Two Women B

(1) (Mrs. A:) “Where are you coming from again?”

(2) (Gašankuzu/Ninkuzu=G/N:)“You shan’t fight with me! Your repartee can’t beat mine (anyway).”

(3) (Mrs A:) “Why should I not fight with you? What have I done to you?”

(4) (G/N:) “You have fought violently (before), (but) I’ve paid you back. (Still) I can’t sleep because of you.”

(5) (Mrs. A:) “What?! Liar! Your words are slanderous.

(6) Well, (then) I’ll also put (to use) my falseness (from now on).”

(7) (G/N:) Sum.: “If you yourself are going to put (to use) your falseness, Akk.: If you yo[urself are going to put (to use) your] falsene[ss],

(8) it’s you (who) will not be allowed to come near the house. (But) my falseness [(...)] she will prosecute.” Akk.: it’s you who [...] house? [...].

(9) (Mrs. A:)“If you lie, I will surpass you in humanity.”

(10) (G/N:) “Are you my rival?! [...] As regards ancestry, do you surpass a single person?!”

(11) (Mrs. A:) Sum.: “Pretty one, why should I not be your rival?!“ Akk.: “Pretty one, why [...]”

(12) Sum.: “Even though you have dolled yourself up, it will be me (who) will have pushed you under water (i.e. triumphed over you?). Look, look!” Akk.: “As soon as/Because you have dolled yourself up, should I sink [under? water?] (because of that)?! [Look!?]”

(13) (G/N:) “Slave girl of the (entire) city quarter, at everyone’s service, everybody’s child!

(14) Serving as factotum, unable to sleep for (worry about) their (her masters’) catering!

(15) I will (now) put (to use) (all) my pretty looks.”

(16) (Mrs. A:)“Roaming the city, roaming the harbour, entering all houses!

(17) The house she entered, she took in possession;

(18) Of this house she took control.

(19) Spouse she turned hostile towards spouse;

(20) Children she wrested from mothers.

(21) She instigated quarrel between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law.

(22) (For this alone) you are (already) defeated.”

(23) (G/N:) “Robber of her own house! Dog of her own trough!

(24) Mongoose of her own basket! She has heaped up the catch of the fisherman (therein).

(25) Shaking the ..., (her) hand is smeared with blood.

(26) Opening the storehouse; she has repeatedly approached the slaves.

(27) (She is) someone who always brings the ladder instead of the spindle into the house!

(28) Now you’re upset about that.”

(29) (Mrs. A:)“Half (her) skull being shorn, lips being rubbed with salt!

(30) Having no shame, child of scorned people!

(31) (Leading others down a) slippery slope, always scorning (them) among people (i.e. in public?)!

(32) Her mouth has been punished!

(33) (Whose) ribs will be flogged, (whose) shoulder will be flogged! Now you (already) stand convicted.”

(34) (G/N:) “Eating stolen pigs; who’s holding a stolen piglet in her hand!

(35) Always stealing (from) my side, always eating something! (Her) hand has been caught in the act!

(36) Creeping about like the night, taking the bowl with the grains cake from the oven!

(37) She has a big mouth, she just can’t stop herself.

(38) One can never shut her up.

(39) Can you (really) talk back to me?!”

(40) (Mrs. A:) “Devouring soup, burning (entire) beams (instead of brushwood), wasting oil, opening the mouth wide!

(41) She didn’t establish the women’s quarters, she didn’t manage the household properly.

(42) She kept her husband short, she only supplied him with clothes of bad quality.

(43) Why (then) are you (so) arrogant?!”

(44) (G/N:) “Always pressing oil, permanently roasting barley, constantly baking deceptively big breads!

(45) Worker, child of misery, offspring of paupers!

(46) Scorned person, unreliable woman!

(47) Now (look)! You have crept in through the window to (meet) men.”

(48) (Mrs. A:) “Her (ever so) pure womb is finished – (it means) financial loss for her house!

(49) Sum.: Always buying beer, always eating ready-made food! Akk.: [...] ready-made (food).

(50) Don’t you say “everything is plenty,” (even though in reality) you’re incurring losses?

(51) Your husband has no clothes to wear, you yourself are wearing rags:

(52) Your butt sticks out from them.

(53) One litre of barley is all you find.

(54) One can’t stop her from constantly buying beer (and) bringing ready-made food.

(55) And you, you belong to womankind?!”

