The Poem of the Righteous Sufferer (Ludlul bēl nēmeqi), Tablet II, lines 1-55, read by Gebhard J. Selz

By kind permission of Professor B. R. Foster, the translation below is taken from his work Before the Muses: an Anthology of Akkadian Literature (Bethesda, 2005), with minor modifications (most of which follow the translation of W. G. Lambert).

The transcription is based on the transliteration provided in the editio princeps by W. G. Lambert, Babylonian Wisdom Literature (Oxford, 1960 repr. Winona Lake, 1996), with minor modifications.

Owing to differences in Babylonian and English word order, it is not always easy for the English translation to mirror the two half lines of the Babylonian original. When the match is not exact, the translation begins with an asterisk (as e.g. in line 07).

Original Transcript	English Translation
1 akšudma ana balāṭ \| adanna ītiq	1 I survived to the next year, \| the appointed time passed.
2 asaḫḫurma \| lemun lemunma 3 zapurtī ūtaṣṣapa \| išartī ul uttu	2 As I turned around, \| it was more and more terrible; 3 My ill luck was on the increase, \| I could find no good fortune.
4 ila alsīm \| ul iddina pānīšu 5 usalli ištarī \| ul ušaqqâ rēšīša	4 I called to my god, \| but he did not show me his face, 5 I prayed to my goddess, \| but she did not raise her head.
6 bārû ina bīr \| arkat ul iprus 7 ina maššakka šāˀilu \| ul ušāpi dīnī	6 The diviner with his inspection \| did not get to the bottom of it, 7 *Nor did the dream priest with his incense \| clear up my case
8 zaqīqu abālma \| ul upatti uznī 9 mašmaššu ina kikiṭṭê \| kimiltī ul ipṭur	8 I beseeched a dream spirit, \| but it did not enlighten me; 9 And the incantation priest with his ritual \| did not appease the divine wrath against me.
10 ayyīte epšēti \| šanāti mātitān 11 āmurma arkat \| ridâti ippīru	10 What bizarre actions \| there were everywhere! 11 I looked behind, \| there was persecution, trouble.
12 kī ša tamqītum ana ili lā uktinnu 13 u ina mākalê ištari lā zakru	12 Like one who has not \| made libations to his god, 13 nor with a food offering \| invoked his goddess,
14 appi lā enû \| šukînni lā amru 15 ina pîšu ipparkû \| suppû teslītu 16 ibṭilu ūmu ili \| išēṭu eššēšī 17 iddû ahšuma \| mēšunu imēšu 18 palāhu u itˀudu \| lā ušalmidu nišīšu	14 who is not wont to prostrate himself, \| nor has been seen to bow down, 15 from whose mouth there has been no issue \| of prayer or supplication 16 who has skipped holy days \| and despised festivals, 17 who has been neglectful \| and scorned the god's rites, 18 who has not taught his people \| reverence and worship,
19 ilšu lā izkur \| īkul akalšu 20 īzib ištartašu \| mashatu lā ubla	19 who has not invoked his god \| but eaten his food offering, 20 who has snubbed his goddess \| by not bringing a flour offering,
21 ana ša imhû \| bēlšu imšû 22 nīš ilīšu kabti \| qalliš izkur	21 like one possessed \| who has forgotten his lord, 22 who has casually sworn \| a solemn oath by his god,
22a anāku amšal	22a (like such a one) did I seem!
