UET 6, 0414 (P274721)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Ur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | UET 6, 0414 |
|---|---|
| ID | P274721 |
| Museum no. | BM — |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar) |
| Coordinates | 30.9607, 46.1063 |
English translation
By Wasserman, Nathan · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| obverse 1 | “Come now, cleaner, I’ll give you an order—clean my clothes! |
| obverse 2 | What I instruct you, do not lay aside, |
| obverse 3 | Your own (ideas), you should not do! |
| obverse 4 | As for the hem of the garment, you will lay down the selvage, |
| obverse 5 | You will stitch the outer side to the inside, |
| obverse 6 | You will pick up the thread of the (shorter) border. |
| obverse 7 | You will soak the delicate part (of the cloth) in beer, |
| obverse 8 | You will strain it through a sieve. |
| obverse 9 | You will loosen the hem with the selvage. |
| obverse 10 | You will spray it with clear water, |
| obverse 11 | You will wipe it like a kimdum cloth, and you will ... : |
| obverse 12 | To the weft yarns you will [brush?] so that the warp yarns ... |
| obverse 13 | You will ... in a basin(?), |
| obverse 14 | ... you will mix alkali with gypsum (to prepare fuller’s earth?). |
| obverse 15 | You will beat(?) it on/with/under a stone. |
| obverse 16 | ... in a vessel. |
| obverse 17 | In case you have applied a (laundry) mark, (then) you must ... and you will have to comb (the fabric). |
| obverse 18 | You will tap (the garment) repeatedly with an e’ru-wood stick (to felt or smooth the fabric). |
| obverse 19 | You will arrange the fleece on the washer’s stool. |
| obverse 20 | You will sew/repair the work, the (damaged) warp, with a needle. |
| reverse 1 | You will spread and cool the hem. |
| reverse 2 | You will dry (the garment) in the break of evening, |
| reverse 3 | so that the fabric will not dry (and wrinkle). |
| reverse 4 | (Afterwards) you will place it in a box (and that) in a chest. |
| reverse 5 | No cause for concern! Bring (it) to me; I will make you very happy—promptly! |
| reverse 6 | You will bring (the garment) to the house, (one) will pour a seah of barley into your lap.” |
| reverse 7 | The fuller answers him: “By Ea, lord of the washbowl, who gives me life! |
| reverse 8 | Drop it! Not me! What you are saying—only my creditor and my tax collector |
| reverse 9 | have the nerve (to talk) like you! |
| reverse 10 | Nobody’s hands could manage this work! |
| reverse 11 | What you have instructed me I cannot repeat, |
| reverse 12 | utter or reiterate! |
| reverse 13 | Come upstream of the city, in the environs of the city— |
| reverse 14 | let me show you a washing-place! |
| reverse 15 | The great work you have in your hands set yourself (to do)! |
| reverse 16 | The meal time should not pass—go in there, and |
| reverse 17 | the many threads of the fuller unravel! |