(56) (G/N:) “Always scorning men (and) slighting women!

(57) Constantly slandering, constantly pummelling the head with fists!

(58) Always uttering hostilities, always exchanging fraudulent words!

(59) Who always surrenders the house to amusements, who does not let the man live in a house worthy of him!

(60) And you, you are a human being?!”

(61) (Mrs. A:) “Drawing water, muddying water! Grinding flour non-stop!

(62) She pounded (the grain), she shredded it, she ground it.

(63) She baked (the bread) – (and) burned it completely.

(64) Whatever she touched she ruined completely.

(65) Can you reply anything at all to that?!”

(66) (G/N:) “She knows no limit, she is not fit for womanhood:

(67) She cannot comb wool, she cannot operate a spindle.

(68) Her hand doesn’t keep up with work: (the minute) she’s entered, she is (already) going (home again). (The results) is of bad quality.

(69) As soon as she is standing about on the street, she is insulting non-stop.

(70) As soon as he has inverted praise, [...].

(71) As soon as she has turned to the assembly, they will flog her.

(72) As soon as she has contested (the first verdict), she (says) shamelessly: ‘It is me who’s rendering the verdict!’ (and) laughs.

(73) This is the insult I am uttering about her.”

(74) (Mrs. A:) “She is a false witness!

(75) Persecutor, mouth/tooth/nose/voice of (or: against) humanity!

(76) Person, who (purportedly) treats (others) as colleagues, person of broken promises!

(77) Without (having) a legal case, a cloth is spread out for her.

(78) She denounces the person, who (really) has a legal case (and) [who turned(?)] to the assembly.

(79) She is confused, she is restless, she is constantly searching, she is [...].

(80) After she has made herself available to people who have a legal case (and) who ‘bought’ her, they will find out about the affair.

(81) ‘A trap!’ she (says) full of hatred – (but) they will (still) find out about the affair.

(82) After they have received a bribe, they will let her go.

(83) And you, you belong to womankind?!”

(84) (G/N:) Sum.: “The house where there is beer, she is its jug. Akk.: [The house] where there is [beer], (you are) its jug.

(85) Sum.: The house where there is soup, she is its ladle. Akk.: The house where there are soup tureens, (you are) its ladle.

(86) Sum.: The house where there is food, she is its chief cook. Akk.: The house where there is food, (you are its) (female) chief cook.

(87) Sum.: She is asking after a house whose ‘hand’ is very moist. Akk.: You are searching for a house, whose ‘hand’ is huge.

(88) Sum.: You establish neighbourhood with its (or: these) inhabitants. Akk.: You take this (female) citizen as neighbour.

(89) Sum.: She enters this house straightaway. Akk.: You entered this house straightaway.

(90) Sum.: She sweeps the house (and) sprinkles it with water. Akk.: You (first) tidied up this [house] (and then) sprinkled it (with water).

(91) Sum.: She’s bossing around, she has a big mouth. Akk.: You’re bossing around, you have a big mouth.

(92) Sum.: (Of) slave girl, housekeeper, daughter-in-law, child of the house, Akk.: [(Of) slave girl], housekeeper, daughter-in-law, daughter of the house,

(93) Sum.: she makes their laps tremble. Akk: she smashes their laps.

(94) Sum.: ‘You shall not take it! It belongs to me,’ she says to them. Akk.: ‘You shall not take it! It belongs to me,’ you said.

(95) Sum.: And you, you are a human being?!”

(96) (Mrs. A:) “The pigsty is her house, the oven is her best room.

(97) The door to her house is a thin reed door.

(97a) This lowly thing(?) [...] is her bed.

(98) The lower grindstone is her husband, the upper grindstone is her child.

(99) Wife of a slave, eating (nothing but) ...!

(100) Nursed by slave girls, born among slaves!

(101) House established by slave girls, erected by slaves!

(102) And you, you belong to womankind?!”

(103) (G/N:) “Lunatic, (completely) mad imbecile, turning everything topsy-turvy!

(104) Changing the mouth, averting the eyes, person of evil!

(105) Insulter! The word in this mouth is ‘discarded’!

(106) Informant, murderer, pig from a canebrake! Dog putting people to flight!

(107) Uttering arrogant words, she is restless, a bastard child!

(108) This slave hairstyle is being addressed!