23 aḫsusma raman \| suppû teslīti 24 teslītī tašīmat \| niqû sakkûˀa	23 I, for my part, was mindful \| of supplication and prayer: 24 to me prayer was the natural recourse, \| sacrifice my rule.
25 ūmu palāh ilī \|ṭūb libbīya 26 ūmu ridûti ištar \| nēmeli tatturu	25 The day for reverencing the gods \| was a joy to my heart; 26 The day of the goddess's procession \| was my profit and return.
27 ikribi šarri \| šī hidûtī 28 u nēgûtašu \| ana damiqti šumma	27 Praying for the king, \| that was my joy, 28 His fanfare \| was as if for (my own) good omen.
29 uššar ana māti \| mê ili naṣāri 30 šumi ištar šūqur \| nišīya uštāhiz	29 I instructed my land \| to observe the god's rites, 30 the goddess's precious name \| did I teach my people to value.
31 tanādāti šarri \| iliš umaššil 32 u puluhti ekalli \| ummān ušalmid	31 Praise for the king \| I made like a god's 32 And reverence for the palace \| I taught the populace.
33 lū idi kī itti ili \| itamgur annâti	33 *I wish I knew that these things \| were pleasing to a god!
34 ša damqat ramānuš \| ana ili gullultu[m] 35 ša ina libbīšu mussukat \| eli ilīš damqat	34 What seems good to oneself \| could be an offence to a god, 35 What in one's own heart seems abominable \| could be good to a god!
36 ayyu ṭēm ilī \| qirib šamê ilammad 37 milik ša zanunzê \| ihakkim mannu 38 ēkamma ilmadā \| alakti ilī apâti	36 Who can learn the reasoning \| of the gods in heaven? 37 Who understands the plans \| of the underworld gods? 38 *Where might humans \| have learned the way of a god?
39 ša ina amšat ibluṭu \| imūt uddiš 40 surriš uštādir \| zamar uḫtabbar	39 He who was alive yesterday \| is dead today. 40 For a minute someone is downcast, \| then suddenly full of cheer.
41 ina ṣibit appi \| izammur elīla 42 ina pīt purīdi \| uṣarrap lallāriš	41 One moment \| he sings in exaltation, 42 Another \| he groans like a professional mourner.
43 kī pitê u katāmi \| ṭēnšina šitni	43 *The people's condition changes \| like opening and shutting (the legs) (i.e. in a twinkling).
44 immuṣāma \| immâ \| šalamtiš 45 išebbâma \| išannâ \| ilšin	44 When starving they become like corpses, 45 When sated they rival their gods.
46 ina ṭâbi itammâ \| ili šamāˀī 47 ūtaššašāma idabbubā \| arād irkalla 48 [The line is fragmentary; not read]	46 In good times they speak \| of scaling heaven 47 When it goes badly, they complain \| of going down to hell. 48 [The line is fragmentary; not read]
49 [u] yâti šūnu[hu] \| ireddi mehû 50 murṣu munnišu \| elīya innešra 51 imhullu [ištu išid] \| šamê izīqa 52 [u]ltu irat erṣētim \| išīha ṭīˀi 53 šūlu lemnu \| ittaṣâ apsuššu 54 [utukku l]ā [nê]’i \| ūṣâ ultu ēkur 55 [lamaštu ūri]da \| ultu qereb šadî	49 As for me, the exhausted one, \| a whirlind is driving me! 50 Debilitating Disease \| is let loose upon me; 51 An evil wind has blown \| [from the ends] of the sky, 52 Headache has surged upon me \| from the breast of the underworld, 53 An malignant spectre \| has come forth from its hidden depth. 54 The utukku-demon which cannot be resisted \| came forth against me from the mountain, 55 [the lamaštu-demon came] \| down at me from the heart of the mountain

