Sumerian lament / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lament for Nippur, or the Lament for Nibru, is a Sumerianlament, also known by its incipittur3 me nun-e ("After the cattle pen...").[2] It is dated to the Old Babylonian Empire (c.1900–1600 BCE).[3] It is preserved in Penn Museum on tablet CBS13856.[4]
Remains of the Ekur (mountain temple) in Nippur: the Lament reads, The brickwork of E-kur gave you only tears and lamentation -- it sings a bitter song of the proper cleansing-rites that are forgotten! It weeps bitter tears over the splendid rites and most precious plans which are desecrated -- its most sacred food rations neglected and ...... into funeral offerings, it cries "Alas!". The temple despairs of its divine powers, utterly cleansed, pure, hallowed, which are now defiled![1]