Minhast Texts

The Babel Text

1.Tušmat waššumi min kirim kirmakkemsarabu.' / It.is.said.that one.speaking speak-it+they-past-impf-trans. 2.Damikman, šinarkī sarimtasummakkemammā, sašarahasmaknaftaran išpipuħtimmekiman. / One.day, Shinar=in encounter-plain-it+they.trans.=and.then sat.it-they.nmlzr.=to cause=stand.up=intrans. 3.Kirimsartikmantammā: "Banak min tušša sut tuyyeran išpipuħtatirhakan. Tuyye waššuxtaran amandumaħnēan. Wahēk iggampar nahaštuhmakman kawaħnakman. Issikpar nuspiggarikman." 4.Wahēk, bīda šuxtanyar neššimammā, redad min sašarahašmaknaftīren sut banak min tušša sut tuyye. 5.Kirimtamā: "Bayye, hambin wahata markawantirennu. Išpimaškanneksartikmasattan! 6.Wahēk kawantiru, 'ikiškannekšartikmammā banak kišpip puħtiktirammā umitarikman. Kayāhē, ittašnirihsakmu gabgabalaram.

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1.Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2.As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3.They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4.Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." 5.But the Lord camedown to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6.The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7.Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." 8.So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9.That is why it was called Babel -- because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

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"Šurpēpa - The Strangers" (from the "Anyaddaddaram" - The Anyar Saga)

Wattanum essanešekammā, šanī min ayyas sarekan, kinartatešamammā, yābītirenni min sittum ittaššitešamkasmā tībūr gabahtatešamammā, duxtaren birīh min dīlūtimmiyar sarehtatešammā, duxtaren derek min ukaradahtešamaraneft. Bikrimtešamabammā yaduk dilammā bisuktitešan. Tammaf bin banduhā lasaptešaman, kirimtirtešam yatammaftiran.

Wahēk itamtadahtešaman, pira yakreh sassatešamarampirmā, atūhitek beybeytireku. Laburkemantamā esamekammā, akkuktirekkī sanalkutekammā, ururtahtirek tedekammā wāwayekammā, ušnitirtešampar yekwekan. Wakkan, birīh min dīlūtimmaran pardātešamammā, asukatešaman.

"And then I hid behind a great stone and saw two men walking, whispering to each other, their eyes had the look of the stag pursued by the hunter. Three times they looked above to the crest of the mountain, three times they looked to the path from which they came. They spoke to each other again, the younger nodded and they began to climb (the side of the mountain). They wore strange foreign garments, and their tongue was strange to my ears.

"Then they turned towards my direction, for they had heard me. I slid to my right to hide (behind the stone better). I reached to my quiver and pulled from it my arrow. I strung my bow and waited for their attack. But then they took fast to the mountain crest, and fled the place where I hid."

"Dār min Menā'ilte - A Mother's Tale

Damikmān, kafrekaran,
Mattim sirūkenkide,
Mattim paxrasuste,

Šimuzikmammā,
Hafrekman,
Yararan hafrekman.

Duktirimikkenunamā,
“Menā’ey, wašpikalluħtektahuš!"
Wahēk, yatasmekan,
Hatā’ marišpikalluktenkan,
Hambin kallut, wammīn.

Kirimkannamā:
“Hambin tipr. Intakannimā, tamaškekampiš.
Wahēk, iknitūmankannimā,
Tibbaktenkindī tamaškekampiš.”

Tenkūranuk waxxanafreħ intinnuzaban,
Ambunkammā, akyamkekkannimā
Tamaškekampiš.

Wahēk, mattim sisiblūl,
Paħpāran,
Tubrāran ittaħšan.

Tiburtirrennde intinnuzaban,
Gāhal min tubur,
Gāhal nikkāsannaft,
Siyyum maššaktikkende
Bayūraktessuwāš!

Saħran, “Nakkīdanyār!”
Tašlekannamā:
“Intaħkaš, tamašekabannimā,
“Sīrukenkidaran išpipikalluktaš!”

Kan wašpimatiknenu,
Kirmannamā:
“Hambin wakkibuttaš!
“Wakkarakikkide wammīn!”

Tašlekannamā:
“Bakran tamaktibbuktāš?
“Istasmintatarkan wattawīt!
“Sappu wakkibbuktaran
“Atim wahambin wašpimmatiknan!
“Kibbuktaš, tamaškekaš,
“Tašpimmatektahuš, sirūran wašpikalluktampiš!”

Kirinnamā:
“Matti wassahan!
“Hatā' bisēnarutahaš!
“Hatā wattašpikalluttahampiš!”

Wahēk, šānī min kabukamaran išpidustareknu.
Dibbūn min kabukam,
Dibbūn taħlekikmanaft,
Kabukam ayētamahan,
Suyyemkāk min sikyāllidaran;
Kintetikkende huslampahammā,
Nattamahan.

Wahēk, dustiraziknenumā,
Kūran nitaskampiš,
Kabukamtikentaran išpisfan,
Yakaran išnušnan.

Saparkammā yuhupkan,
Sassaruwwende yikkapārsaku,
Iyyāsayekan gazzekan.

Wahēk, bayye wayyak hakkūlaran sarekan,
Yikkaparsakumā,
Sillazmannide ruppukmahu.

Ahātu wayyišizmekan,
Yišizmekammā,
Suxtaran ittuyipkan
Dallimkammā,
Šarrataran tekupkan.

Innaxsespirkammā.
Heydassaktaran ikyamkammā,
Išpisarrektaħlupkan.

Rārāran, leyleyan, sussuan,intiħratandūr;
Ukkuamaktipār illummannide
Nukkuatirku wammīn.