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ASJ 16, 043-046 Barton Cylinder (P222183)

Administrative, ED IIIb, Nippur · c. 2500 BCE–2340 BCE

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DesignationASJ 16, 043-046 Barton Cylinder
IDP222183
Museum no.CBS 08383
CollectionPenn Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
LanguageSumerian
PeriodED IIIb · c. 2500 BCE–2340 BCE
GenreAdministrative
Find spotNippur (mod. Nuffar)
Coordinates32.1271, 45.2300

English translation

By Alster, Bendt; Westenholz, Aage · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)

LineEnglish
surface a col 1 1Those days were faraway days,
surface a col 1 2indeed!
surface a col 1 3Those nights were faraway nights,
surface a col 1 4indeed!
surface a col 1 5Those years were faraway years,
surface a col 1 6indeed!
surface a col 1 7The storm was roaring,
surface a col 1 8lights flashing.
surface a col 1 9The temple of Nippur,
surface a col 1 10the storm was roaring,
surface a col 1 11lights flashing.
surface a col 1 12Heaven with earth
surface a col 1 13was talking;
surface a col 1 14earth with heaven was talking.
surface a col 2 1With Igizigalana,
surface a col 2 2older sister of Enlil,
surface a col 2 3with Ninḫursag,
surface a col 2 4With Igizigalana,
surface a col 2 5older sister of Enlil,
surface a col 2 6with Ninḫursag
surface a col 2 7he had intercourse.
surface a col 2 8He kissed her,
surface a col 2 9the semen of seven twins
surface a col 2 10into her womb dropped.
surface a col 2 11Earth with Scorpion
surface a col 2 12a conversation held:
surface a col 2 13“Big-River,
surface a col 2 14your little “things” water are carrying.
surface a col 2 15For you(?), the god(?) of the river
surface a col 2 16... .”
surface a col 3 2... heaven reached.
surface a col 3 3The “ears” of the poplars swelled,
surface a col 3 4“grape-eyes” among them were placed.
surface a col 3 5“White-eyes,” “great lights”
surface a col 3 6were piled up with them.
surface a col 3 7The gudu-priest ...
surface a col 3 8“Mighty ..., your ...,
surface a col 3 9is being taken away.”
surface a col 3 11the beans ... .
surface a col 3 12The gudu-priest like a man of Aratta
surface a col 3 13was directing it.
surface a col 4 3... of Enlil
surface a col 4 4toward Nippur
surface a col 4 5(Enlil) to feel bitterness caused;
surface a col 4 6Inanna toward Zabala
surface a col 4 7to feel bitterness he caused;
surface a col 4 8Enki toward Abzu.
surface a col 4 9to feel bitterness he caused;
surface a col 4 10... of Enlil
surface a col 4 11Nippur was not feeding,
surface a col 4 12was not giving to drink,
surface a col 4 13His oven(?) in which bread was baked
surface a col 4 14no baked bread contained.
surface a col 4 15His oven(?) in which bread cooled down
surface a col 4 16bread cooling down [had none].
surface a col 5 2Enlil to ...
surface a col 5 3The brackish water he ...;
surface a col 5 4the brackish water he was holding back.
surface a col 5 5Enlil, he ...
surface a col 5 6the brackish water he is holding back.
surface a col 5 7Your oven(?), in which bread was baked,
surface a col 5 8no baked bread contains.
surface a col 5 9Your oven(?), in which bread cooled down,
surface a col 5 10bread cooling down has none.
surface a col 5 11Your(?) supreme ox-devouring oven,
surface a col 5 12in(?) the temple of Nippur.
surface a col 5 13its stones(?) he made lie (idle).
surface a col 5 14Your supreme bronze ...
surface a col 5 15to(?) ... does not return(?).
surface a col 6 1[Inanna toward Zabala,]
surface a col 6 2to feel bitterness he caused;
surface a col 6 3Enki toward Abzu".
surface a col 6 4to feel bitterness he caused;
surface a col 6 5he came out!
surface a col 6 6He came out!
surface a col 6 7As the day from the night rose,
surface a col 6 8Ninurta
surface a col 6 9came out!
surface a col 6 10As the day from the night rose,
surface a col 6 11in a lion’s skin his body he dressed.
