The minute bird called
diqdiqqu or
duqduqqu ("
wren") in
Akkadian is a bird of proverbial small size and great ambitions. The
Story of the Poor, Forlorn Wren describes his conflict with
Eagle – paragon of pride – resolved by the
Sun God. The opening lines represent Eagle nesting on top of a mountain, and Wren in the more humble abode of a "mountain plant". Wren, described as "poor, forlorn" (epithets reminiscent of those given to Gimil-Ninurta in
Poor Man of Nippur), is apparently prevented by Eagle from going out to feed himself, for which reason he demands justice from the Sun God. Wren concedes that "my size may be small" – after all, he is called the "one-shekel bird", i.e., the bird who weighs only 8 grams –, but contends that he should still be allowed to subsist. The Sun God apparently punishes Eagle for its pride, whereupon Wren exhorts the "birds from the mountain and the plain" to sing the god's praises for making him an equal to Eagle. Eagle should never boast again of the loftiness of its nesting sites, nor should Wren be ashamed of his humble abode. The poem ends with a short
epimythium: the beloved of
Marduk alone is allowed to nest and raise his progeny. == Manuscripts ==