Sumerian Shakespeare
The Loring Tablet
As described on the page Adventures in Cuneiform Writing, Loring gave me a Gudean foundation peg for my birthday. It is what started my interest in Sumerian studies. I wrote
this tablet as a way of thanking her. Having to learn the Sumerian language well enough
to compose this tablet is why I was able to translate the story of The Great Fatted Bull.
The front of the tablet takes the form of a votive tablet dedicated to a goddess.
The back of the tablet is a brief note to a distant girlfriend.
Transliteration: The Sumerian words are spelled phonetically. The numeric subscripts
of the signs are not included. I deliberately chose not to use the standard Sumerian conventions of sign spacing. For instance, on a line with only three signs, one sign would be at the beginning, one in the middle, and one at the end. This shows that no signs were accidentally omitted. I chose to group all of the signs together at the beginning of the line,
like in English.
(front)
Dingir La-ur-en nin-gu (1) (2)
Ki-ang ga-a-ra
Gal-an-zu za-e me-en
Nisaba a-gin
Geshtug-ga
U sag-ga
Ku dingir lamma
Hi-li guru munus
Dur za-e me-en
An ki dal-ba-na
(back)
Dingir La-ur-en
La-bi tur
Shag-gu dug-a-ra
Za-e ra ki-ang gu gen
Za-e ga haza te
Ta sud-am
(1) Diĝir (pronounced dingir) denotes divinity. It usually isn’t said when read aloud,
but it is pronounced on this tablet because it scans better.
(2) I had to convert Loring to Lauren (La-ur-en) because the there is no “o” in the
Sumerian language.
Translation:
To Loring, my lady (1)
Beloved to me.
You are wise
Like Nisaba (2)
Intelligent
And kind.
Bright spirit
Beautiful woman
You are the bond
Between heaven and earth. (3)
Loring
Little darling
Dear to my heart.
I send you my love.
I hold you near
From afar.
(1) Tablets dedicated to a goddess often used this form of address. For example,
“To the goddess Inanna, My Lady.” Nin also means eresh, meaning "queen."
(2) Nisaba is the goddess who invented writing and the patron deity of the scribes.
(3) Dur-an-ki: There is a temple named “The Bond of Heaven and Earth.”
