foreign lands. Your Land like ....... Your city has been made into ruins; now how do you exist? Your house has been laid bare, how is your heart ......! Urim, the shrine, is haunted by the breezes, now how do you exist?

348-358 Its priest no longer walks in his wig, how is your heart ......! Its high priest no longer lives in the sanctuary, now how do you exist? The priest who cherishes purification rites makes no purification rites for you. Your priest does not make perfect holy supplications. Your priest does not dress in linen in your holy giguna shrine. Your righteous high priest chosen in your ardent heart, he of the E-kic-nu-jal, does not proceed joyously from the shrine to the sanctuary. The singing priests do not celebrate the festivals in your house of festivals. They do not play for you the cem and ala instruments which gladden the heart, nor the tigi. The black-headed people do not bathe during your festivals. Like ...... mourning has been decreed for them; their appearance has indeed changed.

359-368 Your song has been turned into weeping before you -- how long will this last? Your tigi music has been turned into lamentation before you -- how long will this last? Your bull is not brought into its pen, its fat is not prepared for you. Your sheep does not live in its fold, its milk is not made abundant for you. Your fat carrier does not come to you from the cow-pen -- how long will this last? Your milk carrier does not come to you from the sheepfold -- how long will this last? An evildoer has seized your fisherman who was carrying fish -- how long will this last? Lightning carried off your fowler who was carrying birds -- how long will this last? The teme plants grow in the middle of your watercourses which were once suitable for barges, and mountain thornbushes grow on your roads which had been constructed for waggons.

369-377 My lady, your city weeps before you as its mother. Urim, like a child lost in a street, seeks a place before you. Your house, like a man who has lost everything, stretches out its hands to you. Your brick-built righteous house, like a human being, cries "Where are you?". My lady, you have indeed left the house, you have left the city. How long will you stand aside from your city like an enemy? You confronted your city like an enemy. Although you are a lady who loves her city, you abandoned your sheepfold. Although you are one who cares for her Land, you set it on fire.

378-386 Lady, return like a bull to your cattle-pen, like a sheep to your fold, like a bull to your cattle-pen of former days, like a sheep to your fold. My lady, like a young child to your room, return to your house. May God declare "Enough!" to you. May God, King of all the lands, decree your fate. May He restore your city for you -- exercise its stewardship! May He restore Nibru for you -- exercise its stewardship! May He restore Urim for you -- exercise its stewardship! May He restore Isin for you -- exercise its stewardship!

388 "My powers have been alienated from me."

390-398 Alas, storm after storm swept the Land together: the great storm of heaven, the ever-roaring storm, the malicious storm which swept over the Land, the storm which destroyed cities, the storm which destroyed houses, the storm which destroyed cow-pens, the storm which burned sheepfolds, which laid hands on the holy rites, which defiled the weighty counsel, the storm which cut off all that is good from the Land, the storm which pinioned the arms of the black-headed people.

400 The storm which does not respect .......

402-410 The storm which knows no mother, the storm which knows no father, the storm which knows no wife, the storm which knows no child, the storm which knows no sister, the storm which knows no brother, the storm which knows no neighbour, the storm which knows no female companion, the storm which caused the wife to be abandoned, which caused the child to be abandoned, the storm which caused the light in the Land to disappear, the storm which swept through, ordered in judgment by God -- O Lord, may that storm swoop down no more on your city. May your black-headed people see it no more.

411-416 May that storm, like rain pouring down from heaven, never recur. May that storm, which struck down all the black-headed living beings of heaven and earth, be entirely destroyed. May the door be closed on it, like the great city-gate at night-time. May that storm not be given a place in the reckoning, may its record be hung from a nail outside the house of God.

418 Until distant days, other days, future days.

420-426 From distant days when the Land was founded, O Lord, the humble people who lay hold of your feet have brought to you their tears for the smitten house, playing music before you. May the black-headed people, cast away from you, make obeisance to you. In your city reduced to ruin mounds may a lament be made to you. O Lord, may your restored city be resplendent before you. Like a bright heavenly star may it not be destroyed, may it pass before you.