surface a col 6 12With lion’s skins
surface a col 6 13his flanks he bound.
surface a col 7 9My mother ...
surface a col 7 11My mother ...
surface a col 8 10Your young man ...
surface a col 8 12Those who enter the place
surface a col 9 1Young man ...
surface a col 9 7Ninḫursag,
surface a col 9 8For their children
surface a col 9 9the fate was determined.
surface a col 9 10For the north wind
surface a col 9 11its fate was determined.
surface a col 9 12Come, let Azulugal
surface a col 9 13your life be(?)!"
surface a col 9 14The shepherd ...
surface a col 10 9For the ... wind
surface a col 10 10its fate was determined.
surface a col 10 11Come! May Enkidu
surface a col 10 12your friend be!
surface a col 10 13The wasteland may Enlildu
surface a col 10 14for men
surface a col 12 4from Keš left.
surface a col 12 5where Enlil bread eats
surface a col 12 7Irḫan,
surface a col 12 8the good one,
surface a col 13 2... to heaven ...
surface a col 13 3Silver Tigris and [silver] Euphrates
surface a col 13 4pure scepter of Enlil,
surface a col 13 5the mountains(?) ...
surface a col 13 6its roots let ...
surface a col 13 7its crown let ...
surface a col 13 8On its side let ...
surface a col 13 9eggs on the ground let be laid.
surface a col 14 3... in the mountains multiplied;
surface a col 14 4black bulls multiplied,
surface a col 14 5white bulls multiplied,
surface a col 14 6reddish bulls multiplied,
surface a col 14 7dark-red bulls multiplied.
surface a col 14 8Horrible “horse-lions”
surface a col 14 9also multiplied.
surface a col 14 10Mountain horses
surface a col 14 11on top climbed.
surface a col 14 12... dwellt.
surface a col 14 13Wool the ... carried.
surface a col 14 14The ... stags of Ninḫursag
surface a col 14 15[multiplied(?)].
surface a col 15 6The city, Dabala,
surface a col 15 7to the house ...
surface a col 15 8after the birds left it,
surface a col 15 9after into its sack flour he has put,
surface a col 15 10after water into its water skin he has poured,
surface a col 15 11Dabala, who is equally wise (said):
surface a col 15 12“To my house ...
surface a col 15 13after the birds have left it,
surface a col 15 14after into the sack flour has been put,
surface a col 15 15after into its water skin water has been poured,”
surface a col 16 2Ninḫursag, our “arm”(?),
surface a col 16 3of our precious metal took possession.
surface a col 16 4... returned.
surface a col 16 5Our silver container, our ... container,
surface a col 16 6our man of ...
surface a col 16 7the ... of gold,
surface a col 16 8our ...
surface a col 16 9took possession.
surface a col 16 102 pots ... poured,
surface a col 16 112 ... poured.
surface a col 16 12Their ... beloved heart,
surface a col 16 13beer dispersed.
surface a col 16 14Irḫan
surface a col 17 2Silver Tigris and silver Euphrates,
surface a col 17 3silver scepter, my brother,
surface a col 17 4Enlil,
surface a col 17 5the man ...
surface a col 17 6my son
surface a col 17 8Ninḫursag
surface a col 17 9fine antimony, eye-paste(?), fine oil(?)
surface a col 17 10onto her eyes put.
surface a col 17 11a seat of honor in Keš(?) she established.
surface a col 17 12Below they(?) carried.
surface a col 17 13Below nobody ...
surface a col 17 14Scepter ...
surface a col 18 3The house ...
surface a col 18 4That day, ... passing,
surface a col 18 5That night, ... darkening,
surface a col 18 6Irḫan
surface a col 18 8The house ...
surface a col 18 9My child, ...
surface a col 19 2... Ešpeš,
surface a col 19 3who is equally wise,
surface a col 19 4the great gate bolted,
surface a col 19 5the door with his/her hand bound,
surface a col 19 6and down from the sanctuary ...brought.
surface a col 19 7Irḫan
surface a col 19 11his/her eyes toward heaven raised
surface a col 19 12like a wild boar of the canebrake
surface a col 20 2... pleasure
surface a col 20 5greatly(?) pleasant
surface a col 20 9his place of manhood
surface a col 20 10like ...

