The Great Fatted Bull
Introduction
Tablet #36
Translation
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Transliteration
Sumerian Images
Sumerian History
The Royal Tombs of Ur
The "Standard" of Ur?
Standard of Ur:  Narrative
Eannatum
Vulture Stele Translation
Sumerian War Chariots
War Chariot Deconstructed
Sumerian Chariot  Model
Gudea Translation
The Face of Gudea
Unknown Portrait of Gudea
The Face of Ur-Ningirsu
The Face of Lugal-agrig-zi
Ur-Namma Translation
The Face of Ur-Namma
Face of Ur-Namma, part II
I am Ur-Namma
Shulgi
The Face of Shulgi
Who Were the Sumerians?
Other Sumerian Kings
The Shepherd Kings
The Kings of Uruk
Enmetena
War: Umma and Lagash
Enmetena Vase
Enmetena Tablet
Enmetena, not Urukagina
Urukagina
Urukagina Liberty Cones
The Man of Umma
Lugalzagesi
Lugalzagesi Translation
Ur-Ningirsu
The Princess Wife
Princess Wife sequel
Princess Wife whole story
The Great Fatted Jackass
Mesopotamian Prostitutes
Sumerian Queens
Unknown Sumerian Queen
Another Sumerian Queen
Pu-abi, the Queen?
A Sumerian Princess
Sumerian Lukurs
The Divine Right to Rule
Sargon's Victory Stele
Helmet: the King of Kish
The Standard of Mari?
The Battles of Ishqi-Mari
Miscellaneous
The Invention of Writing
Adventures in Cuneiform
The Sumerian Scribe
A Masterpiece
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 Enmetena/ ensi/ of Lagash


This translation is from the CDLI (P222593). The tablet is important because it is the first known use of the word ama-gi4, meaning "freedom." In this case, it is a freedom from the indentured servitude of debt, where mothers and children had to become servants until the debts of the family were repaid. The word would later be used to mean "freedom" in general.


He Returned the Mother to the Child

For Lugalemush {i.e., Dumuzid, the husband of Inanna.}
Enmetena, ruler of Lagash
chosen by the heart of Nanshe,
chief ruler of Ningirsu,
son of Enannatum, ruler of Lagash,
for Ningirsu the shrine Dugru he built,
the Ahush,
the temple that he (Ningirsu) views with a steadfast eye,
he built and made fitting for him.
The chariot (named) The Mountain Heaper (or Shaker?) of Ningirsu, 
   the Grebe(?) of the Eridu Road,
whose fearsomeness is of the heart of the mountains,
he fashioned for him.
The House of Fine(?) Donkeys he built for him.
For Lugalurub his palace of Urub he built.
For Nanshe the E'engur of the Zulum (field) he built
and made fitting for her.

A remission of the obligations {ama-gi4} of Lagash he instituted.
He returned the mother to the child
and returned the child to the mother,
and a remission {ama-gi4} of interest-bearing barley loans he instituted.

At that time, Enmetena
for Lugalemush the Emush of Badtibira,
his beloved temple, he built and restored.
The citizens of Uruk, the citizens of Larsa, and the citizens of Badtibira,
a remission {ama-gi4} of their obligations he instituted.

For Inanna, back to Uruk to her control he returned them.
For Utu, back to Larsa to his control he returned them.
For Lugalemush back to the Emush to his control he returned them.

Enmetena,
a man subject to the word of Inanna,
his (personal) god is Shul-mush{x}pa.


Enmetena, ensi of Lagash