427-437 The guardian of a man brings a greeting gift; a supplicant utters prayers to you. O Lord, you who have mercy on the Land -- as concerns him who speaks your heart's desire, O Lord, after you have absolved that man's sin, may your heart be gracious towards him who utters prayers to you. He looks favourably on the man who stands there with his offering. O Lord, you whose penetrating gaze searches hearts, may its people who suffered that evil storm be pure before you. May the hearts of your people who dwell in the Land be pure before you. O Lord, in your restored city may you be fittingly praised.

The Lament for Sumer and Urim

1-2 To overturn the appointed times, to obliterate the divine plans, the storms gather to strike like a flood.

3-11 (and 55) God has decided its fate -- to overturn the powers of Sumer, to lock up the favourable reign in its home, to destroy the city, to destroy the house, to destroy the cattle-pen, to level the sheepfold; that the cattle should not stand in the pen, that the sheep should not multiply in the fold, that watercourses should carry brackish water, that weeds should grow in the fertile fields, that mourning plants should grow in the open country,

12-21 that the mother should not seek out her child, that the father should not say "O my dear wife!", that the junior wife should take no joy in his embrace, that the young child should not grow vigorous on his knee, that the wet-nurse should not sing lullabies; to change the location of kingship, to take kingship away from the Land, to cast the eye of the storm on all the land, to obliterate the plans by the order of God;

22-26 after God had frowned upon all the lands, after He had looked favourably on an enemy land, after the creatures that He had created were scattered, after He had altered the course of the Tigris and Euphrates, after the sun had cast its curse on the roads and highways;

27-37 so as to obliterate the powers of Sumer, to change its preordained plans, to alienate the powers of the reign of kingship of Urim, to humiliate the princely son in his house E-kic-nu-jal, to break up the unity of the people, numerous as ewes; to change the food offerings of Urim, the shrine of magnificent food offerings; that its people should no longer dwell in their quarters, that they should be given over to live in an inimical place; that Cimacki and Elam, the enemy, should dwell in their place; that its shepherd, in his own palace, should be captured by the enemy, that Ibbi-Suen should be taken to the land Elam in fetters, that from Mount Zabu on the edge of the sea to the borders of Ancan, like a swallow that has flown from its house, he should never return to his city;

38-46 that on the two banks of the Tigris and of the Euphrates bad weeds should grow, that no one should set out on the road, that no one should seek out the highway, that the city and its settled surroundings should be razed to ruin-mounds; that its numerous black-headed people should be slaughtered; that the hoe should not attack the fertile fields, that seed should not be planted in the ground, that the melody of the cowherds' songs should not resound in the open country, that butter and cheese should not be made in the cattle-pen, that dung should not be stacked on the ground, that the shepherd should not enclose the sacred sheepfold with a fence, that the song of the churning should not resound in the sheepfold;

47-55 to decimate the animals of the open country, to finish off all living things, that the four-legged creatures of Cakkan should lay no more dung on the ground, that the marshes should be so dry as to be full of cracks and have no new seed, that sickly-headed reeds should grow in the reed-beds, that they should be covered by a stinking morass, that there should be no new growth in the orchards, that it should all collapse by itself -- so as quickly to subdue Urim like a roped ox, to bow its neck to the ground: the great charging wild bull, confident in its own strength, the primeval city of lordship and kingship, built on sacred ground.

56-57 Its fate cannot be changed. Who can overturn it? It is the command of God. Who can oppose it?

58-68 God frightened the very dwellings of Sumer, the people were afraid. God blew an evil storm, silence lay upon the city. The doors of the storehouses of the Land were bolted. The water in the Tigris and the Euphrates was blocked. The pronouncement of equity and justice was taken away. Victory in strife and battle was handed over to a rebellious land. Sumer was poured away like milk to the dogs. Turmoil descended upon the Land, something that no one had ever known, something unseen, which had no name, something that could not be fathomed. The lands were confused in their fear. The guardian of the city turned away, its shepherd vanished.

