STT 1, 038 [Poor Man of Nippur]

A young man, a citizen of Nippur, needy and poor,

Gimil-Ninurta was his name, a very unfortunate man,

Was living in his city Nippur in great misery:

He had no silver, as appropriate to his fellow men,

Gold he did not have, as appropriate to people;

His grain-bins were deprived of pure grain.

For want of bread, his innards2 were burnt,

For want of meat and first-class beer, unfortunate was his appearance.

Every day, in the absence of a meal, he slept hungrily.

He was clothed in garments without a change.

With his unfortunate heart he pondered:

"I will strip off my garments without a change,

"(And) on the square of my city Nippur, I will by a ram."

(So) he stripped off his garments without a change,

(And) on the square of his city Nippur, he bought a three-year-old goat.

With his unfortunate heart he pondered:

"Perhaps I could slaughter the goat in my yard,

"(But then) there would be no meal (for) where is the beer?

"The neighbours in my city quarter would hear (of it) and be angry,

"Family and clan would be offended with me.

"(No,) I will take the goat and bring it to the house of the mayor.

"I will wish3 all the best for his stomach."

Gimil-Ninurta grasped the neck of his goat,

(And) he [...] to the gate of the burgomaster of Nippur.

To Tukulti-Ellil, the keeper of the gate, he said:

"Say that I want to enter and see Mr Mayor!"

The gatekeeper said to his master:

"My lord, a citizen of Nippur is waiting at your gate,

"And as greeting-gift (and) present he has brought you a goat."

The burgomaster became angry [with the gatekeeper] Tukulti-Ellil (and said):

"Why is a citizen of Nippur [...] at the gate?"

The gatekeeper [...] to ....

Gimil-Ninurta, as his heart rejoiced, [entered into] the presence of the burgomaster.

When Gimil-Ninurta entered into the presence of Mr Mayor,

In his left hand he grasped the neck of his goat,

With his right hand he greeted the mayor:

"May Enlil and Nippur bless the mayor!

"May Ninurta and Nusku make [him] (and) and his descendants flourish!"

The burgomaster said to the citizen of Nippur:

"What is the wrong done to you4 that you bring me a present?"

Gimil-Ninurta repeated his desire5 to the mayor of Nippur.

"Every day, in the absence of a meal, I sleep hungrily,

"(So) [I] stripped off my garments without a change,

"(And) [on the square] of my city Nippur, I bought a three-year-old goat.

"[To] my oppressed heart I said thus:

" '[Perhaps] I could slaughter the goat in my yard,

"[(But then) there would] be no meal (for) where is the beer?

"The neighbours in my city quarter [would hear (of it)] and be angry,

"[Family and] clan would be offended with me.

"(No,) I will bring the goat [to the house] of the mayor.'

"[...] ... my furious heart.

[...] ... the butcher cries out at night.

[...] ... and may they be captured.

[...] ... may the table be very plentiful [...]

[...] ... may they consider.

[...] ... he shouted.

[...] ... [...]

"Give him, the citizen of Nippur, a bone and a sinew,

"Give him [beer] (diluted to) one-third to drink in your rhyton,

"Chase him away and expel him from the gate!"

He gave him, the citizen of Nippur, a bone and a sinew,

He gave him [beer] (diluted to) one-third to drink in his rhyton,

He chased him away and expelled him from the gate.

As Gimil-Ninurta was leaving the gate,

He said to the gatekeeper, the keeper of the gate:

"Greetings of the gods for your master! Say to him thus:

" 'Because of the one burden6 which you imposed on me

"For that one, I will requite you three times!' "

(When) the burgomaster heard (this), he laughed all day.

Gimil-Ninurta (now) set his face towards the ruler's palace,

"By the order of the king, the prince and the military governor will settle a just case."

When Gimil-Ninurta entered into the presence of the ruler,

He prostrated himself and kissed the ground before him,

He raised his hands to greet the king of the world.

"O lord, pride7 of the people, king whose lamassu-deity is splendid.

"May they give me one chariot at your command!

"That, for one day, whatever I wish for, I may achieve (my) desire.

"For my day, my debt8 will be one mina of red gold."

The ruler did not ask him: "What is your desire

"That you want to parade a whole day in one chariot?"

They gave him a new chariot, as appropriate to noblemen,

They tied a sash on him ... [...] him.

He mounted the new chariot, as appropriate to noblemen,

(And) set his face towards his city Duranki (= Nippur).

(En route) Gimil-Ninurta caught two birds,

Gathered (them) into a box9 and sealed it with his seal.

(Then) he moved on to the gate of the burgomaster of Nippur.