Transliteration (ATF)

From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)

LineATFMachine English (draft)
surface a col 1
1u4#-ri2#-a# u4-ri2-sze3
2na-nam
3ge6-ri2-a ge6-ri2-sze3
4na-nam
5mu-ri2-a mu-ri2-sze3
6na-nam
7u4 na-du7-du7
8nim na-gir2-gir2
9esz3 nibru{ki}
10u4 na-du7-du7
11nim na-gir2-gir2
12an-ne2 ki-da
13inim an-dab6-e
14ki an-da inim an-dab6-e
surface a col 2
1[igi-zi-gal-an]-na#
2nin-gal {d}en-lil2
3{d}nin-hur-sag
4igi-zi-gal-an-na
5nin-gal {d}en-lil2
6{d}nin-hur-sag-ra
7gesz3 mu-ni-du11
8ne mu-ni-sub5
9a masz imin
10sza3# mu-na#?-ni#?-ru
11ki musz-gir2-da
12bala-bala an-da-za
13{d}i7-mah
14nig2-tur-zu a mu-da-du
15x-ra dingir i7-da-ke4
16[x x] mu# [x x]
surface a col 3
1[...] an# x x
2KA e2? an-ne2 ba-us2
3gesztu {gesz}asal an-gur4-gur4
4igi-gesztin-a sza3-ba mu-gar-gar
5igi-babbar2 nu11-gal-x
6an-da-dub-e
7gudu4-ge zi# an-|SZU2+SA|-la2
8nu-zuh-mah ku3-lal3-zu
9an-da-ra-ta-bar-e
10KA-li? GAB nunuz lul sze-a
11gu2-HAR pu2-ke4
12gudu4 lu2 arattax(|LAM.KUR.RI|)-gin7
13si an-sa2-sa2-e
14za3 za3 PIRIG an-DU-DU
15szu-si gesz?-BAD an-x
16x x [...]
surface a col 4
1[...]
2[...]
3UM x {d}en-lil2
4nibru{ki}-sze3
5gig-sze3 mu-gar-gar
6{d}inanna-ra ki zabala2-sze3
7gig-sze3 mu-gar-gar
8{d}en-ki-ra abzu-sze3
9gig-sze3 mu-gar#-[gar]
10UM [x]-bi# {d}en-lil2
11nibru{ki} u2 nu-sze3-gu7-e
12a nu-sze3-na8-na8
13edin ninda kum2-na
14ninda kum2 nu-mu-gal2
15edin ninda te-na
16ninda# te# [nu-mu-gal2]
surface a col 5
1x [...]
2{d#}en-lil2# x-sze3 mu-szi-[x]
3a-mun4# a-ne ba-sa2#-sag#
4a-mun4 a-ne ba-la2-la2
5{d}en-lil2 a-ne ba-sa2#-sag#
6a-mun4 a-ne ba-la2-la2
7edin ninda kum2-za
8ninda kum2 nu-mu-gal2
9edin# ninda te-za
10ninda te nu-mu-gal2
11gir2-mah GA2? gu4 gu7-gu7 zu?
12esz3 nibru{ki}
13|NI+IGI|-bi a-ne ba-nu2
14zabar mah-zu mu#-URU#?
15GA2#? nu-mu-gi-ne2#?
surface a col 6
1[{d}inanna-ra zabala2{ki}-sze3]
2gig#-sze# mu#-gar#-gar#
3{d#}en#-ki#-ra# abzu-sze3
4gig-sze3 mu-gar-gar
5nam-ta#-e3#
6nam-ta#-e3#
7u4 ge6-ta# e3#-a
8{d}nin-urta
9nam-ta-e3
10u4 ge6-ta e3-a
11kusz pirig# bar nam-mi-mu4
12kusz# pirig-pirig
13za3 mu-ni-kesz2
14si-si ma-ta-za
15la2-la2 ma-[ta]-za#
surface a col 7
1[...]
2[...]
3x x um#-gig
4x x na za
5gurusz DU#? ag2
6gurusz x ma hi-a
7dug kurun2#? dug SZID-ra
8umum mu#-na-ni-za#?-x
9ama-mu nu# x me-a
10gurusz-zu x na-dab6-sze3?
11ama-mu nu# x me-a
12um-gig a-ne ba-e?
13tur3 tu nu-me-a-ra#
14a-gig a-ne RU#?
15um x [x] x [x]
surface a col 8
1[...] x
2[...]
3na x [...]
4igi mu#? x
5[...]
6im nam# [mu]-ni#?-tar
7ki? x mah
8x na x
9za3# [...]
10dumu x [x]
11tum mu-dab6#-be2
12ki ku4-ra-bi
13a# AB{ki}-a x ib2#?-be6#?
14ki#? ub#? KID2 x a [x]
15x [...]
surface a col 9
1dumu [...]
2ki mu-x-x-bad
3[x] bi# x GA2#?
4sza3-bi# gu4 x bar?
5nig2# HI x DU#-DU
6x x [...]
7[{d}]nin-[hur]-sag
8dumu#-ne-ne
9nam mu-ne-tar
10im si-sa2-ra
11nam mu-ni-tar