69-78 The people, in their fear, breathed only with difficulty. The storm immobilised them, the storm did not let them return. There was no return for them, the time of captivity did not pass. What did God, the Shepherd of the black-headed people, do? To destroy the loyal households, to decimate the loyal men, to put the evil eye on the sons of the loyal men, on the first-born, God then sent down Gutium from the mountains. Their advance was as an irresistible flood that cannot be withstood. The great wind of the countryside filled the countryside, it advanced before them. The extensive countryside was destroyed, no one moved about there.

79-92 The dark time was roasted by hailstones and flames. The bright time was wiped out by a shadow. On that bloody day, mouths were crushed, heads were crashed. The storm was a harrow coming from above, the city was struck by a hoe. On that day, heaven rumbled, the earth trembled, the storm worked without respite. Heaven was darkened, it was covered by a shadow; the mountains roared. The sun lay down at the horizon, dust passed over the mountains. The moon lay at the zenith, the people were afraid. The city ...... stepped outside. The foreigners in the city even chased away its dead. Large trees were uprooted, the forest growth was ripped out. The orchards were stripped of their fruit, they were cleaned of their offshoots. The crop drowned while it was still on the stalk, the yield of the grain diminished.

93-103 They piled ...... up in heaps, they spread ...... out like sheaves. There were corpses floating in the Euphrates, brigands roamed the roads. The father turned away from his wife without saying "O my wife!" The mother turned away from her child without saying "O my child!" He who had a productive estate neglected his estate without saying "O my estate!" The rich man took an unfamiliar path away from his possessions. In those days the kingship of the Land was defiled. The tiara and crown that had been on the king's head were both spoiled. The lands that had followed the same path were split into disunity. The food offerings of Urim, the shrine of magnificent food offerings, were changed for the worse. Its people, numerous as ewes, were traded away.

104-111 Its king sat immobilised in the palace, all alone. Ibbi-Suen was sitting in anguish in the palace, all alone. In E-namtila, his place of delight, he wept bitterly. The devastating flood was levelling everything. Like a great storm it roared over the earth -- who could escape it? -- to destroy the city, to destroy the house, so that traitors would lie on top of loyal men and the blood of traitors flow upon loyal men.

113 The storms gather to strike like a flood.

115-122 The house of Kic, Hursaj-kalama, was destroyed. Its guardian took an unfamiliar path away from the beloved dwelling. The lady of the house was lamenting bitterly in her house of Iri-Kug. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly.

"Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly.

123-132 Kazallu, the city of teeming multitudes, was cast into confusion. Its guardian took an unfamiliar path away from the city, the beloved dwelling. The beautiful lady of the city was lamenting bitterly. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly. Its river bed was empty, no water flowed. Like a river cursed its opening channel was dammed up. On the fields fine grains grew no more, people had nothing to eat. The orchards were scorched like an oven, its open country was scattered. The four-legged wild animals did not run about. The four-legged creatures of Cakkan could find no rest.

133-142 The guardian of Marda stepped outside his city. The lady took an unfamiliar path away from her beloved dwelling. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly. Isin, the shrine that was not a quay, was split by onrushing waters. The mother of the Land wept bitter tears. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly. God smote Dur-an-ki with a mace. Lamentation was made in the city, the shrine Nibru. The lady of the Ki-ur shrine wept bitter tears. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly.

143-154 Kec, built all alone on the high open country, was haunted. Adab, the settlement which stretches out along the river, was treated as a rebellious land. The snake of the mountains made his lair there, it became a rebellious land. The Gutians bred there, issued their seed. The mistress wept bitter tears over her creatures. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly. In Zabalam the sacred Giguna was haunted. Unug was abandoned and its protection went off to enemy territory. In the E-ana the enemy set eyes upon the sacred sanctuary. The sacred sanctuary of the high priest was defiled. Its high priest was snatched from the sanctuary and carried off to enemy territory. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly.