(109) (Can) you invent something like my insults?!“

(110) (Mrs. A:) Sum.: “Always standing about in the streets, always prowling about in the alleys! Akk.: The one who is always standing about in the streets, who is always prowling about in the alleys!

(111) Sum.: Always sitting about on the thresholds of the people! Akk.: The one who is always sitting about on the thresholds of the people!

(112) Sum.: In the houses of the people you have found out what’s going on. Akk.: In the house of the citizen you find out what’s going on.

(113) Sum.: The wives of the men (and) the children of the men, who live in the city quarter, can’t sleep because of you. Akk.: The wives of the men (and) the daughters of the men, who live in the city quarter, can’t sleep because of you.

(114) Sum.: In order to instigate quarrel between neighbours, Akk.: You instigate quarrel between neighbours.

(115) Sum.: her ears are pricked up, her eyes are bulging. Akk.: Your ears are pricked up, your eyes are bulging.

(116) Sum.: Does she establish a friendship between the two of them?! Akk.: Do you establish a friendship between the two of them?!

(117) Sum.: (No,) she instigates quarrel between them! Akk.: (No,) you instigate quarrel between them!

(118) Sum.: She accuses them of things they never said. Akk.: You accuse her of things she never said.

(119) Sum.: She has spoken – they postpone it for confirmation. Akk.: You have spoken: Prove it! – They postpone it.

(120) And you, you belong to womankind?!”

(121) (G/N:) “Destroying the house, destroying the city, [...]! she returned again and again.

(122) Paying back from the debt, [...] silver [...]!

(123) Tearing (her hair) out because of lice, dying of starvation!

(124) Her tongue [...]!

(125) This(?) lowly thing(?) [...] (is) her bed.

(126) Thin beer [...] I want to sit!

(127) Among the sellers/buyers (she is) a dealer, robber of humanity!

(128) Rabble-rouser, (who) constantly spreads lies among the young men of the city!

(129) The young girls, who live in the city quarter, can’t sleep because of her.

(130) Are you my rival?!”

(131) (Mrs. A:) “Spoiling the debate with excessive words!

(132) Haughty woman (with) worthless lips, arrogant (and) constantly instigating quarrel!

(133) Squaller, croaker, lacking wit!

(134) In her house (she is) evil (or: Destroying [the property] of her house), she is not fit for the women’s quarters.

(135) Prowling around is her lot.

(136) Only eating (and) sleeping, seeking taboos, scratching her butt!

(137) Sum.: How much longer do you want to fight with me?!” Akk.: Until when [...] quarrel [...]?!

(138) (G/N:) Sum.: “Visage of old women, appearance of slave girls! Akk.: Eyes of slave girl, appearance of slave girls!

(139) Square skull (but) thin hair, bald head (but) broad half (of head)!

(140) The (poor) husband of the bat loses (his) wits and courage (over her).

(141) Broad forehead, constantly blinking eyes, swollen nose, ‘thick’ lip!

(142) Do you (really still want to) fight with me?!”

(143) (Mrs. A:) “Wicked, unworthiest of women!

(144) Pallid, oozing pus from within!

(145) Black one from Meluḫḫa, figurine of cheap flour!

(146) Liar! Person who has not accomplished anything!

(147) Long hip, bloated belly, thick neck, sagging breast!

(148) Distorted buttocks, (too) small vulva, (but) extremely long pubic hair!

(149) Thick genitals, person (with) blocked up, sick womb!

(150) Sum.: ... side of the foot, ... foot! Akk.: [...] swollen [...]!

(151) You really aren’t made to fight with me.”

(152) (G/N:) Sum.: “The whore! She kept spreading lies in the ešdam. Whenever she is married, she is instantly divorced again! Akk.: [Whore in/of the] ešdam, [(...)] spreader of [l]ies! [..]

(153) Liar, pursuer of men!

(154) This vulva is being mounted – mother giving birth on a daily basis!

(155) Dog raising (its) paw, (always) after men!

(156) The young men, who live in the city quarter, can’t sleep because of her.

(157) ...”

(158) (Mrs. A:) “My strength? may? be equal? [...].

(159) My house (is) like her house, m[y] spouse (is) like [her spouse.]

(160) <My> child (is) like her child.

(161) We insulted each other mutually.

(162) [She called me a] ‘whore,’ [she caused my husband to divorce me. (Grant me a just verdict!)].

(163) Assemb[ly ...].