12gen-na a-zu5-lugal
13zi-zu he2-mi-|NINDA2xHI|#
14sipa x ti HU#?
surface a col 10
1x x [...]
2lu2 [x] lu2-[ra?] ti [x]
3x [...]
4si [...]
5lu2 x ru-a-zu
6lu2 x ki# [...]
7x x [...]
8x zu5#? GA#? he2#
9im-RU?-LAGAB MUSZ3#?
10nam mu-ni-tar
11gen-na {d}en-ki-du
12ku-li-zu he2-am6
13ki-su7 {d}en-lil2-DU-[x]
14lu2 lu2-ra
15edin [x x] x
surface a col 12
1[...]
2[...]
3[x] x e3 [x] da
4kesz2-ta ba-ta-e3
5[x] ninda gu7 [{d}]en-lil2
6[x x] da [x] ti#
7{d}irhan
8lu2# sa6#-ga
9[x x] x [x x] ti
surface a col 13
1[...]
2[...] an#-sze3 [x]
3idigna# ku3# buranun# [ku3]-ge
4gidri ku3# {d}en-lil2
5hur-sag#? mu-DU
6ur2-bi he2-x
7pa-bi uri3# [x]
8bar-ba [x x] zur [x]
9nunuz ki [he2?]-tag#
10[x] lu2# [x] za
11[x x] x [x x] GA#?
12[x x x] e2
13[...] x [...] x
surface a col 14
1[...]
2[...]
3kur-ra#? al-lu2#
4am ge6 al-lu2
5am babbar al-lu2
6am su4 al-lu2
7am dara4 al-lu2
8ansze pirig su il2
9an-ga-lu2
10ansze zi-zi hur-sag
11an-sze3 al-e11
12ama-lu5 al-dab5
13siki-siki al-il2
14dar3 gi za [{d}]nin-hur-sag
15[al-lu2]
surface a col 15
1[...]
2[...]
3[...] gi#
4ul#?-sze3# mu#-gi4-gi4
5KA lul NE KA lul NE
6iri da-ba-la
7e2-e MUD
8muszen a-ba-szub-be2
9{kusz}ga2-la2-a-ke4 zi3 a-ba-ta-si-ge
10{kusz}ummux(|EDIN.LAL.A|)-ke4 a a-ba-ta-de2
11da-ba-la-e gal i3-ga-mu-zu
12e2-mu# MUD
13muszen a-ba-szub-be2
14{kusz}ga2-la2-a-ke4 zi3# a-ba-ta-si-ge
15{kusz#}ummux(|EDIN.LAL.A|)-ke4 a a-ba-ta-de2
surface a col 16
1[x x] x
2[x] {d#}nin-hur-sag-ke4 ab#? da-me
3ku3-me szu-na# mu-dab5#
4an ba? da ga2#-e mu-na-ni#-gi4-gi4
5pisan ku3-ga-me pisan SZEN-ga-me
6lu2 duh ku3 nigin-me
7nu-zuh gidri# ku3-sig17
8NE sub6-me
9szu-ni nam-ma-dab5-[dab5]
10dug 2(asz@c) [x] mu-na-de2#
112(asz@c) PI [x] PI mu-na#-de2#
12sza3 ki#-ag2 DU-a-bi
13kasz mu-da-ni-ru
14{d}irhan
surface a col 17
1[x] sur3#? BUR? sur3?
2idigna ku3 buranun ku3-ge
3gidri-ku3 szesz-mu
4{d}en-lil2
5lu2 nam-DU an# [x]
6dumu-mu# [...]
7[x x] MI# [x x]
8{d#}nin#-hur-sag-ke4
9szembi-zi |SZU2+SZE3| igi-du8 i3-li?
10igi-na ba-ni-gar
11za3-e3 kesz3 nam-mi-DU
12sig-sze3 ba-ni-il2
13sig-sze3 lu2 nu [x]
14gidri# [...]
surface a col 18
1[...]
2x [...]
3e2 mu-na-kusz3
4u4-bi a-DU zal-la
5ge6#-bi [a]-DU szu2-am6
6{d}irhan
7x KU [x] x
8e2 [...]
9dumu-mu GA2 x
10a-na# [x] a mu#-[x]
11lul# [x] na#? [x]
surface a col 19
1[...]
2[x] PESZ2# {d}esz-pesz
3gal i3-ga-mu-zu
4abul si-gar ba-gar
5ig-x szu-a mu-ni#-kesz2#
6esz3#-ta e x i3-ma-szu2-szu2
7{d}irhan#
8[...]
9[...]
10[x x] mu ta x
11igi an-sze3 i3-il2-da
12szah2 gesz-gi-gin7
13[x x] na# mu# [x x]
surface a col 20
1[...]
2[x] nam-sa6#-ga
3[ba]-ra-ni me#-nam
4[x] GA2 dab5 x ma-da
5mah#-bi sa6-ga
6ba-ra-ni me#-nam
7x DIN-gin7
8|SZU2+SA| gi he2-dub-e
9ki nam-nita-ni
10MUSZ dam te esz2-mu-gin7
11da dar3 gesz ma NUN
12ki NIG2 ti# NE# KA#
13[x] na [x x] DU#

Sources & licences

Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.