155-162 A violent storm blew over Umma, brickwork in the midst of the highlands. Its guardian took an unfamiliar path away from the E-mah, the beloved dwelling. The lady cried bitter tears over her destroyed city. "Oh my city, whose charms can no longer satisfy me," she cried bitterly. Jirsu, the city of heroes, was afflicted with a lightning storm. Its guardian took an unfamiliar path away from the E-ninnu. The lady wept bitter tears in her house of Iri-Kug. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly.

163-173 On that day the word of God was an attacking storm. Who could fathom it? The word of God was destruction on the right, was ...... on the left. What did God do in order to decide the fate of mankind? God brought down the Elamites, the enemy, from the highlands. The noble daughter was settled outside the city. Fire approached the shrine Gu-aba. Large boats were carrying off its silver and lapis lazuli. The sacred lady was despondent because of her perished goods. Then the day ......, burning like ....... The province of Lagac was handed over to Elam. And then the lady also reached the end of her time.

174-184 The lady, as if she were human, also reached the end of her time: "Woe is me! The city has been handed over to the storm. It has been handed over to the storm that destroys cities. It has been handed over to the storm that destroys houses." Kinirca was full of fear. Kinirca, the city of her noble youth, was ordered to be plundered. The city of Nijin was delivered to the foreigners. Sirara, her beloved dwelling, was handed over to the evil ones. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly. Its sacred sanctuary of the high priest was defiled. Its high priest was snatched from the sanctuary and carried off to enemy territory.

185-192 Mighty strength was set against the banks of the Id-nuna-Nanna canal. The settlements of the E-danna, like substantial cattle-pens, were destroyed. Their refugees, like stampeding goats, were chased by dogs. They destroyed Gaec like milk poured out to dogs, and shattered its finely fashioned statues. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly. Its sacred sanctuary of the high priest was defiled. Its high priest was snatched from the sanctuary and carried off to enemy territory.

193-205 A lament was raised at the dais that stretches out toward heaven. Its heavenly throne was not set up, was not fit to be crowned. It was cut down as if it were a date palm and tied together. Accu, the settlement that stretches out along the river, was deprived of water. In the place where evil had never walked, the enemy walked. How was the house treated thus? The E-puhruma was emptied. Ki-abrig, which used to be filled with numerous cows and numerous calves, was destroyed like a mighty cattle-pen. Its guardian took an unfamiliar path away from the Ja-bur. The lady wept bitter tears all alone. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly. Its sacred sanctuary of the high priest was defiled. Its high priest was snatched from the sanctuary and carried off to enemy territory.

206-213 The guardian deposited his weapon in a corner in the E-gida. An evil storm swept over the E-nutura. Like a pigeon she flew from the window, she stood apart in the open country. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly. In Jicbanda, the house that was filled with lamentation, lamentation reeds grew. Its guardian took an unfamiliar path away from Jicbanda. The lady of the city wept bitter tears. "Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly.

214-220 On that day, the storm forced people to live in darkness. In order to destroy Kuara, it forced people to live in darkness. The lady in her fear wept bitter tears. "Alas the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly. Its guardian took an unfamiliar path away from the beloved dwelling. "Alas the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly.

221-224 Eridug, floating on great waters, was deprived of drinking water. In its outer environs, which had turned into haunted plains, ....... The loyal man in a place of treachery ....... Ka-hejala and Igi-hejala .......

225-233 "I, a young man whom the storm has not destroyed, ....... I, not destroyed by the storm, my attractiveness not brought to an end, ....... We have been struck down like beautiful boxwood trees. We have been struck down like ...... with coloured eyes. We have been struck down like statues being cast in moulds. The Gutians, the vandals, are wiping us out. We turned to God in the abzu of Eridug. ...... what can we say, what more can we add? ...... what can we say, what more can we add?