| reverse 18 | If you don’t calm yourself down |
| reverse 19 | a fuller who will bother for you will be none. |
| reverse 20 | They will mock you. Your heart |
| reverse 21 | will burn, and a rash(?) |
| reverse 22 | on your body you will impose.” |
| reverse 23 | The lines, their count: 41. |
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 | al-kam _{lu2}azlag2_ lu-wa-hi-ir-ka-a-ma# su-ba-ti zu-uk#-ki | |
| 2 | sza u-wa-hi#-ru#-ka la ta-na-ad-di-i-ma | |
| 3 | sza-at ra-ma-ni-ka la te-ep-pe-esz | |
| 4 | si2-is-si2-ik-tam qa2-ap-si-da-am ta-na-ad-di | |
| 5 | pa-nam a-na li-ib-bi-im tu-ta-ak-ka-ap | |
| 6 | qa2 szi-id-dim ta-la-aq-qa-at | |
| 7 | me-eh-ha-am qa-at-nam ta-ra-as-sa3-an | |
| 8 | i-na ma-asz-ha-li-im ta-sza-ah-ha-al | |
| 9 | si2-si2-ka-at qa2-ap-si-di-im tu-pa-at,-t,a#-ar | |
| 10 | asz i-na me-e na-am-ru-tim te#-di-ik#? | |
| 11 | ki-ma ki-im-di-im-ma ta#-ka#?-pa#-ar u3 te-x-ni#? | |
| 12 | a#-na pi2-it-tim ta-sa3#-x ki-ma# szu-tu-um# x-x-bi? | |
| 13 | [a]-na# me-es-ke-er-tim ta#-ta#-x-[x-x] | |
| 14 | x ku-up?-pa?# x _im-babbar_ tu#-[ba-la]-al# | |
| 15 | [i-na] _na4#_ ta-ma#-[ah-ha]-su2# | |
| 16 | i#-na# te-er-hi-im ta-ma#-ar-ra#-[as u3 te?-x x x] | |
| 17 | pi2-qa2 si2-im-tam te-me-su#? ta#-[x-x-x] u3 tu-na-da#-[ad?] | |
| 18 | i-na# _{gesz#}gidri# ma-nu_ tu-ta-ar#-[ra-ak] | |
| 19 | it#-qa2#-am na-pa-al-sa3-ah-tam tu-[...] | |
| 20 | asz szu-ta-am szi#-ip-ra-am i-na _{gesz}dala#_ x-[x]-ni#? | |
| reverse | ||
| 1 | si2-si2-ik-tam ta-sza-at-ta-aq u3 tu-pa-asz-sza-ah | |
| 2 | i-na s,i-it li-li-im tu-ub-ba-al | |
| 3 | ki-ma szu-tu-um la usz-ta-ak-ka-su2 | |
| 4 | i-na sza-ad-di-im i-na pi-it-ni-im ta-sza-ak-ka-an# | |
| 5 | lu pu-usz-szu-uh-kum bi-lam u2-ha-ad-da-ka ma-di-isz hu-um-t,a-am | |
| 6 | a-na bi-tim tu-ba-lam-ma 1(ban2) sze a-na su2-ni-ka i-sza-ap-pa-[ku] | |
| 7 | _{lu2}azlag2_ i-ip-al-szu asz-szum e2-a be-el ne2-em-si2-im sza u2-ba-la-t,u3#-[ni?] | |
| 8 | e-zi-ib la ia-ti sza ta-qa-ab-bu-u2 um-me2-ni u3 mu-sza-[di-ni?] | |
| 9 | sza ki-ma ka-a-ti li-ib-ba-am i-ra-asz-szu-u2-ma# | |
| 10 | szi-ip-ra-am ri#-ta-szu i-ka-asz-sza-da u2-la i-ba-asz-szi | |
| 11 | asz sza tu-wa-hi#-ru#!-ni szu-un-na-am da-ba-ba-am | |
| 12 | qa2-ba-am u3 tu-ur-ra-am u2-la e-le-i | |
| 13 | al-kam e-le-nu-um a-li-im i-na li-it a-li-im | |
| 14 | ma-ah-tu-tam lu-ka-al-li-im-ka-ma-me | |
| 15 | ma-na-ha-tim ra-be2-tim sza i-na qa-ti-ka i-ba-asz-szi-a i-na ra-ma-ni-ka szu-ku-un-ma | |
| 16 | na-ap-ta-nu-um la i-ba-a et-ru-ba-am-ma | |
| 17 | u3# qe2-e _{lu2}azlag2_ ma-du-tim pu-szu-ur | |
| 18 | szum-ma la at-ta li-ib-bi ra-ma-ni-ka tu-na-ap-pa-asz | |
| 19 | _{lu2}azlag2_ sza i-na-ah-hi-da-kum u2-la i-ba-asz-szi | |
| 20 | i-me-esz-szu-ni-ik-kum-ma li-ib-ba-ka-mi | |
| 21 | asz ih-ha-am-ma-at, u3 te-er-szi-tam | |
| 22 | pa-ga-ar-ka te-mi-id | |
| 23 | ($ blank space $) _mu-bi szid-bi 4(u) 1(disz)_ | |
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.