The mayor went outside into his presence:

"Who are you, my lord, that you are travelling at dusk?"

"The king, your lord, sent me to the centre of Duranki (= Nippur).

"I have brought gold for the Ekur, Ellil's temple."

The burgomaster slaughtered a ram to make an abundant meal.

Ditto (the burgomaster) said to him, in his presence: "Woe, I am tired!"

Gimil-Ninurta was on his guard at the head of the burgomaster (through) one watch of the night.

The burgomaster, in his weariness, was overcome by sleep.10

Secretly, Gimil-Ninurta stood up in the middle of the night and

Opened the lid of that box; the birds flew off to the heavens.

The burgomaster, at the rising of the morning star ... and ... the box.

"The lid of the box is open and the gold is taken away!"

Gimil-Ninurta, [with] his wailing heart, rent his attire,

He fell on top of the mayor and made him lift his hands [in prayer].11

From his head to the soles of his feet,

he thrashed his limbs (and) inflicted grief upon him.

The mayor beneath him12 pleaded for himself and cried out:

"My lord, do not destroy a citizen of Nippur!

"Do not stain your hands with the blood of a protégé, taboo of Ellil!"

They gave him as a gift 2 minas of red gold,

Instead of his attire which he had rent, he gave him others.

As Gimil-Ninurta was leaving the gate,

He said to Tukulti-Ninurta, the keeper of the gate:

"Greetings of the gods for your master! Say to him thus:

" 'Because of the one burden which [you imposed upon me,]

"I have requited you one, [two remain].' "

The mayor heard (this) and [...] all day.

Gimil-Ninurta [...] into the presence of the barber,

He shaved off all (his) hair on the left side [...].

He filled a blackened bowl [...].

He [...] to the gate of Mr Mayor of Nippur.

(And) said to the gatekeeper, the keeper of the gate:

"Say that I want to enter and see [...]."

"Who are you that you should see [...]?"

"A physician, born in Isin, examiner [...],

"Where illness and suffering in the body [...]."

When Gimil-Ninurta entered into the presence of Mr Mayor,

He showed him his wound13 where he had thrashed his body.

The burgomaster said to his eunuchs: "The physician is competent."

"My lord, my treatments (only) succeed in darkness."14

Where access is blocked, a very dark way,

He made him enter, and in the inaccessible room,

Where friends and companions could not show him mercy,

He threw the bowl into the fire,

And drove five pegs into the solid ground.

He tied his hands, feet and head (to them).

From (his) head to the soles of his feet, he thrashed his limbs (and) inflicted grief upon him.

As Gimil-Ninurta was leaving the gate,

He said to Tukulti-Ellil, the keeper of the gate:

"Greetings of the gods for your master! Say to him thus:

" 'Because of the one burden which you imposed upon me,

"I have requited you a second (time), one remains.' "

Gimil-Ninurta was very distressed; like a dog, he raised his ears,

He examined the entirety of the black-headed ones (and) watched all the people.

He looked at one young man, ... [...] ... anything ....

He gave him as his gift [...] ...:

"Go to the gate of [Mr] Mayor [...] cry out

"so that all the extensive [people] may gather at your cry:

" 'I am making my way back to the gate of the burgomaster! I am the one with the goat!' "

(Meanwhile) [Gimil-Ninurta] was lying in wait beneath the bridge, like a dog.

At the cry of the young man, Mr Mayor went outside,

He sent out the personnel of his house, female and male,

And they flew off, in their totality, to look for the young man.

While they were all ditto (looking for the young man),

Mr Mayor ... [...] on his own in the countryside.

Gimil-Ninurta sprang out from beneath the bridge (and) seized Mr Mayor.

He fell on top of Mr Mayor, (and) made him lift his hands in prayer.

From his head to the soles of his feet,

[He thrashed his limbs (and)] inflicted [grief] upon him.

"[Because of the one burden which you] imposed upon me,

"I have requited you [three] times."

[He left] him and went out into the open country,

The mayor, crawling, entered into the city.15

[...] written and checked.

[...] Nabu-rehtu-uṣur,

scribal apprentice, member of the mummu-institution

of Nabu-ahu-iddina, eunuch,

for the viewing of Qurdi-Nergal.

Whoever takes away (this tablet), may Ea take him away!

At the command of Nabu, who lives in Ezida,

may he have no descendants, no offspring.

In the month Addaru (XII), on the 21st day, eponymate of Hanani (701 BC),

the provincial governor of Til-Barsip.

Do not take away the tablets!

Do not disperse the library!

Taboo of Ea, the king of the Apsu.