234-242 "...... we have been driven out of Eridug. We who were in charge of ...... during the day are eclipsed by shadows. We who were in charge of ...... during the night are ...... by the storm. How shall we receive among our weary ones him who was in charge during the day? How shall we let him who was in charge by night go astray among our sleepless ones? Your city has been cursed, it has been given to an enemy land. Why do they reckon us among those who have been displaced from Eridug? Why do they destroy us like palm trees, us who were not violent? Why do they break us up, like a new boat that has not ......?"

243-250 After the eyes of the guardian had turned to a foreign land, ...... have risen up, have called on their cohorts. The guardian took an unfamiliar path away from Eridug. The mother of the E-mah wept bitter tears. "Alas the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly. Its sacred sanctuary of the high priest was defiled. Its high priest was snatched from the sanctuary and carried off to enemy territory.

251-259 In Urim no one went to fetch food, no one went to fetch water. Those who went to fetch food, went away from the food and will not return. Those who went to fetch water, went away from the water and will not return. To the south, the Elamites stepped in, slaughtering ....... In the uplands, the vandals, the enemy, ....... The Tidnum daily strapped the mace to their loins. To the south, the Elamites, like an onrushing wave, were ....... In the uplands, like chaff blowing in the wind, they ...... over the open country. Urim, like a great charging wild bull, bowed its neck to the ground.

260-271 What did God, who decides the fates, then do? Again He sent down the Elamites, the enemy, from the mountains. The foremost house, firmly founded, ....... In order to destroy Kisiga, ten men, even five men ....... Three days and three nights did not pass, ...... the city was raked by a hoe. The ruler left Kisiga like a prisoner of war, his hands were fettered.

271-280 She rode away from her possessions, she went to the mountains. She loudly sang out a lament over those brightly lit mountains: "I am lady, but I shall have to ride away from my possessions, and now I shall be a slave in those parts. I shall have to ride away from my silver and lapis lazuli, and now I shall be a slave in those parts. There, slavery, ...... people, who can ...... it? There, slavery, Elam ......, who can ...... it? Alas, the destroyed city, my destroyed house," she cried bitterly. My lady, though not the enemy, went to enemy land. ...... Kisiga. Like a city .......

292-302 God threw open the door of the grand gate to the wind. In Urim no one went to fetch food, no one went to fetch water. Its people rushed around like water being poured from a well. Their strength ebbed away, they could not even go on their way. God afflicted the city with an evil famine. He afflicted the city with that which destroys cities, that which destroys houses. He afflicted the city with that which cannot be withstood with weapons. He afflicted the city with dissatisfaction and treachery. In Urim, which was like a solitary reed, there was not even fear. Its people, like fish being grabbed in a pond, sought to escape. Its young and old lay spread about, no one could rise.

303-317 At the royal station there was no food on top of the platform. The king who used to eat marvellous food grabbed at a mere ration. As the day grew dark, the eye of the sun was eclipsing, the people experienced hunger. There was no beer in the beer-hall, there was no more malt for it. There was no food for him in his palace, it was unsuitable to live in. Grain did not fill his lofty storehouse, he could not save his life. The grain-piles and granaries held no grain. The evening meal in the great dining hall of the temple was defiled. Wine and syrup ceased to flow in the great dining hall. The butcher's knife that used to slay oxen and sheep lay hungry in the grass. Its mighty oven no longer cooked oxen and sheep, it no longer emitted the aroma of roasting meat. The sounds of the bursaj building, the pure ...... were stilled. The house which used to bellow like a bull was silenced. Its holy deliveries were no longer fulfilled, its ...... were alienated. The mortar, pestle and grinding stone lay idle; no one bent down over them.

318-327 The Shining Quay was silted up. The sound of water against the boat's prow ceased, there was no rejoicing. Dust piled up in the unuribanda. The rushes grew, the rushes grew, the mourning reeds grew. Boats and barges ceased docking at the Shining Quay. Nothing moved on your watercourse which was fit for barges. The plans of the festivals at the place of the sacred rituals were altered. The boat with first-fruit offerings no longer brought first-fruit offerings. Its food offerings could not be taken to Nibru. Its watercourse was empty, barges could not travel.