Original Transcript	English Translation
1 akšudma ana balāṭ \| adanna ītiq	1 I survived to the next year, \| the appointed time passed.
2 asaḫḫurma \| lemun lemunma 3 zapurtī ūtaṣṣapa \| išartī ul uttu	2 As I turned around, \| it was more and more terrible; 3 My ill luck was on the increase, \| I could find no good fortune.
4 ila alsīm \| ul iddina pānīšu 5 usalli ištarī \| ul ušaqqâ rēšīša	4 I called to my god, \| but he did not show me his face, 5 I prayed to my goddess, \| but she did not raise her head.
6 bārû ina bīr \| arkat ul iprus 7 ina maššakka šāˀilu \| ul ušāpi dīnī	6 The diviner with his inspection \| did not get to the bottom of it, 7 *Nor did the dream priest with his incense \| clear up my case
8 zaqīqu abālma \| ul upatti uznī 9 mašmaššu ina kikiṭṭê \| kimiltī ul ipṭur	8 I beseeched a dream spirit, \| but it did not enlighten me; 9 And the incantation priest with his ritual \| did not appease the divine wrath against me.
10 ayyīte epšēti \| šanāti mātitān 11 āmurma arkat \| ridâti ippīru	10 What bizarre actions \| there were everywhere! 11 I looked behind, \| there was persecution, trouble.
12 kī ša tamqītum ana ili lā uktinnu 13 u ina mākalê ištari lā zakru	12 Like one who has not \| made libations to his god, 13 nor with a food offering \| invoked his goddess,
14 appi lā enû \| šukînni lā amru 15 ina pîšu ipparkû \| suppû teslītu 16 ibṭilu ūmu ili \| išēṭu eššēšī 17 iddû ahšuma \| mēšunu imēšu 18 palāhu u itˀudu \| lā ušalmidu nišīšu	14 who is not wont to prostrate himself, \| nor has been seen to bow down, 15 from whose mouth there has been no issue \| of prayer or supplication 16 who has skipped holy days \| and despised festivals, 17 who has been neglectful \| and scorned the god's rites, 18 who has not taught his people \| reverence and worship,
19 ilšu lā izkur \| īkul akalšu 20 īzib ištartašu \| mashatu lā ubla	19 who has not invoked his god \| but eaten his food offering, 20 who has snubbed his goddess \| by not bringing a flour offering,
21 ana ša imhû \| bēlšu imšû 22 nīš ilīšu kabti \| qalliš izkur	21 like one possessed \| who has forgotten his lord, 22 who has casually sworn \| a solemn oath by his god,
22a anāku amšal	22a (like such a one) did I seem!
23 aḫsusma raman \| suppû teslīti 24 teslītī tašīmat \| niqû sakkûˀa	23 I, for my part, was mindful \| of supplication and prayer: 24 to me prayer was the natural recourse, \| sacrifice my rule.
25 ūmu palāh ilī \|ṭūb libbīya 26 ūmu ridûti ištar \| nēmeli tatturu	25 The day for reverencing the gods \| was a joy to my heart; 26 The day of the goddess's procession \| was my profit and return.
27 ikribi šarri \| šī hidûtī 28 u nēgûtašu \| ana damiqti šumma	27 Praying for the king, \| that was my joy, 28 His fanfare \| was as if for (my own) good omen.
29 uššar ana māti \| mê ili naṣāri 30 šumi ištar šūqur \| nišīya uštāhiz	29 I instructed my land \| to observe the god's rites, 30 the goddess's precious name \| did I teach my people to value.
31 tanādāti šarri \| iliš umaššil 32 u puluhti ekalli \| ummān ušalmid	31 Praise for the king \| I made like a god's 32 And reverence for the palace \| I taught the populace.
33 lū idi kī itti ili \| itamgur annâti	33 *I wish I knew that these things \| were pleasing to a god!
34 ša damqat ramānuš \| ana ili gullultu[m] 35 ša ina libbīšu mussukat \| eli ilīš damqat	34 What seems good to oneself \| could be an offence to a god, 35 What in one's own heart seems abominable \| could be good to a god!
36 ayyu ṭēm ilī \| qirib šamê ilammad 37 milik ša zanunzê \| ihakkim mannu 38 ēkamma ilmadā \| alakti ilī apâti	36 Who can learn the reasoning \| of the gods in heaven? 37 Who understands the plans \| of the underworld gods? 38 *Where might humans \| have learned the way of a god?
39 ša ina amšat ibluṭu \| imūt uddiš 40 surriš uštādir \| zamar uḫtabbar	39 He who was alive yesterday \| is dead today. 40 For a minute someone is downcast, \| then suddenly full of cheer.
41 ina ṣibit appi \| izammur elīla 42 ina pīt purīdi \| uṣarrap lallāriš	41 One moment \| he sings in exaltation, 42 Another \| he groans like a professional mourner.
43 kī pitê u katāmi \| ṭēnšina šitni	43 *The people's condition changes \| like opening and shutting (the legs) (i.e. in a twinkling).
44 immuṣāma \| immâ \| šalamtiš 45 išebbâma \| išannâ \| ilšin	44 When starving they become like corpses, 45 When sated they rival their gods.
46 ina ṭâbi itammâ \| ili šamāˀī 47 ūtaššašāma idabbubā \| arād irkalla 48 [The line is fragmentary; not read]	46 In good times they speak \| of scaling heaven 47 When it goes badly, they complain \| of going down to hell. 48 [The line is fragmentary; not read]
49 [u] yâti šūnu[hu] \| ireddi mehû 50 murṣu munnišu \| elīya innešra 51 imhullu [ištu išid] \| šamê izīqa 52 [u]ltu irat erṣētim \| išīha ṭīˀi 53 šūlu lemnu \| ittaṣâ apsuššu 54 [utukku l]ā [nê]’i \| ūṣâ ultu ēkur 55 [lamaštu ūri]da \| ultu qereb šadî	49 As for me, the exhausted one, \| a whirlind is driving me! 50 Debilitating Disease \| is let loose upon me; 51 An evil wind has blown \| [from the ends] of the sky, 52 Headache has surged upon me \| from the breast of the underworld, 53 An malignant spectre \| has come forth from its hidden depth. 54 The utukku-demon which cannot be resisted \| came forth against me from the mountain, 55 [the lamaštu-demon came] \| down at me from the heart of the mountain

The Poem of the Righteous Sufferer (Ludlul bēl nēmeqi), Tablet II, lines 1-55, read by Gebhard J. Selz

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