CDLI Literary 000383, ex. 011 (P259244)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000383, ex. 011 |
|---|---|
| ID | P259244 |
| Museum no. | CBS 02189 + CBS 02227 + CBS 02297a |
| Collection | Penn Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Nippur (mod. Nuffar) |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
English translation
Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| obverse 1 | x my house, suitable for rule, |
| obverse 2 | x my house of libated syrup and ghee, |
| obverse 3 | x the woman’s abode of my childhood maiden (years), no longer filled with your charms: I am the one who would carry your tears! |
| obverse 4 | I am the one who would carry your tears! Your tears do not cease, my heart is not assuaged. |
| obverse 5 | Because of this, the lamenter is at the ready (and) does not sleep. |
| obverse 6 | Like the dagger-wielding ecstatic, (s)he does not approach?. |
| obverse 7 | Like the changing pi-li-pi-li, (s)he went along(?) the public square. |
| obverse 8 | The maiden(?) lets her hair hang loosely backwards. A good […] |
| obverse 9 | … began to wail … |
| obverse 10 | … he destroyed your city. … the house(?) … |
| obverse 11 | […] he destroyed the house of(?) Enki(?) … |
| obverse 12 | … he seized(?) their hands. |
| obverse 13 | … the princely rites … |
| obverse 14 | … made, … at the side of the wall. |
| obverse 15 | My …, the eternal command of the great gods. |
| obverse 16 | Lord Enlil, lord of the lands, |
| obverse 17 | Looked maliciously at Sumer, devastated it with a flood-storm. |
| obverse 18 | He destroyed Kiur, the great place. |
| reverse 1' | “My beloved, for how long was it built? For how long is it destroyed? … adornment of the Abzu.” |
| reverse 2' | Its gešgigal. |
| reverse 3' | “Lord Enki, who has seen a destruction (like that) of your city Eridu? |
| reverse 4' | Who has seen a misfortune like that of the Abzu shrine, your house? |
| reverse 5' | No one goes up to your cultic place. |
| reverse 6' | At the afternoon meal, in his great dining hall, they do not call his name.” |
| reverse 7' | Enki, king of the abzu, |
| reverse 8' | felt distresssed, felt anxious. At the words of his spouse, |
| reverse 9' | he himself began to wail, and lay down fasting. |
| reverse 10' | “My king, you must not be distressed, you must not be anxious!” |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| obverse | ||
| 1 | e2 na-ag2-u3-mu-un-e ba-ab-du7-a-gu10 | |
| 2 | e2 lal3 u5-nun bal-bal-e-gu10 | |
| 3 | ama5-gu10 ag2 ki-sikil tur-ra-gu10 hi-li-zu nu-du8-a me-e!(a) er2-zu ga-[tum3] | |
| 4 | me-e er2-zu ga-tum3 er2-zu nu-gul-e sza3-gu10 nu-sed4-de3# | |
| 5 | na-ag2-bi-sze3 balag#-di# ba-da-gub u3 nu-um-szi-ku#-[ku] | |
| 6 | lu2-e11-de3 ba-<da>-ra-ak-a-gin7 sag nu-mu-un#-[ga2-ga2?] | |
| 7 | pi#-li-pi-li szu-bal-ak-a-gin7# sila# dagal-[ta ba-gen?] | |
| 8 | [ki]-sikil#-e sig2-bar#-ra# bi2#-in-du8 sa6# [x x x] | |
| 9 | [x x x] i-si-isz mi#-ni-ib2-la2 [...] | |
| 10 | [x x x] uru2-zu zag bi2-in#-tag# e2?# [x x x] | |
| 11 | [x x e2? {d}]am#-an#-ki# zag# bi2#-in-tag# [x] | |
| 12 | [x x] x szu#-ba# szu he2-bi2#-[in-tag?] | |
| 13 | [x x] x me nam-nun-na [x x] | |
| 14 | [x x] bi2-ak zag e2-gar8-e [x x] | |
| 15 | [x x x]-gu10 inim su3-ud-da-asz dingir gal-gal#-[e-ne] | |
| 16 | [u3-mu]-un# {d}mu-ul-lil2 u3#-mu-un kur-kur-ra-[ke4] | |
| 17 | [ki-en]-gi-ra i-bi2# [hul he2]-en#-szi#-bar# giri3#-[bal-a he2-em-mi-in-ra] | |
| 18 | [ki-ur3] ki# gal# [zag he2-bi2-in-tag] | |
| reverse | ||
| 1' | [mu-ud-na-gu10 me-na ba-du3-e me-na ba-gul?]-e# [me-tesz2 abzu? ...] | |
| 2' | [gesz-gi4]-gal2#-bi#-[im] | |
| 3' | [u3-mu-un {d}am-an-ki uru2-zu uru2-ze2-eb gul-la a-ba]-a# igi# mu-ni-in#-[du8] | |
| 4' | [esz3 abzu e2-zu]-gin7# hul#-a# a#-ba-[a igi mu-ni-in-du8] | |
| 5' | [ki-szu-tag-ga-zu lu2 nu-e11-de3] | |
| 6' | [kin-sig unu2 gal-ni mu-ni] li#-bi2-in#-pa3#-[de3] | |
| 7' | [{d}en-ki] lugal# abzu#-[ke4] | |
| 8' | [sza3 ba-an]-sag3# ur5-ra-ni# [ba]-usz2# inim# nitalam#-na#-[sze3] | |
| 9' | ni2#-te#-a#-ni i-si-isz mi#-[ni]-ib#-la2# sza3-ka-tab ba#-[an-nu2] | |
| 10' | lugal#-gu10 ur5# nam#-ba#-usz2#-e# [sza3] nam#-ba#-sag3#-ge# | |
Sources & licences
- Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched) · Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), https://cdli.earth/ ; cite CDLI and the P-number
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.