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'ilt - A Mother's Tale

Damikmān, kafrekaran,
Mattim sirūkenkide,
Mattim paxrasust.

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.

Tiburtirrennide 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 sikyallidaran;
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.

Yupputtartekammā,
Kahatyippankan;
Išlūyukkuekammā,
Yuppattarīkan,
Tamastehūyekan.

Wahēk, timmissaxtammā
Nuhapnade irraħkintannu.

Lamikaran ussustartīkannimā,
Bihimmakkan,
Kayyūn nim yahaptimmahtekī
Nazladursaxtekan,
Xanafreħkī tihaslepkaban, wammīn.

Šīan wabbibakkammā,
Tamaxtekammā,
Kūran sihikkan.

Tiharan nispapkan;
Išpiħyatartīkammā,
Sindiruppūkan,
Sindiruppūkammā, tūmankan.

Šīan wabbīankammā, duttissipikkenu;
Duttissipikkenumā, duħtizipmikkenu.
Duštašlikkenunamā: “Yalēyī!”
Nippurekkenumā, išayāyekkenu,
Lamikaran ussustartīkan.

Wahēk, hiskaranaskan,
Hukkempim tartitirte niridinku.

Saššīkan wesipteħtakan,
Sīrūkenkidaran sararkan.

Ruppūtarikkemte taraxmikkemu,
Ruppūtarikkemte tarwasamikikkennaft
Mihispūtarskemte iyyāsku.

Wahēk, supna min kahaz,
Remhakmem intikalluħtakman,
Išpimaššimuħsakman.

[Translation]
I woke up to the sound of the voices of my children.
They were hungry, and they cried to me.

“Mother, feed us!” they said.
But I furrowed my brow,
For I had run out
Of food to feed my children.

“We have no meat” I said to them.
“I must go and find us food.”
And so I left my house that morning,
To find food for my children.

On that morning the sun shone bright.
I took the path that led me into the fields
So that I could find food for my children.

And then suddenly appeared
A tall stranger.
He was dressed in bright, dazzling robes,
Majestic robes of emerald,
Beautiful robes that sparkled,
They astonished my eyes!

He shouted at me:
“Whence came you!”
“Let me pass”, I said,
“So that I can find food for my children.”

But he would not let me pass through.
“No one shall pass through”, he said.
“Across this land of mine, I allow none to pass” (lit: this is my territory, that is why)

“Why won't you let me pass through?” I protested.
“I've walked this path and through these fields many times before.
“I've passed this way even yesterday, (and) no one impeded me,
“No one till now has anyone blocked my way.
“Let me through!”, I demanded.
“Do not stop me, for I shall find food for my children!”

“Enough!” he shouted.
“You shall not pass through,
“You shall find no food for your children!”

And then he revealed
Two great scimitars before me.
Daggers of beautiful ivory,
Daggers of evil ivory.
They curved like the crescent moon,
Their edges were of peerless sharpness.

And then he rushed at me,
But I evaded him.
Each time he raised his daggers high,
Each time he brought them down to strike me.

And each time I whirled,
I foiled his every move.
Each time his weapons missed me
As I swirled beyond his reach.

And so it happened,
I found an opportunity.
When he missed his mark
His back was turned towards me.

Thus I leapt high up into the air,
I leapt and reached out toward the sky
And as I tumbled toward the earth,
With my hands outstretched and my weapons ready,
I plunged them into his flesh.

He shrieked loudly, he wailed and he wept
And he thrashed violently
As I sank my fangs into his throat.

I held him firmly,
I slashed him with my claws,
I tasted his blood as I held him
Till he fell limp and his life force faded away.

I laid his body
I laid it to the ground,
So I could rest.
I rested under the shade of a tree
For I was weary
Fighting under the hot summer sun.

And when I was ready,
I got up and approached him.
I lifted his lifeless body,
I raised him high in the air
I turned back
I turned back and brought him to my home.

When I returned they were waiting for me,
They had been waiting patiently.
“Mother!” they cried out to me.
And they surrounded me and kissed me,
As I laid my enemy's body to the ground.

Then I gave the signal,
And they surrounded the serpent's body.
I sat down beside them,
I smiled with delight as I watched my children.

I watched their furry faces,
I marveled at their beautiful faces.
I adored them as they curled their tails.
And thus that night all of us feasted
Till all the hunger was driven away.